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New stores open in New York, Oklahoma, and Texas; a store preps for an Indiana opening in a former Borders location; Binc launches a year-end fundraiser; and more.

2nd & Charles to Take Over Former Highland, Ind., Borders Site: A March 4 opening is planned for the first Indiana bookstore for the chain. There are currently 30 2nd & Charles locations around the country.

B&Ns Second Concept Store Opens in Minnesota: The bookstore chain opened its second new concept store with a 100-seat restaurant in as many weeks at the Galleria Mall in Edina, Minn. The 21,500 sq. ft. store replaces a 38,000 sq. ft. store nearby. David Deason, v-p of development for B&N, told the Star Tribune that as many as 100 of its 628 locations could accommodate a smaller footprint with a larger food and beverage section like the two that have opened.

Bookstore, Music, & Art Boutique Opens in NYCs Chinatown: Last week New Yorker Simon Gabriel Greenberg opened 2 Bridges in the East Broadway Mall to [put] music, art and books into conversation with each other, the way they are at someones house, he told Resident Advisor.

Owassos Another Chapter and Coffee Bar Opens: Black Friday was anything but for Karen Barros, who opened the bookstore and cafe on November 25 after two years of planning. She will launch a website in the coming weeks and host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in January.

Vintage Bookshop Comes to Hearne, Tex.: Chuck Thompson and Royce Jatko opened Crossroads Bookshop to fill the void. The store also sells CDs and DVDs and is holding a 25% off sale from December 1-8 to celebrate its grand opening.

Morris Book Shop to Close: On January 30, Wyn Morris will close the Lexington, Ky., bookstore after a nine-year run. His efforts to sell the bookstore over the past five months have not worked out. A liquidation sale will begin after Christmas. Store manager Jay McCoy and Savannah Sipple want to open a bookstore of their own in the Chevy Chase area.

Indys Oldest Bookstore May Close: The used bookstore has fallen on hard times since its founding 38 years ago by current owner Michael Staffords stepfather, Jim Ware. Stafford is way behind on rent and has yet to find a taker to purchase the store, which he has been trying to sell for the last few months. A gofundme campaign https://www.gofundme.com/g3qprvuc launched earlier this year has netted less than $900 toward its $10,000 goal.

Rainbow Bookstore Collective to Close November 30: After 27 years, the collective, located near the UW-Madison campus, will close its doors. The decision was prompted by the loss of textbook sales and competition from online book retailers.

Binc Launches End of Year Fundraiser: On Giving Tuesday (Nov. 29) the Book Industry Charitable Foundation began a year-end fundraiser to reach its $100,000 goal. Between now and December 15 the board will match donations. In 2016, Binc provided financial assistance to 30 booksellers and their families with more than $72,000. It also awarded higher education scholarships for students from 22 different bookstores, and it has provided professional development scholarships to 17 booksellers.
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ROCK ISLAND  Rock Island-Milan School Board members on Tuesday said during a special meeting that they want to consider using a portion of the newly approved 1 percent sales tax revenue to reduce the tax rate for citizens or to repay debt.

The 1 percent sales tax referendum passed in Rock Island County on Nov. 8, after three previous attempts failed. Administrators said the Rock Island-Milan School District anticipates receiving $3.6 million per year in new revenue, which can be used only for facility needs.

School board members who met Tuesday in a special meeting to discuss possible uses for the new funds agreed that the district has a serious backlog of facility needs. However, despite those needs, they said they also want to use a portion of the new funds to reduce the school district portion of the tax bill or to repay some of the district's outstanding debt as a thank you to taxpayers.

This position was particularly championed by board member Dave Rockwell, who said Rock Island citizens have been especially supportive of the school district for a very long time.

A question I would throw out  something our board should consider doing, take a certain percentage of the new moneys, give our homeowners a tax break regardless of how small it might be, to thank them for their support in the past, he said. I think we can still accomplish a great number of items on this list.

The list Mr. Rockwell refers to is a three-year draft plan formulated by a 2014 committee that outlined roughly $3.6 million in projects each year.

Board members in early November heard a 2016 tax levy proposal of $29,489,400, an increase from 2015 when the district received $28,912,334. The proposed tax rate was unchanged from 2015, $5.46 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.

School board members already agreed to abate the life safety portion of the tax rate if taxpayers approved the 1 percent sales tax increase. That change will be made at the Dec. 13 school board meeting.

Board members Tuesday discussed further reducing the tax rate because of the new sales tax revenue.

Chief financial officer Bob Beckwith told school board members doing so is complicated for a few reasons: the board is slated to approve the new tax levy at the Dec. 13 meeting, the 1 percent sales tax does not take effect until July 1 and funds generated will not be returned to the district for one year.

The first priority for putting the new 1 percent sales tax funds to use for facility improvements would be for creating secure entrances at Edison Junior High, Washington Junior High, Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Ridgewood Elementary and Rock Island High School. All of those projects, except the high school, are remainder projects that were not completed during the district's Building Excellence construction initiative, which included the construction of the Rock Island Center for Math and Science.

Mr. Beckwith said in the backlog of other facility needs are roof replacements and repairs, replacement of heating and air units and tuckpointing.

Superintendent Mike Oberhaus said the three-year plan developed by the committee in 2014 is a living document that can be reprioritized according to the board's wishes and amended based on new facility needs as they occur.

Mr. Oberhaus asked board members to consider if going building by building and spreading projects out over time is how the board wants to approach the district's long-standing facility needs.

That's great if I'm the first building, Mr. Oberhaus said of the one project at a time approach. It's not so great if I'm the fourteenth building.

He said it will take the district seven to nine years using every dollar from the new sales tax revenue to get every district building new roofs, mechanical systems and other needs to ensure maintenance is not needed for 20 years.

He said the board could choose to borrow funds in order to tackle more projects at once and this method would not impact the property tax rate, but he also said he did not advocate this option.

Board members made no decisions Tuesday and only gathered to begin discussing possible options. Although several said they agreed the matters were complicated, Mr. Rockwell said the district was in a good position.

It's all part of a big puzzle, Mr. Rockwell said concerning the decisions before the board. I don't think we can put it together wrong, it's just putting it together the best possible way for the district.
Stein previously requested recounts of the presidential votes in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

President-elect Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by 10,704 votes out of nearly 4.8 million ballots cast in Michigan, but Stein alleges that irregularities and the possibility that vote scanning devices could have been hacked call the results into question.

Elections officials in all three states have expressed confidence in their election results.

Michigan's recount could start as early as Friday, though a challenge to the recount by Trump could delay it.

Trump's victory is highly unlikely to be reversed in any of the states, but Stein has said the recount will ensure the integrity of the election.

Republicans have said a Michigan recount would cost taxpayers far more than the $973,000 Stein must pay when filing her recount petition.

Meanwhile in Wisconsin, where Trump defeated Clinton by roughly 22,000 votes, Stein's campaign said Wednesday that it won't appeal a judge's ruling that Wisconsin's recount can be done without counting every ballot by hand.

Stein spokeswoman Margy Levinson said in an email that the campaign decided not to appeal the ruling due to the tight time constraints for completing the Wisconsin recount, which begins Thursday.

Most Wisconsin counties plan to recount their ballots by hand even though the judge's ruling means they can choose to feed the ballots into tabulation machines to double-check the results.

Levinson said Stein's focus will be on verifying the vote on the ground and she encouraged counties to voluntarily conduct a hand recount.

The Wisconsin Republican Party filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission on Wednesday alleging that Stein's recount effort amounts to illegal coordination with Clinton designed to circumvent the law and public scrutiny.

Stein campaign manager David Cobb said in a statement that Stein is not coordinating with anyone and dismissed the complaint as a "PR stunt to push a false narrative that will ultimately have no impact on the recount in Wisconsin."

Trump defeated Clinton in Pennsylvania by about 71,000 votes, or about 1 percentage point.
HAVANA (AP)  After his band of bearded rebels won power in 1959, Fidel Castro embarked on a victory tour delivering speeches to cheering crowds stretching from the eastern Cuban city of Santiago to Havana. Starting Wednesday, his ashes will retrace that journey in a solemn procession to his final resting spot.

The trip is fraught with symbolism as the island nation prepares to bury the only leader it has known in 57 years besides his younger brother, Raul Castro. The six-day Caravan of Freedom that Fidel Castro led in 1959 was among his most triumphant moments  a journey of more than 500 miles (800 kilometers) along rutted country roads. As Castro's remains are prepared for the return to Santiago, the state is rekindling images of a younger Castro whose legacy they vow to keep alive.

"Fidel will always be that restless youth and tireless revolutionary, who attacked the Moncada, arrived aboard the Granma yacht to forge the path to freedom, fought like a lion in the Sierra Maestra and crossed the country in the Caravan of Victory," proclaimed an article in Granma, the official Communist Party newspaper, a day after Castro's death.

The caravan carrying Castro's ashes will pass through a countryside dramatically different from the one he rode through more than five decades ago.

"It's a kind of symbolic closure to his rule," said William LeoGrande, an American University professor of Latin American politics. "The Castro era began with the triumph of the revolution and Fidel's march across the country. Now he's gone and they retrace that route, and the Cubans of this era have a chance to say goodbye."

Castro's victory march snaked from Santiago, where the revolution was launched, through rural towns and cities. For many Cubans, it was their first chance to get a glimpse of the man clad in olive green who seized power from dictator Fulgencio Batista's corrupt government. In cities such as Jiguani and Santa Rita, people lined the streets to greet the rebels passing by in jeeps.

Grainy black-and-white images of Castro waving to the crowds are some of the most enduring images of the revolution.

"Here were these young, bearded mythical revolutionaries, sort of messiah figures, descending from the mountains to liberate the people," said Richard Feinberg, a professor at the University of California, San Diego. "Fidel, a great master of theater, recognized the moment and he wanted to draw it out."

The tour was also an opportunity for Castro to articulate some of the revolution's guiding principles. Addressing a crowd at a plaza in the central city of Camaguey, Castro said that behind each joyous face he saw while walking the streets he wondered how many people had jobs and stable incomes, or a way to buy medicine if a sibling or child fell ill.

"I'm sure that behind the faces of those humble men and women, after the moment has passed and they return home, their minds return to the immense heap of worries each of them carries," he said.

The final caravan transporting Castro's ashes will pass through rural communities significantly changed by social and economic reforms he adopted. Many residents now have access to health care and education. But many of those towns are also in a prolonged economic collapse, the country's once dominant sugar industry decimated, the sugar mills and plantations gone.

Castro and his revolutionary government believed the island's reliance on sugar exports to the United States was the root of many of the country's ills but struggled to diversify the island's economy.

"A lot of these areas are probably poorer today than they were then," LeoGrande said.

The procession west begins Wednesday after two days of mourning in Havana, where thousands waited in lines for hours Monday to pay tribute before images of Castro as a young guerrilla displayed at the Plaza of the Revolution, the expansive square where he once delivered hours-long speeches. There and across Cuba people signed condolence books and an oath of loyalty to Castro's May 1, 2000, proclamation defining the Cuban revolution as an unending battle for socialism and national autonomy.

In state broadcast programs and Cuba's official newspapers, the government has urged Cubans to unite behind the socialist, single-party system installed by Castro but which has struggled to maintain the widespread fervor it gained more than five decades ago.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to line the streets as his ashes are transported over the course of three days to Santiago.

Some Cubans said the caravan symbolizes the island's continued loyalty to the revolution. Julexis Hernandez, a bank auditor, recalled watching yearly events commemorating Castro's jubilant march into Havana since she was a child.

"It has always been the caravan of victory," Hernandez said Monday as she and a colleague waited to pay respects at the public memorial site in Havana. "Now, it will be a caravan of sadness."

Others said Castro's final journey held no weight for them.

"For me, it doesn't symbolize anything," said house painter Alejandro Gomez Garcia. "He's already dead."
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"What we are really designing this for is the squeezed middle, the people on average incomes who get $800-$1000 worth of tax relief," said Luxon.

2 hours ago
The project involves constructing two additional tracks on the 8km section between Arlov north of Malmo and Flackarp south of Lund, reconstruction of Hjarup, Akarp and Arlov stations, and elimination of the level crossing at Akarp.

Infrastructure manager Trafikverket finalised plans for the project in May, but objections were raised on the grounds of perceived noise, water and land use impacts. The government has dismissed these appeals, albeit with a number of changes to the project specification.

Following the governments decision, the project will be referred to the Land and Environment court for final environmental approval.

Procurement is now underway and the project is being tendered on an early contractor involvement (ECI) basis with a single contract covering both civil works and track, electrification, signalling, and telecommunications. Trafikveket expects to award the contract in May with the aim of starting construction in autumn 2017. The project is due to be completed in 2023.
Construction of the first phase will start in the first half of 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2021. This comprises a 15km line running east from the city centre to Sampola, where it will split into two branches to serve the Central Hospital and Hervanta to the southeast where a depot will be constructed.

Phase two will be undertaken between 2021 and 2024 and will extend the line northwest from the city centre to Lentavanniemi.

The project will be implemented using an alliance model, whereby the client, designers and contractors cooperate throughout implementation.

Skoda Transportations Finnish subsidiary Transtech was selected in October as preferred bidder to build and maintain a fleet of low-floor LRVs.
The Bordeaux - La Rochelle, Bordeaux - Limoges and Bordeaux - Ussel services are among the so-called Balance of Territory (TET) trains currently funded by the state and operated by SNCF.

Under the agreement, the French state will fund the complete renewal of rolling stock on these routes and five new Alstom Regiolis trains will enter service on the three lines no later than June 2019. The state will also make a contribution towards operating costs.

The proposals will be adopted by the regional government at a plenary session on December 19 and New Aquitaine will become the organising authority for the three services from January 1 2018.

Earlier this month the Grand Est region (Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine) agreed to take control of Reims - Dijon and Hirson - Metz services from January 1 2017, and Paris - Troyes - Belfort services from January 1 2018. The French government has agreed to contribute 13m per year towards the cost of operating Paris  Belfort services and a new fleet of 19 bi-mode Alstom Coradia Liner trains will be introduced on the route from next year.

The French government also reached an agreement with the region of Normandy in April to transfer Paris - Caen - Cherbourg, Trouville - Deauville, Paris - Rouen - Le Harve, Paris - Granville, Paris - Evreux - Serquigny, and Caen - Le Mans - Tours services to regional control. A new fleet of 40 Bombardier Omneo Premium double-deck EMUs was ordered earlier this month for these services.
Passenger trains return to Mar del Plata Written by Keith









The restoration of passenger services between Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata reached a milestone last week, when the first test train arrived in Argentinas seventh-largest city following the completion of a project to upgrade infrastructure on part of the Roca Line.

Passenger services to Mar del Plata were suspended last year following the collapse of a bridge across the Rio Salado near Guerrero. The 100-year-old bridge has now been replaced by a new 250 meter (820 feet) long reinforced concrete structure.

Upgrading of the line has involved the renewal of 208 km (129 miles) of track with 250,000 new concrete sleepers and 600,000 tonnes of ballast.

Passenger services will resume next month in time for the Christmas holiday period.
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Since 2014, the Islamic State has established a small presence in Afghanistan. Islamic State leaders call this province, or wilayat, Khorasan, a reference to the historical region that encompassed parts of Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Yet despite their effort to expand power and influence in the region, the Islamic State-Khorasan Province, as Islamic State leaders refer to the affiliate, controls virtually no territory except for tiny areas in such districts as Deh Bala, Achin, and Naziyan in the eastern province of Nangarhar. The Islamic State has conducted only a handful of attacks in the region, failed to secure the support of most locals, and struggled with poor leadership.

The Afghan Taliban has emerged as one of the Islamic State's fiercest enemies, though the U.S. and Afghan governments have conducted strikes as well. Taliban commanders have orchestrated an aggressive campaign against the Islamic State to kill its senior leaders, co-opt its members, and undermine its ideology. This development is a double-edged sword for the United States, with broader implications in the campaign to unseat the Islamic State from territorial control in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The weakening of the Islamic State is a positive step. But Taliban successes against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's organization have increased the Taliban's strength in eastern and southern Afghanistan, creating a separate challenge for the United States and its allies.

The Rise of the Islamic State in Khorasan

In 2014, Islamic State leaders communicated with militant groups in South Asia to gauge the possibility of expanding the Islamic State's influence in the region. The Islamic State began conducting an information campaign through word of mouth, printed material, and other forums. Islamic State sympathizers, for example, distributed a 12-page printed booklet titled Fateh (or victory in Pashto) in Pashtun areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. As Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Shahid Shahidullah remarked in late 2014: Oh our brothers, we are proud of you in your victories. We are with you in your happiness and your sorrow  All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you. We are with you, we will provide you with mujahedeen and with every possible support.

The remainder of this commentary is available on lawfareblog.com

Seth G. Jones is director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is author, most recently, of Waging Insurgent Warfare (Oxford University Press).

This commentary originally appeared on Lawfare on November 27, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
For Release Wednesday

November 30, 2016

Lower productivity levels and the higher risk of mortality resulting from sleep deprivation have a significant effect on a nation's economy.

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of mortality by 13 percent and leads to the U.S. losing around 1.2 million working days a year.

Increasing nightly sleep from under six hours to between six and seven hours could add $226.4 billion to the U.S. economy.

A lack of sleep among the U.S. working population is costing the economy up to $411 billion a year, which is 2.28 percent of the country's GDP, a new report finds.

According to researchers at the not-for-profit research organisation RAND Europe, part of the RAND Corporation, sleep deprivation leads to a higher mortality risk and lower productivity levels among the workforce, putting a significant damper on a nation's economy.

A person who sleeps on average less than six hours a night has a 13 percent higher mortality risk than someone sleeping between seven and nine hours, researchers found, while those sleeping between six and seven hours a day have a 7 percent higher mortality risk. Sleeping between seven and nine hours per night is described as the healthy daily sleep range.

In total, the U.S. loses just over 1.2 million working days a year due to sleep deprivation among its working population. Productivity losses at work occur through a combination of absenteeism, employees not being at work, and presenteeism, where employees are at work but working at a sub-optimal level.

The study, Why Sleep Matters  The Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep, is the first of its kind to quantify the economic losses due to lack of sleep among workers in five different countriesthe U.S., UK, Canada, Germany, and Japan. The study uses a large employer-employee dataset and data on sleep duration from the five countries to quantify the predicted economic effects from a lack of sleep among its workforce.

Marco Hafner, a research leader at RAND Europe and the report's main author, says: Our study shows that the effects from a lack of sleep are massive. Sleep deprivation not only influences an individual's health and wellbeing but has a significant impact on a nation's economy, with lower productivity levels and a higher mortality risk among workers.

He continues: Improving individual sleep habits and duration has huge implications, with our research showing that simple changes can make a big difference. For example, if those who sleep under six hours a night increase their sleep to between six and seven hours a night, this could add $226.4 billion to the U.S. economy.

The U.S. has the biggest financial losses (up to $411 billion, which is 2.28 percent of its GDP) and most working days lost (1.2 million) due to sleep deprivation among its workforce. This was closely followed by Japan (up to $138 billion, which is 2.92 percent of its GDP, and around 600,000 working days lost).

Germany (up to $60 billion, which is 1.56 percent of its GDP, and just over 200,000 working days lost) and the U.K (up to $50 billion, which is 1.86 percent of its GDP, and just over 200,000 working days lost) have similar losses. Canada was the nation with the best sleep outcomes, but still has significant financial and productivity losses (up to $21.4 billion, which is around 1.35 percent of its GDP, and just under 80,000 working days lost).

To improve sleep outcomes, the report outlines a number of recommendations for individuals, employers and public authorities:

Individuals  Set consistent wake-up times; limit the use of electronic items before bedtime; and physical exercise during the day.

Employers  Recognise the importance of sleep and the employer's role in its promotion; design and build brighter workspaces with facilities for daytime naps; combat workplace psychosocial risks; and discourage the extended use of electronic devices after working hours.

Public authorities  Support health professionals in providing sleep-related help; encourage employers to pay attention to sleep issues; and introduce later school starting times.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors:

The report is in part based on VitalityHealth's Britain's Healthiest Workplace study, in which RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge conducted analysis and research support. The report, Why Sleep Matters  The Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep, involves independent research and analysis from RAND Europe.

About RAND Europe

RAND Europe is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Our clients include European institutions, governments, charities, foundations, universities and private sector firms with a need for impartial research. We combine deep subject knowledge across diverse policy areas including health, science and innovation; defence, security and infrastructure; and home affairs and social policy. Combined with proven methodological expertise in evaluation, impact measurement and choice modelling, we are able to offer quality-assured research and analysis, unbiased insights and actionable solutions that make a difference to people's lives. www.randeurope.org
For Release Wednesday

November 30, 2016

As community colleges across the nation struggle to improve completion rates, a new RAND Corporation study of an innovative effort providing students with a comprehensive range of support services finds the potential to improve college outcomes.

The study examines the participation of four community college systems in the Single Stop U.S.A. Community College Initiative. The study finds that students participating in the program were more likely to persist in attending community college. Single Stop users were at least 3 percentage points more likely to persist into the second year of community college as compared to similar students who did not use the services.

These findings suggest that having a one-stop shop for nonacademic wraparound services and financial support can play a valuable role in promoting student success in college, said Lindsay Daugherty, lead author of the study and a policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.

The Single Stop U.S.A Community College Initiative is designed to improve the wellbeing of low-income communities by connecting individuals to public benefits and other institutional and community resources in an effort to address nonacademic barriers to college completion.

The initiative provides assistance to college students with applications for public benefit programs and other wraparound services that can provide support for housing, food, taxes, childcare, legal services and other essential needs all in a single location on campus.

RAND researchers evaluated the Single Stop program and its impact on student post-secondary outcomes. The study examined the experiences of first-time students who made use of Single Stop programs at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, City University of New York, Delgado Community College in New Orleans and Miami Dade College.

The study finds positive impact on postsecondary outcomes at three of the four participating institutions, despite differences in aspects of implementation and student populations.

While researchers were unable to examine the impact of many specific services, the study found that tax services had a strong relationship with postsecondary outcomes. One possible explanation of the impact of tax services is the ability to provide students with access to additional funds through the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

The study also found that outcomes were more positive for adult learners age 25 or older and independent students.

RAND researchers say the study provides important evidence of the value of an effort that connects students to a network of support programs and access to public benefits as a source of financial support.

Institutions should consider how they might offer programs like Single Stop to create a central location for students to access wraparound supports, and to provide students with greater access to government benefits programs and other critical services.

RAND researchers caution, however, that more work is needed to attribute causal effects to the program and determine how the implementation and context might matter.

This study is just a first step to understanding how programs like Single Stop may benefit community college students, Daugherty said. More research is needed to understand the effectiveness of programs that connect students to wraparound supports, and to determine how these programs might be effectively scaled to other colleges across the United States.

Support for the study was provided by the nonprofit Single Stop USA. The study, Research for Connecting College Students to Alternative Sources of Support, is available at www.rand.org. Other authors of the study are William R. Johnston and Tiffany Tsai.

This research was conducted by RAND Education, a division of the RAND Corporation. Its mission is to bring accurate data and careful, objective analysis to the national debate on education policy.
While The Walking Dead seems to be losing momentum in the US, its audience is growing in LATAM with the premiere of the seventh season.





The series, which is Foxs most watched content in Latin America, has been getting better ratings than last year in the groups key LATAM markets.In Brazil, The Walking Dead got a 3.3 rating during the seventh seasons premiere on Fox1, up 94% on last years ratings. In fact, the series placed FOX as the most watched pay-TV network and the second most watched channel of all.In Mexico, the show also led among pay-TV networks, with 2.7 rating points, 359% up on last season, while in Colombia Fox became the third most watched network when the first episode of The Walking Deads new season was airing thanks to a 37% share.According to Fox Group Latin America, the five episodes of the series seventh season have averaged 1.6 million viewers across the region through Fox, Fox Premium and the Fox+3 app, thus becoming the most watched season, with 18% more viewers than the previous season.Regarding video-on-demand (VOD) viewing and catch-up, The Walking Deads latest season saw quadruple the viewers of the sixth.
Investigators seek to extend house arrest of ex-head of Russias Komi Republic Torlopov

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI)  Investigators have filed with Moscows Basmanny District Court a motion seeking to extend until March the house arrest of former head of Russias Komi Republic Vladimir Torlopov, charged with creating an organized criminal group and large-scale fraud, RAPSI learnt from the court's press office on Wednesday.

The matter will be considered on December 1.

Torlopov was a head of the Komi Republic in 2001-2010 and a senator of Russias Federal Council in 2010-2016. He is charged with organizing a criminal group conspiring with Vyacheslav Gaizer, another former head of Russias Komi Republic who was holding the office in 2010-2015.

According to investigators, damage to the government from Torlopovs actions is estimated at 2.5 billion rubles ($39.6 million).

Investigator said earlier that Torlopov had pleaded guilty.

Nineteen people are defendants in the large corruption case against Gaizer, including his deputy Alexei Chernov, Igor Kovzel, Chairman of the Republican State Council, and Konstantin Romadanov, Deputy Chairman of the Komi government. This August one of the people related to the case, Anton Faerstein, died in detention.

Gaizer was charged in relation to two counts of bribery and one count of fraud. Earlier, various media have reported that Gazier made a deal with investigators, but his lawyer does not confirm this information.

Earlier, the Investigative Committee reported about thwarting the activity of a criminal group led by the head of the Republic of Komi, Vyacheslav Gaizer.

Gaizer pleads not guilty. Several high-ranking officials have been arrested in the fraud and organized crime case, as well as several business people that the Investigative Committee called finance technologists.

During 80 searches in Komi, St. Petersburg and Moscow, the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service confiscated over 60 kg of jewelry, 150 watches worth $30,000 to $1 million each, over 50 stamps and seals from offshore corporations, and financial documents legalizing over 1 billion rubles ($14 mln) in stolen money transferred to the offshore zone.

Investigators have also opened a criminal case on money laundering against Gaizer.

On September 30 of 2015, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to relieve Gaizer of his duties because of loss of trust.
Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenbergs claim over EU sanctions granted in part

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI, Vladimir Yaduta) - A claim lodged by Russian businessman Arkady Rotenberg over EU sanctions against him has been granted in part, the General Court of the European Union said in a press release on Wednesday.

Sanctions were lifted against Rotenberg from July 2014 to March 2015.

However, the court upheld the restrictive measures against businessman in respect of the period from March 15, 2015 to September 15, 2016 and onwards.

The European Council imposed in March 2014 restrictive measures on a number of Russian individuals and businesses following a crisis in Ukraine and situation in the Republic of Crimea.

Sanctions encompassed dozens of Russian companies and over 130 individuals, including officials and businessmen as well as leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics. Aside from individual sanctions, the EU imposed sector-specific sanctions against Russia that have negatively affected major Russian financial institutions and companies. The sanctions list was extended on a number of occasions.

Rotenberg was added to the EU blacklist on July 30, 2014.

He made an official request with the Council asking for review of the decision.

The Council claimed that Rotenberg was blacklisted because of ties to President Putin and the fact that his businesses had won contracts.

The EU noted in particular that companies controlled by Rotenberg have been awarded important government contracts including those related to the preparations of the Sochi Olympic Games.

The EU alleged as well that the businessman is a major shareholder of Giprotransmost, a company which conducted the feasibility study of the construction of a bridge from Russia to Crimea.

The Council qualified this fact as association with decision-makers that had violated the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Later, the information about Giprotransmost was omitted. Instead, the Council added two other issues reasoning the extension of restrictive measures against Rotenberg.

The EU claimed that the businessman is the owner of Stroygazmontazh company, the primary contractor in engineering and construction of the bridge linking the Crimean peninsula with the Russian mainland.

Finally, the EU alleged that Rotenberg is the board chairman of Prosvescheniye publishing house that organized a public relations campaign to persuade Crimean children that they are now Russian citizens living in Russia.

Maya Lester QC of Brick Court Chambers who acts on behalf of Mr Rotenberg told RAPSI that the General Court said the original listing was unlawful but declined to lift sanctions against Rotenberg in respect of the period from March 15, 2015 to September 15, 2016 because of these two issues. In both cases there are no allegations against Mr Rotenberg other than his ownership / chairmanship of those two companies, she said.

I do not yet know whether there will be an appeal by either side, Lester added.

Rotenberg in October 2014 filed a complaint to the ECJ challenging his inclusion on the sanctions list and seeking an annulment of the Councils decision, arguing, amongst other grounds, that the measures are disproportionate. He claimed that the Council had violated his fundamental rights to property, privacy and the freedom to run a business.

Several Russian companies including Rosneft, Gazpromneft, Sberbank, VTB Bank, Vnesheconombank also filed complaints over sanctions to the ECJ.
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By electing Donald Trump, the American people have decided that climate change can take a hike. A long hike  four years, at least  since the next in line for leader of the free world believes the whole concept of global warming is just some hoax made up by the Chinese.
Interest rates are rising again. What you need to know to prepare.
First lady Michelle Obama delivers opening remarks during the final Joining Forces event in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 14, 2016 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

It's no secret that Michelle Obama has captured the hearts and minds of many Americans during her tenure as First Lady of the United States. According to her husband, however, this doesn't mean she'll run for the highest office in the land.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, President Barack Obamagotta squeeze that phrase in as many times as possible while we still cantold the publication that his wife won't try for the presidency.

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"Michelle will never run for office. She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people," he said. "But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics."

Now, with as unique a political climate as we currently find ourselves in, it's hard to definitively say "never," but Barry isn't leaving us much wiggle room here to convince ourselves otherwise.

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However, he did say that he and Michelle will be "very active" in politics after they leave 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. at the grassroots level. More years of drooling over her biceps from afar? Yes, please.

@shelbielbostedt | sbostedt@redeyechicago.com
'It is a suggestion to allow non-food as a small percentage of the business and everything has to be made in India. For multinationals who are looking to come into food retail, this is a new model in a new country. They are hesitant, so they demanded this,' says Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

The first in the government to take up the Maggi controversy while going against the regulator, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been in the news lately for trying to get in foreign investment in food retail.

Badal, image, left, spoke to Nivedita Mookerji on several issues ranging from FDI to demonetisation.

Its been some months since 100 per cent foreign direct investment in food retailing was announced. How would you assess the success of that policy?

FDI in food retail was announced in the last Budget. It got done by July. I would say the industry response has been positive. I went to the UK, France and Italy recently, and the feedback was good.

But while a lot of multinationals are looking towards India, they are interested in local partners because of the different way of working here. Therefore, I wanted to have a platform for companies to meet. World Food Forum to be hosted next year in New Delhi in 2017 will serve that purpose.

So, whether its UKs Tesco, Frances Auchan or anybody else, they can find the right local match.

Where all are you travelling to woo international investors in the food sector?

I plan to go to Japan next month. Im visiting all food importing nations, and those which want to invest in India. We are working towards big retailers coming, but some want homecare products also besides food to be in their stores.

Theres a suggestion we are looking at that depending on what kind of investment you make at farm-gate level, a certain percentage of that may be allowed to be invested in non-food or homecare part of business. All products sold in the stores will have to be made in India.

But wont allowing sale of non-food products categorise the stores as multi-brand?

It is just a suggestion to allow non-food as a small percentage of the business and everything has to be made in India. For multinationals who are looking to come into food retail, this is a new model in a new country. They are hesitant, so they demanded this.

Im making a list of suggestions and concerns. It doesnt mean we have agreed. Ultimately, the Cabinet will take a decision. But the view is that allowing non-food would increase the footfall in stores.

Informally, when you are talking to counterparts in other ministries and departments, whats their feedback?

We havent had any formal meeting. Since the BJP decided categorically that FDI is only for food, we have to as a government take a decision. But, theres huge interest. Everyone wants local partner.

Did Carrefour show interest?

No, not Carrefour. Auchan, the biggest chain in France, is keen. Their model to work directly with farmers suits India. Executives from Auchan are expected to come to India in January to hold further meetings.

Will Tesco enter the food business through the same JV it has with the Tatas?

Tesco had some policy issues which we have cleared with the finance ministry. It has been sorted. They are keeping their options open, whether it would be through the current joint venture or separately.

Not just foreigners, even Kishore Biyani (Future Group) and Reliance are all interested in food retail with FDI.

What about Walmart? They were doing a feasibility study, but are not so enthusiastic now. Isnt it?

I think Walmart is looking at a model and are keen to open food stores in India.

When is the first set of stores expected?

I would say stores should open by 2018. Any big chain will look at opening a couple of hundred stores.

Apart from Future and Reliance, who are the other local companies keen on food FDI?

A lot of regional players, including from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, are open to it. I see a lot of local things coming up. Retail is worth $600 billion and food forms 65 per cent of it. We are looking at trebling by 2020.

Processing is only 10 per cent of what we produce, while in Malaysia and the Philippines its 70 to 80 per cent and in the West its 80 per cent. We are way more ready for more than 10 per cent.

Do you think the Maggi controversy was a setback for the food sector?

I look at everything positively. It was a setback for Nestle probably, but it brought into focus a host of issues including the working of the food regulator -- FSSAI. The FSSAI issue has been sorted, we are looking at a set protocol for testing in labs now.

Again, the issue of heavy metal in Coke, Pepsi came up in Parliament recently. How can that be resolved?

We are bound to ensure the safety and health of the people. Whenever such issues are raised, we ensure things are set right.

Coming to the burning issue of demonetisation, dont you think it has impacted people adversely, especially ahead of elections, including in Punjab?

Whether its going to war with the enemy, against narco-terrorism or corruption, the entire country suffers. When you have gone to war against black money, so entrenched over the last 70 years, of course its going to cause inconvenience to a whole lot of people. Some who deserve and some who dont. Its only our prime minister whos had the guts to do it. He had to do it all of a sudden, like a surgical strike. The role of opposition is to ask questions, why are they stalling Parliament?

How would demonetisation impact elections as trade has been hit hard, isnt it?

I think people largely are happy and it would impact the elections positively. Its true in the shops you dont see crowds as everyone is on saving mode. People are deferring spending. We are meeting our basics. Maybe in urban areas, the consumption will come down, but its all temporary. As soon as market gets flooded with money, people will go back to shop.

Any big expectation from the Budget?

With the kind of foresight the PM has, I dont think the demonetisation process will go in vain. From what I understand of him, he has planned long term, and his planning will be reflected in the Budget. He asked for 50 days from people, and theres no gain without pain. There has been pain already, so gain will follow.

Image: File photograph of a Best Price Modern Wholesale store, a joint venture of Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Bharti Enterprises, in Zirakpur, Punjab. The two partners announced the end of their joint venture in October 2013. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters.
Branch networks will give preference to pensioners and labourers for withdrawing money, report Business Standard's Abhijit Lele and Arup Roychoudhury.

Banks are bracing for higher pressure in early December, as people queue at their branches and ATMs to withdraw salaries and pensions in cash, amid the currency note crunch.

Branch networks will give preference to pensioners and labourers for withdrawing money.

The weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 for a savings account and Rs 50,000 for a current account is adequate, senior public sector bank executives said.

The Reserve Bank of India infused new notes worth Rs 2 lakh crore between November 10 and 25. This is almost equal to the currency notes supplied in a normal year.

Even so, with the apprehension about being short on currency, customers have taken out cash in large amounts. Much more could be withdrawn in the first 10 days of December.

"The real challenge will come from supply of currency from RBI, which is not coming in adequate measure," said a PSB chief executive.

An official involved with the demonetisation process said banks have been told to ensure enough money for disbursing to companies. And been assured that there will be adequate supply from the RBI.

Government employees up to grade-III have already been given part of their November salaries (Rs 10,000) in cash.

It has been left to private companies to decide on such provisions for their employees.

The Centre has requested the private sector to encourage employees to use cashless methods for transactions.

Officials are of the view that there would now be hardly any employer whose employees will not have bank accounts.

IMAGE: A queue outside a Mumbai bank in the early days after demonetisation. Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com
Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
CAs not sure if individuals declaring unaccounted money will get immunity from reassessment as these provisions are not covered in the Bill, reports Tinesh Bhasin/Business Standard.

Chartered accountants have been flooded with calls after the government declared another voluntary income disclosure scheme for unaccounted money.

The topmost concern of individuals is whether depositing unaccounted money in their bank accounts could also lead to the income tax department opening up previous years' returns for reassessment.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said that the disclosures will enjoy immunity from wealth tax, civil and other taxation laws, but there will be no immunity from foreign exchange violations, narcotics and black money laws.

But the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, does not contain any such provisions.

Unlike the earlier Income Declaration Scheme, 2016, which explicitly covered immunity, this Bill does not have any such provisions, says Preeti Khurana, a CA and chief editor of ClearTax.

According to the proposal, the government will also notify forms that individuals will need to fill up and submit when declaring unaccounted money. These forms will be available once the Bill is notified.

Many are also concerned if they could receive income tax notices before the forms become available. Even if there is a notice, one should not worry, says Rajeev Jain, a Mumbai-based CA. One can go online in his income tax account and reply to the notice accordingly.

Before the new income declaration scheme, there was a loophole in the Income Tax Act.

Since the demonetisation drive started, some tax experts have suggested that the tax laws offer immunity from penalty if a person discloses his unaccounted income voluntarily and pays tax on it.

The view was that a person should declare income under Sections 69(A), 69(B) and 69(C) that deal with certain unexplained cash credits, investment, expenditure, etc in the current financial year.

Pay tax on it and become compliant. The assessee can, then, include this when filing tax for the current financial year. The new norms actually plug this loophole.

They allow individuals to deposit money in banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by paying 50% tax on the undisclosed income.

However, the declarants will have to deposit a fourth of the undisclosed income with a four-year lock-in.

The break-up works like this: The declarant declares undisclosed income, pays a tax of 30%, a penalty of 10% on the undisclosed income, and a surcharge called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Cess of 33% on the tax.

In addition, the declarant will have to deposit 25% of undisclosed income in a zero-interest deposit scheme that will be called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme (PMGKDS), 2016.

This money will be utilised for developmental activities such as irrigation, housing, construction of toilets and infrastructure, primary education and primary health.

There are also concerns whether the individual depositing unaccounted money would get the 25% portion invested in PMGKDS back after four years or some new amendments could be made.

CAs don't see any issue here and feel that people would get their money back as declared by the government.
Four leading India-born CEOs including Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Mastercard's Ajay Banga who delivered big in taking their companies ahead have featured in Fortune's Businessperson of the Year list topped by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Nadella has been ranked fifth among 50 global corporate heads by Fortune magazine in its annual 'Businessperson of the Year' compilation, followed by CEO of Milwaukee-based maker of water heaters A O Smith, Ajita Rajendra, on the 34th spot, HDFC Bank's Managing Director Aditya Puri on the 36th position and Banga on 40th.

Zuckerberg took home the annual honour of Businessperson of the Year, with Fortune saying his success rests on three pillars of "his unique ability to look into the future, his otherworldly consistency, and the business discipline he has nurtured in an industry quite often enamored with bright, shiny objects".

The 2016 list includes "star executives with wildly varying styles and approaches, but one thing in common: They deliver, big-time," Fortune said.

Fortune said since Nadella took charge in early 2014, Microsoft has been engineering a "stunning" turnaround.

"He has taken a company focused on personal computing but showing promise in its enterprise and cloud-computing businesses, and turned that equation on its head," it said.

Fortune quoted former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as saying that Nadella is a "great leader" for the technology giant. Ballmer said Nadella "has done a great job improving perceptions of the company in ways that can advance its agenda -- with developers, industry participants, and investors".

The US publication said Rajendra, in his four years as CEO of the maker of water heaters, has kept the company boiling hot, doubling profits and nearly tripling the company's stock price with strong growth in North America and China.

Under Puri, who has led HDFC for two decades, Fortune said there has been nothing boring about its growth, from a pipsqueak with USD 40 million in revenues to one of India's largest banks with USD 5.6 billion.

A regular on lists of the most powerful and influential business persons, Banga has been described as one of the "apostles" of a post-cash world who has been "aggressive" in expanding Mastercard overseas.

The list of 50 business tycoons also includes Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, 2, Alphabet CEO Larry Page, 4, Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma, 10, Apple CEO Tim Cook, 11, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, 15 and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, 29.

Image: (Clockwise, from top left) Satya Nadella, Ajita Rajendra, Aditya Puri and M S Banga.
In the second of a six-part series, Sanjay Jog of Business Standard walks across the streets of Indore to find out how it has been hit by demonetisation.

Raju Agarwal, who runs a small engineering unit in the Pithampur industrial area near Indore, has been planning to take his business to the next level. But Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement on demonetisation has changed it all. Suddenly his clients and suppliers are chasing Raju, asking him to fulfill his payment commitments in cash.

Raju has Rs 10 lakh in cash, comprising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, usually kept for paying daily workers, transporters and suppliers. Those notes have now turned useless. He struggles to exchange old notes, and the cash crunch has impacted his business significantly. The situation is unlikely to improve for at least six months. He is even hinting at incurring huge losses and resorting to lay-offs.

Indore, the most populous city of Madhya Pradesh and also referred to as the commercial capital of the state, is in the midst of a slowdown -- from high streets to the popular Sarafa Bazar.

Job losses are a talk of the town and buying has come to a halt. Farmers of the region have been hit as they are finding it tough to procure fertiliser for the winter crop, said people in the know.

Such stories are all over. Micro, small and medium enterprises entrepreneur Sandesh Prajapat, who supplies small parts to automobile units across the state, said life without cash had dealt a blow to the transactions.

Rajesh Thakur, a farmer from Rangwasa village, was expecting higher earnings due to a bumper soybean and other kharif crops. Besides, he and his family, who were getting ready to plant rabi crops, were quite confident of getting better prices for potato, onion and garlic. But, Rajesh, who owns 10 acres of farmland, says the price of potato and onion has drastically crashed to Rs 1 from Rs 40 a kg and traders are reluctant to make payments in cash.

Radheshyam Saladat, who has 5 acres in the Dhar district, says he is worried that if he fails to sell soybean, wheat and vegetables in time, he would go bankrupt. Due to good monsoon we had a good crop and were expecting an increased price but demonetisation, at least in the short term, will bring us on road, he said.

MSMEs hit the most

Pithampur Small Scale Industries Association president Rajesh Dube said SMEs, that employ contract labour, would find it difficult to make daily payment. Rajesh Mishra, general secretary of Laghu Udyog Bharati, Madhya Pradesh, also said that currently MSME operations have taken a hit.

Gautam Kothari, President Pitampur Audyogik Sanghatan, estimates that operations of industrial units, including MSMEs in Pithampur industrial area alone, have been impacted by 20 to 50 per cent. The otherwise busy roads within the industrial area hardly has any traffic anymore.

A tempo owner Hiralal Tawar, said since demonetisation, the business just slipped. Before demonetisation, we were earning Rs 800 to 1,000 per day, now theres no penny. Market has also crashed as trucks and tempos have stopped plying, he added.

O P Dhoot, president of Association of Industries Madhya Pradesh, said the situation was alarming. Of the 54,000 industrial units, as many as 46,000 are MSMEs and 8,000 are large units.

Note Ban Blues Residents of Indore, a commercial centre for goods and services which also hosted the Global Investors Summit last month, are struggling to get new notes. MSMEs around the city affected the most as payment of daily workers, transporters, suppliers are stuck due to cash crunch

MSME units hint at lay-offs, retrenchment and labour unrest, if cash crunch continues

Though the crowd at ATMs are receding, they are finding it difficult to get new currency as banks have limited cash.

Prices of agricultural produce have fallen drastically causing hardships to farmers.

Farmers are unable to purchase Urea needed for sowing winter crops

Traders are not accepting old currency but are accepting payments through cheques.

Jewellers have recorded a sharp fall in their sales, while some were raided by the income tax authorities for selling gold at higher price and accepting old currency notes

Farmers face cash crunch

Leading exporter Ramavatar Jajoo said the impact was visible especially when winter crops including wheat, mustard, were due for sowing. Production will certainly drop for want of seeds, fertilisers.

Rajesh and Radheshyam pointed out that farm labour, which is quite crucial during the ongoing farming season, is demanding at least Rs 300 per day, but they have no cash. Many farm workers are going back home -- to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Labour shortage and wage hike would impact both farming and trade adversely, is the latest fear.

People like Radheshyam are preparing to sell some of their land to keep it going.

Sarafa Bazar hit

There is a lull in Sarafa area, known for brisk gold and jewellery sales. The sales are down by as much as 90 per cent, and the fears of surveillance and raids by tax authorities have added to the slowdown.

Traders and jewellers from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra visit Indore to purchase gold and ornaments. In fact, jewellers had reported a peak in their sales during Diwali and were expecting a similar trend during the ongoing wedding season. However, demonetisation came as a blow.

Indore figures among the top 10 cities for gold and jewellery transaction. About 30 kg of gold worth Rs 1 crore is sold every day. However, the daily business has dropped to Rs 7,000 from Rs 90,000 for smaller traders and Rs 12,000-15,000 from Rs 1 lakh for bigger players, a jeweller said.

Image used for representational purpose. Photograph: Reuters.

Previous: Tirupur

Next: Surat
'With curtailment in spends in marriage, it has impacted consumption'.

There is a need for stimulus, as India is essentially a consumption economy'.

IMAGE: Demonetisation has resulted in low marriage season spending and less consumption overall. Photograph: Yogita/Wikimedia Commons.



Siraj Chaudhry, chairman and chief executive officer, Cargill India, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Cargill Inc, has a ground-up view of Indias commodities business, straddling segments like edible oil, grain and oil seeds, sugar, cotton and animal nutrition.

In an interview to Sudipto Dey/ Business Standard, Chaudhry shares his views on the impact of demonetisation of high value currency on the edible oil-cum-food major:



How has demonetisation impacted the edible oil and the food business?



There is a reduced offtake in the oil business. There has been a reduction in demand as the trade channels -- that used to deal in cash down the line -- have got impacted. The concern is that stocks are there, but people do not have the money to lift them. There has also been certain amount of short term disruption in movement of goods. The inventory in the trade channel pipeline is shrinking. The animal feed and nutrition businesses have also seen some reduction in sales.



Interestingly, we are seeing an increase in sale in our flour business. This is because lot of the flour business is in the unorganised sector. The cash crunch has hurt the (unorganised) business. This is working in favour of the organised players.



On the consumer spend side, the organised retail is doing better, while the kirana stores are seeing a reduction in customer footfalls.



Could you quantify the drop in demand that you are experiencing?



In edible oil the sales are down anywhere between 20 to 30 per cent from what we were expecting. What has also impacted sales is that this is the marriage season. With curtailment in spends in marriage, it has impacted consumption. In general usage of edible oil usually goes up in winters. That will be dampened till the time the cash crunch lasts.



Any visibility by when you expect the sales to come back?



We are in the business of selling essential commodities. For the kind of products that we sell, I dont see it lasting very long.



How much will this impact your plans for the current financial year?



We follow a June-to-May financial year globally. Our business heads do not expect any major impact on our annual plans. Our earnings for the year may remain unaffected, despite the drop in volumes. In the immediate term we may earn less, but by May (next year) we hope to level it.



Given the current disruption in business, would it make sense to roll out a transformative tax reform like GST by April next year?



GST can fast-track the change the government is trying to bring to the operating environment. It will be more in the interest of business to be GST compliant. Certainly, the incentive not be GST-compliant will be lower.



Do you expect something in Budget 2017 to soothe industrys nerves?



I hope so, given the turbulence in the economy and the likely impact on rate of growth. There is a need for stimulus, as India is essentially a consumption economy. It will be in the interest of the government to keep that consumption train running, with measures to kick-start consumption.





What is the wish list like in the recent agri and food industrys pre-budget meeting with the finance minister?



One of the things we said is that for agriculture produce, as under GST one is aiming for one tax rate across the country, it is important that all the state levies and cess are subsumed in the GST. Otherwise, if they are not the whole purpose of having one unified agriculture market is defeated. Currently there is no clarity how local cess will be treated under GST.



The other recommendation was that the protein market in India is growing -- like poultry, diary, pulses, oil seeds etc. We dont allow OGL import of some of these. However, the supply line for these needs to be created, rather than wait for a crisis to create a supply line.
Most of these road contracts are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, with the government struggling to restart them.

About Rs 8,600-crore worth of national highway projects undertaken by key construction players such as Larsen & Toubro, Gammon and Era are stalled after partial progress. The government is struggling to break a gridlock and get these restarted.

These include 10 highway contracts totalling 787 km and valued at Rs 8,661.37 crore. Officials said though they cannot give up on the efforts to revive the projects, these had become chronic cases. The projects have been impacted by issues such as land acquisition, lack of environment and forest clearance and other local issues. Some also blame overzealous companies.

The companies that bagged these projects overestimated the revenue potential and they overextended their balance sheets for these contracts, an analyst who did not wish to be named, said.

These road contracts are spread across Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

For instance, L&T Infrastructure Development Private Ltd, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, is constructing a 43.4-km Chennai-Tada highway that is being funded by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The project, part of the Golden Quadrilateral project between Chennai and Kolkata, has been delayed on account of land acquisition issues. Rating agency ICRA downgraded the loan for the Rs 419-crore project after concessionaire L&T Chennai Tada Tollway (a special purpose vehicle executing the project) defaulted on loan payment.

Another project that has been languishing for a while and has missed several deadlines is the Gurgaon-Kotputli-Jaipur National Highway 8.

Road Minister Nitin Gadkari had said the project was delayed by at least five years due to land acquisition issues and poor planning. Pink City Expressway Pvt Ltd is engaged in the construction and upgrade of the four-lane highway into a six-lane one. It is a special purpose vehicle incorporated by KMC Constructions Ltd, Emirates Trading Agency LLC and IKSHU Infrastructure Private Limited.

The Rs 1,896.25-crore project is being executed on a build-operate-transfer basis. IDBI Bank is the lender to the project connecting Delhi and Jaipur.

Experts said as there wasnt enough liquidity in the system, the companies that bagged these projects were finding it extremely difficult to execute these.

The Haridwar-Dehradun highway expansion in Uttarakhand, despite being a tourist circuit, is also languishing. The concessionaire for the project is Era Infra Engineering. The project is on a public-private partnership.

In some cases, the National Highways Authority of India has been able to replace contractors. Last year, it approved the substitution of Gammon Infrastructure Private Limited by Brookfield India Holding Pvt Ltd for the stalled Vijayawada-Gundugolanu road project in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, after a policy initiative of the government.
Arjun-Neha's contest. Isha Kapoor's holiday. Shah Rukh's new film poster. Top social media posts from your favourite celebrities.

Neha Sharma, who is shooting for Mubaraka posted a picture with her co-star Arjun Kapoor and wrote, 'Are my teeth brighter than yours?? Goin nuts wid my mad coactor.'

Preity's sunny picture

Preity Zinta is back in the US and she's loving it! She tweeted this picture and said, 'Nice to be back in windy but sunny California ting.'

Shah Rukh's long drive

Shah Rukh Khan is in a Dear Zindagi state of mind, he says.

'Long drive for Raees work. I am in a Dear Zindagi state of mind. @gauris & @aliaa08 suggest song beside #LetsBreakUp,' he wrote.







Meanwhile, Salman Khan posted the first look poster of SRK's new film with Anushka Sharma and wrote, '@iamsrk ki film aa Rahi hai . Date Maine decide kar di hai . Title tum log decide kardo . Best of luck.'

It will be directed by Imtiaz Ali. Click here to see pictures of its shoot.

Happy Birthday, Mehr!

Arjun Rampal wished wife Mehr Jessia on her birthday, with a beautiful picture. 'Happy happy birthday Mehr. Have the most amazing year,' he tweeted.

Isha Koppikar in Disneyland

Isha Koppikar is in Hong Kong with husband Timmy Narang and daughter Rianna. 'Off to Disney HK . Will send pics soon,' she promised.

And here it is!

Mallika Sherwat is happy!

Mallika Sherawat, who was reportedly attacked recently, is in happy mode again.

'I think it's time to be happy again. Live & let go #selfie,' she tweeted.
Is a martyred soldier just a statistic?

Our nation, a great civilisation, a great culture, must learn to respect and feel oneness with its soldiers, says Tarun Vijay.

How do you react to newspaper reports which mention the numbers of martyred soldiers and comment that this year's death toll has been higher than previous years?

Alongside appears a photograph of a mother who received the news of her 21-year-old son's martyrdom in Kashmir.

Is her son merely a number?

The father, who received a tricolour in place of his son's beheaded, mutilated, body, becomes another statistic.

Ask yourself how the family of a martyr feels if the entire country moves ahead, business as usual, and the one who died for them hardly gets even his name mentioned in the media.

What is the relationship of that soldier with us?

Who was Major Kunal Gosavi and what connection do we have with him and his family?

Is he merely an employee of the armed forces?

Just another incident that makes no impact on our life?

What if he was your son?

What would your reaction be then?

Is it not an irony that amongst the 552 members of the Lok Sabha and 245 members in the Rajya Sabha, we hardly find members whose sons or daughters are serving soldiers?

It is a matter of great pride and honour in many countries including the United States, Russia and China to be a member of the armed forces and serve in public life in later years.

I tried to spot the names of the soldiers martyred in Tuesday's terrorist attack in Nagrota in at least eight newspapers. None mentioned their names, leave aside publish their photographs.

I have seen the same newspapers publish full page interviews with the father of a terrorist who was gunned down in the Kashmir Valley by the security forces. Those interviews touched upon the terrorist's world view, the movies he liked, the heroes he adored, his plans for the future.

None of these newspapers have ever published the pain and feelings of a mother and father of a martyr killed in the Kashmir Valley.

Do we Indians feel any relationship with those who are beheaded on the border, who lay down their lives for the sake of the motherland and the Constitution?

Does it make our blood boil to see such savage acts by a dehumanised neighbour?

Give me one city and one party who will hang the photographs of these soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation in their party offices and conventions.

You have to be a non-uniformed hero, a great scholar and a great casteist vote-catcher to get the honour and attention from those politicians.

It is anybody's guess how many top bureaucrats, parliamentarians and public leaders can name even one hero awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

On November 25-26 we held a function to honour martyrs and soldiers in Dehradun. We were greatly thrilled and honoured to have a real hero -- a Param Vir Chakra decorated soldier -- amongst us. Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar of the 13 JAK Rifles, who was given thunderous applause indeed. Not many knew he currently serves in Dehradun.

In other countries he would have been adored, saluted and a social hero in his city. His life, actions and thoughts about the country would have been included in local schools and his presence in any social gathering would have electrified the audience.

We simply focus our attention on where we can get votes and those who get votes become our heroes.

We have learnt to live with the daily news of our young, dedicated, dreamy-eyed, boys dying fighting against bloodthirsty animals whom the media and State apparatus calls 'insurgents', 'separatists', 'militants', 'Naxals' and 'Maoists.'

Their deaths doesn't shock us anymore.

Their killings don't create pandemonium in Parliament any more.

No one is interested in discussing these issues any more.

No one insists that a new session of both Houses of Parliament must begin by paying homage to martyred security personnel.

I raised the demand in the Rajya Sabha and almost the entire House agreed with me. Later Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is said to have endorsed the idea in a communication to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

We saw the House beginning with homage to jawans in the session immediately after I raised my demand. Later no one pursued it.

We pay homage to film stars and former members of the House and people who may have died in a plane crash somewhere in the world or fallen victim to natural disasters. But we are hesitant to pay homage to the soldiers who died to save our nation.

Our nation, a great civilisation, a great culture with a great history behind her must learn to respect and feel oneness with its soldiers.

We were proud when the prime minister in a speech told us, '...honour and respect soldiers who lay down their lives guarding the borders and ensure that the country sleeps peacefully at night.'

'Often in foreign countries, when sitting at airports or railway stations we see that soldiers are given a standing ovation by civilians even when they just pass by. Seeing three to four soldiers walk by, people stand up and applaud them.'

'Can we make this effort slowly and develop a tradition to show respect to our defence forces? These are small factors but make a huge difference in our lives and soldiers' lives.'

This is the time to create a new mindset, a new attitude to respect and salute our bravehearts.

Let us all make sure that our offices, airports, schools and universities display portraits of Param Vir Chakra decorated soldiers. That we honour local heroes from the armed forces and include the lives of the martyrs in school curricula.

Both Houses of Parliament must make homage references to the martyred soldiers before the beginning of each session.

Small steps, as the PM said, will go a long way to create big changes.

These are needed because a soldier is not a number in your analytical statistics, but a living symbol of our nationhood.
Breaking the Bofors jinx, India and the United States on Wednesday inked a nearly Rs 5,000 crore deal for 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers, which will be mostly deployed near the borders with China.

This is the first deal for artillery guns since the Bofors scandal in 1980s.

"India has today signed the Letter of Acceptance which formalises the contract between India and US for these guns," sources said.

The deal for 145 American ultra-light howitzers, costing about Rs 5,000 crore was recently cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The deal was inked as a two-day meeting of the 15th India-US Military Cooperation Group began in New Delhi.

India-US MCG is a forum established to progress Defence Cooperation between HQ Integrated Defence Staff and US Pacific Command at the strategic and operational levels.

The meeting commenced with the US Co-Chair Lt Gen David H Berger, Commander US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific calling on Lt Gen Satish Dua, CISC, HQ IDS.

The MCG meeting is co-chaired by Air Marshal AS Bhonsle DCIDS (Operations), HQ IDS.

A 260-member delegation from the US Defence Forces and several officers from the three Services HQ and HQ IDS representing the Indian side are attending the bilateral event.

On the issue of M777, the sources said India had sent a Letter of Request to the US government showing interest in buying the guns which will be deployed in high-altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China.

The US had responded with a Letter of Acceptance and the defence ministry had in June looked into the terms and conditions and approved it.

The offsets, under which BAE Systems, manufacturer of the gun, will invest about $200 million, will be pursued independently.

While 25 guns will come to India in a fly-away condition, the rest will be assembled at the proposed Assembly Integration and Test facility for the weapon system in India in partnership with Mahindra.

The first two howitzers will be delivered within six months of the contract being inked, while rest will be delivered at the rate of two per month.

The howitzers that can be heli-lifted were first proposed to be bought from BAE about 10 years back.

BAE Systems in a statement said it welcomes the news that both the governments have agreed on the Foreign Military Sale of 145 M777.

India will join the US, Canadian and Australian forces in gaining the M777's unmatched strategic and tactical mobility.

"We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777," said Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager for Weapon Systems at BAE Systems.

"Our plan to establish a domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility further demonstrates our commitment to 'Make in India' and remains a firm part of our strategy to work with the Indian defence sector across Air, Land, Sea and Security," it said.

The company anticipates signing a contract in the coming weeks with the US Department of Defence to supply these howitzers to the Indian Army, providing them with superior artillery capability, the statement said.

At half the weight of other 155mm towed howitzers, the M777 provides a rapid reaction capability and a proven pedigree that delivers decisive firepower when needed most in sustained combat conditions.

With more than 1,090 M777s in service, it is the only battle-proven 155mm ultra-light weight howitzer in the world.
Hundreds of thousands of Cubans bid farewell to late communist leader Fidel Castro on Tuesday night with Latin American and African leaders in Havana before his ashes are taken across the country.

Presidents, prime ministers and diplomats from Ecuador to China to South Africa took to a podium in Cubas Plaza of the Revolution, where Castro himself had delivered so many of his hours-long, fiery speeches before massive crowds of Cubans.

Castro -- who ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to his brother Raul in 2006 -- died on Friday at 90. The cause of death has not been announced.

After Tuesday's ceremony, the urn holding Castro's ashes will be taken on a "caravan of freedom" across the country, retracing the route his guerrilla movement took to celebrate the toppling of dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Mourners hold a large image of Fidel Castro as they pay tribute to him at a massive rally at Revolution Square in Havana. Photograph: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

Cuban President Raul Castro acknowledges the applause from the crowd at the rally. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

A mourner wearing face paint attends the rally. Photograph: Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

People wave Cuban flags as they attend the rally. Photograph: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right) has his arm raised by Cuban President Raul Castro after Maduro addressed the crowd at the massive rally. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

Cadets and sailors hold images of Castro as they pay their tribute to Castro at the rally. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

A woman wears a "Fidel" headband as she and others gather in Revolution Square for a massive evening tribute to Castro in Havana. Photograph: Enrique De La Osa/Reuters

Mourners carry a Cuban flag with the slogan "Onward Forever" and image another Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara as they gather for a massive tribute to Castro. Photograph: Edgard Garrido/Reuters

Youths write in chalk tributes to Fidel Castro. Photograph: Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
Opposition parties forced early adjournments in both Houses of parliament as they continued to press for a debate on demonetisation under any rule that entailed voting, a demand that the government has refused to accept. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi led a walkout by the Opposition over no obituary references being made for the seven Army personnel who lost their lives in the terror attack on an Army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir.

Rajya Sabha

Opposition led by Congress and Trinamool Congress on Wednesday forced two adjournments in Rajya Sabha over their demand that the House condoles the killing of 25 army men since the surgical strikes and the death of 82 persons due to post-demonetisation hardships.

Rejecting the governments offer for discussion on the situation along the border and resuming the debate on demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes, Opposition members trooped into the Well shouting anti-government slogans, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings till noon.

When the House reassembled at noon, the uproar continued and the Question Hour could not be taken up, forcing Chairman Hamid Ansari to adjourn the proceedings till 1400 hours.

No sooner had the House assembled for the day, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said there should be an obituary reference for the seven army personnel including two officers in terrorist attack at Nagrota armybase near Jammu on Tuesday as well as for the 82 persons who died because of the wrong policies of government.

As other opposition members joined in, Kurien got listed papers laid on the table.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the TMC said he had given a notice under rule 267 for an obituary resolution to mourn the martyrdom of 25 army personnel since the surgical strikes across the Line of Control, and the death of 82 people standing in queues to get valid currency after the ban on 500 and 1000 notes. Kurien, however, said the notice is not permitted.

Azad said it was a serious issue if we are not ready to pay homage to brave soldiers and those who died because of the wrong policies of the government.

Charging the government with being insensitive, Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party said demonetisation was done without preparation and a condolence message has to be brought before the House.

Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was ready for discussion on both the issues mentioned by the Opposition.

While the discussion on demonetisation should be resumed, the government is ready for a discussion on the situation along the border, he said.

When Sharad Yadav of the Janatal Dal-United also spoke on the currency issue, Jaitley snapped at him asking him to first discuss demonetisation within his party and decide if it is against the move or for it.

His remark was an apparent reference to JD-U chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supporting demonetisation.

We are not against demonetisation. We are against the restrictions that have been placed (on withdrawals from own accounts), Yadav shot back.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party demanded that the government pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of all those who lost their lives due to hardship caused by demonetisation.

As the opposition members trooped into the Well, Kurien said the government is ready for discussion on both the issues and they should decide which of the two should be discussed first.

But Opposition members continued to shout slogans like Sharam Sharam Karo, Narendra Modi Sharam Karo (Shame on you Narendra Modi), Garib Virodhi Yeh Sarkar Nahi Chalegi, Nahi Chalegi (Anti-poor government will not be tolerated) and Modi Teri Tanashahi Nahi Chalegi (Modis dictatorship will not be tolerated).

With his pleas going unheeded, Kurien adjourned the proceedings till noon.

When the House met again, Chairman Hamid Ansari called for Question Hour to be taken up, but the Opposition members were again on their feet raising objections.

Soon the members of Congress, TMC, Left, SP, BSP and DMK stood in the aisles and started raising slogans. Later, when they raised slogans of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan the treasury bench members too joined them in shouting the same slogan.

There is total agreement in the House, Chairman Ansari commented sarcastically and wondered why the House was not being allowed to run.

As the din continued, Ansari adjourned the House till 2 pm.

As the House reassembled at 1400 hours, the protests continued as Opposition members kept on demanding that the House should condole the killing of armymen and the death of 82 persons due to post-demonetisation hardships.

Azad demanded a statement from the defence minister on the Nagrota attack.

"Defence Minister should come and give the statement. When such a big incident has happened...We want to know the status," the Leader of Opposition said.

To which, Naqvi said, "The Operations are still on. We will give reply at an appropriate time."

The Chair also said that the issue can be debated later.

"Where the country is one, all MPs are one... What the minister said is that the operation is going on. After that, information will be shared. We can have debate later," the the Deputy Chairman said.

Congress member Rajiv Shukla said, "Many of our soldiers have died. Many have died standing in queue after demonetisation. We need to offer condolences to both in this House."

Pramod Tiwari (Cong) said the House has tradition of offering condolences and it should do first.

"Modi government's policies has been such that they is threat to our border security," he said but did not elaborate.

To this, Deputy Chairman said, "With regard to obituary, we will do at an appropriate time."

Amid noisy scenes, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Our soldiers are fighting against enemies. We must be sensitive and united in our approach. Otherwise, it will give a wrong message."

Amid din, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said, "We want the debate (on demonetisation which was initiated on November 16) to continue but the Prime Minister is speaking outside Parliament and painting all political parties in poor light. He should apologise."

CPI (M) member T K Rangarajan said, "....the government is spreading rumour that bandh was failure. The government should apologise."

Trying to convince the Opposition, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the armymen are fighting at borders and they are still on job.

"We are ready for debate on this issue," he said.

But the unrelenting Opposition MPs assembled near the Chairman's podium, raising slogans Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.

The Chair expressed happiness over MPs shouting "at least acceptable slogans".

Naqvi said, "We welcome your slogans but come for discussion."

As slogan-shouting continued, the Chair warned the Opposition members that he would adjourn the House. As the pleas for order went unheeded and Opposition members continued raising slogans demanding resignation of the defence minister, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

Lok Sabha

Opposition members walked out of Lok Sabha as their demand for an obituary reference on the soldiers who died in the terror attack on army camp in Jammu was rejected by the Speaker on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.

The House was adjourned for nearly 40 minutes till noon after the Opposition created a din over its demand for an adjournment motion on the demonetisation issue.

As soon as the House met for the day, Leader of Congressin Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan initially thought he was raising the issue of allowing the Opposition to bring an adjournment motion on demonetisation.

When Kharge clarified that he wanted an obituary reference in the memory of the soldiers killed, she said she had no problems in bringing the reference but the details were still pouring in as combing operations were still on. "I know seven soldiers have been killed... let the complete report come," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House as it was the day when questions for the Prime Minister's Office are slated to be raised.

But as Kharge was persistent, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said issues of national security should not be brought into controversy.

Most opposition members, including those from Congress, TMC, Left, RJD then staged a walkout.

"It is sad that you raised the issue like this," Mahajan said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar attacked the Opposition over the matter, saying they should not do politics over martyrdom of soldiers, drawing protests from the Opposition benches.

When the House assembled in the morning, Opposition members raised slogans and rushed into the Well demanding a debate on demonetisation under rules which entail voting, forcing an adjournment till noon.

After the House reassembled, leaders of several Opposition parties, including Mallikarjun Kharge (Cong) and Sudip Bandhopadhyay (TMC), said they were willing to withdraw their demand that the debate be held under Rule 56, which deals with an adjournment motion, and said the government should also not insist on Rule 193 which does not involve voting at the end of the debate.

Biju Janata Dal also sided with the Opposition and rejected the government's contention with its leader Bhartruhari Mahtab saying the division of votes was not on black money but the hardships facing people and states following the decision.

Kharge told the Speaker "you decide on any rule that involves discussion and voting. We are ready. We are not running away from debate." He drew support from Bandopadhyay.

Expressing the government's view, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the people stood with the Narendra Modi government on its action against black money and a divided message should not go out of Parliament on the issue.

"It should not appear that Parliament is against the measures being taken against black money," he said.

Taking a dig at the government, Mahtab wondered who is dividing Parliament.

"It is neither the Leader of Opposition, nor the TMC leader... We are demanding a discussion on the predicament people are facing after demonetisation. Every citizen, every state is going through hardships," he said, noting that his party has supported the demonetisation move.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said if the debate is about hardships facing people, then there is no need for division of votes and the debate should start immediately.

Mahajan suggested that a debate should begin in the Zero Hour and Parliament will try to find "something out of the zero" as both sides are divide on rules.

However, the Opposition members trooped into the Well as it became clear that the government was not agreeable to their demand.

"It shows you don't want discussion," the Speaker said as she adjourned the House till 1245 hours.

Image: Opposition members chanted slogans such as Sharam Sharam Karo, Narendra Modi Sharam Karo (Shame on you Narendra Modi) as they trooped into the Well. Photograph: PTI Photo

Opposition members walked out of Lok Sabha as their demand for an obituary reference on the soldiers who died in the terror attack on army camp in Jammu was rejected by the Speaker on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.

The House was adjourned for nearly 40 minutes till noon after the Opposition created a din over its demand for an adjournment motion on the demonetisation issue.

As soon as the House met for the day, Leader of Congressin Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan initially thought he was raising the issue of allowing the Opposition to bring an adjournment motion on demonetisation.

When Kharge clarified that he wanted an obituary reference in the memory of the soldiers killed, she said she had no problems in bringing the reference but the details were still pouring in as combing operations were still on. "I know seven soldiers have been killed... let the complete report come," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House as it was the day when questions for the Prime Minister's Office are slated to be raised.

But as Kharge was persistent, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said issues of national security should not be brought into controversy.

Most opposition members, including those from Congress, TMC, Left, RJD then staged a walkout.

"It is sad that you raised the issue like this," Mahajan said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar attacked the Opposition over the matter, saying they should not do politics over martyrdom of soldiers, drawing protests from the Opposition benches.

When the House assembled in the morning, Opposition members raised slogans and rushed into the Well demanding a debate on demonetisation under rules which entail voting, forcing an adjournment till noon.

After the House reassembled, leaders of several Opposition parties, including Mallikarjun Kharge (Cong) and Sudip Bandhopadhyay (TMC), said they were willing to withdraw their demand that the debate be held under Rule 56, which deals with an adjournment motion, and said the government should also not insist on Rule 193 which does not involve voting at the end of the debate.

Biju Janata Dal also sided with the Opposition and rejected the government's contention with its leader Bhartruhari Mahtab saying the division of votes was not on black money but the hardships facing people and states following the decision.

Kharge told the Speaker "you decide on any rule that involves discussion and voting. We are ready. We are not running away from debate." He drew support from Bandopadhyay.

Expressing the government's view, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the people stood with the Narendra Modi government on its action against black money and a divided message should not go out of Parliament on the issue.

"It should not appear that Parliament is against the measures being taken against black money," he said.

Taking a dig at the government, Mahtab wondered who is dividing Parliament.

"It is neither the Leader of Opposition, nor the TMC leader... We are demanding a discussion on the predicament people are facing after demonetisation. Every citizen, every state is going through hardships," he said, noting that his party has supported the demonetisation move.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said if the debate is about hardships facing people, then there is no need for division of votes and the debate should start immediately.

Mahajan suggested that a debate should begin in the Zero Hour and Parliament will try to find "something out of the zero" as both sides are divide on rules.

However, the Opposition members trooped into the Well as it became clear that the government was not agreeable to their demand.

"It shows you don't want discussion," the Speaker said as she adjourned the House till 1245 hours.
On the eve of Patidars meeting with the Gujarat government, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Varun Patel speaks to Rediff.coms Prasanna D Zore.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, which led Patel quota agitation in Gujarat, will send an 11-member team to discuss its demand with state ministers at a meeting in Gandhinagar on Thursday, five days after the Gujarat government reached out to the organisation for talks.

While speaking to Rediff.com, PAAS leader Varun Patel, below, left, who is part of the delegation, warned the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state that they will not spare anybody if the latter plays foul with their sentiments and demands.

Bhale who phir Shah ho, ya tana Shah, hum kisi ko chhodenge nahi (Be it Amit Shah or his boss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will not spare anybody), said Varun, who will be meeting the government at 10 am at the Gandhinagar circuit house.

Though the PAAS has named the members who will attend this exploratory meeting, Patel said that they had no clue about who will represent the government.

Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, himself a Patidar, had called on Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel to get Patels on board for the discussions.

Varun said that neither the Patidars nor the government has any idea about the issues to be discussed on Thursday.

We did not even ask them what was on the agenda but we have our demands which we will put forth, Patel, who has been booked under attempt to murder charges after the agitation launched by Hardik Patel on August 25 last year turned violent as the government attempted to put down this rebellion.

Our key demands include reservations for Patidars, withdrawal of false cases against Patidars, the appointment of a Patidar Commission that would look into the demand for reservation by the Patels, and arrest of bureaucrats and police officers under murder charges for killing 10 Patidars duirng the agitation."

Hardik, the main protagonist of the agitation is currently staying in Udaipur for six months as a bail condition in a sedition case. Hardik is slated to return to the state in January.

However, Varun categorically said that there will be no demand to withdraw sedition and murder charges against Patidars as well as Hardik in the meeting.

Even I am charged under attempt to murder and loot. Hardik and Dineshbhai (Bhambania, Hardiks aide) have been booked under sedition. This is not a fight for personalities. This is the fight for the community, the Patidar leader said.

Varun said that they will ask the government for a fact sheet over its claim that 90 per cent charges against the Patidars have been withdrawn.

Let them show us the status. They have not withdrawn case against even one Patidar, Varun said.

When asked why were the Patidars relented and accepted the proposal to talk with the government, Varun said, After a long time the government has called us for talks. We want to see what the government has for us.

Calling it an 'initial meeting, Varun said they will get Hardik on board only if some positive sentiment materialises out of the Thursday discussion.

We can ask the government to call Hardik to Gujarat or send their representative to Udaipur, he said.

The government knows what we want as they have been tracking all our leaders with the help of IB (Intelligence Bureau). We also want to explore what the government thinks about our demands, he added.

Varun said that they are going for the discussion with an open mind and wishes that the government accepts all their demands.

We would rather go about our routine business and the government should give justice for our sacrifices too, he said.

Denying that the overwhelming victory of the BJP in the recently concluded municipal council polls was due to the support of Patels, Varun said, The Patidars had consciously decided not to oppose or support any political party in these elections. In the last taluka and zilla panchayat elections, we had openly asked Patidars to defeat the BJP and the party lost 23 zilla panchayats out of 28.

The BJP is running a government and a political party. They have absolute right to play their politics the way they want. It is our duty to fight for our community and seek justice for them. This is a fight between society and politics and we both will play our hands accordingly, Varun said.

Though stating categorically that the Patidars have no plans to float a political party for the December 2017 assembly elections if there is no truce between the two warring factions, he reiterated his words: If this government doesnt give us justice then let them call Shah (BJP president Amit Shah) or tana Shah (Prime Minister Modi) from Delhi, chhodenge nahi unko (we will not spare them).

IMAGE: Members of the Patel community display placards as they attend a protest rally in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday refused to be a member of a committee of the chief ministers proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suggest cashless transactions following demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to neutralise political turmoil over demonetisation within and outside Parliament had proposed the committee of CMs.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference Sarkar said, Yesterday afternoon Finance Minister Arun Jaitley informed me over the phone that the prime minister wanted to talk to me. The government wants suggestions on the present demonetisation with the aim of cashless transaction and which is good. They want to form a committee of CMs and in the panel want to include the Tripura CM.

Initially, I said that it is a highly technical matter and I have no personal experience or understand how much I can contribute to it. I wanted to know why all of a sudden I was required when he (the finance minister) informed me that CMs of others states would also be present. He additionally informed me that representatives from the NITI Aayog and the finance ministry would brief us on the issue. 

Sarkar said that he directly informed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that he would not take part in the meeting.

According to the chief minister, the common man, small traders and daily labourers are the worst sufferers of the demonetisation scheme.

What is going on in the entire country after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have been banned and new Rs 2000 notes introduced. When one goes to the market with Rs 2000 note, both the customer and businessman can do business due crisis of change. There are crores of daily labourers and small businessman who depend on their daily income for the livelihood and in such a situation when 85 to 87 per cent of the currency notes are of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes which have been withdrawn has created problem, said Sarkar.

He also suggested that in order to provide some relief to the common man, the government should allow the use of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes till December 30.

He said, So at least up to December 30, they should allow the use Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. In such a situation, digitisation or cashless transactions is a tough thing for me to comment if it is good.

According to him, introduction of cashless transactions in a country like India and such a huge population is quite a tough task and the present governments step towards it is total mismanagement.

He added, I gathered information and came to know that probably in only Sweden it is in practice and it is a very small nation with small population but even America which is the most powerful economy could not do this. How can our nation with a population of 1.25 crore do transaction with plastic money without adequate number of banks throughout the nation and also in Tripura.

Sarkar informed that the Left party to which he belongs had protested in rallies and called for strike against the demonetisation step of the Centre and now if he takes part in such a committee it would mislead the common man and hence, he would like to keep away from it.

He said, My participation in the committee means creation of confusion and we are trying to say our views on it from outside the Parliament.
Identifying terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability, India and Afghanistan have said that setting up an effective counter-terror framework to deal with the challenge will be a major focus at the two-day Heart of Asia conference beginning on Saturday.

Being held in the wake of the brazen Nagrota terror attack, the annual conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, a platform to assist Afghanistan in its transition, will extensively deliberate on threat from terror networks operating from Pakistani soil and may push for some concrete action to deal with it.

The conference will be attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia, Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference.

Asked during a briefing on Pakistan's willingness for a bilateral meeting with India on the sidelines of the conference on Wednesday, Joint Secretary in the MEA Gopal Baglay said, "We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations on Sunday where Indian delegation will be led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is ill.

"Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability.

"We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on," Baglay said addressing a joint press conference with Afghan Envoy Shaida M Abdali.

On his part, the Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the "breeding ground" of the menace and its "safe sanctuaries", in obvious reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," he said, strongly condemning the Nagrota attack.

Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for "binding" clauses in the framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure. He said terrorism is a multifaceted phenomena which requires a "multifaceted approach" and should include dismantling the "terror matrix", tackling drug trafficking and effectively dealing with radicalisation.

Asked what role HoA can play in containing terror, Baglay said specifics on what should be done and how to deal with those who support and glorify terrorists will be discussed.

"Threat of Terrorism is the biggest challenge to peace and stability to the region. There is support to it in our region and where the problem lies we all know. It needs to be sqaurely addressed," he said.

A declaration will be issued at the end of the conference and it is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror.

Asked how India was looking at the challenge and what steps it will push for to contain terror in the wake of the Nagrota attack, Baglay said these are matters of detail and under discussion at inter-governmental level.

India is also likely to ask contries in the region to show strong resolve to tackle terrorism.

Abdali said terrorism is "creation of the region and the solution lies in the region. Therefore the upcoming HoA is very well timed".

The Afghan envoy said terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where "terrorism is nurtured."

The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity iniatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project. There may be deliberations on TAPI (TurkmenistanAfghanistan-PakistanIndia) gas pipeline project.

President Ghani is schedule to arrive on Saturday and he and Modi will have a bilateral meeting, possibly on that day itself.

Thanking India for providing the last of the four military helicopters to his country last week, Abdali said bilateral talks between the two leaders will be very important, adding security cooperation will be part of the discussion.

On HoA helping Afghanistan in its transition, Baglay said six baskets of Confidence Building Measures are being considered and India has tried to bring in more consultation in the groupings initiatives.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Swaraj had attended last year's conference in Islamabad. The platform was floated with an aim to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.

The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guests.

Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters
AMES  The Iowa Small Town Poll, an Iowa State University survey that gauges quality of life in rural Iowa, will soon hit mailboxes in communities across the state.

And the polls organizers have announced plans to conduct the survey every two years, rather than every 10 years as in the past.

The Iowa Small Town Poll assesses life, attitudes and social interactions in 125 small towns in Iowa. The first survey was conducted in 1994 and again in 2004 and 2014.

Rather than wait until 2024 to conduct the next survey, ISU faculty decided to release the poll again this year. David Peters, associate professor of sociology and project coordinator, said gathering data biennially will provide more relevant results.

A lot can change in 10 years, Peters said in a news release. Conducting the survey more often will allow us to be more topical, to ask questions regarding public policies that are of immediate concern.

Topics this year include population change, recovery from recession, crime and drinking water quality.

Survey postcards soon will arrive in 250 households in each of the small towns selected for the project, Peters said. Those postcards will refer recipients to an online survey asking a range of questions regarding social conditions, perceptions of local quality of life and local services and amenities. Iowans who complete the 20-minute survey will be entered in drawings for one of 30 $100 gift cards.

Peters said the survey results help to inform state and local policymakers as they consider issues that affect rural communities.

The survey launches on the heels of a recent analysis of income growth in Iowa completed by Peters based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In the analysis, Peters found that incomes in rural Iowa have climbed faster than in urban areas of the state over the last 10 years.

In short, rural Iowa households are prospering in terms of their incomes, Peters wrote in the analysis. Compared to their urban counterparts in Iowa and other rural people nationally, incomes of rural Iowans have been both higher and faster growing over the past decade.

The analysis pegged the median household income in rural Iowa at $60,223 in 2015, a 9.6 percent increase from 2005. The median income in urban parts of the state was $51,705, growing at a more modest rate of 3.7 percent since 2005.

Peters said the relative prosperity in rural Iowa may be due to agriculture or to smaller communities supporting a more stable employment base. But he noted that rural residents must often commute to larger communities for job opportunities, an arrangement he described as a hub-and-spoke system.

He said distributing the Iowa Small Town Poll every other year will allow researchers to take a more precise look at the factors that influence rural prosperity.

More information on the Iowa Small Town Poll is available on the projects website. Continued support for the project comes from the U.S. Department of Agricultures Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Experiment Station and ISU Extension and Outreach.
Dont wait to buy shotgun deer licenses

Hunters planning to participate in Iowas shotgun deer season are encouraged to purchase their licenses ahead of time to avoid long lines at the retailer.

The DNR expects around 70,000 hunters to participate in the first shotgun season and so far, 26 percent of the licenses have been sold. Iowas first shotgun deer season begins Dec. 3.

Successful hunters are reminded to report their deer harvest by midnight the day after the deer is recovered.

For hunters with Internet access, the online harvest reporting is the easiest way to register the deer. Hunters can report their deer online at www.iowadnr.gov, by calling the toll free reporting number 1-800-771-4692, or at any license vendor.

Accurately reporting the harvest is an important part of Iowas deer management program and plays a vital role in managing deer populations and future hunting opportunities. Reporting the harvest is required by law. Hunters will be checked for compliance.

Register your harvest

Your deer is down, tagged and on its way to the truck. Your harvest is not complete, though, until you register it; online, over the phone or at a license vendor.

For hunters who have registered deer for years, there is no change. Online, it takes just a couple minutes. Go to www.iowadnr.gov and click on the Hunting tab, then on Reporting Your Harvest and follow instructions. Be ready to enter your tags nine-digit harvest report number. By phone? Call 800-771-4692.

The deer should be reported by the hunter whose name is on the tag and it must come before midnight on the day after the deer is tagged. The harvest reporting system provides information much faster and with more detail than the previous, cumbersome postcard survey. This leads to more responsive management of deer populations; such as adjusting county by county tags or special zone hunt allotments.

DNR to watch for Chronic Wasting Disease

The Iowa DNRs wildlife staff will be collecting tissue samples during Iowas shotgun deer seasons to test for the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Iowas wild deer herd.

The effort will concentrate in southeast Allamakee County where CWD was found in the wild deer herd, in counties near Wisconsin and Illinois where CWD has been confirmed, in south-central Iowa near Missouri, and in Pottawattamie and Cerro Gordo counties, following positive tests in the past from captive facilities and wild deer in or near those counties.

Most of the 4,500 samples the DNR hopes to collect will be taken during the first half of December, as more than 120,000 hunters take part in Iowas shotgun deer seasons. Sampling involves removing and testing the lymph nodes of mature deer.

Many hunters voluntarily contribute samples of their harvested deer for these testing efforts. Most samples are obtained by wildlife staff, checking with hunters in the field or at home processing points.

Hunters willing to provide samples may contact the DNR regionally to arrange collection. In Allamakee, Clayton and Winneshiek counties, call 563-380-3422; in Dubuque, Jackson, Clinton, Scott and Delaware counties, call 563-357-2035; in Davis, Wapello, Van Buren and Jefferson counties, call 641-799-0793; in Wayne, Appanoose and Monroe counties, call 641-203-6185; in Pottawattamie County, call 712-350-0147; and in Cerro Gordo County, call 641-425-2814.

Since 2002, more than 55,000 wild deer in Iowa have been tested. CWD was first detected in the wild herd in Allamakee County in 2013.

Iowa DNRs website provides information about CWD and other information on infectious disease at: www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx

Hunters donate deer meat to Food Bank

Have an extra deer at the end of the hunt? Maybe you bought an extra tag, to hunt longer? Consider donating to Iowas HUSH program. HUSH (Help Us Stop Hunger) works with 81 participating lockers to provide high quality meat to needy Iowans, through the Food Bank of Iowa.

Field-dressed deer are skinned, de-boned and ground into two-pound packages, then distributed to local needy families. The program is funded by hunters, who pay a dollar surcharge with each deer tag purchase.

HUSH has provided meat from 66,300 deer to those who need it  nearly 3,400 last year. Processors receive $75 for their end of the work. The Food Bank of Iowa picks up $5 as it oversees distribution.

Each locker will accept whole deer, asking the hunter to fill out a Hunter HUSH card. There is no fee paid at the locker. A list of participating lockers is available in the Iowa Hunting Regulations and at www.iowahush.com.
Brazil: Court archives case of killing of young boy during military police operation

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, Brazil: Court archives case of killing of young boy during military police operation, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e8a044.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

An appalling decision by a Court in Brazil to archive the case of the killing of a 10-year-old boy during a military police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro risks letting security forces go unpunished, Amnesty International said.

Eduardo de Jesus Ferreira, was shot in the head by military police officers during a police operation in Alemao complex, one of Rio de Janeiro's largest favelas, on 2 April 2015.

The police investigation concluded that police officers were responsible for the shot that killed Eduardo but the officers claimed they acted in self-defense and in response to a gunfight with armed criminals. However, Eduardo's family, neighbours and witnesses reported that no confrontation or shooting was taking place at the time of the killing.

The Public Prosecutor's Office can appeal the decision to archive the case.

"If Eduardo's tragic murder goes unpunished, it will send a message that it is ok for police to execute people," said Renata Neder, Human Rights Advisor at Amnesty International Brazil.

"Instead, Brazilian authorities must ensure that the endless catalogue of human rights violations committed by police in Rio de Janeiro are investigated and that all those suspected of criminal responsibility are brought to justice in fair trials."

Amnesty International has launched an email action calling on the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice to ensure that the case is effectively brought to justice and the police officers responsible for Eduardo's death are held accountable.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
How a family man in Cyprus ended up in a Hungarian jail cell accused of 'terrorism'

Publisher Amnesty International Author Kartik Raj Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as Amnesty International, How a family man in Cyprus ended up in a Hungarian jail cell accused of 'terrorism', 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e8e834.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

One summer's evening last year Ahmed was at home in Cyprus with his wife Nadia and their young children when he received the call that would turn his life upside down.

"It was his mother calling from Syria," Nadia recalls. "She told him there was a lull in the bombing of their town and that they were leaving. They needed help." The call set in motion a chain of events that would land Ahmed where he is today: locked in a Hungarian jail charged with an "act of terror".

Tomorrow he will know his fate. If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment.

Whilst his elderly parents set off on the perilous journey to Turkey with his brother, sister-in-law and his nieces and nephews, Ahmed prepared to put his life on hold and help them all reach safety in Europe. His command of English and Greek and his status as an EU resident would, he believed, help smooth their difficult journey.

A week after the phone call, Ahmed had sold his car and pick-up to raise money and travelled to Istanbul, where he had an emotional reunion with his family.

They found a people smuggler who would take them to the Greek islands on a rubber boat. Ahmed could have made his own way to the islands via regular routes but, since he was the only member of the family who could swim, he joined them on the dangerous crossing. From there, the family travelled up through (the former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia and Serbia, and caught sight of Hungary just as the border crossing was being closed.

On 16 September 2015 they were among hundreds of refugees stranded at the Roszke/Horgos border crossing when clashes broke out with the Hungarian police. People attempted to break through the gate and border fence erected by Hungarian authorities. Hungary's police force responded with tear gas and water cannon, injuring dozens. News footage taken at the time captured Ahmed using a megaphone to call on both the refugees and the police to remain calm but as the clashes intensified Ahmed admitted in court that he was involved in stone throwing.

Dozens were arrested that day, including Ahmed's father and mother, who is partially sighted. Ahmed's parents, along with eight others, were charged with "illegal entry" while participating in a "mass riot". They spent the next eight months in a Hungarian jail and were only released in July.

After their release, Ahmed and the rest of the family managed to make their way to a Budapest. At a train station there Ahmed was singled out, violently arrested and dragged away despite his relatives pleading with police to say he had their passports. Ironically it was the discovery of their passports in Ahmed's bag that Hungarian police used as part of the evidence to paint him as a "terrorist". He was charged with an "act of terror" along with the same charges that had been levelled against his parents.

Ahmed's case arises from a perfect storm of the Hungarian government's appalling assault on the rights of migrants and refugees and its turbo-charged draconian new counter-terrorism measures.

Last July, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban labelled the arrival of refugees to Europe a "poison", claiming outlandishly that "every single migrant poses a public security and terror risk". In the subsequent weeks, other ministers and ministerial staff echoed these ill-founded claims. One suggested that immigration and terrorism "go hand in hand". Another claimed a "demonstrable connection" between the two without offering any evidence.

Earlier this year, Hungary's government passed a constitutional amendment and related laws, giving the Prime Minister sweeping and virtually unfettered power to declare a "terror threat situation". In short, the changes allow Hungarian authorities to declare a state of emergency and take advantage of it to implement exceptional measures in breach of its human rights obligations.

The use of anti-terror powers to target someone involved in clashes on the border is an absurd and chilling demonstration of Hungary's sledgehammer response to the refugee crisis.

Ahmed remains locked up in Hungary. His wife and children await his return to their home in Cyprus. If previous hearings are anything to go by, tomorrow morning, Ahmed will be led into the courtroom in Szeged cuffed and chained to balaclava-wearing prison guards. Those guards will flank him throughout the hearing, as he struggles to understand the impenetrable court process through an Arabic-language interpreter. A potentially life-altering verdict will likely be delivered by the afternoon.

"I feel like I've been in a parallel reality this last year with Ahmed in prison in another country. It feels completely unreal," Nadia told me on Monday. "Our children miss him so much. Ahmed is such a good father and such a good husband. He is not a terrorist."

Kartik Raj is Amnesty International's Europe Campaigner. He will be present for the verdict and has attended previous trial hearings of Ahmed H.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Ghana: Ban urges President, opposition leader to defuse tensions ahead of upcoming elections

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ghana: Ban urges President, opposition leader to defuse tensions ahead of upcoming elections, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e907c40c.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Ghana's President and the opposition leader to continue their role in defusing tensions towards the holding of peaceful and credible elections in the African country.

According to a readout issued by Mr. Ban's spokesperson, the Secretary-General had separate phone calls with John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, and Nana Akufo-Addo, head of Ghana's opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to discuss the general elections scheduled to take place on 7 December.

"The Secretary-General underscored the importance of an environment conducive to peaceful and credible elections, and urged the two leaders to continue their role in defusing tensions and preserving peace," the readout said.

"Bearing in mind Ghana's history of political stability and peaceful elections, the Secretary-General underscored the need for all political parties to sign a Code of Conduct, which will greatly assist in lowering tensions and preventing electoral violence," the readout added.
Formation of Houthi government 'complicates search for peaceful solution' to Yemen crisis  UN envoy

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Formation of Houthi government 'complicates search for peaceful solution' to Yemen crisis  UN envoy, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e909e40c.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Describing the recent announcement by Ansar Allah and the General People's Congress of the creation of a new Government as "a new and unnecessary obstacle" to peace in Yemen, the United Nations envoy for the country today urged the parties "to re-think their approach and demonstrate their commitment to the peace process with concrete actions."

In a statement issued earlier today, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that a proposal to form a new government in the capital, Sana'a, goes against the interests of Yemeni people, and contradicts the recent commitments provided by both sides to the UN and to the United States Secretary of State John Kerry in Muscat.

"Yemen is at a critical juncture. The actions recently taken by Ansar Allah and the General People's Congress will only complicate the search for a peaceful solution. The parties must hold Yemen's national interests above narrow partisan ambitions and take immediate steps to end political divisions and address the country's security, humanitarian and economic challenges," he said in the statement.

New political arrangements should only be based on UN sponsored negotiations and not unilateral actions by any side," said Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed, referring to the talks he had been facilitating between the sides.

Yemen has been engulfed in violence for more than 18 months - a confrontation between the country's Houthis (Ansar Allah) and the Government of Yemen in early 2014 led to a Houthi advance on the capital, and an ensuing conflict which has involved support from outside parties. The UN has been heavily involved in efforts to resolve the crisis.

In his statement today, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said: "There is still a chance to pull Yemen back from the brink. The roadmap I presented to the parties recently offers such an opportunity. I ask the representatives of Ansar Allah and the General People's Congress to re-think their approach and demonstrate their commitment to the peace process with concrete actions."

Moreover, it is crucial to engage constructively in the peace process in order to reach a negotiated settlement that brings about a permanent end to military hostilities and enables the resumption of a peaceful, inclusive, orderly and Yemeni-led political transition that meets the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people.

"I urge all parties to recommit to and fully respect the terms and conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities, which will include a complete halt to ground and air military activities and allow the increased flow of humanitarian assistance, he said, calling on all sides to resume working through the De-Escalation and Coordination Committee to facilitate the strengthening of the pause in hostilities.

Finally, the envoy underscored that the conflict can only be brought to an end through civilized and negotiated political settlement. "The Yemeni people have suffered for far too long, and there is no reason to let this war continue."
Bulgaria: UN concerned at calls for expulsions following tensions at overcrowded reception centre

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Bulgaria: UN concerned at calls for expulsions following tensions at overcrowded reception centre, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e914640c.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - The United Nations refugee agency today voiced concerns over calls for expulsion, on national security grounds, of asylum-seekers after a protest at Bulgaria's largest and most overcrowded reception centre.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) urged the Bulgarian Government to improve living conditions at the Harmanli reception centre and establish a constructive dialogue with asylum-seekers staying there.

The agency said that it is prepared to work with refugees and local authorities on diffusing tensions and improving living conditions in the centre.

"While UNHCR does not in principle object to the return of people who have not been granted international protection, such returns should only take place if all procedural guarantees are fully respected, including access to a fair and efficient asylum procedure and to effective judicial review," stated William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson at today's press briefing in Geneva.

The agency also reports unsatisfying conditions at other reception centres and detention facilities in Bulgaria, including Elhovo detention facility, near the border with Turkey, which is occupied at 130 per cent of its capacity.

According to Mr. Spindler, concerns over reception conditions remain unaddressed, causing tensions and has even leading to acts of vandalism. Overcrowded centres also raise concerns over sanitary conditions, and challenges on provision of medical care and medicine.
Fleeing violence in Horn of Africa, asylum-seekers find little safety in Yemen  UN refugee agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Fleeing violence in Horn of Africa, asylum-seekers find little safety in Yemen  UN refugee agency, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e918240e.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Highlighting a dramatic increase in sea crossings by migrants and refugees from the Horn of Africa to Yemen - which itself is reeling under a deteriorating humanitarian crisis, the United Nations refugee agency today called for urgent steps to deter and save people from the deadly risks they are taking.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of mid-November, some 105,971 people - migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees - mostly from Ethiopia (88,667) and Somalia (17,293) crossed the Gulf of Aden only to arrive in lands where they face conflict, abuse and exploitation. Women and children are at particular risk of sexual violence and human trafficking.

This year's crossing (105,971) to Yemen is 14 per cent more than 2015 (92,446) and more than four-times the number in 2006 (25,898)

"Many of those making the crossing may be deceived or ill-informed about the severity of the conflict in Yemen or hope to reach the Gulf States, rather than stay in poverty or face persecution and insecurity at home," William Spindler, a spokesperson for the agency told the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva today.

"For new arrivals seeking international protection, access to asylum systems in Yemen is restricted and individuals may be unable to register their applications or have their presence documented by the authorities in-the country," noted Mr. Spindler, explaining the additional challenges.

Yemen has historically been a country of migration and transit for those fleeing violence and persecution from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. However, after 20 months of conflict, the situation in the country is highly precarious and new arrivals and locals alike face risks of hardship, danger and death.

Reportedly, some people intend to reach Europe as their final destination, departing from Yemen to Sudan, then onwards by road to Libya or Egypt to cross by sea to Europe.

The strife has resulted in displacement of at least 3.1 million individuals, of whom, 2.1 million still remain displaced, and more than 80 per cent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. The prolonged conflict and insecurity has also led to the proliferation of trafficking and extortion networks targeting new arrivals.

"All this makes Yemen ill-equipped to receive and host new refugees and migrants or those seeking to transit," underscored the UNHCR spokesperson, adding that the agency plans to launch a regional information campaign in countries of origin and transit, including Ethiopia and Somalia, warning of the dangers and risks inherent in crossings to and arrival in Yemen.

Mr. Spindler also told the media that the agency's operations in Yemen and the Horn of Africa remain "critically underfunded."

"Despite massive humanitarian needs and ongoing displacement, our response to the situation in Yemen and neighbouring countries for 2016 remains only 44 per cent funded ($75 million)," he said.
With Burundi at 'dangerous junction,' UN experts call on Government to protect citizens against violence

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, With Burundi at 'dangerous junction,' UN experts call on Government to protect citizens against violence, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e921c412.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Denouncing reports of open intimidation from armed militia against citizens of Burundi, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called upon the Government to take immediate effective action to protect its people.

The 18-member expert Committee, which monitors worldwide implementation of the International Convention after which it is named, is also deeply concerned about a Civil Service questionnaire issued 8 November asking public servants to state their ethnicity. The experts are requesting that Burundi allow a UN police component approved in July by the UN Security Council to monitor the security and human rights situation in the country as soon as possible.

"Such a survey, given Burundi's history of virulent ethnic conflict, could spread fear and further mistrust among the population, and could be hugely dangerous if misused," said CERD Chairperson Anastasia Crickley in a news release.

Moreover, there have been recent reports of killings, summary executions, disappearances, torture, frequent use of hate speech by Government officials, and a growing number of people fleeing the country.

CERD decried the country's increasing lack of cooperation with the international community and called upon the Government to reengage with the UN Human Rights Office. The Committee also urged Burundi to adhere to its human rights obligations, including those that arise under the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The Committee's early warning procedure was established in order to respond to various conflicts in the early 1990s and to prevent similar crises from arising and escalating into conflict and violence.

The procedure is meant to "above all, prevent the wounds of old conflicts from reopening," said Ms. Crickley. "That is why we expressed alarm in August this year and this is why we are raising our voice again."

She added that "Burundi is at a dangerous junction" and called upon the Government to "step back from any actions that risk stoking ethnic conflict and that could even be a precursor to mass atrocities."
Myanmar: UN rights chief warns of 'spiral of violence' in Rakhine state

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Myanmar: UN rights chief warns of 'spiral of violence' in Rakhine state, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e925e40e.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed alarm over reports of serious rights violations in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state that cite allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence, and a renewed spike in hate speech - including on social media.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has said the Government needs to condemn such inflammatory - potentially very dangerous - rhetoric no matter who is responsible. Failing this, there is a real risk that it could exacerbate the current spiral of violence.

On 9 October, OHCHR received reports that three Border Guard police posts in Maungdaw and Rathidaung, also part of the Rakhine State, were attacked during security operations. The High Commissioner "unequivocally condemns the reported use of violence by armed individuals in northern Rakhine state, and recognizes that this is not something the authorities can ignore." However, Ms. Shamdasani added that it is "essential" that the Government's attempts to restore security are "firmly grounded in international human rights laws and standards," and are recognized by the affected population.

Likewise, offensives in Kachin and Northern Shan state continue to cause human rights violations and displacement.

"Protection of civilians and unfettered humanitarian access to conflict affected areas is critical," underscored the UN rights chief. "Measures that may heighten the vulnerability or pose threats to the safety and security of internally displaced people - such as requiring internally displaced persons (IDPs) to cross conflict lines - must be avoided," he added. The UN rights Office also stressed that the authorities must respect international humanitarian law and the rights of IDPs, pointing out that continued failure to do so would draw a sharp response from the international community.

The High Commissioner also regretted that, beyond the formation of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state led by Kofi Annan, the Government has largely failed to act on the recommendations made in an OHCHR report in June on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.

The report documented a wide range of human rights violations and abuses against the Rohingya, including arbitrary deprivation of nationality, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, threats to life and security, denial of rights to health and education, forced labour, sexual violence and limitations to political rights, among others. It also raised the possibility that the pattern of violations against the Rohingya may amount to crimes against humanity.
Amid battle for Mosul, ISIL forcing civilians 'squarely in harm's way,' UN rights wing warns

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Amid battle for Mosul, ISIL forcing civilians 'squarely in harm's way,' UN rights wing warns, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e928d16d.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - As the Iraqi military intensifies its operations to wrest Mosul from terrorists, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today warned that it continues to receive reports of "serious breaches" of international human rights and humanitarian law by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) in and around the war-torn city.

"We are deeply worried about the fate of hundreds of people who have reportedly being abducted by ISIL and moved to unknown locations. ISIL is also continuing to abduct and forcibly move civilians, and to kill those it suspects of leaking information to the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces]," OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters at the regular press briefing in Geneva.

She added that ISIL has been installing rocket launchers and placing snipers on the rooftops of civilian homes, while also threatening to kill those who refuse to cooperate. These families are effectively used as human shields, placed squarely in harm's way, caught between ISIL and Iraqi Security Force fire responding to rocket and sniper attacks, she said.

Just two weeks ago, ISIL shot and killed 12 civilians in Bakir for allegedly refusing to help launch rockets from the rooftops of their houses, and 27 civilians in Muhandiseen Park, in northern Mosul. In addition, a seven-year-old child was shot in Adan neighbourhood when running towards the ISF, said OHCHR.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey again encouraged Iowans to consider choosing a fresh, Iowa grown Christmas tree to decorate their home this holiday season.

Selecting a fresh Christmas tree can be part of a great family tradition and is an opportunity to connect with an Iowa farmer and support the local economy, Northey said in a news release. Iowa is fortunate to have more than 100 Christmas tree farms in all parts of the state, so everyone has the opportunity to get their own fresh tree to help celebrate.

A directory of tree farms across Iowa is available on the Iowa Christmas Tree Association website at www.IowaChristmasTrees.com. On the site there is a Find a Farm link on the top left-hand corner of the page. Besides the location of the farms, the directory also includes a phone number and hours of operation for each farm to assist in planning.

These farms devote over 1,500 acres to Christmas tree production in Iowa and as a result harvest approximately 39,500 Christmas trees each year. The result is a $1 million dollar industry contributing to Iowas economy.

It takes six to 12 years to grow a Christmas tree before it is ready to be sold. Most tree farms in Iowa are three to eight acres in size and sell trees by choose and harvest method, where a customer comes to the farm and cut their own tree.

Following are tips to keep in mind to make your trip to a Christmas tree farm more enjoyable:

Be sure you know what size tree fits in your home, both height and width, before you leave. Trees always look smaller in the field and there is nothing worse than bringing a tree indoors only to find its too big.

Wear comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes and gloves that you arent afraid to get dirty.

Make sure the tree you pick has a straight trunk and will fit properly in your tree stand.

Fresh trees need water. Once you get your tree home remember to check the water daily. Trees can use up to a gallon of water daily.

Make sure you unplug any tree lights before you leave home or go to bed.

Remember  fresh cut Christmas trees are biodegradable. Recycle your tree after Christmas.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has additional information on selecting and caring for Christmas trees available at extension.iastate.edu.
'Urgent steps' needed to revive two-state solution, Ban says on Day of Solidarity with Palestinian people

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, 'Urgent steps' needed to revive two-state solution, Ban says on Day of Solidarity with Palestinian people, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e92bd40c.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the world to reaffirm commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and working to build a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

In his message on the Day, the Secretary-General Ban said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a "long-standing, gaping wound that has fed tension and conflict throughout the Middle East."

In recent years, there have been unsuccessful negotiations for a peaceful settlement, three armed conflicts, thousands of people killed (the majority of them Palestinians), rampant incitement, terror attacks, thousands of rockets and bombs fired at Israel from Gaza, and an expanding illegal Israeli settlement that undermines Israel's democratic values and own society.

This year, Israeli forces demolished more than twice the number of Palestinian homes and other structures compared to 2015. Gaza continues to be a humanitarian emergency and tens of thousands are displaced while the economy remains paralyzed.

"All this had led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis," said Mr. Ban.

"It has strengthened radicals and weakened moderates on both sides. Making matters worse is a dangerous vacuum within the international community as crises elsewhere claim the attention of world leaders," he added.

Palestinians at the Gilo checkpoint, East Jerusalem. Photo: OCHA

Moreover, internal divisions and in-fighting in the West Bank add a new worrying dimension to the paralyzing lack of Palestinian unity, and undermine democracy and the rule of law. The 50th year of Israel's occupation is approaching, and meanwhile prospects for a two-state solution are disappearing.

Nonetheless, the United Nations reaffirmed its commitment to working with partners of the Middle East Quartet, who recently produced a report on the conditions required for successful negotiations. Additional key stakeholders include the European Union, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

"On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, let us all reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and working to build a future of peace, justice, security, and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike," stated Mr. Ban.

The date 29 November was chosen for this Day of Solidarity because on that day in 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Partition Resolution which provided for the establishment of a "Jewish State" and an "Arab State" within Palestine, where Israel serves as a corpus separatum under a special international regime. So far, only the Jewish State of Israel has come into existence.

The International Day of Solidarity is an opportunity to draw the international community's attention to the fact that the question of Palestine is unresolved and that its people have yet to attain their inalienable rights - namely, the right to self-determination without external interference.
Syria: Amid 'chilling' situation in Aleppo, 16,000 flee intense fighting, UN aid chief warns

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: Amid 'chilling' situation in Aleppo, 16,000 flee intense fighting, UN aid chief warns, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e92cf40e.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Citing preliminary reports that that up to 16,000 people have fled fighting in the eastern neighbourhoods of Syria's Aleppo city over the past few days, the United Nations humanitarian chief today warned that thousands more will have no choice but to flee should the attacks spread and escalate over the coming days.

"I am extremely concerned about the fate of civilians as a result of the deeply alarming and chilling situation unfolding in Aleppo city," the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, said in a statement.

Intensified ground fighting and indiscriminate aerial bombardment over the past few days in eastern Aleppo has reportedly killed and injured scores of civilians, he said.

"There are no functioning hospitals left, and official food stocks are practically finished in eastern Aleppo," added Mr. O'Brien, who is also the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

At the same time, indiscriminate shelling continues on civilian-populated areas and civilian infrastructure in western Aleppo, killing and injuring civilians, and displacing over 20,000 people in recent weeks.

According to initial reports, up to 16,000 people have been displaced from eastern Aleppo, many into uncertain and precarious situations. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and local non-governmental organization (NGO) partners have initiated a response to those displaced.

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on all parties to the conflict to adhere to and respect international humanitarian law.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that the Office had received reports that opposition groups are preventing civilians from leaving areas under their control.

"We call on armed opposition groups to adhere to their obligation to allow civilians who wish to flee areas under their control to do so. Any measures taken to prevent them from doing so - unless justified by a need to protect the safety of civilians - are prohibited under international law," she said.

She also expressed concerns that upon reaching Government-controlled or Kurdish-controlled areas, civilians perceived to have links or connections with armed opposition groups may be detained. "Pro-Government and Kurdish Forces must ensure that civilians fleeing the fighting are afforded every protection and are not subjected to acts of retribution due to their perceived support or affiliation to opposition groups," she stressed.
Ban voices deep concerns over renewed violence in the Central African Republic

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as UN News Service, Ban voices deep concerns over renewed violence in the Central African Republic, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e930d40e.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

29 November 2016 - Expressing deep concerns over last week's renewed violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) that has reportedly claimed dozens of lives and displaced more than 11,000 persons  many civilians  United Nations Secretary-General has called on the armed groups to immediately and to genuinely commit to peace.

According to a statement issued late yesterday by his office, Mr. Ban called on the armed groups to immediately stop the violence and genuinely commit to ongoing efforts to address the root causes of the conflict including through the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme recently approved in Bangui.

He also recalled the willingness of the international community, expressed at the recent Brussels conference on the country, to support CAR on its path towards recovery and stability.

For this to happen it is important that the right circumstances prevail, the statement added.

Two factions of the ex-Seleka armed group  the Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC) and the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC)  clashed in Bria, Haute Kotto prefecture and many of the victims were reportedly civilians. A large number were ostensibly targeted because of their ethnicity.

In the statement, the UN chief also expressed hope that the upcoming extraordinary summit meeting of Heads of State of the Economic Community of Central African States, expected to be held in Gabon's capital, Libreville, on 30 November, will reinforce the efforts undertaken by the Government of the CAR and President Touadera to consolidate peace and place the country on a path of recovery and stability.
Will a united opposition finally unseat Gambia's strongman?

Publisher IRIN Author Louise Hunt Publication Date 28 November 2016 Cite as IRIN, Will a united opposition finally unseat Gambia's strongman?, 28 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e96f84.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

There has been unprecedented popular protest this year against the regime of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. But as the country heads to elections this week, hope for change is giving way to trepidation he will win and extend his 22-year stay in power.

Human rights organisations have warned that the conditions leading up to Thursday's vote are not conducive to a free and fair election. There has been a spate of arrests of journalists and opposition activists in a country in which disappearances, arbitrary detention, and torture is commonplace.

The Sandeng family is all too aware of those dangers. In April, they were forced to flee, crossing the border with Senegal at night, at a point they hoped would be unguarded.

A week before, on 14 April, the head of the family, opposition activist Solo Sandeng, had allegedly been tortured to death by Gambia's security forces for leading a peaceful protest near the capital, Banjul.

Escape

The family, five adults and five children, spent a week in hiding, knowing their home was under constant surveillance. Then, realising they had no choice but to leave, they sought refuge in Senegal.

It is a well-trodden escape route for the many Gambians who find themselves on the run from political persecution. "I was told to walk across the border and not look back," said 22-year-old Fatoumatta Sandeng.

In their new home in exile, the Sandeng family crammed onto sponge mattresses on the floor as Fatoumatta related how her father, a leading member of the opposition United Democratic Party, had been marching with youth activists against new rules introduced by Jammeh to scupper his opponents' chances in this election.

It was the first opposition demonstration since 14 students were gunned down by the army in 2000.

"People were protesting for electoral reforms so that there could be a change of government. Because if the elections were free and fair, which is very rare in the Gambia, people would be at least hopeful that it could bring a better Gambia for its citizens," Fatoumatta explained.

Change

Jammeh's regime has a long history of hounding dissenters, but due to the government's tight control over the media Gambians are often unaware of the scale of human rights violations. The very public nature of Sandeng's arrest was a wake-up call.

"In Gambia, we know there wouldn't be any protests without the government trying to stop them," said Fatoumatta. "But to the extent of arresting, torturing and killing someone: that was shocking to the Gambian people."

Over April and May, Sandeng's death ignited an unprecedented public outcry against the government's brutality.

"Before, you didn't see people protesting on the streets. People didn't dare hold a banner that insults the president. Now, it's happening," noted Alhagie Jobe, a journalist who was tortured by the secret police and spent 18 months in prison before being acquitted of sedition charges. He now lives in exile in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

"It's changing gradually. He [Jammeh] himself knows he is coming to the end of his administration. What people weren't doing before for the past 20 years; it's happening now. So that's the signal that he's losing power, gradually."

Opposition re-set

Jammeh, who came to power in a military coup, responded to the bout of protests by arresting most of the UDP hierarchy, including party leader Ousainou Darboe. They were sentenced to three years' imprisonment for unlawful assembly, destabilising the party in the lead-up to the election.

Out of this adversity, the previously fractious opposition parties realised their only chance was to unite and form Gambia's first opposition coalition. But one leader, Mamma Kandeh, refused to join, and there is concern he may split the opposition vote.

The "Coalition for Change 2016", headed by the relatively unknown Adama Barrow, is nevertheless giving some Gambians hope that this time around there could be an upset at the ballot box, after four straight electoral wins by Jammeh.

"Gambians need big changes," said 31-year-old Abdoulie Touray*, speaking quietly over Skype from his home near Banjul.

Touray left his rural village to study for a qualification in IT but could only find low-paid work as a watchman in a residential compound.

"In the early years, Jammeh did good work in developing the country, but now he is overstaying," Touray told IRIN. "We need a new president who will move the country forward. A lot of people are not working and the economy is falling down."

Gambia's failure

The Gambia is one of the world's poorest countries, ranked 175 out of 188 in the Human Development Index. Children and young people under 30 make up the majority of the population and youth unemployment stands at 38 percent.

In recent years, Jammeh's autocratic decisions have increasingly isolated the country. In 2013, he withdrew Gambia from the Commonwealth; last year, he changed the title of the moderate Muslim-majority country to the Islamic Republic; and, in October, he opted to exit the International Criminal Court, on the grounds that it was biased against African countries.

Touray hopes that if the new seven-party opposition coalition wins on Thursday, it will have a better relationship with the outside world.

"We need people who can stabilise the country and bring in foreign investors. If people have jobs, they won't go the backway," he said, a reference to the illegal migration route to Europe.

Last year, Touray's two brothers undertook the hazardous journey across the Mediterranean. The Gambia, with a population of two million, is currently the fifth largest contributor of migrants arriving by sea in Italy.

Exiles rally

In Dakar, political activist rappers Jerreh Badjie (stage name Retsam) and Ali Cham (Killa Ace) both have a strong following among Gambian youths. They are part of a tight circle of recently exiled young Gambians driving a social media movement to inform and motivate their peers back home to push for change.

"People are starting to see that if they don't express themselves now, their lives and their children's lives are at risk. They have to face the situation and talk now," said Badjie, 27.

Cham believes the lack of freedom of expression is inhibiting young people's potential and contributes to the "backway" mentality.

"It's not that the backway is the only option, but to them it's the easiest route [to improving their lives]," he told IRIN from his home recording studio, which is decorated with posters of revolutionaries and the Gambian flag.

Combatting apathy

Cham and Badjie accept that a lot of young people feel apathetic towards politics and want to boycott the election as a stand against what happened to the protesters in April and May.

But Cham insists inaction won't help: "The only thing youths can do is vote against the system, even if they're disgruntled. There's not much else they can do."

Meanwhile, in Gambia, locals report an edgy calm as the election approaches. "Everything is normal right now, but we are scared of what will happen if Jammeh gets voted out but refuses to leave," said Touray. "We think there could be a lot of violence."

Lamin Manneh*, a young writer, is taking a philosophical view: "My gut feeling is that the guy [Jammeh] will triumph. But the coalition is really unsettling the whole system; people are not as gullible as before. For me, this is bigger than politics. It's about creating a mass movement for democracy.

"Even if it all ends as the year that something could have happened, but didn't, I believe the seeds for democracy have been sown and are starting to take root."
The Eastern Aegean is becoming Europe's Nauru

Publisher IRIN Author Fotini Rantsiou Publication Date 28 November 2016 Cite as IRIN, The Eastern Aegean is becoming Europe's Nauru, 28 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e97844.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

A 66-old Iraqi Kurdish woman and her six-year old grandson were burnt to death on Thursday night when a cooking gas canister exploded in their tent at Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesvos. The boy's mother and his four-year-old brother, who were in the next tent, suffered severe burns. The fire was quickly put out, but as the camp was evacuated, some of the refugees started fires in their wake that caused widespread destruction.

As the winter cold begins to bite and many of the 16,000 migrants and refugees stranded on the Greek islands continue to be housed in temporary shelters, more fires are inevitable. Some will be the result of the migrants trying to keep warm or cook in their tents. Others will be set deliberately in a desperate act of protest.

Fires at Moria, usually the result of riots, have become frequent since the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal in March. The agreement envisaged that migrants arriving to the Greek islands would be briefly detained until they could be processed and returned to Turkey, given asylum in Greece, or relocated elsewhere in Europe. In reality, few migrants have left Lesvos. Most are still waiting for their asylum claims to be processed, even as small numbers continue to arrive.

The capacity of Moria is 2,000 people, but the camp now has around 4,500 residents. Other facilities on the island host another 1,500. Several other Aegean islands are experiencing similar levels of overcrowding and an increasingly tense atmosphere. Violent clashes between refugees and locals also broke out recently on Chios.

Several refugees I spoke to on Thursday night after the deadly fire asked me the same question: "Will this help open the borders?" But the European policies that keep them on the islands are not determined by humanitarian considerations. They are driven by a desire to keep the migrants as far from the centre of Europe as possible. And Lesvos is at one of the furthest corners of Europe.

Fotini Rantsiou/IRIN The morning after the fire at Moria camp, refugees sift through the charred remains of their belongings

Meanwhile, local residents feel increasingly threatened. Cases of petty theft and other crimes have risen in line with the numbers of asylum seekers. On Lesvos, refugees now make up more than 20 percent of people in Mytilene, the capital city where the camps are located. In Chios town, they represent 13 percent of the population, on Samos 38 percent.

The real culprit?

The Greek Asylum Service has been wrongly blamed for the overcrowding. But it has been processing cases at a rate no slower than other European countries. According to its director, the service has tripled in size since its inception in 2013 and is handling six times more asylum applications in 2016 than previously. Little support from other European countries has been forthcoming. Member states sent only 35 of the 400 experts requested by the European Asylum Support Office.

A lack of funding is also not the problem. The EU, through its department of home affairs and migration, has committed a total of 248 million to the government over the past year (through long-term and emergency contributions) and another 175 million to humanitarian partners, including the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, and various NGOs. Since April 2016, another 198 million has been channelled through the European Commission's emergency aid department, ECHO.

All of these funds are available to improve living conditions, both on the islands and for some 46,000 refugees stranded at various camps on the mainland. Better coordination and trust between the government and humanitarian partners would greatly help, but the real issue keeping refugees on the islands isn't money or bureaucracy. It's a lack of solidarity from the other EU member states that over the past year have closed their borders and backtracked on commitments to relocate asylum seekers from Greece and Italy. Instead, Greece  where a total of 62,000 migrants and refugees are now stranded  has been left to deal with the consequences of bad decisions made in Brussels.

Even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly threatens to end Turkey's migration deal with the EU, the Greek government is keeping it alive by insisting that refugees must remain on the islands. The morning after the deaths at Moria, the minister for migration reiterated in parliament that no transfers to the mainland would take place, despite repeated requests by the islands' mayors.

Talking to government officials, humanitarian actors and local residents, whether in Lesvos, Chios, Athens or Thessaloniki, one thing is clear: urgent advocacy is needed, in Brussels and in EU member state capitals, to overturn EU policies that are keeping people hostage in Greece  a country that because of an accident of geography has become a frontline state for Europe's refugee "crisis", and at one of the most difficult economic times in its post-war history.

Australia has been roundly and rightly condemned for its policy of processing asylum seekers at remote offshore detention centres like the one on the tiny island nation of Nauru. Allowing the Greek islands to become Europe's Nauru is an inhumane solution that should put us to shame as European citizens.
Landmark Myanmar refugee return programme off to rough start

Publisher IRIN Author Ann Wang Publication Date 29 November 2016 Cite as IRIN, Landmark Myanmar refugee return programme off to rough start, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583e97f54.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Khin San Yee rummaged through the bags she had brought back to Myanmar from a refugee camp in Thailand. She smiled as she pulled out a photo of herself standing next to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who is now de facto head of state after decades of leading a pro-democracy movement against military rule.

Khin San Yee was part of that struggle, and she paid dearly for it, becoming one of thousands of people the ruling generals imprisoned for political activities. When she was released in 1999 after spending a year in the notorious Insein prison, she fled Myanmar and ended up in Nu Po, one of nine refugee camps strung along the border inside Thailand.

Myanmar is a much different country today than the one she left, at least politically.

In 2011, the junta began implementing sweeping reforms, allowing freedom of media and political parties, and releasing political prisoners. Those freed included Aung San Suu Kyi, who had spent most of the previous 20 years under house arrest. Her National League for Democracy party swept into power in last year's election and then created the post of state counsellor for her, as the constitution bars her from becoming president.

"I decided to come back to Myanmar for her," said Khin San Yee.

Little support

Khin San Yee is a member of one of the first 19 families to return from the camps since the reform period began, as part of a repatriation programme led by the Myanmar government. The approximately 120,000 refugees remaining in Thailand are watching what happens to them.

The experience of the first group of returnees raises questions about whether Myanmar's government is prepared to support people who have been living in the camps, often for decades.

Khin San Yee's family is among four who asked to be resettled in Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital and biggest city. They were expecting that the government would provide them with housing, but instead they are living in a warehouse owned by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The Yangon regional government is offering the returnees an option to buy low cost apartments at 9.8 million kyats (about $7,600), with 30 percent paid up front. But the returnees say they have neither jobs nor money.

"We cannot afford to pay the downpayment for the apartments, or the installments that come afterwards," said Aye Aye San, who took cooking and English classes while living in the Nu Po refugee camp for 10 years, but has been unable to find work in Yangon since arriving on 27 October.

The returnees said the government gave each family a resettlement package of 300,000 kyats ($233), and was providing them 3,000 kyats ($2.33) a day for living expenses.

Ko Ko Naing, a director general at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, told IRIN that the ministry is in discussion with regional governments and other ministries to come up with a better plan for returnees.

"For the next time, i think we need more communications between different organisations on what is the need for the returnee and what is the expertise of each returnees," he said. "Because for this first pilot project, we do not have complete information about the families. If we do not know what they need, it is very difficult to prepare. Next time we need more discussion, case studies and information on the individuals."

Conflict continues

Life is a bit easier for Tun Tun Aung and his family, who are staying with relatives in the town of Myitta, in Tanintharyi Region on the eastern frontier with Thailand.

"I was nervous before coming back, but as soon as I saw my family, I felt happy again. Yes, I will have to start from zero again, but we Myanmar people are used to it by now," he said, while putting a coat of red paint on a cart that he built to sell ice cream.

Tun Tun Aung's grandfather has also given the family a plot of land to build a house on.

Like most refugees in Thailand, Tun Tun Aung fled fighting between the military and an array of ethnic armed groups, many of which have been in conflict with the government since Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948. Tun Tun Aung and his family decided to leave when Myitta became a battleground between the military and the Karen National Union in 2008.

In 2012, the military-backed reformist government signed a ceasefire agreement with the KNU. The group also signed on to a "Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement" last year, although the accord has been widely criticised as inneffective. Only eight of the 15 armed groups invited to sign did so, and the quasi-civilian government refused to allow three others to take part in negotations, as they were - and remain - in active combat with the military.

Out of options

There is deep scepticism among refugees in Thailand that Myanmar's military - notorious for committing abuses agains civilians, and in control of the peace process - will actually end the civil wars. When the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, and a Thai NGO, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, surveyed refugees in Mae La camp in 2013, most respondents said they did not want to return to Myanmar and many cited poor security as a prime factor.

But the refugees are running out of options. With Myanmar's transition from military dictatorship to democracy under way, many countries are no longer accepting them. The United States, which had taken more than 73,000 refugees since 2005, officially ended its resettlement programme in 2014.

The Border Consortium, one of the largest NGOs working in the camps, told IRIN in June that international donations fell by 26 percent, from 820 million Thai baht (about $23 million) over 2015 to an estimated 605 million Thai baht for 2016.

With aid and overseas resettlement options dwindling, more refugees may soon decide to return to Myanmar. But there is a risk that - like those sheltering in a warehouse in Yangon right now - they may be disappointed at how hard it is to reintegrate back into their home country.

"That's why it's so important that both government and UNHCR have to explain what support [will be given] to the returnees - what is available - in order to manage expectations," said Cecile Fradot, a senior protection officer with the refugee agency.
Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would retroactively legalize settlements in clear violation of international law

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 30 November 2016 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would retroactively legalize settlements in clear violation of international law, 30 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583ed0b84.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

On November 16, 2016 the Israeli Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would enable the retroactive legalization of settlement outposts built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The vote was approved by 58-50. The new legislation offers monetary compensation or alternative land plots to Palestinians who own land on which settlers have built homes without formal state approval. In addition, under the new bill, Palestinians will not have the right to appeal and are thus coerced into leaving their lands.

Since the start of the occupation, Israel has employed various policies and procedures aimed at appropriating Palestinian land, including by declaring land as "state land," closed military zones, nature reserves and archaeological sites. This land has been used to establish settlements and create reserves of land for the future expansion of settlements. Such practices of land-grab and dispossession have, in large part, occurred with the approval of Israel's High Court of Justice. The systematic nature of Israel's expansion into the OPT consists of both the physical presence of its citizens on Palestinian land and the creation of institutions and laws that encourage the individuals to move into the occupied territory Today, there are over half a million Israelis living in settlements throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with around 10,000 settlers residing in unauthorized settlement-outposts.

However, the move towards formally legalizing settlement outposts raises concerns of annexation of Palestinian territory and potentially paves the way for the legalization of dozens of other settlement outposts.

The preliminary approval of the Regulation bill is the latest twist in an on-going battle between Israel's judiciary and the governing right-wing coalition. On November 14, just two days before the Regulation bill received its preliminary approval, Israel's Supreme Court rejected the government's request to defer the evacuation of the settlement outpost of Amona which is considered illegal under Israeli law. There are currently 40 Israeli families living on registered Palestinian-owned land in Amona, and the Supreme Court ordered that the State evacuate the outpost by December 25, 2016.

In an attempt to circumvent the Court's authority, and in clear violation of international law, the right-wing coalition proceeded with brining the Regulation bill to vote.

While the settler outposts constructed in Palestinian territory are considered illegal by the Israeli government, each of the government-approved Israeli settlements scattered across the West Bank are also constructed in direct violation of international law. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupying power is prohibited from transferring, directly or indirectly, parts of its civilian population into the territory it occupies. The transfer of a civilian population into an occupied territory is also considered a war crime under the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is currently conducting a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine, with the Office of the Prosecutor looking into both the alleged war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza war as well as Israel's settlement activities.
FIDH deplores execution in secrecy of two death convicts in Belarus

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 29 November 2016 Related Document(s) Death Penalty in Belarus: Murder on (Un)lawful Grounds Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, FIDH deplores execution in secrecy of two death convicts in Belarus, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583ed1664.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

According to the information received by our member organisation in Belarus, Human Rights Center "Viasna", two death convicts, Ivan Kulesh and Siarhei Khmialeuski, were recently executed in secrecy in Belarus. Under the Belarusian legislation, the date of the execution is not communicated to the public. Three death convicts were executed in Belarus this year, all took place after the EU lifted in February 2016 the restrictive measures imposed on Belarus for human rights violations.

FIDH deplores the executions because it stands for global abolition of death penalty. Furthermore, as reported in a joint FIDH and HRC Viasna report published in October 2016 entitled Death Penalty in Belarus : Murder on (Un)Lawful Grounds, the use of the capital punishment in Belarus is accompanied by a number of grave human rights violations at each stage of judicial proceedings.

In the report, our organisations denounced the secrecy that surround the application of death penalty in Belarus: the families of death convicts are not informed in advance of the date of the execution, the body is never handed over to them and the location of the burial site is kept secret. The executions of Ivan Kulesh and Siarhei Khmialeuski thus violate the rights of their families, pursuant to several UN decisions on cases related to death penalty in Belarus.

Belarus is the last and single retentionist country in Europe. The EU should firmly advocate for abolition of death penalty in Belarus, or for a moratorium as a first step to abolition, and the latter requirement should shape the EU's policy towards Belarus.

More information on the executions of Siarhei Khmialeuski and Ivan Kulesh.
RSF asks charges against Ugandan journalist be dropped

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 30 November 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF asks charges against Ugandan journalist be dropped, 30 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583ed22b4.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned about the terrorism charges against TV journalist Joy Doreen Biira, who was arrested while on a personal visit to Kasese, in Uganda's far western Rwenzururu region, on 27 November for posting photos of violent clashes in Kasese on social networks.

Normally based in Kenya, where she is a presenter and reporter for Kenya Television Network (KTN), Biira is a Ugandan citizen from Rwenzururu who had gone back there for her traditional marriage ceremony.

After the ceremony, she happened to witness the aftermath of an attack by government forces on the palace of a local traditional king. According to government sources, the two days of clashes that began on 26 November left at least 50 dead. The king has been detained.

After interviewing witnesses and photographing damage resulting from the clashes, Biira posted her material on Instagram and other social networks. Along with three friends and relatives, she was arrested at the home of a family member a few hours later and was taken to Kasese police headquarters.

She has been charged under Uganda's 2002 Anti-Terrorism Act with "abetting terrorism" for "illegally filming a military engagement" with the royal forces that guard Bakonzo King Wesley Mumbere.

If the state prosecutor confirms the charges, Biira could be facing a possible death sentence. She was released yesterday with orders to present herself to the police on 8 December for confirmation of her charges.

Standard Media Group, the leading Kenyan media group that owns KTN, has issued a statement of support for Biira.

"We are concerned about the terrorism charges that have been brought against Joy Doreen Biira, who just did her job as a journalist by covering an exceptional event," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "We urge the state prosecutor not to confirm the charges and to drop all the proceedings against her."

There have been several cases of harassment of the media by the Ugandan authorities in recent months, including parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga's suggestion in September that journalists who cover parliament in a "negative" manner should be charged with "contempt of parliament."

On 3 October, soldiers and anti-terrorist police prevented reporters from going to Kampala's Entebbe airport to cover opposition leader Kizza Besigye's return from a trip abroad.

The past few days have seen a great deal of tension between the Ugandan government and the local monarchy in the Rwenzururu region, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Uganda is ranked 102nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
Guatemala: Prospects for the media in a country torn by violence

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 30 November 2016 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Guatemala: Prospects for the media in a country torn by violence, 30 November 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/583ed4174.html [accessed 2 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

As today (30 November) is celebrated as Day of the Journalist in Guatemala, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) looks back at what has been a particular violent year for the media in this Central American country but hails recent initiatives by the Guatemalan authorities to give journalist more protection.

With an annual murder rate of more than 30 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the latest UN figures, Guatemala is one of the world's ten deadliest countries and its media personnel are not spared.







RSF has registered no fewer than eight murders of journalists in 2016* although  because of the judicial system's slowness and a reluctance on the part of officials to release information  a direct link between the murder and the victim's work as a journalist is strongly presumed in only two of the cases.





According to a report on the human rights situation in Guatemala that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released at the start of 2016, more than 90 percent of murders (of all categories of persons) go unpunished in Guatemala.





The report says it is very hard for journalists to operate in Guatemala, especially those who try to cover stories linked to violence, organized crime and corruption. RSF has reached the same conclusion.





Guatemalan journalists are also the targets of intimidation campaigns and harassment  often by elected representatives or government officials  whenever their reporting is regarded as a nuisance. Media coverage is also undermined by censorship attempts, especially during election periods.





"On this special day, we offer our full support to Guatemala's journalists who, in a particularly dangerous environment, courageously continue to do their job to report the news," said Emmanuel Colombie, the head of RSF's Latin America desk.





"We also urge the government to pursue its efforts to reinforce protection for media personnel, combat corruption and end impunity, which constitutes a major obstacle to freedom of expression in Guatemala."





There have been some noteworthy and encouraging developments since Jimmy Morales was sworn in as Guatemala's new president in January 2016, above all the imminent creation of a Programme for the Protection of Journalists that is the result of four years of work by government officials and 16 civil society organizations.





The programme, which President Morales is expected to personally launch in the next few days, includes measures for preventing threats to journalists and for providing emergency protection to those in danger.





Attorney General Thelma Aldana also announced at the start of November that a special unit that investigates crimes against journalists is to be overhauled and given more resources.





This overhaul could lead to the creation of a special prosecutor's office for crimes against journalists. RSF hails the decision to provide investigators with more resources, as it essential to end the impunity that handicaps Guatemala.





Cerigua, an NGO that is RSF's regional partner, noted in its annual report published on 28 November that attacks on the media have fallen in 2016, with 43 fewer cases than during the same period (January-November) in 2015.





The Cerigua report nonetheless highlights the increase in murders, the continuing violence and threats against journalists in the remotest regions, and the lack of action on the part of the judicial authorities.





Guatemala is ranked 121st out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index that RSF published in April.





*The eight journalists murdered in Guatemala in 2016:





Note: Because of the lack of reliable information from the local police and judicial authorities, RSF had not been able to include all these cases in its Barometer.





- Mario Roberto Salazar, Radio Estereo Azucar manager, on 17 March in Asuncion Mita (Jutiapa)





- Winston Leonardo Tunchez Cano, Radio La Jefa presenter, on 8 April in Escuintla (Escuintla)





- Diego Salomon Esteban Gaspar, Radio Sembrador presenter, on 30 April in Ixcan (Quiche)





- Victor Hugo Valdez Cardona, Chiquimula de Vision presenter, on 7 June in Chiquimula (Chiquimula)





- Alvaro Aceituno Lopez, Radio Illusion owner and presenter, on 25 June in Coatepeque (Quetzaltenango)





- Felipe David Munguia Jimenez, Canal 21 cameraman, on 4 September in Santa Maria Xalapan (Jalapa)





- Josue David Chaman, Radio Fuente de Vida presenter, on 11 October in Coban (Verapaz)





- Hamilton Hernandez Vasquez, Canal 5 presenter, on 5 November in Coatepeque (Quetzaltenango)
GRAFTON  At the age of 35, Darlo Koster, of Grafton, had a massive heart attack and was given three to five years to live. That was 25 years ago.

Today, Koster, age 61, is living one beat at a time.

Heart disease has been a part of Kosters life, from the time his mother passed away from a heart attack when he was a sophomore in high school to his daughter having open-heart surgery when she was 6 months old.

They said my moms heart exploded in her chest, said Koster.

For Koster, his first heart attack occurred when he was 35 and living in Arkansas.

I broke my back, and I couldnt take the cold, said Koster. So my wife and I moved to Arkansas. We had just moved there. We didnt even have the telephone hooked up, and the state had an ice storm.

Koster said he and his first wife knew they were going to be iced in, so they decided to cook a big turkey.

I saw that golden brown, pulled it off, took a bite and was sick to my stomach.

He knew it was his heart.

My wife couldnt get up the hill, out of the drive, to get to a phone, because of the ice, said Koster. While having a heart attack, I got the Honda four-wheeler up the hill, so she could go to the neighbors to call the ambulance.

However, the ambulance wouldnt come because of the ice storm, but two deputies made the trip to get Koster to the hospital.

As they say, That Golden Hour during a heart attack was 10 hours too late for Koster.

By the time I got to the hospital, I had lost 75 percent heart function, he said. Thats when they told me I had three to five years to live.

I have people ask why Im not bitter because of this happening so young, said Koster. I tell them Ive been given 25 years I didnt I think I was going to have. How can I be bitter?

That was the first heart attack.

He just recently had his third pacemaker/defibrillator implanted.

The last couple of years I have been going downhill, said Koster. Besides being on my third pacemaker, Ive had three ablations of the heart to help with the beating of my heart.

Ablation of the heart is a procedure that destroys or burns any abnormal tissue from inside the heart.

Just when I would try to recoup from one procedure, I would have another procedure, then recoup and then another procedure, said Koster. Its been that way this entire year. Ive spent half the year in the hospital in Mason City.

Koster sees a cardiologist at Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa. I see Dr. Ross in St. Ansgar. I owe my life to him.

Koster and his wife, Cathy, have discussed the option of a heart transplant with a team from the University of Minnesota. However, due to his current instability, his A-positive blood type and his age, a transplant isnt an option.

The most recent pacemaker/defibrillator inserted is a three-wire defibrillator, however, during the procedure, only two wires were able to be hooked to his heart.

I woke up during the procedure, said Koster. I was in a lot of pain. They gave up because I was on the table too long.

A week later, one of the wires pulled off his heart and had to be reattached.

Although given two options to consider, Koster said he told his doctor, I just needed some time to recoup. I wanted to wait until after the holidays.

He was told that was a risk he was choosing to take.

His options are to have a highly-risky operation which would connect the third wire to his heart and then have one more ablation of the heart.

Koster is planning to have both procedures once he has had a chance to recuperate.

Cathy said, Its been quite a lifestyle change this past year. He is one to be outside all the time and now, especially the last couple of weeks, he cant.

Its been a big, drastic change.

You have to give up lots of little things, said Koster. Like coffee and salt.

The doctors are doing everything they can to prolong life, he said. Thats their job. I appreciate that.

However, there is a lot more to life than being alive. Its about quality and quantity. What they (the doctors) are doing isnt an exact science. God is in control.

Koster said his wife and family have kept him going through all of this.

However, Im getting tired. There hasnt been much quality the last eight or nine months, he said. Its amazing what the heart can put up with.

They say, You can die in a heartbeat. However, mine is the lack of one.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Friends of former Gov. Chet Culver are hosting a holiday gathering in Cedar Rapids later this month.

Its been 10 years since we won the 2006 election for governor, Culver said Monday. It will be fun to get friends and supporters together back in Cedar Rapids. Ive been looking forward to that. Its been a long time since we got people together.

Typical of political events  even those featuring former politicians -- the Dec. 10 Culver Holiday Celebration at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library will be a fundraiser. Culvers not planning another campaign but wants to retire about $24,000 in debt from the unsuccessful 2010 re-election campaign.

He also wants to raise money for his official portrait that will hang at the State Historical Building.

I really want to get that done in terms of checking it off the list of unfinished business, said Culver, 50.

Rather than use tax dollars to pay for his portrait, funds from the holiday gathering  suggested donations are $250 per couple and $150 per individual  also will be used to commission a portrait to be hung at the State Historical Building, according to Ann Poe, a Cedar Rapids City Council member who worked in the Culver administrations Rebuild Iowa Office after the 2008 flood.

It appears there is no legal prohibition to using tax dollars to commission portraits, but Leo Landis, curator of the State Historical Society of Iowa and State Historical Museum, said that has been the practice.

For example, Gov. Terry Branstads 1998 portrait  after he left the governors office the first time, was completed through the support of the Iowa Utilities Association.

The First Biennial Report of the Historical Department in 1894 lists 16 portraits of the leading men of Iowa  (that) can scarcely be estimated as of less value that $10,000, but they have come as a free gift to the state.

My understanding is that it has never had a formal process and thus never budgeted from general appropriations or as a special appropriation, Landis said. No one has been wanted to be known as the first governor to request tax dollars to cover the cost of his portrait.

Poe, one of several event hosts, declined to say how much a portrait would cost. A 3-by-4-foot oil portrait of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack by Rose Frantzen of Maquoketa, who Culver would like to commission to paint his portrait, cost the USDA $22,500.

Raising funds for his portrait is something he would have done had he served a second term, Culver said.

We didnt plan on losing, so it wasnt something we did while were there, Culver said. But its OK. People have been very generous and Im looking forward to a fun night, to look back on some good times and celebrate the recovery in Cedar Rapids. Its fantastic whats been done.

The event was planned with the former Democratic governors ties to Cedar Rapids in mind, Poe said.

Although a Washington, D.C., native, Culvers grandfather owned Culver Motors in Cedar Rapids and his maternal grandparents were public school teachers in Cedar Rapids. His father, John Culver, represented Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa in the U.S. House from 1965-75 and served one term in the Senate from 1975-81. Also, his wife, the former Mari Thinnes, is from Marion.

In the two years after the 2008 flood, Culver made more than 100 visits to Cedar Rapids, which benefited from several recovery projects funded through the states $830 million I-JOBS infrastructure program.

Poe acknowledged this might not seem to be the best time to ask Democrats for money, but perhaps they will jump at the chance for a bit of holiday cheer or the opportunity to commiserate with others disheartened by the recent election results.

This was planned long before the election, so we decided to go ahead, she said.

The holiday bash will include a roast of the former Iowa Secretary of State, whose voicemail greeting identifies him as Gov. Chet Culver and president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines.

Culver took the YMCA post earlier this year after working as a consultant since his 2010 defeat. Hes involved in community development governmental affairs and fundraising.

Im enjoying getting back to service, he said. Its a nice way to re-engage in important public policy discussion.

Donations to the Chet Culver Committee may be mailed to 2560 Country Club Parkway SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403.
CEDAR FALLS -- The Iowa Board of Regents named the second finalist for the University of Northern Iowa president position as Jim Wohlpart.

Wohlpart currently serves as UNIs interim president. Wohlpart had served as the universitys provost and executive vice president for academic affairs until UNIs 10th president, Bill Ruud, announced this spring he would leave for another job.

Wohlpart came to UNI in May 2015 from Florida Gulf Coast University, where he served as a dean and professor. Wohlpart had worked at Florida Gulf Coast University since 1994.

Wohlpart met Tuesday with the UNI presidential search committee that conducted a previous interview with him. Then, he will have a full day of events throughout the day Wednesday to learn about and meet people on campus. It includes a public forum at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Old Central Ballroom of Maucker Union on the UNI campus.

The public forum also will be streamed live on the UNI presidential search website, and a video of it will be posted there.

The UNI presidential search committee will hold what is expected to be its final meetings Monday, Dec. 5, to discuss the candidates campus visits and then discuss those finalists with the Iowa Board of Regents.

The regents will hold 90-minute interviews with the finalists Tuesday, Dec. 6, and are expected to name the next president later that day.

More information about the candidate and the candidate visits is available at www.iowaregents.edu.
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/29/2016 --Seylan Bank has successfully raised funds in the Middle East by the strength of its banking operations and impressive track record to establish a 15 Million, 5 year US dollar facility from the National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBANK) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Alpen Capital (ME) Limited, an investment banking advisory firm, also based in the UAE acted as the sole financial advisor to the transaction.



Seylan Bank will utilize the funds for general business development and portfolio growth in its Foreign Currency Banking Unit (FBCU).



The USD 15 million 5 year loan facilities was signed in Dubai, UAE on 27th November, 2016 in the presence of Mr. Kapila Ariyaratne (Director/CEO  Seylan Bank), Mr. Ramesh Jayasekara (Chief Risk Officer- Seylan Bank PLC), Peter England (CEO  RAKBANK), Mr. Rohit Walia (Executive Chairman  Alpen Capital_) and other senior management members from all parties involved.



Peter England, RAKBANK CEO, said: "We are pleased to have partnered with Seylan Bank to support their general expansion plan of the Foreign Currency Banking Unit. This long term financing allows us to diversify our asset book into various geographies while introducing Seylan Bank to the region."



Commenting on the signing, Kapila Ariyaratne, Chief Executive Officer of Seylan Bank said: "We are extremely pleased to sign up on this partnership as the Bank's first long term financial agreement with the Middle East market, which reflects strong in investor confidence in Seylan Bank's operations and future growth potential."



About Seylan Bank

Seylan Bank is one of the leading commercial banks in Sri Lanka which consists of 167 branches and more than 193 ATMs, exclusive of its Student Saving Centers, island wide. The bank has a growing clientele of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), minor savings, retail, and corporate customers who can avail a range of convenient banking services supported by digital channels such as 365-day banking, live chat support, customer support via Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, online account opening, debit card with ATM withdrawals up to Rs. 250,000 etc.



About RAKBANK

RAKBANK, also known as the National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah, is one of the UAE's oldest and most dynamic financial institutions. Founded in 1976, it underwent a major transformation in 2001 as it rebranded into RAKBANK and shifted its focus from purely corporate to retail and small business banking. In addition to offering a wide range of retail banking services, the Bank increased its lending in the traditional SME, Commercial, and Corporate segment in recent years. The Bank also offers Islamic Banking solutions, via RAKBANK AMAL, throughout its 35 branches and its Telephone, Online, and Mobile Banking channels. RAKBANK is a public joint stock company headquartered in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).
Why court docs for Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen are sealed

Court records in the case of a man charged in the killings of Abigail Williams and Liberty German have been sealed. Experts explain why.
CEDAR FALLS  Shared governance  the idea each interest has a stake and a say in the university as it moves forward  was a central tenet of University of Northern Iowa presidential finalist Neil Theobalds public presentation Tuesday.

Theobald, 59, told more 200 UNI faculty, staff, students and alumni gathered to hear his presentation it was his commitment to shared governance that cost him his job as president at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Answering the question he posed himself as to why he is the former president of Temple, Theobald said he was directed to hire someone to an open dean search without faculty input and with opposition from the provost.

I chose not to break the covenant of shared governance, which as I mentioned earlier, I have found to be essential in operating a university, Theobald said. The consequence of standing up for that principle is I had to leave and I am fine with that.

He disputed initial reports he was forced to resign due in part to the fact he dismissed the schools provost following a large cost overrun in financial aid.

Theobald said he thought it was in the universitys best interest not to hold a press conference following his resignation as president, and so the reports have been one-sided or simply not factually accurate.

Theobald acknowledged coming into some challenges when he assumed the duties of Temples president in 2012, but mostly focused on the improvements made under his leadership.

Focusing on issues important to UNI, Theobald said under his presidency Temple saw an increase in enrollment, four-year graduation rates, fundraising and student diversity.

Theobald shared five principles he is committed to should he get the job as UNIs 11th president. Among them was shared governance, but the other four also referenced his commitment to many of the other entities that make up a campus community.

The remaining principles he listed are a rigorous faculty, a diverse student body, understanding and tackling budgetary issues and focusing on the universitys mission first in everything.

The role of the president is to take the mission as it exists and then within shared governance to develop meaningful and successful solutions to  that mission, Theobald said.

Theobald also shared his background, as a person who grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and was the first in his family to attend college. He said hes passionate about education  he also is a professor of education  because it helps others to achieve the same success he found in leaving his hometown for college.

He stressed a college education should not be seen as a private good but as a public one.

Theobald also acknowledged his need to learn more about the Cedar Falls university and its surrounding community. He pledged to listen to the interests throughout the campus and community. He said he would not be one to simply sit behind his desk.

My fervent interest in being your president is not driven by the notion that Indiana (University) ideas or Temple (University) ideas can simply be transplanted here, said Theobald, who also had an administrative position at the Bloomington, Indiana, university. No, we would have to look at the mission here, the context here, the realities here and develop UNI solutions to those problems.
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CEDAR RAPIDS  Longtime Iowa political reporter David Yepsen, a regular panelist on "Iowa Press" for many years, will return to the Iowa Public Television public affairs program in January as program host.

Yepsen, who earlier this year retired as director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, will succeed Dean Borg of Mount Vernon, who will retire in mid-January after hosting the program since 1971.

A native of Jefferson, Yepsen covered government and politics for The Des Moines Register for 32 years. He graduated in general studies from the University of Iowa in 1972 and earned a masters in public administration at Drake University in 1985. He was a fellow at Harvards Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy in 1989 and at the Institute of Politics at Harvard in 2008. Since 2009, he has been at Southern Illinois.

Davids return to Iowa Public Television and specifically as host of Iowa Press continues the high level of professionalism that Iowans have come to expect from IPTV, said Molly Phillips, IPTV executive director and general manager.

Yepsen called it a tremendous honor to return home to 'Iowa Press.' 

I have great respect for Dean Borg and for the reputation he helped build for the program, he said. It is Iowas most trusted resource for public policy evaluation and political analysis, and the best platform for civic and civil discourse on the critical issues we face as a state and nation.
After extending Cambodias voter registration period for a day, the countrys election commission turned down an opposition party request to stretch out the deadline even further.

Although the 90-Day voter registration period was slated to end on Tuesday, the National Election Commission (NEC) added an extra day to the effort, and people flooded several of the commissions offices, prompting them to remain open until midnight.

While slightly more than 7.8 million of Cambodias 9.6 million eligible voters signed up for the local elections scheduled for next year, CNRP officials said the registration short-changed some voters.

Meng Sopheary, head of election monitoring for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), told RFAs Khmer Service that the number of unregistered voters is still too high and the registration period should be extended for at least four more days.

Though our party is thankful to the NEC for adding another day to the voter registration period, its not enough, she said. It was evident that during the final day many people still kept coming to register.

We dont have more time

NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha, said it was too late to extend the registration period for a longer time.The NEC claims that adding more time would make it difficult to verify the registration data, procedures and technical issues related to the voter rolls.

We dont have more time for voter registration as we have another fish to fry including dealing with several complaints, he said. We also need to prepare the lists of candidates for over 20,000 polling stations. It is a race against time now.

But Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, disputed that notion.

Even if the NEC adds another week to the voter registration period it wouldnt do any harm to its work schedules, he said.

Ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan welcomed the NECs decision to extend the voter registration drive for a day, but dismissed the opposition for calling for a longer extension, telling Khmer Times that CNRP members were cultural troublemakers.

We are satisfied with the new voter registration process, he said. Its their culture for the oppositions statement to cause worry to voters and the election process.

A new system

Cambodians are using a new digital voter registration system that is designed to combat the voter fraud accusations that marred the 2013 elections.

The new system is part of a 2014 election reform deal between the CPP and opposition CNRP that ended almost a year of deadlock following the 2013 ballot.

Included in the nearly 2 million eligible voters who were unable to register this year are migrant workers who have to travel far to their home communes, the elderly who have mobility issues, prisoners and Cambodians who choose not to vote.

Eligible voters who failed to register will be unable to vote in the commune elections in 2017 and the 2018 national elections.

So far, NEC has received 97 complaints about the process, saying that 91% of them has been addressed. Most of the complaints are related to technical errors including the repeated names.

Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
From left to right: Ny Chakrya, National Election Committee officer, Yi Soksan, Ny Sokha, Lim Mony and Nay Vanda of Adhoc before the Cambodian Supreme Court, Nov. 11, 2011.

Cambodias Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an attempt to free four human rights workers and an election official who are awaiting trial in connection with the governments wide-ranging probe into an alleged affair by opposition party leader Kem Sokha.

The court agreed with the governments argument that the Kem Sokha Five need to remain in jail while they await trial on charges connected with the investigation in order to prevent them from swaying possible witnesses and causing public unrest.

Two of the defendants told RFAs Khmer Service that the court was under political pressure to keep them in jail.

If the courts were independent we would be released, Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) official Ny Sokha told RFA. Our case is politically motivated. We will all be released when the political situation is calm.

On May 2, Cambodian authorities arrested Ny Sokha and fellow ADHOC staffers, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, and Lim Mony, as well as National Election Committee (NEC) Deputy Secretary-General Ny Chakrya for allegedly attempting to pay Khom Chandaraty, Kem Sokhas purported mistress, hush money.

We have been treated very unfairly, Yi Soksan told RFA. It is in a communist country that human rights workers are mistreated.

They should just kill us all

Thun Bonitas, Yi Soksans wife, lashed out at the government.

There is no justice for us, for we have been very badly mistreated, she said. They should just kill us all rather than letting us live in this unjust society.

Som Sokhong, an attorney for the five, told RFA that releasing them would help calm Cambodias political waters.

I think it will be good if they are released because then there will be no more Black-Monday campaign, he said. The campaign is aimed at demanding for their release. If they are released they can return to work.

The campaign is named for the color of the clothing demonstrators wear during the Monday protests.

While Black Monday began as an attempt to pressure the government over the arrests, it has morphed into a more generalized campaign against government abuses, including land confiscations, and demands for a thorough investigation into the murder of government critic Kem Ley in July.

The seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residentshas been a major cause of protest in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Myanmar.

International criticism

Am Sam Ath, a technical coordinator for human rights group LICADHO, told RFA that keeping the five in jail does little good and helps fan the flames of international criticism.

So far Cambodia has been under criticism from the national and international communities, he said. Some foreign assistance for development has been withheld.

Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP ) deputy leader Kem Sokha is accused of procuring a prostitute in relation to his alleged affair with hairdresser Khom Chandaraty. Despite being summoned twice in May, he refused to appear in court to answer questions about the allegations and has remained holed up in the party headquarters.

He was convicted on Sept. 9 failing to appear before the court in the case and sentenced to five months in prison and fined 800,000 riel (U.S. $200).

In October, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court extended their detention as it attempts to find more witnesses and evidence in the government's case against the opposition leader.

The charges are viewed by many as an attempt by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to smear the opposition before local elections in 2017 and national elections in 2018.

Hun Sen and the CPP have ruled the country for more than three decades, but Cambodias ruling party suffered a dramatic drop in support during the countrys last election in 2013, and could see even more erosion in the upcoming elections.

Reported for Samnang Rann for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
A prominent democracy activist who argued during the 1990s for an "ecological" way of life has died while serving jail time in the central Chinese province of Hubei, his family said on Wednesday.



Peng Ming, who to Thailand in 2000 before being detained in neighboring Myanmar as the result of a ruse, was the founder of the banned China Development Union (CDU), an intellectual and environment research group that advocated moderate democratic reform and a more eco-friendly economic model.



He died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 in Hubei's Xianning Prison, his brother told RFA.



He said the family had no clues regarding the manner of his death, as his body had already been prepared for burial with cosmetics covering his face.



"We are still in discussions with the prison authorities about this, because his is a rather special situation," Peng Zhangming said.



"Looking at him now, you'd think he was sleeping. They've done a great job of tidying him up and making him look better," he said.



Peng Zhangming said the death certificate gave no details of the cause of death.



"It happened yesterday morning at about 8.00 a.m., when he was watching television," Peng Zhangming said. "He lost consciousness and fell to the floor, and was immediately taken to the prison hospital for emergency treatment."



"When that didn't work, they sent him straight to the best hospital in Xianning, the Central Hospital, but they were unable to revive him," he said.



"The cause of death is listed as sudden death," he said. "He was suddenly taken ill."



"I read the notes from the Xianning Central Hospital, which carried out attempts to resuscitate him, injecting him with adrenaline," Peng Zhangming added.



Calls to the Xianning Prison were answered, then immediately cut off, during office hours on Wednesday.



'Persecution in jail'



Hunan-based rights activist Peng Xiaohua said Peng had been unjustly locked up in the first place.



"Like all Chinese prisoners of conscience, it was unjust to lock him up in prison in the first place," he said. "They suffer a huge amount of persecution while in jail, so it's likely that this caused his death."



"It really breaks your heart."



According to the Christian rights group ChinaAid, Peng suffered from heart disease and other ailments, including kidney stones, for which was denied treatment while in prison.



Peng fled to Thailand after his release from labor camp, and was resettled as a political refugee with his family in 2001, where he continued to campaign for a democratic China.



But on a trip back to Thailand to visit his elderly parents, Peng was tricked into going to Myanmar by Chinese agents, his daughter told RFA at the time.



"He had purchased plane tickets for me and my brother to go and visit him, but he also had another plan in the summer of 2004, which was to go to Thailand to set up a safe haven for political refugees like himself," Lisa Peng said in an interview in 2013.



"But in Thailand, he was lured by eight secret Chinese police to the border of Burma and Thailand where he was kidnapped and sentenced to life," she said.



"Thus, those plane tickets could never be used, and that [time in 2003] was the last time I ever saw my father."



Previous arrest



Peng was sentenced on Oct. 12, 2005 to life imprisonment after being found guilty of "organizing and leading a terrorist organization," "kidnapping," and "possessing counterfeit money."



Born on Oct. 11, 1956 in Hubei, Peng had previously been arrested in January 1999 and accused of visiting prostitutes, a charge that has been used against a number of dissidents in recent years.



He was sentenced without a trial to 18 months in a police-run labor camp for "re-education" after he published his book The Fourth Landmark in Hong Kong in 1998.



In the book, Peng calls for China to find a mode of development suited to its immense population and limited resources rather than to try to surpass Western countries with unrestrained industrialization.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




Following North Koreas sale to China of fishing rights in large areas of surrounding seas, competition among North Korean fishing boats for what is left has led to robberies and other clashes, sources say.



Fishermen who formerly fished freely in resource-rich areas are now crowded into smaller zones where competition is intense, a source in North Hamgyong province told RFAs Korean Service.



Big fishing boats, small fishing boats, steel ships, wooden ships, and other kinds of boats now sail out to increase their catch, and marine accidents constantly take place, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



In addition, fishing boats attached to North Korean military units now frequently approach privately owned vessels and commit acts of piracy by violently taking fish and gas, the source said.



The Ninth Corps Fisheries Base has a 500-horsepower fishing boat, a 200-horsepower fishing boat, and other big fishing boats, the source said.



When there is a decrease in their own catch, the military fishing boats attack and rob civilian fishing boats affiliated with the Chongjin Fishery Company, the Yu-Gi-Hang-Man Fishery Company, and the Go-Mal-San Fishery Company, he said.



'Acts of brutality'



Pressured by these thefts, and to meet their own quotas, large private fishing firms will then sometimes turn on smaller firms to recoup their losses, a second source said.



Fishing boats affiliated with the larger company will commit acts of brutality by attacking small private boats and robbing them of their fish, the source, speaking from South Hamgyong province, said.



This is because they are robbed of their own fish by North Korean military fishing boats, and also because of company pressure to meet their quotas, the source said.



Other acts of violence, including murder, now also frequently occur, the source said.



In late October, a fisherman and a ship-owner employed by the Sinpo Fishery Company fought over wages, with the fishermanwho was recently discharged from the armysaying it was unfair he was paid less than half of what was paid to others, only because he had spent fewer years on the job.



The ship-owner threw him into the sea, he said.



Reported by Jieun Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Soo Min Jo. Written in English by Richard Finney.




A court in Vietnams capital Hanoi on Wednesday upheld the conviction of land-grab protester Can Thi Theu, sending her back to prison to serve a 20-month term imposed in September, sources said.



Theu, 54, had been tried on charges of public disorder after being arrested in June for protesting government-sanctioned evictions used to clear the way for commercial development in Duong Noi village outside Hanoi.



It was the second time Theu had been convicted for opposing land grabs. In 2014 she was sentenced to 15 months in jail for her role in a similar protest.



Todays court decision effectively ends Theus rights of appeal, Theus lawyer Ha Huy Son told RFAs Vietnamese Service.



According to the law, there are no more courts that we can appeal to after this. Now, we can only ask for a reconsideration of her case, Son said.



We dont know if she will want her case to be reconsidered, but she protests todays verdict, he said.



This is an unjust sentence that has been set up to put her in jail, to make it easier [for the authorities] to seize peoples land, and to deny the peoples right to complain.



'Organized robbers'



Also speaking to RFA, Theus son Trinh Ba Phuong said that his mother had denounced the court and Vietnams ruling Communist Party as organized robbers during todays hearing.



Justice in Vietnam is a comedian, Phuong said.



While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landowners aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation to those whose land is taken.



In a statement released on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch Asia division deputy director Phil Robertson urged Vietnam to immediately release Theu from confinement, adding, peacefully protesting the unjust confiscation of land should not be considered a crime.



After all, how can a farmer like Can Thi Theu survive if the land that she farms, which is the one thing that sustains her, is stripped away?



Reported by Cat Linh and Gia Minh for RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha. Written in English by Richard Finney.




The European Union has condemned the executions of two convicts in Belarus.

Relatives of Ivan Kulesh, 28, and Syarhey Khmyaleuski, 31, say they have been informed that the two men were executed in November.

In a November 30 statement, a spokesperson for the EU's diplomatic service, said that Minsk's "continued application of the death penalty runs counter to Belarus's stated willingness to engage with the international community, including the EU."

Kulesh was sentenced to death in November 2015 after a court found him guilty of three murders, theft, robbery, and attempted murder.

Khmyaleuski was convicted of three murders and sentenced to death in January.

Amnesty International's campaigner on Belarus, Aisha Jung, said on November 30 that the "sudden and shameful purge" of death-row prisoners in Belarus was "additionally shameful" because executions there "are typically shrouded in secrecy and carried out at a moment's notice."

Amnesty International said it fears that a third death-row inmate, Hyanadz Yakavitski, may also have been executed since November 5.

It also quoted rights activists in Minsk who said the executions were carried out with gunshots to the back of the prisoners' heads.

Jung said the "sudden spike in executions is especially surprising in Belarus, the death penalty's final frontier in Europe, since many believed the country was on track to eliminate capital punishment for good."

Jung noted that the sudden string of executions in Belarus came after a hiatus.

Before this month, only one person had been executed in the former Soviet republic since November 2014 -- Syarhey Ivanou, who was executed on April 18, 2016.

The EU, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations have been calling on Minsk to join a moratorium on the death penalty for years.

According to rights groups, more than 400 people have been sentenced to death in Belarus since the early 1990s.

With reporting by Spring96.org
Ukraine launched two days of missile tests in the Black Sea, as Russia warned it would shoot any missiles down and reportedly put air defense forces on high alert on the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Video released by Ukraine's National Defense and Security Council showed missiles being launched from what it said were sites in the Kherson region, not far from the administrative border with Crimea.

"It is our responsibility to build air defense for Kyiv and the whole of Ukraine and no one can stop us. President Petro Poroshenko said on December 1.

Military spokesman Volodymyr Kryzhanovsky said the exercises were taking place at least 30 kilometers from Crimea's airspace.

Kryzhanovsky said the tests were being held in accordance with international law, adding that Ukraines military was ready for "any developments."

Meanwhile, warships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet have taken up position off Crimea's western coastline to help strengthen the peninsula's air defenses, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted a military source in Crimea as saying.

Russia also threatened to shoot any missiles down, issuing the warning in an aviation notice ahead of the tests. However, as of December 1, there was no indication any Russian missiles had been launched.

Home to the Russian Black Sea fleet, the Crimean Peninsula was annexed by Russia in March 2014, a move not recognized by the nearly all United Nations' member states.

In September, Russia held large-scale war games across its entire southern military district, including, for the first time, Crimea.

Based on reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and TASS
BRUSSELS -- An EU court has partly upheld sanctions imposed on Arkady Rotenberg, a Russian businessman and close associate of President Vladimir Putin.

Rotenberg was added to the EU travel ban and asset-freeze list in the summer of 2014 for his role in the Ukraine crisis.

In its November 30 ruling, the EU's General Court annulled the sanctions against Rotenberg for the period July 2014 to March 2015 because the EU legal reasoning was at fault, a statement said.

However, the Luxembourg-based court said the two additional grounds cited in March 2015 justified the restrictions.

The additional reasons provided included the fact that Rotenberg is the owner of the company Stroygazmontazh, which received a Russian state contract to build a bridge from Russia to Crimea.

He is also the chairman of the board of directors of the publishing house Prosveschenyie, which was behind a campaign to persuade Crimean children that they are now Russian citizens living in Russia.

Rotenberg has two months to appeal the ruling.
Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what Ive been following during the past week and what Im watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iran has accused two female journalists who covered the hospitalization and funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini -- whose death in the custody of Tehran's morality police triggered protests across the country -- of being U.S. spies and the "primary sources of news for foreign media."

The accusations came in a joint statement by the feared intelligence branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Intelligence Ministry, which identified the two journalists, Nilufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi, who are being held in Tehran's Evin prison, by their initials. The statement claims the journalists were trained abroad. It also says the protests that have shaken Iran were planned by the CIA along with other foreign intelligence services, including the British and Saudi spy agencies as well as Israel's Mossad.

The statement was met with fear and anger by Iranian journalists and their colleagues, who pushed back against the accusations. Senior editors of Hamedi's Sharq daily and Mohammadi's Hammihan dismissed the charges and said the journalists were only doing their jobs. "Our journalist and our newspaper.....acted within the framework of the journalistic mission," said Mehdi Rahmanian, editor of the reformist Sharq, while Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the editor of Hammihan, said the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency and other news agencies had similar reports that included more details. More than 500 journalists, photographers, and other media workers demanded the release of their colleagues while calling on officials to allow the free flow of information.

Separately, Tehran's Journalist Association said that based on the statement by the Iranian intelligence agencies, journalism should be banned because "the normal activity of journalists has been cited as evidence of a crime." For its part, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists dismissed the charges against the two journalists as "conspiracy theories," adding that it will hold Iranian leaders accountable for any harm done to the journalists.

Why It Matters: The spying accusations against Hamedi and Mohammadi are a major escalation of state pressure on the media, which is already facing a severe crackdown and tough censorship. The spying charges leveled against the two carries the death penalty. According to the CPJ, more than 45 journalists and columnists have been arrested in the current crackdown. The French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Iran has become the world's biggest jailer of female journalists in the course of the current crackdown.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that France-based Iranian journalist Vahid Shamsoddinnezhad, who had traveled to Saghez to cover the aftermath of Amini's death for the European TV channel Arte, has been in jail since September 28.

What's Next: The judiciary has not officially charged the two journalists with spying. The pushback from the Iranian press and journalists and international pressure could be instrumental in clearing the two journalists of the accusations.

Stories You Might Have Missed

Iranian authorities secretly buried the body of RFE/RL's Radio Farda broadcaster Reza Haghighatnejad at a location near Shiraz after seizing his body upon repatriation to Iran for burial. Haghighatnejad, 45, died of cancer in Berlin on October 17. His body was flown to Iran on October 25. His family was not allowed to see the body or participate in his burial. Radio Farda obtained a video of Haghighatnejad's gravesite , where the anthem of the current mass protests in Iran, Shervin Hajipur's Baraye, was heard in the background. The U.S. State Department has called on Iran to release Haghighatnejad's body and said the episode showed the extent the Iranian government will go to intimidate the press.

at a location near Shiraz after seizing his body upon repatriation to Iran for burial. Haghighatnejad, 45, died of cancer in Berlin on October 17. His body was flown to Iran on October 25. His family was not allowed to see the body or participate in his burial. Radio Farda obtained , where the anthem of the current mass protests in Iran, Shervin Hajipur's Baraye, was heard in the background. The U.S. State Department has called on Iran to release Haghighatnejad's body and said the episode showed the extent the Iranian government will go to intimidate the press. Iran has arrested rapper Toomaj Salehi, who had expressed support for the anti-govenment protests in Iran. Security authorities announced that the rapper was arrested on October 30 while attempting to flee the country. Salehi's uncle denied the claim, saying his nephew was arrested in the southwestern province of Chaharmahal Bakhtiari. Salehi was also detained last year over lyrics he wrote that condemn state repression, the killings of protesters, poverty, and injustice.

What We're Watching

Iran saw a surge in protests last week when thousands of people marked 40 days since the death of Mahsa Amini in state custody. In Amini's hometown of Saghez, a massive crowd gathered at the cemetery where the young woman is buried. Many walked to the cemetery amid reports that authorities had blocked the roads leading to Amini's resting place. Mourners also gathered last week at the grave of 16-year-old Nika Shahkarami near the western city of Khorramabad, 40 days after she was killed in the brutal state crackdown amid reports that security forces had opened fire to disperse mourners while also making arrests.

Why It Matters: The memorial ceremonies for those killed by security forces have energized the protest movement by fueling more anger with state repression. The establishment has responded with force. More protests could erupt as Iranians mourn those killed by security forces.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.



Until next time,



Golnaz Esfandiari



If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.
The European Union is urging Kazakh authorities to release from prison two men who participated in a mass protest against land reforms.

A court in the western Kazakh city of Atyrau sentenced Talghat Ayan and Maks Boqaev to five years in jail each on November 28 after finding them guilty of inciting social unrest, spreading false information, and violating the law on public gatherings.

In a November 30 statement, a spokesperson for the EUs diplomatic service said that their imprisonment "contravenes Kazakhstan's commitments under international law on the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly."

A statement called on Astana "to ensure that the freedoms of speech and of assembly are protected."

Ayan and Boqaev have insisted that their case is politically motivated.

They were detained in April in the center of Atyrau, where thousands of people had gathered to protest against a bill on land privatization and land leasing to foreigners.
Ministers from the 14 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have reached agreement to cut their production by 1.2 million barrels a day, in a bid to boost slumping global prices.

The November 30 deal by the oil cartel will lower the total output of the cartel to 32.5 million barrels a day beginning in January.

Oil prices surged dramatically on news of the deal, with crude futures rising by 8 to 9 percent within 15 minutes of the announcement to over $50 per barrel.

Saudi Arabia's Energy, Industry and Minister Khalid al-Falih said Tehran would be allowed to freeze its oil production at levels before international sanctions were imposed against Iran over its nuclear program.

He said Russia and other major non-OPEC producers also agreed to cut their oil production by 600,000 barrels per day.

Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said Moscow was ready cut its production "gradually by up to 300,000 barrels per day" beginning in the first quarter of 2017.

Novak said Russia's cuts would be gradual "because of technical issues."

He did not specify what Russia's production levels would be when it began the output cuts.

Novak also said Moscow expects other non-OPEC countries to match Russia's production cuts by reducing their output collectively by 300,000 barrels per day.

Novak also said officials from OPEC and non-OPEC countries have agreed to meet within 10 days for further talks on coordinating their cooperation under the agreement.

Qatari Energy Minister Muhammad Salih al-Sada said the proposal was for the meeting to take place in Doha on December 9.

Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino said non-OPEC countries that signaled their readiness to cooperate with OPEC's production cuts included Kazakhstan, Oman, and Mexico.

However, Kazakh government officials declined to immediately comment on the deal.

Oil prices surged dramatically on news of the deal, with crude futures rising by 8 to 9 percent within 15 minutes of the announcement to over $50 per barrel.

Higher global oil prices are seen as critical for countries like Russia and Iran whose national budgets depend heavily upon revenue from oil exports.

Oil industry analysts warned that if the November 30 deal collapses, global oil prices are likely to fall by as much as 20 percent to under $40 per barrel.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of OPEC ministers in Vienna that was overshadowed by regional geopolitics, with Saudi Arabia and Iran jostling for economic and regional advantages.

Tehran has been rushing to rebuild its oil-export capacity since its landmark nuclear deal with world powers led to a lifting of international sanctions against Iran.

Saudi Arabia said after the Vienna meeting that it was prepared to accept "a big hit" on its own production in exchange for Iran's agreement to freeze its output at presanctions levels.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, Interfax, and TASS
Russian forces have launched suicide drones on targets in eastern and central Ukraine, the Ukrainian air defense reported, as heavy fighting continues in the east.

"Twelve out of 13 [loitering] munitions were destroyed by [the Ukrainian] anti-aircraft defense in the eastern and central regions of the country," the military said in a message on Telegram.

The air defense said six drones were shot down in eastern Ukraine and another six were destroyed in the central part of the country.

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian objectives 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.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on November 2 that authorities in the capital were preparing more than 1,000 heating points throughout the city in case its district heating system is disabled by continued Russian attacks.

Russia launched missiles into several Ukrainian cities on October 31, including Kyiv, as the Kremlin continues its relentless assault on Ukrainian critical infrastructure in the hopes of wearing down its population's will to resist.

Water and electricity supplies were all but cut off for hours in Kyiv before being restored on November 1, but officials warned that power rationing would continue to be necessary in the capital.

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.

Klitschko wrote on Telegram on November 2 that city authorities were considering different scenarios due to missile attacks.

"The worst one is where there will be no electric power, water, or district heating at all," he said. "For that case, we are preparing over 1,000 heating points in our city."

Missile and drone attacks have damaged at least 40 percent of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and have already briefly left large parts of Kyiv without power and water.

Nine regions were experiencing power cuts, authorities said.

"We will do everything we can to provide power and heat for the coming winter," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his regular address late on November 1. "But we must understand that Russia will do everything it can to destroy normal life."

In the central Cherkasy region, a drone hit an infrastructure objective on November 2, said regional Governor Ihor Taburets in a message on Telegram.

Taburets said that two other drones that targeted Cherkasy were shot down. He said no injuries were reported.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat on November 1 warned that Kyiv does not have an effective means of defense against Iranian-made ballistic missiles, which Russia is likely planning to deploy north of the Ukrainian border.

Ihnat told a news briefing that it would be theoretically possible to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles, but it would be very difficult to do it "with the means that we have in our arsenal today."

The Washington Post reported last month that Iran had agreed to supply Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, citing sources in U.S. security agencies

The Ukrainian military said Russian troops continued shelling the eastern city of Bakhmut, a target of Russia's armed forces in their slow advance through the Donetsk region.

There was fierce fighting near Bakhmut, as Ukrainian forces held back Russian assaults on two other areas in Donetsk, around Avdiyivka and Uhledar.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
MASON CITY | A Mason City man has been ordered to serve up to two years in prison for theft.

Michael D. Dalluge, 21, had his probation revoked Monday on a conviction of misdemeanor aggravated theft. He was ordered to serve up to two years in prison.

Dalluge, who originally was charged with felony second-degree robbery, was accused of punching his mother in the arm and stealing $180 in cash from her on May 18 at East Park in Mason City. Dalluge then fled from her vehicle, according to police.

He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in July.

Dalluge also was ordered to serve up to two years in prison after pleading guilty on Nov. 22 to misdemeanor third-degree theft. A $625 fine was suspended.

Dalluge was accused of stealing $534 from the account of another person on Oct. 3.

The two sentences are to be served concurrently.

-- Mary Pieper
The Czech lawyer for Yevgeny Nikulin, the 29-year-old Russian citizen arrested in Prague two months ago on U.S. charges of hacking and data theft, claims his client is innocent.

Attorney Adam Kopecky told Current Time TV this week that Nikulin had no idea that he was the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant when he was apprehended by Czech police on October 5.

Nikulin is wanted in the United States for allegedly hacking into the servers of LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Formspring.

His case comes against the backdrop of accusations by U.S. officials and cybersecurity professionals that Russian hackers are behind a number of high-profile breaches, including alleged efforts to disrupt the U.S. elections in early November, a charge that Moscow has denied.

"Most likely, Nikulin did not even know that an arrest order had been issued," Kopecky said. "At the time of his arrest, he was very surprised."

Kopecky's statement contradicts information from an acquaintance of Nikulin's who told Current Time on October 20 that Nikulin "knew about Interpol" and was "an idiot" for traveling abroad at the time.

Nikulin was arrested in Prague's Old Town while at a restaurant with a female companion.

He had posted photos of his trip from Moscow to Prague on his Instagram account i.tak.soidet, including one apparently showing his Mercedes in Poland, with a comment from a user asking "What about Interpol?"

Kopecky told Current Time, which is run jointly by RFE/RL and VOA, that Nikulin had traveled to countries in the European Union's Schengen area on several previous occasions since 2014, but did not provide further details.

The lawyer said that no trial date had been set and that his client was being held in Prague's Pankrac prison.

"As far as I know, he is alone in a cell and is restricted to being alone when he walks for exercise within the prison," Kopecky said.

A federal grand jury in Oakland, California, indicted Nikulin on October 21 for purportedly hacking in 2012 into LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Formspring. Each of the companies is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area.

The indictment says he is charged with "three counts of computer intrusion; two counts of intentional transmission of information, code, or command causing damage to a protected computer; two counts of aggravated identity theft; one count of trafficking in unauthorized access devices; and one count of conspiracy."

Under U.S. law, an indictment alleges that crimes have been committed but defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Following Nikulin's arrest, Moscow said it would try to prevent his extradition to the United States.

The Czech Justice Ministry said on November 23 that it had received, in addition to the U.S. extradition request, a request from Moscow to extradite Nikulin to Russia.

An arrest warrant was issued for Nikulin on November 10 by one of the district courts of Moscow.

The Czech Foreign Ministry has said Russia's interest in Nikulin is related to crimes he is alleged to have committed in April 2009 in Moscow, in particular the reported theft $3,450 from the electronic payment system Webmoney.

Nikulin is well-known on Russian social media for a flamboyant lifestyle that he chronicled on his Instagram site.

Posts have shown him posing with a Lamborghini valued at around $240,000 and other luxury automobiles, and wearing $900 shoes and an expensive watch.

The source of Nikulin's wealth is not clear.

In a 2015 interview with the Russian car website AvtoRambler, Nikulin is simply described as "a very busy young man."

"Yevgeny is already a successful entrepreneur whose business interests include a construction firm, an automobile service garage, and a company that sells luxury watches.

"As you can see from our interview," the article states, "the Huracan is not his first Lamborghini."

Also unclear is what Nikulin was doing in Prague when he was arrested.

"As far as I know, he was selling cars and his business is quite successful," Kopecky told Current Time on November 30.

Under Czech law, extradition requires a two-step process.

A court must first decide in a trial whether he can be extradited, but the final decision on whether he is extradited is made by the Justice Ministry.
A court in the Russian city of St. Petersburg has jailed a member of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.

Dmitry Mikhailov, an ethnic Russian, was found guilty on November 29 of organizing a Hizb ut-Tahrir cell in the city and sentenced to 16 years in prison on the same day.

Mikhailov pleaded guilty.

A total of nine people linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir have been arrested and brought to trial in St. Petersburg since 2014. Most of them have been sentenced to long prison terms.

Russia's Supreme Court banned the group in 2003, designating it a terrorist organization.

The London-based Sunni political organization is also banned across Central Asia.

Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate but says its methods for reaching that goal are peaceful.

Based on reporting by rapsinews.ru and Interfax
MOSCOW -- When Pavel Lobkov went public with his HIV-positive status on live television, the presenter took the bold step of challenging stigmas commonly attributed to HIV/AIDS in Russia, while being open with himself and his viewers.

In the year since his announcement, the response has been overwhelming and has foisted him into the role of a vocal advocate for changing the way Russians think about people living with HIV.

His personal journey began on December 1, 2015, when Lovkov hosted Vadim Pokrovsky, a top HIV/AIDS expert in Russia, during a segment of his Dozhd television (TV Rain) talk show that was dedicated to World AIDS Day, which is also celebrated on December 1 this year.



"I faced a dilemma," Lobkov recalled during an interview this month at the independent television station's Moscow studios. "Either I was going to play the journalist, or I was going to be honest with myself and with people because this doctor was the same doctor who told me about my diagnosis and who treated me through my first year of infection."



Lobkov is the most prominent figure in Russia to go public with the virus, and his coming out resonated among the population.

The revelation sparked broad discussion on social networks, and he soon found himself engaged in what he calls his "night service" -- counselling fellow HIV carriers who flooded him with private messages and appeals for help and advice. The unexpected response has allowed him to pinpoint and help bring to light the myriad everyday problems HIV/AIDS carriers encounter.

Although more than 1 million people have been officially registered as having HIV since it was first registered in Russia in 1987, social stigmas against carriers endure and public awareness remains low. For example, the virus widely continues to be considered an affliction reserved for intravenous drug users and sex workers.

"One of the aims of my coming out was to fight against this stigma," he says, referring to the scorn often directed toward HIV/AIDS carriers in Russia. "Well, look, I'm sitting here in front of you. What stigma is there? There must be grounds for there to be stigma.... This person is not sitting on his heels, and is thinking entirely lucidly."



"You can only fight against such stigma with action," he said.

Lobkov says he seeks to overturn the common notion in Russia that an HIV-positive person is "emaciated, with blotches on their face -- a kind of half-dead corpse."

"I would even like to lose weight," he says, motioning to his belly. "There are HIV carriers "who do not think of themselves with pity," he adds, emphasizing that he wanted to show "you can live with this."

'Thousands Of Questions'

When Lobkov returned home after his HIV disclosure and checked his social-media accounts, he found them flooded with messages. Among them were "two or three" crude, homophobic comments, but on the whole they were supportive and filled with questions from fellow HIV carriers about how they should tackle problems they had encountered.



"I started to answer them," he says of what became a nightly routine. "I'd come home from work and sit down, turn on my computer, open my WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, and so on."

He said the thousands of messages he has received have come from across the social spectrum -- family types, business professionals, government bureaucrats, and members of the upper middle class and the working class alike.

They have helped him identify the raft of problems and injustices that HIV carriers face -- some of which he has experienced first-hand.

After he learned that he had HIV in 2003, Lobkov says, the diagnosis led his private medical insurance provider to tear up his policy.

"Right in front of me, they slapped down a piece of paper and written across it in red was 'AIDS'," a disease that can be caused by HIV. "They told me: you are dismissed from our clinic that serves under the auspices of the office of the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Our contract with you is terminated because you have been found to have HIV. You may go."

In another case, he says, he once had to search for an entire year to find a dentist who would be willing to carry out a simple tooth-implant procedure. That experience has led Lobkov to call for legislation that would guarantee HIV carriers equal access to medical services.

He also says that Russia's "propiska" system -- under which citizens are registered as living in specific towns or cities, can be used to prevent HIV/AIDS patients from receiving treatment.



Lobkov says many Muscovites writing to him live and work in Moscow, but are unable to receive antiretroviral therapy from state clinics in the capital because they are registered in, say, Oryol, Kursk, or Sakhalin. Worse still, he says, even if the people are able to travel to their registered places of origin for treatment, they often find that the needed medication is not available.



The situation has led him to call for an end to opaque tenders for medical supplies in Russian regions, as well as legislation allowing HIV-positive citizens to receive antiretroviral therapy and monitoring regardless of their location in the Russian Federation.



One Clip, One Fate

One year on, Lobkov has no doubt he did the right thing in disclosing his HIV-positive status. "I think many people went and got themselves tested. The news spread. Thanks to the feedback, we were able to expose problems that were on the periphery. The problems with the propiska system, the inaccessibility to specialized medical help, and so on."

Lobkov and Dozhd are currently working alongside Spid.Center, a group created by journalist Anton Krasovsky that aims to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. In an awareness campaign titled "one clip, one fate," the group is now recording short interviews with prominent HIV carriers.



But Lobkov stresses that he is not calling for others to follow his lead by revealing their HIV status. "There's no need to make a show out of this. What for?" he says. "I don't want people to repeat this. Well, they can, but it's up to them. I'm not calling for it."


MOSCOW -- Russian pop star Filipp Kirkorov is catching flak after an aging French disco star was detained by police at a Moscow bank in an apparent setup involving pro-Kremlin pranksters.

Didier Marouani, the 63-year-old founder of the French disco band Space, was released in the early hours of November 30 by Moscow police -- who reportedly later apologized for detaining him and his lawyer at a Sberbank branch.

The pair had gone to the bank the day earlier expecting to conclude an out-of-court settlement with the 49-year-old Kirkorov, whom Marouani has accused of plagiarizing Space's 2003 track Symphonic Space Dream in the melody of the Russian artist's single Zhestokaya Lyubov (Cruel Love).

Space's Symphonic Space Dream:





Filip Kirkorov's Zhestokaya Lyubov (Tough/Cruel Love):

As video shot outside the bank reveals, however, Marouani found himself being bundled into a police car in the full view of photographers.

A lawyer for Kirkorov said Marouani and his lawyer, Igor Trunov, were detained for allegedly trying to extort 1 million euros ($1.05 million) from Kirkorov, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail.

Well-known rights activist Aleksei Navalny was quick to tweet a video of the dramatic arrest:

Moscow police told local news agencies that they responded after Kirkorov had gone to them on November 29 with accusations that Marouani was trying to extort money from him and harm his reputation.

In the early hours of November 30, pro-Kremlin pranksters Leksus and Vovan entered the bizarre story, claiming in an interview with the Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) daily that, posing as Kirkorov, they had spoken with Marouani ahead of the bank meeting and offered him an out-of-court settlement of 1 million euros.

Leksus told MK that as soon as they saw signs that a settlement was possible, they sent their correspondence with Marouani to Kirkorov.

The MK interviewer repeatedly asked prankster Leksus why they had apparently targeted a relatively little-known Frenchman instead of the Russian star Kirkorov, but received no answer beyond: "to see his reaction."

The interviewer dragged prankster Leksus over the coals: "I feel really sorry for Marouani. He visited us before in April, I interviewed him. He was a really nice person. He likes Russia, supports our space projects, and is sincerely interested in our country and supports it with all his spirit."

'Shaming Our Country'

The sentiment was echoed by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, founder and leader of the ultranationalist Liberal Democrat Party, who assailed Kirkorov. He told the pro-Kremlin Life News site that Kirkorov at least should have warned Marouani that it was a prank, and that he should be "ashamed" for letting it happen.

"The Frenchman comes to receive his money, and we practically place him under arrest. Why are we shaming our country? Kirkorov's lawyer knew that it was a profanation, nonsense," Zhirinovsky said. "Well, then tell the Frenchmen that these are pranksters, and not to come [to the bank], that it was not Kirkorov holding these negotiations. This is unacceptable and Kirkorov should be ashamed."

The flamboyant Kirkorov appeared at the evening bank meeting in sunglasses, giving a statement in which he thanked Russian police for defending my honor and dignity that was called into question by foreign musicians who wrongly accused me of something I didn't do." He said that there had been no promise to pay out a settlement because he and his managers do not correspond with "extortionists."



Marouani on November 30 gave a press conference in which he said he intends to have Kirkorov brought to account for submitting false allegations of extortion.

He also said he would prove the messages proposing a pay-out had in fact come from Kirkorov himself -- and not from pranksters. He said 60 messages from the correspondence had mysteriously disappeared from his inbox, but that he had kept copies and sent them to his manager, TASS reported.
ON MY MIND

All hybrid wars are not created equally.

As Mark Galeotti points out in a report featured below, some -- like the one Russia has been waging on Ukraine -- are designed to go kinetic.

They are preparing the ground for a shooting war. But other hybrid wars -- like the one Russia has been waging on the West -- are not.

They are intended to remain in the political sphere, undermining the West's institutions through corruption, disinformation, and support for extremist parties.

Russia is enjoying a string of successes in its non-kinetic hybrid war against the West.

And it will continue to do so until the West comes up with a robust policy to contain the assault.

IN THE NEWS

Reuters is reporting that former Economic Development Minister Aleksei Ulyukayev privately argued to colleagues in government that the state should give up control over oil giant Rosneft, before he was arrested two weeks ago.

The International Monetary Fund said the Russian economy should continue to contract this year, with gross domestic product dropping 0.6 percent, but says it will begin recovering in 2017.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to allow humanitarian relief supplies to reach civilians in rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo.

A court in St. Petersburg has jailed a member of the banned Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir.

CIA director John Brennan has issued warnings over the dangers of scrapping the Iran nuclear deal, as well as trusting what he called "Russian promises."

A new poll shows the number of Russians supporting better ties with the West has significantly increased since the middle of 2015.

Talks in Minsk on resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine have ended with the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany all saying no new breakthroughs were made.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry says Russia has between 5,000 and 7,500 regular military troops inside Ukrainian territory, not counting the annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea.

Russia said it has had no response from Ukraine regarding its request that Kyiv cancel a planned missile test over the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

The huge structure that will prevent further leaks of radiation from Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been moved into its final position.

WHAT I'M READING

New Report: Understanding Hybrid War

Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, has just published a new report: Hybrid War Or Gibridnaya Voina? Getting Russias Non-Linear Military Challenge Right

A Franco-Russian Axis?

Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, on how Francois Fillon would change France's approach to Russia -- and how this will play in Europe.

The Chinese Wall And The Red Web

Andrei Soldatov and Anna Borogan in The Guardian on how Russia is incorporating China's Internet firewall.

Putin Looks Inward

Writing on The Jamestown Foundation's website, Pavel Baev argues that Putin will use the current foreign policy pause during the U.S. presidential transition to "tinker with domestic corruption."

The Mechanics Of Propaganda

In his column for Bloomberg, political commentator Leonid Bershidsky explains how Russian propaganda really works in the West.

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Writing in The Atlantic , Linda Kinstler takes a look at Central and Eastern Europe "between Putin and Trump."

Russia And Japan

Sijbren de Jong of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies has a piece in EUobserver looking ahead to Putin's visit to Tokyo next month and the prospects for rapprochement between Russia and Japan.

Russian Humor

Kevin Rothrock has a piece in Global Voices on how satire -- albeit neutered -- is returning to Russian television.
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Syria's government says it has recaptured another entire district of Aleppo from rebels, but opposition fighters have denied the claim and vowed to continue their fight against a brutal Russia-backed government offensive.

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on November 30 that they had taken full control of the Sheikh Saeed district on the southern edge of rebel-controlled eastern Aleppo.

But the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted rebel fighters who said they still controlled a third of the Sheikh Saeed neighborhood.

During the past week, rebel fighters have lost a third of the areas in eastern Aleppo that they had controlled since 2012, cutting their urban stronghold in half and bringing them to the brink of a catastrophic defeat.

The gains by the Syrian Army and its allies have led to a massive human exodus with some 50,000 civilians fleeing decimated neighborhoods near the rapidly shifting front lines.

Syrian military officials are denying a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that government forces were detaining and questioning hundreds of civilians fleeing rebel-held areas for the comparative safety of state-controlled districts.

The observatory also said Syrian and Russian air strikes were intensifying on November 30 in the city center, with at least 45 civilians killed.

'Slow-Motion Descent Into Hell'

The UN Security Council is set to hold another emergency session on the crisis in Aleppo on November 30.

Aleppo's eastern districts have been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

World Food Program spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said civilians were enduring a "slow-motion descent into hell."

And France's UN ambassador, Francois Delattre, called for international action, but it was unclear what that would entail and whether it would succeed where so many previous efforts have failed.

"France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," Delattre said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Moscow was hoping that the situation in Aleppo can be resolved by the end of the year.

"We need to force these terrorists out" in the same way as Islamic State fighters need to be forced out in their Syrian stronghold of Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Bogdanov as saying on November 30.

Bogdanov was also quoted by TASS as saying Moscow had been in contact with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team over Syria.

Trump is to take office in January.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, AP, TASS, and dpa
MASON CITY  Developer Philip Chodur missed Wednesdays deadline for starting construction of his proposed Marriott hotel in downtown Mason City.

Chodur failed to meet three deadlines as he tried in vain to secure financing for his project.

The hotel was to be on the site of the city parking lot west of City Hall.

Chodur, president of G8 Development, San Diego, had a contract calling for start of construction by July 31. He asked for a six-month extension. The City Council agreed to give him three months with a deadline of Oct. 31.

Mason City downtown project 'not in jeopardy' MASON CITY  Mason City is still in good standing with the Iowa Economic Development Authori

When he failed to meet that deadline, he was issued a notice of default that gave him 30 days to start construction. That deadline was Wednesday.

The city has some options and well begin meeting to determine what the next step is, City Administrator Brent Trout said.

Its not doom and gloom. It is what it is, he said.

Chodur pledges Mason City downtown hotel will be built MASON CITY  Philip Chodur has a message for the people of Mason City.

The hotel is important as it represents $10 million in private investment for a $36.2 million downtown redevelopment plan including a multi-use building, parking ramp, music pavilion and ice arena/multipurpose center.

The city has been pre-approved for at least $7.2 million in state funding for the project through the Iowa Reinvestment Act. One of the requirements is private investment, which the hotel satisfied.

Trout said Wednesday the city has other options to explore. He said he had been in contact with Chodur every day this week so his failure to meet the agreement with the city was not a surprise.

We have to do our due diligence. Theres work to be done. Theres no question about that, he said.

Trout said because of the default, the deed on the property reverts back to the city.

This was the second downtown hotel deal proposed by Chodur that never got off the ground.

Chodur first approached the city in 2013 with plans to build a Hilton Inn hotel on the same location as where the Marriott was planned. That deal fizzled when Hilton corporate personnel declined to go through with it.
MASON CITY  An injured puppy recently found on the side of a North Iowa road had to have a leg amputated but is now recovering in a local foster home.

A family came in the Humane Society of North Iowa in Mason City a few weeks ago carrying a injured pit bull mix puppy they found on the side of the road with a broken leg, according to a press release from the Humane Society.

The Humane Society says its unlikely the puppy was hit by a car as he suffered no other related injuries aside from blunt force trauma.

A woman later came to the shelter claiming the pup, which the Humane Society had named Leroy, was stolen from her yard just a few days before his arrival at the shelter.

She told the Humane Society she had purchased him and two other dogs from a local man but didnt know the sellers name.

The woman was distraught about Leroys current condition but could not afford his care, according to the Humane Society. She signed the dog over to the Humane Society.

Amputation turned out to be the only option for Leroy as his kneecap was shattered, according to the Humane Society.

When he came into the shelter, the options were to repair his injury or euthanize him to end his pain, said Sybil Soukup, executive director of the Humane Society.

We felt strongly that this adorable pups life was worth saving, she said.

Soukup said the Humane Society hopes people will make a donation this holiday season to help them continue saving the lives of animals like Leroy.

Leroy should go on to be a healthy, active three-legged dog, according to the Humane Society.

Soukup told the Globe Gazette he will not be available for adoption until he is fully recovered, which could take several weeks.

The Humane Society says people should make sure they are getting their pet from a shelter, rescue or reputable breeder; that the pet has a secure place inside and outside their home; and they can afford their pets care, including any emergency situations.
Pamela Minor-Chiles, 47, of Chesterfield County was sentenced Tuesday to one year and one day in prison for bank fraud stemming from her misappropriation of approximately $200,000 from a medical practice.

Minor-Chiles pleaded guilty on Aug. 17 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. From 2007 through 2012, while the office manager of the Central Virginia OB/GYN Associates, Minor-Chiles misappropriated approximately $200,000 from the practice, according to court documents.

She wrote checks on the practice's operating account at SunTrust Bank and deposited them into her personal accounts at Bank of America. She put fraudulent entries on the check stubs to make it appear that the checks were written to outside vendors for legitimate expenses of the practice and then submitted the fraudulent check stubs to the outside accountants.
Police are investigating after a man who was apparently shot in Richmond early Wednesday was found in Henrico County.

About 4:30 a.m., officers were called to the area of East Ladies Mile Road and Delmont Street for a report of gunshots, police said.

A short time later, Henrico police notified Richmond officers that a man with gunshot wounds was found at a Wawa store in the 5200 block of Brook Road.
Richmond Animal Care and Control is asking the community to help save a starving dog found in the city last week.

The dog, which has been named Lexington, was found Friday near the intersection of Jennie Sher and East Richmond roads, animal control said on its Facebook page.

Within 12 hours, the dog was unable to stand and was having multiple seizures. The animal was taken to a local animal hospital, where it received fluids and anti-seizure medication, animal control said.
A man has been arrested in connection with a Sunday morning homicide on Fairfield Avenue in Richmond.

Antonio L. Morris, 27, of Chesterfield County, was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force in the fatal shooting of Alton L. Neal, 37, of Richmond, according to police. Morris has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit murder.

Shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, officers were called to the 2000 block of Fairfield Avenue in the Eastview neighborhood in the East End for a report of a shooting, police said.

Neal, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene.

This incident occurred in a residential area where there are a number of homes and apartments close together, said police Lt. Cynthia Hayes. Were asking anyone who saw or heard anything out of the ordinary to call us. Detectives are still actively investigating this incident and additional information will help solidify their case against those responsible for this violent crime.
MASON CITY  Christmas Cheer Fund applicants need funds for more than Christmas presents.

Many said they would use the gift cards for basic necessities like food, socks, underwear, toilet paper and toiletries.

A 38-year-old mother of two recently moved due to low income.

Because of recent health issues, shes fallen on hard times and cannot work. She hopes to be able to provide a few gifts for her 11-year-old daughter and 11-month-old son.

She also needs diapers, toilet paper, laundry soap and more for her home.

As of Wednesday, $15,307 has been raised. Another $109,693 is needed to reach this years goal of $125,000.

Can you help us help those in need?

The Christmas Cheer Fund was established by Globe Gazette Publisher Lee Loomis in 1927 so every child could have a present on Christmas morning. In the years since it has come to mean a little help at Christmastime to people of all ages.

Donations may be dropped off at the Globe Gazette or mailed to Christmas Cheer Fund, Box 271, Mason City, IA 50402-0271.

Any remaining funds not distributed for the holidays will be given to local nonprofits. The Cheer Fund balance will return to $100 in January to maintain the checking account.

Those in need can apply for help from the Cheer Fund at the Globe Gazette, 300 N. Washington Ave., between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Applicants must use the 2016 request form. Applications will close at noon Dec. 22.
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.
Marie Adrienne Vermeersch Ahrens

IOWA CITY  Marie Adrienne Vermeersch Ahrens of Iowa City passed peacefully at the Bird House, Hospice Home of Johnson County, Iowa City, early on Nov. 27, 2016, with family and her faithful cat, Ruby, at her side. She was born Nov. 20, 1925.

A celebration of Maries life will be held for Iowa City friends at Legacy Ridge Independent Living, 1095 Silvercrest Circle, from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 10, at Bethesda Lutheran Church, in Jewell, Iowa, followed by burial at the Jewell Cemetery.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a living legacy in the form of a memorial donation be made to The Bird House, Hospice Home of Johnson County, 8 Lime Kiln Lane, Iowa City 52240, or www.hospicehomejc.org. Please include Maries name with your donation. Marie was lovingly cared for and nurtured in her final days while at the Bird House, and our debt of gratitude to the staff and volunteers there will never be repaid.

A complete obituary and photo can be found at the website of Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City, www.lensingfuneral.com.
Rodney Joslin Jr.

CHARLES CITY  Rodney Joslin Jr., 72, of Charles City, died Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, at Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses in Charles City.

Family will hold burial at a later date.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 1:30 p.m. to the start of the service at the Hall on Saturday.

Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City is assisting the family.
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CLEAR LAKE  Sophomore Rubab Ali traveled more than 7,500 miles from her home in Pakistan to be an exchange student at Clear Lake High School.

I cannot imagine a better place because Ive literally met the best people here and the best host family, Ali said. I had not expected that much corn here, to be honest.

Clear Lake is very different from her home in Karachi, Pakistans largest and most populated city. She was randomly placed in Iowa with the exchange program.

I was jumping and crossing off days on the calendar to come to Iowa, so maybe Im a little strange, Ali said. This is new for me because Im from a city with 24 million people and Clear Lake is 8,000, so its very different.

Alis host family, Shea and Ashley Coleman, and their three children, have bonded with her over the months.

They said theyre going to come visit me in Pakistan, Ali said, laughing.

She left behind two supportive parents and a sister who Ali said she misses.

I only cried once, and that was my sisters birthday because it was my last day in Pakistan, Ali said.

Ali, 16, can speak four languages and is learning several others.

She has had many new experiences since she traveled to the U.S. in August, including trying new foods.

Tacos! Tacos are the best, Ali said.

Ali said she has made quite a few friends with her bubbly personality and she loves to talk about her experiences with anyone who will listen.

I think its a great chance to correct some of the misconceptions people have about my country, Ali said. I get to learn more about people here and when I go back I can correct some of the misconceptions my people have.

Since she arrived in Clear Lake, Ali has done 15 to 20 presentations about her country, culture and life.

I feel like you should be the change you expect in the world, Ali said.

Ali believes she came to the U.S. at the perfect time with the presidential election. For U.S. government class she watched each debate and became very interested in the election process.

I love the base of government in the U.S., and each branch checks the other, Ali said.

In preparing to come to the U.S., Ali had been told to expect some level of rudeness or bullying from people who did not understand her culture.

I was kind of expecting it and you just have to be mentally prepared for it, Ali said.

Some people whove been to the U.S. before told the Pakistani exchange students they might get called a terrorist. Though shes heard of instances in other areas, Ali said she has not experienced any discrimination in Clear Lake.

I believe in using the bricks people throw at you and make a castle, Ali said. Since I got here I think Ive received the best treatment. Ive received a lot of love.

She hopes to see more of the world and one day become a cardiologist.
Lucapa Diamond Company together with its partners Endiama and Rosas & Petalas were awarded a license to explore at the Lulo diamond project in Angola for five additional years.

The approval follows an alluvial mining license that Lucapa and its partners got in November 2014.

Lucapa said that Angolas Minister of Mines and Geology Francisco Manuel Monteiro de Queiroz had signed off the approval, which covers the entire 3,000 square kilometer Lulo site.

The move, said the ASX-listed company, would allow its local partners to conclude an investment contract.

It said the kimberlite exploration programme at Lulo had been stepped up in anticipation of the new license, with two rigs now drilling the priority kimberlite targets and a third rig due to arrive in Angola next month.

A time-domain electromagnetic survey would also be conducted to help identify further targets and improve the definition of known targets.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




FORT DODGE  Webster County supervisors are calling for state lawmakers to put a moratorium on new animal confinements in the state until the Legislature can look into the rules guiding where they are built.

The request comes after a large number of new hog confinement applications in the county prompted both the supervisors and Webster County residents to suggest that the master matrix, which guides approval of concentrated animal feeding operations, needs to be updated.

Fort Dodge is about 25 miles southwest of Eagle Grove, where Prestage Foods of Iowa plans to build a $240 million pork processing plant.

The board will bring a list of proposals to state Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, at this weeks Iowa State Association of Counties legislative meeting, Webster County Supervisor Keith Dencklau said.

This is just a preliminary list of what Webster County would like to see, Dencklau said.

Webster County is very supportive of agriculture, the letter reads. We understand that we are agriculture-based. We have had a great expansion of high-value bio-based industries. We do, however, feel the CAFO industry is getting out of control.

North Iowa activity in CAFOs almost triples MASON CITY  Interest in construction or expansion of CAFOs  confined animal feeding operat

There are very few regulations and no local control over them. We feel as a county that if the number of units built is not controlled, the overall environment, economic development and quality of life will be greatly affected.

The county suggests all CAFOs of any size should have to pass the matrix, more points should be required to pass the matrix and local leaders should have more say in placement of the projects.

A CAFO of any head number should have to do the matrix, the letter reads. The process is skewed to benefit putting up a less-than-2,500 unit first and then just adding to it.

The county suggests more points should be needed to pass the matrix, citing little protection to the people and the environment at the current minimum.

The counties should have more control, the letter reads. The state should not have control over what the citizens of a county want.

Webster County Planning and Zoning Coordinator Lonnie Nichols worked on the list, Dencklau said, with input from farmers in the county.

Also offering input was Becky Sexton, with Twin Lakes Environmental Services, who works with confinement builders to help them pass the matrix.

Landowners met with the Planning and Zoning Commission earlier this month to discuss changes theyd like to see. About 20 participants, including hog farmers, had a good, open discussion, Nichols said.

Other recommendations on the list are:

Requiring 40 acres, trees and bio filters to build a CAFO, which should be set back at least 300 feet from road right-of-ways.

Increasing distance requirements to residential properties and waterways. Current distances are too close for property rights and environmental protections, according to the statement released Tuesday by the supervisors.

Requiring a three-mile distance from cities or subdivisions.

Removing points from the matrix if a community does not want a CAFO.

Supplying production records to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources annually, confirming there are not more than the allotted number of animals in the unit.

Reviewing agricultural exemptions.

Removing matrix items covered by manure management plans, which the supervisors say need to have distance requirements from residential properties and waterways.

Although the supervisors review hog confinement applications to ensure the matrix has been scored correctly, they have no say in approving or denying an application. The DNR makes the final decision.

Seven new hog confinement sites have been proposed for Webster County the last two months.

Kraayenbrink and state Rep. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge, were both present at a meeting in Webster County Sept. 20 when the supervisors voiced their disapproval of one of those sites, about 1.5 miles west of Clare.

The application for that site has since been withdrawn.

Miller, who is the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said at the time that it may be time to revisit the matrix scoring rules.

Both legislators said they have seen an increase in confinement operations.

We are seeing more and more hog confinements across the state, Miller said. Its not just something happening here.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Fort Dodge Messenger.
Tiffany & Co. announced that its sales advanced 1 percent to $949.3 million in the three months that ended October 31. It was the first quarterly sales growth in two years. The jewelry company's shares rose sharply after the announcement.

Meanwhile, at constant exchange rates, Tiffany & Co.'s net sales were flat and comparable store sales fell 3 percent. Net earnings were up 5 percent to $95.1 million.

Still, the company maintains its forecast of a low single-digit percentage point decline in sales in the current fiscal year. The volatile economy and uncertainty surrounding the election of a Hong Kong chief executive next year contributed to the decision not to raise guidance.

We are encouraged by early signs of improvement in sales, but we clearly need more positive data over time before this can be considered an inflection point, Frederic Cumenal, Tiffanys chief executive officer, said. "Over the long-term, our objective is to enhance profitability and productivity through sales growth and prudent expense and inventory management, while further strengthening our competitive position among global luxury brands."

Sales in the Americas region fell 2 percent to $417 million because of lower spending by U.S. customers, while revenue increased from foreign tourists in the U.S, primarily from Japan. Asia-Pacific sales increased 4 percent to $247 million as China recorded a double-digit jump. Rate of sales decline in Hong Kong decelerated, and sales in Japan jumped 13 percent to $150 million.



Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




Dr. Andreas Hoffrichter has been named executive director of Michigan State University's Railway Management Certificate Program. Hoffrichter succeeds Steve Ditmeyer who retired in December 2015.

In addition to his role as executive director, Michigan State says Hoffrichter has joined the team as Burkhardt Professor in Railway Management. Hoffrichter is from Germany and has lived in England for 10 years, which the school says extends the teams international perspective.

He holds a bachelors degree in transport management, a masters degree in railway systems engineering and integration, and a Ph.D. in alternative energy sources for rail vehicle propulsion, which won the prize for the best Ph.D. in the School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Birmingham in 2013. His experience includes program creation at the University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, serving as a research fellow and technical lead for rail research at the WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group) within the University of Warwick, and producing research that was published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented internationally.

Michigan State has updated its Railway Management Certificate Program to treat railways as a system, covering freight supply chain integration and efficient/value-added transportation of passengers. A modular program structure covers a wide range of railway management topic areas, particularly the integration and complexity of modern railway systems, including strategy, operations, marketing and sales, finance, asset management and interfaces between engineering disciplines.

In a statement, Michigan State said, MSUs no. 1 ranking in supply chain management brings expertise enabling freight railways to become fully integrated contributors to the supply chain success of their shippers and customers. The university is uniquely positioned to help all railway leaders expand their skills, with its breadth of coverage across the railway system, deep knowledge and leadership in railway management, and partnerships across the world with academic institutions, organizations, and the rail industry.
Amicus Therapeutics Inc. (FOLD) announced after the close Monday that it is working with FDA to finalize the clinical protocol for Migalastat and plans to initiate enrollment in 2017, with data expected in 2019. The drug is a treatment for Fabry disease. The FDA indicated that kidney globotriaosylceramide is currently not considered a basis for an accelerated approval under Subpart H.

Amicus Therapeutics gapped open sharply lower Tuesday, but moved in a narrow range throughout the session. Shares finished with a loss of 1.81 at $6.51 on the highest volume of the year. The stock sank to a 3-week low and dropped below its 50 and 200-day moving averages.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
South Korean government plans to ban sales of certain cars made by German auto makers BMW AG and Porsche AG, as well as Japan's Nissan Motor Co., for alleged fabrication of environmental certification documents, reports said Tuesday, citing Seoul's environment ministry.

The ministry would also fine the local units of these companies a combined 6.5 billion Won or $5.6 million after it found the companies manipulated documents to make their vehicles road worthy.

The certification errors were found in 10 models, including seven from Porsche, two from Nissan, one BMW model, totaling some 4,350 cars. Porsche has already discontinued four of the seven models, the ministry said. These foreign car models include the Infiniti Q50 sedan and Qashqai sport-utility vehicles from Nissan, BMW's X5M SUV and Porsche's Macan S diesel cars.

These three automakers are alleged to have submitted documents that had been used already for similar models to get fast government approval for the new cars.

Hong Dong-kon, ministry director, said, "We'll give the companies until the middle of next month to clarify their positions. After that, the government plans to revoke the certifications, ban sales of their cars and ask prosecutors to further investigate the case."

The move follows widened investigation by the ministry since August, after banning the sale of almost all Volkswagen AG cars in the country following the scandal over VW's emissions.

Meanwhile, a BMW spokesman reportedly said that the company was in discussions with the environment ministry to clarify and address the issue. Nissan is said to have voluntarily stopped sales of the Infiniti Q50 following the fault in the paperwork submitted for the certification.

In August, the Government canceled the certification of Volkswagen's 83,000 vehicles and fined 17.8 billion Won. Earlier this year, the country had fined Nissan 330 million Won and filed a criminal complaint for allegedly manipulating emissions tests.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Editors Pick

CVS Health Corp. on Wednesday reported a hefty loss in its third quarter on charges, despite higher revenues. Adjusted earnings and revenues topped market estimates. Further, the health insurer trimmed its fiscal 2022 outlook for reported earnings, but raised adjusted earnings view in line or above analysts' estimates. In pre-market activity on the NYSE, CVS shares were gaining around 1 percent.

Elon Musk, who is now in charge of Twitter following its $44 billion acquisition, said the social media platform will charge $8 per month for a blue tick verification. In a tweet, he said, "Twitter's current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month."

A federal judge has blocked Publisher Penguin Random House's $2.18 billion merger deal with peer Simon & Schuster citing competition concerns for author payouts, reports said. The ruling comes in favor of the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust challenge that the intended merger would unlawfully curtail competition.
Lydall Inc (LDL), an industrial machinery manufacturer, announced Wednesday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire MGF Gutsche GmbH & Co. KG, an industrial filtration and technical materials company, for approximately $58 million in cash.

The transaction is expected to close at year end, subject to receipt of customary merger control approval from German competition authorities and the completion of specified closing conditions.

The acquisition will be dilutive to Lydall's earnings in 2017 on an all-in basis, and accretive to earnings by mid-2018.

Lydall expects the to be fully integrated by the end of 2019.

The company expects the acquisition will expand its filtration product offerings into attractive adjacencies and diversify its geographic revenue base.

Gutsche is a producer of nonwoven needle punch materials serving the industrial filtration and high performance nonwoven segments, with operations in Germany and China. For the year 2016, Gutsche expects revenue and EBITDA to be approximately $50 million and $6 million, respectively.

Following the deal, Gutsche will be integrated into Lydall's Technical Nonwovens segment. The Company plans to maintain manufacturing presence in the UK, Europe, and China and, through restructuring initiatives.

The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings from the Company's revolving credit facility.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
More than 4 million white-collar workers who thought they would soon become eligible for overtime pay are now in limbo, thanks to a federal judge in Texas who blocked a new Obama administration wage and hour rule last week. The unusual decision casts in doubt a federal threshold for overtime pay that has been in place since the Great Depression, and the Obama administration should seek a fast review by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

At issue is how the Labor Department defines who is and isnt eligible for overtime protections. The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act mandates that most hourly workers who put in more than 40 hours in a single week must be paid at a 50 percent higher rate for the extra hours. Salaried workers are not automatically covered, though  overtime protections do not apply to many managers or administrative staff under an exemption meant to recognize the differences between the work done by executives, administrators and professionals from that done by laborers.

Congress left it up to the Labor Department to determine how to apply the exemption for salaried workers. From the first regulations under the Roosevelt administration, the Labor Department has set a minimum salary workers must be paid to be considered exempt from the overtime pay rule, in addition to defining the kinds of duties  supervisory work, for instance  they have to perform.

Earlier this year, the Obama administration issued new regulations that would have increased the salary threshold on Dec. 1, making a large number of lower-paid salaried positions eligible for overtime pay for the first time. The current threshold was set in 2004 at $455 a week, or $23,360 a year, a level that is now $940 below the federal poverty line for a family of four  hardly what most people consider a white-collar salary. The administrations regulations would have set the threshold a few notches below the median salary in the lowest-wage region of the country  an estimated $913 a week, or $47,476 annually.

Business groups and 21 states, led by Nevada, opposed the new regulations, saying that they would strain budgets, force layoffs and reduce work hours. The challengers also argued that the higher threshold would limit work site flexibility and reduce opportunities for advancement.

Those are not persuasive arguments. If labor costs increase, thats primarily because workers will no longer be putting in uncompensated overtime that, had the threshold kept pace with rising wages, they should have been paid for. Its not workplace flexibility employers seek but the ability to continue to exploit low- and moderate-salaried workers. And linking professional advancement to how many hours someone will work for free is Dickensian.

In his ruling, Judge Amos L. Mazzant of the East Texas District Court found that although the original wording of the Fair Labor Standards Act gives the Labor Department significant leeway to establish the types of duties that might qualify an employee for the exemption, the law does not include language indicating that Congress intended the department to set a minimum salary level for exempt workers. Thus, the Departments delegation is limited by the plain meaning of the statute and Congresss intent, Mazzant wrote.

That interpretation might have been acceptable at some point in the mid-20th century, when the regulation was new. But using salary as one of the determining factors has now been on the books for more than 70 years, under administrations Democratic and Republican. If Congress objected to the Labor Department using salary as a factor in determining exemptions, it has had ample time to do so and amend the laws to state categorically that it didnt want salary used. Congress lack of action affirms its intent to exempt some work from overtime protections, and to let the secretary of Labor determine how to do it.

The Labor Department disagreed with Mazzants ruling, as would be expected, and is mulling its options. Any appeal would go through the 5th Circuit, considered the nations most conservative federal appellate court. We hope that even those justices would recognize that a regulation with a seven-decade history has withstood enough of a test of time to survive this challenge. Hanging in the balance is an element of basic fairness  paying people for their labor and protecting them from exploitation, which is exactly what Congress intended.
Harte Hanks (HHS) announced an agreement whereby Syncsort will acquire the company's Trillium Software , a global provider of data quality solutions, for $112 million in cash. Syncsort is a global leader in Big Iron to Big Data solutions backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. Harte Hanks will use substantially all of the net proceeds to retire its outstanding credit facility.

The companies noted that Syncsort and Trillium both have a substantial number of large enterprise customers seeking to generate new insights by combining traditional corporate data with new information sources from mobile, online, social and Internet of Things.

Karen Puckett, CEO, said: "The sale is the result of a comprehensive process to maximize the value of the Trillium Software business in the growing Data Quality and Data Governance segment. The sale of Trillium Software, along with the cost reduction program we implemented in 2016, provides Harte Hanks with a stronger balance sheet as we move the Company on its path toward revenue stability and historically strong cash flows and improved profitability."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
President congratulates nation on independence day, calls on int'l community to bear responsibility to end Saudi aggression against Yemen





SANAA, Nov. 30 (Saba)  President Saleh al-Sammad Houthi congratulated the Yemeni people on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the independence day, when Yemen got freedom from Britain in 30th November 1967, and called on the international community to bear responsibility to end the Saudi aggression and blockade against the Yemeni people.



The president made his speech late on Tuesday on the eve of the independence day.



The president renewed his call to all Yemeni political parties to sit on the dialogue table to reach a just and comprehensive solution for all sides and triumph for the sake of the nation.



The president renewed his call for those misled by the aggression to take advantage from the chance of extending the general amnesty and return to the homeland to begin new white page as good citizens.



President al-Sammad also renewed his call to the Saudi regime and its allies to be reasonable and quickly end their continuing escalation and oppressive aggression against the Yemeni people.

The president once again welcomed the outcomes of Muscat's peace talks as a basis ground for resuming negotiations that are not inconsistent with the national principles' constants and the higher interests of the country.





ZaK

SABA

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[30/November/2016]
Laws are written for a reason: To provide guidelines on behavior and conduct. Those who choose not to follow those guidelines are fined, or worse. Unless you happen to be a member of the New Hampton School Board.

Judge John Bauercamper has ruled that the School Board violated open meetings laws by taking up the potential suspension of a high school student after a cap gun and a jar that smelled of marijuana allegedly were found in his vehicle in November 2015.

Jennifer Heying, mother of the student in question, Cole Roberson, took the school district to court after members heard testimony about the alleged discoveries, then deliberated after closed doors and decided to suspend the student, according to a story in our sister newspaper, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Then, the board called an emergency meeting to re-address the matter because it improperly went into closed session during the first meeting. That second meeting was held with less than 24 hours notice, as required in most cases, because the board reasoned the students due process deadline was approaching and a Des Moines meeting posed a conflict of dates. That second meeting also resulted in a suspension.

Heying claims the board acted illegally by discussing the disciplinary action against her son in closed session.

We believe Bauercamper was correct when he ruled the district violated open meetings law by taking up the suspension. But we disagree with his decision not to hand down any fine.

He ruled the board members acted in good faith in relying on legal counsel, and that although that advice was improvident, there was no evidence of spite or ill will. He wrote that punitive fines against school board members or the district would serve no useful purpose.

We beg to differ. Iowas open meeting laws are designed to make sure the public knows that the basis and rationale of government decisions, as well as those decisions themselves, are easily accessible to the people.

That law was written for the reason of informing and even protecting the public on decisions that would impact them. The judge found board members broke the law. A fine would have sent the message that laws must be followed. As it is now, the New Hampton board received little more than a slap on the wrist  and thats not a good lesson for anyone.
DAVENPORT, Iowa, Nov. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE), a major provider of local news, information and advertising in 48 markets, has scheduled an audio webcast and conference call for Friday, December 9, 2016, at 9 a.m. Central Time. Lee plans to issue a news release before market open that day with preliminary results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended September 25, 2016.



The live webcast will be accessible at lee.net and will be available for replay 24 hours later. Several analysts have been invited to ask questions on the call. Questions from other participants may be submitted by participating in the webcast. The call also may be monitored on a listen-only conference line by dialing (toll free) 888-601-3874 and entering a conference pass code of 548078 at least five minutes before the scheduled start. Participants on the listen-only line will not have the opportunity to ask questions.

WEBCAST LINK: REGISTER HERE TO ACCESS AUDIO WEBCAST AND REPLAY

ABOUT LEE

Lee Enterprises is a premier provider of local news, information and advertising in its markets, with 44 daily newspapers and a joint interest in four others, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 300 specialty publications in 21 states. Lee markets include St. Louis, MO; Madison, WI; Billings, MT; Davenport, IA, and Tucson, AZ. Lee Common Stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LEE. For more information about Lee, please visit lee.net.
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
BETHEL HEIGHTS, Ark., Nov. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning, Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes campaign provided more than 100,000 servings of protein to Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, just in time for the holiday season. This considerable donation is part of Smithfields 300th Helping Hungry Homes donation milestone tour, during which the company will donate more than one million servings to food banks across the country through the end of the year. These donations are in addition to the 42 large-scale protein donations Smithfield has made across the United States in 2016.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/072034cf-3fb2-469a-ae8f-5d590e1be62d

Representatives from Smithfield presented the 25,000-pound protein donation, equivalent to 100,000 servings, to the food bank during an event at which speakers discussed the importance of donations like this in Northwest Arkansas, where one in four individuals struggle with hunger.

Throughout November and December, Smithfield is traveling from coast-to-coast to food banks in Florence, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Sacramento, Calif., Kansas City, Kan., Hampton, Va., Virginia Beach, Va., Baltimore, Md., and Tampa, Fla.

We are so excited to receive this tremendous gift on behalf of the hunger challenged in Northwest Arkansas, said Kent Eikenberry, president and CEO of Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Every day, people are struggling to fill their plates. Protein is one of, if not our largest, needs. This gift will go a long, long way to addressing food insecurity. Now, more than ever, with the holidays approaching, this gift will help so many in need.

Smithfield is proud to present this donation to help fight hunger in Northwest Arkansas and raise awareness of the great need in the area, said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. Were honored to join partners like Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to help our neighbors, and through our Helping Hungry Homes tour, were proud to continue to support dozens of food banks nationwide. We encourage others to get involved and volunteer time, money, or food to help their local food banks.

As part of its ongoing Helping Hungry Homes program, Smithfield has committed to donate more than seven million servings of protein to food banks nationwide in 2016 to help families and individuals suffering from hunger. To date, the program has provided more than 43 million servings of protein to food banks across America.

About Smithfield

A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield,Virginia, establishing the town as the Ham Capital of the World. From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfields products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Northwest Arkansas Food Bank

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has been serving NWA since 1988; the Food Bank has grown to serve citizens of Benton, Carroll, Madison & Washington counties. It is the mission of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank to Nourish NWA Communities by Feeding Hungry People. The NWA Food Bank is able to meet the growing needs of residents through our network of agencies, local partners and community support. In 2015, the NWA Food Bank provided nearly 7,000,000 meals to those that face the issue of hunger.
Estonian English

AS Pro Kapital Grupp informs that it has prolonged the redemption date of 383 634 Pro Kapital Grupp convertible bond PKG5 29.11.2014 (hereinafter referred to as Convertible Bonds PKG5) by 2 years and the new redemption date is 29.11.2018 (hereinafter referred to as the redemption date). AS Pro Kapital Grupp will redeem 38 433 Convertible Bonds PKG5 with issue price of 107 612,4 EUR.

On 29.11.2016 AS Pro Kapital Grupp has submitted the Estonian Central Register of Securities the application to change the redemption date and the total issue amount of Convertible Bonds PKG5.

In total convertible bonds were prolonged with total issue price of 1 074 175,2 EUR and convertible bonds with total issue price of 107 612,4 EUR will be redeemed.

The convertible bonds bear an annual interest of 7% and give the holders of the convertible bonds the right to exchange one convertible bond for one shares of AS Pro Kapital Grupp. The issue price of each convertible bond is 2,80 euros.

In order to subscribe for the shares of AS Pro Kapital Grupp and exchange the bonds, the bondholder must submit an application to the Company at least 10 (ten) Business Days before the Exchange Date. The Exchange Date shall be each Business Day (a day other than (a) a Saturday, (b) a Sunday, (c) Estonian national holiday, (d) public holiday or (e) another day when the registrar of the Register does not register securities) until the expiration date of the Bond, i.e. until the date of its redemption.
Panasonic breaks ground on electric vehicle battery plant in Kansas

Panasonic, a company from Japan, broke ground in De Soto, Kansas, on a new electric vehicle battery plant touted by Gov. Laura Kelly as a job creator.
Solidifies Lydall as a global leader in industrial filtration markets



Further diversifies Lydall into complementary geographies and attractive adjacent markets with a leading brand



Combination creates further scale and unlocks operational synergies



MANCHESTER, Conn., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lydall, Inc. (Lydall or the Company) (NYSE:LDL), today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire MGF Gutsche GmbH & Co. KG (Gutsche) for approximately $58 million in cash. The transaction will further position Lydall as a global leader in needle punch nonwoven filtration solutions and strengthen the Companys position as a premier provider of engineered technical materials. The acquisition will expand the Companys filtration product offerings into attractive adjacencies and diversify the Company's geographic revenue base. The transaction is expected to close at year end, subject to receipt of customary merger control approval from German competition authorities and the completion of specified closing conditions.



Gutsche is a leading producer of nonwoven needle punch materials serving the industrial filtration and high performance nonwoven segments. The business consists of operations in Germany and China.

Gutsches fiscal year ends on December 31, 2016 and revenue and EBITDA are forecasted by Gutsche to be approximately $50 million and $6 million, respectively. Lydall expects the business to be fully integrated by the end of 2019. Lydall expects to leverage its operating discipline, business efficiencies, and economies of scale to generate annual cost savings of approximately $3 million.

The acquisition will be integrated into Lydalls Technical Nonwovens segment. The Company plans to maintain manufacturing presence in the UK, Europe, and China and, through restructuring initiatives, to increase efficiencies and unlock operational synergies. The acquisition will be dilutive to Lydalls earnings in 2017 on an all-in basis, which includes the effect of purchase accounting, restructuring and other non-recurring expenses. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Lydalls earnings by mid-2018.

The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings from the Companys revolving credit facility.

Dale G. Barnhart, Lydalls President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, The acquisition of Gutsche is very appealing as it combines two complementary companies in the industrial filtration and technical materials markets. With the addition of Gutsche, we gain an experienced management team and an attractive footprint to serve Europe as well as secure a strong filtration position in the fast growing waste-to-energy incineration market. In addition, we are able to complement our China-based sales with a focus on the greater Asia-Pacific export markets. Gutsche is a well-known leading brand in the industry with an excellent reputation for high quality products and a proven culture of innovation. We look forward to welcoming their employees to the Lydall family.

Michael Gutsche, Chief Executive Officer of Gutsche, commented, I am very excited for Gutsche to become a part of the growing Lydall organization. We have found the ideal partner that shares our passion for delivering the most advanced and highest quality products in the industry. Our combined focus on profitable growth and the complementary nature of markets we serve will only further strengthen the excellent relationships we have with our suppliers and customers.

Conference Call and Webcast

Lydall will host a conference call on November 30, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss this announcement. Pre-registration for this call, as well as a live webcast can be found at the Companys website www.lydall.com under the Investor Relations section. The call may be accessed at (888) 338-7142, from within the U.S., or (412) 902-4181, internationally. A recording of the call will be available from 4:00 p.m. ET on November 30, 2016 through 11:59 pm ET on December 7, 2016 at (877) 344-7529 from within the U.S., or (412) 317-0088, internationally, passcode 10097317. Also, additional information, including a presentation supporting the conference call, can be found on the Company's website www.lydall.com under the Investor Relations section.

About Lydall

Lydall, Inc. (NYSE:LDL) is a New York Stock Exchange listed company, headquartered in Manchester, Connecticut with global manufacturing operations producing specialty engineered products for the thermal/acoustical and filtration/separation markets. For more information, please visit http://www.lydall.com. Lydall is a registered trademark of Lydall, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements related to the expected timetable for completing and integrating the acquisition, expected benefits of the acquisition, Gutsches financial results for 2016, estimated annual cost savings, expectations of the acquisitions impact on Lydalls earnings in 2017 and 2018, and Lydalls plan for financing the acquisition, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are intended to provide managements current expectations for the future operating and financial performance of the Company based on current expectations and assumptions relating to the Companys business, the economy and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified through the use of words such as believes, anticipates, may, should, will, plans, projects, expects, expectations, estimates, forecasts, predicts, targets, prospects, strategy, signs, and other words of similar meaning in connection with the discussion of future operating or financial performance. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Such risks and uncertainties which include, among others, any delays in receiving merger control approval from Germany or in satisfying other closing conditions, worldwide economic cycles that affect the markets that each of the Companys and Gutsches businesses serve which could have an effect on demand for their products and impact their profitability, challenges encountered by the Company in the integration of the Gutsche acquisition, disruptions in the global credit and financial markets, including diminished liquidity and credit availability, foreign currency volatility, swings in consumer confidence and spending, unstable economic growth, raw material pricing and supply issues, fluctuations in unemployment rates, retention of key employees, increases in fuel prices, and outcomes of legal proceedings, claims and investigations, that could have a negative impact on either companys results of operations and financial condition. Accordingly, the Companys actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Investors, therefore, are cautioned against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Additional information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in Lydalls filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks and uncertainties identified in Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors of Lydalls Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 and Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors of Lydalls Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Lydall does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement made in this press release or that may from time to time be made by or on behalf of the Company.
Statement of support of the World Association for Christian Communication - Asia Region to the ongoing peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDFP

October 24, 2016

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. - Ephesians 4:29

We in the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) - Asia Region express our support and solidarity with the Filipino people as they walk the path to a just and lasting peace in the Philippines.

We are happy to know about the progress in the ongoing peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and we are strongly supportive of it.

Establishing the lines for communication for the sole purpose of achieving just peace is both inspiring and meaningful. It lays down the foundation to converse and find solutions together to problems and hindrances.

Communicating peace is the same as creating space for communication rights for we can only attain genuine peace when the rights, lives and dignity of people are ensured, protected and upheld. When people can communicate their thoughts without fear of discrimination or retribution, we are steps forward in building a society with genuine freedom, dignity and just peace.

The people of the Philippines have borne witness to many decades of and suffered greatly from poverty, austerity and conflict. Many marginalized peoples have been silenced yet many groups continue to express solidarity with them, building communication lines, creating space for them to speak freely. The ongoing peace talks will help in facilitating and improving these lines and spaces.

We in the WACC - Asia Region look forward to the positive progress of the peace talks between the GRP and NDFP in the Philippines. May the Filipino people truly benefit from the fruits of these negotiations.
Leaders lead from the front. For the head boy of Robert Louis Stevenson School, Vensel Margraff, of Ululoloa and Siusega, he was that leader in 2016.

Yesterday in front of families, friends and the students he led, the eldest of Faamatuainu Dennis and Salilo Margraffs children was declared the School Dux for 2016.

But that was not his only award. He also won the Samoa Observer Award for Excellence in Writing as well as securing first in English, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Studies. He was also the Top Science Student.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, the humble future leader said he was grateful for the opportunity.

This is once in a life time opportunity not only to be the Head Boy of the school but also to become the Dux of this academic year, he said.

Its a great feeling and I am humbled that all the hard work, the sleepless nights and everything has paid off.

Not only that but I am happy because my family are proud, my parents and especially my grandparents I could see how proud they were when my name was being called.

Thats a great feeling knowing that the people who went out of their ways to help you through your school are so proud.

Vensel, who wants to become a Civil Engineer, said life at R.L.S has been challenging.

Especially this year in terms of exams and trying to balance between my duties and my school work. I have a duty as the head boy and the school and then I have my own school to focus on because I cannot focus on one thing and leave the other.

So all the glory and praise to our heavenly father for all that he had done and also to my family, my parents and especially my grandparents and all of those who contributed in helping me achieve what I have today.

So whats next for Vensel?

The next step is hopefully I can go to N.U.S and achieve one of the scholarships available. I want a career as a Civil Engineer. I want to contribute to the development of Samoa especially in the infrastructure sector.

Lastly, he wanted to thank all the teachers and everyone who has contributed to his journey.

Solialofi Potoi, the daughter of Teleiai James and Antonia Potoi, secured second place while Head girl, Christine Peters, came third.
Think a minuteNot long ago the biggest-selling book in America was about the end of the world. Watching the worlds news is sometimes like watching a horror film. The 20th century had far more people killed in wars than any century in history. Besides all the wars, we are seeing an increase in many kinds of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, and hurricanes. The earth now has completely new weather patterns that never existed before, including El Nino, La Nina, etc.

Add to all that, there are terrifying new diseases, plagues, and mystery viruses. AIDS continues killing millions of people worldwide, still with no cure in sight! In Africa, entire towns have no adults left because they all have died from AIDSso just babies and children are left to survive alone. According to a United Nations report, our world now has the worst world hunger and famine in history. Hundreds of millions are starving with countless thousands dying every single day. Add to that SARS, the Swine Flu, and the next global pandemic that scientists say will likely attack for which we are not prepared.

But none of this should surprise us. Jesus warned us that all these things will happen. He said they are like labor pains before a mother gives birth. These terrible things are the sign that He is getting ready to return, only this time He must come to judge all of humanitys wrong, sinful and evil living. Jesus said we will not know the exact time of His return, so it will suddenly happen before we know it.

But because He loves us so much, He is waiting as long as He can for us to choose to receive His gift of forgiveness and everlasting life, before it is too late and we are separated from Him forever in hell. Since He created us an eternal soul and person, Jesus clearly taught that after we finish our life here on earth we all live forever: either in heaven or in hell. He explained that hell is a real place of endless pain, torment and terror, where people are totally, permanently separated from God and all that is goodsince He cannot be a truly good God and live together with any sin, wrong or evil. But the awesome news is when the worlds Judge is your Father, Who gives you His perfect righteousness, then His return means you are going home to live with Him forever, exactly as He promised. Remember, since He fulfilled His first coming and resurrection, when He guarantees He is coming again at the last resurrection, you can bet your life on it! Through the overwhelming historical and logical evidence of Jesus physical resurrection from death, He proved that He clearly is the only One you can bet your life on, now and forever.

None of us knows if we will live to see tomorrow. But God the Son has done everything He possibly can to forgive and save us before its too late. Yet He never takes away our freedom to choose, which He gave to us humans made in His likeness. He will never force you to love Him, and to live His satisfying, safe way. If you want Him to leave you alone, He will. He will always respect your freedom to choose, even if it is hell you choose by living your own way, not your Creators way. But He still stands in your way with His arms of love stretched out. So remember, God does not send anyone to hell, but it is we who choose to go there by ignoring and rejecting Him and His gift of forgiveness and everlasting life.

So why risk one more day? Right now, once and for all, ask Jesus to forgive you for all of your sins and wrong living. Then ask Him to take full charge of your heart and life every day. Jesus says that is the only way you can have absolutely nothing to fear, neither your sudden death nor the end of the world.

Just think a minute
A battle with cancer is not slowing down the President of the Samoa Arts Council, Seiuli Tuilagi Allan Alo.

This Saturday, Seiuli with the assistance of key supporters is launching a new project called Samoa Performing Arts & Creative Excellence (S.P.A.C.E).

It might be different but its the kind of stuff that I want and its something I would like to leave behind, Seiuli told the Samoa Observer.

The main reason for this is to develop performing arts and creativity.

But there is personal story in there for Seiuli as well.

It follows a philosophy by my late Professor Epeli Hauofa who was an academic at the University of the South Pacific and he was my boss at the Oceania Centre for Arts Culture and Pacific Studies, Seiuli said.

His philosophy was that unless we create spaces where we can create our autonomy and creativity we can never be free, because the spaces that we work under are spaces made by other people mainly colonialist and suppressors.

But we create these spaces for our own freedom so that we can create and express and give freedom to other people to basically create themselves, recreate and be free in the arts.

Seiuli said he hopes the project will attract programmes that will look at community development.

I have spoken with Beth Onesemo on working with youth where we can develop programme with youth community based, he said.

We are also working with the Samoa Arts Council in creating a programme in the performing arts as well.

While I was in New Zealand I spoke with professors at the Auckland University to have an exchange programme where we can develop the arts.

So the space itself is basically about the mentality of the space and physicality of the space.

It might be different but its the kind of stuff that I want and its like something I would like to leave behind.

Asked what the challenges are Seiuli said is the time.

Like I said before this was supposed to be launched next year but due to certain circumstances we had to move it forward, he said.

But this is something that I have always been passionate about and also this is something that we havent really done in Samoa. Its about community based programme as well as for academic.

We are trying to link up with the University of the South Pacific, Auckland University, School of Arts and Dance as well as the National University of Samoa. So there will be people from New Zealand and Fiji that will be coming to perform on the official opening and Ill probably do a little perform on the day.

Ask how much it cost Seiuli said $10,000.

It was a warehouse that was given to me by my mother so I renovated the whole place and it was a little over $100, 000, he said. Its about the development in the arts and creating a platform for young people and the youth to realise their true potential in terms of the arts.

Whether its dance or music or paint or anything.
Students at Apia Primary School have a lot to be thankful for.

On Monday, they received a donation from the Chinese Embassy.

It was $10,000 worth of instruments presented to the Chairman of the School Board, Tuiletufuga Siaosi Tuiletufuga and the Principal of the School Leiataua Lino Tagiilima, by Ambassador Wang Xuefeng.

Our people have a long history of friendship, said Mr. Wang.

In the past several years we sent Chinese teachers to teach Chinese language in your school so this morning I am happy to hear that you can sing the Chinese song very well.

Among the instruments donated were guitars, a drum kit, amplifiers and microphones.

I hope these music instruments will bring you all beautiful music and a happy life.

Tuiletufuga, who is a well known musician, acknowledged the support of the Chinese Embassy.

He said this is perfect Christmas present for the village of Apia.
Students of Robert Louis Stevenson High School visited the Home of the Aged at Mapu-i-fagalele yesterday bearing gifts.

The gifts included food, toiletries and money.

The 56 students of year 12 were accompanied by their teachers, Tovio Taefu, Priscilla Betham and the School Principal, Masa Faasau. It is more like a school tradition, because this is our eighth year doing this now, said Principal Faasau.

It is part of our community outreach and we do two important visits a year. One to Loto Taumafai and one to Mapu-i-fagalele.

The residents of the home were happy to welcome the students.

The help was deeply appreciated by the 49 elders and the staff of Mapu-i-fagalele.

The things they give are the things we really need, said Sister Maureen. A lot of our people are sick in bed most of the time so they are really happy when people come to help and entertain them.
We often hear people say that if you are visiting Samoa for the first time, you havent been to Samoa if you have not been to Savaii.

With that in mind, the eight contestants vying for the Miss Pacific Island Pageant Crown this year will return to their respective homes at the end of the week knowing that they have definitely been in Samoa.

This is because they spent two days on the big Island of Savaii, lapping up the wonderful hospitality as well as the island heat. For the organisers of the Pageant, this was the first time theyve taken the contestants to the big island of Savaii.

The trip was organised by the organising committee of the pageant in Samoa in collaboration with the Savaii Samoa Tourism Authority.

The contestants were warmly welcomed in a true Samoan way starting from their arrival.

The students from the Don Bosco College at Salelologa waited the arrival of the contestants at the wharf.

Then the contestants were welcomed by the whole school with special performances from the school.

They were also given the opportunity to introduce themselves and dance in front of the whole school.

The reigning Miss Pacific Islands, Abigail Havora, spoke on behalf of the contestants to thank Samoa for the welcome they had received.

We were touched and emotional seeing how you welcomed us, and for that we thank you, said Ms. Havora.

Everything was just wonderful and it is something we will take back with us to our home lands. Seeing the performance today was just something amazing, I took a video of it and I will take it back to my country and show to the schools there and tell them that they need to up their game."

But thank you once again for everything.

The girls were then welcomed in a traditional way by the matais of the village of Faletagaloa Safune.

An Ava ceremony was held to welcome the girls. The girls started their rehearsals yesterday and a corporate dinner was held last night at the Amoa Resort for the lovely contestants.

Yesterday, they had rehearsals before they headed down to the waterfall at Palauli to cool down.

They are back in Apia today for the final formalities ahead of the big day on Friday.
WASHINGTON (AP)  With Syria's Russian-backed military appearing close to seizing total control of Aleppo, U.S. officials concede they have little to no chance of securing a diplomatic breakthrough to halt the 5-year civil war in President Barack Obama's last weeks in office. Given Donald Trump's promises of closer cooperation with Russia, the U.S. has lost what limited leverage it had.

Until recently, top U.S. officials still dangled the threat of reviving any of the various Syria plans Obama long had rejected, from a no-fly zone over opposition-held territory and more weapons to the rebels to sanctions on Moscow for aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad. Such talk has disappeared since Trump's surprise election victory three weeks ago.

And the sense of U.S. powerlessness is so profound right now that even Obama's Plan A  diplomatic efforts with Russia  doesn't seem to be taking on added urgency. Discussions in Geneva involving senior diplomats are occurring regularly, though not daily. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have been talking by telephone a couple of times each week. The specter of the fall of Aleppo, Syria's largest city, isn't changing the American approach.

"The United States continues to work diplomatically," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday, crediting Kerry with redoubling "efforts to try to bring about that kind of solution because we know that it's just impossible to impose a military solution."

Blocks away in Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters: "To suggest ... that there's some sort of frantic or frenetic last-ditch efforts here in the remaining weeks that he has in office just simply doesn't comport with the facts."

Meanwhile, Syria's Aleppo offensive is making headway. On Monday, pro-government forces seized parts of the city that had been rebel-held for four years. An opposition retreat from its last strongholds in Aleppo would give Assad control of Syria's four largest cities and coastal region, and could prove a devastating psychological blow to a rebellion that has been on the defensive since Russia intervened to help Assad 14 months ago.

The picture of Syria is dramatically different from August 2011, when Obama first called on Assad to leave power and a chorus of officials spent years predicting his rapid ouster. Assad remains firmly in place. And the war has now killed as many as a half-million people, contributed to Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II and allowed the Islamic State to emerge as a worldwide terror threat.

The rebels' deteriorating position in Aleppo and the worsening humanitarian catastrophe were widely foreseen by American officials after Syria and Russia pulled out of a U.S.-Russian cease-fire in September to root out what they said were al-Qaida-linked and other terrorist forces. Unable to muster any serious military threat, Washington responded with fierce rhetorical denunciations and accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But it offered no action of consequence for Damascus or its military supporters, which includes Iran.

Last month, Kerry even suggested the U.S. was resigned to Aleppo's loss.

"Now, some people ask what happens to Aleppo if it were to fall," he said in London. "Well, the Russians should understand, and Assad needs to understand, that that does not end the war." Taking the city, he said, "will not change the fundamental equation in this war because other countries will continue to support opposition, and they will continue to create more terrorists, and Syria will be the victim in the end as well as the region."

U.S. officials stressed that they haven't given up, pointing to the negotiations with Russia and several other countries directly or indirectly involved in Syria's war as evidence of continued diplomatic engagement. The negotiations have made little progress, conceded the officials, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the discussions and demanded anonymity.

Illustrating the deadlock, they said Washington and Moscow have spent several negotiating sessions trying only to agree on the number of eastern Aleppo fighters belonging to the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front. The goal is to separate them from U.S.-backed rebels. But how the U.S. and Russia might accomplish that after the number of fighters is determined remains entirely unclear, the officials said.

At the heart of the impasse, U.S. officials involved in the diplomacy believe, is Trump's campaign talk about working with Russia in Syria and ending the limited support the United States has provided for the rebels fighting Assad.

Before the election, officials had hoped to use the looming reality of a Hillary Clinton presidency and her talk of a more hawkish Syria policy to extract some Russian concessions that might lead to a cease-fire and talks on a post-Assad future for Syria.

But with Trump's presidency less than eight weeks away, the Russians can wait out the clock on Obama and see if a better deal awaits them.
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP)  A Ugandan traditional king has been charged with murder and sent to a high security prison Tuesday, a government official said, following clashes between his guards and the army in which at least 62 people were killed.

At least 149 people have been arrested in the Rwenzori region of western Uganda, where the tribal monarch is based. Security forces continued to search the mountainous the area for rebels.

The king, Charles Wesley Mumbere of the Kingdom of Rwenzururu, has been in detention since his palace was assaulted by the military on Sunday. He has been remanded to jail until Dec. 13, said Solomon Muyita, a spokesman for the judiciary.

At least 46 supporters of the king and 16 police have died in the clashes, according to Ugandan police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi. The actual death toll may be higher as many clashes happened deep in the villages and may not have been reported.

Most of those killed or in detention are guards who protected Mumbere, who is accused of harboring rebels in his hometown of Kasese, a stronghold of the political opposition near the border with Congo.

Weapons, including automatic guns and a cache of spears and machetes, had been seized following the assault on the palace, which followed two days of deadly skirmishes with the tribal militia, Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo told reporters Tuesday.

The killings underscore tensions between longtime President Yoweri Museveni and influential tribal rulers who are constitutionally recognized but have no real authority or armies of their own. Ahead of presidential polls in February, which were won by Museveni, Mumbere came out in support of the opposition, a move that appeared to violate the traditional leaders' code of conduct.

Museveni lost the popular vote in Kasese, and a month later clashes erupted between the security forces and militiamen who were believed to be loyal to Mumbere. Among the king's supporters are separatists who hope to create a new republic called Yiira, which would include Mumbere's Bakonzo people and their relatives across the border in Congo. The separatists are accused of printing their own money and even collecting taxes in some parts of the area.

In March, amid clashes between Mumbere's supporters and security officials, Museveni vowed to defeat the separatists, who complain of marginalization by the central government 340 kilometers (211 miles) away in the capital, Kampala.

"There can never be a Yiira Republic," Museveni said at the time.

Mumbere denies being the commander of the separatists.

Rights groups are urging Ugandan security forces to show restraint.

Amnesty International said there were shocking examples of unlawful killings and a complete disregard for human rights during the arrests, and that many victims seem to have been summarily shot dead and their bodies dumped.

Opposition leader Kizza Besigye described the killings as a "massacre" and posted a photo on Twitter purporting to show bodies of victims outside Mumbere's palace.

The attack on the palace shocked many in this East African country that Museveni has ruled since 1986. Although tribal leaders only have ceremonial powers, are revered among their subjects and are influential in their regions. Television footage showed Mumbere being led to a police station as a soldier jerked him by the trousers following the deadly assault on the palace.

Museveni, who took power by force three decades ago, has struggled to win over the support of the Bakonzo people in presidential elections. There are frequent land disputes in the area, with many accusing the government of sponsoring land grabs. A new plan to divide Kasese district into two parts has also been fiercely opposed.
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Steven Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive and Hollywood movie producer who served as his campaign finance chairman, to be the next Treasury secretary.

Although there was no official announcement, Mnuchin confirmed the appointment Wednesday morning during an appearance on CNBC along with fellow billionaire Wilbur Ross, who said he had been tapped by Trump to be Commerce secretary.

Were really going to be focused on economic growth and creating jobs, Mnuchin said, citing tax reform as a key to that goal.

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Our most important priority is sustained economic growth, he said, adding that he thought the U.S. could sustain an annual growth rate of 3% to 4%.

Economic growth has been about 2% a year since the Great Recession ended in 2009.

Tim Pawlenty, head of the Financial Services Roundtable, a Washington organization that represents the nations largest banking and financial services companies, praised Mnuchins selection.

Steve is a seasoned and results-oriented leader who is really smart, interested in public policy, and understands the urgent need to boost economic growth and opportunity, said Pawlenty, the former Republican governor of Minnesota.

Mnuchins deep roots on Wall Street fit the mold of past Treasury secretaries but contrast with the populist stance that Trump took during his campaign.

Mnuchins net worth is unclear, but he could be the second billionaire member of Trumps Cabinet, after Betsy DeVos, who is Trumps pick for Education secretary. The third would be financier Ross.

Mnuchins selection  which was first reported Tuesday by the New York Times  drew ire from Democratic and liberal groups, which have accused him of profiting from the financial crisis after buying the failed IndyMac Bank in 2009.

So much for draining the swamp, said Adam Hodge, communications director for the Democratic National Committee. He said Mnuchin preyed on homeowners struggling during the recession, calling Trumps pick a slap in the face to voters who hoped he would shake up Washington.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called Mnuchin the Forrest Gump of the financial crisis because he managed to participate in all the worst practices on Wall Street during his lengthy career.

His selection as Treasury secretary should send shivers down the spine of every American who got hit hard by the financial crisis, and is the latest sign that Donald Trump has no intention of draining the swamp and every intention of running Washington to benefit himself and his rich buddies, she said.

Officials with Trumps transition team declined to confirm Mnuchins selection.

Mnuchin, 53, co-chief executive of hedge fund Dune Capital Management, served as chairman of the Pasadena-based bank, which was renamed OneWest Bank after he led a group of investors to purchase it. The bank has been criticized for a large number of foreclosures and hit by allegations of discrimination against minorities. It also helped finance high-profile films such as Suicide Squad, American Sniper and Mad Max: Fury Road.

During the campaign, Trump sharply criticized his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for being too cozy with Wall Street.

Now Trump has tapped Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., to be one of the federal governments most important economic and financial officials.

Mnuchin rose to partner and chief information officer at the legendary Wall Street investment bank, where his father also had been a partner, before leaving in 2002 to work with billionaire investor George Soros.

Two years later, Dune Capital Management was co-founded by Mnuchin as a spinoff from Soros firm.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mnuchin would be the third former Goldman executive to become Treasury secretary in recent years, following Robert Rubin under President Bill Clinton and Henry M. Paulson under President George W. Bush.

As Mnuchins name emerged as a leading candidate for the Treasury post, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee called Mnuchin a second-generation Goldman Sachs banker who made a fortune by foreclosing on working families homes. The group criticized him for opposing tough Wall Street regulation.

Mnuchin would become a key player in world economics, meeting frequently with foreign finance ministers, and in overseeing the U.S. tax and financial system.

He would take the helm of an agency whose regulatory responsibilities swelled under the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The Treasury secretary serves as chairman of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a panel of top regulators created by the law. Republicans have criticized the council as wielding too much power.

Trump has called for Dodd-Frank to be dismantled. But on Wednesday, Mnuchin did not say he wanted a wholesale repeal of Dodd-Frank.

We want to strip back parts of Dodd-Frank that restrict banks from lending, Mnuchin said. The number one priority will be to make sure banks lend.

The Treasury Department also includes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent agency that supervises national banks; the IRS; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; and the Mint.

Mnuchin is a Yale University graduate who is divorced with three children. He owns a $26.5-million mansion in Los Angeles exclusive Bel-Air neighborhood and has strong connections to Southern California.

In 2009, Mnuchin and other investors put up about $1.6 billion in cash to purchase IndyMac, one of the leading subprime mortgage lenders.

They sold the bank to CIT Group last year for $3.4 billion. Mnuchin now serves on CITs board of directors.

The deal was nearly derailed by complaints about OneWests foreclosure practices.

OneWest had agreed to participate in a federal program to modify the mortgages of borrowers so that they would not lose their homes. But community groups said the bank aggressively pursued foreclosures, particularly in minority areas.

In 2011, dozens of activists protested the practices on the lawn of Mnuchins 22,000-square-foot Bel-Air home. That same year, the federal Office of Thrift Supervision hit the bank with a regulatory order saying it had failed to follow procedures when foreclosing on homeowners.

This month, two California advocacy groups asked federal housing regulators to investigate OneWest over allegations that it discriminated against or failed to serve minority communities.

The groups said OneWest has violated federal fair lending laws by failing to effectively market, offer and originate mortgage loans and other loan products in communities of color.

The groups also said the bank has a below-average level of branch locations in minority communities.

On Wednesday, Mnuchin defended OneWest.

We bought the worst mortgage portfolio in the history of time, he said of IndyMac, adding that the bad loans that led to the foreclosures had been originated before his purchase of the bank.

We saved a lot of jobs and we created a lot of opportunities for corporate loans, Mnuchin said.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Follow @JimPuzzanghera on Twitter

ALSO

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Hire judges, boost prosecutions and cut funds: What Jeff Sessions could do on immigration as attorney general

UPDATES:

5:35 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Tim Pawlenty, head of the Financial Services Roundtable.

4:40 a.m. Nov. 30.: This article was updated with comments from Steven Mnuchin from a CNBC interview.

7:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect Ross selection as Commerce secretary.

4:10 p.m.: This article was updated after Mnuchins selection was confirmed by staff sources.

This article was originally published at 3:40 p.m. Nov. 29.
ROMAINVILLE, France, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOPHYTIS (Alternext Paris:ALBPS), a biotechnology company specialized in the development of drug candidates to treat aging diseases, announces the successful completion of its SARA-PK clinical study for Sarconeos, lead drug candidate for the treatment of sarcopenia. The results of the study, conducted in young and elderly healthy volunteers, confirmed Sarconeos appropriate safety profile, with no serious adverse events associated with the administration of Sarconeos.



Stanislas Veillet, Chief Executive Officer of BIOPHYTIS, said: The successful outcome of the SARA-PK study is an important milestone for BIOPHYTIS and our Sarconeos development program. We have strong confidence in Sarconeos safety profile and will move forward with our Phase 2b SARA-INT study in 2017, as planned. We believe Sarconeos is well differentiated and has significant potential to treat sarcopenia, a debilitating muscle wasting disease that is largely untreatable today.

The objective of the SARA-PK study was to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of Sarconeos in elderly healthy volunteers (> 65 years old). The study was conducted in two phases: single ascending dose (SAD) administration, and multiple ascending dose (MAD) administration. The MAD portion of the study was aimed at evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of Sarconeos in 30 older subjects, following three ascending oral administrations daily for 14 days (350mg/day, 700 mg/day then 900 mg/day). Both phases of the SARA-PK study have now been successfully completed.

The results of the SARA-PK study will be used to select the two doses of Sarconeos for further evaluation in the Phase 2b SARA-INT trial, which BIOPHYTIS intends to initiate in the first half of 2017.

The complete results of the SARA-PK study, in particular the pharmacokinetic profile of Sarconeos, will be available in the first quarter of 2017. Initial study results will be presented at the 9th International Conference on Sarcopenia, Cachexia, and muscle Wasting Diseases (SCWD), being held December 10-11, 2016, in Berlin, Germany.

About SARCONEOS:

Sarconeos is the first representative of a new class of drug candidates, based on the activation of the MAS receptor (major player of the renin-angiotensin system) stimulating anabolism in the muscle, inhibitor of myostatin and favoring muscle mass development in animal models of muscular dystrophies. Sarconeos is developed in the treatment of sarcopenia, an age-related degeneration of skeletal muscle and strength, leading to a loss of mobility in elderly people. This new pathology, for which no medical treatment currently exists, was first described in 1993 and just entered the WHO International Classification of Diseases (M62.84), affects more than 50 million people worldwide.

About BIOPHYTIS:

BIOPHYTIS SA (www.biophytis.com), founded in 2006, develops drug candidates targeting diseases of aging. Using its technology and know-how, BIOPHYTIS has discovered and begun clinical development of innovative therapeutics to restore the muscular and visual functions in diseases with significant unmet medical need. Specifically, the company is advancing two lead products into mid-stage clinical testing next year: Sarconeos (BIO101) to treat sarcopenic obesity and Macuneos (BIO201) to treat dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The company was founded in partnership with researchers at the UPMC (Pierre et Marie Curie University) and also collaborates with scientists at the Institute of Myology, and the Vision Institute.

BIOPHYTIS is listed on the Alternext market of Euronext Paris

(ALBPS; ISIN: FR0012816825).

For more information: http://www.biophytis.com

BIOPHYTIS is eligible for the Equity Saving Plans PEA-PME.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (Facteurs de Risque) section of the Listing Prospectus upon the admission of Companys shares for trading on the regulated market Alternext of Euronext Paris filed with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website (www.amf- france.org) or on BIOPHYTIS website (www.biophytis.com).

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in BIOPHYTIS in any country. Items in this press release may contain forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. The Companys actual results could differ substantially from those anticipated in these statements owing to various risk factors which are described in the Companys prospectus. This press release has been prepared in both French and English. In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede.





BIOPHYTIS

Stanislas VEILLET

CEO

contact@biophytis.com

Tel : +33 (0) 1 41 83 66 00



Citigate Dewe Rogerson

International press

Laurence BAULT/Antoine DENRY

Laurence.bault@citigate.fr/antoine.denry@citigate.fr

Tel : +33 (0)1 53 32 84 78

Mob : +33(0)6 64 12 53 61







Milestones

Press and investor relations

Bruno ARABIAN

barabian@milestones.fr

Tel : +33 (0) 1 83 62 34 84

Mob : +33 (0) 6 87 88 47 26



LifeSci Advisors

Chris MAGGOS

Managing Director, Europe

chris@lifesciadvisors.com

Tel : +41 79 367 6254








Decades after exiting San Diego County, Dunkin Donuts is ready to launch a revival, with more than a dozen locations planned over the next eight years.

First up: National City, where local franchisee Burton Restaurants is preparing to open Dec. 6 a standalone outlet and drive-through on East Plaza Boulevard, the first since three stores opened on local military bases in the last several years, plus one other inside the downtown Embassy Suites in combination with a Baskin Robbins. There is also a Dunkin Donuts in Ramona but is not operated by Burton.

While the Burton group announced plans in 2014 to develop 14 doughnut shops in San Diego County over a period of several years, that effort eventually stalled because of challenges locking down the right real estate deals, said Tali Burton, a co-owner of the franchisee group.

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Its been slow to materialize and weve been very picky with real estate, said Burton, a former instructor pilot at Camp Pendleton and still in the Marine Corps reserves. There have been sites that were former quick-serve restaurants but went under and theres a reason why they went under.

At the end of the day, Im not the wealthiest guy in the world and I need this to succeed for my family so I was cautious.

The Burton group is now bullish once again on San Diego and has signed leases for four additional locations on Rosecrans in Point Loma; inside the former NBC San Diego building on Broadway downtown; C Street, also in downtown; and a store in El Cajon.

The goal is to open those Dunkin branches all next year.

Ideally, Burton said he would like to bring on four to five new stores a year over the next five or six years. Looking ahead, he believes theres room eventually to develop 30 outlets in the county, but his current agreement with the Canton, Mass.-based company is to complete 14 stores in eight years. His territory covers the part of San Diego County that lies south of Miramar.

Burton Restaurants currently owns outlets on Camp Pendleton, the Naval Medical Center San Diego, MCAS Miramar and in the Embassy Suites.

A huge fan of Dunkin Donuts who grew up on the East Coast where the brand was as prevalent as Starbucks, Burton even wrote his masters thesis on Dunkin Donuts as an MBA student.

My thesis was that Dunkin was missing a great opportunity because when everyone is selling, its a good opportunity to buy and I explained why they failed in their expansion in Southern California.

At one time during the late 1990s, there were about 15 Dunkin Donuts open in the California market, but they eventually all closed because the timing for the brand wasnt great, said the companys public relations manager in a 2012 interview.

Krispy Kreme was all the rage at the time, making it hard for Dunkin to compete, Burton theorized. And that was at a time when Dunkin was known more for its doughnuts and not its coffee.

Today, the company has nearly 12,000 restaurants in 45 countries worldwide. Dunkin Donuts was unable make available a company executive to talk about the San Diego expansion plans.

Were not really a doughnut company as much as we used to be. Were much heavier into the beverage side of the business, which helps us against our competition, Burton said. Krispy Kreme is still around but in a smaller footprint.

Burton co-owns the franchise with Ryan Redmond, president of Redline Surgical, a San Diego medical device distribution company, and Robert Fox, whose family until recently had operated more than 100 Wendys outlets on the East Coast.

The operations end of the Dunkin franchise business is run by Burton and some fellow Marines who all ended up at Camp Pendleton together.

Most of the new Dunkin Donut outlets planned for San Diego next year will be drive-through. The planned location on C Street happens to be a couple of blocks away from downtowns enormously popular Donut Bar, which features a wide variety of gourmet doughnuts. Burton said hes not concerned.

Were a beverage business first and foremost and when it comes to doughnuts, I feel like our product is on par with theirs but with a better price point, he said. They can have their fancy doughnuts but if you want a good Boston creme and dont want to pay $4.25, you can come to us.

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 Twitter:@loriweisberg
Oil ministers at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut production of crude for the first time in eight years Wednesday, a move that may produce ripple effects from global financial markets to the U.S. economy and all the way to the corner gas station.

I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters after the announcement was made at OPEC headquarters in Vienna, Austria. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth.

Under the plan, the cartel will cut production by roughly 1.2 million barrels a day. OPECs dominant member, Saudi Arabia, will absorb the biggest hit by cutting nearly 500,000 barrels a day.

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The deal also extends to some non-OPEC countries such as Russia, which is slated to reduce production by 300,000 barrels a day.

But the agreement is a tenuous one.

The longstanding rivalry between the Saudis and Iran, a country looking to boost its revenue from oil after years of international sanctions, nearly derailed Wednesdays meeting and the agreement with non-OPEC countries wont be formally addressed until a meeting on Dec. 9.

Analysts at Barclays expressed skepticism about the deal, sending out a report titled Show me the cuts and describing its outlook as Too good to be true.

Nonetheless, oil prices surged within moments of initial reports of a deal being struck.

At the close of trading Wednesday, the price of Brent crude  the benchmark price for global oil  was up $4.09, finishing at $50.47 a barrel.

West Texas Intermediate  the recognized price for most North American producers  closed at $49.44 a barrel, a one-day jump of $4.21.

The last time OPEC countries cut production was in December 2008 when the price of Brent crude was trading at $40 a barrel.

Todays projected cut comes as oil prices have experienced a sustained two-year slide. In November 2014 OPEC surprised energy analysts by keeping production levels high, instead of cutting supplies to bolster prices.

Prices plunged from more than $100 a barrel in the summer of 2014 to as low as $26 a barrel in February of this year.

The price drop has been good news for motorists, as gasoline prices have remained low, but it proved disastrous for many OPEC countries that depend on oil revenue to keep their economies afloat.

North American producers also suffered, reversing the many of the gains they made in shale oil formations in recent years, resulting in an estimated 200,000 layoffs and dozens of bankruptcies that affected the larger U.S. economy.

I would argue one of the reasons we have reported very sluggish economic growth over the last two years is because of the drop in the investment in oil and gas companies, said Bernard Weinstein, associate director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University..

In California, for example, the number of active oil rigs plummeted from 44 in the fall of 2014 to just four earlier this year, according to the oilfield services company Baker Hughes. Thats the lowest number for the state since Baker Hughes began compiling figures in 1992. The November rig count for the state stands at six.

OPEC controls about one-third of the worlds oil supply and a number of energy analysts on Wednesday said they expect prices to reach the $55 to $60 dollar per barrel range in fairly short order.

Most of the shale guys would be very happy at 55-60, said Weinstein. Thats because during the downturn, many U.S. producers proved very resilient, finding cheaper and more efficient ways to extract oil and gas.

As for producers in Kern County, the heart of Californias Oil Patch, Chris Hall, president of Drilling & Production Co., said prices in the mid-50s would certainly help.

Thats sort of the survival rate in California, Hall said. That gives people enough money to not just keep things running but to do deferred maintenance and repairs (but) its not enough to invest and do projects.

Halls company is one of the smaller mom and pop operations in the Kern County, producing about 200 barrels a day.

Like the analysts at Barclays, Hall said he was waiting to see if the OPEC deal will hold up.

Im happy for the immediate benefit that it brings and it will help pay bills we have immediately in front us but Im not going to hold my breath on it because Ive seen these things fall apart before, Hall said.

Gasoline prices generally run in parallel to oil prices so an uptick in crude will almost certainly mean that motorists will pay more at the pump. But Weinstein predicted the increase may be muted.

Right now weve got huge inventories of gasoline and diesel, Weinstein said. And youre going into the winter season where people tend to drive less  We may see a 5 to 10-cent increase over the next week or so but I think gasoline and diesel will remain relatively inexpensive at least until next spring.

Bob Poole, a vice president for the Western States Petroleum Association, said California consumes about 50 million gallons of gasoline each day.

The state also consumes about 2 million barrels of oil per day, with about 52 percent coming from overseas.

The more opportunities California has to produce its own oil, the more we can reduce those imports, Poole said.

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

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For centuries, popular music has inspired classical composers. Renaissance composers used tunes as structural scaffolding to support their creations. Later composers dressed up popular melodies in arrangements, the musical equivalent of Henry Higgins making a proper lady of Eliza Doolittle.

Nineteenth-century composers evoked nationalist dances like mazurkas and habaneras. By the early 20th century, snippets of popular music drifted in and out of the music of Debussy and Ives, while Bartok and Stravinsky synthesized folk and classical music into new hybrids.

On Tuesday evening at the Glashaus, a Barrio Logan art venue, Art of Elan showcased works by two 21st century composers, A.J. Nilles and Daniel Wohl, that continue the engagement of popular music with high art.

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Nilles may be familiar to San Diegans as a violist  before joining the Berlin Philharmonic, he was a member of the San Diego Symphony and played chamber music for many local groups here. He appeared as one of nine musicians in his Beat Suite No. 2, commissioned by Art of Elan (one of seven world premieres they are presenting this season).

The title may suggest hip-hop, but Beat Suite is more influenced by klezmer, Third Stream jazz, 1970s rock ballads and mid-20th century French Neo-classicism. Nilles approached pop music as an outsider, using scales, rhythms and textures idiomatic to other genres as the basis for writing concert music.

Nilles has a chamber musicians concern with giving performers musically satisfying parts; it seemed that nearly everyone had an important solo to contribute. He created many appealing moments, but the way that those sections were connected and developed was less impressive.

His music may have been episodic, but it never overstayed its welcome. Nilles rhetoric was most convincing in the first two movements, owing less to any recognizable pop style, and more concerned with layering of patterns and carefully planned climaxes.

His colleagues were Anna Skalova on violin; Alex Greenbaum, cello; Jory Herman, double bass; Rose Lombardo, flute; Robert Walker, clarinet; Todd Rewoldt, saxophone; Andrew Watkins, percussion; and Julie Smith Phillips, harp. If there were any ensemble or solo problems, I could not detect them.

Daniel Wohl made his San Diego debut with six selections from his 2013 album on New Amsterdam, Corps Exquis. The New Amsterdam collective prides itself on blurring boundaries between pop and art music, and Wohls music is a striking example of such a synthesis.

If one had to point to a predecessor to Wohls slow, electronic-glazed ruminations, it would probably be Brian Enos ambient music. Wohl brings more disruption and electronic grit to his sonic world, but the overall lovely diatonic surface and soupy electronics is reminiscent of Eno (as well as Harold Budd).

Electronics, consisting of live processing, sample playback and pre-recorded tracks, are an important component to Corps Exquis. On the album, the live musicians and electronics appear seamless. In performance, the distinction between the instruments violin, cello, clarinet and percussion  and the electronics was apparent.

One could appreciate electronic doublings which extended yet blurred the instrumental timbres. Wohls contributions on sampler keyboard were less perceptible if one could not see his fingerwork.

Coordinated by click tracks, Skalova, Greenbaum, Walker, Watkins and Wohl laid down a deep, fuzzy, sonic ooze into which I pleasantly submerged. Wohl has recently moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and one hopes he will return to San Diego with more of his electronic alchemy.

Hertzog is a freelance writer.
President-elect Donald Trump has put several U.S. military luminaries on his cabinet shortlist -- including what could mark a public-service rebirth for retired Army Gen. David Petraeus.

Trump met with Petraeus on Monday in New York to interview him for secretary of state.

Afterward, the former Army general told reporters it was a very good conversation, and well see where it goes from here.

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Petraeus is the one-time U.S. Central Command leader and CIA director whose meteoric career trajectory was halted in 2012 by a scandal over an affair and mishandling classified material.

Petraeus had an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, and gave her improper access to information. When exposed, Petraeus had to resign as CIA director. He later pleaded guilty in a misdemeanor deal that avoided jail time.

Since then, he has largely stayed out of the national spotlight.

Petraeus is known for championing counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he oversaw troop surges on both battlefields.

He is also famously bookish, with a Ph.D. in international relations from Princeton.

Petraeus major rivals for the State job are reportedly 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Another big military name on Trumps cabinet maybes list is retired Gen. James Mattis.

Perhaps the best-loved living Marine Corps general, Mad Dog Mattis interviewed with Trump before Thanksgiving for the defense secretary position.

Mattis is known as a warrior-scholar with deep love for his troops and a flair for words.

Another retired Marine Corps four-star, Gen. John Kelly, is reportedly being considered for two positions in the Trump administration  State and Homeland Security.

Kelly, who commanded Camp Pendleton troops in Iraq, may be a fringe candidate for State, given the competition.

But his time as head of U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for U.S. security in Central and South America and the Caribbean, could play well as credentials for the Homeland position.

Kelly is also known for his unfortunate status as the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to have lost a child to the war in Afghanistan. His youngest son, a Marine first lieutenant, was killed in Sangin in 2010.

Trump is reportedly considering Navy Adm. Michael Rogers for director of national intelligence, the top intelligence adviser to the president.

Rogers, who is still serving in uniform with four stars, is currently director of the National Security Agency.

That position became controversial this month as the Pentagon and the current national intelligence director have reportedly called for him to be removed, with poor performance cited as one of the reasons.

Rogers started out his career on ships but moved into the intelligence field as a cryptology officer in 1986. He previously led the Navys U.S. Fleet Cyber Command.

While its not a cabinet position  and so doesnt require congressional approval  the job of national security adviser has been handed to retired Army three-star Michael Flynn.

Flynn, a career Army intel officer, was director of the Defense Intelligence Agency until reportedly forced out by the Obama administration in August 2014 following friction inside and out of the agency over style and approach.

Flynn has been a vocal Trump supporter and his leading backer in the military community.

A frequent Twitter user like Trump, Flynn has employed the platform to attack Hillary Clinton over her email, denounce radical Islam and promote the idea of American exceptionalism and his book, The Field of Fight.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley
A mans body was found Tuesday afternoon in a Hollywood Hills parking garage with a single gunshot wound to the head, prompting a murder investigation by the Los Angeles Police Departments elite detective unit.

Officers were called to the 3600 block of Barham Boulevard near the Cahuenga Pass just before 1:30 p.m., said Officer Tony Im, an LAPD spokesman.

On the floor of an apartment complexs parking garage, officers found the body of a man between the ages of 30 and 35, Im said.

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The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Im said. Detectives have ruled out suicide.

There was enough evidence to establish that a murder occurred, Im said.

The case was turned over to the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division, an elite unit that often handles high-profile crimes. Police did not provide an explanation as to why the unit took on the investigation.

The mans name was not released pending notification of his family members, Los Angeles County coroners Lt. Larry Dietz said late Tuesday.

Before Tuesdays slaying, two people had been killed in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood during the previous 12 months, according to data compiled by The Times Homicide Report database.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno.

UPDATES:

11:00 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the crime and updated comments from the Los Angeles County coroners office.

7:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional circumstances about the discovery of the body in a parking garage.

6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with confirmation that the case was turned over to the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division.

This article was originally published at 5:30 p.m.
All she wants to do is go home.

It has been about seven years since the woman known only by her initials, W.M., left Indonesia for a housekeeping job in Dubai. Since then, she claims she was held in indentured servitude by a family there, and then flown to El Cajon to serve another family  both times without pay and no access to her passport that would allow her to leave.

She was rescued from the El Cajon apartment in March, but the thought of facing her former bosses in depositions and at a prolonged trial was too much to bear, prosecutors said.

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She just wants to go home.

Rather than pursue felony labor trafficking charges against the couple in the case, prosecutors considered the victims wishes and negotiated a plea agreement.

On Tuesday, Firas Majeed and his wife, Shatha Abbas, were sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful conduct regarding a passport. The plea agreement also called for them to fork over $18,270 in back wages, which was paid to the maid this week.

This woman feels very violated by all parties, said Heather Beaugen, an attorney who represented the victim at the hearing in San Diego federal court. The victim was not present.

While she said the victim may not comprehend the work that the government did to help her case, Beaugen complimented the result in what was a difficult situation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tenorio said after the hearing that these cases can be hard to prosecute.

Its typical in forced labor cases the victims dont want to have to relive their situations, which sometimes happens when they are confronted at trial and deposition, Tenorio said. By law, prosecutors must consider the wishes of the victim in these kinds of cases when deciding how to proceed, he said.

We have been seeing more and more of these types of domestic servitude cases involving unpaid wages of individuals of vulnerable communities, Rodolfo Cortez, district director of the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division in San Diego, said in a statement.

W.M. told authorities that she got a job through an employment agency in Indonesia as a housekeeper for an Iraqi doctor and his family living in Dubai in 2010.

She left behind a baby daughter, older child and husband in Indonesia for the opportunity.

She lived with the family and was pretty much always on duty  cleaning, cooking, caring for the children  20 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the complaint.

She was not allowed to leave the house on her own, and Dr. Haider Kubba would lock the door behind him when he would leave for work, she said, according to the complaint. The only time she was permitted to leave was to take the trash out, with permission, she said.

She claimed she was never paid for her labor and that Kubba kept all of her travel documents, including her passport. She said some payments were sent to her mother in Indonesia but not many, and the amounts were unknown.

She said she tried to go back home when her two-year contract was up, but her request was brushed aside. She was told shed have to pay her own way back, but she had no money, the complaint states.

About a year later, she discovered the door had been left unlocked, and she grabbed a cab to the Indonesian Consulate. But Kubba was called and he persuaded her to return home with him on promises he would pay her and that shed be soon allowed to return to Indonesia, the complaint says.

(In e-mails to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Kubba denied her claims of forced labor, saying W.M. was treated as a member of the family. He said W.M. had asked him to hold onto her money for her.)

Two more years went by. She was then told that she had to go to El Cajon to care for the elderly parents of Kubbas wife, who had been living with them in Dubai. She was promised a return to Indonesia if shed only work for them a few more months, she claimed.

She flew to the U.S. in November 2015 with the parents, and they went to live with Kubbas wifes sister and her husband  Iraqi refugees Abbas and Majeed  in El Cajon. The father was to receive specialty care and surgery at UC San Diego, although he ended up in hospice, unable to speak, eat, move or bathe, said Abbas attorney, Caitlin Howard.

Abbas mother was also ailing, suffering from blindness after a bombing in Iraq and could not care for herself, Howard said.

Abbas and Majeeds two children, now 6 and 9, also lived at the Mollison Avenue apartment.

W.M. told authorities that she was again forced to cook, clean and provide care for the family for up to 18 hours each day under constant supervision. She said she was not paid for her work.

She said she was not locked inside, but she was afraid to escape, didnt speak English and didnt know where to go.

On March 18 she found a way. She handed a note to a health care provider who was visiting the apartment, pleading to be saved, authorities said. The note had to be translated, and it was passed on to U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents who visited the apartment days later under the ruse of a compliance check.

W.M. went into protective custody after that, and Majeed, 45, and Abbas, 39, were later arrested.

The couple were originally charged with forced labor, trafficking and confiscating a passport.

They pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor passport charge in August.

Both apologized to U.S. Magistrate Judge Jan Adler Tuesday, saying they would never step foot in court again.

I just want to express how deeply sorry I am, Abbas said with the help of a translator.

Prosecutors requested five years of probation, but the judge gave them each three years and agreed with defense attorneys that they did not need supervision.

That more easily allows the couple to go ahead with plans to move to Tennessee, where they hope to find jobs. Majeed was a civil engineer in Iraq but said he has been unable to find similar work in the U.S. He said he is working toward an engineering degree here. Abbas was studying to be a pharmacist in Iraq before she left, and she has found it difficult to find work here as well, partly due to her lack of proficiency in English.

As for W.M., she can now go home. But her supporters say she shouldnt have to pay for the return herself.

Her lawyer, Beaugen, asked the judge to consider a way to provide money for her plane ticket, which would cost $700 to $1,200. But the judge said he would stand by the plea agreement, which does not call for additional payment to W.M.

The Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, a nonprofit shelter for trafficking victims where W.M. has been staying, is raising money for her to return home. Donors can make contributions via Paypal on the groups website, bsccoalition.org, and specify that the funds go to W.M.

Executive director Marisa Ugarte said W.M. has been attending school, learning English and computers while here. She will connect with nonprofits once back in Indonesia to help her find a job and continue her education, Ugarte said.

Shes an amazing, amazing human being, Ugarte said.

Everybody wants her home, nobody has seen her.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A Northern California charter school has turned to the states highest court to review and potentially reverse an appellate court ruling that calls into question the legality of hundreds of satellite charter campuses.

Californias charter school industry suffered a major blow in October when a state appellate court ruled that a charter school cannot operate mini-campuses outside its home district in its resident county. Growth in satellite charters has stirred turf wars and costly litigation locally and throughout San Diego County and state.

Tens of thousands of California students attend satellite charter schools that operate in shopping malls, office parks and other unlikely campus venues within boundaries of school districts that did not authorize them. The appellate court decision puts at stake the education of students and millions of dollars in revenue generated by the charters for privately run organizations.

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The Shasta Secondary Home School (now Shasta Charter Academy) filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court on Tuesday.

This case involves an important question of law because the Court of Appeals decision threatens harm to thousands of public school children that have not been successful in traditional classroom settings and calls into question the very statutory foundations upon which nonclassroom-based charter school education is based, attorneys wrote in the petition.

The request for review is part of an effort to get reversed the 3rd District Court of Appeals Oct. 17 decision that overturns a lower court ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Anderson Union High School District near Redding claiming the Shasta charter illegally opened a satellite campus in its jurisdiction.

The appellate court decision was a surprise, said Julie Umansky , vice president of legal advocacy for the California Charter Schools Association. It effects thousands of students. To disrupt their education  and ignore a whole body of law  is something that concerns us.

The appellate ruling has been in effect since November 16, and reverses the lower court decision, which sided with the charter that was authorized by the nearby Shasta Union High School District. The lower court said it was legal for a charter to operate a resource center, as such schools are officially called, in the neighboring Anderson district to give its independent-study students who live there a chance to use computers, receive tutoring and work on assignments in a classroom setting.

Under the State Education Code, independent-study charters are allowed to operate satellite campuses in their home district and in neighboring counties. However, the law is largely moot about whether a charter can operate satellite centers outside their home district and within their county.

Megan Macy, a lead attorney representing the Anderson district, said the case is about the strict reading of statutes in the California Charter Schools Act.

Even so, she said the case has raised issues about how districts can provide oversight of schools in their boundaries, and is being closely watched by charter school advocates and critics nationwide.

There is a significant interest on the part of school districts to make sure there is accountability. That is what is central to this case, Macy said. Many of these charter schools offer great programs that education students very effectively, but there are others that are likely in it to make money.

The San Diego Unified, Grossmont and Sweetwater Union High School districts have sued the Julian Union Elementary School District and its Julian Charter School over resource centers that have cost those districts students and state attendance funds. The districts have said they are unable ensure academic or financial oversight at the storefront centers they did not authorize.

We believe the Court of Appeal decision in the Anderson case was very well reasoned and should be upheld, however It remains to be see whether the Supreme Court will even take up review of the case, said Andra Donovan, San Diego Unifieds chief attorney. In either case, a final decision in the Anderson case will have a significant impact on the outcome of all litigation currently pending on this issue.

The Anderson school district will have a chance to respond to the review request, as will interested parties on both sides, in the coming weeks and months before the justices decide whether to review the decision.

Without a reversal from the states highest court, charters have limited options for their growing web of resource centers.

Among the options: petitioning the resident school district, county board of education, or the State Board of Education to approve a charter that essentially converts a resource center into a full-fledged charter school. The authorizing agency would gain oversight of the charter and collect up to 3 percent of the charters revenue for that service.

Some charters could maintain their satellite schools with a reorganization. Charter organizations with schools in multiple counties could redistribute management of their campuses as charters are allowed to operate storefront centers in adjacent counties under the law. The San Diego-based Altus Institute operates several charters  including Audeo, Audeo II, and the Charter School of San Diego  and their resource centers in several counties.

New legislation could allow charters to continue the practice of operating resource centers outside their authorizing districts within their county.

Of Californias roughly 1,200 charter schools, more than 275 are non-classroom based programs  including 43 in San Diego County.

The petition filed with the state Supreme Court states that more than 63 percent of students enrolled in satellite charters are poor and more than 46 percent are Latino or African American. The mini campuses employ roughly 2,000 employees, most of whom are mostly teachers, attorneys said.

Charters are publicly funded schools that are independently operated and free of state and local education rules in exchange for a promise to raise student achievement with innovative means.

The court case involves non-classroom-based charters, which offer a hybrid education that typically combines independent-study with classroom instruction. In 2008, 72,459 California students attended such schools, a figure that nearly doubled to 141,752 last year.

Nearly 40,000 students in California are estimated to be attending satellite campuses affected by the lawsuit.

About 20 percent of San Diego Unified students have transferred to charters, with the district projecting that figure to reach 30 percent in a decade  largely due to growth of independent-study charters.

San Diego Unified and other districts have expanded online programs to compete with charters and make use of technology that makes it easier to supplement classroom instruction with teacher-guided independent-study programs.

Dozens of far-flung charters and resource centers have been authorized by East County districts, including some that that were forged mostly for the money.

Steve Van Zant was convicted of a felony violation of the Political Reform Act earlier this year for abusing his position as superintendent of the Mountain Empire Union School District.

Under his leadership, Mountain Empire approved 13 charters (all but one were non-classroom-based) to operate in other districts between 2008 and 2013, with some of them going on to hire his EdHive charter consulting business. In addition, he personally received stipends equivalent to 5 percent of the districts charter revenue under his employment contract negotiated with the school board.

maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com

Twitter:@MaureenMagee
Leaders of Californias three public college and university systems sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday urging him to preserve President Barack Obamas program allowing children of unauthorized immigrants leeway to stay in the U.S.

The deferred action for childhood arrivals program, or DACA, was created through executive action and Trump promised during his campaign to overturn it.

The University of California, California State University, and the California Community College systems each have thousands of DACA students studying at our institutions, the letter says. They are constructive and contributing members of our communities. They should be able to pursue their dream of higher education without fear of being arrested, deported, or rounded up for just trying to learn.

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The letter follows one last week in which more than 380 colleges and universities across the nation supported continuation of the program, including San Diego State University, University of California San Diego and University of San Diego.

The program allows certain unauthorized immigrants who arrived as children temporary relief from deportation for renewable two-year periods and gives them work permits.

According to Jon Feere, legal policy analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, a pro-enforcement think tank in Washington, D.C., part of the problem with DACA is that it was created through executive action rather than legislation in Congress.

Something as complex and far-reaching as deferred action should go through the legislative process, Feere said. DACA was never worth the paper it was printed on because the terms could change at any time.

Feere also took issue with the terms themselves. He said he could see a compelling case for young people who were brought here through no fault of their own but DACA policy was not strict enough on educational or criminal background requirements.

The program requires either current enrollment in an educational program or graduation from high school. Recipients cannot have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor or three or more other misdemeanors. They must not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

Larry Stirling, a former state assemblyman and Superior Court judge, wants to see Trump get rid of DACA.

We are under no obligation to be the foster-care country for millions of central and south American youth, Stirling said via email.

In a speech on immigration in Arizona during the campaign, Trump said, We will immediately terminate President Obamas two illegal executive amnesties, in which he defied federal law and the constitution to give amnesty to approximately 5 million illegal immigrants.

Since the election, Trump and his team have taken a more measured stance, leaving DACA recipients uncertain about the fate of the program.

First what [Trump] is going to do is start working on legislation to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States. No. 1, secure the border, Trumps Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told CNN last week. Secondly, were going to do our best and get our best and brightest people together to remove criminal elements from our prison system and folks who need to be removed from our country who shouldnt be here anyway that are not good people. Thirdly, what hes also made clear is after all those things are done, he will then look at what were going to do and how were going to deal with the fact that millions and millions of people are here that arent bad people and in many cases were brought here by their parents when they were little.

Last weeks letter signed by universities across the country is not addressed to Trump directly but urges our countrys leaders to keep DACA.

This is both a moral imperative and a national necessity. America needs talent  and these students, who have been raised and educated in the United States, are already part of our national community, the letter says. They represent what is best about America, and as scholars and leaders they are essential to the future.

University of San Diego President James Harris III also sent a letter to his campus community saying he was assembling a task force to review options for protecting students and employees, including a possible declaration that the private Catholic university is a sanctuary campus.

Harris told attendees at a recent immigration forum on campus that he hoped to raise funds from university donors to be able to support DACA students while they finish their studies if they lose their work permits.

California State University Chancellor Timothy White signed the national letter, along with presidents from SDSU and several other state campuses. CSU San Marcos was not specifically listed.

In a letter to his campuses, White outlined policies that would limit immigration enforcement there:

CSU will not enter into agreements with state, local or federal authorities for the enforcement of federal immigration law.

University police departments will not honor requests by immigration officials that detainees on university criminal matters be held for federal authorities.

University police do not contact, detain, question or arrest individuals solely on the basis of being suspected of being a person that lacks documentation.

In the San Diego Community College District, Chancellor Constance Carroll and presidents of all colleges signed a letter assuring students their schools were committed to a mission of inclusion.

As public institutions of higher education, we will continue our work to ensure that all students have full access to our institutions, as well as to the support needed for you to succeed in your studies, read the letter.

She emphasized a commitment to protecting the rights of unauthorized immigrant students who receive state aid under AB 540, the California Dream Act, which stands for development, relief, and education for alien minors. Gov. Jerry Brown signed Californias Dream Act in 2011. A federal version has never made it to the presidents desk.

In the San Diego Community College District, about 1,500 students have applied for AB 540 waivers.

Lynn Neault, vice chancellor of student services at the district, noted that not all students who apply for an AB 540 waiver are unauthorized immigrants. The waiver allows any student who attended a California high school for three years to pay the same college fees as residents even if they had moved out of state, regardless of citizenship.

The Southwestern College board passed a resolution after the election to stand united in support of an immigrant-friendly environment for all immigrants who choose to better their lives through education.

For many DACA recipients and advocates, one of the biggest concerns about the end of the program would be the loss of work permits that it provides.

Itzel Guillen, 22, a DACA recipient who works for Alliance San Diego and is in her senior year at SDSU, said she was able to switch from part-time to full-time at school and purchase her first car after getting the work permit from the DACA program.

She said that as an organizer, her goal now is to keep her community calm.

Looking at what [Trumps] comments have been in the last few days, theres a lot of uncertainty, Guillen said. At this time, I dont want to panic. I dont want to give up on that hope.

She said she is also hopeful that California will do what it can to protect DACA recipients from deportation.

In California, I dont think thats going to fly, Guillen said. California is very strong, and its going to reaffirm the strength of immigrant communities. I dont foresee president-elect Trumps administration taking steps to deport. These are the individuals that are going to school. Theyre contributing to the economy. The majority of their stories represent the American dream. Going after them is going to be very frowned upon.

Alex Garcia, 25, said having the work permit from DACA changed her life completely.

For the first time ever I was able to have a stable job, Garcia said. I was able to graduate from community college.

She said after the election, the strongest feeling she felt was betrayal.

Youre in this situation because your parents wanted a better life for you, Garcia said. You try to be the best person you can be. You feel betrayed by the country that youre trying to fit into.

She said she has reminded herself that she lived without the program before. The scary part, she said, is not yet knowing in which ways her life will have to change. If she loses her work permit, she and her partner, who is an American citizen, will not be able to keep the house that they recently bought near Chicano Park.

For me at least, Im seeing it as Ill deal with it when we get there, she said. Its not healthy to allow myself to live in the fear.

Garcia is due to renew her enrollment in the program next year, after Trump becomes president.

Alondra Garcia, 24, of the San Diego Dream Team, an immigrant youth-led community organization, received DACA in 2012 and has renewed twice since then, most recently the day after the election.

She said some community organizations have set up suicide hotlines for those who are panicking about losing DACA.

Its scary because Ive had DACA for my whole adulthood, she said. People have had this. They only know how to have this.

Even after DACA is taken away, theres no going back, she added.

She said having a work permit enabled her to switch from working retail to working for a law firm. Shes already had tough conversations with her employers about what will have to happen if DACA goes away and she loses her work permit. She will either have to quit or be terminated.

She also let her landlord know that if that happens, she wont be able to stay where shes living because she couldnt afford the rent on an under-the-table salary.

She said if she does get deported, shes going to find her family in Mexico and reconnect.

I dont even know what Mexico looks like, Garcia said.

She is organizing workshops for DACA recipients through the San Diego Dream Team that talk about what rights people have if theyre stopped by police or an immigration enforcement officer. She also covers United We Dream recommendations for DACA applications and renewals.

She told a recent gathering at an apartment complex in southeastern San Diego that first-time applicants should wait because there is not enough time to process the applications before Trumps presidency begins. She said renewals should go ahead but should be aware they might not last long depending on whether Trump decides to cancel the work permits outright or let them expire at the end of the two-year period.

Garcia said the organization plans to hold another information meeting in North County soon.

Staff writer Gary Warth contributed to this report

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate
PARIS and TOULOUSE, France, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genticel (Euronext Paris & Brussels: FR00011790542  GTCL), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and developer of innovative immunotherapies, today announced that a determining milestone in its partnership with Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (Serum Institute) has been successfully completed.

As per the agreement signed in February 2015 with Genticel, Serum Institute has been evaluating the benefits of using GTL003 in new and improved multivalent vaccines and has obtained excellent preclinical results.

In preclinical in vivo experimentation, Genticels proprietary reengineered adenylate cyclase, GTL003, fulfilled the predetermined objectives.

This was the last preclinical milestone of the agreement, corresponding to a $1.2 million milestone payment.

Serum Institute can now proceed to finalize the formal preclinical testing prior to clinical development and subsequent commercialization in emerging markets only.

The agreement could generate for Genticel up to $57 million in milestone payments and then single digit-royalties on further sales.

In parallel, Genticel has just been granted a new United States patent, No 9,499,809, entitled CyaA-based chimeric proteins comprising a heterologous polypeptide and their uses in the induction of immune responses. One of the claims in this patent protects Vaxiclase when used as a product per se (GTL003), which is the case in Genticels partnership with Serum Institute.

Benedikt Timmerman, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Genticel, commented: This is all very good news regarding our agreement with Serum Institute and the protection of resulting product candidates in a key market such as the USA, to which Genticel has retained all commercial rights. He continued: Our partnership with Serum Institute is progressing as planned and Genticel can now confidently move its business development activities forward, with a particular focus on the Companys access to innovative drug candidates.

About Genticel

Genticels versatile platform, Vaxiclase, is well suited for the development of various immunotherapies. A partnership on the use of Vaxiclase as an antigen per se (GTL003) has been established with Serum Institute of India Ltd. (SIIL), the largest producer of vaccine dose worldwide. This agreement covers territories outside of the USA and Europe, and could generate up to $57 million in revenues for Genticel, before royalties on sales. It will enable SIIL to develop acellular multivalent combination vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases, including whooping cough.

More information at www.genticel.com

Forward Looking Statement



This press release contains forward-looking statements that are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The Companys product candidates have not been approved for sale in any jurisdiction. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein are uncertainties associated generally with research and development, clinical trials and related regulatory reviews and approvals, the risk that historical preclinical results may not be predictive of future clinical trial results, and the risk that historical clinical trial results may not be predictive of future trial results. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in the Companys regulatory filings with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers, including in the Companys Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2015 and future filings and reports by the Company which are available on the Companys website. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Genticel undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this Press Release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
San Diego must acknowledge there is racial bias in its police department and prioritize fixing the problem to gain the trust of local minorities, a chorus of community leaders and city officials said Wednesday.

The comments came in response to a long-awaited independent analysis released last week that shows blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be searched and questioned in the field during traffic stops.

Local leaders said its crucial for the city to treat the 140-page report by San Diego State University researchers as a call to action and not let it collect dust on a shelf and be ignored.

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The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union went further, demanding an apology from the police department and a long series of reforms and new policies.

To build public trust, the SDPD must clearly articulate the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in how San Diegans are policed and offer an apology, said Norma Chavez-Peterson, the chapters executive director. It is time for SDPD to own the disparities and commit to meaningful changes.

San Diego must acknowledge there is racial bias in its police department

Chavez-Peterson was among more than a dozen local leaders commenting on the report during a two-hour hearing before the City Councils Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee.

The committee unanimously voted at the end of the hearing to forward the analysis to the full City Council for discussion in February and recommended the police department adopt new policies for how to handle traffic stops and how to collect data from those stops.

I think its obvious our city has work to do, said Councilwoman Marti Emerald, chair of the committee.

Many of the speakers were black and Latino community leaders who said the report, while enlightening, only confirmed what minorities have known for years.

We have a report in our hands that proves what Ive lived my whole life, said Christopher Rice-Wilson, associate director of nonprofit Alliance San Diego. I hope this report leads to pivotal and transformative changes in the way we police our community  I hope its not ignored or taken lightly.

Rice-Wilson said whites should be just as alarmed as local minorities.

It should not just be an offense to people of color, this should be an offense to all people in the San Diego community, he said.

The report comes at a time when racial profiling and mistreatment of people of color by police has prompted violence, civil unrest and passionate debate in many places across the nation, including San Diego.

Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman strived to avoid downplaying the significance of the report, which is based on nearly 260,000 traffic stops in 2014 and 2015.

While reluctant to say San Diego police officers showed bias beyond that exhibited by any person, she acknowledged the data showed there was a problem.

Its very clear the report showed there was a disparity, a racial disparity, she said.

Zimmerman said, however, that she is optimistic.

I believe virtually all of our officers do the right thing for the right reasons in a very caring, compassionate and empathetic manner, she said. We want every citizen to feel safe in their community, feel valued in their opinion and feel listened to by their police department.

Toward that end, the department has enhanced training and plans to continue making changes.

We have provided courses that cover non-biased-based policing, procedural justice, effective interaction and emotional intelligence with the specific intent of increasing self-awareness in our employees, Zimmerman said. We are confident that working together we will foster the highest level of public trust and set the national model for community/police relations.

Councilman Todd Gloria said the city has made it harder to achieve such lofty goals by delaying the report many months and by finally releasing it the day before Thanksgiving, when many people clamoring for the findings would be unavailable to comment.

The process that led us to this day undermines everything were trying to accomplish, he said.

Gloria also criticized the report for a lack of clarity in the conclusions it draws and many pieces of missing data, contending it wasnt worth the $62,500 that the city paid for it.

Councilwoman Myrtle Cole, who is African American, said there is enough evidence of race-based disparity in the report to know that it undermines relationships between the police and the community.

She said its clear people of color are more frequently targeted for unpleasant and intimidating interactions with police.

Cole said its time to shift focus from the data toward developing new policies and strengthening existing ones that eliminate such disparities.

Chief, assistant chiefs and division captains  we need it to stop, she said.

Some critics have also questioned the wording of the final report based on several months of negotiations between Mayor Kevin Faulconers staff and the SDSU research team before the reports release.

City officials say they werent trying to quash a negative assessment of the police force, but simply trying to improve clarity and ensure the accuracy of all the statistics.

Joshua Chanin, the lead researcher from SDSU, offered a similar account at Wednesdays hearing.

We were never asked to tone down our findings, he said. We were never asked to change anything substantively, and had we been asked we would have said no and we refused to make several changes.

The ACLU on Wednesday complained about a common practice uncovered by the study where San Diego police pull over drivers whose race doesnt fit with the demographics of the area where theyre driving, calling the practice unconstitutional and a violation of Department policy.

The bias described in the study might also understate the racial disparities based on incomplete data, said Chavez-Peterson, leader of the local ACLU chapter.

The highest number of incomplete traffic stop cards submitted by officers were in the three divisions of the Police Department  Southeastern, Central and Southern  with the largest concentrations of blacks and Hispanics in the city.

This is especially troubling, as the studys authors note, because as a result we may not have an accurate picture of traffic stops involving people of color and stops south of Interstate 8, Chavez-Peterson said.

She stressed that the ACLU doesnt want to attack local police, but to reform their behavior to increase fairness and boost public confidence.

We are not here to villainize our police department or minimize the important work they do every day, she said. We are here to advocate for fair and just policing. We want not only to make sure that officers arent acting with racist intent, but also to ensure the effect of biased decision-making is acknowledged and addressed.

The report suggests several changes to department policy, training procedures and data collection that city officials said they have already made or intend to make quickly.

The council committee also recommended the city prioritize adopting new state requirements on collecting traffic-stop data that go into effect next year under Assembly Bill 953.

Chief Zimmerman said the department is ready to adopt the new regulations, which are scheduled to be finalized in January.

The analysis compared traffic stops during night hours, when police cant tell the race of drivers due to darkness, to traffic stops during daylight hours, when police can tell the race of drivers.

Only stops for equipment and moving violations were included, not stops prompted by searches for a suspect in a crime or stops in conjunction with code enforcement efforts.

The data show that while blacks were pulled over more than whites in 2014, the disparity disappeared in 2015 and wasnt statistically significant when the two years were analyzed together.

Across the city, there was no statistically significant difference by race in the arrest rates for people pulled over, according to the report.

And while blacks and Hispanics were searched more than whites throughout the city, they were less likely than whites to be found with contraband or illegal items, the study said.

In addition, blacks were less likely than whites to receive citations when researchers compared drivers who were stopped under similar circumstances.

Staff writer Dana Littlefield contributed to this report.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Two bicyclists crashed in Clairemont Wednesday afternoon, and one isnt expected to survive his injuries, police said.

The two were pedaling east on Balboa Avenue about 1:50 p.m. when one struck the other from behind near Clairemont Drive, San Diego police said.

One of the cyclists was rushed to a hospital with grave head injuries.

He was not identified. The other, an 18-year-old man, suffered lacerations to his back and feet.

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Police initially said the bicyclists had been hurt in a hit-and-run crash with a vehicle.

Officers closed a stretch of Balboa Avenue while they cleared the wreckage and investigated the crash. There may not have been witnesses to the collision.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
The father of Alfred Olango and civil rights activists on Tuesday called for a federal investigation into Olangos fatal shooting by El Cajon police.

Richard Olango Abuka took part in an evening rally and march, which brought together about 200 people in support of several social-justice issues, in downtown San Diego.

Backed by lawyers, Abuka and members of the National Action Network San Diego spoke to the crowd in front of the federal building on Front Street.

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They urged people to contact congressional members and the federal Department of Justice to pressure Attorney General Loretta Lynch to launch an investigation of the September shooting.

A letter with their request was sent to Lynch almost two weeks ago, signed by more than 100 lawyers and social rights groups, said the Rev. Shane Harris of the national network.

To garner support for the investigation, an online petition was set up on Monday. It also calls for comprehensive police reform, and prosecution and accountability of Richard Gonsalves.

Officer Gonsalvez fatally shot Olango during a brief encounter behind a taco shop in El Cajon.

A similar petition on change.org collected 2 million signatures in support of a state investigation into the 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. George Zimmerman was later charged with murder by a special prosecutor appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott. A year later, Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder.

Harris said his organization wants a probe of the Olango shooting started before the Trump administration takes office in January.

We cannot trust the incoming administration to handle this case. So were trying to get this at least in the federal DOJs hands, so that by the time the new administration comes in, we have something to hold them accountable to, Harris said.

The appeal comes two months after the Rev. Al Sharpton called on the Department of Justice to investigate the El Cajon police shooting during a community meeting in Los Angeles.

National Action Network San Diego has staged numerous rallies in support of the Olango family and in protest of the killing of an unarmed black man against a national background of similar police shootings.

On Sept. 27, Olangos sister Lucy called 911 to report that he was acting strangely, and motorists reported to police that the man was walking into traffic.

As Gonsalves approached, Olango took what police described as a shooting stance with a silver object clasped in both hands. Gonsalves opened fire. Olango had been holding a vaping device with a silver cylinder, police later said.

Olangos family have filed claims against the officer and the police department, alleging that Gonsalves ignored his training on how to deal with mentally unstable people. The claim says the officer aggressively confronted the man.

Family said Olango was distraught over the recent death of his best friend.

Claims for damage are a precursor to filing a lawsuit.

The call for the federal investigation Tuesday evening was the start of a peaceful march that ended outside San Diego City College. Other demands voiced during the demonstration called for a $15 federal minimum wage, fair treatment of immigrants and progress on climate change.
A social worker who dressed as a clown to entertain children in war-devastated Aleppo was killed Tuesday in a missile strike on the Syrian city.

Anas al-Basha, 24, was a director at an organization called Space for Hope, which provided schooling, counseling and other services to at least 365 children who have lost one or both parents in the countrys civil war which has raged on for almost six years.

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With him the besieged children of Aleppo laughed, read the notice of al-Bashas death on the Children of Syria Facebook page.

According to the Associated Press, the young husband who just got married two months ago, was killed in the bombing presumed to have been carried out by the Russian or Syrian government in the neighborhood of Mashhad.

His supervisor told the news agency that al-Basha would act out skits dressed in his colorful outfit in an attempt to cheer up the traumatized children.

His death only underscores the situation in Aleppo that was described Wednesday by one United Nations official as a descent into hell, according to CNN.

For the sake of humanity, we call on, we plead with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard, UN humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien said during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The AP reports that the activities at the Space for Hope center have been suspended amid the assault on the neighborhood which includes shelling and bombardment at an unprecedented rate, and has caused the daily deaths of dozens of residents.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
Some strange-looking gelatinous and sand-burrowing creatures that washed ashore this week in Orange County had people wondering if aliens had invaded the beach.

According to posts on the Huntington Beach Community Forum Facebook page, the elongated egg-shaped critters first started appearing on Monday.

A couple of the jelly pods that washed up on shore are seen along Huntington State Beach. (Paul Rodriguez / AP )

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One man wrote that he was walking on the beach and felt what he described as little water balloons that were super squishy popping under his feet.

Ryan Rustan said that there were thousands of them up and down the shoreline. What are they, he asked?

Another resident had the same question. Don Coursey posted several pictures of the pinkish creatures on the page including some that showed how the organisms buried themselves while leaving trails behind in the wet sand. He also wondered what they were. Inquiring minds want to know, he wrote.

The guesses piled up quickly. Some said they thought they were jellyfish eggs, other argued they were sea cucumbers while others said they had to be sea snails or slugs. One person guessed they were giant innkeeper worms.

Other imaginative ideas included baby tremor monsters and coyote eggs.

The science-fiction fans chimed in as well with more than one person claiming they must be from another world. Alien embryos from the planet ZERG. This if the first phase of their invasion, wrote one man.

The reality is decidedly more down to earth.

A professor at UC Irvine first told The Orange County Register that the creatures could possibly be marine invertebrates called salps that can sometimes bloom off the California coast. Matt Bracken said he took a closer look, however, and now thinks they are burrowing sea cucumbers.

Huntington Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis told the O.C. Register that he had never seen anything like it before in his almost 40 years of life guarding.

619-293-1710

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twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
Letter writer Stan Levin (Protesters show their love of country too, Nov. 24) defends those protesting the election of Donald Trump by providing a quote attributed to Marxist historian Howard Zinn: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy.

E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com

Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191.

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The following syllogism was constructed by someone whose name Im unable to recollect for attribution, but whose formulation demonstrates the asininity of Zinns bromide: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism; treason is the highest form of dissent; therefore, treason is the highest form of patriotism.

I would rate higher the patriotism of one who surrenders his or her life for their country above the rabble who demand an overhaul of its institutions because those institutions intermittently produce uncongenial results.

Steve Skelton

Lakeside

As president, Trump will be subjected to scrutiny

Writer Frank Passiglia (Hit piece on Trump a new low for Milbank, Nov. 28) berates columnist Dana Milbank for daring to criticize President-elect Donald Trump, finishing with Milbank cant seem to accept the fact that Donald Trump won the election.

To the contrary, I posit that it is people like Passiglia that cant quite seem to accept that Trump is our president-elect.

Every American president has been subjected to all sorts of criticism while in office; criticism comes with the territory. President Trump will be no exception.

If it is Passiglias intention to race to his keyboard every time he sees or hears anything critical of our new president, then he will be quite busy over the next four years. Trump supporters should simply accept the fact that Trump is our next president and, as such, he will be subject to all sorts of criticism; just like every other president before him.

David M. McClure

El Cajon

Nation should join in putting the election behind us

The election is over and the only thing that I can say positive relates to the hour-and-a-half meeting that President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump had.

Both men were gracious and complimentary of each other. I truly believed that both men tried to understand each other and that was good for the country and how we move forward.

I would like to see more of this kind of discussion and cross-party dialogue. I suggest that this could continue but with a public exposure.

If the presidents would meet and talk, without advisers, at a Trump resort for a week, this country would be well-served.

Ken Blalack

La Mesa

Either side could benefit from Electoral College

Sen. Barbara Boxer has a plan to eliminate the Electoral College? Maybe she shouldnt do that. In the next election, maybe the Democratic candidate will win the electoral vote but not the popular vote.

There have been suggestions that the Trump electors should vote Clinton. But whos not to say the Clinton electors will vote Trump?

Ken Owens

Lakeside

It doesnt matter what the people have concluded

When Secretary of State John Kerry states that a majority of the American people have concluded that climate change is real, he should also mention the observation of 17th-century scientist Galileo Galilei that In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.

Jim Stieringer

La Mesa

Those looking for tolerance should also be tolerant

Regarding Transgender cops uniform keeps her out of event she organized (Nov. 24): The LGBTQ community gladly accepted having Officer Christine Garcia plan and participate in the San Diego Police Department security detail for their commemorative march last week, but it was uncomfortable with a cop in uniform at the after-event because her police uniform could upset others in attendance.

That is the epitome of intolerance; so typical of groups that expect society to be tolerant of their causes/issues/agendas, but are so intolerant of societys views as a whole.

Richard Hensle

Lakeside

Readers weigh in on name of the Christmas parade

Dr. David Katz (Faith-neutral name is needed for parade, Nov. 25) laments that the La Jolla Christmas Parade is named as a Christmas parade.

What else should it be named? It is a parade recognizing the most sacred event in the Christian religion, the birth of Jesus Christ. For those who profess a different religion, or no religion, feel free to start a parade of your own and quit obsessing over someone elses religious parade.

So much of the events recognizing Christs birth have already been bastardized by the anti-religious and secular police. Now we have December Nights and Starlight Parade and others. What is next, an investigation into the religious practices of Mother Goose? You go, La Jolla.

David R. Gillespie

Bonita

* * *

I support David Katz in his commentary. Personally, I do not find the word Christmas offensive as I think its use has come to be a cultural one used by all Americans.

But for some, it is a Christian term, and its use offends some. Since I think we should be inclusive in our public events, I support changing the name of the parade to the La Jolla Holiday Parade and I want to thank Katz for writing and submitting his commentary to the U-T.

Deborah Mecum

Chula Vista

* * *

What a shame Dr. Katz is not able to appreciate and enjoy the La Jolla Christmas Parade.

The events theme represents the orientation of many, if not all, of the residents of the highly diverse, heterogeneous citizenry of La Jolla.

Christmas is now widely viewed as both a secular and religious holiday. It may not be his holiday; it may not even be one that he chooses to enjoy peripherally.

But I urge him to both broaden his outlook and increase his tolerance by allowing those who do love the Christmas season to embrace and celebrate it, in the same way many Christians are interested, intrigued and often charmed by holidays that do not reflect their particular faith or culture.

Karen W. Maxwell

El Cajon

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Chula Vistas vision of a transformed bayfront is beginning to come into clearer and clearer focus, six years after the city and the Port of San Diego reached agreement on a plan to turn a 535-acre industrial site into a residential and resort destination, and four years after the California Coastal Commission gave the plan its blessing.

The City Council recently cleared one of the many obstacles to building the project by specifically identifying where it will get the $1.2 million it needs to take care of transportation infrastructure improvements and mitigation measures it must complete before construction can begin. This commitment was viewed as crucial by City Manager Gary Halbert and by port officials.

These are exciting times for San Diego Countys second most populous city. In January, the City Council backed a plan to launch an international university on a 375-acre site in eastern Chula Vista. Also this year, city officials struck a deal with the U.S. Olympic Committee to buy the Olympic Training Center for $1. The hope is that it will become a profit-making training center for elite athletes.

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There are, of course, questions hanging over each of these initiatives. Where will the money come to build such an expensive project on the bayfront or to create a university from scratch? What experience do Chula Vista officials have in running profitable commercial enterprises?

These are big questions. But we agree with Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas, who campaigned in 2014 on the need for her hometown to think big.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
Americans suddenly found themselves once again talking about flag burning Tuesday following a tweet from President-elect Donald Trump , sparking all sorts of questions. Is it freedom of speech? Should it be subject to punishment? Why are we talking about this again?

Below are four things you should know about the broader issue, which has been discussed for decades. But first, here is Trumps comment and how some of our readers reacted to an informal Twitter poll on the subject.

We tweeted out an informal poll to see if readers agree that flag burners should face consequences. Roughly seven out of 10 of the first 300 responses said no. That, of course, means three out of 10 of them said yes.

The debate quickly drew in some high-profile politicians and others and became a topic of discussion on social media too. Here are some things to know about the subject beyond the narrow focus on Trumps tweet.

1. What the Supreme Court says

Flag burning has long been an acceptable form of American protest, thanks to a 1989 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). In the case of Texas v. Johnson, the court ruled 5-4 in support of the actions of a man who burned an American flag outside the Republican National Convention in 1984 in Dallas, Texas. Former president Ronald Reagan was the target of that protest.

SCOTUS decided flag burning is a form of symbolic speech that is protected by the First Amendment.

In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens countered that the flag's unique status as a symbol of national unity outweighed any symbolic speech concerns, and therefore, the government could legally prohibit flag burning.

2. Has the legislative branch weighed in?

After the 1989 SCOTUS decision, Congress then passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989. But the Supreme Court decided the legislation was unconstitutional with another 5-4 vote in United States v. Eichman in 1990.

A Flag Protection Act was introduced in the Senate in 2005 in an effort to amend the federal criminal code to prohibit anyone from burning a flag simply to create violence or to disturb the peace or to do so as a threat to another person or group. It was co-sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, among others. The legislation failed.

3. Some top opinions on flag burning

Arizona Sen. John McCain , Navy veteran and chair of the Senates Armed Services committee, was one of the first to agree on Tuesday that there should be consequences for flag burning when he was asked about Trumps tweet.

I do not approve of burning the flag. I think there should be some punishment but right now the Supreme Court decision is that people are free to express themselves that way. But I do not approve of it and I think theres other ways for people to express their views rather than burn a flag that so many Americans fought and died for.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell disagrees. In 2006 he wrote:

The First Amendment, which protects our freedom of speech, is the most precious part of the Bill of Rights. As disgusting as the ideas expressed by those who would burn the flag are, they remain protected by the First Amendment.  People like that pose little harm to our country. But tinkering with our First Amendment might.

On Tuesday, he added this:

"The Supreme Court has held that that activity is a protected First Amendment right. In this country, we have a long history of protecting unpleasant speech."

In 2012, Justice Antonin Scalia said if he were king he wouldnt allow people to burn the American flag but reiterated that the First Amendment applies to flag burning which is a form of expression.

Heres one more thought to consider.

4. Why bring this up at all?

Several recent events could have prompted the tweet from Trump.

First, flags were burned at some of the protests to his election victory earlier in November.

Protestors burn an American flag on Fifth Avenue outside of Trump Tower, November 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

After the election, Hampshire College in Massachusetts decided to refrain from raising a flag on its main flagpole after one was lowered, removed and burned. A group of military veterans protested the college over the weekend.

More thoughts from social media

We asked our Twitter followers to weigh in, but also gathered some widely-shared tweets on the subject.

Send us your thoughts to @sdutideas and we may add them.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
Update: Breitbart News launched a website on Wednesday that essentially calls for a boycott of Kellogg products after the company, and other brands, announced a decision to stop advertising on the conservative-leaning site.

In a site bearing the hashtag #DumpKelloggs, Breitbart said called Kelloggs advertising decision a disgraceful act of cowardice and invited readers to sign a petition to boycott the product.

Up until Tuesday, the San Diego Zoo, the Kellogg Company, insurer Allstate, eyeglass business Warby Parker and a growing list of other brands were answering calls to stop advertising on Breitbart News, which has been accused of publishing controversial articles some deem racist and anti-Semitic.

Citing company values, Kellogg Company spokesman said on Tuesday it stopped advertising on the website as soon as it was alerted by consumers.

"We regularly work with our media buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that aren't aligned with our values as a company," Kellogg spokesman Kris Charles was quoted by the Associated Press.

Breitbart News, whose former chairman Steve Bannon now serves as a chief adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, has been accused of publishing articles that appeal to white nationalists and anti-Semitic views by the Southern Poverty Law Center and other activists. The website has pushed back on the advertising blacklist by calling it un-American.

Breitbart News released a statement saying that Kellogg was essentially turning its back on 45 million unique visitors in the last 30 days.

"Kellogg's decision to blacklist one of the largest conservative media outlets in America is economic censorship of mainstream conservative political discourse," the website said in a statement, as reported by the Associated Press. "That is as un-American as it gets."

https://twitter.com/WarbyParker/status/800840906832232448

Because the way online advertising is programmed, most brands have no idea or warning over where their ads appear, according to the technology trend blog Digiday. Googles advertising network facilitates many of the ads that appear on Breitbart.

To illustrate how the system works, Allstate responded to a consumers objection over its advertising on the site like so in one direct message on Twitter: We appreciate your concern regarding our advertising appearing on the website Breitbart News. Unfortunately, the nature of internet media buys is such that we are not always able to receive full disclosure with regards to all the websites on which our advertising may run.

Its unclear how the movement began or who started it, but a search on Twitter brings up tweets from users calling out specific brands to pull their ads from the site. One particular account called Sleeping Giants said in a tweet that it was alerting brands and calling them to cancel their advertising.

https://twitter.com/slpng_giants/status/800579452602175489

https://twitter.com/bleiby527/status/799488101307613187

https://twitter.com/dynamicsymmetry/status/799455386512175104

https://twitter.com/ezra802/status/803630158963871744

Not all brands who were alerted to their advertising on the website answered the call. Brands like Nissan, Hyundai and Seophora are reportedly still placing ads on the site.

A Nissan spokesman told Digiday that the company places ads in a variety of sites and that its advertisements are not intended to be political commentary.

Nissan also said it had no plans to change its advertising plans at the time.

What do you think  should companies feel compelled to pull their advertising from Breitbart News? Or should they continue advertising as they have? Share your thoughts with me: Email me at luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com or tweet us at @sdutIdeas.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

UPDATES:

3:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Breitbart News response to Kelloggs decision to pull its ads from the site.

This article was originally published at 7:00 a.m.
In the 2016 election, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump both accused Hillary Clinton of being too cozy with Wall Street, but now it looks like thats where Trump has turned to find someone to lead the Treasury for his cabinet.

Several news organizations reported Tuesday that Trump's transition team is expected to announce Steven Mnuchin, his campaigns finance director, as Treasury Secretary, perhaps as soon as Wednesday. The thing about Mnuchin? Hes a former Goldman Sachs executive.

So the news is a bit of a surprise in some circles in light of Trumps populist message during the campaign.

Heres part of a stump speech he gave in June:

If I am elected President, I will end the special interest monopoly in Washington, D.C. The other candidate in this race has spent her entire life making money for special interests  and taking money from special interests.  When she left [the State Department], she made $21.6 million giving speeches to Wall Street banks and other special interests  in less than 2 years  secret speeches that she does not want to reveal to the public. Together, she and Bill made $153 million giving speeches to lobbyists, CEOs, and foreign governments in the years since 2001. They totally own her, and that will never change. The choice in this election is a choice between taking our government back from the special interests, or surrendering our last scrap of independence to their total and complete control. Those are the stakes.

Trump has, of course, been very open about wanting to get rid of the Dodd-Frank finance regulations President Barack Obama put in place in 2010.

Mnuchin wouldnt be the first Goldman Sachs alumnus to hold the position. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made similar selections.

Mnuchin now serves as CEO of a hedge fund called Dune Capital. He has also been putting his money behind many major Hollywood films as an executive producer, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

As you could probably guess, there are some strong reactions to this decision ahead of its likely announcement.

Some found the choice to be hypocritical.

Trump supporters took a different view.

https://twitter.com/ManisJasper/status/803758721599963136

https://twitter.com/pbaratelli/status/803760313304829952

And other Trump supporters fully supported the decision.

If you have thoughts about this choice, send em our way by email or on Twitter at @sdutideas and we may publish them here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
WASHINGTON & NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World-leading analytics and advice firm Gallup, and global well-being improvement leader, Healthways, a Sharecare company, have released new research  part of the Gallup-Healthways State of American Well-Being series  that examines the incidence of diabetes in 190 U.S. communities and across all 50 states.



Utah, Rhode Island and Colorado have the lowest incidence of diabetes in the nation, with less than 8% of their populations affected. Alabama and West Virginia have the highest rates, both with more than 16% of their residents reporting that they have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Boulder, Colorado, Bellingham, Washington, Fort Collins, Colorado, and Provo-Orem, Utah are the communities with the lowest incidence of diabetes in the country. Boulder distinguishes itself as the only community in the Gallup-Healthways rankings with less than five percent of its population reporting a diagnosis of diabetes. Mobile, Alabama and Charleston, West Virginia place last of the communities ranked, with more than 17% of their respective adult populations having the disease.

Per data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, the overall incidence of diabetes in the U.S. for 2016 year to date is 11.5%, a metric that has steadily increased from 10.6% in 2008, when Gallup and Healthways began tracking diabetes prevalence. Even more concerning, the rate of obesity, a key risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes, has climbed by almost three percentage points since 2008, to reach 28.3% of the national population in 2016.

With almost a third of the U.S. population obese, we're in dire need of effective diabetes prevention and self-management programs, said Lynn Prowitt, Editor in Chief of dLife, a health information and media platform for those with diabetes.

Gallup-Healthways research confirms that the odds of developing diabetes are substantially greater among those who are obese compared to those who are not. Nationally, 21.2% of all obese individuals of any age report they have been diagnosed with diabetes compared to 7.4% of those who are not obese.

The prevalence of diabetes and obesity continue to increase dramatically. We have an epidemic on our hands, said Steven Edelman, MD, Founder and Director of Taking Control of Your Diabetes, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to diabetes education for patients and providers. Even more alarming is that only half of people with diabetes are adequately controlling their glucose, a statistic that has not changed in 10 years despite a plethora of new and effective drugs and devices. All of our health care systems need to focus on education, motivation and activation.

Innovative hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers around the country have implemented diabetes management programs to counter these trends and help improve clinical outcomes for patients with diabetes.

With the alarming rise in prediabetes and diabetes, there is an urgent need for hospitals and health systems to redesign how they deliver and coordinate care for patients with diabetes, added Darria Long Gillespie, MD MBA FACEP, Senior Vice President of Sharecare. Weve seen the biggest successes in diabetes programs that focus on managing outpatient metrics, achieving glycemic targets, shortening inpatient stays and reducing readmissions  and, importantly, ensuring patients have better control of their condition and a higher quality of life.

For more information and to access the complete State of American Well-Being: 2015 State and Community Rankings for Incidence of Diabetes report, visit www.well-beingindex.com/2016-diabetes-overview.

About the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index

In 2008, Gallup and Healthways initiated a 25-year partnership merging decades of clinical research and development expertise, health leadership and behavioral economics research to track and understand the key factors that drive well-being. Together, the partnership has built the worlds largest data set on well-being, with over 2.5 million surveys fielded to date.

Launched that same year, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index provides unmatched, in-depth insight into the well-being of populations. Gallup conducts 500 telephone interviews a day with Americans to gather their perceptions of well-being for a resulting sample that projects to an estimated 95 percent of all U.S. adults.

About Gallup

Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

About Healthways

Healthways, a Sharecare company, is a global provider of well-being improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, the company uses the science of behavior change to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our customers, which include employers, integrated health systems, hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities and government entities. Learn more at www.healthways.com.
Several Poway residents were among 29 hikers who travel to Peru in October to hike Machu Picchu to raise awareness and funds for Parkinsons disease and stem-cell therapy research.

The hikers, nine of whom have Parkinsons, hiked 28 miles over seven days in the Peruvian Andes, on the Salkantay portion of the Inca trail. One of those days was a 12-mile hike at 15,000 feet.

The hikers hailed from around San Diego, including Poway; Boise, Idaho; Atlanta and Seattle. While this was the first hike for some, others have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro with the organization in the past and some have climbed Mount Whitney.

The Powegians who hiked to Machu Picchu are Elena Andrews and her daughter Tess, Michele and Ken Schreiner, and Chris and Paul Schwan, hiking on behalf of Chris Schwans father.

Elena and Tess Andrews, hiking the trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. (Courtesy photo)

The hike benefitted Summit for Stem Cell, a non-profit group of patients, patient advocates, clinicians and scientists who are working on leading-edge stem cell treatments for Parkinsons disease. The group is funding a new long-term treatment that takes a patients own skin cells and transforms them into dopamine neurons, with the goal of transplanting them back into the patients brain. This will replace those neurons lost in the progression of the disease with the expectation that it will significantly lessen the motor-movement impairment from Parkinsons disease, according to a press release from Summit for Stem Cell.

Parkinsons disease attacks nerve cells in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which is one of the main manufacturers of dopamine. Reduced dopamine production interferes with transmission of signals to muscles and hampers movement and speech.

The hikers paid all their own expenses, $2,200 for the trek, plus airfare. They were also required to raise a minimum of $2,000 in donations for the Summit for Stem Cell Research. The group raised about $120,000.

Andrews, who was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2011, said the best part of the trip was having people come together for such a great cause. It was beautiful (having people come together), she said. Its an amazing place, but the nicest thing was the relationships that developed on the trip. It shows what people can do together.

She said spending time with her 22-year-old daughter Tess was also a highlight of the trip. Thats something you cant replicate, she said. I was really blessed to be able to take this trip with her.

Andrews said Summit for Stem Cell was a cause she has been supporting for a long time. This is the first hike she has undertaken with the organization.

The hikers began training for their epic trip six months before leaving for Peru. Andrews said she started training late March or early April, hiking local trails three times a week. Altitude was one of the biggest factors, she said, but I trained enough that it didnt affect me too badly.

Andrews said she was able to do the hike because she has kept active since her diagnosis in 2011. Keeping active is one of the main things that helps (with Parkinsons disease), she said. I do a lot of exercise and activities (to keep fit).

For more information on Summit for Stem Cell and its research, visit summitforstemcell.org.

Email: news@pomeradonews.com
San Diego County Library is hosting a Holiday Book Drive through Dec. 24 to collect new childrens books to give to area families through Reach Out & Read San Diego.

Books are being accepted at any of county librarys 33 library locations, including Ramona Library at 1275 Main St.

Reach Out & Read San Diego encourages families to read aloud together as doctors provide a Prescription for Reading and a book to children as part of their regular well-child checkups during preschool years.

We are excited to offer our community a way to give the gift of a new book to families in San Diego County and support such a fine program in the process, said the countys Holiday Book Drive announcement. Reach Out & Read currently serves 85,000 families a year and is eager to reach more young readers.

County library has partnered with Reach Out & Read for many years, providing support for their work at area family resource centers and community events.

Research shows the strong, positive impact of this program. Reach Out & Read families read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills, said Deputy Director Susan Moore.

San Diego County Library serves as a resource for children and families to take advantage of a number of free services, such as family programs, storytimes and media checkouts. Experts consider reading a crucial aspect of development, and library representatives say they are humbled to be able to partner with a group that provides free books to young members of the community. They encourage area residents to bring a new childrens book to the library and become a part of a childs positive growth and development.

Julian Library at 1850 state Route 78 in Julian also accepts Holiday Book Drive donations.

For more information about the Holiday Book Drive, visit www.sdcl.org.
Bahrains main opposition groups say authorities must free all political prisoners before possible talks on ending the 13-month uprising in the Gulf kingdom.

Mondays statement appears to show some willingness to open dialogue with Bahrains Sunni monarchy, which has faced near-nonstop protests by majority Shiites seeking a greater political voice.

But the declaration set strict conditions, including release of activists jailed on anti-state offenses and reinstatement of all Shiites purged from jobs.

Advertisement

Bahrains leaders have taken strides to restore dismissed workers and made other concessions, but not enough to satisfy protesters.

More than 45 people have died in Bahrains unrest since February 2011.
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valeritas Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:VLRX) announced today the election of Joe Mandato, Ph.D., to the Companys Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2016. In conjunction with the appointment of Dr. Mandato, Nate Hukill, who represents CRG, will step down from the Board of Directors as of December 1, resulting in a Board with five independent directors on a Board comprising seven members. Dr. Mandato has extensive experience in the medical device industry as an executive, investor, educator and board member and has led numerous companies to commercial success. He is currently a managing director at DeNovo Ventures where he led investments in 10 medical device companies. Prior to joining DeNovo Ventures, Dr. Mandato had extensive operational experience as the chairman or chief executive officer of numerous medical device companies, including, but not limited to Ioptex, Confer Software, Gynecare, and Origin Medsystems. The latter two were owned by Guidant Corporation. While at Guidant Corporation, he served as a member of its founding management committee following its spin-off from Eli Lilly & Company. He has served on the board of directors of numerous companies, including but not limited to Hansen Medical, Align, Facet Solutions, and AxoGen, Inc.

Dr. Mandato received a Ph.D. in management from Case Western Reserve University, and now serves on its Board of Trustees. Dr. Mandato also holds the Carlo Rossi Chair in Entrepreneurship and Management at the University of San Francisco, is a Lecturer at Stanford University and is currently a Fellow in the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.

Our current focus at Valeritas is to execute on our capital-efficient commercial strategy and to continue to grow V-Go sales in the U.S., said John Timberlake, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valeritas. Joes depth of experience in building successful medical device companies that emerge to become market leaders and his extensive participation on company boards will be invaluable as we move forward and accomplish our commercial and business objectives.

Dr. Mandato commented, With a revolutionary, efficacious and cost-efficient product, capital-efficient commercial strategy and experienced management team, Valeritas is poised to rapidly gain market share as it drives adoption of V-Go. I look forward to working with the management team and other members of the Board of Directors to continue V-Gos successful early commercial growth trajectory.

About Valeritas Holdings, Inc.

Valeritas is a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on developing innovative technologies to improve the health and quality of life of people with Type 2 diabetes. Valeritas flagship product, V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery device, is a simple, wearable, basal-bolus insulin delivery solution for patients with Type 2 diabetes that enables patients to administer a continuous preset basal rate of insulin over 24 hours. It also provides on-demand bolus dosing at mealtimes. It is the only basal-bolus insulin delivery device on the market today specifically designed keeping in mind the needs of type 2 diabetes patients. Headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Valeritas operates its R&D functions in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.valeritas.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, references to Valeritas technologies, business and product development plans and market information. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the ability to raise the additional funding needed to continue to pursue Valeritas business and product development plans, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products or technologies, the ability to commercialize the V-Go Disposable Insulin Delivery device with limited resources, competition in the industry in which Valeritas operates and overall market conditions. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and Valeritas assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure set forth in the reports and other documents Valeritas files with the SEC available at www.sec.gov.
I will be the first to admit. When I saw the sign for new construction by the airstrip in San Pedro, I wasperplexed. Office complex? In the little fishing village of San Pedro?

But the secret is out. Way out. San Pedro is not a sleepy fishing village anymore. Its the main tourist hub of Belize with all sorts of businesses  from architects to chiropractors to accountants to social media influencers.

The idea of an office plaza took a while to steep in my mind. And now that I see the almost finished product everything in the new SanCas Plaza makes a ton of sense in this very central location.

Ambergris Caye can not remain the place of my first visit over 10 years agosadly. We are growing FASTand welcoming more and more visitors and residents to the island all the time.

I stopped by late last week to speak with Gil Castillo, President of SanCas Realty and Christies Realty in Belize. He gave me a tour of the new building and showed me the plans.

Located just across from the Tropic Air terminal, this property has been in the Santiago Castillo family for years.

PARKING SPACES! Hurray!

There is a list of some of the new businesses that are either moving in or starting in SanCas Plaza.

Belize Fitness, Belize Caye Investments, Workspace Belize, Caye Coffee, a French bakery and Mahogany Bay as well as the namesake realty company.

Caye Coffee is possibly Belizes best coffee  I am so glad that they are going to have a shop now. Stop in for a cup of Front Street (the lightest brew), Middle Street or my favorite, the espresso ground Back Street in the a.m.

Just next to the front entrance door is Delices de France Bakery and Pastry. They are setting up nowcould a warm pan de chocolate be just around the corner?

On the second floor, the shared office space called Work Space Belize is just about ready to open.

YOU can rent a spot. There is a real-deal conference room

high speed internet, offices for full time rent, a receptionist, laser printer/scanner, bathrooms, kitchenette and PT space for rent. Now that I live 7 miles north of town, I can TOTALLY see how a comfortable air conditioned space with everything you need would be PERFECT for a few hours (or more) a week.

I wonder if I can rebrand it Scoop Space Belize

Next up is some leased office space  an area for Mahogany Bay Village and one for a bank.

And then upstairs there will be an enormous new NEW gym. Lots of space, a food/smoothie area, locker rooms with showers and an outdoor area for boot camping, battle roping, wind sprinting.

Its on the 3rd floor so you get a great view of townand then outside watching the planes take off and land.

Super interesting ideas  especially the office space. I imagine that it will fill up QUICKLY. For information on the space or the office, please contact the SanCas group in their office on the first floor.

I will definitely be reporting back to you as businesses open. Hopefully with Back Street Blend with cream and sugar and a chocolate eclair in my hand.
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November 30, 2016

SBM Offshore N.V. (SBM Offshore or 'the Company') is pleased to announce that during the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on November 30, 2016, Mr. D.H.M. Wood was appointed as a member of the Management Board for a first term of four years up to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in 2021. Mr. Wood has been designated by the Supervisory Board as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

Mr. Wood succeeds Mr. P.M. van Rossum, who retired today as Management Board member and Chief Financial Officer.

Corporate Profile

SBM Offshore N.V. is a listed holding company that is headquartered in Amsterdam. It holds direct and indirect interests in other companies that collectively with SBM Offshore N.V. form the SBM Offshore group ("the Company").

SBM Offshore provides floating production solutions to the offshore energy industry, over the full product life-cycle. The Company is market leading in leased floating production systems with multiple units currently in operation and has unrivalled operational experience in this field. The Company's main activities are the design, supply, installation, operation and the life extension of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels. These are either owned and operated by SBM Offshore and leased to its clients or supplied on a turnkey sale basis.

As of December 31, 2015, Group companies employed approximately 7,000 people worldwide. Full time company employees (4,900) are spread over five regional centers, eleven operational shore bases and the offshore fleet of vessels. A further 2,100 are working for the joint ventures with several construction yards. Please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this communication "SBM Offshore" is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general, or where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

The Management Board

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, November 30, 2016

Financial Calendar Date Year Full-Year 2016 Earnings - Press Release February 8 2017 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders April 13 2017 Trading Update 1Q 2017 - Press Release May 10 2017 Half-Year 2017 Earnings - Press Release August 8 2017 Trading Update 3Q 2016 - Press Release November 7 2017

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Bert-Jaap Dijkstra

Director of Investor Relations

Mobile: +31 (0) 6 2114 1017 E-mail: bertjaap.dijkstra@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com







Media Relations

Vincent Kempkes

Head of Communications







Telephone:





+31 (0) 20 2363 170 Mobile: +31 (0) 6 25 68 71 67 E-mail: vincent.kempkes@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results and performance of the Company's business to differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements. Certain such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would be", "expects" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or the negative thereof, or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, or intentions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this release as anticipated, believed, or expected. SBM Offshore NV does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Nothing in this press release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.
Safford, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2016 -- Gila Insurance Group LLC announced today the acquisition of International Insurance Group, Inc's (IIG) US operations. The acquisition included IIG's RV Insurance, manufactured home insurance, and Covered Investor (specialty dwelling insurance) divisions.



Derek Kartchner, President of Gila Insurance, had previously been the Vice President of Business Development for IIG. In that role he had direct responsibility for the US operations. Also joining the Gila Insurance team is Rachael Galiano, who had been an employee of IIG, and had worked in these divisions for nearly 8 years.



Derek commented about the announcement, "We are excited about this acquisition. On one hand we feel that the change will allow us to provide a new focus on these divisions, which will allow us to better serve our clients. On the other we kept key elements of the old team that will allow us to continue to have the relationship that we have built up with our clients in the past."



The new focus is already paying dividends for Gila clients. "One of the first things we did was invest in software help us monitor the policies of our clients. We are now able to see, before the client does, if there will be any change in their rates when the policy renews. It allows us to be more proactive in helping keep their insurance costs down, and really that's what it's all about."



Kartchner expects a seamless transition. Gila Insurance Group has already been able to contract with IIG's main insurance company partners, and will continue to offer multiple insurance options to ensure competitive pricing and specialized coverage. With the change Gila Insurance Group will also be able to provide new product offerings including traditional home and auto insurance, but their focus will remain on real estate investors, manufactured homes and RVs.



About Gila Insurance Group LLC

Gila Insurance Group LLC is an independent insurance brokerage based in Safford Arizona. The company specializes in serving the needs of Real Estate Investors, Manufactured Homeowners, and RV owners. Across the country they service 31 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.



https://www.gilainsurance.com/

877-784-6787 x 101
Malaga, Spain -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2016 -- On February 11th 2016 a new law was passed in Andalucia, Spain - Decree 28/2016, requiring all holiday rental homeowners including property management companies on the Costa del Sol to register their properties with the Andalucian Tourist Registry as of May 11th.



The law also specifies certain regulations and requirements relating to public holiday rentals and private holiday rentals going forward.



Suncoaster Homecare are fully set up to handle the new regulations and offer a full range of Property management services and can advise and assist new clients to ensure compliance with the new regulations, help with registering at the Tourist Authority and provide competitive quotes for any works needed for compliance.



The year on year increase in holiday makers to the area plus the requirements of the new rental law limiting the amount of holiday rental accommodation available, mean that home owners willing and able to comply will undoubtedly benefit from increased demand.



About Suncoaster Homecare

Suncoaster Homecare is a specialist property management company based in Calahonda on the Costa del Sol in Spain and has been in business for over 20 years managing properties for its clients.



Contact:

Elizabeth Eaton, Communications & Accounts Manager

Telephone: +34952 939 415

Address: Jardines Fase 1, Avenida de los Jardines No.3, Sitio de Calahonda, 29649 Mijas Costa, Malaga, Spain

Email: elizabeth@suncoastergroup.com

Website: https://www.suncoasterhomecare.com/property-management-costa-del-sol
By studying the light emitted from the very dense and strongly magnetic neutron star RX J1856.5-3754, a team of astronomers has found the strongest observational indications yet of vacuum birefringence, a strange quantum effect first predicted nearly 80 years ago.

Neutron stars are the very dense remnant cores of massive stars that have exploded as supernovae at the ends of their lives.

They also have extreme magnetic fields  billions of times stronger than that of the Sun  that permeate their outer surface and surroundings. These fields are so strong that they even affect the properties of the empty space around the star.

Normally a vacuum is thought of as completely empty, and light can travel through it without being changed.

But in quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time.

Very strong magnetic fields can modify this space so that it affects the polarization of light passing through it.

According to QED, a highly magnetized vacuum behaves as a prism for the propagation of light, an effect known as vacuum birefringence, said team member Dr. Roberto Mignani, from INAF Milan in Italy.

Among the many predictions of QED, however, vacuum birefringence so far lacked a direct experimental demonstration.

Attempts to detect it in the laboratory have not yet succeeded in the 80 years since it was predicted in by Werner Heisenberg and Hans Heinrich Euler.

This effect can be detected only in the presence of enormously strong magnetic fields, such as those around neutron stars, said team member Dr. Roberto Turolla, from the University of Padua in Italy.

This shows, once more, that neutron stars are invaluable laboratories in which to study the fundamental laws of nature.

The team used the FORS2 instrument on ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory, Chile, to observe RX J1856.5-3754, a neutron star approximately 401 light-years away in the constellation Corona Australis.

RX J1856.5-3754 belongs to a class of seven radio-quiet isolated neutron stars, a.k.a. the Magnificent Seven, attracted the interest from the neutron star community soon after their discovery in the 1990s.

After careful analysis of the VLT data, the astronomers detected linear polarization  at a significant degree of around 16%  that they say is likely due to the boosting effect of vacuum birefringence occurring in the area of empty space surrounding RX J1856.5-3754.

This is the faintest object for which polarization has ever been measured, said team member Dr. Vincenzo Testa, from INAF Rome.

The high linear polarization that we measured with the VLT cant be easily explained by our models unless the vacuum birefringence effects predicted by QED are included, Dr. Mignani added.

This VLT study is the very first observational support for predictions of these kinds of QED effects arising in extremely strong magnetic fields, said team member Dr. Silvia Zane, from University College London, UK.

The findings were published online Nov. 2, 2016 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (arXiv.org preprint).

_____

Roberto P. Mignani et al. 2017. Evidence for vacuum birefringence from the first optical-polarimetry measurement of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5-3754. MNRAS 465 (1): 492-500; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stw2798
A multinational team of geologists has made the first estimate of the sheer size of the physical structure of Earths technosphere  suggesting that its mass approximates to 30 trillion tons. The research is published in the Anthropocene Review.

The technosphere is the idea of Peter Haff, a professor of geology and civil engineering at Duke University and co-author of the paper.

The technosphere comprises our complex social structures together with the physical infrastructure and technological artifacts supporting energy, information and material flows that enable the system to work, including entities as diverse as power stations, transmission lines, roads and buildings, farms, plastics, tools, airplanes, ballpoint pens and transistors, Prof. Haff and his colleagues explained.

Humans and human organizations form part of it, too  although we are not always as much in control as we think we are, as the technosphere is a system, with its own dynamics and energy flows  and humans have to help keep it going to survive, added lead author Prof. Jan Zalasiewicz, from the University of Leicester, UK.

According to the team, the planets technosphere now weighs some 30 trillion tons  a mass of more than 50 kg for every square meter of the Earths surface.

Highly preliminary estimates of the major components of the Earth System co-opted into the technosphere indicate a mass of 30 trillion tons, equivalent to > 50 kg/m2 of the Earths surface, the researchers said.

The total is 5 orders of magnitude greater than the standing biomass of humans presently sustained by this construct and its reshaping of the biosphere.

The researchers believe the technosphere is some measure of the extent to which we have reshaped our planet.

While the long-term development of the technosphere remains uncertain, its scale and accelerating diversification of form means that it already represents a distinctive new component at a planetary scale, they said.

The components of the technosphere co-evolve rapidly, with complex and frequently changing leadlag relationships predicated by additional constructs reserved to the human species, such as behaviors modulated by markets supply and demand.

The technosphere overlaps broadly, and interacts intimately, with the other spheres, an example being humans and their domestic animals and cultivated plants, which now make up much of the biosphere and are embedded within the technosphere, while humans are also the generators of the technosphere.

This is analogous to water being an essential component in both the hydrosphere and atmosphere.

The Anthropocene concept  a proposed epoch highlighting the impact humans have made to the planet  has provided an understanding that humans have greatly changed the Earth.

The technosphere may be geologically young, but it is evolving with furious speed, and it has already left a deep imprint on our planet, Prof. Zalasiewicz said.

According to co-author Prof. Colin Waters, from the University of Leicester, there is more to the technosphere than just its mass.

It has enabled the production of an enormous array of material objects, from simple tools and coins, to ballpoint pens, books and CDs, to the most sophisticated computers and smartphones, Prof. Waters said.

Many of these, if entombed in strata, can be preserved into the distant geological future as technofossils that will help characterize and date the Anthropocene.

If technofossils were to be classified as paleontologists classify normal fossils  based on their shape, form and texture  the study suggests that the number of individual types of technofossil now on the planet likely reaches a billion or more  thus far outnumbering the numbers of biotic species now living.

Technofossil diversity already exceeds known estimates of biological diversity as measured by richness, far exceeds recognized fossil diversity, and may exceed total biological diversity through Earths history, the scientists said.

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Jan Zalasiewicz et al. Scale and diversity of the physical technosphere: A geological perspective. Anthropocene Review, published online November 28, 2016; doi: 10.1177/2053019616677743
Sex, lies and algorithms  educators need to work with a changing online landscape, says Pauline Oosterhoff.

Rapidly expanding internet access for young people in developing countries poses new and unexpected challenges to sex education. At the end of 2015 there were two billion internet users in the developing world. And with this comes easy access to online pornography, creating a situation where young people in places as diverse as Britain, Ghana, Ethiopia, Egypt and India are now more likely to learn about sex online than anywhere else.

This has been recognised for a while in developed countries, but much less so in low- and middle-income countries where sex education for young people can do much to reduce maternal mortality, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy  and inform on the realities of sex and pleasure.

A changing landscape

A number of countries that restrict modern formal sex education have, in the past, provided education on sexuality and relationships through some form of indigenous cultural institution. In Sierra Leone, for example, it is womens secret societies that have traditionally passed on sexual knowledge and norms to adolescent girls. But such institutions have weakened, or disappeared, just as internet access among young people has grown.

Much has been written about the role of religious authorities and parents in stopping sex education. They were, until recently, quite effective. These traditional gatekeepers encouraged the sex educators left to move online, providing information through websites and on social media to reach young people.

But these educators are up against some major obstacles, including how porn online can be identified and defined, and increasingly, the new online gatekeepers. And they find themselves in a new environment, where theres no shortage of commercial porn providers vying for young peoples attention.

Understanding digital pathways

A survey of 5,000 young people in India, by international sex education provider Love Matters, found that 92 per cent of mostly 1824 year-olds had watched porn at some point in their lives with only moderate differences between men and women. Eighty-four per cent of the women surveyed and 97 per cent of the men had watched porn on the internet.

This is a major challenge for sex educators as it makes it difficult to identify their audience and target their online messages by search words, especially when you add in to the mix censorship and algorithms used online to ban content deemed explicit. Pauline Oosterhoff

How do young people reach these sites? Do they land accidentally on a sex education site while looking for porn, or are they purposely looking for reliable information about sexuality and/or relationships? Knowing more about the digital environment and the various user pathways would help build more effective online sex education interventions.

However, it is not always clear whether a search term like penis means someone is looking for sex education or porn, or how to tell the difference. In fact, in a digital environment it can be hard to figure out even basic demographics such as somebodys gender or age.

New research at the Institute of Development Studies, in collaboration with Love Matters, analysed 471,000 individual search terms from Kenyan users that brought them to the Love Matters website. It found it almost impossible to classify education vs porn searches on a large scale. This is a major challenge for sex educators as it makes it difficult to identify their audience and target their online messages by search words, especially when you add in to the mix censorship and algorithms used online to ban content deemed explicit.

The new gatekeepers

Another ongoing issue is censorship laws, and attempts to enforce anti-pornography and obscenity laws. The government of India blocked 857 pornographic websites in 2015, and just last week came news from the UK on a proposed new censorship law aimed at preventing children from accessing pornographic content online.

Sex educators and policy makers need to work together with young people, ethical porn producers and social media to devise a sex education strategy. Pauline Oosterhoff

Social media giants Google and Facebook exercise another form of censorship. Through algorithms, they are deciding what can be shared and what cannot, and our research has found that what is deemed explicit is often surprising.

A recent example that caused wide international protests was that of documentary photography from the Vietnam War: a photograph by Nick Ut, showing a naked girl running down a street.

More generally, sex educators are banned on social media for publications that have no nudity. For example, an advert with the question Is sex painful first time? with a picture of a hand picking up a bed sheet was blocked. A picture of a dog wearing sunglasses, featuring the caption Doggy-style: Are all men dogs? on the website of the Indian chapter of Love Matters, is another 2014 ad campaign that was censored by Facebook between 27 December 2015 and 16 July 2016.

This is a global issue. Because Facebook and YouTube censor images of female nipples, Argentinean activists used an overweight man with large breastson breast examinations for cancer detection.

Unclear censorship policies by these new gatekeepers affect access to sex education sites. Between December 2015 and July 2016, Facebook rejected 24 per cent of the campaign posts created by Love Matters India, 27 per cent of those created by Love Matters Hablemos in Mexico/Venezuela, 6 per cent of Love Matters Arabics posts and 8 per cent of those by Love Matters Kenya.

Working with producers and gatekeepers

Online platforms meet a demand for authoritative sex education  we need to better understand how educators in developing countries can use the power of porn and social media providers to reach audiences with comprehensive sex education.

Sex educators and policy makers need to work together with young people, ethical porn producers and social media to devise a sex education strategy.

There are potential risks  including reputational damage  of working with the porn industry. With development funding declining and aid contested, donors may be very wary of entering into these debates. But not doing so risks leaving the difficult decision-making to emotional responsesor algorithms, depriving millions of young people worldwide from accessing information that is vital for their sexual and reproductive health.



Pauline Oosterhoff is research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton, UK. She can be contacted at [email protected]
Microsoft Surface Phone release will be sooner than expected. The rumors about Microsoft's Surface Phone have been doing the rounds since 2012. Given the five-year time it was suggestive that the company might have dropped its plans on making the phone but it turns out, it hasn't. Continue reading to get the latest news and updates on Microsoft Surface Phone.

Microsoft Is Working With Pegatron

However, recent reports reveal that the Redmond giant has been closely working with Apple's chief supplier, Pegatron. This is suggestive that Microsoft will finally come up with the Surface Phone. As reported by BGR, the Chinese ODM Pegatron, is working with Microsoft to test the Surface Phone. Pegatron has already worked with the company for the production of devices like the Surface Pro 2 and the recently launched all-in-one Surface PC.

Expectations From Microsoft Surface Phone

Recent rumors suggest that the upcoming Microsoft Surface Phone will be announced soon and shall be out for the big launch sometime in 2017 or during the first quarter of 2018. The highly anticipated Surface Phone is expected to come powered by the Intel-based chipset and run x86 applications in Continuum.

Recent Statement From Microsoft CEO

Just a few days prior to the report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a bold statement about the Surface Phone stating "We will continue to be in the phone market not as defined by today's market leaders, but by what it is that we can uniquely do in what is the most ultimate mobile device."

Will Microsoft Be Able To Survive In The Highly Competitive Smartphone Market?

As all the dots connect to one end, that is the Microsoft Surface Phone, users are eagerly waiting for the much rumored and anticipated phone, as reported by GSMArena. However, it is still unknown if the supposed Surface Phone will be out anytime soon in the market, especially with the two top tech giants Apple and Samsung putting all their best in their upcoming smartphones to regain their declining customer base.

Stay tuned to SWR for latest news and updates on Microsoft Surface Phone
English Latvian

Riga, 2016-11-30 15:16 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The unaudited turnover of the Company in the first nine months of 2016 was 54.6 million Euros, which is 1.2% less than in the same period of Year 2015. While the unaudited profit for the reporting period reached 4.99 million euro that represents 3% increase versus the nine months of Year 2015.



Although the Company has expanded its export geography this year and the turnover drop has been impacted by the decrease of sales in the most profitable markets. To compensate production and sales volume drop during first half of 2016, Latvijas balzams AS has started providing an additional services  using employee competence and warehouse resources. From beginning of 2016 Company is providing a number of warehousing and logistics services, mostly to alcohol beverage companies  like transit assurance service, bonded warehouse services, 3PL services, value added services, picking, etc. Actions taken, were increasing the profit and reaching more efficient use of available resources and assets.



Latvijas balzams AS is the leading producer of alcoholic beverages in Latvia, as well as one of the largest local taxpayers. During the first nine months of 2016, Latvijas balzams AS paid 37.5 million euro to the state budget, including excise tax, amounting to 28.6 million euro.



Future prospects

Latvijas balsams AS year-end outlook remains cautious due to the impact of the situation with oil prices in Russia slow down in China and the uncertainty around the EU. The Company will continue its purposeful focus on the achievement of objectives in both domestic and export markets. Our priorities will be focused on strengthening of the domestic business, building our international brands, and on implementation of effective production strategy to increase the Company`s competitiveness.

Latvijas balsams AS is an active member of Latvian Alcohol Industry Association and cooperates with non-governmental organizations, represents the interests of industry in any dialogue with legislators and law enforcement institutions. Company supports development of well - considered industry policy in Latvia and promotes responsible consumption and public education on these issues, as well as continues to combat the illegal production and distribution of non-commercial alcoholic beverages.

Intars Geidans

Chairman of the Board



Riga, 30 November, 2016








Scientists uncovered the largest exposed fault on Earth known as Banda Detachment fault in eastern Indonesia. This could also help scientists on understanding how a 7.2 km-deep (4.5-mile) abyss formed in the Pacific Ocean.

The discovery was described in the journal Geology. The biggest fault plane passes through the Ring of Fire, which is an area in the Pacific Ocean where about 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and 75 percent of all active volcanoes occur.

Dr. Jonathan Pownall from the Australian National University (ANU), the lead author of the study, said that the find will help scientists assess dangers of future tsunamis in the area, which is part of the Ring of Fire. He further said that the abyss has been known for 90 years but until now no one has been able to explain how it got so deep. He explained that their research found that a 7 km-deep abyss beneath the Banda Sea off eastern Indonesia was developed by extension along what might be Earth's largest-identified exposed fault plane.

The researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra and Royal Holloway University of London examined the maps of the sea floor taken from the Banda Sea region in the Pacific Ocean. They found that the rocks reclining on the bottom of the sea were cut by hundreds of straight parallel scars. This indicates that a piece of crust bigger than Belgium or Tasmania might have been ripped apart by 120 km of extension along a low-angle crack or detachment fault to form a deep depression in the ocean floor, according to Phys.Org.

Once a fault formed in Earth's crust, it creates two main features, namely, the fault plane and the fault line. The fault plane is the flat surface of a fault. Meanwhile, the fault line is the intersection of a fault plane with the ground surface. Their simulations also suggest that the Banda Detachment fault plane was exposed over an area of 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) when the sea floor cracked.

Jonathan Pownall, a researcher from ANU, said that he was stunned to see the postulated fault plane, this time not on a computer screen but poking above the waves. He further said that the discovery will help explain how one of the Earth's deepest sea areas became so deep, according to Science Alert.
The technological advancements today could make almost anything possible. What if humans could regrow an amputated arm or leg? A new study of one of the closest invertebrate human relatives, the acorn worm, shows that human regeneration could one day become a reality.

In a study published in the journal Developmental Dynamics, a team of researchers at the University of Washington has found that acorn worms can regrow every major body part like the head, internal organs and even the nervous system function, even after it was sliced in half.

When these worms are cut in half, they regenerate most body parts after 15 days. In fact, they even develope a new neural tube, the precursor to a central nervous system.

Similar Genetic Makeup

The worms' genetic makeup and body plan are surprisingly similar to humans and scientists hope that these genes could pave way for human regeneration. If this is possible, humans could regrow amputated limbs or even restore spinal cord injuries.

"Regeneration gives animals or populations immortality," Billie Swalla, director of Friday Harbor Laboratories and a UW biology professor, said in a press release by the University of Washington.

"Not only are the tissues regrown, but they are regrown exactly the same way and with the same proportions so that at the end of the process, you can't tell a regenerated animal from one that has never been cut," he added.

Hope For Human Regeneration

The scientists believe that if the worms' self-healing genetic code is cracked, tissue from a human amputee could be collected and the genes from those tissues activated to trigger regeneration or regrowth. The astonishing thing is, since these worms could even restore nervous system function, the regenerated body part will be able to feel and move.

"This could have implications for central nervous system regeneration in humans if we can figure out the mechanisms the worms use to regenerate," Shawn Luttrell, lead author of the study, said as reported by the Huffington Post.
DroneShield's latest bad boy, Anti-Drone gun is capable of jamming the signals of a drone which is 1.2 miles away. Drones have been on the tech and defense radar for quite some time now. Like any other technology, they can be used to carry out positive as well as negative work. They have been responsible for carrying out rescue missions, surgical strikes and other important projects. However, they have also been used to destroy armies and kill civilians.

There have been numerous anti-drone systems that have been invented recently to counter dangerous drones. However, their biggest disadvantage is that these technologies cannot be operated from too far away. One needs to be relatively close to the drone to disable it. This is risky in itself as the drone could be carrying instant explosives. In such a case, disabling a drone from a nearby location is not effective at all.

However, Anti-Drone Gun solves this issue of distance quite effectively. It can jam the drone signals and GPS from over a mile. The gun does not destroy the drone, it merely disables its offensive trait. It can either force the drone to land nearby in a harmless manner or make it return to its origin point. The technology is currently being tested in remote locations for judging its effectiveness.

The machine weighs 13 pounds and hence, can be carried by a single operator. It does not require high end training. Security staff can use this gun with ease. Notably, this anti-drone gun hasn't been approved and certified by necessary government authorities. This means that it cannot operate legally in United States currently. However, once it gets the green flag from authorities, it can be used for tightening security around airports and army bases.

Keeping watching out the SWR column for more updates and latest news about Anti-Drone Gun.
Pope Francis applauded atheist Stephen Hawking and other scientists for their outstanding works during the Pontifical Academy of Sciences conference in Rome on Monday.

Mail Online reported that the pontiff, who is known to have a deep concern for the environment, graced the occasion in a delightful attitude as he welcomed theoretical physicist and self-confessed atheist, Stephen Hawking. The 79-year-old Roman Catholic leader touched the 74-year-old ALS patient on his shoulder while giving him a warm smile.

During his speech, Pope Francis pointed out the urgent need for scientists to find solutions to the world's problems. He also called for unity between science and religion in addressing food security, water shortages and renewable forms of energy.

According to the Pope, humanity does not own God's gift of creation; thus, we have no right to plunder it, Catholic Herald reported. He said that the modern world has got used to "thinking we are the owners and masters of nature, authorised to plunder it without any consideration for its secret potential and evolutionary laws, as if it were an inert substance at our disposal, causing, among other things, a very serious loss of biodiversity."

Pope Francis added that the world needs an ecological conversion where people should understand their accountability to the environment and its inhabitants and try to execute proper social justice to overcome an unjust system that creates inequality, exclusion and misery.

The Pope continued that it is for the scientists to "build a cultural model to tackle the crisis of climate change and its social consequences so that enormous productive capacities are not reserved only to the few."

In order for that to be successful, he added that the scientists should be free of economic, political and ideological interests as well.

The Ponitifical Academy of Sciences conference was held from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29 at the Vatican.
It is reported that about two thirds of astronauts have deteriorated eyesight after spending time in space. The scientists are trying to know the reasons behind the impairment of astronauts' vision ever since and now they finally figured it out why.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly was chosen to be America's first astronaut to spend a year in space. He said upon returning to Earth, he was forced to wear reading glasses although before the expedition he has an exceptional vision. Meanwhile, John Phillips, who also spent time in space in 2005, had experienced blurry vision and NASA confirmed that his vision had gone from 20/20 to 20/100 in just six months.

Dorit Donoviel from the U.S. National Space Biomedical Research Institute told The Guardian that nobody has gone two years with exposure to this and the concern is that they have loss of vision. She further said that it is catastrophic for an astronaut.

NASA has been trying to determine the cause of the loss of vision of astronauts. Currently, researchers from the University of Miami have examined and studied what is causing vision problems in astronauts. In the study, the team compared before and after the brain scans from seven astronauts who had spent many months in the ISS and compared them to nine astronauts who made short trips to and from the U.S. space shuttle.

The results showed that the difference between the two was that the astronauts who spent much in space had more cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in their brains than the astronauts with short trips. According to the researchers, not vascular fluid is the cause of the vision loss.

The CSF is significant for cushioning the brain and the spinal cord and also distributes nutrients in the body and removes waste. In microgravity of space, the CSF system starts to fail. Noam Alperin, one of the researchers, said that on Earth, the CSF system is built to accommodate these pressure changes. But in space, the system is confused by the lack of the posture-related pressure changes. This high orbital CFS volume causes the CSF pooling around the optic nerves in the part of the skull that holds the eye.

The findings of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago this week. The findings were to be reviewed still, according to Science Alert.
NASA will be saying goodbye to the RapidScat instrument used to track the winds over the oceans globally. The instrument stopped working last Aug. 19.

The RapidScat by NASA is mounted on a platform outside the International Space Station. Its main purpose is to track winds over the world's oceans. However, its mission ended after a technical glitch that disabled the sensor earlier this year.

The RapidScat was assembled out of spare parts. It shortens the budget of $26 million compared to the full-up satellite mission that costs 10 times more. The instrument helps fill the data gap that left meteorologists lacking measurements to aid hurricane and typhoon forecasts.

Ocean Surface Winds Science team lead in NOAA's Center for Satellite Applications and Research Paul Chang said that "The unique coverage of ISS-RapidScat allowed us to see the rate of change or evolution in key wind features along mid-latitude storm tracks, which happen to intersect major shipping routes. ISS-RapidScat observations improved situational awareness of marine weather conditions, which aid optimal ship routing and hazard avoidance, and marine forecasts and warnings."

According to NASA, the RapidScat collected and beamed down measurements of wind speed and direction for nearly two years. Also, it offered insights into the intense tropical cyclones and large-scale climate phenomena.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was the one that designed and built the instrument. It is supposed to work for two years. It is somehow near its goal before the power system failure occurred.

On Aug. 19, because of the power distribution unit for the space station's Columbus module failed, it also resulted for the RapidScat to lose power. It is mounted on the Columbus module. The mission operations from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory tried to revive the instrument multiple times but they were not successful, according to Space Flight Now.

Meanwhile, NASA does not have the plan to launch another scatterometer mission. But the loss of the RapidScat data will be partially mitigated by the newly launched ScatSat ocean wind sensor. It is a mission coming from the Indian Space Research Organization.
If you are someone who drinks 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, then you may be in for a treat. According to a new research, a moderate intake of coffee can give protection against age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

The causes of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases have yet to be discovered, and scientists are still on the look-out for factors that may prevent or lower one's risk of developing any of the two disorders. There have already been a number of studies conducted to determine factors that can lower or eliminate risk for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Many have tried. Unfortunately, only a few who were successful to reach a certain point in their research that have made them a step closer to finding facts.

According to Times of India, researchers from the University of Coimbra (CNC) in Portugal claimed that regular, long-term coffee drinking may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 27 percent. They also pointed out that the greatest protection against cognitive decline can be seen at an intake of nearly 3-5 cups of coffee per day.

"Moderate coffee consumption could play a significant role in reducing cognitive decline which would impact health outcomes and healthcare spending," said Professor Rodrigo A. Cunha at the university.

Researchers said that caffeine, anti-inflammatory agents as well as antioxidants such as caffeic acid, a polyphenol (antioxidant) found in coffee, may be associated with the improved cognitive function, reported Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in its scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine explained that daily consumption of up to 400 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to up to 5 cups of coffee a day, from all sources do not increase any concern among healthy adults.

The research was presented at ISIC's symposium held during the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society's 2016 Congress in Lisbon.
Will you be alive in the next five years? A simple blood test could help scientists predict the risk of immediate death from heart disease or cancer.

A team of international researchers found a way to predict the risk of immediate death. They found a marker in the blood that detects the building blocks of certain diseases like chronic heart disease, cancer and other serious conditions.

In the study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the researchers looked at the data collected from 1997 to 1999 on more than 6,500 men aged between 45 and 69. The participants were followed until 2015 to see if they have died from any disease. The researchers also analyzed the biomarkers of inflammation -- interleukin-6 (IL-6), (C-reactive protein (CRP) and 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP).

They found that the new inflammatory marker, dubbed as IL-6 or interleukin-6, is more accurate in assessing the risk of death, in both short and long terms than the previously used 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Inflammatory markers are known to be linked to cancer, strokes, heart disease and other potentially fatal diseases. In fact, the greater the inflammation, the more serious the condition.

"Our findings suggest that AGP is not a better marker of short- or long-term mortality risk than the more commonly used biomarkers IL-6 and CRP," the researchers concluded in the study.

Despite the importance of using inflammation markers in predicting death from certain diseases, the efficacy of tests measuring these biomarkers is still being debated. However, the new study paves a way for scientists to determine the importance of determining the relationship of inflammation and the overall health of the person.

"Omics technologies are exciting, as they allow the concurrent assessment of many biomarkers, some of which may turn out to be important to detect preclinical states of diseases or be markers of future disease," Professor Archana Singh-Manoux, lead author from the University College London, said in a press release by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"Research on biomarkers is progressing fast, and it is important to undertake checks like in the one in our study, to shape future research on biomarkers," she added.


FLORENCE, S.C.  Pharmaceutical manufacturer and developer Patheon already has plans in place to expand what will soon be the former facility of Roche Carolina Inc., officials said Tuesday.

On Monday, it was announced that Patheon had signed an agreement to take over the 300,000-square-foot plant on the Old Marion Highway. The deal is expected to close in no more than 60 days, Patheon spokeswoman Mari Mansfield said Tuesday.

In our planning for this acquisition, we are hoping to grow the facility, she said. We are at capacity producing API (active pharmaceutical ingredients), and with this acquisition, it allows us to expand that capacity and take advantage of the skilled talent there  the technical and scientific expertise.

Existing suites within the Roche facility were not being used, she said, and Patheon plans on bringing to life some of that unused space.

Mansfield said she couldnt confirm whether the local workforce of about 200 would grow as a result of the plans.

Florence Countys economic development director Joe W. King said Tuesday his understanding all along has centered on Patheons plans to grow its Florence footprint.

Theres a lot of unused space out there and Patheon wants to take advantage of the talent on site. You always make plans to grow but you never know what the future will hold, he said. Theyre preserving 200-plus jobs, keeping them employed and its like Christmas the week after Thanksgiving.

Roche Carolina Inc. spokesman Pete Mazzaroni said Tuesday that Patheon has communicated plans to restart what Roche calls the pilot plant, an 80,000-square-foot facility thats been idle five years. Its known as the pilot plant for smaller-scale development projects as opposed to larger-scale commercial launches of pharmaceuticals.

Sometime earlier this year, though, a deal between Patheon and Roche failed to materialize late in the negotiating process when it was thought to be near completion.

It was just so much more of a complex deal, Mazzaroni said, and was handled by Roches Switzerland headquarters. We were not able to finalize.

King said the last time around, there was an unexpected and abrupt ending.

Just bam! he said. I dont know. Wed gone through three different levels. All three approved it and somewhere it just ended.

Mansfield said Patheon was negotiating with Roche in regard not only to its Florence facility, but also to three sister sites in Europe  one apiece in Ireland, Spain and Italy. Roche found a different buyer for the facility in Spain, she said.

And we were pursuing three of their sites and that deal did come apart, she said. We were very interested in the South Carolina site because of our need for API capacity in the United States.

For Patheon, the opportunity to acquire the Roche Carolina site means solid progress toward preserving 200 jobs, she said.

Thats a big deal, especially for the holidays. We have a strong commitment to this site and a strong commitment to growing our business, depending on demand, she said.

Patheon acquired IRIX Pharmaceuticals in March 2015, and Mansfield said the company will review all aspects of the current integration with Roche Carolina to see if theres duplication of functions.

We have a full client roster at our current (Florence) Patheon site and were at capacity there, she said, referring to what was the former IRIX plant.

Mazzaroni said plans for the integration of Roche Carolinas Florence site into Patheon have already begun. King said its always splashy when a new industry comes to town, but its crucial to foster the growth of existing industry and hes thrilled at the level of exposure a world-class company such as Patheon will bring to Florence.

I think its a win-win for all parties involved, he said.
RENO, Nev., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ORA) today announced that ORNI 47 LLC successfully issued and sold $92.5 million in aggregate principal amount of its 4.03% Senior Secured Notes due 2033. The Senior Secured Notes were issued in a private placement transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and were purchased in total by MEAG, the asset manager of Munich Re. The Senior Secured Notes were assigned an investment grade rating of BBB- by Kroll Rating Agency.



ORNI 47 LLC issued the Senior Secured Notes to refinance the costs of development and construction of the Don A. Campbell Phase I (DAC 1) geothermal power plant, which Ormat initially financed using equity funding. The approximately 20 MW DAC 1 geothermal power plant is located in Nevada, and commenced operation in 2014. ORNI 47 LLC, which owns the plant, sells its electricity to Southern California Public Power Authority under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. ORNI 47 LLC and the DAC 1 plant form part of the ORPD LLC portfolio, which is jointly owned 63.25% by Ormats direct wholly-owned subsidiary Ormat Nevada Inc., and 36.75% by Northleaf Geothermal Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Northleaf Capital Partners. Ormat Nevada's share of the proceeds, net of transaction fees and funding of a debt service reserve account, are approximately $55.0 million.

"We are pleased to finalize this financing transaction for Don A. Campbell Phase I, enabling Ormat and Northleaf to benefit from favorable terms. This financing demonstrates Munich Re's confidence in geothermal projects operated by Ormat, said Mr. Isaac Angel, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

With this investment we are continuing to diversify our portfolio with sustainable investments characterized by limited risks and attractive returns. In doing so we are making use of the entire groups expertise, says MEAG Managing Director Holger Kerzel.

CIBC World Markets Corp. acted as Private Placement Agent and Chadbourne & Parke LLP served as legal counsel.

About Ormat Technologies

With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (REG), with the objective of becoming a leading global provider of renewable energy. The company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter  a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. With 72 U.S. patents, Ormats power solutions have been refined and perfected under the most grueling environmental conditions. Ormat has 450 employees in the United States and over 600 overseas. Ormats flexible, modular solutions for geothermal power and REG are ideal for the vast range of resource characteristics. The company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling over 2,000 MW of gross capacity. Ormats current 710 MW generating portfolio is spread globally in the U.S., Guatemala, Guadeloupe, and Kenya.

About Northleaf Capital Partners

Northleaf Capital Partners is a leading independent global private equity, infrastructure and private credit manager, with $9 billion in commitments under management on behalf of public, corporate and multi-employer pension plans, university endowments, foundations, financial institutions and family offices. Northleafs global infrastructure program pursues direct investments in mature, conservatively-positioned infrastructure assets in developed markets.

Northleafs 85-person team, located in Toronto, London, Chicago, and Menlo Park, is focused exclusively on sourcing, evaluating and managing private markets investments globally. Northleaf currently manages six global private equity funds, a specialist private equity secondary fund, two infrastructure funds, a private credit fund and a series of customized investment mandates tailored to meet the specific needs of institutional investors and family offices. For more information on Northleaf, please visit www.northleafcapital.com.

For further information, please contact:

Jeff Pentland

Managing Director

+1 416 477 6165

Jeff.pentland@northleafcapital.com

Olivier Laganiere

Vice President

+1 416 477 6713

olivier.laganiere@northleafcapital.com

About MEAG

MEAG stands for best practice asset management for Munich Re and ERGO. MEAG has representations in Europe, Asia and North America and also offers its extensive know-how to institutional investors and private clients from outside the Group. MEAG currently manages assets to the value of around  268 billion.

Ormats Safe Harbor Statement

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormats plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its managements current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see Risk Factors as described in Ormat Technologies, Inc.s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2016.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
MARION, S.C. -- Marion County School District Teacher of the Year Latonya Yates-Ford welcomed Patrick Kelly, 2016-17 teaching ambassador fellow, to the district on Nov. 9. Kelly, a social studies teacher at Blythewood High School in the Richland 2 School District, is on a one year assignment as a fellow for the U.S. Department of Education.

Kelly is spending this year in Washington, D.C., working in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. Because of this role, he was invited to speak at the Teacher Forum Conference for South Carolina District Teachers of the Year being held in Myrtle Beach. As a teaching ambassador fellow, part of his job is to gather educator voices from the field to share for policy makers in the Department of Education. Knowing he was coming to Myrtle Beach, he reached out to Ford to see if he could visit and tour some of the schools in the district.
DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Students at Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate School recently got the chance to learn more about the Florence Rotary Club Exchange program that their school participates in. Florence Rotary Club exchange officer Rick Favaloro visited Trinity-Byrnes to spread the word about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Currently, there is one Rotary Exchange student at Trinity-Byrnes: senior Anne-Marie Phyan, from Germany.

Students in the Rotary Exchange Program learn about the United States during their stay while also sharing information about their home country.

A local family shares their home with the exchange student, who meets often with the Rotary Club that is hosting the student. Trinity-Byrnes has had exchange students before, including one who returned to her home country of Belgium earlier this year.
HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- The Care Innovations Program of CareSouth Carolina Inc. will host an afternoon of inspiration and education at Coker College on Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. The event is the community health centers way to show the importance of understanding the effect that HIV/AIDS has on people in South Carolina. WYNN 106.3 is the event host with Big MMike serving as the DJ for the evening.

National World AIDS Day is celebrated on the Dec. 1 annually to bring awareness to a disease that effects the lives of millions. Attendees will receive free T-shirts, water bottles and refreshments while listening to live music and a message from a person living with HIV/AIDS. There will also be a performance from the South Carolina Governors School Choir.

We want people to come out and enjoy an afternoon of awareness in a comfortable setting with their neighbors, said Troy Bowers, Care Innovations director. The team has worked diligently to bring local businesses and community leaders together to shed light on what some consider a dark subject, Bowers added.

Davidson Hall is on the campus of Coker College at 300 E. College Ave.

For more information about CareSouth Carolina, visit www.CareSouth-Carolina.com or call 843-857-0111.
BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT today announced that Joe Nuccio has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Business Development. Nuccio joins ADT from ASG Security, where he served as President and CEO. Reporting directly to ADT Chief Operating Officer Jim DeVries, Nuccio will be integrally involved in the expansion of ADTs dealer channel, industry relations, and supporting a number of large-scale critical operations projects.



In an effort to improve the security industry, Joe has been a dedicated advocate, spending significant time mentoring and working side-by-side with leaders and organizations to advance key issues, said DeVries. Joes leadership and experience will greatly contribute to our success as we focus on building a stronger future for ADT and Protection 1.

Joe is a security industry leader with over 30 years of experience. He began his career with SecurityLink in Chicago, and later moved to Australia to lead Signature Security Group from a start-up to a market leader in Australia and New Zealand. He returned to the U.S. in 2001 and served as Regional Vice President, Central Region, for Protection 1 before joining ASG Security as President in 2003.

At ASG, Joe was instrumental in their sale to Apollo Global Management LLC in 2015. ASG was merged with Protection 1, bringing a larger commercial account footprint to the business.

As a security industry veteran, its a tremendous feeling to join ADT, said Nuccio. I look forward to expanding our dealer footprint and working alongside our world-class leadership team to enhance the ADT and Protection 1 brands through our network.

About ADT

ADT is a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in the United States and Canada. ADT's broad and pioneering set of products and services, including ADT Pulse interactive home and business solutions, and health services, meet a range of customer needs for todays active and increasingly mobile lifestyles. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, ADT, when combined with Protection 1, helps provide peace of mind to nearly eight million customers, and it employs approximately 20,000 people at 300 locations. More information is available at www.adt.com.
MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its second year, TopLine Credit Union Foundation has awarded $10,000 in scholarship money to sixteen TopLine members who are continuing their education. The scholarship awards included four $1,000 scholarships and twelve $500 scholarships.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ae58c6f-9df8-4a5d-9b31-e3529a580379

Any individual planning to pursue or continue post-secondary education by attending a college or university, graduate school, or a 2-to-4-year community, vocational or technical college in the fall of 2016 was eligible. All eligible schools must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.

Scholarship applicants needed to complete a one-page application form and submit an essay (500 words or less) that answered the question: Financial literacy is the ability to understand how money works and how to effectively manage your personal finances. Minnesota schools do not require a personal finance education course to be offered or taken, nor require standardized testing on the subject. If you were to develop a financial literacy program what would the important elements be?

In our second year we are once again delighted to assist sixteen TopLine members with the costs of higher education, said Vicki Roscoe Erickson, President, TopLine Credit Union Foundation. The essays provided valuable insights on what to include when developing a financial literacy program, like how to create and follow a budget, the importance of short term and long term savings, how to manage and pay off debt, understanding how interest works and how to manage insurance risk. We will be sharing essay responses with our local legislators and our state trade organization, the Minnesota Credit Union Network, to help garner traction on the importance of financial literacy being taught in the classroom.

TopLine Credit Union Foundation, guided by its mission of working within the community to build a better tomorrow, will continue to support the cooperative spirit of "people helping people" by living the mantra  to care, connect and contribute in the communities they serve.

The foundation received a total of 121 applications. Scholarship recipients will be recognized with a reception at the credit union, on TopLine Credit Union Foundations website page at www.TopLinecu.com/foundation and on their facebook page at www.facebook.com/TopLineFederalCreditUnion.

TopLine Credit Union Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing members with an array of financial education opportunities and counseling for members of all ages, awarding scholarships, contributing to community charitable organizations and sponsoring other community give-back efforts. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For further information visit www.TopLinecu.com/foundation, email Foundation@TopLinecu.com, call 763-391-9494, stop by any TopLine branch location or write to: 9353 Jefferson Hwy, Maple Grove, MN 55369. Federal Tax ID # is 46-4335752.
LISLE, Ill., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Armour, the makers of convenient meal solutions and ingredients including frozen meatballs, pepperoni, and portable meal kits, honored an unsung hero today. The brand hosted an event to recognize Rebecca Atem as part of its campaign to celebrate Great Moms across the country.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd1a5645-5365-48e9-9815-6105a74de551

Atem supports the Salt Lake City YMCA events and family nights where two of her children receive care. She immigrated to the United States from Africa through a refugee program in the hopes of having a better life  leaving her family and friends behind. Her path led her to Utah where she met her husband and had three children. Despite recently being widowed, Atem remains positive and is teaching her three young children to persevere and thrive no matter what life brings.

Atems number one priority is caring for her children. She also works a full-time job and participates in Salt Lake City YMCA activities. She is a joy to all who share time with her.

Atem was celebrated during an event at the Salt Lake City YMCA in front of her family, friends, and Salt Lake City YMCA staff. To recognize Atem for being a Great Mom and community champion, Armour surprised Atem with $2,500 in free groceries at Smiths.

Rebecca Atem exemplifies the spirit of the Armour Great Moms campaign, said Jennifer Zmrhal, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. She is a wonderful mom to her three children, and is dedicated to the Salt Lake City YMCA. We are honored to celebrate and reward Ms. Atem with $2,500 in free groceries at Smiths.



The Armour Great Moms campaign is the brands national program designed to highlight and reward everyday great moms across the country by recognizing and showing appreciation for these unsung champions.

The campaign includes monthly events to surprise and celebrate Great Moms across the country for their extraordinary efforts in their communities and at home.

"I love being a mom, said Atem. It is a lot of hard work, but it makes me appreciate what my mom did. It is great that Armour and Smith's have done this for me. I am grateful."

Armour is currently hosting the Great Moms sweepstakes. From now through November 30, look for specially marked Armour products or visit www.armourgreatmoms.com to enter for a chance to win up to $5,000 in free groceries. No purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes.

Armour is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Armour

With America's favorite frozen meatballs, LunchMakers portable meal kits, and pepperoni products, Armour is proud to be a trusted brand that provides convenient, delicious and affordable meal options for smart, sensible families since 1867.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, John Morrell, Gwaltney, Nathan's Famous, Kretschmar, Margherita, Curly's, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seven winners of Affordable Housing Finance magazine's 2016 Readers' Choice Awards competition for the nation's Best Affordable Housing Developments received Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco).

"This industry recognition illustrates how effective our members and their community partners are in producing high quality housing," said Greg Seibly, President and Chief Executive Officer at FHLBank San Francisco. "We are pleased to see so much creativity and innovation applied to developing affordable housing for their communities.

Affordable Housing Finance magazines 2016 Readers' Choice Awards went to the following projects, all of which received AHP grants through FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions:

Urban Winner: 1100 Ocean Avenue Apartments, San Francisco, CA

Mercy Housings 1100 Ocean Avenue Apartments project combines permanent supportive housing for extremely low-income and formerly homeless young adults with family housing. The project was awarded a $700,000 AHP grant through Bank member Bank of America, NA.

Seniors Winner: Lakeside Senior Apartments, Oakland, CA

Satellite Affordable Housing Associates Lakeside Senior Apartments will provide 92 units of housing affordable to vulnerable seniors in a rapidly gentrifying part of Oakland. The project was awarded an $890,000 AHP grant through Wells Fargo Financial National Bank.

Special-Needs Winner: The Six, Los Angeles, CA

Skid Row Housing Trusts The Six offers 100% supportive housing to formerly homeless individuals, with 35% of its units reserved for formerly homeless veterans. The project was awarded a $500,000 AHP grant through Wells Fargo Financial National Bank.

Rural Winner: Bowman Senior Residences, Nogales, AZ

Nogales Community Development replaced two 100-year-old former motel properties with service-enriched housing for low-income seniors just steps from the border between the United States and Mexico. The project was awarded an $800,000 AHP grant through Raza Development Fund.

Public Housing Redevelopment Winners: San Franciscos Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Phases 1 and 2 redevelopment of distressed public housing units includes three projects that received AHP funding through member Bank of the West: TNDCs 350 Ellis ($1.32 million), Community Housing Partnerships 1750 McAllister ($970,000), and Mercy Housing Californias 1880 Pine ($1.12 million).

Earlier this year, Affordable Housing Finance magazines readers submitted nominations in eight different categories for the nation's best affordable housing developments. Editors asked readers to vote for their favorite projects based on profiles that ran in the July/August issue. Out of those 34 finalists, readers voted for the best development in eight categories and voted one development the overall winner. For more information, visit www.housingfinance.com.

Affordable Housing Program

Since 1990, the Bank has awarded more than $880 million in AHP subsidies through a competitive application process. These AHP grants have helped produce over 120,000 units of quality affordable housing targeted to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households. Both the competitive AHP and the Banks WISH and IDEA programs are funded with 10% of the Banks annual earnings. The Banks member financial institutions, working in partnership with community-based affordable housing developers, submit applications for AHP funds to assist in the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of affordable housing units. Funded projects cover a wide range of strategies and solutions, from historic preservation and adaptive reuse to new construction and rehabilitation. Where AHP projects are developed, local economies also get a boost, as these projects create jobs, increase construction and consumer spending, and generate new tax revenues.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco delivers low-cost funding and other services that help member financial institutions make home mortgages to people of all income levels and provide credit that supports neighborhoods and communities. FHLBank San Francisco also funds community programs that help members create affordable housing and promote community economic development. FHLBank San Francisco members are headquartered in Arizona, California, and Nevada and include commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions.
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Patricio Stocker, President and CEO of PharmaCielo Ltd., announced the company has appointed a Medical Advisory Board (MAB) to provide guidance on the development of medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products appropriate for use by clinical practitioners.

Under the guidance of Dr. Delon Human, PharmaCielo Board of Directors member and Chair of the MAB, appointees will be able to provide significant input in the development of our medicinal-grade products through their ability to provide global expertise in the areas of healthcare policy, regulation, medical science and patient insights in addition to their clinical experience, said Dr. Stocker.

Dr. Human has assembled an experienced team of international medical clinicians whose expertise will be leveraged to provide guidance in the development of medicinal-grade cannabis oil based products, as well as international insight and understanding of worldwide healthcare policy and its implications for this emerging global industry.

The Medical Advisory Board will oversee PharmaCielos practices and processes, ensuring they are UN-aligned and performed ethically and according to Good Manufacturing and Good Medical Practice, said Dr. Human. During the April 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs, the UN and its member states strongly endorsed the need to ensure the accessibility and availability of internationally controlled drugs for medical and scientific purposes, including substances such as cannabinoids. In developing a global framework, this should be promoted within national legal systems, while simultaneously preventing diversion, abuse and trafficking. PharmaCielo has the opportunity to develop the worlds finest quality, naturally grown, pharma-grade cannabis oils.

Four appointees to the MAB were introduced (full biographies are available at www.pharmacielo.com):

Dr. Delon Human, M.B.Ch.B., M.Prax.Med., MFGP, DCH, MBA

Member, PharmaCielo Board of Directors; Chair, Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Delon Human is the president and CEO of Health Diplomats, a health advisory and consulting practice, providing strategic and technical advice on global health issues to Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, food, tobacco, nicotine and medical device industries as well as NGOs, governments and foundations. He has acted as adviser to WHO Director-Generals and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

He is a published author and specializes in global health strategy, corporate and product transformation, harm reduction and health communication. Formerly, he served as the Secretary-General of the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), which brings together the top food companies in the world.

From 1997 to 2005, Dr. Human served as secretary general of the World Medical Association (WMA), the global representative body for physicians. He was instrumental in the establishment of the World Health Professions Alliance, an alliance of the global representative bodies of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and physical therapists.

Dr. Human qualified as a physician in South Africa and completed his postgraduate studies in family medicine and child health in South Africa and Oxford, England. He was a clinician for two decades, part of the pediatric endocrinology research unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital and was involved in the establishment of several medical centers, a hospital and emergency clinic in South Africa. His business studies (MBA) were completed at the Edinburgh Business School.

Dr. Anders Milton, MD, PhD, Member, Medical Advisory Board

A former chair of the World Medical Association, Dr. Anders Milton is a highly sought-after consultant within the healthcare sector and has served as president of the European Regional Network on HIV/AIDS (ERNA) and as president of the Swedish Red Cross among a number of other positions, including appointment by the Swedish government as chairman of a committee on Swedish HIV/AIDS policies and a member of the Catastrophe Commission formed following the December 2004 tsunami. Recently he led a select committee studying organ donation and transplantation.

Previously, Dr. Milton served as president and CEO of the Swedish Medical Association.

A director of several public and privately held companies and foundations, Dr. Milton originally studied economics before turning to medicine, and after graduating university as a medical doctor and PhD he served as a clinician at the Department of Nephrology at the University Hospital at Uppsala. Throughout his career he has been engaged in work in support of human rights, ethics of medical practice and safe health care, of which effective pharmacotherapy is an integral part.

Dr. Juan E. Gutierrez, MD, Member, Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Gutierrez is a neuroradiologist in private practice and Director of the Neuroradiology Division at Centro Avanzado de Diagnostico Medico (CEDIMED) in Colombia.

Previously, Dr. Gutierrez served at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX as Associate Professor of Radiology, Vice Chair of Clinical Operations, Medical Director and Director of the Clinical Trials Division at the Radiology Department. He was formerly Director of Medical Development, Diagnostic Imaging and Associate Director of Clinical Development, Diagnostic Imaging for Bayer Healthcare (formerly Berlex Laboratories) in Montville, NJ. Dr. Gutierrez also served as a medical monitor with Novartis (formerly Ciba-Geigy Labs) in Medellin.

Dr. Gutierrez has been the recipient of several awards for his work, and has been the lead researcher, international researcher and co-investigator on numerous clinical trials. Regularly published, he has co-edited five medical books and authored or co-authored over 25 book chapters as well as 17 peer-reviewed articles and scores of abstracts and articles published in scientific research journals.

Dr. Gutierrez received a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from CES University in Medellin and Specialist in Clinical Radiology from Pontifical Xavierian University / San Ignacio Hospital in Bogota. He completed a research fellowship in Neuroradiology at Thomas Jefferson University / TJU Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and a visiting fellowship in Interventional Neuroradiology at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Jorge Andres Soto, MD, Member, Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Soto is Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Boston Medical Center and a Professor of Radiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He has previously served as a general medical practitioner with the Hospital San Antonio de Prado in Colombia, section head of Body Imaging at University of San Vicente de Paul Hospital, radiologist at CEDIMED in Medellin, assistant professor of Radiology at the University of Antioquia and was vice chairman of Boston Medical Centers Department of Radiology for ten years.

A native of Medellin with citizenship in both Colombia and the United States, Dr. Soto received his Doctor in Medicine and Surgery and Specialist in Diagnostic Radiology from CES Universitys Health Sciences Institute in Medellin, and completed a Radiology Body Imaging Fellowship at Boston University Medical Center.

Dr. Soto has received honors and awards from the Colombian Ministry of Education, Medellin Medicine Academy, Boston University Medical Center and numerous professional societies. An extensively published researcher, Dr. Soto is a member of the editorial boards of Radiology and Abdominal Imaging, has edited seven books and has published over 85 original research papers and more than 35 reviews, book chapters and case reports.

About PharmaCielo Ltd:

PharmaCielo Ltd. (the Company) is a global company privately held and headquartered in Canada, with a focus on processing and supplying all natural, medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products to large channel distributors. The Companys principal (and wholly-owned) subsidiary is PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S., headquartered at its Nursery and Propagation Centre located in Rionegro, Colombia.

The boards of directors and executive teams of both PharmaCielo and PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings are comprised of a diversely talented group of international business executives and specialists with relevant and varied expertise. PharmaCielo recognized the significant role that Colombias ideal location will play in building a sustainable business in the medical cannabis industry, and the Company, together with its directors and executives, has built a compelling business plan focused on supplying the international marketplace.

For further information:

www.PharmaCielo.com

Media Relations:

David Gordon, Tel: +1 647 259 3258, David.Gordon@CohnWolfe.ca

(Colombia) Juan Manuel Cuellar, Tel: +57 310 3298776, Juan.M.Cuellar@Sprgroup.biz

Investor Inquiries:

Tel: +1 647 560 4640, Toll Free 888 968 8279, Investors@PharmaCielo.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or recurring or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, such as demand for the Companys products, currency exchange changes and risks, internal funding and the financial condition of the Company, product roll-out, competition, technological changes, and other commercial matters involving the Company, its products, and the markets in which the Company operates, as well as general economic conditions, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. However, any further disclosures made on related subjects in subsequent reports should be consulted.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Across the country, thousands of protestors are demanding a mandatory minimum wage increase of $15 per hour for low wage workers. As the demonstrations continue to heat up in cities throughout the United States, the country is yet again, in the midst of a heated national debate on the increase in federal minimum wage. 800Fund.com understands that few things hit small business owners harder than the wages that they pay their employees.



According to the Economic Policy Institute, 29 states currently have a minimum wage above the federal standard, and 24 cities and counties have minimums above state levels. Cities, such as Seattle, have already taken things a step further by requiring larger companies to increase their minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018, while smaller companies have until 2021 to comply with the law. Both California and New York have also passed legislation that would increase mandatory minimum wage to $15 per hour in phases over the next few years.

As demands for a $15 per hour, mandatory minimum wage increase continue, some small business owners are concerned about how wages increases will inevitably impact their own livelihoods. Despite the chorus of critics, there are many small business owners who believe that the increase is actually fair to small businesses that already pay above the minimum rate to their employees, yet are still forced to compete with large corporations who choose to pay rock-bottom wages and bring in billions of yearly revenue. Many small business owners are hopeful that this wage increase will also force large corporations, such as Walmart and McDonalds, to raise the prices on goods and will, in turn, even out the playing field for small business owners that typically are forced to sell the same goods at much higher prices just to survive.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research has a new report out that suggests that the wage increase will create a positive impact for small businesses in terms of employment related costs. The reports author, John Schmitt, a senior economist at the center, writes: "There are a lot of ways to run a business that is profitable. One way: Take the low road and pay employees poorly, and you have high turnover. So you pay in cost and productivity. Meanwhile, firms that operate on the high road strategy pay more, but in exchange they havegood workers who stick around and have good productivity.

Recent studies in states that already have mandatory minimums are reflecting that the overall outlook is positive. After carefully looking at the effects on both businesses and workers, these reports suggest that business will adapt for the better. UC Berkeley researcher, Michael Reich says, Efficiencies and turnover saving will offset a good part of the wage increases and modest prices increases  spread across all consumers  will cover the rest. The increased consumer spending from the higher wages will generate more business and jobs.

For business owners that are interested in more small business tips and articles and/or 800Fund.coms alternative lending programs and services, please visit www.800fund.com or call (212)865-3863.

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About 800fund.com:

800fund is a leading merchant cash advance and short-term alternative lender to small- and medium-sized businesses. It is headquartered at 30 Broad Street, New York, NY.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This falls Latin American risk-management conference, ALARYS Congress, has been described as a major success for both the industry and Bermuda.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad7bc638-5f6e-4d3c-ac78-ea2da2c44aa6

The biennial forum, held at Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club September 2527, attracted 160 delegates from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the US, and Venezuela, as well as Bermudawith 40 percent attending from overseas. Some family members travelled to the island with delegates, accounting for more than 100 hotel room nights for the duration of the conference.

Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) succeeded in 2014 in attracting ALARYS to the island and produced the event this year in conjunction with the Fundacion Latinoamericana de Administradores de Riesgos y Seguros ALARYS (FUNDALARYS). Industry groups such as the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS), the Association of Bermuda Insurance & Reinsurance (ABIR) and the Bermuda Insurance Management Association (BIMA) attended and participated, along with Bermuda-based support industries.

Bermuda provided the perfect backdrop for ALARYS Congress 2016 and were grateful to have had the opportunity to host our LatAm business partners on-island, said Jereme Ramsay, BDA Business Development Manager (Risk Solutions & Latin America).

ALARYS offered a great opportunity for decision-makers to become familiar with our business environment and connect with our markets experts. I believe Bermudas resilience, reputation and ties with the region are now stronger after such a successful conference, and we anticipate continued interest and business flow from Latin America.

Officially opened by Premier Michael Dunkley, the congress saw more than 40 local and international experts on cyber, terrorism, kidnapping and healthcare speaking on trends affecting Latin Americas risk-managers.

The ALARYS conference is critical to the Latin American market, said Mary Roth, President of the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS), who attended. RIMS has members all over the world, including South America, and we feel its important to educate the future of risk management, as well as those who are already in the profession to ensure they are adding value to their organisations, she added. This conference brings people together from the South American region and allows us to share best practices.

Attendees noted Bermudas increasing business links with Latin America, as corporations and investors look to the island as a safe, practical and regulatory-compliant jurisdiction.

ALARYS provided a great opportunity for Bermudas underwriters to directly meet with clients from Latin America, a region they view as an important growth market, said Brad Kading, President and Executive Director of ABIR. Its pretty clear the Bermuda market has already taken on a lot of risk from Latin Americathe 2010 Chilean earthquake is a good example, where we took 38 percent of losses, or losses from last years Mexico oil platform fires, of which Bermuda-based companies covered 28 percent. As Latin American economies grow, therell be a need for more risk management, particularly in the crop, flood and earthquake risk areas, so this was an opportune time to meet the regions risk managers who are trying to transfer that risk.

It was the third time the conference had been held in Bermuda, following events in 2004 and 2010, and the island remains the only non-LatAm venue in its nearly 20-year history.

The 2016 congress allowed us to come together under the aegis of ALARYS and discuss topics of interest to risk managers throughout Latin America, said keynote speaker, organised crime expert Elman Myers, of Hiscoxs special risks department. Bermuda is one of the great centres of reinsurance in the world, so it was a real honour to bring fellow professionals to a place of so much knowledge, experience and infrastructure. It was great to see and experience itand also experience the hospitality of Bermuda. I felt very welcome, and I look forward to coming back.

Outside of business, the conference offered delegates leisure activities, including cocktail receptions featuring Goslings rum and signature Bermuda cuisine, iconic gombey performances and a sunset cruise around the Great Sound.

The BDA was honoured to bring ALARYS Congress 2016 to Bermudait was the first fully-produced conference by our agency and were grateful to industry partners for their support in making it such a success, said Nicole Conrad Morrison, BDA Conferences & Events Manager. We felt it was important to not only provide a top-tier networking conference that showcased our market as the Worlds Risk Capital, but also to let guests experience Bermudas longstanding hospitality.

The next ALARYS event will be in the Dominican Republic in 2018, but observers say it could return again to Bermuda in the future.

Bermuda and ALARYS have a long history and our market has become a strong ally for this organisation, noted Eduardo Fox, Manager/Corporate, Private Client & Trusts and Latin America for Appleby and an ALARYS board member. ALARYS values Bermudas well-respected reputationthats a key reason they keep coming back to our island.

EVENT PHOTOS & VIDEOS

See ALARYS 2016 photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskHC8YPR

Watch these ALARYS 2016 videos:

ALARYS 2016 overview: https://youtu.be/Or2kMOOcSy4

Premier Michael Dunkley: https://youtu.be/H_jfCy3qets

Mary Roth, RIMS President: https://youtu.be/byH-XyDsDkA

Brad Kading, President, ABIR: https://youtu.be/S8cgmrTn6nc

Ross Webber, CEO, BDA: https://youtu.be/260D0G6kba4

Elman Myers, Hiscox, keynote speaker: https://youtu.be/Rd7svfayMTs

David Gibbons, Chair, Bermuda Captive Conference: https://youtu.be/hliIVDyTFUk

Eduardo Fox, Appleby Bermuda, and ALARYS board member: https://youtu.be/oZ-nRkLi5EA

CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private unit, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial.
The Oetker family, which owns 100% of Hamburg Sud, is reportedly close to reaching a decision as to whether to sell the container line, having previously been unable to agree.

Alphaliner said the asking price for Hamburg Sud was believed to be close to $5bn and this remains the largest stumbling block on the way to any deal.

The lines ships and container assets are listed with a book value of $2.19bn athe end of 2015. With very little debt a potential buyer would be looking at a cash offer.

Maersk Line has been flagged up as the most likely buyer and this fits with ceo Soren Skous previous comments on being involved in consolidation.

However, Alphaliner also flagged up French line CMA CGM as a potential suitor. The carrier could face a strong challenge from CMA CGM, which appears keen to maintain growth momentum after com- pleting the acquisition of APL in June this year, it said in its weekly report.

However, CMA CGM could be limited by its debt burden of $9.6bn it was noted.

If Hamburg Sud is sold it would be the fifth major consolidation announced in container shipping in the space of a year following Cosco and China Shipping, CMA CGM and NOL/APL, Hapag-Lloyd and UASC, and the container businesses of NYK, Mitsui OSK Lines and K Line. With a 2.9% global market share Hamburg Sud is the mid-sized catergory which has been seen as particularly vulnerable following the collapse of Hanjin Shipping at the end of August, which also had a 2.9% market share.
WARRENDALE, Pa., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- rue21, inc. (the Company) today announced that it will hold an investor conference call to review its third quarter and year to date 2016 financial results on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 8:00 a.m. EST. Participation in this call is limited to lenders under the Companys term loan credit agreement dated October 10, 2013 (as amended or supplemented) and to holders, and any bona fide prospective purchasers, of the Companys 9.00% Senior Notes due 2021, as well as bona fide securities analysts and bona fide market makers. Details on how to access the call have been posted to the Companys secure investor website, which can be accessed by certified users by logging in at www.rrdvenue.com.

If you are a noteholder, bona fide prospective purchaser, bona fide securities analyst or bona fide market maker who would like to access our secure website but have not yet been certified by the Company, please email us at investorrelations@rue21.com or go to our public website at http://www.rue21.com/store/jump/static/Investors/15500002 for information on how to be certified. Term loan lenders will receive access information from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the Administrative Agent under the Companys term loan credit agreement.

About rue21, inc.

rue21, headquartered in Warrendale, PA, is a leading specialty retailer offering exclusive branded merchandise and the newest trends at a great value. rue21 currently operates 1,218 stores in 48 states and on its website, rue21.com. Learn more at www.rue21.com.
ASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council will hold its quarterly debate on Afghanistan, during which it will consider the Secretary-Generals report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamo, is expected to brief. The Chair of the Sanctions Committee, Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand), may also brief on his recent visit to Afghanistan.

UNAMAs mandate expires on 17 March 2017.

Key Recent Developments

The insurgency continues to take a heavy toll on the population and Afghan security forces as the security situation deteriorates.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has lost a significant part of the territory it previously controlled, but clashes between the Taliban and Afghan security forces have intensified, with the Taliban gaining more ground. The capitals of Helmand and Kunduz provinces remain under threat, with NATO airstrikes preventing the Taliban from overrunning them. (Kunduz city was briefly captured by the Taliban twice this year.) A suicide attack on 11 November outside the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif killed six people and wounded 120 others.

The Taliban refuses to enter a political dialogue. However, the government was able to reach a reconciliation agreement with Gulbuddin Hekmaytar, leader of the Hizb-I Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) group, on 29 September.

During anti-Taliban operations on 3 November, a US airstrike near Kunduz City killed 32 people, mostly women and children. UNAMA called the loss of life unacceptable and said it will investigate the incident.

The ICC prosecutor is expected to announce soon whether she will open a formal investigation into the situation in Afghanistan. The prosecutor has been conducting a preliminary examination to assess allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Taliban, torture and related ill-treatment by Afghan government forces, and torture and related ill-treatment by US forces deployed to Afghanistan.

On the political front, the power-sharing arrangement between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, which called for parliamentary elections and constitutional reforms by the end of September, will remain in place despite its formal expiry. The public tension between the two leaders continues to undermine stabilisation efforts in the country and much-needed reforms. In addition, seven out of 12 cabinet ministers, including the foreign minister, were sacked by the parliament for alleged shortcomings in their performance

The Council held its last quarterly debate on Afghanistan on 14 September. On the same day, the Council issued a presidential statement calling on the international community to continue its civilian and development efforts to assist Afghanistan, ahead of the 5 October Brussels Conference hosted by Afghanistan and the EU. During the Conference, pledges were made amounting to $15.2 billion.

At a NATO conference in Warsaw on 8-9 July, NATO agreed to continue its financial support to the Afghan Security Forces through 2020 and to sustain its support mission assisting Afghan forces beyond 2016.

Sanctions-Related Developments

The 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee met on 24 October with the head of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to discuss counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan. The Committee also discussed the report of the Monitoring Team assisting the Committee, which it received on 3 October. The report states that the Taliban continues to be involved in the illegal extraction of natural resources and the opium trade. In addition, the report also notes that, according to some estimates, there are about 45,000 insurgents active in Afghanistan; of these, around 20 to 25 percent are foreign terrorist fighters. On 27 October, the Committee met with Afghanistans UN mission to discuss reconciliation efforts in the country. On 14 November, the Committee met with the representative in Kabul of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Van Bohemen visited Afghanistan between 11 and 13 November, as the Chair of the 1267 Committee, meeting with Ghani and several government ministers. Representatives from the US, Spain, the UK, and incoming Council member Kazakhstan (which is expected to chair the Committee next year), as well as two members of the Monitoring Team accompanied the Chair. A main theme in discussions was how to use the sanctions regime to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, both by better implementation of sanctions against its members and by cracking down on its financing, such as through drug trafficking.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 20 October, the independent expert on internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani, released an end-of-mission statement following his 11 to 20 October mission to Afghanistan. The statement said that many thousands live in dire conditions and face abject poverty on the margins of urban centres, often with little or no long-term assistance. Beyani called on the government of Afghanistan to intensify its efforts to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of IDPs, warning that a deteriorating security situation could lead to massive new displacement. It also urged the international community to remain consistent humanitarian and development partners at this critical time. The independent expert will present a report to the Human Rights Council in June 2017.

Key Issues

The ongoing key issue has been how to address the deteriorating security situation, its devastating impact on the countrys stability and the toll the conflict is taking on the civilian population.

A related issue is whether it is possible to generate momentum for reconciliation efforts, given the continued heavy fighting between the insurgency and government forces.

The link between the insurgency and drug production and trafficking is another ongoing issue.

Options

The Council could adopt a resolution or presidential statement that:

deplores the high number of civilian casualties and demands that all sides avoid killing and injuring civilians, recalling that targeting civilians is a war crime;

encourages efforts by the international community to support reconciliation in Afghanistan; and

calls for accountability for alleged crimes committed.

The Council could also decide to visit Afghanistan to show its support for anti-insurgency, reconciliation and anti-corruption efforts, and to discuss how it can further assist efforts on the ground.

Council Dynamics

There is widespread concern among Council members about the deteriorating security environment and the toll that the conflict continues to take on civilians. There are also concerns about the fragility of the power-sharing arrangement. Council members hope that the successful NATO summit and Brussels Conference can assist in arresting the downward spiral and boost stabilisation and reform efforts.

Several Council membersin particular, France and Russia and, more recently, Egypt and Venezuelahave regularly raised concerns about the connection between the insurgency and drug production and trafficking.

Spain is the penholder on Afghanistan, and New Zealand is the chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN

This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNAMA for one year. This was a presidential statement calling on the international community to continue its civilian and development efforts to assist Afghanistan, ahead of the 5 October 2016 Brussels Conference hosted by Afghanistan and the EU. This was the report of the Secretary-General on UNAMA. This was the quarterly debate on Afghanistan. This was the seventh report of the Monitoring Team assisting the Committee on the situation in Afghanistan. This amended and added details to 14 listings on the sanctions list.
ASIA

DPRK (North Korea)

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is expected to hold a meeting on the human rights situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). At press time, a group of Council members including France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, the UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, the US and most likely Malaysia, was planning to send a joint letter to the Council president requesting that such a meeting be convened.

This will be the third formal Council meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK, following its 22 December 2014 decision to add the situation in the DPRK to its agenda as an item separate from the non-proliferation issue, in response to the findings of the February 2014 report of the commission of inquiry established by the Human Rights Council (HRC). The report documented widespread and systematic human rights violations in the DPRK, calling on the Council to consider referring the situation in the DPRK to the ICC and impose targeted sanctions against those individuals most responsible for crimes against humanity.

Key Recent Developments

Since the Council last considered the human rights situation in the DPRK in a meeting on 10 December 2015, international efforts to address the situation have continued in the HRC and the General Assembly. On 23 March, the HRC once again adopted a resolution recalling the findings of the commission of inquiry and condemning in the strongest terms the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and other human rights abuses committed in the DPRK. It extended the mandate of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK for one year and requested the High Commissioner to designate, for a period of six months, a maximum of two independent experts to support the work of the rapporteur with a focus on accountability for human rights violations, in particular crimes against humanity, and to recommend practical accountability mechanisms, including through the ICC.

On 1 August, Tomas Ojea Quintana assumed the position of special rapporteur, succeeding Marzuki Darusman. On 9 September, the High Commissioner appointed Sonja Biserko and Sara Hossain to serve as the independent experts on accountability. Their report will be presented to the HRC in March 2017 as an annex to the report by the special rapporteur.

The General Assemblys Third Committee considered the human rights situation in the DPRK in a meeting on 27 October, with a briefing by Quintana. The Committee had received the special rapporteurs report to the General Assembly on 26 September. That was followed on 7 October by the Secretary-Generals report on the human rights situation in the DPRK.

In his briefing to the Committee, Quintana recalled that the international communitys approach to the situation in the DPRK was based on a two-track agenda of pushing for accountability while at the same time calling for increased cooperation. He noted, however, that the increase in tension on the Korean Peninsula had continued to impede progress. According to Quintana, pressure to strengthen sanctions had made the DPRK authorities revert to a stance of isolation, defensiveness and more investment in armament activity. He warned that increased militarisation would only worsen and threaten the livelihoods of the population. With regard to the situation more generally, Quintana said that a pattern of human rights violations had persisted and that the DPRK had failed to cooperate with other countries and with the HRC special procedures. At the same time, he welcomed the DPRKs recent submission of national reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Secretary-General also concluded in his report that widespread human rights violations had continued in the DPRK, citing evidence of violations of the rights to life, liberty and security; the right to freedom of movement; the right to freedom of expression and access to information; the rights to food and health; the rights of the child; the rights of women; and the rights of persons with disabilities. He expressed serious concern that there had been no progress since the commission of inquirys report, although the government had taken some positive steps to engage with the international human rights system. Addressing the effect of sanctions, he said that resolution 2270 and additional unilateral sanctions had had a negative impact on the humanitarian operations of the UN. In particular, the blockage of the transfer of funds had delayed the delivery of humanitarian assistance and forced the UN to suspend some activities. He called on the international community to take urgent steps to minimise such unintended consequences.

On 15 November, the Third Committee adopted its annual resolution on the DPRK. The Committee reiterated its condemnation of human rights violations in the country and encouraged the Security Council to continue considering the recommendations of the commission of inquiry and take appropriate action to ensure accountability. The resolution was adopted without a vote, in a shift from the Committees most recent sessions, when a number of countries voted against or abstained. Last year, the vote was 112 in favour, 19 against and 50 abstentions. This years adoption, however, followed the practice prior to 2014. While there was no vote, 11 countries dissociated themselves from the resolution, including Council members China, Russia and Venezuela. The DPRK rejected the resolution as a representation of extreme politicisation, selectivity and double standards and called it illegal.

In his first trip to the region as special rapporteur, Quintana visited the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 16 to 22 November and Japan from 23 to 26 November. In announcing the mission, Quintana said the aim was to explore possible ways to take concrete steps to improve the situation of human rights in the DPRK through consultation with state officials, people who have left the country, families of abduction victims, civil society actors, journalists and other relevant stakeholders. Since the appointment of the first special rapporteur in 2004, successive mandate holders have made requests to visit the DPRK; however, access has so far not been granted. At a 15 November press conference in New York focusing on the resolution adopted by the Third Committee, the DPRK said that Quintana would never be invited to the country in his role as special rapporteur, noting that the government did not recognise the mandate, but that he would be welcome as a private citizen. In parallel with Quintanas mission, the two accountability experts, Biserko and Hossain, visited the ROK from 21 to 25 November and Japan from 28 to 29 November. They held several meetings jointly with the special rapporteur with interlocutors in the region.

Sanctions-Related Developments

At press time, the Council was expected to adopt a new sanctions resolution against the DPRK on 30 November in response to the countrys 9 September nuclear test. The chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Roman Oyarzun (Spain), was scheduled to brief Council members, in consultations, on the work of the Committee after the adoption. In a 22 November letter to the Council president, the DPRK transmitted a memorandum explaining that the DPRKs strengthening of its nuclear forces is a righteous choice to defend itself from the extreme moves from the US to stifle it.

Key Issues

A key issue for the Council is to assess the threat to international peace and security posed by the human rights violations in the DPRK. A related issue is the interlinkages that exist between these violations and Pyongyangs proliferation activities, as well as the adverse humanitarian impact of the diversion of funds for illicit purposes.

Another issue is how to balance the two-track approach of promoting dialogue while at the same time pressing for accountability.

A further issue is the negative humanitarian impact of sanctions, as referred to by the Secretary-General in his report.

Options

In the short term, the main option for the Council is to hold a meeting in December as currently envisaged to further demonstrate the international communitys grave concern about the continued human rights violations being committed in the DPRK. A further option would be to invite Quintana, who would be able to share findings from his recent visit to the region. Convening an Arria-formula meeting ahead of the formal Council meeting to hear from a wider range of briefers, including victims of human rights abuses, is also an option.

Other options include:

requesting a report from the Secretary-General on the humanitarian situation in the DPRK with an in-depth analysis of the impact of sanctions;

holding more frequent Council meetings under the agenda item the situation in the DPRK;

considering whether to expand the designation criteria in the DPRK sanctions regime to include violations against international humanitarian and human rights law, as has been done in several other sanctions regimes; and

discussing alternative approaches to ensuring accountability for crimes against humanity committed in the DPRK, given the fact that in the foreseeable future any attempt at referring the situation to the ICC or expanding the sanctions criteria is likely to be blocked by China.

Council Dynamics

Council positions on the human rights situation in the DPRK have not changed since last year. China remains strongly opposed to any discussion of the situation as it tends to believe the Council is not the right place to address human rights, a position shared by other Council members, including Egypt, Venezuela and Russia. China is therefore expected to object to the meeting in December, as it did in both 2014 and 2015, thus prompting a procedural vote. It is already clear, however, based on the number of Council members having signalled their position, that China does not have enough support to block the meeting. In the case of Council decisions of a procedural nature as specified in Article 27(2) of the UN Charter, just nine affirmative votes are needed for a decision to be adopted, and the veto does not apply.

The US is the penholder on the DPRK.

UN Documents

was the last Council meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK. was a letter from the DPRK. was the draft General Assembly resolution on the DPRK adopted by the Third Committee on 15 November 2016. was the Secretary-Generals report to the General Assemblyon the human rights situation in the DPRK. was the report to the General Assembly of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK. was the latest HRC resolution on the DPRK. was the commission of inquiry report on the DPRK.
THEMATIC ISSUES

Human Trafficking

Expected Council Action

In December, Yury Fedotov, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will present the Secretary-Generals report on human trafficking to the Security Council at a ministerial-level open debate. At press time, it seemed likely this meeting would be chaired by Spains Prime Minister. In addition, Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura may participate, along with a trafficking victim.

It is expected that a resolution will be adopted seeking to enhance international efforts to counter human trafficking.

Key Recent Developments

Human trafficking is a facet of many situations the Council addresses, including Afghanistan, Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Libya, Mali, the Sahel, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

In December 2015, the Council adopted a presidential statement that condemned human trafficking and called on member states to consider ratifying or acceding to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Palermo Protocol. This statement gave particular prominence to violations committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Boko Haram and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), including sexual slavery, sexual exploitation and forced labour, which contribute to the groups financing. It also called on the UN system and member states to proactively identify trafficking victims amongst vulnerable populations, and to address victims needs in the context of its peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts. The statement requested the Secretary-General to report back to the Council within the year.

The report that the Council requested was published on 10 November and identified several trends in both conflict and post-conflict settings. In the contemporary context of massive refugee and migrant flows, those fleeing conflict are vulnerable to trafficking, in particular women and children. Refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable to kidnapping for the purposes of forced labour, exploitation of labour, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, organ harvesting or extortion of their family members.

Human trafficking within a conflict situation, especially in conflicts with high incidents of atrocity crimes, has led to sexual enslavement and the trade of women and girls, as well as forced marriage. Such tactics are openly used by such groups as Al Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, girls in refugee or internally displaced settings are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and to their families negative coping mechanisms, such as early marriage.

The report also describes the nexus among human trafficking, armed conflict and organised crime. An issue that has emerged in this context is the use of sexual enslavement by terrorist groups to recruit fighters by promising access to girls and women and the use of trafficking as a form of terrorist financing. As a result, member states border control measures are vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers working in collaboration with terrorist groups. Another issue is how trafficking networks are able to breed corruption in fragile governments, and exploit and prolong situations of instability, such as in Libya.

The report said that human trafficking continues in post-conflict settings. As an example, it cited how the presence of peacekeeping forces generates demand for sexual services that, in some cases, could be linked to trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, such as in the Central African Republic and Somalia.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict has consistently monitored and reported on abductions of children and related violations. An example of human trafficking as a violation related to abductions is ISILs forced conscription of boys as fighters. In April 2016after the Council agreed in resolution 2225 to add abductions as a violation to trigger inclusion of a party in the annexes of the Secretary-Generals annual reportsix parties were listed for abduction: the Taliban in Afghanistan, the LRA in the DRC, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, ISIL in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the government-aligned Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in South Sudan.

Key Issues

Several issues are likely to emerge during the anticipated negotiations on the draft resolution. These include:

whether the Council will explicitly acknowledge human trafficking as a crime against humanity;

how the Council can use its existing sanctions regimes to address human trafficking;

how the Council can address human trafficking when it is not specific to conflict and post-conflict situations, in particular in relation to conflict prevention; and

how the Council can use reporting by the Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to enhance its own attention to these issues without overlooking the broader implications human trafficking has on peace and security.

Options

The Council could adopt a resolution that:

reinforces the view that human trafficking, as a form of slavery, is a crime against humanity;

calls on member states to ratify or accede to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Palermo Protocol;

urges member states to more assiduously use existing counter-terrorism, financial and anti-money laundering mechanisms to counter human trafficking networks;

enhances the access of trafficking victims to services and reparations by urging member states to extend refugee status to trafficking victims and, where relevant, by also recognising them as victims of terrorism;

urges relevant Council sanctions committees, in particular the 1267/1989/2253 Al Qaida/ISIL Sanctions Committee, to add human trafficking as listing criteria, and requests relevant expert groups assisting sanctions committees to report on human trafficking;

urges the UN system, in particular via peace operations, to work more cohesively on the protection of and the response to trafficking victims; and

requests the Secretary-General to report regularly to the Council on this issue.

Council Dynamics

Most Council members anticipate that the same set of issues that were contentious during last years negotiations on the presidential statement will re-emerge in negotiations on the anticipated resolution.

At that time, Russia resisted language specifying that certain acts associated with human trafficking (sexual slavery, sexual exploitation and forced labour) in armed conflict might constitute crimes against humanity or acts of genocide, only agreeing to include the reference to human trafficking as a war crime.

Russia also expressed some concerns about the issue of trafficking of children being addressed by the Security Councils Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. Such arguments may be repeated this year in light of the fact that one issue the Council will need to address is how the agendas for children and armed conflict and conflict-related sexual violence can be framed in relation to the Councils own approach to human trafficking.

Last year China and Russia also displayed a degree of discomfort with language interpreted to be demands on domestic legal systems, in particular in relation to the need for countries to pursue strong accountability measures for trafficking and to ensure that trafficking victims are treated as victims of a crime, and not penalised for unlawful activities in which they were compelled to engage.

UN DOCUMENTS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

This was a presidential statement on trafficking in persons in situations of conflict, with a particular focus on ISIS and the impact on women and children. This was a report on human trafficking.
THEMATIC ISSUES

In Hindsight: The Security Councils Ever Evolving Relationship with Human Rights

Most conflicts on todays Council agenda are accompanied by severe human rights violations perpetrated on civilian populations by insurgents and in many cases, also by governments or those linked to them. A surge in human rights violations has often been a sign of potential outbreak of a conflict, or a predictor of increased instability and conflict escalation. The need for human rights information and analysis has come to be generally accepted as an aspect of the reality the Security Council needs to consider in order to be effective in fulfilling its main objective, the maintenance of international peace and security. But this acceptance came only relatively recently, after decades of questioning the appropriateness of Councils concern with human rights, and the level of Councils interest has fluctuated from year to year.

Human rights have never been entirely absent from the Security Councils outlook. Even during the Cold War decades, when the topic was seen as particularly sensitive, the Council adopted several resolutions with human rights references, including those on the situation in Hungary in 1956, in the Congo in 1961 and in the Dominican Republic in 1965. Starting in the early 1960s, several Council resolutions that were adopted in the context of decolonisation had strong human rights language, and some invoked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The strongest human rights language in Council resolutions of the Cold War era concerned South Africa. Between 1963 and the late 1980s, the Council passed numerous resolutions that called on the government to take specific measures dealing strictly with the protection of human rights, such as releasing political prisoners; stopping executions and granting amnesties for political prisoners; abolishing detention without charge, without access to counsel and without the right to a prompt trial; and commuting death sentences or granting stays of execution concerning specific prisoners.

But during most of the first four-and-a-half decades of the Organisation, it was generally rare and sometimes quite controversial to involve human rights in the spectrum of issues considered by the Council when addressing threats to international peace and security or conflicts already underway.

Since the early 1990s, however, as the nature of conflicts on the Councils agenda has changed from those between states to almost exclusively internal ones, human rights have gradually become accepted as indispensable to the Councils thinking and action in its efforts to safeguard international peace and security. At the Security Councils first summit-level meeting in January 1992on the responsibility of the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and securityevery head of state or government participating in the debate raised the issue of the appropriateness of the Councils addressing human rights. Most were in full support. President Boris Yeltsin of Russia said that the Security Council is called upon to underscore the civilized worlds collective responsibility for the protection of human rights and freedoms, while President George H. W. Bush of the US listed human rights among the building blocks of peace and freedom. Most members and the Secretary-General were strongly supportive of the Councils concern with human rights. A few, however, displayed reluctance, expressing concerns about interference in the internal affairs of other countries. A presidential statement adopted at the meeting acknowledged that human rights verification had become one of the integral parts of the Security Councils effort to maintain international peace and security and welcomed this development.

Later that year the Council sought information and analysis for the first time from investigators appointed by the top human rights body, the Commission on Human Rights (succeeded in 2006 by the Human Rights Council, or HRC). These investigators, collectively referred to as special procedures, are independent experts and have editorial control over their reporting and statements. This has resulted on numerous occasions in frank and hard-hitting reporting, otherwise difficult to achieve in UN documents. Furthermore, special procedures can act with considerable speed. Over the years, the Council has received briefings from the special procedures on a few dozen occasions, though only four timesthree in 1992 and one in 2014in formal sessions.

Following the establishment of the post in 1993, the top human rights official, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, has become an important interlocutor for the Council. But issuing the first invitation for the High Commissioner to brief was controversial, and the frequency of interactions has varied considerably, occasionally fading completely. Following the first briefing in 1999, the High Commissioner (or the Deputy or Acting High Commissioner) was invited to meet with the Council either in a formal meeting or in consultations a total of 11 times through 2005. No meetings occurred in 2006 and 2008, and there was one in 2007. At various points, different Council members suggested hearing from the High Commissioner but encountered considerable resistance from their counterparts. This seems to have changed starting in 2009, with formal invitations issued several times each year, ranging from five in 2012 to 17 in 2015 (with six so far in 2016). Most members, including those who were initially quite reluctant, have appreciated the usefulness of receiving information and analysis from the High Commissioner, and each of the permanent members has sought a High Commissioners briefing at some point during this period.

Furthermore, in the last few years, the High Commissioners New York office has offered to Council members informal, expert-level briefings on crisis situations (for example, four this year on Burundi) and has held informal introductory meetings with new or incoming Council members.

Overall, there have been numerous interactions between Council members and the different UN human rights actors. But over the years, their frequency and formats have fluctuated and some that had seemed to have become a firmly established practice have faded. For example, so far in 2016 there has been no Arria-formula meeting with the HRC Commission of Inquiry on Syria, a departure from the practice of having one or two such meetings each year since 2012. Similarly, the High Commissioner for Human Rightswho, since 2009, has briefed the Council at least once a year during the periodic open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflicthas not been invited to provide a briefing on this topic in 2016.

The recent decrease in the number of formal interactions (in public and closed meetings) between the Security Council and the UN human rights machinery may perhaps be expected to change again. Marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the HRC earlier this year, 69 member states from all regional groups joined Switzerland in an appeal for a more effective interaction between the HRC and other UN bodies, in particular the Security Council, in the context of conflict prevention. The appeal invited members of the Security Council to request regular briefings by the High Commissioner for Human Rights; to supplement its information base for informed decisions with reports of the HRC and its mechanisms  in order to enhance its action in conflict prevention. States joining the appealwhich included permanent members France, the UK and the US and elected and incoming Council members Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguaycommitted themselves to use actively our membership in all relevant bodies of the United Nations to put human rights at the heart of conflict prevention and make conflict prevention a reality.
SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE

International Criminal Tribunals

Expected Council Action

In December, the Security Council will hold its semi-annual debate on the ad hoc international criminal tribunals. The presidents and prosecutors of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunalsestablished in 2010 to carry out a number of essential functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the ICTY, after the completion of their respective mandatesare expected to brief, and may meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to the debate. A resolution is expected to be adopted to extend the terms of ICTY judges and the ICTY prosecutor.

Key Recent Developments

The ICTY has concluded proceedings against 154 of the 161 persons indicted, with 83 individuals sentenced, 19 acquitted, 13 referred to a national jurisdiction, 37 whose indictments were withdrawn or who are deceased and two with retrials to be conducted by the Residual Mechanism. There is one remaining trial, against Ratko Mladic; one remaining appeal, the Prlic et al. case against six accused; and one remaining contempt case, Jojic et al. Judgements in the last remaining cases are expected by November 2017.

On 6 September, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2306, amending the Statute of the ICTY to allow the Secretary-General to appoint a former judge of the ICTY or of the ICTR who is also a judge of the International Residual Mechanism, to be assigned on an ad hoc and temporary basis to the ICTY Appeals Chamber.

On 9 November, ICTY President Judge Carmel Agius outlined five main challenges in an address to the General Assembly: ensuring that the remaining cases stay on track for a timely and responsible closure and a smooth transition to the Residual Mechanism; taking all necessary measures to encourage the retention of all ICTY staff and prevent accelerated staff attrition; defending the integrity of the ICTY, which includes enforcing a zero-tolerance policy in respect of witness interference; promoting the ICTYs image and engaging in discussions to consolidate the shared legacy of both the Tribunal and the UN; and finally, supporting and enabling national jurisdictions to adjudicate international crimes, including by enhancing regional cooperation.

Council members received a letter from the ICTY President on 11 November, requesting extensions of the terms of seven permanent judges and one ad hoc judge until 30 November 2017 or until the completion of the cases to which they are or will be assigned, if sooner, and the term of the ICTY president until 31 December 2017, to perform functions required in closing the Tribunal.

Regarding the work of the Residual Mechanism, on 9 November, its president, Judge Theodor Meron, said in an address to the General Assembly that the Mechanism had assumed responsibility for all remaining functions of the ICTR after its closure in December 2015, and preparations for the transfer of relevant remaining ICTY functions continue, in anticipation of its expected closure at the end of 2017. Meanwhile, since its establishment, the Mechanism has issued more than 800 judicial orders and decisions. Meron informed the General Assembly of the arrest in Turkey of Residual Mechanism Judge Aydin Sefa Akay (Turkey) on or around 21 September, in relation to allegations concerning the attempted July coup to overthrow the government of Turkey, and said that Akay had remained in detention since then. Expressing his personal concern for the welfare of Akay, the President also reported that the UN Office of Legal Affairs, on behalf of the Secretary-General, had formally asserted diplomatic immunity, in accordance with the Mechanisms Statute, and, as a consequence, had requested Akays immediate release from detention and the cessation of all legal proceedings against him. Meron expressed regret that the Turkish government had not acted upon this formal request. In a 5 October letter to the Security Council, Meron informed the Council of Akays arrest and ongoing detention. At press time, Akay was still in detention.

The presidents and prosecutors of the ICTY and Residual Mechanism last briefed the Council on 8 June.

Key Issues

The immediate issue for the Council will be the request to extend the terms of ICTY judges and the prosecutor.

Another key issue is Akays arrest and ongoing detention in Turkey.

Options

The Council could adopt a technical resolution extending the ICTY judges and prosecutors terms as requested or extend the terms for a shorter period of time.

The Council could adopt a statement calling for Akays immediate release from detention and the cessation of all legal proceedings against him.

Council Dynamics

According to the relevant Council resolutions, the ICTY was expected to complete its caseload in 2010 or, failing that, by the end of 2014. Last December, the Council adopted a resolution further extending ICTY judges and the prosecutors terms until December 2016, despite requests for extensions until 2017. As it had in previous years, Russia abstained on the resolution, commenting that the situation regarding the Tribunals exit strategy had not improved and that costly trial delays continued. Russia is also critical of the ICTYs jurisprudence, claiming that it has not done justice on behalf of Serbian victims of the Yugoslav conflict.

Uruguay is the penholder and chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals.

UN Documents on International Criminal Tribunals

This was a resolution amending the Statute of the ICTY. This was a resolution that appointed Serge Brammertz as the prosecutor of the Mechanism with effect from 1 March until 30 June 2018. The Council extended 17 ICTY judges terms and the ICTY prosecutors term for up to a year, with Russia abstaining. This was the semi-annual debate on the ICTY and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. This was a letter requesting extensions of the terms of ICTY judges. This was a letter from Residual Mechanism President Judge Meron on Judge Akays arrest and ongoing detention in Turkey. This was the ICTYs assessment report. This was the Residual Mechanisms assessment report.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Urology Care Foundation and the American Urological Association (AUA), together with the Bladder Health Alliance  a coalition of groups representing physicians, patients and veterans  are providing vital facts about common bladder health problems and encouraging the public to take an active role in managing their bladder health.



A video accompanying this announcement is available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e99aeff5-a97e-4ce7-b4d9-95ae78580ebb

Each day, millions of Americans struggle with the impacts of bladder conditions and diseases such as urinary incontinence, overactive and underactive bladder, interstitial cystitis, urinary tract infections, nocturia, bladder cancer, urotrauma and neurogenic bladder. These can impact an individuals health, quality of life, and result in significant health costs (estimated to be more than $70 billion per year).

Recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the sponsor of this National Health Observance, the Urology Care Foundation is the worlds leading nonprofit urological health foundation and aims to support and improve the prevention, detection and treatment of urologic diseases through research and education.

Awareness is critical when it comes to reducing the stigma associated with incontinence and other bladder health conditions and symptoms, said Kathleen Kobashi, MD, FACS, Foundation spokesperson and head of the Section of Urology and Renal Transplantation at Virginia Mason Medical Center. The work the Foundation, AUA and the Bladder Health Alliance partners are doing to empower a provider and a patient to have these important conversations during the month of November, and throughout the year, is a vital first step.

For more information, visit www.UrologyHealth.org.

About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. We partner with physicians, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, families and the public to support and improve the prevention, detection and treatment of urological diseases through research and education. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.UrologyHealth.org.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 22,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. For more information visit: www.AUAnet.org.
AFRICA

Liberia

Expected Council Action

The mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) expires on 31 December. The Council is expected to hold consultations and subsequently adopt a resolution on UNMIL in line with the Secretary-Generals recommendations contained in his report on the assessment mission to Liberia. Briefings by DPKO and the Peace Building Commission are likely.

Key Recent Developments

By the end of December, when the current UNMIL mandate expires, the Council will consider options for the possible withdrawal of UNMIL and the nature of the future UN presence in the country. The UN has been gradually disengaging from Liberia for several years, though this process was disrupted at the height of the Ebola epidemic in 2014 and part of 2015. In the context of this disengagement, the past year has been particularly noteworthy because of several developments. In May, the Council lifted the remaining sanctions on Liberia, terminating the sanctions regime, which had been in place for 13 years. On 30 June, UNMIL further downsized and formally transferred security responsibilities to the Liberian authorities in line with resolution 2239 adopted in September 2015. In light of UNMILs mandate expiry in September, the Council adopted a technical rollover resolution, renewing the missions mandate until the end of the year. This allowed time for the Secretary-General to provide the Council with recommendations from the assessment mission as mandated by resolution 2239.

The main objective of the assessment mission was to provide the Council with recommendations on the possible withdrawal of UNMIL and the evaluation of the capacity of Liberian authorities to ensure stability and security on the ground. El Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, led the 11-day mission, which concluded on 8 September. The missions team met with representatives of the government, civil society, the security apparatus, religious communities and the UN country team, among others. On 7 September, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with Wane and other members of the mission. Sirleaf acknowledged that the main challenge for Liberia will be holding a free, fair, transparent, credible and violence-free presidential election in 2017. She emphasised that Liberia would need some assistance for the elections but that despite some challenges, the Liberian authorities were ready to fulfil their security responsibilities. Earlier this year, Sirleaf and Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara appealed to the Secretary-General to maintain the UN peacekeeping presence in both countries pending the conclusion of the 2017 presidential elections in Liberia, given the potentially destabilising impact of the vote.

On 15 November, the Secretary-General published the findings of the assessment mission. The report noted that the overall security situation in Liberia improved significantly over the 13 years of UNSMILs deployment and that there is no imminent threat to Liberias security. However, the Secretary-General recognised that there are still a number of challenges facing Liberia. The most prominent ones are the lack of progress on security sector reform, the rule of law and national reconciliation.

In the light of the findings of the assessment mission, the Secretary-Generals main recommendation to the Council was to keep Liberia on its agenda under Chapter VII of the Charter. This would allow time to test the capacities of Liberias authorities to maintain stability in the country, especially in the context of the 2017 elections. Nevertheless, the Secretary-General provided the Council with three options: withdrawing UNMIL and establishing a successor peacekeeping mission with military and police advisory capacity that would be in operation by the 2017 elections; retaining UNMIL with its current mandate and armed components; or further drawing down UNSMIL by March, leaving only 28 military personnel and two formed police units, providing deterrence and standby support for the Liberian authorities during the elections.

The effects of the Ebola epidemic and the decline in commodity prices have had a negative impact on Liberias economy during 2014 and 2015. On 2 November, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that Liberias economy would contract by 0.5 percent during 2016, while 3 percent growth is expected next year. The IMF observed that the economic slowdown affected the governments budget, with revenues falling short of planned targets. The IMF projects that the pressure on the budget will continue in 2017, given the increased expenditures resulting from Liberias takeover of security responsibilities and from organising the presidential elections.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 14 October, UNMIL and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report titled Addressing Impunity for Rape in Liberia, based on information gathered by UN human rights officers between January 2015 and last March. The document indicates a high number of rapes reported in all 15 counties across the country, with a total of 803 cases in 2015, and finds that impunity prevails. Rape victims are not able to obtain justice as a result of institutional weaknesses, corruption, lack of due diligence by the government and logistical and financial constraints. The report provides a number of recommendations to the government, national and international stakeholders and the UN.

Key Issues

The most imminent issue for the Council is the future of UNMIL, including options for a further drawdown and the subsequent termination of the mission.

Maintaining stability in the country remains an issue, especially in the aftermath of the 30 June transfer of security responsibilities from UNMIL to Liberian authorities.

Looking ahead, an issue for the Council could be a potential for destabilisation in the lead-up to and during the presidential elections in late 2017, and subsequent democratic handover.

Options

The Council could adopt a resolution that would adjust UNMILs armed component in line with an option provided by the Secretary-General in his report on the assessment mission.

Another option would be to terminate UNMIL followed by the establishment of a successor mission in Liberia.

Council Dynamics

The elected members, while in favour of UNMIL drawdown, tend to be more cautious than the P3, especially the US, which seem to be more assertive in pursuing a rapid drawdown. Earlier this year, the US led a successful effort to terminate Liberias sanctions regime when the Council adopted resolution 2288. Given the potential for violence and Liberians overall low confidence in countrys security structures, some members seem to believe that UNMILs presence would be useful prior to and during the 2017 elections. While the report of the assessment mission and its recommendations will provide the basis for deliberations on the next UNMIL resolution, the US is likely to continue to guide the negotiations process. Even if some members have concerns regarding the process, it is unlikely that they would challenge the lead of the US, the penholder on Liberia.

The prevailing view among Council members is that UNMILs withdrawal is imminent, given the relatively stable security situation in Liberia. Further reinforcing this view is the recent transfer of security responsibilities to Liberian authorities in June as demonstrated by the lack of any major incidents following the transition. During the past several years, the Council has clearly demonstrated its willingness to continue the gradual drawdown of the mission with the aim of eventual withdrawal. The DPKO has also held the view that the drawdown of the mission is overdue.

UN Documents

This was a resolution which extended UNMILs mandate, in its current configuration, for an additional three months. This was a resolution that terminated the Liberia sanctions regime, including remaining arms measures, the mandate of the Panel of Experts and the 1521 Sanctions Committee. This was a report on the assessment mission to Liberia. This was the report of the Secretary-General on UNMIL. This was a vote on resolution 2288.
AFRICA

Libya

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNSMIL Martin Kobler will brief on recent political developments and the Secretary-Generals latest report. The Council also expects a briefing by the chair of the 1970 Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia).

The mandates of UNSMIL and the Panel of Experts expire on 31 December and on 31 July 2017, respectively.

Key Recent Developments

One year after the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), its basis of support has not broadened and its implementation has been minimal. The Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA) has yet to agree on a new cabinet list to submit to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives for its endorsement, following the rejection of a previous list on 22 August. Despite some engagement by boycotting members of the Presidency Council, key divisions remain among its members. On 10-11 November, the members of the UN-facilitated Libyan Political Dialogue convened in Malta and called on the House to amend the Constitutional Declaration as stipulated in the LPA. They also urged the Presidency Council to improve its performance to address the acute security, social and economic problems faced by Libyan citizens. Support for the Presidency Council in Tripoli seems to be dwindling. In addition to the political deadlock and the Presidency Councils failure to deliver basic services, the situation has been further polarised following the attempt by Khalifa Ghwell, who became self-appointed prime minister of a Tripoli-based national salvation government in 2015, to seize the headquarters of the State Council.

Despite several international meetings on Libya, divisions among the parties continue to be fuelled by regional and international actors. At a 19 October ministerial meeting of Libyas neighbouring states in Niger, participants recommended that the League of Arab States, the UN and the AU form a troika to encourage national reconciliation, advance political dialogue and facilitate the implementation of the LPA. On 25 October, Kobler, along with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Leagues Secretary-General, and Jakaya Kikwete, the AU High Representative for Libya, established the troika and underscored the need for a coordinated and complementary international and regional approach to assist Libya in addressing its challenges. On 31 October, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted a ministerial meeting in London in an effort to mobilise economic support to the Presidency Council. On 20 November, at a follow-up meeting held in Rome, participants outlined actions to be taken according to a time schedule, including the approval of the 2017 national budget, enhanced coordination between the Presidency Council and the Central Bank, as well as measures concerning the lack of liquidity and the provision of basic services.

On 11 September, forces led by General Khalifa Haftar seized several export terminals which were under the control of a militia that had struck a deal with the Presidency Council. The terminals were handed over to the National Oil Corporation on 15 September, although they remain under the protection of Haftars forces. Libyan oil exports increased throughout October and November.

Several counter-terrorist operations, conducted by different armed groups with external support, are reinforcing the positions of key actors in the conflict and may complicate efforts to reach a political solution. Briefing the Council on 13 September, Kobler noted that he had sought to engage with General Haftar to no avail. On 18 November, Haftars forces claimed victory over a key sector near Benghazi. The offensive against Sirte, a coastal town under the partial control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, continues to advance, involving mostly Misrata-based militias nominally under the command of the Presidency Council with aerial support by the US.

A humanitarian needs overview by OCHA foresees that 1.3 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2017. In this context, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers face particular vulnerabilities. In 2016, more than 144,679 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, many from Libya. According to the OCHA overview, those attempting to reach Europe are arbitrarily detained in inhumane conditions during their stay in Libya and face abuses both in detention centres and when trying to board boats to Europe. The International Organization for Migration reports that 3,649 deaths have been recorded in the Mediterranean in 2016.

Key Issues

The overarching issue is to ensure that a solution to the political deadlock addresses the issues raised by those refusing to support the LPA.

Exercising leverage on internal and external actors involved in Libya to encourage engagement in the political process is a related issue.

The potential for ISIL to disperse and increase its regional reach as a result of ongoing offensives against its strongholds is an urgent issue.

Exerting pressure on the parties that conduct hostilities to do so respecting international humanitarian law and mitigating the impact that current counter-terrorist operations, conducted by different armed groups may have on efforts to bring together the different parties within the framework of the LPA are important issues.

Options

Options for the Council include adopting a resolution that:

prioritises a limited set of tasks which UNSMIL can realistically achieve, focusing particularly on its mediation and good offices role;

reaffirms the Councils support for the Presidency Council and calls on it to propose an inclusive cabinet; and

urges the House to consider the proposal swiftly and in good faith and uphold its responsibility to amend the constitutional declaration as per the LPA.

In December 2015, the Council mandated UNSMIL to support the establishment of the GNA and, as a result of the deadlock over this process, the Council renewed the same mandate with technical rollover resolutions in March and June. The Council could take advantage of the current renewal to collectively revisit (and agree on) its political strategy for Libya.

Council members could also organise a visit to Libya and the region to hold discussions with the parties, including spoilers, and regional stakeholders to help overcome the political deadlock.

Council Dynamics

Council members generally support UNSMILs mediation efforts but have arguably failed to set a clear direction to reach and support a political settlement. Some Council members have emphasised the importance of a formal endorsement of the GNA by the House, while others have been interacting bilaterally with the Presidency Council of the GNA as the legitimate government of Libya. Several resolutions since December 2015 have called upon member states to cease support to and official contact with parallel institutions that claim to have legitimate authority, but it seems that several Council members, including permanent ones, have not respected this.

The UK is the penholder on Libya. Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia) chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYA

This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNSMIL until 15 December 2016. This was a briefing on Libya.
Status Update

Lebanon

On 1 November, the Council adopted a presidential statement welcoming the election of President Michel Aoun in accordance with the Lebanese constitution and stressing that the formation of a unity government and the election of a parliament by May 2017 are critical for Lebanons stability (S/PRST/2016/15). On 2 November, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed Council members in consultations on the latest report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 1559 (S/2016/882), and on 10 November Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed members in consultations on the latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (S/2016/931).

Ad-Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa

On 1 November, the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution held a meeting on the relationship between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. A focus of the meeting was how to implement resolution 2282, which describes the concept of sustaining peace as a processwhich encompasses activities aimed at preventing the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of conflict.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 2 November, the Council was briefed by the Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, followed by consultations, on the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework and other developments in the region (S/PV.7800). The 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee met with Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura on 9 November (SC/12592). Angola and France co-led a Council visiting mission to the DRC and Angola from 11 to 14 November to meet with key actors to defuse a political crisis caused by the delay in the electoral process. The delegation arrived in Kinshasa on the evening of 11 November and received a briefing by the leadership of MONUSCO. On 12 November, it attended a series of meetings with government officials, members of the opposition, Catholic Church mediators and representatives of civil society organisations. On 13 November, Council members visited Beni in eastern DRC, an area that in the last two years has experienced high levels of violence against civilians. In Beni, Council members were briefed by the MONUSCO force commander and the missions civilian leadership. The Council delegation met with local politicians and held a brief encounter with the representatives of local civil society. On 14 November, the mission went to Angolas capital, Luanda. According to the terms of reference for the visiting mission (S/2016/948), the purpose of this leg of the trip was to hold talks with President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola, in his capacity as President of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, as well as to meet with the President of the National Assembly and the diplomatic corps accredited to Angola. These meetings were intended to jointly assess the political and security developments in the DRC and the region with the purpose of engaging in and supporting the regional efforts related to peace and stability in the DRC. However, instead, Council members met with the countrys vice president and the vice president of the National Assembly, as both the Angolan President and the President of the National Assembly were not in Luanda. On 23 November, the Council was briefed by the co-leads of the visiting mission, Ambassadors Francois Delattre (France) and Ismael Abraao Gaspar Martins (Angola) (S/PV.7819).

Iraq

On 2 November, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour and the head of OCHA, Stephen OBrien, briefed Council members in consultations under any other business on the human rights and humanitarian implications of the offensive to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. On 9 November, Special Representative Jan Kubis briefed the Council and presented the Secretary-Generals reports on UNAMI (S/2016/897) and on Iraq/Kuwait missing persons and property (S/2016/885). The security and humanitarian impact of the Mosul offensive was highlighted during the briefing (S/PV.7804).

Mali

On 3 November, the Council adopted a presidential statement that strongly condemned repeated ceasefire violations in Mali over the last few months and urged the parties to expeditiously carry out all their commitments under the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation (S/PRST/2016/16). On 7 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack on a complex near Douentza, in the centre of Mali, during which two Malian civilians and one Togolese MINUSMA peacekeeper were killed (SC/12579).

Western Sahara

On 3 November, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members under any other business on his trip to the Layoune and Sahrawi refugee camps in southwestern Algeria.

Sudan and South Sudan

On 3 November, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed Council members on the activities of UNISFA and the most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2016/864) on Abyei, the disputed area straddling the Sudan-South Sudan border. On 15 November, the Council adopted resolution 2318 renewing the missions mandate for six months. At press time, Nicholas Haysom, the UN Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, was expected to brief members (via video teleconference) on 29 November in consultations on Sudan/South Sudan issues.

Peace Operations

On 7 November, the Council held a ministerial-level open debate on Peace operationsfacing asymmetric threats (S/PV.7802). UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie Michaelle Jean, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate Jean-Paul Laborde, and Director of the International Peace Institutes Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations Arthur Boutellis briefed. The meeting was chaired by the Foreign Minister of Senegal, Mankeur Ndiaye, and discussion was guided by a concept note circulated by Senegal prior to the meeting (S/2016/927).

Central African Republic

On 8 November, Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefed Council members under any other business on his recent visit to the CAR. The Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2016/17) on 16 November, strongly encouraging contributions at the international donors conference in Brussels on 17 November to support stabilisation and development in the CAR (S/PV.7812).

Burundi

On 8 November, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser, Jamal Benomar, briefed Council members in consultations on his recent meetings in the region and on the Secretary-Generals report on the situation in Burundi.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 8 November, the Council held its semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina and adopted resolution 2315, renewing the authorisation of EUFOR ALTHEA for an additional year (S/PV.7803). Valentin Inzko, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, briefed on developments covered in both his 28 October six-month report and an appended 21 October special report (S/2016/911).

Somalia and Eritrea

On 8 November, Council members met for a briefing by the Chair of the 751/1907 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Rafael Dario Ramirez Carreno (Venezuela), on the final reports of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (S/2016/919 and S/2016/920). On 9 November, the Council adopted resolution 2316 reauthorising Somalia anti-piracy measures (S/PV.7805). On 10 November, the Council adopted resolution 2317 on Somalia and Eritrea sanctions with ten votes in favour (S/PV.7807). Angola, China, Egypt, Russia and Venezuela had hoped to include a request for the SEMG to report within 120 days on recommendations for lifting sanctions measures imposed on Eritrea; however, this proposal was rejected and the five countries abstained.

UN Policing

On 10 November, the Council held its annual briefing by the heads of police components on the role of policing in UN peace operations (S/PV.7808). Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous briefed on the current challenges to effective UN policing. Four police commissioners shared their experiences regarding different aspects of UN policing: Bruce Munyambo (UNMISS), Priscilla Makotose (UNAMID), Georges-Pierre Monchotte (MINUSTAH) and Issoufou Yacouba (MINUSMA). Prior to the briefing Senegal circulated a concept note (S/2016/947). A Secretary-Generals report on UN policing was circulated that same day (S/2016/952).

Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict held a formal meeting on 14 November. During the meeting, the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF presented two Global Horizontal Notes covering the first half of 2016. The members of the Working Group also discussed the consolidation of protection functions in UN missions and the possibility of a Working Group visiting mission by the end of 2016.

Kosovo

On 16 November, Special Representative Zahir Tanin briefed the Council at its quarterly briefing on Kosovo (S/PV.7811), presenting the latest UNMIK report (S/2016/901). Tanin noted that the security situation in Kosovo continues to remain stable, despite political tensions arising from the rift between the government and the opposition parties. Tanin said that there has been lack of progress on the implementation of the EU facilitated agreements between Belgrade and Pristina, especially regarding the formation of Association/Community of Serb Municipalities. Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic and Kosovos Ambassador to the US, Vlora Citaku, also made statements.

Counter-Terrorism

On 17 November, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins (France) and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz (US) briefed the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee on international cooperation in mutual legal assistance matters. On 21 November, Ukraine organised an open Arria-formula meeting on the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko and there were three panelists: Sergiy Semochko, head of the Department for Counterintelligence and Protection of the National Economy of the Security Service of Ukraine; Frank Westfall, Regional Director of the Office of Infrastructure Protection of the US Department of Homeland Security; and Scott Aaronson, Executive Director for Security and Business Continuity of the Edison Electric Institute. On 28 November, Spain and Senegal organised an Arria-formula meeting on cybersecurity and international peace and security.

Myanmar

On 17 November, at the request of the US, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, briefed Council members under any other business. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour was present to answer questions. The discussions focused on the recent escalation of violence in Rakhine state and the humanitarian and human rights situation. While emphasising that lack of access made it difficult to assess the situation, Nambiar said there were signs of more organised resistance by the Rohingya and a risk of further radicalisation of the conflict.

UN-OIC Cooperation

On 17 November, the Council held a briefing on cooperation between the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation focused on enhancing the existing strategic partnership in the area of countering extremist ideology (S/PV.7813). Mankeur Ndiaye, Senegals Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, chaired the meeting. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary General of OIC Hameed Opeleyeru and Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Professor of French and Romance Philology and of Philosophy at Columbia University, briefed. Senegal on 11 November sent a letter that contained a concept note for the event (S/2016/965).

UN-AU Cooperation

On 18 November, the Council held a debate on Strengthening the UN-AU partnership in peace and security (S/PV.7816). The Council received briefings by El-Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations; Ambassador Tete Antonio, AU permanent observer to the UN; Haile Menkerios, Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the AU; and Dr. Donald Kaberuka, AU High Representative for the Peace Fund. At the meeting, Council members unanimously adopted resolution 2320 which welcomed the AU Assembly decision to fund 25 percent of AU peace support operations, to be phased incrementally over five years. Senegal circulated a concept note ahead of the meeting (S/2016/966). The debate took place in the context of three reports: a Secretary-Generals report on ways to strengthen the UN-AU partnership (S/2016/780), a joint UN-AU review of mechanisms currently available to finance and support AU peace support operations authorised by the Council (S/2016/809) and Kaberukas report on financing the AU and the AU Peace Fund.

Water, Peace and Security

On 22 November, the Council held an open debate on water, peace and security with briefings by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Danilo Turk, Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace; Vice-President of the ICRC Christine Beerli; and Sundeep Waslekar, the President of Strategic Foresight Group. Council members addressed various aspects of water management and its implication on peace and security (S/PV.7818). Furthermore, the briefers and members of the Council discussed different ways the UN could assist in addressing the issue of water and its relation to peace and security. Ahead of the debate, Senegal circulated the concept note (S/2016/969). The concept note emphasised that water scarcity and its mismanagement could play a major role as a driver of conflict and that there is a need to protect this resource in the context of armed conflict.

Israel/Palestine

The Council held its regular monthly meeting on the Middle East on 23 November (S/PV.7820). Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed.
PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

Subsidiary Bodies

Expected Council Action

In an annual practice dating back to 2002, subsidiary body chairs from outgoing elected Security Council members are expected to brief the Council in December. The meeting provides an opportunity for the chairs to review developments within the relevant committee or working group during their term, assess their experience and suggest recommendations for improvements.

Ambassador Gaspar Martins (Angola) will brief on the Working Group on Conflict Prevention in Africa.

Ambassador Ramlan Ibrahim (Malaysia) will brief on the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

Ambassador Gerard von Bohemen (New Zealand) will brief on the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Daesh)/Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee.

Ambassador Roman Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain) will brief on the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee and the 1540 Non-Proliferation Committee.

Ambassador Rafael Ramirez Carreno (Venezuela) will brief on the 751/1907 Somalia-Eritrea Sanctions Committee and the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

Key Recent Developments

On 11 February, at the initiative of Venezuela, the Council held a debate on the working methods of Security Council subsidiary organs. A Note by the President issued on 22 February as a follow-up to the debate outlined a set of measures aimed at enhancing the transparency of subsidiary organs, improving the selection process and the preparation of chairs and increasing the interaction and coordination among subsidiary organs and between these bodies and the Council.

On 15 July, Council members agreed on another Note by the President, drafted by Japan as chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and other Procedural Questions (IWG), concerning the preparation of newly elected members during the transitional period between the election and the beginning of their term, including the selection and preparation of chairs of subsidiary bodies. Among other things, the note calls on Council members to make every effort to agree provisionally on the appointment of the chairs of the subsidiary organs for the following year no later than 1 October. The note also reiterated that consultations on the appointment should begin as soon as possible after the elections and be conducted in a balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive way by two members of the Council working in full cooperation, it being understood that the two members in question would be the IWG chair and one permanent member.

On the preparation of incoming chairs, the note encourages outgoing chairs to provide them with written and oral briefings and to hold informal meetings. It also notes that outgoing chairs should provide incoming chairs with all pertinent informal documents and background information and requests the Secretariat to consider further measures to support incoming chairs in their preparations.

Council members reached agreement on the appointment of new chairs for 2017 on 31 October. Incoming elected member Bolivia will take over the chairmanship of the 1540 Committee; Ethiopia, the Working Group on Conflict Prevention in Africa; Italy, the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee; Kazakhstan, the 751/1907 Somalia-Eritrea, the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL/Daesh/Al-Qaida and the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committees; and Sweden, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. Current elected member Ukraine, which chairs the 2127 Central African Republic Sanctions Committee, will in addition take on the chairmanship of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

Council Dynamics

The Council has been sharply divided between permanent and elected members on issues relating to the working methods of subsidiary organs. Despite the two presidential notes adopted by the Council this year regarding the need for greater transparency at the subsidiary level and improving the selection process and the preparation of chairs, it seems that elected members believe there is room for further improvement. Reaching agreement on the second noteon the selection and preparation of newly elected members during the transitional periodwas difficult and took several weeks. (For more details, please refer to our 18 July Whats in Blue story on working methods.) Also difficult was the implementation of the note, notably with regard to the appointment of new chairs, in a process led by Japan and the UK. The final decision was reached on 31 October, 30 days later than aimed for.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SUBSIDIARY BODIES

Security Council Meeting Records 11 February 2016S/PV.7620 This was a debate titled Working Methods of Security Council Subsidiary Organs. 17 December 2015S/PV.7586 This was a briefing by the chairs of subsidiary bodies. Notes by the President of the Security Council 15 July 2016S/2016/619 This was a presidential note concerning transitional arrangements for newly elected Council members. 22 February 2016S/2016/170 This was a note by the president of the Council that outlined a set of measures aimed at improving the transparency of the Councils subsidiary organs, improving the selection process and the preparation of chairs and improving the interaction and coordination among subsidiary organs and between the Council and the subsidiary organs. Other 2 February 2016S/2016/102 This was a concept note circulated by Venezuela for the debate titled Working Methods of Security Council Subsidiary Organs.
AFRICA

Sudan (Darfur)

Expected Council Action

In December, Ambassador Rafael Ramirez Carreno (Venezuela), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Committees work. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is expected to provide the semi-annual briefing to the Council on the Courts work on Darfur.

Key Recent Developments

The peace process in Darfur continues to falter. In late October, Amin Hassan Omer, the governments head Darfur negotiator, said that the government would not resume talks with the rebels in the near future, given their continued unwillingness to provide information on the location of their forces.

Amnesty International issued a report on 29 September alleging that government forces had used chemical weapons against civilians in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur this year, leading to the deaths of as many as 250 people. There has been fighting this year between the government and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) rebel group in the Jebel Marra, an area to which UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfurs (UNAMID) access has been significantly restricted. On 29 September, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said that [w]ithout further information and evidence being made available, it is not possible at this stage to draw any conclusions based on the Amnesty International report.

The Council received a briefing, followed by consultations, on UNAMID on 4 October from Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous. Ladsous said that heavy fighting had been reported since 17 September in the Jebel Marra region between government and the SLA-AW forces, but that the mission had been unable to verify the reports because of access restrictions imposed on UNAMID by the government. Ladsous encouraged Sudan to cooperate with any OPCW investigation regarding claims that it had used chemical weapons. However, the government has denied the claims, and on 22 October, in his first public response to the Amnesty International report, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir called the claims empty lies in a speech given to members of the ruling National Congress Party.

On 9 June, Bensouda provided the semi-annual Council briefing on the ICCs work with regard to Darfur. Bensouda asserted that the Councils inaction had made it possible for President al-Bashirwho in 2009 was indicted by the court for war crimes and crimes against humanity and in 2010 for genocideto travel internationally without being apprehended, despite the courts arrest warrants against him.

On 27 September, Ramirez provided the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Sudan Sanctions Committees work. He reported that a new Panel of Experts had been appointed in September and that the final report of the 2015 Panel of Experts had been published. Both the appointment of the Panel and the publication of last years final report had been held up for several months by Russia. Ramirez also conveyed the contents of the 8 July briefing to the Sanctions Committee by Zainab Bangura, the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who expressed concern at the high rate of sexual violence in Darfur.

The Sudan Sanctions Committee met with the newly appointed Panel of Experts on 28 October. During the meeting, the Panel presented its programme of work and underscored its commitment to provide the committee with impartial and balanced reporting.

Key Issues

The underlying issue for the Council is the continuing instability of the security and humanitarian environment in Darfur, without progress on the political front.

Another key issue is whether the limited time the Panel of Experts has to operate will impact the thoroughness of its investigations. The Panel, appointed only in September, must submit its final report to the Council with findings and recommendations no later than 13 January 2017, according to resolution 2265.

A further important issue is the continuing impasse in the Council with regard to the ICCs work in Darfur and whether a strategy to overcome this stalemate can be developed.

Options

With respect to the Sudan Sanctions Committee, members might consider extending the deadline for the final report of the current Panel of Experts to allow it more time to conduct its investigations.

Regarding the ICC, the Council could hold an informal interactive dialogue meeting with the Office of the Prosecutor to discuss next steps, given the divisions on the Council on the ICC and the recent withdrawal of Burundi, South Africa and The Gambia from the Rome Statute.

Council Dynamics

Views of Council members on the situation in Darfur vary widely. France, the UK and the US tend to be critical of the government of Sudan for contributing to the instability in Darfur, referring to human rights violations committed by government forces, the impunity for these violations and the governments lack of cooperation with UNAMID. Other Council members, including China, Egypt and Russia, stress the importance of Sudans sovereignty and maintain that the government is making a good-faith effort to bring peace to Darfur. There are sharp divisions regarding the work of the ICC on Darfur.

The appointment of this years Panel of Experts had been delayed for several months because Russia was not satisfied with the slate of experts initially proposed for the Panel by the UN Department of Political Affairs. Some of the individuals proposed had served on the 2015 Panel of Experts, which produced a final report that Russia maintained was biased against the government. Since sanctions committees operate by consensus, Russia was able to block the Committee from appointing a new Panel until September, when a new slate of potential experts was put forward that was acceptable to all Committee members.

The UK is the penholder on Darfur, while Venezuela chairs the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents

This was a briefing on UNAMID. This was the semi-annual briefing by the ICC Prosecutor.
MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

Council members expect to receive the regular monthly briefings on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria and could not rule out other activity, given the urgent nature of the Syrian crisis. It is possible that two draft resolutions may be put to a vote in December, one calling for a 10-day truce in Aleppo and another to impose sanctions on the Syrian government for the use of chemical weapons against its own population.

Separately, the authorisation in resolution 2258 for cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access in Syria expires on 10 January 2017. The Council may adopt a resolution renewing the authorisation in December before two of the humanitarian leads, New Zealand and Spain, rotate off the Council.

The Board of Inquiry appointed by the Secretary-General to investigate the 19 September attack on a humanitarian convoy is expected to deliver its report in early December. It will not be public, but a summary of the findings will be released. At press time, it was unclear if the Security Council would consider the reports findings.

Key Recent Developments

On 18 October, Russia announced a unilateral pause in hostilities for eastern Aleppo, an area that has been besieged by the government since July. This pause was largely observed until 15 November, when Russia and the Syrian government renewed its offensive in Aleppo, the suburbs of Damascus, Homs and Idlib.

Meanwhile, Khan al-Shih and Al Tal, both suburbs of Damascus, were surrendered by the opposition in late November. These surrenders have been characterised by the opposition as a forced population transfer following years of a government-imposed sieges that are disguised as a local truce. Other evacuations, under almost identical circumstances, occurred in the opposition-held Moadamiyeh suburb of Damascus in October, the Al Waer neighbourhood of Homs in September, and in Daraya, another suburb of Damascus, in August. Opposition fighters have been evacuated to Idlib, raising the spectre of that area becoming a new epicentre of fighting if Aleppo falls.

OCHA head Stephen OBrien briefed the Council on 21 November, reporting a high tempo of military activity against opposition-held areas since 15 November, adding that there are barely any functional hospitals left in eastern Aleppo. He also reported a significant increase in the governments use of siege and starvation tactics. At this time last year approximately 394,000 civilians were living under siege; the number has now risen to approximately 975,000, including 275,000 in eastern Aleppo. He said that 25,000 civilians had been displaced in government-controlled western Aleppo as a result of opposition shelling. OBrien further said that OCHA was anticipating that thousands more civilians would face displacement as a result of US-led coalition operations in Raqqa against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and in Al Bab as Turkish and opposition forces fight to retake the town from ISIL.

Following OBriens briefing, Council members took the floor. The US named a dozen Syrian generals and officers accused of being responsible for attacks on civilian targets, and specified several military facilities where the government allegedly tortures detainees. The US said the atrocities in Syria are well documented, and that one day the perpetrators would be held accountable. In response to OCHAs briefings and the USs remarks, Russia asserted that data about the humanitarian situation is intentionally falsified and that Russia is constantly seeking ways to help in Aleppo. Russia said the delivery of humanitarian aid had been sabotaged by opposition fighters who tried to barter the evacuation of the sick and wounded for food and medicine. New Zealand said that, setting ISIL-controlled areas aside, the Council members around the table could not avoid the fact that civilians were being killed in Syria and a country was being destroyed by its own government, a government supported by a permanent member of the Council, a reference to Russia.

In consultations following the humanitarian briefing, Egypt, New Zealand and Spain continued discussion of their draft resolution that includes a provision that all attacks in Aleppo cease for a period of 10 days, including attacks against Security Council-designated terrorist groups Al Nusra and ISIL. It allows for the cessation of hostilities in the rest of the country to be implemented in line with resolution 2268, i.e. counter-terrorism operations could continue. This draft, which was put in blue on 29 November, is the humanitarian penholders attempt for the Council to respond effectively to the situation in Aleppo and establish the minimum requirements to lower overall levels of violence and resume talks on a political transition.

An overwhelming number of Council members support this draft resolution. Russia, however, does not. It has repeatedly argued against a blanket prohibition on all attacks in Aleppo, citing concerns about the need to combat terrorists there. The draft in blue maintains the blanket prohibition on all attacks in Aleppo for a period of ten days, as the humanitarian penholders, the P3 and others have maintained that counterterrorism is used as an alibi by Russian and Syrian forces to justify targeting all opposition groups and civilians in eastern Aleppo. At press time, Russia maintained its opposition to the draft and it was unclear whether and when it might be put to a vote.

Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem on 21 November. In comments to the press, de Mistura reported that Mouallem denied any bombing of hospitals in eastern Aleppo, and that the government had yet to agree to a basic humanitarian plan for Aleppo which included medical evacuation, delivery of medical and food supplies and the rotation of doctors to care for those in the city. De Misturas Aleppo initiative was also discussed. The initiative would require an immediate and total halt to the bombing of eastern Aleppo followed by the evacuation of Al Nusra fighters. De Mistura underscored the need to keep the local administration in eastern Aleppo intact, i.e. under opposition control. This condition was flatly rejected by the government. Mouallem reportedly signalled that the government was ready to resume political talks, with de Mistura commenting only that the UN was evaluating options, bearing in mind the highly militarised environment.

On 30 November, the Council was briefed by de Mistura, OBrien, and a representative from UNICEF on the situation in Aleppo. France and the UK called for the emergency meeting in response to the Syrian governments continued offensive to retake rebel-held eastern Aleppo, which has led to ever more devastating consequences for civilians trapped in the city.

On chemical weapons, Acting High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo briefed Council members on 29 November. During these consultations, the P3 announced that they would soon circulate a draft resolution seeking to impose sanctions on Syria for its use of chemical weapons against its own population. The timing for circulation of the draft and a possible vote remained unclear at press time.

Earlier in the month, on 17 November, the Council adopted resolution 2319, renewing the mandate of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), the body established to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, for a further year. The JIMs four reports to date have concluded that of the nine cases investigated, the Syrian regime used chlorine gas against its own population in three cases and that ISIL used mustard gas in one case. There was insufficient evidence to make a determination in the remaining five cases.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 11 November, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) raised concerns about the humanitarian situation of several hundred displaced Iraqi civilians who had fled the Mosul offensive to Hassakeh in Syria, controlled by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units. Concern was also expressed about the number of civilian casualties as a result of increased air and ground strikes on ISIL targets in populated areas. There were also reports of a worsening humanitarian situation in Madaya, a town outside of Damascus which is besieged by the government.

Key Issues

With Syria approaching its sixth year of a war that has exacted a death toll approaching 500,000, left 975,000 living under siege and displaced half of the Syrian population, including 4.81 million refugees, the essential issue for the Council is to exert effective leadership in supporting a cessation of hostilities and efforts to reach a political solution.

Regarding chemical weapons, the JIMs findings mean that the Council is in a position to consider whether Syria is in breach of resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235.

Options

While the Council has many tools at its disposalsuch as imposing an arms embargo or targeted sanctions, referring Syria to the ICC or authorising a no-fly zone to deter Syria from using its aerial capacityP5 divisions have made it impossible for the Council to fulfil its role in maintaining international peace and security in the case of Syria.

In this context, the Council could vote to refer Syria to the General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace procedure, so that the General Assembly might recommend collective action, including sanctions and the use of force. This would be a procedural vote and therefore could not be vetoed by any of the P5, requiring only nine affirmative votes. A Uniting for Peace resolution by the General Assembly can confer legitimacy on international collective action, but it would carry no binding obligation for such action. (Alternatively, the General Assembly does not require a Security Council referral to adopt a Uniting for Peace resolution.)

Regarding chemical weapons, if the Council is able to determine that Syria has violated resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235, it has the option to pursue the threat of sanctions implicit in all three resolutions.

Council Dynamics

Several Council members are of the view that the governments offensive in eastern Aleppo, which has continued almost uninterrupted since April, confirms the regimes preference for prolonged armed conflict over a negotiated settlement. There is also broad recognition that if fighting in Syria cannot be controlled, particularly in Aleppo, it will be close to impossible for UN mediation between the government and the opposition to resume.

Many Council members are aware that a diplomatic approach to resolve the crisis has become simultaneously ever more untenable and ever more urgent amidst signs that the conflict is likely to see further military escalation. Adding to the uncertain climate are the results of the US presidential election and how that may modify Americas role in Syria in early 2017. It is unclear whether US foreign policy under the new administration will continue to support the Syrian opposition or whether it will pivot toward closer counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia.

With the depth of disagreement between Russia and the US over Syria, most members are of the view that it is impossible to break the Councils deadlock.

Regarding the draft resolution on an Aleppo truce, Russia expressed regret that the humanitarian penholders put a non-consensual text in blue. However, most Council members feel that the draft resolution put in blue reflects the broadest possible agreement that, if adopted and implemented, could also impact the situation on the ground. Russias proposed changes focused on the UNs four-point plan for Aleppo, the same plan to which the Syrian government has yet to agree. However, Russias proposal came with a condition that required the completion of armed groups disassociating themselves from Al Nusra prior to the plans implementation. In addition, the Russian proposal would specifically allow counter-terrorism operations to continue in Aleppo. At press time, it seemed unlikely that Russias proposed changes would achieve any significant support among Council members as a credible alternative to the draft penned by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain.

At press time, it seemed the P3 might press for sanctions against Syria over its non-compliance with resolutions 2118, 2209 and 2235 on chemical weapons. It was too early to gauge how broad the support might be for pursuing sanctions.

Most Council members are aware that that if the humanitarian and/or sanctions draft resolutions are tabled for a vote then Russia might cast its sixth, and possibly seventh, veto on Syria.

Four of the P5 members (France, Russia, the UK and the US) are involved militarily in the Syrian war to varying degrees.

UN Documents

Renewed the mandate of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism for a further year. This resolution was adopted unanimously by the Council and required the verification and destruction of Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles, called for the convening of the Geneva II peace talks and endorsed the establishment of a transitional governing body in Syria with full executive powers. This was a resolution that endorsed the cessation of hostilities and called for the resumption of political talks. This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. This was a report on the humanitarian situation. This was the 37th OPCW report on chemical weapons. OCHA head Stephen OBrien, Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, and a UNICEF representative briefed at an emergency meeting on Aleppo, which was called for by France and the UK. This was the regular monthly briefing on the humanitarian situation, with a focus on Aleppo.
UNDOF (Golan Heights)

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is expected to extend for six months the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which expires on 31 December. A representative of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will brief Council members in consultations on the UNDOF report, due on 8 December.

UNDOF was established in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

Key Recent Developments

It has been a little more than two years since the spillover of the Syrian civil war into UNDOFs area of operations resulted in the relocation of most of the missions peacekeepers from the Bravo (Syrian) side to the Alpha (Israeli) side of the ceasefire line in September 2014. The majority of UNDOFs 819 uniformed personnel remain based on the Israeli side, restricting mission mobility and operational capacity.

The September UNDOF report described the varying security environments in different sectors of the missions area of operations. In the northern sector, the security situation improved, and in the central sector, clashes between government forces and armed opposition groups continued, albeit with decreasing intensity. In the southern sector, there was fighting between various armed opposition groups, particularly between Al Nusra Front and the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade. (On 27 November, in an exchange of fire between Israel and the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, four Brigade fighters were killed by an Israeli airstrike.)

Given the improved security situation in the northern sector, on 14 November the UN reported an initial return of 150 troops from Fiji, India and Nepal to Camp Faouar. This limited return to the Bravo side was undertaken in line with resolution 2294, which welcomed the plan for a phased redeployment if and when security and operational conditions permitted. Prior to the redeployment, the UN secured agreement from Israel and Syria on procedures for the extraction of UNDOF personnel if an extreme situation arises.

The September UNDOF report also said that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was largely maintained but that the situation remained volatile, with a significant number of breaches of the ceasefire line. The forthcoming December report is expected to detail further violations that have occurred since the last reporting period. On several occasions, such as on 9 November and 4 September, Israeli forces targeted Syrian military positions after coming under errant fire from the Syrian side of the ceasefire line.

A more serious incident occurred on 13 September when an Israeli jet targeted Syrian military positions after a stray mortar struck the Israeli side of the ceasefire line. Syria then returned fire with two anti-aircraft missiles. The Syrian army claimed it downed an Israeli jet and drone, a claim denied by Israel, which said neither of its aircraft was compromised.

The situation in the Golan increases the possibility of escalating tensions between Israel and Syria, between Israel and Lebanon, and between Israel and Russia.

The 13 September incident provoked a statement from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that Israel should show restraint and use airstrikes only if authorised by the Security Council. Since Russia commenced airstrikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015, Israel and Russia have made arrangements to avoid unnecessary confrontations of their respective forces operating in Syrian airspace.

Tensions with Lebanon have been exacerbated because of the overt presence in the Golan of Hezbollahthe Tehran-backed Lebanese Shia militia fighting on the side of the Syrian regime. On 11 November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during a meeting in Jerusalem that Israel would not allow Hezbollah to set up a front against it in the Golan.

On 30 November, media reports indicate that Israel struck a weapons convoy in Syria near a highway linking Damascus to Beirut. Israel has a neutral policy vis-a-vis the Syrian crisis except to interdict weapons shipments via Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel neither confirms nor denies specific incidents of striking Hezbollah targets in Syria, but in December 2015 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a rare public admission, said, We [Israel] occasionally carry out operations in Syria to prevent that country from becoming a front against us.

Key Issues

Considering the security situation in the Golan, the full return of UNDOF to the Syrian side seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. This is a significant issue in as much as it constrains the missions ability to carry out its monitoring tasks.

A re-emerging issue, given the partial redeployment to Camp Faouar, is the safety of UN personnel.

The other primary concern for the Council remains the ceasefire violations. The presence of Syrian armed forces and heavy weapons in the area of separation monitored by UNDOF, Syrian airstrikes, Israeli airstrikes, the 13 September incident, and artillery fire are all ceasefire violations. No military forces other than those of UNDOF are allowed in the area of separation.

Options

The Council is somewhat constrained in its options for UNDOF. It was established as a Syria-based mission, and how it operates is subject to the disengagement agreement, with any changes requiring consent by Israel and Syria.

Nevertheless, in the resolution renewing UNDOFs mandate the Council could:

reiterate the need for all parties to exercise restraint;

urge Israel and Syria to allow the use of new technologies so UNDOF could better fulfil its observation tasks;

urge Israel and Syria to allow the use of enhanced equipment for UNDOFs force protection capabilities;

urge Israel and Syria to agree to establish more UNDOF crossing points between the Alpha and Bravo sides, since the Quneitra crossing was lost to rebel groups in September 2014; and

urge Israel to allow UNDOF to establish more temporary observation posts on the Alpha side, given the missions limited mobility there.

Council Dynamics

The Council has generally agreed that UNDOF contributes to stability in the region, in the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria. While there is recognition that the missions observation function has been significantly curtailed following its September 2014 relocation to the Alpha (Israeli) side of the ceasefire line, its liaison function remains particularly important to avoid further negative security implications for the region.

Israel and Syria value UNDOFs presence and want to see the return of the mission to the Bravo side. The security situation is still not conducive to the missions full redeployment back to the Syrian side of the ceasefire line, but Council members unanimously support the initial redeployment to Camp Faouar. Council members are aware that ensuring the safety of these troops is particularly important to maintain the confidence of countries contributing troops to UNDOF.

Council members remain concerned about armed clashes in the area of operations and about the tension between Israel and Syria along the armistice line, which has been exacerbated by the presence of Hezbollah.

Since June 2012, Russia and the US have been the co-penholders on resolutions renewing UNDOF.

UN Documents

The was a resolution renewing UNDOFs mandate for six months. This was the report of the Secretary-General on UNDOF.
MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is likely to receive a briefing from the Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

Key Recent Developments

Yemens war between the government, supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, and Zaydi Shiite Houthi rebels allied with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has continued, amidst efforts to revive peace talks based on a new peace initiative.

On 8 October, coalition air strikes targeted a funeral in Sanaa for the father of a high-ranking Houthi official. Hundreds of people, including families and political and tribal leaders, were present at the reception hall where the service was being held. More than 140 people were killed and at least 540 injured. The incident raised fears that the conflict would escalate. Following international criticism, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition announced the results of an internal investigation on 15 October that stated that the attack was based on inaccurate information from the Yemeni government.

Other signs of the wars escalation were a missile strike against a United Arab Emirates (UAE) vessel on 1 October and subsequent failed attacks against a US warship near the important shipping passage of Bab al-Mendab, followed by US cruise missile strikes on 12 October against the Houthi radar sites believed responsible for the attacks. Council members issued a press statement on 4 October condemning the attack on the Emirati vessel but were unable to agree on a statement condemning the funeral strike. The UK subsequently informed members on 13 October that it would prepare a new cessation of hostilities resolution.

On 16 October, foreign ministers of the QuadSaudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and the US and the Special Envoy met in London. Following the meeting, the UK announced it would wait to propose a Council resolution in anticipation of an agreement on a cessation of hostilities, and taking into account the Special Envoys plans to return to the region to present the sides with a new roadmap for reaching a peace agreement. A renewable 72-hour cessation of hostilities went into effect on 19 October. Both sides alleged violations, and it was not renewed when it expired.

The Special Envoy presented the roadmap to the Houthis and the General Peoples Congress (GPC)the party of former President Salehwhile in Sanaa from 23 to 25 October, and to Yemeni transition President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi on 28 October in Riyadh. The roadmap envisions the Houthis and allied forces withdrawing from Sanaa, Taiz and Hodeidah while turning over heavy and medium weapons. After this, a new vice president would be appointed to whom Hadi would transfer his powers. A unity government would then be formed to oversee a new political transition.

The Houthis and GPC initially described the roadmap as fundamentally flawed. Hadi rejected the roadmap outright, claiming it rewards the coup leaders and is an explicit departure from resolution 2216.

On 15 November, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had agreed to a cessation of hostilities beginning on 17 November. Kerry had met with the Houthis in Oman the evening before and announced the agreement after meeting Emirati and Saudi officials in Abu Dhabi. He further said that the Houthis had agreed to the roadmap as a basis for negotiations and that the parties have agreed to work towards establishing a new national unity governmentas a goal towards the end of the year. The Yemeni government claimed it was never consulted on the new cessation of hostilities agreement and would not participate. The Special Envoy subsequently announced a 48-hour renewable cessation of hostilities beginning on 19 November, which would be marred by violence.

Addressing the humanitarian situation gained urgency as images emerged depicting starvation among Yemeni civilians. During a 31 October briefing, OCHA head Stephen OBrien told the Council that Yemen is one step away from famine. Outbreaks of cholera were reported in October across 11 Yemeni governorates. Further complicating the humanitarian crisis has been the insolvency and political crisis of Yemens Central Bank, which did not pay the salaries of civil servants in September and October.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 17 October, the Panel of Experts submitted a preliminary analysis to the Yemen 2140 Sanctions Committee about the 8 October attack on the funeral in Sanaa, saying it involved at least two aircraft bombs. According to the Panel, evidence suggested that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition had violated international humanitarian law obligations.

Key Issues

A key issue is how the Council should support efforts to obtain a sustained cessation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks.

Addressing the humanitarian crisis and widespread violations of international humanitarian law remain key issues.

The threat from Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant amidst the security vacuum created by the conflict remains a major concern.

Options

Depending on developments regarding current peace initiatives, the Council may adopt a resolution:

demanding the sides to maintain or resume a cessation of hostilities; and

calling for the sides to return to negotiations on the basis of the roadmap or welcoming any expressed willingness to do so.

The resolution could further:

stress the importance of accountability for alleged breaches of international humanitarian law;

demand that the parties allow unhindered access for aid and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, including avoiding targeting civilian infrastructure and harming civilians;

demand the lifting of the ban on commercial flights to and from Sanaa;

call on member states to support the rehabilitation of port infrastructure, including the replacement of damaged cranes at Hodeidah port, to facilitate essential imports of food, fuel and other supplies; and

affirm that the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) should provide clearance to and oversee inspections of commercial shipments to Yemen in accordance with resolution 2216 and call on member states to fully cooperate with UNVIM.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Resolution 2216, adopted shortly after the start of the Saudi Arabia-led intervention, demanded that the Houthis withdraw from captured areas and relinquish seized arms. The resolution has been frequently held up by the Yemeni government and the coalition as outlining the conditions to be fulfilled for ending the war, in particular regarding withdrawals and disarmament. It continues to underpin the framework for negotiations.

Despite frustration that the resolution has been used to inhibit progress in peace talks, the close relations of Council members, in particular the UK and the US, with Saudi Arabia have left most of them unwilling to depart from resolution 2216 as a basis for addressing the conflict. The 8 October airstrikes on the funeral in Sanaa may have changed this dynamic, demonstrated by the UKs announcing its intention to seek a new Yemen resolution that would call on the sides to resume negotiations on the basis of the roadmap. However, the UK has yet to propose a draft. The delay has been related, in part, to making sure a resolution reflects the realities of current peace initiatives amidst somewhat fluid developments. It has been speculated that the UK has used the prospect of a resolution to gain leverage with Saudi Arabia, which has opposed replacing resolution 2216.

Within the Council, Egypt, as a member of the coalition, champions positions of the Yemeni government and the coalition. At the 31 October briefing, it stated that its redlines include its position that President Hadi represents the only legitimate government in Yemen, which may signal difficulties in gaining its support on a resolution that endorses the roadmap, especially if the government continues to oppose it. Russia tends to highlight the perspective of the Houthis and has played a role in making Council positions on Yemen more balanced. Russia has often raised the Yemen conflict in the face of criticism from the P3 regarding its role in Syria. During October, worsening tensions regarding Syria spilled over into the Councils consideration of Yemen.

The Quad, which emerged in July, has been critical in moving the renewed peace initiative forward following the breakdown of the Kuwait talks, with the US playing a key role in driving these efforts and developing the roadmap.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen.

UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN

This resolution demanded the Houthis to withdraw from all seized areas and to relinquish all seized arms, and established an arms embargo on the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. This was a briefing by the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, OCHA head Stephen OBrien and World Food Programme regional director Muhannad Hadi. Council members strongly condemned an attack by Houthi forces on a UAE vessel operating near Bab al-Mandeb straight on 1 October.
According to quantum physics, the vacuum of space isn't really empty - virtual particles pop in and out of existence even in the emptiest of empty voids. These "virtual" particles may sound like ghostly apparitions, but now astronomers think they've spotted the interference caused by virtual particles in the dim light generated by a dense stellar nugget of degenerate matter.

This nugget is a nearby neutron star called RX J1856.5-3754, located some 400 light-years away, and researchers using the ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) high in the Atacama Desert in Chile have, for the first time, detected a quantum effect that was first predicted in the 1930s. This effect is known as "vacuum birefringence" and possible observational evidence of it in action could have a profound impact on our understanding of how the universe works.

It may sound strange that we can measure quantum effects near the surface of a neutron star hundreds of light-years away, but often we have to look at some of the most extreme natural "laboratories" deep in the cosmos to stand a chance of glimpsing minuscule physics that has a huge effect on astronomical data. And in the case of RX J1856.5-3754, its powerful magnetic field is thought to have manipulated virtual particles fizzing in and out of the vacuum to create a prism-like effect on the faint light generated by the neutron star.

RELATED: Hawking Tries to Find Black Hole's Emergency Exit

Virtual particles underpin many curious theories in astrophysics, particularly the mechanism behind Hawking radiation - a neat theory put forward by physicist Stephen Hawking in the 1970s that suggests black holes may evaporate. Whether black holes evaporate or that virtual particles have a role to play is a matter of heated debate, but the way these ghostly quantum apparitions interact with magnetic fields can have observational effects.

In classical physics, if light travels through a vacuum, it will remain unchanged. However, if QED hold true and virtual particles are present in the vacuum immediately surrounding a neutron star, the magnetic field will interact with virtual particles to manipulate light as it travels through. This effect is predicted by "quantum electrodynamics," otherwise known as "QED."

In this case, the VLT has detected a strange polarization of light coming from the neutron star, suggesting vacuum birefringence is at play.

"According to QED, a highly magnetized vacuum behaves as a prism for the propagation of light, an effect known as vacuum birefringence," said lead researcher Roberto Mignani, of INAF Milan in Italy and the University of Zielona Gora in Poland. Mignani's tem's research will be published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

RELATED: No Black Holes? More Like Grey Holes, Says Hawking

"This effect can be detected only in the presence of enormously strong magnetic fields, such as those around neutron stars," added Roberto Turolla of the University of Padua, Italy. "This shows, once more, that neutron stars are invaluable laboratories in which to study the fundamental laws of nature."

Neutron stars are the remnants of stars around ten-times the mass of our sun. When these stars run out of hydrogen fuel, they explode as spectacular supernovas. What's left behind is a tiny and extremely dense sphere of mainly neutrons. Interestingly, these neutron stars retain the angular momentum and magnetism of their parent stars, only on a much more extreme scale. Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron stars and these are known as the most precise "clocks" in the universe, flashing at a very steady rate. These factors make neutron stars ideal locations for astronomers to measure the effects of general relativity and strong magnetism.

And now, astronomers are using neutron stars to uncover evidence of a quantum effect that was theorized over 80 years ago, but it's only the beginning.

"Polarisation measurements with the next generation of telescopes, such as ESO's European Extremely Large Telescope, could play a crucial role in testing QED predictions of vacuum birefringence effects around many more neutron stars," said Mignani.

Image: This artist's view shows how the light coming from the surface of a strongly magnetic neutron star (left) becomes linearly polarised as it travels through the vacuum of space close to the star on its way to the observer on Earth (right).
Swedish English

Toronto, Ontario (November 30, 2016) - Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX:LUN) (OMX:LUMI) ("Lundin Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Companys Board of Directors has approved a dividend policy providing for the payment of a regular quarterly dividend of C$0.03 per common share (C$0.12 per common share annually) commencing in 2017. The inaugural quarterly dividend of C$0.03 cents per common share is anticipated to be declared with the release of 2016 full year financial results in February 2017 with a record date in March 2017, pending approval by the Board of Directors.

Mr. Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented, With a significant cash balance, strong balance sheet, and ongoing cash flow from our operations, Lundin Mining is well positioned to fund future growth opportunities while providing a dividend return. The Company remains growth oriented with a focused and disciplined approach.

The dividend policy of the Company will undergo a periodic review by the Board of Directors and is subject to change at any time depending on the earnings of the Company, its financial requirements and other factors existing at the time.

About Lundin Mining

Lundin Mining is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc. In addition, until its announced sale has been concluded, Lundin Mining holds an indirect 24% equity stake in the world-class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Freeport Cobalt Oy business, which includes a cobalt refinery located in Kokkola, Finland.

On Behalf of the Board,

Paul Conibear, President and CEO

The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Mining under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. This information was publicly communicated on November 30, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Turner

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5565

Sonia Tercas

Senior Associate, Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5583



Robert Eriksson

Investor Relations Sweden

+46 8 545 015 50

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is forward-looking information within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation including, without limitation, with respect to the timing and amount of future dividends. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Companys strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as plan, expect, budget, target, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: uncertain political and economic environments; foreign currency fluctuations; risks inherent in mining including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, ground control problems and flooding; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Companys expectations; the potential for and effects of labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under Risk Factors Relating to the Companys Business in the Companys Annual Information Form and in each management discussion and analysis. Forward-looking information is in addition based on various assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long term price of copper, nickel, lead and zinc; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour and that the political environment where the Company operates will continue to support the development and operation of mining projects. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Like many cities, Barcelona has a plethora of pigeons. No monuments are safe from their droppings and their numbers are growing steadily in the city center. Now, though, a solution has been worked out: contraception, which will spare many of the birds from being caught, and killed, in a culling program.

According to the Express, the contraceptive nicarbazin, also used in Canada geese population control, will be disguised in pellets at feeders throughout the city. The move is expected to greatly reduce the pigeon population  currently estimated at about 85,000  within just a few years.

Before the contraceptives are dispensed, though, health and environment officials, alongside veterinary experts, will spend December through February taking a new census of existing pigeons. That way they will have an idea how well "the pill" program fares once it's launched.

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Multiple animal rights groups cheered the decision not to proceed with culling the birds, a tactic that involves gathering the pigeons in nets and then killing them. The Humane Society and other groups back the use of nicarbazin, in combination with other humane measures.

WATCH VIDEO: Why Birds Can't Stop Flying Into Things
Among the more effusive exclamations of praise following the victory of President-Elect Donald J. Trump on Nov. 9 came from representatives and supporters of the country's beleaguered coal industry.

"This is a great day for America," Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, the largest underground coal mining company in the United States, said in a statement. "This is also a great day for coal miners and their families." In a Facebook post, the industry group Friends of Coal declared that the election proved, "The heartland and coal country still matter in this great nation."

That enthusiasm is, on its surface, understandable. The industry has been fighting against what it claims is a "war on coal," and targeted Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton after she stated that, "We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." Fact checkers pointed out that the context in which she made that comment was that unemployment was rising in the industry and efforts needed to be made to find them alternative employment; but fact checkers pointed out a lot of things during the election campaign to no obvious effect. And besides, that statement stood in sharp contrast to Trump's simple promise to "put our miners back to work."

RELATED: World's Largest Coal Producer Files for Bankruptcy

Certainly, the coal industry in the United States is in decline. From a peak of 250,000, it now employs only around 50,000 workers. Approximately 50,000 coal-related jobs were lost between 2008 and 2012 alone. Ninety-four coal plants closed in 2015, and 41 in 2016. Having provided roughly half the country's electricity eight years ago, it now accounts for just 30 percent - and a mere 16 percent of the country's total energy consumption.

Some in the industry - and Trump - place the blame squarely on President Obama and his environmental regulations, such as the Clean Power Plan, which, if implemented, would set emissions standards that would require many states to phase out coal-fired power plants.

But experts say that the industry's problems extend far deeper than that, and that promises to restore coal jobs by repealing them are doomed to failure. Daniel Cohan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, wrote that, "Despite the bold pledge, Trump is about as likely to bring back the heyday of coal mining employment as to cajole Mexico to fund a border wall. Neither is going to happen, no matter who is elected president. The factors pushing down Appalachian coal mining employment extend far beyond the powers of a campaign pledge. Employment began to decline in the 1980s, as production shifted to Western states like Wyoming where thick seams of coal could be accessed with far fewer workers than needed in Appalachian mines. By the time President Obama took office, job counts had fallen by more than half nationally, even as coal production stood near record highs."

RELATED: Could We Turn Coal into Electronics?

Writing for ClimateWire, Evan Lehman quoted John Deskins, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, as saying that,"It's very, very, very unlikely [Trump] could do something to get coal back to where it was seven years ago." In that same article, Chiza Vitta, an analyst with the credit rating service Standard & Poor's, observed that "We do not view regulations as the primary factor for the decline."

One reason for the decline in coal, reported the New York Times, particularly in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, was the "collapse of the American steel industry in the late twentieth century [which] reduced demand for the metallurgical coal that is mined most prominently in Appalachia." The other type of coal - thermal coal - that is used to fire power plants is indeed a victim of clean-air concerns, but is also under assault from, and being out-competed by, fracking.

The hydraulic fracturing boom that began a decade ago has flooded the market with cheap natural gas; as a result, that fuel has now overtaken coal and in 2015 provided 29 percent of the total share of U.S. energy consumption. That's why Gerry Anderson, the CEO of DTE Energy, Michigan's largest electric utility told MLive's Emily Lawler that his company is still planning to retire eight of its nine coal-fired power plants by 2030. "All of those retirements are going to happen regardless of what Trump may or may not do with the Clean Power Plan," he said. The reason, simply, is cost: In Michigan, a new coal plant costs $133 per megawatt hour, while a natural gas plant costs half that. "I don't know anybody in the country who would build another coal plant," Anderson said.

RELATED: Renewables Will Create Nearly 30% of Earth's Power

Furthermore, cheaper alternatives are available which don't require additional measures to comply with clean air standards, as they are inherently clean. Wind power contracts now cost about $74.52 per megawatt hour - and granted, that price is somewhat lowered by federal tax credits, but those credits are quite popular even among Republicans. Part of the reason for that is that they're helping job growth in renewable energy: There are approximately 80,000 people employed in wind-related jobs in the United States, and 200,000 in jobs related to the solar industry, with both experiencing approximately 20 percent growth per year.

Indeed, according to a study in the journal Energy Economics, further development in those industries, rather than attempting to rediscover lost jobs in coal, may be a more productive way forward for struggling mining communities. The study argued that coal workers could be retrained for jobs in the solar industry with relatively little investment, and that subsequent jobs might actually pay better.

Trump's promise to restore coal jobs proved popular. And the enthusiasm of struggling communities for his message is entirely understandable. But for climate, pollution, and economic reasons - as well as the long-term viability of those communities themselves - looking to the future, rather than the past, is likely a more productive way forward.

WATCH: Why Clean Coal Is a Myth
The largest all-female expedition to Antarctica, comprising 76 scientists, is due to set sail from Argentina on Friday in a quest to promote women in science and highlight the impact of climate change on the planet.

The international team will brave sub-zero temperatures to undergo a 20-day bootcamp on the frozen continent aimed at developing their leadership skills and challenging male dominance of senior scientific roles.

Women make up only 28 percent of the world's researchers and are particularly under-represented at senior levels, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says.

Yet greater female leadership is needed to fight climate change, which disproportionately affects women, according to Fabian Dattner, co-founder of the Antarctica initiative, Homeward Bound.

RELATED: Antarctica Is Now Home to the World's Largest Marine Reserve

One of the groups hardest hit by more frequent and worsening drought linked to climate change are sub-Saharan Africa's smallholder farmers, many of whom are women.

In other parts of the developing world, women and girls face the prospect of walking further to gather water as a result of climate change drying up riverbeds and groundwater supplies.

Natural disasters, which are expected to worsen with climate change, are also likely to kill more women and girls than men, a 2007 study from the London School of Economics showed.

Dattner said she decided to set up the initiative after hearing a group of polar scientists joking that candidates had to have a beard to land a leadership role in Antarctic science.

"The message of Homeward Bound is to bring together this intelligent, capable group of women who are not seen, not recognized, and in large part somewhat sidelined," Dattner told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

Many scientists on the expedition have experienced some form of sexual harassment, discrimination and misogyny in their careers, she added.

British marine ecologist Raeanne Miller said there was solidarity among colleagues as they swapped stories of the difficulties they were facing in their careers and the challenge of striking a work-life balance.

"In science sometimes it is hard to pull yourself out of your research focus and broaden your prospective," Miller told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"Often you feel as if you are the only one experiencing what you are experiencing."

Dattner hopes more than 1,000 women over the next 10 years will take part in the initiative to create a network of female scientists.

"We have to recognize that as women we are stronger together," Dattner said.

RELATED: Who Owns Antarctica?
Today it was announced that 101,766 acres of forestland on the island of Palawan in the Philippines will be protected, helping to save the most trafficked mammal in the world - the pangolin - as well as the last 200300 members of the indigenous Batak tribe. The newly declared Cleopatra's Needle Critical Habitat is now the largest critical habitat to be designated in the Philippines. "The critical habitat designation is made on the basis of the best scientific data regarding the presence of threatened species, taking into consideration species endemicity and/or richness, presence of man-made pressures and threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area, among others," Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) conservation biologist and communications director Robin Moore told Seeker.

Moore visited the region a few years ago and said the project is the culmination of three years of work. He explained that the Philippine government has now committed to protecting the land that includes some of the oldest and most diverse forests of Southeast Asia. RELATED: Most Trafficked Animal, Pangolin, Finally Gets Protection The unofficial poster animal for the region is the quirky pangolin. "They are highly unusual in that they are covered in scales made from keratin, and are sometimes referred to as scaly anteaters, although this is misleading because they are not related to anteaters," Moore said. "Pangolins are highly sought after in Asia because their scales are used in traditional medicine, and the meat is a delicacy in China," he added. "They are also solitary and nocturnal, making them elusive and poorly understood animals." The charismatic mammals have impressive tongues, which start at their pelvic and can be longer than their bodies. They use their tongues to eat ants and termites, says Moore. Many other endangered, threatened or otherwise rare species will also gain protection. They include the Palawan hornbill, Palawan forest turtle, Palawan bearcat, Palawan horned frog, Philippine flat-headed frog, seven-foot-long Palawan monitor lizard and others.
Help for type-2 diabetes sufferers may be on the way from unlikely sources: the platypus and the echidna, among the more distinctive animals native to Australia.

A hormone the animals and people produce, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), stimulates insulin production and helps maintain proper blood sugar levels. But it degrades rapidly and isn't helpful to people with type-2 diabetes, who need to balance their blood sugar and require medication to do so.

In the Aussie critters, new research finds, the GLP-1 they produce doesn't rapidly dissipate, as it does in humans. The finding was made by researchers from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide.

RELATED: Platypus Sex 'Master Switch' Identified

"Our iconic platypus and echidna have evolved changes in the hormone GLP-1 that make it resistant to the rapid degradation normally seen in humans," said the study's lead author, Frank Grutzner, from the University of Adelaide, in a statement.

The reason for that may have to do with another substance: venom. It turns out that the platypus and echidna also make GLP-1 in their venom. (The platypus can deliver venom to rivals through a hind-limb spur, but echidnas have no such delivery system.) The dual uses for the hormone likely brought about the unusually long-lasting way it behaves, relative to its human form.

"We've discovered conflicting functions of GLP-1 in the platypus: in the gut as a regulator of blood glucose, and in venom to fend off other platypus males during breeding season," explained the study's co-author Briony Forbes, from Flinders University. "This tug of war between the different functions has resulted in dramatic changes in the GLP-1 system."

"The lack of a spur on echidnas remains an evolutionary mystery," said Grutzner, "but the fact that both platypus and echidnas have evolved the same long-lasting form of the hormone GLP-1 is in itself a very exciting finding."

"These findings have the potential to inform diabetes treatment, one of our greatest health challenges," Grutzner added, "although exactly how we can convert this finding into a treatment will need to be the subject of future research."

The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

WATCH VIDEO: Video: How Do You Get Diabetes?
Two weeks after scientists with NASA's New Horizons mission published research showing that Pluto may have an underground ocean, another team has an alternative explanation for how the planet's distinctive heart-shaped basin formed.

The new paper, published Wednesday in Nature, suggests the basin got its start not from a crashing comet or other impacting body, but from the weight of ices that collected on Pluto's surface, an explanation that doesn't require the existence of an ocean.

"There is an ocean-free path to explaining the key features of Sputnik Planitia," University of Maryland astronomer Douglas Hamilton wrote in an email to Seeker.

"But while Pluto need not have an interior ocean, conversely, nothing in my study argues against such an ocean," Hamilton added.

Computer models show that Pluto's ice, similar to the Greenland Ice Sheet, may have acted alone to form a basin by pushing down on the underlying crust.

RELATED: Pluto Has an Underground Ocean of Water and Slush

"Thinking that the basin formed from the weight of the ices really came late in the creative process," Hamilton said. "My initial focus was to explain the location of the ice cap - the ices of Sputnik Planitia - on the surface of Pluto. The feature is centered at 25 north latitude and 175 longitude, nearly opposite the location of the giant moon Charon.

"In coming up with a viable scenario to explain these observations I realized that starting with an impact limits successful models to just a handful of impact locations. While that remains possible, a more robust model would explain the ice cap's location from any starting conditions," he wrote.

"My model does just that by not relying on an impact. But one still needs to explain why all of these ices are found in a deep basin. I argue that the basin forms simply from the immense weight of the massive ice cap - the planet's crust sags a bit under the weight, just as has happened for Greenland, Canada, and Scandinavia during the last ice age. This is a natural explanation for the coincident locations of the ice cap and the basin," Hamilton said.

The new study theorizes that the ice cap formed early, when Pluto was still spinning quickly, and that the basin formed later. The ice cap creates a slight asymmetry that either locks toward or away from Charon when Pluto's spin slows to match the orbital motion of the moon, Hamilton added.

RELATED: Pluto Frosted With Surprising Amounts of Water Ice

The unusual location of the ice cap is due to Pluto's climate and spin axis, which is tiled by 120 degrees (compared to Earth's tile of 23.5 degrees), the University of Maryland said in a related press release.

"Modeling the dwarf planet's temperatures showed that when averaged over Pluto's 248-year orbit, the 30 degrees north and south latitudes emerged as the coldest places on the dwarf planet, far colder than either pole. Ice would have naturally formed around these latitudes, including at the center of Sputnik Planitia," the press release said.

Over time, the ice deposit attracted more ice by reflecting away solar light and heat, keeping temperatures low, a phenomenon known as a "runaway albedo effect."

Because Pluto's basin is bigger than the volume of ice that fills it today, scientists conclude that Sputnik Planitia has been losing mass over time.

Pluto is only the third body in the solar system, along with Earth and Mars, that has ice caps.
A pair of unimpressive mummified legs on display in an Italian museum may belong to one of antiquity's most beautiful women, according to an international team of researchers who have analyzed the more than 3,200-year-old remains for the first time. Consisting of fragmented thigh bones, kneecap and a proximal tibia part (the upper portion of the bone where it widens to help form the knee joint), the body parts are likely those of Queen Nefertari. Not to be confused with Nefertiti, who lived one Dynasty earlier, Nefertari was the first and favorite wife of the mighty warrior pharaoh Ramses II, who reigned between 1290-1224 BC during the early 19th Dynasty. "She is the only queen from the Ramesside era to have been likely identified so far," Egyptologist Michael Habicht at the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland, told Seeker. RELATED: Mummy Identification Still Uncertain Science The study, detailed in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates the ancient Egyptian beauty was very slim and tall. The information helps reconstruct the life of one of the most intriguing figures of ancient Egypt. "Nefertari is one of the truly great and important queens of Egypt and plays in the league of Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra," Habicht said.

Known for the impressive wall paintings of her lavishly decorated tomb in the Valley of the Queens, which depict her timeless beauty in unusually lifelike form, Nefertari was highly educated and played an active role in foreign politics. However, little is known about her demise. "We know that she gave birth to four sons and four daughters and that she attended the opening ceremony of the rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel in the year 24 of Ramses II's reign. After that event, she disappeared from history," Habicht said. Egyptologists estimate she probably died around her husband's 25th year of reign, having reached an age of about 40 to 50 years. Nefertari's tomb, known as QV66, was heavily plundered in antiquity and her mummy was ripped to pieces and tossed around by the ancient robbers. When Italian diplomat and archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli opened the queen's burial in 1904, he found a series of broken remains, including fragments of the pink granite sarcophagus that once held Nefertari's mummy, a pair of sandals and two fragmented mummified legs. Housed at the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy, the remains have now been investigated in a multidisciplinary study. "Although no absolute certainty exists, the results speak in favor of an identification of the remains as Nefertari's," lead author Frank Ruhli, head of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, told Seeker. RELATED: Weird Facts About King Tut and His Mummy Anthropometric reconstruction and assessment of the size of the knees revealed they belonged to a woman whose stature ranged between 165 cm (5 foot 5 inches) and 168 cm (5 foot 6 inches). The body height was also independently estimated by professor Maciej Henneberg at the University of Adelaide, Australia, who obtained the same results - a stature of about 165 cm. "Data about women from the New Kingdom and 3rd Intermediate Period show she was probably taller than 84 percent of the women of her time," Ruhli said. Analysis of the materials used for embalming showed they were consistent with Ramesside mummification traditions, while X-rays of the left knee pointed to possible traces of arteriosclerosis, suggesting the legs belonged to an elderly person. "The accumulated evidence could point to an individual between 40 and 60 years old," Ruhli and colleagues wrote.
Three cloned dogs have been given to Russian security officials by South Korean scientists from the same team that wants to clone a woolly mammoth.

According to the Siberian Times, researchers from Sooam Biotech, led by Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk, have donated three Belgian Malinois to trainers with the All-Russian Military-Historical Society in Russia's Republic of Sakha in Siberia.

Two of the dogs will be employed by the republic's interior ministry as sniffers trained to detect explosives and illegal drugs. A third will be trained to help sniff out artifacts from archaeological sites, according to The Telegraph.

"These dogs have been recreated from the cells of the best Korean sniffer dogs, inheriting their unique abilities," a Russian official in the republic told the Siberian Times. "They will be the first cloned service dogs in Russia."

Huge Animal Cloning Factory Under Construction in China

Woo-Suk has gained worldwide notoriety in the animal cloning field. His team was the first to clone a dog, in 2005, and more recently he has garnered headlines for his goal of one day cloning a woolly mammoth from material culled from Siberian permafrost.

Sooam Biotech, for its part, has cloned hundreds off dogs and announced in November 2015 that it was teaming with Boyalife in China to create what would amount to the world's largest cloning factory, creating dogs, horses and up to a million beef cattle a year.

As for the three new dogs that have arrived in the Republic of Sakha, the animals are still adjusting to the harsh Siberian cold and also will need to learn how to respond to their commands in Russian, according to RT.

WATCH VIDEO: Are We Finally Ready To Clone A Mammoth?
"On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change," wrote Brewster Kahle in a blog post.

Kahle, who has spent his entrepreneurial career developing systems that provide universal access to knowledge, is the founder of the San Francisco-based non-profit Internet Archive, which to date has preserved 20 petabytes of digital data.

The news of Trump's victory moved Kahle to act.

"It was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change," he wrote. "For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions. It means serving patrons in a world in which government surveillance is not going away; indeed it looks like it will increase."

With that in mission in mind, Kahle announced his company's latest goal: to create a copy of the Internet Archive in Canada. "Lots of copies keep stuff safe," he wrote - a nod to the LOCKSS program at Stanford University, which preserves and provides access to digital content.

Those copies archived on Kahle's sit will include the millions of e-books available to Open Library patrons around the world, the archive of Political TV Ads and the 300 million Web pages saved each week to the the Wayback Machine.

Although it's unclear what Donald Trump has in mind specifically for the internet, he has made comments that would unnerve anyone concerned with privacy and accessibility.

At a campaign rally in South Carolina on Dec. 8, 2015, for instance, Trump said, "We're losing a lot of people because of the internet." He was referring to how ISIS had been recruiting members online.

WATCH VIDEO: How the End of Net Neutrality Will Affect You
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX:AVL) (OTCQX:AVLNF) (Avalon or the Company) is pleased to announce the release of its fifth comprehensive Sustainability Report entitled Minerals for Transitioning Economies (the "2016 Sustainability Report") along with the release of its 2016 annual filings. The 2016 Sustainability Report is available from the Company's website at http://www.avalonadvancedmaterials.com/sustainability/2016_sustainability_report.



The 2016 Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative ("GRI") Version 4 guidelines for core reporting. In accordance with GRI, Avalon conducted a detailed materiality assessment review, identifying the topics that have the highest priority to the Company and its Communities of Interest. This review was aided by feedback received though Avalons various engagement efforts, previous Avalon sustainability reports and Avalons risk assessments.

The 2016 Sustainability Report focuses on the social, environmental and economic issues that are most material to the Company. It also incorporates a self-assessment of Avalons 2016 fiscal year performance and sets targets for 2017 against the applicable Toward Sustainable Mining indicators defined by the Mining Association of Canada.

Don Bubar, President and CEO comments, "Avalon pursues sustainability in all areas of our business and actively promotes improved mineral industry practice with investors, potential partners and government. I remain convinced that sustainability adds value to our business. Avalon is unwavering in our commitment to provide leadership in the junior resource sector toward a more sustainable future in the Canadian mineral industry.

The Company has also completed the filings of its Consolidated Financial Statements, Management's Discussion and Analysis, and Annual Information Form with Canadian security regulators, as well as its Annual Report on Form 20-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2016. Copies of these filings are available on the Companys website at http://www.avalonadvancedmaterials.com/investors/regulatory_filings/, through SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com or through EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov.

Shareholders may request a printed copy of the Consolidated Financial Statements and/or the 2016 Sustainability Report by email to ir@AvalonAM.com or by regular mail to Investor Relations, Avalon Advanced Materials Inc., 130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1901, Toronto, ON M5H 3P5.

For questions and feedback, please e-mail the Company at ir@AvalonAM.com, or phone Don Bubar, President & CEO at 416-364-4938.

About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in niche market metals and minerals with growing demand in new technology. The Company has three advanced stage projects, all 100%-owned, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, niobium, and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on its Separation Rapids Lithium Project, Kenora, ON and its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the social, environmental and economic issues that are most material to the Company, the Companys targets for 2017 against the applicable Toward Sustainable Mining indicators, that Avalon pursues sustainability in all areas of its business and actively promotes improved mineral industry practice and that Avalon is committed to provide leadership in the junior resource sector toward a more sustainable future in the Canadian mineral industry. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as potential, scheduled, anticipates, continues, expects or does not expect, is expected, scheduled, targeted, planned, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be or will not be taken, reached or result, will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Avalon to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. Although Avalon has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to market conditions, and the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses as well as those risk factors set out in the Companys current Annual Information Form, Managements Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Companys profile at www.SEDAR.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements have been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Avalon does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Swedish English

Toronto, Ontario (November 30, 2016)  Lundin Mining Corporation (Lundin Mining or the Company) (TSX: LUN)(OMX: LUMI) provides the following production guidance for the three-year period of 2017 through 2019, 2017 cash costs, capital and exploration expenditure guidance, as well as five-year guidance for our Candelaria operation. Key highlights are as follows:

Attributable copper production guidance for 2017 and 2018 from mines operated by the Company has increased from last years three-year guidance on an improved production profile at Candelaria.

Zinc production guidance for 2017 and 2018 has been improved from last years three-year guidance primarily on operational improvements at Neves-Corvo achieved in 2016. The zinc production profile assumes plant capacity continues at current levels and does not yet include potential additional zinc production from the Neves Corvo Zinc Expansion Project (ZEP) pending its formal approval.

Cash costs are expected to be lower year-over-year in 2017 at Candelaria and Neves-Corvo, and unchanged at Zinkgruvan. Eagle cash costs will be higher than 2016 but remain low on the cost curve.

Estimated costs to complete the Los Diques tailings facility at Candelaria have been further reduced by approximately $25 million. Expenditures to complete are expected to amount to $135 million in 2017 and $30 million in 2018.

Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented, As we head into 2017, we anticipate building on the strong operating performance achieved during 2016, including the copper production profile which has once again been improved at Candelaria. Each of our mines has a low capital intensity, low risk expansion project either under study, permitting or construction. We have reinvigorated our exploration programs, and between our project and operating initiatives, we believe we are well positioned for excellent cash flows for many years to come.

[For the complete release including tables, see attached file.]

About Lundin Mining

Lundin Mining is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc. In addition, until its announced sale has been concluded, Lundin Mining holds an indirect 24% equity stake in the world-class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Freeport Cobalt Oy business, which includes a cobalt refinery located in Kokkola, Finland.

On Behalf of the Board,

Paul Conibear, President and CEO

The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Mining under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. This information was publicly communicated on November 30, 2016 at 5:05 p.m. Eastern Time.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Turner

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5565

Sonia Tercas

Senior Associate, Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5583



Robert Eriksson

Investor Relations Sweden

+46 8 545 015 50
At the end of the concert by the Berlin Philharmonic on the night before Thanksgiving, patrons could be seen hugging and in tears in the lobby of Davies Symphony Hall.

They had been moved by the emotion of Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major, but even more by the emotion of saying goodbye to House Manager Horacio Rodriguez, who was retiring that night.

Hed run the front of the house since the hall opened on Sept. 16, 1980, and subscribers didnt know what theyd do without this cheerful Argentine to hurry them in from the lobby before the door closed, or to let them in when theyd forgotten their tickets, or tell them hed seen this program the night before and was sure they would love it.

I want you to reconsider, said subscriber Susan Ward, as she hugged him and wouldnt let go.

But Rodriguez would not reconsider. After 7,400 shows at Davies, he will be 85 on Dec. 17 and does not have it in him to go through another holiday run of 35 shows in 30 days.

Its been a wonderful journey all these years, but today is my last day of work, he said before the show, as he issued assignments to 20 paid ushers and 20 volunteers.

There is going to be weeping and tears and gnashing of teeth, predicted longtime usher Mimi Hancock, because Horacio is the spirit of the Symphony.

Though Rodriguez cannot affect the quality of the music, he can affect the quality of the symphony-going experience through his selection of ushers and by example with his personalized and uptempo greeting style.

Horacio is one of those people who really has a way of welcoming you to the hall and making you feel good that you are here, said board member and former Symphony President Nancy Bechtle, who was surprised to hear that this was to be Rodriguezs last night.

The hall was already abuzz because conductor Simon Rattle was about to take the stage with one of the worlds best orchestras. But when patrons started picking up bits of conversation about Rodriguezs retirement, the buzz instantly shifted.

I dont even know his name, said subscriber John Emmons, who overheard a conversation about Rodriguez from his seat up in the loge. He recognizes me and comes up to say hello. I dont know why. Hes just so warm and enthusiastic.

If you add on the 20 years that Rodriguez worked at the War Memorial Opera House before Davies opened, he has been a greeter for 57 years. If he is not the best-known usher in San Francisco, he certainly has shaken the greatest number of hands.

A resolution by the War Memorial Board of Trustees, to be presented at a private retirement party next Wednesday, Dec. 7, states that Rodriguez has assisted 20 million guests at Davies, the Opera House and Herbst Theatre.

I do have a lot of situations that I have to deal with, he says. Patrons are upset for one reason or another.

D. Ross Cameron/Special to The Chronicle

When Rodriguez arrived from Buenos Aires in 1958, it was not his intent to set the record for ushering. He was 26 and out to see the world and probably would have passed right through had he not met Angela Quigley, a traveler herself, from Cork, Ireland.

There were language barriers, and their accents were so strong that they still have them. But they got married and Rodriguez got a job at an insurance agency. Then came a daughter and a second job at a travel agency. Then came a second daughter and a third job, as an usher at the Opera House, where the Symphony then performed.

Forty years ago, he was named house manager of the newly renovated Herbst Theatre. Then he was named house manager for Davies, which finally allowed him to quit those day jobs and concentrate on nights.

He assembled the staff of ushers that opened Davies, and he claims to have been the first to hire women as ushers in San Francisco theaters. It says something about his management style that eight of the ushers he hired in 1980 still work there.

Its because of Horacio that weve remained as long as we have, said Hancock, who also started on opening night, 1980. He just makes it so satisfying and fun to be a part of his operation.

On his last day, Rodriguez rode Muni Metro from his home near Mount Davidson and was at his desk at 1 p.m., with a box of business cards that were rapidly becoming obsolete.

A framed picture on the wall showed him standing at attention as Queen Elizabeth entered the hall in 1983. Another highlight was the visit by Chelsea Clinton, up from Stanford with her Secret Service detail when her father was president.

There have been low points, too, the lowest being the two patrons who died in their seats. One of them was a man in his 90s who stopped breathing during one of his favorite symphonies. When the paramedics rushed in, his daughter, seated alongside him, refused to allow them to resuscitate him. This was exactly how he wanted to die.

Rodriguez was there both nights, which is not unusual because in 57 years, he was missed work maybe five times because of illness.

As showtime approached, people stopped by his office to say farewell. Then the familiar doorbell rang throughout the hall to indicate that the concert would soon be starting.

People were still pushing into his office as Rodriguez pushed them back out while pointing to his watch and saying, The concert is going to start at 8 oclock. If people were going to be late to their seats or locked in the lobby once the doors closed, it was not going to happen on his last night of work.

As always, he took his own seat on an aisle toward the back of the orchestra level. He listened to the show, but he also scanned the house for anything that looked irregular. At one concert, patron Emmons noticed a woman flashing a light in the terrace behind the stage. He informed Rodriguez, who sprang into action.

Hes just always aware of protecting the space for the music, Emmons said.

And he protected it on this night, his last. Simon Rattle brought Brahms to a close with many ovations, and as the crowd exited into the lobby, they all seemed to turn left toward the Franklin Street door, by Rodriguezs office.

He brings something to this place that comes from the depths of our humanity, said Susan Ward. He brings the grace. He brings the joy. I come out this exit because I have to see Horatio.

Ward seemed determined to physically prevent Rodriguez from leaving. But he wasnt going anywhere. He still had the monthly payroll to complete. So he went back into his office and sat down at his desk.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art

To see Horacio Rodriguez bid farewell to Davies Hall: http://bit.ly/2fy00Ik
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A 24-year-old Fremont man was bewildered when four police officers came to his front door on a Saturday morning in September, saying they had a warrant for his arrest.

The man, a teachers assistant and college student who lives with his parents, was taken to jail in gym shorts, and spent a day behind bars. He was released after his father posted bail of $1,500.

He found out later that he was arrested on an invalid warrant  and should never have spent time in jail. The problem, officials say, lies in the countys new digital case management system. The warrant had been issued in July for failure to appear in court to dismiss a previous drug possession charge, but the warrant was subsequently tossed out by a judge. Yet that decision never got reflected in the courts new computer system, which continued to show the warrant as active.

Its affected my relationship with my parents, said the man, who spoke on condition that his name not be used. Theyre not going to believe that four cops came to the door and messed up. Its affected my relationship with my neighbors, because Im assuming everybody saw.

Hes among dozens of people whose lives were jolted after the county began using a new software system, called Odyssey, that Public Defender Brendon Woods says has led to his clients civil liberties being trampled. Four months after its launch, there have been wrongful arrests and imprisonments, Woods says, and a testy battle between the public defenders office and court administrators. Woods wants to see the system fixed immediately, or tossed, but some officials say its too early to give up on a system that cost $4.5 million in public funds.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

Debbi Pearson, who heads the Alameda County courts local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, said many of the problems stem from Odysseys cumbersome user interface.

With the old system, it took maybe one or two clicks to complete a process, she said. Now it takes 25 clicks, and there are drop-down boxes and all of that.

Because the system is so unwieldy, clerks are unable to enter data in the courtroom, she said, so that burden has fallen on other office workers. Its created a backlog of more than 12,000 files that have not been uploaded  and that number is growing by up to 300 files a day, according to Woods.

Odyssey, which is made by the Texas-based company Tyler Technologies Inc., was purchased to propel Alameda Countys courts  and 25 other court systems throughout the state  into the 21st century, replacing paper files with a streamlined, searchable database.

A spokesman for Tyler declined to comment on the specifics of the Alameda County court system, but said the company is fully supportive of our clients and we work to resolve any system issues directly with them.

We have reiterated our commitment to that approach to Alameda, he said.

The software first caught on in 2012, after the state abandoned a disastrous $500 million project to develop a system for all of Californias 58 trial courts. Two years later, the state enacted a law that severely limited the amount of money courts could squirrel away, and many courts went on one-time spending binges to avoid giving their reserves back to the state, said Alameda Countys Court Executive Officer Chad Finke, who manages the courts budgets. As a result, many signed contracts for Odyssey software, Finke said.

Tyler sold Odyssey as being an off-the-shelf, easily configurable system, Finke said, noting that the court purchased Odyssey as a replacement for its 40-year-old criminal records database.

Now hes dealing with daily complaints from the public defenders office.

On Nov. 15, Woods filed a motion in Alameda County Superior Court, demanding that the county give up the new software until the many problems can be fixed. The court scheduled a hearing for Jan. 17, which Woods said will be too late for defendants who would face extra jail time due to backlogs or errors. He plans to file an appeal in a higher court.

In his motion, the public defender described how the system had disrupted dozens of lives, causing bench warrants to be issued erroneously, misdemeanor convictions to show up on rap sheets as felonies, and defendants to spend a total of 130 extra days in jail. In two particularly unsettling cases, an Odyssey glitch caused two drug defendants to be tagged as sex offenders, Woods said.

I dont quibble with the courts decision to purchase an upgraded system, Woods said. But I think this system is terrible.

Finke acknowledged there are problems with data entry.

Its a system where in order to input a judges ruling, you have to pull down multiple tabs and wait for load times, Finke said. Even our best clerks have a difficult time keeping up.

The problems have been so crippling in Alameda County that court officials opted not to use Odyssey for family, probate or civil cases. Finke said that other courts with Odyssey contracts have pushed their go-live dates back.

If theres a silver lining, its that maybe some other counties have learned from our experience, he said.

Even so, officials at Californias Judicial Council  the body that sets policies for all the states courts  are sanguine about the product.

Speaking at a Nov. 14 meeting of the councils technology committee, Chief Information Officer Robert Oyung encouraged the courts to expect growing pains as they rolled out the new system and set their expectations appropriately.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

He said the 26 courts with Odyssey contracts have formed their own technology workshop, the California Tyler User Group, to tackle software challenges. So far, they have logged 52 issues. Clerks in several counties have run into trouble trying to file written minutes from a court session, Oyung said.

Nonetheless, Oyung was optimistic that the problems will soon be fixed.

Finke, too, is hopeful. In addition to spending $4.5 million for the contract, the countys various criminal justice departments  including the sheriffs office, the public defender, the district attorney, the probation department and Santa Rita Jail  spent months linking in to a common database that supports Odyssey, he said. He doesnt want to see that work go to waste.

Weve expended the money, and were engaged in some internal work that I think is going to help with a lot of the issues Brendon has raised, Finke said. He added: Were not ready to abandon this ship yet.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
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A Muslim civil rights organization has asked the director of the FBI to launch a formal probe into a hate-filled and threatening letter sent to a number of mosques in California, including ones in San Jose and Fresno.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations sent FBI Director James Comey a letter urging him to open an investigation on the handwritten message mailed to at least six mosques in California and one in Georgia.

Because the person used the U.S. Postal Service and has targeted mosques across the state and the country, this merits extra scrutiny and federal resources, said Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the Bay Area office of CAIR.

Prentice Danner, a spokesman for the FBI office in San Francisco, said its up to the U.S. Postal Service to investigate who is sending the letters before the FBI will consider opening an investigation.

We are aware of the reports and are in contact with our local law enforcement counterparts and Muslim community leaders, Danner said. In order for us to act, we have to make sure its not free speech and that it is actually a threat.

The U.S. Postal Service did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

The Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno received the letter Monday, which calls the recipients children of Satan and vile and filthy people. The letter also threatens that President-elect Donald Trump is going to cleanse America and make it shine again and will do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews.

Reza Nekumanesh, the executive director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, said this wasnt the first time his mosque has received hateful letters or calls.

If you look at the letter, its ridiculous, Nekumanesh said. Its very childish.

The center in Fresno joins a number of mosques in Southern California, including the Islamic Center of Northridge and the Islamic Center of Long Beach, as targets of the hateful letter.

Tarek Mohamed, the chairman of the Long Beach mosque, agreed that the situation required the involvement of the FBI since the letters are reaching mosques throughout the state.

Last week, the Evergreen Islamic Center in San Jose received the same letter. Investigators in San Jose are treating it as a hate-motivated incident, said Sgt. Enrique Garcia, spokesman for the San Jose Police Department.

Since receiving the letter, Faisal Yazadi, spokesman for the Evergreen Islamic Center, said support from different community members has been overwhelming.

Weve received hundreds and hundreds of emails in support from people from all walks of life in response to this letter, Yazadi said. Emails (of support are) coming from as far away as Australia.

In response, the center is holding a solidarity prayer hour at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11 thats open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The FBI released its annual hate crime report nearly two weeks ago, finding that anti-Muslim hate crimes spiked to 257 incidents nationwide in 2015 compared with 154 in 2014, a 67 percent increase.

Donald Trump didnt create hatred, Nekumanesh said. Hatred is something that is there, that people have felt. (Trump) just made it OK to do it loudly.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Dec. 2, 2015: Mario Woods, a 26-year-old stabbing suspect, is fatally shot by five city police officers while walking along Third Street in the Bayview. Video of the shooting is posted on social media and goes viral.

Dec. 4: Then-Police Chief Greg Suhr holds a town hall in the Bayview where he presents a blown-up frame from the video that he says shows Woods arm outstretched toward an officer.

Dec. 7: Mayor Ed Lee says he directed Suhr and the Police Commission to take immediate steps to ensure lethal force is always the last resort. Commission President Suzy Loftus says the commission will reopen the departments use-of-force policy.

Dec. 11: Woods family attorney John Burris announces a lawsuit and releases new video suggesting Woods did not raise the arm allegedly holding a knife before being shot.

Jan. 8: Lee is booed at his inauguration by protesters calling for him to fire Suhr.

Jan. 21: Lee writes U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, asking for a federal review of police practices.

Feb. 1: The U.S. Department of Justices community-policing division announces it will conduct a collaborative review of the San Francisco force.

Feb. 11: The city attorneys office responds to Woods familys lawsuit, saying officers acted lawfully in killing a man who was armed with a knife, refused to obey commands and tried to flee while intoxicated.

April 7: Luis Gongora, a 45-year-old homeless man, is fatally shot by two officers in the Mission District. Video shows the shooting unfolding in 30 seconds, which critics said defied de-escalation efforts.

April 21: A group called the Frisco Five begins a hunger strike in front of the Mission District police station, refusing to eat until Suhr or Lee resigns. The strike ends after 17 days.

May 19: Jessica Williams, a 29-year-old unarmed woman, is fatally shot by a sergeant while allegedly trying to flee in a stolen vehicle in the Bayview. Lee asks Suhr to resign. Toney Chaplin is named interim chief.

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.

June 22: The Police Commission passes a use-of-force policy that puts more of an emphasis on de-escalation. The policy is sent to the officers union for negotiations.

July 11: A panel of retired judges assembled by District Attorney George Gascon to investigate the police force after a scandal over officers bigoted text messages finds that bias is a systemic problem.

Sept. 14: Lee moves toward making the district attorneys office the lead investigator in all police shootings.

Oct. 12: The Justice Department releases its report, finding a department with concerning deficiencies in every operational area assessed, including use of force, bias, community policing and discipline.

Oct. 21: The police union announces negotiations regarding the use-of-force policy have stalled, in particular around the issue of shooting at moving vehicles.
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The first of the month has a way of coming around faster than any other day on the calendar, especially when its the day youre supposed to slip a check beneath the landlords door.

And when you have missed a few firsts of a few months, the landlords start slipping things under the door, too. Things like eviction notices.

Thats the situation that Verna Rankins and her 2-year-old son, Kameron, found themselves in.

Rankins, a 31-year-old single mother living in East Oakland, has held one temp job after another, mainly answering phones. She has answered the phones for a stationer, a mobile veterinary clinic, an electronics company and several hotels. Temp, she knows all too well, stands for temporary.

It means you can walk in any day and someone can tell you that your job is over, she said. So long. Goodbye.

Her job as a mom is anything but temporary. Bills piled up. Bills for diapers, doctors and day care. Bills for groceries and gasoline. Bills for interest on the bills.

Falling behind can happen to anyone, Rankins said. You dont have to do anything wrong. It can just happen. Rich or poor. Anybody and everybody.

Rankins and her son live in a one-bedroom apartment with steel bars on the windows and street battles just outside them. Rankins, a native of St. Louis, has lived in the East Bay since she was 15. She is working on a community college degree, when she can find time to attend class.

Their small living room is populated with a stuffed dog, a small scooter and a handful of jigsaw puzzles with long-lost pieces. Over the summer, when the bills piled up faster than usual, things started going south. Before long, Rankins was three months behind on her rent.

The landlord slipped her an eviction notice. Rankins scraped up just enough to postpone the date for one more month. But then the 1st of the next month began to creep closer and closer and, this time, she had nothing to scrape.

Its not the landlords fault, Rankins said. He has a mortgage and bills to pay of his own. I dont blame the landlord. Its just the situation.

In desperation, she and her unemployment office counselor turned to The Chronicles Season of Sharing Fund.

After verifying her story, the fund cut a check for three months back rent and sent it to the landlord  two days before the eviction notice was to take effect.

You cannot believe what a weight was lifted from my shoulders, Rankins said. I cried the whole day. All I can say is thank you.

And good news seems to breed good news. A short time later, Rankins got another job offer at a Palo Alto hospital  a permanent job, with benefits and better pay.

With a little good luck, Rankins will never again come up short on rent day. And she said she is well on her way to making that little good luck happen.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF

About the fund

Donations to the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund help thousands of people in the Bay Area throughout the year. Assistance is in the form of grants paid directly to the supplier of services, such as a landlord. Individuals do not receive direct grants. For more information: www.seasonofsharing.org
Many in San Franciscos African American community remember well when they first heard that five city police officers had shot and killed Mario Woods in the Bayview neighborhood.

But one year later, they recall more clearly the moment, that same day, when they saw the first of two smartphone videos of the shooting. Thats when they understood the incident would draw San Francisco into the turbulent national conversation about police accountability  that it would represent both a tragedy and a turning point.

It wasnt until the crisis came that those who had not been involved got involved and started listening and started talking, said Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP. Its unfortunate that it takes that.

Shawn Richards, founder of the nonprofit Brothers Against Guns, was across town in a class at San Francisco State when his phone started blowing up that day. Someone just got killed on Third Street, his friends messaged him. Later he drove to the scene, and as he pulled up, he received a text including the video.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

When you have something on film like that, you cant ignore that, Richards said. You just cant.

City attorneys have defended the shooting in court papers, saying the officers who killed Woods on Dec. 2, 2015  after failing to subdue him with pepper spray and beanbag rounds  used lawful self-defense on a stabbing suspect who still had a knife, refused to obey commands and was under the influence of methamphetamine.

But while city prosecutors continue to investigate the case, theres no denying its power. One year later, the image of the 26-year-old Woods staggering along a sidewalk, then falling as five officers open fire and strike him at least 20 times, is imprinted into the psyche of the city, from its dwindling black population to community organizers to law enforcement leaders and politicians.

The image spread far. Black Lives Matter activists got a Justice for Mario Woods sign into the hands of Beyonces backup dancers after their Super Bowl performance at Levis Stadium, and the clip of the women in Black Panther berets holding up their fists in solidarity was shared worldwide .

Moreover, the Woods case thrust the black communitys struggles and its frayed relationship with police into the spotlight, becoming the force behind unprecedented police-reform efforts  the success of which remains to be seen. It contributed to Police Chief Greg Suhrs resignation in May, and shadows the ongoing search for a new chief.

Woods death resonated for many reasons, among them that video showed Woods did not appear to directly threaten officers before he was shot. It also highlighted problems in the way city authorities investigate such cases, with the Police Department assuming the lead.

Even Woods troubled background  he had spent years in prison; his family said he had mental health issues  was seen by many community leaders and activists not as a mitigating factor explaining his death, but another reason to push for deep change.

The community has used this as a rallying cry to go beyond the death of Mario, to also talk about his life and how his plight is symbolic to the plight of all African Americans in San Francisco, in being under the constant threat and danger of police action, said Adante Pointer, one of the attorneys representing Woods family in a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city.

In Marios life, as well as his death, you see black San Francisco in a lot of ways, Pointer said. As a result of the tragedy, you have black San Francisco rallying around his death in order to make the future better ... so that they dont see their sons and daughters go through a similar path.

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle

The police force had already been embroiled in its share of disputed shootings and race-related scandals. A federal corruption investigation into warrantless searches conducted by plainclothes sergeants had turned up a series of racist and homophobic text messages sent between 14 officers.

But then came the Woods video, which was posted on social media as the citys Police Commission met. During a recess, members of the public played it on repeat, the sounds of the gunfire echoing through the chamber.

Monroe Whitt, Mario Woods older brother, recalled hearing about the shooting as he rode Muni to a new security job. But it was the video that made his brothers death real.

It was the sounds  the pow-pow-pow-pow, said Whitt, 35. I was in the car with my cousin at the vigil (the next evening), and she made me watch it. I wasnt ready to watch it, but that was when everything hit.

Within a week, the commission reopened the Police Departments use-of-force policy for the first time since 1995, citing the need to put more of an emphasis on de-escalation.

Mayor Ed Lee and others asked the U.S. Justice Department to open a collaborative review of the city force that, months later, found a department with concerning deficiencies in every operational area assessed. Lee has pledged that every reform suggested by the Justice Department will be enacted.

In September, District Attorney George Gascon and the mayors office said they were working on a plan to give Gascons office the lead in police shooting investigations, which could ease concerns about cops policing themselves.

Leah Millis/San Francisco Chronicle

Before the shooting, the (mayors) African American Advisory Board was already in place, and we told them, we need to discuss racial profiling, we need to discuss police conduct in black neighborhoods, said Richards. We had already brought those discussions up but they were ignored. When this happened, they got put on the forefront of things we need to do.

Interim Police Chief Toney Chaplin said this week that the department has undergone significant changes since Woods death. He said, though, that he believes these changes would have happened even without the shooting.

When the spotlight hit, it was hitting everywhere in the country, Chaplin said. There may be an argument that San Francisco felt kind of shielded until Mario Woods, but once that happened, it pushed us right into the national conversation with everybody else.

Theres a lot of training we have to roll out nationwide, Chaplin said. San Francisco is on the cutting edge of it, and were going to continue being on the cutting edge of it.

Some reforms have seemed to stall. For instance, the Police Departments new use-of-force policy is tied up in negotiations with the police union. But Supervisor Malia Cohen, who represents the Bayview, said San Francisco as a whole seems more aware of the problems black people have experienced for generations.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Cohen pointed to the recent success of a ballot measure she authored that will strengthen San Franciscos civilian police oversight agency. More than 80 percent of voters approved it.

Thats across the city  that includes communities who think its a black problem and not their problem, Cohen said. I think in one years time, we have changed the cultural norm. We have an environment now to usher in change.

While many in the black community agree that the shooting sparked a movement, some say real change has yet to come. Archbishop Franzo King, of Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, noted that the city District Attorneys Office has never charged an officer in a fatal shooting. The way to shift the culture of a police department, he said, is to bring consequences.

Woods death did cast two later shootings in a new light. After police killed a homeless man named Luis Gongora in the Mission District in April, the department faced scrutiny over whether officers had sought to de-escalate the confrontation. And after an unarmed car-theft suspect named Jessica Williams was shot and killed in May, Suhr stepped down. Both shootings remain under investigation.

The call is for justice, King said. I do believe that if in fact Mario Woods killers had been arrested, that Jessica Williams would still be alive.

Whitt, Woods brother, hopes the officers are charged. However, he also believes that progress is happening now, on minute levels but on levels nonetheless.

He said his brother had been trying to get back on the right path when he was killed. Though hell never get to see who Woods might have become, Whitt said its not surprising his brother is part of a bigger story.

I think its a testament to who he was, he said. He was a live wire. He was a spark plug. Its unfortunate that this had to happen, but the light has been shined on law enforcement. Everything happens for a reason, and for that my brother Mario will always be known.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @VivianHo
Bob Rafsky was sick and tired when he bought a ticket to a Bill Clinton fundraiser in the spring of 1992  sick with AIDS and tired of government inaction in the face of an epidemic. Rafsky, a public relations executive turned full-time activist, wanted to get the Democratic front-runner to talk about AIDS, at least say the word out loud, something Clinton had so far refused to do.

As Clinton began to speak, Rafsky heckled him.

Bill, were not dying from AIDS as much as we are from 11 years of government neglect, Rafsky said.

For the first time, Clinton made specific commitments about what he would do about AIDS as president. Rafsky wasnt satisfied and took direct aim.

What youre dying of, he said to Clinton, is ambition.

Clinton reacted like a bull that had just been gored.

I feel your pain! he shouted. I feel your pain! ... If you want something to be done, you ask me a question, you listen. If you dont agree with me, go support somebody else for president. But quit talking to me like that. This is not a matter of personal attack. Its a matter of human loss.

Clinton seized the moment, but the effects of Rafskys audacity lasted much longer, David France argues in How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS.

In those few sentences Clinton cast himself as a better friend to people with AIDS than people with AIDS themselves, France writes. He would become the I feel your pain politician. That night, the clean-cut Rafsky looked like a hothead on every news broadcast in the nation, but it didnt matter. He had forced Clinton to make a plea for compassion and action in the epidemic, the foundation for an AIDS agenda.

The real story came the next week at a meeting of ACT UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). Rafsky was greeted with an ovation; he responded with an eloquent prediction.

Its important to force these clowns to say the right thing, Rafsky said, but we all know that the names of the people who might save our lives are not Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown, et cetera. The names of the people who might save our lives are (activists) Iris Long, Mark Harrington, Peter Staley, et cetera. And theyre the ones wholl be remembered as the heroes of this epidemic, as well as those who have gone before.

Rafsky didnt live to see how right he was. He died less than a year later, one of more than 35 million people with HIV to die since the first cases were diagnosed in 1981, according to the World Health Organization.

But the work of ACT UP and other groups pushed drug companies and government agencies to overcome homophobia, greed and bureaucratic inertia and produce a treatment, antiretroviral therapy, that delivers real results.

The men and women in the AIDS advocacy movement saved lives and made history. France has honored them by telling their stories, first with a 2012 documentary, How to Survive a Plague, and now in a remarkable book with the same title.

The film had an immediacy that was enhanced by the extensive use of contemporary news footage (including Rafskys confrontation with Clinton and another in which Rafsky tells a drug company executive Youre killing me, you in your suit and tie).

The book covers the same events but goes deeper and takes a wider, more personal view. France moved to New York in the summer of 1981, two weeks before the first article on the plague, Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals, appeared in the New York Times. He reported on AIDS while watching dozens of friends and a lover die from the disease.

Such hard-earned inside knowledge gives Frances book a perspective missing from other AIDS histories. He was there at the meetings, marches and direct actions, and his connections to movement leaders gave him access to documents and video that enhance his reporting.

How to Survive a Plague is the definitive book on AIDS activism, a long-overdue update on Randy Shilts 1987 And the Band Played On. (Unlike Shilts, whose book grew out of his groundbreaking reporting for The Chronicle, France keeps a tight focus on one city, New York. Other than a brief portrait of activist Bobbi Campbell and a report on the ACT UP protests at the 1990 International AIDS Conference, San Francisco is mentioned only in passing.)

The scientific infighting that delayed AIDS research gets an appropriately thorough going-over, but the real story for France is how the gay community in New York educated itself in the middle of a horrific epidemic, overcame internal bickering, organized politically and succeeded in the face of enormous pressure.

The movements persistence made a difference in patient rights, in getting more women and people of color enrolled in drug trials and in lowering drug prices, notably ACT UPs pushback against Burroughs Wellcome, the manufacturer of AZT.

It must be difficult for people under 30 to understand how openly homophobic America was in the 1980s and 90s. Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush ignored AIDS as the U.S. death toll rose from 618 in 1982 to 194,476 in 1992. Sen. Jesse Helms single-handedly stymied federal HIV/AIDS research and prevention while railing against the sodomites and their deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct that is responsible for the disease.

Circle K, to single out one awful corporate example, canceled health insurance for any of its employees with AIDS unless they could prove it came from a blood transfusion or a spouse. Violence against gays increased as fear of the disease spread.

Against such opposition, a few men and women stood out. Dr. Joseph Sonnabend did pioneering research and treated hundreds of HIV-positive patients with dignity and compassion. One of Sonnabends patients, Michael Callen, wrote a safe-sex pamphlet with Richard Berkowitz that challenged gay men to change their behavior and saved lives.

Larry Kramer, cantankerous and courageous, was a co-founder of the Gay Mens Health Crisis and ACT UP and an outspoken advocate for getting drugs into bodies. Staley left Wall Street for a life of fundraising and protest that included wrapping Helms house in a giant condom.

The combination-therapy breakthroughs of 1996 produced a Lazarus effect that astounded researchers.

In St. Vincents (hospital), the plagues original epicenter, a remarkable proportion of patients lying in the AIDS ward rose unexpectedly and went home, France writes. ... The epidemic that had wiped out a generation of gay men and then torn huge holes through African American and Latino families in most major American cities, the plague that burned through Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, claiming millions and millions of lives worldwide, had been all but vanquished.

Not quite. There is no cure for AIDS. About 1.1 million people with the disease died last year, according to U.N. statistics. Much of the developing world has no access to AIDS drugs or cant afford them. More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. About 13 percent of them dont know it.

Its not easy to balance solid journalism with intimate understanding of a subject, and even harder to write eloquently about a disease thats killing your friends and loved ones. France pulls it off, in his own words (his description of finding a college roommates panel in the AIDS Memorial Quilt is heartbreaking) and in letting his articulate sources speak for themselves. Callen, in a final interview, said, I realize some people could look at my life and say Oh, it was so sad. He died of AIDS and isnt that tragic. But what I want to come through is that even after all the pain and all the torture, and even having AIDS, I can honestly say that being gay is the greatest gift I was ever given. I wouldnt change it for the world.

Jeff Baker, a former book editor and movie critic for the Oregonian, lives in Portland. Email: books@sfchronicle.com

How to Survive a Plague

The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS

By David France

(Knopf; 624 pages; $30)
While most law offices bear little resemblance to the romance-filled chambers of Ally McBeal or L.A. Law, the State Bar of California wants to put the kibosh on almost all sex between lawyers and clients, just in case.

The state legal professions self-regulatory body is mulling a ban on sexual relations between attorneys and their clients as part of the first broad revision of the states Rules of Professional Conduct since 1987.

As it stands, the bars rules allow for lawyers to engage in sexual relationships with clients, provided that the relationship isnt a form of payment for representation, obtained by coercion, intimidation or undue influence, or one that causes the attorney to perform legal services incompetently.

Proponents of the change cite the importance of preventing exploitation, since attorneys often hold clients fates in their hands. A sex ban would place attorneys under strictures similar to those that govern psychologists and psychiatrists.

But the proposal has spurred dissent from some California lawyers who claim the rule would invade their privacy.

In August, Justice Lee Smalley Edmon, who chairs the Bar commission working on revising the Rules of Professional Conduct, wrote that the change may implicate important privacy concerns.

TVs McBeal aside, the American Bar Association already prohibits attorneys from having sex with clients, unless the sexual relationship preceded the legal one. The ABAs rules, which would be mimicked by the proposed change in California, exempt spouses, allowing one member of a married couple to represent the other without disciplinary rebuke. Most state bar groups generally follow ABA rules, which set a standard for the profession but which the nationwide organization cant enforce.

In California, the State Bar can discipline lawyers in a variety of ways, including revoking their license to practice.

Ronda Muir, an attorney and legal consultant who specializes in personnel management issues for law firms, said that up until 2002, no state bar had rules banning such relationships.

The reason, Muir said, was that, in most states, lawyers regulate themselves.

Its because lawyers are writing the rules for lawyers, Muir said. The lawyers who are propagating these rules dont want to increase their liability.

Muir added that a blanket ban on attorney-client sex could be used as fodder in malpractice lawsuits against attorneys. While state bar disciplinary proceedings cant serve as the basis for a lawsuit, a violation of legal ethics can be used as ammunition, Muir said.

James Ham, a Pasadena attorney serving on the commission evaluating state rules, strongly disagrees with the proposed rule change.

There are issues of fundamental privacy, and how far the governments reach can go into our daily lives, Ham said.

Ham readily concedes that an attorney entering into a sexual relationship with a client is not a good idea, he said, but he remains skeptical that the new rule would have a significant impact on curbing sexual exploitation of clients by attorneys.

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Under existing rules, the State Bar investigated 205 accusations of misconduct involving sexual relationships between attorneys and clients, according to a report by the groups Office of General Counsel.

In that time, only one led to discipline being imposed.

The Office of General Counsel, which supports the rule change, said those figures demonstrate the need for a very clear prohibition.

Ham disagrees, saying that problems with evidence made prosecutions difficult under the old rules and would continue under the new rules.

The state Supreme Court has the final authority to implement and impose the rules, and is expected to do so in March.

The State Bar commission is accepting public comment on the proposed rules through Jan. 9.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ DominicFracassa
The Ecosystem Integrity Fund, a relatively new venture capital firm that focuses on environmental sustainability, is enjoying a solid debut, having sold two of its startups to corporations over the past three years.

But given the disastrous performance of such clean tech, or green, funds over the years, I wonder if the San Francisco firm can sustain its own success.

Begun in 2011, the $20 million fund has already paid out more than $40 million in cash to its investors, thanks to two big exits: SolarCitys $158 million acquisition of Zep Solar, which makes mounts for solar panels, in 2013 and last weeks announcement that drink and snacks giant PepsiCo will purchase KeVita, a probiotic drink startup; Fortune reported that the purchase price was around $200 million.

Large corporations frequently invest in companies that are at the forefront of trend opportunities, said Devin Whatley, founder of the Ecosystem Integrity Fund. PepsiCo is not very good at building brands from scratch in new categories.

Doubling investors money in just five years is impressive enough. But doing so in a space that has sucked the life  and cash  out of many a clean tech fund makes Ecosystem Integrity Fund a real outlier.

They are off to a great start, said Marc Weiser, managing director of RPM Ventures in Ann Arbor, Mich. Under any measure, thats a really good fund.

They key is whether the Ecoystem Integrity Fund can maintain its winning streak, Weiser said. The company has already raised $60 million for a second fund and is working on a third.

Weiser, whose fund covers a range of areas including cloud infrastructure to connected cars, doesnt invest in clean tech firms, and for good reason: They dont make any money. One reason, he said, is that the economics just dont work. Energy projects like solar, wind, and biofuels have traditionally required huge amounts of capital, which makes the prospect of a return, at least in the short term, a dim possibility. Green technologies also fail to win over sufficient numbers of customers to bring costs down.

After three years of increases, investment dollars in clean tech firms will decline 11 percent this year to $3.5 billion, according to projections by research firm CB Insights.

From 2006 to 2011, investors plowed $25 billion into clean tech companies and lost more than half of that, according to a report this year by the MIT Energy Initiative research group. From the perspective of early investors, the clean tech sector had the lowest proportion of companies to at least break even compared with other sectors such as software and health care.

More than 90 percent of clean tech companies funded after 2007 failed to return the initial capital invested, the MIT Energy Initiative said.

Unfortunately, clean tech startups  indistinguishable from companies in the other two sectors in terms of fundraising  clearly stood out as the poorest performers in retrospect, the group said.

Of course, the financial crisis of 2008, which produced the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression, played a large role in the failures. And most venture capital funds aim to profit from just a few big winners among many money-losing investments. But the MIT Energy Initiative said venture capital just offered a poor way to finance clean technologies.

One lesson that entrepreneurs may take away from this story is that clean tech companies need to adapt to fit the constraints of venture capitalists, the report said. That lesson is wrong and could be a disastrous impediment to the development of much needed clean technologies.

The correct lesson is that clean tech clearly does not fit the risk, return, or time profiles of traditional venture capital investors, the group said.

So what makes the Ecoystem Integrity Fund different? At $20 million, the fund is not large, so the firm is not betting giant pools of money on risky technology.

We find small niches in the market that dont need lots of capital, Whatley said.

The company wants to cast a big net when looking for startups that make practical technology to help businesses use resources more efficiently or mitigate environmental damage.

For example, Zep Solar made systems with 85 percent fewer parts than competitors, which can be installed 4.5 times faster, according to the company. KeVita is a less direct example of sustainability: The organic drink contains probiotics, or healthy bacteria, that allow people to more efficiently digest food. Eating less theoretically means less pressure on farmland.

Im not sure PepsiCo really cares about the latter. But the company is looking for growth opportunities beyond the stagnant soda market.

In other words, KeVita is a pretty good example of the funds investment philosophy, with a product that can scale quickly, promotes sustainability and attracts buyers.

Consumer products offer fertile grounds for an exit, Whatley said.

Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByTomLee
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care joins the entire hospice and palliative care community in thanking Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon for introducing Senate Resolution S. Res 621, which designates November 2016 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Senator Wyden was joined by Senators Baldwin of WI, Coons of DE, Klobuchar of MN, and Merkley of OR.



"A person's end-of-life choices are some of the most difficult but significant decisions they and their families can make," Wyden said. "By working to designate November as National Hospice and Palliative Care month, I'm proud to help bring attention to the importance of hospice and palliative caregivers in helping patients and their families make choices that are best for them."



Throughout November, hospices nationwide have been celebrating their shared commitment to caring for the more than 1.6 million patients we have the honor to serve every year.



"Seasons is thankful for Senator Wyden's support of the hospice community," said Todd Stern, CEO of Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care. "We are excited to help raise awareness of the benefits of hospice and palliative care for patients and families."



Seasons has joined other hospices this November celebrating hospice month by engaging in hospice public awareness campaigns, highlighting celebrations on social media, providing education on advanced directives, and most importantly, by thanking our staff who provide excellent care every day at the bedsides of the patients and families we serve.



Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care

Founded in 1997, Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care is the largest privately owned hospice provider in the nation. Seasons offers high-quality compassionate care in 18 states through our 26 Medicare-certified programs and 17 Hospice Inpatient Centers. In 2015, Seasons caregivers served more than 23,000 patients. For more information, visit www.seasons.org.
Police detained a man while evacuating the Metreon theaters in downtown San Francisco after receiving reports of a man armed with a handgun Tuesday night.

A man pulled a gun inside Theater 10 after an altercation about 7:30 p.m., witnesses said.

The man was yelling and behaving erratically just as the previews wrapped up before a showing of Allied, said a witness, who identified himself as Gary.

Gary said he went to confront the man, who was sitting in the four rows closest to the screen, and when the man wouldnt quiet down, Gary said he left to get a manager.

When he returned, Gary said, people were screaming and running out of the theater.

Though the theater was dark, witness Jeff Wincek said he saw the glint of a gun barrel and that it was definitely a pistol that the man was waving.

After he pulled the gun, the man stayed seated as others ran out, Wincek said.

He didnt stand up, he didnt make a big scene, he said. He was watching the movie start and he wasnt in any hurry and that was pretty alarming.

Police received a 911 call about a possibly armed man at 7:55 p.m., said Officer Grace Gatpandan, police spokeswoman. Officers evacuated the theater in an abundance of caution, and the Police Departments SWAT team responded to the scene, she said.

One person was located and detained, and officers were able to find a handgun, Gatpandan said.

An investigation is ongoing, and authorities will not be releasing the mans name Tuesday, Gatpandan said.

No injuries were reported, but members of the public were asked to avoid the area of Mission between Third and Fourth streets while the investigation was still under way.

Michael Bodley and Vivian Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley @VivianHo
A 27-year-old San Francisco Public Works employee was fatally shot Wednesday morning in Potrero Hill while painting over graffiti, authorities said.

Jermaine Jackson Jr. was shot near 25th and Vermont streets about 8 a.m., according to police and Public Works officials. He was taken by ambulance to the nearby San Francisco General Hospital, where he died.

There were no immediate arrests, and the motive was unclear.

Jackson, a father of two young children  a boy and girl  was an apprentice in the city department since March 2015. He was set to graduate the program next year.

Before his apprenticeship, he was in a program through Mayor Ed Lees office aimed at preventing violence in high-crime neighborhoods. During his work with Interrupt, Predict and Organize for a Safer San Francisco, Jackson passed his GED exam, said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who called him a motivated, hardworking and well-liked employee.

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Just hours before the shooting, Jackson dropped off his 7-year-old daughter, Jayla, at school and hugged her goodbye.

He said, I love you, let me give you a kiss. Ill see you later, Jayla said, sitting outside their San Francisco home with her family. And thats when he left.

Neighbors knew Jackson as being good with kids  his own and those around the block where he lived. He hosted barbecues, played pickup basketball and got into arguments with a 49ers fan who lived nearby. Jackson made it clear he preferred the Raiders.

Seven or eight years ago, he had run-ins with gangs, but after his daughter was born, he cleaned up, family and friends said.

He showed these kids  he showed everyone  he could turn his life around, said his grandmother, 63-year-old Juanita Befford.

Family and friends couldnt understand who would want to kill Jackson. His brother, who is in jail, fell to the ground and guards had to pick him up after he learned about the slaying, Befford said.

Jackson was known to spoil his children, relatives said, taking them to the beach on weekends and buying Jayla a four-wheeler on a recent birthday, even though money was tight.

Jacksons mother-in-law, Pamela Plousha, 60, said the family was proud of Jackson after he got the city Public Works job. He recently paid off a stack of traffic tickets, she said.

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I just hope that they catch whoever did this, Plousha said. No man did this. No gangster did this. A coward did this.

Lee ordered the citys flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday for the death of one of our own.

This was a young man who worked very hard to build a good life for himself and his children, and was committed to his work keeping the City of San Francisco and our neighborhoods clean, the mayor said in a statement. This is a tragic instance of a life cut short.

A homicide investigation and a separate internal public works probe are ongoing.

Michael Bodley and Kimberly Veklerov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com, kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov, @michael_bodley
Ghosts talk to me but dont haunt me.

Thursday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. The slogan this year is Get to Zero  meaning zero new infections. Since the epidemic began, more than 70 million people in the world have become infected, and 35 million have died.

I cannot process numbers that big. I can only tell you about Tim.

Tim was my private hero. He was Brians roommate in that cold-water walk-up above the Jersey City Funeral Home. On my first date with Brian (Oct. 28, 1985), we went back to his apartment, and I met Tim, who was baking a batch of cookies. He looked up from the oven and said to Brian, I thought you could do better than that.

I moved in with them a few weeks later, and the three of us struggled to make the rent. While Brian danced and I sold coffeemakers, Tim worked as a security guard at the Museum of Natural History. For Christmas that year, we had a Charlie Brown tree, and Tim worked night shifts so that he could appropriate two dozen dinosaur ornaments.

Tim was blunt. We got tattoos for one of my birthdays, him the green man and me seven chakric stars, and he waited three hours, until the very last needle stick, before he said, You look like a Wonder Girl costume.

Tim taught me to take risks, like going skydiving or applying to be a deputy sheriff.

One night, when Brian was at work, Tim and I were sitting on the old red velvet couch, splitting a can of Betty Crocker frosting, when he said, Im gonna have to stop eating like this. The doctor told me Im HIV positive.

We got mad, and we joined ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Republican president at the time said nothing while thousands died. We painted bloody handprints and wore clown masks at hearings. We stopped traffic on Broadway, and got the American public to pay attention to the fact that no one was paying attention.

Because of Tim, and Keith Haring, and a lot of brave people blocking the entrance to the FDA building in Maryland, we got parallel-track testing, which led to protease inhibitors and drug-cocktail therapies.

Ten Septembers ago, we rushed Tim to the emergency room. He had gone blind in one eye and was unable to walk or eat. He weighed less than a hundred pounds. The doctor told me he wouldnt be leaving. Brian talked with the head nurse, who convinced them to let us throw a gay Wiccan wedding.

You know those soap operas where the dying bride trembles in her hospital bed when a nervous groom brings in the justice of the peace? This was not that. This was the loudest wedding to ever occur in a medical center. The groom wore harem pants, the bride a hospital gown and white roses. The celebrant was a transgender priestess. Zane, a toddler at the time, played ring bearer. The bridesmaids were Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Brian was the best man for the wedding, carrying Tim across the broom (because that is how Wiccans get married), and I was the best man for the funeral.

That night, while his new husband went to the reception, Tim said to me, Kevin, can you get me unhooked? I want to go outside. The nurse nodded. A few minutes later, Brian and I wheeled him out to the little patio. The fog was just coming in over Twin Peaks.

A last look? I asked.

Tim shrugged, Really, I came out for a cigarette. Brian drew a pack out of his jacket, put two cigarettes to his mouth and clicked the lighter. He handed one to Tim. Tim took a drag and said, Not the honeymoon I expected.

Uncle Jon, Brian and I took turns for nights in the hospital. Tim was drowsy on Dilaudid and morphine, and when he woke up, I got the nurse to give him his pain medication, and he said random things, like, This is the nicest death Ive ever been to.

Youre not scared?

No, not really. But Im sad. A new journey awaits me, but I wont get to see the quest that you are on. Ill miss seeing Zane grow up. But I have faith that youll teach him to always embrace the adventure.

He passed the next day.

A decade later, his ghost appears haphazardly in my dreams, as well as Brians and Uncle Jons. When I am most scared, Tim is that voice in the wind whispering: Leap and the net will appear!

Tims ashes have gone on the AIDS Walk for many years. Uncle Payo rode his ashes in a backpack on a bicycle all the way to Los Angeles for an AIDS/LifeCycle ride. If you want to do one concrete thing in the fight against AIDS this year, then donate to the AIDS/LifeCycle ride: www.tofighthiv.org. My friend Rich Bennett is riding with Team ALCaholics and is too shy to ask for support. Fortunately, I am not shy.

Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
Correspondent Neil Davis of Sebastopol sent word that the Nov. 9 issue of the North Bay Bohemian Weekly, which obviously went to press before the election, celebrated Hillary Clintons win over Donald Trump.

Editor Stett Holbrook dealt with it straight on in a Department of Corrections item that ran the following week, saying that election day polls had shown Clinton running away with the win. The editorial writers thought she was going to win and the story reflects that. ... We jumped the gun  or drank the Kool-Aid. We will rue the error  and the turn of events  for the next four years. It was a simple, elegant admission of error.

It was preceded in the Letters to the Editor column by comments from a sly reader:

Traumatized by Tuesdays election results, I failed to pick up the Boho until Friday. Imagine my relief. On the basis of a massive disinformation campaign probably funded by the Koch Brothers and Putin, I had incorrectly believed that He Who Cannot Be Named actually won the American presidency. ... Thank you for having the courage to be the only newspaper on the planet to print the truth.

I have a small favor to ask, though. Could you recheck your sources? I have it on good information that Jill Stein actually won.

If youre a sailor or an onshore scanner of the briny depths, watch out for Lia Ditton, who for the next year or so will be rowing her way around the Bay Area. And thats just practice.

British-born Ditton is a professional captain of power- and sailboats. Shes also an ocean rower, whose past feats have included rowing across the Atlantic. In 2018, shes hoping to be the first woman to row, solo and unaccompanied, from Japan to San Francisco.

In preparation for that feat, shell be making test forays around here, for example, rowing out into the Pacific when bad weather is forecast to see if she can make it through a storm. Shes also been speaking around the Bay Area  rowing to San Francisco from the Alameda Yacht Club for a speaking engagement at the St. Francis Yacht Club  gathering sponsors for the adventure.

Shes hoping to set out with a list of sponsors names for $20 one-mile segments of the row. Focusing on those names and those supporters, she says, will help with the hardest thing: the day-in, day-out grind. Ditton says she is not just rowing to achieve a world record. Im rowing to inspire women to pursue their dreams.

Go to www.yorow.org for more information.

 When nothing but the best stocking stuffer will do: On eBay, dollar bills hand-signed by candidate Donald Trump (at a rally, says one; at Trump Tower, says another) are selling for a huge range of prices, from $39.99 to $475. The most expensive one is described as showing usage and has signs of some aging. No rips or tears. In Trumpland this is shabby chic.

Susan Jackson is planning to attend the Million Woman March in Washington, D.C., wearing a homemade banner/sash on which she wants to name women who are unable to attend. She has 250 names and is hoping for 1,000. Email susjcks5@aol.com to get your name added.

Photographer Lynne Reddings new book is Ed Mock and Company Dance, featuring photos taken between 1980 and 1984 of the San Francisco dancer-performance artist who died of AIDS in 1986. Its introduction is by Burr Snider, who first met Mock taking classes from him, and later profiled him for the Examiner.

Mock told Snider that he avoided having a planned idea of how performances pieces would go. Its all in the moment. Its all being generated right there onstage. ... It all just comes down to taking your craziness and channeling it. Using something that maybe you saw on the street that upset you. As an artist, you have a duty to comment on these things if you have a gift to do it. And listen, if I didnt get that stuff out of me, I would be very hostile.

The book may be ordered at http://edmockbook.com.

Returning to the next installment of Days of Dismal Dysfunction: It may be sensible, but somehow Give the gift of ergonomic! doesnt make my greedy little heart beat faster.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

I wish my brother would get fixed. Im really uncled out.
He wasnt a monkey, he was an ape  and an astronaut.

The Chronicles front page from Nov. 30, 1961, covers the safe return of a special chimpanzee after a harrowing mission in space.

Enos, a male chimpanzee, flew two 17,500-mile-an-hour orbits around the Earth yesterday, the story read. The flight, in a Project Mercury space capsule, was scheduled for three orbits but was cut short because of mechanical trouble.

Enos went through more than 1,000 hours of training before being selected for the historic space flight, which was a rehearsal for John Glenns orbiting of the Earth three months later.

When the mission was decreased to two orbits, questions arose about whether Enos was doing all right. He had been subjected to electric shocks in addition to the capsules overheating.

A message from the (Stormes) ship said that when the capsule hatch was opened on the destroyer deck, the 37-pound animal appeared to be excitable but in good shape, the New York Times story read.

Enos the chimpanzee was a space hero, but he died a year after his flight from a condition thought to be unrelated to his historic flight.

The human headed skyward: Below the story of the great ape mission was an article on the astronaut who would follow Enos. John Herschel Glenn Jr., at 40 the old man of the American astronauts, was named yesterday to be the first of the team to be rocketed into orbit, the story read. Glenn, now 95, is the earliest-born American to travel into space.

See more front pages: Go to SFChronicle.com/covers to search a database of hundreds of Chronicle Covers articles that showcase the newspapers history.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

Chronicle Covers highlights one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Michelle Devera and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

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WASHINGTON  San Franciscos Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday fended off the most serious challenge to her 14 years of leadership over House Democrats by promising a bare-knuckled fight against the incoming Trump administrations vow to reverse everything Democrats have achieved through progressive policies in recent years.

But the loud rebellion in her ranks, swelling to nearly a third of her caucus, may force Pelosi, the embodiment of West Coast progressive politics, to recalibrate her approach as House minority leader to win back the heartlands working-class voters.

The election also sent Pelosi, 76, the message that Democrats want her to begin the process of ceding power to a new generation.

Pelosi acknowledged in a news conference after the vote that her party lost its bedrock support from Rust Belt voters, but vowed that never again will we have an election where theres any doubt in anyones mind where the Democrats are when it comes to Americas working families.

Rep. Tim Ryan, 43, of Ohio had argued in his longshot bid to replace Pelosi that his party had lost its economic message, while Pelosi offered no abrupt change in her strategy to celebrate diversity and defend liberal social programs. She said the message worked against President George W. Bush, catapulting Democrats to a majority in the House and her to become speaker in 2006, and it will work again by offering a stark contrast to the policies promised by President-elect Donald Trump.

The nation has arrived at a point well beyond politics, she said. Its about the character of America and how we go forward in our caucus to put forth our values ... to differentiate between us and the administration that will come into Washington in January.

We know how to win elections, Pelosi said. Weve done it in the past. We will do it again by making that differentiation.

Wednesdays secret-ballot vote done behind closed doors was 134-63.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, a Pelosi protege, said Pelosi had earned the trust of the caucus as someone who listens and learns and will move all of us forward.

Yet a potent alliance of liberal populists who supported the antitrade message of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and traditional conservative Blue Dog Democrats, sounded unconvinced as they left the vote Wednesday morning.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, predicted deja vu all over again.

I hope the leadership listens to some of us who have been telling them for years now that unless we can address the concerns of rural America, Joe Sixpack, people who every day work for a living, were going to continue to find ourselves unable to win swing seats, Costa said. And unless we can win these swing seats, were not going to be able to be in the majority.

Ohio Democrat and Sanders backer Marcy Kaptur pulled out a cartoon map of the United States where California, New York, Florida and Texas loomed like giant blobs squeezing all the other states to tiny squares of insignificance.

She said that when Trump quipped that at one time cars were made in Michigan and you couldnt drink the water in Mexico, and now cars are made in Mexico and you cant drink the water in Michigan, it shot, like, a cannonball across the Midwest.

She also charged Pelosi with turning the House into a fundraising machine. One of Pelosis chief assets is her ability to raise campaign money, which she spreads to Democratic House members. In the last election, she raised $141.5 million, bringing her total to an astonishing $567.9 million since 2002, blowing away competitors in either party.

Kaptur decried coastal identity politics as well as the dominant hold California and New York representatives have on top committee slots, noting Los Angeles Democrat Xavier Becerras recent elevation to ranking member on the pivotal Ways and Means Committee.

But Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, dismissed such arguments as false choices.

We want to build a big tent, he said. We want to be a party that resonates with working families in every part of this country, and we will continue to draw strength from deep-blue states on the coasts while we do that.

Democrats widely believe the partys diversity is a strength, Huffman said. We can absolutely reaffirm our commitment to diversity while sharpening our message and focus on working-class economics. You dont have to choose.

In a statement after the vote, the Republican National Committee ridiculed Pelosis selection.

This year voters went to the polls and made a bold statement for change in Washington but House Democrats just doubled down on the status quo, the statement said. The American people have been trying to send the Democrat Party a message by selecting historic numbers of Republicans for office at nearly every level of government but Nancy Pelosis re-election shows Democrats arent listening.

But Huffman said Democrats will devise a strategy to reach working-class voters again. The plan will not be something that Pelosi will ordain from above, but it will be developed by members in the coming weeks.

The leadership election reflected two broad messages, he said. One is we think Nancy as our leader puts our best team on the field for the fights we know are going to start up very soon, he said.

The other, he said, is a widespread desire in the caucus to begin moving toward generational change.

Below Pelosi, the next two rungs in the Democratic leadership are filled by members also in their mid-70s: Steny Hoyer, 77, of Maryland and James Clyburn, 76, of South Carolina. For years, this troika has blocked the paths of younger members to House leadership.

Swalwells election Wednesday as co-chairman of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee is part of Pelosis effort to groom younger members. Swalwell, 36, is the youngest ever to hold the job once held by former Bay Area legislative powerhouse George Miller of Martinez.

Another Bay Area Democrat, Oaklands Barbara Lee, 70, narrowly lost in her bid to join the leadership as caucus vice chair, the fifth-ranking slot in the House. The vote was 98-96 for Rep. Linda Sanchez, 47, of Whittier (Los Angeles County).

Sanchez is the sister of Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County, who lost her U.S. Senate race to California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Sanchez becomes the first Latina to join the House leadership.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Tue, 11/2 (11:30am ET): How V40 Scorers Use Visualization to Excel on Verbal
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Fill your holiday dance card with classical Claras, circus silliness and festive family productions by Bay Area companies. Many offer hour-long versions for small children as well as post-performance meet-and-greets, sugarplum parties and photo ops; check websites. (Pictured is Menlowe Ballet.)

Oakland Ballet: Waltzing snowballs and cavorting bonbons are among this Nutcrackers many charms. Set in early-20th century Vienna, Graham Lustigs production features the Oakland Symphony and the Mount Eden Womens Ensemble choral group. 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 17, 2 p.m. Dec. 18. $25-$92. Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. www.oaklandballet.org

To see clips: www.youtube.comwatch?v=LfYQ5ka1F4s

Smuin: The Christmas Ballet, Smuins 22nd annual holiday confection features four world premieres as well as perennials like Michael Smuins lyrical Ave Maria, Hanukkah-themed Licht benshn and sassy Baby, Its Cold Outside. Wednesday through next Sunday, Dec. 7-11. $25-$72. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Dec. 15-18, 21-24. $25-$89. YBCA Theater, 700 Howard St., S.F. www.smuinballet.org

To see a preview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoZbtAAE-uI

ODC/Dance: A family favorite since 1986, the 65-minute Velveteen Rabbit brings Margery Williams treasured tale to life through music, storytelling and ODCs superlative modern dance. 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4; 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8-9; 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; 2 p.m. next Sunday, Dec. 11. $15-$75. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St., S.F. www.odcdance.org

To see Co-Artistic Director KT Nelsons insights into The Velveteen Rabbit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z1UVwiF9DU

Eric Raeber

Menlowe Ballet: Artistic Director Michael Lowe earned his wings for Its a Wonderful Nutcracker, a heartwarming mashup of classical ballet and the classic Frank Capra film. 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11; 7 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17; 2 p.m. Dec. 18. $35-$65. Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Rd., Atherton. www.menloweballet.org

To see highlights: https://vimeo.com/154797980

Sweet Can Productions: Escape the holiday circus and revel in Mittens and Mistletoe. Veterans of Teatro Zinzanni and Pickle Family Circus get zany in the seventh annual all-ages cabaret with juggling, aerials, comedy, clowning and live music. Most shows at 2 or 4 p.m., Dec. 21-26 and 28-31; adults-only at 8 p.m. Dec. 23 and 30. $18-$65. Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St., S.F. www.sweetcanproductions.com

City Ballet School: Catch a rising star in this traditional Nutcracker, performed by City Ballets preprofessional students. 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, 1 p.m. next Sunday, Dec. 11. $40-$45. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St., S.F. www.cityballetschool.org

Rob Kunkle

Mark Foehringer Dance Project: Clocking in at 50 minutes, Nutcracker Sweets keeps youngsters enthralled with mouse battles, dancing dolls and rambunctious fun. A nine-piece chamber orchestra plays along. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10-11, and Dec. 17-18; Dec. 19-20. Additional 4 p.m. shows Dec. 17-18. $21-$31. Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center, Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St., S.F. www.nutcrackersweets.org

To see excerpts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmeEZf3qtHY

Marin Ballet: Kids and adults alike will find something to enjoy in this full-length Nutcracker, from the mischievous mice to the magical stagecraft. 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday and next Sunday, Dec. 10-11. $27-$43. Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. www.marinballet.org

Peninsula Ballet Theatre: Choreographed by local legend Carlos Carvajal, PBTs beloved Nutcracker is in its 46th year. 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 17, 2 p.m. Dec. 18. $30-$65. Fox Theatre, 2221 Broadway, Redwood City. Tiny dancers might prefer the 45-minute Sweet version: 10:30 a.m., noon and 2:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4; Saturday and next Sunday, Dec. 10-11. PBT Studio One, 180 S. Grant St., San Mateo. www.peninsulaballet.org

To see clips from Nutcracker: www.youtube.com/watch?v=93X19mHMhu8

Berkeley Ballet Theater: The venue is new, but this student-danced, social-justice-oriented Nutcracker has inspired peace and harmony for 30 years. 7 p.m. Dec. 16; 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17; 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 18. $35. Regents Theater, Holy Names University, 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. www.berkeleyballet.org

Dance-Along Nutcracker: Slip into your tutu and dance in the aisles with the S.F. Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. This years theme is The Fantastic Adventures of Captain Nutcracker, so expect hilarity, show tunes and an inclusive family atmosphere along with Tchaikovskys greatest hits. 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. next Sunday, Dec. 11. $18-$30. YBCA Forum, 701 Mission St., S.F. http://sflgfb.townalive.com

To see the 2015 Dance-Along Nutcracker: www.youtube.com/watch?v=htQooZrwLDA

The San Jose Nutcracker: Dancing walnuts, a Gilroy garlic harvester and the 1881 Electric Light Tower feature in a world premiere by former Ballet San Jose principal Dalia Rawson that stars professionals and students from her classical ballet academy. 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 16-18 and 23-24. $19-$38.50. Hammer Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose. www.sanjosenutcracker.com
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Quentin Kopp wasted little time making his presence known as the newest member of the San Francisco Ethics Commission, calling on Monday for an investigation into Mayor Ed Lee.

Kopp  a former supervisor, judge and state legislator  joined the commission in September. Kopps appointment was noteworthy not only because of his resume but also because of his reputation for being cantankerous.

At Mondays meeting, Kopp said it appears a campaign committee created to defeat Propositions D, H, L and M on the Nov. 8 ballot failed to report itself as a candidate-controlled committee.

Lees senior adviser, Tony Winnicker, took an unpaid leave of absence from the administration to serve as the committees consultant. Lee also helped raise money for the committee.

Based on those factors, Kopp said Tuesday, it appears to have earmarks of a controlled committee.

The Ethics Commission defines a committee as controlled if a candidate (or his or her representative) has significant influence on the actions or decisions of the committee.

Unlike ballot measure committees  which is how the No on D, H, L and M committee registered  candidate-controlled committees cant accept contributions from contractors with recent business with the city.

Winnicker said Kopps assertions were groundless and sound like vindictive, selective persecution of his political opponents.

The mayor had no role or input into the campaign strategy or management, Winnicker said. The mayor attended some fundraising events and he made some fundraising calls, but thats entirely appropriate with respect to elected officials supporting ballot measure committees.

The Ethics Commission will not comment on whether it is investigating.

 Emily Green

One last time: Six years after becoming a supervisor, Scott Wiener marked his final board meeting Tuesday.

Wiener is headed to Sacramento to become a state senator. Earlier this month, Wiener won a tight race against fellow Supervisor Jane Kim for the seat.

During his years as a supervisor, Wiener had a reputation as one of the most hardworking members of the board, even as detractors criticized him for being too pro-development and supporting policies that harmed homeless people.

Wiener, who represented District Eight, which includes the Castro, authored a wide range of legislation. Last year, he received national attention for his bill requiring six weeks of full paid leave for new parents, making San Francisco the first city in the United States to enact such a requirement.

He also authored legislation extending rent control to people with HIV/AIDS, requiring solar panels or green roofs on most new buildings, and allowing new in-law units. In November, he spearheaded a ballot measure requiring the city instead of property owners to maintain street trees.

And, of course, Wiener will always be remembered for his 2012 legislation banning public nudity in San Francisco.

Wiener said Tuesday he will miss partnering with residents on tangible neighborhood improvements, such as widening the Castro Street sidewalks, creating the Noe Valley town square and renovating Dolores Park.

There are still two years left on Wieners term. His departure has sparked lots of speculation on whom Mayor Ed Lee will appoint to fill the vacancy.

 Emily Green

Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @emilytgreen
When chef Jen Biesty brought out three irregular pieces of boneless fried chicken stacked on each other, with red chile sauce dripping off the sides and onto thick pools of tangy fenugreek yogurt, she said deadpan: Its a little Greece meets Oakland.

No matter its origins, the chicken is one of the stars at Shakewell in Oakland, which I reviewed when it opened two years ago. In the intervening years, the menu has become more eclectic (no more pan con tomate, a tapas classic) as shown by the chicken ($16).

Yet the Mediterranean menu retains a Spanish character in items such as the octopus ($19), which reminds me of something I might find in a contemporary restaurant in Barcelona. The seafood is tender without being mushy, setting up a pleasing contrast to the crunch at the tip of the tentacles. With salsa verde, olives, Calabrian chiles and thin sheets of chorizo, mellowed by slices of potatoes, it mirrors the untamed Mediterranean countryside.

A similar providence guides the sweet, gooey bacon-wrapped dates ($14), though Im not sure youll find pickled quail eggs ($4) or tempura-fried cauliflower with romesco and fried Thai basil at just any Spanish tapas bar.

The tenor of the menu reflects the experience of Biesty, who for a long time cooked Italian food at Scalas Bistro, where she met her business partner and pastry chef, Tim Nugent, who now oversees the pastries and the front of the house.

When I first visited the restaurant, the rice dishes could be hit or miss, although the combination of ingredients always hit its mark; now the kitchen seems clearly in control of its live wood fire.

Biestys paella, cooked in the green-hooded oven, is like no other because the crunch comes from the mounded top rather than the bottom, where the rice meets the pan. On this visit, we tried the version with chicken and prawns ($36). Dig in and youll discover Blue Lake green beans and a hint of fino Sherry, a combination that becomes even richer when mixed with the aioli generously spooned on top.

John Storey/Special to the Chronicle

The accommodating waiters also bring over a bottle of house-made sauce, orange from carrots and hot from habanero chiles. It goes a long way in spicing up the dish and giving it distinction. While the paella doesnt stand up to my favorites at Bellota, it has its own appeal.

Nugent oversees the desserts. A refreshing pomegranate and ginger granita ($7) comes with a shortbread cookie. Coconut tres leches ($11) looks like a French pastry, with chunks of pineapple and rum-scented whipped cream spilling over the top of its perfect rectangular shape. One bite and theres no mistaking: This is tres leches, albeit spiked with passion fruit, and a very good one at that.

Since opening, Shakewell has also found its audience. It was full even after 9 p.m. on a Sunday night, thanks not only to the food and the well-trained staff but also to the cocktails. My favorite option is Dealers Choice ($13), where the diner picks a spirit and any specifics, and the bartender will come up with something special.

The atmosphere, like the food, combines a little Oakland and a little Spain under one roof. The long bar is filled with nearly every spirit imaginable. Slatted roof panels give the large space intimacy, as does the way the room is broken up with a good mix of communal and individual tables.

Its a restaurant that blends influences from several cultures in a way that feels grounded  and fun.

Michael Bauer is The San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic and editor at large. Email: mbauer@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaelbauer1

  

Shakewell

Food:   

Service:   

Atmosphere:  

Price: $$$

Noise: Four Bells

3407 Lakeshore Ave. (at Trestle Glen), Oakland; (510) 251-0329 or shakewelloakland.com. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m Wednesday-Friday; brunch Saturday-Sunday. Dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 5-9 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted. Street parking sometimes difficult.

Ratings Key

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

    Extraordinary

   Excellent

  Good  Fair Poor

$ Entrees $10 and under

$$ Entrees $11-$17

$$$ Entrees $18-$24

$$$$ Entrees more than $25

Four Bells Four Bells Two BellsCan talk only in raised

voices (75-80)

BOMBToo noisy for normal

conversation (80+)
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Tons of trunk shows and retail pop-ups hit dizzying new heights this fall as a rash of these time-date stamped shopping ops exploded all over the city.

And with just 20 shopping days left, theyre still popping in full force: On Thursday, Dec. 8, Minnesota Street Project presents the RAM Bookshop exhibition-sale of artful gifts (design books, letterpress cards, prints) from the Los Angeles publisher.

Even the Tenderloin Museum got in this niche groove. Yet its pop-up, a London-based nonprofit dubbed, Crack + Cider, assists those who cant afford to shop. Through Dec. 23, cold-weather classics (gloves, umbrellas, jackets) are for sale. Purchases are wrapped, then distributed by Hospitality House to local homeless shelters.

But this autumnal preponderance of fashion pop-ups, some even tricked out with food trucks, got us wondering: Whassup with that?

I think every New York retailer wants to have a presence here, explained fashion-retail PR pro Allison Speer. Pop-ups are a great way to get in front of a San Francisco audience and test the market in a temporary fashion.

Speer also cites the challenges of navigating Union Square construction as another reason for this fall phenom: Its become more attractive to host trunk shows and pop-ups in a residential area.

A few notable recent pop-up events:

The latest collection of Mafalda, an Italian line of utilitarian yet sumptuous shirtdresses and flowing silhouettes hand-crafted with paillettes and ostrich feathers, fluttered in the breeze at the home of Victoire Reynal Brown, where she and co-hosts Vanessa Getty and Anne-Sophie Deneve welcomed Browns pal Princess Mafalda von Hessen.

The German aristocrat joined forces with designer Eric Wright, an EssEff native and Tamalpais High grad, who began his career at Esprit, followed by 37 years of assisting Karl Lagerfeld.

Their emerging line is manufactured in the Italian atelier of storied pattern-maker Anna Maria Roscini, who handles more established clients like Celine, Tom Ford and Fendi.

Having Anna Maria manufacture our line is a huge honor and also means well meet our order demand, Wright says. Mafalda and I always hunt for unique elements like lightweight Japanese wool, neoprene pique fabric and artisans skilled in classic tailoring. Were like the Starsky and Hutch of Roman design.

The Gold Coast manse of Ann Getty provided a spectacular stage for designer Rosetta Getty, who celebrated her new collection in her aunts marble foyer. Days later, Shannon Bavaro and Nicole Curran co-hosted a trunk show there for Italian jeweler Eleuteri, the New York- and Rome-based dealer of swoon-worthy vintage bling.

Society swans swarmed Betty Lin Boutique on Sacramento Street, where delightful Paris designer Andrew Gn biannually brings his latest collection of glamorous gowns.

The finale of this fall shopping season was also on Sacramento Street, at Hillary Thomas Designs, where sister-in-laws Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard opened their inaugural Veronica Beard pop-up (designed by Ken Fulk) with a two-day party, shopping benefit and a Johnny Doughnuts coffee truck.

Pop-ups are a great way to test your market with little risk and great reward, says Veronica Beard. And it allows us to tell the story of our brand by creating a unique environment that Ken perfectly expressed in his temporary redesign of Hillarys space.

Also on view: Their signature Dickey jacket (re-imagined every season); exclusive merchandise and pieces from their mens capsule line, Beard & Sons. And a portion of sales benefitted Compass Family Services.

We always partner with charities, with an emphasis on women-run nonprofits, said Veronica Miele. We also highlight the great work of those organizations on our website via our #vbgivesback blog.

The lure of San Francisco real estate is another reason the Beards pop upped  theyre eyeing potential locales in Jackson Square, Fillmore Street and the tony stretch of Sacramento Street.

The Presidio Heights area of Sacramento Street is going through a real renaissance: Midcentury design gallery Lebreton is moving from Jackson Square to Presidio Avenue; Found by Maja just opened, notes Speer, who represents clients Moncler, Gn and Veronica Beard.

That said, Sacramento Street stalwart Meriwether, owned by Meriwether McGettigan and her daughter, Fay McGettigan, recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their jewel-box boutique of exquisite estate, period and contemporary gems. But this year, Meriwether went a bit mod, too: She hosted her first two-day Black Friday sale with, OMG, a hefty 25 percent off her dazzling adornments.

Yet good old hard-copy shopping is still in vogue. And just in time for winter, Moncler, the deluxe French quilted ski-wear label, celebrated the grand opening of its first San Francisco locale last month.

Located in the former Loro Piana space at 212 Stockton St. (and before that, Hermes), the boutique was redesigned by Gilles & Boissier with cool gray Carnico marble and warm wood paneling.

Sales from the opening fete (hosted by Kelsey and David Lamond, Jacqueline and David Sacks, and Megha and Nirav Tolia) also benefitted California Pacific Medical Center Foundation  a tie-in that could not have been more apt.

As the store was being prepped in August, Moncler employee Trey Stephens suffered a heart attack. His colleagues jumped to his assistance, and the 34-year-old was transported to CPMC, where he underwent a successful triple bypass.

The Moncler staff has been incredibly supportive of Trey, enthused his stepdad, former Kimpton Hotels CEO Michael Depatie. And if you want to talk about health care, great Care is what you get at CPMC.

Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow
A Hail Mary pass from Californias higher-education leaders on Tuesday seeks some unlikely benevolence from President-elect Donald Trump on immigration: They want him to save a program that shields thousands of state students from deportation.

Since 2012, a federal law has allowed people under age 31 who were brought to this country illegally as children to avoid deportation if they are in school, finished high school or served honorably in the military and have no serious criminal record. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program covers thousands of college students in California, and state education officials are asking the immigration hard-liner to preserve it.

These sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants are as American as any other child across the nation, in all but in the letter of the law. ... They are constructive and contributing members of our communities. They should be able to pursue their dream of higher education without fear of being arrested, deported, or rounded up for just trying to learn, says the letter to Trump sent by University of California President Janet Napolitano, California State University Chancellor Timothy White, and incoming California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

Jon Cordova, Trumps spokesman in California, referred requests for comment to his presidential transition team, which did not respond.

But Trump has made plain his views on people living in this country without documentation.

Last month he proposed an End Illegal Immigration Act and reiterated his idea to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

For those here illegally today who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only, he said in August. To return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else under the rules of an immigration system he has outlined that includes blocking federal funding for cities like San Francisco that offer sanctuary to those without documentation.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, allows students to work legally in this country. It covers only students who arrived before turning 16 and came before June 2007. They must reapply every two years.

Californias public colleges and universities dont ask students their immigration status and cant say precisely how many of their students are participating in DACA.

But UC estimates that it enrolls about 3,700 students without documentation on its 10 campuses.

CSU estimates that about 8,000 students without documentation are enrolled on its 23 campuses.

Community colleges, with 113 campuses and more than 2 million students, estimate that tens of thousands are in this category.

Nationally, more than 1.5 million people have asked to participate in DACA since 2012, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Of those, 606,264, or 39 percent, have been accepted.

Im not sure how much effect the letter will have, said Valeria Suarez, a UC Berkeley sophomore who arrived in this country on her own from Peru at age 16  too old to qualify for DACA.

At the same time, some students say that while DACA has been helpful to some, its also led some in the program to become complacent about fighting for the rights of those who dont qualify.

University officials are more focused on its benefits, which they say are substantial.

One of the things DACA has done for our students is to give them the opportunity to work on campus, which gives them (scheduling) flexibility and higher pay, said Sabrina Sanders, student affairs director for the CSU system. What Im hearing from our campuses is that it gives students a sense of comfort. Knowing theyre validated more than staying in the shadows or being caught and deported.

Losing the program could cost many students their ability to earn a degree, Sanders said. One of these students may be the next to discover a cure for a disease.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
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Two of the world's deadliest mushroom species are popping up over the Bay Area in the wake of recent rains.

The East Bay Regional Park District warned people with dogs to be especially careful when going for walks. Ingesting even a small portion of either of the toxic mushrooms could kill a canine.

The dangerous mushrooms are Amanita phalloides, the Death Cap Mushroom, and Amanita bisporigera, the Western North America Destroying Angel. Both contain amatoxins that attack the liver and kidneys.

The fungi are often found near in damp soil or among fallen leaves near oak trees.

In October, a dog running off leash in Briones Regional Park ate either a death cap or destroying angel mushroom, KRON reported. The unfortunate pooch, named Koa, died six days later.

Even experienced mushroom hunters can mistake Amanita phalloides for an edible mushroom, which no doubt accounts for its title of "world's deadliest mushroom." But in toxicity alone, Amanita bisporigera is even more potent.

In 2007, an Aptos family of six was sickened when they accidentally ate death cap specimens that they had picked along with harmless mushrooms in Wilder Ranch State Park. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported the story of how a doctor tracked down an injectable milk thistle treatment never before used in the United States and was able to administer it to the family. Five survived, but the 83-year-old grandmother died from kidney failure even as her liver was recovering.

The California Poison Control System reported that statewide, five people died and 57 were sickened from eating death cap mushrooms between 2010 and 2015.

Picking any kind of mushroom, edible or not, is prohibited in the East Bay Regional Park District.

More information on Bay Area mushrooms can be found at the Mycological Society of San Francisco's site.

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Oaklands city auditor on Tuesday raised strong objections to a nonprofit contractors request for $150,000 in extra city funding, saying it could set a dangerous precedent.

In a letter to the City Council and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, City Auditor Brenda Roberts called the demand from the nonprofit Oakland Private Industry Council extraordinary and urged city officials to consider its potential impact. The City Council was scheduled to vote Tuesday night on the payment to the Private Industry Council, but Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan postponed the vote indefinitely after Roberts distributed the letter.

The Private Industry Council holds a $1 million annual contract with the city to provide job-training programs and had already asked for tens of thousands of dollars in extra funding.

Under the direction of the City Council, Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio recommended that the city pay the Private Industry Council the $150,000 to fend off a lawsuit threat from the groups executive, Gay Plair Cobb, who claims that money is a penalty the city must pay for late grant payments it made to the group between July 2010 and March 2013.

Cobb justified the demand by citing the citys prompt- payment ordinance, which was enacted in 2008 to require the city to pay vendors on time for goods and services. The ordinance was amended in 2014 to include grant recipients.

Although city staff denied Cobbs request for about $161,000 in penalties last year, officials reversed course after Cobb threatened to pursue legal remedies. In a Nov. 15 staff report, Cappio recommended settling the matter on condition that the group release the city from all future claims.

The proposed settlement drew concern from Roberts, who said in her letter that she feared the law had been misinterpreted. She said the Private Industry Council should not be eligible for prompt payment fees because the law didnt apply to grantees until 2014  a year after the period under consideration. Roberts noted, further, that the group had drastically inflated the amount the city owed.

The law defines the penalty as 10 percent of the original payment if it is delinquent for an entire year. The Private Industry Council indicated in its request that the payments under consideration were between one and 35 days late, but it asked for a 10 percent penalty on all of them. In reality, the total reimbursement due would have amounted to between $8,400 and $9,800, Roberts said.

I urge the City Council to consider the impact of this settlement and the precedent it may establish for potential similar prompt payment complaints, Roberts wrote. She said that if the settlement were approved, the city may need to set aside funds as a liability reserve in anticipation of other such requests for payouts of interest penalty reimbursements.

Cobb argued in her own letter to the city administrator that the original 2008 ordinance contains no language which would exclude grant-funded programs from its coverage. She was not immediately available for comment on how her group had calculated the proposed penalties.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @rachelswan
The San Francisco Unified School District sent parents a voice message on Wednesday afternoon saying the district is committed to providing a safe space for all students "including recent immigrants regardless of immigration status."

The recording, which was sent via text and robocall, also stated that SFUSD will continue to follow the sanctuary city policies for all immigrants.

SFUSD spokesperson Gentle Blythe said the message was a response to the deluge of questions teachers, principals and administrators have received from concerned parents and students.

"We have had many staff members report that students and families from a variety of backgrounds, whether they are Muslim or Mexican or possibly undocumented, are expressing fears about what the President-elect might do and how it will affect them," Blythe said. "SFUSD is working with the City to ensure that we are informing families about their rights and the resources available to them should they have concerns."

As a designated sanctuary city, San Francisco has adopted certain policies to protect undocumented immigrants and doesn't prosecute them if they've only violated federal immigration laws.

The San Francisco Board of Education has historically supported the city's Sanctuary status by serving all students regardless of immigration status as they have found this approach fosters a calm, safe environment in schools that supports learning.

"In the past decade, there have been a few incidents where immigration enforcement officials were rumored to have gone to schools looking for undocumented immigrants and these rumors had an adverse impact on students," Blythe said. "In fact, schools across the city reported students not coming to school as they were worried about being questioned and detained by ICE."

During the campaign, Trump gave a speech in which he promised to "end the sanctuary cities" and said those "that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities will not receive taxpayer dollars." He blamed such policies for "so many needless deaths" with little supportive evidence.

Trump didn't elaborate on his plans for cracking down on the cities. In a "60 Minutes" interview, he said his administration's priority will be deporting criminals and securing the border.

Many Democratic mayors of major U.S. cities that have long had cool relationships with federal immigration officials say they will do all they can to protect residents from deportation.

Shortly after the election, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said that he and his staff would continue to "uphold its 27-year-old sanctuary city laws protecting people who are in the country illegally," the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

With reporting from the Associated Press
The economy grew in the third quarter at the fastest pace in two years, with a revised report showing stronger consumer spending than first estimated.

The gross domestic product, the countrys total output of goods and services, expanded at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the July-September period, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. That is up from a previous estimate of 2.9 percent.

The revision is significantly better than the gains of 0.8 percent in the first quarter and 1.4 percent in the second quarter, when the economy was being held back by a strong dollar and weak business investment.

The 3.2 percent increase is expected to be the best showing for the year. Economists believe growth has slowed to around 2 percent in the current quarter. They expect growth of 2 to 2.5 percent for 2017.

But analysts caution that the outlook for next year could shift significantly based on policy changes  such as tax cuts and higher trade tariffs  that President-elect Donald Trump has promised to implement.

Real estate

Home prices

hit milestone

Home prices have fully recovered from their steep plunge during the housing bust and the recession, according to one measure.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index, released Tuesday, is slightly above the peak it set in July 2006, after rising 5.5 percent in September from a year earlier. The milestone comes after more than four years of steady gains.

But prices have not fully recovered in many cities and other gauges show that home prices remain below their peaks.

Steady job gains and low mortgage rates have encouraged more Americans to buy homes. Yet the supply of available properties has dwindled, setting off bidding wars and pushing up prices at a rapid pace.

Seattle, Portland and Denver reported the largest annual gains in September for the eighth straight month.

Cybersecurity

British law

needs testing

A contentious Internet surveillance bill that creates databases of Britons online activity has become law  though the government says some of its provisions still need extensive testing before taking effect.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow told lawmakers on Tuesday that the Investigatory Powers Bill had received royal assent, the last formality to becoming law. It was passed by Parliament this month after a year of argument and amendments.

Civil liberties groups have condemned the bill, which requires companies to keep customers browsing histories for a year. The information includes the websites users visited and the apps and messaging services they used, though not the individual pages they looked at or the messages they sent.

The data will be accessible by the police and intelligence services, government departments, revenue and customs officials and even the Food Standards Agency.

The Home Office said the law gives authorities the powers needed to disrupt terrorist attacks, and has strong privacy protections built in.

But service providers are concerned that the databases could be vulnerable to leaks and hackers.

Earnings

Bank profit

rises 13 percent

Banks earnings in the July-September period jumped nearly 13 percent from a year earlier as continued growth in lending fueled interest income.

The data issued Tuesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. showed strength in the banking industry more than eight years after the financial crisis. However, the impact of low oil prices on energy companies led to bigger losses on commercial and industrial loans.

The FDIC reported that U.S. banks earned $45.6 billion in the third quarter, up from $40.4 billion a year earlier.

Almost 61 percent of banks reported an increase in profit from a year earlier. Only 4.6 percent of banks were unprofitable, down from 5.2 percent in the third quarter of 2015 and the lowest percentage since the third quarter of 1997.

The FDIC said interest income increased by $10 billion, or 9.2 percent, from a year earlier.

The interest income earnings were boosted by a $112 billion, or 1.2 percent, increase in lending in the third quarter. The largest increases came in mortgage lending and credit cards.

The volume of commercial and industrial loans that were written off in the third quarter jumped by $946 million, or 82.7 percent.

Asia business

boosts Tiffany

Tiffany & Co. reported an unexpected sales increase in its third quarter, marking the first gain in eight quarters. It said Tuesday that stronger business in Asia offset declines in the U.S. and Europe.

The luxury retailer also noted that the increased security and protests near the home and office on Manhattans Fifth Avenue of President-elect Donald Trump has had some adverse effect on customer traffic at its flagship store.

The luxury jewelers profit rose to $95.1 million (76 cents per share). Sales rose 1.2 percent to $949.3 million.

South Korea

Samsung

ups dividend

Under pressure from hedge fund Elliott Management Corp., Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it will increase shareholder returns and review its corporate structure. Investors are looking for the South Korean tech giant to make adjustments in the wake of the Galaxy Note7 fiasco.

The South Korean company said that it will boost dividends by 30 percent from 2015 to about $3.4 billion.

Samsung also said it will add one independent member to its nine-person board and create a governance committee comprised of independent board members.

Chronicle News Services
While most law offices bear little resemblance to the romance-filled chambers of Ally McBeal or L.A. Law, the State Bar of California wants to put the kibosh on almost all sex between lawyers and clients, just in case.

The state legal professions self-regulatory body is mulling a ban on sexual relations between attorneys and their clients as part of the first broad revision of the states Rules of Professional Conduct since 1987.

As it stands, the bars rules allow for lawyers to engage in sexual relationships with clients, provided that the relationship isnt a form of payment for representation, obtained by coercion, intimidation or undue influence, or one that causes the attorney to perform legal services incompetently.

Proponents of the change cite the importance of preventing exploitation, since attorneys often hold clients fates in their hands. A sex ban would place attorneys under strictures similar to those that govern psychologists and psychiatrists.

But the proposal has spurred dissent from some California lawyers who claim the rule would invade their privacy.

In August, Justice Lee Smalley Edmon, who chairs the Bar commission working on revising the Rules of Professional Conduct, wrote that the change may implicate important privacy concerns.

TVs McBeal aside, the American Bar Association already prohibits attorneys from having sex with clients, unless the sexual relationship preceded the legal one. The ABAs rules, which would be mimicked by the proposed change in California, exempt spouses, allowing one member of a married couple to represent the other without disciplinary rebuke. Most state bar groups generally follow ABA rules, which set a standard for the profession but which the nationwide organization cant enforce.

In California, the State Bar can discipline lawyers in a variety of ways, including revoking their license to practice.

Ronda Muir, an attorney and legal consultant who specializes in personnel management issues for law firms, said that up until 2002, no state bar had rules banning such relationships.

The reason, Muir said, was that, in most states, lawyers regulate themselves.

Its because lawyers are writing the rules for lawyers, Muir said. The lawyers who are propagating these rules dont want to increase their liability.

Muir added that a blanket ban on attorney-client sex could be used as fodder in malpractice lawsuits against attorneys. While state bar disciplinary proceedings cant serve as the basis for a lawsuit, a violation of legal ethics can be used as ammunition, Muir said.

James Ham, a Pasadena attorney serving on the commission evaluating state rules, strongly disagrees with the proposed rule change.

There are issues of fundamental privacy, and how far the governments reach can go into our daily lives, Ham said.

Ham readily concedes that an attorney entering into a sexual relationship with a client is not a good idea, he said, but he remains skeptical that the new rule would have a significant impact on curbing sexual exploitation of clients by attorneys.

Under existing rules, the State Bar investigated 205 accusations of misconduct involving sexual relationships between attorneys and clients, according to a report by the groups Office of General Counsel.

In that time, only one led to discipline being imposed.

The Office of General Counsel, which supports the rule change, said those figures demonstrate the need for a very clear prohibition.

Ham disagrees, saying that problems with evidence made prosecutions difficult under the old rules and would continue under the new rules.

The state Supreme Court has the final authority to implement and impose the rules, and is expected to do so in March.

The State Bar commission is accepting public comment on the proposed rules through Jan. 9.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ DominicFracassa
Johnson & Johnson, the worlds biggest maker of health care products, has reportedly raised its takeover offer for Actelion, Europes largest biotech firm, as negotiations progress.

People familiar with the talks said that Johnson & Johnson significantly increased its offer from an earlier bid of about $26 billion, which would be $242 per share, which the Swiss company rejected as too low. The people asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The new price couldnt be confirmed. Actelion has given the American company access to some of its financial information as part of the negotiations, they said.

While Johnson & Johnson would prefer to buy the whole company, its also open to discussing other structures for the deal to win the backing of Actelions Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Jean-Paul Clozel, the people said. However, it wants to ultimately gain control of the Swiss drugmaker, one of the people said. One option reportedly being discussed is the creation of a separate entity for Actelions experimental drugs and research activities.

The Financial Times reported on Monday that the companies were discussing a complex transaction that could allow the Swiss company to remain independent, and that Actelion isnt actively pursuing an outright sale. Such a deal would bring together Actelion and parts of Johnson & Johnsons pharmaceutical business, the newspaper said, citing unnamed people close to the discussions.

Spokesmen for Johnson & Johnson and Actelion declined to comment.

Actelion shares rose 10 percent Tuesday in Zurich, giving it a market value of about $22 billion. The companys shares jumped the most in more than 16 years on Friday after Bloomberg reported Johnson &Johnsons interest.

The companies confirmed Johnson & Johnsons approach in separate statements Friday, but said theres no guarantee theyll come to an agreement. There has been speculation that Actelion may also attract other suitors, including Novartis and Sanofi.

Clozel has said in the past that he wants Actelion to remain independent after years of speculation that the company, which specializes in treatments for a type of hypertension that affects arteries that connect the heart to the lungs, could be a takeover target. The CEO, who is one of Actelions largest shareholders, may now be more open to entertaining a sale at a sufficient premium.

Manuel Baigorri, Matthew Campbell and Dinesh Nair are Bloomberg writers. Email: mbaigorri@bloomberg.net, mcampbell39@bloomberg.net, dnair5@bloomberg.net
This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.

The Arizona Department of Insurance had a budget of $15.7 million in 2015, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That seems like a lot of money at first glance, but how does it compare with budgets of other state insurance departments around the nation? A new analysis looks beyond the total dollar amount to provide a different perspective on resources available to state insurance departments.

These insurance departments are responsible for regulating the rates for auto, health, homeowners and life insurance. The departments also license agents and companies, resolve consumer questions and complaints, enforce insurance laws and investigate fraud allegations. The ability to do all of these things depends on money, staff and legislative support.

According to the data analysis by NerdWallet, the Arizona Department of Insurances budget in 2015 represented 0.05% of total state expenditures, below the national average of 0.07% in that year. To regulate insurance, the state spent $2.31 per capita, less than the U.S. average of $4.20.

The department kept less than 3% of its total revenue  the money brought in through fees, taxes and penalties paid by insurers and agents  compared with an average of 5.98% nationally. The analysis was based on data submitted by states to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Insurance department spokesperson Stephen Briggs says the agencys budget is set by lawmakers. We believe that the department has the necessary funding to fulfill its responsibilities required by law, he says.

The new report also looked at how many staff members were dedicated to consumer services  such as answering phones and resolving complaints against insurers. In Arizona, 11.87% of insurance department staff worked in consumer affairs, lower than the national average of 12.82%.

Elizabeth Renter is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: elizabeth@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ElizabethRenter.

The article Arizona Spends Below US Average on Insurance Regulation originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Scores of police conducted a series of raids throughout Santa Clara County Tuesday in an effort to track down and arrest two elusive inmates who escaped from the Santa Clara County Main Jail the night before Thanksgiving.

In search of the two escapees, Rogelio Chavez, 33, of San Jose and Laron Campbell, 26, of Palo Alto, the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office targeted known associates of the pair, officials said. One of the raids occurred on Inman Way in San Jose, police said.

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No arrests were announced in connection with any of the raids, which mobilized local SWAT teams and police departments and caused shelter-in-place orders at several area schools.

Following a late Sunday night raid at a Days Inn motel in Gilroy, prompted by tips that Chavez had been seen around the establishment, several people were taken into custody or questioned about the whereabouts of the fugitives, police said.

One of those arrested at the motel, San Jose resident Emily Vaca, was booked on suspicion of acting as an accessory to a crime for allegedly driving Chavez around Santa Clara County and helping him evade capture, police said.

Campbell and Chavez  along with two other inmates who were captured shortly after they breached the San Jose jails wall  escaped Wednesday before Thanksgiving by sawing through the bars on a window and rappelling to the ground with the aid of a makeshift rope made of bedsheets, investigators believe.

Their jail cell, which was built in the 1950s, was not equipped with cameras.

Campbell, who was booked at the jail in February 2015, was awaiting sentencing for a robbery conviction when he made his escape last week. Chavez, who was booked more recently in August 2016, awaited his own sentencing for extortion and burglary convictions. Both inmates had also been charged with other offenses, including gun violations.

The sheriffs office has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the capture of either escaped inmate.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
LONDON  The director of the CIA has issued a stark warning to President-elect Donald Trump: Tearing up the Iran nuclear deal would be the height of folly and disastrous.

During the election campaign, Trump railed against the deal, calling it a disaster and pledging to dismantle the historic accord, reached in 2015, in which Tehran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international oil and financial sanctions.

Mike Pompeo, a Republican whom Trump has chosen to succeed John Brennan as head of the CIA, wrote in mid-November on Twitter, I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism.

But in an interview with the BBC that was published on its website on Wednesday, Brennan warned that scrapping the nuclear deal would undermine American foreign policy, embolden hard-liners in Iran and threaten to set off an arms race in the Middle East by encouraging other countries to develop nuclear weapons.

First of all, for one administration to tear up an agreement that a previous administration made would be unprecedented, Brennan said in the interview, which the BBC said was the first ever by a CIA director with the British media. I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement.

Trump has professed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a strong leader, and promised closer relations with Moscow, but Brennan, who was appointed by President Obama and will step down in January after four years, warned that the incoming administration needed to be skeptical about the Kremlin.

I think President Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises, he told the BBC, reiterating the widely held view that Russia had carried out hacking during the United States election and blaming Moscow for the deteriorating situation in Syria.

Brennan also took a strong stand against waterboarding, which he said had undermined the agency. The CIA came under fierce international criticism after using interrogation methods like waterboarding after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and Obama has since banned the practice.

During the campaign, Trump pledged to bring back waterboarding and said he was open to unspecified methods he characterized as a hell of a lot worse.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trump is enlisting a trio of nominees with deep ties to Washington and Wall Street to fill out his Cabinet, including former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the Treasury Department.

On Tuesday, Trump also chose Georgia Rep. Tom Price to oversee the nations health care system, picking a fierce Obamacare critic who has championed efforts to privatize Medicare. And he selected another veteran Republican, Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to lead the Department of Transportation.

Mnuchins official announcement was expected as early as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the decision who insisted on anonymity in order to confirm the pick ahead of time.

Mnuchin, 53, led Trumps finance operations during the presidential campaign and become close with the president-elect and his family. But he has no government experience, which could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

Trump spent much of Tuesday in his Manhattan skyscraper, racing through meetings with prospective administration hires as high-profile vacancies remain  none bigger than secretary of state. He emerged in the evening for a private dinner with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is on the shortlist for the nations chief diplomat.

Romney spoke briefly to reporters after the meal, saying he has increasing hope that Trump can lead the country to a better future.

Price, picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after more than a decade in Congress, helped craft House Speaker Paul Ryans plan to privatize Medicare  a position Trump opposed in the campaign.

Trump did not address Prices position on Medicare in a statement released by his transition team. The team did not respond to subsequent questions about it.

Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on health care policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity, Trump said. He is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American.

Like Price, Elaine Chao is well-known in Washington. She was the first Asian American woman to serve in a presidents Cabinet, as labor secretary under George W. Bush.

Her record in that post suggests she would bring a light hand to safety enforcement as transportation secretary. Under Chao at Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration didnt issue a single significant new safety regulation for four years. Mine safety inspectors were cut and inspections reduced.
GATLINBURG, Tenn.  With flames dripping from tree branches like lava and the air filled with embers, thousands of people raced through a hell-like landscape as they fled from wildfires that killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes and a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Fanned by hurricane-force winds, the flames reached the doorstep of Dollywood, the theme park named after country music legend and local hero Dolly Parton. But the attraction was spared any significant damage.

The fires spread quickly on Monday night, when winds topping 87 mph whipped up the flames, catching residents and tourists in the Gatlinburg area by surprise. Police banged on front doors and told people to get out immediately. Some trekked 20 minutes to catch lifesaving rides on trolleys usually reserved for tours and wedding parties.

There was fire everywhere. It was like we were in hell. Hell opened up, said Linda Monholland, who was working at Park View Inn in Gatlinburg when she and five other people fled on foot. Walking through hell, thats what it was. I cant believe it. I never want to see something like that again in my life, ever.

In all, more than 14,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the tourist city in the mountains, where some hotspots persisted and a curfew was planned for Tuesday night.

The winds calmed and rain fell on some of the fires early Tuesday, but officials were worried that fire could spread again by evening, with forecasts calling for winds up to 60 mph.

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said officials were still conducting search-and-rescue missions.

We have not been able to get in all of the areas, Miller said. We pray that we dont experience any more fatalities, but there are still areas that we are trying to get to because of downed trees and power lines.

Photos of the Gatlinburg area showed scorched cars and buildings and soot-covered debris scattered across roads. A smoky haze hung in the air, obscuring picturesque fall views of the mountains awash in red, yellow and gold leaves.

Though wildfires have been burning for several weeks across the drought-stricken South, Monday marked the first time any homes and businesses were destroyed on a large scale.

The wildfires spread when winds blew trees onto power lines, sparking new fires and shooting embers over long distances. Hundreds of homes and other buildings, including a 16-story hotel, were damaged or destroyed.

Emergency officials ordered evacuations in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and in other areas of Sevier County near the Great Smoky Mountains.

Rain forecast for much of Wednesday should help the area after weeks of punishing drought.
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One of two inmates who escaped from the Santa Clara County Main Jail last week was recaptured Tuesday when he literally fell into the hands of authorities by crashing through the ceiling from an attic he was hiding in, officials said Wednesday.

The hunt for the second jail escapee continued, but authorities expressed confidence he will soon be caught, too.

Laron Campbell, 26, had been staying with his sister at her Antioch home, sheriffs officials said Wednesday. After several hours of surveillance, U.S. marshals and police entered the residence Tuesday about 10 p.m., and Campbell crashed through the ceiling from the attic for unexplained reasons.

Campbells sister, 24-year-old Marcaysha Alexander, was arrested on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

The other escaped inmate, 33-year-old Rogelio Chavez, remains on the loose.

We will leave no stone unturned until Rogelio Chavez has returned to custody, Santa Clara County Undersheriff Carl Neusel said at a news conference. There are few things more satisfying than taking desperate, violent people back into custody to bring them to justice.

The two escapees were among four inmates who cut through bars on a second-story window in the 1950s-era San Jose jail on Nov. 23 and rappelled to the ground using a makeshift rope of bedsheets.

Two of the inmates were immediately caught, but Campbell and Chavez vanished, prompting a sweeping manhunt and several raids at South Bay homes and businesses over the past week.

Tactical officers swarmed a trailer on Inman Way in San Jose in the hunt for Chavez, while SWAT teams conducted at least two other raids throughout the day Tuesday. The police action prompted several nearby schools to issue shelter-in-place orders.

Two days earlier, police raided a Days Inn motel in Gilroy where several people were taken into custody while law enforcement followed the inmates trail.

San Jose resident Emily Vaca, 35, was arrested on suspicion of acting as an accessory to a crime for allegedly helping Chavez evade the law.

Campbell, a Palo Alto resident, was booked in the jail in February 2015 and was awaiting sentencing for a robbery conviction and other crimes. Chavez, a San Jose resident, was booked in August and was awaiting sentencing on convictions including extortion and burglary.

Investigators have yet to locate the tool that allowed them to slice through the steel bars, Neusel said. The county plans to replace the jail and eventually install surveillance cameras throughout the site.

Fact is, its an aging jail facility thats very noisy and leaking at times, Neusel said.

Both men face possible life sentences.

Sarah Ravani, Evan Sernoffsky and Kimberly Veklerov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @EvanSernoffsky, @KVeklerov
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A Comcast outage struck the country on Wednesday morning, with the number of customers without service spiking between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.

At this time, some 500 people reported problems, the majority having issues with their Internet connection. Some of these customers shared in social media that Comcast had alerted them of a planned outage.
SAN JOSE (BCN)

A woman suspected of helping one of two inmates who escaped from the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose last week has been arrested, a sheriff's spokesman said today.

San Jose resident Emily Vaca, 35, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Glennon said.

Vaca allegedly helped 33-year-old Rogelio Chavez of San Jose flee from law enforcement authorities by driving him around the county, Glennon said.

Chavez and 26-year-old Laron Campbell of Palo Alto escaped from the Main Jail South facility near West Hedding and North San Pedro streets in San Jose around 11 p.m. Wednesday by cutting through bars to a second floor window, Glennon said.

They then lowered themselves to the ground with bed sheets and clothes, according to Glennon.

Investigators didn't find any cutting instruments in the cell or surrounding area where the inmates took off. They reviewed surveillance footage that showed the pair outside the perimeter established by deputies that night, Glennon said.

Two other inmates also fled with Chavez and Campbell but were quickly located by correctional deputies outside of the jail facility, Glennon said.

Around 11:15 p.m. Sunday, deputies went to a Days Inn motel at 8292 Murray Ave. in Gilroy based on tips that Chavez was in or near the motel, according to Glennon.

They were unable to find Chavez, but interviewed many people in the area, the sergeant said.

Deputies today also raided a property on Inman Way in San Jose for Chavez's associates in the county.

The raid was planned ahead of time and was just blocks away from Apollo High School, William C. Overfelt High School and Most Holy Trinity School, Glennon said.

Deputies are collaborating with local and federal law enforcement agencies in their search. Chavez had been at the jail since Aug. 17 on suspicion of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest and firearms violations, according to Glennon.

Chavez is described as a Hispanic man standing around 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 190 pounds. He has a facial tattoo above and below his left eye, Glennon said.

Campbell was booked into the jail on Feb. 12, 2015, for alleged robbery, false imprisonment, criminal threats and firearms violations, according to Glennon.

Campbell is a black man who stands about 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs roughly 220 pounds, Glennon said.

It's not clear if the inmates have weapons, but they are considered dangerous, Glennon said.

Sheriff Laurie Smith announced a $20,000 reward for anyone who provides information that helps investigators catch Chavez and Campbell, according to Glennon.

Smith has also warned the public that anyone who helps the inmates can expect to face charges.

People with information on the missing inmates' whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's investigations unit at (408) 808-4500 or anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431. Those who see the inmates are asked to exercise caution and call 911.
Secession talk in Texas is nothing new, with the most recent round coming in the wake of the United Kingdom's vote this year to leave the European Union.

The hashtag #Brexit, convenient shorthand for Britain's exit, quickly morphed into #Texit to describe the Lone Star State's faction that yearns for independence.
Donald Trumps Choices in the Middle East

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TEL AVIV  US President-elect Donald Trump has said a lot about foreign affairs, without really saying anything at all. His muddled statements offer little insight into what kind of foreign policy he will actually pursue, and there is not much reason to believe that, when his approach does become clear, it will be what the United States  or the world  needs.

Trump is a businessman, not a statesman. He thinks in terms of immediate profits and losses  a worldview that is exemplified in his declarations that US allies need to contribute more to security alliances. At a time of evolving challenges and growing threats, adhering to this narrow-minded, isolationist approach is unlikely to do anyone much good.

One region that Trump will not be able to ignore is the Middle East. The crisis in Syria, in particular, will draw the US in, though Trumps choices there are limited. After all, Americas moderate jihadist allies are no more palatable than President Bashar al-Assad, and the so-called Islamic State is far from defeated.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a close Trump adviser and possible member of Trumps cabinet, has identified defeating ISIS as the administrations first foreign-policy priority.

Trump has claimed that he knows more about ISIS than the generals do. But that is unlikely.

After all, the only way fully to defeat a movement that thrives amid chaos is to build strong and competent states, a task for which Trump lacks both the inclination and the patience.

If Trump opts for a purely military approach, he will find that every victory merely creates space for more violence and terror. While the conquest of Raqqa and Mosul by a US-led military campaign would improve Americas standing among its Sunni allies, it would also relieve pressure on the Russia-Iran-Hezbollah axis. Iran-backed Shia militias would unleash a killing spree against Sunni communities in Mosul after ISIS withdrew. The ensuing turmoil and pressure on Sunni populations would fuel more terrorism, whether associated with ISIS or with entirely new groups.

Whatever tack Trump takes in Syria, it will surely be influenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump must cut Americas dependence on Russia in the Syria war, in order to resist Putins efforts to use his influence in Syria to gain leverage with regard to Ukraine.

Of course, Trumps willingness to challenge Putin, for whom the president-elect has voiced admiration, is uncertain. But Americas security and military establishment, together with Republican senators like John McCain, are unlikely to allow Trump to Make Russia Great Again by surrendering both Syria and Ukraine. The surrender of Ukraine alone would embolden Russia to reassert itself in its supposed sphere of influence, potentially causing NATO to come apart.

Judging by his campaign statements, Trump might not be worried about the unraveling of NATO  or of any US security alliance, at least not yet. But the results could be disastrous, not least because a lack of US security guarantees and structures could spur nuclear proliferation.

Trumps promise to suspend the Iran nuclear deal is particularly worrying. Iran has prepared Hezbollah to be a powerful proxy for precisely those occasions when it needs to strike back at Irans enemies. Moreover, suspending the nuclear deal would cause Iran to become a nuclear power in no time. In a region with no collective security architecture, terrorist groups could easily acquire their own primitive nuclear devices.

Given this, Americas estranged allies in the Middle East  Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel  would be well advised to drop their opposition to the Iran deal, and instead encourage Trump to keep it in place. Likewise, Trumps promise to reduce funding to foreign allies, as part of a broader America first strategy, should be tempering their joy at his victory.

Another estranged ally that could shape Trumps choices in the Middle East is Turkey, which has pursued something of a detente with Russia in recent months. To salvage the bilateral relationship, Trump would have to sacrifice Americas partnership with the Kurds, whose militias in Syria and Iraq have been Americas most reliable allies in the battles for Mosul and Raqqa.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may want ISIS defeated, but he wants to quell the Kurds ambitions of self-rule even more. Rewarding the Kurds for their help by backing their bid for statehood would be so unacceptable that, to prevent it, Erdogan might even try to thwart the defeat of ISIS. Add to that opposition from Iraq, Syria, and Iran, and it is clear that Kurdish independence is not in the cards.

Palestinian statehood, however, should be. In his own erratic way, Trump has said as much, fueling hopes among some Palestinians that his election could end up working in their favor. But Israels fanatic settler movement has the opposite impression, viewing Trumps victory as a license for the unrestrained expansion of settlements in Palestinian lands.

In the end, how Trump uses US leverage in the Israel-Palestine conflict  the only issue in the Middle East where the US enjoys such indisputable influence  might depend on events on the ground.

Specifically, a settlement-building spree might end up triggering a particularly fierce third Palestinian intifada.

But Trump should not wait for a crisis to impose an agenda on him. Instead, he should recognize that now, more than at any time since 1948, Americas estranged Sunni allies have a strong incentive to make peace with Israel and collaborate with it on regional security, and that such an arrangement could be legitimate only with the creation of a Palestinian state. Given that this would also support US reconciliation with the Arab peoples, thereby serving Americas national security interests, Trump should not hesitate to seize the initiative.
New Yorkers have never met a dumpling they didn't like, whether it's cheap (and possibly dirty) or super expensive, Pac-Man shaped or the size of one's head. If it's meat or vegetables wrapped in dough, we'll take it.

While Chinese dumplings have long reigned in style and scope in our boroughs, we don't want for versions from other countries, like the momo, Tibetan and Nepalese dumplings. Versions of the treat abound in Queens and there's even an annual dumpling crawl celebrating the hearty purses. For a closer examination of the popular offerings, we visited Himalayan Yak, a longtime Jackson Heights staple serving a trifecta of Tibetan, Nepali and Indian cuisines, anchored, of course, by momo.

Momo enjoy status as the most popular fast food in places including Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and surrounding regions. In New York City, there are dozens of styles and locations to enjoy momo, and at Himalayan Yak, they offer a minimum of four different momo fillings and shapes, sometimes even offering their namesake yak.



Vegetable momo are characterized by their green dough, made from pureed bok choy (Clay Williams/Gothamist)

Regardless of the protein or vegetable, momo are characterized by the fresh spices that are mixed with the main ingredients and tucked into a simple dough of water and all purpose flour. At the Yak, that means a combination of garlic, ginger, cilantro, red and green onions, soy sauce and salt. The fresh components maintain much of their zest after cooking, lending crunch and brightness to the rich dumplings.

Most momo you'll encounter have been steamed in bamboo-type baskets like Chinese Xiao Long Bao and others that employ the same cooking method. However, momo can also be deep fried so the entire dumpling skin is more crisp, or steam fried, where the bottoms get a nice browned crunch but the domes stay tender.

When it comes to eating, some say it's a one shot deal, popping the whole dumpling into your mouth so as not to miss out on any of the juices trapped inside. It's a gamble on scalding your tongue, but the burst of flavor is welcome, especially on a cold evening.

The momo are also traditionally served with a variety of sauces with varying degrees of heat, like a red sauce with roasted red chile pepper, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, olive oil and soy sauce or the green sauce with avocado, tomatillo, spices and lemon juice. Manager Jamyang Gurung says the sauce employment method should be from bowl to plate, where you dip the momo before transporting to your mouth, and that it should be a one sauce to one momo affair. But Gurung isn't strict: if the moment calls for two sauces per momo, follow your heart.



Momo are just one part of the meal (Clay Williams/Gothamist)

While momo are a must at Himalayan Yak, it would be a big mistake to stop there. Thenthuk, a comforting bowl of hand cut noodles in a savory broth is another must-order, especially during the winter. Spicy vegetable-based curries, takari, like one made with gundrukthe fermented leaves of vegetables like cauliflower, mustard greens and radishesare particularly good and balance out lots of starch.

And while it'll take quite a bit of practice to form dumplings as beautifully sealed and presented as the ones depicted here, making momo at home is what many families in Nepal do regularly. Gurung recommends a recipe like this as a good starting point.

Himalayan Yak is located at 72-20 Roosevelt Avenue, (718) 779-1119; himalayanyak.net

With Raphael Pope-Sussman
JAKARTA, Indonesia  The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor, and no group is more worried than its Chinese minority.

They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry, an unnerving sign in a country with a history of lashing out violently against the ethnic minority that makes up 1 percent of its 250 million people.

The first major protest against Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama on Nov. 4 drew more than 100,000 people to Jakartas streets. Some held up banners calling for Ahok to be killed or decrying Chinese influence. It ended in violence, with one death and dozens injured after hard-liners attacked police. A separate mob tried to invade the apartment complex where Ahok lives in the north of the city and vandalized property in the area, which is home to many Chinese.

Hard-line organizers of the protest, who were unsatisfied by a police decision earlier this month to name Ahok as a suspect in the blasphemy case instead of arresting him, are promising another giant rally on Friday. After police pressure, they have agreed to concentrate the rally around a national monument in central Jakarta and insist it will be peaceful.

The furor over Ahok, sparked by his criticism of detractors who argued the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader, has highlighted religious and racial fault lines in Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim nation, and the growing challenge from proponents of Shariah law to its secular system of government.

For Chinese Indonesians, the controversy has awakened painful memories of the mass protests that ousted late dictator Suharto during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Boiling resentment against immigrant Chinese tycoons who profited from ties to Suharto and his famously corrupt family spilled over into mob attacks on Chinese property and people, killing many. Nearly two decades later, Jakartas Chinatown is still scarred by the burned-out shells of buildings torched in the chaos.

When Ahok in 2012 became the first Chinese to be elected deputy governor of Jakarta, and the first Christian in half a century, it was seen as a sign of the pluralistic tolerance fostered by the moderate form of Islam practiced in Indonesia.

But his rise to governor in 2014 was unpalatable to hard-liners.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti  The political newcomer chosen to lead deeply divided Haiti for the next five years says he is eager to improve the lives of desperately poor families in the long-neglected countryside and bring steady economic advances to one of the least developed nations in the world.

Jovenel Moise, an upbeat entrepreneur, said reviving the economically blighted countryside where almost 80 percent of households farm is one of his major goals. He described the rural poor as the backbone of his homelands fragile economy.

Its really important to change the lifestyle of these people, Moise said in his first interview with an international news agency since officials issued preliminary results showing he won the Nov. 20 election in a landslide.

If the preliminary results withstand challenges by three of his closest rivals in coming weeks, Moise will have earned the presidency with 55 percent of the votes in a field of 27 candidates.

The result is supposed to be certified on Dec. 29 after an electoral tribunal resolves the challenges.

In the interview at a Petionville campaign office, Moise said his priorities focus on agriculture, education, energy reform and foreign investment.

He said he is looking forward to the challenge of building consensus and helping fix a political culture perpetually at war with itself.

I am working hard to be close with the Parliament because theres no way a president can work without deputies, without senators, he said.

Robert Fatton, a Haitian-born politics professor at the University of Virginia, said that Moise will find governing difficult if he is unwilling or unable to draw some key adversaries into his regime.

The next few weeks and months will be bumpy and will test Jovenel Moises statecraft and capacity to move the country in a new and hopeful trajectory, he said.

The still-preliminary November victory came more than a year after Moise topped an initial presidential vote that was eventually thrown out for alleged fraud, leading to a lengthy period of political limbo.

A businessman from northern Haiti, Moise had never run for office until he was handpicked to be the Tet Kale party candidate by outgoing President Michel Martelly.

Some critics continue to view Moises ascent with suspicion, suggesting Martelly is using the candidate as a proxy. Moise laughed off the criticism, saying it is mostly about the snobbery of political elites in the capital.
VIENNA  Austrians are choosing Sunday between a moderate and a populist for president  and both candidates are hoping to exploit the Trump effect in the first European Union nation facing such a choice since the U.S. election.

Surveys show most Austrians think that populist Norbert Hofer stands to benefit to the detriment of left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen in the Dec. 4 vote. Whoever wins, the election has significance beyond who will claim the largely ceremonial post.

How the Trump bump plays out here could be a barometer of its resonance in other countries with upcoming national elections that also feature strong populist and euroskeptic contenders inspired by the U.S. billionaires triumph in the U.S. presidential election.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has welcomed the Trump victory as a sign of hope, while xenophobe Geert Wilders, who hopes to become prime minister in the Netherlands, has hailed the Trump revolution.

At his hate-speech trial, Wilders described Trumps victory as the start of a movement making short shrift of the politically correct doctrines of the elite and their subordinate media.

Its about to be proven in Austria, he added.

Van der Bellen won the vote earlier this year. But it is being rerun by a court order on claims by Hofers Freedom Party of major irregularities, and with Trumps victory still fresh in the minds of Austrias electorate both candidates hope to benefit.

Van der Bellen says he hopes that Trumps triumph will serve as a wake-up call to vote for him and against Hofer.

Hofer, whose support ranges from voters disaffected with the political establishment to the neo-Nazi fringe, greeted the U.S. election result as a victory for democracy, blasting opponents who wildly berate Trump.

Potential voters on the streets of Vienna, however, say the Trump effect could cut both ways.

I would think it helps Hofer, said Fanny Holzer, 19, who supports Van der Bellen. On the other hand, if you consider the nonsense that Trump could do, then maybe Van der Bellen.

Others said the U.S. election result has not affected whom they will vote for.

I remain with the choice I made originally, said Leo Ebner, 67. America is a good distance away from Austria.
I recently got so friggin angry. Wicked enraged. And no, not because of what you may be thinkingit had nothing to do with the election. I cooled down thanks to an Epsom salt soak and a good strong quartz-crystal-clear look at the situation, and I realized that I was not completely innocent.

Hubris will always be my albatross. I don't burn bridges, folks, I nuke 'em with a Walter White streak of blind pride so immense that people are confounded about how it comes in such a small, adorable package.

So after a sweeping eagle-eye view of everything that had gone down, I realized I had to let it go and be cool, gentle, consideratemellow.

What does it mean to respect each other and really get where the other person is coming from? To truly understand that in the heady swirl of "truth" there is also gross hyperbole? The blame game is so very easy, seeing yourself for who you truly are and how you really affect people is the twist.

So in these extreme and very interesting times, I say let's be cool. Let's transmute anger with some funky fresh fashion fun, because life is just too darn grim when we are made of concrete pride.

FASHION SUCKS tracksuit sweater by DI$COUNT UNIVER$E. (Amy Davis)

On the style front there is so much wacky-cool it can indeed blast a soothing breeze of acumen throughout our rustled-up minds. Sometimes naughty-albeit-goofy stuff is the best medicine, and I say look no further than good old Australian fashion brand

DI$COUNT UNIVER$E

(discountuniverse.com)

! Yeah, theyre trendy, but so what? Theyre also a fun-rumble of attitude, color, blood and pizazz. The FASHION SUCKS sweatshirt alone is pure satirical yum.

The brand combines the sequins and eyeball themes seen eons ago from Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck with a dash of '90s Moschino, a touch of Keith Haring and a fattening creamy dollop of Jeremy Scott on top.

Their unoriginalyet graphically brilliantevil eye even hearkens back to NYC streetwear brand Mishka and California-via-Shreveport art rock band The Residents.

The eyeball ... Is it blind or all-seeing? You decide.

Too wild for ya? Well check this out: On Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 pm, form & concept (435 S Guadalupe St., 982-8111) presents a talk with San Francisco-based jewelry designer Jenn Carroll Wilson about the ethics of metalsmithing. Did you know a single gold ring creates over 20 tons of mine waste?

GRR! Makes you mad, but this incredibly conscious and talented jewelry designer-cum-artist should diffuse your fuse. "My work is not political, so anger does not show itself in my made pieces, but it does in the creation of making them," Wilson told me via email. "I find anger, despair, depression ... all of the dark arts ... find the light in creativity."

Wilson's creations are modern, elegant and simple; a world away from Di$count Universe, but both designers deal with their own issues with the ethics of creation: DU slams the fashion world for its insane waste and vapid ugliness by creating shocking and quite wonderfully ugly work, whereas Wilson offers her powerful view through quiet design.

There is no doubt that both of these very different talents have subverted and redirected anger into creation.

Elsewhere, Spirit Clothing (109 W San Francisco St., 982-2677) owners Merrie Martin and Brenda Sales are quite possibly the best buyers of unique and wonderful items. Bags, shoes, scarves, hats, jewelry, barrettes and even dreamy local 100 percent organic skincare by LR Modern Alchemy  this stuff is ah-maze-ang!

My twinkling steely magpie eye spied milky-clear rubbery bags glimmering with soft spots of color. Here we have an Italian designer who is all about wastewho knew?! "Industry creates an enormous amount of waste [and] this waste is our basic element," Luisa Cevese Riedizioni says in her mission statement. "Different kinds of textile waste, plastic and production facilities led me to an array of different results. My objective is to find the simplest solution that involves, in the widest possible sense, the minimum of waste."

Waste didn't anger Riedizioni, it inspired her. She even created an innovative and original rubber-esque material called 11, taking actual remnant shards of rainbow-dipped silk and pressing them into the dewy Vaseline-clear walls of the bags. So brillz, so bright! And, in keeping with my "winter is coming let's stay shiny" theme, these bags may be a bit pricey ($200-$600) but absolutely not a waste.

So can we aspire to the above concept of being cool? If I can, you can, and face it, it will always get harder the more we fight to stay RIGHT. There is no right. There is only benevolent grace, and if we have that, baby, we'll always be in style.



Santa Fe Reporter
Elected officials from South Brooklyn and representatives from the Legal Aid Society assailed anti-immigrant rhetoric Monday night at a community forum at IS 236, two weeks after reports of harassment at PS 169 in Sunset Park.

Speaking to a crowd that included school staff and local residents, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, and Council Members Carlos Menchaca and Brad Lander addressed the recent bias incidents and described some of the resources available to immigrant communities.

According to a study from Southern Poverty Law Center, bias incidents and crimes have spiked since Donald Trump's election two weeks ago, immigrants being the group most targeted by this harassment. In New York, the NYPD has reported a 31.5 percent increase of these incidents from 2015 to 2016.

Last week, a crossing guard at PS 169 alleged that a school custodian made derogatory remarks about immigrants to her, saying they hoped Donald Trump builds a wall on the border and "I hope they throw them over the fence." The crossing guard also reported that on the morning after the election, a group of people drove past the school shouting "All you immigrants are moving out of here," as students were arriving for class. Sunset Park has a large immigrant community, primarily from Latin America and China. A majority of students at IS 139 are from these communitiesmany are first or second generation Americans.

Parents at the meeting expressed outrage about the incidentssome said they were nervous about sending their children to school. Some distraught students have also reportedly cried at home to their parents because of fears of deportation following the results of the election.



Congresswoman Velazquez addresses the community's concerns regarding future immigration policies. (Joshel Melgarejo/Gothamist)

Rep. Velazquez sought to assure attendees about their safety. "We will see him in court," she said, in reference to Trump's plan to deport two to three million undocumented immigrants. She also said New York's "sanctuary city" policies, which prohibit the NYPD and other city agencies from coordinating with federal immigration authorities on deportation efforts, will provide a measure of insulation from federal policy. She did, however, suggest that undocumented individuals have a plan of action in place, such as building a relationship with an immigration lawyer. Velazquez has recently introduced legislation to establish a federal hate crimes hotline.

Council Member Menchaca said he feared the effect of bullying on the political climate in schools. "It took one comment to create a ripple effect in schools, a chilling effect on reporting bullying that's happening in our schools," he said.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as an immigrant, call 311 or contact the Mayor's Office of Immigration Affairs at (212) 788 7654. If you want to report an ICE raid within NYC, call the Immigrant Defense Project at 212-725-6422.
It started with a cease-and-desist letter. Max Baseman had been running an art gallery out of his kitchen in a casita on Galisteo Street. It was Unit 5, and the black number by the door was the gallerys de facto sign. News of the little space swirled around Santa Fes art scene, aided by high-profile supporters such as New Mexico Museum of Arts Merry Scully and TAI Moderns Jaquelin Loyd. Then, about six months ago, Basemans landlord intervened.

"The motto at the casita was, 'We can do anything we want,'" Baseman says. "Then I got an email that said we couldn't do anything we wanted. So the new motto is, 'We're all in it together!'" He rented a warehouse space on Fox Road, a short walk from Meow Wolf. With the help of his friends, and the support of his new landlord, he spent four months converting it into a white box art space. The new 5. Gallery opened in August, and Baseman has mounted an exhibition there every month since. On a stormy Monday morning, the gallerist took some time to reflect on his curatorial journey so farand the shifting fate of his new neighborhood.

"I grew up halfway in the art world," says Baseman. His father is Taos artist Marc Baseman, who contributed works from his print collection to 5.'s November show. Mandorlo e Mandorla featured works on paper from legendary names like Louise Bourgeois, Marcel Duchamp and Gerhard Richter. Baseman wandered the show with his fluffy white cat, Nephele, pointing out artworks that usually reside in his childhood home in Taos. "I'm named after Max Beckmann, who did the piece over there," he says, gesturing to a 1922 drypoint by the German expressionist. "All of my dad's fancy art books have crayon scratches on them from when I was a toddler."

Baseman always admired the work of Taos modernists such as Agnes Martin, but never received a formal art education. After high school, he hastily left his hometown for Albuquerque to study philosophy and religious studies at the University of New Mexico. He graduated in 2014, and crashed on a friends couch in Santa Fe. Santa Fe was just a place between Albuquerque and Taos. I didnt know it that well, he says. In his first few months here, he started hanging out downtown at The Matador and connected with a burgeoning scene of young artists.

Founding an art salon in his home seemed like a natural next step. "I went to school for philosophy, and I consider [curating] the same work," says Baseman. He recruited his new friends to contribute artwork, but didn't tap the collections of his father and other art collectors. "I mean, it was my kitchen," says Baseman. "I had to hang things based on how thick the wall was in places."

Then came that fateful email from the landlord. Armed with the little blue tile that read "5," Baseman sailed into the deeper waters of the art world. He worked 14-hour shifts at Coyote Cantina this summer to raise an operating budget, and now he's running his business full-time. For the new space's inaugural show, Arbeit: Frank and his Dream, he loaded paper napkins into his Royal typewriter and tapped out invitations. "Labor-intensive but cost-effective," he says.

The group exhibition featured nods to Baseman's Taos roots, with work by Wes Mills and Chris Aloia filling the gallery's front room. Mills, who is a family friend, once ran an art space in an abandoned Taos barbershop, and exhibited work by Aloia. "To show someone that he was showing in a similar attitude was really cool," says Baseman. "I didn't go into it with that in mind, but the show told a narrative, I think."

Since then, Baseman has been working his way through his new network, seeking artwork for upcoming shows. He's planning about two months in advance, which requires constant hustling. "I looked at over 2,500 images in one day last week," he says. "Even doing one studio visit is amazing and beautiful, but emotionally and physically exhausting." Loyd and other Santa Fe art insiders have been a great help. "People say galleries are all cutthroat, but everyone's been super helpful," Baseman tells SFR.

For 5.'s December show, small, Baseman engaged art critic Ann Landi to curate a group of diminutive artworks. It's Landi's reversal of an art world tendency toward flashy, large-scale statements, and brings together emerging and established artists. Nearly all of them live in New Mexico, and many are participants of Landi's online platform for professional artists, Vasari21.

Baseman has been so busy with the gallery since opening that he's only had time to visit Meow Wolf once, but he's very aware of the cultural shift in the neighborhood. "It seems like there's a lot going on here," he says, mentioning Adobe Rose Theatre, Duel Brewing and the rumored opening of a new bar. "I don't know if it's going to be as fast or intense as everyone is saying. They're like, 'It's going to be the new Plaza!'" Baseman's presence is already drawing attention to his block: Some of his friends have been eyeing nearby warehouse spaces for their studios.



Small Opening Reception:

5-7 pm Friday Dec. 2. Free.

5. Gallery,

2351 Fox Road

Santa Fe Reporter
Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi (Sacro GRA) profiles the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, a refugee landing spot during the European migrant crisis of 2015, but Fire at Sea isn't structured like most documentaries comprised of interviews, expert witness and narration. Rosi instead puts storytelling in the back seat and allows his footage to be interpreted differently from viewer to viewer, careful not to coddle our perception of immigration as he depicts the world of hardships faced by migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East in the midst of exposure, hunger and illness.

Rosi provides parallels between the perils of migrating through the Mediterranean on a sinking boat and the everyday life on Lampedusa. The footage focuses on a 12-year-old boy named Samuele Pucillo who endlessly explores the island in search of adventure. Rosi captures Pucillo's routine and compares it to that of a refugeePucillo plays with his slingshot and struggles with poor vision and shortness of breath as refugees are lifelessly dragged from their boat by the Italian Coastguard to be either rescued or buried. Fire at Sea succeeds in conveying the trials faced by the refugees with ruthless and raw footage.

Though Fire at Sea does well at establishing its message, it fails to evolve into a full-fledged narrative. Rosi's completed work is disorganized and sporadic and struggles with consistency and purpose. Even the juxtaposition of dying refugees and a young boy at play is more of a cause for discomfort than a political statement on the truth of the crisis. The film's driving force is fleeting as the minutes go by, and though we are drawn to the refugees' song of struggle as they proudly sing from underneath their boat, viewers might become desensitized, much like the Sicilian islanders, thereby making it easy to lose most of our emotional investment in the story.

Fire at Sea

Center for Contemporary Arts,

NR,

108 min

Santa Fe Reporter
The federal government has put grant money on the table for the states taking, this time specifically to preserve habitats and study species often overshadowedand therefore underfundedby their huntable and fishable brethren. But the New Mexico Game Commission seems reluctant to accept the offered funds, up to $1 million a year. Instead, they took every opportunity to soften the language in the newly approved State Wildlife Action Plan. The edits loosened the plans bonds and put nebulous mandates on grant applications, without clear direction on how to fulfill them.

Since New Mexico first approved a State Wildlife Action Plan in 2005, the state has received $13.8 million in 55 grants for surveys and research as well as restoration and management projects. Fish took the highest number of grants, though mammals, riparian habitat restoration and the purchase of lands and easements for conservation also secured funds.

"What the State Wildlife Action Plan hopefully represents is a hearty acknowledgement of the important roles that non-game species, that we spend a lot less time thinking about and we see less often, play in the larger ecosystem," says Michael Dax of Defenders of Wildlife, a repeat commenter on the issue.

The plan expires after a decade. When an updated draft went before the commission in late 2015, Matt Wunder, division chief of the Department of Game and Fish's Ecological and Environmental Planning Division, reminded commissioners, "The [grant program] provides the department with a substantial stream of money and in large measure the only source of funding that we have to work on  nongame species."

But faced with representatives from oil and gas and ranching who opposed the plan as overreaching, fretted about it listing 460 "species of greatest conservation need" and claimed it was more fiction than science, commissioners voted to ask the federal government for an extension so they could spend more time with stakeholders.

"My concerns with the [State Wildlife Action Plan] is that there are very few facts in it," said Karin Foster, attorney and executive director for the Independent Petroleum Association, at that November 2015 meeting. "It's extremely anti-business, it's extremely anti-oil and gas and it's clearly the opinion of the drafters in many, many instances."

The revised plan approved by commissioners on Nov. 17 listed just 235 species. Among them were the charismaticjaguars, black-footed ferrets, North American river otters, as well as more than 70 bird speciesand the lesser-known: a bevy of shrimp, chubs, suckers, snails, lizards, snakes, and no fewer than 46 species of mollusks.

Commissioners took a few more public comments, closed that session, and then the commission's chairman, Paul Kienzle, tacked on several amendments to soften language. The plan went from making declarative statements to covering "potential" threats, and made explicit that the plan "doesn't have the force of law, rule or regulations." Language calling for New Mexico to "strengthen or develop state laws, regulations and policies" to protect wetlands and aquatic ecosystems became "consider appropriate policies." To every section where threats and conservation actions were listed, Kienzle added language that states, "Conservation action is not warranted merely because a potential threat is identified. Conservation action is not appropriate without site-specific data."

"We are still not totally clear how those amendments will serve practically," says Dax, with Defenders. "We do want a plan passed, we're happy that a plan passed, but we do want to make sure it's a plan that will actually be useful for researchers to get grants and do projects.  We're hopeful that the plan as passed will serve that function, but because of the last-minute nature of those amendments, that did give us cause for concern."

Susan MacMullin, chief of the branch of the US Fish and Wildlife Service that works on non-game wildlife and sport fish restoration for the Southwest, tells SFR the plans are "supposed to be the blueprint for conservation of a state's species into the future. You do need a plan to figure out if you're making progress."

Adding the caveat that she's not the decision-maker here, just a gatekeeper who will then pass the plan on to regional and federal offices to approve, she said, based on her first read, adding the amendments "doesn't take away from the fact that it's a planning document that kind of informs management of a species of greatest conservation need."

Game commissioners had repeatedly expressed concern that federal money would come with strings attached.

"I really just don't trust the federal government at this point," Commissioner Elizabeth Ryan said at the meeting.

There's no evidence that, in the 10 years this program has been in place, any such requirements have been made. In his presentation that year, Wunder reiterated that the program keeps the state "in the driver's seat." Keeping New Mexico's wildlife off the endangered list can help to prevent the need for federal intervention, avoiding what happened with endangered species like Mexican wolves and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.

Since 2005, these grants have funded, just to name a few, river habitat restoration projects for the Chihuahua chub, a study on the effect the Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire had on warm water fish in the Gila River basin, and population management for black bearspurchasing lockable city trash dumpsters to deter bears from scavenging for edible garbage.

As Kienzle pointed out during the 2015 meeting, "None of us go to jail if we don't approve this. We may not get any money from this grant program but this isn't a federal requirement in the sense that you have to do it.  So be it. If we don't get the money, we don't get the money."

And perhaps, so be it.



Santa Fe Reporter
Scores of water users gathered at the Cities of Gold Hotel for a yet another meeting over a centuries-old conflict.

Lawyers, tribal governors and county representatives sat alongside officials from the State Engineer's Office at the front of a banquet hall. Maps stuck along the back walls displayed blueprints for a proposed system that aims to deliver water from the Rio Grande to users to the area north of Santa Fethe culmination of decades of heated litigation involving Santa Fe County, the US Department of Justice, the State of New Mexico and the four Pueblos that claim parts of the region as their homeland: Pojoaque, Nambe, Tesuque and San Ildefonso.

Skeptics of the system gathered at the hotel in early November as a result of a settlement finalized by a judge this spring. The case quantifies the water rights of the Pueblos, who agreed to reduced claims, and the rights of the non-Indian landowners in the region. The Aamodt case, as it's known, stems from a lawsuit filed in 1966 by the State Engineer's Office to determine the water rights of basin landowners.

With this lawsuit that's lingered for decades, there seem to always be more questions than answers. Right now, the big issue is one of governance. Who will control the tap?

County commissioners on Tuesday delayed a highly anticipated vote deciding whether to create or reject a regional water authority that would oversee the management and operation of the proposed system.

The delay came in response to non-Pueblo residents who fear their voices won't be heard on a board of directors that includes four Pueblo representatives, a county commissioner, and two other members to be appointed by the other directors.

Commissioner Henry Roybal, who represents most of the basin in the county's northernmost district, introduced two amendments Tuesday evening to change how the latter two board members would be chosen.

State legislators who represent constituents in the basin, Rep. Carl Trujillo (D-Santa Fe) and Sen. Carlos Cisneros (D-Questa), support a proposal to grant themselves the power to choose the two additional board directors. Trujillo believes that will better ensure that non-Pueblo water users get representation on the governance over the utility, noting that 84 percent of basin residents are non-Pueblo.

The other proposal would grant appointment authority to the Board of County Commissioners.

Roybal tells SFR that either of his proposals could help attract much-needed customers to the water system. "I've met a lot of constituents that have reached out to me and called me telling me they feel they need more representation on the board," he says.

"They're ramrodding this thing and not listening to the will of the people," says Richard Reinders, owner of Estrella Del Norte Vineyard, which has land in Pojoaque and Nambe.

But County Commissioner Miguel Chavez, who lives within Santa Fe city limits and leaves office after just one more planned commission meeting, says there's no point waiting any longer to approve the agreement. He tells SFR, "I think that there's been enough discussion about this, there's been enough back and forth, and I think it's time now to move on. The Pueblos understand this. They've already made concessions."

To honor the senior water rights of the Pueblos, parties agreed to construct a new water utility that will run from the northernmost tip of Santa Fe County all the way to the edge of the city, delivering to the taps of homes and businesses down to the Bishop's Lodge resort. The feds have promised to pick up about 66 percent of the $159.3 million construction costs, as estimated in 2006. Meanwhile, the state and county plan to cover $45.5 million and $7.4 million, respectively.

As made evident by the flood of questions directed at experts during the Cities of Gold meeting, distrust runs high among basin residents. At the very least, confusion abounds. About 800 filed objections to the settlement, but had their claims thrown out in federal court in March. Of those, 330 appealed that ruling, and the 10th Circuit has yet to issue a decision on a question of whether the settlement is valid without approval from the Legislature.

Should the county approve the joint powers agreement, there are still unresolved issues that could thwart the terms of the settlement from coming into fruition, says A Blair Dunn, the lawyer representing the 330 settlement objectors appealing the federal ruling throwing out their case.

On top of Dunn's appeal, he says the county also needs to put to rest a conflict over Pueblo road access that puts county funding for the project at risk.



Santa Fe Reporter
Ballot Recount Starts

The New Mexico State Canvassing Board, according to the Associated Press,

Tuesday, but the election isnt official in three tight legislative races where poll workers

ballots. When results are within 1 percent for the top two candidates, a recount is required.

The races include the one between Democratic incumbent John Sapien and Republican Diego Espinoza in Senate District 9, House District 23s race between Democrat Daymon Ely and Republican incumbent Paul Pacheco, and the tightest race, Republican incumbent David Adkins and Democrat Ronnie Martinez in House District 29.

Ballots Safe in New Mexico

Dan Boyd reports, Outgoing New Mexico Secretary of State Brad Winter said Tuesday that state residents can be

of this months general election, disputing a suggestion from President-elect Donald Trump about widespread illegal voting.

Perez Wants APD Job Back

Former Albuquerque Police Officer Dominique Perez

now that second-degree murder charges have been dropped against him. The city says it will take a second look at his termination, but may not rehire him yet since charges could still be refiled against him.

On the Brink

SFRs Elizabeth Miller reports that watchdogs assembling in Santa Fe say its time to

posed by more than 15,000 nuclear weapons worldwide.

Secret Guardianship Program Called Barbaric

Diane Dimond continues to

and reports some families caught up in the secret system call it barbaric and corrupt.

Santa Fe Reporter
The country's two largest news publishers blindsided a start-up competitor involving two of the country's most experienced journalists, publishing a marketing pitch for a revamped Newsroom service as part of their submissions supporting the merger of NZME and Fairfax NZ.

BusinessDesk broke the news to Newsroom's Tim Murphy late yesterday that marketing materials about the venture, which the former New Zealand Herald editor-in-chief is fronting with the former head of news for TV3, Mark Jennings, were public on the Commerce Commission's website among materials jointly lodged by NZME and Fairfax.

The commission last month issued a draft determination rejecting the proposed merger on the basis that it would threaten 'media plurality' - the range of voices, opinions and issues that the news media might cover - and produce an outcome that was not in the public interest. It will hold a public conference next week to hear submissions on the proposal.

The NZME/Fairfax submissions lodged yesterday argue the merger will enhance plurality because it is more likely to ensure their commercial survival in a news industry where shrinking revenues are threatening traditional business models, and that professional editors and journalists conform to principles of plurality as a matter of course. They argue also that new sources of news are emerging.

Releasing the Newsroom pitch appears to have been part of its effort to prove that media plurality was alive and well with or without the merger, with the Newsroom document suggesting that "doubt over the future of NZME and Fairfax will increase the demand for (an) alternative site".

While publication of their pitch was a surprise, Newsroom is front-footing the disclosure today, explaining the initiative through a variety of independent news and marketing websites, including The Spinoff and StopPress.

Murphy and Jennings are joined in the initiative by economic journalist and commentator Bernard Hickey, formerly of Interest.co.nz. Hickey will bring his daily exclusive HiveNews newsletter into the Newsroom stable, which will be built on the bones of the Newsroom media-monitoring service bought in 2014 by tech entrepreneur Selwyn Pellett, who had intended to merge it with the Scoop website.

The new Newsroom material reveals the independent publisher of the Otago Daily Times, Allied Press, is also involved in the project, which will be funded by a combination of corporate sponsorship, university partnerships, and public funding for video news elements, as well as advertising and 'voluntary audience micro-payments'.

The site's appeal is "in-depth news for thinking people" who are "dispirited by New Zealand media offerings" because "mainstream media have largely withdrawn from quality news about our society".

In a post to StopPress, Murphy says the initiative was two to three weeks away from launch anyway and the early release of detail has been a spur to get things under way.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith, who is introducing a new licensing regime for insolvency practitioners, said between 10 and 20 percent of them fall short of reasonable expectations.

Goldsmith is introducing a co-regulatory licensing system where professional bodies, such as the Recovery, Insolvency and Turnaround Association of NZ and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, will carry out the frontline regulation.

The Registrar of Companies will monitor and report on the effectiveness of their systems and processes. The Registrar would also be empowered to guard against the frontline regulators imposing excessive barriers to entry.

Provisions in the Companies Act and Receiverships Act will also be strengthened, including creditors powers relating to appointing and replacing insolvency practitioners and providing the High Court with workable powers to remove and ban incompetent, dishonest and unprofessional insolvency practitioners. Currently there is little financial incentive for creditors to seek to enforce the duties, particularly when practitioners liquidate small to medium sized companies (SMEs).

Hundreds of New Zealand companies go into liquidation, receivership or administration each year with outstanding debts running into many millions of dollars and Goldsmith said it was essential there is a high level of trust and transparency around the process.

In a Cabinet paper on the proposed changes, Goldsmith said most of the hundred or so practitioners who regularly take appointments administer insolvencies in a professional manner but it appears that there are 10 to 20 practitioners at any one time who consistency fall below reasonable expectations.

Of the 2500 appointments in the year to August 2016, a significant number of liquidations were administered by practitioners with convictions under the Crimes Act and/or the Tax Administration Act, which is permissible under the current rules. Two of them accepted 98 appointments between them, the paper said.

Goldsmith said problems with dishonesty, debtor-friendliness, and incompetence were concentrated in SME company liquidations where typically the shareholders investments in the company are gone so they have no incentive to appoint a good liquidator and individual creditors owed relatively small amounts dont want to incur the expense of seeking court remedies.

The new measures follow the recommendations of an Insolvency Working Group set up last year to investigate the industry, particularly problems with voluntary company liquidations and the use of phoenix companies where assets are transferred to a near-identical entity to dodge liabilities. It recommended law changes after finding too many insolvency practitioners fell well short of expected standards by overcharging or failing to protect creditors interests.

The group identified two primary causes  that it was too easy for people to become an insolvency practitioner and a lack of accountability for poor behaviour.

Goldsmith said a small number of insolvency practitioners use their statutory powers to misappropriate money that should go to creditors. For example, in a High Court case earlier this year a liquidator was found to have forged a document and not accounted for $540,000 worth of receipts.

More commonly, self-interested practitioners overcharge for their services or carry out unnecessary work in order to get higher fees while debtor-friendly liquidators fail to comply with their statutory duty to protect creditors interests, the minister said. There is also a wider issue with the quality of insolvency practice and a need to raise professional standards.

The changes will be made through a supplementary order paper to the Insolvency Practitioners Bill which is currently before the House.

Licensed practitioners and professional bodies will meet the cost of the new frontline regulation, including licensing, managing complaints, disciplinary action and continuing professional development. Independent oversight and maintaining a register of licensed practitioners by the Companies Office will cost between $750,000 and $1 million per annum which will be initially met by a surplus in the office's memorandum account and then by adding the cost to the annual company return fee.

The working group also considered whether voidable transactions should be reformed, including legal changes to aid the recovery of lost funds in Ponzi schemes. A second report on that is due out early next year. The Cabinet paper suggests one solution would be voiding the transfer of a companys assets once a liquidation application has been filed, subject to certain exceptions, to make it more difficult for company directors to effect these transactions at undervalue.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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New Zealand shares dipped with Orion Health Group extending its losses from Monday, while Spark New Zealand and A2 Milk Co gained.

The S&P/NZX 50 Index fell 4.8 points, or 0.07 percent, to 6,896.95. Within the index, 28 stocks fell, 18 rose and five were unchanged. Turnover was $267.2 million.

"The market is obviously continuing to recover from having been a bit weak in the past few weeks, flat on the day which is not too bad - we've seen markets globally be a bit choppy overnight," said Shane Solly, director, portfolio manager & research analyst at Harbour Asset Management. "We've had a lot of volatility and we're trying to settle down a bit, but we are on the run-in to the end of the year and traditionally that sees markets a bit firmer."

Orion Health Group led the index lower again, dropping 5.8 percent to $1.80. On Monday, the health software developer plunged 19 percent following its first-half results, where it narrowed its first-half loss to $18 million and said it would make a profit in 2018, while sales rose to $104.2 million from $101.7 million. It's now declined 28 percent since those results.

Fletcher Building dropped 4.8 percent to $10.28, Tower declined 2.8 percent to 69.5 cents, and Goodman Property Trust fell 2 percent to $1.22.

Spark New Zealand was the best performer, up 3.6 percent to $3.635. It was also the most heavily traded stock on the index, with $52 million in turnover.

"The telecommunication sector is coming in for some buying, after being under pressure when bond yields increased," Solly said.

A2 Milk gained 2.5 percent to $2.46. The shares have risen 13 percent since last Tuesday when the company updated shareholders at its annual meeting in Sydney, with the chief executive saying the board wanted to be clear about its performance.

In the four months to October, revenue was at $155.2 million, compared to $79.3 million in the same period of the 2016 financial year, which A2 said reflected continued growth in infant formula and milk products in its presentation posted to the NZX.

Outside the main index, Cavalier Corp shares were unchanged on the outcome of an appeal against a High Court ruling which gave the green light to the merger of its wool scouring operations.

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Institutional investors now dominate the ownership and governance of New Zealand media companies, according to the sixth annual update on local media ownership from the Auckland University of Technology's Journalism, Media and Democracy Research Centre.

"For the first time in six years, our media companies are exclusively owned by financial institutions and it is in their interest to push structural changes through," the report's author, Merja Myllylahti, says in a review of a sector in which two major mergers are proposed: between news publishers NZME and the New Zealand assets of Australian media firm Fairfax Media; and between Vodafone New Zealand and Sky Network Television.

Media owners have largely pulled out of the sector, she notes.

"Many of the directors have no declared media interests, but have directorships in financial firms and corporate advisory businesses.The board structures of media corporates support further consolidation."

The report lists the most significant events in New Zealand media ownership this year as: NZME separating from its Australian parent APN News & media, to become a standalone NZX-listed company; Rupert Murdoch's News Corp selling all its NZME shares, inherited as a result of the APN split; the proposed merger between NZME and Fairfax's New Zealand assets; Vodafone proposing a merger with Sky Network Television; and TV3 owner MediaWorks getting a new board and senior management.

NZME, publisher of the New Zealand Herald newspaper and website and the Newstalk ZB radio network among other assets, is 85.6 percent-owned by financial institutions, she said.

Myllylahti painted a grim outlook for traditional news publishers, saying merging was "not a solution for NZMEs and Fairfaxs troubled business models".

"The market challenges remain the same."

She noted a report by David Kaynes, an Australian-based analyst for multinational investment bankers Citi, reported in Australian media yesterday, suggesting Fairfax's flagship titles in Australia have no future if digital revenue continues to decline.

"The only way for the merged company to stabilise its revenue in the short-term is to implement cost savings and cut hundreds of jobs, and it is their intention to do so," said Myllylahti.

The report notes that media and telecommunications consolidation is accelerating in many countries.

"The relations and dependencies between news media corporations, social media companies, search engines, chat providers, and news app companies became increasingly intertwined and complex" in 2016.

NZME and Fairfax are arguing they must merge to have a chance of competing with global platforms like Facebook and Google, which are becoming go-to venues for news while hoovering up digital advertising revenues, which are a far smaller than the total pool of advertising spend once available to newspaper publishers.

That's in spite of new evidence that the total proportion of all ad spending committed to digital channels is growing fast.

The Standard Media Index, a measure of New Zealand advertising spend, shows some 31.6 percent of total ad spending was on digital from January to September this year was 31.6 percent, compared with 26.2 percent in the same period last year and 11.6 percent for the same period five years ago.

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The amount airlines make from charging travellers for extras such as in-flight food and drink or selecting a seat with more leg room, is forecast to rise by 13.8 percent this year to US$67.4 billion.

The projection, from airline ancillary revenue consultancy IdeaWorks and online car rental booking company CarTrawler, covers 178 airlines. They predict the additional lucrative income airlines worldwide make from travellers has risen nearly 200 percent since 2010 and now accounts for an estimated 9.1 per cent of airline revenue globally.

Ancillary revenue is generated by services and activities that go beyond simply flying someone to their destination. Optional a la carte services, such as checked baggage, account for US$44.9 billion of this years forecast. The smaller share, US$22.5 billion, comes from non-fee activity such as the sale of frequent flyer miles to programme partners and commissions earned on hotel or car rental bookings.

It is traditional airlines such as Air New Zealand that are raking in the biggest total dollars from ancillary revenue  an estimated US$26.9 billion worldwide in 2016, up US$6.9 billion on the previous year. Thats due to increased activity in the areas of brand fares, checked baggage, premium seating, and seat assignment, the forecasters say. Even Emirates, an airline hardly associated with ancillary revenue, began charging a seat assignment fee for its lowest priced fares in October.

In other categories, US major airlines are predicted to make US$20.2 billion this year from ancillary revenue compared to US$13.4 billion for ancillary revenue champs who generate the highest percentage of revenue this way, and low cost carriers at US$6.9 billion.

The predicted increase takes into account IATA forecasts that global spending on air transport will drop US$23 billion this year to US$740 billion and by Irish budget airline RyanAir, an ancillary revenue champ, posting a decrease in the percentage of revenue earned this way this year to 24 percent from 26.1 percent.

Air New Zealand doesnt disclose income from ancillary revenue and doesnt like to comment on it although, like most other airlines, it began a big push in this area a few years ago when fuel costs were high and margins on air fares low.

Its website shows an expanded list of travel extras where it clips the ticket on bookings such as campervans, luxury accommodation, taxis, mystery breaks, insurance, airport parking, and multi-stop breaks along with its own seat selection, upgrades, and other additional services.

After Commerce Commission warnings, both Air New Zealand and Qantas budget offshoot Jetstar ditched an opt out clause during the online booking process which meant customers were automatically sold travel insurance unless they selected not to include it in their ticket. Travel insurance is one of the most lucrative sources of ancillary revenue.

The ancillary revenue yearbook released in September based on 2015 revenues ranked Qantas Airways ninth in the top 10 airlines making money this way and fifth when calculated per passenger. It made an estimated US$1.17 billion (12 percent of total revenue), mostly from frequent flyer programmes, while Jetstar made an estimated US$564 million (21.3 percent of total revenue), and rival Australian airline Virgin Australia made an estimated US$182 million (5 percent of total revenue).

Global and low cost carriers earn top ancillary revenue per passenger with the bigger airlines earning a lot off checked baggage and high-performing co-branded credit cards and the low cost carriers offering rock-bottom fares and charging for virtually everything else.

Jetstar has been pushing fare bundles, which combine a range of extras and flexibility for a cheaper price than they would cost separately. For example, in September it launched a bundled flexible fare for Kiwi business travellers that lets them switch their flight time of the day of travel, take extra carry-on baggage, select an upfront seat, and get a $10 meal voucher, for an extra $21 to $55 depending on whether its a domestic or international flight.

The CarTrawler yearbook said some may mourn the passing of simpler times when a long haul ticket price included such things as a checked bag, seat assignment and an often inedible meal, but it said consumer behaviour supports the popularity of seat-only tickets that deliver a low price while consumers can opt to click and pay a premium for more comfort and convenience.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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Michael Daniell, the former boss and current director of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, has won the New Zealand Shareholders Associations 2016 Beacon Award for guiding the company from a tiny startup with a handful of staff to a recognised world leader in the production of respiratory care and sleep apnea devices.

The annual award is given to someone who demonstrates outstanding performance, including leadership, corporate governance, and respecting the rights of all shareholders.

NZSA chairman John Hawkins said Daniells long career with the company was a remarkable story of dedication, drive, and determination which has taken F&P Healthcare to the very pinnacle, including being named Exporter of the Year in 2015.

Its hard getting a man as modest as Daniell to say much about himself, he prefers talking about the people at F&P Healthcare where the culture of treating others fairly and an export vision was inculcated by the founders Maurice Paykel and Woolf Fisher and drummed into him by his mentor, Dave OHare, the companys former medical division head.

He said the award recognises that F&P Healthcares people, including myself as a small part of that, will do the right thing, the right thing for the business and for all the other people including shareholders.

The right thing, he said, is acting with integrity and honesty.

Daniell spent 37 years with the company, retiring as chief executive and managing director in March this year though he has remained on the board as an independent director.

He said he had no problem separating the role of management from that of corporate governance, given he already had experience as a director of Tait and as chair of the governance board at the University of Aucklands Medical Technology Centre of Research Excellence.

He wouldnt mind picking up one more directorship but wants to avoid getting too busy so he can finally do the things the chief executive of a fast-growing global company never finds time for  things like taking photos and building computers in his garage as retired electrical engineers do.

F&P Healthcare was global from day one. Daniell recalls the majority of the $250,000 annual revenue when he joined in 1979 came from outside New Zealand.

Today the medical device maker is forecasting a record annual result for the 2017 financial year of $880 million revenue and profit in a range of $165 million to $170 million. The target is to grow to a $1 billion revenue company but Daniell said once that first target is hit, it should immediately aim for $2 billion given its low penetration in a huge potential market.

It has expanded the range of medical conditions its devices cover from respiratory to surgery and Daniell said it had so far only penetrated around 10 percent of how many patients could be treated by its products each year. With an ageing population and financially-strapped healthcare organisations looking for cost efficiencies, F&P Healthcare is well-placed to meet that growing demand, he said.

Achieving big ambitions is do-able from New Zealand, which he said is not as geographically distant as people think given the working day overlaps with Asia and North America which are just one flight away. He points to a number of high-tech companies on the annual TIN100 list that are poised for big global growth in the next few years and have the key factors to do so: the drive, good technology that meets a consumer need, and the right people. Beyond people, one of the keys to F&P Healthcares success has been the 9 percent of revenue spent annually on research and development to stay at the forefront of its industry, he said.

As to the rise of shareholder activism in New Zealand, Daniell said it was good to have an organisation such as the NZ Shareholders Association representing retail shareholders who often dont have a particularly strong voice. He said when running the medical device maker who had hundreds of meetings with institutional and other shareholders and had a good understanding of their view.

It doesnt mean you do everything they want you to do. We have to think about the long term, he said.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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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.
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2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted.
BENGALURU: The demonetization step by the central government to curve 500 and 1000 notes has stirred the life of common people. People holding higher currency notes are in a hurry to exchange it to legal notes. The financial strategies of all of us changed over the night. However, this initiative by government teaches you many things which can assist you in making more concrete financial strategies. The Economic Times listed few takeaways from the demonetization drive.

The first thing it teaches is not to hold too much cash, but invest it in multiple places. Investing money in various schemes will assist you in effective utilization of that money along with the benefits of better income returns. The best way to invest money is in liquid funds, short-term debt funds, sweep-in savings accounts, etc. By holding cash, the purchasing power of money is not properly utilized. Decide to use cash only for small expenditure and for remaining spending use cashless transactions.

Teaching your child about the benefits of savings will help in introducing financial discipline. Gifting a piggy bank along with a regular supply will help in creating a habit of regular saving and an ability to figure out about own purchases. It will help kids in managing their finances and handling the crisis with better equanimity.

The central idea behind each financial plan is to spend money according to the budget along with saving money for the future. The limited cash flow during current cash crunch has prioritized sticking to the tight budget. Opting for cashless transactions is a better way to track spending. Going for mobile banking for financial transactions will not only provide ease to all transactions, but also decreases the time involved in cash transactions.

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BENGALURU: L&T Infotech today announced its collaboration with Akshaya Patra Foundation towards promoting literacy of 10,000 children studying in 35 government schools in and around this city.

As part of the CSR initiative by L&T Infotech, the company will sponsor mid-day meals of these children as well as provide a bus to transport the cooked food to the schools, a company statement said.

The primary objective of the project is to promote school attendance, national literacy rates, reduce dropout rates and also ensure that the nutritional status of children is improved, it said.

The companies signed a formal MoU towards the initiative.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO which implements the Mid-Day Meal Programme for Government and Government-aided school children.

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WASHINGTON: Several Indian Americans are being considered for positions in the Trump administration as they all qualify on merit and ethnicity is not an issue, the highest ranking Indian-origin politician in the Republican party has said.



"I know of several Indian Americans in consideration for positions. I am not at liberty to mention their names, but there are many people under consideration for positions in a Trump administration," Harmeet Dhillon, a member of the Republican National Committee, told PTI.



President-elect Donald Trump has already created history by nominating Nikki Haley, Republican governor of South Carolina, for the Cabinet-level position of US Ambassador to the UN.



If confirmed by the Senate, Haley would be the first Indian American to serve in the cabinet of a presidential administration.



Chandigarh-born Dhillon, who opened the second night of the Republican Convention in Cleveland in July by delivering a Sikh prayer, said unlike the Democrats, the Republican party recognises people based on merit and not ethnicity.



"The new administration is going to place people according to merit. I do not think they have any particular goal of placing Indian Americans versus other ethnic groups. I think they would be looking to put the best people in the position.



I am sure in that process many qualified Indian Americans would become part of the administration," she said.



San Francisco-based Dhillon, 47, an experienced lawyer of repute, said she would also be willing to consider a senior position in the administration.



"If I am asked to serve in a senior capacity, I will certainly consider it. Of course, the focus right now is on Cabinet level appointment at this time," she said.



Dhillon said she is encouraged by the top picks so far by president-elect Trump.



"(The RNC Chairman) Reince Priebus (who has been picked as White House Chief of Staff) is certainly somebody who I know personally and respect. He is going to be the president's right hand man. His choices are solid. Many of the people who I have seen coming in and out with the president-elect are really outstanding people," she said.



"I think, his main challenge is out of many, many great qualified Americans going to help, which one does he pick," Dhillon said.



On the view that the Democratic party believes in "politics of racial identity...women, black or Indian," Dhillon asserted that this is not the case with Republicans.



"We do not do that in our party. We focus on things that are common to all Americans: employment, taxes, national security, liberty, regulations, running a business. This is how we approach the electorate," she said.

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Source: PTI
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Dr. Timothy McNiff, left, superintendent of schools for the New York Archdiocese, visits a class at St. Adalbert's School, Elm Park. Parents seeking to enroll their children in one of the 22 Catholic elementary schools on Staten Island can begin the process starting Thursday, McNiff announced. (Staten Island Advance.)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Parents seeking to enroll their children in one of the 22 Catholic elementary schools on Staten Island can apply for admission starting Thursday.

The Archdiocese of New York announced it will open admissions for the 2017-2018 school year Dec. 1, to give students and families more time to apply.

Families can enroll children from Pre-K 3 through Grade 8 online, by phone, or in person. Here's what you need to know to apply:

To apply online, go to

To apply by phone, call 646-794-2885 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is bi-lingual hotline to serve Spanish-speaking parents, and translation services available for other languages.

To apply in-person at a particular school, call to make an appointment. This is recommended for parents who would like one-on-one help from the school's staff in completing the online applications for admission and financial assistance.

Once applications are received, families will be invited to come to their school of choice for an in-person interview. Families will learn of their child's acceptance and about any scholarship or tuition assistance they will be receiving after the interview has taken place and all supplementary documents have been submitted.

"We are especially pleased to open our online admissions process earlier than ever before this year, on December 1. We hope that this added measure of convenience will give families the time to visit one or more of the excellent Catholic schools in their neighborhood and apply for the school that best suits their needs, " said Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese.



The Archdiocese recently announced dates for its 2016-2017 "Touring Tuesdays," events at elementary schools throughout the Archdiocese.

The universal open houses are scheduled throughout the school year and are designed to introduce prospective families to the Catholic elementary schools in the community.

The open house events will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 15, as well as Jan. 10, Jan. 31, Feb. 14, March 14 and April 4, 2017, or by appointment.

Since its inception in 2013, the Touring Tuesdays initiative has been attended by thousands of families and has resulted in more than 7,000 new student enrollments from Pre-K through Grade 8, across the Archdiocese.

Reservations are required and can be made online at www.buildboldfutures.org School tours can also be arranged by appointment by making a reservation online.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will not extend big game hunting seasons following below average elk harvest across the state, but the agency is encouraging hunters to participate in shoulder seasons in areas with an overabundance of elk.

Montanas general big game hunting season ended Sunday. While final numbers are still coming in and deer harvest remained strong in several regions, elk harvest was largely below average, and in many areas, significantly below average, said FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim.

We have elk populations 28,000 over objective and liberal hunting seasons, but with the weather, the elk were just not as available, he said of the unseasonably warm and snowless hunting season.

Hunters still came out in solid numbers despite the lack of winter weather, which drives game herds to lower elevations and makes them easier to track.

Although Montana has infrequently extended general big game seasons in the past, It wasnt even a discussion, Aasheim said on Tuesday. Instead FWP is emphasizing shoulder season with extended antlerless elk hunting.

Last season FWP held pilot shoulder season hunts in a handful of districts.

This year, 41 districts remain open mostly on private lands and under district specific regulations. Some districts are open to general licenses or antlerless licenses while others are open only to antlerless license holders. Hunting can only take place on private, BLM or state land except for state wildlife management areas. Ending dates for the shoulder seasons also vary.

Game damage and management hunts restricted to specific private lands are also likely. Hunters must have signed up by July 15 to be eligible.

Because this is primarily an elk season on private lands, it is the hunters responsibility to obtain landowner permission and find a place to hunt. Occasionally a landowner will ask FWP for hunters, but that is not guaranteed, FWP said in a news release.

Hunters should prepare to hunt elk before showing up in a town or hunting district, said Gary Bertellotti, FWP Region 4 supervisor. I would ask hunters to do their homework. See if they or a friend have a connection in a shoulder season district; like a relative, friend or coworker who is or knows a landowner.

Often hunters ask about how FWPs Block Management Program fits into the shoulder season.

Block management ends Jan. 1. Some but not all of the block management areas are participating in the shoulder season. To find out if a BMA is taking part, refer to the rules on the back of each BMA map.

FWP has also hired hunt coordinators to help hunters and landowners in hunting districts near Lewistown, Great Falls and White Sulphur Springs.

Prospective hunters should be aware that the hunts may not be easy, especially for those who are not familiar with the area, Bertellotti said. The majority of access and retrieval will be walk-in only.

People should not have unrealistic expectations, he said. This is not a game damage hunt. At times this will be an arduous hunt.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city broke ground on a $28 million, 18,000-square-foot ambulatory care facility in Clifton on Wednesday that will provide everything from pediatric care to mammographies starting in fall 2017.

The facility -- funded with $20 million from New York City's Primary Care Expansion Initiative and $8 million from the City Council -- will be located at 165 Vanderbilt Ave. It will include both primary and urgent care services, including pediatrics, women's health, behavioral health, asthma and diabetes care, radiology (X-ray, ultrasound, and mammography), ophthalmology and podiatry.

"Providing more ambulatory care to meet the needs of community residents is critically important for the future of health care in New York," said Dr. Ram Raju, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals at the groundbreaking ceremony.

"This investment is key to our ability to improve the patient experience, retain patients, and attract new ones," he added.



The new center is estimated to take in 40,000 patient visits annually, said Deputy Mayor Dr. Herminia Palacio.

"Staten Island has some of the worst health indicators in the five boroughs," said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo.

"That is why we have focused so much on health and wellness here at Borough Hall, going so far as to hire a health and wellness director to help steer our efforts. We have been happy to work with NYC Health + Hospitals on a variety of initiatives."

Said Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore): "Any look at citywide health statistics will show that we need more primary care services here on Staten Island, especially on the North Shore. That is one of the reasons why, years ago, I helped secure $8 million in City Council funds toward this facility."

The health center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. An urgent care center will supplement services after hours.

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Recovering addicts rally in front of the state Supreme Court in St. George in April to spread awareness about the heroin crisis that has devastated the Island. (Staten Island Advance/Amanda Steen)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The House of Representatives is expected to pass a bill Wednesday that would give $1 billion to states to provide substance abuse prevention and treatment.

The 21st Century Cures Act passed the House last year but did not come for a vote in the Senate, and appropriates billions of dollars for disease research, gives $1 billion in funding for anti-addiction efforts and alters policy for National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

It would remove a layer of red tape in the FDA drug-approval process for certain drugs.

The bipartisan bill is expected to pass but it's unclear how much New York would receive -- organizations would compete for grants to get a chunk of the money.

Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) is a co-sponsor of the bill.

The funds could be used to improve state prescription drug monitoring programs, like New York's I-STOP, as well as various prevention programs.

Physician training could be funded through grants, reviewing best practices for prescribing opioids, pain management, recognizing the potential for substance abuse, referring patients to treatment programs and overdose prevention.

The bill is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate next week.

Existing programs would be eligible to apply for funding through the state.

Staten Island's addiction prevention and treatment programs are in great need of resources to right the scourge, as there have been 81 overdose deaths this year -- far surpassing last year's total of 69.
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Seniors pledged allegiance to the flag during Staten Island Technical High School's 2016 commencement ceremony in June at the College of Staten Island, Willowbrook. Tech was ranked #5 best high school in America by the website Niche.com. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island Technical High School ranked No. 5 on Niche.com's annual list of Best Public High Schools in America.

The website said its ratings "are based on rigorous analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, along with test scores, college data, and interviews and surveys of students, parents, teachers and stakeholders in each school."

The report analyzed more than 18,000 public high schools in the country by state, weighing factors such as academics, culture and diversity, and quality of teaching, as well as student and parent reviews about the school.

The New Dorp school earned an A-plus overall.

Tech scored A's, and a few A-pluses, in the categories of academics, diversity, faculty, health and safety, clubs and activities, and sports.

Parents and students surveyed gave the school an overall satisfaction score of 4.4 out of 5.

Niche.com also ranked the New Dorp school No. 2 out of 1,187 best schools in New York State.

The school was also ranked No. 2 out of 1,026 in the category of Best STEM High Schools, for its programs in science, technology, engineering and science.

It was ranked No. 3 out of 1,165 schools in the state in the category of "college readiness".

Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill., was rated as Niche.com's No. 1 school in the country. New York's Stuyvesant High School was ranked No. 4.

Niche.com Inc. was formerly known as College Prowler Inc. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Niche.com national ranking is not the first honor for Staten Island Tech this year.

The school ranked 13th in the nation (Up from No. 23 in 2015) and second in New York State in Newsweek's America's Top High Schools list for 2016.
flag.jpg

Abhorrent, but protected speech, Mr. President-Elect.

(AP photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Let me say one thing at the outset: I find the burning of the American flag to be abhorrent. My dad is an Army vet who served in the occupation of Japan following World War II. One of my closest friends did multiple tours in Iraq while serving in the Army. Both my sons went through Boy Scouts.

So we have a lot of respect for the American flag around our house. For the National Anthem too. It sickens me to see people like Colin Kaepernick use "The Star Spangled Banner" as a form of protest.

But it's his right to protest in that way.

Just like it's our right to burn the American flag as a form of protest.

The whole topic has come up again thanks to President-elect Donald Trump, who the other day tweeted that those who burn the American flag should face a year in jail or should have their citizenship revoked.

We realize that Trump likes to tweet, oftentimes without thinking twice. And that Trump likes to be provocative. And that Trump likes to jerk the chain of the left any chance he gets. And you can't argue with his results, right? The guy's going to be moving into the White House in a couple of weeks. So there's definitely been a method to all the madness.

But this was one of those times where Ivanka or somebody should have taken the phone out of Trump's hands. Because it's been established by the Supreme Court: Flag burning, as abhorrent as it may be, is protected as free speech under the First Amendment. And we all take the First Amendment pretty seriously in this country, whether you're on the left or the right.

The court case goes back to 1989, and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia himself was the deciding vote in a decision that said flag burning was protected speech. It went against his core principles, and Scalia called those who would burn the flag "weirdos," but he still upheld flag burning as constitutional. Scalia later voted to strike down a federal law that banned flag burning too.

So why does Trump bother? Because then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2005 co-sponsored a bill to fine or jail flag-burners? Seems like an awfully long way to go just to give her a tweak. I mean, Donald, you won. Move on.

Trump's tweets, naturally, led protestors to burn American flags outside Trump International Hotel in Manhattan. Is that the outcome that Trump wanted? Because it was easy to see it coming from a mile away.

It's also been ruled unconstitutional to strip someone of their citizenship as a form of punishment for a crime, so that's another aspect to all this that makes Trump look like he has no clue what he's doing. Not that we haven't thought so before, but still.

And if Trump actually is serious, curbing free speech in any way, shape or form is a slippery slope that we don't want to see any president go down.

Back during the 1989 flag-burning debate, I wrote about the topic for the Staten Island Register, the late and lamented weekly paper I was working for at the time. I put a match to a small flag so we could have a picture for the story. I was 25 and didn't think much about it at the time. I'd have a harder time burning a flag so casually today. We've had 9/11. We've had wars. Fresh blood has been spilled because of that flag. Or in defense of it. I wouldn't be so fast desecrate it.

But I wouldn't stop you from doing so. It's your right. Trump should know that.
In 1978, Max Baucus was elected to the U.S. Senate starting a record 35 years of representing Montana. In 1978, Pat Williams was elected to the first of a record nine consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also in 1978, something happened in New York City that foreshadowed a political event in Montana 38 years later. In 1978 the ABC television network canceled the prime time show The Six Million Dollar Man.

The Six Million Dollar Man was a successful science fiction television series starring Lee Majors, who portrayed a former astronaut who had acquired superhuman strength from bionic implants and then became a US government secret agent.

This year in Montana the Six Million Dollar Man event occurred when GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte put an unprecedented amount of his personal fortune, nearly $6 million, into his campaign. But, Montana rejected its political Six Million Dollar Man while his show was still in tryouts -- it never made prime time in the Treasure State.

Gianforte spent $5.8 million of his own money to persuade Montanans that he was just another regular Montanan. You may have noticed the effort after being assaulted by what the Center for Public Integrity has documented as a nationally high 38,193 Gianforte broadcast television ads, which does not include ads on cable TV, radio or the internet.

In spite of the spending, Gov. Bullock won with 255,933 votes (50.2 percent) while Gianforte got 236,115 (46.4 percent). Gianforte spent $24.56 of his personal money on each and every person who voted for him -- almost $25 for each vote. In saying no to the Six Million Dollar Man, Montana once again said it is not for sale.

Montana didnt just reject Gianfortes expensive bid, they voted FOR Gov. Bullock based upon his prudent fiscal management, the strong economy he nurtured and his long-standing commitment to Montana values. Almost 26,000 more votes were cast for governor this year than in 2012. Gov. Bullock got 3 of every 4 additional votes cast. He is a majority governor winning over 50 percent of the vote. His 19,818 vote margin of victory exceeded the vote total for the Libertarian ticket, taking away any charge that the Libertarian vote got him elected.

And the governor talked straight with the people of Montana. Recall that Gov. Ted Schwinden was elected back in 1980 and 1984 under the banner Straight Talk -- Good People. Montanans value that characteristic.

But, Gianforte fell short on straight talk. As he was lavishly spending his millions, he was also spending his entire campaign trying to obscure where he stood on many issues important to voters.

When asked by workers if he would support or sign any form of so-called right-to-work which hurts workers and wages, his non-answer was its not one of my top priorities. Not straight talk.

When asked by women if he would defund Planned Parenthood, which provides medical services to over 13,000 Montanans, his non-answer was I dont have any plans right now. No straight talk there, either.

When confronted with his previous support of a general sales tax, he pretended it was a one-time event, while it was his mantra for a number of years. And then he poured thousands into ads charging the governor with sales tax support. Again, not straight talk.

It came out that Gianforte had put up a fence with a no-trespassing sign and filed suit against the state of Montana to deny access to the East Gallatin River through a properly granted easement. He denied it and tried to obscure it by pouring millions into persuading us that he was Montanas #1 outdoorsman. Straight talk?

Now, I personally like Greg Gianforte, but I was disappointed that he didnt stand tall in support of his personal values, even though I disagree with most of them. He has privately poured millions into causes such as allowing discrimination of Montanas LGBT citizens, denying women the ability to make their own reproductive health care choices, advancing anti-science causes such as the creationist dinosaur museum that turns science and history onto its head, and unconstitutionally channeling your tax dollars to religious schools. He told us to pay no attention to these private causes.

Montanans were not fooled.

Evan Barrett of Butte will soon be retiring after 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He currently writes columns and commentaries, is an award-winning producer of Montana history films at Montana Tech/Highlands College and occasionally teaches. These are his personal views.
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I was taught being able to vote unimpeded as an American was an inalienable right of citizenship. Its hard for me to understand how Americans have not overwhelmingly objected to gerrymandering among states giving political favor to GOP candidates in the recent past. There was only slight media coverage about this practice, though it presented significant obstacles for elderly, low-income people and people of color to exercise their voting right as citizens.

In our recent election there have been equally perverse and intentional methods to skew voting results. Many people were turned away from polls because of strict new voter ID laws. New ID laws in certain states resulted in unknowing elderly and poor citizens with no drivers license ID being turned away even though they had an established history of previous voting at their polling sites for years. It was shown some citizens were so disgusted with the voting challenges set before them, they decided not to vote at all.

The 2016 election was the first presidential contest in 50 years without full protection of the Voting Rights Act because the Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County V. Holder that states with a long history of discrimination no longer need to have their proposed voting changes approved by the federal government. Fourteen states had new voting restrictions in effect for the first time in 2016 -- including important swing states like Wisconsin and Ohio. There is no way of knowing how many people were kept away from voting by these restrictions.

There also has been a long history of voter discrimination in Texas, Arizona and North Carolina. Wisconsin had its lowest voter turnout in 20 years. Early voting hours and limited days to vote were equally obstructive to millions of voters. Unimpeded future voting rights are in question.

Richard A. Damon

Bozeman
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Just Shut The HELL Up

Manipulating Condi

Gay Equality Rights


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Next year she will travel for six weeks to the USA, Canada and Netherlands to explore psychotherapy models, support services for friends and families, and dementia-specific support.

The north side clinician is one of 106 Australians to be named a Churchill Fellow and receive funding support for overseas research to fill a gap in local knowledge.

Canberra clinical psychologist Dr Tushara Wickramariyaratne is on a mission to crisscross the globe and find better solutions for gender-diverse patients with age-related mental health concerns.

It's hoped the information gathered abroad will inform the design of future Australian programs to assist ageing patients who have transitioned.

"We are talking about people who have been doubly marginalised in terms of being both gender diverse and ageing, and this Fellowship gives me an opportunity to help," she said.

She said not all cases were similar and there were different challenges for people who transitioned earlier in their lives than for those who did so later.

But the common ground was a lack of psychological models currently available to deliver tangible benefits to people's lives.

"I want to help address this, to learn about the models that work from countries that have established programs specifically tailored to groups such as these," Dr Wickramariyaratne said.
A Canberra public servant who turned to selling illicit substances to ease his financial troubles has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.

Joel Andrew Lemmon, 26, was one of two men police charged in October after raids on properties in Amaroo and Kaleen as part of a long-running investigation into an illegal drug syndicate operating in the capital.

Joel Lemmon pleaded guilty to five charges of drug trafficking and one charge of drug supply.

ACT Policing said in a statement at the time officers seized drugs with a potential street value up to $700,000, three cars, six firearms, ammunition, a banned weapon and $5500 as proceeds of crime as part of a wider investigation spanning 10 months.

Lemmon and his co-accused, Robert James Masling, 27, were charged in the ACT Magistrates Court with drug trafficking offences stemming from a series of alleged drug transactions of ice, MDMA and cocaine between August and October.
It's alleged he kept both Ms Duffy and Legal Aid in the dark about each other's contributions to Alexander Duffy's case.

The Crown alleges Stephen Raymond Stubbs, 63, dishonestly took $30,000 from Anne Duffy, while also taking money from Legal Aid while working on her son's defence.

A Canberra woman allegedly defrauded of thousands by a criminal lawyer has denied she was "topping up" public funding of her son's case in a desperate attempt to get him bail.

Legal Aid is an official service that offers legal representation and funding for low-income Canberrans facing court.

Duffy, then 19, had been charged with assault and an act endangering life in November of 2008, charges later upgraded to conspiracy to commit murder. He was granted Legal Aid and Stubbs was his nominated lawyer.

The ACT Supreme Court heard in Stubbs' trial on Wednesday that Duffy made multiple applications for bail between his arrest in November 2008, and eventual release on bail for a second time in May 2009.

He had been granted bail in December of 2008, but breached conditions and was arrested again when he committed an assault in Civic in February 2009.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Theresa Warwick, Ms Duffy said she had signed a letter drafted by Stubbs and sent to Legal Aid asking for an "extension" of funding, but believed it was for an original grant.
Eight Canberrans this week were named 2016 Churchill Fellows and we congratulate them all. They were:

One of the ACT's 2016 Churchill Fellows, Ruth Osborne, will study dance programs in Britain. Credit:Stuart Warmsley

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was established to honour the memory of Sir Winston and offers fellowships each year to Australians to pursue a particular field of interest and apply the findings to their own community.

Wednesday marked 142 years since the birth of Winston Churchill who went on to become Britain's inspirational leader, not least during World War II. And his legacy is enduring.

The eight people from the ACT are among 106 individuals who were awarded Churchill Fellowships worth more than $2.7 million in total.

Trust chief executive Adam Davey said each of the fellows had a "distinct and important focus that will provide their communities with enormous benefits".

"The Churchill Trust is unique in what it asks of potential fellows: instead of rigid criteria for study, we ask them to identify what the area of need is for their community," he said.

"This allows ingenuity and creativity, and means that when fellows return, their research can be practically translated to positively impact their community.

"This year we received the highest number of applications for fellowship since 1965  an impressive result for an award that has now been offered for more than 50 years."
Poker industry legend Len Ainsworth doesn't think much of Aristocrat Leisure's chief, Jamie Odell, but Len's family have a billion reasons to thank the departing CEO for an incredible run at the poker machine maker.

The full-year result he delivered on Wednesday capped off a jackpot eight years for investors who have watched the share price quadruple over that time.

This added roughly $1 billion to the value of the Ainsworth family's shares in the poker machine maker that was founded by their father.

And it is just as well Len forced the kids to keep the Aristocrat stock he gave to them when he first retired 20 years ago. Ainsworth included a clause that would force them to give him 85 per cent of the proceeds if they did sell their shares.
Media billionaire Rupert Murdoch is expected to lose the $US100 million ($134 million) he invested in scandal-ridden blood testing group, Theranos - thanks to some great investigative journalism by one of his own newspapers, The Wall Street Journal.

It was the Journal which first raised doubts about the claims of the company's celebrity CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, who was a billionaire at 30 and being dubbed the Steve Jobs of biotechnology.

The great promise of Theranos is that it could conduct the full range of laboratory tests - ranging from cholesterol to herpes - using just a few drops from a fingertip pin-prick instead of a needle and syringe.

It was expected to revolutionise healthcare affordability, and led Murdoch and other wealthy investors to inject $US632 million in Theranos between 2014 and 2015, which valued the company at $US9 billion.
Nestle is accused of using ground water in its Poland Spring Water products. Credit:Bloomberg The low cost and versatility of palm oil has made it an attractive ingredient across industries, however its production has been continually blamed for habitat loss for endangered species, pollution, social conflicts and human rights abuses. The social and environmental impacts of palm oil prompted the formation of the international Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in 2004, set up to advance the production, procurement, finance and use of sustainable palm oil products. Demand for all-natural toothpastes without fluoride is jumping in Asia. Credit:Scott Eells All but one of the companies highlighted in the report are members of the Roundtable and claim to use "sustainable palm oil" on their websites or product labels.

"This report clearly shows that companies have used the Roundtable as a shield to deflect greater scrutiny," said Seema Joshi, Head of Business and Human Rights. Palm oil production threatens orangutan habitats. Credit:iStock "Our investigation uncovered that these companies have strong policies on paper but none could demonstrate that they had identified obvious risks of abuses in Wilmar's supply chain." During interviews with workers on Wilmar-linked plantations, Amnesty International gathered evidence of workers suffering severe injuries from paraquat - a toxic chemical banned in the EU and by Wilmar itself, women paid below minimum wage in insecure employment, and workers, including children, forced to meet unreasonable targets. Asked by Amnesty International to confirm whether palm oil in a list of their consumer products came from Wilmar's Indonesian operations, only Kellogg's and Reckitt Benckiser would confirm.

Colgate and Nestle acknowledged that they receive palm oil from Wilmar refineries in Indonesia, which were linked to plantations investigated for the report. Responding to the investigation, Wilmar described the issues raised as "systemic challenges shared by the industry," adding that its 'No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation policy' highlighted its commitment to workers' rights. "We expect our suppliers to comply with our policy, and our own operations are no exception. In August 2016, we have been made aware of labour issues in the same plantations cited [by Amnesty] and we immediately initiated an internal review process which is still ongoing." Amnesty International revealed that not one of the companies contacted denied that the abuses were taking place, nor did any provide examples of action taken to deal with labour rights abuses in Wilmar's operations. In a statement to Fairfax Media, Wilmar said it welcomed the report, as it helped highlight labour issues within the wider palm oil industry.

"Many of these highlighted issues need a bigger platform than sustainable certification to resolve; they require collaborations between governments, companies, and civil society organisations," said Perpetua George, assistant general manager for Wilmar Group Sustainability. "We have reached out to Amnesty International to work more collaboratively with the industry and we hope that this can be a reality." Child labour laws in Indonesia prohibit anyone from employing anyone under the age of 18 for work that is harmful to health and safety, while children between the ages of 13 and 15 are permitted to do "light" work. Indonesia's director for supervision work ethics of women and children Laurent Sinaga said that the government was not aware of the most recent allegations by Amnesty International. "There was a complaint addressed to us in 2014 saying there [was] child labour in a plantation...We went there and found they were children of the labourers so it's not child labour," she said.

He said parents on plantations often brought their children as there was no childcare at home, adding that the government conducted "regular monitoring" of companies to check for child labour every few months. Amnesty International will campaign for the relevant companies to reveal the origin of palm oil in products like ice-cream, toothpaste, cosmetics and shampoo, in follow up to the report. Company statements to Fairfax Media Kellogg "We are committed to respecting human rights in accordance with international standards like the International Labour Organisation, UN Guiding Principles, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ... Kellogg is committed to working with our global palm oil suppliers to source fully traceable palm oil ... If we find, or are made aware of, any supply chain violations of our global palm oil principles, we work with the supplier to understand corrective actions ... [or] take action to remove them from our supply chain."

Colgate-Palmolive Colgate-Palmolive said it would hold Wilmar accountable for addressing the allegations raised by Amnesty International.



"As called for since 2012 by our Supplier Responsible Sourcing Assessment Program, we work with suppliers to remediate unacceptable practices and, as we have done in the past, will terminate any supplier that fails to address labor and human rights concerns. Our use of 100 per cent certified oils represents important sustainability progress, and we support the strengthening of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil program to more fully address labor and human rights concerns. Our policies prohibiting discrimination and child or forced labor can be viewed on our website." Unilever "We welcome Amnesty International's report into human and labour rights issues in the palm oil industry. Although significant progress has been made to tackle the environmental issues associated with palm oil cultivation, we fully agree that much more needs to be done to tackle these deeply concerning social issues. We have started this journey and are fully committed to playing a leading role in addressing this challenge - working with partners to accelerate positive change." Nestle
Teen magazine Dolly has axed its print edition as it is "no longer feasible", its publishers announced on Wednesday.

The title, published by Bauer Media, launched in 1970 and has been a fixture for generations of Australian teenagers.

Miranda Kerr on the cover of Dolly magazine.

In a statement, Bauer said the magazine is "responding to the changing demands of how readers engage with the brand by switching it to an exclusively digital model".

It said November was the biggest month for online traffic in Dolly's history.
US-based oil company ExxonMobil is believed to be close to signing a lease for up to 8000 square metres in Mirvac's new Docklands office building at 664 Collins Street.

Construction is under way at the $214 million nine-level development that is next to Southern Cross station and expected to be completed in 2018.

2 Riverside Quay, a redeveloped tower above an existing car park, which was designed by Fender Katsalidis, will be anchored by PwC.

The 26,000-square-metre building has large 3000-square-metre floor plates looking out over the distinctive curved roof of the station to the east and Docklands to the west. It is behind Mirvac's 699 Bourke Street, which is fully occupied by AGL Energy.

Accounting firm Pitcher Partners has signed on as anchor tenant to occupy one-third of 664 Collins Street, shifting from space in 15 William Street.
JB Hi-Fi group chief Richard Murray admitted it underestimated how tough it was to convince shoppers it could also sell household appliances and revealed it had "paused" its plans for the HOME brand.

There are currently 59 HOME stores following the opening of two new outlets in the past two months but the future of the brand looks less certain.

Speaking for the first time since completing the $870 million acquisition of The Good Guys, Mr Murray revealed it had "paused" the expansion of the HOME business while it considered the future of the brand and integrated the Good Guys purchase.

"At the moment we see that JB's brand speaks to Millennials and new tech and The Goods Guys' focus is on that modern family," Mr Murray said.
An OPEC deal to curtail oil production and prop up global prices appeared in jeopardy as Iran said it won't make cuts while Saudi Arabia insisted Tehran must be willing to play a meaningful role in any agreement.

Ministers gathering in Vienna before Wednesday's crucial OPEC meeting attempted to resolve differences obstructing an accord. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh laid out his country's position after talks with his Algerian and Venezuelan counterparts.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh. Credit:Vahid Salemi

Under an Algerian proposal on Tuesday, the 14 members of OPEC would cut production to 32.5 million barrels per day from their October level of 33.6 million, according to two delegates familiar with the talks.

With oil prices languishing below $50 a barrel, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries meets on Wednesday to finalise its first production curbs in eight years.
The federal workplace watchdog has opened an investigation into the underpayment of school cleaners. Credit:Graham Tidy The Building Services Contractors Association of Australia, a peak body for the sector, complains that underpayment also creates an unfair competitive environment. "Our members are telling us that in government schools, reputable companies are being undercut on the price. It's becoming impossible for reputable companies who meet all their legal obligations to the schools and to the cleaners to compete," the association said in a statement. United Voice's Jess Walsh says cleaners deserve at least the legal minimum wage and to be respected. Credit:Ken Irwin The most troubling case uncovered has been a cleaner working across two public schools in the city's western suburbs.

An analysis of his pay records and actual hours worked shows he does at least 42.75 hours every week, but only gets paid for about 20 of them. His hourly rate of $24 becomes just $11. The Education Department said allegations of cleaners being underpaid were concerning. Credit:Narelle Autio When we ask who's employing them, they say it's some guy they've never met on the other end of a mobile phone. Jess Walsh - United Voice "I'd have to be running to be able to do the work in the time they are telling me to do it," he said. The 57-year-old veteran cleaner is paid to work at one school from about 3.30am to 5am, and the other in the afternoon, from 3.15pm to 6pm.

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James. Credit:Jesse Marlow But to get everything done, he has to stay back at the first school more than an hour after his morning shift is supposed to end; then go straight to the other school to put in 45 minutes of work he couldn't finish from the previous night. About 9am, he goes home to try to catch some sleep before the afternoon shift begins. And on weekends, he returns to both schools to work for another five hours between them, to empty all the outside wheelie bins and clean and dust down every table in the classrooms. "There is no way I can fit them all in, so they have to get done on the weekend," he said. "It's either that or they don't get done at all, and the company loses the contract and I lose my job."

Last year, 60 per cent of public-school cleaners surveyed by the cleaners' union were receiving below-award pay and conditions. There were "systemic award breaches" identified at nine out of 14 schools visited in just one week, according to a report handed to the Andrews government last December. "A vicious price war has intensified in government-school cleaning," the union report said. "Fly-by-night operators have flooded the market and pushed out reputable contractors. Many cleaners ... feel exploited and abused but are too fearful of losing their jobs to speak out." Mr Barrientos is a dark-haired and soft-spoken refugee from El Salvador, who spent years as part of the large, and largely unnoticed, workforce of public-school cleaners. "We were told, 'Don't get sick ... If I lose the contract, you'll lose your pay'," he recalled.

Both he and his wife worked for Ramos Cleaning Services at Epping Primary School, where they were paid $21 an hour to work daily three-hour shifts from Monday to Friday. "We were paid for three hours a day, but we always had to stay much longer, and every Thursday we had to buff all the floors, which was a very big job, and took at least an extra hour," Mr Barrientos said. "Then on Fridays we had to sweep, mop and vacuum the school hall, because it was rented out on weekends. That's another two hours." Eventually, their employer lost the contract when another company came in and quoted a price that was 30 per cent cheaper, Mr Barrientos said, and he and his wife lost their jobs. Ramos Cleaning Services director Alejandro Ramos last week denied that his former employees were expected to work longer than the hours they were paid for.

"That's not true; they never worked more," he said. "I have 26 schools. I always try to put the right price to cover the cleaning that needs to be done." Mr Ramos said the contract-cleaning industry had become unmistakably more competitive in recent years. "Yes, it's very competitive, but so is everything," he said. The national workplace watchdog, the Fair Work Ombudsman, said the cleaning industry was plagued by cases of underpayment and unlawful contracting.

Ombudsman Natalie James said there was a "race to the bottom" mentality in the industry, which had led to unsustainable business models, irresponsible contracting and unreasonably low contract prices. A spokesman from the Ombudsman's office said Australia's cleaning staff were often "vulnerable workers at the bottom of complex supply chains": "Whilst we acknowledge that competitive tendering and tight profit margins can compromise the ability of some cleaning businesses to meet their compliance obligations, employers cannot look to cut costs by undercutting and ignoring minimum wage rates." United Voice state secretary Jess Walsh said the union was aware of cases in which public-school cleaning staff were being illegally hired as independent contractors for $8 an hour, cash in hand. "That's a third of what they're meant to get," she said. "When we ask who's employing them, they say it's some guy they've never met on the other end of a mobile phone." Ms Walsh said cleaners, already among the lowest-paid workers in Australia, deserved "at least the legal minimum wage" and to be treated with some "basic respect".

"All of this is not lawful and it's not right," she said. The Andrews government has been focusing heavily on the contract-cleaning industry amid rising concerns about workplace mistreatment. It is in the process of bringing in controversial policies including strict regulations for labour-hire operators and allowing cleaners to carry their long-service leave with them from one employer to the next, so they don't miss out when contracts change hands. Questions are being raised in Labor circles about why the government appears less prepared to act on the mounting evidence of cleaners being underpaid and exploited "in its own schools". Loading
The Kellogg Company is pulling its ads from the website Breitbart News, the right-wing news organisation whose former chairman Steve Bannon was tapped as a top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump.

Brands that advertise on Breitbart have drawn flak in recent weeks, with activists saying the website espouses racist and anti-Semitic views. A screen shot showing an advertisement for Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats was part of an online campaign to get marketers to abandon the site.

Kellogg said it made the decision after a review of where its ads were appearing. Credit:Peter Morris

"We regularly work with our media-buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that aren't aligned with our values as a company," said Kris Charles, a spokeswoman for Kellogg, which also makes Frosted Flakes and Special K cereal.

"We recently reviewed the list of sites where our ads can be placed and decided to discontinue advertising on Breitbart.com. We are working to remove our ads from that site."
European Union officials lined up on Monday to underscore the warning of the Dutch finance minister that Brexit will prove a "tough ride" for the British.

Addressing three experts from every EU state except Britain, European Commission negotiator Michel Barnier said there was probably only 15 months in which to strike a British withdrawal deal, according to an official present. After that, the European Parliament needs time to rubber-stamp the pact.

Despite the ticking clock, continental officials held their line that they won't engage with British Prime Minister Theresa May's government before it officially starts the exit process. "It's no notification, no negotiation; and no speculation," said European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas in a message echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat summed things up by declaring he had "seldom witnessed a situation where there has been convergence as much as on Brexit".
The looming stoush in the US is part political theatre of course: mayors lining up to puff their chests at Trump doesn't hurt their political fortunes, while the President-elect railing against city "elites" plays well to his new base.

Social scientist Benjamin Barber, author of If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities, recently told Quartz he believed cities would provide the most constructive opposition and alternative to Trump's agenda. "Over the last 10 years we have already seen a powerful emergence of cities as primary spaces for progressive and majority action," he said.

In all three countries, the political polarisation partially reflects an economic one: with cities booming in the globalised economy and rural ones left behind. The characterisation of this rural/urban divide as neatly one of elites v underdogs or rich v poor is overly simplistic though - New York, for example, is a wealthy, educated city to be sure, but Clinton also won rich and poor boroughs alike, with black and Hispanic working-class neighbourhoods turning out in force for the Democrats.

Londoners elected a liberal Muslim mayor in Sadiq Khan only months before the country voted for Brexit, while inner-city Sydney-siders have continued to support Clover Moore's progressive social policies and action on climate change even as the conservative government moves into its second term and right-wing parties like One Nation are in ascendancy in parts of rural Australia.

But there are genuine battles afoot here too: mayors and police departments in many "sanctuary cities" for immigrants - ones in which cops and other local public workers refuse to question or detain people on the basis of their immigration status - have already said they won't cooperate with any mass deportation effort Trump tries to implement, even with the risk of a withdrawal of federal funding looming over them.

"That is not our job, nor will I make it our job," Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said last week. Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco are among the others to pledge the same.

On climate change as well there has been defiance in the face of the President-elect's pledge to pull out of the Paris agreement, with calls for individual US cities to sign on in the country's place, and pledges to continue to pursue local policies to reduce global warming.

The divide between rural and urban populations seems like one that may only deepen in Trump's America, and given the realities of the electoral college, it's one that hints at a longer-term problem for the Democrats (as well other progressive parties and movements around the world). Cities can be powerful agents of change, but local or even state power can only take you so far. That a progressive party could be so demonstrably out of touch with swathes of the electorate, particularly working and middle-class rural ones, is both a political and moral failure.

Democrats shouldn't be despondent though; even in very recent history this gap can be bridged, at least better than it was under Clinton. Barack Obama won two elections with far greater support from rural counties. And he did it without making undeliverable promises, stoking culture wars or demonising immigrants.
One of the more bizarre sights in Australian politics in the coming months may be watching local Donald Trump wannabies trying to use our economic ties with China to fan popular discontent.

For Donald Trump, the playbook was straightforward. The US runs a large trade deficit with China. This led Trump to claim that China had killed the US economy and domestic jobs had been sent overseas.

The touted solution? Label China a currency manipulator and impose a tariff on Chinese imports.

Local populists may be drawn to replicating Trump's economic nationalism. Except the anti-China line won't work. The country that inflicts the largest trade deficit on Australia is not China.
Closing the grassed roof areas of Canberra's Parliament House to the public  a measure reportedly under consideration by the Department of Parliamentary Services  would not seem justified while the National Terrorism Threat Advisory System is at Probable (the middle of five levels).

There is no doubt that parliaments and their equivalents in Western countries  as well as those who work in them  are desirable terrorist targets in the post-9/11 world. But we should think carefully about the symbolism of creating arbitrary no-go areas in democratic countries unless it can be justified  based on a credible and imminent threat. It is signalling to terrorists that we are afraid of them and their ideologies.

Parliament House in Canberra has several features already that would deter terrorists from taking action. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Threat is made up of two components  capability and intent. No doubt there are many who would like to attack our federal Parliament House, either because they are politically motivated or have mental health issues. However, their capability in Australia is limited. A credible terrorist threat (based on attacks elsewhere) would most likely come from a knife or vehicle, or from a vehicle or person-borne improvised explosive device. It is less likely to be a shooter attack, which is more likely to occur where there is a ready availability of automatic weapons, as in France, Canada or the US.

Terrorists would consider Parliament House a hard target already, with its armed guards carrying automatic weapons and protective bollards at the pedestrian entrances, and it is likely that they would go for a softer target instead. If terrorists were targeting the occupants, it would be a lot easier to target them elsewhere, away from the high-security bubble that is Parliament House.
The appointment of Susan Kiefel as the first woman to be Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia in its 113 years is a significant milestone for Australia society. While an inordinately long time coming, it is another important recognition and reflection of women lawyers' important role in Australian civic life.

Women doctors made progress earlier into conventionally male professions as their intrusion was more likely to be viewed as an extension of their roles in the 'private sphere', as Canadian academic Mary Jane Mossman notes.

Susan Kiefel, Australia's first female High Court Chief Justice, "doesn't like lipstick feminists," one female barrister says. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

It took audacious table-turning for women lawyers to break through as they were clearly 'intruding on the public domain explicitly reserved to men'. Without earlier trailblazers we wouldn't be marking Justice Kiefel's achievement.

Her path to the position is reflective of the varied ways in which women have come to practice law in Australia, and the myriad life experiences they bring to their roles. We all owe so much to the first women to practise law in each state, at different times in different states, varying from 1902 through until as late as 1923. These include Ada Evans in NSW, Flos Greig in Victoria, Agnes McWhinney in Queensland, Nancy McPhee in Tasmania, and Mary Kitson (later Tenison-Woods) in South Australia.
The Seventh International World-Wide Web Conference in 1998 was notable for two things: it included the release of a research paper by Stanford University students S. Brin and L. Page, and it was held in Brisbane.

Their paper, "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine", gave Queensland and Australia a front-row seat for the start of the Google revolution. Unfortunately, looking on was as close as we got  the IP, thousands of jobs and billions in future earnings remained firmly rooted in a Californian garage.

As we contemplate the first anniversary of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's National Innovation and Science Agenda (December 7), that humble 1998 conference is a reminder that if we are serious about the "ideas boom" we have to find ways to place Australian innovators at centre stage, not just provide the venue.

History tells us that innovation is a tough row to hoe. Plenty of the Prime Minister's predecessors on both sides of politics have tried and largely failed to drive diversification, so kudos is due to Turnbull for attempting to step up on a critical area of public policy.
No matter what one's political affiliations are, there was a great deal of well-founded scepticism at the announcement earlier this month that Australia had reached a one-off resettlement deal with the United States for the refugees currently languishing in offshore detention.

"I can now confirm that the government has reached a further third country resettlement arrangement for refugees presently in the regional processing centres," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced at the time, whacking in that "further" to inaccurately imply that there was any other resettlement deal on the table. "The agreement is with the United States. It is a one-off agreement. It will not be repeated."

Peter Dutton. Credit:Andrew Meares

And US officials have arrived to begin assessing the people we're refusing to accept, although they've also made clear that any resettlement won't happen before the new administration comes in on January 20.

But ol' P-Dutty is remaining characteristically angry about any suggestion that his obviously doomed plan is in any way obviously doomed.
Protesters have returned to Parliament House for the second day in a row, this time scaling the building's front wall and unfurling a banner which reads "close the bloody camps now".

The group, also including a dozen people who waded into the ceremonial pool in Parliament's forecourt, is again targeting Australia's immigration policies.

In an extraordinary coincidence, MPs have also used the final parliamentary sitting day of the year to vote through security upgrades that will close off the upper slopes of Parliament's iconic lawns as part of some $60 million in works around the sprawling complex.

New 2.6 metre high barriers will limit public access to most of the lawns and would likely have made the abseiling aspect of the current protest impossible.
Counting your Senate votes before they're laid like warm googy eggs on the dispatch box has always been a bad idea, but it's never been as fraught as now when the Senate has become a barnyard of headless chooks.

It makes you wonder about the quality of smarts in the government that this is precisely what took place before votes were hatched concerning the backpacker tax, only to see the whole exercise smash to bits, yolk running off senior ministers' faces in every direction.

What is even more peculiar is that a shambles was perfectly predictable.

On Monday, One Nation's Pauline Hanson and her Queensland colleague Malcolm Roberts were hoisting Christmas decorations for the media when talk turned to the backpacker tax.
As a protest, it was pretty lame, if loud and, for the demonstrators, satisfyingly disruptive.

Superglueing your hands to the railings of the House of Representatives suggests you are confident security guards will gently soak you free, rather than having the skin torn from your palms, which would have been vastly more dramatic. And so it turned out. Soft-soaking.

Still, it wasn't the lamest. You need to go back to the early 1990s for that, when a fellow who may or may not have been smoking bongs wandered into Parliament, found his way to the public gallery during question time . . . and jumped clean off. He broke both ankles when he landed on the chamber floor and startled MPs so thoroughly that several leapt clean out of their own seats.

Sadly, the jumper, who identified himself as a Rastafarian, never got to explain to anyone precisely what he was protesting, if anything. Grievously lamed but apparently feeling no pain, he sat on the flagstones beneath the parliamentary verandah making incomprehensible jokes to journalists until paramedics arrived.
These findings put a wrinkle in the "crying as communication tool" theory, but they might support another theory of crying. Jay Efran, emeritus professor of psychology at Temple University, has noticed that humans are less likely to cry in the midst of a tense experience - the moment when they most need help from others. Instead, they cry after the tension has lifted. Think about a parent who loses their child at a grocery store, spends several stressful minutes scouring the aisles, and bursts into tears only after finally finding the kid playing among the candy bars.

Efran proposes a "two-stage theory of tears," in which crying is our body's response to the rapid emotional shift that happens after the end of a stressful or emotionally charged episode. They are part of the parasympathetic nervous system's "rest and digest" mode, which takes place after the sympathetic nervous system's "fight or flight" mode has passed.

Chemists analysing the composition of emotional tears - also known as psychic tears - have found some evidence that they may be healing. These types of tears contain several protein-based hormones, including prolactin, which is associated with breast-milk production in women and reproductive health in both sexes, and the neurotransmitter leucine enkephalin, a natural painkiller that gets released when the body is under stress.

A 2011 experiment also found that juvenile mouse tears contain a pheromone that protects them from unwanted mating by adults, and that adult men are less likely to rate women in photos as attractive after sniffing someone else's tears. The simplistic way to interpret this might be "tears are a turn off," but the researchers say the real implications are more nuanced. It's possible that tears send a signal that the crier wants to be treated with compassion and care, as you'd treat a child.

"Certainly early in life, crying indicates that the organism is tense and overwhelmed - it's a signal to the caretaker that they need some help," Efran told The Washington Post. "So in evolutionary terms, it's sort of efficient because it signals that help is needed and also indicates a system rehabilitation or recovery."
Populist politicians, men's rights activists, and s--t-stirring columnists are falling over themselves to find a group, any group, to blame for the loss of the days when white men's identities were fixed and they were guaranteed secure and well-paid jobs for life.

Trump blames the Mexicans. Hanson, having tired of putting the boot into Asians, is pointing her finger at Muslims. Meanwhile, UK conservative MP David Willets infamously blamed feminism for encouraging housewives to take men's jobs.

"White men are so keen on eroding the collective power of working class men in Australia that we just had a bizarre double dissolution over union legislation." Credit:Stocksy

But it wasn't Mexicans who shut down factories in America's rust belts and shipped the jobs offshore. And it wasn't Asian Australians or Muslims or women who sat around in boardrooms deciding to shut down our car industry or automate the check-out at the supermarkets.

These decisions were made predominantly by men. Mainly, white men.
When a victim impact statement written 12,000 kilometres away makes front page news in Australia, electrifying readers with an intensity not dulled by distance or disconnection, it is more like a victim impact bomb.

We read and reread Emily Doe's lengthy and passionate statement, devouring its honesty, humbled by its emotion and eventually left shaking our heads slowly, as we hovered between admiration of the rape survivor's bravery and disbelief at her treatment at the hands of the system  and Brock Turner's lines of legal defence.

Women of the year as voted by you. Credit:Daily Life

Doe is a worthy contender for Daily Life Woman of the Year, but while our criteria are pretty inclusive  we've looked for the women who have inspired us, who have been our role models, who actively worked for positive change, who showed significant courage and who overcame resistance this year, we had no wriggle room on one rule  that the award is about celebrating Australian women.
The Turnbull government's digital innovation guru has quit after fewer than six weeks in his new job.

The Digital Transformation Agency announced Paul Shetler's resignation on Wednesday.

Former head of the Digital Transformation Agency, Paul Shetler.

Mr Shetler was hired in July 2015, to great fanfare, as the head of the Digital Transformation Office, the Prime Minister's pet public service project that was supposed to use technology to transform government service delivery.

But the office's work soon became bogged down in the complexities of the Canberra bureaucracy and the project was relaunched in October with a new name, the Digital Transformation Agency, boosted status and with Mr Shelter replaced at the helm with career public servant Nerida O'Loughlin.
The rabbis did not name leaders at Yeshivah Melbourne or Yeshiva Bondi, leaving the charge open to those identified by the commission, but leaders singled out prominently by the hearing include: Rabbi Pinchus Feldman Rabbi Pinchus Feldman centre leaves the Supreme Court in Sydney accompanied by his wife Pnina left on Tuesday 8 July 2003. SMH News Photo by Andrew Meares asm. SPECIALX 222 Credit:Andrew Meares The Royal Commission heard that after child abuse allegations were levelled against a volunteer at Yeshiva Bondi, AVL, the volunteer left the country. AVL said in a meeting before his departure with Yeshiva Centre's head rabbi in Bondi, Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, that he was contemplating leaving Australia, the commission heard.



The commission found that Rabbi Pinchus Feldman and his son, Rabbi Yosef Feldman, who was also at the meeting, "did not take any steps to inform anyone that AVL was contemplating leaving Australia".

"Rabbi Pinchus Feldman told us that he 'did not believe that [he] had that obligation' to report to police that a complaint had been made and that he believed AVL might leave the country," the commission said. Rabbi Pinchus Feldman told the commission in his testimony: "I did not act, I did not notify the police that he said that he may be going. As I say, if this was an error of judgment, then I apologise." The commission noted, however, that according to evidence provided by a former Yeshiva College principal, Rabbi Pinchus Feldman had instructed the principal to "follow the procedures required by law" after it emerged that the volunteer had left the country. Rabbi Yosef Feldman Rabbi Yosef Feldman

The son of Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, who stepped down from his senior role at Yeshiva Bondi following his explosive public testimony in 2015, told the commission he "recently learnt of the serious criminal nature of child sexual abuse". He said he 'didn't know much about sex abuse at all' and that 'it didn't enter into [his] mind the whole idea of what's considered a legal crime or not." In 2011, Rabbi Feldman wrote an email to other rabbis questioning the need to immediately report child molestation to police. In 2013, after his friend Hayman was charged with child abuse, he emailed a rabbi asking if he was "happy that your strong statement to musser in all instances may result in Hayman going to jail for a crime he committed 25 years earlier". The commission said Rabbi Feldman supplied the Australian Jewish News with a false statement of his views to defend his reputation, and accused him of prioritising the "perspective of the perpetrator rather than that of the victim".

He also told the commission there was no "pressing requirement" for him to undertake training, as he viewed the approach to the issue to be "common sense". Rabbi Zvi Telsner The head rabbi at Yeshivah Melbourne, and son-in-law of the late Rabbi Dovid Groner, was highlighted for making public statements about the Jewish law against Loshon Horo (the act of gossiping about another Jew), which the commission said would have given people the impression that discussion about child abuse was "prohibited". Victim advocate Manny Waks was portrayed as "sinful" after Rabbi Telsner admonished him for speaking to the media about abuse at Yeshivah, causing Mr Waks and his family to be "ostracised by many members of the Yeshivah Melbourne community", the commission found. Rabbi Telsner addressed a rhetorical question to the congregants in his speech soon after Mr Wak's public exposure in 2011, posing: 'Who gave you permission to talk to anyone?'.

The commission concluded: "That rhetorical question could only have added to the impression in the community that discussing child sexual abuse was in breach of Loshon Horo and therefore a sin." "We do not accept the evidence of Rabbi Telsner that the sermon was not about Mr Manny Waks and was not designed to limit public criticism of Rabbi Telsner's father-in-law, the late Rabbi Groner." The commission also found Rabbi Telsner delivered another sermon in 2011, after an email was circulated urging people to speak to police about abuse. The commission said the rabbi compared the "gravity of the sin of sending emails containing gossip or slander ... with the tragic Torah reading of the story of the spies". Rabbi Boruch Lesches

The former senior rabbi at Yeshiva Bondi received complaints about Hayman in the 1980s but did not contact police, the commission reported. In 1989, it was heard that a female victim told Rabbi Lesches that Hayman exhibited himself naked to her, but he accused her of "invent[ing]" the story and told her to "get over it". He is now a senior rabbi in the US. What the victims say

Prominent victim advocate Manny Waks said the joint statement by the coalition of rabbis was "powerful and moving" and commended them for taking a strong stance. "It will be comforting for victims/survivors and our families - indeed, for the entire community. It will also help to restore the community's faith in the rabbinate." However, a victim who did not want to be named, said the statement still let people off the hook. They said the failure to name who should step down would cause people to say "not me". "Reads well, but on a practical basis, will have ... nil effect," they said. "In my experience, rabbis protect each other. Always have. Always will."
Police raided properties across Sydney including at Olympic Park on Tuesday. Credit:Wolter Peeters When Mr Sultani emerged as a suspect in the Barbaro shooting, he was already on the police radar for a number of other alleged operations. Court papers detailed the raft of allegations against him, including that, over the past few months, he had 30 firearms in his possession and more than 9000 rounds of ammunition. Mark Easter, who was shot dead, and his partner Biancha Simpson. He is facing several charges over his alleged drug activity, which ranged from supplying ice at Hornsby in October to MDMA in Warwick Farm this month.

Police allege he also supplied two kilograms of methamphetamine in Olympic Park between August 10 and his arrest on Tuesday. He became a target of the Gangs Squad's Strike Force Raptor investigation in November last year. The investigation was looking into the activities of the Burwood chapter of the Rebels and was later joined by the Drug Squad. Mr Sultani is also accused of conspiring to murder Ricky Ciano, a former Rebels enforcer who patched out of the club in recent years, on the Central Coast on August 18, 2015. He allegedly had five guns in his possession on that day.

The 27-year-old did not apply for bail on Wednesday and the case was adjourned to Burwood Local Court on December 22. Outside court, his lawyer John Hajje said his client "was doing all right". Asked if he would defend the charged he replied: "We will wait and see what facts come in and we will have a look at the facts then." The three other men arrested in Tuesday's raids were due to front court on Wednesday charged with the murder of Mr Barbaro. The four were among nine men, aged between 18 and 29, charged following 13 raids on properties that senior police said was "phase one" in a crackdown on the city's underworld.

Officers also seized more than 40 phones, 11 cars, a safe, cash and stolen NSW Police identification. Police said they had already seized 43 firearms and 15 prohibited weapons including ballistic vests and silencers from their investigations into the group. Tuesday's arrests follow the formation of Strike Force Osprey in the days after Mr Barbaro was shot dead. The strike force was established to examine Mr Barbaro's death and seven other unsolved underworld killings in Sydney in the past 18 months. Acting Deputy Commissioner Frank Mennilli said Tuesday's raids were carried out at Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point, Baulkham Hills, Gladesville, Merrylands, Constitution Hill, Meadowbank, Five Dock, Alexandria, Silverwater and North Rocks. He said he expected the nine arrests to be the first of many.

"There is no end game," he said. "We will continue to target these individuals through methodical investigations and disruption strategies. There will be ongoing arrests. We will be protecting the state of NSW. "We will not be tolerating any individual who has a total disregard for the community of this state and its laws." Fairfax Media has been told Mr Barbaro, a man with countless enemies in the criminal underworld, and Mr Sultani had a long tension-prone history. While Mr Sultani was known to act as an alleged "heavyweight for hire", he had been suspected of carrying out his own violence for his own reasons in the past, police say. He is believed to be the alleged ringleader in the killing of Mr Barbaro.
Living in an upmarket Sydney apartment and studying a masters degree, on the surface Abuzar Sultani was an intelligent young professional.

But away from the books and high-rise digs, police believe he was a breakaway bikie, allegedly keeping a cache of firearms, moving large amounts of drugs and carrying out killings.

Sultani was arrested at Olympic Park in November. Credit:Channel 7

And in the past several months, he was under the covert watch of NSW Police.

Two weeks after allegedly murdering one of Sydney's notorious underworld figures  Pasquale Barbaro  Mr Sultani's life unravelled.
Killer Amirah Droudis has every reason to turn her back on the violent beliefs of her partner Sydney siege gunman Man Monis after being subjected to years of betrayal and physical abuse at his hands, a court has heard.

Droudis, 37, was earlier this month found guilty of stabbing Monis' ex-wife to death and setting her body on fire in a frenzied attack in a western Sydney apartment stairwell in 2013.

Amirah Droudis appearing in one of the many videos she made with her partner Man Haron Monis.

At a sentencing hearing in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday, her defence lawyer Mark Ierace, SC, argued that revelations that Monis was romantically involved with other women and his physical violence towards Droudis would have severely damaged, if not destroyed, her commitment to his memory.

Mr Ierace tendered the affidavit of a young woman related to Droudis who described how she saw Monis "snap and go nuts", slapping, kicking and pulling the hair of Droudis throughout the years of their relationship.
It was a horrific double killing in the Hunter region of NSW that remains unsolved nearly nine years later.

With the coronial inquest into the deaths of Robert Pashkuss, 50, and Stacey McMaugh, 41, at Caves Beach to reconvene in Newcastle on Thursday, the NSW Government has more than doubled the reward for information relating to the 2008 deaths to $250,000.

Robert Pashkuss and Stacey McMaugh were killed in their Caves Beach home near Newcastle in 2008. Credit:Brockwell Perks

The couple were bludgeoned to death in their Macquarie Road home between 10.10pm on January 5, 2008 and 11am the following day.

A coronial inquest has already heard Mr Pashkuss' death was more than likely related to his drug dealing activities, while his partner, a lauded community volunteer and charity worker, was an "innocent bystander", who may have been killed because she could identify the offenders.
Good morning.

It`s the first day of Summer and we have weather to match. It`ll be 29 in the city and 31 in Parramatta. Still, there`s an even-chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Here`s today`s news.

Heavy spin on light rail

This is more than cheeky. When news came out that the Baird government`s budget for a light rail network from George Street in the CBD to the eastern suburbs had overshot the mark by more than half-a-billion dollars, we were told it was, in fact, a good thing.

The government said that the increase reflected the costs of new "customer improvements" like extra capacity and "huge wins" for commuters.
As a Sydney sonographer conducted an ultrasound, he allegedly told his patient: "It's good that you're single. It's better to get married after 30."

Samir Fahmy Ishak is then accused of touching the woman's genitals and telling her, "I'm a good doctor, I will check everything."

Samir Ishak (left) leaves the Downing Centre District Court with his barrister, Gregory Stanton. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Mr Ishak, 68, is on trial in the Downing Centre District Court, facing nine charges of aggravated indecent assault on five women while working at medical centres in Cronulla and North Sydney in 2011 and 2014.

He has pleaded not guilty.
Brisbane City Council has finally been able to give itself powers to stop some owners of buildings on its heritage register from allowing their properties to rot away.

An individual owner who refuses to follow the orders can be fined a maximum of $9000, while a company can be fined up to $190,000.

Council now has the right to compel owners to maintain their heritage homes. Credit:N/A

Since 2010 council tried to mirror the power that the Queensland government has to ask owners to maintain properties on the Queensland Heritage Register.

Council has wanted the same powers for the owners of properties on the its heritage register.
Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said he is "looking forward" to the park reopening next weekend.

This morning the board of Ardent Leisure announced the theme park will reopen on Saturday December 10, in time for the school holidays.

Dreamworld has been closed since October 25 when four people died on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

"We've received tremendous support and feedback from the community and our customer base around the park reopening," he said.
Beef cattle arrived by train to the Oakey Abattoir for the first time in 21 years on Wednesday, kickstarting a multi-million dollar chain of events that will boost Queensland's beef export earnings.

The first event was a new $60 million beef processing expansion at the Oakey Abattoir, announced at lunchtime.

Oakey Abattoir workers welcome the first cattle train in more than two decades. Credit:Tony Moore

The second is an extra 500 jobs for Oakey, while the third is a future expansion of major beef exports from Queensland.

Queensland exported $4.7 billion of beef to 73 countries in the 2015-16 year, which was more than 55 per cent of all Australia's beef exports. Meat processing was Queensland 's largest manufacturing industry.
Police have confirmed a complaint made about comments made by the LNP's Lawrence Springborg around the closure of the Barrett Centre is still being assessed.

In July, member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller referred Mr Springborg to police over allegations he "lied, oh, I'm sorry, fibbed or told untruths".

Police are still assessing a complaint against former health minister Lawrence Springborg. Credit:Renee Milides

Ms Miller accused Mr Springborg of lying to a budget estimates hearing on July 24, 2013, when he said the centre's closure was "under review".

A report into the closure of the centre found Mr Springborg decided to close it during a meeting with the then West Moreton Board chair Mary Corbett on July 15, 2013 - nine days earlier.
High-profile Brisbane business figure Nick Behrens has resigned from Queensland's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opening the door to speculation he is seeking a career in state politics.

Mr Behrens has been the media voice of the Queensland's Chamber of Commerce and Industry for almost a decade as the CCIQ's general manager of advocacy.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry director of advocacy Nick Behrens has resigned from QCCI opening doors to speculation he will enter state politics. Credit:Harrison Saragossi

He has been a regular commentator on Queensland and federal budgets, industry initiatives, workplace and industrial relations issues.

Speculation is rife Mr Behrens intends to stand as a candidate for pre-selection for the inner Brisbane seat of Brisbane Central, now held by Labor's employment minister Grace Grace.
That's a wrap for QT for the second-last sitting for 2016.

Last night the government passed its serious and organised crime laws and started debate on the Industrial Relations bill.

Reform to gay panic laws are also set to be on the agenda today.

Thanks to Danielle Cronin for producing the blog. And I'll see you back here for the last sitting before school is out for summer! Enjoy!
An increase in electricity bill rebates will be given to seniors, veterans and pensioners in order for the Labor government to retain its generous solar panel feed in tariff.

The Palaszczuk government has announced the increase following a Queensland Productivity Commission Electricty Pricing report.

Queensland pensioners' power rebates are set to increase. Credit:Peter Braig

The government says electricity prices will rise 1.2 per cent annually over the next two years and the electricity rebate will be extended to assist 157,000 low-income families in Queensland.

But the Liberal National Party opposition has accused Labor of dismissing its own electricity price productivity report which would have driven down power costs.
Martin Shkreli was the ''big pharma bro" who outraged the world by hiking the price of an essential drug from $US13.50 ($18) to $US750 a tablet.

Now a handful of year 11 students in Sydney have shown him up, cooking the same drug in their school lab for about $2 a dose.

Daraprim is an anti-parasitic medicine used to treat infections such as toxoplasmosis and malaria. It is on the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines.

The drug is used to treat people with low immune systems, such as people living with HIV, chemotherapy patients and pregnant women.
An allegedly stolen car slammed into a kindergarten in Melbourne's north-west during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Police believe the car crashed into Diggers Rest Preschool on Plumpton Road shortly before 1am.

The allegedly stolen car crashed into the kindergarten during the early hours of Wednesday morning. Credit:Channel 7

Two offenders fled the scene.

A police spokesman said the investigation is ongoing.
BILLINGS -- An offensive symbol that appeared on the Rims on Monday was visible across from the Montana State University Billings Student Union building and dorms.

MSUB Campus Minister Rob Kirby was hiking with a student when they came across a swastika painted on the rock face.

"When we were going up yesterday morning, right as we got up on the stairs, there it was," Kirby said on Tuesday.

The swastika was spray-painted above the rocky stairway that leads to the top of the Rims, just across North 27th Street as it curves up to the airport. It was in clear view for university students, staff and faculty, and it didn't take long for them to notice.

Greg Dicharry, president of Associated Students of MSUB, said a member of the student senate brought it to his attention. He said his first reaction was to promote campus diversity.

"We want everybody to feel safe," he said. "Even if it didn't affect many people  if it just affected some, we want everyone to feel safe."

He released a statement on behalf of university students, saying that the Associated Students wouldn't tolerate hateful actions. He said that student government will be "working on constructing a more complete statement on the matter and a further plan of actions."

University spokeswoman Blair Koch said that administration was aware that the symbol was there.

Assistant Campus Police Chief Adam Davis said that they referred the incident to the Billings Police Department, but it can be difficult in these cases to find a suspect. The Rims aren't subject to security surveillance.

Whether it's random vandalism or a more intentional act, the placement of a swastika in public view may remind some of an incident 23 years ago in Billings. After a Jewish family was the target of vandalism, residents placed pictures of menorahs in their windows to show solidarity.

The episode spurred the founding of the Not In Our Town movement.

More recently, hateful actions have been getting more attention after a divisive election cycle. Kirby said he's seen it among some students.

I have been pushing on campus to make sure that any of our marginalized students know that our community stands up beside them and with them," Kirby said. "And to see something like that up above campus really rankled me.

Earlier this month, Nazi literature appeared on doorsteps in Missoula.

Within hours of Kirby seeing the swastika on Monday, someone had scraped most of it from the Rims. Dicharry said he'd heard of no other overt displays of hate or intolerance at MSUB this year.

For Kirby, it's another time to make sure everyone feels support from the community.

There is an overwhelming number of people on campus and in the larger Billings community that not only tolerate their presence, but celebrate their presence and what they bring to the community, he said.
EXCLUSIVE

Melbourne's Catholic and Anglican archbishops have condemned the Andrews government's imprisonment of teenagers in "the harshest of adult prison settings", warning that teen offenders' welfare and chances of rehabilitation are at risk.

Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, who is also chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Credit:Joe Armao

Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart and his Anglican counterpart Philip Freier have taken the "unusual step" of writing a joint letter to Mr Andrews offering to boost chaplaincy and pastoral care services to "the most vulnerable and impressionable children" in the care of the state as the youth justice crisis deepens.

Earlier this month rioting teen inmates damaged the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre at Parkville. In response, Premier Daniel Andrews' government moved some inmates to the maximum security Barwon Prison, making "no apology" for the plan.
Where will it burn? The greatest risk for bushfires in December  particularly around Christmas  will be in areas between Melbourne and Echuca. The risk will be greater for coastal communities along the Great Ocean Road  from Apollo Bay to Torquay  come January and February. "Anything from the northern outer suburbs of Melbourne to Echuca  in a straight line  will dry out by Christmas," Mr Lapsley says. "The Macedon Ranges will be really dry. In fact, they are already dry and have a lot of fuel in them.

"So over that Christmas, New Year, period it will be central Victoria and western Victoria [at most risk]. The latter part of January into February will be the critical time for southern Victoria." That is vastly different to last season, when 116 houses were lost in fires that raged through the sleepy coastal hamlets of Wye River and Separation Creek along the Great Ocean Road on Christmas Day. The burnt-out hills above Wye River. Credit:Jason South "I couldn't see that we will have major problems for any of the coastal areas for Christmas, unless we have a dramatic change in weather," Mr Lapsley says. "We're only going to really start to see the hot weather come in around Christmas, and that's really the start of the drying period."

The imminent bushfire risk is in areas in central Victoria, Mr Lapsley believes, where the grasses have already dried out and farmers are already harvesting bumper crops. Last year, it was so dry that there was no hay to be cut. "It's a different season to last year. We've had one of the wettest winters on record and now we're moving into this period of prolific growth," Mr Lapsley says. This season's first major fire  a grassfire at Swan Hill  occurred on November 21, more than a month after last year's first blaze. Last year's first major bushfire was a planned backburn in the Cobaw State Forest at Lancefield that jumped containment lines on grand final day.

Heatwaves on the horizon The first month of summer is set to be the hottest, with heatwaves expected to be a feature of December, but not so much in January or February. There is a 60 to 70 per cent chance of conditions being both hotter and drier than normal in December. December temperature outlook

January temperature outlook "It does looks like it's going to be drier than usual and warmer than usual, particularly in the start of the summer season in December," Ms Duell says. "We've got an increased risk of heatwaves in December, with the increased risk of bushfires as well. But we're looking at close to normal conditions for January." The heatwaves will be fuelled by a belt of strong westerly winds, known as the Roaring Forties.

These winds, generated by a weather phenomenon known as Southern Annular Mode, expand towards the equator, acting as a barrier to wet tropical rains reaching our southern state. Remember, it's all variable - we're in Victoria, after all. "We could get a dump of rain before Christmas, or we could get a really hot run, and it could change everything," Mr Lapsley says. Know what to do on high-risk days Mr Lapsley says Victorians should be preparing for the bushfire season in the coming weeks.
A cyclist was wearing high-visibility clothing and riding in a bike lane on a winter's afternoon when he was hit and killed by a driver who allegedly then removed his own clothing and fled, a court has heard.

New Zealand national Peter McGuffie, 54, died when hit from behind while riding along Barkly Street in West Footscray about 3.15pm on June 23.

Matthew O'Connor is accused of killing cyclist Peter McGuffie, 54, in a hit and run on Barkly Street, West Footscray.

Mr McGuffie was wearing a fluorescent vest and kneepads and the visibility and road conditions were good, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday.

"It was one of those situations where one could ask the rhetorical question 'how could you not see him'," prosecutor Sandra MacDougall told the court.
Take a look at this can of Lynx deodorant.

Now look again. It's actually a hip flask, designed to help punters sneak in alcohol where it's not allowed. Like music festivals, the races and even university exams, although we have no evidence that people do that.

With festival season upon us and drinks at major events often costing as much as the tickets, an Australian company called Smuggle Your Alcohol has created a range of hipflasks designed as everyday objects, designed to foil even the most eagle-eyed security guards.
An angry mob of Aboriginal protesters rallied outside Radio 6PR on Wednesday over allegations the broadcaster was being racist over the Fremantle council's decision to move Australia Day back two days.

Around 10 Aboriginal people, including controversial elder Herbert Bropho, turned up at the headquarters of Radio 6PR on Hay Street demanding to speak to any of the station's presenters or management.

The protesters directed most of their anger towards Peter Newman, who they allege made racist slurs on his Sunday program.

But the group believed Radio 6PR had been running a racist agenda against Aboriginal people following Fremantle council's decision to scrap its popular Australia Day fireworks event from 2017 after deeming the celebration "culturally insensitive".
The introduction of media smart classes from the age of eight is necessary to combat the increased sexualisation of young women, says a Curtin University researcher.

It comes as new research suggests girls from the age of six may be recognising sexualisation and associating it with being 'cool' or 'attractive'.

Research suggests that from the age of six young girls may be recognising sexualisation through advertisements, marketing and other medians. Credit:File image

Dr Michelle Jongenelis from Curtin University's school of psychology, who conducted the research and advocates these changes, said sexualisation is happening to younger girls.

"There is evidence out there suggesting that women are being sexualised a lot more and that's increasing over time and now that is being driven to younger girls," Dr Jongenelis said.
Police have released images of a missing Perth woman leaving her home just hours before she disappeared without a trace on Tuesday.

Mother-of-three Amber Wilson was last seen on Monday afternoon driving her white Hyundai Trajet in bushland near The Spectacles around 1.30pm by a member of the public.

The 28-year-old's car was later found abandoned at Kwinana Hub Shopping Centre by police at 3pm.

Images from inside Ms Wilson's house the day she disappeared showed she was wearing a purple t-shirt and grey pants with her hair in a plat and carrying a handbag when she went missing.
As WA's mining sector experiences a serious downturn, Consumer Protection is warning of opportunistic scammers taking advantage of the record number of unemployed miners looking for work online.

Scammers appear to have set up a fake website named www.miningjobswa.org - an address very similar to legitimate employment website www.miningjobswa.net.au.

On the scammer's website, the company boasts its 24 years of experience, and how it 'stakes its reputation' on employing jobseekers.

"We have a fantastic working relationship with the HR department managers in each mine that we deal with, principally because we undercut every other employment agency in this Country," the fake site reads.
John Brennan, director of the CIA. Credit:Bloomberg Trump has also proposed restricting the entrance of Muslims to the United States, in particular from countries that are hotspots for what he calls "radical Islamic terror." That list of countries would certainly include Pakistan. Trump has also spoken highly of Pakistan's arch-rival, India. During his campaign, he courted the Hindu-American vote, and said that in a Trump presidency, India and the US would be "best friends". "There won't be any relationship more important to us," Trump said in Edison, New Jersey, at a rally organised by self-described Indian nationalists. He has since picked two women of Indian descent for top jobs in his administration, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations and Seema Verma to head the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Trump Organisation has a number of investments in India and was planning an "announcement of several exciting new projects in the months ahead", according to Newsweek.

Pakistan is a major beneficiary of US funds and is slated to receive almost $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) in economic and security assistance in the 2017 financial year. Mr Sharif is markedly less loved in his country than Mr Trump's praise would make it seem. He is dogged by allegations of corruption, and the release of the Panama Papers last northern summer appeared to confirm many Pakistanis' suspicions. He is being investigated for conflicts of interest stemming from four luxurious apartments occupied by members of his family in London, and has vowed to step down if found guilty of siphoning funds. The details of the conversation come as outgoing CIA chief John Brennan weighed in on another hot foreign policy issue for Mr Trump - the Iran nuclear deal. Brennan issued a stark warning to the President-elect: Tearing up the Iran nuclear deal would be "the height of folly" and "disastrous."

During the election campaign, Mr Trump railed against the deal, calling it a disaster and pledging to "dismantle" the historic accord, reached in 2015, in which Tehran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international oil and financial sanctions. Mike Pompeo, a Republican whom Mr Trump has chosen to succeed Mr Brennan, wrote in mid-November on Twitter, "I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism". But in an interview with the BBC that was published on Wednesday, Mr Brennan warned that scrapping the nuclear deal would undermine American foreign policy, embolden hard-liners in Iran and threaten to set off an arms race in the Middle East by encouraging other countries to develop nuclear weapons. "First of all, for one administration to tear up an agreement that a previous administration made would be unprecedented," Mr Brennan said. "I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement". Mr Brennan also took a strong stand against waterboarding, which he said had undermined the agency. The CIA came under fierce international criticism after using interrogation methods like waterboarding in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and Mr Obama has since banned the practice.

During the campaign, Mr Trump pledged to bring back waterboarding and said he was open to unspecified methods he characterised as "a hell of a lot worse." And even as he indicated in an interview last week with the The New York Times that he had heard persuasive arguments that torture was not effective, he has left the option open. "I think the overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business," Mr Brennan said. Mr Brennan warned that despite recent setbacks on the battlefield in Iraq and elsewhere, Islamic State operatives responsible for waging attacks against the West remained "very active" and retained the means to continue their campaign. He also said the incoming administration should be careful about how it characterises the fight against Islamic extremists, because of the risk of playing into the hands of terrorists. "The new team needs to be disciplined in the language that they use, the messages that they send, because if they are not disciplined, their language will be exploited by the terrorists and extremist organisations as a way to portray the United States and the government as being anti-Islamic, and we are not." Mr Brennan told the BBC that he was ready to sit down with the new administration and to outline the challenges.
Berlin: German prosecutors have launched a murder and war crimes investigation of an Islamic State fighter who claimed in interviews that he had refused to engage in violence in Syria but was later exposed by the group on video as taking part in a public execution, a German official said.

Harry Sarfo, 28, a German citizen whose sanitised accounts of his experiences in Syria appeared on front pages of major newspapers and television broadcasts, is now suspected of playing a direct role in the killing of seven hostages in the ancient city of Palmyra last year.

Sarfo's interviews on his time in the Islamic State caught the attention of the organisation, leading to one of its members providing video of Sarfo's involvement in the Palmyra execution - footage that had been captured by an Islamic State camera crew, but not included in the group's propaganda releases.

German officials said the inquiry was opened after The Washington Post obtained and published a video that showed Sarfo moving hostages into position in a public square, raising his fist in celebration as they fell amid a barrage of machine-gun fire, and apparently firing his weapon at one of the downed men.
DECATUR  Over the past 98 years, the influence of Dwayne Orville Andreas spread across the world.

Following his death Nov. 16, those who remember Andreas the best hope his inspiration and impact continue to be felt well into the future. The funeral for Andreas, the former chairman and CEO of Archer Daniels Midland Co., was held Tuesday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Decatur with current and former employees from the company among those in attendance along with family and community members.

Andreas' main commitment was to feed the hungry, his daughter Sandra Andreas McMurtrie said in remembrance during the Memorial Mass in his honor.

He traveled the globe to make that happen, McMurtrie said. His generosity knew no bounds.

While Andreas counted presidents and prime ministers, icons, celebrities and ordinary people among his friends, his caring spirit could be felt by all those who met him, said the Rev. Msgr. John Enzler, who serves in the archdiocese of Washington and works as president and CEO of Catholic Charities.

He was truly a man of the greatest generation, said Enzler, who presided over the Mass with Holy Family Pastor the Rev. Joe Molloy and the Rev. John Burnette, pastor of Saints James and Patrick Parish, as co-celebrants.

He reached out to touch many lives, Enzler said.

During his time leading ADM, Andreas turned a struggling business into an agribusiness giant that became known as the Supermarket to the World. Andreas was a gifted entrepreneur, Enzler said.

Andreas and his brother, Lowell, joined the company in 1966, following the invitation of director Shreve M. Archer. The company's headquarters was moved from Minneapolis to Decatur in 1969, and later, President John Daniels became chairman and Lowell Andreas became president.

Dwayne Andreas was named chief executive in 1970 and elected chairman of the board in 1972, a position he held until stepping down in 1999. He had been replaced as CEO by nephew G. Allen Andreas in 1997.

Dwayne Andreas remained on the ADM board until 2001, ending his 35-year run with the company.

Current ADM Chairman, CEO and President Juan Luciano was among those attending the funeral. Luciano released a statement after Andreas died praising him for the company's growth over nearly 30 years.

ADM had employed about 3,000 people and owned 40 processing plants, mainly in the Midwest, when Andreas ascended to the top job. Upon his retirement, the company had more than 23,000 employees and owned 274 processing plants spanning the world.

During his lifetime, Mr. Andreas passionately believed in agriculture's ability to address hunger among the world's poor, Luciano said. He used his deep understanding of global markets and extraordinary business acumen to support policies and programs that helped food reach people in resource-scarce regions.

Although his tenure at ADM ended amid scandal, Andreas is being remembered most for his efforts to expand food production, markets and distribution on a global basis.

His outreach efforts started by making Decatur a better place with his dedication recognized as he was inducted last week into the Decatur Hall of Fame.

Several area organizations were touched by Andreas and ADM, including The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympics of Central Illinois, Decatur Area Arts Council, Decatur Area Crime Stoppers, Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Decatur Family YMCA and Millikin University.

On a personal level, Andreas focused on prevention and intervention in the lives of children and families through the support he and his late wife, Inez, had for the American Red Cross, Dove Inc., the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, Partners in Education, 4-H clubs and the Children's Museum of Illinois.

McMurtrie said the friendships her father had ran deep, especially with some of the most influential world leaders such as Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson, Robert Dole, George Bush, James Baker, former Democratic Party Chairman Robert Strauss, former House Speaker Thomas P. Tip O'Neill, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin and Shimon Peres.

They learned from him and he from them, she said.

Markers of Andreas' influence can still be seen throughout Decatur, including a statue of former President Ronald Reagan outside the main ADM office building, where it's been since shortly after Reagan visited the ADM plant in 1984.

At his retirement dinner in 1986, O'Neill extolled Andreas as one of the most brilliant and successful people in America, going onto to add that he was one of the most brilliant people I've ever met in my life.

Some of Andreas' generosity could be seen publicly, but Enzler said often times it was done privately.

He could help any person in need, McMurtrie said. In fact, being able to do this brought him great joy.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, or Mother Teresa as she was known at the time, was among the friends of Dwayne and Inez Andreas, and they supported the Missionaries of Charity, yet Andreas wasn't described as an overly religious man. He was born March 4, 1918 in Worthington, Minn., a Mennonite, and was able to receive a blessing late in life to be eligible for a Catholic funeral.

Nevertheless, religion did intersect with his overarching mission of providing food for the world. Doing so, Andreas thought, could go a long way toward promoting peace, said McMurtrie, who also has worked to provide food, medicine and relief supplies to the poor all over the world.

Andreas developed what has been described as a profound respect for the American farmer and importance of agriculture while growing up on his family's farm in Lisbon, Iowa.

Andreas talked during interviews about being brought up in the Mennonite culture. The link between spirituality and raising food made absolute sense, Andreas said.

What else is there besides food? he said. Food and farming, of course, is the religion of the Mennonites.

Although his influence was widespread, Andreas was seen by some simply as a great father and grandfather. In addition to McMurtrie, Andreas had two children, Terry and Michael.

His 10 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren in particular could bring a big smile to his face, McMurtrie said.

It was pure joy to see it, she said. His smile and twinkling eyes will live on forever in our hearts.

A Celebration of Life is planned for January in Bal Harbour, Fla., where Andreas spent time during retirement while maintaining his home in Decatur.
Jakarta: Activists warn the last place on Earth where elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses and orangutans coexist in the wild could be destroyed by mining and palm oil plantations after a Jakarta court ruled against their bid to protect a Sumatran rain forest.

A group of citizens from the Sumatran province of Aceh launched a class action against the Aceh government's land use plan, which they say legalises roads through the world-renowned Leuser Ecosystem and opens the area up for further development.

Deforestation in the Leuser Ecosystem in August. Credit:Paul Hilton for Rainforest Action Network/Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation

The Leuser Ecosystem covers more than 2.6 million hectares in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra and is considered one of the most valuable conservation areas in South-east Asia.

It gained international prominence when Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio visited in March this year and warned on Instagram that palm oil plantations were fragmenting the forest and cutting off key elephant migratory corridors.
Sacramento, California: The husband of a California woman who disappeared while jogging three weeks ago, and then turned up on the side of a road badly beaten and chained to a "heavy object" has slammed those who suggested her kidnapping was a hoax.

Investigators say they are searching for two women armed with a handgun who released Sherri Papini about 230 kilometres south of where she was last seen near Redding, California.

Sherri Papini with her husband Keith and their two children. Credit:Facebook

Authorities have released few other details, citing the "critical and active investigation".

Her husband Keith Papini said his wife was emaciated and covered in bruises when she was found on Thanksgiving, and he castigated those who have suggested her kidnapping was a hoax in a long statement released to ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday.
New York: US President-elect Donald Trump named a vociferous critic of Obamacare and a health policy expert to key appointments on Tuesday to help him repeal and replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare program.

Republican Representative Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, and Seema Verma, the founder of a health policy consulting company, will lead the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of HHS and which oversees government health programs for the poor and the elderly and insurance standards.

Trump cast Price and Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office on January 20 with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, the health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment in 2010, it has been a target of Republican attacks.

Price has characterised Obamacare as "doing real harm to American families" and has co-sponsored legislation to replace it.
In an interview with The New York Times last week, Mr Trump said a sitting president "can't have a conflict of interest" and said federal law is "totally on my side." Presidents are exempt from the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, an exception crafted in the belief that presidents shouldn't have to worry about triggering ethics probes when making decisions. Many of Trump's assets are in the form of licensing deals to put his name on developments all over the world. It's a type of a brand equity that would be difficult for him to transfer, although three of his adult children -- Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric -- are Trump Organisation executives who carry the name. Past presidents have routinely placed their liquid assets, including stocks and bonds, into blind trusts. Mr Trump said on the campaign trail that placing his assets with his children would constitute such a trust, although they are almost always overseen by independent trustees. The bare outlines of Mr Trump's plan don't appear sufficient for the scale of the possible conflicts, said Norman Eisen, who served as ethics czar to President Barack Obama. "The president-elect said he will exit his 'business operations,'" Eisen said in an email. "That's not enough. Although it is important that he have no involvement in operations, in order to avoid conflicts, he must also exit his business ownership through using a blind trust or the equivalent."

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a longtime Republican critic of Mr Trump, told reporters on Tuesday that failing to exit his business fully would "cloud his presidency." "I don't want to prejudge what he's going to do, but here's what I believe: It needs to be dealt with," Mr Graham said. Mr Trump's business deals with overseas partners have raised concerns he could be in violation of the emoluments clause of the US Constitution, which prohibits government officials from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments. "If he doesn't sell, he needs to make sure there is no foreign government money coming in there at all," Mr Painter said. In the Philippines, Mr Trump has a licensing deal for a Trump Tower in Manila with a real-estate developer who was recently named a special government envoy to the US by President Rodrigo Duterte. The largest office tenant in Trump Tower in Manhattan is state-controlled Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, which is due to renegotiate its lease in 2019. And the lease on the hotel Mr Trump recently completed in Washington DC appears to bar participation by any elected official.

The case of his Washington hotel illustrates the difficulty Mr Trump faces. He and his family could likely alter the structure of the Trump Old Post Office that leases the property to wipe out Mr Trump's stake and augment those of his three oldest children, legal experts say. But any determination that he needed to sell the lease entirely could lead to lengthy negotiations that would almost certainly take longer than the seven weeks left before Mr Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office. Anyone who purchased Trump Organisation property could also face questions over whether the price reflected an attempt to do a favour for the president-elect. Newly named Trump White House counsel Donald McGahn, a former Federal Election Commission chairman who also served as chief lawyer to Trump's campaign, will help the transition navigate the potential conflicts. Trump Organisation general counsel Alan Garten, who specialises in real estate and corporate law, is said to be working on the matter from the business side. The three Trump children who are executives in his business were top advisers and surrogates for his campaign, and their presence in the transition has raised questions about nepotism laws and ongoing access of business officials to US policymaking. Ivanka Trump sat in on a call with the president of Argentina as well as a face-to-face meeting with top Japanese diplomats. Mr Trump would need to seek official advice from the Office of Legal Counsel at the US Department of Justice on what kind of payments he would be allowed to accept from an entity controlled by a foreign government, said Mr Painter.

Regardless of the structure Mr Trump puts in place, some Trump-branded properties in foreign countries could become potential terrorist targets now that his name has become a de facto symbol of the US government, he said. "He should not be making money renting out his name - it creates a global security risk," Mr Painter said. "He needs to get his name off buildings that are outside the US for four years." It's not clear that Mr Trump yet has the plan he will be announcing December 15, said Danielle Brian, the executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group. Ms Brian said it was difficult to see how "the architecture of a resolution to this problem could be resolved so quickly." Loading
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POINTE BLANCHE:--- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Port St. Maarten Mark Mingo, is very pleased with the progress being made to further advance Sint Maarten as a homeport destination in the Northeastern Caribbean.

During the meeting that included Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Ingrid Arrindell, discussions focused on investments to further develop homeporting at Port St. Maarten with Pullmantur Cruises and XL Airways; and investments to increase airlift via XL Airways to service destination Sint Maarten.

XL Airways was represented by Laurent Magnin, President Director General/CEO/Chairman, Luc Bereni, Director Commercial, Programme & Marketing/Chief Commercial Officer, and Stephanie Cordier, Marketing & Communication.

Mingo and the Sint Maarten delegation traveled to France to meet with XL Airways, the aviation company that will be used to bring cruise passengers to the country who will then board the Pullmantur vessel Zenith for their Caribbean cruise.

XL Airways will start weekly flights from Paris, France on December 18 with an Airbus 330-200. Allocated on the weekly flight are 250 seats for homeporting from a Pullmantur cruise vessel Zenith. There will also be some additional seats for regular passengers who would like to spend their vacation on the island.

XL Airways has close to 20-years experience. Its a French airline specializing in long-haul flights, and annually flies over one million passengers to the Antilles, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the United States and the Mediterranean Basin.

The airline is based and operates out of Charles de Gaulle Airport. It also operates flights from Marseilles and four other French airports, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes and Toulouse. In addition to the aforementioned regular service flights, the airline also operates chartered flights all year round on behalf of main French and European tour operators.

Pullmantur Cruises is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in 1990, and is the largest Spain-based cruise line. The company mainly markets to Spanish passengers, but cruises are also sold by travel operators outside Spain.

Also present for the meeting was, Suzy Kartokromo, Manager Marketing & Customer Service Department of Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport), Damien Schmidt, Business Development Officer, SXM Airport, and Bertrand Peters, Port St. Maarten General & Governmental Affairs Liaison.

Pullmantur Cruises home port will mean a significant boost for the destination as it will add additional tourists and business for the tourism and hospitality sectors. It also serves part of the diversification of visitors to our island with respect to Latin American and European visitors.

Pullmantur Cruises will start home porting next month, and it is the intention to develop this business into a year-round service. This group focuses on cruise customers from Latin America and Europe. The vessels used carry approximately 1500 cruise passengers and 450-crew.

The home porting business will translate into a significant impact on the countrys economy with spinoffs for transportation services, vessel provisioning from food and beverage wholesalers; fueling services; hotels and villa rentals; as well as air transportation to the destination, the airport besides other businesses that provide ancillary services to the tourism sector.

Home porting is nothing new for the destination as the country has had the opportunity to handle smaller vessels of under 500 passengers.

With Pullmantur Cruises home porting in Sint Maarten, cruise passengers will spend a day or two prior to boarding the ship and beginning their cruise and upon the vessels return when they end their cruise they will have a day or two to spare. These passengers will be short-term stay-overs and potential long-term stay-overs if they enjoy the destination experience while on the island. Therefore shore excursions and local attractions are key for repeat visitors, CEO Mark Mingo said on Tuesday.
PHILIPSBURG:---The Department of Economy, Transportation, and Telecommunication (ETT) in conjunction with the European Union funded COSME Programme, successfully hosted a three-day SME Start and Develop Your Business (SME-SDB) training program. Through this three-day program, the Department and COSME were able to directly assist both established and future entrepreneurs. The training, which were coordinated and executed by Mr. Prakaash Rostam, COSMEs Key Expert SME & Private Sector Development, were led by trainer Ms. Sonia Hunte who provided a wealth of knowledge to the participants. Throughout the three days, participants learned about business models and planning, the value of marketing and conversions and the importance of financial management amongst other things. Moreover, the participants received presentations focused on business licensing requirements from the Head of the Business License Department Head Valya Pantophlet-Lake and were introduced to services provided by the Bureau of Intellectual Property through presentations by Vicentia Rosen-Sandiford and Aarti Jusia-Ramdial of the Bureau.

Over the three days, attendees praised the presenters and organizers for the useful and practical training material made available. The success of the workshops and satisfaction of the 35 participants are a testament to the close partnership between ETT and COSME, and the shared vision of expanding the capacities of entrepreneurs. At the end of the workshops, participants were presented with certificates to commemorate their commitments to entrepreneurship. In his closing remarks, TEATT Secretary General Miguel de Weever encouraged participants to reach out to their fellow entrepreneurs for support while continuously develop their own business skills. Moreover, in describing the significance of institutional capacity building as an important ingredient for the sustainability of entrepreneurs, Mr. Rostam identified the combination of knowledge and skills in business development and management as keys for every entrepreneur.

While this workshop has ended, the Department is already planning its calendar for 2017 with intentions of providing more training opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Persons interested in joining the Departments SME mailing list should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to ensure that they stay abreast of future developments.
Accelerating response in combined prevention, early detection and access to treatment could end the epidemic as a public health problem

Washington, DC, November 29, 2016 (PAHO/WHO) - "Take the challenge. End AIDS" is the Pan American Health Organizations (PAHO) campaign slogan for World AIDS Day (1 December), which urges governments and society to intensify nine measures to end the epidemic of AIDS by 2030.

Providing and promoting the use of condoms and lubricants, providing HIV testing in areas frequented by the most at-risk populations, and expanding access to pre-exposure (PrEP) and post-exposure (PEP) prophylaxis are some of the measures that, if reinforced, could help end AIDS as a public health problem within 15 years.

Other actions include testing and treating all HIV-positive pregnant women and their newborns to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, providing early treatment for all who need it, ending stigma and discrimination, providing testing and treatment for other sexually transmitted infections that are associated with HIV, and increasing funding.

"HIV remains a threat to global health and requires a strategic global and regional response," said Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of PAHO. "We must intensify efforts in combined prevention, early detection and access to treatment, which are the keys to halting transmission of the virus in the coming years," she added.

Nearly two million people are living with HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean. Each year, 100,000 people acquire the virus and 50,000 die from AIDS-related causes. Between 2000 and 2015, new HIV infections were reduced by 25% and deaths by 23%. However, in the last five years, there has been a slight increase in cases (0.7%), particularly among men.

By accelerating the response to HIV/AIDS in the Americas, the ambitious goal of reducing new HIV cases by 74% by 2020 and reducing AIDS deaths in the region by 62% could pave the way for the end of the epidemic in 2030. PAHO and its member countries agreed this year on a new plan to move in that direction.

"Today, we have more tools to prevent new infections, to diagnose all those who live with the virus and dont know it, and to treat everyone as soon as possible to preserve their health," said Dr. Marcos Espinal, director of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis. "Accelerating action of these and other measures can reduce the epidemic to the lowest level possible."

The PAHO campaign aligns with WHO's Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV, the declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting to end AIDS, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ) and the UNAIDS 2016 campaign, which focuses on HIV prevention, one of the measures to end AIDS in 2030.
DECATUR  Kathy Butler went to First United Methodist Church on Tuesday for a Bible study but left with a number of brochures and so much more.

That's because she stopped by the Fellowship Hall on the lower level and perused the displays of more than two dozen social services assembled for the church's second annual observance of Giving Tuesday, an event that's gaining steam nationally as a counterpoint to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Having retired in 2011 after a long career in social services, Butler said her tour through the information tables was inspiring. Seeing this concentration of organizations I've heard about forever did my soul good, she said.

The first Giving Tuesday at First United Methodist a year ago raised $13,463 for the 16 organizations that participated, with organizer Jennifer Horton-Motter, director of children and family ministries at the church, saying that the stream of visitors was steady this year from 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and again when the event reopened between 4 and 6 p.m.

No total for Tuesday's event was available.

Even so, other representatives of Baby TALK, which was among 14 returning charities at First United Methodist, learned their organization was getting a $3,000 gift from Gather.Give.Share during a separate Giving Tuesday ceremony.

Carma Caceres, co-president of the student initiative of the Community Foundation of Macon County, said the group members considered a half-dozen organizations but decided in the end that Baby TALK touches more lives.

It was not an easy decision, said Caceres, a senior at St. Teresa High School. We had to vote a couple of times.

The 23 members of Gather.Give.Share have been raising funds since April and for the third consecutive year presented their grant on Giving Tuesday, this year at Baby TALK Early Head Start.

We invest young, just as all of you have had the benefit of being invested in, said Shauna Ejeh, Baby TALK's executive director. We are very grateful and excited.

Earlier grants went to the Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates and to Decatur Day Care.

In addition to St. Teresa, the teenagers of Gather.Give.Share represent Mount Zion and Warrensburg-Latham high schools, and also support the Decatur Family YMCA's Backpack Attack and the WSOY Community Food Drive.

Besides Baby TALK, returning organizations at First United Methodist Church were the American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois, Boy Scouts of America/Lincoln Trails Council, Catholic Charities, Central Illinois Christians in Mission, Dove Inc., God's Shelter of Love, Good Samaritan Inn, Macon County Assistance eXchange (MAX), Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates, Northeast Community Fund, Oasis Day Center and the Salvation Army.

Charities participating for the first time included the American Cancer Society/Macon County Relay for Life, Decatur Area Habitat for Humanity, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois, Macon County Extension 4-H, mri (also known as Macon Resources Inc.), Old King's Orchard Community Center, Project READ and Webster-Cantrell Hall.

Program director Brandon Miller said the Boys & Girls Club of Decatur decided to join in to make the community aware of the resources it provides for families, while Trista Smith, a senior at Millikin University from Farmer City, said Big Blue Backpacks came out to call attention to what it does with the help of the Good Samaritan Inn.

The initiative sends needy students at Dennis School home on Fridays with enough food to last the weekend.

Tori Thomas and Amaya Mattingly, sixth-graders at Parsons School, were also on hand to highlight a drive to pave the school's walking track.

The Revs. Mike Fender and Stan Evans, pastors at First United Methodist since July 1, were among the event's early visitors. We've only been here five months, and it's wonderful to be reminded again of what a generous community Decatur is, Fender said.

Patty Barr may work for Baby TALK, but she had a wad of $5 bills in her pocket: One for every organization represented at Giving Tuesday.

I don't want to leave anyone out, Barr said. I have strong feelings about them all.
Ellipsiz Communications Ltd. Confirms Order Made by Judge of the Superior Court of Justice  Ontario Disallowing Meeting of Shareholders Called by Tat Lee (Michael) Koh

Posted by Publisher Networking

TORONTO, ONTARIO  (Marketwired)  11/29/16  Ellipsiz Communications Ltd. (formerly NXA Inc.) (TSX VENTURE: ECT) (the Company or ECL) announces that on November 25, 2016 a judge of the Superior Court of Justice  Ontario refused to permit Tat Lee (Michael) Koh to call a meeting of shareholders.

In respect of a release issued by Mr. Koh on November 28, 2016 confirming the cancellation of the shareholders meeting he had purportedly called, of the 48% of the shares that Mr. Koh claims to have received in support, almost 43% were his own shares. In other words, even though Mr. Kohs proxy solicitation was not contested by the Company (as we believed the meeting to be invalid), Mr. Koh only obtained the support of an additional 5% of all shareholders.

In Reasons released on November 28, 2016 the Court agreed with the conclusion reached by the Company, as previously disclosed in a press release dated October 4, 2016, whereby the Board of Directors refused Mr. Kohs requisition to call a meeting of shareholders on the basis that it was clear that the primary purpose of Mr. Kohs requisition was to redress a personal grievance against the Company and the directors who Mr. Koh sought to replace. The Court also rejected Mr. Kohs request for the Court to exercise its discretion to call a meeting of shareholders, on the same grounds relied on by the Board of Directors to refuse Mr. Kohs requisition to call a meeting.

As a result of the Courts Order, Mr. Koh announced that the meeting of shareholders he had purportedly called for November 28, 2016 had been cancelled. Mr. Koh had called the meeting for the sole purpose of removing and replacing three current members of the Board of Directors who had been duly elected at a meeting of shareholders held on June 30, 2016, with three persons nominated by Mr. Koh.

As found by the Court, Mr. Koh has failed to demonstrate any issue of such concern to shareholders that it is necessary to convene a meeting to consider the Resolution (to remove and replace the three directors) prior to the next annual and general meeting of shareholders of ECL.

In concluding that Mr. Kohs attempt to call a shareholders meeting was for the primary purpose of redressing Mr. Kohs personal grievances against certain directors Mr. Koh wanted to remove from the Board, the Court concluded that a personal grievance involves a dispute that does not entail an issue of corporate policy or operations but rather involves an issue primarily pertaining to the personal interests of the complainant. Having impeded Mr. Kohs ability to pursue his personal interests, interests which cannot be reconciled with a Board members fiduciary duties, by calling the meeting Mr. Koh attempted to remove the directors who stood in his way.

While the Company filed the affidavits of three Board members, including the affidavit of Mr. Tan (the President and senior officer of the Companys operating subsidiary in Taiwan), in order to evidence Mr. Kohs true purpose in seeking to call the meeting, Mr. Koh did not tender any evidence before the Court regarding his purpose in requisitioning the meeting, apart from representations made by his counsel. The Court found that there was no evidence to support those representations, which included claims that the Board functioned in a dysfunctional manner and that members of the Board had engaged in clandestine activity. Furthermore, the Court noted that there was no evidence that any shareholder other than Mr. Koh had any complaint regarding the conduct of the Board, or the directors Mr. Koh sought to remove.

Among the items the Court found formed part of Mr. Kohs personal grievance against the directors was his desire to personally negotiate a potential acquisition by the Company based on his status as the single largest shareholder and because he claimed that he was the one to finance the deal. The Court found that Mr. Koh was confusing his role as director and shareholder and that the Applicants fiduciary duty (as a director) required that he approach the issue of the negotiator with a view to maximizing the prospects of a successful negotiation. Mr. Kohs insistence that he engage in the negotiations was instead based on a question of respect for him personally. In addition, the court found that the there is also reason to doubt whether the proposed financings (which are no longer on the table) were credible.

Similarly, in respect of Mr. Kohs objections to steps taken by the Board of ECL to reconstitute the Board of the operating subsidiary (including removing Mr. Koh as a director and Chairman of the operating subsidiary), in order to enhance operational and financial controls over the subsidiary, the court noted that the changes were supported by Mr. Tan. Moreover, the court noted that Mr. Kohs claim that the changes may cause management of the subsidiary to resign were never credible and that Mr. Kohs concern was simply to maintain his position as a director and chairman of the operating subsidiary.

The Court expressly noted this is not a case in which there is a dispute between two groups of investors. The applicant is on his own. The Court found, consistent with the conclusion reached by the Board of Directors, that the position advanced by Mr. Koh reflects his own personal interests rather than any larger sense of the best interests of ECL. As a result, the court concluded that Mr. Koh has failed to demonstrate any issue of such concern to the shareholders that it is necessary to convene a meeting to consider the Resolutions prior to the next annual and general meeting of shareholders of ECL.

The Company is continuing to evaluate the implications of the Courts decision as it relates to the ongoing affairs of the corporation, including Mr. Kohs continued participation on the Board of Directors.

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Grant Sawiak

416-917-2816
Tangelo Reports 2016 Third Quarter Financial Results

TORONTO, ONTARIO  (Marketwired)  11/29/16  Tangelo Games Corp. (Tangelo or the Company) (TSX VENTURE: GEL) reports its financial results for the third quarter of 2016 (the three and nine-month period ended September 30, 2016).

HIGHLIGHTS

All figures CAD

Tangelo Q3 results can be found on its website () or SEDAR (http://www.sedar.com/).

Financial Results and Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain Non-IFRS performance measures, namely EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA and working capital, within this document. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, we and certain investors use this information to evaluate the Companys performance and ability to generate cash, profits and meet financial commitments. These Non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

EBITDA is defined as Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization. Adjusted EBITDA takes into consideration unusual expenses that do not reflect operations. EBITDA does not include the discontinued operations of Vast and Tech Channel. The following tables provide a reconciliation to Operating Loss/Income on the Statements of Consolidated Income and Comprehensive Loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 as reported in our condensed interim consolidated financial statements.

Adjusted EBITDA  Consolidated

James Lanthier, Chief Executive Officer of Tangelo, commented:

We are pleased with our performance in Q3; our Adjusted EBITDA grew quarter over quarter from $2.76 million in Q2 2016 to $2.96 million in Q3 2016. While our revenues experienced the typical slight seasonal dip that accompanies the summer months, we are positive with respect to the KPI trends in the business and are now seeing the benefits from the integration of Akamon and Diwip play out across multiple dimensions:

Scale

We initiated a headcount reduction in order to take advantage of the combined businesss economies of scale, and in Q3 reduced the headcount of our operating business by 25%

Product

Post integration, Tangelo Games has been incorporating content from the pre-merger Akamon slots library into pre-merger Diwip platform Best Casino offering its players fifteen new high- quality titles such as Fire Wheel 7s, Dragon Eggs, Monte Carlo and Down the Rabbit hole. This cross-selling has helped drive a 25% reduction in customer acquisition costs at Akamon.

Subsequent to the quarter end, Tangelo released Pixies, its first game developed jointly by the combined product group in Barcelona and Tel Aviv and developed simultaneously for both the Best Casino and Mundigames environments.

Marketing

By using best-in-class marketing platforms and analytical models, we have significantly improved churn in the Diwip customer base, from 35% in Q3 2015 to 20% in Q3 2016.

This is a critical metric for Tangelos business, as it means we are able to increase customer life time value. We believe there is room for further improvement and our ultimate goal is to reduce Diwip customer base churn to a number much closer to Akamons 5%.

Vicenc Marti, President of Tangelo, commented:

Tangelo has now completed the full integration of Akamon and Diwip into a a single, seamless social casino platform. The proof is our recently launched game Pixies, jointly developed by our Tel Aviv and Barcelona offices, which for the first time in the history of the company has been launched simultaneously in all of the company s platforms. A fully integrated and experienced company with an efficient costs structure is the perfect baseline to leverage the next wave of opportunity in the young social casino industry, with nascent technology platforms such as bots and VR.

Capital structure update

Tangelos management team is focused on its obligations to its lender, Third Eye Capital Corporation (TEC), including its requirement to make certain payments by the end of 2016. While the Company is not yet in a position to provide a definitive update, management anticipates a positive resolution of its obligations to its lenders before the end of the year. Tangelos management has a transparent, collaborative relationship with TEC with whom it communicates regularly regarding its business, its prospects, and its strategic alternatives. Management is in specific discussions with a number of parties regarding potential strategic and financial transactions, and is evaluating these opportunities in partnership with TEC as a top priority.

We would also like to note that TEC is in fact the Companys largest financial sponsor by a wide margin, and TEC has been supportive of the Company throughout its history, and continues to be supportive of the business and shares managements vision of building a larger, more competitive and geographically diversified social casino business that leverages best practices in product, marketing, and systems.

As previously noted, the interactive games space continues to experience a high rate of innovation and corporate activity. Management has advantageously positioned Tangelo within this dynamic marketplace by integrating Akamon and Diwip and realizing efficiencies in scale, analytics, and game deployment. Management will update investors as soon as possible upon any definitive developments relating to its end of 2016 obligations or other strategic alternatives.

Credit Agreement Waiver and Amendment

Tangelo also announces that it has reached an agreement with its lenders to amend certain terms of its outstanding credit agreement. Tangelo previously completed a secured debt financing pursuant to an amended and restated credit agreement dated November 16, 2015, which amended the terms of a prior credit agreement dated January 30, 2015, as amended (together, the Credit Agreement) among the Company, as borrower, the subsidiaries of Tangelo, as credit parties, a syndicate of lenders (the Lenders), and the Lenders administrative agent, TEC.

The Company and its subsidiaries have entered into a waiver and amendment (the Amendment) to the Credit Agreement with TEC, on behalf of the Lenders, waiving breaches by the Company of certain covenants and amending the covenant thresholds for future periods. As consideration for these amendments, among other things, the Company agreed to pay to the Lenders a fee.

Board

Tangelo also announces today that Mr. Norman Inkster will retire from the Board of Directors of the Company. It is expected that a new fully independent director will be appointed in 2017.

James Lanthier, CEO and Director of Tangelo, remarked: On behalf of the Tangelo Board of Directors I would like to thank Norm for his contributions to the growth and development of the Company. We wish Norm well in his future endeavors.

About Tangelo

Tangelo Gaming Corp., the parent company of Diwip and Akamon, is a developer of social and mobile gaming for PC, Mac, iOS and Android platforms. Diwip and Akamon design, develop and distribute their top ranked social casino-themed games within online social networks (such as Facebook) and mobile platforms (such as Android and iPhone). All of the Diwip and Akamon games are free to play and generate revenue primarily through the in-game sale of virtual coins.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. When used in this press release, such statements may use such words as may, will, expect, anticipates, believe, plan and other similar terminology. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future business and operations of the Company, the financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries, negotiations with TEC and the ability of the Company to achieve a positive resolution of its obligations to TEC, the ability of the Company to complete a strategic and/or financial transaction on favorable terms or at all, the resignation of a director and the future prospects of the Company. These statements reflect managements current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions and future developments in the sectors of the economy in which the business of Imperus or Akamon operate. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Please see the Companys short form prospectus dated March 27, 2015, the Companys Annual Information Form dated November 11, 2015 and other documents available under the Companys profile on , for a more detailed description of the risk factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether a result of new information, future results or otherwise, except as required by law.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Contacts:

Spyros P. Karellas, President & CEO

Pinnacle Capital Markets Ltd.

416-433-5696

Skype: spyros.karellas
2nd Watch Earns AWS Financial Services Competency

Posted by Publisher Hardware

SEATTLE, WA  (Marketwired)  11/29/16  , a managed public cloud provider for enterprises, has earned the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Financial Services Competency. The AWS Partner Network (APN) Competency program highlights companies that have demonstrated technical proficiency, leadership and proven customer success in specialized solution areas. 2nd Watch has previously earned AWS competencies in Migration, DevOps, Big Data, Marketing and Commerce, Life Sciences and SharePoint and is also recognized as an AWS Managed Service Partner.

The AWS Financial Services Competency requires companies to demonstrate financial services industry expertise, readily implemented solutions that align with AWS architectural best practices, and have staff with AWS-certifications. 2nd Watch helps major global financial and banking institutions migrate to the cloud while meeting rigid compliance and security requirements. Its clients also reduce costs and can more rapidly respond to industry reporting requirements with 2nd Watchs batch computing, HPC and big data. The cloud services provider has experience developing solutions compliant with Sarbanes Oxley, PII and PCI, along with detailed security requirements such as SOC2, multi-factor authentication, virtual private cloud (VPC), intrusion detection, vulnerability scanning and log management.

The 2nd Watch team helped life reinsurance provider, SCOR, migrate its underwriting system to the AWS Cloud, including handling design, test and ongoing management and support. SCOR determined that its need for attaining SOC2 compliance for the application would be cost prohibitive if handled internally. Therefore, to meet those requirements. The project incorporated Amazon WorkSpaces, the AWS hosted desktop service that provides the application isolation required to meet SOC 2 compliance, as well as managed cloud security services from Alert Logic, a 2nd Watch partner.

Major financial institutions are using AWS to leverage elastic compute power without having to invest heavily in traditional hardware requiring a large CAPEX investment, says Jeff Aden, executive VP of strategic business development and marketing with 2nd Watch. We are seeing customers in the financial vertical that are bringing forward new business initiatives which may have required substantial compute power and they now have the ability and access to additional resources. Typically, these are new workloads comprise risk modeling and financial analysis that deliver greater insights into portfolio performance. Were thrilled that AWS has recognized our competency to work with financial services institutions, who are some of their most demanding customers, with enormous requirements for scale, performance, data integrity and security.

2nd Watch is an AWS Premier Partner providing managed cloud to enterprises. The companys subject matter experts, software-enabled services and cutting-edge solutions provide companies with tested, proven, and trusted solutions, allowing them to fully leverage the power of the public cloud. 2nd Watch solutions are high performing, robust, increase operational excellence, decrease time to market, accelerate growth and lower risk. Its patent-pending, proprietary tools automate everyday workload management processes for big data analytics, digital marketing, line-of-business and cloud native workloads. 2nd Watch is a new breed of partner which helps enterprises design, deploy and manage cloud solutions and monitors business critical workloads 247. 2nd Watch has more than 400 enterprise workloads under its management and more than 100,000 instances in its managed public cloud. The venture-backed company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about 2nd Watch, visit or call 888-317-7920.

Media contact:

Kevin Wolf

TGPR

(650) 327-1641
LoopUp Enhances Premium Remote Meetings Solution

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  11/30/16  LoopUp (AIM: LOOP) today announced the latest release of its premium remote meetings solution. Streamlined and intuitive, LoopUp is designed for the day-to-day needs of business users and delivers the quality, security and reliability required by the enterprise. Todays release further enhances user experience on remote meetings and allows guests to view screen sharing from any device and any browser.

For many people, meeting remotely has become an essential part of doing business every day, yet theyve come to accept that the experience on those conference calls will likely be cumbersome or frustrating, said LoopUp co-CEO Steve Flavell. With our latest release, LoopUp continues to deliver a refreshingly different remote meeting experience that eliminates these frustrations and keeps our users focused on the business at hand.

With this release, LoopUp introduces an elegant new user interface, simplifies how users and their guests join their remote meetings, and improves usability by making meeting controls more intuitive.

The latest version of LoopUp utilizes industry best-practice to deliver the same great meeting experience on desktop and mobile. This means LoopUp users are now able to view screen sharing from any device and any browser, no downloads required.

Unlike legacy conferencing tools that are overly complex or painful to use, LoopUp doesnt overwhelm users with features or require training. One-click screen sharing and integration with tools business people use every day, like Outlook, makes collaboration easier and more productive for LoopUp users.

We continue to see large enterprises and professional services firms adopting LoopUp for its simplicity, straight-forward design, and exceptional user experience, continued Flavell. Not only have we solved the fundamental issues that have plagued conferencing for decades, were committed to delivering a remote meeting experience that exceeds expectation and that customers can count on.

Also today, LoopUp announced that users can at loopup.com. The company also .

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LoopUp (AIM: LOOP) is a premium remote meetings solution. Streamlined and intuitive, LoopUp is built for the needs of business users and delivers the quality, security and reliability required in the enterprise. One-click screen sharing and integration with tools business people use every day, like Outlook, make it easy for LoopUp users to collaborate in real time. LoopUps award-winning SaaS solution doesnt overwhelm users with features, and doesnt require training. Over 2000 enterprises worldwide, including Travelex, Kia Motors America, Planet Hollywood, National Geographic, and Subaru trust LoopUp with their remote meetings. For more information, visit .

Media Contact:

Christy Kemp

303-898-3390
Seismic Wins Silver in Best in Biz Awards 2016

SAN DIEGO, CA  (Marketwired)  11/30/16  Seismic, the leading enterprise-grade sales enablement solution, has been named a silver winner in the Enterprise Service of the Year category in the Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

Seismics end-to-end sales enablement solution helps large enterprises deliver the right content to the right sales rep at the right time, increasing sales efficiency and marketing effectiveness. Judges evaluated entrants on areas such as recent product upgrades, and Seismic has continued to launch major innovations in 2015 and 2016 that has kept the solution ahead of competitors. In September 2015, Seismic released their Outlook plug-in, ensuring sales reps have access to the right content right from within their Outlook account and which has gone on to win an IT Network Product Guide Award, and American Business Award, a Mobile Star Award, and a Stevies Customer Sales and Service Award.

2016 saw the launch of , a virtual collaboration forum for sales teams to come together and prepare and finalize content for important meetings and presentations, and in May, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Seismic found a for organizations deploying the companys sales enablement solution.

The sixth annual program in North America garnered more than 600 entries, from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2016 honors were presented in 60 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, App of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2016 were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of 50 judges from widely known newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, TV outlets, and analyst firms. In addition to numerous judges returning from the 2011-2015 judging panels, this years panel included several worthy additions to the high-profile group. The panel included Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, CNET, Computerworld, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek Channel Insider, Forbes, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Information Week, InfoWorld, Investment Advisor Magazine, MediaPost, Multifamily Executive, Network World, Portland Business Journal, Security Products Magazine, South Florida Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, Wired, WLRN and ZDNet.

Our devotion to product innovation and customer success is foundational to our own success, and we have worked hard over the past couple years to ensure that our sales enablement solution remains the industry standard, said Doug Winter, Seismic CEO and co-founder. We are therefore excited that such an esteemed panel of judges recognized our product capabilities in honoring Seismic with a Best in Biz Award 2016.

There were tons of great entries this year  it was especially difficult to pick the most worthy candidates out of the many submissions, said Christopher Null, Wired, returning to the Best in Biz Awards judging panel for the fourth year.

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2016, visit: .

To learn more about how enterprises are benefiting from Seismics sales enablement solution, visit their website .

Seismics leading end-to-end sales enablement solution for enterprises increases sales efficiency and marketing effectiveness by delivering the right content at the right time. Seismic is the only sales enablement platform anchored by the award-winning LiveDocs technology, which automates the creation of personalized sales materials within seconds, achieving personalization at scale and dramatically improving time spent selling and win rates. Seismic customers are customizing more than a million pieces of sales collateral per year, and real-time analytics provide unprecedented insight for marketing teams looking to gauge which content helps close deals. Headquartered in San Diego and with 210 employees across the globe, Seismic is privately held by its executive team and investment firms General Atlantic, JMI Equity, and Jackson Square Ventures.

For more information about Seismics end-to-end sales enablement solution, please visit .

Now in its sixth year, Best in Biz Awards recognizes companies for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are currently conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 60 categories, including company, team, executive, product and PR and media. Entries for Best in Biz Awards 2017 International are currently being accepted until the final deadline on April 28, 2017. For more information, visit: .

Jason Fidler

Seismic

978-505-9148
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FORT WORTH, Texas  The phone call came just before lunch on a Tuesday in April.

Kristi Evans was teaching kindergarten that day in Godley. She remembers a fellow teacher ushering her students out of the classroom, and she remembers the odd sensation of watching this happen to someone else, certainly not her.

Then Evans remembers the woman on the phone saying the words that would change everything: You have breast cancer.

It really does turn everything upside down, Evans said. You experience every emotion possible in a span of about three minutes.

For Evans, the cancer diagnosis led to a bilateral mastectomy, follow-up surgeries and chemotherapy, but it also sparked a change in career and what she called a new calling.

After teaching for nearly 20 years in Godley and Joshua, Texas, Evans is now a certified cancer navigator at the Joan Katz Breast Center at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth.

Part of a nine-member team, Evans guides cancer patients through treatments, helps them understand their diagnosis and provides support to patients and their families. She is available to her clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I am the chief hand-holder and purveyor of hugs and hope, said Evans, 57. As a survivor, I am the emotional support.

Since the Joan Katz center opened in 2010, it has served more than 5,700 cancer patients  free of charge. The center is funded by donations.

Kim Kenneson, a teacher in Godley who was diagnosed with breast in 2014, said Evans acted as a cheerleader and mentor. She recalled sending Evans lengthy text messages about sores, swollen feet or just feeling afraid.

She never talked to me like a doctor, Kenneson said. She talked to me like a friend.

A safety net

The morning after her own diagnosis, Evans, her husband and two daughters met with nurse navigator Sheree Bennett at the Joan Katz Breast Center. Armed with questions, she and her family cried, laughed and tried to understand what the next few weeks would bring.

Bennett, a survivor, gave Evans hope.

I did not think I would ever be normal again. I thought this would always be my world, Evans said. So to see someone who had been through this who was now laughing and talking and living was very powerful.

One month after her diagnosis, which began with a routine mammogram, Evans underwent a bilateral mastectomy. Again, her nurse navigator, and lay navigator Sue Cook, provided answers and comfort.

They checked on Evans before surgery and fetched drinks for her husband and daughters while they waited. After surgery, they brought her heart-shaped pillows, often used by breast cancer patients post operation for comfort. They instructed her to call with questions at any time.

They took away the fear and anxiety, and they gave me a safety net, she said. I could not imagine going through this journey without them and this center.

Weeks after the mastectomy, she learned she would need chemotherapy. In despair, she again turned to her navigators for support and education.

For some reason, I had closed the door on the idea of chemotherapy. In my head, I had a Hollywood image of what chemo would be like, and it scared me, she said. They had to calm me down and talk me off the ledge.

A new path

As she completed chemotherapy, Evans began wondering what her next move would be. She had not returned to the classroom since her diagnosis and thought she might be ready for a change.

In spring 2012, about one year after her initial diagnosis, she began volunteering at the Joan Katz Breast Center. Six months later, she accepted a full-time position as a lay navigator.

It was one of the happiest days of my life, she said. And I still feel like a teacher, but with better behaved students.

Evans guides patients through surgeries and treatments, holding their hands, praying and offering personal insight. Patients ask her how painful a procedure will be, what is reconstruction like, when will they feel normal, or what Evans calls the new normal.

When Jennifer Dias, a professor at Tarleton State University, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42, she knew almost no one who had undergone these treatments. Evans became a sort of lifeline.

Going through this without her would have been so overwhelming. Kristi was a godsend, Dias said. She radiates faith and love. She was my calming agent.

Kenneson, the teacher in Godley, said she has recommended that friends and acquaintances diagnosed with cancer visit Evans and other Joan Katz navigators.

The doctors are wonderful, but Kristi was the angel on my shoulder, Kenneson said. She made me feel like everything would be OK.
DECATUR  The heat is back on in Central Illinois homes, which historically is also a time when the number of home fires goes up.

Often, those fires are caused by alternate heating methods. But there are steps that can be taken to avoid disaster.

Its important to take steps to get your home ready for winter, American Red Cross Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Region Lyn Hruska said. The Red Cross responds to about 66,000 disasters every year across the country, and most of them are home fires."

Hruska said to keep a home safe from fire, have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected and cleaned before another winter of use. Also, test batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and develop a fire escape plan and practice it with everyone who lives in the home.

Nearly half of the households in the U.S. use alternative heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, or wood/coal stoves to stay warm. Fixed and portable space heaters, including wood stoves, are involved in 74 percent of fire-related deaths.

If someone is using a space heater, the Red Cross recommends that people look for a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over. Space heaters should be placed on a level, hard and nonflammable surface in the home. Other safety tips include:

 Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.

 Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.

 Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

Other tips for having a safe and warm winter include making sure flashlights are available throughout the house and they have fresh batteries, and insulating the home by installing storm windows or covering the inside of windows with plastic to keep cold air out.

Also, the Red Cross recommends preparing a disaster supply kit to have ready should winter storms hit. The kit should include a three-day supply of food and water per person, flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio and extra batteries.
DECATUR  Police arrested Kyle Smith-Merriweather, 22, of Decatur for allegedly shooting a man he had lured to meet him for a drug deal.

He is being held in the Macon County Jail on $250,000 bond on preliminary charges of attempted murder and armed robbery. He is due in court for his arraignment by Wednesday.

About 10:15 p.m. Nov. 19, police were sent to Decatur Memorial Hospital to investigate two men who entered the emergency room seeking treatment for gunshot wounds.

Smith-Merriweather suffered an abdominal wound.

A 32-year-old Decatur man suffered life-threatening wounds, with injuries to his left shoulder, armpit, left hip and left buttock.

"Officers attempted to interview Smith-Merriweather, however he refused to give a statement," said a probable cause affidavit by Decatur police detective James Atkinson.

The victim told police he was driven to West Marietta and North Dunham streets by a woman in her Buick to buy marijuana. When she parked the car, a man approached on foot.

"While sitting in the front passenger seat of the Buick, he produced $175 to pay for the cannabis," the victim told police. "The black male pulled out a small chrome handgun, pointed it at him and said something like, 'You know what this is.'"

The victim grabbed the gun, and the two men struggled for control. The victim was pulled out of the car through an open door. During the struggle the victim was shot in his arm or abdomen, he told police.

At one point Smith-Merriweater dropped the gun. The victim retrieved it and shot him once. Then the victim ran from the scene and was shot in the leg as he ran. He fell to the ground. He was then driven to the hospital by the woman who drove him to the scene.

A witness reported that Smith-Merriweather walked up to the car, entered the rear passenger side door, and sat down behind the victim. Smith-Merriweather handed a bag of cannabis to the driver, which was handed to the victim. The victim reached into his pocket to retrieve money.

Smith-Merriweather pulled out a firearm and said something like, "Yeah, you know what it is." The victim exited the Buick and was shot. The two men struggled over the gun. Smith-Merriweather "continued firing the gun into (the victim's) lower body," the witness told police.

After three gunshots, the witness saw the victim fall to the ground. Smith-Merriweather "continued to shoot" as he approached the victim. Smith-Merriweather then ran toward his nearby Marietta Street residence "while carrying a gun."

Police found a silver-colored .380-caliber handgun in the roadway near the intersection. The handgun had damage consistent with being struck by a round from another firearm.
Free family fun was on the agenda Tuesday night in Clinton Township, as the popular Sledding Hill was the place to be on a splendid fall evening.
The governments of UK, Australia and Canada have updated their travel advisories for India following the governments announcement to ban currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.

Typically, foreign tourist arrivals in India in November and December are the highest during the year. Of the more than 8 million foreign tourists who visited India last year, over 1.7 million arrived in November and December, according to data on the tourism ministrys website.

In a travel alert updated on November 10, the UK government cautioned its citizens travelling to India. If youre exchanging money at a bank, take a form of photographic identification and expect long queues. New 500 and 2,000 rupee notes will be issued to replace the withdrawn notes. Until then, if youre exchanging money dont accept any denomination higher than 100 rupeesArrangements have been made at international airports for arriving and departing passengers who have 500 or 1,000 rupee notes of not more than 5,000 rupees, to exchange them for new notes or other legal tender.

The Canadian government, while continuing to maintain its risk levels on a high degree of caution for India, updated its laws and culture section. Check with your bank to find out whether your debit and credit cards will work in India. Demonetised notes can be exchanged / deposited from November 10 to December 30 at banks, exchange offices or post office accounts.

Long lines are expected and it may take some time for ATMs to be supplied with smaller denominations and new notes. Banks and ATMs are also running out of cash daily. Do not accept bank notes that have been taken out of circulation. If you find yourself short of funds, seek establishments that will accept your foreign credit card or mobile wallet application (load with a local card only.)

Rajeev Kohli, senior vice president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators and joint managing director for Creative Travel, said the association has made a presentation to the government to allow foreign tourists leaving the country to exchange their currency without a limit.

We had also made a request to accept old currency at ASI monuments and national sites of interest as some of these tickets for tourists are quite expensive. They have accepted that request and have extended the deadline. But it has been a struggle as we had to approach different states. While some agreed, some were reluctant, he said.
Photo caption: Listening? (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

By Itika Sharma Punit,

Special to ThePost

The jury is still out nearly three weeks after the Narendra Modi governments surprise decision to demonetise the Rs500 and Rs1,000 denomination notes.

The move has polarised some of the sharpest minds in the country, and elsewhere. There are some who have come out in support, others have either criticised its execution or said that the painful exercise wont help curb black money or unaccounted wealth.

Here are some key voices:

Narendra Modi, prime minister of India

There is little criticism of this decision of the government. But what are some people criticising it for? They are critical of the fact that the government did not prepare well. The issue is not that the government was not well prepared. Such people are pained that the government did not give anyone time to prepare If they had got even 72 hours to prepare, they would have praised me and my decision.

Arun Jaitley, finance minister of India

It is important to realise what was the Indian normal for last 70 years. It had almost become the Indian normal to have a parallel economy, to have a shadow economy. It was almost a way of life And I think its not the normal in which we are functioning. This one decision now redefines the Indian normal, there is a new Indian normal.

Urjit Patel, governor, Reserve Bank of India

This is a once in a lifetime event. It is very rare to remove 86% of the currency in circulation in one go. The logistics of such an operation is mammoth. And yet for withdrawal of legal tender status to be effective, complete secrecy was required. So, it is difficult to get all banks ready and fully prepared in 24 hours for a big step like this. Obviously, this has caused some dislocation. That is why we request support from all Indians for the larger cause of fighting tax evasion and the black economy.

Manmohan Singh, former prime minister and finance minister of India

Even those who say that this measure will do harm or will cause distress in the short term but be in the interest of the country in the long-run, I am reminded of what John Keynes said once: In the long run, all of us are dead.

The way this scheme has been implemented is a monumental management failure and in fact, it is a case of organised loot and legalised plunder.

P Chidambaram, former finance minister of India

The PMs time out for 50 days might ease the liquidity crisis at individuals hands, but it wont solve many other problems Even if you print note for note, it will take seven months. If you print smaller denominations notes like Rs100 for Rs500, it will take five times more time Think somebody didnt think through thats not unusual for government.

Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate

At one stroke the move declares all Indiansindeed all holders of Indian currencyas possibly crooks, unless they can establish they are not.

Good policies sometimes cause pain, but whatever causes painno matter how intenseis not necessarily good policy.

Only an authoritarian government can calmly cause such misery to the peoplewith millions of innocent people being deprived of their money and being subjected to suffering, inconvenience and indignity in trying to get their own money back.

Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson, State Bank of India

If you want less corruption or a corruption-free society, you need to necessarily move out of cash. If you give them the liberty of using cash, they will abuse that liberty and ensure that they are not even paying taxes on whatever they are doing in cash.

Kaushik Basu, World Bank chief economist and Indias former chief economic advisor

GST was good economics; demonetisation is not. Its economics is complex and the collateral damage is likely to far outstrip the benefits.

C Rangarajan, former Reserve Bank of India governor

The governments move to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes is a standard prescription in extinguishing unaccounted money. This has been tried in the past.

Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal

Heartless and ill-conceived blow on the common people and the middle class in the fake name of anti-corruption. The PM could not get back the promised black money from abroad from the rich so a drama to divert his failure.

Surjit Bhalla, economist

The fight against corruption and black money in India has just begun. If successful, this will go down as the biggest reform in India, bigger than GST (though the two are related) and bigger than the industrial policy reform of 1991. But, and there is a butwhile the policy is very effective in its attack on past black money, it is silent on the creation of future black money.

Arvind Panagariya, vice-chairman, Niti Aayog

I think its a matter of a quarter and how much impact on the growth rate that happens in this quarter is anybodys estimate.

Ruchir Sharma, chief global strategist and head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley

Scrapping large bills may destroy some hidden wealth today, but the black economy will start regenerating itself tomorrow in the absence of deeper changes in the culture and institutions that foster it, which in turn is a function of a countrys per capita income. Only as a nation gets less poor do corruption, black money, and the role of cash decline. There is no shortcut.

Kenneth Rogoff, professor of public policy and economics at Harvard University

The long-run gains (of demonetisation) depend on implementation, and it could take years to know how history will view this unprecedented move The short run costs are unfolding, but the long-run effects on India may well prove more than worth them, but it is very hard to know for sure at this stage.

Jean Dreze, economist

Demonetisation in a booming economy is like shooting at the tyres of a racing car.

Larry Summers, former US treasury secretary

We strongly suspect that those with the largest amount of ill-gotten gain do not hold their wealth in cash but instead have long since converted it into foreign exchange, gold, bitcoin or some other store of value. So it is petty fortunes, not the hugest and most problematic ones, that are being targeted.

Abhirup Sarkar, professor at Indian Statistical Institute

Actually, the very premise that demonetisation will help in removing the (black money) menace is wrong. Thats because people dont stack black money in cash. Rather, they stash it in undisclosed accounts in Swiss banks. So demonetisation wont affect the big fish.

Ajit Ranade, chief economist at Aditya Birla Group

The governments determination to go after illegitimate wealth and corruption with unthinkable audacity, if sustained, can renew the citizens trust in governance institutions.

Bibek Debroy, an economist and a member of NITI Aayog

Dont assume the government is stupid Do not assume that Indians are stupid. They will figure out ways of circumventing it (the new rules on notes), and what the government is trying to do is preempt it.

Itika is a Writer at Quartz, based in Bangalore, India's Silicon Valley. A technology writer for over seven years, she has previously worked with Business Standard and Network18 in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. She holds a masters degree in English literature, and is passionate about entrepreneurship, Bollywood, and Shakespeare.

This piece was originally appeared in Quartz (qz.com).

See ://qz.com/846598/what-indias-elite-and-global-policymakers-really-think-about-narendra-modis-demonetisation/
A guide to voter rights in Indiana. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
Have I told you lately about my email inbox? It's a mess. And today I'm ready to clean it up big-time by answering 11 questions, each of them representing dozens more with about the same request.

Q: What is the best inexpensive double stroller that you recommended in a recent column? I read it, copied the information but now cannot find it anywhere.

A: My pick for the best inexpensive double stroller is the Graco RoomFor2 Click Connect stand and ride stroller (about $140). It accommodates an older child, who can either sit or stand at the back, plus a baby/toddler in the front. For two babies, I recommend the Delta Children City Street side-by-side stroller (about $60).

Q: I'm dying here in Atlanta. The humidity has been unbearable. I really need that inexpensive humidifier you recommend. Could I get those details again?

A: That column brought a huge response, but none more glowing than from Will, who wrote with the question originally. He wrote back once his Frigidaire FFAD7033R1 Energy Star 70-pint dehumidifier, about $218, was up and running. He was so happy with the result. Be sure to reread the original post, as I offered two options depending on the size of your space.

Q: What is the name of that great trash container for the car that you wrote about a while ago?

A: My car trash can, by Freddie and Sebbie (about $27), continues to be one of the best things I've ever bought. I've purchased several more for gifts. That's the good news. The bad news is that as I write, it is unavailable, and there is no indication of when it will be back. But not to worry. The High Road StableMate large car trash basket is quite similar in every way, costing about $18 and earning many five-star reviews. I like that it has side handles plus a mesh storage pocket on the side for wipes and sanitizer. You can't go wrong with this substitute.

Q: Sure do love my Shark Sonic Duo floor scrubber machine. But refills for the cleaning liquid are crazy expensive. Do you have a recipe to make our own cleaner that will clean my hardwood floors as beautifully and not harm the machine?

A: I sure do: 1 part 91 percent rubbing alcohol, 4 parts distilled water plus a few drops of blue Dawn. Mix together. I use this straight in the Shark Sonic Duo scrubber; no further dilution required. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is a fabulous cleaner, plus it helps this cleaner to dry quickly with no rinsing required. Remember to never use vinegar on hardwood, laminate or granite. It is an acid and, over time, would damage the finish (or sealer, in the case of granite).

Q: Could you tell me the name of the fabulous heavy-duty cleaner you wrote about, something like Lexoil or Lesswork?

A: It's Lestoil, as in "less toil." And it is fabulous. Here are the 10 things to know about Lestoil. Though not the easiest to find, Lestoil is readily available online (about $8 for a concentrated bottle of 48 ounces), as well as in some home improvement stores and supermarkets.

Q: I need a new vacuum and want to get your favorite Shark. But there are so many models to choose from. Help?

A: You're right. So this is easy. You want one with these words: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro. Most likely, you'll find the best price on Amazon. As I write, it's about $154. It is a wonderful machine.

Q: What is that product you recommend for cleaning icky, dirty, dull wood cabinets?

A: You will be thrilled to pieces with your classic cabinets once you deep-clean them with Howard Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner (about $8 for 16 ounces).

Q: I want to start roasting my own coffee at home. Could you please tell me again where you get your green coffee beans?

A: I have used several sources over the years. Currently, we purchase in bulk from La Minita plantation in Costa Rica, with a minimum purchase requirement of 150 pounds. That's a lot of coffee and probably not where you want to start. For small purchases, you'll find the best deals and variety on Amazon, where prices start at about $5 a pound.

Q: Where can I get the small kitchen towels you love in bulk?

A: They're called "bar mops" and available online. The kitchen bar mop cleaning towels from Utopia Towels are about $17 per dozen.

Q: I read about how to fumigate a space that reeks of tobacco, but now I can't find it.

A: Do a Google search for my article titled "Best Room Humidifier for DIY Fumigation." You are going to need a Honeywell HCM-350 germ-free cool mist humidifier (the best inexpensive humidifier that meets the need for this operation), as well as a supply of Nok-Out odor eliminator (which can be purchased for 10 percent off with the coupon code DPL).

For links to the posts and products mentioned above, make sure to visit www.everydaycheapskate.com/questionsaudience.
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Choppee High School Class of 1976 celebrated its 40th year class reunion Oct. 28 to 30 in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. The group took a copy of The Georgetown Times along as members toured the Civil Rights Museum and The First African Baptist Church of North America.
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Dear Dr. Roach: Years ago, I went to a doctor for sinus problems. He needed to put a drainage hole in my ear. For a while, everything was fine. But now I hear people talking to me. They say they are hooked up to my head. They talk through my head day and night, and I can't get any peaceful sleep or rest. Sometimes they talk very ugly and vulgar. They know everything I think, say or write, and they tell me about it. I seem to be losing my memory as well. Do you know what this is? I'm 78 years old, and I need my life back.

 I.A.

A: The voices are not real. They are called auditory hallucinations, and they are the hallmark of a general class of mental illnesses called psychoses. Schizophrenia is a common cause of auditory hallucination, but it is unusual to see someone at 78 years old with the first episode. In older adults, psychosis can be the result of a large number of medical conditions.

The best thing for you to do is see both a psychiatrist and a medical doctor (that is, a doctor specializing in a field like internal medicine or family practice) so you can be evaluated. It's very important that you go right away, as there is very effective treatment to stop the voices and get your life back.

Oxygen therapy

Dear Dr. Roach: I have been reading about former President Ronald Reagan and the way he was treated for cancer. The reports say he was treated in Germany with oxygen therapy and was cured. Why aren't more doctors using this treatment if it was so successful? Is it a money thing?

 M.F.L.

A: The historical record shows that President Reagan was treated in 1985 for a cancerous polyp at Bethesda Naval Medical Center. His cancer was found during a routine colonoscopy. It was successfully treated with surgery, requiring removal of a section of colon. He underwent another colonoscopy in 1987, and four polyps were removed, none of which was cancerous.

Oxygen therapy is not an appropriate or effective treatment for colon (or other) cancer, which usually is curable if found early enough. This is why I agree with the recommendations for colon cancer screening, most commonly done via colonoscopy.

I found on the internet two separate versions of the story that President Reagan was treated in Germany. There is no evidence to support either of them. I agree that the story here is about money, but it's about unscrupulous people preying on fears of cancer to promote an expensive and useless treatment. Very little makes me angrier than someone exploiting people with cancer (or those who fear they have cancer) with a useless (or worse) treatment that may prevent someone from getting possibly curative treatment through conventional means, as President Reagan did.

Venous lake

Dear Dr. Roach: Could you comment on a venous lake? After having one on my lip for nine years, it was just removed, with good results.

 N.L.B.

A: A venous lake is a benign skin condition in the lip. They are more common in older adults, and represent enlarged blood vessels. They can bleed easily and can be cosmetically significant. They need to be differentiated from a type of mole (blue nevus) and from a type of cancer (nodular melanoma), which an experienced clinician can do, usually by physical exam and by compressing the lesion with a glass slide (the venous lake disappears, the other two do not). They can be removed with surgery or via laser treatment.
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China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC) has created a commercial-launch venture, called Expace Technology Co., to market the solid-fueled Kuaizhou rocket globally. The company expects to make 10 launches per year between 2017 and 2020.

PARIS  A Chinese commercial launch-service provider created earlier this year to bid for small-satellite business worldwide expects to launch 10 of its Kuaizhou solid-fueled rockets per year between 2017 and 2020, the company said Nov. 29.

In a statement published by China Daily, Zhang Di, vice president of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC) Fourth Academy, said Expace Technology Co. would charge around $10,000 per kilogram of satellite payload, which he said was less than half the prevailing commercial price. Zhang is also chairman of Expace.

CASIC created Expace in early 2016 as China's second commercial-launch provider after China Great Wall Industry Corp. of Beijing, which has long been China's showcase export vehicle for launches and commercial satellite contracts. China Great Wall is part of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CAST). [China in Space: Our Complete Coverage]

Zhang said Expace has already signed its first commercial contract, valued at 100 million Chinese yuan, or around $14.5 million, to place three Earth observation satellites into low Earth orbit aboard a Kuaizhou 1 rocket for the government-owned Changguang Satellite Technology Co.

This same company has more than 10 other satellites slated for future launches on Kuaizhou rockets.

Guo Yong, president of the CASIC Fourth Academy, said letters of intent for "nearly 20" Kuaizhou rocket launches were signed at the Airshow China conference and exhibition held Nov. 1-6 in Zhuhai. It was not clear if any of these were with non-Chinese customers.

Zhang said Expace is in discussions with satellite owners in Asia, Europe and Latin America and has already bid on launch contracts in one or more of these regions.

China Great Wall, which markets the Long March series of medium- and heavy-lift rockets, has been obliged to sign bundled satellite-manufacturing and launch contracts with non-Chinese customers to get around a U.S. government ban on launching U.S. satellite parts from China.

For now, most builders of large telecommunications satellites in Asia and Europe, in addition to the United States, incorporate U.S. components and are thus prevented from being exported to China.

But industry officials say this U.S. influence is gradually reducing as non-U.S. manufacturers, stimulated by politically driven goals of autonomy in critical satellite components, reduce their reliance on U.S. suppliers. The strengthening U.S. dollar will accelerate that trend insofar as it makes U.S. hardware more expensive.

The picture is different for small satellites for Earth observation, technology demonstration or other missions. A higher percentage of these satellites built outside the United States are built without reliance on U.S. components and are not bound by the U.S. ban.

Tan Qinghai of CASIC said in the China Daily article that the CASIC Fourth Academy's the latest version of the Kuaizhou rocket, which can place a 1,000-kilogram satellite into a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit  and 1,500 kilograms into a 400-kilometer orbit  is scheduled to make its first flight in 2017.

CASIC and Expace appear to have seen the same market trends that were behind development of Europe's Vega small-satellite launcher, led by Italy, which has conducted seven successful launches and has scheduled an eighth launch for Dec. 5 from Europe's Guiana Space Center spaceport on the northeast coast of South America.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
PEKIN (AP)  Police in central Illinois are offering a $1,000 reward for information in the disappearance of a 13-year-old boy whose been missing for two weeks.

The Pekin Daily Times reports that Pekin police offered the reward Monday for help in their search for Robert Bee Jr.

The boy's mother reported him missing on Nov. 18. Pekin police designated him a runaway. Pekin police spokesman Mike Eeten says the department dedicated an investigation unit after the boy couldn't be found for ensuing days.

The boy is 4-foot-6, weighs 110 pounds and was last seen wearing and red and gray shirt, jeans and red shoes. Police say they haven't issued an Amber Alert because they don't have evidence the boy was abducted. Authorities have issued a Missing and Endangered Persons Advisory.
Did NASA's now dead Spirit rover find evidence of life on Mars before it got stuck in a sand trap and confirmed lost by NASA in 2010? Possibly, say two geoscientists who have found a location on Earth shaped by microbes that closely resembles a particular area on Mars that was scrutinized by the rover in 2007.

The focus is a curious cluster of finger-like silica nodules that were imaged by Spirit near the so-called "Home Plate" area in Columbia Hills in Gusev Crater in April 2007. The rover operated in the location for over five years, studying the Martian geology and atmospheric phenomena. Spirit's sister rover, Opportunity, continues to explore the Red Planet nearly 13 years after landing.

Steve Ruff and Jack Farmer of the Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration have drawn comparisons with the Home Plate structures with formations at a Chilean hot springs called El Tatio, where microbes are known to influence the structure of silica deposits. Their findings have been published (opens in new tab) in the journal Nature Communications.

The Atacama Desert is often referred to as one of the best "Mars analog" locations on Earth. The hot springs of El Tatio is located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet (4200 meters), making it one of the highest hydrothermal locations on Earth. At these altitudes, the atmosphere is thinner, so the location receives an intense influx of ultraviolet light and is often subject to freezing temperatures even in the summer. These characteristics make El Tatio an exciting area of study as it combines Mars' inhospitable climate with hydrothermal activity that likely existed on Mars in its ancient past, particularly when it was a lot wetter than it is now. But the big question is, did life also get a foothold in the Martian hot springs as it has done in El Tatio?

RELATED: Fossil Find Could Boost Hunt for Ancient Mars Life

"We went to El Tatio looking for comparisons with the features found by Spirit at Home Plate," said Ruff in a statement. "Our results show that the conditions at El Tatio produce silica deposits with characteristics that are among the most Mars-like of any silica deposits on Earth."

Home Plate is a known volcanic ash deposit that has been eroded over time. In April 2007, Spirit found silica-rich nodules that indicated that the location once played host to a hydrothermal vent. Now, Ruff and Farmer suggest that, if these ancient Mars silica deposits had the same formation mechanisms that drive the El Tatio deposits, perhaps the nodules share a common biological origin.

A comparison between the silica structures on Mars as seen by Spirit (left) and the El Tatio structures produced by microbial processes (right). (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech, Steve Ruff)

"The fact that microbes play a role in producing the distinctive silica structures at El Tatio raises the possibility that the Martian silica structures formed in a comparable manner  in other words with the help of organisms that were alive at the time," Ruff added.

But just because a feature on Mars resembles a feature on Earth doesn't mean they had the same formation processes and, indeed, this isn't the first time a Mars rover has seen potential fossilized "biosignatures" of ancient biology.

RELATED: Could New Rover Find Fossils on Mars?

In 2015, for example, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity imaged rocks that appeared to possess fossilized features resembling aquatic algae mats. Though the jury is still out as to whether or not these mats are indeed evidence of ancient life on the Red Planet  they are most likely just curious geological structures after all  we do know that the planet used to be a lot wetter than it is now, so if life's ingredients are present, perhaps some form of ancient Martian biology left its fossilized imprint behind.

As for Spirit's old stomping ground, Gusev Crater remains high on the list of possibilities as the landing zone for NASA's 2020 Mars rover mission to investigate these potential silica biosignatures. So we'll have to wait and see before making any correlation between the structures at El Tatio and ancient hydrothermal locations on Mars.

Originally published on Seeker.
Margaret H. Hamilton is a computer scientist who was instrumental to NASA's efforts to land humans on the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. For her work, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Hamilton led the software engineering division at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Instrumentation Laboratory. In that role, she took the lead on the software used to govern the flight dynamics of the Apollo spacecraft, which were used for six landing missions between 1969 and 1972.

"Hamilton contributed to concepts of asynchronous software, priority scheduling and priority displays, and human-in-the-loop decision capability, which set the foundation for modern, ultra-reliable software design and engineering," the citation for her medal read. [Related: Apollo Coder and 'Apollo 13' Actor Receive Presidential Medals of Freedom]

Early accomplishments

Hamilton has a diverse background, including an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Earlham College in Indiana, and postgraduate work in meteorology at MIT. Besides her work in Apollo, she was part of MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Semi-Automatic Ground Environment Air Defense System, or SAGE. According to MIT, this was the first air defense system for the country and helped to push forward digital computing in the 1950s and 1960s.

MIT's instrumentation lab received the contract for the Apollo guidance and control systems on Aug. 9, 1961, when the United States had accomplished only two spaceflights  both with just one crewmember on board, and both in suborbital space. The contract was awarded just weeks before then-President John F. Kennedy announced that he planned to have humans on the moon by the end of the decade.

The guidance and control systems would apply to both the lunar module (which would land on the moon) and the command module (which would orbit the moon while the lunar module was on the surface, then house the astronauts on their journey home.) It was intended to guide the spacecraft once they had achieved Earth orbit.

After only one crewed mission in Earth orbit  Apollo 7 in early 1968  NASA elected to send Apollo 8's command module solo that December on an orbital mission to the moon, out of concerns that the Soviet Union would get there first. Apollo 9 tested out the lunar module and command module together in Earth orbit for the first time, and then the two spacecraft were tested again in lunar orbit for Apollo 10.

The crowning mission, Apollo 11 in July 1969, saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descend all the way to the surface in the lunar module, safely return to the command module (piloted by Mike Collins) and make it home to Earth.

The 1201 and 1202 alarms

But a software incident almost derailed the landing, as Hamilton recalled in a 2009 interview with MIT. "Everything was going according to plan until something totally unexpected happened, just as the astronauts were in the process of landing on the moon," she recalled.

"All of a sudden, the normal mission sequences were interrupted by priority displays of 1201 and 1202 alarms, giving the astronauts a go/no-go decision (to land or not to land)," she added. "It quickly became clear that the software was not only informing everyone that there was a hardware-related problem, but that the software was compensating for it. With only minutes to spare, the decision was made to go for the landing."

While a decision was made in the moment to let the astronauts land, Hamilton pointed out that a fault analysis was done to see where the error was made. It turned out that the astronaut checklist, which governed the actions the crew had to do before landing, had the crew set the rendezvous radar hardware switch in the wrong position. This overloaded the central processing unit during the landing, but fortunately, the software recovered in the heated moments before Apollo 11 touched down.

"Every time the CPU approached overload, the software cleared out its entire queue of processes, restarted its functions; allowing only the highest priority ones to perform until the landing was completed," she said. With the error addressed, the lunar landings for Apollos 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 were made possible. (Apollo 13 aborted before landing due to an explosion in the command module's service area.)

Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton poses for a series of photos with the Apollo guidance software she and her team developed at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. (Image credit: MIT Museum)

Hamilton's legacy

NASA was so impressed with the software used in Apollo that the basis of it was adapted for Skylab (the first U.S. space station), the space shuttle (which ran more than 100 successful missions in Earth orbit  and two fatal failures  between 1981 and 2011) and the first digital fly-by-wire systems in aircraft.

"Hamilton was honored by NASA in 2003, when she was presented a special award recognizing the value of her innovations in the Apollo software development," NASA wrote in 2016. "The award included the largest financial award that NASA had ever presented to any individual up to that point."

Hamilton later left MIT to start her own software company, but her name is still most recognized for her lunar landing accomplishments. Her name was clearly visible when the entire Apollo 11 source code was released on GitHub in 2016; according to MIT, the first full line of the software read, "SUBMITTED: MARGARET H. HAMILTON DATE: 28 MAR 69 / M.H.HAMILTON, COLOSSUS PROGRAMMING LEADER / APOLLO GUIDANCE AND NAVIGATION."

For Hamilton, although Apollo 11 was monumental, she relished the challenge of doing her job for it. "From my own perspective, the software experience itself (designing it, developing it, evolving it, watching it perform and learning from it for future systems) was at least as exciting as the events surrounding the mission," she said.
Pluto's famous heart may not have been born in violence after all.

Researchers have generally assumed that the heart's left "lobe"  a 600-mile-wide (1,000 kilometers) plain called Sputnik Planitia (formerly Sputnik Planum)  is an enormous impact crater that subsequently filled with frozen nitrogen and other exotic ices.

But a new study suggests that the ice buildup came first and the accumulated material eventually pushed the underlying landscape down, much as Greenland's enormous ice sheet has done here on Earth. [See more awesome close-up photos of Pluto]

"Pluto's big heart weighs heavily on the small planet, leading inevitably to depression," study lead author Douglas Hamilton, a professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, said in a statement.

It's no accident that Sputnik Planitia  which was discovered by NASA's New Horizons probe during its epic Pluto flyby in July 2015  is centered at 25 degrees north, Hamilton said. His team's computer models predicted that ice would accumulate at about 30 degrees north or south latitude, because these are the coldest regions on Pluto. (The dwarf planet is tilted roughly 120 degrees relative to its orbital plane, compared with 23 degrees for Earth.)

"The poles on Pluto, averaged over a year, are actually the hottest parts of the planet, not the coldest," Hamilton told Space.com, referring to one Pluto year, which lasts 248 Earth years. "That's alien to us and sounds wrong, but math doesn't lie. That's how it works out."

The icy Pluto plain known as Sputnik Planitia  seen here in a photo taken by NASAs New Horizons probe during its flyby of the dwarf planet in July 2015  is covered with ice cells that are geologically young and turning over due to convection. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)

In addition, the group's simulations indicated that ice wouldn't build up in a band at 30 degrees north and/or south. Rather, a single ice cap would form, as the result of a (nearly literal) snowball effect: As ices started to accumulate in one spot, that area would reflect more sunlight and thus become colder than surrounding regions, leading to greater ice deposition, and so on.

Previous studies based on New Horizons data suggest that Sputnik Planitia's ice is at least 1.2 to 1.8 miles (2 to 3 km) thick (and possibly much thicker). So, at a minimum, 0.03 percent of Pluto's entire mass is concentrated in the ice cap, Hamilton said. That's enough material to push the landscape down and form a huge basin, he added.

The team's models further indicate that ice accumulation in Sputnik Planitia happened quickly. The cap likely formed within a million years of the giant impact on Pluto that formed the dwarf planet's largest moon, Charon, and has been relatively stable since, researchers said. (Exactly when the Charon-forming impact occurred is unknown, but it was probably quite early in the solar system's history.)

After Charon's birth, Pluto's rotation slowed until the two bodies were "tidally locked," showing each other only one face, as Earth's moon shows just one side to us. According to the researchers' simulations, Charon's gravitational tug then pulled Sputnik Planitia into its current alignment opposite the moon.

In short, the team's modeling results explain pretty well what New Horizons saw on July 14, 2015, Hamilton said.

Indeed, given any starting conditions on Pluto, those simulations produce an ice cap sitting in a basin in one of four spots, Hamilton said  at about 30 degrees north or south, and either facing toward or away from Charon.

This scenario provides a "simpler" explanation for Sputnik Planitia than the prevailing view, which posits that the basin formed after a cosmic impact, study team members said.

"This interpretation has the advantage of providing an explanation for why the basin is coincident with the ice cap and why both are located at the coldest latitude on Pluto and at a longitude that is directly opposite Charon," Hamilton and his colleagues wrote in the new study, which was published online today (Nov. 30) in the journal Nature (opens in new tab).

Other researchers have modeled the formation and evolution of Sputnik Planitia as well, but these efforts have tended to assume that the basin is an ancient impact feature. One such team, led by Francis Nimmo of the University of California, Santa Cruz, recently concluded that the position of Sputnik Planitia hints at the presence of a subsurface ocean on Pluto, a possibility raised by several other lines of evidence as well.

The new study has little bearing on this question, said Hamilton, who was also a co-author on the Nimmo-led paper.

"My modeling doesn't care too much one way or the other about whether there's an ocean," Hamilton told Space.com.

Definitively figuring out whether Pluto harbors a buried ocean may require launching an orbiter to the dwarf planet, he added.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
LIGO operates two detector sites: one near Hanford in eastern Washington, and another near Livingston, Louisiana. This photo shows the Livingston detector site.

The experiment that made the first direct detection of gravitational waves is once again hunting for these space-time ripples.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) stopped collecting data in January for a scheduled period of upgrades to its two detectors, located in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana. Now, the machines are back on, looking for gravitational waves coming from distant cosmic sources.

The LIGO collaboration announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves in February 2016 and announced a second detection in June. In both cases, the waves were created by sets of black holes colliding and merging together in space. [How To Detect Gravitational Waves  LIGO Simply Explained | Video]

Since the end of LIGO's last science run in January, "engineers and scientists have been evaluating LIGO's performance and making improvements to its lasers, electronics and optics resulting in an overall increase in LIGO's sensitivity," scientists at the California Institute of Technology, which operates LIGO together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a statement.

Black holes and more

Using laser beams, scientists have detected the physical distortions caused by passing gravitational waves. See how the LIGO observatory hunts gravitational waves in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

In 1915, Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves. He showed that space and time are not separate features of the universe, but are united in a single fabric. Objects with mass create an imprint on the fabric, like a bowling ball on a trampoline. He also showed that extreme gravitational events, like the merger of two very massive objects, can create waves in that fabric.

The detection of gravitational waves has been compared to "hearing" the universe for the first time; the waves in space-time are similar to vibrations on the surface of a drum. These ripples provide an entirely new kind of information about the universe, and have the potential to reveal previously invisible features of the cosmos.

Indeed, some scientists have hailed the discovery of these waves as the start of a new era. The two black-hole mergers detected by LIGO very likely did not emit any light and, therefore, would have been invisible to other observatories and telescopes, LIGO scientists said.

"With our improved sensitivity, and a longer observing period, we will likely observe even more black-hole mergers in the coming run and further enhance our knowledge of black-hole dynamics," Caltech's David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO Laboratory, said in the statement. "We are only just now, thanks to LIGO, learning about how often events like these occur."

LIGO's detection of two black-hole mergers came as somewhat of a surprise to astrophysicists, based on estimations of the frequency of these mergers in the cosmos.

"As more black-hole mergers are detected by LIGO, scientists will start to get their first real understanding of black-hole pairs in the universe  including their population numbers, masses and spin rates," the scientists said in the statement. "LIGO may also detect the merger of neutron stars  the dense cores of exploded stars. Knowledge of both black-hole and neutron-star mergers will improve our understanding of stellar evolution and death."

Moving masses generate waves of gravitational radiation that stretch and squeeze space-time. See how gravitational waves work in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Sensitivity training

Although scientists were able to provide indirect evidence for the existence of gravitational waves over the years, they were not able to detect them directly until September 2015, when LIGO made the observation. (The LIGO collaboration announced the historic detection months later, in February 2016.)

A gravitational wave can stretch and compress the space-time fabric, and the LIGO detectors observe that change in distance between two points created by the gravitational wave as it passes through the Earth.

The change is incredibly small  if the length of LIGO's detectors were expanded from 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) to about 4.25 light-years, the machines would be looking for a change in distance of less than the width of a human hair. Reitze previously called the detectors "the most precise measuring device ever built."

The upgrade has provided the Livingston detector with a 25 percent greater sensitivity compared with the previous run, which means it can detect black-hole mergers at greater distances, the statement said. Increasing the search area should lead the detector to find more black hole mergers. The Hanford detector has the same sensitivity as it did during its last run, but it underwent other upgrades and improvements.

The LIGO collaboration plans to continue to improve the sensitivity of the instruments with each successive science run, according to the statement. LIGO began data collection in 2002 but was unable to detect a signal until the implementation of a major upgrade program called Advanced LIGO. The science run that ended in January was the first observation period following that upgrade.

"LIGO's scientific and operational staff have been working hard for the past year and are enthusiastic to restart round-the-clock observations," said Joseph Giaime, head of the LIGO Livingston observatory. "We are as curious as the rest of the world about what nature will send our way this year."

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The solar system's innermost planet is far from being the barren husk of rock it's often portrayed as. Scientists recently discovered a "great valley" on the small planet that would make the Grand Canyon look tiny in comparison. It also has one of the biggest impact basins known in the solar system. Mercury also hosts water ice and has organic chemistry. It's also, weirdly, shrinking. NASA's MESSENGER  which stands for Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging  spent nearly a decade examining Mercury in both flybys and orbital observations, and discovered several strange features that challenged our assumptions about this planet. Here are a few of the most recent findings.

1) "Great Valley"

(Image credit: NASA)

Probing through MESSENGER data, scientists have found a "great valley" on Mercury that far exceeds the size of the Grand Canyon. It probably as formed when Mercury's solid lithosphere (crust) buckled three or four billion years ago as the planet shrank while cooling. At 250 miles wide and 600 miles long, it's about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. If you were to place it on Earth, it would be the equivalent distance from Washington, D.C. to New York City to Detroit.

RELATED: MESSENGER's Last Mercury Photo Before Crashing is Crazy Close-Up

The challenge with this discovery is it sort of contradicts other findings that show Mercury has been active in later years since its formation. There are other spots on the planet that show evidence of volcanism, not to mention the fact that the planet has a magnetic field (which implies something inside must be generating it). "Everyone thought Mercury was a very cold planet  myself included. But it looks like Mercury might have heated significantly in recent planetary history," said co-author Laurent Montesi, an assistant geology professor at the University of Maryland, in a statement. (The research was led by the National Air and Space Museum's Thomas Watters.)

2) Volcanic Basin

(Image credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)

Caloris basin is one of the largest known impact sites in the solar system. It was actually spotted in 1974 when Mariner 10 flew past Mercury, but only half of the basin was lit at the time. When MESSENGER flew past Mercury for the first time, it was able to look at the full basin  and with further observations, we learned that it likely has a volcanic history.

From looking closely at the region, scientists have seen evidence of past lava flows both from the impact (which carved a basin about 1500 kilometers or 932 miles wide) and also from volcanic vents that are believed to surround the perimeter. The covering lava is thought to be as much as 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) thick.

3) An Active Planet

(Image credit: Carnegie Institution of Washington)

During the last year and a half of MESSENGER's mission, the spacecraft flew lower and was able to see the surface of Mercury in fine detail. One of the things it zeroed in on are small fault scarps that had to be young, because there were a lot of craters on them that hadn't been erased with time. It is believed these scraps are slowly being formed as the crust bends and uplifts.

RELATED: Forever Farewell: NASA's Mercury Probe Is Now an Impact Crater

"The young age of the small scarps means that Mercury joins Earth as a tectonically active planet, with new faults likely forming today as Mercury's interior continues to cool and the planet contracts," said lead author Tom Watters, from the National Air and Space Museum, in a statement.

4) Water Ice

(Image credit: NASA)

With a large assist from radar observations from Earth, MESSENGER confirmed there are likely polar water ice deposits on Mercury. There were actually three lines of evidence that confirmed the find, NASA said in 2012: excess hydrogen (a sign of water) measured by MESSENGER, reflectance of Mercury's polar deposits, and models of temperatures at the poles using MESSENGER data.

"The neutron data indicate that Mercury's radar-bright polar deposits contain, on average, a hydrogen-rich layer more than tens of centimeters thick beneath a surficial layer 10 to 20 centimeters thick that is less rich in hydrogen," stated David Lawrence, a MESSENGER participating scientist at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and the lead author of one of the papers describing the find. "The buried layer has a hydrogen content consistent with nearly pure water ice."

5) Organic Compounds

(Image credit: National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo Observatory)

The scientists noticed something else while examining the ice. While they found bright deposits in cold areas, in slightly warmer zones they discovered darker material. Scientists believe this dark material is likely organics that were scattered on the planet after impacts by small bodies, such as as asteroids and comets  this is also likely how water arrived at Mercury.

RELATED: MESSENGER: First Photos from Mercury Orbit: Slide Show

Organic compounds are considered a building block of life, although they are not necessarily an indication of life itself. They have also been found on comets, Mars and Titan, a moon of Saturn with a liquid cycle and "pre-biotic chemistry," meaning chemistry that may be a precursor to the chemistry that generates and sustains life.)

Originally published on Seeker.
SPRINGFIELD  The ability of children in state care and the adults responsible for their well-being to be involved in decisions that influence a child's future is part of a new pilot program recently launched by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Known as "immersion sites," agencies in Lake and St. Clair counties and the area surrounding Mount Vernon and Rock Island will serve as testing grounds for an innovative approach to addressing a variety of issues facing children and families in the child welfare system.

The "immersion" referenced in the program's title relates to the effort to surround children with the services they need without the delays often inherent with bureaucracy.

Illinois has a long way to go in its efforts to improve its record on providing good homes to youth entrusted to the state's care, said Pete Digre, DCFS assistant director of placement and community services.

"Illinois ranks 50 among the 50 states in terms of our ability to get kids into safe, permanent homes for life in a timely fashion," Digre said.

In building the local teams, that state will draw from judges and lawyers, DCFS staff, service providers, youth and birth, foster and adoptive parents.

Better access to mental health services, including intensive, home-based services for children with the highest need, are part of the pilot program, Digre said.

In his statement earlier this year on the pilot program that is part of a massive overhaul of how DCFS delivers care to about 15,000 children in its care, DCFS director George Sheldon estimated that 45 percent of children in state care have unmet mental health needs when they enter the system. To address the huge need for behavioral and other services, the agency must first stabilize its own foundation, Sheldon said.

"Our system is almost as traumatized as our kids in care who keep being moved suddenly from one home to another. I'm trying hard to break that curse," said Sheldon, noting that DCFS has seen seven directors in the past five years.

Judge Kevin Fitzgerald, chief judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit, said he supports the state's emphasis on moving children out of institutionalized care and into local foster homes, including placements with parents who have received specialized training.

"I think the state is trying to better recognize the mental health component of minors," said Fitzgerald, who presides over child abuse and neglect cases in family court.

A recent pair of cases involving children who are now on a path to adoption after their release from a state facility represent the exception rather than the rule, Fitzgerald said.
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Some people are successful even in situations where others would have given up. They surmount hurdles that lead others to fail. How have these people managed to succeed in the face of adversity? On the search for answers, SPIEGEL ONLINE has assembled five profiles of inspirational examples. They all have ambition -- but that's not all.

"Barbel, you'd be better off going to the chocolate factory and stuffing your face." Barbara Sengelhoff used to hear such things all the time from her teachers, and they would say them in front of the entire class. When she once told a teacher that she wanted to become an architect, she was told: "You're too dumb for math."

Now 68, Sengelhoff received her secondary education at a school run by nuns in Cologne and she felt misunderstood, scorned and marginalized. She says that the teachers "almost broke my spirit." At the time, most of her classmates quietly endured the teachers' cruelties, and only a few, like Barbara Sengelhoff, pushed back against the then normal treatment of intractable students.

"Humiliation was a normal, daily occurrence," she remembers. On her way to school, she often cried out of frustration and anger and she got extremely poor marks in math and Latin. She was a churlish student, she recalls, always questioning things and uninterested in rote memorization, preferring instead to learn in her own way.

At one point in the 12th grade she was made to stand in the corner because she had spoken during the class. "I stood behind the map of Germany for an hour -- and the worst part is that I just accepted it and tolerated it in silence," says Sengelhoff.

When in 1966 she finally completed her Abitur (the high-school degree required to enter post-secondary studies in Germany), several teachers didn't congratulate her. "Lots of them didn't think I would get my Abitur, and would rather not have given it to me," says Sengelhoff. "The humiliation persists, the feeling is still there today."

After her Abitur, Barbara Sengelhoff could have turned her back on everything related to school. She could have suppressed the torturous memories of her schooling, buried them and simply continued with her life. But she did the opposite: She became a teacher, and later a principal. She wanted to show that things could be done differently, that no child needs to despair on the way to school.
If we look at children whose fathers have completed only a lower secondary school education from a Hauptschule, or less, we find that 28 percent of immigrant children receive a university-track high school diploma from a Gymnasium, known as an Abitur in German, while among the children of Germans the figure is only slightly higher, at 31 percent. There are indeed differences between individual groups of immigrants, but these divergences are minimal, according to data provided by the German Federal Statistical Office.

An analysis that also takes into account the parents' countries of origin reveals somewhat greater differences. For example, that children from Eastern European countries that are a part of the EU and children of so-called Spataussiedler -- ethnic Germans who lived in the Soviet Union or satellite countries and were allowed to immigrate to Germany after the fall of the Iron Curtain -- complete their Abitur more often than their classmates of the same age without an immigration background.
Some people are successful even in situations where others would have given up. They surmount hurdles that lead others to fail. How have these people managed to succeed in the face of adversity? On the search for answers, SPIEGEL ONLINE has assembled five profiles of inspirational examples. They all have ambition -- but that's not all.

Janis McDavid doesn't like to greet his guests standing up. He's never much taller than their navels and it's not a nice feeling.

But this time he has no choice. There's no elevator in the apartment where he stays when he's in Berlin, and his friends can't carry his 120 kg (265 lbs) electric wheelchair up the stairs. So McDavid stands on creaking old floorboards in the corridor of the apartment. He looks up, extends his stump of an upper right arm in greeting, and smiles. "Hi, I'm Janis."

The 25-year-old knows that he unnerves many people when they meet him for the first time. After all, he has no arms and legs and many find it off-putting. "I have to help them relax," he says. In such situations, he makes an extra effort to exude a sense of normalcy and self-assuredness.

Sometimes people even ask him if he can hold onto their jackets for a second. "That's the best thing that can happen to me," says McDavid -- because then he knows that he's managed once again to prevent his disability from taking the lead role in his life.

McDavid shuffles over to the dinner table, bends his upper body over a chair, and swings himself up. Now he's finally at eye level.

"As a kid, I always wanted to be a motorcycle cop," he says, but then he saw himself in a full-length mirror one morning and his dream crumbled. A policeman without arms and legs? McDavid was eight years old when he suddenly realized that he had a disability. "It was a shock," he says.

As an adolescent, he was ashamed of the way he hopped up stairs and he avoided going out in public without a wheelchair. But he ultimately realized that his embarrassment was an additional limitation, as were bad moods. "I could get upset about a lot of things," says McDavid, "but it wouldn't do me any good."

He usually manages to keep his cool when, for example, a group of pedestrians rushes by him to take the elevator at the train station, causing him to miss his connection once again. When he does get angry, he does it at home, where no one can see him.
Throughout her career, Peschel-Gutzeit learned to adapt. She forced herself to wear gray suits to court to avoid standing out, only to quickly change out of them when she came home at night and put on clothing she felt more comfortable in.

In a working world where women had no place, she learned to adopt the appropriate tone, opting for humor, openness and diplomacy. "If I had created the impression I was the enemy, I would have lost," she says.

Then, with a slight smile on her face, she shares an anecdote. It was 1968 and Peschel-Gutzeit wanted to switch to a different chamber, but the chamber's head judge, a certain Mr. Engelschall, wouldn't accept any women. So she knocked on his door and pleasantly said, "Mr. Engelschall, I heard that you would like to have a woman in your chamber. You can be helped!" The chief was silent, and then he scolded her before hemming and hawing -- and ultimately agreeing.

Peschel-Gutzeit attributes her self-confidence largely to her parents. Her father, a major general in the military, encouraged her to use her talents while her mother, a teacher, forgave her wool-gathering just as she did her temper tantrums. "She was very delicate in the way she treated me," Peschel-Gutzeit recalls.

Then the war arrived, enabling Peschel-Gutzeit, a young girl at the time, to see that women were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves -- that they could work as tram drivers or lawyers when men were called to the front. After the war, though, the men returned and drove the woman back into the kitchen.

But Peschel-Gutzeit wanted both: career and family. In her job, she pushed herself mercilessly. Ultimately, power followed success and with it came the freedom to shape things. "I found it interesting to be at the top," Peschel-Gutzeit says. She wanted to show men just what women are capable of achieving.

At times, she admits, she didn't give her family the time it needed. Peschel-Gutzeit raised her children on the side and then as a single mom after divorcing her husband in 1973. "It was extremely exhausting," she says. Nannies helped take care of the day-to-day, and it all somehow worked out in the end, but not always that well. "I made mistakes," Peschel-Gutzeit says. "I should have made more time for my youngest daughter."

When Andrea was three years old, she suffered heavy bleeding after knocking her head against a heating unit. But Peschel-Gutzeit had an important appointment in court that day, so she called a physician and asked how long the wound could go untreated. Three hours, the doctor said. The nanny stopped the bleeding while the mother rushed to her meeting, taking her daughter to the doctor afterward. She wanted to be there when the doctor put stiches in -- that's part of a mother's job, she says.

So where did this willingness to push herself to the limit and to pay for success with a guilty conscience come from? "There was never a point in my life where I was used to having it easy," she says. Even today, she works six days a week, putting in at least eight hours a day.

She doesn't just do it for herself, either. She's constantly fighting for the rights of women, children and, when necessary, also for men on issues like custody disputes. One issue close to her heart is the right for children to grow up in an environment free of violence. In 2000, a law pertaining to the issue finally got passed in Germany after years of lobbying on its behalf by Peschel-Gutzeit.

There are other goals she hasn't yet achieved -- the fact that children's rights still aren't anchored in the German constitution, for example. Germany's family minister, Manuela Schwesig, said recently she would support such an amendment, but it still faces an uphill battle. "I will not give up," says Peschel-Gutzeit. It's these kinds of goals, she says, that continue to drive her -- even after 84 years, an age at which many others have long since become more forgiving of themselves.
Bir Lahlou (liberated territories), 28 Nov 2016 (SPS) The President of the Republic and Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, congratulated his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on the occasion of the 56th Anniversary of the independence of his country.







"It is my pleasure to extend to Your Excellency, on behalf of the people and the Government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and on my own behalf, my congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of the celebration by the Islamic Republic of Mauritania of the 56th anniversary of its independence, praying the Almighty to grant you health and happiness and the brotherly Mauritanian people more progress and prosperity" wrote the President of the Republic in his message.

"The independence of Mauritania was not only an overwhelming national victory, but it is a victory for the ideals of freedom, justice and peace, and a victory for the right of peoples to enjoy their right to self-determination and independence", added the President of the Republic.

The President of the Republic reaffirmed the will of the Saharawi people, who celebrates this anniversary with the brotherly Mauritanian people, to strengthen the fraternal relations between the two brotherly peoples and to increase the level of cooperation and coordination to face the challenges and the risks of terrorism, organized crime and drugs. (SPS)

062/090/TRA




Bir Lehlu (Liberated territories), November 30, 2016 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Front Polisario, Mr. Brahim Gali has sent a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr. Freundel Stuart, for the 50th anniversary of the independence of his country.

"On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Barbados, I would like to express, on behalf of the Government and people of the Saharawi Republic and on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations and best wishes to your Excellency and through you to the Government and People of Barbados ", the President emphasized in his message.

The president expressed in his message "his conviction that the friendly relations that unite Barbados and the Saharawi Republic will be strengthened even more in the future for the benefit of our two peoples."

"I take this opportunity to reiterate to you the sentiments of my highest and most distinguished consideration as well as the best wishes of good health and well-being for your person and of progress and prosperity for the friendly people of Barbados," concludes the message SPS

125/090/TRA
Gunnar Rathbun / Associated Press

More than half of the nations largest retailers intend to honor new rules on overtime pay that were scheduled to take effect on Thursday, according to a survey, despite a federal judge ordering last week a suspension of those requirements.

Under the auspices of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. Department of Labor would require employers to pay time-and-a-half to employees who make up to $47,475  twice the previous threshold and setting a summer scramble for many companies to juggle budgets, wages, scheduling and other steps to avoid absorbing massive increases in their compensation costs. The Labor Department had estimated that an extra 45,000 Connecticut workers and some 4.2 million nationally would qualify for overtime under the new rules.
The following excerpt is from the staff of Entrepreneur Media's book Start Your Own Personal Training Business. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Nothing teaches like the voice of experience. So we asked owners of established personal training operations to tell us what has contributed to their success. Heres what they had to say.

Related: What It Takes to Run a Personal Training Business

1. Know what your clients know

Beyond keeping up with your own professional education, pay attention to what your clients are learning. Reading professional journals is important but not enough. You need to also be reading popular magazines, newspapers and the internet. These are the primary sources of information for most of your clients. Theyre constantly reporting on new trends in fitness, exercise and nutrition, and its not uncommon for their credibility to be questionable. When your clients are exposed to misinformation, theyll likely look to you to confirm or refute what theyve learned.

2. Stay flexible

We dont mean physically flexible -- although, certainly thats important, too -- but flexible in terms of how you operate and relate to your clients. This is such a personal business and youre dealing with people one-on-one, says Jennifer Brilliant. Things come up and you need to remain flexible.

Lynne Wells, a personal trainer in New York City, advises that if youre bending a policy, make sure your client knows it and appreciates it. For example, if someone cancels with less than a 24-hour notice because theyre sick and you decide not to charge them, make it clear by saying something like, You know I have a 24-hour cancellation policy, and technically you should have paid for this session. But I understand that youre sick, so Im not going to charge you this time.

3. Assign homework

Make your sessions last longer than the actual time youre together by giving your clients things to do between sessions. I always give them homework, says Wells. Usually its just a little exercise or two to do on their own. It might even be simpler than that, like  some basic breathing exercises. Ive had [clients] do food diaries or workout journals, and then we talk through what they wrote down in a future session or by email.

4. Invest in education

Knowledge builds confidence, so invest in education -- even after youve obtained your initial certifications. What the professional associations offer and require varies depending on the particular certification you have. The organization that issues your certification will let you know what you need to do to keep it current. Beyond that, you need to be reading and studying to stay up-to-date on fitness trends and news. Studying current literature, attending classes and going to conventions and conferences are all investments in your business, not expenses.

Related: 19 Easy Steps to Creating a Social Media Presence for Your Personal Training Business

5. You are not your client

A very minuscule percentage of your clients will think and act like you do. Dont develop exercise programs that would be effective for you; put together programs that will work for your clients. The majority of trainers train their clients like they train themselves, and they dont really listen to the client, says one trainer we consulted. They dont pay attention to the clients body, and quite possibly arent doing the best for that particular client.

6. Maintain a client base

One of the most common reasons personal training businesses fail is simply the inability to establish and maintain a steady client base. High client turnover and low client retention rates make it hard to run a profitable business. But be aware that trying to have clients become dependent on you so theyll stick around actually can produce the opposite result.

Here are some reasons youll lose clients:

Lack of results. When clients dont see the results they want, or that they believed they were going to get, they lose interest and drop out. If this develops into a pattern, your business wont build the clientele necessary to sustain itself.

Failing to establish goals. Along with not getting results, its a huge mistake when a trainer doesnt find out what a clients goals are and confirm whether theyre indeed realistic and achievable. Clients with unrealistic goals are likely to drop out when they realize they arent going to accomplish what they want.

Failing to maintain a sense of commitment. Certainly clients have more in their lives than their personal fitness goals, but when the trainer is too lax and allows clients to miss sessions regularly, those clients will not make any progress and will eventually drop out.

7. Dont throw it away

Make sure to maintain a database of contact information on former clients and prospects who went through an initial consultation and didnt sign up. In the future, you very well may want to send them a direct-mail piece and let them know about new services or special packages youre offering, as well as the addition to your staff of new trainers they may be interested in working with.

8. Decide how much youre willing to work

When you own the company, you cant bill every hour you work because you need to spend time running the operation, as well as training. To ward off burnout, decide in advance how many hours per week you want to work, then create a schedule and stick to it. You may work 12- to 14-hour days, plus weekends in the beginning, but that will get old fast, so dont try to do that for an extended period of time.

9. Be your own advertisement

Advertise yourself as a personal trainer whenever you are in public by wearing clothing with your company name or logo, or some other indication of what you do. Turning yourself into a walking billboard is an easy, inexpensive way to identify yourself as a personal trainer to everyone you come in contact with.

Related: 6 Ways to Set Your Personal Training Business Apart From Your Competition

10. Give gifts that come back to you

Most personal trainers use gift-giving occasions to strengthen their relationships with clients, but birthdays, Christmas and other holidays can also strengthen your business. Jennifer Brilliant, a personal trainer in Brooklyn, gives her clients a holiday gift each year -- perhaps lotions, herbal products or something else related to fitness -- and includes a certificate for a free session that her client can then give as a gift to someone else. I get to meet one of their friends who they think can benefit from training, she says. And even if that friend doesnt become a client, theyve learned something about themselves, and Ive had the opportunity to share my knowledge and information.

Related:

5 Lessons for Success From YouTube Star Casey Neistat

Personal Trainers Reveal the Most Important Things You Can Do to Help Your New Business Succeed

The World-Changing Power of Sharing Your Story



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Armenian Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies Vahan Martirosyan today discussed the possibility of nanotechnology cooperation with his Iranian guests  Irans Ambassador to Armenia Seyyed Kazem Sajjad and Prof. Saeed Sarkar. Secretary General of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC).

Minister Martirosyan welcomed the offer of cooperation and noted that plans are on the table to build an engineering town in Armenia where companies that have made huge strides in the technology sphere will be located.

Martirosyan invited Iran to be present as well.
The most effective weapon at Ohio State Monday may not have been a car, a knife or a gun, but cell phones.

Students across the campus barricaded themselves because word spread quickly via an emergency text that read Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.

The information was not entirely accurate.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan was not wielding a gun, but did ram his Honda over a curb before he injured 11 students while slashing with a butcher knife.

The only gun on the scene belonged to the police officer who fatally shot Artan.

Regardless, the alert is a testament to how campus security has evolved over the last decade or so.

Back in 2002  and much closer to home  Patrick Arbelo staged a seven-hour standoff with police in a Fairfield University classroom, holding a teacher and 20 students hostage while claiming to have a bomb. No one was hurt in that incident.

That situation would have played out differently 14 years later. Campus police at Fairfield are now trained to respond to such situations, and text alerts are sent in event of a crisis. Fairfield students can now download an application to notify security about emergencies.

Back in 2002, the standard operating procedure was to wait for police and not to share information. Not only was information shared as it was happening in Columbus, Ohio, but students were offered (somewhat conflicting) suggestions on how to respond (Run. Hide. Fight.).

A call phone has the power to save lives, but make no mistake, the discourse in the aftermath of the Ohio State attack will be about guns.

Ohio is already a gun-friendly state, but the incident is sure to initiate a broad discussion about changing laws to permit open carry on campuses.

That would be a mistake. The homicide rate is far higher on the other side of campus gates across the nation.

But there are a lot of takeaways from Mondays incident. It should be used as an example of appropriate response to a crisis.

An alert system was effective. Students followed directions. OSU officer Alan Horujko stuck to his training and brought order to the scene by stopping Artan.

The wrong response in the weeks to come would be for everyone to dig deeper into their spot of sand on each side of our national tug-of-war over immigrant rights and gun safety.

A better reaction would be for all campuses to revisit security protocols and share best practices.

Though it was 600 miles and four years away, alerts over the incident in Ohio State caused many people in Connecticut to reflexively think about the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

We owe to it students of all ages to respond to rampages like this one with poise as we remain vigilant about safety at our schools.

Shared knowledge can be our most effective weapon.
B ank of England Governor Mark Carney risked provoking Downing Street again today as he said that businesses needed more clarity about the Governments plans for Brexit.

Presenting the Banks financial stability report, the Canadian said: It is preferable that firms know as much as possible about the desired endpoint, what type of relationship would be there, and as much as possible, as early as possible, about the potential path to that endpoint.

Prime Minister Theresa Mays consistent line is that she will not give a running commentary on their plans  potentially weakening Britains hand ahead of formal Article 50 negotiations.

Carney recognised the difficult balancing act facing the Government as it prepares to start divorce talks with the EU, but added: Having a degree of clarity, when appropriate, will help promote a smooth and orderly transition.

The Governor has found himself under attack recently over the ultra-loose stance of monetary policy, as well as the need for a transition period to smooth Britain into its new relationship with the EU.

But Threadneedle Street also identified a more immediate threat as the protectionist leanings of a Donald Trump presidency aggravate a slowdown in world trade and hit the UK economy.

Carney added: There is this possibility that the slowdown in the growth in world trade, which we have seen over the past few years, accelerates because of discrete policy initiatives potentially from the worlds largest economy.

While that might not directly affect the United Kingdom, if it slows the pace of global growth  and were an open trading nation, one of the most open nations in the world  its going to have a knock-on effect through this economy.
B rexit-fearing property investors are set to plough their cash into London student digs to take advantage of rising rents that freshers will have to pay, a new report has suggested.

Agent GVA has forecast that average London student rents of 221 per week could rise 3% to 227 by 2018.

The firm added that occupancy rates will virtually be 100% owing to a severe shortage of supply.

It cited recent figures that show there are currently some 279,160 full-time students studying in London. In contrast, there are only around 63,673 purpose built beds, which will leave many renters having to turn to the expensive private accommodation sector.

Roger Lown, head of student housing at GVA, told the Standard: "Brexit has spooked conventional asset classes such as offices and retail, but student accomodation in the capital is safeguarded because of the strong cash generating characteristics and its reputation as a safe asset."

In the nine months to September, almost 2 billion was spent on 30,000 beds in Britain, offering a boost to the UK property market which has been rocked by jitters following the decision to leave the EU.

Mark Bladon, from Investec Structured Property Finance, said London would be "a major target focus area" for lending. He added: "This is driven by the London market being both comfortably the biggest in the UK, coupled with the Citys greater concentration of globally ranked universities than anywhere else in the world."

Alumno Developments' boss David Campbell said his firm is also looking to buy here.
O il prices rose sharply today on hopes the Opec cartel would strike a long-awaited deal to curb a supply glut that has triggered an energy industry crisis.

The price of oil has halved since mid-2014 due to chronic oversupply, but todays meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna could prove a turning point.

Several delegates were confident an agreement to limit output would finally be reached.

Brent crude jumped 2.74 cents, or 6%, to $49.12 a barrel and analysts predicted prices above $50 should a deal materialise.

The move comes despite deep divisions in the group, which accounts for a third of global oil production, and fears a cut would hand market share over to rival producers.

Iran and Iraq are reluctant to participate fully in any restrictions despite pressure coming from Saudi Arabia.
T he Citys tallest tower  known as the Trellis  could be made in Britain, the skyscrapers architect said today.

The 73-storey scheme, formally known as 1 Undershaft, was granted planning permission by the City of London Corporation this week and will be built in six years.

The 304.9-metre tower is backed by Singaporean developer Aroland Holdings but the materials could be mainly UK-sourced, designer Eric Parry told the Standard.

Most of it can be put together in the UK. Many of the buildings rely on European expertise in cladding and I think this one could be handled much closer to home, Parry added.

He said the huge weathered steel braces that give the Trellis its distinctive appearance and nickname could be made in the North of England, in a boost to Britains beleaguered steel industry. The vitreous enamel to be used  giving the building a white sheen could be manufactured in the Isle of Wight.
M any hard lessons are learned by our politicians. Dont eat a bacon sandwich in front of the cameras (Ed Miliband). Never allow others to observe your fierce handwriting or overhear your petulant description of voters (Gordon Brown). No one, however imposing, looks authoritative holding a calf (Margaret Thatcher) while government papers are not best disposed of by being thrown into a bin in a park (Oliver Letwin).

The best 24-carat blunders repeat themselves. None more so than a senior politician or aide carrying a file of sensitive papers into Downing Street in full view of photographers long lenses. Via this route we have just discovered that the Governments well-considered Brexit plan is have cake and eat it  this time not some Boris blarney but a scribbled note carelessly revealed by a paper-clutching aide to Mark Field, the MP for the Cities of London and Westminster.

The heart goes out to Julia Dockerill for the Whitehall equivalent of sending a disobliging email to the very person you are disparaging instead of your work chum. But we can hardly say Team Field wasnt warned. So frequent have been the accidental discoveries of Government business by the same means that No 10 put up a notice a couple of years ago reminding visitors that Downing Street is a public highway  so anything snapped there is fair game. A good few of David Camerons senior security and anti-terrorism advisers made the same lapse before learning that an officials best friend is a solid cardboard folder.

I would call on Dr Freuds study of the unconscious for further enlightenment. Field, a Remainer in the EU referendum, does not really believe the UKs financial cake can be had and eaten  or at least not in very large post-Brexit portions. He is in the camp which reckons that the best that can be done is to eke out a pragmatic deal  thus the tone of the notes is bitter realism.

By the same token Boriss reduction of trade flows to prosecco displeased touchy Italians but exhibited his mixture of schoolboyishness and his fervent desire to escape from the perma-jargon of EU arguments.

The reason blunders are seen as telling is that we feel they reveal something that contrivance usually keeps from our sight. Yes, it can be cringe-making: George W Bushs Yo, Blair in the midst of the Iraq crisis spoke volumes about his dismissive nature towards an ally who is too keen to please. Alleged faux pas such as Jeremy Corbyns unease at state events are really his way of signalling that he would rather be at some adios to Castro gig.

But those who have never blundered are dull souls and even our most blush-inducing memories are precious. Those of us given to excessive frankness collect our bloopers like fine wines. I cherish the time I informed a member of a leading Democrat family that his uncle had run a terrible campaign  only to discover that my interlocutor had been a major figure in it.

Whoever got an anecdote or suppressed giggle out of their most obedient behaviour? Our gaffes are not really exceptions. They are what we say or do when we think no one is looking. And that, inevitably, is when they are.

Anne McElvoy is senior editor at The Economist
I n a year that has poured scorn on forecasts, it would be folly to predict the outcome of tomorrows by-election in Richmond Park. The Liberal Democrats insist that their candidate, Sarah Olney, could yet defeat Zac Goldsmith, who triggered the contest by resigning over the proposed expansion of Heathrow. But to do so she would have to overturn his 2015 majority of 23,015 (up from 4,091 in 2010). This is conceivable rather than likely.

As Simon Jenkins noted yesterday, the two principal candidates have framed this constituency vote as a referendum by proxy  though they differ on what is at stake. Goldsmith declares that the by-election is all about Heathrow expansion, and that he alone represents the best bet at seeing off this monstrosity. Olney has called upon the leafy suburb to rally against Brexit and seize its one-off chance to send a message to the new government on the direction of the country.

Neither claim withstands scrutiny. Those canvassers to whom I have spoken suggest that education and health remain the priorities of most voters. They also report electoral weariness: this is the fourth time that constituents have been summoned to the polling stations since May 2015 (general election, mayoral contest, EU referendum and now by-election). The grandiosity of the candidates claims is not reflected on the ground: neither Heathrows third runway nor Brexit will be thwarted by tomorrows outcome.

Which is not to say that this by-election is without deep significance. Much more important than the campaigns to nationalise an essentially local contest are the circumstances surrounding Goldsmiths resignation, and their broader implications.

Nobody can fault him for resigning over Heathrow or for standing as an independent: he said he would do so and has honoured his commitment. But it was a mistake for the Conservative Party not to put forward its own candidate. Credit to Fiona Syms for standing as an unofficial Tory: if the people of Richmond Park want a loyal Conservative, they should vote for her.

It is not hard to see why No 10 chose to endorse Goldsmith. Had the party machine entered an official Tory contender, the Right-of-Centre vote would indeed have been split, probably to the considerable advantage of the Lib-Dems. Theresa May commands a working majority of only 14: she can ill afford to lose a seat, especially as Parliaments scrutiny of Article 50 draws ever closer. But it is precisely because of this prospective showdown with MPs and peers that the Prime Minister should not have indulged Goldsmith.

Consider her position: if the High Courts ruling on Brexit is not overturned, the debate will proceed to the Commons. The nuclear option would be to call a snap general election, billed explicitly as a request by the Government for a final mandate on Britains departure from the EU, and one that would be binding upon MPs in the new Parliament.

I detect little enthusiasm among Mays allies for this course of action. For a start, the 2011 Fixed-term Parliaments Act means the PM can no longer simply seek permission from the Queen for a dissolution.

An early election may now be triggered in only two ways: first, by a vote of no confidence in the Government, followed by 14 days in which a new administration is not formed to the satisfaction of the Commons; or second, if two-thirds of MPs vote to go to the country. These are murky political waters indeed, as was intended by the laws draughtsmen.

It is likely that the supreme court will uphold the decision to grant MPs a say on Article 50. It is unlikely  for procedural reasons alone  that the PM will call an election in response. The overwhelming probability, therefore, is that, less than a year after taking the top job, May will face the political battle of her life in the bearpit of Parliament.

Say the word Maastricht to a Tory MP and he or she will jump reflexively. The furious debates in the Nineties over that EU Treaty tore the party to pieces, ensuring, along with Black Wednesday and sleaze, that the Conservatives were destroyed at the polls in 1997.

The symmetries are not precise. Unlike the Tory government in 1993, May will be able to pray in aid the will of the people  expressed in a clear referendum result  as a rebuke to those MPs who would defy her. Across the dispatch box, she faces the feckless Jeremy Corbyn rather than the wily barrister John Smith.

Yet the stakes are so much higher this time. The Maastricht Treaty was certainly a radical step towards federal integration (although its impact upon the UK was mitigated by opt-outs, notably from membership of the single currency). But Britains departure from the EU would easily eclipse its significance: historic, transformative and probably irreversible.

Parliament wants its say and will not be a pushover. All of which means May needs every ounce of authority at her disposal. The Remainers must believe that she will be the Malcolm X of Brexit: by any means necessary.

The ruthlessness with which she purged the Cameron Cabinet certainly conveyed a clear message. But that message has been weakened by her decision to suspend ministerial collective responsibility over Heathrow and  to return to tomorrows by-election  her appeasement of Goldsmith. In both cases, the PM showed that, in certain circumstances, she is prepared to back down for a quiet life.

Would it have been worth risking defeat in Richmond in order to send a broader signal that she means business? Absolutely. There are greater struggles ahead which will be decided by power of personality as much as tight parliamentary arithmetic. The time has come for May to decide if she is the heir to Margaret Thatcher  or just another John Major.
It is the most highly-anticipated fashion show of the year and boasts a cast of some of the most famous models in the world, but tonight the Victoria's Secret fashion show even surpassed its own high standards.

Taking its runway to Paris for the first time in the brand's history, the showcase was staged in the world famous Grand Palais which was lit up in pink lights for the occasion.

Walking the runway tonight were brand favourites Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, Taylor Hill and Stella Maxwell, as well as more recent recruits Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid who walked their first show for Victoria's Secret in New York last year.

Joining the impressive line-up of models were Gigi's younger sister Bella, and Irina Shayk, who summed up the occasion perfectly when speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard backstage before the show.

Highlights from the Victoria's Secret Show 2016

"Its all about sexy bodies and there are a lot of beautiful girls this year. Its just a lot of sexiness in one room."

Echoing her sentiments, Stella Maxwell said: "I mean, its the sexiest show in the world. Its the one that everyone wants to be in, its the one that everyone wants to watch. Out of all of the fashion shows, I cant think of one thats more anticipated. Its more than a fashion show its more of an actual calendared event."

Backstage at Victoria's Secret Fashion 2016 Show 1 /30 Backstage at Victoria's Secret Fashion 2016 Show Kiss me quick Alessandra Ambrosio pulls a sultry pose as she gets her nails painted Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Ready and waiting Kendall Jenner gets her hair and makeup done before the Victoria's Secret fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Chilling out A stylist works with Gigi Hadid backstage James Gourley/Rex Features Getting prepared Stella Maxwell has her make-up applied backstage AFP/Getty Images Sit back and relax Bella Hadid gets her eye make-up done backstage Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Hectic The 55 models get ready backstage ahead of the Victoria's Secret 2016 fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Catching up Kendall Jenner chats with Bella Hadid as they get ready James Gourley/Rex Peace out Rachel Hilbert strikes a pose midway through a blow dry Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Stunning Russian model Irina Shayk gets her hair and makeup done before making her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images Say cheese Lily Donaldson turns photographer as she captions all the action backstage James Gourley/Rex Selfie time Gigi Hadid poses for a selfie Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images In the chair Bella Hadid backstage at the Victoria's Secret fashion Ian West/PA Style Kendall Jenner backstage Rex Features Do you know who I am? Devon Windsor makes sure people know she is a Victoria's Secret model James Gourley/Rex Work it Lais Oliveira poses for the cameras Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Good hair day Megan Williams smiles as she gets her hair styled Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Eyes front Devon Windsor has her eye make up done Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Glamorous Romee Strijd looks flawless in the make up chair Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images DIY Sara Sampaio gets ready to curl her own hair Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Got the moves Megan Williams shows off her walk Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images All smiles Herieth Paul has her hair and make up done Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Work it Bridget Malcom poses backstage Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Blushing Bridget Malcolm gets a touch of blusher Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

The Victoria's Secret fashion show 2016 in numbers:

43 pairs of wings made their way down the runway

 3million is the cost of this year's Fantasy Bra

33 embroidered looked in the show this year

82 pairs of shoes touched the runway

190 countries will tune in to watch the show when it's broadcast on December 5

204 feather pillows supplied at the Mandarin Oriental to give the Angels their beauty sleep

Follow Charlie Teather on Twitter @charlieteather

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A suspected thief wanted by police in south London taunted officers by commenting on his police appeal saying keep up if you can.

Wandsworth Police put out an appeal for information about the whereabouts of 18-year-old suspect Nathan Bick on their Facebook page after a series of thefts in the area.

But the foolhardy suspect - on the police's 'most wanted page' - commented on the social media post three times in a bizarre exchange where he told officers to keep up.

The wanted man replied to a comment posted by another woman who said she would contact police if she spotted him.

Bick replied to her: Hopefully I see you two [sic] love.

Wandsworth Police replied to Bick and said: Might as well hand yourself in now, Nathan.

'Keep up if you can,' the foolish suspect tells police. / Wandsworth Police

He replied with a laughing emoji and wrote: Just keep up if you can

He added: Wandsworth Police I think you didnt understand when I said keep up but yeah am back on my Back Wheel for you pigs 24s.

It is not the first time suspects and wanted criminals have teased police via social media appeals.

In December last year a convicted burglar wanted by police posted a series of images taunting officers on Facebook.

A Wandsworth Police spokesperson told the Standard: "Since we started publishing images of wanted suspects on Facebook there was always the possibility that one would comment on our page, on their own appeal.

"While efforts to locate the individual will continue, this provides us with a further opportunity to make a direct appeal for them to hand themselves in."

On the Facebook appeal police said: "Nathan Bick is a prolific motor vehicle thief. He is known to favour stealing mopeds and often uses them to commit other crimes."
N ext Wednesday is St Andrews Day and the perfect excuse for London-based Scots to partake in a celebratory dram and dine on quality Scottish seafood, hearty venison and game pie.

Irvin Bar Grill

Irvin blends Scottish and Italian influences to create a menu featuring parmesan shortbread and traditional tablet. Prepare for a long evening and flowing booze.

Info: 43 Topsfield Parade, N8, irvinbargrill.com

Mac & Wild

The Scots specialists have popped up in the City, serving their trademark haggis mac n cheese and veni-moo burgers. On the 30th theyll also have Scottish suckling pig and whisky cocktails.

Info: 9A Devonshire Square, EC2, macandwild.com

Deeneys Cafe

Home of the famous haggis toastie, this Leyton local spot  and famous street- food stall  is all about hearty soups such as cullen skink and tattie and leek.

Info: 330 Leyton High Road, E10, deeneys.com

Boisdale

Toast St Andrew with a supper of roast Highland grouse and game chips  and of course, the whisky list is vast.

Info: Various locations, boisdale.co.uk

The best whisk(e)y bars in London 1 /10 The best whisk(e)y bars in London The Berkeley Bar & Terrace



Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL



Whisky has its reputation, theres no reason to hole up somewhere ancient and stuffy and sad. This new spot in the Berkeley is really quite beautiful, one of the best looking bars in London. In the backlit bar, theyve fine and rare whiskies alongside plenty else thats good, including lots of vintage Champagne. Londons lucky to have it. Milroy's, Soho & Spitalfields



3 Greek St & 76 Commercial St



At the back of Londons oldest whisky shop is a bookcase: push, and down the curled staircase is hidden a bar. Theyve more than 300 bottles going; plenty is Scotch, but theyve also plenty from across the globe; America, Australia, South Africa, Sweden and more all get a look in. Despite its long-standing history and despite the rarities on the shelves, Milroys is fun, relaxed, unpretentious. Last year, they opened up a second, much larger site in Spitalfields. Over four flights in a townhouse, theyve more than 1000 drams. The most anywhere? Probably. Still, its all overseen by Simo Simpson  he has a knack of keeping things down to earth. Somewhere to come in for just a drink, but if you want to learn something, you will, and without the risk of turning into a whisky w****er. The Britannia



44 Kipling St, SE1 3RU



Whisky stiffs may be disappointed to find the Britannia doesnt offer proper nosing glasses or anything of that sort, but for those that just want something damned good to drink and a decent place to do it, the Britannia does the job admirably. It does away with the usual trappings of whisky bars: there is no faux-antique furniture, no stuffy rules and all snobbishness should be left on the mat with the mud from your boots. The unpretentious atmosphere, choice of more than 100 whiskies and decent prices mean this backstreet boozer deservedly gets very busy. Boisdale of Canary Wharf



Cabot Place, E14 4QT



Perhaps Londons most famous whisky bar  and probably rightly so  the staggering menu at Boisdale has yet to be surpassed, with only the Spitalfields Milroys rivalling it for sheer number of bottles. Alongside the unrivalled Scotch menu, which is up there as one of the finest in the world, they serve English, Japanese, Welsh and Indian whiskies too. Sit in the bar: the amber glow from the library of bottles is a light that never fails to light up an evening. Staff show an impressive knowledge and, should you wish, there is an excellent heated cigar terrace to relax in. Bull In A China Shop



196 Shoreditch High St, E1 6LG



A few year back, the Mizuwari bar left a sad Japanese whisky shaped hole when it closed. Fortunately, Bull in a China Shop soon opened, offering a selection of more than 30 rare and premium whiskies, leaning heavily into the Japanese offerings. One of our favourite east London hangouts, cocktails are still terrific  the charcoal Old Fashioned and Wabi/Sabi are highlights  and they serve up every drink with care. They have some gorgeous high-end scotches too, so be sure to ask for them. One thing thats changed since opening is the food  they care far more about it now than they did then, which is wonderful news. Its difficult for bars to stick around these days, so its very good news that they have. The Pine Bar



44 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HP



Jason Athertons Betterment restaurant in the Biltmore hotel might have wobbled through its opening, but his bar was spot on from the beginning. While the cocktails are decent, its better suited to something simple: theyve more than 100 whiskies, with some seriously high-end American offerings in there. The wine list is excellent, too. The Sun Tavern



441 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 0AN



This upmarket Bethnal Green cocktail bar is rightly proud of its Irish whiskey and Poitin offerings: since its re-opening in 2014, the pub has amassed around 40 different expressions of the good stuff, including small batch serves and cask strength selections. Their cocktail list is short and finely-considered. Just dont take a wine-loving friend: their wine list is as short as the whiskey list is long. The Connaught Bar



Connaught, Carlos Pl, W1K 2AL



Perhaps Londons most famous whisky bar  and probably rightly so  the staggering menu at Boisdale has yet to be surpassed, with only the Spitalfields Milroys rivalling it for sheer number of bottles. Alongside the unrivalled Scotch menu, which is up there as one of the finest in the world, they serve English, Japanese, Welsh and Indian whiskies too. Sit in the bar: the amber glow from the library of bottles is a light that never fails to light up an evening. Staff show an impressive knowledge and, should you wish, there is an excellent heated cigar terrace to relax in.

Escocesa

Promising Scottish produce, Spanish sensibilities, Escocesa is the place to head for platters of Lochinver hand-dived scallops and Shetland razor clams complemented by a sherry or two.

Info: 67 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16, escocesa.co.uk

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I f pantomimes make you break out in hives and you have absolutely no sympathy for a widow called Twankey, you dont have to bar yourself from theatres for the festive season. There are plenty of alternatives to pantomime - anti-mimes, if you like.

Panto naysayers, look no further than our round-up of festive shows that offer something for everyone.

Dreamgirls

This Christmas, theres a massive new opening in the West End. Dreamgirls finally premieres in the UK, 35 years after it debuted on Broadway. Amber Riley joins the cast and the show is sure to be stunning.

Savoy Theatre, opening December 14

Buy tickets

Muted

The Bunker is the Menier Chocolate Factorys little sibling, and it opened with a few weeks ago with Isley Lynns Skin a Cat, which had the audience shaking with laughter. Now they have Muted, a new British rock-pop musical, which Stephen Fry described as stunning.

Bunker Theatre, December 7 - January 7; bunkertheatre.com

Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped

If you spend enough time in the shops this year you may hear so many Christmas songs you want to lose your own ears and never find them again. However, this drag cabaret act saves the day by taking an unconventional approach to the holiday classics and giving you faith to go on.

Soho Theatre, November 21 - December 10; sohotheatre.com

Christmas

Its called Christmas, but Simon Stephens play about four men in a pub confronting their past is no Miracle on 34th Street. Check it out if you want some serious drama this season.

TheatreN16, December 11-22; theatren16.co.uk

Battersea Arts Centre at Christmas

Donkey Studio

If you head down to the Battersea Arts Centre youll be spoilt for choice this year. Little Bulb Theatre are offering a woodland adventure that children will love, called The Night That Autumn Turned to Winter, and for the grown-ups theres comedy from Josie Long and John Kearns.

bac.org.uk

Bianco

Looking for a thrill? NoFit State Circuss show says it is all-consuming, an immersive promenade that keeps the audience on their feet. Set amongst the Southbank Centres beautiful Winter Festival, there are worse things you could don your wooly socks for.

Tristram Kenton

Southbank Centre, November 23 - January 22

Buy tickets

Rent

It really has been 20 years since Jonathan Larsons classic subversive spin on La Boheme first took Broadway by storm. This brand new production celebrates that legacy and is sure to make you all tingly this yuletide.

St James Theatre, December 8 - January 28

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Dr Carneskys Incredible Bleeding Woman

When the festive period arrives it can take you by surprise, so why not embrace it with this cabaret about menstruation? It says it will be rigorous and chaotic, and we can believe that.

Soho Theatre, December 13 - January 7; sohotheatre.com

Peter Pan

The National Theatre should give Sally Cookson the chance to give all classic works of literature a theatrical makeover. Her Jane Eyre was a stunning feat of the imagination, and Peter Pan is likely to be just the same.

National Theatre, until February 4;

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Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene

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E xperimental performance company Forest Fringe will hold a weekend of participatory events at Somerset House next weekend.

The company is known for presenting free work at Edinburgh Fringe over the last ten years, but recently announced it would be taking a break for the 2017 festival. Its residency at Somerset House from December 9-11 is open to all, with events free but ticketed.

The weekend offers a chance for Forest Fringe to work with others to think about where they will go next, through performances, talks, workshops, installations and exhibitions.

It will open on Friday evening (December 9) with a double-bill of short works on collision, collapse, memory, history and survival.

On the Saturday, themes of memory and Europe will be explored. In the morning, artists, performers and writers will talk about how we remember performance, with contributions from an archivist at Rambert Dance Company and a King's College London Professor of Theatre.

Later that day, Forest Fringe co-directors Andy Field, Deborah Pearson and Ira Brand will share new experiments around the theme of Europe.

Arts picks of the week: 28th November - December 4th 1 /8 Arts picks of the week: 28th November - December 4th The Drawing of the Year Its pretty breathtaking to see the work of someone who is really really good at drawing. This exhibition celebrates the work of The Royal Drawing Schools students, with a huge range across all of the work. Theres also the brilliant London Illustration Fair for those who want even more of a pen and pencil fill (December 1-4).



December 2 - January 18, 2017, Shoreditch Gallery; royaldrawingschool.org Scottee: Putting Words In Your Mouth You dont need to have read much news this year to know that people are pretty politically divided. Scottees new show is about LGBTQI people who found themselves supporting UKIP, and hopes to shine a light on belonging, identity and the legacy of Thatcherism.



Until December 3, Roundhouse; roundhouse.org.uk Gleaning from Mary Kelly A panel will discuss pioneering feminist artist Mary Kelly, 40 years since her best-known work was shown at the ICA. It will cover themes of labour, war, trauma and the politics of car.



November 30, The ICA; ica.org.uk Making Nature: How We See Animals Loving Planet Earth on a Sunday and want to expand your knowledge of the natural world? A fascinating new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection brings together over 100 objects to help to show how we see animals.



December 1 - May 21, 2017, Wellcome Collection; wellcomecollection.org Trustees of the National History Museum Thebes Land Fancy seeing a play that has had sold out runs in eight countries worldwide, performed in an enormous steel cage? Thebes Land, from Franco-Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco gets its UK premiere at the Arcola Theatre, with Trevor White and Alex Austin forming the cast.



November 30 - December 23, Arcola Theatre; arcolatheatre.com Charles Dickens Museum The Charles Dickens Museum is getting in the mood for Christmas, with a series of events including a brand new exhibition. The Ladybird Life of Dickens: An Illustrated Adeventure will display the original illustrations from artist John Kenney from a 1965 Ladybird book about the authors life. And the building will be dressed for Christmas!



November 30 - April 16, 2017, Charles Dickens Museum; dickensmuseum.com London International Animation Festival This festival celebrating all things animation returns to the Barbican with a whole ten days of talks and screenings of animated shorts and features from all around the world. The festival will champion all kinds of techniques, challenging the idea that CGI dominates the film industry.



December 2 - 11, Barbican Centre; barbican.org.uk Last chance to see: King Lear The rather brilliant Glenda Jacksons return to the stage, but youll have to act fast if you want to see her Lear. It ends December 3.



Until December 3, Old Vic Theatre; oldvictheatre.com

On Sunday December 11, artists will begin a new conversation around resistance, and the relationships that exist between art and activism. In the afternoon, the theme is survival, and will feature music, talks and conversations about longevity, self-care and adaptation.

There will also be a number of installations all weekend, including All the Arguments Weve Ever Had, a video installation spanning 10 years of arguments over email, and an experiment in collaboration from the companies Action Hero and They Are Here.

Find out more and book tickets at forestfringe.co.uk.

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene

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G et a headstart on your New Year resolutions and ramp up your home workout schedule with these easy exercises.

From getting your dream bum to learning how to workout your mind, here are six solutions from the instructors at London's boutique fitness studio Frame.

1. For Long Lean Legs...

Barre instructor Lisanne van Sonsbeek suggests Back Leg Lifts

A great exercise for long supermodel legs are back leg lifts. Hold on to a chair for more stability and bend your standing leg ever so slightly while you extend the other leg behind you, toes still on the floor. Then lift and lower the back leg slowly, making sure you keep your back long (dont arch the lower back) and the abdominals engaged. Keep reaching the crown of the head and toes away from each other during the movement to create the length. Focus on controlled movements and perform 15 raises on each leg, repeating 3 sets. For an extra burn you add pulses on the top! Its all about extension and length, while strengthening, rather than shortening the muscles which is likely to happen with heavy weight lifting.

A photo posted by Lisanne van Sonsbeek (@lisannevs) on Nov 2, 2016 at 2:17am PDT

Follow Lisanne on Instagram @lisannevs

2. For Sculpted Abs...

Reformer Pilates instructor Corinne Naomi suggests Roll Back With Spine Rotation

The Roll Back With Spinal Rotation is a great exercise to sculpt and strengthen the Obliques and Rectus Abdominals (the six pack). This exercise starts with the arms reaching forward, sitting upright with the spine held in a neutral position. The knees remain bent and the feet stay planted on the floor. Inhale to prepare, as you exhale begin to roll back into a C- curve, tucking the pelvis under, but stopping before the lower back flattens against the floor. Whilst stabilised in this C-Curve the upper back and torso rotate both to the right and left before re-centering and lengthening back up to the starting position to repeat. For extra tone hold a weighted object in your hands throughout or/and increase the duration of the exercise. The use of spinal rotation in this exercise is what targets and tones the obliques. Stabilising the spine in a C-Curve is what gets that six-pack fired up.

A photo posted by Dance, Fitness, Pilates, Barre (@_corinnenaomi) on Sep 18, 2016 at 8:13am PDT

Follow Corinne on Instagram @_corinnenaomi

3. Strong not Skinny Arms...

TRX instructor Caroline Bragg suggests Tricep Dips

Tricep dips are a great move to tone the backs of the arms and can be done anywhere. All you need is a chair or the sofa arm. First sit on chair and roll your shoulders back. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, your core is engaged and your eye line and finger are facing forward. Lower your self down until your elbows are at 90 degrees and then push into the hand to lift back up to starting position. Repeat for 15 and on your last one stay low and pulse for 15 to get that extra burn. Repeat three times with a rest in between.

To progress this you can take your feet further away but keep your butt close to the chair. Try not to let the shoulders creep up by the ears.

A photo posted by Caro Line (@carolinepteast) on Sep 18, 2016 at 5:54am PDT

Follow Caroline on Instagram @carolinepteast

4. Victoria's Secrets Bum...

Ass and Abs instructor Gaby Allen suggests Bridge Thrusts

Bridge thrusts are great for working towards that Victoria Secret bum. Starting lying down on your back with your feet planted hip width apart and your arms relaxed by your side. Peel the pelvis off the floor towards the ceiling until your bum is fully engaged into your bridge position. Think about smoothing out your leggings in front of your hip bone. Lower the pelvis to 1 inch off the floor, then return it back to your full bridge. Repeat this 8 times.

After 8, hold at the top and small pulse thrust the hips towards the ceiling. After 16, hold your hips as high as you can for 8. Rest for 15 secs, then repeat x2.

A photo posted by GABRIELLE  (@gabydawnallen) on Aug 5, 2016 at 2:51am PDT

Follow Gaby on Instagram @gabydawnallen

5. Increased Flexibility...

Yoga and Pilates instructor Gede Foster suggests Forward Folds

Forward Folds are a a great simple way to increase the flexibility throughout the entire back body. You can do this standing by reaching down to your toes or seated folding over to reach your toes. It stretches a little in the calves, the hamstrings and the lower back. Being flexible in these areas can help you perform many functional movements with better form and technique. If you just want to focus purely on flexibility and increasing range of movement jump into yoga.

A photo posted by Gede Foster (@gedefoster) on Oct 31, 2016 at 5:34am PDT

Follow Gede on Instagram @gedefoster

6. Zen Attitude...

Yoga Instructor Micki Ramondt suggests Mantra Meditation

A Zen Attitude is a state of full focus of the body and mind. Seeing things as the truly are, fully aware and awakened to our original nature. We practice so we may calm our mind, see life more clearly and feel a great kindness towards ourselves and others. So how does one develop a Zen Attitude? Start a Japa Meditation. Which is repetition of a mantra (a word or sound that is believed to have a special spiritual power). My favourite mantra is Soham', meaning I am that. Identifying oneself with the universe. Sit on the floor with a small pillow or cushion just under the sit bones. Position yourself in a way that you can find a long, straight spine. Close your eyes and bring your attention to the pace of your breath in and out through your nose. Once you feel comfortable that you can stay focused on the inhales and exhales add the word SO to the inhale and HAM to the exhale. HAM is not pronounced like the meat but more like HUM. Start saying the words out loud then move to silently in your head. Practice for just 3 minutes a day for a week. Then move to 5 minutes. Slowly build up to 10-15 minutes a day. Staying focused on your mantra will slowly lead to a more Zen Attitude towards life.

A photo posted by Micki Ramondt, RYT-Since 2008 (@playfulotusyoga) on Nov 23, 2016 at 6:49am PST

Follow Micki on Instagram @playfulotusyoga .

Lisanne, Corinne, Caroline, Gaby, Gede and Micki are all instructors at FRAME; for the list of classes visit moveyourframe.com

Follow us on Twitter @eslifeandstyle
L ondon is seeing the rise of the manny as the number of male babysitters working in the capital has almost doubled, it was claimed today.

More men are setting themselves up as mannies  male nannies  than ever before, with traditional gender roles increasingly found to be outdated.

Children are requesting mannies and they have also become more popular with parents, who are seeking positive male role models through childcare.

That comes despite widely criticised claims by former Tory leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom this summer that it was cautious and very sensible not to employ male nannies because of the odds they could be paedophiles.

The founders of new mobile babysitting app Bubble say the number of men signing up to look after children has almost doubled since the service launched in the summer.

Ari Last, 32, and his former Betfair colleague Adrian Murdock, 42, devised the mobile app to allow parents and babysitters to connect via social networks such as Facebook. Both parties can rate one another and parents can use trusted babysitters recommended by their friends.

Father-of-two Mr Last believes the trend of parents smashing gender stereotypes to share childcare duties will continue.

He said: Youve got boys specifically asking parents for male babysitters, while mums and dads are keen to provide their kids with additional male role models to look up to and learn from.

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Available at Whole Foods, Lloyds Pharmacy, Holland & Barrett, Waitrose, Ocado paiskincare.com Earth Friendly Baby Chamomile Shampoo & Body Wash, RRP 4.89 When it comes to bath time for the little one, you want something which does it all-in-one as gently as possible. Flip around many conventional washes and youll find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in the ingredients list, a proven potential skin irritant which makes products foam. Alternatively, this eco friendly option uses skin loving ingredients derived from coconuts to create suds and wash babies clean, whilst extracts of chamomile and lavender soothe. Youll safely find no tears here. Available at Boots, Asda, Waitrose, Tesco, Mothercare and Superdrug earthfriendlybaby.co.uk Lulu & Boo Organics Rose Soothing Baby Spray, RRP 16 In times of extra soothing, especially when it comes to the baby bottom area an organic aloe vera packed skin soother is just what is needed. There is sure to be minimal irritation all day due to the healing St. Johns Wort extract and skin softening vegetable glycerin and it can be used in conjunction with other baby bottom balms. Being in the form of a spray is especially a bonus when out and about with your little one and changing opportunities are limited. Available online and Whole Foods luluandboo.com Naty By Nature Sensitive Unscented Wipes (56 wipes), RRP 2.75 From code brown diaper situations to spit ups, theres not many things the humble baby wipe cant take care of. When youre going through a pack a day, the last thing you want to be unknowingly exposing your babys (and your) skin to is drying alcohols and synthetic chemicals. Take the natural approach with these cheap and cheerful wipes that dont compromise on performance. Free from alcohol and parabens, and instead packed with moisturising ingredients such as glycerin and aloe vera. 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We were a little bit surprised by the increase weve seen in male babysitters signing up for the app. Parents, and society as a whole, are moving in the direction of smashing stereotypes over childcare and outdated ideas. He added: [Mannies] provide male role models for the kids. If you have a great male babysitter to provide childcare, then its a perfect match.

Mr Last, from Finchley, said there had been an 87 per cent rise in men signing up to the app as babysitters over the past 10 weeks against a comparable timeframe since the launch.

There are 1,300 babysitters registered on Bubble and almost 2,000 parents across the capital using the service. The app features a one-tap payment system. It is available on both iOS and Android devices.

To find out more, visit joinbubble.com

Meet the Mannies

'Manny' Luke Dale / Supplied pic from Luke Dale

Luke Dale has been finding work as a nanny for more than a year to supplement his income as an actor.

Mr Dale, 24, pictured, from Putney, spent several months looking after four children aged between five and 11. His role was to pick them up from school, help with homework, play games and put the youngest two to bed.

He said: It comes as second nature to me because being an actor you have this kind of natural energy which you need around kids.

I thought, Im good with kids, I like them and they like me.

The work is well paid because the job comes with a lot of responsibility. A lot of families dont have a male role model in their lives because the fathers are not around.

Especially for young lads who dont have a dad around to play sport with him, its an incredible way for the child to benefit.

Its also good training if I ever have kids. I will feel a lot more ready.
A man who repeatedly stabbed his neighbour in a horrific cocaine-fuelled attack in east London has been jailed for 15 years.

Kirk Daniels, 31, was found guilty of GBH with intent and attempted GBH with intent at Wood Green Crown Court in September and was sent to prison on Tuesday.

In September last year, Daniels got into a 4.30am fight with a neighbour in the communal courtyard of their Hackney estate.

Escaping the altercation, Daniels returned to his third floor flat in Provost Estate and launched a childrens bicycle at his neighbour, narrowly missing.

He then rushed into his flat and grabbed a 12 inch kitchen knife before returning hastily to the courtyard and beginning a brutal, frenzied attack.

Fortunately, a brave passer-by happened to hear shouts and dashed over to defend the victim from Daniels' attack.

But furious Daniels switched his attention to the newcomer and he was only able to fend him off by using the childrens bike as a shield.

The passer-by then managed to escape and flagged down a police car. Officers swiftly identified and arrested Daniels, who later admitted to taking cocaine and tested positive for the Class A drug in custody.

His victim was rushed to hospital with stab wounds to the legs and stomach, as well as a dislocated shoulder.

Detective Constable Sophie Hayes, the investigating officer from Hackney CID, said: "We are pleased that this man is now behind bars. The sentence given should give Daniels plenty of time to reflect on his horrific actions.

"This was a terrifying ordeal for the victims and they were incredibly lucky that their injuries were only superficial. The attack could have easily had a very different outcome.

"I'd like to thank the witnesses to this attack for coming forward and assisting with our investigation. I'd especially like to commend the passer-by for his bravery in going to the aid of the victim and for quickly bringing the attack to the attention of the police."

Daniels received 15 years for GBH with intent and 12 years for attempted GBH with intent, to run concurrrently.
P olice want to trace this man in connection with two sexual assaults in west London.

The alleged assaults took place in Hayes in 2005 but were only reported to police last year.

The man may be known as Babar Khan or Rashid Ameen and is believed to be a barber or hairdresser in Hayes.

Police have so far failed to find the man and have appealed for anyone who recognises him to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Az Anwar of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command on 020 7161 9817 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A sexual predator who lurked outside a west London school preying on girls has been jailed for four years.

Sleazy Jacky Jhaj, 31, from Feltham, drove around Hounslow in his silver 4x4 picking up schoolchildren, plying them with alcohol and giving them lifts to parties hosted by other pupils.

The dangerous pervert, who pretended he was just 21, groomed the teenagers and began a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. He also had sexual activity with another girl.

He claimed he was a top Hollywood film producer who had befriended the schoolchildren as part of covert research for a screenplay he was writing.

Jhaj, of Ochard Avenue, Feltham, was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity after a two week trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

Jailed: Jacky Jhaj, 31, was sentenced to four years in prison. / Met Police

He was locked up for four years on Tuesday.

Jhaj prowled around the school in July last year in his silver Range Rover when he was 29.

Detective Constable Nav Johal, the investigating officer from Hounslow CID, said: "Thanks to the courage and bravery of the young vulnerable victims who gave evidence, a dangerous sexual predator has been brought to justice.

I am hopeful that the verdict and sentencing will give them some peace and closure, and they will be able to, in time, move forward from this difficult period.

"Joint partnership with schools work is crucial to continue to tackle offences related to grooming and this case highlights the importance of working in partnership to ensure such offenders are apprehended.

"Continued education of children at school and at home on such matters is important and they can, in turn, hopefully highlight any concerns to the police and other relevant authorities."


T wo men were stabbed in a row outside a bar in central London, police said.

The victims, aged 23 and 25, were knifed by a man in Old Street following an argument in the early hours of the morning.

Police and paramedics raced to the scene where the men were treated for stab injuries before being taken to hospital. The suspect fled the scene.

Detectives have now issued a CCTV image of a man they want in connection with the attack as well as an appeal for witnesses after the incident at about 5am on Saturday October 1.

The suspect is described as a black man in his early to mid-20s, about 5ft 9inches tall and of muscular build. He wore dark clothing.

The victims have recovered from their injuries and been discharged from hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Hackney CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
A Met police officer has been sacked after she assaulted a member of staff at a pub in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford.

PC Melanie Davies, based at Wandsworth police station, was dismissed on Tuesday for assaulting an employee at the Bat and Ball pub after they refused to serve her because she was too drunk.

PC Davies was on sick leave when she went drinking at the east London pub where she was reportedly refused service at the bar.

Staff then tried to escort her out of the building when she lashed out at an employee.

PC Davies was convicted of assault at Thames Magistrates' Court on August 31 and ordered to pay a fine of 430.

She was dismissed on Tuesday following a misconduct hearing in which she was found to have failed to meet the Met's standards of honesty and integrity.

Assistant Commissioner Helen King, Lead for Professionalism and Chair of the Hearing, said:"Police officers are granted powers over their fellow citizens to enforce the law on others and, where necessary, to use force in order to do so.

This requires that the public and law makers have confidence that those entrusted to uphold the law will comply with it themselves, both on and off duty.

Some cases are clearly more serious than others both in the category of the offence and all the surrounding circumstances.

"An offence of assault, however minor, is one that has to be seen as serious given the nature and responsibilities of a police officer's role.

Therefore the only appropriate action for PC Davies in this case is dismissal."
S cotland Yard has launched a murder inquiry after a man shot during a mass brawl in south London died in hospital.

Police said the 28-year-old man was gunned down after violence erupted at Brigstock Function Room in London Road, Thornton Heath on Sunday.

The victim went to hospital suffering from a gunshot wound shortly after a fight broke out at the bar and was pronounced dead on Tuesday evening.

The mans family has been told of his death but he has yet to be formally identified, police said.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Thursday.

No arrests have been made so far.

Police were alerted to a brawl at the venue at 5am on Sunday but found no-one injured at the scene.

Detectives have now issued an appeal to speak to anyone at Brigstock Function Room at the time of the brawl or any nearby witnesses as part of a murder probe.

The investigation is being led by the Mets Homicide and Major Crime Command.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4868. Alternatively, information can be given anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uK.org
A young city worker was left fighting for his life after being left for dead in a south London street.

KPMG Japan specialist Christopher Mapleston, 29, suffered a cracked skull and a slash to his head in a possible terrifying street attack in New Cross.

Police believe high-flying Mr Mapleston, who studied at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, could have been targeted in a robbery.

He was found in a critical condition with a fractured skull at around 3am on Sunday, November 20 on Arbuthnot Road, in New Cross.

His coworkers at KPMG said they are "devastated" and called Mr Mapleston a "well-respected and well-liked colleague in our tax team".

He was last seen by friends  who waved him goodbye after a night of socialising  as he ran for a bus close to Peckham Rye Railway station between 1.30 and 2am.

Fighting for life: Mr Mapleston, 29, could have fallen or been the victim of an attack. / Met Police

But Mr Mapleston was found two miles away without his iPhone 6.

Detectives are appealing for help to piece together the events which left Mr Mapleston hospitalised.

Detective Constable Terry Martin, from Lewisham CID, said: "We cannot be certain whether Christopher's injury was the result of a fall or an attack.

One line of inquiry is that he may have been the victim of a robbery as he was found without his Iphone 6.

"I would like to speak with anyone who saw Christopher between the railway station and Arbuthnot Road. He was wearing a distinctive green camouflage jacket.

"Have you found a mobile phone in this area of New Cross? Any piece of information, however small, will help us to discover what happened in the early hours of that morning."

Emma Baylis, KPMG Partner who works with Christopher, said: "We have been absolutely devastated to hear what has happened to Chris. He is a well respected and well liked colleague in our tax team and has worked with us for over three years.

"We are in regular contact with his family to offer our support and we hope that this appeal will encourage people to come forward with any information that they might have to help the police with their investigations.

"We are all hoping that Chris makes a full and speedy recovery and his friends and family are in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Officers are keen to hear from anyone who saw Christopher that night.

He is described as white, approximately 5ft 7ins tall, of slim build with brown hair. He was wearing a green camouflage jacket, black trousers and trainers.

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers at Lewisham via 101.
F urious activists gathered outside the office of leading architect Patrik Schumacher to protest his calls for "free-riding" council tenants to be moved out of central London.

In a hugely controversial speech last week Mr Schumacher, director of Zaha Hadid Architects in Clerkenwell, also praised Londons foreign second home owners even if theyre here only for a few weeks and suggested that 80 per cent of Hyde Park should be built over.

Protesters met at the entrance to his world-renowned firm at 1pm carrying banners and signs which labelled Mr Schumacher's comments as "fascist".

Using a megaphone, the group of around 25 people demanded he come down from his office and discuss his outlandish views with them.

John Bone said his views were protesting "fascism".

Crowd: there was a mixture of older Londoners and students

He told the Standard: "We are here to protest Schumacher's view that they should pull down affordable housing and move the working classes out to make room for his media creative types.

"That is fascism and we believe he needs to be told that every day until he is hounded out of the city."

Housing activist Cat Alison said: "Patrick Schumacher encapsulates this idea that private housing is not subsidised which is actually a lie. How dare he talk about subsidies."

Four police officers kept watch from he other side of Bowling Green Lane as many passers-by stopped to take pictures and shout their support.
L ondoners should be given a say in choosing the next Met commissioner with a Question Time-style TV debate to decide the final candidates, a new think tank said today.

A report for the Centre for Public Safety urged the Mayor to change the selection process for policings top job, with community panels of Londoners picking a list of candidates.

CFS director and report author Rory Geoghegan said the current process lacked transparency and public involvement and changing it would build trust between Scotland Yard and Londons diverse communities  even helping to prevent future riots.

At present the commissioner is chosen by the Home Secretary and Mayor with a Home Office panel of senior civil servants and a senior police officer scrutinising the candidates.

The report says three community panels, made up of ordinary people nominated by members of the London Assembly, and in-cluding police representatives, should pick three candidates whose names would go to a Home Office panel.

This body would choose three finalists who would attend a televised job interview with a public audience. The final appointment would remain with the Home Secretary and Mayor.

The report includes proposals for a wider selection process for candidates for the Met Commissioner and shelving the current "convention" that they should have worked as chief constable outside London.

This could open the way for more candidates to put their names forward.

These could include the Met's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the recently appointed national co-ordinator for counter terrorism policing, DAC Alison Newcomb, one of the most senior black women officers in the force, and the Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewett, currently in charge of Territorial Policing.

Mr Geoghegan, a former research fellow at the Policy Exchange who spent three years as a frontline Met officer, said: The current process for selecting the Commissioner denies Londoners a voice.

The Met is many things, but fundamentally it is the local police for 8.6 million Londoners. It is time for the process to reflect that by engaging and involving Londoners.

He added: The riots in 2011, like the more recent and frequent scenes in the United States, demonstrate what happens when there is a lack of trust in senior police leaders and a breakdown in community relations.

Making the selection process more transparent and engaging Londoners can help avoid us seeing a repeat.

The report says that at present the Met commissioner is chosen by a Home Office selection panel made up of senior civil servants and a senior police officer with an average salary of 165,000, while all of the panel members are white.

The study recommends a process based on the selection model used in the United States city of Phoenix which recently led to the appointment of the citys first black woman police chief.

In a series of radical proposals the study recommends that candidates should be selected by three community panels made up of ordinary people nominated by members of the London Assembly.

The panels would also include representatives from the Police Federation, the Superintendents association and trade unionists who would be expected to consult their members.

Each panel would select three candidates whose names would go forward to a Home Office selection panel similar to one that exists now.

In turn, this panel would choose three finalists who would then be invited to attend a TV screened public job interview with members of the public as the audience in a style similar to that of BBCs Question Times.

The final appointment would remain that of the selection panel, the Home Secretary and the Mayor.

Stephen Greenhalgh, who served under Boris Johnson as Londons first Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said : The selection process for the Met Commissioner takes place behind closed doors currently and that needs to change.

"These exciting proposals from the Centre for Public Safety would signal a fresh new approach that is more transparent and involves both the public and Londons elected politicians in a meaningful way."

Baroness Jones, former Green Party London Assembly Member, said : The job of Commissioner in London is huge, both in policing terms and in its public facing role.

"It therefore makes sense for Londoners to have some say in the person who runs the Police Service. We need someone who understands diversity and can create a Service that reflects London's diversity. We also need someone who understands liberty and peaceful protest at the heart of Government.

Visit this link for more information
P olice will be forced to acquire a new licence to practise to work with sex attack victims and other vulnerable people under reforms announced today by Amber Rudd.

The Home Secretary said the new qualification  which will be on top of traditional police training  was needed to improve the way that complex investigations into high harm crimes were carried out.

She added that officers dealing with vulnerable victims required specialist skills in the same way as those conducting firearms operations and that too many probes were being blighted by inadequate standards.

Officials indicated that rape and child abuse victims will be among those whose cases are restricted to officers with the new specialist licence.

Ms Rudds announcement, during a speech to the College of Policing, follows heavy criticism in a report by a former judge of Scotland Yards bungled inquiry into false allegations of a VIP paedophile ring.

The Met handling of other child protection cases was also denounced last week in a separate report by the police inspectorate in one of the most damning assessments ever published by the watchdog.

In her speech today, Ms Rudd said the new licence to practise would ensure that only officers who could continuously demonstrate competency in a specialist area and were on a register of professionals would investigate the most complex crimes.

She said the aim was to ensure consistent standards and to avoid the risk of inadequately trained staff being used on difficult cases.

The content of the new qualification and how long the new licence will last will be decided after a consultation by the College of Policing.
B ob Geldof was heckled by Richmond voters as he joined the campaign trail to pledge his support for the Liberal Democrats in the upcoming by-election.

The Boomtown Rats rocker has backed Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney ahead of the Richmond Park contest on Thursday, which was triggered when Zac Goldsmith resigned his seat in the Commons over the Governments decision to build a third runway at Heathrow.

But some voters challenged him over his intervention against Mr Goldsmith who he branded a political failure during his visit.

Retired airline pilot Alastair Rosenschein said the musician knew nothing as he clashed with him on a walkabout.

He told him: Bob Geldof you do not understand. You don't understand the facts about Heathrow, you simply don't."

Mr Geldof, who bizarrely clashed with Nigel Farage during a confrontation on the River Thames during the EU referendum campaign, said Remain supporters must be heard.

Heathrow campaigner: Zac Goldsmith / PA

He said: I know Zac Goldsmith and I like the guy, but the plain fact is that Zac is a political failure.

Worst of all of is that hes not only failed but betrayed the people of Richmond, who like the rest of London, voted overwhelmingly to stay in Europe.

How can Goldsmith represent the opinion of the people of Richmond in Parliament when he is the poster-boy for the Brexiteers and is urging the government daily on its catastrophic course?

The fightback can begin in Richmond tomorrow; Zac has to go.

Mr Geldof also chanted "Zac is crap" as he attempted to drum up support for the Lib Dems.

Ms Olney tweeted: Fantastic to be out talking to voters with Bob Geldof throwing his support behind the @LibDems in #RichmondPark.
Z ac Goldsmith limped into the last hustings of the Richmond Park by-election an hour late after being struck by his own car.

The former London mayoral candidate was not badly hurt but his trousers were shredded when a volunteer driving his car clipped him while they were out canvassing.

The collision in New Malden happened as he was due on stage at the Richmond Societys hustings - his last chance to debate publicly with his by-election rival, Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney.

Arriving an hour late after going home to change, he said he was so sorry for missing the start of such an extraordinarily important event.

Zac Goldsmith on Heathrow airport decision

He added: I wasnt going to come here before you with a trouser leg shredded and not looking very nice. I really had to go and present myself. I really do apologise for that.

He later joked: Trousers are troublesome things in politics.

He claimed he had not been run over, but his trousers and a little bit of skin had been ripped in the accident.

It is not the first time the ex-Tory has had problems with his trousers.

He said he had to crawl like a crab with my back to the wall into the chamber so no-one could see this cat-flap of my white boxer shorts after ripping his trousers before making his maiden speech in Parliament.

The fight for last minute votes in the Richmond Park by-election intensified today as both sides claimed they were taking support from each others traditional political bases.

While the Lib-Dems believe they have peeled off pro-Europe Tories disappointed at Mr Goldsmiths backing of Brexit, a source in Mr Goldsmiths camp said we are finding previous Lib-Dem voters are coming to us.

Pippa Crerar: Where did it go wrong for Zac Goldsmith? - London Live

The MP, now running as an independent, admitted he was feeling the pressure and an email sent to his supporters said the election will be extremely close.

The Lib-Dems claim they have nudged ahead after their own polling showed them on 47.2 percent of the vote compared to Goldsmiths 45.8 per cent.

Party leader Tim Farron, who joined Ms Olney in Richmond last night, said: This could be the publics last chance to stop hard-Brexit.

Mr Goldsmith said: If the reaction Im getting is a reflection of what happens on Thursday then I think I will win but its a hell of a battle this.

Im up against an entire national campaign. I cant compete with that, Im up against a national party which has put more effort into this campaign than it has ever put into any campaign ever, according to their own press releases.

I feel the pressure but I am getting a good response on the doorstep.
T he cheapest place to pick up everything you need for a classic Christmas dinner has been revealed.

German stores Aldi and Lidl are the best supermarkets for bargain hunters looking to purchase all 11 ingredients required for a traditional turkey dinner.

The Good Housekeeping Christmas dinner index also found the ingredients are at their cheapest level across the board since 2009.

The meal, based on quantities for eight people, will cost just 22.03 if purchased from Aldi, but almost 50 at Marks and Spencer.

In second place is Lidl, where the same ingredients cost 24.57, followed by Iceland at 24.81 and Tesco at 28.08.

If you bought each ingredient in the cheapest supermarket, the overall cost of the meal would be 10.8% less this Christmas than 2009.

However, 2016 could mark a low-point due to increasing import costs as a result of Brexit and the declining value of sterling.

Caroline Bloor, the consumer director of Good Housekeeping, said: "While five of the supermarkets have cheaper baskets this year, it's mainly thanks to the big decrease in the cost of these groceries at Aldi and Lidl that the overall basket is significantly cheaper.

"So think carefully where you shop or you could end up paying twice as much."

Christmas dinner cost 2016 (8 people)

Aldi: 22.03

Lidl: 24.57

Iceland: 24.81

Tesco: 28.08

Asda: 29.68

Morrisons: 31.12

Co-op: 31.26

Sainsbury's: 35.40

Waitrose: 40.02

Marks and Spencer: 49.90

The Good Housekeeping Christmas dinner index
V egans were dealt a fresh blow today as the Bank of England confirmed that the new 10 notes, which come into circulation next year, will also contain animal fat.

The new polymer 20 notes, due to be released by 2020, are also likely to be manufactured in exactly the same way.

The Bank of England confirmed this week that the new 5 note contains traces of tallow, a substance made from animal fat, prompting a social media backlash from British vegans and vegetarians.

The Bank of England is under contract to use the same supplier, which users the animal product, in production of their 10 notes.

The three Scottish issuing banks are also due to print their 5 and 10 pound notes on polymer.

Five things to know about the new 5 banknote

Vegans have said they plan to boycott notes containing animal produce.

Steffi Rox, 33, a vegan businesswoman told The Standard: I run a business called Nice Mums and Im going to stop accepting 5 notes as payment and start refusing them as change.

But its going to be hard when they start introducing the new 10 and 20 pound notes.

She encouraged other vegan businesspeople to follow suit: It would be amazing if every vegan business owner, or even those that care about animals, would stop using five pound notes.

Maybe with a bit of people pressure we could get the Bank of England to stop putting tallow in the notes.

Tanya Byk, a vegan social media manager, said she would also try and to avoid the bills.

She said: "I'm already trying to figure out how to avoid using them"

Speaking of her shock when she found out the notes contained animal fats, Ms Byk said: "I'm horrified to have them sitting in my wallet!

We need to be steering well away from producing anything with animal products, let alone the money we have no choice to use.

"What were they thinking? Surely there are more ethical options than this?

A spokeswoman for the Bank of England said: The new polymer 10 featuring Jane Austen will enter circulation in summer 2017 followed by the J.M.W. Turner 20 note by 2020.
Z ara and Mike Tindall are expecting a second child, a spokeswoman for the couple said.

The couple already have one daughter Mia Grace, two, who was born on January 17, 2014.

The couple's spokeswoman said: "Mike and Zara are expecting another baby".

Zara, daughter of the Princess Royal, missed out on the Rio Olympics this year after she failed to make the British Equestrian Federation's nominated rider list.

The former world eventing champion helped the Great Britain team win a silver medal at London 2012 and had been hoping to bring back a gold from Brazil.

The baby will be a second cousin to Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who call their great-grandmother the Queen "Gan Gan". Zara is also one of George's godmothers.

Tindall once revealed that George's first meeting with Mia when she was a baby was "carnage", with most of George's food going on the table rather than in his mouth.

Earlier this year, Mia was pictured holding the Queen's famous black handbag when the monarch posed for an Annie Leibovitz photograph with her great-grandchildren to mark her 90th birthday.

The family live on the Princess Royal's Gatcombe Park country estate in Gloucestershire.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen and the Royal Family were delighted by Zara's pregnancy.

"The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and members of the Royal Family are delighted with the news," a spokesman said.
T he director of the CIA has warned Donald Trump it will be disastrous if he keeps his campaign pledge to rip up the Iran nuclear deal.

Abandoning the agreement, struck by the Obama administration under which Iran dismantles its nuclear weapons programme would be the height of folly, John Brennan insisted.

The spy boss said he feared that any move by the new White House to go back on the deal would embolden hardliners in Tehran and risk other states pushing ahead with their own nuclear ambitions. I think it would be disastrous. It really would, he said.

Mr Brennan also advised Mr Trump to be wary of working more closely with Vladimir Putins Russia, and blamed Moscow for much of the bloodshed in Syria. He blamed the outrageous slaughter of civilians in Syria on both Russia and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

First of all for one administration to tear up an agreement that a previous administration made would be unprecedented, he added.

- along with Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany -Mr Brennan said the new US administration needed to act with prudence and discipline.

The CIA head, who will step down in January after four years in the job, said Russia has been disingenuous in its negotiations, seeking to draw the process out in order to choke Aleppo.

I do not have confidence that the Russians are going to relent until they are able to achieve as much tactical battlefield successes as possible, he said. I think President Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises, Mr Brennan told the BBC in the first interview by a CIA director with the British media.

He confirmed that Russia did use hackers to try and influence the US presidential election but refused to say whether it had any impact.

Commenting on Mr Trumps remarks that he was considering re-introducing waterboarding torture, he said he thought it would be a mistake.

Without a doubt the CIA really took some body blows as a result of its experiences. I think the overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business, he said.

Mr Trump has said he will nominate US Congressman Mike Pompeo to be the next CIA director.

The President-elect continued to fill out his Cabinet, proposing former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the Treasury.

He is expected to be joined on Mr Trumps economics team by billionaire financier Wilbur Ross, who is considered the king of bankruptcy for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits. Last night Mr Trump dined on frog legs and scallops in Manhattan with Mitt Romney, who branded the President-elect phony during the election campaign but is now tipped as a contender for secretary of state.

After the meal, the 2012 Republican presidential candidate expressed new-found admiration for Mr Trump, praising him for succeeding where he had failed and saying he offers a message of inclusion and bringing people together.
D onald Trump today said he will step down from running his business empire to focus on being US president.

The billionaire property tycoon announced his plan on Twitter, saying he felt it was important to avoid a conflict of interest with his businesses.

The Republican said he would hold a press conference next month with his children to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

He added: While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task! Earlier, the director of the CIA warned Mr Trump it would be disastrous if he keeps his campaign pledge to rip up the Iran nuclear deal.

Abandoning the agreement struck by Barack Obama, under which Iran stops nuclear work that could lead to an atomic bomb, would be the height of folly, John Brennan said. The spy boss said he feared any move by a new White House to go back on the deal would embolden hardliners in Tehran and risk other states pushing ahead with their nuclear ambitions. I think it would be disastrous. It really would, he said.

Mr Brennan also advised Mr Trump to be wary of working more closely with Vladimir Putins Russia. He blamed the outrageous slaughter of civilians in Syria on both Moscow and the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran pledged to limit its nuclear development so that it cannot make atomic weapons. In exchange, sanctions against Tehran have been lifted, freeing up billions of dollars worth of assets and trade.

Iran struck the deal in July last year with the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany. In his campaign, Mr Trump threatened to scrap it. Mr Brennan told the BBC: First of all, for one administration to tear up an agreement that a previous administration made would be unprecedented.

The President-elect has also suggested he will work more closely with Russia. However Mr Brennan, who will step down in January, said Mr Trump should act with prudence and discipline. The CIA chief said: I think President Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. He confirmed Russia used hackers to try to influence the presidential election  but refused to say if it had any impact.

Mr Trump has said he will pick congressman Mike Pompeo as the next CIA director. The President-elect continued to choose his Cabinet this week. Last night he dined on frogs legs and scallops in Manhattan with 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Mr Romney branded the President-elect phony in the election campaign. But he is now tipped as a contender for secretary of state, and after the meal, expressed a new-found admiration for Mr Trump, saying the billionaire offered a message of inclusion and bringing people together.
A woman jumped out of a moving plane in front of shocked passengers as it taxied down a runway in Houston.

The woman unlocked the emergency exit door after the flight had landed at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday.

And, as the United Airlines plane was taxying to the gate, she climbed out.

One gobsmacked bystander who was sitting across the aisle from the woman filmed footage of the open door after she had stepped out.

He is heard saying in a startled voice: A lady on this flight just opened the door and jumped out of the plane!

According to CNN the woman was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

She was not charged.
K anye West is reportedly set to record new music from his bed as he remains in hospital over a week after being admitted.

The rapper, who was taken to the UCLA Medical Centre last Monday with extreme exhaustion, is thought to be making arrangements to bring his recording equipment into his hospital room.

'Kanye keeps wanting to work. At the hospital, he requested that recording equipment be brought to the hospital so he can record in his bed, a source told US Weekly.

And he has kept asking to see sketches of his fashion lines. He continues to want to work and Kim has to keep telling him to rest.

Kanye West cuts concert short after rant on Beyonce and Jay Z

Wife Kim Kardashian is reportedly spending several hours at her husbands bedside every day, but is yet to bring children North and Saint to visit their father.

Earlier this week it was reported that West was still not well enough to go home, despite plans to leave the facility on Monday.

The Kardashians on front row at Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 1 /18 The Kardashians on front row at Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Carine Roitfeld and Pharrell Williams attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Models on the catwalk at Yeezy: Season 4 show in New York Rex Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Carine Roitfeld and Pharrell Williams attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Models wear the Yeezy Season 4 collection by Kanye West during a fashion show at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York. The show, set to an eery soundtrack, helped kick off New York Fashion Week Leanne Italie/AP Anna Wintour attends the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Carine Roitfeld attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Tyga and Kylie Jenner attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Carine Roitfeld attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Tyga, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Carine Roitfeld and Pharrell Williams attend the Kanye West Yeezy Season 4 fashion show Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

The doctors said hes in no shape to leave yet, a source told the magazine.

The doctors just dont think he is ready. He still needs more time.

The rapper sparked concerned when he dropped the mic and cut short his concert in Sacramento last Saturday, following a meandering political rant.

After voicing his support for president-elect Donald Trump, West then lashed out at fellow musicians Jay Z and Beyonce.

Just one day later he announced that he would be cancelling all remaining dates on his Saint Pablo tour.


The Capital Times' Evjue Foundation announced a new round of grants this week, including $3,000 to support the annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration (shown here in January 2016) at the Capitol.
A low budget British crime film is being re-released in an edited version to give Prince Harrys girlfriend Meghan Markle a more prominent role.

Anti-Social, which is directed by Amy Winehouses former fiance Reg Traviss, was shown at just 40 screens nationwide when it first came out last year.

Now a special edition version is being made available for digital download and streaming from next Tuesday - in a move designed to capitalise on Ms Markles newfound celebrity.

The original trailer barely featured the American actress but the new version, uploaded online today, shows her throughout.

Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer starring Meghan Markle 1 /9 Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer starring Meghan Markle

In the thriller, the 35-year-old plays a US fashion model who gets involved in a relationship with a dangerous London street artist.

The film is inspired by a series of real-life smash-and-grab raids by motorcycle gangs in the capital including the Graff diamond robbery in 2009, the Brent Cross shopping centre raid in 2012 and the Selfridges burka heist in 2013.

In the three minute trailer Ms Markles character Kirsten is shown modelling perfume, emerging from a shower and drinking champagne at a number of West End nightclubs.

The actress has second billing in the new version behind Gregg Sulkin, who plays her artist boyfriend with a cast that also includes grime MC Skepta and Sophie Colquhoun.

The film is advertised as a coming-of-age thriller and sees Sulkins character Dee getting drawn into crime by his older brother Marcus which culminates in a once in a lifetime heist and the lovestruck couple having to run for their lives.

Ms Markle, previously best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US drama Suits, says in the trailer: I hate violence...Im from a sleepy little beach town. Im just not used to this.

Meghan Markle - In pictures 1 /53 Meghan Markle - In pictures Actress/model Meghan Markle attends the pARTy! - celebrating 25 years of P.S. ARTS on May 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California Getty Images Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Street artist Pegasus' art work which appeared in Highbury and Islington. @pegasusart Meghan Markle in Ibiza Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle attends Glamour and L'Oreal Paris Celebrate 2016 College Women Of The Year at NoMad Hotel Rooftop on 27 April 2016 in New York City Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images Actress Meghan Markle attends P.S. Arts' The pARTy at NeueHouse Hollywood on 20 May 2016 in Los Angeles, California Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Meghan Markle.. 'Today' Show, New York in 2016 MediaPunch/Rex Features Meghan Markle, Lexus-mosphere, Lexus Street Style, Day Two, MADE Fashion Week, New York in 1015 BFA/Rex Features Meghan Markle Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle attends the NBC's 2015 New York Summer Press Day at Four Seasons Hotel New York on 24 June 2015 in New York City Robin Marchant/Getty Images Meghan Markle attends Wes Gordon runway show during MADE Fashion Week Fall 2015 at Milk Studios on 13 February 2015 in New York City Getty Images Meghan Markle attends the 12th annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards at Spring Studios in 2015 Getty Images Model Meghan Markle attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street on October 28, 2014 in New York City Larry Busacca/Getty Images Meghan Markle attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street powered by CIROC Vodka on 28 October 2014 in New York City Getty Images Meghan Markle poses backstage at the Herve Leger By Max Azria fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2014 at The Theatre at Lincoln Center on 08 February 2014 in New York City Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Meghan Markle arriving for the World Premiere of The Hunger Games : Catching Fire, at the Odeon Leicester Square, London in 2013 Matt Crossick/PA Meghan Markle attends the London Global Gift Gala at ME Hotel on 19 November 2013 in London Getty Images Meghan Markle attends the ELLE Women in Television Celebration presented by Hearts on Fire Diamonds and Wella Professionals held at Soho House on 24 January 2013 in West Hollywood, California Getty Images Actress Meghan Markle attends the Rising Stars: 2012 Producers Ball during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2012 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images Meghan Markle Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle Meghan Markle/Facebook Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits Meghan Markle in Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer Meghan Markle in Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer Meghan Markle in Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer Meghan Markle in Anti-Social: Special Edition - Trailer Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in Suits (Season 5) NBC Universal Media

Harry and Ms Markle have been in a relationship since May when they met while the prince was in Canada promoting Invictus Games 2017.

Kensington Palace initially refused to comment but confirmed the royal romance earlier this month when it warned of media abuse and harassment of the actress.

Harry asked the Palace to issue the statement as he was worried about Ms Markles safety and is deeply disappointed he has not been able to protect her.

The statement said while the prince was aware that there is significant curiosity about his private life he felt that a line had been crossed and Ms Markle has been subjected to a wave of abuse.
T ravel in style

This week I have embarked on the trip of a lifetime around California with Heidi Klein.

We flew to LA with Air New Zealand, which was a super comfortable flight with space style seats!

My in-flight essentials are always a good book, Jo Malone hand cream, and Shisedio hydrating face spray. I dehydrate massively on flights so moisture is key!

In flight fashion: Our columnist shows off her travel essentials / Instagram/ Rosie Fortescue

Sightseeing

We drove from the airport to our first stop, Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. The hotel is famous and a landmark location. We even did a spin class on the beach!

We also went kayaking in La Jolla in the sea, which was incredible. There are seals and sea lions everywhere and it was an unforgettable experience!

Beach babes: Rosie catches a tan while holidaying in the US / Instagram/ Rosie Fortescue

Eating out

I have been blown away by the incredible views and food so far. These tacos from Galaxy Taco were the best of my life!

Delicious: Our columnist couldn't get enough of the food on offer / Rosie Fortescue/ Instagram

Summer style

The weather has been incredible and every location is inspiring. I am obsessed with my new vintage pink shirt from Cloe Cassandro and bright pink Gucci bag, which I couldnt resist buying from duty free!

Pretty in pink: Rosie poses for a photo in the US / Instagram/ Rosie Fortescue

Beauty buys

My beauty brand of the week this week is Givenchy. Their Rouge Interdit Vinyl lipsticks are nourishing and have a fantastic texture and choice of colours.
V iewers have been glued to their screens for weeks as the mystery of the disappearance of Alice Webster unfolds on BBC's The Missing.

Thanks to time hops, shock re-appearances and one very violent death, fans have been left scratching their heads every Wednesday night.

After last weeks penultimate episode finally brought a spot of clarity, the eagerly-awaited finale will hopefully finish the puzzle.

Here are all the questions that need to be answered in the final episode:

Conclusin: Characters Adam Gettrick and Alice Webster / BBC

1. Who was burnt in the shed?

We were originally lead to believe that Alice Webster had burnt herself alive in her parents shed after escaping from captivity.

But after it emerged that the Alice Webster we met was in fact Sophie Giroux, and that she was still alive, things got a little more complicated.

According to the military, DNA evidence then proved that the person who died was a match with Alices father.

2. Why did Sophie Geroux pretend to be Alice Webster?

After escaping from her captor, Sophie decided to go and live with Alices family in Germany rather than her own in France.

Clearly uncomfortable with pretending to be someone else, Sophie then faked her own (Alices) death in the shed.

Did Sophie really escape from Adam Gettrick or was it all part of a carefully orchestrated plan?

BBC's The Missing series 2 trailer

3. Where has the third girl gone?

We know that there was a third girl held captive with Sophie and Alice at one point after she was spotted in the rollercoaster photograph.

While it seems likely that the girl in the picture is missing Lena Garber, there has been no clue as to her whereabouts and what became of her apart from a scene which showed Sophie burning her glasses.

4. How involved was Brigadier Stone?

Last weeks flashbacks finally revealed that happened in Iraq, with Stone and Henry Reed saving Gettrick after he was imprisoned by the father of a teenage girl he was sleeping with.

While it now seems unlikely that Stone was involved in the abduction of Alice and Sophie, he certainly seems to know something.

Is he still covering for Gettrick after all these years?

Best TV dramas 2016 1 /38 Best TV dramas 2016 The Missing The addictive and twisty second series of the BBC's crime anthology series BBC/New Pictures/Robert Viglasky Dark Angel Joanne Froggatt stared as Victorian mass murderer Mary Ann Cotton in this ITV drama ITV Close to the Enemy Stephen Poliakoff's post-war drama thriller BBC/Little Island Pictures Ordinary Lies The BBC anthology drama returns with more twisted tales BBC/Red Productions/Adrian Rogers The Night Of Riz Ahmed stars in HBO's critically acclaimed crime mini-series HBO Cold Feet The classic ITV comedy-drama returns - and it's just as good as it ever was ITV Victoria ITV have given Poldark some stiff competition with this period drama about a young Queen Victoria ITV Poldark The BBC's hit drama returns with more brooding, and less naked scything BBC/Robert Viglasky One of Us The BBC kept everyone guessing with this claustrophobic four-part whodunit Ripper Street The fan-favourite Victorian police drama returned for Series 4 BBC/Tiger Aspect 2016/Bernard Walsh The Secret Agent Toby Jones led the cast in the BBC's Joseph Conrad adaptation BBC/World Productions/Mark Mainz/Matt Burlem The Living and the Dead The BBC's gothic romance debuted in full on iPlayer BBC Preacher AMC's adaptation of Garth Ennis' cult comic book is available week-by-week on Amazon Prime Amazon / AMC Versailles A raunchy royal romp around the court of King Louis XIV, spicing up Wednesdays on BBC Two Canal +/ BBC Locked Up The Spanish prison drama came to the UK thanks to Channel 4's Walter Presents series Channel 4 / Global Series Peaky Blinders The Birmingham-set gangster thriller was more popular than ever in its third series BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky The A Word The BBC gave us a nuanced and emotional take on autism BBC/Fifty Fathoms Marcella Anna Friel stars in ITV's British take on the Scandi-noir thriller ITV Grantchester James Norton is back as the crime-solving vicar ITV / Lovely Day Stag The comedy-thriller from the team behind The Wrong Mans is both hilarious and chilling BBC/Des Willie/Hal Shinnie/Matt Burlem Vinyl Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger present a glossy drama about the Seventies music industry HBO American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson Cuba Gooding Jr leads an all-star cast in a dramatic re-telling of the 'trial of century' BBC/Fox Happy Valley Sarah Lancashire returned as Sgt Catherine Cawood for a second series of the gritty crime thriller BBC/Red Productions/Ben Blackall The X Files Mulder and Scully return for a brand new set of mysteries War and Peace The BBC's epic adaptation of the Russian literary classic BBC/Mitch Jenkins Call the Midwife The BBC period drama moved into the Sixties for Series 5 BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian Dickensian Charles Dickens' most famous characters collide in this historical soap BBC Jericho ITV's British western set in the wilds of Yorkshire Silent Witness The hugely popular detective drama returns for a 19th series

5. What is locked in Adam Gettricks basement?

Julien Baptise and Gemma Webster found a sinister-looking locked box under the garage floor when they searched Gettricks house.

Could that be where Alice was being held? Or perhaps where the body of poor Jorn is stashed?

6. How and why was Kristian Herz framed?

We know that butcher Kristian Herz didnt abduct Alice and Sophie, despite the fact that he is currently serving time for the crime.

It seems likely that Gettrick set him up as payback for his wife Nadias failure to help him while serving as his commanding officer in Iraq.

Did he orchestrate the set-up on his own? Or, did he have accomplices?

7. Will Julien Baptiste live to see Alice saved?

Time is running out for the tortured detective, who has just months to live thanks to his brain tumour.

Hes given up spending time with his family to solve the case of the missing girls  will he be able to see it through to the end?

The Missing, BBC1, 9pm.
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RACINE  A 19-year-old north-side Racine man was charged Tuesday with two counts of attempted first-degree homicide after an incident that reportedly involved $40.

Dajon D. Daniel, 19, of the 1000 block of Mayfair Drive, met the two victims in the 4000 block of Marquette Drive on Nov. 9 in reference to a woman who owed one of the victims $40, according to the criminal complaint.

Daniel reportedly approached the vehicle and said the woman, who had the money, would come out soon. After leaving briefly, Daniel allegedly returned with what appeared to be the money, but did not give it to the victims.

Standing near the front passenger side of the vehicle, Daniel turned and allegedly fired as many as five rounds at the car before the victims drove away, the complaint said.

Two bullets reportedly struck the vehicle. The first shot out the front passenger window and the second penetrated the passenger rear door.

Daniel was later detained by the Racine Police Department near the intersection of Hamilton Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Daniel is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

Daniel remained in custody as of Tuesday at the Racine County Jail, online records showed.
By MARK EVANS STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, reported to the county commission last Thursday that temperatures are getting too cold at night for much more asphalt work to be done. He said potholes had all been patched. His crews were working on Bodine Road and made call-ins to locate
Dealing Adams Outdoor Advertising its second loss of the day on Tuesday, a Dane County judge sided with Fitchburg and said the city acted properly when it denied Adams a permit two years ago to install a digital billboard along McKee Road.

Circuit Judge Rhonda Lanford wrote that the Fitchburg City Council, in upholding a decision made by the city zoning administrator, reasonably interpreted a city ordinance barring flashing, alternating, rotating or swinging signs when it denied Adams a permit to install a digital sign next to the bridge that carries the Cannonball bike path over McKee Road near Verona Road.

Adams applied for a permit in 2014 to replace a current conventional billboard with a digital sign after the bridge was built, which obstructed the view of the billboard to eastbound traffic on McKee Road. The permit was denied in June 2014, and that denial was upheld by the City Council three months later.

Adams has filed a separate lawsuit against Fitchburg alleging that Adams was economically harmed by the bridge blocking its sign. That lawsuit, assigned to Circuit Judge John Markson, is currently on hold.

Lanford wrote that the decision not to grant a permit for the digital sign was not made unreasonably and was in accordance with the citys sign ordinance, which was created to prevent driver distractions. She also wrote that Adams had not proven that the decision by the city council was tainted by the bias of its members.

Also on Tuesday, Circuit Judge Frank Remington dismissed a lawsuit brought by Adams against Dane County which alleged that County Board members acted improperly when considering the extension of a lease of land for three long-standing billboards along Aberg Avenue on Madisons North Side.
The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Florin Iordache, has stated, on Wednesday, that he was invited to the military parade in Bucharest, as well as to the reception organized at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, but he chose to be present in the "City of the Greater Union", adding that he believes that the Presidency should also celebrate the National Day in Alba Iulia.

"I was invited, both at the parade, as well as to the reception at Cotroceni, but I considered it's more important to be in Alba Iulia. So, for me, 1 December, the National Day, is tied to Alba Iulia. And I believe that (...) we shouldn't remember Alba Iulia only at the centenary. We're in Bucharest all the time, all the institutions, and I believe that the stakeholders, the Presidency, the Speakers of the chambers of Parliament, I think they should've been here, not in Bucharest. That's why I, out of respect for Romanians, came to Alba Iulia," said, in a press conference, in Alba Iulia, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

Florin Iordache also stated that in 2018, Parliament should conduct at least one festive session in Alba Iulia. "Without a doubt, the Joint Chambers, out of respect for Alba Iulia, for what Alba Iulia represents for Romania, should have at least one festive session here, if not more separate actions - Senate, Chamber, actions of the Parliamentary committees - because (...) in 2019, Romania will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a very important event, and we should prove that we are prepared for that event too," Iordache concluded.

Agerpres
A violent crash that broke an SUV in two on Madison's Far East Side sent three people to the hospital early Wednesday morning.

The crash happened at about 1:50 a.m. in the 4800 block of Hayes Road, near a Perkins Restaurant, Madison police said.

The SUV lost control and struck a tree, with the front half of the SUV splitting from the rest of the vehicle.

"The engine block landed in the parking lot," said police sergeant Paul Jacobsen.

The Madison Fire Department sent three ambulances to the scene, and Med Flight was on standby for the potential of critical injuries.

"The vehicle was on its roof, with the engine compartment, hood and front wheels completely sheared off from the rest of the vehicle," said MFD spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster.

The occupants in the SUV were quickly taken out by firefighters and transported to the hospital; police believed the injuries were not life-threatening.

"Driver condition and excess speed appear to be contributing factors in the crash," Jacobsen said.

The crash remains under investigation.
Supermarket chain Albertsons Companies Inc. is in advanced talks to acquire closely held grocery store operator Price Chopper for around $1 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

A deal would underscore the wave of consolidation sweeping the U.S. grocery industry, as regional chains struggle to compete against online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc., big-box stores such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and discount chains such as Aldi Inc.

These challenges put pressure on the Golub family, which has owned Price Chopper for more than eight decades, to explore a sale. Lewis Golub, a Russian immigrant who arrived at New York's Ellis Island in 1900, started a wholesale grocery warehouse in 1922, which his two sons launched as a supermarket chain in 1932.

The sources, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential, cautioned that it is still possible for the deal negotiations to fall through. Albertsons and Price Chopper declined to comment.

Schenectady, N.Y.-based Price Chopper operates roughly 130 stores across the Northeast, including New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Scott Grimmett took over from Jerry Golub as chief executive of Golub Corp., the Golub family's company. He is the first non-family member to hold that position.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, which is controlled by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP and operates more than 2,200 supermarkets, is the second largest U.S. grocery chain after Kroger Co. In a sign of how fragmented the U.S. grocery market is, these two companies, together with Publix Super Markets, controlled just 27 percent of the market in 2015, according to research organization IBIS World.

Earlier this year, Dutch supermarket group Ahold and Belgian peer Delhaize merged, combining two of the Northeast's strongest competitors, Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop and Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford.

In 2015, Albertsons combined with Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway, in a $9.2 billion merger that expanded its presence in the central and western U.S.

The company's other supermarket brands include Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Tom Thumb and United Supermarkets. Albertsons filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering in July 2015, but has yet to go public.
Updated at 10:02 p.m.

WASHINGTON  United Technologies Corp. has reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs at its Carrier Corp. air conditioner plant in Indianapolis, roughly halving the number of U.S. jobs it planned to move to Mexico.

The deal, announced by Carrier on Twitter late on Tuesday, is a victory for Trump, who campaigned hard on keeping jobs in the United States and specifically criticized Carrier for shipping jobs overseas, messages which appealed to blue-collar workers in the Midwest.

"I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis," Trump tweeted late on Tuesday. "Great deal for workers!"

Company officials, Trump and Pence, who is the governor of Indiana, will announce some of the deal's terms on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Indiana state officials were involved in the talks, but it was unclear what, if any, inducements the state may have made to encourage Carrier to keep the jobs in the United States.

Carrier's parent, United Technologies, has a strong incentive to keep good relations with Trump and his incoming administration, given that a portion of its estimated $57 billion revenue this year will come through U.S. military contracts at its Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems units.

Carrier announced plans in February to close an air conditioner factory in Indianapolis with the loss of 1,400 jobs. It said a further 700 jobs would be cut from another plant in Huntington, Ind., northeast of Indianapolis.

The company planned to move the jobs to Monterrey, Mexico, starting in 2017. Local union leaders said Carrier told them it would pay Mexican workers $3 an hour compared with more than $20 for their U.S. counterparts.

The announcement prompted attacks from Trump during his campaign, and he vowed to impose hefty taxes on imported Carrier products if it did not reverse the move.

He predicted in February the company would call him to say "Mr. President, Carrier has decided to stay in Indiana," and promised the chances of the plant staying open was "100 percent."

As recently as 10 days ago, Carrier insisted it had no plans to reverse course, but then acknowledged on the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Nov. 24 that it was in talks with the Trump transition team.

Trump has promised to keep U.S. jobs from moving overseas by renegotiating or withdrawing from trade agreements and imposing tariffs on foreign-made goods.

But it is not clear he can reverse broader trends that have led to the loss of more than 5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2000.

Democratic Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly praised the announcement by Carrier to keep jobs in the state, but said "there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier (Indiana) jobs out of the country. We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home."

Carrier is just one of many U.S. manufacturers moving jobs to Mexico. However, videos of a company official delivering the news to the Indianapolis plant's stunned workforce, posted on YouTube, provided a vivid look at the pain and anger such decisions cause.

Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. made a decision to keep production of a Lincoln sport utility vehicle in Kentucky, which Trump claimed as a victory for keeping the plant in the United States, even though Ford never had plans to move the entire factory to Mexico.
Updated at 11:48 a.m.

VIENNA  OPEC agreed on Wednesday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.

Non-OPEC Russia will also join output reductions for the first time in 15 years to help the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries prop up oil prices.

Brent crude jumped over 9 percent to more than $50 a barrel as Riyadh reached a compromise with Iran and after fast-growing producer Iraq also agreed to curtail its booming output.

"OPEC has proved to the skeptics that it is not dead. The move will speed up market rebalancing and erosion of the global oil glut," said OPEC watcher Amrita Sen from consultancy Energy Aspects.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said ahead of the meeting that the kingdom was prepared to accept "a big hit" on production to get a deal done.

"I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth," he told reporters after the decision.

OPEC produces a third of global oil, or around 33.6 million barrels per day, and under the Wednesday deal it would reduce output by around 1.2 million bpd from January 2017.

Saudi Arabia will take the lion's share of cuts by reducing output by almost 0.5 million bpd to 10.06 million bpd. Its Gulf OPEC allies  the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar  would cut by a total 0.3 million bpd.

Iraq, which had insisted on higher output quotas to fund its fight against Islamic State militants, unexpectedly agreed to reduce production  by 0.2 million bpd.

Iran was allowed to boost production slightly from its October level  a major victory for Tehran, which has long argued it needs to regain market share lost under Western sanctions.

Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Iran dominated many previous OPEC meetings.

"If you get this deal done, it would be huge. You remove a lot of oil from the market and you get the Russian participation," said veteran OPEC watcher and founder of Pira consultancy Gary Ross.

He said oil could rise to $55 per barrel.

Will OPEC comply?

Falih had long insisted OPEC would do an output-limiting deal only if non-OPEC producers contributed.

OPEC president Qatar said non-OPEC producers had agreed to reduce output by a further 0.6 million bpd, of which Russia would contribute some 0.3 million.

Russia, which had long resisted cutting output, pushed its production to new record highs in recent months.

A combined output reduction of 1.8 million bpd by OPEC and non-OPEC represents almost 2 percent of global output and would help the market clear a stocks overhang, which had sent prices crashing from levels as high as $115 a barrel seen in mid-2014.

Non-OPEC Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have said they might also cut.

OPEC suspended Indonesia's membership on Wednesday since the country, a net importer, could not cut output, Qatar said.

The move will not affect OPEC's overall reduction as Indonesia's share of cuts will be redistributed among other members.

Bob McNally, president of Washington-based consultancy Rapidan group, said on Twitter that compliance with cuts would be key: "In deals with Russia, OPEC is like (the late U.S.) President (Ronald) Reagan used to say: 'Trust but verify'."

OPEC will hold talks with non-OPEC producers on Dec. 9. The organization will also have its next meeting on May 25 to monitor the deal and could extend it for six months, Qatar said.
CANNON BALL, N.D.  More than 2,000 U.S. military veterans plan to form a human shield to protect protesters of a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota, organizers said, just ahead of a federal deadline for activists to leave the camp they have been occupying.

It comes as North Dakota law enforcement backed away from a previous plan to cut off supplies to the camp -- an idea quickly abandoned after an outcry and with law enforcement's treatment of Dakota Access Pipeline protesters increasingly under the microscope.

The protesters have spent months rallying against plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Protesters include various Native American tribes as well as environmentalists and even actors including Shailene Woodley.

State officials issued an order on Monday for activists to vacate the Oceti Sakowin camp, located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near Cannon Ball, N.D., citing harsh weather conditions.

The state's latest decision not to stop cars entering the protest site indicated local officials will not actively enforce Monday's emergency order to evacuate the camp issued by Governor Jack Dalrymple.

Dalrymple warned on Wednesday that it was "probably not feasible" to reroute the pipeline, but said he had requested a meeting with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to rebuild a relationship.

"We need to begin now to talk about how we are going to return to a peaceful relationship," he said on a conference call.

The 1,172-mile pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete, except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, a contingent of more than 2,000 U.S. military veterans, intends to go to North Dakota by this weekend and form a human wall in front of police, protest organizers said on a Facebook page. Organizers could not immediately be reached for comment.

"I figured this was more important than anything else I could be doing," Guy Dull Knife, 69, a Vietnam War Army veteran, told Reuters at the main camp.

Dull Knife, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota, said he has been camping at the protest site for months.

Morton County Sheriff's Office spokesman Rob Keller said in an email his agency was aware of the veterans' plans, but would not comment further on how law enforcement will deal with demonstrators.

Former U.S. Marine Michael A. Wood Jr. is leading the effort along with Wesley Clark Jr, a writer whose father is retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, has said on Twitter she will join the protesters on Sunday.

The Army Corps, citing safety concerns, has ordered the evacuation of the primary protest camp by Dec. 5, but said it would not forcibly remove people from the land.

Local law enforcement said on Tuesday they planned a blockade of the camp, but local and state officials later retreated, saying they would only check vehicles for certain prohibited supplies like propane, and possibly issue fines.

Dalrymple on Wednesday said state officials never contemplated forcibly removing protesters and there had been no plans to block food or other supplies from the camp. "That would be a huge mistake from a humanitarian standpoint," he said on the conference call.

He also warned protesters that while emergency responders will try to reach anyone in need, that would be contingent on weather conditions.

Protesters, who refer to themselves as "water protectors," have been gearing up for the winter while they await the Army Corps decision on whether to allow Energy Transfer Partners to tunnel under the river. That decision has been delayed twice by the Army Corps.

Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles.
James Strother, Wells Fargo & Co.'s general counsel, who had originally planned to retire at the end of 2016, will stay on indefinitely in the position to deal with fallout from the bank's sales scandal, according to a bank spokesman.

"In light of recent events the decision was made to have Jim Strother remain with the company and continue to serve as our general counsel," said Peter Gilchrist, a Wells Fargo spokesman.

The decision was made by the bank's board of directors and a search is under way for Strother's replacement, Gilchrist said.

An email and call to Strother were not returned.

The scandal pertains to Wells Fargo opening as many as 2 million accounts in customers' names without their permission. The bank is facing lawsuits from former employees and customers, as well as increased regulatory scrutiny.

Strother became the San Francisco-based bank's top lawyer in 2003, and sat behind then-CEO John Stumpf at a bruising congressional hearing about the scandal in September. He has been at Wells Fargo and its predecessor, Norwest Corporation, since 1986.

Strother was deeply involved in Wells Fargo's acquisition of Wachovia during the 2008 financial crisis. He also keeps a close eye on compliance issues, something that is not always a general counsel's responsibility.

Wells Fargo reached a $190 million regulatory settlement over the phony accounts in September, and parted ways with Stumpf the following month.

It is now working to answer questions from politicians and regulators, replace a flawed compensation system that incentivized employees to open phantom accounts, and repair its reputation among customers, including municipalities that have cut business ties.

Because he turned 65 this year, Strother would ordinarily be required to retire at the end of the year, according to an internal policy at Wells Fargo affecting members of the bank's operating committee.

However, the bank occasionally makes exceptions to this rule in extraordinary situations. During the financial crisis, then-Chairman Dick Kovacevich postponed his retirement by slightly more than a year.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources leaders on Wednesday announced a sweeping reorganization aimed at providing relief to overburdened workers in its troubled water quality program and making state parks and wildlife management more efficient.

In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal and meetings with employees, DNR secretary Cathy Stepp and her top deputies said plans for the next 18 months include:

Creating a certification program aimed at placing more responsibility on private contractors in the writing of permits governing lakefront construction and water pollution discharges from animal feedlots.

Reducing the number of armed rangers with arrest powers in state parks.

Reevaluating resources going to some state wildlife areas, selling off aging heavy equipment, and narrowing job duties of front-line personnel.

Distributing what remains of the departments science research bureau among several divisions.

Stepp touted the plan as a first-of-its-kind business plan detailing agency functions in ways that should help shield the department from budget cuts and make the shrinking DNR workforce happier and more efficient.

We are going to continue to move this great organization forward into the future, Stepp told employees at a meeting in the agencys Madison headquarters.

Conservation advocates expressed skepticism about some provisions, while the states business lobby applauded.

The long-awaited reorganization had been demanded by Republican elected officials who since 2011 have echoed business complaints about red tape in pollution permitting and cut DNR environmental programs, continuing a 20-year trend in which more than 15 percent of full-time positions have been eliminated.

Some moves will require changes in state law, Stepp said. Gov. Scott Walker and key lawmakers have not voiced any objections to the current version of the plan, but they could call for changes after hearing from the public, she said.

Stepp and her top aides acknowledged that employees and conservation groups may have misgivings, but she insisted the plan doesnt weaken environmental standards and isnt a workforce reduction plan, although a limited number of layoffs are possible and some employees may need to apply for new DNR jobs.

She said she doesnt anticipate cuts in the 2017-19 state budget beyond the 9.5 positions she proposed in September. More than 90 of the agencys roughly 2,500 full-time positions were cut in 2015.

DNR deputy secretary Kurt Thiede said a few workers will have different duties or managers, but many will be relieved because they will be given more realistic job expectations.

Our workforce is so passionate about what they do that they are not going to let a ball drop, Thiede said. We owe it to our staff now, whether its in parks or other areas, to allow them to focus on specific areas and to take things off their plate and hand them to others with the expertise so that we have not only a more efficient workforce, but a workforce that doesnt feel as if they are being burned out.

While elected officials and outside groups gave input, Stepp said many of the reorganization ideas came from DNR employees.

Thats whats been the most fun for me out of this entire process is to watch people excited about contributing to a much more vibrant and sustainable future for this very important agency, Stepp said in the interview. And to see some of their ideas come into being for the first time ever.

Changing needs

The DNRs record for protecting water quality has been assailed, with staff shortages identified in June by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau as a cause of inadequate enforcement.

A representative of the state business lobby said early indications are that the plan will be beneficial.

From what weve seen, we have been very supportive of the plan, said Lucas Vebber, director of environmental and energy policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.

Secretary Stepp and her team have committed to making the department more efficient while continuing to fulfill their vital mission, and we certainly appreciate their efforts on that end, Vebber said.

George Meyer, a former DNR secretary who directs the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, said some of the changes could prove helpful, but the ailing DNR needs more employees, not a reorganization, Meyer said.

The secretary and the governor and the Legislature know there is a need because the Legislative Audit Bureau told them, but they are not doing anything, Meyer said.

Pollution permitting relief

Plans call for a program to encourage qualified private consultants to take a stronger role in providing accurate and detailed technical information used in writing permits that lay out standards for animal feedlots.

Property owners hiring these consultants would have more certainty, and DNR staff could be freed to spend more time inspecting facilities and ensuring that permit conditions are met, said Mark Aquino, who directs the DNR office of business support and science.

The DNR issues permits for feedlots and approves nutrient management plans on spreading tens of millions of gallons of manure annually.

Permit conditions may be based on complex legal and scientific criteria and can involve computer modeling aimed at predicting conditions in which lakes, streams and groundwater could be polluted by runoff.

The DNR could do spot checks or audits to ensure that engineers and agronomists on a list of certified consultants were meeting standards, Aquino said.

For about 10 years, the DNR has certified credentials of professionals who are then hired by developers to map wetlands so that disturbance of the important ecosystems can be avoided or minimized. The DNR would like to expand that program and apply the model to assembling permit information for construction of shoreline stabilization structures and for digging of artificial ponds, Aquino said.

The reorganization plan also calls for redeploying scientists in what remains of a research bureau targeted by budget cuts two years ago.

Under the reorganization, most of the 19 researchers who remained in the Bureau of Science Services will be moved into a new Office of Applied Science within the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division, while about six will be placed in other divisions.
Mark your calendar for matters trivial and join folks from the Post-Dispatch for "A St. Louis Thing: The Post Dispatch Trivia Night."

It's true, your finest daily circulation St. Louis newspaper will hold an STL-style trivia contest  Feb. 9 at the Missouri History Museum.

Proceeds from the event, which will include raffles and a silent auction, will go to the 100 Neediest Cases.

Yours truly will host the event, but also manning the microphone for certain categories will be some of your favorite P-D columnists, including Debra D. Bass, Jim Gallagher, Dan Neman, David Nicklaus, Jesus Ortiz, Gail Pennington and Aisha Sultan. (Other popular pen-wielders may be added later.)

The cost is $500 for a 10-person table ($50 per person). That price includes food, adult beverages and soft drinks.

You can sign your team up today at postdispat.ch/PDTriviaNite.
Daniel Neman Daniel Neman is a retail business writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Daniel Neman 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

What is happening to all the great cooking shows?

I watch very little food-based television anymore. Recently, I had the occasion to see the Food Networks Chopped! for the first time in years, and it only reminded me why I havent been watching it (also, I try to avoid anything that has an exclamation point in the title).

It also reminded me why I havent watched the Food Network for a long time. All that false drama. All that hyperkinetic camera work. All that percussive music.

All that lipstick on a whole-roasted suckling pig.

But there are a couple of shows that are still worth watching. Or were. Because both are now in turmoil.

Did you happen to catch Christopher Kimball when he came to town a few months ago? Probably not, because there could not have been more than a couple of hundred people there  which is in itself a bad sign. A big-time television star such as Kimball ought to be able to fill the large auditorium at UMSL.

Until recently, Kimball was the host of Americas Test Kitchen, both on television and on the radio. He also was the publisher of Cooks Illustrated magazine, and wrote a well-regarded, folksy column for it.

Then he left Americas Test Kitchen  which he co-founded  and started a new venture called Milk Street Kitchen, named for the location of its headquarters in Boston. But then a nearby restaurant called Milk Street Cafe sued, claiming that his companys name was too similar to theirs, and might cause confusion.

So now his company is called Christopher Kimballs Milk Street, which does not have the same panache. But if the story stopped there, we would not be talking about it.

Last month, Americas Test Kitchen sued Kimball and Milk Street, claiming that Kimball copied the entire Americas Test Kitchen concept and format, that he stole proprietary information (and some actual property) from Americas Test Kitchen, that he poached a large number of staff from Americas Test Kitchen and that he created Milk Street when he was on the clock for Americas Test Kitchen  which at the time was paying him more than $1 million a year.

It is an ugly story and may only get uglier if the case makes it to trial. Meanwhile, I have seen the new magazine and the Americas Test Kitchen people have a point: It sure seems to follow the look and content of Cooks Illustrated magazine.

Scott Lashway, the attorney for Milk Street, Kimball and the other defendants, had no comment about the suit.

The Americas Test Kitchen television show will soldier on without Kimball, with co-hosts Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster now front and center. The show will go on, but it wont be the same.

And that is true also of my favorite cooking show, The Great British Baking Show, known in England as The Great British Bake-Off.

As has widely and thoroughly been reported, the producers of the show decided to leave the BBC, which had presented the show for seven years, for the far greener pastures of Channel 4.

Channel 4 offered to pay more than $31 million per year for three years, which is more than four times what the commercial-free BBC could pay.

The show left, but three of the four hosts did not. The delightful Mary Berry announced that she was going to stay with the BBC, which has been so good to her for seven years. In short order, presenters Mel Geidroyc and Sue Perkins (who were actually friends in college) announced that they, too, were staying with the BBC.

Only co-host Paul Hollywood  who sort of looks and acts like his name  will be accompanying the show to Channel 4. It was recently announced that the 81-year-old Berry encouraged Hollywood to follow the show, saying that she would have done the same if she were his age, which is 50.

The production company is looking for people to replace Berry, Geidroyc and Perkins. They havent found anyone suitable yet, but no doubt they will. The money is certainly there.
CAHOKIA  Police said Tuesday that an off-duty Washington Park officer shot and killed a man who drove at him while trying to avoid arrest outside a Walmart store here.

The dead man, Jason Stringer, 35, of East St. Louis, was wanted on warrants and had a history of eluding police in the past, officials said.

The officer, 53, whose name was not released, called police about 4:50 p.m. Monday to report seeing a wanted man with a woman outside the store. Two Cahokia officers tried to take the suspect into custody but he fled after a struggle, according to statement from the Illinois State Police.

Cahokia Police Chief Dave Landmann said the man got into a vehicle and drove toward the off-duty officer, who fired. He said Cahokia officers did not shoot. A statement from Cahokia police says two Cahokia officers were injured, but the state police release said no officers were hurt.

Washington Park Police Chief Tony Tomlinson said the officer who fired has been with his department for about two weeks and passed all of the necessary background checks.

My initial information on the scene is that all the officers were following the letter of the law, Tomlinson said. I would ask that everyone wait for the results of the investigation.

He declined to comment further about the circumstances until completion of an outside investigation by the state police.

Its a tragedy all the way around, Tomlinson said. Yes, hes a criminal. I want him to go to jail. I want him to face charges and not lose his life.

St. Clair County States Attorney Brendan Kelly said his office will review results of the state police investigation.

Rita Stringer, 56, of Belleville, said the St. Clair County coroners office notified her about her sons death. She said Tuesday morning she was upset that police had not briefed her on what happened.

Cahokia police said that while trying to escape, the suspect struck a police vehicle and a brick pillar in front of the Walmart, which caused extensive damage to the building and nearly struck several pedestrians.

It says the Washington Park officer fired multiple shots at the suspect hitting him at least once. Autopsy results were pending.

Police from multiple agencies pursued Stringer east for about a mile on Camp Jackson Road as he struck other vehicles. Ultimately, he hit a median divider, which disabled his vehicle. He was arrested and taken to a hospital, where he died.

Tomlinson said he did not know whether the suspect had been armed. He said the man had fled from police multiple times, and was wanted for firing shots on two occasions in October at his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend. Tomlinson said the man put a gun to the new boyfriends head at a gas station on Nov. 23.

Kashondra Murphy, 37, who described herself as Jason Stringers former girlfriend and mother of their 12-year-old child, said he was fun and lovable, but he had his faults. I think he got wrapped up in the streets.

She cried while talking about how Stringer had fired shots at her new boyfriend.

Murphy of Belleville said they had been together for more than 10 years and apart for about six months.

I just wish he went to jail instead of being dead, she said.

The suspect was wanted on warrants from East St. Louis for being a convicted felon with a gun and four counts of fleeing and eluding. His bail for those charges was $112,000, Tomlinson said.

Earlier Monday, he had fled from an East St. Louis officer, but police did not pursue, given the rainy conditions, Tomlinson noted. The Illinois State Police said the off-duty officer recognized Stringers vehicle at the Walmart from the pursuit that occurred earlier Monday.

On Oct. 29, Stringer rammed an East St. Louis police captains vehicle during a pursuit that led into Washington Park, Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson said Stringer also was involved in a pursuit that ended in a crash earlier this year in downtown St. Louis, and was taken to a hospital for his injuries. The chief said he escaped because police in Illinois thought St. Louis city police were watching him. But St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said Tuesday that city officers do not guard prisoners in hospitals unless they have been charged.

State police asked that anyone with information about Mondays shooting call Detective Bryant Johnson at 618-571-4125.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS  Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday morning challenging state laws that require abortion clinics to meet standards for surgical centers and for their doctors to have hospital privileges.

The move comes after similar restrictions in Texas were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in July, a landmark decision that determined the laws were medically unnecessary and unconstitutional.

The ruling didnt invalidate similar restrictions elsewhere, however, leaving states such as Missouri to pursue their own fights in court. Planned Parenthood affiliates in Alaska and North Carolina filed similar challenges Wednesday.

Missouri was the first state in the nation to adopt both laws, which abortion rights advocates have long argued do little to protect womens health. Instead, they say, the laws block womens rights to have abortions by making requirements so stringent that few providers can meet them.

Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said lifting these restrictions would allow Planned Parenthood health centers in Joplin, Springfield, Columbia and Kansas City to offer abortion services.

Kogut said the restrictions have created a situation where for 1.2 million women in Missouri who could be impacted with a pregnancy, where they might make a decision about an abortion, there is only one facility for them to go to, Kogut said.

The Planned Parenthood affiliate serving the Kansas City area and Kansas and Oklahoma is listed as another plaintiff in the suit, filed in federal court in Jefferson City, along with Dr. Ronald N. Yeomans, who provides abortions in Kansas for Planned Parenthood and wants to provide the services in Missouri. Defendants named in the lawsuit include the director of Missouris Department of Health and Senior Services Peter Lyskowski; Attorney General Chris Koster; and the prosecuting attorneys in Boone, Jackson, Jasper and Greene counties.

Susan Klein, legislative liaison for Missouri Right to Life, said it was absurd for Planned Parenthood to challenge requirements to ensure that physicians who perform abortions have hospital privileges and that clinics are clean and medically up to date.

Women have not been harmed, theyve been helped. Theyre getting better care than they would without the restrictions, Klein said.

But abortion rights advocates insist the laws were intended to limit access. Right now, Planned Parenthood in St. Louis is the only facility that meets the legal requirements to provide abortions, down from 29 clinics statewide in 1982.

In a press call with reporters Wednesday, Kogut and Laura McQuade, CEO of the Planned Parenthood affiliate for mid-Missouri and Kansas, said that the organization had providers lined up in Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield and Joplin to begin performing abortions if they win in court.

Columbias Planned Parenthood Clinic was the most recent location to stop providing abortions, after the University of Missouri revoked the hospital privileges of Dr. Colleen McNicholas in December 2015.

But when the clinics abortion license expired in June, it couldnt be immediately renewed because a doctor with hospital privileges was unavailable. Planned Parenthood has since vowed to renew performing medication-induced abortions at its Columbia location if the federal lawsuit proves successful.

And thats what supporters are hoping for.

Its always scary to have your constitutionally protected rights decided in a court of law, said Alison Dreith, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri. But Im excited and optimistic.

Calling the requirements an undue burden, Dreith said it was unreasonable for a state to have only one abortion provider for millions of Missouri women scattered across the state.

Coupled with a law in Missouri that requires women to wait 72 hours before an abortion, it forces them to take on added travel costs, Dreith said.

They have to take time off work, find child care, lose out on that pay and often have to travel miles and miles to get there, she said.

Beyond the courtroom, several St. Louis area lawmakers have said they plan to file bills challenging the same restrictions, citing the Supreme Courts ruling on the Texas laws as momentum to push the legislation, despite GOP supermajorities in both chambers of the state Legislature.

Some Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, are considering more restrictions.

Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, told the Associated Press that he was drafting legislation requiring abortion providers to track fetal tissue from surgery to its disposal. Hes also looking into potential protections for abortion clinic employees to act as whistleblowers.

Bill filing begins Dec. 1.

Celeste Bott  573-556-6186 @celestebott on Twitter cbott@post-dispatch.com
Kory Kozloski, executive director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, plans to leave his post in January, a party spokesman said Tuesday.

Kozloski, who was hired about a year ago, told state party leaders in a memo that he and his wife plan to leave the state.

Weathersby said in an email that Kozloski "made a deal with his wife long ago that if she would like to move from WI at any point he would support her and come along."

"She decided to pull that trigger once she had real job leads elsewhere," said Weathersby.

Up for the position is Jason Sidener, director of political action and member mobilization at AFSCME Council 32, Weathersby said.

Weathersby said Martha Laning, chairwoman of the party, "has a good relationship with Sidener and is considering him for the position."

Kozloski's departure comes after stunning losses for Democrats up and down the ballot during the Nov. 8 general election -- including the defeats of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, one incumbent each in the state Senate and Assembly and failed to pick up a couple seats they were expected to win in both houses.
A Dane County judge on Tuesday denied a request by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to require all votes in Wisconsins presidential election to be recounted by hand, as officials in each of the states 72 counties ready for the recount to begin Thursday.

The recount became official Tuesday afternoon, when the state Elections Commission announced it received a $3.5 million payment for the recount from Steins campaign, which requested it. State law says candidates may request a recount of their election if they pay for it.

Steins campaign has raised more than $6 million in recent days for recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania  three states that tipped the Electoral College to Trump, and where polls did not predict a Trump victory.

Yet even Steins allies expressed fresh doubts about the value of the recounts. Steins running mate, Ajamu Baraka, told CNN Tuesday: Im not in favor of the recount.

Trump leads Clinton in Wisconsins official tally by more than 22,000 votes, or less than a percentage point. State Elections Commission chairman Mark Thomsen, a Democrat, said Monday he expects the recount will re-affirm Trump won.

Clintons legal team largely stayed on the sidelines in the recount until Tuesday, when her campaign joined Steins court request for a hand recount.

Clintons attorney, Josh Kaul, wrote in a memo to the court that a hand recount is preferable to a machine recount because human beings can assess voter intent in a way that machines cannot.

Fifty-six counties have told the commission or the Wisconsin State Journal that they plan to do full or partial hand recounts. Other counties plan to use scanning machines to re-tabulate the votes.

Recount could cost nearly $4M

The amount quoted to the Stein campaign was about $400,000 cheaper than the actual statewide cost estimate of $3.9 million. A spokesman for the Elections Commission said the estimate was based on a tabulation error of the 72 county estimates.

Spokesman Reid Magney said the Stein campaign would pay the actual cost of the recounts, even if it is higher or lower than the estimates.

The recount is happening on an expedited timetable to comply with a federal law requiring all disputes relating to the presidential election results be resolved by Dec. 13. The deadline is slated in advance of the Electoral Colleges scheduled meeting on Dec. 19 to formally elect the next president.

The recount is expected to take several days as clerks across the state bring together scores of employees  some temporary  to count ballots. The ballots will be counted by hand or fed through optical scanners, depending on what kind of voting equipment was used.

If the candidates disagree with the results of the recount, the law gives them the right to appeal in circuit court within five business days after the recount is completed, the Elections Commission said.

American Delta Party candidate Rocky Roque de la Fuente withdrew a Wisconsin recount petition Tuesday, saying the cost was too high.

Steins campaign has argued that if voting machines were tampered with, using those same machines to re-tabulate the votes risks tainting the recount process.

The 56 counties who have said they already plan to do full or partial hand recounts, account for about 60 percent of all votes. Another 13 counties, including Milwaukee, are only doing optical scan recounts, and the other three havent settled on a plan.

Experts: Cyber-attack of vote machines possible

State law sets a high bar for a judge to order a statewide hand recount. The law says the candidate seeking one must give clear and convincing evidence that using machines to conduct a recount will produce incorrect results and that theres a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result  and change the outcome of the election.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled Tuesday that the Stein and Clinton campaigns failed to meet that standard.

An attorney for Steins campaign, Debbie Greenberger, said the campaign has not decided whether to appeal Bailey-Rihns ruling.

Academic experts in statistics and cyber-security testified Tuesday that voting machines are vulnerable to a potential cyber-attack and recounting the vote by hand is the best way to validate results.

A hand recount is going to provide a more accurate result because it will not be affected by any kind of cyber-security attack that might be compromising the voting machines, testified J. Alex Halderman, a cyber-security expert and professor at the University of Michigan.

Philip Stark, director of the Statistical Computing Facility at the University of California-Berkeley, testified that a statistical analysis of small voting wards in Wisconsin showed numerical anomalies that bear further scrutiny  and could be a sign of malicious attempts to alter the vote totals. The testimony was based on an analysis by Walter Mebane, a statistical expert and University of Michigan professor.

Elections Commission director Michael Haas has said he has received no indication of tampering with state election results.

In testimony Tuesday, Haas emphasized that extensive measures are taken by local election officials to restrict unauthorized people from gaining physical access to the machines. State officials have said those machines are not connected to the Internet, meaning a potential cyber-attacker likely would need to access them in person.

Haas testified that requiring all counties to conduct hand recounts could further burden counties scrambling to staff the recount. Many clerks have expressed to us already that theyre having trouble recruiting enough people, Haas said.

Cost estimates differ widely

Each county provided a cost estimate to the state, ranging from 19 cents per vote in La Crosse County, where a recount has already begun in a close state Senate race between Democrat Jennifer Shilling and Republican Dan Kapanke, to $6.65 per vote in Pierce County. The average was $1.31 per vote statewide.

The average cost was $1.35 per vote in counties doing a hand count, $1.14 per vote in counties doing an optical scan, and $2.13 in counties doing a combination of both methods.

Lincoln County Clerk Christopher Marlowe said his county is doing a hand count because its easier to do for a single race and just to prove our equipment is not rigged.

At least one county said it overestimated the cost, which could skew the statewide averages. Oneida County told the state Elections Commission it would cost $178,000 to recount 21,033 ballots by both hand and optical scan, or $8.46 per vote, the highest in the state.

But County Clerk Mary Bartelt said in an interview that the estimate would likely be less after it was discovered that the estimate was based on incorrect figures from the 2011 Supreme Court recount, in which about half as many people cast ballots as this years presidential election. Bartelt said the estimate doubled the total cost of elections in 2011, rather than the total cost of the recount itself.

Marinette County plans to conduct a hand recount of the receipts generated by the touch-screen voting machines, County Clerk Kathy Brandt said. The receipts are in long paper tape rolls that will have to be cut and divided into piles for each candidate, then counted. The process was used in the 2011 Supreme Court recount and matched the initial results exactly. The estimated cost for the roughly 20,000 votes is about $21,500.

I think we have a good system, Brandt said. I think were going to go pretty fast.
One of the 3D images of the priest hole at Coughton Court which have been produced by researchers at the University of Nottingham.

THE first 3D images of a hiding-hole at Coughton Court that was used by 17th-century Catholic priests escaping religious persecution have been created by university researchers.

The priest hole was first discovered in the 1850s in Coughton - a key building in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - hidden in a turret of the main gatehouse, concealed between the floor levels. It still had a rope ladder, some bedding and a portable altar.But new scanning technology has allowed a research team from the University of Nottingham to make a laser scan of the double-level priest hole with the aim of digitally reproducing its location in a computer model.

The comprehensive 3D model aims to help experts visualise more clearly how the priest-hole has been hidden within the structure, and to allow visitors to explore this hidden space online even if they cannot physically access it.

The building survey and laser scanning was completed by the university's archaeologist, Dr Chris King together with Dr Lukasz Bonenbergand Dr Sean Ince, of Nottingham Geospatial Institute, with the help of BA Archaeology students at the University.

Coughton Court.

Following the English Reformation, Catholics were forced to make difficult choices between their loyalty to the Crown and to their faith. As a result, many wealthy Catholics cleverly redesigned their country homes to include secret spaces known as priest holes.

Ingeniously concealed in walls and under floors, these secreted chambers were built to hide Catholic clergymen to prevent them being found by Protestant Royal search parties and executed as traitors.

At Coughton, the priest-hole is hidden away out of sight and the 3D model will really help visitors to understand where it fits inside the building, said Dr King.

"Many visitors cant access the tower room where the secret space is located, so this digital model allows them to experience the building and its story in a whole new way."

Coughton Court has been the home of the Throckmortons, one of Englands oldest Catholic families, since the 15th Century, but is now in the care of the National Trust.

The house had a role in the Gunpowder Plot.

In 1605 the house was leased to Sir Everard Digby, one of the leading conspirators of the plot to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I.

Sir Everards wife was waiting anxiously for news at Coughton alongside Father Henry Garnet, the head of the Jesuit mission in England, and Nicholas Owen, the celebrated priest-hole maker.

When news arrived that Guy Fawkes had been captured and the plot discovered, the conspirators fled in all directions, most coming to meet a bloody end.

Rebecca Farr, conservation and engagement manager for Coughton Court, said: Its very exciting for us to have the research team back at Coughton Court after the success of their first visit to scan the priest hole.

"The full site scan will present a whole new way of sharing the mansions architecture with our visitors, allowing them to visualise inaccessible spaces, and highlight the changing use of the Throckmortons family home in line with the countrys shifting political and religious landscape.

The researchers are now looking to secure new funding to support further research, and hope the scanning process they are working on may help find undiscovered priest holes at other historic locations.
Julian Lloyd Webber is the new patron of Shakespeare Week.

JULIAN Lloyd Webber has agreed to become patron of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trusts fourth annual Shakespeare Week 2017.

The appointment of the renowned musician and younger brother of Andrew Lloyd Webber is a major coup for the trust, as it has decided that the week-long celebration next March would have a musical theme.

Despite his role, there are no plans at the moment for Lloyd Webber to visit Stratford during the week and it will be someone else who will compose the official song of the celebration.

That person will be Steve Titford, who wrote school musical Shakespeare Rocks in 2014.

Shakespeare Week was established by the Birthplace Trust in 2014 as a way to share and celebrate Shakespeares creative legacy with every primary school child in the country.

This year, more than 1.9million children in 12,000 primary schools across the UK took part.

It takes place next year from 20 to 26 March.

Mr Lloyd Webber, who is principal of the Birmingham Conservatoire, said: I am particularly excited about next years theme, what better way to introduce our children to Shakespeare than through the shared joy of music?

I passionately believe that all children should have access to the very best of our countrys great cultural heritage, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Shakespeare Week is a wonderful opportunity for primary school children, their teachers and families to discover the work of our greatest playwright in exciting, fun and sometimes surprising ways; I encourage everyone to get involved and embrace this fantastic programme.

Marcia Williams, author of Tales from Shakespeare, reading The Tempest in five installments during Shakespeare Week is one of the weeks highlights.

Jacqueline Green, head of learning and participation at the Birthplace Trust said: Shakespeare Week is now firmly established in the annual school calendar and were absolutely thrilled that in this special anniversary year, more children than ever before celebrated our nations literary great.

Baroness Floella Benjamin, who presented Play School in the 1980s, was ambassador last year and is still an active supporter.

Schools wanting to register to take part should see www.shakespeareweek.org.uk
Andrew Longworth.

FRIENDS of a man who is believed to be missing in Spain are being urged to get in touch with police.

Andrew Peter Longworth was understood to have been living in Barcelona and was in contact with his parents.

But the last contact they had with the 39-year-old was four months ago, and has not been seen or heard from since.

His family, who used to live in Warwick, but have since moved to Kenilworth, are concerned for his welfare and are asking any friends that may have spoken to Andrew recently to get in touch with police.

Andrew is white, around 6ft tall and is of slim build with short ginger hair and blue eyes. He may wear a stud in his right ear and he also likes to wear leather jackets.

In a statement issued through Warwickshire Police, his parents said: "Andrew is a much loved son, and we continue to miss him terribly.

"Andrew, if you see this, please get in touch, we just want to know you are safe. We all miss you and we love you.

"We would also ask anyone who may have seen or heard from Andrew to please contact police.

"No matter how insignificant you may think it is, any information is valuable."

Anyone with information should call Warwickshire Police on 101 or contact the Missing People charity on www.missingpeople.org.uk
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A soldier patrols in front of the headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

By Rania El Gamal, Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar

VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC has agreed its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output, pushing up crude prices by around 10 percent.

Fast-growing producer Iraq also agreed to curtail its booming output, while non-OPEC Russia will join output cuts for the first time in 15 years to help the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries prop up oil prices.

"OPEC has proved to the skeptics that it is not dead. The move will speed up market rebalancing and erosion of the global oil glut," said OPEC watcher Amrita Sen from consultancy Energy Aspects.

The cut did not come without a casualty, however. Indonesia, the producer group's only East Asian member, said it would suspend its membership after rejoining only this year as it was not willing to comply with the output cuts sought.

Following news of the deal, the price for Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, surged to settle up nearly 9 percent. They eased slightly in early Asian trading on concerns that other producers, especially U.S. shale drillers, could fill any gap.

The agreement came despite huge political hurdles. Iran and Russia are effectively fighting two proxy wars against Saudi Arabia, in Yemen and Syria, and many skeptics had said the countries would struggle to find a compromise.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said ahead of the meeting that the kingdom was prepared to accept "a big hit" on production to get a deal done.

"I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth," he told reporters after the decision.

SOME CAUTION ON CUTS

Some observers were more cautious.

"This is an agreement to cap production levels, not export levels," British bank Barclays said in a note. "The outcome is consistent with ... what OPEC production levels were expected to be in 2017, irrespective of the deal reached."

Despite Wednesday's price surge, oil prices are still only at levels last seen in September and October, when plans for a cut were first announced, and are at less than half their levels of mid-2014, when the glut started.

OPEC produces a third of global oil, or around 33.6 million barrels per day, and under the Wednesday deal it would reduce output by around 1.2 million bpd from January 2017.

That would take its output to January 2016 levels, when prices fell to over 10 year lows.

Saudi Arabia will take the lion's share of cuts by reducing output by almost 0.5 million bpd to 10.06 million bpd. Its Gulf OPEC allies - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar - would cut by a total 0.3 million bpd.

Iraq, which had insisted on higher output quotas to fund its fight against Islamic State militants, unexpectedly agreed to reduce production - by 0.2 million bpd.

Iran was allowed to boost production slightly from its October level - a victory for Tehran, which has long argued it needs to regain market share lost under Western sanctions.

WILL OPEC COMPLY?

Falih had long insisted OPEC would limit output only if non-OPEC producers contributed.

OPEC president Qatar said non-OPEC producers had agreed to reduce output by a further 0.6 million bpd, of which Russia would contribute some 0.3 million.

Russia had previously resisted participating and instead pushed production to new records in recent months.

"Russia will gradually cut output in the first half of 2017 by up to 300,000 barrels per day, on a tight schedule as technical capabilities allow," Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said from Moscow.

Novak, who spoke an hour after OPEC announced its deal, did not say from which output levels Russia would cut.

Non-OPEC Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have said they might also cut.

"With the deal agreed to in principle and country level quotas established, focus will now shift to implementation," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients.

OPEC will hold talks with non-OPEC producers on Dec. 9. The organization will also have its next meeting on May 25 to monitor the deal and could extend it for six months, Qatar said.

INDONESIA SUSPENDS MEMBERSHIP

Indonesia, the cartel's only Asian member, said it would suspend its membership as it wasn't willing to cut its production as agreed by OPEC.

"The meeting... requested for Indonesia to cut around 5 percent of its production or around 37,000 barrels per day... As a net oil importing country, a cut to production capacity would not benefit Indonesia," the country's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said in a statement.

Indonesia has a patchy OPEC membership history. After first joining in 1962, it left in 2009 as dwindling production meant that Southeast Asia's most populous country had become a net importer of crude oil, which is against OPEC's statute for full membership.

Despite this, it re-joined OPEC in early 2016. Indonesia's suspension will not affect OPEC's overall reduction as its share of cuts will be redistributed among other members.

(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Shadia Nasralla, Lisa Barrington and Henning Gloystein; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson and Richard Pullin)
U.S. President elect Donald Trump reacts to a crowd gathered in the lobby of the New York Times building after a meeting in New York, U.S., November 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Technologies Corp (NYSE: UTX) has reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs at its Carrier Corp air conditioner plant in Indianapolis, roughly halving the number of U.S. jobs it planned to move to Mexico.

The deal, announced by Carrier on Twitter late on Tuesday, is a victory for Trump, who campaigned hard on keeping jobs in the United States and specifically criticized Carrier for shipping jobs overseas, messages which appealed to blue-collar workers in the Midwest.

"I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis," Trump tweeted late on Tuesday. "Great deal for workers!"

Company officials, Trump and Pence, who is the governor of Indiana, will announce some of the deal's terms on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Indiana state officials were involved in the talks, but it was unclear what, if any, inducements the state may have made to encourage Carrier to keep the jobs in the United States.

Carrier's parent, United Technologies, has a strong incentive to keep good relations with Trump and his incoming administration, given that a portion of its estimated $57 billion revenue this year will come through U.S. military contracts at its Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems units.

Carrier announced plans in February to close an air conditioner factory in Indianapolis with the loss of 1,400 jobs. It said a further 700 jobs would be cut from another plant in Huntington, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis.

The company planned to move the jobs to Monterrey, Mexico, starting in 2017. Local union leaders said Carrier told them it would pay Mexican workers $3 an hour compared with more than $20 for their U.S. counterparts.

The announcement prompted attacks from Trump during his campaign, and he vowed to impose hefty taxes on imported Carrier products if it did not reverse the move.

He predicted in February the company would call him to say "Mr. President, Carrier has decided to stay in Indiana," and promised the chances of the plant staying open was "100 percent."

As recently as 10 days ago, Carrier insisted it had no plans to reverse course, but then acknowledged on the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Nov. 24 that it was in talks with the Trump transition team.

Trump has promised to keep U.S. jobs from moving overseas by renegotiating or withdrawing from trade agreements and imposing tariffs on foreign-made goods.

But it is not clear he can reverse broader trends that have led to the loss of more than 5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2000.

Democratic Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly praised the announcement by Carrier to keep jobs in the state, but said "there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier (Indiana) jobs out of the country. We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home."

Carrier is just one of many U.S. manufacturers moving jobs to Mexico. However, videos of a company official delivering the news to the Indianapolis plant's stunned workforce, posted on YouTube, provided a vivid look at the pain and anger such decisions cause.

Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) made a decision to keep production of a Lincoln sport utility vehicle in Kentucky, which Trump claimed as a victory for keeping the plant in the United States, even though Ford never had plans to move the entire factory to Mexico.

(Reporting by Emily Stephenson and David Shepardson in Washington and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Rigby)
UW-Madison social scientist Tim Smeeding, regarded as one of the preeminent researchers of poverty, has been named the 2017 John Kenneth Galbraith fellow from the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Smeeding headed the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison from 2008 to 2014, and currently is the Lee Rainwater Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

"This is one of the highest awards for a social scientist, and Tim is hugely deserving," said La Follette School Director Don Moynihan.

Among his credits, Smeeding founded and directed the Luxembourg Income Study, a nonprofit research center and database on income, labor, wealth and demographics from 50 countries, and also pioneered the Wisconsin Poverty Measure in 2008.

Smeeding will be inducted into the American Academy of Political and Social Science in ceremonies in May in Washington, D.C.
JLL (NYSE: JLL) announced a global co-operation agreement with Leverton. This formalises the relationship between the two companies and enables more effective management of lease documents through the roll out of Leverton's machine learning technology*.

JLL, the leading global financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate, and Leverton, the leading global deep and machine learning company, had an existing relationship to automate and digitise key administrative processes in lease management. As part of the newly signed agreement, Leverton's automated lease abstraction software will be deployed for JLL's clients in North America, Continental Europe and Asia Pacific.

Leverton's machine and deep learning technology enables the identification, extraction and management of key terms and data from corporate documents, such as leases and contracts, in more than 20 languages. JLL will integrate these systems into its own global technology platforms to transform the way lease documents are reviewed, analysed and managed for its clients.

JLL clients will benefit from optimised data management, more efficient processing of documentation, reduced operational risk and a more robust audit trail.

Vincent Lottefier, Global President, Integrated Portfolio Services, JLL, said: "This is a really exciting development for us and for our clients. Technology is transforming the world of real estate and we recognized early on how working with Leverton would make it possible for us stay ahead of the curve and demonstrate best practice. This is a great example of how we are making a real difference in our clients' experience of the entire lease administration life cycle through the smart use of machine learning capabilities. We strongly believe that the combination of mind and machine represents the ultimate frontier in unlocking real estate portfolio insights."

As part of its global digital transformation strategy, JLL was one of the first companies to engage with Leverton. The firm is driving the use of smart technologies and big data to optimise and connect its 280+ offices across the 80 countries in which it operates globally.

Chris Zissis, Chief Information Officer, EMEA, JLL said: "As we expand these optimised services across the business, clients stand to benefit from the more efficient processing of their important documentation and, longer term, from the insights we can provide from better integration of this data with systems used across JLL, such as our real estate analytics platform RED. "

"Leverton has the potential to work seamlessly alongside our existing digital tools and applications to offer increased transparency, and help clients meet regulatory requirements and make more informed decisions about their real estate activities."

About LEVERTON LEVERTON develops and applies disruptive deep learning / machine learning technology to extract and manage data from corporate documents in several international languages. Our clients optimize their contract management significantly, manage operational teams more efficiently and process transactions faster. LEVERTON brings smart data at corporations' fingertips that is completely ERP consumable.
Lydall, Inc. (NYSE: LDL) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire MGF Gutsche GmbH & Co. KG (Gutsche) for approximately $58 million in cash. The transaction will further position Lydall as a global leader in needle punch nonwoven filtration solutions and strengthen the Companys position as a premier provider of engineered technical materials. The acquisition will expand the Companys filtration product offerings into attractive adjacencies and diversify the Company's geographic revenue base. The transaction is expected to close at year end, subject to receipt of customary merger control approval from German competition authorities and the completion of specified closing conditions.

Gutsche is a leading producer of nonwoven needle punch materials serving the industrial filtration and high performance nonwoven segments. The business consists of operations in Germany and China.

Gutsches fiscal year ends on December 31, 2016 and revenue and EBITDA are forecasted by Gutsche to be approximately $50 million and $6 million, respectively. Lydall expects the business to be fully integrated by the end of 2019. Lydall expects to leverage its operating discipline, business efficiencies, and economies of scale to generate annual cost savings of approximately $3 million.

The acquisition will be integrated into Lydalls Technical Nonwovens segment. The Company plans to maintain manufacturing presence in the UK, Europe, and China and, through restructuring initiatives, to increase efficiencies and unlock operational synergies. The acquisition will be dilutive to Lydalls earnings in 2017 on an all-in basis, which includes the effect of purchase accounting, restructuring and other non-recurring expenses. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Lydalls earnings by mid-2018.

The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of cash on hand and borrowings from the Companys revolving credit facility.

Dale G. Barnhart, Lydalls President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, The acquisition of Gutsche is very appealing as it combines two complementary companies in the industrial filtration and technical materials markets. With the addition of Gutsche, we gain an experienced management team and an attractive footprint to serve Europe as well as secure a strong filtration position in the fast growing waste-to-energy incineration market. In addition, we are able to complement our China-based sales with a focus on the greater Asia-Pacific export markets. Gutsche is a well-known leading brand in the industry with an excellent reputation for high quality products and a proven culture of innovation. We look forward to welcoming their employees to the Lydall family.

Michael Gutsche, Chief Executive Officer of Gutsche, commented, I am very excited for Gutsche to become a part of the growing Lydall organization. We have found the ideal partner that shares our passion for delivering the most advanced and highest quality products in the industry. Our combined focus on profitable growth and the complementary nature of markets we serve will only further strengthen the excellent relationships we have with our suppliers and customers.

Conference Call and Webcast

Lydall will host a conference call on November 30, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss this announcement. Pre-registration for this call, as well as a live webcast can be found at the Companys website www.lydall.com under the Investor Relations section. The call may be accessed at (888) 338-7142, from within the U.S., or (412) 902-4181, internationally. A recording of the call will be available from 4:00 p.m. ET on November 30, 2016 through 11:59 pm ET on December 7, 2016 at (877) 344-7529 from within the U.S., or (412) 317-0088, internationally, passcode 10097317. Also, additional information, including a presentation supporting the conference call, can be found on the Company's website www.lydall.com under the Investor Relations section.
A police officer keeps watch in front of the U.S. Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC, U.S. on October 12, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve must not jump to conclusions now on what fiscal policies U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will pursue once in office but the U.S. central bank "will be on its toes" assessing their impact on the economy next year, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said on Wednesday.

Addressing a group of economists, Kaplan said some of the Republican's policy plans would boost U.S. gross domestic product growth while some others would hurt GDP growth. The Fed "needs to make judgments based on facts we know now ... and be patient," he said, as the new fiscal picture unfolds.

Trump is to become U.S. president in January.

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Imagine if your favorite chocolate bar tasted just as good, but with much less sugar. This could soon be a reality, thanks to a major breakthrough by Nestle scientists.

Using only natural ingredients, researchers have found a way to structure sugar differently. So even when much less is used in chocolate, your tongue perceives an almost identical sweetness to before.

The discovery will enable Nestle to significantly decrease the total sugar in its confectionery products, while maintaining a very natural taste.

"This truly groundbreaking research is inspired by nature and has the potential to reduce total sugar by up to 40% in our confectionery," said Stefan Catsicas, Nestle Chief Technology Officer.

"Our scientists have discovered a completely new way to use a traditional, natural ingredient."

Nestle is patenting its findings and will begin to use the faster-dissolving sugar across a range of its confectionery products from 2018 onwards.

The company expects to provide more details about the first roll-out of reduced sugar confectionery sometime next year.

The research will accelerate Nestle's efforts to meet its continued public commitment to reducing sugar in its products.

It is one of a wide range of commitments the company has made on nutrition. This includes improving the nutritional profile of its products by reducing the amount of sugar, salt and saturated fat they contain, while at the same time increasing healthier nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and whole grain.

For visual assets: http://files.photosnack.com/iframejs/embed.html?hash=ptm2hgdo8&t=1480369966

About Nestle Research

Nestle has one of the largest R&D capabilities in the food and beverage industry, with 40 R&D locations worldwide and more than 5,000 people working in R&D.

In 2015 we invested CHF 1.7 billion globally in R&D. We work with a range of partners from academia, government and industry.

Our industry-leading research and development drives innovation and supports the constant renovation of our food and beverage portfolio. In addition, our researchers are exploring the role of nutritional therapies to maintain or improve health and are investigating how we can help people look after their skin.

For more information on Nestle's US impact, please visit http://www.nestleusa.com/

Media contact: Nestle in the U.S.Lisa GibbyM. 202-531-8222 E. [email protected]

Source: NESTLE USA, INC
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SC3, a mission-focused provider of intelligence and technology solutions to the federal government, today announced the appointment of Susan Holley as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer David Page, Ms. Holley will lead all business development for the firm, including identifying strategic opportunities, key partnerships and growth efforts for SC3.

"At SC3, we continually look to grow our organization with talented individuals who offer new perspectives and capabilities to help achieve our business goals," said David Page, CEO of SC3. "Susan strengthens SC3's business development capabilities by adding her skillset of creating and implementing growth strategies, building key customer relationships and developing strategic industry partnerships."

Ms. Holley brings more than 26 years of experience supporting the national security community, primarily focused within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Prior to joining the SC3 leadership team, Ms. Holley was a Founding Principal in the Booz | Allen | Hamilton Business Development Center of Excellence and a Business Development Manager in the Cyber Division of Northrop Grumman. In addition to her most recent leadership roles, Ms. Holley brings a broad spectrum of business development experience from her tenure at Triple Canopy, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Perot Systems. She also served for eight years in the CIA.

Ms. Holley earned her B.A. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and certificates in Capture Management and Capture Strategy from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

About SC3SC3 is a leading provider of high-end mission support, consulting and technology solutions to the federal government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets, and to major corporations and nonprofit organizations. SC3 also provides cutting-edge competitive intelligence and strategic management consulting to private sector clients in finance, health care, manufacturing and other sectors. SC3 delivers success through its passionate, talented and dedicated team. For more information, visit www.sc3.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sc3-hires-susan-holley-as-svp-of-business-development-to-expand-strategic-opportunities-and-partnerships-300370552.html

SOURCE SC3
MEMPHIS, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, today announced a pair of key promotions involving members of its corporate executive team. The changes were announced as ServiceMaster continues its pursuit of new growth opportunities and improved service and convenience for the 5 million customers it serves each year.

Marty Wick will assume a new role as chief operating officer of Terminix, the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States. All Terminix operations will now report to Wick, including branch operations; environment, health and safety; and customer call centers. Wick had been serving as president of ServiceMaster's Franchise Services Group, where he led a global network of more than 5,000 franchise locations and licensees supporting the company's five franchise brands.

Replacing Wick as the Franchise Services Group president will be Mary Kay Wegner, who will assume responsibility for the franchise business, which supports independently owned franchise locations employing more than 33,000 people in 15 countries and includes the AmeriSpec, Furniture Medic, Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean and ServiceMaster Restore brands. Wegner had been serving as senior vice president of service and operations for Terminix, which operates in 47 states and 22 countries.

Both executives will remain direct reports to ServiceMaster CEO Rob Gillette and members of the ServiceMaster executive leadership team. Gillette also will continue to lead Terminix, as he's done since August.

"Mary Kay and Marty are terrific leaders with a track record of engaging teams and knowing what it takes to win," said Gillette. "They're committed to putting ServSmartsm to work for our employees and developing technology and tools to make it easier and more convenient for our customers, franchisees and contractors to do business with us."

ServSmart combines digital-mobile technology with ServiceMaster's unmatched service network of trusted professionals -- employees, technicians, contractors and franchisees -- who perform the essential services that protect and maintain 75,000 homes and businesses each day.

Wick joined ServiceMaster in 2009 and was named vice president of operations for American Home Shield in 2012. His team was responsible for delivering all aspects of service to more than 1.5 million customers, delivered via 1,600 call center associates, with home repairs performed by more than 11,000 home-service contractor companies spanning the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and appliance trades. He became president of the Franchise Services Group in 2014. Prior to joining ServiceMaster, Wick held numerous leadership roles in sales, service, product management, process improvement and distribution with telecommunications leaders Sprint and CenturyLink, after beginning his career in management consulting.

Wegner joined ServiceMaster in 2010 and has held a number of executive roles, including senior vice president of supply management. In addition to her role as franchise group president, she will continue to lead ServiceMaster's supply management group, which manages one of the largest commercial fleets in the United States, as well as more than $1 billion in procurement and implementation of products and services annually. Previously, Wegner served as director of North American fleet operations for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and she spent eight years in a variety of leadership positions in fleet, logistics and strategic sourcing at Waste Management, Inc. She began her career as an aviation maintenance officer in the U.S. Navy in an anti-submarine helicopter squadron and spent seven years on active duty.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner's dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands include American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster or servicemaster.com.

Media: Peter Tosches 901.597.8449 (o)901.692.2220 (c)Email contact

Source: ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.
CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SIFCO Industries, Inc. (NYSE MKT: SIF) announced today the creation of a Corporate Sales organization aimed at enhancing the Companys ability to serve world-class customers in the aerospace and energy markets.

The new organization will be led by John Glover, who becomes corporate vice president of sales and will report to CEO Pete Knapper. Mr. Glover is currently general manager of SIFCOs aluminum forging division in Orange, Calif.

I am extremely confident in Johns ability to energize our sales process by better leveraging our internal and external sales forces, said Mr. Knapper. Our goal is to improve our sales results by selling the entire suite of SIFCO capabilities across all sites, geographies and customers.

Corporate Sales will establish a centralized bid and contract management function, enhance our agent network and engage its members in cross-selling efforts, and create marketing tools to promote the Company. All current business unit sales staff will become part of the new organization.

Mr. Glover, a veteran of more than 25 years in the aluminum forging industry, joined SIFCO as general manager for the Companys Orange, Calif. facility when the Company acquired the division in 2011. He had previously served as the divisions chief financial officer from 1992 to 2000.

John Cherr, director of sales for SIFCOs forging division in Alliance, Ohio, becomes global sales director and will report to Mr. Glover. Mr. Cherr brings 30 years of sales and sales management experience in the aerospace and energy markets. He will work closely with business unit sales teams to ensure a coordinated approach to winning new business across all business units.

Forward-Looking Language

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic conditions, competition and other uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The Company's Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2015 can be accessed through its website: www.sifco.com, or on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website: www.sec.gov.

The Company is engaged in the production of forgings and machined components primarily in the Aerospace and Energy markets. The processes and services and services include heat-treating and machining. The Company operates under one segment.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006275/en/

SIFCO Industries, Inc.

Pete Knapper, President & CEO, 216-881-8600

www.sifco.com

Source: SIFCO Industries, Inc.
LONDON, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Exploring solutions to the mismatch in progress and delivery in cancer care

Tweet your questions ahead of the event via @EconomistEvents #WaronCancer

The Economist Events' second annual War on Cancer 2016 will bring together over 150 global leaders in oncology to explore solutions to the mismatch in progress and delivery in cancer care across Europe. The forum will discuss innovative approaches to cancer prevention and treatment, solutions to overcome shortcomings in delivery and examples of best practices and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration.

The forum will be held on Tuesday, December 6th 2016 at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, London, from 8:00am to 5:40pm.

Mary-Jane Elliott, Managing Partner at Consilium Strategic Communications, the Official PR Agency for The Economist Events' War on Cancer forum, commented: "Healthcare systems around the world are facing a range of challenges, many of which have the potential to directly impact how cancer will be treated in the future. This forum will bring together leading oncologists and other key stakeholders to discuss how we can ensure health systems remain sustainable in order to deliver promising new technologies and treatments in the fight against cancer. Consilium is very proud to support the event again for this, its second year. We are looking forward to the forum, the panels and the lively discussions it will provoke."

Innovative approaches to cancer treatment, prevention and care are emerging at an unprecedented rate. However, the policies and systems in place to deliver these advancements to people are lagging behind. Currently in the UK to get a new medicine from the research lab to patients it takes an average of 10 years and 1 billion. Whether we are fighting cancer with novel therapies or adopting the latest preventative guidance, we must ensure that our systems are up to the task of delivering progress. How do we scale the knowledge and capability in oncology that we already have and prepare for what's coming?

Key speakers at the summit include:

Matti Aapro, Board Member, European Cancer Organisation

Cary Adams, Chief Executive Officer, Union for International Cancer Control

Tit Albreht, Coordinator, Cancer Control Joint Action (CanCon); Head, National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia

Kathi Apostolidis, Vice-president, European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC); President of Executive Committee, Hellenic Cancer Federation - ELL.O.K

Frauke Becker, Research Associate, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University

John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford; Chairman, Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR)

Jurgi Camblong, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Sophia Genetics

Josep Figueras, Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; Head, World Health Organization European Centre on Health Policy

George Freeman, Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk and Chair, Prime Minister ' s Policy Board

David Khayat, Head of the Department of Oncolog y, Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital and Professor of Oncology, University Pierre and Marie Curie

Bryony Kimmings, Creator of the musical ' A Pacifist ' s Guide to the War on Cancer '

Jane Maher, Chief Medical Officer, Macmillan Cancer Support

Lydia Makaroff, Director, European Cancer Patient Coalition

Mahiben Maruthappu, Co-founder, NHS Innovation Accelerator

Maya Martinez - Davis, Senior Vice-president, Global Head of Oncology Franchise, Merck KGaA

Vivek Muthu, Chair, Economist Intelligence Unit Healthcare

Luca Pani, CHMP-SAWP, Member European Medicines Agency (EMA); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami

Annie Pannelay , Healthcare Principal, Economist Intelligence Unit

Terje Peetso, Policy Officer, Directorate-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission

Andreas Penk, Regional President Oncology, International Developed Markets, Pfizer

Jem Rashbass, National Director for Disease Registration, Public Health England

Gunnar Saeter, Professor and Head of Institute, Institute for Cancer Research - Olso University Hospital

Katherine Smith, Reader- Global Public Health Unit, University of Edinburgh

Zhen Su, Vice-president, US Oncology Medical Affairs, EMD Serono

Richard Sullivan, Professor of Cancer and Global Health, King ' s College London; Director, Institute of Cancer Policy

Frans van Houten, Chief Executive and Chairman, Philips

Paul Workman, Chief Executive Officer and President, The Institute of Cancer Research London; Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics

For more information and to view the full programme please visit: http://www.economist.com/events-conferences/emea/war-cancer#ec-event-overview

Follow the War on Cancer summit via @EconomistEvents #WaronCancer on Twitter to get the latest updates, submit your questions, and join in with discussions on the day.

Want more from The Economist Events?

Join us on Twitter: @EconomistEvents

About The Economist Events

The Economist Events' philosophy is to tackle issues with a forward-looking, uniquely global perspective. We aim to create events for the intellectually curious: people who enjoy ideas and who are passionate about the issues that define our world.

Attend our events: http://www.economist.com/events-conferences/emea

Founding sponsor: Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. We are committed to changing survival expectations in hard-to-treat cancers and the way patients live with cancer through our pioneering, comprehensive Immuno-Oncology portfolio and clinical program as well as research collaborations with academia and biotech companies.

Founding sponsor: Merck

Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. We have an enduring commitment to deliver novel therapies in our core focus areas including oncology and immuno-oncology; supporting patients with cancer. Merck has a robust pipeline of potential therapies in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.

Gold sponsor: Pfizer Oncology

Pfizer Oncology is focused on helping to redefine life with cancer. By maximizing our internal scientific resources and collaborating with other companies, government and academic institutions, we bring together the brightest and most enterprising minds to take on the toughest cancers, helping speed breakthrough treatments to patients around the world.

Silver Sponsor: Novartis

Novartis Oncology is a global leader in providing a broad range of innovative therapies to help improve the lives of cancer patients.

Silver Sponsor: Varian Medical Systems

Global manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy.

About Consilium Strategic Communications

Consilium Strategic Communications is a global leader in providing trusted, healthcare-focused strategic IR and financial PR counsel to corporations, Boards, senior decision makers and executives. From offices in Europe and USA, Consilium Strategic Communications' senior team provides cross-border comprehensive financial and corporate healthcare communications advice to some of the world's most prominent corporations around-the-clock. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.consilium-comms.com

Press enquiries

For further information on event registration or to request interviews with any of the speakers at War on Cancer 2016 conference, please contact Consilium Strategic Communications, Official Press Office for The Economist Healthcare Events:

Lindsey Neville

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)20-3709-5700



For general queries or further information about the event please call +44(0)207-576-8118 or e-mail [email protected]

SOURCE The Economist Events
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zoho today announced that its online invoicing software, Zoho Invoice has been selected by Google and is now officially part of the Recommended for G Suite program.

The Recommended for G Suite program is designed to help G Suite customers identify apps that work best with G Suite, such as Zoho Invoice that tightly integrates with G Suite apps like Gmail and Google Drive. These apps are reviewed by Google and an independent third-party security firm to make sure that the solutions are safe and reliable, and meet Google's requirements for high quality integrations.

We are highly invested in our app ecosystem with close to 1,000 apps available and over 400 million installs over the last 3 years. Our new group of Recommended for G Suite apps are all leading players in their respective categories and offer innovative solutions that seamlessly integrate with G Suite to fulfill immediate customer needs. - Adam Massey, Director, Strategic Technology Partnerships, Google Cloud.

Zoho is a leading vendor in the G Suite Marketplace and also a Premier Technology Partner.

We're excited to see Zoho Invoice in the Recommended for G Suite program, says Raju Vegesna. Zoho Invoice is one of our most popular apps and its tight integration with G Suite helps thousands of businesses streamline their billing and payment needs.

About Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is an online invoicing software used by millions of freelancers and small business owners around the world to invoice their clients and to get paid faster online. With 10+ online payment gateways integrated, time tracking capabilities and advanced workflows for businesses, Zoho Invoice makes life a lot easier for businesses that want to automate their billing.

Highlights of Zoho Invoice and G Suite Integration

Single signon: Sign-on to Zoho Invoice with Google credentials to provide seamless access to accounts.

Add contacts from G Suite: Import new contacts and users to Zoho Invoice from G Suite users.

View emails from Gmail: View emails in Zoho Invoice. Associate emails from customers to Gmail to customer transactions in Zoho Invoice.

Save files with Google Drive: Save files, documents, backups and attach them to invoices in Zoho Invoice, all from Google Drive.

Work with the Android Platform: Download the powerful Zoho Invoice app on the android phone, import contacts from Google Sheet into the app in a click and start invoicing on the go.

Key Features of Zoho Invoice

Generate estimates: Send professional estimates to customers and know when they get accepted. Convert estimates to invoices in one click of a button.

Instant invoicing: Create and send invoices in minutes. Users can also setup recurring profiles to send out invoices at specified times.

Online payments: Zoho Invoice integrates with 10 popular online payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal and more. Users can pick a payment gateway of their choice to get paid faster online.

Track expenses: Bill reimbursable expenses and track where money is spent so business owners can stay on top of their expenses.

Time tracking: Zoho Invoice allows users to manage multiple projects and track time for them. Users can track time daily or weekly and bill them to their clients instantly.

Payment reminders: Set payment reminders on auto-pilot and chase outstanding invoices.

Multi-currency: With Zoho Invoice, users can invoice customers in any currency. Zoho Invoice supports multi-currency transactions in a breeze.

Customizable invoice templates: Right from invoice name, header, footer, labels, font and color - every bit in the invoice is customizable.

Robust reports: Zoho Invoice supports 30+ reports with advanced filters for each, so users can drill down to the tiniest detail. Reports can also be scheduled to be sent to the inbox at specified time.

Pricing

Zoho Invoice with all its features is free for businesses with 25 customers or less. Pricing starts at $7. For more information on pricing, please refer to the pricing page.(www.zoho.com/invoice/pricing).

Additional Zoho Resources

Zoho news releases: https://www.zoho.com/in-the-news.html

Zoho videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/zoho

Zoho blogs: http://blogs.zoho.com

Zoho on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoho

Zoho on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zoho

About Zoho

Zoho is THE operating system for business - a single cloud platform with all the necessary applications to run a business entirely from the cloud. Businesses can acquire and manage customers using Zoho's marketing, sales and customer support applications - Campaigns, CRM and Desk -and can then empower employees to create, store and distribute content on the cloud with Zoho's productivity and collaboration applications - Office, Mail and Docs. Additionally, businesses can run their own operations on Zoho's finance and human resources applications - Books, People and Recruit.

More than 20 million users around the world across hundreds of thousands of companies rely on Zoho every day to run their businesses - including Zoho itself. A business can choose to run the entire Zoho suite or just a single application. Zoho applications are available directly through zoho.com, or through an ecosystem of hundreds of worldwide Zoho partners.

Zoho is a division of Zoho Corp., a privately-held and consistently profitable company, with more than 4,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA with international headquarters in Chennai, India and offices in Austin, London, Yokohama, and Beijing. For more information, please visit http://www.zoho.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006047/en/

Zoho Corp.

Mason Herring, 512-583-3913

[email protected]

Source: Zoho Corp.
A Syrian national flag flutters near a general view of eastern Aleppo after Syrian government soldiers took control of al-Sakhour neigbourhood in Aleppo, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on November 28, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

By Laila Bassam and Ellen Francis

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria and its allies aim to drive rebels from Aleppo before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. President, a senior official in the pro-Damascus military alliance said, as pro-government forces surged to their biggest victories in the city for years.

Rebels face one of their gravest moments of the war after pro-government forces routed fighters over the past few days from more than a third of the territory they controlled in the city. Thousands of civilians have fled for safety.

The pro-government official, who declined to be identified in order to speak freely, nevertheless indicated that the next phase of the campaign could be more difficult as the army and its allies seek to capture more densely populated areas.

Rebel fighters fought fiercely to stop government forces advancing deeper into the opposition-held enclave on Tuesday, confronting pro-Assad militias who sought to move into the area from the southeast, a rebel official said.

The attack on eastern Aleppo threatens to snuff out the most important urban center of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, who has been firmly on the offensive for more than a year thanks to Russian and Iranian military support.

Capturing rebel-held eastern Aleppo would be the biggest victory to date for Assad in the conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it arose out of protests against his rule nearly six years ago.

As Russia and Iran have stuck steadfastly by Assad, the rebels say their foreign backers including the United States have left them to their fate in their besieged enclave of eastern Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the civil war.

Government forces backed by Shi'ite militias from Iran, Lebanon and Iraq punched into the rebel-held area from the northeast last week. The senior, pro-Assad official said the rebel lines had collapsed more quickly than expected.

"The Russians want to complete the operation before Trump takes power," said the official, repeating a previous timetable which pro-Damascus sources had said was drawn up to mitigate the risks of any shift in U.S. policy towards the war in Syria.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond when asked whether it had drawn up such a timeline.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has indicated that he may abandon support for Syrian rebels who have received military aid from states including the United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and could even cooperate with Russia against Islamic State in Syria.

The United States has offered aid including military support to some rebel groups under President Barack Obama, though the rebels have always said this backing has fallen well short of what they need against better armed government forces.

THE WEST "CAN'T DO ANYTHING"

The rebel official said the outgoing U.S. administration was paying little attention to Syria. Assad and his allies were "trying to exploit the current circumstances, unfortunately, and the Western states can't do anything", he said.

France, another backer of the opposition, called for an immediate U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss Aleppo.

"More than ever before, we need to urgently put in place means to end the hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid to get through unhindered," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in a statement.

Russia has consistently blocked attempts by Western states to take action in the Security Council against Damascus.

Accounts from eastern Aleppo, where the United Nations says at least 250,000 civilians are trapped with no access to the outside world, point to a dire humanitarian situation. People have been forced to scavenge in the garbage for food as aid supplies have run out, and all the hospitals in eastern Aleppo have been repeatedly bombed.

The civil defense rescue service that operates in eastern Aleppo said on Monday it had nearly run out fuel to power the equipment it has been using to pull people from the rubble of bombed-out buildings.

Pummeled by air strikes, artillery and ground attacks, the rebels were forced on Monday to withdraw to more defensible lines along a highway that runs through Aleppo, hoping that it would be harder for the government side to make further gains.

The rebel official with one of the main Aleppo rebel groups said the opposition fighters had managed to stabilize new frontlines, but were fighting to stop pro-government militias that sought to advance from the south.

FIERCE BATTLES

"There is no progress but the bombardment and battles remain fierce, particularly in Aziza" in southeastern Aleppo, said the official with the Jabha Shamiya rebel group, which fights under the Free Syrian Army banner. "Yesterday evening there was a big mobilization by Iranian militias in Aziza," the official added.

The government and its allies gradually besieged the rebel-held sector of Aleppo this year before abandoning a ceasefire to launch a fierce assault in September.

The latest fighting has forced thousands to flee. Some have crossed the frontline to government-held areas, others have sought refuge in a Kurdish-controlled part of the city, and many more have fled deeper into the remaining rebel-held area.

Air strikes on Bab al-Nairab, a district in the rebel-held area, killed at least 10 people and left dozens more wounded or missing, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service said. The Syrian military could not be reached for comment.

The civil defense said government planes struck as people were trying to flee the neighborhood on foot, killing 25.

The United Nations humanitarian chief and relief coordinator said up to 16,000 people had been displaced from eastern Aleppo.

A U.N. spokesman said that according to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent 10,000 people had moved into government-held western Aleppo, and 4,000-6,000 had moved into the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsoud district. Rebels say thousands more have moved deeper into the areas still held by the opposition.

The U.N. envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he could not say how long eastern Aleppo would hold out.

"Clearly, I cannot deny - this is a military acceleration and I can't tell you how long eastern Aleppo will last," he told the European Parliament.

Russia said that the army's breakthrough in Aleppo had dramatically altered the situation on the ground, allowing more than 80,000 civilians to access humanitarian aid after years of what it described as being used by militants as human shields.

"During the last 24 hours, thanks to very well-prepared and careful actions, Syrian soldiers were able to radically change the situation," Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a defense ministry spokesman, said in a statement.

"Practically half of the territory occupied by rebels in recent years in the eastern part of Aleppo has been completely liberated."

A medic in eastern Aleppo who gave his name as Abu al-Abbas said however there was "intense fear of collective annihilation".

"This week I've changed locations three times," he added, speaking on Monday using a social networking site. "In the shelter, we had dead people who we couldn't take out because the bombardment was so intense," he said.

(Additional reporting by Tom Perry and Angus McDowall in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Andrew Osborn and Katya Golubkova in Moscow, John Irish in Paris, Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles in Geneva; writing by Tom Perry; editing by Peter Graff)
After attacking the North American Free Trade Agreement repeatedly during his campaign, Donald Trump notably failed to include NAFTA on his agenda for his first day in the Oval Office. Perhaps he has learned that the Constitution prevents the president from terminating our trade agreements by himself.

On taking office, the new president will enjoy broad powers in foreign affairs. He will have the right to set U.S. policy toward other nations and to terminate treaties. In 2002, for example, President George W. Bush called off the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and Russia without any input from Congress.

But like all modern trade pacts, NAFTA is a congressional-executive agreement created by statute, not treaty. Trump cannot terminate it  or even renegotiate it  without the approval of Congress.

The Constitution grants to the president the power to make treaties, subject to approval by two-thirds of the Senate. Our nations most significant obligations take this form, such as the North Atlantic Treaty that created NATO and the San Francisco Treaty that ended World War II in the Pacific. Presidents also have made some limited international compacts all on their own, though the Constitution doesnt acknowledge this power. President Obama concluded the Paris climate accords and the Iran nuclear deal without the approval of the Senate or House of Representatives. Because Congress never cemented these deals into law, Trump can reverse them with the stroke of a pen on Day One.

But trade deals are different, because under the Commerce Clause, only Congress may alter our tariff, tax and customs laws. Congress first authorizes the president to reach a trade agreement with certain countries within limited parameters. Once the deal is struck, the president sends it to Congress for enactment into U.S. domestic law. No trade agreement goes into force until Congress passes the statutes that carry out the trade deals obligations.

The upshot is President Trump cannot on his own terminate U.S. participation in NAFTA or, for that matter, in the World Trade Organization. Congress enacted both agreements as statutes, so they can be reversed only by another, repealing statute enacted by the House and Senate and then signed by the president.

This constitutional balance of power effectively means NAFTA and the WTO are here to stay. Both houses of Congress are more friendly to free trade. In the Senate, a minority of just 40 senators could successfully filibuster any effort to terminate NAFTA. Trump is unlikely to persuade a new Congress to thoughtlessly throw the U.S. into recession and spark retaliatory trade sanctions against American products.

If Trump simply announced the U.S. was pulling out of NAFTA, all the U.S. laws that implemented it would remain unchanged. Trump would have effectively freed Mexico and Canada to impose trade barriers against our products while leaving in place our preferential treatment of theirs  the worst trade deal in American history.

Even if Trump wants to merely renegotiate NAFTA, he is required to first seek congressional approval. No nation will even discuss trade agreements with the United States unless Congress is already on board. Presidents must first seek fast-track authority, a promise of swift congressional consideration of trade agreements with no amendments, before negotiations begin. Any amendments to NAFTA would likewise have to be enacted by Congress.

Moreover, a unilateral Trump decision to leave NAFTA would almost certainly be challenged in federal court immediately. In 1980, the Supreme Court avoided deciding a legal challenge to President Carters termination of a defense treaty with Taiwan because no one had the proper standing to bring a case. That wont be the case this time. Importers or exporters directly affected easily could show they suffered individual harm. A lawsuit could derail any attempt by Trump to withdraw from NAFTA  or at the very least, drag out the process for years.

The Constitution still preserves presidential initiative in foreign affairs. Trump can refuse to negotiate or sign new trade agreements, which is why the Trans Pacific Partnership is probably dead on arrival under the new administration. But the Constitution makes undoing a trade agreement, once enacted into law, as difficult as it was to make it in the first place.

Whether the United States should leave NAFTA is an issue open to political debate. But who gets to decide to leave is not. The Constitution requires that the president and Congress must jointly agree whether to leave NAFTA.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) attends the Fatah Central Committee meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman/File Photo

By Ali Sawafta

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas opened the first congress of his Fatah party for seven years on Tuesday, with 1,300 mostly elderly delegates gathered to elect new leaders and discuss longer-term policy, including how to confront Israel.

The meeting comes at a challenging time for Abbas, following Donald Trump's election in the United States, an event many Israelis see as a boost for Israel's settlement-building on occupied land the Palestinians seek for their own state.

"You today, in these historic times, are living the writing of modern history," Abbas said as he opened the meeting, praising Fatah's founders and the "martyrs who died along the path towards freedom and independence".

The congress was supposed to be held two years ago, but political divisions, both within the party and between Fatah and the rival Islamist Hamas movement, led to repeated delays before Abbas fixed the date only a couple of months ago.

Since then, he has strived to sideline opposition, especially from Mohammed Dahlan, a former security chief and Fatah official who now lives in self-imposed exile in the Gulf, from where he has become a vocal and tireless Abbas critic.

While Dahlan retains some support in Fatah, Abbas has reduced the number of people invited to this congress - at the last in 2009 there were 2,500 delegates - to limit his rival's influence. Dahlan was also ejected from the party.

The meeting, scheduled to last five days, will elect new faces to Fatah's 21-member central committee, the party's top decision-making body, and a new 80-person revolutionary council, a quasi-parliament.

With Dahlan frozen out, the elderly and predominantly male invitees are expected to vote in favor of Abbas loyalists, ensuring the 81-year-old president is shored up in his position, despite increasing whispers of criticism.

PARTY FAITHFUL

As Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, entered the congress, held inside the Muqata, the presidential complex in Ramallah, all the delegates rose to give him a standing ovation.

"Abu Mazen go forward, we are behind you until liberation!" chanted some sections of the hall.

Waving to the crowd, the gray-haired, slightly stooped Abbas, who has received medical treatment in recent weeks, made his way to a throne-like chair in the front row and listened to an imam sing verses from the Koran to open proceedings.

After making a short opening address, Abbas was nominated to be re-elected as head of Fatah and approved by acclamation. He will formally address the gathering later on Tuesday.

Critics of Abbas, who has been in power for 11 years, say it is long overdue for him to nominate a successor. They also want new national elections: Abbas was elected to a four-year term in 2005, and the last parliamentary vote was in 2006.

Around a third of the members of the central committee are expected to change as a result of the congress, introducing new blood to the party, although most faces will remain and Abbas will still be chairman of Fatah and the Palestinian umbrella movement, the Palestine Liberation Organization.

After the congress, the new central committee will meet and elect from its members a deputy to Abbas within the party. In the coming months, that person may also be confirmed as deputy head of the PLO executive committee, some observers say.

If that happens, Palestinian officials say it would likely enshrine the nominee as Abbas's designated successor.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; writing by Luke Baker; editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Alistair Scrutton and Johan Sennero

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden will side with the rest of the European Union in talks with Britain about leaving the bloc, the Swedish minister for EU affairs and trade said on Tuesday, ending any hope Britain would get any special favor from one of its closest EU allies.

Britain is Sweden's fourth biggest trading partner and the two countries have often seen eye to eye on such issues as free trade and reforms within the EU.

But the statements by Ann Linde show how allies like Sweden may prefer to move closer to the EU rather than jeopardize the union by being too soft on Britain.

"For us, as close as possible relations with the UK is what we prefer," Linde told Reuters. "But it is more important that the EU as such is functioning at its absolute best and effective way.

"If the UK will ask to let go of freedom of movement of persons, not pay to the EU budget and not follow the EU court, that will not be a feasible way to conduct negotiations," she said. "We will not step outside the EU 27 and say - yes, that's a good idea.

One EU official helping to prepare the negotiations has said he was surprised Britain's usual Nordic, Polish and Dutch allies had not backed a "soft Brexit" to appease British concerns on immigration while letting it keep access to free trade.

"I've actually been surprised that the solidarity among the 27 is so strong," Linde said. "It's really strong. I think there is a common view among the 27 how we will do it.

"Our goal is to keep EU27 as effective as it possibly can be. That is our main goal with these negotiations," she added-

Linde's stance appeared to differ from that of Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson, who told Reuters earlier this month, "from our point of view, the softer Brexit is, the better".

(Reporting by Alistair Scrutton, editing by Larry King)
Britain's Prince Harry is greeted by the guard of honour after arriving to Bridgetown Port to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary of Barbados November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

BRIDGETOWN PORT, Barbados (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry arrived in Barbados on Tuesday to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary of the island, as part of his tour through the Caribbean region.

Stepping off the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, the prince was welcomed by local dignitaries, including Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave, and a military parade at the Bridgetown Port in the southwestern part of the island.

Prince Harry received a boutonniere from a local secondary school student and inspected the Guard.

After the official welcoming ceremony, he was driven away to the Government House for a meeting with the governor general and to present candidates with Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards.

In the evening, Prince Harry is scheduled to attend the reveal of the 50th Anniversary of Independence National Monument at the Garrison Savannah - the site of Barbados' historic independence on Nov. 30, 1966.

The prince is expected to celebrate the anniversary by attending a military parade, a toast to the nation and the Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert.

(Reporting by Reuters TV; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
By Beh Lih Yi

KUALA LUMPUR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The conviction rate for rape cases in Cambodia is "disturbingly low", as corrupt officials mediate illegal settlements and pocket kickbacks, deterring women from coming forward and hampering efforts to tackle the crime, activists said.

Campaigners have long said sexual violence is not taken seriously in the Southeast Asian country of 15 million people, and there is widespread impunity.

Of 282 rape and attempted rape cases investigated by Phnom Penh-based Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (Licadho) in 2015, only 53 ended with a conviction and an appropriate sentence, the rights group said in a report released this week.

"The justice system remains weak and corrupt, and victims continue to struggle to find justice," Licadho's deputy advocacy director Naly Pilorge said in an interview on Tuesday.

"The failure to punish perpetrators of rape means that the justice system is not working as a deterrent, and it not only lets down the victims concerned, but reduces the likelihood that future victims will take the risk of reporting the crimes."

The report found cases in which survivors dropped their complaints before going to trial because of compensation deals negotiated by police, prosecutors or investigating judges, who "almost always" took a cut of the settlement.

In response to Licadho's findings, the Cambodian Women's Affairs Ministry said it was working with women and girls to improve reporting of the crime while raising awareness among officials to discourage any money changing hands in these cases.

"Rape is a heinous crime which is never justified," ministry spokesman Puthborey Phon told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email.

"All rapists must be prosecuted according to our laws. Mediation and economic compensation in rape cases are unlawful."

Of the cases Licadho researched, 217 survivors were children under the age of 18.

However, it said the low number of adult survivors did not necessarily represent a trend, and was probably due to underreporting and fear of stigma and rejection by husbands.

In a 2013 United Nations study, almost one in three Cambodian men interviewed said they had used physical and sexual violence against a partner, and 5 percent admitted to taking part in a gang rape.

About 45 percent of men who admitted rape said they faced no legal consequences, according to the U.N. findings.

(Reporting by Beh Lih Yi @behlihyi, editing by Alisa Tang. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Francois Fillon, former French prime minister and member of Les Republicains political party, delivers his speech in Paris, France, November 27, 2016. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

By Leigh Thomas

PARIS (Reuters) - On paper, French presidential favorite Francois Fillon's free-market plans to cut business taxes, relax labor laws and shrink the public sector should give corporate France a shot in the arm and boost economic growth.

But his reforms are likely to come at the cost of showdowns with labor unions and public-sector workers who face losing jobs in a country where strikes can often drag on for several weeks if not months.

He could also clash with Berlin over a ballooning budget deficit, while a sales tax hike that would help pay for his other plans risks dampening consumer spending.

Fillon, an admirer of late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is the center-right candidate for the presidential election in May, when he will go up against far-right leader Marine Le Pen and a yet-to-be selected Socialist opponent.

If victorious, he would have a popular mandate to enact his free-market reforms following deep disenchantment with Socialist President Francois Hollande's failure to fulfill pledges to slash high unemployment of about 10 percent and deliver growth.

Fillon says he would introduce 50 billion euros ($53 billion) in tax cuts - worth about 2.5 percent of GDP - with most of that targeting companies' payroll tax.

The loss of state revenue would be partially offset with a 2 percentage point increase in value-added sales tax, by far the government's biggest source of tax revenue.

Economists liken the move to a currency devaluation - something outside French authorities' power as a member of the euro zone - because firms could sell at more competitive prices abroad while importers face higher prices, thus improving the overall terms France trades on with the rest of the world.

"The aim is to rebalance France's growth model towards exports and away from solely relying on consumption," said economist Emmanuel Jessua at Coe-Rexecode think tank.

There are precedents in France, notably when conservative former President Nicolas Sarkozy, with Fillon as his prime minister, tried to cut payroll taxes in the final months of his term in 2011.

Sarkozy's successor Hollande unpicked the program once he came to office and introduced instead a tax credit scheme to reduce the payroll taxes companies pay.

Fillon would turn that scheme into a permanent reduction in payroll charges, while also going further than Sarkozy's plans by also cutting the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, from 33 percent currently.

'BOSSES BACK FILLON'

Fillon, a former labor minister, would also reduce the complexity of the labor code, make firing workers easier, and also axe France's 35-hour legal cap on the working week and raise the retirement age to 65 from 62-63.

"He's taken on board all of our concerns," the head of the MEDEF employers association, Pierre Gattaz, told journalists. "There's a lot of bosses backing Fillon."

With proposals to shrink the public sector and spending by cutting 500,000 civil service jobs and reducing unemployment benefits, critics have characterized Fillon as a man who threatens France's cherished welfare system.

Fillon's plans to cut public spending to 49 percent of output by 2022 would still leave it well above the current OECD average of 45 percent.

Nonetheless the conservative, who lives in a Loire valley chateau, makes an easy target for hardline unions eager to show that they remain relevant after years of declining influence.

"When workers are not happy, and retired people are not happy, they go on strike, factories have to shut," the head of the CGT union Philippe Martinez said. "When a majority of workers are on strike the economy suffers."

Though he insists he will not water his plans down, on Monday, Fillon retreated on prime time television from a suggestion he would privatize basic healthcare.

FISCAL FUDGE

With spending cuts coming gradually after the tax cuts, Fillon accepts that the initial strain on the budget means he will have to tear up the current government's plans to cut the deficit to less than 3 percent of output next year.

Instead, his program would let the deficit balloon to as much as 4.7 percent of GDP next year before gradually coming down as tax cuts gradually lift the overall growth rate.

France's partners in Berlin have not forgotten that a similar fiscal strategy by Sarkozy at the start of his term left the French finances vulnerable when the financial crisis struck in 2008-2009.

EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, a French Socialist close to Hollande, has said he would not cut Fillon any slack for overshooting the 3 percent target.

Playing in Fillon's favor is an emerging international consensus, including at the European Commission, supporting looser fiscal policy as long as it helps growth.

The OECD estimates that near record-low borrowing rates mean France like other countries can afford some fiscal slack after years of sweating to rein in the finances.

"They have cash they found on the sidewalk, so they don't have to be budget neutral," OECD chief economist Catherine Mann told Reuters.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Additional reporting by Yves Clarisse and Michel Rose; Editing by Andrew Callus and Pravin Char)
COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Ford (NYSE: F) wants to raise profitability in Europe by adding higher-margin versions of the Fiesta subcompact, its best-selling regional model, the carmaker's top European executive said.

High-volume carmakers such as Ford have for several years been squeezed in a downmarket expansion by luxury rivals including Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen's Audi.

But Ford, which already targets premium buyers with higher-end versions of some of its larger cars under the Vignale label, now wants to take further advantage of that opportunity too.

The next-generation Fiesta, unveiled late on Tuesday in front of 2,500 staff, dealers and reporters at its Cologne plant, will come with advanced safety features and cater to more customers with new crossover and upscale variants.

"Having that kind of special feeling in a mainstream product is where the market is going and where Ford as a brand needs to go to make money in Europe," Ford Europe CEO Jim Farley told Reuters. "We don't want to build commodities anymore."

But Farley declined to say what contribution to profitability the new Fiesta may make. Ford has sold more than 17 million Fiestas globally since the first version came to market in 1976.

Benefiting from costs cuts and growing sales of higher-margin SUVs, Ford may increase profit in Europe to around $1 billion this year, on a par with its nine-month gain in the region and up from $259 million last year, a spokesman said.

Farley noted a full-year profit target of $600 million had already been exceeded in June.

Ford has also positioned the 10,000-euro ($10,644.00) Ka+ city car below the Fiesta's base model to target budget customers, Farley said.

Still, it remains to be seen whether new offerings for the redesigned Fiesta and other models will give Ford an edge in the crowded European market.

Ford sales in Europe may decline 5.2 percent to 1.4 million vehicles by 2025 from an estimated 1.47 million this year, compared with a 2 percent drop at General Motors' (NYSE: GM) Opel division to 1.14 million and a 4.6 percent gain to 2.16 million for the VW brand, according to IHS Markit.

Separately, Ford Chief Executive Mark Fields said the carmaker will start testing its autonomous vehicles in Europe next year. Ford has said it plans to offer a mass-market fully autonomous car by 2021.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
United Nations envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed speaks to reporters upon his departure at Sanaa airport following a visit to Sanaa, Yemen November 7, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

GENEVA (Reuters) - The formation of a new government by Yemen's armed Houthi movement and its political allies will hinder peace efforts in the country, the U.N. special envoy to Yemen said on Tuesday.

The move, reported by the Houthi-run state news agency on Monday, has been seen as a blow to U.N.-backed efforts to end 20 months of war in Yemen.

"The announcement by (the Houthi) Ansar Allah and the General Peoples Congress on the formation of a new government in Sanaa represents a new and concerning obstacle to the peace process and does not serve the interests of the people of Yemen in these difficult times," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.

The unilateral declaration contradicted recent comments by the Houthis to the U.N. and to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and only complicated the search for a peace deal, which needed to be based on U.N. talks, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.

"There is still a chance to pull Yemen back from the brink," he said, adding that all parties to the conflict should recommit to a cessation of hostilities, including a complete halt to ground and air military activities.

The formation of the new government was also condemned by the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose member Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition backing Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the internationally recognised president.

The coalition has carried out thousands of air strikes on the Houthis but failed to dislodge them from the capital Sanaa.

"The step of forming a government indicates the enormous importance of reinforcing our domestic position and serving the people, despite the difficult economic situation," the Houthi group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a statement carried on the website of a Houthi-controlled news channel.

Diplomats had hoped the Houthis, who control Sanaa, would hold off on putting together a cabinet of their loyalists and instead form a unity government with their Yemeni foes, whom they pushed into Saudi exile.

The Houthis, who control territory with more than half of Yemen's population, previously said forming a government with their allies did not mean abandoning the U.N.-sponsored peace process.

(Reporting by Tom Miles, Katie Paul and Ali Abdelatti; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh arrives to the opening of the 48th ordinary session of ECOWAS Authority of Head of States and Government in Abuja, Nigeria December 16, 2015 REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

By Edward McAllister

BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh will face a rare challenge from a revitalized and united opposition in an election on Thursday as he seeks to extend his 22-year grip on power in the tiny West African nation.

Jammeh, 51, seized power as a young army officer in a 1994 coup and has maintained his control over Gambia in four subsequent elections despite growing international concern over his government's deteriorating human rights record.

Election observers have questioned the credibility of past polls. Regional bloc ECOWAS boycotted the last election in 2011, claiming the process was not free or fair and have also stayed away from this week's poll.

The European Union said this month that it had been refused access to monitor.

In the final days of campaigning, a grinning Jammeh stared out from the large billboards positioned every few hundred meters along the main roads leading into Banjul, the capital of the nation of 1.8 million people.

"I am the best president that Gambians will ever get," Jammeh, who once said he would rule his country for "a billion years", said on Tuesday. "My presidency and power are in the hands of Allah and only Allah can take it from me."

Long known for his eccentricities, including a claim to have invented a cure for AIDS and a snap decision last year to declare Gambia an Islamic republic, international attention has increasingly focused on the repressive nature of his rule.

Jammeh has rejected outside criticism and last month announced Gambia's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, a body he says is biased against Africans and which his spokesman dubbed the "International Caucasian Court".

This week's poll comes at the end of a turbulent year that has given hope to opposition supporters that change may be on the horizon.

In April, small protests in Banjul calling for electoral reform led to dozens of arrests, including that of the leader of the main UDP opposition party Ousainu Darboe.

Two UDP members have since died in custody while others remain in jail, but the almost unheard of act of defiance has helped galvanize Jammeh's opponents.

Eight opposition parties have rallied behind businessman Adama Barrow, calling for human rights and justice reforms and a revamping of a stuttering economy that has made Gambians more likely than any other Africans to migrate illegally to Europe.

Opposition rallies have drawn large crowds in the last two weeks of campaigning. Thousands came out to cheer Barrow's motorcade on Sunday, banging drums as he passed.

"My chances are high to beat the incumbent president Jammeh with a landslide victory. A new Gambia will be born December first," he told reporters on Tuesday. He has promised to rule only for a three-year transition period.

Still, experts question whether victory is even possible given Jammeh's tight control of state resources, including the military and the police, and his reluctance to relinquish power.

A third candidate, Mamma Kandeh - a former Jammeh ally and member of parliament who has since formed his own political party - could also drain votes from the opposition under Gambia's single-round election system.

"The question is probably not if he will win but by how much and what Jammeh will do with that message for his next mandate," said one Western diplomat who follows events in Gambia.

"He has already said that he will not accept the result if he loses and it's hard to see who would challenge that."

(Additional reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Ralph Boulton; Editing by Joe Bavier)
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni attends a press conference after a foreign minister meeting of the EU founding members in Berlin, Germany, June 25, 2016. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

BERLIN (Reuters) - Italy's foreign minister said on Tuesday he would welcome a more open approach towards Russia from the United States under President-elect Donald Trump.

"If there is a more open attitude towards Russia then I am not worried, I am happy," Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said at an event in Berlin.

He said that he and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was sitting on the stage with him, had long supported stronger engagement with Russia.

(Reporting by Noah Barkin)
TUNIS (Reuters) - Kuwait will provide Tunisia with $500 million in loans over the next five years, Kuwait's finance minister told delegates at a Tunis investment conference on Tuesday.

Western and regional partners have been offering Tunisia financial backing as the conference gets under way, including a pledge of $1.25 billion in aid from Qatar.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Louise Ireland)
On Friday, a federal judge ruled that white supremacist and accused mass murderer Dylann Roof is competent to stand trial on 33 counts of hate crimes, firearms charges and the murder of nine parishioners at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in June 2015.

Roof, 22, told police when he was taken into custody that he shot the nine members of the prominent black church during a Bible study because he wanted to provoke sufficient outrage to spark a race war. There was plenty of public outrage, but it was directed at Roof, who exuded a creepy vibe from his first moments in custody. ...

The beginning of Roofs trial was originally scheduled for Nov. 7, but his lawyers delayed it until his ability to aid in his own defense could be determined.

On Monday, a federal judge granted Roofs motion to represent himself.

Now, A trial finally looms. Its not just those who knew and loved the victims who need to see justice done, but Charleston and the people of the United States need to see it, too. ...

One can debate whether the racism that allegedly drove Roof to kill nine people at a Bible study was ultimately a form of insanity, but it is important that he answer for it. Virulent racism very well could be a form of insanity, but that shouldnt exempt those who embrace it from paying for acts committed while being racist.
A home next to the teak tree plantation run by Grandis Timber in Kampong Speu Province, western Cambodia November 10, 2016. Chris Arsenault/Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Chris Arsenault

KAMPONG SPEU PROVINCE, Cambodia (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Like spots on a leopard's hide, small wooden houses and tiny fenced plots dot the sprawling Grandis Timber teak plantation in western Cambodia.

Investing in a swathe of land almost double the size of Manhattan, the timber giant is opting to allow residents and families to stay on the property where they have lived and worked for generations.

Rights groups have criticized many large land deals in the Southeast Asian nation, saying the concessions resulted in the displacement of more than 770,000 Cambodians.

In contrast, nobody has been forced to move by Grandis Timber, company spokesman, Nico Strydom, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Backed by European investors, Grandis Timber built its plantation around the people already living on 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres).

Grandis Timber leased the land from the government, Strydom said.

"The underlying argument for this is that the company will experience a lower level of risk if neighbors are happy," he said in an email.

Appropriately, Cambodian officials call it the "leopard skin strategy" as it creates a patchwork of residents and companies working side by side.

Analysts say this should be the way for Cambodia to balance its economic growth with local land rights.

"In the long term, companies should be very happy with their investments in Cambodian land, even if they lost some due to the leopard skin policy," said Chan Sophal, director of the Centre for Policy Studies in Phnom Penh.

"Grandis Timber seems to stand out as one of the good models," Sophal said.

FROM THE GROUND UP

The concession sits about 80km (50 miles) west of the capital, in forests previously burned down by small farmers in a rush for land.

Developed in 2009, the land is now covered with small teak trees. Grandis Timber, which has a 50-year lease, does not expect to make a profit from its investment for more than 20 years as the trees are still growing.

"This company has a long-term plan," said Yim Nam, deputy director of the provincial agriculture ministry.

The firm has set aside land as protected forest and works with local villagers to combat illegal logging, Nam said.

"They obey the laws and have better conditions than other projects," Nam said. "Land titles have been issued to villagers with help from the company."

DANGEROUS LEGACY

When Grandis Timber first arrived, most people in the area did not have formal land title deeds.

Following the Khmer Rouge genocide that began in 1975, most of Cambodia's land records and traditional systems of property demarcation were destroyed.

Maoist fighters forced millions of people into the countryside in an orgy of violence that left an estimated two million dead.

Officials have been trying to rebuild a system of property ownership, but the process has been slow. Several million farmers still lack formal papers for the land where they live and work, according to government data.

Grandis Timber officials teamed up with Cambodia's government and student volunteers to measure and demarcate the land used by more than 400 households living on its plantation, Strydom said.

"The majority of these (residents) now have legal title to the land," he said.

However, this is not the case for many other farmers. Campaigners say a lack of clear titles is partially responsible for land conflicts nationwide.

"The company measured the land and made a title certificate for me," said Chum Sy, 60, who grows rice and corn on seven hectares (17 acres) inside the concession.

He has lived on this land since before the Khmer Rouge but had never owned the territory officially until the company came.

"It protects me from being encroached on by other groups," he said.

Some houses inside the concession stand on sturdy stilts and are colorfully painted in the local style, owned by small businesses or successful farmers.

Others are shacks fashioned from scrap wood and corrugated iron inhabited by desperately poor farmers and day laborers.

This level of poverty is common in rural Cambodia, a country where - despite rapid economic growth - the average annual income is less than $1,100, according to the World Bank.

Sy Seng, 56, lives with eight relatives in a wooden structure with no walls. He is not familiar with the leopard skin strategy, but is happy to have a title for his 1.5 hectare plot.

"My daughter works for the company earning about $4 per day. We would be happy if the company hired all of us," Seng said.

Grandis Timber employs more than 1,000 local residents, some as day laborers and others on a monthly wage, said Nam, the agriculture ministry official.

He hopes more firms will invest and use the leopard skin policy so rural residents can work and keep their land.

Sim Sam, 27, lives with his wife and child in a modern wooden house near the entrance of the concession. He runs a business selling cold drinks and food to laborers working on the site, after inheriting the home from family members.

He complained about needing to ask permission from the company to bring products from the market into his store but added that most of his customers work for Grandis Timber.

"Lots of customers come in the evening when they finish work," said Sim. "I think things will keep getting better in the future."

Travel support for this reporting was provided by OpenLandContracts.org, an initiative of the Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment.

(Reporting By Chris Arsenault, editing by Jo Griffin and Paola Totaro; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
General Khalifa Haftar, commander in the Libyan National Army (LNA), leaves after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

By Maria Tsvetkova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, the dominant figure in the divided country's east, met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday and said he was seeking Moscow's help in his fight against Islamist militants at home.

Haftar, on his second visit to Moscow since the summer, requested military support from the Kremlin in September, according to Russian media. It was unclear on Tuesday if such help would be forthcoming.

"Our relations are crucial, our goal today is to give life to these relations," the TASS news agency quoted Haftar as saying at the start of talks with Lavrov.

"We hope we will eliminate terrorism with your help in the nearest future."

Libya splintered into rival political and armed groupings after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and remains deeply divided between factions based in the east and west that back rival governments and parliaments.

Haftar, who is aligned with the eastern parliament and government, has been fighting a two-year military campaign with his Libyan National Army against Islamists and other opponents in Benghazi and elsewhere in the east.

Many suspect he seeks national power.

Donning a Russian fur hat as he entered the snow-lashed foreign ministry, Haftar told Lavrov he had met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday to tell him about his military needs.

Haftar has received public backing from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and France sent special forces to work alongside Haftar's Libyan National Army earlier this year. Recent military advances by Haftar's forces have boosted his popularity at home.

A U.N. arms embargo in place since 2011 prohibits the transfer of weapons into Libya. Only the country's U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, which Haftar opposes, can bring in weapons and related materiel with the approval of a U.N. Security Council committee.

When asked, the Kremlin did not say whether it might offer Haftar any military support, describing the talks with him as business as usual.

"Moscow is in touch with various Libyan representatives and contacts with Haftar take place as part of this process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

Haftar's allies have previously cultivated ties with Russia, which printed banknotes for an eastern breakaway branch of Libya's central bank.

"We spoke in general," Haftar told reporters after the talks with Lavrov.

"We explained our position with regards to arms supplies. As a great country, Russia respects the arms embargo until it indicates it is an unjust verdict."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for pursuing policies that he said led to civil wars in Libya and Syria. Russia launched a military operation to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last year.

(Additional reporting by Aidan Lewis in Tunis; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Richard Lough)
Dakota Access Pipeline protesters are seen at the Oceti Sakowin campground near the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota in an aerial photo provided by the Morton County Sheriff's Department. Morton County Sheriff's Department/Handout via REUTERS

By Terray Sylvester

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - More than 2,000 U.S. military veterans plan to form a human shield to protect protesters of a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota, organizers said, just ahead of a federal deadline for activists to leave the camp they have been occupying.

It comes as North Dakota law enforcement backed away from a previous plan to cut off supplies to the camp  an idea quickly abandoned after an outcry and with law enforcements treatment of Dakota Access Pipeline protesters increasingly under the microscope.

The protesters have spent months rallying against plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Protesters include various Native American tribes as well as environmentalists and even actors including Shailene Woodley.

State officials issued an order on Monday for activists to vacate the Oceti Sakowin camp, located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, citing harsh weather conditions.

The state's latest decision not to stop cars entering the protest site indicated local officials will not actively enforce Monday's emergency order to evacuate the camp issued by Governor Jack Dalrymple.

Dalrymple warned on Wednesday that it was "probably not feasible" to reroute the pipeline, but said he had requested a meeting with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to rebuild a relationship.

"We need to begin now to talk about how we are going to return to a peaceful relationship, he said on a conference call.

The 1,172-mile (1,885 km) pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE: ETP), is mostly complete, except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, a contingent of more than 2,000 U.S. military veterans, intends to go to North Dakota by this weekend and form a human wall in front of police, protest organizers said on a Facebook page. Organizers could not immediately be reached for comment.

"I figured this was more important than anything else I could be doing, Guy Dull Knife, 69, a Vietnam War Army veteran, told Reuters at the main camp.

Dull Knife, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota, said he has been camping at the protest site for months.

Morton County Sheriff's Office spokesman Rob Keller said in an email his agency was aware of the veterans' plans, but would not comment further on how law enforcement will deal with demonstrators.

Former U.S. Marine Michael A. Wood Jr is leading the effort along with Wesley Clark Jr, a writer whose father is retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, has said on Twitter she will join the protesters on Sunday.

The Army Corps, citing safety concerns, has ordered the evacuation of the primary protest camp by Dec. 5, but said it would not forcibly remove people from the land.

Local law enforcement said on Tuesday they planned a blockade of the camp, but local and state officials later retreated, saying they would only check vehicles for certain prohibited supplies like propane, and possibly issue fines.

Dalrymple on Wednesday said state officials never contemplated forcibly removing protesters and there had been no plans to block food or other supplies from the camp. "That would be a huge mistake from a humanitarian standpoint," he said on the conference call.

He also warned protesters that while emergency responders will try to reach anyone in need, that would be contingent on weather conditions.

Protesters, who refer to themselves as water protectors, have been gearing up for the winter while they await the Army Corps decision on whether to allow Energy Transfer Partners to tunnel under the river. That decision has been delayed twice by the Army Corps.

(Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Writing by Ben Klayman; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Matthew Lewis)
FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549



STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP



Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: December 31, 2014 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * McGurk Monica H (Last) (First) (Middle) 2200 WEST DON TYSON PARKWAY (Street) SPRINGDALE AR 72762 (City) (State) (Zip) 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

TYSON FOODS INC [ TSN ] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer

(Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) EVP, Strategy & New Ventures 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)

11/28/2016 4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Class A Common Stock 11/28/2016 A 9,393.512 A $ 0 9,393.512 D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares Non-Qualified Stock Options (Right to Buy) $ 58.34 11/28/2016 A 40,836 11/28/2017 11/28/2026 Class A Common Stock 40,836.00 $ 58.34 40,836 D Performance Shares 11/28/2016 A 18,787.024 Class A Common Stock 18,787.024 18,787.024 D

Explanation of Responses:

/s/ Monica H. McGurk 11/30/2016 ** Signature of Reporting Person Date Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. * If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v). ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.





Securities and Exchange Commission

450 Fifth Street, NW

Washington, D.C.





To Whom It May Concern:





I, Monica H. McGurk, the undersigned, of 2200 Don Tyson Parkway, Springdale, AR 72762 hereby appoints David L. Van Bebber, R. Read Hudson and Brett Worlow as my true and lawful attorneys in fact, giving to each individually the full power and authority to execute and file on my behalf all forms necessary for reporting my transactions in Tyson Foods, Inc. securities to the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation Forms 3, 4 or 5.





This power of attorney will continue until terminated by me in writing, or until I am no longer required to report my trading activity in Tyson Foods, Inc. securities to the Securities and Exchange Commission.









_______________________________

Monica H. McGurk









STATE OF ARKANSAS )

)

COUNTY OF WASHINGTON )









Before me, the undersigned authority, on this day appeared Monica H. McGurk, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that he/she executed the instrument for the purposes and consideration expressed in the instrument, as the act and deed of Monica H. McGurk.









Given under my hand and seal of office on the 26th day of April, 2016.









_________________________________

Notary Public









My Commission Expires: ______________




SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

November 30, 2016

Commission File No.: 001-37911

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

(Translation of registrants name into English)

Belgium

(Jurisdiction of Incorporation )

Rue Royale, 4th Floor

1000 Brussels, Belgium

(Address of principal executive offices )

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

Form 20-F  Form 40-F

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes No 

THIS REPORT ON FORM 6-K SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN

THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM F-4 (FILE NO. 333-214581) OF

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV AND TO BE A PART THEREOF FROM THE DATE ON

WHICH THIS REPORT IS FURNISHED, TO THE EXTENT NOT SUPERSEDED BY DOCUMENTS

OR REPORTS SUBSEQUENTLY FILED OR FURNISHED.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number Description 99.1 Press release issued 30 November 2016 regarding early participation results of the US exchange offer.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV (Registrant) Dated: November 30, 2016 By: /s/ Jan Vandermeersch Name: Jan Vandermeersch Title: Global Legal Director Corporate

Exhibit 99.1

Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.

Anheuser-Busch InBev Announces

Results of Early Tenders and Consents

in USD Notes Exchange Offers

Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) (Euronext: ABI) (NYSE: BUD) (MEXBOL: ANB) (JSE: ANH) today announced that as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on November 29, 2016 (the Early Participation Date), the aggregate principal amounts listed below of seven series of notes, each issued by one of SABMiller Limited (formerly SABMiller plc), SABMiller Holdings Inc. (Holdings) or FBG Finance Pty Ltd (formerly FBG Finance Limited) (together, SABMiller)(collectively, the SABMiller Notes), had been validly tendered and not withdrawn in connection with AB InBevs previously announced offers to exchange all validly tendered and accepted SABMiller Notes of each such series for new notes issued by Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide Inc. (the Issuer) (collectively, the AB InBev Notes), and the related solicitation of consents to amend the note documents governing the SABMiller Notes. A Registration Statement on Form F-4 (File No. 333-214581) (the Registration Statement) relating to the issuance of the AB InBev Notes was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 14, 2016 but has not yet been declared effective.

Series of SABMiller Notes Offered for Exchange CUSIP/ISIN No. Aggregate Principal Amount

Tendered and Consents

Received as of the Early

Participation Date Percentage of Total

Outstanding Principal

Amount of such Series of

SABMiller Notes Tendered

and Consenting 6.50% Notes due 2018 G77395 AF1 78572M AF2 USG77395AF14 US78572MAF23 $ 626,658,000 89.52% 2.200% Fixed Rate Notes due 2018 78573A AE0 U7787R AF8 US78573AAE01 USU7787RAF83 $ 639,715,000 85.30% Floating Rate Notes due 2018 78573A AG5 U7787R AG6 US78573AAG58 USU77 87RAG66 $ 307,655,000 87.90%

ab-inbev.com 1

Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

Series of SABMiller Notes Offered for Exchange CUSIP/ISIN No. Aggregate Principal Amount

Tendered and Consents

Received as of the Early

Participation Date Percentage of Total

Outstanding Principal

Amount of such Series of

SABMiller Notes Tendered

and Consenting 3.750% Notes due 2022 78573A AA8 U7787R AA9 US78573AAA88 USU7787RAA96 $ 2,336,267,000 93.45 % 6.625% Guaranteed Notes due August 2033 78572MAA3 G77395AA2 US78572MAA36 USG77395AA27 $298,300,000 99.43 % 5.875% Notes due 2035 Q3748T AC3 30239X AD9 USQ3748TAC38 US30239XAD93 $300,000,000 100.00 % 4.950% Notes due 2042 78573A AC4 U7787R AC5 US78573AAC45 USU7787RAC52 $ 1,488,530,000 99.24 %

The exchange offers and consent solicitations (together, the Exchange Offers) commenced on November 14, 2016 and expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 13, 2016 (the Expiration Date), unless extended or terminated. The AB InBev Notes are expected to be issued promptly on or about the third business day following the Expiration Date (the Settlement Date).

The dealer managers for the Exchange Offers relating to the SABMiller Notes are:

BofA Merrill Lynch 214 North Tryon Street, 14th Floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28255 U.S.A. Attention: Liability Management Group By Telephone: (888) 292-0070 (toll-free) (980) 683  3215 (collect) Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. 390 Greenwich Street, 1st Floor New York, NY 10013 U.S.A. Attention: Liability Management Group By Telephone: (800) 558-3745 (toll-free) (212) 723-6106 (collect) Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. 60 Wall Street New York, NY 10005

U.S.A. Attention: Liability Management Group By Telephone: (866) 627-0391 (toll-free) (212) 250-2955 (collect)

ab-inbev.com 2

Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

The exchange agent and information agent for the Exchange Offers relating to the SABMiller Notes is:

Global Bondholder Services

Corporation

By Phone: Bank and Brokers Call Collect: +1 (212) 430-3774 All Others, Please Call Toll-Free: +1 (866) 470-3900 By E-Mail: [email protected] By Mail or Hand:

65 BroadwaySuite 404

New York, New York 10006 ATTN: Corporate Actions

The Exchange Offers are being made pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in AB InBevs prospectus, dated as of November 14, 2016 (the Prospectus), which forms a part of the Registration Statement. Tendered SABMiller Notes, and related consents, may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date and AB InBev may terminate or withdraw the Exchange Offers at any time for any reason.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and is also not a solicitation of the related consents. The Exchange Offers may be made solely pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Prospectus, and the other related materials. A Registration Statement relating to the AB InBev Notes has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The AB InBev Notes may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC.

Security holders are urged to read the exchange offer materials, when available, including the Registration Statement on Form F-4 filed with the SEC, as amended from time to time, the related prospectus, and the other materials related to the proposed exchange offer filed with the SEC, because they contain important information. These and other documents relating to the proposed exchange offer, when they are filed with the SEC, may be obtained, free of charge, on the SECs web site at www.sec.gov, or may be obtained, free of charge, from the Issuer after the exchange offer has been commenced by requesting in writing or by telephone to +1-212-573-4365. A copy of the prospectus for the exchange offers, when prepared, will also be available, free of charge.

There will not be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

ab-inbev.com 3

Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

Any offer of the AB InBev Notes made to holders of the SABMiller Notes which are located or resident in any Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (the Prospectus Directive) will be addressed to holders which are qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive. Any holder that is not a qualified investor, will not be able to participate in the exchange offers.

In the United Kingdom, this press release is only being communicated to, and any other documents or materials relating to the Exchange Offers are only being distributed to and are only directed at, (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom, (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the Order) or (iii) high net worth entities falling within Articles 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons) or to any other person to whom this press release may lawfully be communicated in circumstances where section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 does not apply. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents.

In Australia, this press release is provided by FBG Finance Pty Ltd (formerly FBG Finance Limited) and FBG Treasury (Aust.) Pty Ltd (ABN 80 006 865 738), neither of whom hold, and are not required to hold, an Australian financial services licence. To the extent this press release contains any financial product advice (for the purposes of the Australian Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)), it is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account investors objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any such advice, investors should consider whether the advice is appropriate for their circumstances. Where available, investors should obtain a copy of, and consider this, and any other relevant disclosure documentation, before making any decision to acquire a financial product. No cooling-off regime is available in relation to the offer.

ab-inbev.com 4

Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

Contacts

About Anheuser-Busch InBev

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 400 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois; multi-country brands Becks, Castle, Castle Lite, Hoegaarden and Leffe; and local champions such as Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Chernigivske, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Klinskoye, Michelob Ultra, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, Sibirskaya Korona and Skol. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 200,000 employees based in more than 50 countries worldwide. In 2015, on a combined pro forma basis, AB InBev realized 55.5 billion US dollar in revenues (excluding JVs and associates).

English, Dutch and French versions of this press release will be available on www.ab-inbev.com .

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Press Release Brussels / 30 November 2016 / 1 PM CET

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events and developments of the management of AB InBev and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Forward-looking statements include statements typically containing words such as will, may, should, believe, intends, expects, anticipates, targets, estimates, likely, foresees and words of similar import. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the current views of the management of AB InBev, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties about AB InBev and are dependent on many factors, some of which are outside of AB InBevs control. There are important factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different, including the satisfaction of the conditions to the transactions described herein, the ability to obtain the regulatory approvals related to the transactions and the ability to satisfy any conditions required to obtain such approvals, and the risks relating to AB InBev described under Item 3.D of its Annual Report on Form 20-F (Form 20-F) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 14 March 2016 and the risks described under Risk Factors of the Registration Statement. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. There can be no certainty that the proposed transactions will be completed on the terms described herein or at all.

The forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included elsewhere, including AB InBevs most recent Form 20-F, reports furnished on Form 6-K, AB InBevs Registration Statement on Form F-4 and any other documents that AB InBev or SABMiller Limited (formerly SABMiller plc) have made public. Any forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by AB InBev will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, AB InBev or its business or operations. Except as required by law, AB InBev undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
A five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed the hearing of Panama Leaks case today (Wednesday). During the hearing today PTI questioned the money trail through which the London flats owned by the Prime Ministers children were bought.

The new legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is presenting the case before the bench, after the party's appointed lawyer and senior party leader, Hamid Khan, recused himself from representing the party in the Panama Leaks case taken up by the Supreme Court.

The hearing has been adjourned till December 6.

During the hearing today PTI questioned the money trail through which the London flats owned by the Prime Ministers children were bought.

Naeem Bukhari, lead counsel for PTI who replaced Hamid Khan started off the hearing confidently. On a lighter note he told Justice Azmat Saeed, "It seems like today you will get angry at me."

To which Justice Azmat said, "Please present your case. And do not flatter me."

Bukhari said the prime minister lied in his address to the nation and was involved in tax evasion. He said that Maryam Nawaz is the beneficiary owner of the London flats, adding that the trust deed between Maryam and Hussain Nawaz did not prove much.

Bukhari called for the court to take action against the NAB chairman for failing to perform its duties.

The bench agreed that there were discrepancies in the Prime Ministers speech in the National Assembly and the documents submitted by his children in the court.

Justice Ijaz ul Hassan said that according to documents submitted by the prime minister's children, they invested 12 million Dirhams with the Qatar royal family.

While in his speech the prime minister had said that this investment was used by the Prime Ministers children, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said.

Jeddah factory comes under discussion

Bukhari brought the courts attention to a Jeddah steel mill bought in 2007. He said that the London flats were bought before buying this factory.

Justice Azmat Saeed said that the documents submitted by the prime minister's children only speak about the Dubai steel mill but do not mention where investment for the Jeddah Steel Mill came from. He said that the documents also don't mention that the investment was used to purchase the London flats.

Naeem Bukhari asked if it had been mentioned that loan had been taken from banks for the Jeddah factory.

"How did he get loan from Saudi banks?" Justice Ijaz ul Hassan asked. "How much was the Jeddah factory sold for?"

Bukhari said the Prime Minister claimed that in June 2004 the factory was sold for $17 million. He added that the prime minister had said that he had submitted all documents in the court.

Justice Azmat Saeed said that the documents might be available everywhere but they have not been submitted in the court.

Bukhari said that the London flats were bought between 1993 and 1996.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said that these were the sources of income through which the London flats were bought. He added that in two different documents submitted there were no similarities between signatures of Tariq Shafiq.

Read more: PML-N leaders reject PTI's new evidence on panama leaks case

Naeem Bukhari said that Shahbaz Sharif had forged Tariq Shafiq's signature.

How did Tariq Shafiq transfer money to Qatar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked.

Naeem Bukhari told the court that prime minister had lied and hid evidence, therefore he is neither Sadiq nor Ameen, and should be disqualified.

Jehangir Tareen

Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, PTI leader Jehangir Tareen said today discrepancies in the prime minister's statements were presented in the court.

He said that the prime minister had lied to the nation in his speech in the National Assembly.

Tareen said that when the Dubai mill was sold it was in a loss. The prime minister said that the mill was sold in 2005 and the flats were bought. "However we presented documents to prove that the prime minister's children were using these flats since 2001."

Asad Umer, speaking to journalists said that the government had told so many lies that it was finding it difficult to prove their point. "In the trust deed filed in the court the two offshore companies have not been mentioned," he said.

Fawad Chaudhry, who is PTI's spokesperson for the Panama Leaks case, said that documents submitted by the government show discrepancies in figures and dates.

Talal Chaudhry

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Talal Chaudhry said that changing lawyers will not help PTI win the case. "You have hired an actor as a lawyer," he said.

"Those who want take down Nawaz Sharif will fall themselves," he said.

"If your bio-pic is made you will be embarrassed," he said without naming Imran Khan. "But that film will not be something you can watch with everyone," he added.

Abid Sher Ali asked PTI, "Where are the liars who said they had evidence against the Prime Minister?" He added that the court asks for evidence not newspaper clippings.

Hamid Khan

Speaking to media Hamid Khan had said, After medias campaign against me, it was not possible to continue with the case proceedings.

We lawyers have our own way of presenting a case, which is why I refused to continue with the case, adding that he had informed Imran Khan that he cannot "fight the battle on the media front."

Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali ahead of the hearing said the media should show responsibility over Panama Leaks and that it should be refrained from commenting over the case. He added that the media's comments can affect the case.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday telephoned Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and congratulated him over his appointment as new army chief.

According to sources, Imran Khan extended his best wishes to General Qamar Javed Bajwa for successfully meeting the challenge of countrys defence and security.

Read more: General Bajwa takes charge as Pakistan's 16th army chief

General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who formally took the militarys command yesterday at a ceremony, will face challenges ranging from an increasingly hostile India to the conflict in Afghanistan, threats from militants and Islamic State, and blowback from a Trump presidency.

Also read: Zardari calls Gen Bajwa, congratulates him

He will also take control of the militarys uneasy relationship with the civilian government.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, on his arrival at GHQ on Wednesday, laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and offered Fateha.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army presented guard of honour to formally welcome new COAS in his office.

The new head of Pakistans army took command of the armed forces Tuesday.

In his first comments after assuming charge, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa signaled that the ongoing tensions with India along their frontier will ease soon.

Read more: General Bajwa takes charge as Pakistan's 16th army chief

"The situation at the Line of Control will hopefully improve soon," he told reporters after the change of command ceremony.

Bajwa was installed at a ceremony in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, replacing Gen. Raheel Sharif, who stepped down after completing his three-year term.
So now President-elect Donald Trump wants to strip citizenship rights from anyone burning an American flag and subject them to a year in jail. What is this? The 1980s?

Trump apparently woke up Tuesday morning and decided that weighing in on settled law would be a good idea. He reached for his smartphone and, before the sun was up, tweeted, Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

By sheer coincidence, Fox News was about to do a segment on a protest at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. The college had forbidden the flying of all flags after someone burned one in protest of Trumps presidential victory.

So a stupid, but legal, decision by a small college in reaction to a stupid, but legal, decision by an individual prompted the president-elect of the United States to make a stupid, but legal, comment on social media.

Trump has an absolute gift for the inflammatory and distracting. Whether he has similar gifts for governance remains an open question. His notion of coercive, court-enforced patriotism is downright frightening.

The U.S. Supreme Court has twice ruled that burning a flag is a protected form of free speech. The first time was in 1989. When Congress reacted by passing a law outlawing flag burning, the high court in 1990 said the law was unconstitutional.

In both cases, Justice Antonin Scalia  the jurist whose views Trump says his Supreme Court nominees will reflect  voted with the majority. Scalia, who died in February, was a First Amendment absolutist.

Scalia took some heat over his flag-burning decisions but never backed down. Three months before his death, in an appearance at Princeton University, he said, If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy-bearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not king.

The court also ruled in 1967 that stripping someone of his citizenship rights cannot be used as a form of criminal punishment.

So as loathsome as flag-burning might be  and we agree that it is  it is a protected form of speech. The First Amendment was inspired by the great thinkers of the Enlightenment. One of them, the French philosopher known as Voltaire, is often credited with saying, I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

In fact it was his biographer, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, summarizing his views in 1906. But the point stands. Trump has capitalized on it. As an individual, he has a right to his views, however ill-informed or inflammatory. As the leader of the free world, he will need some restraint.
Pakistan cannot have bullet trains, even though this was one of the ruling partys election promises, Khawaja Saad Rafique told the National Assembly on Tuesday. When we asked the Chinese about it, they laughed at us. We should consider the 160kmph train under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a bullet train. We cant afford an actual bullet train, theres no market for it, the railway minister said.

Admitting that their party had faced a lot of criticism over not launching the project, he said that the country didnt have enough money to build one. Even if we do, we dont have such a big range of upper and middle class passengers who will buy tickets.

In an articulate speech on the floor of the house, Mr Rafique gave members a comprehensive overview of the performance of his department and insisted that he was doing as much as possible to clean up the department and turn it into a profit-making entity.

Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan are not prepared to turn over railway land to the Pakistan Railways, preventing the department from using them to generate more revenue, he told the house.

The biggest problem with railway lands across the country is that they are owned by the provincial governments while being under the possession of Pakistan Railways. The provinces are not prepared to turn over these lands to us, despite a Supreme Court order to do so, he said.

There isnt a chief minister I havent pleaded with over the past three-and-a-half years. Except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which turned over 90pc of such lands to us, the other provinces have not handed us a single marla.

How can we commercially exploit land whose title doesnt belong to us? he asked.

However, he clarified that land that was occupied by traditional dwellers or slum residents would not be touched. How can we displace those people; where will they go? he said, while vowing to act strictly against those who used railway land for commercial purposes.

He claimed 1,017 acres of land had been retrieved from encroachments during his tenure.

Although the minister was supposed to respond to a motion regarding the non-utilisation of lands of Railways in the country, he covered nearly all aspects of his department in his detailed remarks.

Narrating his experience of negotiating with the Chinese over projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the minister said that things were not as rosy as they appeared to be.

We will not buy a pen worth Rs2 for Rs10, not while I am heading this department, he said, explaining that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had been asked to fund the Lahore-Peshawar section.

Our Chinese friends have expressed their displeasure, but weve made it clear that we have the discretion. They should limit themselves to the Karachi-Lahore track, we will dualise the [up-country] tracks with the ADB, he said.

Accusing previous administrations of mismanaging Pakistan Railways affairs, he detailed all the ills of the department he inherited  from adulterated and substandard food in dining cars to the practice of removing original parts from locomotives or cannibalising carriages to fix damaged bogies.

Although his predecessor Ghulam Ahmad Bilour was in the house when Mr Rafique began his remarks, the ANP member left the assembly once the minister began to take aim at his track-record.

Talking about the Karachi circular railway, he said that the project was wrongly distributed between the various governments, given that the bulk of the financial burden had been placed on the federal government. Were having problems running a national railway network; how can you expect us to build intra-city systems? Across the world, metros and local trains are run by independent authorities.

Yes, state institutions must operate with a certain amount of losses, but it must break even.

He also lamented that all trains are repaired manually. We are looking to move towards greater automation of this process, which will help curtail human error and accidental deaths.
South Korea's scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye says she is ready to resign, asking parliament to pave the way for a safe transfer of power.

The surprise announcement on Tuesday was however rejected offhandedly by the opposition which said it was Park's latest attempt to fend off impeachment efforts.

The South Korean leader has faced massive street protests in recent weeks amid prosecution claims that a corrupt confidante wielded government power from the shadows.

"I will leave to parliament everything about my future including shortening of my term," Park said in a brief televised speech on Tuesday.

"I will step down from my position according to the law once a way is formed to pass on the administration in a stable manner that will also minimize political unrest and vacuum after ruling and opposition parties' discussion," she added.

The main opposition Democratic Party described it as a ploy to delay impeachment proceedings, saying it would continue efforts to bring an impeachment motion in parliament that was planned for Friday.

"She is handing the ball to parliament, when she could simply step down," Park Kwang-on, a Democratic Party lawmaker said.

"She is asking the parliament to pick a date for her to resign, which she knows would lead to a discussion on when to hold the presidential election and delay everything," he added.

While Park has apologized for the influence-peddling scandal involving her long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil, she has defied demands for her resignation.

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have staged rallies in Seoul each Saturday for the last five weeks, urging Park to quit.

Choi has been detained for fraud and abuse of power. She stands accused of interference in government affairs, despite lacking any official position in Parks administration.

Choi allegedly used her close ties with Park to coerce donations from large companies to non-profit foundations which she set up and used for personal gain.

Prosecutors named Park, who has immunity from prosecution while in office, as an accomplice in the case but she has denied the accusations.

"Not even for a moment did I pursue my own gains and I have lived without one iota of self-interest," Park said on Tuesday.

Parks approval rating has plunged to a record low for a sitting president, with her top advisers and a number of the most powerful corporations in the nation also caught up in the swelling scandal.

Lawmakers from the conservative ruling party have also called on Park to "honorably" resign rather than face impeachment.

Park would be the first South Korean president to resign since the current democratic system was implemented in 1987.

If Park resigns or is impeached, a presidential election must be held within the following 60 days, with the prime minister leading the country in the interim.
German police have arrested a domestic intelligence agent over suspicion of planning a bomb attack on the agencys main office.

According to the countrys weekly Der Spiegel and daily Die Welt on Tuesday, the 51-year-old German national had been planning an attack on the Bundesverfassungsschutz (BfV) headquarters in Cologne, since April.

Der Spiegel also noted that the suspect had partially admitted to the allegations being brought against him.

The reports also said that he had been spreading the agencys confidential information online.

A spokesman for the BfV noted that the man has been accused of making Takfiri statements on the internet under a false name, but refrained from giving details of his position in the agency and the bomb plot.

The man behaved inconspicuously during his employment process, training and in his area of responsibility," added the spokesman.

Over the past few months Germany has upped its surveillance of potential militant groups and persons following two attacks claimed by Daesh.

According to the BfV, Germany is the home of around 40,000 radicalized militants.

Security officials have warned about the possibility that attacks could be linked to the issue of refugees. Germany has let in nearly a million refugees since the influx of refugees into Europe began in 2015.
The Brattle Group's findings conflict with other business and activist groups that are calling for lawmakers to oppose Exelon's proposed bailout plan.

Todays report clearly underscores that the Quad Cities and Clinton nuclear plants ensure Illinois significant advantage in electric competitiveness, said Rob Karr, President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. The report provides further evidence that the Future Energy Jobs Bill should be enacted, as it protects jobs and competitive electric rates for businesses and consumers.

CHICAGO  Without the Quad Cities and Clinton nuclear plants in Illinois, consumers would pay $364 million more annually and over $3.1 billion more over the next ten years (on a present value basis) in electricity costs. Annually, this equates to $115 million in savings for residential customers and $249 million in savings for commercial and industrial customers, according to a new study conducted by economists at global consulting firm The Brattle Group.

The study was sponsored by leading Illinois business organizations, including the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

The group reports that Quad Cities and Clinton nuclear plants:

Avoid 15 million tons of CO2 emissions annually over the next five years, valued at $657 million per year. This is the equivalent of taking 3.2 million cars off the road.

Avoid significant amounts of criteria pollutants annually, valued at $109 million per year over the next five years.

Create a broader benefit to the Illinois economy. By keeping electricity prices lower, these nuclear plants leave residential, commercial, and industrial consumers with more money to spend on other goods and services, which boosts overall economic activity in Illinois, including jobs, GDP, and tax revenues.

Todays report clearly underscores that the Quad Cities and Clinton nuclear plants ensure Illinois significant advantage in electric competitiveness, said Rob Karr, President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. The report provides further evidence that the Future Energy Jobs Bill should be enacted, as it protects jobs and competitive electric rates for businesses and consumers.

The bill would also bring additional benefits to businesses in Illinois, including:

Increasing funding for energy assessments, cash incentives for retrofits and new equipment, technical services and whole-building solutions, helping more than 60,000 medium and large businesses every year.

Dedicating 6 percent of all efficiency funding to an emerging technology fund that powers innovation in delivering efficiency products & services, allowing Illinois to invest in the next generation of energy efficiency technology and setting the stage for future businesses to grow.

Clearly, the Future Energy Jobs bill provides incentives that attract businesses to the state, as well as the opportunity for businesses to better compete in the global economy and reinvest in their operations, said Omar Duque, President and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The additional benefits that the bill provides, by keeping the Quad Cities and Clinton plants open, are all the more reason that policymakers should move swiftly to ensure that the Future Energy Jobs bill is enacted.

The study conducted by the Brattle Group clearly outlines the severe cost of inaction if the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants close, said Michael Reever, Vice President, Government Relations, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Businesses across the Chicagoland area continue to face a number of challenges and they can least afford the increases documented in this report. We hope Springfield can come together to keep electricity prices reasonable, which remains one of the bright spots for businesses across the state.
Wednesday morning, news leaked that after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at his New York offices last week, the 2016 World Champions' Ricketts was open to the opportunity to serve the incoming commander-in-chief.

CHICAGO - Chicago Cubs' co-owner Todd Ricketts has been chosen to serve the Trump Administration as deputy Commerce Secretary under billionaire Wilbur Ross.

At a Republican luncheon in Lombard Monday, Ricketts spoke with POLITICO Illinois' Natasha Korecki about the possible invitation.

"The reality is, it was an honor to be invited to interview. If something comes of it, that's great. If nothing happens, I still will have felt honored to be part of the process," Ricketts told POLITICO Illinois. "We had a really good conversation but nothing was set in stone. A thousand things can happen, so we'll wait and see. We'll wait until it's all officially, official, official."

Evidently, it's all "officially, official, official" Wednesday morning.

What can America expect with Todd Ricketts involved in the Commerce Department?

Ricketts told Korecki economic growth is needed immediately, starting with reform in three key areas: taxes, Dodd-Frank and Obamacare.
Police hold serious concerned for the wellbeing and safety of an Otorohanga teenager whos been missing for nearly a week.

Waihanea Maaka, 14, was last seen outside Otorohanga College on Thursday, November 24.

Police say when Waihanea was last seen she was wearing her school uniform under a grey and black hoodie and was also carrying a Jordan school bag.

Anyone who has seen Waihanea or has any information that will help police locate the missing 14-year is asked to contact Constable Ian Lawrence at Otorohanga Police on 07-873-7399.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Id heard that a supervillain is planning to blow up Santa during the Tauranga Trustpower Christmas Parade on Saturday.

Where is Batman when you need him?

Suspecting BOP Film are at it again, I went to find out whats going on at Richard Parkers creative hideout in Windermere. He was chatting to one of his minions.

"I built this minion just because I wanted to," he smiles. "Out of timber frame, MDF, plastic pipe, polystyrene. It took quite a few hours.

Although not wanting to be distracted from hunting for the evil Joker, I wondered if the minion will get lonely. No problem as Richard plans to build another one.

We walk through his workshop past giant ice cream tubs, ice cream carts, strange-looking objects and a beach bar for Hawaiian evenings. Richard built them all.

Suddenly around the corner, - a batmobile! Made out of a jet ski?

Richard makes floats at his Black Chilli workshop for the Tauranga Santa parade.

Last year he made Elsa and the Mad Hatter.

"This year I wanted to make one for the boys," says Richard. "I was donated the jet ski shell."

It was written-off and yellow, and took Richard, using limited funds and resources about five months to complete.

"An hour here. An hour there," says Richard. "The biggest problem Ive had is theres never been a Batman with a jet ski but of course if Batman was in Tauranga hed have to have a jet ski. I had to design this from the ground up.

While we wandered on past two-storey high cylinders, I wondered if hed heard that The Joker planned to blow up Santa on Saturday.

Unperturbed by diabolical plots, Richard points out how creative people building parade floats need space.

"I build anything," says Richard.

"Props, furniture, shop fittings. Anything really that people want thats somewhat out of the ordinary.

He seems unaware theres also plenty of room here for the villain to hide out.

Black Chilli, his manufacturing side builds equipment for his other company Elite Event Hire.

I try and focus on the facts while I keep a sharp eye out for evil villains bent on destroying the world.

Anyone can bring me a design or a photograph, he says. There is a wide variety of what I do.

Richard in his Black Chilli workshop with two of his creations.

Last year he made the giant Christmas gift boxes down Devonport Road and the Pop Up Park. He also built the giant stamp for the Innovator of the Year award for Woods Creative. Woods had the inspiration and brought him the drawings.

They asked me - can you make this? he recalls. The more difficult it is the better in some ways. Thats my angle on it, I just enjoy designing and making anything.

Arriving from England 10 years ago, he had a company in the UK that built bespoke furniture, and wanted a change.

This is a step a little bit further along from that, he says. We would build for corporate customers, big receptions, anything that was a little bit different furniture-wise, thats what wed do.

This is probably a bit more interesting, as you dont get big corporates asking for giant snow and batmobiles. Its using the principles you have and adapting them into something else.

Tauranga is the first place he came to, and he loves it.

Ive had a look around New Zealand, but this is a really, really cool place to be, he says. Theres a lot going on and in the ten years Ive been here, theres big changes. Theres a lot more people here and a huge amount of creativity.

If I was going to say to somebody in the UK that Im going to build a batmobile, they would be yeah? oh yeah but whereas here, people are like, - cool! Its a different attitude. Theres an awful lot of creative people here. I dont know whether its the atmosphere, what it is I dont know, but theres definitely something in New Zealand that allows you to be creative. And you get support for that creativity.

Richard is now involved in BOP Film.

I have high hopes for that because I think BOP Film is going to go places, says Richard. Because it is film, a lot of it is fantasy, so a lot of it comes from imagination.

Anton Steel (BOP Film) with Richard and Jannine Bishop (BOP Film).

We look around imagining the dragons and fantasy creatures of the future. Im sure the Joker is hiding behind a barrel. He must have been tipped off by now. My imagination is running wild.

I dread to think whats going to be in here, says Richard. In fact I get people calling in to see whats happening, and they drop off stuff to me to make things out of. Theres going to be a lot of interesting work with BOP Film. Its just fortunate that its all happening at the same time.

Hes looking forward to working with more people, skilled in polystyrene, sculpting, foam coating, lighting, and the artistic side of things.

Im interested in animatronics, making things move. I hope we can get some of the local youngsters involved. It could be a dragon, or it could be anything. And I want to take it as far as possible.

We return to his office. Under the door, theres a note with the words I am in Tauranga right now and I heard people talking about the parade on Saturday!! You guys obviously arent taking me seriously!!! If you insist on having fun then you know what will happen!!

Its signed The Joker.

Richard in his workshop.
A weak area of low pressure forms over New Zealand today in amongst a large area of weak high pressure which stretches north, east, west and south of the country.

For the upper North Island expect sunny spells for Northland, a few showers pass through the Waikato in the morning then move into Auckland and the Bay Of Plenty for a time.

Showers about Auckland may be fairly brief, for the Bay Of Plenty one or two may become heavy then easing in the evening. Winds generally from the west.

See what Taurangas weather is going to do today by watching the latest weather report from Rosalie Liddle Crawford.
Councillors and staff from three councils are among the mourners who will be attending Ngati Pukengas Te Whetu marae over coming days for the tangi of Te Awanuiarangi Black.

Awanuiarangi passed away in Tauranga Hospital last night after a short illness.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor, Awanuiarangi is also known to the Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City councils, underscoring his recognition in both the Maori and Pakeha worlds.

He was a leader within the community in that he was able to move in both worlds, interacting with the people and the knowledge that he has to advise councils, says chairman of the Tauranga City Council Tangata Whenua/City Council Committee Huikakahu Kawe.

This was endorsed by the people and I think there were many benefits towards the council in terms of understanding things of tikanga, but also in terms of issues they were dealing with.

Selected as a young person to be educated in traditional knowledge, Awanuiarangi was faithful in not only representing his hapu, but also the wider Tauranga Moana and marae around Aotearoa.

He had national respect, says Huikakahu.

Its definitely a sad loss for Maoridom. A lot of young people he put a lot of teaching in. He was only a young man but he had a lot of knowledge and wisdom of the elders.

He was chosen as a young person and achieved all that knowledge and so he was faithful to that knowledge not just in representing his hapu Ngti Pukenga, but the wider Tauranga Moana, and well respected on all the marae here and many of the marae around Aotearoa.

He had national respect, especially in the last three years in terms of the land wars and the commemorations of Pukehinahina and Te Ranga in Tauranga.

Awanuiarangi co-wrote the haka for the 150th pukehinahina commemoration.

The haka describes the lead up to the battle itself, the code of conduct and acknowledge some of the leading figures, before talking about the confiscations and finishes by accentuating the hope for the future.

A Radio NZ interview with Awanuiarangi about the Pukehinahina haka is here.

He was leading the young men of the new generation to stand up and understand who they were and all those sort of things, says Huiikakahu.

He gave them a sense of belonging, an identity. He helped them to raise their sights to understanding who they really were to stand tall, proud; those sort of things.

It will be a big loss in terms that he had many years ahead of home.

Former Tauranga Mayor and current regional councillor Stuart Crosby also respected Awanuirangi Blacks place in both worlds.

Our paths have crossed on many occasions and at many events. He was very much a leader in the community not just the Maori community, but in the community.

My reflection is he was very much a learner and educationalist and one of those people able to cross over from the Maori world to non-Maori world and explain.

He was a very powerful presence in a marae situation. To see him speak was incredible really.

Awanuiarangi was a strong advocate for the "Homai Te Ra" campaign to make an official commemoration day for the New Zealand Wars.

He also ensured a Maori presence on the Toi Moana-Bay of Plenty Regional Council, pushing for compulsory Maori seats, reports Maori Television.

Awanuiarangi Black was a commissioner at Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori (Maori Language Commission) and lecturer at Te Wananga o Raukawa with a keen knowledge of Maori history and culture.

He was also one of the contributing writers of He Pataka Kupu the first comprehensive monolingual Maori language dictionary.

He established the Tutara Kauika kapa haka group in 1992 with a dream to revitalising te reo Maori and the histories of Tauranga Moana.

In 2015 he led his group as the first Tauranga Moana team from the Mataatua regionals to Te Matatini kapa haka nationals in Christchurch.

He was part of the treaty negotiations group Te Au Maro o Ngati Pukenga covering areas in Tauranga Moana, Hauraki, Maketu and Whangarei from 2005-2011, and stood as a Maori Party candidate for the Tauranga General seat in the 2011 New Zealand General Elections.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell is shattered at the premature passing of the iwi leader and tribal ambassador.

Te Awanuiarangi was driven by an internal fire, burning within, which compelled him to make a difference in every sphere of his life.

I loved him dearly, and I cannot believe he is no longer with us. As I prepare to go to the Iwi Chairs Forum today, Im truly devastated to be carrying the loss of someone so precious with me into a gathering where I know many will be absolutely distraught by his death.

Awanui had the courage and the commitment to stand and represent his people wherever he heard the call. He was a champion of so many things for our people and I could never comprehend how he managed to be in so many places at the same time, says Te Ururoa.

But as diverse and comprehensive as the scope of his work was, today we feel particularly for all those who loved him as a Papa, a partner, a brother, a son.

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says the party was very proud that Te Awanuiarangi chose to stand for it in 2008 and 2011, both for the Tauranga electorate, and on the list.

He was an ardent supporter, an energetic party strategist and an enthusiastic ideator, always creating new scenarios and policy ideas to take the campaign in new directions.

I knew of his remarkable reputation in education long before I met him.

Im sure that in the national gathering of iwi leaders over these next few days, therell be much sadness at the loss of someone so instrumental in advancing iwi opportunities across so many sectors.

Te Ururoa says the Maori Party wept particularly for his darling daughter Parearau, who worked for him and for Dr Pita Sharples for many years, in the early years of the party.

Parearau and her brothers and sisters are very much in our hearts as we mourn the loss of this amazing man. We know their father will be forever cherished not only in the legacy he leaves but also in the distinctive ways he has shaped their character and their passion for life. Our love goes out to them all at this time of such sadness.

Te Awanuiarangis extensive contribution to te ao Maori included:

Te Reo Maori:

Serving as a commissioner on Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (Maori Language Commission)

Being a writer of He Pataka Kupu, the first comprehensive monolingual Maori language dictionary

Authoring language revitalisation plans for his iwi

Composing traditional literature and promoting and preserving te reo Maori in every setting, particularly his own home and marae

Facilitating the new Maori language entity for Te Matawai for the Bay of Plenty

Education:

Lecturing and coordinating Maori medium teacher education at Te Wananga o Raukawa in Otaki

Lecturering at the Waikato Tainui College for Research and Development and Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Being a leader of Nga Kaikokiri Matauranga Iwi Advocate for Education which was mandated by 57 iwi  all whom were actively engaged in education activities. Nga Kaikokiri Matauranga was subsequently adopted by the Iwi Leaders Forum to progress the education stream.

Sharing his extensive knowledge generously, whether it was about Matariki, the history of land occupation at Welcome Bay or general proposals for changing the world for the better

Local government:

Elected member of Bay of Plenty Regional Council for the 10th Triennium 2016  2019; and being chair of the councils Komiti Maori

Chair of Te Moana a Toi Leaders Forum (representative for Ngati He, Maungatapu on the Ngai Te Rangi Trust)

Elected member for Mauao Maori constituency in which he led the special Memorandum of Understanding between Tauranga City Council and the historic mountain reserve Mauao

He was also influential in the regional councils integration of tikanga Maori and was behind the councils adoption of its Maori name, Toi Moana.

Other:
Theres no doubting the prestige of Hermes in the pantheon of luxury fashion houses and the iconic French company have now partnered with Italian supercar makers Pagani to create an ultra special version of the Pagani Huayra.

As well as designing the seats and the H-pattern outer aeration grills in its famous leather, Hermes has also rolled out special travel bags to match the style and power of the car itself. Furthermore, the fashion label also threw in a matching Birkin bag to the package.

The special edition, which was created for entrepreneur and car enthusiast Manny Khoshbin. Comes with a unique set of aerodynamics, suspension, exhaust and slightly larger set of wheels, all of which are a part of the bespoke Tempesta package of the brand.

Earlier this year, Pagani unveiled the latest version of its Huayra model, called the Huayra BC, at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

Pagani Automobili S.p.A was founded in 1992 and is based in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy. The brands first ever model, the Zonda C12, was first presented at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show.
The website, www.BossMadigan.com is "the next step in building on the Illinois GOPs successful 2016 strategy of linking legislative candidates to Mike Madigan."

SPRINGFIELD - On the heels of Mike Madigan's decision to skip Tuesday's leaders meeting and double down on blocking any progress in the state legislature, the Illinois Republican Party launched a new website "to highlight how a small group of politicians is allowing Speaker Madigan to hold Illinois back," a press release said.

Illinoisans are fed up with Mike Madigan and the old, failed tactics of the past, said Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe. Sadly, Mike Madigan is blinded by his desire for power and appears more committed than ever to driving Illinois into the ground. Now is the time for rank-and-file Democrats to show they care more about the people of Illinois than Mike Madigan.

The first blog entry focuses on three Democrat state reps to which the ILGOP partially attributes Speaker Madigan's decades-long power - Brandon Phelps, Sam Yingling and Jerry Costello. All three faced stiff GOP challenges in the General Election. The blog challenges all three to defy the Speaker and vote for another Democrat leader other than Madigan in the upcoming legislative session.

Illinois Republicans gained six seats in the state legislature on Election Day. In the days, weeks and months ahead, the press release says, the website will serve as the hub for a multi-media campaign that will hold the politicians responsible for Mike Madigan accountable.




In May, those same 15 lawmakers went along with the Democrats' plan for automatic voter registration, but changed their positions after Republican Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the legislation.

SPRINGFIELD - With the help of 15 Republican House members, Illinois dramatically stepped back Tuesday in Springfield from the Democrats' effort to set the path for non-citizens to register to vote.

State Senator Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods set out his concerns about the proposal after the Illinois Senate voted to override the governor's veto, saying the legislation was problematic.

Under this proposal, non-citizens will be automatically registered to vote and then perhaps later removed from the rolls. If a non-citizen is registered and the state fails to remove that person in a timely fashion, they will get a voter card in the mail and likely believe they can legally vote. And if they do vote, they will be committing a felony," he said.

Tuesday, the attempt to override Governor Rauner's veto in the Illinois House failed by four votes, gathering only 67 "yes" votes of the needed 71, stopping the effort's move forward.

Two Democrat House members moved from "Yes" to "Not voting" - Anthony DeLuca and Sonya Harper.

Thirteen Republican House members that moved from "yes" votes in May to "no" votes this week were: Bennett, Bryant, Davidsmeyer, Demmer, Hammond, Hays, Jimenez, McAuliffe, Moffitt, Pritchard, Sullivan, Tryon and Unes. Two GOP members - Barbara Wheeler and Keith Wheeler - moved from "Not voting" to "Nos."




Statetower.jpg

State Tower Building, 109 Warren St., Syracuse

(Rick Moriarty)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A real estate company run by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, recently sold Syracuse's tallest building at a $3.7 million loss.

Kushner's father, New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner, bought the 21-story State Tower Building at 109 S. Warren St. in 1986 for $9.1 million, three times more than a previous owner paid in 1982. At the time, Charles Kushner told The Post-Standard he and his partner Joel Seiden got a good deal because the iconic art deco office building had a "tremendous amount of intrinsic value."

Charles Kushner served two years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2005 to making illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering.

Jared Kushner now oversees the family's real estate business, Kushner Cos., and serves as its CEO.

Kushner Cos. and other partners sold the building for $5.4 million in March to Pioneer Cos. of Syracuse, which is spending $22.5 million to transform its top 13 floors into apartments. Kushner Cos. still lists the State Tower Building as one of its properties on the real estate firm's website.

Mark Roney, Pioneer's chief financial officer, said Kushner Cos. was the building's majority owner.

Jared Kushner speaks at the groundbreaking for Trump Bay Street, a luxury 50-floor waterfront apartment tower in Jersey City in this 2014 file photo.

Jared Kushner was not directly involved in the sale of the State Tower Building, but signed all the papers involved in the transaction, Roney said.

Kushner's local partners in the State Tower Building included architect Tony Fiorito and Syracuse property owners and real estate developers Robert Kelly and William Dutch.

Roney said the Kushner Cos. representatives he dealt with were "very upfront and very professional."

Kushner Cos. did not return a reporter's phone calls.

Jared Kushner, 35, is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka. Under his leadership, Kushner Cos. has completed more than $14 billion in transactions and $7 billion in acquisitions since 2007, according to the company's website. He also owns the New York Observer, a New York City weekly newspaper.

Pioneer began negotiating to buy the State Tower in September of 2015.

Charles Kushner's acquisition of the building was an unusual property deal. A limited partnership headed by Syracuse lawyer Edward Green bought the building for $2.7 million in 1982. The partnership sold it to Lloyd Equities Ltd. of New York City for $6.665 million on Sept. 22, 1986. Hours later that same day, Lloyd turned around and sold it to Kushner and his partner for another $2.435 million.

Why did Kushner sell it at a $3.7 million loss?

John Clark of Pyramid Brokerage, which helped Kushner sell the building, said real estate prices reflect changing market conditions. "Commercial properties go up and down in value," he said. "The sales price is whatever the market will bear."

In 1988, Charles Kushner also tried unsuccessfully to buy the 20-story MONY Towers, now known as AXA Towers, in downtown Syracuse.

Jared Kushner played a key role in the Trump campaign and designed its digital media strategy. He is expected to be one of Trump's closest advisers in the White House. Trump recently said Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, could broker a peace deal between Israel and Palestine.

Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245
Blog_Raymond Campagna Jr.JPG

Raymond Campagna Jr.

(Cayuga County Sheriff's Office)

AUBURN, N.Y. - An Auburn man has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and other charges stemming from an April crash that killed a 1-month-old boy, the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office announced.

Raymond Campagna Jr., 37, of Auburn killed Kasey Potter when his vehicle crossed over the middle line on Route 34 in Cayuga County and hit a pickup truck the baby was riding in at about 1 a.m. April 9. Kasey died; his parents - Dakota Potter, 18, and Kirsten Foisia-Burgman, 20 - survived.

Campagna pleaded guilty in court Tuesday morning to aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, according to the DA's office.

The agreed upon sentence is to five to 20 years in prison on the homicide charge, four to 12 years for the vehicular assault, six months for the DWI and a fine for reckless driving. The sentences will be served concurrently, according to the attorney's office.

Kirsten Foisia-Burgman, left, and Dakota Potter, right, take a photo with their newborn baby, Kasey Potter. Kasey was killed in April when Raymond Campagna Jr. crashed into the couple's car while driving drunk.

Campagna's license has been revoked, and when he is released from prison he will be on probation for five years with an ignition interlock device, according to the attorney's office.

His official sentencing date is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2017.

Reporter Kira Maddox covers crime and safety for Syracuse.com. She can be reached anytime: Email | Facebook | Twitter
Blog_Erie Blvd crash 6.JPG

A vehicle rolled over Wednesday morning on Erie Boulevard East, snapping a utlity pole and knocking over a sign in front of AutoCrafting Mobility Solutions in Syracuse.

(Kira Maddox)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A driver who crashed her vehicle on Erie Boulevard East Wednesday, snapping a utility pole, may have blacked out while driving, according to the Syracuse Police Department.

A utility pole was left snapped in half after a Toyota van crashed into it Wednesday morning. Police believe the driver, Colleen Gross, may have blacked out while she was driving.

Colleen Gross, 38, of Syracuse was driving west along the 2100 block of Erie Boulevard East at approximately 8:35 a.m. when she suffered severe back pain, said Syracuse Police Sgt. David Sackett, a spokesman for the police department. Police think she may have blacked out.

Gross lost control of her red, 2015 Toyota van, crashing into the utility pole, Sackett said.

The Toyota rolled over, landing on its side. Police had to break out the back window to free Gross, Sackett said.

Gross was taken by American Medical Response to Upstate University Hospital for minor back pain and contusions.

A portion of Erie Boulevard East was closed from Beattie to Bruce streets as authorities worked to clear the crash. The road was reopened before 11:30 a.m.

Reporter Kira Maddox covers crime and safety for Syracuse.com. She can be reached anytime: Email | Facebook | Twitter
Blog_Erie Blvd crash 3.JPG

National Grid responded to Erie Boulevard East to fix a split utility pole Wednesday morning. A vehicle had rolled over and crashed Wednesday morning, causing temporary road closures in the area.

(Kira Maddox | syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An earlier rollover crash that closed a portion of Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse has been cleared, with traffic moving normally through the area.

A witness in the area said the portion of Erie Boulevard East from Beattie to Bruce Streets that had been blocked off by Syracuse police cars earlier Wednesday morning has been reopen.

A one-vehicle crash was reported in the area at approximately 8:40 a.m. in front of AutoCrafting Mobility Solutions.

A vehicle had rolled over along the boulevard, crashing into a nearby utility pole and taking out a business sign. The pole was snapped in half, and the sign was crushed.

The Syracuse Police Department, the Syracuse Fire Department and an American Medical Response ambulance responded to the accident, as well as National Grid to fix the broken pole.

The street was open again for normal traffic by at least 11:20 a.m.

Only minor injuries were reported, said Sgt. David Sackett, a spokesman for the Syracuse Police Department. More information should be released later today, he said.

Erie Boulevard East closed a second time Wednesday morning only a few blocks away at 2803 Erie Boulevard East around 10 a.m. Syracuse firefighters were responding to a fire at a vacant health center.

It is unknown if that has been cleared for traffic at this time.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Authorities have identified a boy

who was hit by a car earlier this week

while crossing an exit ramp on Interstate 81 near Destiny USA.

Syracuse police said officers responded at 7:37 p.m. Sunday to I-81 south at the Hiawatha Boulevard exit ramp for a report of a child hit by a vehicle.

Kevious Jones, 12, of Syracuse, was coming from Destiny USA with several other boys, police said. When the boys crossed over the exit ramp Jones was hit. Police said the driver of the car, John Ballou, did not see the youths crossing until the last second.

Jones was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition. On Tuesday police said he was in fair condition.

Police said officers in the department's Traffic Section are continuing to investigate.
BREWERTON, N.Y. -- Onondaga County's top cop is going for a little dip.

Sheriff Gene Conway announced that he will join sheriff's deputies and other members of law enforcement participating in the 10th annual Oneida Shores Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics New York.

Hundreds of people, many in costumes, are expected to turn out this Sunday to wade into the freezing water at Oneida Shores County Park.

The Polar Plunge in Onondaga County is one of several similar events that take place around the state to raise about $1 million a year for more than 67,000 athletes who train and compete year round in 22 Olympic-style sports. Each athlete costs about $400 for season but neither they or their family is charged to participate.

So far teams participating in the Oneida Shores Polar Plunge event have raised about $40,000 of a $105,000 goal. Conway's team, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, is trying to raise $3,000.

Polar Plunge activities start at 10 a.m. Sunday. The actual plunge is at 1 p.m.
Todd and Mark Wathen, the gay couple who filed a complaint with the state's Human Rights Commission against the owners of an Illinois breakfast and breakfast, have prevailed again in a battle pitting religious freedom and the right of conscience against the gay rights agenda.

Owners of the family-run Timber Creek Bed & Breakfast in Paxton, Illinois are Christians whose faith defines marriage as a sacred union between one man and one woman. As a result, they politely declined Todd and Mark Wathen's "request" to have their 2011 gay wedding ceremony held at their bed and breakfast. Mark and Todd subsequently filed a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, which is composed of unelected individuals appointed by the Governor. The Commission found the bed and breakfast guilty and ordered them to pay $80,000 in damages and legal fees and to violate their religious beliefs and conscience and allow gay couples to use their business for gay marriage ceremonies and/or receptions.

Last year an administrative judge ruled in favor of the Human Right Commission, and earlier this month a three-member panel of the Commission sided with the judge.

On Tuesday, attorneys with the left-wing American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which represents the Todd and Mark Wathens, claimed the decision is a clear interpretation of Illinois law, whether applied to civil unions or marriage.

The commissions decision once again sends a clear message that denying couples the use of a public wedding venue in Illinois because they are gay or lesbian is simply not permitted, said ACLU director John Knight.

Jason Craddock, an attorney for the Timber Creek owners, said he plans to fight the decision and was not surprised by the panel's move. If necessary he intends to take the case beyond the agency to an Illinois appellate court.

Were going through all the steps, Craddock said, adding that the owners have been punished for living out their faith.
ROME, NY - Rome police are asking for the public's help identifying three men who police say attacked two men early Monday morning in Rome.

Police said a Curtis Street male resident heard a alarm on his car go off, so he went outside to investigate. He saw three men rummaging through his vehicle. Police said the three then assaulted him, causing numerous injuries.

Another resident tried to help the victim, but police said he also was attacked and suffered serious injuries.

Police said one of the suspects displayed a knife during the attack. The three then fled on foot, running southbound on Madison Street, police said.

Mohawk Valley Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 1-866-730-8477 (TIPS, visit Mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com or call Rome Police at (315) 339-7715.
SPRINGFIELD - Controversy about Exelon's plan before the General Assembly that the company says would save the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants is hitting fever pitch in the days before an expected vote. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association support Exelon's proposal, while the Technology & Manufacturing Association and Americans for Prosperity-IL's oppose it.

State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) raised her opposition to Senate Bill 2814 Monday, writing on her Facebook page, "I will be voting no on this legislation...." and proceeded to point out what she sees as "a few of the problems with the bill:"
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Re: Scoop Pics! Hyundai India stops production of the old i10



With the end of i10's production run, two important things that laid the very solid foundation for HMIL's growth in India are no longer a part of their arsenal. One is a smart little tall-boy hatchback (Santro / i10) and the second is their 1086cc 4-pot 3-valves/cylinder under-square SOHC Epsilon/iRDE/iRDE2 petrol motor that churned out 63 PS ~ 69 PS and did duty in three different cars [Santro, i10 & Getz (Prime)]. This engine has a very responsive and torquey nature in the lower & middle part of the revv range, offers great driveability and sharp throttle responses, but also runs out of breath at higher revvs.



The i10 was re-positioned after the Grand i10's launch and the 1.2 Kappa 16-valve DOHC VTVT motor & 4-speed automatic gearbox were discontinued. Not only that, safety features like dual airbags & ABS were no longer available. Also, height-adjustable rear neck restraints, Bluetooth connectivity, steering-mounted controls etc. were left out.



Even the Eon gets an optional driver airbag across the range (except for the bare-bones base model). All other Hyundais get at least one (or two) airbag(s) standard across the range. It's good that Hyundai pulled the plug on the i10 than continue selling such a car without even an optional driver airbag in this day & age.



Quote: fx45 Originally Posted by As far as I know only four-cylinder petrol cars are allowed to be used for Taxi. Three cylinder models cant be made taxis. irrespective of the number of cylinders. How else can this Omni ply as a black-and-yellow taxi? The number plate indicates a Mumbai registration:



Image link This was always on the cards, considering that it was the oldest product in Hyundai's India line-up and the only one carrying the old design language. The i10's design harks back to the pre-"Fluidic" days of Hyundai. Later, its facelifted version was given "Fluidic 1.0" touches at the front & rear to make it blend in with the rest of its family.With the end of i10's production run, two important things that laid the very solid foundation for HMIL's growth in India are no longer a part of their arsenal.is a smart little tall-boy hatchback (Santro / i10) and theis their 1086cc 4-pot 3-valves/cylinder under-square SOHC Epsilon/iRDE/iRDE2 petrol motor that churned out 63 PS ~ 69 PS and did duty in three different cars [Santro, i10 & Getz (Prime)]. This engine has a very responsive and torquey nature in the lower & middle part of the revv range, offers great driveability and sharp throttle responses, but also runs out of breath at higher revvs.The i10 was re-positioned after the Grand i10's launch and the 1.2 Kappa 16-valve DOHC VTVT motor & 4-speed automatic gearbox were discontinued. Not only that, safety features like dual airbags & ABS were no longer available. Also, height-adjustable rear neck restraints, Bluetooth connectivity, steering-mounted controls etc. were left out.Even the Eon gets an optional driver airbag across the range (except for the bare-bones base model). All other Hyundais get at least one (or two) airbag(s) standard across the range. It's good that Hyundai pulled the plug on the i10 than continue selling such a car without even an optional driver airbag in this day & age.I think it's only CNG-powered cars maybe,of the number of cylinders. How else can this Omni ply as a black-and-yellow taxi? The number plate indicates a Mumbai registration: Last edited by RSR : 29th November 2016 at 18:58 .
Googles Pixel smartphone, which made its debut last month, has gathered some high praise from reviewers.

The Google Pixel is now the best Android smartphone you can buy, wrote Joanna Stern in The Wall Street Journal.

The other leading contender was disqualified due to spontaneous combustion, she added, referring to Samsungs doomed Galaxy Note7, which was recalled for safety reasons.

Stern was impressed with Pixels display; its high pixel count made the blacks in photos appear deeper, colors more vibrant, and everything sharper.

The AMOLED display makes photos look better  even ones taken on an iPhone, she wrote.

Keep Your Pixels Dry

Pixel offers the look and competence of an iPhone with a truly great camera and loads of innovative software and services, David Pierce noted in a review for Wired.

It changes my answer to the question I hear most often: What phone should you get? You should get a Pixel, he wrote.

The immediate joke everyone, including me, made on Twitter after the Pixel launch was that Google made an iPhone, Pierce added. Well, thats true. As it turns out, an iPhone running Android is exactly what Ive been waiting for.

Pixel is a standout compared to other heavyweights in the market, according to Lisa Eadicicco, who reviewed it for Time.

All told, the Pixel is Googles first smartphone that can go toe-to-toe with Apples iPhone and Samsungs Galaxy flagship, she wrote. Its on equal footing with those phones in most of the areas that really matter, although its lack of water resistance is a setback. Still, Android fans who pick up the Pixel should be pleased, so long as they keep it dry.

Smooth Performance

Google hit a home run with its first branded smartphone, said Cnet reviewer Lynn La.

With Pixel, Google stepped up to bat, called its shot and knocked it out of the park, she wrote.

Its a departure from Googles earlier Nexus smartphones, because you dont have to be an Android enthusiast to appreciate what Google has accomplished with the Pixel.

The only thing youll have to be enthusiastic about is owning a phone thats beautiful, takes awesome photos, and has smooth performance, La wrote. If you are, the Pixels for you.

The Pixels performance was won kudos from Jason Cross, writing for PC World.

Android fans often complain about phones (especially Samsungs) that lead benchmark charts, but still somehow seem to stutter, chop, and sputter when you use them, he explained.

The Pixel XL does none of that, he wrote. At every turn it is smooth, fast, and most of all, responsive.

Indeed, this may be the smoothest and most responsive Android phone Ive ever used, he added.

Rain on Pixels Parade

Some reviewers were unimpressed by Googles smartphone offering.

The absence of a major competing Android device works out especially well for Google because the Pixel is, relatively speaking, mediocre, Brian X. Chen wrote for The New York Times.

It is slower than Apples iPhone 7 and the Galaxy S7, Samsungs smaller flagship phone, he noted.

Photos shot with Pixels camera dont look as good as the iPhones, Chen continued. And Googles built-in artificially intelligent virtual assistant, called Assistant, is still fairly dumb.

Pricing may be an issue with the Pixel models, noted David McQueen, research director for consumer devices and strategic technology at ABI Research.

The Pixel is priced at US$650 and the larger Pixel XL is selling for $770.

This is quite expensive for what youre getting, and the build quality isnt as good as other flagship phones in the market, McQueen told TechNewsWorld. Its going to be a bit problematic for Google to create differentiation for the hardware at that price point.

Googles Hardware Future

However, baking Google Assistant into Pixels hardware could do that, McQueen continued.

Since its the first device to carry Google Assistant, that will be a differentiator in an Android market where its very difficult to make any sort of differentiation on the hardware, he said.

Indeed, Google Assistant may not only be Pixels prime asset, but also a key component of Googles hardware future.

The Pixels greatest strength is really not anything in the hardware side, said Mark Hung, a research vice president at Gartner.

Its Google Assistant, which is only available on Pixel, he pointed out.

Its the future of not only Pixel, but of the Google hardware ecosystem, Hung told TechNewsWorld. Google is looking to make artificial intelligence the next platform after mobile and social.

Gunning for Apple

Reviewers taking the measure of Pixel never failed to mention the iPhone. Theres a simple reason for that.

Theyre going after iPhone customers and other high-end phone buyers, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

It may be difficult for Pixel to make headway in that target market, though.

In developed markets, were seeing a lot of saturation, Rubin noted. Its a pretty late time to be a newcomer to the space, even if you have all the advantages that Google has.

iPhone users were Pixels target market, but the product also will benefit from the recall of the Samsung Note7, pbserved Kevin Krewell, a principal analyst at Tirias Research.

The Pixel will be the major alternative to the Note7, he told TechNewsWorld, even though it lacks the Samsung products stylus and wider carrier distribution.
Samsung Electronics this week revealed plans to unveil its flagship Galaxy S8 mobile phone with a new digital assistant powered by AI. The assistant will be based on technology gained with Samsungs recent acquisition of Viv Labs.

The plans call for Samsung to incorporate the AI into its family of electronics and appliances, ranging from mobile devices to wearable technology and home devices.

Rhee Injong, CTO of Samsungs mobile communications business, was one of several executives who briefed Reuters on the plans.

Samsung may delay the introduction of the new phone past the Mobile World Congress in February, pushing the launch to as late as April, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company may add a button on the side of the S8 to launch the AI capabilities, similar to the buttons for launching Siri on Apple devices.

Samsung is excited to begin integrating initial AI capabilities into its future products and we look forward to sharing further details at a later date, a spokesperson said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by company rep Ashley Wimberly.

Smart Enough?

In the aftermath of the Galaxy Note7 debacle, there is skepticism that Samsungs revelations concerning plans for a digital assistant amount to much more than face-saving hype.

Personally, Im a little wary about Samsungs ability to compete in this space, said Jitesh Ubrani, a senior research analyst at IDC.

Without search and large amounts of user data, it will be quite difficult for Samsung to differentiate their AI from others, he told TechNewsWorld.

Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others have years of consumer data to build on artificial intelligence platforms that rely on learned user preferences to work in an optimal way, Ubrani noted. Their existing AI technologies include Amazons Alexa, Googles Assistant and Microsofts Cortana.

The proof will be in the pudding as to whether Samsung truly can assemble a new AI digital assistant that can compete, said industry analyst Jeff Kagan.

There are many different versions of AI, he told TechNewsWorld. Some are really advanced and interesting and real. Others are just there to let a company use the term to gain media attention.

The real question is which is Samsungs AI? Kagan asked.

Although Viv Labs is a startup, it is not a babe in the woods when it comes to AI systems. Its founders are Siri developer Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham. The open AI technology they developed for Viv Labs is designed to allow third-party developers to integrate digital assistants using natural language into their apps.

Viv Labs will coordinate closely with Samsung but continue to operate essentially as an independent company.

Major Flameout

The plans come at a critical time for Samsung, which is working to extract itself from one of the biggest debacles in the history of mobile electronics. The company had to recall millions of Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones due to safety issues. Many phones overheated and some caught fire in dozens of incidents around the world.

The devices were banned from commercial flights amid reports of some spontaneously catching fire on board aircraft. Samsung last week announced that it had collected 85 percent of the recalled devices and said it would be issuing a software upgrade that would limit the power from the unreturned phones batteries to 60 percent.

Working with the U.S. Product Safety Commission, Samsung launched a recall of the defective phones, found a different supplier of lithium-ion batteries, and offered replacements.

However, some of the replacement devices were vulnerable to the same type of random overheating that had occurred in the original phones. Samsung issued a recall of all Note7s, including the replacement phones, and warned its customers to stop using them immediately.

While the recall of Galaxy Note7 phones was ongoing, the company found it necessary to recall another product: top-loading Samsung washing machines sold between 2011 and 2016.

The CPSC last week ordered the recall of 34 different models of Samsung washers  a total of 2.8 million machines  warning that the top of the machines might unexpectedly detach from the chassis, posing a potential risk to users.

There have been 733 reported episodes of strong vibrations or detachment of the tops of the machines and nine reported injuries, including a broken jaw and an injured shoulder.

The recalls were particularly damaging to Samsung, which had enjoyed a reputation of making high-quality products and being responsive to customers.

Samsungs brand reputation has been hurt by the recalls, but consumers will regain trust in the company over the long term, suggested Tuong Nguyen, principal research analyst at Gartner.

I feel there is a little bit of weariness, he told TechNewsWorld, but I think its a short-term impact.
Side Note: On November 21, 2016, Nokia Power User website published a leaked corporate slide made by Nokia Technologies, which pretty much confirms that the Finnish Giant will indeed return to the smartphone game come 2017.

Instead of Nokia returning to manufacturing mobile phones itself, HMD plans to produce mobile phones and tablets that can leverage and grow the value of the Nokia brand in global markets

Nokia will provide HMD with branding rights as well as valuable patent licenses in exchange for royalty payments and will work with FIH Mobile Limited (FIH), a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group as well as the remainder of Microsoft's feature phone business assets for the manufacturing, sales and distribution of upcoming Nokia-branded Android mobile devices

The Finnish Giant also reassures consumers that new Nokia-branded mobile devices 'will exemplify what consumers have come to expect from all Nokia devices, including quality, design, and innovation'

Nokia will have to work closely with FIH Mobile Limited in crafting new smartphone and tablet models

Every time I enthusiastically tell my techy friends that Nokia is finally returning to the mobile industry next year (2017), it's often received with indifference and sometimes, disinterest.And it baffles me.One time, a bud who's also tech blogger even replied,To be fair, what he said is true. Though, I don't think his statement paints the complete picture.I know many of my readers are big Nokia fans so allow me to share the full story based on all official sources I've encountered so far:On May 18, 2016 - 12:05 PM Helsinki Time, legendary tech titan Nokia officially disclosed that it's making a landmark comeback to the mobile devices industry via a strategic agreement covering branding rights and intellectual property licensing with(HMD), a newly founded Finnish company.According to Mr. Ramzi Haidamus, President of Nokia Technologies, "[This] marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand in an industry where Nokia remains a truly iconic name.."So essentially,But it doesn't end there,To achieve that, it goes without saying thatif not altogether be the brains behind these upcoming products.Sure, Nokia will no longer buy raw materials and hire labor to craft its own handsets but it's not like the company will just plaster on its name on devices made by another company. There's a process involved in creating these products and from what I've read, it appears that Nokia will have to be there every step of the way to ensure that new releases bearing its branding will be up to par.If anything, that's what makes me feel excited about this imminent comeback.Because if it can, then we could very see another major change in the global mobile landscape.
Earlier this week Intel announced a partnership with Mobileye and Delphi centered on self-driving technology, with the goal of delivering a fully functioning system by 2019. Now, the company is officially elevating ambitions in the automotive space creating a new business unit known as the Automated Driving Group within the company. The group will be solely dedicated to innovating the future of driving and designing the next generation of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous driving solutions.

ADG's formation is part of a larger management reorganization at Intel and will be led by Doug Davis, a long-time Intel executive and former head of the IoT group. Reporting to Davis will be Kathy Winter, who comes to Intel from new partner Delphi and will act as VP and GM of the new business unit, handling more of the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the team.

Semiconductor companies like Intel, Qualcomm and Nvidia have set their sights on what many expect to be one of strongest segments of the tech hardware economy for the next decade. Intel in particular recently announced that it's making $250 million bet on self-driving tech via its Intel Capital investment arm. It also formed a partnership with Mobileye and German automaker BMW to provide chips for a self-driving car that the company intends to begin producing by 2021.

The recently announced alliance with Delphi and Mobileye is not tied to a particular car manufacturer but rather to developing an autonomous-car system that can then be sold to automakers.

Intel will be providing the specialized chips for said platform, which will be shown off in a test vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The system will reportedly use Core i7s as placeholders for a yet to be revealed Intel SoC. Delphi will supply the radar, LiDAR, and cameras while Mobileye will provide real-time mapping, a mobile vision system, and multi-domain controller.
Cord-cutters and cord-nevers have a new option to choose from today with the launch of DirecTV Now, AT&T's long-awaited Internet streaming television service.

The subscription service debuts with... well, who knows what it debuts with. Inexplicably enough, the DirecTV Now website doesn't provide you with any information about the service like pricing or channel lineup unless you first create an account with them. Maybe it's just me but this is a glaring oversight that should be rectified ASAP.

Nevertheless, I was able to find the full channel lineup from Variety which has been republished below:

Live a Little ($35/month): A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, Audience Network, AXS TV, Baby First, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg TV, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Crime & Investigation, Discovery, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FX, FXX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, HLN, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, Pursuit Channel, RFD-TV, Spike, Syfy, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, TLC, TNT, truTV, TV Land, Univision, USA Network, Velocity, VH1, Viceland, WE tv, WeatherNation

A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, Audience Network, AXS TV, Baby First, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg TV, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Crime & Investigation, Discovery, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FX, FXX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, HLN, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic Channel, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, Pursuit Channel, RFD-TV, Spike, Syfy, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, TLC, TNT, truTV, TV Land, Univision, USA Network, Velocity, VH1, Viceland, WE tv, WeatherNation Just Right ($50/month): Everything in "Live a Little" (except Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) plus Big Ten Network, CNBC World, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fuse, Fusion, GSN, IFC, LMN, MLB Network, NBC Sports Network, Nicktoons, OWN, Science, SEC Network, Travel Channel, UniMas, Weather Channel, WGN America

Everything in "Live a Little" (except Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) plus Big Ten Network, CNBC World, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fuse, Fusion, GSN, IFC, LMN, MLB Network, NBC Sports Network, Nicktoons, OWN, Science, SEC Network, Travel Channel, UniMas, Weather Channel, WGN America Go Big ($60/month, limited-time offer of $35/month): Everything in "Just Right" plus American Heroes, BBC World News, Centric, Destination America, Discovery Family Channel, Discovery Life, DIY Network, FM, Fox Sports 2, FX Movie Channel, fyi, Golf Channel, Great American Country, Logo, MTV Classic, Nat Geo Wild, NBA TV, NBC Universo, NHL Network, Oxygen, Revolt, Sprout, SundanceTV, Tennis Channel, TVG

Everything in "Just Right" plus American Heroes, BBC World News, Centric, Destination America, Discovery Family Channel, Discovery Life, DIY Network, FM, Fox Sports 2, FX Movie Channel, fyi, Golf Channel, Great American Country, Logo, MTV Classic, Nat Geo Wild, NBA TV, NBC Universo, NHL Network, Oxygen, Revolt, Sprout, SundanceTV, Tennis Channel, TVG Gotta Have It ($70/month): Everything in "Go Big" plus Boomerang, Chiller, Cloo, El Rey Network, Justice Central, eight Starz Encore channels (Action, Black, East, Family, Classic, Suspense, West, Westerns), Univision Deportes Network

Cinemax and HBO can be added to any bundle for an additional $5 per month, a reasonable rate compared to what you'd pay from the competition. AT&T is also working on deals to add CBS and Showtime to its lineup but for now, they're absent.

The big news here is the limited-time offer to get the Go Big package for $35 per month instead of the regular $60 rate. Subscribers that sign up early can lock the discounted rate in as long as they keep the plan although AT&T says it may be subject to "reasonable" programming price increases.

DirecTV Now does offer some local channels although like other OTT services, they are only available in markets in which a broadcaster owns and operates a station locally. Again, borrowing from Variety, the local lineup looks like this:

ABC: Chicago, Fresno, Houston, L.A., New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Raleigh-Durham

Chicago, Fresno, Houston, L.A., New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Raleigh-Durham NBC: Dallas-Ft. Worth, Chicago, Hartford-New Haven, L.A., Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Washington, D.C.

Dallas-Ft. Worth, Chicago, Hartford-New Haven, L.A., Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Washington, D.C. Fox: Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit, Gainesville, L.A., Minneapolis, New York, Orlando-Daytona, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Tamp-St. Petersburg, Washington, D.C.

In areas where local broadcasts aren't offered, AT&T tells the publication that it will provide day-after-air primetime shows on-demand. Optionally, you could pick up an antenna and use that for local channels as I do.

Accounts are limited to two simultaneously streams at any given time. That's plenty for singles or small families but those with larger families will likely need to schedule their viewing times accordingly.

DirecTV Now at launch doesn't include DVR functionality although it will be added sometime next year. PlayStation Vue launched with a cloud-based DVR while rival Sling TV will soon begin beta testing the feature.

AT&T will be zero-rating DirecTV Now for its wireless customers meaning content watched over the company's cellular network won't count against monthly data allotments. That's great news for AT&T wireless subscribers but don't expect the FCC to be happy about it.

I, for one, welcome DirecTV Now with open arms. When companies compete, customers win.

Lead image courtesy The Verge
Apple will be making certain Mac models obsolete by the end of the year, with some of the computers to also be added to the company's list of vintage products, according to a report by 9to5Mac.

There is a difference between the designation of an obsolete device and a vintage product by Apple. If your computer will be relegated to either status, it is best to know what the terms mean and how you will be affected.

The Difference Between Obsolete And Vintage Apple Products

In the dedicated page of Apple's website, the company explained the difference between products that are tagged as obsolete and vintage.

A vintage product is a device that has not been manufactured for more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Apple has discontinued its hardware service for vintage products, save for a few exceptions such as in California, where such Mac computers are still receiving support.

An obsolete product, meanwhile, are those that have been discontinued since over seven years ago. All hardware service are discontinued for obsolete products, with no exceptions, with service providers not allowed to order parts to be used for such devices.

New Obsolete And Vintage Apple Devices By The End Of 2016

According to the report by 9to5Mac, by Dec. 31, the 15-inch and 17-inch models of the MacBook Pro that were released in early 2011 will be added to the vintage list of products in the United States and Turkey and the obsolete list of products everywhere else.

Meanwhile, the Mac mini released in early 2009 and the 13-inch MacBook released in the middle of 2009 will be added to the list of obsolete Apple products across all regions.

Owners of these Apple products should expect support for their devices to end once 2016 rolls out, unless they live in the jurisdictions where there are exceptions for hardware services on the vintage products.

Time To Upgrade Your Mac?

For Apple customers who own the devices that will be added to the list of obsolete and vintage products, it might be time to consider an upgrade to your MacBook Pro, MacBook or Mac mini.

Apple has recently launched the new MacBook Pro 2016, with the models featuring the Touch Bar hitting shelves a couple of weeks ago. While there have been reports of glitches and issues concerning the notebooks, they are still very much capable machines and certainly an upgrade to the computers that will be added to the list of obsolete and vintage products.

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For the first time, researchers have identified Earth's largest exposed fault lurking beneath the Banda Sea in eastern Indonesia. As a significant discovery, it explains the mystery of the 7.2 km (4.5 miles) abyss formed deep under the Pacific Ocean.

The researchers have named the biggest exposed fault plane on Earth as "Banda Detachment."

According to the details published in the journal Geology, the mega fault runs through the explosive region known as Ring of Fire where 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and 75 percent of active volcanoes occur.

The research was undertaken by a team of geologists from the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra and Royal Holloway University of London. They studied maps of the sea floor of the Banda Sea region in the Pacific Ocean before extrapolating with field activity in formulating their hypothesis.

The Weber Deep has been a puzzle for scientists as a massive crack near the Maluku Islands of Indonesia creating the deepest point of Earth's oceans outside the conventional trenches. But there had been no convincing answers as to how it was formed.

Largest Exposed Fault Line

"The abyss has been known for 90 years but until now no one has been able to explain how it got so deep," said lead researcher Jonathan Pownall from ANU.

He said the 7 km-deep abysses beneath the Banda Sea was formed by an extension of what might be Earth's largest-identified exposed fault plane.

On a boat journey in eastern Indonesia in July, Pownall spotted the landforms as surface extensions of the assumed fault line. The lead researcher said he was stunned to see the hypothesized fault plane poking above the waves in front of his eyes.

According to Pownfall, the discovery of the largest fault plane will help in predicting quakes and tsunamis in advance.

Eastward Subduction Rollback

According to the research paper, the effort was to explain the tectonic evolution of the Banda arc in the context of the Australia-Southeast Asia plate collision.

The emergence of a 7.2 km deep forearc in the Weber Deep within the tightly curved Banda arc of eastern Indonesia remained unexplained.

In the new model, researchers argued that a forearc was formed as an extension by eastward subduction rollback in explaining the huge depths at Weber Deep.

They said substantial lithospheric extension in the upper plate was caused by "Banda detachment", which high-resolution bathymetry data has attested as the largest bathymetric expression of any fault in the world's oceans.

During the research expeditions, the team adduced many facts supporting the existence of the massive fault. Chief among them was the presence of rocks at the bottom of the sea bearing straight parallel scars indicating hard cuts.

Simulations of sea floor showed a massive crust bigger than the size of Belgium having been ripped off by a massive crack in the oceanic plates that led to the formation of a depression in the ocean floor.

Professor Gordon Lister of the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences also reiterated that this was the first time the fault has been seen by researchers after assuming it theoretically based on bathymetry data and regional geology.

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Ever since Nokia confirmed that it is poised to reenter the smartphone market, rumors pertaining to its impending lineup of handsets that are Android powered have been circling the tech space.

Nokia is reportedly working on an Android handset dubbed the Pixel, which is not to be confused with Nokia D1C. While Nokia will apparently not stick to the Pixel moniker for its upcoming handset on its commercial launch, the fact that such a smartphone is in the pipeline has created quite a stir.

We take a look at the alleged specs, features and release date of the impending Nokia smartphone.

Specs

The Nokia Pixel will reportedly sport a 5.2-inch or a 5.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440 Quad HD display. The 2K display suggests that the smartphone could be a mid-range to top-end offering. The Nokia smartphone will also sport a metal body, putting it in the same league as the Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7. Leaks on Weibo have pointed to the handset housing a Snapdragon 820 processor, which seems a tad dated considering impending 2017 handsets will potentially house the newer and faster Snapdragon 839 CPU.

However, a listing on Geekbench for a mysterious "Pixel" phone from Nokia hints at a Snapdragon 200 CPU powering the handset. The listing also pointed to the device housing 1 GB of RAM and the processor is going to be a dual-core one, clocking at 1.19 GHz.

The memory of the Nokia Pixel is also contradicted by leaks as some point to the handset packing in 3 GB of RAM and not 1 GB.

The Nokia smartphone is also anticipated to house a 13-megapixel primary camera, as well as an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper. It will be available in a 32 GB on-board storage option, but whether it will offer an expandable memory option is not known.

The handset is expected to come with the latest Android 7.0.1 Nougat out of the box.

Features

The Nokia Pixel is said to be waterproof and will offer support for Quick Charge 3.0. Nokia is also believed to take cues from its Lumia lineup and, therefore, the new Pixel handset is anticipated to tout the latest Carl Zeiss lens to boost the device's camera capabilities.

Whether the Pixel will house an iris scanner is circumspect, but we are hoping to see a fingerprint scanner at the very least. Nokia could also offer wireless charging support to lure consumers.

Release

HMD Global, which is the company behind Finland-based Nokia's reentry, has confirmed its participation at the Mobile World Congress 2017. This suggests that it intends to unveil new Nokia smartphones (manufactured by Foxconn) at the trade show, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 27 to March 2, 2017.

Therefore, we can expect the Nokia Pixel to debut in early February 2017, followed by its release in the coming months. The Nokia Pixel will possibly be joined by the Nokia D1C, which has leaked online on several occasions.

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U.S.-based nonprofit the Internet Archive wants to create a copy of its library in Canada, fearing its safety in today's America ruled by Donald Trump.

The Internet Archive documents the history of the internet, collecting one webpage at a time, to preserve our online history. Through its Wayback Machine, for instance, you can see how Apple's homepage looked all the way back in 1998.

With Donald Trump now the president of the United States, however, the Internet Archive is concerned about its future and wants to make sure that the data it has collected so far stay safe for posterity.

While many Americans jokingly said they'd move to Canada if Trump won the elections, the Internet Archive is actually pushing through with such plans. Its move is fueled by Trump's comments about net neutrality and First Amendment rights.

Preparing For Radical Change

"On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change," says the Internet Archive. "It was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change."

The Internet Archive adds that first and foremost, it wants to keep its cultural materials private, safe and accessible. However, it also has to prepare for a Web weighed down by heavier restrictions and for "serving patrons" while government surveillance seems to be increasing.

Net Neutrality Under Donald Trump

Fears that a Trump presidency would spell trouble for net neutrality have been building up, and the Internet Archive wants to protect itself from Trump by creating a Canadian replica of its U.S. library.

"The history of libraries is one of loss," notes the Internet Archive. "The Library of Alexandria is best known for its disappearance."

The Internet Archive Backup In Canada

Creating a backup in Canada would help prevent such a loss, preserving and protecting its data at a time when privacy and surveillance in America are unpredictable with Trump now at the helm.

Trump has so far expressed support for greater government surveillance and legal censorship, including restricting the internet to fight terrorism. The Internet Archive believes that backing up its data trove in Canada would protect it against efforts to force the removal of some content, as well as make it harder to get access to data on user activity. At the same time, a Canadian backup would also make data redundant to ensure it doesn't disappear.

Moving To Canada Costs Millions

The Internet Archive says that it collects a massive 300 million webpages per week and building a replica of its entire library in Canada will cost millions of dollars. Consequently, the nonprofit is asking for donations to help fund the move and keep its data safe.

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Google has refreshed its Google Earth Engine with tons of images and data so that it now covers the period from 1984 to the present. The Nov. 29 update has allowed the company's Timelapse project to present how the world has changed in a span of mere seconds via a time lapse video.

Timelapse View Of The Earth

Through Timelapse, a location is shown changing as time passes. The progression is in fast forward so communities were shown acquiring new infrastructure and new buildings, while spaces give way to another in four seconds or so. Some structures were demolished only to be replaced by even bigger ones.

The amount of changes as shown in the picture below is simply incredible.

New Satellite Data

The update, which allowed Google Earth its most detailed and comprehensive view of the world from space yet, has been largely due to Google's collaboration with the US Geological Survey, NASA and TIME. This partnership has yielded a history of satellite images that added four more years to Google's existing data.

According to Google, the new data has leveraged its own resources so that Timelapse is now able to reveal a sharper view of the planet with more vivid colors and fewer distractions.

The process is also quite painstaking. In a blog post, Google has detailed how it sifted through 3 quadrillion pixels taken from more than 5 million satellite images, which were provided by the Landsat Global Archive Consolidation Program, and new data captured by two new satellites, Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2.

"We took the best of all those pixels to create 33 images of the entire planet, one for each year," Google said. "We then encoded these new 3.95 terapixel global images into just over 25,000,000 overlapping multi-resolution video tiles."

The company did not provide any details about the software or devices used in the process.

Human Encroachment And Its Impact On The Planet

While the Google Earth Timelapse depicted the development of communities, some becoming towns and cities, it also highlighted the level of destruction on the environment.

For instance, there is the case of Dalian, a city in the Chinese province called Liaoning. During the 1980s, it was consisted of a few clusters of buildings and settlements scattered about the peninsula where it is located, but in the past 30 years, the entire landform has been practically covered with buildings and infrastructure, demolishing much of the greenery that has characterized the peninsula in the not-so-distant-past.

Google Timelapse has also shown specific examples how human development affected glacial movement in Antarctica and  as in the case of Dalian  how urban and infrastructure development has led to significantly diminished forests.

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Adobe has released the sales figures accumulated in the recently concluded Black Friday sale and it is good news for Xbox One. The console trounced PlayStation 4 in terms of sales, possibly cementing its edge over its rival.

Black Friday Bestsellers

Adobe's market-tracking data placed the Xbox One as the fifth bestselling product in the duration of Black Friday sale, trailing the iPad, Samsung's 4K televisions, MacBook and LG's televisions, respectively. PlayStation 4 was not mentioned in the report, which means its performance could be too far behind.

In a press statement, Adobe stated that there is a tremendous volume of data based on the 22.6 billion documented visits to retail websites. The company is said to have recorded at least 80 percent of the Black Friday online transactions.

"Shoppers hit the buy button at unprecedented levels as conversion rates were up nearly a full percent across all devices in the evening hours on Black Friday," Tamara Gaffney, principal analyst and director at Adobe Digital Insights, declared. "With the full day total coming in at $3.34 billion, Black Friday may have just dethroned Cyber Monday's position as the largest online shopping day of the year."

Xbox One Ascendancy

Naturally, Microsoft has promptly seized on the report to trumpet its emergence as the console to beat in the market.

"There was strong demand for Xbox hardware, accessories, games and Xbox Live engagement on Black Friday, based on initial results, with a strong start to the holiday season," Mike Nichols, corporate vice president of Xbox marketing at Microsoft, said.

Some observers believe that Xbox's strong performance last week has been partly due to the release of the Xbox One S. This is touted as the latest and only console to have a built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray with 4K video streaming and HDR support.

Here, it is important to note that the pricing for the Xbox One S is similar to the PlayStation Slim. Both were sold for $250, except for the additional 15 percent that Target slashed for the Battlefield 1 and Minecraft Xbox bundles. Sony's offering includes the new 500 GB PlayStation Slim, a DualShock 4, and Naughty Dog's hit game Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.

PlayStation: Not So Fast

Microsoft's claim to victory, however, could be short-lived. Adobe's data covering Nov. 1 to Nov. 24 showed that the PlayStation 4 is now outselling the Xbox One, perhaps due to the release of the PlayStation Pro. If this trend continues until the end of November with Xbox One failing to catch up, the Microsoft console would finally see an end to its four-month winning streak, which culminated in October.

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The 2017 Honda CR-V made an appearance in Detroit in October this year. The fifth-gen CR-V comes with a new style and premium interiors.

2017 CR-V Design And Specs

The redesigned CR-V has crisper lines at the front. The SUV has a longer wheelbase that accommodates larger wheels. Honda has also added extra ground clearance and overall the car looks more muscular than the previous versions.

Honda has included an upgraded 7-inch infotainment system in the dashboard. The cabin is also said to offer 2-inch legroom, which makes it comfortable for five adult passengers.

Apart from the LX trim, all other models of the 2017 CR-V have a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as standard, which brings 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque of performance. A 2.4-liter engine, which generates 184 hp and 180 pound-feet of torque performance, powers the LX model.

Release Date And Price of 2017 CR-V

The 2017 CR-V will drive its way to dealers from Dec. 21 onwards. The base model (LX trim) will have a starting price tag of $24,925, which is just $200 over the existing model. The EX trim is expected to start at $27,575, an increase of $580 from the previous model.

The fully loaded Touring edition will cost $33,275, a price hike of just $180 over its predecessor. All the cars have front-wheel-drive as standard and customers will have to splash and extra $1,300 if they need all-wheel-drive.

All the above prices include $880 destination charge.

2017 CR-V Review Roundup

The CR-V has been one of the best-selling SUVs in the United States. It is likely that the new 2017 model will also impress customers. Here is what reviewers have to say about the 2017 CR-V.

The re-engineered exteriors of the CR-V have impressed reviewers.

"Just looking at the 2017 CR-V, with its distinctive new rear fascia, sharply flared fenders and a sculpted hood, is a delight. The fifth generation gets available LED lights all around, a longer wheelbase and larger wheels. Design is subjective, but the new additions add up to a much sleeker and more sophisticated design than the outgoing generation," says Emme Hall of CNet.

The extra 2 inches of leg room gives stiff competition to rivals.

"Rear-seat passengers get more than two extra inches of legroom compared to the 2016 CR-V for a total of 40.4 inches. Competitors like the Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, and Toyota RAV4 all have around 37 inches of rear legroom. With the back seats folded flat, the cargo area is nearly 10 inches longer than before. There's 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, or 75.8 with the second row folded," says Jeremy Korzeniewski of AutoBlog.

The infotainment system of the new CR-V is also applauded by reviewers.

"Honda is moving the interior upscale, adding premium trim bits for the high-end trim. The feature we're most enthusiastic about is the simplest: a physical volume knob. An available 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system offers Android Auto/Apple CarPlay compatibility and Garmin navigation. We've been frustrated by the infuriating controls on recent Honda audio systems, so we will be particularly interested to see how this one is executed," says Jeff S. Bartlett of Consumer Reports.

Only time will tell if the 2017 Honda CR-V is able to impress car lovers as its predecessors.

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By Mark Glover, The Sacramento Bee



A Menlo Park-based startup manufacturer of electric vehicles has chosen an Arizona site to build a $700 million plant expected to employ 2,000, beating out previously disclosed candidates that included Sacramento and Tracy.



Lucid Motors chose a 500-acre site in Casa Grande, in Pinal County, situated about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson.



Lucid hopes to have vehicles on the market by 2018. Lucid, which changed its name from Atieva USA Inc. in October, is hoping to compete against Palo Alto-based electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors.



Lucid reportedly looked at sites in more than a dozen states, but Sacramento and Tracy emerged as candidates in the Golden State in June.



The Sacramento effort was considered a potential boost after California lost out on a long-shot bid for a Tesla battery plant in 2014. In that case, California lost out to the Reno-Sparks area of Nevada.



Lucid is being bankrolled in part by a Chinese internet billionaire. The manufacturers interest in Sacramento and Tracy was disclosed in documents filed in January with a state financing authority, but it didnt become public knowledge until June.



In January, Atieva secured $44.7 million in sales-tax breaks from the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority. Marc Lifsher, a spokesman for state Treasurer John Chiang, who chairs the authority, said the tax relief was contingent on the company choosing a California location.



Atieva was founded in 2007 by former employees of Tesla and Oracle and was originally bent on building car batteries. According to the January state staff report, major shareholders include an affiliate of Chinas state-owned Beijing Automotive Industry Holding, Palo Alto venture capital firm Venrock and a Chinese investment fund geared toward clean technology.



Numerous media reports said that another key financier was Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, who made his fortune with an internet-content company thats known as the Netflix of China.



He reportedly is itching to take on Tesla founder Elon Musk for leadership in the electric car business.



2016 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




VPN is short for virtual private network and it allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet.

During your long haul on the Internet, you must come across some websites that say that access is not allowed. This could be due to a variety of reasons like the website being banned in your country or your IP address being blacklisted.

This is where the VPN comes into play. A VPN can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more. In this article, we study the uses of VPN and why it is absolutely necessary for you to use one.

What is a VPN?

For those with academic leanings, A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that is constructed using public wires  usually the Internet  to connect to a private network, such as a companys internal network.

There are a number of systems that enable you to create networks using the Internet as the medium for transporting data. It secures the private network as these systems use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted.

When you connect your computer (or another device, such as a smartphone or tablet) to a VPN, the computer acts as if its on the same local network as the VPN.

All your network traffic is sent over a secure connection to the VPN. Because your computer behaves as if its on the network, this allows you to securely access local network resources even when youre on the other side of the world.

Youll also be able to use the Internet as if you were present at the VPNs location, which has some benefits if youre using pubic Wi-Fi or want to access geo-blocked websites.

In layman terms, when you type in www.google.com in your VPN connected desktop browser or smartphone browser, instead of your browser pinging directly to Google servers, it pings your VPN service providers servers. The VPN servicer providers servers then ping Google servers. This means that the VPN acts as a shield in your connection and prevents Google to directly access your IP or location.

When you browse the web while connected to a VPN, your computer contacts the website through the encrypted VPN connection. If youre using a USA-based VPN to access Netflix, Netflix will see your connection as coming from within the USA.

While surfing Google is harmless, imagine you want to download a torrent from a website that is banned in your country. In such a case, when you type in the torrent URL (say thepiratebay.org) instead of pinging the TPB website directly your desktop/smartphone will ping the VPN servers which are whitelisted in your country and allow you untethered access to the torrent that you want.

If you need a VPN, have a look here to find the Best VPN Service.

Uses for VPNs

In the early times of the Internet, VPNs were a luxury that only a few could afford. But nowadays with tons of VPN service providers, you can get an encrypted VPN connection relatively cheaply or freely. VPNs can help you do the following things :

Accessing blocked websites : As explained above, if thepiratebay is banned in your country, a VPN can help you solve the issue by making your ISP believe that you are accessing a legal website and allow you to download torrents.

: As explained above, if thepiratebay is banned in your country, a VPN can help you solve the issue by making your ISP believe that you are accessing a legal website and allow you to download torrents. Accessing geo-blocked websites : If you are trying to access a particular service like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc from outside of the United States, a VPN will allow you access to such region-restricted services if you connect to a VPN server in the USA.

: If you are trying to access a particular service like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc from outside of the United States, a VPN will allow you access to such region-restricted services if you connect to a VPN server in the USA. Hide Your Browsing Activity From Your Local Network and ISP : As was proved by Edward Snowden, the governments from the world over snoop on their citizens for various reasons. If youre using a public Wi-Fi connection, your browsing activity is visible to your ISP, government, and almost everybody. If you want to hide your browsing activity for a bit more privacy, you can connect to a VPN. If you are using a VPN, the ISP/government will only see a single, secure VPN connection because of all your web traffic through a secure VPN tunnel. While this can be used to bypass connection-monitoring by your Internet service provider, bear in mind that VPN providers may opt to log the traffic on their ends.

: As was proved by Edward Snowden, the governments from the world over snoop on their citizens for various reasons. If youre using a public Wi-Fi connection, your browsing activity is visible to your ISP, government, and almost everybody. If you want to hide your browsing activity for a bit more privacy, you can connect to a VPN. If you are using a VPN, the ISP/government will only see a single, secure VPN connection because of all your web traffic through a secure VPN tunnel. While this can be used to bypass connection-monitoring by your Internet service provider, bear in mind that VPN providers may opt to log the traffic on their ends. Bypass Internet Censorship : Governments from the world over block access to websites that are deemed harmful to their citizens. China blocks almost every western website for the fear of evoking pro-democracy ideas among its citizens. India bans almost every adult website under the assumption that its citizens are harmed by watching porn. VPN can help you bypass such censorships with ease.

: Governments from the world over block access to websites that are deemed harmful to their citizens. China blocks almost every western website for the fear of evoking pro-democracy ideas among its citizens. India bans almost every adult website under the assumption that its citizens are harmed by watching porn. VPN can help you bypass such censorships with ease. Downloading torrents or files: Torrent downloads are the single biggest reason that VPN services are so popular today. In some countries, torrent websites are banned absolutely which in some countries, the ISPs throttle the download speed if you are downloading a torrent file. VPNs solve both these problems with ease.

Using a VPN

In early VPN days, setting up a VPN service on your Windows PC would an absolute pain in the ass. But with the advent of Windows 7 and 10, adding VPN has become a piece of cake. In Windows 7, press the Windows key, type VPN, and click the Set up a virtual private network (VPN) connection option.

If you are using Windows 10, type in VPN in the search bar. it will bring up Change Virtual Private Networks Setting. Now enable the VPN in the next window.

In the window that follows, add the login credentials of the VPN service you want to use. You can then connect to and disconnect from VPNs using the network icon in the system tray  the same one where you manage the Wi-Fi networks youre connected to.

Many of the top VPN service providers offer clients that do the connection configuration for you.
Cuba will not give up its fight against the blockade because it is illegal, unjust, and inhumane," President Diaz-Canel stressed. | Read More
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The Chinese Central Bank has announced significant regulatory change to the operation of online payments, widely affecting service providers and their millions of users in China.

From July 1, 2016, third party online payment service providers must ensure that all user accounts bear the real name of the account holder. In addition, accounts will be categorized into three types based on security requirements, capped with maximum annual payments. The policy was created with an aim to prevent large deposits of money into third party payment accounts unprotected from bank deposit insurance.

In 2015, the size of Chinas third party mobile payments market reached RMB 9.31 trillion, up 57.3 percent from 2014. Analysts expect that the industry will continue to grow at a fast rate in the coming years, reaching RMB 52.11 trillion by 2018. Mobile payments have become an extremely useful tool for companies to optimize in their China market strategy. Here, we examine the two largest third party online payment platforms used in the country: Alipay and WeChat.

Labor Case Study: Work Permit Compliance for Foreign Employees in China

In China, foreigners are only allowed to work after they obtain an official work permit and residence permit. Failing to do so will result in a fine of up to RMB 20,000. Here, we present a case study that illustrates the risks of hiring a foreign worker without providing a work permit in China.

An Overview of Chinas Elderly Care Industry

A myriad of factors have contributed to a rise in need for elderly care services in China. The Middle Kingdoms gender imbalance, low birth rate and average increase in life expectancy, combined with a series of family planning regulations, have created a rapidly aging population. Data provided by the National Statistics Bureau show that Chinas over 60 population  the age at which it classifies an elderly person  reached 222 million in 2015, accounting for 16.1 percent of the overall population. This rate is now predicted to grow by three percent year on year, resulting in the proportion of elderly citizens exceeding that of those aged 14 and under by 2030, and one in three people in China being aged over 65 by 2050.

India

Two Years into the Modi Government  How are Things Shaping Up for India?

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked its two year anniversary on May 26 of this year. Given its overwhelming mandate in the 2014 general elections, the Modi government has been held to a high standard. A bounty of electoral promises has also resulted in big expectations, particularly, in the domain of economic and institutional reform, infrastructural growth, business competitiveness, and foreign policy.

India Signs OECD Country-by-Country Reporting Agreement

In an ongoing effort to increase transparency by multinational enterprises (MNEs), India joined Canada, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand and the Peoples Republic of China in becoming the 39th signatory to the OECD s Multilateral Competent Authority agreement for the automatic exchange of Country-by-Country reports (CbC MCAA).

The Country-by-Country Reporting Agreement was conceptualized in 2013, when the OECD and G20 countries adopted the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Action Plan (BEPS). BEPS acknowledges that improving transparency for tax administrations by giving them adequate information to assess high-level transfer pricing is crucial for tackling the problems of tax base erosion and profit-shifting. In response, the September 2014 Report on Country-by-Country reporting provides a template for MNEs to file an annual report for each tax jurisdiction in which they do business. This report is called the Country-by-Country Report.

ASEAN

The ASEAN Economic Community and What it means for Intellectual Property

In 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was officially fully established. In some ways similar to the economic unity of the EU, the broad aims of the AEC are to develop (1) a single market and production base, (2) a region of more equitable economic development, and (3) a globally integrated economic region. To achieve these, trade barriers will be removed or reduced and standards across a number of sectors (i.e. cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, and medical devices) will be harmonized.

Vietnam

Layoff Violations Under Vietnams Updated Criminal Code

Recently implemented, an updated version of Vietnamese criminal code raises penalties for illegal termination of employees. Effective from July 01 2016, Code No. 100/2015/QH13 lays out punishments, including serious fines and even jail time, for those found to be terminating or coercing the termination of employees illegally.

In order to reduce exposure to non-compliance, companies should be aware of how updates differ from previous legislation, in what instances non-compliance can be triggered, and the penalties and liability that are established and maintained under updated guidance.

Indonesia

Setting Sail in the Sea of Java: An Introduction to Indonesian Aquaculture

As the worlds largest archipelago, Indonesia is among the most important producers of aquaculture globally. In 2001, Indonesia ranked fourth in aquaculture output and has since increased its fishery exports to US $4 billion in 2015. Though Indonesias aquaculture industry has begun to make strides, it is still far from realizing its full potential.

In an effort to harness its comparative advantages, the Indonesian government has made monetary commitments to the sustainability of the industry and is working to relax regulations surrounding foreign investment. Upon their election in 2014, both President Joko Widodo and Susi Pudjiastuti, the Minister of Maritime and Fisheries, have been working to establish strategies to promote and expand Indonesias fisheries.

Russia

Battered by slowdown Russian economy may go gray

About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email [email protected] or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.

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Mayor-President candidates Sharon Weston Broome and Bodi White challenged each other on nearly every issue in the first live televised debate of the runoff season.

The two spent an hour Tuesday evening answering questions from WBRZ anchors and a live audience. Both candidates insisted they have a better plan for addressing the concerns of residents of both north and south Baton Rouge.

Neither minced words as they spoke about the other.

White, a Republican, accused Broome of being an ineffective leader who allowed north Baton Rouge to crumble and fall into economic decline in the years she represented it in the Louisiana Legislature.

Broome, a Democrat, painted White as a divider who, while in the Legislature, supported splitting the parish through the failed St. George breakaway effort, to the detriment of those in north Baton Rouge.

"My opponent is a great speaker, but talk is cheap," White said. "Take a look at her district over the past 28 years."

He pointed to high crime rates and the lack of economic development in north Baton Rouge as problems Broome did nothing to stop. Broome countered that it is unfair to compare struggling north Baton Rouge to prosperous south Baton Rouge, adding that the socioeconomic factors in the north should not be ignored.

She struck back on multiple occasions, insisting White "specializes in division and subtraction."

"My opponent, unfortunately, has not represented himself as a unifier," Broome said, making the first jab in the debate.

Both addressed the proposed tram to link downtown and LSU, with White being more optimistic about it than Broome. The tram is expected to cost $170 million, with local government needing to pony up 20 percent of the cost.

The Metro Council pledged its support in June for a $10 million bond for the tram should the federal government approve tens of millions in grant money for the project.

Broome said she was initially more supportive of the tram, but her affection has waned because the tram would not link in Southern University or other parts of the parish.

"I would like to make sure we talk about transportation for the whole parish, not just carve out one section that may have minimal impact," she said.

White was sympathetic to those who live far away from where the tram is proposed, but said the economic development it's expected to generate and the taxes from developers who build around it would benefit the city-parish as whole.

"That tram, with the water campus, with LSU, with downtown, and as we grow mid city, that's going to create a great, huge taxing area," he said.

Early on in the debate, the candidates responded to a question about where they will be on the day the U.S. Department of Justice releases the results of its investigation into the shooting death of Alton Sterling, an officer-involved shooting that led to protests over the summer.

Both said they will be visible and accountable when the DOJ report comes down, a change from outgoing Mayor-President Kip Holden's absence amid the protests this summer.

Broome proposed a dialogue on race within the first 100 days of her administration, and said she would also like to bring in speakers to discuss race relations. White said he would lean heavily on other community leaders, and ask them to help guide the parish.

As has become custom in the mayoral debates, the two also sparred on the St. George incorporation movement. Broome used White's record in proposing a separate school district in the southeastern part of the parish  which grew into the push for a new city  as evidence of his inability to unite people.

She also challenged his philosophy on legislating.

"I wouldn't say putting deals together, as my friend over here said, I would say building relationships," she said about how to create policy.

White defended his past push for a separate school system in the southeastern part of the parish as a way of representing constituents faced with failing public schools. He reiterated that he does not want another city to be created should he become Baton Rouge's next mayor.

A flier that Friends of Louisiana Real Estate recently sent out in support of White also spells out that "Bodi White stated as mayor he would oppose creating the city of St. George."

"Their effort was squashed but they didn't go away," White said about St. George supporters. "My opponent voted against them twice, and railed against them at the mic, but she never offered them a solution."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber's FuturePAC announced it will not endorse either candidate in the runoff. The election is Dec. 10, and early voting, which is ongoing, ends on Saturday.
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An emotional former day care owner pleaded guilty Tuesday to negligent homicide in the 2015 death of a 22-month-old girl left unattended on a sweltering day in a van across the street from the unlicensed north Baton Rouge facility.

Shelia Newman, 49, tearfully apologized to the crying mother of Angel Gabrielle Green before state District Judge Lou Daniel set Newman's sentencing for Feb. 24 and released her on her own recognizance.

"I'm sorry. I pray for you and your family constantly," Newman said across the courtroom to Joy Green as she begged for forgiveness. "This is something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. I don't take this lightly."

Green declined comment until Newman is sentenced. She faces up to five years in prison.

It was 92 degrees on June 5, 2015, when Angel Green was left in a van parked at Newman's house, which is across the street from the unlicensed day care center at 6345 Prescott Road.

Newman and April Wright, one of her employees at the time, took 16 children to lunch at a nearby church that day, but only 15 kids were unloaded from the van when they returned and parked it at Newman's house, police have said. Angel was left in the van.

Wright realized at some point that Angel was missing and found her in the front passenger seat when she checked the van. The toddler was extremely hot and unresponsive, a police report states.

Hospital personnel told police Angel arrived with a core body temperature of 108 degrees, according to the report. Police said the girl spent at least two hours trapped in the van. Her death was ruled accidental.

Newman instructed Wright to tell detectives Angel was found in the backyard of the day care, the report alleges. Wright also was supposed to pour water on the back steps to make it appear she had cleaned up vomit.

The East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury that indicted Newman took no action against Wright, 27, of Baker.

Newman opened the unlicensed center after the state closed another facility she operated in Baker. State law requires facilities that care for more than seven unrelated children to be licensed by the Department of Education.

In March 2013, state inspectors were unable to locate paperwork at the Thomas Road center in Baker showing drivers checked their vehicle to make sure no children were left behind after road trips. Attendance on the trips also was not documented.

Newman swore in a September 2014 court document that she would never operate an unlicensed child care center in Louisiana.
Jared Christopher Vincent was a marijuana dealer but he didn't deserve to be shot to death in 2013 in his Baton Rouge apartment where he dealt the drugs, a prosecutor told a jury Tuesday.

"There is no death penalty for selling marijuana," East Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings said on the opening day of Demarcus Daniel James' second-degree murder trial.

Cummings claims James, who the prosecutor said was one of Vincent's customers, killed the 22-year-old Vincent during an armed robbery gone bad on Dec. 11, 2013.

Vincent and James, 23, of Prairieville, each were shot three times.

"This is a case of self-defense. It's not an armed robbery gone awry," James' attorney, Gail Ray, told jurors in her opening statement.

Ray said James went to Vincent's apartment  just south of Burbank Drive between Bluebonnet Boulevard and Gardere Lane  to buy marijuana and was shot during a struggle inside the Ridge Pecan Drive residence.

"It's a tragedy but it's not second-degree murder," she argued.

Cummings, however, said it was the intention of James and four other Ascension Parish men to rob Vincent of drugs.

"They didn't expect him to fight back," she said.

Vincent was in his own apartment, and James was the aggressor, Cummings alleged.

Last month, Aaron Hargrove, 21, of Prairieville, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and attempted second-degree murder in the case and was sentenced to 27 years in prison. He admitted shooting Vincent's roommate.

27 years in prison for Prairieville man in 2013 drug-related killing in BR One of six Ascension Parish men charged in the 2013 drug-related killing of a man in Baton R

Avery Gene Honea, 19, of Prairieville, and Ivan Wess Graham and Bryton James Montelaro, both 21 and of Gonzales, also face second-degree murder charges in the case.

Cummings told the jury that Graham has agreed to plead guilty to an accessory charge in exchange for a five-year prison term. He will testify against James. He allegedly drove James, Honea, Hargrove and Montelaro to the scene.

Another man, Patrick Anderson, 23, of Prairieville, is charged with obstruction of justice. Cummings said Anderson shot himself in the hand while cleaning one of the guns used during the alleged armed robbery.

Hargrove and Anderson are cousins, she said.
A signed agreement outlining police policies on public protests in Baton Rouge will settle a federal lawsuit that claims authorities violated protesters' civil rights during demonstrations following the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by a city police officer in July.

In a "memorandum of understanding" filed in the federal case on Tuesday, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit  including the ACLU of Louisiana and the National Lawyers Guild  and Baton Rouge officials and law enforcement leaders lay out protesters' rights and the police-enforced boundaries for demonstrations.

No monetary settlement is included in the terms of the agreement.

The federal lawsuit named the Baton Rouge Police Department, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the Louisiana State Police and City-Parish government as defendants.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit said the agreement is an important acknowledgement by law enforcement of citizens' rights to peacefully protest.

This agreement should ensure that the violations which occurred in the aftermath of Alton Sterlings murder will not happen again in the future, Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, said in a news release.

Several attorneys for the plaintiffs also claim the proposed agreement amounts to a tacit admission by law enforcement of some of the abuses outlined in the lawsuit, including that officers used excessive force against demonstrators. But city and law enforcement officials stress that the agreement includes no admission of wrongdoing.

Col. Mike Edmonson, the State Police superintendent whose signature is on the agreement filed in court Tuesday, said he remains proud of the way state troopers handled themselves during the protests but said the lawsuit's resolution shows an "open conversation" between law enforcement and activists over how to balance public safety and free-speech rights.

The memorandum reaffirms the right to demonstrate in public and includes commitments from authorities not to conduct mass arrests. It also outlines a permitting process to allow for marches and demonstrations on public streets.

But the document also reiterates a hard line police drew during the July demonstrations around keeping protesters out of busy roadways and off interstates. Of the nearly 200 people arrested during several days of demonstrations in Baton Rouge, the majority were booked on a count of obstructing a highway.

On Tuesday, Edmonson said authorities won't tolerate destruction of property, violence, or the obstruction of major roadways during future protests. Edmonson urged protesters to arrange marches or other demonstrations with authorities ahead of time.

Sima Atri, an attorney with the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice who helped file the lawsuit, said the acknowledgement from law enforcement of the public's right to protest peacefully is significant. Atri also highlighted other assurances that authorities would try to de-escalate confrontations and offer warnings to protesters before making arrests or dispersing crowds.

Those protocols, Atri said, "will be really important for people trying to protests without civil disobedience."

"What's positive to this is that the police have committed to ensuring that peaceful protesters won't be interfered with like they were last summer and will be allowed to exercise their right to peaceful protest," said Esman, the ACLU leader. "Obviously we're not asking them to not enforce the law, to not arrest people who are breaking the law."

Officials with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department and the Parish Attorney's Office declined to comment on the filing.

The proposed agreement should resolve the second of two major lawsuits filed over law enforcement's handling of the protests over the death of Sterling, a 37-year-old black man killed July 5 by a white city police officer during a struggle outside a North Foster Drive convenience store.

The filing Tuesday comes on the heels of a settlement a week ago in a separate federal class-action lawsuit filed by 92 protesters claiming police used excessive force, unlawfully arrested demonstrators and violated their civil rights. The earlier settlement includes a cash payout to protesters along with compensation for bonding fees, attorney's fees and other costs.
Louisiana is getting $10 million from the federal government to improve preschool programs for children from low-income families, officials announced Wednesday.

The state is one of 18 that will divide $247 million from the U. S. Department of Education and Health and Human Services.

The grant is the third of four installments for assistance that was announced in 2014.

The total is $32 million, applies strictly to 4-year-olds and is eventually expected to aid 10,500 youngsters.

The previous installments allowed the state to enroll 1,000 at-risk children in preschool classes.

At-risk children are those from families with incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.

Relief may be on way for child care recipients A state panel Thursday recommended easing eligibility rules for low-income families to quali

The money also aided 1,300 children through improved preschool classes.

Children in 12 parts of the state benefited in 2015 from the assistance, including those in Orleans and Iberville parishes.

The state has been revamping its early childhood care system since 2012, including a quality rating system for preschool sites and early childhood networks.

Tax credits have led to better child care, federal funds for Louisiana, advocates say While state tax credits are under scrutiny amid budget problems, child care advocates said 

"However, thousands of at-risk Louisiana families are unable to choose a high quality preschool option that best meets their children's needs," according to a state report.

Louisiana was cited this time as one of six states that met or exceeded their targets for assistance.

"High quality early education gives children the strong start they need to succeed in kindergarten," U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said in a prepared statement that accompanied the announcement.

Feared Pre-K cuts in Louisiana evaporate; standstill aid seen as win Despite threatened budget cuts earlier, state aid for pre-kindergarten classes emerged unsca

The state of New York is the largest recipient in the latest round of the federal aid  $25 million.

Child care advocates have praised the grants but called them modest in comparison to what the state needs to upgrade its early childhood education system.

Previous grants totaled $2.4 million and $7.1 million.

The one next year will be $12.4 million.
Top students at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System will have easy access to Southern University, and $1,500 annual scholarships, under an agreement announced Wednesday by Gov. John Bel Edwards and school leaders.

"This is a very good day for higher education," said Ray Belton, president of the Southern University System.

LCTCS President Monty Sullivan said he looks forward to a time when thousands of students are transferring from LCTCS schools to Southern University in Baton Rouge and Southern University in New Orleans.

"It is indeed a great day," Sullivan said.

Under the plan, LCTCS students who are active in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society would be guaranteed admission to either Southern campus when they finish their associate degree requirements.

They could also qualify for an LCTCS/SUS Pathway Scholarship, which the governor said will "help people make that transfer who otherwise would not make it."

Edwards said that , in the previous academic year, more than 15,800 LCTCS students transferred to public and private four-year schools around the nation, including 747 who moved to Southern University in Baton Rouge or SUNO.

"We want to increase that number," he said.

Enrollment growth at LCTCS schools in recent years has hurt enrollment at Southern University in Baton Rouge, which in the past attracted some students who instead opt for a two-year degree, at least initially.

The scholarships are subject to the availability of state funds, which have been repeatedly trimmed for Southern University and other colleges and universities amid state financial problems.

The aid is renewable for one year and available on a first come, first served basis.

The offer only applies to students who completed associate degree requirements no earlier than the fall of 2015.

Tim Hardy, chairman of the LCTCS board of supervisors and a Southern graduate, praised the agreement.

"Wow, today is special," Hardy said.
Attorneys for Gov. John Bel Edwards and attorney General Jeff Landry argued Tuesday over who has the final word in anti-discrimination measures and other issues.

Landry, a Republican who has clashed with Democrat Edwards on various issues for months, is asking 19th Judicial District Court Judge Todd Hernandez to nullify an executive order issued by Edwards that bans discrimination in state government on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Elizabeth Murrill, solicitor general for Landry, told the court the governor's directive "makes law. And that is an unconstitutional act."

Murrill later asked a witness, "Do you agree that the governor cannot make law through executive order?"

But attorneys for Edwards argued that the attorney general has overstepped his authority, including in cases where Landry has declined to approve state contracts because of the anti-discrimination language.

They said that stance has sparked problems in state government, and even resulted in some private attorneys working free of charge for the state.

"It has been a daily issue," said Richard McGimsey, executive counsel for the Division of Administration. "There is a lot of anxiety."

The hearing, which began shortly after 9 a.m., ended shortly after 6 p.m.

Hernandez asked attorneys for each side to submit post-trail briefs arguing their side by noon Friday.

When a ruling will be issued is unclear.

After the hearing Matthew Block, the governor's executive counsel, said he did not hear any testimony challenging the constitutionality of Edwards' order.

Murill declined comment.

The Attorney General's Office has accepted state contracts that preclude prejudice based on sexual orientation.

However, the office challenges the legitimacy of regulating gender identity in the workplace.

In his lawsuit, Landry said the governor's order violates state law and exceeds his authority.

+3 Louisiana attorney general challenges LGBT-rights order Louisiana's Republican attorney general asked a judge Thursday to block the Democratic gover

The attorney general said the Legislature has repeatedly refused to enact such anti-discrimination language.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, was one of the witnesses Tuesday.

Henry said he opposed the use of, rather than the language used in the governor's executive order.

Approving state contracts with the LGBT language could be considered support for a provision that lawmakers have rejected, thus diminishing the power of the House and Senate, he said.

Edwards filed a lawsuit against Landry in September over the attorney general's refusal to approve state contracts with language that protects gays and lesbians against workplace discrimination in state government.

The governor said at the time that the attorney general "is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history on this issue."

A judge ruled against Edwards in that challenge.

However, issues from that case resurfaced during Tuesday's arguments.

Chester Cedars, an attorney for Landry, argued that the governor is again unfairly seeking a declaratory judgement that spells out the boundaries of authority between Edwards and Landry, and declare the governor to be the constitutionally superior officer.

"What brought us to court in October brings us to court today," said Cedars, a reference to the Edwards' lawsuit heard last month.

Mary Olive Pierson, representing Edwards, said the issues were never litigated during the earlier lawsuit.

Block told the court that, before Edwards' executive order, firms doing business with state agencies were free to fire gay and transgender employees.

He also said that, while Landry's witnesses predicted chaos because of the language in dispute, the attorney general failed to produce a witness or firm adversely affected by the non-discriminatory policies.

Scott Johnson, general counsel at the Division of Administration, made the same point.

"I haven't heard any objections to a party including the executive order in the contract," Johnson said.

Donald Price, also an attorney for the governor, said Landry has refused to do his duty by not approving the state contracts in dispute.

"The work of government cannot go forward," Price said.

Without a final ruling, he said, similar contact disputes will surface "every day, every week."

J. Douglas Sunseri, a Metairie attorney who testified as an expert in employment law, said transgender or gender identity is difficult to classify and, absent a defintion, makes the executive order hard to apply in the workplace.

"How do you take this nebulous term and apply it to the work force?" Sunseri asked.
Attorney General Jeff Landry has been the state's top lawyer for less than a year, but he's already rising the ranks among his peers from other states.

Landry has been elected to serve as vice president of the National Association of Attorneys General  a nonpartisan group of all attorneys general from U.S. states and territories.

Landry, a Republican, replaces former Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens, who recently became president of Kennesaw State University but had been serving as NAAG's vice president since the group's summer elections.

+2 Gov. John Bel Edwards: AG Jeff Landry is testing boundaries Gov. John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry have faced off on several issues in t

NAAG held its fall meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this week.

"I am grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by my fellow Attorneys General," Landry said in a statement. "Being chosen by my peers from across the country is a tremendous honor and a testament to great work being done at our Louisiana Department of Justice."

NAAG holds more than 100 meetings and training sessions every year for AGs, their staffs and their representatives. In February, the association will have its winter meeting in Washington, D.C.

"This position will be a tremendous asset for the people of Louisiana," Landry, a Republican, said. "We now have an even bigger platform to fulfill our mission of fighting federal overreach, supporting economic liberty, and making our communities safer."
A super PAC supporting Foster Campbell, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, is airing an unlikely television ad on the highly-charged issue of abortion.

The pro-Campbell ad attacks John N. Kennedy, his Republican opponent, from the right  even though Kennedy has the endorsement of National Right to Life, a prominent anti-abortion group.

The ad alleges that Kennedy supported abortion from 1988 to 2004 and, as viewers hear a beating heart, posts the number 22,581,040 on the screen.

Thats how many children were aborted during John Kennedys career as a pro-choice politician, the announcer says, citing figures from National Right to Life.

Foster Campbell worked with us to protect the unborn, the announcer adds.

Campbell, an elected member of the Public Service Commission from Bossier Parish, had a long record of voting against abortion in the state Senate and has maintained his anti-abortion views, according to his campaign.

Nonetheless, National Right to Life is backing Kennedy, who has been the state treasurer since 2000.

In all of our communications, he has made the pro-life commitment across the board, Benjamin Clapper, the Louisiana director for the National Right to Life Victory Fund, said in an interview Tuesday.

The television ad from the Defend Louisiana super PAC is attempting to upset the narrative that Kennedy, the conservative Republican, is more in tune with voters in what may be the most pro-life state in the country.

Bernie Pinsonat, a Baton Rouge-based pollster and political consultant, said his most recent survey on the issue, in 2013, showed that 54 percent of the states voters opposed abortion with only limited exceptions.

The television ad relies on two news articles and comments from two state senators who spoke with Kennedy then about the issue for its claim that Kennedy was pro-choice.

Kennedy, in an interview Monday, asserted that he was not pro-choice.

Ive never supported abortion, he said.

An aide whisked him away before he could explain the discrepancy.

Campbell and Kennedy are facing off in the runoff election that will end on Dec. 10. Voters can early-vote through Saturday at designated locations in each parish.

The pro-Campbell super PAC began airing the 30-second ad in Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles on Monday.

It takes aim at an issue that has not played a major role in recent Louisiana elections. No pro-choice candidate has won statewide in years, and abortion has not been an issue in the Senate election until now.

Nationally, Democrats in most instances attack their Republican opponents for not wanting to give women the right to decide whether to have an abortion.

But, citing what it calls his pro-choice past, Defend Louisianas ad says voters cannot trust Kennedy on abortion, when the next senator could play a decisive role in whether the next Supreme Court justice is pro-life.

Materials supplied by the super PAC include an Aug. 28, 1991 article in the Lake Charles American Press, when Kennedy made an unsuccessful bid to be attorney general as a Democrat.

He said he believes in the right of a woman to make her own individual decision regarding abortion, the article reported.

Ben Bagert and Winston Riddick, who also ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 1991, said in interviews Tuesday that they remembered Kennedy as being pro-choice then.

Until mid-1991, before he began running for attorney general, Kennedy was a special counsel to then-Gov. Buddy Roemer, and in that role lobbied the Louisiana Legislature against overriding a veto by Roemer of a strict anti-abortion measure that would have prohibited abortions even when the would-be mother was impregnated through incest or rape or when giving birth threatened her life.

The Defend Louisiana ad displays a handwritten note showing Kennedy working with Planned Parenthood to block the 1991 veto override. That effort by Roemer and Kennedy failed in what was the first time in Louisiana history that the Legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto. (The courts later invalidated the legislation.)

Campbell was one of the 29 senators who voted to override Roemers veto  at least 26 were needed  with only nine senators backing the governor.

I dont want to call anybody out, but for me its right, Campbell said in an interview Monday, citing his religious faith in explaining his pro-life views.

The super PAC has supplied more information indicating that Kennedy was pro-choice during the early years of his political career. A 2004 article in The Times-Picayune  when Kennedy was making his first race for the Senate, as a Democrat  reported that Kennedy had changed his views on abortion.

When he ran for attorney general, he supported a woman's right to have an abortion, the article reported. Now, he says, he would vote to outlaw the procedure except in cases of rape, incest and saving the life of the mother.

I saw it in 1991 as libertarian issue: Who is best able to make that decision, people or the government?" Kennedy said. "But abortion shouldn't be used as birth control, and in some cases it is, far too many. Being a parent makes you see things from a different perspective. Some may criticize me for changing my position, but my position didn't change, I did.

In that 2004 race, which Kennedy lost in the primary, he endorsed then-Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, who was pro-choice. Kennedy has since called that endorsement a mistake.

An Advocate article from 2008, when Kennedy was running for the Senate as a Republican, quoted him as saying he switched to pro-life after the birth of his son.

Kennedy became a Republican in 2007 and was a strong supporter during this years presidential campaign of Donald Trump, who is pro-life.

A spokesman for Kennedys Senate campaign said he was not available for an interview on Tuesday.

I believe every life is precious whether that life is 82 years old or 82 seconds old and will fight to protect the unborn every day as Senator, Kennedy said in a written statement from his campaign.

National Right to Life reports that Kennedy scored 100 percent on this years questionnaire and when he made an unsuccessful bid for the Senate in 2008. The group noted that Kennedy has never voted on an abortion issue as treasurer.

Campbell registered an 82 percent score while in the state Senate, but ran afoul of National Right to Life by declining to fill out their questionnaire this year.

Campbell didnt do so because the group wanted yes/no answers while Campbell wanted to provide expansive answers, said campaign spokeswoman Mary-Patricia Wray.

It had nothing to do with the group, Wray said, adding that the campaign has not filled out similar questionnaires from other groups. Foster Campbells unambiguous 40-year pro-life record cannot be impeached.

Failure to fill out the questionnaire mattered greatly to National Right to Life.

We cannot support a candidate who refuses to answer critical questions about how he will vote as a senator, Clapper said. We want to see abortion come to an end, and we believe John Kennedy as a U.S. senator will be the best choice to help this race. John Kennedys position 25 years ago will have no bearing on how he will vote as a reliable pro-life U.S. senator.

Mark Ballard of The Advocate Capitol news bureau contributed to this report.
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Was there a single moment when political candidates decided it was safer not to show up to debates?

If so, I missed it, but I suspect the change was more of a gradual shift, part of a trend toward more packaged and predictable campaigns that avoid risking the sort of unscripted flubs  or perhaps revealing moments of unintentional honesty  that can go viral. Strategically, ducking debates makes some sense, particularly for candidates who already own leads they want to protect, people like U.S. Senate candidate John Kennedy.

The final weeks of the Senate race could have featured four separate showdowns between the Republican state treasurer and his runoff opponent, Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, but none came to be. Kennedy declined an invitation to appear jointly before the Press Club of Baton Rouge, and three planned television debates were canceled when Kennedy agreed to attend one, Campbell another and negotiations over the third broke down when Kennedy refused to allow a live audience and Campbell refused to proceed without one.

The losers are those voters who still want to get a better sense of the man they'll soon send to Washington. Granted, that's not all of them, or most, or perhaps even more than a small subsample. Those who want to be more engaged, though, deserve more respect and consideration from the candidates than this sad state of affairs suggests.

That's particularly true this year, after a 24-candidate primary that was hard to follow and overshadowed by a reality show of a presidential race. With just two candidates left and the national contest over, now would have been the perfect time to make up for that.

It would have been a good opportunity for television viewers to hear Campbell and Foster go deeper than they do in those ubiquitous ads, where Kennedy issues pious platitudes about God, guns and the evils of government regulation, and Campbell stresses his support making oil and gas companies pay for coastal land loss, which is a state, not federal, issue. A debate would have been the time for voters to hear Campbell explain just where he agrees with President-elect Donald Trump and where he'd fight his agenda, and for Kennedy to either endorse or reject Trump's more outrageous ideas and comments.

Not that there's tons of suspense here. Kennedy has given every indication he'd go to Washington and vote the party line, just like other Louisiana Republicans. Campbell would surely follow the lead of previous Louisiana Democrats, sticking mostly with the party but sometimes peeling on off social issues.

But it sure would have been nice if they'd let voters hear their thoughts on these subjects and others firsthand.
ROSALIE, Ala.  The death toll from severe storms that moved across the South overnight has risen to five.

An official in Tennessee says two people have been killed and at least nine others injured in severe weather that hit the state overnight.

Southeast Louisiana under tornado watch until noon Wednesday Southeast Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, is under a tornado watch until n

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener says a husband and wife died and two others were injured in Polk County. He said at least seven injuries were reported in nearby McMinn County. He didn't have further details on what happened.

Flener says suspected tornadic activity was reported in six counties, all in the southeastern corner of Tennessee.

Across the state line, three people were killed in northeastern Alabama when a suspected tornado hit a mobile home in Jackson County.

Jackson County Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen tells The Associated Press the three killed were all in a mobile home in Rosalie in northeast Alabama. Another person in the home was critically injured.

Can't see the video? Click here.

Harnen also said early Wednesday that there have been a number of other injuries and estimated that 16 to 20 structures in Jackson County have been destroyed.

National Weather Service meteorologist Lauren Nash says there have been multiple reports of possible tornadoes across several counties in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.
It is no secret that frivolous litigation filings have skyrocketed in recent years. As more and more personal injury lawyers seek to use and a
8ith District Cmdr. Nicholas Gernon (L) discusses French Quarter crime trends and the mass shooting in Bourbon Street with other officers at a Comstat meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016.
An Australian Defence Force Academy cadet in Canberra who has denied raping a fellow cadet as she slept is set to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court.

Jack Toby Mitchell, 19, is accused of sexually assaulting the woman, 18, after the pair shared a taxi back to the ADFA campus in Campbell from Mooseheads nightclub in the early hours of Saturday, May 28.

ADFA cadet Jack Toby Mitchell leaves the ACT Magistrates Court in June. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

He was arrested in June and charged with sexual intercourse without consent after the woman reported the alleged incident to police.

Mitchell pleaded not guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court.
Canberra mornings: Thursday, December 1, 2016

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The Oaks Estate, Tuggeranong and Belconnen are home to the national capital's highest rates of smokers, obese and overweight residents, with a series of factors creating pockets of disadvantage that are driving up chronic disease rates.

A report released last week by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration has measured a range of chronic disease risk factors by "public health areas" nationwide.

Three areas in Canberra have smoking rates above the national average.

It confirmed all three areas had rates of "overweight or obese" people higher than the national average of 63.4%, while all other areas of the city were below the average.

In Fyshwick-Pialligo-Hume, home to the Oaks Estate, that rate was 75.8 percent; 68 per cent in Tuggeranong and 64.7 per cent in Belconnen, while the inner south and northern suburbs had the lowest rates in Canberra at 54.7 per cent and 58.9 per cent, respectively.
Ride-sharing service Uber, in partnership with safe drinking campaign DrinkWise, is offering $1 million in ride discounts this festive season in a bid to reduce road deaths and injuries.

More people die in car crashes in summer than in any other season, according to the Australian Road Deaths database. About one in five fatal crashes involve drink-driving.

Uber will be handing out $20 off discount codes to new and existing users in 200 licensed venues in NSW and Victoria throughout December and January.

This means that if your trip is less than $20, it will be free.
Oil surged after OPEC approved the first supply cuts in eight years in an effort to ease a record glut and stabilise global markets.

Futures jumped as much as 9.2 per cent in New York. OPEC agreed to reduce collective production to 32.5 million barrels a day, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Vienna Wednesday. The accord comes into effect at the start of 2017 and will last six months. The pact also calls for an additional 600,000 barrels a day of cuts from non-OPEC suppliers.

OPEC agreed to reduce collective production to 32.5 million barrels a day. Credit:James Davies

Oil has whipsawed since a production-cut was first proposed in Algiers in September and investors speculated about whether an accord could be struck. Right to the end, major obstacles threatened to sink the deal.

"OPEC has delivered on its Algiers goal to achieve a collective cut, but as always the devil is in the details," Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA in London, said by telephone. "What are the baselines of the cuts and the perennial issue of execution risk looms large. Furthermore, despite hopes for non-OPEC participation, the historical track record has been dismal."
The Turnbull government has finally achieved decisive action to regulate the thuggish actions of the building and construction unions. Legislation to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) was passed in the last sitting days of the 2016 Parliament, and we say, hear, hear. There has been incontrovertible evidence  much of it exposed in Fairfax Media reporting  of violence and corruption in these industries. By any measure, the current legislative and regulatory framework is not stopping this unacceptable behaviour, and the debate over how best to tackle this problem has criss-crossed ideological grounds and political camps for a decade and a half, with little progress. Last year, there were more than 100 cases against the CFMEU before the courts nationwide. Credit:Peter Braig In his report last year into the activities of unions, retired High Court judge Dyson Heydon, QC, said the criminal laws did not deter bribery and secret commissions in the construction industry. Nor are the instances of corruption and intimidation isolated or limited to a few rogue unions. "It is widespread. It is deep-seated," he said. The facts presented to the Heydon commission about the conduct of numerous senior and middle-ranking union officials (and companies) were overwhelming.

Last year, there were more than 100 cases against the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) before the courts nationwide. And far from deterring thuggish behaviour, the union seemed to accept the legal consequences as a kind of collateral damage. Earlier this year, in a Federal Court judgment against the CFMEU for blockading a Victorian construction site in 2013, Judge Debra Mortimer said neither the union nor those individuals who control it "appear to care at all whether the conduct they plan against employers for industrial purposes is unlawful". Judge Mortimer said such threatening and abusive behaviour was "tolerated, facilitated and encouraged by all levels" of the union. She also noted that the CFMEU expressed no remorse or apology. The ABCC is purpose-built for taking on the repeated lawbreaking and racking up of injunctions and fines by some unions. It would stamp out tactics such as the long-standing and blatantly illegal blockades of Grocon construction sites in Melbourne's CBD and elsewhere by the CFMEU. The cost of such standover tactics, both to those companies that go along with illegal union demands and those that stand up to them, could be counted in the billions. Former royal commissioner Terence Cole has reported that the Howard-era ABCC was delivering savings of $3.1 billion a year by 2007. The Age believes Labor has been wrong to resist the introduction of the ABCC, just as former prime minister Julia Gillard was wrong to so weaken it, folding it into the Fair Work Building and Construction Inspectorate, within the union-friendly Fair Work Commission. Labor seems blinded by its historic union ties to the tidal wave of evidence of union corruption in these industries. It is the role of unions to protect the rights of workers, to negotiate on their behalf and to ensure they are able to work in safety and with respect. This is a role we wholeheartedly support. It is not the role of unions to take part in thuggish, standover tactics, to intimidate employers or corruptly obtain money. Unions ought to unconditionally condemn and then rout such thuggish conduct from its ranks.
Mr Joyce spoke to Fairfax Media as part of a profile of Mr Christensen in Saturday's Good Weekend magazine. The cover photo features Mr Christensen displaying his Coptic arm tattoo of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, and holding the Nationals stockwhip, which has been used since 1917. On Wednesday, when asylum seeker advocates loudly protested during question time, he tweeted a photo of the whip and the caption: "Say hello to my little friend, hippies".

Mr Christensen - who has made controversial statements on Muslim immigration, the Safe Schools anti-homophobia program and climate science - has caused headaches for the Turnbull government by threatening to cross the floor on issues such as superannuation and a banking royal commission.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says he is grooming maverick north Queensland backbencher George Christensen for a future as a cabinet minister.

Mr Joyce said he appointed Mr Christensen to the key role of chief Nationals whip after the July election because he believes he has "great potential" to advance in politics.

George Christensen pictured for Good Weekend. Credit:Andrew Meares

"I think at some stage in the future he is more than capable of running a portfolio and doing it well," Mr Joyce said.

"There's no reason at all he couldn't be a cabinet minister. Now that's not imminent. But does he have the ability to run a department? Yes."

Mr Joyce declined to criticise his colleague for speaking out against party policy.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham says he is "embarrassed for Australia" that our maths and science results have fallen behind countries such as Kazakhstan and Slovenia in the latest international rankings.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, released on Tuesday, shows Australia dropping 10 spots in year 4 mathematics since 2011. Australia also fell five spots in year 8 maths and year 4 science.

"I think they're appalling results," Senator Birmingham told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

"I am embarrassed for Australia that we are not performing at the standard that we would expect our schools to perform."
Former Labor minister Eddie Obeid and his son Moses have had a small victory after a Sydney magistrate agreed to delay a court hearing on whether they should face a criminal trial over a $30 million coal deal.

Obeid, 73, and his middle son Moses were charged last year following an explosive Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into the circumstances in which a lucrative coal tenement was created over the family's rural property.

Eddie Obeid leaves Darlinghurst Supreme Court earlier this year. Credit:Christopher Pearce

The deal netted the Obeid family $30 million.

The duo was set to face a two-week committal hearing, starting on December 5, to test the strength of the prosecution's case and determine if they should stand trial on conspiracy charges.
The explosion that rocked a shopping centre in Haymarket in Sydney's CBD could have been much worse if not for the quick thinking of one of the security guards, shop owners say.

Security guard Khalifa Azrag was called to the basement of the Dixon House shopping centre by a cleaner when he smelt gas just before 7.40 pm on Tuesday.

"There was gas leaking in the basement near the pump room," said Mr Azrag, as he handed out coffee to distressed owners who had come to see the damage to their shops on Wednesday morning.

"The cleaner was inside and smelt gas leaking, and straight away I said it smelt really bad. I came down and shut down the valve, right next to the food court.
An alleged stabber is on the run after a bizarre road attack that sent a teenager to hospital in Queensland's north.

Police are hunting a man they said threw something at a car in Townsville on Wednesday night before stabbing one of the passengers in what a spokesman said appeared to be a random attack.

A man is on the run after allegedly stabbing a teen in Townsville. Credit:Glenn Hunt

About 8pm, four 17-year-old men were driving along Shetland Place in Kelso when something hit their car, police said.

When the driver pulled over and all four men got out, police said they were confronted by an unknown, long-haired man, who stabbed one of them in the stomach.
I knew something was wrong about 45 minutes in when I assumed we would almost be done, having been told it would take an hour. I should have known there had been a miscommunication between the manager and the technician, who clearly thought I wanted a full set. Had I got the half set I may not have been in so much pain later that day.

I chose the half set when I booked. I thought that was a good start  a 'see how they go' approach. This is frankly unusual given I'm an all-or-nothing type. When I arrived at the salon I was given a choice of two sizes, and chose the smaller, asking the technician not to make me look like a porn star.

I had had temporary lashes that last overnight when I'd been a bridesmaid and for parties. They had never bothered me. So I assumed I would have the same reaction to the lashes that last for about four weeks. Not so.

Here's a cautionary tale for the vain among us. Last weekend I got false eyelashes with a girlfriend as a fun thing to do. You know, festive season coming up and all.

An hour and a half later I walked out looking like a porn star. I didn't say anything about the mistake they had made giving me a full set (and making me look like Barbie), I didn't want to be rude. My friend got the half set and she looks great.

I knew immediately they didn't feel comfortable. By Saturday night I couldn't sleep my eyes were so irritated. By the morning my eyes were seriously weepy and red. The situation wasn't improved by reading horror stories online between the hours of 2am and 6am of people losing eyelashes for good as a result of false lashes.

At this point I knew I had not done nearly enough research before asking someone to apply medical-grade glue near my eye. I had to fight back a rising sense of panic as my eyes became more and more inflamed. I desperately wanted to rip the false lashes out of my eyes. But I knew that doing so would rip out my natural lashes, to which the falsies were attached. I considered going to casualty but on balance felt I was better to wait until I could get the salon to remove them, as I assumed it would have the appropriate solvent, and the hospital may not.

I looked up the salon's Sunday hours and found it opened at 10am and made sure I was at the door waiting well before opening time. Thank goodness I checked a leaflet in their flyer stand. The Sunday hours had been scrubbed out: they were closed. Here's my first lesson for the business: update your opening hours online, especially given all manner of treatments, not just lashes, could produce an allergic reaction. Medical practitioners need to be able to contact the salon to find out what products they have used if someone has a reaction to them.

I googled lash places in my area and hightailed it to the closest one  thank goodness they could see me straight away. Possibly I should not have been driving, given I could barely see.
Whatever it is, the result is a phone with a kind of mysterious finish, giving off soft, dreamlike reflections despite being mostly matte. Under different lights the black version can appear jet black or a kind of very dark red. Give the back of the phone a polish and set it face down on your desk and it can look downright space-age. The rear of the phone has a strange, fingerprint-hungry finish. Credit:Tim Biggs The price to pay for this unique look, however, is that it collects fingerprints like a deranged CSI. The material is very comfortable to hold, and thankfully not as slippery as some past Xperias, but you better get used to either cleaning the thing regularly or living with the greasy, multicolour smudges that streak across it after minutes of use. An unusual greeny-blue version is available if you order direct from Sony. Hardware The XZ hums along on a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM. As with virtually all contemporary Android phones, there's an Adreno 530 for graphics as well.

The XZ's display generates colour like no other, although photography fans may want to turn of the image processing for photos to preserve a natural look. Credit:Tim Biggs Sony remains one of the only players to stick with IPS LCD screens over AMOLED, but the 5.2-inch display on the XZ is amazingly bright. It's lower resolution than many high-end phones (at 1080x1920), but the company's image processing makes for better colour than the competition and great-looking videos and photos. The big 23MP rear camera is supported by a bank of sensors, including for laser autofocus and white balance, making it on paper one of the most powerful and technologically advanced camera you can get on a phone. In practice though, it's clear other phones have the edge when it comes to photo software and post-processing. Colour accuracy and autofocus are both consistently brilliant on the XZ, and the images are much bigger, but both the Google Pixel and iPhone 7 are better at, for example, knowing when to sacrifice accuracy for visibility in darker situations. Sony has made much of its triple-sensor camera setup. Credit:Sony Selfie fans should note that the 13MP front-facing camera  which is now wider angle to allow for several people to easily fit in the frame  is pretty much best in class.

For music fans the XZ supports Hi-Res audio (24-bit/192kHz) which you'll need compatible headphones and media to appreciate fully. There's a couple of options for elevating non-Hi-Res audio to make it sound clearer, but the phone's offer to automatically "optimise" sound for my headphones made everything unbearably bassy. With the right hardware and some tinkering, even streamed music can sound noticeably nicer though. Without headphones you have loud, clear stereo speakers which sound great for a phone, but that's a low bar to clear. Music fans with Hi-Res headphones and quality music files will get the most out of the XZ's audio, but you'll want a big SD card. Credit:Sony Sony has given up claiming its phones have a "two-day" battery life, but you could stretch the XZ that far if you needed to. At any rate it's difficult to exhaust the phone over the course of a single day, and if you do find yourself running low the suite of stamina modes give you options to keep your phone alive. New this time is a series of features designed to keep the battery holding its charge for years to come, which is especially prescient given some of the issues we've seen with the advent of fast-charging. While most phones will race to 100 per cent as quick as possible when plugged in, the XZ learns when you usually go to bed and wake up so it can fast-charge when you need a top up but go slow at night to avoid constantly topping itself up for seven hours straight. The system also measures battery pressure and temperature to regulate how fast power is fed in to avoid dangerous or damaging charging. The XZ doesn't look like other 2016 phones. From left: the iPhone 7, Galaxy S7, Pixel XL and Xperia XZ. Credit:Tim Biggs

Software Though the XZ launched with Android 6.0.1, an update rolled out on December 1 to bring the latest Android features to Sony's platform [Note, the update went live immediately after this review was originally published, so this article has been updated]. This take on Nougat is one of the better ones out there so far, with Sony improving Google's software where it can (for example a 'Smart Assist' that offers help based on your usage patterns and apps that give you special access to films or a remote display for your PlayStation) and otherwise leaving it alone. The phone naturally taps into Sony's ecosystem of other devices, including playing your PS4 remotely. Credit:Tim Biggs Sony's keyboard and launcher are pretty much the only ones outside of Google's own that I'm perfectly happy to use straight out the box without tweaking, and that's mostly because they contain Swiftkey and Google Now functionality themselves. Sony's main contribution to app management is a smarter way to organise and search for apps, which is great.

Aesthetically I also dig the painterly backgrounds and unique sliding lock screen that comes standard on the XZ, but that's a matter of personal preference. Overall the software is fast, beautiful and most important of all intuitive. Should I get one? Ultimately the XZ just beats out Google's Pixel to be my personal favourite phone of the year so far (I say so far because I'm yet to give LG's V20 a proper look), but if you're looking to grab the latest and greatest Android handset your decision is hardly cut and dried. The two phones (and, indeed, most flagship Androids) are similar in many ways, and it will come down to which little enhancements you prefer. The Pixel has a newer processor, more RAM and the latest version of Android, while the XZ has a bigger battery with (unproven) longevity claims, an SD card slot and is IP68 certified dust proof and water resistant. The Pixel comes in your choice of 5-inch or 5.5-inch, while the XZ is a comfortable middle ground. Both feel great in the hand and have quick fingerprint sensors, although I prefer Sony's side-mounted unit to Google's rear one. The XZ is easier on the wallet, but not by much.
A former Victorian former multicultural affairs commissioner has had two months shaved off his jail term for sexually assaulting a teenage boy, after his previous good character was found to be overlooked by a sentencing judge.

Joseph Wakim, who was once awarded the Order of Australia for his work addressing racism, sexually abused a 13-year-old boy at the child's home in December last year and was this year jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to sexually penetrating a child under 16.

Joseph Wakim has had two months cut off his jail term. Credit:Gene Ramirez

But Wakim, 53, appealed against the length of the sentence, and argued that County Court judge Amanda Chambers had failed to put enough weight on his previous good character in jailing him.

Wakim, a co-founder of the Australian Arabic Council, author and past columnist for Fairfax Media, also argued he had suffered extra-curial punishment through public humiliation, losing his job and positions on various committees and having been forced to give back the OAM.
Confronted at finding himself in a loving, supportive household, Sigaragh Baea responded with what he knew best  anger.

Within an hour of leaving Wishhasad Somawansa's Hoppers Crossing home on February 18, Baea returned and murdered his schoolfriend's mother, Prasad, by stabbing her at least 38 times in the head, neck, chest and arms with a knife he had with him.

Prasad Somawansa, 48, was killed in her family's Hoppers Crossing home. Credit:Courtesy of Seven News

Baea, 22, had earlier that night eaten dinner with Mrs Somwansa, 48, and her son after arriving at their home unannounced, having run into his former school friend about a week earlier, when the two young men agreed to catch up some time.

After dinner, Mr Somawansa was paged by his SES unit and drove Baea to a shopping centre.
Cowardly thieves tried to strangle a 70-year-old cleaner in a Brunswick West toilet block last week, stealing her wedding ring and other precious jewellery.

The woman, from Avondale Heights, suffered bruises and cuts after the violent attack.

Nine days after she was set upon in a Brunswick toilet block, Maria has a large black and purple bruise on her forehead. Credit:Victoria Police

It is believed she disturbed two men who were spraying graffiti at the Union Square toilets in Grantham Street about 4am on Monday, November 21.

One of the men grabbed her around the neck from behind, while the other offender demanded her mobile phone and money. When she refused, the man punched her in the face "continually".
A 21-year-old Midland man will appear in Perth's Magistrates Court on Wednesday, charged with a string of offences related to a brutal bashing outside a Parkwood Petrol Station.

Police will allege the man attempted to rob the 27-year-old Maddington mother when she was filling up her Lexus sedan outside a petrol station on November 16.

He approached the women's vehicle, and attempted to steal her university backpack from inside the car.

The man then allegedly punched her several times in the face, and fled in a white Mazda.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan for a return to politics will have to overcome an old obstacle that won't go away: his decision to take the United Kingdom into the Iraq War.

MPs from seven political parties made a coordinated move Wednesday to hold the former leader to account for his actions in the run-up to the 2003 invasion. They put forward a motion arguing that the UK Parliament should hold a series of investigations into Mr Blair's role in the conflict.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair. Credit:AP

"Blair's premeditated and calculated commitment" to US President George W. Bush "that 'I will be with you whatever' will forever ring loud for the millions who marched against the war, to the families of dead soldiers and to hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who lost their lives," Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party's international affairs spokesman, said in a statement before the debate.

"At a time when Blair is planning his political comeback, it is high time that this Parliament and its committees at long last brought this dark stain on UK foreign policy to a close."
EPA Names First Chemicals for Review Under New TSCA Legislation/Agency moves on chemical reform

CONTACT: Cathy Mibourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov (202)-564-7849 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 29, 2016 EPA Names First Chemicals for Review Under New TSCA Legislation Agency answers call to move forward on chemical reform, naming asbestos among first to undergo risk evaluation WASHINGTON - Today, EPA is announcing the first ten chemicals it will evaluate for potential risks to human health and the environment under TSCA reform. aUnder the new law, we now have the power to require safety reviews of all chemicals in the marketplace.a??? said Jim Jones, assistant administrator of the of Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. aWe can ensure the public that we will deliver on the promise to better protect public health and the environment.a??? The first ten chemicals to be evaluated are: 1,4-Dioxane 1-Bromopropane Asbestos Carbon Tetrachloride Cyclic Aliphatic Bromide Cluster Methylene Chloride N-methylpyrrolidone Pigment Violet 29 Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene Trichloroethylene Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, requires EPA to publish this list by December 19, 2016. These chemicals were drawn from EPAas 2014 TSCA Work Plan, a list of 90 chemicals selected based on their potential for high hazard and exposure as well as other considerations. When the list is published in the Federal Register it will trigger a statutory deadline to complete risk evaluations for these chemicals within three years. This evaluation will determine whether the chemicals present an unreasonable risk to humans and the environment. If it is determined that a chemical presents an unreasonable risk, EPA must mitigate that risk within two years. Under the newly amended law, EPA must release a scoping document within six months for each chemical. This will include the hazard(s), exposure(s), conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation(s) the agency plans to consider for the evaluation. Additional chemicals will be designated for evaluation, and all of the remaining Work Plan chemicals will be reviewed for their potential hazard and exposure. For each risk evaluation that EPA completes, TSCA requires that EPA begin another. By the end of 2019, EPA must have at least 20 chemical risk valuations ongoing at any given time. For more on the chemicals listed and additional information: https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/evaluating-risk-existing-chemicals-under-tsca R182 ______________________ If you would rather not receive future communications from Environmental Protection Agency, please go to http://USEPA.pr-optout.com/OptOut.aspx?518041x25793x115888x3x1860744x24000x6&Email=submit%40theautochannel.com. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States
Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...
Editor's Note: This story has been updated.

Mitt Romney and Donald Trump have had their meeting, and my, my, what a new Mitt were seeing now. The statement he read last night started with a reference to the president-elects message of inclusion and ended with the 2012 standard bearer expressing his increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future.

That's quite different from Romneys view back in March, when among others things he warned that if Republicans chose Trump as their nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.

If Romney is offered the secretary of state position and accepts, he will have done everything in life precisely as his father, George, did it. Made a fortune; became governor; tried but failed to become president; and then accepted a Cabinet position (from someone he probably despised, in Georges case Richard Nixon). Some boys want to kill their fathers; others want to become them.

Trump is a man for whom Romney clearly has heaping disdain. Hear that harp music? Thats the soundtrack of a flashback happening, and Im taking you back right now to March 3 of this year, when Romney appeared in Salt Lake City to launch his blistering attack on Trumps candidacy. Its worth me quoting today at some length:

In 1964, days before the presidential election which, incidentally, we lost, Ronald Reagan went on national television and challenged America saying that it was a Time for Choosing. He saw two paths for America, one that embraced conservative principles dedicated to lifting people out of poverty and helping create opportunity for all, and the other, an oppressive government that would lead America down a darker, less free path. Im no Ronald Reagan and this is a different moment but I believe with all my heart and soul that we face another time for choosing, one that will have profound consequences for the Republican Party and more importantly, for the country.

He was referring, of course, to Trump. He then laced into Trumps economic message. He said Trump would launch a trade war that would raise consumer prices dramatically and charged that Trump would sink the country into a prolonged recession. But the attack wasnt limited to policy. It went on to character:

But wait, you say, isnt he a huge business success that knows what hes talking about? No he isnt. His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didnt create it. And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then theres Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not.

But that was just the start! He saved the heaviest punches for foreign policyexactly the arena in which Secretary of State Romney would be carrying out President Trumps edicts. To wit:

Let me turn to national security and the safety of our homes and loved ones. Trumps bombast is already alarming our allies and fueling the enmity of our enemies. Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from fully engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS. And for what purpose? Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country.

What he said on 60 Minutes about Syria and ISIS has to go down as the most ridiculous and dangerous idea of the campaign season: Let ISIS take out Assad, he said, and then we can pick up the remnants. Think about that: Let the most dangerous terror organization the world has ever known take over a country? This is recklessness in the extreme.

Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I'm afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.

That is a pretty good critique, actually. Could have gone further, even, but fine. How can Romney look himself in the mirror as he considers working for this man?

The attack continued and crescendoed. Punches flew as if in an old Batman episode. Dishonesty is Trumps hallmark. POW! Think of Donald Trumps personal qualities, the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics. ZAM! Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. ZOINK!

Romney added that if Trump failed to release his tax returns, that would prove Trumps phoniness. And here we are, nearly nine months later, and weve not seen Trumps returns and likely never will. So by the definition Romney himself laid out in March, Trump remains a phony.

Would you go to work for someone you believe to be a phony? Maybe you would, if you were desperate. But I can think of about 250 million reasons why Mitt isnt that.

Yes, its tempting. Secretary of State! Mr. Secretary, welcome to Beijing! Mr. Secretary, His Excellency the Emir salutes you! And that plane, and the retinue, and the portrait that will hang on the Foggy Bottom wall forever. I get it.

So theres that and theres the notion that people can rationalize their way to any conclusion. Id be doing it not for him, he has surely told Ann, in between her gallops on Rafalca, but for the country. I could be the sane counterweight. After he pops off about Country X in a tweet, Id be the guy who could make the call to smooth the ruffled feathers. I would thus be indispensible! And who could do this job better than I? Giuliani? Out in the world to put out fires Trump lit? Please. Thatd be like sending Bannon to Anti-Defamation League meeting!

Thats Romneys fantasy version of the job. The reality version of the job is more likely to be as follows: Trump says some awful thing that offends a strategic ally, or orders a policy shift that has disastrous consequences, or what have you. Then it becomes Romneys job to tell head of state Y and foreign minister Z that well, this is what the president wants. And if Romney does anything other than that, he will quickly find himself a figurehead, frozen out of any meaningful foreign-policy making, which will be done from the White House.

Finally, one day when hes had enough, Trump will get up at 4:07 am and tweet: Failing Foggy Bottom losing credibility fast. No one listens. Sad!

Mr. Romney, where is your dignity? This cannot end well for you.
CHARLESTON, South CarolinaFormer policeman Michael Slager said Tuesday he feared for his life and that his mind had turned to spaghetti when he shot an unarmed, fleeing black man five times in the back.

Slager took the stand in the waning days of his nearly month-long murder trial, offering his own account of his fatal struggle with motorist Walter Scott. Slager had pulled Scott over on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston, South Carolina, for a broken taillight. Scott fled the traffic stop, leading to a foot chase that involved a struggle, repeated use of a Taser, and Scotts shooting death.

Days after the shooting, a bystanders video of a portion of the incident emerged, leading to Slagers firing from the police force and his arrest for murder. In that video, Scott is seen escaping Slagers grasp, turning his back to the officer, and sprinting away before being shot dead.

Yet during testimony Tuesday, Slager described an opposite scenario, saying he was the one attempting to flee from Scott after the suspect grabbed his Taser and lunged at him.

Scott would not stop running or resisting the entire chase, Slager testified. As Slager tried to handcuff Scott, Slager said he was overpowered and that Scott ripped his Taser from his hands, sending fear through his body.

I just knew I was going to lose the fight, said Slager, who acknowledged that some of thats really fuzzy in my mind.

Rather than lose the fight, Slager unholstered his police-issued .45-caliber Glock.

I pulled my firearm and pulled the trigger, said Slager. I fired until the threat was stopped like Im trained to do.

During cross-examination, prosecutors challenged this account and highlighted discrepancies between Slagers statements and video evidence, noting that Scott is not seen holding the Taser.

Prosecutor Bruce DuRant aggressively questioned Slagers actions after the shooting as captured on video. This included inquiring why Slager jogged away from Scotts dead body to pick his Taser up off the ground and then drop it beside Scotts body before soon picking it back up again.

Slager acknowledged his actions on the video but said he didnt remember moving the Taser, attributing his failed memory to his excited emotional state.

I dont know why I dropped it on the ground, but I picked it up a few seconds later, he testified.

The prosecution, who earlier in the trial had intimated that Slager may have tampered with the crime scene, did not appear to be convinced.

It seems like youre just not remembering the things that are bad for you, said DuRant.

DuRant asked why Slager did not his gun trained on Scott as he approached the slain suspect to handcuff him, given the fact that Slager had been scared for his life and did not know if Scott was armed and alive or dead.

My mind was like spaghetti, said Slager, claiming he was disoriented after wrestling with Scott and sprinting after him.

DuRant quizzed Slager about why he did not initially disclose more details of his supposed struggle with Scott to state police investigators and how he erroneously remembered the fallen Taser as resting between him and the slain suspect when video evidence shows it lying behind the men.

DuRant then called Slager out from behind the witness stand to demonstrate with him the final moments of Scotts life. Stretching 18 feet of a measuring tape between themthe distance from which Slager fired his first shotDuRant wondered aloud how Slager could have felt intimidated by the fleeing and distant Scott, whom Slager claimed only moments earlier was threatening to stab and stun him with a Taser at close range.

Mr. Scott never stopped, he was always dangerous, said Slager. I [unholstered my weapon and shot] as fast as I could.

The defense rested at the end of Tuesdays court session. The murder trial resumes Wednesday and closing arguments are expected soon.
Police at Standing Rock said it was too dangerous to move burned-out vehicles from a bridge there on Nov. 20, leaving it to protesters like Vanessa Dundon to get rid of the wrecks so emergency vehicles could get through in the case anyone needed medical treatment.

Thats when police opened fire, according to a lawsuit filed by Dundon on Monday in federal court. The protesters opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline were choked by tear gas and struck by rubber bullets and bean bags, the lawsuit states. In sub-freezing temperatures, police soaked protesters with a water cannon over and over again.

After being struck by the tear gas canister, Dundon was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet before being pulled from the bridge by other protesters. In a triage tent, paramedics stopped the bleeding from her eye before taking her to a Bismarck emergency room where she received stitches. Within a few days, she was told it was likely that her retina was detached, and she may not see out of her right eye again, according to the lawsuit.

Dundon may never regain vision in her right eye after being struck in the face with a tear gas canister that day. (Dundons GoFundMe page has so far raised $80,000.) She and other protestersone shot in the head with a rubber bullet, another struck in the genitals with a tear gas canisterare now suing Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, his department and two other law enforcement agencies for using excessive force.

Now, the clashes of the Nov. 20 standoff may be repeated. Thousands of veterans backed by more than $500,000 in donations are expected to travel to Standing Rock this weekend. Ahead of that, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple issued an executive order requiring protesters to leave immediately. Morton County pledged on Tuesday to cut off supplies to the encampment of thousands.

Theyre sadly mistaken if they dont think we already have many supplies there, said Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth, a Native American land rights group that has been fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Sandpiper Pipeline in Minnesota, among other land disputes in tribal territories.

We have enough rice already there to last us 10 years, LaDuke told The Daily Beast.

The emergency treatment Dundon received at the camp on Nov. 20 may now be harder to come by thanks Dalrymples orderwhich also leaves it up to the Morton County Sheriffs Department and the state Highway Patrol to decide on a case by case basis whether or not to allow first responders into the protest camp.

The department, along with Sheriff Kirchmeier, the Stutsman County Sheriffs Department and the Mandan Police Department are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

In his order, Dalrymple contends that blocking paramedics from responding to the camp will reduce threats to public safety by not guaranteeing emergency services to protesters.

On Tuesday, the Morton County Sheriffs Department said it will stop the flow of supplies to the main protester camp at Standing Rock.

But it doesnt appear that police will be short of any supplies, which according to Dundons lawsuit include long-range acoustic devices, tear gas, flash grenades, rubber bullets, bean bags and a water cannon that have been used on her and other protesters. Jade Wool, another plaintiff in the case, was one of several protesters sprayed with the water cannon on Nov. 20, prompting her and others to be treated for hypothermia, the lawsuit alleges.

The Morton County Sheriffs Department and the Mandan Police Department defended their use of water on protesters, with Mandan police chief Eric Ziegler telling reporters the day after the incident that the water cannon was effective, wasnt it?

Calls to the Morton County Sheriffs Department have gone unanswered for several days. Requests under the states Open Records Act asking for information on the use of non-lethal weapons by the Morton and Stutsman counties, Mandan police and the North Dakota Highway Patrol did not receive an immediate response. (To get an idea of the full scope of police resources used in Standing Rock would be much more difficultpolice from more than 70 law enforcement agencies in nine states have worked the protests, according to the ACLU.)

For months protesters have been complaining that police have treated protesters harshly, especially on Nov. 20, one of the most contentious days of clashes since protesters set up camp in July.

Dundons lawsuit paints perhaps one of the clearest pictures yet of the situation at Standing Rock that day.

David Demo was near a razor wire line filming police with a GoPro camera when he was targeted by the water cannon on Nov. 20. After changing clothes and returning to the front line, Demo was shot in the hand with a rubber bullet. The impact broke several knuckles and required reconstructive surgery, according to the lawsuit.

Guy Dullknife III was shot with bean bags in the leg, chest, and hands while trying to help a woman who was being sprayed with the water cannon as she lay on the ground. Mariah Bruce accuses police of shooting a tear gas canister directly at her on Nov. 20, striking her in the vagina, according to the lawsuit.

Israel Hoagland-Lynn needed 17 staples in his head to close up a wound from a rubber bullet fired by police that day.

Wool, the woman who was struck by the water cannon on the night of Nov. 20, alleges she was also struck in the face by shrapnel from a grenade, according to the lawsuit. Protesters and left-leaning media outlets have accused law enforcement of using concussion grenades, perhaps most notably in the case of a woman whose arm was partly amputated as a result of an explosion at Standing Rock two weeks ago.

Police have denied using such weaponry and have fought back with their own accusations, including one that protesters have been or were preparing to use propane tanks as explosive devices the Dundon was struck in the face while trying to move vehicles off the bridge.

The Morton County Sheriffs Department posted photos of the alleged homemade bombs on its Facebook page, which has since been taken down without explanation from the department.

LaDuke says Morton County has gone rogue at Standing Rock.

They have acted irrationally and entirely outside of the law as far as Im concerned over the last four months, she said.

The veterans expected at Standing Rock this weekendled by the Wesley Clark Jr., son of General Wesley Clarkhave said they will act as human shields for protesters. LaDuke says the reinforcements will put the camps population past 10,000 people.

Theyre not going to stop people from getting into that encampment, she said. I dont think theyre going to be able to tear gas or shoot rubber bullets at 15,000 people and get them to leave.
Now that Donald Trump has nominated Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Price as secretary of Health and Human Services, its not only time to get your IUD, its also time to stock up on birth control pills.

The week before the election, I wrote a half tongue-in-cheek piece about how women can hedge their electoral bets by getting IUDs as soon as possible, just in case Donald Trump won (ha ha, right?). And then he did, and the column went from reading as a joke invoking hand-wringing for intended comedic effect to something that read as serious food for thought for women of reproductive age. In the ensuing days, other publications called for similar courses of action, widely based on speculation about what a Trump-Pence administration would do to the Affordable Care Act, or to access to reproductive health services in general.

At the time, nobody knew exactly how Donald Trump would handle the contentious issue of government involvement in womens reproductive healthcare. But now that Trump has nominated Rep. Price for the HHS role, we have something a little more concrete to go on.

Price helming HHS is a nightmare scenario for advocates of reproductive choice, and a dream for those with a nostalgia for the time before Roe v. Wade, if not Griswold v. Connecticut. During his 11-year tenure in Congress, Price has not cast a single pro-choice vote. His record in issues of birth control and choice last year earned him a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood, an organization that even his new boss Donald Trump acknowledges does some good work (even though Donald Trump has also said that women who have abortions should face some form of punishment, except maybe not).

Likely future Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price has never met an anti-abortion cause he wont rally behind. In 2005, he co-sponsored a bill in the House that would have defined human life as beginning at the moment of conception. That would have turned many forms of contraceptionIUDs, the morning-after pill, and good old hormonal birth control pillsinto potential implements of murder in the eyes of the law, as well as outlawing most abortions. In vitro fertilization would also get much more complicated if the government officially recognizes zygotes as just as human and alive as, say, a 10-year-old child or likely future Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price. The concept of personhood, as that particular belief became known in more recent years, was so far to the right that when in 2011, when it was put up for a public vote in blood-red Mississippi, it failed by a significant margin.

When personhood proved electorally untenable and logically ridiculous (If a zygote has the same rights as any other alive human being, does a zygote have free speech rights? Does a miscarriage count as suicide or murder? Do law enforcement agencies hire zygote enforcement divisions, or do regular police suddenly become experts at detecting zygote misdeeds?), Price threw his support behind other anti-abortion causes, like a nationwide ban on pregnancy terminations that occur beyond 20 weeks. The vast majority of abortions in the U.S. occur before the 12-week mark, and most that occur after 20 weeks occur because of serious health concerns on the part of either the mother or fetus.

Prices extreme beliefs on womens health extend beyond abortion. His voting record shows hes a proponent of so-called conscience clauses, which allow medical practitioners personal beliefs to dictate what sort of reproductive health care they provide their female patients, without regard for what the woman wants or what is physically best for her. He also supports the right of insurance companies and other entities to invoke their consciences in denying women insurance coverage for birth control. Every little girl dreams of one day growing up and falling in love and one day, when a squeamish insurance executive decides its time to stop paying for healthcare that enables women to have non-procreative sex, getting accidentally pregnant.

But wait. Theres more. Rep. Price is a longtime supporter of defunding Planned Parenthood, errantly claiming that funding the family planning and sexual health-focused organization was akin to taxpayer funding of abortions (thanks to the Hyde Amendment, its been illegal for any federal program to fund virtually any abortion since 1976). Earlier this year, Price told ThinkProgress that the government had no role in ensuring access to birth control because not a single woman in America has had difficulty accessing it. The truth is that birth control access continues to be a struggle for many women, and would be made much more difficult if other ideas Price champions, like personhood or defunding clinics that provide birth control to women who couldnt otherwise afford it or conscience clauses that apply to insurance companies, became law.

Prices views are about in line with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who as governor of Indiana signed a law requiring funerals for miscarried or aborted fetuses. Theyre not exactly outside of the pro-life mainstream in American politics; a law slightly more toned-down than Pences went into effect in Texas today; this one requires cremation or burial for aborted fetuses.

Two men with the future Presidents ear represent some of the most extreme anti-abortion views weve seen in the White House in nearly a decade. Its not unreasonable for American women to take time between now and January 20 to sit down and consider what theyd like to do with their uteruses for the next four years. Because if you dont, more than one man in the incoming presidential administration would be happy to do it for you.
With each passing day, Sen. Bernie Sanderslike much of the countryis less willing to give President-elect Donald Trump a chance.

The former Democratic presidential candidate had nothing but ominous warnings about a Trump presidency when he visited Conan OBriens show Tuesday night, especially given Trumps refusal to stop tweeting conspiracy theories to the nation after his unexpected victory. Sanders shook his head in disgust as OBrien read aloud Trumps recent claim that he would have won the popular vote were it not for the millions of people who voted illegally.

First of all, its delusional. Its totally insane, Sanders said. But whats even scarier in his view is that Trump is sending a signal to Republicans all over this country, urging them to suppress the votes of poor people, people of color, immigrants, and others who might vote against them. My own view is we have got to work overtime to bring more people into the political process, not make it harder for people to participate.

On Trumps suggestion that anyone who burns the American flag should lose their citizenship, Sanders again pointed to a hidden message, and that is be careful if you are prepared to dissent. Despite the Supreme Court precedent that protects flag-burning as free speech, Trump wants people to know, Were watching you.

I worry about the future of this country, Sanders said, especially given the fact that the cornerstone of the president-elects campaign was bigotry against Mexican Americans, Muslims, and other groups.

Next, OBrien moved on to Sanderss declaration, early in his primary campaign against Clinton, that the American people dont care about her damn emails. Given the fact that Donald Trump seemed to prove Sanders wrong on that, OBrien wanted to know if he regretted taking that issue off the table.

No, Sanders replied. What I said when I said that was that I think it is imperative that we focus on the real issues facing the American people. Ultimately, he blamed the media more than Trump for riling up voters over Clintons private email server.

What media loved was the fact that Trump would say one absurd thing after another, ugly things about people we have never heard before from a presidential candidate, Sanders said. That was great TV. CNNs ratings went way up. I think the American people have got to demand more out of media. The American people have got to demand that media talk about the issues that impact our lives.

As an example, OBrien brought up a story during the campaign that focused more on a speeding ticket his driver received than the issues. If something stupid and personal happens, that becomes the story, Sanders said. Turn on network news tonight and watch it for the next year. See how much coverage there is about climate change, which is threatening the existence of the entire planet.

Its not because the people who run the news network are dummies, Sanders said, its because they are owned by half a dozen major conglomerates. He asked, Do they have vested interests that are in conflict with the public? Yeah, youre damn right they do.

After a break, Sanders went on to heap some rare praise on secretary of State candidate Mitt Romney, who he said hit the nail right on the head when he described Trump as a fraud and a phony.

Given the fact that Trump is open to a relative moderate like Romney for his Cabinet and has softened his stance on issues like repealing the Affordable Care Act and jailing Hillary Clinton, OBrien asked if Sanders has some sense of optimism for the next four years.

I wouldnt use the word optimism, Sanders said to nervous laughter from the crowd. He is clearly not an ideological person. I think he develops his policies every 10 minutes and he tweets them out. But in a sense, the positive of that is what youre indicating, theyre not firmly held. And they may change.

On the question of whether he thinks he could have beaten Trump in the general election, Sanders gave his standard, Who knows? answer. But this time, he added, I wish to God that I had had that opportunity.
On December 15, 2011, four male Minnesota state senators called a press conference. Its purpose was to issue a moral rebuke to a woman who wasnt there, over an extramarital affair shed had with a colleague. In the ensuing weeks, the four men would force the woman, the states first ever female majority leader, to move to an office far from theirs, on a different floor. Nobody would move into her vacant office before the end of the term, after which the woman would pack her things and leave the home she had shared with her husband of 18 years to move back in with her parents. Weeks later, the womans 64-year-old mother would die of breast cancer, only four months after her diagnosis.

Amy Koch still feels the echoes of the day of that press conference in her life. People called it The Scarlet Letter award ceremony, she tells The Daily Beast. I didnt watch it. Ill never watch it.

That was the day that news of Kochs affair with a male senate staffer went public, that her colleagues turned on her, that Koch resigned from her leadership position among state senate Republicans and announced she wouldnt seek reelection. The damage to her life and career felt complete, the shame all-consuming.

As a person, Amy Koch is strikingly likeable, sharp, warm, and thoughtful, even after what she now refers to as the ordeal. But for liberals in Minnesota circa 2011, Koch represented something much less endearing. For them, her scandal was a cocktail of poetic justice and schadenfreude. The marriage equality fight raged red-hot that Minnesota midwinter, and, Koch, an outspoken and brash conservative woman with an easy one-of-the-dudes laugh, had been instrumental in pushing for a state constitutional amendment barring legal same-sex unions. After the news of her own marital catastrophe upended the Minnesota statehouse, one gay activist wrote a cheeky letter to Koch, apologizing on behalf of gay people everywhere for ruining her marriage. The letter went viral. Liberal cable news had a lot of fun with the affair. Opinion pages of the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press were littered with morally superior missives against Koch. Any statement she made to the media was met with sneering, with moral judgement, with condemnation.

Amy Koch did a lot of reading as the scandal broke. She read the letters to the editor. She also read the comments. Never read the comments, she says.

She also read stories of other political sex scandals, searching for a blueprint of what her life would look like moving forward. I wanted to know who survives this who doesnt survive this. How do they approach things? Why does one person come back and another person doesnt? And one thing I noticed, I didnt really find any stories about women politicians. theres women on the other end of these scandals but theres not one where its a woman politician. None that I found.

Bereft of role models, she set out on her own path. After my term was over, I disappeared, she says. It took her months before she felt like she could return to church. Newspaper articles that mentioned the implosion of her career would give her a fresh wave of humiliation. She was positive that friends and neighbors who were supportive or kind to her were faking it, because everybody on the internet was so full of vitriol. At the end of the year, she used some of the money she got from the sale of her and her now-ex husbands business during their divorce and bought a bowling alley and bar in Maple Lake, Minnesota, about a 15-minute drive from her hometown of Buffalo.

Ive thought a lot about it and Ive had a lot of peoplewomen and mensay to me it wouldnt have happened to me if I were a man, she says. But Im not sure if what happened to me happened because Im a woman.

The 2016 election has offered America a crash course in double standards when it comes to how men and women in the public eye are treated. If Donald Trump were a woman, for example, a 70-year-old obese woman with a sexual obsession with her adult son and the vocabulary of an elementary-school bully, would she have been the presidential nominee of this countrys conservative party? If somebody named Donna Trump had bragged about sexually assaulting men, would she be the president today? Would a woman who famously cheated on her husband be given a second chance in politics right away? We have our answer to the last question.

Trump himself has a colorful history with infidelity. His image of a playboy was so important to the president-elect in the 1980s and 90s that rumor has it hed pose as his own spokesperson to plant stories about his sexual exploits in tabloids (acting in a way that would get one labeled a slut if one were female, turns out, is beneficial for men). He left his first wife and the mother of three of his children for his mistress amid a flurry of tabloid coverage. In 2005, he famously bragged to Billy Bush about grabbing women by the pussy. In December of that year, People Magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff alleges she was grabbed and forcibly kissed by Trump when she was at Mar-a-Lago to interview him for a story. During a presidential debate this year, Trump says he hasnt even apologized to his wife. He hadnt done anything.

Trumps inner circle is lousy with men who have done worse than Amy Koch, and not suffered nearly the professional consequences. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, currently lobbying hard to be made Secretary of State, married his second cousin and began dating his second wife before he and his first wife divorced. While he was still married to his second wife (not to be confused with his second cousin), Giuliani allegedly carried on a long affair with his press secretary. In the late 1990s, Giuliani met a woman named Judith (a new one, not the press secretary. Keep up.), and used his publicly-funded NYPD security detail to escort him to and from liaisons with the woman who would turn out to be his future third wife. He announced his separation to the public and to his second wife simultaneously, with a press conference.

David Petraeus, another rumored Secretary of State candidate, carried on a years-long affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell that was only discovered in 2012, the year after he was appointed head of the CIA. Broadwell and Petraeus had been exchanging love notes over unencrypted channels that were discovered by the FBI after Broadwell began cyberstalking a socialite named Jill Kelley. In 2015, Petraeus pled guilty to mishandling classified information with Broadwell, a misdemeanor that resulted in two years probation and a $100,000 fine. If hes selected as Secretary of State, Petraeus will still be on probation when Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2017, and will continue to be on probation for the first three months of his theoretical tenure as the person fourth in line to the Presidency.

Amy Koch did not mishandle classified information like David Petraeus. She did not obscure the use of public funds from taxpayers to hide her affair from the public, like Rudy Giuliani. She didnt use prostitutes like David Vitter, or send suggestive pictures to a handful of people over and over again like Anthony Weiner. She didnt get oral sex from a 22-year-old intern in the Oval Office like Bill Clinton. Mine was kind of boring by comparison, she says. It was just an affair.

Koch wonders if men who have been able to pick themselves from scandals like hers were able to do so because they blame themselves less for what happens to them, if they feel less shame in the aftermath than she did. It took at least two years before I wasnt just broken down about it, she says. Before I could talk about it without being sad and embarrassed. And a lot of that came from just being in the bar, being in the bowling alley, talking to people. Having good friends.

While Trump, Petraeus, and Giuliani are inches from the most powerful position in the free world, Amy Koch is just now re-occupying normal. Shes sold the bowling alley in Maple Lake and this year started working full time as a political consultant with a small firm. She appears frequently on the charming Wrong About Everything podcast, a show about Minnesota politics featuring two Democrats and two Republicans who good-naturedly rib each other over beers. Shes been approached about running for office again, and has considered it. Shes not sure yet if thats what she wants to do.

Koch still gets nasty comments about her scandal a couple of times per year, but no longer takes them to heart. She no longer believes that anybody has the perfect life or the perfect marriage. Shes made amends with three of the four men who held the scarlet letter press conference five years ago. One still refuses to speak with her.

The experience also taught the one-time gay marriage foe to evolve in her views.

What the ordeal did for me is it forced me to be crystal clear about why I am a Republican and why I am not, Koch says. I am firmer in my beliefs about the limited role of government and find it easier to reject bad ideas that distract us as a party from that. Regarding the marriage amendment, my experience taught me a simple truth: no one deserves to have their private selves be a part of public debate. That was an immediate lesson. What I have learned since being out of office, and after many conversations with gay friends, is that is exactly what the amendment felt like to them. I understand more fully the contours of their pain, that even though in the end they defeated the amendment, the very fact of their rights being debated was deeply hurtful.

Men like Rudy Giuliani and David Petraeus have the chutzpah to pick themselves up from embarrassing scandal almost immediately and carry on after a perfunctory apology. Women like Amy Koch face a much harsher public response, one that takes years to lead back to the edges of the political arena, much less the West Wing.

Despite their dichotomous ideologies, its hard not to see parallels between Amy Koch and Hillary Clinton. Both women rose to unprecedented levels of achievement in their respective parties. Both were poised to continue their onward/upward trajectories. Both were thwarted by things that David Petraeus also did. Except now David Petraeus is being considered for Secretary of State, while Hillary Clinton hikes endlessly through the woods of Chappaqua, New York and Amy Koch is finally getting back to politics.

Amy Kochs slow comeback, in its own way, makes a tiny crack in a different shade of glass ceiling than the one Hillary Clintons fans so loved to fantasize about shattering. Hillarys, the legend was supposed to go, represented women being allowed to achieve. Amy Kochs represents women being allowed to fail. In order to achieve true equality, women need to be free to be celebrated when theyre just as good as men, and forgiven when theyre just as bad.
Republicans have seen into the futureand it looks out of their control.

Just a few weeks ago, the GOP celebrated a clean sweep of the House, Senate, and the presidency and began planning all the things they could do with their new found power.

But that power has come with a price: because while Republicans may control Congress, they are quickly realizing they dont have control of the message. And while its not unusual for a president-elect to direct the conversation, its never been quite like this.

Many of them realize that Trumps tweets will punctuate the Washington landscape sporadically and without warning. On any given day, they fret, their plans could be upended because their president doesnt have the discipline not to tweet about a tangential issue.

Their palpable irritation with the various tweet storms that the president-elect creates on a whim was on full display as they returned to Washington on Tuesday.

Let me make it perfectly clear: Im not commenting on Donald Trumps daily comments. Im not going to do it, said Sen. John McCain, a senior statesman of the Republican Senate caucus and himself formerly a presidential contender. I have said, and continue to say, that I am not commenting on Mr. Trumps comments. I have too much other work to do.

When you say things, youre no longer Donald Trump. Youre Donald Trump soon-to-be-president of the United States, Sen. Lindsey Graham lectured the incoming administration.

In the last few days, the controversial tweets have piled up. What do lawmakers think about Trumps suggestion that millions of fraudulent votes were cast, costing him the popular vote?

I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, Trump said Sunday afternoon, without any evidencea claim Politifact immediately rates as untrue, or Pants on Fire!

Or what about his remarks Tuesday morning, seemingly out of nowhere (or possibly prompted by a story earlier this month about students burning a flag in Massachusetts), that burning the flag should be criminalized?

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flagif they do, there must be consequencesperhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! Trump wrote.

We just wake up and find out what we have to do every morning, a senior Republican Senate aide told The Daily Beast, perplexed that the Capitol was abuzz with chatter about the constitutionality of flag burning, which was decided in the Supreme Court in landmark decisions back in 1989 and 1990over a quarter century ago.

So instead of discussing national security issues on Tuesday, as is his expertise and preferred topic, Graham began mulling over how to address Trumps latest tweet-induced carnival.

If youve got any suggestions that there is a real problem with the way the votes are tallied, put it on the table, Graham scolded the president-elect. Youre now the President-elect of the United States. If you really believe that millions of people voted illegally you should show some proof No one has suggested to me that theres evidence of what he said. And if theres no evidence, please stop saying that.

In a sign of the times, Graham said he was looking into introducing a congressional resolution saying that Congress viewed the elections as accurate, free, and fairbecause Trumps suggestions of fraud does create uncertainty in the minds of some. Just one problem, though, Graham told the Beasthes still trying to find a Democratic co-sponsor.

Asked if the president-elect should even have a Twitter account, the South Carolina senator quipped, Thats up to him. Hes over 21 years old.

Trumps unpredictable and undisciplined Twitter activity is already deeply alienating to his fellow Republicanseven before hes taken office. His talk about voter fraud is especially off-putting to his GOP cohorts, both because he won the election and because it undercuts the spirit of American democracy.

Those that cast aspersions on our election process shouldntwe have a good process. I feel that way. When Donald Trump said during the campaign he might not accept the results, I condemned that, said GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, who frequently criticized Trump during the presidential campaign.

Even Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who has something of an incentive to question the results, declined to do so. She lost her re-election bid to Democrat Maggie Hassan by 743 votes.

Thats already been addressed by our secretary of state, so I have nothing further to say.

I could have asked for a recount, Ayotte said. I did not.

Republicans were clearly uncomfortable with the latest wave of Trump-related controversies and questions. Most walked away from the press without answering questions.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the environment and public works committee, allowed that Twitter could be a distraction from the Senates day-to-day duties. He didnt have any additional thoughts to adduntil a reporter asked about WRDA, the Water Resources Development Act.

WRDA! Now youre talking about something important, instead of voter fraud! Inhofe said.
Ilhan Dahir and Abdul Razak Ali Artan were both of Somali extraction. Both attended Ohio State University.

But ISIS claimed 18-year-old Artan as a soldier after he attempted to run down fellow students and leapt from his wrecked car with a kitchen knife, slashing at them until he was shot by a campus cop.

All of humanity can claim 23-year-old Dahir after she became a 2016 Rhodes Scholar and a Fulbright Fellow and was named a White House Champion of Change and was sent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to represent us at an international meeting on violent extremism.

Her senior thesis at Ohio State was on the threat posed by foreign fighters in ISIS. She taught English in Turkey while on her Fulbright. She also spent a summer teaching English at the Iman School for Girls in Mogadishu, Somalia.

As a Rhodes Scholar, she is said to be studying toward two masters degrees, one in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, the other in Global Governance and Diplomacy. She then figures on returning stateside for law school. Her ultimate plan is reportedly to become an international human-rights lawyer.

Im eager to use any sort of knowledge I gain to affect peoples lives in a positive way, she has said.

Since high school, she has worked to bridge the differences between religions and cultures. She rose to a leadership position in Face to FaceFaith to Faith, an international organization that strives to bring Muslim, Jewish, and Christian teens together. She formed her own Interfaith Youth Corps. She also mentored Somali junior-high and high -chool students.

At Ohio State, she was editor of The Alger, the student magazine. She wrote with particular power on the 12th anniversary of 9/11. Her article read in part, In the years since the attacks on the Twin Towers, distrust still lingers like a putrid odor. It permeates interactions until we are heavy with the knowledge of it, until we learn to ignore it, until we stop noticing it altogether. Indeed, our rational minds tell us that American was never built to be an exclusionary word. We know that it is a banner under which the sons and daughters of pioneering immigrants stand for such radical notions as equality, justice, freedom, unity.

She went on, But fear, incited by extremists and sketched into our psyches by revenge, keeps us from internalizing the message. In this weakness, we find comfort in separation, in finding those that look, pray, or act like us, only to view all others with heightened levels of skepticism. In these moments of distrust, we should remember that it is these fault lines of discrimination and cynicism, and not another terrorist attack, that threatens to strip us of our identity.

She was writing as the daughter of Somali refugees, who had fled the civil war in their homeland and sought refuge in America, settling in Hilliard, Ohio. Her sister, Nima Dahir, also graduated from Ohio State and is equally accomplished. She was named a Beinecke Scholar and offered a position as a research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. She had spoken of securing a doctorate in experimental economics.

Ilhan Dahir kept writing during her travels. She posted on Facebook a piece she wrote a year ago that she called islamophobia is a feminist issue in 3 parts:

1) a close friend of mines hijab got snatched off her head moments before she was thrown to the ground, a young woman was pushed towards the tracks in a Toronto subway, my friends mother was spit on and harassed, a school girl was kicked in the stomach, thrown to the ground and beat up in her middle school, public space is even more hostile for us now.

2) i tie my scarf around my head until it resembles a hairpiece instead of a hijab. the older woman from Michigan on my flight cant understand how those Muslims can be so goddamned awful all the time. she asks if I know any Muslims, I say I do. the conversation goes on for the better part of 5 hours, shes never met a Muslim before, she didnt know Muslims could be Black or funny or from Ohio. we laugh together, she tells me about her son, hes only 8 and is already so good at chess. her daughter wants to be a translator one day, she tells me I should meet her, maybe she can be inspired by a young woman who travels by herself so much. she asks how Muslims feel about [ISIS], I say worse than she can knowthe enemies of humanity claim our name. I tell her about all the women who are bearing the responsibility for an act they so thoroughly condemn. I tell her about my sisters. I tell her about how cold the world is right now, she feels the chill too, but in each others presence were each a bit warmer.

3) dearest Muslim womanive been a witness to your strength my whole life. ive seen you shoulder more hurt than any human should bear. ive heard your cries and mama, they split my heart in two. how could the world stand to hear such a gruesome sound? ive seen you love with the patience and the power of an orbiting moon, you are celestial power. they taught me in Saturday school that the holy texts say heaven lies beneath the feet of your mother and thats when I fell in love with this faith. Ive seen you wrap your hair, Ive seen you let it loose, ive seen you in the gorgeous silk of salwar kameez, in vibrant diraac, in abayas and peacock gele. ive heard you sing. my sister, my mother, my aunt, my grandmother, my daughter, my family. dont lose heart. I love you.

Ilhan will be in England for the next two years. She posted on Facebook the morning after the election.

November 9 at 7:23 amOxford, United Kingdom

The President-elect said he would make America great again. I woke up this morning shivering with an understanding that this government might wield that greatness against my family (all the sidelined, disenfranchised, hurting and mourning peoples of America), that this country sees no room for me in whatever definition of greatness this president was elected on.

I woke up with resolve toojust as this terrifying chapter begins I am as clear-eyed as Ive ever been and this fire in my gut is raging with a determination Ive never known. weve seen the enemy, weve looked it in the eyesa fear dramatic enough to give this man the presidency. This is the time to organize, family. We dont have to prove our Americanness, just bust open the word American until its bursting with our humanity. This is an opening, one that has the potential to shake the ground until the earth makes way for our freedom. America is on the verge of something elsea new day is bourgeoning and we have to believe that.

Ilhan remained in touch with Ohio State via Twitter and was among the thousands who received an emergency alert shortly before 10 a.m. Monday. She immediately retweeted it:

Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan had apparently become so lost that he answered a recent online call by ISIS to conduct jihad against innocents with a vehicle and a knife. He wounded several, but had yet to strike a fatal blow when a quick responding and quicker thinking cop stopped him with a fatal bullet.

The goal of ISIS is to make the non-Muslims among us see Abdul Razak Ali Artan whenever we encounter a young Muslim, to so fill us with fear that we become less than ourselves.

What ISIS fears is that we will see Ilhan Dahir and that we will be inspired and strengthened and reminded of all we can be, of our true greatness.

She could not be reached by The Daily Beast in time for this article, but her essence was to be found in her writings and in her many achievements.

She is the very opposite of a terrorist.

And she is just getting started.
At the beginning there are display cases containing an early natives ceremonial war club, some faintly inscribed parchment, and a slice of pipe that formed New Yorks original water system. At the end there is a bejeweled Judith Lieber evening purse and a copy of New York magazine proclaiming, Bikelash.

The 400-year story of New York, as told by the Museum of the City of New Yorks latest exhibition, NY at Its Core, is that of a proud, roiling islandbubbling with commerce, cultural melting pots and clashes, economic polarities, and era-defining incident and drama. The museum posits that money, diversity, density, and creativity drove the formation of New York and continue to drive it today. Screens in both rooms map the eddying evolutions of the citys population density.

The exhibit, made up of 450 historical objects and images, begins and ends with the water that surrounds Manhattan. In two galleries, split up into sections telling the stories of different eras, the visitor travels from 1609, when Henry Hudson first sailed up the river that would later take his name on Manhattans western flank, to 2012, the year of Hurricane Sandy.

Along the way, it tells an astonishing urban story, with a huge cast of charactersfrom Hudson to Peter Stuyvesant to Emma Goldman to Andrew Carnegie to Jay Zwho have influenced not just New York but the wider world. As the song goes, if you can make it there

In 1609 Hudson was seeking a route to the spice markets of Asia, we read, but recognizing the natural resources of the area, a land rich with furs, fish, and plants, he sailed into what was then the land of the Lenape people, and stayed. Over the next few years, the island became a commercial seaport embedded in a global Dutch trading empire.

The Lenape tribe had colonized the five boroughs for 6,000 years before Hudson arrived, but by 1700 only small groups remainedand this after a series of brutal squabbles over who owned the land of Manhattan Island between Native settlers and a growing European population.

The reverberations of history with today are inescapableand perhaps inevitable; cities are palimpsests, after allover who colonizes which parts of Manhattan; while Dutch Calvinism became the official belief of New Netherland, other beliefs were allowed to exist quietly and legally.

The English seized New York in 1664, transforming it into an international port. If immigration flourished under them, along with religious plurality, so did violent slavery. Despite the threats of disease and fireon display is an 18th century leather fire bucket, and the certificate of appointment for a fireman from 1787the population grew to more than 21,000 by 1771.

The exhibit makes clear that New Yorks history has always been a rollercoaster. In decline during and after its British occupation, it rebounded to become the nations most populous city and busiest seaport by 1810; the citys grid system was first configured in 1811. Slavery officially ended in New York in 1827.

Fascinating objectssnuff boxes, a shoe worn to George Washingtons inaugural ballstud the tide of history. In 1784, Alexander Hamilton helped found the Bank of New York, the citys first bank and only the second in the nation. By 1825, Wall Street had 11 banks and 29 insurance companies; the port exported the produce of the farms of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, and New Jersey.

By the 1830s civic leaders began to plan roads, parks, and plans to expand the city, which was assailed by a cholera outbreak in 1832. By 1855, over half of the population of 630,000 were immigrants, the highest percentage in New Yorks history. In the middle of the gallery are fun, interactive swiping boards, picking out historical figures as various as the beaver, New Yorks first export, and Hudson himself.

In history, as today, the phenomenal amounts of money swirling in the city meant that the distinctions between the very rich and the very poor were always stark.

In the 19th century, while the rich built homes on Fifth Avenue and funded opera houses and museums, and a Ladies Mile of swanky shops formed between Broadway and Sixth Avenue and 15th and 24th streets, on the Lower East Side, working-class businessesumbrella makers, hot corn sellersthrived. In Lower Manhattan there were tenements and slums, documented in the photographs and essays of Jacob A. Riis.

The exhibit makes clear how another influx of immigrants made New York even more diverse in the late 19th century, with newspapers catering to particular communities, and an even more dizzying cultural melting pot of political alliances, jokes, language, food, and images.

Areas like Chinatown came into being. Coney Island became a fun-land escape, and the Bowery known for its cultural vibrancy, with uptowners and out-of-towners coming to gawk and slum it there. In the early 1900s, postcards showing exotic Lower East Side life were on sale.

Transportation innovations, like ferries and the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, changed life and mobility dramatically (there are materials and tools from its construction on display; look out for Erica Wagner's book on its chief engineer, Washington Roebling, which will be published in the US next year).

Three years later the completed Statue of Liberty came to define New Yorks status as an inspiring, stirring gateway to America.

The second gallery, filled with the sounds of the cityhonking horns, drills, and sirenstakes up New Yorks story from 1898. If the cultural vibrancy of New York increased exponentially (by 1930, 200,000 African-Americans lived in Harlem), so did its sharp social divisions.

For all its image of a city of encompassing opportunity, the centrifugal economic force of New York, and the discrimination operating alongside it, meant the haves had even more and the have-nots even less. In the display cases we see a flapper dress, a pair of tap shoes worn by Bill Bojangles Robinson, and a speakeasy recipe book, and later Abstract Expressionist art, and a trumpet owned by jazz musician Roy Eldridge.

The exhibit analyzes the effect of the Depression and the New Dealwe see protesters holding rats at one rent strike protestand how the eradication of the slums of Lower Manhattan dovetailed with the building of such landmark projects as the Twin Towers. It looks at the efforts of successive mayors to imprint their visions on the city, and key figures like planning scion Robert Moses and his nemesis Jane Jacobs, and highlights momentous protests, like the Stonewall riots of 1969.

The fascinating statistics are occasionally jolting. In 1950, 917,000 New Yorkers worked in manufacturing and 430,000 in the port; by 1980 the first figure had dropped to 597,000 and the second to just under 200,000. During the 1960s the city lost a fifth of its factory jobs.

In the 1970s, the citys social divisions became so pronounced they became enshrined in movies like Death Wish and Taxi Driver. Ones experience of it, of course, depended on where and how you lived. Other display cases hold the treasures of Studio 54a 1978 guestlist includes Liberace, Ringo Starr, and Lindsay Wagnerand CBGB.

The 1977 blackout was heralded by a Time magazine cover headline: Once More With Looting. You can see Milton Glasers original concept sketch for the I Heart New York campaign (1976). The viewer surfs from beautiful clothes and expensive trinkets to a poster for a fundraising AIDS dance-a-thon.

Theres a photograph from a 1988 demonstration by residents of the storied Christodora building (recommended: Tim Murphys novel of the same name), and a Donna Karan-designed Barbie doll. The fruits of public-private partnerships segue to the exhibits only piece of 9/11 memorabilia: a twisted and battered sign from the World Trade Centers PATH station.

The exhibit ends with a series of unresolved questions: How should the citys money be spent; who benefits from new developments; and who is able to live in the city? The questions were made all the more urgent by Hurricane Sandy, a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions that exposed the citys vulnerability to the very waters that once made the port so successful. New Yorks history is thus brought full circle.

In another room you can watch this span of history unfurl in moving images, while a third gallery space, a future city lab, is dedicated to the dreams, visions, and proposals of both planners and exhibition visitors: what should and could New York look like up until 2050, encompassing housing, commerce, climate change, and transport. (I particularly liked Pauls image of a self-driven buggy in Midtown, with the human inside happily snoozing as his vehicle did all the work. Then I thought, with alarm, how chaotic the roads are already.)

The museum has also supplied pencils and pieces of orange, blue, and green cards on which visitors are encouraged to write their hopes for the city, in completing the sentence What if

Heres a selection:

We loved others the way we love ourselves.

Health care was free, preventative and guaranteed, under which someonepresumably Britishhas added, Then you would have the NHS.

We all look at one another as equals, as our neighbors, as New Yorkers.

There was no religion, no wars. We could all live in peace with each other. Wouldnt that be nice?

New York defies the anti-immigrant government of Trump, and continues to welcome new arrivals and capitalize on their ideas and energy.

Reading the cardsthe peoples optimism in the New York values so derided by the likes of Ted Cruz, their passion for this passionate cityyou are reminded of the force and energy of all those who have helped shape the city in its 400-plus years of just-as-passionate history. So much has changed in New York, and yetreassuringlynothing has changed. As the exhibit shows, the citys spirit is its most durable, seductive strength.

NY at Its Core is at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street. Book tickets, and more details here.
Its been a nightmare, he told the courtroom.

On trial for the murder of an unarmed black man, North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager told a jury how the incident destroyed his life. He showed no remorse for shooting an unarmed victim in the back, no remorse for raising his gun and firing at a man who posed no threat to anyone. Slager, who pleaded innocent to state murder charges, contends he fired in self-defense. To hear Slager tell it, he was the victim.

Despite offering a flurry of half-truths at best about a killing caught on tape, Slager may well get away with it. After all, he is a white police officer facing a nearly all-white jury in South Carolina. In the end, he might not even have to face looming federal civil-rights charges and may walk away a free man.

It started with a routine traffic stop and a broken tail light. The motorist fled across a parking lot, down a narrow street and through an open field. Moments later, 50-year-old Walter Scott was deadshot five times in the back from at least 15 feet away.

He must have been running for a reason, Slager testified, as the trial entered its fifth week. I saw that Taser coming at me, he said. I fired until the threat was stopped, like Im trained to do.

Except Scott was running toward a fence, facing away from the officer as he ran. He did not stop. He did not turn around. And there was nothing in his hands.

We know this because there are two separate videos of the incidentone taken from a squad cars dash-cam and another captured by a witnesss cellphoneand neither supports Slagers version of events. Then too, a 1985 Supreme Court ruling outlawed the use of deadly force against a fleeing suspect unless there is a specific and imminent threat to the officer or the surrounding community. In this case, there was none.

Whatever threat Slager might have perceivedreal, imagined, or fabricatedat the time of the shooting, Scott was clearly running away from him. But, every defendant deserves a rigorous examination of the facts and Slager, represented by defense attorney Andy Savage, is getting his day in court.

In the wake of the incident, days after the bystanders video was released and Slager was arrested, I traveled to North Charleston. Retracing Scotts steps, I attempted to reconcile the unimaginable. I kneeled over a clump of flowers and teddy bearsa makeshift memorial marking the place Scott drew his last breath. I knew then what a witness, investigators, and prosecutors knew: Slager lied.

Slager was rightly fired and indicted after the videotapes emerged and his initial story to investigators unraveled. The only eyewitness in the case directly contradicted Slagers testimony.

Did you see Walter Scott coming at Officer Slager? prosecutor Scarlett Wilson asked Feidin Santana, the young man who videoed the shooting on his cellphone.

That never happened, maam, Santana, who was on his way to work that day, answered.

There had been no threat. Scott was never close enough to grab for the officers service weapon or his Taser, as Slager has repeatedly claimed. In fact, after shooting the Navy veteran, Slager handcuffed him and then calmly walked several yards to retrieve his Taser. Slager can be seen on the video dropping the weapon next to the dead mans body. He never once attempted to render medical aid. Had there been no witness, had there been no video, Slager would have gotten away with itand he still might.

Over the course of the trial, defense lawyers have done everything possible to impeach Scott as a victim and argue that race had nothing to do with the incident. The defense attempted to introduce evidence that Scott was fired from a job after testing positive for cocaine and that he failed to make child-support payments despite earning $50,000 a year.

All [the defense] wants to do is smear Mr. Scotts character, Chief Deputy Solicitor Bruce Durant said, according to the Post and Courier.

The judge in the case upheld the prosecutions objections and kept that information from the jury.

As of now, Slager is also facing federal civil-rights charges. But after the election of Donald Trump and his nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions as the next U.S. attorney general, there is no guarantee that Slager will ever step foot into a federal courtroom. Sessions, if his previous legislative votes and actions as a prosecutor in Alabama are any indication, will likely drop the federal charges before he puts his briefcase down.

Thus, the only hope of justice for the Scott familyaside from a $6.5 million civil settlement from the City of North Charlestonrests in the hands of a local district attorney and a jury of 11 white people and one black man. Its worth noting that of the nine potential jurors struck by the defense, seven were not white.

In South Carolina, the strictures of race and class are stark. The outcome of the Slager trial will almost certainly test those tensions.

Scott, who had been arrested multiple times for missed child-support payments, likely feared he would be taken into custody again. Whatever his failings as a father may have been, he did not deserve to die. The license plates on his car were traceable and, after identifying the driver, a warrant could have been issued for fleeing custody. There was no conceivable reason for Slager to chase Scott down and shoot him.

That may not be enough. After all, it only takes one holdout to hang the jury. The real questions become: Can the Scott family get justice in North Charleston? Can they get justice anywhere in America?

Despite the video tapes, Ive never been sure that a conviction was guaranteed. Slager, who is facing a sentence of 30 years to life, could walk out of that courtroom a free man.

Slager said that he is living a nightmare, but it is Scott who will never wake up. And for that, Slager must answer.
Foxhole Spirits launches gin from wine grapes

The first gin to use English wine grapes has been distilled by Foxhole Spirits.

Using wine grapes from Sussex, the gin is created in small batches in a process which presses the unused juice from the grapes.

James Oag-Cooper and Sam Linter, Foxhole Spirits co-founders, created the spirit after pursuing his passion for sustainability and utilising by-products of winemaking.

James says: In a typical English wine harvest, because of the nature of wine-making, around 30 - 40% of the grape material is not used and normally gets thrown away; however, when it is put through a second pressing, we can use the juice to create a gin with a beautiful balance of floral and citrus characteristics.

James continues: As a company, we want to promote sustainability across the drinks industry and reduce industry waste. This process provides Foxhole Gin with a production method that is unique and not currently used for any other gin produced in the UK.

Along with the grapes, this premium London Dry Gin is also infused with the botanicals Juniper, Coriander, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Liquorice Root, Bitter Orange, Fresh Lemon Zest, Grapefruit Zest, Angelica Seed and diluted with spring water.

The name Foxhole originates from one of the vineyards where the English wine grapes were handpicked, at Bolney Wine estate, near Foxhole lane. The first batch, made from the 2014 vintage, is launching as a limited edition of 960 hand-numbered bottles.

The bottle was chosen to reflect the origins of Foxhole Gin. Using a flint coloured Burgundy-style wine bottle imported from Italy, the 70cl bottle uses a Vinolok closure.

Foxhole Gin designed the bottle in collaboration with design agency Warren Creative. Each bottle is hand-numbered with copper-foiled labels, used to emphasise attention to detail, whilst the fox logo is embossed into the top of the bottle.

Foxhole Gin is available through www.foxholespirits.com and a selection of independent retailers and bars from 40.

30 November 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant
In an appearance on Fox News, Abbott suggested the law, which passed during the 2015 Texas legislative session, would have been a deterrent to people like Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the suspect in Monday's knife attack. A police officer ultimately shot and killed Artan, who had driven his car into a group of pedestrians and started stabbing them with a butcher's knife.

"It's instances like this where kids on campus could have guns, where they could have been able to respond initially," Abbott said. "I think that on a college campus like here in Texas, people will think twice before waging an attack like this knowing that they could be gunned down immediately."

Texas' campus carry law, which went into effect in August for four-year schools, allows students who have a license to carry concealed weapons in college buildings. Ohio bans guns on college campuses unless they are locked in a car.

Abbott also used the attack to highlight his decision, made official two months ago, to withdraw from the U.S. refugee resettlement program over security concerns. Artan was reportedly a Somali refugee who came to the United States in 2014 as a legal permanent resident, briefly living in Dallas before moving to Columbus, Ohio.

"I predicted this was going to happen," Abbott said, touting his withdrawal decision as prescient. "I could not be an accomplice to importing terrorism into the United States of America."

"It is insanity that the United States of America will not safeguard our people by bringing in people from terrorist-sponsored nations," Abbott added.
Young must act decisively, not allow A&M venue to be used

In response to the The Eagle's editorial on free speech on Sunday, according to the First Amendment Center of the Freedom Forum, in 1919 the Supreme Court ruled in Schenck v. United States that "the First Amendment doesn't protect false speech that is likely to cause immediate harm to others."

And certainly, Richard Spencer's white nationalist views and hateful divisive rhetoric only serve to incite racial and ethnic hatred that causes immediate harm to many Texans, Americans and groups in this country.

While it is true that the mission of any university is for students to learn, grow and hear different views, a world-class public university should never be a venue for hateful speech that incites racial and ethnic hatred.

President Ronald Reagan, a hero to modern-day Republicans, repudiated intolerance and hate. On Aug. 23, 1984, in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, President Reagan asserted, "We don't lump people by groups or special interests. ... In the party of Lincoln, there is no room for intolerance and not even a small corner for anti-Semitism or bigotry of any kind. Many people are welcome in our house, but not the bigots."

Texas A&M President Michael K. Young must act decisively to ensure that university facilities are not used as venues to incite racial and ethnic hatred.

Angelita Garcia Alonzo

Bryan

Freedom of speech does not include allowing podium for hate, racism

In your editorial Sunday, which supported the appearance on Texas A&M's campus of an "alt-right" (i.e. hate speech) individual, you state "Because A&M is a public university, owned by the people of Texas, it is required to rent space available to the public to anyone who is willing to pay for the use of the facilities."

If your statement is true, there must never be an application of standards or values to rental requests; rooms should therefore be rentable to film pornographic movies or to perform abortions. If your statement is not true, and some activities would be prevented from utilization of space at Texas A&M, then university leadership must at some level endorse Mr. Spencer's views. In my opinion, supporting freedom of speech, a laudable American value, does not include using state-funded facilities to provide a podium for hate, racism and discrimination.

David Ruff

College Station

Former A&M student urges community to 'Speak up and be heard!'

I am in full support of the Eagle's editorial with regards to free speech. As a member of the Class of '82, I am deeply saddened that Mr. Spencer will set one foot on the sacred grounds of Texas A&M University. However, in America, we all enjoy the liberty of free speech no matter whether we agree with it or not. Hate speech must be given a platform so it cannot hide from society like the white sheets of the KKK.

The students at Texas A&M must protest peacefully should they choose to protest. They must hear and see what white nationalists wish for from the lips of the one who says he coined "alt-right." Speak up and be heard! Mr. Spencer may have a podium but each of you have one, too.

Bethe Mounce

Knightsen, Calif.
Australia has always been seen as the apprentice in trilateral agreements between the USA and UK. With drastic changes in the political landscape, for the Greens, now is the time to renegotiate Australia's geopolitical position and put the environment at the top of the national agenda.

Australian Greens Leader Richard Di Natale, last week told the Australian Institute for International Affairs (AIIA) conference that: "These are tumultuous times; Global warming, terrorist attacks and non-state actors controlling swathes of territory; The EU on the brink of losing a key member. And most recently of course, the election of Donald Trump as President of the US, which raises big questions about how the US will act both within our own region and globally".

As the UK prepare to leave the European Union (EU), Australian environmentalists' anxiety is that without EU backing the UK's existing environmental policies will be watered down.

If Australia sticks with the UK, it may mean losing the stringent European Union (EU) environmental regulatory safety nets, a point shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer and Di Natale agree on.

Green's Leader Di Natale's disappointment after the referendum was obvious, "The Australian Greens respect the vote of the British people today but we share in the disappointment of our UK Greens colleagues who campaigned strongly for the UK to remain in the EU".

An Institute for European Environmental Policy's (IEEP) post-Brexit report claims the prospect of a UK exit is already impacting on wider European environmental ambitions. IEEP's report shows Brexit places uncertainty in the short and long-term, slowing down the "UK climate ambition and the ability for the UK to deliver on that ambition".

European Union Support Still Needed Down Under

The EU's environmental policy means 70% of the UK's environmental legislation is set by the EU. Australia has many links with the EU, and that "means it is even more important that our leaders show the courage to chart our own course as a confident, independent and outward looking nation" says Senator Di Natale.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific rely on EU support in the Pacific region. Last year the environmental group called on the EU to "maintain pressure on Taiwan to clean up its fisheries industry after the government imposed a weak penalty on a Taiwanese fishing longliner with illegally caught tuna and shark fins in the Pacific" says Ning Yen, Greenpeace East Asia Oceans Campaigner.
A plan to pursue the multimillion-dollar suit against a global mining firm Barrick Gold Corp is headed for the Canadian courts, after a US court ruled that it was the wrong jurisdiction to hear the claim.

The plan has gained the support of the Catholic Church and civil society groups in Marinduque province to recover the cost of damage left by the 1996 mine tailings spill, tagged as the worst mining tragedy in the Philippines, reported the Inquirer.

The provincial board of Marinduque, in June, issued a resolution to refile the case in a Canadian court against the Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp., the company that absorbed Placer Dome, the parent company of the defunct Marcopper Mining Corp.

In 1996, one of Marcoppers drainage tunnels gave way, unleashing about 200 million tons of tailings into Boac River. Traces of mine wastes are still visible in the water today.

The Marinduque provincial government, in 2005, filed a $100-million class suit against the mining company at the Nevada district court in the United States.

But after 10 years of court proceedings, the Nevada State Supreme Court threw out the case for forum non conveniens, meaning the US was a wrong jurisdiction to hear it.

In 2014, Barrick Gold offered a $20-million settlement but the Marinduque provincial board turned it down after it felt that the amount was not enough to compensate for the environmental damage wrought by the mining disaster on the island.

While the decision to reopen the case in Canada drew support, various groups in the province were divided as to whether they would continue engaging the services of law firm, Diamond McCarthy.

The US-based firm originally represented the Marinduque government under a contingency arrangement, meaning it would be paid a fraction of whatever the court awards the province once a resolution or a settlement is reached.

In a letter on Oct. 13, Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes asked the provincial board to grant her the authority to enter into another contract with the firm for the immediate filing of suit in British Columbia or Ontario.

Reyes also sought authority to sign an agreement with the New York-based Parabellum Capital LLC as a third party funder. The purpose of a funder is to shoulder the costs during litigation, she said.

But the Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (Macec) opposed Reyes move to continue engaging lawyers from Diamond McCarthy saying it is unnecessary and costly.

We remain positive and we support the intention of the provincial government to refile the case in Canada, but we strongly oppose the continuous engagement of Diamond McCarthy  for the case, it said.

Macec instead urged the provincial government to directly engage the services of Canadian firms [or] lawyers for the case.

The Marcopper Mining Disaster occurred on March 24, 1996 on the Philippine island of Marinduque, a province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region in Luzon. It remains one of the largest mining disasters in Philippine history.

A fracture in the drainage tunnel of a large pit containing leftover mine tailings led to a discharge of toxic mine waste into the Makulapnit-Boac river system and caused flash floods in areas along the river.

One village, Barangay Hinapulan, was buried in six feet of muddy floodwater, causing the displacement of 400 families. Twenty other villages had to be evacuated. Drinking water was contaminated killing fish and freshwater shrimp. Large animals such as cows, pigs and sheep were overcome and killed. The flooding caused the destruction of crops and irrigation channels. Following the disaster, the Boac River was declared unusable.

The plan to pursue the Marcopper case in Canada comes as Philippines continues an unprecedented crackdown on mining operations that was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

A dozen more Philippine mines, mostly nickel projects, are now in danger of being suspended in in the ongoing environmental crackdown on the sector.

The Southeast Asian nation is the worlds top nickel ore supplier, and is the top supplier of nickel ore supplier to China.

The new government launched a review of the countrys 40 metallic mines on July 8.

Eight of the 10 suspended by end-August produced nickel ore, and the closures and the risk of more mines being shuttered lifted nickel prices to a one-year last month.

Duterte earlier warned he could cancel mining projects causing environmental harm, though he told business leaders he was not against mining per se.

"But in making money out of the precious metals of the earth that belongs to the Filipino people, you have to do it right," he told businessmen.

The country's mining sector, one of the world's largest in the 1970s, has since struggled partly due to tougher environmental rules and rebel attacks missing much of the mining boom in recent decades and now facing much lower commodity prices.

The crackdown is led by Gina Lopez, the anti-mining activist who is now Philippines environment secretary.

Lopez was earlier quoted as saying mining can cause suffering among the poor and has described it as "madness" even to consider open pit mining because of the environmental impact.

"We must stop killing our future for the interests of a few", said Lopez, a staunch environmentalist. The country has suffered mining disasters, including a 1996 tailings leak at Canadian-owned Marcopper Mining Corp's copper mine in Marinduque that contaminated rivers.

Ramon Adviento, senior vice president at Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc, the Philippines' second-biggest nickel ore miner, said the industry was "shell shocked" by Lopez' appointment.

"I don't think it means the death of the industry, but what we expect to see is the survival of the fittest," he said, adding that there could be a nationwide crackdown on irresponsible miners, likely targetting small-scale producers.

Miners say hardline policies could backfire particularly as the Philippines has become the biggest nickel ore supplier to China after previous top exporter Indonesia banned shipments of unprocessed minerals, shipping 34.3 million tonnes last year.

Mining contributes less than 1 percent to the Philippine economy. Of 9 million hectares identified by the government as having high mineral reserves, only 3 percent is being mined.
GUILLIAMS Jean Angel Jean Angel Guilliams, 74, passed away peacefully to meet her Lord on Saturday morning, November 26, 2016. She was born on March 29, 1942 as the daughter of the late Edgar and Ora Cooper Angel of Callaway. Jean was the only child of her parents, but she was so blessed to have many close female friends that she referred to as her "sisters". Jean is survived by her best friend and husband of 55 joyous years. Bobby has been a very loving caregiver throughout Jean's amazingly successful liver transplant and her most recent battle with skin cancer. Also to cherish her memory are her daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Hugh Grindstaff of Rocky Mount; and her son and daughter-in-law, Bryan and Jeanne Guilliams of Raleigh, N.C. The light of "Nana's" life are her granddaughters, Madison and Bryanna Guilliams of Raleigh, N.C. She enjoyed their summer visits that included cooking, painting, bedtime stories, serious chats, and the expected trip to the movies and ice cream. During her liver transplant recovery, the girls were her best walking buddies and constant reminders of the generosity of her liver donor to enable her to spend more years enjoying life. Jean is also survived by her stepgrandchildren, Kelli Grindstaff Hopkins and husband, WL and Adam Grindstaff and wife, Kate. Also by stepgreat-grandchildren, Isaac, Elijah, Cassidi, Isabelle, and Scarlet. Bobby's family held a special place in Jean's heart as well, Sandra and Joe Hollandsworth, Janice Kostielney, Ken and Linda Guilliams, Barry Guilliams, June and Tim Holt; and their special nieces and nephews. After graduating from Franklin County High School, Jean devoted her working career to Allstate Insurance Company for 37  years. She began in Policy Files and worked her way up to become a Senior Claims Analyst. She gave her best to her work and made many lasting friendships. A lifelong resident of Franklin County, Jean was very involved in the community as part of the Boones Mill Rescue Squad Ladies Auxiliary, PTA president, Franklin County Band Booster, and a member of the Franklin County Community Choir. She and Bobby made such an effort to always be there at any school function in which Sharon or Bryan were involved. Jean is a member of Bethlehem Church of the Brethren where she enjoyed sharing her love of music. Whether it be as an organist, pianist, songleader, choir director, choir member, or Worship and Music Commission chairperson - she shared her talents and was a willing and faithful servant. She loves the Lord and was so grateful to all of the churches that included her on their prayer lists as she awaited the transplant and continuing through her struggles with cancer. She fought hard through the pain, and she was always so appreciative for the cards, love, kindness, and support she was given along the way. Jean always had a smile! She put others first and was such a positive influence in the many lives that she has touched. A special thanks to Dr. Berg and the liver transplant team at Duke University, her Home Health Nurses, the most recent Hospice staff, and to Dr. Paula Martin. Jean's family was so thankful for her opportunity to be a transplant recipient that they encourage everyone to be an organ donor to assist someone in need. The family will receive friends at Bethlehem Church of the Brethren (4250 Bethlehem Road, Boones Mill, VA) on Monday evening, November 28, 2016 from 5 to 8 p.m. A celebration of Jean's life will be held on Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 11 a.m. at Bethlehem Church. Interment will follow at Franklin Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated in Jean's honor to Bethlehem Church of the Brethren.
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 ...
Podcast: Who comes out ahead in the Charlie Jones vs. Iowa football reunion?
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NORWALK  An illegal contractors yard off Chestnut Street is cleaned up, but noise, vacant buildings and rats remain a problem in the neighborhood, according to South Norwalk residents.

We have people on Henry Street, Chestnut Street that are complaining about rats in their basements and in their yards, said Ernie Dumas before motioning with his hands the size of the rats. Theyre about that big and theyre going up and down the street.

Last spring, Dumas formed South Norwalk Citizens for Justice in an effort to shut down a contractors yard off Lubrano Place. AMEC Cartings illegally stored containers are now gone but other quality-of-life issues remain, according to Dumas and other residents who shared their concerns during a Mayors Night Out event at the South Norwalk Library on Tuesday evening.

Redevelopment pending

The old LeRoy Shirt Factory at 11 Chestnut St. is among a number of properties awaiting a facelift as part of approved redevelopment projects. The plan calls for 17 apartments and 11,000 square feet of office space.

But as residents reminded Tuesday evening, the property remains undeveloped. Mary Mann asked why it hasnt been cited under Norwalks blight ordinance.

These contractors can come in and leave these buildings abandoned and looking like this for five and six years, Mann said.

William D. Ireland, Norwalks chief building official, said the developer of 11 Chestnut St. recently renewed his permit for the project.

Its really not considered a blight issue, Ireland said. Its a building and possibly zoning issue as far as not letting their permits run out.

Ireland said he understood residents concerns  I agree with you 100 percent because I tried to do it on a couple buildings  but added that attorneys concluded that such conditions are not blight under the ordinance.

He said the city has cited more than 200 other properties for blight under the ordinance but he added the process is lengthy and involves the court system.

The owner of 11 Chestnut St. could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Noise and odors

Lou DiMeglio, a Lubrano Place resident, has complained for months about noise and odors emanating from Premier Firewood Co. at 8 Merritt Place.

You can hear the hum  that goes on throughout the night  and you can smell the wood, which has many blends of sap, and the fumes are so noxious it gives you a headache, DiMeglio said Wednesday.

Thomas Closter, chief environmental officer in the Norwalk Health Department, said the department inspected the business and found no grounds for citation.

Police Chief Thomas E. Kulhawik addressed the noise issue more broadly at the Mayors Night Out event. He said the city has a noise ordinance but added its difficult to enforce. He said police depend upon complaints from the public to send out an officer.

When it comes to the firewood place, I had emails with (zoning) back a couple months ago about a noise issue, Kulhawik said. We looked at it and since then I havent been contacted again so I dont know if theres still things going on. We havent been told.

Rilling said enforcement requires a noise-meter reading to determine if there is a violation.

Proactive enforcement

Resident Diane Lauricella, who has worked with South Norwalk Citizens for Justice, described the effort to shut down AMEC Cartings storage yard as a multi-year undertaking.

We thank the city for siding with us, Lauricella said. But its not the only site. So how can we proactively upgrade and reform enforcement in the city?

Rilling said each of the city department heads at the Mayors Night Out would have an answer to that question. More broadly, he said they rely upon residents to notify them of problems.

Its also a partnership, Rilling said. We have to count on the people who live in the neighborhood to provide us with information.

Paper trail

Tuesday was not the first time Dumas, Lauricella and others brought such issues to the citys attention.

Lauricella emailed Ireland on Oct. 7 regarding the property at 11 Chestnut St.

The property at 11 Chestnut Street has been in poor condition for years, and at present is considered dangerous due to its unsecured and blighted conditions, Lauricella wrote. We do not think it fair that the owners continue to allow the entire site to deteriorate as they await more optimum economic conditions.

Closter said Ireland referred the rodent infestation complaint to the health department and the department inspected the property, prompting the owner to hire an exterminator.

Later, after receiving a complaint that the rat-trap boxes had been left open, the health department directed the exterminator to correct the problem. Since then, the department has received no complaints, he said.

rkoch@hearstmediact.com
NORWALK  The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program (BCJI) invites the public to attend A Safer South Norwalk Community Conversation.

Join the BCJIs Steering committee, local community members and organizations as they discuss research data, BCJIs strategy and early action plan.

The meeting will be held in the Community Room of the Choice Neighborhood Building, located at 149 Water St., Norwalk on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 7-8:30 p.m.

The BCJI initiative supports data and research driven projects to build and enhance the capacity of communities to create comprehensive strategies to address social concerns. To RSVP, contact Jeannette Jean-Pierre at 475-395-3036.
It would be difficult to find a modern writer who explores the notions of place better than does Stephen Kinghow a holy place might be made haunted, radiating the evil of Hell rather than the grace of God

Place matters. We Imaginative Conservatives especially believe this.

Ever since God exiled Eve and Adam from paradise, we have longed to know place. Sometimes that place is where we are born, sometimes where we will go, and sometimes merely in our brightest (or darkest) imaginings. Most of usespecially in modernityrarely stay in any once place for too long. We are as restless as we are desirous of surety.

In twentieth-century literature, no one understood this better than Willa Cather. In every one of her stories, she asks repeatedly if we know our place. In his own fiction, the great humanist Russell Kirk also repeatedly asked about the notion of place as understood in geographical space as well as in a Platonic understanding of story.

What we often dont recognize is that our desire to find place is as mythical (Eden) as it is natural. As to the latter point, we would do well to remember the ancient definition of justice: to give each his due. This is, of course, a rather philosophical way of understanding where our place is in society.

For Cather and Kirk, it is worth noting, we can easily misjudge what we believe to be our right place. And, we must also recognize that while a place might be holy, it is just as possible for it to be unholy, especially if repeated abuses have been committed over and over again on the same soil. Such a place becomes haunted, so to speak, radiating the evil of Hell rather than the grace of God.

For Cather, these places are almost always redeemable. The grave of a suicide, for example, might become a crossroads, a spot that all revere, even though the reasons why have disappeared with the passage of time.

Kirk, however, remained more skeptical. In both his fiction and non-fiction, he argued that the rape of Michigans forests might forever make a certain soil more hospitable to evil than to good. Such, he thought, was the case for his own Mecosta County. The genius loci is malevolent, he wrote of his county. Despair lingered over his home soil, he feared. Indeed, Kirk seems to have considered himself, his ancestral home, and his family almost as sentinels of good, keeping watching on the growing evil around each. Kirk was, it seems, a sort of American Heimdahl.

Cather and Kirk have long since passed out of time, but one of their most important followers, Stephen King, writes stunningly of place, whether in Maine, Nebraska, or Colorado.

Since sometime in my later junior high years, Ive been rather in love with Maine. Granted, Ive only been to the actual state three times in my forty-nine years of life, and all of those in the last five. For at least thirty-five years, though, I have visited it too many times to countat least in my deepest imaginings. My love for that most northern of New England states came exclusively from the realm of imagination and imaginative literature. Back in the earliest years of the 1980s, Stephen Kings fiction made Maine seem as mysterious as it was magical, full of horror and heroism, a place located in this world but not necessarily in this time frame. A third of a century later, Kings Maine still intrigues me almost as much as Tolkiens Middle-earth and Bradburys Mars.

Many of Kings stories take place not just in Maine, but in three Maine towns: Castle Rock; Salems Lot; and Derry. Feel free to look for them the next time you visit that most northeastern of states. Sadly, no matter how much you look, you will never find any of these towns in any official road atlas or on Google Earth.

These three towns exist (well, to varying degrees, as evil has taken its toll on each) strictly in the heart and soul of Stephen King and in those of his readers. There is nowhere in Maine actually called Castle Rock, Salems Lot, or Derry.

Using artificial geographies, though, we can somewhat determine where each would exist were Stephen Kings mind completely accurate in matters of this reality.

Kings Castle Rock would exist somewhere southwest of Rumford, twenty or so miles from the New Hampshire border. Of his stories, the most important that are placed there are The Dead Zone, Cujo, The Dark Half, Needful Things, and the short story, The Body (the basis for the movie, Stand by Me).

One hundred and twenty miles to the east of Castle Rock is another King place of fictional wonderDerry, Maine, home to another whole set of his stories, including the spectacular, It. This town, as King has described, sits just west of the very real town of Bangor.

If one headed northeast from Castle Rock and northwest from Derry, he would find Salems Lot, home to the novel of the same name. This is the hardest of towns to pinpoint on the map, but it appears to exist southwest of the real Maine town of Chesuncook.

The three seem to form a kind of Bermuda Triangle, in which anything can happen, and women, men, and children as well as towns frequently succumb to the darkness of the abyss and disappear from all realities. As the father of a main character in It tried to explain to his son, Its because of that soil. It seems that bad things, hurtful things, do right well in the soil of this town. Ive thought so again and again over the years. I dont know why it should be but it is.

In Stephen Kings Maine, temptations linger and sins multiply in this triangle of the absurd, but nobility exists as well. Indeed, it would be difficult to find a modern writer in any genre who understands and explores the notions of place better than does King.

And, yet, one might complain, King is just a horror writer. True. But, who better to understand the evils that plague us?

Dedicated to Liz Bardwell, my favorite Mainer.

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.
AURORA  After being under advisement for nearly a month, a decision has been made for one party in the Hamilton County murder-for-hire case.

Robert S. Honken of Aurora was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in a case of hiring someone to kill his wife.

At Honkens trial and arraignment on Nov. 3, District Judge Rachel A. Daugherty ordered a deadline for written arguments by Nov. 17 for both sides. Honken stood mute on Nov. 3, as he was read his rights again due to changed dates in the information. The court then entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Charles Brewster, Honkens attorney, then said Honken "didnt want to go through a full-blown trial" or have live witnesses. Honken didnt object to any pieces of evidence, which contained text messages between him and Derrick Shirley of Bradshaw. Shirley is the other man charged with being involved in the plot.

Also on Nov. 3, a hearing was held on Honkens motion to dismiss one of the charges, based on double jeopardy.

According to Honkens arrest affidavit, a concerned citizen contacted police and said "Sam" asked the citizen to kill his wife, with whom he was going through a divorce. In a controlled call with police on Feb. 27, the citizen spoke with "Sam," who revealed that his real name was Robert Honken.

During the call, according to the affidavit, Honken said he wanted his wife "out of the way" and said he previously hired another person, Shirley, to do the job. Honken said he gave Shirley a down payment of $400.

Two days later, according to the affidavit, a State Patrol investigator posed as a hit man and met Honken to discuss killing Honkens wife. Honken gave the undercover investigator $500 for down payment.

Shirley said he bought a gun and staked out Honkens wifes house to devise a plan for the murder-for-hire plot, according to the affidavit. The plot with Shirley was never completed.

Daugherty never granted the motion to dismiss one of the counts, as Honken was found guilty of both counts. One count was for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder when he made contact with Shirley. The other count was from Honken making a down payment to the undercover investigator.

In Daughertys 14-page order and judgment made on Tuesday, she states that the "overt acts alleged are entirely different."

According to Daughertys judgment, 656 text messages were exchanges between Shirley and Honken from Jan. 16 to Feb. 16, 2016. The evidence states that Honken initiated contact with Shirley. Evidence given in the judgment states that Honken and Shirley went into detail of various ways to kill Honkens wife. In a Feb. 16 text message to Shirley, Honken ended the deal after Shirley backed out.

On Feb. 24, according to the evidence given in the judgment, Honken contacted another person, asking if that person knew anyone who could help kill his wife. That person then contacted the Aurora Police Department, who then did a controlled call.

Daugherty wrote that the time frames of the two separate incidents of conspiracy were different and the people involved were different in each incident. In Count 1, the alleged acts are purchasing a rifle, exchanging money and driving around the wifes residence. In Count 2, they were meeting an individual at a specified location to discuss the murder for hire, providing a $500 down payment to kill Honkens wife and Honken providing a photo and address of his wife to the individual.

Based upon the evidence, Daugherty found Honken guilty of both counts. Honken could face a minimum of one year imprisonment for each count and a maximum of 50 years. The sentences can be served one after the other or at the same time.

Honkens sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 20 in Hamilton County District Court.
After being halted on a traffic stop, a 22-year-old man was arrested on Monday afternoon by Grand Island police after an extended pursuit on foot.

Beau Tedford was caught inside an apartment complex at 635 Faidley Drive. The chase began at 4:23 p.m.

There were warrants out for Tedfords arrest in Buffalo County, said Grand Island police Capt. Jim Duering. Tedford had also been involved in a previous incident with the Hastings Police Department, but a warrant had not yet been issued in Adams County.

The arrest was made with the assistance of the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force and the Nebraska State Patrol.

The drug unit received information about his possible whereabouts, Duering said. A couple of state troopers assisting the task force initiated a traffic stop on Mr. Tedford. His vehicle was stopped at Faidley Avenue and Howard Street.

Tedford fled from the vehicle.

Several of our investigators pursued on foot, Duering said. The drug unit supervisor, one of our sergeants, saw him go into an apartment complex, and he was ultimately apprehended after being pulled from a hiding place behind some plumbing in the apartment complex.

Duering noted that Tedford embarked on a pretty long run in attempting to elude police.

The Faidley-Howard intersection is on the east side of CHI Health St. Francis. And Faidley Drive is on the west side. So that foot pursuit went the entire hospital campus, plus a block or two. Thats probably the better part of a half-mile, would be my guess.

In Hall County Court on Tuesday, Tedford was charged with failure to appear when on bail for a felony, which is a Class 4 felony, and obstructing a peace officer, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The failure to appear on bail charge stemmed from Oct. 2.

Judge Philip M. Martin Jr. set his bond at $15,000. Tedford was in Hall County Jail as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Tedford is also wanted on a warrant for a probation violation in Wyandotte County, Kan.

Hes wanted on two Buffalo County warrants for charges including unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle and failure to appear for misdemeanor attempted possession of a controlled substance.

In Hall County, hes wanted for failure to appear in drug court.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 23.
Perhaps youve noticed that some of the most illiberal people in America these days ... are liberals.

Liberals are the ones who pride themselves on being open-minded. But who are the ones on college campuses stifling speech they dont like? Its not conservative students. In 1944, college-age men were storming the beach at Normandy. Today, more than a few liberal cupcakes on campus are demanding safe spaces and cry rooms to protect them from the bogeyman we just elected president  and from any ideas that dont conform to their own.

And hasnt it been liberals who say they dont want to be lectured about morality, especially if its by a bunch of smug conservatives? But it was smug liberals who rudely lectured the vice president-elect from a Broadway stage recently about how he and Donald Trump should behave when they take office.

And it was liberals who warned us that undemocratic right-wingers would never accept the election results if Trump lost. But its undemocratic left-wingers who took to the streets to protest Trumps election, sometimes violently. And its desperate liberals who are trying to overturn the election results by demanding useless recounts in several states Trump won. And its liberals who are trying to convince Electoral College electors to reject Trump  even if thats who voters in their states picked  and vote for Hillary Clinton instead. Theyre willing to do anything, including reportedly issuing death threats against electors, to deny him the presidency.

Liberals claim to abhor anything even vaguely resembling a violation of human rights. But its liberals this week  not all, of course, but more than a few prominent ones  who are shedding tears over the death of that great man, Fidel Castro, who, like all dictators, didnt tolerate freedom of speech or the press, whose autocratic regime wouldnt allow even peaceful protests, and who tortured and murdered many of those who wouldnt fall into line. In many ways, after 1959 (when Castro took power), the oppressed the world over joined Castros cause of fighting for freedom and liberation  he changed the world, RIP. Thank you, Jesse Jackson.

At least that wasnt as bad as the liberal prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, who said he had deep sorrow for the loss of this remarkable leader ... who served his people for almost half a century.

The real problem with liberal elites is that they dont think America is good enough  for them. I recently spoke to a liberal news reporter who, I got the impression, couldnt so much as conceive of the idea that millions of good, decent people voted for Donald Trump. This journalist wanted to talk about all the bigots Trump had in his corner.

He certainly had some, I acknowledged, but I wanted to know what percentage of Trumps vote did he think came from deplorables  was it more or less than Clintons 50 percent? He wouldnt commit to a number, but I got the impression it was more  a lot more.

He was also appalled that Trump supporters wanted the president-elect to fulfill his campaign promise to build a wall along the Mexican border. I told him the reason was both simple and benign: They were against illegal immigrants sneaking into this country. He had a different theory: Trump supporters didnt want people here who dont look (white) like them.

Its interesting that liberals are the ones who tell us they care about the little guy. But a lot of little guys in Ohio and Pennsylvania and Michigan chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Dont those little guys count as far as the sophisticated liberal elite is concerned?

The problem is that too many liberals have forgotten how to be liberal, the essence of which is to keep an open mind, to consider what the other side is saying before you cavalierly label them as bigots.

Instead, theyre too busy warning us that the Third Reich is coming.

William F. Buckley got it right most of the time, including when he said, Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.

A little humility wouldnt hurt right about now. I was never a fan of Donald Trump (or Hillary Clinton), but Im willing to see what kind of president he will be. Illiberal liberals might want to take a break from their nonstop disgust with the president-elect, and from their holier-than-thou umbrage that never seems to end, and instead close their mouths, open their ears and try to understand why he won.

Bernard Goldberg writes this column for Creators Syndicate.
Warminster boy makes Phillies nation proud with viral video from Game 1

Carson Wallace, 5, of Warminster, starred as one of the Phillies most savage fans as his celebration and taunt of an Astros fan went viral.
Junior Code Academy (JCA) grabbed this years top cash prize of $10,000 in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Metro East Startup Challenge (MESC). The regional business plan competition for entrepreneurs and startups announced its three cash prize winners today.

Junior Code Academy has been in operation for one year, and is the brainchild of founder Michael Pedersen. It teaches kids life-changing computer skills.

By 2020, there will be 1.4 million unfilled computer science jobs, said Pedersen, whose idea for the business came from teaching his 13-year-old daughter. The cash award will enable JCA to intensify its targeted marketing efforts and expand into additional markets including the Metro East and Greater St. Louis.

The top three teams presented their winning business concepts at the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois Board of Directors meeting Friday morning before a live audience of Leadership Council members and invited guests. The member-based organization includes more than 200 leaders in business, industry, education, government and labor.

Jam Innovations, founded by SIUE mechanical engineering students Cameron Tanzyus and John Fulton, was runner-up with one of two $5,000 cash prizes. The duo is in the process of patenting its interlocking wheelchair ramp made of rigid polyurethane resin. The ADA-compliant invention is an alternative to expensive wooden ramps or aluminum ramps, the latter of which is susceptible to being stolen. The freshmen plan to use the prize award to complete their prototype.

Grassroots Grocery, an existing Alton-based local grocery, grabbed third place and another $5,000 prize to expand and rent its commercial kitchen to food-based entrepreneurs.

JoAnn DiMaggio May, SBDC interim director and MESC co-organizer along with SBDC graduate student Kaitlin Beasely is thrilled with this years level of participation and the quality of ideas presented.

I am humbly impressed by the large number of superior quality concepts that were introduced, said May. It made our evaluation process and final decision on awarding the prize money extremely difficult.

Semi-finalists in the 2016 Metro East Startup Challenge included:

 Drone Zone, James Lawrence and Warren Benning, co-founders

 EatKidFriendly, Brandon Lance, founder

 Farmhouse Harvest & Green Market, founders Robyn and Emma Starkey

 P.G. Shimmer, Jacqualene Greene and Harold Greene, co-founders

 Saving Grace Beauty, Erica Harriss, founder

For the third straight year, the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SIUE, along with strong support from various business and economic development partners, has spearheaded the Metro East Startup Challenge.

The SBDC organized a group of business mentors and startup advisors to assist the 20 MESC contestants with their business plans. For the third consecutive year, PNC Bank and University Park at SIUE were the Startup Challenges premier sponsors, and continue to support entrepreneurial activities in Southwestern Illinois.

Other sponsors included SIUEs School of Business, St. Louis Regional Chamber, the City of Edwardsville, the City of Columbia, the Riverbend Growth Association and Artigem. The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SIUE and East St. Louis organized and managed the competition with the support of the SIUE School of Business.

Our goal is to continue to increase awareness and reach of this Challenges vast opportunities, DiMaggio May said. The Startup Challenge is becoming a recognized fixture in the regions entrepreneurial community, and the Illinois Metro East SBDC at SIUE looks forward to its continued growth and success.

The Illinois Metro East SBDC at SIUE works directly with entrepreneurs and small business owners located in the nine-county Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph.

It is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a service to the regions entrepreneurial and business community.

The Illinois SBDC Network provides one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. As a key member of this Network, the Illinois Metro East SBDC delivers these important services to its clients while supporting the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large. To learn how these no-cost services may help your small business, contact the Illinois Metro East SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.
The Madison County Recorders Office has managed to put a handful of laid off U.S. Steel workers to work digitizing mortgages, veterans records and other historical documents.

The five workers have been at it for more than a week now, seated nearly side-by-side at computer screens up on the second floor of the County Administration Building. And they have their work cut out for them: the office needs to convert about 4,000 rolls of historic film, and a couple of million images.

But the workers are grateful for the opportunity since they have been laid off from U.S. Steel since January and their unemployment checks ran out over the summer.

They all have experience with microfiche or similar document-related work, says Kristen Poshard, who has been overseeing the project for the Recorders Office.

Theyve been a blessing, she says. They picked up on it immediately. By hiring laid off steel workers, weve been able to save taxpayers a lot of money."

Perhaps more importantly, the project addresses the departments real need to digitize outdated rolls of film - and images - to allow title companies and realtors to view them online from their offices.

But Madison County Recorder Amy Meyer and Poshard learned that other counties had been paying from $250,000 to $1 million to outsource their own digitization projects.

Meyer came to the conclusion that there were more innovative - and cheaper - ways to get the job done.

I met with the large companies that other counties use to outsource these types of projects. I saw that for a big fee they could make a large portion of the project easy, but sometimes easy isnt always the best way, she said.

Meyer leased an Eclipse Plus and set it up in the Recorders office. They contacted Danny Simmons, president of the United Steel Workers Local 1899 in Granite City.

Falling oil prices and what U.S. officials charged were unfair trade practices by China had combined to cause the temporary layoff of about 2,000 steelworkers in Granite City. Simmons and Jason Chism, who heads United Steel Workers Local 50 had traveled to Washington, D.C., to address those workers plight.

But in early October, the steelworkers were still out of work. Poshard says Meyer had soured on the idea of outsourcing projects. Thats when she decided to give Simmons a call to see whether they could work out an agreement.

I have some people and they would be great, Poshard recalls Simmons responding.

In mid-October, Cathy Marsh was named the lead digitization specialist for the digitization project. Marsh had been laid off from U.S. Steel in January after working there for 32 years in the Payroll Department.

On Nov. 16, a trainer came in to train the new workers on the Eclipse Plus.

Soon they began working 40 hours a week. Our unemployment ran out in July, Marsh says. A couple of the girls dont even have insurance any more. Its a tough time for everybody. So were grateful for the opportunity and hope that theres something out there for other people so that they can get back into a good way also.

In recent weeks, community groups have raised money to support the laid off workers through trivia nights and other fundraisers. And local leaders have been cautiously optimistic that the mills might open next spring.

By county ordinance, temporary workers can be paid for only 600 hours of work. If the project isnt finished by mid-February, the Recorders Office will likely hire college students to finish the rest, Poshard said.

Both Poshard and Marsh agree that the current set up has been a win/win for both sides.

In a news release announcing the arrangement, one of the workers, Bridget Townsend of Collinsville, spoke about how much the temporary job means to her: No one will hire us when they know we are laid off from the mill. Even with all the experience we have, local businesses wont consider us for temporary jobs. People are having to move away because we cant get past the application process for open positions. Its sad to see my friends and co-workers worry about buying their kids a coat for the winter or how they will provide any kind of Christmas for their families."
The Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced the following events. For information, call (636) 899-0090.

Christmas Wonderland

Friday, November 25, 2016 - Tuesday, December 27, 2016

6:00pm to 9:00pm

Rock Spring Park

2100 College Avenue

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 463-3580

Drive through Rock Spring Park between Friday, November 25 and Tuesday, December 27 to see more than 2.5 million lights adorning trees and lighting displays throughout the park. Visitors are sure to be captivated by the holiday spirit. General admission for Christmas Wonderland is a suggested donation of $7 for cars and small vans, or $1 per person for vehicles holding more than 10 people. For more information, call (800) 258-6645 or (618) 465-6676.

Green Gift Bazaar

Bankside Repertory Theatre Company Presents: Silent Night, Holy Noely

Thursday, December 1, 2016 - Sunday, December 11, 2016

Gates open at 7:00pm | 7:30pm to 10:00pm

Jacoby Arts Center

627 E. Broadway

Alton, IL 62002

The play, written by Geoff Callaway, revolves around a Chicago radio station and the staff's attempt to deal with last-minute disaster looming over their 1948 "Holiday Extravaganza" on Christmas Eve. For more information, call (618) 462-5222.

Admission: Thursday Shows: $10/person

Friday & Saturday Shows: $15/person

Students with ID: $10/show

Christmas Mystery Dinner Theater

Friday, December 2, 2016

Starting at 6:30pm

Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

13653 Lodge Blvd.

Grafton, IL 62037

Welcome to a Dickens of a Killing! This hilarious holiday show is full of all of your favorite Charles Dickens characters and features a little singing, a little dancing and a little murder! What could be more fun? Join us for our Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, where you can be the star of the show! For more information, call (618) 786-2331 ext. 338.

Admission: $45/person and includes dinner, show, taxes and gratuity

Olde Alton Art & Craft Fair

Saturday, December 3, 2016 - Sunday, December 04, 2016

9:00am to 4:00pm

Alton High School

4200 Humbert Rd.

Alton, IL 62002

Find all your Christmas goodies at the 26th Annual Olde Alton Arts & Crafts Fair featuring a variety of crafters from Illinois and Missouri. Breakfast and lunch will be served and there is free parking. All proceeds benefit the Alton Band and Orchestra programs at Alton Community School District. For more information, call (618) 474-6996.

Admission: $2/Saturday

$1/Sunday

Under 12 free

Candy Cane Challenge

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Gates open at 9:00am | 10:00am to 12:00pm

The Nature Institute

2213 S. Levis Lane

Godfrey, IL 62035

Bring a group of friends to hunt out clues using GPS and a compass. This challenge will lead you on TNI trails and make you work as a team. Your reward? CANDY! We welcome individuals, partners or groups to join us to learn, explore and get some nature out at our Candy Cane Challenge on Saturday December 3, 2016 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Please call to register at 618-466-9930.

Admission: $5/person

Taste of Chocolate & Holiday River Walk

Saturday, December 3, 2016

11:30am to 3:00pm

Grafton Winery & Brewhaus

300 W. Main St.

Grafton, IL 62037

(618) 786-3001

Celebrate the start of the holiday season with the annual Taste of Chocolate 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grafton Winery. For more information, call (618) 786-7000.

Home for the Holidays House Tour

Saturday, December 3, 2016

12:00pm to 4:00pm

Village of Elsah Museum

26 LaSalle Street

Elsah, IL 62028

(618) 374-2626

Visit historic Elsah during the holiday season and take a tour of decorated homes, the village museum, churches and bed and breakfasts. For more information, call (800) 258-6645.

Admission: Advance admission is $15 (Tickets available at Alton Visitor Center and at either B&B in Elsah)

Day of event admission is $18 (Tickets available at Elsah Civic Center)

Optional lunch by My Just Desserts: $11

Alton Little Theater: Don't talk to the Actors

Saturday, December 2, 2016 - Sunday, December 11, 2016

Alton Little Theater

2450 N. Henry Street

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 462-6562

The best laid plans go awry when the cast and crew of a Broadway-bound play resort to manipulation, diva-like behavior, and chaotic abandon to get what they want. For tickets, call (618) 462-3205 or visit http://tix5.centerstageticketing.com/sites/altonlittletheater/showdates.php?s_id=13.

Admission: $17/Adults, $10/Students

Christmas with Elvis at Pere Marquette Lodge

Friday, December 9, 2016

Starting at 6:00pm

Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

13653 Lodge Blvd.

Grafton, IL 62037

It won't be a "Blue Christmas" at Pere Marquette Lodge, when Steve Davis performs his holiday salute to the King of Rock and Roll. Come enjoy Pere Marquette Lodge's famous fried chicken buffet and then sit back and enjoy an hour-long tribute to your favorite Christmas classics. For more information, call (618) 786-2331.

Admission: $36/person plus tax and gratuity

Breakfast with Santa in Wood River

Saturday, December 10, 2016

8:00am to 10:30am

Roundhouse at Central Park

633 Wood River Ave.

Wood River, IL 62095

Dont miss this opportunity for great family fun and pictures with Santa for only a small fee. For more information, call (618) 251-3130.

Eagle Watching with Ranger

Saturday, December 10, 2016

9:00am to 10:00am

Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge

HCR 82 Box 107

Brussels, IL 62013

Join refuge rangers from Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge for a morning of eagle watching. Visit multiple areas at the wildlife refuge that are known for eagles. A personal vehicle will be needed. Attendees are reminded to dress for the weather. Open to all ages. Space is limited; call 618-883-2524 to register in advance.

Pere Marquette Wine Club Get Together

Saturday, December 10, 2016

2:00pm to 5:00pm

Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

13653 Lodge Blvd.

Grafton, IL 62037

This event features free wine tasting and free appetizers for Mary Michelle Wine Club Members. New Members can join by paying a one-time $20 fee and will receive a complementary Pere Marquette Lodge Wine Glass filled with their choice of Mary Michelle or Illinois Cellar Wines. For more information, call (618) 786-2331.

Spirits of Christmas Tour

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Starting at 6:00pm

First Unitarian Church (Alton Hauntings Tour)

110 East Third St

Alton, IL 62002

Join us for a Holiday Season bus tour up the Great River Road from Alton to Grafton and experience the "Spirits of Christmas" that linger in this historic region! The evening includes bus tour, narration from Haunted Alton author Troy Taylor, and dinner at the Aeries Winery in Grafton. For more information, call (217) 791-7859.

Alton Symphony Orchestra: Holiday Pops

Saturday, December 10, 2016

7:00pm to 9:00pm

Lewis & Clark Community College

5800 Godfrey Road

Godfrey, IL 62035

(618) 468-3220

The crowd pleasing music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will surely usher in this festive season. Performance will be held in the Hatheway Cultural Center on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College. For more information, call (618) 792-4002.

Admission: $10/Adults, $5/Seniors, Children (grade 12 and under) are free.

Arrival at Camp River Dubois

Sunday, December 11, 2016 - Monday, December 12, 2016

10:00am to 4:00pm

Lewis & Clark State Historic Site

1 Lewis and Clark Trail

Hartford, IL 62048

Come celebrate the arrival of Lewis and Clark at Camp River Dubois. This annual event commemorates the day William Clark and the men of the detachment arrived at the confluence of the Riviere a Dubois, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. For more information, call (618) 251-5811 or go to www.campdubois.com.

Bethalto Community Choir Christmas Concert

Sunday, December 11, 2016

3:00pm to 4:30pm

First Baptist Church

201 South Moreland Road

Bethalto, IL 62010

Come enjoy the many sounds of Christmas as the Bethalto Community Choir Christmas Concert at First Baptist Church. The program is free and features a 60-voice choir and accompanying orchestra delivering a variety of Christmas music. Plan to arrive early as this event commonly packs the 750-seat auditorium.

Bethalto Spirit Christmas Walk

Sunday, December 11, 2016

4:00pm to 7:00pm

Village of Bethalto

213 N. Prairie St.

Bethalto, IL 62010

Enjoy a return to a quieter time at the Bethalto Spirit Victorian Christmas Walk. Stroll through the downtown area, viewing the storefront decorations, children's craft areas, snacks, costumed characters, Father Christmas and more. For more information, call (618) 377-8051.

Moonlight Hike

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

7:00pm to 8:00pm

The Nature Institute

2213 S. Levis Lane

Godfrey, IL 62035

Walk the woodland trails through the Mississippi Sanctuary or Olin Nature Preserve illuminated only the light of the full moon. The trail terrain is light to moderate. This moonlight hike is free and open to the public. Meet at The Nature Institute's Talahi Lodge a half hour before departure time.

For more information, call (618) 466-9930.

Astronomy Association Meeting

Thursday, December 15, 2016

7:00pm to 8:00pm

The Nature Institute

2213 S. Levis Lane

Godfrey, IL 62035

(618) 466-9930

Navigate the preserve at The Nature Institute with naturalist Eddie Agha to observe and record constellations. (No telescopes needed!) Reservations are required. Call (618) 467-2521 or email pbrown@thenatureinstitute.org.

Bald Eagle Days at Pere Marquette State Park

Friday, December 16, 2016

Starting at 8:30am

Pere Marquette State Park

13112 Visitor Center Lane

Grafton, IL 62037

A site interpreter at Pere Marquette State Park will be presenting informative programs about bald eagles this winter. Visitors will learn to distinguish between immature and mature bald eagles, what eagles eat, why they spend winter months in the area and much more. For more information, call (618) 786-3323.

Tribute Concert to Frank Sinatra

Friday, December 16, 2016

7:30pm to 9:30pm

Alton Little Theater

2450 N. Henry Street

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 462-6562

That's right- ole' Blue eyes in back. Kevin Frakes and band under the direction of Matt Conway help us remember WHY Frank Sinatra was a legend for fifty years. Frank's favorite hits will help you celebrate the Holidays at ALT-His way! For more information, call (618) 462-3205.

Admission: $25/person

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Claus

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Gates open at 10:00am | 10:00am to 2:00pm

Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower

435 Confluence Tower Drive

Hartford, IL 62048

(618) 251-9101

Direct from the North Pole, Santa and Mrs. Claus will make a special visit to the Confluence Tower to meet children of all ages! Come and have your photo taken or just let the jolly couple know your Christmas wishes! Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Enjoy a tour of the Confluence Tower and see the views from 50, 100 and 150 feet high. Regular tour rates apply.

Wreaths Across America

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Starting at 11:00am

National Cemetery

600 Pearl Street

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 465-6676

All 530 veterans graves in the Alton National Cemetery will be decorated with balsam wreaths for the holiday season. Take part in an emotional ceremony sure to bring both pride and joy to those in attendance. For more information, call (618) 474-2005.

Tribute Concert to Frank Sinatra

Sunday, December 18, 2016

2:00pm to 4:00pm

Alton Little Theater

2450 N. Henry Street

Alton, IL 62002

(618) 462-6562

That's right- ole' Blue eyes in back. Kevin Frakes and band under the direction of Matt Conway help us remember WHY Frank Sinatra was a legend for fifty years. Frank's favorite hits will help you celebrate the Holidays at ALT-His way! For more information, call (618) 462-3205.

Admission: $25/person

Christmas Feast at the Lodge

Sunday, December 25, 2016

10:00am to 4:00pm

Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

13653 Lodge Blvd.

Grafton, IL 62037

The weather outside is frightful, but the Christmas Feast at Pere Marquette Lodge is so delightful! Enjoy our fabulous, mouth-watering spread! We accept reservations for parties of six or more. Call (618) 786-2331 ext.: 502 to make your reservations.

Admission: Children 0-3: FREE

Children 4-11: $9.95

Adults 12 & Up: $26.95

Bald Eagle Days at Pere Marquette State Park

Thursday, December 29, 2016 - Friday, December 30, 2016

Starting at 8:30am

Pere Marquette State Park

13112 Visitor Center Lane

Grafton, IL 62037

(618) 786-3323

A site interpreter at Pere Marquette State Park will be presenting informative programs about bald eagles this winter. Visitors will learn to distinguish between immature and mature bald eagles, what eagles eat, why they spend winter months in the area and much more. For more information, call (618) 786-3323.

New Year's Eve Party at Pere Marquette

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Starting at 7:00pm

Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center

13653 Lodge Blvd.

Grafton, IL 62037

(618) 786-2331

Ring in the New Year at Pere Marquette Lodge with the overnight party package! This package gives you the opportunity to show off your cocktail attire and indulge with appetizers, three drink tickets and a lavish buffet dinner for two people. Call (618) 786-2331 for details and to make your reservations.

Admission: $389 plus tax, double occupancy
The non-profit, Refuge received a Community Grant Program check for $2,500 from their community Sams Club located in Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Refuge is a non-profit organization that serves the children in Madison County who are abused or neglected. They provide full service therapy and resources for to the children who are suffering and also their families to ensure a healthy recovery.

We believe that everyone in the community has a part to play in this, and without everyones participation, we will not provide the safe surroundings and refuge that all children deserve, said Refuge Executive Director, Erin Bickle. Receiving the grant money from Sams Club means the world to us and we would not exist without generous donations like the one we received today, we feel truly blessed.

Illinois is leading in the top 5 states of child deaths due to abuse and neglect. In 2014 there were almost 600 indicated victims of child abuse and more than 1,300 orders of protection granted in Madison County.

We loved the mission and work that Refuge provides for our community and wanted to help out through the grant,  said Geri Thompson, Accounting Office Team Lead, Sams Club in Glen Carbon. Our mission is to stay active in our community because we feel possibilities are endless when people come together to help one another out in times of need.

What makes us unique is, we dont just treat the children, we give support to the guardian of the children, which sometimes can be their grandmother, aunt, uncle or neighbor, said Bickle. These children are in your neighborhoods, churches and schools. We all want happy and healthy children, it only takes one loving adult to change a childs life.

Refuge provides individualized care through these services: Weekly Child/Family Therapy, Parent/Caregiver Case Management and Parent Education Groups. It has served more than 100 families with their counseling services since February 2015, helping many flee domestic violence and relationships and build healthier futures for their children. Refuge receives referrals from schools, police departments, doctor offices, DFCS and other community resources.
The Glen Carbon Police Department made its annual request for the 2016 tax year levy for the Police Pension Fund.

Lt. Wayne White, president of the Police Pension Board, made the request to the Board of Trustees at its last regular meeting.

White, speaking on behalf of the Pension Board, requested the board approve and pass a tax levy for the 2016 tax year in the amount of $360,000 or the amount as specified by the Department of Insurance through their actuarial determination, whichever is higher on behalf of the Glen Carbon Police Pension Board.

Trustees unanimously approved the request.

White said the department is pleased with the support it gets from the village government.

Thank you for providing for and continuing to pay into the Police Pension Fund, he said. This shows your continued support of our beneficiaries and the continued support of police.

White added that Glen Carbon is unique among municipalities in the state for the support the retired police officers receive.

Unfortunately the overwhelming majority of municipalities in Illinois are not funding police and fire pensions, he said. We realize that our police pension fund is funded at 86 percent. Based on other municipalities in the area, this is extraordinarily high.

He said taxing districts fund police pension funds in area as low as 13 percent.

Mayor Rob Jackstadt said the credit for the continued funding goes to past village leaders who saw how important funding the police department was.

Here in the village I think we just take it for granted that you do the right thing and fund it, he said. But its amazing when you read about these other towns that dont -- at some point they are going to have to pay the piper and will have to go to the voters in a big way to make it up.

Village Attorney Jim Schrempf said the funding of pensions is one of the biggest problems municipalities have in Illinois.

For most municipalities it is broken and they will not be able to catch up, he said. The current system is unsustainable and the Glen Carbon Police Department is very fortunate - you are among very few in the state of Illinois receiving funding."

Trustee Micah Summers, who is a member of the Finance Committee, said the committee is already looking forward to meeting the needs of the fund in the future.
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Linkedin Rendi A. Witular (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

It is without doubt that the race to secure the top job in the Jakarta administration has drained much of the publics energy, as well as engulfed many with the unabated fear of political and security instability.

Although the violence stemming from the Nov. 4 rally was swiftly contained, the protest apparently served as a springboard for disgruntled elements to turn up the pressure.

Their demand at the time was for incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, to be declared a blasphemy suspect. Probably out of fear of escalating tension, the police acquiesced to their demand on Nov. 16

But still the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesia Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), which initiated the Nov. 4 rally attended by more than 100,000 Muslim organization members, has not backed down.

It has instead promised a bigger protest on Dec. 2, demanding Ahoks imprisonment at a time when Ahok should be on the campaign trail.

Judging by the groups aim, as amplified by one of its leaders, Rizieq Shihab of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), it is hard not to conclude that a sinister motive is at play.

It is not implausible that President Joko Jokowi Widodo and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian may be correct in suspecting that the upcoming rally is politically motivated, similar to the Nov. 4 rally when Jokowi blamed political actors for inciting violence and Tito indicated that certain elements used the rally as a precursor to topple the legitimate government.

Perhaps the substantial efforts by the President, as well as by the chiefs of the Indonesia Military (TNI) and the police, to contain the impact of the previous rally and to limit the significance of the upcoming one have raised questions over the possibility of a coup attempt and whether the President is actually in full control to keep any harm at bay.

Speculation over a coup attempt are not only baseless but also a far-fetched assumption. First, since Indonesias independence in 1945, plotting a coup has not been a tradition, having occurred only once in 1965 when then president Sukarno handed over the presidency to Soeharto.

Second, there are no strong figures within the TNI capable of uniting the highly fragmented armed forces to lead a coup. Third, negative sentiment against military rule runs deep within the police force, an institution that probably now has the most personnel and the best intelligence infrastructure.

Fourth, there is not the slightest indication that Jokowi has committed severe violations, such as corruption, murder or adultery. And fifth, not only does Jokowis popularity remain high, he also enjoys overwhelming legislative support as his coalition controls more than 65 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives.

The Nov. 4 rally and the upcoming one merely serve as pressure by several politicians (including from political parties in Jokowis ruling coalition), state officials, public figures, religious luminaries and activists who have been starved of resources since Jokowi took office in late 2014.

These people have acted with precise timing and may have forged a union with political elites who are facing difficulties in trying to defeat Ahok merely through programs in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

The escalating racial and religious slurs in the past couple of weeks have apparently undermined Ahok, as indicated by recent surveys suggesting a sharp decline in his electability.

It is the blending of the hungry elements and the regional election elites, who may have resorted to any means necessary to win, that have created fear of political instability over the past couple of weeks.

Since the 1998 Reform Era that saw the resignation of president Soeharto, political and security interference to undermine a legitimate government is not without precedent.

In his biography published before his term expired in 2014, then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mentioned the many attempts to topple his government.

But what differentiates the past with events of today is the infusion of racial and religious provocation. Even Yudhoyono has been accused of toying with such sentiments by using issues related to Ahok to his advantage.

Yudhoyonos son, Agus Harimurti, is competing with Ahok in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, and Yudhoyono has publicly insisted the prosecution against Ahok in a tone that contained more than a hint of provocation.

For Jokowi, it is not a coup attempt that worries him most; it is the racial and religious issues, referred to locally as SARA (ethnicity, religion, race and class), that perhaps send shivers down his spine.

The Dec. 2 rally is feared by many to be a precursor to violence that may spiral into widespread conflict. The violent Nov. 4 rally in front of the Presidential Palace triggered a minor riot in a Chinese residential area in North Jakarta and opened old wounds from the traumatic 1998 riots that saw heavy casualties among the Chinese-Indonesian community.

Home to more 1,300 tribes that practice six different religions and speak 740 different languages but are unified under one language, Indonesia is demographically prone to SARA conflicts.

However, the authorities have swiftly moved to reduce the potential for conflict by diminishing the significance of the rally from the very top.

Not only will the authorities prohibit protesters from out of town to enter Jakarta to participate in the upcoming rally, officers have also visited leaders of many boarding schools and discouraged them from allowing their students to participate in the rally.

Campaigns to promote unity have resonated not only in Jakarta but also across the archipelago as local military and police chiefs have held numerous interfaith functions attended by prominent religious leaders from several different religions.

A number of people who were at the forefront in demanding that Ahok be prosecuted are now also facing legal charges for SARA-related incitement.

Police chief Tito has issued a stern warning to clerics grouped in the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), demanding that they not mix religion with politics as it could cause sectarian conflict. The MUI, whose leader Maaruf Amin is an ally of Yudhoyono, has soften its stance on participating in the rally.

The MUI and FPI struck a deal with Tito on Monday that the Friday protest would be conducted wholly within the confines of the National Monument (Monas) Park. Stern action will be taken if the MUI, the FPI and the GNPF-MUI violate the agreement.

With the authorities now better prepared and having learned a lesson from the previous rally, any negative impact of the upcoming rally is likely to be minimal.

Indonesias politics will remain heated, as Jokowi recently said, up until the simultaneous regional elections on Feb. 15. Indonesia has seen its worst, and if history is any indication, the upcoming rally may well be just another hiccup in the countrys democracy.
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Linkedin David Camroux (The Jakarta Post) Hanoi  Wed, November 30, 2016

If the main foreign policy objective of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was to make his archipelagic nation the centre of international relations concerns in the Asia Pacific, he has succeeded beyond expectations.

Coined a popularly elected despot by Chito Gascon of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, Dutertes diplomatic flurries within Asia have sparked conversations among international observers, many of which have concentrated on their implications for the US pivot to Asia and USChina rivalry.

Ironically, the election of another loud-mouthed boy-man demagogue, Donald Trump, may have changed the equation. If The Donald applies his user-pay principle to the US security umbrella, it is conceivable that a divorce between the two countries by mutual consent could become possible.

This seems unlikely, not only because of the popularity of the US Philippines alliance on both sides of the Pacific, but also because there appears to be a blooming bromance between the Filipino president and the US president-elect. Duterte has already appointed Jose EB Antonio, a Filipino business partner of the US president-elect and builder of Manilas own Trump Tower, as his special trade envoy to the United States.

Seen from Hanoi, the challenge of Duterte is not a weakening United States presence in the Pacific but the deleterious effects of his presidency on ASEAN. Vietnam was set to benefit greatly from the Permanent Court of Arbitrations ruling in The Hague on Chinas nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea.

While some Vietnamese claims in the Paracel and Spratley Islands are now legally questionable, the legal standing of the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone from the Vietnamese coastline has been reinforced. Hanoi thus is perplexed why Duterte has seemingly discarded the South China Sea ruling bargaining chip when dealing multilaterally with China within the ASEAN context. By acceding to the long-standing Chinese demand for bilateral negotiations Duterte has effectively jettisoned several decades worth of effort to build a modicum of ASEAN solidarity.

The previous Aquino administration, even prior to the court case in The Hague, advocated involving ASEAN as a bloc for negotiating with China. This was the approach of all previous Filipino administrations. While in practice it was impossible to have a clear declaration on the South China Sea, the multilateral principle remained intact.

At his first ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in July 2016, Duterte claimed the Philippines does not need cooperation with ASEAN. Previous Filipino governments and civil society groups have invested considerable effort into the ASEAN process. For Vietnam  a country that has made ASEAN crucial to foreign relations in a post-Cold War environment  the Philippines actions are cause for concern.

Dutertes attitude toward ASEAN suggests a distancing from the general practice of Southeast Asian political leaderships  the soft-hedging strategies described by Singaporean academic Evelyn Goh in her recent seminal study of regional order in East Asia.

To simplify, these strategies involve three elements: forms of flexible aligned nonalignment, an unwillingness to have to choose in a situation of SinoUS rivalry and the nonrepudiation of existing linkages while creating new ones.

Myanmars post-junta foreign relations trajectory since 2010 displays these attributes. But in the ostensible Manichean outlook of Duterte, a rapprochement with China requires necessarily a separation  at least rhetorically  from the United States.

Most tragically, Dutertes domestic policies challenge a fundamental norm within ASEAN, namely that of rule by law instead of rule of law. Some 4,700 people have been killed extra-judicially since he came to office. Even before toying with the idea of suspending habeas corpus, Duterte had abandoned due process, allowing State controlled vigilantes and other goons to act with impunity.

Other Southeast Asian countries are hardly paragons of the rule of law but generally there is a concern that at least some symbolic legal procedures should be respected. How can Dutertes belittling of ASEAN be explained? A clue can be found in Lee Jones illuminating study of the importance of sovereignty for Southeast Asian political elites. The notion of sovereignty is Janus-faced  it relates to both dealing with external actors and having unhindered control of domestic affairs. Unlike his predecessors, Duterte sees ASEAN as useless in strengthening Filipino sovereignty in relation to an external power, namely China.

The literature on ASEAN suggests that membership has served to legitimize regimes in relation to their domestic constituencies by reinforcing a sense of sovereignty over internal affairs. In the Philippines, this was the case until recently. Duterte is different.

Like Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed xenophobic outsider defying political conventions, ASEAN is irrelevant (and perhaps even detrimental) to strengthening his grip on domestic political power.

The Philippines descent into authoritarianism 30 years after the end of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos is a tragedy, not only for the Philippines, but also for the region.

This profound regression effectively sabotages the ability of ASEAN as a whole to respect, or at least advance, the terms of its own Charter. It also undermines the role of regional integration in Southeast Asia in contributing to democratic consolidation at the national level.

***

The writer is honorary associate professor and senior associate researcher at the Centre for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris and professorial fellow at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi. This article first appeared on East Asia Forum (www.eastasiaforum.org).

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Linkedin Shaffira D. Gayatri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

A year after the exodus of Rohingya refugees into the Andaman Sea, dubbed the Southeast Asian refugee crisis, the relentless persecution of the ethnic minority living in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, continues unabated.

Various international organizations and news agencies have reported systematic violence, including torture, mass rape, extrajudicial killings and evictions, committed by Myanmar soldiers against the Rohingya. A recent report by Human Rights Watch estimated around 1,250 Rohingya houses had been burned down by the authorities.

The state media has reported more than 100 deaths and 600 people arrested in the course of a crackdown that followed the killing of nine border guards on Oct. 9, which the authorities have blamed on a Rohingya militant group.

According to a United Nations refugee agency, the Myanmar military and border police are engaging in collective punishment of the Rohingya minority, yet the Myanmar government denies the allegations. The problem is the state of Rakhine is closed to the international media and aid agencies, preventing the verification of data and reports.

The constant discrimination and current persecution have forced many Rohingya to flee from their homes to camps in Bangladesh. If the situation continues to deteriorate, the situation of mass forced migration of the Rohingya community may resemble the refugee crisis of a year ago.

(Read also: Rally calls for revocation of Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize)

According to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, as many as 500,000 Rohingya are already internally displaced and since 2014 an estimated 94,000 asylumseekers have fled to neighboring countries by means of deadly sea journeys. The commonly preferred destination is Malaysia, which hosts approximately 142,000 people. Indonesia currently has approximately 1,000 Rohingya refugees, excluding unregistered asylum seekers, mainly based in Aceh.

This means potential destinations, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand should be prepared to receive more Rohingya refugees and provide protection and necessary humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and children.

As such, collective initiatives are needed now more than ever. Instead of spreading hoax pictures and inciting hatred against the Buddhist community in Myanmar, which will only make the situation worse and trigger a backlash against the Rohingya, we  the people  should act as conscious, responsible neighbors by supporting the numerous agencies providing humanitarian aid to the Rohingya, such as the Humanitarian Flotilla for Rohingya mission initiated by the Southeast Asia Humanitarian Committee (Seahum) and a network of Indonesian NGOs, including PKPU and ACT, that send humanitarian and medical aid to conflict points and camps in Rakhine.

Yet these short-term emergency responses should be followed by long-term solutions to address the roots of the problem more effectively. Current measures, such as those taken in Indonesia, tend to be sporadic and impromptu.

Last year, the Indonesian government entered an ad hoc agreement to allow a one-year transit for Rohingya refugees, who were supported by various NGOs, the local government, and the local community, with the expectation of a speedy resettlement in a host country. This was hampered by the lengthy bureaucratic process and low rate of refugee acceptance in destination countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the US.

The solution should thus be the implementation of stricter regional measures, including legal frameworks, at the ASEAN and Asia Pacific levels. The Bali Process, an international high-level forum on people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crimes cochaired by Indonesia, resulted in the Regional Cooperation Framework (RCF), which aims to push for more practical arrangements between its 45 member states, including the implementation of burden-sharing and collective-responsibility principles.

While the framework serves as a much-welcomed step forwards, it is non-binding and stipulates no consequences for non-adherence, as shown in the case of Bangladesh, which has failed to uphold its commitment made during the 2016 Bali Declaration.

Unlike the European Union that has ratified applicable measures under the Dublin Convention, there is no existing legal framework in ASEAN to deal with refugees and forced migration. In the Southeast Asian region, only the Philippines, Cambodia and Timor Leste are signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. As the main political and economic regional grouping in Southeast Asia, ASEAN seems to prefer to focus on its economic functions, while turning a blind eye to more pressing political and human rights issue like the Rohingya crisis.

This principle needs re-evaluating now that the Rohingya crisis has directly impacted ASEAN member states. ASEAN has to step up pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of and discrimination against the Rohingya people through persistent diplomacy. A stronger diplomacy is also needed to allow and ensure the admission of humanitarian aid agencies into the Rohingya area. Furthermore, a legal system to deal with the refugee issue in the region should be put into place. It is no longer sufficient or morally justifiable for ASEAN to cite its non-interference principle as a buffer to shirk its responsibilities.

***

The writer is a graduate of the University of Warwick, UK, under the LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) scholarship, and an individual member of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN). The views expressed are her own.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Gideon Lasco, University of Amsterdam (The Conversation) Amsterdam  Wed, November 30, 2016

Jose, 19, is a college student in Puerto Princesa City, Philippines.

On a regular school day, after he wakes up, he takes a shower, scrubbing his body using soap made of papaya (Carica papaya), a fruit thats said to have skin-whitening properties. Afterwards, he applies a facial whitening lotion, and before finally going to school he uses SPF 30 sunscreen, again with whitening properties, on his face and arms.

Jose was one of many young people I met in my ethnographic work as part of the Chemical Youth Project, a research program that sought to document and make sense of the different chemicals that young people use in their everyday lives, from cosmetics to cigarettes.

Skin whitening among women has long been commonplace in the Philippines and other parts of Asia and the world but, while working on this project, I was struck by the fact that young men too, are using a plethora of whitening products. And that these products have proliferated in various retail outlets, from shopping malls to small sari-sari, or neighborhood, stores.

But this development is not unique to the Philippines either. A 2015 study found that the prevalence of skin-whitening product use among male university students in 26 low and middle-income countries was 16.7%. The figure was higher in many Asian countries: 17.4% in India, 25.4% in the Philippines, and 69.5% in Thailand.

In the Asia-Pacific region alone, the male cosmetics industry was estimated at $2.1 billion in 2016. Whiteners are likely to be a significant component of this figure; a 2010 study reported that 61% of all cosmetics in India had a whitening effect.

Views of whiteness

How do we make sense of this phenomenon? First, it must be pointed that the preference for white skin, even among men, has existed in many parts of Asia since ancient times.

In Heian Japan (794 to 1185 AD) and Ming China (13681644), handsome men were described as having white or pale skin. In one undated Philippine epic, the hero covers his face with a shield so that the suns rays will not lessen his handsome looks.

Researchers have suggested that, in many societies, fair skin was a mark of class distinction. In her 2012 book Living Color, American anthropologist Nina Jablonski explains:

Untanned skin was a symbol of the privileged class that was spared from outdoor labor  Dark-skinned people were deprecated because they were of the labouring class that worked out in the sun.

Others have suggested that the association of whiteness with purity became conflated with the idea that white skin signifies spiritual and physical superiority.

Arguably, the colonial encounter lent another meaning to white skin, making it a marker of racial - not just class - distinction. Filipinos, for instance, were commonly referred to by the Americans as their little brown brothers, signifying an unequal fraternity based on height and skin colour.

But some scholars have also pointed out that many Asian people dont necessarily aspire for a Caucasian whiteness, but a cosmopolitan whiteness that transcends race and signifies mobility across national borders.

Like the emergence of the metrosexual (urban men who enjoy interests traditionally associated with women and homosexual men), the rise of male-specific whitening products may be explained by the demographic and social changes that have given rise to the view of the body as, in the words of UK sociologist Chris Shilling, a project that should be worked at and accomplished as part of an individuals self-identity.

It can also be attributed to changing notions of masculinity that are no longer incompatible with the use of cosmetics or beauty products.

Promises with side effects

Today, cosmetics companies, through mass-mediated, star-studded advertising, build on these conditions. In India, Bollywood superstar Sharukh Khan made headlines by endorsing Fair and Handsome skin whitening cream in 2008.

In South Korea, K-pop superstars promote homegrown brands such as The Face Shop and Etude House, and serve as ambassadors of a Korean male aesthetic: slim, youthful-looking, and fair-skinned.

While it is insightful to look at these historical and global trends, its also important to look at the individual users themselves, and the role whitening products play in their lives.

In my fieldwork, I met many young men who were motivated by perceived social and economic gain: 20-year-old call centre agent Edwin wanted to be more attractive to girls.

Jose, for his part, wanted to someday be a flight attendant. He told me, If youre fair-skinned, youre noticeable, and that gives you a advantage.

Their assumptions find empirical support in studies that suggest men with lighter skin are more likely to get higher paying jobs. In environments where young people only have their bodies as capital, resorting to modification is understandable.

But from a public health perspective, the proliferation of whitening products raises questions of efficacy and safety, particularly in Asian countries without strong regulation.

For all their promised effects, theres actually no proof that many products actually work, and many of them have potentially grave side effects. Mercury, for instance, is a known toxin but its still found in skin whitening products in India, even when it has long been banned in many other countries.

Is it right?

Alongside these health concerns, the moral debate continues. By shaping the way people people view their skin  and that of others  will its colour, which is determined by genes, occupation and lifestyle, become another layer of inequality?

And as with any other social issue, there has been dissent. Across Asia, a growing number of voices challenging the colourism they have to live with. Blogger Aswasthi Thomas, for instance, recently declared:

Im Indian, Im dark, and I dont care.

But what these campaigns sometimes forget is that the quest for distinction through physical appearance is probably as old as humanity itself. And its unlikely to go away, especially when it is useful for people in their everyday lives.

Even so, as desires for dermatological perfection become increasingly commodified  and as skin becomes subjected to a host of chemicals  the point about restraint and reflection is well taken.

Indeed, as more and more men and women embrace the idea that fair is handsome, we need a deeper conversation about the motivations that underwrite the phenomenon of skin whitening, and the meaning of (un)fair skin.

Gideon Lasco, PhD candidate in Medical Anthropology, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has joined the latest internet sensation by taking up the Mannequin Challenge at Padjajaran University (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday.

She rose to the challenge after giving a lecture to thousands of students on A Closer Look at the State Budget".

(Read also: Five must-watch Indonesian Mannequin Challenge clips)

The one-minute video begins at the back of the lecture hall, featuring students standing motionlessly like mannequins, and ends with camera closing in on the minister standing equally still on stage and holding a cardboard reading #SadarAPBN (state budget awareness).

Sri explained on her Facebook page that the lecture was about the state budget, adding that she hoped the next generation would have a sense of ownership in the budget. Hopefully, in the future, when [these students] become the policymakers or civil servants, they understand where this country is heading." (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Imagine wearing performance apparel that is so smart it can "monitor your biosignals and distill them into meaningful insights".

Created by Dhananja Jayalath and Christopher Wiebe from the University of Waterloo in Canada, Athos boasts a similar concept to fitness trackers: It is a device with sensors that track and record muscle activities while the wearer is working out. It then presents the data via a mobile app.

Consisting of a shirt and short pants, its body-fit design is said to be flexible, sweat-absorbant and able to protect the user from solar radiation. There are 12 electromyograph (EMG) sensors and two heart rate sensors on the shirt and eight EMG and four heart rate sensors on the pants.

(Read also: 5 fitness trackers for health junkies)

As reported by dailysocial.id, all data collected by the sensors would be presented real-time via the Live View interface. The more intense the workout, the redder the color will appear.

The electromyography technique is said to be Athos' strongest suit because of its high level of accuracy, which the creators said is still exclusively available for medical purposes -- not yet for general use. That is probably why the product's price is quite high at almost US$700 for one set and $350 for female leggings. (fmn/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Jakarta governor candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono is richer than his father, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), when the latter ran for a second term as president in 2009.

According to the Jakarta General Elections Commission, Agus, who resigned from the army with the rank of a major, has total wealth of Rp 15.2 billion (US$1.1 million) plus $551.332.

In November 2009, SBY, a retired three star army general, reported wealth of Rp 7.6 billion.

Agus said his wealth, which had been reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission, was mixed with that of his celebrity wife Annisa Pohan.

Me and my wife are a package, there is no need to worry about that. And remember, my wife is an art worker who has been working long before we got married. So the report is true, Agus said on Tuesday night, as reported by kompas.com.

Agus wealth includes properties, land and building in South Jakarta and Bogor, West Java, valued at a total of Rp 6 billion.

He has a company, PT Exquisite Indonesia, worth Rp 360 million and a Toyota Vellfire car of Rp 550 million.

In the gubernatorial election, Agus was nominated by the Democratic Party, which is chaired SBY, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Recent surveys by Polltracking Indonesia and Charta Politika put Agus first in popularity ratings, followed by incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and the third governor candidate, Anies Baswedan. (jun)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The Attorney Generals Office (AGO) has declared that the dossier of a blasphemy case implicating Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama is complete, paving the way for the high-profile case to go to trial.

Today, the AGO announces that the case dossier of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok, is complete. That means the police investigation results meet the formal and material [criteria] required by the law, the AGO's junior prosecutor for general crimes, Noor Rahmad, said on Wednesday.

(Read also: Police give go-ahead for anti-Ahok rally)

Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent in the predominantly Muslim country, sparked uproar among some Muslims after he made a comment on a verse in the Quran during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.

On Nov. 4, more than 100,000 people, mostly from Muslim groups, swarmed Jakarta streets to demand Ahok's prosecution for blasphemy.

(Read also: Jakartans calm over rally plan)

The National Police named Ahok, who is seeking reelection in next year's gubernatorial election, a suspect of blasphemy on Nov. 16 and handed his case dossier over to the AGO on Friday. He is charged under Article 156 (a) of the Criminal Code on blasphemy, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.

On Monday, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said he expected the AGO to immediately declare Ahoks dossier complete, so that the courts could settle the legal process against him as soon as possible. (hwa)
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Linkedin Foster Klug (Associated Press) Seoul  Wed, November 30, 2016

She pulled off a deft bit of political maneuvering, probably born of desperation. Now South Korea's president has a sliver of breathing space as impeachment closes in and millions throng the streets to clamor for her to just go away.

For Park Geun-hye, the next few days, perhaps the most crucial in her presidency, will determine what political price will she pay, and exactly how much time she has bought.

Park's offer to shorten her term in office if a bickering parliament can set up a legal pathway to doing so has been widely criticized as a stalling ploy aimed at luring back members of her conservative party who supported impeachment. That support by former Park loyalists is crucial if a coalition of opposition parties is going to secure the necessary impeachment votes.

Park's conditional resignation proposal, if it delays impeachment, could give her time to search for a way to exit with some sense of grace, rather than be impeached and stripped of power while a court reviews whether to drive her from office.

To some extent, she has already succeeded in wriggling some of the way out from what had very recently looked like an impossible political situation.

What had seemed to be an inexorable legislative march toward impeachment has slowed, though it's not yet clear how much.

Some of Park's former allies who'd turned against her now say that an impeachment vote originally planned for Friday should be pushed back a week. Some influential members of her ruling party also called Wednesday for impeachment efforts to pause while lawmakers examine how to set up a legal roadmap for Park's resignation proposal.

Opposition parties agreed Wednesday to push for an impeachment vote Friday, but will regroup and try again Dec. 9 if they don't have enough initial support to impeach Park over what state prosecutors say was collusion with Choi Soon-sil, a confidante who allegedly had a large say in government affairs. Choi held no official government position, and allegedly used her ties to the president to pressure companies into giving money to foundations and companies Choi controlled or established.

Park denies prosecutors' claims.

While the politicians scramble to regroup, the president's speech has angered many citizens. After all, they say, if Park really cared about what most South Koreans say they want, she would have simply resigned.

Instead, she appears to be looking to regain just enough of her former allies' backing to at least delay the effort to get the necessary two-thirds support needed in parliament for impeachment.

This puts opposition lawmakers in something of a bind.

Where they once had a strong momentum for impeachment provided by huge protests each weekend, they now may face painful negotiations in a deeply divided parliament. This means navigating a splintered ruling party and the sometimes conflicting views of various opposition parties.

Although unlikely, legislative squabbling could even allow Park to limp across the finish line of her single, five-year term in early 2018.

All the while, everyone must gauge how this will play in December 2017 presidential elections, and the widely expected presidential campaign of Ban Ki-moon, who is finishing up his term as UN secretary general.

So Park may have bought herself some time. But she has done nothing to change the widespread feeling here that she must go.

If lawmakers fail to impeach her Friday, this may become especially clear on Saturday.

As has happened the last five Saturdays, hundreds of thousands of people are again expected to choke downtown Seoul's streets in a party-like atmosphere of defiance. This could allow lawmakers to win back the energy they will need to unite disparate groups in parliament and push through an impeachment vote.

In the end, Park's political machinations may only delay the inevitable.
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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar  Wed, November 30 2016

Made Sudira, a Balinese cultural critic and columnist with the Bali Post, has won a legal challenge against the Bali Polices decision to charge him with defamation and hate speech for allegedly insulting Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika on his Facebook page.

The Denpasar District Court on Monday ruled in favor of Sudira, also known as Aridus Jiro, saying that the polices decision to name him a suspect was illegitimate.

Presiding judge Ketut Suwarta argued that Sudiras Facebook post did not contain hate speech or insults. The naming of [Sudira] as a suspect based on his Facebook post is therefore illegal, he said.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Former vice president Boediono has called on the government to proceed with caution should it go ahead with considerations to allow for a greater state budget deficit in response to the currently weak global economy.

If there is a discourse [on raising the threshold], I would say that [the government] must be careful, Boediono, who served as vice president between 2009 and 2014 alongside then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said on Wednesday at a public forum in Jakarta, as quoted by new agency Antara.

It is possible that we return to an era when the state budget was a subject of conflict and got out of control, he warned.

Amid widening estimates of the state budget deficit throughout the year, economists have highlighted the importance of raising the legal threshold for the deficit  currently at 3 percent of the gross domestic product  so that the government can continue to work on many projects without having to cut spending when revenue collection is sluggish.

The government, however, has maintained confidence that raising the threshold would not be needed anytime soon.

In mid-September, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati increased the nations fiscal deficit target to 2.7 percent by year-end, due to a greater-than-expected shortfall in revenue. (hwa)
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Linkedin Elly Burhaini Faizal (The Jakarta Post) Doha, Qatar  Wed, November 30, 2016

Physicians, health experts, academics and researchers as well as policymakers gathered on Tuesday in Doha to discuss global healthcare challenges.

The two-day World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), held annually by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), focuses on major illnesses and factors of death and diseases around the world.

This year, we have cardiovascular disease, because it is the number one killer in the world. About one-third of deaths worldwide occur as the result of either stroke or heart attack, and this is especially prevalent in rapidly developing countries, WISH CEO Egbert Schillings said.

Cardiovascular disease is one of 11 topics, including investing in health, genomics in the Gulf region and Islamic ethics, precision medicine and accountable care, discussed at this years summit.

Health expert Mark McClellan said accountable care aimed to improve health outcomes and avoid resource waste.

Its about coordination of care and engagement of patients, using the best and latest innovations to get the best health outcomes at the lowest costs, said the chairman of the Accountable Care Forum on the sidelines of WISH 2016, which runs from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Citing his experience as a former administrator of the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), McClellan added that the way people paid for healthcare services often was not aligned with the greatest opportunity for improving health.

We [the US] have many hospital care service payments for people with complications, such as diabetes, but we dont have very good support or organized care in place to identify patients early and to intervene in ways that can cut off complications, said McClellan.

Investing in health -- Qatar Foundation chairwoman Sheikha Moza bint Nasser delivers her speech at the opening of 2016 WISH in Doha on Tuesday. It was through her vision that the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) was created in 2013.(JP/Elly Burhaini Faizal)

In Qatar, the development of the healthcare system, in particular its accountable care, has been piloted through Al Wakra Smart Clinic, which is supported by the WISH Accountable Care Project.

The clinic gives a lot of opportunity for [] stronger patient-doctor engagement, said Primary Health Care Corporation managing director Mariam Ali Abdulmalik.

She further said the project had helped Al Wakra build a closely integrated primary and secondary healthcare service and give people adequate preventive measures once they are diagnosed as pre-diabetic, for instance.

Launched in 2013, WISH aims to create a community where the worlds leading innovators, researchers and policymakers can share ideas and best practices.

Around the world our health systems face enormous challenges. Never has the need for innovation been greater nor opportunity to work together larger, WISH executive chair Lord Darzi of Denham said.
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Linkedin David Camroux (The Jakarta Post) Hanoi  Wed, November 30 2016

If the main foreign policy objective of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was to make his archipelagic nation the centre of international relations concerns in the Asia Pacific, he has succeeded beyond expectations.



Coined a popularly elected despot by Chito Gascon of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, Dutertes diplomatic flurries within Asia have sparked conversations among international observers, many of which have concentrated on their implications for the US pivot to Asia and USChina rivalry.



Ironically, the election of another loud-mouthed boy-man demagogue, Donald Trump, may have changed the equation. If The Donald applies his user-pay principle to the US security umbrella, it is conceivable that a divorce between the two countries by mutual consent could become possible.



This seems unlikely, not only because of the popularity of the USPhilippines alliance on both sides of the Pacific, but also because there appears to be a blooming bromance between the Filipino president and the US president-elect. Duterte has already appointed Jose EB Antonio, a Filipino business partner of the US president-elect and builder of Manilas own Trump Tower, as his special trade envoy to the United States.



Seen from Hanoi, the challenge of Duterte is not a weakening United States presence in the Pacific but the deleterious effects of his presidency on ASEAN. Vietnam was set to benefit greatly from the Permanent Court of Arbitrations ruling in The Hague on Chinas nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea.

While some Vietnamese claims in the Paracel and Spratley Islands are now legally questionable, the legal standing of the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone from the Vietnamese coastline has been reinforced. Hanoi thus is perplexed why Duterte has seemingly discarded the South China Sea ruling bargaining chip when dealing multilaterally with China within the ASEAN context. By acceding to the long-standing Chinese demand for bilateral negotiations Duterte has effectively jettisoned several decades worth of effort to build a modicum of ASEAN solidarity.

___________________________

The challenge of Duterte is not a weakening United States presence in the Pacific but the deleterious effects of his presidency on ASEAN.

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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Brussels  Wed, November 30 2016

A high representative from the European Union is optimistic about better relations with Indonesia under the banner of the Indonesia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that took effect in 2014.

It is expected that closer ties between Indonesia and the EU will place both parties in a strong position to set high standards for a rules-based global order, which may dampen fears of a world full of uncertainty, EU Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said.

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Linkedin Elly Burhaini Faizal (The Jakarta Post) Doha, Qatar  Wed, November 30, 2016

Fast-evolving sequencing technologies have led to the routine assessment of entire genomes in health and disease research, resulting in a rapid increase in the production of data in genetics or so-called genomics, a report reveals.

Genomics therefore is an appealing approach to any healthcare system that aims to unlock the role of DNA in medical care, says the report entitled Genomics in the Gulf Region and Islamic Ethics released during 2016 World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) held by the Qatar Foundation in Doha on Nov. 29-30.

Genomics also offers advantages if implemented on a larger scale in a healthcare system of a country interested in understanding heritable risk factors for common and rare diseases in its population and in the development of long-term public health policies, the report says.

Genomics can be applied in precision medicine, such as establishing sequencing in clinical settings. It can also support the implementation of preventive programs such as pre-marital genetic screening, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and neonatal screening for genetic metabolic disorders.

Qatar is one of the countries to have developed work in genomics and personalized medicine. Launched in 2011, the Qatar Genome Programme has completed the sequencing of 3,000 Qatari genomes, a milestone Qatar Foundation chairperson Moza bint Nasser has praised as a breakthrough that will bring significant benefits to local populations in the country.

The ultimate aim of the Qatar Genome Programme is for it to bring tremendous benefit to patients, said Moza, who is also WISH chairperson, in her remarks during the opening ceremony of the conference.

Working with partners, we are seeking to find ways to develop systems that will enable citizens genome data to be accessible to all healthcare centers, hospitals and clinics in order to provide efficient and customized treatment, while also guaranteeing the protection and confidentiality of patients health information, she went on.

Jointly compiled by WISH and the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics, the genomics special report says there should be rigorous research on Islamic ethics in indigenizing genomics in the Gulf region.

Islamic ethics are integral to the dominant moral world of Muslim-majority countries and should therefore be the subject of rigorous studies whose results can be appropriately integrated into the healthcare policies of these countries, the report says.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30 2016

Soap opera actor and presenter Gading Marten plans to fly to Melbourne with his family in December.

The son of senior actor Roy Marten said he would take wife Gisella Anastasia and toddler Gempi to watch the performance of British rock band Cold Play, which is set to perform at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Dec. 9 and 10.

At years end, I am going to Melbourne with Gempi and Gisella. We will watch Cold Plays show, he said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The House of Representatives will hold a plenary meeting today to seal the return of Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto as House speaker, replacing fellow party member Ade Komarudin.

The decision to put Setyas return before all 560 legislators for final approval was made late on Tuesday evening after hours of discussions in a closed-door meeting between deputy House chairmen and the leaders of the 10 factions at the House.

We have agreed on the dismissal [of Ade Komarudin] as well as on the mechanism to select the successor, House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon told the press after the meeting. We will announce Setya Novanto as the new speaker in the [plenary] session tomorrow.

Although several lawmakers may voice objections to Setyas comeback due to his alleged involvement in a an illicit request for shares of mining company PT Freeport Indonesia, which forced him to resign as speaker in December last year, those objections will likely have little impact on the agreement achieved by political elites in the legislative institution following days of intense lobbying after Golkar declared Setyas return earlier this week.

Meanwhile, current House Speaker Ade has announced his resignation, saying he would obey Golkars decision to replace him with Setya.

Ade was not seen attending the Tuesday leadership consultation meeting to discuss his replacement. (dmr)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine, Agnes Anya, and Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Residents and workers in the capital say they plan to go about their normal activities when another large-scale rally demanding the arrest of incumbent Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama over blasphemy allegations is set to take place in the capital on Friday.

The National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) are set to deploy 22,000 joint personnel to secure the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, where around 200,000 demonstrators are expected to gather.

We will also deploy personnel within the second and third security rings, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Tuesday.

Boy added that the personnel would not carry firearms during the rally, promising to apply a persuasive approach to deal with the participants in the demonstration.

The National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) has agreed to limit a planned mass activity on Friday to the confines of Monas Square, following consultations with the police and major Islamic organizations, including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

The police previously said activities would only consist of dzikir (mass chants in praise of God), sermons and Friday prayers.

Raksa Ibrahim, 31, a staffer at the Foreign Ministry in Central Jakarta, said he was not worried about the planned protest and would go to work as usual.

Hopefully it will be carried out peacefully, thats what most of us at our office anticipate, Raksa told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

As a resident of Bekasi, in West Java, Raksa said he would leave home earlier than usual in anticipation of unexpected traffic congestion.

When asked whether the ministry had issued any warnings, he said staff had only been urged to avoid crowds and to not participate in the rally.

But some workers said they were still worried about going to work on Friday.

Anka June, 30, said she would likely stay home on Dec. 2 amid fears of the rally turning violent, like the Nov. 4 rally.

Nonetheless, she said, her place of work, which is located on Jl. Sudirman, had yet to take measures to respond to the planned mass prayers.

Similarly, Tito Dipokusumo, an employee of a telecommunications company on Jl. Thamrin, said he would work from home on Dec. 2.

The prayers will hopefully be peaceful, but we need to stay alert. Anything can happen, said Tito, adding that protesters may have hidden agendas.

Meanwhile, St. Ursula Catholic School will operate as usual. Brigitta Riska, 25, who teaches English at the school, noted that students were required to attend classes on Friday as they were undergoing exams.

There have been no discussions regarding Dec. 2, let alone any announcement that the school will be closed, Brigitta told the Post.

During the previous rally on Nov. 4, which turned violent, students were given a day off.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Rosan P. Roeslani said local and global investors had expressed hope that the rally would not turn violent.

When they invested in Indonesia, they understood fully all the risks. So, the rally has yet to weaken their trust, Rosan said. The truth is, they are more afraid of the governments inconsistent policies that might reduce their ability to produce and grow.

Meanwhile, Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) president director Tito Sulistio said the bourse would operate normally on Dec. 2, as it had taken measures to ensure it could run business as usual. (cal)
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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura  Wed, November 30 2016

The city of Jayapura in Papua is facing rolling power blackouts lasting up to six hours daily due to a power shortage between 10 and 15 megawatts (MW).

The rolling blackouts started over a month ago, shortly after President Joko Jokowi Widodo introduced six new power infrastructure projects in Papua and West Papua in October.

The six projects, the 20 MW capacity Orya hydropower plant (PLTA) in Genyem, the 2.5 MW micro-hydro power plant (PLTMH) in Prafi, Manokwari, West Papua, the 70 kilovolt (kV) high voltage line (SUTT) stretching for 174.6 kilometers from Genyem to Waena to Jayapura, the 70 kV SUTT stretching for 43.4 km from Holtekamp to Jayapura, the 20 mega-volt ampere (MVA) Waena-Sentani power substation and the 20 MVA Jayapura power substation.

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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has reiterated a call for global business leaders and investors to take part in the countrys development, as Southeast Asias largest economy intensifies efforts to ease inbound investment to stoke growth.

Speaking on Tuesday evening in front of hundreds of participants of the 2016 Forbes Global CEO Conference in Jakarta, President Jokowi highlighted the governments efforts to attract investors to the country, including by streamlining procedures to obtain business permits.

He also pointed out some of his signature policies, including the reallocation of funds previously used for fuel subsidies, the program for an additional 35,000 megawatts of electricity capacity and the tax amnesty, which would strengthen economic prospects in the country.

Im here to convince you that we will continue to carry out reforms and create an investment climate that is more business-friendly, the President said.

Some 400 CEOs, business leaders, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from around the world are set to attend the 16th edition of Forbes Global CEO Conference, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday. (hwa)
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

In a gesture to convey the serious commitment of his administration to affordable housing, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called real estate developers to build many more houses for low-income people.

His clear message came up after the government issued its 13th economic stimulus policy package in late August, which aims to simplify procedures for development of inexpensive housing targeted at the lower segment of the society.

With lesser permits and period to tackle administrative stuff, the cost will be pushed down by 70 percent.

Speaking at the opening of the Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI) national meeting on Tuesday, the president expressed his determination to reduce the housing backlog which currently stood at 11.8 million houses.

The official target is to cut down the figure by more than 40 percent to 6.8 million by the end of his term in 2019.

I want to remind us all that the core of the economic policy package is to accelerate provision of affordable housing for low-income people and I emphasize once more, [its] housing for low income people, not the other [kinds of housing], Jokowi said in his remarks.

According to the existing rule, developers must build houses for the poor and middle-income people in the same regency or city where they built upscale homes.

However, the obligation has been largely ignored by developers due to complicated permit requirements and lengthy process.

Please avert constructing [using the incentives] many houses bought as investment instruments by those who already own two or three houses. Instead use the to build more houses for low-income people, the president said, adding that a government regulation (PP) as the legal base to implement the policy package would be issued soon.

Under its current plan, the government aimed to construct 1 million houses for the low-income segment next year, up from only around 700,000 in 2016 and 690,000 in 2015, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono told journalists in the sidelines of the event.

With increased budgets, which are Rp 9.4 trillion (US$694 million) for FLPP [the government-backed mortgage] and Rp 9.2 trillion for low-cost apartment provision, and easier licensing process, we hope it will be faster and easier [for us] to achieve the 1 million houses target next year, he said.

In the similar occasion, REI chairman Eddy Hussy demanded that the government revoke the tax for luxurious houses as it would affect affluent peoples appetite to buy posh properties.

We expects the government to continue the FLPP and broaden this program to include urban dwellers with income ranging from Rp 4.5 million to Rp 7 million, who currently are not benefiting from the subsidy, Eddy said.

At present, the middle-class is also struggling to own houses amid soaring property prices, untouched by the governments housing programs that are mostly targeted at low-income group defined by its income of less than Rp 4 million per month.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo appears to still be reluctant to meet former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) after conducting a series of meetings with political and religious leaders following a massive rally to demand Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama be named a blasphemy suspect.

I could meet all, here or in the regions with farmers or workers, Jokowi said on the sidelines of a meeting with National Mandate Party chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who is also speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly, on Wednesday as reported by tribunnews.com

(Read also: Prabowo visits Jokowi, offers help after Ahok named suspect)

After the anti-Ahok rally on Nov. 4, which ended in violence, Jokowi met several political leaders, including Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto and NasDem Party leader Surya Paloh.

On the night after the Nov.4 rally, Jokowi said political actors were behind the chaotic demonstration, which was participated in by hundreds of thousands of people.

Politicians from the Democratic Party, which is chaired by SBY, have stated that he would accept an invitation to meet Jokowi.

The Democratic Party is backing SBYs son Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono to challenge Ahok, who is supported by the PDI-P, of which Jokowi is a member, in the Jakarta gubernatorial election next year.

Gerindra is backing former education and culture minister Anies Baswedan in the election. (jun)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30 2016

The government is planning to improve the current vocational education system with multiple skill certificates, in which vocational school (SMK) students can earn certificates after completing specific courses.

Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said on Tuesday such a system could speed up the process of workforce recruitment.

Three years is too long for students to receive their final graduation diplomas. Some will drop out and not be able to find a job, Darmin said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among five ministries to improve vocational education.

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The National Police are on high alert for the infiltration of any terrorist groups among the planned mass prayer on Friday at National Monument (Monas) square, Central Jakarta. The event participants demand the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy.

"We are conducting early detection for any potential of terrorist attacks. Police have committed to detect the whereabouts of terrorist networks that may try to take advantage of the event," National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said in a press conference on Wednesday.

(Read also: No anti-Ahok rally on Friday, but mass prayer: Jokowi)

In late November, police revealed that nine alleged terrorists in Abu Nusaibah group had joined the Nov. 4 rally to attempt to form Daulah Islamiyah (Islamic sovereignty) in the country.

The nine men, who were arrested several days after the rally, had planned to hoist the Islamic State flag that day, Boy said.

Boy said the group, which had been inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), had followed the protesters in front of the State Palace, the House of Representatives as well as the groups who committed looting of supermarkets in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, to take advantage of the chaos.

"We can't say that there won't be any terrorist groups that try to take advantage of the Dec. 2 event. However, we are working hard to prevent any chances of that from happening," he said. (jun)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The National Police say they are ready to secure a labor rally planned for Jakarta on Dec. 2 despite the polices suggestion that would-be protesters reschedule their demo to clear the way for a mass gathering being held on the same day calling for the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in a blasphemy case.

We have tried to urge them [labor union leaders] to reschedule. However, theyve insisted on going ahead with their rally, so all we can do is serve them, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Wednesday.

Boy said that 22,000 personnel would be deployed across the city to secure the mass gathering at the National Monument Square in Central Jakarta, and the labor protest, initiated by the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI).

Around 10,000 workers, Boy said, would flock to an area in front of the City Hall, as the area in front of the State Palace would be closed to accommodate the mass gathering in Monas, which is expected to see over 100,000 people performing mass Friday prayers.

On Monday, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian suggested the KSPI reschedule its protest so it would not disrupt the solemnity of the mass prayers.

KSPI chairman Said Iqbal, however, rejected that suggestion.

The workers will continue to protest on Dec. 2. From the beginning, we have declared that our action will be separate from the GNPF-MUI [organizers of the anti-Ahok event] although we also want Ahok to be arrested, he said on Tuesday. (hwa)
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Linkedin (Associated Press) Washington  Wed, November 30, 2016

President Barack Obama has tamped down any speculation that first lady Michelle Obama may one day run for office herself.

In an interview with Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner conducted the day after the presidential election earlier this month, Obama said, "Michelle will never run for office."

He added, "She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics."

Obama also said in the interview published online Tuesday that once he leaves office in January, he and his wife will "continue to be very active" on their belief that "when you work with people on the ground at a grassroots level, change happens."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The Recording Industry Association (ASIRI) on Wednesday urged the government to intensify its efforts to combat rampant piracy in the local music industry, which has caused substantial losses over the past years.

ASIRI general manager Ventha Lesmana said Indonesia saw over 2.8 billion illegal song downloads annually, which translated to around Rp 14 trillion (US$1.06 billion) in losses for the industry.

The Communications and Information Ministry has still not made [the eradication of] song piracy a priority. They are more concerned with blocking websites that contain pornography or gambling, he told reporters Wednesday.

Ventha said the association was in the process of compiling evidence to criminalize parties that ran illegal music-sharing sites. It is planning to file a police report next year.

Over the past two years, the government has blocked more than 40 illegal music sharing sites, including international torrent giant kickass.to, thepiratebay.se and stafaband.co. (win/hwa)
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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The House of Representatives inaugurated Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto as its new speaker in a plenary meeting on Wednesday, replacing Ade Komarudin.

(Read also: Ethic Council dismisses House speaker Ade Komarudin)

Earlier in the day, the Houses ethics council dismissed Ade, who is also a Golkar politician, for suspected ethical violations, namely misusing his power to influence deliberations in the House, including an attempt to hamper the deliberation of the tobacco bill.

Ade replaced Setya as speaker months ago after the latter resigned following accusations that he had asked for shares in gold and copper giant PT Freeport Indonesia.

Recently, the Constitutional Court said the evidence used to support the accusations against Setya was invalid.

The replacement of Ade has been viewed by many observers as an effort by President Joko Jokowi Widodo to control the House. (jun)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Hundreds of online stores have joined Indonesias National Online Shopping Day (Harbolnas) expecting to attract thousands of shoppers and book quadrupled transactions during the countrys biggest online shopping season.

The three-day event, scheduled from Dec. 12 to Dec. 14, has driven 205 online stores to confirm their participation out of 237 stores that previously expressed interest. Several online giants are among them, such as Lazada, Zalora, Traveloka, ShopBack and Elevenia.

It translates to a 46.43 percent year-on-year increase as compared to the 140 online stores last year. It quadrupled compared to Harbolnas debut in 2012 where only seven ecommerce players joined the event. In 2013, 22 online stores participated and the number surged to 78 in 2014.

Harbolnas committee head Ratna Miranda Suwanto said high discounts, special offers and interesting promotions would entice online shoppers. To handle such a massive number of customers rushing to use the commerce platform, she urged the online stores to prepare their servers, logistics and gateway payment systems.

We conducted a gathering with the participants last week to warn them not to create fake prices or try to start off Harbolnas early, Miranda said at a Harbolnas media workshop on Tuesday.

Muhammad Fahrian, Thailandbased e-commerce logistics provider aCommerce head of account management, has predicted online stores would see sales grow and at least double during the national online shopping event.

The best case is for a store to see its sales grow astronomically, said Muhammad, who had joined the Thailand-based e-commerce logistics provider in May 2014. He predicted the economic slowdown would not hinder the event due to its vast market.

He expected online stores to prepare their logistics and servers to welcome massive numbers of customers who will flock to their web sites for the discounts and special products. Several online stores, he claims, had begun to anticipate the event four months in advance.

Indonesian e-commerce players, Muhammad explained, have become more prepared in terms of stocks. However, medium online stores should consider using better servers, which can be rented daily, to prevent web crashes.

Conducted annually since 2012, Harbolnas has become one way to introduce and boost the e-commerce industry. The concept is similar to Americas Cyber Monday, which falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving, where retailers offer exclusive promotions online.

China also has a similar event, which is known as Singles Day, a twist on the Valentine Day celebration for single people. It was created back in the 1990s but has snowballed into the worlds biggest online shopping day, which takes place in China on Nov. 11 every year. (wnd)
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Linkedin Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30 2016

A new study has cast doubt on the sustainability of Indonesias palm oil industry as it shows that many independent, small-scale oil palm farmers are facing immense challenges in producing sustainably, with little to no government support.

The study, conducted by the Earth Innovation Research Institute (INOBU) from 2014 to 2015, interviewed 1,229 small and independent farmers in Kotawaringin Barat and Seruyan regencies, Central Kalimantan.

The study identified major challenges preventing independent farmers from cultivating oil palm productively and sustainably.

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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

In an effort to limit children's access to cigarettes, tobacco giant Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna has installed warning signs about the governments prohibition on cigarette sales to underage customers in over 30,000 convenience stores nationwide.

Sampoerna, which controls a 34.5 percent market share of the cigarette industry, the largest in Southeast Asias most populated country, said it was seeking to collaborate with more convenience store operators in the future to support its view that "children should not have access to cigarettes".

"Sampoerna is fulfilling its commitment to only market and promote its products to adults," Sampoerna sales director Ivan Cahyadi told reporters on Wednesday.

Article 25 of Government Regulation No.109/2012 on tobacco control prohibits cigarette sales to those aged 18 years old and younger.

Sampoerna's initiative began in 2013 and initially only covered areas in Greater Jakarta. The signs installed include stickers, wobblers and tent cards.

Besides installing the signs, the company has also educated store owners about the law that prohibits the sale of cigarettes to children.

Shobri, who works at a convenience store in Cilandak, South Jakarta, said his store had tried to not serve children buying cigarettes.

They, however, insist and always look for an excuse, like saying they are buying the cigarettes for their elder brothers, he said. (hwa)
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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Parigi Moutong  Wed, November 30 2016

A chicken and a goat were slaughtered recently at the upper stream of three rivers, as 117 ketupat (steamed rice in plaited coconut leaves) were prepared and dozens of cakes, locally known as kue cucur, were arranged neatly on a tumpeng (cone-shaped steamed rice).

These were all part of the traditional ritual called Movunja, a harvest thanksgiving preserved among the community of Kaili, the biggest ethic group in Central Sulawesi.

The tumpeng and all of the garnishes were offerings that were later put into the ocean to be carried away by the waves, as an expression of gratitude to God for the abundant harvest.

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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani and Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

The government will soon issue a new rule to electrify 2,500 remote villages with the help of the private sector that may need billions of dollars for the cause.

These affected villages are part of the total 12,659 villages across the country that it aims to electrify with renewable energy sources under the Indonesia Terang (Bright Indonesia) program, the umbrella program of the development plan involving the private sector.

The rule will allow private companies, provincial administration-owned companies and cooperatives to set up off-grid power plant projects in remote villages, 2,376 of which are located in Papua and West Papua.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys electricity development program director, Alihuddin Sitompul, said the regulation had been signed by Minister Ignasius Jonan and was being processed at the Law and Human Rights Ministry.

The government hopes to encourage the private sector and provincial-administration owned companies to enter the small-scale electricity business. With a maximum capacity of 50 megawatts [MW], investors can act as mini versions of [state-owned electricity firm] PLN, Alihuddin said during a seminar held on Tuesday.

PLN is currently the sole electricity off-taker in the country. However, with the impending regulation, private investors will be able to sell their electricity directly to residents without having to go through PLN.

Private investors will also be requested to focus on procuring electricity through a hybrid power system, supported by both renewable energy sources and conventional fossil fuel sources.

A hybrid power system combines two or more modes of electricity production, usually involving at least one renewable energy source to ensure the village can maintain power 24 hours a day.

Alihuddin was upbeat that the private sector and provincial administration-owned companies would be interested in the projects as the government would offer subsidies as an incentive. However, he declined to disclose any details.

Even though Indonesia recorded an electrification rate of 88 percent last December, it was attributed to heavy concentration on Java, while eastern regions have remained in the dark.

Lack of electricity in the regions has been mostly blamed on poor infrastructure, which also contributes to high transportation costs.

13plants(-/-)

The ministry previously said the development of electricity infrastructure in Papua and West Papua would require Rp 156.02 billion (US$11.64 million) and annual operating fees of Rp 191.9 billion.

Previously, PLN corporate planning director Nicke Widyawati said the company had expressed its interest to the government in leading projects that could be interconnected into its existing network and was already assessing locations in Papua.

The ministry has remained quiet about whether the impending ministerial regulation would also involve PLN.

The private sector, meanwhile, has expressed its readiness to take part in the remote village electrification program.

Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy head for bioenergy and water power Jaya Wahono said that the business group was trying to submit funding proposals worth $8 billion to various international groups, including World Bank financing arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to meet the electricity procurement plan.

The massive fund could help provide 300 kilowatts of electricity to one village, where each house could get at least 450 watts of electricity.

That way, the government can boost the economic growth in remote areas. People in coastal villages, for instance, can use the electricity to build cold storages for their fishery products, Jaya said.

Kadin has formed a partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce to explore business opportunities available to European companies, which are expected to invest in and transfer their technological knowledge to Indonesia.
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Linkedin (Associated Press) Beijing  Wed, November 30, 2016

Malaysia deported 74 telecom fraud suspects  including 21 from Taiwan  to China on Tuesday, in the latest instance of Southeast Asian countries deferring to China's claim to sovereignty over the self-governing island.

The suspects arrived in the central city of Wuhan on Tuesday night on a chartered plane escorted by police, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

China regards Taiwan as a part of its territory and pressures its allies and smaller neighbors to abide by that position. Taiwan says it should be allowed to prosecute its nationals suspected of committing crimes abroad, but its lack of diplomatic relations with most countries complicates such legal arguments.

Taiwan's Central News Agency said Taiwanese officials protested the deportations to Malaysia, saying they "hurt the longstanding friendship" between the two sides.

"We are demanding that China send the Taiwanese suspects back to Taiwan, where they will face justice," the Taiwanese foreign ministry said, according to the agency.

Cambodia and Kenya are among the countries that have recently sent dozens of Taiwanese suspects to mainland China over Taiwan's objections.

China contends that Taiwan gives light treatment to accused swindlers, encouraging others to try their luck at online scams that can potentially lead to massive payouts.

The 74 suspects are accused of carrying out more than 500 fraud cases over the phone and internet involving more than US$8 million, according to Xinhua.
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Linkedin Annabelle Liang (Associated Press) Singapore  Wed, November 30, 2016

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Wednesday that national reconciliation is "unavoidably important" for the country to attract investment, but gave no specifics on how her government intends to resolve violence and discrimination against the country's minority Rohingya Muslim community.

"We do not want our country to be unstable. But we've had a long history of disunity within our nation," Suu Kyi said, addressing senior business representatives at a Singapore dialogue. "So national reconciliation is unavoidably important for us. It's not a matter of choice. It's unavoidable."

"We have to achieve peace and national reconciliation that our country may be able to progress, and that those who wish to invest in our country may find the right amount of confidence," she said.

Accounts of military attacks against the Rohingya community caused thousands of people to march in protest in Bangladesh last week. Smaller protests occurred in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Suu Kyi is on an official visit to Singapore that lasts three days, ending Friday. On her schedule is a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

As she courted investment, Suu Kyi painted a picture of a Myanmar that's eager for economic progress.

"Prosperity will help our people to understand that united, we progress together," she said. "If we wish to be a strong and prosperous nation, we have to learn to give, to compromise, to engage in dialogue."

In 2015, Singapore was Myanmar's third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade of 3.5 billion Singapore dollars (US$5 billion). The city-state was also Myanmar's largest investor, with investments in the last fiscal year amounting to $4.3 billion.
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Linkedin Jhesset O. Enano (Associated Press) Manila  Wed, November 30, 2016

Russia is not seeking a military alliance with the Philippines but is looking at intensifying its partnership and friendship with Manila, its ambassador said on Tuesda

Ambassador Igor Khovaev stressed that Moscow did not have any military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region and intended to keep it that way, despite warming ties between the two nations.

If some countries create close military alliances, it means that they want to ensure their security to some extent at the expense of other members of the international community, he stated at a news conference.

Its not the way for us, the envoy added, noting that Russia was in favor of a new architecture of equal security for all regions and nations.

He refused to comment on the Philippines other military alliances.

However, he said that no other country should interfere with the relationship between the Philippines and Russia.

Khovaev emphasised that their current ties with China, Vietnam and India were based on a model of strategic partnership and not a military commitment.

He said Russia remained open to all options, including the long-term supply of military hardware without political conditionality, such as adherence to human rights. He was apparently alluding to the US Congress conditions for military assistance.

Since taking power in June, President Duterte has had an uneasy relationship with the US. He has declared intentions to bolster relations with China and Russia as he revamps the Philippine foreign policy that has long leaned on Washington.

He has spoken about a new world order led by the two regional behemoths, and has openly expressed his admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, calling him his favorite hero.

Khovaev said the feeling between the two leaders was mutual. The leaders had the opportunity to meet briefly on the sidelines of a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru and both appeared to show trust in each other.

Specifics on the partnership would have to be made at the lower level, with both nations looking at agreements on agriculture, telecommunications and infrastructure, among others.

The diplomat also noted that Russia is open to supplying arms to the Philippines and other interested nations.

We are interested not only in the long-term supply of weapons but also in the maintenance [of arms], Khovaev said.

We are also ready to provide assistance to build on defense, Khovaev added.

He stressed, however, that the Russian approach to this particular partnership has no political conditionality.

We do not use arms for political pressure, he said, adding, Business is business.
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Linkedin (Associated Press) Hanoi  Wed, November 30, 2016

Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners, including one sentenced to five years in jail for a national security-related crime.

Giang Son, deputy chairman of the President's Office, told reporters at a joint press conference Wednesday that 4,384 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Tran Dai Quang.

"The amnesty once again reflects the policy of leniency of our party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the humane tradition of our nation," Son said.

They will be released from their prisons starting Thursday. One of the prisoners is Bui Xuan Kim who was jailed for national security-related crime, according to Senior Lt. Police General Nguyen Van Thanh.

Kim has served three years of his sentence for organizing people to flee to neighboring Cambodia.

International human rights groups, the US government and some other Western governments have urged Vietnamese government to release all prisoners of conscience jailed for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only those who broke the law are locked up.

Fourteen foreigners will also be released, according to Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc. They include nine from China, three from Laos and one each from South Korea and Australia.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, November 30, 2016

Garuda Indonesia has opened a new route to connect Surabaya in East Java to Medina in Saudi Arabia in a bid to expand its flight network in the Middle East and tap into the potential umroh (minor haj) market.

Introduced on Tuesday at Surabaya's Juanda International Airport, the all economy class flight will be available once a week on Tuesday using Airbus A330-300 that can accommodate 360 passengers.

Hopefully we can provide ease and comfort to East Javanese residents and others [who are traveling on a pilgrimage] since this direct flight will help save time and money," said Garuda Indonesia Cargo Director Sigit Muhartono in a press release.

(Read also: Garuda Indonesia named Most Improved Airline)

The national flag carrier currently operates two direct international routes from Surabaya, to Singapore and Jeddah.

Following the opening of the Surabaya-Medina route, Garuda Indonesia now operates a total of 34 flights to the Middle East from major cities in Indonesia. (mra/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Orlando, Florida, United States  Wed, November 30, 2016

Universal Parks & Resorts and Nintendo are joining forces to add video game characters to the theme park company's resorts.

Company officials said Tuesday that Nintendo-themed areas will be added to Universal parks in Orlando, Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan.

Few other details were given, including when they would open and the types of experience that would be offered.

(Read also: 'Minion Park' coming soon to Universal Studios Japan)

A Universal spokesman didn't respond to an email seeking further details.

A news release says the Nintendo areas will include attractions, restaurants and shops.

The areas will open separately at the parks over the next several years.
Dear Editor: With the recent death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, there has never been a better time for the United States government to demand the return of convicted cop killer JoAnne Chesimard.

Forty-three years after she executed a New Jersey State Trooper in cold blood, Chesimard remains free, a guest of Cubas totalitarian regime.

President Obama, while claiming he wanted to improve relations with Cuba, has made no effort to jail Chesimard. I now call on President-elect Donald Trump to insist that any further normalization of relations between our two nations must hinge on Chesimards immediate return.

In May 1973 Chesimard, the first woman to ever make the FBIs Most wanted terrorists list, shot Trooper Werner Foerster in the head on the cold pavement of the New Jersey Turnpike. After escaping from prison in 1979, she surfaced in Cuba, where she is hailed as a revolutionary hero.

The message from law enforcement and from all law-abiding citizens is clear: no more talks with Cuba until Chesimard is brought home in chains.

Joseph H. Vicari

Ocean County Freeholder

[TLS]
Another upscale restaurant makes its debut in Chinatown tonight.

Grub Street reports that Chinese Tuxedo opens at 5 Doyers St., the inspiration of Australian transplant Eddy Buckingham and local contractor Jeff Lam. The space was once (back in the early 1900s) a Chinese opera house, the first of its kind in New York.

The entrance of the 120 seat-restaurant, notes Grub Street, leads to a skinny bar, with a staircase leading to a sunken dining room with 16-foot-high ceilings. The menu is influenced by the cuisine of Sydney, Australias Chinatown, as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. You can see all of the dishes here. Options range from spicy mashed cucumbers for $11 to a sirloin steak for $58.

Buckingham said he still hopes to obtain a full liquor license. As you might recall, he settled for beer and wine after tangling with Community Board 3. Some Chinatown activists were worried about the impact of a new nightlife venue on a small Chinatown street. The restaurant was described by Vogue as the citys next hot spot in an article about the New Museums Next Generation Dinner.

Chinese Tuxedos arrival comes on the heels of another high profile opening. Lalo, a modern Mexican spot, opened on Bayard Street last week.

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State Sen. Daniel Squadron is taking another run at improving service on the 14a and 14d bus routes.

In response to persistent complaints from constituents, he has written a letter to the MTA asking for a full line review of the routes and ridership information. In the past, Squadron has requested full reviews of subway lines as a way of focusing the transit authority on critical service issues.

In the letter to Veronique Hakim, president of New York City Transit, he explained, M14A and M14D bus service is critical to the Lower East Side community. These lines provide much needed public transportation to a transit-starved area. My office receives complaints about long wait times for buses, bus bunching, and unexpected scheduling of the two lines.

In 2014, the MTA rejected pleas from residents for more frequent 14A service. A transit official said that regular ridership surveys are conducted and schedules adjusted as needed.
Here was the scene in front of the former Rivington House nursing facility Sunday morning. In this photo from Jon W., you can tell that some people have now taken up residence in the vestibule of the infamous Lower East Side property.

Residents who live nearby tell us theyve been there for some time and that the conditions on the sidewalk alongside the building, 45 Rivington St., have improved of late. At least one man sleeping on Rivington Houses doorstep has been sweeping the sidewalk on a regular basis. Theres a sign perched on the steps that reads, We Shall Overcome.

Jon told us, The new owners neglect to clean the sidewalks and stairs, leaving a daily mess for the community.

I was glad to see a group of homeless people have taken shelter and cleaned it up.

As it turns out, the guys are apparently not homeless, at least not in the traditional sense. Christopher Marte, a community activist, told us he spoke with them a few days ago. They are young European travelers on a tight budget and were simply looking for a place to sleep. They had no clue about the significance of the spot theyd chosen as a crash pad.

Last spring, Slate Property Group, Adam America Real Estate and China Vanke purchased the property for $116 million after deed restrictions were mysteriously lifted. Multiple investigations have been swirling ever since. In the Wall Street Journal today, a spokesperson for the developers expressed confidence that they will eventually be able to move forward with their luxury condo conversion.

Other people are expressing themselves, using Rivington Street as a canvas. Here are a couple of additional photos from the Facebook page of Neighbors to Save Rivington House:
Next Wednesday, two local museums present two different mouthwatering takes on culinary history: the Tenement Museum looks at Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine, by historical gastronomist Sarah Lohman, while the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) talks with culinary historian Anne Mendelson about her latest book, Chow Chop Suey: Food and the Chinese American Journey.

At the Tenement Museum, NY Times food writer Melissa Clark will join in to discuss Lohmans discovery that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. Lohman has documented how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table.

6:30 pm  8:00 pm // Seating is first-come, first-served  doors open at 6 p.m. // Books will be for sale with a 15% discount // contact Laura Lee at llee@tenement.org or (646) 518-3032 with questions.

At MOCA, Kian Lam Kho, food writer and co-curator of MOCAs current exhibition, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America joins Mendelson in conversation about using cooking to trace different stages of the Chinese communitys footing in our larger American society.

6:30 pm Reception // 7:00 pm Program and book signing // On the menu:

Red Cooked Pork in Steamed Buns & Cold Eggplant with Spicy Mala Dressing //$40/adult; $10/student (fulltime with valid ID); $25 for MOCA Members and CHNY Members

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There is no doubt that university students are expected to be in a fair amount of debt once they graduate - however, new research has found that 70% of students are already skint and living in their overdraft.

The campaign,  Expectation vs Reality of Student The campaign, 

Life , by

Help-Link.co.uk

, found that students were living in their overdraft within two months of starting university.

With students becoming more independent as they venture off to university they have a huge responsibility when it comes to managing their money.

However, distinguishing between the essentials and occassional treats can be difficult for some - 42% of students spending the majority of their first student loan payment on going out, leaving very little left for food, rent and bills.

On average, students spend 65.70 a month on food, 354 a month on rent, 93.50 a month on

bills, 38.50 a month on travel, 62 a month on treats (beauty/fashion items), and 64.50 on partying.

With total outgoings of around 678.20 a month but an average income of a student being 469 a month, it's easy to see why 70% of students are skint and in their overdrafts.

Despite hard times, over half of UK students dont take up part time employment whilst at university. Instead, the bank of mum and dad is the next port of call, with many expecting nearly 200 a month to fund their student lifestyle. Over 1.4 billion is provided by parents every year. 50% of students receive no financial support from their parents whilst at university.

As well as loans and grants, 14% of students own a credit card in order to make the most of their time away from home.

Many students can barely afford to pay for heating, having to layer up during the winter months in order to stay warm. One student, Robert, who studied at York St Johns university, lived in a corridor with a bed sheet as a curtain for a year to avoid high rent in the city.

Of course living costs for students across the UK differ throughout the regions - nevertheless, many students are struggling financially whilst trying to live what some may call the "best years of their life."
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Appeal launched for Phuket resort manager Matthias Jaeckel

PHUKET: Friends and family of well-known resort manager Matthias Jaeckel are appealing for donations to help cover mounting medical bills after Mr Jaeckel suffered a cardiac arrest last Tuesday (Nov 22).

healthtourism

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 30 November 2016, 04:17PM

Well-known resort manager Matthias Jaeckel suffered a cardiac arrest yesterday.

Mr Jaeckel, Hotel Manager at the Aleenta Phuket Resort in Khok Kloi, Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, was rushed to Bangkok Hospital Phuket after the attack, but has remained comatose since, reports Angelika Ilter.

The Thai insurance does not pay any more and every day it adds up another B100,000, Ms Ilter said in her appeal launch via Facebook. (Click here.)

Also, we are trying to collect money for a possible evacuation flight. Costs will be around 70,000 euros, she added.

Ms Ilter and Oliver Horn, General Manager at InterContinental Hotels Group, have set up two accounts for donations.

We are grateful for any help, Ms Ilter said.

To make a donation through the Paypal account set up by Mr Horn, click here.

To contact Ms Ilter through Facebook, click here.

Friend Gerdy Muller has also set up a GoFundMe page titled "Help For Matthias". To pledge a donation, click here.
Children told not to drive motorbikes

NATIONWIDE: The Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre has launched an anti-motorcycling campaign aimed at children under 15 years old to help reduce road accident death rates.

Wednesday 30 November 2016, 09:06AM

Children under 15 contribute to the high death toll on the nations highways. Photo: Apichit Jinakul

Adisak Plitapolkarnpim, director of the centre, said yesterday (Nov 29) that children under 15 are banned from riding motorcycles under the Land Traffic Act 1979 but their parents and teachers fail to prevent them from doing so.

He was speaking as the centre officially launched its Dont Ride if you are under 15 programme at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Office on Sathon Rd.

The centre and foundation have worked together on the campaign.

Mr Adisak said a survey found 58 per cent of students aged 12 are able to ride a motorcycle, with young male riders outnumbering females.

Students learn to ride a motorbike mostly from their parents and relatives when they are around 10-11 years while many start doing it as early as seven, the study found.

The survey was conducted by the centre among 2,822 Prathom 6 (Grade 6) students in nine provinces.

Road accidents are the most common cause of death among children aged 10-14, Mr Adisak said, adding teenagers should not be allowed to ride a motorcycle as they lack road safety knowledge.

At that age, children are prone to risks, including drinking and driving. They also fail to wear helmets, he said.

Children are not mature enough, Mr Adisak said, adding they fail to act decisively when they are at risk of accidents.

Mr Adisak said if parents, teachers and police officers urge children under 15 to refrain from riding motorcycles, it would help cut road accident deaths among children aged 11-14 by 40%.

According to the president of the Accident Prevention Network, Phommin Kanthiya, around 2,000 Thai children are killed in road accidents every year. Some 20,000 are seriously injured and 9,000 become disabled following road accidents each year.

He said 80 schools from 25 provinces are expected to take part in the programme and, if the campaign is successful, it will be extended to other schools.

At schools, teachers will work with groups of about five students to teach them the importance of road safety.

Road safety awareness can start at school, Mr Adisak said.

Thipa Bhawangkanantha, head of the Office of the Basic Education Commissions Child Protection Centre, said his department supports the programme as the number of children killed in road accidents has increased.

Obec will order schools under its administration to join the project, he added.

Mr Phommin urged the government to adopt measures to prevent children from accessing motorcycles. He also called on the government.

Read original story here.
Phuket Governor declares war on motorbike-riders without helmets

PHUKET: Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan has warned officials who ride motorbikes in Phuket that their superior officers will be held responsible if they are caught not wearing helmets while on the roads.

transportaccidentspolicetourism

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 30 November 2016, 01:04PM

A Chalong Police officer has been praised online for making two Thai female high-school students running laps around their motorbike, instead of fining them for not wearing helmets. Image: Lek Sparrow / Facebook Screengrab

Any officials in Phuket caught not wearing a helmet while on a motorbike will see their superiors held responsible, warned Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan. Photo: PR Dept

The warning came yesterday, when Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen revealed that Phuket was the worst province in Southern Thailand  and second-worst in the country  for motorbike riders not wearing helmets.

Governor Chockchai levelled the stern warning at officials at his monthly meeting with high-ranking officers at Provincial Hall yesterday (Nov 29).

All motorbike riders in Phuket should wear helmets 100 per cent of the time for their own protection, he said.

Government officials caught not wearing one will be punished regardless what good work the person has done for his or her office.

If any official is found not wearing a helmet, that officials superior will be held responsible, he warned.

Gov Chockchai also ordered a zero-tolerance of any motorbike riders not wearing helmets when visiting government offices.

The same applies for all government office premises. All people who come to government offices must wear helmets, he said.

However, Gov Chockchai called for law enforcement to rely on public relations to encourage the general public to wear helmets while travelling on motorbikes.

We prefer to rely on public relations by give them information and make them understand how important it is to wear a helmet while on Phuket roads, concluded Gov Chockchai.

Phuket Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol said that Phuket was the worst province in Southern Thailand for motorbike riders not wearing helmets.

Were the second-worst province in the country, he said, without clarifying which province was the worst.

We find a lot of motorists not wearing helmets at night. However, officers not on patrol are often at traffic checkpoints and on the lookout for these people. Motorists not wearing helmets are stopped and fined on spot, Gen Teeraphol said, explaining the Royal Thai Police version of public relations.

The majority of this type of law-breaker are teenagers, so we have asked educational institutions to cooperate with us by educating their students on traffic law and enforcing them wearing helmets, he added.

Meanwhile, Chalong Police have been praised on Facebook for one of their officers making two Thai female high-school students run laps around their motorbikes instead of fining them for not wearing helmets.

The praise follows Facebook user Lek Sparrow posting a video of the incident when the students were caught not wearing helmets on Chao Fa East Rd near Chalong Circle.

Lek said that he admired the officer for not fining the girls, but instead disciplining them and lecturing them on the importance of wearing helmets.

The Chalong Police officer in the video reportedly later said, These are children and they have no money to pay a fine, so we have to teach them like our own and guide them in the right direction so they will grow up to be good citizens who obey the law.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
Russian tourist missing in wasted midnight swim found safe at Phuket Airport

PHUKET: The Russian man last seen drunk running into the water at Kamala Beach on Monday night (Nov 28) has turned up safe but hungover at Phuket International Airport  to reclaim his lost passport and luggage.

Russiantourismmarinealcohol

By Yutthawat Lekmak

Wednesday 30 November 2016, 11:14AM

Russian tourist Mikhail Korneev (right), 39, was found alive and hungover when he went to reclaim his lost passport and luggage at Phuket Airport. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police

Russian tourist Mikhail Korneev, 39, was sitting on Kamala Beach drinking alcohol with friends when suddenly jumped up and ran into the water. A search that night failed to find him, as did the continuing search for him yesterday. (See story here.)

I cannot remember anything that night. I was totally wasted last night and was badly hung over this morning, Mr Korneev told Tourist Police officers at Phuket Airport yesterday (Nov 29).

Thankfully he did not drown or disappear, Lt Col Naruewat Puttawiro of Phuket Tourist Police told The Phuket News.

Mr Korneev filed a report with Tourist Police on Monday that his passport and luggage were missing, Col Naruewat said.

Tourist Police tracked it down  it was left behind at the hotel in Patong where Mr Korneev was staying. The officers had the items hotel taken to the airport, where it could be handed back to Mr Korneev when he returned home, Col Naruewat added.

Mr Korneev remembered that his passport and luggage were waiting for him to collect at the airport. Thats the only way we found out that he was alive and well, Col Naruewat said.
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In-Room VDO
What to know about the Noem rallies in Sioux Falls Wednesday
The Aam Aadmi Party today hit out at demonetisation scheme and said it was the biggest scam. The party alleged Amit Shah had converted black money through land deals.

By Pankaj Jain: The Aam Aadmi Party has once again hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the demonetisation scheme.

AAP alleged that Modi perpetrated the biggest scam in India's history through note ban cheated the people on multiple levels.

The party alleged that the BJP President Amit Shah's latest announcement of an inquiry on BJP MPs and MLAs was the biggest insult as Amit Shah himself was complicit in converting black money through land deals.

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AAP's senior leader and national spokesperson Ashish Khetan said, "The various land deals done by the BJP across the country, just before the note ban, prove that the Prime Minister had alerted his partymen and cronies about the note ban."

ALSO READ | Realty check

"The Aam Aadmi party demands that there should be an independent and fair inquiry committee set up to investigate five year banking and land transactions of all people's representatives, not just the BJP MPs and MLAs. More importantly, there should be an inquiry into the party funds of each party," Khaitan said.

Khaitan said, "If the land deals and election funding of all parties is probed, then the whole country will see the real truth about black money."

AAP'S FOUR DEMANDS

1) Constitute a free, fair and independent committee of reputed persons which should investigate not just BJP MPs and MLAs but of all parties.

2) The scope of inquiry should be all the banking and land transaction of all people's representatives for the last 5 years.

3) The committee should also inquire the land deals of the BJPs done just before the Note Ban.

4) The committee should also investigate those corporate that are extremely close to the PM and may have been alerted earlier as they seem to be direct beneficiaries of the Note Ban.

The AAP put out Amit Shah's letter authorising the state unit members to make land deals.

AAP National spokesperson Raghav Chadha said "Land was purchased in five places in Bihar, four places in Orissa and in Kota in Rajasthan, and the deals were all done just prior to the note ban with substantial amount of cash transactions."

"The Aam Aadmi Party demands that there should be a case registered against Amit Shah for cheating and criminal breach of faith. Asking Amit Shah to inquire into the transactions of BJP MPs and MLAs is an insult to the intelligence of this nation," Chadha said.

ALSO READ | Missing Rs 3.5 crore resurfaces, likely to give clues into money laundering in Northeast

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Air India Express (AIE) board today granted its approval to a proposal, seeking a one-way codeshare pact with the parent Air India for some select destinations.

The board, which met here today, also accorded its permission to the airline to launch air services to Iranian capital Tehran from early next fiscal, sources said.

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AIE is the international budget arm of the national carrier Air India.

"Air India Express Board has given its green signal to the airline to operate codeshare flights with Air India. It has also given its approval to the proposed air services between New Delhi and Tehran from early next fiscal," sources privy to the information told PTI here.

The pact would allow AIE to sell tickets and book passengers from the cities from where it does not fly, they said, adding, "Codeshare flights with Air India will be operated from 5-6 tier-II cities to begin with."

Code sharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless transport to destinations where it has no presence.

At present, Air India Express flies to 14 international destinations across Gulf and South-east Asia from 15 domestic airports with a fleet of 23 Boeing 737 planes.

Sources also said that with the approval for Tehran flight in place, Air India Express may launch the service to the Iranian capital city as soon as by April next year.

Earlier Air India used to fly to Tehran before it opted out of the route in the 1990s due to the political instability in the region at that time.

AIE Chief Executive Officer K Shyamsundar had also month said that most of the issues pertaining to the launch have been sorted out and the airline was in the process of finalising a General Sales Agent (GSA) and cargo handling firm for this purpose. PTI IAS RAM RG MVV

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Organization: DanChurchAid

(DCA)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Report to: Country Director

About US:

DanChurchAid (DCA) is a faith-based Danish INGO working closely with

church-based as well as secular NGOs in Uganda and in the Great Lakes region.

Their programmes cover two main areas: Active Citizenship with a strong focus

on good governance and democratization, and Food Security including

Humanitarian and Transitional Responses to conflict and natural disaster.

DanChurchAid has supported emergency relief and development programmes in Uganda

since 1979. DanChurchAid works through partners and with a gender-inclusive

rights-based approach, which is mainstreamed throughout all DanChurchAid

programme types as well as within the organization.

Job Summary: The Global

Funding Officer will be tasked with increasing the fundraising capacity and

donor income of DCAs Country Office in Uganda.

Key Duties and

Responsibilities: The incumbent

will act as the focal point and key person responsible for;



Timely proposal development  together with

partner organisations and technical staff of DCA  ensuring that proposals meet

the requirements of international donors



Ensuring appropriate grants management of

international funded projects



Assisting in building relations and in

increasing visibility of DCA among both donors and the private sector



Ensuring that all funded projects meet the

visibility and communication requirements of the funding agency.



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The ideal candidate should preferably hold a

university degree in international development or other related social

sciences.



Documented successful experience in proposal

development and writing.



Extensive knowledge of handling contracts of

international donors including EU, UN agencies, USAID, DfID, Danida as well as

other institutional donors



Working knowledge of and experience of working

with the private sector to liaise and raise the profile of DCA .



Excellent interpersonal and communication

skills, and capacity to work with a partner-based approach.



Highly flexible, pro-active, self-motivated and

good at coordinating and organizing own work, as well as that of the team,

while managing several processes at a time



Keen attention to detail.



Excellent English writing skills.



Working knowledge of DCAs programmatic areas is

an advantage.

How to Apply:



explaining their suitability for the post, including three work-related

referees and copies of certificates to the following email:

mark DCA  Position name in the subject field where you replace

position name with the position you are applying for. Online attachments may

not fill more than 2 MB. All candidates should e-mail their updated CVs and cover lettersexplaining their suitability for the post, including three work-relatedreferees and copies of certificates to the following email: application@ppg.co.ug . Please clearlymark DCA  Position name in the subject field where you replaceposition name with the position you are applying for. Online attachments maynot fill more than 2 MB.

th

December 2016 Deadline: 9December 2016



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For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
By Vidya : Fauzia Ansari, mother of 34-year-old Hamid who is currently biding time in a Pakistan jail rushed to catch a train from Borivali station in Mumbai to Amritsar. Anxiety ridden and trembling with fear, she wondered if she would be able to catch the train after getting caught in the infamous evening rush in the city.

However what lies ahead gives her more pangs of anxiety. She is trying to meet Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Policy advisor of Pakistan who will be in Amritsar on Dec 3 for inter-minesterial Heart of Asia Conference. Fauzia pleads of help, she says "I don't know anyone there, I have never been to Amritsar, I don't know how things will go. I have just made placard and will stand outside the venue." Fauzia and her husband Nehal who is an advocate board the train which will reach Amritsar on Dec 2. "it's like jumping into the sea, I don't know what will happen but I have to try for my son. Have been trying everything that can get my son back to me. Nothing has worked so far in all these years. For him i have to keep trying." She said.

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PLEAD TO SARTAJ AZIZ FOR HELP

Fauzia had been pursuing with the Pakistan Embassy for any help they could render either by consular access or a day's visa to meet her son at Pakistan Jail but all her efforts yielded no results so she stopped pursuing on that front. However she read about Aziz's visit to holy city in a newspaper a week earlier and immediately planned a trip to Amritsar with her husband to reach the conference venue. All she intends to do is stand outside with placards requesting Hamid be sent back to her. She hopes that she will get a personal audience with Aziz and convey to him that her son has been wrongly detained in a Pakistan jail and will try to convince them to send her son home.

WHO IS HAMID?

Hamid, a resident of Mumbai had travelled to Afghanistan and landed in Pakistan to save a girl he had fallen in love with. He was arrested by Pakistan Police on charges of espionage as he did not have the relevant travel documents. He had already spent three years in jail while he was convicted and was ordered to serve a three years sentence. His parents pleaded that his time spent in jail as an under-trial should be commuted and he be released.

Also Read: Pakistan's former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz to visit India for conference on Afghanistan

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Why actor Bhavana did not attend the wedding of actors Dileep and Kavya Madhavan has been a hot topic on social media, with rumours flying thick and fast. Many of them argued that the actor gave a miss to the celebrity marriage despite having been invited.

These rumours had the backing of earlier reports that Bhavana, who has paired with Dileep in several films, was the reason behind his rift with his estranged wife Manju Warrier. Gossips had it that it was she who informed Manju about Dileep's alleged affairs with Kavya.

However, the Honey Bee star came up with an explanation on Thursday and made it clear that she was not invited to the function. Bhavana said that she would go ahead with legal action against those framing false news on social media.

Marriage is the personal affair of Dileep and Kavya and it is up to them whether to invite me or not. They invited those who are close to them and I do not have any complaint in that, the actor said in an interview with Manoramaonline.

Bhavana is presently shooting for Honey Bee 2.

Although Dileep's alleged affair with Kavya has been doing the rounds for years and the actors were expected to tie the knot soon, the secrecy of the wedding preparations sprang a surprise on their fans. Actors Mammootty, Salim Kumar, Jayaram, Janardhanan, KPAC Lalitha, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Meera Jasmine, Jomol and Chippy, directors Kamal, Joshiy and Siddique were present at the function held in Kochi on November 25.

"I wanted to marry the girl who had been made a scapegoat by linking her to me. I spoke to my daughter, mother and brother and they all extended their support, Dileep told the media after the wedding.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instructions to BJP's MPs and MLAs to submit their bank account statements since demonetisation came into being to party president Amit Shah a farce and demanded that an independent committee be set up to investigate the last five years of transactions of all people's representatives.

AAP's national spokesperson Ashish Khetan said that Modi's directions to party legislators on giving their bank account details to Shah was the "biggest insult" as he was allegedly complicit in converting black money through land deals.

"The various land deals done by the BJP across the country, just before the note ban prove that the prime minister had alerted his partymen and cronies about the note ban. The Aam Aadmi Party demands that an independent and fair inquiry committee be set up to investigate five year banking and land transactions of all peoples representatives, not just the BJP MPs and MLAs," Khetan said at a press conference.

More importantly, he said, there should be an inquiry into the funds of each party. "If the land deals and election funding of all parties are probed, the whole country will see the real truth about black money," Khetan said.

The AAP accused Modi and Shah of being involved in converting "BJP's black money" into land through various deals in Bihar, Kerala, Rajasthan and Orissa.

Another party spokesperson and its Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey said, "When the prime minister was sworn in, he took an oath to safeguard secrecy. However, by letting his party persons and cronies know about the note ban beforehand and helping them convert their black money safely, Narendra Modi has broken his oath."

Quoting media reports, he alleged that all state units were asked to buy land by Shah in writing and he also provided the money for the deal through various meanscash, demand drafts and cheques. "The state BJP leaders were merely the authorised signatories but the mastermind was Amit Shah," Pandey said.

He said the independent committee should also investigate corporates such as PayTM, Big Bazaar and RelianceJio, claiming that they were extremely close to Modi and might have been alerted earlier as they seemed to be direct beneficiaries of the note ban.

"We are placing before the public Amit Shah's letter authorising state unit members to make these land deals," said AAP 's Raghav Chadha. He claimed that land was purchased in five places in Bihar, four places in Orissa and in Kota in Rajasthan, and the deals were all done just prior to the note ban with substantial amount of cash transactions.

"The Aam Aadmi Party demands that there be a case registered against Amit Shah for cheating and criminal breach of faith. Asking Amit Shah to inquire into the transactions of BJP MPs and MLAs is an insult to the intelligence of this nation," he said.
Representatives from 40 countries will gather at Amritsar over the weekend to deliberate on taking forward the social, economic and security development of Afghanisatan, a country ravaged by terror over the last few decades. India is hosting the sixth chapter of the Heart of Asia meet.

Speaking to press persons, Afghan ambassador to India Shaida Mohammed Abdali expressed condolences over the terror attack on the military base in Nagrota and noted that Unless we take collective measures to fight the breeding ground of terrorism'', the problem would not not get resolved.

He said that terorism is the creation of this region (sub-continent) and the solution also lies here. The Heart of Asia meet is well timed in addressing these challenges.'' Later, answering to a question about Pakistan's participation in the meet, although most of the terror attacks in the region were exported from Pakistani soil, the ambassador said that one can find solutions only from the place where the problems are coming from.''

The ambassador noted that since the first Heart of Asia meet in Istanbul, there had been considerable progress on the economic front. We no longer seek connectivity, we are now offering connectivity to less developed regions,'' he said, elaborating on the developments in the Lapiz lazuli corridor, the five nation railway and Chabahar portall of which are likely to be discussed at the meetbut added that on the security front, there still needed a lot more work and co-operation.

Gopal Bagle, joint secretary, (Pakistan Afghanistan Iran), ministry of external affairs, said that while the senior officials meeting co-chaired on the Indian side by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar would be held on December 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate the ministerial meet on December 4, along with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz is scheduled to attend the meet but the MEA said there had been no request for a bilateral talk with India on the sidelines of the meet.
An army helicopter crashed at Sukna in North Bengal near Siliguri on Wednesday morning.

The copter was doing regular surveillance in the area and was hovering around the sky when

it crashed and fell into the forest around 11 am.

Three army men, who are yet to be identified, died on the spot.

Army officials rushed to the spot from eastern headquarters in Kolkata.
implementation

New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Congress today came out in support of the Supreme Courts decision that National Anthem should be played before screening of a movie in a cinema hall, but raised questions on its implementation.

"The 130-year-old party has seen the bigger independence movement. Therefore, we have strongly supported all aspects of genuine nationalism. We support, in principle, everything that enhances the respect and dignity of this nation. Therefore, we support this in principle," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

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He said one should not forget that Congress, as a party, has been part of the independence movement that was achieved through it.

Raising concerns over implementation of the decision, Singhvi said it has to be seen very carefully.

"Because in its implementation, there should not be in any manner create disrespect for any of the national icons, flag or anthem. I am sure care will be taken by the Indian as a citizen to ensure that this will happen.

"I think the remembrance to the nation whether by saluting the flag or by National Anthem is a noble virtue," he said.

The Supreme Court today ordered cinema halls across the nation to mandatorily play the National Anthem before screening of a movie and the audience must stand and show respect.

The apex court said that "love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the National Anthem as well as to the National Flag".

"A time has come when citizens of the country must realise that they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the National Anthem which is the symbol of constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality," a SC bench said. PTI SKC SMJ

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[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

Amazing from beginning to end, ecstatic, fantabulous- no exaggerations! It was the first time that I made such an event, and the organizational aspects came out better than I ever thought they would. The Ribbono Shel Olam was in charge, so it was gevaldig! This was how Rabbi Moshe Yakov Gruskin, founder of Sparks of Life, the Jewish organization for those suffering from Parkinsons Disease, described the organizations representation the Fourth World Parkinsons Congress, which took place in Portland, Oregon from September 20 through September 23.

Parkinsons is an extremely complex progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. Early symptoms may typically include a barely noticeable tremor in one hand, but the disease progresses to include stiffness, slowing of movement, slurred speech, and more. Symptoms may gradually progress over decades, with no two progressions being exactly the same. There is no known cure for Parkinsons, although medications may slow the progression of the disease.

Rabbi Gruskin, who works as a tireless fundraiser for a Lakewood yeshivah, was himself diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2009. However, instead of allowing the diagnosis to slow him down, Rabbi Gruskin was spurred on to do whatever he could to help his fellow Yidden who are also suffering from the disease.

Last year, while in a doctors office, he noticed an advertisement for the third World Parkinsons Congress (WPC), to be held in Montreal, and decided to attend together with his son. I went to the conference, and was blown away by the information, support, and camaraderie that was offered there. They exude a very positive attitude; their main motto is Learn to live life to the fullest. The only problem was, there were only three frum people there out of 3700- myself, my son, and one other frum lady from Teaneck.

About six months ago, Rabbi Gruskin founded Sparks of Life, an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of Jewish Parkinsons patients by providing an array of emotional, medical, and educational resources. The goal of these services is to enable those suffering from the disease to live fuller and healthier lives, to enhance their care, and to empower them to make positive choices.

I saw that no one was doing anything like this  so bmakom she-ein ish, recalls Rabbi Gruskin. I am the first such organization in the world, to my knowledge.  Rabbi Gruskin hopes to create a full service organization with complete support, education, advocacy, financial assistance, a library, a gym with on site therapists, and more. Many of his ideas were culled from seminars at the convention.

Sparks of Life held their first support meeting in Lakewood at the end of June 2016. We had no idea how many people would come; some told us it was a pipe dream. Parkinsons is very complex, and the cure is only in the hands of the Aibershter. Many of those who suffer are afraid of the stigma and shame. However, 100 people showed up and we were astounded. There is obviously a great need for this.

When the time for this years WPC came around, Rabbi Gruskin decided to try to organize a frum contingency to attend. He knew how much he had gained from attending last year, and wanted to give others the chance to attend as well. With the support of the organizers of the WPC, Rabbi Gruskin was able to arrange for a separate area dedicated for the use of the frum attendees, kosher food, and minyanim. The set up allowed the frum attendees to benefit from all the conference has to offer, while having their unique needs accommodated. Perhaps most of all, the set up provided the frum attendees a chance to interact with each other, realize that they are not alone, and ultimately forge relationships with each other and emerge feeling as one, big, happy family.

Mrs. D., whose father suffers from Parkinsons, attended the convention together with her parents and her sister. When we first heard about the convention, we thought it would be depressing, but it was just the opposite. The atmosphere was very positive, and the convention was extremely informative. It was very good for my mother, who is the primary caregiver for my father. 

What Sparks of Life has done for the the frum people is amazing, Mrs. D. continued. There were three kosher meals a day, minyanim, and a dedicated room for us which was open all day, which served as an oasis for us in the midst of thousands of people. We made connections, shmuzed with each other, and shared information; there was something so special about it. The Gruskins acted with such heart and ravchus- it was just amazing.
Tax Authority officials announced this morning, Tuesday, 28 Cheshvan, that some of the recent fires are being recognized as terrorist arson by the state. At present, this list includes Haifa, Nataf, Nirit, Zichron Yaakov, Nvei Tzuf (Chalamish) and Dolev.

If fires are recognized as acts of terror, then persons who are uninsured may file a claim with state agencies for compensation as victims of terror. Those with insurance will also be instructed by their insurance company to turn to the appropriate state agency for compensation, which some policy holders would prefer not to do, realizing the state payment will generally be lower than that of an insurance company.

A retired head of the nations insurance adjusters union told Reshet Bet Radio that persons who are insured might be wise to hire private property adjusters since the states adjusters will give a lower amount that the true value. He also suggests such people get together and hire an attorney as they will have to fight the state for their money in court, a process that one should expect to take years.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
120 senior dati leumi rabbonim have come out in a united voice calling to prevent the expulsion of Amona. The rabbonim are calling on persons to head to Amona to resist an expulsion. Among the rabbonim signed on the proclamation are Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi Dov Lior, and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner.

Also signed to the document are prominent rabbonim viewed as more moderate, including the head of Tzohar Rabbonim Rabbi David Stav and the head of the Bnei David IDF Mechina in Yishuv Eli, Rabbi Eli Sadan.

Other signatures include Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, Rabbi Tzefanya Drori, Rabbi David Chai HaKohen, and Rabbi Elyakim Levanon.

They rabbonim call on those who can, to head to the yishuv today and do what they can to assist, explaining their very presence is of significance today. They are calling on the government to find a solution as well as calling on the public at large to prevent the destruction of yet another Jewish community. The rabbonim add if RL we arrive at another expulsion, we call on the tzibur at large to remain in the community and protest the destruction using passive resistance only, and absolutely no violence.

They call on elected officials to legislate a law that can save the community, and everyone must daven and cry to HKBH as well to save the community and to elicit Rachmei Shomayim.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Magen David Adom (MDA) two weeks ago sent a delegation to Ecuador to use its vast knowledge and experience to assist in training and preparing for a mass casualty incident (MCI) in that country. Persons representing the Ecuador Ministry of Health took part in the training event, which simulated a mass call-up of emergency medical service personnel to respond to a mass casualty incident.

The delegation and participation in the event was coordinated with Israel Foreign Ministry officials and the ministrys MASHAV program. This training event was part of the lessons learned from the earthquake that hit that country in April of this year.

The training event simulated a building collapse with 70 victims trapped under the rubble. The local Red Cross built a special facility in Ecuador which mimicked true conditions to permit getting a real feel for extrication in such a catastrophe.

Among those participating was Santiago Tarapuez, a senior advisor to the Health Minister as well as the Ministrys District Coordinator Dr. Manuel Minaya, who is responsible for addressing disasters in the country. Also present were the Israeli Ambassador in Quito, Edwin Yabu, Chairman of the MDA Executive Committee Dr. Noam Bloom, police and military officials and representatives of the Bolivian and Argentinian Embassies as well as other honored guests.

This was the first time that all components of that countrys pre-hospital medical care agencies took part in such a drill in that country and it attracted great interest.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: MDA Spokesman Unit)
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlons Kulanu party appears to be set to vote against Aryeh Deris new Kosel Bill, a bill that has yet to earn the backing of senior Likud party officials. Kulanu MK Rachel Azariya feels Deris version of what the Kosel should look like will create more machlokes rather unity. She feels Deris bill is contrary to Judaisms values, and instead of seeking to find that which unites us, he looks for that which will increase the divide.

In her words The proposal is disgraceful and diametrically opposed to the values of Judaism and why cant the Wall represent a place of common worship for the entire Jewish People?

She adds There is never a vacuumWhen the Prime Minister delayed the plan already approved by all, extremist voices were heard seeking to act as if the Kosel was private property.

Azariya feels Deris vision is part of the trend of exclusion as was the mikve bill which was directed against any converts other than Orthodox.

Deri and the members of Yahadut Hatorah have stated repeatedly they will never agree to giving non-religious streams of Judaism a foothold at the Kosel.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday morning hosted at his residence a meeting of Jewish and Muslim leaders in Israel, against a background of the public debate surrounding the proposed muezzin legislation.

In our lives together there are issues which are very close to the hearts of many of the residents of this country. Jerusalem has always brought together the various voices, the Jewish prayers with the Muezzins call to prayer along with the Church bells. I am the son of one who translated the Quran and observed the Jewish commandments, and I recognize the need to tread a fine line, President Rivlin told those gathered.

I asked to sit and speak with you in order to see if there is a way to tread this line even when there are conflicts. I thought that perhaps such a meeting could have an impact on the whole public, and that it would be a shame that a law should be born which touches on the issue of freedom of faith of a specific group among us. Perhaps the voices heard today can be used to pave the way.

Rabbi Aryeh Stern, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, told the meetings participants, I see the need for a joint call for dialogue, which should be issued by the highest Jewish and Muslim religious leadership in the country  which in turn will possibly pull the rug from under the need for such a bill to be passed. I think it should be a joint call, which on the one hand will stop the legislation itself and on the hand will deal with the places where the volume of the muezzin is an issue.

President of the Islamic Sharia Court Sheikh Abdel al-Hakim Samara stressed, Through an agreement and discussion we can reach solutions wherever the loudspeakers are a problem. Once the law goes through without us attempting to resolve the issue through dialogue, it causes us to feel that our freedoms are vulnerable. Solutions can be achieved even without the threat of the law looming over our heads. We all agree there is a need to lower the volume in problematic areas and we will act to ensure this, regardless of the law.

Rabbi Yosef Yashar, Chief Rabbi of Akko, shared his experience of coexistence in the city, and said, I want to tell you the story of Akko  a city where Arabs and Jews live together as a fact. For years now we have been doing fieldwork in terms of dialogue. This way has proven itself. It is s not without problems, but we are talking. Can I say that it is easy? It is not easy. Can I say that there is no hatred? There is hatred. But were talking. We are in contact. I do not make them Zionists or Jews and nor does the opposite happen. The dialogue has proven itself. We too have had provocations of increasing the volume as acts of defiance, but we have talked, we realized the problems and solved them. The problem can be overcome with dialogue and I invite everyone to come and see how it happens on the ground. Dialogue is stronger than legislation. We still have a lot of problems that revolve around coexistence but they will not be resolved with legislation.

Sheikh Mohammed Ciooan, Head of the Imams organization which represents around 400 Imams, told the participants, Human dignity should guide us. Well watch over each other. We are connected to each other, we have no other choice and I hope we can reach an agreement through talks, without such laws. We have already made a public request to lower the volume in all the communities involved. It will be difficult for us to accept and deal with such a law. We have one destiny and one future. We will continue to act to correct this, through our communities, we will bring engineers that will check everything and we will issue a call to all worshipers to work for consideration and decrease the volume anywhere that constitutes a problem.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Mark Neiman, GPO)
Attorney Amichai Mandelblit is among those opposed to the Regulation Bill which, if passed into law, would grant the government the authority to retroactively legalize outposts including Amona. For one thing, Mandelblit believes if the bill is pass into law the matter will be taken by the Arabs who petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

He also feel the bill has given hope to the residents of Amona, whom have repeatedly to date rejected any and every offer to resettle and rebuild their community elsewhere as the High Courts December 25, 2016 eviction date nears.

He also spoke of the absentee property solution, which refers to the owners of the land who fled Israel after 1967 and not returned to claim the land. He refers to a ruling dating back to 1988 by then-IDF Advocate General Uri Shoham, who stated use of such land was legitimate in cases of urgent public need. He explains that passage of the Regulation Bill will in actuality invalidate the absentee property option. His viewpoint is echoed by Knesset Legal Adviser Eyal Yinon, who opposes the Regulation Bill as well.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman are also opposed, and Lieberman has already stated the only solution if transferring the community elsewhere, an offer that is outright rejected by the residents today, numbering about forty families.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman sent another warning to Syria, that sporadic cross-border fire will not be tolerated. Sirens sounded in the Golan Heights on Tuesday, 28 Cheshvan, but the IDF Spokesman reported there was not trace of a launch or landing, signaling the sirens were a possible malfunction.

Earlier in the week terrorists fired into the Golan Heights and Israel retaliated, killing four terrorists in Syria. The air force also retaliated and dropped ten one-ton bombs on a vacant ISIS facility.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also commented during a meeting of the Likud faction, explaining over recent days there have been several attempts to attack soldiers along the border. He promised such actions would be met with a swift and forceful response from Israel.

In his comments to a Yisrael Beitenu party faction meeting, Defense Minister Lieberman explained Israel would not tolerate provocations from any border, north our south. He added the IDF does not have to coordinate its operations with Russia, whose air force is playing a role in the ongoing civil war in Syria. He explained there is no need to coordinate with anyone and Israel would respond if and when required to do so.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Three army officers were today killed in Cheetah helicopter crash in Sukna area of West Bengal.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Three army officers died when a Cheetah helicopter crashed inside the Sukna military base in West Bengal's Darjeeling district today, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The crash occurred around 10.30 am near the helipad inside the Sukna military base.

A junior commissioned officer was critically injured.

"It was a routine mission operating from Sukna and the crash happened when the chopper was coming in to land," the spokesman said.

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An inquiry has been ordered.

The Cheetah helicopter was returning after completing a reconnaissance flight from the forward area.



(More details awaited)



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Justin Sullivan wanted a silencer for the gun he planned to use to kill hundreds of people in North Carolina or Virginia on behalf of the Islamic State. So he had one built from a flashlight and delivered to the Morganton, N.C., house he shared with his parents. When his parents asked what he planned to do with the silencer, he tried to have them killed.

The person he offered money to murder his parents, and who sent him the silencer, was an undercover FBI employee. Sullivan, 20, who was arrested soon after the silencer arrived, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to attempting to commit acts of terrorism.

According to court documents, Sullivan began watching videos of Islamic State beheadings and other atrocities on his laptop in September 2014. He converted to Islam, announced his support for the Islamic State to his parents and destroyed some of their religious objects.

I liked IS from the beginning then I started thinking about death and stuff so I became Muslim, he later told the FBI employee, the indictment in the case said.

By June 2015, Sullivan had made contact with Junaid Hussain, an Islamic State recruiter who was reported killed in a drone strike in Syria two months later. A British hacker turned militant, Hussain encouraged severalattempted terrorist attacks in the United States. It was to Hussain that a Kosovo-based hacker passed on personal information about U.S. military personnel.

According to authorities, Hussain asked Sullivan to film a video of his deadly attack for use by the Islamic State. Sullivan agreed.

Ill kill people this month, he told the FBI agent on June 7, 2015. Sullivan said he would carry out his attack in a bar, club or concert, where he hoped to kill as many as 1,000 people.

He was arrested two weeks later.

Sullivan is also accused of killing a 74-year-old neighbor, John Bailey Clark, to get enough money to finance his terrorist attack. Sullivan admitted that he stole a .22-caliber rifle from his stepfathers gun cabinet, and forensic testing linked the rifle to Clarks death.

According to court documents, Sullivan also said that the $689 he planned to use to buy an AR-15 rifle and ammunition at a gun show came from Clark. But he has not confessed to the murder.

Prosecutors said Sullivan has agreed to a sentence of life in prison, the maximum penalty for attempting to commit terrorism.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Rachel Weiner
Government agencies, airport operators and law enforcement agencies looking to ground drones can now put the flying devices in their crosshairs.

A company called DroneShield has introduced a 13-pound, rifle-shaped jammer that it says can take down drones from a distance as far as 1.2 miles away.

The DroneGun isnt meant for drone hobbyists or their vengeful neighbors. The company says it could thwart drones carrying explosives intended to carry out a civilian or military attack, or stop those that venture illegally into restricted airspace or onto prohibited property.

The guns effect is not exactly obvious. Theres no projectile fired or resulting explosion that would make for great action-movie footage. Instead, the DroneGun jams the radio and/or GPS frequency that tells the drone where to go. The gun operator can then land the drone immediately or signal it to return home.

Drones have proven to be a pest, and at times a safety hazard, for agencies that operate tightly controlled environments. Airports have grappled with them venturing too close to runways, prisons have intercepted them delivering contraband to inmates, and even the White House has had them crash-land on its grounds.

We certainly feel that a jammer is a safer way to bring down a drone than shooting it, Oleg Vornik, DroneShields chief financial officer, said in an interview.

Because commercial drones operate on publicly accessible radio frequencies, the DroneGun could be used to jam other consumer-grade electronics, such as Internet routers or remote-controlled toy cars.

Although the DroneGun officially debuted on Monday, U.S. consumers wont be buying it anytime soon. Federal Communications Commission regulations dictate that the gun can only be sold to federal agencies, according to the companys website, not even state governments or local law enforcement.

In terms of how this is sold, there is clearly a very controlled process, Vornik said. In most developed countries around the world, there is a very narrow bandwidth of customers we can sell to.

That helps keep the jammer out of the hands of those who might use it against law enforcement, he said.

DroneShield, which also makes sensors to detect drones, markets its products primarily to airports, prisons, governments and large commercial venues. They are sold in 35 countries, Vornik said.

The company doesnt disclose the exact price of the DroneGun, but Vornik said it costs tens of thousands of dollars.

The DroneGun is not the first effort to combat wayward drones. Others have sought to take them out using large nets, more powerful drones and even highly trained birds.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Steven Overly
Democrats, of late, have taken to citing Hillary Clintons historically large popular vote victory in the presidential race over Donald Trump as evidence that the country is still fundamentally on their side.

Judging by recent election results  even before Clintons stunning loss three weeks ago  thats simply not true. Republicans not only control both the U.S. Senate and House but find themselves at or near historic highs in terms of governorships and state legislative control.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack got it exactly right then when he told The Washington Posts Greg Jaffe that the current state of the Democratic party is like a tree that looks healthy on the outside but is in the throes of slow and long-term demise.

Placed in the context of the last eight years of elections, 2016 looks more like the rule than the exception. The rise of President Barack Obama obscured the fact that the Democratic Party he represented was struggling in virtually every other way in which a partys health is judged. Clintons loss should make that fact plain to Democrats: The country, judging by down-ballot election results nationwide, is center-right  and holding. And the Democratic bench is woefully devoid of major rising stars, itself a function of the partys down-ballot struggles over the last eight years.

The why of this Democratic decline is far more complicated. Vilsack blames an unwillingness to talk to rural voters. We need to speak more directly to our folks in rural America, Vilsack told Jaffe. And we have to spend time there. Others cite racism, economic anxiety, a national party that has moved too far left. And so on.

Whatever the why  and there is no single why  the reality remains: The 2016 election wasnt an anomaly. It was consistent with the broader political currents in down-ballot races across the country over the last three elections. Thats a reality Democrats need to wake up to if they dont want a repeat performance in 2018.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Chris Cillizza
An investigation into several U.S., Danish, British and Australian airstrikes that accidentally decimated positions belonging to Syrian government forces in September concluded that the attack was the result of multiple human errors, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Tex Coe, the officer who oversaw the investigation, told reporters that intelligence assets monitored a vehicle believed to have been aligned with the Islamic State in eastern Syrias Deir al-Zour province, and followed it to a position with dozens of troops, tents, entrenchments and at least one tank.

On Sept. 17, that position was struck by F-16s, F-18s, drones and A-10 ground attack aircraft, dropping 34 precision-guided munitions and firing 380 rounds of 30mm cannon fire within the span of an hour, killing dozens of Syrians. Coe said the presence of the vehicle, compounded by the troops lack of uniforms or identifying features, gave the targeting personnel watching the area what he called confirmation bias, and they concluded they were looking at an Islamic State encampment.

While Coe said the larger area had been monitored for multiple days, he would not comment on how long U.S.-led forces watched the encampment itself before it was bombed, saying that it was classified along with other parts of the report.

At least one analyst located in the U.S. command center said the targets couldnt belong to [the Islamic State], Coe said, but that analysts assessment did not make it to the decision-makers involved in directing the strikes.

Coe said there was no misconduct or wrongdoing by the pilots and intelligence personnel responsible for the strikes.

They get it right more often than not, but this time they came up short, he added.

The strikes were eventually called off after Russian officials alerted their U.S. counterparts that they were targeting Syrian troops. Coe said U.S. forces had alerted the Russians  who are conducting their own air campaign over Syria  that U.S. and coalition aircraft would be striking in the area, but the service member responsible for passing the location of the proposed strikes accidentally gave the Russians inaccurate information.

The Russians voiced no concern after the initial call, but contacted the Americans after the strikes began to inform them that they were bombing Syrian government forces. According to Coe, the Russians waited 27 minutes to talk to their usual point of contact in the U.S. command center  an officer who was on the other side of the base  while the strikes continued, instead of talking to the colonel who picked up the phone. During that time the Russians declined to leave a message, hung up once, called back and declined to leave a message again, Coe said.

In those 27 minutes, 15 of the 34 strikes occurred, Coe added.

About 15 people were kill in the strikes, Coe said; however Russian and Syrian news organizations put the death toll at well over 60.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the time that the battlefield around Deir al-Zour had been static for two years and dismissed U.S. claims that the area had been under aerial surveillance for two days before the strike. Government troops surrounded by ISIL, and thats it, he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State. If this is a mistake after two full days of intelligence and of targeting, then we also want an investigation, frankly speaking.

The errant strikes highlight the difficulty of targeting combatants when there is little to no U.S. ground presence, and U.S. forces rely heavily on drone feeds and the dozens of analysts tasked to monitor them. In the case of the Deir al-Zour strikes, Coe said that U.S. personnel watching the area had limited knowledge of the terrain and that it was a contributing factor in the incident.

Coe also said the United States is still unable to determine who they actually struck, but the targeted fighters were more likely than not aligned with the Syrian government. At the time, Syrian government troops and Islamic State militants had been fighting in the area, and pieces of territory had changed hands several times before the airstrikes.

In this instance, we did not rise to the high standard we hold ourselves to, and we must do better than this each and every time, Lt. Gen. Jeff Harrigian, the commander of the U.S. Air Force in the region, said in a statement. According to Coe, Harrigian has since ordered improvements to the targeting process, including better information-sharing between analysts in the Combined Air Operations Center, known as the CAOC. He also recommended better use of the deconfliction hotline with the Russians.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Thomas Gibbons-Neff
A 51-year-old German man working for the countrys domestic intelligence service is reportedly under investigation for allegedly disclosing internal information on Islamic extremist chat sites.

Der Spiegel magazine reported Tuesday the mans activities were detected by the intelligence agency, known as the BfV, about four weeks ago. Hes alleged to have been trying to pass on sensitive information while using a false name and also making Islamic extremist comments.

The BfV didnt immediately return a call or answer an email, but confirmed the report to Die Welt newspaper, adding that there was no evidence of concrete danger to the agency or its employees.

Both publications reported the suspect was arrested and Duesseldorf prosecutors are now investigating. Prosecutors did not answer their phones.

(AP)
During his official visit to the United States, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman also met with philanthropist Sheldon Adelson to speak with him about promoting the establishment of a proton center in Israel. Minister Litzman visited the proton center in Philadelphia and decided to work towards establishing one in Israel.

Litzman is making this a national project to permit precise advanced radiation treatment for victims of cancer, primarily for children. There is a limited number of these centers in developed nations. After learning of the importance of such a center from the professionals on his staff and from the National Council on Oncology, the minister decided to begin pushing the project for Israel, aware the successful establishment of such a center would permit advanced treatment for hundreds of patients annually, mostly children, and it would place Israel at the forefront of technology in treating cancer patients.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has agreed to remain a federal prosecutor at President-elect Donald Trumps request.

Bharara told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Trump to discuss whether or not Id be prepared to stay on as the U.S. attorney to do the work as we have done it, independently without fear or favor, for the last seven years.

He said he had also met with Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trumps pick for attorney general, who also asked him to stay.

Bharara was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama. He previously was chief counsel to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader. Bharara also played a leading role in the Senate Judiciary Committees investigation into the firings of federal prosecutors under former President George W. Bush.

(AP)
Financial expert Ashvin Parek, in an exclusive interview to India Today, explained how the Modi government and RBI could have planned the demonetisation better. Parekh believes the cash crunch will only end by March next year.

In an exclusive interview to India Today, Parekh, who is registered with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as an expert in the financial services sector, explained how and where the Modi government and the RBI failed.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people to support demonetisation, asking them to bear the "pain" for "50 days", banking experts differ on the time frame of 50 days.

While some believe 50 days will be enough for enough currency to be in circulation, others feel the inconvenience will continue for a much longer time.

Ashvin Parekh, the managing partner of Ashvin Parekh Advisory Services Limited, and a senior banking expert with an experience of 30 years, believes that the shortage of money and suffering of people would not end before March 2017.

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In an exclusive interview to India Today, Parekh, who is registered with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as an expert in the financial services sector, explained how and where the Modi government and the RBI failed.

ALSO READ | Why RBI relaxed withdrawal limit for some? 5 points that explain the decision

OPINION: Those hailing demonetisation are only fooling themselves

Q. It's been almost 20 days since demonetisation was announced, but the people are still facing problems. While ATMs continue to go cashless, banks complain not enough mooney is available with them either. What has really happened and where did the government, and RBI, failed?



There are two aspects to this entire reform. The people accepted it thinking that it was in the larger interest of nation. They were ready to take the pain considering the larger good. But the entire plan was a well-guarded secret, unleashed by the Prime Minister. Somewhere in order to keep everything secret, the management part of currency got a little out of hand.

Also, the timing of the introduction of denomination and the introduction of new notes is questionable. Why were Rs 2000 notes brought in? And why was there a delay in bringing new 5s 500 notes.

Second, there was a mismatch between urban banking and the pain in rural areas. Money got diverted in rural areas but in the process, there was a cash shortage in urban areas.



Q. Does that mean that the RBI failed in implementing the demonetisation scheme?

From a common man's perspective, yes. We were given the impression that within 10 days or so, Rs 500 notes will flood the market in addition to the notes of smaller denomination. But it has been three weeks now, and nothing seems to have happened.

However, people still support the drive, and are hopeful that situation would improve.

ALSO READ | Salary in the times of demonetisation: Big test for Modi government in first week of December

Q. In what other areas could the government and RBI have planned better?

I think that instead of focusing more on printing Rs 500 notes, they should have focused on bringing Rs 100 back in the system.

The second area is the banking system, the RBI and the government- all should have initially worked together (despite keeping it a secret) on the data and denomination of currencies that would float in the economy during cycle periods. If there was a good study, then perhaps we would have seen the supply of notes of proper denominations required for day to day activities.

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But, one must also accept the fact that in order to keep it a secret, the task could have not been given to more number of people.

Another issue I think was the communication from the government to the people. For instance, easing out the situation within the time period or promises about the denominations- those could have been more realistic. If we knew the exact quantity of notes that would be supplied in a time frame, in which so called suffering will come to an end, perhaps, it would have been a little better.

Q. PM Narendra Modi has told the country to bear the pain for 50 days i.e. till December end. Do you think that people's suffering would end by that deadline?

Going by the kind of pain we have suffered in the first week, a very little but gradual reduction is seen. We should admit that there has been a gradual reduction in queues and suffering. I believe by December 30, the last part of the pain would be gone.

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But I still believe that till at least February end next year, or even March, the pain will continue. Shortage of notes will continue, at least till March 2017.

By then, the gap between what is gone back to the system and what is to be pushed back could be worked out. This is all official money deposited by the people in the banking system, which is to be given back in some form or the other. That is where it might take a little time.



Also Read:

Modi shifting debate from black money to cashless economy: AAP

Salary day: Are employers, banks, RBI and the government prepared?



--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Nov 30 (PTI) Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid today assured India that it has "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism and sought expanded military ties as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar called on him.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, met the President after holding talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed to strengthen bilateral military and security cooperation.

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The President told Parrikar that Bangladesh maintained "zero tolerance" policy in combating terrorism in "all its forms", a presidential palace spokesman told PTI.

The President urged the Indian minister to send more Indian military officials to Bangladesh for training to boost ties between the armed forces of the two countries, the spokesman said.

"The President expressed condolence to the victims of the dastardly terror attacks in Uri and Pathankot," the spokesman said.

Hamid recalled with gratitude Indias contribution to Bangladeshs 1971 Liberation War, saying "many valiant soldiers of Indian defence forces embraced martyrdom in the war," the spokesman said.

Parrikar said terrorism is a global threat and India is working to establish peace in the region. He also sought joint efforts to enhance bilateral defence relations.

Parrikar, who arrived here today on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, will tomorrow meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet.

The vice chiefs of Indias army, navy and air force, held talks with Bangladeshs three services chiefs at their office in Dhaka cantonment, a defence ministry official said.

"During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," an official statement said.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikars trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) near the southeastern port city of Chittagong tomorrow.

Alongside India, Bangladesh has strong defence cooperation with China especially in military hardware.

Bangladesh Navy this month acquired its first submarines from China, as Dhaka sought to boost its naval power in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

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Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib during his recent visit to India had said Dhaka wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others. PTI AR ZH PMS AKJ PMS

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People who ditch struggling small energy firms could be left 400 out of pocket

Households could lose hundreds of pounds if their energy supplier goes bust because of a hidden loophole in the safety net for customers.

Money Mail can reveal that people who ditch struggling small firms or fail to give up-to-date meter readings could be left as much as 400 out of pocket.

The catch has emerged as dozens of small energy suppliers battle to stay afloat.

Last weekend, GB Energy became the first UK power firm to go bust since 2008, blaming soaring wholesale costs.

Its 160,000 customers will be passed to Co-operative Energy, which earlier this month was fined 1.8 million by the regulator for customer service failings.

Small providers are struggling because they sold cheap deals earlier this year to attract customers, only for the cost of supplying gas and electricity to homes to soar by as much as 50 per cent.

Unlike the Big Six energy giants  British Gas, nPower, Eon, Scottish Power, SSE and EDF  these small firms don't have big pots of cash to fall back on when wholesale prices rise.

GB Energy's website says: 'Due to swift and significant increases in energy prices over recent months and as a small supplier, our inability to forward buy energy to allow us to access the best possible wholesale prices means the position of the business has become untenable.'

With experts warning a 'handful' of other firms could fail this winter, householders may be tempted to ditch small suppliers. But that could be a huge mistake.

Four weeks ago, energy regulator Ofgem introduced a safety net to protect credit on customers' accounts if a firm goes bust.

But a catch buried in its rules means anyone who asks to leave an energy firm  whether before or after it goes out of business  is excluded.

Safer: Unlike the Big Six energy giants  British Gas, nPower, Eon, Scottish Power, SSE and EDF  these small firms don't have big pots of cash to fall back on when wholesale prices rise

Customers who sit tight will have better protection, but they must give an up-to-date meter reading as soon as possible, so you don't lose any credit you've built up.

That's because if their firm does go bust, any refund will be calculated on the last available figure for energy usage.

Anyone thinking of switching to a cheaper energy tariff may want to stick with the Big Six this winter or at least larger firms such as Ovo or First Utility.

They will be missing out on only 34 a year  the difference between the top deals from small suppliers and the Big Six.

'GB Energy is likely to be the first of many small energy firms to go bust this winter. I wouldn't be surprised to see a handful more go under,' says Mark Todd, director of the price comparison website Energyhelpline.

'Small suppliers that locked thousands of customers into cheap fixed deals when wholesale prices were low and didn't buy the power in advance to supply these households  which is unlikely as that would be hugely expensive  may soon be facing disaster.'

You will not be cut off if your energy provider goes bust because Ofgem will step in to ensure no household is left without power.

Under supplier of last resort rules, the regulator chooses another firm  typically one of the bigger suppliers  to take over accounts.

Ofgem chose to protect customers' balances as well because more than half of households pay by monthly direct debit.

This means instead of billing you quarterly for the gas and electricity you use, suppliers estimate how much power you'll use over the course of the year and split this into 12 equal payments.

Over the summer, you build up a surplus because the heating is off. This covers higher bills in winter, but also means energy firms are sitting on piles of your cash. According to Energyhelpline, this can be as much as 400.

Many small suppliers also bill you in advance, which means you are almost always in credit.

In fact, GB Energy customers are owed 24 million in credit, it emerged this week.

Under Ofgem's new rules, cash will be refunded by the supplier that takes over your account, but this is guaranteed only if you're classed as an existing customer.

If you've asked to switch to a new supplier, Ofgem deems you to be a former customer, so you may never get a refund or be forced to wrangle over getting your cash back.

In the case of GB Energy, Co-operative Energy and Ofgem have agreed to cover the cost of current and former customers.

However, in other cases, you may have to wait months for the firm to be wound up. You can demand an immediate refund of your credit if you stay put, but that may increase pressure on the firm's balance sheet. It's better to update your usage figures.

Pledge: You will not be cut off if your energy provider goes bust because Ofgem will step in to ensure no household is left without power

If your firm goes out of business, the supplier that takes over your account will use the most up-to-date information on your file to work out your refund.

So, if you haven't given a meter reading for months, you're likely to be short-changed.

Ofgem is urging GB Energy customers to take a meter reading immediately and keep a note of it in case of problems.

Comparison websites have been inundated with hundreds of calls from GB Energy customers since Saturday, with many looking to switch away.

Energyhelpline saw a ten-fold increase in GB Energy customers trying to leave.

Typically, if your energy firm has gone bust, it takes between two and 14 days to choose a new supplier for you, at which point your gas and electricity accounts will move over.

Households are likely to be dumped on a new firm's standard tariff, which is usually their most expensive.

In this case, Co-operative Energy has pledged to honour the price customers were paying previously.

Of the 43 energy firms in Britain, 31 are small suppliers launched in the past few years.

They have become popular because they offer cheaper deals than the Big Six.

Npower's Online Price Fix December 2017 deal costs an average 897 a year  34 a year more expensive than the cheapest tariff from Places For People Energy's one-year fixed Together tariff at 863 a year.

Joe Malinowski, founder of comparison site The Energy Shop, says: 'Stay clear of suppliers that take payments in advance.

'Many larger suppliers offer competitive tariffs, so if you choose a new firm, make sure any savings are worth the risk.'

v.bischoff@dailymail.co.uk
Ofgem has appointed Co-operative Energy to rescue GB Energy Supply's 160,000 customers.

Last weekend, the Preston-based budget power firm announced it would stop trading, with rising energy costs blamed for the collapse.

GB Energy's replacement, the member-owned Co-op Energy, is offering customers the same price they were paying on their previous plans, until the end of their tariff.

Feeling the heat: GB Energy Supply has appointed Co-operative Energy to rescue its 160,000 customers

Energy regulator Ofgem said if account holders wished to change provider they would be able to do so without any exit charge.

All GB Energy's staff will be transferred on the same terms to Co-operative Energy.

Commenting on the move, Claire Osborne, energy expert at uSwitch.com, said: 'Its good news for GB Energy Supply customers that Ofgem has appointed a new supplier so quickly.

'Its also reassuring for customers that Co-operative Energy will honour all outstanding credit balances and keep them on the same prices.'

However, Osbourne warned that customers shouldnt assume that their new tariff will be the most competitive, as last month GB Energy 'hiked its standard variable plan by 30 per cent to 1,060, so it is now 198 a year more expensive than the cheapest plan on the market.'

This may mean that it is worth customers' while considering a switch away from the Co-op.

Ofgem said it had chosen Co-operative Energy after 'a competitive process to get the best deal possible'.

However, some questioned the move after Co-Op Energy agreed to pay 1.8million last month after numerous customer service failings.

GB Energy Supply posted this message on its website to tell customers it had stopped trading

GB Energy first set up in 2014 and soon after launched market-beating low prices for gas and electricity.

But in October the low-cost provider stunned the market by raising prices by 30 per cent.

On Saturday, the company posted a message to customers on its website from managing director Luke Watson saying it was unable to keep trading because of significant increases in wholesale energy prices over recent months.

WHAT SHOULD GB ENERGY CUSTOMERS DO NOW? GB Energy's guide on what happens now: When will I be switched from GB Energy Supply to Co-operative Energy? You will be switched to a new contract with Co-operative Energy on Wednesday 30 November 2016. Co-operative Energy will contact you in the coming days to explain what happens next. Will I be on a different contract with Co-operative Energy? Will I pay more? Co-operative Energy will be offering the same price as you were paying before with GB Energy Supply, whether you were on a fixed or standard variable tariff. I dont want a contract with Co-operative Energy. Can I switch? Our advice is not to switch immediately, but wait until Co-operative Energy has got in touch with you. You wont be charged exit fees. Im in credit to GB Energy supply. Will I get my money back? Co-operative Energy will honour all outstanding credit balances for both current customers, and for past customers of GB Energy Supply who are still owed money. Im paying back a debt to GB Energy supply. Will I now pay this to Co-operative Energy? You will not need to pay back your debt to Co-operative Energy. However, you may have to continue to pay this back to GB Energy Supply. Should I cancel my direct debit? No, you don't need to worry about cancelling your direct debit. Wait until Co-operative Energy has got in touch with you. Ive already cancelled my direct debit. Should I do anything? You don't need to worry if youve already cancelled your direct debit. Wait until Co-operative Energy has got in touch with you. Will Co-operative Energy take on my unresolved complaint to GB Energy Supply? Co-operative Energy will be reviewing all existing complaints in the next few weeks with a view to responding to customers as soon as possible.

The message added: All customer contracts will be honoured, so please rest assured that your supply will not be affected.

Ofgems senior partner for consumers and competition Rachael Fletcher, also assured customers your energy supplies are safe.'

Small providers are struggling because they sold cheap deals earlier this year to attract customers, only for the cost of supplying gas and electricity to homes to soar by as much as 50 per cent.

Unlike the Big Six energy giants  British Gas, nPower, Eon, Scottish Power, SSE and EDF  these small firms don't have big pots of cash to fall back on when wholesale prices rise.

GB Energy's website says: 'Due to swift and significant increases in energy prices over recent months and as a small supplier, our inability to forward buy energy to allow us to access the best possible wholesale prices means the position of the business has become untenable.'

With experts warning a 'handful' of other firms could fail this winter, householders may be tempted to ditch small suppliers. But that could be a huge mistake.

Four weeks ago, energy regulator Ofgem introduced a safety net to protect credit on customers' accounts if a firm goes bust.

But a catch buried in its rules means anyone who asks to leave an energy firm  whether before or after it goes out of business  is excluded.

Customers who sit tight will have better protection, but they must give an up-to-date meter reading as soon as possible, so you don't lose any credit you've built up.

That's because if their firm does go bust, any refund will be calculated on the last available figure for energy usage.

Anyone thinking of switching to a cheaper energy tariff may want to stick with the Big Six this winter, or at least larger challenger firms such as Ovo or First Utility.

They will be missing out on only 34 a year  the difference between the top deals from small suppliers and the Big Six.

Npower's Online Price Fix December 2017 deal costs an average 897 a year  34 a year more expensive than the cheapest tariff from Places For People Energy's one-year fixed Together tariff at 863 a year.

'GB Energy is likely to be the first of many small energy firms to go bust this winter. I wouldn't be surprised to see a handful more go under,' says Mark Todd, director of the price comparison website Energyhelpline.

'Small suppliers that locked thousands of customers into cheap fixed deals when wholesale prices were low and didn't buy the power in advance to supply these households  which is unlikely as that would be hugely expensive  may soon be facing disaster.'

Pledge: You will not be cut off if your energy provider goes bust because Ofgem will step in to ensure no household is left without power

What is the safety net?

Under supplier of last resort rules, Ofgem chooses another firm - typically one of the bigger suppliers - to take over.

It protects customers' balances, because more than half of households pay by monthly direct debit. They can find themselves either down or up on their actual bill.

Over the summer, people typically have a surplus because the heating is off and end up in credit. GB Energy customers are owed 24million credit.

Under the safety net, cash will be refunded by the supplier that takes over your account, but this is guaranteed only if you're classed as an existing customer.

If you've asked to switch, Ofgem deems you to be a former customer, so you may be forced to fight to get your money back.

With GB Energy, Co-operative Energy and Ofgem will cover the cost of current and former customers, but in other instances you may have to wait months as the firm is wound up.
Wheels of fury: Philip 'Ferrari Phil' Clarke

Tesco insiders claim Philip Clarke upset a number of people while at the helm of the supermarket giant.

Having told managers their Christmas bonus had been cut the Liverpudlian took delivery of a new Ferrari at one of Tesco's training facilities.

Clearly a man of the people.

Friends say Ferrari Phil is planning a comeback now the criminal investigation engulfing Tesco has decided not to charge him.

Predecessor Sir Terry Leahy accused him of a 'failure of leadership'  so where could cuddly Clarke pop up?

Buried deep inside a report shouting about the merits of the Eurotunnel is a chapter devoted to pet travel.

The Channel Tunnel owner explains that 2m four-legged friends have enjoyed journeys in Le Shuttle since 2000.

Unsurprisingly its service has proved popular with cat and dog owners, but it has also welcomed 28 ferrets.

Sacre bleu! Surely not another delicacy in the land of garlic and escargot? A spokesman insisted: 'I've never been offered les furets in any French restaurant.'

Marks & Spencer's Millwall-supporting boss Steve Rowe, 49, is busy putting his mark on the retail chain  and his changes will not be lost on Dutch predecessor Marc Bolland. Bolland, 57, proudly opened a flagship store in The Hague in 2014 and in Amsterdam the year before, both of which are now being closed.

He also introduced a Dutch translation to labels on M&S food sold in the UK, which are now being removed.

But his legacy hasn't been completely destroyed. M&S is still struggling to shift women's fashions, with clothing sales down 1.9pc at last count.

Record sales at Patisserie Valerie should put a smile on the face of bad tempered investor Luke Johnson.

The private equity boss, 54, who made his name placing Pizza Express on almost every High Street, has come a long way since his debut on the BBC's Back To The Floor series.
Every time I use online banking to pay a bill or transfer cash to a friend, it fills me with dread.

You need only get one digit wrong and your money could disappear into someone else's account, never to be seen again.

The name you type into the payee box means absolutely nothing. It's only there for your records - your bank never bothers to check.

Gamble: One mistake when transferring money electronically could send it into someone else's account, never to be seen again

Bank bosses I speak to say they can only use numbers to process payments. They claim using names would be complicated because there can be so many variations.

Fraudsters have exploited this to rip off thousands.

In one sneaky ruse, they hack into a solicitor's or builder's emails, send a message to customers who owe money and trick them into wiring payment for the work to a dodgy account.

Banks have been doing little to stop it because they don't have to.

In an infuriating legal twist, they can't grab back your cash without the recipient's permission (even though it would be classed as theft if that person spent your money. Work that one out . . .).

Now, it turns out the banks were talking baloney when they said nothing could be done.

Yesterday, the payments regulator announced banks will introduce alerts when you're about to send the money to the wrong person.

When you type in a payee's sort code and account number, a message will pop up showing the name registered for that account.

For example, it might say: 'You are about to send 2,000 to David Smith. Do you want to do this?'

If you meant to send the cash to Mr Jones the builder for your new patio, you'd smell a rat.

It's a terrific idea. I just hope it won't be shot down by the banking giants, who hate investing in this type of technology because it does nothing to boost their profits.

It's also a shame it's taken the regulator this long to pull its finger out, and the watchdog is giving banks three years to put it in place.

In the meantime, thousands of customers like Beverley Lawrence, who lost 2,015 (see here), will fall foul of the system.

Now the banking industry has owned up to the shoddy way it makes us pay bills, the giant firms we have to trust with our savings must start taking responsibility when money goes astray.

The name-check alert will help, but until it comes in, banks must refund customers who make unwitting errors or are victims of scams.

Yorkshire Bank and Barclays can start by paying Beverley.

Dial up the future

It's good to hear BT and Openreach - which looks after Britain's cables and telephone poles - will be separated legally.

But the truth is BT could do with selling off Openreach. That way, both could focus on getting their customer service up to scratch.

A few weeks ago, I visited a BT call centre in Newcastle. So many of you complained to Money Mail about poor service by BT - which won our Wooden Spoon Award last year - and its Openreach arm, that I felt I had to investigate.

The enormous site, which houses more than 800 staff, is in a grey industrial estate 20 minutes from the city centre. Inside, I got a glimpse of the new BT computer system the firm hopes will solve its customer service nightmare.

BT's back office system was so clunky that only a computer whizz could navigate its maze of menus and boxes without making more errors than they fix.

Over the next year, every BT call centre worker will be using the new, simpler system which, having seen it working, I think will make a massive difference.

Time will tell whether it's enough to stem the flow of complaints about BT. My main worry is that underlying its problems is an Openreach service that is stuck in the Dark Ages.

Annuity shame

Didn't you just know it? As we suspected, insurers played a major role in shutting down plans to give savers the ability to cash in their annuities.

As part of Money Mail's Unlock Our Pensions campaign, we have explained how, for many savers, a cash lump sum would be far more useful than the pathetic monthly payouts they get from annuities.

When push came to shove, insurers once again put their bottom lines before customers. Most bleated on about 'consumer protection', warning that savers would get ripped off if they were allowed to cash in annuities.

Read some of the farcical excuses - including helping fund terrorists and money launderers - here.

What upsets me most is that the focus on consumer protection in documents we obtained was nowhere to be seen when insurers were flogging annuities.

For years, they pushed customers into such low rates that many will die before they get back the sum they invested.

The worst affected were those in poor health, who are being deprived of up to 40 per cent a year.

When it scrapped its plans, the Government was worried savers would have got a poor deal if it let them cash in annuities. In other words, it admitted greedy firms were likely to take advantage of savers a second time.

Come on, Chancellor Philip Hammond. Look past this nonsense about protecting savers and make insurers give us our cash.
My car was parked when a cast iron drainpipe detached from the car park wall and fell onto it.

The damage was repaired through my insurance company, More Than, but I had to pay a 250 excess.

The company that owns the building admitted responsibility, and More Than received its outlay from the firm's insurer. But I cannot get back my 250 excess.

The incident happened in January 2015. I have phoned More Than more than 16 times since, but it seems to have lost interest. I think that, as it has got the money, it hopes I will go away.

Mrs K. L., Cheshire.

Ouch: More Than demanded a customer fork out 250 excess after a drainpipe fell on her car

You have been partly caught in the crossfire between two insurers. The 250 excess should have been coughed up by the car park owner's insurer.

More Than says it has been unsuccessful in its many attempts to obtain this compensation on your behalf.

However, it admits the process has taken far too long and a spokesman apologises for the significant inconvenience you have faced for almost two years in trying to get your claim settled.

As a goodwill gesture, it has now not only paid the 250 excess for your uninsured loss, but given you an additional 200 in recognition of the trouble you have had.

Our easyJet flight was supposed to leave Gatwick for the Isle of Man at 1:20pm. We were initially told there was a 30-minute delay, but then we heard staff mention the crew had run out of flying hours.

Once we boarded the plane, the captain confirmed this and said they were waiting for the next crew to take over.

Next, we were told to disembark. An easyJet agent told us there was no crew and we would probably leave at 7pm.

Finally, after queuing again, we were allocated a hotel for the night and told we would fly the next morning, which we did at 7am.

We have been chasing easyJet for compensation since the end of July, with no success. The last communication we had was on September 25, when we received an email saying they would be in touch in seven to ten days.

G. F., Kent.

Trying to make easyJet's version fit with yours initially felt like attempting to do a jigsaw with no picture and only half the pieces. But I think I've finally got there.

EasyJet says that, although the flight boarded on time, there were air traffic control take-off capacity restrictions until 2.20pm, which led to an initial two-hour delay.

The weather then added to the complications. There was thick fog in the Isle of Man and the Met Office advised that it would not clear until at least 6pm.

This further delay did indeed mean the crew would exceed their flying hours.

However, easyJet maintains that 'as the reason for the delay was Air Traffic Control restrictions followed by adverse weather, this is classed as 'extraordinary' and, unfortunately, compensation is not payable on this occasion'.

EasyJet cites EC regulation 261/2004 regarding extraordinary circumstances where 'the impact of an air traffic management decision gives rise to a long delay, an overnight delay, or cancellation of one or more flights by that aircraft' and in cases of 'meteorological conditions incompatible with the operation of the flight concerned'.

Personally, I take the view that I would rather be delayed and safe than have airlines push boundaries to avoid compensation claims.

I appreciate your irritation, but surely it's better to be tucked up in a hotel than circling a fog-bound airport in dangerous conditions?

YOU HAVE YOUR SAY - STORES HARVESTING EMAILS Every week, Money Mail receives hundreds of letters and emails about our stories. Here are some of the best from our recent story about how shoppers are having personal details harvested by High Street stores at the tills: I was asked for my email address recently in a High Street chain store. I was told it was just for receipts, yet am bombarded with marketing emails every day. C. C., Chelmsford, Essex. Last year, when visiting the UK, I tried to buy 160 of perfume, but ended up leaving the shop empty-handed because the assistant refused to do the transaction unless I gave an email address. I said I had a right not to give it, but he wouldn't put the purchase through without one. I just put the bottles down and told him to forget it. They lost my business. T. C., Australia, via email. The most irritating thing about this practice is not the spam emails  it's the ridiculous amount of time it adds to the transaction. Several times, I've been stuck in long queues because people in front of me have been spelling out their email addresses. E. N., York. Shops aren't only doing this at the tills. They save your email address every time you enter a competition or rate a service. Don't give up your email address and you won't be spammed. T. S., Essex. We get a lot of customers who return goods to the store without their receipt. That's where the e-receipt comes into its own. It might be annoying, but it can be a life-saver if you lose the original. N. L., Hull. I work in retail and am given targets for the number of email addresses I get. However, I don't ask for an email outright - I ask if the customer would like an e-receipt. If so, great. If not, fine. Too many people get sarcastic or abusive when we're just doing our jobs. You can always say 'no'. L. B., Southampton. I always say that I don't have an email or a mobile phone. It's funny to watch the shop assistant's face as they try to comprehend how anyone can live without either. L. H., Cardiff. Have one email address for friends and family, and another for shops. That way, all the rubbish goes into an account you can ignore. U. M., Runcorn, Ches.

My darling husband passed away two years ago. We both had Premium Bonds, which, in our wills, were left to each other.

National Savings & Investments said I could keep the bonds for a year, after which time I had to draw them out.

I sent NS&I all it asked for, including death certificate, marriage licence, his will and his Premium Bonds. But it won't give me the money unless I go to probate, which costs 500.

Mrs J. A., Middlesex.

NS&I does not always demand probate and thought that perhaps there had been a mistake here. However, it has got it right.

Probate is not required on small investments. But if the total investment with NS&I is more than 5,000, probate is needed. Your spouse's holding was greater than this, so I'm afraid it acted correctly.

These rules may be irritating, but they protect investors and those who may inherit from them.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT While my wife and I were on holiday in Majorca, we had to call a doctor out twice. It cost us 100 each time. We thought we'd get some of the money back from our travel insurer, Staysure, but it refused to pay because the total claim fell below the policy excess. Is this right? R. G., Norfolk. Unfortunately, yes. All insurance policies have an excess  the amount you are liable to pay before your insurer steps in to cover the bill. In your case, this was 100 per person  and 100 was worth less than 100 at the time of your claim. I never watch television because I have a condition that means I can't track moving pictures, but I do listen to Radio 4. I know it sounds strange, but do I need a TV licence? R. T., Lincoln. You don't need a licence to listen to the radio, even on the BBC's online iPlayer service. You do need one if you watch or record live TV on any device, or if you watch or download BBC television programmes on iPlayer. This also applies to items viewed on a computer, tablet or phone. Your recent article on the different options for mortgages in later life was helpful. What are the rules around releasing equity from my leasehold flat in order to make home improvements? B. L., via email. You should have no problems, as long as the remaining term is at least 75 years. If it's shorter, some lenders will allow part of any released funds to be used to purchase an extended lease so that you can go ahead. Simon Chalk, an equity release expert at Age Partnership, says some lenders have a limit on the number of storeys the building has, while others don't accept ex-local authority flats. All will want to know how much your annual maintenance and service charge is.

It has been almost a year since my husband died, aged 69, yet Barclaycard is still sending credit card statements and junk mail addressed to him.

I've called many times and sent a copy of his death certificate, but no one seems capable of removing him from the database.

The other week, I received a credit card statement  which, of course, showed a balance of zero, as my husband isn't here to spend on the card.

Every time an envelope lands on my doormat addressed to him, my heart sinks, as I'm still grieving.

Mrs S. D., Milton Keynes.

Some companies just don't seem to realise how upsetting it can be to receive constant reminders of your loss through the post.

Barclaycard has displayed exactly the type of behaviour Money Mail's Looking After Your Legacy campaign is trying to eradicate.

The firm made some pretty serious errors here. It turns out your husband had two credit cards - one he cancelled before he died and another that remained open.

Barclaycard failed to join the dots and, despite having a nil balance on the one remaining open, continued sending marketing material and annual statements.

A spokesman assured me the account is now shut, adding: 'We are undertaking a thorough investigation into how this occurred. We offer our condolences and sincerely apologise for any upset caused.'

Barclaycard has also offered to donate 500 to a charity of your choice.
The annual Kadlekai Parishe or groundnut fair in Bengaluru has seen a sharp decline in business due to demonetisation. People are only taking selfies and clicking pictures than buying groundnut.

It takes place every year and without fail, Bengalureans rush to Basavanagudi to be a part of the centuries-old Kadlekai Parishe or groundnut fair.

For three entire days, a section of the road is blocked and all you can see everywhere are groundnut sellers. And over the years, those selling cotton candy, colourful jewellery, plastic ware, toys and utensils have also set up their shops.

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But this year, things are totally different.

The drought in Karnataka and more recently, the demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1000 notes has completely destroyed the business of groundnut sellers.

DEMONETISATION HITS BUSINESS HARD

Many groundnut sellers complain that customers come with Rs 2000 notes and want to buy groundnuts worth just Rs 100 or 150. But when they tell the customers that they do not have change, the customers just walk away.

One quintal of groundnuts costs anywhere between Rs 3800 and 4200. But at the Kadlekai Parishe, they are selling it for Rs 30 a 'seru' or a measure, and with hard bargaining the cost falls to Rs 20 for both the roasted and raw versions.

In addition, the rent of Rs 500 that is to be paid to the organizers has brought their profits to almost zilch.

SELFIES GALORE

Groundnut sellers also complain that those who come to the fair are mostly interested in taking photos and selfies.

Local college students throng the place throughout the day and due to lack of change in their pockets, keep themselves busy with clicking photos and selfies only.

Sadhana, a student said that demonetisation has really spoilt a lot of the fun this year.

"There is no change for the Rs 2000 notes. So the only option for us is to click photos and take selfies," she added.

ALSO READ:

Demonetisation: Farmers now allowed to buy seeds with old Rs 500 notes

Demonetisation: Vegetable market in Nashik takes a hit, small farmers forced to feed produce to cattle

--- ENDS ---
Concerns: China has proposed a crackdown on firms buying British companies

Chinese predators will find it harder to buy British firms in a crackdown proposed by their own government.

There is growing concern in the West about China's appetite for foreign businesses, with the UK particularly popular thanks to the post-Brexit fall in the pound.

But it appears the Chinese authorities are just as concerned and have proposed restrictions on how much their firms can spend abroad.

The tighter rules are aimed at stopping businesses from moving their money out of China.

Companies would face scrutiny of purchases worth more than 800million which are not part of their core business.
Tesco's former boss will not be charged after an investigation into an accounting scandal at Britains biggest retailer.

Philip Clarke was sacked in 2014 just weeks before the supermarket revealed it had overstated profits by 263million.

The figure was later revised upwards to 326million when Tesco included previous accounts and the grocer suspended eight directors.

Exonerated: Philip Clarke was sacked in 2014 just weeks before the supermarket revealed it had overstated profits by 263million

But Clarke has now been told that the Serious Fraud Office has insufficient evidence to pursue the case.

The SFO said it was still investigating the scandal  and three former executives have been charged. But the decision not to charge Clarke, 56, could be a boost for the company.

Under UK corporate liability laws, prosecutors must show a senior executive or board member who took major company decisions was behind a corporate fraud.

Lawyers pursuing legal action against Tesco on behalf of investors who lost out when the companys share price tumbled following its accounting statement have criticised the investigator.

Clive Zietman, a partner at Stewarts Law, which is leading one case, said: The SFO is woefully under-resourced. It creates an issue in terms of their ability and capability to pursue serious financial fraud.

The SFO has previously come under fire for launching just 16 investigations last year, despite receiving more than 2,800 tip-offs from whistleblowers.

However, the SFO charged three Tesco executives for fraud and false accounting in September.

Christopher Bush, who was managing director of Tesco UK, Carl Rogberg, who was UK finance director, and John Scouler, who was UK food commercial director, were charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of false accounting.

The trio, who will stand trial next year, have denied the charges.

Accountancy firm PwC, which audited Tescos accounts from 1982 until it was axed in January 2015, remains under investigation by the Financial Reporting Council for its role in the scandal.
Housebuilders were given a boost by better than expected mortgage lending figures and stellar profits at Countryside where business benefited from the booming market in the South East.

According to the Bank of England, 67,518 mortgages were approved last month, up 6 per cent from 63,594 in September and beating industry expectations of 66,000.

The figures were enough to boost shares for builders including Barratt Developments, Berkeley Group, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey and Galliford Try, which all benefited from the positive results.

They were also given a boost by Countryside, which focuses on land within 50 miles of London but not in the city centre itself.

Mortgage figures boosted shares for builders including Barratt Developments, Berkeley Group, Redrow, Taylor Wimpey and Galliford Try which all benefited from the positive results

Countryside made profits of 78.6million in the year to September 30, up from 28million for the previous 12 months.

Its average selling price rose from 385,000 to 465,000, driving turnover up 22.6 per cent to 671.3million.

Investors will get a final dividend of 3.4p per share, their first since the company returned to the stock market in a 1billion float in February.

Like the rest of the housebuilding industry, Countryside was hit by a sharp sell-off after the Brexit vote, losing more than 36 per cent of its value in just three days.

However, the stock has since made a partial recovery as the collapse in house prices, which many Remainers predicted, failed to materialise.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the boost in mortgage approval rates 'should put a smile on the face of shareholders in housebuilders'.

STOCK WATCH - SSP Food and beverages company SSP is angling for a slice of the bakery market as it toasts rising sales and profits. The company, known for Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza, has roped in Great British Bake Off's Paul Hollywood to help roll out its new bakery chain Knead. The store opens in a London station next year before expanding throughout national rail stations and airports, and will sell treats designed by Hollywood. Profits were up 31.1pc to 107.5m while sales were up 5pc to 1,990m. Shares were up 8.5pc or 29.2p to 371p.

Barratt led the way in the sector, jumping 2.3 per cent, or 10.6p, to 476.1p. Berkeley was up 3.7 per cent, or 89p, to 2517p while Redrow was up 1.2 per cent, or 4.7p, to 414.1p.

Taylor Wimpey gained 2.1 per cent, or 3p, to 149.4p and Galliford Try rose 1.7 per cent, or 21p, to 1262p. Shares at Countryside were flat at 230p.

Mineral sands producer Sierra Rutile saw its shares tank after a problem with one of its dams caused a rival to shy away from a 215million merger.

The mining company, which was set to close a deal with Australian producer Iluka yesterday, revealed the merger would be put on hold after the firm raised concerns about the 'geo-technical risks' of two of its dams.

Staff who were sent to Sierra Rutile's operations in Sierra Leone last week found a leak in a dam which had not been apparent when they had inspected the facilities during the dry season.

Iluka claimed the findings amounted to a 'material change' to the condition of the merger and called on Sierra Rutile to extend its deadline for the deal within the next few days.

Sierra Rutile, however, said it was operating within industry standards and would consider its options under the earlier agreement the two firms had reached in July.

Iluka, one of the larger international producers of mineral sands, a blanket name given to a variety of minerals including rutile, zircon and ilmenite, said it would be bringing in more staff to assess the risk to the dams before the end of the week.

It added that if Sierra Rutile failed to agree to extend the deal within five business days after Wednesday, it could terminate the merger agreement altogether. The announcement sent Sierra Rutile's shares tumbling 17.8 per cent, or 6.38p, to 29.38p.

The FTSE 100 finished down 0.4 per cent or 27.47p to 6772p.

Gold producer Polymetal and supplies firm Travis Perkins are tipped to drop out of the FTSE 100 when it undergoes its latest reshuffle today.

Newcomer ConvaTec  a health care equipment expert  will likely join the exclusive group following its 4.8billion market valuation off the back of a successful float last month.

But the second company set to be promoted is less clear cut. Packaging giant Smurfit Kappa is poised to join this time round but will face stiff competition from Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust.

Shares at Polymetal were down 0.9 per cent, or 7p, to 762.5p and Travis Perkins fell 0.6 per cent, or 8p, to 1370p.
Two more companies today provided updates showing that the UK housing market is remaining buoyant despite the uncertainty of Brexit knocking on the door.

Home-listing website Zoopla posted a 38 per cent jump in full year profits, while builder Telford Homes said it would maintain its anticipated growth, with plans to double the business in size over the next five years although its profits fell.

Industry insiders said it is the latest sign that the property market is weathering the effect of the shock June 23 vote to leave the European Union

Future still bright: Two more companies today provided updates showing that the UK housing market is remaining buoyant despite the uncertainty of Brexit knocking on the door

Zoopla posted pretax profits of 46.2million for the year to the end of September, which was in line with analysts' forecasts, and said it was comfortable with expectations for 2017, when a further rise is anticipated.

The property platform also announced that its online traffic was strong, recording more than 600 million visits to the group's websites and apps - with 68 per cent of hits coming via mobile.

In reaction to the numbers, Zoopla shares were up over 7 per cent, or 23.4p to 342.2p in morning trading.

Zoopla's chief Executive Alex Chesterman said that the business - which also announced the acquisition of estate agents website design and hosting business Technicweb today - operated in a number of sectors, allowing it to withstand any impact from Brexit.

'Our business, which is not just diversified across sales and rentals but is also diversified across marketing and software and a variety of other services, remains relatively unaffected,' he said.

Success: Zoopla posted profits of 46.2million for the year to the end of September, which was in line with analysts' forecasts, and said it was comfortable with expectations for 2017

Mr Chesterman also suggested that rental growth might outweigh any slowdown in sales and that Zoopla had continued to win back agents from rival OnTheMarket.

Meanwhile, AIM-listed residential property developer Telford Homes reported a drop in its first half profits today but said it remains confident of meeting current market expectations for the year to the end of March 2017.

Telford's pretax profit slumped to 9million, down from 21million a year earlier, as revenue declined to 104.3million from 139.6million.

The company said the drop in profit was entirely due to development timings and said its full year results will be weighted towards the second half of the year with more completions due in that period.

The group's chief executive Jon Di-Stefano said: 'Telford Homes is in a very strong position with over 700million of forward sales secured and a substantial development pipeline.

'The recent launch of City North in Finsbury Park exceeded our expectations achieving over 70 sales at higher than anticipated prices and proving that the right product in the right location remains attractive to buyers.'

He added: 'Overall we are well positioned to deliver on our targets of achieving more than 50million of annual pre-tax profit by 31 March 2019 and doubling the size of the business over the next five year.'

Telford Home's shares were up 1.2 per cent, or 3.8p to 317.5p this morning.

Yesterday, fellow housebuilder Countryside Properties saw its annual profits almost triple as average selling prices jumped over 20 per cent, with an initial post-Brexit wobble short-lived.

Countryside's annual pretax profits rose to 78.6million, up from 28million a year earlier, as completions rose by 12 per cent to 2,657 homes and average selling prices jumped by 21 per cent to 465,000, with revenues up 23 per cent to 671.3 million.
The oil price jumped today as OPEC agreed to cut production for the first time since 2008, in a landmark deal that could end the global supply glut - and will send petrol prices up.

The deal spells the end of months of wrangling between the world's biggest suppliers, with Saudi Arabia accepting 'a big hit' on its production and Iran agreeing to freeze output.

Overall OPEC will reduce production by around 4.5 per cent, or about 1.2 million barrels per day, starting from January. Brent crude oil leapt almost 8 per cent today to $50 a barrel.

Oh Vienna: Petrol prices are set to rise as OPEC members put their differences behind them

A deal to cut more than 1 million barrels a day could keep prices steadily above $60 a barrel by the first quarter of 2017, London-based analysts say.

This will feed through to prices at the pumps and send the cost of petrol and diesel up just a week after Chancellor Philip Hammond froze fuel duty to help motorists.

He kept fuel duty steady in the Autumn Statement last week at 57.95p per litre, the level it has been at for more than five years, reckoning that the economic activity generated by keeping fuel prices low would bring in more tax.

At present, average fuel prices stand at 114.16p for unleaded and 116.36p for diesel, according to PetrolPrices.com.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said that the oil price was not the only factor driving costs for UK motorists, the fluctuation in the pound matters too.

But he said: This is a significant day  OPECs long-running strategy has been one of oil oversupply to maintain market share and today marks the first, clear departure from this.

The oil price will react in the coming days and weeks, likely pushing pump prices up in the short term, but it is what happens into 2017 that will be most important in determining if the days of relatively low price of fuel that drivers have benefited from this year are coming to an end.

'Then there is another important consideration when it comes to the price of oil  OPEC represents many of the biggest oil producing nations, but not all so what the United States does in terms of production can affect oil prices.

'It remains to be seen if the United States will respond by increasing yet more oil from fracking which was not profitable when the oil price was lower.'

The latest Disposable Income Index from savings provider Scottish Friendly has revealed that over half (55%) of households are worried about an increase in the cost of food and more than four in ten (45%) are anxious about petrol prices.

Meanwhile, Asda's Income Tracker said higher petrol prices mean households face a 120 annual rise in transport costs compared to the same time last year.

As part of the OPEC deal, Saudi Arabia will contribute around 0.5 million barrels per day by reducing output, while Iran has confirmed it will freeze output at close to current levels of 3.797 million barrels per day.

Other members will also cut production.

OPEC allowed a glut of supply to build up to try to push out US oil producers and shale oil firms

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said: 'We have agreed to a waiver from a cut to Iran in recognition of the impact of the sanctions on their economy and their industry.'

'It will mean that we Saudi take a big cut and a big hit from our current production and from our forecast for 2017.'

Mihir Kapadia, chief executive at Sun Global Investments, said: 'The OPEC members have initiated a historic and long overdue agreement which will help pave way to stabilise oil futures.

'This decision will deliver a much needed market rebalance and reduce oil supplies.

'We expect oil prices to be on course towards $55 very soon which has been our forecast for end-2016 since February when it was trading at $28 per barrel.'

Before the meeting prospects for a deal appeared to be slim. Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Iran have dominated many previous OPEC meetings.

Nevertheless OPEC, which accounts for a third of global oil production, made a preliminary agreement in Algiers in September to cap output in an effort to prop up oil prices, which have halved since mid-2014.

The September deal was seen as a victory for Iran. Tehran has long argued it wants to raise production to regain market share lost under Western sanctions, when Saudi Arabia increased output.

The Saudis have been hesitant to shoulder the lion's share of a cut, while Iran has resisted reducing its own production as it attempts to recover output levels hit by years of sanctions.

But the tone in Vienna changed as Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said he was positive since his country had not been asked to cut output.

Spike: Oil prices soared off the back of the meeting in Vienna as Brent Crude jumped 8 per cent to more than $50 a barrel Source: Bloomberg

OPEC member Iraq has also been pressing for higher output limits, saying it needs more money to fight the militant group Islamic State.

Iran and Iraq together produce over 8 million barrels per day, only slightly behind long-time leader Saudi with 10.5 million barrels per day.

In a strange twist OPEC also suspended Indonesia from OPEC and hence the exact combined reduction was yet to be calculated.

OPEC said it would exempt Iran, Libya and Nigeria from cuts as their output has been crimped by unrest and sanctions.

Oil majors were leading the charge on the London Stock Exchange, as Brent crude prices rose after the Vienna meeting

The deal sent Brent crude prices and oil stocks in London and the US soaring.

Crude has fallen nearly 50 per cent since its peak of around $100 a barrel in June 2014.

The slide in prices has delivered cheaper petrol at the pumps for motorists, but hammered the financial performance of blue-chip energy companies.

However, even a full OPEC cut is unlikely to restore crude prices to the levels seen two years ago, before increased output from the US and other non-OPEC countries led to oversupply.

This session Shell was the biggest riser on the London market, up more than 4 per cent at 2029.5p, while rival BP jumped 3 per cent higher at 459p.
Crunch time? Tax rules that leave cakes VAT-free are to be examined

Taxes that push up the price of chocolate biscuits - but leave cakes VAT-free - will be examined in a government review.

Under current rules, cakes and biscuits are not liable for VAT.

But biscuits partially or wholly covered in chocolate are categorised as a luxury, subject to 20 per cent tax.

Gingerbread men with chocolate buttons attract 20 per cent VAT - but if they only have two chocolate dots for eyes, they remain zero-rated.

A baked Alaska is zero-rated as it has to be cooked before eating, but ice cream is taxed at 20 per cent.

The Office of Tax Simplification is now asking businesses to come forward with the issues they find most complex.

But the move has raised fears cake prices could rise.

In 1991, McVities won a tribunal against HMRC after claiming its Jaffa Cakes should be classed as cake, as they went hard when left out overnight - while biscuits go soft.

This averted a 17.5 per cent price hike - the VAT rate at the time.
The boss of Britain's car-makers gave a controversially blunt post-Brexit warning to the Government last night as he told ministers: 'Don't screw it up!'

Car-buyers face an extra 1,500 to the cost of a car as consumers and manufacturers are set to be hit with 4.5billion in tariffs if Britain leaves the single market, he said.

President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Gareth Jones urged ministers to 'make the right decisions' and negotiate to remain within the EU's single-market customs union  the so-called 'soft-Brexit' - despite Britain voting to leave the European Union as a whole.

Plea: The president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Gareth Jones has urged ministers to negotiate to remain within the EU's single-market customs union

Speaking at the SMMT's 100th annual dinner in London attended by more than 1,100 industry leaders and government officials, Mr Jones said: 'This government has, commendably, put industrial strategy at the heart of business, and the Department of Business. It does so as it faces its toughest challenge  leaving the EU.

'So as it considers how to shape our future outside Europe, and how to continue to grow the economy, our message is this:

'The United Kingdom is recognised the world over for its automotive strength. Don't screw it up!

But his comments will infuriate pro Brexit supporters who insist the UK must leave the EU's single market  the so-called 'hard Brexit' - while pressing to negotiate a free trade agreement with it.

EU members have made clear that they would not allow the UK to remain within the single market unless it signed up to the free movement of labour which opponents say is unacceptable.

Ironically his comments also fly in the face of a Brexit boost from Jaguar Land Rover, which has unveiled plans to double production and create 10,000 new jobs and make a million vehicles by 2020 many of them electric powered.

Nissan has also confirmed it will build two new models at its Sunderland plant following assurances from ministers.

Mr Jones said EU tariffs on cars alone could add at least an annual 2.7billion to imports and 1.8billion to exports.

Import tariffs alone could push up the list price of cars imported to the UK from the Continent by an average of 1,500 if car-makers and their dealerships are unable to absorb these additional costs, he said. This is based on the application of a 10% standard tariff on cars exported to and imported from the EU.

Leaving the single market will also put at risk the motor industry's recent impressive record growth and investment, said Mr Jones: 'The issue is, of course, Europe  an issue which has divided politics and divided a nation.. However, it did not divide our industry.

'We made our case, but the British people chose to vote out and that must be respected.

'The challenge now is to make a success of the new future.

'We want to see new trading agreements established. We want a strong UK economy and we want to see the UK's influence in the world enhanced. But this cannot be at the expense of jobs, growth or our tradition of bring an open, welcoming trading nation.'

Boost: Nissan has confirmed it will build two new models at its Sunderland plant following assurances from ministers

Mr Jones stressed: 'You, our members, have told us what you want; membership of the single market, consistency in regulations, access to global talent and the ability to trade abroad free from barriers and red tape.'

He said: 'This won't be easy. There will be competing priorities. But be assured, as the negotiating positions harden, the SMMT will continue to make this case to Government. We have the strength of our successful sector behind us and will ensure your voice is heard.

Mr Jones said that although UK strengths, such as having one of the world's most highly skilled and flexible workforces, would stand the nation in good stead for the challenges ahead, success cannot be taken for granted.

'We operate in an intensely competitive environment. We need to create the right conditions for future competitiveness, for developing skills and securing the strength of our economy by investing in research and development, and enabling new technologies to be developed here in the UK.'

The comments came days after SMMT published production figures showing UK car makers are on track to set a new record for exports and beat the production volumes achieved last year. He warned, however, that this success was the result of multi-billion pound investment decisions made years before the EU referendum was even a prospect.

The UK is on track to sell more than 2million cars this year. Eight out of ten cars built in the UK are exported. The UK automotive industry employs 169,000 people directly and a further 814,000 with suppliers accounting for 12 per cent of total UK exports.

Waiting times for a new car could be slashed by 30 per cent as the motor industry becomes increasingly 'digitised', said Mr Jones as he also launched a new report specially commissioned report by accountants KPMG.

New technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence will boost productivity, cut costs, and improve quality, he said: 'Consumers could see the time they have to wait for a new car cut by a third.

Mr Jones noted: 'The so-called fourth industrial revolution will be a step change in manufacturing, with production lines developing more over the next five to 10 years than in the past half century.'

All of this is set to add an annual 6.9billion to industry turnover, including a 2.6 billion boost to suppliers, while also delivering 74billion to the wider UK economy over the next two decades.
Today Money Mail reveals how Britain's biggest insurers launched their own Project Fear to prevent five million savers from cashing in their pensions.

We lay bare the scaremongering that pension firms used to deny customers the chance to trade in rip-off annuities for a lump sum.

The details  revealed in a Freedom of Information request submitted by Money Mail  sheds light on the reasons behind the Government's dramatic U-turn last month over plans to launch a secondary annuity market where the unwanted policies could be resold.

Locked out: Some insurance providers used outrageous scaremongering tactics to push ministers into a U-turn on setting up a secondary annuity market

Among a litany of excuses, firms claimed:

Savers who cashed in annuities could unwittingly fund terrorists and money launderers.

The elderly and sick might not be able to get themselves the best deal.

Insurers would be forced to offer poor-value payouts to customers to avoid increasing their costs.

Families of critically ill savers might be pressured by rogue annuity firms to artificially prolong their loved ones' lives.

Pension firms were asked by the Government about their concerns in a consultation last year.

Some companies, including Just Retirement, Partnership, L&G, LV= and Phoenix Life, were broadly supportive of a secondary annuities market.

However, insurers including Prudential, Aegon, Scottish Widows and Standard Life used their responses to voice concerns.

Most were worried that customers would be baffled and could fall victim to unscrupulous firms. But some also resorted to what experts say were 'farcical' attempts to kill off the plan  and protect their own profits.

Ros Altmann, the Tory peer and former pensions minister, says: 'Some of these excuses seem to be a desperate attempt to justify insurers denying millions of people the chance to sell an income that they don't want or need.'

Money Mail is calling for all pensioners to be given the chance to swap their annuities for cash. As part of our Unlock Our Pensions campaign, here we expose the most ludicrous reasons insurers gave to stop this happening:

IN DANGER OF BOOSTING CRIME

Prudential declared that it 'supported the concept' of allowing savers to trade in annuities, but also listed a multitude of dangers.

It urged 'extreme caution' to stop the money going to terrorists, saying in its consultation response document: 'It is important adequate care is taken to ensure that the market does not offer the potential for money laundering and terrorist funding.'

Criminals may offer better deals than pension companies, because they do not mind losing money, it added. Aegon also claimed customers' cash could be siphoned off for money laundering without adequate checks.

SAVERS TOO OLD FOR DECISIONS

A number of firms said older customers were more likely to be duped into a poor deal. Scottish Widows said: 'A significant number of customers will be older . . . and could be considered more vulnerable. As a result they may be more susceptible to making a wrong decision either on their own or encouraged by family or friends.'

Aegon said: 'Those who are in very poor health and have a short life expectancy might be considered as not being appropriate customers to buy an annuity.'

It said this was because 'the costs incurred may not make the transaction viable due to the short expected life span'.

Poor deal: Many elderly people were locked into annuities against their will because it was the only option before pension freedom

INSURERS COULD BE HIT WITH COSTS

Standard Life said a customer's existing annuity provider might be able to offer the best price by buying back annuities  especially from those with small pensions.

But in the same breath it urged against making it compulsory for firms to do this because it would mean firms have to put aside more money on their books, which could affect the deals they could offer.

Aegon warned that its customers might get a poor deal because the firm would have to cover the cost of scrapping the investments and insurance it buys to fund the lifetime guarantees on annuity payouts.

BEST DEAL BEYOND MOST PENSIONERS

Scottish Widows warned that annuity customers may suffer from 'inertia', suggesting they would be too lazy to look for the best deal.

It was among a raft of firms that said the Government should suggest that customers pay for financial advice. Prudential said some customers might not be very astute and accept a 1,000 lump sum for a 100-a-month annuity, leaving them out of pocket after just ten months.

SICK SAVERS MAY STOP TREATMENT

One of the Government's proposals was for customers to get a lump sum and, should that customer then die, ensure their spouse received some income.

Prudential also suggested a sick saver who'd spent their lump sum might be tempted to stop treatment so their spouse could receive the payouts sooner.

It also suggested the company which bought the annuity might try to influence families to keep their own income streams coming in.

It said: 'A couple, one of whom has sold their annuity for a lump sum and who has subsequently run out of money, would know that on their death, the other half of the couple would get an income.

'Would they make certain decisions, regarding care, that they would otherwise not have made?

'Equally, the purchaser of the annuity has a vested interest in [the customer's] survival  as this is a valid financial interest would they have a say in matters of care?'

Billy Burrows, an independent annuities expert, said: 'There are ethical issues involved with trading in annuities, but to suggest that someone would inflict harm on themselves is far-fetched.'

Prudential declined to comment.

Scottish Widows says it was 'fully intending' to allow customers to sell their annuities but had been waiting for information from regulators.

Aegon says it had wanted to highlight any issues with the market so customers would be properly protected.

Standard Life says: 'Our response makes it clear that our focus is firmly on the impact on customers.'
Sources said the committee, headed by BJP's Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya, is unanimous that Mann is guilty and he should be punished for videographing Parliament and streaming it live. The committee is of the opinion that the AAP MP could not attend Parliament since July 25 and that should be seen as part of his punishment already.

By India Today Web Desk: The Lok Sabha Committee probing the breach of security by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann has termed the ban on him from attending Lower House's proceedings as part of his punishment.

Sources said the committee, headed by BJP's Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya, is unanimous that he Mann is guilty and he should be punished for videographing Parliament and streaming it live. The committee is of the opinion that the AAP MP could not attend Parliament since July 25 and that should be seen as part of his punishment already.

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The panel, appointed by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, further said Mann has apologised for the comments made in connection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has withdrawn his remarks in which he had demanded that the PM should tender an apology for inviting Pakistani team to Pathankot air base after the terror attack.

Mann has tendered an unconditional apology for all his acts.

The report on Mann will be submitted on Wednesday evening. The Speaker will take a final decision on the disciplinary action against him.

Also Read

AAP MP Bhagwant Mann found guilty in Parliament security breach video case





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Bani is ready to disappoint her fans again. Why, Bani?

By India Today Web Desk: Tonight's episode of Bigg Boss Season 10 is going to be super-exciting. Why, you ask? Well, the house will get its new captain tonight. Most likely.

Also read:BB10: BFFs Manu Punjabi and Manveer Gurjar to fight for captaincy



Yep, you read that right.

Also Bani Judge will refuse to do the luxury budget task, and Priyanka-Nitibha's ugly spat will make for one hell of a ride.

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Here is a short preview of tonight's show

Bani Judge will refuse to perform a task

Yes, it will happen again.

Bigg Boss will announce a luxury budget task which will require all the jailed contestants--Jason Shah, Rahul Dev, Bani Judge, and Elena Kazan--to pedal a cycle, and as long as the 'inmates' keep pedalling, the other housemates will keep getting their daily dose of water, gas, food, and sleep. But Bani will refuse to pedal after a point complaining that she will not waste her energy doing something for people who don't respect her.

Jason Shah thinks Mona Lisa likes him!

The test tube task brings a lot of argument, drama & few tears! Watch whose test tube gets emptied! #video #BB10 https://t.co/t55Su7Z5mx Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) November 30, 2016

Yes, at one point, Jason will confess to Om Swami that he thinks Mona likes him because of the looks she keeps giving him.

We wonder if that is true, or is Jason's imagination getting ahead of him?

Priyanka Jagga and Nitibha Kaul's fight

Priyanka Jagga will lock horns with Nitibha Kaul for a captaincy task. Yes, the ladies will engage in a war of words. Priyanka will ask Manu to empty Nitibha's tube, which will make the latter upset.

As a part of the new captaincy task, contestants are given a filled test tube each with each other's name on it. They are supposed to empty its contents and state why they think the other participant is not fit for captaincy. Manu will get Nitibha's test tube.

Manu Punjabi and Manveer Gurjar will fight it out for captaincy

Everyone's true colour will be revealed during the captaincy task. Even good friends will turn into foes.

Yes, we are talking about BFFs Manu Punjabi and Manveer Gurjar.

The two will have quite the showdown.

We wonder who will finally get to be the captain of the house.

Bigg Boss 10 airs every Mon-Fri at 10:30 pm, and every Sat-Sun at 9 pm.



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MANZINI  A 19-year-old pupil died at the hands of her former lover after he allegedly raped and stabbed her seven times with a kitchen knife.



The Manzini Central High School pupil, Nqobile Matsebula, who had just finished writing her form IV examinations, is alleged to have died on the spot within the Lewis Building Flats, where she stayed with her two sisters and brother-in-law.



Nqobile was allegedly stabbed to death with the knife at about 4pm on Monday.

According to her sisters house helper, Cebile Sifundza, at midday on the day, Nqobile said she was not feeling well and decided to sleep on the corridors.



She woke up and got busy with her cellphone.

When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was on WhatsApp.



She then disappeared and soon after her disappearance, her boyfriend came and knocked, demanding to have a word with her.

I told him she had just left and he ordered me to open the door, however, I did not and he left, Sifundza said.



According to the deceaseds sister, Thandazo Matsebula, Nqobile had already dumped the boyfriend and she had informed her that he was in denial and did not want her to leave him.



The unemployed young man is alleged to have launched the horrific attack after Nqobile seemingly ended their relationship because she could no longer cope with his controlling ways.
MBABANE  Two female police officers, one stationed in the drug department and the other stationed as a keeper in the exhibit room, were arrested for alleged theft of dagga.



Sergeant Alice Matsebula (42) of Mgobodzi area and Phindile Sibuko Sihlongonyane (33) of Nkoyoyo have been charged with three counts.

In one of the charges Matsebula is facing alone, it is said that she was found in a vehicle outside the police station in possession of the 10.5kg of dagga which was taken from the exhibit room earlier.



In count one, the police officers are charged with theft which was committed on November 28 at the Mbabane Police Station exhibit room where they allegedly stole a bag of dagga in the possession of Amos Dlamini, who is the acting station commander. In count two, they are charged with contravening section 12 (2) as read with section 12 (2) (a) of the Pharmacy Act number 38/1929 as amended in that on the day mentioned above, the two, acting jointly and in furtherance of a common purpose did wrongfully and unlawfully deal by way of sale or similar transaction in a potential or harmful drug and thus contravened the said Act.



Count three is that of contravening Section 12 (1) (a) as read with Section 12 (1) (i) of the Pharmacy Act number 38/1929 as amended in that on the same day, Sergeant Matsebula at the Mbabane Police Station car park, possessed 10.5kg of dagga while inside an Audi A4 with registration plates OSD 328 BH.



They both appeared before Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati and they were represented by Sabelo Chicken Dlamini.

Prosecutor Chris Sibandze applied that the duo be remanded in custody pending their committal to the High Court and bail was denied.
The BJP accused the Congress, RJD and AAP of being dalals of black money, while members of the ruling parties alleged that demonetisation was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's publicity stunt.

BJP legislators protest during the ongoing Winter-session of Bihar Assembly in Patna on Wednesday. Photo: PTI

By Rohit Kumar Singh: Unprecedented scenes were witnessed inside the Bihar Assembly after leaders from both ruling as well as Opposition parties shouted slogans against each other with placards in their hands.

Opposition BJP accused the Congress, RJD and AAP of being against demonetisation because their leaders, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sonia Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, were dalals (brokers) of black money.

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The Opposition also demanded an apology from Rabri Devi for her disrespectful comments against BJP leader Sushil Modi when she said that he should get his sister married to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

On the other hand ruling party leaders, including Rabri Devi, shouted slogans against BJP alleging that demonetisation was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's publicity stunt. The ruling party also slammed BJP for purchasing land in Bihar just days ahead of the demonetisation announcement.

Rabri Devi also dismissed allegations of the opposition that Lalu had black money.

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In the 2013 Assembly polls, Tiwari campaigned on 19 of these seats of which 14 came to BJP's kitty.

By Rakesh Ranjan: With appointment of Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari as Delhi unit president, the Bharatiya Janata Party played the most crucial regional card ahead of the municipal elections in Delhi. It is in order to win back the dominant purvanchali voters in the Capital the BJP has, for the first time, chosen a poorvanchali leader as the head of its Delhi unit.

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Purvanchalis, comprising people from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, constitute nearly 40 lakh or 25 per cent of vote share in the Capital. It is primarily for this reason that the party high-command has given prominence to a poorvanchali over the dominant Punjabi-Baniya lobby in the Delhi BJP.

In the 2015 Assembly polls, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party had emphatically won over the migrant voters bagging 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. In Delhi, there are at least 20 Assembly constituencies or 80 municipal wards that are dominated by the purvanchalis where they constitute 17 to 47 per cent of the vote share.

Also read: BJP to launch major welfare schemes for Dalits to save skin after demonetisation effects

TIWARI'S IMPACT

In the 2013 Assembly polls, Tiwari's impact in these seats had been influential. In the elections, Tiwari campaigned on 19 of these seats of which 14 came to BJP's kitty. The purvanchali-dominated seats in Delhi include Burari, Seemapuri, Gokalpuri, Karawal Nagar, Kirari, Badli, Nangloi, Rithala, Matiala, Vikaspuri, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Deoli, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Patparganj, Laxmi Nagar, Wazirpur and Rajinder Nagar.

Tiwari, who hails from Bihar and is currently the North East Delhi MP, is tasked with consolidating the migrant voters as well as mitigating the anti-incumbency which the BJP has been facing in municipal corporations for two consecutive terms. Besides countering the allegations of corruption and addressing the salary issues of MCD employees, the party will also have to keep poll equations intact to take on the AAP, which made its debut in the municipal corporations winning five of the 13 wards in the municipal by-elections held in May this year.

The BJP even lost four of its strongholds to AAP and the Congress. "The party has consistently failed to consolidate the poorvanchali vote bank which constitutes nearly 40 per cent of total votes in Delhi. This vote bank has gradually been taken over by the AAP, which will be contesting the municipal elections fiercely in 2017," a BJP source said.

Also read: BJP emerges winner in Maharashtra local body elections

Also read: After Maharashtra, now Gujarat: Does BJP's win in local body polls mean support for demonetisation?

With Tiwari as Delhi BJP president, the party is eyeing to win back the migrant population in the Capital, he said. BJP's presence in Delhi had been eroded during the tenure of outgoing chief Satish Upadhyay, who failed to end infighting within the party. Tiwari's appointment will be crucial for the BJP is different ways. He is considered a confidante of BJP president Amit Shah and thus hopeful of ending infighting in the state unit. Tiwari is a prominent face who can influence a large chunk of voters in Delhi. With his elevation, the BJP will also silence the critics like Poonam Azad, another purvanchali, who left BJP to join AAP recently.

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By Gina Martinez

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) is considering the possibility of running for mayor next year.

Avella, who served as an aide to Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins, says while he currently isnt planning on announcing a run or starting a campaign at this time, he is certainly testing whether the support is there. Avella served as a councilman from 2002-2009 representing the 19th District, which covers parts of College Point, Whitestone and Bayside. He ran for mayor in 2009 but lost and has been the state senator of the 11th District since 2010. He announced his run for Queens borough president in 2012 but dropped out of the race in 2013.

The senator has been openly critical of de Blasio. In 2015 he was quoted by the New York Post as saying:

The mayors close staff are very arrogant and not responsive, he said I personally believe we have an absentee mayor.

While nothing is yet confirmed, Avella says he has been encouraged by constituents to run.

Its no secret that Senator Avella (and most of Queens) is not happy with the current mayoral administration and their policies, a spokesman for Avella said Theres also been a growing wave of encouragement from Queens expressing their desire for Senator Avella to enter the primary field which the senator is recognizing.
By Bob Harris

The policy of the city to make hotels in residential communities into homeless shelters has moved from Elmhurst and Maspeth to Corona, Bellerose, Long Island City, Jamaica Hills and out to Manhattan, Brooklyn and Nassau. The irate people of Maspeth have taken their battle against a homeless shelter in a Holiday Inn Express to the home of the owner in Oyster Bay, L.I. and to the home of the HRA Commissioner in Brooklyn. The Juniper Park Civic Association residents rent buses which take groups of people to march for a couple of hours chanting, blowing whistles and using air horns to announce their presence. A Nassau civic association even joined the marchers in Oyster Bay. Southeast Queens communities are angry that they have so many hotel shelters.

The homeowners opposed to these homeless shelters are forming a coalition of civic groups from Queens and throughout New York City to fight these policies. Phil Wong, who lives near the Pan Am homeless shelter is on the board of the Queens Civic Congress and gives monthly reports to the member civic leaders. He and Sally Wang are slowly building a coalition of people who will support the fight and demonstrate when necessary.

This reminds me of the fight against 100 percent reassessment several decades ago. The state had to change the assessment law and wanted to raise all home assessment up to 100 percent then bring it down. The civic associations all over the city united, held rallies, delivered circulars to homes all over the city and when members of Assembly Speaker Fink booed him at a local civic meeting in Brooklyn the idea was dropped. This kind of pressure is needed now.

In current homeless shelters, like the Pan Am hotel, the city has violated its own laws. It puts families into hotel rooms without a kitchen and is now adding kitchens for the owners and pays the hotels $3,000 a month per room for a homeless family. There is concern where the 100,000 homeless children can do their homework in a hotel room? Although officials say they provide services to the homeless, reports keep appearing that there is little or no counseling, job training, or job placement for these families.

Reports say that the homeless shelters make the clients leave at 9:00 a.m. for the day. This means that they are all over the neighborhoods all day long. Most homeless are good people who are on hard times and many do work but dont earn enough for a full apartment but some are drug and alcohol abusers, have mental problems and just dont take their medications. Disturbed, single people in the shelter system can be disruptive; they disrupt a quiet residential community. Legislators all over Queens are also holding rallies and submitting bills which would solve problems. Lack of local transportation would limit what the residents could do.

Some solutions could be new rental assistance for people who are on the edge of being evicted and who need help from falling into the shelter system. It is said that NYCHA has several thousand vacant apartments. Why cant they be fixed up quickly? Many vacant houses are all over the city. There are a few in every community. Why cant they and the AIRbnb apartments be used to help worthy families? The city must seek relief from the 1983 ruling by Judge Helen Freedman which says the city must provide housing for all on demandeven people who come from other states. There is a suggestion to build Quonset huts as we did after WWII for the veterans.

The state must use must many of their upstate building from closed prisons and mental institutions to house the homeless. This could provide useful jobs for upstate residents. Meanwhile, Fresh Meadows waits for what will happen when the large hotel on 183rd Street and the two hotels on the Horace Harding Expressway at 183rd Street open.
Times' Game of the Week Preview: No. 7 Beaver Area vs. No. 10 Deer Lakes

Beaver enters the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs riding high after closing the regular season strong. Up next: Deer Lakes for had coach Cort Rowse's Bobcats.
The government could come up with a major welfare scheme for the Dalits ahead of the state elections to assuage their sentiments.

By Siddhartha Rai: The Narendra Modi government is well aware about the possible fallouts of demonetisation and the Opposition rants that can wreak havoc on Uttar Pradesh polls in particular and BJP's politics at large.

Highly placed party sources told Mail Today that the government could come up with a major welfare scheme for the Dalits ahead of the state elections to assuage their sentiments.

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According to sources in the Union ministry for social justice and empowerment, the establishment was mulling over such a move and even the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was involved in the brainstorming.

Even party leaders suggested such a thought, though they refused to be direct. On being asked if the BJP manifesto would include some special thrust towards the uplift of Dalits, BJP's SC Morcha chief Dushyant Kumar Gautam said "PM Modi has done more for the Dalits in just over two years than the Congress regimes of the past over 60 years. A big scheme in the name of Babasaheb should be launched. Also, making available health cards to all Dalits in UP will also be a big step."

Also read: Demonetisation: Dalits hit in Agra, struggle to feed families

Also read: Congress-NCP alliance misleading Dalits, alleges Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis



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Instead of the latest toy or gadget, some people are trying to give their loved ones more financial security this holiday season.

While it's long been possible to hand out cash, buy stock or contribute to college savings plans, financial institutions and retailers are making it easier to bestow a gift with lasting value.

Among them is Stockpile, a company that sells gift cards that can be redeemed for stock, which is rolling its products out to more than 14,000 stores this holiday season after seeing success at other retailers. College savings plan administrators, which see contributions peak at the holidays, have been adding new ways to donate. And Gift of College, which helps people to contribute to college savings plans or pay down student loans, began selling gift cards at Toys R Us and Babies R Us nationally this month.

"It's easy to do and you don't have to worry about a toy breaking, you don't have to worry about batteries and you don't have to worry about the latest trend," said Young Boozer, chairman of the College Savings Plans Network.

Financial gifts can be tricky, though  givers need to be aware of the tax and social implications. Here's a look at the ins and outs of some popular financial gifts:

Cash

Cash is easy to get and easy to give, but it doesn't build value the way other options do. And for a large gift, be aware of the tax rules.

Giving a small amount of money each year is a common estate planning tool, but gifts from one person to another are capped by the IRS at $14,000 a year. Anything above that needs to be reported by the giver on their taxes and is subject to gift and estate taxes.

You may want to consider taking that cash and putting it in IRA, mutual fund or other longer-term investment.

College savings

A popular suggestion by financial planners for gifts to young children is contributing to a college savings plan.

"Grandparents, for the love of Santa, ask your kids if they have a 529 account set up for your grandchildren," said Kristin Sullivan, a financial planner in Denver. "If yes, offer to put some money into that and put something small under the tree for the kiddos. If no, offer to set one up with some small seed money."

529 college savings plans grow tax-free, and withdrawals for educational expenses are also untaxed. The giver may get a tax break as well. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia offer either a state income tax deduction or tax credits for those contributions. And nearly all plans allow contributions online or by check, said Boozer.

To give you either need to establish a savings plan or contribute to an existing one, which requires knowing a few personal details. There are also third-party options that require less legwork. Gift of College, for one, lets people contribute to a college savings account online or by buying a gift card in stores that can be used for a contribution to 91 different 529 plans. These outside services do come with fees and other limitations, so Boozer suggests closely reading the fine print.

Stock

Giving stock is a way to encourage an interest in investing over the long term.

The giver may avoid the capital gain consequences of cashing in the shares themselves. But the tax implications for the recipient are tricky depending on their age, the value of the stock and more  so it may be worth consulting a professional.

People without brokerage accounts or those who want to start small can even buy stock at the checkout line. Stockpile, which is sold in about 40 retail chains like Target, Safeway and Kroger, allows someone to buy a gift card for a dollar amount worth of stock, rather than the price for a share. Purchases can be as small as $1.
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Albany

The former Kenwood Academy, most recently the home to The Doane Stuart School, has found a new buyer a year after developer Sonny Bonacio scrapped plans for the property.

Richard Ferro, a principal broker with Berkshire Hathaway Blake, confirmed Tuesday that the property, located at 451 Southern Boulevard in Albany, is under contract with a buyer whose name is not being made public.

"Unfortunately, no further information is authorized," Ferro told the Times Union.

The property was most recently for sale for $2.9 million. It is owned by the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic religious order for women started in the wake of the French Revolution that bought the property in 1855 and used it to build a convent and a school.

The property was once the country estate of businessman Joel Rathbone, but the society tore down the home to make way for the convent and school.

The Roman Catholic school, which originally was started on North Pearl Street in Albany three years earlier, was known as Kenwood Academy before it merged with the Episcopal St. Agnes School in 1975, creating The Doane Stuart School.

Doane Stuart moved to Rensselaer in 2009 after it could not reach terms to purchase the 73-acre property from the Society of the Sacred Heart, which no longer houses its members on the property.

Before Bonacio had an idea to make Kenwood Academy into high-rent apartments, there was a plan by Health and Human Services to use the property for refugee children. Neither came to fruition.

lrulison@timesunion.com  518-454-5504  @larryrulison
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Colonie

Most New Yorkers plan to keep holiday spending unchanged from last year, and a slim majority prefer to tell people "Merry Christmas" over the more generic "Happy Holidays."

These are among the results of a new Siena Research Institute poll on the holiday season released Wednesday.

Fifty-seven percent of New Yorkers plan to spend about the same this year on gifts, the poll said. Thirty-one percent will spend less and 9 percent said they would spend more. Just over half, 51 percent, plan to hold their spending under $500, while 24 percent budgeted $1,000 or more. A quarter plan to spend between $500 and $1,000.

The survey was conducted Nov. 7-21 by random telephone calls to 800 adults using both landline and cell phones. It has a margin of error of 4 percent.

By a 2-to-1 majority, New Yorkers say their gifts will be practical rather than splurging on special items.

"Half say they are going to keep their spending at below $300," said Siena Research Institute Director Don Levy. "That's a pretty tight budget for holiday spending."

Sixty-six percent of respondents plan to conduct at least some shopping online this year. Nearly 20 percent and a quarter of younger residents, as well as 30 percent of those earning at least $100,000 a year, will do at least 75 percent of their shopping online.

"Not great news for brick and mortar retailers," Levy said.

Despite their desire to keep spending down, New Yorkers also expect to be generous with their money and, less so, their time.

More than three-quarters will make donations of money, food or gifts to charitable organizations and 37 percent plan to volunteer. Upstate, 81 percent said they planned to donate.

"The spirit of giving remains strong in New York," Levy said.

A small majority, 51 percent, told researchers they most often say "Merry Christmas" when giving seasonal greetings. Thirty-eight percent preferred to say "Happy Holidays."

That answer showed a strong upstate/downstate divide.

In upstate New York, 66 percent preferred "Merry Christmas" while 27 used the generic phrasing. In New York City, 48 percent chose "Happy Holidays" while 39 percent were more specific.

"Some people call it political correctness," Levy said. "Some people call it cultural sensitivity."

New Yorkers upstate and down do agree on putting up a Christmas tree  and they prefer an artificial one to a real evergreen.

Seventy-two percent of all New Yorkers said they put up a tree with 61 percent planning to use an artificial one. Upstaters are most likely to have a tree in their home with 41 percent planning to use a real one.

In the poll's final question, Siena asks if people believe in Santa Claus.

Thirty-two percent of New Yorkers say they do believe in the right jolly old elf, with support for St. Nicholas highest among Catholics and Latinos.

Sixty-five percent can no longer hear the bell from Santa's sleigh, despite the apparent risk of getting coal in their stockings.

tobrien@timesunion.com  518-454-5092  @timobrientu
It's not often that a chef allows you into his kitchen--in equal parts his mecca, his source of stimulation, his hideaway, and his home.

Chef Siddharth Kashyap

Restaurant: The Boston Butt, Kala Ghoda

In his kitchen: Smoking machines, curing chambers

On the menu: Pulled Smoked Chicken, Chicago Style Hot Link Sausages (pork or chicken)



It was a trip to London, where Chef Siddharth Kashyap tasted authentic American barbecue for the first time that sowed the seed for his pet project-The Boston Butt, a smokery and charcuterie. "Before that I had always associated barbecuing with flash grilling, high temperature searing with coal burning at 1000 degrees," admits Kashyap.

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But Texan or southern-style barbecuing is very different, with the meat slow and low-cooked in smokers at temperatures as low as 150F-160 F just keeping the meat warm throughout the process. "This renders the tough tissues of the meat really soft and tender, and imparts a very unique smoked flavour that you won't get on a sidgi or tandoor. It's sweet and woody," he reveals. Kashyap has managed to get four small smokers in his Kala Ghoda kitchen and is serving up a southern feast. He smokes pork shoulders, beef brisket, chicken, kingfish as well as vegetables. Along with baking their own breads, they also make their own sausages at The Boston Butt (which gets its name from the cut of a pork shoulder). The curing chamber is where the sausages are hung and cooled currently, but Kashyap hopes to begin ageing some meats there soon.

Do it at home: Considering that Kashyap uses the smoker to not just flavour but also cook the food, this seems like a difficult feat to replicate at home. "One has to stoke the fire continuously to ensure that the meat is at 150-175 F at all times. If the fire is burning too high, add some more wood. You cannot leave it alone," says Kashyap.

Also read: A chef guides us through Mumbai's street food and the top 10 places to find them



Chef Paul Kinny

Restaurant: 212 All Good, Lower Parel

In his kitchen: Dehydrator, sous vide machine, blow torch

On the menu: The Himalayan Trout, Adzuki Bean and Millet Salad



Referring to himself as a progressive old-schooler, Chef Paul Kinny believes that modern cooking is both a blessing and a bane. "While it makes life so much easier for a chef, it is also a bane because the new lot don't know how to apply themselves to the real style of cooking," says Kinny. "I've grown up serving fresh food, so I don't get why they're now insisting on adding chemicals," he adds, clarifying that he's not a fan of the molecular style.

When the team at Bellona Hospitality decided on the concept for 212 All Day, which plates up only local, fresh produce and believes in serving "clean" food, Kinny instantly thought of one machine he had to have in the kitchen. The dehydrator would help him serve vegetables in a way that made them exciting to eat, healthier for the gut and pretty to look at. Consider the dehydrator like an oven that works on a very low temperature, in some cases taking up to 24 hours to do the job. As opposed to boiling or cooking a veggie, this ensures that all the nutrients remain packed in, while the moisture is completely removed. "It is big among the raw food community. They use it to make chips of different kinds and add texture to their food," he explains. His next experiment is going to be grain chips made with a variety of seeds laid out thinly and dehydrated. The result is crisp, guilt-free chips.

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Do it at home: Turn up the heat of your oven to about 40-50 degrees. Lay out thinly sliced vegetables on the tray. Make sure the moisture/steam has a way to escape otherwise the food will keep absorbing the moisture. "My trick is to keep the oven door slightly open to let the moisture out," say Kinny.



Chef Vicky Ratnani

Restaurant: The Korner House, Khar

In his kitchen: Sous vide machine, smoker, portable smoker

On the menu: Herbal Hummus, The Art House Salad



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It's a steep climb down to where Chef Vicky Ratnani keeps his gadgets in the basement of his The Korner House kitchen. Ratnani, who's food is every bit as good as he says it is on television, is most proud of his sous vide machine. The thermocirculator is set at 58-59 Degrees, heating up the water bath that will slow cook the chicken breast. A quick seasoning of the chicken is followed by vacuum sealing the bag.

"This also ensures that marination time required is reduced. Because there's no escape of oxygen, marination is accelerated by three times. At The Korner House, Ratnani has been attempting to serve vegetables with a twist too. His smoker and portable smoke gun are helping him champion this cause. Cauliflowers, paneer, salt-each of these get a distinctive cherry or apple wood aroma because of their time in the smoker. His quick smoking technique, using a machine that works on the same principle as a pipe, helps infuse clove or cinnamon flavoured smoke into cocktails or in the herbal hummus he serves. Do it at home: Every house should have a vacuum sealer, says Ratnani.

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Vacuum freeze raw meat or curry and its shelf life increases to up to six months. To try the sous vide technique at home, you could place the vacuum sealed bag in a pot of warm water, but you'll have to ensure the temperature is maintained at a consistent level throughout. Adding a smokey aroma to your food is far simpler.

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National supermarket chain Albertsons Companies Inc. is in advanced talks to acquire Price Chopper for around $1 billion, Reuters reported Tuesday night, citing people familiar with the deal.

The possible purchase, which could alter the Capital Region's business landscape, comes two years after Price Chopper owner Golub Corp. announced its intention to convert its roughly 130 stores to the Market 32 brand and to invest $300 million over the next five years.

Price Chopper operates across the Northeast, including New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts and has $3.6 billion in annual sales.

Contacted Tuesday night, Mona Golub, spokeswoman for the company, said she does not comment on rumors.

Albertsons declined to comment.

The Reuters sources, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential, cautioned it is still possible for the deal negotiations to fall through.

Reuters reported that Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, which is controlled by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP and operates more than 2,200 supermarkets, is the second largest U.S. grocery chain after Kroger Co. In a sign of how fragmented the U.S. grocery market is, these two companies, together with Publix Super Markets, controlled just 27 percent of the market in 2015, according to research organization IBIS World, the Reuters story said.

In August, Price Chopper dismissed a report by Supermarket News, quoting unidentified sources, that it was looking at a sale.

The trade publication quoted the managing director for Strategic Resource Group in New York, saying the chain is valued between $1.4 billion and $2.5 billion, depending on whether it sold its real estate and distribution centers as well as its supermarkets.

At the time, Mona Golub said a sale was not on the table. However, she did say, "We have formed a finance committee on our board to look for capital partners," she said.

This year, Scott Grimmett took over from Jerry Golub as chief executive of Golub Corp. He is the first non-family member to hold that position in the family company.

In April, Grimmett said the conversion of Price Chopper stores to Market 32 was going well. "We couldn't be happier," he said.

When the company announced in January that it was promoting Grimmett, it said that Jerry Golub would lead a new committee to quicken the chain's conversion to the Market 32 brand.

Reuters said a deal would underscore the wave of consolidation sweeping the U.S. grocery industry, as regional chains struggle to compete against online retailers such as Amazon.com, big-box stores such as Wal-Mart, and discount chains such as Aldi.

The Capital Region has seen increasing grocery competition from new entrants Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the Fresh Market.

The Niskayuna Food Co-op has remodeled and the Honest Weight food co-op in Albany moved into a larger store. ShopRite opened four stores in the Capital Region, and Delhaize Group, the Belgium-based parent of Hannaford supermarkets, last month said it would be acquired by Netherlands-based Royal Ahold NV, which operates Stop & Shop and Giant supermarkets, in a $10.4 billion deal. In addition, Wal-Mart stores continue to expand into supercenters. Target also has added grocery sections.

Golub Corp. dates back to the turn of the 20th century, when Lewis Golub, a Russian immigrant, settled in Schenectady, where he opened a lunch room, dairy store and eventually, in 1922, a wholesale grocery warehouse. In 2010 Price Chopper opened its new headquarters, on Nott Street, in Schenectady.

Price Chopper's Golub Foundation, the region's the second-largest philanthropic group, made grants totaling $1,203,901 in 2015.
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The State Police posted the mug shots of nine people wanted across New York Wednesday. The weekly round-up of warrants includes one woman sought in the Capital Region.

Sheena M. Parker, 29, is wanted in Fort Ann for criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.

Parker was arrested during a traffic stop, after troopers found her with 45 grams of marihuana in a plastic bag, pills not prescribed to her, and a marihuana glass pipe, grinder, and digital scale, State Police said.

She failed to appear for a scheduled court date in 2015, State Police said. Her last known address was in Rutland, Vt., and she has ties to the Fort Ann area.

Parker is described as a 5-foot-5 white woman with brown hair and eyes, weighing 115 pounds.

Anyone with information about wanted individuals is asked to contact the New York State Police immediately.

Citizens should not take any police action other than contacting troopers by calling (518) 642-9455 or emailing Crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.

State Police are also seeking eight other defendants:

 Brandee Arquiette, 40, is wanted in St. Lawrence County for the criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony.

Arquiette violated the terms of her probation after being charged with selling cocaine on April 24, 2015, State Police said.

Arquiette is described as a 5-foot-2 white woman with brown hair and hazel eyes, weighing 119 pounds.

 Shannon L. Smoke, 42, is wanted in the town of Niagara for hindering prosecution, a misdemeanor.

Smoke has been arrested multiple times and was charged after giving false information during an investigation, State Police said. She failed to appear Dec. 10, 2015.

Smoke is described as a 5-foot-6 American Indian woman with black hair and brown eyes, weighing 140 pounds.

 Jesse J. Smith, 33, is wanted for criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminally using drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors.

Troopers stopped Smith on the Thruway for a traffic violation Dec. 2, 2014, and found him in possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, State Police said.

Smith is described as a 5-foot-8 black man with black hair and brown eyes, weighing 220 pounds.

 Karen Redsicker, 57, is wanted in Bath for possessing drug paraphernalia and petit larceny, both misdemeanors.

State Police said Redsicker stole cleaning supplies from a shelter in Bath.

Redsicker is described as a 5-foot-4 white woman with brown hair and hazel eyes, weighing 140 pounds. She is pictured with blonde hair in the provided photo.

 Thomas Miranda, 26, is wanted in Shandaken for petit larceny and offering a false instrument for filing, both misdemeanors.

Miranda was arrested after he filed a false report with the State Police claiming his debit card was stolen and someone made unauthorized charges totaling $778.55, State Police said. The bank reimbursed Miranda with $996.83, a sum covering the allegedly stolen money, overdraft fees and other penalties.

An investigation revealed Miranda removed the money from his account, State Police said. A warrant was issued after the man failed to return to court, State Police said.

Miranda is described as a 5-foot-8 white man with brown hair and eyes, weighing 175 pounds.

 Clara Lee Samphier, 54, is wanted in the town of Onondaga for criminal possession of a forged instrument and petit larceny, both misdemeanors.

Samphier failed to appear in court after a 2015 arrest. State Police said Samphier is issued a forged check to a Onondaga business.

Samphier is described as a 5-foot-7 white woman with black hair and hazel eyes, weighing 190 pounds.

 John Black, 31, is wanted by the Nassau County First District Court for misdemeanor criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument, aggravated unlicensed operation and numerous traffic violations.

Black was stopped for a traffic violation on the Wantagh State Parkway in 2013 and later arrested, State Police said. He was driving a tan Buick at the time of his arrest and his last known address was in Seaford.

Black is described as a 6-foot white man with brown hair and blue eyes, weighing 175 pounds.

 Paul Steinbiss is wanted in Kirkwood for driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Steinbiss failed to appear for multiple court dates after his 2010 arrest, State Police said.

Steinbiss is described as a 5-foot-10 white man with brown hair and eyes, weighing 160 pounds.
Neil Golub on Wednesday declined to talk about a report that his family is in discussions with the Albertsons Cos. of Idaho to buy the Price Chopper and Market 32 supermarket chain for $1 billion.

At a press conference Wednesday at the miSci museum in Schenectady, Golub said a story published by Reuters Tuesday night "surprised" him.
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Neil Golub didn't mince words Wednesday when he was asked about a Reuters story published the night before that says Schenectady-based Price Chopper is in "advanced" negotiations to sell the 84-year-old company to Albertsons Cos. for $1 billion.

Golub, executive chairman of the family-owned business, told reporters he was "surprised" by the Reuters story, although he did not deny that the talks are taking place.

"I don't comment on stuff like that, when you see nonsense articles coming from halfway across the country," Golub said. "I'm not going to comment. We're a great company... We're going to go about our business and let others do their business."

The Reuters article was written by Lauren Hirsch, a New York City-based mergers and acquisitions reporter for the news service who specializes in retail and consumer companies.

Golub and his wife, Jane, were being honored Wednesday at miSci, also known as the Museum of Innovation and Science, one of many local causes and institutions the Golubs support.

The museum put the Golubs' names on the side of the museum in their honor during a ceremony Wednesday morning that included local dignitaries, including former state Sen. Hugh Farley.

"What a treasure they (the Golubs) are to our community," Farley said. "What a dear friend (Neil) has been to me and has been to our community."

The Reuters article says that the Golub family was under pressure to sell amid fierce competition by big box stores like Walmart, discount chains like Aldi and online retailers like Amazon.

"These challenges put pressure on the Golub family, which has owned Price Chopper for more than eight decades, to explore a sale," Hirsch wrote.

Albertsons, the country's second-largest supermarket chain, appears poised for an acquisition.

The company, owned by the New York City private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, has been preparing to sell 65 million shares of stock in an initial public offering that could raise up to $1.7 billion. No date has been set yet for the highly anticipated IPO.

The money would more than pay for its acquisition of Price Chopper, which is operated by Golub Corp.

Albertsons says in its IPO prospectus that it is planning to make more acquisitions. The company acquired the Safeway supermarket chain in 2015 and acquired the Shaw's, Star Market and Jewel-Osco chains in 2013.

"We continually review acquisition opportunities that we believe are synergistic with our existing store network and we intend to continue to participate in the ongoing consolidation of the food retail industry," the company said in its IPO filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Although Price Chopper has trimmed its administrative ranks on a regular basis over the last several years, the company has a significant Schenectady County presence.

It employs roughly 600 people at its headquarters in downtown Schenectady, along and hundreds more at a distribution center in Rotterdam.

Those numbers don't include full- and part-time employees at local stores. The company has 20,000 employees total with 130 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and New England.

In January, Price Chopper named Scott Grimmett its CEO, the first non-family member to lead the company. Grimmett is no outsider, however, having served as chief operating officer at Price Chopper since 2012. He was a longtime executive for Safeway, although before Safeway was acquired by Albertsons.

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What Albertsons is missing today in its geographic footprint is a large presence in upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

Price Chopper, which reportedly has $3.6 billion in annual sales, would provide that.

Christine Wilcox, an Albertsons spokesperson, would not address the Reuters story.

"We don't comment on rumors or speculation," Wilcox told the Times Union.

"At this time, Cerberus is going to decline comment," a Cerberus spokesperson told the Times Union.

Over the summer, word of a possible sale of Price Chopper was first reported by Supermarket News, a trade publication for the supermarket industry. At the time, the publication reported that Golub Corp. could be valued as high as $2.5 billion if its real estate and distribution centers were included in the deal.

Albertsons had net sales of $58.7 billion in 2015.

It is unclear how a sale of Golub Corp. or its stores would impact Price Chopper's stock bonus plan, which provides shares of preferred stock to Price Chopper employees. The plan, which has thousands of participants, was valued at $190 million as of 2015.
Albany

Kyle Arnold, who is 23 and gay, thought he'd gotten another parking ticket on his car near his apartment on Willett Street adjacent to Washington Park.

He unfolded the piece of paper tucked under a windshield wiper, read the ugly words written in black felt-tip marker and felt like he had been punched in the face. The note used an anti-gay slur and a curse. "We don't want (anti-gay slur) in this country!!!"

It was signed "Trump Nation."

"I felt shock and then more heartbroken than anything else," said Arnold, a server and bartender at El Loco Mexican Cafe. He has always felt safe and comfortable being openly gay while living and working in the Lark Street neighborhood, one of the most diverse in the city.

"I could feel the anger coming through that letter," he said. "I didn't feel fear for myself because I've gotten to the point that I'm confident and proud to be gay. I worried more about attacks on women, Muslims, Hispanics and people of color in light of Trump's rhetoric."

A sharp rise in hate speech, harassment and intimidation in the aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump's election victory has been reported by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization that monitors the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists in the United States. It documented 867 hate incidents in the 10 days after the Nov. 8 presidential election. The leading targets were immigrants, blacks, Jews, Muslims and members of the LGBTQ community.

Officials in school districts across New York state reported an increasing number of instances of hate speech, bullying and discrimination against students in the wake of Trump's election victory. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman urged school districts to review rules in place to protect students against bullying, harassment and violence.

"Nothing more has been brought to our attention recently, but it never goes away," said Kelly DeFeciani, a spokeswoman for the Shenendehowa School District in Clifton Park, where Superintendent L. Oliver Robinson wrote a letter to parents earlier this month urging them to talk to their kids about the impact of hate speech. Robinson's letter followed reports of verbal harassment in the middle school and high school, where Hispanic students were told Trump was going to deport them and Trump supporters chanted "All hail Trump" and "Build that wall," DeFeciani said.

"To my knowledge, we haven't had any reported incidents" of hate speech or harassment after the election, said Officer Steve Smith, Albany police spokesman. "It's something that should be taken seriously."

Arnold did not report the incident from two weeks ago to police. It stirred up painful memories of when he was bullied and harassed in his freshman year at Albany High School when he first came out. He was punched and kicked by a group of young men as he waited to catch a CDTA bus near school. Dancing in school musicals, the support of other theater-loving students and a great teacher, Ward Dales, boosted his self-confidence and helped pull him out of deep anxiety and depression.

"Theater was a life-saver for me," he said.

He graduated from Albany High in 2011, earned a bachelor's degree in women's, gender and sexuality studies at the University at Albany and intends to pursue a graduate degree in that field at UAlbany.

Arnold worked for several years at Starbucks on Western Avenue in Albany where he became friends with a co-worker, Martha Brown, 26, with whom he shares the Willett Street apartment.

"I was surprised it happened in this neighborhood. It's even more shocking when it happens to someone you know," said Brown, leader of an AmeriCorps program at Siena College in Loudonville.

Michael Weidrich, executive director and CEO of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, had a similar reaction. "We have not had anything happen to our building and we haven't heard of any other incidents like this," he said. The Pride Center was founded in 1970 on Lark Street and for the past 43 years has been located on Hudson Avenue, just off Lark.

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"We've always felt fortunate we're in a progressive neighborhood, where same-sex couples feel comfortable walking down Lark Street holding hands," Weidrich said. "This is sad that what's happening across the country is starting to hit home."

After Trump's victory, Weidrich instructed members of the LGBTQ community to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. He is concerned that hate speech and verbal harassment could turn violent. The Pride Center reached out after the election to express solidarity with the Muslim community, the Black Lives Matter movement, Planned Parenthood workers and other groups targeted by Trump's bigoted campaign rhetoric.

"We need to stand together because if they are going to come for one of us, they're going to come for all of us," he said. "Solidarity is our strength."

Arnold was reluctant to come forward to share his story. He does not want to stir hatred or incite violence. But he also does not want to endure hate speech in silence. His first impulse was not to hit back at the letter writer in anger, but to invite the person to sit down over a cup of coffee or a cocktail.

Arnold believes that love trumps hate, as a rainbow-colored sign displayed in a nearby Willett Street townhouse put it. He has empathy for people who feel like outsiders, put down, voiceless and forgotten.

"I understand the frustration of Trump supporters," he said. "I just wish they had more compassion and empathy for other people. Anger just perpetuates more anger."

pgrondahl@timesunion.com  518-454-5623  @PaulGrondahl
All the banks in Agra are facing a huge shortage of cash and the situation is likely to turn violent from December 1, the intelligence agencies warned. Many incidents of violence have already been reported.

A photo from outside one of the banks in Agra.

By Siraj Qureshi: With law and order deteriorating in Agra after demonetisation, particularly as the salary day approaches, the intelligence agencies have warned against an imminent breakout of violence over the cash crisis from December 1 onwards.

The anger of the aam aadmi is growing with each passing day due to the cash crunch, and this might soon turn violent.

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The intelligence agencies warned of the situation turning violent where the banks might be log-jammed with government employees flocking in to withdraw their salaries and pensions from December 1.

ALSO READ | Banks with salary a/cs to get 20-30 % extra cash: 10 steps by RBI to fight payday chaos

Crash crunch and peoples' suffering will continue till March, 2017: Ashvin Parekh to India Today

INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN

One such incident of violence broke out at the Allahabad Bank branch in Kalindi Vihar of Agra, where a woman started pelting stones at the bank when the people waiting outside the bank were told by the bank employees that the bank did not have any cash.

The bank staff had to call the police to control the mob which was ready to storm the bank in anger.

A similar state of public anger was seen in Bah, Pinahat, Fatehpur Sikri, Barhan villages, where women were seen crying at the bank gates after being turned down by the bank staff.

ALSO READ | Why RBI relaxed withdrawal limit for some? 5 points that explain the decision

OPINION: Those hailing demonetisation are only fooling themselvesBANKS NEED RS 1300 CRORES EVERY DAY, BUT GET ONLY RS 8 CR

A senior bank official told India Today on the condition of anonymity that Agra needed Rs 1300 crores of cash every day, but all the bank branches were receiving a combined sum of only Rs 8 crores per day.

He said that a total of Rs 4650 crores had been deposited in Agra banks till date, Rs 380 crores were exchanged and Rs 885 crores were withdrawn.

So far, 115 ATMs have been calibrated for the new notes.

Some people complained that the bank managers were helping premium customers and personal acquaintances and providing them with cash, while the aam aadmi, who were lining up outside the banks for 6-7 hours, were not able to withdraw just Rs 2000 due to lack of cash.

ALSO READ | Salary in the times of demonetisation: Big test for Modi government in first week of December

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'NO CASH' NOTICE UP BY 11 AM IN MANY BANKS

Lead Bank manager Pankaj Saxena told India Today that the banks and administration have informed the RBI about the situation in Agra and the RBI has assured them that it is sending new currency to Agra soon.

He said that the situation will improve as and when the Rs 500 notes will arrive, but at present, all the 469 bank branches were facing an acute shortage of cash.

The cash crunch is so high that a notice of 'No Cash' is up at the banks by 11 in the morning itself.

The banks, however, were opening hundreds of accounts every day, with some banks even holding camps to open new accounts.

The Bank of India held a camp on the Shamshabad Road, where 350 new accounts were opened in one day. Those who did not have Aadhar Cards were also given new accounts.

ALSO READ | Agra: Banks forced to turn customers away due to zero cash availability

SP TO HOLD DEMONSTRATIONS FROM TOMORROW

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has warned that it will hold massive demonstrations from December 1 against demonetisation.

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The Samajwadi Party City President Raisuddin said that the party was not against demonetisation, but was opposed to the hurried and unprepared way in which demonetisation was implemented.

Hindustani Biradari secretary Ziauddin said that the poor and middle class were worst affected by demonetisation, but if political parties try to inflame the situation by holding sit-ins and demonstrations, the situation would become worse.

He said that at present, it would be better for the political parties to assist the administration in maintaining the law and order in the region instead of politicising the issue.

Also Read:

Uttar Pradesh will not vote for Modi after demonetisation: Mayawati

Jan Dhan account withdrawals capped at Rs 10,000 a month

--- ENDS ---
I was drawn to Edward Dodge's commentary, "Let's join shale revolution," Nov. 21, as it is well-written. Though he makes a number of interesting points, I feel that his comments are dated. The essence of his piece was our thinking a few years ago.

Earlier in this century, natural gas was viewed as a quality transition fuel from coal and oil to renewable energy. But today, we are well aware of a number of concerns with the extraction and transport of natural gas.
[November 30, 2016] Canada's Most Common Travel Pet Peeves

A recent Travelocity.ca survey reveals what Canadians dislike most about travelling TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - With the holidays fast approaching, many Canadians are dreaming about their upcoming travel adventures with family and friends. Holiday travel can be an exciting and wonderful time for many, but most forget the annoying travel habits of some fellow travelers that threaten to take the joy out of getting to the destination! According to a recent survey conducted by Travelocity.ca, the majority of Canadians love travelling, but find that dealing with other people's annoying travel habits prevent them from doing things that they enjoy. To reduce the aggravation of travelling during the holidays, Canadians are proactively taking steps to avoid any hassle, specifically, 66 per cent of Canadians schedule their travel at off-peak times to avoid the crowds and more than half of Canadians book in advance to get the best deals. Canadians' biggest pet peeves while travelling include (in order of frustration): Unexpected costs

Transportation delays

Complainers

Seat etiquette offenses such as armrest hogs, seat-swichers and excessive recliners



Other survey findings include: Most travel etiquette offenders are under the age of 35

A majority of Canadians (56 per cent) are selective about who they will travel with

One quarter of Canadians are annoyed most by a lack of seat courtesy and carry-on baggage offenses.

Men are less likely to travel during the holidays at all or will travel during off-peak times in an effort to reduce aggravation. To make your holiday travel a smoother, stress-free experience, visit Travelocity.ca for all your travel needs. From flight and hotel packages to car rentals, Travelocity.ca has everything you need to ensure a relaxing journey this holiday season. Last minute changes are no problem with the Travelocity.ca app which allows users to book (and review bookings) on the go, and take advantage of exclusive Travelocity promotional codes.

About the survey

From November 14th to November 15th 2016 an online survey was conducted among 1,513 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of errorwhich measures sampling variabilityis +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. About Travelocity

Travelocity encourages travelers to "Wander Wisely" and is dedicated to being the champion of the customer with its Customer 1st Guarantee, making the traveling experience both simple and memorable with competitive prices, 24/7 customer service and more. Based in Dallas, Texas, Travelocity is owned by the Expedia Group, one of the world's leading travel companies, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes many of the world's leading online travel properties.  2016 Travelscape, LLC. All rights reserved. Travelocity, the Star Design, and Wander Wisely are trademarks of Travelscape, LLC. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. SOURCE Travelocity.ca

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[November 30, 2016] Emarsys Launches Artificial Intelligence Capabilities to Simplify and Revolutionize the Role of B2C Marketers

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emarsys, a leading global B2C marketing cloud company, announces the launch of Emarsys AI Marketing (AIM) that will revolutionize the role of marketers, and increase revenue and return on investment (ROI) for global brands. The new, disruptive capabilities of AIM will alleviate the marketers burden, not by adding more disparate tools, but by simply and effectively bridging the gap between complex data science and executing truly personal omnichannel campaigns at scale. Emarsys AIM image



Emarsys AIM infographic



Hagai Hartman, Chief Innovation Officer, Emarsys



AIM also provides progressive marketers with a powerful, but hype-free and tangible AI solution with previously unexperienced capabilities, such as personalized incentive recommendations with just a flip of a switch, and significant business value with potential revenue uplift of more than 28%1. According to Forrester2, 40% of loyalty marketers struggle with personalization. Emarsys AIM allows progressive marketers to be more empathetic and focus on one-to-one engagement with their customers, but at scale and enabled by AI that removes the burden of operational and execution tasks. By allowing marketers to focus more on strategy, content and creative, global brands in the e-commerce, retail, travel and other B2C industries can expect more engaged customers, improved loyalty and increased revenue, thereby achieving greater ROI. Marketers will interact with AIM through a unique and intuitive user experience (UX) portal that embeds enhanced features into the Emarsys B2C Marketing Cloud. AIM automates the timing, content and communication channel by using inteligence developed through analysis of over two billion Emarsys unified customer profiles.



Emarsys retail and e-commerce clients already using AIM, such as Evolution Slimming1 and Japan Centre3, have voiced support and are experiencing significantly increased value. Marketers today are still fine-tuning campaigns manually and basing segmentation and personalization decisions on intuition rather than deep, data-based insights, said Hagai Hartman4, Chief Innovation Officer at Emarsys. The capabilities developed in-house, from the ground up, and built into Emarsys AIM allow progressive marketers to re-imagine their role in businesses of all sizes. They can easily improve results, in terms of revenues and ROI, by taking the guesswork out of campaigns and spending less time on mundane operational tasks.

Emarsys has a rich heritage of providing tangible and accessible data science and machine learning solutions to thousands of clients. Innovation is at the heart of Emarsys and fueled by an R&D team that makes up almost a quarter of the companys 614-person workforce. The launch of AIM comes shortly after Emarsys announced another $22.3 million of funding, bringing the companys total to $55.3 million over the past 24 months. This financing will fuel innovation in AI, such as Emarsys AIM, and accelerate growth as Emarsys builds on recent success and seeks new opportunities in existing and new markets, such as the U.S. AIM capabilities have already delivered significant ROI to Emarsys customers, including Evolution Slimming - a global online supplier of weight loss supplements that ships to over 100 countries. The AI-powered Incentive Recommendations feature of the Emarsys B2C Marketing Cloud is helping Evolution Slimming to achieve significant results1, including +28.6% uplift in revenue compared to default incentive control group, +32.2% uplift in lead-generated revenue and +6.5% revenue uplift from defecting buyers. The full case study can be found here. Individual incentive and voucher matching was never really a possibility; it was all or nothing on a campaign-wide basis. When it came to defining the nature and quantity of the incentive, it was a guessing game that tried to balance engagement gains with margin hits, said Russell Nicholls, Commerce Director at Evolution Slimming. We struggled to identify who should receive discounts, or for what amount. The answer was hidden in our data, revealed with this new solution [AIM Incentive Recommendations] that not only identified what action to take, but completely automated the delivery process. AI at its finest, really. Emarsys AIM, which sits between the Execution and Campaign layers, will introduce new features in both the near and long term. At launch, Emarsys AIM will support and enhance a number of Emarsys products, including: Individually tailored Incentive Recommendations to maximize revenue

to maximize revenue Predictive Product Recommendations for personalized shopping experiences

for personalized shopping experiences Machine learning for Send Time Optimization and perfectly timed content More detail on Emarsys AIM can be found here. Notes to Editors:? AIM case study Evolution Slimming: Overall revenue by lifecycle stage, compared to default incentive during a 6-week case study period. Full case study available here For a third-party view on news and market overview please contact Forrester B2C Marketing principal analyst: Rusty Warner at [email protected] ; + 1 617-613-6061 Additional Emarsys client quotes supporting AIM and AI:

We never knew if the discounts we sent were appropriate or not; were they too big, were they too small, were they even necessary? Managing discounts on an individual level was too time-consuming, and we couldnt tell who should get what, said Svetlana Novichkova, Head of E-commerce at Japan Centre. Adding this intelligence layer to our incentives has transformed our win-back capabilities. We can now offer a whole range of incentives, and know that each one will pay for itself. The uplift in revenue was noticeable immediately. Its now so easy to tailor incentives for our different customer types, and this is transforming our win-back capabilities. Seeing how much uplift this AI-powered feature is delivering, and the savings it is creating, is unreal.

High resolution images available on request: ? //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4872e6e7-47c2-46b9-9525-80b4eb0cd36b

//www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/881358bf-f03e-429a-803f-070337a5e9b8 //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68ad071e-0a48-4db1-ac9b-aad5043e6102

About Emarsys

Emarsys is a leading global provider of cloud marketing software for B2C companies, and the first B2C Marketing Cloud. The company provides actionable intelligence to enterprises targeting their customers, combining machine learning and data science with true personalization and multichannel delivery to reach customers most effectively, maximizing engagement and results. With more than 600 employees in 16 global office locations, Emarsys serves more than 1,500 clients in 140 countries. Every month, Emarsys sends over seven billion messages  helping customers increase revenue and ROI. To learn more about Emarsys go to: emarsys.com

twitter.com/emarsys

facebook.com/emarsys

linkedin.com/company/emarsys Media Contact: Emarsys team at ICR [email protected]; +1 646-277-1257

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Bank unions in Tamil Nadu today urged the Indian Banks Association to take up with RBI, the issue of supply of currency notes without discriminating between the government and private banks.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Two unions in the banking sector have urged the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to advice its member banks to seek police protection for branches as they face cash crunch. The unions also urged the IBA to take up with Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the issue of supply of currency notes without discriminating between the government and private banks.

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Also read: Crippling Cash Crunch



"Sir, we are afraid, there would be lot of undue pressures, tensions, conflicts and clashes in the branches and branch managers, officers and other staff would face a big ordeal," All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) on Tuesday wrote to the IBA.

"We seek the intervention of IBA to advice the banks to ask for proper police protection in branches to provide proper security to the staff," the letter notes.

Also read: How this epic cash crunch is making us healthier



"The next one week to 10 days are going to be much more tense because huge number of employees, workers and retirees or pensioners would throng the bank branches to draw from their salary credit and non-availability of enough cash may lead to serious issues of law and order also," the unions said.

Citing the allegations that some private banks get more supply of notes from the Reserve Bank of India, the two unions sought that the RBI should ensure supply of currency notes to all banks without any discrimination.

Also read: It's not just common man suffering cash crunch, leaders are feeling the pain too

--- ENDS ---
[November 30, 2016] Esker Expands Presence in Latin America Through Partnership with Signature South Consulting

Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, announced today its partnership with Santiago, Chile-based Signature South Consulting, a leading provider of solutions related to electronic document exchanges with digital signatures. The alliance is designed to benefit the Latin American customers of both companies by providing a more comprehensive set of offerings while meeting the complex and evolving electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) mandates that vary by country. Esker (News - Alert) is a global company with customers that also have a worldwide presence. Esker decided to pursue a regional partnership to help navigate the various diverse e-invoicing mandates of the Latin America region. In Signature South Consulting, Esker found a partner with unparalleled expertise in e-invoicing compliance. "Signature South Consulting was the obvious choice for us in terms of a partner," said Steve Smith, US. chief operating officer at Esker. "Not only is it the only provider of a solution that meets all e-invoicing requirements in Latin America, but it also has a reputation for integrity and excellent customer service. We knew right away that Signature South Consulting would be an asset to both our customers and our brand."



Signature South Consulting also saw the value in an alliance with Esker. Although the company has expertise in electronic document exchanges, it wanted to expand its business service capabilities to include document automation and processing. "We believe that developing relationships with companies whose skills complement our own is imperative as we continue to serve clients in many different markets with varying needs," said Sergio Chaverri, chief marketing officer at Signature South Consulting. "Esker is a global company with impeccable solutions and a long history of putting client relationships first, so we knew we had found the technological and cultural fit we were looking for."

Now that the two brands have forged a synergistic partnership, they will begin offering integrated solutions to current and future customers. About Signature South Consulting Signature South Consulting is the leading company providing solutions for the electronic exchange of documents using electronic signatures, including e-invoicing. The company began operating in Chile in 2001 as a team of professionals with the goal of obtaining a harmonious set of capabilities that would enable them to achieve the results required by customers with the excellence and professionalism which they deserve. The corporate office is located in Santiago, Chile, with a shared services center in San Jose, Costa Rica and local offices in: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. There are more than 5,000 companies issuing 100% of their invoices by integrating Signature South Consulting solutions with their ERPs. Over 2,000,000 electronic tax documents are trafficked daily, all of which are transactions between companies through Signature South Consulting solutions. Signature South Consulting actively participates in events in Latin America, the U.S., and Europe, lecturing on Latin American models of e-invoicing (considered the strictest and most complex in the world) and the Signature South Consulting experience. About Esker Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation software. Esker solutions help organizations of all sizes to improve efficiencies, accuracy, visibility and costs associated with business processes. Esker provides on-demand and on-premises software to automate accounts payable, order processing, accounts receivable, purchasing and more. Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Last year Esker generated 58.5 million euros in total sales revenue. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter (News - Alert) @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005003/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Gilt.com Debuts First-Ever 'Gilt at Sea' Pop-Up Shops On Board Celebrity Cruises

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilt.com, the innovative online shopping destination, in partnership with Celebrity Cruises and Starboard Cruise Services announces the debut of Gilt at Sea, its first onboard pop-up shop experience. "Gilt is constantly seeking new and inventive ways to bring the best brands and best values in fashion to our customers, wherever they arenow even at sea," said Jonathan Greller, President of Gilt. "Our New York store, opened earlier this year, has been a lab for retail innovation and these two new shipboard shops continue to evolve the Gilt model into an exciting new format. Gilt at Sea is an opportunity to create a unique shopping destination for vacation travelers aboard two of the most impressive cruise ships in the Caribbean." From December 3 to January 29, Gilt shops will bring a curated mix of modern resort style to passengers aboard the Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Silhouette cruise ships, sailing weekly from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. From poolside chic to easy excursion looks, the two shops will offer Gilt's signature mix of designer brands, on-trend assortments and exceptional value. "Hosting these exclusive pop-up shops on board Celebrity Cruises for our guests, in partnership with Gilt, was a natural fit given our shared value to offer unique experiences," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. "We pride ourselves in delivering modern luxury in unexpected ways, this perfectly aligns with our desire to surprise and delight our guests, with experiences that enrich their voyage through superior service that is the Celebrity Distinction." The 8-week pop-up shops represent Gilt's second foray into physical retail, followingthe March 2016 opening of a shop within Saks OFF 5TH at 125 E. 57th Street in New York.



The Gilt at Sea shops will replicate the exclusive access experience of Gilt.com's insider deals, complete with onboard events, invite-only vintage trunk shows, and Gilt Style Ambassadors to provide shopping and styling advice. Customers will have the opportunity to shop a newly curated selection of merchandise each day, tailored around rotating themes. Available brands include John Varvatos, Nanette Lepore, Cosabella, Alexis Bittar, Botkier, Antik Batik, Furla and others, in categories including swim, sleepwear, casualwear, accessories, and gifts.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring together Gilt and Celebrity Cruises  two of the most innovative brands in customer experience," said Beth Neumann, President and CEO of Starboard. "The retail environment on board cruise ships is extraordinary; it really speaks to the guest who is in the middle of their dream vacation, when they're in search of the most exciting, unique ways to create memories. They want more than souvenirs. They look to our shops to discover, to learn and to remember. Gilt at Sea will offer them the chance to do all three." ABOUT GILT: Gilt, www.gilt.com, is an innovative online shopping retailer offering its members special access to the most inspiring lifestyle merchandise and experiences  all at exceptional prices. Gilt is a daily destination for discovery of the most coveted brands and products, including fashion and accessories for women, men, and children; home decor; and unique activities in select cities and destinations. Gilt is part of the Hudson's Bay Company portfolio of brands. ABOUT CELEBRITY CRUISES: Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 12 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible cruise tour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of six cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111 , visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel agent. ABOUT STARBOARD CRUISE SERVICES: Starboard Cruise Services (www.starboardcruise.com) is the premier retailer at sea, providing the finest selection of luxury and prestige brands to travelers on global cruise lines. The company is part of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's leading luxury provider. With more than 600 shops on almost 100 ships, Starboard offers the most desired brands through elevated retail experiences that create treasured memories for cruise guests. Starboard has been consistently recognized for excellence by the travel-retail industry, with numerous awards including three in 2016 from Duty Free News International: Best Cruise/Ferry Retailer of the Year; Best Cruise/Ferry Travel Retailer in the Americas; and Best Cruise/Ferry Retailer of the Year, Asia/Pacific. The company is headquartered in Miami and has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Genoa, Italy. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150831/262556LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/giltcom-debuts-first-ever-gilt-at-sea-pop-up-shops-on-board-celebrity-cruises-300369132.html SOURCE Gilt.com

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[November 30, 2016] Power Costs, Inc. (PCI) and GE Power Collaborate to Link Energy Operations with Energy Trading for End-to-End Machine to Market Software Solutions

GE Power (NYSE:GE) today announced a collaboration with Power Costs, Inc. (PCI (News - Alert)), a privately-owned independent software company, to connect plant asset and operational generation data from GE's Digital Power Plant solutions with PCI's energy planning and trading tools for more accurate and profitable energy trading and scheduling. GE will offer PCI's suite of solutions, used in more than half of energy trading transactions in North America, on the Predix* operating system for the Industrial Internet. The collaboration signals GE Power's continued commitment to deliver digital energy solutions to every part of the electricity value network, from machines to the market. Energy applications that address everything from machine reliability and uptime to fleet-wide operations are sold and delivered on GE's Predix platform, a cloud-based platform purpose-built for developing, deploying, operating and monetizing Industrial Internet applications. Collaborating with PCI to better integrate asset performance as well as commercial and operations-level data offers a more comprehensive view of important data to energy producers and an end-to-end set of Predix-enabled software solutions for power, from operations to bidding to billing. PCI's solutions are used by generating companies, utilities and independent power producers to simplify and automate the energy trading processes, including asset valuation and bid formation. GE Power's existing Digital Power Plant software suites address machine and fleet performance. GE's Asset Performance Management (APM (News - Alert)) application suite improves the reliability of power generating machines, reducing unplanned downtime by up to 5 percent, reducing false positive alerts by up to 75 percent and reducing operations and maintenance costs by up to 25 percent. GE Power's Operations Optimization for Power application helps power producers increase plant capacity and revenue generation by increasing megawatt output and ensuring that plant operators can respond quickly to market opportunities.



Offering PCI's solution as an additional business optimization application on Predix removes the barriers between the machine, operations and commercial sides of energy businesses, giving a comprehensive view of how much energy can be generated and at what cost. The integrated business, operations and asset-level software applications will allow for better planning, trading, and day-ahead and real-time bidding in the energy and ancillary services market. Using operations data to understand a plant's energy generation capacity and connecting that information to energy market trading can further improve the process for traders by reducing the risk of penalties levied when generating businesses overcommit to the market or by increasing revenue when the companies undercommit and do not fully use potential generating capacity. Existing GE and PCI customers can also benefit from the collaboration, with operations and trading solutions delivered on Predix as a single platform available globally.

"Integrating PCI's market forecasting and trading solution with GE's Digital Power Plant offerings gives our customers an even more comprehensive software portfolio to address the asset, operations and industry levels of power generation and trading," said Jay Allardyce, chief operating officer of GE Power's Digital Solutions business. "GE is offering leading industrial applications such as PCI on the Predix platform as part of expanding our software and solutions ecosystem, helping customers on their journey to digitizing their energy businesses." "PCI has delivered world-class solutions to the energy industry for more than two decades," said Jason Kram, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, PCI. "Partnering with GE will enable us to deliver these solutions on the Predix platform built for industrial customers, and extend our reach worldwide." About Power Costs, Inc. (PCI) PCI is the leading provider of generation supply management software, superior customer support and value-added services for energy focused companies. Founded in 1992 by Dr. Fred Lee, PCI continues to refine and develop new software solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of its clients which include investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities, independent power producers as well as energy marketing and trading organizations. More than half of all the power generated in the United States is optimized using PCI software solutions and over 60% of the Fortune 500 Energy and Utility firms in the U.S. are PCI clients. PCI is a privately held company based in Norman, Oklahoma with offices in Houston, Texas and Raleigh, North Carolina. To learn more about PCI, please visit www.powercosts.com. About GE Power GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity industry with the digital power plant, the world's largest and most efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable, reliable, accessible and sustainable. For more information, visit the company's website at www.gepower.com. Follow GE Power on Twitter (News - Alert) @GE_Power and on LinkedIn at GE Power. *Predix is a trademark of the General Electric Company. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005466/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Tektronix Updates 400G PHY Layer PAM4 Transmitter Validation Solution

BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of measurement solutions, today released an update to its PAM4 solution for validating 400G physical layer transmitter designs for its DPO70000SX ultra high-performance oscilloscope series. The latest release adds PAM4 error detection, industry-leading Signal to Noise and Distortion Ratio (SNDR) measurement capability, and new advanced FFE/DFE equalization capabilities into one easy to use solution. To keep up with demand, serial data rates are now approaching 56 Gb/s per channel. This in turn has driven various 400G standards groups such as IEEE 802.3bs and OIF-CEI to leave behind NRZ signal modulation techniques in favor of more bandwidth efficient PAM4 modulation. With many of the standards still evolving, designers working on 400G designs are struggling with the complexity of PAM4 transmitter measurements. This latest PAM4 release reduces complexity by pulling together all PAM4 measurement capabilities into a single application. "Designers working on 25 Gb/s and 50 Gb/s products face an upill battle as they transition from NRZ to PAM4," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. "Our latest PAM4 solution brings an extensive list of PAM4 measurement capabilities into a single user experience that is easy to operate. And because of the superior signal acquisition capabilities of the DPO70000SX platform, we are delivering the best margin possible for characterizing PAM4 components and systems."



Highlights of the new PAM4 solution, which tracks to the latest revisions of the IEEE and OIF-CEI standards include: Error Detection and Visualization  Repeating symbol patterns are automatically recognized, so that symbol error rate (SER) and bit error rate (BER) values are accumulated and reported. An Error Navigator allows individual symbol errors to be viewed in the acquired waveform, together with contextual information.

Industry-Leading SNDR Measurement Capability  Support for the key new SNDR measurement is included in this release. Delivering results up to 34 dB, the DPO70000SX ATI-based oscilloscopes deliver the highest fidelity SNDR measurement capability in the industry. Equalization Support -- This release incorporates the advanced Feed Forward Equalization (FFE) and Decision Feedback Equalization (DFE) signal conditioning requirements specified in latest IEEE 802.3bs 400G specification. The PAM4 solution takes advantage of the unique Asynchronous Time Interleaved (ATI) technology found in DPO70000SX 70 and 50 GHz oscilloscopes to deliver unprecedented low noise and measurement accuracy. Traditional instruments using synchronous time interleaved architectures have too much noise or insufficient bandwidth to allow effective noise and jitter decomposition of complex electrical and optical signals. The ATI acquired signal along with the new PAM4 solution provides a level of precision and usability never offered together in a real-time oscilloscope. Pricing & Availability PAM4 solution is available now. Pricing starts at $7,500 US MSRP. For more information please visit: http://www.tek.com/pam4 Wondering what else Tektronix is up to? Check out the Tektronix Bandwidth Banter blog and stay up to date on the latest news from Tektronix on Twitter and Facebook. About Tektronix Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. Join us on the journey of innovation at TEK.COM. Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160125/325847LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tektronix-updates-400g-phy-layer-pam4-transmitter-validation-solution-300369581.html SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

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[November 30, 2016] TraceLink, the Leader in the Life Sciences Track and Trace Market, Raises $51.5M Series C to Accelerate Growth

NORTH READING, Massachusetts, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace, today announced that it has raised $51.5M in Series C financing led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity (GS Growth), with participation from Series A and Series B investors, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital, and F-Prime Capital. TraceLink is also announcing that Jason Kreuziger from Goldman Sachs and Amish Jani of FirstMark Capital have joined its Board of Directors. This investment will enable TraceLink to improve its position in the global pharmaceutical track and trace industry, providing manufacturers, distributors and dispensers with a cost-effective solution to secure the drug supply chain and protect patients from counterfeit medicines, a problem that causes hundreds of thousands of deaths and leads to an estimated $75 billion in lost industry revenue each year. The TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud enables any company in the pharmaceutical supply chain to implement an interoperable system for tracking and tracing authentic prescription medicines, which will be required by law in 50 countries by the year 2020, to combat the rise of counterfeit drugs. Today, more than 450 life sciences companies rely on TraceLink to meet track and trace regulations worldwide. "As part of a global marketplace, the pharmaceutical industry is facing an increasingly complex set of laws and regulations designed to secure the supply chain from manufacturer to consumer," said Jason Kreuziger, a vice president on the GS Growth team in the Merchant Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. "TraceLink's solution uniquely addresses the challenges of capturing, storing and transmitting product identifying data at scale and across a large number of supply chain partners. We look forward to supporting Shabbir and the entire team at TraceLink as they look to extend their leadership position in this market and increase customer adoption of the Life Sciences Cloud platform globally." Founded in 2009, TraceLink's Life Sciences Cloud, a family of SaaS applications that are natively integrated with Aazon Web Services, enables businesses across the pharmaceutical supply chain to comply with country-specific track and trace requirements. The TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud is the only purpose-built track and trace platform on the market that has evolved beyond traditional on premise software and single-tenant architectures, both of which are limited in their ability to address massive data transaction volumes, complex trade partner data exchange, and continuously evolving regulatory landscape resulting from new global track and trace regulations.



"Thousands of businesses in the pharmaceutical supply chain need to make decisions on how to comply with time-bound regulations. With limited choices available, TraceLink wants to give these companies the opportunity to meet the regulations and achieve benefits beyond compliance with an established track and trace solution that can help them safely deliver drugs to patients," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO, TraceLink. "As a result of this growing industry need, we have continued to surpass our growth goals and are delighted to have this support from world-class, visionary investors to pursue our dedicated strategy in this space and further accelerate the adoption of our proven platform and leadership across the global market." About Goldman Sachs

Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (MBD) is the primary center for Goldman Sachs' long term principal investing activity. With nine offices across seven countries, MBD is one of the leading private equity investors in the world. Since 1986, the group has invested approximately $180 billion of levered capital across a number of geographies, industries and transaction types. Within MBD, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity (GS Growth) is a dedicated platform for venture capital and growth equity investments in leading companies that have built innovative technology or processes to transform their industries. Since 1994, GS Growth has partnered with more than 200 companies and invested more than $5 billion of capital across sectors including technology, software, media, healthcare IT, and business and information services. GS Growth seeks to partner with strong management teams to help companies achieve product, customer and geographic expansion. For more information about GS Growth, please visit: www.gs.com/gsgrowth.

About TraceLink

TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses, including 16 of the top-20 global pharmaceutical companies, trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 149 in 2016), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. TraceLink is funded by Goldman Sachs, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital.

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[November 30, 2016] Valmie (VMRI) Visits University of Kentucky Regarding Collaboration on Upcoming UAS Projects

Valmie Resources Inc. (OTCBB: VMRI) recently returned from visiting the University of Kentucky to discuss collaborating with students and faculty members on portions of its upcoming unmanned aerial systems (UAS) projects. The Valmie team met with heads of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) Department and toured the facilities of the university's Unmanned Systems Research Consortium (USRC). "Valmie feels privileged to meet with the dynamic faculty and students from BAE who are serving and benefiting the people of the state of Kentucky with engineering expertise for solving contemporary challenges," said Gerald B. Hammack, President and CEO of Valmie Resources. "Based on these meetings, we are moving forward with developing a proposed package detailing possible ways Valmie might collaborate with BAE and USRC to develop resources for its upcoming UAS projects. We expect these projects to ultimately benefit the UAS industry by adding technology and innovative solutions." The USRC was formed in December 2013 and currently involves numerous researchers from the university's colleges and several industry members and affiliates. The USRC partners, faculty, students and businesses focus on development and performance evaluation of systems, platforms, components, sensors, and software. About Valmie Resources (OTCBB: VMRI) Valmie Resources is a U.S. company actively pursuing opportunities for the commercializaton of leading edge products and services in the rapidly expanding technology industry. Valmie seeks concepts with valid business models positioned to make a significant impact within the four key "megasectors" of technology: software, hardware, networking, and semiconductors. Valmie brings operating talent, tools, and leadership to emerging companies in these sectors, promoting industry awareness and developing economically sustainable partnerships while increasing shareholder value.



For further information visit http://valmie.com Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information provided in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved during the forecast period will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. You can find a discussion of those risks and uncertainties in our EDGAR securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general economic, market and business conditions; fluctuations in the technology market; the results of product development and the result of our efforts to develop strategic relationships, partnerships and potential acquisitions that are in line with our business model; outcome of partnership negotiations; the uncertainty of market estimates; changes in environmental and other regulations; risks associated with retail operations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. There is no representation by Valmie Resources that actual results achieved during the forecast period will be the same in whole or in part as those forecast. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Valmie Resources assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005458/en/

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[November 30, 2016] VoltDB Releases Confluent Certified Connector for Apache Kafka

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VoltDB, the only database purpose-built for fast data applications, today announced it has partnered with Confluent and completed development and certification of its Sink Connector for Confluent Open Source, based on Apache Kafka, utilizing Kafka's Connect API. VoltDB's Sink Connector ingests data from Apache Kafka topics and streams it into VoltDB for real-time analytics and action on the data, enabling organizations to derive value from both real-time data and long-term big data architectures. By ingesting real-time data streams from Apache Kafka and providing a means for analysis and action on incoming data, VoltDB enables applications to make smart decisions with millisecond response times and full consistency to increase high-value interactions with customers. As a Confluent Partner Program member, VoltDB provides its customers who use Apache Kafka and Confluent to develop robust data connectivity based on Kafka's Connect API, easily build stream processing applications with the streams API in Kafka, and promote solutions to customers worldwide. "By becoming a Confluent partner, VoltDB is enabling customers to capitalize on streaming data with Apache Kafka to power real-time decision making," aid Jabari Norton, vice president of business development at Confluent. "As we work to put streaming platforms at the heart of every company, we welcome partners who share this vision and help customers become successful in this real-time world."



"The ability to perform deep analytics on historical data and reduce the time to insights has transformed how businesses make decisions, interact with their customers and compete. However, as more analytics are performed in real time, they must be integrated with applications to create value and action - the ability to execute. If you are not acting at the rate you are gaining insights, you are missing opportunities," said Mike Pogany, VP of strategic business development, VoltDB. "Confluent's streaming platform, along with VoltDB, creates a data architecture that empowers enterprises to act in real time to improve business outcomes." For more information about how VoltDB and Confluent can provide actionable insight on your organization's real-time data, contact VoltDB today.

About Confluent

Confluent, founded by the creators of open source Apache Kafka, provides the streaming platform that enables enterprises to maximize the value of data. Confluent Platform lets leaders in industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, financial services, technology and media, move data from isolated systems into a real-time data pipeline where they can act on it immediately. Backed by Benchmark, Data Collective, Index Ventures and LinkedIn, Confluent is based in Palo Alto, California. To learn more, please visit www.confluent.io. Download Apache Kafka and Confluent Platform at www.confluent.io/download. About VoltDB

VoltDB's SQL operational database is purpose-built to run 100% in-memory. Customers use VoltDB to build applications that process streaming data as fast as it arrives to make immediate, per-event, context-aware decisions. By delivering real-time in-transaction analytics that always produce correct results, VoltDB enables businesses to capture economic value and develop new revenue opportunities in the mobile, financial services, IoT, energy, advertising, and security industries. VoltDB is privately held with offices in Bedford, Massachusetts, and San Jose, California. Media Inquiries:

Laura Paine

InkHouse for VoltDB

781-966-4124

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141113/158468LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voltdb-releases-confluent-certified-connector-for-apache-kafka-300369891.html SOURCE VoltDB

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[November 30, 2016] YouCam Partners with Latin Celebrity Makeup Artist Roberto Ramos for Launch of Custom Makeup Filters to Reach the Latina Consumer

Perfect Corp. announces expansion of its original content offerings for YouCam Makeup with a new suite of styles created by Latin celebrity makeup artist, Roberto Ramos. To kick-off the collaboration, Roberto curated a series of four distinctive makeup looks inspired by the hottest beauty trends which users can experience in real-time through the augmented reality technology of the popular app. The series of looks focus on classic makeup trends seen this fall, on the red carpet and this holiday season. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005534/en/ YouCam Partners with Latin Celebrity Makeup Artist Roberto Ramos for Launch of Custom Makeup Filters to Reach the Latina Consumer (Photo: Business Wire) Born in Venezuela and currently residing in Miami, Florida, Roberto is known as a well-respected makeup artist in the industry, and has worked closely with top Hispanic television stars Chiquinquira Delgado, Erika de la Vega, and Galilea Montijo amongst many others. His red carpet designs have been featured on all the major Latin award shows including the Latin Grammys, Latin Billboards, and Premios Lo Nuestro. Roberto is an influential figure in Latin America, where he frequently visits to host beauty workshops to help fans perfect their style. "Thanks to this collaboration with YouCam Makeup, my looks will reach millions of women, which I hope will inspire them to channel their inner goddess," says Roberto., conveying a message that aligns seamlessly with the YouCam mission, "We hope that through this collaboration and the exciting new offerings added to our virtual makeup experience, millions f makeup fans all over the world will gain confidence in themselves and spotlight their true beauty," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of Perfect Corp.



Roberto's first look, "Belleza Para Otono", is an elegant everyday beauty look featuring contoured cheekbones, smoky eyes, and an orange-nude lip which users can try on directly from their mobile device, anywhere in the world. The second look in the series, "Alfombra Roja", was inspired by the glamorous red carpet looks as seen at this year's Latin GRAMMYs on Thursday, November 17th. Users get one step closer to the action, with a virtual glam squad to recreate this smoldering bronze shadow look in seconds through YouCam Makeup. Each look in the series is accompanied by a step-by-step "how to" to help users bring their virtual selfie to real life. Additionally, users will also have the ability to shop the look and purchase all of Roberto's product recommendations directly from the app. Together with Roberto, Perfect Corp. hopes to offer users a diverse beauty experience that combines expert insights from the industry with unprecedented augmented reality technology, all in the palm of your hand.

App Availability YouCam Makeup, the world's most downloaded beauty app, is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play. The Beauty Circle app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. To access the web version of Beauty Circle, visit www.beautycircle.com/ About Perfect Corp. With over 350 Million downloads globally, Perfect Corporation is dedicated to transforming how consumers, content creators and beauty brands interact together. Our experienced team of engineers and beauty aficionados are pushing the frontiers of technology to create the beauty platform of the future - a fluid environment where individuals express themselves, learn the latest about fashion and beauty, and enjoy instant access to the products from their favorite brands. Further information about Perfect Corp. can be found at perfectcorp.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005534/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Zayo to Acquire Electric Lightwave

Zayo Group (News - Alert) Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Electric Lightwave, formerly known as Integra Telecom, for $1.42 billion in cash. Electric Lightwave, which provides infrastructure and telecom services primarily in the Western United States, has 8,100 route miles of long haul fiber and 4,000 miles of dense metro fiber in Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Spokane and Boise, with on-net connectivity to more than 3,100 enterprise buildings and 100 data centers. "Electric Lightwave provides us another unique and dense regional fiber network that advances our position as the only national independent infrastructure provider remaining in the U.S.," said Dan Caruso (News - Alert), chairman and CEO, Zayo. "Electric Lightwave has both strong metro fiber assets in key West Coast markets and capacity and routes that will augment Zayo's intercity footprint." Approximately 40 percent of Electric Lightwave's existing revenue aligns with Zayo's infrastructure-focused business segments and will be rapidly integrated into the core Zayo organization, processes and systems. The remainder, which is a valuable and viable cash-flow generating business, has a customer base that aligns well with Zayo's Canadian SME and voice businesses. "Zayo has a proven track record of integrating key fiber infrastructure assets while also maximizing the value of more traditional telecom business units," added Caruso. Zayo expects to achieve significant revenue and cost synergies over the coming quarters, driven by the efficiencies of scale and achieved via Zayo's proven, streamlined integration process. Zayo's Tranzact platform and Salesforce.com (News - Alert) implementation will provide seamless online access to viewing, purchasing and managing the combined customers and network. Under the terms of the agreement, Zayo will acquire Electric Ligtwave for a total cash consideration of $1.42 billion, representing a pre-synergized multiple of less than eight times LQA EBITDA of $180 million. In addition, Zayo anticipates more than $40 million in annual cost synergies to be realized throughout the integration process and will benefit from more than $400 million in net operating loss carryforwards acquired in the transaction. Zayo expects to close in the first calendar year quarter of 2017, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. The transaction will be funded with a combination of cash on hand and debt.



Zayo will host a conference call today, November 30, at 8:00 a.m. EST to discuss this transaction. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 800-909-4761 using conference ID: 21836860. A live webcast of the conference call and associated presentation materials will be available on the investor relations section of Zayo's website at http://investors.zayo.com. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal advisor to Zayo on the transaction. Latham & Watkins and Gray Plant Mooty served as legal advisors to Electric Lightwave.

For more information, please visit zayo.com. About Zayo Group Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) provides communications infrastructure services, including fiber and bandwidth connectivity, colocation and cloud services to the world's leading businesses. Customers include wireless and wireline carriers, media and content companies and finance, healthcare and other large enterprises. Zayo's 114,500-mile network in North America and Europe includes extensive metro connectivity to thousands of buildings and data centers. In addition to high-capacity dark fiber, wavelength, Ethernet and other connectivity solutions, Zayo offers colocation and cloud services in its carrier-neutral data centers. Zayo provides clients with flexible, customized solutions and self-service through Tranzact, an innovative online platform for managing and purchasing bandwidth and services. For more information, visit zayo.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. Words, and variations of words such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "continue," "will," "should," and similar expressions are intended to identify our forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements will be achieved and actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. For additional information on these and other factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, see our risk factors, as they may be amended from time to time, set forth in our filings with the SEC (News - Alert), including our 10-K dated August 25, 2016. We disclaim and do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005476/en/

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[November 29, 2016] Government of Canada announces pipeline plan that will protect the environment and grow the economy

OTTAWA, Nov. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - A clear message has emerged through our government's extensive consultations with Canadians: the economy and the environment go hand in hand. That is why we are pricing carbon pollution, making the most significant investment ever to protect Canada's oceans and coastlines, instituting world-leading safety standards for pipelines by passing the Pipeline Safety Act, and have signed the Vancouver Declaration with the provinces and territories on clean growth and climate change. Our commitments to renewable energy, investments in clean energy and protecting our coasts and oceans will grow our economy while protecting the environment Canadians cherish. Today, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, and Canada's Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, announced several important decisions that will create more good, middle-class jobs while protecting environmentally-sensitive areas. Trans Mountain Expansion Project: the Government has approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Expansion Project, subject to 157 binding conditions that will address potential Indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts, including project engineering, safety and emergency preparedness. This $6.8-billion project will create 15,000 new jobs during construction by twinning the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system between Edmonton, Alberta , and Burnaby, British Columbia . It will also provide access to global markets and generate significant direct economic benefits, including $4.5 billion in federal and provincial government revenues.

the Government has approved Trans Mountain Expansion Project, subject to 157 binding conditions that will address potential Indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts, including project engineering, safety and emergency preparedness. This project will create 15,000 new jobs during construction by twinning the existing pipeline system between , and . It will also provide access to global markets and generate significant direct economic benefits, including in federal and provincial government revenues. Northern Gateway Pipelines Project : the Government has directed the National Energy Board (NEB) to dismiss Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipelines Project application. The Government has determined that the project is not in the public interest, given that it would result in crude oil tankers transiting through the sensitive ecosystem of the Douglas Channel, which is part of the Great Bear Rainforest.

: the Government has directed the National Energy Board (NEB) to dismiss Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipelines Project application. The Government has determined that the project is not in the public interest, given that it would result in crude oil tankers transiting through the sensitive ecosystem of the Douglas Channel, which is part of the Great Bear Rainforest. Tanker Moratorium: the Government has announced a moratorium on crude and persistent oil tankers along British Columbia's north coast. This area spans the AlaskaB.C. border down to the point on B.C.'s mainland adjacent to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and includes Haida Gwaii. The Government made this ecision following consultations with stakeholders including Indigenous groups and communities. The Government will introduce legislation to implement the moratorium by the spring of 2017.

the Government has announced a moratorium on crude and persistent oil tankers along north coast. This area spans the AlaskaB.C. border down to the point on B.C.'s mainland adjacent to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and includes Haida Gwaii. The Government made this ecision following consultations with stakeholders including Indigenous groups and communities. The Government will introduce legislation to implement the moratorium by the spring of 2017. Line 3 Replacement Project : the Government has approved Enbridge's Line 3 Replacement Project, subject to 37 binding conditions that will address potential Indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts. This will ensure that the pipeline and facilities are built and operated in a manner that is safe for Canadians and the environment. This $4.8-billion project will replace 1,067 kilometres of existing pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta , to Gretna, Manitoba , to enhance its safety and integrity. The project will generate significant economic benefits, including $514.7 million in federal and provincial government revenues and 7,000 new jobs during construction. It also provides a vital link to the North American refinery market for Canadian oil.



The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership with Indigenous communities. To address specific interests identified by Indigenous groups and to build on existing partnerships some have with the proponent, the Government announced that it will co-develop advisory and monitoring committees with Indigenous communities to provide ongoing environmental monitoring for each of the two projects. The Government will also establish an Economic Pathways Partnership for each pipeline that will make it easier for Indigenous groups to access existing federal programs that help them participate in and benefit economically from this project.

In reaching its decision on the Northern Gateway Pipelines Project, the Government considered the Joint Review Panel Report, the views of Indigenous communities and those of other Canadians as represented to the Joint Review Panel, as well as the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal. Quote "Our duty is to permit infrastructure so Canada's resources get to market in a more environmentally-responsible way, creating jobs and a thriving economy. Today's announcements also demonstrate that when the Government determines projects are not in the public interest, we will act accordingly and make the tough decisions." Jim Carr

Canada's Minister of Natural Resources "Canadians expect the Government of Canada to help grow the economy while protecting the environment. This tanker moratorium is another example of how this can be achieved, and shows our commitment to establishing a world-leading marine safety system that meets the unique needs of Canada from coast-to-coast-to-coast." Marc Garneau

Canada's Minister of Transport Related Documents Backgrounder: Trans Mountain Expansion Project

Backgrounder: Northern Gateway Pipelines Project

Backgrounder: Tanker Moratorium on British Columbia's North Coast

Backgrounder: Line 3 Replacement Project Further information on each of these four decisions is available at Natural Resources Canada's Energy Pipeline Projects page https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/resources/19120 Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan) NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.news.gc.ca. SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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By PTI: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 30 (PTI) China, the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will spend more than USD 100 billion on wind power in the next four years as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on coal for its massive energy needs, state media reported today.

Wind powers share of the overall electricity mix should be increased to six per cent by 2020, up from 3.3 per cent in 2015, according to a National Energy Administration plan.

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A total of 700 billion yuan (USD 102 billion) will be spent on wind power during the 2016-2020 period.

Wind power will create around 300,000 jobs, bringing the total number of employees to 800,000, Xinhua news agency reported.

Wind farms are expected to produce 420 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually by 2020, up from 186 billion kilowatt hours in 2015. By the end of 2020, total installed capacity of wind power facilities connected to the power grid will reach 210 million kilowatts, compared with 129 million kilowatts at the end of 2015.

China is promoting non-fossil energy including wind electricity to power its economy in a cleaner and more sustainable manner.

The government aims at lifting the proportion of non- fossil energy in the energy mix to 20 per cent by 2030 from the current level of around 11 per cent.

Chinas energy mix is currently dominated by coal.

According to the World Resources Institute, a global research organization, China contributes approximately 25 per cent of global emissions, making it the worlds top emitter. PTI KJV CPS AKJ CPS

--- ENDS ---
[November 29, 2016] U.S. Bancorp to Speak at the Goldman Sachs US Financial Services Conference 2016

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) announced today that Andy Cecere, president and chief operating officer and Terry Dolan, vice chairman and chief financial officer, will present at the Goldman Sachs US Financial Services Conference 2016. The presentation will begin at 7:25 a.m. EST on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, in New York City and include information about U.S. Bancorp's financial performance and corporate strategies. A live audio-webcast of the session will be available through U.S. Bancorp's website at usbank.com. To access the webcast, go to U.S. Bancorp's website and click on "About U.S. Bank" and then "Webcasts & Presentations" under the Investor/Shareholder information heading, which is at the left side near the bottom of the page. A replay of the webcast will be available after the live event at the same location on the website and will remain posted for 90 days.



About U.S. Bancorp

Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $454 billion in assets as of September 30, 2016, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,114 banking offices in 25 states and 4,875 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006328/en/

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[November 29, 2016] Unified Communication as a Service Market by Component, Organization Size, Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Growing trends of mobility and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), shifting expense from CAPEX to OPEX and service deployment across the globe and growing importance of asset tracking are some of the drivers of the Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) market"

The UCaaS market size is estimated to grow from USD 17.35 billion in 2016 to USD 28.69 billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.6% due to the increasing need for communication infrastructure across the world. The UCaaS market is growing rapidly because of the increase in adoption of unified communication services, due to shifting of expenses from CAPEX to OPEX. "Enterprises are expected to gain prominent traction during the forecast period"

The enterprises segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. UCaaS is ideal for large asset intensive companies that have large amounts of equipment, which require seamless communication across the globe. Enterprises are more receptive towards the deployment of unified communication services as they need to supervise the lifecycle activities of workforce in order to make the most of the return on investments.



"North America is witnessing a high growth potential during the forecast period"

North America is expected to account for the largest market share in 2016. With the increasing use of unified services in consumer goods & retail and logistic & transportation verticals in the U.S. and Canada, the UCaaS market in this regio is set to grow at a rapid pace in the region. Driving force behind the growth of the UCaaS market is the digitization of businesses and adoption of cloud services by small, medium, and large enterprises.



In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted with key industry personnel. The break-up profile of primary discussion participants is given below.



- By Company Type: Tier-1 (35%), Tier-2 (40%), and Tier-3 (25%) companies

- By Designation: C-level (40%), Directors (30%), and Others (30%)

- By Region: North America (40%), APAC (25%), Europe (20%), and Rest of the World (15%)





The various key unified communication service providers profiled in the report are as follows:

1. Cisco Systems

2. Computer Science Corporation

3. BT Group

4. 8x8, Inc.

5. West Corporation

6. Microsoft Corporation

7. Voss Solutions

8. Verizon Communication

9. Star2star Communications

10. Polycom, Inc.



The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in UCaaS market in the following ways:

1. This report segments the UCaaS market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments across different services and regions.

2. The report helps the stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

3. This report will help the stakeholders to better understand the competitors and gain more insights to better their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, new product developments, partnerships, and mergers & acquisitions.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04086926-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unified-communication-as-a-service-market-by-component-organization-size-industry-and-region---global-forecast-to-2021-300370094.html SOURCE Reportlinker

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[November 29, 2016] Grassi & Co. Makes Strides - Giving Tuesday

Grassi & Co. employees were recently awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by The American Cancer Society for their financial contributions and support of the 23rd Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Long Island. Due to the support of one of its employees, Renee Maynard, a survivor of breast cancer, and all those touched by breast cancer, Grassi & Co. raised more than $2.5 million for the American Cancer Society. Due to Grassi & Co.'s long-standing tradition of giving back, the last Friday of every month is tagged as "Jean Friday" whereby all employees are permitted to wear jeans as long as they are willing to donate $5 each to a worthy cause. Funds raised for the month of Otober were donated to the American Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Awareness.



Grassi & Co. continues to honor the great charities of our nation and offer our full support of Giving Tuesday. Please consider making a donation to an honorable charity this holiday season in lieu of gifts. About Grassi & Co.: Grassi & Co., the 70th largest firm in the U.S., is a premier professional service organization specializing in accounting, auditing, tax, technology, and business consulting services. Grassi & Co. has offices in Manhattan, Long Island and Rockland County, NY as well as internationally through its association with Moore Stephens International. Grassi & Co. specializes in professional services for the Not-for-Profit, Construction, Architecture & Engineering, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Distribution, Retail, Technology, Media & Telecommunication, Transportation, Energy & Natural Resources, and Healthcare industries, among others.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006354/en/

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[November 29, 2016] BIO Responds to GAO Report Declaring RFS Will Not Meet Goals

Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)'s latest report on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), "Renewable Fuel Standard, Program Unlikely to Meet its Targets for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions." GAO correctly concludes the technology is available for advance biofuels but we would observe that EPA has chilled investment in commercializing this technology. "BIO believes that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) actions over the last few years delayed the success of the RFS program and shaped the outcomes identified in this GAO report. While the recession and the challenges of developing new technologies have been factors, EPA's unlawful interpretation of its authority under the program and delays in rulemaking since 2013 have been the primary drivers of a multibillion dollar shortfall in investment for advanced biofuel production, which GAO notes in its report. "BIO has noted that EPA's delays and methodology for setting the annual RFS chilled investment in advanced biofuels. Based on BIO's findings, investment patterns clearly demonstrate that EPA is sending a sustained market signal that disincentivizes advanced biofuels, causing a $22.4 billion shortfall in necessary investment. "Further, EPA continues to be too slow in making decisions on RFS pathway review and approval process. Petition review and approvals for advanced biofuel companies have averaged more than three years. These lengthy waits for approval of new pathways discourage investment in commercial production of advanced and cellulosic biofuels. Under these conditions, companies have found it difficult to attract the necessary investment to initiate, continue, and complete the construction and startup of new facilities; a number have delayed or abandoned their commercialization plans. "The GAO report also notes that the program is unlikely to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. BIO has repeatedly pointed out that EPA's delays and reductions in the annual volues have caused increases in transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. BIO estimates that emissions increased by 72 million metric tons in 2014 and again by 22.9 million metric tons in 2015 because of EPA reducing biofuel volumes and delays in getting the rule out. However, the report fails to note that over its first 10-years the RFS reduced U.S. transportation-related carbon emissions by 589.33 million metric tons. The total reduction is equivalent to removing more than 124 million cars from the road over the decade. Further the GAO report fails to point out if EPA had maintained the successful approach to the RFS that it used in 2013, EPA could have considerably limited greenhouse gas emissions from the increase in transportation fuel use.



"While the findings in this report grab headlines, they should not be surprising. Unfortunately, political uncertainty and the actions taken by the EPA have undermined the goals of the RFS statute. With EPA now abandoning its legally flawed reliance on general waiver authority as a basis for departing from statutory biofuels volumes requirements in its final rule for the 2017 RFS, the agency has sent a strong signal that it will support the biofuels industry and grow advanced and cellulosic biofuel production. This will allow the RFS to be successful in driving development of cleaner transportation fuels that measurably reduce carbon emissions." About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling "innovations transforming our world" and the BIO Newsletter is the organization's bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter. Upcoming BIO Events BIO CEO & Investor Conference

February 13-14, 2017

New York, NY BIO International Convention

June 19-22, 2017

San Diego, CA (News - Alert) View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006390/en/

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[November 29, 2016] National Agricultural and Dalian Exchange jointly operate a Data Processing Centre

HONG KONG, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- National Agricultural Holdings Limited ("National Agricultural" or "the Company", or together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"; stock code: 1236.HK) is pleased to announce that on 29 November 2016, the Company and Dalian Renewable Energy Exchange Company Limited ("Dalian Exchange") established a joint venture enterprise -- Zhongxiao (Dalian) Data Processing Company Limited ("Data Processing Centre"). According to the agreement signed by the two parties, the registered capital of Data Processing Company is RMB 100 million. The equity interests will see 49% held by National Agricultural and 51% by Dalian Exchange respectively. Operating as a bulk commodity exchange platform, Dalian Exchange has its own transaction data and financial data processing department. It has also joined hands with National Agricultural to set up and operate an independent Data Processing Centre. It has five informative management functions including data management of members' transactions, product transactions, inventory, capital settlement and clearing. Additionally it can carry out and apply Big Data analysis. This is an ambitious yet accurate decision. After the establishment of the Data Processing Centre, it will receive the support from multiple financial institutions led by China Everbright Bank. The financial services provided to the Processing Centre include financing and cash management and other integrated financial services. After the establishment of the Data Processing Centre, the following aspects can be further reflected: Effectively improve the efficiency of data processing to facilitate reduction of transaction costs throughout the process The Independent Data Processing Centre will help improve the efficiency of online transaction data associated with the bulk commodity online trading platform of Dalian Exchange, so as to effectively reduce transaction costs of platform trading parties in purchasing, sales, fund clearing, fund supervision, warehousing, logistics and supply chain financial and other aspects of the operating costs to enhance the overall operating efficiency of the commodity trading platform, and ultimately providing better support for online trading customers of the bulk commodity trading platform and the continued growth of transaction volumes. Leveraging on the real-time transaction data to further explore the endogenous value of data Making use of the multi-level sound data processing systems and data systems to further explore and transform the endogenous value of online real-time transaction data. Providing services to Dalian Exchange, other commodity trading markets, and other parties including transaction data registration, supervision of capital liquidation data, warehousing and logistics data analysis, as well as integrated data value-added services. Commodities price index, corporate credit database and other top-grade data services will be launched after the establishment of the Data Processing Centre, so as to create a new profit-generating bulk commodity trading platform model. Aim to upgrade to independent clearing centre, to develop capital related value-added financial services products As the "intermediate service provider" between the trading platform and online trading participants, under the proper conditions of policy and market environment, aiming to upgrade to an independent clearing centre, to provide transparent, safe and efficient clearing and other value-added financial services for clients of online bulk commodity trading platform. Furthermore, the Data Processing Centre will expand major service targets from Dalian Exchange to other commodity trading platforms and factor platforms. Realize the value of Big Data by multiple channels, to explore new profit model of big data Firstly, the centre will analyze the specific commodity price index and supply and demand side transaction data, and provide paid services to the relevant on-line trading clients. Secondly, the centre will analyze data of settlement and warehousing logistics and establish a corporate credit database focusing on warehouse information so as to provide Big Data paid services to banks and other financial institutions that do supply chain finance on a large scale. Thirdly, the centre will directly participate in the public data exchanges from all of the Big Data exchanges throughout the nation. Mr. Chen Li-jun, Chairman of National Agricultural, said: "Supply and marketing cooperatives have always attached great significance to comprehensive reform, of which reform to the bulk commodity electronic trading platform is one of the major initiatives. China's electronic trading platform for commodities is currently booming in China. It is necessary to further enhance the independence and security of transactions, trustees and clearing. The newly established independent data processing centre not only strengthens the intensification of processing functions of daily genuine transaction data and lay a solid foundation for the value realization of the data, but also opens up new and long-term profit earnings pipelines for National Agricultural. In the future, National Agricultural will further push forward the innovative development of internet financial businesses in factor markets, seizing market opportunities and advancing the Company's overall business strategy of 'platform + internet + finance'." About National Agricultural Holdings Limited National Agricultural Holdings Limited (1236.HK) is the first and only overseas listed supply and marketing systems in China, dedicated to providing services for agriculture, countryside and farmers and capturing the opportunities arising from rural financial services and rural e-commerce development. Riding on the two core platforms developed by the Group -- the China agricultural products trading platform and "Agripay" -- to develop e-commerce and rural financial services and actively promote the online trading of the supply chain resources of the agriculture capital groups and supply and marketing cooperatives in various provinces to further strengthen its framework of the nationwide online finance industry chain. Since its backdoor listing in 2013, the Company's market value has increased more than tenfold. The Company has successfully been chosen to be one of the candidates for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect (ranked 71 in order of market value). About Dalian Renewable Energy Exchange Company Limited Dalian Renewable Energy Exchange Company Limited ("Dalian Exchange"), established by China Co-Op Group Company Limited, is a national trading platform for renewable energy. Focusing on renewable energy, agricultural by-products, agricultural fertilizer, tea and other fields, Dalian Exchange has set up a new, highly efficient and safe trading platform which provides all the online clients with the comprehensive support services including spot transactions, settlement, clearing, logistics supervision, informatics, commodity financing and transaction settlement etc. For enquiries, please contact Hill+Knowlton Strategies:







Iris Wong Tel: (852) 2894 6263 Email: [email protected] Jessica Wong Tel: (852) 2894 6317



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[November 29, 2016] Opportunities in Thailand for Automation and Control Manufacturers, Forecast to 2020

LONDON, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This research service discusses the automation and services revenue generated by various automation and safety system suppliers. The companies involved in this study are all major vendors. The objective is to identify the major end users, the distribution channel for each product, and the major projects that use automation and safety systems in Thailand. The report also discusses the revenue contribution by product type and regions of interest for automation vendors. Historical data from 2012 to 2014 are examined and included. Considering the prevailing political, legal, and economic situation and other trends, the study also forecasts revenue and growth rates till 2020 and discusses major factors affecting the industry. Drivers, restraints, and initiatives and support from public and private organizations are also provided.



Revenue split among major vendors has been discussed for the total market and also for each product segment, while analyzing their strengths across major end-user industries, product segments, and key competitive factors. The study also showcases hotspots of growth in Thailand and analyzes trends across key industries. The major end-user industries covered in this study are Oil and Gas (O&G), Chemicals and Petrochemicals (C&P), Power Generation (PG), Food and Beverage (F&B), Autootive, Water and Wastewater Treatment (WWT), Electronics and Semiconductors (E&S), Pulp and Paper (P&P), Metals and Mining (M&M), Packaging, and Textiles.









The study answers the following key questions:

- What are the prevailing trends in the automation and control market in Thailand and what will it look like in the years to come?

- Who are the major market participants and what is the competitive scenario currently?

- Will the current suppliers be able to meet customer needs? Does the market offer opportunities for new entrants?

- What is the total market for automation and control market in Thailand and what factors will impede/help with adoption?

- What factors do end users look at while choosing a supplier and why?

- Who are the major end users of automation systems in Thailand and what are the key areas vendors should focus on so as to retain and increase market share?

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4368421/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opportunities-in-thailand-for-automation-and-control-manufacturers-forecast-to-2020-300370227.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[November 29, 2016] VersaPay Enters Definitive Agreement for Sale of Merchant Services Portfolio

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - VersaPay Corporation (TSXV: VPY) ("VersaPay" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement (the "Agreement") with BluePay Canada, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of BluePay Processing LLC ("BluePay") for the sale of all of the assets of its Merchant Services portfolio (the "Transaction"). Under the terms of the Agreement, VersaPay will sell, free of any encumbrances, all of the assets that comprise VersaPay's Merchant Services portfolio for cash consideration of C$10,000,000 payable on closing of the Transaction. On closing of the Transaction, $500,000 will be paid into an escrow account and held in escrow for a period of 12 months. An additional C$1,000,000 will be payable to VersaPay 12 months following closing of the Transaction, conditional upon achievement of 5% growth in VersaPay's Merchant Services portfolio over such 12-month period. With VersaPay's primary focus on growing its business around ARC, its cloud-based accounts receivable solution, the Company's Merchant Services business is no longer core to the Company's growth strategy. The sale of the portfolio allows the Company to focus on its core business, while providing additional growth capital. The proceeds from the Transaction will be deployed to accelerate expansion of the Company's software as a service business through increased investments in sales and marketing, the commercialization of partnerships, and R&D. "This is an exciting time for VersaPay as we take this decisive step in becoming a pure play cloud-based software company," commented Craig O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer of VersaPay. "The combination of the progress we've made in our software business and this offer from BluePay that fairly reflects the value of the Merchant Services portfolio makes the timing right to make this pivotal move. In the past year, the number of sellers and buyers and their related transaction volume on the ARC platform has almost tripled, and more recently we've launched key channel partnerships that give us much greater market reach. The Transaction gives us the focus and the funding required to fully leverage these channel partnerships and develop new ones, as well as expand our direct sales efforts as we pursue the extensive market opportunity for A/R automation." VersaPay's board of directors has determined that the Transaction is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders and unanimously recommends that VersaPay shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. Management will discuss the Transaction at the Company's upcoming conference call on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time hosted by Craig O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer, and Harp Gahunia, Chief Financial Officer. Shareholder Approval The Transaction will require the approval of 66 2/3 percent of votes cast by shareholders of the Company at a special shareholders meeting (the "Special Meeting"). The Special Meeting will be held at the offices of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP o January 10, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time).



In addition to shareholder approval, the Transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals including TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") approval and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. Further information regarding the Special Meeting and the Transaction will be included in the Company's management information circular (the "Circular") which is expected to be mailed to shareholders in December 2016 and can be found in the Agreement which will be filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Assuming shareholder approval and that all other conditions to the Agreement are satisfied or waived, the Transaction is expected to close on or about January 11, 2017. Advisors and Counsel Preston Todd Advisors are acting as financial advisor to VersaPay with Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP acting as its legal counsel. About VersaPay VersaPay is a leading cloud-based invoice presentment and payment provider for businesses of all sizes. VersaPay's ARC software-as-a-service offering allows businesses to easily deliver customized electronic invoices to their customers, to accept credit card and EFT payments and automatically reconcile payments to their ERP and accounting software. VersaPay is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and also has operations in Montreal. More information about VersaPay can be found on the Company's website at www.versapay.com or under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward Looking and Other Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "is expected," "budget," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates," or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information includes, among other things, information regarding: expectations regarding whether the proposed Transaction will be consummated, including whether conditions to the consummation of the Transaction will be satisfied, or the timing for completing the Transaction; expectations for the effects of the Transaction or the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: the ability to consummate the Transaction; the ability to obtain requisite regulatory and shareholder approval and the satisfaction of other conditions to the consummation of the Transaction on the proposed terms and schedule; the potential impact of the Transaction on the business of the Company; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the Transaction on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; and changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and market conditions. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including VersaPay's annual information form, financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and its interim financial reports and related MD&A for the period ended June 30, 2016 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE VersaPay Corporation

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[November 29, 2016] Laboratory Information System /LIS Market by Product (Standalone, Integrated), Component (Services, Software), End User (Hospital Labs, Independent Labs), Delivery Mode (On-premise, Web-based, Cloud-based) - Analysis & Forecasts to 2021

LONDON, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The laboratory information system (LIS) market is poised to reach USD 2.12 billion by 2021 from USD 1.37 billion in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2021. The growth of the overall laboratory information system (LIS) market can be contributed to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, utilization of laboratory information system (LIS) for enhancing laboratory diagnosis, and growing initiatives by government and industry player's to enhance laboratory services.



The standalone LIS segment is expected to account for the largest share of the laboratory information system market, by product, in 2016. Standalone LIS have data models tailored specifically to manage laboratory data and operations, useful to enhance the laboratory workflow. The on premise segment is expected to account for the largest share of the laboratory information system market, by delivery mode, in 2016. The large share of this segment is mainly due to data security feature by this systems. The LIS services segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the LIS market, by component, in 2016. Ease of services by LIS providers along with high cost of LIS software attributes to large share of this segment. Hospital laboratories are expected to account for the largest share of the global laboratory information system market, by end user, in 2016. Affordability of LIS systems for hospitals is major factor contributing to the largest share of this market.



North America is expected to account for the largest share of the global laboratory information system (LIS) market in 2016, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The large share of the North American region can be attributed to the increasing incidence of chronic diseases, presence of top market players, and growing government initiatives in the region. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate in the foreast period, mainly due to the growing chronic diseases prevalence, entry of top players and less stringent regulations in field of diagnostics.







The laboratory information system (LIS) market witness's high competitive intensity, as there are several big and small firms with similar product offerings. These companies adopt various strategies (deployments, partnerships, expansions, new product launches, and acquisition) to increase their market shares and establish a stronger foothold in the global market. Prominent players in the global laboratory information system (LIS) market are Cerner Corporation (U.S.), McKesson Corporation (U.S.), Epic Corporation Inc. (U.S.), Medical Information Technology, Inc. (U.S.), SCC Soft Computer (U.S.), Sunquest Information Systems, Inc. (U.S.), CompuGroup Medical AG ( Germany ), Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Merge Healthcare, Inc. (U.S.), and Orchard Software Corporation (U.S.).



Reasons to Buy the Report:

The report will enrich both established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which in turn will help them garner a greater market share. Firms purchasing the report could use any one or a combination of the below-mentioned five strategies (market penetration, product development/innovation, market development, market diversification, and competitive assessment) for strengthening their market shares.





The report provides insights on the following pointers:

- Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the laboratory information system (LIS) market. The report analyzes the market based on type, application, therapeutic area, and end user

- Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research and development activities, and new product launches in the laboratory information system (LIS) market

- Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets. The report analyzes the markets for various laboratory information system (LIS) products across regions.

- Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped regions, recent developments, and investments in the laboratory information system (LIS) market

- Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, strategies, products, distribution networks, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the laboratory information system (LIS) market



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4073941/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laboratory-information-system-lis-market-by-product-standalone-integrated-component-services-software-end-user-hospital-labs-independent-labs-delivery-mode-on-premise-web-based-cloud-based---analysis--forecasts-t-300370274.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[November 30, 2016] Finnair Adopts iOS Enterprise Apps from IBM to Accelerate Digital Transformation

HELSINKI and ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Finnair and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a first-of-its-kind agreement to utilize iOS enterprise apps from IBM to support the airline's overall digital transformation. Finnair is focused on Asia-Europe traffic, carrying over 10 million customers annually and connecting 70 European destinations with 17 Asian mega-cities and three North-American cities via its Helsinki hub. In preparation for growth, Finnair has recruited more than 500 employees, rolled out new aircraft and launched new routes this year. Now, Finnair seeks to improve its processes and enhance the customer experience through digital transformation. "Our collaboration with Apple and IBM is an important building block in our digital transformation," says Katri Harra-Salonen, Chief Digital Officer, Finnair. "We want to link our employees with the insights they need to make better decisions. This collaboration enables a user focused, high quality, yet cost effective way of developing digital solutions, helping us to improve the way we operate as an airline." First applications from the collaboration will be deployed in Finnair Technical Operations in aircraft line maintenance in the beginning of 2017. "We see a wealth of opportunities for improving productivity as well as adding value to the work flow of our employees, by improving real-time visibility and transparency across the entire maintenance process," says Jari Huhtinen, Head of Finnair Technical Operations. "Our mechanics team participated in the application creation work with Apple and IBM to ensure the bestpossible design, user experience and fit into our organizational processes."



Finnair is the first organization to take advantage of IBM's new app design and development model for clients that plan to adopt multiple iOS apps, called Mobile at Scale for iOS. This integrated approach, unique to IBM MobileFirst for iOS, increases the speed, efficiency and quality of how iOS apps are designed, developed, deployed, enhanced and maintained over their lifecycle. The airline has a team in the IBM MobileFirst for iOS Garage dedicated to rapidly executing Finnair projects. The MobileFirst for iOS Garage operates as a global hub for the development of iOS, enabling Finnair to tap into the world's largest concentration of Swift developers, design, integration and iOS device expertise along with consulting services. The Garage team can deliver initial apps in weeks that are tailored to meet Finnair's enterprise needs and the user requirements of its employees This integrated approach brings consistency to the project, saving 25 percent of development effort, cost and time.

The apps will be managed and hosted on IBM Cloud allowing Finnair to implement multiple apps at speed and at scale, transforming everyday tasks for employees across the organization. The apps combine simplicity with the power of analytics to generate insight for more informed decision-making and better management. "Finnair is innovating and setting an example -- not just for its industry, but for all enterprises. Rather than using mobile in silos, the airline is looking to IBM's industry expertise and solutions to digitize the entire airline," said Raimon Christiani, global industry leader IBM Travel & Transportation. "Finnair has access to IBM's full portfolio of MobileFirst for iOS apps and if there's something else it needs to empower employees and provide Finnair passengers a more seamless travel experience, we can build it." The first apps to be rolled out within the agreement are: Inspect & Turn provides aircraft mechanics with digital task cards and documentation with analytics-driven recommendations to complete work assignments to ensure the safe upkeep of aircraft and achievement of on-time arrival and departure targets.

provides aircraft mechanics with digital task cards and documentation with analytics-driven recommendations to complete work assignments to ensure the safe upkeep of aircraft and achievement of on-time arrival and departure targets. Assign Tech provides aircraft mechanic supervisors a clear overview of ?ight schedules, maintenance process and mechanic availability. Using advanced analytics, the app recommends optimal shift assignments and incorporates the skills and certi?cations of each mechanic. Push noti?cations also alert supervisors to ?ight delays process issues, so they can easily make changes on the ?y. About Finnair

Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually and connecting 17 cities in Asia with more than 70 destinations in Europe. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years running. Finnair is a member of one world, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travelers. www.finnair.com About IBM

For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com/services/gbs. For more information regarding IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps and services please visit www.ibm.com/mobilefirst/us/en/mobilefirst-for-ios.html or www.apple.com/business/mobile-enterprise-apps/. CONTACTS: Jeannine Kilbride

IBM Media Relations

1 (860) 997-6277

[email protected] Juha-Pekka Lehto

IBM Finland

+358 (09) 459 5900

[email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443763

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finnair-adopts-ios-enterprise-apps-from-ibm-to-accelerate-digital-transformation-300369985.html SOURCE IBM

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[November 30, 2016] SEMrush releases 100th update in 2016

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SEMrush, one of the world's leading competitive intelligence suites and an all-in-one platform for digital marketing professionals, released 100 features and reached over 1,000,000 users in 2016. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443682 Over the course of the last eight years, SEMrush consistently developed its product by enhancing its user experience and adding new features to empower its toolkit. As of 2015, the company had an ambitious goal of transitioning into a comprehensive marketing suite based on current demand of the marketing industry. Transparent ROI, competitive benchmarking, analysis and efficient use of the abundance of big data all created a need to reduce the time wasted and cost spent due to the overwhelming amount of tools used. Those factors triggered a series of over 100 updates of the SEMrush toolkit in 2016, including the release of eight brand new tools such as the Brad Monitoring, Backlink Audit, Traffic Analytics, PPC Keyword, Organic Traffic Insights, Lead Generation, Content and SEO Keyword Magic tools. The amount of tools grew by 50% in just one year.



The 100th and most significant update, the SEO Keyword Magic Tool, went live in November 2016, multiplying its UK database six-fold, which brings a total of 80,000,000 keywords to its users. This update comes at a pivotal moment as SEMrush extends its suite to enable full-cycle marketing integration in response to increasing user demand in the highly competitive UK market. This tool is designed to make the keyword research experience more efficient: it allows users to export up to one million keywords in a single file, group them into niches, and get a more in-depth analysis, which makes it easier than ever to get ahead of competitors and build successful keyword strategies.

Moreover, SEMrush recognises the fact that businesses do not operate in a single geographical market any more and tend to adopt geographical expansion at earlier stages. This has been reflected in the increased keyword numbers across the key regional markets across the world: SEMrush added a major boost to all its databases in 20 countries, which now contains twice as many keywords in total (United States - 160,000,000 keywords, Australia - 95,000,000 keywords, all European countries - up to 80,000,000 keywords each). "We constantly collect performance feedback on our SEMrush toolkit," said Oleg Shchegolev, CEO and Founder of SEMrush. "It is important for us to be able to tailor it according our users' needs and keep up with changing market demand. Being able to launch 100 updates this year shows the incredible dedication and hard work of our team. In 2017 we plan to further expand our tool portfolio in order to serve our users on an even higher level and to be useful for a wider audience." About SEMrush

www.semrush.com

SEMrush is a competitive research and business intelligence software that provides data and analysis on paid and organic search, website's SEO, social media and link-building activities worldwide. On top of being a powerful competitive analysis toolkit, SEMrush offers necessary features to help companies optimize their own online presence, such as its Site Audit, SEO Ideas, Content and Brand Monitoring tools. SEMrush has 30 databases for 29 countries.

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By PTI: Kolkata, Nov 30 (PTI) The CID has arrested two more doctors, alleged to be actively involved in the international child trafficking racket in West Bengal, while three babies were rescued from a bush at Falta in South 24-Parganas district.

Dilip Ghosh, who earlier worked at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and Nityananda Biswas, were arrested by CID sleuths late last night for their alleged involvement in the racket, a senior CID officer said.

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Both Ghosh and Biswas, he said, had played crucial roles in the child trafficking racket and had been involved with it for a long time.

Ghosh had contested the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation election on a BJP ticket.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh told reporters, "We have suspended him from all posts till he comes out clean in the probe. What he has done in his professional life is not the lookout of the BJP," he said.

With the arrest of the two doctors, a total 20 people have been arrested by the CID in a span of 10 days since the racket was unearthed at Baduria in North 24 Parganas.

Meanwhile, three babies were rescued from a bush near a canal at Falta in South 24-Parganas district.

"We are looking into whether these babies were part of a trafficking racket and also trying to ascertain the identity of these babies," a senior police officer said.

He said locals, who heard the cry of the babies, informed Falta police station last evening, following which police personnel rushed to the area and rescued them.

"The policemen along with the locals launched a search and found the three babies wrapped in a blanket in a bush on the banks of a canal," he said.

The three babies - two girls and a boy - have been admitted to a government hospital at Diamond Harbour, the officer said.

BJP workers staged demonstration here protesting against child trafficking in the state.

The state government yesterday warned the district child protection officers (DCPOs) of Kolkata, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas districts after the racket was busted in the state last week and asked them to step up surveillance in every state-run home.

State secretariat sources say that the government wants to strengthen rules and procedures for adoption and a directive in this regard is likely to be released soon by the Women, Child and Social Welfare Department to intensify vigil on adoption of children. PTI SCH PNT SUN MD RG

--- ENDS ---

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[November 30, 2016] Bell Integrator Among 500 Largest Software Companies

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bell Integrator, a global consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, has been included in the Software 500 ranking of the worlds largest software and service providers for the second year in a row.

Bell Integrator is gaining increased visibility, and it now holds the 213th place on the list of the worlds largest software and service providers. Its position on the list is based on a 2015 software and services revenue of $234,250,000 USD, reflecting a 12.91% growth rate over our prior year's software and services revenue of $207,460,000. Bell Integrators focus on a customer-centric approach for providing digital transformation services has resulted in the companys ongoing success and organic growth. We are proud to be listed among the Top 500 largest software companies in the world for the second year in a row, said Blair Newman, CTO, Bell Integrator USA. We have a higher position this year, which clearly demonstrates Bell Integrators growth as we contiue adding innovative services to our portfolio, improving our customers experience, entering into new partnership alliances, and extending our global presence.



The report was published in the November issue of Software Magazine. The complete Software 500 ranking can be found in the digital issue here: http://rcppubs.com/3D/SWM/2016/nov/index.html. The Software 500 is a revenue-based ranking of the worlds largest software and services suppliers, targeting medium to large enterprises, their IT professionals, software developers, and managers involved in software and services purchasing. The ranking is based on total worldwide software and services revenue from the 2015 fiscal year. This includes revenue from software licenses, maintenance and support, training, software-related services, and consulting.

About Bell Integrator Bell Integrator is a global consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, delivering mission-critical solutions that address the most complex business and technology needs of large corporations in the finance, telecom, transportation, and healthcare industries. Customers include carriers such as VimpelCom, MTS, MegaFon, and Rostelecom, which collectively serve over 600m subscribers daily, top-tier global banks, including Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Societe Generale, and others, with an average capitalization of over $10bn, large transportation and healthcare enterprises. For more information, visit www.bellintegrator.com. Contact: Inna Proshkina [email protected]

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[November 30, 2016] SurePeople Expands Cloud-Based Talent Solutions to Latin America

CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SurePeople, a global technology innovator providing cloud-based talent solutions driven by qualitative and quantitative data, and Zelf Experience, a talent management and human resources consultancy based in Chile, today announced a strategic partnership to bring SurePeoples unified technology platform to businesses across South America.

As a certified partner, Zelf Experience will bring SurePeoples world-class human capital management solutions and people analytics to its clients to help them hire, engage, develop and retain high-performing employees in Latin Americas evolving market with an increasing competition for talent. Latin America represents six percent of the worlds population, with offices for some of the best national and multinational companies in the world, like Accor, Belcorp and Cisco, said Niko Drakoulis, the founder and CEO of SurePeople. After we identified the need and the right market for SurePeoples expansion, it was equally important for us to conduct a rigorous selection process in choosing a strategic partner. And, Zelf Experience is the right partner to bring our solutions to Latin America. Zelf Experiences CEO, German Pico S., and his leadership team have deep experience in the fields of human resources, talent management, organizational development and executive recruitment. Over the years, the team at Zelf Experience have become known for their integrity, character and ability to service clients with a high-quality personalized experience that delivers sustainable results. Zelf Experience provides consultancy services for organizations across industries in Chile. Some of its current clients in the market include Derco, Entel, Prosegur, Socofar and Tecnofarma. Our partnership with SurePeople is an amazing opportunity for Zelf Experience, our clients and organizations across Latin America, saidGerman Pico. Much like in the U.S., talent management software solutions in Latin America tend to be outdated, fragmented and unable to reach frontline employees. With SurePeople and our team at Zelf Experience, we can bring a scalable, cost-effective and next-generation technology platform to the market.



To serve Latin Americas business market, SurePeoples cloud-based applications are now available in Spanish. Through SurePeoples suite of talent management solutions, businesses can leverage individual and organizational data, scale and automate personalized development plans, support hiring decisions with people analytics, share anonymous surveys to track employee engagement levels, and use many more features available on-demand and across devices. We are excited to begin our expansion into Latin America with Zelf Experience, said Drakoulis. Currently, we are also identifying additional markets for SurePeople to serve, most notably the Middle East and India, while conducting our selection process for certified strategic partners that align with our values and solutions.

For more information, visit SurePeople (www.SurePeople.com) and Zelf Experience (www.ZelfExperience.com) online. About SurePeople

SurePeople (www.SurePeople.com) is a global technology innovator providing cloud-based talent solutions driven by qualitative and quantitative data. Its mission is to make people sure of themselves and businesses sure of their people. SurePeoples proprietary SaaS (software-as-a-service) architecture, powered by its Prism psychometric algorithm  a global trade-secret developed and enhanced since 1987  delivers Emotional, Relational and Team Intelligence (ERT-i) through one integrated platform thats scalable, measurable and actionable. Together, we can achieve extraordinary outcomes. About Zelf Experience

Based in Santiago de Chile, Zelf Experience is a consulting firm that promotes conscious awareness to improve people's quality of life and looks to maximize sustainable business results. Comprised by a top-level professional team, Zelf Experience delivers in depth cultural transformations, talent and change management, gamification, training and outplacement using internet technologies and human capital analytics solutions. For more information, visit www.ZelfExperience.com or email [email protected]. Contact: Jamie Szwiec Email: [email protected]

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[November 30, 2016] Cireson Acquires Skylon Software Solutions to Bring Web Experience to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager within the Cireson Portal

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cireson, world leaders in Microsoft Cloud and System Center, today announced the acquisition of software solutions from Skylon Software, a Danish software company with industry-leading web experiences for Microsoft Configuration Manager. The acquisition marks Cireson's continued commitment and investment to Microsoft System Center, expanding their solutions portfolio into the world's leading Systems Management platform, Configuration Manager. "Skylon Software and Cireson share the same passionate focus of helping the IT community become more productive," says Cireson Co-Founder, Shaun Ericson. "We are excited to bring the Skylon Software products into the Cireson Portfolio to help our customers further leverage their System Center investments. In addition, Skylon Software Founder, Flemming Appelon Christiansen, will be joining the Cireson family. We're looking forward to working together to deliver bleeding-edge solutions to over 125,000+ Configuration Manager customers worldwide. Cireson's track record of Service Manager solutions that enhance the user experience, coupled with the recent release of Microsoft System Center 2016, make expanding our breadth of services into Configuration Manager the logical next step. This acquisition is the perfect catalyst to help us deliver immediate value to the IT community." Ericson continues, "In today's mobile climate, our customers are increasingly facing the need to become more flexible in their daily jobs. Listening to community feedback, it became clear that our customers felt constrained by the lack of mobility and customization of th native Configuration Manager console. Skylon Software has a fantastic, industry-leading web console to help solve every-day mobility restrictions of Configuration Manager. Leveraging each other's deep expertise and industry knowledge, we are finalizing development on the Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager, which will be available later this year."



The Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager is a web-based experience that enables IT teams to easily perform daily tasks, deliver software packages, perform image deployments, and increase productivity by freeing them from the native Configuration Manager console and allowing them to work from anywhere, anytime. This new solution complements the existing Cireson Portal for Service Manager, which includes the Cireson Analyst Portal and Cireson Self-Service Portal. Paul Sutton, Cireson Co-Founder, adds, "At Cireson, we're always looking to the future for how we can enhance the user experience for our customers and meet the demands of the ever-changing technology landscape. With 2017 around the corner, a core focus at Cireson will be further expanding our Service Manager and Configuration Manager solutions. We are aggressively planning future Configuration Manager Portal development initiatives, including an updated UI experience and more exciting mobility enhancements, for early 2017."

Skylon Software Founder, Flemming Appelon Christiansen, adds, "We are thrilled to join forces with Cireson to help Configuration Manager customers across the globe." The Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager will be widely available at the end of 2016. Sign-up for first priority access here and learn more in the Cireson Community. About Cireson

Born in 2012, Cireson was founded on a simple, powerful idea: to be the forward thinkers on all things Microsoft Cloud and System Center. Today, our values from the beginning remain the same; keep it genuine, do the right thing, and listen to customers. As a world leader in Microsoft Cloud and System Center, our mission is to make your working life ridiculously more productive by bringing service and asset management together - that's the Cireson Platform. Taking pride in our expertise, we proudly boast some of the brightest and most fanatical IT professionals in the industry. From the Cireson Platform to Consulting Services and community engagements  everything we do is designed to push technical brilliance forward. Our headquarters are located in sunny San Diego with offices throughout North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160809/397015LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cireson-acquires-skylon-software-solutions-to-bring-web-experience-to-microsoft-system-center-configuration-manager-within-the-cireson-portal-300369310.html SOURCE Cireson

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[November 30, 2016] Doctor On Demand Selected as Thrive Global's Video-Medicine Partner

Doctor On Demand is proud to be selected as the video-medicine partner for Thrive Global, a new and groundbreaking venture founded by Arianna Huffington. Thrive Global's commerce platform offers a curated selection of the best technology and products - including newly developed Thrive products - for well-being and performance. In collaboration with its scientific advisory board, Thrive Global vetted hundreds of the latest and most cutting-edge health and well-being technologies, products, and services to curate those that meet standards for quality and impact. Doctor On Demand was selected for its best-in-class consumer experience and top clinical quality. With an average wait time of just 3 minutes, Doctor On Demand makes it simple to care for every aspect of your health-both body and mind. "Doctor On Demand is honored to be selected as the video-medicine partner for Thrive Global," said Hill Ferguson, Doctor On Demand Chief Executive Officer. "We've found another mission-driven organization that's as committed as we are to disrupting healthcare-as-usual and putting people back in charge of their own health and well-being." The Thrive Global store, located in a 5,000 square-foot SoHo loft, will offer live demonstrations, education, and trials of the latest products and technologies across the categories of mind, body, sleep, productivity, recharging, creativity, and giving. The pop-up will be open seven days a week, December 1 through January 15, 2017. Doctor On Demand will be featured in the technology sector where consumers will be able to interact and demo the service. Every Thursday, Doctor On Demand physicians will be on-site to administer blood pressure screenings and host informal sessions on the importance of stress reduction. Additionally, Doctor On Demand psychiatrists will host weekly Coffee Talks on Tuesdays, covering topics around holiday stress, work / life balance, and the importance of sleep. "We are a company deply rooted in science and dedicated to helping people go from knowing what to do to bring more well-being into their lives to actually doing it. I am so excited to include Doctor On Demand within our amazing collection of products, services and technologies we're featuring at Thrive Global that will help people improve their well-being and productivity and lead healthier and more joyful lives," said Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global Founder and CEO.



"In today's fast-paced world it's so important for people to find new ways to care for their well-being. As Thrive Global's chosen video-medicine partner, we're proud to support that mission, giving people the ability to visit with a physician or therapist whenever they need one, right from the comfort of home," said Jennifer Nuckles, Doctor On Demand Chief Marketing Officer. Visit www.thriveglobal.com to see more on Doctor On Demand's partnership with Thrive Global.

About Doctor On Demand Doctor On Demand's mission is to improve the world's health through compassionate care and innovation. We believe that health is personal, and means so much more than treating illness. We're proud of the care we've provided over the years and the relationships we've developed with our patients, as evidenced by the 5-star reviews we continually receive. People use our service to gain access to some of the best physicians and licensed therapists in the country, all whenever and wherever is most convenient. It's as simple as opening the Doctor On Demand app on a smartphone or computer. Through live video visits, our hand-picked, US-trained doctors take patient history, perform an exam, and recommend a treatment plan. Prescriptions, if needed, go directly to the pharmacy of choice. While insurance isn't required, tens of millions of Americans enjoy covered medical and mental health visits through employer and health plan partnerships. To learn more about the hundreds of medical issues we treat, visit us at DoctorOnDemand.com. About Thrive Global Thrive Global's mission is to end the epidemic of stress and burnout by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance both well-being and performance. Thrive Global's three interconnected core components are: corporate trainings and workshops that bring the latest strategies and tools around health and well-being to organizations; a media platform that serves as the global hub for the conversation about well-being and performance with an emphasis on action; and, an e-commerce platform that offers a curated selection of the best technology and products for well-being. Together, the three components create an integrated platform that empowers people to make sustainable changes to their daily lives, going from knowing what to do to actually doing it. Thrive Global is committed to accelerating the culture shift that allows people to reclaim their lives and move from surviving to thriving. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005437/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Vivo V5 Unveiled with 20MP Selfie Camera and Stunning Hi-Fi Sound Quality to Pursue True Perfection of "Camera & Music"

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading smartphone manufacturer Vivo has officially released the company's latest smartphone Vivo V5, a new model of V series and the first product after the company's tagline changing to "Camera & Music". "The release of V5 marks the introduction of our new tagline," said Alex Feng, Global Vice President of Vivo, at the press conference, "The new tagline demonstrates a new direction of Vivo as continuing bring new and surprises to our users by introducing accumulated user experience." "Photography and music have become two of the most essential ways for people to experience life and express themselves. The V5 that carries evolutionary softlight camera and state-of-the-art Hi-Fi technologies reflects our new focus on meeting these demands and meanwhile exploring the deeper connection between music and real life." Feng remarked. 5.5-inch Display wth 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass: Creating Surprising



IMX376: Evolutionary 20MP Front Camera to Perfect Selfie Co-engineered with SONY, Vivo's V5 features a 20MP front camera, a selfie spotlight and sophisticated beautification software. It carries an IMX376 flagship sensor tailored for the V5 that provides unparalleled photography experience.

With a super-large image sensor of 1/2.78 inches, the IMX376 is comparable to digital cameras in terms of imaging quality in low light condition. The 20MP resolution with an f/2.0 large aperture and 5P lenses enables outstanding portrait shots creation. The V5 also introduces the Selfie Soft-light feature that will automatically detect the surrounding light and switch on when needed to create the lighting effect of a professional photography studio. In addition, with the Face Beauty 6.0, a perfect selfie could be generated with one click. V5 promises not only the most artistic photos, but outstanding photography experience to preserve precious yet fleeting moments of life. AK4376: Pioneered Hi-Fi Music Quality Cooperated with Vivo's strategic partner AKM, a global top-notch music chip manufacturer, the V5 introduces the new Hi-Fi chip, AK4376, to deliver tremendously enjoyable music experience by reproducing every little detail in a music piece and thus making it sound like a live performance. Other key features of V5 include: 4GB RAM and octa-core processor that realizes slit screen and multi-tasking with lower risks of system crash

Front fingerprint unlocking feature that allows unlock in just 0.2 seconds.

Eye protection mode that prevents eye strain by filtering blue light. The V5 has been released in India, Vietnam, Philippine, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand and are available for sale soon. About Vivo A young and passionate global smartphone brand focusing on introducing perfect sound quality and ultimate photography with cutting-edge technology, Vivo develops dynamic and stylish products for passionate people. The company ranks top 5 smartphone brands worldwide according to IDC Q3 2016 report. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444051 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vivo-v5-unveiled-with-20mp-selfie-camera-and-stunning-hi-fi-sound-quality-to-pursue-true-perfection-of-camera--music-300370461.html SOURCE Vivo

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[November 30, 2016] Bidtellect Partners with nToggle to Amplify Native Programmatic Advertising Scale with Superior Infrastructure Economics

Bidtellect, the Native platform built for marketers, today unveiled a seven-fold scale increase and substantial economic benefits of its relationship with nToggle, Inc. Bidtellect now delivers more Native ads more cost efficiently for thousands of premium advertisers by utilizing nToggle's programmatic traffic shaping platform. nToggle's deep machine learning enables Bidtellect to automatically access vastly more premium supply scale without incurring additional CapEx. Rather than spending precious capital to evaluate the ever-expanding universe of programmatic supply, Bidtellect relies on nToggle to curate a highly concentrated supply stream that closely matches Bidtellect's campaigns, significantly enhancing the company's already market leading Native programmatic supply capabilities and scale. In early 2016, Bidtellect pointed select supply partners to nToggle as an alternative to building out costly infrastructure. The supply partners opened up all of their available traffic. nToggle received and optimized this vast increase in supply, enabling Bidtellect to deliver more Native ads and media spend for its clients. nToggle hunts through vastly more traffic than previously economically feasible for Bidtellect. Each programmatic ad opportunity that passes through nToggle is evaluated in real-time for millions of attribute combinations and user identifiers that match Bidtellect's unique demand. nToggle's machine learning reacts to changes in demand patterns, ensuring that Bidtellect is always receiving the ideal mix of traffic for its clients' campaigns. For example, the algorithm picks up on demand patterns on the most importantattributes - such as Native ad opportunities, AT&T (News - Alert) iPhone 7 users in New York City ZIP Code 10010, who are using the Words With Friends app in the morning hours - and routes traffic accordingly.



Bidtellect's bid rates increased as much as 300%, demonstrating nToggle's effectiveness in delivering more relevant ad opportunities. Meanwhile revenue on supply partners managed by nToggle increased 30%, once again proving the higher yield delivered through the nToggle platform. "nToggle enables Bidtellect to see all of the traffic for users that we want to retarget that would otherwise be cost prohibitive," said Jeremy Kayne, chief technology officer at Bidtellect.

"The result of our work together has been to increase the considered inventory by 7.4 times, making Bidtellect one the largest global Native platforms," said nToggle co-founder and CEO Adam Soroca. He continued, "Without the burden of managing scalability challenges, Bidtellect can now focus its investments on the innovation required to deliver the most insightful Native Advertising possible." Since Bidtellect initially launched with nToggle in the United States, the footprint has expanded to Europe, making Bidtellect one of only a few companies with the effective scale to deliver high volume Native campaigns while improving its infrastructure economics. About Bidtellect

Bidtellect is the leading paid content distribution platform providing marketers with one platform to execute Native campaigns across all formats and devices including text, imagery and video. Marketers leverage Bidtellect's proprietary real-time optimization algorithms, first- and third- party data targeting, advanced KPI optimization and a team of industry experts, to drive real results for paid content distribution campaigns to deliver smart advertising. Bidtellect delivers access to the world's most expansive Native ecosystem of premium placements in order to achieve unparalleled scale. The company is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida and was launched in 2013 by the digital media industry's most successful ad tech pioneers. About nToggle

nToggle delivers heightened efficiency and transparency for buyers and sellers amidst the rapid rise of programmatic advertising. Its algorithm-driven platform helps supply and demand companies manage the ever expanding bid stream. Operating globally, nToggle's big data platform "toggles" real time bidding requests across all digital media utilizing the latest analytical and machine learning techniques to optimally match supply and demand. For more information, visit us at www.ntoggle.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005644/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Sandhills Publishing To Host Regional Dealer Forum in Ontario, California

LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing will host nearly 150 attendees from at least 12 U.S. states at a regional dealer forum event scheduled for December 4th and 5th in Ontario, California. The Nebraska-based technology company will host equipment and parts dealers, manufacturers, rental and leasing companies, auctioneers, and other professionals from the construction, agriculture, heavy machinery, transportation, and aviation industries as part of a series of regional forums set to take place in 2017. Sandhills forums present attendees with opportunities to gain industry insights, grow professional relationships, and leverage their partnerships with Sandhills to improve internal efficiencies through results-oriented, cost-effective business tools. The upcoming forum combines open workshops, roundtable discussions, forum-style seminars, and one-on-one sessions to address a range of topics. "In addition to seminars and roundtable discussions, our forum events provide a venue for one-on-one collaboration with our industry experts," explains Sandhills' Department Manager Michelle Ober. For example, the Ontario forum will include a focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). "Consultations with our web marketing team provide dealers with the information they need to make strategic decisions that lead to higher returns from their online marketing," adds Ober.



Sandhills will also present a number of recently launched products, including NeedWorkToday.com and NeedADriverNow.com, which connect employers and individuals seeking industry-specific employment opportunities; Pre-AuctionTime, a new timed wholesale avenue available to sellers; and more. Sandhills will also make exclusive announcements about product updates and upcoming rollouts. Dates and locations for 2017 regional forums are set: Sandhills will host forums February 27th and 28th in Dallas, Texas; April 25th and 26th in Roanoke, Virginia; June 12th and 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah; October 16th and 17th in Orlando, Florida; and December 4th and 5th in Phoenix, Arizona. Sandhills will also host its annual three-day Global Forum at the company's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska August 8th, 9th, and 10th. "These regional forums allow us to reach customers all over the country more conveniently, and more frequently," adds Ober, "So they can reap the benefits that our annual Global Forum has delivered for over two decades."

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services are aimed at gathering, processing, and distributing information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud. Contact: Sandhills Publishing, 402-479-2181

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150316/182003LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandhills-publishing-to-host-regional-dealer-forum-in-ontario-california-300370005.html SOURCE Sandhills Publishing

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[November 30, 2016] Intralinks Makes Further Strategic Investment in Europe

Intralinks (NYSE:IL), a secure content collaboration company, today announces further strategic investment and client momentum in Europe, as the company opens a second European datacenter, located in Frankfurt. This presence in Germany is part of the Intralinks Trust Perimeter, which gives customers what they need to define their organizational perimeter, as their data moves around the world. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005209/en/ Intralinks European Expansion (Photo: Business Wire) "Continental Europe is an extremely strategic location for us, especially after the "Brexit" decision. Our customers are thinking about data privacy more than ever before. Once the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is implemented, there will be thousands more data privacy officers in Europe, tasked with protecting personally identifiable information. But as the business boundaries are changing in a more connected world, this is a very difficult task," said Ron Hovsepian, Chief Executive Officer, Intralinks. The Intralinks Trust Perimeter allows Intralinks customers to 'define your own perimeter': companies decide how information is protected as it leaves the firewall and moves around the world, while meeting growing data privacy demands. To do this, Intralinks provides its customers with a number of capabilities to choose from. Intralinks has created an industry-leading platform architecture, which includes advanced technology called Intralinks Distributed Content Nodes, deployed in Germany. This technology provides customers with control over where data is located. With this deployment, Intralinks' customers' most valuable data does not leave Continental Europe. As part of the Intralinks Trust Perimeter, Intralinks customers can also choose: Where their encryption keys reside

Intralinks was the first-to-market with the ground-breaking technology Customer Managed Encryption Keys (CMK). This provides customers with full and sole control over the ability to manage the encryption keys used to protect their data in the cloud. How sensitive information is consumed, ownloaded and edited at the file level around the world





The legal options to ensure compliance with global data privacy regulations

Intralinks is one of the first wave of companies to certify to the new EU-US Privacy Shield programme, giving its customers more legal options for transferring data outside of Europe, as well as EU model clauses. "Businesses need to know how they can retain control of their information once it leaves the traditional firewall. The Intralinks Trust Perimeter gives customers what they need to define a new, global perimeter around their information, while meeting rigorous data protection standards," concludes Hovsepian. In 2016 alone, many major European firms have worked with Intralinks. These include Statoil and Tata Steel. 2016 has also seen Intralinks working on exciting new projects with customers to support their digital transformation efforts, including Lloyds Banking Group.

In Intralinks' 20-year history, over 4.1 million business users across the world have used the platform. For more information, please visit the Intralinks Trust Perimeter web page. Availability Intralinks' Distributed Content Node in Germany is generally available for Intralinks' customers running strategic transactions. About Intralinks Intralinks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: IL) is a global secure content collaboration company that provides cloud-based solutions to control the sharing, distribution, and management of high value content within and across organizations according to the highest-level of security and the most stringent compliance regulations. Over 90,000 clients, 99% of the Fortune 1000 companies, have depended on Intralinks to digitally transform and simplify critical business processes, and secure high-value information. With a 20-year track record of enabling high-stakes transactions and business collaborations valued at more than $30 trillion, Intralinks is a trusted provider of easy-to-use, enterprise strength, cloud-based collaboration technology. For more information, visit www.intralinks.com. Forward Looking Statements The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are express or implied statements that are not based on historical information and include, among other things, statements concerning Intralinks' plans, intentions, expectations, projections, hopes, beliefs, objectives, goals, and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the results or commitments expressed, projected, or implied by any forward-looking statements will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. As such, Intralinks undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For a detailed list of the factors and risks that could affect Intralinks' financial results, please refer to Intralinks public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2015 and subsequent quarterly reports. Trademarks and Copyright "Intralinks" and the Intralinks' stylized logo are the registered trademarks of Intralinks, Inc. The "Intralinks Trust Perimeter" and "Distributed Content Nodes" are trademarks of Intralinks, Inc.  2016 Intralinks, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005209/en/

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[November 30, 2016] OGSystems Welcomes Narrative Science as the Latest Partner in the BlueGlassTM Platform

OGSystems (OGS), a leader in technology innovation for the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC), today announced its partnership with Narrative Science, the leader in advanced natural language generation (Advanced NLG) for the enterprise, in the development of BlueGlassTM - OGSystems' easily accessible location-based intelligence platform. "Through our key partnerships, we are one step closer to providing a fully integrated platform for patterns of life and situational awareness to support risk and threat assessments and security operations," said Omar Balkissoon, CEO and Co-Founder of OGSystems. "The addition of Narrative Science in the development of our BlueGlassTM platform will leverage a unique combination of our technologies to tell the story depicted in the data." "Comprehensive and cogent analysis is vital to every decision-making process," said John Goolgasian, OGSystems Associate Partner and lead for Geospatial Analytics. "The addition of Narrative Science and its advanced natural language generation to the BlueGlassTM platform is turning data from all our partners into compelling stories. We can now provide real-time analysis and automated big data reporting, putting the power of that ata into customers' hands."



The OGSystems BlueGlassTM platform combines commercial remote sensing, big data, and cognitive analytics to deliver real-time insights through situational awareness, anomaly alerting, and reporting of activities that could pose risk to the operations of its users. "We're thrilled to be partnering with OGSystems," said Mauro Mujica-Parodi III, General Manager of Integrated Narrative Solutions and Applications at Narrative Science. "With Advanced NLG capabilities integrated into the BlueGlassTM platform, data insights are transformed into intelligent narratives. By receiving insights in natural language, users can more quickly understand and act on potentially significant situations. The partnership reflects OGSystems' commitment to being at the forefront of innovation."

About Narrative Science Narrative Science is the leader in advanced natural language generation for the enterprise. Its Quill platform, an intelligent system, analyzes data from disparate sources, understands what is interesting and important to the end user and then automatically generates perfectly written narratives for any intended audience, at unlimited scale. A diverse range of companies such as USAA, MasterCard (News - Alert), American Century Investments, and the U.S. intelligence community utilize Quill to increase efficiency through the elimination of time-consuming, manual processes related to analyzing data and communicating insights, freeing employees to focus on high-value activities and better serving their customers. About OGSystems OGSystems' (OGS) mission is to provide technically advanced solutions to customers through constant innovation, effecting positive change in every engagement. In an industry accustomed to long and inefficient procurement cycles, OGS thinks differently - we are an alternative for DoD and IC clients seeking nimble companies to solve their most difficult problems. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, with regional offices in St. Louis, Missouri, San Diego, California, and Portland, Oregon, OGS employs over 350 geospatial engineers, software developers, data scientists and mission subject matter experts in the areas of geospatial intelligence and big data analytics. For more information, visit http://www.ogsystems.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005387/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Dr. Joseph G. Joyner Named Next President of Flagler College by the Board of Trustees

Dr. Joseph G. Joyner, Superintendent of Schools for St. Johns County District in St. Augustine, Fla., was named President of Flagler College on Nov. 29, 2016, by the College's Board of Trustees. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005772/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) "On behalf of the Flagler College Board of Trustees, I am very pleased Dr. Joyner has agreed to serve as the next president of Flagler College," said Frank Upchurch, Chairman of the Board. "He will be a worthy successor to Dr. William T. Abare, Jr. and Dr. William L. Proctor. He shares their commitment to the college's core values of teaching, learning, student success and civility. Under Dr. Joyner's leadership, I have every confidence that the college will continue the pursuit of excellence of his two esteemed predecessors. I ask the Board of Trustees, distinguished faculty, staff, students and alumni to join me in extending a warm welcome to Joseph Joyner." Dr. Joyner was selected to become the next president of the 2,500-student nationally-ranked, independent college after a national search that began in April 2016 when current president William T. Abare Jr. announced his plans for retirement. More than 171 applications were received during the process, and a Search Committee established by the college's Board of Trustees narrowed the impressive list down to two finalists in November. Dr. Joyner is retiring as Superintendent of the St. Johns County chool District, a position he has served in since 2003. He will start as president of Flagler upon Dr. Abare's retirement following the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. In his capacity with the School District, he oversees a budget of $633 million and has had oversight of 21 major facilities construction and renovation projects exceeding $387 million in cost. Under Dr. Joyner's leadership, the District has been recognized as the highest achieving of Florida's 67 school districts for the past eight years and has continually ranked among the top districts in the state in the percentage of money spent on the classroom and for financial transparency.



"It is an honor to be asked to serve as president of Flagler College," said Dr. Joyner. "I will do my utmost to build on the great legacy of excellence that the two former presidents built with so much commitment and determination." Upchurch said that Joyner was the top choice from an impressive field of candidates.

"The Search Committee had 171 applications for the presidency and interviewed nine candidates," he said. "We think Dr. Joyner is the best choice to lead the college into a new era." The new president will succeed Dr. Abare, who is retiring in June 2017 after 15 years of service as Flagler College president. Abare's career at Flagler has spanned 45 years in which he served as Dean of Admissions, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Executive Vice President, and Executive Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. "It has been my honor to serve the college for the past 45 years," Abare said. "I know it will be in great hands with Joe Joyner taking the helm. I will do everything possible to make sure the transition is smooth and that the future continues to be bright for Flagler College under the new leadership." For more information on the Presidential Search, visit www.flagler.edu/presidentialselection. Flagler College is a private, nationally-ranked college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 31 majors, 36 minors, two pre-professional programs and a master's degree in Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing. Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a National Historic Landmark built in 1888 by railroad pioneer and Standard Oil co-founder Henry M. Flagler. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005772/en/

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By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 30 (PTI) The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project has changed the negative security narrative into an exceedingly positive economic narrative for Pakistan, Prime Minister said today as he reviewed the progress on multi-billion dollars venture.

Sharif chaired a meeting at Prime Minister House to review at length the benchmarks set for numerous energy, transport infrastructure and industrial projects in terms of deliverables with particular focus on development of Gwadar Port along with socio-economic uplift projects in Gwadar.

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The Prime Minister said that CPEC is Pakistan?s strategic economic initiative that has been significantly attracting the world in general and regional countries in particular.

"The CPEC has changed the negative security narrative into an exceedingly positive economic narrative for Pakistan," he said.

The successful implementation of the projects under the umbrella of CPEC is a manifestation of the strong and time-tested friendship between China and Pakistan, he said.

Sharif also said that the success of CPEC has been substantiated by the massive and further expanding foreign investment in Pakistan.

"There is a compelling reason for international investors for investments in Pakistan because of the success story of CPEC initiatives," said the Prime Minister. PTI SH NSA

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[November 30, 2016] Universal Mind Named Certified Professional Innovator Partner

Universal Mind, a digital consulting and services firm that works with companies to optimize their digital value delivery, has partnered with Innovatrium as a Certified Professional Innovator (CPI) partner. CPI is a program that is certified by the University of Michigan. Universal Mind will work with Dr. Jeff DeGraff, clinical professor of Management and Organizations at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, whose insights are sought after by NPR (News - Alert), PBS, Bloomberg Business Week, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal and more. Work in the partnership will support multiple elements of the CPI model including training within the Executive and Individual framework innovation models and the development and launch of a software platform to support the framework. "Universal Mind has found a true partner in the University of Michigan and with Dr. DeGraff," said Brett Cortese, Universal Mind president and CEO. "Creative and critical thinking are two core approaches to all that we do. This partnership will reinforce both organizations' abilities to provide world class innovative training and offerings around experience and experimentation, solution development and selection." The CPI program, through its customized and scalable online component combined with a rapid and intense action-learning program, is designed to develop highly pacticed innovation leaders at various levels of any organization. Embedding an innovative mindset and instilling the skill and knowledge base required to manage innovation-focused projects, people, ventures and solutions is the ultimate goal of the CPI program.



"The partnership with Universal Mind promises to be an exciting one," said Dr. DeGraff. "With their reputation and background as technology innovators, the CPI program can only continue to flourish with their involvement. Creativity drives innovation and Universal Mind has proven themselves to be a very creative organization." Dr. DeGraff has consulted with hundreds of the world's most prominent firms, including American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Microsoft (News - Alert) and General Electric. He has also developed a broad array of widely used creativity and innovation methodologies and tools, such as these 14 videos, as well as on-the-ground training sessions. This course will help attendees do everything from selecting and assessing high-potential innovation leaders within their organizations, developing an innovation strategy and sharing and communicating endeavors and findings with other workshop participants.

"Universal Mind is particularly proud of this new relationship as it aligns with our organizational values of being creators of connections that redefine futures who believe in profound partnerships and who are deeply committed to delivering solutions that can help organizations reach their ideal business state," Cortese added. About Universal Mind Universal Mind is an independent, digital consulting and services firm focused on enhancing human experiences and solving problems through technology. Founded in 2003, the company has more than 100 strategists, designers, developers, delivery managers, and agilists located in four offices across the U.S. and Canada, all who understand that true experience design and creation - and the resulting business value - happens at the intersection of PEOPLE, BUSINESS and TECHNOLOGY. For more information visit www.universalmind.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005837/en/

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[November 30, 2016] More than 15,000 Cybersecurity Professionals Sought by Illinois Employers

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Employers across Illinois posted job openings for more than 15,000 cybersecurity workers over the past year, according to CyberSeek, a new online resource designed to enhance our nation's cybersecurity workforce. CyberSeek was introduced this month by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in cooperation with CompTIA, the world's leading technology association, and its partner, labor market analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies. An estimated 29,671 people are employed in cybersecurity roles in Illinois, according to CyberSeek data. However, employers poste an estimated 15,381 job openings for cybersecurity workers. The top markets with open positions are:



Chicago (13,177) Bloomington (514) Moline - Rock Island - Davenport, Iowa (418) Springfield (131) "We've known for some time that there are gaps between the supply and demand of cybersecurity workers," said Tim Herbert, senior vice president, research and market intelligence, CompTIA. "By pinpointing the need to the state and local levels, CyberSeek fills in knowledge gaps so we can better understand the demand for cybersecurity professionals; the skills employers are looking for; and the true supply of professionals to fill those positions." Illinois has a cybersecurity workforce supply-demand ratio of 1.9, compared to a national average of 2.2. This means the cybersecurity labor market in Illinois is tighter relative to many other states.

The cybersecurity job titles most often requested by Illinois employers include: Cyber Security Analyst / Specialist

Cyber Security Engineer

Computer Scientists / Researchers

Auditor

Network Administrator "Healthcare facilities, financial institutions, restaurants, retailers, and many other businesses have been the targets of cyber-attacks in recent months," said Alexi Madon, director, state government affairs, Midwest, CompTIA. "This daily drumbeat of news about cyber-threats is a constant reminder of the need for cybersecurity readiness. That readiness starts by fortifying the frontline of defense  cybersecurity professionals armed with the right education, certifications and skills." CyberSeek's interactive heat map of cybersecurity jobs is augmented by the Career Pathway, which provides information on different types of positions to help students, job seekers and workforce trainers. The Career Pathway features information on common job titles, salaries, online job openings, in-demand skills, education and certifications related to careers in cybersecurity. CyberSeek is a free resource available to anyone interested in the cybersecurity workforce. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130107/DC38135LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-than-15000-cybersecurity-professionals-sought-by-illinois-employers-300369993.html SOURCE CompTIA

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[November 30, 2016] American Water Raises $460,000 for United Way Nationwide

American Water (NYSE: AWK), the nation's largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, announced today the company has raised approximately $460,000 company-wide for local United Way organizations across the nation. "American Water has a long history of supporting United Way and we are fortunate to have such generous employees with a wonderful giving spirit," said Susan Story, president and CEO of American Water. "Every year, American Water employees proudly contribute to the important efforts of United Way through creative fundraising campaigns and events that help advance the common good in those communities in which we live and work." American Water's support of United Way is part of its customer commitment that aims to create a lasting, positive impact on the communitiesthe company serves.



United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.8 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide, and more than $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world's largest privately-funded nonprofit. For more information about United Way, visit UnitedWay.org. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Marking its 130th anniversary this year, the company employs more than 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.

Click here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for American Water. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005791/en/

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[November 30, 2016] IAB Tech Lab Releases MRAID 3.0 for Public Comment

The IAB Technology Laboratory has released for public comment an update to the Mobile Rich Media Ad Interface Definition (MRAID). The revised MRAID 3.0 provides technical guidance for improved user experience, faster ad rendering, viewability measurement, and Video Player Ad Interface Definition (VPAID) integration, among other advancements. Developed by members of the MRAID Working Group, this release marks the first major overhaul to MRAID in more than four years, and not only advances the specs, but also makes them more developer-friendly. MRAID 3.0 introduces several new features, including: Guidance on pre-loading ads and ensuring ads are shown to the user only when they are ready for display

Viewability measurement by the viewable percentage of an ad, as wel as clearer tracking on the presence of an ad

Full integration with VPAID to permit video measurement within mobile ads leveraging MRAID

Ability to discover whether access to device location is enabled, while further providing information about the location

Audibility measurement to inform the ad if device audio is enabled and at what volume level

Detection of relevant attributes that indicate whether an ad is running in MRAID-compliant web view at initialization time, while eliminating ambiguous interpretations



"With more accurate mobile viewability metrics, MRAID 3.0 creates better opportunities for publishers to monetize their inventory and for brands to understand the effectiveness of their campaigns," said Anna Bager, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Video, IAB. "The IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence is impressed with the IAB Tech Lab's continued development of the MRAID standard, and look forward to future cooperation on its advancement."

The public comment period will be run through January 30, 2017, after which the MRAID Working Group will evaluate the comments and incorporate feedback. Comments can be emailed to [email protected]. To review MRAID 3.0, please go to iab.com/mraid. About IAB Technology Laboratory The IAB Technology Laboratory is an independent, international, nonprofit research and development consortium charged with producing and helping companies implement global industry technical standards. Comprised of digital publishers and ad technology firms, as well as marketers, agencies, and other companies with interests in the interactive marketing arena, the IAB Tech Lab's goal is to reduce friction associated with the digital advertising and marketing supply chain, while contributing to the safe and secure growth of the industry. The organization's founding member companies include AppNexus, Google (News - Alert), GroupM, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, LinkedIn, PubMatic, Sonobi, Tremor Video, Yahoo, and Yahoo! JAPAN. Established in 2014, the IAB Tech Lab is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005826/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Bristol-Myers Squibb to Take Part at the Citi 2016 Global Healthcare Conference

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) will take part in the Citi 2016 Global Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, in New York. Giovanni Caforio, M.D., chief executive officer, and Francis Cuss, MB, BChir, FRCP, chief scientific officer, will make formal remarks and answer questions about the company at 8:00 a.m. EST. Investors and the general public are invited to listen to a live webcast of the session at http://investor.bms.com. An archived edition of the session will be available later that day.



About Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005845/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Community Health Systems to Participate in Citi 2016 Global Healthcare Conference

Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) today announced that management will participate in the Citi 2016 Global Healthcare Conference to be held December 7-8, 2016, at The Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York. The investor presentation will begin at 2:10 p.m. Eastern time, 1:10 p.m. Central time, on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, and will be available to investors via a live audio webcast. A link to the broadcast can be found at the investor relations section of the Company's website, www.chs.net, and a replay will be available for 30 days using that same link.



Community Health Systems, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded hospital companies in the United States and a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in communities across the country. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns, leases or operates 158 affiliated hospitals in 22 states with an aggregate of nearly 27,000 licensed beds. The Company's headquarters are located in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb south of Nashville. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CYH." More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.chs.net.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005909/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Is your brand listening?

Turn real-time media channel insights into communications action plans TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Brands are locked in a continuous struggle to be heard above the noise created by other brands, the daily news cycle and trending topics online. While many deduce that making oneself heard is about being louder than everyone else, Cision's Global Content Strategist, James Rubec explains, "Being the loudest doesn't make you the most influential. Audience insights do." Understanding the trends and conversations happening from a broad scale down to a particular topic or keyword is crucial to getting communications right: it allows brands to create content, engage customers and potential customers as well as secure earned media mentions. Listening allows us to learn. When brands listen, they uncover actionable insights that will not only inform communications objectives but business outcomes, too. "A campaign is only as valuable as the insights its messaging is based on," says Rubec. Here are three things that listening can help your organization to do: Respond: Identify needs from existing audiences and supply relevant information or services Evolve: Use insights to lead change internally and externally Activate: Drive results from real-time data through benchmarking and optimization How can brands become effective listeners? CNW examined the power of listening and shared its findings in a new whitepaper, released today called, istening: Turn real-time media channel insights into communications action plans.



The paper shares the fundamentals of any social listening program together with specific examples of what your organization or brand should listen for online and in particular, among its existing audience. Supplemented with real-world examples, this whitepaper details how the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Northern Alberta and the NHS in England have both benefited from social listening campaigns that save money and achieve communications objectives, but in the case of Fort McMurray, can also save lives. Find out: How brands can listen most effectively How to turn real-time media channel insights into communications action plans How to put a social listening campaign in place How listening helps us learn Knowing where and when to strike up a valuable conversation will ensure your brand's voice is the one that is heard clearly above the rest.

Download this free whitepaper and get started on building a social listening program for your brand today. About CNW Group

CNW Group Ltd. (a Cision company) gets people talking about our clients online and in the news. We deliver authenticated news releases and multimedia content in the right way and to the right places in order to fulfill disclosure requirements and maximize exposure, engagement and earned media opportunities. CNW also provides professional video, photography and webcast production, translation, regulatory filing and printing services as well as monitoring and measurement platforms. About Cision:

Cision is a leading media communication technology and analytics company that enables marketers and communicators to effectively manage their earned media programs in coordination with paid and owned channels to drive business impact. As the creator of the Cision Communication Cloud, the first-of-its-kind earned media cloud-based platform, Cision has combined cutting-edge data, analytics, technology and services into a unified communication ecosystem that brands can use to build consistent, meaningful and enduring relationships with influencers and buyers in order to amplify their marketplace influence. Cision solutions also include market-leading media technologies such as PR Newswire, CNW, Gorkana, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision serves over 100,000 customers in 170 countries and 40 languages worldwide, and maintains offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Australia. For more information, visit www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.

SOURCE CNW Group Ltd.

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[November 30, 2016] Global First IND for Subcutaneous Injectable anti-PD-L1 Domain Antibody Receives FDA Approval

3D Medicines (Sichuan) Co., Ltd. and Suzhou Alphamab Co., Ltd. announced today that the U.S. FDA has completed its review of the IND for their drug KN035 and informed the pharmaceutical company of their approval. KN035, originally developed by Alphamab, is a fusion protein of anti-PD-L1 single domain antibody and Fc. KN035 has unique features, such as, better penetration, sc injection, high affinity, better stability and good PK profiles. Alphamab and 3D Medicines reached a global co-development agreement early this year. Alphamab is responsible for manufacturing of KN035 and 3D Medicines for clinicaldevelopment, registration, and marketing globally.



"To our knowledge, this represents one of the very few cases for a US IND approval for which a Chinese company completed the whole process," said Dr. Ting Xu, Chairman and CEO of Alphamab. "We are thrilled by the milestone achievement. With KN035 as a building block for bi-specifics, Alphamab has also initiated the development of next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics." Dr. John Gong, CEO of 3D Medicines added "We are pleased to have received FDA acceptance for our clinical trial protocol and look forward to initiating this study shortly. We believe KN035 is a truly differentiated anti-PD-L1 product for immune-oncology therapy, its unique features, such as, subcutaneous injection, will significantly improve the quality of life for American cancer patients."

About Suzhou Alphamab Co., Ltd. Suzhou Alphamab Co., Ltd., founded in 2009, is a leading biotechnology company in China focused on the discovery, development and manufacture of innovative biologics. With multiple proprietary platforms in protein engineering, antibody screening and multi-specifics, Alphamab has created a robust pipeline of over 20 innovative biologics programs in immune-oncology, infertility, infectious diseases and others. Alphamab is striving to develop 1st-in-class or best-in-class medicines to address unmet medical needs globally. About 3D Medicines 3D Medicines (3DMed) is a leading precision medicine company in China. 3DMed's platforms, including next-generation sequencing, the world's largest PDC bank for liver cancer, and an Oncology Data Service Platform (OncoDSP), which can guide clinicians to choose right treatment for patients and help to develop effective medicines to treat cancer. Based on the precision medicine and biomarker driven drug development strategy, 3D Medicines has several anticancer drug candidates under preclinical development. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005995/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Zafin Joins Canadian Fintech Delegation to the UK

Zafin, a leading financial technology company serving financial institutions of all sizes, is pleased to announce that it will be part of the a delegation of prominent Canadian fintech companies travelling to the UK between December 4-8 to pursue growth therein. The mission is spearheaded by the Department for International Trade and sponsored by British Airways. The mission is a timely one for Zafin after incredible momentum in the region. Global financial institutions are using Zafin's award-winning software solution to simplify their processes, pursue digital innovation, manage conduct risk, and drive revenue. The UK provides a strong and strategic base for Zafin to expand its efforts in both the UK and the rest of Europe. "With its focus on digital innovation as well as its historical significance as a financial hub, the UK provides a great onshore investment location for Zafin's expansion efforts," said Nancy Langer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Zafin. "We are confident that the UK market provides a strong base for expanding our business in the UK and Europe, and we are making appropriate onshore investments to pursue our future growth potential in the region. We are honoured to be a part of this mission." As part of the itinerary, Zafin will gain valuable insight into the market from industry experts and mentors as well as network with other fintech peers. The group's itinerary in London ncludes opening the market at the London Stock Exchange, meeting several innovation team and executives at fintech accelerator programs, and participating in networking events, including the FinTech Connect Live and the European Digital Banking Summit.



"We are delighted that Zafin is joining this fintech mission to the UK," said Nicole Davison of the British Consul General Vancouver. "This will be an excellent opportunity for them to explore their continuing growth and investment in the UK and underlines the fact that the UK is still a key market for the fintech sector. We look forward to working with Zafin as they seek to expand and grow their business even further." About Zafin

As a leading financial technology provider, Zafin's mission is to make banking better for both the customer and the bank. Our award-winning platform, miRevenue, helps banks deepen customer relationships by uniting common customer, product, pricing and billing functions in one integrated solution. Today, financial institutions of all sizes use miRevenue to increase revenue, enhance operational efficiency, streamline regulatory compliance and enable a connected digital banking ecosystem. Each year, our clients trust miRevenue to process billions of transactions for hundreds of millions of their customers across retail banking, cash management, wealth management and custody services. As a proud Canadian company, Zafin's 100 percent retention rate underscores our proven track record as a trusted partner for our clients. For more information, please visit www.zafin.com.

About the Department for International Trade

The UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) has overall responsibility for promoting UK trade across the world and attracting foreign investment to our economy. We are a specialised government body with responsibility for negotiating international trade policy, supporting business, as well as delivering an outward-looking trade diplomacy strategy. About British Airways

British Airways is a full service global airline, offering year-round low fares with an extensive global route network flying to and from centrally-located airports. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006032/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Austin's RxWiki Hires Top Talent to Accelerate Mobile Product Development

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RxWiki Inc., a rapidly growing digital health company, today announced that it has hired two new directors to accelerate the company's product development strategy. Steve Spry joins as Director of Mobile Development. Prior to joining RxWiki, Mr. Spry was Director of Mobile Platform SDK Engineering at Austin-based Phunware Inc. Prior to this, Mr. Spry held various engineering roles in Austin and Silicon Valley at companies such as Adobe Systems and Apple Computer. Mr. Spry completed post graduate studies in Computer Science at Stanford University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from California State University. Robert Terrell joins as Director of Product Development. Mr. Terrell has eight years of experience in healthcare technology and is widely recognized as the product manager responsible for creating the PocketRx mobile application at Praeses, a Shreveport, Louisiana software development company. Mr. Terrell graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Louisiana at Lafayette and was awarded Outstanding Graduate in Business Administration. "We are delighted to welcome Steve and Robert to our rapidly growing company. We look forward to developing exciting new products as our network of Pharmacies continues to expand acros North America," said Chris Loughlin, CEO.



Mr. Spry and Mr. Terrell's appointments come on the back of a string of new hires at RxWiki. Alan Stickler joined the company in August as CTO. Previously Mr. Stickler served as Vice President Data & Knowledge at McKesson Specialty Health. Katie Smith joined the company in October as HR Manager, moving from SpareFoot where she served as HR Generalist. RxWiki is hiring digital marketing experts and outstanding inside sales representatives in Austin, TX, for more information visit http://www.rxwiki.com/company/#careers

About RxWiki Inc.

RxWiki Inc. (www.rxwiki.com) is a rapidly growing Digital Health company connecting pharmacies and patients through its Digital Pharmacist SaaS platform and original Pharmacist written and verified content. RxWiki's Digital Pharmacist platform powers the websites and mobile applications of 1,400 pharmacy brands. Patients can manage their medications, complete digital refills and engage with medication adherence programs. RxWiki's original Pharmacist written and verified content includes 20,000 original health articles, 7,500 health-related videos, 100 disease condition channels. More than 3,700 community pharmacies and national health brands such as Health Mart and Health Media Network license this content to engage and educate their patients. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444160LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/austins-rxwiki-hires-top-talent-to-accelerate-mobile-product-development-300370669.html SOURCE RxWiki Inc.

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Culture minister has been accused by an artist for using her work without permission for the Incredible India Campaign.

By India Today Web Desk:

Trouble in Dr Mahesh Sharma's paradise arose when the minister of state for culture & tourism decided to promote Surajkund Mela using his Twitter account. To promote the most anticipated crafts mela which is held every year in Faridabad, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma uploaded a photo on his Twitter account.

But it looks like Sharma got into some trouble for doing that.

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A photojournalist, Neha Gupta, a contributor to popular stock photo agencies like Getty Images & Alamy, lashed out at the minister for using her photo without permission and her tweet thread is grabbing quite a lot of eyeballs now.

Sharma has been accused by the photographer for violating copyright issues and not paying royalty penalty. Initially, Neha thought that the photo has been bought by the authorities for promotional purposes and hence, decided to thank the politician over twitter but soon realised that it was just her illusion.

Neha, in a series of tweets, narrated what happened:

Mahesh Sharma used Neha's work without her consent or paying her for it for the promotion of government's Incredible India programme. Not only did they use her work without getting written permission, they also used Incredible India watermar on the image.



Series of events... First @dr_maheshsharma uses my photograph without my consent or royalty payment with @incredibleindia watermark on it. pic.twitter.com/ydaWl2Z89h Neha Gupta (@ne_hah) November 29, 2016



As per what Neha is saying, Sharma's PA Rajeev Pathak, called her and asked her to be happy about the fact that a minister shared her work. Neha requested Pathak to send an email from Pathak's official ID so that she could respond with a mail letting them use the image free of cost, but got no response.

Seeing that, Neha messaged Pathak asking him to stop using her work and demanded an apology, but that got on response either.

Later, Neha sent a purchase contract to the authorities after she got a call from one of the officials asking "how much", but they chose not respond for another two weeks.

On letting Pathak know this over a call, Neha says she only got screamed at. She was told the matter would be "sorted out" soon.

Neha then saw that the post made by Mahesh Sharma was deleted, but her work was used for over a month for Haryana Tourism and Incredible India without due credits or royalty.

Worse, instead of an apology, she only got screamed at.

For all those who are frowning now, wondering what's the big deal in this, please read about Copyrights, what copyright violations mean, and ask your artist/photographer friends how their talent and work is taken for granted and they are taken for a ride.

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Having said all this, we cannot vouch what she's saying is true, and we haven't heard from Sharma or his Ministry.

--- ENDS ---
[November 30, 2016] NGCodec uses Amazon EC2 F1 instances with custom FPGAs running 4k Video Compression

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AWS re:Invent 2016,  NGCodec (Sunnyvale, CA), a pioneering company focused on FPGA-based H.265/HEVC video codec development, today announced that it will use the new Amazon EC2 F1 instance in the development of RealityCodec for hardware-accelerated AWS Cloud-based video encoding and VR / AR processing. AWS customers will be able to buy RealityCodec when it becomes available in the AWS Marketplace and run it on Amazon EC2 F1, offering ultra-high-performance video compression (at up to 4K resolution) and ultra-low sub-frame latency cloud-based VR and AR. By running the compute function in the cloud, customers can send only the graphics pixels in the form of a video feed to the HMD (Head Mounted Display), achieving higher performance, lower cost, and longer battery life for the consumer VR/AR hardware. NGCodec's RealityCodec technology runs on NGCodec AMI, which runs on Amazon EC2 F1 in the cloud, presenting significant advantages compared to traditional software encoding, including: Massive acceleration and efficiency compared to traditional CPU/GPU instances

Higher-quality vieo for live encoding

Lower running costs and flexibility / upgradability, just like traditional software



Oliver Gunasekara , CEO & co-founder, NGCodec Inc. "Many large media workflows, including on-demand and live streaming content, are moving to the AWS Cloud. These can now have all the benefits of FPGA acceleration in the AWS ecosystem." NGCodec will demonstrate using cloud-based FPGA acceleration for live H.265/HEVC video encoding on December 1, 2016 11am at the AWS re:Invent 2016 event in Las Vegas, Nevada. (CMP317 Session)

About NGCodec NGCodec has been in passionate pursuit of next generation video compression since 2012. With the support of investors including Xilinx and NSF, NGCodec's agile startup team has created RealityCodec, a compressor-decompressor technology optimized for ultra-low latency, high-quality applications. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, NGCodec licenses its H.265/HEVC video codec silicon intellectual property (IP) to semiconductor and equipment manufacturers around the World. To learn more, visit http://ngcodec.com. For further information, please contact Jonathan Hirshon for NGCodec at [email protected] PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12604725 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ngcodec-uses-amazon-ec2-f1-instances-with-custom-fpgas-running-4k-video-compression-300370652.html SOURCE NGCodec

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[November 30, 2016] HigherEdPoints.com hits $500,000 educational funding milestone through conversion of miles or loyalty points

HigherEdPoints.com helps students and families fund tuition and repay student loans using Aeroplan Miles and TD Points TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - On the third anniversary of its launch, www.HigherEdPoints.com has crossed the half a million dollar mark in helping students and families fund tuition and repay student loans. The exciting part? Every dollar was converted from miles or loyalty points: Aeroplan Miles or TD Points. "Converting loyalty points into tuition had never been done before, so we weren't 100% sure if people would choose to use their hard-earned points to fund education," said Suzanne Tyson, Founder & CEO of HigherEdPoints Inc. "We've been thrilled with the enthusiasm and repeat use by membersespecially parents and grandparents. Over 75% of our redemptions have been from relatives of the enrolled student." It's not just students and parents who have jumped on board. HigherEPoints launched in late 2013 with just two Participating Institutions: University of New Brunswick and Centennial College. Today, there are over 100 institutions from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island (http://www.higheredpoints.com/participating-institutions/) that have proactively added the Program to the funding options available to students and families. The Ontario and Alberta provincial student loan programs are also participating.



"With the addition of the provincial loan programs, we've seen members who used HigherEdPoints to fund tuition now using the Program to pay back their student loans," said Tyson. "That's exciting, because it means we've become a part of those families' funding solutions for higher education. Helping to reduce and eliminate student debt faster was one of our core objectives." There's also been an increase in small business owners using their corporately earned miles for a child's education or to fund employee scholarships. "This is hugely relevant for loyalty programs from a new member acquisition and retention perspective," said Tyson. "We had a lovely UBC parent express his appreciation for the help in funding his children's tuition. He also said this: 'I use my credit card as a preferred mechanism to incur company spend (I travel a lot for work)... so that's another way that loyalty programs for credit card companies can see increased traffic [for] their products.'"

For Tyson, it's the win-win-win for all parties that's the most satisfying part of creating HigherEdPoints: "We're helping students and parents fund the most important investment of their lives. Schools and the government are able to offer a new source of no-cost funding to increase educational access and attainment. Aeroplan and TD Points have created tremendous goodwill with members, while increasing their loyalty. It's very rewarding on all levels." About HigherEdPoints.com

HigherEdPoints, through partnerships with like-minded Canadian corporations, is dedicated to finding innovative ways to help students and families fund higher education. After all, it takes a village to raise a mind SOURCE HigherEdPoints.com

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[November 30, 2016] Complete Physical Analysis Texas Instruments's DRA726 Jacinto 6 Eco SoC Processor for Automotive Infotainment - Research and Markets

DUBLIN, Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Texas Instruments DRA726 Jacinto 6 Eco SoC Processor for Automotive Infotainment: Physical Analysis" report to their offering. Infotainment in automotive is growing very quickly as people requiring more and more in-vehicle experiences. It is now one of the most important factor when choosing to buy a new car. Enhanced functions became ordinary in the high-end car segment, but a strong pressure to integrate the same kind of interfaces is now demanded for the entry-level and mid-level vehicles. Texas Instruments, with the Jacinto 6 Eco processor family address these entry- to mid-level segments by providing a cost effective solution with feature-rich in-vehicle infotainment. The DRA726 is a System-on-Chip (SoC) ables to deliver high-integrity audio, simultaneous multimedia streaming and device connectivity. It includes an ARM Cortex-A15 MPU, a C66x DSP, two ARM Cortex-M4 MPUs and many automotive interfaces to provide a cost-optimized BOM for automotive Tier 1s and car manufacturers. The SoC is baed on enhanced OMAP architecture integrated on a 28nm technology and is provided in a 760-ball BGA package featuring TI's Via Channel Array (VCA) technology. It is AEC-Q100 qualified with automotive grade 1 temperature (-40C to +125C).



The report provides a complete physical analysis of the DRA726 component with keys information on the packaging and the die (size, process, main blocks). It also provides an estimation of its manufacturing cost and selling price with forecast for the coming years. Key Topics Covered:

1. Overview/Introduction 2. Company Profile 3. Physical Analysis - Physical Analysis Methodology - Package Analysis -- Package view, dimensions & marking -- Package Marking -- Package cross-section - Die Analysis -- Die view, dimensions & marking -- Die Delayering -- Main Blocks Area Ratio -- Die Process (CMOS Transistors, SRAM) -- Die cross-section (Die thickness, Metal Layers, Transistor) -- Die process characteristics 4. Cost Analysis - Synthesis of the Cost Analysis - Manufacturing Locations Hypotheses -- Wafer Fabrication Unit -- Packaging -- Tests - Component Cost Analysis -- Wafer front-end cost -- Probe Test & Dicing Cost -- Die cost -- Packaging Cost -- Final Test Cost -- Component Cost 5. Estimated Price Analysis - Manufacturer Financial Ratios - Estimated Sales Price For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qvjdlh/texas_instruments Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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[November 30, 2016] PrivacyStar iPhone App Now Automatically Blocks Unwanted Calls

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- First Orion's PrivacyStar app is available today for iPhone users to identify and block unwanted nuisance calls. Download the PrivacyStar app here. The new PrivacyStar app for iPhone gives users more control over their phone calls and provides three levels of protection, including: Basic - Blocks All identified Scam related calls

- Blocks All identified Scam related calls Enhanced - Blocks All identified Scam, Telemarketing and Debt Collection related calls

- Blocks All identified Scam, Telemarketing and Debt Collection related calls Maximum - Blocks All identified Scam, Telemarketing and Debt Collection related Calls as well as Political, Market Research and other unwanted or nuisance related calls With the introduction of iOS 10 and the CallKit API feature, First Orion enables iPhone users to protect themselves and preserve their privacy with the all new PrivacyStar application for iPhone. This service has previously only been available to Android users until this iOS update. PrivacyStar provides a proprietary unique scoring system for every phone number, known as a "Spam Score." The higher the score for a specific calling phone number the more likely it is that a call from that number should be avoided and blocked. A Spam Score ranges from 0  5, with a score of "0" generally meaning that First Orion has not identified any specific nuisance or fraudulent behaviors with that number and a score of "5" meaning that First Orion has identified Scam or Fraudulent behavior from that calling number. Scores ranging from 1  4 will indicate the relative nuisance level associated with a particular incoming caller. PrivacyStar updates its proprietary scores in real time and the application within minutes as those scores are available. This feature ultimately warns users of the likelihood of the call being fraudulent, allowing iPhone users to set their personal settings to control whether or not numbers with a certain Spam Score are allowed through or automatically blocked. U.S. consumers are harassed by over 30 million spam calls a day and First Orion will now give iPhone users the ability to block unwanted calls, and even file a complaint directly with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In fact, First Orion's PrivacyStar is the leading source of call complaint data to the FTC and in 201 its users filed 31% of all call complaints, according to the recent FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Report.



First Orion recognizes consumers are harassed and often victimized on their cell phones. Recently, First Orion conducted a survey on American's mobile usage and found that over 4 percent of those surveyed gave away credit card information to a scammer amounting to an average of over 15 million Americans, doubling the number from last year. While only 1 percent gave up social security numbers in 2015, 2.4 percent did this year, which suggests that nearly 10 million mobile subscribers in the US will provide their social security number to a scam caller this year. "Unlike other applications, we don't upload your contacts to harvest personal information nor do we require that you forward us all of your phone calls," said Rob Sewell, VP of Products and Services at First Orion. "With the PrivacyStar app, we just protect you, with up to the minute scoring to ensure you know who's calling and giving you the right information to know who to block."

PrivacyStar Features

Free Version  ALL features are available during the 7-day trial period; features available after the 7-day trial has expired: Automatically Blocks all identified Scam or fraud related calls

Known Nuisance Callers will be identified by Caller ID Type (e.g., Telemarketers)

File a complaint against any number that will be submitted to the FTC PRO Version  all FREE features plus: Block any phone number

Caller ID Name displayed for known or suspected nuisance calls (e.g., "Acme" Telemarketing)

Unlimited Reverse Number Lookup for any phone number providing additional details

Add Phone Numbers to an Approved List so they will never be blocked

Automatically Block Known Robocallers

Automatically Block Calls from Reported Nuisance Callers (e.g., Telemarketers, Robocallers, Political Calls, Surveys, etc.)

Customize Protection Settings to create a custom blocking profile by selecting any combination of call types Pricing and Availability

PrivacyStar is available as a FREE download in the Apple App Store and comes with a 7-day trial of the PRO service. PrivacyStar also offers the PRO Version with additional features available at $0.99 per month. Customers who elect not to subscribe to the PRO version may continue to use the Free service once the trial is completed. PrivacyStar for iPhone will also be released in the United Kingdom later this year. About PrivacyStar

The PrivacyStar solution includes ScamBlock, Caller ID & CallerYD with Robocall Detection, real-time caller ID and call blocking as well the ability to report abusive calls and texts directly to federal agencies. PrivacyStar is available as a free download for Android smartphones and iPhones and powers call management solutions for many leading mobile carriers. Each month, PrivacyStar blocks millions of calls and its users file hundreds of thousands of call complaints on behalf of customers directly with the Federal Trade Commission for Do Not Call, Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and TCPA (Telecommunications Consumer Protection Act) violations. PrivacyStar is a First Orion company. About First Orion

First Orion is dedicated to providing phone call transparency by empowering both consumers and businesses with world-class data. The company helps businesses utilize authoritative data to ensure that they are properly contacting the right customers or validating their customer data with accurate information. First Orion is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas with offices in Dallas, Seattle and London. For regular updates, please visit www.FirstOrion.com. PrivacyStar and First Orion are registered trademarks of First Orion Corp. All registered or unregistered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. Media Contact:

Mishelle Fiebiger

FortyThree, Inc.

831.401.3175

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/privacystar-iphone-app-now-automatically-blocks-unwanted-calls-300370714.html SOURCE PrivacyStar

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[November 30, 2016] Bitmark Releases Paper Defining Property in the Digital Environment

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitmark Inc., a Taiwan-based startup that helps people establish and assert property rights to their digital assetssuch as original photography, music, video, digital art, online papers, and datatoday announced the release of a new white paper, "Defining Property in the Digital Environment." Bitmark's white paper on digital property introduces its blockchain-based property system to provide all Internet-based creators and social platform users with the technology to claim ownership over their digital assets and data. Bitmark authored the white paper to rigorously articulate the need for digital property rights from an historical perspective. As the Internet has grown to over 12-trillion gigabytes of digital data and is doubling in size every two years, the harmful effects from unclear property rights can no longer be ignored. "As with previous property revolutions, the most effective way to safeguard and develop undervalued resources is to establish property rights for them. What is needed," argue the authors, "is a property system for the digital environment that brins real property rights to digital assets, thereby transforming them from a growing social liability into an unparalleled new property class capable of fueling the larger global economy."



The white paper analyzes the reasons underlying the current problems and diagrams a blockchain-based property system capable of addressing the following topics: Principles of Property  how the first principles of property rights apply in the digital environment

 how the first principles of property rights apply in the digital environment Piracy and Rights  how property rights for digital assets can address online piracy

 how property rights for digital assets can address online piracy Privacy in the Digital Environment  how current privacy protections for personal data fall short

 how current privacy protections for personal data fall short Bitmarks as Property Titles  how bitmarks convert digital assets into digital property

 how bitmarks convert digital assets into digital property Blockchain Technologies  how the Bitmark blockchain creates a low-cost, open, and globally accessible digital property ledger

 how the Bitmark blockchain creates a low-cost, open, and globally accessible digital property ledger Decentralization  how the decentralized Bitmark blockchain is strengthened through the active participation of anyone on the Internet

 how the decentralized Bitmark blockchain is strengthened through the active participation of anyone on the Internet Achieving Data Privacy through Digital Property  how converting personal data into private property increases legal and technical protections The Bitmark white paper was collaboratively authored by Casey Alt, Sean Moss-Pultz, Amy Whitaker, and Timothy Chen. The white paper is being launched in conjunction with Bitmark's beta software release slated for mid-December.

To read the complete Bitmark white paper click here. About Bitmark

Bitmark is a blockchain startup defining property for the digital environment by enabling issuance of property titles for digital assets and data. As the facilitating network for ownership and stewardship of personal digital ecologies, Bitmark embraces creators and digital environmentalists vying for a healthy internet and Internet of Things. Get involved at https://bitmark.com. PR & Media Contact Adrienne A. Wallace

[email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444224LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitmark-releases-paper-defining-property-in-the-digital-environment-300370708.html SOURCE Bitmark Inc.

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[November 30, 2016] Research and Markets - Global System-in-Package Market 2016-2020: Growth of OSAT Vendors with Amkor Technology, ASE, JCET, SPIL & UTAC Dominating

DUBLIN, Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global System-in-Package Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The global SiP market to grow at a CAGR of 10.29% during the period 2016-2020. Global SiP Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. One trend gaining traction in this market is growth of OSAT vendors. The number of OSATs in APAC, especially China, is growing at a considerable pace, as these companies have strong liquidity and financial backing. This enables OSATs to have adequate funds for R&D and capacity expansion. Moreover, governmental support toward the development of the semiconductor industry from major APAC countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan is propelling the growth of these facilities. According to the report, the increasing requirement in the semiconductor market to offer cost-effective and efficient semiconducor products is driving the demand for SiP packaging technology. The utilization of copper wires instead of the conventional gold wires for the connections within the chips in 3D semiconductor packaging is allowing vendors to reduce their costs significantly.



Further, the report states that the semiconductor packaging vendors are affected by the fluctuating foreign exchange rates due to the need of importing and exporting raw material across the globe. The instability of the world economy such as the slowdown of the Chinese economy and Britain's exit from the EU has led to volatile and unpredictable exchange rates. As a result, global players in the market are not able to anticipate future conditions and are likely to incur significant monetary losses in international trade. Key vendors

Amkor Technology

ASE

JCET

SPIL

UTAC Other prominent vendors ChipMOS Technology

ChipSiP Technology

NANIUM

Octavo Systems

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Key Topics Covered: Part 01: Executive summary Part 02: Scope of the report Part 03: Market research methodology Part 04: Introduction Part 05: Technology overview Part 06: Market landscape Part 07: Market segmentation by application Part 08: Market segmentation by interconnect technology Part 09: Market segmentation by end-user Part 10: Geographical segmentation Part 11: Market drivers Part 12: Impact of drivers Part 13: Market challenges Part 14: Impact of drivers and challenges Part 15: Market trends Part 16: Vendor landscape Part 17: Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zn2m7j/global Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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[November 30, 2016] Fitch Rates Southern Illinois Healthcare Enterprises' (IL) Series 2016A&B Bonds 'A+'; Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'A+' rating to the following bonds expected to be issued by the Illinois Finance Authority on behalf of Southern Illinois Healthcare Enterprises, Inc. (SIHE): --$80.82 million fixed-rate revenue bonds (tax-exempt), series 2016A; --$65.99 million fixed-rate revenue bonds (taxable), series 2016B. Fitch has also affirmed the 'A+' rating on approximately $68 million of SIHE series 2005 bonds. The series 2016A&B bonds are expected to be issued as fixed-rate bonds. The series 2016A bonds are to be tax-exempt while the series 2016B will be taxable. Bond proceeds will be used to advance-refund the series 2005 fixed-rate bonds, fund certain capital projects, reimburse SIHE for approximately $20 million of prior capital spending, and pay the costs of issuance. Maximum annual debt service (MADS) will increase from $12.2 million to $16.2 million pro forma. The bonds are expected to price via negotiation the week of Jan. 9, 2017. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY Bond payments are secured by a pledge of the gross revenues of the obligated group. KEY RATING DRIVERS SOUND PROFITABILITY: SIHE has a track-record of profitability and sound operating EBITDA margins. SIHE's operating EBITDA margin measured 10% in fiscal 2016 and 9.5% through six-months fiscal 2017. ADEQUATE DEBT COVERAGE RATIOS: SIHE's stable profitability and manageable debt burden results in adequate pro forma debt coverage ratios, with 4.6x MADS coverage by EBITDA based on interim fiscal 2017. SOUND LIQUIDITY: Based on Sept. 30, 2016 financial statements (and including $20 million of cash reimbursement for prior capital), SIHE's pro forma cash on hand measures a favorable 269 days and pro forma cash-to-debt 153%. ELEVATED CAPITAL SPENDING: As expected, SIHE's capital spending is projected to be elevated in the coming years. Total capital spending is projected at just over $350 million between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2021, highlighted by an OR expansion project and implementation of a new Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system. SIHE's average age of plant measured a low 8.7 years at fiscal year-end 2016. DISTINCTLY LEADING MARKET SHARE: SIHE maintains a distinctly leading 56% inpatient market share of a broad seven-county service area. RATING SENSITIVITIES MAINTENANCE OF CREDIT PROFILE: Fitch expects Southern Illinois Healthcare Enterprises (SIHE) will maintain operating margins and absorb the new debt issuance to sustain good liquidity and adequate debt coverage ratios despite elevated capital spending in the coming years. With the series 2016A&B financing, Fitch believes SIHE does not have additional debt capacity at the current rating level. CREDIT PROFILE SIHE is a three-hospital health system headquartered in Carbondale, IL, approximately 105 miles southeast of St. Louis. Hospitals include 154-bed Memorial Hospital of Carbondale (in Carbondale, IL), 114-bed (which includes 29-rehabilitation beds) Herrin Hospital (in Herrin, IL), and 25-bed critical access hospital St. Joseph Memorial Hospital (in Murphysboro, IL). Total operating revenue was over $560 million in fiscal 2016. SOUND PROFITABILITY SIHE has a track-record of profitability and sound operating EBITDA margins (which are consistently in the 10% range). SIHE's operating EBITDA margin measured 10% in audited fiscal 2016 and 9.5% through unaudited six-months fiscal 2017. SIHE's fiscal 2016 results benefited from: volume gains in most key areas, including inpatient admissions (up 2.5% in fiscal 2016) and observation stays (up 5.2%; total hospital stays up 3.4% including inpatient admissions and observations), inpatient surgeries (up 7.2%), outpatient surgeries (up 11.1%), and outpatient visits (up 4.3%); lower agency costs (down approximately $3 million); and continued benefits from the improvement program developed with Huron Consulting. SIHE's volume growth has occurred in part as the system has worked to decrease out-migration to the St. Louis area, through expansion of new service and recruitment of specialists in key areas such as neurosurgery and cancer services (SIHE's new cancer center opened in 2015). As part of this strategy, SIHE joined the BJC Collaborative, which includes eight hospital systems in Missouri and Illinois and is anchored by BJC HealthCare. BJC is SIHE's preferred referral for certain high acuity services and BJC re-refers these patients back to SIHE for services that SIHE can accommodate. Additional benefits to SIHE from the collaborative also include shared best practices and supply and capital spending cost savings. SIHE's budgeted operating margins are in-line with historical results though unaudited six-months fiscal 2017 (as of Sept. 30, 2016) moderated slightly, with an operating EBITDA margin of 9.5% (compared to 10.1% for the same period fiscal 2016). Volume trends in interim fiscal 2017 were mixed, with declines in inpatient admissions, observation stays and inpatient surgeries, offset in part by growth in outpatient surgeries and total outpatient visits. ADEQUATE DEBT COVERAGE RATIOS SIHE's stable profitability and manageable debt burden (pro forma MADS measures 2.8% of total revenue) results in adequate debt coverage ratios. Based on six months fiscal 2017 results, pro forma MADS coverage by EBITDA measures 4.6x ('A' median is 4.5x), debt-to-capitalization 32% ('A' median is 36%), and debt-to-EBITDA 3.4x ('A' median is 2.9x). Financial covenants included in SIHE's MTI (News - Alert) and private placement agreements include minimum debt service coverage of 1.25x (consultant call-in) and 1.15x (event of default) and maximum debt-to-capitalization of 60% (consultant call-in) and 65% (event of default). Following the issuance of the series 2016A&B bonds, SIHE will have $257 million of debt. Approximately 55% of pro forma debt will be fixed-rate and 45% variable-rate. SIHE has two fixed payor swaps in place as a hedge on variable-rate debt. The counterparties on the swaps are Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Morgan Stanley. The total notional amount of the swaps was $70.7 million at fiscal year-end 2016. The net termination value of the swaps was a negative $18.4 million to SIHE at fiscal year-end 2016 and negative $19.6 million at unaudited Sept. 30, 2016. Collateral posting on the RBC swap is required if its negtive termination value exceeds $15 million.



SIHE's debt coverage position is bolstered by the fact that the system has manageable operating leases and does not have a defined benefit pension plan. SOUND LIQUIDITY

SIHE's liquidity position remains favorable. Based on Sept. 30, 2016 financial statements (and including $20 million of cash reimbursement for prior capital), SIHE's pro forma cash on hand measures a favorable 269 days ('A' median is 216 days), cushion ratio measures 24x ('A' median is 19x), and cash-to-debt measures 153% ('A' median is 149%). ELEVATED CAPITAL SPENDING As expected, SIHE's capital spending is projected to be elevated in the coming years, particularly in fiscals 2017 and 2018. Total capital spending is projected at just over $350 million between fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2021, or roughly $70 million per year (compared to budgeted depreciation expense of $32 million in fiscal 2017). Highlighted projects include expanding OR space and implementation of the Epic EMR system, which is expected to go-live in summer 2017. SIHE's average age of plant was a low 8.7 years at fiscal year-end 2016 ('A' median is 11.0 years). SIHE does not have additional new money debt in the coming years beyond the series 2016A&B bonds. DISTINCTLY LEADING MARKET SHARE SIHE maintains a distinctly leading and growing 56.2% inpatient market share of a broad seven-county service area in 2015 (up from 50.4% in 2013). The service area is centered around Jackson County, IL. SIHE's market share growth has come largely at the expense of Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, IL, the only competitor that captures more than 10% of SIHE's service area. Heartland's market share has decreased from 14.0% in 2013 to 10.9% in 2015. SIHE's service area is challenged to some degree, although the area's economy is stabilized by significant economic anchors including Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and SIHE. Population trends in Jackson County are stagnant to declining, the median household income level in the county is well below national and Illinois averages (due in part to the presence of a large university), and the poverty rate is well above average (U.S. Census Bureau data). While the unemployment rate in the Carbondale-Marion, IL MSA is above average, at approximately 6%, the unemployment rate is palatable. DISCLOSURE SIHE covenants to disclose both annual and quarterly financial statements through the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's EMMA system. Audits are to be filed within 150 days after the fiscal year-end. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/750012 U.S. Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems Rating Criteria (pub. 09 Jun 2015)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/866807 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1015605 Solicitation Status

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Copyright  2016 by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. and its subsidiaries. 33 Whitehall Street, NY, NY 10004. Telephone: 1-800-753-4824, (212) 908-0500. Fax: (212) 480-4435. Reproduction or retransmission in whole or in part is prohibited except by permission. All rights reserved. In issuing and maintaining its ratings and in making other reports (including forecast information), Fitch relies on factual information it receives from issuers and underwriters and from other sources Fitch believes to be credible. Fitch conducts a reasonable investigation of the factual information relied upon by it in accordance with its ratings methodology, and obtains reasonable verification of that information from independent sources, to the extent such sources are available for a given security or in a given jurisdiction. The manner of Fitch's factual investigation and the scope of the third-party verification it obtains will vary depending on the nature of the rated security and its issuer, the requirements and practices in the jurisdiction in which the rated security is offered and sold and/or the issuer is located, the availability and nature of relevant public information, access to the management of the issuer and its advisers, the availability of pre-existing third-party verifications such as audit reports, agreed-upon procedures letters, appraisals, actuarial reports, engineering reports, legal opinions and other reports provided by third parties, the availability of independent and competent third-party verification sources with respect to the particular security or in the particular jurisdiction of the issuer, and a variety of other factors. Users of Fitch's ratings and reports should understand that neither an enhanced factual investigation nor any third-party verification can ensure that all of the information Fitch relies on in connection with a rating or a report will be accurate and complete. Ultimately, the issuer and its advisers are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide to Fitch and to the market in offering documents and other reports. In issuing its ratings and its reports, Fitch must rely on the work of experts, including independent auditors with respect to financial statements and attorneys with respect to legal and tax matters. Further, ratings and forecasts of financial and other information are inherently forward-looking and embody assumptions and predictions about future events that by their nature cannot be verified as facts. As a result, despite any verification of current facts, ratings and forecasts can be affected by future events or conditions that were not anticipated at the time a rating or forecast was issued or affirmed. The information in this report is provided "as is" without any representation or warranty of any kind, and Fitch does not represent or warrant that the report or any of its contents will meet any of the requirements of a recipient of the report. A Fitch rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness of a security. This opinion and reports made by Fitch are based on established criteria and methodologies that Fitch is continuously evaluating and updating. Therefore, ratings and reports are the collective work product of Fitch and no individual, or group of individuals, is solely responsible for a rating or a report. The rating does not address the risk of loss due to risks other than credit risk, unless such risk is specifically mentioned. Fitch is not engaged in the offer or sale of any security. All Fitch reports have shared authorship. Individuals identified in a Fitch report were involved in, but are not solely responsible for, the opinions stated therein. The individuals are named for contact purposes only. A report providing a Fitch rating is neither a prospectus nor a substitute for the information assembled, verified and presented to investors by the issuer and its agents in connection with the sale of the securities. Ratings may be changed or withdrawn at any time for any reason in the sole discretion of Fitch. Fitch does not provide investment advice of any sort. Ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of payments made in respect to any security. Fitch receives fees from issuers, insurers, guarantors, other obligors, and underwriters for rating securities. Such fees generally vary from US$1,000 to US$750,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent) per issue. In certain cases, Fitch will rate all or a number of issues issued by a particular issuer, or insured or guaranteed by a particular insurer or guarantor, for a single annual fee. Such fees are expected to vary from US$10,000 to US$1,500,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent). The assignment, publication, or dissemination of a rating by Fitch shall not constitute a consent by Fitch to use its name as an expert in connection with any registration statement filed under the United States securities laws, the Financial Services and Markets Act of 2000 of the United Kingdom, or the securities laws of any particular jurisdiction. Due to the relative efficiency of electronic publishing and distribution, Fitch research may be available to electronic subscribers up to three days earlier than to print subscribers. For Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea only: Fitch Australia Pty Ltd holds an Australian financial services license (AFS license no. 337123) which authorizes it to provide credit ratings to wholesale clients only. Credit ratings information published by Fitch is not intended to be used by persons who are retail clients within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006345/en/

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[November 30, 2016] Orchid Underwriters Welcomes New Carrier National General Premier

Orchid Underwriters ("Orchid"), a leading provider of coastal excess & surplus ("E&S"), as well as High Net Worth personal lines, is pleased to announce a new partnership with National General Premier, a specialty personal lines insurance company designed to meet the needs of affluent customers. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006373/en/ National General Premier focuses on affluent insureds who may not meet the thresholds of other High Net Worth carriers, yet whose home values are too high for standard coverage. National General Premier provides coverage for homes valued from $750,000 to $10 million with guaranteed replacement costs and cash-out options. In addition to homeowners insurance, they are able to write personal umbrella limits up to $10 million, private collectios coverage (jewelry, fine arts, furs, collectibles) and personal auto.



At the present time, National General Premier is offering its Premier product in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Michigan and California, with plans to expand that footprint significantly in 2017. Tim deRosa, Executive Vice President for Orchid's Specialty High Net Worth Division, is excited about the new opportunities available to Orchid agents through National General Premier. He commented, "I am very happy to welcome National General Premier at Orchid; it provides a unique solution to an underserved audience by bridging a gap in coverage."

About Orchid Founded in 1998 and based in Vero Beach, FL, Orchid specializes in providing specialty insurance products for homeowners and small businesses throughout the United States and the Caribbean. The Company's comprehensive product offering provides customers with a single, comprehensive solution for homeowners and condominium property insurance, including wind and wind only, general and excess flood, earthquake, builder's risk and others. Orchid aims to be agents' first choice by offering superior process, policy and pricing options, high quality system technologies, expertise in the E&S market with coastally-exposed risks; and extensive knowledge of coastal CAT-exposed market areas in the East and Gulf Coast states. Orchid only represents well-known A.M. Best A-rated insurance carriers. In November 2014, private equity firm Gryphon Investors made a majority investment in Orchid. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006373/en/

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High alert has been issued at Puducherry and Tamil Nadu coast and fishermen have been asked to not venture out during this time.

By India Today Web Desk: Cyclonic storm Nada is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coast near Cuddalore by the early hours of December 2. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) named it Nada as recommended by Oman. The name cyclone Hudhud, that struck Vizag in 2014, was also given by Oman.

"Cyclone Nada will cross the north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Puducherry, close to Cuddalore, by December 2," Chennai Meteorological Office said.

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2-day holiday has been declared in schools at Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.

High alert has been issued at Puducherry and Tamil Nadu coast.

Fishermen have been asked to not venture out during this time.

Also read:

Cyclone likely to hit Tamil Nadu on December 2, IMD asks people not to panic

According to the weather office, Nada is about 710 km southeast of Chennai, 670 km east-southeast of Puducherry.

The system is very likely to move west-northwestward, intensify further and cross the north Tamil Nadu coast.

Also read:

Will Chennai sustain another flood? Has the city prepared itself?

According to the weather office, light to moderate rainfall is likely to commence over coastal Tamil Nadu from Wednesday evening.

Lt. General NC Marwah, Member, NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), has reviewed the preparedness of the state government to withstand the impact of the northeast monsoon, a state government release said.

Also read:

Man-made disaster: Look how Chennai built its way to floods

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By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Appreciating the demonetisation move, Dean of African Missions Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam today said there were some problems but government responded very quickly and missions have been allowed to withdraw Rs 50,000 per week from banks.

"I appreciate it much... I like the way they did it. I welcome the move if it benefits people at large," Alem told PTI.

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Replying to question on difficulties faced by mission, he said, "As far as missions are concerned what can I say personally is I have no issues. The government has allowed withdrawal of cash up to Rs 24000 per week for an individual and Rs 50,000 for a mission per week."

He added that earlier there were some problems but government responded very quickly.

Earlier, there were reports that dean of diplomatic corps had sought the External Affairs Ministrys help following the currency recall move as many diplomats were running short of cash and missions were also receiving calls from tourists and delegates visiting the country.

The matter was referred to Department of Economic Affairs which in turn constituted an inter-ministerial team to look into it.

Nepal and Bhutan, two major recipients of developmental aid from India, had also taken up the issue of demonetisation of high-value currency bills and the impact it could have on financial assistance to them.

Both Nepal Rashtra Bank and the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan were in touch with the RBI regarding facilitation of collection and deposit of old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

Bhutan and Nepal are the only two countries which allow Indian travellers to carry up to Rs 25,000 in Indian currency.

According to an estimate, Indian rupees account for 30 per cent of Bhutans international exchange reserves, amounting to about Rs 2,700 crore. PTI JTR PYK ZMN

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Hindu refugees from Pakistan, who were residing in makeshift camps at Majnu Ka Tila which were gutted in fire, are now living on pavements without food and clothes. The NHRC today issued notices to the Delhi government and NDMC in this regard.

By Sanjay Sharma: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued notices to the Delhi government and North Delhi Municipal Corporation for not providing relief to Hindu migrants from Pakistan, after a fire destroyed their makeshift camps in North Delhi.

The NHRC took a sup moto cognizance of a media report which said that at least 30 makeshift dwelling units of Hindu migrants from Pakistan were gutted in a fire that broke out at "Majnu Ka Tilla" in North Delhi on November 27.

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The affected families are reportedly staying on pavements as temporary shelters, as promised by the SDM, have not been provided yet.

FAMILIES LIVING ON PAVEMENTS WITH NO FOOD OR CLOTHES

The victims complained that they did not even have food, clothes or any basic amenities.

Reportedly, about 500 Hindu migrants, who came from Pakistan to India during 2013-2014, were temporarily settled at 'Majnu ka Tila' in makeshift camps.

The NHRC has now acted and issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Commissioner, North Delhi Municipal Corporation. NHRC has asked them to submit a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.

The Chief Secretary has also been directed to look into the matter personally to ensure that immediate relief is provided to the affected families and required steps are taken for their rehabilitation.



Also Read:

Fire in Majnu ka Tila shanties renders Pak refugees homeless



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Lochliam Wilson, Foves co-founder and CTO, participated in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion on November 28. The executive answered the communitys questions about his companys upcoming eye-tracking VR HMD developer kit, Fove 0. The discussion covered a range of topics, including software compatibility, developer support, tracking, and input.

Fove 0 is the first virtual reality developer kit with built-in eye tracking sensors. The use of eye tracking in VR is widely regarded as a necessary step for advancement in VR hardware and software development. Eye tracking enables features such as Foveated Rendering, gaze-activated menus and actions, or game characters that make eye contact. In his keynote at Oculus Connect 3, Micheal Abrash, Chief Scientist at Oculus, posited that eye tracking in VR still requires years of development, but Fove Inc. disagrees. The company is readying its first batch of eye-tracking Fove 0 headsets for delivery this year.

The Fove 0 headset isnt a consumer product, but Wilson said the developer kit is a high-end product, somewhere between the DK2 and CV1 on the Oculus scale. The display in the Fove 0 headset offers 40% higher resolution (2560 x 1440) than the Rift and Vive, though it runs at 70fps instead of 90. Despite the lower refresh rate, the motion to photon latency of the Fove 0 headset is low. However, he noted that third party compositors, such as Valves OpenVR, could add additional latency.

Supporting Open Standards

Fove Inc. is doing [its] best to support open standards, said Wilson. Porting is easy, but mainly for seated experiences. If you control the code base, its super simple. If it works on OSVR or OpenVR, it should work with our system.

Reddit user coffincolors asked Wilson if Fove had spoken with any triple A or indie developers/publishers regarding the integration of eye-tracking technology into existing or future content. Wilson replied, We have... I can say some of them are in Japan and are awesome. I can't say who, though ;). He did say that 30 game companies are currently evaluating Foves.

Scott Harper, Foves Creative Director, chimed in and added: But as a life-long gamer and startup dev, I've been a bit humbled and honored by some of the company representatives I've been able to meet with! It would appear Fove still has some cards up its sleeve for a future reveal.

On Tracking

During the Kickstarter campaign that Fove ran to fund its headset, the company received additional funding from Samsung Ventures. Fove announced that part of that funding would go towards adding Valves Lighthouse technology to the Fove headset. Unfortunately, Valve was too slow to get the Lighthouse licensing program up and running, so Fove ended up dropping Lighthouse for its own in-house solution.

We are shipping with OSVR style cameras for seated positional tracking, said Wilson. Room tracking definitely seems possible. Our position tracking is looking really responsive and more robust every time I peek over at that side of the office, and I understand it wouldn't be too difficult to incorporate a second camera in the future.

Room-Scale Doesnt Mean Hand Tracking

Foves in-house spatial tracking system may be capable of using multiple cameras for room-scale tracking, but the company doesnt have a solution for hand tracking, which Wilson admitted leaves him worried. Lighthouse would have opened the door for any of the myriad accessories coming from the over 300 companies that signed up for licensing.

As it stands, Fove must develop its own hand controller solution that is compatible with its head tracking system or pivot back to Lighthouse for future generations of Fove hardware. Wilson said Fove isnt in a position to target a consumer product yet, but if or when [it is], there is a strong chance that it will include Lighthouse and [its] own controllers.

What About Mac Users?

If youre wondering if Fove will work with a Mac, the short answer is: maybe. It should be possible. Our Mac SDK is working in-house, said Wilson We can't get direct control of the GPU to make an ultra-low latency experience, though.

System requirements are a bigger problem concerning Mac support. "I don't think any MacBooks meet our minimum specs, so there's no guarantee of performance at all," said Harper. "If you want to try anyway, your mileage will vary significantly. I suspect you may not be able to use direct mode at all, which means dealing with extended mode (which can be bothersome and adds about a frame or two of extra latency for the round-trip)."

Future Developments

Reddit user Musichead2468 asked Wilson where he sees the VR industry going in the next five years. Wilson shied away from speculating where the hardware market would lead, but he suggested that VR and AR will become a major part of professional life.

Wilson didnt want to speculate about the industry as a whole, but he did discuss some of the work that Foves researchers are doing.

Our face tracking tech will be pretty cool, said Wilson. Its in early R&D now, but we expect to see VR be used for remote meetings even when it is ready. For gaming, it is going to be fun. It is, of course, going to take a long time to perfect, but even the initial demos will be highly compelling. We will start with simple avatar control and then move on to more complicated things such as natural looking lip-synced speech.

Fove Needs Support

The Fove eye tracking HMD is poised to revolutionize an industry that is still in its infancy, but the company cant do it alone. We still need as many devs as possible to buy Fove 0 to keep us going! said Wilson.

The Fove eye-tracking HMD is available for pre-order for $599 from the company's website. Pre-ordered units will start to ship in January.

"Kickstarter and pre-orders use the same hardware. We have passed FCC and all relevant certification. Units are starting to ship from next month," said Wilson. "We are shipping pre-orders in January!"
The concept of pill testing is not foreign to anyone these days, and something weve written about numerous times in recent years. Now, in the opinion of an expert in the field, it looks like we could be seeing pill testing as early as this coming festival season.

As reported by Musicfeeds, pill testing expert Dr David Caldicott spoke to ABC Radio National to state that the need for the service at events, where drug use is rampant, has never been greater. More importantly, he has great faith that its going to happen within this [festival] season. Dr Caldicott is well-versed in the issue, working as an Emergency Consultant at the Emergency Department of Canberras Calvary Hospital.

The main problem that has been facing pill testing for some time now is the concern that it actually legitimises and encourages drug use  an understandable point of view, as the purpose of pill testing is ultimately to provide a safer way to consume drugs. But as discussed in the past, it seems as though pill testing actually leads to reduced drug use, which is exactly what those who oppose pill testing are after anyway.

Dr Caldicott, however, is a firm believer in the merits of pill testing. Those who falsely accuse us of somehow endorsing drug consumption should probably come and have a look and see how its done properly, he stated, suggesting that he, too, is sick of being accused of promoting drug use.

Following on from recent incidents at festivals which have seen hospitalisations and deaths as a result of drug use, the call to introduce pill testing is once again at the forefront of peoples minds.

Anybody with a medical, or university degree; all of the experts are unanimous with their support of this approach, Dr Caldicott said. Its largely political opposition at this stage, which is a shame, because I guess one of the things that parents rather expect of their elected representatives is that theyd take advice from experts and act upon their advice.

Dr Caldicott also pointed out that pill testing is far from experimental, stating that European countries such as Holland have been implementing pill testing for years, with a great deal of success.

Fortunately, were not inventing the wheel here, he said. The European union has good practice guidelines that have been in place for nearly a decade, and theyve been doing this sort of undertaking for nearly two decades.

Obviously it remains to be seen whether or not pill testing will be introduced into Australian festivals soon, but with a drug-related deaths still happening at an uncomfortable rate, the pressure is mounting from various sources.
In the wake of news that ABC is axing all but one of its Radio National music programs in 2017, a group of artists and music industry professionals are banding together for a massive push against the change.

In an open letter to ABC board members and the stations ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie, the Hands Off Radio National Music Campaign has launched a scathing attack against the broadcasters decision.

The campaign boasts support from a long list of high profile artists and industry figures including Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Missy Higgins, Bernard Fanning, Tim Freedman, Gurrumul, and many more, as well as organisations like APRA/AMCOS. A petition launched on November 14 has already attracted more than 12,000 signatures.

As musicians and music industry professionals, campaign representative Ruth Hazleton writes, we are appalled by the decision taken by ABC management to scrap The Daily Planet, The Inside Sleeve, The Live Set and The Rhythm Divine, and to remove Jazztrack from Radio National.

This decision was taken without proper industry and public consultation and must be reconsidered and reversed, the letter adds. The cuts deliver a fundamental blow to diverse, vibrant and independent sectors of the Australian music industry, which receive minimal national radio coverage elsewhere.

The group implores that the decision be re-examined, describing the programs as the remaining windows for Australian artists to tell their stories about Australian life, and also highlighting their financial significance.

They support and underpin a music sector that, according to Music Australia, contributes between $4 and $6 billion to the Australian economy annually and which generates close to 65,000 jobs, over half of which are full-time.

They are essential listening for those working in this vibrant industry and should not be discarded on the grounds of ratings.

Citing the loss of the aforementioned programs, the campaign asks how ABC Radio will possibly be able to fulfil its mission  detailed in the stations charter  to reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community and encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

Collectively, [these programs] provide specialist, linear broadcasting of diverse music that is not broadcast nationally elsewhere with equivalent depth, breadth and expertise, they state.

While Double J has received extra funding and the announcement of new programming in the wake of the RN cuts, the group dont see the new additions as an adequate replacement for whats being lost, especially considering the limitations of Double Js digital-only format.

While we value and admire Double J, we do not believe that it can fill the hole left by the cuts, despite additions proposed for 2017.

Double J is only available in digital format. We are deeply concerned about listeners in regional, rural and remote areas where the Internet and digital radio access is problematic at best.

Concern has also been expressed for the affected broadcasters Lucky Oceans, Paul Gough, Geoff Wood and Alice Keath, some of Australias most experienced, knowledgeable, passionate and intelligent musical minds.

casting off of these irreplaceable staff members

ARIA award winning platinum artist Katie Noonan has lent her voice to the cause with an impassioned plea, believing the effects of the axing would be catastrophic, especially in remote areas.

I simply can not fathom how anyone would have thought this was a good idea for the Australian people In regional Australia these radio shows are literally the lifeline for cultural connectivity

Having been lucky enough to tour this great big country of ours many times, I know how absolutely vital these programs are to peoples lives The catastrophic effects of these cuts will be enormous on multiple levels  this decision has simply not been thought through properly and absolutely needs to be reversed.

Renowned author Tim Winton has also spoken out against the move, labelling it a betrayal.

At a time when it seems every element of home-grown culture is under siege, its bewildering to see Radio National stripping music shows from its programming, Winton remarks. To musicians, composers, producers and listeners alike, this retreat feels like a betrayal, a signal that ABC management feels no need to repay the loyalty of its audience.

For years Radio National has been a defender of Australian culture and a means by which new writers, players and composers find an audience.

The campaign ultimately asks the ABC board and management to answer four fundamental questions about the cuts:

Can you assure the listening public that the changes will not reduce the diversity of music styles played, the amount of new Australian music promoted, the number of Australian musicians profiled and the resources devoted to these activities?

Will the changes reduce regional access to Australian music?

Is the ABC confident the changes wont reduce audiences for the genres covered by RN Music, or adversely impact the live music ecosystem for these musicians and their audiences?

Has the ABC considered, in delivering on its charter, its responsibility to the broader music community and to the country, to contribute to an original, national musical culture and identity, to support viable careers and to support an important national industry, culturally and economically?

The final request is clear.

Finally, we again call on the ABC to review this ill-considered decision, as outlined in the petition statement, and to return The Daily Planet, The Inside Sleeve, The Live Set, The Rhythm Divine and Jazztrack to Radio National in 2017.

Its our ABC.

For more information on the campaign and to sign the petition, you can visit the Save RN Music website.
Horrific story about how innocent people are often caught in the midst of increasing Kansas City violence . . . "The shooting happened in an alley behind Chicago`s bar at 6th and Central. Police say Gonzalez had just led them on a police chase, parked and was hiding.
NOW WITH A COMMON ENEMY . . . WILL THESE FAIR WAGE FIGHTER UNIFY KANSAS CITY DEMOCRATIC PARTY FACTIONS TO OPPOSE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION???

"We know that in a few months, a president will take office who has pledged violence, deportation, racial profiling, and religious persecution. These are terrifying times, and the work that must be done can seem overwhelming.





"When the stakes are so high, it can feel impossible to pick your first step. But right now, as white people, we have to resist the urge to retreat. We must organize and reach people, specifically the people who we have not yet reached. "

UPDATE: DOZENS ARRESTED FOR BLOCKING TRAFFIC UNDERWAY!!!

Right now at aroundthe second march for higher fast food wages in Kansas City is underway.In addition to union rights . . . These locals seems to be calling for unity against the incoming administration.They seem to have a good crowd of at least a few hundred which is far more than their City Hall marches in support of legislation that was ultimately defeated.More to the point . . .Or, as critics claim . . . Are these protests simply facilitating the advancement of automated kiosks in order to ultimately create fewer jobs.Also, for a laugh . . . A guy yelling at the protesters to get a better job was shouted down.You decide . . .
Experts at that time said the animal might have strayed from Rajaji National Park in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) or from Sariska National Park in Alwar (Rajasthan).

By Mail Today Bureau: After a leopard made the national Capital its home a few days back, a Sambar deer was found loitering on Wednesday in a public toilet in Dallupura village of east Delhi. After much effort, the fire and forest department officials of the Delhi government could extricate the huge antelope by late night.

Officials trapped it in a net and tranquilised it before ferrying it off to the National Zoological Park. However, this was not before some drama whereby a drunk enthusiast jumped into the toilet's boundary wall, on Shaheed Budhram Singh Marg, and was horned and injured by the frightened animal. Meanwhile, excited villagers clicked selfies with the deer, obviously not seen in this part of the world. Wildlife experts said they were surprised as there is no forest patch nearby, unlike in the case of the leopard which is believed to have arrived at YBP from Kalesar National Park in Haryana, 200 km away.

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Dallupura, however, is not just located in the heart of the crowded city - surrounded by Vasundhara Enclave and the Ring Road - it has no link with any sanctuary. Scientist-in-charge of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) in Wazirabad, which is currently hosting Delhi's first resident leopard, said, "The nearest green patch to Dallupura would be Greater Noida's Surajpur park. However, the park has only neelgais." Apparently, sambars are a favourite meal of crocodiles, tigers and leopards. They are nocturnal and congregate near water in herds of three or four, and are good swimmers. Sambars do not belong to the Delhi-NCR region and are a vulnerable species. One was spotted at the Buddha Jayanti Park in Chanakyapuri in February this year, reportedly the first sighting in 20 years here.

Experts at that time said the animal might have strayed from Rajaji National Park in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) or from Sariska National Park in Alwar (Rajasthan).

Chaudhury Virender, a local of Dallupura, said, "Initially we thought it's a huge cow. Then its horns showed." Sambar (Rusa unicolor) is one of the many deer species native to the Indian subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia. It has big beautiful and polished looking antlers which it sheds every year to develop new ones. Its shaggy coat is mostly dark grey. They primarily live in woodland and feed on a wide variety of vegetation, including grass, foliage, browse, fruit and water plants, depending on the habitat.

--- ENDS ---
Piracy is as old as the sea itself  or at least since theres been some loot to be plundered. But the pirate legacy has since been high-jacked by Hollywood and romantic fiction. And pirates have been told as being faintly noble, selfless, independent, and with a great degree of charm. But the real pirate story is much darker. Pirate life was nasty, brutal, and  especially  short. And for a brief moment in time, each of these lives terrorized the oceans and demanded the attention of the navy. Mercy and honesty were rarely in any pirates vocabulary. Today well be taking a look at what made the real pirates the most feared predators on the high seas.

10. Blackbeards Reign of Terror

Born sometime around 1680, Blackbeards real name was probably Edward Teach. Some documents, however, refer to him as Edward Thatch or even Edward Drummond, and he is believed to have been either from Bristol, New York, California, Philadelphia, or even as far away as Denmark. Not much is known about his origins, it would seem. But regardless, he became among the most notorious pirates to have ever terrorized the Caribbean and the American East Coast. From a very young age he went to sea and served on an English ship during the War of the Spanish Succession by privateering along the Spanish Main. With the end of the war in 1714 he, like many others, turned to piracy.

Initially serving under another pirate who later retired, Blackbeard became captain in 1717, and commandeered a French merchant vessel which he renamed Queen Annes Revenge. He fitted it with 40 cannons, made it his flag ship, and together with three other smaller vessels (sloops) under his command, Teach plagued the West Indies and the Atlantic coast. In May 1718 he blockaded the Charleston harbor in South Carolina for four days, plundering several ships trying to get in or out, and held the local magistrate and his son for ransom. He then headed north, where he ran two of his vessels aground, the Queen Annes Revenge included, marooning most of his crew, in order to get a larger share of the loot. Having the governor of North Carolina in his pocket, he was secured a pardon under the royal Act of Grace and retired himself.

His best weapon of all was fear. He made himself appear ferocious, like a psychopath addicted to violence. He always had at least six loaded pistols, a cutlass, and a musket with him, and wore a big feathered tricorn on his head. He sported a huge black beard in which he would tie hemp and light it during battle. Together with lit cannon fuses tied under his tricorn, those who saw him fighting said that he looked like the devil with his fearsome appearance and the smoke cloud around his head.

Regardless of his retirement, he was soon back at sea. The governor of Virginia then put a bounty on his head and on November 21, 1718 a small group of men ambushed him and nineteen others within an inlet on Ocracoke Island, in North Carolina. Following a fierce battle the following day, Blackbeard was dead. He was reportedly shot five times and stabbed more than twenty times before being finally decapitated. His head was hung from a pike in Bath, the town he was supposed to retire in. Blackbeards reign of terror lasted a little over 2 years, even though he was among the most feared pirates of the 18th century.

9. The Privateers and Buccaneers

At first glance, the words pirate, privateer, and buccaneer seem to mean the same thing. And while this is true to a certain extent, there certainly are some differences. For instance, privateering made use of private ships for attacking foreign vessels under the approval of a countrys government. In a sense, piracy in the Caribbean started off as privateering under the British government. As early as the 16th century, many private English ships carried letters of marque, entitling them to attack, loot, sink or capture ships belonging to all enemy nations  especially Spain. They would then give part of the spoils to the government, while the rest they would keep for themselves. However, while the state stood only to gain from these private contracts, the privateers, if captured by the enemy, would be tried as pirates and swiftly executed.

The most famous privateer was Francis Drake. In 1567 he made one of the first English slaving voyages, bringing African people to the New World, and was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. In 1577, under secret orders from Queen Elizabeth herself, Drake went around South America, plundering Spanish ports on the undefended Pacific coast. And thanks to his cunning he even managed to take over and plunder the Cacafuego (fires**tter), officially Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, a huge Spanish galleon, filled to the brim with Inca treasure. On his return to England, he was knighted by the Queen. However, he would be one of the few privateers who would actually do what he was intended to. Bolstered by Drakes accomplishments, many others would try to find the same fame and riches; a standard that would never be achieved again. In time, these would-be privateers would descend to the level of blood-thirsty opportunists, operating under false flags, killing witnesses and betraying their own nations and crewmates.

Buccaneers, on the other hand, were mostly felons, many of them facing capital charges. They were former sailors whod jumped ship, or servants who ran away from their contracts working the sugar plantations on the many Caribbean islands. The word derives from the native buccan, which refers to a wooden framework used for smoking or slow-roasting meat over a fire. The first buccaneers used these buccans to prepare meat and sell it to sailors. But later, they turned to piracy, operating from the jungles. Whenever there was a ship close by, a handful of buccaneers would jump into a small rowing vessel and board the unaware ship. In the beginning, the island of Hispaniola (present day Haiti and Dominican Republic) was a major buccaneering base. They were later chased off the island by the Spanish and became pirates, operating from the island of Tortuga and Port Royal in Jamaica. They, too, would later be hired in the service of the crown.

8. Pirate Weapons

The above mentioned buccaneers made good use of the Buccaneer Musket. It was a large and heavy gun, measuring almost 6 feet in length. They used it initially for hunting boar on the islands, but also to shoot the helmsman off an enemy deck some 300 yards away. The buccaneers were really good shots, and became the masters of small arms; the first who gave them any real attention. Firing these guns continuously as they were rowing towards their target, they would disable the ship and prepare it for their boarding. The flintlock pistol was another weapon of choice, desired for its light weight and small size. It was ideal for boarding enemy ships, and pirates usually carried more than one since it was good for only one shoot before needing reloading. Thats why Blackbeard carried six with him at all times.

Pirates also made use of the Blunderbuss. It was loaded with a handful of pistol balls and when it was fired it created absolute devastation over a broad area of decks. It had a massive recoil and had to be fired from the hip. Otherwise, it would break the shoulder. Grenades were also used extensively by pirates. Basically a spherical-cast hollow iron ball about 5 inches in diameter, loaded with 5 ounces of gunpowder, the grenade had a wooden fuse sealed with wax. Once lit, it took about 6 seconds to explode. Pirates and buccaneers would throw these onboard an enemy vessel just before boarding it, creating utter chaos and devastation. However, all of these firearms were one-shot weapons, so the backbone of any boarding action was the cutlass. Used for both thrusting and slashing, the cutlass was short so it wouldnt become a hindrance on a crowded deck. Pirates sometimes used both cutlasses and boarding axes, among other swords or knives, as melee weapons.

7. Hooks for Hands and Wooden Legs

When thinking about a pirate, its almost impossible not to imagine him without either an eye-patch, a hook for a hand, or a wooden stump. And knowing the nature of their business, the weapons they were using (and which were used against them, as well), its no surprise so many of them had these, lets say, prosthetics. But the real reason for why so many had missing limbs has more to do with infection than the many wounds they were subjected to. For instance, musket balls had the nasty habit of taking a piece of fabric with them when passing through its victim. And while doctors may have been able to take out the ball, the piece of cloth most likely stayed behind. This in turn caused the wound to fester, and many were subject to gangrene.

With no anesthetics or antiseptics, they were aware that if the limb was not amputated it would mortify, as they called it, and they would die in severe pain. So, the only effective method available was to chop off the limb. The way they went about it was to strap the injured to a table, have a few men hold him down, give him a good shot of rum, and then put a strap of leather in his mouth to stop him from screaming so much. Then the doctor would tie up his leg or arm, in order to stop the bleeding as much as possible. Next hed take a sharp knife and start cutting the skin and muscle above the wound. When he reached the bone, the doctor would take a saw and cut that, too. The whole procedure would take between 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the doctors skill. Finally hed tie off the arteries, put a dressing on, and off the limping pirate went. But not even this ensured the patients survival, and many still died after the procedure.

6. Captain Charles Vane  Years Active: 1716-1720

As we said before, pirate life was brutally violent and extremely short. A good example was Charles Vane, a notorious pirate, contemporary and friend to the infamous Blackbeard. His pirating days began in 1716 and in 1718 he became a captain himself. He was renowned for his violence and ill temper, being hated even by his own crewmen. He is one of the few pirates who didnt accept the Kings pardon, and in a mere four years after his career began, he would be hanged. After a mutiny aboard his ship, he was left behind on a small sloop together with a few loyal comrades. In a hurricane, he would miraculously survive, being washed ashore on a small fishing island. However, the man who found him there recognized him and brought him to justice.

Before his death however, in April 1718, Vane and his men came upon a sloop somewhere in the Bahamas and attacked it. They violently beat the crew, stole everything onboard, and chose one man, Nathaniel Catling, to be hanged. He remained suspended until everyone believed him dead, and the pirates brought him down. He somehow survived, but seeing this, one of the pirates hacked him across the collarbone with his cutlass. Vane and the other pirates then set the ship on fire and left. However Nathaniel Catling not only survived a hanging and a slash to the neck, but also escaped to describe the events in an official deposition. In a similar incident, Vane had someone tied to the bowsprit, while they were burning his eyes with matches and holding a pistol in his mouth. Vane was forcing him to tell what valuables were hidden onboard.

5. Edward Low  Years Active: 1721  1724

Edward Low got his notoriety of being a psychopath first, and a pirate second. He made his fleet in Nova Scotia, where he managed to capture 13 fishing vessels, and then he moved south to the more lucrative Caribbean. As his pirating career went on, his infamy grew. A few surviving victims recalled his brutal nature where he often chained, mutilated, burned, and even forced some of his captives to eat the heart of their captain. In one particular incident, Governor John Hart described as Low was attacking a ship from Portugal bound for Brazil. As they were being boarded, the captain of the Portuguese vessel dropped a bag of gold into the ocean to keep the pirates from taking it. Seeing this, Low cut off the said Masters lips and broiled them before his face, and afterwards murdered the whole crew being thirty-two persons.

Due to his increasingly violent nature, both against his victims and his own men, in 1724 the crew mutinied and left him marooned on an island. What eventually happened to him is a matter of speculation. Some believe he was found by the French who, after discovering who he was, had him hanged in Martinique. Others believe he managed to escape and lived out the rest of his days somewhere in Brazil.

4. Henry Morgan, King of the Buccaneers  Years Active: 1655-1682

Henry Morgan is one of the successful few who managed to live to the ripe old age of 53, and die of tuberculosis, and not by hanging or decapitation. And he did so by staying somewhere in the gray area and not going full on black, as many other privateers or buccaneers did back then. Throughout his life he acquired a reputation as a remarkable leader and a fearsome conqueror. He sacked the city of Puerto Principe in Cuba, Puerto Bello in Panama, the towns of Maracaibo and Gibraltar in present-day Venezuela, as well as the city of Panama (which he completely burned to the ground). For his many victories for the English crown against the Spanish, Morgan was honored by the King and promoted to deputy governor of Jamaica.

Nevertheless, a pirate is still a pirate even if hes made governor. The sacking of all of those Spanish settlements werent done solely for the glory of England. The booty Morgan collected from all of them made him a very rich and highly influential man. In the city of Maracaibo, he and his buccaneers tortured many citizens in order to find the hidden valuables. In Porto Bello he burned the private parts of his women prisoners and even roasted a woman alive on a stove, in order to get the information he so desperately desired. In Gibraltar they tortured a man by placing four stakes into the ground and tied him by his thumbs and big toes. They then pulled and pushed at the cords with all their strength. If this wasnt enough, the pirates then placed a 200 pound stone on his belly and lit some palm leaves, burning his entire face.

3. Montbars the Exterminator  Years Active: 1668  1670s

A French buccaneer, Daniel Montbars got the appellative Montbars the Exterminator from the Spanish, against which he was renowned for acting violent to the extreme. Born to a wealthy family, he was well educated and raised as a gentleman. He developed a deep hatred for the Spaniards after learning of their savage treatment of the indigenous people in the New World, and would become a fierce enemy of the Spanish Empire throughout his career. In 1667 he left France for the West Indies together with his uncle, where they served in the Royal French Navy. Their vessel was later sunk by the Spanish and his uncle perished.

Montbars then moved to Tortuga and joined the buccaneers, where he became a captain. He distinguished himself during an attack against a Spanish galleon where, Montbars led the way to the decks of the enemy, where he carried injury and death; and when submission terminated the contest, his only pleasure seemed to be to contemplate, not the treasures of the vessel, but the number of dead and dying Spaniards, against whom he had vowed a deep and eternal hatred, which he maintained the whole of his life. He attacked and set ablaze many Spanish strongholds and settlements across the Caribbean, giving no quarter to his enemies. One of his most famous torture methods was to cut open the abdomen of his prisoners, nail his large intestine to a post, and then force the poor man to dance away from it, all the while beating his backside with a burning log.

2. Francois LOlonnais  Years Active: 1660-1668

While on the subject of psychotic Frenchmen, lets take a look at Montbars predecessor, Francois LOlonnais, another Spanish-hating buccaneer. His real name, however, was Jean-David Neu, but he also went by Flail of the Spaniards. He was born in France around 1635, where he was sold to a master who took him to the Caribbean. In 1660 he joined the buccaneers stationed in Saint-Domingue and his reign of terror began. In 1663 he survived a shipwreck where all of his crewmates died, and when the Spanish came to investigate, he covered himself with his crewmates corpses and smeared himself with their blood to appear dead. He then dressed himself as a Spaniard, released some slaves and escaped on some small canoes. On his way to Tortuga he and his small crew destroyed an entire Spanish ship and left only one man alive to tell the story.

From Tortuga, LOlonnais launched an attack on Maracaibo and Gibraltar, hunted down the people trying to escape through the jungles, then raped, tortured and murdered everyone. In another raid on the town of Puerto Cabellos, he ripped open one of the prisoners with his cutlass, tore the living heart out of his body, gnawed at it, and then hurled it in the face of one of the others, saying, Show me another way, or I will do the same to you. He wanted to find a safe route to San Pedro, another Spanish port-city close by. In 1668 his small fleet was finally captured and destroyed by the Spanish. He managed to escape the onslaught by running into the jungle. There, however, he was captured by natives who ripped him to pieces while still alive and then burned him. Some rumors go as far as saying that he was eaten by cannibals.

1. Olivier Levasseur  Years Active: 1716-1724

Okay, lets move out of the Caribbean for this last one. Olivier Levasseur, aka La Buse (The Buzzard) was a French privateer in service to the French crown during the War of the Spanish Succession (17011714). After the war he was ordered to return home, but instead joined a pirate company in 1716. The Buzzard decided to try his luck in the Indian Ocean, on the Western coast of Africa. He and some other famous pirates like Edward England or John Taylor raided and plundered ships and ports in the region, going as far as razing to the ground the slaver port of Ouidah, in present-day Benin. From 1720 they began operating from the island of Sainte-Marie, just off Madagascar.

Taylor and Levasseur later marooned England on the island of Mauritius on the account of him being too humane with his prisoners. The Buzzards favorite torturing method was the woolding. In order to extract information hed take a length of rope, which went around the head of his prisoners, and with a stick he would tighten it little by little. If the captive didnt divulge his secrets, or if he had none, the rope would be twisted so much his eyes would pop out of their sockets. Levasseur called it, the rosary of pain.

In any case, the two pirates managed to accomplish one of piracys greatest exploits. Without even firing a single cannon, they captured the Portuguese great galleon Nossa Senhora do Cabo (Our Lady of the Cape). This ship was carrying the treasures of the Patriarch of the East Indies, and the Viceroy of Portugal, who were both onboard, on their way home to Lisbon. Since the galleon went through a severe storm, the crew had dumped all of its 72 cannons overboard, preventing the ship from capsizing. The booty was huge, consisting of many bars of silver and gold, countless chests full of golden coins, jewels, pearls and other valuables, as well as many religious artifacts. And among them was also the Flaming Cross of Goa made of pure gold, inlaid with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It was so heavy, it required three men to move it to Levasseurs ship. This treasure-trove made all the pirates rich beyond their wildest dreams.

In 1724 he sent an emissary to discuss an amnesty on his behalf. But since the French government wanted a sizable chunk of his loot (estimated at over 1 billion), he instead settled down in secret somewhere on the Seychelles archipelago. Eventually he was captured and hanged in 1730. While he was at the gallows, he threw a necklace into the crowd while yelling, Find my treasure, the one who may understand it! The necklace contained a cryptogram of 17 lines. The hidden message proved too hard to figure out, and to this day his immense treasure is still hidden away somewhere.

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Completion of the second bailout review and talks on debt relief are possible, he added

The European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Pierre Moscovici expressed his belief that it is possible to complete the second bailout and enter talks on debt relief, in an interview on Skai.

Mr. Moscovici stated that the aim is not to increase austerity, but rather to continue with the necessary reforms to improve the economy and make it more competitive, attractive and reliable.

According to the European Commissioner, Greeces partners are prepared to enter talks on the medium-term measures that may be implemented after or near the end of the bailout program short-term measures for the debt and then debate the budgetary path that needs to be followed.

Later on in his interview Mr. Moscovici stressed that the efforts of the Greek people are fruiting and that the can be a positive growth rate in 2016 and 2017. Nevertheless, the reforms must carry on, even if there is no austerity, in order to truly make the economy competitive.

Regarding Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos proposal, of reducing the primary surplus goals from 3.5% to 2.5% and using that 1% to slash taxes, the European Commission noted that it is under consideration. He was quick to add there must not be any rush to conclusions.

Finally, Mr. Moscovici reported that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is dedicated to his goals and is in good shape. He also stated that he did not get the impression that the PM is ignoring his duties or preparing for elections.

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Following recent inflammatory statements by Turkish President Erdogan on the Treaty of Lausanne and Cyprus, the countrys main opposition leader disputed Greeces sovereignty over 18 islets in the Aegean Sea.

The head of the CHP party Kemal Kilicdaroglu once again claimed that Greece does not have sovereignty over these islets. The main opposition leader told Prime Minister Binali Yildirim these islands belong to Turkey, but a Greek flag is raised above them, before asking him why he is not intervening.

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The Turkish political establishment is raising the provocative nationalistic rhetoric once more, with both President Recep Erdigan and the leader of the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglou adopting extremely belligerent tones against Cyprus and Greece. Following his remarks of a possible revision of the Lausanne Treaty, which had settled the borders between Greece and Turkey in 1923, and speeches indirectly disputing the sovereignty of Thessaloniki, Greeces second largest city in the north, Erdogan unleashed a new hostile rant against Greece, and in the wake of the collapse in negotiations on the Cypriot problem in Switzerland, effectively denied the right of Cyprus to exist as a state or even have a national flag!

They tell us you give Cyprus to us and do not mingle in anything. That is their goal. Wait a minute. Turkish blood has been spilt on those lands. What should we give up?, Erdogan commented on the break down of talks between the Cypriot democracy and the northern Turkish part of the island, which is not recognised by any international body or state, besides Turkey. The Turkish President went on to dispute the right of the legitimate government of Cyprus and member of the UN and the EU to actually attend EU meetings using its flag!

Not to be outdone, the leader of the conservative party CHP, Kemal Kilicdaroglou disputed the status quo of 18 Greek isles in the Aegean Sea. Addressing the countrys PM, Binali Yildirim in parliament Kilicdaroglou asked whether the Turkish military would retake the isles. Are these isles ours? Yes says the Turkish government. Our Turkish flag should be lifted there. But their is also a Greek flag. Why arent you intervening?, he wondered.

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A comprehensive solution for the Greek issue is possible before the end of 2016 provided all sides demonstrated the necessary will to reach an agreement, a Eurozone official said here on Wednesday.

The Eurogroup on December 5 would mainly focus on the negotiations for the Greek programme, the official said, noting that "very significant progress has been made in recent days" and reporting a cooperative atmosphere in the talks. An agreement had not yet been reached, the official clarified, because a small number of issues had yet to be settled.

With respect to fiscal issues, the official said that differences regarding 2018 were small but expressed the opinion that issues linked to the labour market would not be resolved on a staff level but at a higher level.

If only one issue that was "politically sensitive" remained unresolved by Monday, the Eurozone official expressed certainty that this would then be discussed at the Eurogroup. "I do not see any major problem there and I am confident that, if all sides are willing, we will be able to complete the review within 2016," the official added.

The official said that the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) will present Eurozone finance ministers with a package of short-term measures that can be used to alleviate Greek debt up in the run up to 2018. Some will have to be implemented earlier, for example at the start of 2017, while others can be left for later and this will be among the issues that the Eurogroup will discuss, the official added.

Regarding medium- and long-term debt relief measures for Greece, the same Eurozone official noted that there was no reason to discuss these now, since they will be implemented after the end of the Greek programme.

The official explained that a staff-level agreement required an agreement between the four institutions taking part in the talks - the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB), ESM and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - and the Greek authorities. The Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA), in turn, required a staff-level agreement since only then would there be a clearer picture of Greece's fiscal progress.

The official refused to elaborate regarding the disagreement between European institutions and the IMF concerning the sustainability of a 3.5 pct of GDP primary surplus target after 2018 but did not rule out the possibility of an emergency Eurogroup meeting in December, noting that the time schedule was "flexible" though nothing was planned. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde will not be attending next Monday's Eurogroup, the official added.

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Angela Merkel sits on a toilet, a copy of Charlie Hebdo in hand, and the slogan Charlie Hebdo, the newspaper that relaxes  This is the poster chosen by the satirical weekly for the launch on Thursday, December 1 of its German version, the satirical magazines first experience outside the French borders. The same edition will be launched in Vienna. The irreverent French phenomenon, which was the victim of a bloody jihadist attack in January 2015, hopes to continue its renaissance with a German version of its provocative mix of no-holds-barred cartoons and biting satirical columns. Germans bought 70,000 copies of Charlie Hebdos survivors edition, which appeared one week after last years massacre in the magazines Paris offices, and it already sells 1,000 copies a week of its French edition there. Its editor the cartoonist Riss  who was shot in the shoulder during the attack  has been working on a German-language version for six months.

He has also drawn the poster for the first issue with Merkel resplendent in pink reading a Charlie Hebdo which wonders whether she would be able to govern both Germany and France at the same time. I always thought that we would be able to export Charlie Hebdo, Riss told AFP.

There is a real curiosity in Germany about what we are doing, which is not the case for instance in Britain, Spain or Portugal, he added.

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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
An Indiana mother is accused of injecting feces into her sons IV bag while he was undergoing cancer treatments at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Tiffany Alberts, 41, of Wolcott, Indiana, is charged with six counts of aggravated battery and one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. Alberts 15-year-old son was being treated for cancer, and he had several unexplainable infections that were delaying treatment. Staff placed video surveillance in his room, and the video showed Alberts injecting an unknown substance into his IV bag with a syringe several times, court documents say. Staff told police that Alberts son received his first round of chemotherapy for leukemia in September and went home. But several days later he returned to the hospital because he had a fever and diarrhea and was vomiting. The staff said his symptoms havent improved. Hes required several surgeries to changes his central venous line due to concern for infection, and he spent 18 days in the ICU. Doctors also told authorities that the boy tested positive for blood cultures with organisms that are normally found in stool, and experts say there is no medical reason to explain the ongoing blood infection.

Investigators questioned Alberts, and at first, she said she injected water into her sons IV bag to flush the line because the medicine that was given to him burned. However, she later allegedly confessed that she injected fecal matter into the bag on multiple occasions. She says she did it to get her son moved to another unit at Riley that had better treatment, according to court documents.

Source: wnep.com

Photo source: protothema.gr

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: Bhopal, Nov 29 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who completed 11 years in office today, called Prime Minister Narendra Modis move to demonetise the Rs 500/1000 notes a "risky" but "brave" decision.

"Wherever I went I saw people supporting it. Such strong decision can be taken only by a leader who is determined and has the strength to strike positive change.

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"It was a risky but a very brave decision by the Prime Minister against corruption, fake currency and black money," he was quoted as saying by News Nation channel.

Chouhan said those protesting against the decision were doing it for "no reasons and just for the sake of opposing it".

"People have stood strongly behind this decision taken by the Prime Minister to demonetise the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes," he said.

The chief minister said the central Indian state has initiated various schemes for creating entrepreneurs and business achievers.

"I want entrepreneurs to come out from Madhya Pradesh and for which special schemes have been tailored by the state government. Venture funds have been created for supporting innovative business ideas in the state," he said.

Speaking about women empowerment and providing opportunities to girls, Chouhan said his government has taken a number of steps in this regard.

"I had seen girls not being treated at par with the boys as they were always considered as economic burden. So, when I came, I decided to check such social discrepancies and took the decision to run welfare schemes for them.

"At a place where girls are not safe, one cannot talk about progress," he said recounting schemes like Ladli Laxmi Yojna and Beti Bachao Yojna among others started by Madhya Pradesh government.

Talking about his personal life, the CM advised professionals to take out time for their families from their busy schedule.

"I take out time at least twice in a year to move out with my family and at least once in two months to go out to a restaurant for having food with my family.

"This keeps the family ties strong and acts as a mechanism to strike a positive chord between the family and the professional life and gives you the required strength to work for the people," he said. PTI NES IKA

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Tunisia will receive up to 2.5 billion ($2.66 billion) of support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) by 2020, the bank's president, Werner Hoyer, has announced.



The objective of the aid is to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, the main source of jobs for young people, the bank said. The announcement was made at the international Tunisia 2020 conference in Luxembourg.



This is an exceptional measure, stated Hoyer. In view of the challenges currently facing Tunisia, it is our responsibility to act rapidly and decisively to restore the confidence of public and private investors. This is why we have decided to step up substantially our activity in Tunisia from now until 2020, with an overall investment of 2.5 billion to support the public and private sector in key sectors of the Tunisian economy such as private entrepreneurship, sustainable infrastructure, social housing, energy, education and training of young people and also foreign direct investment and innovation. In this way, we are providing fresh stimulus to investment and job creation and opening up new opportunities for Tunisia's youth.



The EIB president pointed out that Tunisia will also be supported via the EIB's new resilience initiative for the European Union's (EU) Southern Neighbourhood and the European External Investment Plan (EEIP) which is intended to encourage investment in Africa and in the EU neighbourhood countries.



On the strength of its expertise and the partnership based on trust that has linked the EIB and Tunisia for many years, the EU bank has channelled, since the 2011 revolution, 1.4 billion of loans into public and private-sector projects, which have mobilised 3.4 billion of new financing.



New loans totalling 369.5 million for the key sectors of innovation, support for businesses and climate action

During his official visit to Tunisia, Hoyer also signed several finance contracts for a total of 389.1 million, reflecting the EIB's strong commitment to assisting Tunisia with its economic and social development programme. - TradeArabia News Service


UK-based property firm Savills has announced that the real estate project, Juffair Views, a part-completed residential building in northern Juffair area in Bahrain, will be sold at auction on December 20.



Savills Bahrain was recently appointed the real estate advisor to the Judicial Committee for Stalled Real Estate Projects in Bahrain.



Located near to some of the most sought after developments in Bahrain, the 26-storey development comprises 81 flats; 40 one bedroom, 40 two bedroom and a penthouse, stated Savills, which is also acting as exclusive sales agent for the Juffair Views project.



The development, which boasts a total built up area of 18,771 sq m, has 93 parking spaces over three floors and a health club with various amenities.



The auction will be held at the office of the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf, said the leading property firm.



Immediately after the auction, the successful bidder will be required to lodge 10 per cent of the sale price with the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf treasury, with the outstanding balance paid within one month.



An administration fee will also be levied on the final sale price, the amount of this fee will be announced on the day of the auction. It is important to note that any person bidding on behalf of a company should be in possession of a CR copy and, if required, Power of Attorney paperwork, it stated.



On settlement of the sale price, the judge will issue an order to transfer the building ownership to the buyer. The building will be sold as is, where is and clear of all liabilities.



Donald Bradley FRICS, the chief executive of Savills Northern Gulf, said: "This is a really special appointment and shows the determination of the Judicial Committee to adopt a best practice solution to a range of strategies for the stalled real estate projects which are overhanging the market."



"We are now in a period of market consolidation where development projects will have to be properly organised and those which have issues are professionally handled and re-launched into the market. This is a really major step for the authorities and will provide a work out plan and perhaps a precedent for other projects. We look forward to working with the Government and the Judicial Authorities on this matter and our top team is now fully committed to bringing about the best possible solution for all concerned," he stated.



On the sale announcement, James Moore, director of Savills Bahrain, said: "This is an important step forward for boosting investor confidence in the Bahraini real estate sector. People will now see the effect of the Governments hard work trying to resolve what has proven to be a very complex issue."



"We hope that following a successful sale of Juffair Views the Judicial Committee can consider other projects for sale, if appropriate, he added.



Savills, a UK company founded in 1855 and is one of the worlds largest property firms

with over 700 offices and 30,000 staff around the world.



Savills has two offices in Bahrain, their main office in Seef and a sales office in the Ritz Carlton Hotel.-TradeArabia News Service
Katara Hospitality, a leading hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar, and Marriott International have launched a hospitality training programme to boost career opportunities for Qatari youth.



The official announcement of the Tahseen initiative was attended by Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, chairman of Katara Hospitality and Arne Sorenson, chief executive officer of Marriott International as well as Hamad Abdulla Al-Mulla, chief executive officer of Katara Hospitality and Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa of Marriott International.



Developed in conjunction with Cornell University, INJAZ AL-Arab and Education for Employment, Tahseen provides a 12 to 18-month programme focused on providing full exposure to the business of running a hotel resulting in a managerial opportunity.



The programme offers graduates six months of cross-exposure to all departments and six to twelve months of departmental specialisation. It also provides graduates with access to Marriott Internationals world renowned core management development programmes.



Al-Thani said: The launch of Tahseen marks a significant milestone in our commitment to invest in the development of young Qataris. Since 1970, we have supported the evolution of the hospitality industry in Qatar and we welcome any opportunity to engage with reputable education institutions to attract and develop young talents who will lead the future of this exciting industry.



Open to Qatari graduates; Marriott International will initially appoint 50 Qatari nationals, with both the experience and passion to work and develop a career in the hospitality industry.



Over the duration of the programme, graduates will be fully immersed into all aspects of the industry and enroll in eCornell certificate programmes combined with Cornell Universitys executive leadership workshop, which will be tailored to the local culture and unique business environment of Qatar and the wider Middle East. Education for Employment will also train the selected class of professionals on what it takes to be successful in the workplace.



Tahseen hospitality training programme aims to drive participation and interest of Arab youth through Marriott Internationals world-class training, resulting in an increase of local employment. The programme is customised for local nationals and will provide them with well-rounded hospitality training while opening doors to a variety of career path options.



Sorenson said: Marriott International has long been focused on developing talent in the markets in which we operate and empowering diversity has always been critical to our business model. We constantly seek out initiatives across our region that are both inspiration and results-orientated. Through our close collaboration with Katara Hospitality, we aim to help nurture the dreams and aspirations of young Qatari Nationals and support the rapid growth the hospitality sector is forecast to sustain over the years.



Recruitment for Tahseen will commence in February 2017 and will initially welcome 50 graduates with the objective to increase numbers annually.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahrains Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) recently organised a workshop on the National Strategy of Mobile Apps attended by government IT seniors representing 20 entities.



This workshop was organised after the adoption process of National Strategy of Mobile Apps for government services by the Supreme Committee for Information & Communication Technology headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, during its meeting last month.



Vice chief executive Dr Zakareya Ahmed Alkhaja said that the strategy is considered as an integrated plan goes in parallel with the vision of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, towards providing high quality services to citizens through coordination with government entities to develop performance and reduce cost.



He added that the workshop aims to review details of the strategy. It comes as a result of a full year of efforts targeting defined government directions and unified strategy to provide services via smart devices. Noting that distinctive global practices were reviewed, mainly the UK practice, during the strategy preparation period.



The main five comprehensive initiatives of the strategy were presented during the workshop. These initiatives target the optimal usage of technology to enable citizens and residence to complete government services via smart devices, as well as governance of mobile apps development which focus on quality assurance and avoid duplication to reduce development and marketing costs maintaining the international standards.



The development of new app is performed through a mandate process to be approved by ICT governance committee and follow the unified categorization of IT expenses which was explained to the attendees.



In addition, the mobile apps guidelines were presented to the participants as a reference to government and private organizations including a set of instructions and standards to develop high quality apps.



New ideas and valuable contributions to develop the mobile apps and its national strategy were discussed by the participants during the workshop. iGA will be holding the same workshop for another batch of government entities on December 1, a statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
From deploying army choppers to opening additional counters in banks, the government and the Reserve Bank of India are taking several measures to fight the cash chaos.

By India Today Web Desk: More than three weeks since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, there has been no let up in the chaos and confusion surrounding the sudden decision.

The government is now staring at another challenge as banks are expecting a huge rush in the first week of December following the salary day.

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Banks gear up for pay day

Indian Army choppers have been deployed to ensure cash reaches metros and Tier-2 cities. Further, banks have been instructed to open additional counters to meet the huge surge in demand for cash.

The Reserve Bank of India's first priority is to meet the cash shortage in banks ahead of withdrawal of money by the salaried class.

ALSO WATCH



The government has also squashed rumours on the printing press in Nashik not working but said that no new printing press will be opened. Currency notes are currently being printed in three shifts. The government has put special focus on ensuring cash supply in the Northeast.

ALSO READ: Salary in the times of demonetisation: Big test for Modi government in first week of December



How prepared are the banks?

Despite putting several measures in place, the erratic supply of cash to some branches may upset government's plan to ensure a smooth flow of cash on December 1.

Some bank expected bulk supply of Rs 500 notes which have not arrived yet. While most banks have seen some increase in their cash reserve but they say it may not be sufficient to meet the huge rush of customers in the first week of December.

ALSO READ: Why RBI relaxed withdrawal limit for some? 5 points that explain the decision



Some private banks have been rationing cash distributed to branches with the objective of ensuring a better supply at the end of the month.



Government slams credit agencies

Union Minister for Information and Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad today hit out at credit rating agencies for downgrading their growth forecast for India. Prasad said now it is imperative that a developing economy like India has its own rating agencies.

ALSO READ: Urjit Patel breaks silence on demonetisation, says RBI taking steps to ease people's pain



"I am amazed. Have we ever seen these international agencies downgrading European countries? What kind of mindset of this," Prasad asked.

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"May be, time has come for emerging economies to have their own rating agencies. We are seeing a new kind of imperialism with these rating agencies," Prasad said.

The Union minister said the government is already training employees on UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and is talking to state governments to support the initiative.

"Digital cash is good governance. Cash won't be wiped out but we are moving towards a cashless economy," Prasad said.

ALSO READ: GDP numbers to be out today. Wait for next to see effect of Modi's demonetisation



ALSO WATCH



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Women must now be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia since such a ban is fundamentally an infringement on a womans rights, said Saudi billionnaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.



It is high time that Saudi women started driving their cars, and it is high time that we turn the page on this issue the way we did on tens of other major ones that this country and the world have witnessed in the last 100 years, the chairman of Kingdom Holding Company said in a Twitter comment, that was alos posted on his website (http://www.alwaleed.com.sa/news-and-media/news/driving)



When Saudi girls ventured into the world of education half a century ago, some people saw it as the beginning of a progression that would lead them from primary education into universities and ultimately into the workplace. Such individuals were keen on accelerating this process, for they wished to see women become full partners with men, not only in raising families, but also in the development of their country. On the other hand, there were others who objected to such a transformation, fearing that this would lead to unwelcome consequences. The Saudi state, however, sought to adopt a patient strategy, allowing Saudi society to evolve according to its own pace and wishes.



A few years ago, a young man wishing to get married shunned being betrothed to a working woman. There was a social stigma associated with having a working wife, for it could suggest to cousins and kin that he was incapable of providing on his own for her and their children. This attitude has now radically changed, not because of any particular religious fatwas, but because of social, and particularly economic, transformations that have slowly propelled society to accept what it had previously rejected. Today, a working woman is a coveted partner in marriage, said Prince Alwaleed.



Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity. They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion. Such a ban on driving is fundamentally an infringement on a womans rights, particularly as it continues to exist after she had won her right to an education and a salaried employment, he said.



Beyond being a rights issue, it is also an economic, developmental and social one, he continued. The 2015 statistics issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development revealed that there were 1,589,177 working women in Saudi Arabia, largely located in the major cities. Whether one subscribes or not to this figure we can safely assume that there are more than one million Saudi women in need of a safe means of transportation to take them to work every morning. Public transport is not, at least at present, a fully viable means for them, for even Saudi men do not as a whole use it. The proper solution is to allow them to drive. Otherwise, they would have to remain dependent on foreign drivers, an alternative that exacts a cost from the familys income, or else continue to take cabs, which are also costly, and driven by foreign drivers, which is a situation that is a source of concern to many Muslims who see it as a violation of Sharia law, he added.



There is the added fact that there are always numerous errands that mothers need to attend to vis-a-vis their families. Without their being able to drive, it often falls upon the men to leave their work obligations to take their wives and children to clinics and other destinations, something that women could do on their own. This situation obviously takes its toll on the national economy for it undermines the productivity of the work force. There are also situations where the housewife becomes the sole family income earner, either because of the loss of a husband or his physical incapacity.



It should be noted that retaining foreign drivers not only has the effect of reducing a familys disposable income, particularly at a time when many earners have seen cutbacks in various allowances, but also contributes to the syphoning of billions of riyals every year from the Saudi economy to foreign destinations in the form of remittances, Alwaleed cautioned.



Given the above, many affected families have been raising their voices calling for women to be allowed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, something that is now considered a necessity, he said.



In the past, many of those who called for women to drive had their voices muffled by the social objections that were raised and by the notion that allowing them to drive was more of a luxury than a necessity. Today, however, circumstances have changed, and having women to drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances.



I call upon those who may have been blessed with influence and prosperity, and who may find what I propose as objectionable, to put themselves in the shoes of those with the limited means of middle class families, or those of low incomes, and who can ill afford the onerous financial burdens that accompany the hiring of a foreign driver. It is for them that I am advocating the cause of women driving. It is also because of my concern for the economic well-being and social welfare of our beloved country, Saudi Arabia, he added.  TradeArabia News Service


Sarens Nass Middle East (SNME), a joint venture between Nass Group of Bahrain and Belgium-based Sarens NV, said it has executed a record-setting lift at the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) refinery, which is implementing a clean fuels project (CFP).



The Bahrain-based company used its Sarens Climbing Towers (SCT) and strand jacks to lift the 1,500-tonne reactor onto its foundation.



KNPC's clean fuels project involves the upgrade and integration of the Mina Abdulla and Mina Al Ahmadi refineries.



The Mina Abdullah Refinery and Mina Al Ahmadi Refinery revamp plan was part of a strategy to upgrade the oil refining industry in Kuwait.



A study commissioned by KNPC found that the country needed liquid fuel to feed its power-generation plants and other installations in order to fulfill the country's demand for petroleum products and create stable foreign markets for Kuwait exports of high-grade petroleum products.



To provide such liquid fuel, Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries needed to be expanded.



On completion of the project, the combined capacity of the refineries will increase from the existing 736,000 barrels per day to 800,000 barrels per day, and will lower the sulphur content of petroleum products to five per cent. The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2018.



Sarens undertook the task of lifting the 1,500-tonne reactor for the KNPC-led CFP at the Mina Abdullah refinery. The extraordinary aspect of the job was the unique set-up in which the towers were installed, completely intertwined with the adjacent reactor's bolting pattern.



This allowed for a shorter lifting beam, cancelling all needs for a guyed tower system, ultimately resulting in a faster and safer execution.



Sarens deployed its Sarens Climbing Towers (70 m high), CC8800-1 (in SSL configuration), CC2800-1, and LR1250. The cranes took two weeks to be assembled and were then ready to execute the lift.



"It was a first lift of its kind on a KNPC site having a record setting performance. Our 25 skilled operations staff executed the challenge with utmost precision leading to a satisfied client," said a company spokesman.



The major challenge faced by the team was to intertwine the SCT system with the next neighbouring reactor's bolting pattern within a limited space.



Moreover, the weather conditions were very challenging, but the team successfully performed the operations, he stated.



This lift has formed a large part of Sarens' large ambitions in Kuwait, which is currently investing on cleaner fuels and one of the largest refineries in the world, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Schlumberger, the worlds largest oil driller by market value, has signed an agreement with the National Iranian South Oil Company (Nisoc) to carry out preliminary studies over three oilfields in the country, a report said.



Memorandum of Agreements (MoUs) were signed for Shadegan, Parsi and Ragsefid oilfields in southwestern Khuzestan province, added the Tehran Times report, which cited Shana.



Technology transfer and skill sharing are the main focuses of the signed MOU, Nisoc said.








Bahrain International Airport departure area reported a minor smoke incident early this morning, said a Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) statement.

The incident was observed at 3:45am today (November 30) in the smoking cabin between boarding gate numbers 16 and 17, said BAC, the managing body and operator of Bahrain International Airport.

BAC rescue and fire fighting services took immediate action in coordination with its partners at the airport and evacuated the affected gates. The incident did not result in any rescheduling of departing or arriving flights.

Most of the affected areas have been opened up for operation again, the statement said. TradeArabia News Service
Ras Al Khaimahs Department of Civil Aviation (RAKDCA) held a celebratory event with great pomp and show to celebrate UAE's 45th National Day at the Civil Aviation Department premises.



Presided over by Eng Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, chairman, Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah, the event was graced by top officials from the Civil Aviation Department, Airport, Police, Immigration, Customs, National Security, aviation industry and National carriers like Air Arabia and Qatar Airways.



The celebratory event remembered with respect the great leadership and vision of the founding father of the nation His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.



The event also thanked His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for following the vision of the founding father and guiding the country to prosperity.



The participants thanked His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, for the visionary leadership and support to the aviation sector.



In order to pay respects to the Martyrs, a student band from the Al Bustan School performed, followed by a 40-minute audiovisual show highlighting the progress of the country and the dedication and sacrifice of the martyrs, and a march past by the Military School.



The school children performed an entertaining ayala (traditional local dance).



The event ended with honouring senior employees and long-serving staff as well as outstanding employees. - TradeArabia News Service
New Year deals for 2017 are offered as early as now and there are many travel agencies and websites offering cheap packages where you can celebrate the New Year's Eve at a top travel destination.

With the shorter days and longer nights of December, time will surely fly until it's the new year. Get ahead of others and check out this list of New Year deals for 2017 that will surely give you the best holiday break at the start of the year.

Spend the New Year in a cruise. Book now to have a spot in the New Year Mini-Cruise Breaks which offers several beautiful Europen destinations. The Cruise breaks will start on December 30 and offers one to two nights of stay in hotels. It will also include breakfast and dinner and New Year's Eve gala dinner on some packages. Tourists will get to explore around Bruges, Luxembourg, and Rotterdam. Check out their New Year's Eve deals here.

Watch the fireworks at Paris. If you want to spend the New Year's Eve in Paris, book a flight at British Airways where they offer the best holiday deals. The Luxury Paris Flight will include two nights of stay in a hotel and cost for around $200. Check out British Airways holiday flights here. Also see Skyscanner's New Year flight deals for Paris here.

Party for three days in Edinburgh. Edinburgh's New Year Holiday party lasts for three days! The consecutive feasts is called Hogmanay where it features several bands and conduct spectacular events to celebrate the New Year.

The events are conducted in different locations of Edinburgh such as the Queens Hall, the National Museum of Scotland, the St. Giles Cathedral, and many others. It just not only conduct live concerts and festivities for those who love to party but also has events for kids, called Sprogmanay.

Check out their list of Hogmanay's here. Also see the cheapest flights and deals to Edinburgh for New Year's Eve here.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
British tourists traveling to Spain are warned by the government to use their hotel balconies with caution. It has been noted that some activities involving balconies resulted to serious injuries--the craze, called "Balconing," has been alarming authorities of late.

What is "balconing"? The term means jumping from a balcony towards a swimming pool or between balconies. It is becoming quite popular among young travelers in Spain. There has been a number of severe accidents due to the falling from the ledges.

Travelers have been warned that many of the incidents have involved British travelers who are either drunk or on drugs. It resulted in grave injuries and some even lost their lives. According to Dailymail UK, doctors in Spain issued a warning to British travelers from jumping and climbing from balconies or the ledge while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The warning came in after discovering the six out of 10 tourists in Spain who are treated because of 'balconing' are from Britain. Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) noted that travel insurance may not cover for injuries or incidents as a result of alcohol or drug consumption.

Last 2012, three British tourists died in Magaluf after falling off the balcony. Just this earlier year, three people were seriously injured as well. "This figure represents just a fraction of the total number of incidents," said Abta, a travel trade organization.

According to Mirror, some local councils people who are caught doing 'balconing' or behaving irresponsibly while on balconies will be fined. Calvia Council that covers Magaluf region in Majorca imposed a fine between 636 to 1,272 for anyone practicing 'balconing' or anyone involved in coercing people to jump off balconies or ledges. This is in the effort to lessen incidents due to 'balconing'.

In early November, Danielle Hall, a British national, died after falling from a balcony on the ninth floor of the Bermudas Apartment Hotel in Benidorm, Spain.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
For the first time in over 50 years, the United States is flying regularly scheduled passenger flights to Havana. More than nine airlines now service routes to and from different cities in the United States to Havana, Cuba.

According to USA Today, this move follows an aviation pact agreed on by Cuba and the Obama administration. This follows a visit by Obama to Havana during his term, meant to improve relationships between Cuba and the United States. During this deal Obama and the Cuban government reached an agreement wherein travel restrictions for U.S. citizens would be eased. (READ: Top Five Countries Barack Obama Visited During His Eight-Year Presidential Term)

There are some doubts with how incoming U.S. President Donald Trump will be handling relations with Cuba, given that he has said on Twitter that he will "terminate deal" with the communist-ruled country if a better agreement is not reached for both countries, Howevr, the world's largest airline, American Airlines, launched its first flight from Miami to Havana last November 28. AA also intends to launch another Havana-bound plane from Charlotte on November 30. (READ: Travel During The Trump Presidency - Stricter Immigration Restrictions)

American Airlines' closest competitor, JetBlue is not one to be late to the party, launching three flights to Havana the week of November 28, according to Fortune. JetBlue is even offering free Cuba-themed cakes and cookies to passengers for its inaugural flight. In the earlier months of 2016, U.S. airlines have been flying to smaller cities in Cuba, an effort at establishing a market and demand in the country. (READ: What is 2017's Most Excellent Airline?)

Currently, six more American airlines are expected to launch flights to Havana by January 2017. These airlines include Alaska Airlines flying from Los Angeles, Delta from Atlanta, Miami and New York JFK, Frontier from Miami, Spirit from Fort Lauderdale, Southwest from Tampa and Fort Lauderdale and United from Newark Liberty and Houston Bush.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Critical public opinions and park reviews have forced the closing of a new attraction at Japan's "Space World" theme park. The attraction featured a skating rink that contained over 5,000 frozen fish and other sea creatures.

The winter attraction known as "Ice Aquarium" contained twenty-five different marine animals in what was set to be the first attraction of its kind in the world. The skating rink, meant to recreate a feeling of swimming among the fishes, featured fish arranged to emulate actual school patterns.

The first-of-its-kind attraction also included creatures arranged into various words and shapes. Among some of the most memorable features were fish spelled out into the word "Hello", as well as arrows showing attraction visitors the proper routes.

Despite the park attraction's popularity in terms of visitors and tourists, public opinions expressed in various social media platforms urged the park to close the attraction. Public opinions included animal rights activists and concerned citizens citing the park's cruel eccentricity.

On Sunday, November 27, Space World officially shut down the marine life skating rink and issued a public apology via the park's official website. Park officials then proceeded to delete all attraction-related posts and pictures from all social media accounts.

Majority of the negative public opinions were directed towards the alleged inhumane treatment of marine life and the immoral practice of freezing the creatures alive. However, park representatives maintain that all the creatures featured in the attraction were already dead and purchased from local fish markets.

In an interview with CNN, the manager of Space World, Toshimi Takeda, stated that the park was surprised at the public reaction because of the attraction's successful opening week. However, due to the continuous thread of negative reactions, the project was forced to shut down the project.

Furthermore, park officials have declared that an alleged religious service will be held upon the removal of the marine creatures. The fish will then be processed and turned into reusable fertilizer, as stated by the Japanese local media, NHK.



See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By India Today Web Desk: Saath Nibhaana Saathiya actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee, popularly known by her screen name, Gopi bahu, is currently letting her hair down in the beautiful locales of Malaysia.

At times Silence is the best way to express................Bliss!! #TellyCalenderLangkawi A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 4:10am PST

Also read:Happy Birthday! Vishal Singh aka Jigar Modi of Saath Nibhaana Saathiya celebrates birthday with friends; see pic



Tears are a way too to express.Never hold them back!!?????? #dearzindagi? #TellyCalenderLangkawi A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:09am PST

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Yep, you read that right.

Heavenly.........???????????? A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 5:24am PST

The actress has taken some time off from her busy schedule to enjoy a little me-time, and it looks like the pretty actress is having quite a blast.

Got it back.......??????Wat I said I meant each & every word & thats make a difference between you & Me?????? #tellycalenderlangkawi????????? A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 5:50am PST

Devoleena recently posted a ton of pictures on her personal Instagram account from the vacation, and we couldn't be more jealous.

Babyyy get ready to explore it?????????????????? A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 5:20am PST

Spending a lot of time in Langkawi Island, the actress is busy making her own telly calendar.

I forgive people but it doesnt mean that I Trust them again.I accept What is done is done.I let go to Move On!!??? #TellyCalenderLangkawi #goodmorning ????????? A photo posted by Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@devoleena) on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:00pm PST

In one of the pictures, where she is posing on a staircase and looking dreamily ahead, she captioned the picture as "I forgive people but it doesn't mean that I trust them again. I accept what is done is done. I let go to move on!! #TellyCalenderLangkawi #goodmorning."

And to top it all, she is not there with family or friends, she is vacationing on her own. She even captioned one of the pictures as "Who said #ladkiyanakelenahighumsakti, loving every bit of it. #tellycalenderlangkawi."

Thanks for setting new travel goals, Devoleena.



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By PTI: From Yoshita Singh

United Nations, Nov 30 (PTI) India has said that dialogue is the only viable option for a durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue, as it voiced concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region.

"Regrettably, the security situation continues to deteriorate. The imperative need is of restraint and moderation," Indias Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Tanmaya Lal said here yesterday at the General Assembly annual debate on the Question of Palestine.

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Lal said India firmly believes that dialogue is the only viable option in the search for a just, durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue.

"We hope that both sides will demonstrate the necessary political will to return to the negotiations," he said, adding that New Delhi is hopeful of the early resumption of a peaceful dialogue between the two sides.

He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modis message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in which he reiterated Indias support for the cause of Palestine and solidarity with the Palestinian people for their struggle for a sovereign, independent state living side by side and at peace with Israel.

Lal said Modi reaffirmed India?s continued support to the development and nation-building efforts of Palestine by extending technical and financial assistance.

India recently enhanced its contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to USD 1.25 million.

India also contributed USD four million to the National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, with the Indian government helping set up two vocational training centers in Yatta and Hebron. PTI YAS ZH

--- ENDS ---


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : SUSHI NIGHT AT THE AJMAN PALACE HOTEL Industry: Food/Dining

If you are craving for some fresh Sushi, head to The Ajman Palace Hotel for Sushi Night available every Thursday at Dragons Place.



(TRAVPR.COM) UAE - November 30th, 2016 - If you are craving for some fresh Sushi, head to The Ajman Palace Hotel for Sushi Night available every Thursday at Dragons Place. Bringing home the true taste of Japan, the hotels signature Asian restaurant has just launched an all-you-can-eat Sushi Buffet priced at only AED 99 per person.



Ferghal Purcell, General Manager of The Ajman Palace Hotel, said, With winter stepping in, sushi is high on the fish list and we have got an excellent spread of the freshest sushi and sashimi accompanied with traditional Japanese soups and salads as well as a delectable variety of desserts. Along with the Japanese version, on the menu is also sushi infused with Middle Eastern flavours. Diners have the option of eating both indoors and outdoor on the beautiful terrace overlooking the serene Arabian Gulf.



Dragons Place offers a smart casual and contemporary atmosphere featuring a sushi bar, a private Teppanyaki dining table, and two private washitsu rooms with low floor seating.



Sushi Night Buffet

 Lavish Sushi Buffet including special Japanese treats

 Available every Thursday from 18.30 - 23.30



Reserve your table on Dining@TheAjmanPalace.com or +971 56 118 0206.



About The Ajman Palace Hotel

The Ajman Palace Hotel, managed by HMH  Hospitality Management Holdings, is a picturesque sanctuary conveniently located 22 km from Dubai International Airport and 11 km from Sharjah International Airport. Set on a private beach, this alluring hideaway is a heritage resort with a modern spirit. Bringing an unprecedented level of luxury, with captivating views of the Arabian Gulf, the resort is a destination unto itself. Balancing world-class facilities with the legendary Arabian hospitality, it offers 254 rooms, suites and serviced residences, a remarkable range of restaurants and lounges, fabulous meeting and event venues including the largest ballroom in the Northern Emirates ideal for weddings and conventions, as well as an array of leisure and recreation options at Lifestyle Club featuring a Spa and state-of-the-art fitness facility. A magical experience awaits you here.



For more information about the hotel please visit http://www.TheAjmanPalace.com

or https://www.hmhhotelgroup.com/subscribenow



For media contact:

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Mob: 050 697 5146

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A local police department set up trail cameras to investigate reports of a mountain lion; the photos they got were quite a surprise.

Reacting to the possibility of a mountain lion on the loose in Kansas, the Gardner Police Department set up some camera traps to see what was going on. What they got was decidedly more Stanley Kubrick than safari. From the department's Facebook page:

"Wildlife concerns: The Gardner Police Department was contacted recently about concern over the possibility of a mountain lion being in the area of Celebration Park. In an effort to determine if there was a possibly dangerous animal in the area we deployed two trail cameras to check for activity in the area. We are glad to report that over the time they were up we did not see a mountain lion."

"We were however surprised by some of the images that the cameras did take," they add. Like the following bizarre creatures.

GardnerPoliceDepartment / Facebook

GardnerPoliceDepartment / Facebook

GardnerPoliceDepartment / Facebook

GardnerPoliceDepartment / Facebook

GardnerPoliceDepartment / Facebook

"We now have another different concern," they continue. "We are attempting to identify some of the wildlife and activity in these images."

Let's see ... a granny, a gorilla, and even the ever-elusive Santa Claus. Drinking a beer? Well, we all know that Homo sapiens are the weirdest animal of all!

No word yet on who is responsible for photobombing the camera traps, but hats off to the pranksters for injecting a bit of fun into the ordinary; a sentiment shared by the powers that be.

"We would like to sincerely thank the persons responsible as it made our day when we pulled up what we expected to be hundreds of pictures of coyotes, foxes and raccoons," concludes the post. "Thank you to the citizens who noticed the cameras. Your effort and sense of humor are greatly appreciated."
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During the telephone conversation, Trump also praised Sharif and expressed his desire to meet the prime minister soon, Radio Pakistan reported.

By Press Trust of India: US President-elect Donald Trump today told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he is willing to play any role that Pakistan wants, to find solutions to its outstanding problems.

Trump made these remarks as Sharif called him to congratulate on his recent victory.

"I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honour and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time, even before January 20, that is before I assume my office," Trump was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

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During the telephone conversation, Trump also praised Sharif and expressed his desire to meet the prime minister soon, Radio Pakistan reported.

Sharif invited Trump to visit Pakistan.

In his reply, Trump said he would love to visit the country and meet its people.

Earlier, Trump had said that if elected, he would like to mediate between India and Pakistan. But like the Obama administration, Trump also said that he would only mediate if both countries asked him to do so.

Also read: Trump had 'offered' to mediate on Kashmir issue, Pakistan just welcomed it

Also read: In phone call, China's Xi tells Trump cooperation is only choice

Also read: Modi congratulates Trump, here's what his win could mean for India

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Guess what's the new trial created by beef for all vegans and animal lovers in the land of Brexit? They now have to carry meat in their wallets.

By India Today Web Desk:

England introduced new five pound notes that contain (just a tiny bit) of animal fat and as expected, all animal rights activists are enraged and highly disappointed with the decision. The Bank of England confirmed the news. According to the Washington Post, "tiny amounts of animal tallow are used in the money".



@Thunderoad75 Hi Annie, there is a trace of tallow in the polymer pellets used in the base substrate of the polymer 5 notes. Bank of England (@bankofengland) November 28, 2016

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The decision, however, seems to be better for users as well as the banks' convenience because these new notes are created with high-tech, anti-counterfeit features, and the beads of fat allow the currency to slip easily into machines.

But vegans and animal rights activist cannot digest this. Their emotions overflowed, and they are saying that the new "meat money" makes handling bills an ethically compromising situation for them. Some Twitter users shared their sentiments by claiming that they go through a lot of trouble to avoid animal products, and now they will start refusing these notes as well.

A Twitter user, probably less emotional about animals, raised a question about what one uses in place of soaps or candles . Both products are used by many people and contain animal fat.



@vegansofluton @Thunderoad75 @bankofengland Q. Do you not use soap or candles. If not what do you use when there is a power cut? William Buntin (@BuntinWb) November 29, 2016

Two users even got into a sarcastic tussle of words, one saying that "not everything has to be vegetarian, but I don't see a need to use animal products, when man-made is ok".



@PiBBzYx @jimbocityOJT @bankofengland not everything has to be vegetarian but I don't see a need to use animal products when man made is ok? Lydia Fro'vember (@LydiaFroud) November 29, 2016

Another cheeky user replied, "You want them to extract fat from people to use in bank notes?'"



@LydiaFroud @PiBBzYx @jimbocityOJT @bankofengland You want them to extract fat from people to use in bank notes? English Man (@sopcwide) November 29, 2016

To this, the former gave a fair reply saying, "I'd rather just use a natural renewable source which can be used by all".

@sopcwide I'd rather just find a natural renewable source that can be used by all thanks Lydia Fro'vember (@LydiaFroud) November 29, 2016

The Twitter debate continued to be about what is renewable and what is not. Some people argued that only sources like wind, water and solar power are renewable while some argued that cows are also renewable because we use them and so they are not depleted. Well, we guess an environment scientist needs to butt in and clarify this.

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Meanwhile, a more chilled out fellow commented, "Why would you even be bothered about this? Whats wrong with people in 2016? [sic]"

@bankofengland Why would you even be bothered about this? What's wrong with people in 2016 I swear just chill out. Aaron (@Azzombie115) November 29, 2016

While we can see that responses from Twitterati are mixed, there has been an online petition which has over 50,000 digital signatures seeking a change in the decision.

Looking back, do you also remember the taste of the yummy McDonald's fries that made us happy and fat back in the 1980s?

Yes, they were fried in animal fat, and again it was beef tallow. The fast food company stopped this act in 1990 after a huge sentimental fit was thrown by vegans, who were unfairly deceived into thinking they were animal free.

Nobody commented on the taste of the new note , we wonder what's now the fate of vegans, animal rights activists or the cattle, but for now, the country decides to use beef tallow for a long time, because, both the 20 pound and 10 pound notes are going to be made by the same production process till 2020.

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The functioning of Cooperative Banks, which is also considered as the backbone of farmers, comes to a complete standstill owing to demonetisation. It has also reduced the quantity of money being distributed among all branches of the State Bank of Patiala (SBoP). The SBoP, which has maximum branches, is the lead bank of the city. A lead bank plays the role of coordination between the banks and the government, the Cooperative Banks play a major role in the growth of the farming sector. In this issue of Hard Talk, Gurdeep Singh Mann discusses the impact of demonetisation and its consequences with NK Paliwal, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of SBoP, and Neeraj Katia, Assistant Manager of Cooperative Bank, Bathinda.

Hard Talk with NK Paliwal, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of SBoP

TNS: Todays big question which everyone wants to know that by when we will get our fundamental right of getting access to our own money'?

Paliwal: We have ensured that as the moment cash gets empty in our ATMs, we fill it instantly. I am sure the situation is likely to improve by December 15.

TNS: What was the estimated amount of cash distributed in your banks before the demonetisation and what is the present situation?

Paliwal: We have 10 districts of Punjab, including Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka and Ferozepur, and Rajasthan, including Gaganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu and Bikaner, under this zonal office. The office has 160 branches with 15 lakh saving accounts and 20,000 current accounts. In Bathinda, we have 60 branches. Earlier, the tentative amount to be distributed from these branches was Rs 400 to 500 crore per week. Now we received around Rs 300-350 crore in the past 15 days, which was adequate for the distribution among all our bank account holders.

TNS: It means that the amount which you used to get has reduced. In this situation, how can you expect that the situation will improve by December 15?

Paliwal: The problem is not only with the shortage of currency in banks, but also the habit of people, which is now changing day by day. People have become miser and despite withdrawing Rs 24,000 per account, they are again trying to withdraw more money from other family members accounts due to panic. Now the money is being used wisely by people like you and me. Once the flow of money is on track, everything will be normal.

TNS: How many ATMs are functional under the Bathinda zone of the SBoP?

Paliwal: We have 28 ATMs in the city and 186 in all other districts of Punjab and Rajasthan.

TNS: How much time does it take for an ATM to get empty these days?

Paliwal: The ATMs need to be filled after 10 to 12 hours.

TNS: And thereafter, it remains shut and the person who is standing in a serpentine queue for at least two hours is he or she able to get Rs 2,000?

Paliwal: No! It's not so! We ensure that our ATMs remain open all the time in the city. The ATMs which are situated in the outskirts of the city remain closed during the night hours.

TNS: What does else is your bank doing for the smooth financial transactions in your branches?

Paliwal: Apart from providing water and tea to people standing in queues, we are introducing a token system and in some branches it has already introduced. We will allow a separate queue for the senior citizens in the first week of the month as people rush to withdraw their salary or pension during this time. People are encouraged to install swipe cards or Point of Sale (POS) in all kinds of shops and showrooms. 100 Swipe Cards have been installed only in Bathinda in the past 16 days, which not only increases the sale of a commercial establishment, but prove to be instrumental in cutting queues outside the banks or ATMs. Though the installation of the device is very economical and the government has announced its usage absolutely free up to December 31.

Hard Talk with Neeraj Katia, Assistant Manager of Cooperative Bank, Bathinda.

TNS: Why are the Cooperative Banks called the backbone of the farming sector?

Katia: The farming sector solely relies upon the Cooperative Banks to obtain subsidised short-term agricultural loans for the sowing of crops twice in a year. We did a transaction of Rs 360 crore during the last wheat sowing season in the Bathinda district. We give loans from April 1 to September 30 for the Kharif crops and October 1 to March 31 for the Rabbi crops. Offering a loan for the next crop at an economical rate of interest and an easy mode of paying the borrowed amount have widened the contours of our institutions. At present 10 lakh farmers of Punjab are associated with us and in Bathinda, 85,000 farmers are associated. Out of the total, 63,000 are our regular customers who have been with us for the past many years.

TNS: What happened after the demonetisation?

Katia: The demonetisation has pushed our bank to a quiet cul-de-sac. Everything has come to a standstill after November 14 when the Government of India passed the directions to stop every financial transaction in the Cooperative Banks all over the country. They cited the reason of depositing unaccounted money to the tune of crores in these banks in Maharashtra, which are a large number of non-computerised banks. We pleaded that all our banks in Punjab are computerized. The computers are also equipped to check the unaccounted or black money, but our requests fell upon deaf ears.

TNS: How will farming be affected with a complete halt of the functioning of Cooperative Banks?

Katia: Neither farmers are able to pay their debt of the last crop nor they are able to borrow money for the next crop. Like everyone, farmers are in a state of uncertainty. Though a relaxation of 60 days period has been given to them to clear their pending debts, but due to lack of cash, the time is slipping out of their hands to sow the next crop. The delay will not only increase their cost of input, but will also reduce the per acre yield of the next crop.

TNS: How can farmers get respite at this moment?

Katia: The All India Bankers Cooperative Employees Federation of Punjab have staged protests and demanded that the Cooperative Banks should be allowed to operate or otherwise it will fail to rekindle customers' lost faith after a long gap.

TNS: What do employees do in banks without customers?

Katia: There are 802 branches of this bank in Punjab and in Bathinda we have 161 employees in different branches at urban, semi-urban and mainly in the rural areas. We all are directionless and are trying everything to stay afloat.

TNS: So yours bank is without money?

Katia: Even the employees of this bank dont have a penny for their personal use. Our employees ran from pillar to post to arrange money to give shagun at a marriage function of our colleague.
Chandigarh, November 30

A spat between two students of Panjab University and a writer of Pakistani origin here this afternoon resulted in social media outrage.

According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred around 12 noon outside the canteen of the physics department when Canadian author of Pakistani origin Tarek Fatah and two research scholar from the department of geography exchanged heated words. The two warring factions pushed and shoved each other around before being dragged away from the spot. "The verbal dual got ugly when the fighting factions dragged Indian and Pakistani culture and communal differences. Both the parties were making objectionable remarks about the other's country, community and culture," said an eye witness.

Another eye witness added that sensing the tension, a faculty member rushed to the spot and coaxed Tarek to leave the canteen.

According to sources, Tarek was in the city to participate in a TEDx Event being held at PU and his lecture at the event was cancelled post the incident.

According to PU authorities, no complaint was made in this regard till the filing of this report. The university spokesperson said the PU had neither invited the author from Pakistan to the varsity nor cancelled any event in which he was participating.

Meanwhile, the incident sparked outrage on social media, including Twitter and Facebook, when Tweets and posts were exchanged among the Twitteratti. TNS
Chandigarh: A man was stabbed to death by an unknown person at Sector 38 (West) on Wednesday night. Sources said the accused, who was in an inebriated condition, was misbehaving with a woman selling boiled eggs. The victim, who was passing by, tried to help the woman, which led to an altercation between the accused and the victim.

The accused stabbed the victim and fled. The victim was taken to the PGI, but succumbed to his injuries. The police said the victim was yet to be identified.
Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 30

The police have registered a case against a Nepal-based cook for adding some poisonous substance to the food of the family of a doctor for the past two months.

The cook had been working at the house of the doctor for the past many years.

The doctor got suspicious when the health of his family started deteriorating. He kept a close vigil on the cook. Thereafter, the cook left his job and fled to his native place in Nepal.

The doctor filed a complaint with the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) against the cook. The SSP marked a probe into the matter and handed over the inquiry to Tejinder Singh, in-charge CIA II.

Dr Rupinder Singh, a resident of Model Town, stated that accused Danu Thapa, a citizen of Nepal, was working as a cook at their house for the past five years.

He said, The behaviour of our cook was changed two months ago as he started adding some poisonous substance to our food. Initially we did not get it, but later the health of my family started affecting. We started taking medicines, but our health was not improving. Thereafter, we kept a check on the cook and we found that he was adding some poisonous substance to our food.

IO Tejinder Singh said they were investigating the matter and efforts were on to nab the accused.
Amarjit Bhullar

DEMOCRACY is usually defined as the ability to hold any political views without prejudice, freedom of association and vote to elect the government the electorate likes. This political democracy is typically referred as Western liberal or representative democracy. However, what the people of a country like India need is substantive democracy. It refers to a wider set of practices, including social rights, that ultimately translate into equitable distribution of wealth and if not wealth, at least equitable distribution of opportunities.

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution too promises substantive democracy. The Preamble reads as, We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic and to secure all its citizens: justice, social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and of opportunity.".Substantive democracy is a prerequisite for representative democracy as historically witnessed in many countries.

The historical experience in India is that except for a short period of time after Independence and under Nehruvian thought, some efforts were made towards a transition to substantive democracy. After that, there was continuous decline of the institutions and structures that support substantive democracy. Rather with time and in subtle ways, representative democracy transitioned to procedural democracy. Now we have the elections from the upstream institution of Parliament to the downstream institution of village panchayats but, by and large, it has become a procedure that we have to perform at a regular interval as prescribed in the Constitution. A procedure to elect but not an instrument of substantive change.

The large section of the voters deprived of the benefits of substantive democracy consider themselves just as specific time beneficiaries of the prevailing democratic system. They try to maximise the time when any procedure (elections for any institution) is underway. The increasing scale of the sale of votes on election days testifies this. Another feature that differentiates the Indian set-up from the Western liberal democracies is the role that legislatures play. Legislatures are to choose the government to administer and hold that government accountable, and legislate to bring new laws for betterment, as required by the changing situations. But in India, especially at the state level, legislatures seem less interested in their primary duties and more in controlling the bureaucracy by interfering in day-to-day functioning and postings and transfers of their favourites. The important laws are passed in minutes without discussion. A new miracle of constituency in charge has been invented and even non-legislators can sit on the constituency in charge's chair to tighten the grip over the already limping bureaucracy. The close relationship between political leadership and bureaucracy prepares the ground for corruption and its sharing as those who are to check and hold the bureaucracy accountable become partners. To sustain this, every party tries to get through the procedure by exploiting all the existing weaknesses and contradictions in the society such as religion, caste etc. Organisations based upon religion/caste are not only polarising the society but also rely more and more on muscle power to hoodwink the system and often escape any administrative action. The public faith in the political processes gets further depleted. The system emerged overtime systematically excludes the well-meaning people from participating in the political processes, thus limiting the possibilities of good governance.

The economic organisation of the state was a mixed economy, consisting of both public and private sectors that moved towards a capitalist mode in due course of time. The process was speeded up in 1991, when the neoliberal policy of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation became the guiding principle for economic policy formulations. But like democracy, capitalism is not an economic one-size-fits-all organisation. Paul Bowles, a Canadian economist, lists many variations of capitalism prevalent across the globe that include crony capitalism, managerial capitalism, gangster capitalism, red capitalism, merchant capitalism, casino capitalism etc. The economic organisation of the state in India can be explained by understanding multiple layers of the capitalist mode, starting from crony capitalist form at the top to gangster capitalist at the bottom. Crony capitalism economies are described as those in which the relationship between the government and business, especially corporate houses, is close enough to sway the economic policies for corporates' advantage. The powers to formulate and fix economic policies, in a broader sense, lie with the federal government in India. So the corporate capitalist class is more interested in penetrating the federal power structures, giving rise to crony capitalism.

Gangster capitalism is a type of capitalism characterised by lawlessness and private enforcement of contracts, usually with the combined forces of political and administrative power, policy support and economic dominance. Control over mining, liquor and transport is an example of gangster capitalism. Both crony as well as gangster capitalist forms supplement each other. The ordinary man suffering from the combined might of both, instinctively looks for the Nordic model of economic organisation of the state. The so-called Nordic model is illustrated as a triangle consisting of three interlocking factors: First, a strong tax-funded welfare state providing education, healthcare and social safety nets; second, active economic policies to ensure stability, distribution, and full employment and third a strong collaboration in an organised labour market with coordinated wage formation.

The experiment by the disgusted public to embrace the new parties is a search for substantive democracy and welfare state. But so far every party has done little to meet public aspirations. AAP, a new party trying to gain ground in Punjab, must inform the public the manner in which it will ensure substantive democracy and welfare state if it comes to power. How will it alter the political and economic institutional structures that will change their existing nature? How will new structures incentivise good governance? So long as the structures do not incentivise good governance, good governance may be there only for a short period of time. Ultimately, it falls back to the same state of affairs.

The writer teaches economics at University of Northern British Columbia, Canada.
THE security forces know this the world over: the desperate always find ways to cross the borders. The Indian army, despite taking every precaution in the blue book of counter-insurgency, has suffered unacceptably high casualties in yet another militant attack in Jammu & Kashmir. Militants have been continuously probing the armys defences in the state ever since the Central Government sought to preen over the surgical strikes when it went on to suggest it had ended Pakistani appetite for staging violent incidents in India. But the army has since then fended off three attempts to break into their garrisons. The militants finally hit pay dirt in Nagrota on early Tuesday morning.

Clearly, the first round of Prime Minister Narendra Modis gamble of punitive military action against Pakistan has not paid off. Pakistan is in its zone, playing this cat-and-mouse game of ceasefire violations and launching attacks by hastily trained militants to keep the Indian leadership off-balance. On the other hand, its envoy in Delhi is a picture of contrived reasonableness as he sidesteps all the recent violence from Uri to Nagrota and offers to hold talks if India is interested. Modis adoption of the policy of an eye for an eye very early in his tenure has now made it difficult for him to walk back from that approach.

The Prime Minister has painted himself in a corner. His anti-Pakistan cheering crowd will not easily allow him to pick up the tools of diplomatic and political rapprochement with Pakistan. After all if the surgical strikes were payback for the Uri hit, then according to their logic, India should carry out another round of attacks to avenge the deaths of 25 soldiers since then. A SWOT analysis would show that India will always come second best against the well-honed Pakistani purveyors of giving the [stronger] enemy a thousand cuts. Modi needs to utilise Pakistan foreign policy pundit Sartaj Azizs offer for talks when he visits Amritsar this weekend. Bilateral ties have been well muddied as the Prime Minister himself has led the jingoistic charge against Pakistan. But being a proponent of out-of-the-box thinking, it is also time for him to review this singular accent on a muscular approach.
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 30

Syed Abdul Karim, alias Tunda, was attacked in a Karnal jail by two inmates on Wednesday morning.

The two inmates tried to strangulate him but the promptness of security personnel saved him.

Tunda was an alleged bomb-maker of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and was accused of masterminding over 40 bombings in India. He was sent here on Tuesday by a court of Panipat in connection with a case of 1997.

Jail superindendent Sher Singh said a case had been registered against the two inmates--Amandeep and Joginder, residents of Panipat. He said they were taking tea with Tunda around 9 am in a security ward when they attacked him and tried to strangulate him. The security personnel showed promptness and saved the life of Tunda.

Tunda has to be produced in a Panipat court on December 1. He was sent here on the order of the court of Additional Session Judge VP Sirohi.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Meanwhile, security to Tunda inside the jail had been increased, the jail superindendent said.

A CIA team reached the jail.

Tunda was taken to the trauma centre for medical check-up under high security and according to jail authorities he is fine now.

Delhi-born 73-year-old Tunda was an alleged terror mastermind in various bomb blasts in the country and was produced in a court of Panipat on Monday in connection with a bomb blast in a private bus in Panipat on February 1, 1997, killing a 10-year-old and leaving several other injured. He was a conspirator in this case.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) The government today gave ex-post facto approval to the negotiating position taken up by India at the recent climate meet in Rwanda to phase down the damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

In a landmark step, 197 nations, including India, had struck a legally-binding deal after intense negotiations in the Rawandan capital, Kigali, to phase down hydrofluorocarbons which are gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning and aerosols among other applications.

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"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the negotiating position adopted by the government at the recent Meeting of Parties (MoP) to the Montreal Protocol of the Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer that took place during October 6-14 in Kigali in Rwanda," an official statement said.

The negotiations at Kigali were aimed at including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol with a view to regulate their production and consumption and phase them down over a period of time with financial assistance from the Multilateral Fund.

HFCs are not ozone depleting but global warming substances and if controlled, can contribute substantially to limiting the global temperature and advance actions for addressing climate change.

The Kigali agreement reached on the amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the ozone layer is expected to prevent a global temperature rise of up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century while continuing to protect the ozone layer.

"The Cabinet also approved the proposal of the Environment Ministry to argue for adoption of an appropriate baseline years from out of three options within a range of 2024 to 2030 with freeze in a subsequent year.

"The Cabinet approved the flexibility of using any of the options within this range with a combination of the features of the proposed options in consultation with the government," the statement said.

At Kigali, India successfully negotiated the baseline years and freeze years which will allow sufficient room for the growth of the concerned sectors using refrigerants being manufactured domestically, thus ensuring unhindered growth with least additional cost and maximum climate benefits.

Modi had earlier termed the agreement as "historic" and said the deal would provide a mechanism for countries like India to access and develop technologies that leave a low carbon footprint. PTI TDS AAR

--- ENDS ---
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 30

Two Karnal jail inmates tried to strangle Syed Abdul Karim, alias Tunda, this morning but security personnel managed to save him.

An alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba bomb-maker accused of masterminding around 40 bombings in India, Tunda was arrested by the Delhi Police at the India-Nepal border in 2013.

On the direction of Additional Session Judge VP Sirohi in Panipat, he was sent to Karnal jail last evening in connection with a bomb blast in a private bus in Panipat on February 1, 1997, in which a 10-year-old was killed and several others were injured.

Police officials said Tunda was also a suspect in a blast in Sonepat in which 12 persons were injured on December 28,1996. The Rohtak police had also booked Tunda for his alleged involvement in two blasts in Rohtak in 1997.

Delhi-born Tunda (73) was taken to the trauma centre at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College Hospital (KCGMCH) amid high security after the attack. As per the jail authorities, Tunda is fine and shifted back to the jail.

Jail superindendent Sher Singh said the incident took place around 9 am when Tunda was taking tea with Amandeep of Panipat and Joginder of Jind. The two jail inmates tried to strangle Tunda after a brawl, he said. However, timely intervention by duty officials saved Tunda, the jail superintendent said.

Amandeep and Joginder have been booked under Section 307, IPC, said Parteek Kumar, SHO, Sadar.

A team of the Karnal police visited the jail along with CIA staff and inspected the site, besides questioning officials and inmates there. The police was looking for the motive of the attack on Tunda.

The security of Tunda, who is to be produced in a Panipat court tomorrow, has been tightened, said Sher Singh.
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, November 30

After the easy escape by Parminder alias Pinda, the mastermind of Nabha jailbreak incident who had been arrested in Kairana of Uttar Pradesh, and other escapees of Nabha jailbreak from Karnal district, Superintendent of Police Pankaj Nain has sent three police post in-charge to police lines for dereliction of duty.

Confirming the action, Nain said that after reviewing the security arrangements post Nabha jailbreak and escaping of the accused, three police post in-charge--Ram Mehar of Sitamai, Rajpal of Ramnagar and Kuldeep Singh of Munak police posts had been sent to police lines.

We have increased the vigil in the district and CCTV cameras are being checked by the police, said Nain.

He confirmed that Delhi Police also visited areas of Kaithal district, through which Harminder Singh Mintoo, the chief of the Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF), who had been arrested by Delhi Police hours after the Nabha jailbreak on Sunday, managed to escape.

After receiving information from the Kaithal police control room, they intercepted four vehicles on Tuesday evening, which were of Delhi Police. They came with Mintoo to verify the areas, the SP said.

He rubbished the rumours of questioning Mintoo saying he was in the custody of Delhi Police. They only provided assistance to Delhi Police.

Meanwhile, sources said there was a strong possibility that the remaining escapees could be hiding in Karnal district.

However, the SP said there was a dim possibility of their hiding in Karnal; but they had increased the vigil in the district.

Karnal Range IGP Subhash Yadav said if the inputs received so far were to be believed, the accused were planning to go to Uttarakhand through UP.

They got success in managing to escape through link roads, but it was the alertness of Haryana Police which forced criminals to leave their vehicles behind and two of them were later arrested from different places.

According to information, Pinda in a Fortuner managed to jump a police post near Keorak village on Kaithal-Pehowa road. Two vehicles were found lying in an abandoned state in different locations in Kaithal district after the incident, which gave vital clues to police to nab them, he added.

DGP KP Singh also visited various places on Tuesday and checked the security arrangements.

The IGP said they were planning to take help of the sarpanches, panches, namberdars and other villagers in such incidents. We have their contact numbers and in future we will send them information about such incidents and also the pictures of the accused to nab them swiftly, he said.
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, November 30

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a Panchkula trial court to pronounce judgment in a 1999 rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

A Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra passed the order while dismissinga the plea by the dera chief that he was unable to defend himself effectively as the initial statements of the two victims under Section 161 of the CrPC were not being brought on record during the trial.

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On November 15, the SC had restrained the trial court from delivering its judgment.

On July 1, the apex court had refused to entertain two petitions of the Dera chief seeking additional handwriting samples of the alleged rape victim and another for producing further evidence in the trial court at Panchkula.

The accused had pleaded that more handwriting samples of the victim were crucial for establishing his innocence. If it was a rape or consensual sex will be examined by the trial court by going into the evidence, the Bench had remarked while dismissing the appeals against the high court rulings. The accused is on bail in the case.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 29

Terror returned to Jammu and Kashmir today when a group of heavily armed terrorists stormed into an Army unit at Nagrota and killed two Army officers and five soldiers.

In another gunfight at the International Border (IB) in Ramgarh sub-sector of Samba, three infiltrators were killed and five BSF men, including a Deputy Inspector General, and a police Inspector were injured in a gunfight which lasted several hours.

During the day-long gunfight at Nagrota, three terrorists were eliminated. Combing operations were suspended in the evening and will resume tomorrow.

A defence spokesperson said these terrorists, disguised in police uniform, targeted the Army installation located at Kour Jagir near the Baloni nullah in Nagrota area of Jammu, 3 km from the 16 Corps headquarters.

These terrorists forced their entry into the officers mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries. In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers were killed, the defence spokesperson said.

The terrorists entered two buildings occupied by officers, families and men. This led to a hostage-like situation, which was quickly contained. In the entailing rescue efforts, one more officer and two soldiers lost their lives, he added. The bodies of three terrorists were recovered. The combing operations will resume tomorrow morning, and the area will be sanitised, the spokesperson added.

Till afternoon, there was heavy exchange of fire between terrorists and the Army. Later, the intensity became low. However, intermittent firing continued till late evening. This is the first major terror strike after the September 18 Uri attack in which 20 soldiers were killed. The fidayeen attack has been carried out near 16 Corps (White Knight Corps) headquarters at a time when there has been change of guard in the Pakistan army.

Reports of ceasefire violation were also received from Uri sector of north Kashmir.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 30

A day after two Army officers and five soldiers got martyred during a fidayeen attack on an Army unit in Nagrota area of Jammu, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the encounter site and Corps headquarters.

The Army Chief was briefed about the sequence of events of the attack and the combing operation of the Army. He spent around 25 minutes at the site and took the overview of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Army Chief also laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the bravehearts and paid rich tributes to the gallant officers and men of the White Knight Corps.

All ranks of the Northern Command saluted the sacrifice of these Army men and offered condolences to the bereaved families. The mortal remains of the martyrs will be taken to their respective hometowns where the last rites will be performed by their family members.

Earlier, the combing operation, which was suspended last night, resumed this morning. Bomb disposal squads destroyed blinds at the encounter site till the evening after which the operation was called off. During the operation, it was found that no other terrorist was present inside the Army unit.

Bodies of the terrorists were handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir police for further process. An inquiry has also been initiated and things are expected to unfold in the coming days, a police officer said.

Meanwhile, there were reports that some papers of Shuhda Brigade of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were recovered from the possession of the terrorists. However, the Army hasnt confirmed it so far.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 30

A day after twin attacks rocked Nagorta and Samba in Jammu division, a senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer said they expect the things to change on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border following the change of guard in Pakistan army.

Let us give him some time. Let us see how things move. One should be hopeful, Vikas Chandra, Inspector General (IG) of BSF Kashmir Frontier told reporters at Humhama near Srinagar.

This year, there has been increase in the ceasefire violations by Pakistan. We are working together with the Army and giving befitting reply to Pakistan. There are 15 battalions of the BSF deployed in Kashmir, he added. Chandra said so far the BSF had foiled 23 infiltration bids on the LoC. The infiltrators are enjoying full support of the Pakistan army. Our boys have been doing their job with utmost dedication. They have also foiled a BAT action, he added.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Nagrota, November 30

The pre-dawn terror attack at Nagrota, which claimed lives of seven Army personnel, including two officers, has established that the national highway connecting Jammu with Srinagar is vulnerable to such attacks because recently three such incidents have occurred on the stretch which was earlier considered to be safe.

Earlier, terror groups used to strike on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway but now they have started targeting the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Although Nagrota, where terrorists struck this morning, is situated on the old highway and the spot is not far away from the new highway. Taking advantage of the lax surveillance grid for protection, this strategic stretch has become an easy target for terrorists to strike and inflict high casualties.

On June 13 this year, a terrorist struck on same highway at Kud near famous tourist resort of Patnitop and opened fire on the Central Reserve Police Force, police personnel and civilians inside State Road Transport Corporation bus. A woman was killed and two others were injured in the attack.

Two jawans of Border Security Force were killed and 13 others were injured on August 5, 2015, when two Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit attacked their bus at Narsu near Samroli on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. In this incident, one Pakistani terrorist, Mohammad Naveed alias Qasim 22, a resident of Faisalabad, Pakistan, was captured by the local residents and village defence committee members.

Tuesdays terror attack took place at the spot of the old Jammu-Srinagar national highway which has become isolated due to the construction of an alternative stretch from the Nagrota by-pass to the Bantalab toll plaza.

As traffic has been diverted to newly constructed stretch, there might have been laxity in the security. The spot where the militants struck is situated on the bank of the Balone Nullah. The militants took advantage of the terrain and chose the isolated stretch of the road to attack.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 30

The terror attack on an Army unit of the 16 Corps near its headquarters on a day when Pakistani army chief Gen Raheel Sharif was retiring, was aimed at taking revenge of surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29.

The Nagrota attack by a group of three militants after infiltrating from Pakistan on the International Border had a link with the statement of General Sharif who had warned India that if Pakistan carried out surgical strike, then it would find mention in Indian text books.

Surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army were a blot on the career of General Sharif who wanted to avenge it while being in the office. It is no coincidence that two similar attacks were carried out by militants, one at Nagrota and another at the Chamliyal area along the border on a day when the General was handing over the baton to Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, highly placed sources told The Tribune. Carrying out surgical strikes inside PoK on the intervening night of September 28-29, the Army had killed over 35 militants who were waiting to infiltrate to India.

He said the militants, gunned down at Nagrota, seemed to be a part of the larger group which infiltrated near the Chamliyal area of the Ramgarh sub-sector in Samba. After crossing the border, they had split into two groups to reach the encounter site with the help of sleeper cells. The recoveries from these militants is huge which includes guns, thousands of rounds, UBGL grenades, improvised explosive devices, cutters, different type of knives, food, medicines etc. They could have been using these for several days, said the sources.

Recoveries at the Nagrota encounter site and at Chamliyal are similar in nature. These suggest that they were a part of the larger group. Of these, three were eliminated by the BSF at Chamliyal and three at Nagrota, the sources said. However, the question which needs to be answered is that how they reached the encounter site and who helped them. After dividing into two groups of three militants each, they must have got the help from local sleeper cells who took them from the International Border to Nagrota in a vehicle by taking advantage of darkness. It is not possible for militants to move on foot, carrying a huge amount of explosive materials and ammunition, the sources added.

Two Majors and five soldiers were killed in this encounter which lasted for around 14 hours yesterday. The combing operation, which resumed this morning, was called off in the evening. A hostage-like situation had also emerged during the attack when two women with two toddlers and 12 soldiers were caught inside the two buildings where the militants entered. It was due to swift operation by the Army that all of them were rescued.

The Army is not spelling out anything about the incident officially and is treading cautiously.

2 officers wives displayed exemplary courage

Bravery exhibited by the wives of two Army officers, staying in the family quarters, helped in frustrating a major hostage crisis during the encounter that took place in the Nagrota area of Jammu on Tuesday.

Soon after the terrorists, disguised in police uniform stormed the Army unit, they were desperate to enter the family quarters so that they could take the kin of the soldiers and officers hostage. It was due to the bravery of these two women, who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns, the plans of the terrorists were thwarted. The wives of the two Army officers, who were on night duty when the encounter broke out, displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta on Tuesday said, Terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by officers and their families. This led to a hostage-like situation. The situation was very quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two women and two babies.  TNS

Kathua lecturer disrespects slain Army men, arrested

Kathua: The police have arrested a lecturer of a degree college in Bani town of Kathua district for passing derogatory remarks against the Nagrota attack martyrs. He even hailed the terrorists as freedom fighters and warned the students of dire consequences in case they called the Nagrota attackers terrorists. The lecturer has been identified as Shahnawaz. The police have lodged an FIR. OC

Congress flays Deputy CMs Nagrota attack statement

Jammu: While the BJP maintained a distance from Deputy CM Nirmal Singhs irresponsible statement on the Nagrota terror attack, the Congress took him to task for showing insensitivity towards the martyrs. The Deputy CM had stated that the Nagrota terror attack was minor. The Congress has termed the statement as outrageous and an insult to the martyrs. It said the BJP leader was insensitive to the sentiments of the people and the supreme sacrifices of our Army men. TNS

The martyrs

Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir (33)

Pandharpur village, Solapur district, Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife Uma K Gosavi.

Major Akshay Girish Kumar (31)

Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is survived by his wife Sangeeta Ravinderan.

Havildar Sukhraj Singh (32)

Maan Nagar village, Gurdaspur district, Punjab. He is survived by his wife Harmeet Kaur.

Lance Naik Kadam Yeshwantro (32)

Janapuri village, Nanded district, Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife Sheetal.

Grenadier Raghvendra Singh (28)

Gadijatar village, Dholpur district, Rajasthan. He is survived by his wife Anjana Sikaewal.

Rifleman Asim Rai (32)

Ratanchha village, Nepal. He is survived by his wife Madhu Kala Rai.

Naik Chittranjan Debbarma (37)

Garingpara village, West Tripura district, Tripura. He is survived by his wife Namita Debbarma.
New Delhi, November 30

Coming down heavily on the Centre over the terror attack on an Army mess in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, in which seven defence personnel were killed, former state chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that regardless of what the BJP said, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago.

Abdullah claimed that terrorists were clearly no more deterred from attacking Indias armed forces now than they were prior to the surgical strikes conducted in September.

So, on a day on which seven of our brave soldiers lost their lives to terrorist bullets the government must explain its Pakistan policy to the nation. Its all very well to call people who question the government line Friends of Pakistan but thats a poor excuse for a cogent, thought-out policy, he said in a series of tweets.

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Echoing similar sentiments, the Shiv Sena said the government must up the ante against Pakistan and stop gloating over the one lone surgical strike.

Ever since the Uri attack happened, Pakistan has turned the heat and unleashed a string of attacks on us, while we are still beating the drum about one, lone surgical strike. Yes, we did carry out a surgical strike but clearly that has not silenced Pakistan. One mere surgical strike does not amount to teaching Pakistan a lesson, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI here.

Army chief General Dalbir Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the deadly terrorist attack on an army artillery unit in Nagrota.

Earlier, two Indian Army officers and five jawans were killed in the attack, where a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters.

The terrorists forced their entry into the officers mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, the Army said in a statement.

In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives. Following which, the terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by families, officers and men.

This led to a hostage-like situation, but it was quickly contained, and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two women and two children.

However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives bringing the total death toll to seven.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area. ANI
Manika Ahuja

In a judgement that will not only shield parents in their twilight years but also empower them, the Delhi High Court recently ruled that an adult son, irrespective of his marital status, does not have a legal right to live in the self-acquired property of the parents, and can reside in the parents self-acquired house only at the mercy of his parents.

The court issued the verdict while hearing an appeal against a lower courts order asking for the eviction of an elderly couples two sons and daughter-in-law from their self-acquired property.

Upholding the cordiality of relations between the father-son as the litmus test, Justice Pratibha Rani said in an order, Merely because the parents have allowed him (the son) to live in the house so long as his relations with the parents were cordial does not mean that the parents have to bear his burden throughout his life. While majority of young sons concur with the Courts decision, there are some speculating about the prudence of the order.

Parents have a say

Adult sons have a relation of quid pro quo with their parents, that is, they live at parents property, and in return parents expect them to look after them in their old age. Besides, as per the facts of the case, when both the sons were given a chance to pay certain amount to the parents on monthly basis, they refused.

This shows that the possession given out of love and affection to the sons and daughter-in-law had terminated. Ergo, I am in complete agreement with the High Courts decision.Rubal Sachdeva, Chandigarh-based chartered accountant

Righting the wrong?

If a son has the legal right in his ancestral property, why cant he exercise the same right on the self-acquired one? Why the distinction? If the parents meet a similar fate (of being ejected from the ancestral house), it wont serve any purpose to save them in cases of self-acquired property, alone.Hitesh Mehta, businessman

Not in the lurch

I am all for the decision. Heres hoping that we get to see lesser number of old people being left in the lurch by their own children. Anu Nair, psychologist

Protective umbrella

Im totally in favour of the ruling, for it will serve to protect the rights of parents against their cruel-some children. Besides, since the property belongs to the parents, it is only just for the adult son to live at their mercy.Karamjot Singh Arora, student, Department of Laws, PU

Empowering move

The courts verdict is in consonance with the principles of the Indian law, which provides that a son has legal right over the ancestral property and not over the fathers acquired property. In my view, the High Courts decision will empower the elderly couples; given the fact that till date it is not unusual to find elderly couples eventually getting kicked out of their own houses! Chiranjeev Ahluwalia, advocate
Four India-born CEOs' have featured in Fortune's Buisnessperson of the Year list.

By Press Trust of India: Four leading India-born CEOs including Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Mastercard's Ajay Banga who delivered big in taking their companies ahead have featured in Fortune's Businessperson of the Year list topped by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Nadella has been ranked fifth among 50 global corporate heads by Fortune Magazine in its annual 'Businessperson of the Year' compilation, followed by CEO of Milwaukee-based maker of water heaters A O Smith Ajita Rajendra on the 34th spot, HDFC Bank's Managing Director Aditya Puri on the 36th position and Banga on 40th.

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Zuckerberg took home the annual honour of Businessperson of the Year, with Fortune saying his success rests on three pillars of "his unique ability to look into the future, his otherworldly consistency, and the business discipline he has nurtured in an industry quite often enamored with bright, shiny objects".

The 2016 list includes "star executives with wildly varying styles and approaches, but one thing in common: They deliver, big-time," Fortune said.

Fortune said since Nadella took charge in early 2014, Microsoft has been engineering a "stunning" turnaround.

"He has taken a company focused on personal computing but showing promise in its enterprise and cloud-computing businesses, and turned that equation on its head," it said.

Also read: Satya Nadella looks forward to work with Donald Trump



Fortune quoted former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as saying that Nadella is a "great leader" for the technology giant. Ballmer said Nadella "has done a great job improving perceptions of the company in ways that can advance its agenda with developers, industry participants, and investors".

The US publication said Rajendra, in his four years as CEO of the maker of water heaters, has kept the company boiling hot, doubling profits and nearly tripling the company's stock price with strong growth in North America and China.

Under Puri, who has led HDFC for two decades, Fortune said there has been nothing boring about its growth, from a pipsqueak with USD 40 million in revenues to one of India's largest banks with USD 5.6 billion.

Also read: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in Delhi 'celebrates' India's technology, invokes Ghalib



A regular on lists of the most powerful and influential business persons, Banga has been described as one of the "apostles" of a post-cash world who has been "aggressive" in expanding Mastercard overseas.

The list of 50 business tycoons also includes Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, 2, Alphabet CEO Larry Page, 4, Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma, 10, Apple CEO Tim Cook, 11, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, 15 and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, 29.

--- ENDS ---
Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

With woefully inadequate flow of currency affecting the normal functioning of bank branches after demonetisation, banks in the region have sought police protection, a day before the salary disbursement, to avoid clashes among people lining up in front of cash windows.

Editorial: Misery in rural India

The banks anticipate that a large number of employees will turn up to withdraw salary in cash. Almost all government, semi-government, public and large private sector organisations transfer salary directly into the bank accounts of employees.

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Officials of banks in the region maintained they were getting only 70-75 per cent of the cash requirement per day.

Sources said: On December 1, customers may approach us for withdrawals up to Rs 24,000  the limit fixed by the RBI. Since we are facing shortage of currency, we may have to stop payment of cheques, which may lead to unrest, so we have asked for police protection.

We are expecting cash from the RBI tomorrow and hope everything goes well. But we dont know how the situation will emerge, they said. The RBI has been keeping us in the dark as far as the flow of cash is concerned. If we get correct information about the quantum of currency available to us on a given day, it will become easy for us to handle customers, said a bank official.

Since salaries were credited to the accounts of many government employees today, chaos was witnessed outside banks and ATMs with a large number of people queuing up to withdraw money.

Meanwhile, majority of the ATMs remained dry for the second day. Many bank branches were also without cash. Customers complained that banks were seen setting their own arbitrary limits and rules for withdrawals. To meet expectations of the public on December 1, we had been acting cautiously for the past few days, said an official.
New Delhi, November 30

The central government approved inclusion of 15 new castes and modification in 13 other castes in the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) on Wednesday.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a proposal by the National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC) that had recommended a total of 28 changes in respect of eight states  Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Out of these, 15 were new entries while nine were synonyms or sub-castes of the castes that were already in the list and four were corrections.

"The changes will enable the persons belonging to these castes/communities to avail the benefits of reservation in Government services and posts as well as in Central Educational Institutions as per the existing policy," according to an official statement.

They will also become eligible for benefit under the various welfare schemes, scholarships etc. being administered by the Central Government, which are at present available to the persons belonging to the Other Backward Classes, it added.

On the NCBC recommendation, a total of 2479 Entries for inclusion, including its synonyms, sub-castes, etc. in the Central List of OBCs have been notified in 25 States and 6 Union Territories.

The last such notification was issued till September 2016.

NCBC examines requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists. Its advice is binding upon the Central Government.

Meanwhile, the Centre is already considering to relax the creamy layer norms for the OBC and note in this regard was already under consideration.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

The deadlock in the Lok Sabha continued and it was adjourned for the day around 12.45 pm today after repeated protests by a united Opposition that agreed to debate the impact of demonetisation but only under a rule entailing voting on the issue.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready for a discussion, but saw no reason in having a vote. It would send a wrong signal to the country that Parliament was divided on black money, he said.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan offered a way out asking both sides to start a discussion, but not argue about rules pertaining to voting. Speakers overture was rejected by the Opposition that continued to protest saying people were suffering and why should the government shy away from a vote.

Earlier, Opposition members raised slogans and rushed into the Well demanding a debate on demonetisation under rules entailing voting, forcing an adjournment till noon. After the House reassembled, leaders of several Opposition parties, including Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress and Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC, said they were willing to withdraw their demand that the debate be held under Rule 56 that dealt with adjournment motion, and said the government should also not insist on Rule 193 that did not entail voting.

The BJD also sided with the Opposition and rejected the governments contention. Bhartruhari Mahtab of the BJD said the division of votes was not on black money, but the hardship facing people and states following the decision. Kharge requested the Speaker you decide on any rule that involves discussion and voting. We are ready. Bandyopadhyay seconded his opinion.

Super emergency

"The government has taken away the freedom from the people that they have been enjoying for the past 69 years...Today, the situation is even worse than Emergency, it can be called super Emergency." Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM

Toll collection to resume from Dec 3

New Delhi: The toll collection on National Highways, which was halted in the wake of withdrawal of high-value notes, will resume from the mid-night of December 2. To ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce currency hardships, the government announced on November 24 that it has further extended the date for toll exemption on highways till mid-night of December 2. The government had also earlier said the scrapped Rs 500 notes would be accepted at toll plazas from December 2 mid-night to December 15. PTI

Wont go into wedding withdrawal cap: HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the Centre's decision to put a Rs 2.5 lakh wedding withdrawal cap, saying there was 'no restriction' on 'non-cash' transaction. It also held that policy decisions were taken by the government after considering expert opinion and hence, there was very limited scope for their judicial review. PTI

UP farmers give away potatoes, rice for free

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh farmers on Wednesday distributed free potatoes and paddy to people in front of the Vidhan Sabha to mark their protest against demonetisation. People on morning walk, hawkers, rickshaw pullers and others on streets early in the morning had a windfall as protesting farmers distributed five quintals of potatoes and three trolleys of paddy weighing 9 quintals for free. TNS

Rs 1.2 crore seized in ED searches

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted country-wide searches at about 40 locations and seized around Rs 1.2 crore cash as part of its crackdown to check black money held with currency exchanges and hawala dealers. The teams seized about Rs 20 lakh cash in old currency, about Rs 1 crore in new notes and transaction papers of about Rs 50 lakh foreign exchange. PTI

Rs 10,000 cap on Jan Dhan withdrawals

To check the misuse of Jan Dhan accounts, the RBI has restricted the withdrawal from such accounts to Rs 10,000 per month. Fully KYC-complaint account holders would be allowed to withdraw Rs 10,000 per month, while limited or non-KYC compliant account holders could withdraw Rs 5,000. RBI, however, said branch managers might allow withdrawals beyond Rs 10,000 after ascertaining genuineness of withdrawals. PTI
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

India today put the ball back in Pakistans court on the resumption of a bilateral dialogue and said it had so far received no request from Pakistan for such a meeting on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia (HOA) Conference.

Pakistan has not requested for any bilateral meeting so far, Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said. In the build-up to the HOA Conference at Amritsar on December 3-4, Pakistan has been signalling that it is ready to resume bilateral talks.

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Sartaj Aziz, Pakistans de facto foreign minister, will be in Amritsar on Sunday, while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will lead the Indian delegation as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is unwell.

Azizs visit is significant since it is the first high-level visit from Pakistan ever since the January Pathankot airbase attack. Sushma Swaraj travelled to Islamabad to attend the HOA Conference in December last year. Her meeting with Aziz and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif marked resumption of a formal dialogue.

Pathankot, Uri and now Nagrota terror attacks have made domestic opinion very anti-Pakistan, making it difficult for the government to engage in dialogue with a nation using terror as an instrument of state policy.
New Delhi, November 30

India and Afghanistan said on Monday that setting up a counter-terrorism framework to combat terrorism that emanates from Pakistan was the prime focus of the two-day Heart of Asia conference that will begin on Wednesday.

Coming two days after a militant strike on an army camp in Nagrota, the annual conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process  a platform to assist Afghanistan in its transition  that will be held in Amritsar will extensively deliberate on threats from terrorist organisations that operate in Pakistan soil and may push for some concrete action.

Representatives fro, more than 30 countries, including China, the US, Russia, Pakistan and Iran, will attend the conference.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad, while Finance Minister Arun Jailtey will lead the Indian delegation, since Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj is unwell.

"Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability. We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on," Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary in the MEA, said addressing a joint press conference with Afghan Envoy Shaida M Abdali.

The Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the "breeding ground" of the menace and its "safe sanctuaries", in obvious reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," he said, strongly condemning the Nagrota attack.

Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for "binding" clauses in the framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure.

He said terrorism was multifaceted and required a response that dismantled the "terror matrix", tackling drug trafficking and effectively dealing with radicalisation.  PTI
Islamabad, November 30

Pakistan's Parliament on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning the continued "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by India on the Line of Control.

The resolution was moved by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid.

Radio Pakistan said that the resolution asked the international community to "take notice of the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian forces on the people of Kashmir".

"The resolution also condemned the continued unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary resulting in the loss of innocent human lives including women and children," it said.

It said deliberate targeting of a civilian bus carrying women children in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is deplorable.

The resolution said India's lack of cooperation and limited access to UN Military Observer Group to fulfill its mandate like monitoring of ceasefire violations on LoC was "appalling".

It also called upon the UN Security Council to take immediate notice of unprovoked Indian actions and statements that are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to strategic miscalculation.  PTI
Mumbai, November 30

To check the misuse of Jan Dhan accounts by black-money hoarders, the Reserve Bank has restricted the withdrawal from such accounts to Rs 10,000 per month.

With a view to protecting the innocent farmers and rural account holders of Prime Ministers Jan Dhan Yojana from activities of money-launders and legal consequences under the Benami Property Transaction and Money Laundering laws, it has been decided to place certain limits, as a matter of precaution, on the operations in such accounts funded through deposits of Specified Bank Notes after November 9, 2016, the RBI on Wednesday said in a notification, terming it as temporary measures.

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According to it, fully KYC-complaint Jan Dhan account holders will be allowed to withdraw Rs 10,000 per month from their account, while limited or non-KYC compliant account holders can withdraw Rs 5,000 per month.

It, however, said branch managers might allow further withdrawals beyond Rs 10,000 a month within the current applicable limits only after ascertaining the genuineness of such withdrawals and duly documenting the same on the banks record.

With regard to deposits, Jan Dhan account holders have a limit of Rs 50,000.

In the wake of the Centres demonetisation drive, Jan Dhan accounts have seen a massive rise in deposits, in many cases to the extent of Rs 49,000. There have been reports that the bank accounts of people, mainly in rural areas, who had zero balance till the announcement of scrapping of high-value currency notes, have been witnessing sudden surge in deposits.

The government suspects that black money hoarders are using the farmers and other peoples Jan Dhan accounts to deposit their ill-gotten money so that they can safely convert that money into white.

Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts soared sharply by around Rs 27,200 crore in just 14 days after the announcement of ban on old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. Total deposits in 25.68 crore Jan Dhan accounts crossed the Rs 70,000-crore mark and were at Rs 72,834.72 crore on November 23.

As of November 9, the total deposits in these accounts were Rs 45,636.61 crore.

After the surprise demonetisation of Rs 500 and 1,000 notes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, deposits in Jan Dhan accounts have increased sharply.

However, 22.94 per cent of 25.68 crore accounts still have zero balance. PTI
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, November 29

Bihars gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin on Wednesday pleaded with the Supreme Court that shifting him from Siwan prison to Tihar Jail here would be illegal.

Both prisons and inter-state movement of prisoners were a state subject and any deviation would require the consent of both the states involved in any case, Shahabuddins senior counsel Shekhar Naphade contended before a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy.

Though the Bihar government was not opposing the plea for shifting his client to Tihar Jail, the other state, Delhi, was not even a party to the litigation, Naphade argued.

Transfer of Prisoners Act 1950 had a two-fold restriction on shifting jail inmates from one state to the other even by the apex court using its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.

The court cannot suspend my fundamental rights without following the established procedure for shifting me to Delhi. What is illegal cannot be pleaded in petitions, he said in response to two PILs by victims seeking that the trial of Shahabuddin in 45 criminal cases pending against him in Bihar courts should be held through video conferencing from Tihar Jail.

The victims have also sought that all the cases be handed over to the CBI for conducting further investigations, instead of letting the state police continue with its shoddy work.

The plea has been made by a man whose three sons were murdered and a woman whose journalist husband was killed. Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were allegedly murdered by Shahabuddin, and Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdev Ranjan, have come to the SC.
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 29



Three Indian Army officers were killed when an Army Aviation helicopter crashed near Siliguri on Wednesday.

The two pilots--both in the rank of major- and a lieutenant colonel-rank officer were killed when the Cheetah helicopter just dropped to ground suddenly when it was coming to land at the headquarters of the 33 Corps at Sukhna, 11 km from Siliguri in northern part of West Bengal.

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Sources said it was most likely a mechanical failure.

Another accompanying copter which was carrying the Chief of Staff of 33 Corps landed safely.

The two copters were returning from a mission in Sikkim.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Nov 30

The Maastricht University, Netherlands, along with Kheti Virasat Mission and the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Hyderabad, organised a seminar in Chandigarh on Wednesday to discuss ways to tackle the burning of paddy straw in north-Indian states. The event was attended by about 40 participants, including farmers academics, scientists, bankers and social entrepreneurs.

The conference has been organised as part of a Maastricht University research project on 'Responsible Research and Innovation' aimed at exploring all facets of the issue of straw-burning. We are also holding talks with all important stakeholders so that a comprehensive understanding of the issue could emerge, and also a multiplicity of sustainable solutions, said Prof Wiebe Bijker, Professor of Science, Technology and Social Studies at Maastricht University.

Devinder Sharma, noted agriculture policy analyst, said, The problem of straw burning is indeed a serious one and is related to monocultures and mechanisation that came with the Green Revolution. However, it is clear that criminalising farmers and depending mainly on punitive action is not going to solve the problem. Governments have a responsibility of engaging farmers in a serious dialogue to understand and resolve the problem.

Umendra Dutt of Kheti Virasat Mission said, We find that none of the organic farmers in Punjab and Haryana indulge in the burning of paddy straw. The promotion of organic farming in itself is a sustainable solution to the problem.
By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 30 (PTI) Four persons were arrested after a clash broke out between the two rival groups of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during a rally in the eastern suburbs of Deonar here, police said today.

Four accused have been arrested in this connection while five are still at large, they said.

Police had booked nine persons soon after a scuffle broke out yesterday between the supporters of NCP leaders Nawab Malik and Sanjay Dina Patil.

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According to police, some persons reportedly brandished weapons at the event. Malik, a spokesperson of Maharashtra unit of NCP, was present at the meeting while Patil reportedly arrived late at the venue.

The altercation erupted after supporters of Malik and Patil, a former Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai, began sloganeering against each other, police said.

Supporters of both NCP leaders had gathered outside Deonar police station

. Malik alleged that Patil resorted to firing at the event and he was injured in an attack by his sword-wielding supporters.

"Sanjay Dina Patil tried to attack me and he had pistol in his hands. I was attacked with swords by his people," Malik alleged.

However, Patil rejected Maliks allegation and claimed that it was he who was attacked with swords when he was coming to attend the meeting.

Initial reports suggest that there was firing at the event, but Ashok Dudhe, spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police denied such an incident. PTI AVI DK AYP

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Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

About three weeks after resigning en masse over the SYL issue, the 42 Congress MLAs are yet to give up the facilities they are entitled to as members of the Legislative Assembly.

Besides government accommodation, an MLA gets a government vehicle, security, personal staff, fuel, salary and various allowances.

On November 10, soon after the Supreme Court verdict on the SYL row, Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh and all party MLAs had sent their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Assembly Speaker, respectively.

Vidhan Sabha Secretary Shashi Lakhanpal Mishra said the legislators resignations were yet to be accepted, while confirming that the Vidhan Sabha had so far not received a communication from any of them regarding giving up the facilities. But they can have the entitlements as long as their resignations are not accepted, she added.

When contacted, Leader of the Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi said he was not putting up at the official residence given to him in his capacity as the CLP Leader. He added that he had refused to take the official car due to its poor condition. On security, Channi said he had written to the government to withdraw it, but to no avail.

On whether he would ask his partys MLAs to surrender the facilities, he said he would discuss the matter with Amarinder.

Independent legislator Simarjit Singh Bains, who had resigned along with his brother Balwinder Singh Bains on November 14, said he had submitted a letter to the Speaker, stating that he was surrendering all facilities an MLA was entitled to. But the Speaker said he would consider the letter only after accepting my resignation, he said.

In all, 50 MLAs have resigned so far, including three Independents, four from the SAD and the BJPs Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu.
Jaswant Shetra

Jagraon, November 30

Congress ticket aspirant from Dakha constituency Major Singh Mullanpur was allegedly attacked by unidentified persons in Mullanpur town this evening. The incident took place near the Mullanpur bus stand on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur highway around 7:15 pm.

Mullanpur was admitted to a private hospital, from where he was referred to the DMCH, Ludhiana. He is stated to be out of danger.

Sources said Mullanpur was sitting in his car along with his cousin when five persons armed with sharp-edged weapons and sticks arrived. They pulled Mullanpur out of the car and attacked him before fleeing, the sources added.

SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said, We are yet to record the victims statement. Once we do it, appropriate action will be taken.

Mullanpur, a former PPCC secretary, had led a group of party workers who presented a Proud to be Akali shawl to the then Mullanpur Dakha DSP Ajayray Singh Dakha in his office in October for his alleged anti-Congress bias.

Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and Deputy CLP Leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu have demanded a probe into the attack.

Amarinder to lead candlelight march

Ludhiana: District Congress Committee (rural) chief Gurdev Singh Lapran said the district party unit would hold a candlelight march at Mullanpur Dakha at 5pm on Thursday in protest against the attack. PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh will lead the march. Speaking to The Tribune at the DMCH, Mullanpur said Akali MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali was behind the attack. The Congress leader alleged that the assailants had admonished him for publicly criticising Ayali. The MLA rubbished the allegations, saying that the Congress had faked the attack to malign his image. We are fighting the poll on the development plank and don't believe in cheap politics. I will request the DGP to form an SIT to probe the case, said Ayali.  Mohit Khanna
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, November 30

Havildar Sukhraj Singh (32), who was killed in a fidayeen attack at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, was to visit his family at Maan Nagar here on the day of the attack. He had promised his daughter Subpreet Kaur (7) that he would take her on a vacation this time.

But destiny had other plans. Sukhraj was to board a train from Jammu to Batala at 1pm yesterday. But at 5am, militants attacked his base. He was among seven soldiers, including two officers, to be killed.

His seniors had sanctioned his leave on Monday, following which he had called up his family about his impending arrival.

Around 11am yesterday, the family was expecting a call from Sukhraj. Instead, an officer of his regiment called. We regret to inform you that Sukhraj has been killed in a militant attack, he told the family in a matter-of-fact way.

The last rites will be performed tomorrow.

Sukhraj had joined the Sikh regiment in 2004; he was posted in Nagrota about six months ago.

Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pardeep Sabharwal, AAP Fatehgarh Churian candidate Gurvinder Singh Shampura and SAD candidate from Batala LS Lodhinangal visited the family today.

The DC said Sukhrajs family would be given Rs 5 lakh ex gratia.

I will ensure that his family gets a plot and his wife, a job commensurate with her qualifications. Sukhraj is a martyr and a martyr cannot be dishonoured, said Kunwar Ravinder Singh Vicky, general secretary, Shaheed Sainik Parivar Surakshna Parishad.
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, November 30



The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Punjab and the Centre on Haryanas plea for construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to draw its share of Ravi-Beas waters. The court also sought a report from the Union Home Secretary and Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police on the status of the land acquired for the canal.

A Bench comprising Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy posted the next hearing for December 15, asking Punjab and the Centre to file their response before that. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As the apex court did not pass any order altering the present status of the SYL canal land, Punjab farmers would retain possession of the land at least for now. The Punjab government returned the acquired land to the farmers through a notification issued on November 16, 2016 on the strength of a resolution passed in the Assembly and a Cabinet decision.

Arguing for Haryana, senior counsel Shyam Divan questioned the validity of the November 16 notification. He said a five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had ruled on November 10 that Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, was in violation of the Constitution, the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, and the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, besides being against two apex court judgments delivered on January 15, 2002 and June 4, 2004.

Answering the Presidential Reference on the validity of the 2004 Act, the Constitution Bench had also held that the Assembly had no power to enact any law to nullify the apex courts decree in favour of Haryana

It was clear from the ruling on the 2004 Act that the November 16 notification, which was only an executive action, had no legal sanctity, Divan pleaded and contended that the Union Home Secretary and the Punjab Chief Secretary and DGP, who had been appointed as court receivers of the canal land on March 17, 2016 while hearing the Presidential reference, continued to be receivers.

Are you not insisting on status quo ante, the Bench asked Haryana. Initially, Divan said his client wanted a clarification that the three receivers continued to be in possession of the land as the SC had not discharged them from their duty though the November 10 ruling did not specify that their tenure stood extended.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 30

Governor KK Paul here today honoured various people, including actress Himani Shivpuri and Dr Rajendra Dobhal, Director General of the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), for excellence in various fields.

He gave away the Pride of Nation award to former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, the Pride of Uttarakhand award to journalist Dr Anjali Nauriyal, classical dancer Arushi Nishank, actress Himani Shivpuri and UCOST Director General Dr Rajendra Dobhal, and the Pride of Doon awards to Maanas Lal, a painter, Olympian Manish Rawat and Shaila Brijnath of the Aasraa Trust.

Such awards inspire others to pursue excellence, besides recognising dedication and hard work of those being honoured, said the Governor at the award function organised by the Doon Citizens Council here on Wednesday.

He congratulated all award winners. The Governor also appreciated the Doon Citizens Council for having instituted these awards. This is a city that has been traditionally known for its writers and artistesa city of literature and culture-and having such award functions here will strengthen this atmosphere, he said.

This is a great way to encourage those who pursue excellence in life. It encourages others to emulate them as well. So it encourages, recognises and inspires people.

He said the council had made efforts to educate people on important issues of national interest and taken up matters of common and general interest with government departments, organizations and officers concerned to seek redress of these matters. He added that the council could give a forceful voice to citizens and play an important role in local administration.

The contribution of the council to the social climate of Dehradun is immense and it deserves appreciation. It can work for development of various social aspects of the city and it surrounding areas, said the Governor. To general awareness among people, the council can think in term of organising monthly or quarterly seminars on various subject of public importance.

He said, Dehradun is one of the few cities in India that witnesses a high level of educational and intellectual activity. Its people are highly educated, learned and vocal. It is also one of the largest educational hubs in the country, known specially for its schools.

The Governor said the role of the citizens council in such a distinguished city was extremely important and should include various social aspects. The council should make constant efforts to create a positive and progressive environment among people of the city.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 30

Governor KK Paul today called upon teachers to help students realise their potential in creativity and ingenuity as well as communication skills.

In these days of information technology, children gather most of the facts from the internet and the role of a teacher has to be modified accordingly. Teachers need to ensure that they impart to students the skills necessary for a leadership role, said the Governor at the 90th Founders Day of Colonel Brown Cambridge School.

Paul said teachers were one of the most influential people in a students life and thus they had important responsibility of inculcating values in children and ensuring that they do not forget their roots, whatever heights they may attain in life.

He said the occasion was significant as Colonel Brown was one of the oldest schools in the region and had almost become an integral part of the history of the Doon valley. It was founded in March 1926 by Col W Brown and his wife, an Irish couple.

The Governor said the schools motto Magna Est Veritas (Truth is Great) was quite akin to one of the basic tenets of Indian culture God is Truth. He said this tenet had been an important element of Indian culture and the essence of Vedas. It had been expressed by Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. The Governor said Swami Vivekananda, the most precious national icon, believed that education should make a child confident to face the world and develop his character.

Paul congratulated all the teachers who had, down the decades, served Colonel Brown School.

He called upon the students to read extensively, update their knowledge and practice to hone their skills, whatever they may be.

Also, despite all the technology available, efforts must always be made to connect with people in the real world too. Existing only in the virtual world may not allow us to understand life in the true sense. While being tech-savvy, try and communicate face to face with people to the extent that it is possible for you, he said.

India had become too competitive and thus students found it tough to get admissions in colleges and other institutions even when they had very good marks. The struggle for excellence has become far more difficult today. Standards of excellence are far higher. Despite this, though there is a large crowd at the bottom, there is a huge space at the top for people who have unconventional ideas and who think differently, The Governor stated.

Students should be encouraged to learn how to break new ground and not always follow the conventional path. The all-round development of a students personality is the most important dimension of education. Also, our education system has to be geared up in terms of both quantity and quality, he added.
New York: A 1946 picture of Mahatma Gandhi with his charkha (spinning wheel) in the foreground is among the 100 most influential images of all time, according to a compilation by Time magazine of images that changed the world. The black and white photo was taken by Margaret Bourke-White. It became an indelible image, the slain civil-disobedience crusader with his most potent symbol, and helped solidify the perception of Gandhi outside the subcontinent as a saintly man of peace, Time said. PTI

Philip Morris looks to phase out cigarettes

London: Philip Morris International , the worlds largest international tobacco company, could eventually stop selling cigarettes, its chief executive told the BBC, as it launched its alternative product IQOS in the UK market. The companys IQOS smokeless cigarette, already on sale in over a dozen markets, heats tobacco enough to produce a vapour without burning it. The company believes that makes it much less harmful than cigarettes. Reuters

Largest collective chant of Om by museum

New York: A leading museum here is organising a unique exhibition focussed on the Indian symbol Om, that will educate people about its importance and invite them to contribute their voices to the largest collective chant of the sacred symbol ever generated. The Rubin Museum of Art will run the Om Lab exhibition for a month from February to educate people about the importance of the sacred sound of the universe. PTI
Brussels, November 30

The European Union unveiled its biggest defence funding and research plan in more than a decade on Wednesday to reverse billions in cuts and send a message to US President-elect Donald Trump that it wants to pay for its own security.

Part of a broader push to revitalise defence cooperation, the European Commission proposed a 5 billion-euro ($5.3 billion) fund to let governments club together to buy new helicopters and planes to lower costs.

Another plan to let the EUs common budget and its development bank invest in military research would open the door to new drones, cyber warfare systems and other hi-tech gear, EU officials said.

The main proposal is an investment fund for defence, which could allow EU governments that pay in to also borrow from it.

There were no immediate details on how the bloc planned to persuade member states to move away from the current system, where many pursue their own defence projects, favouring local manufacturers and duplicating efforts. The bloc has 19 types of armoured infantry fighting vehicle, compared with one in the US. Wasted funds amount to 25 billion euros a year, according to Commission data.

One proposal is for the fund, which would require an intergovernmental treaty to be set up, to raise capital on financial markets by issuing bonds, with the Commission offering to run the fund but taking no ownership of it.

In a gesture to indebted France and Italy, government capital in the fund that is not spent directly on purchasing equipment could be excluded from national budget deficits that EU rules require to be less than 3 per cent of economic output. The Commission said it was also time to lift restrictions on using its budget for military research.  Reuters
New York/Washington, Nov 30

US President-elect Donald Trump turned to Wall Street for nominees for two key economic leadership posts who promised tax reform and a tougher approach to China.

Steve Mnuchin, a private equity investor, hedge fund manager and Hollywood financier, and billionaire Wilbur Ross, who heads a private equity firm, appeared on CNBC and confirmed their nominations to be Treasury secretary and Commerce secretary, respectively. The Trump transition team announced the nominations on Wednesday morning. Transition sources also said Trump had chosen Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts as deputy commerce secretary.

Mnuchin and Ross laid out Trumps economic objectives, including a tax reform plan that would, among other things, cut corporate tax rates to 15 per cent. We think by cutting corporate taxes well create huge economic growth and well have huge personal income, Mnuchin said .

Mnuchin and Ross said lower tax rates would be offset by reductions in the number of income tax deductions. They said trade reform would be a top agenda item. Both men criticised regional trade pacts, saying they favour bilateral agreements with trade partners. Weve been doing a lot of dumb trade, Ross said.

Mnuchin said the Treasury and Commerce departments have trade enforcement capabilities. With regard to Chinas foreign exchange policy, he said, If we determine we need to label them as a currency manipulator thats something the Treasury would do.

Trump also is working to fill out his foreign policy team, with a major focus this week on who his secretary of state should be.

He dined with a former rival, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, at a French restaurant near Central Park on Tuesday night. Romney, held in suspicion by Trump supporters because of his harsh criticism of Trump, made an impassioned statement in support of Trump after their meal.

Trump was to meet another potential secretary of state pick, retired Marine General John Kelly. He also is considering former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, US Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee and former CIA Director David Petraeus for the job. Trump also had meetings planed with Linda McMahon, a former Senate candidate in Connecticut, former Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue and US Senator Dan Coats of Indiana.  Reuters

Will leave business to focus on running country: Trump

Donald Trump vowed on Wednesday to step back from running his business empire to avoid conflicts of interest. Trump sent out a series of early morning tweets saying he will hold a news conference in New York on December 15 with his children on how he will separate himself in total from his worldwide business holdings. A variety of critics have raised questions about how Trump would avoid a conflict of interest between the presidency and a real estate empire with properties around the world.

Treasury Secretary: Steven Mnuchin

Steven Mnuchin, 53, is a relatively little-known but successful private equity investor, hedge fund manager and Hollywood financier who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002. He assembled an investor group to buy a failed California mortgage lender in 2009, rebranded it as OneWest Bank and built it into Southern Californias largest bank. The bank came under fire for its foreclosure practices as housing advocacy groups accused it of being too quick to foreclose on struggling homeowners.

Commerce Secretary: Wilbur Ross

Wilber Ross, 78, heads the private equity firm W.L. Ross & Co. His net worth was pegged by Forbes at about $2.9 billion. A staunch supporter of Trump and an economic adviser, Ross has helped shape the Trump campaigns views on trade policy. He blames the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, which entered into force in 1994, and the 2001 entry of China into the World Trade Organisation for causing massive US factory job losses.
During the interrogation, Mintoo also revealed that days before the jailbreak he spoke with his Pakistani handler Harmeet through Skype.

By Himanshu Mishra: Aaj Tak has accessed the interrogation report of militant Harminder Singh Mintoo and in it he revealed that ISI had made plans to bring militancy to Punjab through Khalistan Liberation Front under his leadership.

During the interrogation, Mintoo also revealed that days before the jailbreak he spoke with his Pakistani handler Harmeet through Skype. Harmeet is a KLF militant who managed to flee to Pakistan, and is living in a safe house under protection of the ISI in Dera Chall village of Lahore.

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It also emerged that Mintoo had bases in countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. ISI had plans to bring back militancy through sleeper cells in these countries, and the KLF leader had contacted them during 2009-2014.

ISI FUNDING

It was also revealed that KLF sympathisers based in Germany were sending money to Mintoo through Western Union money transfer.

On the day of the jailbreak lakhs of rupees were deposited in a bank account which was supposed to be handed over to Mintoo by a sweet shop owner (arrested by Punjab police). Mintoo fled from the jail on November 27 so he couldn't get the money.

Another KLF sympathiser, Sandeep, based in England had sent him money through hawala channels. He was staying in Malaysia with a fake passport in the name of Bakshish Singh.

PLANNING OF JAILBREAK

Mintoo has conceded to being the mastermind of the jailbreak, revealing six months back he first contacted an inmate by the name of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. Sekhon later contacted Vickey to arrange his local criminals to wait for a suitable day for the attack. Parminder being close to Satnam Kaur (daughter of the KLF militant) was given responsibility to arrange the arms. Punjab police is probing arms trail with assistance of UP police.

RAIDS

Mintoo also spoke of having a strong base in Goa, where his family had shifted to in 1989. Raids are being carried out in Punjab to look for Satnam Kaur. Teams will also be going to Goa to look for Mintoo's aide.

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Koegel equipped its Cargo display trailer with various types of load-securing devices for several kinds of freight. This one includes curtain sides and a fold-up roof tarp for side and top loading. Photos: Koegel

Every once in a while cargo securement seems to become an issue, whether from a coil of steel thats fallen off a flatbed trailer and killed someone, or boxed merchandise busting through the walls of an overturned van that has formed a traffic-stopping mess.

Securement straps and chains are visible on a flatbed but not inside a van, so many cargoes travel with nothing but pressure from adjacent commodities and trailer walls keeping them in place. Federal rules require stuff in a van or reefer to be tied down, too, but its ought of sight and evidently often overlooked by inspectors.

Apparently this is a concern in Europe, too, because Koegel, a dominant trailer builder in Germany, recently displayed a van with numerous securement options aboard. That was at the giant IAA show in Hannover.

The trailers called the Cargo, and according to a Koegel press release, its features include a VarioFix perforated steel external frame equipped with 13 pairs of lashing rings for securing the load. Each ring can take 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds) of tensile force.

Inside, the IAA trailer had several optional load-securing packages in three rung sections for hauling waste paper, beverages, and tires, the release said. In addition to a riveted pallet limiting rail, the waste paper package had two rows of steel anchoring rails, a series of aluminum insertable slats or lattices, and aluminum telescoping beams to secure the load in or against the direction of travel.

Curtainside trailers would seem to need more securement devices than hard-sided vans, but the multi-strapped fabric holds together well in rollovers, builders say.

Individual equipment for securing crates and barrels demonstrates how a plank tarpaulin can be used with six vertical aluminum slats on the left-hand side, the release said. On the right-hand side, this variant features two rows of aluminum lattices, something like our logistics-tracks.

Steel and aluminum tie-down points and lashing hooks and rails were on board to handle the other cargoes. Koegel's solutions now match the guidelines set out by Michelin for the transport of tires  an observation that describes some European customers demands that shipments to be transported safely and without damage.

In North America, its not unusual for trailers to arrive at docks and upon opening doors, receivers see a jumble of boxes instead of items neatly stacked as they should be. Theres no shortage of equipment available from American and Canadian manufacturers to secure cargo, from load bars to straps and log channels to plastic wrap, that keeps individual items on their pallets. They just have to be used.
The board of directors of the Professional Truck Driver Institute has voted to move the organizations headquarters to Denver, Colorado. There it will be managed by Leading Associations, the company that manages the North American Transportation Management Institute, a certification and training organization for a number of non-driving truck and bus positions.

Since 1996, PTDI has been managed by the Truckload Carriers Association, where it became an organizing force for truck driver training standards. The two organizations were challenged to develop standards and certify courses to teach those standards. It also worked to convince the trucking industry, insurance companies, schools, and other stakeholders to voluntarily accept formalized entry-level training.

The decision to switch management was brought on by converging changes to both PTDIs and the TCAs missions.

First, the federal government is now putting forth its own prerequisite training standards for entry-level commercial truck drivers, so PTDIs focus will be changing accordingly, said David Money, PTDIs board chairman. Secondly, although TCA and PTDI have always worked closely together, TCAs leadership now needs to concentrate more on truckload-specific issues, as it should. And finally, Marlene (Dakita, certification coordinator)  who has worked tirelessly for us for nearly 21 years and intimately knows the organization  has announced her retirement. Change was simply inevitable.

PTDI contacted Leading Associations president Jeff Arnold to help oversee the transition and lead PTDI to its next phase. Tim Blum of Leading Associations will be PTDIs executive director.

This is a great fit for PTDI, and for us, said Arnold. For the past 16 years, weve been managing operations for NATMI, which could be described as a sister organization to PTDI. Now well use that certification experience to benefit PTDI.

NATMI provides internationally recognized, university accredited training and professional certification for truck and bus fleet management professionals, including safety, maintenance, driver trainers and cargo security professionals. It also at one time was under the umbrella of TCA.

PTDIs transition will take effect immediately. The phone number and website/email addresses will remain the same.

TCA has always been a strong proponent of PTDI and its mission, said John Lyboldt, TCA president. Our officers and board wanted to find an organization that could grow PTDI as it heads into the next stage of its existence. Jeff has already had many years of experience by serving on PTDIs board and Certification Commission, which gives him a deep understanding of its operations, members, and volunteer leadership.
ATLANTIC SKIES: Stellar asterisms  eye-catching pretenders to the constellation throne and just part of the bigger picture

Most everyone, or at least most amateur astronomers, are familiar with the constellations in the night sky to some degree. Many, however, may not be familiar with the numerous asterisms in the night sky. What is the difference between a constellation ...
Training materials and taped conversations, which investigators believe were made by call centre instructors for training purposes, shed some light on an operation aimed to exploit the aged and gullible.

By Reuters: In late September, a woman in National City, California, received a voice message on her phone saying she was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over "tax evasion or tax fraud".

Panicking, she rang the number and told a man who said he was from the IRS: "I can pay $500," half the sum demanded. "I could do a payment plan. I just can't pay all of it at once."

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"Ma'am, you can pay $500 today itself. You can do that?" the man asked, adding that lawyers would look at her accounts and work out a monthly payment plan, but she had to pay half now.

In transcripts of the conversation that investigators shared with Reuters, the man told her to keep the phone line open and drive to a nearby grocery store, where she bought $500 worth of iTunes gift cards and gave the 'agent' the redemption codes.

She had just been scammed - one of at least 15,000 people the US Justice Department says lost more than $300 million in an "enormous and complex fraud" running since 2013. The department last month brought grand jury charges against 56 people in India and the United States for "telefraud" scams run from fake call centres in India.

INTERPOL ARREST WARRANT

Investigators have arrested 20 people in the United States, and Indian authorities have made 75 arrests following October raids on three premises in the Thane suburb of Mumbai. Charges include conspiracy to commit identity theft, impersonation of an officer of the United States, wire fraud and money laundering.

Indian police say they are looking for Sagar Thakkar, a man in his early 30s also known as Shaggy, who they believe masterminded the scam. Thakkar was also among those named by the US Department of Justice. Reuters was unable to contact Thakkar for comment; he is not known to have a lawyer, and police believe he fled to Dubai last month.

"We are trying to complete the procedure to issue a red corner notice for Thakkar," Parag Manere, a deputy commissioner at Thane police, told Reuters, referring to an Interpol arrest warrant.

Police said Thakkar led a lavish lifestyle, frequenting 5-star hotels and driving expensive cars with proceeds from the scam. He gave one, a 25 million rupee ($365,000) Audi R8, to his girlfriend. "We have seized an Audi car, and are trying to find other assets of Thakkar," Manere said.

The FBI, which is involved in the investigations, declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment for this article. At a news conference last month, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said the US would seek the extradition of suspects in India, and warned others engaged in similar schemes they could face jail terms.

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In interviews before the US charges were filed, police, suspects and call centre workers in India told Reuters how the scam was run.

Training materials and taped conversations, which investigators believe were made by call centre instructors for training purposes, shed some light on an operation aimed to exploit the aged and gullible.

TAUGHT TO BE TOUGH

"The revenue was unpredictable. Some days were good, some were bad," Haider Ali Ayub Mansuri, who said he managed operations at one fake call center, told Reuters as he was returned to jail in India last month after a court extended his custody. He is among the 75 arrested by Indian police.

"On a good day, we extracted as much as $20,000 from a single US citizen," he said.

In India, the sheer scale of the operation surprised many.

For months, hundreds of young men and women worked nights at several call centres in Thane. Callers posed as IRS officers and threatened their victims, often newly-arrived immigrants and the elderly, into paying fictitious tax penalties electronically - sometimes by buying gift cards and turning over the redemption codes, Indian investigators said.

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"They used to blast out pre-recorded messages to thousands of citizens who were asked to call back. When they called back, there was a centre just like this," said Manere at Thane police.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided premises in early October as call centre workers settled in for their shift. The buildings housed seven call centres, and over a few days more than 700 people were detained. Most have since been released, but told not to leave the city.

Callers bullied their victims with the threat of arrest, jail, seized homes and confiscated passports.

"There was one instance where an old lady was crying," because she didn't have the money to pay, said a former call centre worker who spoke only on condition of anonymity. "But we kept insisting on the money. We were taught to be tough," he told Reuters.

On a follow-up raid in Ahmedabad, 500 kms (310 miles) north of Mumbai, police uncovered what they believe was "a nerve centre for these centres," said Manere. "A lot of money has been transacted. It's been going on for a few years."

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The police raids found little in the way of documentation, beyond some training materials. Another former worker said this was likely because call centre managers stopped employees from bringing pens and phones to work.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the accounts provided by call centre workers.

WEEKLY INCENTIVES

Another former worker, an economics graduate, told Reuters she took a job without knowing what the centre did. The 12,000 rupee ($180) monthly salary was well below the going rate for a graduate, she said, but it was a job, and "people aren't hiring."

She said several of her colleagues looked as though they had just left high school.

Her first week was spent in training with floor managers. While callers spoke to their victims, she said dozens of trainees squeezed in around the room, and had to memorise pages of dialogue for use on calls.

Another former employee said his instructors told him his work was illegal, but there was "nothing to worry about."

Callers made "fast money", another former caller told Reuters. In comments confirmed by investigating officer Mukund Hatote, the worker said: "For every dollar you brought in, you were given 2 rupees (around a third of a US cent)."

People wanted to leave rather than be involved in something they suspected was illegal, he said, but carried on because managers offered weekly incentives, such as cash or gadgets, for meeting their targets.

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Residents in Valsayn South are said to be marooned in their homes. Councillor for the area S
A 48-year-old Indian man from Tamil Nadu walked 1000 km over two years just to attend court proceedings so that he can ensure a flight to go home.

By India Today Web Desk:



As the famous author Paulo Coelho said once, "When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it," and when it doesn't, you walk 1000 km to achieve it on your own.



At least, this is what 48-year-old Jagannathan Selvaraj believed in when he was denied permission to return to his hometown in Tami Nadu when he lost his mother. Selvaraj was living in Dubai's famous Sonapur, the biggest known labor community. Selvaraj has been living in a park and has no money at all. He was denied permission to go back after he raised the request to return to India when his mother died. He wanted to go back to attend the funeral but wasn't permitted. That is when he decided to get out of Dubai's black hole. Due to lack of funds, he has been traveling to Karama from Sonapur since the last two years for labor court proceedings.



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Selvaraj walked 1000 km over two years, fighting all the odds of the windy deserts and busy highways of Dubai, just to get back home. He walked a distance of 54 km to & fro whenever he had a court proceeding to attend.



"My case number was 826 and I had to walk 2 hours in the morning to reach the court in Dubai. I used to get up early morning at 4 am on the days the court was to hear my case. Every 15 days, I had to walk all the way to the court because I did not have the money to pay for bus or taxi," he said.



"Nobody helped me, but I must have attended the court at least 20 times during last two years. After every court hearing, I would hang around until evening to start the return trip. The walk was tough in summer but I did not have other options. I wanted to escape from these problems," he told Khaleej Times.

"He wants a ticket to go home. All his friends who were living in the park have gone home. He cannot walk all the way to India, and needs just a plane ticket to go home," said a social worker who is trying to help Selvaraj.

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I dont think I have ever seen 60 Minutes scheduled as late as a 10:20pm start, but thats the plan for this weekend.

Of course the line-up comprises archive stories as far back as 1995, with a story produced by Block exec producer Julian Cress.

Unwanted

If you think America is the heart of modern civilisation, this story will surely change your mind. There, a trade in unwanted children exists and the way they do it is distressing. Its known as re-homing, and when parents decide they no longer want their adopted child, they simply advertise them on websites to lure prospective new parents. Its as straightforward as getting rid of an old fridge on eBay. There is no vetting or court orders required and the children can be handed over to anyone. Not surprisingly, the consequences for these disposable kids are often disastrous. (Original broadcast: August 7, 2016)

Reporter: Tara Brown

Producer: Laura Sparkes

Mind Boggling

Depending on your memory, you may or may not recall a story 60 Minutes made five years ago about a small group of extraordinary people who can remember every detail of their lives, stretching back decades. They can remember where they were and what they did on any particular day in any particular year. Scientists are intrigued by this rare ability and hope a better understanding of it might one day lead to cures for sufferers of dementia and Alzheimers Disease. Since the original story went to air, the number of people diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory has grown from 10 to 60  and now includes the first Australian. 26 year-old Becky Sharrocks mind retains so much detailed information it almost defies belief; she can even recite every word of every Harry Potter book. But while the idea of a super memory might sound appealing, it can also be a curse. (Original broadcast: July 31, 2016)

Reporter: Allison Langdon

Producer: Grace Tobin

60 Minutes Timeless: The Ferals

Having worked at 60 Minutes for almost a quarter of a century, Charles Wooley reckons hes encountered more alternative views than he can remember. Thats the fun of the job he says, although a willingness to be open-minded and patient when listening to them is important. In 1995 Charlie travelled to the rainforests of northern New South Wales to meet a tribe of young Australians whod taken up residence there. They called themselves The Ferals, because like feral animals theyd turned wild after escaping from captivity. They were young people, mostly from middle-class homes, whod turned their backs on the 20th century and were living off the land. Charlie enjoyed his time with The Ferals, but when his story was broadcast it provoked one of largest reactions 60 Minutes has ever received. At home, you were outraged. (Original broadcast: May 14, 1995)

Reporter: Charles Wooley

Producer: Julian Cress

10:20pm Sunday on Nine.
ABC2 resumes its Sunday Best documentary season this weekend, with Citizenfour, a 2014 film concerning Edward Snowden and the NSA spying scandal.

Steven Soderbergh is one of the executive producers of this doco and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Oscars.

It is described as a real-life thriller, unfolding by the minute, giving audiences unprecedented access to filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwalds encounters with Edward Snowden in Hong Kong, as he hands over classified documents providing evidence of mass indiscriminate and illegal invasions of privacy by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Poitras had already been working on a film about surveillance for two years when Snowden contacted her, using the name CITIZENFOUR, in January 2013. He reached out to her because he knew she had long been a target of government surveillance, stopped at airports numerous times, and had refused to be intimidated. When Snowden revealed he was a high-level analyst driven to expose the massive surveillance of Americans by the NSA, Poitras persuaded him to let her film.

Citizenfour places you in the room with Poitras, Greenwald, and Snowden as they attempt to manage the media storm raging outside, forced to make quick decisions that will impact their lives and all of those around them.

Citizenfour not only shows you the dangers of governmental surveillanceit makes you feel them. After seeing the film, you will never think the same way about your phone, email, credit card, web browser, or profile, ever again.

Director: Laura Poitras. Citizenfour is a Praxis Films production.

8:30pm Sunday on ABC2.
During interrogation, Harminder Singh Mintoo accepted he was the mastermind of the Nabha jailbreak.

By India Today Web Desk: Two days after Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo was arrested from Delhi after a daring escape from the Nabha Jail in Patiala, he has revealed that his handler is living under the protection of the ISI in Lahore.

According to ANI, Mintoo has reportedly said that his handler Harmeet is living in a safe house under the protection of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Dera Chall village of Lahore.

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Currently in police custody, Mintoo, who is the chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), was in touch with his handler days before the jailbreak through internet chat.

ALSO READ: Harminder Singh Mintoo made several phone calls to Pakistan from Nabha jail, says probe



Sympathisers sent him money through hawala

During interrogation, Mintoo said he has base in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. He also revealed that the ISI has plans to resurrect Khalistani militancy through these cells, according to ANI.

Mintoo said that KLF sympathisers in Germany and England would send him money through the hawala route.

ALSO READ: Nabha jailbreak: KLF chief Harminder Singh received money inside prison



If ANI sources are to be believed, Mintoo also accepted to being the mastermind o the Nabha jailbreak.

Mintoo was arrested from Delhi in a joint operation by the Punjab Police and the Special Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Monday.

The arrest was made within 24 hours of the sensational jailbreak at the maximum-security Nabha Jail in Punjab on Sunday, in which two terrorists and four gangsters escaped after the prison was attacked by armed men who were dressed as policemen.

ALSO READ: Nabha jailbreak: Rival gangsters fear for their lives as 4 KLF members remain untraced

ALSO READ: Nabha jailbreak: 9 lapses that led to escape of 2 terrorists, 4 gangsters

ALSO WATCH



--- ENDS ---
And it did not go down well with Indian readers.

By India Today Web Desk: Today, November 30, is the 158th birth anniversary of scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. He is the man who invented crescograph, an instrument that records growth in plants, made immense contribution in the field of radio and microwave optics, and was one of the first scientists to determine that plants have life and are sentient.

Also read: How Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose proved plants have life 115 years ago



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All these years later, when a popular English news daily took up the task of honouring AJC Bose, they called him a 'Bangladeshi' scientist.

They also described his mother tongue (which was Bengali) to be "Bangladeshi," which is not even a language.



Screenshot of the article



This, of course, did not go down well with the Indian readers.

But before we bring to you their outbursts, let us tell you where the daily got their facts wrong

JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE WAS NOT BANGLADESHI

In 1858, Bose was born in a place called Mymensingh, which presently falls in Bangladesh. But 158 years ago, Bangladesh did not exist, and Mymensingh was a part of India.

Therefore, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose was a Bengali Indian born in undivided India, and not a Bangladeshi.

The daily goes on to say that Bose "left Bangladesh at 18 to study natural science at Christs College, Cambridge."

Again, Bangladesh did not exist back then. The land Bose lived in was still Bengal presidency. So, in all sense, Bose left India to pursue higher education in Cambridge.

Another fact that the author of this article missed is that before joining Cambridge, Bose completing his schooling and college in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He moved to the city at the age of around 11 and was enrolled in Hare School, and subsequently in St Xavier's School. He then got his college degree in Physics from St Xavier's College.

Also read: Remembering Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose: 10 facts about the Father of Wireless Communication





BANGLADESHI IS NOT A LANGUAGE

The daily's article says: "Boses father sent him to a vernacular school in Munshiganj at a young age, because he believed his son should know his own mother tongue before learning English."

The author names Bose's mother tongue as 'Bangladeshi': "Learning Bangladeshi sparked his interest in nature".

First, Bangladeshi is not a language. It is a nationality, like Indian, American, British. The native language of Bangladesh is Bengali, or Bangla; a language they fought very hard for.

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Second, Bose's mother tongue was Bengali. In the vernacular school where his father sent him as a child, he learned Bengali, not "Bangladeshi".

Funnily enough, a simple google search clarifies this.



INDIANS' REACTIONS TO JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE BEING CALLED 'BANGLADESHI'

In the comment section of the article, people slammed the daily and the author left, right and centre:

Screenshot of the comment section

--- ENDS ---
One Ukrainian soldier was killed and two were wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the last day, Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Andriy Lysenko said.

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and two were wounded as a result of military operations in the ATO zone over the last day, Lysenko said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. iy
Russia annually spends more than USD 6 billion on military aggression against Ukraine.

Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

"According to our estimates, the sum is more than $6 billion a year," he said.

Turchynov noted that USD 3 billion was spent on financial support for the occupied territories, while more than USD 3 billion constituted direct military spending.

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Suma Chakrabarti, the presidents press service reported on Tuesday evening.

President Poroshenko thanked the EBRD for its leading role in the issue of raising and using financial assistance of the international community in overcoming consequences of the Chornobyl disaster.

Petro Poroshenko emphasized that the EBRD remained the largest financial investor in Ukraine, which implemented energy, transport, financial and other projects in our country, reads a report.

Also, the parties discussed systemic progress in the issues of overcoming corruption in Ukraine, implementation of energy reform and prospects of EBRD support for the process of privatization in Ukraine.

Suma Chakrabarti praised the overall progress of Ukraine in reforms, particularly the introduction of e-declarations for civil servants, establishment of transparent system of public procurement and efficient anti-corruption efforts.

iy
Mark Feygin, the lawyer of illegally arrested Ukrinform journalist Roman Sushchenko, had a meeting at UNESCOs Headquarters in France to discuss the case of his client.

Speaking with own Ukrinform correspondent following the meeting, Feygin said: We exchanged information. I represented the information on the case of Sushchenko. They have special formats to discuss this. A special report will be made for the leadership. We are cautious in our assessments, but perhaps UNESCO will be involved in the work on the case of Roman Sushchenko.

Also, the lawyer added that during his stay in Paris he plans to hold meetings with Reporters without Borders and officials of the French governments.

As earlier reported, Ukrinform correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko was arrested in Moscow on September 30, where he arrived on a private visit. He was accused of espionage, allegedly being a member of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate denied allegations of the Russian Federal Security Service.

The Russian court ruled at its closed hearing on October 1 to arrest the journalist for two months  until November 30.

On October 7, the Russian Federation officially charged the Ukrainian journalist with spying. Sushchenko denies any guilt.

On November 26, Moscows Lefortovsky District Court extended the pre-trial detention term of Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko until January 30, 2017.

Roman Sushchenko works with the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform since 2002 and is agencys own correspondent in France since 2010.

iy
The Cabinet of Ministers has terminated two agreements on cooperation with the Russian Federation in the sphere of television and radiobroadcasting and in the sphere of information policy.

A relevant decision has been approved at a government meeting on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The draft resolutions were submitted to the government by Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets. iy
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on December 2 will pay an official visit to the Republic of Poland on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This has been announced by Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Andrii Deshchytsia.

The Embassy is preparing a visit of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Poland, which is scheduled for this Friday. The visit is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Polands recognition of Ukraine and respectively the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries, Deshchytsia said.

He also added that apart from solemn events, the official visit includes meetings and talks with the president, prime minister, speakers of the both chambers of the Polish parliament and participation in a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

iy
Despite some historical disagreements, Poland takes a firm stance on key Ukrainian issues and fully supports Ukraine.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia said this within the project of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center "Diplomacy without Borders," an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Despite some historical disagreements, Poland and Polish politicians, including previous and current governments, are well aware that the Ukrainian-Polish cooperation is the basis for stability in the region and each state and perhaps in the whole of Europe," he said.

In this context, Deshchytsia stressed that Poland absolutely took a firm stance regarding the extension of the sanctions against Russia, restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, early ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU and introduction of the visa-free regime for our country.

"We are very grateful to Poland for the fact that the previous government and the current one take a firm stance on key Ukrainian issues and fully support Ukraine," the ambassador summed up.

ish
Tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates in Ukraine grew by 8% over the past year.

Deputy Healthcare Minister of Ukraine Oksana Syvak said this during a meeting with the UNDP representatives, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Compared to 2015, we have already observed a 8% growth. The factors may be different. One of them is the social and economic crisis, which has been deepened because of the military conflict in the east of the country," Syvak said.

According to Healthcare Ministry of Ukraine, 15% of the registered TB patients lived in the eastern regions of the country before the start of the fighting in Donbas. Identification and treatment of TB became critical due to internal displacement and military operations.

According to the Ministrys statistics, the incidence rate was 70.5 patients per 100,000 people in 2015. However, she said, the estimated data say the number of patients is 90 patients per 100,000 people. In addition, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS and TB grows. In 2015, the figure was 13 patients per 100,000 people, according to statistical information. Meanwhile, the international and non-governmental organizations claim such figure was 20 patients per 100,000 people in 2015.

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The residence of St. Nicholas will be officially opened in the Great Lavra Bell Tower in Kyiv on December 1.

This is reported by the press service of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve, which is the project co-organizer.

"Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as on December 19, Saint Nicholas will greet guests personally. December 17, the residence of St. Nicholas will host the children of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers within a unique large-scale all-Ukrainian project Ukrainian People / Ukrainian Kids. The residence will work until December 30," the statement reads.

In addition, writing of the longest letter to St. Nicholas will be initiated in an attempt to set the record for the Book of Records of Ukraine.

ol
The central bank said the Rs 10,000-cap may be relaxed within current applicable limits after ascertaining the genuineness of such withdrawals.

By India Today Web Desk: The Reserve Bank of India today decided to fix a limit of Rs 10,000 on withdrawals from Jan Dhan accounts. Those with non-KYC compliant accounts under the scheme can only draw Rs 5000 per month.

In a notification issued today, the central bank, however, said the Rs 10,000-cap may be relaxed within current applicable limits after ascertaining the genuineness of such withdrawals.

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Non-KYC (Know Your Customer) compliant Jan Dhan account holders are now allowed to withdraw Rs 5,000 a month with an overall ceiling of Rs 10,000.

DEPOSITS RISE IN JAN DHAN SINCE NOV 8

Since the demonetisation drive began on November 8, the Jan Dhan accounts have seen their aggregate deposits rise. On November 16 - the eighth day of the drive - Parliament was told the deposits increased to Rs 64,252.15 crore.

Also read: Jackpot? Taxi driver's Jan Dhan account credited with Rs 98,05,95,12,231



"As on November 16, 25.58 crore accounts with aggregate deposits of Rs 64,252.15 crore have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) across the country," Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Uttar Pradesh leads among the states with 3.79 crore account holders and deposits of Rs 10,670.62 crore, followed by West Bengal with 2.44 accounts and deposits of Rs 7,826.44 crore.

Rajasthan follows at third place with 1.89 crore accounts and deposits of Rs 5,345.57 crore.

The minister said that out of 25.58 crore accounts, 5.98 crore, or just over 23 per cent, are zero balance accounts.



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Gesha and Anna Gvozd thought they were prepared for anything. HIV positive, with a disabled son, they had battled for years to maintain their health and build a happy life with their three children.

But when conflict broke out in their home town of Luhansk in 2014, their fragile world fell apart and they knew they would need to find somewhere safer to live.

We began to be afraid for our kids, said Anna, 33. We didnt have money, we didnt have any savings. And because you are worrying, you are always nervous, and of course this affects your medical state.

The main concern for musician Gesha and secretary Anna was the welfare of their sons: Gleb, 12, Ivan, 8, and Igor, 7. But Igor, who is deaf and autistic, worried them the most.

We began to be afraid for our kids. We didnt have money, we didnt have any savings."

We understood that we need to settle our kids at school, said Gesha, 41, who tested positive for HIV in 1997. But especially we were worrying about our youngest one, because he needs special care.

The couple also understood the importance of looking after their own health. Gesha contracted HIV as a former drug user almost 20 years ago, and Anna was diagnosed during her second pregnancy. They knew that changing or stopping treatment could damage the immune system and increase the risk of infection. And while Ukraine has one of the highest rates of HIV in Europe, discrimination is widespread. Getting the correct care in Luhansk had been difficult enough. Now internally displaced, and with the added stigma of HIV, the family had no idea where to turn.

Anna, Igor and Gesha Gvozd walk home to their rental apartment in Kiev.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Igor pretends to play his father's guitar while at home in Kiev.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Anna and Gesha Gvozd must take their HIV medication twice a day.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Igor (L) arrives at school with his mother to pick up Ivan (R).  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Anna and Gesha sing together as their youngest son, Igor, plays on the swing at a playground near their apartment.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Igor roars with delight on the swing as his father, Gesha, looks on.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

For months, they lived with friends in the cities of Lviv and Kyiv, and at one point even stayed in a hotel with no heating. They make a meagre living. Gesha, who sings and plays guitar, earns a little from performing, and the couple buy photographic equipment in flea markets and sell it online.

However, finding an apartment in Kiev, where Igor would be able to receive the care he needed, seemed impossible. They could only afford about US$116 a month, which would pay for a one-bedroom apartment.

Then, when people knew that we have three kids, they said no, said Anna. I was crying.

"Especially we were worrying about our youngest one, because he needs special care.

Today, thanks to friends, church groups and local journalists, the family live in a small apartment on an estate in Kiev. The children are finally back in school, including Igor, who is learning sign language along with his mother.

His parents can also rest easier, knowing that they are able to continue with their treatment and stay healthy. To their great relief, they were able to register as internally displaced persons and were issued with a document certifying their status, which gave them access to health care.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has uprooted more than two million people, inside Ukraine and beyond its borders. About 500,000 people fled the fighting  one in four of the Luhansk regions residents  many for Russia and others within Ukraine.

The conflict is believed to be one of the factors contributing to a rise in HIV infection. In 2014, about 30 per cent of new cases were registered in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to the World Bank.

In 2014, UNHCR implemented a project for displaced people with specific needs in the Luhansk region. UNHCR partners provided support to nearly 500 people with HIV and at risk of HIV from non-government controlled areas and so-called 'grey zones' to enable access to medical services, social benefits and employment at their new place of residence. The project also conducted a series of information and prevention events at hospitals, schools and universities in the Luhansk region to reduce stigma towards people with HIV and increase their knowledge of how and where they can get help.

Igor is happy to see his parents, who have arrived to pick him up from school.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Anna and her son Igor take the bus home to their rented apartment.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Gesha talks with his son Ivan, who is attending a dance competition.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Igor waits for his brother Ivan, who is attending a dance class after school.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Igor is happy to see his father, Gesha, who has just arrived home.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

Anna, Gesha and Igor perform at home. Igor was born autistic and deaf, and is now learning sign language along with his mother.  UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova

For Gesha and Anna, nothing can alleviate the sadness they feel at leaving their home and loved ones. Annas parents, who still live in Luhansk, were among those who stayed behind despite the shelling and often felt their house shake as they took shelter in the basement.

Today, thousands in the Luhansk region need urgent help and the security situation remains volatile.

In Kyiv, Gesha and Anna find strength in the closeness of their relationship, despite a constant battle against the odds.

Even when we fight or argue, we finish our arguments and the children learn from that, said Anna, linking fingers with Gesha. We can speak a lot, but when they just see us, this is better than talking.

This World AIDS Day, join the Hands Up for #HIVprevention campaign and help to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Learn about World AIDS Day
By PTI: Bengaluru, Nov 30 (PTI): L&T Infotech today announced its collaboration with Akshaya Patra Foundation towards promoting literacy of 10,000 children studying in 35 government schools in and around this city.

As part of the CSR initiative by L&T Infotech, the company will sponsor mid-day meals of these children as well as provide a bus to transport the cooked food to the schools, a company statement said.

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The primary objective of the project is to promote school attendance, national literacy rates, reduce dropout rates and also ensure that the nutritional status of children is improved, it said.

The companies signed a formal MoU towards the initiative.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an NGO which implements the Mid-Day Meal Programme for Government and Government-aided school children. PTI RA ROH

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The first three M777 howitzers will be delivered within the next three months to allow high-altitude and desert trials with Indian-made ammunition.

Ending a three-decade-old howitzer drought, India today signed a contract with the US for buying 145 M777 ultralight howitzers for $737 million (Rs 5000 crore). A senior MoD official today formally signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the US government for the seven regiments of howitzers.

The acquisition of the 'Ultra Light Howitzers', thus called because at 4.2 tons, they weigh only a third of normal 155 mm howitzers. The guns, which can be carried underslung by heavy lift helicopters like the Chinook, will give the army tremendous flexibility especially along the mountainous border with China.

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Sources said the first three M777 howitzers will be delivered within the next three months to allow high-altitude and desert trials with Indian-made ammunition. The three guns will also be used to train Indian gunners. The first batch of 20 guns (18 guns make an artillery regiment) will be delivered by manufacturer BAE Systems in two years. The remaining 120 guns will be assembled in India between 48-54 months by BAE partner Mahindra Defence at their plant in Faridabad, Haryana.

WATCH | All you should know about India's Rs 5000 crore M777 howitzer deal with US

The deal was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15. It has been in the pipeline for nearly a decade since the Indian army mooted the acquisition of the M777 Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH) from the US under 'Foreign Military Sales'.

"We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777," said Dr. Joe Senftle, vice president & general manager for Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. The Company anticipates signing a contract in the coming weeks with the U.S. Department of Defense to supply the M777 to the army.

The Indian army bought its first artillery guns this year after a thirty-year gap. Earlier this year, the government cleared buys of the first batch of Dhanush 155/45 mm howitzers built by the Ordnance Factory Board. The first six Dhanush howitzers are already undergoing user familiarization with the army's artillery units in Siachen and in the desert.

India signed its last howitzer contracts in 1986 but a bribery controversy that broke in 1987 scuttled the acquisition of more guns. The Bofors howitzers played a decisive role in the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan. An artillery modernisation plan mooted in 2000 called for acquiring over 2200 new guns but multiple bribery controversies scuttled new gun acquisitions.

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Balwinder Singh, 42, made the plea in US District Court in Reno as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

By Reuters: A Nevada man who prosecutors say conspired to provide materials and support to co-conspirators to carry out terrorist attacks in India aimed at creating an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges.

Balwinder Singh, 42, made the plea in US District Court in Reno as part of an agreement with prosecutors, the Department of Justice said in a written statement.

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Singh, who was arrested in December 2013, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison during his sentencing in February, although federal guidelines typically call for less time.

According to prosecutors Singh, also known as Jhaji, Happy Possi and Baljit, plotted terrorist attacks in India with several other people as part of a movement to create a Sikh state in the Punjab region.

Also read: Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo made several phone calls to Pakistan from Nabha jail, says probe

Prosecutors said Singh bought two sets of night vision goggles and gave them to a co-conspirator who was planning to carry out the attack, which was thwarted when the man was prevented from boarding a flight to Bangkok at San Francisco International Airport.

Singh is a citizen of India and a permanent US resident, according to prosecutors.

Also read: 32 years of Indira Gandhi assassination, anti-Sikh riots: All you need to know

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There's a certain kind of elation that follows after getting scheduled for an interview. However, it's only the beginning. There are a lot of steps that candidate's need to take during and after an interview.

USA Today College shared seven mistakes that cost candidates the chance at their dream job. The tips were provided by successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC).

1. Making the interview all about yourself

Companies are actually more interested in what you can bring to the table instead of what they can do for you. After all, you are joining their community. It's good to know and understand the company's industry and mission to know how you can help improve operations.

2. Not doing your research

It makes the most sense to prepare for an interview with a company by knowing everything about them. Researching about the company would demonstrate how interested you are to the job.

3. Failing to ask questions

According to Anthony Pezzotti of Knowzo.com, job interviews are a two-way street. Be prepared with your own set of questions. This will also show that you care about the job and the company.

4. Not showing enough passion

Not doing your research beforehand and failing to ask questions could easily put off a hiring manager since it may mean that you are not as passionate about the job and the company. What company would want an uninterested applicant to join their team?

5. Making a lot of excuses

Getting defensive and negative about your previous workplace will actually reflect poorly on you. This is because it would indicate that you are not a team player and likes to make excuses.

6. Asking what the company can do for you

Instead, ask what you can do for the company. Recruiters are more inclined to hire people who are givers.

7. Only preparing to answer questions

Again, job interviews are a two-way street. It's good to be prepared for the questions and do your research. On top of that, share unique things about yourself and how you would be a good fit for the company.
A quiet but brilliant man, John Ewing, reaps what he sowed and gets awarded with USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Teaching recognition. Ewing is currently an associate professor of agricultural and extension education in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and romps as one of the 10 farming academics to receive the 2016 U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for Food and Agricultural Sciences.

These annual awards recognize faculty members, academics and any school innovators that have contributed much and proposed out-of-the-box pedagogies in order to realize the 21st century ideal college school. This particular college school no longer promotes of the typical indoor classroom learning, but the otherwise.

The award include stipends of $5,000 for national winners and $2,000 for regional and new teacher honorees, to be used for improving teaching at their respective universities. Ewing, who was a regional recipient, received the award at the 129th APLU Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, Penn State News reported.

Having served Penn State for years as a member of the faculty and a model academic, Ewing gets praises from co-academics almost casually on a daily basis. To him, there is no big deal to this such that he is only bound to do the best in his job.

Ewing has been recognized many times for his innovative teaching instructions. When asked, Ewing straightforwardly explained that he is very much concerned with his students' learning. He added that he holds a very demanding responsibility of keeping his farming students minds thinking outside the box. He said that it's the best way to empower them, Penn State- College of Agricultural Extension and Education Major stated.

In other news, USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) recently announced today that it will be handing awards, recognitions remunerations to education innovators. The highlight of the USDA's announcement is its expression of support to universities, 4-year colleges, public secondary schools, non-profits, community and junior colleges, etc.

All of these are taking place in the desks of USDA, while NIFA continues investing on study, research and innovation on the many tools for sustaining agriculture in the country.
The latest research from University of Strathclyde, Scotland initiated an intelligence battle and pitted artificial intelligence with 48 active academics. The results stunned the researchers to a writing- find out who will win.

A research from the University of Strathclyde pitted 48 active academics with 48 Ai research agents in an intelligence battle. However, this is more than just measuring the intelligence between two such it also seeks to examine the memory capacity between research agents.

The contest involves giving a number of information to the research agents and asking them to conduct a review of literature using the information. The winner is determined by how fast and accurate the agents can review the literature that matches to the assigned task. The agents were only given 20 seconds to accomplish this.

The winner, obviously, are the AI agents. But what seemed to be more interesting in the findings is the fact the human brain is not even half the capacity of an intentionally-slowed down brain of the AI agent, Express UK reported.

But the contest wasn't all that for it does not simply seek to compare the two as to who is the best. In fairness to the human academics, they were superior in accomplishing many cognitive and creative tasks than the AI agents.

But when it comes to accurate storage of data and academic files, the AI should be the best tool. All-in-all, AI is all about precision and accuracy while humans are best at creative and meaningful cognitive processes.

A most probable recommendation from this research is that humans and AI should work hand-in-hand. Most certainly, AI must not supersede with humans in terms of our cognitive process.

In other news, Ben Seymour, a University of Cambridge neuroscientist also recently published his findings in the journal entitled "Nature Human Behaviour" that suggest that AI can rewrite painful memories in people's brain. This had been proven to be most plausible by a number of scientific communities given that such capacity by the AI lies safely in the line of being an organic tool, Wired reported.

What does this suggest in the future? It only means that we humans still have the highest capacities to innovate and invent.

We may not have the highest memory bytes like that of the AI agents', but we are certainly sensible by the strictest sense. By all means, we cannot let AI technology take control of most of our ways.
NASA's Moon Rock is now currently on display at the Calvin College. Moon Rock or also called lunar rock, is a rock that is found on the Earth's moon. This lunar material is collected during human exploration activities of the Moon.

But Moon rocks are not always collected by humans from different countries who made Lunar journeys. Some of these materials were collected by Lunar robots and crafts.

Apart from seeing the moon in the night sky, the general public can now see a piece of it at Calvin College, West Michigan, cites WZZM13. Over the last few decades, many samples from the moon were collected. But the one being displayed at Calvin College are samples from the Apollo 15 mission in 1971.

NASA loaned their collection just for Calvin College. According to Professor Renee Sparks, the Apollo 15 mission used a rover that went out from the Moon landing site and gathered samples from different locations. The rock collected is said to be 3.9 billion years old. Its composition is different from the minerals on Earth but it has a similar mineral content to that of Besalt. Sparks explained, however, that the lunar rock does not contain any water which means it is a dry rock compared to the Besalt rocks on Earth.

To care for the collection, Sparks himself had to travel to Houston to retrieve the lunar artifact and keep it in her possession. Most of the Moon rocks on Earth are stored in nitrogen to keep them free of moisture. In addition, they are only handled indirectly, using special tools.

Because of how rare they are on Earth, and the difficulty of obtaining more, Moon rocks have are constant targets of theft and vandalism. Many Moon rocks have gone missing or were stolen over the years.

Head to Calvin's Mineralogical Museum for a peek at the NASA Moon rock collection for the next three months. The general public can see the Moon rock from Wednesdays to Fridays.
Harvard University has recently joined its fellow universities and colleges in taking a stand to protect undocumented students. This comes after Donald Trump's victory at the 2016 U.S. election.

Donald Trump has been vocal about his plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants from the nation. Undocumented students are part of this figure. He has also stated that he will repeal President Obama's executive orders, which possibly includes the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

It was previously reported that hundreds of leaders from various colleges and universities have banded together to defend students who moved to the United States while they were still children. They are protected by the DACA program created by the Obama administration.

Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller confirmed that Trump is planning to "immediately terminate" Obama's "illegal executive amnesties." "The President-elect has consistently pledged to rescind all illegal and unconstitutional executive orders from the current administration, and this is one of them," Miller said.

This week, Harvard University president Drew Faust sent an email to affiliates of the school, Quartz reported. Through the letter, she expressed how they "reaffirm our clear and unequivocal support for these individuals."

According to The Harvard Crimson, the email also echoed Harvard University Police Department chief Francis D. Riley's message last week that the department will not ask about the immigration status of Harvard affiliates. The school will not enforce federal immigration laws as well.

"[T]here has been growing concern about the effect more aggressive enforcement of federal immigration laws could have on many students, scholars, and staff at Harvard, especially on students who are undocumented," Faust wrote.

Students at Harvard have shared a petition that called the university to appoint an administrator to support undocumented students. It was also requested that an office and a mental health counselor be provided for these individuals.

As of Nov. 14, the petition was able to collect over 4,000 signatures. A group of undocumented students have also had a private meeting with Faust to discuss their concerns and present their proposals.
A new report says that many community college students taking remedial classes drop out, and ultimately fail to finish college.

The Public Policy Institute of California, who made the report, said in a press release that many of California's community college students are unprepared for college education, and thus need to be placed in remedial classes, or what is called developmental education. According to their analysis, 80 percent of students entering college take at least one developmental course in basic skills subjects such as math, English, or both.

Students placed in developmental education courses are placed as far as four levels below college-level coursework. Of the two, math is found to be the greatest challenge, with 65 percent enrolling in a math course, with 73 percent of enrolled students placed at least two levels below college level. Fifty-four percent of students enroll in developmental English.

The problem with developmental course sequences is that they take much time before a student can receive credit. Students taking developmental math need an average of 2.5 semesters, while those in developmental English need an average 1.9 semesters before proceeding into college-level math or English that can be credited.

This problem - taking too much time studying without earning any credit for it - ultimately discourage students from pursuing or continuing their education.

"Developmental education that is not effective comes at a high cost to students-not only in tuition and fees for courses that do not count toward a degree, but also in time and lost income," said Marisol Cuellar Mejia, PPIC research associate and a coauthor of the report.

Diane Dieckmeyer, vice president of academic affairs at Norco College, said the number of students losing motivation over a long period in developmental education is alarming.

"We're devastated by those numbers," Dieckmeyer, who has 88 percent of students in her school take developmental education classes, told the Press Enterprise. "One of the things we know is students lose motivation going through those semesters where they're not getting college credit. We know also that they feel embarrassed and disappointed to tell their families they're in basic-skills classes."
The Islamic State has taken credit for the Ohio State University attack. The terrorist group called 18-year-old assailant Abdul Razak Ali Artan it's "soldier."

BBC reported that the group made the announcement through the Amaq news agency, one of its affiliates. The claim is still unconfirmed. Investigators are checking if the attacker had direct contact with the terrorist group.

It is highly likely that the two parties communicated online. However, there is also the possibility that Artan was inspired by the group if there was no direct contact.

"The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries," Amaq said. It was not confirmed whether Artan was given direct orders from abroad or if he had been self-radicalized.

It was previously reported that Abdul Razak Ali Artan plowed a car into the Ohio State University campus hitting people and stabbing others with a butcher knife on Monday morning. He was shot dead by a police officer who responded to the scene.

Artan posted a rant on his Facebook page about reaching a "boiling point" and even made references about "lone wolf attacks" as well as radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. "America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially Muslim Ummah [community]," the post read. "We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that."

In an interview with the school's student newspaper back in August, via The Daily Beast, the Ohio State University attacker described himself as a "pious and scared Muslim." "I wanted to pray in the open, but I was scared with everything going on in the media," he said.

"I'm a Muslim, it's not what the media portrays me to be. If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen. But, I don't blame them. It's the media that put that picture in their heads so they're going to just have it and it, it's going to make them feel uncomfortable."
BSP chief Mayawati called demonetisation 'a huge hoax' being played out on ordinary Indians and claimed there is huge anger among the masses.

By India Today Web Desk: Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati today said the government's controversial move to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will backfire on the BJP in the crucial Uttar Pradesh election, due early next year.

"Modi has brought in demonetisation because he is scared of losing Uttar Pradesh. It will backfire on the government in a big way," the four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who is looking at her political comeback next year, told India Today.

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The BSP supremo called demonetisation "a huge hoax" being played out on ordinary Indians and claimed there is huge anger among the masses.

"There is tremendous anger in rural Uttar Pradesh because of the hardships caused by demonetisation. Only the elite are supporting it but they don't go out and vote," Mayawati said.

READ: Jaitley, Sharad Yadav exchange banter over demonetisation in Rajya Sabha



The 60-year-old Dalit leader also alleged the government may try to postpone the Uttar Pradesh election. "But we will vehemently oppose it," she said.

When asked how the votes may pan out in a deeply-divided Uttar Pradesh with four major contenders, Mayawati said, "The voters of Uttar Pradesh will not waste their votes on either a divided Samajwadi Party or a debilitated Congress."

"In 2014, the BJP was successful because the votes got divided," she said on the last Lok Sabha election, in which Mayawati's BSP drew a stunning blank.

Also Read:

PM Modi attends Lok Sabha, does not speak; both Houses adjourned after ruckus



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Apple Inc. is testing more than 10 prototypes for new iPhones that could roll out next year. It has been said that some of those iPhone prototypes may have a new design that focused on a curved screen.

For months now, tech enthusiasts have seen a persistent rumor regarding at least one of the iPhone models to be launched in 2017, and that has to do with packing an OLED touchscreen of the curved variety. Now, a new report from the Wall Street Journal confirms that the Cupertino based tech giant is considering to sport an iPhone 8 model with such a display panel.

The tech company has prompted its suppliers to boost their OLED display output, as well as submit prototype screens with better resolution compared to Samsung's devices. Nevertheless, it's not clear how exactly the tech company will accomplish that, considering how the South Korean tech giant comfortably holds more than 90 percent market share in the mobile OLED panel business.

If Apple does push through with this display technology on the iPhone 2017, the iPhone 8 sporting the OLED screen will be more expensive compared to other smartphones. This is for the reason that OLEDs cost more to make compared to LCDs, and the Cupertino based tech company doesn't want its profit margin to be smaller on this smartphone compared to others. It's likely that the initial supplier for the OLED panels for the iPhone 8 will be Samsung, but Apple reportedly wants Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to gear up to step in around 2018.

Sharp CEO Tai Jeng-wu said that they don't know whether Apple Inc.'s OLED iPhone 8 will be a hit, as they still need to work on developing the technology. Nonetheless, if Apple doesn't go along with this technology and transform itself, there will be no innovation, Bloomberg reported.

Watch The Video Here:
The Moto Z and Moto Z Force have officially received the latest Google update, the Android 7.0 Nougat, which is confirmed by Verizon account holders. Along with the impressive features of the update, the Motorola devices are now Daydream-ready, the only third-party devices to support VR apps and games.

Android 7.0 Nougat, Google's latest version of the Android began rolling out the updates to Moto Z and Moto Z Force last week. Verizon's Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid phones have also received the updates.

However, Motorola warns that the global release of an over-the-air update might take weeks to reach all Motorola devices all over the globe. For this purpose, the company has put up an official website to inform Motorola owners as to when the update will reach them, which largely depend on their location and their phone carrier, Android Authority reported.

The Android 7.0 Nougat features enhanced UI and an improved notification system, upgraded battery optimization, Instant Apps, Vulkan API, Google Allo and Duo, seamless updates, better multitasking performance and a whole lot more, TechTimes has learned. Moreover, Moto Z and Moto Z Force have also become Daydream-ready with the new update.

Moto Z and Moto Z Force are the first third-party devices deemed to be ready for the Daydream platform. To date, only Google's very own Pixel and Pixel XL are Daydream-ready, but now Motorola has garnered an edge over smartphone giants like Apple and Samsung with its new capability of supporting VR apps and games.

Daydream is the platform for mobile virtual reality (VR) developed by Google. Its primary goal is to provide immersive experiences using high quality images. By certifying Moto Z and Moto Z Force, Google extends its invitation to Motorola to participate in the VR experience.

In order to optimize the Daydream experience, Moto Z and Moto Z Force owners will still need to buy the Daydream View Headset which is available in Google, Verizon and Best Buy for $79 dollars. Meanwhile, Motorola has yet to make any announcement if the Moto Z Play will also get the Daydream functionality.
Ecstasy or MDMA, known for its mind-altering effects, gained notoriety as a party drug. Contrary to popular belief, however, this drug has been used in trials to cure post traumatic stress disorders or PSTD. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has approved large-scale testing of the drug for this purpose.

Ecstasy was originally manufactured by the Merck pharmaceutical company in 1912. Then in1953, the US Army used them in psychological warfare tests. It began to resurface again in the 60s as a psychotherapy medication but was later banned in 1985 because of safety concerns.

Despite the ban, there have been groups that advocate the use of Ecstasy and other banned drugs, such as LSD and marijuana, to use it in controlled settings, specifically in psychotherapy.

One of the groups that advocate such use is the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies which has already sponsored 6 Phase 2 testings on 130 PTSD patients using MDMA or Ecstasy. It will soon fund Phase 3 with 230 patients suffering from PTSD.

Some of those people who received such treatments are sexual abuse victims, combat veterans, police officers, and firefighters who haven't been able to respond to more traditional treatments and therapies. The recipients of MDMA treatment usually have struggled with PTSD symptoms for 17 years on average.

These patients have shown significant improvements after being administered three doses of MDMA by a psychotherapist. There is a reported 56 percent decrease in symptoms after this and by the end of the study, two-thirds of the patients no longer show signs of PTSD.

With the FDA approval to use the drug in testings, the researchers are confident that they can also speed up the approval process of the availability of the drug. If this happens, ecstasy will be available by 2020.

On the other hand, there are also scientists like Dr. Charles R. Marmar, the head of psychiatry at New York Universitys Langone School of Medicine, who are concerned for the potential abuse of the drug. As Andrew Parrott, a psychologist at Swansea University in Wales said, ecstasy is a rather messy drug.
When an official approached the Tamil Nadu electricity minister for cancellation of his suspension order, he realised the minister did not transfer him.

By India Today Web Desk:

Mimicry artist Savari Muthu, from Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, found himself behind bars after police arrested him on Monday.

For what?

The parody artist mimicked the voice of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister P Thangamani.

According to a Times of India report, he was arrested for mimicking the minister's voice, and transferred government officials from one place to another in the Thermal Power Unit.

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A month ago, assistant engineer Jayakumar was transferred from the power production unit to the coal handling section. Jayakumar was placed under suspension a week ago for not performing his duties properly.

"He was advised by higher officials to approach the minister to cancel the suspension order," the police said. When Jayakumar approached the minister on Sunday, he realised that the minister had not made any calls to the thermal plant in connection with his transfer.

A few days ago, Mettur police initiated an inquiry based on a tip off.

"He mimicked the minister's voice and ordered the transfer of Jayakumar. He had also ordered the transfer of 28 other employees working in the unit over the last few months," the police said.



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Chicago, Illinois (UroToday.com) Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a potential complication of treatment for localized prostate cancer in men. Yet myths about the incidence and treatment of this complication persistand can stand in the way of providing the most effective treatments, according to Victor Nitti, MD, Professor of Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology at New York University Langone Medical Center. Dr. Nitti spoke about male SUI after prostate cancer treatment at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) session, Optimizing Bladder Disease Management, at the 2016 annual meeting of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA) in Chicago.

Contrary to myth, radical prostatectomyincluding radical and open prostatectomy- and radiation for prostate cancer have the potential to cause SUI. Even if a patient is continent right after treatment, prostatectomy or radiation for prostate cancer may increase that patients risk for incontinence months or years later, Dr. Nitti said.

When a patient is treated with surgery or radiation for prostate cancer, there is a chance that they will wind up with incontinence. But this complication should not be viewed as a failure by a surgeon. Its something that happens, and the good news is that it can be treated, Dr. Nitti said.

As urologists, we also need to keep in mind that some men will not develop incontinence until months after their treatment. And when men treated for prostate cancer in their 40s or 50s reach their 70s or 80s, they are also at increased risk for developing incontinence, since they may no longer have a strong intrinsic sphincteric unit, Dr. Nitti added.

Medicare outcomes data from 1988-1990 indicates that 37% of men who underwent treatment for prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy had no problem with wetness, but 31% wore pads or used clamps to deal with SUI afterward, Dr. Nitti noted. In one study of incontinence after radical prostatectomy, 17% of men who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy were incontinent a year laterdefined as having a 24-hour pad weight of > 8 grams. By contrast, 13% of men who underwent open radical prostatectomy were incontinent a year later.1

A 2013 New England Journal of Medicine study analyzed long-term functional outcomes after treatment for prostate cancer, and found that at 2 years, 9.6% of men who underwent radical prostatectomy and 3.2% of those who received radiation had no control or frequent urinary leakage.2 By 5 years and 15 years after prostatectomy, however, the rate of men with SUI increased significantly to 13.4% and 18.3% of men respectively. After radiation, 4.4% of men had no control or frequent urinary leakage 5 years after treatment and 9.4% had the same level of symptoms 15 years later. Yet a significant percentage of men were bothered less severe SUIwith symptoms of some dripping or leaking urineafter prostatectomy and radiotherapy. At 2 years, 10.6% of men who underwent prostatectomy and 2.4% of men who were treated with radiotherapy showed dripping or leaking urine. By 15 years, the incidence of less severe SUI had increased significantly to 17.1% of those who underwent prostatectomy and 18.4% of men who received radiation.2

In males, treatment for SUI should be driven by the degree of bother associated with the incontinence and its effect on quality of liferather than the degree of incontinence, Dr. Nitti said. Thus, its importance to ask about the presence of incontinence, the severity of symptoms and degree of bother associated with SUI after prostate cancer treatment. To make sure that the concerns of these patients are addressed, its important to have clinicians who are dedicated to the treatment of SUI in your urology practice, or to make early referrals to incontinence experts.

Another myth about male incontinence after prostate cancer treatment is that slings are a great treatment option, and they are best in properly selected patients, Dr. Nitti said. In fact, all slings have similar success rates in properly selected patients about 70 to 75% after 12 to 48 months of follow-up. Cure ratesdefined as having to use 1 or fewer pads per day soaked with <8 gramsis about 50%. Data also indicates that outcomes with slings are equivalent for different subtypes of patients, no matter which type of sling is used, Dr. Nitti said. Studies also show that adjustable slings are no better than fixed slings. However, radiated patients tend to have poorer outcomes with slings than patients who did not receive radiation.3

Slings result in a low rate complicationsincluding infection, erosion and obstruction. Yet since the success rate is for slings is in the range of 70-75%, its important to set realistic expectations for patients who will undergo sling procedures. To avoid complications and to achieve the best outcomes, Dr. Nitti uses slings in patients who have not received radiation, and have mild to moderate SUI (<300 g/day) with no gravitational incontinence. In addition, the best candidates for slings can void normally when active and have no urethral scarring, according to Dr. Nitti.

By contrast, the use of artificial urinary sphincters (AUS) is considered the gold standard for treatment of male SUI. Ninety percent of men who undergo procedures for SUI using AUS are satisfied with their outcomes. In fact, 50% of men who undergo AUS no longer have enough incontinence to need pads, and only 4 to 5% of men require reoperations due to urethral atrophy, device malfunction, erosion or infection, according to Dr. Nitti.

Since the success rate of slings is 75%, the choice of treatment often comes down to whether a patient prefers superior efficacy or convenience, Dr. Nitti said.

In counseling men with SUI after prostate cancer treatment, the clinician should tell patients that AUS is the gold standard for treatment, and the long-term efficacy and safety of AUS is proven. By contrast, slings are most appropriate for mild to moderate SUI, and their long-term safety and efficacy is still an open question. The failure rate of male slings for severe incontinence is also high75%. However, a patient may prefer to receive a sling as treatment, and if so, the clinician should counsel him that if the sling fails, AUS can still be tried, Dr. Nitti noted.

Presented by: Victor Nitti, MD

References:
Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of the Centre challenging an Armed Forces Tribunal order asking it to consider granting permanent commission to Lt Col Mitali Madhumita, the only woman officer to win a gallantry award.

The Supreme Court today ruled in favor of Lt Col Mitali Madhumita, the first Gallantry Award Lady Officer of the Indian Army dismissing the plea by the Centre challenging an Armed Forces Tribunal order asking it to consider granting her permanent commission.

Lt Col Madhumita had joined the Army in 2000. In February 2015 Armed Forces Tribunal (ATF) ordered permanent status for Madhumita, quashing a 2014 ministry decision that said she could not withdraw an earlier plea that had expressed unwillingness to take up a permanent commission. The tribunal said she had expressed unwillingness as she had been posted in Afghanistan and was facing acute matrimonial problems.

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The top court dismissed the Centre's argument that granting her a 'permanent commission' will interfere with the policy and cadre management of the Union of India with regard to permanent commission of short service commissioned officers. The Supreme Court cited the strong recommendation by the chain of Army command in favour of Lt Col Madhumita who had certified her to be an exemplary and outstanding officer. The court further noted in its order that Lt Col Madhumita has been an outstanding officer of the Army Education Corps with sterling educational qualifications and distinctions.

Madhumita is known for her bravery while being posted in Afghanistan. She was posted there as leader of the English Language Training Team when a fidayeen attack took place in February 2010. She saved ninteen lives by pulling people out from the debris. The officer was also conferred with the Sena Medal for the act of courage overseas. This was also one of the facts that the Supreme Court has considered in its order.

Earlier the top court had asked the government to allow the officer to continue her services. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Nageswara Rao passed the order giving relief to the officer who has fought a long legal battle.

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On Wednesday afternoon (November 16, 2016), Fashion Show teamed up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada to host kids of all ages for a special sneak peek of Adventure to Santa  A DreamWorks DreamPlace.

A group of 28 boys and girls were invited to visit Nevadas only Adventure to Santa featuring DreamWorks Animations Kung Fu Panda.

Adventure to Santa is a wonderful experience the children will never forget, said Sr. Marketing Manager, Fashion Show, Janet LaFevre. Thanks to our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, our hosts and magical elves were able to give the gift of holiday cheer, and introduce the children to Santa  many of them for the first time.

Upon arrival, the kids mixed and mingled with Po and set out to make the journey to the North Pole. Within the experience, the kids joined the beloved characters for an interactive game followed by a rocket-powered cart ride featuring an all-new animated film. The kids were then transported to the North Pole for a private meeting with Santa Claus, where they shared their holiday wish list.

To round out the experience, each of the kids received a keepsake photo with Santa to remember the experience.
Instead of spending fuel on different cars, BJD MP Jay Panda, NCP MP Supriya Sule and TMC MP Saugata Roy use a single SUV to travel to and from the Parliament.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: A group of new MPs have come up with a smart way to save public money and fuel at the same time. On their way to and from the Parliament after sessions, they carpool.

Instead of spending fuel on different cars, BJD MP Jay Panda, NCP MP Supriya Sule and TMC MP Saugata Roy use a single SUV to travel to and from the Parliament.

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"We car pool," MP Jay Panda told India Today with a smile, as Roy added that they do it to save fuel.

So it's clear.

They may argue and oppose one another inside the Parliament, but outside, they pitch for fuel conservation.

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Flames are seen as firefighters try to control a fire at a school in Adana, southern Turkey. Twelve people, most of them children, were killed when the fire broke out at a dormitory of the school. (DOGAN NEWS AGENCY/AFP)

The fire, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, raced through the building's wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.

Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.

Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck and whose roof collapsed.

"We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured," Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television. "According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault," he said.

The Dogan news agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under.

The disaster took place in the town of Aladag north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.

JUMPED FROM WINDOW IN PANIC

Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.

The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 7.25pm (12.25am Singapore time Wednesday) and it was brought under control some three hours later.

Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.

But Adana city Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said: "It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there," he said.

He told NTV "of course children would have survived" if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs. "From tomorrow the governor's office will start an investigation."

He said the children were aged between 11-14. Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not flee outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan news agency said.

The fire spread rapidly because of the building's wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.

Aladag district's mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan news agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden. With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.

In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, Dogan added.

The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.

Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual.

In a sign of the seriousness of the incident, several ministers were heading to the region, including Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz.

Demirtas meanwhile informed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed his sadness over the catastrophe, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Formed on June 1, 2016, the park covers 15,783 hectares, of which forests and forest land make up 6,125 ha on more than 40 islands, and water surface accounts for 9,650 ha.



The park is home to 1,909 species of fauna and flora, including 72 types of animals and 30 kinds of plants listed in Vietnams Red Book of endangered species.



Earth and stone islands like Ba Mun, Tra Ngo Lon, Tra Ngo Nho, Sau Nam, Sau Dong, Dong Ma, Hon Chinh, Lo Ho, Mang Ha Nam, Mang Ha Bac, Di To, Chay Chay, Da Ay and Soi Nhu are scattered across the park.



Limestone mountains encompass vast valleys, creating diverse living conditions for different types of fauna and flora.



The most noteworthy is Tra Ngo Lon, the largest island in the Bai Tu Long National Park. The island has a special geological structure with earth mountains in its northern part and limestone mountains with caves in the south.



Scientists said mangrove forests in Tra Ngo Lon island and the park are not consolidated by alluvium like in the Red River Delta. Instead, local plants live on mud and soil from mountains. It takes thousands of years to form these mangrove forests.



At the core of the Bai Tu Long National Park is the Ba Mun island cluster. Ba Mun island sits on an area of nearly 2,000 sq.m with over 80 species of diverse and rare flora.



Forests in Ba Mun island are home to many scarce species of animals like python reticulatus, pardofelis temminckii, macaca multta and pholidota. Therefore, the island is considered the largest wild animal reserve in Vietnams northeast.



The northeastern regions largest wildlife rescue centre was based on the island in 2010. The centre nurtures various species of animals rescued by forest rangers of the Bai Tu Long National Park from smugglers.



Besides the extremely diverse biological environment, the park also has archaeological values, with evidence of ancient Viet people residing here 14,000 years ago.



The park holds potential for tourism development, particularly ecological tourism. The management board of the park has connected tourism units both at home and abroad to organise tours.
Along with the Congress, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and some other former UPA allies also walked out of the Lok Sabha, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sitting inside.

By Brijesh Pandey: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi led his party's walkout from the Lok Sabha today in protest over the terror attack on Indian Army base in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir in which seven defence personnel, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday.

"It is the tradition in Parliament that we pay our obituary to soldiers killed in an operation. It is the first time the government has not paid its respects to the country's martyrs, hence we walked out of the House along with some Opposition parties," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament.

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Along with the Congress, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and some other former UPA allies also walked out of the Lok Sabha, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sitting inside.

Later, senior Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu defended the government's position, saying there was no obituary motion since the combing operation was still going on in Nagrota.

"The Speaker of the House informed that combing operation is underway in Nagrota. Once the operation is over, tributes will be paid in the House to the soldiers," Naidu said.

Naidu said the Congress walked out only because it wants to disrupt the House.

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The hustle and bustle of ship and boat traffic on the Te Canal, which is lined with dilapidated slums in District 7, HCM City. - VNA/VNS Photo Van Khanh

Speaking at a workshop on city slums, organised by the HCM City Architects Association, Dr. Le Huy Ba, said that nearly all canals and rivers in the city were now heavily polluted.

Most canals and rivers have been encroached upon by residents living along the canals and rivers, with more than 22 per cent of the water surface used to build houses and other concrete works.

As of July 15, the city had discovered hundreds of cases in which residents had built illegal housing near the sewer systems of canals and rivers, which led to serious flooding during heavy rains.

Architect Le Minh Thanh of the HCM City Architects Association said that foul odours were another issue, especially at the Tau Hu - Ben Nghe canal in District 1 and Tham Luong canal in District 12.

Even the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal, which was recently renovated at a cost of US$350 million, emits a bad odour, especially when the tide ebbs.

HCM City has 5,000km of canals and rivers that help drain water, thus curbing floods.

The city has been able to dredge only 80 km of canals and rivers during the past several decades, Ba said.

Thai Ngoc Hung, an architect, said all of the houses in slums along the canals and rivers had caused serious pollution and destroyed the urban landscape.

"The households need to be relocated as soon as possible," he added.

However, architect Nguyen Truong Luu, chairman of the HCM City Architect Association, said the city was continuing to struggle to seek funds for projects to improve the areas near canals and rivers in the city.

In the past, capital for such projects came from Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans and the state budget.

But now the city has to call for investment from the private sector in and outside the country.

Also, speaking at the workshop, architect Ngo Viet Nam Son said it was difficult to resettle the affected residents due to a shortage of capital for relocation.

Son said the city must create special incentives to attract more investment from the private sector for projects that would improve the environment and landscape near canals and rivers.

He also called for long-term plans to reduce pollution and improve the landscape of canals, rivers, lakes and green zones in the city.

Dr Le Van Thuong, rector of the HCM City University of Architecture, said the citys most recent landscape project near Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal had been ineffective and expensive, and that more efficient alternatives were needed.

The city needs to invite investors to join the process of urban planning to suggest the best solutions, Thuong said at the meeting.

Dr Nguyen Thiem said the city should abolish Decision 150/2004/Q-UB that regulates space needed for the planting of trees along canals or rivers. He said the space required would be a waste of the land fund.

The city should save the land for investors to operate cafes and restaurants along the rivers and canals, which could help develop tourism activities, Thiem said.

City authorities have been struggling to seek funds for a project to relocate people living in 20,000 houses in slums along canals and rivers by 2020.

The slums, mainly located in districts 4, 7, 8 and Binh Thanh, have more than 100,000 people living in unsafe and filthy conditions.

The houses, built with temporary materials, are in serious disrepair and often lack toilets. Most of their residents lack steady jobs.

District 8 accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the slums, with more than 1,000 houses lacking toilets and located in severely polluted areas, according to an official of the district Peoples Committee.

The city has developed a master plan for District 8 that envisages building apartments with blocks of 20  25 floors each for 20,000 people on 75 hectares along the oi Canal.

Around half of the land would be earmarked for green space and public and resettlement use.

Le Van Khoa, deputy chairman of the city Peoples Council, said slums had existed along canals for more than half a century. The city plans to invite investors to build housing for the relocated slum residents, he said.

To make the plan possible, the city is considering options like using more Official Development Assistance (ODA), inviting foreign investors, and reviewing all public land available.

Tran Trong Tuan, director of the citys Department of Construction, said his department would work with the Department of Planning and Architecture, consultancy agencies from the private sector and architects to suggest the best solutions.

Tat Thanh Cang, deputy secretary of HCM Citys Party Committee, praised the ideas and recommendations at the workshop.

He said the city would take into account all opinions and ideas about the best solutions to improve the areas near the canals and rivers.
This was announced at the event themed "Meetings and Business Dialogue" held in Hanoi on November 28.

Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee, said that the capital and CNN completed negotiations for a two-year administrative programme starting on January 1, 2017. The programme is implemented in the context of attracting international visitors as well as foreign direct investment (FDI) capital to Hanoi has yet to be commensurate with the citys potential.

According to Chung, the Hanoi Investment Promotion Centres promotion programmes, especially sending enterprises to participate in trade fairs abroad, have yet to yield the expected results.

Regarding attracting FDI, in ten months, Hanoi attracted 445 FDI projects with the total registered capital of $2.8 billion.Most of the capital went into big projects in prioritised or key fields, including Samsung Development and Research Centre ($300 million) and Duong River Surface Water Treatment Plant ($227 million).

However, in term of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), although Hanois PCI jumped two steps to 24th compared to the previous year, it has yet to fight its way amongst the top ten cities and provinces.

According to the statistics published by the Hanoi Department of Tourism, nearly 3.2 million foreign tourists visited Hanoi in the ten months of this year, up 23 per cent on-year. Almost all visitors came from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, France, the US, Germany, and Thailand.

Foreign arrivals to Hanoi are expected to reach nearly four million this year, up 22.6 per cent on-year.
The two-day exhibition attracted 70 Korean businesses to showcase their products to over 350 potential Vietnamese distributors and hosts some 70 buyers from other ASEAN countries.

Exhibited items are subject to the tariff reduction roadmap under the newly ratified Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement, including beauty care, kitchen-household gadgets, cosmetics and fashion, foodstuffs and beverage, LED devices, input materials for the light industry.

In recent years, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Korea has seen impressive growth.

By 2015, Vietnam surpassed Japan to become Koreas third largest export market.

Despite the decrease in Koreas total trade volume in 2016, exports to Vietnam still grew 15 per cent so far. Similarly, this year, Korea imported an aggregate $10 billion from Vietnam, up nearly 30 per cent on-year and surpassed the total annual import volume of 2015, said Lee Hyuk, Korean Ambassador to Vietnam.

Regarding investment, Korea is currently the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with 5,273 valid projects altogether worth almost $50 billion.

Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Chung told the press that Korea is the second largest investor in Hanoi, with a total of 1,175 projects and $5.033 billion capital.

In terms of tourism, Chung affirmed that the number of Korean tourists to the city this year reached 316,285, rank as the second largest source of international visitors. It also accounted for 23.4 per cent of all Korean visitors to the country.

However, the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) estimated that over 90 per cent of Korean exports to Vietnam are raw materials and intermediate goods, while imports are largely limited to agricultural and seafood as well as textile products.

The Korean Expo 2016, therefore, plays an important role in connecting Korean and Vietnamese businesses, helping the two countries achieve their pledge of $70 billion in bilateral trade volume by 2020, said Lee Hyuk.

Seeing how the local market is very promising for Korean businesses, Young Soo Kim, president and CEO of Green Zone Co., Ltd., excitedly told VIR, The exhibition has only started a few minutes ago but four potential partners already came to us. They expressed serious willingness in importing and distributing our cosmetic products in Vietnam. It is going to be a successful exhibition.
According to Nguyen Van Duoc, Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, the FDI economic sector has not only directly contributed to the provinces economic growth but also created jobs for locals and those from other localities.

The sector created a motive for the province to perfect its investment environment, policies and institutions, administrative procedures, infrastructure and human resources development, he said.

According to a provincial report, Long An has had 828 registered FDI projects with a total capital of US$5 billion.

Of which, 459 projects have been put into operation, accounting for 60%, and FDI disbursement hit US$3 billion, or 60% of total registered capital.

The provincial Party Secretary Pham Van Ranh said Long An sets to become an industrialised province by 2020. It will build high-quality industrial parks to call for foreign investors and create key industrial sectors.

Improving the investment environment is one of Long Ans focuses, he said, adding that the province makes specific annual plans on improving provincial competitive index and streamlines administrative procedures, especially those on land, tax and customs.

In addition, the province will also concentrate on completing the infrastructure system, particularly transport, electricity and water to provide all necessary conditions for investment projects to effectively operate in the locality.

According to Tran Van Can, Chairman of the Long An Peoples Committee, the province pledges to create a favourable and healthy business environment for investors, especially foreign ones. However, investment projects must use environmentally friendly technologies, he noted.

Long An currently has 28 industrial parks with a combined area of 10,220 hectares, of which 16 are operating with a occupancy rate of 61%.

Besides, the province also has 32 industrial clusters covering 3,368 hectares, with 14 operational with an occupancy rate of 88%.
During a working session with a delegation of Asahikawas Governments officials and businesses on November 28 in Quang Ninh, Dang Huy Hau, Vice Standing Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee introduced the economic and agricultural development in the province.



He highlighted that Quang Ninh has a large market both at home and abroad for agricultural products, adding that local farm produces are diverse and abundant, especially aquatic products.

Recently, the province has restructured its agriculture sector towards a goods-producing agriculture. However, production has yet to meet the market demands, he said.



Hau attributed the situation to the small scale of agricultural production in the locality, along with poor technology, which forced local firms to export only raw material with low value.



He underscored that Quang Ninh is keen on cooperating with businesses from countries with developed agriculture to help the locality boost sectors growth to meet requirements of domestic and foreign markets. This is among priority of the province currently, he revealed.



Hau noted that over the past years, Quang Ninh has partnered with a number of foreign firms, including those from Japan in producing safe agricultural products, which has seen a number of achievements.



He held that the meeting is a good chance for agricultural enterprises in Quang Ninh to set up comprehensive and effective affiliation with their Japanese counterparts. He proposed that the Japanese Asahikawa delegation will support Quang Ninhs firms in conducting joint projects in the locality.



The Asahikawa delegation made fact-finding tours to Quang Ninhs Hong Thai Tay high-tech agricultural production area to sea the current production technology in the site.



Basing on what the Japanese firms have learnt during the visit, Hau suggested that the Japanese side design financial and human resources plan for cooperation projects, while implementing pilot projects in the field of agriculture in coordination with local firms of Quang Ninh, which will be expanded later.



Earlier, the Asahikawa delegation also visited a number of agriculture firms, including Viet Long company, Song Hanh company in Quang Yen town, and Hoa Phong high quality agricultural product production cooperative in Dong Trieu town.



On the framework of the visit, leaders and local businesses of Asahikawa city visited a number of markets and trade centres in the locality.
The Ministry of Transport has proposed the Ministry of Finance consider its capital increase plan. The 191.1 million shares are expected to bring in VND1.6 trillion ($70.4 million).

Each shareholder who owns 100 shares will be allowed to buy an additional 15.5753 shares. The issue will be made after approval from the State Securities Commission, expected in the first quarter of 2017.

2015 marked a major milestone for the airline, becoming a joint stock company, with the close relationship between the airline and shareholders having a major influence on and playing a key role in its sustainable development.

Japans largest airline group, ANA Holdings, finalized a deal on May 28 to become a shareholder. Valued at $109 million, the shares represent an 8.771 per cent holding. The deal was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

Vietnam Airlines has announced recently that it will trade on the Unlisted Public Company (UPCoM) market from December under the code HVN, with over 1.22 billion shares and a registered stock value of more than VND12.2 trillion ($549 million).

The total value of VND12.2 trillion ($549 million) is equal to its registered capital and the 1.22 billion shares have a starting price of VND10,000 ($0.45) per share.

Vietnam Airlines fleet now stands at 89 aircraft, including two new generation aircraft - the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787. Its network covers 29 international and 20 domestic destinations, and it conducts 66 flights a week to Narita and Haneda Airports in Tokyo, Chubu Airport in Nagoya, Kansai Airport in Osaka, and Fukuoka Airport in Japan.

It earned VND43.3 trillion ($1.9 billion) in revenue in the first nine months of this year, with pre-tax profit of VND1.7 trillion ($76.3 million), a four-fold increase year-on-year and 10.6 per cent higher than the 2016 plan. It also contributed VND3.9 trillion ($174 million) to the State budget, up 24 per cent year-on-year.

The national flag carrier conducted over 106,000 domestic and international flights during the nine months, or 10.5 per cent more than in the same period last year. It carried 14.9 million passengers, up 16.4 per cent year-on-year, with domestic passengers up 13 per cent. Cargo transported totaled 193,000 tons, up 21 per cent.

Consolidated revenue stood at VND52.5 trillion ($2.3 billion), an increase of 6 per cent year-on-year, while consolidated pre-tax profit reached VND2.6 trillion ($116.5 million).
A Congress-led Opposition today launched a fresh attack on the government over the Nagrota terror strike in which seven soldiers were killed

By India Today Web Desk: While the debate on demonetisation has already rocked Parliament since the start of the Winter Session, the Opposition, led by the Congress, today launched a fresh attack on the government, this time over the Nagrota strike in which seven soldiers were killed.

"Since (Manohar) Parrikar became the Defence Minister, this is the third terror attack in a residential area or a heavily-guarded base camp. Parrikar is behaving like the chief minister of Goa and not a Defence Minister," said Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh.

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The Congress senior leader said Parrikar has failed as a defence minister. Not sparing the Prime Minister, Digvijaya Singh said, "In words, Narendra Modi is the strongest but in action there is no match to Dr Manmohan Singh".

ALSO READ: Nagrota: Bravery of officers' wives averts hostage crisis

GOVERNMENT ON AN EGO TRIP

Demanding an obituary reference for the martyred soldiers in the Nagrota terror attack, Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa said the demand should have come from the government.

ALSO WATCH

"It is the minimum they can do for our soldiers. Unfortunately, the Modi government is not willing to listen to the Opposition on not even one issue. It seems they are on an ego trip," the Congress leader said.

ALSO READ: Nagrota attack: Congress demands tribute to martyrs, walks out of Lok Sabha

Bajwa said the government's surgical strike across the Line of Control has failed to stop attacks from the neighbour.

HOMAGE TO PEOPLE WHO DIED IN QUEUES

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, "The House must first pay homage to them (soldiers), and after that to the 82 people who have died due to government's wrong policy (of demonetisation)."

He was joined by Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy who also pressed for an obituary reference for the soldiers as well as for the "people who have died in the queues".

ALSO READ: Jaitley, Sharad Yadav exchange banter over demonetisation in Rajya Sabha

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati, Janata Dal-United's (JD-U) Sharad Yadav and Samajwadi Party's (SP) Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the same demand.

Ram Gopal Yadav also reiterated the demand for compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the people who have died in bank queues post demonetisation.

(with inputs from agencies)

ALSO READ: Revenge for Afzal Guru, said paper found with one of the Nagrota attackers

ALSO READ: BJP to launch major welfare schemes for Dalits to save skin after demonetisation effects

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This is awesome, I also got it for the same deal (tried getting it for $99 but people were lined up since 3-4AM). I also installed VirtualDJ and tried connecting it to my NS7 but didn't work (I think it was because of low battery) but I will give it another try and see if I can actually use the NS7 with this because that would be pretty cool... This tablet is so awesome! I will also try to plug in my Discovery DJ controller that I have (this may work but since it needs to be powered by the computer I doubt it unless I get a powered USB hub). I can post pictures on later on if things work out lol. Crazy how technology just keep advancing.



Cheers,



DJBoy
Editors Note: A leading genocide expert, Dr. Alexander L. Hinton is a professor of anthropology at Rutgers University, Newark, and director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights and UNESCO chair at Rutgers. His latest book, Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer, is a study not just of Comrade Duch, the notorious chief of the S-21 Security Center in Phnom Penh, thousands were tortured and starved to death, but of why people resort to extreme violence and dehumanize others. Dr. Hinton spoke to VOA Khmer reporter Sopheada Phy by telephone.

VOA: What are the issues mainly discussed in your book?

AH: The issues are reflected by the title of the book, Man or Monster? The Trial of the Khmer Rouge Torturer. But more basically, the book is about Duch, his past torture, the prison that he ran  S -21, which is now Tuol Sleng  the court that tried him, and, in some sense, the meaning of justice. But more broadly, the book is also a story about what it means to be human, and how his story may not be very so far from our own since the ways of categorizing other human beings in reductive ways is part of our everyday life.

What can readers learn from you book?

Well, in one sense, in terms of history and anthropology, the book is about Duch as a person, and the path that took him to S-21 and to be tried at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal. The book also considers the tribunal itself and the juridical process that led ultimately to conviction, and also speaks more broadly to Cambodian history and the genocide that took place there. But again, going back to the title of the book, Man or Monster? in some sense, it is the question that we pose about him, but it is also the question that says something about ourselves. By viewing him in this way, we are engaging in the same sort of reductive thinking that a perpetrator uses to view victims.

I 'd just like to elaborate a little bit. The cover of the book comes from the photograph that was defaced at Tuol Sleng museum that is now on site of S-21, and people had inscribed graffiti, using words like evil, going to the Buddhist hell, and different things. And again, I was really struck by this because it shows that we can very easily slip into the same reductive type of thinking that is taken to the extreme in a place like S-21 and the torture chamber, where complex human beings are described in a very reductive way, and in doing so, it makes it easier to harm other human beings, what I refer to as the banality of everyday thought.

You use this term banality of everyday thought in the book. What do you mean by this?

Scholars who have looked at different causes or factors that lead to genocide or mass violence, some of the common ones, you tend to have genocide in a context of upheaval, you tend to have genocide in a context of polarization as well, and you have a situation, in which you have an ideology of hate thats operative. So, you have these general backdrops in a context of Democratic Kampuchea, what preceded it: you have the civil war, you have the larger backdrop of the conflict in Vietnam, you have economic upheaval that had taken place. In such situations, often people look for other messages of meaning, and ideologues offer these messages. Paradoxically and ironically, they are often driven by things like social justice. But, thinking specifically about Democratic Kampuchea, they [Khmer Rouge leaders] had the desire, in one sense, to make the world a better place.

What would justice look like for the Cambodian survivors of the regime?

That is a complicated question. I would say, I would never want to answer for Cambodians. Of course, thats for Cambodians to decide, and also it is an individual question, in some sense, so each person has to answer that for themselves. But, more broadly, [with] people that I have spoken to, there seems to be a genuine desire to have justice of a sort. What justice means is a broader question, and people also answered that differently. But, some sort of accounting  holding accountable of people who committed the violence that took place during Democratic Kampuchea  in some sense, holding them accountable, and also coming to understand why this event took place. It also gets to the question what does justice mean? and people define justice in different sorts of ways. The notion of legalistic justice  justice that is exacted or undertaken in accordance with the rule of law with a higher standard -- Hannah Arendt herself referred to this sort of legalism. With regard to the question about the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge, people answer in different ways. I think its clear that it will be impossible to try all of former Khmer Rouge. For example, in Rwanda, it took far too long [so they] used a form of community justice. So, that would be one possibility in Cambodia, perhaps that something like that, but it looks like that its not going to happen.

So do you think that the Khmer Rouge Tribunal has been partly successful?

Oh yes. I think you would never find any tribunal anywhere that has ever been completely successful. With international justice that is placed into a context that is highly political, and they are always politicized to some extent, the question is to what extent? So again, I would say there is no such thing as perfect justice. The ECCC delivers at least a qualified justice and that justice is better than no justice.

Some observers have questioned whether the Tribunal is important to Cambodians. What do you think?

Its a good question. In some sense, if I reverse it and say would you be surprised if every single person in Cambodia were incredibly interested in the work of the tribunal? That to me would be remarkable. I live in the United States, which just had an election, and in that election, half of the people didnt vote. Half of the people, for different reasons, chose not to vote. There are short term and long term goals. The long term goal [involved] these two things: the legalistic goal of holding people accountable, and the didactic goal  teaching people lessons. I would be surprised if people werent concerned about their livelihood, as it is absolutely critical. The outcomes of international justice are often exaggerated. There is a real problem with managing expectation, and I think people recognize that the trial can take certain limited steps towards having people get some sort of justice, but also to promote [a degree] of reconciliation and increase understanding. If you have limited goals, the qualified justice that the ECCC may provide, thats there for people, even if there has been clear controversy that needs to be taken into account that undermines some of the legitimacy of the court.

Do you think people are moving on while they are still traumatized?

I dont think we have a situation that is sometimes presented where Cambodians since 1979 have been living in a state of trauma, unable to come to terms with the past. I think that, very much otherwise, many Cambodians, who have gone on with their lives in different ways, [have] coped with the past. It is clear that some people have trauma, but I dont think by any means the majority of people. Sometimes the media in different places depicts it in this manner. This [tribunal] is part of a process that began back in 1979, continues into the present, and may well go on into the future. With educational efforts, for example, the teaching about the genocide through the Documentation Center of Cambodia, the undertaking of different initiatives done by civil society, some reparation projects potentially that would go on to the future. Its one step. Its not the only step. There have been a number of steps that have been taken before this. There will be a number of steps that will be taken after this. This is one step in a process. We can appreciate what the court has achieved, even though we see the problems that have emerged and need to be recognized and discussed as well.

Do you have any final thoughts?

I hope it [the book] is translated into Khmer. That would be a great honor if that would be the case because people in Cambodia can read it. Its only available in English right now. As I said, besides having this lesson about history, it also has a lesson about what it means to be a human being, one that resonates with Buddhism in a sense that you have the ego and the desire to buttress the ego that leads to [suffering]. But, again, the notion of effacement  effacing conviction  is the idea that we need to acknowledge other human beings by trying as best as we can, not to think in rigid way about other people. Because [doing so is one] of the seeds of mass violence and genocide.

Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.
The highly charged nature of the recent U.S. presidential election, which saw a surprise victory for the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, led to a surge in local campaigning.



Carol Marek, Democratic Party precinct captain for Lynbrook, arrived at her post at Lynbrook Elementary School, before the polling station had opened.



I organize volunteers and what we do is we greet the voters as they come in and give them a sample of democratic ballot to let them know who our candidates are and our position on the ballot issues, Marek said.



As well as trying to convince the electorate to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Marek sees local issues as important, such as taxes on per-prepared food and beverages, known as the meals tax.



Well, I think the big one is school funding, she said. I think the schools need more money to reduce classroom size and also to increase pay for teachers, so this meals tax we have will raise $70 million that will go to the school budget.



At another polling station, at JEB Stuart High School, volunteers also tried to convince voters, but were kept at least 12 meters from the polling station due to state law.



Paul Anderson, chief of the Falls Church precinct, said the volunteers were there to assist voters.



We also allow people who are unable to get into the precinct to vote at curbside if they are older or they have physical limitations, he said, but we have lots of signs inside on how to fill out the ballots. We have people who can advise you without looking at the ballot in terms of how to fill it out.



Other than a few minor complaints, Anderson said there had been no irregularities reported, going against claims that the election was rigged.



Its certainly not happening here, he said.



People from both parties have to have participated in that. And they all have to sign that they see that its fair. So there are a lot cross-checks, too, so it would be difficult to alter the results without it is being obvious to someone and then its checked again when it gets to the county the rest of this week. So there is no doubt that this is a fair election.



A Cambodian-American voter, Lim Rattana, from Falls Church, was a swing voter.



I always change the candidate I vote for, Rattana said. I dont vote for one party forever or want anyone to run for life. We have to change to see new leadership or different views to better lead the country.



In this election, Rattana voted for Clinton.



Ive chosen Hillary Clinton because I believe that she is competent in leading our country, he said. She has good internal and external relations and she is reasonable. For Donald Trump, he is okay, but he is not a real politician. He is simply a businessman and his talk does not satisfy me.



Voter turnout in Fairfax was high at 70 to 80 percent compared to the national level, where fewer than half of the electorate voted.
Due to the bravery of two army wives, who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns, the plans of the terrorists could not materialise.

By Press Trust of India: Bravery of the wives of two army officers who were staying in the family quarters helped in averting a major hostage crisis during the encounter that took place in Nagrota area of Jammu.

Soon after the heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniform entered an army unit located within three kms from the headquarters of the 16 Corps, they wanted to enter the family quarters where they could take the families of the soldiers and officers hostage.

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However, due to the bravery of these two women, who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns, the plans of the terrorists could not materialise.

"The wives of the two army officers, who were on night duty when the encounter broke out, displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all the household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses," an army officer privy to the encounter told PTI.

DAMAGE AVERTED

Had the women not shown this alertness, the terrorists would have been able to take them hostage and would have succeeded in causing huge damage to the army and the families, he said.

Also read: Parliament adjourned for the day over Opposition's demand of obituary reference for Nagrota martyrs

"The terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by officers, families and men. This led to a hostage-like situation. The situation was very quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two women and two babies," Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

The two babies rescued are 18-month and two-month-old, the officer said. However, in the rescue attempt one more officer and two jawans sacrificed their lives, the spokesman said.

He said the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations were in progress to sanitise the complete area.

"The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries. In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers of the Army were martyred," he said.

The Army has not called off the operation as they want to be fully sure that the area has been completely sanitised.

Also read: Nagrota attack: Combing operations resume to trace fourth suspected terrorist

--- ENDS ---
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein has warned of an alarming deterioration of human rights and an erosion of international institutions and laws threatening the social cohesion of nations.

During a year-end review to the U.N. Human Rights Council, the high commissioner singled out an agreement between the government of Colombia and the FARC rebel group, which ended more than five decades of war, as a rare bright spot in an otherwise troubling human rights picture.

High Commissioner Zeid said he is particularly concerned about the worsening situation in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

"Most shockingly, he said, my office has no access to any area of Syria, even as the vast majority of the people of eastern Aleppo are still trapped in a sharply worsening siege.

The United Nations has not been able to deliver food or other humanitarian aid to the estimated 275,000 civilians in eastern Aleppo since early July. The World Food Program distributed its last stock of food rations to the besieged inhabitants on November 13.

Pounded by accelerating bombardment and deliberately deprived of food and medical care, many of them - including small children - report that they are simply waiting for death, Zeid said. He called this a nightmare which clearly violates the most basic norms of human rights and any shred of human decency.

Iraq



Reporting on Iraq, the high commissioners deputy, Kate Gilmore, enumerated the many serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law being committed by Islamic State militants in their effort to prevent the Iraqi military from retaking the city of Mosul.

She said IS, also known as ISIL, was installing rocket launchers and placing snipers on the rooftops of civilian homes.

Those who refuse to allow their homes to be used for these purposes are threatened or killed, she said. Families are effectively used as human shields, placed squarely and deliberately in harms way.

She said hundreds of people have reportedly been abducted by IS and moved to unknown locations and people suspected of leaking information to the Iraqi Security Forces were killed.

Gilmore cautioned against giving into despair. She said it was high time for all parties, all communities, and all Iraqis to start planning for the day after ISIL.

She said, There urgently needs to be a negotiated, inclusive settlement for all people of Iraq to break the cycles of violence and to build a truly inclusive democratic state with full respect for human rights.

For this to happen, she said it was important that there be justice for victims and survivors of crimes, violations and abuses.

ICC withdrawals



While agreeing with this assessment, High Commissioner Zeid said he was worried that international concern for victims justice was wearing away. Without naming them, he noted that three countries - South Africa, Burundi and Gambia - have announced plans to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, and a fourth country - Russia - also had changed its mind about joining the ICC, which prosecutes war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

These withdrawals, in my view, are a betrayal of the rights of victims of the most grave human rights violations, he said.

Zeid warned the erosion of international institutions and laws is threatening global instability and, in turn, was leading to a rise of xenophobia and intolerance in many states.

Zeid said many of his recent missions to western Europe and North America included discussions of increasingly worrying levels of incitement to racial or religious hatred and violence, whether against migrants or racial and religious groups.

He accused political leaders of stoking discrimination and said the number of hate crimes appeared to be rising in several countries.

Ethnic discrimination



The high commissioner also turned to what he called two especially worrying situations - Burundi and Myanmar. He said growing fear of ethnic discrimination in Burundi was swelling the exodus of refugees, with numbers increasing from 270,000 to 325,000 during the past four months.

Zeid denounced the Burundi government's plan to launch a review of the ethnic balance in all public and semi-public institutions. He said the requirement for all staff to declare their ethnic identity was a potentially dangerous move.

He expressed alarm at reports from Myanmar of alleged extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence and massive destruction of houses, during security operations in northern Rakhine state.

Zeid said these operations have led to the displacement of up to 30,000 members of the Rohingya community during the past seven weeks. He warned security operations that violated fundamental human rights would deepen grievances and may lead to far greater violence.
Austria's elections on Sunday could see Norbert Hofer chosen as the country's first far-right leader since World War II. Austrians will head to the polls following a victory this week by Francois Fillon, the more right-leaning of two candidates in France's conservative primary.

Analysts say voters in both countries are being heavily influenced by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

Fillon, a former prime minister under President Nicolas Sarkozy, was the more conservative of two top candidates running for president in France's Republican Party primary elections Sunday. He has been compared to the late British conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for his calls to slash government spending, cut taxes for the wealthy, boost defense and get rid of France's 35-hour work week.

Analysts say his victory points to a clear swing to the right among French voters, a trend that was already visible in the rise of Marine Le Pen's far-right, anti-immigrant National Front, whose popularity ratings soared after a series of terrorist attacks shook France last summer.

Fillon's victory heading into the French general elections next year is also a further sign that anti-establishment sentiments are brewing in France much in the same way as they have been in the United States and elsewhere in Europe.

Another outsider

Many voters consider Fillon, a lawyer-turned-politician, an outsider like Trump and think he could bring a set of fresh ideas in the wake of an administration led by Socialist President Francois Hollande, whom newspapers have depicted in cartoons and commentaries as comatose. Hollande's approval ratings slipped to 4 percent in November.

This Sunday's presidential elections in Austria could reflect a similar trend and serve as a test for the strength of populist movements in Europe.

The Austrian poll is a rerun of elections held in May, when results showed the Freedom Party's Hofer, a former aeronautical engineer, lost by 31,000 votes to Alexander Van der Bellen, a Green Party member who ran as an independent. Austria's constitutional court overturned the results after an investigation found irregularities in the counting of mailed-in ballots.

Analysts attribute the rise of populist, right-wing movements in Europe to anger over a system that voters see as corrupt and rigged against the common person.

"You find that governments and lawmakers are losing the trust of their citizens," said Maggie Murphy, senior global advocacy manager at Transparency International. The group recently released a study that found one in three citizens polled in Europe and Central Asia considered corruption a big problem in their countries. That was the case not only in former Eastern Bloc countries and Central Asia, but in highly developed Western European democracies like Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

'Elites not listening'

"Nearly one-third of people found their governments and their lawmakers were highly corrupt  not just a little bit corrupt, but highly corrupt," she said. "People felt that the wealthy were playing a bigger role in the government decision-making than they should be." There was a link, she said, between people's frustration and what they see as "elites not listening to them."

That sentiment partly explains the rise of right-wing movements in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel will seek a fourth term next year despite signs of a deteriorating base.

Merkel's Christian Democrats came in third in regional elections in her home district in September, beaten by the new Alternative for Germany party, AfD.

"It's a pretty amazing thing when you think a party only formed three years ago can end up defeating Angela Merkel's party," said Douglas Murray, a commentator and associate director of the Henry Jackson Society in London. He said the losses reflected anger among voters who feel they have been ignored or written off for complaining about things like Merkel's policy of accepting refugees in large numbers.

"People who vote for AfD will be smeared by a lot of people at the moment as far right, racists, xenophobes and so on, whereas in actual fact a more sensible thing to do, it would seem to me, would be to listen to the serious concerns that a lot of people have, wonder how it is that an only three-year-old party of any political stripe could emerge and whether or not it doesn't indeed have some legitimate concerns. I would argue that it does," he said.

Mistrust of the media is another concern, one that has been seized by anti-establishment politicians who accuse news outlets of downplaying terrorist attacks and problems related to immigration.

Cautious approach

"A lot of the media believe they have to tread very carefully, and they may not be entirely wrong. If we were to have terrorist attacks at the rate that they were going in July in Europe, you would see serious civil unrest in Europe," Murray said. But he said the age of the internet has brought other dangers.

"If a lot of the media continue to do that, they will simply push people further away from reputable mainstream media resources and into the arms of less reputable media," he said, referring to the emergence of fake news sites and portals that promote hatred and misinformation.

Many Europeans watched the U.S. elections closely, and leaders of right-wing movements in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and other European nations holding elections in the coming months hope to get a boost from Trump's victory.

Among those politicians is Geert Wilders, a controversial member of the Dutch parliament known for his criticism of Islam and immigration. Wilders is awaiting a verdict after being tried on charges of inciting hatred after leading a chant at a rally calling for the Netherlands to accept fewer Moroccan immigrants.

Wilders' Freedom Party is topping the polls ahead of the Netherlands' parliamentary elections in March, and the momentum of his movement is evident. Dutch members of parliament on Tuesday voted to ban the burqa, an Islamic face covering, from public places including schools, hospitals and public transportation.

In an interview with the Russian network Russia Today, he cited Trump's election as an example for Europe.

"The lesson for Europeans is look at America. What America can do, we can do as well," Wilders said.
Azerbaijan's parliament on Wednesday made online defamation of the president a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.

With almost all traditional media strictly controlled by the government, social media networks have become outlets for people to voice criticism in a country where the economy has suffered from the global slump in oil prices and a depreciating currency.

Azerbaijan criminalized defamation over the internet three years ago, meaning many people now use aliases and covert accounts, but the existing law made no separate mention of the president.

Parliament on Wednesday passed amendments imposing fines of up to 1,500 manats ($860) and prison terms of up to three years for defamation of the president committed online, including comments which are made under fake names and accounts.

European institutions and rights bodies accuse the oil-producing ex-Soviet state and its leader Ilham Aliyev of tightening curbs on free expression and have been calling the president to reject the law. Azeri officials deny these accusations.
Ships ply the wide sweep of the Garonne River, bringing tourists and wine connoisseurs to this iconic city whose skyline glitters in the morning sun. But Karfa Diallo, gazing out at the water, remembers a much grimmer commercial past.

For more than 150 years, Bordeaux was France's second-largest slave-trading hub after the city of Nantes, dispatching ships that transported some 130,000 slaves from Africa to the Americas. They returned laden with coffee, cacao, spices and tobacco, helping to enrich the city coffers.

Today, as head of the small association Memoires et Partages (Memories and Sharing), Diallo is on a mission to spread awareness about the darker legacy of Bordeaux, which he believes it has yet to fully confront.

"The image of wine is very hard to reconcile with the image of slavery," said Senegalese-born Diallo, from his small office packed with books and posters. "That's why the city was very late in giving history the place it merited in public spaces and schools."

The association conducts two-hour walking tours "to make this history accessible to everyone," Diallo says. It has also lobbied municipal authorities for years to erect explanatory plaques and memorials  and, for a time, even to change street signs named after famous slave traders.

In some ways, official France came to terms with the horrors of slavery in 2001 with a law recognizing the scourge as a crime against humanity. Five years later, former president Jacques Chirac proclaimed a national day of remembrance for its victims, saying that facing up to the country's colonial past was "key to national cohesion."

But with the far-right gaining ground, and mounting fears of rising racism and xenophobia across Europe, Diallo believes his work has gained added relevance.

"You can't call it a crisis in Europe because it's been going on for years with the difficult economic conditions," he said. "And Europe, this old continent, has a tendency to fall back on native Europeans before the others. Which makes immigrants the easy target for all problems."

Diallo is an immigrant himself, arriving here as a law student two decades ago from his native Dakar, whose Goree Island, just off the coast, marked the exit point for legions of African slaves bound for the Americas.

His studies took a U-turn when he began probing Bordeaux's own departure point.

"I realized this town enriched itself on the blood and sweat of my ancestors and did nothing to remember this," he said.

On a recent morning, Diallo gives a visitor an abbreviated version of his slave tour. At the Place de la Bourse, he points to the elegant customs museum where traders once paid duties for their colonial merchandise. And to the African heads carved into a nearby building.

Across from the opera, he ducks into a crowded restaurant to show a copy of a fresco  the original is inside the opera  with a slave linked to a monkey.

The next stop is the river, where Diallo pauses next to a small plaque, easily lost amid the wide esplanade filled with bikers and joggers. It bears witness to the first slave-trading ship that left the city's port at the end of the 17th century  and to the hundreds that followed until 1837.

Bordeaux's city hall inaugurated the plaque more than a decade ago, striking down lobbies for a larger memorial as too costly. But, across the river, it has added a bust of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the 18th-century leader of the world's largest slave revolt in Haiti. The local museum now has several rooms dedicated to the city's slave-trading past. And recently, municipal authorities launched a citizen questionnaire about what more can be done.

"But we need to do it intelligently, without accusations," said Deputy Mayor Marik Fetouh. "We can't be responsible for what our ancestors did. Every class, all the Bordelais economy, participated in the slave trade, as did Africans and Arabs."

Diablo agrees the city's past must be taught without bitterness.

"Our discourse isn't about shaming people, but is measured and thought out," he said of his tours. "Especially trying to tell the story of slavery around the world, not just the West, but also the Arabic-Muslim world and in Africa."

There also appears to be growing consensus between Diallo and city hall for explanatory plaques on streets named after slave traders, rather than discarding the names altogether.

As he walks down Bordeaux streets, Diallo stops often to greet friends and clients.

"I have become profoundly Bordelais, because in some ways I grew up here," he said. "I became a father here. This city gave me a sense of my life, even though it was not at all planned."
The ashes of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro began a three-day procession across the island nation Wednesday.



Castro died Friday night at the age of 90. His body was cremated as Cuba began a nine-day period of mourning for the polarizing leader who was celebrated by some as a champion of the poor and harshly criticized by others as a tyrant who wrecked the country's economy and violated human rights.



Memorial services began Monday in the capital and in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, where Castro started the Cuban revolution in 1953.



The procession of his ashes is moving east from Havana following in reverse the route Castro and his rebels fighters took as they advanced on the capital from the Sierra Maestra mountains before taking power in January 1959.



"It's a kind of symbolic closure to his rule.  The Castro era began with the triumph of the revolution and Fidel's march across the country. Now he's gone and they retrace that route, and the Cubans of this era have a chance to say goodbye, William LeoGrande, an American University professor of Latin American politics, told the Associated Press.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Havana's Revolution Square Tuesday to honor Castro.



The crowd chanted "Long live the revolution!" and "Fidel! Fidel!" as leftist Latin American allies and other leaders from the region and Africa joined the memorial rally. Leaders from elsewhere in the world were absent, with some countries sending lower level officials.



Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called Castro as a "true friend of Russia," said he needed to focus on preparing a major speech and was not traveling to the island.



White House officials said President Barack Obama asked Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the presidents nominee to be ambassador to Havana, to represent the United States.



But at Tuesday's event in Havana there was praise for Castro from leaders such as Bolivian President Evo Morales and Nicaraguan President Nicolas Maduro.



"Fidel has not died because they do not die, those people who fight for their freedom," Morales told those at the rally.



Maduro said Castro had accomplished "beyond the greatest expectations."

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had more tempered remarks in support of the Cuban people that noted changes since Castro's brother Raul took over power in 2006.



"We recognize the steps taken in a sovereign manner being taken towards a more open country, economically and politically," he said. "We Mexicans express our commitment to continue accompanying Cuba and its people as friends, as we've always done, on its historic march towards a more inclusive and prosperous society."



Castro, raised near Santiago de Cuba, launched his revolt against the rule of Fulgencio Batista in 1953 from the southeastern city, finally toppling the U.S.-backed leader and seizing power in 1959. He set up a one-party socialist government, which constantly defied Washington and allied itself with the former Soviet Union.
Researchers say that giving anti-malarial drugs to older children can significantly reduce overall transmission of disease. Currently, most such programs are limited to the under-fives, but a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shows that expanding the intervention can lower the number of malaria cases.

The World Health Organization estimates there were 214 million new cases of malaria in 2015  and 438,000 deaths, with by far the majority of fatalities in sub-Saharan Africa.



In Senegal, health workers from charities like Speak Up Africa have been testing a new approach: giving preventive anti-malarial drugs to children up to the age of 10 during the rainy season, when malaria prevalence is highest. Its known as seasonal malaria chemoprevention, or SMC.



Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted a study of 200,000 children in the program.



The treatments then have to be repeated at strictly four-week intervals, and thats quite challenging in terms of implementing that in rural Africa. But despite that, countries have been quick to adopt this new approach, said Professor Paul Milligan, who led the investigation.



Major reduction in cases



And its showing results. In Senegal, the SMC program more than halved cases of malaria in children under 10. It also reduced cases in those above 10 years of age by a quarter  by helping to reduce transmission of the disease.



By expanding the age range, one is then treating a larger fraction of the parasite reservoir, which is the source of infection to mosquitoes, Milligan said.





The SMC program has been rolled out to 11 countries, reaching about 15 million children up to the age of five in 2016.



Milligan says the latest results show the programs should be expanded to include older children.



What we found was that if youre going door-to-door, it doesnt take much extra time to treat older children, and that if you go out of school hours then you can get high coverage even during term time, he said.



Milligan says the next step is to identify other parts of Africa that could benefit from expanding the SMC program to older children.
Researchers say that giving anti-malarial drugs to older children can significantly reduce overall transmission of disease. Currently, most such programs are limited to the under-fives  but a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shows that expanding the intervention can lower the number of malaria cases. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.
A Chinese state institution warned this week that Beijing is ready to set up an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the contested South China Sea, giving it the authority to screen foreign aircraft. But analysts say any enforcement would anger other countries without deterring traffic.

That measure would follow a series of steps to control the movement of foreign ships in the same sea, underlining China's intent to hold its vast maritime claims after a world court tribunal ruled in July that it lacked a legal argument.

China calls 95 percent of the sea its own and its militarization of tiny islets since 2010 has angered officials from Jakarta to Washington. Beijing reportedly toyed with the idea of an ADIZ in July after the court verdict.

More likely if they do decide to progress toward this, it would be kind of a patchwork approach in which military exercises have closure areas, and that would be the sort of trial point to extend the geographic scope of those or the duration of those from there rather than go for an all-out ADIZ, said Euan Graham, international security director for the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney.

The government-run Chinese think tank, the National Institute of South China Sea Studies, said that because of an estimated 700 U.S. surveillance patrols in the sea last year, Beijing was ready to set up the air zone unless Washington stopped the activity.

The U.S. government counts a lot of Chinas neighbors as allies and calls most of the sea international waters. China says the rival superpower is trying to contain its expansion.

Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan Vietnam and the Philippines also claim all or parts of a sea thats rich in fisheries and may hold valuable undersea fossil fuel reserves. The South China sea covers 3.5 million square km (1.4 million square miles) from Taiwan to Singapore.

China could feasibly set up an air zone, called an ADIZ for short, using radars if it built up Scarborough Shoal west of the Philippines, said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor of politics at The University of New South Wales in Australia. That installation would give it the third corner of a triangle connecting the Paracel and Spratly island chains.

But since the arbitration ruling in July, other claimants have eagerly talked to China rather than testing the anti-Beijing verdict. Southeast Asian countries that compete with China for maritime control also look to it for trade and investment.

I just dont think the Chinese are in a capability position to (enforce and ADIZ), Graham said. I think the politics of the South China Sea at the moment are rolling their way and I think that would suggest a more cautious approach.

Based on the fallout from Chinas declared ADIZ over part of the East China Sea near Shanghai three years ago, foreign airlines are unlikely to defy any new order from Beijing to have flights screened, experts say.

China has turned back only one aircraft, a commercial plane from Laos, citing an incomplete flight plan.

But military aircraft from Japan, which has an East China Sea zone overlapping Chinas, and the United States are flying through the ADIZ as usual.

Military aircraft from Japan, which has an East China Sea zone overlapping Chinas, and the United States are flying through the ADIZ as usual. China has turned back only one aircraft, a commercial plane from Laos, citing an incomplete flight plan.

China has also established rules and assigned vessels to check foreign ships, with a fresh order in July this year. Those measures are also expected to have little impact on actual traffic.

Ships and boats must get approval from regional Chinese authorities before any fishing or surveying, state media said in December 2014. The order by Hainan province in southern China took effect in January 2015 and was set to cover two-thirds of the sea.

Vessels from Vietnam and the Philippines continue to use that tract of water as before. About half the world's marine shipping traffic also uses the South China Sea, and Beijing's orders have not disrupted it.

But this year the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration gave an order barring foreign vessels from a 63,000 square kilometer tract near Vietnam and the Paracels for a six-day naval exercise. U.S. ships said they would not honor the block, according to a U.S. Naval Institute report.

In one of its closest calls, China sent warships to trail the U.S. Navys USS Lassen destroyer as it passed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island in the Spratly chain. The U.S. ship went to show the waters were free for international use.

But Thayer said to avoid a backlash from around the region, China will not stop marine shipping crucial to the economies of East Asia.

I dont think anybody in Southeast Asia believes China is going to interfere with commercial navigation, Thayer said. China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan are just too dependent, he said. (If) China did something like that, it would affect the global economy. It would cause massive push back. China is really upset about military aircraft, ships, because it just claims stuff.

This year China also built a second 10,000-ton coast guard cutter for protecting Chinas maritime rights, the pro-Communist Party Global Times in Beijing said. The first ship began patrolling the East China Sea last year. Chinese coast guard vessels periodically travel with fishing boats for protection in the South China Sea.

China may want its rules, ships and infrastructure in place for selective, long-term use rather than to turn away every boat, said Andrew Yang, secretary general with the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank in Taiwan.

I dont think theyre going to do that aggressively, Yang said. Their infrastructure construction surrounding the Paracels and other South China Sea islands are already in place. So they just wait and see and just continue to do so.
The top U.S. Coast Guard official is eyeing a unique role for his fleet in maintaining peace and stability in the East and the South China seas under the incoming presidential administration.

By mirroring the role of China's Coast Guard in parts of the Asia-Pacific, said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft, the U.S. Coast Guard could be the face of U.S. military presence in disputed waters without appearing too threatening.

"When you look at the East and South China seas, look at China's Coast Guard, it is really the first face of China," he told VOA. "So I've proposed to the Department of Defense that if they were to leverage the U.S. Coast Guard, I would look at providing resources to provide the face of the United States behind a Coast Guard ship, and should that be a consideration for our approach to the East and South China seas with the next administration."

Compared with blue-hulled destroyers or cruisers of the U.S. Navy, white-hulled vessels of the U.S. Coast Guard, Zukunft said, may be better positioned to get through the "narrow door of diplomacy."

"The U.S. Coast Guard has a very good relationship with the Chinese Coast Guard, with each side frequently boarding the other's ships to carry out joint maritime law enforcement activities," he said, adding that Coast Guard officials and rank and file have had more frequent interaction with Chinese forces than with those of other foreign nations.

Were the incoming administration open to the prospect, he added, the U.S. Coast Guard also could help Vietnam, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries develop maritime law enforcement capabilities, and help maintain peace and security in the surrounding waters.

Zukunft's deputy, Admiral Charles Michel, told a major naval conference in February that commanders of the U.S. Pacific Command also hoped the U.S. Coast Guard would send ships to the South China Sea to assist the Navy in efforts to maintain international order.

Over the past few years, China has frequently placed Coast Guard ships at the forefront in its efforts to significantly step up its claims of sovereignty in the East and South China seas.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Mandarin service.
The latest peace deal between the Colombian government and the rebel group known as FARC is one step from approval after the country's senate voted in favor of the agreement on Tuesday.

The lower house of Congress is considering the measure Wednesday.

A previous version of the agreement was struck down in a national referendum, but the revised deal signed last week in Bogota by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londono needs only to be approved by lawmakers and not the public.

The 75-0 vote in the senate came after more than 12 hours of debate among lawmakers, government officials and victims of rebel violence.

Humberto de la Calle, the lead government negotiator, said the current peace is fragile and urged lawmakers to back the deal, saying this is a "crucial moment for Colombia."

President Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the 52-year war, expressed his gratitude after the vote, saying the senate is "committed to the peace we long for."

Colombia's former leader, Alvaro Uribe, said there were some improvements among the more than 50 changes made to the deal since last month's referendum. But he said his party could not vote for the new deal and has always endorsed direct democracy.

Senator Nohora Tovar Rey, another member of Uribe's party, also criticized letting lawmakers decide instead of citizens.

"Congress approved the agreement that the Colombian people rejected. It is ignoring the will of the majority," she said.

Peace negotiations have stretched on for four years in the effort to end the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions. Santos has said there is no more room for negotiation.
Army personnel have resumed combing after the gruesome terror attack in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

By Atir Khan: Army personnel have resumed combing with the day break. Bomb disposal squad now deployed to neutralise any possible explosive material brought in by terrorists.

Bodies of three terrorists have not been removed so far due to doubts of booby traps being hidden under their bodies

The doubts about the presence of a fourth terrorist being holed up is due to firing after three terrorists who stormed the area were shot.

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Army officers wives played a marvelous role and locked themselves up along with infants inside their houses while army personnel rushed in to shoot down the terrorists



TERRORISTS FIRED SHOTS AFTER BEING SHOT



It is suspected either one of the shot terrorist fired shots even after being shot or there could be another terrorist in the hiding

It has not been ascertained whether there was any security lapse as Nagrota cantonment ?is flanked by National Highway 1. The cant has civilian inhabitation, shops and dhabas along the highway. So the terrorists had advantage of surprise elements and moreover they were in police uniforms.

Also read: Terror attack in Nagrota camp: 2 officers, 5 jawans martyred. All terrorists killed



Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the twin terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir where seven jawans were killed, will six terrorists were eliminated.

The second incident took place in Samba sector near the Pakistan border where the forces gunned down three militants.

SECURITY LOOPHOLE IN NAGROTA ARMY BASE ATTACK

Highly placed sources say there was no sentry at the gate which leads to the campus housing barracks and Mess.

There were no traces of either blood or grenade splinters at the gate towards NH 1 indicating there was no resistance of heavily armed terrorists at the entrance.

Two bodies of jawans were found lying between barracks and kitchen barely 30 meters from the entry gate.

Two army officers and including Maj Nandi and a lady major was evacuated by bastarband vehicle of paramilitary forces along with Army QRT.

It is clear that the terrorist had planned the attack in details, they knew the vulnerability of the spot. In all probability they had carried out a reccee of the place prior to the attack. Since NH 1 runs through the cantonment area there is free movement of vehicles.



Also read: Fresh firing in Jammu's Nagrota where attack on Army base killed 3 soldiers and 4 terrorists









--- ENDS ---
Editors note: President-elect Donald Trump and the Carrier Manufacturing Corporation claim that more than 1,000 jobs will remain in Indiana thanks to a deal struck between the incoming administration and Carrier.But several news organizations, as well as the head of the union representing many Carrier workers, say the actual number of jobs saved is around 800.VOA attempted to verify how many jobs were preserved, however the public relations department at United Technologies Corp., Carriers parent company, is not accepting questions from the media.

Air conditioner maker Carrier said Tuesday it reached an agreement with President-elect Donald Trump to keep about 1,000 manufacturing jobs in the midwestern state of Indiana and not move them to Mexico.

The company said on Twitter it is "pleased to have reached a deal," and that details would come "soon."

Trump himself said he will go to Indiana to make a major announcement about Carrier.

"Great deal for workers!" he boasted.

A Trump transition team official said Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who is also the governor of Indiana, will join Trump to talk more about the agreement with Carrier officials on Thursday.

One of Trump's frequent promises during his campaign for president was that he would prevent companies from moving jobs outside the country and bring back those that have already left by imposing stiff tariffs on products the companies wanted to sell in the U.S.

It is unclear whether Carrier's parent company, United Technologies, will go through with plans to move jobs from a separate plant to Mexico.

Mexico relocation



United Technologies, citing a need for more cost effective operations, announced in February its intention to relocate operations from the two Indianapolis plants to Monterrey, Mexico, sometime around 2019.

Someone captured video of a Carrier official informing employees of the moving plan, and the footage went viral after being posted to YouTube.

Trump seized on Carrier as part of his campaign speech during his run for president.

When Carrier, that left here, goes to Mexico, Trump told a crowd of supporters at a rally in Indianapolis, and they want to sell their product, across the border, and no tax, no nothing, were going to say, sorry folks!

Local union leaders expressed appreciation for Trump highlighting their cause.

"We really appreciate him doing that. Its really getting the message out," Chuck Jones, President of United Steelworkers Local 1999 in Indianapolis, the union representing Carrier workers, told VOA in April.



WATCH: Related video report by Kane Farabaugh *first aired April 29, 2016
French companies are set to revamp Cubas international airport. Germany is opening a trade office in Havana. Dutch giant Unilever began construction this year on a new $34 million soap and toothpaste factory in Cubas special development zone. And Spain has edged out Venezuela to become the island nations second-largest trading partner, after China.

The European Union has not waited for Fidel Castros death or a major economic transformation to strike business and political deals with Cuba. Nor will things likely change if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump makes good on his warning tweet to end a thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations.

Indeed, some experts say, it could present new opportunities.

I dont think this kind of conflict between the U.S. and Cuba is good for anyone, but to some extent you could say that for certain European businesses, its not a bad thing, said Richard McIntyre, Cuba expert and University of Rhode Island economics chair.

European businesses may view a tougher U.S. policy toward Cuba as an opportunity for them to step in, McIntyre said.

European advantage

Professor Gert Oostindie of Leiden University in the Netherlands agrees that ending the uptick in relations with Havana under the Obama administration might be advantageous for European companies by removing potential competition.

By contrast, the death of Castro, who handed power over to his brother Raul in 2008, is unlikely to make much difference, Oostindie said. Had it been 10 or 20 years ago, that would have been different, he added.

In some ways, the transatlantic differences in relations with Cuba can partly be seen through rhetoric.

As Trump responded to Castros death last week by condemning him as a brutal dictator, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker strikingly called the longtime leader a hero to many.

Other European leaders have been less complimentary.

French President Francois Hollande called Castro a towering figure who incarnated both the hopes and disappointments of his countrys revolution. Strikingly, he also took the opportunity to renew calls for ending the U.S. embargo.

Last year, Hollande became the first Western leader to visit Havana after Washington restored diplomatic ties with the country. Cuban President Raul Castro paid his own visit to Paris in February. In both cases, French businesses were eager to reap the spoils.

EU-Cuba deal

The Europeans have done more than just talk. Earlier this year, the EU and Cuba cinched a deal normalizing relations, which the bloc is expected to formally adopt in December.

This signifies theres a definite opening of many doors in the relationship, both economic and political, said Erwan Fouere, senior research fellow at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies.

A former EU ambassador to Cuba in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fouere believes the EUs policy of engaging Cuba is the best way of addressing the human rights issues that Trump has raised.

Obviously progress has not been as speedy as one would have hoped, he said, but there is greater hope of dealing with these issues through dialogue than when there is none.

The Europeans have made bigger strides when it comes to trade and investment.

Delegations have been flocking to Cuba for months. Earlier this month, Cuba signed a trade agreement with Spains Catalonia region, which saw a 50 percent boost in its exports to the island in 2015. Overall, Spains trade with Cuba has been growing 15 percent annually, news agency EFE reported.

Then there is France, which ranked as Cubas 10th-largest trading partner last year, according to Business France, which supports economic development overseas.

Among other developments, French giant Total signed a deal last year to explore for offshore oil with Cubas state owned CubaPetroleo.

Construction, renovations

And earlier this year, industrial heavyweight Bouygues Construction and Aeroports de Paris SA were selected to renovate Havanas Jose Marti International Airport and an aerodrome outside the capital. Bouygues is also involved in a port project and in constructing several luxury hotels.

The number of tourists has soared, so great prospects for the Cuban hotel industry, Bouygues spokesman Mathieu Carre said in an email.

That includes French tourists, whose numbers have risen 41 percent since the start of the year, LExpress magazine reported.

There is a huge flow of tourists from Europe going to Cuba, theyve been going for quite some time, analyst Fouere said. And there is diaspora [in Cuba], particularly from Spain, from Galicia.

Cubas medical and research talent might also pique European business interests, he said.

For his part, the University of Leidens Oostindie points to Cubas agricultural sector as ripe for development.

Its hopelessly backward in technology, so you can really start from scratch, he said. Universities also see a lot of potential for green agriculture.

The red tape, slow pace and unpredictability of doing business in Cuba, however, remains a challenge, experts say - including the uncertainly about what will happen to the country after Raul Castro dies or leaves office.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump warned on Twitter that he would reverse the current U.S. warming of relations with the Cuban government if Havana doesn't give Washington a "better deal."

The tweet was short and to the point. It took just 138 characters to outline what would be a major reversal of U.S. foreign policy toward the communist-ruled country. No video or other link was included explaining what a "better deal" entailed.

It wasn't the first time that Trump or his advisers have threatened to undo President Barack Obama's two-year-old detente with Cuba  the Trump campaign has for months taken a hardline stance on the longtime U.S. foe.

But it was the first time Trump announced a significant foreign policy statement via Twitter, his preferred social media network, since being elected president.

As a presidential candidate, Trump upended American politics in part through his unconventional use of Twitter. At all hours of the day, Trump would send out 140-character-long outbursts, sometimes launching fiercely personal attacks on political opponents and, at other times, simply offering unfiltered commentary on the controversy of the day.

For Trump's supporters, this from-the-gut communication style has appeal  if you went to one of his rallies, it was almost certain you'd hear someone praise Trump for "telling it like it is." And Trump, a billionaire businessman, has defended his rhetoric, arguing that taking extreme positions is part of his negotiating style.

But diplomats say that kind of erratic messaging, if continued during Trump's presidency, would pose a unique challenge to those trying to conduct foreign policy, and could lead to miscommunication, or worse.

"We've never really confronted a potential like this before  certainly not in the administrations I've worked for," said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East negotiator under three different U.S. administrations.

Miller, now a vice president at the Wilson Center, calls Trump's campaign behavior "unprecedented," though he is quick to point out that there's no guarantee that President Trump will continue to tweet like presidential candidate Trump.

"We really have no idea," he said. "It's one of those situations where there's a lot of unknowns."

Issue of brevity

Part of the issue is the abbreviated nature of Twitter.

"In 140 characters you cannot make a coherent, thorough argument," noted Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who specializes in political communication and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania. "You can telegraph things, but you can't do much beyond that."

Communicating important matters of foreign policy via tweet increases the risk that a message is misinterpreted, Jamieson says. That's why, under current norms, presidential communications are carefully crafted or vetted by those with specific policy expertise.

"They look at not only the precise meaning, but whether the meaning can be inadvertently mistranslated as it moves from one language to another," Jamieson explained.

It's not as if Twitter, which was started in 2006, is an altogether new form of communication for presidents.

President Barack Obama, the first U.S. president to take office in the age of social media, has also embraced Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.

But Obama's Twitter account, like that of many other world leaders, is run by his staff, and the president himself only rarely issues personal statements through it. Obama's tweets also have mainly focused on domestic affairs, leaving the State Department and its social media accounts to communicate foreign policy.

"Once [Trump] gets into office, are you going to have foreign policy run via Twitter or via the State Department?" asked Ron Christie, who was an adviser to former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Christie says it's important for a president to use social media, but says Trump should follow Obama's example and let staff run those accounts.

"I would hope that some senior member of his staff who's served a president before would impart upon him the seriousness of his words, and how significantly those words resonate, not only here but around the world," Christie said. "Because as president, people will watch every sentence of every paragraph of every statement that you issue, and they're going to try to derive meaning from it."

Playing to fantasy

Trump's aides have given no indication that he will dial back the rhetoric anytime soon, instead portraying the president-elect's raw communication style as a positive.

"I think that one of the great things about the president-elect is he is going to voice his opinion," Jason Miller, Trump's transition team communications director, told Fox Business Network on Tuesday. "When he has something to say, he's going to say it and people are going to know it."

But Trump, who has had enormous success as a businessman, has also touted his unpredictability, saying one of his best rhetorical tools when it comes to negotiations is "truthful hyperbole."

"I play to people's fantasies," Trump wrote in his 1987 book The Art of the Deal, which details how he likes to make exaggerated statements in part to manipulate the press and keep his rivals guessing.

Will Trump attempt to use The Art of the Deal tactics in international relations? And is his Twitter account a part of that? Nobody really knows, except Trump.

And Miller, the former Mideast diplomat, says it's futile to engage in speculation about how it will play out.

"The ultimate pivot occurs on January 21," Miller said. "You can analyze all the trend lines you want and put together a composite picture of what a president-elect will be like or how he or she might behave, but the ultimate test is in the doing."
In less than two months, Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States, and yet he remains tight-lipped about his plans for nuclear-armed North Korea, which many believe is one of the most important security threats currently facing the United States.

While his murky North Korean policy is leaving South Korea particularly on edge, the political novice's America First foreign policy proposed during his campaign is casting a shadow over military alliances and agreements between Washington and Seoul. Among the deals are how to share the financial burden of keeping American troops in the South, deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced U.S. anti-missile defense system in South Korea and the restitution of wartime operational control of South Korean forces, which has been under the U.S. Command in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the alliance between Washington and Seoul following Trumps victory, former U.S. ambassadors said the longstanding U.S.-South Korea alliance will largely remain intact and smooth sailing is expected for bilateral efforts to counter growing threats posed by North Korea.

The U.S.-ROK alliance is very firm and very resilient, said Thomas Hubbard, former ambassador to South Korea who served from 2001 to 2004. Our common interest will prevail regardless of who is the president of the United States.

Strong alliance

Christopher Hill, who was the U.S. ambassador to South Korea during the George W. Bush administration, said the Trump administration will likely maintain strong military ties with Seoul given Pyongyangs steady march toward acquiring an operational nuclear weapon.

I dont think they are looking to have problems in the ROK relationship, said Hill. If any issue emerges, I think theyll try to work it out with the ROK and I think some of the traditional Republican security outlook toward ROK will prevail  that is, I think, theyll try to preserve the good relationship above all else.

On the campaign trail, the president-elect lamented that U.S. allies are not bearing their fair share of alliance burdens and urged South Korea and Japan to pay more for U.S. soldiers stationed on their soil.

Asked whether the issue of burden-sharing could become a point of contention between the two allies, Alexander Vershbow, who spent two years in South Korea as the U.S. ambassador, said he anticipates some friction over the cost of defense, but not significant enough to bring about a fundamental shift in the long-standing partnership.

Some envoys disagreed with the notion that Seoul is not contributing enough for the stationing of U.S. forces. Hill said it will be cleared once Trump understands and when he is properly briefed about the degree to which the ROK has been providing for its own defense.

Hubbard concurred: I think it reflects a misunderstanding of the degree to which the ROK is already bearing its share of the burden promoting regional security and deterrence vis-a-vis North Korea.

North Korean threat

Currently, about 28,000 U.S. troops are based in South Korea, conducting joint military drills to counter increasing threats - real and perceived - emanating from the North. This year alone, the isolated regime has conducted two nuclear tests and launched more than 20 ballistic missiles.

Vershbow, who also served as NATO's deputy secretary general, suggested Trump and his national security team ratchet up direct pressure on the North Korean government through additional sanctions to bring it back to the negotiating table.

I think they should never completely rule out options involving direct application of force, Vershbow said. And it is important to make clear that their continued intransigence will have consequences.

Hill, who led the U.S. delegation for the now-stalled Six Party Talks on North Koreas nuclear program between 2005 and 2009, stressed the role of China.

If theres any solution to North Korea, it will involve China, said the former envoy.

Three weeks into his presidential transition, Trump and his transition team are scrambling to appoint all his cabinet members, a task that needs be completed before his inauguration in mid-January. As his confirmed and likely picks are mostly hardliners, an increasing number of experts say his administration is shaping up to be the one that will likely take a much tougher stance in foreign policy.
The coup leader blamed for destabilizing Mali went on trial Wednesday with 17 co-defendants, accused of kidnapping and killing members of the presidential guard whose remains were later found in a mass grave.

Amadou Haya Sanogo, who rose to power after overthrowing Mali's longtime president in March 2012, could face the death penalty if convicted. He was arrested three years ago following the discovery of the 21 corpses.

Human rights groups say the victims, known as the red berets, were accused of trying to mount a countercoup against Sanogo a month after he seized power.

Family members of the victims  dressed in white in a sign of peace  hailed the start of Wednesday's trial as an important step.

We have waited a long time for this moment, said Sagara Bintou Maiga, president of the group representing relatives. Today we want justice to be done.

Another group of young people held up photos of Sanogo in a show of support for the former military strongman, whose trial is taking place 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the capital of Bamako.

I don't think he's guilty of killing the red berets and I hope that he will be acquitted, said Aboubacar Kante, who was among those who made the journey to Sikasso for the trial's start.

Witnesses have told Human Rights Watch that they last saw the red berets  bound and blindfolded  being loaded onto a truck in the middle of the night in May 2012. One witness later provided the group with a handwritten list of the victims' names.

While many other human rights abuse cases have not yet been pursued in Mali, Corinne Dufka called Wednesday's trial clear progress in tackling the culture of impunity.

For far too long, men like Sanogo were considered untouchable and above the rule of law, said Dufka, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Today, the victims and family members of those allegedly abducted and murdered by the defendants are one step closer to getting justice.

The overthrow of Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure in March 2012 ushered in an era of chaos that allowed Islamic extremists to flourish in the country's far north. They later seized control of the largest towns, implementing their strict interpretation of Islamic law before a French-led military operation ousted them from power in 2013. Jihadists still remain active in the region three years later, frequently attacking Malian soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers trying to stabilize the north.
The United States is a nation divided: that is one of the most dominant narratives that emerged during this year's presidential race.

That realitymissed by pollsters, pundits and political experts alikehelped to explain the popularity and stunning electoral victory of Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The other story of 2016 is the rise of so-called fake news and its spike on social media outlets. Facebook, in particular, has come under fire, having surpassed Google as the biggest driver of audience on all social media platforms.

This week, Trump again invited controversy  a move now commonly called a tweet storm  by tweeting out a claim of voter fraud during the November election that he says denied him the popular vote without citing any evidence.

The "fake news" phenomenon has rattled the web, not to mention mainstream journalists, scholars and ordinary users of social media, many of whom are tweeting and writing op-ed columns, news stories and guides on how to spot inaccurate news stories and fake news websites.

All this has put unprecedented pressure on Facebook, where, according to an analysis by Buzzfeed News, fake election stories generated more total engagement on Facebook than top election articles from 19 major news outlets in the final three months of the election campaign.

The heat on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg prompted the company to tweak its algorithm to weed out inaccurate information, and later, as the outcry grew, publicly outline steps the company is taking to reduce what Zuckerberg called "misinformation."

He prefaced his post with a familiar caveat:

"We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties."

There are legitimate sites, journalists and scholars who are paying attention to the prevalence of "fake news." Among them: Snopes.com, Columbia Journalism Review, The Poynter Institute and Melissa Zimdars, an assistant professor of communication and media at Merrimack University, who wrote a Google document with tips on how to spot "fake news" sites or inaccurate news stories for her students.

According to these fact-checkers, we must first understand what "fake news" is - and isnt.

We classify 'fake news' as specifically web sites that publish information that's entirely fabricated," said Kim LaCapria, content manager for Snopes.com, a website that tracks misinformation on the web.

Right now 'fake news' is being applied to 'slanted and/or inaccurate news,' added LaCapria. So there's some conflation.

And that conflation of what information can accurately be described as fake or misleading or maybe only partially true, coupled with the warp speed of digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter, have created a perfect storm of confusion, said University of Connecticut philosophy professor and author Michael Lynch.

Confusion and deception is happening. and mass confusion about the importance of things like truth follow in the wake of that deception," said Lynch, who wrote a column in The New York Times this week about impact of "fake news" on the health of Americas political system. And that is absolutely corrosive to democracy.

LaCapria, like Lynch, also has seen first-hand how branding everything that is verifiably false "fake news" isnt really what is happening on social media. One long-circulating rumor held that Hillary Clinton was fired from the Watergate investigation for lying, LaCapria said.

If I recall correctly, we rated it mostly false because the claim originated with someone who had changed his story over the years. But in our politics category, the news is not fake per se. It's often false, mixture, mostly false or unproven.

LaCapria points out distorted or false information has existed for a long time.

This is the first real social media election weve ever experienced. And we had two social media candidates: [Bernie] Sanders and Trump, she said.

Now that people are upset about Trump, they're looking at social media as a culprit. And it may be a mitigating factor, but this has all definitely been affecting politics hugely for many years.

The Poynter Institutes Alexios Mantzarlis, who leads the International Fact-Checking Network, agrees that there is a bit too much angst over "fake news."

Politicians distorting the truth isn't a new phenomenon. Voters choosing politicians based on emotions rather than facts is not a new phenomenon, Mantzarlis said in an email. Moreover, we know from research that fact-checking can change readers' minds."

For social media companies like Twitter and the rest, the ability to weed out false information or hate speech can be daunting, no matter how savvy their back-end web engineers may be.

Facebook in essence acknowledged that recoding its algorithm wasnt enough, when Zuckerberg posted his latest statement about the spreading of misinformation on his platform.

For Lynch, who wrote The Internet of Us: Knowing More and Understanding Less in the Age of Big Data, a book released earlier this year, there are solutions to help combat the ease of creating "fake news" sites and spreading misinformation across the web.

There are a lot of smart people working on social media and at universities trying to find algorithmic solutions to misleading content and confusion and deception on the Internet. Right now its not working, he said. But right now I dont think we should despair about not fixing our technology.

In terms of fixes, Mantzarlis puts the burden on users.

For one, headline writers could avoid repeating a baseless claim without any indication that it is unfounded. Mantzarlis also argues that Facebook will need to hire some human beings to vet content in tandem with creating smarter back-end technology.

The algorithm itself will have to change  to recognize that 'fake news,' and the pages that consistently post them, to get a reduced reach on [the Facebook] News Feed, he said, adding that this tack will hit "fake news" purveyors where it hurts the most.

After all, for many the incentive to publish this content is financial and if the reach is reduced, so is their income.

Most agree that the overwhelming noise of the Internet  and the much-heralded freedom of speech ethos that rules it  will forever include distortions of fact and outright falsehoods. But ultimately the vast majority of web content is created by people. And in Lynch's mind, that is where the real power to spot and call out misleading information lies.

Ive become convinced that as Ive gone around talking to people, including those in Silicon Valley  is that we as individuals, as people, need to start taking responsibility for what we believe. And for what we share and tweet.
Joseph Kabila's second and last term as president of Democratic Republic of Congo comes to an end December 19. However, a court ruling states he could remain in power since elections were not held in November to determine his successor.

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said during his visit last week to DRC that there is widespread concern of mass demonstrations rivaling Septembers deadly riots if Kabila does not relinquish power.

"These may be met in a similar fashion to those of September, Gilmour said. In which case, we could see a truly terrible escalation. So, this is why confidence-building measures need to be implemented now, to head off that scenario."

Gilmour says he is deeply worried about the clampdown on fundamental freedoms by the authorities.

"A ban on all public demonstrations by opposition parties or civil society is now in effect throughout most of the country, he said, but this does not seem to apply to the ruling majority, whose gatherings continue to take place.  During my visit to the country, I underlined to the Congolese authorities that there can be no credible and peaceful electoral process without respect for fundamental freedoms."

Gilmour says restrictions on the media have increased. Reportedly, at least seven journalists have been arrested, two newspapers closed, and one radio station discontinued since September.

DRC authorities also denigrate civil society organizations, Gilmour says, and dismiss anti-government demonstrators as thugs, rapists and drug addicts.
In Africa, as in Cuba, the late Fidel Castro was both loved and despised.

Yibrah Mehari thinks of Castro as a benefactor. After his father, an Ethiopian soldier, died in 1971, Mehari was sent to Cuba at age 14 and educated there through his post-graduate years, becoming a successful architect.

Mehari says he and thousands of other Ethiopians educated in Cuba have "tremendous love" for Castro. "Like a father, he used to come to visit our school and encourage us to do well," he told VOA's Horn of Africa service Monday. "We felt at home in Cuba, never isolated or felt [like] outsiders."

Angola



Jonuel Goncalves thinks of Castro as a war hawk. Goncalves is a political analyst in Angola, a country where Castro sent more than 20,000 troops in 1975 to back the Marxist MPLA in Angola's civil war. He also deployed troops to support leftist governments in Mozambique and Ethiopia.

The interventions, backed by the Soviet Union, "transformed Africa into a Cold War battlefield," Goncalves says. And, he notes, "The countries that benefited from the presence of Cuban soldiers had to pay for those soldiers."

In all, Castro leaves a complicated legacy in Africa. Many on the continent will remember him as a key ally to African independence movements, and as a generous man who provided doctors and teachers to poor societies.

Those views, however, are far from universal. Perhaps the one thing all observers agree on is that Fidel Castro made a deep, lasting impact on Africa as the continent shook off the yoke of colonialism.

"As you know, and this is well documented, you cannot write the history of Africa or Cuba without Castro," says Erastus Mwencha, the deputy chair of the African Union Commission.



Africa libre

Mwencha, a Kenyan, says Africa's independence movements from the 1960s onward knew they had a comrade in the Cuban ruler, who, from the start, preached a type of liberation theology and practiced what he preached.

"It started with the DRC, with Patrice Lumumba, and continued until the liberation of South Africa from apartheid," he says. "Cuba, through Castro, gave resources, gave soldiers, trained combatants, and did everything it could to assist Africa [and] gain independence."

That spirit of assistance continued after Castro ceded power to his brother, Raul, Mwencha notes. "Most recently, when we had the problem of Ebola, Cuba was one of those countries, challenged as it is under sanctions, that sent doctors and did everything that they could to assist the countries that were affected."

A former chair of the AU commission, Salim Ahmed Salim, was once Tanzania's ambassador to Cuba and carries a positive, albeit balanced, view of Castro.

"He improved the lives of his people but at the same time helped neighboring and African countries during the liberation struggle and sending doctors, teachers, scientists and military assistance to countries like Tanzania and Namibia," he says. "Yes, there are a lot of things that did not go well on liberty of expression and other forms of freedoms, but when we talk about social and economic development, there is a lot to learn from and follow."

Military muscle to leftists

Castro's intervention  some would call it interference  in Africa's affairs, stemmed from his strong communist beliefs, a need for economic partners abroad and his alliance with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

For years, Cuba was one of the chief supporters of the MPLA in Angola, supplying tens of thousands of troops to bolster the movement as it seized and held power. In return, Angola paid Cuba hundreds of millions of dollars from oil export revenues.

In the mid-1970s, Cuba supplied troops to support Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party and the government of Mengistu Haile Mariam of Ethiopia. The intervention in Ethiopia was especially forceful, a deployment of 15,000 troops after Somalia launched a 1977 offensive to capture the Ogaden region, which has an ethnic Somali majority.

Before the offensive, Castro visited the region and tried to enlist Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen in a socialist federation. "We told him that this is about the self-determination of people and if this federation is going to unite ethnic Somalis, we are up for it," says former Somali Deputy Defense Minister Mohamed Nur Galal.

After Somalia attacked, Cuba and the Soviets sided with Ethiopia. By March 1978, Somali troops suffered heavy defeats and were driven back to where they started the offensive.

Not surprisingly, Castro is not remembered fondly in Somalia today.

"I read a book Castro wrote, saying he brought Somalia to its knees," says Galal. "He was a bad man who hated Somalis."

Not forgotten

Castro's influence in Africa greatly declined but did not entirely vanish after the Soviet Union collapsed, costing Cuba its main economic sponsor and plunging the country into a wrenching depression.

In the 1990s, Cuba offered to help South Africa with its AIDS epidemic by providing cheap drugs. In 1998, Castro visited Johannesburg, where he met with President Nelson Mandela and was given a state dinner in thanks for his support of the anti-apartheid movement.

When Castro is laid to rest in Cuba on December 4, there will no doubt be an assortment of current and past African leaders on hand, saying goodbye to a man that many, though not all, considered a friend.

VOA's English to Africa, Portuguese to Africa, Horn of Africa, Swahili and Somali Services contributed to this article.
President-elect Donald Trump continues to fill his domestic policy team with the nominations of former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary and billionaire Wilbur Ross to lead the Commerce Department.Trumps transition team said Wednesday the two will be instrumental in implementing the President-elects America First economic plan to "create more than 25 million jobs during the next decade.The nomination of Mnuchin, who has broad experience as a financier, may send a favorable signal to Wall Street, where the equity markets have climbed to record highs since Trumps victory.As commerce secretary, Ross would represent U.S. businesses domestically and abroad.Mnuchin served as the Trump campaigns national finance chairman. After a 17 year career at Goldman Sachs, where he became partner, he turned his attention to Hollywood, where he financed hit movies like Avatar and the X-Men. He is currently chief executive of Dune Capital, a privately owned hedge fund.In 2009, Mnuchin was part of a group that bought distressed California mortgage lender IndyMac from the federal government. He became chairman of the company, which was renamed OneWest. Under Mnuchins tenure, OneWest faced allegations of inappropriately foreclosing on some delinquent homeowners.The California Reinvestment Coalition, a housing advocacy group, said OneWest foreclosed on more than 36,000 households under Mnuchins watch. Some fair-housing groups also complained to the federal government that OneWest was not fulfilling its legal commitment to make loans in minority neighborhoods.Ross would lead the department that carries out the incoming president's stated goal of protecting U.S. workers and challenging years of globalization that has primarily benefited multinational corporations.Ross, a 78-year-old chairman of a private equity firm, is known in financial circles as the "king of bankruptcy" for buying and restoring distressed companies to profitability.After developing a specialty as a banker in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, Ross launched W.L. Ross in 2000 and earned part of his fortune by investing in troubled factories in the industrial midwestern United States, sometimes generating profits by limiting employee benefits.The Trump transition team also announced the nomination of Todd Ricketts, the owner of Major League Baseballs Chicago Cubs, as Deputy Secretary of Commerce.Trump has been working to fill positions in his Cabinet since the November 8 election. One of the most high profile posts still open is that of secretary of state, with those under consideration including former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Tennessee Senator Bob Corker and former Central Intelligence Agency chief David Petraeus.Romney was once among Trump's fiercest critics, but he praised Trump after the two men had dinner Tuesday night and called their discussions "enlightening and interesting and engaging."Those remarks came nine months after Romney gave a blistering speech supporting Trump's remaining competitors in the race for the Republican Party nomination. In March, Romney said if Trump enacted his economic plans, the country would go into a "prolonged recession and added that Trump is "very, very not smart" on foreign policy matters.But on Tuesday, Romney said he was impressed by the Trump transition effort and his Cabinet choices so far. Romney, who lost the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama, also highlighted what he called a "message of inclusion and bringing people together."Earlier Tuesday, Trump selected Georgia Representative Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and the administration's efforts to repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare legislation.Price, a physician, has said he wants a healthcare system that works for patients, families and doctors and leads the world in curing and preventing sickness.The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, helped millions of people get health coverage and eliminated things like denials based on pre-existing conditions and limits on the amount of care a person could receive. But premiums under the program have gone up sharply for many people and the program unpopular with many Republicans has been a key target for reforms.Trump and many members of Congress have long said they will work to replace Obamacare, but have not given much in the way of specific changes they would make.Trump's other Cabinet pick announced Tuesday was former Labor Department Secretary Elaine Chao as his choice to head the Department of Transportation.She says Trump has a "clear vision" on how to rebuild the nation's crumbling infrastructure, such as bridges and highways, and create good-paying jobs.But the president-elect also plans big tax cuts and it is unclear how he would fund such massive rebuilding projects.All of the Cabinet nominees need U.S. Senate approval.
Gambia's president of more than two decades is warning that even peaceful protests will not be permitted after Thursday's election, a move that comes as people are for the first time speaking out more freely against President Yahya Jammeh's rule.

The 51-year-old, who took control of this small West African country in 1994, raised his hands in the air before thousands of singing and dancing supporters at his final campaign rally late Tuesday.



Jammeh has said his victory is all but assured with divine intervention, and warned the opposition against protesting.

Our election system is fraud-proof, rig-proof, you cannot rig our elections, he said. There is no reason that anybody should demonstrate.

Demonstrations will not be allowed because those are the loopholes that are used to destabilize African governments, he said.

Jammeh in power since 1994

Jammeh's supporters praise his efforts to boost economic development in the tiny country that is dependent on tourism and agriculture.



He has built the airport, schools, medical facilities and buildings, said 50-year-old Pinta Manneh, smiling with excitement for the man she was certain would be re-elected for a fifth term. She couldn't imagine an opposition victory. He will be angry if he loses, she said.



Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994, and then swept elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, after a 2002 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits. Critics, though, say those elections were not free and fair, and they accuse his regime of corruption and human rights abuses.

Gambia has seen a large exodus of its citizens trying to migrate to Europe on dangerous water routes in recent years. Jammeh says such migration is a matter of choice, and that Gambians do not leave because of poverty.

Voters to use marbles

On Thursday, more than 880,000 registered voters will head to more than 1,400 polling stations around the country. The sliver of a country, surrounded by Senegal and a small Atlantic coastline, has a population of about 1.9 million.



Jammeh faces off against Adama Barrow, a former businessman and United Democratic Party leader, who emerged as the candidate for an alliance of eight opposition parties. Former ruling party deputy Mama Kandeh is running for the Gambia Democratic Congress, the only opposition party not in the coalition.

Voters will use marbles, placing them into green, silver and purple ballot drums, which will be counted on the spot using wooden tablets. Observers from the European Union and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS are not attending the vote, though the African Union will send a handful of observers.

Protesters detained



Security forces arrested dozens in April and May after protests calling for electoral and political reforms. Two main opposition party members died in detention after the protests, and 15 opposition supporters are now serving three-year prison sentences.

That clampdown, however, has not stymied an excited opposition coalition.

It's been impressive to see that there have been so many people willing to claim their rights, and to speak out and campaign, and do so freely during these two weeks, said Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for West and Central Africa. Our fear is the freedom that has been allowed, that has been claimed and used, will stop.

We need change

Isatou Jadama, 26, was among the thousands of opposition supporters lining the streets this week.

We need change for our country, and a good leader, Jadama said.

Omar Amadou Jallow, an emblematic opposition leader for the People's Progressive Party, which joined the coalition, agreed that this is the year for change.

For 22 years we have realized that Gambia has been turned into a prison; the arrests, the tensions, the torture and many of our people have gone into exile ... That shows the tyranny of the regime, he said. We are going to give people their freedoms, their liberties. That is more important than anything else.
As combing operations continued in Nagrota a day after the attack, the Army said it has recovered documents written in Urdu from the three attackers.

By Manjeet Negi: The terrorists who attacked an Indian Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Nagrota area on Tuesday and killed seven defence personnel, including two officers, carried out the strike in order to take revenge for Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru.



As combing operations continued in Nagrota a day after the attack, the Army today said it has recovered documents written in Urdu from the three attackers, who were all killed.

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One of the documents have Guru's name. "The first installment in revenge for killing Afzal Guru," said the text in Urdu.

Guru was convicted for the attack on Parliament in 2011 and subsequently hanged in a Delhi prison in 2013.

TERRORISTS HAD LOCAL SUPPORT



Most of the items recovered from the three terrorists in Nagrota, however, were found to be made in India, indicating that the terrorists perhaps had local support.

Intelligence agencies said it was not possible for the terrorists to travel from the border to Nagrota without any local help.

According to Army sources, the terrorists had planned the attack in six days.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday asked for a detailed report from the Army regarding the fresh SOP and whether it's being followed or not.

Parrikar mentioned that after November 24 report issued by the multi-agency center, a fresh SOP for heightened security of Army camps and bases was issued.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh visited Nagrota today to take stock of the situation.

The attacks at the military unit and a BSF camp - both on the outskirts of Jammu city - were the latest in a series of escalating militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir after the September 29 surgical strikes at terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

It was the highest casualty the Indian Army suffered in a single terror attack after the September 18 killing of 19 soldiers at a military base in the Uri border town in the Kashmir Valley.

--- ENDS ---
Officials said on Tuesday that "the worst is over" for two small Tennessee resort towns in the Great Smoky Mountains where wildfires destroyed or damaged some 150 homes and other structures, forced thousands to flee and threatened country music star Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood.



The flames, driven to the outskirts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge overnight by hurricane-force winds and fed by drought-parched brush, forced 14,000 people to flee and sent three to hospitals with severe burns, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said.



NBC News reported that three people had been killed in the wildfires, citing local officials. Reuters could not immediately confirm that report.



While downtown Gatlinburg was untouched by the flames, heavy smoke and an orange sky hung overhead as motorists packed roads in an attempt to leave town.



"I can tell you that we've all been overwhelmed at the scene of destruction in the county and primarily in the city of Gatlinburg," Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters told reporters at a press conference.





Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said that about half of the town of some 3,000 people, known as the "gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains," had been affected by the blazes.

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said the so-called Chimney Top fire exploded on Monday evening as humidity dropped and wind gusts reached nearly 90 miles per hour.



"I can tell you this, whatever we deal with today is not gonna be anything like what we dealt with last night. The worst is definitely over with," Miller said at the news conference.

It was not immediately clear how many people were ordered from Pigeon Forge, which includes Dollywood's 150-acre (60.7-hectare) spread of rides and other attractions.



The theme park said it would suspend operations on Wednesday because of the wildfires, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials said all of the park's facilities were closed because of extensive fire activity and downed trees.

"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken," Parton said in a written statement.



About 12,000 homes and businesses were left without power in the area and some 2,000 people sought refuge in shelters, officials said. Downed power lines and fallen trees sparked several smaller fires, local media reported.

Members of the state's National Guard have been called in to assist first responders.



Firefighters have battled dozens of wildfires across the U.S. Southeast in recent weeks, where tens of thousands of acres (hectares) of forest have been scorched.

"It's the apocalypse on both sides" of the city's center, volunteer Fire Department Lieutenant Bobby Balding told local 9News.
Officials in Afghanistans eastern Nangarar province say the Islamic State group is trying to imprint a lasting legacy on children in the region through an increasing network of religious seminaries and schools.



Authorities say IS runs at least 25 seminaries in four districts of the province where children are taught military ideology and how to prepare for suicide attacks.



Madrassas, or Muslim seminaries, "that were built by local people are now being used by IS for militant activities, Abdul Zahir Haqqani, director of religious affairs in Nangarhar, told VOAs Afghan service. "They use them as military centers where they teach militancy, conduct military trainings and plan their activities."



Children of IS fighters make up the majority of pupils, but some local children also attend the IS-run schools, officials say.



Residents say they are alarmed by IS expertise in teaching terror to children and are asking for local and government intervention.



"The madrassas in the areas remain under IS control where it trains its fighters, Ezzatullah, a local resident in the Dehbala district, told VOA.



They used to be under the government but not anymore, said Ezzatullah, who, like many Afghans, uses a single name. They teach how to shoot a Kalashnikov, a PK machine gun and RPG" or rocket-propelled grenade.



Provincial leaders say they are preparing an assault to rid IS from the schools.



"IS and other militant groups always try to use Islamic centers as their bases where they not only provide training, but also use them for other terror activities," provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told VOAs Afghan service.



We will continue our efforts to clear the Islamic centers of IS presence without causing damage to the centers, he said.



IS launched its operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region in early 2015 after establishing bases in remote eastern border areas of Afghanistan. The group calls Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran its so-called Islamic State of Khorasan province, and allegedly takes orders from leaders in Syria.



In Nangarhar, the fight against IS has at times involved a varied combination of local militias, provincial police, Afghan forces, Taliban fighters and U.S. drone strikes.



IS is also using mosques as military centers. According to Haqqani, the group has turned at least 60 mosques in various districts of Nangarhar into military training centers. Dozens of mosque imams, whom IS deemed as repugnant to its extremist ideology, have been killed by IS militants.



Experts say IS indoctrination of children will likely have a chilling reverberation for years to come, especially in a country long hit by extremism and militancy.



The only thing worse than a society falling prey to the extremist ideologies of terror is when societys children succumbs to the same thing, said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a Washington think tank. "And thats precisely what we have to worry about here amid this news."
The Afghan Taliban, accused by the government of destroying millions of dollars worth of national improvements, vowed Tuesday to protect a new natural gas pipeline, a copper mine, and upgrades to highways and railways.

A Taliban statement released by the group's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Taliban leadership does not oppose development projects that benefit the Afghan people and will work to guard projects from harm.

"The Islamic Emirate [Taliban movement] not only supports all national projects, which are in the interest of the people and result in the development and prosperity of the nation, but are also committed to protecting them," according to the Taliban statement.

The Afghan government, which is battling Taliban insurgency in dozens of provinces across the country, called the statement disingenuous.

Target infrastructure

The government has accused the Taliban of repeatedly targeting infrastructure projects in the country, crippling Afghanistan's ability to make improvements needed to decrease its dependency on foreign aid.

"Over the past few months, they [Taliban] have inflicted more than two billion Afghanis [about $300 million] of damage to infrastructure and public properties in 11 provinces," Shah Hussain Murtazawi, a deputy presidential spokesman, told VOA's Afghan service.

Murtazawi said the Taliban has destroyed 302 schools, 41 health clinics, 50 mosque minarets, 5,305 houses, 1,818 shops, a government building, six bridges, 293 overpasses, and 123 kilometers of roads in 11 provinces.

Last winter, millions of Kabul residents were left without a dependable power source for more than a month after the Taliban cut a critical power line providing electricity from neighboring Uzbekistan, in the country's north.

"They have to prove their promises in action," he added.

In some areas, the Taliban has allowed national projects to continue in return for receiving a financial percentage of project revenue, experts in Kabul said.

But Tuesday, Taliban leaders ordered its members to help protect the projects that are in the "higher interest of Islam and the country," including the $10 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and the multibillion-dollar Mes Aynak, the Afghan-Chinese copper mine venture near Kabul.

Seeking support

Analysts said Tuesday's statement reflects a Taliban effort to win over Afghan sentiments as it continues to push for more territorial control and also show foreigners that it will protect their investments.

The government is in control of 258 of the 407 Afghan districts, while the insurgent group controls 33, and 116 districts are "contested," according to a recent U.S. military assessment.

The Taliban "aims to project itself as a more moderate version of other regional militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban. For this reason, an expression of public support for a national project should not come as a surprise," said Michael Kugelman, an Afghan analyst at the Wilson Center, a global policy research group.

The Taliban promise comes a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, inaugurated the Asian International Railway, which connects Afghanistan with countries in the region and, one day, with Europe. The Taliban has said it will not interfere in the railway operation.

Wahid Muzhda, a Kabul-based Taliban analyst, said the Taliban is attempting to assure neighboring Turkmenistan of its support.

"A delegation from Taliban's Qatar office recently visited Turkmenistan to discuss the railway project," Muzhda said. "They not only did not oppose the project, but also promised not to attack Afghan security personnel assigned to the security of the railway line project."

But analyst Kugelman said the Taliban often goes back on its promises.

"There's also good reason to believe that it would publicly praise a railway link like this one and then end up trying to blow up its infrastructure without admitting to doing so," he said.
Despite being on the verge of losing his voice, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday made a full-throated denunciation of Donald Trump's approach to policy-making without once mentioning the president-elect's name.

Diplomacy and public life is about not having a tin ear, Kerry said during an hour-long speech to the Women's Foreign Policy Group at a Washington hotel.

International challenges have to be confronted with honesty, determination and confidence, he said, and "not with slogans and with little pithy tweets" pretending to deal with the complexity of this age.

Otherwise, Kerry warned, "we will fail to be able to lead because we will not be taken seriously."

The secretary of state's comments came perhaps a day or two before President-elect Trump announces his nominee to succeed Kerry at the State Department. Among those most frequently cited in contention: the 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and retired four-star general David Petraeus, who was briefly director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Trump's supporters see the Republican candidate's victory in this year's presidential election as a repudiation of the Obama administration's foreign policy under Kerry and his predecessor, Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated on November 8.

VOA sent an e-mail to the Trump transition team's media office requesting a response to Kerry's comments, but there was no immediate response.

Americans are filled with fear

The administration faced severe criticism from conservatives during the past eight years, especially for its diplomacy dealing with Iran, Libya, the Middle East, North Korea and other hot spots.

Kerry, suffering from a cold that had turned his voice hoarse, acknowledged the deep divide in American society that clearly emerged during the 2016 election.

There's great uncertainty in the body politic of our nationA lot of people on both sides of the aisle see their lives in America today as filled with fear, he said.

Kerry, who holds the record for the most countries visited in the job, added he has also seen this fear all over the world. He called isolationism a natural instinct throughout American history, but contended it is folly to think we can build a brighter future by hiding from the real world or severing our connections to it.

Isolationism is not the answer

The former U.S. senator from Massachusetts, who lost the 2004 presidential election to George W. Bush, led Obama's fight for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious 12-nation trade pact that Trump last week said the United States would quit on his first day in the White House.

Kerry on Tuesday continued to argue against fending off a dragon called trade, warning economic isolationism is the wrong path because no leader in any political system in the 21st century can shut off globalization.

You tell me how the economy of the United States is going to grow if 95 percent of the world's customers live in another country?

On the campaign trail, Trump as the Republican nominee broke with his party's orthodoxy on international trade deals, vigorously promising blue-collar voters that he would bring their jobs back from China, Mexico and other countries to reinvigorate American manufacturing.

Frustrated with Trump

Bracing for what he sees as the looming policy fights in the next administration, Kerry issued a mixed forecast to the women's leadership group.

We cannot survive if we are a fact-free nation, echoing the widespread frustration with frequent Trump pronouncements he does not back up with credible data.

But Kerry said he is confident that the United States with its checks and balances, a free and independent press and a vigorous and visionary civil society is going to find a positive way forward although there may be lurches on the roller coaster ride ahead.

And Kerry said he will be along for that ride.

I am not going to go quietly into the night during what is going to be one hell of a debate over the next few years.

That line was one of the few that generated applause among the predominately female audience.
Land distribution in Latin America is the most unequal in the world, with only 1 percent of the farms and estates controlling more than half of the region's productive land, aid group Oxfam said Wednesday.

Colombia, where two-thirds of agricultural land is concentrated in just 0.4 percent of farmland holdings, fares the worst, Oxfam said in a report analyzing land censuses and policy in 15 countries over the last 50 years.

It said the problem was even worse now than in the 1960s, when anger over a lack of land rights forced many governments to push through major reforms.

"Across the region, there's extreme concentration of land tenure and property, and that's one reason why the region is so unequal," Simon Ticehurst, Oxfam's Latin America and Caribbean director, said in an interview. "To address inequality, including economic inequality, you need to address land distribution."

Small farms 'disappearing'

In Colombia, 84 percent of the smallest farms control less than 4 percent of productive land, while in Chile and Paraguay, 1 percent of big farms occupy more than 70 percent of the land, the study found.

"As large-scale farming operations take over more and more land, small family farms are being sidelined or are disappearing altogether," the study said.

Unequal land distribution in Latin America has also been exacerbated by the increase in the past 15 years of large-scale cattle ranches; oil, timber and mining projects; and agricultural plantations, like soya, palm oil and sugar cane, the study said.

"This expansion has gone hand in hand with conflicts over land and violence," Ticehurst said.

The report said 122 rights activists were killed last year in Latin America, around half of them in cases relating to land and environmental rights, making 2015 the deadliest year for the region's rights campaigners in recent history.

Women are particularly affected by unequal access to land and hold far less land than men do, Oxfam said.

In Guatemala, just 8 percent of women have land titles, rising up to 30 percent in Peru.

Colombian accord

The Colombian government hopes to tackle unequal land ownership and bridge the urban-rural divide as part of a new peace accord it signed with the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end 52 years of war.

Unequal land distribution was a key reason why the FARC took up arms in 1964 as a Marxist-inspired agrarian movement that fought to defend the rights of landless peasants.

Under the accord, landless and displaced farmers, particularly women, will be entitled to credit and farmland through a land bank that aims to redistribute 3 million hectares over the next decade.

"The peace accord is a real opportunity to address unequal land distribution in Colombia," Ticehurst said. "But we are not blind to the interests of big landowners and the elite and their ability to yield power over decisions about land reform and resist changes to land ownership. The accord will be a real challenge to implement."

Lawmakers in Colombia's Senate unanimously voted in favor of the new peace accord Tuesday, and it will now need to be approved by Congress for the deal to be ratified.
Pope Francis on Wednesday met Martin Scorsese after a special screening in Rome of the Oscar-winning director's new film "Silence," about Jesuit missionaries in 17th century Japan.

For the-74-year-old Scorsese, who spent a year in a "minor seminary", a high school for boys considering the priesthood, the meeting came almost thirty years his film "The Last Temptation of Christ" outraged many conservative Christians.

The encounter held significance too for the 79-year-old pope, a member of the Jesuit order who as a young priest in Argentina had wanted to go to Japan as a missionary but could not for health reasons.

At the meeting in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, the pope told Scorsese that he too had read the 1966 novel on which the film was based, "Silence," by the late Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, who was a convert to Catholicism, the Vatican said.

The Italian-American director attended a screening of "Silence" on Tuesday night for more than 300 Jesuit priests. A second screening was planned for a smaller audience in the Vatican on Wednesday afternoon, though it was not clear if the pope would attend.

The film, due to premiere in United States in December, is about two Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who travel to Japan in the 17th century to search for their missing mentor, who is rumored to have renounced the faith under torture.

There the missionaries face a choice: they can save themselves and Japanese converts from death by crucifixion, burning and drowning if they trample an image of Jesus known as the "fumie" to show they renounced their religion.

Christianity was banned in Japan at the time but many Catholics continued worshipping underground. Scorsese gave the pope a painting by a 17th century Japanese artist of a Madonna that was venerated by the so-called "hidden Christians."

Father James Martin, a Jesuit who was a consultant for the film's script said Scorsese stayed for an hour after Tuesday's screening to answer questions from the Jesuits.

"He was very engaged and energetic and really impressed the Jesuits in the audience with the depth of his spirituality," he said.

"You could not make a spiritual film like that without being a spiritual person. It would come off as empty," Martin said.

"The Last Temptation of Christ" caused uproar in 1988 because of a dream scene in which Jesus marries and has sex with Mary Magdalene. The film was met by protests and condemnation by conservative church leaders, and a cinema in Paris was fire-bombed.

But many Catholics at the time also defended Scorsese, who made landmark films such as "Taxi Driver,, "Raging Bull," "Gangs of New York," and "The Departed," the 2006 movie that won the Oscar for best film.

"['The Last Temptation of Christ'] was not about Jesus renouncing the faith but about being tempted, and that is part of his humanity," Father Martin said.




Morocco accused African Union Commission head Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of blocking its efforts to rejoin the organization it left 32 years ago, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Morocco has asked the African Union (AU) to readmit it, as it seeks support for its plan to offer autonomy to the disputed territory of Western Sahara while keeping it under Moroccan sovereignty.

Morocco abandoned its seat in 1984 when the AU recognized Western Sahara, a sparsely populated stretch of desert that was formerly a Spanish protectorate, and admitted it as a member.

Moroccan request delayed

The ministry said Dlamini-Zuma had delayed the distribution of the Moroccan request to AU members without any apparent reason, and then invented a new procedural requirement to reject letters from AU members supporting Morocco's demand.

The kingdom of Morocco denounces vigorously the maneuvers of African Union Commission head, who is trying to thwart Morocco's decision to regain its natural and legitimate place in the pan-African institutional family, the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency MAP.

The president of the AU commission is dropping her neutrality and failing the rules and standards of the organization and its members' will, the statement added.

Many AU members support Morocco

There was no immediate comment from the African organization on the Moroccan statement.

Morocco says at least 36 of the 54 AU member countries do not acknowledge the territory as a separate state and it is time to withdraw its recognition. None of the Western powers, nor the United Nations, recognize the territory, which calls itself the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

But it is unclear if powerful AU members including Algeria and South Africa, which have expressed support to hold a referendum of the people of Western Sahara on their sovereignty, would accept Morocco's request.

Discussion expected January

The AU is expected to discuss the Moroccan request in its January 2017 summit in Addis Ababa.

Morocco has controlled most of the territory since 1975. The area has offshore fishing, phosphate reserves and oilfield potential. Morocco's King Mohammed has been touring Africa in the last three months seeking support for its AU demand and autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.

In 2014, Morocco rejected the AU's decision to appoint a special envoy for the Western Sahara, saying the body had no legal authority to intervene.
The investigation into Monday's car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University has yet to find any evidence that Abdul Razak Ali Artan was acting on behalf of the Islamic State terror group.

"At this stage, we see no direct links to a terrorist organization," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told an audience Wednesday in Washington.

"We see no communications, direct communications with a terrorist organization overseas, by this individual," Johnson added. "The indicators are right now that this was an act that was committed by someone who was self-radicalized."

IS claimed responsibility for the attack Tuesday, calling Artan, 20, a "soldier of the caliphate" in a statement through the group's Amaq News Agency.

The statement also claimed Artan was responding to calls to "target citizens of international coalition countries."

Motive not known

But at this point, investigators said they have yet to determine Artan's motive or whether the attack, which injured 11 people, was even premeditated. Artan was shot and killed at the scene by an Ohio State University police officer.

"They [IS] have been known to take credit for incidents like this when the assailant is deceased and cannot refute that," FBI Special Agent in Charge Angela Byers said during a news conference Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio.

Still, Byers said it did appear Artan was aware of IS propaganda, as well as the writings of other influential jihadist clerics.

"It appears that Artan may have at least been inspired by [al-Qaida leader] Anwar al-Awlaki and the Islamic State," Byers said.

IS recently issued a call for followers to carry out attacks using vehicles in its online Rumiyah magazine, but the FBI said it was not clear whether that was what gave Artan the idea.

"We don't know whether that's something that he's getting from something ISIS is putting out there or whether he's inspired by other attacks," Byers said.

The FBI also said that despite a Facebook post made just minutes before the attack in which Artan said he was willing to kill "a billion infidels" to stop America from "interfering with other countries," he had not been on the agency's radar.

"He was not a subject of any investigation," Byers said. "The FBI had no knowledge of him and had no contact with him."

Legal resident

Artan, a Somali-born refugee, was living as a legal permanent resident in the U.S. and was a freshman business student at Ohio State. He came to the U.S. in 2014 after spending several years in Pakistan.

But House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican, said Wednesday that it was quite possible Artan's apparent radical leanings developed much more recently.

"He did go through secondary screening because he was a military-aged male," McCaul said, appearing with DHS Secretary Johnson in Washington. "I do think he did radicalize in the United States."

Investigators are still poring through "several electronic media" found during a search of the house where Artan was living. A search of the vehicle, believed to belong to Artan's brother, is also underway.

Investigators are also asking for the public's help in determining Artan's movements on the morning of the attack.

Officials said Artan bought a knife at a local Wal-Mart store  which might have been the knife used in the attack  several hours before he drove into the crowd of people in front of the university's Watts Hall.

Meeting with family

Members of the Somali community in Columbus met Monday night with Artan's family.

Hassan Ali Omar, the chairman of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, told VOA the family spoke of feeling "at a loss and a lot of pain."

"They said he was a hardworking person who loved education. They said their son had good culture and that they were not expecting that he would do this kind of act," he said.

Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, host the largest Somali communities in the United States.

In September, a Somali-American man stabbed 10 people at a mall in Minnesota before he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. Officials said the suspect asked some of his victims whether they were Muslim.

VOA Somali service's Harun Maruf contributed to this report.
In a Spartan gymnasium in a Rikers Island jail in New York, seven female inmates are warming up for a performance that combines dance and poetry. Ranging in age from their teens to their 40s and wearing jail garb, they display some nervous jitters.

But they have studied with the best. Professionals from one of the most renowned acting studios in America, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, have trained the performers, working four hours a week for 24 weeks. During that time, the inmates developed the piece they are going to perform, called "The Compassion Project."

How renowned is the Stella Adler Studio? Since it was established in 1949, it has trained such stars as Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert De Niro, Salma Hayek and Mark Ruffalo.

The studio was founded on the premise that the growth of an actor parallels her/his growth as a human being, which just might have some bearing at the Rikers complex. The jail sits on an island in the East River, between Queens and the Bronx boroughs of New York City. A high barbed-wire-topped fence surrounds the island.

Most of the 10,000 inmates in Rikers' 10 jails are short timers, with less than a year left to serve. The vast majority are very poor, and unable to make bail on mainly low-level offenses.

Restoring humanity

As the performers nervously prepare to go out on the gym floor, the audience is encouraging. About 50 fellow inmates, plus corrections officials and invited guests, are signaling their anticipation with cheers, applause and foot stomping.

The theater pieces combine movement and poetry. The poems, written by the inmate-actors, are used instead of normal dialogue  expressing the very idea of compassion and understanding between people.

Director Joanne Edelmann says they are a reflection "of the thought, the poetry, the frustration and the never-ending struggle to see people, all people, no matter where they reside, with compassion and understanding."

The 45-minute program goes off without a hitch. And, as each performer takes her individual bow, the applause is deafening.

Edelmann is moved to tears.

"The performance so moved 20 of the inmates in the audience that they came forward and volunteered for future productions," she said.

Tommy Demenkoff, director of outreach for the studio, says what is going on at Rikers is a model of social engagement.

"They lose a lot of humanity when they come to jail," Demenkoff said. "We are allowed to come in and reinvigorate that humanity, bring back an opportunity, allowing the inmate to reclaim part of themselves that were left behind or were told not to tap into anymore."

Those involved in the programs report there is a clear uptick in attitude and overall improvement in jail atmosphere. And, in the case of Stella Adler's program at Rikers, it is designed to carry over after release from prison. Several former inmates now work with the Adler program, which is currently in six Rikers facilities and conducts eight different programs weekly.

The programs are funded primarily by the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Dream almost fulfilled

Inmate and performer Deanna Rhett understands the reinvigoration of humanity, and hope. Her dream includes taking advantage of a Stella Adler scholarship.

"I'd like to write," she said. "I want to improve my writing skills. I definitely have hope for the future."

Deanna wrote the following and performed it onstage:

My continuing passion:

Is to try to be the best that I can be,

Is to not throw my authority around just because I can,

Is to have everyone love one another unconditionally,

And to let the past be the past, and enjoy the now!

The inmates Compassion Project program was introduced by actress Pauletta Washington, the wife of actor Denzel Washington. Washington is very involved in the Stella Adler-Rikers program, which she says is aimed at inmates like Rhett.

"It is giving them an identity, Washington said. It is giving them a road map that they could possibly take when they get out of jail, to come out with hope."
A group of about 100 protesters gathered outside police headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday night after a prosecutor announced no charges would be filed against the officer who shot and killed a black man in September.

The demonstration was peaceful, a contrast to the two days of riots following Keith Lamont Scott's death. Those protests resulted in the death of one person and dozens of injuries and arrests. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and city leaders instituted a nighttime curfew to restore order.

Some of Wednesday's protesters used the rally to highlight concerns about the use of force by police, particularly against minorities.

A lawyer for Scott's family expressed a similar sentiment shortly after the prosecutor announced no charges would be filed.

"That does not mean this officer's killing of Keith Scott was right. All that means is that under the view of the DA's office, it wasn't criminal. And those are two completely different things," said attorney Justin Bamberg.

Officer Brentley Vinson, who is also black, has said since the shooting that he was the one who shot Scott.

I believe Officer Vinson acted lawfully, District Attorney of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Andrew Murray announced Wednesday, saying that 15 prosecutors on the team voted unanimously in the case.

According to the official report released by the District Attorneys office on Wednesday, Scott did not heed 10 calls to drop his weapon before an officer, also black, shot him four times.

The officer, Brentley Vinson, has admitted since the day of the altercation that he was the one who shot Scott, despite claims to the contrary, which Murray dismissed as erroneous.

Vinson was undercover investigating an unrelated case when he saw Scott filling an empty cigarillo with marijuana. Vinson and his partner were not concerned until they saw Scott holding a gun while sitting in his van, according to their testimony.

Surveillance footage of Scott from a convenience store he visited earlier that day shows a bulge on his ankle, bearing a striking resemblance to the gun and holster found at the scene.

The official report says Vinson then called for backup and followed Scott to the location of the shooting, where he asked him to step out of the car and drop his weapon.

District Attorney Murray did, however, confirm that all dash cam and body cam video from the scene does not show Scott's hands at the time of the shooting - making it impossible to confirm that he was threatening to shoot the officers.

Eyewitness testimony



Multiple people came forward, whether through social media or speaking to the press, to say they saw Scott unarmed, and that the item in his hand was actually a book. The District Attorneys office said its investigation proved that many of these claims were false and officers found no book in the van or on site.

Scotts widow had claimed multiple times throughout the investigation that he did not possess a firearm, but Murray said the probe found text messages between the two arguing about his gun.

Murray said that Officer Vinson faced a reasonable threat to act in self-defense.

Scotts family has asked the community to remain peaceful if they protest.

While we understand that many in the Charlotte area share our frustration and pain, we ask that everyone work together to fix the system that allowed this tragedy to happen in the first place, a family statement said shortly after the decision was announced.

Scotts death on September 20 triggered days of protests in North Carolina's largest city.

Two days of riots in the city, resulting in the death of one protester and dozens of injuries and arrests, lead then North Carolina governor Pat McCrory to declare a state of emergency. Despite a midnight curfew on the city in the week that followed, hundreds of peaceful demonstrators marched through uptown nightly.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi wants the Modi government to change the advisory of the Home Ministry that makes it compulsory for the National Anthem to be played in cinemas before screening of any film.

By India Today Web Desk: Leaders of major political parties have welcomed the Supreme Court order making it mandatory for all cinema halls to play the National Anthem before a movie starts .



ASADUDDIN OWAISI

Owaisi, the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, has urged the Centre to get the National Anthem Act of 1971 amended. He also wants the Narendra Modi government to change the advisory of the Home Ministry that makes it compulsory for the National Anthem to be played in cinemas before screening of any film.

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Talking to India Today TV, Owaisi said, "The Supreme Court order should be implemented but the question is that whether you can make somebody a patriot by this order. You can be a national but it is important that whether you are a patriot. This is a government of ultra nationalists. Those who don't agree with them are anti-nationals. The Supreme Court order means that you will have to amend the 1971 Act and the MHA Advisory."

The Supreme Court's order, making it mandatory for the audience to stand up while the National Anthem plays, has been relaxed for the differently-abled. However, the AIMIM chief asked whether those who were indisposed would also get the same relaxation. He sought to remind that a journalist was beaten up recently allegedly for not standing up during the National Anthem even after he told people he was physically challenged.

He demanded that due consideration should be given to women who are undergoing medical treatment.



READ| National anthem mandatory before every film in theatres, all must rise: Supreme Court

RAJ BABBAR

Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit president Raj Babbar has welcomed the apex court's order. He said, "This is a good thing. Our National Anthem has to be respected. The young generation should understand and should be educated about the importance of the National Anthem," he said.



Babbar said an environment has to be created to ensure that people follow the order to hilt. This is not just for singing but a matter of pride. Calling it a welcome move, he exhorted the state governments and the cinema halls to create a situation conducive to the environme.



RENUKA CHOWDHURY

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chaudhary has greeted the Supreme Court's order on the National Anthem. She said, "It is an old practice? it is a matter of pride to stand up for a few minutes for the National Anthem and then to watch 2-3 hour long move? there's nothing wrong with it. If you can see some dumb advertisement then why can't you stand for National Anthem," she said



READ: Supreme Court makes national anthem mandatory in theatres, Twitterati lose their calm



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PRATAP SINGH BAJWA

Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa too welcomed it and said it was a practice previously too. "National Anthem is something that a nation should respect first before start of any events. It is a very good move," he said.



RAM GOPAL YADAV

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav lauded the order and said, "It is a good decision and I welcome it."



PARESH RAWAL



Actor-turned-politician Paresh Rawal echoed the sentiments expressed in the apex court order. The BJP Lok Sabha MP said, "Bajna chahye, flag bhi dikhna chahye. Hamara rashtra gaan nahi bajega to kiska bajega? Somalia ka? (Yes, the National Anthem should play and the National Flag should also be seen. Whose national anthem should be played if not ours? Of Somalia's?)" he said.



Also read:

Supreme Court notice to Centre on plea alleging abuse of national anthem



PIL in HC to treat Vande Mataram on par with Jana Gana Mana



Independence struggle 2.0: Indian school's British Director insults Kalam, Indian staff



--- ENDS ---
For the first time since 2008, OPEC is set to strike a deal to cut oil output that may boost prices. It may also give itself a bloody nose in Asia, where big buyers are ramping up supplies from elsewhere and say they don't want to pay more for fuel.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meets on Wednesday to hammer out a deal to prop up prices that have halved since 2014. As they gather, tanker shipments to Asia from non-OPEC sources like Alaska, Azerbaijan, and the North Sea are growing, according to shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon.

Buyers in Asia, which alone uses a third of the world's oil supply, have watched with concern as OPEC suppliers  their biggest - openly discuss propping up prices. With non-OPEC supplies readily available, they say they'll consider exploring new sources if the cartel's price is no longer right.

"For us, the current price levels look to be appropriate for both sides [buyers and producers]," said Eiichiro Kitahara, Executive Officer at major Japanese refinery Tonen General Sekiyu.

"Our company aims to avoid depending highly on certain suppliers, and we may seek new [supply] opportunities," Kitahara said, though like other executives he cautioned against expectations of any sudden change in supply trends among buyers.

Major importers in Japan, China and South Korea have long-standing relationships with OPEC suppliers, with just its Middle East members providing two-thirds of Asia's oil needs.

Those ties could loosen, with refiners in countries like Japan - which gets around 90 percent of its oil from Middle East OPEC-members - keen to diversify sources to cut reliance on any single supplier.

In China, now challenging the United States as the world's biggest oil importer, efforts to reduce dependence on Middle East supplies have already seen OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia lose its no.1 supplier rank to its rival Russia. Eikon data shows Middle East producers' share of China's supply market fell from 50 percent in January to 46 percent in November.

Price

Oil markets remained jittery ahead of the OPEC meeting. But refiners across Asia remain alive to the prospects of shifting market dynamics and how they could make other suppliers more attractive, even as OPEC seeks a price rise to boost the economies of countries that rely heavily on crude exports.

"We are closely monitoring the OPEC meeting," said Kim Woo-Kyung, a spokeswoman at major South Korean refiner SK Innovation. "Even if OPEC cuts output, it won't have a big impact (on SK Innovation business) as there are a lot of supplies out there."

Despite Asia's openness to new suppliers, price remains the ultimate arbiter.

Most Middle Eastern crudes cost between $45 and $48 per barrel - ahead of any production cut accord - a competitive price versus supplies from elsewhere when shipping fees are included.

North Sea crudes like Britain's Brent and Forties, or Norway's Oseberg, cost between $46 and almost $47 a barrel, Azeri Light crude is currently priced at over $48, while Alaska North Slope crude is on the market for $46.30 per barrel.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which represents interests of oil consumers, told Reuters at a conference in Tokyo that an OPEC cut designed to raise prices could trigger an increase in output by other producers elsewhere - an increase in supply that could end up pegging prices back.

"If prices are pushed up towards $60 we will see within nine months a strong response from U.S. shale production putting oil in the market," Birol said.

Oil to Asia

In the United States, suppliers are poised to take advantage of any shift in buying patterns.

"Asian (oil) dependence on the Middle East is higher than they are comfortable with," said Bill Walker, Governor of Alaska, speaking during a recent visit to Japan. "They'd like to see something coming out of the U.S. We have seen some shipments come over (to Asia) and I think we are going to see more." "Our location is an advantage. It's seven days of transit (to Japan)," he added, compared with around three weeks it takes to get Middle East oil to Japan. U.S. crude supplies to Asia from Alaska remain rare, but they have gradually picked up this year - after years of strict government restrictions on oil exports ended. Last month, BP sold its first shipment U.S. crude to Thailand and Australia.

Another exporter seeking to place more oil into Asia is Azerbaijan. The mid-sized producer pumps under 900,000 barrels of crude per day - and isn't a member of OPEC.

Eikon trade flows show almost 7 million barrels of Azeri Light crude were loaded for Asia in October, bound for mainland China, Taiwan and India - the highest volume since records began in January 2015.

Shipping data also shows large amounts of North Sea oil - especially British Forties grade crude - currently aboard supertankers heading for northeast Asia. North Sea crude oil flows to the region as a whole have jumped, with 10.7 million barrels arriving in November, their highest level since December last year, Eikon data shows.
Rohingya Muslims who have sought refuge in Bangladesh say they are desperate to stop living as refugees and return to their homeland in Myanmar.

The Rohingyas have been seeking temporary shelter in Bangladesh only to save their lives from a genocide-like situation in Myanmar. For most of us, life as refugees is very hard in Bangladesh. Arakan (Rakhine), where our Rohingya community has lived for centuries, is our ancestral homeland. We want to go back to Arakan, said Mohammad Shaker, a Rohingya leader in the Coxs Bazar district of Bangladesh.

Nurul Islam, a Britain-based Rohingya rights activist and community leader, said whenever anti-Rohingya violence erupts in Myanmar, the international community has taken a keen interest to see that they get safe passage to other countries. But he alleges outside powers do not follow up to help the refugees return to their homeland.

It appears many in the international community think if all Rohingyas are evacuated from Myanmar, the problem of our community will be solved. They are wrong, said Islam, chairman of Arakan Rohingya National Organization. The Rohingya crisis will never be resolved until our community members are able to return to their homeland in Arakan.

Long-standing problem

Since the Rohingya Muslims were first targeted by large-scale ethnic violence in 1978, the religious minority community has fled persecution and economic hardship in Myanmar by leaving for Bangladesh and other countries.

Currently, there are up to half a million Rohingyas in Bangladesh, with over 90 percent of them living as illegal refugees, mostly in decrepit shanty-colonies scattered across southeastern Bangladesh.

With no support from the Bangladesh government or the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), most of the refugees do menial jobs, have no access to basic services, and live hand-to-mouth.

Most complain that in Bangladesh their life is full of hardship and their life back in Myanmar was more comfortable.

After the Rakhine Buddhists burnt my house, with my two children and wife I fled to Bangladesh four years ago. I do odd day-wage jobs to support my family. Often I go without job. I live in a ramshackle shack and I think I can never escape this life of poverty here, said Mohammad Ismail, a 38-year-old Rohingya. I had my own farmland, I also owned a shop and I was quite well-off. If the situation there changes I want to return to Arakan.

Current crisis

Since a Myanmar military crackdown began in Rakhine state seven weeks ago following the killing of 9 policemen in an armed attack blamed on Rohingya militants, several thousands more Rohingya men, women and children have landed in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshs home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that on humanitarian ground some of the Rohingyas fleeing the current violence have been provided refuge.

We shall try to host these people as long as possible. Then we shall start a dialogue with Myanmar so that they can return to their home. We hope Myanmar will take them back, eventually, Kamal said.

But Rohingya community leader Islam alleged the ongoing violence against the Rohingyas in Rakhine is state-sponsored.

The Burmese security forces are entering the Rohingya villages and indulging in killings, rape and arson in ways as violent as possible, as we have seen in the past weeks. This level of indescribable torture is aimed at terrifying the entire community to an extreme level so that all Rohingyas flee the country, Islam told VOA. No Rohingya refugee can dare return to Burma in such situation. But, the final line from us is that we want to return to our homeland in Arakan.

Investigations and pressure

The Myanmar government has said it is setting up a national level committee to investigate conditions and allegations of abuses amid international pressure about rising violence and a humanitarian crisis in northern Rakhine state.



Although the current government has said little else about the current situation, it has long denied allegations of abuse and persecution. For decades, Myanmar officials have said most the Rohingya are recent migrants from Bangladesh, and the government generally refers to them as Bengali.

Myanmars state counselor and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has faced growing criticism for failing to tackle the violence, as the military campaign has triggered the displacement of tens of thousands.

The committee follows on the Rakhine State Advisory Commission, in place since August, under former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, who recently expressed deep concern over violence.

Penny Green, a professor of law and globalization at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) said as long as institutionalized discrimination, widespread and state sanctioned hate crime and segregation characterize life for the Rohingya in Myanmar, they will continue to flee Myanmar.

The voluntary return of the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar will only be possible if Myanmar confronts its genocidal crimes, punishes perpetrators and restores full civil, economic, social and political rights to the Rohingya, said Green, who is the director of QMULs International State Crime Initiative.

She said pressure must be brought to bear on Aung San Suu Kyis government.

"Sanctions, boycotts and divestment have been successful in confronting some of the worlds worst state crimes. We should all be urging our own governments not to engage with the Myanmar government until it ceases its genocidal practices, she said.
United States and United Nations representatives warned in separate meetings Wednesday of escalated tension and potential violence in South Sudan.

We have credible information that the South Sudanese government is currently targeting civilians in Central Equatoria and preparing for large-scale attacks in the coming days or weeks, Keith Harper, the U.S. representative at the U.N. Human Rights Council, said in Geneva.

The claim was quickly rejected by his South Sudanese counterpart, and South Sudan ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol Arop denied any build-up of forces or plans for an offensive in an interview with the Associated Press.



We are raising the alarm. We are calling on the government of South Sudan not to move forward with the offensive they have planned, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told VOA in New York.

In Juba on Wednesday, U.N. human rights experts warned of unprecedented levels of violence and ethnic tension across the war-torn country.

Many expect intensified fighting now that the dry season is setting in, said Yasmin Sooka of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, following a fact-finding mission.

A group of international monitors were blocked by the government from traveling to Central Equatoria to investigate violations of the countrys peace deal earlier this week, AP reported.

Calls for arms embargo, sanctions



The United States has been pressing for a U.N. arms embargo and other targeted sanctions against the government of South Sudan and opposition leader Riek Machar, but has been recently stalled in its efforts by a lack of unity among the 15 Security Council members.



We are urging Security Council members to act quickly to impose an arms embargo in order to change at least one dimension of the South Sudanese governments actions  which is their propensity for choosing arms systems over food for their people, Power said.

The U.S.-drafted resolution also seeks to impose asset freezes and travel bans on SPLA Chief of Staff Paul Malong, South Sudans Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth, and SPLA in Opposition leader Riek Machar  who fled the country first for the DRC in August and is currently in South Africa.

The draft text has received tepid support among council members. Russia has expressed an outright objection to the arms embargo, while others have expressed reservations and objections.

Ambassador Power told VOA it is time the government puts its people first.

We have seen South Sudan again and again investing in attack helicopters and other military means so as to pursue offensives in the Equatorias and other places, instead of actually dealing with the incipient famine that exists in large parts of South Sudan, she said.





Genocide warning



Earlier this month, Adama Dieng, the U.N. secretary-general's adviser on the prevention of genocide, warned of the risk of "outright ethnic war" and the "potential for genocide" in Central Equatoria and the Yei region.



The conflict in South Sudan began nearly three years ago when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy and political rival Riek Machar of plotting a coup.



Since then, fighting largely along ethnic lines has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million from their homes.
Almost 80 years ago Tomas Ortin fled under the cover of night from his home in the small town of Belchite on Spain's northern plains to escape with hundreds of others from one of the bloodiest battles of the country's civil war.

At 94 years old, Ortin now lives just across the road from Belchite, which has lain in ruins since Republican forces attacked it, a symbol of the destruction caused by the 1936-1939 war in which an estimated 500,000 people died.

Walking down its abandoned streets, Ortin points to the house where he was born, its walls still pockmarked with bullet holes, to the bar where the town's youth used to dance and to the spot where his brother was shot through the neck.

"This was our future because everybody used to get together here," Ortin said by the skeleton remains of the town's church, whose brickwork is still embedded with artillery shells.

A strategic location

The siege of Belchite was part of a Republican offensive in 1937 to capture Zaragoza, capital of the Aragon region, from the Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco, who went on to win the war and establish a dictatorship that lasted 40 years.

Nationalist-controlled Belchite represented a key obstacle given its strategic location in the red-brown hills south of Zaragoza. As many as 6,000 people died defending it before those left surrendered.

It became one of the civil war's most infamous battles.

Foreign journalists such as Ernest Hemingway sent back reports from the frontlines as Republican troops, among them a number of American and other international volunteers, fought to seize the town.

Belchite ordered abandoned

After the war Franco visited Belchite and ordered it to be abandoned and preserved to honor the bravery of its defenders and the brutalities they suffered.

Ortin and several thousand other Belchite residents endured the siege for almost two weeks, hiding in their cellars as soldiers fought hand to hand in the streets and artillery shells rained down. Bodies were piled on top of each other and burnt.

One, two, three

On the night of Sept. 5 about 600 of Belchite's soldiers and residents gathered in the town square, where a falling shell had killed the mayor only a few days before, and prepared to escape.

"A very brave commander got up and shouted 'one, two, three,' and we all started to run," recalled Josefina Cubel, another nonagenarian local who still lives nearby.

They barely reached Belchite's perimeter before the shooting began.

Cubel, then 11 years old, was shot in the leg below the town's gate and was left behind by her family who presumed her dead. She was captured and treated by the Republicans and was only reunited with her parents several months later.

Residents still bitter

Cubel and Ortin now live in New Belchite, built by Republican prisoners on Franco's orders. The old town has continued to disintegrate due to decades of looting and neglect.

Although the bitter divisions created by the civil war still simmer among residents, the local government has sought to use Belchite to teach later generations about the human cost on both sides and not as an example just of one side's valor.

"There was a battle. Who lost? The people did," said Domingo Serrano, a former mayor who was born in the old town.
Russia pledged Thursday to continue its support of Syrian forces in Aleppo until the city is cleared of terrorists.

The comment from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came after a meeting Thursday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said the two diplomats agreed on the need to reach a cease-fire in Syria.

Russia and Turkey back different sides in the conflict, with Russia a strong ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey supporting the rebels who have spent more than five years trying to push him from power.

The Syrian military campaign in Aleppo, which includes Russian airstrikes, has raised international concerns about the safety of civilians in the rebel-held eastern part of the city. Syria has long described opposition fighters there and elsewhere as terrorists.

'One giant graveyard'

U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien is calling for states with influence to do everything within their power to protect those civilians and save what was once the countrys largest city from becoming one giant graveyard.

OBrien told an emergency Security Council meeting Wednesday that up to 25,000 people have been displaced from rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo since Saturday, but that the numbers change by the hour and day.

It is likely that thousands more will flee should fighting further spread and intensify over the coming days, he told the council via a video link from London.

Beyond Aleppo

While the worlds attention has been focused on more than 250,000 civilians trapped in eastern Aleppo, OBrien underscored that there are 700,000 more people in other besieged areas across Syria.

They are trapped, they are petrified; winter is approaching and they are watching the chilling events in Aleppo unfold and asking: Will I be next? he said.

OBrien called on the Security Council to overcome its long-held divisions over Syria, to stop the brutality and also prevent a similar fate befalling other Syrians.

He said three things are vital: the protection of civilians; safe, unhindered access for aid workers; and an end to sieges.

Political settlement needed

U.N. Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura, addressing council members from Geneva, estimated that almost 40 percent of the area previously held by armed opposition groups is now in the hands of government forces.

Make no mistake about this, he said. None of the military developments we are witnessing are pointing to what one could call a stable, ongoing, permanent military solution, he warned.

De Mistura said only a negotiated political settlement will end the crisis.

In an interview with VOA Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power echoed that conclusion.

They can take a populated area  even one as substantial as eastern Aleppo  inflict horrific human carnage, and the war will not end, she said. If anything, we will have more people eager to take up arms against the regime. What will end the war is a political solution. She said the Obama administration would work until its final day in office to pursue a negotiated peace.

Britain and France called for the emergency meeting. Russias U.N. ambassador criticized them for it, saying they were upset because the rebels they support are losing.

The bandits that they, among others, have so coddled and fueled are on the point of defeat there; almost half of that part of the city has been liberated, Vitaly Churkin said of the battle for eastern Aleppo. It could be the biggest, including a moral victory, for the Syrian army since 2012, he added.

Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has been Syrias most populous urban area and its commercial capital for centuries. As recently as five years ago, estimates of its population ranged up to 2.5 million people. But since becoming a key battleground in the Syrian civil war in mid-2012, Aleppo has been shattered and decimated.

The U.N.s de Mistura is expected to update the Security Council on Syrian developments again December 8, and said he would give details then on what options may exist for the political process.

On Tuesday, at a meeting of European Parliament, the veteran diplomat said he could not say how long eastern Aleppo will last, following the latest government military escalation.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, almost 300 civilians, including 33 children, have been killed in eastern Aleppo since the government stepped up its offensive against parts of the city in November.

A leading Syrian opposition group, the National Coalition, asked the United Nations to take immediate, definitive steps to protect civilians in Aleppo and stop the barbaric offensive against them.

Aleppo has been a major focus of Syrian military efforts with the backing of Russian airstrikes, and eastern Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months. The army began heavily bombarding the city two weeks ago and late Monday took control of a key district.

In Washington, the State Department expressed its deep outrage at the latest bombing of Aleppo and said Moscow should be held responsible.

Previous efforts to halt the fighting have brought only short-term agreements and no real progress toward a lasting end to the conflict that began in March 2011.


The United Nations humanitarian chief urged states with influence to do everything within their power to protect civilians in eastern Aleppo, to save what was once Syria's largest city from becoming "one giant graveyard.



Stephen OBrien told an emergency Security Council meeting Wednesday that up to 25,000 people have been displaced from rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo since Saturday, but that the numbers change by the hour and day.

It is likely that thousands more will flee should fighting further spread and intensify over the coming days, he told the council via a video link from London.

Will I be next?

While the worlds attention has been focused on more than 250,000 civilians trapped in eastern Aleppo, OBrien underscored that there are 700,000 more people in other besieged areas across Syria.

They are trapped, they are petrified  winter is approaching and they are watching the chilling events in Aleppo unfold and asking: will I be next? he said.

OBrien called on the Security Council to overcome its long-held divisions over Syria, to stop the brutality and also prevent a similar fate befalling other Syrians.

He said three things are vital: the protection of civilians; safe, unhindered access for aid workers; and an end to sieges.

No military solution

U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, addressing council members from Geneva, estimated that almost 40 percent of the area previously held by armed opposition groups is now in the hands of government forces.

Make no mistake about this, he said. None of the military developments we are witnessing are pointing to what one could call a stable, ongoing, permanent military solution,' he warned.

De Mistura said only a negotiated political settlement will end the crisis.

In an interview with VOA Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power echoed that conclusion.

They can take a populated area - even one as substantial as eastern Aleppo - inflict horrific human carnage, and the war will not end, she said. If anything, we will have more people eager to take up arms against the regime. What will end the war is a political solution.

She said the Obama administration would work until its final day in office to pursue a negotiated peace.

Russian rationale

Britain and France called for the emergency meeting. Russias U.N. ambassador criticized them for it, saying they were upset because the rebels they support are losing.

The bandits that they, among others, have so coddled and fueled are on the point of defeat there; almost half of that part of the city has been liberated, Vitaly Churkin said of the battle for eastern Aleppo. It could be the biggest, including a moral victory, for the Syrian army since 2012, he added.

Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has been Syria's most populous urban area and its commercial capital for centuries. As recently as five years ago, estimates of its population ranged up to 2.5 million people. But since becoming a key battleground in the Syrian civil war in mid-2012, Aleppo has been shattered and decimated.

The U.N.s de Mistura is expected to update the Security Council on Syrian developments on December 8, and said he would give details then on what options may exist for the political process.

Barbaric offensive

On Tuesday, at a meeting of European Parliament, the veteran diplomat said he could not say how long eastern Aleppo will last, following the latest government military escalation.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, almost 300 civilians, including 33 children, have been killed in eastern Aleppo since the government stepped up its offensive against parts of the city earlier this month.

A leading Syrian opposition group, the National Coalition, asked the United Nations to "take immediate, definitive steps to protect civilians in Aleppo and stop the barbaric offensive against them."

Aleppo has been a major focus of Syrian military efforts with the backing of Russian airstrikes, and eastern Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months. The army began heavily bombarding the city two weeks ago and late Monday took control of a key district.

In Washington, the State Department expressed its "deep outrage" at the latest bombing of Aleppo and said Moscow should be held responsible.

Previous efforts to halt the fighting have brought only short-term agreements and no real progress toward a lasting end to the conflict that began in March 2011.
A 20-year-old North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to attempting to commit an act of international terrorism at the encouragement of the Islamic State group.

Federal prosecutors said Justin N. Sullivan intended to use an assault rifle equipped with a silencer and loaded with hollow-point bullets to gun down hundreds of people in North Carolina and Virginia, to prove his allegiance to Islamic State extremists.

Sullivan, whose plot unraveled when he confided in an undercover FBI agent, admitted his guilt in court Tuesday in Asheville, North Carolina, and said he had agreed to accept a sentence of life in prison.

Sullivan admitted he conspired with Junaid Hussain, a senior member of Islamic State responsible for online recruitment, U.S. officials said. There were frequent contacts between the American, who was a teenager at the time, and Hussain before federal agents moved in to arrest Sullivan in June of last year.

IS controller killed in airstrike

Hussain, a Briton who was believed to be the third highest-ranking member of IS, was killed in an airstrike in Syria in August 2015, U.S. officials said.

Court records said Sullivan discussed his attack plan with an undercover FBI agent he was trying to recruit. The young American had researched online how to manufacture firearm silencers, and he enlisted his supposed accomplice to build silencers they could use in an attack. Aiming for maximum casualties, Sullivan supposedly said he hoped to kill up to 1,000 people with automatic-rifle fire at a club, concert hall or bar.

Hussain, Sullivan's IS controller, asked him to be sure to record a video of the attack, which Sullivan promised to do. The defendant admitted in court documents to his deep involvement in every aspect of his attack plot.

He and the undercover agent were to have attended gun shows in the North Carolina-Virginia area on June 20 or 21, 2015, where they hoped to purchase automatic rifles. However, on June 19, law-enforcement agents arrested Sullivan at his parents' home, where they also recovered a gun silencer and other items related to the case.

Gun attack kills neighbor

U.S. officials said Sullivan was suspected of killing a neighbor, John Bailey Clark, in December 2014. Forensic testing showed the gun that killed Clark was owned by Sullivan's father; the son said later that he had stolen the weapon and hidden it beneath the family home.

Sullivan did not admit that he killed Clark, but prosecutors said they would present further evidence before he is sentenced. Court documents also showed that Sullivan's parents were suspicious about his activities, and that he intended to have them killed by the undercover FBI agent, in return for compensation, so they could not interfere with his attack plans.

The special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in Charlotte, North Carolina, John Strong, said: "Justin Sullivan planned to kill hundreds of innocent people. He pledged his support to [Islamic State] and took calculated steps to commit a murderous rampage to prove his allegiance to the terrorist organization."

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this story.
When President-elect Donald Trump takes office, he can immediately begin to unravel nearly all of the steps the Obama administration has taken to normalize ties with Cuba, just as he threatened to do in a tweet.

But experts say Trump most likely will face tough resistance and challenges.

"He could break diplomatic relations on his first day in office," said William LeoGrande, professor of government at American University and co-author of "Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana."

It most likely would take longer, perhaps months, to roll back changes in trade with and travel to Cuba, because the Treasury and Commerce departments would have to rewrite complex regulations.

Regulatory changes

President Barack Obama used his presidential authority to make nearly all the changes regarding Cuba,"so from a technical point of view, President Trump could undo all of those things reasonably quickly," said LeoGrande.

The president-elect could reverse regulations that allow U.S. businesses and corporations to operate in Cuba and Obama's decision to allow so-called people-to-people travel there.

With a single tweet on Monday, Trump cast doubt on the future of Obama's historic policy shift toward Cuba, one that pushed aside a decades-old policy of isolation in favor of one that promotes engagement.

"If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban-American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal," Trump tweeted.

"Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression," said Jason Miller, communications director for Trump's transition team.

The president-elect and many Republicans in Congress have argued that Washington gave Havana too many concessions without insisting that the communist government end its oppressive policies and human rights abuses.

"The people of Cuba need to know that an experiment that was ill-conceived, and naive in the extreme, has failed, and the United States will stand in solidarity with those who espouse human rights," Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey told VOA. "I think Donald Trump could be a turning point for the U.S. and Cuba."

'Slam the door'

But negotiating with Cuba will not be easy, experts caution.

"If Trump sends people to Cuba to renegotiate the arrangements that Obama had negotiated with Cuba, with the idea that the Cubans would have to give more in terms of human rights or democracy, they would slam the door in his face," said Brian Latell, adjunct professor at Florida International University's Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy.

Since Obama announced the new Cuba policy in August 2014, the U.S. and Cuba have restored diplomatic ties, reopened embassies, greatly relaxed trade and travel restrictions, and signed 12 agreements on a range of interests, including telecommunications, health, aviation, and hospitality and tourism.

U.S. businesses and corporations have made investments in the communist nation and soon will begin operating there, including Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

In August, JetBlue Airways became the first airline to fly from the U.S. to Cuba in more than 50 years. In the coming months, there will be up to 110 daily flights between the two countries, according to the White House.

It's "not as easy as just a stroke of a pen, because there will be consequences in doing that," said Josh Earnest, White House press secretary. "There will be an economic impact in the United States and in Cuba for unraveling that policy."

Trump spokesman Miller said the president-elect was "aware of the nuances and challenges" regarding Cuba.

Congressional input

While Trump has said he wants to negotiate a better deal, it is unclear how much he is willing to reverse Obama's measures.

Representative Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, said he didn't necessarily think there would be "a knee-jerk reaction" to what Obama had done. "I think it's time to take off the Cold War lenses and think about how we can proactively and productively engage in Cuba," he told VOA.

"President Trump would be less inclined to make a deal if he got a tremendous push back from Capitol Hill, especially in the House of Representatives," said Raymond Tanter, who served on the National Security Council under President Ronald Reagan and now heads the American Committee on Human Rights. "I would say that there's a strong likelihood that the legacy of Obama will be very difficult to overturn."

"The politics of it are very complicated," said LeoGrande. "The legalities of it are pretty straight forward in terms of what the president has the legal authority to do."

VOA's Katherine Gypson contributed to this report.
Authorities in Turkey have detained six people in connection with a fire at a school that killed 12 people and injured 22 others.

The fire broke out in a girls' dormitory late Tuesday in the southern province of Adana. The cause is believed to be an electrical fault.

Those detained were leaders and employees at the school who are being investigated for possible negligence.

The mayor of Adana Huseyin Sozlu told Turkish media that the dorm's fire door may have been locked, leaving students unable to open it.

Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtas told the state-run Anadolu Agency some of the injured students were affected by smoke and some were hurt while trying to get out of the building.
A U.N. panel is sticking by its opinion that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention, rejecting a request by Britain to review the case.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Britain had not presented enough new information to merit a new examination. The panel made the decision at a meeting last week, the U.N. human rights office said Wednesday.



In February, the panel found that Britain and Sweden had "arbitrarily detained" Assange, saying he should be freed and entitled to compensation.



Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid arrest and extradition to Sweden. Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of rape.



Assange fears he could be sent to the United States over secret-spilling by WikiLeaks.
New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) We need to think with a "new mind" and find out areas in which India and Latin America could cooperate for boosting ties in various sectors, Ambassador of Argentina to India Maria Cristina Ueltschi today said.

She was speaking at a session held here on Economic and Commercial Relations between India and Latin America organised by Aspen Centre.

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"India and Argentina need to cooperate in various sectors and boost ties... But, we need to think with new minds, and find out areas in which we could cooperate that would be complimentary for our economy.

"We must share our knowledge and create things in other countries too," she said.

Ambassador of Chile to India Andres Barbe said, we need symbolic gestures from both sides too.

"It will be great if the Indian Prime Minister visit us, we are always there to welcome him. And, his visit would certainly boost Indo-Latin America ties," he said.

"Geographically we are far, but we definitely, support each other," Barbe said.

Joint Secretary, Trade Policy Division, Department of Commerce, Dammu Ravi said, India is reaching out to the region, but there are few challenges that need to be addressed.

"First of all we need to look at these as regions and not just countries. One has to at least look at the sub-region at least... Also, trans-shipment takes 60-90 days from India to Latin America, so that is one area. Being able to trade from far-off distance is not fashionable. Entrepreneurs need to have market access," he said.

He added that doing business should be a "win-win model", as businesses, invested from outside should add value to the county in which they are operating.

Ueltschi said people in India learning Spanish is a display of "new mind" and, "it means, one wants to know and understand the other."

Later on the sidelines, when asked about film and cultural ties, she said, "Bollywood and soap operas are beginning to become popular in our country."

"An Indo-Argentinian co-production film on (Rabindranth) Tagores relationship with Argentinian writer Victoria Ocampo is already being made, in which Indian actor Victor Banerjee is playing Tagore. So, we are cooperating in this area," she said.

"Thinking of Him", besides Banerjee, stars Raima Sen in key roles. PTI KND RG

--- ENDS ---
The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted Wednesday to impose a new round of targeted economic sanctions against North Korea for its September 9 nuclear test.



The sanctions take aim at sectors of the defiant nations economy that generate cash to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and could cost Pyongyang more than $800 million a year in lost funds  the equivalent of a quarter of its total export revenues.



The resolution focuses its toughest action on Pyongyangs coal export industry, which, according to global trade figures, is expected to generate over $1 billion in revenue this year and is the countrys single largest source of external funds.

Coal exports



The resolution imposes a hard, binding cap that will cut the countrys coal exports by more than 60 percent -- that could add up to some $700 million per year, experts said.



This coal export revenue has not been used to help the people of North Korea; it has been used to further build up the regimes illegal weapons programs, U.S. United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power told the council.



An additional $100 million would come from prohibitions on exports of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. Tens of millions more could be lost from the countrys lucrative giant bronze statue export industry.



In addition, the council has designated for asset freezes and travel bans 11 North Korean officials and 10 entities involved in the development, production and financing of the countrys illicit weapons programs, its coal sector and conventional arms trade.



The United States and China began negotiating the new measures shortly after North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb in September.



The resolution adopted by the council today demonstrates the uniformed stand of the international community against the development by DPRK of its nuclear and ballistic missiles and for the maintenance of international nuclear non-proliferation regime, said Chinas U.N. ambassador, Liu Jieyi.



The council has imposed several rounds of increasingly harsher, targeted sanctions on North Korea since 2006. Diplomats said they have slowed its march toward a nuclear weapon, but have so far failed to induce Pyongyang to abandon its atomic ambitions.

Ban addresses council



In a rare occurrence, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was present in the council for the vote.



The DPRK must reverse its course and move onto the path of denuclearization through sincere dialogue, Ban said. I reiterate my call on the DPRK to take the necessary steps to reduce tensions in the region, he added.



The U.N. chief is a former South Korean foreign minister and considered a likely presidential candidate in his home country after his U.N. term expires on December 31.



Council members made clear that the resolution does not target the North Korean people or seek to exacerbate their already difficult humanitarian circumstances.



South Koreas envoy, Oh Joon, said that this year alone, it is estimated that Pyongyang has spent more than $200 million for nuclear tests and missile launches and that the total cost of its nuclear program has surpassed $1 billion.



This could have been used to buy one years worth of food for the entire North Korean population, he said. People need to eat food, not weapons.


The United Nations envoy to Yemen is strongly criticizing the Houthi rebels for forming a new government on their own, calling it a setback to peace efforts.

"The announcement ... represents a new and concerning obstacle to the peace process and does not serve the interests of the people of Yemen in these difficult times," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Tuesday in a statement from Geneva.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said there is still time to pull Yemen "back from the brink" if all parties agree to stop airstrikes and halt fighting on the ground in favor of diplomacy.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels control the capital, Sana'a, along with other large parts of the desperately poor country.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announced Monday the group was putting together a new "national salvation" government to show "the enormous importance of reinforcing our domestic position and serving the people despite the difficult economic situation."

The rebels took over the capital in 2014, driving the internationally recognized government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi to exile in Saudi Arabia before Hadi returned to the port city of Aden.

Saudi-led airstrikes against the rebels have killed numerous civilians and obliterated entire neighborhoods. U.N-sponsored peace talks have made little progress.

U.N. relief officials said as many as 80 percent of Yemen's civilian population are in immediate need of food and medicine.
The reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi's government in Myanmar is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the country's divided northwest, a senior U.N. official warned Tuesday.

The conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine State has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh amid allegations of abuses by security forces. The crisis poses a serious challenge to Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

In a statement, Adama Dieng, the U.N.'s special adviser on the prevention of genocide, said the allegations "must be verified as a matter of urgency" and urged the government to allow access to the area.

"If they are true, the lives of thousands of people are at risk. The reputation of Myanmar, its new government and its military forces is also at stake in this matter," he said. "Myanmar needs to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to the human rights of all its populations. It cannot expect that such serious allegations are ignored or go unscrutinized."

Military response

Soldiers have poured into the area along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh, responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 that killed nine police officers.

Myanmar's military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burned houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine.

The violence, the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012, has renewed international criticism that Suu Kyi has done too little to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya minority, who are denied citizenship and access to basic services.

"The government needs, for once and for all, to find a sustainable solution to the situation of the Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar, a solution that is in full compliance with the international human rights standards that the government has pledged to respect," Dieng said.
The Western medias treat the events in the Near East state by state. Their readers, who know almost nothing about the history of the region, are not surprised by that, but remain unable to understand this complicated Orient which is in a perpetual state of war.

However, the Near East can not be compared with Europe, for example. It more closely resembles Africa, because its frontiers are not based on geographical realities, but on arrangements by the colonial powers. During the last century, the states of the Near East worked hard to transform their populations into true Peoples. Finally, only Egypt, Syria and Iraq have managed to do so.

Over the last five years, the Western Press has therefore dealt with alleged democratic revolutions in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria, supposed Iranian interference in Bahrein, Lebanon and Yemen, and terrorism in Iraq. But on the ground, to the contrary, all the forces concerned, with the exception of the Gulf petro-dictators, have denounced this interpretation of events and presented a completely different regional view.

For example, let us look at the situation of the Kurds. I could easily explain the situation of Daesh in the same way, but this second example would be even more difficult for my Western readers to admit.

According to the Western Press, the Kurds lead a blissful life in Iraq, where they enjoy almost total autonomy in the context of a federal system opportunely imposed by the United States. They are fighting in Syria against both the Alawite dictatorship of the Assad family and the extremist Sunni oppression of Daesh. And they are being viciously repressed in Turkey. Nonetheless, they form a People which has the right to an independent state in Syria, but not in Turkey.

For the Kurds themselves, the reality is completely different.

The Kurds have a culture in common, but not the same language, nor the same history. To explain this in simple terms, the Kurds of Iraq were globally pro-US during the Cold War, while the Kurds of Turkey and Syria were pro-Soviet. Worried about the strong popular support for the USSR in Turkey, the United States first organised a mass emigration to Germany, so that the Turks would not be tempted to break ties with NATO, then encouraged the repression of the Kurds of the PKK. During the civil war of the 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Turkish Kurds took refuge in Syria with their leader, Abdullah Ocallan, and were protected there. In 2011, they took Syrian nationality.

Now lets get to the heart of the matter. No-one mentioned the Kurdish question during the first Syrian war  the war that was aimed at expanding the Arab Spring by using the techniques of 4th generation warfare. Everything built up slowly from the second Syrian war, which started with the conference of the so-called Friends of Syria in Paris, July 2012.

The declarations by the leaders of the NATO countries suggested that the Syrian Arab Republic would soon be overthrown, and that the Muslim Brotherhood would attain power, just as they had managed to do in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Turkey thus invited the populations of the North of Syria to move into Turkey to shelter from the trauma of the revolution. In September, Ankara named a wali - Veysel Dalmaz. A wali is a Turkish prefect, but the term dates from the Ottoman empire and so evokes the oppression by the Sultan. Under the direct authority of Prime Minister Erdogan, Dalmaz distributed billions of petro-dictators dollars to the refugees.

At the time, everyone noticed the attempt to weaken Syria, but no-one understood the under-lying motivation for this transfer of the population. And yet a close colleague of ambassador Samantha Powell, Kelly M. Greenhill, had published a university article on Strategic engineering of migration as a weapon of war [1], which should have caught the attention. Turkey built new cities to house the Syrians, but curiously, did not make them available. They are still empty. Ankara began sorting the refugees according to their political opinions, and either held them in camps where they could receive military training before being sent back to fight at home, or else allowed them to mingle with the Turkish population, and in this case, exploited them for work.

In the North of Syria, the remaining populations were mainly Christian, Kurd and Turkmen. The latter passed massively into the service of Turkey, and were supervised by the Grey Wolves, a fascist militia created in 1968 on behalf of NATO. From its side, Damascus created Christian and Kurdish militias to ensure the security of its territory. For two years, all the Syrian Kurds fought under the orders of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Betraying Abdullah Ocallan  founder of the PKK - and his Kurdish brothers, one of these men, the Syrian Salih Muslim, renewed his ties with Turkey, despite the fact that they had massacred part of his family in the 1980s. On 31 October 2014, he attended a secret meeting with Presidents Erdogan and Hollande, and concluded a pact with them. France and Turkey agreed to recognise an independent state in the North of Syria, of which he was to become President. In exchange, he agreed to cleanse the area by massacring its Christian population, just as other Kurds had massacred Christians for the Ottomans a century ago. He was also obliged to accept the expulsion of members of the Turkish PKK on his territory, while the Syrian Sunni refugees would replace them in the Kurdish areas of Turkey.

This plan has a long history  it had been drawn up by Ahmet Davutoglu and his French counterpart Alain Juppe, in 2011, before Turkeys entry into the war against Libya, and before the events in Syria. It was publicly assumed by the Pentagon in September 2013, when Robin Wright published in the New York Times the map of this future state and the area which was going to become Daeshs Caliphate. The first state was of course to be named Kurdistan, although it was nowhere near the territory of the historic Kurdistan as specified by the King-Crane Commission (1919) and recognised by the Treaty of Sevres (1920). The second state was to be named Sunnistan, and would straddle the borders of Iraq and Syria, definitively cutting the Silk Road.

This plan pursued the objectives of Sultan Abdulhamid II, the Young Turks and the Lausanne Treaty (1923)  to create a Turkey which would be exclusively Sunni, and to expel or massacre all other populations. It was precisely in order to prevent the realisation of this plan, and to condemn those who already begun to implement it by massacring the Armenians and the Pontic Greeks, that Raphael Lemkins created the concept of genocide - a concept which thus applies today to the responsibilites of Messrs. Juppe and Hollande, like those of Messrs. Davutoglu and Erdogan.

Please do not make any mistake about what I am writing  however much Paris and Ankara want to create an exclusively Sunni Turkey, the majority of Sunnis are equally opposed to the idea. And it is for this reason that we are witnessing such a ferocious repression, both in Turkey and in Daeshs Caliphate.

In July 2015, the Erdogan government sent Daesh to commit an attack in Suruc (Turkey), killing both Kurds and Alevis  the local equivalent of the Syrian Alawites  who were expressing their support for the Syrian Arab Republic. This event destroyed the truce of 2009. Simultaneously, the Turkish government cut off food and support for a carefully-selected part of the Syrian refugees. This was the beginning of the execution of Turkeys part of the plan. And the beginning of Turkeys descent into Hell.

In August, Turkey pushed the Syrian refugees who had no more resources to flee to the European Union. In October, in Syria, Salih Muslims men attacked the Assyrian Christian communities and attempted to Kurdicise their schools by force, while in Turkey, Erdogans AKP destroyed 128 political bureaux of the pro-Kurd HDP and more than 300 small Kurd-owned businesses. The Turkish special forces massacred more than 2,000 Turkish Kurds and partially destroyed the towns of Cizre and Silopi. Though our readers may have followed these events as they occurred, the Western medias have not mentioned them, and are only just beginning, one year later, to speak about the martyrdom of Cizre and Silopi.

With the help of Massoud Barzani - the life-time President of Iraqi Kurdistan - Salih Muslim imposed obligatory conscription for young Syrian Kurds in order to swell the ranks of his troops and create a reign of terror. In this case too, the Western medias never mentioned it, preferring romantic evocations of the creation of the state of Rojava. Nonetheless, these young Syrians revolted en masse and joined up with the Syrian Defence Forces.

In September 2016, President Erdogan announced that Turkey was going to naturalise some of the Syrian refugees who had stayed in his country - those who support the plan for an exclusively Sunni Turkey. They would be offered apartments which were built four years ago and which were ready for them.

Trapped between the jaws of his personal ambitions and the solidarity of his troops with their Turkish brothers, the collaborator Salih Muslim turned against Ankara, who issued an arrest warrant against him in November. After having received the Secretary General of NATO, President Erdogan announced that he intends to renegotiate the Lausanne Treaty. He also intends to annex some Greek islands, the North of Cyprus, a part of Syria and Iraq, and create, in 2023, the 17th Turko-Mongol Empire.

Already, the Turkish army is gnawing away at Syria (Jarabulus) and Iraq (Bashiqa). When Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi warned Turkey about this act of war, President Erdogan arrogantly retorted that al-Abadi was not on his level and told him to stay in his place . Questioned twice before the Security Council, Turkish ambassador and ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs Feridun H. Sinirlioglu responded that his country acts for the good of its populations, and that Iraq has no right to evoke international law, nor complain.

On a battlefield, finally, there can only be two camps, not three. The current war opposes Turkey on one side, which intends to divide its populations according to their community and ensure the supremacy of one over all the others. On the other side, the Syrian Arab Republic, which defends peace and equality by mixing the communities.

Which camp are you in?
Museum Lecture Series  The Christmas Lecture

The Gibraltar Museum is pleased to announce the next lecture in its series. This will be the first time that the Christmas Lecture will be delivered, an innovation that is hoped will become a tradition in years to come.

The Christmas Lecture will be delivered on Thursday 1st December, 2016, at the John Mackintosh Hall at 7pm by Dr Christopher Young who is an independent heritage consultant, providing advice on the management of the historic environment, particularly related to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

Before becoming a consultant he was the Head of International Advice at English Heritage for 15 years from 1999. Dr Young has advised on many World Heritage property nominations and management plans as well as on management issues at various properties both in the United Kingdom and abroad, including the Gorhams Cave Complex. He has also worked with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on policy issues and reports, and with ICCROM and ICOMOS on matters related to World Heritage

Dr Youngs lecture is entitled World Heritage Sites: Our Global Inheritance. Dr Youngs lecture will provide an overview of the history and concept of World Heritage, illustrating the wealth and diversity of inscribed sites around the globe, and setting the newly-inscribed Gorhams Cave Complex into its wider context. He will explore the issues and conflicts surrounding the management of World Heritage Sites and the need for effective management and community engagement. He will explore what the World Heritage Convention is trying to achieve both as a conservation tool and in terms of UNESCOs wider aims, again linking in Gibraltars new World Heritage Site.

The lecture is free and open to the public
We Need a "sensible Brexit" Garcia tells British and Irish Parliamentarians

In an address to delegates at the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Cardiff, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has said that instead of a "hard Brexit" or a "soft Brexit" what was required was a "sensible, well managed and orderly Brexit" which was in the best interests not only of Gibraltar and Spain but also of the United Kingdom and the European Union as a whole.

Dr Garcia delivered the keynote address to the official dinner of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Cardiff Castle. The Assembly consists of Parliamentarians from the House of Commons, House of Lords, the Irish Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

He told the Parliamentarians that although 96% of Gibraltar had voted to remain in the European Union, the overall result was to leave. "We are where we are and we have to deal with it," he declared.

He explained that many people have come to regard the application of EU law at the border as providing a degree of protection against the excesses of a difficult neighbour and went over the importance to both sides of fluid land access between Gibraltar and Spain.

The address, which was very well received, echoed the concerns that had been raised during the day about the future movement of persons between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. Dr Garcia drew a parallel between the two situations on the basis that there were 14,800 people who crossed daily from south to north in order to work. "Similarly there are over 12,000 persons, most of whom are Spanish, who cross the border into Gibraltar every morning and then leave after work in the evening", he explained.

The economies of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic were intertwined in the same way as the economies of the Campo and Andalucia were linked to that of Gibraltar. This access to and from Gibraltar is particularly important for frontier workers and for the tourists who create the jobs that the frontier workers then occupy.

The Deputy Chief Minister went over the constitutional position of Gibraltar which he said enjoyed in internal UK terms "Devo Max", more self-Government than any of the devolved administrations. He welcomed the very positive level of engagement with the United Kingdom Government which was apparent from the number of high-level meetings that had taken place with different members of the Government from the Prime Minister downwards.

Dr Garcia closed by raising the question of a differentiated relationship between members of the British family of nations and the European Union post-Brexit. He said that this multi-faceted relationship is what existed at present with Gibraltar, Scotland, Jersey and the Falklands, for example, each enjoying a different degree of participation with the EU.
By PTI: Islamabad, Nov 30 (PTI) Indian writers and poets will miss this years International Urdu Conference in Karachi due to the ongoing tension on the India-Pakistan border, a media report said today.

The ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi will be held from December 1 to December 4, council member Ahmed Shah said.

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"Every year Indian writers and poets attend the moot, lending it variety. This time round, owing to the tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists," Shah was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

Highlighting Indian writers and poets contribution, Shah said he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion.

Though the Indian writers like Gulzar and Gopichand Narang have contributed substantially to Urdu literature, these days they are afraid of visiting Pakistan as they fear they would be treated badly on their return to India, Shah said.

He, however, said he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference via video or audio link.

Urdu scholar from countries like the US, Germany, Denmark, the UK, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference, he said, adding that almost all renowned writers and poets from Pakistan had been invited.

Tension between India and Pakistan has increased after the attack on an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18 and the resultant "surgical strike" on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by the army 10 days later.

Since then, cross-border firings have increased killing soldiers and civilians on both sides.

This week, 12 people, including three Pakistani soldiers, were killed in alleged Indian cross-border firings. The Indian response came after the Indian Army warned of "heavy retribution" following the killing of three of its soldiers, with the body of one of them mutilated in a cross-LoC attack.

Pakistan has denied as "false" and "baseless" its troops were responsible for the mutilation and deaths of Indian soldiers. PTI MRJ AKJ MRJ

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The four-and-half-minute super-trailer for the new cycle of Americas Next Top Model is jam-packed with moments that suggest a network change (the show, born on UPN, has moved from the CW to VH1) did not dim the collective smize of its contestants or production. Jutting cheekbones, budding friendship, screaming, ambulances, a full collapse during what appears to be a group dance rehearsal: Its all there, and it all premieres December 12. The only question that remains, of course, is whether new host Rita Ora can successfully inherit Tyra Bankss heavy, metallic, snakeskin, rhinestone-encrusted mantle. What gems could possibly be left in the ANTM hosting gig for Rita Ora to discover? What will be her fierce?
With President-elect Donald Trumps tweets dominating the headlines, Bernie Sanders stopped by Conan to offer his take on the politically minded motivation behind the delusional and totally insane 160-character rants. Making his way through the bigger social-media posts of the past few days, the Vermont senator explained that Trumps false claims of mass voter fraud are his way of sending a message to Republicans across the country, Republican leaders. And what hes saying is that we have to suppress the vote. We have to make it harder for poor people, people of color, immigrants, elderly people to participate, because they might be voting against us. He then described other tweets  such as Trumps cry to strip flag-burning Americans of their citizenship  as a distraction from issues such as income inequality and global warming. During the interview, Bernie also argued that the media needs to be better with their coverage of political issues, particularly relating to the poor and the environment. Watch both portions of the interview in the clip above and below.
Nicole Kidman. Photo: Rene and Radka

Nicole Kidmans young children recently watched Paddington, in which she stars as a murderous taxidermist bent on stuffing the titular bear, and they had some notes. They were like, Why were you playing the baddie?  she says, laughing. Curled up in a West Hollywood hotel room, Kidman has slipped her feet out of their expensive heels and tucked them under her legs on the couch. They wanted me to play the bears mother. I was like, I didnt get offered the bears mother. 

What she means is: because the bears mother is a good adoptive mother. The 49-year-old Kidman, who won an Oscar for playing the childless writer Virginia Woolf, will readily admit that shes not the first pick for most loving-mom roles. The archetype she has seemingly settled into in mid-career is quite the opposite: a woman either terrorizing or grieving for children, which is an especially striking (and poignant) development for a woman who went through a painful separation from the children she adopted with Tom Cruise (she has since reunited with them, and raises her two younger children with husband Keith Urban). The pattern, which began perhaps with The Others, shows up even in films primarily for children, like Paddington and The Golden Compass, in which Kidmans alabaster hauteur is used to terrify. The rest of her filmography is studded with screen children who dont survive or, in Margot at the Wedding and Stoker, must bear the brunt of her vituperative monologues if they do make it.

Related Stories Watch an Exclusive Clip From the Oscar-Hopeful Tearjerker Lion

So when Kidman calls the new movie Lion something Ive never really done onscreen, she means it. Based on a true story, the film follows 5-year-old Saroo, who is separated from his family on a train and forced to live on the streets of Calcutta. Unable to find his way home, the orphaned Saroo is eventually sent to Australia to live with an adoptive mother, Sue Brierley  played by Kidman, hidden beneath a humble-homemaker hairdo. This time there is no hidden agenda at play: Sue truly does love Saroo, raising him as her own and supporting him even later when, as an adult (and then played by Slumdog Millionaires Dev Patel), he shuns her to search for his birth mother. All she wants is whats best for her son.

If I had not ended up in America, I am that woman, says Kidman, who lobbied director Garth Davis for the role and had a special ace in the hole, given that the real Sue Brierley reportedly wanted the Sydney-raised Kidman to play her.

Indeed, Kidmans reverie on motherhood is nearly as ecstatic as the one she delivers as Sue in the movies most memorable monologue. The love for a child is the most intense, profound, deeply felt thing that will ever transpire through your body to another human being, she says to me. Its cataclysmic. It changes you. The sensations and the power of it. Her eyes widen. I mean, you see cars are lifted.

An elegant ice princess with a Commonwealth accent, Kidman probably seems like a prestige-film ringer to most moviegoers, but over the last decade or so shes starred in a lot of art-house movies that stayed relatively small. And in terms of awards, the evil- or damaged-woman thing might turn out to have been a handicap there, too  its not so easy to sympathize with those characters. This time, producer Harvey Weinstein, a longtime Kidman collaborator, is counting on a set of Oscar nominations for Lion, with Kidman as the movies highest-profile contender. But the best supporting actress category shell compete in will likely be filled with other anguished mothers this year (Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea, Naomie Harris in Moonlight, Viola Davis as a long-suffering matriarch in Fences, reprising the role that won her a Tony). Still, even if Kidman is a long shot in her race, her presence on the awards-season gauntlet presages a 2017 that promises to put her sometimes wobbly career back on track: She has high-profile roles for Sofia Coppola, John Cameron Mitchell, and The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos all coming next year, in addition to a small-screen reunion with Jane Campion, in Top of the Lake, and a limited HBO series, Big Little Lies, that she produced and stars in with Reese Witherspoon.

As we speak, a few of the child actors from that series are back at Kidmans home playing with her own daughters, she says, returning to the theme of motherhood. I still have a very strong relationship with them, says Kidman. I feel maternal to most people. In my family, Im very much the caretaker. My husband always says, You cant save the world, Nicole, but I think its just an inherent part of me. The love is abundant, and it doesnt just evaporate or disappear  its just there, and it is a bottomless well. She leans forward. It will always be there, which is a beautiful thing to say to a child: Youll never be abandoned. The love will always be there for you.  She pauses. Its an important thing to hear that as a child. And as an adult? Oh, I beyond need it, Kidman says. Yes, I still need the acknowledgment.

*This article appears in the November 28, 2016, issue of New York Magazine.
Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

The Walmart truck driver who crashed into the limousine carrying Tracy Morgan and a group of his friends on a New Jersey highway in June 2014  sending Morgan into a life-threatening coma and killing fellow passenger James McNair  has struck a plea deal. Per TMZ, the driver, Kevin Roper, has pled guilty in the state Superior Court to vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated assault in the hopes of avoiding jail time. The conditions of the deal mean Roper will enter a 3-year intervention program that includes 300 hours of community service, although the judge still has to approve the deal. Last year, Morgan and Walmart reached an undisclosed settlement regarding the crash, and Morgan recently spoke out about how he has chosen to forgive Roper for his actions.
By India Today Web Desk: Claiming responsibility for the attack that took place at Ohio State University on Monday, the ISIS called suspect Abdul Razak Ali Artan a "soldier" of the terrorist group.

The Islamic State released a small statement on their news wire earlier today. However, there is no evidence of Artan have sworn his allegiance to any terrorist group.

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"The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries,'' reads a translation of the Amaq report provided by SITE.

Artan, a Somali-born Muslim student at Ohio State, ran his car into a crowd of pedestrians, then stabbed several people in the campus with a butcher knife, injuring 11. He was later shot down by a police officer.

Read more: Ohio State University attack: Attacker neutralised after injuring 11 people, motive remains unclear

A day after the attack, Ohio state police and federal law enforcement agencies were said to be investigating the case to determine if Artan was linked to a terrorist group.

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By PTI: Ahmedabad, Nov 29 (PTI) The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), which led last years Patel quota agitation, will send a team to discuss its demand with state ministers at a meeting in Gandhinagar on Thursday, five days after the Gujarat government reached out to the organisation for talks.

Hardik, who is currently staying outside Gujarat, today held a meeting with PAAS members in Udaipur, where they decided to send an 11-member team to hold talks with the government.

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"We have formed a team of 11 people to negotiate with the state government our demand to include the Patel community in the OBC list for reservation," Hardik said in a text message.

PAAS leader and Hardiks aide Dinesh Bambhania said, "The meeting between representatives of Hardik and a team of BJP ministers will be held on Thursday at Gandhinagar circuit house."

In view of the Gujarat Assembly polls due in December 2017, the Vijay Rupani-led BJP government in the state seems to have started reaching out to the influential and dominant Patel community, whose violent protests led by Hardik, seeking reservation in jobs and education had shaken the government then led by Anandiben Patel.

Last week, the government had offered to hold talks with the PAAS which is led by Hardik, who is slated to return to the state in January. The government had given the invite saying they were doing it for peace.

"For peace and unity of the state, so that every member of the state could participate in its journey of development, support of all communities is required. With this aim, the government invites Patidar leaders for talks," Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel had said.

PAAS had recently announced that it would relaunch the agitation from next month.

The Patel quota agitation had turned violent in August last year, after which the state government had slapped sedition charges on Hardik. Two separate sedition cases were filed against him. The high court had granted him bail in July.

The state government had later introduced quota for economically weaker sections among the non-reserved category to pacify the Patel community. However, Gujarat high court had quashed the government move terming it as unconstitutional.

Numerically strong Patel community has been a staunch supporter of BJP in the state till Hardik Patel started the agitation for reservation. Elections are scheduled to be held in the state in the later part of 2017.

Once Hardik had met the then Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel for negotiation on their quota demand, however, the meeting did not bring any result. PTI PD NP GVS

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In conjunction with its annual Christmas on the Brazos celebration, Historic Waco Foundation will have a Candlelight Christmas Soiree from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Fort House, 503 S. Fourth St.

The event will include holiday cocktails, hors doeuvres and a candlelight tour of Fort House, followed by a three-course, farm-to-table meal prepared by Milo Biscuit Co. and accompanied with custom wine pairings by Wine Shoppe.

Seating is limited.

Reservations are required by Thursday.

For reservations, call 753-5166.

Band of the West

The U.S. Air Force Band of the West will present a free Holiday in Blue concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Midway ISD Performing Arts Center, 800 Hewitt Drive.

Complimentary reserved ticketing is available online at www.bandofthewest.af.mil.

Nonticket holders will be admitted 15 minutes before the performance.

The Power of Mentoring

Waco Parks and Recreation Department will continue its monthly Community Conversations Forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Dewey Community Center, 925 N. Ninth St.

Topic for the town hall-style meeting will be The Power of Mentoring, with discussion about why mentoring works and how to find or become a mentor.

For more information, call 750-5980.

Kiwanis Seniors

Waco Kiwanis Seniors will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Golden Corral, 618 N. Valley Mills Drive.

Hazel Martin, chair of the Kiwanis service leadership program, will be the guest speaker.

Visitors are welcome to attend.

For more information, call Dick Rood at 399-0072.

Free legal advice

Mission Waco Legal Services will have a free legal advice clinic for low-income residents from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Meyer Center, 1226 Washington Ave.

Participants receive a free 20- to 30-minute consultation with a lawyer.

Appointments are not required but are strongly recommended.

To schedule an appointment, call 296-9866, ext. 212.

Boil-water notice

Levi Water Supply Corp. issued a boil-water notice Monday for customers who reside on Rosenthal Parkway, Losak Road, Cooksey Lane, Southwinds Drive, Bullhide Trail, Bullhide Creek Road, Iron Bridge Road and any water customer who had reduced pressure or loss of service after 5 p.m. Monday.

The notice was issued after a contractor hit a water main.

For more information, call 857-3050.

Baylor Bronze concert

Baylor Bronze, Baylor Universitys handbells choir, will present a free Christmas concert at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Baylors Roxy Grove Hall.

The group is comosed of 13 advanced ringers who will perform a variety of seasonal music.

For more information about the programs musical selections, visit www.baylor.edu/music or call 710-3991.

Submit items for Briefly in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com at least one week before an event.
McLennan Community College was recognized this month for its math initiatives.

MCC was named the 2016 Mathematics Pathways Overall Exemplary College on Nov. 2, courtesy of the Texas Success Center, a branch of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. Out-of-state reviewers chose MCC based on survey data from 38 Texas community colleges.

We just did our job, said Fred Hills, MCCs dean of arts and sciences. Thats what its about. One of the reasons for the success is a team effort. A lot of schools do a lot of good things, but in bits and pieces. We came together to work as a team.

The colleges board of trustees honored the effort during a board meeting Tuesday night.

We dont have to do it the way weve always done it, and everybody in here has been rewarded for getting out of the box and creating new pathways, board Chairman K. Paul Holt said.

Implementation of the following principles earned MCC the award: multiple pathways with relevant content aligned to specific programs, acceleration allowing students to finish a college-level course quicker than a traditional sequence, strategies to develop skills, and curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice.

Sixty-seven students completed two math credits in one semester through customized courses, Hills said. Students could then test into a series of three modules for further math instruction.

MCC officials also participated in programs in the past year that show the schools support of developing easy and productive transfers of course credit between colleges, according to an MCC press release.

The Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin launched the Texas Success Center survey last year, according to the press release.

Our Texas community college partners are working hard to ensure that our students succeed in mathematics and develop the knowledge and skills needed for work and life, executive director Uri Treisman said in the press release. The Dana Center is immensely proud of McLennan Community Colleges exemplary efforts and will continue to learn from and celebrate their successes.
An Axtell woman with 14 prior convictions, including two felonies, was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison in the death of a dog she claims she was trying to rescue.

Sharon Diane Finley, 56, an apartment manager who said she loves animals, will have to serve at least four years in prison after her conviction on an animal cruelty charge.

Prosecutors Robert Moody and Ryan Bownds asked the 54th State District Court jury of eight women and four men to give Finley a maximum 10-year prison term, saying she has had plenty of time to change her behavior throughout her lengthy criminal history that dates back to 1980 and runs through last year.

It still isnt clear just how the Siberian husky known as Thor was killed. Prosecution witnesses said he died from a stab or puncture wound to the side, while Finley and two defense witnesses said he was struck by a car on U.S. Highway 84 near Bellmead.

What is clear from the two-day trial is Thor and another husky named Loki belonged to Whitney and Matthew Daniels and that Thor died in Finleys custody after she picked up both dogs near the Daniels home on Riverview Road near Downsville.

When deputies confronted Finley about the dogs, they found blood covering the back seat of Finleys car and a folding pocket knife with blood and dog hair on it.

Witnesses spotted Finley picking up the dogs and putting them into her car in December 2015 and then coming back about 90 minutes later and dumping Thors body in a ditch at South Third Street and Riverview Road. Loki, who was in the car, jumped out and ran back home.

Whitney Daniels cried Wednesday during her testimony in the punishment phase of the trial, telling the jury Thor, a rescued dog, had become a valued member of her family and that they and Loki miss him very much.

He wasnt just an animal, she said. He basically became part of our family really quick. He was basically like one of my sons.

After Whitney Daniels testimony, she sat in the back of the courtroom to watch the completion of the trial. During a break between witnesses, Finley turned to her and said, Im sorry, making Daniels cry again. A deputy admonished Finley and told her to face the front of the courtroom.

After the trial was over, Whitney Daniels said she thinks Finley should have gotten 10 years in prison, but said no amount of time would bring back Thor.

Daniels husband, Matthew, testified Tuesday that his family was going to a movie that day and left the two dogs tethered to 30-foot cables in the front yard.

Whitney Daniels said after the trial Wednesday that she thinks Finley saw her dogs, came into their yard and stole them.

Finley, who testified Tuesday, denied taking the dogs off the cables and said she feared they would be hurt because they were running in the roadway. She said she knocked on the door of a home to ask about the dogs owners, but no one was home.

Finley did not testify Wednesday, but four of her friends and her aunt all testified that she is a kind, caring person who loves animals and who goes out of her way to help others. They said she takes better care of her six dogs and horses than she does herself.

Most of them, however, said they were not familiar with Finleys extensive criminal record and agreed with prosecutors that there is another side to Finley that she had not shown them.

Finleys attorney, Phil Martinez, asked the jury for the minimum, two-year prison term.

She is devastated about the outcome and the trial, Martinez said. I still dont think she had any intent to harm any animal. But the jury saw it a different way, and we respect the jurys decision.

The prosecutors presented evidence showing Finley has felony convictions for credit card abuse and forgery and misdemeanor convictions for terroristic threat, reckless driving, two DWIs, driving while license suspended, three criminal trespass convictions, driving while license invalid, making a false report to police, assault and evading police.
Police continue to ask for information about a weekend assault that left an off-duty Limestone County Sheriffs Office deputy injured. The deputy had broken up a fight between night club guests when he was attacked, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said.

At about 1:40 a.m., Limestone County Sheriffs Office deputy Tracy Edwards was working at Junction 84, a local nightclub at 6512 W. Waco Drive, when a man inside the club began fighting other patrons. As Edwards tried to escort the man out of the club, the deputy was attacked by at least two other people, Swanton said.

The suspects reportedly started punching Edwards in the back of the head as Edwards was trying to maintain control of the first man. As Edwards neared a set of stairs during the assault, he lost his footing and fell down the stairs, breaking his ankle and his wrist, Swanton said.

During the fall, Edwards lost control of the first man. Nightclub staff escorted the first man out of the club and allowed him to flee, Swanton said. He said the other suspects believed to have attacked the off-duty officer blended back into the crowd.

Edwards injuries will most likely require surgery, Swanton said. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Waco Police Department at 750-7500 or report anonymous tips to Waco Crime Stoppers at 753-4357. Tips can also be called into the Limestone County Crime Stoppers at 729-8477.
On Sunday morning, President-elect Donald Trump assured us all that a recount of the 2016 election wouldnt change the outcome and was a waste of resources. In a tweetstorm, he quoted Hillary Clinton:

Trump is going to be our President. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. So much time and money will be spent - same result! Sad.

Later Sunday, though, he made a real case that we should have no confidence in those same election results, alleging massive voter fraud:

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.

Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California  so why isnt the media reporting on this? Serious bias  big problem!

Trump, of course, is pointing only to fraud that benefited Clinton; Virginia, New Hampshire and California are all states she won, and the baseless idea that illegal immigrants voted by the millions is supposed to have helped Clinton, given the fact that immigrants  and specifically undocumented ones  overwhelmingly favor Democrats.

Trump was doing this to make the case he didnt actually lose the popular vote, which has become a Democratic rallying cry following Clintons loss. Its clearly a sore spot for Trump.

But the president-elect is also, unwittingly and amazingly, calling into question the results of an election that he won nearly three weeks ago. The logical extension of his argument is that all results should not be trusted. In effect, Trump is lending credence to the very same recount effort that he criticized as superfluous.

A caveat on all of this: There is absolutely no evidence of Trumps alleged large-scale voter fraud. And even Clintons campaign, while joining in recount efforts initiated by Green Party nominee Jill Stein, has acknowledged as much. So I am not saying that there is suddenly a real reason to doubt the fact that Trump won the 2016 election.

What I am saying is that, if the system was susceptible to the kind of pro-Clinton fraud that Trump is alleging, who is to say that it wasnt also susceptible to manipulation that might have benefited Trump? Trumps argument is that our electoral system was vulnerable to all kinds of shenanigans that could have changed the results in specific states. Why not shenanigans instigated by Russia, which experts say aided Trump during the campaign with fake-news propaganda? Or something else? There is also no evidence of this, but apparently evidence is not required for our next president to make the charge.

Trump is alleging that these shenanigans (yes, I said it again) accrued to Clintons benefit, but if our system has so many holes in it, why couldnt those holes have helped Trump in the states that mattered? If illegal immigrants can vote and there was real voter fraud in states such as California, New Hampshire and Virginia, why couldnt these things have happened in circumstances and places that didnt hurt Trump? Why not in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump won the presidency by a margin of about a point or less? If the system is that shoddy, its probably shoddy everywhere.

Trump is saying that something happened  on a large scale. Hes basing this on dubious Internet sources, but hes raising doubts about results of an election that made him the president-elect. Its hard to argue, from that point, that its not worth examining just how many real irregularities there are and whether they all just happened to accrue to Clintons benefit. This is the president-elect and the soon-to-be leader of the free world, after all, and his words are supposed to carry weight.

This is just Trump being Trump, of course. He is the president-elect, yes, but hes also a bona-fide conspiracy theorist. (Remember how Ted Cruzs dad might have been involved in JFKs assassination?) We can no longer dismiss his fomenting of these baseless theories as some political ploy; its who he is. And hes willing to call into question anything that doesnt show him to be the clear winner. Given that he will lose the popular vote by as much as two full points, hes in desperate search of an excuse for this fact.

But in doing so, hes also calling into question his win. He cant have it both ways, and hes letting his pride get the better of him.

Aaron Blake covers national politics for The Washington Post. He has also written about politics for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Hill newspaper.
Each day thousands of Texas patients see their health-care provider for services ranging from the common cold or flu to delivering a new baby to geriatric care to mental-health services. And for more and more Texans, it is highly trained and specialized nurses who provide this level of personalized care.

Advanced practice nurses or APRNs perform many of the same duties as a physician, which is good news for our states health-care provider shortage. The bad news for patients is that our current regulatory climate is restricting the ability of APRNs to practice to the full extent of their licensing and training.

Lawmakers have long recognized APRNs, which include nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, certified nurse anesthetists and clinical nurse specialists, play a crucial role in addressing our states growing and changing health-care needs. To that end, the state funds several programs to train these specialized nurses and to license and regulate them. After an APRN completes undergraduate and graduate classroom training and graduate specialty clinical training, then gains his or her state license, one last hurdle remains here in Texas: a delegation agreement.

When advanced practice nursing was relatively new, the Texas Legislature made doctors delegate their authority to APRNs. Fifty years later, Texas has robust educational, licensing and regulatory frameworks and this delegation is no longer necessary. Indeed, the U.S. military, federal agencies and many other states have ended this practice.

Today in Texas, the delegation is merely a physicians signature on a page that says the APRN can practice. The physician is not required to provide care for the APRNs patients or even be in the same city as the APRN. In fact, Texas allows many physicians to delegate to numbers of APRNs, further proof there is no meaningful supervision occurring. In many cases, the most substantial interaction between some physicians and APRNs is that the APRN has to pay the doctor simply for the privilege of being able to practice to the full extent of ones education and license. A 2016 study of Texas APRNs found that some were forced to pay their delegating physician up to $120,000 every year.

The reality is our state does not have enough health-care providers to meet our populations needs. Texas ranks 47th among the 50 states in primary-care access. While Texas worries about whether APRNs should have to pay doctors to practice, other states like New Mexico are happily recruiting our Texas-trained APRNs to come to them. Why wouldnt an APRN go to a different state where their competitors arent allowed to deny them the right to practice?

Back in Texas, all this means higher costs. When theres a shortage of providers, people end up seeking treatment from more expensive alternatives like emergency rooms. That not only costs more to patients but it causes the entire cost of health care to go up. That means higher costs to employers.

We know that APRNs are fully capable of doing many of the things a primary-care physician can do, because so much of what they do is routine. APRNs should have the ability to stay in Texas and do the job they have been trained to do.

This once well-meaning regulatory requirement has more than outlived its purpose and today serves as a costly hindrance to patient-centric care from the now proven advanced practice nursing industry. Its time for Texas to end this nonsensical and unfair regulatory regime. Like most Texans, I want to see our state provide a level playing field and cut the unnecessary red tape. Lets do the right thing for Texas patients and put an end to delegation agreement requirements.

Bill Hammond is CEO of the Texas Association of Business.
By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 30 (PTI) General Qamar Javed Bajwa today formally assumed office after being appointed as Pakistans new army chief and is likely to review the ongoing counterterrorism operations, according to media reports.

General Bajwa, 57, took over the command of the army yesterday at a ceremony in Rawalpindi from General Raheel Sharif.

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Gen Bajwa has taken over the command of the army at a time when security situation on the LoC has deteriorated due to ongoing Indo-Pak tension, which needs his immediate attention and the Pakistani troops are consolidating the gains made during the counterterrorism operations in the restive areas.

Apart from external security situation, he faces a huge challenge of taking military operation against militants to logical conclusion.

"He would, therefore, be defining the direction of the new phase, which may be distinctly different from the previous stage that saw kinetic operations," the Dawn said.

Despite efforts by his predecessor General Raheel, terrorism remains a huge threat for Pakistan. It is believed that General Bajwa would have to review the operation in order to fine tune them according to his vision.

Similarly, the relations with India would be in sharp focus as tension on the LoC would divert focus from the fight against militancy, according to experts.

In his brief informal interaction with journalists after the passage of command yesterday, General Bajwa expressed the hope that the situation at the LoC would soon improve.

Gen Bajwas appointment and assumption of charge is historical event as it is for the first time in 20 years that the transition from one army chief to another took place on time.

Earlier, Pervez Musharraf remained army chief from 1998 to 2007 and his successor Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani served for two terms from 2007 to 2013.

The COAS appointment is for three years, which can be extended. But apart from military dictators, it is rare that an extension is given. PTI SH PMS AKJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
EAGLE  Eagles new Monument Park provides a pleasurable view for drivers passing through on Highway 34, and a new place for residents to pass the time.

One young Eagle boy scout resident played a significant role in the completion of the new green space, dedicating a few months of his time to making the park a little more inviting.

Marshall Caddy, 14, dedicated his Eagle Scout service project to improving the park. And he succeeded, bringing in a bench and burying the villages Centennial Time Capsule.

The capsule was originally dedicated in 1986, to mark the villages 100th year anniversary. At that time, it was buried in the main municipal park, but was moved during the construction of new volleyball courts.

After it was exhumed, the capsule was taken to Marshalls scoutmasters acreage. It sat there for a few years until the scoutmaster realized it should be relocated back to Eagle.

The capsule then traveled to the villages maintenance yard right next door to the new park. It resided there for a few years again, until Marshall decided to rededicate it at the new park this past September.

While he was at it, he thought he would add a bench for the community.

I thought it would be nice to have a place nearby to sit and enjoy the park, since the plantings should be enjoyed by others in the community, Marshall said.

In order to complete the project, Marshall had to receive approval from the villages board of trustees.

They approved the location and the style of bench in February 2016, Marshall said. I was then required to raise the funds to purchase the bench and supplies. Eagle Vision, Inc. agreed to allow donations to the project to be made their organization as this was a community betterment project.

Marshall dedicated the better part of this spring raising funds. He approached multiple local businesses for donations. Those donors included Buel Trucking, Douglas V. Duey, Jim Peterson, Eagle State Bank, Jim Hesse, American Exchange Bank, Centre Place Dental, Brenda Vogt, Ray Young and Eagle Vision.

After collecting the needed funds, Marshall worked with Village Clerk Nick Nystrom to order the new bench from Sitescapes in Lincoln. Volunteers helped prepare the site for a concrete slab, which was poured in August. The bench and time capsule were placed in September.

Twelve people total volunteered to help Marshall, including fellow scouts, other youth and adults. The work was completed in about 62 hours.

Marshall and his family held an official rededication for the time capsule at the end of September with troop members and their families.

The project made Marshall the youngest person to achieve the Eagle Scout rank in his troop. He said it was a cool feeling to have that achievement under his belt.

He said he hopes residents will take advantage of the new bench when warmer weather rolls around and the park is a little more green.

I just thought it would be really cool to have this so people could come here and see all the new landscaping, he said.

The village worked with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum earlier this year to decide what plants to sow at the park.

Working with arborist Justin Evertson, they decided on a number of native plants that would enrich the location as well as local wildlife.

We are trying to demonstrate that even in smaller spaces, ornamental landscaping can emphasize native plants, Evertson said. The primary benefit of using native plants is that they help attract and support a wider range of native and important insects, birds and other wildlife. Pollinators are struggling to find suitable habitat and our planted landscapes are great places to help sustain them.

The village also recently installed a new limestone sign for the park, which includes an electronic sign to display community news and other messages.

An official park dedication will likely occur next spring, after sod is installed.

Marshalls father, Terry, said it was a good experience for his son to be involved in the endeavor.

Its like your home  its like doing a home improvement, Terry Caddy said. Thats one of that things about becoming an Eagle Scout. The community and its leaders have given you skills. Once you reach Eagle Scout, its an opportunity to give back.

And Marshall does plan to give back.

Hell be taking a break on his own projects for the time being, but said he would help his fellow scouts on their own Eagle projects.
Jim McGough at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when he was in his 40s. He died in 2014; his name was added to the Wall in 2016.

The Vietnam War ended more than 40 years ago, but it continues to claim soldiers' lives. Nearly every spring, new names are etched into the black granite walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which pays tribute to the more than 58,000 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the conflict.

Jim McGough is one of them. As a 19-year-old infantryman, McGough was with his unit near the Laotian border in 1971 when they came under fire. A grenade exploded nearby, tearing up his feet and lower legs.

McGough was evacuated to Okinawa, where he underwent surgery, including a blood transfusion. He was discharged because of his injuries and shipped back to the States, where he married his high school sweetheart, Sheryl Isaacson, and they settled down near their home town of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Twenty years passed before McGough, who worked in magazine advertising sales, learned that he had hepatitis C, a blood-borne viral infection that attacks the liver. The virus was discovered only in 1989, and routine testing of the blood supply began shortly afterward. It was at about that time that McGough, a regular Red Cross blood donor, learned he had been infected. He had never been an intravenous drug user or gotten tattoos, two common routes of infection, so the McGoughs figured he must have contracted the virus when he had the blood transfusion in Japan.

Veterans are more than twice as likely to have hepatitis C as members of the general population, studies have found. The virus is significantly more common among Vietnam-era veterans than among other service members.

McGough went to a liver specialist, who found no damage. The standard treatment at the time, a combination of the drugs interferon and ribavirin, had debilitating side effects, so the McGoughs, who had two daughters, decided not to do anything.

"We were having a great time," said Sheryl, now 62. "We're going, 'No big deal.' When you're young, you're invincible."

In his late 40s, Jim started to show signs of liver damage. About that time, he and Sheryl took a trip to Washington and visited the veterans memorial. He thought it was magnificent, Sheryl remembers, and told her, "If this thing kills me, I want to get my name added."

In January 2014, shortly before his 63rd birthday, the virus did kill him. Jim had gone through the interferon treatment but couldn't shake the disease and finally succumbed to liver cancer.

To have their names added to the Wall, Vietnam veterans must meet criteria established by the Department of Defense. Many of the 376 names that have been added since the memorial was completed in 1982 are people who died during the war or shortly afterward but whose records were misplaced or who were overlooked for other reasons. Their deaths generally must be the result of injuries sustained during the war in Vietnam or a related combat zone. A number of causes of death don't qualify, including exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange or similar chemicals, illness or suicide related to post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, cancer and heart attack.

"They reject far more than they accept," said Tim Tetz, director of outreach for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which created the memorial and is responsible for adding names to it.

But in McGough's case, he and Sheryl had found a handwritten note from a nurse in Okinawa ordering a blood transfusion for him on the day after he was wounded. That documentation proved that his disease was service-related and qualified him for veteran's disability benefits. After his death, the note - found at the bottom of a box in the couple's basement - helped realize his goal of having his name added to the memorial.

In addition to McGough's, seven names were inscribed in 2016. There's not much room left to add more, Tetz said. There's space for one more long name, he said, fewer than 20 medium-length names and a basically unlimited number of short ones. It's an issue that the National Park Service is wrestling with, he said.

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first of a number of new drugs that cure hepatitis C quickly and with few side effects.

It was too late for McGough, though, who died just weeks before the drug came on the market.

"I can hardly bear to watch those commercials," Sheryl said. "It's just heartbreaking."

This column is produced through a collaboration between The Post and Kaiser Health News.
From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 30 (PTI) Pakistans new army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa today vowed to safeguard the country against external and internal threats, including terrorism, as he formally assumed office following his appointment.

General Bajwa, 57, took over the command of the army yesterday at a ceremony in Rawalpindi from General Raheel Sharif.

On first day of his office, he visited former Taliban stronghold in North Waziristan.

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Military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said that in North Waziristan, the army chief said, "The war against terrorism will continue with focused approach and it will be taken to its logical conclusion till total elimination of terrorism from our soil."

Earlier, he visited Corps Headquarters Peshawar, where he was given detailed briefing about the prevailing security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal region of the country.

"No terrorists of any hue will ever be allowed to come back," he said.

The army chief said that his ultimate objective was the safeguard the country "against external and internal threats".

He was also briefed about the situation at the border with Afghanistan where additional border troops are being deployed to enhance the security.

General Bajwas visit to the western border with Afghanistan instead of eastern border with India on the very first day might be indicative of his priorities.

Unlike his predecessor who in his last speech yesterday threatened India, the new army chief in his first interaction with media on same day sent a positive signal by saying that the Line of Control will soon become normal.

General Bajwa has taken over the command of the army at a time when security situation on the LoC has deteriorated due to ongoing Indo-Pak tension.

Apart from external security situation, he faces a huge challenge of taking military operation against militants to logical conclusion.

"He would, therefore, be defining the direction of the new phase, which may be distinctly different from the previous stage that saw kinetic operations," the Dawn said.

Despite efforts by his predecessor General Raheel, terrorism remains a huge threat for Pakistan. It is believed that General Bajwa would have to review the operation in order to fine tune them according to his vision.

Similarly, the relations with India would be in sharp focus as tension on the LoC would divert focus from the fight against militancy, according to experts.

In his brief informal interaction with journalists after the passage of command yesterday, General Bajwa expressed the hope that the situation at the LoC would soon improve.

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Gen Bajwas appointment and assumption of charge is historical event as it is for the first time in 20 years that the transition from one army chief to another took place on time.

Earlier, Pervez Musharraf remained army chief from 1998 to 2007 and his successor Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani served for two terms from 2007 to 2013.

The COAS appointment is for three years, which can be extended. But apart from military dictators, it is rare that an extension is given. PTI SH PMS AKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
Deadlock continues in Parliament over demonetisation. The Opposition has added the Nagrota army base attack and the passage of the Income Tax Act in its arsenal.

By India Today Web Desk: As deadlock continued in Parliament over demonetisation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to speak in both the Houses over his decision to ban old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

Meanwhile, a belligerent Opposition has also added Tuesday's Nagrota army base attack and the passage of the Income Tax Act in Lok Sabha without a debate in its arsenal.



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On Tuesday, the Income Tax Bill was passed amid ruckus by the Opposition leaders, who will now meet President Pranab Mukherjee today to register their protest.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties will take the demonetisation issue before the President of India. The Opposition parties front is drafting a memorandum to be handed over to the President. The parties are drafting the memorandum on the way Income Tax Amendment Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday

Through this memorandum Opposition will unanimously demand the President of India to intervene under Articles 117 and 274.

There is another crucial meet scheduled at 1 pm at Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad's office to decide when to meet the President. Though the sources add that the Opposition is most likely to meet President on Thursday.



Here are the latest updates:



Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 AM tomorrow, as opposition stormed the well of the House regarding Nagrota Attack

Defence Minister should come here & make a statement, such a big attack has happened: GN Azad in RS



Speaker said we're read to pay tribute to soldiers but currently ops is on despite that politicising it is incorrect, said BJP leader RS Prasad

If raising issue of paying tribute to soldiers in House is disrespecting them; they (BJP) must learn nationalism lessons again: Congress leader Rajeev Shukla.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 12:45 PM.



If Opposition agrees for a discussion, Government ready for a debate on all aspects: Ananth Kumar in LS on demonetisation.



LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says as the Nagrota operation is still continuing a detailed report has not come, so tribute not paid yet.

Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotiraditya Scindia with TMC's Sudip Bandopadhayay meet LS Speaker over paying tribute to soldiers Nagrota.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM after uproar in the House as Opposition raises Nagrota attack and demonetisation issue.



Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 pm amid ruckus over Nagrota and demonetisation. PM Modi does not speak.

Opposition marches to Rajya Sabha well, raises slogans: "Modi teri taanashahi, nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi."

Rajya Sabha also adjourned till 12 pm following loud protest against demonetisation.

The Opposition raises Nagrota army base attack in the Rajya Sabha, wants more compensation for the dead soldiers.

Congress and Trinamool Congress walk out of Lok Sabha on the Nagrota issue.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha as Opposition raises Nagrota attack and demonetisation issue in the House.

Are you talking about my party? do you have the PM with you? does anyone listen to your argument: Sharad Yadav to FM Jaitley in RS

Discuss demonetisation with your party members, ask if they are convinced or not? says Arun Jaitley to Sharad Yadav in RS

If opposition wants a discussion on the Nagrota Attack, then government is ready for that as well: FM Arun Jaitley in RS

Opposition demands to pay parliamentary obituary to martyrs, but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan does not allow, saying combing is still on in the area



PM Modi chaired a meeting in his chamber in Parliament which was attended by his top ministers including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar.

I request the Congress and other Opposition parties to allow discussion to take place in the House. Already 10-11 days have been wasted. - Ananth Kumar

We want the discussion to take place. We want to hear the Opposition. PM Modi is ready to intervene in both the Houses. - Ananth Kumar

My appeal to political parties: lets debate, discuss and move forward. The government has nothing to hide and will definitely share with the House. - Vankaiah Naidu

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--- ENDS ---
Australias Centenary Squadrons  A Celebration of 100 Years Defending The Country

Words and Photography by Matt Savage

On 28 October 2016, the Royal Australian Air Force marked the Centenary of Australias first flying squadrons, Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons (1916  2016) with both ceremony and celebration at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales.

With the theme Celebrating the Centenary of Australias First Flying Squadrons, the official program commenced with a full Colours Parade, reviewed by the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), as Commander-In-Chief. Other distinguished guests included the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Gavin Leo Davies AO, CSC, Air Commander Australia, Air Vice-Marshal Gavin Turnbull AM, and former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall John Jake Newham AC.

Parade Commander, Group Captain Terry Van Haren DSM, said it was an important event and a significant milestone in the Australian Defence Force history. Centenary celebrations have been simple, yet elegant acknowledgments of the contributions and achievements of Number 1, 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons throughout the last 100 years. Building on Air Forces earliest beginnings, with the formation of the Australian Flying Corps, Air Force has transitioned into the modern integrated force that we know today.

Group Captain van Haren said that whilst the day showcased the innovation and evolution of Air Power, celebrations centered on currently serving members, veterans and families. Importantly, Centenary events have brought into focus the dedication, commitment, sacrifice and exemplary service of Army and Air Force personnel past and present highlighting the enduring spirit of mateship, with the opportunity to come together as one, in celebration of a proud history that continues with ongoing operations today, Group Captain van Haren said.

Todays celebrations have also provided the opportunity to thank Defence family members for their Service  acknowledging the important contributions of parents, grandparents, spouses and children and the support they have provided and continue to provide serving personnel.

Attending the event were personnel and staff at RAAF Base Williamtown and their families, veterans and their families, as well as a contingent of 1 Squadron personnel from RAAF Base Amberley; making the journey South to Williamtown to join in official Centenary festivities.

While the weather did prevent some of the larger formation flypasts, individual flypasts by current types operated by the Air Force aircraft types took place. Following the parade, invited guests and their families enjoyed static displays and a flying program of past and present aircraft, showcasing the Squadrons rich history in flying combat operations.

A Brief Unit History

No. 1 Squadron was formed under the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and saw action in the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns during World War I. It flew obsolete Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s, B.E.12s, Martinsyde G.100s and G.102s, as well as Airco DH.6s, Bristol Scouts and Nieuport 17s, before re-equipping with the R.E.8 in October 1917 and finally the Bristol Fighter in December. Its commanding officer in 191718 was Major Richard Williams, later known as the Father of the RAAF. Another notable pilot of the unit was Lawrence Wackett, who later went on to create the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. Disbanded in 1919, No. 1 Squadron was re-formed on paper as part of the RAAF in 1922, and re-established as an operational unit three years later.

During World War II, the squadron flew Lockheed Hudson bombers in the Malayan and Dutch East Indies campaigns, suffering severe losses before being reduced to cadre in 1942. It was re-formed with Bristol Beauforts the following year, and re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquitos in 1945 for further operations in the Dutch East Indies. Reduced to cadre once more after the war ended, No. 1 Squadron was re-established at Amberley in 1948 as an Avro Lincoln heavy bomber unit. From 1950 to 1958 it was based in Singapore, flying missions during the Malayan Emergency, where it bore the brunt of the Commonwealth air campaign against communist guerillas. When it returned to Australia it re-equipped with English Electric Canberra jet bombers. It operated McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms from 1970 to 1973, as a stop-gap pending delivery of the General Dynamics F-111C swing-wing bomber. The F-111 remained in service for 37 years until replaced by the Super Hornet in 2010. From September 2014 to March 2015, a detachment of Super Hornets was deployed to the Middle East as part of Australias contribution to the military intervention against ISIL.

Currently, the Squadron is based at RAAF Base Amberley, near Ipswich in south-east Queensland. Controlled by No. 82 Wing, an element of the Air Combat Group, its mission responsibilities include air-to-air and air-to-surface combat and reconnaissance. The squadron is nicknamed the Fighting First. The blazon of its crest is the Australian Kookaburra in a diving position superimposed on the cross of Jerusalem, which symbolises the Victoria Cross-winning action of No. 1 Squadron pilot Frank McNamara in Palestine during World War I. The unit motto is Videmus Agamus (We seek and we strike).

No. 2 Squadron was formed on September 20th, 1916 as part of the Australian Flying Corps in Kantara, Egypt, before being transferred to the Western Front. During World War I, the squadron operated on the Western Front conducting fighter sweeps and ground-attack missions. It was disbanded in mid-1919, following the end of hostilities. The squadron was briefly re-raised in 1922 as part of the newly independent RAAF, but was disbanded after only a couple of months and not reformed until 1937. It saw action as a bomber unit in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II and, equipped with English Electric Canberra jets, in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War.

After the Vietnam War, the squadron returned to Australia and conducted target towing operations in support of the Dassault Mirage III and conducted aerial survey work, supporting the aerial mapping of Australia and other locations including Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya and the Cocos and Christmas Islands. Eventually, the squadrons Canberra bombers were retired from service and in late July 1982 the squadron was disbanded. It was re-formed in 2000 to operate the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail. One of the six Boeing E-7A aircraft was deployed to the Middle East in September 2014, as part of Australias contribution to the military coalition against ISIS.

Currently, the Squadron is based at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle in New South Wales. Controlled by No. 42 Wing, an element of the Surveillance and Response Group, its mission responsibilities include conducting surveillance, air defence, fleet support and force coordination operations in defence of Australian sovereignty and national interests. When required, AEW&C will support civil or military operations through law enforcement, regional co-operation and peacekeeping. The blazon of its crest is the Australian Magpie with wings outstretched, and the units motto is Consilio et manu (To Advise and to Strike).

No. 3 Squadron was established at Point Cook, Victoria on September 19, 1916, it was the first of the Australian Flying Corps units to be deployed operationally in 1917, and operated on the Western Front in France in support of I ANZAC Corps in the bombing and reconnaissance role. By the end of the conflict the unit was regarded as the best Allied reconnaissance unit of the war, and reached a tally of 15 aerial victories by the cessation of hostilities.

It also played a small but pivotal role in the death of German ace Baron von Richtofen. On 21 April 1918, two of its aircraft on a photographic mission were attacked by four German fighters led by the famous Red Baron. Despite the fact that these German pilots were the elite of the German Air Service, the lumbering Australian reconnaissance machines drove them off. Looking for easier pickings, the Red Baron made the error of descending to low level over the ANZAC front line, where he was shot down and killed. The Red Barons body was subsequently recovered by 3 Squadron and buried with full military honours. 3 Squadron held the remains of his crimson red Fokker Dr.1 in custody until they could be handed over to the authorities. Several components from the Red Barons aircraft are now on display at the RAAF Museum.

After being disbanded in 1919, it was re-raised as a permanent squadron of the RAAF in 1925, and during World War II operated in the Mediterranean Theatre with a variety of aircraft types, including the Curtiss P-40 and the North American P-51 Mustang. The unit is the highest-scoring Australian squadron from all conflicts, amassing 217.5 aerial victories during World War II.

The Cold War years saw the squadron disbanded and re-raised twice. It was based at RAAF Butterworth operating the CAC Sabre during the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesian Konfrontasi, and with the Dassault Mirage IIIO during the latter years of the Vietnam War. Equipped with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters from 1986, the squadron deployed to Diego Garcia in 2002 to provide local air defence, and the following year contributed aircraft and crews to the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. In April 2016, it deployed to the Middle East as part of the military intervention against ISIL.

Currently, the Squadron is based at RAAF Williamtown. Controlled by No. 81 Wing, an element of the Air Combat Group, it is tasked in the Offensive Counter Air and Defensive Counter Air roles, and are known as the Fast Flying Fighting Third. Their unit crest is emblazoned with a flaming bomb with wings and fleur-de-lis, and the units motto is Operta Aperta, Latin for Secrets Revealed. In 2018 they will become the first combat unit of the RAAF to receive the Lockheed F-35A Lightning II, and are expected to become operational around 2021.

No. 4 Squadron was established as a unit of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at Point Cook, Victoria, on 16 October 1916. The unit flew alongside 2 Squadron AFC and British units on the Western Front until the armistice in November 1918. The unit was the highest-scoring Australian squadron of the war, with 199 enemy aircraft destroyed. In addition, 33 enemy balloons were destroyed or driven down. It was disbanded after the war in mid-1919, but re-formed in 1937 and 1940.

In 1942 it deployed to New Guinea, where it supported military forces by spotting for artillery and providing reconnaissance and close air support. In early 1943, the Squadron flew what is regarded as the first Forward Air Control mission, providing assistance to 30 Squadron RAAF Beaufighters striking Japanese targets in New Guinea. As the war progressed, the squadron took part in the Huon Peninsula, New Britain and Borneo campaigns. The unit was disbanded in early 1948, but would be re-formed over 60 years later, on 2 July 2009, to provide training to forward air controllers and to support Army Special Operations Command.

4 Squadron is based at RAAF Williamtown. Controlled by No. 82 Wing, an element of the Air Combat Group, the unit is composed of air force special forces Combat Controllers, aircrew who operate the Pilatus PC-9A(F) (Forward Air Control variant) aircraft and instructors for the Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course. The unit crest is emblazoned with a Boomerang with fleur-de-lis overlaid, and their motto is Cooperate to Strike.

Aircraft On Parade



Several current types operated by the RAAF were present on the ground to celebrate this historic milestone. They were:

1. Boeing F/A-18F Rhino A44-213, operated by 1 Squadron RAAF.

2. Boeing E-7A Wedgetail A30-001, operated by 2 Squadron RAAF.

3. Boeing F/A-18A Hornet A21-47, operated by 3 Squadron RAAF.

4. Pilatus PC-9/A(F) A23-032, operated by 4 Squadron RAAF.

In addition to these static aircraft a comprehensive flying display was made by all units after the parade, save for 2 Squadron. They flying was kicked off Paul Bennet, who brought his Commonwealth CA-3 Wirraway across from his Maitland, NSW operating base for an impressive aerobatics sequence. Pauls Wirraway is painted in 4 Squadron markings. (It was a 4 Squadron aircraft that scored the only aerial victory by the Wirraway during WW2, on a Japanese Ki-43 fighter.) It was intended that several other warbirds from Temora Aviation Museum and the Old Aeroplane Company would be in attendance on the day, but several factors prevented these aircraft from making it.

Following on from the Wirraway, a BAE Systems Hawk 127, operated by 76 Squadron flew a dynamic handing display with lots of tight manoeuvring due to the low cloud base. A four-ship classic Hornet display was the flown by the 3 Squadron display team Purple Cobras. A very impressive sight to see at low level! Not to be outdone, 1 Squadron flew a very loud and proud sequence with their current steed, the Boeing F/A-18F Rhino. Lastly, a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) demonstration was flown by 4 Squadron in their Pilatus PC-9/A(F). To end the display, the 3 Squadron four-ship formation suppressed the enemy ground forces long enough for the RAAF Rescue Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to sneak in and rescue the downed aviator. A successful mission outcome, with all returning home in time for Tea and Medals!

The author wishes to thank the RAAF for the opportunity to record the 100th anniversary celebrations of the four units, and in particular to Wing Commander Susan Yates and Flying Officer Brooke Marshall from Defence Media at RAAF Williamtown for their assistance on the day.

WarbirdsNews wishes to thank Matt Savage for this article and the many beautiful photographs within. If anyone wishes to see more of his aviation photography, please visit his website HERE.
By PTI: Dhaka, Nov 30 (PTI) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today arrived here on a two-day visit to Bangladesh during which he will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to Bangladesh in the last 45 years, was greeted by Bangladesh Defence Forces Principal Staff Officer Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and other government officials.

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The defence minister is leading an 11-member high-powered delegation.

According to an army press release here, Parrikar will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his stay in the country.

He is also scheduled to meet with the prime minister?s defence and security advisor Maj Gen Tarique Ahmed Siddique (retd) for bilateral talks.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, is scheduled to visit the military academy in Chittagong tomorrow.

The Indian military officials will also meet with the heads of Bangladeshs Army, Navy and Air Forces to discuss ways to improve military cooperation.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of the trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Prime Minister Hasina visits India next month. PTI ZH AKJ ZH

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Among nine people evacuated one man died, according to media reports. Rescuers also found another miner who died underground.

By Reuters: At least six miners are missing and two died after an earthquake occurred at the Rudna mine in Polkowice in southwestern Poland, state news agency PAP reported on Tuesday.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 struck at 9:09 pm (2009 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey. It said the quake was very shallow, only 10 km (6.2 miles) deep, which would have magnified its effect at the mine belonging to state-run copper producer KGHM.

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"There were 16 people in the danger zone. Some of them were walked out," a spokeswoman for the company was quoted as saying by private radio RMF FM.

Among nine people evacuated one man died, according to media reports. Rescuers also found another miner who died underground.

Three miners who were injured the most are in hospital, their condition is stable, and their life is not threatened, according to RMF FM. They suffered backbone and head injuries.

--- ENDS ---
Valentines Day is a time to reflect and appreciate the relationships in our lives. However, it can also be a time to reflect on...
The recent violence at the Parkville youth detention centre has quite rightly put the public spotlight on youth justice. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some kneejerk commentary and responses, including the government's disappointing move to incarcerate children in an adult facility and hysterical and ill-informed debate about the "need" to get tougher on crime. Ironically, by seeking to placate a concerned public, the government risks making our community less safe, rather than more so. The government's announcement yesterday that indigenous children will not be detained at Barwon Prison is welcome, but only partially addresses concerns about the prevailing policy-on-the-run, as the research is clear that NO children should ever be incarcerated in a correctional environment designed for adults.

Contrary to the current rhetoric, Victoria's overall crime rate is going down. Youth offending has been on a downward trend for at least the past five years, and in recent years this state has led the nation with successful youth justice programs. Victoria's youth offender rate in 2014-15 was 21.8 for every 1000 children, compared with 29.7 for every 1000 children nationally (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

Illustration: Andrew Dyson

It is true that we have a serious problem with a relatively small group of troubled young people committing violent crimes  some of these young people don't seem remorseful, are frightening the community and having a profound impact on victims. We have to invest in changing the behaviour of these problematic children and prevent others following the same path. Crime statistics show us that young offenders can be divided into four groups. The first two groups offer the best chances of rehabilitation  those who are first-time offenders, and those who offend for a short time as they push boundaries during teenage years before settling down.

The third group tend to have been dealing with complex disadvantage from a young age. Early contact with child protection, a parent in prison, exposure to family violence, community disengagement and poor education are common with this group. These children are well known to those of us who work in the community sector, as well as to the police and justice authorities.
Severe thunderstorms have formed over south-east Queensland and are set to hit Brisbane on Wednesday afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned "very dangerous" thunderstorms are set to hit the Scenic Rim and move north east, with damaging winds, heavy rain and large hailstones forecast.

The bureau forecasts the storms to hit Brisbane CBD, Cleveland, Wynnum, Enoggera, Brisbane Airport and Nudgee by 4pm.
The government has successfully passed the legislation to re-establish the ABCC construction watchdog, marking a key victory for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull who used the legislation to trigger this year's double dissolution election.

The government secured the crossbench votes it needed after frenzied deal-making and horse-trading in the final parliamentary sitting week of 2016.

The victory, with 36 votes to 33, was locked in after a handshake deal with crossbench senator Derryn Hinch, who was concerned about retrospectivity, and gifts for the the Nick Xenophon Team, including concessions on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and an overhaul of government procurement policy to favour Australian businesses.

The Prime Minister praised the crossbench for backing the legislation and said the government had delivered on an "economy boosting" election commitment.
Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm says he will consider appealing a Human Rights Commission decision to reject his racial discrimination claim against a journalist who labelled him an "angry white male".

The Liberal Democrat senator from NSW complained about an article by Fairfax Media's Mark Kenny in which he was also described as a "boorish, supercilious know-all with the empathy of a besser block".

Senator Leyonhjelm is opposed to section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act, which makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate on the basis of race, and said the point of the complaint was to demonstrate the absurdity of the law.

But that has been turned on its head by the commission's decision to rebuff the claim at the first hurdle, declaring Senator Leyonhjelm's public remarks showed he was not truly aggrieved, and that the terms "white" and "male" were not considered terms of denigration.
Late nights confused senator over which Hanson is which

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It started almost half a century ago, most likely with a ball over the fence that was sliced in half and thrown back.

Then came the rubbish - including chicken bones - and water, all chucked over the high wooden fence separating number 30 and 32 Joffre Street in Reservoir.

The roses lining the front fence between them were poisoned, then came threats, abuse, spitting, and allegations of two assaults - one with a crowbar and the other a pole - on two different neighbours, with the most recent one occurring just two weeks ago.

This was no ordinary beef between two grumpy old men - to 83-year-old Michael di Berardino, 91-year-old Eugenio Prenesti seemed like the neighbour from hell.
London: With just one day left for Italians in Australia to cast their vote on Italy's referendum, one MP has warned they could make the difference between reform and ridicule.

If the referendum, on moves to streamline legislative work and reduce the power of Italy's upper house, fails, it could set off a political domino effect that ends with Italy out of the euro or even the European Union  of which it is a founding member.

The result is too close to call in recent polls, with the margin of doubt and undecideds greater than 'No's projected lead.

"Australia's vote could determine the overall result," says Marco Fedi, who has a seat in Italy's lower house representing Italians in Africa, Asia and Oceania.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Private sector RBL Bank today said it has launched Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) for small ticket micro-finance loan disbursements.

The bank said it is the first bank to launch the APBS on its platform and the intent is to meet the governments target on digital banking.

"This was achieved by doing the first successful cashless disbursement to various beneficiaries in the rural segment across the country," the bank said in a release.

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The bank said it is a drive towards cashless loan disbursements, which otherwise is dominated by physical cash.

The APBS system can now enable MFIs to disburse loan amounts directly in Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts through RBL Bank.

It has been developed by NPCI mainly to process government subsidies or direct benefit transfer (DBT) to various government scheme beneficiaries.

"This unique idea of using an existing government platform for disbursing micro loans is a very big step in the direction of moving towards a cashless society in the rural segment," said Rajeev Ahuja, Head - Strategy, RBL Bank.

The APBS also assumes significance at a time when cash availability in the market is actually crippled due to governments recent decision to abolish Rs 500/1000 banknotes from circulation to check black money and widen the tax base. PTI KPM MR

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Washington, DC: The attacker who drove into pedestrians at Ohio State University in the United States and stabbed others with a butcher knife "is a soldier" of Islamic State, the group says via its news agency, AMAQ.

The attacker, a Somali immigrant student at Ohio State University, injured 11 people before he was shot dead by a police officer.

The claim comes as US officials questioned whether Abdul Razak Ali Artan may have followed the same path to self-radicalisation as militants in a number of "lone wolf" attacks.

Police have given no motive for the attack.
Berlin: Germany's spy chief has warned that Russian hackers are pelting his country with disinformation that could undermine the democratic process, echoing concerns already voiced by his domestic intelligence counterpart.

Bruno Kahl, the new head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service, compared the campaign in an interview published on Tuesday to misleading reports on social media before Donald Trump's election as United States president.

The interview appeared in Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung as German officials puzzled over the source of a major disruption on Monday of internet traffic on Deutsche Telekom, the country's largest telecoms operator.

Asked about political disinformation appearing in the US and Europe, Kahl said he saw a Russian link in both cases.
Patrick Norman Pat Chapman is a 34-year-old, Caucasian male who was last known to be in Piedmont which is near the area of Greenville, Missouri on May 10, 2020.

Pat had stayed the night with a friend and his wife at their home. In the early morning when the friend woke to go to work.

Pat was gone in his own Burgundy color 1995 Ford Escort. That is the last anyone was known to have seen him. The vehicle was later recovered on May 29, 2020 in Mill Spring, Missouri.
The slain terrorists in Samba were carrying same type of chemicals that were used in Uri attack.

By India Today Web Desk: The three Lashkar-i-Taiba who were killed yesterday in Samba had a plan to blast a running train in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir or a Uri type attack.

The terrorists were carrying chemicals, chained IEDs and suicide belts also.

The intelligence sources have revealed that this has been one of the biggest recovery of arms and ammunition from slain terrorists in this area. Suicide bags filled with explosives were also recovered from the terrorists.

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Also read: Terror attack in Nagrota camp: 2 officers, 5 jawans martyred. All terrorists killed

Initially reports from Samba suggested said same type of chemicals were also recovered from the three slain terrorists in Uri attack. The terrorists killed in samba, however, had better communication equipment were in contact with Pakistan handlers.

According to sources, this group was well equipped and wanted to fight for a longer time as they were carrying energy tablets, energy drinks and extra dry fruits.

Also read: New Pakistani Army Chief takes command on the day of terror attack on Indian Army unit in Nagrota



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On 25 November, the WCO hosted a delegation from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) which was headed by Vice Minister Hu, who is in charge of Anti-Corruption initiatives within Customs. The delegation was composed of eight persons, including the Director General of the International Cooperation Department and the Deputy Director General of the Integrity Department.

Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica, on behalf of the WCO, welcomed the delegation and underscored the importance of integrity to the WCO and its Members. He emphasized that integrity constitutes an integral part of the WCO Strategic Plan, specifically the pillar on organizational development. He indicated that enhancing integrity requires a holistic approach which includes political will, automation and partnership with the private sector as key elements of an integrity strategy.

Vice Minister Hu conveyed her delegations gratitude for the warm welcome. She commended the WCO for its Strategic Document on Preventing and Countering Corruption by Promoting Integrity in Customs that was presented to the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group under Chinas chairmanship. She also thanked the WCO for providing a platform for Members to discuss this important topic, namely the Integrity Sub-Committee, and shared GACCs achievements in the context of the fight against corruption.

The Capacity Building Directorate explained what had prompted the WCOs approach to integrity development, further presented the WCO integrity tools, and shared examples of the type of assistance the WCO provided in this area.

Vice Minister Hu expressed her wish to increase cooperation with the WCO in the area of integrity and anti-corruption, as both the WCO and GACC could benefit from this exchange of experiences.
At the invitation of Mr. Frantisek Imrecze, President of the Financial Administration of the Slovak Republic in his country's capacity as holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya delivered a keynote speech at the EU High-Level Workshop on AEO, held in Senec, Slovakia on 29 November 2016.

Secretary General Mikuriya welcomed this first EU wide Workshop on AEO to deepen the understanding of Customs-Business Partnership, and chart its way forward, especially after implementation of the Union Customs Code (UCC) earlier this year and faced with the increased need to secure and facilitate global trade in collaboration with other border agencies.

Dr. Mikuriya went on to take part in a live television interview on this topic together with Ms. Dana Meager, State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Finance, Mr. Stephen Quest, Director-General of DG TAXUD, and Mr. Imrecze, to explain to a wider Slovak audience the significance of the AEO Programme as well as the current challenges for Customs.

On the previous day, Dr. Mikuriya met Mr. Andrej Danko, Speaker of the National Parliament of Slovakia, to brief him on the evolving role of Customs in contributing to economic competitiveness and protecting society from illicit trade and security threats.

Dr. Mikuriya also had meetings with senior officials of the Government of the Slovak Republic to discuss Customs' contribution to improving the business environment and thus strengthening the global value chain, as well as addressing the negative aspects of globalization.
The bench gave the government three months to decide if it can make yoga compulsory for the age category between six years and 14.

By Harish V Nair: Hailing the recent initiatives taken by Modi government to popularise yoga, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre to take a decision regarding making the ancient practice mandatory in schools for students aged between six and 14 by framing a National Yoga Policy.

The court was acting on PILs filed by lawyers J C Seth and Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya seeking imparting yoga training in schools and framing a policy to promote and propagate it. The bench gave the government three months to decide if it can make yoga compulsory for the age category between six years and 14.

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RIGHT TO HEALTH

Upadhyaya's plea sought a direction to the ministry of human resources development, National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT), National Council For Teacher Education (NCTE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to "provide standard textbooks of 'yoga and health education' for students of Class I-VIII keeping in spirit various fundamental rights such as right to life, education and equality."

Also read: Hyderabad: PM Modi participates in yoga session with top cops

Also read: Ban liquor if you are serious about yoga: Nitish dares Modi



Right to Health is an integral part of Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It includes protection, prevention and cure of the health and is a minimum requirement to enable a person to live with human dignity, it said.

"State has an obligation to provide health facilities to all the citizens, especially to children and adolescents. In a welfare state, it is an obligation of the state to ensure the creation and sustaining of conditions congenial to good health," the plea said. It said that Right to Health cannot be secured without providing 'yoga and health education' to all children or framing a 'National Yoga Policy' to promote and propagate it. "There are about 200 million children, throughout the country, studying in primary and junior classes at the cost of public exchequer. Yoga should be taught to them as a compulsory subject as per the National Curriculum Framework 2005, notified under Section 7(6) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009...," it said.



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The court observed that due to lack of a legal framework in this regard, the court cannot proceed against anyone even though the surrogacy agreement was "opaque" in nature.

By Sneha Agrawal: Absence of a legal framework about surrogacy in India led to the end of a trial that hinted at the alleged misuse and commercialisation of medical procedure. Anup Gupta, a Delhi-based gynecologist, was set free by a Delhi court in a case in which he was accused of carrying out surrogacy for a Spain-based gay couple without following due procedure and documentation.

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The court observed that due to lack of a legal framework in this regard, the court cannot proceed against anyone even though the surrogacy agreement was "opaque" in nature. In 2011, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) took cognisance of a media report that a gay couple was blessed with twin girls through surrogacy.

During investigation, it was found out that the surrogate mother was made to sign the agreement without being informed about the due procedure and the cheque for amount of Rs 3.50 lakh was not issued by the biological father but by the doctor.

Also read: Surrogacy ban: Surrogacy businesses see slump due to restrictions on renting wombs

Also read: Cabinet clears Surrogacy Bill, renting wombs set to become illegal



WHAT DID THEY DO WRONG

The commission also mentioned that the paperwork had several anomalies like the surrogate mother's name in the birth certificate issued by the corporation, affidavits without date, submission of two different sets of the same paperwork reflecting malafide and illegality. The DCPCR also claimed that because the twins were handed over to the gay couple, they might face hardships and psychological trauma. The Commission said the surrogacy agreement was contrary to Spanish law and invalid.

In its complaint to the police, the Commission sought registration of the offence for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy under IPC and assault of a juvenile under the Juvenile Justice Act. However, the police registered the case under kidnapping as during investigation, it was revealed that the surrogate mother and her husband willingly entered into the agreement in exchange of Rs 3.50 lakh. Since there is no law on the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research, no offence was made out.

Also read: Surrogacy Bill cleared: Single parents, gay couples can't opt for surrogacy, says Sushma Swaraj



While accepting the closure report from the police, metropolitan magistrate Pankaj Sharma observed: "It is worth noticeable that as of now no law have been enacted by Parliament regarding surrogacy and due to this legal vacuum the misuse of certain guidelines of ICMR cannot be rated out. The doctors who are acting as middlemen between the surrogate mother and the intending parents may take advantage of this legal vacuum as in India due to poverty women may be exploited by paying less."

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The court also noticed that there was no exploitation of the twins at the hands of the gay couple and in the present framework criminal liability could not be imposed on any person as the guidelines of ICMR are directory in nature and does not provide any punishment. Pointing at the anomalies in the paperwork, the court observed that the agreement of surrogacy signed between parties is opaque. "In the present case, it could not be ascertained from the agreement as to what were the expenses taken from the intending parents for the surrogate mother and why doctor paid from his account to the surrogate mother," the court said.



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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, neuroscience, and covid-19 diseases. The company's products include Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma; Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; and Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis. It also provides Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product; Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia; and Empliciti for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In addition, the company offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Breyanzi, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Inrebic, an oral kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis; and Onureg for the treatment of adult patients with AML. It sells products to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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.
The flagship programme to construct 11.11 crore household toilets across rural India by 2019 would not meet the target deadline as only 2.3 crore toilets have been constructed so far.

A top official in the ministry of urban development told Mail Today that the rural mission was not on track and the deadline was exceptionally difficult to achieve.

By Siddhartha Rai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of a 'Swachh Bharat' might not be realised in time. The flagship programme to construct 11.11 crore household toilets across rural India by 2019 would not meet the target deadline as only 2.3 crore toilets have been constructed so far.

According to a reply from the government in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the government has been able to construct a meagre 2.30 crore individual household latrines (IHHL) in rural India till September 15, 2016 after the ambitious campaign to rid the country of open defecation was launched on October 2, 2014.

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It was also meant to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's notion of cleanliness. While the government has launched several advertisement campaigns, roping in public celebrities such as Bollywood actor Vidya Balan, the fact that after over two years in power, only a fifth of the target has been completed. Governance expert Ashutosh Mishra feels that ambitious targets are made keeping political angles in mind without any eye to empirical studies.

Also read: Odisha: Taking strides in Swachh Bharat, 325 villages declared open-defecation free

Also read: 2 years of Swachh Bharat: Gujarat, Andhra become first states to be declared open-defecation free



WHAT IS HAPPENING

"We don't have any citizen-centric mechanism to measure the functionality of the toilets that have already been constructed. Moreover, when after two-and-half years in power, the Modi government has not been able to build even a fourth of the numbers, it is highly likely that the target will not be achieved," Mishra said.

On the other hand, the government has been defensive over the possibility of the time overrun. A top official in the ministry of urban development told Mail Today that while the rural mission was not on track and the deadline was exceptionally difficult to achieve, the urban mission was on track. "We at the urban mission have only a target of another 60 lakh toilets and we are pretty much on track to finish them in time and meet the deadline," a secretary-level official told Mail Today.

Also read: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: New Delhi civic body wins award for passing "stool" test



Meanwhile, Rao Inderjit Singh, Union minister of state for MoUD, said the government would be able to meet the target.

"In line with the prime minister's vision, the Swachh Bharat campaign will achieve success as it has achieved so far. The enormity of our efforts is in tune with the enormity of the target," Singh said. According to the RTI reply, "Under Swachh Bharat Mission, construction of Individual House Hold Latrines (IHHLs), Construction of Community Sanitary Toilets and Solid & Liquid Waste Management are covered. Construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHL)in rural areas are undertaken based on the Baseline Survey conducted during the year 2013, according to which a total of 11.11 crores IHHLs are to be constructed in rural areas by the year 2019, as such the works are being undertaken in a phased manner. As on 15th September, 2016, a total of 230.21 lakhs IHHLs have been reported as constructed since 2 October 2014. Central Government's target to complete the construction works of IHHLs in rural areas according to the Baseline Survey report - 2013, is by the year 2019."

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Also read: PM Modi lauds India Today for State of States, Swachh Bharat initiatives, calls it benchmark



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LEESVILLE -- Leesville Mayor Rick Allen said Monday that attorney Chuck Dowden has not resigned his city post, which caused some confusion and stirred questions among several on the council.

Allen was addressing the city's annual audit process, which is still underway, when he made mention of the "city attorney."

"We spoke to the city attorney today ...," Allen said.

"Which is who?" asked District 4 Councilman Tony Shapkoff.

"Which is Chuck Dowden ...," Allen continued.

Allen has said for weeks that Dowden has been helping with the audit. Though officials have looked at some potential candidates, the mayor has said he's awaiting the audit's completion before hiring a new attorney.

The confusion comes because Dowden submitted a resignation letter to the council dated May 9. It notes an effective date of June 30, 2016. The Leesville City Council's official minutes for the May 9, 2016 meeting also reflect the June 30 date. That's when Dowden appeared before the panel and presented his letter, which notes a 51-day transition.

"The next fifty-one (51) days will allow me to hopefully, complete two matters of extreme importance to the city. First, the resolution of the computation of vacation time for our firefighters, and secondly, the finalization of the city's acquisitions of certain assets from East Central Vernon Water System for the University Parkway annexation. Also, June 30 will afford sufficient time to select my successor and I will prepare a summary of all pending legal matters and present same to you at the appropriate time; and further, coordinate with my successor to ensure an orderly transition of the legal affairs of the City," Dowden wrote.

District 2 Councilwoman Willie Kennedy asked about Dowden's payment since June 30, which has never been brought before the council.

"Since Mr. Dowden has resigned, are we still having to pay him?," Kennedy asked.

"He has not resigned," Allen responded. "He is still working."

Councilwoman-at-Large Alice Guess asked if Dowden should still be attending meetings if he is still in the city's employ. The council meets twice a month.

"If we are still paying him to be our city attorney, should he be here to help us in things that we may need assistance in?" she asked.

"I understand your concern and I'll be happy to ... well, I guess, give you his number so you can call him," Allen said.

Dowden did attend the council's Sept. 26 meeting and said he was compiling the city's legal position to send to the auditor. He also mentioned some pending litigation he was working on. Allen acknowledged that Dowden submitted a letter of resignation, but said until he's replaced, the city cannot go without an attorney.

"We were right in the middle of an audit, which is very important that somebody is involved that knows everything that's going on at that time. So, we agreed that we would wait until the audit was complete and the audit is taking a little bit more than normal to complete. So, that's why we're all the way into December ... a couple of meetings ago, we talked about having that slated by December and having a new city attorney in place. Looks like we're still on track to do that, in my opinion," Allen said.

He added that the city is close to resolving some lawsuits the city is involved in.

Shapkoff asked if the city is still paying costs associated with the hiring of a special attorney, Howard B. Gist III, of Alexandria, for work on the case involving former police chief Bobby Hickman's suit against the city, filed in 30th Judicial District Court. Allen confirmed that the city is.

Hickman is seeking thousands in payment for accrued time he claims he's due. Dowden, in 2015, said he felt special counsel in the suit was in the council's best interest due to his prior work relationship with Hickman. Dowden served as city prosecutor when Hickman led the city's police force.

The West Central News Center submitted a public records request to the city on Tuesday, asking what costs the city has incurred for Dowden's legal work since June 30, as well as costs associated with Gist since his hiring back in 2015. City Clerk Nikki Howe, in an e-mail, said the request was forwarded to Dowden because it concerns a legal matter.

Local attorney Clay Williams was tapped to fill the city's prosecutor position when Dowden submitted his letter of resignation. The city chose to separate the city prosecutor and city attorney roles, which has been done in the past. Williams assumed those duties July 1.
By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The Border Security Force (BSF) today discovered a tunnel near Chamliyal in Samba sector where three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist were gunned down by forces, a few hundred metres from the International Border (IB).

During a combing operation, BSF found a cross-border tunnel. The border guarding force suspects that the tunnel was probably used by three terrorists to infiltrate into India.

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Read: Army jawans killed as terrorists attack Nagrota base; 3 militants trying to enter India killed in Samba

"Since there was a strong intelligence with us that an infiltration bid would take place from the area, we placed a depth naka (deployment) there. The suspicious movement was noticed by thermal imagers. The terrorists were gunned down by the BSF, who had spotted them, on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday," Director General (DG) BSF KK Sharma said. He also said that a 2 by 2 feet tunnel was found 75 metres away from the International Border.



"TUNNEL NEAR TO THE TUBEWELL WHERE TERRORISTS TOOK REFUGE"



A top BSF official told India Today that "In absence of any riverine or a cut in fence, there is a suspicion that this tunnel was used to infiltrate by terrorists. The tunnel was discovered near the tubewell, where terrorist took refuge before they were eliminated."

READ: New Pakistani Army Chief takes command on the day of terror attack on Indian Army unit in Nagrota



"Only on close inspection was the tunnel discovered. It may be possible that terrorist used local's help in identifying the spot for infiltration, close to tubewell," DG BSF said.

DG BSF said that they would take up the matter with Pakistan rangers. In July this year, BSF and Pakistan rangers had agreed to jointly inspect discovery of any such tunnel. But keeping in mind past weeks of hostilities, the force is unlikely to get any response from the Pakistan rangers.

Read: 3 soldiers killed in Jammu and Kashmir, body of one soldier mutilated, Indian Army vows revenge



DG explained the problem in detecting such tunnels. There are no technical equipments to detect such tunnels, he said.

"We try and dig trenches of 15 to 20 feet in depth to detect a tunnel, but it is not possible to dig a trench along the entire International Border," DG BSF explained.

Only when we suspect the presence of a tunnel in an area, do we dig a trench to find the tunnel or to be on the safer side we deploy nakkas and due to this tactic of deploying a nakka, presence of militants was detected, Director General added.

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Read : Lt General Qamar Javed Bajwa appointed Pakistan Army chief, say reports



--- ENDS ---
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By The Associated Press

Nov. 29, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By The Associated Press Nov. 29, 2016 | 04:11 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The City of Paducah has been awarded a $400,000 competitive federal grant from the Delta Regional Authority to help the city rehabilitate a pump station for the Paducah floodwall.



The DRA grant for the pump station rehabilitation is a part of a larger effort by Paducah officials who have worked for years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to update and repair the city's aging floodwall infrastructure.



In a press release, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell applauded news of the grant. "This is great news for the City of Paducah and I was happy to assist Mayor Kaler and local officials on this important project," McConnell said. "This critical funding will enable the city to update its current pump station that is experiencing pumping capacity loss, which if failed, could potentially lead to devastating flooding in the community."



Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler said, "We would like to thank Senator McConnell for writing a letter to the Delta Regional Authority on behalf of Paducah and McCracken County residents. The protection provided by our floodwall and the pump stations are a top infrastructure priority for The City of Paducah. This DRA grant will be a great help in achieving that goal."



The floodwall runs through downtown Paducah to protect and minimize the flood risk for 11,000 acres and more than 25,000 residents.
By WestKyStar and Paducah Public Schools Staff Nov. 29, 2016 | 09:48 PM | PADUCAH, KY





Paducah Tilghman senior John Holtgrewe has been named a Kentucky Commonwealth Ambassador by Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. The Commonwealth Ambassador Award is presented to youth who demonstrate exceptional character and citizenship through their contributions to the community, state, or nation.The Secretary of State's explains the award was created to recognize young people for their involvement in their government and communities.Holtgrewe recently spearheaded and moderated a mayoral candidates forum at Paducah Tilghman. Young voters' concerns were addressed at the community event, and the event received local and state recognition."John is an outstanding ambassador for Paducah Tilghman High School, said Superintendent Donald Shively. It is exciting to see him recognized by the Commonwealth of Kentucky for his contributions to Paducah."Holtgrewe is a member of the academic team, the speech and debate team, and the track and field team. He serves as a student intern on the Paducah Human Rights Commission and was named the Youth LEAD Student of the Year in 2016. He is an alumnus of both the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs and the Governor's Scholars Program. He has been recognized this year as a Paducah Sun Teen of the Week.Holtgrewe plans to attend the University of Louisville next fall where he will major in Mechanical Engineering. He is the son of Veronica and Greg Holtgrewe.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Nov. 30, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 30, 2016 | 12:43 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Two out-of-state men have been arrested for drug offenses in Paducah.



McCracken County Sheriff's Detectives say they learned that a man was coming into town and selling methamphetamine at local hotels. They obtained and executed a search warrant about 7 pm Saturday at Pear Tree Inn on Hinkleville Road after confirming that 41-year-old Xavier Sanders of North Bay Village, Florida was selling drugs from his room.



Detectives say Sanders was spotted outside the hotel, and when they went to the room they found 39-year-old Isaiah Houston of Duncanville, Texas, along with a woman friend.



A search of Sanders allegedly yielded meth, marijuana and cash believed to be the proceeds of drug sales. More drugs and evidence of trafficking were found in the room, according to police.



Sanders and Houston were arrested. Both are charged with possession of methamphetamine. Houston was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, while Sanders was additionally charged with trafficking meth over two grams - second or subsequent offense, and possession of marijuana. They were taken to McCracken County Jail.



The woman in the room was not charged. Detectives say the investigation is ongoing and more charges and arrests are possible.
Murray police warn of prowlers in several neighborhoods
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Nov. 29, 2016 | 12:32 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has consolidated eight boards into one committee overseeing regulations for the state's construction sector.

The Republican governor said Tuesday the consolidation saves the state money and makes it easier for the construction industry to do business.

His executive order creates the Housing, Buildings and Construction Advisory Committee. Its membership will include a cross-section of representatives from the building and construction industry. It will meet at least quarterly.

Bevin says the committee will remove unnecessary bureaucracy while stressing safety.

Bevin's administration says the reorganization is expected to reap about $114,600 in administrative savings, along with about $15,000 in per diem payments to members of the former boards.

The governor made the announcement during a visit to the home of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville.
The information provided by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry does not include expenditure on platforms like hoardings, posters, booklets and print advertisements.

By India Today Web Desk: A Right to Information (RTI) petition revealed that the Union government has spent over Rs 1,100 crore in two-and-a-half years on advertisements featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The information was provided by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the expenditure was between June 1, 2014 and August 31, 2016.

Ramveer Singh from Greater Noida filed the RTI which revealed that this expenditure is only for 'telecast/television, Internet and other electronic media', reported Catch News .

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Also read: Modi in Reliance Jio ad: What if other companies use the PM in ads?

The ministry even gave a break up of the expenditure according to which 448 crore was spent from June 1,2014 to March 31, 2015 and 542 crore and 120 crore was spent from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 and April 1, 2016 to August 31, 2016 respectively.

This does not include platforms like print advertisements, hoardings, posters, booklets and calendar.

In 2015, another RTI query revealed that the government had spent Rs 8,54,74,783 on newspaper advertisements for Mann Ki Baat till July 29, 2015. This figure only tells the money spent on newspaper advertisements and not any other platform.

Also read: Jio ad features Modi; PM is Mr Reliance, tweets Arvind Kejriwal

BJP and Congress have had criticised the AAP government in Delhi for spending Rs 526 crore on advertising its achievements in 2015. Even the Delhi High Court asked the Delhi government to explain its expenditure.

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Bieber attended the screening of Bolt's documentary, I Am Bolt, in London, and the two sure seem to have hit it off.

By India Today Web Desk: Canada and Jamaica were bound to meet, but not like this. The new friendship-affair that seems to have sparked between two of the most popular icons of the two countries is just plain surprising (pleasantly, of course).

So, Monday night in London was the screening of Usain Bolt's documentary, I Am Bolt. And among many other revered guests was Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. But, it's not like Bieber was in London just for the screening. The last leg of Bieber's Euro tour apparently happened in London on Tuesday night.

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After the screening, Bolt took to Instagram to show some love for his new bro, Bieber:

Chilling with #JustinBieber A photo posted by Usain St.Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) on Nov 28, 2016 at 5:57pm PST

Bieber then responded to Bolt's love with a "Great guy here":



Good meeting you. Great guy right here https://t.co/SQAUVSDjpV Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) November 29, 2016

Among others, One Direction's Liam Payne and actress Salma Hayek were also a part of the screening:



Salma Hayek with Usain Bolt, at the screening of his documentary in London. Picture courtesy: Instagram/salmahayek

Liam Payne (in black) after the screening. Picture courtesy: Instagram/grown1darg

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By PTI: "This was rooted in the Presidents conclusion that a

"This was rooted in the Presidents conclusion that a policy of isolation that the US had pursued for more than five decades had failed to bring about the improved human rights climate that I think just about every American citizen would like to see in Cuba. And after five decades of trying the same policy of isolation without seeing many results, the president believed it was time to try something different," he said.

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The new Cuba policy has benefited the American people in a tangible way and it continues to be strongly supported by an overwhelming majority of Cubans when theyre asked about their opinion of this change in our policy.

"Its something that was very warmly welcomed by the Cuban people and I think that should be a pretty good indication of the kind of success that this policy is already having," Earnest said.

Earlier in the morning, the Trump Transition Team communications director Jason Miller said though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Castro cannot be erased, the Trump Administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty.

Miller said Cuba is a very complex topic and the president-elect is aware of the nuances and complexities regarding the challenges that Ireland and the Cuban people face.

"So this will be an issue that he addresses once he becomes president, but I wouldnt qualify it as far as changing up or down. Id say this has been an important issue, it will continue to be one, and to be clear, the president-elect wants to see freedom in Cuba for the Cubans and a good deal for Americans where we arent played for fools," he said.

"Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression," Miller told reporters during a conference call. PTI LKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 01/12/2016 (2162 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg is home to a thriving, growing Filipino community  percentage-wise, the biggest in Canada  but the citys restaurant scene hasnt always reflected that.

There are some big buffets and small takeout places, and a few table-service restaurants like Jeepney. As well, the first Canadian outpost of the fast-food franchise Jollibee  sometimes called the McDonalds of the Philippines  is set to open soon on Ellice Avenue.

But Filipino cuisine hasnt yet made its mark on the city the way, say, Vietnamese or Korean food has in recent years.

A new restaurant on the Corydon strip suggests Filipino food might be having a moment.

While Bisita  the name means guest in Tagalog  is fairly new, vigilant food fans might recognize its adobo chicken wings. Bisitas owner-chef, Roddy Seradilla, is the guy behind Pimp My Rice, the popular, decked-out local food truck that has been dishing up Filipino favourites  including those Food Truck Wars award-winning wings  since 2012.

Given the chance to settle down in a bricks-and-mortar location, Seradilla has created a welcoming space, with warm ochre paint and dark accents. The walls are hung with family photos  babies, kids, grandparents, aunts and uncles  and there are throw pillows in the booths, softening the rigidly rectilinear seating.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rod Seradilla is perhaps best-known as the guy behind Pimp My Rice, the popular local food truck with award-winning wings. Bisita is his new brick and mortar restaurant.

That homey feeling extends to the bounty of the food, with a lot of old-school Filipino dishes served family-style in big bowls.

Filipino food mingles local ingredients and traditions with Spanish influences, Chinese and Japanese echoes and some Yankee imperialism thrown in for good measure, making for a rich and unique cuisine. A lot of its flavours exist at a complex meeting point of sweet, sour, salty and (slightly) spicy.

Bisitas appetizers  most are made to be shared  include lumpia Shanghai, which are tasty, tightly rolled cigarillos of minced pork and mixed vegetables, deep-fried and drizzled with alternating stripes of sriracha mayo and a soy reduction. Lumpia sariwa are larger rolls, with a mix of sweet potatoes, jicama and carrots in a soft crepe-like wrapper, topped with a sweet but slightly underwhelming peanut sauce.

Another appetizer, kwek kwek, features hard-boiled quail eggs  absolutely my new favourite thing  which are small, tender and very yolky. Coated and deep-fried to crackling crunchiness, their richness is cut with a zippy, vinegary dipping sauce. Pork-belly sliders feature meat thats crisp on top and tender underneath, spiced up with some sriracha, topped with pickled papaya, a fried quail egg  the perfect size for these little burgers  and served on pandesal, a sweet, soft Filipino roll.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The pork belly sliders feature meat that's crispy on top and tender beneath, spiced up with sriracha and topped with pickled papaya and a fried quail egg.

Beef pare is a rib cut slow-cooked to tenderness in a dark sauce of vinegar and soy and served on garlicky bok choy. Chicken adobo  not the Iberian version of the sauce but a blending of vinegar, palm sugar and soy  features chicken thighs braised to caramelly sour-sweet deepness, served with peppers.

Pancit, sometimes described as Filipino chow mein, is made from rice or glass noodles. Theres a vegetarian option, as well as a classic pancit that also includes chicken, shrimp and pork belly, though this variation could have packed in more shrimp and here the bits of pork belly sometimes went beyond crisped to nubbly and hard.

Bisita also offers kare kare, a slow-cooked oxtail stew with eggplant and snake beans. This last dish was unfortunately sold out one night, but I have to assume its good: When regulars at a nearby table found out it was temporarily unavailable, there were sighs of longing and dismay.

Filipino desserts are often hyper-sweet. Ube cake, which starts with purple yam, is gorgeously coloured  were talking bright, full-on purple  but this starchy-sweet confection could be an acquired taste I havent yet acquired. Buko pie is made from coconut and condensed milk, while leche flan is a deliciously rich and custardy take on creme caramel. You can also try a sampler made up of small portions of all three.

With friendly, informative service and an accessible take on traditional dishes, Bisita should help spread the word on Filipino food in Winnipeg.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Kwek kwek  hardboiled quail eggs  are small, tender, very yolky and absolutely my new favourite thing.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A dome-shaped piece of art that has been turning heads on Broadway could be just a taste of things to come for the historic downtown thoroughfare.

The Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone (BIZ) and the Winnipeg Arts Council (WAC) hope to eventually have 10 light-based art pieces permanently on display on the tree-lined street.

The pieces would be installed on the median at each of the 10 intersections between Main and Osborne streets to help light the street and attract more pedestrians to the downtown.

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Heaven Between, the first permanent light-based sculpture of several planned for Broadway, was inspired by the rooftops of significant buildings on the boulevard.

They (the arts council) have invested significantly and weve invested significantly. Now its how do we grow that, how do we get some sponsorships and get 10 sculptures on this street, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ CEO Stefano Grande said Tuesday following the BIZs annual general meeting.

Its a majestic street and we want to create a reason for people to walk downtown on a Sunday night when theres nothing going on, Grande added.

That is a big part of what we want to work towards in terms of place making (in the downtown).

Stephanie Voyce, manager of the BIZs place making, cleanliness and transportation committee, said a jury has already selected two other light-based art pieces that hopefully can be installed on the street within the next few years.

But everything is contingent upon the BIZ and the WAC finding sponsors who are willing to put up the money to purchase the artworks, Voyce said.

It will go as fast as we can find partners to make it happen. But once we solidify the funding, there is a design weve already picked out and an artist who is ready to go.

Voyce said the BIZ and the WAC have been working on the Broadway artwork initiative for several years, but it was often difficult for potential sponsors to envision what kind of impact the artwork could have on the street. That was, at least, until that first piece of art was recently installed on the median at the corner of Broadway and Edmonton Street.

We knew this first piece would really set the stage, she said.

Its (about) getting the first piece in place and re-engaging with potential partners. Then hopefully things will start to move forward.

The initial piece, entitled Heaven Between, was created by Vancouver artist Bill Pechet through the WACs Public Art program. Pechet said the dome shape of the piece, which is suspended from wires about two metres above the ground, was inspired by the domes on the nearby Manitoba Legislative Building and the Union Station building.

The piece also features cutouts in the shape of elm leaves to represent the many trees along the street.

Pechet also created the flask-shaped public piece of art, called emptyful, thats on display in the Millennium Library Park.

The light-based artwork on Broadway is one of a number of initiatives the BIZ will be pursuing as part of its new three-year strategic plan, which was unveiled at Tuesdays AGM.

Another is the establishment of a Manitoba Walk of Fame to honour local celebrities. Grande said the Walk of Fame, which the BIZ has been working on for a number of years, will be located in the public plaza of the True North Square development, which is under construction on Graham Avenue.

The hope is to unveil the Walk of Fame in 2018.

Grande said the BIZ also hopes over the next three years it will see community groups take over some of its more popular events, including the Downtown Farmers Market and Manyfest.

He said End Homelessness Inc. has already agreed to take over its CEO Sleepover fundraising event.

Were hearing the community wants to take these over themselves and wants to do more, he added.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/11/2016 (2164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  More than half of indigenous inmates were released directly into the community last year because Canadas prisons are doing a shoddy job helping the offenders get parole, the auditor general of Canada said Tuesday.

Michael Ferguson released his fall audit report with a general head shake of frustration over the number of audits his office and his predecessor have produced illustrating the federal governments failures when it comes to indigenous people  from land claims and health care to reserve policing and nutrition. He said his predecessor, Sheila Fraser, summed up her decade of audits on First Nations programs as unacceptable.

When you add the results of these audits to those we reported on in the past, I can only describe the situation as it exists now as beyond unacceptable, he said in a written message accompanying the audit report.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES In Manitoba, 15 per cent of the population is indigenous, but more than 65 per cent of the inmates at the federal Stony Mountain Institution are indigenous.

His audit of Correctional Service Canada looked at the release of indigenous inmates in 2015-16. It found of the 1,066 indigenous people released that year, only 31 per cent were let out on parole. That compares to 48 per cent of non-indigenous inmates paroled.

There were 740 people let out on statutory release, including 102 released directly to the community from a maximum security penitentiary. Statutory release is automatic after two-thirds of a sentence is served unless an offender is designated a high risk to commit a violent crime, sexual assault of a minor or a serious drug offence.

John Hutton, executive director of the John Howard Society of Manitoba, said statutory release provides some level of support but not the same as an offender on parole.

Frankly, less support equals less success, said Hutton.

Correctional Services Canadas own research has shown inmates who get parole are less likely to reoffend than those given statutory release, Ferguson noted.

The concerns about lower parole rates and less supports for indigenous offenders is exacerbated by the high incarceration rates of indigenous people. More than one in four adult inmates in federal prisons is indigenous, although only indigenous adults account for just three per cent of Canadas adult population. In Manitoba, 15 per cent of the population is indigenous but more than 65 per cent of the inmates at the federal Stony Mountain Institution are indigenous.

Ferguson said Corrections cant control who comes into their facilities but it does have the responsibility to properly assess offenders for risk and prepare them for parole, neither of which is happening in a timely and productive way.

Without timely assessments and programming, inmates are simply not prepared for parole when they become eligible. Parole usually requires offenders to have completed correctional plans, something that cant happen when the programs arent available in a timely way.

Hutton said access to programming is affected by funding cuts, growth in inmate populations without accompanying growth in funding, and even issues such as trying to keep rival gang members separated and therefore not enrolled in the same classes behind bars.

Ferguson made numerous recommendations including, providing timely access to programming, better training so corrections staff understand how culturally appropriate programming can help rehabilitate an offender, and improve training and policies around how an indigenous offenders social history should be taken into account when assessing him for risk and programming.

Hutton added there also needs to be more work done with community groups that help offenders before they are released, so there can be a continuity of supports and services after they are released.

Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Don Head said the service agrees with and accepts every recommendation.

We agree that change is needed, and change will happen, Head said in a statement. We are committed to our Aboriginal Initiatives with a renewed determination; more can and will be done to support the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of Indigenous offenders.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/11/2016 (2164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new national health report card gives Manitoba a couple of As, a couple of Fs and a few needs more improvement.

First the good news. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) 2015-16 report Your Health System released today says Manitoba is the only province where 100 per cent of cancer patients receive radiation treatments within four weeks, and data show Winnipeg personal care homes are below the national average in using chemical restraints on residents with dementia. Wait times in Winnipeg emergency departments are still nearly double the Canadian average but have dropped more than eight per cent in the last six months thanks to efforts undertaken earlier this year, Lori Lamont with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said Tuesday.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Lori Lamont, The WRHA vice president and chief nursing officer, says the report uses some 'difficult' terminology.

The WRHA vice president and chief nursing officer held a technical briefing for media in advance of the CIHI report that was embargoed until Wednesday morning. She said the report uses some difficult terminology, like referring to the 90th percentile when describing ER wait times. For example, the report says ER waits in the WRHA are 5.5 hours at the 90th percentile rather than looking at the median or 50th percentile, or the point at which 50 per cent of the data fall below that point, and 50 per cent fall above it  which is just a two hour wait. Whether its the 90th percentile or the median wait time thats measured, both are close to twice as long as the Canadian average and, Lamont conceded, still need improvement. Theyve set up rapid assessment zones and intake teams that are moving patients from the ER waiting room to the next intake area for tests or treatment and thats clearing clogged ERs. She said the WRHA wanted to get out front of the reports release to highlight improvements to emergency room care before the media got ahold of the report and honed in on just the bad news.

Bad news like Manitoba having the highest rate of hospital deaths in Canada. The hospital standardized mortality ratio (HSMR) outlined in the report says the national average for the 2015-16 year was 93. For Manitoba, it was 110. Saskatchewan had the lowest at 88.

A spokeswoman for the WRHA said there are two major reasons for the difference in hospital death rates in Winnipeg, relative to the Canadian average.

Winnipeg is a major referral centre for very ill patients from rural and northern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Given that very ill patients are more likely to be at risk of dying, this may partially explain the increased (hospital mortality) rates in Winnipeg hospitals, Anne Bennett said in an email.

The 'hospital standardized mortality ratio' of each province in Canada. The ratio average was set at 100 in 20122013 based on data collected from Canadian hospitals. It's calculated by dividing the number of actual deaths by the number of expected deaths and multiplied by 100.

If a patients record is not correctly coded as having received palliative care, then the death is considered an unexpected death If this is not done properly, then a patient who is expected to die may be incorrectly considered an unexpected death and wrongly counted in the HSMR statistic. We are working to educate clinicians regarding the use of these terms in medical records, so that patients are properly coded. We believe this may be a significant contributor to the HSMR statistic in Winnipeg, Bennett said.

The CIHI report says that since the mid-2000s, there have been efforts across Canada to deliver better and safer care to patients. From hand washing campaigns and better communication between hospital staff, to the creation of rapid response units to assist patients in sudden distress, steps have been taken that have lowered the number of hospital deaths from 103 in 2011-2012 to 93 this past fiscal year. The hospital standardized mortality ratio was first made public in 2007 and has been used by hospitals to see whether their improvement efforts are working and where there is room for improvement.

The ratio average was set at 100 in 20122013 based on data collected from Canadian hospitals, CIHI says. Its calculated by dividing the number of actual deaths by the number of expected deaths and multiplied by 100.

The other grim news is that Manitobans arent expected to live as long as the average Canadian. In Manitoba, the life expectancy is 79.5 year, compared to the national average of 81.1 years.

One bright spot in the report is how many long-term care residents in Winnipeg are being given antipsychotic drugs to manage difficult behaviour. Often referred to as chemical restraints, theyre sometimes given to people with dementia. Health care providers and advocates have expressed concern about their overuse and the risk of serious side effects. The report looks province-by-province at what percentage of personal care home residents are being given antipsychotics when theyve never been diagnosed with psychosis. Manitoba is one of a few provinces excluded. Thats because only the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority tracks that information electronically and provides it to CIHI.

In Winnipeg, the news is good. Theres been a gradual decline in the use of chemical restraints  from 23.2 per cent of long-term care residents in 2012-13 to 21.3 per cent for 2015-16. The number of personal care home residents in Winnipeg receiving antipsychotic drugs is lower than the Canadian average of 23.9 per cent, the report says.

For those who advocate for Manitobans with Alzheimers and dementia, a decline in the use of such drugs is promising.

We are very aware of it in personal care homes across the province and want to see the amount of use of antipsychotics declining, said Norma Kirkby, program director for the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Norma Kirkby, program director at Alzheimer Society says a decline in the use of chemical restraints is promising.

The downsides of them are pretty significant, Kirkby said. Thats why if people are prescribed them inappropriately its really important to get them off of those, she said. For some its very significant. It affects their balance or their gait and can put them at increased risk of falls, she said. If people are overly-sedated the person isnt as bright as they can be and it detracts from their quality of life, said Kirkby. When theyre chatting with families, Kirkby said the society advises them to do all that they can to ask for non-pharmaceutical interventions on behalf of their loved one. They should ask that drugs only be used if there is an absolute need for them, and to to ask for the lowest dose possible. Sometimes the meds are needed if theyre struggling with things like involuntary movements.

Some people do have legitimate need for antipsychotics because a particular aspect of behaviour emerges. They might need a short stint to help them through it, said Kirkby. Shed like to see reporting on the use of antipsychotics at all personal care homes in Manitoba and greater transparency. The data is helpful when looking at personal care homes for a family member, she said. Still, nothing beats an in-person visit, she said. When you walk in the door, how does it feel? Is it accessible and easy to visit your family member?

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister is about to engage in some pretty risky fiscal business.

He is possessed by an almost religious fervour to eliminate the budget deficit. A financial planner before he became a politician, Pallister is clearly losing sleep about the nearly $900-million shortfall he inherited from the previous NDP government. However, notwithstanding his decision to declare a holy war against the deficit, the premier has had trouble coming up with salient strategies to bring the budget back into surplus.

Pallister has put a moratorium on a wide range of capital projects and cancelled a handful of others. The premier has made sure no new projects are going ahead until his government gets a handle on the deficit.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister speaks to journalists at the legislative building Tuesday.

The government has also made significant reductions in infrastructure spending. Pallister has capped total infrastructure spending at $1 billion per year, a substantial amount but much less than the former NDP government had been spending, and forecast would be spent, over the next four years.

There have been other tangential decisions  a pledge to eliminate significant numbers of provincial boards and commissions, the cancellation of a new downtown headquarters for Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries  that have been newsworthy but will not lead to much in the way of savings.

Last week, however, Pallister signalled his intention to raise the stakes  and the level of risk  in his campaign against the deficit. In the speech from the throne to open the legislative session, the Tory government included a perplexing reference to bringing forth legislation to freeze or possibly roll back public-sector wages. Then, on Monday, Pallister elaborated on the cryptic pledge, indicating he wanted to negotiate wage concessions with public-sector unions.

The premier is not wrong to seek concessions from public-sector workers. However, raising the possibility of legislation, and then backtracking to suggest negotiation is the preferred path to concessions, seems to be an odd way of getting what he wants.

Notwithstanding the initial awkwardness, Pallister has a fairly strong argument for concessions. Demands for government services continue to go up, but tax revenues are not keeping pace. Simply put, the provinces ability to pay annual wage increases is severely impaired. And so, Pallister was quite correct when he said this week, Something has got to give. But what exactly is it that has to give?

Pallister has argued unless the deficit is eliminated, debt will grow along with the likelihood of another credit rating downgrade, making it more expensive for the province to borrow. Of all his faults, one cannot accuse Pallister of exaggerating the threat posed by this scenario; unless something is done, Manitoba could very well find itself in a debt crisis.

However, Pallister is also fundamentally opposed to any kind of tax increase. He believes Manitoba is already taxed too much  a highly debatable point  and so any suggestion government need ramp up tax rates is off the table. In fact, he remains committed to reducing the provincial sales tax by one point back to seven per cent.

A credit rating downgrade, which increases the cost of borrowing, would be very harmful to government. So, too, is a fiscal strategy that dampens economic growth.

There will be a negative economic impact from the cuts to infrastructure spending, still considered the most potent form of economic stimulus. A dollar invested in highway and bridge construction tends to bring three to four dollars of economic activity. So, a $50-million cut in highway investment over a four-year term could eliminate $200 million of economic activity.

Now, to that decision, we may have to add wage concessions. For the tens of thousands of Manitobans who toil for the province, a freeze or rollback on pay will put a chill on their spending plans. Less spending means fewer sales for business and less sales and income tax revenue for government.

Pallister has always viewed the provinces structural deficit and burgeoning debt as a vicious cycle that would ultimately undermine the entire government. He is not wrong. But at some point, he must also acknowledge a deficit-elimination strategy that only focuses on expenditures could have the same impact.

If Pallister is concerned about credit rating agencies, he should know they only care about the bottom line. If he is unable to reduce or eliminate the deficit by controlling expenditures, they will not take mercy on him because he took a fiscally conservative approach. If the province continues to be mired in deficit financing for whatever reason, the bond raters will frown, and investors will turn on Manitoba.

Pallister was elected in part on his fervent commitment to slaying the deficit. However, unless he broadens his approach to deficit control, he may find he has done nothing more than dig a deep hole a little bit deeper.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 29/11/2016 (2164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police continue to search for a 31-year-old man who went missing earlier this month.

Bryan Balong was last seen on the evening of Nov. 22 in the North End.

He is described as Filipino, 5-10 in height with a medium build and black hair in a Mohawk style.

Bryan Balong was last seen on the evening of Nov. 22 in the North End.

He was last seen wearing a grey Jordan sweatsuit.

Anyone with information should call the Winnipeg Police Service Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/11/2016 (2164 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Killarney store owner was shot at when he chased down thieves attempting to steal some liquor, RCMP in Killarney reported Tuesday.

Police subsequently arrested two suspects, including a 13-year-old boy, and theyre looking for a third suspect, RCMP said in a statement.

They also used the shopkeepers experience as a cautionary tale, urging people not to chase after criminals. Call police instead, they said.

The incident occurred Sunday, just after 10 a.m., when RCMP were called to a firearms incident in Killarney, located about 240 km southwest of Winnipeg in the Rural Municipality of Argyle.

The preliminary investigation showed three suspects entered a convenience store in the town and attempted to steal some liquor.

The store owner confronted the trio, and the suspects fled in a vehicle.

RCMP said the store owner pursued the getaway car. The suspects stopped and drew a rifle and fired several shots in the direction of the store owner.

The store owner wasnt hit and managed to get to safety, RCMP said.

RCMP arrested two suspects, a 19-year-old man from local area and the 13-year-old from Sandy Bay First Nation. Both remained in custody Tuesday. They face numerous weapons-related and theft charges. The 19-year old was also charged with reckless discharge of a firearm.

Police are still looking for a third suspect.

The RCMP remind the public that calling the police is the safest course of action when dealing with illegal activity, the statement said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans love to go out to eat and drink in the summer, but new numbers from Statistics Canada show that carried through into the fall this year. People from this province had the fifth-highest spending in the country on food and drink in September.

The Statistics Canada numbers released on Wednesday showed Manitobans spent $167,397,000 in September, up 2.2 per cent from August.

Provinces with higher sales than Manitoba included Ontario, the leader with over $2.1 billion in sales, followed by Quebec, B.C. and Alberta.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES People in Manitoba spent $167,397 on food and drink in September.

While total sales in food services and drinking places across Canada increased by 1.6 per cent from the previous month and surpassed $5.5 billion for the month of September, and spending in restaurants increased 2.1 per cent between August and September.

The only provinces or territories that did not show an increase in sales in September were Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

A press release on the Statistics Canada study stated that warm weather across the country in September and a high amount of visitors to Canada contributed to the sales increases.

Numbers were up 1.1 per cent for trips made to Canada by overseas residents and trips made to Canada by USA residents increased 2 per cent, the Statistics Canada International Travel Survey showed.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Tuesday, the Manitoba government unveiled an official plaque to commemorate the 100th anniversary of some Manitoba women receiving the right to vote. Its part of the hard work done by the Nellie McClung Foundation with a mandate, in part, to educate the public about Nellie McClungs passion and achievements in the pursuit of womens and human rights.

Given that this province is aware of the need to recognize the hard work McClung did in pushing for womens and human rights, it was interesting to see the short list from the Bank of Canada of women that will at some point appear on a Canadian banknote.

The list was certainly short on regional representation. There is no question the women who are on the list of five have made important contributions and should be recognized for their achievements, my concern is the final list of five does not represent all of the regions of the country  and most certainly not the Prairie provinces or the North.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Snow covers the bronze statue depicting the Famous Five, including Nellie McClung, at the Manitoba Legislative Building Tuesday morning.

In particular, McClung is missing  a serious omission.

When the decision was announced to have a woman on the currency, we were told the nominations are open to any Canadian woman (by birth or naturalization) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada, or in the service of Canada. We were also informed the designs must adhere to the banks principles for how bills are designed. They couldnt be fictional characters (no Anne of Green Gables) and had to have died before April 15, 1991 (no Anne Murray either). They also have to represent the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

As soon as Canadians found out about the contest, thousands of names were submitted and the list was finally winnowed down to 461. The next step was a consideration list of 12 names, including McClungs. Some people have suggested McClung was taken off the final list because the Famous Five (including McClung) and Madame Casgrain had been featured on the back of the $50 bill from 2004 to 2011. If this was the reasoning, then McClungs name should not have appeared on the consideration list of 12 names issued in April.

This list of 12 had only two prairie women on it  McClung and Gabrielle Roy, both Manitobans. With neither of them on the final list of five, the three Prairie provinces are not represented at all. This is surprising since even a cursory examination of the 461 original names shows many women from these provinces.

For Manitoba alone, the names range from early women such as Thanadelthur, Marie Anne Gaboury and Annie Bannatyne; pioneer doctors Charlotte Ross and Amelia Yeomans; distinguished nurses Mary Ellen Birtles and Persis Johnson Darrach; and Judge Mary Ann Wawrykow. Writers such as Gabrielle Roy and Margaret Laurence are there, too  as are political activists Margret Benedictsson and Margaret McWilliams.

Saskatchewans list includes such varied women as Violet McNaughton, Charlotte Small and Dorisse Neilsen. Alberta names include Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Roberta McAdams  and those are just the most famous political activists.

Why should McClung be the Canadian woman on the banknote?

Remember, this is a decision to choose one woman who is the best representative of Canadian womanhood. So lets look at McClungs credentials: She has name recognition  according to a number of surveys, people know who she is and what she has done; and she is well-known as both author and suffragist across the country and in other English-speaking countries.

McClung also showed talent and leadership in more than one field. She was a teacher, a famous writer who is still quoted today, a talented orator, a political activist and an early working wife and mother.

She has direct connections with five Canadian provinces. She was born in Ontario; educated and began her career as writer and a suffragist in Manitoba; worked for womens suffrage in Saskatchewan and Alberta; was elected to the legislature and was part of The Persons Case in Alberta; represented Canada at the League of Nations Peace Conference of 1938; served on the first CBC Board of Governors; and, when retired in British Columbia, wrote about her career.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The official plaque commemorating the 100th Anniversary of some Manitoba women receiving the right to vote was unveiled at the Manitoba Legislative Building Tuesday.

The suffrage campaigns McClung participated in were non-violent, reasoned, tenacious, polite and had a sense of humour. These are all descriptions of a proper Canadian project to me.

The move to have a woman on a Canadian banknote has been a long time in coming. Thanks to Merna Forster, who started a petition for this project in 2013, weve made a start. By 2013, the women on the back of the $50 had been replaced by an icebreaker. Now, theres some interesting symbolism.

Many other countries feature non-royal women on their currency. Japan, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, Mexico, Serbia, New Zealand, Philippines, Argentina, Israel, Uruguay and South Korea are examples. The Royal Bank of Scotland will feature scientist Mary Somerville and poet Nan Shepherd on the faces of two new banknotes. Swedens new currency will feature portraits of equal numbers of men and women on their banknotes. Four Australian banknotes feature notable men and women, a woman on one side and a man on the other.

The Bank of England has issued notes honouring such women as Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Fry. When a plan to have a banknote featuring Winston Churchill met opposition, Bank Governor Mark Carney (a Canadian) decided to have Jane Austen instead. The United States will be issuing a banknote featuring Harriet Tubman.

Canada has some catching up to do.

Linda McDowell is a retired history teacher and a big fan of Nellie McClung.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On Nov. 25, the CBC reported on the sharply critical reaction of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to Canadian parliamentarians recent unanimous decision to aid Yazidi refugees fleeing the Islamic State group (IS). Life in refugee camps in Iraq, Greece, Syria and Turkey is especially hard for Yazidis, whose ancient and unique religion has long made them vulnerable to arbitrary assaults and abuse by their Muslim rulers and neighbours, including Kurds.

Anti-Yazidi prejudice is widespread and is even present in supposed sites of refuge. Several recent reports have noted that while living in Turkish refugee camps, Yazidis have been denied the same health care as non-Yazidis, have been subjected to greater restrictions on their freedom of movement, remain confused about their legal status in Turkey (most Yazidis dont speak Turkish) and their daily existence is harsh and unsanitary.

In Iraqi camps, things arent much better. Late last year, reports emerged that Yazidis living in displaced persons camps along the Syria-Iraq border were chronically under-resourced and suffering from squalor and despair. In such environments, suicides are common, medical facilities and schools substandard and the chances of anyone returning home are remote so long as security cannot be guaranteed and new homes and infrastructure remain unbuilt.

MUHAMMED MUHEISEN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES The prejudice against Yazidi refugees is widespread, even in safe areas of refuge where they are denied the same rights and health care as non-Yazidis.

Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani last Thursday criticized the Canadian governments decision to aid Yazidis. Barzani feels that instead of increasing the number of Yazidi refugees permitted entry to Canada, more should be done to fund local humanitarian efforts across northern Iraq, particularly in and around Mosul. He also questions the right of Canadians to intervene in Kurdish regional affairs.

By expressing a desire that Yazidis remain in refugee camps in order to return someday to their former residences, the KRG is ignoring many requests to the contrary made not just by refugees, but by their international allies and the Yazidi diaspora. These people are all too aware of what inaction masquerading as patience and geopolitical respect will mean for lives indelibly marked by atrocity.

The KRGs power and legitimacy are ad hoc and derived almost entirely from the control it exerts over its territory, the precariousness of which increases exponentially the closer one gets to its margins. The Yazidis are historically residents of these mountainous borderlands, and their return there will do much to strengthen the integrity of the nascent Kurdish state and enhance perceptions of the legitimacy of its government.

One should therefore treat attempts by the KRG to limit the number of Yazidi refugees taken in by Canada and other countries with great caution. By expressing its reservations, the KRG is not necessarily acting in the Yazidis best interests or speaking in any way for Yazidi refugees living elsewhere than Iraq.

Of course, whatever efforts are made by Canadians to work in northern Iraq must be planned and executed in close consultation and co-operation with Kurdish authorities. But when determining what Yazidi refugees actually need and want, and therefore how best to help them, we must listen first and foremost to the Yazidis themselves.

Winnipeg-based Operation Ezra, a group focused on refugee relief for Yazidis, is working closely with Canadas Yazidi community to assist refugees from Turkey, Syria and Iraq relocate to Canada. The interfaith organization has articulated the following position in response to the parliamentary motion passed unanimously in Parliament on Oct. 26.

First, all Yazidi genocide survivors, especially families seeking refuge and young women and girls who are the victims of sex slavery, should be included in the governments new refugee plan.

Second, Yazidi refugees located in all parts of the region  including in UNHCR and non-UNHCR camps in Turkey, Greece, Syria and Iraq  should be given equal consideration.

Third, both privately and government-sponsored refugees should be included in any new program, with the majority of the refugees being government-assisted refugees.

And fourth, the new government program should be consistent in terms of numbers with the Syrian immigration program executed in 2015-16, and should reflect a significant response to the genocide documented by the United Nations and other agencies and governments, as well as the level of trauma suffered by its survivors.

Together we urge the Canadian government to stay the course and honour its recent commitment to aiding Yazidi refugees.

Adam Muller is an associate professor of English at the University of Manitoba and a member of the advisory board of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Michel Aziza is a native of Morocco who was raised in France and immigrated to Canada, and has been volunteering with Operation Ezra.
Wabasha County Sheriff Rodney Bartsh says he knows better, and he hopes to do better in the future.

Bartsh was cited by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for failing to register a deer shot during the first week of thethe firearms deer opener. Bartsh said he was hunting with his family at his fathers property near the Whitewater area on Nov. 5. Bartsh was fined Nov. 12.

Deer are required to be registered within 48 hours of being harvested, according to the DNR. It was warm, and I wanted to get it cut up, but theres no excuse for it, Bartsh said.

Bartshs father was also cited by the DNR for tagging a deer with someone elses license. In this case, Bartsh said, it was the license of his sister-in-law.

Both fines will be paid by mail as soon as they are received, Bartsh said. The ticket should be in the mail today.

Both deer, a buck shot by Bartsh and a doe tagged improperly by his father, were confiscated by the DNR.

I knew that I shouldnt have done that, and Ill regret that for a long, long time, Bartsh said. Especially embarrassing my family like that.
25 years ago this week (1991)

A new condom distribution plan in New York City high schools has raised questions in school districts throughout the country. However, Baraboo school officials dont expect to see a condom distribution program in the schools here. Baraboo School District staff concur that health education must provide students with information to make proper judgments. Some question whether schools exceed their bounds by providing students with condoms. We should continue to emphasize (proper) values, Baraboo School District Administrator Anthony Kujawa said. An emphasis should be placed on abstinence, he said.

A leather coat was reported stolen Sunday from a coat rack at Country Kitchen, 1011 Eighth St. The coat was discovered missing at 3:30 a.m. and is valued at $400. The coat is described as a full length black Pelle Cuir brand trench with an over-sized collar, a waist belt and two hip pockets.

The investigation of a sexual contact involving a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, occurring Nov. 26 on a school bus while the two were enroute to school, was investigated by a police officer and a Department of Human Services worker. Both children were interviewed and the boy was referred to Human Services for treatment.

50 years ago this week (1966)

The huge warehouse of the Herfort Canning Company, together with 11,600 starter pullets and much equipment of the Peck Hatchery were destroyed this morning in a blaze discovered at 2:40 a.m. by a neighboring resident. The efficiency of Baraboos fire department and the lack of wind resulted in the saving of the major portion of the canning factory proper, as well as property of Flambeau Plastics and Northern Engineers who use portions of some of the buildings as store rooms. While cause of the blaze is not definite, Ed Alexander, proprietor of the hatchery, stated he believed it might have resulted from an overheated furnace. There were some anxious moments until the blaze was brought under control since it stood quite close to the former car shops building, now owned by the Circus World Museum, and containing much of the irreplaceable property of that organization.

A 22-year-old McHenry, Illinois, man was hospitalized in satisfactory condition at St. Clare Hospital here after falling into a police trap early today while allegedly trying to rob a restaurant. The man had gained entrance to Hermans restaurant by breaking a lavatory window at about 2 a.m. He suffered bullet wounds after being surprised by police who were waiting inside. After the crash of glass in the ladies rest room, it was 10 to 15 minutes before a man was seen coming through the partially lighted dining room and heading for the bar where Deputy Bob Frank was. He held an object in his hand, later established as a lug wrench, and as Sheriff Mike Spencer ordered him to halt, he started towards Frank, at which time the sheriff fired three shots. One struck the man in the lower forearm; another struck him in the left side. Since several places in Baraboo had been entered in the past few weeks, the city police, as well as the sheriffs department, had been keeping certain establishments under close observation. Hermans restaurant, located at the y on South Boulevard, was one of them.

75 years ago this week (1941)

Twenty-seven thousand railroad cars of material will be shipped in for the building of the huge powder plant. The plant is going to be built under a progressive plan. Under this, building will start on individual units rather than under a method of laying out and beginning work on the whole project all at once.

War department officials said today that the actual construction of the projected new explosive plant will be put off for some weeks because of lack of funds, but that there is no intention to abandon it despite some protests that it would destroy valuable farm land.

Announcement has been made of the opening of the new McGann company funeral home at 520 East St. People are invited to visit the home this afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon and evening. Simplicity and beauty in both the interior and exterior of the new structure has been the keynote throughout. It has been so designed that the spaciousness of the chapel is adaptable for either small or large gatherings. Too, the other rooms of the home have been arranged so that they may be merged with the chapel by large doors.

100 years ago this week (1916)

On the evening of Thanksgiving Day, the home of Ed. Waddell, a few miles north of Baraboo, burned. The Waddell family spent the day at the home of Mr. Waddells brother, George Waddell, and had not left for home when the call for help was sounded. The McMarlin home is not far away and when Monroe McMarlin glanced out of the window about 8 oclock he said to his brother Randall, it looks as though theres a fire down at Waddells. They immediately ran down and found the woodshed on fire and the entire house was soon entirely enveloped. The telephone was freely used and help came, but not soon enough to save the property. The household goods on the lower floor were hurried out, but nearly a thousand bushels of potatoes in the cellar were cooked. Mr. Waddell had a fine crop of spuds, and had sold about 600 bushels. When the price fell, he stored the remainder in the cellar. The loss of the potatoes is a serious matter, owing to the present high price. There are rumors there was a light in the house just before the fire started, but this has not been cleared up. The house was not locked and anyone could easily have gone in. The insurance is about $400.

Dr. C. H. Golden found a check dated Baraboo, Wis., May, 1859, in the ruins of the old George Willard livery barn which had just been torn down. The paper was drawn for $250 and made payable to P. A. Bassett. It was drawn by Sanford Cowles. It was not endorsed and it may not have been cashed, but in all probability the ink on the back had faded, although the face was perfectly plain. The check was on the Sauk County bank of Baraboo.
Baraboo School Board members questioned the efficacy of the states new report cards, despite the fact the district overall was ranked as meets expectations.

While Baraboo schools passed the test with an overall score of 66.8, or three out of five stars, district leaders expressed concern about some of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instructions grading criteria.

The report cards underwent major changes as part of Wisconsin Act 55, including the addition of variable weighting to address the impacts of poverty on student achievement, a new model for measuring student growth and a legislative requirement to drop the Badger Exam in favor of the Forward Exam.

The changes marked the third time standardized state testing was altered in three years.

During a presentation on the districts report card performance at Mondays school board meeting, board members raised concerns about inconsistent assessments, along with the effect test participation has on overall scores.

Districts and schools receive a score from zero to 100 on the report cards based on student test scores in language arts and mathematics, student growth, closing gaps between student subgroups and measures of readiness for graduation and post-secondary success.

Parents of students may allow their children to opt out of state testing, but if a school falls below a 95 percent participation rate for all students or any subgroup, it receives a five-point deduction from its overall score. Schools that fall below 85 percent participation for all students or any subgroup receive a 10-point deduction.

Student subgroups refer to a group of 20 or more students who share similar characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, language abilities, physical or learning disabilities.

If you cant get them to participate for whatever reason, and were held accountable for them not taking the test, its a pretty insignificant number of kids that can really sway the information, said Board President Kevin Vodak.

It is very easy to create a perception that our public schools are failing when they are not, said Board member Peter Vedro. That has to be addressed.

District Administrator Lori Mueller said Baraboo schools reach out to parents to advise against opting out of state testing, but some continue to do so for philosophical reasons.

Weve been able to work it out where the student does take the assessment, she said. But it is completely up to the parent.

Director of Teaching and Learning Nicholas Karls said participation was not a factor for the district this year.

The 2015-116 report cards are composed of multiple years of data, despite test changes. The scores are from one year of the Badger and Forward Exams for grades three through eight and the ACT Plus Writing in grade 11. The data also comes from a year of the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam.

Each of those tests were different in some ways, and the benchmarks were also different, Karls said. To try to glean from that how our students are doing over time is very difficult.

However, Karls said if state assessment methods remain consistent over the next three years, he will be able to offer a more accurate analysis of Baraboo school performance.

This was the first year the report cards used a five-star rating system. The stars corresponded to one of five categories: fails to meet expectations, meets few expectations, meets expectations, exceeds expectations and significantly exceeds expectations. The Baraboo School District earned a three-star, 66.8 rating overall.

A number of schools within the district also received individual report cards. Each of the schools received meets expectations marks, while Al Behrman Elementary and Gordon L. Willson Elementary received ratings of exceeds expectations.

Mueller said she wants to see more measures  like AP courses and work certifications  included in the state report cards, as she said it is difficult to determine a schools effectiveness based solely on test scores.

The state report cards arent going to go away  there has to be some form of state and federal accountability, she said. Theres a lot of frustration with school districts being summarized with one score because the work that we do with kids cant be summarized with one score.
It seems like it was just yesterday when Fox News political commentator Chris Wallace was lecturing one of the presidential candidates regarding the peaceful transition of power. That candidate was eventually elected president.

Wallace challenged candidate Donald Trump repeatedly when he didnt receive the answer he wanted to hear. Trump finally left the newsman hanging with, Well see.

The national media had a field day with this debate exchange in late October. They openly chastised Trump and practically declared him insane. It was inconceivable that any reasonable person would openly challenge the vote. They were so concerned about how Trump would react if he had lost there was a multitude of stories on Election Day about what might happen if Trump refused to concede.

The medias conclusion about a Trump non-concession speech? Nothing would happen. The election is the election and there was nothing Trump could do about it. Volumes of ink and film were spent explaining there was absolutely nothing that would change his fate.

Ironically, it was Hillary Clinton who refused to come out at 2 a.m. and concede the race. Instead, her campaign manager, John Podesta, sent supporters home declaring the race wasnt over despite the fact it was pretty clear the path to election defeat had been sealed. The Clinton camp most certainly didnt go to bed. They were looking for anything that would give them an opportunity to overturn her fate as another one of historys also-rans.

Fortunately, for Clinton, less reasonable people are trying to help her. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Rocky De La Fuente, of the Reform Party of the United States of America, are trying to overturn the election in the favor of anyone but Trump. With about 31,000 votes, and 1,500 votes respectively, its not very likely Stein and De La Fuente actually believe theyre going to make up almost 1.4 million votes by recounting all of the votes cast here in Wisconsin.

And then the Clinton camp decided to join in the fight. Theyve stated theyre just protecting their votes. Or from another point of view, its an all-out assault against the will of the Wisconsin electorate that delivered Trump a 22,000 vote victory.

The irony of this election saga doesnt end with Clintons early-morning scorn for her most loyal supporters. It lies in the fact that this challenge comes from a group of people who have mocked conservatives for believing there is voter fraud in America. The only reason they are bringing this challenge is because they are alleging voter fraud occurred.

Unlike the GOPs calls for Voter ID, this recount alleges an even more massive voter fraud conspiracy. Voter ID wants to address voter integrity by assuring every vote was cast by American citizens  not people who claim foreign residency or illegal residency. This recount alleges that either the voting machines were rigged or Russians hacked the system.

I am not sure how the process in Michigan or Pennsylvania works, the other two states they are challenging, but these allegations border on reckless in the Badger state. There are more than 1,700 polling locations that upload their data to 72 county clerks before the vote count is centralized in Madison.

There are no less than five to seven poll workers at each of the polling locations who report to the local clerk. Their results are then confirmed by 72 Board of Canvassers with at least three members per board reviewing and certifying the results. That means there are more than 11,000 people overseeing the process. Either none of them have seen anything out of the ordinary or the Russians have really pulled one over on us. One thing's for sure, its difficult to pull off a scam this epic with this many people involved.

For years the left has mocked the right for alleging voter fraud. At the end of the day, they have now officially confirmed they believe it is occurring as well. Like all things in politics, the question for the voters is to determine which side is correct; or can they assume its all a bunch of hooey.

Based on what weve learned thus far is that voter fraud exists when people misrepresent who they are at the polls, the Russians are hacking the vote, or tens of thousands of Wisconsinites are conspiring to affect the outcome.

In the end, a recount is likely to prove two of those theories incorrect. It seems the president-elect will be proven correct once again.
The Nov. 8 victory for president-elect Donald Trump was not a landslide by any means; the popular vote win of over 2.2 million by Secretary Hillary Clinton ensures that. Calls for swift massive reform in the federal government should be more measured and targeted economic reform enacted at every level. This election showed us a divided America in need of action to cross the divide and building bridges on public policy.

While what happens nationally is beyond our control in the Wisconsin Legislature, it is a reminder that our constituents want to be heard. Our work in the Legislature is to try to equalize the opportunities in communities, no matter what their tax base is, and that can be a challenge.

Public schools are the key to ensuring that every child and every community has an equal opportunity for success both personally and as a part of a greater community. Schools in nearly every corner of the 27th District are the bedrock of the community with strong standards, strong values, and community engagement and pride. The deepened economic disparity caused by six years of cuts to state funding for public schools must be turned back and I remain committed to that cause.

Infrastructure and roads are another area where the Legislature plays a significant role in ensuring equal opportunity for all. Continued cuts to road funding and the mortgaging of our childrens future by borrowing to build roads needs to stop. The current governor and Republican Legislature are spending more than 20 cents per transportation dollar on debt and that should not continue. I stand as I always have, ready to work with anyone that wants to stop mortgaging our future by finding a long-term solution for failing transportation financing. No employer will come to a rural community that has a gravel road leading into town.

Equal opportunity to technology is the final great equalizer that needs to be addressed to provide rural communities fair opportunity for economic growth. Despite the ill-fated return of $23 million in federal support for rural broadband by Gov. Scott Walker, we must heed the call to build our rural technological super highway. We must simply prioritize rural broadband in every community in Wisconsin because lack of decent access to the internet hurts rural businesses every day and drives new businesses to urban and suburban areas that have not needed state and federal funds to build their network.

Indeed the world is changing and the call to action is to equalize growth so all communities have the opportunities to benefit from a new economy. What we need in both Wisconsin and this country are measured and tactical policies that build up growth and opportunity for all. I hope to see you this winter and spring in your communities with more listening sessions and my office door is always open. My experienced staff is prepared and willing to help constituents navigate state government systems or help problem solve at any level.
Technical systems to help innovate and move forward

Redwood Comment

If you are interested in technology, you will know that a single tool is rarely enough to get the job done. Ruth Schwartz Cowan from the University of Pennsylvania makes this clear in her book on the history of technology, published twenty years ago. Instead, we have arrays of technologies which she defines as technical systems. These can become large and complex; think of what is needed to make a computer work from keyboard, through software, hard drives, Internet connection and cloud back-ups.

One of the first technical systems in North America was when Native Americans started fishing in the Arctic. They needed spears to turn into harpoons, an ability to build shelters out of ice blocks, sleds, and knowledge of how to liquefy the body fat of their catch to provide fuel to cook: and the boats they used were made of the hides of animals they had previously caught.

As she explains other Native Americans started to live a nomadic life further south living with and hunting buffalo. She describes how leather work was integrated fully into their lives. Their clothes, dwellings and footwear were all leather. These people learned how to tie a hide out on the ground stretched between stakes. They could then clean off the flesh and dress it with some of the earliest biotechnology - brain tanning.

Later, some of these nomadic people learned how to clear land, plant crops and harvest them, thus, adding a skill set allowed them to be less nomadic. It was over time that we saw early culture as well as the cultural development towards the more modern society we have today.

We as tanners often feel like an isolated group, living in a secret world of special science and complex economics, with demand and supply disconnected since our raw material can never grow to meet our requirements for leather. Yet, we make a component that others use and for which they have additional technological systems, and we depend on farmers who have another set of systems. Even more, for all we are a big industry alongside coffee and other agricultural commodities we are not big enough to support huge amounts of original research. So, for our dyestuffs, fireproofing and waterproofing materials, among many others, our chemical suppliers join forces with other industries to borrow and adapt what might work well in the leather technical system.

Recognising that the leather making technical system is not just one among many but that its success depends on how well it integrates with others is vital. Just as is looking at alternate systems which offer alternate or additional ways of doing things is an essential part of innovation and moving forward.

Mike Redwood

30th November 2016

mike@internationalleathermaker.com

Follow Mike Redwood on twitter: @michaelredwood

Publication and Copyright of "Redwood Comment" remains with the publishers of International Leather Maker. The articles cannot be reproduced in any way without the express permission of the publisher.
The city of Beaver Dam and the rural communities that make up the Beaver Dam Community Fire and Rescue Association went through every paragraph in a new three-year contract between the city of Beaver Dam and surrounding townships Tuesday.

One aspect that did not sit well with the town of Beaver Dam was clarification of the services the Beaver Dam Fire Department provides. According to the contract the association can expect every service Beaver Dam Fire Department provides for the city.

Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel said that this eliminates cherry picking specific services that the city provides.

Ultimately, the town has to take it all or none, which eliminates the option for a town to take on a private contract for some services and allowing the rest to be covered by the Beaver Dam Fire Department.

Town of Beaver Dam representative Jeff Schmitt, said he wants to exclude the water/ice rescue equipment and that service and equipment should fall on the shoulders of the Dodge County Sheriffs Office.

At a previous meeting town of Beaver Dam focused on a Wisconsin statute that they argue states that a sheriffs department is responsible for water rescues, which would include equipment, training, personnel and support. Mannel has said that he believes the sheriff already fulfills that obligation.

More than a year ago, Mannel told the Beaver Dam Community Fire and Rescue Association that he expects the neighboring communities to kick in 25 percent of the total cost for new rescue equipment, which could cost $223,000.

The city has too much to risk, Mannel said.

Another proposed change comes to the annual readiness fee for EMS services provided by the city of Beaver Dam.

The new billing will be based on actual historical average charges from 2002 through 2017 for each municipality. Previously the towns were charged on call volume.

Beaver Dam city administrator John Somers provided the total combined fire and EMS service charges for the township for 2017. The town of Beaver Dam is charged $184,000, Calamus $32,000, Lowell $22,000, Westford $22,000 and Trenton $23,000.

The total charges to all of the townships is more than $286,000.

Under the proposed new billing, the town of Beaver Dam would have to pay $176,000. The other township costs are Calamus $34,000, Lowell $28,000, Westford $24,000 and Trenton $24,000.

If that proposed billing change was applied to this billing year, the total bill would be more than $287,000.

Mannel said this is a streamlined approach to billing the towns.

According to the contract, the annual fee for fire and EMS services is calculated by taking the total actual fire department operating cost and subtracting fire department revenues for EMS calls, 2 percent fire dues and a proportionate share of state shared revenue.

As a result, the annual readiness fee as calculated will follow with the city of Beaver Dam paying 80.5 percent, town of Beaver Dam 11.9 percent, town of Calamus 2.9 percent, town of Lowell 1.9 percent, town of Westford 1.6 percent and town of Trenton 1.6 percent. These percentages would stay the same for the next three years, but the total amount to be paid would change based on the annual budget approved by the Beaver Dam Common Council.

Somers said that this is a fair way to allocate the funds.

Schmitt said that instead of using historical data that the association make the data roll forward for everyone in an effort to track spending and the billing more accurately. Possibly with monthly or quarterly reports.

It was decided that the township representatives will bring this proposed contract and the concerns to their next town board meeting.

The next Beaver Dam Community Fire and Rescue Association meeting is expected to take place on Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Beaver Dam Municipal Building, 205 S. Lincoln Ave.
JUNEAU  Thursday, Dodge County will begin counting more than 43,000 ballots that were cast for president in the recent election.

Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about 22,000 votes in Wisconsin, but Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein has alleged  without evidence  that the results may have been hacked in a cyberattack. Under state law Stein is responsible for the cost of the recount and Tuesday she met a deadline to provide $3.5 million to cover the bill.

Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson said that locally the recount will take place in rooms 1F and 1G of the Administrative Building every day except Dec. 9. On that day, it will be moved to the county boardroom on the fourth floor.

At this point I am not sure if I will be able to have more than one municipality being recounted at a time, Gibson said. I have about 15 people scheduled every day.

Gibson said the municipalities brought the ballots to her office the day after the election.

Gibson said this will be different than a 2011 recount that involved a Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

This will be nothing like the statewide recount from April 2011 as the counties had a notion that recount was going to take place so we had time to prepare, Gibson said. The counties became aware of a possible recount last week and she said they have many more absentee ballots and ballots in general.

It is very overwhelming, Gibson said.

The Dodge County Canvass Board will meet from day to day beginning at 8:30 a.m. until all the reporting units have been counted. The deadline for the recount is Dec. 12.
JUNEAU  Two Milwaukee men, 27 and 22, were charged with felonies Wednesday after they were caught attempting to cash fraudulent checks in the amount of $2,500 each.

Timothy Tyrone McGee Jr. and Timothy Lamar Clayton are both charged with one felony count of forgery by uttering. If convicted each faces up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

McGee and Clayton appeared Wednesday before Dodge County Circuit Court Commissioner Steven Seim, who set a $5,000 cash bond for each of them. As a condition of their bond they may not have any direct or indirect contact with each other or go on the premises of National Exchange Bank in Mayville.

According to a press release issued by Mayville Police Captain Ryan Vossekuil, Mayville police and Dodge County Sheriffs Office were dispatched to National Exchange Bank, 1802 Horicon St., Tuesday at 3:05 p.m.

Dispatch advised that two men had attempted to cash fraudulent checks. Officers located the suspects vehicle as they were leaving the bank and a traffic stop was conducted. According to Vossekuil the investigation revealed that McGee and Clayton attempted to cash the fraudulent checks.

The Mayville K-9 unit assisted with a search of the vehicle. Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were located.

A 21-year-old South Bend, Indiana, man was the driver of the vehicle. He was arrested for operating under the influence of a controlled substance along with other drug charges. His name has not been released and he has not been formally charged.

McGee and Clayton will appear in court Dec. 8 for a preliminary hearing.
County clerks across Wisconsin will launch an unprecedented presidential recount Thursday after Green Party candidate Jill Stein declined to appeal a judges decision rejecting her request to hand-count all ballots, clearing a potential roadblock.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said he expects his office will be inundated with observers, political professionals and media from as far away as China and Norway as the recount gets underway.

Its going to be a zoo on the first day, McDonell said.

Time constraints and an interest in focusing resources on the recount prompted Stein not to appeal, her spokeswoman said. The count is scheduled to run from Thursday through 8 p.m. Dec. 12.

Our focus will be on verifying the vote on the ground and we urge all counties to follow the recommendation of the judge and conduct a hand recount, which she called the gold standard, Stein spokeswoman Margy Levinson said.

State Elections Commission administrator Michael Haas said he was pleased the decision was made quickly because it leaves no outstanding question about whether the recount Stein requested and paid for should move forward.

The commission held a nearly two-hour conference call with county clerks on Wednesday to explain the recount process and answer questions.

Also Wednesday, the Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the Stein campaign and Hillary Clinton campaign, which joined in the lawsuit seeking a statewide hand recount. The complaint alleges the campaigns are illegally coordinating their efforts, though it provided no concrete evidence to support that claim.

Hillary Clintons campaign has taken full advantage of this recount and it raises serious questions about illegal coordination with Jill Steins presidential campaign, RPW spokesman Pat Garrett said in a statement.

Stein campaign manager David Cobb said in response that Stein is not coordinating with any other campaign.

Any allegations to the contrary are fabrications, Cobb said. The FEC complaint is nothing but a PR stunt to push a false narrative that will ultimately have no impact on the recount in Wisconsin.

High bar for hand recount

State law sets a high bar for a judge to order a statewide hand recount. The law says the candidate seeking one must give clear and convincing evidence that using machines to conduct a recount will produce incorrect results and that theres a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result  and change the outcome of the election.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled Tuesday that the Stein and Clinton campaigns failed to meet that standard.

Stein paid $3.5 million to cover the estimated cost of the recount Tuesday. If the recount costs more, her campaign will be billed for the additional cost, and if it costs less her campaign will be reimbursed the difference.

Forty-eight of the states 72 counties, including Dane County, already plan to conduct the recount by hand, constituting 52 percent of all ballots. Twelve counties (Dunn, Forest, Green, Kewaunee, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Pepin, Racine, Rock, Sheboygan, Vilas and Waukesha) are doing recounts entirely by feeding ballots into an optical scanner, constituting 36 percent of ballots. The other 12 are using a combination.

Haas said there has been some frustration among clerks about whether the recount is necessary  Democrat Clinton lost the state to Republican President-elect Donald Trump by about 22,000 votes, or less than 1 percent of the nearly 3 million votes cast.

By now everybody has taken the mental leap to conduct the recount as professionally as possible, Haas said.

Haas noted that county clerks could see a higher level of scrutiny from the public, candidate surrogates and media because Wisconsins recount is the only one in the country already underway. Stein is also seeking recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan, where she filed a petition for a hand recount Wednesday.

Recount locations, one in each of the states 72 counties, are open to the public, though only official tabulators and representatives from each campaign are allowed to inspect the ballots.

Each countys recount will be overseen by the local County Board of Canvassers, which includes the clerk and two members appointed by the clerk, one of whom must be from a party other than the clerks political party. Counties are also employing scores of vote counters earning various wages from $10 per hour to as much as $20 per hour in Dane County.

Dane County will have two teams of vote counters working, or double the number from the 2011 Wisconsin Supreme Court recount, which involved half as many votes. McDonell said he expects there will be about 60 or 70 people working each day over two shifts. He said he hopes to complete the recount within the 12-day time frame.

We should be able to make it by that Monday night (Dec. 12), McDonell said. It just depends on how its going. Well know a lot better after a few days.The recount will take place in two large conference rooms on the third floor of the City-County Building.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin on Wednesday filed a federal complaint alleging the state's presidential recount amounts to improper coordination between the campaigns of Jill Stein and Hillary Clinton, a move Stein's campaign dismissed as a "PR stunt."

The complaint, filed with the Federal Elections Commission, argues that because of the near impossibility of the recount finding enough votes for the Green Party candidate to win Wisconsin, the Democratic former Secretary of State is the only possible beneficiary of the effort.

The party argues the $3.5 million paid by Stein's campaign to cover the costs of the recount amounts to an illegal contribution to Clinton's campaign, exceeding the federal limit of $2,000.

"Hillary Clintons campaign has taken full advantage of this recount and it raises serious questions about illegal coordination with Jill Steins presidential campaign," RPW spokesman Pat Garrett said in a statement. "Hillary Clinton and her allies have always been willing to say or do anything to hold onto power, her actions regarding this recount are no different."

Stein's campaign dismissed the allegations. The Clinton campaign had no immediate response.

"The recount effort is non-partisan and Stein is not coordinating with any other campaign," said David Cobb, campaign manager for the Stein recount effort. "Any allegations to the contrary are fabrications. The FEC complaint is nothing but a PR stunt to push a false narrative that will ultimately have no impact on the recount in Wisconsin."

Stein filed a petition last Friday with the Wisconsin Elections Commission requesting a recount, and paid the required $3.5 million on Tuesday to cover the costs. The recount will begin Thursday and must be completed by Dec. 13.

Tuesday evening, a Dane County judge rejected Stein's lawsuit to force a manual recount. Instead, each of the state's 72 counties has the choice of counting by hand or by machine.

Clinton joined Stein in the court challenge, filing a separate motion in support of requiring a hand recount.

Her campaign also sent an email to supporters earlier this week seeking volunteers to help with the recount in Wisconsin.

President-elect Donald Trump defeated Clinton in Wisconsin by about 22,000 votes. Stein received about 31,000 votes.
On the whole, Sue Moll would rather spend her days issuing marriage licenses.

But a historic recount of Wisconsin ballots from the Nov. 8 presidential election means that, for the next several days, Molls life as the Columbia County clerk will be anything but routine.

This will definitely interfere with the offices regular business, she said.

Columbia County has posted a notice that the recount of Columbia Countys 29,914 ballots will start at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Law Enforcement Center, 711 E. Cook St.

Over however many days that it takes to finish the recount  the totals are due at 8 p.m. Dec. 12  Moll said she plans to leave one staff member in the clerks office during regular business hours, 8 to 4:30 p.m., to handle day-to-day business.

The job of the recount falls, officially, to the boards of canvass in Wisconsins 72 counties.

In Columbia County, thats Moll, Bobbie Goodman and Catherine OBrien.

Moll expressed gratitude, however, that municipal clerks and trained election workers from all over the county have said they will step forward, to work in teams to pore over each paper ballots.

Theyve been awesome, Moll said.

Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein had asked the state Elections Commission to force a hand recount of the approximately 3 million ballots cast in the state on Nov. 8. The commission, while authorizing the recount process to proceed starting Thursday, left it up to local election officials to determine the method by which the ballots will be counted again.

Moll said plans for the Columbia County recount call for hand-counting, which entails eyeballing every ballot. Only if the process appears too slow to meet the deadline will the countys automated tabulators be used, she said.

In Marquette County, the recount of 7,955 ballots cast on Nov. 8 will entail checking the vote totals against the printed-out tape totals generated by the voting machines  similar to that of a grocery stores cash register  utilized in Marquette Countys touch-screen paper voting system, said County Clerk Gary Sorensen.

We have to go by hand, he said, to see how the vote totals match up with the tape.

There have been statewide recounts in the recent past, but none of them have been on this scale.

In the spring of 2011, there was a recount of a state Supreme Court election, in which incumbent David Prosser led challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg by 7,316 votes statewide in official canvassed results. About a month after the recount started, Kloppenburg conceded defeat.

The Prosser-Kloppenburg recount five years ago took two days and part of a third day to complete in Marquette County, Sorensen said, but the total number of ballots cast in that spring nonpartisan election was about half the total cast in the Nov. 8 presidential election, he said.

Columbia County also was involved in a recount that was multi-county, but not statewide, in 2008, when Keith Ripp of Lodi, the Republican candidate, scored a narrow victory over Trish ONeil of Columbus, the Democratic candidate, for what was then an open seat in Wisconsins 47th Assembly District.

Republican nominee Donald Trump carried Wisconsin, and prevailed in both Columbia and Marquette counties, according to canvassed results. The Columbia County tally showed 14,160 votes for Trump to 13,525 for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. In Marquette County, Trump got 4,714 votes to 2,809 for Clinton. Most of the remaining votes were divided among various other candidates, including write-ins (I think Popeye got a few votes, chuckled Sorensen).

Sorensen noted, too, that a handful of Marquette County voters bypassed the presidential race entirely and voted only on other races, such as the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress and state Legislature.

Both Moll and Sorensen said they dont intend, at least not at first, to have the recount efforts continue late into the night, and they hope that they dont have to hold counting sessions on weekends to meet the deadline.

Moll said she hopes to finish recounting at least five reporting units (precincts) per day, and to finish the whole recount by Friday, Dec. 9.

I want to allow some buffer time, she said.
Three names: Lewis Powell, Betsy DeVos, and Erik Prince.

Lewis Powell was a corporate lawyer, judge, and later a member of the Supreme Court. In 1972 he wrote what became known as the Lewis Powell Memorandum. Powell was a staunch conservative and he had become alarmed at the growing liberalism in this country. His memorandum was sent to some of the richest and most influential businessmen in the country. Basically, it is a blueprint for how to redirect the country back towards a conservative mind set. One of his issues that he addressed was education and the need for conservative values to be expressed. An issue that, he thought, was being seriously overlooked.

Betsy DeVos is Donald Trumps nominee for the Department of Education. She is a strong advocate of charter schools and vouchers. Shortly after being nominated she tweeted, I am honored to work with the president-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed is not acceptable. DeVos has no experience in public education.

By shaking up the status quo, conservatives must be referring to the fact that 35 of the 50 states have cut funding to public education. They must be ignoring facts, something prevalent in the election. If charter schools and vouchers are the shake up, then God help our future and our children.

Edison was the largest for-profit company of charter schools. At one time, it ran 130 schools. Today, it has five. Another company, the Addison Company once had 10,000 students in its schools. Today, there are none. While there are some fine charter schools around, as a group, they are a dismal failure.

Studies done by Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, and by the University of Chicago have all shown that not only do charter schools not improve education; they may actually lower academic success. All those studies have been cited in previous columns over the years, but with DeVos on the verge of being in charge of the nations Department of Education, it becomes critical that parents understand what is happening. Remember the Lewis Powell memorandum.

Not being a conspiracy theorist in any way, one cannot help but look back on the Powell memorandum, look at what is happening with the demonization of public schools and teacher unions, and not at least see an alarming trend.

If you think vouchers are an answer, then look no further than Louisiana. The Louisiana Scholarship Program went to issue vouchers. There were more applicants than money available so the program held a lottery. They then tracked the students who got a voucher and went to a private school and those that had to stay in their public schools.

The LSP findings showed that, This comparison reveals that LSP participation substantially reduces academic achievement. The report acknowledged that at an LSP-eligible private school lowers math scores by 0.4 standard deviations and increases the likelihood of a failing score by 50 percent.

The reason for this, they concluded, was based on the fact that, Survey data shows that LSP-eligible schools experienced rapid enrollment declines prior to entering the program, indicating that the LSP may attract private schools struggling to maintain enrollment. These results suggest caution in the design of voucher systems aimed at expanding school choice for disadvantaged students.

The only conclusion can be that successful private schools do not need the $5,500 per student because they are already doing a great job and their enrollment numbers are fine. It is failing schools that want, need, and are more than willing to take your tax dollars and then fail at educating your child.

Instead of Trump promising an additional $20 million to expand charter schools and the voucher program, why not take that $20 million and put it back into public education? Maybe he should tweet recognizing the hard work, the long hours, the compassion, and commitment of schoolteachers to our nations youth. Make America great again? Who do you think is so responsible for making America great in the first place?

Finally, Erik Prince, a name not familiar to be sure. Blackwater might ring a bell. Prince is the CEO of the military for hire, mercenary group, Blackwater. His group was hired to provide security in Iraq. You may remember the scandal when members of his group opened fire in an intersection, killing 17 innocent people. Four of them went to jail for murder.

Betsy DeVos and Erik Prince are brother and sister.

It may be unfair to compare one to the other, but how does a family that promotes Christian education, have one of its members as CEO of a mercenary group. It sends shivers up the spine.
The Canadian Pacific Railways Holiday Train makes its annual stop in Wisconsin Dells next Wednesday, Dec. 7, with Santa and Mrs. Claus on hand to greet the communitys children both before and after the trains 2:45 p.m. arrival.

The annual event will raise funds and non-perishable food donations for the Dells Food Pantry. Festivities begin at 1:30 p.m. with the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the Dells Depot. The couple will be escorted in their wagon, as it rolls down Broadway, by the Dells Police Department.

The Clauses will give away candy bags to community children and will remain in the Dells Depot until 4 p.m. so that those in school that day have time to visit, according to Dixie Marquardt, a long-time member of the Holiday Train Committee.

Thats why we expanded our hours, for Santa, so that moms can still bring the kids out to the Depot and see Santa, she said.

Country music stars Kelly Prescott and Colin James will perform upon the trains arrival, and Dells Mayor Brian Landers and John Webb, President of Lake Deltons board of trustees, will be on hand for the festivities.

Local disc jockey Jake Beard will provide music throughout the afternoon, with the Dells Middle School Band performing from 2:15 p.m. until 2:45 p.m.

Sleigh rides will be available from Sandy Acres, and an array of snacks, brats, hot dogs and hot chocolate will be available for purchase

A raffle for two Lambeau Field Leap Zone tickets to the Packers game against the Vikings Dec. 24 is among the prize drawings that will take place during the event. For more information regarding potential prizes, go to DellsHolidayTrain.com.

The point of all this holiday fun is to address the serious issue of hunger for citizens in the Dells and beyond.

The Holiday Trains mission is to bring awareness of food insecurity throughout North America  it is all about neighbor helping neighbor, according to the news release from Central Wisconsin Community Action Council (CWCAC), which operates the food pantry serving the Dells and Lake Delton areas.

Food pantry representatives will collect food items throughout the afternoon, and cash donations for the local pantry will be accepted as well.

With each $1 donated, the Dells Food Pantry can purchase up to 5 pounds of food, according to the release. Last month alone, the food pantry assisted over 442 food insecure individuals, 99 of these were children that reside in the Wisconsin Dells School District, the news release said.
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Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital to open its doors

The launch of the hospital on Friday is a milestone towards honouring Madibas dream.

Wits has played an integral role in the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital (NMCH).

The University is the lead academic partner of the hospital that is located on land donated by the University at the Wits School of Education in Parktown.

The hospital is about to be launched on Friday, 02 December 2016 and will take its first patient in 2017.

Read a full feature on the hospital that appeared in the Sunday Times here: Madiba's dream for sick kids come true
Been away and want to catch up on last week's IP news? No problem! As always, the IPKat is here to bring you a quick summary -- the 123th edition of Never Too Late.

IPKats good friend (nothing more) Merpel McKitten cast doubts on the idea to relocate the EPOs Boards of Appeal to Haar (a municipality on the outskirts of Munich). The official justification for the move seems unconvincing -- not only to Merpel, but also to some BoA members and patent attorneys. Will the relocation truly cause a sequence of catastrophic effects, or is the feline simply worried too much? Check out the article and the lengthy yet very readable thread of comments, and afterwards, maybe share your own view?




DRDGOLD and Wits School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering forge new partnership

Wits to benefit from R1.2 million over five years, while DRDGOLD will benefit from Wits' research and consultation expertise.

With the global economic downturn putting pressure on the profits of mining companies, the industry is expected to increasingly partner with universities to assist with the research and development of new technologies.

While most mining companies used to have their own research and development units in-house, cost- cutting measures have led to these units being closed, and they are looking at outsourcing this work to research facilities at universities.

A new partnership between DRDGOLD Limited (DRDGOLD), an operation that focuses on the recovery of gold from surface tailings and mine dumps in Gauteng, and the Wits School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering is one of the first big steps in this direction.

The company announced a five-year partnership with the School on Tuesday, 29 November, with the signing of an agreement to commit funding of R1.2 million per year over the next five years to the school.

In turn, DRDGOLD will receive the research and development expertise of the school in helping it to further enhance gold recoveries and to researching new technologies for its gold recovery business, as well as advice and consultancy services.

We will help DRDGOLD with both short-term and long term research projects. In the short term, we plan to assist in finding solutions for operational problems on their plant, and improving gold recovery without spending too much capital, while in the long term, we will be helping with researching new ways on how to treat lower and lower grade material and still be profitable, says Marek Dworzanowski, Adjunct Professor and Director of Research at the School.

The Wits School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering has vast research and industry experience in the field of metallurgical extraction, and Professor Herman Potgieter, Head of the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, says this partnership is only the first step, with other similar arrangements expected to follow in the near future.

Last year we launched a Chair in Hydrometallurgy and Sustainable Development at the School, which is held by Professor Selo Ndlovu, and this partnership will boost what we get from the National Research Foundation, says Potgieter. It will not only be beneficial to DRDGOLD, but for the gold mining industry in South Africa in general.

DRDGOLD CEO Niel Pretorius says the companys current resource is around 12 million ounces, which affords the company a potential life of mine of more than 20 years. Improved gold recovery from the mine dump material we treat is one of the key enablers for us to grow our reserves and extend the life of mine, he says.

Internal research and development in this area has been ongoing for some years, and it made eminent good sense for us to now forge this important new relationship with Wits to expand our search for ways to recover more gold.

The researchers at Wits have extensive hands-on experience in the mining industry, and Dworzanowski says the partnership commits them to provide hands-on assistance and advice for the DRDGOLD plants on an ad-hoc basis.

This is a big deal for us, he says. It is not just about DRDGOLD saying, here is a bit of money, go and do your research, but a longer term relationship that will be running over five years where we assist with finding practical solutions to some real challenges.

Potgieter says the school has already identified several post-graduate researchers to work on some of the ideas discussed with DRDGOLD, and that they will be starting on some of the projects soon.

These are real-world research problems, aimed at finding practical solutions. As engineers, we dont just try to prove theories, we want to develop technologies and solve practical problems.

While some of the work directly related to challenges that DRDGOLD faces, might be protected, most of the research will be on open projects, and will made available to the whole gold industry.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation manufactures and sells motion and control technologies and systems for various mobile, industrial, and aerospace markets worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems. The Diversified Industrial segment offers sealing, shielding, thermal products and systems, adhesives, coatings, and noise vibration and harshness solutions; filters, systems, and diagnostics solutions to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors, which control, transmit, and contain fluid; control solutions for extreme corrosion resistance, temperatures, pressures, and precise flow; and hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical components and systems for builders and users of mobile and industrial machinery and equipment. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors who serve the replacement markets in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation, construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, agricultural, and military machinery and equipment industries. The Aerospace Systems segment offers products for use in commercial and military airframe and engine programs, such as control actuation systems and components, engine build-up ducting, engine exhaust nozzles and assemblies, engine systems and components, fluid conveyance systems and components, fuel systems and components, fuel tank inerting systems, hydraulic systems and components, lubrication components, pilot controls, pneumatic control components, thermal management products, and wheels and brakes, as well as fluid metering, delivery, and atomization devices. This segment markets its products directly to OEMs and end users. The company markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Religious persecutions began and the institutionalized restrictions were put in place. Many Christians and Jews fled the country, but some stayed. They were given token representation in parliament to allow the Iranian regime to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

The Iranian Christian minority did not see any improvement after President Hassan Rouhani assumed office. This was confirmed by U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom when its 2015 annual report noted an increased number of religious minorities jailed under Rouhani, who has been depicted by the West as a moderate.

Jam wrties, The Obama administration did all it could to sell the nuclear deal as a victory, at best it has deferred the ultimate questions about how to deal with the regime in Iran, and at worst it has emboldened their belligerence in the region. A successful policy vis-a-vis the regime in Tehran has seemingly eluded Republicans and Democrats for the last 16 years, and she adds, In all fairness, it is time to try something new, for our own sake and for the sake of Iranians.

While the Iranian people face the threat of terrorism at home, and the increase of conflicts abroad, easy solutions to these problems arent available.

A common denominator underlying the rise of ISIS, and the spread of instability and fundamentalism is none other than the regime in Tehran. No one can deny this. Yet at every turn in the past eight years we were told that the only solution is one which engages the mullahs and strengthens their grip on power. The time for such thinking is at an end, according to Jam.

The regime has been reluctant to make good on promises of change, and thus far has continued its brutal repression of dissidents while maintaining an aggressive policy in the region. The question of how to guarantee a long term shift in the behavior of the Iranian regime remains unanswered.

The legitimate right of the Iranian people to bring about democratic change and topple the theocratic fascist state in Iran is the only long term policy that can guarantee a fundamental change of behavior in Iran, and will set an example for hope and change abroad, says Jam.

Sh believes that it is time for the United States to aligned itself with the forces in Iran and in the Middle East which embrace democratic change, freedom and liberty, and secular governance. She says further, that the Iranian people and their organized resistance should be the primary negotiating partners and allies, not the ruling regime.

She is, of course, referring to the principal opposition to the Iranian theocracy, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The MEK has long served as an example of an organization whose principal aim has been to combat Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism that emanates from it. Khomeinists engaged in widespread repression of the MEK, and the West remained silent as they executed tens of thousands of MEK activists, Jam writes.

The MEK is the most integral part of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition of Iranian opposition organizations who support a secular future for Iran, guaranteeing freedom of speech, the rights of ethnic and as well as religious minorities, and calls for strict equality between men and women. As a matter of fact, the NCRI is led by a woman, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. Her leadership and platform stand as a direct antithesis to Islamic fundamentalism.

A new future for Iran is what Mrs. Rajavi advocates, including a ten point plan for a democratic secular republic free of nuclear weapons, capital punishment, and tolerant to all religions, ethnicities and ideas. The plan will not only end the threat of Irans nuclear program, but would bring a new era of cooperation between the United States and Iran, as well as addressing the instability from Syria to Yemen, and all throughout the region.

An historical opportunity is available to the new administration for change in one of the most troubled spots in the world. The new approach is both moral and politically savvy, Jam concludes.
Every deal, every negotiation with the regime, it means additional gallows in Iran, says Shabnam Madadzadeh, 29, the famous student organizer at Tehrans Tarbiat Moalem University who spent five years in confinement in Irans notorious Evin prison.

Ms. Madadzadeh escaped her home country via a clandestine network operated by the Peoples Mujahedeen of Iran, or MEK, just a few weeks ago. Now staying in Paris, she appeared Saturday at a conference with other Iranians who are opposed to the hard-line officials who run the country.

Iranian people do not want negotiations with this regime, and they hate appeasement policy with this regime, Ms. Madadzadeh told The Washington Times. They want the world, European governments and United Nations and the U.S. to stay firmly against the regimes policy of violence against human rights  the regimes crimes in Iran and Syria and exporting terrorism in the world. Iranian people want a change in regime by themselves and resistance.

A 2010 State Department report on human rights violations in Iran singled out a prosecutor who consistently imprisons dissidents. Ms. Madadzadeh is one of his victims. The report said, Tehran public prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, the most notorious persecutor of political dissidents and critics. According to international press reports, Mortazavi was put in charge of interrogations at Evin prison, where most of the [2009] post-election protesters were detained. The report goes on to say, On February 19, authorities arrested Shabnam Madadzadeh, a member of the Islamic Association and deputy general secretary of the student organization Tahkim Vahdat, along with her brother Farzad Madadzadeh. Authorities accused her of disseminating propaganda against the state and enmity with God. Despite her lawyers protests against her detention, the judge refused to assign a bond for her release, arguing that she was a flight risk. As of mid-October, she was reportedly being held in the womens general section of Evin prison.

As reported by the State Department a year later, Ms. Madadzadeh was sentenced to five years in prison for spreading anti-state propaganda. She had no lawyer present , as authorities had detained him for protesting the death sentence of a teenager on a charge of murder.

Arash Mohammadi, 25, is another recent escapee. He took part in street demonstrations in Tehran over the reelection President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, amid charges of ballot fraud.

I was on the streets, Mr. Mohammadi said in his native Farsi, through an MEK interpreter. The chants, Obama, Obama, are you with them or with us? Mr. Mohammadi, a college student, was arrested three times for publicly protesting against the regime. He was imprisoned for two years. He states that intelligence interrogators beat and threatened him, and even offered him money to denounce the MEK and become an accepted reformist. He says he refused and now plans to be a voice for the voiceless.

His message to President-elect Donald Trump is this, The responsibility for change is with me and my generation. We are the force for change. If the West wants to have a good reputation in Iran, my point is, side with us. Side with the resistance. History will remember you in a good way. Thats for your betterment and for Iranian peoples betterment.

Both Ms. Madadzadeh, Mr. Mohammadi are seeking asylum in Europe. It is the two dissidents contention that human rights abuses are getting worse since the April 2015 nuclear deal.

This appears to be supported by the U.N. In October, U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon issued a report condemning Irans treatment of its people. Human rights violations have continued at an alarming rate, Mr. Ban said. In particular, a significant number of executions took place, including of individuals who were juveniles at the time of the alleged offense; corporal punishment, including flogging, persisted; the treatment of journalists and human rights defenders remained of concern, as raised by several United Nations human rights mechanisms; and religious and ethnic minorities continued to face persecution and prosecution. He added, At least 966 people were reportedly executed in 2015, the highest such number in over two decades, in continuation of an upward trend that began in 2008. During the first half of 2016, at least 200 people were executed. Executions are often carried out following trials that fall short of the international fair trial standards guaranteed.

According to Tehran, most prisoners are executed for drug trafficking.

The new money flowing in from the West is not going to alleviate poverty, create jobs or stop rampant child labor, says Ms. Madadzadeh, but is being funneled to the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its overseas operations. Nothing changed in Irans peoples life she said. The deal was just with the regime. The guards of the regime, the one that was spending money to export terrorism and was spent in Syria and [for] the suppression of the Iranian people. Not for the freedom. Not for people.

Ms. Madadzadeh spent five years in various prisons, including Evins Section 209 run by the Ministry of Intelligence. She says she was beaten, threatened with rape and subjected to fake executions. They pushed me and beat me and asked me to say what they wanted, she says. Speak out against the Mujahedin.

The MEK is the largest member of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and is directed by Maryam Rajavi. It operates an extensive clandestine network inside Iran and given intelligence to the West on secret facilities for Tehrans nuclear weapons research, among other activities.
BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Centrica plc operates as an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, North America, and internationally. The company operates through British Gas Services & Solutions, British Gas Energy, Centrica Business Solutions, Bord Gais Energy, Energy Marketing & Trading, and Upstream segments. It supplies gas and electricity to residential customers, as well as offers energy-related services; and generates power from nuclear assets. The company also provides installation, repair, and maintenance services for domestic central heating, plumbing and drains, home electrical, and gas and kitchen appliances; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, as well as offers breakdown services. In addition, it is involved in the procurement, trading, and optimization of energy; procurement and sale of LNG; and supplies energy efficiency solutions and technologies to residential customers. Further, the company produces and processes gas and oil; develops new fields to maintain reserves; constructs, owns, and exploits infrastructure; and engages in the social enterprise investment fund activities. Additionally, it provides vehicle leasing, commercial, and insurance services, as well as energy management products and services; and operates a gas storage and franchise network. The company was formerly known as Yieldtop plc and changed its name to Centrica plc in December 1996. Centrica plc was founded in 1812 and is based in Windsor, the United Kingdom.
Reuters quoted two U.S. defense officials who described the action as unsafe and unprofessional. It was the first incident since Donald Trumps election November 8. Neither the president-elect nor his transition team commented.

Officials said that a Navy MH-60 helicopter flew within a half-mile of two Iranian vessels in international waters, and one of them aimed a weapon at the chopper. The behavior by our standards is provocative and could be seen as an escalation, the officials said.

Last September, a U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship was forced to change course when an Iranian fast-attack craft came within 100 yards.

President-elect Trump has been dismissive of Iran, and has ridiculed the harassment.

Relations with Iran eased after the nuclear agreement was reached between Tehran and world powers. Serious differences remain over Irans ballistic missile program and its involvement in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

Trump and Congress may undermine the deal, which the president-elect called a disaster. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, Trumps pick to be head of the CIA, recently tweeted that he is eager to roll back the deal, which also involves Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.

Bahram Qassemi, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said last week there have been no talks with the United States about changing the provisions of the agreement. He denied a report in the Wall Street Journal that officials held serious discussions about cutting the size of Irans nuclear stockpile to keep Trump from junking the agreement, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Trumps reported favorite to be defense secretary, Marine Gen. James Mattis, said the U.S. should abide by the accord even though he thinks Iran is the single most belligerent actor in the Middle East and an enduring threat to stability and peace in the region, the Lobe Log on Foreign Policy reported. I want to make clear theres no going back. Absent a clear and present violation [by Iran], I dont think we can take advantage of some new presidentRepublican or Democratand say, well, were not going to live up to our word in this agreement. I believe wed be alone if we did, and unilateral economic sanctions from us would not have anywhere near the impact of an allied approach to this, Mattis said.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reported that last week Iran formally protested the votes in Congress extending sanctions against Tehran for 10 more years, and blocked aircraft sales to the regime.
AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally. Its Pharmaceutical Distribution segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to various healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. It also provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; and packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers. In addition, this segment distributes plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products; provides other services primarily to physicians who specialize in various disease states, primarily oncology, as well as to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics; and offers data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company's Other segment provides integrated manufacturer services, such as clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support; specialty transportation and logistics services for the biopharmaceutical industry; and sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in the companion animal and production animal markets, as well as demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. AmerisourceBergen Corporation was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. It also offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution; data-driven solutions and an end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and omni-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services; data and analytics solutions; solutions for public corporations and mutual funds; SEC filing and capital markets transaction services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; and omni-channel customer communications solutions, as well as operates Broadridge Communications Cloud platform that creates, delivers, and manages communications and customer engagement activities. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment provides solutions that automate the front-to-back transaction lifecycle of equity, mutual fund, fixed income, foreign exchange and exchange-traded derivatives, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral management, asset servicing, compliance and regulatory reporting, portfolio accounting, and custody-related services. This segment also offers business process outsourcing services; technology solutions, such portfolio management, compliance, fee billing, and operational support solutions; and capital market and wealth management solutions. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, and Asset Management Company. The company provides deposit products; syndicated, housing, and card loans; business matching services; and advisory services related to overseas expansions, and mergers and acquisitions-related services. It also offers consulting services, including asset management and asset succession; payroll services; and sells lottery tickets issued by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities. In addition, it offers financial solutions, such as bonds, mergers and acquisitions advisory, risk hedging products, etc. for corporate customers to meet their needs in fund-raising, investment management, and financial strategies; solutions based on their capital management, business strategy, and financial strategy; real estate agency services; advisory services and solutions, such as advice on proposals on various investment products to financial institutions; and financial services that include funding support and public bonds underwriting. Further, the company offers sales and trading services to meet needs for customers; investment products for individual customers; and consulting services for institutional investors. Additionally, the company provides products and services related to trust, securitization and structured finance, pension, and stock transfers; securities services; and research, private banking, and information technology-related services. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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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.
All of the dhows were unregistered and therefore stateless, and two were manufactured by Al Mansoor, an Iranian shipbuilder whose shipyard is next to an Iranian Revolutionary Guards base, says the report, citing Iranian state records.

Conflict Armament Research said in its report on Wednesday, Since 2012, Al Mansoor dhows have been involved in multiple cases of trafficking in heroin, cannabis, and more recently, weapons. Analysis of the weapons suggests that at least two of the three deliveries were probably supplied with the complicity of Iranian security forces.

Some of the weapons captured in the raids on the dhows have the sequential serial numbers of new weapons, suggesting they came from a national stockpile, according to the report. Lot numbers from anti-tank weapons found aboard one of the dhows matched the production run of similar weapons that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said were captured from Houthis.

UAE officials were not immediately available for comment.

The role of Somali ports as transfer points, were highlighted in the report, which said the warships HMAS Darwin, FS Provence, and USS Sirocco had seized more than 4,500 assault rifles, mortars, machine guns, and rocket launchers in a four-week period between February and March 2016. This report provides evidence suggesting Iran is playing a hand in supplying weapons to the conflict in Yemen, said Jonah Leff, Director of Operations for the arms research group.

An Iranian official from the foreign ministry disputed the reports findings. It is not true and Iran has never provided weapons to Houthis or any other group in Yemen, the official told Reuters. But we have always supported and will continue to support oppressed groups and nations.

Yemens civil war pits Houthi rebels against the government of exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and a Saudi-led military coalition. The 20-month conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than three million. Saudi Arabia accuses the Houthis of being a proxy force for Saudis arch rival Iran, an accusation the Houthis strongly dispute, saying they are fighting against the corruption of the former government, Houreld writes, adding, Yemen lies just across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia, which has been at war for more than 25 years and whose lawless coastline offers refuge for pirates and smugglers.

At the very tip of the Horn of Africa lies Puntland. Their Marine Forces have only 12 small flat-bottomed boats that hug the shore and cannot venture into the deep seas. The region has between about 700 and 900 coastguards, but their equipment is poor. The former Minister of Ports, Maritime Transport and Counter Piracy in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland, Abdallah Jama Sallah, said it was almost impossible to prevent such smuggling. In 2015, our own forces reported 160 Iranian boats fishing in our seas without permission. Theres no way of verifying them, he said. Theres lots of weapons going back and forth, its absolutely impossible to control that sea.

In related news, an article in DW on November 30, about the findings of the British-based activists reports that the weapons seized indicate Tehran is arming Houthi rebels in Yemen, with guns made in Iran, Russia and possibly North Korea.

Conflict Armament Research said the they suspect that the pipeline leads from Iran to the coast of Somalia and then across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen.

Some 4,500 weapons were seized by Australian, French, and US warships during the raid on three traditional Middle Eastern boats, so-called dhows, in February and March of this year. The arms shipments included 2,000 assault rifles characteristic of Iranian manufacture and 64 Hoshdar-M Iranian-made sniper rifles, according to the report, all of them new. Light machine guns, suspected to be of North Korean origin, were also found in two of the three dhows. The guns had the same serial number sequence, which suggests that the material derived from the same original consignment.

100 Iranian rocket launchers and nine Russian-made anti-tank missiles were identified by investigators, as well. United Arab Emirates previously reported finding an anti-tank missile from the same production run in Yemen.

Although their findings are relatively limited, the researchers point to significant quantities of Iranian-manufactured weapons and weapons that plausibly derive from Iranian stockpiles.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has long accused Iran of using Houthis to fight a proxy war against the government in Yemen. The Sanaa regime is backed by the oil-rich kingdom. However, both the rebels and the officials in Tehran deny this claim. It is not true, and Iran has never provided weapons to Houthis or any other group in Yemen, the official told Reuters. But we have always supported and will continue to support oppressed groups and nations.

It is very hard to control smuggling in the region, according to the experts. Yemen is torn apart by fighting, and Somali marine forces struggle with poor training and equipment.
W&M faculty in the media this month

Neal S. Devins is the director of the Institute of Bill of Rights and professor of government at William & Mary. He was recently quoted in USA Today about the potential effects that the new presidency has on abortion rights in the United States. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Joanne Braxton is the Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Professor of English & Humanities at William & Mary. Braxton recently penned an op-ed for The Hill about the movie "Loving." The film based is on Loving v. Virginia, a case which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal for the state of Virginia to prohibit interracial marriages. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Ann Marie Stock is a professor of Hispanic studies and film and media studies at William & Mary. She was recently quoted by NBC 4 Washington, D.C., on how Cubans are gathering news in a country that has limited access to outside information regarding the United States' 2016 presidential election. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Patricia Roberts is the Clinical Professor of Law and director of the Lewis B. Puller Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic at William & Mary. She was recently quoted in the National Law Journal regarding how law schools around America are coming together to help military veterans attain their benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

John B. Gilmour is the Paul R. Verkuil Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy at William & Mary. Gilmour was featured on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" regarding the intricacies of the American electoral college as it applies to presidential elections. Courtesy photo Photo - of - Hide Caption

Following are selected examples of William & Mary faculty and staff members in the media. - Ed.

Climate scientists, Chesapeake Bay experts look to future with Trump presidency

In a Nov. 20 Daily Press article, Nick Balascio, assistant professor of paleoclimatology in the Geology department at William & Mary, discussed the future of the Chesapeake Bay under Donald Trumps presidency.

According to the article, Trump tweeted that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese government and stated that he would pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris Agreement in which nearly 200 countries agreed to cut carbon emissions.

"It is frustrating when scientific work or the credibility of scientists is undermined," Balascio said. "It's frustrating because it's one thing to acknowledge an issue but then decide that we can't deal with it or it's not in our national interest or whatever. But it's a completely different thing to question the fundamental science or attack the scientists as the reason why we shouldn't do anything about it."

Can President Trump undermine abortion rights? Not so fast

In a Nov. 17 USA Today article, Neal Devins, director of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, Sandra Day OConnor Professor of Law, Cabell Research Professor and professor of government at William & Mary, discussed the possibilities of how the potential policies of Trump could affect current abortion rights in the United States.

According to the article, if Trump nominates a justice to replace Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court will remain one or two votes short of a majority to send abortion decisions back to the states.

"You could shut down most abortion clinics without overturning Roe, said Devins.

The article also states that experts on both sides of the issue agree that changes could happen but predict that it will move slowly to take effect.

Will the Electoral College not vote for Trump?



In a Nov. 16 Fox News television segment with Tucker Carlson, John B. Gilmour, the Paul R. Verkuil Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy at William & Mary, discussed whether or not the members of the Electoral College will cast their vote to legitimatize Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election.

Carlson asked if there was a possibility that the electors would not vote for Trump.

"It's possible in a technical sense that electors are mostly free to vote for anybody [other than Trump] they want once they get to cast their vote as an elector, said Gilmour. "But they will not do that because the Republican electors who are supporting Trump are Republican donors and activists who spent years working for the Republican cause. So for them to sit there and cast their vote for Hillary Clinton or someone else is just inconceivable."

Law schools unite through nonprofit to help veterans

In a Nov. 14 National Law Journal article, Patricia Roberts, clinical associate professor & director of the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic at William & Marys Law School, discussed how law schools around the United States are helping veterans attain their benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

According to the article, veterans clinics on universities and colleges campuses across the country are sharing information to help improve legal representation for former military men and women.

Because we now have such significant numbers of law school veterans clinics, we thought the time had come for us to have a more formal organization to increase our effectiveness, particularly with outside bodies, said Roberts. We're confident we will have more of a voice and more opportunities to have a seat at the table as a formal nonprofit operation that speaks with a united voice."

'Loving' is the movie we need now

In a Nov. 7 The Hill article, W&M Frances L & Edwin L Cummings Professor of English & Humanities Joanne Braxton discussed the social impact of the film Loving.

The movie is about Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple living in late 1950s Virginia who was at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia. The court ruled that it was illegal for the state of Virginia to prohibit interracial marriage.

The film celebrates their love and their heroic fight to live as husband and wife, said Braxton, during a time when marriage between the races in Virginia was a criminal offense punishable by time in the penitentiary.

What Cubans think of the U.S. presidential race

In a Nov. 4 article by NBC 4 Washington, D.C., Ann Marie Stock, professor of Hispanic studies & film and Media Studies at William & Mary, discussed how Cubans are very interested in the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

According to the article, the nation of Cuba has limited options for accessing foreign news. But that hasnt stopped the citizens from gathering as much information as they can on the two American presidential candidates.

Cubans are very ingenious, said Stock. If theyre not getting the news through local television for example, theyre going to find a way to work around it.




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Post-Brexit business as usual at JET

30 November 2016

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"Nothing has changed" regarding the future for the UK's Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) and the Joint European Torus (JET), centre head Ian Chapman said today.

CCFE head Ian Chapman in the control room at JET (Image: CCFE)



The CCFE is the UK's national laboratory for fusion research based at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, where it hosts JET on behalf of its European partners. JET is the largest tokamak in the world and the only operational fusion experiment currently capable of producing fusion energy. The JET facilities are operated by the CCFE under a contract between the European Commission and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), and collectively used by all European fusion laboratories under the EUROfusion consortium.

Chapman, who is also CEO of the UKAEA, was responding to reports published earlier this week by the Financial Times and the BBC, questioning the future of the CCFE and the JET project following the UK's anticipated withdrawal from the European Union - popularly known as Brexit. The Financial Times report described the eventual decommissioning of the JET tokamak - along with associated radioactive waste - as a "potential flashpoint" in Brexit negotiations. The BBC said many of the centre's staff had become "extremely nervous" amid uncertainty about future financing and freedom of movement, since many of them are from outside the UK.

"In light of recent media reports (notably on the BBC and Financial Times) on the impact of Brexit for the future of JET, I would like to be clear nothing has changed regarding the future for CCFE and JET," Chapman said. "Discussions are continuing with UK Government; they remain very positive about the fusion program and options for continued JET operation are actively being discussed. Although no firm decisions or commitments have been made, I know that the Government values the international collaboration in fusion and I remain confident for our long-term prospects.

"It is also worth noting that these discussions are helped enormously by excellent recent results on JET. Routine high heating powers and excellent machine reliability have led to plasmas with very high confinement and stored energy - by far the best results with the new Iter-like wall. This augurs very well for key experiments planned for 2019/20 using the fusion fuels deuterium and tritium, and is invaluable for the early operation of Iter."

The Iter fusion reactor, currently under construction in France, will be JET's successor on the route to developing commercial fusion power. Since producing its first plasma in 1983, achieving the world's first release of deuterium-tritium fusion power in 1991, and setting the world record for fusion power - 16 megawatts - in 1997, JET has carried out much important work to assist the design and construction of Iter and remains closely involved in testing plasma physics, systems and materials for the project.

JET's 2015-2016 experimental campaign, which ended on 15 November, included: the rehearsal of procedures for future tritium-tritium and deuterium-tritium experiments; a hydrogen campaign during which physicists learned about the dependence of plasma parameters on the mass of the hydrogen fuel used; and a high-power deuterium campaign. Upcoming campaigns will include tritium-tritium and deuterium-tritium experiments that will be crucial foundations for the operation of Iter.

Iter is currently scheduled to produce its first plasma in 2025 and start deuterium-tritium operations in 2035. Like JET, Iter will not demonstrate the use of nuclear fusion to produce electricity. That will be the objective of Iter's successor, the Demonstration Fusion Power Reactor, or DEMO, which will aim to demonstrate the continuous output of energy, supplying electricity to the grid. According to EUROfusion, DEMO is expected to follow Iter by 2050.

European nuclear fusion research comes under the auspices of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) which pre-dates the EU.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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NRC fines TVA for Browns Ferry violations

30 November 2016

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The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has been given 30 days to pay a $140,000 civil penalty proposed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for fire watch violations at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama.

Browns Ferry (Image: TVA)



The violations relate to "numerous" occasions in May 2015 when five workers contracted to provide fire watch services failed to conduct roving fire watch patrols as required under NRC regulations. The patrols were required to compensate for fire protection equipment that was out of service at the time.

The NRC said the actions did not result in any actual safety consequences as no fires occurred in those areas at the times when the missed patrols were supposed to take place. Nevertheless, NRC regional administrator Cathy Haney said missed watches "greatly concerned" the regulator. "Even though plants have other fire protection features, fire watches are an integral part of the plant's overall fire protection strategy, especially when other equipment is temporarily unavailable," she said.

The NRC said the fine was warranted because of the severity of the violation and the fact that multiple contract personnel engaged in deliberate misconduct in not performing the watches.

Since the discovery of the violations TVA has taken corrective actions including upgrading personnel training, improving procedures and enhancing record keeping as well as dismissing the workers in question.

Browns Ferry's three boiling water reactor units have a combined output of over 3300 MWe and have been in operation since the mid-1970s. They are currently licensed to operate until the mid-2030s.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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In the 1600s and 1700s, Jesuit missionaries successfully converted most of the inhabitants of the Rio de la Plata Basin to Catholicism. The Jesuit missionaries arrived in the region of Paraguay in the 16th Century mainly to spread Christianity and protect the natives from the American slavery and colonization. They established 30 missions and settlements in the regions that are now part of present-day Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. In Paraguay, The Jesuit Missions of Trinidad and Tavarangue are religious missions established by the missionary Christians. UNESCO declared the two missions as part of the world heritage sites in 1993.

5. Description and History -

The first group of Jesuit missionaries arrived in the area around what is now Tucuman, Paraguay between 1586 and 1587 at the request of Bishop Alonso Guerra. They started their first missionary work and building of towns in missions regions in Paraguay and founded thirty mission centers in territories belonging to present-day Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. They formed towns that were self-reliant in the native's lands and learned the Guarani language so as to use it in literature. Apart from knowledge and religion, they also structured rules of public orderliness, culture, education, and society that still have an impact in the present-day Paraguay.

4. Tourism and Education -

The Jesuit missions' ruins were rediscovered almost two centuries after the expulsion of the Jesuits. The ruins, starting as small sightseeing sites have developed to be among Paraguay's main tourist attraction sites. Among the tourist attractions in the sites are statutes of renowned personalities like the saints and virgins that are carved in poly-chrome wood. Their features strongly resemble those of the Guarani men and women. They also serve as reference sources or students who are learning about the history of Paraguay and the organization of the Jesuits community.

3. Uniqueness -

Unlike many other colonial missionaries of their era around the world, these Jesuits missionaries were not desiring to see the natives stop practicing their traditional ways of life and adopt European customs. Instead, they came to spread Christianity and protect the people from the looming threat of the arrival of the Spanish colonial system of encomienda, which was in essence a form of slavery. The people retained many of the Guarani traditions and encouraged them to cultivate their indigenous yerba mate which is still a product that represents their region today. They combined native elements with Christian traits and symbolism which exhibit influences of the Bernini, Romans, and Greek as part of a pioneering process of assimilation. Their mission complexes were attached to settlements forming a unique urban scheme.

2. Natural Surroundings, Sights, and Sounds -

The Jesuits had a flair for art, and the mission of Jesus de Tavarangue has expressions of architecture that are distinguished by their combinations of architectonic styles, reflected in the use of trefoil arches in the Christian-Arab traditions. The Mission of Santisima Trinidad del Parana consists of a complex of buildings that cover an area of about eight hectares. The large stone church has an elegant cupola and a stunning decoration, built in the design of a Milanese architect Juan Bautista. Other surviving evidence includes small church, a school, an arcade, cemeteries, kitchen allotments, cloche, native houses, and workshops.

1. Threats and Conservation Efforts -

The sites have survived as archaeological ruins after they were abandoned following the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Rio de la Plata region in the 18th Century. The threats to the properties are predominantly due to meteorological attacks like storms and tornadoes. Modern communities that surround the two ruins threaten them with urbanization pressure. Besides, there are threats from potential tourism pressure, incapacitated conservation procedures, insufficient financial and human resources, and lack of management and legislation. UNESCO declared the two ruins as a cultural world heritage site and their ownership is with the conservative and tourism agency, which oversees the management of the properties. There are also various restoration projects underway, which aim at repairing the damaged buildings. The world heritage committee holds conservation workshops aiming at the preservation of the ruins.
15. Ohio -

The state of Ohio is located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Geographically, it is an eastern state, although culturally it is often considered midwest. This state gets its name from the Ohio River. This river briefly runs northwest before turning southwest. Its 981 miles create the southern border of Ohio.

14. Mississippi -

Mississippi is located in the southeastern region of the US and shares a border with the Gulf of Mexico. This state was named after the Mississippi River, the principal contributor to the largest water drainage system in North America. It runs 2,320 miles from north to south before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

13. Wisconsin -

Wisconsin is located within the Great Lakes region in the north central part of the US. Its name is derived from the Wisconsin River which flows southwest through the center of the state. It runs 430 miles before eventually emptying into the Mississippi River at the Wisconsin-Iowa border.

12. Missouri -

The state of Missouri is found in the midwestern region of the country. It was named after the Missouri River which was named after a local indigenous tribe. The river covers 2,341 miles, making it the fourth longest in the US. It begins in Montana and runs southeast until it drains into the Mississippi River north of St. Louis.

11. Kentucky -

Kentucky is considered a southeastern state and was named after the Kentucky River. This river has a length of 259 miles. It begins in Kentucky, running northwest until it meets with the Ohio River at the Kentucky-Indiana border.

10. Illinois -

Illinois is a midwestern state that got its name from the 273-mile long Illinois River. This waterway flows southwest through the state. It empties into the Mississippi River at the Missouri-Illinois border.

9. Delaware -

The state of Delaware is located in the Mid-Atlantic region, also known as the northeast. Its name is derived from the Delaware River which begins in New York state. From there, it runs south and creates the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. After 301 miles, it empties into the Delaware Bay.

8. Iowa -

The midwestern state of Iowa was named for the Iowa River. This river flows for 323 miles beginning in the north central part of the state. It heads southeast and empties into the Mississippi River at the border between Iowa and Illinois.

7. Connecticut -

Connecticut is located in the northeastern region of the US, specifically, in New England. Its name comes from the Connecticut River, which begins in New Hampshire near the border with Canada. It runs south for 406 miles and drains into the Long Island Sound. It is the longest river in New England.

6. Minnesota -

Minnesota is a midwestern state that shares a border with Canada. Its name is derived from the Minnesota River which begins in the state. It heads southeast in direction and its length reaches 370 miles. It empties into the Mississippi River near the city of St. Paul.

5. Arkansas -

The state of Arkansas is located in the southeastern region, near Texas. It was named after the prominent Arkansas River. This river has a length of 1,469 miles. Along its course, the Arkansas River runs east and southeast beginning in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It passes through 4 states before flowing into the Mississippi River.

4. Tennessee -

Tennessee is a southeastern state that shares a border with Kentucky. Its name comes from the Tennessee River, which cuts the state into 3 areas. This 651.8-mile river begins in the east central part of the state. It heads southeast into Alabama and then changes course toward the north, running through Tennessee and Kentucky. It empties into the Ohio River.

3. Kansas -

Kansas is centrally located in the middle of the midwestern region of the country. It is named for the Kansas River, which begins in the eastern part of the state. It flows in an east-northeast direction for 148 miles before meeting the Missouri River in Kansas City.

2. Colorado -

Colorado is considered a western state. It was named after the Colorado River, which comes from the Spanish word for red colored in reference to its red silt. This impressive river runs a course of 1,450 miles. It crosses through 5 states in a southwest direction and empties into the Gulf of California in Mexico.

1. Alabama -

The state of Alabama is located in the southeastern region of the US. Its name comes from the nearby Alabama River. This river begins in Alabama, running southwest for 318 miles. It drains into the Mobile River just north of the city of Mobile.
Todd Macaluso with Casey Anthony

By: Tanya Malhotra

A well-known attorney is now on the wrong side of the law for trying to smuggle drugs into the United States.

Todd Macaluso, 54, was part of a team of lawyers who helped Casey Anthony walk free after she was accused of killing her daughter.

Now, he was arrested after investigators said that he hatched a plan to smuggle drugs from Central America into the United States.

New York Police Detective Alexander Sosa of the DEA task force, said that Macaluso, who is a licensed pilot, planned to fly from Haiti to Ecuador, where he was to pick up nearly two tons of cocaine.

From Ecuador, he wanted to fly to Honduras, and later to the United States.

Federal authorities monitored Macaluso, as part of an investigation of drug traffickers who were looking to use planes registered in the United States, to transport drugs.

Macalusoas co-defendants Carlos Almonte Vasquez and Humberto Osuna Contreras, told police many details about their drug smuggling plans after they were all arrested.

Macaluso is being held at a federal prison the Brooklyn, New York, without bail.
Pregnant woman (illustration)

By: Mahesh Sarin

A man who became angry that his girlfriend suffered a miscarriage, decided to beat his partner and call her a murderer, according to police in the United Kingdom.

Now, 28-year-old Luke Adams of Congleton, is facing many years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of assault by beating.

According to the criminal complaint, Adams lived with his girlfriend for three years. At some point, the girlfriend became pregnant, but later suffered a miscarriage.

Adams became very angry, claiming that his girlfriend was a murderer for killing his baby. He assaulted her on multiple occasions, the court heard.

One day, Adams became violent because he did not like the fact that the victim was smoking electronic cigarettes. Adams grabbed her by the head and threw her into a kitchen cupboard while accusing her of murdering their baby.

He went upstairs and followed her into a bedroom. He pushed her face into a pillow and grabbed her throat. The second assault happened two weeks later, following a night of drinking with his friends.

When he became verbally abusive, she went to sleep in the car.

On her way out of the home, he kicked and dragged her on the ground, and he then choked her with both hands. The third assault occurred last month.

Adams asked her for a drink, and when she refused to serve him, he pinned her to the couch.
Council Leader Pritchard Gives Both Barrels Back At Welsh Government Over Groves Listing

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Nov 30th, 2016

Wrexhams Council Leader has strongly attacked various Assembly Members and Welsh Government over the decision yesterday to re-list the Groves school.

Update: The Director of Communications at the Welsh Government has been in touch to say: You may have received a statement earlier today in relation to the listing of Groves school. The Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths AM has asked me to make clear it is factually incorrect to state that she ever had Ministerial oversight in relation to the Regeneration Investment Fund for Wales.

The spat has echoes of earlier this year when Cllr Pritchard and Lesley Griffiths AM had a dispute over the recollection of events of a meeting  where facts again were very strongly disputed.

Original article below

The former all girls school received a Grade II listing due to its architectural interest  with Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates confirming the listing in August 2016 himself. This decision was then challenged by Wrexham Council.

Last weeks High Court judgement document reversed the listing, however yesterday it was again listed by Welsh Government Ministers, specifically AM Mark Drakeford.

Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, issued a lengthy 850 word statement late this afternoon hammering AMs Mark Drakeford and Lesley Griffiths  blaming them and Welsh Government for possible costs of a legal battle over the Groves school listing.

Cllr Pritchard said: We at Wrexham Council are very disappointed with the decision taken by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to list the former Groves in spite of the recent quashing of the decision to list undertaken by Ken Skates AM by a decision of the High Court, and in spite of the advice of professional experts, who noted they did not consider the building worth listing.

Mr Drakefords own written decision notes that the balance of expert opinion counsels against listing the building  he admits that he was not persuaded by the opinion of his own qualified professional experts in making this decision.

Moreover, to our knowledge Mr Drakeford has not visited the site of the building, and his decision must therefore have been based on reading documents and viewing some photographs  while the professional advice put forward by Cadw experts would have been based on in-depth site visits to the former school properly to assess its condition and features.

If this were a minor issue of aesthetics then the Secretary might be welcome to his difference of opinion  but this is a matter which could now cost the Council Tax-payers of Wrexham significant sums of money.

His decision makes no reference to the cost that would be incurred by the Council in having to preserve the building in its current state.

Having to spend such significant sums of money to preserve the building could only be to the detriment of our 21st century schools programme. It is playing fast and loose with the future education of our children.

Cllr Pritchard went on to restate the aim of the Groves site to be for two new primary schools, and that Redeveloping and renovating the current building as a modern primary school would be both impractical and prohibitively expensive.

Yesterdays comments (published here on Wrexham.com) where AM Lesley Griffiths branded the whole affair has been a complete shambles, referring to secretive discussions to pre-prepared press releases and costly legal challenges.

This afternoon Cllr Pritchard took exception to the comments, explaining his views at length saying: I was also very disappointed to see comments made in the press by Lesley Griffiths AM, regarding our decision to challenge the listing of the former Groves.

To say that we have held secretive meetings around this issue is incredibly misleading and misrepresents our position.

The arguments behind the redevelopment of the Groves are well-rehearsed and were subject to public scrutiny at every level  including at Executive Board, call-in at scrutiny and full Council.

The only meeting which was not held in public was a Part 2 meeting to discuss our position and take advice with respect to legally challenging the decision made by Mr Skates to list the building- but this meeting was attended by council members of all party groups.

It is a perfectly normal procedure under the Local Government Act 1972 to consider matters in Part 2, to the exclusion of the press and public, where the Council is receiving legal advice  it is worth noting that the Welsh Government did not publicise any of the legal advice which it had been given, and we would not expect it to do so.

Ms Griffiths has also previously described the situation as a debacle  but I wish to counter, in the strongest terms, that whatever debacle there was here, responsibility for it rests solely with the Welsh Government, as it was the decision of the Secretary to list the building.

Our decision to challenge the listing was vindicated by the decision of the High Court to quash the Secretarys original decision as a result of which the Councils legal costs were recouped from the Welsh Government. It is all the more surprising and disappointing, therefore, that yet another Secretary has now decided to relist the building.

As for debacles that cost taxpayers a great deal of money, the Welsh Government and Ms Griffiths are no strangers to either  as the Public Accounts Committee found out earlier this year, when it reported on the tens of millions of pounds lost out to Welsh taxpayers by the mishandled sale of land by the Welsh Government.

Land valued at tens of millions of pounds was sold for just a few million, and Ms Griffiths, at the time, was the Minister responsible for oversight of those sales.

Finally, I must express my disappointment and that of my fellow councillors that in spite of a decision to list the school having been quashed by the High Court, we continue to face this situation due to poor decision making by the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Government is effectively riding roughshod over the High Courts decision, and Im extremely disappointed by the course of action they have decided to take.

It is as yet formally unknown if Wrexham Council will be challenging the latest listing decision, but with todays statement it appears Wrexham Councils political leadership is steering a course that could again end up with a Judge deciding the outcome of the Groves building.

We have approached Lesley Griffiths Office about Cllr Pritchards statement and are awaiting further comment.
Employees of the MAN Diesel & Turbo plant in Berlin demonstrated Monday in defence of their jobs. Demonstrations took place at the same time at the companys other locations in Augsburg, Oberhausen and Hamburg.

The workers were protesting the planned elimination of 1,400 jobs across all locations, part of managements restructuring programme, Basecamp 3000+.

The threatened job cuts came as a surprise to the workers in Berlin because the plant is overworked and has established a customer base with highly-qualified engineering and finishing employees over recent decades.

We are extremely angry, Markus told the WSWS. He was unsettled by the fact that workers had no idea what future developments would be. It is a real slap in the face for us that they want to throw us all out. But we will fight to the last man, as they say. We want to defend our jobs and ensure that nobody has to go.

Kevin, Markus colleague, said, We havent heard any details from management, just that 317 jobs are to be cut here. Production is allegedly to be shifted abroad. We are first of all fighting for our jobs here in Berlin, for our families. The elimination of 61 percent of the jobs at the Berlin plant means that operations will be wound up here in the medium term.

The worst of it is that it always affects ordinary people. It is always forgotten that it is those who operate the machines who bring in the money, and despite that it is always us who have to bear the burden of a crisis.

Markus focused in particular on the fate of contract workers or pipe fitters and metal workers in the plant, who work on short-term contracts, They will be affected first. Short-term contracts are a modern form of slavery. Of course, the corporations can do business very flexibly with that, they hire when necessary and let go when demand drops. But nobody has a future with that, it is impossible to build a life.

Claudia, who also works in the MAN plant in Berlin, had already read a report about MAN on the WSWS. We know your web site, and we read the article on MAN Turbo & Diesel. I thought it was great, it was an entirely different point of view. Theres certainly something in the idea that each location is being played off against each other, but we dont really fully understand how that takes place.

Talks are to begin in Augsburg on Nov. 29. The IG Metall trade union and works council have remained silent, failing to inform workers about the proposal they intend to make to management. Based on the statements by works council chair Rene Marx at the rally on Monday, the union intends to present a better business plan to management, according to which job cuts will only be a last resort.

What this means in practice is shown by the future pact agreed at MANs owner, Volkswagen, between the IG Metall, works council, VW management and the state of Lower Saxony. According to the agreement, VW will cut 30,000 jobs, including 7,000 contract workers, whose contracts will not be extended. Contract workers who have been urged to join the IG Metall by the union experienced how hollow the promises of the unions are.

There are similar short-term contract workers at MANs Berlin plant. Stefan, a young worker, said, At MAN Turbo & Diesel, I did my apprenticeship and then got a one-year contract. Now I will be laid off, what kind of Christmas will this be? He added that he has no prospect of finding comparable work in Berlin. The contract positions are generally offered at the minimum wage of 8.50 per hour. On that pay it will be difficult to establish a family and build for the future.

A group of workers spoke with pride about the cooperation between the different plants, Our group works with the factory in Hamburg, and together we have developed a machine. Hamburg is being hit even harder, because there, all of the production is being eliminated. We think it is very bad that production is being outsourced. We have developed the product so intensively over the past 20 years that it is going very well. It is just impossible that, after we developed everything, the finished product is taken away from us.

The reduction of the Berlin plant to merely finishing components amounts to a virtual shutdown, one of the workers noted. Then we will only get work if Oberhausen and Augsburg are at full capacity, he said.

Claudia stated, Right now we are experiencing quite a strong period of turmoil, everything is changing and Im really wondering where it will all lead. The future looks bleak. It will be difficult to find a new position, particularly in mechanical engineering. We dont have much industry in Berlin any more. Perhaps it is necessary to take an entirely different orientation.

Markus referred to the outsourcing plans of management and noted that he along with many of his colleagues felt close ties to their work and the products they make. The idea of outsourcing a product like the steam turbine to India makes no sense. What we produce here, the entire factory, was built up over a century by workers, there is so much expertise here, we will not allow it to be simply taken away. That is thievery, it cannot be tolerated.

The feeling of having been robbed and that workers had a right to a job was shared by many of the demonstrators.

Markus went on, Of course we live under capitalism, where the right exists for the private ownership of these factories. But seen purely morally, that is not right. The products ought to be the intellectual property of the people who work in the factories. Karl Marx said that property rights should be transferred to the people who do the work, but this doesnt help us very much in our current situation. We cant establish the next international over the coming three months.

Asked about the trade policy of the new US president, Donald Trump, there were different reactions. One worker said, I think something like that is good for us workers. Another criticised Trumps policies, The idea that companies should stay in their own country is not misguided, but if one considers that economic protectionism can also have a negative impact, particularly for mechanical engineering which is so dependent on exports, then it could be dangerous.

A discussion developed about how trade war in the 1930s led to the Second World War. Markus said of this, I can hardly imagine that in this market economy system such trade barriers can be built without many people suffering as a result. One would actually need a world government with a super computer to calculate all trade.

Trade and the distribution of goods had to be calculated as optimally as possible and organised internationally, he said. Trade war will take us all to a place where I do not want under any circumstances to be. That is why I am deeply concerned about something like that happening. I dont need absolute free trade, but I think that the unilateral introduction of tariffs leads us to disaster.

Responding to the question of whether they saw a prospect for workers to unite internationally, Kevin answered, The corporations fear that, because the broad masses are the majority like us who work. If they would unite, those at the top would begin to feel the heat.
Canadas Liberal government is proposing changes to regulations governing pension plans that will boost and accelerate the ruling-class drive to shred workers pensions.

Bill C-27, which was tabled in parliament last month, eliminates legal prohibitions on employers retroactively reducing already accrued or earned pension benefits.

It is also designed to facilitate employers efforts to eliminate defined-benefit pension plans, which guarantee workers a modest income on retirement, and replace them with so-called target benefit plans (TBPs).

Under TBPs, workers pensions are not defined, i.e., guaranteed at a set rate, but merely targets, and employers are not responsible for meeting projected pension-plan deficits. Should there be any shortfall between a plans targeted pension benefits and its financial resources, the risk is shared. Put simply, retirees benefits can be slashed and/or workers pension contributions hiked.

The Liberals Bill C-27 is patterned on a failed Harper Conservative government initiative.

In accordance with Canadas constitution, the Liberal legislation will only directly impact companies and workers in sectors of the economy governed by federal labour law. These include banks, railways, airlines, telecommunication companies, and Crown Corporations like Canada Post and CBC. But its ultimate impact will be far wider, as federal labour standards have long served as an informal benchmark for governments across the country.

Bill C-27 is so egregious an attack on worker rights that the trade unions, which played a pivotal role in bringing Justin Trudeau and his Liberals to power and routinely boast about the extent of their collaboration with the government, have felt compelled to denounce it as a betrayal.

The legislation outlines rules for federally-regulated employers to establish TBPs. While it does not give an employer the unilateral right to transform an existing defined-benefit plan into a TBP, it does allow such a change if employees give their informed consent. Employersno doubt pleading competitive pressures and financial difficulties and working in close collaboration with the union bureaucratswill now seize on this legal device to bully workers into giving consent, that is into giving up hard-earned pension rights.

Management of the TBPs will be in the hands of employer-dominated boards, empowered to change benefit rates, i.e., slash pensions, so as to ensure the financial sustainability of the plan.

Bill C-27 marks a new stage in the big business assault on workers pensions. Since the 2008 global economic crisis, governments and corporations across Canada have moved aggressively to slash pensions, in many cases replacing defined-benefit schemes with defined-contribution plans, in which workers retirement income is totally at the mercy of the vagaries of the financial markets. In December 2014, the Quebec Liberal government pushed through legislation slashing municipal workers pensions, while dramatically hiking their pension contributions.

On November 16, nearly a month after the Liberals tabled their pension bill, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) sent a letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau denouncing Bill C-27 as an unconscionable betrayal of workers pension rights and complaining that the government had not consulted with the unions in preparing it. The legislation, wrote CLC President Hassan Yussuff, invites federal private sector employers and Crown Corporations to shift the burden of pension-plan financial risk onto workers and retirees and will have negative implications for private and public-sector DB (defined benefit) plans in every jurisdiction in Canada.

Subsequently, the CLC vowed that if the government doesnt back down it will mobilize its members against the bill.

No one should be fooled by this bluster. Yussuff and his fellow union bureaucrats are loyal allies of the Trudeau government, having worked tirelessly during the decade of Conservative rule to promote the lie that the LiberalsCanadian big business traditional party of governmentare a progressive force. While they may bleat about their opposition to Bill C-27, they will do their utmost to confine workers opposition to it to impotent protests.

It would have been impossible for the Liberals to have moved forward with their anti-worker pension bill had the unions not demonstrated time and again their loyalty to this right-wing, big business government, and, just in the past few months, sabotaged major worker struggles in which pensions were a critical issue.

Just days prior to the Liberals tabling Bill C-27, Unifor, the countrys largest private sector union, rammed through a rotten concessions contract at Fiat-Chrysler, which among other things eliminated the last vestiges of a defined-benefit pension plan for new hires. This followed the pattern settlement that Unifor had imposed in the face of widespread opposition at General Motors and would subsequently impose at Ford.

In 2015, Unifor President Jerry Dias had admitted that allowing the automakers to establish wholly defined-contribution pension plans would be a major concession that would open the floodgates for an assault on defined-benefit pensions across the country. Yet this fall, he claimed that to give way on this issue was no big deal, while threatening autoworkers with job losses and plant shutdowns if they rebelled against Unifors Detroit Three pattern settlement and praising Trudeau and his Liberals for their purported concern for autoworkers livelihoods.

The corporate media hailed Dias and Unifor for agreeing to the gutting of pensions, with the conservative National Post writing gleefully that it was a watershed moment that should open the way for a cross-Canada attack on pensions in both the private and public sectors.

An equally reactionary role was played by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and its leader Mike Palecek, a former member of the pseudo-left Fightback group. Despite an overwhelming vote in favour of strike action by 50,000 postal workers in answer to Canada Posts demands for a major assault on pension provisions, wages and working conditions, CUPW refused to call a strike and dragged out negotiations with management for months. Ultimately, in late August, the union agreed to a short-term, interim agreement that it concedes has in no way removed the threat of sweeping concessions and job losses.

CUPW justified its refusal to mount any job action by saying that nothing should be done to disrupt the Liberals task force on the post office, which it claimed would listen to workers concerns. Predictably, the task force concluded by issuing a report that endorsed virtually all of managements demands, including sweeping attacks on jobs and the need for pension cuts.

Now the Liberals have moved to further strengthen Canada Posts hand with their Bill C-27.

This record demonstrates that a mass struggle involving tens of thousands of workers could have developed over recent months in opposition to the attacks on wages and working conditions, including pensions, by the right-wing Liberal government and major corporations. That this did not take place is due to the rotten role played by the nationalist and pro-capitalist trade unions, whose suppression of the class struggle has facilitated the launching of the Liberals offensive on pensions, as well as its recently announced privatization drive.

Contrary to the CLCs claim, the attack on pensions has not emerged like a bolt from the blue. It has long been in the making and the trade unions have been involved from the outset.

The TBP model was pioneered in New Brunswick by the provinces then Progressive Conservative government in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. With the connivance of the provinces major unions, the Tories imposed drastic pension premium increases and benefit cuts on healthcare and other public sector workers.

In their book The Third Rail, Jim Leech of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and Jacquie McNish of the Globe and Mail paint a devastating picture of the unions utter subservience to the demands of New Brunswicks big business government. The unions, including CUPE, the nations largest, held lengthy consultations with a task force set up by the Tory government, enabling Premier David Alward to announce in 2012 that most of the provinces public sector workers had been transferred to TBP plans.

Leech and McNish write glowingly of the scene in the provincial legislature following Alwards speech, which union leaders had been invited to attend: After the premier gave a speech explaining the significance of the new shared-risk pension plan, which would also be applied that day to MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] pensions, Alward asked his guests to stand as he thanked them for their co-operation. As they rose, the two-story chamber was soon filled with thunderous applause. Every attending MLA from the  Liberal and Conservative Parties stood to give the unions and the labour lawyer a standing ovation.

In 2014, the Harper Conservatives sought to take forward at the federal level what their colleagues in New Brunswick had begun, but retreated due to the depth of popular opposition. It required a newly-elected Liberal government with close ties to the union bureaucracy to move forward with the next stage in big business assault on workers right to a secure retirement.
Firefighters found the charred remains of two homeless people after they were called in the early hours of the morning last Friday to a blaze in the Chinatown area of central Manchester.

The two were males, with the Guardian reporting Tuesday that they were known locally as Wayne and James. They were found on the first floor of a derelict warehouse building on Nicholas Street, near the Chinatown Imperial Arch. Greater Manchester Police said Tuesday they had yet to formally identify the victims, with the nature of their injuries a major factor.

The empty building was often frequented by rough sleepers. The fire was so intense that it destroyed the top floors of the listed building. When fire and rescue crews returned to the scene Tuesday, the devastation was such that they were unable to confirm that no one else had been in the building at the time of the blaze. Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, it is thought the homeless may have lit a fire for warmth against freezing temperatures. Another possible cause being reported is that the victims may have kicked a candle over while asleep.

There was a fire in the same building a fortnight ago. On that occasion a homeless man emerged wrapped in a blanket and blackened by smoke.

Labour Party MP for Manchester Central Lucy Powell declared, Successive Tory [Conservative] and Tory/Liberal Democratic governments have overseen a drastic increase in homelessness as well as savage cuts to ... services which support people who are homeless.

Simon Danczuk, another Labour MP from nearby Rochdale, said, We are seeing homelessness increase to levels we last saw in the 1990s under the last Conservative government.

While they were both quick to blame the Conservatives for the swingeing cuts to local government spending, including housing and support services for the homeless, both MPs were silent on the role of Labour, which has implemented every attack on housing and austerity cut demanded by the Tories. All five of Manchesters MPs are Labour members and the party also holds 95 out of 96 seats on Manchester City Council.

In the aftermath of the fire, Manchester Labour councillor Paul Andrews made a hypocritical appeal to anyone who is sleeping rough ... please come and access the help and support available. We will find you somewhere safe to stay.

The reality is local authorities are not legally bound to help people presenting themselves as homeless at their local town hall. The 1997 Labour government of Tony Blair retained the provisions of the 1996 Housing Act, which introduced the priority hurdle that a homeless applicant has to fulfil in order to obtain temporary accommodation from the council.

It is not enough to be homeless to be regarded as vulnerable or eligible for help. Single people are particularly at risk. Those deemed eligible for assistance might be able to stay in temporary accommodation or a hostel. Groups classed as vulnerable, such as families, pregnant women and the ill and disabled, may be passed on to Social Services.

Labour councils have been in the forefront of demonizing the homeless and utilising the full weight of the law to thwart their attempts to find any temporary shelter. Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese recently wrote on his blog that 80 percent of those begging on the streets of Manchester were not really homeless. He even claimed that people commute from London to beg on the streets of Manchester, with the most likely beneficiaries  the nearest drug dealers.

In 2014, the Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition introduced Public Space Protection Orders (PSBOs), on the pretext of granting councils more powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. Councils have frequently used the orders to prevent homeless people from setting up tents in city centres.

Far from finding the homeless somewhere safe to stay, last year Manchester City Council were granted an injunction to send in bailiffs to break up a tent city in the town centre. This had provided shelter at one point for up to 40 homeless people.

The homeless and their tents were also driven off land owned by Manchester University, at two separate locations.

Last month in nearby Salford, homeless man Chris Blaine was jailed by magistrates for two months, following a 10-hour rooftop protest on the former Ducie Bridge pub. Blaine pleaded guilty in court to the charge that he had resisted a court officer executing a process to repossess the empty building.

The pub had been occupied by 30 homeless people, including a 19-year-old pregnant woman who had been squatting there for the last two months.

Blaine had climbed onto the roof of the building, following the eviction of the squatters by bailiffs, to demonstrate the plight of the homeless. He told the Salford Star newspaper, Im on the roof in protest at the Co-op, NOMA and Manchester City Council ... they would rather see the homeless dying in doorways.

High Court proceedings were brought by the development group NOMA and its owners, the Co-operative Group. The Ducie pub is on a 20-acre site that NOMA and the Co-op are developing into office and retail space worth 800 million in the largest development in the UK outside South East England.

The Salford Star, following a Freedom of Information request, revealed that Manchester City Council has spent over 12 million funding the NOMA redevelopment project, with surrounding areas receiving nearly 7 million of European Union funding to pay for road infrastructure works and a general facelift.

The Manchester deaths highlight the increasingly desperate housing situation facing many people in the UK. Whatever the weather, in the towns and cities of the UK one finds homeless persons everywhere, with many huddled in building doorways.

The enormous rise in the number of homeless corresponds almost exactly with the onset of mass austerity following the bailout of the financial elite in the 2008 global crash. The official figures tallied by local councils have always been downplayed and underestimated. But even these show a startling increase. The number of people sleeping rough in Manchester has increased tenfold since 2010, when the councils annual rough sleeper count recorded seven on one night. In comparison, 70 people were logged in the most recent count on the same evening last December, up from 43 in 2014.

The Shelter housing charity this month stated that 120,000 children alone will be homeless this Christmas.

Huge swathes of central Manchester, as with many major cities in the UK, are being redeveloped with office, leisure, retail facilities and hotels, while thousands of peoplethe victims of decades of brutal austerity measuresare sleeping in the streets with nowhere to go. Huge numbers are languishing on housing waiting lists, with virtually zero prospect of being adequately housed.

While there is money for business opportunities that only benefit the rich minority, more than 100 billion in austerity cuts have been slashed from essential services over the last six years to pay for the bailout of the banks.
When he tweeted yesterday that Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flagif they do, there must be consequencesperhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!, United States president-elect Donald Trump put on full display his shocking disregard to the two constitutional provisions closely associated with fundamental democratic rightsthe First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Trumps authoritarian outburst was apparently triggered by the widespread demonstrations against his November 8 election, which included a flag burning at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, followed by the schools well-publicized removal of its campus flag.

Professor David D. Cole of Georgetown University, who is soon to become the national legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), denounced Trumps tweet as beyond the pale.

Three decades ago, Cole co-authored the Supreme Court brief on behalf of Gregory Johnson, a demonstrator convicted of burning an American flag outside the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, during a protest against the Reagan administration.

Texas v. Johnson, decided in 1989, established what should seem obvious, that the First Amendments prohibition of laws abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances protects burning the American flag as an expression of political opposition to the US government and its policies.

If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable, according to the ruling. The next year, in United States v. Eichman, the Supreme Court held the Flag Protection Act, passed in response to Texas v. Johnson, unconstitutional as well.

Anthony Kennedy, the only Justice remaining on the Supreme Court from that period, a conservative, voted with the majority. So did the late arch-reactionary Justice Antonin Scalia, whom Trump has repeatedly praised as a brilliant Supreme Court Justice, one of the best of all time.

When pressed by CNNs Chris Cuomo, Trump transition spokesperson Jason Miller doubled down on Trumps call that [F]lag burning should be illegal.

The President-elect is a very strong supporter of the First Amendment, but theres a big difference between that and burning the American flag, Miller said, in utter disregard for the Supreme Courts responsibility to define the limits of governmental authority under the Constitution.

Under the separation of powers underlying the US constitutional scheme, Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman establish precedents binding on all branches of government, including the incoming president, unless the Supreme Court itself chooses to reconsider and overrule the cases, a very rare occurrence because of the doctrine of stare decisis that favors legal continuity.

Even more revealing than Trumps threat to criminalize political dissent is his offhand reference to stripping people of their US citizenship, which he bizarrely equated to a year in jail.

The denial and revocation of citizenship have reactionary historical antecedents.

The US Constitution did not protect US citizenship until after the Civil War, when the victorious North, then led by radical Republicans conscious of the necessity to restructure the fundamental relationship between the federal and state governments and individuals, compelled the former Confederate states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment as a condition of their readmission to the United States.

The first clause of the first sentence of the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment, which became effective in 1868, provides unequivocally that [A]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States ... are citizens of the United States.

The absolute recognition and protection of US citizenship was an express repudiation of the Supreme Courts infamous 1857 decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which ruled that no person of the African race can be a citizen of the United States, and become thereby entitled to a special privilege, by virtue of his title to that character, and which, under the Constitution, no one but a citizen can claim.

In Afroyim v. Rusk (1967), the Supreme Court invalidated an immigration service ruling that stripped a naturalized US citizen of citizenship for voting in the Israeli election.

The decision states, This undeniable purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment to make citizenship of Negroes permanent and secure would be frustrated by holding that the Government can rob a citizen of his citizenship without his consent by simply proceeding to act under an implied general power to regulate foreign affairs or some other power generally granted, adding that the framers of the Amendment  wanted to put citizenship beyond the power of any governmental unit to destroy.

Thus, Afroyim concludes that the Fourteenth Amendment protects every citizen of this Nation against a congressional forcible destruction of his citizenship and every citizen has a constitutional right to remain a citizen ... unless he voluntarily relinquishes that citizenship.

Trumps recent tweet recalls his attack on birthright citizenship during his campaign that echoed Nazi measures, which began as early as July 1933, to strip Jews, Roma and Afro-Germans of their citizenship, setting the stage for the Holocaust.
German militarism is assuming ever more openly aggressive forms. Following the German parliaments (Bundestag) decision on Friday to massively increase the military budget, a discussion has now been launched about providing the German army (Bundeswehr) with nuclear weapons.

In Mondays edition of the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, co-editor Berthold Kohler called in a piece headlined The utterly unimaginable for the new foreign minister to subject German foreign policy to an overhaul, particularly with regard to its security policy aspects. A simple same as before along the well-worn path could not be permitted.

The new path advocated by Kohler consists of higher spending on defence, the revival of compulsory military service, and something which was for German minds completely inconceivable, the question of our own nuclear deterrent.

Kohlers demand reveals what has been intensively discussed and prepared behind the backs of the population. Just a few days earlier, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) security policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter called in an interview with Reuters for the construction of a European nuclear deterrent, focusing above all on the expansion of the French and British nuclear programmes.

The FAZ is now going one step further. According to Kohler, the French and British arsenals [are] too weak in their current condition. Like Der Spiegel prior to the US election, he raised the demand for Germanys own nuclear weapons and justified this by citing the alleged withdrawal of America from the world, which would continue under a future President Trump and further encourage China and Russia to expand their areas of domination and spheres of influence.

In truth, it is German imperialism which is seeking, 75 years after the Second World War, once again to expand its areas of dominance and spheres of influence.

In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag, President Joachim Gauck, who introduced the foreign policy shift with his speech on German Unification Day in 2013, praised the current rearmament drive as worthwhile. Germany had to deal with the question of What happens if America is focused above all on itself, Gauck stated.

Answering the question as to who will assume the role of leading power in the free Western world, the former pastor responded, This will place more responsibility on Europe and therefore on Germany. By the way: In almost every country I have travelled to over the past four years, I was confronted with the wish that Germany play a greater role in the world. Therefore, it was good if we say yes to this role.

The last time the German ruling class said yes to a greater role for Germany in the world it committed the worst crimes in human history. If they are now dreaming of their own nuclear weaponsweapons capable of destroying the entire planetit must be taken seriously.

Already in the 1950s under the conservative government of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (CDU) and Defence Minister Franz-Josef Strau (Christian Social Union) nuclear weapons for the army were supported, but the government had to back down in the face of mass protests.

When Adenauer provocatively declared on April 5, 1957, that tactical nuclear weapons amounted to nothing more than the further development of the artillery, significant opposition developed that was joined by influential academics. On April 12 of that year, the famous Gotting Manifesto was issued against the nuclear arming of the army, signatories of which included Otto Hahn, Max Born and Werner Heisenberg.

Believe you me, stated Adenauer quietly a few weeks later at a CDU national executive meeting. The fear of the nuclear bomb is something emotional, and to master this emotion, after the German people had to endure this last war, will be very difficult.

Since then, the opposition to militarism and war has grown still further. Whereas 67 percent of German citizens were against nuclear weapons in 1957, today it is almost everyone. In April, a poll conducted by Forza on behalf of the IPPNW found that 93 percent of the population thought nuclear weapons, like chemical and biological weapons, should be banned under international law.

But unlike in the past, there is no group of prominent academics prepared to protest against German rearmament. The struggle against war must be led by the working class, which as the only revolutionary force in society unites behind it all other progressive tendencies in the population. The central task posed is the building of a new anti-war movement on the basis of an internationalist and socialist programme before the ruling class can implement its plans for rearmament and war.
On November 8, at least four black-clad individuals wearing white masks stormed into a seminar held by professor of English Markus Egg at Humboldt University (HU) in Berlin. They played loud music, threw water and glitter over Egg and apparently damaged his notebook computer in the process. The demonstrators held up a banner with the slogan No place for the AfD (Alternative for Germany), and distributed a short flyer detailing the professors activities in the right-wing extremist party.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) decisively opposes such actions on the basis of fundamental considerations of political principle.

It is understandable that students are outraged by the professors right-wing activities. Egg is district spokesman for the AfD in Pankow, has stood on several occasions as an AfD candidate in elections and obviously shares the partys point of view. He cites love of homeland, patriotism and tradition as values especially dear to him and considers the right to asylum an entry point for economic migrants. He advocates stronger laws, the deployment of the German army domestically and the surveillance of all communication without any restrictions.

There is a connection between Eggs political activities and the broader drive to transform Humboldt University into a centre of right-wing, militarist ideology, against which the IYSSE has long been warning.

But actions like those on Nov. 8 contribute absolutely nothing to a struggle against such trends. Instead, they create political confusion and supply a pretext for the intervention of the police. They are only superficially radical, while in reality characterised by a deep pessimism, demoralisation and cynicism.

It is therefore not surprising that the Revolutionary Internationalist Organisation (RIO) is the only political organisation to thus far support the action. RIO spoke of brave activists and accused critics of the stunt of merely shouting empty phrases against the right.

This group specialises in covering up its right-wing politics with radical-sounding phrases. The current case is no different. The action against Egg does nothing to help clarify political and historical issues but rather serves to conceal them. RIO hopes that a physical confrontation with AfD members will divert anger at the far right into support for RIOs allies in the Left Party. The group hopes to direct attention from the fact that it is precisely the right-wing politics of the Left Party, SPD and Greens that is responsible for the rise of the AfD.

There is a long experience with such seemingly radical politics in Germany. Individuals who threw stones and clashed with the police in the 1970s rose in the subsequent decades to the highest offices of the state, led by former sponti and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. The petty-bourgeois protesters were never concerned with fighting for a more egalitarian society. They merely wanted to expand their own room for manoeuvre. This could ultimately be better realised through a career in bourgeois politics than by means of occupying buildings and fighting with the police.

Such a political orientation offers no way forward in the struggle against the right. On the contrary. At HU, it is clear that the shift to the right is not simply the result of the activities of a few individuals, but rather expresses more fundamental tendencies within society towards militarism and dictatorship. This can currently be seen most sharply in the United States, where Donald Trump has appointed as his chief strategist a man with direct ties to white supremacist organizations.

When in 2014 the IYSSE demonstrated how professors Herfried Munkler and Jorg Baberowski falsify history, advocate war and agitate against refugees, there was not a single professor who supported such criticisms. Instead, the institute of history and university administrators tried to silence the IYSSE and intimidate its members.

Baberowskis supporters included Left Party representatives. RIO and other groups wrote nothing about the developments at HU, nothing about the downplaying of Nazi crimes, nothing about Baberowskis agitation against refugees and nothing about the actions of university administrators against the IYSSE. The reason for this is their social orientation. They speak on behalf of privileged sections of the petty bourgeoisie moving ever faster to the right as the capitalist crisis deepens.

The only social force capable of stopping the rightward development is the German and international working class. This is precisely why the professors are so determined to falsify history and cut off working class and young people from its experiences. When Munkler complains about the democratic vulnerability of German foreign policy, he is expressing a fear of the widespread opposition to war in the population.

To combat the far right, historical and political questions must be clarified. Only on this basis can the working class intervene independently into politics and halt the rightward shift. For this reason, the IYSSE has from the outset linked the struggle against the right with the fight against the falsification of history and right-wing ideology at HU. Dozens of meetings have been held, leaflets distributed and discussions organised to raise the level of political consciousness and orient students to the working class.

Acts of violence against professors only undermine the fight against right-wing ideology and provide a pretext for university administrators to crack down on political opposition.
Major US newspapers reported Tuesday night that President-elect Donald Trump has selected Steven T. Mnuchin, a former Wall Street banker who served as Trumps campaign finance chairman, to be the next secretary of the treasury, the most influential cabinet position in terms of economic policy and the jobs and living standards of working people. The appointment is to be formally unveiled on Wednesday.

This follows Trumps appointment of Representative Tom Price of Georgia, a leading right-wing Republican and opponent of Medicare, to head the Department of Health and Human Services. This department oversees Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which account for the vast bulk of domestic social spending by the federal government.

There were also press reports that the much-rumored nomination of billionaire speculator Wilbur Ross as secretary of commerce would be announced shortly, and that Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a cabinet member in the George W. Bush administration, would be named as secretary of transportation.

Trump has already named another billionaire, school privatization advocate Betsy DeVos, wife of Amway heir Dick DeVos, to be secretary of education.

With these appointments, the general outlines of the new administrations domestic policies are clear. Far from Trumps demagogic claims that he would drain the swamp, the corrupt nexus between Wall Street and Washington is tighter than ever.

In many ways, the Trump administration represents the fusion between the two, with prominent members of the financial aristocracy, including three of the 500 or so US billionairesTrump, Ross and DeVostaking leading positions in the nations capital.

Every non-billionaire cabinet appointment announced by Trump is a millionaire or multi-millionaire. These include Senator Jeff Sessions, Representative Tom Price, Elaine Chao and, of course, Mnuchin, a former partner at Goldman Sachs worth upwards of $50 million.

Mnuchin is not the first Goldman Sachs veteranand campaign insiderthat Trump has named to a top position. Stephen Bannon, the campaign CEO and former head of the ultra-right Breitbart News, may be said to represent the fascist wing of Wall Street, while Mnuchin represents its more conventional establishment wing.

In selecting a Goldman Sachs alumnus to head the Treasury, Trump is following the example of George W. Bush, who appointed Henry Paulson, and Bill Clinton, who appointed Robert Rubin. Mnuchins father and brother had long careers at the firm, but Mnuchin left soon after becoming a partner, first working for billionaire George Soros (a prominent Clinton backer in 2016), then going west to make millions as a Hollywood financier, backing some highly profitable action films, including the X-Men franchise, as well as Avatar, Gravity and the execrable American Sniper .

One of his more controversial financial operations on the West Coast involved the takeover of the failed California mortgage lender IndyMac in 2009. He headed a group that bought IndyMac from government receivers, renamed it OneWest, pushed ruthlessly to foreclose on borrowers, and so improved the balance sheet that he sold the company to CIT in 2014 for more than twice the purchase price. Fair housing groups filed discrimination charges against OneWest for refusing to lend or refinance in certain minority areas.

When Mnuchin agreed last summer to head Trumps fund-raising operation, he was widely criticized in Hollywood and Wall Street circles, which largely backed Democrat Hillary Clinton. Mnuchin himself had donated mainly to Democratic candidates, but knew Trump from previous business dealings. As he told Bloomberg Businessweek at the time, Nobodys going to be, like, Well, why did he do this? if I end up in the administration.

It is a virtual certainty that a Mnuchin Treasury will scrap the pretense of regulating Wall Street that was mounted by the Obama administration and the Democrats through passage of the 2010 Dodd-Frank banking bill. The only institutional change accomplished by Dodd-Frank, and a minor one, the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is likely to be reversed.

While the Trump administration gives Wall Street free rein, it will deepen the attacks on health care for working people that have already reached a new level under the Obama administration. This is the significance of the nomination of Representative Price as secretary of health and human services.

As one headline put it, Gutting Obamacare might be the least controversial part of Tom Prices health care agenda. A former orthopedic surgeon and six-term House member from the same wealthy Atlanta suburbs that elected Newt Gingrich, Price favors a completely market-based health care system, in which no one would be entitled to health care unless he or she had the money to pay for it, perhaps with the aid of a totally inadequate government voucher.

Like Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, a close ally whom he succeeded as chairman of the House Budget Committee, Price seeks to take advantage of the unpopular and reactionary character of Obamacare to launch a frontal assault on all federal health care programs, particularly Medicare and Medicaid, which underwrite health care for 130 million people, including the elderly, the poor and those suffering from the worst illnesses.

Under a program that the Republican-controlled Congress would likely enact, Trump would sign into law, and Price would administer, Medicaid would be ended as a federal entitlement program and transformed into separate block grants for each of the 50 states, which would be entirely free to reduce benefits and standards. Medicare would become a voucher program, similar to the Health Savings Accounts offered by many employers, with the federal contribution to purchase private insurance limited to a maximum of $3,000, leaving the bulk of the cost of health care to fall on the elderly.

Planned Parenthood, womens rights groups, and gay and lesbian groups all denounced the Price nomination as a signal of the reactionary direction of the Trump administration, warning that it proposed to go back decades, or even half a century, in terms of family planning, abortion rights and other social issues.

Price is an adamant opponent of abortion under all circumstances. He introduced legislation to defund Planned Parenthood programs and as well as a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage. According to one report, he was so hostile to the idea that some women require financial assistance to pay for birth control that he challenged a reporter to bring me one woman who struggled to afford contraception.

He will be in charge of a department that sets policy on issues such as who can receive survivors benefits under Social Security, whether drugs like Plan B can be sold over the counter, and whether health insurance policies should cover birth control and abortion services.

These cabinet selections demonstrate the absurdity of all attempts by the Democrats to paint Trump in positive colors. This is to be a government of reaction all down the line, from extreme militarism in foreign policy to vicious attacks on jobs, living standards, social programs and democratic rights at home.

The two-faced character of the Democratic response to Trump was typified in comments by incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. He denounced the naming of Representative Price to run Health and Human Services, saying Price has proven to be far out of the mainstream of what Americans want when it comes to Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood. At the same time, he hailed the selection of Elaine Chao to run the Department of Transportation, praising her long history of service to our country.

Schumer added, Senate Democrats have said that if President-elect Trump is serious about a major infrastructure bill, backed by real dollars and not just tax credits and without cutting other programs like health care and education, that we are ready to work with his administration. Actually, the Democrats are ready to work with Trump under all circumstances, and if they cannot find anything positive to support, they will invent something.
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Week 2: Build the Socialist Equality Party!

The installation of the fascistic billionaire Donald Trump as President of the United States and his ultra-right-wing administration ushers in an era of explosive political struggles, both at home and internationally. Now is the time to join the Socialist Equality Party and build the revolutionary leadership for the coming struggles. This week we are offering essential reading for building the Trotskyist movement, at discounted prices.

Socialist Equality Party Bundle Introduces the history of the Socialist Equality Party and its predecessor, the Workers League. This collection reviews the strategic experiences through which the working class and the international Trotskyist movement have passed over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. Includes six titles: The Historical & International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party, The SEP Statement of Principles, the 1988 Perspective of the ICFI, The Workers League & the founding of the Socialist Equality Party, the Workers League Perspectives of 1993, the Perspectives & Tasks of the Socialist Equality Party 2008-2010 .

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Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party Tracing essential historical events and political experiences spanning more than a century, the work establishes the theoretical and political basis of the struggle for socialism.

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Principles of the Socialist Equality Party This statement was unanimously adopted by the founding Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) held August 3-9, 2008.

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Lessons of the Bernie Sanders Campaign Examines the political role of the Sanders campaign, which employed radical phrases in order to contain rising working class opposition and keep it trapped within the confines of the existing political and economic system.

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The Heritage We Defend (David North) The work reviews the political and theoretical disputes inside the Fourth International, the international Marxist movement founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938. Against WRP renegade Michael Banda, it analyzes the defense of Trotskyism by James P. Cannon and the Socialist Workers Party through the 1950s, a banner taken up by the British Socialist Labour League under Gerry Healy in the 1960s, and defended by the ICFI in the 1980s.

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In Defense of Leon Trotsky (David North) Defends Trotskys legacy against the campaign of historical falsification begun by Stalin and continuing to this day. Exposes the lies told about Trotsky by British academics in three recent biographies, which aim to forestall renewed interest in the great revolutionist.

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The Transitional Program (Leon Trotsky) The founding program of the Fourth International, the World Party of Socialist Revolution, adopted at its initial September 1938 conference held in Paris, while Trotsky was in exile in Mexico.

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The ICFI and the Split with the WRP Bundle The 1985-86 split by the British Workers Revolutionary Party with the ICFI involved fundamental questions of Marxist program and perspective. Includes Gerry Healy and his place in the history of the Fourth International, The ICFI Defends Trotskyism and How the Workers Revolutionary Party Betrayed Trotskyism 1973-1985 .

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Admiral Mike Mullen, former US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, declared in an American ABC interview on Sunday that President-elect Donald Trump would face a significant challenge on day one from North Koreas nuclear ambitions. That [Korean] peninsula is more likely than anyplace else in the world to potentially create an explosive outcome, particularly tied to the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he warned.

Mullens remarks highlight the extremely volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula that has been created by the Bush and Obama administrations, which effectively sabotaged the deal reached through six-party talks to dismantle North Koreas nuclear programs and weapons. Confronting a battery of economic sanctions, the Pyongyang regime has only exacerbated the danger of war with its bellicose statements and by conducting further nuclear and missile tests.

Mullen warned that the US would not tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea. Were going to get to the point where [Pyongyang] is going to be able to put a nuclear weapon on top of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit the United States, and thats unacceptable, he said.

The real concern in the US military establishment is not North Korea, whose military and industrial capacity Washington would obliterate if ever seriously threatened by nuclear attack by Pyongyang, but rather China. The Obama administration has exploited the North Korean threat to justify a far-reaching military build-up in Asia, including anti-ballistic missile systems whose primary use would be in a nuclear war with China.

Unlike Iran, Obama has repeatedly ruled out negotiations with North Korea to reach a deal on its nuclear program, unless all US demands were met in advance. At the same time, Washington has pressured Beijing to tighten the economic noose around its ally Pyongyang, which threatens to precipitate the regimes implosiona situation that the US and its allies could exploit to install a pro-Western government.

After pointing out that the Bush and Obama administrations had failed to stop North Koreas nuclear programs, Mullen suggested that more pressure had to be applied to China. I think this has to go through Beijing, he said, but criticised China for having pushed back on that time after time.

In fact, Beijing has just agreed to a new round of crippling economic sanctions on North Korea that are due to go to a vote in the UN Security Council on Friday. Reuters reported on Monday that China had agreed to slash its imports of coal from North Korea by some 60 percent, or an estimated $700 million a year. Coal is North Koreas largest single export item and China its only buyer. The UN resolution would also ban the export of copper, nickel, silver and zinc worth about $100 million a year.

Mullen is not alone in pushing Trump to focus on North Korea. The Wall Street Journal last week reported the Obama administration had told Trumps transition team that it considered Pyongyang to be the top national security priority for the incoming president. Current and former administration officials, it declared, worry that the pace of North Koreas nuclear development, demands a more aggressive strategy.

Trumps often incoherent and self-contradictory remarks on foreign policy during the election campaign cannot be taken at face value. His scanty comments on North Korea have veered this year from branding Kim Jong il as a bad dude and a maniac to saying you have to give him credit for taking on the countrys tough generals in a bloody purge. He wiped out the uncle. He wiped out this one, that one, Trump exclaimed in admiration.

As far as policy is concerned, Trump suggested in May that he might talk with Kim. Why not? What is wrong with talking? he asked. I wont host a state dinner for him. The same goes for the Chinese and others who rip us off. But, he indicated, a meeting over a hamburger might be acceptable. Trump has also suggested that he would use economics to strong-arm China into reining in North Korea.

While threatening to pull out of Japan and South Korea if those countries did not pay more for US military protection, Trumps belligerent America first nationalism, threats of trade war against China and plans for a huge military expansion, particularly of the US navy, all point to a stepped-up war drive in Asia and around the world.

One of the frontrunners for the post of secretary of state in the Trump administration is former ambassador to the UN John Bolton, who was one of the most aggressive and militaristic of the Bush administrations officials.

During a meeting in mid-November, Bolton told South Korean law makers there was a zero chance that the US would launch a pre-emptive military strike against North Korea. Such reassurances are worthless, however, given that the US and South Korean militaries are already rehearsing pre-emptive attacks on North Korean nuclear installations and decapitation raids on its leaders as part of OPLAN 5015 signed last November.

As reported by the Yonhap news agency, Bolton also ruled out any negotiations with Pyongyangin line with his previous scathing criticisms of the six-party talks hosted by China and resulting agreements. The lack of any coherent policy on North Korea on the part of Trump and his advisers only heightens uncertainty and fears in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hy is enmeshed in a huge political crisis, and the region as a whole.

The Wall Street Journal article referred to above cited the remarks of Richard Haass, president of the Council of Foreign Relations, who said the new administration had little time to decide on a preferred strategy toward Pyongyang. He commented that without Beijings cooperation, I see little reason to think a combination of sanctions and diplomacy will deter North Korea.

The newspaper suggested that Trumps strategy could ultimately be military and warned: Without at least an implicit agreement with China, military steps could trigger a security crisis in the region. US officials arent lost on the fact that the 195053 Korean War brought the US into direct military conflict with Beijing, which intervened to bolster Kim Jong Uns grandfather, North Koreas founder, Kim Il Sung.

The danger of war is further heightened by Trumps remarks during the election campaign proposing that Japan and South Korea develop their own nuclear weapons to defend themselves against North Korea, rather than depending on the US. Any moves by either country to build nuclear bombs would completely undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and trigger a nuclear arms race in Asia and internationally that would greatly exacerbate geo-political tensions and the risks of a nuclear catastrophe.
The stunning military defeats suffered by US-backed rebels in Syrias northern city of Aleppo since the weekend have touched off a wave of demoralized recriminations within Washingtons political establishment, the military and intelligence apparatus and the corporate media, which together instigated and defended the bloody five-and-a-half-year war for regime-change against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian troops, backed by Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon and Shia militias from Iraq, have succeeded in overrunning close to half of the eastern section of Aleppo, which the rebels, a collection of militias dominated by the Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate, the al-Nusra Front, had held for over four years.

The consolidation of government control over all of Aleppo, which is now almost universally recognized as inevitable, would deprive the US-backed forces of their last urban redoubt and place all of Syrias main population centers under government control.

Among the most bitter responses to this development is a front-page article published Tuesday by the New York Times titled Assads Prize If He Prevails: Syria in Tatters, which grudgingly acknowledges that President Bashar al-Assad is starting to look as if he may survive the uprising, even in the estimation of some of his staunchest opponents.

For the Times, this is indeed a blow. Ever since President Barack Obama declared in 2011 that Assad must go, and the CIA and Pentagon, working in league with the most reactionary monarchical dictatorships in the Middle EastSaudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAEbegan pouring in billions of dollars in arms and money to back jihadist mercenaries, Americas newspaper of record has functioned as the leading propagandist for Syrian regime-change.

Its editorial pages are overseen by James Bennet, a figure with the closest ties to the state apparatus and the top echelons of the Democratic Party. (His father is a former head of USAID, a front for the CIA, and his brother is the senior senator from Colorado). The Times has churned out countless lying and hypocritical editorials and columns by such writers as Nicholas Kristof and Roger Cohen justifying the bloodbath instigated by US imperialism in Syria as a human rights crusade and promoting a more aggressive intervention, including a confrontation with Syrias principal ally, Russia.

The latest front-page piece only underscores the fact that the line between editorial propaganda and news coverage in the newspaper has long since ceased to exist. The Times has shamelessly used its reporting to justify terrorist attacks and sectarian atrocities carried out by CIA-backed Islamists as legitimate actions by democratic revolutionaries, while demonizing Assad in the same manner employed in relation to Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi to prepare public opinion for the US wars of aggression in Iraq and Libya, both of which involved the murder of the targeted leaders.

The author of Tuesdays article is Alissa Rubin, who served as the Baghdad bureau chief for first the Los Angeles Times and then the New York Times between 2003 and 2009, a period in which it is estimated that the illegal US invasion led to the deaths of roughly one million Iraqi men, women and children.

One would never guess from the feigned moral outrage of Times correspondents like Rubin over the Assad militarys use of barrel bombs and Russian bombing of Al Qaeda positions in populated urban areas that the same newspaper promoted a war that involved far greater crimes in Iraq as well as the US regime-change operation that unleashed the carnage in Syria.

The bulk of Rubins article consists of quotes from well-known advocates of the Syrian regime-change intervention and its escalation, such as former US ambassadors Ryan Crocker and Robert Ford.

Crocker predicts that the fighting in Syria will go on for years even if the government retakes all of Aleppo. He compares it to the 15-year civil war in neighboring Lebanon, suggesting that the bloodshed in Syria is likely to continue even longer.

Ford comments that even if the government consolidates its rule over all of Syria, the country will be reduced to a half-dead corpse this gaping wound that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Rubin writes: Assads victory, if he should achieve it, may well by Pyrrhic: He would rule over an economic wasteland hampered by a low-level insurgency with no end in sight. She also predicts that the country would be starved for economic resources to rebuild what the war for regime-change has destroyed.

The American Congress is unlikely to contribute, and neither are institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, where opponents of Mr. Assads like the United States and Saudi Arabia have considerable influence, she writes.

No doubt these predictions dovetail with specific policy options now under consideration in the White House, the Pentagon and the CIA. Even if Assad succeeds in staving off for now the US attempt to overthrow him, every effort will be made to continue bleeding the country white.

Behind the unconcealed anger and vindictive tone of Rubins piece lies the knowledge that the propaganda campaign waged by the Times to promote the imperialist intervention in Syria with hypocritical rhetoric about human rights and democracy has proven a failure. This same sentiment is undoubtedly shared by a whole section of the pseudo-left, tendencies such as the International Socialist Organization and others, whose arguments in support of the war for regime-change were virtually indistinguishable from the line dictated by the CIA to the Times editorial board.

The demoralization among these layers is deepened by the pending ascension to the presidency of Donald Trump, who has called into question the arming of Islamist rebels and suggested his administration would seek closer cooperation with Russia in suppressing ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria.

Anyone interpreting Trumps remarks as a harbinger of a new era of peace in the Middle East or anywhere else on the planet, however, will be in for rude shocks, sooner rather than later. The objective logic of the protracted crisis of American capitalism as well as Trumps own America First policy leads to an explosive escalation of US militarism.

Whatever the billionaire con mans semi-coherent comments on Syria, he has surrounded himself with right-wing warmongers who are determined to continue war throughout the region, including against both Iran and Russia. Moreover, he has already laid out plans for a major expansion of the US Army and Navy as well as Washingtons nuclear arsenal.

Should the incoming administration change the rhetoric justifying such an escalation from the human rights and democracy tropes of the Obama years back to the global war on terror, or just the naked defense of US interests, the Times can be counted on to make the necessary adjustments to its journalistic propaganda.
The recent putsch inside Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) was organized in order to bring to power a minority, right-wing Popular Party (PP) government. It has exposed the reactionary workings of the political system that emerged from Spain's Transition to parliamentary rule in 1978, after the death of fascist dictator Francisco Franco.

The Transition left the capitalist ruling class of the fascist regime in power, but the PSOE and other parties leading the Transition promised that it would nonetheless inaugurate a democratic regime. These promises have been shattered by the social and economic collapse across Europe since the 2008 financial crash, and the imposition of deep, unpopular austerity measures in Spain for nearly a decade. This has discredited the political system, so that two elections in December 2015 and June 2016 resulted in hung parliaments from which no governing majority emerged.

In September, behind the backs of the public, a small cabal of bankers, CEOs, intelligence agents, PP officials, and PSOE operatives conspired to oust General Secretary Pedro Sanchez in order to impose a PP government opposed by the majority of the Spanish people. The cabal was led by the former Prime Minister and PSOE General Secretary Felipe Gonzalez, one of the leading figures in the Transition.

According to La Informacion, the operation orchestrated by Susana Diaz and a group of [PSOE] chiefs to bring down Pedro Sanchez as PSOE general secretary is just the latest step in a manoeuvre which involved various actors: businessmen, intelligence services, former politicians and a large media company that owns one of Spain's most widely read newspapers and the most popular radio station (Prisa).

The Prisa group is owner of daily El Pais, Spain's traditionally pro-PSOE newspaper of record, which spearheaded calls for Sanchez's resignation after he opposed attempts to install a minority PP government. El Pais was founded in 1976 by Jose Luis Cebrian, whose father Vicente was a top Franco regime official and the director of the fascist Falange's main publication, Arriba. Jose Luis Cebrian was also a personal friend of Felipe Gonzalez, with whom he has written several books.

After nearly a year in which Spain had failed to form a government, fear was mounting in the bourgeoisie internationally. US President Barack Obama had visited Spain, calling for it to remain strong and united and to reject the us versus them mentality of some cynical politicians. Under pressure from Brussels to implement more austerity, as well as from regional secessionist movements, the cabal feared that any further delay could provoke an open crisis of rule.

It planned the putsch in the days before the PSOE Federal Committee meeting which put an end to Sanchezs leadership. According to two different sources of La Informacion, Gonzalez, Cebrian, and three top businessmen from IBEX, Spain's principal stock exchange, met to discuss the putsch.

One was Cesar Alierta, former CEO of Telefonica, one of Spains leading corporations and one of the world's largest telephone operators and mobile network providers, whom Sanchez has accused of being behind his ouster. The second was Isidro Faine, CEO of La Caixa, a major Spanish bank and shareholder of Prisa. The third was an unnamed CEO of an electric company.

These five individuals discussed sacking Sanchez, based on information from Spain's National Intelligence Agency (CNI), according to the sources of La Informacion. They allegedly feared the possibility that Pedro Sanchez might form a government with [regional] separatists and Podemos. The numbers added up, the former general secretary of the PSOE had initiated contacts with the PNV [Basque Nationalist Party] and other secessionist formations.

In this meeting, they agreed that Felipe Gonzalez would initiate the operation against Sanchez, utilizing a radio interview with Prisa-owned Cadena SER. The interview, recorded two days before it aired, was the signal for 17 members of the PSOE Federal Executive to resign, to pressure Sanchez to leave.

In the interview, Gonzalez denounced Sanchezs failure to back the PP, warning that it threatened to provoke a crisis of rule. I feel cheated by Sanchez, he told me [previously] he would abstain in the second vote on a PP government, Gonzalez said, adding that Sanchez frustrated him. A third set of elections would be madness, it could bring about a crisis of the system.

According to another article in La Informacion, Alierta also met with Susana Diaz, who launched the campaign inside the PSOE, to tell her she would have the full backing of the two largest media groups in Spain: Prisa and Unidad Editorial, owner of El Mundo and Expansion .

During the whole operation, the interim PP government under acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was kept continuously informed by internal PSOE sources. According to Vozpopuli, The most direct of these was the periodic information delivered personally by Felipe Gonzalez to the acting prime minister, once both concluded that the June elections would not resolve political deadlock, and that they should therefore devote themselves to avoiding new elections before the expectant eyes of the financial establishment and major European decision-making centers.

Sanchez rapidly fell, announcing his resignation and his loyalty to the Gonzalez-Diaz faction, only days after the 17 PSOE Federal Committee members resigned. Two weeks later, the PSOE voted to abstain in a parliamentary vote in order to allow the PP to form a government.

Diaz has presented herself as candidate for the PSOE leadership in a congress to be held by next summer. Shortly after that news broke, it was also announced that Diaz will meet EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, EU Parliament President Martin Schulz, and top officials including Economy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici and Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu.

The putsch has laid bare the class forces served by the PSOE and the Spanish political system. It has shown how capitalist politicians, the media and the state machine ruthlessly do the bidding of the banks, corporations, and the leading imperialist powers. If elections do not produce the desired resultin this case, a right-wing government planning austerity, attacks on democratic rights and preparations for warthey simply impose it. To do so, they are quite willing to toss aside small fry like Sanchez.

Gonazalez's putsch also exposes the bankruptcy of PSOE allies like Unidos Podemos, which descends from the Stalinist and student radical forces that allied with the PSOE to block a revolutionary challenge from the working class to the fascist regime during the Transition. Podemos and various pseudo-left groupings in its orbit impotently criticized the putsch as a betrayal.

Revolutionary Left described the role of the PSOE in the coup as a treachery without precedent to its members, to its electoral and social base, to the workers and the youth of the Spanish State.

For Anticapitalistas, an organization close to France's New Anti-capitalist Party that works inside Podemos, the putsch regrettably produced great disaffection among many honest socialists for whom the idea of an alliance of their party with the PP was inconceivable.

Claims that the Gonzalez putsch and his close collaboration with the PP is a betrayal of the PSOE's principles are political lies. They are covering for the PSOE, with which they have worked for decades, and, more broadly, the entire political framework of the Transition.

As it emerged from its renovation under Gonzalez during the Transition, the PSOE was a bourgeois party explicitly hostile to Marxism, working on a perspective of collaboration with the fascist regime. The decades of austerity and war suffered by workers under successive PSOE governments, and now the Gonzalez putsch, are not accidents, but the organic product of this reactionary perspective.

In the PSOE's renovation, the rightward evolution of a counterrevolutionary social-democratic party intersected with the changing needs of US and European imperialism. During the Spanish Civil War provoked by Franco's military uprising against the Spanish Republic in 1936, the PSOE was part of the Popular Front government. The PSOE thus helped suppress repeated revolutionary uprisings of the Spanish working class, and led the Republic to defeat against Franco.

Banned by the fascist regime after the Civil War, the PSOE led by Rodolfo Llopis pinned its hopes on military intervention by the Allied imperialist powers against Franco after World War II. Its exile forces occasionally reminded European social-democrats of the criminality of Franco's regime, while in Spain it regrouped mainly middle-class intellectuals whose activities were tolerated by the authorities. This strategy ignominiously failed, however: European social-democrats were violently anti-communist and supported NATO's alliance with Franco.

The PSOE's subsequent shift was largely prepared by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). A Stalinist party, that had played the lead role during the Civil War in murdering supporters of Trotsky who were fighting to give revolutionary leadership to the working class, it proposed to work outright with the fascist regime. In the 1950s, it adopted a line of national reconciliation, pledging to ally with anyone wanting national reconciliation. On this basis, it appealed for support inside the Catholic Church and Franco's police forces and army for peaceful change in Spain.

As the functionaries of the PSOE and PCE moved to the right, however, a revolutionary offensive was being prepared in the international working class. After ten million workers joined the May-June 1968 general strike in France, major strikes and mass demonstrations erupted across Europe and the entire world, mobilizing tens and hundreds of millions of workers.

Wave after wave of revolutionary struggles shattered the political order in Europe. Mass industrial action erupted in Germany and Italy in 1969 amid a broad radicalization of the youth. Mass strikes in 1972 and 1974 brought down the conservative Heath government in Britain. Dictatorships across southern Europe began to fall: a year after suppressing mass protests in 1973, the Greek junta of the colonels collapsed, the same year that the Carnation Revolution in Portugal brought down the fascistic regime of Antonio Salazar.

The key element of the political situation, however, was the crisis of political leadership in the working class. While one government after another fell, nowhere did a revolutionary party lead the workers in the seizure of power. Rather, the bourgeoisie was able to utilise the Stalinist and social democratic parties, and their political defenders in the various Pabloite and state capitalist groups, to bring the situation back under control and so preserve capitalist rule.

As strike activity in Spain reached record levels, the Spanish bourgeoisie and the NATO alliance concluded that the Franco regime could not be saved simply by savage repression. They sought to somewhat broaden the social base of the regime beyond the most determined fascist elements in the ruling class. They used the incorporation of the PSOE and the PCE into the machinery of the Franco regime as the basis for creating a multi-party parliamentary set-up in Spain.

They turned to young PSOE renovators to mold the PSOE into a reliable instrument, a part of a political duopoly with the Francoite forces of what would become the PP. At the PSOE's Toulouse Congress of 1970, the renovators entered the scene. A then-unknown Felipe Gonzalez attacked Llopis for isolating the PSOE in Europe by criticizing the Franco regime: you remind Europe of what they dont want. You remind our socialist colleagues what they want to forget. You, who struggled for democracy, do not represent it anymore.

Gonzalez's renovators ousted the old leadership in the PSOE's Suresnes Congress in 1974, amid the revolutionary crisis in neighboring Portugal. Years later it was revealed that CESED, the Francoite intelligence service, regularly met with the renovators and provided Gonzalez and other delegates with passports to travel to Suresnes. Passports were invariably denied to opponents of the regime.

The renovated PSOE received extensive support from European social democrats, especially the French Socialist Party. Other key forces in supporting the PSOE were the US State Department and Germany's Social Democratic Party, which paid the PSOE for full-time staff, rent, training, conferences and Gonzalez's trips around Europe via its Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Along with the Francoites' links with the PSOE, the PCE also grew rapidly. The PCE's national reconciliation policy was renamed the Pact for Liberty in 1974, allowing the PCE to forge new alliances not only with sections of the social democrats, but also with the royalist Carlist Party and with the Catholic sect Opus Dei.

The Francoite authorities tolerated the subsequent campaign to promote Gonzalez, while the PSOE advised King Juan Carlos and Adolfo Suarez on the steps to take toward parliamentary democracy. Despite his personal anticommunist convictions, Gonzalez urged them to legalize the PCE and the trade unions, which he knew served to block mass workers struggles in Spain of the late 1970s from evolving into the revolutionary overthrow of the regime, after Franco's death in 1975.

The Financial Times of London, the authoritative voice of European finance capital, admitted in December 1978 that the PCE, which controls the majority trade union confederation CC.OO and the best organized political party in Spain, had been crucial in some of the most tense moments of the transition. The active moderation showed by the communists  was decisive in order to avoid that Spain fall into an abyss of civil conflict and to allow the continuation of reforms.

The PSOE formally and demonstratively renounced Marxism in 1979 as it prepared to take office within the Franco regime. In 1979, Gonzalez announced that he was no longer a Marxist and called for the removal of references to Marxism in the PSOEs statutes. In its 28th Congress, that same year, the PSOE officially renounced Marxism.

Gonzalez had never been a Marxist, of course. However, this statement aimed both to shift the political atmosphere to the right, and to prepare the PSOE for holding power. Gonzalez made clear that the attack on Marxism was closely connected to his aim of demobilizing social struggle. Soon after the 28th Congress, he declared, the Party has an obligation, in this historic moment, to be a source of tranquility for society, transcending the boundaries of the Party itself.

As soon as he took office in 1982, Gonzalez assiduously carried through the demands of the banks and big business, dismantling existing national regulations rooted in the autarkic character of the Franco regime, and orienting to the EU. Gonzalez also led Spain into official membership in NATO, the EU, and the negotiations setting up the euro zone; under Gonzalez, much of the capitalist oligarchy that had profited from the Franco regime became adamant PSOE supporters.

Several decades later, Gonzalez has again organized an operation to whip the PSOE into line with the needs of the banks and of NATO. Now, however, the PSOE is discredited by its anti-worker record under Gonzalez and PSOE Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero. Gonzalez' putsch against Sanchezworked out in backroom deals with big business, the intelligence services, and the Spanish rightis not an accident or a betrayal of the PSOE's principles. It is the expression of the PSOE's historic role over the last half century as an instrument of capitalist rule.

The exposure of the class forces served by the PSOE also exposes the reactionary class orientation of Podemos. They do not oppose, but rather defend the system that emerged from the Transition. While Gonzalez and Diaz plotted behind the scenes, Podemos was claiming that the only alternative to a PP-led government was a progressive, PSOE-Podemos Government of Change.

Representing the confluence of postmodernism and Spanish Stalinism after it supported the Soviet bureaucracy's restoration of capitalism in the USSR, Podemos works entirely in the reactionary historical and political framework of the Transition. They are insisting that they plan to rule in future governments together with the PSOE.

Speaking to Spanish public television this month, Podemos General Secretary Pablo Iglesias said that his party would commit a grave mistake if it succumbed to the temptation of attacking the PSOE like a bird of prey.

It's important to work like ants, to be the good opposition, he said, adding: We will progressively consolidate our position. We will need to reach agreements with the PSOE in order to arrive at a situation where we can rule.

In whatever a coalition government Podemos would form with the PSOE, they would serve as tools of the same reactionary corporate and military-intelligence interests defended by Gonzalez.
[November 29, 2016] New Jedox 7 Software Simplifies Integrated Planning for Global Organizations

FREIBURG, Germany, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On its mission to simplify planning, reporting and analysis across the organization, Jedox AG, a leading vendor of self-service planning and performance management solutions, today announced immediate availability of "Jedox 7". The latest software release enables finance professionals to improve data-driven corporate performance management through leaner integrated planning and reporting processes. On top of product innovations like new smart data modeling interfaces and enhanced mobile experience, Jedox 7 also introduces brand-new "Jedox Models" for Profit and Loss, Cost Center, HR and Sales planning  preconfigured business applications to enable a fast start for new users and a solid foundation for growth. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443581 Jedox Models further shorten time-to-value for users Digitalization transforms the role of Finance from reactive to strategic, making agile planning, budgeting, and forecasting processes with focus on strategic objectives a key imperative. Additionally, a fast and straightforward implementation for financial applications is becoming increasingly important for organizations that want to be agile and differentiate themselves through innovation. When companies are looking to eliminate unnecessary customization, Gartner recommends to "evaluate any preconfigured best-practice templates offered by the vendor or its SI partners as a part of your evaluation as these will be key in implementing best practices in finance."1 With its new release, Jedox now offers out-of-the-box planning applications that users in the Office of Finance and business departments can easily adapt for their own organization, processes and business needs. The new "Jedox Models" (Profit & Loss, Cost Center, HR, and Sales planning) use proven modeling techniques and industry best practice to easily link financial planning processes with operational planning and sub-budgets. The Jedox Models are available at no additional costs through the new Jedox Maretplace and offer a fast start to integrated planning projects.



New modeling engine provides powerful tools for complex application design without coding "Jedox 7 is a true game-changer: Our new models combine decades of hands-on project experience and best practices with advanced Jedox technology. Organizations can improve their planning processes through better collaboration and more accurate results. Additionally, we unified and enhanced our Jedox modeling platform, so that power users can build smarter planning applications in less time," said Dr. Rolf Gegenmantel, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Jedox.

The Jedox Modeler has been completely redesigned for both the Jedox Excel add-in and Jedox Web interface and offers new templates, workflows and mapping functionality. Enterprises with global operations also benefit from new localization options and highly granular security settings within the Jedox platform. Unified visualization for every device For optimized data visualization, Jedox 7 introduces a new design stylesheet to easily adapt reports and dashboards to corporate standards. Customization was also the main driver behind the reworked Jedox Mobile App: Organizations can apply their corporate design with a few clicks and maximize user adoption. Users of the Jedox 7 mobile app can also use their mobile device to enter plan data, update forecast reports, access offline documents and thereby turn their smartphone or tablet into a full-featured business planning tool. High-performance enterprise planning in the cloud "We are proud to be the market leader in query performance. By enhancing our innovative GPU technology, Jedox 7 can offer dramatic speedup for large and complex planning models  in the cloud and on-premises," said Gegenmantel. Jedox 7 is democratizing GPU access independent of hardware specifications: The GPU Accelerator can now be used with any CUDA graphics card, on a Virtual Machine or in the Jedox Cloud on Microsoft Azure. "Jedox 7 Cloud offers simplified backup and best in class integration across cloud and on-premises data sources to support organizations with their individual cloud strategy: either public, private or hybrid," adds Gegenmantel. Jedox 7 is now available  visit www.jedox-whats-new.com to learn more and download a free trial version. About Jedox: Jedox simplifies planning, analysis, and reporting with one unified and cloud-based software suite. Jedox empowers decision makers and business users across all departments and helps them work smarter, streamline business collaboration, and make insight-based decisions with confidence. Over 1,900 organizations in 127 countries use Jedox for real-time planning on the web, in the cloud, and on any device. Jedox is a leading Enterprise Planning and Corporate Performance Management solution provider with offices on four continents and with over 180 certified business partners. Independent analysts recognize Jedox for its leading enterprise planning solutions. Simplify planning with Jedox and start your free trial today: www.jedox.com [1] Gartner, Finance Moving to the Cloud: The Steps to Take and the Benefits You Can Expect, Nigel Rayner, Christopher Iervolino and John E. Van Decker, [Aug 22nd 2016]. Related Links Whitepaper: Jedox 7 - What's New Webinar: Jedox 7 - What's New This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-jedox-7-software-simplifies-integrated-planning-for-global-organizations-300369705.html SOURCE Jedox

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Dozens of wildfires have burnt more than 156,000 acres across the southeastern US since the beginning of November. The region is suffering a now five-month-long drought, the worst it has experienced since 2007. The states hit the hardest are Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Thousands of people have been evacuated, over a thousand are sleeping in Red Cross shelters and tens of thousands of people remain in their homes without power.

At least five deaths have been caused by the fires, including the death of one on-duty firefighter in Kentucky. Four of the biggest active fires have burnt more than 10,000 acres.

One of the most devastated communities is the tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where at least three people have been killed. Some 14,000 people were evacuated from the town alone, which has a permanent population of just over 4,000. Fire winds hit peak speeds of 80 miles per hour, and sustained at 30-40 miles per hour for over 10 hours on Sunday night.

We were watching it, but we didnt really know how bad it was until somebody said we had to leave, Shari Deason, a Gatlinburg resident told the Knoxville News Sentinel. Deason, her boyfriend, Daniel and her 14-month old son, William, had moved to Tennessee from Mississippi and were living in a motel room. I didnt cry last night, and I didnt cry this morning, but the more I see of all this, I dont know what Im going to do. I dont know if weve got a room to go back to. I dont know if weve got anything to go back to.

Gatlinburgs median household income is $32,500, which is $5,000 less than what it was in 2000. The high cost of land coupled with the low-wage jobs in the tourist industry had already left the future uncertain for the towns residents before the wildfires. A number of the towns tourist destinations, including Westgate Resorts and Black Bear Falls cabins, have been destroyed by fire. Firefighter Bobby Balding described both sides of Gatlinburgs downtown as an apocalypse.

Fire departments throughout the region, insufficiently equipped and understaffed, are struggling to combat the blazes. Most of these fire departments are volunteer, Tennessee Fire Deputy Chief Randall Lockhart told WRCB-TV. They have a regular job, then they go out and help fight this fire the rest of the night.

Firefighters from as far as Alaska and Puerto Rico have been deployed to the region to assist in containment efforts. In Dade County, Georgia, at least 27 prison inmates have been deployed to clear combustible materials around evacuated residences. The governors of South Carolina and Tennessee have declared a state of emergency and mobilized the National Guard to assist in debris-clearing and dousing efforts.

FEMA has authorized federal funds to later reimburse 75 percent of firefighting and evacuation costs in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky.

Fire investigators throughout the region believe that most of the fires have been caused by human activity, through either careless behavior or arson. However, the extreme weather conditions in the region are what have made them so severe.

According to the US Drought Monitor, the southeastern US has suffered moderate drought conditions since May and severe drought conditions since June, with decreased rainfall and increased transfers of water from the land surface to the atmosphere. Conditions have intensifiedsince the beginning of November, most of the region has suffered extreme to exceptional drought.

Exacerbating the drought is the La Nina phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation cycle, which produces drier, warmer winters in the southern US.

This year has been one of the driest in several North Carolina counties in 105 years, according to state records. The Tennessee Valley Authority has had to throttle hydroelectric power generation to conserve water. Autumn and winter crops are failing to germinate, creating a higher risk of erosion and flash flooding when the region does see precipitation.

Cattle producers have been forced to feed their livestock hay due to a dearth of pasture, or sell off the animals prematurely.

The head of forecast operations at the National Climate Prediction Center, Matthew Rosencrans, observed that the current drought was not as severe as the two-year drought in 2007, but warned, Droughts like to beget droughts; once you are in one it is very hard to get out of one. At one point in the 2007 drought, the city of Atlanta had less than 90 days of water supplies left. The National Weather Services Climate Prediction Center forecasts high odds of below-normal precipitation in the Southeast for the next three months.

A report published earlier this year by the US Environmental Protection Agency pointed to the impact of climate change on conditions in the region. It noted that since 1970 average annual temperatures in the region have increased by about two degrees Fahrenheit.
[November 29, 2016] Global System-in-Package Market Growth at CAGR of 10.29%, 2016-2020: Key Players are Amkor Technology, ASE, JCET, SPIL & UTAC - Research and Markets

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global System-in-Package Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The global SiP market to grow at a CAGR of 10.29% during the period 2016-2020. Global SiP Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. A SiP contains several chips such as a specialized processor, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and flash memory. These chips are combined with passive components such as resistors and capacitors, which are placed on one substrate, requiring only a few external components to make it functional. Thus, devices packaged using this technology are ideal for space constrained environments such as smart devices. This reduces integration complexities on the printed circuit board (PCB) as well as making the overall design simler.



One trend gaining traction in this market is growth of OSAT vendors. The number of OSATs in APAC, especially China, is growing at a considerable pace, as these companies have strong liquidity and financial backing. This enables OSATs to have adequate funds for R&D and capacity expansion. Moreover, governmental support toward the development of the semiconductor industry from major APAC countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan is propelling the growth of these facilities. Key vendors

Amkor (News - Alert) Technology

ASE

JCET

SPIL

UTAC Other prominent vendors ChipMOS Technology

ChipSiP Technology

NANIUM

Octavo Systems

Samsung (News - Alert) Electro-Mechanics Key Topics Covered: Part 01: Executive summary Part 02: Scope of the report Part 03: Market research methodology Part 04: Introduction Part 05: Technology overview Part 06: Market landscape Part 07: Market segmentation by application Part 08: Market segmentation by interconnect technology Part 09: Market segmentation by end-user Part 10: Geographical segmentation Part 11: Market drivers Part 12: Impact of drivers Part 13: Market challenges Part 14: Impact of drivers and challenges Part 15: Market trends Part 16: Vendor landscape Part 17: Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5jjzxf/global View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006076/en/

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ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a woman who left Indiana to escape her abusive husband disappeared while jogging near Daytona Beach.

A Volusia County Sheriff's incident report says 44-year-old Rachel Madison hasn't been seen since leaving her aunt's Ormond-by-the-Sea home on Sunday afternoon.

Her family told investigators that 50-year-old husband Jarvis Madison knew she was in Florida and many have kidnapped her. Sheriff's spokesman Andrew Gant says officials in Indiana obtained a warrant Monday for Jarvis Madison's arrest on a criminal confinement charge.

Rachel Madison has been in Florida since Nov. 16. Authorities say her husband had been calling relatives inquiring about his wife's whereabouts and had even threatened to kill her aunt for hiding her.

Gant says they're concerned for her well-being because of the past incidents of violence.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
MADISON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A family of four has lost their house after a fire started at their Madison County home.

Chief Bruce Jordan with the Madison Fire Department said that firefighters were called to a house fire on Rutherford Road in Lee around 7:40 p.m.

When they arrived, everyone, to include two adults and their children, was out of the house.

While crews managed to get the fire under control in about an hour, they said that the home is a total loss.They also said that flames started to rekindle Tuesday morning.

The State Fire Marshal is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Families will have a new, helpful tool to help them prepare their children for college.

The Florida Department of Education has created a new website to help families access school and district-level data, to get students ready for college.

"We take great pride in the fact that Florida leads the nation in school choice and student performance," Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said. "Through the Florida Students Achieve website, we provide a central location where parents and families can access the information they need to make the best education decisions for their students. It is my hope that all Floridians will take advantage of this tremendous resource."

Officials want families to compare schools around the state based on core subjects, teachers effectiveness, and graduation rates.

The site will also better inform families about the state's college, career ready standards, and the quality of learning taking place in their students' classrooms.

The website allows parent to search by district with a zip code, city or geographic data view.

"Education is one of the key factors that business leaders consider when determining the best location for their company's operations," Tony Carvajal, Florida Chamber Foundation Executive Vice President said. "This innovative approach to sharing school performance data and the state's progress in education is precisely what we need to continue attracting prospective businesses that will bring more jobs to Florida."

You can visit the website here.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Elementary school children would have 20 minutes of "unstructured, free-play" recess each day under a bill filed Tuesday by state Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami.

Flores' bill (SB 78) revives a debate about elementary students needing more free play time, in addition to regular physical education classes.

Her bill would require each school district to provide "at least 100 minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free-play recess" each week or 20 consecutive minutes per day for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The free-play recess would be in addition to the requirement that school districts provide 150 minutes of "physical education" each week for students in K-5 and sixth-grade students who are in schools that contain one or more elementary classes.

Similar legislation failed to pass in the 2016 session.

If approved by the 2017 Legislature, the free-play recess requirement would take effect with the school year beginning in August 2017.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Tallahassee Community College and First Commerce Credit Union have come together for a $300,000 pledge to further students' opportunities.

Tuesday, TCC faculty, and students and FCCU, gathered at the center for workforce development on TCC's campus.

The purpose of the investment is to promote TCC as an entrepreneurial college.

TCC's president and FCCU's chief executive officer both spoke at the event.

Cecilia Homison, CEO of First Commerce Credit Union said, "We're really thrilled this is a new opportunity to drive economic activity in the community that could really lead to job creation across this region its and exciting day as First Commerce Credit Union partners with TCC and Spark."

"Our country was built on small businesses," said Kim Moore, TCC's vice president for workforce development. "It's our commitment to create and environment for our student entrepreneurs that provides the tools they need to harness their talent, energy and creativity to spur economic vitality and create jobs in our community.

Students say that this will help them further their careers after TCC.
[November 29, 2016] PerfectlySoft Launches Perfect Assistant for Server-Side Swift Application Deployment

PerfectlySoft Inc., the creator of Perfect, the world's first server-side Swift (News - Alert) development framework, announced today that it has released a beta version of the Perfect Assistant, the Perfect platform's new server-side Swift convenience toolset for quick and efficient application deployment. The Perfect Assistant leverages the Swift Package Manager to more efficiently manage project dependencies, empowering developers across the application development and deployment process. "The Perfect Assistant is the next big step in making server-side Swift a key application development platform for the enterprise," said Sean Stephens, CEO at PerfectlySoft. "Over the past year, our team has worked closely with the Swift community to address application development needs across the full stack. The Perfect Assistant is the manifestation of these conversations, and we look forward to gathering additional insights with our beta release." Built from the DNA of the Lasso language (once integral to Apple's (News - Alert) original server-side offerings), Perfect was released in November 2015 as an open source server-side platform for full-stack mobile development that removes frontend and backend iOS development silos by allowing coders to write entire applications in Swift. Easy-to-use and well documented, Perfect provides developers with a high-performance framework and stable tools for server-side Swift development in iOS, OS X and Linux environments. Less than a year after the launch of their flagship product, the company released the next iteration of the platform, Perfect 2.0, which supports additional datasources (Redis, FileMaker) and file formats (XML, Zip), and offers significant performance and scalability enhancements. In October 2016, PerfectlySoft commissioned independent research to determine how server-side Swift stacked up to Node.js running on Linux. The benchmark tests determined that not only did server-side Swift outperform Node.js on comparable workloads, but that the Perfect framework also beat out competing Swift development platforms in terms of performance.1 Like Perfect, the Perfect Assistant makes programming and deployin server-side Swift on Linux quicker and more convenient than ever before.



"As Swift's momentum with developers accelerates across the industry, businesses are increasingly looking for help simplifying the generation, testing and deployment of Swift-based commercial applications," said Stephen O'Grady, Principal Analyst with RedMonk. "The Perfect Assistant was created to address exactly these challenges." Available today, the Perfect Assistant gives programmers the tools they need to create, test and deploy applications at scale, and works in conjunction with Docker to help developers build projects locally for Ubuntu (News - Alert) by providing feedback on Linux build problems.

Key features of the Perfect Assistant include: Wizard-based project setup

Dependency management

Linux preflight testing

Xcode integration

Deployment functionality Get started with the Perfect Assistant, here. Additional Resources: Read more about the PerfectlySoft on the Perfect website

Connect with PerfectlySoft on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook

Read about server-wide Swift's superior performance and scalability with Perfect compared to Node.js on Medium About PerfectlySoft Inc. PerfectlySoft Inc. is a startup dedicated to providing full-stack mobile developers with high-performance, stable tools and support to complete their server-side Swift projects for the iOS, OS X, and Linux environments. Headquartered in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, PerfectlySoft was founded in 2015. 1 Third-party programmer Ryan Collins was commissioned to conduct this research in August 2016 by PerfectlySoft to promote the power of Swift. The company exerted zero influence over the results of these benchmark tests. All of the code used in the study is publically available, and the company encourages other developers to perform these tests on their own. Collins, R. (October 7, 2016) Linux (Ubuntu) Benchmarks for Server Side Swift vs Node.js [Medium blog post]. Retrieved November 21, 2016 from https://medium.com/@rymcol/linux-ubuntu-benchmarks-for-server-side-swift-vs-node-js-db52b9f8270b#.jnxklfor2 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006109/en/

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A Lower Valley man shot last week has been upgraded to serious condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
[November 29, 2016] Weidenhammer Acquires e-Commerce Firm

READING, Pa., Nov. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weidenhammer, a provider of strategy, marketing, and technology solutions that focuses on transforming businesses, announced today that they reached an agreement to acquire Praxis Information Science, an influential and innovative e-commerce firm, based in Austin, Texas.

This acquisition positions Weidenhammer as a major provider of e-commerce solutions and the provision of services around the Magento e-commerce platform. Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive e-commerce solutions to help clients transform their businesses and succeed in a global economy, states John P. Weidenhammer, President. We believe that substantial synergy is achieved by joining forces with Praxis, and will continue to provide unique e-commerce solutions for our customers, with a focus on digital transformation and business acceleration. Since 2007, Praxis Information Science has advocated for its clients by delivering innovative e-commerce solutions. By joining Weidenhammer, our customers will not only benefi from the enhanced e-commerce practice, but also the breadth of technology solutions offered through Weidenhammer, including consulting, software development, infrastructure solutions, and cloud computing services, states Jason Crickmer, CEO of Praxis.



Contact Information For more information, please contact Weidenhammers James Bitler at 610-378-1149 or via e-mail at [email protected].

About Weidenhammer Weidenhammer, founded in 1978 and headquartered in Reading, PA, identifies and integrates new technologies that help companies run smarter and grow faster. Weidenhammer maintains 6 offices in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Colorado, and has 175 professionals on staff. The company has core competencies in consulting, software development, infrastructure solutions, cloud and managed services, digital/interactive design, as well as school district administrative solutions. Weidenhammer has strategic relationships with Cisco, Microsoft, HP, IBM, EMC, VMWare, and Softdocs. More information about the firm can be found at www.hammer.net. About Praxis Information Science Founded in 2007, Praxis has built a focused e-commerce consultancy with deep roots in the Magento ecosystem and a strong track record of innovating internally and on behalf of clients. We pair forward-thinking design with disruptive technologies to create experiences that transform customers into evangelists and businesses into icons. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Praxis has team members in California, New York, and Argentina. Contact: James Bitler 610-378-1149 [email protected]

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YAKIMA  Yakima County commissioners are expected to approve two major projects today, one to install a bypass at Nelson Dam on the Naches Riv
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[November 30, 2016] Ingenu Announces Availability of Los Angeles Machine Network

Ingenu Inc., the company that delivers purpose-built IoT connectivity, today announced availability of its Machine Network in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Internet of Things (IoT) network will serve applications including transportation, manufacturing, logistics, smart city and wearable technologies, providing coverage to the second-largest city in the U.S., reaching more than 2,220 square miles and serving a population of over 13 million people. The availability of the Machine Network in the Los Angeles area is enabling exciting new use cases, such as that of GTX Corp. (GTXO), an IoT platform and provider of personal location and monitoring wearable technology and wandering assistive technology. The company will be integrating Ingenu's RPMA (Random Phase Multiple Access) technology into its patented GPS SmartSole shoe insole tracking solution, to assist in monitoring people with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, autism and other forms of memory impairment. "Currently, over 100 million people require oversight due to various forms of memory impairment, and advancements in wearable technology are changing the way we support and monitor these individuals," said Patrick Bertagna, CEO, GTX Corp. "With Ingenu's reliable, long-range network technology, we can expand the reach of our monitoring capabilities, particularly in highly populated areas, and provide accurate location services to caregivers and loved ones."



IoT Analytics, more than 50 percent of IoT companies in the Los Angeles area are developing wearable technologies, which is greater than the national average of just 15 percent. "Los Angeles is outpacing the market in terms of IoT solution development," said Tom Gregor, president and general manager, Machine Network at Ingenu. "From manufacturing and smart technologies to wearables and transportation applications, Los Angeles has the resources, culture and infrastructure to support a thriving IoT network."

The nationwide Machine Network build-out is now underway across the United States, and is targeted to serve over 100 major metropolitan areas by the end of 2017. The Machine Network currently provides more than 100,000 square miles of wireless coverage for a host of IoT applications. For specific information on the Los Angeles Machine Network, visit http://www.ingenu.com/technology/machine-network/cities/los-angeles. About RPMA Utilizing globally available spectrum, Ingenu's RPMA (Random Phase Multiple Access) technology is purpose-built for M2M/IoT connectivity, offering unparalleled range, coverage and capacity with extremely low power requirements and longer-lasting battery life. It uniquely enables devices to connect more efficiently and cost-effectively in both the uplink and downlink. Requiring fewer towers to provide coverage to large areas (1:10 to 1:30 radio towers needed for RPMA vs. cellular), RPMA is rapidly becoming a global standard for IoT communication. For more information on RPMA technology, visit www.ingenu.com/technology/rpma/ About Ingenu Inc. Ingenu is building the first wireless Machine Network, the world's largest IoT network dedicated to LPWA (low-power, wide-area) connectivity for machines only. Operating on universal spectrum, the company's RPMA technology is a proven standard for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices around the world, with 38 private networks deployed over seven years. The Machine Network will have further reach, global range and longer lasting battery life than any existing network. It is also future-proof: enabling technology solution providers to maximize their product's efficiency and longevity, with unparalleled control and visibility. Ingenu is led by a highly experienced team and backed by one of the strongest boards in the industry, including veterans from Verizon and Qualcomm (News - Alert). Information about Ingenu can be found at www.ingenu.com, or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @ingenunetworks. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005782/en/

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Lone soldiers will receive an additional grant of NIS 1,000 per month for the first 12 months after they are discharged from the IDF, according to a bill approved Monday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation that now awaits parliamentary approval.

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The bill was presented by MK Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beytenu) and the chairman of the Caucus for Lone Soldiers, MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union). It is also supported by Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) and his ministry. The grant would be in addition to all currently existing grants and rights.

Avigdor Lieberman with lone soldiers over Sukkot (Photo: Ministry of Defense)

Malinovsky said that the law's catalyst was the petitions submitted by many discharged lone soldiers who were finding it difficult to subsist without financial assistance. "It is morally incumbent upon us to take care of lone soldiers who served in the IDF and who want to live here," she said.

Her cohort Shmuli added, "This is a great achievement that will help the lone soldiers stand on their feet for the first period" after their army service.

The IDF provides special assistance to some 6,000 lone soldiers serving in the army each year. The average aid is between NIS 2,600 and 3,500 per month. Most of this ceases at the end of their service, resulting in many facing a reality of economic concern for their livelihoods.
The Israeli Air Force reportedly attacked a Syrian army outpost and a Hezbollah arms convoy not far from the highway connecting Damascus and Beirut early Wednesday, according to the Syrian government and reports on Arab media.

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Both attacks were reportedly carried out by aircraft flying over Lebanese airspace.

According to reports that originated on social media accounts affiliated with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, at 1:15am four explosions were heard in Damascus.

IAF attacks Syrian army outposts

Officials quoted by the London-based newspaper Rai al-Youm said the explosions were caused by four missiles fired in two different targets.

The first target, the officials said, was an arms depot that belongs to the 38th Brigade of the 4th Division in the Syrian army. While damage was caused to the arms depot, no one was reported hurt.

The second target was several vehicles that were believed to be part of a Hezbollah arms convoy travelling near the highway connecting the Syrian and Lebanese capitals. The officials stressed that the attack did not target any political or military leader.

File photo of a previous attack in Damascus attributed to the IAF

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a body that monitors the civil war in the country, said loud explosions were heard on the outskirts of Damascus overnight and that it is believed they were the result of an attack on a Syrian army outpost in the al-Sabura area.

The Saudi-based Al Arabiya and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV networks also reported on the attack on the Syrian arms depot.

So far, the attack has not been reported by Hezbollah affiliated media, but it was reported on the Assad regime's official news agency SANA.

"In an attempt to distract from the successes of the Syrian army and to lift the low morale of the terrorist gangs, Israeli aircraft carried out an attack early in the morning from Lebanese airspace using two missiles. The missiles fell in the al-Sabura area and no one was injured," a Syrian military official told SANA.

The IDF declined to confirm or deny the reports, merely stating: "We do not respond to foreign reports."
Republican Mitt Romney made an impassioned statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to try to erase doubts about him among Trump's supporters and remain in contention for US secretary of state.

Romney, a fierce critic of Trump during the Republican presidential primary battle, stopped short of an outright apology but his intention to wipe the slate clean was clear.

The former Massachusetts governor, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost, praised Trump for a "message of inclusion and bringing people together" since his November 8 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Noting the appointments Trump has made to fill key cabinet positions for his administration and his desire for greater unity among Americans, Romney said that "all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us" to a better future.
Ban Ki-moon, whose 10-year tenure as UN secretary-general ends in a month, said Tuesday that the international community must make clear that it remains committed to peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians because the prospects of an agreement are "threatening to slip out of reach."

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Ban, bemoaning a lack of progress in peace negotiations during his tenure as the top UN official, released a statement prior to a meeting of the 193-member UN General Assembly on the conflict. He said that events in recent yearsincluding two unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a settlement and armed conflicthave left Palestinians and Israelis alike frustrated and disillusioned.

"It has strengthened radicals and weakened moderates on both sides," he said. "Making matters worse is a dangerous vacuum within the international community as crises elsewhere claim the attention of world leaders."

The General Assembly meeting came on the UN's annual "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People."

The Palestinians want the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalemareas Israel captured in the defensive 1967 Six Day Warfor their future state.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (Photo: AFP)

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, has said that a cessation of all Israeli settlement activities and an end to what he described as a 50-year occupation of Palestinian territory are necessary for a comprehensive peace agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected those terms saying negotiations should take place without conditions. Israel views the territories as disputed lands rather than occupied. Moreover, the Israelis have argued that groupings of settlements known as "blocs," where a majority of Israelis live, should remain in Israel under any peace deal with the Palestinians, with other smaller settlements deeper in the West Bank relinquished.

In September, the international diplomatic "quartet" of Mideast peacemakers called for Israel and the Palestinians to take steps to resume stalled peace talks. At a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the top diplomats of the European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States urged the parties to create conditions for restarting "meaningful" negotiations toward a two-state solution.

Danny Danon, Israel's UN ambassador, criticized the General Assembly during Tuesday's meeting, saying members bash Israel every year over the issue of the Israel-Palestinian conflict even though he said the Palestinians' commitment to negotiating an agreement is questionable.

Danny Danon (UN photo/ Cia Pak)

"Every year, on this date, this chamber holds this same, cynical, Israel-bashing festival," he said. "Every year, we hear speaker after speaker distorting history and promoting a completely one-sided narrative."

Mansour told the General Assembly he hoped that by next year's International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People a lasting solution could be found.

"This may sound like wishful thinking, considering the harsh realities that overwhelm us and the fatigue felt by the international community after so many years of conflict, setbacks and tragedy," he said. "Yet, this remains our primary, overarching objective."

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, reflecting on the state of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, said in a statement that the admission of Palestine to the United Nations as a non-member Observer State in 2012 was a historic milestone during his and Ban's tenure.
The High Court of Justice, in a panel presided by Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, dealt ardently with a petition filed by Meretzs female Knesset members against Eyal Karims appointment as chief military rabbi. The petition ascribed to Karim inappropriate comments against women and homosexuals and the chief justice was quoted as saying during the discussion, We want to hear what he has to say. What was his stand at the time, what is his stand now, whether he has reconsidered it.

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Karim was required, therefore, to submit a deposition and explain his stand, to share his opinions and views with the High Court, and then it would be decided if he was worthy of the position. He did it, and the petitioners announced that the petition had reached its goal and that there was no need to continue the discussion.

Supreme Court President Miriam Naor. Donald Trump should consider his good fortune, being out of her reach (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

In a ruling expressing satisfaction, and perhaps even pride over the achievement, in addition to a slight admonition, Chief Justice Miriam Naor decided to shelve the petition in light of Karims clear words and wished him luck in his new position for the glory of the State of Israel.

US President-elect Donald Trump should consider his good fortune, being out of the Israeli High Courts reach. Our High Court, which repeatedly proves its moral superiority, would not have let such a phenomenon rise. Under the High Court's regime, Trump would have been required to stand before the court during the election campaign, submit a deposition and explain a series of comments he had made, as well as respond to different allegations regarding his treatment of women.

The honorable judges would have announced, We want to hear what he has to say. What was his stand at the time, what is his stand now, where he has reconsidered itimplying that if he fails to do so, he would be disqualified and his right to present his candidacy to a position that is as important as a chief military rabbi would be revoked.

But the Americans, as we know, are nowhere near the superior judicial and moral level of Israeli High Court. They are still stuck in very old concepts of separation of powers, judiciality, etc.

When it comes to the Trump issue, by the way, we should not despair, either. He may be invited to visit Israel, and that is clearly not something that can be ignored. It will be necessary to urgently ask the High Court to order the government to prevent such a visit to the Holy Land as long as he has failed to clarify, to the High Courts satisfaction, what he has to say, what was his stand at the time, what is his stand today, whether he has reconsidered it.

The High Courts peculiar decision on Karim is supported by a series of precedents which are as peculiar. In one of them, then-Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Halutz was required to explain to the court his ideological stance regarding comments that had been attributed to him. The High Court is not the first to show an interest in different candidates ideological views. It was preceded by the Catholic Church, which took it upon itself to clarify, through methods it had adopted, whether its believers were not denying its doctrine, Heaven forbid, and the Communist regime, which also realized the great threat posed by people denying its doctrine.

The High Court is, of course, far from all that. It carries the flag of liberalism, freedom of speech and freedom of thought. But there appears to be an interesting process in which the gap between the different radical views is narrowed. Suddenly, an amazing similarity is revealed between aggressive theology and aggressive communism, and even radical liberalism can show alarming signs of aggression.

It is time, therefore, for the High Court to examine itself and the peculiar policy under which it is permitted to criticize every appointment in the public service out of considerations of reasonability, which have no limit or extent, and even turn itself into a morality police force. It should also acknowledge the fact that its reasonability is not necessarily better than that of the chief-of-staff or other governmental authorities.
President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson attended a special meeting of the UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) on Tuesday to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People while wearing a Palestinian flag scarf.

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The day of solidarity is marked on November 29, the date of the UN resolution adopting the Partition Plan, which paved the way for the end of the British mandate and the establishment of the State of Israel several months later.

CEIRPP's representatives often make anti-Israel and anti-Semitic comments. A year ago, representatives of the committee claimed that the State of Israel was carrying out ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians and that the Jewish state was to blame for the wave of terror attacks that plagued the country at the time.

UN General Assembly President Peter Thompson, sitting in the middle, wearing a Palestinian flag scarf.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, slammed Thomson's choice of attire, saying "It's unacceptable for the president of the UN General Assembly, whose position is a symbol of neutrality and stateliness, to wrap himself in a Palestinian flag and participate in an event whose sole purpose is to attack and besmirch the State of Israel. This is living, unequivocal proof of the bias against Israel and the slander spread about us at the UN."

Danon went on to bemoan the fact that "while Israel celebrates the UN decision that led to its independence, the UN chooses to mark the Palestinian 'Nakba (catastrophe).'"

"The Palestinians continue to try to avoid a direct dialogue with Israel through the UN, while the UN continues funding bodies motivated by narrow political interests that help perpetuate the conflict."

Later in the day, Danon spoke at the UN General Assembly, criticizing the event.

"Every year, on this date, this chamber holds this same, cynical, Israel-bashing festival," he said. "Every year, we hear speaker after speaker distorting history and promoting a completely one-sided narrative."

He presented the cover of the New York Times from November 30, 1947, with the headline: "Assembly votes Palestine partition ... Arabs walk out."

Danon preenting the New York Times cover.

"This is the whole story," he said. "The Palestinians reject every Israeli offer and every plan and respond with waves of violence and terrorism."

The General Assembly adopted six resolutions critical of Israel on Tuesday, including one about the holy sites in Jerusalem that refers to the Temple Mount only by its Muslim name and fails to mention any Jewish holy sites.

Another resolution concerns the allocation of resources and encouraging the activities of different UN bodies whose purpose is to spread the Palestinian narrative and promote Palestinian interests.

A third unilateral decision calls on Israel to completely withdraw from the "occupied territories."

At a separate event also marking the day of solidarity with Palestinians Ban Ki-moon, whose 10-year tenure as UN secretary-general ends in a month, said that the international community must make clear that it remains committed to peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians because the prospects of an agreement are "threatening to slip out of reach."
The military prosecution said Tuesday it was working on a plea bargain for Brigadier General Ofek Buchris, who was charged with 17 counts of sexual misconduct.

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Buchris faces charges of rape, indecent assault and inappropriate behavior, allegedly committed during his previous command in the IDF between 2010 and 2013.

While the terms of the plea bargain stipulate that he will not serve a prison sentence, it was proven that he lied throughout the investigation about sexually assaulting and raping a female soldier who served under his command.

Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris (Photo: Effi Sharir)

Buchris lied during a press conference outside his house, the prosecution claimed. If he had admitted it when the affair surfaced, he would have been discharged from the IDF without such a serious indictment. The plea bargain is a message of deterrence to officers not to carry out illegal acts during their command, even if there is consent to them.

The pleathe final details of which are currently being fleshed outwill be presented on Wednesday afternoon to the two complainants against him. While their responses will be taken into account, they are not expected to bear sufficient weight to preclude its acceptance.

The military prosecution will seek to convince them that it represents the best possible outcome in light of the evidence available. Moreover, the plaintiffs will be told that accepting the bargain will also save them the trauma of having to testify in the witness stand.

Military prosecutors will also highlight Buchris' departure from the military on the eve of his appointment to become the head of the IDF's Operations Division as constituting a key component of his punishment.

The final verdict however, ultimately lies with the Judge Orli Markman, who will be asked by the prosecution to approve the plea.

While Buchris refused on Tuesday to comment on the terms being formulated, the plea bargain will include a confession of sexual assault and rape. These charges will be converted into charges of consensual sexual assault.

Photo: Elad Gershgoren

According to Buchriss confession set forth in the deal, the incidents in question took place with one of the alleged victims on a number of different occasionsa fact which contradicts his version to which he consistently stuck throughout the case that no sexual misconduct or intimate behavior ever occurred.

Charges of indecent acts carried out against the second victim will also be converted into charges of inappropriate behaviour. Indeed, during the investigation, Buchris confessed to having engaged in intimate relations on one occasion but claimed that it was initiated by the complainant and stopped by him. He will receive a suspended prison sentence pending the approval of the court.

Overall, 17 sexual harassment charges against two female soldiers over a period of three years from July 2010 to September 2013 were leveled against him.

The incidents are said to have taken place in a holiday cabin, in his room on his military base, in his office and even in his military vehicle. On one occasion, it has been alleged that an assault took place in the home of one of the complainants.

Still honored at Golani Museum

The director of the Golani Brigade Museum, Col. (res.) Yom-Tov Hazan expressed his support of Buchris in an interview with Ynet on Wednesday.

"Buchris is being forced to confess against his will," he said, determining that "There's no way of knowing what happened with that little whippersnapper secretary."

Hazan went on to explain that "You never know what these whippersnappers did. How long would a brigade commander have for the officer who complained against him? He spends all of his time busy with training or operations."

The director also insisted the Buchris' pictures will remain featured in the museum as one of the former commanders of the brigade. "Throughout the years he aided in commemoration activities and there wasn't once we turned to him for help and he said no," Hazan explained.
Muhammad Badar, who stabbed and lightly wounded a religious Jewish man in Jerusalem, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment on Wednesday.

Badar confessed to and was convicted of attempted murder, illegal possession of a knife, and illegally entering Israel.

The Jerusalem District Court also ordered him to pay his victim NIS 80,000 in compensation.
A Palestinian was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of hurling Molotov Cocktails into the town of Nataf in the Jerusalem Mountains which caused a giant fire on Friday.

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The fire inflicted devastating damage to the towns building structures and burnt more than 25,000 dunams of a forest.

Fire in Nataf (Photo: Jerusalem Fire Service)

The suspect, from the Qatanna village in the West Bank, has been taken in for questioning by the Shin Bet.

The arrest comes shortly after authorities announced that an investigation conducted by the Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services revealed that the Nataf fire was indeed caused by the throwing of a Molotov Cocktail from Qatanna, vindicating previously-stated suspicions of firefighters.

During the investigation, remains of Molotov Cocktails were found in the area, while another one was found next to the security fence from where the fire services submitted that the conflagration had originated

Photo: AFP

In a separate incident on Tuesday, two 16-year-old teens from east Jerusalem were arrested after Border Police noticed them trying to set fire to a pile of tires near the Atarot industrial area.

Noticing that the Israeli forces had caught them in the act, the teens attempted to flee, but were caught by the troops.

During a search of the two individuals, the security personnel discovered a lighter and papers. Heightening their suspicion, their clothes also bore marks of a fire. Forces also found a pile of tree cuttings nearby.

Later on in the day authorities announced that two Palestinians who were arrested on Friday on suspicion of setting fire to the Moshav of Beit Meir will be indicted for illegally residing in after a police investigation determined that they were not, in fact, responsible for the fire. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court extended their arrest for two days after a prosecutors statement was issued. An indictment is expected to be submitted on Thursday.


Trondheim, the third most populous city in Norway, has decided to boycott Israeli goods and services that originate in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

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A resolution passed at a city council meeting earlier this month accuses Israel of continuing "to aggressively pursue its policy of occupation."

"Illegal settlements are expanding, the construction of the wall continues, Palestinians are subjected to daily harassment and face major obstacles in their daily lives. This is a policy that Trondheim Municipality cannot support," the resolution noted. "The municipality will therefore refrain from purchasing goods and services produced in the occupied territories."

BDS protest in Oslo

The council also called on the city's residents to personally adopt the boycott as well.

Israel's Ambassador to Norway Raphael Schutz slammed the resolution and asked the Jewish community in the city to condemn the decision.

"The decision of the city council in Trondheim doesn't contribute to an environment in which peace can be achieved. Working for a boycott, rather than toward dialogue, increases the level of hostility and mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians," Shutz said.

However, the Jewish community decided against condemning the resolution, saying it was a political issue, while its policy is only to condemn anti-Semitic incidents.

This isn't the first time a Jewish community in the Diaspora refuses requests made by the Israeli Embassy to condemn a boycott of Israel.

Israeli diplomatic officials say there is a trend in which Jewish communities abroad do not wish to be associated with the State of Israel.

"The Jewish community chose to bury its head in the sand," an official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. "The State of Israel will always stand besides all of the Jews around the world, even when some Jews refuseout of considerations of convenience and cowardiceto stand besides the State of Israel."

In 2014, the Norwegian Labor party tried to pass legislation that would enact a national boycott of Israeli settlement products. The left-wing parties supported the bill, but the coalition opposed it and it did not pass.

After the bill proposal was rejected, Norwegian Foreign Minister Brge Brende said he would not recommend to the country's citizens to boycott settlement products, but stressed that his country sees the settlements as illegal.
The reunited Guns N' Roses will arrive in Israel this summer to perform a concert on July 15, 2017, at Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park.

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The band is in the midst of its Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which brings together for the first time in 23 years three members from the original lineup: Vocalist Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.

The last time the original lineup performed in Israel was in 1993. Axl Rose performed in Israel in 2012 as well with a different lineup of the band.

Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash (Poto: GettyImages)

Guns N' Roses was formed in 1985 and quickly became one of the leading bands in the LA rock scene. In 1987, it released its debut album "Appetite for Destruction," which to this day is considered among the best and most important albums in the genre.

The album included massive hits like "Paradise City," "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle."

Guns N' Roses playing Sweet Child O' Mine

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After the release of the acoustic album "G N' R Lies," the band released the albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II," which were considered more commercial. These albums also included many hits, including "Civil War," "You Could Be Mine," "November Rain" and "Don't Cry," among others.

The double album made Rose and friends the biggest rock band of the 1990s, leading the band to go on a two-year-old world tour that stopped in Israel as well on May 22, 1993.

The long and drama-filled tour, alongside drug and alcohol abuse by different members of the band, led to great tensions in Guns N' Roses.

In 1994, after releasing the cover album "The Spaghetti Incident?" the rift between the band members became deeper, and Axl Rose launched a solo career, while Slash released albums with the band Slash's Snakepit and Duff McKagan formed the band Loaded.

Guns N' Roses playing Welcome to the Jungle

X

In 2004, Slash and drummer Matt Sorum formed the band Velvet Revolver with vocalist Scott Weiland, formerly of Stone Temple Pilots.

Meanwhile, Rose continued performing under the name Guns N' Roses with a changing lineup and released the album "Chinese Democracy" in 2008. In July of 2012 he performed in Israel for the second time.

Rumors about reconciliation between Slash and Axl Rose began in early 2016, after 23 years of not talking. In April, the band played a previously unannounced warm up gig at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and has since continued performing across the world, with original drummer Steven Adler playing with them on occasion.

Meanwhile, the band OneRepublic is expected to return to Israel to play a show at Yarkon Park in September 2017. The band last visited the country in May 2015.

The Bluestone Group, which is bringing both of the bands to Israel, has declined to comment on either show.
MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's statement that his forces in Syria were there to topple President Bashar Assad had come as a surprise to Moscow and that it expected an explanation from Ankara.

In a speech on Tuesday, Erdogan condemned what he said was the failure of the United Nations in Syria and cast Turkey's incursion in August, when it sent tanks, fighter jets and special forces over the border, as an act of exasperation.

"We are there to bring justice. We are there to end the rule of the cruel Assad, who has been spreading state terror," Erdogan said.

"The announcement really came as news to us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

"It is a very serious statement and one which differs from previous ones and with our understanding of the situation. We hope that our Turkish partners will provide us with some kind of explanation about this."
Jamie Thomas will Share Valuable Insight at Leading Communication and Business Transformation Event

Norwalk, CT  November 30, 2016  TMC today announced that Jamie Thomas, General Manager, Strategy & Development Platforms at IBM will present a keynote at ITEXPO which is held February 8-10, 2017 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward Country Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ITEXPO is the communications and business transformation event bringing together service providers, enterprises, government agencies, resellers, vendors and developers to discuss the latest innovations that are changing the marketplace.

Thomas keynote takes place at 4:30PM on Wednesday, February 8th and her keynote will explore how cognitive computing is redefining and re-imagining how we interact with data. To succeed in the Cognitive era, businesses must deliver applications that collect and mine oceans of data for actionable insights to gain a competitive edge. To enable this, a next-generation hybrid cloud infrastructure must connect data from all sources, including traditional enterprise systems as well as mobile data. This infrastructure must dynamically and economically deal with an explosion in data volume and it must deliver the computing power necessary to perform the analytics flexibly and with high performance.

"Data is the new natural resource creating business opportunities and new type of workloads such as deep learning, natural language processing and others causing a shift to cognitive models," said Jamie Thomas, IBM Systems general manager for Strategy and Development. "The industry has come to an inflection point in which a company's IT infrastructure must be ready for the cognitive era and take advantage of hybrid cloud infrastructure to optimize cost and performance."

When talking about a company who holds the record for the most patents twenty plus years in a row, to say IBM is a leader in innovation, is an understatement. There is no better company to shed insight into the future and best practices for cognitive computing and data management, said Rich Tehrani, TMC CEO and conference chairman. We are excited to welcome Jamie Thomas to ITEXPO and look forward to hearing her take on the quick changing industry.

ITEXPO is supported by Diamond Sponsors Digium, RingCentral, Platinum Sponsors 888VoIP, Fiber Mountain, Grandstream, Sangoma, Sansay, Talkdesk Yealink, Gold Sponsors: ABP Tech, IBM, NetSapiens, Snom, Sonus, Speech Mobility, Teli, Vitelity, and Voxbone

For more information or to register for ITEXPO, contact Frank Coppola at 203-852-6800 x131. For media inquiries, contact Jessica Seabrook. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages for ITEXPO should contact TMC's Joe Fabiano at 203-852-6800 x132 or Maureen Gambino at 203-852-6800 x109.



For the latest ITEXPO news, updates and information follow the event on Twitter at @ITEXPO.

About TMC

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TMCs Marketplaces:

Unique, turnkey Online Communities boost search results, establish market validation, elevate brands and thought leadership, while minimizing

ad-blocking.

ad-blocking. Custom Lead Programs uncover sales opportunities and build databases.

In-Person and Online Events boost brands, enhance thought leadership and generate leads.

Publications, Display Advertising and Newsletters bolster brand reputations.

Custom Content provides expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and

overall marketing efforts.

overall marketing efforts. Comprehensive Event and Road Show Management Services help companies meet potential clients and generate leads face-to-face.



For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com.

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Edited by Stefania Viscusi
BRUSSELS - The European Union unveiled plans Wednesday to promote defense cooperation and wiser military spending as US President-elect Donald Trump warns NATO's European allies to start paying their fair share.

The European Commission said the multibillion-euro plan would fund research into areas like encrypted software or robotics and boost investment in joint projects across member states such as drones or helicopters.

It also aims to ease rules restricting defense procurement across borders, improve industry standards and adapt policies like the EU's space program to security priorities.

"Our member states cannot afford to protect their citizens without deeper and better cooperation," European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told reporters.

The commission says EU countries have cut defense spending by nearly 12 percent in real terms over the last decade but have failed to deepen military cooperation. It says this lack of cooperation is costing 25-100 billion euros ($27-106 billion) each year.
Not one family who lost it home and property will be left uncompensated. This I promise, said Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, Ynets sister publication. According to Kahlon, in light of the reports he received, 95% of the damage caused by the fires will be recognized as the result of hostile activitiestherefore the property owners will be fully compensated by the state in accordance with the law. Regarding the remaining 5%, which are not recognized as the result of hostile activities, Kahlon promised that We will make special arrangements for them. Even those who did not take out private insurance on their properties will be compensated. We will not leave even a single family without an appropriate solution whose property was damaged as a result of the wave of fires over the last week."

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He also explained on Tuesday night that This evening a committee of the Finance Ministry, chaired by Deputy Finance Minister Yitzhak Cohen (Shas), met with representatives of seven insurance companies and reached an agreement by which the state would pay a specific sum to a family and any compensation left outstanding would be covered by the companies. The state will not pay the full costs of damages and various household items such as valuable paintings, jewelry and the like. We agreed with these companies that they will pay the insurance beyond what the state agrees to pay even though they are not obliged to do so according to existing laws pertaining to fires caused by acts of terrorism. The majority of the companies already agreed and answered our requests in the affirmative. We are still in discussions with others.

Moshe Kahlon (Motti Kimchi)

In addition, MK Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union) has submitted another bill to aid those affected by the fires, which has gained the support of dozens of other MKs. The bill would have insurance companies pay for the damages of the fires, even if they will not be deemed acts of terrorism. Shmuli stated that "I don't see a reason why those whose houses burned down should be the ones to suffer a loss, instead of having the insurance companies carry this burden, after property owners have been paying them a great deal of money over the course of their entire lives."

Despite Kahlon's statement, Israel Police stressed that "The authority to decide on compensation from the state belongs to property tax alone." After publishing the list of municipalities yesterday, in which the fires were reportedly found to have been the result of nationalistic-motivated arson, many citizens began filing damage claims, saying that the police was conducting an arson investigation even in municipalities where that were not included on the published list. As such, the police found itself in a sensitive situation where it is able to decide whether a citizen whose house caught fire will be considered the victim of an act of terrorism.

The police therefore decided to clarify that much of the information being put out can be unsubstantiated and misleading. "We would like to clarify that there is currently a large number of open investigations regarding the fires. We would also like to stress that an investigation does not necessarily indicate arson. Investigations are also conducted in cases of negligence." Weather, the police added, is also looked at as a possible explanation. It is not ruling anything out at this time.

Meir Turgeman contributed to this report
THESSALONIKI -- A Hungarian court has sentenced a Syrian man to 10 years in prison for taking part in a Sept. 2015 riot after Hungary closed its borders to migrants and refugees.

A court in the southern city of Szeged found the man, identified only as Ahmed H. and a resident of Cyprus, guilty of entering Hungary illegally and of using violence in an attempt to force police into letting in the migrants, considered an "act of terror." In July, the man's parents were part of a group also sentenced to prison for alleged rioting.

Dozens of police officers, migrants and some journalists were injured in clashes on Sept. 16, 2015, a day after Hungary closed off its border with Serbia with a fence protected by razor wire, stranding hundreds of migrants.
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump is weighing four finalists to lead the State Department, one of the most powerful and prominent Cabinet positions.

Spokesman Jason Miller says Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani are on the short list. A separate transition official said Trump is also considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker for the job.

A decision on the secretary of state post is not believed to be imminent.

Trump held a private dinner with Romney Tuesday night, their second meeting to discuss the Cabinet position. The president-elect also met with Corker and Petraeus this week.

Giuliani was initially seen as a lock for the State Department, but questions about his international business ties and his public campaigning for the job are said to have given Trump pause.
AL-QASR -- Iraqi special forces fighting ISIS militants on the eastern side of Mosul have retaken 19 neighborhoods from the extremist group since the battle for the city began last month, a senior Iraqi commander said on Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil of the special forces told The Associated Press his men were now about four kilometers from the Tigris river, which slices the city in half. He said the 19 neighborhoods constituted less than 30 percent of the part of the city east of the Tigris.
The Palestinian president says he will seek President-elect Donald Trump's support for an independent Palestinian state.

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In a lengthy address to his Fatah Party Wednesday, President Mahmoud Abbas said he hopes that 2017 will be the year that the Palestinians finally gain independence.

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AFP)

The Palestinian president on Wednesday expressed hope that President-elect Donald Trump will support the Palestinian quest for independence, saying little is known about the incoming American leader's policies.

In a sprawling speech that lasted well over three hours to his Fatah Party, President Mahmoud Abbas said he hopes that 2017 will be the year that the Palestinians finally gain independence and that he would seek Trump's help in achieving that goal.

"We know nothing about him," Abbas said. "His people elected him. We didn't, and if he wants to talk with us, we are pursuing that."

Trump has said he would like to broker a Mideast peace deal, but he has given few details on how he hopes to do so. He has raised concerns among Palestinians because many of his advisers take hard-line positions that favor Israel, and his campaign platform made no mention of Palestinian independencea US position for the past two decades.

"We hope that he will be able to offer something to the Palestinian cause, to offer a solution, a sane, balanced and fair (solution)," Abbas said.

While US President Barack Obama strongly advocated the need for a Palestinian state, he made little headway during his tenure. Two rounds of peace talks quickly collapsed without progress, leaving the Palestinians bitter and frustrated.

Abbas has used this week's Fatah conference to cement his rule. On Tuesday, the 81-year-old was elected unanimously to a new five-year term as leader of the party, which has largely dominated Palestinian politics for five decades.

Laying out his program, Abbas repeated his longstanding demand that a Palestinian state be established in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalemareas captured by Israel in 1967.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while saying he supports Palestinian independence, rejects a return to Israel's pre-1967 boundaries.

Abbas also rejected Netanyahu's key demand that he recognize Israel as the Jewish nation state. The Palestinians say that they have already recognized Israel's right to exist, and that Netanyahu's demand would undermine the status of Israel's Arab minority and the rights of Palestinian refugees.

Abbas also made several controversial comments, praising a series of terrorists as "martyrs" killed in fighting with Israel over the years, including Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Islamic military Hamas group.

He also rejected the idea of an interim agreement, giving Palestinians independence while final border arrangements are made.

At one point during his speech, Abbas threatened to withdraw his recognition of Israel, but he gave no details on how he would do so. Abbas, who leads an autonomy government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, frequently threatens to cut ties, but he has never taken firm action.

In his speech, Abbas paid homage to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who was famous for hours-long speeches, as well as the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and the Saudi King Abdullah, who died last year. He promised to dedicate roads and public squares to the three men.
COLUMBUS -- A Somali-born student who carried out a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University may have been inspired by the Islamic State group and a former al-Qaida leader, investigators said Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials said it's too soon to say the rampage that hurt 11 people on Monday was terrorism and that they were not aware of any direct contact between the Islamic State and the attacker.

"We only believe he may have been inspired" by the group and Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric who took a leadership role in al-Qaida before being killed in 2011, said Angela Byers, an FBI agent leading the investigation.
Conducted by JBA, Australias urban development services consultancy firm, the research took a closer look at residential housing development proposals across 16 local government areas in the central and south west regions of Sydney over the past four years.

The research makes it clear that the planning system will struggle to meet Sydneys future housing targets if councils continue to fail to up zone land to ensure the construction of new homes. (According to the Greater Sydney Commission, an estimated 725,000 new homes will be needed over the next 20 years.)

Across the central and south west districts of Sydney, 64% of residential Local Environment Plan amendments (which are used to assign land for development) were led by private industry, whereas only 29% were led by councils.

The gap is wider when it comes to larger developments that will deliver more than 100 dwellings for the community: 81% were developer-led whereas only 15% were council-led.

Jane Fitzgerald, Property Council NSW executive director, said the research highlights the fact that there is a worrying lack of forward thinking at a local level when it comes to supplying housing to a growing population and connecting it with infrastructure investment.

The Central District plan releasedby the Greater Sydney Commission estimates that the district will grow by 16,260 people every year to 2036 and has a target of 157,500 more houses by 2036. Without strategic leadership from councils the housing demand from this increase in population will not be met and affordability will worsen.

The South West district will grow by a massive 18,650 people per year to 2036 and has a housing target of 143,000 houses, yet only 5 new large residential developments were led by councils in this area over the past four years. We have a long way to go to meet the targets.

Fitzgerald noted that the districts her team examined had received millions of dollars dedicated to major infrastructure, yet councils havent led zoning to provide for major residential development to ensure that houses and residents had easy access to this infrastructure.

Many councils have started discussion papers, master plans, project plans  but our research shows that even if a document has been finished, there is no evidence it has been implemented.

New home construction is crucial to the states economic fortunes as it underpins growth, jobs and affordability, [the report] shows us that councils are not taking up the challenge of meeting the demands of a growing population and without better strategic planning, the community will suffer.

Related stories:

'Lunacy' Negative Gearing Distorting Sydney Housing Market: Report

More Housing Needed For Sydneys Growing Population
Negative gearing, which helps investors achieve great returns via lucrative tax breaks, isnt helping the situation. Last week, Rob Stokes, the New South Wales planning minister, blamed negative gearing for the nations sky high property prices. He also warned that the current building boom would have very little impact on prices.

Why should you get a tax deduction on the ownership of a multi-million dollar holiday home that does nothing to improve supply where its needed? Stokes said in his speech.

While real estate may be difficult to attain for many young people, Cameron Kusher, head of research at CoreLogic, said it was time young people considered investing in asset classes other than real estate.

Young people, I suspect, dont even think about trying to buy a home in Sydney as its too expensive, Kusher said. The challenge is what else to invest in.

Listed here are some alternative investments young people should consider:

Physical assets

Getting a mortgage is just one way to invest in property, notes Craig Keary, AMP capital director for Australia and New Zealand.

If youre a young person without the capital to buy property, but you want to invest in something tangible, then you can always invest in a property fund that invests in commercial property, or shopping centres, and it gives you property exposure for as little as a $2000 entry, Keary said.

You can receive a distribution of roughly 7 to 9 per cent on your investment annually, depending on the fund, of course.

Keary also recommends infrastructure funds. Considering the global investment in toll roads and infrastructure, it may also make sense to look into funds investing in toll roads or airports, and, once again, you dont need a lot of money to get started, he said.

Corporate bonds and shares

Shares may be a risky investment, but when youre in your 20s and 30s, you can afford to take such risks.

Gavin Fernando, director of Property Advisers, said shares suited investors with a decent amount saved in the bankbetween $5,000 and $10,000. Corporate bonds are another great investment option. While the returns are generally less on corporate bonds, they can be less risky than equities (shares).

Fractional ownership of property

Companies that offer fractional ownership of property are also very popular. One such companyBRICKXbuys properties and divides them into bricks that people can buy for as little as $100. These bricks are essentially shares or stakes in the property.

People like this concept because they are buying something tangible, said independent financial commentator Heidi Armstrong. There are now lots of creative ways for people to invest in property.

Related stories:

Aussies Are Turning To New Methods To Enter The Property Market

Fact Or Myth? Whats Really Happening In Property?
Dobra, k. Szczecina 900 m2

40 miejsc parkingowych



Atut: Dodatkowe dochody z paczkomatow InPostu, a juz niedugo i z myjni samoobsugowej.



Tradycyjny zakup nieruchomosci, mozliwosc wykupienia uzytkowania wieczystego.
In a recent news article by Debra Levey Larson, details for the 2016 Illinois Farm Economics Summit were released. I have had several producers and landlords requesting information about cash rents in the past month, so this may be a presentation you wont want to miss.

Should cash rents be lowered? If yes, by how much? How much relief will be seen through lower fertilizer and seed prices? What are the prospects for grain prices to recover from current depressed levels? The University of Illinois Extension and members of the farmdoc team from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of ACES is offering a series of five Farm Economics Summit meetings to help producers navigate these difficult times.

The big story in Illinois agriculture in 2016 continues to be the 'margin squeeze' faced by crop producers  brought on by low corn, soybean, and wheat prices and costs of production that have yet to fully adjust to the new price realities, says U of I agricultural economist Scott Irwin. At present prices, further cost of production reductions will be required. Producers and landowners face a series of difficult management challenges as they grapple with how to adjust to the changed environment.

Speakers at the summit will explore the farm profitability outlook and management challenges from several perspectives, including the 2017 outlook for prices, farm financial management in tough times, needed changes in farmland leases, updates on the farm program safety net, agricultural credit conditions, and long-term weather and yield trends. The format for the meeting will be fast-paced and allow plenty of time for questions from the audience.

Sponsored by U of I Extension, the farm economics summit will be offered at five different locations during the month of December.

The dates and locations are as follows:

Monday, Dec. 12 -- Champaign, iHotel and Conference Center

Tuesday, Dec. 13 -- Dekalb, Farandas Banquet Center

Wednesday, Dec. 14 -- Peoria, Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino

Thursday, Dec. 15 -- Springfield, Crowne Plaza

Friday, Dec. 16 -- Mt. Vernon, Holiday Inn

The sessions will begin at 7:45 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. The advance registration fee is $70 per person and includes lunch, refreshments, and all meeting materials. Register online at https://www.regonline.com/registration/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1895758 by Dec. 5, which includes a $5 discount. Registration at the door is $75 per person as space permits.

For questions about registration, contact Nancy Simpson (nsimp1@illinois.edu; 217-244-9687).

See the website for the complete agenda and list of speakers at http://www.farmdoc.illinois.edu/ifes/2016/index.html .

For more information on University of Illinois Extension programming in Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie and Shelby counties, visit our website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ccdms/index.html or call 217-345-7034.
Latest News

Washington, DC - U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing will travel November 29-30 to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to participate in the Climate Impact on National Security conference.

The conference, convened by the Institute on Science for Global Policy and the U.S. Army War College, focuses on how the missions of the U.S. armed forces are directly affected by the impacts of a changing climate. Special Envoy Pershing will participate in discussions on confronting the challenge that climate change presents to our national security interests.

In September 2016, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Climate Change and National Security, setting forth that climate change is a growing threat and must be considered in the development of national security policy.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Romania has a distinct place within NATO and it is indisputably a security provider in the Black Sea region and on NATO's Eastern flank, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, in a speech on the Day of the Romanian Army, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- The United Arab Emirates will be the host next year of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), according to the agreement signed at the International Telecommunication Union's Plenipotentiary Conference taking place in Bucharest. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- Russia is present at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) in Bucharest with content specialists, said Sabin Sarmas, the president of the 21st edition of the international event at the Palace of the Parliament. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- Technologies are neutral from a moral point of view and it depends on people how they choose to use them, Minister of Research and Digitization Sebastian Burduja underscored in the opening of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized in Bucharest,

- The 63rd meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI) of the Council of Europe will take place, September 22-23, at the Palace of Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs in a press release. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- President Klaus Iohannis on Monday signed a decree regarding the submission to Parliament for ratification of a loan agreement and a grant agreement between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) related to the first programmatic financing for the development

- Ukraine is grateful to Romania for the significant assistance provided since the first day of the war, declared on Wednesday evening the ambassador of Ukraine in Bucharest, Igor Prokopciuk, during the ceremony organized on the occasion of his country's National Day, affirming Kyiv's commitment to

- Military exercises are scheduled between August 8 - 31 at the Babadag shooting range located between the villages of Enisala and Salcioara - Tulcea County; for this reason, traffic restrictions will be in place on County Road 222 between the two villages, the County Council announced on its website.
Zoo Basel welcomed nine rare Black-tailed Antenna Stingrays on November 5th. The small, yet sensational pups are doing well and can be seen in the zoos aquarium exhibit.

The Black-tailed Antenna Stingray (Plesiotrygon nana), also known as the Dwarf Antenna Ray, is a freshwater Stingray that is native to the rivers and sections of the rear Amazon Basin in Eastern Peru. The small Stingray was scientifically described for the first time in 2011. They are one of two recognized species in the family Potamotrygonidae (the other being the Long-tailed River Stingray).

Photo Credits: Zoo Basel

The species does not lay eggs. Stingrays are ovoviviparous: bearing live young in litters of five to 13. The female holds the embryos in the womb without a placenta. Instead, the embryos absorb nutrients from a yolk sac, and after the sac is depleted, the mother provides uterine "milk". Shortly before the actual birth, the young press themselves out of the eggshell and are immediately independent.
VILLANOVA, Pa.  Day after day, haunting images of abject human misery pour out from Aleppo, Mosul, Baghdad and numerous other Middle Eastern towns and citieseach more heartrending than the last. Sectarian violence, escalated by extremist groups like Isis, threatens the very existence of religious minorities, especially those steeped in Christian heritage and tradition. On Dec. 5-6 Villanova University will convene a conference attended by international scholars, government officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to raise awareness and seek solutions that will protect and preserve the human and civil rights of religious minorities in this fragile region.

Titled Christians in the Contemporary Middle East: Religious Minorities and the Struggle for Secular Nationalism and Citizenship, the conference will be held in the Villanova Room of the Connelly Center on the Universitys Main Campus. The event is free and open to the public, with advance registration required.

WeChristians and Muslimsshare in a unique heritage in a civilization that we have both enriched by bringing to it our own contribution. Christians and Muslims are not in conflict, but actually share a common history and existence that is now threatened, said the Rev. Kail Ellis, OSA, PhD, Special Assistant to the President and Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. It is especially appropriate for Villanova, a Catholic university in the Augustinian tradition, to host a conference that explores in some detail the history of the Christian presence in the Middle East.

He added, It is important to bring together thought leaders to engage in dialogue as we seek practical solutions that will advance the quest for equality and justice, not only for Christians and other minorities, but for all communities in the Middle East.

The goal of the conference is to examine the forces that have shaped and perpetuated the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East in order to develop strategies capable of combating the ongoing violation of human rights.

Some of the subjects that will be explored during the conference include: reasons for the decline in pluralistic spaces in the Middle East; the historic role of Christian intellectuals, their contributions to Arab politics and the promotion of religious freedom; prospects for securing the equality of citizens, given current interpretations of Islamic law that tend to segregate and marginalize; strategies to combat the persecution of minority and religious communities, enabling them to remain in their homelands; geopolitical and regional tensions that threaten the presence of Christians and other vulnerable communities in the Middle East; the conflicting objectives of Russia, the United States and their allies; and the impact of the Shia-Sunni conflict on the status of Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities in the region.

The keynote speaker is Knox Thames, Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia, U.S. Department of State. Thames will speak about U.S. and International Efforts to Address the Situation of Religious Minorities in the Middle East.

Other conference presenters include:

Anthony Zinni , United States Marine Corps General (Ret.), former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command; Special Envoy for the U.S. to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and former head of the Central Command

, United States Marine Corps General (Ret.), former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command; Special Envoy for the U.S. to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and former head of the Central Command Brian Katulis , Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress;

, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; Rami Khouri , Senior Public Policy Fellow, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut;

, Senior Public Policy Fellow, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut; Tarek Mitri , Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy & International Affairs, American University of Beirut, Lebanon;

, Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy & International Affairs, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Sami El-Yousef , Regional Director for Palestine and Israel, CNEWA  Pontifical Mission, Jerusalem;

, Regional Director for Palestine and Israel, CNEWA  Pontifical Mission, Jerusalem; Dr. Bernard Sabella , Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, representing Jerusalem;

, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, representing Jerusalem; Sidney Griffith , Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures, The Catholic University of America;

, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures, The Catholic University of America; Fateh Azzam , Former Founding Director, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, American University of Beirut;

, Former Founding Director, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, American University of Beirut; Alon Ben-Meir , Professor and Senior Fellow, New York Universitys Center for Global Affairs and Senior Fellow at the World Policy Institute

, Professor and Senior Fellow, New York Universitys Center for Global Affairs and Senior Fellow at the World Policy Institute Elizabeth H. Prodromou , Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution, The Fletcher School for Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University.

, Visiting Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution, The Fletcher School for Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History, Arab-American Educational Chair of Arab Studies, Rice University.

Moderators at these sessions include Hibba Abugideiri, Center for Arab & Islamic Studies, Villanova University and Nabeel Haidar, American University of Science and Technology, Beirut. Fr. Ellis will moderate an open discussion with panelists and a question and answer session that will address ideas for increasing national and international support and awareness of the challenges facing Christian and other minority communities of the Middle East. A full listing of the program sessions titles and descriptions is listed on the website.

Also, held in conjunction with the conference will be a Special Opening of an art exhibit titled, Mary Queen of Peace: Liturgical Objects from the Middle East. On display at the Villanova University Art Gallery in the Connelly Center, the exhibit will feature icons, vestments and artifacts. A reception, free and open to the public, will be held from 4-6 p.m. on December 5 in the lounge adjacent to the art gallery. The exhibit will run through Dec. 20.
Coles County Farm Bureau will have three voting delegates at the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting this year in Chicago. The meeting will be held at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel from Dec. 3-6.

Vallori Degler, Larry Coutant and Wyatt Bell will serve as delegates. The delegates will be reviewing recommended policy resolution changes and new resolutions submitted from county Farm Bureaus across Illinois. County Farm Bureaus may submit new resolutions and changes to existing ones throughout the year.

A state committee consisting of one voting member from each of the 18 Illinois Farm Bureau districts, Action Team committee member, four IAA Board of Directors, 2 alternates, one Young Leader Committee member, and five advisory County Farm Bureau Managers then review the submittals for presentation to the voting delegates at the annual meeting.

Resolutions submitted cover a wide range of topics and subjects directly involving agriculture and other related public issues. Any resolutions involving national matters are forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration. Areas that have a new or rewritten issue are Natural Resources, Education, State and Local Government, and Agricultural Production/National.

During the annual meeting there will also be breakout sessions with topics ranging from Ag In the Classroom to agriculture promotion. There will be a live auction with an ice cream social, plus the Foundation silent auction.
The ashes of Cuban leader Fidel Castro began a four-day journey across Cuba on Wednesday to his final resting place, retracing the late communist leader`s revolution victory tour of 1959.

The "caravan of freedom" left at 7:16 am (1216 GMT) from Havana, and will make symbolic stops along a 950-kilometer (590-mile) route that will end in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba over the weekend.

The urn containing the remains of Castro, who died Friday at age 90, was covered by a Cuban flag and protected by a crystal covering as it was transported.

Senior officials of the government and Communist Party, and Castro`s longtime partner, Dalia Soto del Valle, attended the farewell ceremony at the armed forces ministry before the caravan headed out to travel through 13 of the Caribbean island nation`s 15 provinces.

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets, waving Cuban flags and shouting "Vivas!" to the late leader as the seven-vehicle motorcade passed by, escorted by police on motorcycles.

The trip follows two days of tributes in Havana where massive crowds were encouraged by the government to view a picture memorial to Castro at the Revolution Square.

The commemorations in the capital ended with a massive rally Tuesday night at the square attended by Latin American, African and Caribbean leaders, along with the Greek prime minister -- the only European leader at the event.

Raul Castro, 85, expressed his gratitude for the "countless gestures of solidarity and affection from around the world" after his brother`s death. The rally ended with the revolutionary battle cry, "Until victory, always!"

Castro ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to Raul in 2006.

The "caravan of freedom" will take the reverse route that Castro`s band of guerrilla fighters followed after defeating dictator Fulgencio Batista.

From January 2 to January 8, 1959, the bearded rebels traveled from Santiago to Havana, stopping in Castro`s home region, Holguin, as well as the cities of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara and Matanzas.

One of the most symbol-filled stops of this last trip will be in Santa Clara, where the ashes of his Argentine comrade-in-arms, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, rest.

The urn containing Fidel`s ashes will be laid to rest on Sunday at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, next to the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti.


WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will be leaving his far-flung business "in total" to focus on running the country and will outline the plan in a Dec. 15 news conference with his family.

Under pressure to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Trump announced his plans in a series of tweets but did not explain exactly what he would be doing with his assets.

"I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said.

Trump said he is not required by law to alter his relationship with his business, but added: "I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses."

"Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!" he added.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday began conducting administration work from the interim state secretariat at Velagapudi in upcoming state capital Amaravati near here.

Nearly two months after the inauguration of the Interim Government Complex, the Chief Minister has started functioning from his office.

Secretariat employees and officials accorded a warm welcome to Chandrababu Naidu, who had been functioning from a camp office in Vijayawada for more than a year.

Speaking on the occasion, he called upon all people to work together to build the state capital as a world-class city.

He said the entire administration would now function from Velagapudi.

Naidu said this was the second time that people had to move to a new capital empty-handed. He recalled that the situation was same when the capital was shifted from Kurnool to Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister said that with the bifurcation he had to operate from Lakeview Guest House and later he was functioning from a bus.

He noted that employees made many sacrifices and faced many problems in shifting from Hyderabad to Velagapudi.

The Chief Minister described the employees as his family members and assured that he will stand by them as the family head and solve their problems. He hoped that the employees will work hard to solve the people`s problems.

The state administration had started functioning from the Interim Government Complex on October 3.

The first cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held here on Thursday.
MATTOON -- A parade, petting zoo, concessions and other new activities have been added to the annual Celebrate Downtown Mattoon event Friday evening.

The celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. also will continue to offer visits with Santa Claus, appearances by costumed characters, live music, free carriage rides, specials at downtown restaurants and shops, and more. In addition, a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree-shaped display will be lit at the new Heritage Park.

Celebrate Downtown Mattoon's new parade will be held at 6 p.m. This procession on Broadway Avenue will step off from 14th Street and travel west to 19th Street. K.C. Summers staff member Hans Warner said the dealership is sponsoring the parade to help draw more people to the celebration.

"I think that the parade will be a good addition," Warner said. He added that K.C. Summers will offer hot chocolate and cookies in its Toyota showroom near the end of the parade route.

Celebration co-organizer Mike Kallis said some of the parade's entries will include the Mattoon Middle School marching band, weather permitting, and up to 20 different costumed Christmas characters.

Kallis said the costumed characters also will pay visits to families dining at approximately a half dozen participating restaurants downtown. For example, Elsa and Olaf from "Frozen" will spend time at Bidwell's Artisan Chocolates & Bistro.

"You can have your picture taken at a restaurant while you sit down and dine," Kallis said.

Celebration-goers also will be able to buy snacks from a new concession area in the First Mid-Illinois Insurance parking lot. This area will include Kep's Cooking, Kim's Kettle Corn, and Common Grounds' hot chocolate. The Mattoon High School Wavettes also are slated to perform there.

Kallis said the additions of the concession area in the downtown center and the petting zoo at De Buhr's Feed & Seed to the west end will spread out the celebration over a bigger area. DeBuhr's will offer photos with the 101 Dalmatians and Scooby-Doo, as well.

"I think that is really going to help out a lot," Kallis said.

Santa is scheduled to visit with children from 5 to 8 p.m. at Shores Jewelry, where photos will be available for $5 each.

The Mattoon Arts Council will host live music throughout the evening in the Mattoon train depot's Lone Elm Room. The lineup will feature Mattoon elementary band students at 5 p.m., Mattoon high school and middle school students at 6 p.m., and the Salvation Army childrens choir at 7 p.m.

Live music is also planned at the Apostolic Dinner Theater; Common Grounds, acoustic music by The Fields Church; Hubbartt's Downtown Diner, piano music by Debra Bensley; and Mattoon Area Family YMCA, piano music by Ellen Stitt. Sound Source will play Christmas music on its speaker system, as well.

Other scheduled activities include visits with Micky & Minnie Mouse; crafts and storytelling at the Mattoon Public Library; dodge ball games at the YMCA; and a children's art show at the new Artsy Chic Studio, 1520 Broadway Ave.

Kallis said free carriage rides, a mini train, and shuttle bus stops will be available at the U.S. Bank parking lot, the YMCA, the depot, and K.C. Summers.

"The shuttle buses will take riders to Lightworks (at Peterson Park) and back," Kallis said.

More information is available at https://www.facebook.com/celebratedowntownmattoon/.
Kabul: An Afghan army general has been killed and several army personnel wounded after a helicopter crashed in western Badghis province, sources said.

"Brigadier General Muhayuddin Ghori, commander of Afghan National Army`s 207th Zafar Corps based in western Herat province, was killed after an ANA chopper crashed in Mori Chaq late Tuesday," Xinhua news reported quoting a military official on anonymity, on Wednesday.

The Badghis region has witnessed heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants over the past couple of months.

The crash was caused by a technical failure in the aircraft, any insurgent involvement was ruled out.

An official statement on the incident is, however, still awaited.

The Afghan security forces` casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks by Taliban militant group and other anti-government fighters.


Kabul [Afghanistan]: A suicide attack was foiled by Afghan security forces in Sharana city, the capital of the country`s southeastern Paktika province.Local security officials said that a would-be suicide bomber was arrested before he could detonate his suicide attack vest.

The Khaama Press quoted provincial Police Chief Khalilullah Ziayi, as saying that would-be suicide bomber was identified as the resident of the same province and was believed to be around 18-year-old.

Ziayi said that an investigation is underway.

There has been no comment by the anti-government armed militant on the report so far.
Colombo: Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a one-month amnesty to soldiers who have deserted the armed forces.

The Defence Ministry in a statement said the general amnesty period will be in force from December 1 to 31 to enable the deserters receive legal discharge from their service, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to statistics, so far there are 174 officers and 42,506 soldiers in the army, 26 officers and 6,133 sailors in the navy and 37 officers and 2,806 airmen in the air force considered as deserters or Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL).

Deserters who report to their respective service headquarters or regiments during this period will not be subjected to any punishment or detention.

They can obtain their legal discharge after clearing all administrative requirements, the ministry said.

Sri Lanka has in the past announced similar amnesty periods which, according to the Defence Ministry, had drawn "good response".

"Those remaining can use this opportunity and obtain their legal clearance," it said.

The Defence Ministry said those facing disciplinary or legal issues can get their discharge after clearing administrative requirements while others with no such past records will be able to collect their legal discharge within a day.

Further, dues less than Rs 10,000 to be paid to the services by any deserter will be waived off while amounts more than that have to be settled.

The Ministry warned that authorities will take measures to arrest those who fail to obtain their legal discharge during this amnesty period.
Dhaka [Bangladesh]: Ninety one Rohingyas, who were jailed for trespassing into the Bay of Bengal in 2015, have been handed over to Myanmar`s Border Guard Police (BGP) by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Ghumdhum border in Nakkhanchhari upazila of Bandarban district on Wednesday.

The Dhaka Tribune quoted BGB Cox`s Bazar Sector acting commander Anisur Rahman, as saying that 34 Battalion Commander Imra Ullah and Executive Magistrate Imrul Kayes were present during the incident.

The Myanmar nationals were detained by the Bangladesh Navy in 2015 inside their territory in the sea and were later on sentenced to jail for trespassing.
Kathmandu: Nepal's government has registered the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament despite opposition from CPN-UML, aimed at carving out a new province to meet the demands of agitating Madhesis and other ethnic groups whose protests last year left more than 50 people dead.

The bill, registered at the Parliament Secretariat after the Council of Ministers passed its draft yesterday, also proposes to address three other key issues -- citizenship, representation in the

Upper House and recognition of languages spoken in various parts of the country.

The Cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar in the afternoon yesterday.

The government took the step a day after the 15-day ultimatum served by the Federal Alliance for implementing the three-point deal expired.

Federal Alliance is a grouping of Madhesi parties and ethnic groups that have been launching agitation demanding more rights and representation for the marginalised people.

Re-demarcation of the provincial boundary and citizenship issue are the two major demands put forth by the agitating Madhesi parties.

Madhesis, mostly Indian-origin, launched a six-month-long agitation from September last year to February this year in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.

The government has proposed to include parts of Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke, Dang and Bardiya in another Tarai province that will be known as Province 5.

The Cabinet also decided to form a commission to address concerns about five districts Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi said that the government decided to form a commission through an executive order to address all concerns about boundaries.

The bill proposes to list all the mother tongues of Nepal in the schedule of the constitution on the recommendation of the Language Commission.

It also states that all languages recommended to be official languages by the Language Commission will be listed in the constitution's schedule.

On citizenship, the bill proposes that foreign women married to Nepali men can obtain naturalised citizenship after initiating the process to renounce their citizenship.

The bill does not say anything about the rights of the naturalised citizens and citizens by birth.

Opposing the bill, main opposition party CPN-UML Vice Chair Bhim Rawal said the constitution amendment bill was not in the interest of the country and the people.

He said the bill would polarise the society further and create conflict between different political groups.
Islamabad: Pakistan Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has informed the National Assembly that the country cannot afford to have bullet trains.

"When we asked the Chinese about it, they laughed at us. We should consider the 160 kmph train under CPEC as a bullet train. We can't afford an actual bullet train, there's no market for it," the Dawn quoted Rafique, as saying.

Asserting that Pakistan does not have enough money to launch a bullet train project, the Railway Minister said that even if they launch it, they don't have such a big range of upper and middle class passengers who would buy tickets of bullet trains.

Giving a comprehensive overview of the performance of his department to the members of the house, Rafique claimed that he was doing as much as possible to turn his department into a profit-making entity.

He said the biggest problem with railway lands across the country is that while being under the possession of Pakistan Railways they are owned by the provincial governments.

"The provinces are not prepared to turn over these lands to us, despite a Supreme Court order to do so," Rafique said.

He questioned as to how could railways commercially exploit the land that doesn`t belong to them.He , however, made it clear that the land occupied by traditional dwellers or slum residents would not be touched.

"How can we displace those people; where will they go?" he said.

Rafique said that a strict action would be taken against those who use using railway land for commercial purposes.
Kathmandu: Thousands of people in Nepal took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against a Constitution amendment proposal, and particularly the proposal to split Province no 5 in a bid to address the row over provincial boundaries.

A day after the Nepal government tabled a Bill related to the constitution amendment in order to address the demands and grievances of Madhes-based political parties, thousands of people took to the streets in six districts of Lumbini zone from early Wednesday.

Main opposition, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) has already rejected the proposal before its inception while there is sharp division and discontent over the proposal within the ruling alliance -- Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center).

The amendment proposal seeks split some of the districts of the present Province No 5 and to incorporate them in Province no 4 and 6. Against this proposed change and in favour of a unified Province 5, thousands of people across party lines have joined hands since Wednesday morning.

In order to woo the Madhes-based parties, the government has decided to create two provinces in Nepal`s southern plain. According to the new proposal, the southern plain will have two provinces - 2 and 6 - exclusively dominated by Madhesi population.

In response to the proposal, six districts of Lumbini Zone of Nepal are tense since early morning as hundreds of people have taken into the street. These spontaneous mass rallies are supported by the CPN-UML and even ruling, NC and Maoist party cadre.

Defying the party`s decision and instructions, cardre belong to the ruling parties took to the streets and formed an alliance against the spilt of Province 5.

Vehicular movements in the six districts of Lumbini Zone were badly affected, markets were closed as top leaders of the ruling and opposition alliance also joined in the movement.

A key alliance of the agitating Madhesi Morcha on Wednesday rejected the government`s proposal.

Upendra Yadav, a prominent Madeshi leader and Chairman of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum (Federal Socialist Alliance), rejected the proposed Bill saying the government has made a "serious mistake" while registering the proposal without prior consultation with them.

After a year of hiatus and political stand-off and in order to heed the demands and grievances of agitating Madhes-based political parties, the Nepal government on Tuesday night tabled a constitution amendment Bill in Legislative Parliament.

Before registering the proposal, a Cabinet meeting endorsed the four-point proposal regarding addressing the row over federal boundaries, citizenship, language, inclusive representation of all marginalized communities in various state entities, including in Upper House, on the basis of population ratio.

The amendment is meant for various marginalized and deprived communities, Yadav said in a statement on Wednesday, but without consensus and the approval from the same groups and consent from Madhes the proposal does not hold any relevance.

Though Yadav made his position clear, other Madhes-based parties have not made their position clear on the amendment proposal.

Support from Madhes-based parties is key as Nepal needs to move forward for the Constitution implementation process, like holding three-tiered elections - local, provincial and central - in another 15 months.

A meeting of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), of which Yadav is a member, has been called later in the day to make their position clear.

If the Yadav-led party does not support the proposal, chances of securing two-third majority votes to approve the Bill will be minimal.

Neither the demands put by Madhesi Morcha or by the Forum were addressed in the proposal, said Yadav in his statement. "Our demand is to federate Nepal in 10 Provinces but government has not prescribed any kind of remedies over settling the row over federal boundaries."

The proposal is not clear about language, said the statement; issues like provincial autonomy, ensuring representation of various ethnic communities in various state entities on the basis of proportional representation has not been made.

None of any of the proposed changes in the Bill is going to meet our demands, he said while expressing reservations over citizenship, proportional representation of Madhesis and other communities in the Upper House and others.

"If representation is not made on the basis of population ratio, Madhesis in Nepal who have have been suffering and depressed since centuries, will not get majority in the Upper House," he said, claiming that such a proposal will further escalate tension in the country, instigate conflict among the communities and castes, invite political disorder that will ultimately lead to a state of confusion, ambiguity and instability.

So, he said, we will continue our protest and agitation until our demands are met.
New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the results of Engineering Services Examination 2016.

Candidates can check the results here  www.upsc.gov.in

The lists of candidates are on the basis of results of the written part of the Engineering Services Examination, 2016 held by the UPSC in May 2016 and the interviews for Personality Test held in September-November, 2016.

How to check UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2016 results:

Log on to the official website - www.upsc.gov.in

On the home page, the candidate should click on the UPSC Engineering Services Examination 2016 results, which can be seen on the right side of the page

Click on a PDF file under the section `Documents`

Check if your roll number is mentioned in the list

The mark sheet shall be made available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of result.

The Union Public Service Commission is, inter alia, required to be consulted on all matters relating to recruitment to civil services and posts.
Ankara: Turkish police tear gassed protesters who tried to rally in Ankara on Wednesday after 12 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed in a fire at a dormitory in southern Turkey, an AFP photographer said.

The blaze, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, tore through the wooden interior of a dormitory in the southern region of Adana on Tuesday evening.

Riot police stopped around 150 protesters from different organisations including left-wing groups and women`s rights activists from demonstrating outside the Education Ministry in Ankara over allegations that negligence led to the blaze.

Police later detained an unknown number of demonstrators as they tried to run away, the photographer said.

They called for dormitories run by religious sects to be shut down after it emerged the facility belonged to an influential Sunni Muslim group, the photographer added.

Last month, the Ankara region banned all public gatherings and demonstrations until the end of November after receiving information about potential terror attacks.

Some officials suggested the victims were killed on the top floors after they were unable to open a fire door to flee the flames.

But Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak rejected this, saying that according to initial findings the door had been unlocked.

In Adana, police authorities on Wednesday detained eight people, including the manager of the dormitory in the Aladag district, as part of the investigation into accusations of "causing death by negligence".
Warsaw: Rescuers were searching on Wednesday for five missing miners after an earth tremor caused rockfalls deep underground in a copper mine in southwestern Poland, killing three, the mine`s operator KGHM said.

The tremor hit the Rudna copper mine at 2009 GMT on Tuesday, KGHM said, causing extensive damage.

Sections of tunnels hundreds of metres below the surface were blocked by rocks, preventing access to the missing miners, company officials said.

"Unfortunately at this moment we have three casualties and still five people underground whom we are trying to reach," director of the mine, Pawel Markowski, told a news conference.

He said rescuers could see one missing miner, but could not say if he was alive.

"He is under a huge block of rock weighing several dozen tonnes," Markowski said.

He added that three of the missing miners could be inside a collapsed machinery chamber.

KGHM said the Rudna mine, the largest copper mine in Europe and in operation since 1974, has 11 shafts reaching as deep as 1244 metres below the surface.

Chief Executive Radoslaw Domagalski-Labedzki said earlier two of the miners killed were aged 33 and 47 years and their families had already been informed. One of these miners died after he was taken to the surface, the company said.

"We are all shocked by the scale of this tragedy which took place in a place we assessed was exposed to a moderate level of risk," Domagalski-Labedzki told reporters.

`WITHOUT A PAUSE`

Domagalski-Labedzki also said nine people working in the mine suffered spinal and head injuries and five were still in hospital.

"The rescue operation is taking place without a pause," Domagalski-Labedzki told reporters.

"We all have big hopes that the news will be positive. This does not change the fact that the rescue operation is taking place in difficult conditions," he said before rescuers confirmed the third casualty.

The epicentre of the tremor was situated 1,500 metres below the surface and had a magnitude of 3.4, state news agency PAP reported.

Officials at KGHM said some of the underground tunnels still blocked by debris were eight metres wide and four metres high.

Tremors often occur in underground mines as removing ore and digging tunnels from beneath the surface weakens the structure of the surrounding rocks but most are harmless.

Government spokesman Rafal Bochenek said Prime Minister Beata Szydlo was heading to the mine on Wednesday.
CHARLESTON -- Eastern Illinois Universitys latest influx of expected stop-gap funding is intended to assist operations through the rest of the year.

Last week, it was reported that the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) is intending to funnel $17 million of the $20 million they received from the state's stopgap funding measure in June to three state institutions including Eastern.

Eastern was appropriated to get almost $5.6 million, 33 percent of the $17 million, by the end of the year. As previously reported, the funding can only be used to pay down costs incurred this year.

The majority of the funds were allocated to Western Illinois University with $8.3 million of the pot, about 50 percent.

The IBHE determined the money would be allocated to these institutions after they had proven they were in a state of financial emergency.

To be in a state of financial emergency, the university had to demonstrate that it is significantly diminishing all available resources and must satisfy any other factors determined appropriate by the Board, according to state law.

According to board documents, the money was allocated based off of payroll and enrollment, among other factors.

When the funds will be received by Eastern is unclear as the money will be coming from the state general revenue fund, which has a backlog of bills totaling $10.6 billion.

In addition to the $5.6 million, Eastern is still expected to get the remaining $1.3 million from the state as part of the $26.2 million stopgap funding they were appropriated in the summer, Vice President for Business Affairs Paul McCann said.

Eastern also has tuition dollars coming in to help offset regular operations costs incurred. McCann said that approximately $35 million is brought in from fall semester tuition and $30 million from spring semester tuition.

McCann noted Eastern will be able to operate throughout the budgetary impasse.

We are pleased to have received the monies from IBHE, McCann said.

Along with other institutions in the state, Eastern has been getting piecemeal funding while the state legislature and Gov. Bruce Rauner still disagree over reforms and budgeting. The state legislature has yet to pass a budget not vetoed by Rauner after over a year.

The university has remained a major advocate to budget specifically a full budget as opposed to the stopgap funding that has come in. EIU President David Glassman said in board meetings that the university simply needs predictable funding, even if it is through stopgap-like funding measures

If we knew we were going to get 'X' amount and it is going to come at this point, that would be much, much better than what we have now, Glassman said. At least then, we would know what our budget is.

Currently, the EIU Board of Trustees has only approved a preliminary budget because of the uncertainties at the state level.

Were putting placeholders here because this is what we anticipate because thats what we've have been led to anticipate, but you don't know until it happens, Glassman said. That just has all of the universities handcuffed.

McCann said EIU leaders remain strong advocates of full funding for Illinois public higher education but will continue to work with the stopgap funding until a complete budget is enacted. All of the state's universities have advocated together in the past for full and predictable funding.

We all want predictable and stable funding, Glassman said. That is what we want. We are trying to plan at EIU or whatever university you are at, and when you don't know what you are working with, it is hard to strategically plan.

As these financial challenges brought on by the state loom, Eastern has been doing ongoing work on an internal review, particularly of its future, through the Vitalization Project. The recommendations from those involved in the project are expected to be finalized soon.

Most of the reports from the workgroups involved in the project are due by Dec. 15 to the university president.
Chandigarh: Three days after the sensation Nabha jailbreak incident, two inmates in Karnal jail on Wednesday attacked Lashkar-e-Toiba bomb expert Syed Abdul Karim Tunda.

73-year-old Tunda is accused of masterminding over 40 bomb blasts in the country and was was brought to the Karnal jail last night from Ghaziabad jail.

He was allegedly attacked by two inmates after having a verbal a tiff on some issue while they were having tea, police said.

"The inmates allegedly tried to strangulate him but he was rescued by alert jail staff. He was taken to the local hospital for medical check-up under heavy police security. He is fine," said SP Karnal Pankaj Nain.

The inmates who allegedly attacked Tunda were identified as Amandeep and Joginder, police said, adding security for Tunda has been heightened.

"A case under relevant sections of IPC, including murder has been registered against the two accused," a police officer at Karnal Sadar Police Station said.

Tunda, a bomb expert for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, will appear before a Panipat court on Thursday in connection with a 1997 bomb blast in a private bus in Panipat, police said.

A resident of Pikhuwa in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district, Tunda was arrested by Delhi police from Indo-Nepal border in 2013. The CBI had charged him with organising LeT's major terror attacks outside Jammu and Kashmir.

He is accused in 43 bomb blasts in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Rohtak and Jalandhar in which over 20 persons were killed and over 400 injured.
New Delhi: The Centre has constituted a 13 member Committee of Chief Ministers headed by Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu to promote digital payment systems to promote transparency, financial inclusion and also prepare a roadmap in this regard.

Apart from Naidu, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling, Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis are also members of the committee along with NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, and Amitabh Kant CEO, NITI Aayog.

Nandan Nilekani, former Chairman, UIDAI, Janmejaya Sinha, Chairman, Boston Consulting Group, Rajesh Jain, Managing Director, netCORE, Sharad Sharma, Co-founder, iSPIRIT and Jayant Varma, Professor (Finance), IIM (Ahmedabad) are special invitees.

According to officials, the terms of reference of the committee are identifying global best practices for implementing an economy primarily based on digital payment and examine the possibility of adoption of these global standards in the Indian context.

The panel will also outline measures for rapid expansion and adoption of the system of digital payments like cards (Debit, Credit and pre-paid), Digital-wallets/ E-wallets, internet banking, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), banking apps, etc and shall broadly indicate the roadmap to be implemented in one year.

It shall evolve an action plan to reach out to the public at large with the objective to create awareness and help them understand the benefits of such a switchover to digital economy and would prepare a roadmap for the administrative machineries in the States to facilitate adoption of digital modes of financial transactions.

The high level group will also identify and address bottlenecks and indicate solutions pertaining to adoption of the steps required to move towards a digital payments economy.

It will also associate the key stakeholders for implementation of the suggested steps towards a digital payments economy and delineate and adopt measures evolved by the Committee of Officers constituted for the purpose.

It will also examine and address any other associated issues which are not specifically mentioned herein. The Committee may devise its own procedures for conducting business, meetings, constitution of sub-groups, etc.
Kochi: BJP on Wednesday said custom and tradition are internal matters of a temple and asked authorities of Kerala's Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram not to "impose" sudden changes on devotees.

BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan also favoured bringing changes as per requirement of the times but said a permanent mechanism should be established in important temples like the Sree Padmanabha Swamy shrine to take decisions on its customs and traditions.

"There is no such system in Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple. That is why such issues occur," Rajasekharan told reporters here reacting to the controversy over the decision to relax the dress code for women, permitting devotees to wear the traditional Indian salwar kameez and churidar while worshipping at the ancient temple.

"Customs and traditions are internal matter of the temple. There is a need for bringing changes in it as per the needs of time. But it should not be imposed (on devotees)," the BJP leader said.

He said all stakeholders including temple administrative committee members, representatives of organisations of devotees and executive officer should discuss the matter and sort out differences before introducing changes in the temple.

Rajasekharan said when such issues of dress code for women had come up at Guruvayoor Lord Krishna temple, the Devaswom Management could amicably settle the issue by discussing it with various stakeholders.

Various Hindu organisations today protested in front of the shrine in Thiruvananthapuram against the decision to relax the dress code for women.They were protesting the decision of the Executive Officer K N Sateesh, allowing women to enter the temple wearing salwar and churidar and offer prayers.

Women devotees earlier had to wear a 'mundu' (dhoti) over their waist if they were attired in salwar and churidar before entering the famous shrine, considered the richest Hindu temple in the world.
Bhopal: In a shocking incident, BJP women's wing leader Jamila Khan died after being shot by unknown assailants on Wednesday.

The murder took place in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, according to news agency ANI.

"Jamila Bi (50) was shot at, apparently by unidentified person (s), when she was at her residence in Indira Sahayta Nagar," said Gautam Nagar police station in-charge, Mukhtar Qureshi.

Her son spotted her lying with blood oozing from her shoulder, the officer said, adding that Jameela was rushed to hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.

Surprisingly, no one in the house heard sound of the gun shot, the officer said, adding the motive behind the murder is not known immediately.

Jamila's body has been sent for postmortem, he said, adding that further investigation is on.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: A Rs 2,000-crore development package for displaced people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in the country was on Wednesday approved by the government.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Home Ministry's proposal to provide enhanced financial aid to 36,384 families, who are mostly living in Jammu region after their displacement from PoK post-Independence.

Each of these families will get around Rs 5.5 lakh as aid, a senior official said.

The refugees from West Pakistan, mostly from PoK, settled in different areas of Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts. However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.

Some of the families were displaced during Partition in 1947, and others during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.

The displaced people can cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls but not in the elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

Jammu and Kashmir Sharanarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), an organisation representing the displaced people of the PoK has been maintaining that the package should not be seen as a final settlement as Rs 9, 200 crore was required to settle all of them.

The Modi government had in January 2015 approved certain concessions for the refugees from West Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir after considering the problems being faced by them.

The concessions include special recruitment drives for induction into paramilitary forces, equal employment opportunities in the state, admission for the children of refugees in Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.
Beijing: China`s Defence Ministry on Wednesday dismissed reports Chinese military vehicles were patrolling inside Afghanistan, after an Indian media outlet said Chinese security forces were making regular patrols there.

India`s WION news outlet this month published pictures on its website showing what it said were likely Chinese security forces patrolling in Afghanistan`s far northeastern Little Pamir region, where the country shares a border with China.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun dismissed the report.

"Reports in foreign media of Chinese military vehicles patrolling inside Afghanistan do not accord with the facts," he told a regular news briefing.

Yang said China and Afghanistan did work together in some places to fight terrorist activity and cross-border crime.

"In recent years, law enforcement bodies from China and Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral cooperation decision on strengthening border law enforcement, arranged to have joint law enforcement operations in border regions," Yang added.

He did not elaborate.

The Indian report was also denied in Kabul by an Afghan official, who asked not to identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

China has long been concerned that instability in Afghanistan will spill over into the violence-prone Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uighur people, where hundreds have died in recent years in unrest blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants.

China is also working with Pakistan and the United States to broker peace talks to end Afghanistan`s Taliban insurgency that has raged there for 15 years.
New Delhi: The government has decided to construct strategic rail lines along the borders with neighbouring countries including China and Pakistan, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

The proposal for construction of railway lines along China, Nepal and Pakistan borders has been initiated by the Defence Ministry as a strategic line, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.

A total of 14 strategic lines have been identified, out of which four strategic lines -- the 378km Missamari-Tenga- Tawang line, the 498km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line, the 227km Pasighat Tezu-Rupai line, and the 249km North Lakhimpur-Bame- Silapathar line -- have been decided to be taken up in the first phase.

However, he said, none of these projects has been sanctioned.

Since all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of the Himalayas, stability, geology, constructibility, maintainability and safety issues are to be examined, he said.

Accordingly, the Final Location Survey (FLS) has been taken at a cost of Rs 345 crore. For the year 2016-17, the Ministry of Defence has provided Rs 87.18 crore.
New Delhi: Self-styled chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force Harminder Singh Mintoo reportedly told interrogators about expansion plans of KLF through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Days before the jailbreak, he had his last Skype chat his Pakistan handler Harmeet, a KLF militant who managed to flee to Pakistan, and is living in a safe house under protection of ISI at Dera Chall village in Lahore.ISI had plans to bring militancy in Punjab through KLF under Mintoo`s leadership, said sources.

Mintoo has base in countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand and ISI had plans to bring back militancy through these sleepers said sources, adding that Mintoo made these contacts during 2009-14.Germany based KLF sympathisers were sending money to Mintoo through Western Union Money Transfer.

On the day of jailbreak, on November 27, around lakhs of rupees were deposited in a bank account, which was supposed to be handed over to Mintoo by Shagun Sweets owner, who was arrested by the Punjab Police, but Mintoo managed to flee, so he couldn`t get the money, said sources.

Sources said a KLF sympathiser, Sandeep, who is based in England, has also sent him money through Hawala channel. He was staying in Malaysia with a fake passport in the name of Bakshish Singh.

"Harminder has accepted of being a Mastermind of the jailbreak. Six months back, he first contacted an inmate Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, who later contacted Vicky to arrange his local criminals to wait for the day suitable for the attack. Parminder being close to Satnam Kaur, Daughter of KLF militant, was given responsibility to arrange the arms. The Punjab police are probing arms trail with assistance of UP police," saod sources.

Mintoo has revealed of having strong base in Goa. His family shifted to Goa in 1989 and raids are being carried out in Punjab to look for Satnam Kaur. Police teams will also be going to Goa to look for Mintoo`s aide," sources added.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will lead the Indian delegation at the two-day Heart of Asia conference beginning Saturday which will be participated by over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia, Iran and Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is unwell, will not attend the meet.

The main conference will be inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on December 4. Afghanistan is the permanent chair of HoA while India is its co-chair this year being the host.

The ministerial conference will be co-chaired by Jaitley and the Afghan Foreign Minister, Gopal Baglay, who heads the PAI (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) division in Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters.

Swaraj is undergoing treatment for kidney failure and the MEA last week had announced that she will not attend the meet.

The HoA platform was floated with an aim to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for the Nagrota army cantonment area attack.

"No doubt seven of our jawans while fighting with terrorists, attained martyrdom, including two of our officers Major Akshay and Major Kunal, but it was an act of bravery from our jawans, they saved the families of the jawans who were kept hostage by the terrorists, including women and children," said BJP leader Ravinder Raina. Raina said Pakistan`s conspiracy is to disturb the nation`s harmony and unity.Praising the Indian Army, he told ANI,

"Once again the brave jawans of the Indian Army thwarted the evil designs of Pakistan."Raina said the Centre should act firmly."This was a nefarious design of Pakistan; this was a game plan of Pakistan to attack the cantonment area of the Indian Army in Nagrota. It was a game plan like what happened in Uri and Pathankot, but the alert jawans of army gave a befitting reply to the terrorists and foiled their bigger game plan" he added.

He also said, "I think Pakistan won`t understand the language of diplomacy Pakistan only understands the language of bullets, and what the Government of India, what the army has given them; is a befitting reply in the border area. Our forces are all set; we will not forgive Pakistan, Pakistan has to pay heavily for the Nagrota terrorism.

"Seven persons died in the attack, including Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir from Pandharpur (Maharashtra), and Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Koramangala in Karnataka. Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the corps headquarters.

Defence PRO Manish Mehta told ANI that combing operations have been called off and will be resumed at dawn on Wednesday.
MATTOON (JG-TC) -- Coles County nonprofit organizations are encouraged to send a list of their needs to the JG-TC for publication in December.

Each group should include its full name, address and phone number; and a short list of items needed, such as food, cash, volunteers, paper goods and more. Lists should be emailed to Editor Penny Weaver at pweaver@jg-tc.com.

The information will be compiled and printed in the Saturday, Dec. 17, edition of the newspaper. The deadline to send data to the paper is noon on Thursday, Dec. 15. Contact Weaver via email or at 217-238-6863 with questions.
New Delhi: Opposition parties on Wednesday continued their tirade against the government in the Lok Sabha over the demonetisation issue as protests and sloganeering forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the house for the day.

The opposition led by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued their demand to discuss the issue under a rule which entails voting. Earlier, both the parties were insistent that the discussion on the issue be held only under Rule 56, that calls for adjournment motion with voting.

Soon after the house met in the morning, the opposition parties, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, demanded that tributes should be paid by the house to the army men killed in the attack at an army base in Nagrota town, 15 km from Jammu.

The Speaker said that the combing operation is still continuing and the government is gathering the details about the incident.

Expressing dissatisfaction, the Congress, TMC, the Left and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), then staged a brief walkout over the issue.

After a few minutes the opposition members returned to the house and trooped near the Speaker`s podium to press their demand for discussion over the demonetisation issue.

Despite the din, Mahajan attempted to conduct the Question Hour, but following repeated disruptions, she adjourned the house till 12 noon.

When the house re-assembled, Leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said his party wants discussion on the demonetisation issue as the people are facing hardships.

Kharge also urged the Speaker to start the debate under any rule which entails voting.

TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay also said his party wants discussion under any rule which entails voting.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bhartruhari Mahatab suggested an immediate discussion on the hardships faced by people because of demonetisation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said the government agreed over Mahtab`s suggestions and was ready for a discussion.

However, the government did not agree to discuss the issue under rules that have the provisions for voting, saying any division of vote over the issue will send a wrong message.

"The government is ready to discuss the issue since November 16. The government wants a discussion on the issue without voting and send a message that the house is united to address the issue of black money," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

The Speaker also urged the agitating members that they should begin the discussion keeping aside rules.

But the opposition members did not relent and again trooped near the Speaker`s podium and started sloganeering against the government.

When members of the Congress, TMC, Left and others trooped into the well, raising slogans, Mahajan adjourned the house for 10 minutes till 12.45 p.m.

Later, she held a meeting with some opposition leaders in her chamber, but it failed to yield any outcome.

When the house again met after two adjournments, the scene was no different. Mahajan then adjourned the house for the day.

The Lok Sabha has experienced a virtual washout since the session began on November 16 as the government and the opposition have locked horns over the demonetisation issue.
New Delhi: Tufail Ahmad, a leading Muslim scholar on Wednesday proposed a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to initiate a public debate on it.

A former journalist with BBC World Service and author of "Jihadist Threat to India - The Case for Islamic Reformation by an Indian Muslim", Ahmad has called it a "working draft for public consultation.

"A uniform civil code was desired by the framers of the Constitution to ensure that basic fundamental rights of citizens, irrespective of their religious and other identities, are protected within a larger human rights framework," he said in a statement.

"This UCC is drafted within a broader context of a Universal Bill of Rights for the Indian citizen (Ubric). This draft UCC is the first-ever attempt to bring specific issues before the public for a wider discussion," he added.

The 12-clause document is a working draft to be improved through wider public consultation.

"At present, no draft UCC exists that could enlighten the people of India regarding the specifics that will constitute such a code," Ahmad explained of his venture.

"It is necessary to emphasize that the word 'uniform' in the uniform civil code is not meant to homogenise the lifestyles and identities of Indian citizens but to ensure that certain fundamental rights to equality and liberty are protected for them by the Indian state."

Ahmad also questioned political parties and civil society who have failed to make any attempt towards advocating UCC and said: "No attempt has been made by the Indian government to draft a Uniform Civil Code for fear that political parties could lose Muslim votes."

"Even civil society organisations and human rights activists have shied away from advocating a UCC for Indian citizens. This is a result of the prevailing erroneous belief that the uniform civil code is meant to curb personal laws, especially only of Muslims."

The Law Commission had, on October 7, floated a 16-point questionnaire on its website asking ed the common people, activists, organisations and other stakeholders to give suggestions on the implementation of the UCC. The Commission has extended the period for submission of replies to December 21.
Agartala: The body of Naik Chittaranjan Debbarma, killed in a terror attack in Jammu, will be brought to Tripura on Thursday for cremation at his native village with full state honours, officials said on Wednesday.

"The body of Debbarma, 36, will be brought here on Thursday and taken to Khowai, 80 km north of Agartala, by road to his native village Paglabari (in western Tripura)," Khowai Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prasun Dey told IANS over phone.

Tripura's Forest and Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia, Khowai District Magistrate Apurba Roy, senior Army and security officials will be present at the cremation.

Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base at Nagrota near Jammu.

Three attackers were gunned down. Three more militants died in a shootout with security forces near the International border with Pakistan.

The Debbarma family and their relatives and neighbours in Paglabari plunged into gloom after the news of his death reached the tribal-dominated village late on Tuesday night.

Naik Debbarma is survived by his wife Namita, aged parents and two children aged 11 and seven. His elder brother Arun Debbarma retired from the Army in March.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, in a condolence message, said his government expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

"Our brave Tripura soldier Chittaranjan Debbarma was martyred while protecting our country. We stand with his family in tough times," Sarkar said.

"We are shocked to hear the news. We are also very proud of him. He attained martyrdom while fighting for the nation," Sarkar added.

Chittaranjan Debbarma is the second security personnel from the area killed in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir within a week.

Earlier, 34-year-old Border Security Force Havildar Sambhu Satmura was killed in a landmine blast along the India-Pakistan border at Jamia Wali Gali of Sawjian sector in Poonch district on November 22.

Satmura, a resident of Agartala's Subhasnagar locality, was posted with the F Company of BSF's 107 Battalion.
Melbourne: Tightening its visa rules, New Zealand has issued half as many new study visas to Indian students in the past five months as in the same period last year, turning down too many potential students from India.

Between the start of July and the end of October, the country approved 3,102 visas, just 48 per cent of the 6,462 approved in the same period last year.

The fall was due to tighter rules for, and monitoring of, study visa applications from India because too many students were arriving with too little money to support themselves and too little English to study here, New Zealand's public broadcaster 'Radio New Zealand' reported.

Auckland International Education Group, which represents 16 private tertiary institutions, said the government had gone too far.

The group's spokesman Paul Chalmers said Immigration New Zealand's Mumbai office was turning down too many potential students.

"It's a matter of loosening up in Mumbai and saying 'this is now a catastrophic collapse'," he said.

"Rather than just trying to cut the shonky providers out of the market and the poor students who are filling in application forms incorrectly, they need to see if we can improve visa approval rates," Chalmers said.

He said the government was right to tighten English language requirements, but in some cases it was not clear why students were being refused visas.

"It's a wider-sweeping broom that is starting to block students for, from what we can see, no reason whatsoever. Students that would have previously been given visas are being declined," he said.

Richard Goodall, international education spokesperson of Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand (ITENZ), said good institutions would cope with the fall in enrolments from India, but others might go out of business.

ITENZ represents several hundred private tertiary institutions.

Goodall said the number of visa approvals was lower, but the calibre of students was higher.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the lower number of new visa approvals was likely to continue for a while. He said Immigration New Zealand was not being too tough.

"Don't forget what we're doing here is we're focusing on the things that are important for students to succeed here in terms of their English-language capability and their ability to support themselves financially when they're in New Zealand.

"So I make no apology for making sure that those things are followed up on and the declarations students make are correct," Goodall said, adding that a correction to the Indian market was needed.
New Delhi: Just two days ahead of Pakistan foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz's visit, India on Wednesday clarified that it has not officially received a request for any bilateral meeting from Islamabad.

"Pakistan has not requested for any bilateral meeting so far," Gopal Baglay, who heads the Ministry of External Affairs division dealing with Pakistan, said at a briefing here.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Foreign Policy Advisor Sartaj Aziz is scheduled to visit Amritsar, Punjab, on December 3 to attend the Heart of Asia Conference.

The conference, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, will see participation of over 40 countries.

This would be the first high-level visit from Pakistan after the announcement of Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue in December last year, which never took off in the wake of terror strikes, including the Pathankot airbase attack, and subsequent incidents which led to intense tensions between the two countries.

Ties between India and Pakistan have soured after the terrorist attack on an Army base in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir in September that left 19 soldiers dead and many wounded.

India has blamed Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack.

India also recently boycotted the Saarc summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November, citing continuous cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, it was for the first time that Parliament did not pay respects to "martyred" soldiers as no obituary reference was made in the Lok Sabha for the army men who were killed in a terror attack near Jammu city on Tuesday.

"Today, probably for the first time, we did not pay respect to the soldiers who were martyred. So, our party with (other) opposition parties walked out of (the Lok Sabha)," Gandhi said.

He was speaking to the media after the house was adjourned following ruckus over the demand for tributes to the army men killed in the attack at an army base in Nagrota town, 15 km from Jammu.

The attack left seven army men, including two officers, dead.
New Delhi: The BSF on Wednesday said the exact area from where terrorists who attacked the Pathankot IAF base infiltrated is still a matter of "conjecture" and that there was no direct evidence of a breach in the security system along the Indo-Pak border.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Wednesday said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that "four Pakistan-based terrorists entered Punjab via Janial road, Dhusi turn, near Ravi river bridge, Gulpur Simli village- Akalgarh and attacked airforce station in Pathankot."

Border Security Force chief K K Sharma said there are many "variables" on the border, marked by riverine gaps and other unguarded patches and Pathankot could be one of those.

"That is still a matter of conjecture. It is suspected they came from this area (as mentioned in the Minister's reply)... But there is no direct evidence of a breach (of the border fence)," he said.

The DG added that due to riverine areas and other gaps in the undulating terrain on the border, it is "not possible to erect a fence" everywhere.

Putting an end to speculation about the number of terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, Ahir's statement made it clear that only four militants had entered the airforce station to carry out the strike.

The answer was seen as contrary to a statement made by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on March 4. He had said that charred remains, apart from four bodies of terrorists, were found at the debris after security forces searched the Pathankot airforce station when the operation ended.

Talking about the Indo-Bangla border, the DG said non-lethal weapons given to BSF troops will "stay" as both the sides are determined to reduce the number of deaths on the frontier.

He said the incidents of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes along the border, especially in the notorious Malda area, has "drastically" gone down post demonetisation.

Asked if hostilities could increase in the wake of new Pakistan Army chief taking over, he said it was a "million dollar question" to him too.

Sharma added that the 2.5-lakh personnel strong force is running a special financial literacy programme for its troops so that they can save and invest better for their future.
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend a conclave of farmers, cattle-rearers and representative of cooperative and dairy sectors, which will be held at Deesa town of Banaskantha district on December 10.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel made this announcement in Gandhinagar today.

The state government had invited the PM to attend the agri-conclave, which he has accepted, Patel said.

"We had given a formal invitation to the PM to remain present at the event, so that we can get his valuable suggestions related to agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative sector. He has accepted the invitation and he will attend the conclave on December 10 at Deesa," Patel said.

Modi is also scheduled to visit Gujarat in January to inaugurate the international trading operations of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) at GIFT-City near Gandhinagar during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2017. That event will take place on January 9.
New Delhi: The Twitter account of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was hacked on Wednesday and some expletives-laden tweets were posted.

A series of shocking messages were tweeted from the official Twitter handler of Rahul Gandhi.

Confirming the development, his office said efforts were being made to rectify the problem.

Gandhi's account was hacked around 8.45 pm tonight and some messages with profanities were put out, but these were deleted soon thereafter. The name of the verified Twitter handle "@OfficeOfRG" was also changed.

Most of the tweets posted had abusive as well as objectionable content regarding the Congress party as well as Gandhi family.

After the hacking, Congress raised questions on the digital safety of all Indians and said it reflects disturbing insecurities of the prevalent fascist culture in the country.

Congress leader and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that his party will file a complaint in this regard at the cyber cell.

"Such lowly tactics will neither drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Rahul Gandhi from raising people's issues," Surjewala said.

"Such unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls to hack Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture," he said.

Surjewala also tweeted, "Pre-meditated hacking of @OfficeOfRG smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse and intimidate. It strengthens our resolve to fight for the Nation."

"Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of Digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed & modified," the Congress leader said in another tweet.
New Delhi: Delhi girl Tina Dabi, who topped the prestigious Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, has given a befitting reply to those who has raised questions about her plans to marry Athar Aamir-ul Shafi Khan of Jammu and Kashmir.

Notably, Athar had had finished in the UPSc exams second nationally. He was also the only Muslim in the top 100 successful candidates.

Meanwhile, reports had suggested that the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha has written a letter to Tina's parents saying that while they were proud of the UPSC topper's achievements, it was painful that she chose to marry a Muslim.

Munna Kumar Sharma, the national general secretary Hindu right wing outfit, had reportedly described Tina's relationship with Athar as love jihad.

Without naming anyone, Tina on Tuesday shared a message on her Facebook page with hashtag `Free Love`. It is seen as her reply to those who are opposing her relationship with Athar.

On Monday, Tina had posted a picture of hers with Athar and wrote a post: Humanity is the biggest religion we should follow...

The IAS topper is regular in posting her pictures with Athar on Facebook.

Here is what she posted:

Tina and Athar met at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) office in North Block for a felicitation function on May 11.
Lucknow, Nov 30 (IANS) The Micronutrient Initiative (MI) signed an MoU with the National Health Mission, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, to improve nutrition for the vulnerable populations, including women, newborns and young children, an official said.

The MoU was signed by the National Health Mission Director Alok Kumar and MI India Country Director Sucharita Dutta in presence of senior officials from the Routine Immunization, Adolescent Health, Maternal Health, Child Health and Community Processes Division and MI`s state team.

Although over the past few years, the state has reduced child mortality, the state infant mortality and child mortality rates at 48 and 57 children per 1,000 live births (SRS 2014) continue to be higher than the national averages while anaemia in children (6-59 months old) and pregnant women is 80 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively, an official informed.

As per the Rapid Survey of Children 2013-14 (Unicef), 47 per cent children below 5 years are underweight, 28.4 per cent are severely stunted and only 22.6 per cent of deliveries see early initiation of breastfeeding.

MI`s partnership with the National Health Mission aims at reducing malnutrition among adolescents, women and children through an integrated health service delivery, thereby supporting Uttar Pradesh in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The MoU outlines MI`s four-year programme (2016 to 2020) for supporting the state government`s health and nutrition initiatives with an investment of Rs 25.12 crores, supported by the Canada government.

"MI will work to reduce anaemia among adolescent girls and reach out to newborns to ensure they get the right start in life through safe deliveries, kangaroo mother care, Vitamin K at birth, delayed bathing, early initiation of breastfeeding and proper counselling of mothers on child care and nutrition.

Support would also be extended at community level to improve the infant and young child feeding practices among children below two years of age," the official further said.

The Mission Director Alok Kumar said, "This MoU reflects the commitment we have for mothers and children of Uttar Pradesh for ensuring their better health and nutrition and a better quality of life. The Micronutrient Initiative is supporting the implementation of key health and nutrition programmes which will steer the state close to achieving its targets."

MI India Country Director Sucharita Dutta said, "We believe in investing in women, girls and children so that the present and future generations are healthy and productive. It is our proud privilege to partner with the National Health Mission in Uttar Pradesh and together we are confident of breaking the cycle of malnutrition and making a difference to the lives of women, girls and young children of the state."

With MI`s support across 20 districts in the state, around 1.9 crore children below the age of 5 years will receive a boost with Vitamin A supplements, around 2.92 lakh newborns will benefit from early breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care, while in 10 districts nearly 8.2 lakh adolescent girls will receive weekly Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) under the National Iron Plus Initiative programme and children with diarrhoea will receive ORS and Zinc tablets.

MI is an international NGO working to improve nutrition for women and girls. In India, MI works with the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh to strengthen state-run health and nutrition programmes.
New Delhi: Pakistan has stitched together a sinister plan to take forward its Kashmir agenda.

Sources told Zee Media that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is targeting Indian Army camps in Jammu and Kashmir to keep security forces engaged in securing their own camps and thus lose focus on their primary operational task - securing the Valley.

Of late, the Indian Army has been actively carrying out security checks across Kashmir.

The tight vigil threw a spanner in ISI's sinister plan to launch multiple terror attacks in Kashmir.

Jammu region was rocked by two terror attacks on Tuesday in which seven Army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an Army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city this morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

In the deadliest attack on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, heavily armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Army in North Kashmir's Uri town on September 18, killing 17 jawans and injuring 20 other personnel.
Srinagar: Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base near Jammu.

Three militants were also killed in the operation that lasted nearly 14-hours after suicide militants dressed in police uniform stormed the 166 field regiment camp at 5.30 am.

Two officers identified as Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir and Major Akshay Girish Kumar were among the seven soldiers killed in the terror attack.

Five soldiers were also injured in the attack that occurred barely three km away from the headquarters of the Army's 16 corps in Nagrota.

At one stage, the gunmen at the Army base in the garrison town of Nagrota, some 15 km from Jammu, also took 12 soldiers, two women and two children hostage. But the Army said they were safely rescued.

Here are the first pictures of the Nagrota terror attack site:
Srinagar: Kashmiri rights activist Khurram Parvez, arrested in September for allegedly inciting violence in the Kashmir Valley, was set free on Wednesday following a court order.

Parvez was lodged in a Jammu jail after he was arrested on September 16 under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday said his detention was illegal and ordered his immediate release.

He was kept in jail even after the court ruling because there was an error in the arrest warrant. This was rectified only on Wednesday.

Parvez was arrested a day after being barred from boarding a flight to Geneva where he had to attend a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.
New Delhi: The Army on Wednesday resumed its combing operations in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists attacked as Army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives on Wednesday.

Army spokesman, Lt Col Manish Mehta said that search and combing operation began with first day light. The mopping operation to sanitise the area in Nagrota was halted on Tuesday evening after it became dark.

A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an Army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city yesterday morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

Seven Army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive.

It was the highest casualty the Indian Army suffered in a single terror attack after the September 18 killing of 19 soldiers at a military base in the Uri border town in the Kashmir Valley.

In an another incident, three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops on Tuesday. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.
Jammu: A day after three militants were killed in a shootout with security forces near the International Border with Pakistan in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday found a tunnel in the border area.

Talking to reporters, BSF DG KK Sharma said that the terrorists killed in Samba yesterday might have crawled through an 80-metre-long tunnel under farm lands to cross the International Border.

"After the operation got over at the Chamliyal BoP (border outpost), we checked the fence and there was no breach. Then today morning, we detected a small tunnel of the size of 2x2 metres... We had deployed 'depth nakas' across the fence and hence we could detect and neutralise the three militants. The tunnel was found in a field where farming is done and has soft soil."

"The tunnel is about 75-80 metres from the IB and about 35-40 metres from the fence," he said.

Meanwhile, top officials said the militants had planned to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives.

They added that the trio was carrying five bottles of liquid explosive trinitroglycerin.

"Militants had infiltrated to carry out big incidents. Their design was to blow up rail tracks and trains here as we have recovered chained IEDs and liquid explosives", Additional Director General (ADG) BSF and Special DG (Western Command) Arun Kumar told PTI.

They were out to carry out a chain of big impact terror incidents including blowing up of "running trains" and causing fire in trains as chain IEDs and liquid explosive are meant to blow up tracks and cause fire, he said.

"Had our troops not successfully contained and eliminated these heavily-armed terrorists with huge stores of explosive material, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland", Kumar said.

"It was only because of BSF's multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted," the force said.

Apart from arms, ammunition and explosive stores, BSF recovered 10 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) including five liquid type IEDs and three IED waist belts, five chain IEDs from three slain militants along IB in Chambiliyal belt of Ramgarh sector in Samba district yesterday.

"Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. The five bottles of liquid explosive contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire", IG BSF Jammu Frontier DK Upadhyaya said.

Terrorists are resorting to using undetectable liquid explosives like nitroglycerin now, the official said.

Nitroglycerin can be used for dynamite, explosive devices, and poison. Invented in 1847, it is made by adding acids to glycerin. Viscous and clear, it easy to conceal in lotion or shampoo bottles, an expert said.

Physical shock can start a chain reaction that breaks molecules down into carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen.

The breaking of the bonds between the atoms creates an explosion, he said.

The Jammu-Pathankot railway line is 20 kms away from the International Border (IB).

There have been several attacks targeting trains and tracks in Jammu-Samba-Kathua belts in the past.

It may be recalled that on July 27, 2015, three gunmen dressed in Army uniforms opened fire on a bus and then attacked the Dina Nagar Police Station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab after planting five chain linked bombs (IEDS) on the Amritsar-Pathankot line near Parmanand railway station, 5 kilometres from the site of the attack.

A railway trackman, while patrolling along the railway track between Dina Nagar and Jhakholari railway stations, spotted five bombs wired to a small bridge on the Amritsar-Pathankot line just before a passenger train was due to cross the bridge.

The train stopped 200 metres from the bombs. The attack resulted in the death of three civilians and four policemen, including a Superintendent of Police. Fifteen others were injured.

All three attackers were killed in the operation, which lasted almost 12 hours.

Militants crossed into IB and triggered bomb blasts on Jammu railway station on August 7, 2001, killing 12 people and injuring 29.

Similarly, infiltrating militants blew up a track in Samba on October 26, 2003. On February 10, 2000, infiltrating militants triggered blast in Shalimar Express train in Satwal in Kathua district killing five persons.

The infiltrating militants were also carrying 10 handcuffs with a design to carry out hostage taking.

"We have recovered from them 10 handcuffs in plastic. I think they were planning to carry out hostage taking as part of engineering terror incidents", the IG said.

Three AK-47 rifles, a pistol, 20 magazines, 514 AK rounds, a pistol magazine, 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, 2 knives, 2 dressing rolls, 2 jackets, 3 bags, one head gear, one lighter, 3 gloves, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables were recovered from the slain terrorists in Ramgarh sector yesterday.

Meanwhile, addressing journalists on the eve of the Border Security Force's 51st Raising Day, BSF DG KK Sharma said that a concerted effort has been made to modernise border fences but added that there was no technology to detect a tunnel.

The DG said the border guarding force would take up the matter with its counterparts -- Pakistan Rangers, but added that due to increased hostilities, the other side is not "getting in touch" for quite some time now.

BSF officials said there is "ample proof" and an indication to say that the militants crawled through the tunnel to reach this side of the border.

Sharma said the Nagrota attack that took place yesterday at an Army camp was "separate" and it was part of the investigation to find out if it had any connection with the Samba terror bid.

He said that since the increase of hostilities between the two sides, especially post the surgical strikes conducted by the army across the Line of Control, BSF has killed 15 Pakistani Rangers and 10 militants while it lost five troops.

"For the last 15 days, there has been no shelling along the IB. Post the surgical strikes we knew that infiltration attempts and attacks would increase along the IB which we exclusively guard and hence anticipating trouble we have been prepared against such attempts," he said, adding it was pitch dark last night hence picking up movements along the IB was difficult through the naked eye.

Sharma said BSF had "strong inputs that infiltration can be attempted from around the IB area and that is why we were in a position to effectively neutralise the three" yesterday.

The violence on Tuesday followed days of calm on the border and the Line of Control (LoC) between Indian and Pakistani forces.

The two sides have been exchanging heavy mortar and artillery fire for months after the Uri attack.

Following that, the Indian Army destroyed at least seven terror launch pads and killed an unknown number of terrorists and sympathisers across the LoC in Pakistani Kashmir.

(With Agency inputs)
Bhubaneswar: Popular Odia comedian Tattwa Prakash Satpathy alias Papu Pompom was on Wednesday attacked with ink and had his face blackened by activists who were offended by his allegedly controversial comments on Lord Jagannath at a stage show.

The incident took place at Jharpada on Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Road when Papu was returning from a shoot.

The comedian, expelled from the state's ruling BJD after allegations of sexually harassing a minor girl cropped up against him, was targeted by activists of the self-styled Lulu Sena, police said.

With the ink on his face and body, Papu was seen begging for forgiveness by holding his ears inside his car.

During his performance at a stage show in Puri two days ago, the popular comedian had said that 'tulsi' leaves which street dogs dirty every day are used in the rituals of Lord Jagannath. He further went on to say that those who utter 'Jay Jagannath' are sinners, sources said.

As the audience objected to Papu's remarks, which they considered offensive anti-Lord Jagannath, who is the presiding deity of Odisha, the comedian had to apologise from the stage itself.

Papu has explained that he did not intend to hurt anyone's religious feelings and whatever he said was only for humor.

Meanwhile, Jagannath Sena, an outfit fighting for the protection of Jagannath culture, lodged a complaint yesterday at the Sea Beach police station in Puri demanding Papu's arrest.

The comedian was arrested in June for sexually harassing the minor girl after promising to give her a break in films. He was released from jail after High Court granted him conditional bail on August 10.

Papu had unsuccessfully contested the state assembly elections in 2014 on a BJD ticket.
Kolkata: Two more doctors alleged to be actively involved in the international child trafficking racket in the state have been arrested by the CID.

Dilip Ghosh, formerly working with state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital linked to Sri Krishna Nursing Home on College Street in the city and Nityananda Biswas were arrested by CID sleuths late last night for their alleged involvement in the racket, a senior CID officer said.

Both Ghosh and Biswas, he said, had played crucial roles in the child trafficking racket and have been involved with it for a long time.

With the two arrests, a total 20 people have been arrested by CID in a span of 10 days since the racket was unearthed at Baduria in North 24 Parganas.

Ghosh, a resident of Salt Lake, was called by CID yesterday afternoon for an over an hour-long grilling at its headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan.

During grilling it surfaced that the doctor, who is in his mid-60s, knew Santosh Kumar Samanta, who was associated with the same nursing home and was also arrested for his alleged involvement in the racket.

The doctor, who was an active member of BJP, was asked to surrender his passport during yesterday's grilling.

Biswas, a resident of Parnashree area of Behala, was picked up from his residence, the officer said.
Kabul: The number of people displaced by conflict in Afghanistan this year has surpassed half a million people, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, the highest number since it began tracking such statistics in 2008.

More than 515,800 people have been internally displaced by fighting in 2016, surpassing the previous record of about 471,000 set last year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Violence has spread around the country as the Western-backed government battles Taliban and other insurgent groups.

The Taliban are estimated to control or contest nearly a third of the country, and casualties among civilians and the security forces are near record highs.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have sought asylum in Europe and other areas, but many have been forced to return home.

This year, more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who had been living in Pakistan were pressured to return, adding to a potentially long-term burden carried by aid agencies and the Afghan government.

"I am concerned these record figures show not just an alarming number of new IDPs, but a longer term crisis where increasing numbers of families in Afghanistan are facing prolonged displacement," U.N. humanitarian coordinator Mark Bowden said in a statement, referring to internally displaced people.

"We must collectively rethink the manner in which we provide assistance and ensure that vulnerable displaced families not just receive lifesaving, emergency humanitarian assistance, but support that delivers a real opportunity for IDPs to rebuild their lives for the long-term."

The United Nations says it has received a little over half of the $152 million in emergency funding it needs to address the immediate needs of internally displaced people in Afghanistan.
Yangon: Myanmar`s Rohingya may be victims of crimes against humanity, the UN`s rights agency said Tuesday, as former UN chief Kofi Annan arrived in the country for a visit that will include a trip to northern Rakhine.

The army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the western state and thousands of the Muslim minority have flooded over the border into Bangladesh this month, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.

Some 30,000 have fled their homes and analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police posts last month.

The government has lashed out at media reports of rapes and killings, and lodged a protest over a UN official in Bangladesh who said the state was carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya.

Foreign journalists and independent investigators have been banned from accessing the area to probe the claims.

On Tuesday, the UN OHCHR said Myanmar`s treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.

More than 120,000 Rohingya have been crammed into displacement camps since sectarian violence in 2012, where they are denied citizenship, healthcare and education and their movements are heavily curbed.

"The government has largely failed to act on the recommendations made in a report by the UN Human Rights Office... (that) raised the possibility that the pattern of violations against the Rohingya may amount to crimes against humanity," the OHCHR said in a statement.

Amid the mounting crisis, former UN chief Annan on Tuesday began a week-long visit to Myanmar that will include a trip to northern Rakhine

Suu Kyi in August appointed her fellow Nobel laureate to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides that split the impoverished state.

Annan has expressed "deep concern" over the violence in Rakhine, which has seen thousands of angry Muslims take to the streets across Asia in protest.

But Aye Lwin, a Muslim member of the Rakhine commission, defended Suu Kyi`s handling of the crisis.

"What she has inherited is a dump of rubbish, a junk yard," he told AFP, pointing out the army retains control of security and defence under a constitution written under the former junta.

"Her hands are tied -- she can`t do anything. What she is doing is trying to talk and negotiate and build trust" with the army, he added.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the money trail of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's flats in London with one of the judges observing that there was no bank record of money being transferred from Pakistan to a foreign country.

Hearing a case pertaining to the alleged offshore wealth of Sharif's family in London, the apex court said the family had not presented documents for companies it had mentioned. In fact, documents had been hidden from the court, it said.

"Why were the documents hidden?" the court asked Akram Sheikh, the lawyer for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children.

"If you say that you are a shareholder, you will have to give evidence," Geo TV quoted Justice Azmat Saeed as saying.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's counsel Naeem Bukhari submitted a two-page summary of a transaction questioning the Sharif family's investment of 12 million dirhams in Qatar in 1980 despite owing the Bank of Commerce and Credit International (BCCI) 14 million dirhams.

Justice Sheikh remarked that the Sharifs had failed to explain how they had cleared the aforementioned dues in 1980. He also observed that the Sharifs had also failed to explain how they had financed the construction of Jeddah Steel Mills.

The bench also observed that there was no similarity between the signatures of premier Sharif's cousin Tariq Shafi on an affidavit and a contract presented before the court.

Bukhari also contended that the Sharifs had failed to produce a single document showing how money had been transferred from Pakistan to Dubai, Doha, Jeddah and London.

Separately, PTI chief Imran Khan said the apex court had done the right thing by questioning the absence of a money trail as the Sharifs did not have the money they claimed to possess.

"Today's proceedings in the apex court have exposed the discrepancy in the family's documents and statements," Khan told journalists.

"Though the case is ongoing, it technically stands dissolved courtesy the aforementioned discrepancy," he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

Imran Khan's party claims to have come up with fresh evidence this week to press its stance that Sharif's London properties had been purchased in the 1990s rather than the ruling family's claim of buying them in 2006.

On Monday, during the hearing, the PTI contended that the Sharif family owned both Nelson and Nescol companies in 1999.

On November 15, Prime Minister Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz submitted documentary evidence on the legitimacy of their assets before the top court, claiming a Qatari prince paid for their London apartment.

On November 3, the premier denied holding offshore companies in a written response to the Supreme Court on Panamagate petitions. In his reply, Sharif said he had declared all his assets in 2013, hence was not liable for disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

A treasure trove of classified documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca in April claimed that three scions of the Sharif family were among dozens of powerful people who owned offshore businesses across international tax havens.
Manila: Philippine police have detained two men for an attempted bombing this week near the US embassy that has been blamed on Islamic State sympathisers, an official said on Wednesday.

Other alleged plotters are still being hunted over the powerful bomb found planted in a trash can near the US embassy in Manila on Monday, said the capital`s head of police, Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde.

"They were detained as persons of interest in the planting of the IED (improvised explosive device)," he told AFP of the arrested pair.

"There is a real possibility that this is the handiwork of the Maute group," he said, referring to an armed Muslim extremist group that has previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement in Syria and Iraq.

He described one man, who was arrested in Bulacan province just outside the capital, as a Muslim convert and the other, detained in a Manila residential area, as a Muslim.

Albayalde added they were hunting for "three to five other suspects," but declined to give details.

The Maute group has also been blamed for a bomb that injured seven military bodyguards of President Rodrigo Duterte and two other soldiers in Mindanao on Tuesday.

The group recently occupied part of the remote mountain town of Butig in the troubled southern Philippines island of Mindanao, prompting the military to launch an offensive.

Three alleged members were also arrested last month, for the September bombing that left 15 people dead in Davao, Duterte`s hometown and Mindanao`s largest city.

Duterte visited Butig town 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila on Wednesday, conferring with military officers and local officials and later meeting with wounded soldiers.

Military spokesman Major Filemon Tan said most of Butig had been recaptured from the Maute group with 61 of the extremists slain and 12 wounded, compared to 35 injured on the government side.

But the Maute group has weathered military assaults before, having been driven from Butig in a previous offensive in February.

In a speech after visiting Butig, Duterte said he hoped the actions of the group would not lead to further violence.

"I do not want to wage war but do not force my hand to do it," he said.

Muslim groups have waged a decades-long armed independence struggle in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that is believed to have claimed more than 120,000 lives.

On Monday, Duterte said IS, which controlled vast swathes of Iraq and Syria, had linked up with the Maute gang, a departure from previous military denials of formal links between IS and local extremist groups.
Seoul; South Korea`s opposition on Wednesday said it will continue with the impeachment proceedings against President Park Geun-hye even though she has agreed to step down because of her involvement in a scandal.

Park on Tuesday said in a televised address to the nation that she was ready to resign before the end of her term due to her involvement in the "Korean Rasputin" scandal, Efe news reported.

The leaders of the country`s three main opposition parties -- the Democratic Party, the People`s Party and the Justice Party -- said they will not negotiate the proposal put forward by Park.

The President, who has lost the support of the people and all political parties, including her own Saenuri Party, left the decision of her resignation to Parliament.

She urged Parliament to establish a legal timetable and procedures to enforce her resignation and ensure a stable transfer of power.

The opposition called Park`s proposal a political movement seeking to commit illegalities and unconstitutional acts in the National Assembly and accused her to trying to evade impeachment.

The opposition said Park was trying to buy time to push for a change in the Constitution, which will reduce the presidential term from the present five years to four and allow her to make a more dignified exit.

The opposition leaders said the South Korean people did not want to usher in the New Year with Park still at the helm and that the President had lost her credibility by allegedly participating in the illegal actions of her friend Choi Soon-sil.

The Prosecutors` Office considers Park an accomplice of Choi, who was allegedly involved in affairs of the state, though not holding any public office, and extorting substantial sums of money from companies she partially appropriated.

The opposition hold 165 of the 300 seats in Parliament, which means it would need the backing of the lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party to achieve the two-thirds vote required for impeachment.

The impeachment is expected to go ahead despite the fact that most Saenuri lawmakers have declared their support for Park.

The impeachment process will then have to be greenlighted by the Supreme Court.

According to protest organisers, around two million people took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Park, whose popularity ratings have dropped to a record low of four per cent.


Vienna: Austrians are choosing Sunday between a moderate and a populist for president and both candidates are hoping to exploit the Trump effect in the first European Union nation facing such a choice since the US election.

Surveys show most Austrians think that populist Norbert Hofer stands to benefit to the detriment of left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen in the December 4 vote.

Whoever wins, the election has significance beyond who will claim the largely ceremonial post.

How the Trump bump plays out here could be a barometer of its resonance in other countries with upcoming national elections that also feature strong populist and euroskeptic contenders inspired by the US billionaire's triumph in the US presidential election.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has welcomed the Trump victory as a "sign of hope," while xenophobe Geert Wilders, who hopes to become prime minister in the Netherlands, has hailed the Trump "revolution."

At his hate-speech trial, Wilders described Trump's victory as the start of a movement "making short shrift of the politically correct doctrines of the elite and their subordinate media."

"It's about to be proven in Austria," he added.

Van der Bellen won the vote earlier this year. But it is being re-run by a court order on claims by Hofer's Freedom Party of major irregularities, and with Trump's victory still fresh in the minds of Austria's electorate both candidates hope to benefit.

Van der Bellen says he hopes that Trump's triumph will serve as a "wake-up call" to vote for him and against Hofer. Hofer, whose support ranges from voters disaffected with the political establishment to the neo-Nazi fringe, greeted the U.S. Election result as a victory for democracy, blasting opponents who "wildly berate" Trump.

Of 800 Austrian respondents in a Gallup survey with a margin of error of 3.5 per cent, 53 per cent say the Trump victory will benefit Hofer, with only 9 per cent thinking it will help Van der Bellen, and the rest undecided.

Potential voters on the streets of Vienna, however, say the "Trump effect" could cut both ways.

"I would think it helps Hofer," said Fanny Holzer, 19, and Van der Bellen supporter. "On the other hand, if you consider the nonsense that Trump could do, then maybe Van der Bellen."

Others said the US election result has not affected whom they will vote for.

"I remain with the choice I made originally," said Leo Ebner, 67. "America is a good distance away from Austria." Anne della Rossa, in her early 40s, said many US voters backed Trump because "people think he will give them something because he is rich."
New York: President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday chose a former Goldman Sachs banker and a billionaire investor to steer economic policy in his administration and a fierce Obamacare critic to dismantle President Barack Obama`s signature healthcare program.

Trump, a Republican, is expected to name Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood financier, as his nominee for Treasury secretary, a source said, putting a Wall Street veteran in the top US economic Cabinet post.

Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002 to launch a hedge fund, served as Trump`s campaign finance chairman.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, known for his investments in distressed industries, is expected to be named commerce secretary, a source said.

The announcements could come as early as Wednesday.

The flurry of picks showed Trump, a real estate tycoon with no governing experience, rewarding loyalists and established Washington veterans as he rounds out his circle of top advisers.

Republican US Representative Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Trump`s health and human services secretary, and Seema Verma, the founder of a health policy consulting company, will lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of Health and Human Services and oversees government health programs for the poor and the elderly and insurance standards.

Trump also announced his choice of Elaine Chao, labor secretary under President George W. Bush, to serve as secretary of transportation, saying in a statement that her expertise would be an asset "in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure."

While Trump made decisions on his economic team, he continued to mull over who should serve as his top diplomat. He dined with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a one-time critic, at a French restaurant in New York on Tuesday night.

Trump cast Price and Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office on Jan. 20 with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, the health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment in 2010, it has been a target of Republican attacks.

Price has characterized Obamacare as "doing real harm to American families" and has co-sponsored legislation to replace it.



Verma helped Pence, the Indiana governor, add conservative pieces to Medicaid coverage for the state`s poor by requiring beneficiaries to make contributions to health savings accounts. She also worked on Medicaid programs in Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, was among the defenders of Obamacare who criticized Price`s selection. "Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said.

The 2010 healthcare overhaul, aimed at expanding insurance coverage to millions more Americans, triggered a long, bitter fight between the White House and congressional Republicans, who said it created unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry.

Trump has said he will replace Obamacare with a plan to give states more control over Medicaid and allow insurers to sell plans nationally.

Both Price and Verma will need Senate confirmation. Congressional approval will be needed to repeal and change the health law.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended Obamacare on Tuesday, saying it had expanded coverage to millions of Americans, boosted consumer protections and shored up the finances of the Medicare program for the elderly. "We`ll see if Trump care measures up," he said.

Trump said after meeting with Obama following his Nov. 8 election victory that he would consider keeping the provisions of the healthcare law that let parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and that bar insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Price, an early Trump supporter in the US House of Representatives who leads the budget committee, has proposed a plan that would create age-based tax credits for people who buy insurance coverage on their own.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday the eventual congressional plan to replace Obamacare would likely have much in common with Price`s ideas.

Price`s plan would also roll back the 2010 law`s expansion of Medicaid for low-income people, a change that helped Obamacare cut the number of uninsured Americans to 29 million in 2015 from 49 million in 2010.

Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "save" Medicare, but Democrats said Price`s plans could amount to privatizing the government program for the elderly. Price has endorsed converting Medicare from a program that covers set benefits to a voucher-style program to help people buy coverage.

"We say to Republicans who want to privatize Medicare: Go try it. Make our day," Schumer said on Tuesday, saying the change would be unpopular with the public.

Democrats also criticized the pick because Price has supported barring federal funds for Planned Parenthood, which provides some abortions in addition to birth control, health exams and other services.

Trump has met with about 70 people as he looks to shape his White House and Cabinet team. Chao, his pick for transportation secretary, was the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position, as labor secretary. She is married to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump saw retired General David Petraeus, a potential candidate for the State Department or the Pentagon, on Monday. On Tuesday, he met with Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Corker and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as well as Romney, are in the running for secretary of state.
Chonmipem Horam `Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent`- Victor Hugo Can you imagine a life void of music? Absolutely NOT! Whether you admit it or not, music permeates our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. Music is harmony and music is beauty. Music has the quality of expressing the inexpressible. One cannot approach music with ones own peculiar likes, dislikes or tastes, which are all a part of ones own conditioning. Music is something both extraordinarily complex and incredibly simple at the same time.Roots of World Music day World Music Day also known as Fete de la Musique, was a music festival that began in France in 1982.The idea was conceived by French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang in 1981. Since then June 21st has been celebrated every year as World Music Day. Today, it has spread to Argentina, Australia, Britain, Luxemburg, Germany, Switzerland, Costa Rica, China, India, Lebanon, Pakistan and many other countries. On this day, the musicians perform for free in open areas. Free concerts are organized in parks, museums, train stations, castles etc. This is done to promote music, making all genres of music accessible to the public. It gives an opportunity to communicate and share special bond through music. The term World Music includes traditional as well as non-western music. It is folk music of any culture, created and played by indigenous people. It is a classical form of music accompanied by traditional ethnic instruments, some prominent forms are  Japanese Koto music, India raga music, Tibetan chants and South African `township music`. Genres India, being a land of unity in diversity with various cultures, traditions, art forms, every region has its own unique musical form. While there are various genres, Indian classical music has been divided into North Indian tradition known as Hindustani music and Carnatic music belonging to South India. But apart from these, there are varied forms such as  Bhangra, Bhajans or devotional, Ghazals and Qawwalis, Indi-pop, Folk, Tribal, Film songs, Remixes, Fusion. While, Bhangra is a dance oriented folk music, Bhavageete (literally `devotional song`) is a form of expressionist poetry and light music. Qawwali is a Sufi form of devotional music based on Hindustani classical. And in the West, we have Metal, Punk, Rock, Hip-Hop, Hard Rock, alternative, Experimental, Country, Disco, Funk, Classical, Progressive, Trance, Techno, Ska, Reggae music. Trance Music was developed in early quarters of 20th century and is generally played in club houses and dance floors. Indigenous Country Music born of the US is in form of folk, Celtic, church, gospels and tribal music, while, Pop Music is both classical and folk. Reggae is a music genre developed in late 1960`s. Its lyrics deal with faith, love, sexuality, relationships, injustice etc. Hip-hop is both a cultural movement and genre of music developed in New York City in 1970`s by African Americans and Latin Americans.The good, the bad and the ugly Music is an important form of communication. Its a reflection of society in a particular time and place. Music needs no boundaries, it bonds us irrespective of who we are, and where are we from. Not only its a source of entertainment but it also acts as a medium to convey messages, of how things are, and what lies ahead in the future. Michael Jackson`s song `Heal the world sounds beautiful as well as inspiring as it echoes noble thoughts. There`s A Place In Your Heart, And I Know That It Is Love, And This Place Could Be Much Brighter Than Tomorrow, And If You Really Try You`ll Find There`s No Need To Cry,In This Place You`ll Feel There`s No Hurt Or Sorrow There Are Ways To Get There If You Care Enough For The Living Make A Little Space, Make A Better Place... Heal The World, Make It A Better Place, For You And For Me And The Entire Human Race There Are People Dying, If You Care Enough For The Living, Make A Better Place For You And For Me If You Want To Know Why There`s A Love That Cannot Lie Love Is Strong, It Only Cares For Joyful Giving If We Try, We Shall See In This Bliss We Cannot Feel, Fear Or Dread We Stop Existing And Start Living Then It Feels That Always Love`s Enough For Us Growing So Make A Better World Make A Better World... And The Dream We Were Conceived In, Will Reveal A Joyful Face And The World We Once Believed In Will Shine Again In Grace Then Why Do We Keep Strangling Life Wound This Earth, Crucify Its Soul Though It`s Plain To See, This World Is Heavenly Be God`s Glow We Could Fly So High Let Our Spirits Never Die In My Heart, I Feel You Are All My Brothers Create A World With No Fear Together We`ll Cry Happy Tears See The Nations Turn their Swords Into Plowshares We Could Really Get There If You Cared Enough for The Living Make A Little Space, To Make A Better Place... You And For Me Music also grants us the freedom of expression. Like in late 1980`s and 90`s, young black Americans coming out of the Civil Rights Movement used this to show the limitation of the movement. It used Hip-hop to voice their issues. It lets them the world to be noticed. But inspite of all these social impacts, there have been negative aspects as well. Some of the most popular songs in Hip-hop genre have negatively influenced violence, drugs, alcohol, sex and disrespect for authorities, which is detrimental to the lives and education of the youngsters.Festivals There are many World Music festivals and jazz/folk/roots/new age crossover events. The Ariano Folkfestival is the biggest World Music festival in southern Italy, is held in mid August. The California World Music Festival is held each July at Nevada County Fairgrounds. The World Sacred Music Festival is held annually in Olympia, Washington State. FloydFest in Floyd, Virginia, USA. The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, New York, USA. Rainforest World Music Festival is another world music festival held in Malaysia. Stern Grove festival is a San Francisco celebration of musical and cultural diversity. The Starwood Festival in New York has been held in July every year since 1981.
First, kudos. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has established numerous standards over its existence that have benefited untold numbers of patients. From surgical time-outs and team communications to standards for handling surgical implants, there is no doubt that AORN guidelines have improved patient and staff safety and have resulted in overall improved patient outcomes. That said, a review of AORN's surgical attire recommendations shows them to be without the evidential foundation to support the zeal of their enforcement.

A few years ago, AORN announced that lab coats, home-laundered scrubs, and personal surgical caps were bad. At the large academic institution that employs me, personal surgical caps were banned, lab coats could not be worn even in the hallway of the OR, and disposable warm-up jackets became mandatory for all personnel passing beyond the red line. When questioned for the reasons behind the warm-up jackets and banning of personal surgical caps, the director of perioperative services responded with, Because AORN says.

The halls outside the OR rooms now had a blue hue, as blue disposable warm-up jackets permeated the OR. The problem was that this blue bled outside the OR as well. Transporters wore their blue jackets to pick up patients to take them to surgery. OR nurses and techs wore them across the street to the medical education building to attend training classes and meetings. The cafeteria became a sea of blue at lunchtime, making these jackets no more clean than a home-laundered lab coat.

A search of the literature found a study by Burden and colleagues that demonstrated that 3 hours after you put on your hospital-laundered scrubs and your disposable blue jacket, you were already significantly contaminated.1 Within 8 hours of wear, your clean surgical attire was just as contaminated as the lab coat laundered last weekend. This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial that allocated 100 residents into two groups in a registered government clinical trial.1 Group A wore clean, hospital-laundered scrubs and changed at the start of each shift. Group B wore a lab coat, laundered by the wearer as he or she saw fit. Cultures were taken from each group. The results: No statistically significant differences were found in bacterial or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination of physicians' white coats compared with newly laundered short-sleeved uniforms or in contamination of the skin at the wrists of physicians wearing either garment. Colony counts of newly laundered uniforms were essentially zero, but after 3 hours of wear they were nearly 50% of those counted at 8 hours.1

The conclusion: Bacterial contamination occurs within hours after donning newly laundered short-sleeved uniforms. After 8 hours of wear, no difference was observed in the degree of contamination of uniforms versus infrequently laundered white coats.1

The same group undertook another prospective, randomized, controlled, government clinical trial to look at standard scrubs versus antimicrobial scrubs, and again found no evidence that either antimicrobial scrub product decreased bacterial contamination of (healthcare workers') uniforms or skin after an 8-hour workday.2

The AORN guidelines do not reference either of these trials, opting instead for mostly Level III evidence to support its recommendations. The sea of blue became an ocean. This continued for a year until the hospital realized that it was going through thousands of disposable jackets a week at a cost of millions of dollars annually. The jackets quietly became optional and most staff returned to not wearing them. Moreover, our rate of surgical site infections (SSIs) was unchanged while the mandatory use policy was in force.

I was recently invited to attend a surgery in the United Kingdom. I was closely following my surgeon sponsor through the halls of the hospital as we discussed the use of physician assistants (PAs) in cardiothoracic surgery in the UK. As we made our way down various halls, we were suddenly in the OR. I had walked into the OR without a mask. I looked at him and he had no mask. In fact, the circulating nurse, the perfusionist, and the anesthesiologist were sans mask as well. Only the scrub tech and the surgical resident opening the patient's chest were masked. I gasped. That's rubbish, he replied. You Yanks all mask up. Here, we don't mask unless you're standing over the patient. That's the way it is throughout the UK, he said. And our infection rates aren't any different than yours.

I've operated in a dozen different countries around the world. They use cloth drapes, cloth hats, cloth masks. In many countries, the OR nurses wear open-toe flip flops. They reuse single-use items, after appropriate reprocessing (a practice just beginning to make its way into US ORs). All of these practices are all but outlawed by the AORN. If you believe that all of these countries are willing to live with SSI rates that are different than ours, then you might also believe that we are the only sentient life-forms in the known universe. Indeed, even in this country, the level of enforcement of AORN attire standards varies greatly from one hospital to the next, and of those hospitals with less enforcement, many are described as top performersrecognition that the stigma of a high SSI rate would obviously prevent.

So what is the AORN's evidence for its recommendations? A review of its own surgical attire evidence table reveals that of the 120 listed nonregulatory pieces of evidence, 23% are not backed up by research (Levels IV and V).3 Of the remaining 77% of references, only one is a randomized controlled trial (Level IA), which would seem to support Burden's conclusion dealing with the ineffectiveness of using specialized antimicrobial scrubs.

Nearly 36% of the studies used in the recommendations are Level II, per the AORN's hierarchy of evidence, and the vast majority of studies (more than 60%) are Level III, which means that they are systematic reviews or simple case-controlled studies. Most of these studies are in vitro in their design and have no proven correlation to SSI outcomes.

SURGEONS' CAPS

In dealing with the hair cover issue, the AORN has chosen to rely on a study from 1965 that demonstrated that hair was a carrier of Staph species, and a case report listed as Level VA evidence (unsupported by research to prove correlation).4,5 Additionally, AORN tells us that surgeons' scrub caps are inappropriate because they fail to cover the ears. This is indicative of unfounded AORN dogma. A search of the literature fails to find any study or even a case report that deals with infection by bacteria from the ears. There is, however, a study that shows that cerumen contains antimicrobial proteins that help prevent otitis.6 Evidence given by AORN for this recommendation seems based on a single study in which significantly more colonies of bacteria were cultured from subjects' ears than their faces.7 This study is used to recommend the use of exhaust helmets for arthroplasty surgeries. However, the AORN chose to ignore another controlled study that compared bacterial surface contamination in ORs where teams wore exhaust gowns with cases done with conventional surgical gowns.8 That study concluded that body exhaust gowns could not be proven to provide more protection against microbial contamination than conventional gowns.

Disposable bouffant caps are now required in many ORs, yet one need only to look around the OR to see ears and tufts of hair protruding. There is certainly no difference between this and wearing a surgeon's style cap and no proven foundational evidence that one cap is superior to the other in preventing SSIs.

HOME LAUNDERING

The AORN lists several references dealing with home-laundered scrubs. One of the key studies used swatches contaminated with viruses that were then laundered at home with other clothing using just detergent or a combination of detergent, bleach, and a drying cycle.9 Although this study found that the use of sodium hypochlorite (the most common substance in laundry bleach) reduced the number of infectious viruses on the swatches after washing and drying by at least 99.99%, the AORN describes the results somewhat disingenuously in an article by Graling.10 In their supplementary reference table to the Graling article, AORN states that according to the study, The use of bleach reduced the number of infectious viruses after washing and drying but did not eliminate them. True, up to 0.01% of the virions in this very limited study survived the laundry with bleach and drying. Unfortunately, the study did not use hospital laundering as a control.

The remainder of AORN's supplementary table of references supporting its recommendations are in vitro studies demonstrating that cotton is less susceptible to contamination than synthetic fibers and that the longer you wear an item, the more contaminated it will be. None of these references change anything shown by Burden and colleagues' study. You start out clean and within a few hours, you're dirty.

CONCLUSION

No one doubts that bacteria and viruses exist on those of us who work in the OR. That said, the AORN has used mostly Level III and a paucity of Level II evidence to convince hospital administrators to enforce rules that are not borne out by randomized controlled trials. No evidence suggests that scrubs, lab coats, or surgeon's caps laundered at home contribute to SSIs. Any remaining bacteria or virus (or lack thereof) from home laundering will quickly be overwhelmed by wearing the items. The same is true for disposable items. Hospital-laundered or even single-use scrubs or caps cannot prevent the proliferation of contagions that comes from normal use. More importantly, wearing hospital-laundered clothing and covering every square inch of the head has never been shown to reduce the number of SSIs.

AORN wants to prevent SSIs. This is an admirable goal. However, AORN's approach fails to use the best evidence available to prove that their dictums are effective. When considering the application of strategies to improve patient outcomes, we must not forget that actual patient outcomes should be the metric by which those strategies should be judged to be effective.

In a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine article, Auerbach and colleagues address the need to apply the same rules to the implementation of quality improvement strategies that we would to evaluate a new drug or other treatment for its efficacy and safety.11 They conclude: ...recommending or mandating the widespread adoption of interventions to improve quality or safety requires rigorous testing to determine whether, how, and where the intervention is effectivejust as in the rest of medicine. Clarification of this picture is critical because a number of widely promulgated interventions are likely to be wholly ineffective, even if they do not harm patients. Even worse, in the current environment, we will not know what these interventions are.

Perhaps it is time for AORN to look again at the evidence and sponsor the randomized controlled trials necessary to prove that its recommendations meet the standards of evidence-based medicine.
Flashback to May 2012. It was the first day of my clinical experience as a certified nursing assistant, and I arrived at the nursing home at 7 a.m. with no idea what to expect but an open mind. My first patient was an older man, and I walked to his bedside to inspect his condition. His mouth was permanently perched open to the point that his oral mucosa was dry and cracked. His eyes were closed and so sunken that his bony structures protruded. His frail and emaciated body was rigid as he lay in a deflated bed in a cold room. I stepped closer to him, placed my hand on his arm, and introduced myself. His skin was frigid. He was motionless. All I could hear were his sparse and erratic respirations whistling through his patent mouth.

At this point in my training I didn't know much, but I knew this wasn't right. This man was dying right before my eyes. There was no family in the room. There were no friends. There was just me, a nurse, and this man's imminent death. In my mind I was terrified. Was I supposed to do something? Was I supposed to just let him die? As I stood in the background while the nurse waited to call his eventual time of death, I took the time to be silent. To be still, and to hope that he would find his own peace. In that moment, there was nothing I could say, nothing I could do to change the outcome. As he hovered between life and death, I questioned if my presence was necessary? No, not really, I concluded. But the thought of him dying alone, unwitnessed, in a cold, empty room was not acceptable. In his last moments, he took several deep breaths and then the breathing halted. His once tense body now completely relaxed.

It was then that I realized I had looked at his final moments with selfish eyes. I wanted to help him. I wanted to be his calming presence. I didn't want him to be all alone or to be forgotten. I wanted to do something. I wanted it all to have meaning and purposefor myself. But his death wasn't about me at all. This wasn't my story. Instead, it was about a man who suffered in a body that was beyond repair, and his death was his release. He was no longer suffering. No longer agonizing. He was set free in mind and in body. As he transitioned from one phase to the next, whatever and wherever that may have been, it was certainly away from the broken shell that remained on the bed.

Flash forward to October 2015. I am now a PA student in my general surgery rotation. I haven't seen a patient die since that very first patient encounter several years ago. But I am not thinking about death today; instead, I am preparing for my first aortobifemoral bypass, on a 60-year-old woman. From her chart, I know her risk factors are extensive, including high cholesterol, heart disease, age, obesity, high BP, and an extensive smoking history. After conservative measures have failed, this surgery is now her only hope. The surgical team and I await her arrival, and she finally rolls through the OR doors. She is propped up in her stretcher, and her robust abdomen shakes as she glides along the floor. Her hair is brittle, and the smell of smoke exudes from her pores. Even though she promised all her doctors she would stop smoking, her fingertips are still stained with nicotine. She is a sweet woman, though, and is in the best of moods. She lies on the table with a smile on her face and is ready for whatever may come of this surgery, as she knows her body is unable to fight her extensive disease by itself.

Hours into the surgery, she begins to code. Her abdomen is wide open, and we quickly remove medical tools from her open cavity. Surgeons are yelling, tension is high, and everyone is scrambling. No one speaks to me, but a piercing look from the fellow tells me I must get out of the way. I step back from the table as the surgeons begin CPR.

In that moment, I recall the very first patient I saw die, and the same thoughts cross my mind. Is this it for her? Am I supposed to do something? I am more educated and more experienced than I was several years ago, but I still have no ability to help the dying patient in front of me. So, again, I stay quiet, in a cold room, with no family or friends of the patient to be seen. The patient continues to code, and eventually she dies. The surgeon is angry and blames herself for not being able to save her patient. But as I stand silently among the chaos, I remember again that this is not about me or the success of the surgeon. This is about a woman in a body she could not escape. At this moment, I can see what no one else appears to have noticed. She is free. Sometimes, being trapped in a failing body or mind is worse than death. Unfortunately for this patient, her body had entrapped her, and when medicine could not provide a cure, her only remaining chance of release was death.

For me, these experiences were transcendent. I was able to witness not just death but the beauty of death. This beauty isn't always tangible or visible, but it's there, whispering through the societal and medical constructs that say death is always a bad outcome. And in her whispers, death shows her beauty by liberating a body that no longer functions.

Maintaining patients' quality of life and constantly deciphering the right diagnosis, treatment, and cure are valued above anything else in medicine, but where does that leave those patients who are preparing for death? Every moment of life should be treated with the utmost care and respectfrom beginning to end. The beginning of life is often described as beautiful and a miraclethe opposite of death. Yet death might be the final remedy that allows a patient to finally get the comfort he or she has been seeking for so many years.

Too often, as clinicians or as caregivers, we become selfish in what we want for our loved ones or patients who are reaching the end of their journey here on earth. We want what fits our needs, what can give us the best closure and serenity. We ascribe immense importance to the meaning of life, but often the sacredness of death is lost. Yes, life should always be valued. But we also should have a greater acceptance for death and take the time to realize the majesty of its grasp.
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - November 30, 2016) - Lift Cannabis Co Ltd ("Lift") announced today that it has partnered with Emblem Corp. ("Emblem"), one of Canada's newest federally-licensed cannabis producers, to offer "Liv by Lift" -- a limited edition strain of cannabis available for sale to patients through the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR).

Known as "the meeting place for cannabis," Lift helps thousands of Canadians discover, purchase and incorporate medical cannabis into their lifestyle. "For many patients, medical cannabis is part of everyday life," said Matei Olaru, Chief Executive Officer of Lift. "We wanted to create a product true to our mission -- empower patients to live everyday life through medical cannabis -- with the right partner."

Lift worked alongside Emblem to handpick "Liv", a sativa-dominant strain. "Lift is a dynamic Canadian cannabis company that has built a reputable and responsible brand by bringing together the cannabis community," said Maxim Zavet, Co-Founder and President of Emblem. "We're excited to introduce our clients to the very best education, services and products by working with Lift."

Consumers can join the pre-sale waitlist at www.livbylift.com and receive early access to order Liv when it becomes available for sale online in December 2016. The first one hundred eligible registrants will receive a special gift with their welcome Liv order.

Liv, everyday.

About Lift

Lift is a Vancouver-born company that has helped thousands of Canadians discover the benefits of cannabis. With coast-to-coast operations, Lift empowers patients with access to medical cannabis via its online product discovery tool (www.lift.co), nation-wide network of clinics (www.liftcentre.ca) and leading news and media publications (news.lift.co).

About Emblem

Emblem Corp. is a fully integrated Canadian medical cannabis, healthcare and cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical company licensed to carry on business as a producer of medical cannabis by the Government of Canada.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/11/30/11G123741/Images/Liv_by_lift-ee170a6f5785ab07af08669b15f72e3e.jpg


[One of Canadas polymer banknotes, which contains trace amounts of rendered animal fat/The Canadian Press Images-Mario Beauregard]

Its official, the U.K. isnt the only country with beef in its bucks, Canadian money also uses trace amounts of animal fat in the manufacturing of its polymer bills.

The Bank of Canada confirmed yesterday via Innovia Security, the supplier of polymer substrate used as a base of Canadian banknotes, that our money contains additives produced from tallow  a substance made from rendered animal fat.

These additives help with the polymer manufacturing process, similar to many commercially available plastics materials, Bank of Canada spokesperson Josianne Menard told Yahoo Canada Finance. These additives would represent substantially less than one per cent of the total weight of the substrate.

While the amount of tallow in the bills themselves is rather marginal, the Bank of Canada estimates that 80 per cent of the Canadian banknotes in circulation are polymer. In the U.K., the discovery of the use of tallow has ignited furor from the vegan community and others who dont eat meat for religious or ethical reasons.

A petition calling on the countrys central bank to remove tallow from the banknote manufacturing process has garnered over 100,000 signatures.

The new 5 notes contain animal fat in the form of tallow. This is unacceptable to millions of vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the U.K. We demand that you cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use, says the petition, launched by Doug Maw.

In an opinion piece for iNews Maw wrote: Putting animal products into our bank notes gives us no choice in whether we use it. This manufacturing decision by the Bank of England is short sighted, offensive and needs to be changed.

He points out that while he doesnt expect the notes already in circulation to be scrapped he does expect the Bank of England to cease production using animal products.

There are numerous alternatives that can be used. In the meantime I will be refusing to accept any of the new notes. I encourage you to do likewise, he says.

Story continues

Canada released its polymer bills in November 2011, starting with the $100 and adding the $50, $20, $10 and $5 notes into circulation over the next few years.

But Canada and the U.K. arent the only countries using Innovias Guardian polymer banknote substrate. According to the company, 24 countries worldwide use the product in 80 denominations including Australia (since 1988) Mexico (since 2002) and more recently New Zealand, Nicaragua and Singapore.

Tallow, which is made from the kidney and loins of cows, sheep and horses, is also used in candles and soap. Innovia told CNN Money that they worked with a supplier who used the product to make their material more anti-static and would never knowingly add any animal ingredients to their products.

(The supplier is) looking to eliminate that, but obviously that will take time, Patricia Potts, a spokesperson for Innovia told CNN. Its a very difficult process.
Security

Multimodal Biometrics Strengthen Mobile Security

As smartphones, tablets, wearables and other mobile devices become more ubiquitous, mobile security remains a central question, leaving consumers to wonder: What is a reliable way to protect personal information stored on mobile devices?

Passwords and PIN numbers for smartphones provide weak security. Certain biometrics (such as face, fingerprint and voice recognition) can boost mobile security, but such authentication schemes can also be broken. When users combine multiple modalities, however, security significantly improves, according to researchers at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF).

In a recent interview with the Orange County Register, CSUF students Yu Li, Jacob Biloki, Karthik Karunanithi and Daniel Kim explained their research in mobile security, identifying multimodal biometrics as the best-suited solution for any mobile device where high accuracy and security is required.

The researchers took a new approach and looked at ear modalities in addition to face and fingerprint, developing a system that is user-friendly and fast. They presented their findings and won third place at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Conference on Technologies for Sustainability, an international conference that took place early October in Phoenix, AZ.

Finally, the researchers predicted that the mobile biometric market will continue to grow, as more sensors capable of scanning biometrics (e.g. vein patterns, retinas and 3D face images) are added to mobile devices and become standard.
Research

NSF Ranks R&D Spending in Higher Ed

The National Science Foundation recently released its annual ranking of total R&D expenditures for more than 900 colleges and universities.

Johns Hopkins University secured the No. 1 spot again, spending $2,305,679,000 in 2015  an easy feat for the private research institution, since its total funding ranking includes research at federal agencies, corporations, foundations and other sources. Second and third place were also the same, with University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ($1,369,278,000) and University of Washington ($1,180,563,000) winning respectively. Seventh place remained the same as well with Duke University ($1,036,698,000).

Other institutions moved up in the top 10, including the University of California, San Francisco, which moved up a spot to fourth place ($1,126,620,000) and the University of California, San Diego (bumped up to fifth place with $1,101,466,000). Additionally, Stanford University climbed to eighth place ($1,022,551), University of California, Los Angeles to ninth ($1,021,227,000) and Harvard University to 10th place ($1,013,753,000).

Several schools had less R&D funding in 2015. In the top 10, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was the only school to drop in ranking, falling from the fourth to sixth spot ($1,069,077,000).

Further information about each institution is available on the NSF site.
21st Century Classroom

Tracking Classroom Tech Use to Save Time and Money

Data generated by the University of Nevada Las Vegas' AV systems is helping reduce costs and improve service delivery in the classroom. Here's how.

The Classroom Technology Services (CTS) team at the University of Nevada Las Vegas Office of Information Technology had two primary motives for getting a better handle on tech usage on campus: 1) Combination VHS-DVD players weren't exactly cutting edge, yet some faculty continued to rely on them; and 2) Some instructors tended to forget that electricity costs money, leaving equipment switched on when they walk out of the classroom.

In the first case, noted Audio Video Specialist Frank Alaimo, "We were having trouble sourcing and finding these units, and we needed some concrete evidence to go back to our higher ups and say, 'Look, this technology has died; it has long since been disabled. We need to get this out of our classrooms and move forward.'"

As for the second case, said Alaimo, "Sometimes instructors forget to turn off the equipment after their Friday class and we'll find it running on a Monday. That projector would have been running the entire weekend. Eventually, the equipment in their rooms fails prematurely."

UNLV found the solution to both these scenarios (and others) by combining technology from the university's audiovisual enterprise management provider, Crestron, with a bit of custom programming by Michael Theil, CTS' classroom control systems specialist. Now the team can track AV equipment usage within the 367 classroom and departmental spaces it supports  helping reduce costs and downtime. Eventually, the same setup could help the institution monitor other smart systems on campus to reduce energy usage.

Unified AV

The spaces overseen by CTS include 162 general-purpose classrooms and a similar number of departmental spaces  "computer labs, study halls, study rooms, anything that has AV," explained Manager Scott Menter. Currently, the typical equipment inventory in a classroom consists of a lectern, a projector, a motorized screen with a Crestron control system, a PC inside the lectern, a document camera and auxiliary inputs for HDMI and VGA. Then there's a Blu-ray player and that loathed VCR/DVD combo.

Up until a few years ago, when an instructor would walk into a classroom, there was no way of knowing what kind of AV gear might be on hand in any given space. There was no uniformity regarding brand or age of components. When Menter arrived, he and his team began the process of standardizing the equipment and building up integrated classroom control with the adoption of Crestron DigitalMedia. This product handles the processing, transmitting and distribution of digital video  either presentations or videoconferencing  across classrooms and other rooms using a single cable running on its own virtual LAN.

The advantages of this work were many. For one, an integrator could set up a new classroom in under a day, a job that previously might take two integrators two days to perform. For another, the faculty member could use a common touchscreen interface created by Theil to operate the technology. "If a teacher leaves one building and goes to another building, it's all the same. It's like looking at an ATM machine," said Alaimo.

Plus, whatever is in that room can be controlled from a central console. Previously, Alaimo explained, somebody would have to follow the manual route: haul a laptop to a given room to do firmware updates or physically travel across campus to address an AV problem in a classroom. Now those kinds of activities can usually be handled with the touch of a button.

In June 2015, CTS bolstered its AV management with Crestron Fusion, a cloud service that provides "total control of the classroom," said Menter. For example, a common problem occurs when an instructor selects the PC on the AV interface while the PC isn't turned on. From the CTS offices, "We can actually look and see there's no source detected, so we can tell them to turn on the power button. That usually fixes it the vast majority of the time."
Releases from NASA, NASA's Galex, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, HubbleSite, Spitzer, Cassini, ESO, ESA, NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory, Royal Astronomical Society, NRAO, Astronomy Picture of the Day, Harvard-Smithsonian Center For Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Gemini Observatory, Subaru Telescope, W. M. Keck Observatory, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, JPL-Caltech, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, ICRAR, etc
English Dutch

Multi-specific Nanobody candidate reached discovery milestone

Ablynx to receive a 1 million success fee

GHENT, Belgium, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ablynx [Euronext Brussels: ABLX; OTC: ABYLY] today announced that it has achieved an initial discovery milestone with a multi-specific Nanobody construct as part of its collaboration with Novo Nordisk, triggering a 1 million milestone payment to Ablynx.

Under the terms of the agreement with Novo Nordisk, signed on 25 November 2015, Ablynx received an upfront license fee of 5 million and will receive up to 4 million in research funding during the initial three year research term of the collaboration. In addition, Ablynx is eligible to receive potential development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to 182 million plus tiered royalties on the annual net sales of any products resulting from the collaboration. Novo Nordisk is responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of any products resulting from this agreement.

Dr Edwin Moses, CEO of Ablynx, commented: "Our proprietary Nanobody technology platform is ideally suited to develop multi-specific Nanobody candidates that address multiple targets in a single drug molecule. The achievement of our first milestone just one year after we entered into the collaboration with Novo Nordisk is an endorsement of the power of our platform to rapidly generate novel, potent drug candidates against disease targets which are difficult to address with other technologies. We are looking forward to further advancing the programme and the Nanobody potentially progressing towards clinical studies in 2018."

About Ablynx

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of Nanobodies, proprietary therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, which combine the advantages of conventional antibody drugs with some of the features of small-molecule drugs. Ablynx is dedicated to creating new medicines which will make a real difference to society. Today, the Company has more than 45 proprietary and partnered programmes in development in various therapeutic areas including inflammation, haematology, immuno-oncology, oncology and respiratory disease. The Company has collaborations with multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eddingpharm, Genzyme, Merck & Co., Inc., Merck KGaA, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and Taisho Pharmaceuticals. The Company is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. More information can be found on www.ablynx.com.

For more information, please contact

Ablynx:

Dr Edwin Moses

CEO

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 07

m: +32 (0)473 39 50 68

e: edwin.moses@ablynx.com

Marieke Vermeersch

Director IR & Corporate Communications

t: +32 (0)9 262 00 82

m: +32 (0)479 49 06 03

e: marieke.vermeersch@ablynx.com

Follow us on Twitter @AblynxABLX

Ablynx media/analyst relations

FTI Consulting:

Julia Phillips, Brett Pollard, Mo Noonan, Matthew Moss

t: +44 20 3727 1000

e: ablynx@fticonsulting.com

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a83621e-ecb4-4e6e-9c76-0120f0d052a0
English French

Press Release

Paris (France) and Vicenza (Italy) - 30 November 2016, 8:30 am

Ymagis Group Signs Agreement with Italian Open Sky SRL for Acquisition of its Theatrical Content Delivery Activities

Paris (France) and Vicenza (Italy) - 30 November 2016/ Ymagis Group (ISIN: FR0011471291, TICKER: MAGIS, PEA-PME-eligible), the European specialist in digital technologies for the cinema industry, today announced an agreement with Vicenza-based Open Sky SRL for the acquisition of its theatrical content delivery activities dedicated to cinema exhibition ("Open Sky Cinema"). Under the terms of the agreement and subject to the fulfillment of conditions precedent, Open Sky SRL will transfer the related assets to the Group.

"It's a strategic move for our company to take over these valuable assets from Open Sky SRL at a time when we are actively pursuing our market consolidation strategy in theatrical delivery," explains Ymagis Group President and CEO Jean Mizrahi. "Until today, Open Sky Cinema had been acting as a sales and technical agent for our recently-acquired satellite content delivery specialist DSAT Cinema in Italy. With a total of 3,300 connected cinemas, we've significantly strengthened our position as the undisputed leader in theatrical content delivery in Europe and it's our intention to reap the benefits of increased synergies within the Group to reach our profit target for this activity."

"Joining such a visionary industry leader as Ymagis is a source of great satisfaction for us," says Paolo Dalla Chiara, President of Open Sky. "That is for two main reasons: firstly, they recognize the value of an organization that pioneered the digitalization of the cinema exhibition business in Italy. Secondly, we will benefit from the technical expertise they developed in their own right with undisputable reliability."

"Having been successful partners for a number of years, we are thrilled to become part of a fast-growing company with a strong international presence," explains Open Sky Cinema Managing Director Walter Munarini. "We are now able to make a qualitative leap in terms of development and performance while positively contributing to both the Italian cinema industry and Ymagis Group's growth. It also involves a consolidation of our role as an integrated operator working with satellite, on-demand cinema and hard drives. With this merger, Open Sky content delivery technology will expand across Europe through Eclair while Eclair's other businesses - post production, versioning & accessibility, digital distribution, restoration and preservation - will become available to our existing portfolio of Italian partners and clients through Eclair Italia."

Both parties intend to close the deal before the end of the year. Current Open Sky Cinema Managing Director Walter Munarini will remain on board, overseeing the daily operations of the Group's new content services venture in Italy. He will report to Christophe Lacroix, Senior VP of Eclair. Open Sky Cinema's eight employees will now join the Ymagis Group. In addition to this new venture, Ymagis Group already operates from Rome its Exhibitor Services activities, CinemaNext Italia, headed by Tony Vagnarelli.

As part of Open Sky SRL, the cinema business unit was created in 2006 at the beginning of the digitalization of the cinema industry. In 2008, they successfully achieved the first live event transmission to cinemas in Italy. Two years later, they initiated the first electronic DCP* deliveries. Today, Open Sky Cinema boasts a network of 650 connected cinema sites in Italy and delivers 400 feature-length films every year from Hollywood studios and domestic distribution companies. In 2015, they introduced VPN-based COD (Cinema-on-Demand) services, providing greater flexibility to cinema exhibitors in their programming. In addition to handling the logistics around film content delivery, Open Sky Cinema ensures the transmission of live events, distributes promotional materials and provides production services for red-carpet events.
English Latvian

In the first nine months of 2016 joint-stock company Reverta recovered EUR 54.3 m through the restructuring and sales of distressed assets, as compared to EUR 34.6 m at the same period last year. State Treasury received EUR 42.7 m, which is twice as much as during the same period in 2015.



The better than expected outcome can be explained by the completion of several large and complex deals in Latvia and abroad. We have been fighting hard for the completion of these projects already since 2010 and have encountered both counteractions by clients and slowness and deficiencies of the Latvian judicial system. Consequently, I can say that in 2016 we are gathering fruit of many years of hard work, stresses Solvita Deglava, Chairperson of the Management Board of Reverta.



Between 1 August 2010 and 30 September 2016, Reverta has recovered EUR 720.4 m from the restructuring of distressed loans, sales of bonds, and disposal of real estate properties, of which EUR 409.3 m was direct payments to the State Treasury. In addition to that, Reverta has disbursed term deposits, interest on subordinated capital and other big volume payments. Overall, in the form of various payments the State has received from Reverta EUR 653.3 m.



Revertas losses in the first nine months of this year were in the amount of EUR 26.8 m, as compared to EUR 32.6 m at the same period last year. As before, the loss comprises provisions for the impairment in distressed asset value and large interest payments to the State Treasury on the State aid provided for Parex Banka. During the nine months of 2016 Revertas interest payments to the Treasury amounted to EUR 12.7 m.



On 30 September 2016 Revertas total assets were EUR 91.1 m.



For additional information:

Reverta is a distressed assets manager, the main competencies of which are loan restructuring, debt recovery and real estate management.

To learn more about Reverta, please visit our web page: www.reverta.lv.



For more information contact:

Marita Ozolina

Head of Communication and Marketing Department

Tel.: 67779142 or 29287169

E-mail: marita.ozolina@reverta.lv
CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SurePeople, a global technology innovator providing cloud-based talent solutions driven by qualitative and quantitative data, and Zelf Experience, a talent management and human resources consultancy based in Chile, today announced a strategic partnership to bring SurePeoples unified technology platform to businesses across South America.



As a certified partner, Zelf Experience will bring SurePeoples world-class human capital management solutions and people analytics to its clients to help them hire, engage, develop and retain high-performing employees in Latin Americas evolving market with an increasing competition for talent.

Latin America represents six percent of the worlds population, with offices for some of the best national and multinational companies in the world, like Accor, Belcorp and Cisco, said Niko Drakoulis, the founder and CEO of SurePeople. After we identified the need and the right market for SurePeoples expansion, it was equally important for us to conduct a rigorous selection process in choosing a strategic partner. And, Zelf Experience is the right partner to bring our solutions to Latin America.

Zelf Experiences CEO, German Pico S., and his leadership team have deep experience in the fields of human resources, talent management, organizational development and executive recruitment. Over the years, the team at Zelf Experience have become known for their integrity, character and ability to service clients with a high-quality personalized experience that delivers sustainable results.

Zelf Experience provides consultancy services for organizations across industries in Chile. Some of its current clients in the market include Derco, Entel, Prosegur, Socofar and Tecnofarma.

Our partnership with SurePeople is an amazing opportunity for Zelf Experience, our clients and organizations across Latin America, said German Pico. Much like in the U.S., talent management software solutions in Latin America tend to be outdated, fragmented and unable to reach frontline employees. With SurePeople and our team at Zelf Experience, we can bring a scalable, cost-effective and next-generation technology platform to the market.

To serve Latin Americas business market, SurePeoples cloud-based applications are now available in Spanish. Through SurePeoples suite of talent management solutions, businesses can leverage individual and organizational data, scale and automate personalized development plans, support hiring decisions with people analytics, share anonymous surveys to track employee engagement levels, and use many more features available on-demand and across devices.

We are excited to begin our expansion into Latin America with Zelf Experience, said Drakoulis. Currently, we are also identifying additional markets for SurePeople to serve, most notably the Middle East and India, while conducting our selection process for certified strategic partners that align with our values and solutions.

For more information, visit SurePeople (www.SurePeople.com) and Zelf Experience (www.ZelfExperience.com) online.

About SurePeople

SurePeople (www.SurePeople.com) is a global technology innovator providing cloud-based talent solutions driven by qualitative and quantitative data. Its mission is to make people sure of themselves and businesses sure of their people. SurePeoples proprietary SaaS (software-as-a-service) architecture, powered by its Prism psychometric algorithm  a global trade-secret developed and enhanced since 1987  delivers Emotional, Relational and Team Intelligence (ERT-i) through one integrated platform thats scalable, measurable and actionable.

Together, we can achieve extraordinary outcomes.

About Zelf Experience

Based in Santiago de Chile, Zelf Experience is a consulting firm that promotes conscious awareness to improve people's quality of life and looks to maximize sustainable business results. Comprised by a top-level professional team, Zelf Experience delivers in depth cultural transformations, talent and change management, gamification, training and outplacement using internet technologies and human capital analytics solutions. For more information, visit www.ZelfExperience.com or email contacto@zelfexperience.com.
Latvian English

Salacgriva, Latvia, 2016-11-30 15:11 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

MANAGEMENT REPORT

November 30, 2016

The types of activities performed by the JSC Brivais vilnis are processing and canning of fish and fish products, wholesale of food products and other commercial activities classified nowhere else. On May 14, 2002 the company was registered in the Common commercial register of the Republic of Latvia.

Year 2016 is the 25th year of operation since the Company was transformed into a Joint Stock Company. In 9 months of 2016 the Company produced a total of 6.9 million cans of various types (139) of fish products, including 2.8 million cans of sprat. In 9 months of 2016 there were sold 7.2 million cans for EUR 3.9 million. The financial result of 9 months of 2016 is a loss of EUR 255 537. These losses are from economic activities of the Company.

Net turnover for 9 months of 2016 is EUR 3 904 thousand.

Result for 9 months of 2016:

Gross profit (EUR) 335 thousand

Gross profit (%) 8.6

Operating results of the JSC Brivais vilnis compared to the previous year are less successful, because the total sales volume has significantly decreased as a result of the Russian embargo. The Company has not stopped the operation, it is working with pauses, according to orders received, mainly by using the fresh local raw materials. Due to the existing market situation, we believe that the most important is to keep existing customers and work on adoption of new markets. We are visiting and participating in food fairs in Western Europe and other world. The Company is looking for versions to optimize costs.

The Company continues development of new products and new packaging and works on improvement of quality of the current assortment also in this year. We are the leader in development of innovative packaging types. The main thing that ensures our products to be special on the market of food products is that it does not contain genetically modified additives, chemical flavour enhancers and colouring agents. Canned fish products are handmade and therefore have a good quality. The world`s increasing demand is for natural food, produced without artificial additives.

The Company has the IFS certificate  an international food safety standard. We have gained the Kosher certificate of the Orthodox Union.

The Company has expectations to return to the market of Russia and Kazakhstan in 2017 that would enable us to increase sales volumes and achieve better financial results.

Arnolds Babris

Chairman of the Board
Denver, Coloado, Nov. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Martiza Marketing emerged in Denver, Colorado and continued to climb mountains in 2016. CEO and President, Tayler Davis explains the genius behind the companys business and future plans moving into the new year.

Tayler says the idea of Martiza Marketing came from the Latin word meaning to come together for one cause. The associates within Martiza Marketing know the power of teamwork. We have instilled the importance of working together to a common goal in order to achieve the largest of our goals, she explains.

The training offered by Martiza Marketing includes extensive public speaking, marketing and sales strategies and progressive business practices. We believe individuals from any walk of life can be successful in this business if they receive the proper training and come into this career wiling to learn, says Tayler.

Currently, Martiza Marketing covers five locations across the Denver market. Within the upcoming months, the company plans to expand into one more location throughout the region. By the end of the year, the need for further management strength will come into play. Tayler projects the company will promote two Assistant Directors by January.

In order to reach and exceed our goals, we need to perform consistently at a high level, she goes on to say. Anyone who joins our team will be exposed to a fast paced, highly competitive and team oriented form of marketing and sales. Individuals with backgrounds that include collegiate sports, military or any type of team leadership do extremely well with us.

As the company continues to climb the ranks in Denver, they open their interview process to new associates. Within the next few months, Martiza Marketing plans to hire ten entry-level associates to assist with growing demands in the area.

If the company continues on the projected path to record setting growth, Tayler will find herself clinching one of the most sought after awards in the nation, Manager of the year.

For more information on projections, the training Martiza Marketing provides and career growth opportunities offered, visit www.MartizaMarketing.com.
Keep an eye out, Chef Karim is coming back.

At least Abdel Karim Chhibbane said hes planning to reopen Chef Karims Mediterranean Grill at 333 N. Cotner Blvd, maybe as soon as next week.

In a phone interview, Chhibbane said he closed the grill in mid-October -- a little more than four months after opening it -- after a falling out with his business partner.

I didnt get along with my business partner, and thats it, he said.

Chhibbane now is majority owner, he said, and he plans to run the restaurant like the one he had for 18 years in Santa Barbara, California, with an emphasis on food quality and service. Chhibbane has spent more than 40 years working in the industry, with 30-plus years as an executive chef.

I love Lincoln, and thats a big reason why Im still here, he said.

The restaurant made a splash on Lincolns dining scene when it opened in June, emphasizing a fine dining experience in a gorgeous setting, which included ornate tile floors, cherry wood furnishings accented with gold trim, stained glass light fixtures and white tablecloths.

Chhibbane said he will make some minor changes. The biggest will be lunch service, running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday to go along with dinner, which begins at 5 p.m. The restaurant also had offered Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

After that, I want to add breakfast, he said.

His menu, which featured takes on steak, pork, chicken and seafood, will stay the same. He will, however, offer a specialty Moroccan menu more frequently. His plan is to make that available every other Friday.

Other changes will come about gradually, including a new phone number, website and more. Ill pass along that information as I get it. For now, well keep our fingers crossed that the restaurant is ready to open next week.

Breakfast With Santa

The Lincoln Haymarket Development Corp. will host Breakfast With Santa from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Atrium of the Candy Factory, between Seventh and Eighth streets on P Street.

The event will start with breakfast catered by Lazlo's, coffee from The Mill and holiday music provided by pianist Dorothy Applebee. Children and their families will be able to have their picture taken with Santa and visit Santas Sleigh & Reindeer parked outside.

Tickets are $6 for ages 4 years and up; admission is free for children 3 years and under. Advanced ticket purchases are encouraged and are available at the following locations: The Mill (Haymarket), From Nebraska Gift Shop, Burlington Antiques, The Haymarket Office, Buzzard Billys and Downtown Lincoln Association. Tickets may be purchased at the door, while they last.

Granite City reopening

Granite City Food & Brewery will reopen on Dec. 14 at 6200 O St. The brew pub, which has been closed since mid-September, built a new restaurant just a few feet from the original one, which was torn down to make way for expansion of Gateway Mall to accommodate a new Dicks Sporting Goods. The new, free-standing restaurant will seat 272 guests.

Open on Christmas?

Each year, I receive emails from readers inquiring about which restaurants are open on Christmas, and I direct them to Metro Dining Delivery, where owner David Welch compiles a comprehensive (and impressive) list. If youre looking to dine out on Christmas Day, check out Metros website -- metrodiningdelivery.com -- a few days before the holiday to see whats open. Well also link to it from our website.

Next Jeffs Top Five

The holidays are known for sweets, so its the perfect time to share my favorites places for dessert. I want to know where you like to go for pie, cake and more. Check out our survey beginning Friday and vote.
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Welcoming newcomers is a theme of many a holiday tale. Whether its the holy writ or written for pop culture consumers, stories of making a place for the stranger at the door resonate this time of year. And even if you dont literally take in someone unknown, you can take in a bit of newcomers lives and culture via specialty grocery stores.

A world of discovery awaits down aisles stocked with meats, produce and products that you may not recognize. Or you may find ingredients you use in greater variety or at lower cost than your usual supermarket. Either way, investigating Latino, South and Southeast Asian, African or Middle Eastern groceries gives you a way to buy local while expanding your culinary and gift-giving options.

Our friend Trevor and his family, Nebraska newbies themselves, visited with other immigrants as they collected ingredients for a new holiday treat: Moroccan slow-cooked lamb. Like many stew-ish dishes, this one can be prepared ahead. Flavors meld with time, so leftovers, if there are any, are a treat. And the recipe is a starting point. You can vary or increase spices and other ingredients to your taste. (Some reviewers used leg of lamb or lamb steak instead of the lamb shoulder.)

And while the originators at Bon Appetit suggest the dish is great with couscous flavored with chopped mint, toasted slivered almonds, and grated lemon peel, we think polenta, pomegranate seeds, preserved lemon, with harissa on the side for those who like it hot are also great options. Flatbread. Roasted eggplant. Plain yogurt. A wide world of possibilities, not far from home.

Morroccan Slow-Cooked Lamb

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1  teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds trimmed boned lamb shoulder, cut into 1 - to 2-inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 15 -ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces)

2 large plum tomatoes, chopped

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally and adding 2 more tablespoons oil to skillet between batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to another large bowl after each batch.

Add onion and tomato paste to drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium; saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, garbanzo beans, apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon peel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return lamb to skillet and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lamb is just tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.)

Transfer lamb and sauce to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Source: epicurious.com from Bon Appetit
203) "Drain the swamp" in Washington and "cut our ties with the failed politicians of the past."

204) Propose a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress, limiting House members to three terms, or six years, and senators to two terms, or 12 years.

205) Institute a five-year ban on White House and congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave office. (Trump is already having staff and Cabinet members sign pledges.)

206) Institute a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.

207) Ban foreign lobbyists from raising money for American elections.

208) Appoint an attorney general who will reform the Department of Justice "like it was necessary after Watergate."
146) Tear up the Iran deal and then "totally" renegotiate the whole thing.

147) Negotiate the release of all U.S. prisoners held in Iran before taking office. (Five Americans were released during the campaign, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian; Trump has claimed some credit for this.)

148) Refuse to call Iran's leader by his preferred title. "I'll say, 'Hey baby, how ya doing?' I will never call him the Supreme Leader."

149) "Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and, under a Trump administration, will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon."
LuEtta A. James, 83, of Lincoln, born April 16, 1933, to Louis and Etta Niebur; entered eternal rest November 25, 2016. LuEtta was raised on a farm near Bradshaw and graduated from Bradshaw High School in 1951. She was married to Reese James on December 22, 1951. They were married for 64 years until his death in August 2015.

After retiring from Novartis she and Reese spent their retirement as "snowbirds," escaping Nebraska winters for the south Texas gulf and returning to their home in Republican City in the spring. Her final years were spent in Havelock Manor where the caring and loving staff and residents became her extended family.

She is survived by her son Scott (Barb) James, daughter JoAnn (Earl) Ninneman, grandchildren Kent (Alisha) Ninneman, Kurt (Renae) Ninneman, and Sarah James, along with her sister Annette Nickles.
Call it ironic. As the calendar year enters its final month, it appears the steam for food celebrations evaporates -- at the very time of the year most of us can think of little else than eating holiday-inspired treats.

Here's the holiday fare for the week ahead:

Nov. 30: National (Chocolate) Mousse Day -- Oui oui, this is a bit of deja vu. The year's first National Chocolate Mousse Day occurred on April 3. The word mousse is French for foam or froth. But some of the credit for this delicious dessert goes to the Spanish who introduced chocolate to the French in the early 17th century,

Dec. 1: National Pie Day -- For the second time this year we also celebrate pie, this time with some unusual historical trivia: In 1644, Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie declaring it a pagan form of pleasure. The ban was lifted in 1660, according to Mobile-Cuisine.com. When asked what word comes to mind when they hear pie, 47 percent of Americans say comforting.

Dec. 2: National Fritters Day -- The first fritters are believed to have been consumed by ancient Romans, according to NationalDayCalendar.com. While many may think it is the filling that makes the fritter, the name actually refers to any fried batter concoction, CulinaryLore.com states on its website.

Dec. 3: National Peppermint Latte Day: This sweet and savory treat is a blend of espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup. Did you know peppermint is actually a hybrid mint of watermint and spearmint? Peppermints high menthol content makes it a good elixir for minor sore throats, according to Foodimentary.com.

Dec. 4: National Cookie Day -- Cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekie meaning little cake. Cookies have been around since the dawn of baking, although the earliest version were not sweet by todays standards, according to NationalDayCalendar.com. Cookies appear to have started in 7th century Persia, then spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. Cookies came to America in the 17th century with macaroons and gingerbread being the most popular, NationalDayCalendar reports.

Dec. 5: National Sacher Torte Day -- This torte of apricot jam separating layers of rich chocolate sponge cake and then topped with chocolate icing was invented in 1832 by 16-year-old Austrian Franz Sacher. According to culinary historians, Prince Wenzel Von Metternich had ordered a special dessert for his guests, but did not know his chef was ill. There was panic in the kitchen, and then young Franz Sacher stepped in with his decadent creation. Later, his son Eduard perfected the recipe and turned it into the signature recipe served exclusively by the Sacher Hotels in Vienna and Salzburg, according to WhatsCooking.net.

Dec. 6: National Gazpacho Day -- Gazpacho, a tomato-based vegetable soup is typically served cold. It originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, according to NationalDayCalendar.com. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine, usually during the summer months -- so why we celebrate it in December remains a mystery.
For Jim Spahr, being the first person at Bryan Heart to receive a dissolvable heart stent isnt such a big deal.

To him, the big deal is that he is alive and feeling better than he has in more than a year thanks to the two new heart stents called Absorb, manufactured by Abbott.

The stents, placed back to back, hold open a once-clogged artery, allowing blood to flow freely.

Such blockages often lead to heart attacks -- many of them fatal. In 1977, cardiologists began using a procedure called balloon angioplasty, in which they insert a balloon into an artery and inflate it to reopen a vein. Around 1989, they added metal stents, which stay in the artery and hold it open.

In 2003-04, they started using drug-coated stents to reduce the chance of rejection and to minimize scar tissue.

The dissolvable stent was created about three years ago, and CHI Nebraska Heart took part in the clinical research trial, and continues to participate in research on the Absorb device.

It got FDA approval in March and has been placed in more than 1,500 people in the U.S. since, Bryan Heart cardiologist Scott Coatsworth said Tuesday in Lincoln.

On Oct. 14, he became the first doctor at Bryan to place one of the stents, which dissolve into the artery wall two to three years after they're implanted.

That cuts down on complications should a patient need additional heart surgery later.

The new stent also allows blood vessels in the heart to move and expand the flow of blood while slowly releasing medicine to limit the growth of scar tissue, Coatsworth said.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States, with over half a million Americans losing their life to this condition every year, he said. This new, bio-absorbable stent is proven technology that will provide better results and safer long-term outcomes for our patients.

Spahr is a 66-year-old agricultural supplier in Seward who had long promised his wife Kathleen, a private pilot, that if she stopped flying hed take her to Europe.

Her small plane crashed in New Mexico on Feb. 29, 2016, and she not only survived, she helped pull her three passengers to safety.

Then, she quit flying and her husband booked a 20-day tour of Scotland and Ireland in September.

On day 16 of the trip, Jim Spahr had what he called a little incident on the tour bus -- terrible heartburn, his chest was tight and he was sweating profusely.

His wife and traveling companions thought he should see a doctor -- a few even theorized he was having a heart attack -- but he said he was fine and "toughed it out.

Once they got home, he gave in and saw his doctor but waited until the end of the appointment to bring up what happened, saying he had a little incident in Ireland.

He said, 'Youve got to be kidding me! Why didnt you say that earlier?'

The doctor confirmed that Spahr had indeed had a heart attack.

The next morning, Spahr was at Bryan Heart being prepped for surgery. As he was being wheeled into the operating room, staff asked if he would be open to trying the dissolvable stent.

He was a good candidate, Coatsworth said, because he was in good shape and good health.

Its a little more tedious to implant, Coatsworth said of the stent. Also the stents are not available in a full range of sizes for all patients at the present time.

The biggest issue was the artery, which was nearly 100 percent blocked, the doctor said.

You really had to work at it, Spahr said, recalling how the surgical staff actually applauded when Coatsworth successfully opened the artery.

Spahr, who was only mildly sedated for the procedure, remembers the instant the stent was in place and the artery opened.

I could just feel the flow bringing the energy back that I had not had the year before, he said at a Tuesday news conference marking the first time the stent was used in Nebraska.

By that afternoon, Spahr was up walking the hospital corridor with nursing assistance. He told his wife he wanted to get back to Seward so he could put in a couple of hours at work.

Hospital protocol required him to stay overnight, but by the next afternoon he was home and headed out the door to his office.

In hindsight, the heart disease symptoms appeared about a year earlier, he said. He had little energy, even with a good nights sleep, he always felt tired. He blamed it on getting older.

Today, he is first to admit his wife was right when she insisted he see a doctor.

Ive been wrong before, he said. I guess this isnt the first time or the last time.

A near miss like this, I realize I better start taking care of myself. Nobody is going to do it for you, Spahr said.

And if there ever is a day where he doesnt feel like exercising or eating right, all he has to do is pull up two pictures on his cellphone: before and after images of his heart.

The first shows shows an artery abruptly coming to an end at a black dot. The other reveals what was once an invisible artery now darkened by the healthy flow of blood circulating.

Its almost like Im a new person, he said.

And much more aware.

Its not just about you. Your family and friends suffer. You might think you are just an individual, but you are part of their lives, just as they are a part of yours. You need to take care of yourself so you are around for years to come.
A year and a day after he shot into a central Lincoln house, killing Ricky Randall Jr., a judge sentenced Brandon Benson to 70 years to life in prison for it.

Benson, 22, said first he wanted to apologize to everyone in the courtroom for his actions.

"I know it dont mean anything, but its the next step to forgive myself for what I did, he said.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Jim Rocke said it was difficult to understand how someone could become as callous as Benson at his age.

In a letter to Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson, Rocke had pointed to a recorded call from jail during which Benson said it didnt matter because the guy who died was nobody he knew.

I know I should care, but I dont, Benson said in the call, according to Nelson.

Rocke said Benson likely was a product of his childhood, his upbringing, his environment.

"Mr. Benson wasnt fortunate enough to be born into a family like the Randalls, he said. But we have to deal with what hes done today.

He said Benson is dangerous, and that society needs protection from him.

Bensons attorney, Todd Lancaster of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, argued for a sentence that would give Benson a chance to redeem himself and get out one day. He said Benson was the victim of violence growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation and had committed no crimes of violence before this. And hes taken responsibility for what he did, confessing to police the day it happened, after learning that someone had died.

Benson didnt mean to harm or hurt anybody.

"They want to see Mr. Benson as evil, a monster, he said, characterizing letters to the judge from Randalls family. But Mr. Benson, like all of us, has good qualities and bad qualities.

Lancaster called what happened early Nov. 29, 2015, a "perfect storm of events and said certainly Benson made a bad decision that night.

It started with an attempted robbery -- some young people trying to buy a quarter pound of marijuana.

Benson and his friends didnt have it, but they said they did in order to get their cash.

When Joseph Bratt came over and asked them to come to his car to do the deal, Benson, in a ski mask, came out of the shadows with a long gun.

The people at the house quickly ran inside. But one had recognized Benson.

"But that didnt end things, which certainly wouldve been an excellent idea at that point, the judge told Benson Wednesday.

Instead, there was an exchange of words via social media, Nelson said. Benson tried to reverse the situation and say they were trying to rob him. It led to smack talk.

Instead of ending it there and walking away, Benson, feeling he and his family had been disrespected, decided to get another gun and go back, she said.

You know theres no plan for anything good to happen, Nelson said.

She said Benson brought a stringed backpack to catch the shell casings, making his intentions clear. And he opened fire on the house.

A little after 3 a.m., Lincoln police officers found Randall, a 19-year-old Plattsmouth man, dead and 18-year-old Angok Wal of Bellevue wounded at 321 S. 48th St. after 911 calls came in.

In September, Benson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit the crime, saying he only wanted to scare them.

Nelson made it clear at sentencing Wednesday she didnt buy it.

Shooting into an occupied house is way more than just trying to scare someone, she said.

It was more than reckless, Nelson said. It was intentional. Benson killed a young man with aspirations who had just given a ride to a friend that night, she said.

Theres nothing but pain and tragedy that sits in this courtroom today, the judge said. You alone caused the brunt of that."

She sentenced Benson to 60 to life for second-degree murder, plus 10-20 years on a gun charge.

Moments later, Ricky Randall Sr., Rickys dad, said he felt bad for Benson and his family.

"This kid wasted his whole future, he said. "Nobody wins, nobody wins.

Randall said he wasn't surprised at the outcome of Benson's sentencing. The last year, he said, has been every parent's worst nightmare.

"I have to be strong for my daughter ... we're trying to live life the way Ricky would want us to," he said.

Ricky Randall was months away from graduating high school and joining the Marines.
Eugene Robinson

Eugene Robinson is an Associate Editor and twice-weekly columnist for The Washington Post. His column appears on Tuesdays and Fridays. In a 25-year career at The Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper's award-winning Style section. In 2005, he started writing a column for the Op-Ed page. He is the author of "Coal to Cream: A Black Man's Journey Beyond Color to an Affirmation of Race" (1999) and "Last Dance in Havana" (2004). Robinson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and has received numerous journalism awards.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
WSJ: UAE tried to convince Saudi Arabia not to cut oil production

Cavusoglu: Greece must stop arming the demilitarized islands in the Aegean Sea

Moody's downgrades outlook for banks in Germany, Italy, and 4 other countries to negative

About 40 international companies to announce their relocation to UAE by end of year

Israeli Prime Minister cancels participation in climate summit in Egypt

Earthquake strikes in Antalya

Polish manufacturing output falls amid economic uncertainty

IEF: Oil price to exceed $100 due to EU sanctions against Russia

Iranian MFA denies information about country's planned attack on Saudi Arabia

Lebanon: U.S. guarantees will protect maritime border agreement with Israel if Netanyahu wins

Belarusian MFA responds to Armenia after reaction to statements of Alexander Lukashenko

Azerbaijani propaganda machine launches anti-Iranian rumors in social networks

Lavrov and Abdollahian discuss situation in Persian Gulf zone and South Caucasus

Erdogan and Aliyev discuss results of Sochi meeting of Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders

Goldman Sachs predicts that natural gas prices in Europe will fall by about 30%

White House alleges Iran's plans to supply Russia with surface-to-surface missiles

Iran to send delegation to Vienna to strengthen relations with IAEA

Iranian Foreign Minister to discuss state of nuclear deal negotiations with Borrell

Putin: Russia is ready to supply grain to the poorest countries even without participation in the deal

First list of Armenian servicemen killed as result of Azerbaijan's September aggression is published

Pentagon to supply Vampire anti-drone system to AFU

Xi Jinping confirms China's readiness to invest in Pakistan

Kuzmina: I don't agree that Armenia's economy will be swept away if the borders with Turkey are opened

Poland to build wall on border with Kaliningrad

Garo Paylan proposes opening Armenian-Turkish border

Eduard Solovyov: Russia stated extreme undesirability of close contacts between Baku and NATO countries

Zelenskyy: Threat of use of nuclear weapons by Russia exists and it is not related to non-compliance with ultimatums

IRNA: Azerbaijani State Security Service reacted nervously to Pashinyan's visit to Tehran

FLYONE ARMENIA to start operating flights on the route Yerevan - Beirut Yerevan

Moscow to host meeting of Secretaries of CIS Security Councils

Armenian MFA considers it inappropriate to comment on Lukashenko's rambling statements

Dollar rises, euro falls in Armenia

Makredonov: The Sochi summit showed that it is it's too early to write Russia off

Biden's threat to impose profit tax on oil companies is more of boast than threat

Vadim Mukhanov: Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh are one of main points of negotiations

Russia analyst describes Karabakh Armenians fate if Western version of peace treaty is signed

Armenia MFA: Lukashenko statement is disconnected from reality

Russia MFA spox comments on Zangezur corridor prospects

Voytolovsky: Both sides will have weighty reasons to extend Russia peacekeepers mission in Karabakh

Armenia finance minister: Expenditure for PM's office will be reduced next year

Finance minister: Expenses for needs of parliament staff, Armenia President will increase considerably in 2023

Zakharova on meeting of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs in Sochi

Armenian President congratulates Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Azerbaijani special forces conduct exercises on border with Iran

Armenia defense minister meets with head of EU monitoring mission

Nikol Pashinyan: It is necessary to continue the work to reduce cash turnover

Russia resumes its participation in grain deal

UK shortage of F-35 fighter pilots

Premier: Ministry of Internal Affairs, Foreign Intelligence Service will be established in Armenia in 2023

Shoigu: The NATO grouping near Russia's borders has grown 2.5 times since February

New Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad hopes to continue talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran

Security Council chief receives head of EU monitoring capacity mission to Armenia

Pashinyan: Armenia-Azerbaijan borders existence was recorded both in Sochi and Prague

Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to take part in rally on November 5

Canada to welcome 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025

Armenia PM: Communication difficulties, challenges in relations with Turkey have been overcome

Pashinyan: Armenian side suggests extending mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh

MFA: Armenia has no misunderstandings with Iran

Russia position on Karabakh status corresponds to Armenia government approach, PM says

Pashinyan: Armenia attaches great importance to further development, deepening of relations with Brazil

Premier: Armenia defense spending will increase by 113% in 2023 compared to 2018

Deputy PM Grigoryan to attend Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, security commissions 3rd meeting

Pashinyan: Armenia has set new record for registered jobs

Israir Airlines launches flights between Tel Aviv, Yerevan

Armenia envoy briefs UK House of Commons defense committee chair on impact of recent Azerbaijan attack

PM: Armenia's economy is booming today

Seoul, Pyongyang launch missiles

Newspaper: Armenia ruling political team is in favor of western version of peace treaty with Azerbaijan

State Department: US will contribute to Armenia-Azerbaijan talks

Turkey parliament approves extending mandate of countrys military in occupied Aghdam of Karabakh

Sweden to reach NATO's defense spending goal of 2% of GDP by 2026

Lebanon raises electricity price for first time since 1990s

Lavrov and Cavusoglu discuss situation over 'grain deal'

Turkey not satisfied with Sweden's promises

Azerbaijan claims to have 'exposed' Azerbaijanis who acted 'under control of Iranian secret service'

Taliban sets up female Interior Ministry unit in Afghanistan to disperse protests

U.S. concerned about Iran's 'threats' against Saudi Arabia

Lebanon is facing a power vacuum, left without a president

Gas exports from Iran to Armenia to double

In first 9 months about $1.7 billion is transferred to Armenia

Baerbock and Scholz disagree on China

Delegations of Ukraine, Turkey and UN temporarily suspend movement of ships in framework of Black Sea grain deal

Qatar Energy Minister calls EU proposal to limit gas prices hypocritical

Jamshidi: Any capturing of further territories is occupation

Putin: Kiev must give real guarantees of strict compliance with the Istanbul agreements

Putin and Erdogan discuss results of meeting of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Sochi

Blinken goes to Germany to meet with G-7 colleagues

Iranist: Cooperation between Yerevan and Tehran will prevent further Turkish activism

U.S. military conducts field weapons inspections in Ukraine

Defense Ministers of Russia and Turkey once again discuss suspension of 'grain deal'

Armenian President and ICRC representatives discuss Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan

Aliyev's aide visits Nakhchivan

Berlin urges Serbia to choose between EU and Russia

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister and USAID representatives discuss bilateral cooperation

Erdogan: Turkey continues to make necessary initiatives on grain deal

Macron promises Ukraine to survive winter and strengthen air defense

The Collins British Dictionary chooses main word of 2022

Medvedev: Western countries are pushing the world into a global war

Deputy Minister: 50,5 bln AMD will be allocated to North-South transport corridor construction in 2023

Georgia begins preparations for multinational exercise Agile Spirit 2023
A federal watchdog has concluded Nebraska Crime Commission officials didn't comply with conditions of federal grants, questioning almost $100,000 in costs, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The Office of the Inspector General to the U.S. Justice Department expressed concern over unsupported and unallowable costs under Victims of Crime Act grants awarded to the commission.

The audit focused on $96,902 of $8.4 million the commission was awarded between 2012 and 2014. The grants support services and compensation to crime victims.

Crime Commission Executive Director Darrell Fisher said the agency is working to address software issues that have hampered his staff's ability to properly document work done on the grants.

Some of the issues outlined in the report already have been addressed, he said.

For example, commissioners determined by the Inspector General to have voted to award grant funding to agencies or counties that they worked for or represented have voluntarily left the commission and been replaced by commissioners whose agencies do not receive direct funding, Fisher said.

In a letter to the Inspector General, he said the commissioners will be briefed to ensure they do not vote to award grants to entities for which they have a perceived or actual conflict of interest.

He intends to address remaining issues and doesn't foresee the Inspector General's concerns affecting the commission's ability to receive future grant money.

The latest Justice Department report comes two years after it demanded more paperwork for $13 million in grants the Nebraska Crime Commission had received.

Justice Department officials labeled the commission a high-risk grantee and imperiled its ability to receive future grants until Fisher and his staff resolved the issues in early 2015.

"We got ourselves out of trouble," Fisher said Tuesday.

His staff will work with the Department of Justice representative to resolve concerns as quickly as possible, he said.

"We dont want to repeat history. Well get this taken care of."
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces more than 45 times, from late Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired around 360 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and by way of various caliber weapons, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In addition, the adversary fired ten shells from a mortar, and six shells from an automatic grenade launcher, in an easterly (Kuropatkino village) direction of the line of contact.

But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units are in full control over the frontline, and they take actions in response when necessary.
Ministers of Defense of Armenia and Russia, Vigen Sargsyan and Sergey Shoygu, have signed the agreement on establishing combined troops, reported TASS news agency of Russia.

In Sargsyans words, the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia, and divisions of the Armed Forces of Armenia will make up these combined troops.

On November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed an instruction, whereby he approved the signing of the agreement on forming a united detachment from the troops of Russia and Armenia, and as part of collective security in the Caucasus.

This combined unit will ensure adequate response to armed attacks as well as other security threats and challenges for the two countries.
The case against a University of Nebraska-Lincoln freshman for selling Xanax on campus was dropped Monday.

According to court documents, 18-year-old Dominic Gurciullo of Omaha will participate in the Community Corrections Diversion Program.

UNL police went to a room in Sandoz Residence Hall on the second day of the fall semester to check out reports that the smell of marijuana was seeping into the hallway.

Gurciullo opened the door and allowed two officers into his room, then let them look around, according to a court document. He and his roommate denied having any marijuana in the room, the document says.

Officers found keys to a safe kept under Gurciullo's desk and he allowed officers to open it. Inside, the court document says, they found 45 Xanax pills and $2,215, and they noted that the inside of the safe smelled like marijuana.

Police believe Gurciullo had been selling the Xanax for $5 each and that some of the money in the safe came from selling drugs, documents say.
In 2016, individual remittancesfrom seasonal migrant workersto Armenia will amount to less than $1 billion, Minister of Finance, Vardan Aramyan, on Wednesday told reporters at Parliament.

Transfer of funds to the country used to be more than $2 billion.

And the income of families that receive these funds will reduce accordingly.

Transfers [of money to the country] amount to 18 to 19 percent of Armenias GDP; for that reason, their drop will be felt [in Armenia], added the minister. But the [Armenian] state has tried to compensate for this drop as much as it can, on the account of internal resources.
YEREVAN.  President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, on Wednesday received the heads of the delegations from the customs services of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states, which comprise Armenia Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The delegations have arrived in Armenia to participate in the 21st meeting of the united board of the customs services of the Customs Union (CU) member countries, Press Office of the President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Sargsyan underscored this board meeting, which was convened on the same day in Tsaghkadzor town. He stressed that customs services are the important agencies with which businesses of the CU states interact on a daily basis.

The President also expressed the hope that the matters discussed and the decisions taken at this event will contribute to the resolution of matters, and the fulfillment of objectives which the union member countries have set before themselves within the framework of integration processes.

Heads of the EAEU customs delegations, for their part, briefed Serzh Sargsyan on the results of their meeting in Tsaghkadzor. In addition, they spoke about the ongoing work towards developing a new EAEU Customs Code, and the current problems and challenges as well as the prospects for development of the EAEU customs services.
The drama between soft and hard power is about to play out on the stage of Armenia, Foreign Policy observer Emily Tamkin writes.

The author recalls the recent announcement of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, in which the United States, along with the European Union and the governments of the United Kingdom and Germany, express readiness to provide financial support for a new voting process in Armenia. The statement concludes by noting that the United States are strongly committed to being a part of Armenias ongoing democratic growth and in helping it become the independent, secure, and prosperous nation its people deserve.

''Is this, then, a sign that Armenia is to tighten ties with the United States and Western Europe?'' Tamkin writes.

She also notes that Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan is currently in Moscow, where he and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu will sign a military task force agreement. Under this agreement, Russia ''will legally be able to use its military to ostensibly protect Armenia,'' Tamkin writes.

''That Russia is pulling Armenia ever closer is upsetting to some in Azerbaijan, where some lawmakers are asking for reconsideration of their countrys close relations with Russia,'' the author notes.

However, Tamkin urges Western watchers not to get too excited: If it is unlikely that Armenia forsake Russia for Americas electoral embrace, it is even less likely that Azerbaijan would turn away from Russia and toward true democracy.
YEREVAN. - Armenia wants to certify light and strong basalt dielectric.

Director of Onix GC CJSC, Gagik Kiarkosyan, told Armenian News  NEWS.am that the construction pipes from basalt fiber, which are produced by the company, are now tested at Energonaladka CJSC of the Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Ministry of Armenia.

The samples endured 600 volt on 1 mmpotential in case of which even the air becomes a conductor. The results were the same after the samples remained in the water for two days, Kirakosyan noted.

The construction pipes, from which it is possible to assemble joists and covers, are produced by pultrusion method, which is new not only in Armenia but also its four neighboring states.

Unlike metals, the basalt-based constructions are not subjected to corrosion. They are by four times lighter than steel and twice more solid in terms of stretching.

''We thus produce metal, which can be used beyond the atmosphere of the earth. The instruction to find such a material was given back in the late 60s by Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. The Soviet scientists and constructors agreed on basalt constructions. And now they are completely produced in Armenia by several companies, including ours. Of course, we are not its only producers in the world, but according to the regional criteria, our technology is new,'' he noted.

After the certification of the pultrusion construction materials from basalt, the company plans to turn for the development of construction norms (contruction rules and regulations, also known as SNiPs) to use them in construction.

''Russia doesn't have SniPs for such materials either, although such materials are made there. But we want to turn for adopting these norms at EAEU level to be able to export there more easily,'' Kirakosyan concluded.
Lincoln police are investigating two armed robberies of north Lincoln businesses reported a half-hour apart Tuesday night, according to Capt. Jeri Roeder.

The first occurred at A's Stop & Shop convenience store around 8:30 p.m., when employees at the store at 27th and Dudley streets told dispatchers that two men entered the store, one carrying a black long gun, and took cash.

The men then left on foot, and an attempt to track the robbers with a police dog was unsuccessful, Roeder said.

Just before 9 p.m., employees of the Amigo's in Air Park reported two men, one armed with a knife and the other with a handgun, robbed the store and left on foot, according to scanner traffic.

No injuries were reported in either of the robberies.

Police were investigating possible connections between the two robberies, Roeder said.

This is a developing story. Stay with Journalstar.com for updates.
The subsequent 71st session of the Defense Ministers of CIS member-states took place in Moscow Wednesday.

The session was attended by the Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan.

At the session, a number of documents regulating the cooperation between the defense ministries of CIS member-states were discussed. In addition, the work carried out in 2016 was concluded and the joint working directions for 2017 were identified.

As a result of the session, decisions were adopted on the common CIS Air Defense System, development of communication systems, humanitarian demining, preparation of military cadres, combat readiness and joint field exercises, as well as implementation of military and sports, educational and other joint programs.

In the framework of the session, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan had bilateral meeting with the Russian Defense Minister and Army Commander, Sergei Shoygu, and Belarus Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Andrey Ravkov.

At the meeting of the Armenian and Russian defense ministers, an agreement on United Military Group of Russian and Armenian armed forces was signed. The sides also confirmed the 2017 cooperation program between the Armenian and Russian Defense Ministries.

During the meeting with Belarusian Defense Minster, the 2017 cooperation program between the defense agencies of the two states was signed.

c
Afghan Taliban Reiterates Call to Muslims to Take Action in Burma, Condemns Global Silence
In the aftermath of a failed $369 million bond issue, Southeast Community College is looking at alternative funding sources to pay for campus improvements.

Asking voters to approve bonds overhauling SCCs campuses was a first in Nebraska -- a move SCC administrators said was necessary to address $500 million in building deficiencies at its locations in Lincoln, Beatrice and Milford.

At an informal work session Wednesday, the Board of Governors heard two other possibilities it could pursue under state law.

The first option would use the revenue collected from student-used facilities like residence halls, unions and health centers to pay to replace or upgrade those facilities.

The second plan -- one recommended by the college's administration -- calls for the board to add a half-cent to its tax levy to fund construction of new academic buildings.

Neither option would require voter approval nor cover the scope of the $369 million project the college put before voters in SCCs 15-county service area in November. The proposal failed by a 2-to-1 margin.

SCC President Paul Illich will ask board members to consider five or six projects in January or February that would require board approval to raise the capital improvement levy.

Under state law, community colleges can levy a maximum 11.25 cents per $100 of valuation, including 2 cents that can be used for building construction, renovation and maintenance.

Earlier this year, the SCC board approved a property tax levy of 7.52 cents per $100 of valuation, including 1.05 cents of capital improvement funds.

Adding a half-cent to the levy could generate approximately $45 million over 30 years, Illich said.

Were probably looking at one project at each campus if we want to stay in that $45 million, Illich told the board.

Using that method, one which other community colleges in the state have used, Illich said SCC would complete work on its campuses in phases.

The board took no action Wednesday.

At least two board members -- Terry Kubicek of Lincoln and Don Reiman of Virginia -- indicated they believe SCC could come back with a slimmed-down bond issue as early as next year.

Frankly, I heard everybody say they love Southeast Community College, we like your program, we like the opportunity to have our kids employed with quality education -- (the bond issue is) just too big, Kubicek said.

Reiman, who voted against putting the SCC bond issue on the ballot and voiced concerns about several parts of the plan, said he thought a smaller bond issue might do better at the ballot box.

Ive got a lot of comment on this bond issue -- its too big, its too big, its too big -- we need to skim back on this, cut back on it and re-discuss it, he said.

Reiman added he believed SCCs plan to locate a new campus in the Telegraph District near 21st and N streets was also a reason voters -- particularly those from outside Lincoln -- voted down the proposal.

Illich said SCC will not take any funding options off the table.

He also said SCC will continue working to expand its academic transfer program in downtown Lincoln, where it can be in the orbit of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Data collected by the college shows 6,500 students were co-enrolled at SCC and UNL over the last three years, Illich said.

But, for now, plans for a Telegraph District campus are not a priority.

I wouldnt say its dead, but it may not be on the list of projects we plan to bring back to the board, Illich said.
Some city parks are manicured affairs, specially designed, people-oriented places with picnic tables, swings and slides or trimmed grass and beautiful flowers.

Some city parks are wild things with head-high grass that once fed herds of bison, or meandering streams with nearby stands of 300-year-old bur oak, or marshy fields where American bitterns feed in the water.

For decades, Lincoln has been expanding its wilderness areas -- special natural areas that showcase the environment that was here before people built homes and stores, and began a street system that crisscrossed the landscape with concrete and asphalt.

This fall, the city created a new full-time position and hired Aaron Druery as its first greenways and conservation supervisor to manage that growing wilderness system of prairie, wetlands, flood plains and stream banks.

Lincolns 6,600 acres of parkland is split, half in designed parks and half in natural areas, said city Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Johnson.

We have lots of people involved in the management of the designed landscapes, but not anyone responsible for the native or conservation landscapes, he said.

Its a recognition that someone should wake up every day and think about how these areas are managed and preserved in an appropriate way.

Druery, most recently land manager for the Pioneers Park Nature Center and adjacent prairie, started as a seasonal worker in the saline wetlands north of Lincoln.

Thats when I realized I had a passion for all plants, said Druery, who memorized all plants native to this part of Nebraska and basic management theories that first summer on the job.

And he has become an expert in prescribed fires, one of the two natural ways to restore and maintain a healthy prairie.

Burning and grazing created the prairie, and the buffalo herds and random fires every two to five years kept the thatch down and destroyed young trees and woody vegetation so grass could grow thick and tall across plains.

Todays fires are very carefully orchestrated, with hours of planning and days of waiting. The temperature must be between 30 and 80 degrees, relative humidity between 30 and 65 and a north wind between 5 and 15 miles per hour -- north, so the smoke doesnt head into Lincoln.

Plus you do not want to have a storm front moving in, said Druery.

Some years there is no prairie burn because there is no perfect day, he said.

And one year there was an unplanned, nonprescribed fire started when someone tossed a cigarette into the grass near Southwest 56th Street and West Van Dorn, and gusts of nearly 40 mph drove the fire to the Haines Branch Creek and almost to the storage building near the bison pens at Pioneers Park.

The preserved prairie is environmentally important, said Druery. An acre of prairie, particularly older prairie, holds more carbon than one acre of woodland does.

People think trees are saving the earth, but the prairie is doing more, he said.

Although preserving natural areas has long been part of city plans, local leaders created a grand vision in the Comprehensive Plan 15 years ago as Lincolns urban tentacles crept into Lancaster County.

Called the Greenprint Challenge, it was intended to be a cooperative venture between the city, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District and other agencies. And it included preserving prairie, saline and freshwater wetlands, flood plains and stream corridors in and around the city.

For the first time, the city used geographic information system mapping to identify priority areas and evaluate all natural areas.

The preservation includes land purchased by the city or the NRD, easements purchased by government and land held by private owners for conservation purposes.

Since then, about 5,270 acres have been conserved through a variety of ways, including government purchase of land or of easements through private land, purchases by private conservation organizations and conservation efforts by private landowners, said Nicole Fleck-Tooze, with the Parks and Recreation Department.

The city owns about 940 acres of this land and holds conservation easements on about 180 acres, which are privately maintained.

In addition, the city jointly holds easements with the county or the NRD for an additional 230 acres.

The Nebraska Environmental Trust, funded through the state lottery, has awarded $4.99 million to the Eastern Saline Wetlands project through five grants beginning in 2002, according to Fleck-Tooze.

The most recent grants have been aimed at land management and restoration efforts, rather than purchase of land or easements.

Another $1.66 milllion in NET grants are being used to build up the city's prairie corridor.

And part of the citys goal is to have trails connecting many of these areas, and as a spine along the prairie corridor.

Much of this new parkland is unusual, a whispering reminder of the area before plows and cities arrived.

Just 2 percent of Nebraska's original virgin tallgrass prairie remains. And the last of the Nebraska saline wetlands are found in Lancaster and Saunders counties, said Fleck-Tooze.

Omaha has a large zoo and safari. But ultimately Lincoln could have the largest area of tallgrass prairie and the largest area of saline wetlands, things you cant see anywhere else, said Fleck-Tooze.

These areas preserve what is unique about Southeast Nebraska. And they give Lincoln a sense of place, said Johnson.

The new city position recognizes the city needs to preserve and manage these areas differently than designed parkland.

Johnson said Wilderness Park wouldn't be managed the same today as 40 years ago, when the city allowed volunteer trees to take over parts of the park.

Today, Druery said, the city would thin the trees and lighten the density so it would resemble the pre-settlement habitat.

Druerys new job is the logical extension of the Greenprint Challenge, saving pieces of natural history for future generations.

This is a dream job for me, he said. There are a lot of challenges, but I am energized by challenges. And what we are doing provides value to the community and to the climate.
ASEAN, the 10-state Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a more open market for international trade than either the European Union or the United States, according to a World Economic Forum report released Wednesday.

The WEF hailed the "increased integration into the global economy" of ASEAN members, which comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"ASEAN's progress as an economic power comes at a time when the United States and European Union are becoming less open," it said in a key finding of the 2016 Global Enabling Trade Report.

The scorecard, which comes out every two years, measures the overall capacity of 136 economies to enable the flow of goods across borders.

US President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to withdraw from international trade agreements and possibly levy trade tariffs. European states, buffeted by populists, have been under pressure to ditch a trade deal with Canada and a proposed agreement with the United States.

WEF founder and executive chair Klaus Schwab warned that to stave off protectionist impulses, the benefits of free trade must be shared more broadly.

"Free trade remains the most powerful driver of global economic development and social progress. The challenge for leaders today is to confront protectionism but they also have a duty to make trade a source for more inclusive growth," he said in a statement.

Elsewhere in its report, the WEF warned that "large swathes of the global population" were being left out of international trade and global value chains, many in the most populous countries of Asia and Africa.

China is the only country in a list of the 10 most populous to rank in the top half of the WEF list.

"Businesses and entrepreneurs in many developing and emerging economies are being constrained... due to costly and inefficient border processes," said Philippe Isler, Director of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.

"Governments must consider trade facilitation reforms as a strategic priority to make trade work for all."
The Japan casino bill is more likely to be passed, says analyst.

Japan's casino bill will be deliberated today and OCBC Investment Research is betting for its passage as it believes the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was able to amass support from the opposition.

"We believe that the LDP  which previously made serious efforts to gain the understanding of the Democratic Party (DP) and other opposition parties  has taken an about-turn in seeking support from the opposition. As such, we note that there is a significant chance of the LDP forcing the passage of the bill," it said.

In this event, the research house will judge there to be a more substantial probability of Genting Singapore obtaining a casino license.

The House of Representatives Members Steering Committee (also known as the Rules and Administration Committee) has referred the casino promotion bill to the Cabinet Committee with the majority of LDP, coalition partner Komeito, and the Japan Restoration Party.

This decision was made over objections from the DP which had argued that the conditions for entering the deliberation are not in place.

According to the schedule on the House of Representatives website, the cabinet meeting is to be held at 1:00PM (GMT+9) or 12:00PM (GMT+8, Singapore time).





More From Singapore Business Review


Despite signs of a bottoming out, private home prices are expected to ease further this year, albeit at a gradual pace, media reports said. The drop in prices...

JLL recorded an increase in foreigners buying private homes in Singapore.

Singapores private residential market attracted even more foreign buyers during the first nine months of this year (9M 2016), according to the latest report from property consultancy JLL.

In 9M 2016, foreigners  excluding PRs (permanent residents)  accounted for 782 transactions, translating to an increase of 11.7 percent from the same period in 2015. Based on statistics from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the Chinese featured most prominently among foreign buyers, followed by Indonesians, Malaysians and Americans.

The wealth growth of the Chinese and their increasing familiarity with the Singapore residential market led to them being the top foreign buyers after 2010, overtaking the Indonesians, said Ong Teck Hui, National Director for Research and Consultancy at JLL Singapore.

Chinese buyers kept their lead with 230 deals. While this is a slight drop from 243 deals a year ago, it still comprised more than a quarter (29.4 percent) of all foreign transactions in the private residential market during 9M 2016.

In the second spot were the Indonesians, who accounted for 114 transactions (14.6 percent), followed by the Malaysians 82 deals (10.5 percent) and the Americans 57 transactions (7.3 percent).

Notably, the Chinese were drawn to suburban houses thanks to their affordable prices, with such properties making up 58 percent of the units they bought in the period under review.

Malaysians and Indonesians preferred residential properties in the Core Central Region (CCR), where most houses are freehold. Respectively, 40 percent and 68 percent of their purchases were located in the prime districts.

In terms of price, the Chinese and Malaysian buyers opted for houses costing from S$750 psf to S$1,700 psf, while affluent Indonesians gravitated towards properties valued at more than S$1,400 psf, with a large proportion above S$2,000 psf, noted JLL.

Story continues

Moving forward, demand for private residential properties in Singapore among foreigners is expected to pick up in 2017, with CCR houses being the top choice of this group.

Foreigners are still interested in investing in Singapores private residential market due to its fundamentals and prospects of long-term capital gains. At the heart of demand is both local and regional wealth growth, Ong added.

Cheryl Marie Tay, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email cheryl@propertyguru.com.sg
AFP News

Denmark's left-wing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday kicked off the process of forming a new, broader government one day after scoring a narrow election victory. The Social Democrats, the largest party in parliament with 50 of 179 seats and accustomed to leading minority governments, now want to govern across the political divide after Frederiksen secured their best election win since 2001. "It will be very, very difficult. We don't know if it will be possible, but we will try our utmost", she told a party debate on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the prime minister formally presented the resignation of her outgoing government to Queen Margrethe. The leaders of Denmark's 11 other parties in parliament were each meeting the queen individually on Wednesday before the monarch formally tasks Frederiksen with trying to form a new government. Frederiksen will then "enter into negotiations to form a broader government and that will probably take a while," political scientist Rune Stubager, a professor at Aarhus University, told AFP. Her left-wing bloc, which includes five parties plus three seats from the autonomous territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands, won a majority of 90 seats, compared to 73 for the right and far-right, and 16 for the centre. It was the Social Democrats' best election outcome in two decades, gaining two seats and securing over 27 percent of the vote, and allows Frederiksen to enter negotiations from a position of strength. Frederiksen's photo-finish win scuppered hopes of former two-time prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who founded a new Moderates party just months earlier, of becoming kingmaker in the new administration. - Broken dreams - The Moderates won more than nine percent of votes and Lokke Rasmussen insisted he wanted to be "the bridge" between the left and right, but daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten concluded that "in theory, Mette can do without Lars Lokke". While the Moderates will be part of negotiations, Stubager expressed doubt that they would be willing to "compromise sufficiently" to secure posts in the cabinet. A "more realistic" plan for Frederiksen would be a coalition government with various parties on the left, he said. While Frederiksen's government was largely hailed for handling the Covid-19 pandemic, the election was triggered by the country's so-called mink crisis. The affair erupted after the government decided in November 2020 to cull the country's 15 million minks over fears of a mutated strain of the novel coronavirus. The decision turned out to be illegal, and the Social Liberal party propping up Frederiksen's minority government threatened to topple it unless she called early elections to regain voters' confidence. The Social Liberals paid a price for the gamble, losing nine of their 16 seats and on Wednesday their party leader resigned. - 'Zero refugees' - To rule, the Social Democrats will still need to depend on support from the Social Liberals, which has made clear it will not support another minority one-party government. Broad consensus for Denmark's restrictive migration policy left the issue largely absent from the election campaign, but it could resurge in government negotiations. Advocating a "zero refugee" policy, the outgoing government had worked on setting up a centre to house asylum seekers in Rwanda while their applications are processed. The Social Liberals oppose the plan. "It will be very difficult for the Social Democrats to turn soft or to the left on immigration, because that has been a very pivotal point in their strategy over the past five, six years," Stubager said. "To give up on that would have dramatic consequences for them." The far-right has heavily influenced Danish politics in recent decades, but three populist parties together won just 14.4 percent of votes and are not expected to play a key role in the upcoming negotiations. The anti-immigration Danish People's Party, which hovered above 20 percent a few years ago, fell to 2.6 percent, its worst result since entering parliament in 1998. A new party founded by former immigration minister Inger Stojberg, the Denmark Democrats, instead won 8.1 percent, on a platform of less centralisation, less influence from Europe and fewer immigrants. cbw-jll/po/jm
John Podesta , one of President Obama s closest White House advisers, counts among his key financial supporters Hansjorg Wyss, a reclusive Swiss billionaire whose company conducted illegal human experiments that resulted in the deaths of three elderly patients.

Two of the victims died in a California hospital and the third perished in a Texas medical facility. One of the California victims was Ryoichi Kikuchi, 83, who died on the operating table at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek on Sept. 19, 2009.

He was a prize-winning physicist who analyzed the thermodynamic behavior of liquids and gases and worked at scientific centers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Berkeley, the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the National Bureau of Standards.

The federal judge who heard the case said the companys pattern of deception is unparalleled.

Synthes was a Swiss medical device firm with U.S. corporate offices in West Chester, Pa. Wyss opened the U.S. office in 1974 and was CEO until the company was bought by Johnson & Johnson in 2012 for $21.3 billion.

The Washington Examiner asked a White House spokesman whether the president was aware of Podestas relationship with Wyss or of the three deaths when Podesta was invited to join the chief executives inner circle. The spokesman declined to respond.

Podesta, who was White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton , and Wyss have been financially linked for years. Among the Swiss billionaires largest gifts in recent years have been those made to the Center for American Progress

CAP received $4.1 million from Wyss during Podestas tenure as the liberal nonprofits founding president and chief executive officer. A CAP spokesman declined to respond to the Examiners request for information about the Podesta-Wyss relationship.

The HJW Foundation, which is Wysss private foundation, hired Podesta in 2013 as a paid consultant, for which he was paid $87,000 that year, according to the presidential counselors financial disclosure statement.

A HJW spokesman declined to respond to the Examiners questions about the kind of work Podesta performed for the fee.

Wyss has a seat on CAPs 10-member board of directors, which also includes former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; and Carol Browner, Obamas first energy czar and administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Clinton.

Podestas think tank is the fourth-largest recipient of Wyss money among 27 liberal nonprofit activist groups the Swiss billionaire has supported since 2008, according to the HJW Foundations Internal Revenue Service tax returns.

The IRS 990 tax returns for all of the groups can be reviewed via the Examiners Citizen Audit database.

CAP itself was the largest single recipient of HJW contributions in 2011 and 2012, according to the foundations IRS filling.

Wyss and other Synthes executives decided to enter the highly profitable field of spinal surgery in 2000 with Norian XR, a cement-like mixture of calcium phosphate with barium sulfate.

Company managers claimed the compound could act like bone when injected in the spine in a procedure called vertebrosplasty.

Federal prosecutors noted that at the time there was excitement about using Norian for vertebroplasties at Synthes, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had not approved its use on the spine. FDA approval could take at least three years.

Company managers, however, decided not to seek FDA approval for Norian XR on the spine. Instead, they conducted unauthorized human experiments over a four-year period that included the three deaths.

FDA officials got wind of the deadly experiments and dispatched Capt. Joseph Despins in May 2004 to conduct an unannounced inspection, which kept him at the company until June 18.

Despins findings subsequently became the basis for a federal indictment of the company , its subsidiary and four of its officers, which was filed June 16, 2009.

U.S. District Judge Legrome D. Davis said during a 2011 sentencing hearing following the plea agreement that the two firms ran rogue clinical trials, conducted illegal training of spine surgeons and in search of profits, chose not to tell the FDA the truth.

He also said they did not stop the testing until three elderly patients had died on the operating table over the period of a year.  This pattern of deception is unparalleled.

Four Synthes executives went to jail, each for varying terms of less than one year, in the plea agreement. They admitted their company had feloniously conspired to defraud the United States in an effort to impair and impede the lawful functions of the Food and Drug Administration.

Wyss was not named in the indictment but was referred to as Person No. 7 and the CEO and a major stockholder of Synthes. Wyss was CEO and major stockholder at the time of the indictment and the experiments.

Wyss, who now lives in Wyoming , is a major donor to scores of liberal groups in this country, with his contributions estimated to total more than $110 million, according to the HJW Foundations tax filings with the IRS since 2008.

The Swiss Broadcasting Corp. reported last year that Wyss was the second-richest person in Switzerland . He is the 112th wealthiest man in the world, with a net worth estimated at $11.2 billion by Forbes magazine.

Despite his relationship with Podesta and active role in funding liberal political activism, Wyss is not well known to the American public.

In fact, George Soros , the high-profile financial supporter of many liberal groups, has given less to CAP than Wyss.

Wyss told a Swiss newspaper in a rare interview in 2011 that nobody knows me, and I hope that it stays like this, according to Fortune.

But federal court documents paint a graphic description of his firms brazen decision to ignore the FDAs drug approval procedures, which are intended to assure patient safety.

The FDA had previously approved another Synthes-produced substance for use in treating injured bones in the arm.

But in order for XR to be used in spinal cases, the company had to complete the governments Investigational Device Exemption process.

Regardless of whether the company pursued the IDE process, however, the FDA required Synthes to include a warning label on the XR compounds container stating it was not intended for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures.

Wyss and his subordinates decided during a Nov. 15, 2001, meeting to forgo the IDE process and to proceed with the unauthorized human experiments, according to the indictment.

Person No. 7 decided that Synthes would not pursue an IDE study, the indictment said, referring directly to Wyss. The meeting minutes noted the CEO and his subordinates ordered 60-80 test procedures without FDA approval.

In a pre-sentencing report, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Crawley described Wysss role: After this [November] meeting Wyss, the CEO and major shareholder of Synthes, directed that Synthes would not pursue FDA approval of Norian XR via an IDE, but would press on with a test market with surgeons.

Crawley also said the Synthes test market programs were not slow or cautious, or careful, or motivated by patient safety.

Davis said at a Dec. 13, 2011, sentencing hearing for Michael D. Huggins, one of the convicted Synthes executives, that the safer and lawful approval route was expressly rejected.

One of the most offensive things was the little piddly sentence they got for this, complained Eva Sloan, whose elderly mother, Lois Eskind, died during an XR experiment, according to Fortune.

Sloan filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit against the company in 2012 that charged willful, wanton, malicious and reckless misconduct.

The four executives could have gone to 7-Eleven and stolen a six-pack of beer and got more time, she said.

Sloans lawsuit was settled out of court. Laura Feld, Sloans attorney, said she could not comment because the settlement included a confidentiality agreement.

Defense attorney Brent J. Gurney told Davis at a sentencing hearing he thought Wyss was the missing person at the table.

There is another person who is not present in this process, he said while representing former Synthes executive Richard E. Bohner, and that is the former chairman, CEO, controlling shareholder of the company, Mr. Wyss.

Gurney, a former U.S. attorney, said, Mr. Wyss was a highly involved owner of Synthes. The record shows that at the very beginning, it was he who made some of the very critical decisions that put the company on its ultimate pathway.

Washington Examiner intern Monica Perez of the National Journalism Center contributed to this report.
It was announced to us yesterday at Rockcity Skatepark by Hull Council officials that the city was moving forwards to become the UK leader in positive actions towards skateboarding.

In an unprecedented move, Hull councillors told us that alongside the recently established Skate Hull outfit, they are to start the ball rolling to introduce skateable architecture into public spaces such as parks and venue areas.

These honey pot city centre areas would also serve to link up the existing ten parks that are already available around the Hull area (theres another 10 plus skateparks in the East Riding too), with a dedicated website eventually being established in order to help skateboarders find their way around these spots and parks.

Future plans include a huge skateboarding event hosted in the city centre aimed at attracting big names and showcasing Hull and as a designated place for UK skate tourism.

Following closely in the footsteps of the hugely successful Skate Malmo, Hull is looking to be the first really skateboard friendly city in the UK as it enters its tenure as the UK City of Culture 2017.

The first wheels of this momentous long-term project will be set in motion shortly, with work on the initial Skate Hull projects set to commence early 2017.

Exciting times are ahead  watch this space!

(Scott Palmer backside lipslides at Rockcity, Hull  photo Horse)
If youre heading to any Universal theme parks over the next few years, you might see a familiar face. Mario, the popular plumber from many Nintendo video games, is headed to Universal theme parks in Orlando, Osaka and Los Angeles.

Universal and Nintendo first announced their partnership over a year ago. But the two popular brands just released a teaser outlining plans for the new theme park attractions. Though the tealer didnt reveal many specifics, its a safe bet that Mario will be a major centerpiece of the new park area. Hes a recognizable face that could draw in visitors and get people excited about the new attractions.

However, that doesnt mean that there wont be other Nintendo characters or themes mixed in. This partnership also creates a unique opportunity for Nintendo to get more attention for some of its lesser known games. So if the two companies can come up with a way to draw people in using recognizable characters and themes, and then introduce exciting new themes as well, this could be a big win for both sides.

Benefits of Leveraging Brand Recognition

And while your small business likely isnt partnering with any major theme parks in the near future, the same concept can apply. Using the brand recognition already earned by themes or characters can be a major draw for people. And sometimes, they can even help you introduce new items as well.
Is there a better way to do ecommerce? Thats what investors are asking as they seek out new ventures that could become the next billion-dollar Amazon or Overstock.com.

Many believe that it is too difficult to come up with a brand new ecommerce model. Lets face it: it seems that all the potential avenues have been exhausted. Theres nothing else. But is that really true? Especially in todays tech-savvy, highly globalized economy?

Every day, there seems to be a new incarnation of the ecommerce business model. Some platforms will concentrate on Business to Consumer (B2C), while others will hone in on Business to Business (B2B). Startups are looking to add social commerce into their plans as well.

What if you could integrate all of the above? What if you could combine B2B, B2C, and social media?

Such a concept would give merchants, startups, and entrepreneurs, a great opportunity to sell their products to a vast market base both domestically and globally.

Wansecheng: An Innovative Ecommerce Platform in China

The question is: how can such a business model exist and thrive? B2C is constantly evolving and shifting, while B2B is more intricate and multi-layered. Of course, social media is in an entirely different world. When you combine the three for an ecommerce platform, how can it work?

Well, that is what Hangzhou-based company Wansecheng is looking to accomplish. The website has the financial backing of some of the biggest investors in China today.

Wsmall.com, established in 2009, is a website that combines the elements of ecommerce, entrepreneurship, B2B, B2C and social media into one web portal. The ecommerce platform aggregates more than 100,000 small merchants and vendors and provides them with an array of customized services that include branding, digital marketing, and customer service.

There are three primary elements to Wsmall.com:

Wansecheng Mall : A global boutique mall for medium- and high-end online clientele.

: A global boutique mall for medium- and high-end online clientele. Kale Mao : A membership supermarket with authentic global goods.

: A membership supermarket with authentic global goods. Wansecheng Business College: An online interactive platform for studying the mix of social activity and entertainment with education for entrepreneurs who are registered members of the Wansecheng Mall.

Its like one big shopping mall!

The Business Model

Utilizing a B2B2C business model, Wsmall specializes in selling daily consumer goods, foods, baby products, cosmetics and many other items that the consumer is willing to buy online. With the next generation technology in hand, the consumer products meet health and safety standards.

What sets this online venture apart from the rest is the fact that the users retain the rights to their web stores. In other words, they can benefit from maintaining, organizing and designing the digital store as they see fit. They can decide what will give their personal brands a boost.

This aggressive approach to ecommerce is attracting millions of dollars in investments. Wsmall has been raising funds over the last couple of years from some of the biggest investors.

It was reported that global investment giants Warburg Pincus and CICC-Qianhai have invested $100 million into the company. Analysts predict that the company will likely generate even more funds; especially with the companys vision of the future which is described as a dream city with the DNA of strong innovation.

Delivering a speech to a conference on ecommerce, the chairman of the company said, a wealthy city reshapes the model of B2B2C ecommerce.

The core competitiveness of Wansecheng lies in the creation of an online entrepreneurial university town which simplifies the business procedure for average entrepreneurs and enriches their lives, so as to establish an ecommerce platform ecological system that is open, coordinated, sharing, with win-win outcomes, thereby contributing to the mass entrepreneurship, and sustained development of Chinas economy and social harmony,

Pundits like to say that this is Amazons world and were just living in it. With this notion in the forefront of the consumers consciousness, it can be pretty daring and even overwhelming to attempt to compete with the online retail juggernaut.

However, if there is one thing that Amazon has taught businesses its this: the rules of commerce have been updated to reflect the 21st-century economy. Everything from products, sales channels, distribution centers and marketing are now morphing into something more consumer-friendly than we have ever witnessed.

B2C is a concept that modifies and adapts at a whim to satisfy the consumer. B2B is far more reserved, technical and, as previously mentioned, multi-layered. This is why some may argue that merging the two models is like mixing oil and water: they just dont go well together.

Wsmall.com is an example of businesses taking an alternative approach. This is having both domestic and foreign investors along with entrepreneurs paying close attention to its development.

See Also: Indochino Shows eCommerce Online to Offline Trend

Looking Forward 

The latest data suggest that 40 percent of global Internet users have purchased a product online with a desktop or mobile device. This means that there are an estimated one billion online shoppers. It is easy to see that as technology becomes more ubiquitous, the numbers will only grow.

Simply put: it doesnt matter where you are  South America, Africa or Asia  there will be an ecommerce base, especially with the prevalence of mobile technology. Wsmall has exciting things in store for online consumers in the years to come.
Business partners Rob Schenk and Dan Gordon, founders of Intivix, an IT company based in San Francisco, are serious about the Cloud. So serious that not only do they offer many cloud-based services to their clients, but they also have funded and developed a remote access solution that enables businesses to get to their files either from on-premise servers or those hosted in the cloud.

The solution, called MyWorkDrive, was designed with simplicity in mind, born out of clients frustrations over problems with accessibility.

I just want to be able to access my work files reliably without a bunch of hassles, said Gordon in a telephone interview with Small Business Trends, referring to complaints he had received from clients.

In the past, remote access required the use of complex VPNs and error-prone synching software  a problem Schenk and Gordon determined to resolve. Furthermore, other clients didnt feel comfortable moving all their files to a cloud-only based service like DropBox.

Clients wanted the flexibility of gaining access to files from anywhere, just as if they were in their office, he said. We tested and reviewed many solutions and ended up not finding anything that was the right fit. Platforms were either very expensive, very cumbersome or challenging to maintain.

Instead of a third-party platform, Schenk and Gordon built MyWorkDrive, a direct and easy way for customers to get to their files from any location, using both desktop and mobile devices (browser-based or the familiar mapped drive mechanism).

MyWorkDrive natively integrates with the security and permissions of Active Directory thats already set up for all our customers, so we didnt have to reinvent that stuff, Gordon said. We wanted something very simple, very targeted and tied right into Microsoft Active Directory. Thats where were at today.

Gordon added that, with marketing efforts now in place, many MSPs are beginning to use the product, in addition to all of Intivixs clients.

A unique feature only available with MyWorkDrive, according to Gordon, lets users double-click on a document right from the web, edit it directly in Office or in Office 365 and save it back to the local or cloud-based server.

We can open it in Office 365 and conduct searches on the file server, to give people a full experience without them having to install anything on their computer, he said. We have a patented connector that they can enable (with no firewall rules or certificates to deal with), and then their server will be available online once we install the software, which takes about 20 minutes.

Gordon cited one company that has a large file server consisting of eight terabytes of data as an example of MyWorkDrives capabilities.

The company has a lot of staff who have to go out and take a number of photos in the field, he said. Being able to access those [photos] from anywhere, with indexed search, along with the ability to upload massive amounts of files from a service at gigabit speed, makes MyWorkDrive a good option for them.

Pricing for MyWorkDrive ranges from $49.99 per month for up to 20 users to $1,200 for an enterprise license that supports 500 users. The company makes custom pricing available for corporations with a larger user base. In addition, they are actively collaborating with Managed Service Providers around the world to join their partner channel with compelling partner discount and internal use rights.

While MyWorkDrive takes up much of Schenks and Gordons time, Intivix does offer other cloud-based services, including hosting through Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services, as well as migration to Office 365 and Google for Work.

When asked about the risks and problems associated with transitioning clients to the cloud, Gordon takes a measured tone, saying that people get sold on cloud solutions without thinking through all the ramifications.

Weve picked up clients who didnt do proper requirements gathering before they migrated to a cloud solution and have been unhappy with the results.' he said. Ultimately, they end up going through a migration with another provider and realize later that it doesnt support all their requirements like Office 365 Email does. It doesnt have the Outlook feature that our users want they say, for example. In the end, we have worked with clients where we had to redo the migration away from other cloud solutions.

Gordon feels that many times, customers simply give in to the hype surrounding the benefits the cloud is supposed to provide, but that fall short when put into practice.

They dont really even know or understand what the word cloud means, he said. They think, Its going to save me money. Its going to make my life easier. When that doesnt happen then they have to deal with the ramifications.

While Gordon asserts that the cloud isnt right for everyone, he believes certain applications could be beneficial.

I would say there are targeted cloud applications that make a huge amount of sense for companies, he said, but its not for everyone at this point.

He cited Office 365 as an example.

I think youve seen a lot of people moving to Office 365, he said. Thats a very targeted solution that makes a lot of sense, that makes emails what the phone used to be.

Regarding full implementation, however, Gordon said that as long as security and bandwidth arent an issue using cloud-based applications can be a useful strategy but can also be a disaster if not well thought through.

He does agree that in five to ten years, the cloud may be more ubiquitous but at this juncture, there are legacy-type businesses whose workflows, training and knowledge levels have not sufficiently advanced to the point where full adoption makes sense. Its a pragmatic approach that takes into account where his client companies are regarding readiness.

Companies are biting off more than they can chew in moving to the cloud when all theyre looking for, in many cases, is akin to what they already have, he said. Thats why MyWorkDrive isnt exclusively cloud-based but also incorporates access to on-premise servers. Its a solution that can accommodate everyone. It allows companies space to move to the cloud at their own pace.

MyWorkDrive invites all Managed Services Providers around the globe to explore their solution as a simple pathway to creating additional cloud recurring revenue by participating in their partner channel. Sign up today.
- Famous Nigerian prophet Johnson Suleman predicted the next president in front of CORD co-principal and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka at KICC during an inter-denomination meeting

- He said that the next president is the one who is in power now but added that he sees many things changing

- He told Kalonzo that he is in bad company, and that is why he is being betrayed. It is at this point then that other worshippers started to shout that he was the former vice president

- PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest news on TUKO.co.ke

Famous Nigerian prophet Johnson Suleman predicted the next president in front of CORD co-principal and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka at Kenya International Conference Centre (KICC).

Once Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, was having a conference dubbed Total Liberation and Kalonzo was one of the worshippers.

The former vice president was seated in the front seat and during ministration time, the prophet, who was prophesying randomly to people, told Kalonzo of how he has been betrayed.

He apparently didn't even know who Kalonzo was, and even that he was a prominent politician who had been the country's former vice president.

READ ALSO: South African woman who just turned 103 years old revealed the secrets to her long life (photos)

The prophet's church in Abuja, Nigeria was brought down in 2015 by the administration of the former president Goodluck Jonathan, when he told Goodluck that he would lose the looming election because of the people whom he was surrounding himself with at the time.

He has also been arrested by some leaders for telling them what will befall them.

Back to KICC, he first told Kalonzo how he has a good heart but he has been betrayed on various occasions by the people he's been working with.

Prophet Suleman then told him how his wife is unhappy about the said circumstances, and promised to pray for his wife.

When the apostle told Kalonzo that he is in bad company and that is why he is being betrayed, other worshippers started to shout that he was the former vice president, revealing to the preacher that he was prophesying to a top politician in the country.

READ ALSO: Jesus Christ wasnt crucified and ascended to heaven alive  1500-year-old Bible claims

Kalonzo was on his knees when all this was going on.

He then asked if the General Election was next year, and after receiving the response, he said he knows the president.

He then advised Kalonzo to see him after the service. Immediately the service ended, Kalonzo followed the prophet.

The Wiper leader was in the company of former MP Andrew Ligale at the function.

READ ALSO: Top 10 dreadful Bible verses youve never heard in church

Andrew Ligale was also the chairman of the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission of Kenya that was set up by an Act of Parliament on May 12, 2009.

According to media reports in Nigeria, before Prophet Suleman was born, some prophets came from Warri city in Nigeria to Benin (the place of his birth) and told his parents "a prophet who would minister in Gods presence has been born".

His parents apparently refused to listen further, because they were Muslims and did not see him leaving their fold.

According to him, he is the president of a ministry that has presence in over 42 nations of the world, with over 7 million direct followers.

PLO Lumumba speaks about "The Raila Conspiracy":

Kalonzo Musyoka expresses confidence of clinching CORD presidential ticket:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
By Marilyn Haigh BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium is about to get smaller and the Netherlands bigger. The two countries have agreed to a swap of land, a peaceful handover on a continent where borders have long been a source of bloodshed. Each will cede small, uninhabited parcels of land to reflect a change in course of what is known in French as the river Meuse, and in Dutch as the Maas. But it is not equal. Belgium will give two peninsulas of 16 hectares (40 acres) to the Netherlands and receive one of 3 hectares in return. It all comes down to humans messing with Mother Nature, in this case straightening the river. After Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands in 1830, the border was drawn along the Meuse. But in 1961, the river was straightened to make navigation easier, placing parts of each country's territory on the other side of the river. With the current border, the only way to reach the land without crossing into another country is by boat. A Belgian foreign ministry spokesman said police would find it very difficult to access the strips of land that Belgium is relinquishing if any incident were to occur. "It was just not logical that that small piece was still part of Belgium," he said. The border will most likely change at the start of 2018 after both countries have ratified a treaty signed on Monday by the Dutch and Belgian foreign ministers. The land swap, however, does not extend to the border village of Baarle-Hertog, which famously has non-contiguous bit of the Netherlands in Belgium and vice versa. (Editing by Philip Blenkinsop/)
By Andrew Cawthorne CARACAS (Reuters) - When he received a call saying he had won a mobile phone, Gilberto Sojo, a low-income bank messenger and opposition activist, rushed off happily to collect it. The call was a ruse. Minutes after reaching the shop, three men turned up and bundled Sojo, then 49, and his wife into a waiting car where he was handcuffed and driven to the headquarters of Venezuela's intelligence service, according to his family and supporters. "They placed explosive materials on his motorbike - and accused him of terrorism," his wife Carolina Gonzalez, 43, said at a community centre in a poor neighbourhood of Caracas, over a hill from the prison where her husband has been held since November 2014. Sojo, whose case has still not gone to trial, is one of the least-known of a hundred or so opponents of President Nicolas Maduro detained on accusations or formal charges of plotting to overthrow his socialist government. Their fate is high on the agenda of Vatican-brokered talks between the government and opposition, intended to halt unrest and prevent further bloodshed in a deeply divided country in the midst of a crippling recession. Though the month-long talks have been faltering, several of the detainees - whom the opposition call political prisoners but Maduro says are coup-plotters and criminals - were released as early goodwill gestures around Pope Francis' initiative. But the opposition is demanding freedom for all, raising families' hopes. "None of them should be there in the first place. They use the prisoners as hostages, bargaining chips," said Adriana Pichardo, a legislator and rights spokeswoman for the hardline Popular Will party whose members have taken the brunt of arrests. "It was never this bad under Chavez." The charismatic Hugo Chavez ruled Venezuela between 1999 and 2013 with a firm hand, driving some opponents into exile and jailing others. But Maduro, 53, a weaker leader facing a more popular opposition, has far surpassed him. THOUSANDS DETAINED SINCE 2014 Local rights group Penal Forum lists 108 political prisoners currently, up from 11 when Maduro was elected president following Chavez's death from cancer in 2013. The opposition coalition puts the current number higher, at 135. In the last two years, there have been 6,811 politically-motivated detentions, though most of those were short-term and spiked during a wave of anti-Maduro protests in 2014, according to Penal Forum which tracks cases and offers free legal assistance. The accusations range from stashing arms and explosives, to inciting violence and hate via Twitter and political ads. Sojo, his wife said, was accused of planning to set off a bomb at a Caracas court to free Popular Will leader Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuela's best-known prisoner, during his trial. "It's lies. His real crime was supporting the opposition. The 'Chavistas' never forgave him," she added, saying Sojo backed Chavez for several years before becoming disillusioned. He began helping the opposition organise community activities in his San Agustin neighbourhood and eventually joined the Popular Will party, meeting Lopez on several occasions. In jail, Sojo has been beaten, insulted and even hung "Christ-like" from chains, his wife said, though treatment improved when he was named a substitute legislator after a vote last year gave the opposition control of the National Assembly. Some radical Maduro opponents do operate a self-styled "Resistance" movement and advocate violent methods as the only way to free Venezuela from what they say is a dictatorship. And some current opposition leaders backed a short 2002 coup against Chavez. Officials frequently take to TV and Twitter to display weapons, explosives and inflammatory communications, to show a cadre of hotheads are perpetrating crimes that would land them in jail anywhere. "There is not one prisoner of conscience here," said Jorge Valero, the government envoy to the United Nations in Geneva who frequently defends Venezuela's rights record there. LAWYER'S NIGHTMARE Tear gas was still wafting through the narrow streets around his apartment in Caracas' Chacao district, an epicentre of anti-Maduro protests and clashes, when middle-class lawyer Marcelo Crovato's phone went off at 4 a.m. on April 22, 2014. It was a neighbour, the local laundry owner, with police at his door beginning a search. Crovato, who has Argentine as well as Venezuelan nationality, had been defending protesters in court for a couple of months and sprung out to help his neighbour, his family says. But as he accompanied his client to the police station, he was also detained, accused of instigating crimes during the protests that year that left 43 dead and thousands injured. "We presume it is retaliation against the lawyers who defended the youths," said his wife Elky Arellano, 49, as Crovato sat in the background, forbidden from speaking to reporters under the terms of his house arrest. Crovato, 50, spent 10 months at a prison where, ironically, he had once served as director. That made him a potential target for inmates, but he won protection by giving free legal advice. Now back home, he whiles away the time playing with his two young sons and sewing bags to sell. He cannot continue his legal defence work because he is unable to attend tribunals. "This is his prison now," Arellano said, gesturing at their view of a wall through the living-room window. Crovato, like Sojo and scores of others, is hoping opposition and international pressure will lead to his freedom one day soon. But rights campaigners are sceptical. Of 53 new detainees in 2016 on Penal Forum's list of political prisoners, 49 were taken after former government leaders from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic began promoting talks in May, the rights group said. "They free some, but they've already taken more, so where is the gain?" Penal Forum director Alfredo Romero said. "That's their game." (Additional reporting by Diego Ore, Andreina Aponte; Editing by Girish Gupta and Kieran Murray)
Former PokerStars Employee Paul Tate Avoids Prison in Black Friday Case

November 30 2016 Katie Callahan

Former PokerStars employee Paul Tate forfeit $119,000 to avoid prison Nov. 28 after pleading guilty for operating an illegal gambling business in the U.S., Reuters reported.

Tate was indicted with 11 others after the Black Friday crackdown on online poker companies operating in the U.S. back in April 2011. The list included other online poker companies, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker, who were all also accused of money laundering.

Congress put a federal ban on online real-money gambling games in 2006.

Tate ran payment processing for PokerStars during this time and pleaded guilty in October. He stood to face five years in prison. Tate left PokerStars in 2014 when it was acquired by Amaya Inc. Nine others have pleaded guilty.

However, the U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered him to forfeit money instead, stating that Tate had accepted responsibility by staying for the charges instead of returning to his home base, Isle of Man, where he could have avoided extradition, according to Reuters.

In 2012, PokerStars settled for $731 million. That included $547 million that went to reimbursing Full Tilt players in the United States.

Read the full story here on Reuters.

Sharelines Former PokerStars employee Paul Tate avoids prison in Black Friday case by forfeiting $119,000.
CHICAGO  Dozens of people were arrested Tuesday as they participated in protests nationwide for a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Fast-food restaurant workers and home and child-care workers rallied in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York. In many cities the protesters blocked busy intersections.

In Chicago, hundreds of protesters at OHare International Airport chanted outside terminals: What do we want? $15! When do we want it? Now! Police gated an area to allow travelers room to walk. As many as 500 workers at the airport participated in an unfair labor practices strike, according to officials from Service Employees International Union Local 1 who have been organizing the workers.

Were not asking for special treatment, were asking for decent treatment. Were asking for decent wages, said Kisha Rivera, an airplane cabin cleaner at OHare. Were demanding respect.

Thousands planned to walk off the job at McDonalds restaurants, organizers said. The efforts are part of the National Day of Action to Fight for $15.

In New Jersey, airport workers marched between two terminals at Newark Liberty International Airport. Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka has called on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour at its facilities and take steps to hire more Newark residents.

At a McDonalds in Denver, about 100 people, including about 60 striking fast food workers from around the metro area, picketed. Protesters briefly shut down a downtown St. Louis McDonalds restaurant, blocking the drive-thru for about 30 minutes. In Massachusetts, a state senator was among nearly three dozen people arrested after they sat down on a Cambridge street during a demonstration.

About 25 of the 350 protesters in New York City were arrested. One protester, Flavia Cabral, 55, struggles to make ends meet with two part-time jobs.

All these people dont have savings because were working check to check, Cabral said. We have to decide what we are going to get: Were going to pay rent or were going to put food on the table or were going to send my child to school.

Detroit police say they arrested about 40 protesters who blocked traffic. In the San Francisco Bay Area, ride-hailing drivers, fast-food employees, airport workers and others shut down an Oakland intersection. Earlier this year, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that will lift the statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.

Raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $12 would lift pay for 35 million workers, or 1 in 4 employees nationwide, according to the liberal Economic Policy Institute.

The conservative-leaning, nonprofit Employment Policies Institute think tank said it believes minimum wage increases will result in lost jobs, reduced hours and business closures.
BRANDENBURG, Ky.  A Louisville priest was convicted Tuesday of sexually abusing a boy at a summer camp he used to run but was found not guilty on a second count of the same charge.

The Rev. Joseph Hemmerle was found guilty of one count of indecent or immoral practices with a child under 15. Jurors cleared him of the second count.

Jurors in the Meade County trial deliberated for two hours before returning the verdict, then recommended a seven-year sentence. Hemmerle had faced up to 10 years in prison.

Hemmerle, 74, was charged with committing the offenses at his Catholic summer camp in the 1970s. He testified Tuesday that he would sometimes apply calamine lotion to the genitals of child campers, with their permission.

But Hemmerle said from the witness stand that he never abused the alleged victim, Michael Norris. Mead County was the location of Camp Tall Trees, which Hemmerle ran for three decades beginning in the 1970s.

Norris said when he was 10 years old, Hemmerle stood him on a stool with no clothes and sexually abused him in Hemmerles personal cabin. Norris testified he went to the priest for poison ivy treatment.

Hemmerle testified that he didnt remember Norris at the camp, but theres no doubt in my mind that Norris was not abused by him.

Hemmerle said any camper with poison ivy or other medical issues was sent to an infirmary building on the campground. He said he would apply calamine lotion to boys suffering from the rash. He admitted that on occasion, he would apply the lotion to some boys genitals after receiving permission.

Hemmerle said he would ask the campers, What would your mother do?

The lead prosecutor, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jeremy Logsdon, said in his closing statements Tuesday that he found that practice odd.

Even in the 1970s, youre not going to touch someone elses kids genitals, Logsdon said. He said there was a phone on the grounds that could have been used to call parents if there was a question about treatment.

Norris, who lives in Houston but grew up in Louisville, smiled and hugged his wife and several family members in the courtroom as the verdict was read. I feel vindicated, I wasnt lying, he said.

Norris said he had to suffer for 43 years because of 15 minutes of pleasure for Hemmerle. He said he attempted suicide as a teen and dropped out of high school.

Hemmerles attorney, David Lambertus, called several witnesses who attended the camp in the 1970s, and each said that campers never went to Hemmerles cabin for treatment.

Norris testified that he was invited personally to Hemmerles cabin and he went alone, as it was getting dark.

One defense witness was former Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, who attended Camp Tall Trees in 1973. He said the campers were kept under close supervision.

Kids were not allowed simply to roam freely in the evening, Pence said. Several other witnesses called by Lambertus also disputed that Norris could have been summoned to Hemmerles personal cabin.

Lambertus, who has defended other Louisville priests at criminal trials, told the jury some priests have committed abuses in the past, but we shouldnt whack this guy (Hemmerle) because of some other dirty priests.

Norris testified that Hemmerle asked him to remove his clothes and then began rubbing alcohol on his body, and put his face in front of Norris genitals, moving in closer until he put Norris penis in his mouth. Norris bristled at that and said Hemmerle left the room.

The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged sex abuse victims, but Norris has spoken publicly.

Hemmerle led the summer camp, about an hour from Louisville, from 1970 to 2001 and also taught at Louisville Trinity High School from 1967 to 2001. The church placed him on administrative leave in 2014.

A second alleged victim, who hasnt been publicly named, will face Hemmerle at trial scheduled for April.
The Office of the Superintendent of Insurance has agreed to an independent audit of premium taxes paid by health insurance companies in New Mexico, following several months of discord over how much money is really owed.

A review by the private firm CliftonLarsonAllen, which was released in September, said the top five health insurers doing business in the state had underpaid their premium taxes by at least $193 million during a recent five-year period.

That review was based on data from the state insurance office computer system, which Auditor Tim Keller and Insurance Superintendent John Franchini have said is unreliable and outdated.

Keller on Monday called for the independent audit, saying those in Franchinis office were in over their heads and that he didnt think they were capable of getting to the bottom of how much the companies owe.

Franchini said in an interview Tuesday that he had had an impromptu, informal meeting with Keller earlier in the day and that the two had agreed on an independent audit that would be overseen by their two offices, plus the Department of Finance and Administration and the Legislative Finance Committee.

I think weve agreed were going to be moving forward in a cooperative way, and Im excited about it, Franchini said. We want another accounting firm to come in and look at this. Theres always been a cloud at the department of insurance.

He said he expects he and Keller will meet soon to begin the process as quickly as possible.

Keller, in a written statement, said, We had a productive meeting and are encouraged that the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance is willing to cooperate in getting to the bottom of this.

He said his office will make a formal decision this week on going forward with the special audit.

Controversy over the CliftonLarsonAllen audit erupted after Franchini disputed its findings and started coming up with his own calculations of how much is owed by the five companies  Presbyterian Health Plan, Molina Healthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico and Amerigroup.

In particular, Franchini drew fire during a recent LFC meeting when it was revealed that his calculations could reduce one insurers tab by some $85 million, from an estimated liability of $118 million to $33 million.

Keller said a new audit could cost $500,000, but it could produce solid, reliable answers as to how the taxes should be calculated and whether there have been underpayments.

A spokesman for Presbyterian has denied owing the state any premium tax payments, and the other companies have declined comment.
"Report: Three Million Votes in Presidential Election Cast by Illegal Aliens; Trump may have won popular vote."

-- Infowars, website of leading conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Nov. 14

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."

-- Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States, Nov. 27

WASHINGTON -- We learned last week that President-elect Donald Trump has been turning away his intelligence briefers, leaving the tedious task of learning about national-security threats to his understudy, Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

So where is Trump getting his information? Well, now we know. On Sunday, Trump tweeted out the wild allegations that "millions of people" voted illegally for his opponent. He also tweeted that there was "serious voter fraud" in three states that went for Hillary Clinton, "so why isn't the media reporting on this?"

The media wasn't reporting on this because it's a load of hooey. But one "media" outlet has been "reporting" the groundless allegations, and it's one that Trump relied on frequently during the campaign: Alex Jones's Infowars, the radio and Internet home of the grassy-knoll crowd.

For two weeks before Trump made his allegations, Jones had been alleging this very thing, saying there was a "wall of fraud" and that at least "five states were stolen" by Clinton. Jones alleged that Trump "clearly won the popular vote," asserting that in addition to 3 million illegal immigrants who voted, 4 million dead people voted.

Trump, with his mixture of the incendiary and the fanciful, invented the "Infowars campaign." Now comes the Infowars presidency. Let's see what else is being promoted by the outlet where the next leader of the free world gets his news:

"Pizzagate Is Real: Something Is Going On, But What?" Infowars reports, asserting that "high-level Washington D.C. predatory pedophiles" are communicating via "symbols" on the menu of Comet Ping Pong, a pizza place in Northwest Washington. "Notice the symbol of the ping-pong paddles and its clever resemblance to the FBI documents' symbol for child love," Infowars reports.

Jones's rants would be funny if the soon-to-be most powerful man in the world didn't rely so heavily on them.

Trump, the New York Times reported, called Jones after the election to thank him for his support. Trump has been on the Jones show and praised the host's "amazing reputation"; Trump adviser Roger Stone is an Infowars regular.

Trump has echoed Jones's allegations that climate change is a myth, that President Obama wasn't born in America, that Muslims in New Jersey celebrated on 9/11, that Antonin Scalia was murdered, that Clinton used drugs before a debate, that "globalists" (read: prominent Jews) are trying to take over America, that vaccines cause autism and that Ted Cruz's father was involved in the John F. Kennedy assassination. Jones, who says he advises Trump privately, boasts that Trump repeats his ideas "word for word."

As the Right Wing Watch website has documented, Jones has alleged that the U.S. government was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks (Jones posted an old video Monday in which Trump appeared to suggest that aircraft alone couldn't have brought down the towers), the Oklahoma City bombings and mass shootings such as Sandy Hook. Jones has said that "chemtrails" from airplanes spread a "weaponized flu," that juice boxes are part of a chemical-warfare operation to make children gay, that Justin Bieber is brainwashing children to create an American police state, that Obama murdered publisher Andrew Breitbart, that an "alien force not of this world" is targeting Trump, that intergalactic shape-shifting reptilian humanoids secretly control the world, and, of course, that water fluoridation is mass mind control.

Rest assured, fellow Americans: President Trump will deliver us from fluoride, juice boxes, outer-space reptiles and the 7 million dead people and foreigners who vote in our elections. Less clear is whether he'll protect us from the real threats his intelligence briefers would tell him about -- if he'd let them in.
SAN ANTONIO  Prosecutors say a San Antonio man has been indicted on capital murder charges in the deaths of a girl and three women in separate attacks since 2014.

Bexar (bayr) County prosecutors say theyre seeking the death penalty for 29-year-old Johnny Joe Avalos (AH-vuh-lohs). Investigators say the four victims were asphyxiated during attempted sexual assaults.

Avalos, who was arrested last year on municipal court warrants, faces two counts of capital murder of multiple persons in indictments announced Tuesday.

The body of 15-year-old Natalie Chavez was discovered in December 2014 under a San Antonio bridge. Rosemary Perez was slain in January 2015.

The body of Celia Ann Lopez was discovered in April 2015. Prosecutors say Genevieve Ramirez survived an April 2015 attack but died two months later.
At least four lobbyists who are involved in the Donald Trump transition or who are being considered for a Cabinet-level position have filed paperwork in the past week and a half to terminate their status as federal lobbyists  an apparent move to comply with the president-elects new ban on lobbyists in the administration and transition.

Jeffrey Holmstead, an energy lobbyist and lawyer at Bracewell, the former law firm of Trump surrogate Rudolph W. Giuliani, filed disclosure forms on Nov. 18 to end his representation of Ameren, DTE Energy, Duke Energy and several other energy and utility companies. Holmstead, who was an assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, is being considered for EPA administrator.

The filing came two days after Trumps transition team announced that registered lobbyists will not be allowed to serve in the new administration and that lobbyists would no longer be involved in the transition process. As part of the new policy, every person who joins the administration will be asked to sign a form that states they are not a registered lobbyist. If they are, they will have to provide evidence of their termination. Holmsteads filing is a sign that he may soon be taking a role in the administration. He could not be reached for comment.

Three lobbyists involved in the transition  who work on policy and on the landing teams  recently deregistered as well, according to lobbying disclosure filings. Landing teams are the groups meeting with Obama administration officials on behalf of the transition to manage the handoff of federal agencies.

Jim Carter, a lobbyist at the manufacturing company Emerson overseeing tax reform for the transition, filed a termination report on Nov. 21.

Mauricio Claver-Carone, a lobbyist who led the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC  which supports the U.S. embargo unless Cuba undergoes democratic reforms  filed a termination report on Nov. 18. He was named to the Treasury Department landing team on Nov. 21.

David Bernhardt, who is leading the transitions Interior Department issues, filed a termination report on Nov. 18. Bernhardt is a partner at the law-and-lobby firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and lobbied for the Westlands Water District.

They did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The filings  known as deregistering  allow the lobbyists to technically comply with the lobbyist ban but violates the spirit of the ban, which is ostensibly meant to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing government officials decision-making. Ethics experts also have noted that although Trump has addressed lobbyists conflicts, he has yet to do so for people with other financial conflicts of interest, such as corporate executives who have been heavily involved in the transition and are being considered for administration appointments.

This kind of snap immunity demonstrates the flaw in the apparent Trump approach focusing on lobbying conflicts to the exclusion of other kinds, said Norm Eisen, chief White House ethics lawyer in the Obama administration. There are also a huge amount of non-lobbying conflicts both coming into and leaving a transition . . . that Trumps emerging ethics structure does not seem to adequately address.

A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

  

Brady Dennis contributed to this report.

lobbyists
William Christenberry, whose intimate photographs of crumbling rural buildings and almost violently verdant landscape of his native Alabama made him one of the most respected and influential artists of the modern South, died Nov. 28 at a nursing home in Washington. He was 80.

The cause was complications from Alzheimers disease, said a daughter, Kate Christenberry.

Christenberry  the t in his name is silent  began his career as a painter and for decades and taught painting and drawing at Washingtons Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. The small photographs for which he became renowned evoke a vanishing world populated almost solely by dilapidated buildings, rusting automobiles, advertising signs, graves and vegetation growing out of control.

Taken with a Kodak Brownie camera, the 3-by-5-inch images were an accidental art form, intended as color guides that Christenberry taped next to the easel while he worked on his expressionistic paintings. In 1960, he discovered Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, the 1941 book of photographs by Walker Evans and with a poetic text by James Agee.

The now-classic book grew out of a trip Evans and Agee made to Hale County, Ala., for Fortune magazine in 1936, the year Christenberry was born. Christenberry spent every summer of his childhood in Hale County, where both sets of his grandparents had farms. His family knew many of the people shown in Evanss photographs.

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men became Christenberrys artistic lodestar, and the words of Agee and other Southern writers, such as William Faulkner and Eudora Welty, strongly shaped his artistic sensibility. He became friends with Evans, whose stark images of weathered buildings and haggard farm families were a lasting visual influence.

Most photographers of the time, Evans included, worked in black-and-white, but Christenberry came to see his simple color snapshots as a distinct art form, even though he knew little about the technical aspects of photography. (He took his film to a drugstore to be developed.)

Evans encouraged Christenberry to continue using his Kodak Brownie, almost a toy in the world of serious photography.

Young man, Evans told him, you know exactly where to stand with that little camera.

He began to exhibit his photographs in the 1970s and later began to use an 8-by-10 view camera to create larger images, but the essence of his work never changed.

I dont want my work to be thought of as maudlin or overly sentimental. Its not, Christenberry said in a 2005 interview with photography historian Robert Hirsch. Its a love affair  a lifetime of involvement with a place. The place is my muse.

In his 2013 book The Storied South, William Ferris, a scholar of Southern culture and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, named Christenberry one of the three most important photographers of the South, along with Evans and William Eggleston.

What Faulkner has done in his fiction, Christenberry has done in his photography, Ferris wrote. He has such a feel for what Eudora Welty called the sense of place. 

Along with his photography, Christenberry continued to paint, and he also made collages and small models of real and imagined architectural structures that he called dream buildings. He also created and rarely exhibited a Klan room tableau, using dozens of G.I. Joe dolls outfitted in the white robes of the Ku Klux Klan, with an assortment of disturbing images of violence, including coffins and guns.

I hold the position that there are times when an artist must examine and reveal secret brutality, Christenberry told The Washington Post in 1997.

By temperament, however, Christenberry was placid and contemplative. He returned year after year to Hale County, even taking Evans with him in 1973, two years before the elder photographers death. Every summer, Christenberry wandered the Alabama countryside, taking pictures of lonely places that dripped with the essence of the South, even though they never showed a human being.

They are not self-portraits, he said in 1983. But theyre everything I know.

William Andrew Christenberry, Jr. was born Nov. 5, 1936, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. His father sold insurance and dairy products.

In 1944, Christenberry and his sister received a joint Christmas gift: the Brownie camera that he used throughout his life. He studied painting at the University of Alabama, graduating in 1958 and receiving a masters degree in 1959.

One of his teachers, painter Melville Price, told him that he had to leave Alabama, at least for a while, in order to have a wider vision of the world. In 1961, Christenberry moved to New York, where he held eight jobs in a little more than a year.

He overcame his shyness to introduce himself to Evans, who helped find him a job in the photo archives at Time-Life publications. From 1962 to 1968, Christenberry taught at what is now the University of Memphis, where he and Eggleston became close friends. Eggleston began photographing in color after seeing Christenberrys work.

He came to Washington in 1968 to teach at the Corcoran School, retiring in 2008.

Throughout the 1980s, Christenberry used a large-format camera, but in later years he returned to his Brownie. His works were often featured in books and are in the collections of the Corcoran Gallery (now part of the National Gallery of Art), the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Whitney Museum of Art and many other museums. A new exhibition will open Dec. 9 at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Sandra Deane Christenberry of Washington; three children, Emlyn Christenberry Ward of Alexandria, Va., and William Andrew Christenberry III, who goes by Andrew, and Kate Christenberry, both of Washington; a brother; and five grandchildren.

Christenberrys influence can be felt not just among visual artists but through the work of writers and musicians who summon the abiding spirit of history and landscape in the South.

Whenever someone asks why I always photograph in Alabama, Christenberry told photography critic Andy Grundberg in 2001, I have to answer that, yes, I know there are other places, but Alabama is where my heart is.

christenberry-obit
CLOVIS, N.M.  An Oklahoma woman is dead and a Nevada man in custody after a stolen vehicle crashed in New Mexico following a police chase.

New Mexico State Police say 29-year-old Kyle Mawhorter, of Las Vegas, was booked into a Texas jail after being released from a Lubbock hospital Tuesday.

They say Mawhorter is accused of homicide by vehicle; reckless driving; aggravated fleeing from law enforcement; receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle; and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

Police say the stolen vehicle Mawhorter allegedly was driving reached speeds of 90 mph during the chase on U.S. 70 outside of Clovis before crashing into a metal fence.

Mawhorter left behind a female passenger before he was arrested.

Police say 31-year-old Kori Lynn Woods, of Norman, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Amidst a surprise presidential election, our neighbors to the north have approved physician-assisted suicide, by a margin of 2-to-1. While I applaud the intention of Coloradans to relieve suffering, lets examine what theyve actually done.

Physician-assisted suicide allows terminally ill patents to ask a doctor to prescribe them a lethal dose of sleeping pills. The danger of physician-assisted suicide lies in the financial benefits enjoyed by those involved in somebodys death.

For example, Stephanie Packer, a terminally ill Californian and mother of four, recently pursued chemotherapy treatment from her insurer at the request of her doctor. She was denied. Instead the insurer offered a $1.20 co-pay for a handful of life-ending pills. If physician-assisted suicide comes to New Mexico, lets expect our hospitals and insurers to follow suit.

By providing cheap and early deaths, insurance companies can save millions of dollars each year. The elderly, the poor, and minorities are also prone to abuse, especially if younger family members view them as a financial burden instead of an honored elder. The dying person is then guilted into their duty to die.

Lets remember, in June of this year, the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the states assisted suicide law, rendering physician-assisted suicide illegal. However, physician-assisted suicide will soon be in our backyards again, according to Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Las Cruces, who aims to introduce a bill in January.

But there are safeguards! Lets take a look at a few of them.

First of all, family notification isnt required. You have to be expected to die within six months by two doctors. As a physician, I know that predicting the timing of somebodys death is difficult and often inaccurate. Patients often outlive those estimates.

There arent adequate safeguards for the disabled. A 2008 study published in the British Journal of medicine concluded that Oregons physician-assisted suicide law may not adequately protect all mentally ill patients.

Furthermore, the issue of effect on minorities has not been addressed. A 2013 Pew survey found 65 percent of Latinos and African Americans opposed to physician-assisted suicide, while only 42 percent of whites were. Minorities in Washington, D.C., continue to fight a losing battle over physician-assisted suicide.

Finally theres the autonomy safeguard. A physician-assisted suicide patient has to be deemed capable of autonomously deciding for their early death. However, the Oregon Public Health Division reports that 92 percent of their physician-assisted suicide patients list loss of autonomy as their primary reason for desiring an early death.

Herein lies the nail in the coffin argument to subvert the physician-assisted suicide culture. If so many dying patients have lost their autonomy, how can they autonomously decide for suicide?

The answer is simple: Nobody is an island. We rely on our family, friends, and community to partner with us during all of lifes journey. Its impossible to legislate adequate safeguards to prevent the abuse and coercion that physician-assisted suicide affords.

Physician-assisted suicide should never be permitted in New Mexico because there are too many financial benefits to people involved. It also opens the door for the abuse of minorities, the elderly, the poor and the disabled.

Let us not create a society where the weak have a duty to die. Compassionate care should be provided to suffering patients with the utmost fervor.

Doctors can deliver palliative care to dying patients with dignity, avoiding the tragedy of suicide.

New Mexico has a long tradition of cherishing the marginalized. Please protect them by voicing your opinion against physician-assisted suicide.
WASHINGTON  At long last, Fidel Castro is dead. Now the oppressive system he installed in Cuba can wither and die, too  unless Donald Trump reverts to Cold War policies and gives Cubas failing dictatorship new life.

It is tempting to see Castros death as little more than a formality. After all, his brother Raul has been running the country for a decade, ever since ill health forced Fidel to step aside and kept him from reassuming command. But the very fact that Fidel still drew breath served as a limiting factor in the program of economic reform Raul has been trying to enact.

According to The Washington Post, Raul Castro gave a speech in April in which he joked that we have two parties here, just like in the United States  Fidels and mine. Fidels is the Communist one, he added, and you can call mine whatever you want.

There is considerable truth in those words. Raul has been trying to move his country toward the Chinese model of authoritarian one-party rule combined with some degree of free-market economic development. Fidel, a true believer in the brutal communist experiment, has consistently tried to slow, derail or reverse any meaningful economic change.

Fidel was reportedly appalled at the way Mao Zedongs China was transformed by Deng Xiaopings reforms. He saw the society dividing into haves and have-nots. He was determined that the Communist Party of Cuba would not make the same mistake.

But the Cuban leadership no longer had a choice. Fidel barely managed to survive the collapse of the Soviet empire and the loss of huge subsidies from the USSR and Eastern Europe. Cubans were hungry in the mid-1990s, and there were violent anti-government riots, but El Comandante loosened strictures on private agriculture and enterprise  and then tightened them again as the crisis abated.

The Castro regime got another lifeline from the late Venezuelan strongman, Hugo Chavez, whom Fidel cultivated as a protege. Chavez gave his mentor billions of dollars worth of oil, so much that the Cubans were able to satisfy their own needs and sell the surplus on the world market for precious hard currency.

But Chavez died, Venezuelas economy melted down and the Castro regime found itself fresh out of saviors.

That explains Rauls willingness to work with President Obama to normalize relations.

Those who complained that the United States didnt get more in the deal fail to understand the reality of todays Cuba. From their point of view, Cubas leaders were surrendering one of their primary instruments of power and control: the threat from Cubas hostile neighbor to the north.

For half a century, the Castros cited the U.S.-imposed trade embargo, the travel ban for U.S. citizens and other such measures as proof that the Cuban revolution was under sustained attack by the United States.

From my experience  Ive made 10 trips to Cuba and written a book about the place  most Cubans are not gullible; they see their government for what it is. But they are nationalistic. Even most of the brave dissidents who stood up to the Castro regime argued that hard-line U.S. policy was counterproductive, doing more to shore up the system than weaken it.

Raul Castro knows he needs the economic boost that an opening to the United States will produce. But the price he is paying  allowing more free-market economic development, permitting freer access to the internet, letting more Cubans have smart phones  will make any return to a purer form of communism impossible.

Thats where things stand now, and Fidels death should hasten change on the island. Unless a certain president-elect does something tragically dumb.

If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, Trump tweeted Monday, I will terminate deal.

Im betting that no one, including Trump, knows exactly what that means in concrete policy terms. But we do know that now, for the first time since the Kennedy administration, we have the chance to flood Cuba with American ideas and values. That is how we promote freedom.

If Trump goes back to a posture of implacable U.S. hostility, he will disappoint and discourage millions of Cubans while strengthening the hand of only one: Raul Castro, who will be all too happy to play David to Trumps Goliath.

Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Our country has been around for 240 years and  one of our hallmarks has always been we accept the outcome of our elections.

 Hillary Clinton, Oct. 19

Failed Green Party presidential candidate Jill Steins bid to challenge the results of the election is a pointless waste of time that has the support of fewer and fewer people. The liberal activist should throw in the towel and find something else suitable for protest.

While Stein has reportedly raised more than $5 million to pay for recount efforts in three states where Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost by a fairly slim margin  Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania  Trumps margin of victory in all three is considered way too high for a recount to make a difference. Where recounts have changed election results, the candidates are usually hundreds of votes apart, not tens of thousands. In the much-challenged Florida race in 2000, the final official tally had George W. Bush ahead of Al Gore by a mere 537 votes.

But Trump won Pennsylvania by 68,236, Wisconsin by 27,257 and Michigan by 11,612.

Its curious that Stein has no problem with the narrow margins in three other states: New Hampshire, Maine and Nevada.

Oh, maybe not so much. Clinton won those races. In Nevada by 26,434 votes, in Maine by 20,035 and in New Hampshire by 2,732.

History would show that even New Hampshire would be almost impossible to overturn in a recount, unless the people running the elections there were incredibly incompetent or corrupt, or there were other election irregularities.

But evidence of such problems are usually brought up within a day or two of an election, not weeks later  and close to two important Electoral College dates. States must resolve any potential problems in the appointment of their electors by Dec. 13, and the electors are expected to sign, seal and certify their votes on Dec. 19.

These are not dates to trifle with, although it appears that is Steins true intent  creating a constitutional crisis by forcing the House of Representatives to select the president, last done in 1824.

After doing extensive research, the Clinton campaign determined there were no problems with the Nov. 8 election that would change the results. Even Stein seems to recognize this reality. She now says she is looking for predictors of tampering, whatever that means.

And though the Clinton campaign had appeared to support Steins efforts shortly after she announced her challenge, on Tuesday, Marc Elias, general counsel for Hillary Clintons campaign, clarified things in a Washington Post interview: Let me be clear: We have not asked for a recount. We have not sought a recount. We have not pushed for a recount. What we have done is say that if there is going to be a recount, we will participate in the ways I have described.

Elias described the campaigns role as only to observe and protect Clintons interests. He said he did not expect to challenge ballots, or delay the electors from being certified by the state.

Steins own party also was critical of her actions in a recent statement: While we support electoral reforms, including how the vote is counted, we do not support the current recount being undertaken by Jill Stein.  As a candidate, Dr. Stein has the right to call for a recount. However, we urge the (Green Party of the United States) to distance itself from any appearance of support for either Democrats or Republicans.

Of course, President-elect Donald Trump called the effort ridiculous and a scam  and he should have stopped there. But, in his unfortunate habit of kicking down the door when opportunity knocks, he picked up his cellphone  always a bad idea  and began alleging that massive voter fraud in states like California robbed him of a popular vote victory.

Without any legitimate evidence, Trumps claim is as silly as Steins  albeit without the constitutional train wreck potential. But she is just a losing candidate who received a microscopic 1.05 percent of the popular vote nationwide. Trump is the incoming president and should start acting like it by building confidence in the system that elected him, not tearing it down.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have finished counting, and, like it or not, Trump won with 306 Electoral College votes to Clintons 232 votes. Those are the numbers that count, not the popular vote.

Its time for Stein to drop her effort to throw a wrench in the process and respect the will of the voters, as Clinton did the morning after the election.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Gov. Susana Martinez on Tuesday appointed Jane Levy of Albuquerque to Division XXV of the 2nd Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Elizabeth Whitefield.

Levy has practiced law for more than 10 years, with a focus on advocating for New Mexico families, said a news release issued by the governors office on Tuesday.

In addition to her legal experience, she has spent time volunteering for organizations that help domestic abuse victims and the homeless. Levy holds a juris doctorate from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Ore., and a Bachelors Degree from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisc.
Editors note: Investigative journalist Diane Dimond, whose weekly syndicated column on crime and justice appears in the Journal, is preparing a book on the nations elder guardianship system. Its a system designed to protect the elderly from the unscrupulous. But as Dimond discovered, it can be dominated by a core group of court-appointed, for-profit professionals who are accused of isolating family members and draining the elders estates. New Mexico is no exception.

This is the fourth installment of a five-part Albuquerque Journal series.

Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

A person might take great care in planning his or her final years. How they want to spend their money, or whom they want to give it to.

But for those elderly who are declared incapacitated and become wards of the court under New Mexicos guardianship system for the elderly, they will have little  if any  say in how their money is spent and whether there is any left for their heirs or others they wanted to give it to.

Set up to protect the most vulnerable elderly citizens, the system has helped countless New Mexico families deal with the care of their aging and mentally challenged loved ones, even in the face of emotional family conflict.

But the system is steeped in secrecy, and the judge who presides over the civil division at state District Court in Albuquerque admits court appointees are allowed to operate on an honor system because of the heavy caseload and lack of court resources.

Once the elderly person is declared incapacitated, the system enlists a group of lawyers, a guardian, conservator, various caretakers, a health care professional and whats called a court visitor  all paid for out of the elders estate. The appointed conservator pays all the bills.

Court appointees have been known to earn well into six-figure salaries, per case, depending on the longevity of the ward.

District Judge Shannon Bacon told the Journal that eight of the 10 judges who hear such cases in Albuquerque currently handle a caseload totaling more than 1,000 cases each.

A 10-month investigation reveals the extraordinary power and control some of these for-profit court appointees exercise over their wards.

Once the elderly people are labeled incapacitated, they immediately lose their civil rights. They can no longer travel alone, vote, enter contracts, decide who their doctors will be, who can visit their home or how to spend their own money. All those decisions are made by the guardian and conservator.

Many court appointees are part of a cottage industry of elder care service providers whose names repeatedly cropped up during the Journals discussions with unhappy and frustrated family members.

The family members say they have been pushed aside, falsely accused of neglecting or stealing from their loved one, denied the right to defend themselves against false accusations and in some cases barred from seeing their parent during their final stage of life. These family members also say it is painful and gives them a sense of helplessness as they watch their parents end-of-life plans being revoked and their estates drained to pay for services they dont believe are needed.

Under vaguely written sections of the Uniform Probate Code, all proceedings in these elder guardianship cases are sequestered, held in strict secrecy, to protect the privacy of the ward. All involved, from family members and lawyers to guardians and caretakers, are warned they may face fines and/or disciplinary action if they speak about their case to anyone. Despite the restrictions, several families said they felt compelled to come forward to tell their stories.

Controversial conservator

Albuquerque lawyer Darryl Millet is a frequent court appointee serving as both a conservator and a trustee. He is no stranger to controversy. Members of several different families who have had contact with Millet accuse him of sloppy accounting, questionable business and real estate practices, and arrogant and bullying tactics against both the ward and relatives  even threats of arrest.

Millet told the Journal the sequestration rule prohibits him from fully discussing most cases. He insists his job is not to focus on what the family wants but, rather, on what is in the best interest of the ward. He said the complaints against him are an unfair characterization.

I have worked very hard all my life as an attorney to be honest and straightforward, Millet said. I have a great reputation with the judges and other attorneys in town. When I am appointed as conservator, the reason  is because the family members have shown they are untrustworthy with respect to their parents money.

Millet says there are only four dissatisfied women who dont like him because he didnt give them what they wanted  and now they are smearing me all over the internet.

Millet has gotten two websites devoted to complaints against him taken down.

Mary Darnell, a daughter of one of his wards, says that a few months after her mother died she was pressured to remove a negative online comment she had posted about Millets professional conduct.

On Jan. 12, 2016, Millet wrote an email to her lawyer, Patrick Westerfield, saying, Here is one  posting from Mary Darnell that must be dealt with. Fearful that the conservator Millet might hold up final disposition of her mothers estate, Mary says, she relented and removed the post.

It would take another eight months before the estate was finally settled.

Westerfield has refused several requests for an interview and in a recent email wrote, The problems with the Guardianship system are prime examples of problems with the entire civil litigation system in New Mexico and beyond. I do believe it is a violation of the rules of ethics for me to discuss with you my representation of any current or former clients.

In another set of emails obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, dated Oct. 30, 2013, attorney Millet appears annoyed at the daughter of a deceased ward who asked for clarification of her mothers $5,000 funeral expense. She notes that the $1,000 cremation fee was prepaid and the services were held at her mothers home, so no extra costs should have been charged. She writes again to say she wants to come by his office to collect a $216 check to cover the cost of printing and mailing out her mothers memorial service announcement.

Millets response to this woman who had recently lost her mother: As to your argumentative and occasionally insulting emails, if they continue, I will block your incoming emails. If that happens, you will have to rely on the US mail to communicate with me. Further, you are prohibited from coming to my office for any reason without my prior permission. If you disregard this instruction, you will subject yourself to a criminal trespass charge.

On the same day, the woman got an email from her attorney, Gregory MacKenzie, announcing he was quitting her case. MacKenzie had recommended the judge appoint Millet to this case.

I think we should part ways at this point, MacKenzie wrote. I am, frankly, just not at a point where I am comfortable dealing with the intense emotions that this case involves.

In an unrelated trust case, Millet petitioned the court to disinherit one of the deceased wards six adult children, a daughter who alleged that some of her siblings had stolen substantial amounts of money from her physician fathers multimillion-dollar estate. She challenged Millets proposed distribution of the funds until she could obtain an independent forensic audit. This woman was then forbidden to see her father during the final months of his life.

Millet told the Journal that the doctors trust specifically called for disinheritance of anyone who challenged the trust and that he was duty-bound to act. Millet admits District Judge Nan Nash did not agree. She declared that disinheritance was too extreme and reinstated the daughters standing. Nearly three years after the doctors death, his estate is still tied up in court awaiting that audit.

Tax dispute

In yet another Millet conservatorship case, two daughters of a ward said they received phone calls in early January 2015 informing them taxes had not been paid on property their mother, who was in an Albuquerque nursing home, owned in Texas. Foreclosure on the $350,000 commercial lot was imminent.

Millet had been the womans conservator for 25 months, but for unknown reasons, the taxes had not been paid. One of the daughters told the Journal she had become deathly afraid of Millet so it was decided that her 6-foot-4 brother-in-law would email the conservator to inform him of the past-due bill and ask for its immediate payment.

The email exchange swiftly became confrontational, with Millet calling the family irresponsible. On Jan. 13, 2015, the man appointed by Judge Clay Campbell to take care of the elderly womans financial obligations wrote to the family: Because you chose not to be civil, rather to engage in personal attacks and to demand that I take action (which you have no right or authority to do) I have set my email controls to send any emails from you directly to spam. We have spoken our last to each other.

Asked about this particular case, Millet told the Journal that because it was a sequestered case he could not speak about it. But he added, I have one person that I am responsible to more than any other, and that is the mom or the dad who I have been appointed conservator for. I have to think about them first and the kids second.

During an 18-month period during which Millet served as conservator for that particular estate, court documents obtained by the Journal show, Millet paid himself $28,167.13. Decisions in Care LLC, appointed as the permanent guardian by Judge Campbell, was paid $36,354.54. Outside legal fees amounted to $20,398.15. In addition, the court visitor earned $2,118.49 and the qualified health care professional, Rex Swanda, Ph.D., received $1,083.38 for conducting a neuropsychological exam of the ward.

In a year and a half, this womans estate paid out more than $88,000 in professional fees. The eldest daughter had petitioned the court for permission to continue to care for her mothers physical and financial needs, but she was denied after the court visitor reported that she and her sister had a history of conflict and recommended permanent court supervision.

Final rest

After enduring five years under the rule of strangers, including several court-appointed guardians and more than 70 different caretakers in and out of her home, Blair Darnell died Nov. 18, 2015, at the age of 85. Her world had already shrunk. In October 2011, Mary, who had long taken care of her mother, was ordered by Millet to move off the property along with her longtime companion Dick Churchill and their young son, Casey.

Blairs three youngest adult children say she had felt trapped and isolated as conservator Millet had surrounded her home with a tall chain-link fence as he prepared to sell off the rest of her 17-acre property.

And her guardian had not allowed her to attend her granddaughters funeral in Arkansas. The once free-wheeling and gregarious Blair was, according to her three youngest children, living a nightmare.

Big-ticket expenses

Working from what are described as jumbled and incomplete accounting sheets, the Darnell siblings Cliff, Emily and Mary calculate that over five years their mothers estate paid out at least $497,464 for in-home caretakers.

Financial documents obtained by the Journal showed conservator Millet issued checks totaling more than $175,000 to his own Albuquerque Advocates during the course of his court appointment. The accounting, from May 2010 through April 2016, is not complete, so the total is likely higher.

The professionals should not be allowed to feast off your whole estate until the ward dies, Mary Darnell said. It is barbaric and corrupt.

TOMORROW Part 5: The Disappearing Inheritance

Critics of todays guardianship/conservatorship system say it is the largest shift of wealth away from heirs America has ever seen.

Contact her at www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com


SANTA FE  Outgoing New Mexico Secretary of State Brad Winter said Tuesday that state residents can be confident in the outcomes of this months general election, disputing a suggestion from President-elect Donald Trump about widespread illegal voting.

Winter, a Republican who was appointed to the office last year and did not seek election in this years election, said there have been isolated incidents of voter fraud in New Mexico, but that the state has ample safeguards in place to prevent sweeping irregularities.

We have such a great system, because everything is backed up by a paper ballot, Winter told the Journal after a meeting of the State Canvassing Board.

Theres nothing on that scale, he then added, referring to Trumps recent claim on social media that millions of people around the country voted illegally in the Nov. 8 general election.

More than 804,000 New Mexicans  or about 62.4 percent of those registered  cast ballots in the Nov. 8 general election, according to official vote results that were certified Tuesday by the canvassing board.

Although Democrat Hillary Clinton lost the national election, she defeated Trump in New Mexico, receiving about 48.3 percent of the votes cast in the race, compared with 40 percent for Trump. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, got more than 9.3 percent of the votes cast in New Mexico, his strongest showing in any state and a total that puts the Libertarian Party on track to have major party status for the 2018 election cycle.

Since 2006, New Mexico has used a paper ballot system that requires most voters to manually mark ballots and feed them into electronic vote tabulating machines. The system allows elections officials to recount paper ballots if necessary.

Winter said it would be all but impossible to hack into New Mexicos vote-counting system, saying, Theres no way you could do that with us.

No evidence has surfaced to back Trumps claim of widespread voter fraud, but New Mexicos previous secretary of state, Dianna Duran, also raised the issue of ineligible voters casting ballots. Duran eventually scaled back her claims. She resigned from office in December 2015 after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds.

Meanwhile, Gov. Susana Martinez also expressed confidence in the election results during Tuesdays meeting at the state Capitol and praised the work done by staffers in the Secretary of States Office.

Its nice to have some confidence in our electoral process, Martinez said.

Per state law, the canvassing board ordered state-paid vote recounts in three legislative races in which the candidates are separated by vote margins of less than 1 percent. Those recounts will begin today and are expected to be finished by next week.

The three races are:

 House District 29  Incumbent Rep. David Adkins, R-Albuquerque, holds a 9-vote lead over Democratic challenger Ronnie Martinez in a race with nearly 14,000 votes cast. The district encompasses part of Albuquerques West Side.

 House District 23  Democrat Daymon Ely of Corrales holds a 102-vote lead over GOP incumbent Paul Pacheco of Albuquerque. The district includes parts of Corrales and Albuquerque.

 Senate District 9  Incumbent John Sapien, D-Corrales, holds a 198-vote lead over Republican challenger Diego Espinoza of Rio Rancho. The district includes Placitas and parts of Bernalillo, Corrales and Albuquerque.

In an interview Tuesday, Adkins said he was confident about keeping his House seat after votes are recounted, saying, Im pressing on like Ill be there next year.

His Democratic opponent indicated he wasnt holding out hope for the 9-vote deficit to be overturned.

Ill just wait to see what happens, and God will put me where I need to be, Martinez told the Journal .
Start Something is the catch phrase theyve been using at the College of Business Administration since Donde Plowman took over as dean in 2010.

The two words capture the spirit that has totally transformed the college, symbolized by the new $84 million CBA building that will open next year on the University of NebraskaLincoln campus.

Theres little doubt that the words Start Something would also apply to the way Plowman would handle the new position of executive vice chancellor at UNL. People who meet Plowman come away enthralled by her drive and energy.

But you dont have to experience the force of her personality to admire the job she has done at CBA. The numbers speak for themselves.

At the top of the list is the $84 million new CBA building that will replace a cramped building nearly a century old. The building was paid for with private donations from more than 1,500 donors.

In the past six years enrollment in the college has jumped 22 percent. Shortly after Plowman became dean UNL joined the Big 10. Plowman saw an opportunity. We immediately began recruiting students from Minnesota, she told Poets and Quants a website that specializes in coverage of business schools and colleges. Then we started taking in students from Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. Its been a great strategic opportunity for us. Were now about one-third non-residents and the rest of the student body  about 67 percent  is from Nebraska.

She added, The experience of students is richer when youre sitting in class next to someone from the state of Washington, Pennsylvania and from China. Their experience is just better that way.

Plowman worked with industry partners like Gallup and the Clifton Foundation to transform the school. At least 50 members of the faculty joined the college since she became dean.

The Center for Sales Excellence at the college, made possible by a gift of $1.5 million from National Research Corporation, has been named Top University for Professional Sales Education by the Sales Education Foundation for two consecutive years.

Plowman, who was named the Inspire Woman of the Year in 2015 by the Lincoln Journal Star, previously led the management department at the University of Tennessee.

If Plowman is offered the job and accepts, the appointment would require Board of Regents approval. We hope the board has its rubber stamp ready. Green said he hopes the new executive vice chancellor will start Jan. 1. We look forward to the something that Plowman will start in her new position.
Several environmental groups and more than 100 small businesses statewide have signed letters urging President Obama to halt future uranium mining on federal lands abutting Grand Canyon National Park to lessen the potential for contamination of nearby waters and damage to public lands.

And they are calling for Obama  using his powers under the Antiquities Act  to quickly create the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

This year, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the national parks, there is not a better time for President Obama to permanently protect the Grand Canyon, Hannah Perkins, project organizer for Environment New Mexico, said Tuesday during at a news conference at Outdoor ReGear, a local consignment shop for outdoor gear and clothing.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most amazing places in the world. But without action to stop it, toxic mining could ruin this area for future generations, she said.

Environment New Mexico, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, other environmental groups, some small businesses and hundreds of thousands of Americans are urging creation of the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument, Perkins said.

The monument, if created, would involve 1.7 million acres of federal land  one parcel north of the national park and one south. There are four closed uranium mines and three proposed mines in those areas. The Canyon Mine, in the southern part of Kaibab National Forest, is seeking permits to reopen, according to participants in the news conference.

The nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust has said contaminated water from an abandoned uranium mine on the canyons South Rim is poisoning a spring-fed creek deep within the canyon. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 15 springs and five wells with in the Grand Canyon watershed that contain dissolved uranium concentrations in excess of safe drinking water standards.

In 2009, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., introduced the Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act, primarily to stop new uranium claims nearby. But the act stalled in Congress. In 2012, then-Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar ordered a 20-year ban on all new uranium claims in the same areas. If the areas are designated as a national monument, that ban would become permanent, according to Roger Clark, program director for the Grand Canyon Trust.

John Mauldin, owner of Outdoor ReGear, said good stewardship of public lands makes economic sense.

Citing Obamas establishment of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument near Taos and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument near Las Cruces, Judy Calman, staff attorney for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, said its an opportune time to request protection for the Grand Canyon.

Perkins said Environment New Mexico has collected letters of support from small businesses in metro Albuquerque and Las Cruces, and plans to canvass businesses in Santa Fe in the coming month.
We learn things the hard way, sometimes. Hard lessons on how life is not always fair, people are not always good and the best-laid plans of mice and men and women often go awry.

Weve learned a few big ones lately, havent we? How leaving your car warming in your driveway often means your car will not be warming in your driveway for long when hot-fingered, lead-footed thieves abound. How new recipes should not be tried on Thanksgiving. How not voting because you think your candidate is a sure thing is almost never a smart thing.

Lately, you readers have shared a few lessons youve learned and hope to teach others. I have one of my own to share, as well.

So let this be our teachable moment.

Ill go first. Just past midnight, some odd activity occurred on my Starbucks gold card, as noted in a pair of emails. The first email thanked me for adding a whopping $85 to my balance. A generous gift, I thought.

A second email moments later proved this was no gift but grift  the $85 plus a previous balance of $27.58 had been transferred to another card.

It was, as you might have guessed, a sneaky way to steal a few dollars for coffee  and because the card is attached to my bank card, it could have been far worse.

Cards that automatically reload funds from the card owners bank account mean a hacker has access to that bank account, too.

In my case, thankfully, the auto reload feature automatically became disabled when that unusually large amount of funds changed hands, an apparent way Starbucks is trying to protect its customers.

Consumer expert Bob Sullivan, who first reported on the Starbucks hack in March 2015, advises folks to protect their coffee accounts the way they (presumably) protect their bank accounts: Use a strong password, change it regularly and vigilantly monitor accounts for fraudulent transactions.

Mary Duneman of Albuquerque says she wishes she had been more vigilant in checking the background of an online florist before placing her order. Duneman said she wanted to send flowers to an ailing friend for Thanksgiving and found what she thought was a great buy onli

Albuquerque resident Mary Duneman says she ordered a bouquet that was supposed to look like the one on the left, but the one on the right is what actually arrived.

One, a bounteous bouquet of big sunflowers, spectacular tiger lilies, daisies and roses and priced at $100 but on sale for $64.99 with free delivery.

Even the addition of a $13 service fee tacked on at the end of her purchase didnt dissuade her.

I thought, well, this is still a pretty good deal, so I went for it, Duneman said.

But what arrived was not what had been depicted on the website.

It was a puny little thing, maybe $30 in flowers, she said. I was too embarrassed to give it to my friend.

Only later did she read that the New Jersey-based company had a lengthy history of negative reviews on consumer sites (1 out of 5 stars from 989 reviews on Pissedconsumer.com) and was reported by the Better Business Bureau for a pattern of complaints that included deliveries that arrived days late and flowers that arrived dead, wilted, brown, falling apart or completely different from those ordered.

The company, however, disputes those comments, saying that the complaints are based on unreasonable expectations and involve a very small amount of dissatisfied customers relative to the total number of orders and satisfied customers.

The lesson here? Do your research, buy local, visit the florist if possible and if you order online, check the final price first before clicking the buy button. Some online florists are actually wire services that take out their fees and then send the order to a local florist, who then has less money and thus fewer flowers to work with.

The final lesson involves a Los Lunas woman who left her iPad on a late-night Southwest Airlines flight Monday from Los Angeles to Albuquerque. She had placed it in the seat pocket in front of her and became distracted upon deplaning. Only a few minutes passed before she went back for it, but it was already gone.

It felt like losing a limb, she said.

Many of us have lost our cellphones and perhaps a tablet or two, and there are specific things one needs to do when these items, these limbs, disappear because they contain so much personal information. You can find most of those steps on various tech websites and Apple support, but suffice it to say that before you remotely turn your lost item into a useless brick, take a breath and implement all the lost programs available. Once you kill your item, you kill out all those search modes as well.

Southwest also advises people to fill out a lost item report at Southwest.com. Other airlines have similar forms to fill out.

Before anything is lost, the airlines also recommends that valuables be labeled with contact information.

There you go. Lets be safe out there  and, please, stop warming up your unlocked cars on cold mornings.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
PHILADELPHIA  It knows if youve been sleeping and when you are awake.

The new Family Guardian tracking service is like having an automated snoop on duty 24/7 to report if everythings OK with beloved seniors  or not!  says Geoff Gross, founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Medical Guardian.

Developed with the Israeli tech firm Essence Group, this tracking service aims to differentiate Gross 11-year-old monitoring company from other major players in the Personal Emergency Response Systems industry.

Were not the biggest, but according to Inc. Magazine the fastest growing, the 36-year-old CEO said earlier this month. The firm had just celebrated its fourth year in a row on the Inc. 5000 list.

The traditional emergency call button often includes cell-service connectivity, automatic fall detection and GPS tracking options.

Family Guardian introduces more wireless gear. Its user-installed system includes occupancy sensors working with smart data crunching, sending alerts and analysis of clients activities to caregivers smartphones and computers.

When did Mom or Dad rise, leave, and return to the bedroom? How much time was spent in the kitchen? Did they venture out of the house? At what time and for how long?

The automated tracking looks for normal or abnormal patterns and makes an instant judgment call  with a text message or email ding to the caregivers phone  when spotting something odd.

An emergency response-trained rep, one of the 125 staffers at the firms headquarters, will also reach out with a live phone call when sensing a problem late at night, said Gross, like the customer leaving the house between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and not quickly returning.

With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, life expectancy rising and most seniors pushing to stay in place, theres a big market for such products.

On average, a Medical Guardian customer signs up for service at age 78. But with one out of three seniors 65-plus taking a near-fatal fall every year, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds, Gross contends they should sign up sooner.

The global market hit $5.6 billion in 2015 and is poised to reach $8.6 billion by 2022, Stratistics Market Research Consulting found.

Some competitors, like market leader Philips Lifeline and ADT LLC, have been moving to telemedicine, enhancing the panic button with proactive monitors that track blood pressure, congestive heart failure, weight, diabetes, oxygen levels for COPD, hypertension, asthma and medical compliance (pill-taking).

But Gross, whose family used to run a security system supplier, suggests telemedicine tech is not ready for prime time and, after much research, believes weve got the most desirable features for seniors and the 42 million grown children caring for elders.

Being pitched in cable TV commercials (with Florence Henderson as spokeswoman) and online, Family Guardians service is also about reducing the demands on caregivers who now feel compelled to check on their parents four times a day and suffer lots of stress as a consequence. Its epitomized by their 29 percent increased use in antianxiety drugs, Gross said.

As the CEO sees it, this $79.95-a-month service is less than the cost of a single day visit from a paid caregiver, and a drop in the bucket next to the $3,000 a month average cost for assisted living.



2016 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.philly.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, two letters were drafted for Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to send to the eventual winner. One was addressed to Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who enjoyed broad approval among Swedes. The other was to Republican Donald Trump, the upstart candidate who was viewed negatively by many in Sweden.

The letters were intended to congratulate the winner of the election.

Only one was ever sent.

Lofvens office released parts of the letter sent to Trump last week, although considerable sections of it were censored under Swedens official secrets act. On Monday, the Expressen newspaper released what it said was a copy of the letter in its entirety.

Expressen simultaneously published what it said was the letter drafted for Lofven to send to Clinton if she won the election. As reporter Niklas Svensson noted, there was a clear difference in tone between the two letters.

Notably, in the letter to Clinton, the first paragraph says that it is a pleasure to congratulate the new president; it does not say the same in the letter to Trump. The letter then calls Clintons election a milestone for the world. Noting that Lofven leads what has been referred to as the worlds first feminist government, the letter says he is looking forward to working with the Clinton administration to increase gender equality worldwide.

Heres that section in full:

As the leader of Swedens  and the worlds  first feminist government, I attach great importance to the fact that you will be the first woman to take office as President of the United States. It is a milestone for the world. I am looking forward to cooperating with you and your administration on how to increase gender equality worldwide.

The tone of the letter to Trump is markedly less warm, offering only congratulations and noting that Swedes value the broad collaboration between their country and the United States.

It then moves on to a more detailed discussion of policy  a section that Swedish authorities had initially censored. Some of this discussion appears in both letters  notably, the business ties between Sweden and the United States and the potential for a transatlantic free-trade agreement. However, the letter to Trump appears to emphasize the U.S. role in European security, including Swedens partnership with NATO and the countrys role in anti-terrorism efforts:

Global and regional challenges require transatlantic cooperation. The United States engagement in Europe is central for both European and American security. Sweden is committed to the security situation in Europe and in our neighbourhood through partnership with Nato, bilateral security and defence cooperation with key countries such as the United States. The promotion of dialogue and reduction of tension are fundamental elements in our approach. Sweden also takes global responsibility for contributing to the anti-Daesh [Islamic State] coalition and by being one of the largest humanitarian donors in the world. We value our cooperation with the United States on anti-terrorism and on countering violent extremism.

It is unclear from the Expressens report whether the letter to Clinton would have been edited further. It appears notably longer than the letter eventually sent to Trump  the version published by Expressen cuts off after the first page. Monica Enqvist, a press counselor at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington said that both letters published by Expressen were early drafts, produced by civil servants before the elections.

The Prime Minister has never seen those drafts, Enqvist wrote via email. There is only one letter; the one that was sent to the incoming President.

Lofven had made it clear ahead of the election that he was not enamored of Trump, suggesting in August that the Republicans campaign was based on fear. The initial note released by his office after Trumps win didnt mention the president-elect by name, noting that it was an election outcome that many people feel concerned about but that we have prepared for. Lofven was later reported to have spoken by phone to Trump, with the American apparently inviting the Swedish prime minister for a meeting during an upcoming visit to the United States.

In a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center earlier this year, just 6 percent of Swedes were found to have confidence that the American businessman would do the right thing regarding global affairs, while 92 percent said they had no confidence. Meanwhile, Swedish respondents were widely supportive of Clinton, with 83 percent expressing confidence in her handling of world affairs and 14 percent saying they had no confidence.

sweden-clinton
President-elect Donald Trumps drama-ridden selection process for secretary of state has narrowed to four finalists, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump aides said Wednesday.

It was the first time that Trumps transition team has publicly confirmed that Romney and Giuliani are competing for the highest ranking Cabinet position. Opponents of Romney have waged a remarkably public fight against him, saying the former Massachusetts governor should not get the nod because he attacked Trump in harsh personal terms during the presidential campaign and that Giuliani should be rewarded for his loyalty during the campaign.

Transition team officials would not name the other two finalists, but other leading candidates include retired Army Gen. David Petraeus  a former commanding general of the U.S. Central Command and CIA director  and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A fifth possible candidate is retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, former chief of U.S. Southern Command. Kelly, who clashed with the Obama administration over women serving in combat and plans to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, is also a candidate for homeland security secretary and possibly other positions, people familiar with the selection process have said. Kelly is scheduled to meet with the president-elect today at Trump Tower.

Trump aides said there is no set timetable for making a final selection on the State Department and that the president-elects decision will likely not be announced this week. Trump met with Romney Tuesday night for a two-hour dinner at which the two men were seen laughing and munching on frog legs and other delicacies.

Afterward, Romney emerged and told reporters: I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump, That stood in stark contrast to the campaign, during which Romney had been one of Trumps leading detractors, labeling him a con man, a fake and a phony who was unprepared for the presidency.

Jason Miller, a senior Trump communications adviser, said Wednesday that Trump also thought the dinner went very well and that the two men had good chemistry. He added that Trump and Romney have not spent a significant amount of time together, so this is still the process of getting to know each other.

The naming of finalists for the State Department post came as Trump appeared to be focusing on core economic issues in his emerging Cabinet, while he prepared to put aside his sprawling businesses.

Trump officially announced key members of his economic team, choosing former banker and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary and billionaire industrialist Wilbur Ross to run the Commerce Department. As Rosss deputy, Trump turned to Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Rickets, whose family are powerful conservative donors.

This team will be instrumental in implementing the President-elects America First economic plan that will create more than 25 million jobs over the next decade, Trumps transition team said in statement.

House speaker Paul D. Ryan, who often clashed with Trump during the campaign but has been strongly supportive of the president-elect since his victory, praised his choices. I am excited to get to work with this strong team to fix our broken tax code, ease the regulatory burden on American businesses, and grow our economy, Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement.

Amid the economic focus, Trumps advisers continued promoting his role in a deal with air-conditioning manufacturer Carrier, which has announced it would reverse plans to move one of its factories from Indiana to Mexico. The company, owned by United Technologies, said about 1,000 U.S. jobs would be preserved. Trumps promise to keep jobs in the United States and rebuild American manufacturing was a core part of his insurgent campaign.

The Carrier deal, I think its terrific, Mnuchin told reporters as he walked into Manhattans Trump Tower Wednesday morning to meet with his future boss. He said Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence had picked up the phone and called the CEO of the United Technologies and told them we want to keep jobs here. Cant remember the last time a president did that.

Trump and Pence will travel to Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon for the Carrier announcement, transition aides said Wednesday during a telephone briefing with reporters.

Details of the deal remained unclear, including the extent of Trumps personal involvement versus Pence or other officials, and whether any incentives were offered to keep the jobs in the state, where Pence is the governor.

Also uncertain were the specifics of how Trump, a longtime real estate developer with interests around the globe, planned to step away from overseeing his business. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he would soon leave the conglomerate.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Trump wrote on Twitter, which has remained his favorite communication medium during the transition.

The announcement, seen as a response to increasingly voiced concerns about the potential conflicts of interest between Trumps public and private roles, marks a turn from his months-long refusal to distance himself from his private affairs while holding the nations highest public office.

Trumps comments did little to convince critics such as Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., who along with 23 colleagues introduced a resolution Tuesday calling on Trump to follow the precedents set by past presidents and hold his assets in a form guaranteeing no conflicts, such as a blind trust.

I was encouraged to see the President-elects initial response but the devil is in the details, which Mr. Trump was short on in his tweets, Cardin said. The fact that his announcement will be done with his children at his side leaves many questions as to whether he and his lawyers understand the meaning of a blind trust.

Trump did not say if the new arrangement would include a full sale of his stake or, as he has offered before, a ceding of company management to his children, which ethics advisers have said would not resolve worries that the business could still influence his decisions in the Oval Office.

Presidents are not bound by the strict conflict-of-interest laws governing most U.S. elected officials. But most modern presidents have agreed to sell or sequester their assets in a blind trust, led by an independent manager with supreme control, in order to keep past business deals, investments and relationships from influencing their White House term.

Giving company management to his three eldest children  Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka  would still leave open the potential for Trump to make presidential decisions for their benefit. The children have already played a key part in Trumps governing preparations, serving on the transition team now selecting key appointees and sitting in on meetings with foreign heads of state.

Transition aides declined to provide details of Trumps plans for his business during Wednesdays briefing, saying the president-elect will provide them at his Dec. 15 news conference.

With Mnuchin, Ross and Ricketts, Trumps Cabinet nominations reward their loyalty and roles in his campaign. Both Mnuchin and Ross were financial contributors and advisers, while Rickettss father financed a pro-Trump super PAC.

Mnuchin, an investor and former Goldman Sachs executive who joined Trumps campaign in May as finance chairman, has no government experience. But in his statement announcing Mnuchins nomination, which is subject to Senate confirmation, Trump hailed the former private equity fund head as a world-class financier, banker and businessman, who has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs.

Ross is an investor known as the king of bankruptcy for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits. He helped shape the Trump campaigns economic agenda, particularly its hard-line stance on the need to renegotiate or withdraw from free trade agreements. That position resonated with the working class voters who were instrumental in delivering Trumps upset victory.

Trump said that Ross, whose nomination is also subject to Senate confirmation, is a champion of American manufacturing and knows how to help companies succeed. Most importantly, he is one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met.

The two expressed confidence in the incoming administrations ability to boost economic growth as high as 4 percent a year.

Crucial to that projection would be passage of Trumps proposed overhaul of the tax code, including streamlining individual tax rates into three brackets and reducing the corporate tax rate to 15 percent. Independent research groups have estimated the plan could cost as much as $6 trillion over the next decade. However, that analysis does not include the potential economic benefits the tax cuts could generate.

Trumps new team spread out to give a sales pitch on Wednesday for his economic vision. In a joint interview with Ross on CNBCs Squawk Box, Mnuchin said reforming the nations tax code would be Trumps top priority and promised significant tax breaks for the middle class but no absolute cut for high-income households.

And at Trump Tower, Mnuchin told reporters that the new administrations number one priority is going to be the economy, get back to three to four percent growth. We believe thats very sustainable.

Asked how they would achieve Trumps promise to convince U.S. companies to bring back massive amounts of cash they have stockpiled overseas because of what they see as high corporate taxes, Mnuchin said: Well our first priority is going to be the tax plan and the tax plan has both the corporate aspects to it, lowering corporate taxes so we make U.S. companies the most competitive in the world.

He added, without elaboration, that Trump will ensure that we repatriate trillions of dollars back to the United States.



Drew Harwell, Ylan Mui and Jim Tankersley contributed to this report.



Video: Trumps Transition: Why Giulianis nomination could be tricky

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WASHINGTON  Rep. Nancy Pelosi will continue to lead House Democrats after winning re-election to the minority leader position on Wednesday, and the powerful California Democrat announced that Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico will serve a second term as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Pelosi today fended off a challenge from Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, with a caucus vote of 134-63 vote to retain her minority leadership position.

I was proud to vote for Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader, and I look forward to working with her in the 115th Congress, Lujan said in a statement to the Journal after the secret ballots were cast.

The office of Rep. Michelle Lujan Grishams declined to specify whom she supported for the leadership post, but issued this statement from the congresswoman:

I appreciate the fact that we were able to have an honest debate about the future of the Democratic Caucus and the need to empower newer members to shape that future. The real roadblock to progress has been the divisions and lack of leadership from the Republican Caucus. As Democrats, we need new strategies to overcome that gridlock. I am encouraged that Leader Pelosi will continue to rely on New Mexicos own Congressman Ben Ray Lujan to be part of her leadership team.

The caucus vote on Capitol Hill came amid some angst within the Democratic Party about whether it was time to inject some new blood into the House leadership structure after a disappointing result at the polls on Nov. 8. In the 115th Congress, which convenes in January, Republicans will hold a 241-194 edge in House seats.

Democrats gained six House seats in the election, not nearly as many as they had hoped. Under Lujans leadership, the DCCC bet big that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump would be a down-ballot disaster for House Republicans. The political organization spent much of the summer and fall framing the election as a referendum on Trump.

Republicans seemed to delight in the news of Pelosis re-election to the leadership post today.

What a relief, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted shortly after the vote. I was worried they had learned from the elections & might be competitive and cohesive again.
BEIRUT  The Latest on the fighting in Syria (all times local):

10:15 p.m.

The U.N. humanitarian chief says that the laws of war have been systematically disregarded in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

Addressing an emergency meeting of Security Council in video-link from Geneva, Stephen OBrien said the parties to the Syrian conflict have shown they are will to take any action in order to secure military advantage even if it means killing, maiming or besieging civilians.

OBrien said some 25,000 people, most of them women and children, have been displaced from their homes since Saturday and that it is likely thousands more will flee in the coming days.

He said there is no properly functioning hospital in eastern Aleppo, which has been under siege for nearly 150 days and that most of the nearly quarter million people trapped there dont have the means to survive much longer.

___

5:30 p.m.

The Russian military says it has sent a team of sappers to clear the eastern part of Aleppo from mines.

Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the militarys General Staff said Wednesday the unit has 200 soldiers and 47 vehicles. He said the Russian Defense Ministry has also sent a field hospital to Aleppo.

Syrian government forces captured more than a third of opposition-controlled eastern Aleppo Monday.

Rudskoi said there are more than 90,000 civilians in those districts. He urged the U.N. to quickly provide humanitarian aid to them, noting that the Castello road, a key highway leading to the city, is now safe for humanitarian convoys.

He said 647 militants have left Aleppo, of which 630 have been amnestied and the remaining 17 are undergoing checks.

___

5:15 p.m.

The president of the Aleppo district councils has issued a cry of suffering on behalf of civilians after a Paris meeting with Frances foreign minister, who assessed the suffering in Syria as probably one of the most violent tragedies since World War II.

France has called for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting later Wednesday to try to stop the fighting and bring in humanitarian aid.

Calling for safe passage for civilians, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said save the civilian population.

Aleppo city council president Brita Hagi Hasan said that 250,000 civilians in Aleppo face the threat of death. They send out a cry to the world Let civilians get out of the city, he pleaded.

He denounced what he claimed were massacres in the country committed by the Syrian regime, Russia, Iranian militias and others.

___

4:30 p.m.

Russias foreign ministry spokeswoman has mocked the Syrian Civil Defense for posting a Mannequin Challenge video  a viral Internet meme in which participants remain frozen as mannequins while the video is recorded  and accused them of staging scenes of destruction in the rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, posted the video online last month, showing two rescue workers striking a pose next to an injured man to participate in the trending hashtag.

Maria Zakharova said Wednesday the White Helmets, recently touted to win the Nobel Peace Prize, deserved an Academy Award for their performance.

The White Helmets have dealt with the aftermath of Russian and Syrian government strikes while Moscow has vehemently denied it has ever targeted civilian areas.

Zakharova said the video confirms Moscows worst fears that the White Helmets film forged videos and could easily imitate a tragedy.

___

2:30 p.m.

A top Russian diplomat has criticized the Turkish presidents comments about Syrian President Bashar Assad as contradicting all international agreements on Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that the Turkish army entered Syria in order to topple Assad, who is backed by Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies Wednesday that Moscow was baffled by such comments. Its against all international agreements that Turkey is party to if Erdogan plans to wage war on Assad, he said.

Traditionally warm relations between Russia and Turkey turned frosty after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian-Turkish border last year.

It took several months before Erdogan apologized to Putin over the incident and the two nations began rebuilding damaged ties.

___

12:00 p.m.

Syrian activists say at least 21 people have been killed in an artillery barrage on a housing area for those displaced in rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says the Wednesday morning attack struck the Jub al-Quba district, where residents displaced from government advances on other areas of the city have sought protection.

It said it occurred near the site of a government air strike that killed at least 20 the day before.

The Syrian Civil Defense search-and-rescue group put the toll at 45 dead. It accused government forces of being behind the attack.

____

11:30 a.m.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Aleppo as pro-government Syrian forces press on with their campaign to reclaim the divided city.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Wednesday more than 50,000 out of an estimated quarter-million inhabitants have been displaced by attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo over the past 4 days. Many of them fled to safer ground in areas under government or Kurdish control.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says around 20,000 people have fled.

The Lebanese Al-Manar TV channel reported from the Aleppo countryside that pro-government forces were advancing in the southern portion of the citys rebel enclave.

The government has seized much of the northern half of the enclave in a swift advance that began Saturday.
WASHINGTON  Four Democrats who hope to lead their national party through a time of diminished power will face off Friday at a forum in Denver.

The Future of the Party Forum comes as the race for chairman of the Democratic National Committee has emerged as a proxy battle for the direction of the party with President-elect Donald Trump preparing to enter the White House and Republicans retaining control of both chambers of Congress.

The hopefuls planning to participate Friday include Ray Buckley, the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party; Howard Dean, a former governor of Vermont; Keith Ellison, a Minnesota congressman; and Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

Several others are also eyeing the race, including Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who earlier this week laid out her vision of where the DNC should head in a Medium post. The proposals from Hogue, who has yet to declare her candidacy, include re-examining the electoral college, in which Trump prevailed despite losing the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The most visible of the contenders has been Ellison, whos rolled out dozens of endorsements, including those of Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Ellison, a favorite of the partys progressive wing, also has the backing of some establishment Democrats, including Sen. Charles Schumer, his chambers incoming minority leader.

Buckley was mentioned as a contender when it appeared to Democrats that Clinton would be in the White House, and his name has recently re-emerged. Dean is seeking to return to a post he previously held in which he championed a 50-state strategy.

Harrison is considered something of a long shot, but his candidacy got a boost Wednesday from a letter sent to DNC members from Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., urging a vote for the fellow South Carolinian. Clyburn holds the leadership post of House assistant Democratic leader.

The partys next chairman is scheduled to be picked in February by DNC members from across the country, who may or may not take their cue from elected officials. The new chairman will succeed interim chairwoman Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic operative who stepped in after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., resigned in July and has since come under fire for leaking CNN debate questions to Hillary Clinton.

Fridays forum is being hosted by the Association of State Democratic Chairs as part of that organizations nationwide conference.

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Sudans President Omar al-Bashir, who has a warrant out for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court, joined the chorus of autocratic leaders expressing optimism in the wake of President-elect Donald Trumps victory.

In an interview with Emirati daily Al-Khaleej, Bashir suggested dealing with a Trump administration would be more straightforward and much easier than his predecessors. He noted with satisfaction that Trump may be less likely to lecture about human rights and civil liberties.

Trump focuses on the interests of the American citizen, as opposed to those who talk about democracy, human rights and transparency, Bashir said, according to the Associated Presss transcription of the interview.

I am convinced that it will be much easier to deal with Trump than with others because he is a straightforward person and a businessman who considers the interests of those who deal with him. he said.

Bashir has ruled Sudan since 1989. His government suppresses dissent and is embroiled in a 13-year conflict in the impoverished Darfur region. The United Nations estimates the violence has led to some 300,000 deaths and displaced more than 2.5 million people. In 2009, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant for Bashirs arrest over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes, and added a genocide charge in 2010. The move compels Bashir to only travel to nations that promise ahead of his arrival not to act on the warrant when he lands.

In 2014, Bashir gave a rare interview to Western media, telling The Washington Posts Kevin Sieff that the Darfur crisis was misunderstood on the world stage and suggesting those still stuck in refugee camps had an easy life. He also pointed to American hypocrisy, citing police violence in Ferguson and elsewhere.

Of course we have examples in the United States, he said. Even someone in his car who is asked to raise his hands and refuses, he will be shot. Weve seen it. Especially if hes black.

Such rhetoric is not so far away from that of the American president-elect, who, during the election campaign, cautioned against condemning authoritarian politics elsewhere.

I think right now when it comes to civil liberties, our country has a lot of problems, Trump told the New York Times, and I think its very hard for us to get involved in other countries when we dont know what we are doing and we cant see straight in our own country.

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Prosecutors say evidence indicates the suspected arsonist of a retail store in Albuquerque last weekend also committed other recent fires and acts of vandalism around the city.

They made the comments in court on Wednesday as a judge ordered David Hickman, a 28-year-old man arrested Saturday after being seen fleeing a fire at Old Navy near San Mateo and Interstate 40, to remain behind bars until his trial date.

Magistrate Karen Molzen said during a detention hearing Wednesday morning that prosecutors have a strong case against Hickman, who has been charged in federal court for using fire or explosives to damage the retail store, and she declined to release him prior to trial.

Alonzo Padilla, Hickmans attorney, had asked that his client be released to a halfway house so he could receive counseling while awaiting trial. He said Hickman has family in the city who are supporting him while he faces the serious charges.

But Molzen said Hickman is a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Im glad nothing happened when Mr. Hickman was stopped by police, she said.

Hickman was arrested by Albuquerque police after an officer heard explosions from the Old Navy store and then spotted Hickman fleeing the scene, prosecutors said in court. He had a firearm, a flare, an AR-15 rifle and Mason jars full of explosives in his vehicle when he was taken into custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Federici said that, while Hickman has been charged with starting only the Old Navy fire, there is evidence linking him to other recent fires set at Albuquerque businesses.

He said Hickman was carrying a list at the time of his arrest that identified Old Navy and at least one other business where a fire was set. Also, Mason jars containing a flammable liquid used in the Old Navy fire and in his possession when he was arrested, were used to set other fires.

There were eight instances of either fires or suspicious devices reported at various businesses throughout Albuquerque in recent weeks.

There already are very obvious and clear linkages, between the fires, Federici said.

Hickman is facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, though that could be increased to 30 years if its confirmed he used explosives.
Costcos application to build on Pine Lake Road is contrary to Lincolns criteria for commercial centers. Limited access and lack of principal arterial roads was a primary point of contention at the Planning Commission hearing on November 9 ("Plans for southwest Lincoln Costco remain on the shelf," Nov. 10).

The Planning Department, Public Works and most of the Planning Commission seem to be in agreement that this location is not the best choice for a Costco, yet four out of five commissioners voted in favor of the application.

One commissioner stated that building Costco at this location is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Other commissioners suggested that Costco consider one of several alternative locations in Lincoln that are more easily accessible to the community at large.

One perfect example would be Highway 77 and West Denton Road. This site is approximately five minutes from Costco's desired Pine Lake Road location and is far enough away from our schools and fully equipped with appropriate land and roads to accommodate Costco, while preserving our community values and standards for development.

This is not a neighborhood dispute about not wanting commercial development on land intended for such use. This is a request to change the current zoning of this land, as well as adjustment to our citys comprehensive future plan. This property and its roadways were not developed nor ever intended to accommodate a warehouse retailer.

I realize Lincoln wants a Costco but at what cost?

Debbie Stuart, Lincoln
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  Police responded to nearly 300 calls about vehicle crashes and other driving issues during the Flagstaff regions first snowstorm of season.

FPD spokesman Sgt. Cory Runge told The Arizona Daily Sun (http://bit.ly/2gJ74Pp ) that the icy roadways were horrible.

The National Weather Service says about 5.5 inches of snow fell at the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport between Saturday and Monday.

Highway Patrol saw 177 crashes and assistance requests on Sunday and Monday. Flagstaff Police dealt with 83 crashes and Coconino County Sheriffs office had 28 crashes and assistance requests. The Northern Arizona University Police Department also saw five crashes.

The biggest traffic issues were during Flagstaffs Monday evening rush hour.

___

Information from: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/
Apple fans, get ready to see red: Apple is using its ubiquitous presence to raise awareness and money for the AIDS awareness campaign Red on World AIDS Day.

Expanding on the growing attention the company has paid to charitable events under chief executive Tim Cook, the company on Thursday will release several products to raise money for the AIDS awareness project co-founded by U2 frontman Bono.

The goal? To achieve a generation that is AIDS-free at birth, by ending cases where mothers transmit the disease to their children. Deb Dugan, chief executive of Red, said she believes that goal could be accomplished by 2020.

Apple has planned some new ways to raise money this year.

Weve deeply thought through every single way our customers touch us. And weve tried to make it really simple for them to participate in eradicating this disease, Cook said.

These include working with outside app developers to raise money for the charity, special red versions of product cases and an appropriately hued Beats wireless speaker and headphones. The company will turn the logos red at more than 400 of its stores. It is making a documentary about Red, The Lazarus Effect, free to all iTunes users. And it has worked with the band The Killers to release a special track on iTunes  a rendition of Ill Be Home for Christmas  and will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Red.

Apple will also donate to Red $1 from every purchase made through Apple Pay at any of its stores (online or not) up to $1 million; Bank of America will match that donation for Apple Pay payments made with its cards from Dec. 1-7.

Being able to inspire broad participation, Cook said, is Apples most important charitable responsibility.

That has much more value to it, I think, then just merely writing a check, he said. This is about getting an enormous amount of people, and trying to be the ripple in the pond.

The companywide effort is the largest Apple has undertaken for a cause  even under Cook, who has raised Apples philanthropic profile and used his position to speak out on social issues.

Cook declined to comment on whether he thinks Apple  which has championed issues such as LGBT rights and environmental protection  will find itself at odds with the incoming administration. But he rejected the idea that Apples decision to take a stand on issues such as eradicating AIDS should be viewed through a political lens.

We think . . . corporations should have values like people do  and do their part in leaving things better than we found it, Cook said. I view all of this stuff as being as far away as you can get from politics as possible, to be honest.

This years efforts take a decade of Apple participation with Red to a new level, Cook said. Apple was a founding partner of the charity Project Red  often stylized (RED)  after Bono and philanthropist Bobby Shriver founded it in 2006. The first Apple product for Project Red was a special red iPod nano. It was so popular that Apple had to reissue a second model within four weeks, said Greg Joswiak, Apples vice president of iPhone and iOS product marketing.

This year, it has moved its efforts far beyond the iPod  although you still will be able to buy red iPods to support the cause. The company worked with the developers of several games including Angry Birds, Best Fiends, SimCity BuildIt, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, and Clash of Clans to create special in-app purchases. All of the proceeds from those purchases will go to Red.

Red has raised $360 million to fight AIDS over the past decade. What many may not realize, however, is that Apple has raised one-third of that: $120 million.

For us its been a game-changer, quite frankly, Dugan said. Although AIDS may not be viewed as quite the crisis that it was in the 1990s, she said its still the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age and the second-leading cause of death among teens. And, she said, the world is at a crucial moment in the fight to eventually wipe it out. We can eliminate mother-child transmission of HIV  which for an infectious disease is a tipping point, Dugan said.

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OPEC clinched a deal to curtail oil supply, confounding skeptics as the need to clear a record global crude glut  and prove the groups credibility  brought its first cuts in eight years. Crude rose as much as 8.8 percent in London.

OPEC will reduce output to 32.5 million barrels a day, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Vienna following a ministerial meeting on Wednesday. The breakthrough deal, effective January, showed an acceptance by Saudi Arabia that Iran, as a special case, can still raise production.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is ditching a pump-at-will policy introduced in 2014 to resume its traditional role as price fixer. The shift  aimed at draining a crude glut thats pushed down prices for two years  will help revive the tattered finances of oil-producing countries and will reverberate in markets around the world, from the Canadian dollar to Nigerian bonds to U.S. shale equities.

This should be a wake-up call for skeptics who have argued the death of OPEC, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects. The group wants to push inventories down.

After weeks of often tense negotiations, the eventual alignment of OPECs biggest producers points to the increasing dominance of Iran among the groups top ranks. Its allowed to raise output to about 3.8 million barrels a day, a victory for a country thats long sought special treatment as it recovers from sanctions. Saudi Arabia previously proposed that its regional rival limit output to 3.707 million barrels a day, delegates said.

The agreement, which also calls for a reduction of about 600,000 barrels a day by non-OPEC countries, pushed up Brent crude by as much as $4.08 to $50.46 a barrel. Still, prices remain at half their level of mid-2014.

The economics of the deal are incredibly appealing, Jeff Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. The main aim of the cuts is inventory normalization, he said.

Saudi Arabia, which raised oil production to a record this year, will reduce output by 486,000 barrels a day to 10.058 million a day, an OPEC document shows. Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer, agreed to cut by 210,000 barrels a day from October levels. The country had previously pushed for special consideration, citing the urgency of its offensive against Islamic State.

The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will reduce output by 139,000 barrels a day and 131,000 a day respectively, the document shows. Non-member Russia, also pumping at a post-Soviet record, will cut by as much as 300,000 barrels a day, conditional on its technical abilities, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in Moscow.

What was announced so far is bullish, but January is still far away, said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group. December will still see ongoing record production, but market participants might ignore it. It does seem as though Russia will cut, which if implemented is also positive.

Russia, the biggest producer outside the bloc, had previously resisted calls to trim its production, insisting it would only consider a freeze. OPEC plans to hold talks with non-0PEC producers next week in Doha.

The strength of the deal will depend on whether all parties deliver on their commitment. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies the U.A.E. and Kuwait have traditionally stuck to their cuts, but some others havent, particularly when prices are low. Any doubt in the market could once again see prices come under pressure.

The last two years have been painful for OPEC: The group will earn $341 billion from oil exports this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Thats down from $753 billion in 2014 before prices crashed, and a record $920 billion in 2012.

The group will meet again on May 25 next year, at which point it intends to extend the cuts by another six months, Qatari Energy Minister Mohammed Al Sada told reporters in Vienna.

Indonesia requested a freeze of its OPEC membership. Its suspension wont affect the size of the groups production cut, one delegate said.



With assistance from Laura Hurst, Angelina Rascouet, Nayla Razzouk, Annmarie Hordern, Elena Mazneva, Golnar Motevalli and Alex Longley.

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The election of Donald Trump has lifted fringe ideologies, such as the alt-right, and little-known political figures, such as Trumps immigration adviser Kris Kobach, to new levels of national prominence.

It has also elevated a group of evangelical Christian leaders and traditions that are often treated as marginal. Specifically, Trumps victory has been an unlikely triumph for the prosperity gospel, as well as for a handful of prosperity-oriented preachers from the world of African American televangelism.

The president-elect identifies as a Presbyterian. But his rhetoric during the campaign often reflected the language of the prosperity gospel, a diffuse American Christian movement that links faith, positive thinking and material wealth into the American religion of winning, as journalist Jeff Sharlet described it this year.

More than once, Trump has cited the influence of minister Norman Vincent Peale, whose concept of positive thinking is a close relative of the prosperity gospel. And like prosperity gospel preachers, Trump made the appeal of his personal fortune central to his pitch.

The prosperity gospel is often associated with ostentatious fundraisers such as Oral Roberts, Joel Osteen and Creflo Dollar, the Atlanta megachurch pastor who tried to raise $65 million in 2015 to buy a private plane.

These nondenominational pastors rarely become involved in politics, and they do not wield the same institutional power as the more conventional leaders of major evangelical denominations. Perhaps because it has no single denominational structure, no clear leadership, and a stronger presence among less-educated Americans and people of color, the prosperity movement has often been treated as marginal.

Bradley Koch, a sociologist at Georgia College who has studied the demographics of prosperity gospel traditions, explained that there is a dearth of data about the movement, in part because of scholars historically just not taking the prosperity movement seriously.

Still, the movements influence is significant. Surveys can be unreliable tools for gauging religious beliefs, but, according to Koch, about 5 percent of Americans seem to identify explicitly with the prosperity movement. Far more Americans, though  perhaps close to two-thirds  identify with at least some prosperity gospel teachings, such as the idea that God wants people to succeed financially.

They might not identify with the prosperity gospel, in the same way people dont identify as Presbyterian, but they may identify with ideas that are central to these teachings, Koch said.

Theres something in the air in American religion that has valorized business success, that has valorized wealth, and that has valorized quote-unquote language of vigor, said Jonathan Walton, a professor and minister at Harvard and the author of a book about black televangelists and the prosperity gospel. That valorization is there at the highest levels, he said. Not just Pentecostals, not just folks of color. Im talking about mainstream Presbyterians, Methodists.

Walton said he was not surprised that more than four-fifths of white evangelicals voted for Trump, a twice-divorced candidate who boasted about committing sexual assault. I think the same mistake that political theorists and political pollsters made in relationship to Donald Trumps rise and success is the same mistake scholars of religion have made as it relates to the role of the prosperity gospel in American society, Walton said. They underestimated just how much at the center it is, versus it being something thats marginalized or marginal.

Trumps affinity for the language and style of the prosperity gospel is part of a larger end run around traditional evangelical authorities, many of whom see the prosperity gospel as a kind of heresy, and many of whom were hesitant to embrace Trumps candidacy.

Nowhere is that end run more stark than in Trumps informal spiritual Cabinet  a small group of pastors who helped him burnish his moral bona fides early in the campaign. The three most central of those pastors  Paula White, Mark Burns and Darrell Scott  all came from the prosperity gospel-infused world of black televangelism. Each spoke at the Republican National Convention, and Burns, in particular, was a high-profile, and often controversial, Trump surrogate during the campaign.

Scott oversees a church and radio ministry in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Burns runs a Christian TV network out of a tiny studio in Easley, S.C. And White, a popular TV preacher, is the pastor of a megachurch in an Orlando suburb.

White is not black, but she got her start under the tutelage of the black megachurch icon T.D. Jakes, had a breakout gig on BET, and continues to preach to largely African American crowds. She and Trump became friends after he saw her on television (He is a fan of Christian television, Burns said).

White introduced Scott to Trump in 2011, when Trump asked her to organize a meeting with pastors when he was considering a presidential run. Scott and Trumps counsel, Michael Cohen, became friends, and they organized a high-profile meeting between Trump and black pastors during the primaries last fall. They also introduced Burns, the South Carolina pastor, to Trump.

In interviews, Scott and Cohen insisted that Trumps campaign had successfully reached African American voters (he won 8 percent of the African American vote), and Cohen said that, of the 100 black pastors invited to meet with Trump last year, 98 had filled out endorsement cards. Asked for a list of those 98, he refused, berated a reporter for wasting his time with frivolous requests, and then said that a list might be on the website of Trumps National Diversity Coalition (it is not; in an interview with the National Review, Darrell Scott estimated that only 35 to 50 of the pastors filled out endorsement cards).

Asked what members of his church think of his association with Trump, Scott said that you always have those who take umbrage to it, who listen to CNN more than they listen to me.

Rather than win over black Christian voters, Scott and Burns seem more likely to have helped assure white Christians that Trump is neither impious nor a racist, despite his history of racist comments.

In return, they  along with White  have received a national platform. Burns spoke gratefully about how the campaign had raised his profile. Trump did not have to allow this black preacher from a small town in South Carolina to have those things, he did not have to do that, he said before recalling, warmly, the day Trump had asked him to speak at the Republican convention.

Im not sure if Ill be doing anything for the inauguration, he said. Im praying that I will.

  

Schulson is a freelance journalist and an associate editor at Religion Dispatches, where he co-produces a section on science, religion, technology and ethics.

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WASHINGTON  A dual Dutch-Turkish national was in federal court in Washington to face sentencing Wednesday for providing material support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a U.S.-designated terrorist group active in Afghanistan.

U.S. prosecutors sought a maximum, 15-year prison term for Irfan Demirtas, 57, who they said served as a European-based fundraiser and recruiter for IMU leader Tahir Yuldashev.

Demirtas has admitted that between January 2006 and May 2008, he provided funds to Yuldashev and was present when IMU leaders thanked him for money and made threats to Germany, the United States and the Netherlands.

Prosecutors planned to show excerpts of videos seized in a May 2008 raid on Demirtas home in Tilburg, Netherlands, which included some they said showed Demirtas providing more than $100,000 in aid to Chechen rebels and money to be split between the Taliban and al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

One of the most telling indications of the defendants intent is a statement made by Demirtas during a videotaped visit to Pakistan, prosecutors led by Michael DiLorenzo wrote in sentencing documents. The defendant, prosecutors said, stated that he went to Pakistan to wage war with America.

Federal defenders for the white-bearded Demirtas asked U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss of Washington for a 97-month sentence, roughly equivalent to the time he has already served in Dutch, French, German and U.S. custody since his arrest.

His attorney, Assistant Federal Defender Mary Petras, told Moss that U.S. authorities overstated Demirtas role and ignored his acceptance of responsibility, age, poor health, lack of prior offenses, family circumstances and good conduct  factors that could affect his sentencing calculation under federal guidelines  during a brief period after he was set free by France. Petras cited the harsh terms of Demirtas confinement in the D.C. jail, where he spends all but 15 minutes each weekday in a windowless cell.

Mr. Demirtas has demonstrated . . . that he will not commit any future crimes, but rather will return to his home in the Netherlands and continue to care for his family, Petras told Moss, according to court papers.

At the time of Demirtas visit to Pakistan in late 2006 and early 2007, the IMU group was actively battling Afghan and U.S. forces. The United States designated the IMU a foreign terrorist organization on Sept. 25, 2001, and the group has allied itself with the Taliban, al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

Yuldashev was killed in a U.S. drone strike in August 2009.

Demirtas, at his September guilty plea, denied knowing the name of Yuldashevs organization or that it was a terrorist group.

Although Demirtas was videotaped firing several weapons at the insistence of his Uzbek hosts, his attorney said, Demirtas saw his donations as an extension of his charitable work to fellow Muslims caught in floods, earthquakes and other disasters  not financing terrorism.

Demirtas was sentenced in France to eight years in prison for related activities on Jan. 8, 2013.

Prosecutors there said Demirtas French-based network sent at least $390,000 to the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with more than half earmarked for Islamist militancy.

Demirtas was returned to the Netherlands and released in July 2013, but was arrested again in Germany in January 2015 based on a 2012 U.S. warrant. He was extradited to the United States in July 2015.

U.S. authorities agreed not to pursue additional charges in a four-count indictment dated Dec. 8, 2011, and modified this April.

The original U.S. charges included providing resources to terrorists and receiving military-type training as well as a firearms charge, which upon conviction would have carried a mandatory 30-year prison term.

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Saudi Arabia is boosting the firepower of its sovereign wealth fund to accelerate dealmaking and lessen the countrys dependence on oil.

The Public Investment Fund is receiving a 100 billion-riyal ($27 billion) transfer from official reserves, according to a statement Wednesday on the SPA official news agency, increasing its existing assets by about 17 percent. The injection will help the fund diversify investments and revenues, it said.

The funds dealmaking has quickened this year as it seeks to increase the proportion of foreign investments to 50 percent by 2020 from 5 percent. It acquired a $3.5 billion stake in taxi-hailing app Uber Technologies Inc. in June and plans to put as much as $45 billion into a $100 billion global technology fund formed by Japans SoftBank Group Corp. Eventually, the kingdom wants the PIF, as its known, to become the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund.

The government is aggressively pursuing its investment diversification plan, John Sfakianakis, director of economic research at the Gulf Research Center, said by phone. It also sends a powerful message that the local economy is seen as a tremendous opportunity and will boost private sector confidence after a series of government spending cuts.

During the coming period, the PIF will focus on both domestic and international deals, including expected high yield opportunities in the local market that support private sector investments and promote economic growth and local contents, according to the statement.

The PIF, which is led by ex-Saudi Fransi Capital banker Yasir Alrumayyan and has assets of about 600 billion riyals, most recently said that its taking a 50 percent stake in Dubai-based businessman Mohamed Alabbars investment vehicle Adeptio. Its also contributing $500 million to Alabbars plan to create e-commerce firm Noon.

Saudi Arabias plans also include transferring to the sovereign wealth fund the ownership of oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and proceeds from that companys initial public offering. Once it takes ownership of the governments stake in Saudi Aramco the PIF will become the worlds biggest sovereign fund with assets of over $2 trillion, according to Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The fund currently holds about $100 billion of shares in listed local companies, including Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and Saudi Telecom Co.

In March last year, the PIF was transferred under a committee controlled by Prince Mohammed. In his role as head of of Economic and Development Affairs Council, the Prince chairs the board of the fund. It had previously been managed by the Ministry of Finance.

The prospect of the PIF becoming more acquisitive, coupled with the planned privatization of Saudi Aramco and other state-owned companies, is attracting global investment banks to the kingdom. Fees paid to banks in Saudi Arabia jumped by almost a third to about $100 million in the first five months, according to New York-based research firm Freeman & Co.

JPMorgan Chase advised the PIF on its investment in Uber and was a global coordinator on the kingdoms $17.5 billion bond sale in October along with HSBC Holdings and Citigroup Inc. The sale was the largest ever such emerging markets offering.

PIF doesnt receive any funding through the government budget and received more than 20 billion riyals in dividends in 2015, mostly from its holdings of Saudi Arabian equities, according to the prospectus for the October bond sale.

Saudi Arabia, hurt by low oil prices, has drawn down foreign reserves and cut spending while it funds a budget deficit that reached about 15 percent of gross domestic product last year. Foreign reserves held by the central bank have fallen $200 billion since August last year, to $536 billion at the end of October, according to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency.

The movement of funds to the PIF from SAMA, as the central bank is known, indicates that the role of the central bank could be gradually shifting, Mohamad Al Hajj, Dubai-based equity strategist for the Middle East and North Africa at EFG-Hermes U.A.E. Ltd said Wednesday by email. SAMAs role may be moving away from managing the countrys foreign reserves to focusing on currency liquidity and regulation, he said.



Bloombergs Glen Carey contributed.

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SAN ANTONIO  A Texas man has been charged with capital murder in the death by asphyxiation of a 15-year-old girl and three women in separate attacks from December 2014 to April 2015.

Bexar (bayr) County prosecutors say theyre seeking the death penalty for 29-year-old Johnny Joe Avalos (AH-vuh-lohs) of San Antonio. Investigators say the victims were killed during attempted sexual assaults.

Avalos was arrested last year on municipal court warrants. He faces two counts of capital murder of multiple persons in indictments announced Tuesday.

The body of 15-year-old Natalie Chavez was discovered in December 2014 under a San Antonio bridge. Rosemary Perez was slain in January 2015.

The body of Celia Ann Lopez was discovered in April 2015. Prosecutors say Genevieve Ramirez survived an April 2015 attack but died two months later.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, a powerhouse of modern New Mexico politics, is moving back to New Mexico from Washington, D.C., and plans to take on a new role as an adviser to state Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn.

Domenici, 84, who held several influential committee posts during his 36-year tenure in the U.S. Senate and was given the nickname St. Pete for his ability to help the state, announced Wednesday he and his wife, Nancy, will be returning permanently to New Mexico in mid-January.

The Republican former senator said he is looking forward to returning to Albuquerque, where he grew up and previously held the job of chairman of the city commission.

I havent had a chance in more than 40 years to just enjoy New Mexico, Domenici told the Journal.

Once back in the state, Domenici will join the State Land Office as a senior adviser to Dunn, a first-term Republican.

In the role, Domenici will provide advice on energy, natural resource and other policy issues, and will help push a State Land Office proposal to create a new permanent fund for early childhood education.

The permanent fund proposal, one of several plans in the mix to increase funding for early education, was unveiled by Dunn in August. It hinges on leasing subsurface mineral acreage that the federal government would transfer to New Mexico, a concept that conservation and wildlife groups oppose.

In a Wednesday interview, Domenici described the initiative as a hard job  it would require approval from both Congress and the state Legislature  but called early childhood education a worthy endeavor.

He said Dunn approached him about the advisory role and added that he doesnt expect it to be a full-time position. A spokeswoman for the State Land Office said Wednesday details about Domenicis role  including whether he will receive a salary or any other type of compensation  are still being determined.

However, Domenici did say he plans to accompany Dunn to an American Legislative Exchange Council summit in Washington, D.C., later this week. Both men are scheduled to speak at the summit, according to the groups website.

In a statement released Wednesday, Dunn said the State Land Office will benefit from Domenicis expertise.

His experience in political office overseeing the matters of energy and natural resources provides great guidance to the Land Office, Dunn said. Senator Domenici will be a key adviser on natural resource matters  he is a wonderful asset to my administration.

Domenici was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 and served through 2008. He was chairman of both the powerful Senate Committee on the Budget and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources during his congressional tenure.

Domenici announced in 2007 that he had a progressive brain disease called frontotemporal lobar degeneration, a rare form of dementia, and did not seek re-election in 2008, a decision that led to a shake-up in New Mexico politics. However, Domenici questioned the diagnosis in subsequent years and said in a Wednesday interview that doctors have told him his health is in decent shape.

He also said he was excited about the new challenge, pointing out that he previously worked with Dunns late father, Aubrey Dunn Sr., who served as chairman of the New Mexico Senate Finance Committee.

I look forward to working with the land commissioner on the bill he has prepared regarding early childhood education and the assurance of funding for this initiative, as well as assisting the land commissioner in his overall obligation and commitment to education funding for New Mexicans, Domenici said in a statement.

Under Dunns plan, millions of acres of federally owned minerals that are beneath private land would be shifted to state control. The State Land Office could then lease them out  for purposes that would likely include oil and gas drilling  and funnel the revenue it generates into the proposed new permanent fund. Some revenue could also be returned to the federal government for a set time period.

Currently, the State Land Office manages more than 9 million acres of state trust land around New Mexico, with money derived from energy industry and mining leases flowing into a $14.9 billion state permanent fund.

Meanwhile, one of Domenicis children, Pete Domenici Jr., is an Albuquerque attorney whose firm handles cases dealing with natural resources law, including the adjudication of water rights. It was unclear Wednesday how the State Land Office planned to handle potential conflicts of interest stemming from the younger Domenicis job.
New Mexicos U.S. senators today wrote separate letters to President Barack Obama asking him intervene in a potential confrontation between Dakota Access Pipeline protesters and the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which has given protesters an early December deadline for dispersing from the protest site.

Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, both Democrats, urged caution in dealing with the protesters today. Udall is set to become the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in January.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has set a Dec. 5 deadline for American Indians and others to leave an encampment in North Dakota where theyve been entrenched for months protesting the Dakota Access pipeline. In his letter, Heinrich asked Obama to overturn the date.

I question the decision to close the area to demonstrators on December 5, 2016, Heinrich wrote. This arbitrary date is certain to escalate an already volatile situation and I would urge you to overturn this decision by the Corps of Engineers. I ask that you seek a peaceful resolution to this conflict that respects the desire of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe to protect their water and historic sacred sites.

Tribes including the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux are fighting the Dakota Access project because they fear it will harm drinking water and cultural sites. Texas-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners says the 1,200-mile pipeline through the Dakotas, Iowa and Illinois will be safe.

I am gravely concerned about the recent escalation of violence in North Dakota against members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and those standing in solidarity with them, Heinrichs letter said.

Heinrich also decried the brutality weve seen in recent days involving rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons used against protesters by law enforcement.

Udall asked Obama to consider tribal concerns.

The route of this pipeline was changed at least once in response to water pollution concerns from the Bismarck, ND area, Udall wrote. Tribal members across the country are thus very concerned that the new river crossing location was chosen without equal consideration of tribal environmental concerns. As we all know, tribal rights and interests have taken a back seat for far too long in our nation. Thankfully, few Presidents have done as much as you to reverse that tragic historical trend. I trust that you are considering every available option, including altering the pipeline route, to respond to the Standing Rock Siouxs concerns.

Udall also voiced worry about the Dec. 5 deadline.

The Army Corps and the State of North Dakota have instructed people to leave this camp to an alternative area, and the State is also sending mixed signals about blocking food and supplies, raising tensions yet further, Udall said. Forcible removal of people from federal land where they have been allowed to camp, along with food blockades, would be serious mistakes. There are reportedly several thousand people in total at various camp sites. I believe your administration needs to engage with state, local and tribal authorities to ensure that appropriate emergency and planning actions are taken in a coordinated fashion to ensure the safety and public health of the peaceful protesters.

Heres Udalls letter in full:

Dear President Obama:

I write to urge your renewed personal attention to the pressing issues surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline. These include both the review process to better address tribal concerns and the safety and civil rights of the people who have gathered peacefully to exercise their First Amendment rights. As the incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in the next Congress, and the senator representing a number of tribes attending or supporting the protest, I fear the dispute over this pipeline may negatively impact federal-Tribal relations more broadly going forwards if we cannot find a respectful resolution to Tribal concerns.

Along with many of my New Mexico Tribal constituents, I appreciated the action of your Administration on September 9, 2016 to pause construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline at Lake Oahe in light of the important issues regarding consultation and the protection of water raised by the Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes. With regards to Dakota Access, I understand the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reconsideration process is still ongoing, and I urge a positive resolution soon that can provide the Tribe with much greater assurances that its water will be protected from the risk of oil spills.

Importantly, the route of this pipeline was changed at least once in response to water pollution concerns from the Bismarck, ND area. Tribal members across the country are thus very concerned that the new river crossing location was chosen without equal consideration of Tribal environmental concerns. As we all know, Tribal rights and interests have taken a back seat for far too long in our nation. Thankfully, few Presidents have done as much as you to reverse that tragic historical trend. I trust that you are considering every available option, including altering the pipeline route, to respond to the Standing Rock Siouxs concerns.

Since your Administrations September announcement, the demonstrations have grown, and there have been far too many dangerous violent confrontations between protesters and state and local law enforcement, with serious injuries resulting. One of those seriously injured was a Navajo woman, who was shot in the face with a rubber bullet. The vast majority of the demonstrators are peaceful, in line with Standing Rock Sioux Tribes position.

As a former Attorney General of the State of New Mexico, I have the highest respect for law enforcement members who work to protect and serve the public, and I recognize this situation has posed unique challenges for them. However, on several occasions, the law enforcement response has appeared overly militarized and to violate civil rights, including the use of military equipment. Besides rubber bullets, they have employed water cannons in cold temperatures, and engaged in roadblocks and strip searches, and arrested and detained journalists. Tribe sought the intervention of the U.S. Department of Justice in October, and I am enclosing their letter. I strongly urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to respond to the Tribes request to investigate any potential civil rights violations, where appropriate. While I understand that DOJ has sent personnel to the area to be in contact with both law enforcement and tribal leaders to try to defuse tensions and ensure constitutional policing, these efforts need to be redoubled in the future to ensure public safety as key decisions approach.

Another worrying factor is the largest campsite, known as Oceti Sakowin, is now home to a great number of people and the cold North Dakota winter is here. The Army Corps and the State of North Dakota have instructed people to leave this camp to an alternative area, and the State is also sending mixed signals about blocking food and supplies, raising tensions yet further. Forcible removal of people from federal land where they have been allowed to camp, along with food blockades, would be serious mistakes. There are reportedly several thousand people in total at various camp sites. I believe your Administration needs to engage with state, local and tribal authorities to ensure that appropriate emergency and planning actions are taken in a coordinated fashion to ensure the safety and public health of the peaceful protesters.

I deeply appreciate many positive actions and steps that you and your Administration have taken to benefit Indian Country during your time in office. If I can be of any assistance to you or your Administration on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Tom Udall

United States Senator

Here is Heinrichs letter in full:

I am gravely concerned about the recent escalation of violence in North Dakota against members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and those standing in solidarity with them. When violent confrontations first occurred earlier this fall, I urged your administration to step in and was thankful that you quickly put a halt to the project until the agencies could engage in renewed tribal consultation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

However, the brutality weve seen in recent days involving rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons, has increasingly put the health and lives of the demonstrators at real risk. The current situation at Camp Oceti Sakowin is unsustainable and dangerous to everyone involved. I implore you to work with the Corps of Engineers and the Department of Justice to de-escalate the violence at the camp.

In particular, I question the decision to close the area to demonstrators on December 5, 2016. This arbitrary date is certain to escalate an already volatile situation and I would urge you to overturn this decision by the Corps of Engineers. I ask that you seek a peaceful resolution to this conflict that respects the desire of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe to protect their water and historic sacred sites.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the needs and concerns of Indian Country and for your attention to this urgent issue.

Sincerely,

MARTIN HEINRICH

United States Senator
CHARLESTON, S.C.  The Latest in the trial of a former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting of an unarmed black motorist (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

The case of a former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist is now before the jury.

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman gave the jury instructions on the law and now the panel of one black man and 11 white people will consider the case after a monthlong trial.

Michael Slager, who is white, is charged with murder after shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott during a traffic stop last year in North Charleston. The shooting was captured on dramatic cellphone video that stunned the nation.

The judge instructed the jury that they can acquit Slager, convict him of murder or convict him of voluntary manslaughter. A murder conviction carries a sentence of 30 years to life. Conviction on a count of voluntary manslaughter carries a sentence of two years to 30 years.

___

5:15 p.m.

The judge in the Michael Slagger trial in South Carolina is giving instructions to the jury.

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman began describing the details of their task ahead late Wednesday following an afternoon of closing arguments.

Slager, a white former North Charleston police officer, was indicted on a murder charge after fatally shooting Walter Scott as the black motorist fled from a traffic stop. The shooting was captured on a dramatic cellphone video that stunned the nation.

After a monthlong trial, the judge ruled Wednesday that he would allow the jurors to consider an alternative verdict of manslaughter.

Because the prosecution is not alleging any aggravating circumstances that could result in the death penalty, Slager could be sentenced to 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. A conviction on manslaughter, which does not require a finding of malice, is punishable by two years to 30 years.

___

4:15 p.m.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson is urging jurors in the Michael Slager murder trial to ignore what she calls defense attempts to divert attention from the cellphone video that shows the officer shooting Walter Scott five times in the back.

Youve seen lots of smoke and you have seen lots of mirrors she said after the defense made its closing arguments. Slagers lawyer said Scott attacked the officer and got control of his stun gun, making him fear for his life.

But Wilson showed jurors pictures of Slager with his radio and earpiece still in place after the shooting.

She said that is not the sign of a violent, throw-down, life-threatening fight.

She accused Slager of inventing a story about the fight, and said his fellow officers bought everything he said that day, hook, line and sinker.

Wilson said our whole criminal justice system rides on the back of law enforcement, and because of that, they have to be held responsible when they mess up.

___

3:40 p.m.

Closing arguments continue in the trial of Michael Slager, the former police officer who was recorded by a bystander shooting an unarmed man who was running away from a traffic stop.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson says Slager is guilty of murder because there had to be malice in his mind as he shot Walter Scott repeatedly in the back. But if jurors decide to consider manslaughter instead, Wilson says Slager is guilty of that, too.

Manslaughter requires a lesser standard of proof  that the killing was done in passion after being provoked.

The prosecutor says that even if Scott provoked Slager by resisting arrest, that doesnt give someone the right to do whatever they want in response.

Defense attorney Andy Savage says a video of the shooting doesnt tell the whole story, and Slager had no way to know that Scott wasnt armed.

Savage says Scott chose to attack a police officer, and Slager shot him in fear for his life.

___

1:20 p.m.

Closing arguments are underway in a South Carolina courtroom in the trial of a white former police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist.

Michael Slager is charged in the death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, who was shot and killed running from a traffic stop in April 2015. The shooting was captured on cellphone video by a passerby.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson started her closing argument discussing the law that applies in the case.

She told the jurors that to convict of murder they would have to find Slager shot Scott with malice. And she said that malice simply had to be in his mind the instant the shots were fired.

She said manslaughter is a killing in the heat of passion after being provoked.

But she added provocation is not justification and being provoked doesnt give someone the right to do whatever they want when they want.

___

10:20 a.m.

The judge in the murder trial of a white former South Carolina patrolman who fatally shot a black motorist says he will let the jury consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Michael Slager is charged in the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott as Scott fled from a traffic stop. The shooting was captured on cellphone video that shocked the nation.

While the jury was visiting the scene of the shooting on Wednesday morning, Judge Clifton Newman told attorneys he would grant a prosecution request to let jurors choose between murder or manslaughter if they decide to convict.

South Carolina law defines murder as the unlawful taking of life with malice. In Slagers case  because the prosecution is alleging no aggravating circumstances that could bring a death sentence  murder carries a penalty of 30 years to life.

The prosecution contends that by shooting Scott repeatedly in the back, Slager showed evidence of malice.

Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of another without malice, punishable by two to 30 years in prison.

Closing arguments are set for Wednesday afternoon.

___

9:30 a.m.

The jury in the trial of a white former South Carolina patrolman charged with murder in the death of a black motorist is visiting the scene of the shooting.

Michael Slager is charged in the death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, who was shot five times in the back as he fled a traffic stop in North Charleston in April 2015. The shooting was captured by a bystander on cellphone video that shocked the nation.

Jurors accompanied by court officials and a representative of both the defense and the prosecution were visiting the site of the shooting in a vacant lot Wednesday morning.

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman told the jurors they would view the scene but said they should not discuss what they see or take any notes. News media representatives were not permitted to accompany the jury.

Closing arguments are expected when the jurors return to the Charleston County Courthouse.

___

3:30 a.m.

After hearing from 55 witnesses over a month, a South Carolina jury is set to hear closing arguments in the Michael Slager murder trial.

Slager is the white former North Charleston patrolman charged in the shooting death of 50-year-old Walter Scott as the black motorist fled a traffic stop in April of last year. The shooting was captured on cellphone video. The 35-year-old Slager could be sentenced to 30 years to life if convicted.

A jury of 11 whites and one black will hear closing arguments Wednesday.

The prosecution contends there was no justification for shooting Scott five times in the back as he ran. The defense has argued, and the defendant himself testified, that Slager feared for his life when Scott wrestled with the officer and grabbed his Taser.
Recently, Hillary Brandt wrote ("Take responsibility for vote," Nov. 19), "Now, we have to look into the eyes of our immigrant neighbor, knowing that we may have just signed over their right to live free in this country." I wonder if she considered looking into the eyes of the millions that are waiting in line to enter this country legally. Their chances are seriously jeopardized by the rush of immigrants that continue to flood across our border illegally.
In around one-third of U.S. states, more white people are now dying than being born  a major shift that is expected to continue and has significant implications for government policy.

Seventeen states  home to 121 million people, or roughly 38 percent of the countrys population  had more deaths than births among non-Hispanic whites in 2014, up from just four states a decade earlier, according to research released Tuesday by the University of New Hampshires Carsey School of Public Policy.

The trend, which cuts across blue and red states and can be found in both urban and rural areas, is expected to expand to more states in the near future, including Vermont, South Carolina, Tennessee and Oregon, the report said.

White natural decrease  when births fail to keep up with deaths  is due largely to aging of the baby-boom generation and declining white fertility rates, particularly since the Great Recession, the report found.

Nationally, the ratio of non-Hispanic white births to deaths is nearly at par, at 1.04 births for every death. The ratio is much higher for minority groups, particularly among Latinos, whose rate is 5.4 births for every death. The ratio for blacks is 1.94 births for every death, and for Asians, it is 1.75 births.

The influx of immigrants from minority groups, who tend to be in their childbearing years, helps fuel the birthrate.

The findings are particularly trenchant in the wake of an election that was often framed in terms of white Americans feeling threatened by the demographic ascendance of minority groups. While the country is still about two-thirds white, the proportions are shifting. 2011 was the first year in which more minority babies than white ones were born, and demographers expect the country to become majority minority in 2044. (While Hispanics are considered a minority group in the United States, the term Hispanic refers to ethnic origin regardless of race.)

Its growing young immigrant population puts the U.S. on a different path than European countries, which are facing a looming crisis due to their aging populations. As aging white Americans rely more on Social Security and Medicare, they are expected to be shored up by the influx of young minorities into the workforce.

What government and politicians need to pay attention to is that its the younger part of the population thats going to be contributing to the economy, said Bill Frey, demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. All of the growth in the labor force is going to be racial minorities. Investing in this next generation in terms of their education and being able to contribute to the labor force and pay into Social Security, Medicare, etc. is going to be to the benefit of that older white population.

Kenneth Johnson, an author of the study, agreed, but noted that not everyone sees it that way.

It doesnt necessarily have to be competitive, but boy, the rhetoric of recent times tells me that thats the way it certainly has been, he said.

Despite the rapid shift in the number of states with white natural decrease, the absolute size of the non-Hispanic white population continues to be large in many parts of the U.S. The share of the population that is white has decreased from 79.6 percent in 1980 to 61.9 percent in 2014, according to the report. The share of the nation that is Latino rose from 6.4 percent to 17.3 percent during the same period.

It is going to be a long time before the white people arent a very powerful political force, Johnson said.

Still, he said he was struck by the speed and scope of the increase, particularly in large states such as California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Among the seventeen states in the study, all but two, Maine and West Virginia, are still seeing more births overall due to growing non-white populations. The Latino population is particularly young, with a median age of 28.4 in 2014, and Latino births exceeded deaths by a large margin in all states and the District of Columbia that year.

Even so, the immigration rate from Mexico has declined since the recession, and so has the Latino birthrate, factors that could slow the decline of whites as a percentage of the total population in some states.

Along with the aging of the baby boomers, the change is driven largely by a decline in the number of white women of childbearing age, combined with an overall decline in the white fertility rate. Overall the number of white women between 15 and 44 decreased by 4.7 million, or 12 percent, between 2000 and 2014.

The Great Recession also changed the trajectory of the birthrate in the U.S., Johnson said, noting that if it had continued as it was going before the downturn, there would have been around 3.5 million more children in the U.S. now.

It is unclear whether the women who didnt have those babies have simply delayed having them or will never have them  if the latter is true, it could accelerate the rate of white natural decrease, whereas an uptick in births could slow it. Either way, nationwide the number of white deaths is expected to overtake the number of white births by the mid-2020s.

The study also cited an uptick in drug-induced deaths among working-class whites. Such deaths outnumbered motor vehicle accident deaths in 41 states in 2014, compared to 10 states in 2004, and could accelerate the transition from natural increase to natural decrease in some states, the study said.

whites
Pakistans Press Information Bureau on Wednesday released a readout of a phone call on Monday between Pakistans prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and the U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump. The readout is unusual in that it focuses almost entirely on Trumps contributions to the conversation, and reproduces them in a voice that is unmistakably his.

The readout is reproduced in full below:

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif called President-elect USA Donald Trump and felicitated him on his victory. President Trump said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.

On being invited to visit Pakistan by the prime minister, Mr. Trump said that he would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people. Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people, said Mr. Donald Trump.

Trumps transition team did not respond to immediate requests for comment or corroboration.

Lavishing praise on the Pakistanis would be a major turnaround for the president-elect. In 2012, Trump took to his favorite social media platform, Twitter, to denounce Pakistan.

On Jan. 17 of that year, he wrote: Get it straight: Pakistan is not our friend. Weve given them billions and billions of dollars, and what did we get? Betrayal and disrespect  and much worse. #TimeToGetTough

Trump has also proposed restricting the entrance of Muslims to the United States, in particular from countries that are hotspots for what he calls radical Islamic terror. That list of countries would certainly include Pakistan.

Trump has also spoken highly of Pakistans archrival, India. During his campaign, he courted the Hindu-American vote, and said that in a Trump presidency, India and the United States would be best friends.

There wont be any relationship more important to us, Trump said in Edison, N.J., at a rally organized by self-described Indian nationalists.

Pakistan is a major beneficiary of U.S. assistance and is slated to receive almost $1 billion in economic and security assistance in the 2017 financial year.

Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister, is markedly less loved in his country than Trumps praise would make it seem. He is dogged by allegations of corruption, and the release of the Panama Papers last summer appeared to confirm many Pakistanis suspicions. He is being investigated for conflicts of interest stemming from four luxurious apartments occupied by members of his family in London, and has vowed to step down if found guilty of siphoning funds.

trump-pakistan
NEW YORK  As Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin would have significant influence over the way the financial system, particularly Wall Street, operates. And the former Goldman Sachs banker indicated Wednesday that he would at least partially be relying on his time as a regional banker to guide his decisions.

Weve been in the business of regional banking and we understand what it is to make loans, Mnuchin said in an CNBC interview, apparently referring to his time leading IndyMac, a bankrupt mortgage lender. Thats the engine of growth to small- and medium-size businesses.

But Mnuchins time at the bank, which was recently purchased by another regional lender, CIT, has quickly turned into one of the chief criticisms of his nomination by Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups.

Mnuchin is just another Wall Street insider, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a joint statement. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington  that is hypocrisy at its worst.

And Mnuchin, who must be confirmed by the Senate, is also likely to face questions about how he would separate himself from CIT, a small business lender that is partially regulated by the Treasury Department. Mnuchin, who could not be immediately reached for comment, serves on the banks board and has stock worth about $100 million in the company.

Mnuchin is a Wall Street veteran who spent nearly 20 years at Goldman Sachs before starting his own hedge fund, Dune Capital. He leapt into the banking industry when he led a group of investors in the purchase of lender, IndyMac, during the financial crisis. That bank was eventually bought by CIT.

His financial industry experience has heartened Wall Street insiders, but left some Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups crying foul. Mnuchin made himself enormously wealthy by cashing in on the countrys financial collapse, Take on Wall Street, a progressive group calling for Wall Street reform, said in a statement.

In a series of television interviews Wednesday, Mnuchin reflected fondly on his time as a regional banker. Let me tell you one of the most proud aspects of my career was buying IndyMac during the financial crisis, he told CNBC. We brought it from the government in a highly competitive six-month auction and we saved a lot of jobs and created a lot of opportunities.

As part of the deal, federal regulators agreed to cover a significant share of the banks losses  a guarantee that lasts through 2019. The bank  later renamed OneWest  has also repeatedly faced criticism over its attempts to foreclose on homeowners who were in the process of modifying their loans, among other practices.

OneWest was sold to CIT last year for more than $3 billion, more than double what Mnuchin and the other investors paid for it. The CIT merger was the first bank deal to be approved post-Dodd Frank over $50 billion, a threshold that puts the bank under tough regulatory scrutiny, Mnuchin noted.

Advocacy groups complained that the merger would combine two banks scarred by the financial crisis. CIT had nearly collapsed in 2009 before receiving more than $2 billion in taxpayer bailout funds. It filed for bankruptcy a few months later after regulators refused to give the bank another bailout.

The same community groups protested against the deal and the regulators looked at the deal and thought it made sense, Mnuchin said.

The merger vaulted CIT into an exclusive club: Financial institutions deemed so important that their failure could harm the economy or too big to fail. The designation comes with a cost. CIT must now comply with tougher rules overseen by the Federal Reserve and other financial regulators.

Among the new requirements is an annual stress test in which large banks must prove they can have enough capital to continue operating during times of economic and financial turbulence and have a living will that would unwind their operations without harming the economy. The Federal Reserve gave a qualitative objection to CITs plan earlier this year, the company said in a government filing. We have begun our remediation efforts, the company said in its filing.

But the tougher requirements, called for by 2010s financial reform law known as Dodd Frank, could be weakened during the Trump administration. On Wednesday, Mnuchin, called for a partial repeal of extensive banking industry regulations put in place after the Great Recession.

The 2010 financial reform law should be simplified, he said during an interview on CNBC Wednesday morning. We want to strip back parts of Dodd-Frank that prevent banks from lending, and that will be the number one priority on the regulatory side, said Mnuchin.

As Treasury Secretary, Mnuchin would have significant influence on how any new rules are drawn, industry analysts said. That designation may not mean much anymore once Donald Trump gets a hold of Dodd Frank, said Bert Ely, a banking consultant in Alexandria, Va.

This also comes as the House is expected to pass legislation as soon as Thursday that would ease regulations on dozens of big banks, a move progressive groups worry could be the first step towards dismantling restrictions put in place after the financial crisis to rein in Wall Street. The legislation would eliminate the $50 billion threshold for additional regulation all together.

The current system is arbitrary and should be replaced by a more holistic approach, said Matt Well, a spokesman for the Regional Bank Coalition, an industry group that has called for changes to Dodd Frank law.

The proposed legislation would allow regional banks to focus on their core business rather than on regulatory compliance, which is the current reality under Dodd-Frank, he said. Regional banks are far less risky than their Wall Street counterparts and hence should not be forced to abide by the same complex compliance requirements.

But the legislation would also give Mnuchin, as Treasury Secretary, more power to directly influence which banks receive additional regulatory scrutiny and limit the Federal Reserves ability to act unilaterally to rein in a financial institution, said Marcus Stanley, policy director for Americans for Financial Reform.

If the legislation passed then Mnuchin has a direct and personal role in deciding whether enhanced prudential standards are applied to CIT, he said. It would be a very radical, new thing.

mnuchin-banks
PHOENIX  Authorities have released the name of a 1-year-old boy who was killed after being hit by a vehicle in a Phoenix mobile home park.

Phoenix police say the victim was Xavier Hernandez.

They believe the boys parents lost sight of him Tuesday evening and he was struck by a neighbors car as it was backing out of a private drive.

The driver stayed at the scene and notified the toddlers parents of the incident.

The boys parents were rushing him to a hospital when they were met by Phoenix police and fire units.

The Phoenix Fire Department transported the child to a hospital, where he died.

Police say they dont believe driver impairment is a factor in the incident, but their investigation is ongoing.
On June 23, a referendum in Britain produced a dramatic result: The United Kingdom would become the first European Union member to leave the supranational institution that some credit as the glue that has kept postwar Europe together.

This weekend, another less-heralded referendum could mark another blow to Europes status quo. Italians will go vote Sunday on whether to amend the Italian constitution to reform the countrys parliament and the way its governments are created.

While it may sound remarkably technocratic and complicated, the Italian referendum could have a huge effect in both symbolic and practical terms upon all of Europe. Heres our guide.



Why is Italy having a referendum?

When Prime Minister Matteo Renzi came to power in 2014, he promised to reform Italian politics and get the economy booming. With the support of his center-left Democratic Party, he introduced a parliamentary bill that attempted to alter Italys 1947 constitution. The prime minister and his allies argued the constitutional changes would streamline the countrys legislative process, while his critics note that it would take away many powers from Italys parliament and put them in the hands of the prime minister.

The highly contested bill finally passed through parliament earlier this year, but it didnt receive the qualified two-thirds majority of votes needed to change the constitution. So, Renzi had to seek a referendum. After Italys Court of Cassation approved the referendum in August, the votes date was set for Dec. 4.

It will be Italys third constitutional referendum: In 2001 voters approved changes to the constitution, but in 2006, proposals were rejected.



What exactly are Italians voting on?

Unlike the Brexit vote, which was a seemingly simple question about E.U. membership (though maybe not so simple in practical terms), Italians on Sunday will be voting on a complicated package of changes to the way Italys democracy functions. Its actually so complicated that one Italian start-up has been offering classes for how to understand the referendum. They cost around $154 an hour, according to the Telegraph.

Perhaps the most important change is relatively easy to understand. The idea is to move Italy from a perfect bicameral system, where the lower Chamber of Deputies and upper Senate are roughly equal, to one where the Chamber of Deputies holds the majority of power and the Senate has vastly reduced powers.

The number of Senators will be dropped from 315 to 100: 95 would be selected by the government from regional councils and include some mayors and the other five would be appointed by Italys president. Under this system, the Senate would take on a consultative role and the Chamber of Deputies would have the final say on a variety of legislation, including the budget, though the Senate would still have equal powers in some limited areas like constitutional reform.

There are other aspects of the proposal that are also important, however. One major one would attempt to clarify the balance of power between the regions and the central government, largely granting the former more control. Then theres also the separate, but deeply intertwined, issue of Italicum, Renzis new electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies.



Italicum? Whats that?

Renzi was the leading proponent of a new electoral system dubbed Italicum, which would change the way voting for the Chamber of Deputies worked, creating a two-round voting system that could give a bonus number of seats to whichever party wins more than 40 percent of seats. The system effectively means that a party will be able to hold a majority in the Chamber of Deputies without winning a majority of seats. It seems designed to create a true two party system, like that of the United States or Britain.

This voting system was approved last year, but it was not designed to apply to the Senate. If Renzi loses the referendum and the Senate retains its considerable power, it will have to be dramatically reconsidered.



Why does Renzi want to do all this?

The sympathetic answer: Italys democracy has long been accused of making slow progress on legislation. In particular, the constitution, drawn up after the fascist rule of Mussolini at a politically contentious time in Italy, makes it necessary for a government to have strong support in both houses of parliament, which effectively have the same power.

Without the support of both houses, Italian governments can be remarkably short-lived. In the 70 years since the constitution was put in place, there have been 65 governments. Only one has served a full five-year term. Meanwhile, legislation can end up lost in limbo indefinitely. The proposed changes would not only make it easier to form a government, but make it simpler for that government to implement legislation. Renzi believes this would make Italy stronger politically, which would in turn boost the countrys uninspiring economic performance.

The unsympathetic answer: Renzi, a headstrong politician already, wants to remove the checks and balances imposed on the prime ministers office, at a time when smaller anti-establishment parties like Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement are challenging his power.



Wait, what is the Five Star Movement and why does it oppose Renzi?

As The Washington Posts Anthony Faiola once noted, Beppe Grillo, the founder of the Five Star Movement, looks like Jerry Garcia but jokes like Jon Stewart. However, to some watching European politics over the past few years, the comedian-cum-politicians populist uprising could be compared to that of Donald Trump.

Its a far from perfect comparison in many ways  the Five Star Movement is usually described as left-leaning, for one thing  but Grillos anti-establishment and anti-corruption message certainly has the potential to upend Italian politics in the same way that Donald Trump did during the recent U.S. election or Nigel Farage and others did during Britains Brexit vote. Grillo himself welcomed Trumps election. It is those who dare, the obstinate, the barbarians who will take the world forward, he wrote on his blog. We are the barbarians!

Along with former prime minister Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia (which actually led an attempt to make constitutional changes in 2006, but lost their own referendum), the Five Star Movement has become one of the main voices speaking out against the referendum, using it as a tool to criticize Renzis government. To make matters worse, Renzi has suggested he would resign if he loses the referendum, effectively making it a plebiscite on his leadership at a time when many Italians are not so sure he is doing a good job.



So is this Brexit, Part 2?

Not exactly. There are as many differences as similarities. Most obviously, the referendum isnt actually directly related to the E.U. at all. And as much as it is widely seen as a populist revolt, some members of the Italian political elite, including former prime minister Mario Monti and members of the Democratic Party, have campaigned for the no vote.

In particular, its worth pointing out that the populist Five Star Movement is actually campaigning against dramatic change here. And remarkably, some view the rise of the Five Star Movement as a reason to keep the system they have already, should Grillo be able to form a government at some point.

But the symbolic value of the vote could be huge for the E.U. To many, it will be yet another populist uprising, after Trump and Brexit and ahead of a French election next year that many suspect the National Fronts Marine Le Pen could win (the vote takes place on the same day that a far-right candidate could win presidential office in Austria). The vote may be seen as a mark of approval for Grillo, who has said he wants a referendum on leaving the euro, though he has stopped short of saying Italy should leave the E.U. itself.

And while Renzi styled himself as a Demolition Man, willing to stand up to Brussels and hoping to reform the country, hes now seen as key defender of European values in the E.U.s fourth largest economy. Italys business groups and investors tend to support the yes vote in the referendum, like their counterparts supported the remain vote with Brexit.



What will happen on Sunday?

Because of Italian law, the last polls on the referendum were released Nov. 18. They largely showed that the no vote had the edge, though many experts caution that this shouldnt be taken as a sign that the outcome is set in stone: A lot can change in two weeks, and there remain a large amount of undecided voters.

If Renzi does win the referendum, it will be a key win for an ambitious politician  and possibly a good sign for his chances in elections due in 2018. (Renzi became prime minister in 2014 without election.) However, it remains possible that Italys Constitutional Court could reject Renzis electoral reform or seek to alter it, which would be a loss for the prime minister though likely one he could survive.

If the no vote wins, Renzi has repeatedly said he will resign as prime minister, much like David Cameron, the British prime minister who called Britains Brexit referendum. Unlike Cameron, however, he is widely expected to continue working on the front lines of politics. In the chaos that follows, Italys banks  already in real trouble  are expected to take a hit. Its also possible new elections could be called  and some recent polls showed that Grillo and the Five Star Movement may be the most popular party in the country.

italy
In a trial that has been condemned as shameful by human rights organizations, a Hungarian court sentenced a man to 10 years in prison Wednesday. Ahmed Hamed was involved in clashes between Hungarian border guards and migrants last year. Hamed, though, was not sentenced as a rioter but as a terrorist, according to the court decision.

Images of the September 2015 clashes at the Serbian-Hungarian border were broadcast around the world. The use of tear gas by authorities against refugees trying to cross the border into Hungary on their way to Western Europe prompted international outrage, with Serbias prime minister calling Hungarian authorities treatment of refugees brutal, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressing shock. About 100 civilians and as many as 20 Hungarian police officers were injured as a result. Hamed was among the men arrested.

In court, Hamed argued that he wanted to de-escalate the tense situation. According to his account, he had been at the scene to help his elderly Syrian parents cross the Hungarian-Serbian border. As a resident of Cyprus, Hamed would have been able to cross the border legally.

Hungarian prosecutors, though, said Hamed should be sentenced on terrorism charges for throwing stones at officers and threatening them. The terrorism charges would have enabled the court to sentence Hamed to life in prison. Legal experts have argued that the charges are in line with Hungarys penal code. But the case has drawn strong criticism.

This verdict is based on a blatant misuse of anti-terror laws, Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty Internationals deputy Europe director, said in a statement released Wednesday. A father who was trying to help his elderly Syrian parents reach safety now faces 10 years in prison.

The Hungarian justice system seems determined not just to show that it will deal with migrants and refugees with an iron fist but that its gloves are off when fighting what it considers terrorism, said Kartik Raj, a counterterrorism expert with Amnesty International.

On social media, activists described the proceedings as a show trial, as armored police led Hamed into the courtroom on a leash. Observers criticized such measures, which are common at terrorism-related trials, as staging and as an exaggeration of the threat Hamed posed to officers last year.

The trial follows the passage of new terrorism laws in Hungary this summer. On its website, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban notes that the new laws specify that the government may rule by decree, suspend certain laws at its discretion, expand the force of others, and may adopt extraordinary measures, including curfews, as well as Internet surveillance.

Wednesdays trial is likely to heighten scrutiny of those new laws. Observers say that if courts define as terrorism what elsewhere would be considered rioting, abuse of the security laws may only be one step away.

Orbans government has frequently been accused of using the threat of militant attacks to further its political gains and to spread fear of migrants. On its website, his party refers to data that 1,010 attack plots were foiled in the European Union between 2009 and 2013.

According to documents by Europol, the European law enforcement agency, Hungary had comparatively few terrorism-related arrests in 2015, though. Other countries along the migrant influx route, including Greece, Italy, Austria and Germany, made far more arrests, potentially indicating a higher threat level.

hungary-terrorist
Donald Trump pledged Wednesday that he would leave my great business in order to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, prompting warnings from ethics experts that he must sell off his corporate assets if he wishes to resolve concerns about his financial interests influencing his new position of power.

In early-morning messages on Twitter, Trump left vague whether he would divest himself of his business interests or merely transfer day-to-day management to his children.

While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses, the president-elect tweeted, saying he would spell out the details in a Dec. 15 news conference.

In response, the federal governments leading ethics agency appeared to take the unusual step of publicly urging Trump to sell his business holdings. In a series of casually worded tweets that were posted, removed and posted again, the Office of Government Ethics, the traditionally staid federal agency that often works closely with presidential transition teams, said that the only way to resolve these conflicts of interest is to divest.

OGE spokesman Seth Jaffe said in a statement later Wednesday: Like everyone else, we were excited this morning to read the President-elects twitter feed indicating that he wants to be free of conflicts of interest. OGE applauds that goal. And while the agency had not obtained new information about Trumps plan, Jaffe said, Divestiture resolves conflicts of interest in a way that transferring control does not.

The OGEs messages were out of character for an ethics agency that is famously discreet, its advice delivered confidentially. The Watergate-era agency has broad responsibilities, overseeing the executive-branch ethics program, preventing conflicts of interest and working with every agency of the federal government to implement a working ethics program.

The offices decision to go public surprised outside government-ethics experts, who nevertheless joined to say that Trump must sell his assets to be clear of conflicts.

I think theyre trying to nudge him toward the right direction. And I think they should be doing that, said Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. OGE should be worried. Theres a lot to worry about here.

A Trump transition official declined to respond to further questions about the president-elects plans.

Stuart Eizenstat, who served as President Jimmy Carters domestic policy chief and helped guide his transition to the White House, said that Trumps announcement was an important first step showing that he recognizes the concerns of the press and the public.

Presidents are not bound by the strict conflict-of-interest laws governing most U.S. elected officials. Most modern presidents have agreed to sell or sequester their assets in a blind trust, led by an independent manager with supreme control, to keep past business deals, investments and relationships from influencing their White House term.

Don Fox, a former general counsel and acting director of the agency, noted that Trumps disclosed financial holdings were unusually complex and widespread, saying, It is not apparent on the face of it whether he could divest from all of his businesses.

Giving company management to three of his adult children  Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka  would leave open the potential for Trump to make presidential decisions for their benefit. The children have already played a key part in Trumps governing preparations, serving on the transition team now selecting key appointees and sitting in on meetings with foreign heads of state.

If Trumps family does take over management of the business, Norman Eisen, the chief White House ethics lawyer for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011, said that an ethics firewall would need to be put in place to combat the risk of improper preferential relationships and treatment for the Trump Organization with the United States government and foreign ones.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Wednesday on MSNBCs Morning Joe that he was not ready to reveal whether the move would include Trump truly severing ties to his business or whether he would simply leave the day-to-day operations to the three children.

Its not the easiest thing to work out, Priebus said. What you see in those tweets is the person at the top that understands and is willing and showing the American people that hes working hard on it and hes taking it seriously.

The weeks since Trumps electoral victory have been marked by a series of revelations about the mixing of his private ventures and public ambitions.

Trump welcomed a group of Indian business executives to meet with him and his family at Trump Tower, where talk turned to the potential for new real estate deals. Trump and his daughter Ivanka met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Trumps first meeting as president-elect with a foreign head of state.

His company, the Trump Organization, has over the years sealed lucrative real estate and branding deals for business in at least 18 countries and territories around the world, including in places where the United States has sensitive diplomatic ties, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan and India.

Trumps company is also pitching foreign diplomats on his new luxury hotel in Washington as a place to book rooms and hold meetings. But such entreaties eventually could run afoul of an emoluments clause in the U.S. Constitution that bars the president from accepting gifts from foreign leaders  even if he is not actively running the company.

Buffeted by entanglement worries, Trump has largely dug in, arguing the laws totally on my side, meaning, the president cant have a conflict of interest, in an interview last week with the New York Times.

In theory I could run my business perfectly, and then run the country perfectly, Trump said. But I would like to do something. I would like to try and formalize something, because I dont care about my business.

Peter Schweizer, a conservative author who raised alarms in the book Clinton Cash about Hillary Clintons possible conflicts of interest because of donations to her familys foundation, said Trump will face an equally skeptical public, not just about his entanglements but also about those of his children.

Its incumbent on the president of the United States, particularly one who is seemingly committed to draining the swamp, to remove any questions about financial transactions involving him or his family, said Schweizer, who is also close to Trump senior adviser Stephen Bannon, who served as chairman of the Government Accountability Institute, where Schweizer is president.

Michael Toner, who served as general counsel to the Bush-Cheney transition in 2000, recalled the 10-week post-election period as a time for setting broad ethical policy  and considering specific safeguards for the incoming president  that would set the tone for the incoming administration.

At the time of the Kennedy-Johnson transition, Lyndon B. Johnson separated himself from the Texas radio stations he operated, creating a blind trust and removing himself, at least officially. After his election in 1976, Carter set up elaborate arrangements to remove himself from the family peanut business, its management and knowledge of day-to-day decisions.

  

Rosalind S. Helderman and Jonathan OConnell contributed to this report.



Video: Pence, Priebus adress Trumps potential conflicts of interest

URL: http://wapo.st/2gbuWec

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The rampant inflation currently tearing through world economies has had little to no effect on venture capital investing according to a new survey from PitchBook.
Gov. Pete Ricketts on Tuesday dismissed concerns about a lack of transparency in proposed changes to Nebraska's lethal injection protocol.

The proposal announced Monday by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services would allow the state prisons director to choose the drug or drugs to be used in an execution and would keep the identity of the supplier of drugs confidential.

It also would keep the drugs and method of administration secret until 60 days before a death warrant is requested. At that point, the information would be shared with the condemned inmate.

"Claims of secrecy really just aren't founded," Ricketts said during a news conference Tuesday at the Capitol.

He said the proposed rules are intended to protect the drug provider and that the 60-day window of notification provides flexibility for the state to change the drug it uses while still giving inmates "plenty of time" to appeal.

"We're really not changing anything about confidentiality," Ricketts said, but the protocol would "give the state flexibility to carry out the execution."

The state has not been able to buy two of the three drugs in its current protocol, sodium thiopental and pancuronium bromide, in several years.

Of the states that executed people so far this year:

* Florida used a three-drug protocol of midazolam to render the inmate unconsciousness, vecuronium bromide to induce paralysis and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

* Alabama used midazolam, rocuronium bromide to stop breathing and then potassium chloride. The state plans to use midazolam for a scheduled Dec. 8 execution.

* Texas, Georgia and Missouri all used one drug, pentobarbital.

Three Nebraska death row inmates, Carey Dean Moore, Jose Sandoval and John Lotter, have exhausted their state and federal appeals, according to Attorney General Doug Peterson, and could be first in line to have execution dates set.

* Moore, 59, killed two Omaha cab drivers in the course of two separate robberies and has been on death row for 36 years.

* Sandoval, 37, was convicted of seven murders and sentenced to death 13 years ago for killing five people at a Norfolk bank.

* Lotter, 45, was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder in Richardson County, one targeted because she was transgender. He has been on death row 20 years.

Peterson would not speculate on when an execution might take place. Some other attorneys have said it could take years to schedule one.

A public hearing on the new death penalty protocol proposal, which was unveiled three weeks after voters overwhelmingly reversed the Legislature's repeal of the death penalty, is set for Dec. 30.

"This is just a process," Peterson said. "Whenever regulations are adopted, they have to go through the administrative process of having a hearing."

Once the steps are complied with, it becomes the protocol of the Corrections Department, he said.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry said Tuesday that Fidel Castro's death may open an opportunity for a better relationship between the United States and Cuba.

"While I don't celebrate the death of any person, perhaps Castro's passing will create the space between our two countries to build a neighborly, sustainable and respectable relationship," the 1st District Republican congressman said in a written statement.

"I pray that the indomitable, creative spirit of the Cuban people will point us to a new type of economic, political and cultural engagement that rejects oppression and elevates a mutual embrace of higher ideals."

Fortenberry says he knows a number of people who fled Castro's Cuba and settled in the United States.

"Welcomed generously to America, they had to start over and rebuild their lives," he said.

"Some came to recognize Castro as a revolutionary for the poor, yet in his wake he left poverty, despair and death. Idealistic propaganda can't wish away that grim reality."
Seven hundred new jobs have been announced for Dublin.

Customer solutions company Voxpro is creating 400 new positions, as it sets up a new office in Silicon Docks at the Point Village.

Meanwhile, West Pharmaceutical Services is expanding its Mulhuddart facility and hiring 100 people for it and LinkedIn is taking on another 200 as it works to complete its office at Wilton Place in the coming months.

The company is to create new roles in sales and sales support, customer operations, and engineering.

The growing engineering team in Ireland will focused on natural language processing and machine learning, in which Dublin is increasingly a centre of expertise.

The announcement comes ahead of the completion of LinkedIns EMEA HQ at Wilton Place, with construction set to finish in 2017.

The new office space will feature a range of amenities such as an in-house gym, 300 bicycle parking spots, barista stations and a music room.

LinkedIn's senior director of international operations Sharon McCooey said the company needed about 25 different skillsets across a variety of roles.
Update - 4.10pm, November 29, 2016: McDonald's have said they are investigating the incident.

A spokesperson for McDonald's said: "Following a post on social media concerning our OConnell Street restaurant, we have reviewed CCTV footage and interviewed staff on duty to investigate the matter. We would like to clearly state that McDonalds operates an inclusive policy of welcoming all customers into their restaurants, including members of the homeless community, and that at no stage were either of these customers asked to leave.

"As part of a routine clean in the store, our employees asked the customers to move to a different table whilst a section of the restaurant was closed off. This was met with an adverse reaction by the customers who then chose to leave the store."

Earlier: Alicia Gayson has published a post on Facebook describing her breakfast with a homeless man at McDonalds on OConnell Street, Dublin, writes Claire Anderson.

Alicia brought the man, James, for breakfast after he was allegedly beaten up as he slept outside the GPO.

James was beaten up while he slept at the GPO last night, which probably explains the tears that were pouring down his face as he ate the breakfast I bought him, she says in a Facebook post.

Alicia said she had to obtain permission from the security staff to bring James into the restaurant. He had informed her that he wasnt normally allowed in. It is not currently clear as to why he is not allowed in.

McDonalds have not yet responded to a request for comment.

After she had purchased food and drinks for both of them, Alicia says staff placed caution  cleaning in progress signs around the seats that contained the pair.

In her post she says: In an almost empty restaurant, as if we had contaminated the area by our mere presence in your restaurant.

She says James was then ejected from the restaurant and acknowledges it was not done forcibly.

And the tears of humiliation and shame he cried outside your restaurant for being ejected from your premises made my heart sad and my spirit angry. Angry for the injustice in this world, angry for those kids who become homeless through no fault of their own.

But the prevalent emotion I felt was embarrassment. Embarrassment that one of the largest franchise in this country, if not the world, could employ a policy that shames the rejected and dejected and makes them feel even more worthless than society in general does already.

The number of homeless people in Dublin has increased by 35% in the last year, according to new figures.

New statistics from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive show there were 5,146 adults and children in emergency accommodation last month.

Focus Ireland says 67 families became newly homeless in the city in October.

You can read Alicias Facebook post in full here.
A survey of European businesses published today by EUROCHAMBRES has revealed that Brexit is not considered a concern for most companies.

The survey which was conducted in autumn 2016 and had 50,500 respondents from across Europe asked businesses to rank the main challenges they believed they faced in 2017.

While Irish firms identified the impact of Brexit as the second biggest challenge to the development of their business after labour costs, only 9.6% of European businesses registered Brexit as a challenge at all.



The EUROCHAMBRES Economic Survey (EES) is an annual qualitative survey of business expectations across Europe. The survey is implemented by the network of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and co-ordinated by EUROCHAMBRES.

The questionnaire focuses on five economic indicators: business confidence, domestic sales, exports, employment and investment, as well as on challenges. For EES 2017, around 50,500 businesses responded during autumn 2016.

Businesses from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Serbia and Turkey participated in the survey.

Over 250 companies in Ireland participated in the survey. Labour costs, the impact of Brexit and skills shortages are identified as the main challenges facing Irish business in 2017. Forty three per cent of Irish business cite labour costs as their biggest challenge in 2017

Despite this, Irish businesses are among the most optimistic in Europe for 2017 along with Portugal and Serbia



Commenting on the results, Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland and Deputy President of Eurochambres said, "This survey confirms that Irish businesses are feeling significantly more exposed to the impact of Brexit than businesses in the rest Europe. According to Irish firms, Brexit will be the second most difficult challenge for them in 2017 with firms only identifying labour costs as a greater threat."

He added, "While it is not surprising that Brexit is a priority for Irish business given our proximity to the UK and the importance of our trading relationship, it is alarming that businesses across Europe are not more concerned by the potential impact of the loss of the EUs second biggest market."



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Modified On Feb 22, 2017 05:00 PM By Rachit Shad for Tata Nano

Back in 2008, when Tata Motors announced that it had started the production of the highly-anticipated car-for-the-common-man, the Nano, everyone waited patiently to witness the final product. The moment was no less than the making of the first VW Beetle, which, in 1938, was built to be a car for everyone in Germany. But the Nano had more burden on its shoulders as it promised to be the cheapest new car that money can buy anywhere in the world.

It was only in 2009 that customers started getting their Nanos. The starting price was, as promised, Rs 1 lakh giving it the 'cheapest car in the world' tag. It was designed to encourage people to opt for a four-wheeler instead of a two-wheeler. This marketing gimmick never worked for the home-grown auto giant as customers in India preferred to not buy the cheapest offering in the industry. And why would they? Tha Nano lacked the oomph and the go power its competitors offered for marginally more money.

Soon after, the Nano started receiving updates, mostly in terms of creature-comfort features and, obviously, the price was hiked with every updated edition. The current-gen Nano, the GenX, has a starting price tag of Rs 2.19 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 3.16 lakh for the top-end AMT variant (both prices, ex-showroom Delhi). Yes, the Nano has matured over the years, but it now costs over twice of its original sticker price. Thus, the biggest selling point for the Nano - the low price - not only kept people away from it initially, but was also wiped off over the years.

The most daunting challenge for the Nano is to justify its very existence in the Indian market, where customers would rather wait, save and then spend on a product to get a value for money proposition. So what should Tata Motors do to revive their whole idea of a common mans car? Heres what we think will make the Nano worth the money.

Passenger Safety:

It is one aspect where the Nano needs to work the most. The cars eggshell design and the thin sheet metal won't do much to protect passengers in the event of an accident. While basic structural strengthening is a must, Tata Motors should also equip the car with at least two airbags and anti-lock braking system (ABS) as standard. Even the seat belts require pretensioners in their recipe. Apart from these basic inclusions, we hope Tata reworks the ride of the Nano. The tall height, soft-set suspension and the tiny 12-inch wheels aren't exactly the perfect recipe for a flat ride. The little Tata also feels lofty at highway speeds, which could be looked into as well to make the occupants feel safer inside the car.

Performance:

Here, Tata Motors should take inspiration from the Renault Kwid. The little French hatchback isnt the most powerful and neither is the most refined. But, the performance figures are good enough for a peppy runaround within a citys vicinity. Its engine has 3 cylinders, which is a bare minimum these days for anything on four-wheels. On the other hand, the current-gen Nano is powered by a 2-cylinder 625cc engine which produces 38PS of power and 51Nm of torque. The engine does feel strained and gets vocal too easily, which dampens the drive experience. More cubic capacity will not only make the motor feel at ease, but will also control NVH levels to a great extent.

Re-branding:

Lets face it, the cheap car tag isnt working for the Nano. And with the starting price in excess of Rs 2 lakh ex-showroom, the Nano has a couple of strong competitors. Tata Motors needs to evaluate where it stands against the current offerings in the same price range - the Datsun redi-GO and the Renault Kwid. Both the new entrants have their own set of unique selling points. The redi-GO has a modern, funky outlook which falls right in tune with the youth of today. The Kwid, on the other hand, offers loads of space and practicality in a price tag which is marginally above its competition. It is time for Indias largest automaker to get back to the drawing board and rethink the idea of a cheap-but-cheerful offering. Tata has got it spot on with the Tiago, so we're sure they can get this one right too.

Majority of customers in India want the best value for their money. Their needs, however, can be different - some will lean towards practicality, while others might want a good-looking wagon. Even though the Nano comes from one of the oldest players in the automotive industry, it has been sadly outclassed by new entrants from Japan and France. The only way that the Nano can be saved from being axed altogether is to make it more potent. It doesnt have to be the best at everything and neither a compromise on all fronts. Rather, the Nano needs to focus on what the customer is after, with a budget of Rs 3-4 lakh. Tata also needs to understand how its counterparts from Datsun and Renault carved out a respectable recipe and let go of pursuing people to upgrade from a two-wheeler.

Spied: Tata Nano Electric In The Making

Updated Tata Nano Spied Again

Next Generation Tata Nano Spied With New Interior
Modified On Nov 30, 2016 07:40 PM By Rachit Shad

The initiative was carried out with the help of the Gujarat state government

Indias largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), joined hands with the Gujarat government to train 10,000 tribal youths in professional driving. The training was carried out at the All Gujarat Institute of Driving, Technical Training and Research (AGIDTTR) located in Waghodia, Gujarat. The facility was set up in 2009, thanks to a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Tribal Development (Gujarat) and Japanese auto giant, Maruti Suzuki.

Established under the Gujarat Governments Vanbandhu Welfare Scheme, AGIDTTR has been set up specifically for tribal students from the eastern belt of Gujarat who work as labourers in farms and at construction sites. The structure of this 45-day residential training programme is such that, apart from learning driving, the students are groomed on several fronts, such as basic spoken English, workplace etiquette, yoga, table manners, map reading, crafts and entrepreneurship.

On achieving this feat, R.S, Kalsi, executive director of marketing and sales at MSIL, said that the objective of this training programme is to equip students with basic tools so that they can make a better living for themselves and for their families. He further added that the current batch had seen an increase in the number of students who enrolled for the training programme at the institute.

The entire facility  which has a driving track, classrooms and lab infrastructure  is spread across 20 acres of land. The institute has four simulators and 18 vehicles to provide driving training. Training is also being offered for light motor vehicles (LMV), heavy motor vehicles (HMV), HMV trucks and forklifts.

MSIL has also introduced a new course for light commercial vehicles (LCV), training for which will be conducted on the recently launched Super Carry. The training modules will cover aspects of cargo handling during loading and unloading, vehicle placement and weather-proofing. Additionally, the training will focus on areas such as fuel-efficiency of transport vehicles, safety precautions during transportation of cargo, and route planning.
Despite winning all of their games on the field, the seventh-grade Park Panthers were left out of the postseason because of what the coaches say is selective enforcement of league rules.
I have an Excel file to read out data as an object.

I don't know can i read as Object just on memory or not ?

(I just want to save on memory, not on Database or i don't want to show Datagrid or...)

Currently , i try to change Excel file to XML format and I will serialize again.

I think that it is too many step to do,right ?

And so, anyone can advice to me ?

Thanks





Try again, and explain what task you are trying to do and why, instead of concentrating on "Object" and "memory"; "XML" and "serialize". It may make it easier for us to help you if we know why you think "an object" will help you!

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...







modified 2-Dec-16 0:58am.







What I'd suggest is look here: c# - Read data from an Excel file - Stack Overflow[^] - the Velkumar solution uses the ExcelDataReader package and shows you how to convert a stream into a DataTable, which sounds like where you want to be.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...





Let me try

I am newbie and so all are still confusing







You can store or transport Excel files anywhere if you simple treat the file (contents) as a "long string".





i have a rdl report which is already created. how to display in mvc application using (visualstudio)



Hi

I am developing c# application with sql notification and sqldependency.

if particular record is updated in database table in sql server,I want to get that record details in c# application



but now i am getting all records popup if one record is updated



Please help me .



Thanks and regards

N.Ramachandran



Member 3080470 wrote: Please help me With what? You have not given any information about where and how this is happening in your code.





I am updating record in c#



table name 'Person' .Table structure



Manager_ID int

Employee_ID int

Approved bit



Manager_ID Employee_ID Approved

123 1 0



the Manager who logs in is Manager_ID



the person targeted is Employee_ID



Approved is set 1 or 0



we assume already record is inserted.



query to be Updated is given below.

Update Person set Approved=1 where Manager_ID = 123 and Employee_ID =1



now alert will go to Employee(Employee_ID =1 ,if he logs in) from Manager .



both update query and alert will occur at same time



I am using visual studio 2012 ultimate ,dot net framework 4.6 ,sql server 2008 ,c# and windows 8.1



Thanks and regards

N.Ramachandran



Member 3080470 wrote: but now i am getting all records popup if one record is updated That's how it works.



You could add a timestamp to your recordset that is updated whenever something is written; that way you could ask for the changes of the last five minutes, for example. Alternative, you could calculate a quick hashcode, and compare those to see which of them changed.



Good luck



If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell





The sh*t I complain about

It's like there ain't a cloud in the sky and it's raining out - Eminem

~! Firewall !~



hi all,

i have html markup i .xslt file, then i generate from this file pdf with spire.pdf

when data is short everything is perfect, fixed footer and all goods,

but if data going big i need to divide footer end of the last page...



any ideas?



Jorjini wrote: any ideas? Yes, please explain what this has to do with C#.



I'm writing application in C# (WPF, .net 4.5). I need library for decoding barcodes (EAN128, GS1, code 128, EAN13). Can anyone suggest me ready to use library (free or paid). My scanner connected by USB reads a barcode and sends string od chars (mostly numbers) and I need to decode it to separated PLU, LOT, BBD etc.





Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians.



Help end the violence EAT BACON







Normally what happens is that the AN is read from the barcode, and used as a lookup to your stock database to determine what type of goods it is, what price you are selling it as, and so forth.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...





EAN13 not only provides Article Number - it also can contain weight or price of article.



My application send string from barcode scanner and only one think I need is to get this string separated into detailed data for example batch after 10, BBD after 15/17, weight after 310x etc. I know many of AI but I need solution which knows all of possible AI and will search string from barcode and seperate data after AI. I don't want to write it from the beggining because I don't want to miss any AI etc.





Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...





If you are storing weights and prices in the AN, then unless you have purchased a pretty huge block of ANs from your issuing authority, then you are probably issuing items with EAN13 BCs which identify them to the real world as toothpaste, or rubber gloves, or fresh chicken portions ...

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...





This is just a market need.


Managing software solutions of all sizes and levels of complexities in your credit union, from implementation to member adoption, is part of the growing trend in providing competitive financial services. This task is magnified given the heavy reliance on your data processing system. The costs of a credit unions core system go beyond the annual spend with your provider and can be felt throughout the organization. Here are 4 pain points credit union executives identify as challenges and areas of focus when they are implementing technologies to increase member service offerings:

1. Managing 3rd parties: Finding a business partner you can trust is the key to successful implementation and use of any third party vendor products, and credit union software is no exception. Items such as timely delivery of patches, updates, planned product enhancements, consistent communication, avoiding contract entrapments, correct invoicing, and thorough support all become additional areas that can quickly turn into pain points that can become a full-time job for you or one of your employees.
In a single day, nearly 10,000 votes, representing the communities of 824 credit unions, have participated in Childrens Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals nationwide Vote for Miracles campaign celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Credit Unions for Kids program.

From Nov. 29 through Dec. 20, credit unions and the general public can cast their votes to support their favorite CMN Hospital. The five hospitals with the most votes at the end of the campaign will be awarded a total of $100,000 on behalf of Americas credit unions, compliments of CO-OP Financial Services.
John Friedlander of the University of Toronto and Henryk Iwaniec of Rutgers University will receive the 2017 AMS Joseph L. Doob Prize. The two are honored for their book Opera de Cribro (AMS, 2010).

The prime numbers, the building blocks of the whole numbers, have fascinated humankind for millennia. While it has been known since the time of Euclid that the number of primes is infinite, exactly how they are distributed among the whole numbers is still not understood. The Latin title of the prizewinning book by Friedlander and Iwaniec could be translated as A Laborious Work Around the Sieve, where in this context a "sieve" is a mathematical tool for sifting prime numbers out of sets of whole numbers.

The Sieve of Eratosthenes, dating from the third century BC, is a simple, efficient method to produce a table of prime numbers. For a long time, it was the only way to study the mysterious sequence of the primes. In the early 20th century, improvements came through the work of Norwegian mathematician Viggo Brun, who combined the Sieve of Eratosthenes with ideas from combinatorics. Tools from another branch of mathematics, complex analysis, came into play through the work of English mathematicians G.H. Hardy and J.E. Littlewood, and of the iconic Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (protagonist of the 2016 film The Man Who Knew Infinity).

For 30 years, Brun's method and its refinements were the main tools in sieve theory. Then, in 1950, another Norwegian mathematician, Atle Selberg, put forward a new, simple, and elegant method. As his method was independent of that of Brun, the combination of the two gave rise to deep new results.

The latter part of the 20th century saw the proof of many profound results on classical prime-number questions that had previously been considered inaccessible. Among these was a formula for the number of primes representable as the sum of a square and of a fourth power, obtained by Friedlander and Iwaniec in 1998.

With these developments, the time was ripe for a new book dealing with prime-number sieves and the techniques needed for their applications. Written by two of the top masters of the subject, Opera de Cribro is an insightful and comprehensive presentation of the theory and application of sieves. In addition to providing the latest technical background and results, the book looks to the future by raising new questions, giving partial answers, and indicating new ways of approaching the problems.

With high-quality writing, clear explanations, and numerous examples, the book helps readers understand the subject in depth. "These features distinguish this unique monograph from anything that had been written before on the subject and lift it to the level of a true masterpiece," the prize citation says.

The two prizewinners collaborated on an expository article on number sieves, "What is the Parity Phenomenon?", which appeared in the August 2009 issue of the AMS Notices.

Born in Toronto, John Friedlander received his BSc from the University of Toronto and his MA from the University of Waterloo. In 1972, he earned his PhD at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of S. Chowla. His first position was that of assistant to Atle Selberg at the Institute for Advanced Study. After further positions at IAS, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he returned to the University of Toronto as a faculty member in 1980. He was Mathematics Department Chair from 1987 to 1991 and since 2002 has been University Professor of Mathematics. He was awarded the Jeffery-Williams Prize of the Canadian Mathematical Society (1999) and the CRM-Fields (currently CRM-Fields-PIMS) Prize of the Canadian Mathematical Institutes (2002). He gave an invited lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Zurich in 1994. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Founding Fellow of the Fields Institute, and a Fellow of the AMS.

Born in Elblag, Poland, Henryk Iwaniec graduated from Warsaw University in 1971 and received his PhD in 1972. In 1976 he defended his habilitation thesis at the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and was elected to member correspondent. He left Poland in 1983 to take visiting positions in the USA, including long stays at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 1987, he was appointed to his present position as New Jersey State Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1995), the US National Academy of Sciences (2006), and the Polska Akademia Umiejetnosci (2006, foreign member). He has received numerous prizes including the Sierpinski Medal (1996), the Ostrowski Prize (2001, shared with Richard Taylor and Peter Sarnak), the AMS Cole Prize in Number Theory (2002, shared with Richard Taylor), the AMS Steele Prize for Mathematical Exposition (2011), the Banach Medal of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2015), and the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences (2015, shared with Gerd Faltings). He was an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Helsinki (1978), Berkeley (1986), and Madrid (2006).

###

Presented every three years, the AMS Doob Prize recognizes a single, relatively recent, outstanding research book that makes a seminal contribution to the research literature, reflects the highest standards of research exposition, and promises to have a deep and long-term impact in its area. The prize will be awarded Thursday, January 5, 2017, at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Atlanta.

Find out more about AMS prizes and awards at http://www.ams.org/profession/prizes-awards/prizes.

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, today the American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.
It may be possible to categorize the brain strategies used by professional musicians based on how they prioritize sight vs. sound when learning to play new music

Washington, D. C. November 29, 2016 -- When musicians play instruments, their brains are processing a huge amount and variety of information in parallel. Musical styles and strengths vary dramatically: Some musicians are better at sight reading music, while others are better at playing by ear. Does this mean that their brains are processing information differently?

This is a question posed by Eriko Aiba, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo, Japan. During the 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the 5th Joint Meeting with Acoustical Society of Japan, being held Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Aiba will present research that delves into the various ways the brain engages in music signal processing.

Aiba began learning to play the piano when she was five years old, and quickly realized that musicians might be roughly divided into two groups: sight readers and those who play by ear.

"When considering a human brain as a computer, playing a musical instrument requires the brain to process a huge amount and variety of information in parallel," explained Aiba. "For example, pianists need to read a score, plan the music, search for the keys to be played while planning the motions of their fingers and feet, and control their fingers and feet. They must also adjust the sound intensity and usage of the sustaining pedal according to the output sound."

Such information processing is too complicated for a computer, so how do the brains of professional musicians handle such complex information processing?

One piece of this puzzle is that pianists who are good at playing by ear are also good at memorizing, according to the group's findings when they put it to the test.

"Some were able to memorize almost the entirety of two pages of a complex musical score -- despite only 20 minutes of practice," Aiba said. This means that auditory memory may be helpful for memorizing music following short-term practice.

They also discovered that "each musician has their own strategy -- even if it appears they're all playing the piano in the same way," she added. "These strategies aren't completely different, however, because most musicians have some things in common."

The group's findings extend well beyond professional musicians to experts within other fields who also practice extremely hard every day to excel in their skills.

"It's difficult to validate individual differences ... and the conclusion that 'the strategy depends on individuals' could not be assumed to be scientific research," said Aiba. "On the other hand, it may now be possible to categorize professional musicians based on their type of prioritizing modality information -- in terms of visual and auditory processing."

This work may help contribute to several research areas exploring expertise and performance. One, in particular, is language learning.

"To learn a language, some people prefer to read phrases aloud repeatedly -- combining auditory and motion information. Others prefer to write phrases repeatedly -- combining visual and motion information," Aiba explained. "But some prefer to simply read -- visual information. They're all studying a language, but their brains are processing the information in different ways, depending on the strategy best suited to them."

It will take more time to "reveal our brains' brilliant strategy," Aiba noted, but it may lead to the development of efficient, individualized learning methods in the future.

###

Presentation 2pMU11, "Music signal processing by the human brains: Studies on the strategies used by professional pianists to efficiently sight-read music," by Eriko Aiba is at 4:50 p.m. HAST, Nov. 29, 2016 in Room Hibiscus.

MORE MEETING INFORMATION

The 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America

The meeting is being held Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/5th-joint-meeting-acoustical-society-america-and-acoustical-society-japan

Technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/asa2016fall.abstractcentral.com/planner.jsp

Meeting/Hotel site: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/5th-joint-meeting-acoustical-society-america-and-acoustical-society-japan#hotel

Press Room: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Emilie Lorditch (elorditc@aip.org, 301-209-3029) who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring the acoustics of snapping shrimp and coconut beetles plus, how speech sounds influence female vocal attractiveness will be webcast live from the conference on Wednesday, Nov. 30th from 10 - 11 a.m. HAST in room Iolani I.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.
Montreal, November 30, 2016 -- For some, the start of December marks the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year. But for most university students, the coming weeks mean final exams, mounting stress and negative moods.

While that doesn't seem like an ideal combination for great grades, new research from Concordia University in Montreal shows that the occasional bout of bad feelings can actually improve students' academic success.

A study published in Developmental Psychology by Erin Barker, professor of psychology in Concordia's Faculty of Arts and Science, shows that students who were mostly happy during their four years of university but who also experienced occasional negative moods had the highest GPAs at the time of graduation.

In contrast, the study also confirmed that students who experienced high levels of negative moods and low levels of positive moods often ended up with the lowest GPAs -- a pattern consistent with depressive disorders.

"Students often report feeling overwhelmed and experiencing high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms," says Barker, who is also a member of the Centre for Research in Human Development.

"This study shows that we need to teach them strategies to both manage negative emotions and stress in productive ways, and to maintain positive emotional experiences."

For the study, Barker and her co-authors* worked with 187 first-year students at a large university. The researchers tracked the students throughout their four years of schooling by having them complete questionnaires about recent emotional experiences each year, beginning in the first year and continuing throughout their undergraduate degree.

Negative emotions signal a challenge

"We looked at students' response patterns to better understand how experiences of positive and negative emotions occurred over time. We then combined average patterns to look how each person varied from their own average and examined different combinations of trait and state affects together," Barker explains.

"This allowed us to identify the pattern associated with the greatest academic success: those who were happy for the most part, but who also showed bouts of elevated negative moods."

These findings demonstrate that both negative and positive emotions play a role in our successes.

"We often think that feeling bad is bad for us. But if you're generally a happy person, negative emotions can be motivating. They can signal to you that there is a challenge that you need to face. Happy people usually have coping resources and support that they draw on to meet that challenge."

In January, Barker and psychology graduate students Sarah Newcomb-Anjo and Kate Mulvihill will expand on this research by launching a new study focused on life beyond graduation. Their plan: examine patterns of emotional experience and well-being as former students navigate new challenges associated with finding work or entering a post-graduation program.

###

*Partners in research: This study was co-authored by Carsten Wrosch, professor of psychology in Concordia's Faculty of Arts and Science, Andrea L. Howard from Carleton University and Nancy L. Galambos from the University of Alberta. The research was funded by a grant awarded to N. Galambos by the the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Related links:

Cited study http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/981585/

Department of Psychology https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/psychology.html

Centre for Research on Human Development http://crdh.concordia.ca/homee.html

Erin Barker https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/psychology/faculty.html?fpid=erin-barker

Faculty of Arts and Science https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/

Media contact:

Clea Desjardins

Senior advisor, media relations

University Communications Services

Concordia University

Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068

Email: clea.desjardins@concordia.ca

Web: http://www.concordia.ca/now/media-relations

Twitter: @CleaDesjardins
A team led by Roberto Mignani from INAF Milan (Italy) and from the University of Zielona Gora (Poland), used ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile to observe the neutron star RX J1856.5-3754, about 400 light-years from Earth [1].

Despite being amongst the closest neutron stars, its extreme dimness meant the astronomers could only observe the star with visible light using the FORS2 instrument on the VLT, at the limits of current telescope technology.

Neutron stars are the very dense remnant cores of massive stars -- at least 10 times more massive than our Sun -- that have exploded as supernovae at the ends of their lives. They also have extreme magnetic fields, billions of times stronger than that of the Sun, that permeate their outer surface and surroundings.

These fields are so strong that they even affect the properties of the empty space around the star. Normally a vacuum is thought of as completely empty, and light can travel through it without being changed. But in quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time. Very strong magnetic fields can modify this space so that it affects the polarisation of light passing through it.

Mignani explains: "According to QED, a highly magnetised vacuum behaves as a prism for the propagation of light, an effect known as vacuum birefringence."

Among the many predictions of QED, however, vacuum birefringence so far lacked a direct experimental demonstration. Attempts to detect it in the laboratory have not yet succeeded in the 80 years since it was predicted in a paper by Werner Heisenberg (of uncertainty principle fame) and Hans Heinrich Euler.

"This effect can be detected only in the presence of enormously strong magnetic fields, such as those around neutron stars. This shows, once more, that neutron stars are invaluable laboratories in which to study the fundamental laws of nature." says Roberto Turolla (University of Padua, Italy).

After careful analysis of the VLT data, Mignani and his team detected linear polarisation -- at a significant degree of around 16% -- that they say is likely due to the boosting effect of vacuum birefringence occurring in the area of empty space surrounding RX J1856.5-3754 [2].

Vincenzo Testa (INAF, Rome, Italy) comments: "This is the faintest object for which polarisation has ever been measured. It required one of the largest and most efficient telescopes in the world, the VLT, and accurate data analysis techniques to enhance the signal from such a faint star."

"The high linear polarisation that we measured with the VLT can't be easily explained by our models unless the vacuum birefringence effects predicted by QED are included," adds Mignani.

"This VLT study is the very first observational support for predictions of these kinds of QED effects arising in extremely strong magnetic fields," remarks Silvia Zane (UCL/MSSL, UK).

Mignani is excited about further improvements to this area of study that could come about with more advanced telescopes: "Polarisation measurements with the next generation of telescopes, such as ESO's European Extremely Large Telescope, could play a crucial role in testing QED predictions of vacuum birefringence effects around many more neutron stars."

"This measurement, made for the first time now in visible light, also paves the way to similar measurements to be carried out at X-ray wavelengths," adds Kinwah Wu (UCL/MSSL, UK).

###

Notes

[1] This object is part of the group of neutron stars known as the Magnificent Seven. They are known as isolated neutron stars (INS), which have no stellar companions, do not emit radio waves (like pulsars), and are not surrounded by progenitor supernova material.

[2] There are other processes that can polarise starlight as it travels through space. The team carefully reviewed other possibilities -- for example polarisation created by scattering off dust grains -- but consider it unlikely that they produced the polarisation signal observed.

More information

This research was presented in the paper entitled "Evidence for vacuum birefringence from the first optical polarimetry measurement of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5?3754", by R. Mignani et al., to appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The team is composed of R.P. Mignani (INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica Milano, Milano, Italy; Janusz Gil Institute of Astronomy, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland), V. Testa (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio, Italy), D. Gonzalez Caniulef (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK), R. Taverna (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Padova, Padova, Italy), R. Turolla (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Padova, Padova, Italy; Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK), S. Zane (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK) and K. Wu (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

* Research paper - http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1641/eso1641a.pdf

* Photos of the VLT - http://www.eso.org/public/images/archive/category/paranal/

Contacts

Roberto Mignani

INAF - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica Milano

Milan, Italy

Tel: +39 02 23699 347

Cell: +39 328 9685465

Email: mignani@iasf-milano.inaf.it

Vincenzo Testa

INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma

Monteporzio Catone, Italy

Tel: +39 06 9428 6482

Email: vincenzo.testa@inaf.it

Roberto Turolla

University of Padova

Padova, Italy

Tel: +39-049-8277139

Email: turolla@pd.infn.it

Richard Hook

ESO Public Information Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 3200 6655

Cell: +49 151 1537 3591

Email: rhook@eso.org
RACINE  A Kenosha man is facing charges of incest, child enticement and exposing genitals after allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulting a relative, according to court documents issued Wednesday.

Juan C. Robles, 30, of the 1800 block of 53rd Street, is accused of assaulting a family member for 10 years, according to a criminal complaint. The victim, not a a member of Robles' immediate household, was allegedly assaulted by Robles approximately 15 times in Racine County.

Additional incidents allegedly occurred in Kenosha County. Racine police began an investigation into Robles on Sept. 7.

The victim told investigators that he allowed the assaults to occur because he was scared to say no and said that Robles would allegedly get violent so the victim did not want to get hurt, the complaint said.

Robles faces three felonies for his charges. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 7 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

Robles remained in custody as of Wednesday at the Racine County Jail, online records showed.
Munich, Germany: The "revolution in the understanding of cancer at the molecular level" has led to dramatic responses in cancer patients to new therapies that are targeted precisely at their particular type of tumours, according to an expert.

Dr Kapil Dhingra, a member of the executive committee for the 28th EORTC-NCI-AACR [1] Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics that is taking place in Munich, Germany, told the meeting today (Thursday): "We are seeing an important shift in oncology as we move from a one-treatment-fits-all approach to an era of personalised medicine for cancer. In this new era it is essential to discover novel, targeted drugs and to identify the patients most likely to benefit from them. This is highlighted at this meeting by several new drugs that show dramatic efficacy in patients with very advanced disease who have failed standard therapies. These drugs can be developed rapidly, based on trials involving relatively small numbers of patients.

"At the same time, advances in liquid biopsy technologies, in which blood is taken and analysed to detect genetic mutations, allow clinicians and researchers to obtain a real time portrait of the patients' cancers and their responses to treatment in a non-invasive way, thereby ushering in a new era of cancer therapeutics."

Dr Dhingra, who is managing member of KAPital Consulting LLC (USA), highlighted several presentations at the meeting that show how new drugs can be very effective when targeted at cancers with the right molecular profile, and how liquid biopsies can accurately identify mechanisms of resistance in patients receiving targeted therapies. These include:

1. 'Remarkable anti-tumour activity' from an ongoing Phase I study of a new drug, BLU-285, that targets specific mutations in the cancer-causing genes that drive rare sarcomas of the digestive system (gastrointestinal stromal tumours or GISTs)

More than 85% of GISTs are driven by specific mutations in cancer-causing genes (oncogenes) called KIT and PDGFR. These genes provide instructions for making proteins that are part of a family of proteins called receptor tyrosine kinases, which are involved in cell signalling. When the genes are mutated the signalling malfunctions, leading to cell proliferation and cancer. There is no effective treatment for GISTs at present and although imatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) can provide some benefit initially, most patients will eventually experience disease progression, often driven by genetic changes known as "secondary activation loop mutations". These activation loop mutations are often resistant to all approved kinase inhibitors.

In an ongoing phase I trial, 36 patients (as of 1 November 2016) who had advanced GISTs with mutations in either KIT or PDGFR, some of whom had cancer that had continued to advance despite at least two previous treatments with tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib, were given BLU-285 once a day on a continuous schedule at doses ranging from 30 to 400 mg a day. BLU-285 is the first drug to selectively target activation loop mutations.

Professor Michael Heinrich (MD) from Oregon Health and Science University (USA), told the Symposium: "Although we are still increasing the doses in the phase I trial to establish the recommended dose, BLU-285 has shown remarkable anti-tumour activity, with a response seen at the lowest dose level. CT and MRI scans showed that tumours shrank in 14 out of 15 evaluable PDGFR patients and five out of 13 evaluable KIT patients. In addition, there was a more than ten-fold reduction in levels of PDGFR-mutated DNA circulating in the blood, and we saw this even before the imaging scans confirmed that tumours were shrinking. The treatment was well tolerated to date and 27 patients continue to be treated in the study, while nine discontinued treatment due to their disease progressing."

Dr Dhingra said: "The data from this study to date show that GISTs with PDGFR and KIT mutations, including activation loop muations, are sensitive to BLU-285, a potent and highly selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Preliminary clinical efficacy has been seen, even at very low doses, and it is active in patients with advanced disease, many of whom had disease that had progressed on previous treatments. Liquid biopsies showed a large reduction in circulating tumour DNA within two weeks of starting treatment."

2. 'DCC-2618 is one of the most active compounds I have seen in the phase I setting in my career.' Impressive activity seen in GIST patients and a patient with brain cancer with a broad range of alterations in KIT and PDGFRA genes.

A new drug called DCC-2618 targets the same oncogenes in GIST as BLU-285, but a broader range of alterations in these genes. It is being tested in a phase I trial in patients with advanced GIST and other advanced cancers including one patient with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) - one of the most common and aggressive forms of brain cancer. Patients with molecular alterations in KIT or PDGFRA genes were prioritised for enrolment in the trial. So far, 25 patients have been enrolled but the researchers are hoping to recruit more, including patients with cancers other than GIST that have alterations in KIT or PDGFRA genes.

Filip Janku, assistant professor in the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA), told the meeting: "While it is early, we observed signs of benefit in the GIST patients treated whose disease had progressed despite multiple previous treatments. Early partial metabolic responses, a sign of reduced tumour metabolic activity, were observed in 14 of the 15 patients evaluated with KIT-mutant GIST.

"In addition to GIST, we sought to evaluate patients with other genetically defined cancers that might also benefit from treatment with DCC-2618. For example, the first patient enrolled in the trial had a GBM with simultaneous alterations in KIT and PDGFRA genes. This patient began to demonstrate improvements relatively early in treatment as the tumour shrank slowly but steadily, and today, more than 12 months later, the patient is continuing to do well. We are very excited to see the response in this patient as it is a very hard cancer to treat.

"DCC-2618 is well tolerated by patients and the anti-tumour activity observed to date suggest that it is effectively inhibiting the tyrosine kinases that we are targeting. The findings are very encouraging in that they support a shift in oncology drug development toward targeted therapies, such as DCC-2618, in genetically-defined patient populations beginning as early as phase 1 clinical trials. This is important as it provides information early in the clinical development process to help define patient populations that might potentially benefit.

"In this study, we also employed a novel next-generation sequencing technology to identify and dynamically track molecular alterations in tumour-derived circulating cell-free DNA isolated from blood of treated patients in order to understand the molecular basis of response, and intrinsic or adaptive resistance to DCC-2618.

"DCC 2618 is one of the most active compounds I have ever seen in the phase I setting in my career."

Dr Dhingra said: "Even though the phase I dose escalation is ongoing, impressive early results have been seen, including in the difficult-to-treat site of the brain. Liquid biopsies have revealed in real or near-real time the presence of multiple mutations, reflecting a diversity in the genetic make-up of the tumours that might have been missed even if an invasive tissue biopsy had been done, which is traditionally considered to be the 'gold standard'."

The researchers are testing dose levels ranging from 20 mg to 150 mg in patients (taken orally twice a day over a 28-day cycle). Once the maximum tolerated dose has been identified, they plan to recruit groups of patients with a range of other cancers that have the KIT or PDGFR mutations identified in this phase of the trial.

3. Patient-friendly liquid biopsies successfully identify molecular alterations driving drug resistance in nearly 80% of patients. Study shows how 'liquid biopsy will change the practice of oncology in the coming years'.

Professor Ryan Corcoran, Translational Research Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (USA), told the meeting: "To understand how gastrointestinal (GI) cancers develop resistance to targeted therapies, we employed a systematic 'liquid biopsy' programme within the GI cancer centre at Massachusetts General Hospital, by which blood was collected at the time that a patient's disease stopped responding to treatment and the disease started to progress. Circulating tumour DNA was analysed by next-generation sequencing to identify mutations that emerged during therapy to drive resistance to treatment.

"Circulating tumour DNA is shed by tumour cells throughout the body into the bloodstream and can be isolated from a routine blood draw. Since tumour cells residing in different metastatic tumour lesions in the same patient can often evolve distinct mechanisms of drug resistance, 'liquid biopsy' analysis of circulating tumour DNA can frequently identify the simultaneous presence of multiple resistance alterations that would be missed by a single-lesion tumour biopsy.

"In 31 patients, this liquid biopsy programme identified a molecular alteration driving resistance in nearly 80% of patients, and half of these patients were found to have multiple alterations detectable in the blood. In patients in whom biopsies of the tumour had also been taken at the time that their disease started to progress, liquid biopsy identified additional alterations 62% of the time. Systematic liquid biopsy also led to the discovery of several novel mechanisms of resistance, which can help guide the development of therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance. Overall, these data show how routine clinical implementation of liquid biopsy at the time of disease progression on targeted therapy can effectively identify important mechanisms of resistance and may offer certain advantages relative to tumour biopsies.

"One of the biggest advantages of liquid biopsies is that they can be performed from a routine blood draw, sparing patients the necessity of undergoing costly and invasive tumour biopsies, which can also pose some procedural risks for patients. Furthermore, liquid biopsies may better capture 'tumour heterogeneity', or the evolution of distinct resistance mechanisms in different tumour cells in independent metastases in the same patient, which might be missed by a needle biopsy of a single tumour lesion."

Chair of the scientific committee for the Symposium, Professor Jean Charles Soria from the Institut Gustave Roussy (France) told the meeting: "Liquid biopsies are a patient-friendly approach to obtaining critical insight into the intrinsic tumour biology in any given patient. In this case, they have allowed rapid and robust identification of the mechanism of acquired resistance that can help clinicians to select further therapies for the patient.

"This study shows very clearly how liquid biopsy can change the practice of oncology in the coming years."

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[1] EORTC [European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, NCI [National Cancer Institute], AACR [American Association for Cancer Research].

[2] Ryan Corcoran's study was funded by philanthropic giving. Michael Heinrich's study was funded by Blueprint Medicines (Massachusetts, USA). Filip Janku's study was funded by Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (Massachusetts, USA).
Gene therapy gives hope to millions of patients. Researchers from the University of Warsaw have been working on mRNA containing a modified fragment which initiates protein biosynthesis. Recently published results reveal that new compounds - designed and synthesized at the University of Warsaw - are more stable and effective than their natural equivalents, and their synthesis is simpler. The compounds allow scientists to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of protein biosynthesis in cells, which in turn should help them design better therapeutics.

Protein production is frequently disrupted in the cells of a disease-affected organism. This manifests as imbalance in the synthesis of certain proteins or production of damaged proteins, which in extreme cases leads to cancer. Gene therapy is one of the methods used for dealing with this problem. It involves supplying the organism with genetic material encoding proteins whose properties support healthy cell activity. In the early days of experiments on gene therapy, researchers used DNA as the genetic material. However, genes delivered in the form of DNA integrate with the patients' genome, which beside solving the targeted problem, may also bring new serious and unexpected symptoms. Medical researchers have high hopes as to the therapeutic potential of mRNA; the molecules are smaller and simpler, which makes them easier to prepare under laboratory conditions, and - perhaps most importantly - unlike DNA, they don't make permanent changes to the organism's genetic makeup.

mRNA molecules are natural polymers formed in cells. They contain precise copes of genes (DNA fragments), so they carry the genetic code and act as templates in the production of new proteins. mRNA molecules are broken down by enzymes after a few minutes or hours. This short lifespan of natural and synthetic mRNA is one of the problems limiting its practical applications. The application of mRNA in gene therapy would be more feasible, if the molecule used in drugs "survived" for longer than its natural equivalent, and if the therapeutic efficacy was as high as possible.

The team working on mRNA stabilization was originally founded at the Division of Biophysics (Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, the University of Warsaw). The initiator of research into mRNA structure and function is Prof. Edward Darzynikiewicz (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw). The team working on therapeutic modifications of mRNA molecules is led by Prof. Jacek Jemielity, formerly from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw and currently working at the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw. The team brings together over a dozen PhD holders and student researchers, with Dr. Joanna Kowalska acting as the main animator of research at the University of Warsaw. The scientists work alongside colleagues from the US and Germany and with pharmaceutical companies. In 2011, the consortium between the University of Warsaw and the Louisiana State University patented and commercialized the team's invention improving the stability and efficiency of mRNA. The solution is currently undergoing clinical tests conducted by one of the pharma partners. The key innovation is the five-prime cap (5' cap) - an artificial mRNA segment replacing its natural 7-methylguanosine structure.

The ongoing Warsaw research aims to discover new, better cap analogues, design a technology for large-scale production of therapeutic mRNA, and improve understanding of the course of natural protein synthesis. "The 7-methylguanosine cap is at the 5' end of the mRNA molecule," explains Prof. Darzynkiewicz. "In cytoplasm, the cap structure is recognized by the eIF4E factor which initiates the process of protein biosynthesis, known as translation. This stage decides on the speed of the entire complex sequence of events, which culminate with the synthesis of protein in the cell. The cap protects the mRNA from degradation by cleaving enzymes - nucleases. Unfortunately cells remove the cap using decapping enzymes such as Dcp1/Dcp2. A few years ago we discovered that using modified cap analogues can prevent the degradation of the 5' mRNA end and improve the rate of translation."

The team's latest results reveal that the search for new, natural cap analogues is promising. "Our recent paper, published in Nucleic Acids Research,(1) presents a new class of modified caps which are an improved version of those currently undergoing clinical trials," says Prof. Jemielity. "The modification involves swapping an oxygen atom for a sulfur atom in several positions in a specific place of the cap molecule, known as the tri- or tetra-phosphate bridge. mRNA with this chemically modified cap is bound effectively by the eIF4E factor during the stage limiting the speed of protein biosynthesis. It's also highly resistant to the cleaving of the cap structure by the Dcp1/Dcp2 enzyme. Under cellular conditions this mRNA is more stable and produces higher amounts of therapeutic protein, which we have demonstrated in a model used in studies of cancer vaccines. We hope that our modified mRNA will enable us to use lower doses of therapeutics - and lower doses mean a lower risk of side effects."

The drug's availability is also very important for the patient. Traditional enzyme methods of modifying caps (and in turn therapeutic mRNA) are time consuming and very ineffective. "Back in 2010, it took us six months to prepare the first four grams of cap needed to start clinical trials, and the amount was barely sufficient to treat 12-13 patients," recalls Dr. Kowalska. Meanwhile, the potential demand can be estimated as kilograms of the compounds every year, leading researchers to seek faster and cheaper production methods. "We turned our attention to click chemistry," says Sylwia Walczak, PhD student at the University of Warsaw. "We have been developing a method of effective synthesis of cap analogues from prefabricated units - chemical 'building blocks'. The structure of each block has at least one fragment which joins its counterpart in another molecule, interlocking like bricks." By applying the method in straightforward production of modified caps, scientists from Poland have developed 36 new analogues. "Two of the compounds have properties we were hoping for: when they are introduced to mRNA, they work as well as the natural cap," adds Anna Nowicka, working on her PhD at the University of Warsaw. "We are certain that this discovery will pave the way to developing new chemical methods of adding the cap to mRNA which will compete with expensive and time consuming enzymatic methods," adds Nowicka. The work of the team of eight authors describing the discovery was published in late summer in the leading journal Chemical Science.(2)

The search for new, improved cap analogues slowly shifts from the trial and error approach towards rational design. This is possible due to advances in the understanding of mRNA-related processes, their control and dynamics. Recently, the team from Warsaw contributed to new insights into mRNA decapping "For the first time we have been able to design compounds which, by mimicking the 5' mRNA cap, are able to inhibit the Dcp1/Dcp2 enzyme, which cleaves the cap from mRNA exposing it to degradation," says Dr. Marcin Ziemniak, who completed his PhD at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw earlier this year. "Working with colleagues at the University of California in San Francisco, John D. Gross and Jeffrey Mugridge, we have used X-ray crystallography to get new insight into structure and function of Dcp1/Dcp2. We have used our compound to capture the key stage of enzyme activity, which is binding the cap. To put it more simply, we used our compound as a bait, which imitates the mRNA cap. The enzymatic complex 'swallows' the bait, 'freezes', and can be 'photographed'. Our results indicate that as the bait is taken - the inhibitor is bound - the enzyme complex undergoes global structural changes. The chemical composition of molecules remains unchanged, of course, but their fragments rotate relative to one another to reach a situation when the enzyme is ready to act." The results have been published in two prestigious journals: RNA (January) and Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (October).(3,4) "We believe that the results will allow us to design even better inhibitors of mRNA decapping," stresses Prof. Jemielity. "They will be useful in further research into mRNA degradation processes, and hopefully they will also find therapeutic applications such as increasing the potency mRNA-based gene therapies."

Scientists stress that the problems they are working on require an interdisciplinary approach. "The work we are conducting at the Faculty of Physics is unique," says Dr. Kowalska. "We have access to state-of-the-art research labs, although it's true to say that other teams have similar equipment. Our advantage lies in our team, which consists from experts in biophysics, chemistry and molecular and cellular biology. Conducting research on the boundaries of three different disciplines and the ability to look at the same research problem from different perspectives is incredibly inspirational, and gives us opportunity to come up with completely fresh ideas and solutions which would be far more difficult to reach using just a single approach. I believe this is a unique approach not only in Poland but on a global scale," Kowalska sums up the situation.

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Physics and Astronomy first appeared at the University of Warsaw in 1816, under the then Faculty of Philosophy. In 1825 the Astronomical Observatory was established. Currently, the Faculty of Physics' Institutes include Experimental Physics, Theoretical Physics, Geophysics, Department of Mathematical Methods and an Astronomical Observatory. Research covers almost all areas of modern physics, on scales from the quantum to the cosmological. The Faculty's research and teaching staff includes ca. 200 university teachers, of which 88 are employees with the title of professor. The Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, is attended by ca. 1000 students and more than 170 doctoral students.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS:

1. "Cap analogs modified with 1,2-dithiodiphosphate moiety protect mRNA from decapping and enhance its translational potential", By Malwina Strenkowska, Renata Grzela, Maciej Majewski, Katarzyna Wnek, Joanna Kowalska, Maciej Lukaszewicz, Joanna Zuberek, Edward Darzynkiewicz, Andreas N Kuhn, Ugur Sahin, Jacek Jemielity, Published in Nucleic Acids Research 44 (2016) doi: 10.1093/nar/gkw896, http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/10/06/nar.gkw896.full

2. "A novel route for preparing 5? cap mimics and capped RNAs: phosphate-modified cap analogues obtained via click chemistry", By Sylwia Walczak, Anna Nowicka, Dorota Kubacka, Kaja Fac, Przemyslaw Wanat, Seweryn Mroczek, Joanna Kowalska, Jacek Jemielity, Published in Chemical Science 7 (2016) DOI: 10.1039/C6SC02437H, http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/SC/C6SC02437H#!divAbstract

3. "Two-headed tetraphosphate cap analogs are inhibitors of the Dcp1/2 RNA decapping complex", By Marcin Ziemniak, Jeffrey S. Mugridge, Joanna Kowalska, Robert E. Rhoads, John D. Gross, Jacek Jemielity, Published in RNA 22 (2016) 518-529, http://rnajournal.cshlp.org/content/early/2016/01/29/rna.055152.115

4. "Structural basis of mRNA-cap recognition by Dcp1-Dcp2", By Jeffrey S. Mugridge, Marcin Ziemniak, Jacek Jemielity, John D. Gross, Published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 23 (2016) doi:10.1038/nsmb.3301, http://www.nature.com/nsmb/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nsmb.3301.html

CONTACTS:

Dr. Joanna Kowalska

Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw

tel. +48 22 55 40 774, +48 22 55 40 788

email: asia@biogeo.uw.edu.pl

Prof. Edward Darzynkiewicz

Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw

tel. +48 22 55 40 787

email: edek@biogeo.uw.edu.pl

Prof. Jacek Jemielity

Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw

+48 22 55 43774

e-mail: jacekj@biogeo.uw.edu.pl

RELATED LINKS:

http://www.jemielitygroup.pl/

http://www.biogeo.uw.edu.pl

http://www.fuw.edu.pl/

Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.

http://www.fuw.edu.pl/informacje-prasowe.html

Press office of the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.

IMAGES:

FUW161109b_fot01s.jpg

HR: http://www.fuw.edu.pl/press/images/2016/FUW161109b_fot01.jpg

Fragment of the X-ray crystal structure showing the cap bound by Dcp1/Dcp2. Based on pdb-entry 5KQ4. (Source: Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw)
At the "Ageing Societies 2016," The Economist conference in London, LongeVC and Insilico Medicine entered into a research collaboration

LongeVC is a new venture fund investing in companies developing drugs and other interventions to cure or prevent age-related diseases with a mission to extend healthy human longevity

Over 90% of small molecules that pass pre-clinical validation fail in clinical trials

Insilico Medicine is one of the leaders in applying artificial intelligence and advanced pathway activation analysis techniques to predict the efficacy and safety of small molecules and the outcomes of clinical trials

LongeVC will utilize Insilico expertise to identify projects with high probability of passing the clinical trials and maximizing the longevity dividend

Wednesday, 30th of November, Baltimore, MD - Insilico Medicine today announced a research collaboration with LongeVC, a venture fund dedicated to investing in companies targeting aging and age-related diseases. In the scope of this collaboration, Insilico Medicine's signaling pathway-based analytical methods and deep learned predictors will be used to evaluate the efficacy, adverse effects, and population-specificity of small molecules, antibodies, gene therapy, and other interventions.

The parties entered into a research collaboration at the "Ageing Societies 2016" conference organized by The Economist, one of the most reputable journals in the field (for more information, see: http://www.economist.com/events-conferences/emea/ageing-societies).

"The percentage of the elderly population in developed countries is rapidly increasing and presents a major growth opportunity for businesses focused on increasing productive longevity, as well as treating and preventing age-related diseases. But identifying the winning technologies requires complex screening methods, so we partnered with one of the leaders in biomarker development and aging research to perform quality control and to assess the effectiveness of anti-aging interventions. We are aiming to identify projects that make the most impact and have a reasonably high probability of success. At the end of the day, everything we own, we rent for the length of our lifetime, and investing in longevity is one of the ways to maximize the value of our assets," said Garri Zmudze, managing partner at LongeVC.

Insilico Medicine developed a portfolio of deep learned and parametric biomarkers of human aging utilizing simple blood biochemistry tests (for more information, see: http://www.Aging.AI), blood-derived and tissue-specific gene expression data, and imaging data. These biomarkers are essential for assessing the relevance of experiments performed on animals.

"When evaluating interventions related to aging and age-related diseases, it is important to have biologically-relevant biomarkers of aging that work in humans. The ability to backtest some of the interventions on retrospective data is very appealing. LongeVC is the first fund focused on longevity research, and we welcome this collaboration with Insilico Medicine, one of the most established players in bioinformatics and longevity science," said Fred Khodorov, CFP, senior pharmaceutical and healthcare consultant, and advisor to LongeVC.

Insilico Medicine's in silico Pathway Activation Network Decomposition Analysis ("iPANDA") technique, recently published in Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms13427 (for more information, see: http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13427), will be applied to projects where transcriptomic or proteomic data is available to analyze pathway-level effects of interventions. DeepPharma clinical trials scoring engine will be used to predict the outcomes of the Phase I (safety) and Phase II (efficacy) clinical trials. The scoring engine has already demonstrated proof of concept of using Deep Neural Networks ("DNNs") to predict the pharmacological properties of many drugs.

Insilico Medicine's HedgePharma system, which predicts the outcomes of Phase II clinical trials, is a by-product of a massive backtesting project, where scientists working on predictive modeling analyzed almost all clinical trials and linked them to stock prices of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to understand if some of the clinical trials failed or succeeded when outcome measures were unclear. This system is now used by some venture funds and hedge funds to make investment decisions in biomedicine.

"We are very happy to collaborate with LongeVC, an emerging venture fund intended to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time - aging, by investing in companies developing therapies that may extend human productive longevity. It is a pleasure to see that more and more smart investors are moving into the field of longevity science. I hope that other venture funds, hedge funds, and portfolio managers will utilize our expertise in omics-informed clinical trials risk estimates and our experience in analyzing the longevity dividend in terms of the productivity-adjusted life years ("PALY") of potential investment projects," said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, CEO of Insilico Medicine, Inc.

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About LongeVC

LongeVC is a next generation venture fund focusing on high-impact investments in biotechnology and healthcare companies developing therapeutic interventions or enabling technologies that have a chance to result in complete cures of major age-related diseases and producing maximum longevity dividends. The company is founded by a team of experts in information technology, pharmaceutical industry, telecommunications, and finance.

Company website: http://www.longevc.com. Contact: hq@longevc.com.

About Insilico Medicine, Inc.

Insilico Medicine, Inc. is a bioinformatics company located at the Emerging Technology Centers at the Johns Hopkins University Eastern campus in Baltimore with Research and Development ("R&D") resources in Belgium, Russia, and Poland hiring talent through hackathons and competitions. The company utilizes advances in genomics, big data analysis, and deep learning for in silico drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. The company pursues internal drug discovery programs in cancer, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, sarcopenia, and geroprotector discovery. Through its Pharma.AI division, the company provides advanced machine learning services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and skin care companies. Brief company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l62jlwgL3v8.
Going against the grain - nitrogen turns out to be hypersociable!

Nitrogen is everywhere: even in the air there is four times as much of it as oxygen. However, it is reluctant to form chemical bonds, especially with more than four atoms. Chemists from Warsaw predict, however, that contrary to the rules of typical chemistry, in appropriately selected conditions there may be a nitrogen that nobody has ever seen: one capable of forming up to six chemical bonds.

Nobody expected this. Computer simulations suggest that nitrogen, a very well-known element, with a reputation for being reluctant to react could, at a high enough pressure, break the chemical rules and become extremely gregarious: a single atom would then be able to form even six chemical bonds. This surprising discovery has been made by researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) in Warsaw and the New Technology Centre at the University of Warsaw (CeNT UW), funded by grants from the Polish National Science Centre.

Chemists have long known that nitrogen may occasionally have a valency of five, which means that it is potentially able to form bonds with five other atoms. Another element with similar properties is phosphorus, which is adjacent to nitrogen in the periodic table.

"Nitrogen, however, behaves differently to phosphorus: in practice, it forms five bonds with at most four other atoms, and more usually with three, as in the popular nitric acid HNO3. We decided to investigate, using the computer, the possibility of obtaining a compound in which pentavalent nitrogen would combine with five neighbours by covalent interactions - chemical bonds. We analyzed thousands of crystal structures of nitrogen compounds with fluorine arising at high pressures. We were hoping to see some structures containing nitrogen pentafluoride NF5 particles. We were completely unprepared for the fact that in one of the crystals we ran into ions with the formula NF6- in which the nitrogen atom bonds with as many as six fluorine atoms," says Dr. Patryk Zaleski-Ejgierd (IPC PAS).

Dr Dominik Kurzydlowski (CeNT UW), co-author of the publication in the journal Scientific Reports, explains the essence of the discovery as follows: "Two electrons are typically required for the formation of a single covalent bond. The problem with nitrogen lies in the fact that when creating various compounds it 'trades' electrons so as to always be surrounded by eight of them. This constrains the total number of atoms bonded to nitrogen to no more than four. We were the first to find a stable crystal in which nitrogen breaks the octet rule, i.e. the requirement to possess exactly eight electrons, and forms bonds involving a total of up to twelve electrons."

Compounds in which an element breaks the octet rule octet are called hypervalent. Many elements can form hypervalent compounds, including phosphorus, sulphur and various metals. This phenomenon is advantageous because it significantly widens the number of possible compounds the element can form. For example, if it were not for hypervalency, sulphur would not form sulphuric acid and phosphorus could not be one of the building blocks of DNA.

The calculations and simulations associated with the search for hypervalent nitrogen were carried out at the IPC PAS using density functional theory, that is, the method normally used in solid state calculations. However, the discovery's authors used one of the more advanced embodiments of this theory, the hybrid functional. It makes it possible to describe chemical bonds very accurately, but it takes much longer to perform the calculations.

"The compounds we tested, as well as the conditions under which these compounds were formed, were very exotic. The accuracy of the calculations was therefore our absolute priority which is why we decided to use the hybrid functional for the calculations," says Dr. Kurzydlowski and stresses that carrying out the simulation within a reasonable timeframe was made possible thanks to cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw.

A thorough analysis of the results of computer simulation allowed the researchers to identify the unique crystal structure that with an increase in pressure at some point automatically ionizes in a very particular way. A reorganization takes place during which the molecular crystal, originally formed of a mixture of gases NF3 and F2, transforms into a complex ionic crystal constructed of NF4-, NF2+ and... NF6- ions. (It should be mentioned here that despite the exotic name, ionic crystals are common in nature. They include many minerals, among others popular rock salt, whose crystal structure is formed of sodium cations Na+ and chloride anions Cl-).

The pressure required for the synthesis of crystals containing NF6- amounts to 400-500 thousand atmospheres which is within the reach of current experimental techniques. Simulations suggest that after formation the crystals would remain metastable even at much lower pressures. Does that also mean under normal atmospheric pressure?

"I wouldn't bet too much money on that, but it cannot be completely ruled out that one day you will simply be able to pick up the crystals we predict with unique NF6- ions. If they do turn out to be so stable, who knows, perhaps it will be possible to find some interesting applications for them?" wonders Dr. Zaleski-Ejgierd.

However, taking a crystal with NF6- ions into your hand would probably not be a very good idea. Nitrogen trifluoride is already a strong oxidizing agent that must be stored in steel cylinders. A crystal of nitrogen pentafluoride mixed with NF6- would be an even stronger oxidant and we can assume that even the construction of a container allowing for its safe storage could cause engineers considerable difficulties.

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The Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences was established in 1955 as one of the first chemical institutes of the PAS. The Institute's scientific profile is strongly related to the newest global trends in the development of physical chemistry and chemical physics. Scientific research is conducted in nine scientific departments. CHEMIPAN R&D Laboratories, operating as part of the Institute, implement, produce and commercialise specialist chemicals to be used, in particular, in agriculture and pharmaceutical industry. The Institute publishes approximately 200 original research papers annually.
The Institute of Resource Development and Analysis (IRDA) of Kumamoto University, Japan held a signing ceremony for an agreement on institutional cooperation with the Institut Pasteur, France on the 24th of October 2016. The ceremony was followed by a workshop on reproductive engineering technology from the 24th to the 28th.

The IRDA conducts research, production, development, preservation and supply of experimental animals including genetically engineered animals, and construction and analysis of databases. Research, education, enlightenment, data management and technical support for experiments using animals, genetic materials and radioisotopes are also important objectives. The Institute of Pasteur, established 1888 in Paris, is one of the most authoritative laboratories on science and medicine in the world gathering prominent researchers of microbiology, serology, biochemistry, and related fields.

The ceremony was held in a stateroom where Lois Pasteur himself worked when he was the educational director of Pasteur Laboratories. Professor Naomi Nakagata from IRDA and Dr. Monica Sala from the Institut Pasteur signed the agreement which marks the beginning of active international exchange in research and education, and provides support for future research facilities.

Under the agreement, the IRDA hosted a 5-day workshop on reproductive engineering technologies such as external fertilization of mice and cryopreservation of fertilized eggs and sperm. Twenty-four participants from 14 countries attended and worked diligently to acquire new technical skills. The IRDA has held similar workshops 54 times, including 10 abroad, and all have been very well received.

Through their research, the IRDA has developed a cryopreservation solution, a sperm pre-incubation medium, an in vitro fertilization culture medium, and an ultra-superovulation agent. They have also obtained several patents for their new technologies and have been successful in commercializing their results. Their state-of-the-art reproductive engineering technologies are currently used in experiments and by experimental animal providers around the world. Building on these technologies, further progress will be made through future collaborative research and educational exchange with Institut Pasteur.

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[LINKS]

Kumamoto University's Institute of Resource Development and Analysis (IRDA)

Paris 2016 Mouse Training Course

Kumamoto University - Mouse IVF Courses

Cosmo Bio - Freezing & Culture Medium for Mouse Reproductive Engineering

Kyudo Company - Freezing & Culture Medium for Mouse Reproductive Engineering (Japanese only)
In an article published September 22, 2016 in Frontiers in Immunology, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center report that inhibiting prostaglandin production slows the progression of premalignant lesions to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical studies showed that treatment of premalignant lesions with indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) similar to aspirin, increased the presence of immune cells and lessened tumor burden.

Cancers of the head and neck begin with lesions in the oral cavity, including the larynx, pharynx, throat, lips, mouth, salivary glands, and nasal passages. Although the incidence of HNSCC has been on the decline over the past several decades, the National Cancer Institute reports that approximately 3% of all cancers in the U.S. result from HNSCC, with men being diagnosed twice as often as women. Treatment for HNSCC includes surgical removal and chemo-radiation treatment; however, these interventions often fail, and patients have a five-year survival rate of only 50%. It is critical to determine better treatment options for HNSCC patients.

One way researchers at MUSC are trying to improve the treatment of HNSCC is by enhancing the body's own immune system to attack the tumor.

"There's a lot of effort to stimulate immune reactivity using immunotherapy. The problem with that is cancer can protect itself against the immune defenses. Head and neck cancer is notorious for that," said immunologist M. Rita Young, Ph.D., senior author for this study, who holds a dual appointment at MUSC and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

As an immunologist, Young has been working on addressing this problem by studying how the immune system affects tumor progression. Previous work from her laboratory has shown that the composition of immune cells within premalignant lesions differs from that within HNSCC. Significantly, as premalignant cells develop into HNSCC, the immune environment switches from stimulatory/inflammatory to immunosuppressive. This change in the tumor microenvironment prevents the immune system from combating the cancer. Prostaglandin may be an important mediator of this switch.

The current study used a novel mouse model of HNSCC to determine how inhibition of prostaglandin affects tumor progression. Mice with premalignant lesions were given indomethacin, an NSAID that inhibits the production of prostaglandin. Indomethacin treatment increased the presence of immune cells at the lesion site and led to a systemic activation of the immune system. Specifically, there was an increase in both Th1-associated cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-) as well as Th2-associated cytokines (IL-10). This activation of the immune system reduced the progression of premalignant lesions to HNSCC.

Future studies in this area will be focused on maintaining a strong immune presence in pre-malignant lesions for patients. If studies in humans bear out these preclinical findings, further research using more specific prostaglandin inhibitors in combination with other immunomodulatory compounds could provide a better treatment regimen to prevent the formation of HNSCC.

"Immunotherapy should be considered as a treatment strategy for premalignant lesions before they progress to cancer. We can detect them. Why not treat them?" said Young. Furthermore, these intervention strategies may be able to help prevent smaller, as yet undetectable lesions from progressing to HNSCC.

This work provides strong evidence that treatment of premalignant lesions with indomethacin reduces the tumorigenicity of HNSCC. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which the immune system combats early-stage cancer could lead to improved clinical outcomes in HNSCC, and potentially, other types of cancer as well.

"If we can be more persistent and focused on finding premalignant lesions before they become malignant, simple therapies might be beneficial," said Sara Johnson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at MUSC and a co-author on the article.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.2 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated center) Level I Trauma Center, and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

About the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center

Located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is a tertiary care teaching hospital providing the highest level quality care from cardiology to neurology to primary and mental health care for 70,000 Veterans along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. The Ralph H. Johnson VA achieved a 5-Star rating according to VA's Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning Value (SAIL) model. The SAIL rating ranks the Charleston VA in the top 10 percent of VA medical centers nationwide for quality of care and efficiency. The Charleston VA is also ranked in the top 10th percentile according to the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS is an independent review that measures performance of 90 percent of America's health plans and facilities in both the public and private sector on dimensions of care and service. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is a center of excellence for robotic surgery and orthopedics, and is the first VA National Tele-Mental Health Hub providing care for Veterans across the U.S. The 149-bed hospital includes six community based outpatient clinics, a 20-bed nursing home, women's health, and the full range of inpatient and outpatient care, including medical and surgical intensive care. The VAMC provides more than 875,000 outpatient visits and approximately 4,400 in-patient stays annually. With more than 2,500 employees, Charleston VA has an annual budget of $458 million, research funding of more than $21 million, and more than 100 principle investigators participating in approximately 300 research studies. For more information, visit http://www.charleston.va.gov.
A recent discovery by researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) may lead to a new treatment strategy for an aggressive ovarian cancer subtype.

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecological cancer and it is the seventh most common cancer in women worldwide. Most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at the advanced stage, which is more difficult to treat.

In a study led by Dr Ruby Huang, Principal Investigator at CSI Singapore, researchers identified a molecule called AXL which is found to trigger the spread of an aggressive form of ovarian cancer called the Mes subtype. This is one of two aggressive subtypes of ovarian cancer -- the other subtype is called Stem-A -- that was identified by Dr Huang's group in an earlier study. These two subtypes of ovarian cancers have a higher ability to undergo Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). EMT is the process by which epithelial cells transform into mesenchymal cells, which have been associated with aggressive metastatic cancer.

By carrying out experiments on Mes subtype ovarian cancer cells, Dr Huang and her team found that AXL, when activated, was able to interact with other proteins in the cell to form a cellular pathway that contributes to the aggressive spread of ovarian cancer cells. Results from this study were published in the October issue of the journal Science Signaling.

New hope for treating advanced ovarian cancer

Currently, there is no specific treatment for the Mes ovarian cancer subtype, and the findings from this study suggest that blocking AXL could be an effective treatment option for these patients.

"Though earlier studies have suggested the role of AXL in contributing to the spreading of ovarian cancer cells, no study has investigated the AXL function in ovarian cancer with different molecular backgrounds. This study builds upon our previous efforts in understanding the biology among different ovarian cancer subtypes, and the current finding represents an advancement into novel roles of AXL in ovarian cancer and brings another layer of sophistication in ovarian cancer treatment," said Dr Huang.

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The research team from CSI Singapore is collaborating with several pharmaceutical companies to develop anti-AXL drugs, in order to bring the discovery from bench to bedside for ovarian cancer treatment. Dr David Tan, who holds dual appointments with CSI Singapore and National University Cancer Institute, will be leading the clinical development of the anti-AXL treatment.

This study was carried out in collaboration with clinicians from the National University Hospital as well as scientists from Imperial College London, and supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore, Singapore Ministry of Education, and National Medical Research Council. The first author of the paper, Dr Jane Antony, had recently graduated from the joint PhD programme between NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering as well as Imperial College London.
A new study published in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences suggests that prohibiting anonymous sperm donation would result in a decline in the number of donors, and that those willing to donate would likely demand compensation for donation.

Movements to legally prohibit sperm donor anonymity have succeeded in many European countries and Australia, whereas sperm donor anonymity remains the norm in the United States.

Most countries that have prohibited sperm donor anonymity legally require all sperm donors to put identifying information into a registry available to the donor-conceived children at age 18. As a result, those who donated sperm (or eggs or embryos) after a certain date are, by law, identifiable. Any person born as a result of donation is entitled to request and receive the donor's name and last known address, once he reaches the age of 18.

Researchers here conducted an experiment to assess the effect of a change in donor identification rules. The study was administered from June 15, 2013 to August 15, 2013 using a sample of active and inactive donors from a large cryobank in the United States. A staff member at the bank sent an invitation to participate in a research study and offered a 15$ Amazon gift card for participating in the study.

Researchers sent the questionnaire to 67 active donors and 204 inactive donors; of these people, all 67 active responded to the questionnaire, while 94 inactive donors responded. Of the 161 respondents in the sample, 90 were anonymous donors and 71 were ID donors.

The data suggests that moving to a mandatory donor identification system could lead to roughly 29% of participants refusing to donate. The remaining donors would demand an average $60 (anywhere from $40 to $102) more per donation.

An estimated decline in the number of participants of close to 30% may have economic implications for the market for sperm donation--both in terms of the potential costs of maintaining an adequate level of donor supply and/or the quality of the samples provided.

While the U.S. market is currently experiencing an excess supply of donors and inventory, these excesses vary considerably across racial and ethnic groups. Moreover, the vast majority of American males have not considered donating and of the ones that do, only roughly 1/200 applicants makes it through the rigorous screening process.

"Donor-conceived children across the world have clamored for the right to have identifying information on their sperm and egg donors," said author Glenn Cohen. "To understand whether systems requiring the sharing of that information are a good policy, we need considerable data on the effects of such law changes and our study fills that gap."

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The paper "Sperm Donor Anonymity and Compensation: An Experiment with American Sperm Donors" is available at: https://academic.oup.com/DocumentLibrary/jlb/PR_Papers/lsw052.pdf

Direct correspondence to:

Glenn Cohen

Professor of Law

Harvard Law School

Griswold Hall 503

1525 Massachusetts Ave

Cambridge MA 02138

igcohen@law.harvard.edu

To request a copy of the study, please contact: Daniel Luzer- daniel.luzer@oup.com or 212-743-6113

Journal of Law and the Biosciences is the first fully open access peer-reviewed legal journal focused on the advances at the intersection of law and the biosciences. A co-venture between Duke University, Harvard University Law School, and Stanford University, and published by Oxford University Press, this open access, online, and interdisciplinary academic journal publishes new scholarship in this field. The journal contains original and response articles, essays, and commentaries on a wide range of topics, including bioethics, neuroethics, genetics, reproductive technologies, stem cells, enhancement, patent law, and food and drug regulation.

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournals
Cypriot-style pottery may have been locally produced as well as imported and traded in Turkey during the Iron Age, according to a study published November 30, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Steven Karacic from Florida State University, USA, and James Osborne of the University of Chicago, USA.

White Painted and Bichrome Wares are Cypriot-style ceramics produced during the Iron Age that may provide clues about trade in the Eastern Mediterranean at that time. Although these ceramics are often assumed to be imports from Cyprus, excavations in southern Turkey have suggested that some pottery was produced locally, challenging previous assumptions about trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The authors of the present study analyzed White Painted and Bichrome Wares recovered from three sites in the Hatay region of Turkey: Tell Tayinat, Catal Hoyuk, and Tell Judaidah, using techniques which bombarded the pottery with x-rays and neutrons, providing insight into the chemical elements they contained. Imported and local versions of this pottery had different elemental compositions, which helped the authors determine where this pottery was produced. When compared with existing datasets, the researchers found that Catal Hoyuk and Tell Judaidah may only have had access to pottery imported from Cyprus whereas Tell Tayinat may have made Cypriot-style pottery locally as well as importing it.

The authors suggest that feasting practices amongst the affluent in Tell Tayinat may have driven demand for Cypriot-style pottery, resulting in either local potters producing this pottery or Cypriot potters settling in the vicinity. Usually, pottery styles are expected to become increasingly rare the further away they are found from their origin of production, so these findings suggest a complex pattern of exchange in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Iron Age.

"We were surprised to find that locally produced Cypriot-style pottery was consumed at Tell Tayinat but not the other sites included in our study," says Karacic. "These results indicate complex social and economic interactions between the Amuq and Cyprus that we are only just beginning to understand for the Iron Age."

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=info%3Adoi/10.1371/journal.pone.0166399

Citation: Karacic S, Osborne JF (2016) Eastern Mediterranean Economic Exchange during the Iron Age: Portable X-Ray Fluorescence and Neutron Activation Analysis of Cypriot-Style Pottery in the Amuq Valley, Turkey. PLoS ONE 11(11): e0166399. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166399

Funding: The United States National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov) grant 1415403 provided partial funding for neutron activation analysis conducted at the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor. The National Geographic Society (http://www.nationalgeographic.com) grant 9485-14 supported the collection of the portable x-ray fluorescence data. The funders had no role in the study design, data analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests
The fact that animals can use tools, have self-control and certain expectations of life can be explained with the help of a new learning model for animal behaviour. Researchers at Stockholm University and Brooklyn College have combined knowledge from the fields of artificial intelligence, ethology and the psychology of learning to solve several problems concerning the behaviour and intelligence of animals.

Animals are often very effective; an oystercatcher opens mussels quickly, a baboon takes every opportunity to steal food from tourists or a rat navigates with ease between the bins in a park. Previously these behaviours have been considered to be inherited instincts, even though it is well known that animals have great learning abilities. Researchers from Stockholm University and Brooklyn College have now created an associative learning model that explains how effective behaviours can arise. This means that an animal does not only learn that the last step of a behaviour chain, the one that is rewarding, is valuable. An animal can learn that all steps towards the reward are valuable.

"Our learning model may also explain how advanced behaviours are created at an individual level. Behaviours like self-control, chimpanzee tool use as well as other phenomena like animals having certain expectations of live", says Magnus Enquist, professor of ethology at Stockholm University. "Similar models are used in the field of artificial intelligence, but they have been ignored in animal studies."

Since the 1970s it has been known that animals weigh the cost of a certain behaviour against the profit and that they, to a high degree, make optimal decisions, which is assumed to be genetically determined. The research group's new model deals not only with learning, it also takes into account the idea that what animals are able to learn can be genetically regulated.

"Young animals are often a bit clumsy, while adult animals are extremely skilled. A small cub does not even consider a vole as food, while an adult fox is an expert vole catcher", says Johan Lind associate professor of ethology at Stockholm University. "Our model shows how genetic regulation of learning can influence the development of species-specific behaviour and intelligence since evolution can affect curiosity and the speed of learning among other things."

The researchers' new model could also explain counterproductive behaviour in artificial environments.

"Many learning models can explain optimal behaviour, but to explain counterproductive behaviour an understanding of the mechanisms of the behaviour is needed. Using our model, we manage to explain why animals get stuck in suboptimal behaviour. Like a hamster running in its hamster wheel despite having food next to it. Our model has captured fundamental aspects of learning", says Stefano Ghirlanda, professor of psychology at Brooklyn College in New York.

The learning model and the research results were recently published in the journal Royal Society Open Science ("The power of associative learning and the ontogeny of optimal behavior"). [link]

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For more information

Magnus Enquist, professor of ethology at Stockholm University and director of the Centre for the study of Cultural Evolution, magnus.enquist@intercult.su.se, phone: +46 8 16 40 55

This research is part of the project From Nature to Culture, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
RACINE  A Mount Pleasant man was brought to the Racine County Jail Monday in connection to a operating while intoxicated charge in which he reportedly hit a squad car during the spring.

According to the criminal complaint:

Ryan K. Saylor, 29, of the 9200 block of Auburn Court, was found slumped over in his vehicle in the parking lot of Educators Credit Union, 1300 90th St., Sturtevant, at about 4:04 p.m. on June 19.

Police later determined that Saylor's car was connected to an earlier incident in which a squad car had been hit.

Saylor allegedly told police that he was attempting to brake but that he hit the brake and gas pedals at the same time and crashed into the squad car. Saylor was arrested and reportedly taken to Ascension All Saints Hospital for an evidentiary blood draw.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene reportedly found codeine, morphine, alprazolam, diazepam, nordiazepam, oxazepam and temazepam in his system, according to the complaint.

A warrant was issued for Saylor's arrest after he reportedly missed a scheduled Nov. 3 court appearance. He was in custody by Nov. 29, court records show.

Saylor is charged with a misdemeanor for his third operating while intoxicated offense. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

Saylor remained in custody as of Tuesday at the Racine County Jail, online records showed.
In a study published online by JAMA Surgery, Daniel E. Hall, M.D., M.Div., M.H.Sc., of the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System and University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined the effect of a Frailty Screening Initiative (FSI) on death and complications by comparing the surgical outcomes of patients treated before and after implementation of the FSI.

As the U.S. population ages, the number of operations performed on elderly patients will likely increase. Frailty predicts postoperative mortality and illness more than age alone, thus presenting opportunities to identify the highest-risk surgical patients and provide tailored clinical care to improve their outcomes. This study included 9,153 patients (average age, 60 years) from a Veterans Affairs medical center who presented for major, elective, noncardiac surgery. Preoperative frailty was assessed with the Risk Analysis Index (RAI; a 14-item questionnaire), and the records of all frail patients (as determined by a certain RAI score) were flagged for administrative review by the chief of surgery (or designee) before the scheduled operation. On the basis of this review, clinicians from surgery, anesthesia, critical care, and palliative care were notified of the patient's frailty and associated surgical risks; if indicated, perioperative plans were modified based on team input.

The researchers found that overall 30-day mortality decreased from 1.6 percent (84 of 5,275 patients) to 0.7 percent (26 of 3,878 patients) after FSI implementation. Improvement was greatest among frail patients (12.2 percent to 3.8 percent), although mortality rates also decreased among the robust patients (1.2 percent to 0.3 percent). The magnitude of improvement among frail patients increased at 180 and 365 days.

"The ultimate cause of the survival benefit is likely multifactorial, including changes in preoperative decision making, intraoperative management, and postoperative rescue," the authors write.

"This study reveals the feasibility of facility-wide frailty screening in elective surgical populations. It also suggests the potential to improve postoperative survival among the frail through systematic administrative screening, review, and optimization of perioperative plans. The absolute reduction in 180-day mortality among frail patients was more than 19 percent, with improvement remaining robust even after controlling for age, frailty, and predicted mortality."

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(JAMA Surgery. Published online November 30, 2016.doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2016.4219. This study is available pre-embargo at the For The Media website.)

Editor's Note: This investigation was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.
PHILADELPHIA -- Progranulin is produced and secreted by most cells in the body. From skin to immune cells, brain to bone marrow cells, progranulin plays a key role in maintaining normal cellular function. In cancer, too much progranulin makes tumors (particularly prostate carcinomas) more aggressive and metastatic, whereas in neurodegenerative diseases, too little is associated with disease onset and progression. Until now, studying progranulin has been tricky as the receptor that communicates biological information to the cell's signaling machinery has remained elusive for decades. Now, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University's Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center discovered a cell-surface receptor highly expressed by cancerous and brain cells that directly and tightly binds progranulin. Importantly, the researchers also showed that this binding activates a cellular program that makes cancer cells more aggressive. The results were published in The Journal of Cell Biology.

"Identifying the functional signaling receptor for progranulin will help us understand how this molecule functions in cancer and whether pharmacologically targeting it will slow the progression of a number of cancers," says Renato V. Iozzo, M.D., Ph.D., Gonzalo E. Aponte Professor and Deputy Chair of the Department of Pathology, Anatomy & Cell Biology at Thomas Jefferson University and researcher at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. "It may also help researchers better understand the role of progranulin function and deficiency in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and possibly even autism."

Using an array of unbiased biochemical and cellular approaches, the researchers demonstrated that Ephrin type-A receptor 2, or EphA2, bound tightly to progranulin. Following progranulin binding, key components of the intracellular signaling apparatus that are involved in both cancer-promoting and perhaps neurodegenerative processes known as Akt and Erk1/2, were rapidly activated. When EphA2 was blocked, however, these pathways did not activate. The researchers further showed that progranulin binding triggered a positive feed-forward loop, wholly dependent on EphA2 signaling that increased the secretion of progranulin from the cancer cell. Finally, when EphA2 was depleted from endothelial cells, progranulin failed to trigger the formation of new blood vessels, a process considered essential for progressive tumor growth and metastasis.

Researchers had previously identified other receptors with progranulin-binding abilities: sortilin and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and 2 (TNFR1/2). Sortilin is capable of binding progranulin outside the cell and internalizing it, while TNFR1/2 are receptors primarily involved in coordinating inflammatory responses. Recent reports had cast doubt as to whether these two candidate receptors were bona fide progranulin receptors. In one instance, changes in neuronal outgrowth were seen even when sortilin was absent and some evidence questioned whether TNFR1/2 could bind directly to progranulin at all.

Indeed, when Dr. Iozzo and colleagues removed sortilin from the cells expressing EphA2, they found that sortilin was not necessary for progranulin/EphA2 signaling. They found that cells lacking sortilin accumulate progranulin outside of the cell, and can therefore increase the bioavailability of progranulin to signal via EphA2 to augment more progranulin production. In pathological situations where progranulin levels are vital, understanding the mechanism of the progranulin/EphA2 feedback loop may prove key to disease development and progression.

"The discovery of EphA2 as a receptor for progranulin is somewhat unexpected, in part because it was commonly believed that Ephrin receptors only bound other members of the vast Ephrin family," said Dr. Iozzo. "This finding turns that expectation on its head, and offers new tools and concepts for exploring pathological, and homeostatic functions of progranulin."

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This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants RO1 CA39481, RO1 CA47282, RO1 CA164462, and NIH training grant T32 AR060715-04. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Article reference: T Neill, et al., "EphA2 is a functional receptor for the growth factor progranulin." J Cell Biol. 2016.

About Jefferson

Jefferson, through its academic and clinical entities of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, including Abington Health and Aria Health, is reimagining health care for the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey. Jefferson has 23,000 people dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educating the health professionals of tomorrow, and discovering new treatments and therapies to define the future of care. With a university and hospital that date to 1824, today Jefferson is comprised of six colleges, nine hospitals, 34 outpatient and urgent care locations, and a multitude of physician practices throughout the region, serving more than 100,000 inpatients, 373,000 emergency patients and 2.2 million outpatient visits annually.

For more information and a complete listing of Jefferson services and locations, visit http://www.jefferson.edu.
A team of surgeons at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI), led by William B. Inabnet III, MD, the Eugene W. Friedman, MD, Professor of Surgery and Chair for the Department of Surgery at MSBI and Chief of Endocrine Surgery Quality for the Mount Sinai Health System, have performed the first endoscopic transoral thyroidectomy in New York, and one of the first of its kind in the nation. Their initial case, which is the first published report in the United States, was recently described in the journal Surgical Endoscopy.

With the assistance of Gustavo Fernandez-Ranvier, MD, and Hyunsuk Suh, MD, both Assistant Professors in the Department of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Inabnet removed the thyroid gland by making three small incisions inside the mouth underneath the lower lip. He inserted ports through the incisions, including an endoscope - a medical device with a light and camera. Once a working space within the neck area was created, Dr. Inabnet preserved the critical structures and removed the thyroid gland through the largest of the incisions. This minimally-invasive procedure leaves a hidden scar compared to the conventional transcervical approach, which leaves a visible scar on the patient's neck.

"Out of all of the approaches, this is the one type of thyroid operation where there is no sign that the patient underwent surgery," said Dr. Inabnet. "This procedure is best equipped for smaller nodules and early-stage papillary thyroid cancer. I anticipate it will evolve for other applications going forward."

Dr. Inabnet and his team specialize in a group of operations known as hidden-scar endoscopic thyroid surgery, which includes the transaxillary approach where incisions are made under the armpit, and the bilateral axillary breast approach, also known as BABA, where four small incisions are made in hidden locations on the chest.

"The transoral route is a natural addition to our growing program of minimally invasive techniques," said Dr. Inabnet. "We now have the ability to approach the thyroid gland from below, from the side, or from above through the mouth."

Dr. Inabnet has pioneered new techniques in minimally invasive endocrine neck surgery as well as adrenal and pancreatic surgery. In 1998, he helped perform the first endoscopic thyroid resection in the United States (the second in the world) and has advanced the field of video-endoscopic neck surgery.

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About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services--from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 7,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is in the "Honor Roll" of best hospitals in America, ranked No. 15 nationally in the 2016-2017 "Best Hospitals" issue of U.S. News & World Report. The Mount Sinai Hospital is also ranked as one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Geriatrics, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Ear, Nose & Throat, and is in the top 50 in four other specialties. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 10 nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, and Mount Sinai West are ranked regionally. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report in "Best Children's Hospitals."

For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org/, or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
ANCHORAGE -- Permafrost loss due to a rapidly warming Alaska is leading to significant changes in the freshwater chemistry and hydrology of Alaska's Yukon River Basin with potential global climate implications.

This is the first time a Yukon River study has been able to use long-term continuous water chemistry data to document hydrological changes over such an enormous geographic area and long time span.

The results of the study have global climate change implications because of the cascading effects of such dramatic chemical changes on freshwater, oceanic and high-latitude ecosystems, the carbon cycle and the rural communities that depend on fish and wildlife in Alaska's iconic Yukon River Basin. The study was led by researcher Ryan Toohey of the Department of the Interior's Alaska Climate Science Center and published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Permafrost rests below much of the surface of the Yukon River Basin, a silent store of thousands of years of frozen water, minerals, nutrients and contaminants. Above the permafrost is the 'active layer' of soil that freezes and thaws each year. Aquatic ecosystems -- and their plants and animals -- depend on the ebb and flow of water through this active layer and its specific chemical composition of minerals and nutrients.

When permafrost thaws, the soil's active layer expands and new pathways open for water to flow through different parts of the soil, bedrock and groundwater. These new pathways ultimately change the chemical composition of both surface water and groundwater.

"As the climate gets warmer," said Toohey, "the thawing permafrost not only enables the release of more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, but our study shows that it also allows much more mineral-laden and nutrient-rich water to be transported to rivers, groundwater and eventually the Arctic Ocean. Changes to the chemistry of the Arctic Ocean could lead to changes in currents and weather patterns worldwide."

Another recent study by University of Alberta scientist Suzanne Tank documented similar changes on another major Arctic river, the Mackenzie River in Canada. With two of these rivers showing striking, long-term changes in their water chemistry, Toohey noted that "these trends strongly suggest that permafrost loss is leading to massive changes in hydrology within the arctic and boreal forest that may have consequences for the carbon cycle, fish and wildlife habitat and other ecosystem services."

The Domino Effect

The Yukon River Basin, which is the size of California, starts in northwestern British Columbia, then flows northwest through Yukon across the interior of Alaska to its delta, where it discharges into the Bering Sea. Eventually, its waters reach the Arctic Ocean; it is one of six major rivers that play an important role in the circulation and chemical makeup of the Arctic Ocean.

This study, which analyzed more than 30 years of data, sheds light on how the effects of climate change are already affecting this system. The study specifically found that the Yukon River and one of its major tributaries, the Tanana River, have experienced significant increases in calcium, magnesium and sulfate over the last three decades.

As permafrost loss allows for more water to access more soil and bedrock, increased weathering most likely explains these significant increases. In fact, the annual pulse of sulfate in the Yukon River jumped by 60 percent over the past thirty years. This research also suggests that groundwater, enriched with organic carbon and other minerals, is likely contributing to these changes.

How long the river stays frozen plays an important role in erosion. The Yukon River ice has been breaking up earlier and earlier, often accompanied by tremendous flooding events that devastate the communities on its banks. At the same time, the river has been freezing up later and later. When the river is unfrozen, its banks and soils are more susceptible to erosion. Phosphorous, often a product of this erosion, has increased by over 200 percent during December.

All of these increases impact the aquatic ecosystems of the Yukon River and may ultimately contribute to changes in the Arctic Ocean. Together, said the authors, the research shows that permafrost degradation is already fundamentally transforming the way that high-latitude, Northern Hemisphere ecosystems function.

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About the Study

The study was the result of a unique collaboration between the USGS, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, the Pilot Station Traditional Council and the Indigenous Observation Network funded by these organizations and the Administration for Native Americans and the National Science Foundation. ION is a citizen-science network that depends on Alaska Native Tribes and First Nations along the Yukon River and its tributaries to participate in scientific research.

The study, "Multi-decadal increases in Yukon River Basin chemical fluxes as indicators of changing flowpaths, groundwater, and permafrost," was just published in Geophysical Research Letters. It is authored by R.C. Toohey, USGS Alaska Climate Science Center; N.M. Herman-Mercer and P.F. Schuster, USGS National Research Program; E. Mutter, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council; and J.C. Koch, USGS Alaska Science Center.
A team led by UA astronomer Vishnu Reddy has characterized the smallest known asteroid using Earth-based telescopes: Asteroid 2015 TC25 measures just 6 feet across

Astronomers have obtained observations of the smallest asteroid ever characterized in detail. At 2 meters (6 feet) in diameter, the tiny space rock is small enough to be straddled by a person in a hypothetical space-themed sequel to the iconic bomb-riding scene in the movie "Dr. Strangelove."

Interestingly, the asteroid, named 2015 TC25, is also one of the brightest near-Earth asteroids ever discovered. Using data from four different telescopes, a team of astronomers led by Vishnu Reddy, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, reports that 2015 TC25 reflects about 60 percent of the sunlight that falls on it.

Discovered by the UA's Catalina Sky Survey last October, 2015 TC25 was studied extensively by Earth-based telescopes during a close flyby that saw the micro world sailing past Earth at 128,000 kilometers, a mere third of the distance to the moon.

In a paper published in The Astronomical Journal, Reddy argues that new observations from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and Arecibo Planetary Radar show that the surface of 2015 TC25 is similar to a rare type of highly reflective meteorite called an aubrite. Aubrites consist of very bright minerals, mostly silicates, that formed in an oxygen-free, basaltic environment at very high temperatures. Only one out of every 1,000 meteorites that fall on Earth belong to this class.

"This is the first time we have optical, infrared and radar data on such a small asteroid, which is essentially a meteoroid," Reddy said. "You can think of it as a meteorite floating in space that hasn't hit the atmosphere and made it to the ground -- yet."

Small near-Earth asteroids such as 2015 TC25 are in the same size range as meteorites that fall on Earth. Astronomers discover them frequently, but not very much is known about them as they are difficult to characterize. By studying such objects in more detail, astronomers hope to better understand the parent bodies from which these meteorites originate.

Asteroids are remaining fragments from the formation of the solar system that mostly orbit the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter today. Near-Earth asteroids are a subset that cross Earth's path. So far, more than 15,000 near-Earth asteroids have been discovered.

Scientists are interested in meteoroids because they are the precursors to meteorites impacting Earth, Reddy said.

"If we can discover and characterize asteroids and meteoroids this small, then we can understand the population of objects from which they originate: large asteroids, which have a much smaller likelihood of impacting Earth," he said. "In the case of 2015 TC25, the likelihood of impacting Earth is fairly small."

The discovery also is the first evidence for an asteroid lacking the typical dust blanket -- called regolith -- of most larger asteroids. Instead, 2015 TC25 consists essentially of bare rock. The team also discovered that it is one of the fastest-spinning near-Earth asteroids ever observed, completing a rotation every two minutes.

Probably, 2015 TC25 is what planetary scientists call monolithic, meaning it is more similar to a "solid rock" type of object than a "rubble pile" type of object like many large asteroids, which often consist of many types of rocks held together by gravity and friction. Bennu, the object of the UA-led OSIRIS-REx sample return mission, is believed to be the latter type.

As far as the little asteroid's origin is concerned, Reddy believes it probably was chipped off by another impacting rock from its parent, 44 Nysa, a main-belt asteroid large enough to cover most of Los Angeles.

"Being able to observe small asteroids like this one is like looking at samples in space before they hit the atmosphere and make it to the ground," Reddy say. "It also gives us a first look at their surfaces in pristine condition before they fall through the atmosphere."

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The telescope consortium used in this project includes University of Hawaii/NASA IRTF, USRA/Arecibo Planetary Radar, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology/Magdalena Ridge Observatory, Northern Arizona University and Lowell Observatory/Discovery Channel Telescope. Reddy's research on 2015 TC25 is funded by NASA's Near-Earth Object Observations program.

Research paper:

"Physical Characterization of ~2-Meter Diameter Near-Earth Asteroid 2015 TC25: A Possible Boulder from E-type Asteroid (44) Nysa" by Vishnu Reddy et al, 2016, The Astronomical Journal http://aj.aas.org. The paper is online at http://tinyurl.com/hhgrlm3
A method to control the spread of mountain pine beetles -- pheromone baiting -- may actually help the pest's population increase, UBC research shows.

A study by Rebecca Tyson, an associate professor of mathematics at UBC's Okanagan campus, used mathematical modelling to examine several mountain pine beetle management strategies used in Banff National Park. The two-year simulation, which included then PhD candidate Shaun Strohm and University of Calgary professor Mary Reid, compared four separate management strategies: no management (monitoring only), pheromone baiting, tree removal, and finally, pheromone baiting combined with tree removal.

Other management strategies are prescribed burning and clearcutting -- which Tyson says cause severe changes to the landscape and have not been proven to stop the spread of the beetle.

"What our study found is that where the beetle population is low, the pheromone is actually attracting more beetles and thus helping the beetle population increase," says Tyson.

Tyson explains that each summer, the adult beetle emerges from a tree and looks for a new one where it will nest. Once that tree is found, the beetle emits a pheromone to attract other beetles to the same tree. Other beetles arrive, release more pheromone and the tree is attacked as adult beetles drill into the bark and make tunnels where they lay eggs. By the following summer, the eggs have hatched and turned into adults, and that tree is dead, with the needles turning red. The cycle continues as the beetles move to a neighbouring tree.

Under normal population control circumstances, when a tree is baited with pheromone, it is cut down in winter when the larvae are trapped inside, explains Tyson. Crews also search for other trees near the baited one, and all trees identified to contain beetles are removed.

"If all goes well," says Tyson "the beetle population is so severely reduced that it dies out."

However, her modelling indicates that pheromone baiting is not working precisely the way it was expected.

"From the field work done in Banff, we know that baiting didn't stop the beetle epidemic," says Tyson. "Baiting may have slowed it down, but it did not stop it."

Tyson explains that when the beetle population is low, the beetles actually have a hard time finding each other in the first place. Additional pheromone, placed by humans, help those beetles find each other and attack a tree -- the baited one.

"With pheromone baiting this means that humans have put strong signals in the forest that help the beetles find each other. They can then collect in sufficient numbers to attack a tree," she explains. "In these situations, baiting is making things worse for the trees."

Tyson describes the mountain pine beetle as an endemic pest capable of killing entire stands of mature pine. And while the beetle has a short lifespan, climate change and warmer winters have helped the population increase during an epidemic that began in the late 1990s.

Simulation modelling such as the method Tyson used with the mountain pine beetle can be used to help predict the influence of management strategies without creating harm to the landscape.

"This information could be very useful in determining appropriate management responses to future epidemics, and possibly also to the current epidemic as it spreads across the boreal forest," she says. "If more data is gathered on mountain pine beetle dispersal and response to forest edges, we can continue to refine our model and predictions to provide an informative approach for future management decisions."

Tyson's research was recently published in ScienceDirect.

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In the 12 years since David Gross won his Nobel Prize, the UC Santa Barbara theoretical physicist has been celebrated myriad times. His latest accolades come from China and Russia.

This year, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences awarded Gross an honorary doctorate degree, an event so rare in that country that it requires government approval. And more recently, the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed Gross as a foreign member and awarded him the Medal of Honor in recognition of his "outstanding and fundamental contributions to quantum chromodynamics." Gross shared the Nobel Prize in physics with David Politzer and Frank Wilczek for their work in that field. Quantum chromodynamics is the theory of the nuclear force that holds quarks together and binds them inside protons and neutrons.

"It is wonderful to see David recognized for his groundbreaking work and his continued impact on theoretical physics around the world," said Lars Bildsten, director of UCSB's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP). "David is a strong advocate for the value of physics as a pillar in fundamental research, and I look forward to his future term as president of the American Physical Society." (Gross just began a four-year term at the APS, where he is currently vice president.)

Gross has longtime scientific ties to both China and Russia. Since winning the Nobel in 2004, he has worked with Chinese physicists to improve the country's Institute of Theoretical Physics and has been an adviser to a project that will build a supercollider at least twice the size of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

When the Soviet Union still existed, Gross was a frequent visitor. Last year, he was invited to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, outside of Moscow, to mark the building of a new heavy-ion accelerator that will be able to create quark matter.

"I did my original work formulating the theory of these quarks and quantum chromodynamics, which is well-tested in many regimes," said Gross, who is a permanent member of the KITP and its Chancellor's Chair Professor of Theoretical Physics. "Dubna is going to create an intense heavy-ion beam -- with less energy and lower temperature than the Large Hadron Collider but denser -- so they can probe a different regime of the physics of this quark matter, one that potentially could be very interesting."

Gross received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1962 and his doctorate from UC Berkeley in 1966. A junior fellow at Harvard University before moving to Princeton University, he joined UCSB in 1997 as director of the KITP, where he served until 2012.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Gross' many honors and awards include the J.J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics from the American Physical Society; a MacArthur Fellowship; the Dirac Medal from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics; the Oskar Klein Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; the High Energy and Particle Physics Prize from the European Physical Society; and the Grande Medaille D'or de l'Academie des Science, France.

Gross has delivered lectures around the world and holds numerous honorary doctorates and professorships. He has written hundreds of articles as well as conference proceedings and book chapters.

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Military installations in the United States are home to a surprisingly large number of threatened and endangered species, leaving the Department of Defense (DoD) with the critical dual responsibilities of ensuring that it provides the finest military readiness training to American service members and also that it protects the species that call those facilities home.

It is also mandated by the DoD's Natural Resources Conservation program and the mission of its Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program that these two objectives be carried out in a cost effective manner.

New research from the University of Delaware shows that by utilizing economic and optimization models -- originally developed by the military in World War II -- and changing up the way in which programs are selected, the DoD can generate a 21 percent increase in military readiness and environmental protection or achieve the same benefits they are currently receiving at a cost savings of 37 percent.

The research was led by Kent Messer, the Unidel Howard Cosgrove Chair for the Environment, director of the Center for Experimental and Applied Economics (CEAE) in the University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and co-director of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded national Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR), and Maik Kecinski, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, and was recently published in the journal Land Economics.

With 425 military installations comprising approximately 25 million acres, and with over 320 listed species living on those installations -- such as the endangered red cockaded woodpecker that thrives in the longleaf pine habitat of Fort Bragg in North Carolina -- the need is great for an organization like REPI to partner with conservation organizations and other government agencies to maintain and preserve surrounding land, with REPI successfully protecting 315,000 acres with $890 million in funding through 2013.

To conduct their study, the UD researchers used a 2010 data set from the Office of the Secretary of Defense focused on 44 projects considered for funding from the Army, the Air Force and the Navy to expand posts and bases utilizing a budget of $54 million.

Kecinski said that the way the military currently chooses projects is based on a method called "benefit targeting."

"All of these 44 projects come with a benefit score. The problem with this benefit scoring is that they don't look at the cost. You could have this insanely good project that has 99 points but it costs $40 million, so they would select this project, but you might also be able to get a project that has 95 points and you'd get it for $2 million," said Kecinski. "You could get so much more in terms of the total score if you consider the cost."

Things that are factored into benefit scores are a military readiness score, in terms of how appropriate the land is for military uses and how the land stands from an environmental perspective, such as the condition of the species that live there.

There is also a viability of agreement score, which considers how likely is it that the person who owns the land would actually sell the land for the amount the military offers.

Kecinski said that the REPI program likely had biologists, soil scientists, hydrologists and experts in other environmental areas go over the land and give it a score.

"You bunch all of these benefits together and you come up with a total benefit score for each of these projects," said Kecinski. "What the military does then, without thinking of the cost of each project, they purely look at the benefits and then they start out. We have $54 million so the first project we're going to select is the one that's going to have the biggest benefits, and then if this project costs $54 million, hypothetically speaking, they're done."

Kecinski said that it typically doesn't cost $54 million for a single project but that they go down the list, checking off the projects with the highest benefit scores until they have no money left.

The researchers used cost-effectiveness analysis, binary linear programming and goal programming to compare against the benefit targeting method used by the military and found that in all cases, large increases in environmental and military benefits could be achieved.

"By doing something as simple as dividing the benefits by the cost and not just looking at benefits, you can protect the same amount that benefit targeting does and save 37 percent of the costs, which is huge," Kecinski said. "We're talking about tens of millions of dollars. Or you can spend all of your money and get a 21 percent increase in military readiness and environmental protection.

"Oftentimes in economics, you consider difficult choices that hurt the environment. Such as should we cut down this tree and destroy some habitat in exchange for more money. This case with the military is the opposite. The money is there. The only question is how can we use it to protect as much as possible?"

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Experts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and kidney disease have carried out the first ever scans to study the heart function of kidney patients while they are having dialysis treatment

Experts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and kidney disease have carried out the first ever scans to study the heart function of kidney patients while they are having dialysis treatment.

People with kidney failure need regular dialysis to remove fluid and waste products from their blood, but this process can cause falls in blood pressure and reduced blood flow to the heart. Over time this can cause long-term damage to the heart.

Research at The University of Nottingham was undertaken to investigate stress on the heart during kidney dialysis and to compare two different types of dialysis in this regard: standard haemodialysis (HD) and hemodiafiltration (HDF), a process that removes more fluid during treatment but with additional replacement fluid being given to the patient.

Experts from the University's Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC) and the Centre for Kidney Research and Innovation (CKRI) carried out MRI scans on 12 kidney dialysis patients who were each allocated to receive both standard haemodialysis (HD) and HDF in a random order.

The study found significant cardiovascular effects with both standard haemodialysis and HDF, but no differences between the two. Results demonstrate that cardiac MRI can be a vital tool for evaluating future improvements to dialysis treatment.

Professor of Physics, Sue Francis, said: "This is the first time that MRI has been used to look at heart function while the kidney patient is actually undergoing dialysis. There were several hurdles to overcome to achieve this. We had to set up a dialysis machine in our MRI research centre, change the metal needles that go into the patient to non-magnetic silicone ones, extend and insulate the lines that connect the patient to the dialysis machine and position the equipment using our knowledge of the magnetic fields in the MRI unit."

Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), Maarten Taal, said: "Using this unique set-up we were able to monitor multiple cardiovascular measurements while dialysis was taking place in the patients. We measured how many litres of blood were pumped per minute by the left ventricle of the heart, how well the heart muscle was able to contract, blood flow in the coronary artery which supplies the heart muscle and myocardial perfusion to check the efficiency of blood flow to the capillaries or tiny blood vessels in the heart muscle."

"Interestingly, we found all measures of systolic contractile function fell during both standard haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration with partial recovery after dialysis. All patients showed some degree of left ventricular dysfunction and blood flow to the small capillaries in the heart muscle decreased significantly during both types of treatment. Our observations confirm the need for interventions to reduce the negative impact of dialysis on the heart."

Having successfully tested this method, the research team is now aiming to test the effects of other dialysis treatments using MRI.

Intradialytic Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Cardiovascular Responses in a Short-Term Trial of Hemodiafiltration and Hemodialysis is published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

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Our academics can now be interviewed for broadcast via our Media Hub, which offers a Globelynx fixed camera and ISDN line facilities at University Park campus. For further information please contact a member of the Communications team on +44 (0)115 951 5798, email mediahub@nottingham.ac.uk or see the Globelynx website for how to register for this service.

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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is 'the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a "distinct" approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.' (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of 'Outstanding Support for Early Career Researchers' at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. More than 97% of research at The University of Nottingham is recognised internationally and it is 8th in the UK by research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world's greenest campus for four years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University's vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news...
(PHILADELPHIA) - CRISPR/Cas9, a powerful genome editing tool, is showing promise for efficient correction of disease-causing mutations. For the first time, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a dual gene therapy approach to deliver key components of a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting system to mice to treat hemophilia B. This disorder is also called factor IX deficiency and is caused by a missing or defective clotting protein. Their research will be presented during the 58th Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting and Exposition in San Diego from December 3-6 (Abstract #1174).

Most single-gene diseases, such as hemophilia, are caused by different mutations scattered in a specific gene rather than a single predominant mutation, so the team needed to develop a vector that would be applicable for patients with any mutations. The study is a preclinical proof of concept using a universal CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting approach that could be applied to majority of the patients with a specific disease, in this case hemophilia B. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hemophilia in general occurs in approximately 1 in 5,000 live births and there are about 20,000 people with hemophilia in the United States.

"Basically, we cured the mice," said first author Lili Wang, PhD, a research associate professor in the Penn Gene Therapy Program (GTP). James M Wilson, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine and GTP director, is senior author on the study.

To validate this new approach, the team performed the experiment in a mouse model in which the clotting factor IX was knocked out. They used a two-vector approach, with vector 1 expressing the SaCas9 gene driven by a liver-specific promoter so that the gene-editing machinery homes to the liver, the natural site that produces clotting factor IX. Vector 2 is what makes this study different from previous CRISPR-based-gene-therapy studies in the Penn Gene Therapy Program. Vector 2 contains an RNA sequence that specifically targets a region at the 5-prime end of exon 2 of the mouse factor IX gene and a partial human factor IX cDNA sequence, which gives this approach more potency and accuracy.

The team used adeno-associated viral vectors to deliver these components to the mouse liver cells. The strategy they developed is based on CRISPR-mediated homologous recombination to insert the human cDNA into the factor IX location on the mouse genome.

"The targeted insertion leads to the expression of a chimeric hyperactive factor IX protein under the control of the native mouse factor IX promoter," Wang said.

Injection of the two vectors with increasing doses in newborn and adult knockout mice showed stable Factor IX activity at or above the normal levels over four months. Eight weeks after the vector treatment, a subgroup of the newborn and adult treated knockout mice were given a partial liver removal and all of them survived the procedure without any complications or interventions and continued to express factor IX at similar levels.

"This study provides convincing evidence for efficacy in a hemophilia B mouse model following in vivo genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9," Wang said. Yang Yang PhD, a visiting scientist in the Wilson lab, and John White, McMenamin Deirdre, and Peter Bell, PhD, all from Penn, are also coauthors.

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This research was supported by the Orphan Disease Center at Penn.

For more Penn Medicine news from the 58th Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting, visit: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2016/11/ash/index.html

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.
RACINE  A Racine man, charged last year with his sixth operating a vehicle while intoxicated offense, will spend the next two years in prison.

Steven Drews, 54, of the 1600 block of Albert Street, was arrested at a Mount Pleasant dog park on Nov. 15, 2015, after a woman who knew he had been drinking called 911 out of concern, court records show. It was Drews sixth OWI, according to a criminal complaint.

At the dog park, Racine County sheriffs deputies reportedly observed that Drews had reddish eyes with a fixated gaze. He also allegedly smelled of intoxicants.

Drew pleaded no contest in September to a felony charge of operating while intoxicated, fifth or sixth offense.

On Tuesday,Racine County Circuit Judge Judge Mark Nielsen sentenced Drews to two years in prison for the charge and another three on extended supervision. He had faced up to 3 years in prison for the crime.
The antibody ustekinumab is being used successfully for the treatment of psoriasis since 2009. It inhibits the underlying inflammation by neutralizing certain messengers of the immune system. Researchers at the University of Zurich and the Center of Allergy and Environment in Munich have now shown that one of these messengers could actually be helpful in battling the disease.

Common psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is an inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by severely scaling skin in areas ranging from small to palm-sized. The disease is estimated to affect between two and three percent of all Europeans. The cause is said to be immune system malfunctions: the underlying mechanism involves the immune cells reacting to skin cells.

Neutralizing the inflammation messengers as effective therapy

The treatment therefore aims to 'pick off' the inflammation messengers. For example, the antibody ustekinumab binds the two interleukins IL-12 and IL-23 and consequently inhibit their supposed proinflammatory effects. The substance is especially used to fight plaque psoriasis in patients who fail to respond to superficial therapies.

"The research findings that have been achieved in the last ten years show that IL-23 plays the central role in the development of psoriasis," explains Burkhard Becher, professor at the Institute of Experimental Immunology of the University of Zurich and leader of the work that has been published in Nature Communications. "According to our results, IL-12 however has a positive effect on the skin affected by psoriasis."

Effect on Interleukin 12 might be counterproductive

In their study, the researchers first used experimental models to examine the influence of the individual messengers IL-12 and IL-23 on skin cells. These tests showed that IL-12 activates a protective program in the skin cells themselves and prevents the infiltration of certain pathogenic immune cells (IL-17-producing T cells), which inhibits the inflammatory reaction.

Burkhard Becher assesses the results: "Our experiments indicate that IL-12, unlike IL-23, has a quite positive effect in the skin affected by psoriasis. Because the active substance ustekinumab, which is routinely used in treating psoriasis, neutralizes both IL-23 and IL-12, however, there should be a thorough examination of whether or not the collateral blockade of IL-12 is counterproductive."

The scientists plan further research in the future to see if IL-12 could also have a positive effect on other symptoms. They criticize that its role and mode of action have not been sufficiently investigated so far. Stefan Haak, research group leader at the Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), a joint undertaking of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), states: "New data from clinical studies support our hypothesis and the specific inhibition of the IL-23/Il-17 axis alone would probably be a better-targeted alternative."

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Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Imperial College London have developed Microreact, a free, real-time epidemic visualisation and tracking platform that has been used to monitor outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and antibiotic-resistant microbes. The team have collaborated with the Microbiology Society to allow any researcher around the world to share their latest information about disease outbreaks. Details of the platform are published in the journal Microbial Genomics today (30 November 2016).

Until now, disease data and geographic information about the movement of an infection or disease as it evolves and spreads has been locked up in databases that are often out of people's reach. Researchers have been left to rely on published information in research papers, which may be many months out of date, containing static visuals which show only a small part of the whole disease or infection threat.

Microreact is a cloud-based system that combines the power of open data and the web, to provide real-time global data sharing and visualisation, allowing anyone to explore and examine outbreak information with unprecedented speed and detail. This is becoming increasingly important in the race to monitor and control fast-developing outbreaks like Ebola or Zika, or the growing threat of anti-microbial resistance.

Microreact allows data and metadata sets to be uploaded via a web browser, which can then be visualised, shared and published in a research paper via a permanent web link. The partnership with Microbial Genomics allows the journal to make data from prospective publications available through Microreact. This promotes open availability and access while also starting to build a unique resource for global health professionals and scientists.

Dr David Aanensen, Director of the Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance (a joint initiative between Imperial College London and the Sanger Institute) and one of Microreact's creators, said: "Until now, the global research community has been hamstrung because results are generally only shared in static pictures or tables in publications. Microreact allows everyone to explore the information dynamically - across both time and space - letting them see the whole picture. Using Microreact takes disease tracking out the hands of a privileged few and gives it to everyone who wants to understand disease evolution."

One example of how Microreact can democratise genomic data and resulting insights is the work of Dr Kathryn Holt and Professor Gordon Dougan. They have recently published two papers on the global distribution of typhoid bacteria around the world, showing the epidemic spread of a multidrug resistant strain. But they also published their data to Microreact to help others build on their work.

Dr Kathryn Holt, from the University of Melbourne, said: "We gathered together data from almost 2000 samples Salmonella Typhi bacteria collected by 74 collaborators in 63 countries. By comparing the different strains and mapping them to when and where they were 'caught' we were able to show that a new drug-resistant strain emerged in Asia and has spread across that continent and into Africa. We have put all this information on Microreact and now anyone can see exactly what we saw - both scientists and those public health professionals tasked with controlling such outbreaks."

By putting this information on Microreact, the researchers have ensured that the data continues to live on - allowing others to learn from their work and to use the information as a basis of comparison or foundation for future work. Microreact also allows individual researchers to share information globally and in real-time - crowdsourcing new discoveries and insights that could have immediate impact.

Leighton Chipperfield, Director of Publishing at the Microbiology Society said: "We are delighted that our open-access, open-data journal Microbial Genomics is partnering with Microreact. All Microreact projects that appear in Microbial Genomics papers will be highlighted on the journal's website to increase the discoverability and accessibility of researchers' datasets."

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Contact details:

Dr Samantha Wynne

Press Office

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Cambridge, CB10 1SA

Phone: 01223 492368

Email: press.office@sanger.ac.uk

Dr Ben Thompson

Press Office

Microbiology Society, 12 Roger Street,

London, WC1N 2DR

Phone: 020 7685 2684

Email: b.thompson@microbiologysociety.org

Notes to Editors:

View a video of Microreact : Open data for genomic epidemiology video from Genomic Pathogen Surveillance at: https://vimeo.com/193252797

Microreact visualisation and tracking platform at: http://microreact.org

Typhoid data: Wong et al. (2016) An extended genotyping framework for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, the cause of human typhoid. Nature Communications http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12827

Global typhoid distribution in Microreact - https://microreact.org/project/styphi

Selected websites:

The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance

The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance is a joint initiative between Imperial College London and The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. The centre seeks to provide data and tools to allow researchers, doctors and governments worldwide to track and analyse the spread of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. http://www.pathogensurveillance.net/

Society of Microbiology

The Microbiology Society is a membership organisation for scientists who work in all areas of microbiology. It is the largest learned microbiological society in Europe with a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes and schools. For more details, please visit http://www.microbiologysociety.org

Imperial College London

Imperial College London is one of the world's leading universities. The College's 16,000 students and 8,000 staff are expanding the frontiers of knowledge in science, medicine, engineering and business, and translating their discoveries into benefits for society.

Founded in 1907, Imperial builds on a distinguished past - having pioneered penicillin, holography and fibre optics - to shape the future. Imperial researchers work across disciplines to improve health and wellbeing, understand the natural world, engineer novel solutions and lead the data revolution. This blend of academic excellence and its real-world application feeds into Imperial's exceptional learning environment, where students participate in research to push the limits of their degrees.

Imperial collaborates widely to achieve greater impact. It works with the NHS to improve healthcare in west London, is a leading partner in research and education within the European Union, and is the UK's number one research collaborator with China.

Imperial has nine London campuses, including its White City Campus: a research and innovation centre that is in its initial stages of development in west London. At White City, researchers, businesses and higher education partners will co-locate to create value from ideas on a global scale. http://www.imperial.ac.uk

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk

Wellcome

Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. We're a global charitable foundation, both politically and financially independent. We support scientists and researchers, take on big problems, fuel imaginations and spark debate. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
11/30 SF Solidarity Rally Speak Out For Korean Workers And PeopleJoin the solidarity rally for striking Korean KCTU workers and Korean people. The railway workers are being joined by hundreds of thousands of workers on a general strike against the anti-labor reactionary Park Geun-hye government. The government has been paid off by the Choebels to deregulate labor and destroy worker rights. There is also a major corruption crisis not only involving the government but Samsung, Hyundai but many other companies. President Park Geun-hye has also stopped public school teachers from unionizing and sought to bust their union and well as other public worker unions throughout the country. Millions have already rallied to demand her resignation and now is the time to join with Korean unions and working people in supporting their struggle for labor, justice and human rights.Korean Consulate Rally and Speak Out In Support Of Korean Workers And PeopleWednesday November 30, 2016 12:00 noon3500 Clay St./LaurelSan FranciscoInitial SponsorUnited Public Workers For ActionJack Heyman, President of Transport Workers Solidarity CommitteeRoger Scott, AFT 2121 CCSF Delegate To SF Labor Council(415)282-1908WW11-22- 16 Korea General Strike, Labor Elections and IBT and Muslim Registration11/30 International Day Of Action To Support the Korea general strike for workers rights! Protest At All Korean Embassies and Consulates-General Strike Called For Nov 30Support the Korea general strike for workers rights!17.11.2016Struggling against the governments attacks on labour rights, unions in South Korean are holding a general strike for workers rights on 30 November. IndustriALL is calling for global days of action to support the unions fight.Korean unions are struggling against a government crackdown on labour rights. The administration of South Korean President Park oversaw police raids of trade unions offices and the arrest of hundreds of peaceful trade unionists.Park has attempted to make changes to Korean labour law that include permitting firing without due process, cutting wages for senior employees and allowing more outsourcing.The Park government has been implicated in a scandal in which major Korean corporations paid bribes to foundations controlled by an ally of Park in exchange for support for anti-labour policies and other favors.As part of an ongoing fight back that recently included one million Koreans marching through Seoul, Korean unions have called a general strike for 30 November.Join in the global days of action to support the Korean unions between now and 30 November by: Sending a protest letter. Put it on your unions letterhead, insert your unions name in the first sentence, add a signature and send it to the email addresses listed at the top of the letter. Taking selfies with the solidarity sign (links to the right) and post them online with hashtag #KoreaGeneralStrike and send them to press [at] industriall-union.org to share. Holding an action at a Korean embassy or consulate or at a location of one of the anti-labour, corrupt Korean corporations such as Hyundai, LG, Posco or Samsung. You could deliver a protest letter to the embassy, consulate or management. Make sure to send pics or video of the action to press [at] industriall-union.org to share.IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches, who recently visited Korea on a solidarity mission, says:I urge you to support this general strike by participating in the global days of action and show the Korean government the strength of global solidarity.In Korea Up to 1 million rally to demand Parks ousterPublished : 2016-11-12 23:14Updated : 2016-11-13 02:01In the largest anti-government rally in decades, up to 1 million South Koreans took to the streets in central Seoul on Saturday, demanding President Park Geun-hyes resignation over a scandal involving her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil.From City Hall through Gwanghwamun Square to Anguk station, protestors packed the boulevards just hundreds of meters from Parks presidential residence of Cheong Wa Dae, turning the area into a vast sea of candlelight in the evening.Organizers said over 1 million gathered for the protest. The police estimate was 260,000.It was the largest rally held in South Korea since the democratic uprising in June 1987, showing continuing public rage toward President Park suspected of letting her civilian friend meddle in state affairs and playing a part in extorting donations from local firms.<20161112000180_0.jpg>Some thousands of protestors hold up signs demanding for President Park Geun-hye's resignation in Seoul Square in front of Seoul's Cityhall on Saturday. (Jo He-rim/The Korea Herald)As of 11 p.m., thousands of protestors were still peacefully marching near Gyeongbok Palace, some 800 meters away from the presidential office, chanting Park Geun-hye, step down! and holding candles. Musical performances continued into the early hours on Sunday in Gwanghwamun Square.The protest was staged in a peaceful manner despite the record high number of participants, with no major injuries or clashes reported.Though organized by a union of some 1,500 civic groups and labor unions, the rally drew unaffiliated citizens of all ages who came with their friends and families.Scores of protestors told The Korea Herald that they felt angry about an unelected civilian, Parks friend Choi, running the country behind the scenes and that joining the rally was the least they could do to salvage the countrys democracy.Choi Myung-ok, 44, said that she felt proud to be part of such a historic moment.This government has made fools of Korean citizens. We have put up with the government failing to deal with the Sewol ferry disaster, but this time I had enough of President Park Geun-hye, said Choi, who came to the scene with her family. I cannot feel helpless anymore. It is a chance to learn that we should better oversee those in power.<20161112000182_0.jpg>Protestors color in a poster reading, "Democracy" in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul on Saturday. (Ock Hyun-ju/The Korea Herald)Yoon Song-yi, 37, who brought her 6-year-old child, said that she wanted to teach her child what democracy was.When my child asked me who this countrys owner was, I wanted to teach her it was us, Koreans, not a handful of powerful people, she said. I was not interested in politics before, but I had to come because I want my child to live in a better society.Kim Beom-geun, 18, was one of the many teenagers in school uniform who traveled for hours to Seoul on a chartered bus to join the rally.I will be eligible to vote in a couple of years. I came here to watch and learn so that I will not make such mistakes in the future, said Kim, who came from Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Hearing all these people shouting in one voice, I feel my mind filling up.A 69-year-old man, who wanted to be identified only by his surname Kim, said, I gave her a vote because I trusted her. How can she betray us like this?Why only powerless people should abide by law when all the powerful people break the law?<20161112000185_0.jpg>Tens of thousands of rally-goers hold candles in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul on Saturday. (Yonhap)Three opposition parties joined the rally, along with many of their presidential hopefuls.Among them were Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea, Ahn Cheol-soo of the Peoples Party and Park Won-soon, the Seoul mayor.Some worry if the president steps down, there will be chaos. But the fact that she stays in her position is only making the situation worse. I demand for her to resign, said Ahn during the rally.Moon, former chairman of the Democratic Party, said the president had already been impeached by public sentiment, if not yet by law.I ask President Park to sincerely hear out the voices of thousands of people holding candles here and answer them, he said. If Park has any patriotism left in her, and if she still cares about the nation, she should react to heed publics call.The event kicked off at 4 p.m. following a string of separate demonstrations across Seoul. The protestors march was peaceful and cheerful, with participants making speeches on stage and celebrities performing in front of the crowds.<20161112000177_0.jpg>A woman dressed as Choi Soon-sil pose for picture at the rally scene in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul on Saturday. (Ock Hyun-ju/The Korea Herald)It is so fun and peaceful. I am learning again that this is democracy, said Kang Soon-ja, a woman in her late 50s, after taking a photo with an artist dressed up as Choi Soon-sil at Gwanghwamun Square.Various groups came out to voice their opposition to a series of policies of the Park administration, including labor market reforms, deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and the reinstatement of state-authored history textbooks.In several locations, right-wing civic groups and Parks supporters held counter rallies to condemn anti-Park protestors for plunging the country into chaos. Calling them North Korean sympathizers, they argued that Parks presidency should be protected.It was the first time that all major roads connected to central Seoul had been made open to the protestors. The police earlier imposed partial bans on several planned marches, citing traffic disruption, but the decisions were reversed by the court.Allowing assemblies demanding Park Geun-hyes resignation to be held near the presidential office is a way to prove South Korea is a democratic country, the court said in the ruling.A series of massive anti-government rallies held last year spiraled into violence as police sought to fight off protestors with water cannons. Baek Nam-gi, 69-year-old activist farmer, died after a direct hit from a water cannon left him in a coma. This time, there were no major clashes.<20161113000012_0.jpg>Police buses stationed in front of Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, Saturday. (Ock Hyun-ju/The Korea Herald)Police dispatched some 25,000 officers in central Seoul to keep public order. They built barricades with police buses to surround Gyeongbok Palace in an attempt to block protestors from marching on the presidential office.Despite Parks two televised apologies over the scandal, personnel reshuffle in her Cabinet and proposal to relinquish some of her executive powers, South Koreans calls for Parks resignation show no signs of abating.The scandal centers on Parks longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who holds no government post and is accused of meddling in state affairs and personnel appointments behind the scenes.Choi and Parks former presidential aides are suspected of using their ties with the president to force donations from conglomerates to the Mir and K-Sports foundations which Choi allegedly set up and run for her private use.A series of revelations increasingly implicate park in the fundraising activities. Park apologized for allowing her guard to drop with Choi Soon-sil, but distanced herself from Chois alleged influence-peddling and embezzlement of public funds for personal gain.Parks approval rating has remained at a record-low of 5 percent, setting an all-time low for any sitting South Korean president.By Ock Hyun-ju and Jo He-rim ( laeticia.ock [at] heraldcorp.com ) ( herim [at] heraldcorp.com Korean Workers Launch Major Wave of Strikes, Winning International SupportMONDAY, OCT 17, 2016, 1:13 PM  EDITKorean Workers Launch Major Wave of Strikes, Winning International SupportBY TIM SHORROCKThe strikes pose one of the biggest crises in South Korean labor since the 1980s, when workers seized on the country's democratization to create one of Asia's most dynamic labor movements. (Photo Credit: Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union)Over the past few weeks, thousands of South Korean transport workers have gone on strike to protest against government reform proposals that would make it easier for employers to fire workers, weaken seniority protections won through collective bargaining and privatize some state-owned industries.The strikes, and the South Korean governments fierce crackdown on labor, have generated an unprecedented response from global unions over what they see as clear-cut violations of workers rights to freedom of association.This has become a challenge to the whole international community and is enormously damaging to the Korean governments international reputation, Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), told In These Times.In Washington, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is having frequent meetings with South Koreas ambassador to discuss his concerns over the situation in Korea, said Cathy Feingold, the federations top foreign affairs officer. Were very involved.The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which includes a clause designed to protect labor rights, is another hook U.S. unions might use to assist their Korean allies, Feingold said. The protections in that pact, including freedom of association, can be enforced through trade sanctions and fines, but are rarely used.The strikes pose one of the biggest crises in South Korean labor since the 1980s, when workers seized on the country's democratization to create one of Asia's most dynamic labor movements. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution in 1987, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was born out of independent organizing efforts that had been stifled for years in heavy industry, automobiles, transportation and shipbuilding. It is now the second largest union federation in the country.The latest actions began on October 10, when more than 7,000 owner-operators in trucking joined a national strike against the governments plan for deregulation of the trucking transport market. The conservative government of President Park Geun-hye responded by declaring the strike illegal, and her transportation minister called the walkout an act of betrayal of the nation.On day one of the strike, more than 4,000 riot police surrounded truckers massed in front of freight depots, including the New Port complex in the southern industrial city of Busan, the truckers union said. Fifty-five activists were arrested and five injured, the union added. The Yonhap news agency reported that the South Korean military mobilized soldiers to replace striking truck drivers, effectively transforming them into scabs.The strikers belong to the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Division of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers Union (KPTU) known as TruckSol. Wol-san Liem, the KPTUs director of international and Korean Peninsula affairs, said that the government responded like it did because of the truckers potential power as well as their precarious status as independent contractors. The truckers union is part of the larger KCTU.Working conditions for Korean truck drivers are dismal.They face unreasonable schedules, long hours, multiple levels of subcontracting, and low rates that put them in a really difficult place, Liem said. The pressures force them to speed, overload and drive at night for long hoursdisastrous to health and family life and also dangerous to other road users.She added that problems are compounded because drivers who own their trucks are treated as independent contractors and denied the rights to form and join unions, collectively bargain and strike.This means they dont have legal trade union rights, Liem said. While its not illegal for owner-operators to collectively refuse to work, she added, the government and conservative media try to paint the strike as illegal and our members as a violent mob.The truckers strike is the latest event in an autumn of industrial actions launched by Korean unions. In late September, other KPTU transport affiliates began a general strike against the government's imposition of performance-related pay and a termination system. Those actions will supposedly align the Korean economy with international practices but in fact provide tools for employers to easily get rid of excess and militant workers.One of KPTUs affiliates, the Korean Railway Workers Union, has been particularly active in that strike because the government's privatization plans include turning over the country's national rail system to conglomerates called chaebol that already dominate the economy. Rail and subway workers also oppose the imposition of the new merit-based salary systemthat would make it easier for employers to fire workers who dont meet certain quotas.During the rail strike, the KPTUs Liem said, 165 union officers were suspended from their jobs. Worse, employers filed a lawsuit seeking damages of 165 billion won (about $145 million) from the union and charged 19 union officers with obstruction, she said.Strikes have also taken place in the financial and automobile industries. This month, the union representing workers at Hyundai Motor Company, one of the worlds largest car producers, resumed talks with management after months of strikes in the automakers worst-ever industrial dispute, the Reuters news agency reported (The talks concluded last week, when 63 percent of Hyundais workers voted to accept a new contract).There was no let-up in transportation strikes, however. Despite the governments attempt to play down their impact, the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on October 10 that more than 40 percent of the roughly 18,000 unionized workers on railroads and subways were taking part in the strike.Since the start of the walkout by railway workers, the operation of cargo trains has been reduced to nearly half of the usual level, forcing local firms to depend on cargo trucks to haul their export and import shipments to and from the country's major seaports, reported Yonhap, which is owned by the government.Meanwhile, the ITF and Public Services International (PSI), the global federation of public sector workers, have asked the International Labor Organization (ILO) to intervene to ensure that the Park government respects the rights of workers in South Korea to freedom of association.The strikes in South Korea, the ITFs Cotton said in an email, have been triggered by the government ignoring its own laws by imposing drastic new labour practices in the public sector. It is no secret that this is a precursor to the introduction of widespread privatization. Yet, despite labors objections, every attempt by the unions to seek talks with the government has been rejected.Global unions and human rights groups have been particularly angered by the imprisonment of labor leaders in South Korea, including Han Sang-gyun, the president of the KCTU. He was sentenced in July to five years in jail after he was convicted on charges of organizing a massive rally in Seoul last November that was declared illegal by the government.During that demonstration, an activist, Baek Nam-gi, was knocked to the ground by police water cannons and suffered serious brain injury. His death on September 25and a stand-off with the government over its attempt to seize Baeks body for an autopsyhas sparked demonstrations and vigils all over the country, and has become a national symbol of the struggle against authoritarian rule and repression.The ITF and PSI raised the arrests of Han and other union leaders in a joint letter to the ILO in September. The alarming use of arbitrary detention and judicial harassment against (Korean) trade unionists for organizing and participating in public rallies is a major concern, the unions wrote in a letter signed by Cotton and PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli. The ITF and the international union movement will never accept the imprisonment of trade union leaders for legitimate trade union activities, Cotton added in his email.The AFL-CIO spoke out in June when it issued a statement in support of the KCTUs Han. And, in a gesture of solidarity this week, the federation has invited KCTU officials to New York to speak at the United Nations on a recent special rapporteurs report on freedom of association, the AFL-CIOs Feingold said. That report, issued in January, criticized a gradual regression on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly.On October 12, as the truckers strike heated up in Korea, unions from around the world joined in a global day of solidarity with TruckSol and the Korean strikers. In San Francisco, a protest at the South Korean Consulate was led by United Public Workers for Action, a coalition that seeks to unite workers in the public sector. The campaign can be followed on Twitter at hashtag #KoreanStrikeforJustice.The global labor movement, the ITFs Cotton said, will continue to give every support to workers in South Korea until the government starts to respect international law and enters meaningful negotiations with the unions.
Arlene Foster has said "of course" she would meet the Pope if he goes to Northern Ireland.

The leader of the once-staunchly anti-papist Democratic Unionists, said she understood the significance of such a visit but cautioned against premature excitement.

She said: "I note the Vatican did indicate that they don't confirm visits until six months before any such visit were to take place.

"I think there has been a lot of excitement by some people but we will have to wait and see if that occurs.

"If it does occur, and if he comes as a guest of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as the head of state, of course I will meet him as the head of the Northern Ireland Executive along with the Deputy First Minister."

Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed Pope Francis would travel to Ireland in August 2018 after a 23-minute meeting with him in the Vatican on Monday morning.

Pope John Paul II was unable to cross the border into Northern Ireland, where he wanted to visit Armagh, during the last papal visit to Ireland in 1979.

Instead, amid a welter of security fears and cross-community tensions, he travelled as far as Drogheda where he addressed hundreds of thousands, including many from the North.

Several years later, former DUP leader Ian Paisley was thrown out of the Strasbourg Parliament for heckling the pontiff while unfolding a poster declaring the Pope to be the anti-Christ.

When asked about sprucing up towns and cities in anticipation of the visit, Mrs Foster said: "I think we better get a visit confirmed first before we start to plan spending money.

"We will have a very difficult budget coming towards us in the next while and we need to very much look at what our priorities will be over the next couple of years.

"Of course, if such a visit is to go ahead and is planned then we will make sure that Northern Ireland looks its best as we try to do for all of the visitors to Northern Ireland."
Politicians in the lower house of the Dutch parliament have approved a limited ban on "face-covering clothing" including Islamic veils and robes such as the burqa and niqab.

The legislation, approved by a large majority in the 150-seat lower house, must now be approved by the upper house of parliament before it can be signed into law.

Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders called the limited ban, "a step in the right direction" and said he will push for a full burqa ban if his Freedom Party wins elections in March.

Studies suggest that only a few hundred women in the Netherlands wear niqabs or full-face burqas, but successive governments have attempted to ban the garments - following the example of European countries such as France and Belgium.

The Dutch proposal, described by the government as "religion-neutral", does not go as far as the complete bans in those countries.

It applies on public transport and in education institutions, health institutions such as hospitals, and government buildings.

In a debate last week that paved the way for Tuesday's swift vote, Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk acknowledged that debate about the burqa had played a major role in the ban.

But Mr Plasterk, who is from the centre-left Labour Party, said that in a free country like the Netherlands people should be allowed to appear in public with their faces covered, if they want to - but that in government buildings, schools and hospitals people need to be able to look each other in the face.

The maximum fine for breaching the ban, which also covers ski masks and full-face helmets, is just over 400.
In its year-end review and outlook for the year ahead, issued in Dublins RDS, Teagasc anticipates the annual average milk price will rise by 20% in 2017 relative to the 2016 level, bringing the annual average milk price to 32.2c per litre.

However, the Irish beef sector is facing into a tough year. Beef supplies across the EU are forecast to increase next year.

Demand for beef in the EU is not particularly strong and EU beef prices are likely to fall by up to 10%.

Given that the UK market is very important for Irish beef exports, the weakness of sterling will also have an adverse impact on beef prices in Ireland, which are forecast to decline by 12%.

Analysis produced by Teagasc economists shows farm margin fell on most farms in Ireland this year.

Teagasc economist Trevor Donnellan said: Even though milk prices fell by an estimated 11%, Irish milk production is estimated to have increased by about 5% in 2016. While dairy production costs fell, Irish dairy farm margins were lower in 2016 due to the drop in the value of milk sales.

However, a late-season rally in milk prices, along with the additional volume of milk produced this year, has limited the drop in dairy farm income in 2016. Dairy sector competitiveness indicators produced by Teagasc also show that Irish dairy farms continued to be one of the lowest cost producers internationally in 2016, despite the fall in margins.

With all sectors impacted by the fall in sterling due to Brexit concerns, Teagascs 2017 projections are coloured by the fact that supplies of milk, beef, and grain internationally have been running ahead of demand, which has led to a fall in farm prices.

On the positive side, the report notes lower production costs in 2016 offset some of the effects of falling output prices. For the second year in a row, lower oil prices, led to a significant fall in fuel prices. There was also a gradual decline in fertiliser prices over the course of the year.

Increased supplies of cow beef and continuing slow growth in demand, led to lower cattle prices in 2016 as compared to 2015.

Kevin Hanrahan, an economist with Teagasc, said: In Ireland the reliance on the UK market means that the fall in sterling contributed to the estimated 5% drop in Irish finished cattle prices.

On single suckling farms, the receipt of the Beef Data Genomics Programme payments will offset negative impacts of lower prices on margins, which will stay largely unchanged on 2015. On cattle finishing farms, the lower output prices in 2016 are reflected in lower gross and net margins.

Sheep prices in 2016 declined marginally compared to 2015. Taking account of lower costs of production in 2016, margins earned on sheep farms are estimated to have increased by 3%.

A fall in Irish cereal yields, along with low cereal prices, following another bumper global harvest, resulted in a year of low margins in the Irish cereals sector in 2016.

Fiona Thorne, Teagasc economist, said: The average cereal farmer will struggle to return a positive market based net margin in 2016.

Michael McKeon, of the Teagasc Pig Development Department, said: Pig farmers had a year of two halves, with very low profitability in the first half of the year, offset by a significant improvement in the second half as China increased its pig meat imports.

In spite of the fall in margins, overall, agricultural income in Ireland in 2016 is likely to be broadly in line with the 2015 level, as the annual receipts from the Basic Payment Scheme and GLAS should be higher in 2016 than in the previous year.

A slowdown in growth in global milk production should mean dairy margins will increase in 2017, with milk prices 20% higher. Irish milk production should also increase, providing a boost to the dairy farm bottom line.

Tillage farmers will be hoping for a better year in 2017 but this will be contingent on the level of the global grain harvest. High global grain stock levels mean that even if yields are lower, any upward movement in cereal prices will be limited.

Overall, the increase in profitability in the dairy sector in 2017 is forecast to be sufficient to offset a significant decline in beef farm income, leaving overall agricultural income in Ireland about 5% higher in 2017.
Ms May is walking a fine line, not wanting to attack business at a time when she needs companies support to prepare for Brexit but also trying to keep on board voters who want to leave the EU and are frustrated with growing inequality.

Taking aim at high executive pay, company boards and the behaviour of large, privately held businesses, her government will ask for opinions on questions such as: Should a new pay ratio reporting requirement be introduced?
The company has been in significant disarray after posting a 96% drop in 3rd quarter earnings last month.

Of course the main concern of the investigation will be to find out what was causing all of the spontaneous exploding phones, and while it is widely agreed that faulty batteries were to blame Samsung insist they are not going to rule out anything that may have contributed.
RACINE  A 26-year-old Racine man charged last year with the 2008 slaying of Jamaal Stanciel was found guilty Tuesday in Racine County Circuit Court.

Prosecutors charged Jonathan Sparks on Nov. 9, 2015, with first-degree reckless homicide by use of a dangerous weapon in the fatal shooting of Stanciel, 20, also of Racine on June 14, 2008.

Reports at the time state Stanciel was standing with a group of friends that night in the area of 11th Street and Hilker Place when he was shot.

Two bullets hit Stanciel: one in his right shoulder and the other went through his torso and punctured his lung, killing him, according to autopsy results. After Stanciel was fatally shot, the case went cold. A break came in the case seven years later, after investigators interviewed Sparks in an Illinois prison after reportedly being tipped that he was the shooter.

Sparks, of the 3100 block of 17th Street, allegedly told investigators that he held a gun over the top of a fence the night Stanciel was killed and fired, according to his criminal complaint.

Three people police talked to after the shooting  who were allegedly in a car with Sparks on the night of June 14, 2008  reportedly stated that Sparks returned to the car that night and told one of the men that he had fired multiple times.

In December 2012, an associate of Stanciels, who was reportedly was near the scene of the shooting that night, said he saw Sparks shoot over the fence five or six times, according to the complaint.

Sparks had initially entered a not-guilty plea to the reckless homicide charge, but on Tuesday he pleaded no contest the charge, neither admitting nor disputing the accusations, online court records show.

As is the case in such pleas, the court then found him guilty of the charge.

A sentencing hearing in the case has been set for 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 30 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.
Yes, the report from the Commission on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services was produced by a panel of the great and good of experts, but it has a remarkable politcal subtlety to it.

The headline aspect of the report is that funding for water should primarily come from general taxation, a recommendation surely aimed at helping Fianna Fail to support the proposals.

The report recommends that provision should be made for those with special medical or other needs.

It also states the volume of water necessary to meet the normal domestic and personal needs of citizens should be independently assessed through an open and transparent process.

Under the proposed arrangement, the national water utility will provide sufficient water to all citizens to cover their domestic and personal needs, and the cost of that water will be recovered from the State, which will be a customer of the utility, based on tariffs approved by CER following consultation.

What is proposed does not therefore amount to the provision of a free allowance of water, the report states.

Report recommends people should pay for 'excessive or wasteful use' of water only https://t.co/P2OmNdjjtQ pic.twitter.com/dI4xlCy9vu  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 29, 2016

Fianna Fail now has political cover to say they have forced fundamental change to Fine Gaels plan to make homeowners and renters pay for what they use.

Box one ticked.

Proposing that charges in theory will exist albeit with very generous allowances, means that technically Ireland can comply with European law.

Interesting, that the EU Commission wrote to Water Commission chair Kevin Duffy as late as last week, November 24, to restate that the European directive does not allow disapplying water charges once they are instated.

While the Expert Commission cannot purport to offer an authoritative opining on questions of European Law, it is satisfied that it can cogently be argued that its recommendations will achieve the objective pursued by Article 9 of the directive, said the report.

Box two ticked.

The most controversial aspect is that excessive usage of water will have to be paid for by the user, in keeping with the polluter pays principle of the European laws.

The report is suitably vague as to what is meant as excessive usage and is also vague as to how such charges would be levied.

Sinn Feins Eoin O Broin last night said that it would be financially un-viable to pursue people for their excessive usage.

No doubt this will be one of the keenly contested elements in the report when the new Oireachtas committee begins its deliberations in due course.

That 20-person committee is made up of politicians from all parties and none, but crucially between them Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will have a majority.

So, therefore, should agreement be reached between Housing Minister Simon Coveney and his opposite number Barry Cowen, then the outcry from the hard left could be restricted to the margins.

But, as we all know to our cost, when it comes to water charges, nothing is straightforward.

This is an issue that almost ripped the Fine Gael-Labour coalition apart in the summer of 2014 and without question cost the two parties a lot of seats in the general election last February. This issue, more than any other, risks to collapse this most unstable Government.
I COULD only think of Lady Diana Mosley last Saturday when I read our presidents rhapsodising of Fidel Castro. The great society beauty met Adolf Hitler; became enamoured with National Socialism; and left her first husband to marry the British fascist Sir Oswald Mosley. Reminiscing in a television interview much later about Hitler, who did things she regretted were inexcusable, she enunciated in an accent that could cut crystal how back then the man I knew was somebody of whom one could not believe that.

Terrible things had happened, but on dictators generally she mused that people went to see them and found them charming. It seems Fidel charmed Michael D. And Diana Mosley was right, most monsters can be perfectly charming.

What fascinates is the naivety of Higgins view of Castro. More worrying was the presumption on the part of our president to effectively set out the States position on Castros legacy at precisely the moment it became a matter of international contention.

It was always going to be thus at his death, but his death coincides with an unpredictable shift in power in the United States  a country with whom our vested interests are inextricably linked. Half-hearted excuses have been made for Higgins on the basis that he is entitled to his personal views and is a stout defender of human rights. Of course he is. But neither assertion deals with the point. It is not the presidents role to de facto, enunciate the States foreign policy. And foreign policy is an area where nuance matters and memories are long. This, for better or worse, is the prerogative of the elected government.

It is much more than mere convention. The Constitution specifically requires that the President shall not leave the State during his term of office save with the consent of the Government. Integral to this is that it is the Government not the president which leads in setting out Irelands position in the world. It is not superseded or abridged by the presidents personal views, whatever they may be.

To be clear, there would be no issue had there been simply an expression of sympathy. Instead, there was an entirely inappropriate eulogy, which set out the States position in ways that undermined the Governments prerogative abroad and ignited political controversy at home. Last Sundays rejection by the Aras press office of widespread concern, cameoed a president who foolishly failed to seek the Governments advice before he acted and refused to countenance well-founded public criticism afterwards.

President Higgins signs book of condolence for Fidel Castro https://t.co/Khkpzx56Cf pic.twitter.com/RZKBF2VpHB  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 28, 2016

Wading into political controversy at home, was as ill-judged as intruding into foreign policy. Speaking in the Dail on May 11, 1937 during the debates on the constitution, then Taoiseach Eamon de Valera said that the president should never be involved in what you might call party politics or in matters where there are differences of party view.

The differences in party view are very clear. For some the rose-tinted glasses required for a lifetime looking leftward, obscure the blood on Castros hands. Of course, he did good things. Even Lady Mosleys friend did those. But Castros greatest achievement is that he survived. His Junta is in place. The graves have never been exhumed.

Even if Higgins naivety on Castro is fascinating, its still oddly commonplace. What becomes ever more apparent to me over time, is that the essential differences are not between Right and Left, but between liberal democracy, and those on the Right or Left, who fundamentally believe they know better how your life should be run.

In Ireland since the 1960s politics has played out as a comedy of manners, where corporatist socialists on the Left have made careers harrying a largely discredited corporatist Catholic State to their Right. The slogans were opposed but the urgent need to organise your life, on their precepts, display astonishing similarity.

Each requires its outsized heroes whose feet of clay are placed on pedestals. Surprisingly widespread elements of a now largely extinct, militant Catholicism in Ireland, once had considerable affinity for General Franco. Like Castro he died in his bed. But his power did not survive him, and neither will Fidel Castros.

Not to be outdone, Mao and Fidel arrived as if on cue. In the great tradition of the man on horseback, they enacted power in outsized ways and rode roughshod over their enemies. They succeeded in exhilarating fools, who mistook the civil right to protest in their own societies with participating as pretend-soldiers in solidarity with causes far away. Had they dared to protest there, they would instantly have been locked up or worse. In Castros Cuba it was frequently far worse.

The co-option of outlandish heroes to causes, the need for a self-promoting affinity with distant struggles, in ways that require little risk to personal comfort, is the comedy of manners played as parlour politics. It mirrors exactly the monumentalising of saints in societies that never reflected their virtues. It is about trainbearers who imagine they are wrapped in any cloak they help to carry.

So Fidel Castro, Yassar Arafat, Mao, and more were adopted by the Western left as they grew old and fat at the trough of capitalism, and remain now as icons of only slightly misspent, dishevelled youth. Because the lives they actually lived out were so pallid, and the promises they held out so unrealised, characters of stronger colour were required to distract from failure. It is fascinating how our president, a sociologist, was so sucked in by Castro. But as Lady Mosley remarked dictators can be charming, when you visit them. Living with them is another matter.

President Higgins: Criticism of Fidel Castro tribute unwarranted https://t.co/WQGEMm0W1X (DOD) pic.twitter.com/L86wp4rjzU  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 28, 2016

Much is made of the achievements of Castros Cuba, its literacy and healthcare overriding its shambolic economy. General Pinochet, an equally odious but less romantic figure than Castro, left behind a country characterised by success of sorts.

Nobel Laurate, Milton Friedman, lauded the miracle of Chile whose economy prospered under a perfect blend of neoliberalism and autocracy. Strangely, that Latin American success hasnt a place in the story book. Castros genius, besides his longevity, was that he was a rebel with a cause who was a master manipulator of others without one and who mistook his for theirs. Pinochet was an altogether more buttoned-up personality.

On Monday, the Taoiseach arrived in a Vatican he recently excoriated. Gerry Adams now prepares to be our man in Havana for the funeral of a hero who never surrendered. You can see how Gerry must wish some of that washes off, on him.

Once he too was a freedom fighter. Now he marches against a public utility called Irish Water in one of the most rain-sodden countries in the world. Pope Francis is a Latin American caudillo in the Castro mode, charismatic in public, charming to guests but a brutal enforcer within. Projecting power is an alchemy of benignity and menace. It is about holding them in thrall.
Pure Energy Minerals Limited (TSX.V: PE / OTCQB: PEMIF) (the "Company" or "Pure Energy") is pleased to announce that it has commenced drilling its newest exploration borehole, CV-8, on the Clayton Valley South Project ("CVS Project"). This latest borehole is the final one in Pure Energy's current phase of exploration work, and Pure Energy has all necessary permits and government permissions in hand to commence work. Since this borehole is being drilled concurrently with CV-7, the Company has retained Boart Longyear as the drilling contractor for CV-8. Boart Longyear has completed collaring of the borehole, and all ancillary works are in place to immediately commence rotary coring of the basin-fill sediments. CV-8 is located approximately 1.8 km (1.1 miles) west-southwest of the recently completed CV-3 well. The Company is targeting depths of approximately 600 - 900 m (2,000-3,000 ft) below ground level for CV-8.

CV-8 is in a highly prospective part of Pure Energy's claim package, targeting geophysical and stratigraphic features of interest in a very deep portion of the basin. If completed to its full target depth, the Company believes this would be the deepest lithium brine exploratory hole in the area. Upon successful completion of the borehole to target depth as a well, the Company expects to collect new brine samples for lithium analysis and integrate that data into its existing inferred lithium brine resource. At the conclusion of the Phase 3 drilling program, Pure Energy will have drilled a total of approximately 4.1 km (13,320 ft) of exploration boreholes across their claims.

Patrick Highsmith, Pure Energy Minerals CEO commented, "A second drill rig has arrived at the CVS Project and begun work on CV-8, the final drill hole in our phase 3 program. Our understanding of the CVS brines and their host sediments has improved markedly through 2016. The geophysics and hydrogeological interpretations suggest that familiar aquifers from CV-1 and CV3 await us in CV-8. We look forward to testing the hydrogeology in this area to new depths. Once the drilling is complete, we shall prepare an update to the resource that incorporates all the new data."

Patrick Highsmith, Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG CPG # 11702), is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, and has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Highsmith is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and director.

About Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.

Pure Energy is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. While the Company is currently focused on the development of the CVS Lithium Brine Project and the adjoining Glory Lithium Clay Project in Clayton Valley, Nevada, it is actively evaluating new lithium targets in North and South America.

Pure Energy has developed core strengths in innovative development and processing technologies for lithium brines and lithium mineral deposits. The Company's key attributes and activities include:

Generating positive results on a large land position with excellent infrastructure in a first-class mining jurisdiction: approx. 11,000 acres in four main claim groups in Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada;

The only lithium brine resource in North America except for its neighbor, which is the only producing lithium operation in the United States (Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine mine);

An inferred mineral resource containing approximately 816,000 metric tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE), reported in accordance with NI 43-101;

An advanced program of testing the efficacy and economics of modern environmentally-responsible processing technologies to convert the CVS brines into high purity lithium products for new energy storage uses; and,

An active business development program, applying its expertise to the evaluation of new lithium targets around the world.

Source: Pure Energy Minerals
Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. (TSX: SLR / NYSEMKT: XPL) (Solitario) today announced that it will be initiating a NI-43-101 Preliminary Economic Study (PEA) on its Bongara zinc project in northern Peru. This will be the first evaluation to estimate the potential economics of the Bongara project. The project hosts a significant high-grade zinc resource that is open to expansion in all directions. Previously reported (June 23, 2014) NI-43-101 resources are:

Table 1: Mineral Resource Statement for the Bongara Zn-Pb-Ag Deposit, Peru* Category Metric

Tons Grade Contained Metal (millions) Zn Pb Ag ZnEq Zn Pb Ag ZnEq Mt % % g/t % (lbs) (lbs) (oz) tonnes (lbs) Measured 1.43 13.02 1.85 19.3 15.45 410.0 58.3 0.884 0.221 486.5 Indicated 1.35 12.51 1.71 17.1 14.74 372.6 50.9 0.744 0.199 438.8 Measured + Indicated 2.78 12.77 1.78 18.2 15.10 782.5 109.2 1.628 0.420 925.3 Inferred 9.07 10.87 1.21 12.2 12.44 2,173.0 241.5 3.554 1.130 2,487.6

*SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc., June 5, 2014  Please see Table 1 Notes at the end of this news release

The project is 39%-owned by Solitario and 61%-owned by Compania Minera Milpo S.A.A. (Milpo). A total of 486 core holes totaling 117,280 meters have been drilled on the project. Included in this drilling are 95 underground core holes totaling 15,144 meters that were drilled from a 700-meter long tunnel that Votorantim Metais (Milpos 80% owner) completed in 2013. Work to date has demonstrated that Bongara is a high-grade zinc deposit with an average resource grade in excess of 12% zinc equivalent, has a relatively large resource base with excellent expansion potential, and produces a clean high-grade concentrate.

Chris Herald, President and CEO of Solitario, stated, We are excited to initiate this study as it will bring together a broad array of technical components to provide the first real look at project economics. We are now in the process of selecting an independent consulting engineering firm to initiate and complete the PEA on this high-grade zinc deposit. We hope to complete the PEA before the end of the second quarter of 2017.

This release has been reviewed for accuracy by Walter Hunt, Chief Operating Officer of Solitario, a qualified person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

Terms of the Bongara Joint Venture

Currently, Solitario owns 39% of the Bongara project and Milpo owns 61%. Since inception of the joint venture in 2006, Votorantim and its 80%-owned subsidiary, Milpo, have funded 100% of project expenditures. Milpo can earn a 70% interest in the project by continuing to fund all project expenditures (except this PEA which is funded by Solitario and does not alter any of the terms of the joint venture) and committing to place the project into production based upon a positive feasibility study. After earning 70%, at the request of Solitario, Milpo has further agreed to finance Solitario's 30% participating interest for construction. Solitario will repay the loan facility through 50% of its net cash flow distributions.

About Solitario

Solitario is an exploration and royalty company traded on the NYSE MKT (XPL) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (SLR). Solitario has a joint venture with Minera Milpo (a Peruvian zinc miner) on its high-grade Bongara zinc project in Peru and a 9.97% equity interest in Vendetta Mining. Solitarios Management and Directors hold approximately 7.6% (excluding options) of the Companys 38.7 million shares outstanding. Solitarios cash balance at end of the third quarter of 2016 was approximately US$16 million. Additional information about Solitario is available online at www.solitarioxr.com

Notes to Table 1 extracted from NI 43-101 Report: Mineral Resources Bongara Zinc Project Amazonas Department, Peru

1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into Mineral Reserves;

2. Mineral resources are reported to a Net Smelter Return zinc-equivalent (ZnEq%) cut-off grade based on metal price assumptions*, metallurgical recovery assumptions**, mining costs, processing costs, general and administrative (G&A) costs, and NSR factors***. Mining costs, processing, G&A, and transportation costs total US$51.30/t.

i. *Metal price assumptions considered for the calculation of metal equivalent grades are: Zinc (US$/lb 0.95), Lead (US$/lb 0.95) and Silver (US$/oz 20.00),

ii. **Cut-off grade calculations assume variable metallurgical recoveries as a function of grade and relative metal distribution. Average metallurgical recoveries for sulfide and oxide respectively are: Zinc (93.1%, 73%), Lead (84.8, 0%) and Silver (55.6%, 0%)

iii. *** NSR factors for calculating cutoff grades were: ZnEq% = Zn% * 1 + Pb% * 0.74 + Ag g/t * 0.02

3. Resulting cutoff grades used in this resource statement were 4.1% ZnEq for sulfide, 5.0% ZnEq for oxide, and 4.5% ZnEq for mixed material types.

4. Zinc equivalency for reporting in situ contained metal resources above was calculated using: ZnEq (%) = Zn (%) + 1.0 * PB (%) + 0.03 * Ag (g/t).

5. Density was calculated based on material types and metal grades. The average density in the mineralized zone was 2.91 g/cm3 as a function of the zinc and lead sulfide mineral content.

6. Mineral Resources as reported are undiluted.

7. Mineral resource tonnage and contained metal have been rounded to reflect the precision of the estimate, and numbers may not add due to rounding.

Source: Solitario Exploration & Royalty
Explor Resources Inc. (TSX.V: EXS / OTCQX: EXSFF) ("Explor" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the completion of 12 Diamond Drill Holes for a total of 2,027 meters on the Chester Copper Property. The Chester Copper property is located in the Northumberland County, 70 km southwest of Bathurst, New Brunswick and 50 km west-northwest of Miramichi, New Brunswick, within the Bathurst Mining Camp. This area has an extensive history in base metal production from VMS deposits.

There has been very little exploration work in this area of the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) since the initial exploration more than 60 years ago. Of significance also is the fact that three (3) age date studies of the rock in the area since 2005 have indicated an age of 469+/- 0.3 ma. All of the main largest VMS deposits in the BMC (including BMS #12 and #6, the Caribou Deposit (currently being developed by Travalli) and the past producing Heath Steele Mines, are associated with this age date for the footwall felsic rocks. That new data in 2007 places Explor's Chester deposit is in the same time frame as the Brunswick Mining No. 12 and No. 6 deposits located in the BMC.

New Brunswick is the home of the No 12 massive sulphide deposit (The Brunswick Deposit) which was in continuous production from 1964 to its closure in March of 2013 (to Feb 2013, 135,903,168 tonnes milled at 3.44 % Pb, 8.74 % Zn, 0.37 % Cu and 102 g/t Ag). The Brunswick deposits (No 6 and No 12) are situated in the Nepisiguit Falls Group of rocks in the Lower Tetagouche group of the BMC. There are 46 known VMS deposits in the BMC.

The property is located in the southern-most part of the Bathurst Mining Camp and consist of 174 Mineral Claim Units within a total of five (5) Mineral Claims (1571, 2428, 6003, 6005 and 7045) comprising approximately 3,828 hectares as shown on the attached map.

A total of 4 diamond drill holes were drilled on claim 1571. The first three diamond drill holes that were drilled were fan holes from the same location. This successfully tested the extension of the copper stringer zone for a distance of 190 meters west of previous drilling. The fourth drill hole was located approximately 100 meters west (and 38 meters south) of the first three drill holes, confirming the continuity of the mineralization to the west and adding 100 meters of strike length to the known deposit. It intersected the target horizon and favorable geology from 94 meters to 234.6 meters.

Further to the west the copper deposit goes down dip and onto claim 6003. At about 1,100 meters west of the first drill hole, drill hole 6003-16-012 was drilled at a vertical dip. It eventually went to a depth of 600 meters and intersected previously unknown mineralization near surface (18 meters) and also extending the deep main Chester Stringer zone an additional 650 meters westward than any previous reliable drilling (i.e. casing in place and core in government storage). It also confirms the existence of the alteration zone and the host stratigraphic horizon to a depth not previously known or expected. The chloritized favorable horizon extends from a depth of 472.5 meters to 561 meters with low grade copper mineralization documented from 519 meters to 543 meters.

In the north part of claim 6003, an untested soil geochemical anomaly was tested. Copper mineralization was discovered as pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite veinlets in felsic volcanic associated with the soil anomaly. Copper mineralization was also discovered in this area in 2014 and a soil survey on claim 7045 to the west have unexplained copper and lead anomalies which may be associated with previously mentioned soil anomaly and this horizon.

To the south on Claim 6005, two drill holes were put down to test a soil anomaly apparently associated with a historical drill hole, dating to about the 1956 to 1958 era, with a reported value of more than 2% copper. No indication of any mineralization was discovered in the two drill holes.

Preliminary results are shown below for Hole # 1571-16-001:

Summary of results from Drill hole 1571-16-001: From (m): To (m): Length: (m) Au (ppb) Ag (ppm) Cu % Zn (ppm) Pb (ppm) Zone 1 78.50 81.50 3.00 142 7.36 2.383 1708 138 Zone 2 86.00 89.10 3.10 57.3 3.91 1.808 608 75 Zone 3 119.00 122.55 3.55 113 6.65 7.973 932 86 Zone 4 135.00 144.50 9.50 31 1.06 0.976 141 25 includes: 137.80 144.50 6.70 33 1.28 1.240 144 25 and 142.00 144.50 2.50 39 2.08 2.308 220 25 Zone 5 153.00 162.66 9.66 84 1.93 2.187 198 36 includes 153.00 154.50 1.50 58 1.40 1.310 192 40 and 161.35 162.66 1.31 416 9.55 13.810 710 91 Zone 6 177.80 179.70 1.90 72 3.31 2.323 346 62

A total of 6 zones of copper mineralization were intersected in the above referenced Hole # 1571-16-001 Samples have been sent to the lab and assays are pending.

The Chester Property is known to contain both a copper deposit and a VMS deposit. The copper deposit has an Open Pit resource with Measured & Indicated resource of 1,400,000 tonnes grading 1.38% Cu, 0.06% Zn & 3.5 g/t Ag and an inferred resource of 2,089,000 tonnes grading 1.26% Cu (assayed for Cu only).

Chris Dupont, P.Eng is the qualified person responsible for the information contained in this release.

About Explor Resources Inc.

Explor Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based natural resources company with mineral holdings in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Explor is currently focused on exploration in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The belt is found in both provinces of Ontario and Quebec with approximately 33% in Ontario and 67% in Quebec. The Belt has produced in excess of 180,000,000 ounces of gold and 450,000,000 tonnes of cu-zn ore over the last 100 years. The Corporation was continued under the laws of Alberta in 1986 and has had its main office in Quebec since 2006.

Explor Resources Flagship project is the Timmins Porcupine West (TPW) Project located in the Porcupine mining camp, in the Province of Ontario. Teck Resources Ltd. is currently conducting an exploration program as part of an earn-in on the TPW property. The TPW mineral resource (Press Release dated August 27, 2013) includes the following:

Open Pit Mineral Resources at a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 213,000 oz (4,283,000 tonnes at 1.55 g/t Au) Inferred: 77,000 oz (1,140,000 tonnes at 2.09 g/t Au)

Underground Mineral Resources at a 1.70 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 396,000 oz (4,420,000 tonnes at 2.79 g/t Au) Inferred: 393,000 oz (5,185,000 tonnes at 2.36 g/t Au)

Source: Explor Resources
GoviEx Uranium Inc. (TSX.V:GXU) ("GoviEx" or the "Company") today announced its intention to undertake a C$3,000,000 private placement (the "Private Placement") in cooperation with the Sprott group of companies ("Sprott"). The Company will offer approximately 30,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of C$0.10 per Unit, with each Unit consisting of one (1) Class A common share and one (1) Class A common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company.

Sprott clients are expected to subscribe for 20,000,000 Units (C$2,000,000) under the Private Placement, which is expected to close on or before Thursday, December 22, 2016.

Govind Friedland, Executive Chairman of the Board said: "We continue to believe in the quality of GoviEx's expanding portfolio of African uranium projects and that they represent an appealing investment opportunity given their stage of development and the ability of our experienced management team to bring these assets into production. With this financing, we are delighted to welcome the pre-eminent natural resource-focused investment firm Sprott and its clients as investors in GoviEx. Their participation is a testament to GoviEx's long-term value in the face of a challenging market. Sprott's lead order represents approximately two thirds of this planned financing, and is a strong vote of confidence for the Company and the uranium sector."

Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one (1) Class A common share of the Company for 60 months from the closing of the Private Placement at the US$ equivalent price of C$0.20 (the "Warrant Exercise Price"). The United States dollar ("US$") to Canadian dollar ("C$") exchange rate for the Warrant Exercise Price will be fixed at closing date of the Private Placement and issuance of the Warrants.

Finder's fees may be payable on all or a portion of the Private Placement, and will consist of a cash fee of up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds received from the sale of Units and that number of non-transferable share purchase warrants (the "Finders' Warrants") equal to 6.0% of the Units placed by the finder, each Finder Warrant entitling the holder to subscribe for one (1) Class A common share for 36 months from the closing of the Private Placement at the Unit Price, subject to adjustment.

Completion of the Private Placement will be subject to regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX-V, and certain other customary conditions including, but not limited to, execution of subscription agreements between the Company and the subscribers.

The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to fund continued exploration and development activities on the Company's assets and for general corporate purposes. The funds will also enable the Company to pursue discussions related to strategic opportunities and potential transactions. All securities issued under this Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the date of issue.

About GoviEx Uranium

GoviEx is a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of a diversified portfolio of uranium projects in Africa. GoviEx's principal objective is to become a significant uranium producer through the continued exploration and development of its flagship Madaouela Project in Niger, as well as its Mutanga Project in Zambia, and its uranium-copper-silver exploration Falea Project in Mali.

Visit GoviEx's website: www.goviex.com

Source: GoviEx Uranium
South Korea's financial authorities on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to fully support a global organization, based in the country, on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.

Jeong Eun-bo, vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), delivered the message to Kevin Stephenson, head of the Training and Research Institute (TREIN) affiliated with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

They met here on the sidelines of the inaugural regular consultation session between the FSC's Korea Financial Intelligence Unit and TREIN.

TREIN, in charge of international education and research on the global fight against money laundering and terrorism financing, was launched in September in South Korea's southern port city of Busan.

TREIN made its international debut in October, formally participating in the plenary meeting of the FATF in Paris.

Stephenson appreciated Seoul's active support for the agency, as he discussed the direction of operation for TREIN over the next year, according to the FSC.

TREIN and the Korea Banking Institute, a top financial education center here, also signed a memorandum of understanding on various partnerships, including the exchange of curricula.

The South Korean authorities and TREIN agreed to push for the invitation of anti-money laundering specialists at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. (Yonhap)
Lawyer Park Young-soo, who has been appointed as an independent counsel to lead a special team investigating the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil, said at his office in southern Seoul, Wednesday, that he will conduct the investigation according to the principle of the law. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

President Park Geun-hye has selected lawyer Park Young-soo as an independent counsel to investigate the sprawling corruption scandal involving her and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.

The beleaguered President chose Park Young-soo, who worked as a prosecutor for nearly 30 years until 2009, Wednesday, over Cho Seung-shik, also a well-known former prosecutor. Opposition parties recommended the two as candidates for independent counsel the previous day.

Park Young-soo will lead a special investigation team, which is expected to start work next week with more than 100 investigators, including 20 current prosecutors. The team will be given 20 days to prepare for the case and up to 100 days to investigate.

"I will carry out a thorough investigation according to the rule of law to uncover the truth," he told reporters at his office in southern Seoul. "I feel a heavy responsibility taking this job at a critical time for the country."

The team's most important task is to find out whether President Park played a key role in "donations" major companies gave to Choi, allegedly as bribes for specific favors as is widely suspected. The job will require questioning the President, who promised to cooperate with the probe _ again _ after breaking her word to do so with the prosecution previously.

"The President said she will fully cooperate with the team's investigation, including face-to-face questioning," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Jung Youn-kuk said. "She hopes the work to be done promptly and thoroughly."












By John Redmond



The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (CanCham Korea) will host a breakfast session titled "Business without Borders" at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Dec. 9.

The event will feature Christopher K. Wood, general manager of Estee Lauder Korea (ELCA Korea), who will share his insights and knowledge in marketing through a presentation.

Wood has spent about 30 years in the field of prestige cosmetics and has served as general manager of ELCA Korea for 10 years.

Formed in 1995, CanCham Korea is a member-driven, nonprofit organization that provides an extensive networking platform for its members with business interests in Canada, Korea and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

The session is from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. It costs 50,000 won for members and 60,000 won for nonmembers.

Payment must be made by Dec 6.

Visit canchamkorea.org or email info@canchamkorea.org or rsvp@canchamkorea.org for more information.
By Yi Whan-woo

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has passed a new resolution aimed at preventing North Korea from exploiting loopholes in past sanctions to pursue its nuclear ambitions.

The latest sanctions, which were approved at a meeting in New York City, Wednesday, mainly target Pyongyang's coal earnings.

Starting Jan. 1, they will restrict North Korea's annual exports of coal, a major source of hard currency and its single largest export item, to $400 million or 7.5 million tons, whichever is lower in value.

They also newly blacklisted 10 entities and 11 individuals, many of who are suspected of helping the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID).

The KOMID sells coal and other natural resources to raise cash for the Kim Jong-un regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The 11 individuals include two ambassadors _ Park Chul-il and Kim Sok-chol who served in Egypt and Myanmar, respectively.

Among the 10 entities are banks and trading companies, such as the Korea United Development Bank, Ilsim International Bank, Korea Daesong Bank, Korea Foreign Technical Trade Center and Korea Daesong General Trading Corporation.

The blacklisted entities mainly operate under the North Korean military and Office 39, a secret government branch that directly reports to Kim Jong-un concerning the use of cash.

The new sanction came in response to North Korea's fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9, since which the effectiveness of UNSC Resolution 2270 has been called into question.












TOWN OF WATERFORD  Motorists travelling on Highway 83 northwest of Waterford encountered road closures due to a serious crash late Tuesday afternoon.

The crash was reported just before 5 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 83 just north of the Racine County line in the Town of East Troy.

Tichigan firefighters were the first on scene and were reporting that a car had crashed into a pole, energized wires were down and that rapid extrication of the car's occupants was needed.

The East Troy and Mukwonago fire departments, the Town of Waterford Police Department and We Energies crews also responded to the scene.

The crash scene occurred on a stretch of Highway 83 that briefly runs through Walworth County between the Village of Mukwonago in Waukesha County and the unincorporated Caldwell community in far northwest Racine County.
By Andrei Lankov





A new U.S. President has been elected, and this time the world's most powerful job went to, should we say, a rather unconventional person. Indeed, a former real estate tycoon and TV celebrity is not the type of individual we expect to see in the Oval Office. But such was the will of the people, and the outside world must adjust to this new era.

To what extent Donald Trump's domestic and foreign policies will follow the rather wild promises he generously delivered on the campaign trail remains unknown. Some economist friends are optimistic that some of Trumps' proposals may work well. We will have to wait and see. Inhabitants of this rather small peninsula in Northeast Asia, however, have good reason to feel uneasy about the next four, perhaps eight years.

What little is known about Donald Trump and his world view does not bode well for stability on the Korean Peninsula. During his campaign, Trump offered clues about his approach to North Korea. First, he said in an interview, rather casually, that he would not mind talking to Kim Jong-un  or, to be more precise, to meet the North Korean leader over a hamburger (but not at a state dinner). Second, the real estate mogul argued that China should be somehow forced to "make that [North Korean] problem disappear." Third, he expressed his admiration for Kim Jong-un's skills in taking and maintaining power against tremendous odds. And, of course, Mr. Trump has expressed his belief that South Korea is, to an extent, a free rider in the U.S.-ROK alliance and may be better off with a nuclear arsenal instead of 28,000 US soldiers.

These are rather discombobulated signals, which might indicate a willingness to talk and search for compromise, but at the same time a desire to leave things as they are (that is, to continue President Obama's "strategic patience"). Both options are certainly possible, but so is, unfortunately in equal parts, a dangerous escalation of hostilities and instability on the Korean Peninsula.

The central problem is that Kim Jong-un and his circle remain determined to acquire the capability to strike the lower 48 states with a nuclear warhead. At present there only two countries capable of this (excluding longtime U.S. allies)  Russia and China. North Korean may join this group soon and, judging by the speed of its advances, it might happen while Donald Trump resides in the White House.

This will be the foremost national security challenge of his administration, and one can only wonder how President Trump will react to it. In the past, dramatic revelations of North Korea's nuclear advancement were likely to provoke illicit conciliatory action from the international community with some additional (not particularly effective) diplomatic gestures or pressure. However, the unpredictable Donald Trump may well consider something that has been taboo since, at least, the early 1990s  an offensive preventive strike against North Korean nuclear and missile facilities.

Similar actions, undertaken by the Israelis against historical enemies Iraq and Syria, have been successful  at least, both countries never again approached comparable nuclear technology after their facilities were wiped out by the Israeli air force. There is some reason to believe a similar scheme may work in North Korea: one well-planned strike could theoretically halt North Korea's advancement for many years.

Such options have been similarly dismissed by U.S. central command (even when South Korea wanted to mount some sort of counterattack, as was the case following the Cheonan sinking in 2010).The conventional wisdom is that any attack on the North would spill in to an all-out war, straining U.S. alliances and threatening international stability.

North Korea is highly unlikely to retaliate against the U.S. directly following an attack on their nuclear facilities. This is simply beyond their capabilities, and they will hardly wish for more airstrikes from a vastly superior air power that would target the Kim family compound and those of Pyongyang power brokers. However, that doesn't mean North Korea wouldn't do anything. The vast majority of Northern firepower lies at or near the DMZ and is pointed directly at Seoul, less than 60km away and home to nearly half of South Korea's 51 million people. Until now the tremendous risk of civilian causalities has tabled any serious discussion on strikes against North Korea. But will President Trump and his advisers make the same considerations? He has said himself the United States should be "unpredictable." Alliances  military and economic alike  seem to be arbitrarily dismissed one day and embraced the next.

Admittedly, this is treading towards a worst-case scenario. A lot of things will have to happen to get us to that point. And many actors will have to be involved  the incoming administration has over 4,300 positions to fill. There are entrenched D.C. elites and a vast Asia-focused bureaucracy to navigate and overcome, should Trump depart radically from the current path. A lot will depend on those close to him, his diplomats, security advisers and the like. We have no way to know whether he is serious about his earlier promises. Nonetheless, an unpredictable Trump White House forces us to consider once-taboo policy scenarios.





Andrei Lankov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and teaches at Kookmin University in Seoul. Reach him at anlankov@yahoo.com.
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South Carolina medical malpractice lawsuits allege healthcare professionals in South Carolina have failed to provide care that meets a certain standard. South Carolina medical malpractice lawsuits can be filed against medical professionals or organizations, including doctors, nurses, hospitals, medical facilities, or other entities that offer medical care. Under South Carolina laws, medical malpractice refers to instances in which a professional or organization provides care that a reasonably prudent professional would not provide.South Carolina medical malpractice claims are sometimes referred to as medical negligence claims. Medical negligence occurs when the health care professional carries out his or her job duties in a manner that does not meet an acceptable standard of care. Situations in which a health care provider has made an honest mistake do not necessarily meet the negligence threshold. To be medical negligence the provider must have acted in a way that is contrary to how a reasonable professional would have acted.To prove negligence or malpractice, the plaintiff must show that he or she had a provider/patient relationship, that the provider carried out his or her duties in a negligent manner, that the negligence caused an injury, and that the injury led to damages.Typically, medical malpractice claims fall into one of three categories:Patients filing a South Carolina medical malpractice claim are generally required to provide relevant medical reports, diagnoses, expert testimony, medical files, and physical evidence to support their allegations.South Carolina medical malpractice lawsuits can be filed against the person who is believed to be directly responsible for the negligence that caused harm or injury. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the claim, the hospital, nursing home, or organization where the treatment was provided may also be liable for medical negligence claims.The statute of limitations in South Carolina is typically three years from the time the negligence occurred or should reasonably have been discovered. In some cases, the statute of limitations can be extended.Plaintiffs in South Carolina medical malpractice lawsuits may be eligible to recover medical costs related to the negligence, lost income or wages, pain and suffering, and in some cases, punitive damages.In January 2016, a South Carolina woman was awarded $6.9 million in her medical malpractice lawsuit against a radiologist and his employer after the radiologist allegedly read the plaintiff's mammogram incorrectly. As a result of the incorrect reading, the plaintiff, Leanna Loud, was not flagged for treatment for breast cancer. Had she been flagged, she alleged, her cancer could have been cured. Instead she is now considered terminal.If you or a loved one has suffered similar damages or injuries, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a lawyer who may evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
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Rocky Dawuni has made a passionate appeal to the people of Ghana to bear in mind the countrys need for strong and transformative leadership as they head to the polls in the December 7, 2016, general elections.

The GRAMMY-nominated Afro Roots musician and activist , echoed this appeal when TheAfricanDream.net called him up to find out what he had to say about the pending elections in his native Ghana.

The musician stated, when you look at the current global political landscape and its rising populist and nationalistic shifts; exemplified by Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in America we have to understand that our success as a nation and as Africans lie in our own hands and our ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Rocky Dawuni spoke on Ghanas elections in 2013:

This is not the first time Rocky Dawuni has strongly expressed his feelings about ongoings in the Ghanaian political terrain. In May of 2013, Rocky told TheAfricanDream.net in an interview that One thing I can say for sure is that the process of democracy has to be complemented by the development of institutions that will help strengthen it if there is disagreement. He said this in reference to Ghanas opposition New Patriotic Party contesting the presidential election results in the courts.

Rocky who sounded relieved during our 2013 interview about the fact that Ghanas supreme court upheld the results of the 2012 presidential election in its August 2013 decision said he feels very confident in the Ghanaian voter today and knows they will select the right leader to move Ghana forward.

Politicians must however not forget that the electorate never forgets, they are always watching, which is why they must be careful about their utterances especially on media platforms.

People are politically awake in Ghana and social media has become active in spreading and amplifying our commonalities and deepening our divisions. The voters entrust their hopes and aspirations based on campaign promises and are increasingly more conscious of manipulations when the rhetoric falls short of post-election actions. This is why I want to ask my brothers and sisters in Ghana to guard against manipulations that will end up in political violence.

No need to be a politician to speak on political matters:

When Rocky was asked whether he had any intentions to run for political office sometime in the future his response was: I am aware of politics and the trappings of political power. My main interest is to continue to use my voice and my platform to inspire hope and be of service to my country and to humanity. I dont necessarily need politics to achieve those objectives.

I just feel morally obligated as a Ghanaian who cares about the affairs of his country to speak on issues that do not augur well for our country, an instance being when I supported my brother, Chief Ubor Wumbe Dawuni in his bid to draw attention to the harmful effects gambling was having on parts of the northern regions of Ghana .

The activist and musician believe Ghana needs leadership that can rise beyond socio-political divisions to inspire and unify her towards a common purpose. We need a selfless leader that can also truly understand the renewed urgency of our responsibility to Africans on the continent and to our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, he said.

Irrespective of whom you vote for in this December elections, when the results are announced in the end, we, the people of Ghana, no matter where we are on the earth, must ultimately emerge the ultimate winner, said Rocky to TheAfricanDream.net

Ghanaians contesting 2016 Presidency:

There are 7 individuals vying for the seat of President including the incumbent president John Dramani Mahama, Nana Akufo-Addo the leader of the largest opposition party, former 1st lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and millionaire businessman Paa Kwesi Nduom.

The rest are Edward Mahama, Jacob Osei Yeboah who is an independent, and Ghanas first physically challenged presidential candidate Ivor Greenstreet. General elections will be held in Ghana on December 7, 2016, to elect a President and Members of Parliament.
Pink Fm's DJ Azonto sends a message to Ghanaian musicians who keep messaging to work with him.

In a post on his Facebook timeline, the only DJ with a Range Rover said no Ghanaian musician can pay him for his service.

According to him, the By Heart Boi, Medikal, is the only artiste who can bill him for shows.

Warning to all dem musicians in Ghana... Stop dey inbox me your yawa Tracks-None of you can pay me except Medikal Samuel Frimpong Respect to God father Criss Waddle~~ Strictly AMG Business or No Business!

Download MDK ft Sis Derby "Too Risky"

It seems this AMG Business clan makes you rich the moment you become part of it. From the CEO, Criss Waddle to the newly signed member, Azonto.

For those of you who dont know DJ Azonto yet, he is currently the official DJ for AMG rapper, Medikal. DJ Azonto owns a pub, micro-finance and a restaurant and his slogan is, the youngest sugar daddy in town.

So DJ Azonto is saying, neither Sarkodie nor Shatta Wale can pay him for shows?
Here we are again. We are gearing up for another recount starting on Thursday. Only this time, its a lot bigger than in the past and even more unnecessary.

The recount is occurring because Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has cited unspecified evidence of voting irregularities, and has requested a recount.

There are a lot of issues with this: the time clerks are going to have to put into this; the almost impossible chance that the results are going to change; and the fact that Stein is calling into question the integrity of the election system.

During the presidential campaign, President-Elect Donald Trump pledged to accept election results  if I win. His comments resulted in an uproar from citizens upset about his denouncing the nations election system.

Then, after his victory, he went on to contend on Twitter  after he won the Electoral College but not the popular vote  that he won the national popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.

State Elections Commission Chairman Mark Thomsen, rightfully so called Trumps comments an insult to the people that run our elections.

Ive never seen this kind of attack on poll workers, and on how this system works, Thomsen said.

But you know what is even worse than tweeting about not trusting the electoral system: Ordering a recount as Stein is doing.

In her recount petition, Stein says both the touch-screen and optical-scan machines are susceptible to compromise.

However, the states elections supervisor, Ross Hein, said Monday that the machines are not connected to the internet, limiting opportunities to tamper with them.

In order to access the equipment, you would have to actually get your hands on it, Hein said in a Wisconsin State Journal article.

According to an affidavit included with Steins recount petition, J. Alex Halderman, director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, stated that tests have shown its possible to quickly install vote-stealing malware on voting machines that would surreptitiously alter election results.

Under a scenario described by Halderman, such malware could be loaded onto election officials desktop computers that are used to load the ballot design onto electronic voting machines. The malware then could be spread to the voting machines when the ballots are loaded onto them, Halderman wrote, according to the State Journal.

That sounds like quite the scheme  one that would be more likely to be found in an action novel than in real life.

The reality is that during recounts, officials usually do find a few votes that change, but not many.

For instance, take the 2011 state Supreme Court recount in the race between Justice David Prosser and Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg. Kloppenburg asked for the recount after losing by 7,316 votes. She only gained approximately 310 votes in the recount and Prosser was ultimately declared the winner.

That victory was by a much smaller margin than the presidential election, where Trump won Wisconsin by approximately 22,000 votes.

And in order for the nationwide election results to ultimately change in favor of Hillary Clinton, more than 100,000 votes across three states  Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania  would have to change.

Many people are upset about the election results and wish there had been a different result. But forcing recounts and calling into question the integrity of the nations voting is not the way to go.

In addition, if Stein is so concerned about the integrity of the election results, why is she only targeting states that Trump won?
Popular Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson has suggested the opposition New Patriotic Party is likely to lose the December 7 polls.

According to her, the intolerance of supporters of the NPP and the perception that Ghanaians are frustrated and so want change is likely to go against the opposition party during the polls.

Theyre banking on the general perception that people are frustrated with the ruling party, and because of this want change, hence their campaign message. But this assumption and the insistence that ALL Ghanaians should feel this way coupled with the campaign theyre running, is why I believe they may probably not win the elections.

Theyre looking at the country through the eyes of the opposition, and this is one of the points I spoke against in my piece on understanding the Ghanaian electorate Your Ghana isnt everyone elses Ghana, meaning how you see the country isnt the way everyone else does, Ms. Forson wrote in an article on her blog.

She added that the NPP has failed to win members who disagree with them into their fold but rather mistakenly campaigning AGAINST members of the ruling party and anyone else who doesnt support this claim, instead of campaigning TO them.

Below is the full write-up:

Lessons from America's presidential race; why the main opposition (NPP) may lose in the upcoming elections

I started writing this piece a few weeks ago but I wasnt sure if it was worth sharing.

Before I proceed, however, its important I make this disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: A lot of you are not going to like me after this post, and for those who already dont youre probably going to despise me more. I may lose some friends after this, but I wont lose much sleep if I do because my real friends respect that we dont have to always agree.

The attention and backlash I receive each time I share my opinion is enough to make anyone afraid of speaking out on issues in this country.

I guess because of the misconception that only a chosen few are qualified to speak on politics and national issues, people are quick to tag me a controversial attention seeker.(if only this title was something worth fighting for)

Im a Ghanaian citizen of sound mind and a registered voter; meaning I have EVERY RIGHT to speak on issues in this country, and so should anyone who feels incline to do so, we shouldnt to be bullied into silence because its our constitutional RIGHT.

When Ben Ephson, the Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper and pollster made predictions on the elections, the brouhaha surrounding it, has encouraged me to share this piece I wrote a while back.

Now Im no pollster, analyst or expert, and I wont pretend to have any facts, proper research or idea of how election predictions are made.

My predictions are made on intuition and my ability to completely look beyond my sentiments and personal conviction to see what it is instead of what it should be. Theyre also based on conversations Ive had with people, things Ive witnessed and experiences Ive had.

If you follow my blog then you will remember how I predicted Donald Trump could be the next president of America last year in July, exactly a year later and he won the Republican ticket to be the presidential candidate and went on to also win the general elections.

I received a lot of heat for this at the time, with many friends assuming I was a Trump supporter; which wasnt the case. I didnt and still dont like the man, but I understood the campaign he was running, because he had one aim only, to appeal to a target group of people so he could ultimately win the election.

And we can argue that Trump didnt win the popular vote, but it doesnt change the fact that MILLIONS of Americans voted for him, much to the surprise of many people especially the democrats.

And this is what the opposition should have learnt from this outcome; that a man so hated, having some of the most powerful politicians, networks, media houses etc unite against him like never in the history of Americas presidential race; still went on to win is nothing short of a miracle.

Against all pollsters, opinions polls and predictions, Donald Trump defied all odds and shocked Americans and the world at large.

If this doesnt tell you the electorate isnt as predictable and neither are the elections, then I dont know what will.

Which is what many members of the opposition seem to be missing and why they may also be in for a shock.

Theyre banking on the general perception that people are frustrated with the ruling party, and because of this want change, hence their campaign message.

But this assumption and the insistence that ALL Ghanaians should feel this way coupled with the campaign theyre running, is why I believe they may probably not win the elections.

Theyre looking at the country through the eyes of the opposition, and this is one of the points I spoke against in my piece on understanding the Ghanaian electorate Your Ghana isnt everyone elses Ghana, meaning how you see the country isnt the way everyone else does.

But because of this perception, theyre mistakenly campaigning AGAINST members of the ruling party and anyone else who doesnt support this claim, instead of campaigning TO them.

This single mindset is why many of their following are quick to fight and attempt to silence anyone who doesnt share in this feeling of frustration.

Forgetting that the whole purpose of a campaign is to appeal to voters and not bully them into voting for you.

Their confidence in this perception is also why the outcome may not only surprise them, but create unnecessary tension if they dont win.

Because theyve propped themselves and their following up for a guaranteed win, and planted the seed of doubt and a possible electoral fraud if they dont, also very dangerous.

Notice that nearly ALL political parties accuse Electoral Commissioners of fraud if they dont win, but are suspiciously silent if the same system declares them winners.

This is a trick employed by a lot of politicians; for instance, Trump insisted on a possible rigging, and when he won suddenly didnt find the system to corrupt anymore.

What he didnt anticipate was the doubt he casted on the system which created room for people to also question the legitimacy of his win.

Now it would be unfair on my part to blame all members of the opposition and its following for this behavior, I have very good friends in the opposition who are nothing like this, but they too agree that somethings definitely wrong if the majority of their following behaves like this.

By alienating a section of the people because their views dont align with yours, will only make it that much easier for them to vote against your party.

Ive had at least 3 people tell me they want a certain party to lose, only because they find someone on social media annoying.

Some Trump voters will tell you they didnt like him, but voted for him anyway because they were willing to look past his inappropriate behavior, because of their disdain for Hillary.

And you may think its ridiculous for anyone to vote against a party just because of their disdain for someone, but if people voted for all the right reasons we wouldnt have politicians sharing rice, ice and sewing machines for votes.

Elections are about nothing else but winning for the politicians, even if it means employing some of the most outrageous tactics like Trump did, by stylishly campaigning to the usually neglected people, understanding that the KKK also had votes.

EVERY VOTE counts, even that of the girl whos voting because of someone she finds annoying; so the way your party faithful behave everywhere, including how they verbally attack people even on social media, will contribute to how people vote.

And this behavior isnt unique to just the opposition, nearly all parties are guilty of this politics of insults, Ive been called everything from a prostitute to a brothel by members of the NDC, however the opposition seems to be leading the pack.

A simple comparison of their reaction to even celebrity endorsements is very telling.

Celebrities and public figures whove endorsed the ruling party have been ridiculed, insulted, called money thirsty and all kinds of names.

Yet others whove endorsed the opposition havent received that much negative attention.

Why is that?

A few weeks ago I also witnessed an interaction on social media, where a supporter of the ruling NDC claimed that most of its members werent as bold to declare their position because they feared insults; a supporter of the opposition quickly responded by saying perhaps its because his party was a sh** one.

Imagine that?

A smart person would have ceased the moment to engage this person and if for nothing at all make him see her party beyond the aggressive tone its been associated with.

Ive also had my own personal encounters with supporters of the opposition whove hailed me for speaking out against the ruling party, but immediately turned to attack me vehemently because I wrote in support of a decision the president had taken.

If you dont see the state of the nation through their eyes, then theres something wrong with you; which they have no problem expressing with choice words.

When Hillary called half of Trumps voters deplorable, she only gave people who were probably on the fence about voting for Trump another reason NOT to vote for her.

Which is exactly what a lot of people in the opposition are doing.

I still dont understand how anyone was able to look past Trumps bigotry, inappropriate behavior and racist tendencies to vote for him.

But maybe if people, including me, hadnt been so dismissive of them; we could have engaged and perhaps attempted to understand their position.

The silent majority does exists, and when a group of people feel silenced because of their position, they will band together to prove a point.

Now Im not in any way likening the ruling party to Trump supporters, just drawing from their experience.

I may be wrong with my prediction, and well know in a couple of days, however the backlash I may probably receive from members of the opposition because of this post will only reinforce what Ive said.
A truck driver who crashed into the back of a limousine van carrying US actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, injuring him and killing another man, has pleaded guilty.

Kevin Roper, 37, was driving a Walmart truck in 2014 when the crash happened, as the 30 Rock star and others were returning from a show.

Morgan was seriously injured and fellow comedian James McNair died.

Roper can avoid prison and a criminal record as part of his plea deal.

Move forward

To do so, he needs to satisfy conditions including carrying out 300 hours of community service, according to his lawyer David Glassman.

He is grateful for the opportunity to accept responsibility and move forward in doing what is required to obtain a dismissal of the charges pending against him, Glassman told AP.

Roper entered the plea to second-degree vehicular homicide and four counts of third-degree aggravated assault at a New Jersey court.

The crash happened on the New Jersey Turnpike when Saturday Night Live star Morgan and his friends were returning from a performance given by Morgan in Delaware.

Morgan was left in a coma for two weeks and suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and head injuries. Three of the other passengers were also injured and McNair died.

The Walmart supermarket chain previously reached an agreement with Morgan and the children of McNair, 62, who grew up with Morgan in New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board carried out an investigation into the incident and concluded Roper had not slept for 28 hours before the crash, a finding disputed by his lawyer.

Loving and warm

The safety board report said Roper had not slowed down sufficiently before the crash, despite warning signs of road works taking place on the turnpike.

It said the truck was doing 65mph in a 45mph zone before the crash happened.

But the board also said Morgan and his friend should have been wearing seat belts and their limo should have had adjustable headrests, which could have minimised their injuries.

Once out of hospital, Morgan said he had not found out about McNairs death until he came out of his coma. He described the fellow comedian as a loving and warm man.

Morgan made his first public appearance after the accident in June 2015 and made a surprise appearance at the Emmys three months later.


Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese anti-riot police on Wednesday fired tear gas and confiscated banners as demonstrators including lawyers and journalists staged rallies against a government decision to cut fuel subsidies.

Sudan has seen weeks of sporadic protests over the subsidy cuts, which have led to a sharp rise in the cost of other goods, including medicines.

Wednesday's demonstrations came after the end of a three-day nationwide strike called by several opposition groups, which received a mixed response.

"No, no to high prices," shouted about 300 men and women as they marched along a main street in the city of Omdurman near Khartoum on Wednesday morning, an AFP correspondent reported.

Anti-riot police swiftly arrived at the scene and fired tear gas to disperse them.

In downtown Khartoum, about 150 lawyers protested in front of the high court -- the first rally of its kind since the fuel price hike was announced earlier this month.

Dressed in black gowns and coats the group stood facing the high court and carried banners that said: "Say no to corruption, Say no to high prices, Say no to detentions."

Several people in cars flashed victory signs in support of the lawyers as they drove past, the AFP correspondent reported.

The lawyers later dispersed as anti-riot police arrived and began confiscating their banners.

Sudanese authorities have cracked down on protests in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the deadly unrest that followed a previous round of subsidy cuts in 2013.

Dozens of people were killed at that time when security forces crushed large street demonstrations, drawing international condemnation.

Authorities have already arrested more than a dozen opposition politicians in recent weeks, and also cracked down on newspapers critical of subsidy cuts.

Members of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) have seized entire print runs of several dailies that reported the opposition strike call or questioned the cuts.

Authorities have also halted broadcasts by Omdurman Channel, a private television channel, accusing it of operating without a licence, a charge its owner denied.

To protest the crackdown on newspapers, members of the media staged a small demonstration in central Khartoum on Wednesday wearing "Journalists on strike" badges.

"The authorities are harassing us and restricting our freedom of speech," said one journalist, a member of the Sudanese Journalists' Network, an unofficial group that advocates free speech.

A prominent independent daily, Al-Jadida, whose copies were confiscated this week, decided against publishing Thursday's edition.

"The confiscation of our copies is a type of punishment by the National Intelligence and Security Service," the newspaper said in a statement.

"Our journalists have decided to be on strike tomorrow, and so we will not publish Thursday's edition but will return on Friday."
The Hague (AFP) - A Dutch court rejected Wednesday a class-action lawsuit by a foundation claiming to represent more than 100,000 victims of a 2006 toxic spill in Ivory Coast, saying it was unconvinced by the claim.

The victims last year dragged Dutch-Swiss commodity trader Trafigura to court in a last-ditch bid for compensation after the spill in the west African country's commercial capital a decade ago.

The Netherlands-based foundation, calling itself "Stichting Union des Victims de Dechet Toxiques d'Abidjan et Banlieues", asked judges to rule that Trafigura -- who offloaded the chemicals -- be held responsible for the spill, clean it up and pay compensation to victims.

But the Amsterdam District Court said "it could not be established that the foundation in fact represented the claimants and how many claimants there are".

"It is also established that the foundation's legal action can not be proven to be in the best interest of those affected," the judges said in papers published online.

"Therefore the claim is rejected."

Wednesday's court papers did not mention an amount in the claim.

In mid-2006, toxic residues on board the Panamanian-registered Probo Koala freighter were prevented from being offloaded for treatment in Amsterdam's port.

The ship and waste were sent to Abidjan instead, where it was dumped on the west African city's waste tips.

Over 500 cubic metres (18,000 cubic feet) of spent caustic soda, oil residues and water killed 17 people and poisoned thousands, Ivorian judges said.

Foundation lawyer Yorick Boendermaker told AFP he was "very disappointed" but would first study the judgement before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.

Trafigura, which denies any link between the waste and subsequent deaths, has previously reached out-of-court settlements for 33 million euros (35 million) and 152 million euros in Britain and the Ivory Coast.

A second case in a Dutch court against Trafigura -- which is headquartered in Switzerland but registered in The Netherlands -- on behalf of another foundation was filed in March.
Abidjan (AFP) - Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo and the judge trying her for crimes against humanity clashed Tuesday, with military police forced to prevent her from leaving the courtroom.

"Where are you going? Stop her" the court president Boiqui Kouadjo told gendarmes as Gbagbo left the witness box to follow her lawyer who exited the Abidjan courtroom in protest against the proceedings.

Gbagbo refused to sit down.

"Condemn me if you want, but I'm tired of this. It's nonsense," she said before being admonished by the judge for talking to him "in that tone".

Simone Gbagbo is the wife of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo, who was forced from power in 2011 by current incumbent Alassane Ouattara, who had won presidential elections five months previously -- the results of which his predecessor rejected.

Simone Gbagbo's trial began on May 31. She is accused of involvement in the shelling of Abobo, a northern suburb of the capital Abidjan, which was a Ouattara stronghold.

She is also accused of being a member of a "crisis cell" that allegedly coordinated attacks by the armed forces and militias in support of Gbagbo.

She is already serving a 20-year sentence for "endangering state security".

Tuesday's exchanges began after the court rejected a defence request for high-profile witnesses to be called, including parliament's speaker, a former prime minister and a former army chief.

The trial had resumed Monday after being suspended for two weeks.

The court is scheduled to sit again on Wednesday but it was unclear whether the defence team would return to the proceedings.
29.11.2016 LISTEN

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah GNA

Kumasi, Nov 29, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Police Command has unveiled plans to mount road blocks and conduct snap checks for guns.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathan Kofi Boakye, the Regional Commander, said they had gathered that some people had been carrying weapons and ammunitions on their vehicles, ahead of the next week's general election.

He dropped the hint at a meeting held by the regional elections taskforce with key stakeholders in Kumasi.

He warned that they would not hesitate to arrest anybody found with either registered or unregistered weapons in their vehicles.

COP Boakye, who chairs the taskforce reiterated its decision, banning the use of motorcycles within 100 metres radius of a polling centre, and said any offender would be apprehended.

He said these steps had been taken in the best interest of the society - to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully in the region.

The use of guns to intimidate voters at polling centres, motorcycles to snatch ballot boxes, massing up of people at the centres and intimidation by political opponents, he said had been identified as major challenges that needed to be tackled.

He underlined the readiness of the security agencies to deal firmly and decisively with any threat to the peace on voting day.

They would work within their mandate to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully across all the 5,190 polling centres in the region.

COP Boakye repeated that no voter would be intimidated or terrorized and urged everybody to get right with the law.

He indicated that they had gathered all the vital logistics required to efficiently discharge their duties and vowed that they would not disappoint.

Mr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), told the meeting that all the necessary election materials and equipment had been dispatched to the 47 constituencies.

He said the EC was doing everything to ensure that the materials were delivered at the polling stations on time on voting day.

Mr. Quaicoe said they also had enough supplies and backups for smooth and uninterrupted poll.

GNA
30.11.2016 LISTEN

The Accidental Ecowas & AU Citizen:

After the National: Preparing for [email protected] with Ecowas financial agency

E.K.Bensah Jr

Proponents of multilateralism may feel emasculated by the election of newly-elected US President Donald Trump's win, but should probably take comfort in the knowledge that the tectonic plates of global world order will change significantly to compel more ordinary people to realize that regional blocs could be an answer to some of the more gripping problems, such as migration; and terrorism.

The anti-climax of the Trump win has almost eclipsed the chaos borne out of terror that characterised the subregion the beginning of the year. It cannot be too far away from the minds of ordinary West Africans who are looking up to their governments to deliver for them.

In the meantime, Ghana is heading towards its general elections with incredible celerity, and you could be forgiven for thinking that, given the paucity of discussions about the regional, Ghana may have forgotten its Pan-Africanist roots.

For a country that found itself chairing ECOWAS in its fortieth year, it could be considered anti-climatic that it failed to capitalize on this auspicious opportunity to align itself to its francophone neighbours (Cote dIvoire; Senegal; and Togo) who seem to be doing a lot better. Cote dIvoire is talking about establishing a tram system by 2017; Senegal has just launched the ECOWAS Biometric ID Card in early October that doubles as a voter's ID; and Togo is spearheading discussions on the much talked about Blue Economy after hosting the first-ever AU Conference on Maritime Security and Development in October.

All eyes clearly seem to be on West Africa for the right reasons: certain countries are doing well, and the leadership of the new ECOWAS Commission President Marcel de Souza appears to be making the right noises in trumpeting economic integration.

This appears to be a breath of fresh air after the many years of ECOWAS firefighting peace and security.

Which is why it remains an enigma why Ghana had to run to the IMF when it could have looked more closer to home by opting for a loan from the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development(EBID).

In the space of just one month, the regional lending institution with a private and public sector window has gone from being broke to now signing an innovative partnership with the Arab Bank for Development (BADEA).

To say EBIDs relationship with ECOWAS along the integration journey has been rocky is an understatement.

New Realities,Old opportunities

The bottom line is that cheap loans may have dried up, but through the Lome-based ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Ghana can easily obtain funding to finance both its private and public sector initiatives.

Formerly known as the ECOWAS Fund, EBID is the principal financial institution of ECOWAS. With its holding company operating through its two subsidiariesthe public-sector-focused ECOWAS Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the private-sector-led ECOWAS Regional Investment Bank (ERIB has), EBID remains the financing bank of NEPAD projects in the region. In so many ways, it is the European Investment Bank counterpart in the ECOWAS sub-region, and has been around since the inception of ECOWAS in 1975.

Observers of the sub-region believe EBID has, in many respects, been a trailblazer in the sub-region in the way it has maintained a consistent brief of fostering greater integration in the sub-region among its member states  especially in the light of the conflicts that mired the sub-region in the early nineties. So focused has it been in facilitating sub-regional integration that, in 2004, in conjunction with the African Development Bank, it set up a Conflict Prevention Fund, which is indeed managed by EBID.

Unbeknownst to many, EBID is the largest shareholder of the Ecobank group, which also has its headquarters in Lome. EBIDs subsidiary ERIB also has shares in the capital of the so-called ECOMARINE, which was supposed to be a West African maritime transport company, but has now been replaced by SEALINK -- a private sector initiative to proffer a shipping line for West Africa.

Conversely, ERDF co-finances integration of electric networks of Niger; Benin; Togo; and Ghana., extending it towards Cote divoire.

Simply put, ERIBconcentrating on promoting the private sector and commercial sub-sectors in the ECOWAS zonegrants medium and long-term loans for commercial projects in all sectors; conversely ERDFspecializing in the disbursement of funds to the public sectorfinances basic economic infrastructure and poverty-alleviation projects. These include medium and long-term concessionary loans for basic infrastructure, as well as economic and social projects in member states.

Ghana and EBID

Although Ghana has a good working relationship with the regional finance arm of ECOWAS, it is arguable that as recently as five years ago, the relationship could not have been stronger.

EBID came closer to home in Ghana when in May 2011, no less than the-then Minister of Finance, Dr.Kwabena Duffour, elected Chairman of the governing board of the ECOWAS Bank for Development and Investment (EBID) at the end of the banks ninth ordinary session in Accra. At the same meeting, Duffour said that in Ghana, EBID had financed private sector in the areas of hotel, infrastructure, engineering and social amenities.

With regard to the public sector, EBIDs interventions in Ghana include electrification of 114 communities in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions to the tune of $30 million; modernization of the headquarters of the Ghana national fire Service at the cost of $15 million.

In October 2011, Ghana News Agency reported that EBID was negotiating with Chinese banks to raise $1.5 billion to finance infrastructure projects in four French-speaking countries. It further reported that in July 2011, EBID signed a credit line of $150 million with India for various projects in member states. The Accra meeting was likely to also appoint a new president of the bank, as well as set new limits in authorized capital for the bank.

In 2015, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development agreed to give a $ 20 million credit facility towards the construction of an ultra-modern shopping mall that would serve as a one-stop shop in Kumasi, the capital of Ghanas Ashanti region.

The signing of the loan agreement preceded the official launch of the project which was scheduled to be executed in two phases.

Phase one of the project sited on a 13.8- acre land involves the construction of a shopping mall, cinema and water park and is expected to be ready by December 2016.

EBID President, Bashir Ifo, said everything will be done to lift the people in the sub-region out of poverty and transform their economic situation.

Ifo further-maintained evidence of EBIDs role could be seen from the Banks assistance in areas of infrastructure, agriculture and private sector development.

In September 2016, to increase the volume of its mortgages, lead mortgage provider, Ghana Homes Loans, signed a US$10million loan agreement with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

The agreement was signed for Ghana Home Loans by its CEO Dominic Adu, and for the ECOWAS Bank by its President, Bashir Mamman.

Mr Adu expressed his company's gratitude to the bank for the loan which, he said, will increase the company's capacity to make the dreams of many Ghanaians to own their own homes come true.

He described the impact of the loan as being "immeasurable," saying it would enable the writing of approximately 300 home loans which will provide shelter for approximately 1,500 individuals.

Significance

These are but two mere examples of the instrumentality of EBID in member States development. The Bank has also promised to grow the economies and create jobs in the sub-region.

A fact-sheet detailing the operations of the bank revealed that, since it began operation in 2004, it has made available a total of $1.77 billion towards the implementation of 177 projects in the member states.

Only earlier this month, EBID signed an MoU with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

Signing of the agreement took place in Khartoum, Sudan between representatives of both organisations.

Director General of BADEA, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, signed for the Arab Bank, while Marcel A. de Souza, ECOWAS Commission President signed for the regional body.

The MoU will see the BADEA fund an ECOWAS Centre on Training and Capacity Building for Development in Lome, Togo as well as support the financial capacity of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

Other aspects of the MoU include development of rural electrification through solar energy in ECOWAS Member States; support for the implementation of the strategic guidelines of the ECOWAS Industrial Policy; Support for the construction of appropriate referral hospitals for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

In an attempt to help strengthen the financial capacity of EBID, the agreement called for BADEA to conduct an immediate assessment of two separate lines of credit for EBID as follows.

First, an initial credit line of USD 15 million will help contribute to the funding of private sector projects, and a second credit line of USD 30 million to provide funding for ECOWAS Member States imports from Arab countries.

In addition, the ECOWAS Commission will capitalize on this new relationship to make mini-solar plants available to rural populations in the sub-region to increase access to electricity, alongside encouraging production, conservation and processing of local agricultural products.

Training will form a significant part of the relationship. In this respect, the ECOWAS Commission will soon submit to BADEA a request for a technical and economic feasibility study on rural electrification through solar energy in ECOWAS Member States.

Finally, there will be support for the construction of appropriate referral health facilities for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Given the negative impacts of epidemics such as haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Lassa, and others) on ECOWAS Member States populations as well as difficulties in treating cancer cases in the sub-region, BADEA is prepared to support ECOWAS Member States for the construction of appropriate referral health facilities.

In the final analysis, these new developments by ECOWAS finance arm give vent to hope that after national considerations, it is possible to make Africa and the sub-region more self-sufficient than it had previously been. Obstacles in raising finance, notwithstanding, it is arguable that EBID will continue to play a pivotal role in ECOWAS integration efforts, and we are going to see a lot more of its interventions as the sub-regional organisation heads towards its fiftieth anniversary in 2025.

In 2009, in his capacity as a Do More Talk Less Ambassador of the 42nd Generationan NGO that promotes and discusses Pan-Africanism--Emmanuel gave a series of lectures on the role of ECOWAS and the AU in facilitating a Pan-African identity. Emmanuel owns "Critiquing Regionalism" Established in 2004 as an initiative to respond to the dearth of knowledge on global regional integration initiatives worldwide, this non-profit blog features regional integration initiatives on MERCOSUR/EU/Africa/Asia and many others. You can reach him on [email protected] / Mobile: +233.268.687.653.
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Key dates in the 22-year regime of Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia with an iron fist since 1994 and is seeking a fifth term at an election Thursday.

A bloodless coup

On July 22, 1994, Jammeh, then aged 29, leads a group of young army officers in the bloodless overthrow of Dawda Jawara, Gambia's first president who has been in power for nearly 30 years. Jammeh is made chairman of an Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council and bans political activity. A coup is foiled in November and numerous attempted bids to overthrow him are reported in the following years.

Return to civilian rule

On September 26, 1996, Jammeh wins a presidential election but observers express doubts about the transparency of the vote.

On January 2, 1997, legislative elections won by Jammeh's party complete the return to civilian rule after 29 months of the military regime.

Jammeh is re-elected three times, in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

Attack on presidential palace

On December 30, 2014, Jammeh's forces foil a heavily-armed attack by disaffected soldiers on the presidential palace in the capital Banjul, while the leader is visiting Dubai.

Three soldiers accused of being involved in the attack are sentenced to death, and three others to life in prison after a secret trial before a military tribunal, according to Amnesty International and the military.

Clampdown on opposition

On April 14, 2016, a senior figure in Gambia's main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Solo Sandeng, is arrested by riot police when leading a demonstration for political reform. He dies in custody.

Two days later, a second round of demonstrations takes place, with supporters demanding answers over Sandeng's death. Security forces clamp down on demonstrators and arrest UDP chief Ousainou Darboe, a human rights lawyer, and other party leaders.

On July 20, Darboe and about 30 other co-accused are sentenced to three years in jail for six offences relating to the April 16 protest.

On August 23, UDP official Ebrima Solo Kurumah dies in custody, the second opposition figure to die in detention this year.

'Murder'

On May 28, 2016 Amnesty International accuses the regime of "murder" and criticises the passivity of Gambia's West African neighbours over the deteriorating rights situation.

On November 2, Human Rights Watch says intimidation of opposition parties, media repression and politicised security forces have "all but extinguished" the chance of a free and fair election on Thursday.
PATE ISLAND (Kenya) (AFP) - Ahmed Ali Mohamed snorkels over sea grass and coral, keeping an eye out for different fish species darting through the waters below him.

But his job is not to catch the fish -- as his family has done for generations -- instead he only counts them.

Mohamed is one of the first former fishermen to be retrained as a ranger monitoring the health of the reef off Pate Island in southeastern Kenya, where fortunes are dwindling as fast as the fish in the sea.

Pate's fishermen have plied the inshore waters for generations but must now adapt to survive as -- like coastal people around the world -- they learn the hard way that the ocean is not an endless resource.

"The community's population has grown with time and we all depend on the ocean alone for a living," said Mohamed, 45, a former lobster fisherman.

"Before people would go into the waters and come back with a big catch of fish... but now they don't even come back with enough to feed their own families."

The stakes are high for the island, the largest in the idyllic Lamu archipelago.

Fishing became the main source of income after tourism collapsed following a spate of kidnappings by pirates in 2011 and an increase of attacks by Shabaab militants on the mainland.

Community leaders fear the effects of worsening poverty as the fish run out in this mainly Muslim region which neighbours Somalia and has suffered generations of marginalisation by successive governments.

"When it comes to a point where people have nothing to do, no income, (and) increase in poverty, people will have no option but to end up joining bad groups like Al-Shabaab," said Atwas Swabir, the chairman of Pate's marine reserve.

Fishermen target reefs

Fishing became the main source of income after tourism collapsed near Kenya's Pate Island following a spate of kidnappings by pirates in 2011 and an increase of attacks by Shabaab militants on the mainland

Poverty is already entrenched. On the mangrove-fringed island, electricity only reached the torpid fishing village of Faza two months ago. Dozens of children loiter on the shore while donkeys nibble at flotsam in the water and scrawny, diseased cats yowl for scraps when the fishermen come in.

Swabir says many of these children will end up as fishermen "whether they like it or not" so finding new ways to make fishing sustainable without destroying the environment for future generations is essential.

"Fishing is not just an income generating activity, it is a lifestyle," said local fisheries director Kamalu Sharif. "You cannot remove a fisherman and take him to the farm."

Close to where Mohamed takes careful notes on an underwater writing slate, traditional wooden dhows work in tandem to drag a large tight-mesh net over the reef scooping up everything in its wake, including young fish, and breaking off bits of sensitive coral.

The reefs teem with fish who are lured there for breeding, making them an easy and vulnerable target for fishermen.

"That is where breeding happens, that is where (fish) lay their eggs. The fishermen are directly targeting those reefs," said Juliet King, an advisor to Kenya's Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a conservation organisation.

The reef ranger programme, funded by the US-based Nature Conservancy, is aimed at helping fishermen manage their resources better, using a method akin to crop rotation to encourage sequential fishing of the reef giving different areas a chance to recover.

Former fishermen turned marine ecosystem rangers take notes on a pad after snorkelling to observe the health of the coral reef in the Indian ocean's channel off Pate island at the Lamu archipelago, on Kenya's coast

However, the long-term plan is for fishermen to move away from the sensitive reef entirely. Currently, they only use a fraction of the more than 200 nautical miles of waters available to them.

"We are trying to encourage (the fishermen) to extend their fishing range to slightly deeper waters and in less exploited areas and that way we will be tackling this big problem of overfishing," said George Maina, Marine Project Coordinator for the Nature Conservancy.

Lending the project more urgency is the nearby construction of a major new port, a boon for development that spells doom for the livelihoods of around 4,000 fishermen if they remain inshore, say local officials.

Further out, they can catch larger, more valuable fish, but that requires ice for storage and a market at which to sell them.

New methods, bigger earnings

Testing a new initiative, dhows set off from Pate at night with ice boxes on board. In the deeper waters beyond the reef, they will fish with a hook and line instead of nets.

The next day, the prized catch of snapper, tuna and emperor fish is whisked to a nearby hotel -- which has rented a freezer to the fishermen -- before being sent on to upmarket restaurants and lodges across Kenya.

The reef ranger programme is aimed at helping fishermen manage their resources better, using a method akin to crop rotation to encourage sequential fishing of the reef giving different areas a chance to recover

Taking part in this pilot programme, Mohamed Mwanaheri, 40, says he has more than doubled his earnings.

"People need to be informed so that the community can know there is a ready market (and) change their outdated fishing methods," he said.

Fuzz Dyer, an advisor to NRT and the owner of the hotel where the fish is frozen, reckoned Pate's fishermen could land 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of high-quality fish a day if they are helped to change their methods and access the market.

The alternative, Dyer warned, is disaster with overfishing leaving the reef barren.

"People are just raping the bottom of the ocean," he said.
With barely a week to the general elections, an Independent Parliamentary Candidate for the Ho Central constituency, Edwin Lotsu Tukpeyi, has intensified his campaign activities with songs composed to woo lovers of the various genre of music.

The Businessman and a Former Field Service Officer of the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations, who started his campaign with just a single campaign song, now has more than five songs composed for him by some burgeoning artistes from the constituency.

The songs span through the various genre of music including Kalypso, Gospel, Afropop, RnB and the local Zigi of the Ewes.

The songs, which have major play on his Radio Station Hope FM, 93.1MHz, and in Information Vans moving through the communities daily, is gradually catching up with the young and old as they sing along regradless of where they belong politically.

Edwin Tukpeyi is in the race to occupy the Parliamentary seat in the second most populous constituency in the Volta Region after Ketu South, together with the incumbent Ben Kpodo of the NDC, NPP's Ernest Gaewu ,PPP's Confidence Adediah, as well as Franklin Kordzo Amudzi and Tay Perry of the PNC and CPP respectively.

In an interview with citifmonline.com, the 58 year old entrepreneur was grateful for the overwhelming patronage of his campaign songs and the electorates' support for his candidature.

Edwin Tukpeyi has vowed to unseat the incumbent Ben Kpodo with a wide margin.

He promised to support young businesses in the constituency and promote entrepreneurship when elected on December 7.



By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Hunters registered 196,785 deer killed in Wisconsin during this years nine-day gun hunt, according to preliminary figures from the state Department of Natural Resources.

That number is down about 1,200 from last years hunt, but the DNR reported an increase of nearly 6 percent in buck kills from last year, with 97,892 bucks killed.

Since 2007, the total number of deer killed during the nine-day gun deer hunt has shown a downward trend.

Hunters took just more than 350,000 deer in 2007, while the numbers topped 200,000 from 2010 to 2013 and dropped to about 195,000 the past three years, according to DNR data.

Sawyer Briel, DNR policy and communication coordinator, said he was unable to point to one explanation for the lower total this year, but windy conditions during the hunts first weekend could have been a factor.

Between 50 and 60 percent of the overall deer kill happens on opening weekend, said Kevin Wallenfang, DNR big game ecologist.

Since 2007, 2016 had the smallest margin between the number of bucks and antlerless deer killed during the nine-day gun hunt.

While the number of bucks killed is the highest its been since 2012, when 110,906 were killed, the number of antlerless deer killed was at its lowest, at 98,893, based on data from the DNR. From 2007 to 2015, antlerless deer kills annually surpassed 100,000.

Wallenfang said the buck harvest is the most important when the DNR evaluates its deer population trends. Thats because theres so much variance in the number of antlerless deer permits counties issue to hunters every year.

Numbers also varied regionally. Of the states management regions, the Northern Forest was the only one that reported increases in the number of bucks and antlerless deer killed, at 30 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

The Central Forest zone had a 2 percent decrease in bucks and a 2 percent decrease in antlerless; the Central Farmland zone experienced a 1.4 percent increase in bucks and an 8.2 percent decrease in antlerless; and the Southern Farmland zone had a 3.4 percent decrease in bucks and a 10 percent decrease in antlerless.

There are still more opportunities to hunt deer this season, Briel said.

Muzzleloader season runs through Dec. 7, and archery season through Jan. 8. Theres also a four-day antlerless-only hunt Dec. 8-11, and the annual holiday hunt Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 in select counties.
30.11.2016 LISTEN

When osagefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah led the civil revolution that emacipated Ghana from the control of the, never did he envisage the destiny that awaited him and is homeland. Afer the overthrow of nkrumah's regime, Ghana was plagued with sociopolitical instabilities that marred the beauty of our new found freedom. However stability was restored with the ushering in of the fourth republic. The country decided to embrace the utopian idealogies of multiparty democracy.

Democracy conceptually ought to give power to the people. Unfortunately the establishment of Ghana's democratic principles in the fourth republic were embedded on deep rooted ethnocentric partisan political affiliations. The ghanaian society refuses to recognized that ghana has never been united as a nation should be. Every facet of life has been consitently and unabatedly politicized. Democracy which we practised in essence has metamorphosized into kleptocracy and the political elite have the capacities and capabilities the hold the country captive.

Our culture seems to be incapable of assimilating the basic principles of democracy. Intolerance at least at the political level has become the norm of the day. Day in day out, stories of clashes at political events are being reported by the media. Yet as a sleeping giant we are, we turn blind eye to the looming and insidious political political instability that beckons us.

For the past couple of decays ghana has held successful elections which saw power alternating between the two political parties. However during the electioneering periods, the country is always subject to an invisible hand of anxiety. People are always afraid of the outcomes of elections as far as violence is concerned. We always hear about our African neighbors experiencing conflicts as a result of elections, yet we pretend and assume to be immune to such skermishes. Is any country really immune to political instabilities?

Few days is left before we go to the polls to elect our new leader. There is not a day that passes by without we hearing of attacks at political health walks. Everyday the media covers stories clashes that take place between npp and ndc followers. Some Journalists are also responsible for some of this clashes be that the provide platforms for disparaging comments.

How can we as a nation feel safe when a day does not go by without the main opposition party accusing the electoral management body of trying to commit electoral crimes. The npp had 8 solid years to establish a robust identification system. Yet because they wanted to exploit the loops in the system they keept to the status quo. Why did the npp government failed to initiate and complete constitutional amendment which would absolve the president from appointing EC commissioners? They failed to do the right things yet the thinks they can arrogated to themselves the moral authority to hold the country to ransom. The current government had also failed to unite the country. Can you call yourselves a leader when your country is soo much polarized? Politics and ethnocentricism has created an artificial demarcation in this country.

2016 presidential election would leave a scar in the annals of history of Ghana. Civil insurrection is not far from the shores Ghana. Are we ready to die for politicians? Are we ready to see the sould of this nation ravage by war? Arab spring came and gone yet ghana stood still. Maybe as a nation we yearn for a type of arab spring. According to surveys, 65 to 67% of our brothers and sisters expected this election to be marred with electoral voilence. People are scared because the witness daily the ugly side of ethnocentric politics. The preside John mahama and his main contender nana addo go about campaigning without making any substantial effort to asure us that the election would be peaceful.

In fact how can they asure as when the conscious keeps pricking them. Peace council and other CSOs provided a platform for the parties to sign a peace pact to show Ghanaians that we are united. What became of that? It never came fruition with the lousy excuse that they are busy.

To make matters worse members of one party threatened to deal with their leaders should they dare sign the peace pact. They claimed that they want justice not peace. Can justice resurrect the dead? Can it? We are always eager to blame the ndc government for the woes of this country.

However we forget that npp is also party of the elite system deliberately established to oppress and suppress we the people. For 8 solid years npp administration was incapable of establishing a permanent identification system.

That is where the problem comes from. How can the EC rig the elections if we had a good identification system that captures everybody, those who are Ghanaians, foreigners, under-age and even be able to capture those who are dead. We have not functioning database yet we claim to want a perfect electoral system.

We as a nation create problems for ourselves, then we come back procrastinating. Ghana is at a pivotal point in it life-course. If we succede in this election then there might be hope for the future. At least only for the next for years unless we are able to do serious introspective and introspective analysis of our state and do the necessary changes.

I am not a prophet of doom and destruction but rather a vulnerable young man who is concerned about my home land, the bosom of dr. Nkrumah. I feel that the a high possibility that this nation would be plunged into civil conflicts if some stakeholders find the outcomes to be unfavorable. Peace cannot be bought in makola market yet war, pain and suffering lurks in the hidden shadows of darkness, waiting for hatred to be birthed by ethnocentric politics. Ghana has not experience war before. The time has come to choose where we want to go.The only think I do as young man can do is to ask a simple questions. ARE WE READY FOR WAR OR DO WE WAR TO CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE TOGETHER.

King David Dzirasah

Unversity of Cape Coast

Department of Population and Health

Student
30.11.2016 LISTEN

According to William Arthur; Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. It was in line with the above quote that Patriotic Ambassadors for Peace (PAP) had a National Conference and Fundraising Dinner not only to raise funds, but also to honour the very people who have been the financial backbones of the Group's activities.

The date was Saturday, November 26, 2016 and the venue was Penwood Hotel, Accra. By 8pm, all the dignitaries had taken their seats and after the opening prayer was said, videos of PAP's outreach programmes were shown to the delight of the participants. At 8:20pm, Miss Doreen Dombo was asked to introduce the Chairperson for the programme and this is what was said about her.

 She's been a stalwart member of the NPP and UK Branch since 1992.

 She has also been the backbone of PAP and has served in every office of PAP: Chairperson of Policy Think Tank, chief fundraiser, member of the National Council just to name a few.

 Her passionate dedication to promoting peace and funding part of all PAP's outreaches is inspiring and cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

 We have evidence that she has personally donated campaign items to several NPP PCs without making it public - 106 boxes to Bole Bamboi, 16 boxes to PAP, motorbike, 1000 posters each to both Jirapa & Ellembelle Constituencies.

 Her generosity to mankind is beyond bounds and even in pains, she works like a 'robot' for the sake of her Party, mankind and Country.

 It has become a problem to many party faithful as what description they think fits her. One school of thought argues that, she is the 'Yaa Asantewaa' of our time, but others describe her as the "Mother Teresa" of NPP all because of her generosity and sense of humour.

 She is a professional chef and holds Diploma in Counselling, Management in Hospitality as well as Advanced Cake Decoration.

 She was a BECTU union representative under BBC and worked at BBC for over 18 years without any blemish. No wonder, she received EUREST/ COMPASS GROUP employee award in 2006 for her distinguished service.

 For those of us in PAP, we see her as capable, confident, fair and firm woman whose desire to see Nana Addo as president, come January 7, cannot be doubted.

 But what the gathering here probably don't know is that, this woman is not doing all the good things for her personal gains or future position in the Party.

 As the first grand daughter of the late Chief SD Dombo - the man who sacrificed his presidential ambition for the sake of our beloved Political Tradition and Country, this woman has a lot to share with us as she steers the affairs of this important event.

 Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ... Mrs. Irene Ponu-Brenyah, as the Chairperson of PAP's National Conference and Fundraising Dinner.

 Let's welcome her with a big round of applause.

As Irene stepped forward to take her seat, there were tears of joy as many could not believe she could come all the way from London to chair this important programme. But, that is how Irene works when she actually believes in a good cause.

After delivering a brilliant speech urging all participants to work harder for victory in December, Irene donated a cash of GHC5,000 toward the fundraising. Again, she personally presented special awards to PAPers who distinguished themselves in the course of the year.

Later, Irene received a standing ovation from the participants and in showing our appreciation to her, the National Coordinator of PAP, Katakyie Opoku Agyemang, on behalf of PAP leadership, gave two plaques and a certificate of appreciation to Mrs. Ponu-Breyah for her commitment, exemplary leadership and financial contribution to PAP and NPP.

Touched by the legacy of her grand father and other people who have influenced her life, Irene dedicated the first award jointly to the late Chief SD Dombo, her late mother Henrietta Hawa Dombo-Ponu and her sweet Auntie, Mrs. Paula Grace Eledi who took care of her from infancy. She also dedicated second award to her cousins, sibblings and more importantly, Mr John Amihere who has been her mentor. Irene did not forget about her nuclear family so she dedicated her third award to her better-half, Mr. Fred Brenyah and her two lovely two daughters, Phillipa and Henrietta.

Other Distinguished PAPers who received awards for their financial commitment and loyalty to PAP and NPP were Messrs Emmanuel Obeng, Michael Amoh, Hon. Clement Eledi (former Deputy Minister), Adu Gyamfi, Derek Paa Nii Kwaku Nkansah, Alhaji Mohammed Adams, Kat. Kwadwo Opoku Adomoko, Jacaboba, Augustine Manu, Richard Asare, Akora, George Asomaning, Cecilia Appiah and Emmanuel Owusu Mensah. Certificates of honour were also given to PAPers who participated in our outreach programmes.

Apart from the cash and material donations given to PAP by the Invited Guests, PAP also received solidarity messages from the National Volunteer Coordinator, Mr. Andrew Frimpong as well as the NPP-UK Branch Secretary, Dr. John Kissi.

In short, the programme was very successful due to the massive attendance, calibre of dignitaries, quality of solidarity messages and the amount of money raised to support the Election Day activities of our great party, the NPP.
Lets face it, though, Ghana may never realise any meaningful economic advancement, so long as the current economic managers are struggling badly to come up with advantageous policies and sadly hiding behind the easily done infrastructural projects.

If you may recall, prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections, President Mahama and his NDC Party besought the good people of Ghana for the electoral mandate, and in return, they guaranteed everyone protection of life, property, provision of social amenities, better socio-economic standards of living and to a certain extent liberty.

Moreover, President Mahama and his NDC Party gave a cornucopia of Manifesto promises, inter alia, making dumsor a thing of the past, putting money in Ghanaians pocket, creating more jobs for the jobless, stabilising the economy, protecting Ghanaians from the menaces of galamsey and Fulani herdsmen, bringing an end to dubious judgement debt payments, fighting the rampant sleaze and corruption, working with lean government, getting rid of the filth in Accra within 100 days, introducing free SHS, implementing one-time NHIS premium etc.

Consequently, the good people of Ghana were somehow magnetised by NDCs Party Manifesto promises and then gave them the needed electoral mandate in the 2008 and 2012 general elections.

It was then left with President Mahama and his government to honour their part of the social contract by implementing their Manifesto promises.

It is, therefore, necessary to stress that social contract is an important aspect in human existence. Social contract theorist, Thomas Hobbes, for example, observed: Man has a natural desire for security and order. In order to secure self-protection and self-preservation, and to avoid misery and pain, man entered into a contract.

This idea of self-preservation and self-protection are inherent in mans nature and in order to achieve this, they voluntarily surrendered their rights and freedoms to some authority by this contract, who must command obedience.

As a result of this contract, the mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property.

Even though President Mahama and his NDC Party promised prior to the 2008 and 2012 general elections that they were going to put money in Ghanaians pockets, they turned their back on the electorates after clasping the ultimate power.

All the same, the impoverished Ghanaians rightly queried President Mahama over his failed promise. President Mahama then bizarrely turns round and replies: there is no president on this planet (earth) that will physically put cash in peoples pockets (See: No president will put money in your pocket-Mahama; atinkaonline.com/ghanaweb.com, 13/10/2016).

Dear reader, tell me, if this does not amount to dishonesty, what is it then? Since when did President Mahama and his NDC government realise that its not the government that will put money in peoples pockets?

Again, President Mahama and his government failed abysmally to provide the youth of Ghana the jobs they promised in their Manifesto. The youth wondered why. His Excellency President Mahama shockingly retorts: where are your employable skills and qualifications? So dont you lots know that you lack the requisite employable skills and qualifications?

If you may also recall, the NDC Party promised not to pay any dubious judgement debt. However, they went ahead and paid dubious judgement debt in a tune of over GH850million to people who had no entitlement, including the dubious payment to Wayome.

Given that the mass degradation of our rural areas by the recalcitrant illegal miners is a bother to all discerning Ghanaians; it was a welcome news when President Mahama and his NDC Party promised to thwart the activities of the illegal miners. However, President Mahama failed to honour his promise once again.

Clearly, President Mahama is wholly unaware of the seriousness of the destruction in our rural areas, hence his refusal to circumscribe the activities of the unscrupulous illegal miners.

In addition, President Mahama and his NDC government promised strongly that they were going to get rid of the filthy conditions in the streets of Accra within 100 days. They failed to do so. Ghanaians complained and they lividly retorted: stop being a nation of grumblers. Filth has been in existence since Adams era. It cannot be cleared in just 100 days.

That is called dishonesty. How do you then trust such individuals to turn Ghanas fortunes around?

K. Badu, UK.
I refuse to read this piece with a political lens and hope you do, too. Dr. Pul, in this piece, deconstructed the tag northerner and the noun inferior in a well nuanced manner. His op-ed is a thorough reflection on the worth of Northerners in our political dispensation. Here are Dr. Puls thoughts as culled from his Facebook page. He said:

I have followed the stories of what President Mahama is reported to have said in respect of Dr. Bawumias role as a mere pawn in the hands of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). I have also followed the stream of justifications and condemnations that have added fuel to our political excitements. I have also followed stories about a tape recording in Twi that is seeking to confirm how one group looks down on Northerners and will forever keep and use them as vassals or at best second fiddles in their political game plans. Under normal circumstances, I would have taken the advice of a friend who recommended dismissal of all of the above as the product of mediocre minds seeking to reduce the intelligence of others to their levels in order to make their own thinking shine.

As a northerner, however, I actually feel more insulted by anyone who wants to make me believe that I, as a northerner, must know, believe, and accept that some group of people consider me by reason only of my ethnicity and/or place of birth. I feel strongly insulted by the idea that someone actually wants me to believe that I cannot be what I want to be in this country on my own right and merit but that I must rely on some accident or the gratuitous acts of others to be what I ought to be. As a person, I know that anybody can project himself or herself as superior to another; but that feeling only materializes into real subordination when and only when those on whom the inferior status is conferred accept and live with the terms and conditions of inferiority. As a northerner who has lived, schooled, and worked in this country, I have never felt inferior to anyone - white, brown, or black; northerner, easterner, southerner, or westerner, under any circumstances. I have taught all who look to me for guidance not to buy into any crap on northern inferiority. So the least I expected from northern leaders, and particularly, the sitting President who is the second northerner to occupy that seat of honor, is to tell us the northerners that we ought to accept that we are inferior beings in the eyes of others; that such people will use us as their slaves and scapegoats and dump us as they wish; and that we should expect not to be given a dogs chance in certain arenas. Such attempts to construct and perpetuate an inferiority complex among people that one purports to lead out of their conditions of relative deprivation is not only the litmus test of leadership failure on the part of the proponents of such views; it betrays how such leaders would like to perpetuate such mental enslavements of their own people so that they can then exploit their fears and resentments arising from such blockages for their own political ends as and when they need them. It is an exploitation of the principles of self-fulfilling prophecies in which people are made to be what they believe they are because that is what has been suggested to them.

In sum, I feel gravely insulted by the view that, as a northerner, I and my brothers, sisters, and children are being made to accept and live with the worldview that northerners cannot compete on their own merits for the highest office in Ghana via the medium of a political party unless they get help from the death of a sitting President or are wave-carried in no-contest acclamations by their political party kingmakers without a test of their competencies against those of other candidates. That view is an insult to the memory of Dr. Hilla Limann who demonstrated that a northerner can compete and win the Presidency of this country on his or her own merit. Indeed, the fact that Limann ran and won the elections against a field of Akan candidates (Victor Owusu, Paa Willie and others) is proof that any northerner worth his mettle can stand and win elections in this country without the help of accidents or recourse to arousing ethnic sentiments. It is proof that any worthy northerner has every good chance of attracting the support of a broad range of Ghanaians to become President of this country.

I reject the fallacy that Vice Presidents are automatic heirs to the Presidency at the end of the tenure of the President under whom they served. Just because Alhaji Aliu Mahama was not successful in his bid to become Presidential candidate of his party after serving as Vice-President does not foreclose the opportunity for all and any northerner from using the same trajectory to become President in the party in which Aliu Mahama served. Indeed, I venture to argue that much of the turmoil that the NPP may have gone through in the run-up to this years election can be read to be precisely because some people within and outside the party may have seen Dr. Bawumia as a credible successor to the Presidency after a Nana Akufo Addo tenure, and therefore, a threat to their ambitions. Rather than being a negative for northerners, I would take this to mean Dr. Bawumia has done justice for the north by elevating himself into the status of a credible contender for the presidency down the lane.

On the counter, I would further argue that if President Mills had left office under normal circumstances, there is no guarantee that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would have automatically transitioned leadership of the party to John Mahama. There is history to guide us; When JJ Rawlings left office with Atta Mills as vice-president, he had to resort to the famous Swedru declaration to impose Mills as a successor, and by that the automatic heir to the presidential candidature on the NDC ticket in the year 2000. We have records to show that the NDC witnessed internal dissention when this happened; an indication that but for the dictatorial imposition of Prof. Mills, there were people in the NDC who would have contested him for the candidature. In subsequent years, didnt Professor Mills, the baptized successor to JJ Rawlings, have to contest other candidates for the right to lead the party into the 2004 and 2008 elections? Dont we remember what happened in Koforidua and Sunyani in the run-up to the 2004 and 2008 elections? Is it because President Mahama believes Ghanaians have short memories that is why he thinks no one in the north in particular would remember these less than peaceful, less than equalizing approaches to succession in the NDCs history and see through the self-serving misinformation he is perpetrating?

By the way, since President Mahama is reported to have made his statement while campaigning in the Upper West Region, it may have served him well if he knew that if today the Upper West is a region, it is by dint of the love and hard work of southerners, specifically Akans, not by anyone else. It was under the leadership of General I.K Acheampong that all the structures currently constituting the administrative units for the Upper West Region were built. And they were built because Mr. Ampafo, an Akyem who was the Regional Administrative Officer (RAO) of the then Upper Region labored day and night to push the idea that the Upper Region needed to be split and he secured the resources through his strong influence in the government of the day to initiate the construction of the building. If J.J Rawlings declared the creation of the Upper West Region in 1983 or so, he was simply the midwife, not the mother of the baby. Therefore, he cannot own the baby.

In sum, it would help the President a good deal in the eyes of northerners if his communicators stopped fooling themselves any further in thinking that all northerners are suffering from dementia or amnesia. We know our history; and that history would guide us in the choices we make. You can fool all the people some of the time; you can fool some of the people all the time; but you cant fool all the people all the time. A word to the wise is in the north! (Pul, 2016)

Culled and presented by:

Cletus D Kuunifaa

TMC Group

Can be contacted at [email protected] , [email protected] or follow him on [email protected]

Work Cited

Pul, H. (2016). I refuse to be re-educated as an inferior Northerner. Retrieved Nov. 28, 2016

from https://www.facebook.com/hippolyt.pul/posts/10154780779472658
30.11.2016 LISTEN

Zimbabwe stands to gain a lot from the spread of secular values in the country because faith groups are taking advantage of the dire economic situation to further exploit the people and undermine their potentials. And this has to stop. Some secular minded individuals who are concerned about this dangerous trend are beginning to organize.

They are working to create a secular platform for dialogue with other faith organisations, challenge religious privilege and tackle the abuse and exploitation of persons by churches and their self-acclaimed prophets and pastors.

Recently I spoke to Fred, a secular activist in this southern African nation and he told me that the Constitution mentions that Zimbabwe is a Christian country. Although he noted that there were sections that guaranteed secular values such freedom of religion or belief. This is not peculiar to Zimbabwe. In Nigeria, the constitution guarantees freedom of religion but in muslim majority states, sharia law is in force and religious minorities suffer discriminations. Fred stressed that one sector that needed secular attention in Zimbabwe is the schools:

The education system is also religious and the government recently attempted to ban religious activities in government schools, not for secular reasons but for political ones, but they never succeeded. The government wanted to replace school prayers with the national anthem. Apart from religious devotion, Fred noted: They also teach creationism in primary school under the colonial syllabus (yes they still use the Rhodesian system) under a discipline known as content, science, pseudo-science and religion are taught side by side.

Fred drew my attention to the fact that one church in Zimbabwe was denying children vaccines: In the Marange area and in many other districts, we have the John Marange African Apostolic faith that denies children vaccines or any medical care, they have been experiencing very high infant mortality rates and children are dying because of that. This secular group plans to wage a campaign against this.

One other pressing issue is the practice of all night prayers. Fred says this practice has a harmful impact on the health and well-being of children because parents who take their children to this activity deny and deprive them of sleep. This is a norm in Zimbabwe, he says, almost every family goes for all night prayers.

Furthermore, this secular movement in Zimbabwe plans to tackle witchcraft accusations. Fred said: witch hunts still go on in African Apostolic faith churches. They abuse several people, make people drink sewage water including children.

Fred is a university graduate and during his university days, he interned with an NGO. He witnessed firsthand how religious dogma was holding back development in the areas of education, health and the rule of law. He stated:

Development in Zimbabwe has slackened mainly because of corruption and one of the most common forms of corruption is a special type of religious denominational selection. For instance, every Zimbabwean in Mutare knows that you won't get a job at Edgars if you do not go to Makandiwa's church. Church has become the platform to access business and employment opportunities

Fred is also concerned about the mix of religion and politics:

Another issue is that our religious leaders are involved in politics. I mentioned earlier about the John Marange sect, there are several more including Paul Mwazha who actively endorses ZANU PF. Mugabe has stayed in power for 36 years partly because of this. Ezekiel Guti of ZAOGA also endorses the dictatorship and his resurrecting fame gains him popular appeal. Magaya of PHD ministries actually gave Grace Mugabe $50 000 for her birthday, people in Zimbabwe are not guided by rationality or economic or human rights concerns when they vote. Lastly, religion has a great impact on human development in Zimbabwe. I believe we have the lowest scientific literacy rate in the world because of religion, and innovation is low because everyone is not living in reality but thinking about a Jerusalem they have never been to yet. The secular group plans to address these issue and more as part of their program to realize a free, tolerant and secular society.

Fred thinks that secularism has a critical role to play in the intellectual emancipation of Zimbabweans:

If a secular community is established and given a platform to voice its concerns, given an opportunity to grow, maybe the politicians are going to notice and consider our concerns. Secularism will raise concerns that have never been raised in Zimbabwe, fact checking in academic syllabi, religious denomination based employment. The secular movement will introduce a world view that will lead to intellectual liberation in the country.

The secular movement in Zimbabawe surely has its job cut out for it. And I hope secular minded people in the country will rise up to this important challenge.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies has emphasised the importance of export diversification and industrialisation in Africa. He was speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was moderating the Africa Trade Week Panel Discussion on Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).

The session considered AGOA implementation over the remaining period of the legislation granting the trade preference up to 2025. It also reflected on the future of Africa-US trade relations beyond AGOA based on the type of trade arrangements that would support Africas regional integration agenda. Minister Davies said African countries need to increase their utilisation of the trade preferences granted by the United States (US) under AGOA to attract Foreign Direct Investments into priority sectors that are eligible under AGOA and that can favour industrialisation.

African countries should also ensure that there is alignment between AGOA and their development integration agenda, focus on their industrialisation and preserve policy space aimed at enhancing efforts to diversify their exports base and integrate supply chains so as to take advantage of market access opportunities under AGOA, added Minister Davies.

The Panel also highlighted the low levels of utilisation of AGOA trade preferences by eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. These are largely attributed to supply-side constraints, productive capacity constraints, onerous rules of origin requirements, lack of capacity to meet stringent sanitary and phytosanitary measures, labelling requirements in the US, as well as the fact that some products of export interest to the African countries are not covered under AGOA.

In terms of future US-Africa trade relations, the panel stated that the US is expected to advance a trading relationship based on reciprocity. Minister Davies noted that the US proposed a number of options for post AGOA trade relations. He indicated that these options need to be carefully considered by African countries to ensure that their developmental priorities are not compromised.

Panel members agreed that the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) that is currently under negotiation can be a driver of structural transformation for sustained economic growth and enhanced intra-Africa trade and investment in the continent.

Earlier in the Africa Trade Week programme, former South African Ambassador to WTO, Dr Faizel Ismail spoke on a coherent approach to achieving the African Unions Agenda 2063 through the CFTA. Ismail indicated that the success of the CFTA and the implementation of continents integration agenda would be dependent on the adoption of an inclusive approach. He indicated that there is a need for academics and civil society to be greater involved in trade policy formulation.

So they need to identify these challenges and opportunities for Africa. But they also need to become participants in the process of negotiating the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) so that the CFTA becomes a living process that includes the dynamics of both the different stakeholders on the ground and also that it is customised to the actual conditions and objectives of the people on the ground, he added.
For the attention of all the opposition parties and most especially the NPP, be aware of, and take it seriously, the following credible information gathered by a leading member of the Mahama Must Go (MMG) movement currently working on the ground. He is campaigning for Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP to win Election 2016 and also, relaying vital information needing public attention to Rockson Adofo in London to get them published on the Ghana internet news portals.

A very reliable and well-connected source, a publicly known 100% NDC activist who has been rejected by his own relatives for his political affiliations, but thanks to God a self-undisclosed NPP mole within the NDC circle, revealed this and other top secret information to the said member of the MMG.

According to him, President Mahama has arranged with the Interior and Defence Ministries to move heavily armed military personnel to all the polling stations in the NPP strongholds to threaten the electorates on the Election Day.

These soldiers detailed to man the polling stations will dress up as if they were going to war. They will wear war mufti, carry AK47 rifles and all the accoutrements needed by a soldier going to the war front. They will look very threatening. They will put up that threatening composure of a no-nonsense officer who is trigger-happy to shoot down anyone at the least provocation. They may cock their riffle and take aim but all are mere threats designed to scare people from coming out to vote.

They will actually not shoot anyone but just to scare off the voters to reduce the number of people coming out to queue to cast their vote. However, they have vowed to deal brutishly with anyone who may try to snatch a ballot box. They may not think twice before gunning down any such culprit.

Additionally, the NDC have paid twenty people C500 each to stand among the crowd at each polling station to watch developments with eagle eyes. They will mingle with the crowd unnoticed. They will be without the initial intention of causing commotion however, anything can happen.

The above are the tactics adopted by President Mahama and the NDC using the military and the taxpayers money in the false hope of tilting the scale of Election 2016 in their favour.

They will fail to achieve their aim because of the abundant mercies of God upon Ghanaians. God has already heard and answered the supplication to Him by the suffering Ghanaian masses for a change of government from NDC to NPP.

Therefore, I shall plead with all NPP faithful, sympathisers and anyone needing a change in government from President Mahama & NDC to Nana Akufo Addo & NPP to inform the electorates never to feel threatened by the presence of these soldiers who are on a mission to psychologically dissuade many voters from turning up to vote in the NPP strongholds.

As God has already taken his decision in favour of the suffering Ghanaian masses who need liberation from the unprecedentedly gargantuan corruption in orchestration and perpetration by President Mahama, every evil plan by the NDC to rig the election gets revealed in public.

Has the bible not said, Every evil weapon formed against me shall not prosper? No evil weapon formed against Nana Akufo Addo shall prosper.

I shall personally appeal to all the media houses, especially the foreign-based Ghanaian radio stations  Source radio UK, Hot Digital online FM UK, Abawaa radio UK, WBLS radio UK, Amansan radio etc., to please disseminate this information about the soldiers and encourage voters not to be scared when they see the soldiers.

I do not want to disclose any further details about the soldiers but hopefully, these junior ranks who have been given GHC 500 to GHC3, 000 per head may not after all be stupid as President Mahama takes them for.

A piece of advice to the soldiers being redeployed to scare off the electorates on the voting day, Wednesday 7 December 2016, please be it known to you as follows:

1. Your Commanding and Senior Officers have been given houses and V8 cars with huge sums of money by President Mahama but you, what have you got, GHC500 and are still expected to go out and do a dirty job that will bring curses and condemnations upon you and your families?

2. Are you happy about the corruption that President Mahama is practicing in Ghana, stealing our money to distribute among his family members, cronies, NDC radio phone-in serial callers etc. while the majority of Ghanaians live in total neglect an impoverishment?

3. Do you and your family members not suffer from the economic hardships, practice of selective justice and the lawlessness fondly brought to bear on Ghanaians by President Mahama and the NDC? The NDC guys always commit crimes with impunity. Is this the Ghana the soldiers wish for us and themselves?

4. Are you proud about the present Ghana where the NDC award contracts to their cronies and arranged create, loot and share contractors at tenfold the actual cost price of the contracts?

May God help Ghana!

Rockson Adofo
Everyone is anxious. The uncertainty and unpredictability that surrounds the 2016 General elections in Ghana has plunged businesses into a state of panic and conservation. In as much as they want to make the most of this season very close to Christmas, they are also very mindful of the challenges they face due to the impact of the elections. Jumia Travel , Africas leading online hotel booking website discusses some of the projected impacts the elections will have on the tourism and Hospitality industry.

1. Reduced inflow of tourists

The word elections is often surrounded by a general stigma of fear, chaos and anxiety. In every part of the world, the electioneering period is a brief period of dip in almost every sector of life. A lot of activities are put on hold and investors/businessmen are reluctant to travel or do business in such countries at this time. They often even analyse the effects of the election and wait till a while after the results are declared to make a move on their businesses.

The Tourism and hospitality industry also suffers greatly at this time. Ghana recorded a 15.5% increase in international tourist arrivals between 2009 and 2011, according to the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA). However, in 2012, which was an election year, the figures dwindled slightly and the number of international arrivals decreased by 10%.

2. Projected depreciation of the Ghana cedi

The appreciation of the US dollar at the expense of the Ghanaian Cedi in recent months can be attributed to several economic reasons. Although the Ghanaian Cedi has stood its own against other major foreign currencies, this trend is unlikely to continue as more and more Cedis are pumped into Ghanas economy to conduct and properly manage the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The likelihood that this will adversely affect Tourism in Ghana is high. The cost of many tourist destinations in Ghana will be seen as expensive when compared to other African countries. The cost of gate fares, food and other things that make tourists comfortable will come at a high cost. During such times, exports are reduced while the importation of goods is usually on the rise. General economic activities slow down which affects all other sectors with Tourism and Hospitality taking the heaviest hit since the festive season beckons and that usually is fertile ground for good business. Tourism is the 4th highest foreign exchange earner after gold, cocoa and oil.

3. Impulsive Travelling

During election years, planned travel is normally at a considerable low rate as compared to other years. Many people prefer to travel last minute and impulsively rather than plan weeks ahead. This may be due to the uncertainty of the general effects of the election or other economic factors. No matter the reason, travel and tour as well as hotel booking companies should be well equipped to handle last minute pressure through real time pricing, customer service support and other travel arrangements.

The closeness of the elections to the Christmas festivities also presents a tricky situation to many businesses in the Tourism and Hospitality industries. While these businesses want to provide discounts and strategies to attract more travelers into their hotels and restaurants, they are also mindful of the fact that over expectation may lead to huge losses via cost production and maintenance.

Ghana is a very peaceful country and aside the little expected pockets of violence that usually comes with elections, this year is expected to follow a similar trend by being free and fair. Dont be indecisive about travelling to Ghana . Christmas is close and it is definately a great time to visit the land of gold.
Nigerias Vice President Yemi Osinbajo officially launched a nation-wide Campaign to End Child Marriage at a ceremony in Abuja this morning, making Nigeria the 16th country to join the African Union Campaign.

With 49 per cent of Nigerian women married under the age of 18, according to latest figures from 2013, Nigeria has the worlds highest number of child brides.

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, together with partners UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, UNICEF and Save the Children, developed the Campaign in line with the Sustainable Development Goals that Nigeria has committed to achieve by 2030. One of the targets in these Goals calls for the elimination of all forms of harmful practices, including child marriage.

Child marriage threatens girls lives and health, and it limits their full potential, said Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, the Honourable Minister of Women and Social Development. Todays event, held during the globally-marked 16 days of Activism against Gender-based violence, is an attempt to provide a better future for our girls.

Early marriage and childbirth can be extremely harmful for girls. Girls under 18 are more likely to suffer from fistula, to die in childbirth and to give birth to stillborn babies. Children born to child mothers are more likely to suffer from stunting and wasting.

Child marriage varies with a girls education and the economic status of her family. Adolescent girls with no education tend to marry at an average of about 15 years, while age of marriage increase to 18 for girls with primary education. Average age of marriage for women with secondary education rises to about 21, when women are physically and emotionally better equipped for marriage and childbirth. Likewise, girls from the poorest households on average marry at age of 15, while girls from the wealthiest households marry at an average age of 23.

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development also launched the National Strategy to end child marriage, developed as a guideline to raise awareness about and address the harmful impact of child marriage. The report advocates for policies and actions that protect girls human rights and remove barriers to law enforcement.

The campaign launched today is a call to action. It is an attempt to save the lives of adolescent girls pressed into marriage too early, many of whom become pregnant and are at a higher risk of complications in pregnancy or childbirth, said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, on behalf of the United Nations in Nigeria, These complications are a leading cause of death among adolescents girls in countries like Nigeria; a cause of death that is unnecessary and unacceptable, he added.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has warned that it will not license financial institutions that do not meet the criteria set out by the bank.

There are concerns that the number of banks in Ghana may shoot up next year as more banks line up to secure licenses from the regulator.

Even though there are currently 32 banks in the country, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah speaking at the launch of OmniBank urged the governor of the central bank to license Ghanaian banks that meet all requirements to help create jobs.

But reacting to the request, the Head of Banking Supervision at the Bank of Ghana, Raymond Amanfu disclosed that the central bank has in certain times declined some financial institutions that do not meet the requirements.

According to him, the bank has always applied the rules and regulations fairly across board to maintain sanity in the banking sector.

We are not stopping licensing of new banks neither are we giving everybody who comes for a license, there are some license we have declined because they don't meet the criteria so the fact that somebody comes and say I want a license, it is not automatic, he said.

Stressing the central bank's role in shaping the industry, Mr. Amanfu explained that the industry is very important to the sustainability of the economy.

He pointed out that, the banking sector serves the monetary needs, hence stakeholders must be allowed to compete to determine the number of banks in the country.

He stated that the central bank cannot cap the number of banks since it currently do not have such powers.

It's not the question of how many banks, it is a question of how strong the banks are and when you have competition it will drive it down, he noted.



By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews/Ghana
The Next Einstein Forum (NEF) ( http://NEF.org ) and the Government of Rwanda yesterday hosted the second NEF Ministerial Meeting to leverage research networks and funding mechanisms to drive Africas long term progress. Under the theme, Collaborative Global Research Networks: Implementing Essential Actions, the meeting reviewed three important themes arising from the first ministerial meeting held in Dakar, Senegal in March 2016.

After a successful first meeting in Dakar earlier this year, this meeting sought to develop concrete proposals around three initiatives: Increasing the number of PhDs, creating and structuring the Africa Research Chair Initiative (ARCI) and developing mechanisms to harness research mobility within Africa. We want to thank the delegations from Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and hosts Rwanda for participating in these important discussions. The NEF will review recommendations arising from this meeting and propose a concrete road map. We believe innovation led transformation in Africa cannot be sustainable outside of research, and were working with African governments, learning institutions and the private sector to accelerate research collaboration and funding in critical scientific and technological fields, said Mr. Thierry Zomahoun, NEF Chair and President and CEO of AIMS.

Honorable Dr. Papias Musafiri, Rwandas Minister of Education said: Rwanda is happy to have hosted this important meeting that seeks to concretize Rwandas and Africas ambitions to leverage research and development to improve peoples lives. Some of the initiatives proposed will increase research collaboration & improve funding mechanisms making it possible to improve the pipeline of researchers and globally competitive innovations coming from Africa. We look forward to seeing concrete outcomes implemented.

The meeting participants agreed to the following:

 On increasing the annual rate of PhD holders: Each African country must roll out a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the number of PhDs in every field  identifying strengths and weaknesses of national PhD systems including design and mobility. Participants also called for the establishment of a pan-African pool of researchers. Finally, delegates insisted that while increasing the number of STEM doctorates is critical for innovation, social sciences and humanities must not be overlooked.

 On the establishment of an African Research Chair Initiative: The process establishing research chair initiatives must be managed country by country, cognizant of each country's capabilities and progress. In addition, research chair initiatives must build a pipeline of young researchers benefiting from such initiatives. The next meeting will review this further, identifying collaboration mechanisms for existing initiatives, as well as filling gaps with new national and regional initiatives.

 On increasing continental research mobility: There is a need to form a consortium that includes various African and global institutions, especially the private sector that would design and fund mechanisms to increase mobility among African researchers living in Africa and the diaspora. This consortium would also work to highlight opportunities in each country, as well as foster international research collaborations. Delegates also asked the NEF to further investigate the creation of industry led research initiatives that foster mobility and collaboration.

The NEF Ministerial Meeting is held every six months to review progress from recommendations arising at each meeting and propose concrete initiatives developed from global best practices and local contextual experiences and challenges. Learn more about the three themes of discussion by reading the NEF Ministerial Meeting Quick Facts Sheet ( http://APO.af/0kx2DT ).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused President John Dramani Mahama and his brother Ibrahim Mahama of attempting to influence its Northern Regional chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu with cash and vehicle for him to smear the party's flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Mr Bugri Naabu was said to have been offered GH500,000 and a brand new Mitsubishi Pajero four-wheel drive by the president sometime in October this year.

Mustapha Abdul Hamid, spokesman for the NPP presidential candidate, made the disclosures at a press conference at the party's headquarters in Accra yesterday.

According to Mustapha  who was visibly in tears over the brazen naked bribery targeted at opposition leaders  the president in the company of his brother and one Awal, met with Bugri Naabu and offered the cash and the vehicle for his comfort.

They also allegedly offered to pay his (Naabu's) outstanding contract sum of GH300,000 and another V8 vehicle, should he agree to help them bring down the NPP leader.

They purportedly promised him other juicy road contracts and mouthwatering deals if the president was retained in power after the December 7 elections.

It will be recalled that a similar Mitsubishi Pajero was given to Madam Akua Donkor of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) sometime back, together with a house which she made public. She has since not missed an opportunity to attack the NPP and its flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Meeting

But Mustapha Hamid gave vivid details of a meeting at the president's brother's house located at the Airport residential area on Friday, October 28, 2016, involving the president, his brother Ibrahim Mahama and Bugri Naabu during which they gave Bugri Naabu the GH500,000 [5billion old currency] to not only leave the NPP, but to also run down the person of Akufo-Addo by accusing him of being tribalistic.

President Mahama had lately been attacking the NPP leader with ethnocentric comments.

Aside that was an offer for a brand new V8 Toyota Land Cruiser, brand new V6 Mitsubishi Pajero which has since been delivered, brand new Nissan pick-up and an amount of GH3.3 million.

The Deal

Under the deal, Mustapha revealed that Bugri Naabu was supposed to resign and damage Akufo-Addo beyond repairs as the elections zero in.

Bugri was reported to have subsequently lodged the money at the Abossey Okai branch of the Prudential Bank where he holds an account number 0090985590013 for safe keeping because it was a Saturday and only a few branches opened for business.

According to the president, Bugri should paint Akufo-Addo as a rabid anti-northern person, who could never be trusted to advance the cause of the people of the North. He was supposed to tell the world that it was Nana Akufo-Addo who got him to turn against Afoko and that he has gotten wiser, he stated.

Apart from that, Mr Hamid indicated that Bugri was also supposed to say that Nana Addo was knocking the head of one Northerner against another and that Akufo-Addo was running a one-man show; the NPP is led by a dictator; if he doesn't like you, you are in trouble and that it was Nana who got him to suspend the Regional Women's Organiser. Nana hates Northerners so our people should stop saying NPP is a better alternative when Nana is the one in-charge.

According to Hamid, Bugri asked them how they expected him to survive after spewing these lies against an innocent man and they told him they were prepared to fly him abroad, put him up in a hotel and fly Ghanaian journalists there to interview him and that he (Bugri) should even say he was afraid for his life that is why he had to flee Ghana.

But the man was said to have expressed surprise at the reason the president was offering him such a mouth-watering deal, considering the fact that government owed him an amount of GH247,000 for a feeder road contract which certificate had been ready since the year 2013 when he had not even been elected Regional Chairman but the government refused to pay because he is an NPP activist.

Offers

Mustapha indicated that President Mahama and his men were prepared to give Bugri a road contract worth GH190 million.

There and then, they were said to have offered him work on a road that he had already worked on years ago under the NPP  the Osenase-Apenamang road  with the president directing him to go and see the Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, Francis Digber.

Mr Naabu was said to have immediately reported the full details of the meeting to Nana Akufo-Addo  who was out of Accra campaigning  through a trusted aide who is also a senior member of the NPP campaign.

A few days later, to show good faith, Mustapha claimed that Ibrahim Mahama joined a high-powered NDC delegation, led by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Kenneth Wujangi, with Minister of State, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed and Ghana's Ambassador to Angola, Moses Bukari Mabengba to the funeral of Bugri Naabu's daughter where Ibrahim Mahama and President Mahama allegedly donated GH20,000 and GH10,000 respectively.

Evidence

According to the NPP, checks had established that white V8 engine Mistubishi Pajero with registration number GS 687  16 which was given ostensibly to influence Bugri Naabu, was imported into Ghana by Malin Investment Limited, a company owned by a certain Hawah Hayisi Aryee Mahama and Frank Nuhu Alormasor, a personal assistant to President Mahama in August, 2016; and the duty paid on it was GH40,274.70.

He provided documentary evidence of the vehicle's ownership which had been transferred into Bugri Naabu's name.

The Mitsubishi Pajero V8 Car

Caution

In all these, his message to the rank and file of the NPP, especially polling agents was, The NDC will try to bribe you. Please do not sell your party. The country depends on your loyalty, your integrity and your vigilance to effect the change that is before us.

My message to the rest of Ghanaians is this: the NDC will come to attempt to buy your votes, after they have made you poorer. It is your own money they will bring to you. Please take it and use it but let them know that your vote is too precious to be bought. You are not for sale. Your future is not for sale. Ghana is not for sale. Change is here! Let us go out in our numbers and reject ethnic bigotry, bribery and corruption and division, he charged.

Denial

The John Mahama 2016 Campaign team has however, dismissed the allegation of attempted bribe, describing it as spurious.

It has urged Ghanaians to treat any such allegation with the contempt that it deserves as the NPP has mastered the art of fabricating stories in the period leading to elections in an attempt to influence the minds of the electorate.

Speaking on Asempa FM's 'Ekosii sen' show Tuesday, the NDC campaign coordinator, Kofi Adams, stated that the allegation falls flat as the NDC, knowing the sort of person Bugri Naabu is, would never use him in such a deal.

What I heard the NPP say at the press conference requires someone with high, a very high, level of intelligence to do. I'm not sure Bugri Naabu meets up to that standard. With the sort of poor quality of leadership he's giving his party in the Northern Region, Bugri Naabu should not be the one to be engaged in such a move.

In 2008, NPP hired a gentleman, killed a goat and smeared its blood on his cloths claiming he had been beaten by NDC supporters, of which the NPP held a press conference about. The NPP has mastered the art of fabricating stories. What can't they do? Kofi Adams posited.

He continued, This is a party which per its history is quick to hold press conferences anytime elections are approaching and make such allegations. In 2008, the NPP came out with a hit list claiming ex-President Rawlings sent a mail to state that the persons on the list would be killed as soon as the NDC wins the election.

Kofi Adams added, They won the election in 2008. Pastor Mensah Otabil is still alive and moves freely around and still preaching. Indeed, President Mahama recently gave Otabil's university a charter; no one even attacked him with a blade, but the NPP could sponsor an agenda that there was a hit list. The NPP knows that the elections are up by next week so they are out there to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians to get the electorate to vote against the NDC and President Mahama, but that will not wash.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 30 November 2016,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Juniper Glass today announced that it has received all regulatory approvals necessary to conclude the final investments in its US$70 million greenfield container glass factory in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia.

Juniper is working closely with leading global glass engineers and equipment suppliers to build a state-of-the-art factory, which will use the latest available technology in glass manufacturing. The new factory, which is under construction, will have the capacity to produce 60,000 tonnes of glass annually, approximately 200 million glass bottles. Juniper has agreed with most major bottlers in Ethiopia to allocate the majority of this capacity to replace imports. In addition, Juniper has also evaluated opportunities with international customers to export bottles into neighbouring countries. Juniper Glass is expected to be operational within 18 months and, with a strong consortium of partners and full funding in place, the project design has firmly positioned Juniper for growth, with designs allowing for further expansion on relative short notice in future.

The consortium behind Juniper includes Consol Glass, the largest glass packaging company in Sub-Saharan Africa, with manufacturing facilities in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. Consol Glass is a recognised leader in glass packaging manufacturing and with their expertise and support Juniper will be able to supply container glass to highest quality standards.

"Ethiopia provides a dynamic environment for Africa's industrial growth," said CEO of Consol Glass, Mike Arnold, "and the Ethiopian market is gaining momentum. We have been evaluating opportunities in Ethiopia for a number of years and are excited about our partnership with Juniper and Roha", the Africa-focussed greenfield investment company.

Commenting on the deal, CEO of Juniper, Brooks Washington, said, "Our partnership with Consol, together with the support from the Development Bank of Ethiopia, will help us to realise our mission and meet the growing demand for high-quality glass bottles. Perhaps more significantly, it will contribute to Ethiopia's economic development by innovating, building human capacity and leveraging technology.",

Earlier, the Development Bank of Ethiopia announced it had approved a loan of ETB 565 million (approximately US$25 million) for the project, which was developed by Roha. With final investment approval from Ethiopia's Trade Competition and Consumer Protection Agency, Juniper is fully-funded and will start operating as soon as the factory is completed.

"We are grateful for the support of the various government entities who have played a role in getting us to where we are, including the Debre Birhan Municipality, Amhara National Regional State, and Federal agencies," Washington added.

International agencies are describing Ethiopia as a high-potential consumer market, with an expanding middle class and rapid urbanisation. As Africa's second most populated country with more than 90 million people, the beverage industry is poised to become a thriving sector of the economy. Juniper Glass will be positioned to supply Ethiopian customers, export to regional markets and continue to expand as demand increases.

A business strongly focused on social impact, Juniper Glass will contribute significantly to the development of the Debre Birhan community. There are plans to partner with higher education institutions in the area to design courses for students who are interested in careers within Juniper Glass and other industries. Various community projects, including in health and education, will also receive support.

"Developing a new business sector, manufacturing a great product and meeting consumer demand will have positive implications on return on investment," explained Washington. "More than that, the impact on human lives and on the economy is what's truly exciting. This includes job creation, poverty reduction and the development of skills that will directly impact Ethiopia's growth story."

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Juniper Glass Industries PLC.

About Juniper Glass

Juniper Glass will be a progressive glass bottle manufacturing company with an initial planned capacity of 200 million glass bottles per year, for supply to Ethiopian and regional markets. The factory will be situated in Debre Birhan, a fast-growing city approximately 130km from Addis Ababa.

About Consol Glass

Consol Glass is the leading glass packaging manufacturer in Sub-Saharan Africa, with operations in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. Consol Glass exports glass packaging to more than 17 African countries. Employing some 1800 employees, Consol brings significant expertise to the glass packaging industry. The company is perfectly positioned to partner with customers and deliver meaningful, relevant glass packaging solutions across a range of different markets.

About Roha

Roha is a greenfield investment company that develops new businesses in Africa. The company invests in areas of "latent demand", allowing it to build fast-growing, profitable businesses by addressing proven demand with existing world-class technology and business models. Roha brings all elements of industrial project development under one roof - starting with detailed feasibility studies and business plans, and spanning management recruiting, capital structuring, hands-on project leadership, and commercial ramp-up.
30.11.2016 LISTEN

By Kodjo Adams, GNA

Sege (G/A), Nov. 29, GNA - Nii Djangmah Vanderpuye, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, has inaugurated three projects in the Ada West District as part of government's efforts to improve educational infrastructure and security in the district.

The projects included a District Police Headquarters at Sege, three-unit classroom block with computer laboratory and a library at Wokumagbe and six- unit classroom block funded by the GETfund at Lolonya.

The Minister said the inauguration of the police station was critical in ensuring that there was peace in the area ahead of the December elections.

He noted that the police used to be housed in a container office and later moved within the premises of the assembly, making it difficult for the service to discharge its duty.

Nii Vanderpuye said the new edifice came with state-of-art facilities and that the Police Service would dispatch personnel there to begin work.

He said the building was an attestation of government commitment to good governance and urged authorities to maintain the facility.

Inaugurating the school buildings at Wokumagbe and Lolonya, the Deputy Minister said the gesture was to expand access to educational facilities in the community to ensure effective teaching and learning.

He said there were more infrastructural development ongoing in the district and urged school authorities to maintain the facilities.

Nii Vanderpuye encouraged parents to invest in their wards education and support them to do their homework to complement the work of teachers in improving their studies.

He advised the students to learn hard and justify the investment made in them by their parents.

The Deputy Minister urged the District Chief Executive to collaborate with real estate developers in the community to build an accommodation for the police personnel.

He appealed to the chief to ensure that anytime they intend selling lands to the estate developers, they should make sure they allocate space for police station for security issues.

Mr Mantey Teye, the District Chief Executive of Ada West, said the building of the police station was to motivate the police service to carry out its mandate in an efficient and effective manner.

He urged the community to collaborate with the police to divulge timely information to facilitate their operations.

Mr Paul Manly Nchorbilla Awuni, the Regional Police Commander for Tema, commended the assembly and stakeholders for the initiative, adding that the ceremony marked government's quest of bringing policing to the door-step of the people by increasing access to district police stations.

He said the police service would not relent in their duty by ensuring that the lives and properties of the community are protected.

GNA
30.11.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Nov. 29, GNA - The European Union funded Trade Related Assistance and Quality Enabling Programme (TRAQUE), has embarked on an extensive good agricultural practices training for mango farmers in the Northern and Upper East Regions.

Farmers in Salaga, Tamale, Yendi, Walewale, Bimbilla, Navrongo and Damango who took part in the training programme were taken through both theory and practical ways of commercial mango production.

The theory aspect dealt with traceability and food safety while the field experience dealt with pruning and the correct application of pesticides and fertilizers.

The Team Leader of TRAQUE, Mariella Sandini told farmers at one of the training workshops in Salaga that to improve mango quality and expand into the global market, it was important to abide by the best practices and modern trends in farming.

She said it was in this direction that the decision was taken to organise the training programmes for them.

Over the past five years, commercial mango production had increased in the northern part of Ghana with more than 5,000 acres under cultivation.

However, yields are very low and none of these farmers are able to export their produce after harvesting due to the huge gap in knowledge on current farming trends and lack of resources.

President of the Savannah Mango Growers Association, Alhaji Mohammed Zakari expressed the hope that the TRAQUE intervention would help farmers reverse the trend.

'The good thing about this TRAQUE training workshops are that the previous trainings we have had were only focused on theories. But this one is more practical. If we get this kind of trainings consistently for two years, our farmers will be ready to export their mangoes,' he said.

Currently, majority of the mango farmers in northern Ghana sell their produce on the local market.

Alhaji Zakari said since the formation of the Association only one of the farms had been able to export, which he described it as 'worrying trend we want to correct because when you export, it brings more income to the farmer than the local market'.

Mr Aoun Bassam George, lead trainer of the farmers, expressed optimism that the workshops would impact positively on the farmers.

'They will be able to improve on their quality and produce better mangoes. They will also be in a position to increase their yield per acre.

'The mango industry in Ghana has not performed well on the international market in recent times. Though there have been some massive individual investments made in the sector, the statistics are nothing to write home about therefore the need to increase the knowledge of farmers to boost productivity,' he added.

It is estimated that Ghana has more than 10,000 acres under mango production at present, which can produce 15,000 metric tonnes. The current average yield in Ghana is estimated at 3.6 metric tonnes per acre.

Abdul Rahim Abdallah at the Department of Agriculture in Bimbilla was full of praise for TRAQUE in organising the trainings.

'A lot of us in the Agriculture Department need capacity building on modern ways of farming so this upgrade of our knowledge in these workshops will automatically help us to educate the farmers in our districts,' he said.

With a 15 million Euro funding from the European Union, TRAQUE is committed to the safety and standards of fruit and vegetables production in Ghana. The Programme is also committed to helping Ghanaian farmers access the EU market with safe and quality goods

GNA
30.11.2016 LISTEN

By Agnes Ansah, GNA

Accra Nov.29,GNA - The Ablekuma North constituency will witness a tremendous infrastructural and human resource development change if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is voted into power, says Nana Akua Owusu-Afriyie, the aspiring parliamentary candidate.

'If Nana and myself are voted into power come December 7th, we will construct all the roads in Ablekuma North,' Mrs Afriyie told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.

The interview was captured under the Ghana News Agency project 'GNA Tracks Elections 2016 project,' being funded by GOIL, the country's foremost indigenous oil marketing company, and CIMG 2015 Petroleum Company of the year.

The project seeks to educate the electorate on the various issues raised by political parties, the elections management body and other governance institutions.

It aims at ensuring gender and social inclusion in national politics and also provide voice for the youth, vulnerable groups, opinion leaders and the broader spectrum of the society to contribute to peaceful elections.

Another objective of the project is to create a platform to analyse the manifestoes of all political parties and provide in-depth news items on each thematic area, as captured to the electorate for them to make an informed judgement.

The one-time women's organiser for the NPP said she would construct roads and drainages, establish a youth and labour centre for the constituency when voted into power.

'I will also provide soft loans and capital for start-up businesses as well as scholarship to brilliant but needy students when I become the MP for Ablekuma North,' she said.

'The roads when constructed will also ease traffic in the area while the drainage systems will ensure a flood free constituency,' she observed.

Mrs Afriyie said most of the youth in the constituency have found themselves in bad company due to poor upbringing so the career centre would seek to address issues on career parts while providing avenue for them to gain better employment.

She said the labour centre would be a place where artisans would be groomed to offer service to prospective customers when the need be.

The aspiring MP said all these projects would be realised with the one million dollar that Nana would allocate to constituencies when voted into power.

'The inclusion of chiefs and non-governmental organisations in this project will not be over looked since it would speed up development in the area," she said.

She assured Ghanaians that her candidature was secured due to the operation 80,000 votes she adopted and asked them to look forward to a reform Ablekuma North.

GNA
Agona Swedru (C/R), Nov. 29, GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah- Arthur has appealed to leaders of Zongo communities to impress on their youth to desist from acts that could bring war before, during and after the elections.

He said it was not proper for Zongo youth to be induced to engage in practices against the electoral rules and regulations like causing confusion and snatching ballot boxes at polling stations.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur made this known when he addressed leaders of Yarewa Zongo at Agona Swedru as part of the campaign tour of the Central Region.

He said it was the responsibility of the leaders in the various Zongo communities to ensure that the youth behaved in a responsible manner.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the Government had done enough and Ghanaians appreciated that effort hence they would vote to retain the NDC in power.

'Ghana is an icon of peace in Africa and nothing should be done to tarnish that image,' he said.

He said using macho men and other thugs at the polling stations to create mayhem at the close of the elections would not help the country adding; 'this would mar our image as an icon of peace on the continent of Africa.'

Vice President Amissah-Arthur, therefore, appealed to supporters of the NDC in Agona West to desist from voting 'skirt and blouse' to ensure that President Mahama got more parliamentarians to consolidate the presidency.

He introduced Charles Obeng-Inkoom, the NDC parliamentary candidate for Agona West to the Yarewa Zongo Chiefs and elders and asked them to vote massively for him and President Mahama to continue the good work.

The Sariki of Agona Swedru old Zongo, Nana Daafi, appealed to the Vice President to assist with the construction of roads in the Zongo communities in Agona West.

He praised the Government for the provision of school blocks and other facilities that had helped to improve the living standards of the people in the area.

The Vice President later addressed rallies at Yarewa Zongo, Agona Kwaman and Upper Bobikuma as part of his campaign tour of the Agona West Constituency.

GNA
Private Legal Practitioner Yaw Oppong has emphasized the need for the Police to investigate the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) bribery allegations against President Mahama.

The NPP at a press conference on Tuesday addressed by Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson for the NPP's presidential candidate, alleged that the President and his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, tried to compromise Bugri Naabu with a brand new V6 Mitsubishi, a brand New V8 Land Cruiser and GHc 3.3 million for him to resign from his party and further paint the Akufo-Addo as a dictator and an anti-northerner.

Around the same time, Ibrahim Mahama had tried to convince Bugri with money to leave the NPP to become a chief after Daniel Bugri Naabu's uncle died, but Bugri refused, he added.

Mr. Oppong however believes the allegation must be investigated to establish its veracity.

This allegation must be investigated by the Police even at their level and if they think that no useful purpose should be served by even inviting the person against whom the allegation has been made then they can make a determination and tell us.

He further suggested that persons implicated in the alleged scandal should also be invited for questioning.

Not only must you investigate the person against who the allegations are made but the veracity of the story, by also inviting the one who has made the allegation.

Bribery claim cock and bull story

Meanwhile the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has rubbished these allegations, describing them as a cock and bull story.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Kofi Adams, who is the National Coordinator of President Mahama's campaign team said the claims were lies.

Who in his mind collects money he says it's bribe; and goes and deposit in his account. He didn't find any police station to take that money that he considers as a bribe. He didn't find any person to witness that he took the money and was going round and looking for a Prudential bank that works on Saturday to go and deposit the money. This cock and bull stories should be told to only NPP members and not Ghanaians in generality.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
The Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has so far mobilised more than ten billion Ghana cedis in tax collection through the deployment of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS), so far this year.

This is against the background that even though the country wide roll out is still ongoing, the offices of the DTRD that are already using Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) to administer their taxpayers, account for about eighty four per cent of all tax revenue of the division.

Following the integration and automation of the process of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA, most offices have adopted the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) DEVELOPED by the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) to automate the processes for assessing, filing and payment of various domestic tax forms such as Income Tax, PAYE, VAT, Withholding Tax, Gift Tax, etc.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) boosted by the development have decided to introduce a Competition and Awards scheme to boost the full migration of all taxpayers onto Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) in order to create a uniform platform.

This is expected to encourage offices to accelerate the migration process, amidst the realisation that the introduction of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) roll out as a main processing system has marked a major milestone in the history of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

With a SPONSORED price tag of GHC 25,000 from the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) to be awarded every quarter to the winning implementing tax office to address logistic constraints, the move could signal the Domestic Tax Revenue Division taking full advantage of the opportunities that the deployment of the Total Revenue Integrated Payment System brings on board in helping to automate the processes for assessing, filing and payment of various domestic taxes.

These facts came to light during a days briefing and training session on the deployment of Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS). It was jointly organised by GCNet and GRA for officials of the Tax and Customs Divisions.

According to the Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD), Mr. Kwasi Gyimah Asante the introduction of the competition would encourage hard work and good ethics and lauded GCNet & GRA for introducing the Competition and Awards scheme.

Mr. Gyimah Asante was optimistic the timely resolution of challenges would have significant impact on the turnaround time of the Ghana Revenue Authority in achieving its mandate in revenue mobilisation.

General Manager of Ghana Community Network Services Limited GCNet, Mr. Alwin Hoegerle noted that the partnership with the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA aligns with the core mandate of GCNet to improve revenue mobilisation through the deployment of efficient ICT enabled systems to significantly contribute to national development.

He explained the training session and the sponsorship of the award scheme was consistent with GCNets commitment not only to build capacity and provide logistics support but also to ensure the speedy migration of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) in all tax offices across the nation to guarantee speedy processing of tax returns and revenue mobilisation.
Allegations by the opposition NPP that President John Mahama tried to bribe their Northern regional chairman are serious enough to warrant police investigations, a law lecturer Yaw Oppong has explained.

Although the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed disinterest in reporting to the police, the legal practitioner said, an official complaint is not needed to trigger investigations.

The NPP last Tuesday alleged the President tried to corrupt their regional party chairman, Bugri Naabu to turn against their presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

They presented a V6 Mitsubishi, a brand new V8 Landcruiser as evidence of the October 28,2016 meeting with Mahama in Accra.

The NPP Northern regional chairman had also been promised 3.3 million if he can cast the NPP flagbearer as an 'ethnocentric bigot', Mustapha Hamid, a spokesperson for Akufo-Addo told the press.

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strongly rejected the claim as a ploy to throw dirt with barely a week to the general elections.

Steering clear of the politics and teasing out the legal issues, Yaw Oppong explained that the allegation against the President is a national security issue.

This is because the President is enjoined to safeguard the 1992 constitution. If he is breaking provisions in it, then the security of the state is compromised.

He established that bribery is a criminal offence according to Section 33 of the Representation Of The People Law - 1992 (PNDCL 284).

(1) A person commits the offence of bribery-

(c) if before or during an election he directly or indirectly, by himself or through another person acting on his behalf, receives, agrees or contracts for money, gift, a loan or valuable consideration or an office, place or employment for himself or for another person for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting; or

The NPP has indicated that it has not reported the matter to the police because it is interested in the political point that the President is corrupt.

Yaw Oppong cited a case in which in the absence of an official report, the Police stepped in to investigate a media report accusing a doctor of sodomy.

As sodomy is criminal as bribery, therefore, the NPP do not need to report officially, he indicated.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
A Court of Appeal has acquitted and discharged NDC lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata who was jailed in 2008 for causing financial loss to the state.

The court said there was a miscarriage of justice when an Accra Fast Track High Court on June 18.2008, found him guilty on three counts of wilfully causing financial loss of GH230,000 to the state and another count of misapplying public property.

Despite receiving a presidential pardon in 2008, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has been stressing his innocence and filed an appeal on June 30, 2016.

Expressing delight at the over-turned veridct, Tsikata quoted Psalm 94:5 and emphasised that indeed "justice has been found in the court".

Expect more...

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
An Accra High Court has quashed a circuit court ruling ordering one Awudu Musah, a gym instructor, to open his defence in respect of a case.

Awudu was alleged to have in December 2007 at Ogbojo in Accra granted four plots of land to one Doli-Wura Awushie Abdul-Malik Seidu Zakaria at the cost of GH60,000 without authority.

The accused, who is standing trial with two others for fraudulent transaction contrary to Section 34(b) of the Land Registry Act, Act 122/1962, prayed the High Court to set aside the ruling of the circuit court and a further order acquitting and discharging him.

Although the prosecution could not establish a case against the accused, the circuit court ordered Awudu to open his defence in respect of the charges.

An earlier submission filed by Ali Gomdah Abdul Samad, which prayed the circuit court judge to acquit and discharge the accused, was ignored.

Unsatisfied with the ruling of the court, lawyers for Awudu proceeded to the High Court to reverse the order.

Justice Justin K. Dorgu, in a judgement, argued that an important ingredient to prove under the instant charge by the prosecution is that Awudu should be the one that makes the grant or purports to make the grant or makes the conflicting grants.

I have also gone through the whole of the appeal records and noticed that title deeds of the complainant are the various indentures tendered in court by the prosecution. In all these agreements, the grantor of the land is one Nii Joseph Torgbor Obodai, representing the Anohor Dzrasee family of Ogbojo Accra.

Justice Dorgu contended that apart from that Awudu, who is described in the particulars of the offence as the leasee (grantee), did not tender any document to show that he indeed had any grant.

The court further stated that it was incumbent on the prosecution that the evidence led tallies with the particulars and facts being prosecuted.

In this particular case, there is no iota of evidence on record that appellant granted any land to Doli-Wura or purported to grant any land without authority nor made any multiple grants of the same land, he said.

The High Court justice continued: On all the deeds tendered, there was no signature or even the mention of his name either as a grantor or witness. The evidence rather showed clearly and succinctly that the appellant made it known at every stage that the land belonged to I. C. Quaye and he was only a caretaker.

The High Court opined that the prosecution had failed to establish an essential ingredient of the charge and no prima facie case against Awudu.

In setting aside the ruling, he said it is therefore wrong and a miscarriage of justice for the court to have called upon the appellant to open his defence on the charge. I will accordingly allow the appeal (and) hereby do set aside the ruling of the trial circuit court calling upon the appellant to open his defence and instead acquit and discharge him on the charge as well.

[email protected]

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson




The Bank of Ghana (BOG) has come out with new regulations to govern the conduct of competitive multiple-price foreign exchange (FX) auction to allocate foreign exchange against the Ghana Cedi.

The new regulation, according to the bank, will ensure a well-functioning foreign exchange market and further develop the foreign exchange market within the financial system of Ghana.

In a statement, the Central Bank said the multiple-price auctions would support market development, price formation and also provide a transparent mechanism to intermediate FX proceeds from Cocoa Syndicated Loans to the market.

The new regulations include publication of foreign exchange auction calendar, eligibility, eligible currency and quotation convention, auction schedule and frequency, and bidding process.

The rest are allocation methodology, auction committee, communication of auction results to the market and confirmation and settlement of trade.

The foreign exchange regulations will also apply to foreign exchange funds acquired or sold at the auction.

The banks are reminded to comply strictly with the regulations in respect of foreign exchange exposure limits as prescribed by the BoG. All authorized foreign exchange dealer banks shall also comply with the provisions of the Code of Conduct for the Interbank Foreign Exchange market in Ghana, the statement said.

The Central Bank said the regulations shall be reviewed as and when the BoG deems it necessary, adding that the bank reserves the right to amend these rules from time to time based on experience and prevailing circumstances.

By Cephas Larbi

[email protected]
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Twum Akwabuah has appealed to President John Mahama to create an enabling business environment for businesses to thrive in the country.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting dubbed, 'Thinking Together to Build Mother Ghana,' at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Mr. Akwabuah called on President Mahama to implement a structured macroeconomic policy to promote the growth of local businesses.

The breakfast meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Ghana Association of Visual Arts (GAVA), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), market women, among others, formed part of efforts by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah to solicit votes for the President in the December 7 polls.

The CEO explained that a structured macro economy which protects local businesses gives government the opportunity to concentrate on the collection of taxes to pursue its development agenda, adding that China and other developed countries have adopted this practice over the years.

The CEO, who lauded government for stabilizing the cedi, called for drastic reduction in taxes and utility tariffs to lessen the plight of businesses.

The Managing Consultant of Sina Consult, Sina Komagate called on students not to concentrate excessively on social media, adding that it affects productivity in the country.

Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah lauded the institutions for making immense contributions to the development of the nation.

He added that the second term of President John Dramani Mahama would be characterized by an economic boom.

He averred that the president, during his first term in office, focused on the construction of hospitals, schools, bridges, among others to improve the lives of the people.

The Chief of Staff further mentioned that the president would invest in human development initiatives in accordance with the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in his next term.

By Solomon Ofori
The Knights and Ladies of Marshall, a catholic friendly society, has urged individuals and groups to be mindful of their utterances, actions and inactions as their statements could mar the peace and set back the development process of the country.

The Supreme Knight, Sir Knight Brother Ernest Amoako-Arhen, in a statement said ensuring peaceful elections is everybody's business and therefore each individual, organization or group must first think about their role in this regard rather than blaming others.

He made this known in a statement issued in Accra yesterday.

The leader of the society with over 12, 000 members across the world said the choices we make and the peaceful management of these elections can either enhance or retard our national development agenda.

He therefore called on all eligible voters to exercise their patriotic duty by turning out on the polling day to cast their vote in a manner that is based on their own conviction about what would promote their wellbeing.

The electorate must abide by the regulations guiding these elections as defined by the Electoral Commission. Discipline and self-comportment are required by all to ensure peaceful elections

Referring to the recent clashes between supporters of NPP and NDC as well as fanning of ethnic and religious differences, the Supreme Knight said these unfortunate situations of political intolerance, have the potential of degenerating into violent conflicts.

We condemn such acts and urge all political parties and indeed all citizens to exercise decorum, tolerance and civility in their campaigns and canvassing for votes.

He also called on the Electoral Commission and the security agencies to discharge their duties in a transparent and just manner without fear or favour.

In this regard, we also urge the Government to ensure that these agencies receive adequate resources and logistics on time to undertake their tasks more effectively.

Sir Knight Amoako  Arhen urged the media to be critical to national peace and security.

Uphold the highest journalistic values and ethics in your reportage of the electoral process. And to do this, it is desirable that before you publish any information related to the election, such information should not be based on hearsay, but should first be verified to be the truth and keep in mind that Patriotism must be at the centre of journalistic commentary on the elections.

( [email protected] )

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey


Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield will travel to France, Mali, and Ghana from November 30 to December 9.

In Paris on November 30, the Assistant Secretary, along with Department of Defense colleagues, will attend a quarterly P3 Africa Meeting with France and the United Kingdom that will focus on the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, the Horn of Africa, and Central Africa.

In Bamako, Mali from December 1-2, the Assistant Secretary will participate in meetings with the goal of advancing the countrys peace process. On December 3, the Assistant Secretary will travel to Timbuktu, where she will meet with United Nations officials, local officials, and youth and women leaders.

In Ghana from December 4-8, the Assistant Secretary will meet with host government officials, political party leaders, civil society representatives, and Mandela Washington Fellows from the Presidents Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Be sure to follow the Assistant Secretary on [email protected] for more updates throughout her trip.
South Africa and Azerbaijan have agreed to establish a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) in a bid to elevate relations and facilitate greater volumes of trade. The agreement was announced by Minister Nkoana-Mashabane and her Azerbaijan counterpart, Mr Elmar Mmamadyarov, at the conclusion of their bilateral talks in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

Minister Nkoana-Mashabane paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan is considered as one of the most important countries in the world in oil exploration and development. The expansion of the oil and gas sector has enabled Azerbaijan to record rapid real GDP growth in recent years. Other important sectors are transport, agriculture, construction, services and manufacturing.

Trade between South Africa and Azerbaijan has potential for growth. In 2015, South African exports to Azerbaijan were at approximately R217m and imports at approximately R4m, and there is potential for growth. Ministers Nkoana-Mashabane and Mmamadyarov agreed that the two countries should explore further cooperation in the areas of energy, defence, aviation and skills development.

The two ministers also discussed developments in their respective regions and internationally. South Africa and Azerbaijan share a common commitment to multilateralism and the need to reform the United Nations, particularly the Security Council.

During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Diplomatic Academy of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa and ADA University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan was signed.
The six-unit classroom block. INSET: Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu cutting the tape to commission the classroom project

Some smokers of Marijuana, also known as Wee, are disrupting academic work at the Suame Maakro Cluster of Schools in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

The unscrupulous people usually smoke 'Wee' on the school's compound and the smoke usually affects the children in the classrooms.

Headmistress of the school, Mary Akowuah said the smoke might create some health challenges for the students and the teachers in the school.

She made the disclosure when the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu commissioned a six-unit classroom block in the school on Monday.

Madam Akowuah complained that some drivers also usually drive through the school compound during classes which pose great danger to the students.

She therefore appealed to the Minority Leader and other relevant authorities to fence the school immediately to prevent the 'Wee' smokers and drivers from creating problems for teachers and the students.

Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu stated that he executed the classroom project through his share of the Common Fund, adding that he has passion to develop education in his constituency.

He admonished students of the school to take their lessons seriously and shun all social vices in order to become influential people in future, adding that education is the best legacy that parents could bequeath to the youth.

Hon. Mensah Bonsu stated that he had commissioned about 30 classroom projects during his tenure as MP and that more of such projects would be executed in future.

Kwabena Frimpong Asiamah, Assemblyman for Maakro, charged Ghanaians to vote massively for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to improve their lives.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


30.11.2016 LISTEN

Founded on 30th may 1997, GN Bank has over 260 locations spread across the length and breadth of this country. GN bank is poised to serve better by making banking very convenient for all Ghanaians.

As part of their quest to create more jobs and to become the best employer in Ghana and beyond, GN Bank organized an Aptitude test for its prospective employees.

The test took place in Takoradi at the Tpoly Auditorium. Over 200 graduates took part in the test.

Mr. Peter Massodong the human resource manager of GN Bank in an interview with our news team said the aptitude test is one of the requirement needed to employ people suitable for positions. The banks spring up across all the regions in this country mostly the rural areas. Working with the mission and vision statement of the bank employers are taught with core values that is loyalty, honesty and commitment. He also said that qualified applicants will be taken through an orientation to help groom them.

In an interview with Mr. Robert Mensah the Zonal manager of south west, he said the test was done to select the best from the lots. It also gives the applicants the opportunity to meet with the board. He revealed that a number of locations of locations are coming so those who will qualify for the interview will be placed in branches all over the country. He advised that selected applicants have more knowledge about banking as process of preparation.

After the aptitude test over hundred people were called for the interview and those qualified where taken through an orientation exercise to prepare them to work with GN Bank.
Over hundreds of residents in Tarkwa poured out onto the streets to welcome the flag bearer of the Progressive peoples Party, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom at the Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency, as he embarks on his tour in the Western region.

He urged the people to show their full support for the PPP by stating that a great benefit will come from voting for PPP. Tarkwa Nsuaem constituency needs someone who has excellent personality and credible in all dimensions, something better needs to come out in this country and that only PPP can do it.

Dr. Nduom made the appeal when he addressed an enthusiastic and huge crowd on his arrival in the constituency on campaign tour in the western Region. He was accompanied by his campaign team and the Parliamentary aspirant of the constituency Mr. Eric Seedorf Asiedu Simpey.

The PPP Flag bearer told the heavy turnout of people: PPP is a disciplined Party and violence is not tolerated. He stressed the need for peace and stability in the country and said there was no need for any supporter to cause mayhem because of the upcoming general election since the elections were a contest of ideas and not violence.

Dr. Nduom voiced that Western region has been the heartbeat of this country but the same region doomed. Blessed with so many natural resources like gold, diamond, bauxite, timber and oil/gas but the region is growth stiffened. This should not be the fate of Western region because the region deserves something better. Many a times we are been deceived that the economy is booming but yet still our lives are retrogressing.

Tarkwa and its neighbouring mining towns are faced with poverty and hardships. Tarkwa cannot even boast of a gold refinery despite its gold mining capacity. There has not been any suitable development plan; all that can be seen are bad roads and filth. Some people only need power because of selfish reasons but PPP is only concerned about the welfare of the people.

Innocent lives are suffering the most because of corruptible leadership; for this reasons Ghanaians should strive and support each other to fight corruption. Dr. Nduom assured the people that he will deal with all corrupt persons if PPP comes into power. The economys predicament is as the result of choosing wrong leaders.

He said President Mahama had promised to give the region 10% of oil revenue but now where are the benefits. He is also promising 3 million jobs if he wins the election but we can no longer continue to be deceived because he has been on term for 8 years and its enough.

On his fight to carry out his agenda Dr. Nduom promised to relocate GNPC headquarters and Gold Mining head offices to Western region because it belongs to the western region. He is also working on the construction of a rice mill factory to aid rice production in the western region.

Finally he advised the people of tarkwa nsuaem constituency to vote Mr. Eric Seedorf and himself Dr. Nduom to carry out their agenda because PPP is not a promising party but an action party.

Mr. Eric Seedorf Simpey the parliamentary Aspirant also advised the people to be very vigilant because election is approaching. He is urging the constituents to vote for him because he is credible. Many people have witnessed his good works and he will do more when he wins the seat. He will fight hard to solve unemployment issues in the constituency which has become a burden to the youth.

He also advised that they shouldnt let their struggle and hard effort be in vain and is encouraging them to vote for him and Dr. Nduom even though its a tough race but PPP will still prevail. Dont be deceived by promises he emphasized. Both NDC and NPP have condemned each other of being corrupt so why waste your time on them. Vote for PPP and experience a better and genuine transformation.

Dr. Nduom continued his rally to the Prestea Huni Valley constituency where he advised the electorates to make a change this time around because their decision will determine who will win.

Mr. Edmond Duku the PPP Parliamentary candidate also advised the people to vote wisely and elect him and Dr. Nduom. PPP is great party with great mind. He is assured of full victory for PPP because they have a better agenda to create jobs, provide quality education and health care and economic development. On this he is pleading with the constituents to vote him and Dr. Nduom.
A Dane County judge on Tuesday denied a request by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to require all votes in Wisconsins presidential election to be recounted by hand, as officials in each of the states 72 counties ready for the recount to begin Thursday.

The recount became official Tuesday afternoon, when the state Elections Commission announced it received a $3.5 million payment for the recount from Steins campaign, which requested it. State law says candidates may request a recount of their election if they pay for it.

Steins campaign has raised more than $6 million in recent days for recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania  three states that tipped the Electoral College to Trump, and where polls did not predict a Trump victory.

Yet even Steins allies expressed fresh doubts about the value of the recounts. Steins running mate, Ajamu Baraka, told CNN Tuesday: Im not in favor of the recount.

Trump leads Clinton in Wisconsins official tally by more than 22,000 votes, or less than a percentage point. State Elections Commission chairman Mark Thomsen, a Democrat, said Monday he expects the recount will re-affirm Trump won.

Clintons legal team largely stayed on the sidelines in the recount until Tuesday, when her campaign joined Steins court request for a hand recount.

Clintons attorney, Josh Kaul, wrote in a memo to the court that a hand recount is preferable to a machine recount because human beings can assess voter intent in a way that machines cannot.

Fifty-six counties have told the commission or the Wisconsin State Journal that they plan to do full or partial hand recounts. Other counties plan to use scanning machines to re-tabulate the votes.

Recount could cost nearly $4M

The amount quoted to the Stein campaign was about $400,000 cheaper than the actual statewide cost estimate of $3.9 million. A spokesman for the Elections Commission said the estimate was based on a tabulation error of the 72 county estimates.

Spokesman Reid Magney said the Stein campaign would pay the actual cost of the recounts, even if it is higher or lower than the estimates.

The recount is happening on an expedited timetable to comply with a federal law requiring all disputes relating to the presidential election results be resolved by Dec. 13. The deadline is slated in advance of the Electoral Colleges scheduled meeting on Dec. 19 to formally elect the next president.

The recount is expected to take several days as clerks across the state bring together scores of employees  some temporary  to count ballots. The ballots will be counted by hand or fed through optical scanners, depending on what kind of voting equipment was used.

If the candidates disagree with the results of the recount, the law gives them the right to appeal in circuit court within five business days after the recount is completed, the Elections Commission said.

American Delta Party candidate Rocky Roque de la Fuente withdrew a Wisconsin recount petition Tuesday, saying the cost was too high.

Steins campaign has argued that if voting machines were tampered with, using those same machines to re-tabulate the votes risks tainting the recount process.

The 56 counties who have said they already plan to do full or partial hand recounts, account for about 60 percent of all votes. Another 13 counties, including Milwaukee, are only doing optical scan recounts, and the other three havent settled on a plan.

Experts: Cyber-attack of vote machines possible

State law sets a high bar for a judge to order a statewide hand recount. The law says the candidate seeking one must give clear and convincing evidence that using machines to conduct a recount will produce incorrect results and that theres a substantial probability that recounting the ballots by hand or another method will produce a more correct result  and change the outcome of the election.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn ruled Tuesday that the Stein and Clinton campaigns failed to meet that standard.

An attorney for Steins campaign, Debbie Greenberger, said the campaign has not decided whether to appeal Bailey-Rihns ruling.

Academic experts in statistics and cyber-security testified Tuesday that voting machines are vulnerable to a potential cyber-attack and recounting the vote by hand is the best way to validate results.

A hand recount is going to provide a more accurate result because it will not be affected by any kind of cyber-security attack that might be compromising the voting machines, testified J. Alex Halderman, a cyber-security expert and professor at the University of Michigan.

Philip Stark, director of the Statistical Computing Facility at the University of California-Berkeley, testified that a statistical analysis of small voting wards in Wisconsin showed numerical anomalies that bear further scrutiny  and could be a sign of malicious attempts to alter the vote totals. The testimony was based on an analysis by Walter Mebane, a statistical expert and University of Michigan professor.

Elections Commission director Michael Haas has said he has received no indication of tampering with state election results.

In testimony Tuesday, Haas emphasized that extensive measures are taken by local election officials to restrict unauthorized people from gaining physical access to the machines. State officials have said those machines are not connected to the Internet, meaning a potential cyber-attacker likely would need to access them in person.

Haas testified that requiring all counties to conduct hand recounts could further burden counties scrambling to staff the recount. Many clerks have expressed to us already that theyre having trouble recruiting enough people, Haas said.

Cost estimates differ widely

Each county provided a cost estimate to the state, ranging from 19 cents per vote in La Crosse County, where a recount has already begun in a close state Senate race between Democrat Jennifer Shilling and Republican Dan Kapanke, to $6.65 per vote in Pierce County. The average was $1.31 per vote statewide.

The average cost was $1.35 per vote in counties doing a hand count, $1.14 per vote in counties doing an optical scan, and $2.13 in counties doing a combination of both methods.

Lincoln County Clerk Christopher Marlowe said his county is doing a hand count because its easier to do for a single race and just to prove our equipment is not rigged.

At least one county said it overestimated the cost, which could skew the statewide averages. Oneida County told the state Elections Commission it would cost $178,000 to recount 21,033 ballots by both hand and optical scan, or $8.46 per vote, the highest in the state.

But County Clerk Mary Bartelt said in an interview that the estimate would likely be less after it was discovered that the estimate was based on incorrect figures from the 2011 Supreme Court recount, in which about half as many people cast ballots as this years presidential election. Bartelt said the estimate doubled the total cost of elections in 2011, rather than the total cost of the recount itself.

Marinette County plans to conduct a hand recount of the receipts generated by the touch-screen voting machines, County Clerk Kathy Brandt said. The receipts are in long paper tape rolls that will have to be cut and divided into piles for each candidate, then counted. The process was used in the 2011 Supreme Court recount and matched the initial results exactly. The estimated cost for the roughly 20,000 votes is about $21,500.

I think we have a good system, Brandt said. I think were going to go pretty fast.

State Journal reporter Bill Novak contributed to this report.
30.11.2016 LISTEN

The 2016 parliamentary candidates for the Essikado Ketan constituency in the Western region debated each other on issues affecting their constituency and possible solutions ahead of the December 7th polls.

Four parliamentary candidates in the constituency who were present for the debate included the incumbent MP and the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Hon. Joseph Ghartey, Mr. Frank Sagoe of the All Peoples Congress, Mr. Thomas Charlie Brown of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and CPP.

The event was organized by NCCE, CDD-Ghana and Friends of the Nation.

The CPP aspirant on education said he will create an education trust fund and awards scheme for children and teachers in the constituency. This will help needy children to further their education and also motivate them to learn hard. Hardworking teachers will also be awarded based on their assessments and their commitment in delivering quality education. He also said he will work with the National labour commission to give aid to artisans be it training or funds to help them secure their jobs.

Mr. Thomas Charlie Brown of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said he is most concerned about the health of the people. A lot of communities in the constituency are deprived of quality healthcare services. He will construct more health centers, chip compounds and support them with facilities that will enhance quality health care services.

Parliamentary aspirant of the All Peoples Congress Mr. Frank Sagoe also said he will ensure that there is constant monitoring and supervision across all circuit for teachers. This will help structure the teaching sector and also enforce strictly based relationship while enhancing effective and efficient teaching skills. Also, he said for the constituency to experience growth there need to be a central data base which will help the youth to find jobs and providing them with technical and vocational training to enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

The incumbent MP and the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Hon. Joseph Ghartey said he will ensure a total transformation to ensure that the constituency gets what it deserves. The creation of jobs most especially for the youth will solve unemployment issues and economic hardships. To reduce the illiteracy rate he will implement the free compulsory senior high education for all.

In an interview with our news team Mr. Samuel Adusei of CDD-Ghana he said the debate turned out to be very successful. Even though their main focus was based on oil/gas issues certain important issues were also debated on. It also gave the constituents a clear picture of what the candidates can really do to transform their constituency. Not forgetting that we all should put Ghana first.

In another interview Mr. Kwame Tubenyolan said the debate concerns on issue based campaign and to eradicate violence because the main aim is to ensure peaceful elections. The presence of the candidates and the collaboration from their supporters made it very successful. He stated that all candidates and supporters should adhere to the code of conduct of their political parties in other for peace to be maintained.

Mr. Kojo Kyei Yamoah, the programs manager of Friends of the nation deemed the debate to be very fruitful. The main purpose is to send message of peace to all Ghanaians and is very happy with the collaboration and support they received from the aspirants. To maintain peace and stability he is encouraging everyone to vote and to do so in peace.
A Constitutional Law Professor, H. Kwasi Prempeh says Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's continuous rise in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is posing what he termed 'mortal threat' to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This, he said, had compelled NDC members to attack Dr. Bawumia's personality instead of questioning his capabilities.

Prof Prempeh, in an article, said he had made a curious observation, saying the rival attacks on the NPP's Bawumia have not focused on his suitability or qualification for the high office he seeks.

Bawumia's political ascendancy in the NPP, however, threatens this strategy and propaganda of the NDC in both the short and long term.

Distasteful Attacks

In fact, the attacks have not even focused mainly on his claims and message in the areas of the economy and economic management, many of which have gone unanswered. Rather unusually, the aspect of Bawumia's candidacy that has earned him the ire and disproportionate attention of the NDC is his ethno-regional identity as a 'Northerner,' he pointed out.

Mahama and his surrogates in the ruling NDC have suggested to voters, especially in the Northern half of the country that as a Northerner, Bawumia is in the wrong party; that he has no future in the NPP except as second fiddle to the flagbearer; that there is even something inauthentic about his Northerner identity. The CPP flagbearer has added that Bawumia is an 'Accra Northerner, he said.

He quizzed: Why are the NPP's rivals fixated on Bawumia's identity as a Northerner and in a clearly disapproving way? What is it about Bawumia's ethno-regional identity that unsettles especially the NDC?

Total Control

He said Dr. Bawumia's unprecedented visibility in the NPP's current campaign, his strong command of issues, as well as his cross-party appeal and likeability have cemented his status as a star politician both in the NPP and on the national political scene more broadly.

Added to his relative youth, this makes Bawumia the politician to watch, not only within the NPP, but also more importantly from the perspective of the NDC.

He said that the NDC had self-consciously positioned itself within the Ghanaian political terrain as the non-Akan party by tapping into a strain of historical and emotive suspicions, prejudices, antagonisms and grievances, both real and imagined, held against 'Akans' by a number of ethnic minorities but Dr. Bawumia's persistent rise is giving the NDC cause for concern.

NDC Strategy

Prof Prempeh said, In this year's election campaign, the NDC's identity-based 'us versus them' electoral strategy and politicking have been strongly and overtly on display, especially when Mahama and his surrogates and party leaders campaign before non-Akan audiences in the three northern regions and the Volta Region. That this strategy has been perversely effective and politically beneficial to the NDC cannot be disputed.

The NDC's elites and strategists must know that given Bawumia's centrality in the current 2016 campaign and his national likeability and appeal, victory for the NPP in the December 7 polls will instantly propel Bawumia to front-runner status within a post-Akufo-Addo NPP.

Bawumia As Veep

He said the NDC anticipating the prospect of Dr. Bawumia in office, has made much of the fact that as vice president to President Kufuor, Vice President Aliu Mahama, also a Northerner, failed to secure the NPP's nomination for a flagbearer-successor to Kufuor.

This fact, however, is not a precedent of much relevance or applicability to Bawumia.

As a politician and despite his relative youth in Ghanaian politics, Bawumia has earned, in his own right, a standing and following both in the NPP and nationally that goes far beyond any that the late Aliu Mahama could garner. Therefore, unlike Aliu Mahama, Bawumia's emergence as front-runner, in the event of a 2016 NPP victory, will make him the man to beat and thus the most likely choice of the NPP as flagbearer in the immediate post-Akufo-Addo era.

Likely Leader

He said in the absence of Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Bawumia is likely to lead the NPP in the future since he is accepted by all in the party but if, however, the Akufo Addo/Bawumia ticket were to suffer defeat in the December polls, that outcome would dim, though not extinguish entirely the prospects of Bawumia as likely flagbearer of the NPP in the immediate post-Akufo Addo era.

In short, the logical effect of an NPP victory in the December 7, 2016 polls will be to put Dr. Bawumia on course to claiming the party's flagbearership after Nana Akufo Addo's term ends. Such a development would instantly undercut a central pillar on which the NDC's identity-based electoral strategy and coalition has been constructed, namely, the notion that the NPP is an Akan-exclusive party, and thus, not a political home for Northerners or other non-Akans.

Prof. Prempeh said the NDC's concern extends beyond the immediate impact of losing the 2016 election, saying the greater worry is that the success of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket will set in motion a political dynamic that will almost certainly produce a Bawumia at the top of the NPP presidential ticket and thereby weaken significantly the efficacy and viability of the us versus them identity politics that has become a central tenet of the NDC way of politics.

By William Yaw Owusu
OccupyGhana says that its continued review of the documents generated by Woyome after the illegal Framework Agreement with the government reveals either shocking naivete or blatant wrongs on the part of government officials in this matter.

For the purpose of this Statement, we have reviewed the following documents:

1. Terms of Reference prepared by Anator Holding with respect to an alleged Cobalt-60 and Tissue Culture Facility

2. Letter dated 1st February 2016 from Albert Essamuah Associated Limited (Anators consultants) to the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission,

3. Email correspondence between one Nana Addo and on Stephen R. Tape of Nordion dated 22nd January 2016,

4. And online printout of an order form for an unspecified Nordion product,

5. Email from F. Kwadwo Addo of BIC Ghana to Alfred Woyome, dated 2ndAugust 2005,

6. Draft Minutes of a meeting held with GAEC officials dated 12th July 2005,

7. Letter of Support from Professor Kasim Kassanga (then Minister for Environment and Science) to the Minister of Finance dated 28th October 2004.

Just by way of a reminder, the government signed a Framework Agreement with Woyome on 21st December 2015. We have stated that that agreement was illegal, at least for material non-disclosure because it failed to reveal some dodgy commitment by the government to acquire a 24% stake in a non-existent joint venture, only for the government and Woyome to turn around and try to offload that stake holding to SSNIT.

Woyome, from what we have gathered from these documents and his history, hides behind various companies and entities primarily to confuse government officials and get them to do his bidding. And he is doing that right now. Government officials are either following him blindly and unwittingly, or they are in on another grand scheme that can only cost government (and the people of Ghana) money.

We note that soon after the execution of the Framework Agreement, Woyomes consultants began to expand the scope of the alleged Special Economic Zone in ways not anticipated by the Agreement, and to commit government to that expansion. Key in this fraudulent scheme is a proposal to build a so-called Cobalt-60 Culture Facility and Warehouse. Nowhere in the Framework Agreement is this Facility even mentioned; yet Woyome and his consultants started marketing this as part of the Framework Agreement.

The 1st February 2016 letter from Woyomes consultants, Albert Essamuah Associates Limited to the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), falsely states that Now the Government of Ghana has entered into a Private Public Partnership Agreement with Anator Holding Company Limited (AHCL) for AHCL to establish a project in a Special Economic Zone, which includes the establishment of the Cobalt 60/Tissue Culture Facilities and Warehouses. On the basis of this falsehood Woyome purported to appoint the GAEC as consultants to this project.

He circulated copies of this letter to the Chief of Staff and relevant Ministers, among others. But attached to this false letter were what purported to be (i) Terms of Reference, (ii) a Letter and General Contract Form from Nordion of Canada, (iii) Minutes of Meetings with GAEC, and (iv) a Letter of Support for a Loan from the Minister of Environment and Science to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

The Terms of Reference contains several material falsehoods. For instance, it says Anator had executed an MOU with the Government of Ghana through the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority. That was materially false; while the government was clearly participating with Woyome in this grand design, the MOU is with GPHA alone. Then it speaks of establishing deep sea ports, industrial parks, green townships and Urban Renewal Project at Kablevu, Takoradi and Tokpo. That was also materially false; Woyome and his company did not own any lands in those destinations and he was then putting pressure on the government to front the compulsory acquisition of lands in those areas for him. We have seen letters dating from 22nd December 2015, the day after the Framework Agreement was signed, stating the compulsory acquisition process. Also, the document says the President shall declare the Special Economic Zone as a new port and Industrial Park. That was also apparently false; there is no obligation upon the President to do any such thing under the Framework Agreement. Alternatively, whoever wrote the document has such a close and direct relationship with the President of the Republic of Ghana that they could confidently speak of the Presidents stance in relation to the project without the need for his stance to be confirmed in the Framework Agreement.

Further, what is presented as a Letter and General Contract Form from Nordion, Canada is nothing but a half-page email enquiry about Nordions products from one of Woyomes surrogates called Nana Addo, what is at best a refusal from Nordion to deal with him (stating a preference to deal with end-users), and a standard order form printed from Nordions website. Nordion is a Canadian health science organization that exports gamma technologies and medical isotopes.

The alleged minutes of meetings with GAEC and Letter of Support are even more scandalous. That meeting, held in 2005, was not with Anator at all and had nothing to do with any current matter. The meeting related to the previous expansion of the CAN 2008 Stadium construction plans to include this so-called Cobalt-60 plant, and which was scrapped over a decade ago. Also, the meeting was held between GAEC officials and representatives of Waterville, Micheletti & Co., Building Industry Consultants and Woyome as Austrian Consulate. Further, the alleged Letter of Support is dated 28th October 2004 and related to a loan to be processed by Vamed Engineering. These are the self-same companies which are notorious for having either been used or been involved in the original Woyome scandal concerning the expansion of the national stadium.

What is worse, Anator Holding Company Limited was only incorporated in 2006 (according to information on its website, and information at the Registrar-Generals Department suggests it was probably reincorporated in 2014), and was therefore not even in existence when these meetings were held and letter written. In this regard, we must refer to Anators undated Press Release, circulating on 29 November 2016, in response to our exposes, which claims falsely that as far back as 2002, Anator Holding Company Limited led a team of seasoned local and international consultants to think through setting up Industrialized Green Towns in every District of our dear Country. That statement is clearly false. Anator did not exist in 2002, and this claim is further evidence of the falsehoods that underlie this latest entire Woyome scheme.

OccupyGhana is convinced beyond any doubt that this was just another prank in an elaborate scam that Woyome was preparing, with the connivance or shocking naivete of government officials, to defraud Ghana (and others) of millions, perhaps billions. His attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the Ghanaian people will not succeed.

Yours, for God and Country,

OccupyGhana
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in collaboration with IBIS Ghana, is offering funding opportunity to Journalists in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso for the production and publication of stories on ECOWAS, and its Protocols that mandate member states to promote pro-poor policies.

This initiative forms part of the MFWA-IBIS Ghana funded project: Promoting Citizens Awareness on ECOWAS Protocols and Frameworks on Good Governance and Economic Redistribution being implemented in four countries in West Africa.

The project seeks to increase the awareness and knowledge of citizens on ECOWAS and its Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and Frameworks that mandate member states to promote pro-poor policies.

The Funding Opportunity for Journalists seeks to increase media reportage on the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (PDGG). It also seeks to encourage participatory governance of citizens and raise issues of accountable governance for a fair economic redistribution of resources.

Under the project about 100 influential journalists and editors from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso received training on ECOWAS and its Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

The training resulted in the setting up of a Network of ECOWAS Reporters in the four project countries. It also enhanced participants knowledge of ECOWAS policies and frameworks that mandate member states to promote pro-poor policies and fair economic redistribution.

The call is open to journalists in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso.

Find out more about how to apply for funding here. For more information about the application process and the project, kindly write to Abigail Larbi Odei; Programme Manager for Media, Democracy and Development at: abigail[@]mfwa.org.
Authorities in Gambia must take all appropriate measures to ensure that forthcoming elections  including the period following the results - are held in a climate that is free from violence and which fully respects the right of all people to freely express their views, Amnesty International said today.

"The thousands of Gambians who have taken part in rallies for all candidates over the last two weeks is a remarkable sign of how precious the right to freedom of expression is in a country where it has been so rarely permitted, said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

But it is crucial that these glimmers of freedom do not end after the votes are counted, and this is no time for complacency. Dozens of people remain behind bars in Gambia simply for expressing their opinion, and journalists, human rights defenders and civil society organizations still fear reprisals for speaking out. Gambians are claiming their rights, and whoever is elected must ensure they are respected.

On Thursday 1 December, 2016, there will be presidential elections in Gambia. Amnesty Internationals absolute focus is monitoring and advocating for the protection and promotion of human rights, particularly the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly before, during and after the elections.

The organization does not evaluate whether an election is free or fair. However, given the consistent pattern of human rights violations in Gambia, as well as the authorities failure to respect the countrys obligations under international and regional human rights treaties to which the government has subscribed, Amnesty International may comment on the human rights context of the elections.
Conference on Health and Higher Education held at the Desalegn Hotel. The conference brought together 120 participants from Ethiopia, Norway and elsewhere. The main objective of the conference was to promote Ethiopian-Norwegian collaborations within health and higher education as well as creating a space for relevant actors to meet and share experiences. The conference was hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa, in collaboration with Oslo University Hospital.

Many important institutions were present at the conference such as Oslo University Hospital, Haukeland University Hospital, Black Lion Hospital and Addis Ababa University, to mention just a few. The partnerships between Norwegian and Ethiopian institutions are working to promote and build better health facilities and broader access to health-services by enhancing the capacity of institutions and health personnel. Ethiopian-Norwegian partnerships have laid the groundwork for better access to cancer treatment, neurosurgery, treatment of burn injuries and deformations, qualified nursing and so much more.

Black Lion Hospital and Addis Ababa University are the main partners to Norwegian institutions, but there are also collaborations with Jimma University, Hawassa University, Mekelle University and Yekatit Hospital, among many. Many representatives from these partner institutions were present at the conference.

As one of twelve focus countries for Norwegian development cooperation, Ethiopia has become an important partner and recipient of Norwegian aid. Furthermore, the Norwegian Government has made global health one of its major priorities and is currently supporting numerous global health initiatives. Several of these contribute to improved service delivery within the national health sector in Ethiopia, and build fundamental infrastructure to improve resilience against pandemics.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Egypt, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, announced the launch of a two-week entrepreneurship education workshop for teachers of technical schools in Luxor.

The workshop, which involved over 100 teachers, commenced with a one-day introduction on 29 November, followed by a two-week training that starts on 5 December. It is the first step towards launching the Entrepreneurship Curriculum Program in Luxor, which aims to promote and nurture a culture of entrepreneurship among students in technical secondary schools and prepares them to become productive members of society, whether they will seek to be wage-employed or self-employed, and create value and opportunities for them and their communities.

We learned so much today in the workshop and our goal is to transfer this knowledge to our students so they can start their own small businesses through which they can create opportunities for themselves as entrepreneurs said Ms. Amal Ahmed, assistant teacher of hotel and tourism studies in Luxor.

The objective of the workshop is for teachers to acquire both the theoretical and practical knowledge and applications of entrepreneurship education as well as jointly develop the competences, learning outcomes, assessment tools, and syllabus of the entrepreneurship curriculum program.

Teachers attending this training will learn how to integrate entrepreneurship education in their teaching said Ms. Annachiara Scandone, head of the Entrepreneurship Education Program (IMKAN) at UNIDO. They will lead the implementation of the entrepreneurship curriculum program in their schools to develop a positive enterprise culture which will empower the youth and support their professional and personal growth. Mr. Mohamed Soliman, head of the entrepreneurship program at the ministry added that the Ministry of Education shares the same vision with UNIDO and its project IMKAN, which is to support and train over 100 certified entrepreneurship trainers who in turn will instill in the students the spirit of entrepreneurship for a better future.

The program, which is funded by the government of Japan, marks the continued collaboration between UNIDO and the Ministry in their joint effort to support and foster entrepreneurship in Upper Egypt. The Entrepreneurship Curriculum Program has been successfully implemented in the Governorate of Qena during the school year 2014/2015, where over 100 teachers and 2,000 students received the training, and is now set to expand to Luxor and other governorates in Upper Egypt.
The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) in collaboration with the alumni of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) and the US Embassy held a dialogue on Monday around the challenges, successes, and lessons experienced by MiDA when implementing the first Compact of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). The event also covered a tour of the N1 Highway in Accra and a visit to the Post-Harvest Handling and Value Chain located at Akorley Pack House.

United States Ambassador to Ghana Robert P. Jackson delivered the welcome address during the first session which was held at the US Embassy on Monday emphasizing the importance of Ghana-United States relationship and also the importance MCA Compact 2 to the development of the energy sector in Ghana.

The Regional Coordinating Director Deidra Fair James (Ghana Compact II) and MiDA CEO Ing. Owura Sarfo (Ghana Compact II) also provided a brief history of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Ghana and an overview of their current programs.

They stressed that the MCC is to manage and implement the programs under the Millennium Challenge Account for poverty reduction through economic growth as set out in each agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

The second session involved a study tour of some of the projects undertaken under the MCA Compact I to review at first hand the returns on investments in the agricultural sector, its effects on the rural economy and the incidence of poverty among smallholder farmers.

The first place of visit was the Post-Harvest Handling and Value Chain located at Akorley Pack House. Mr. Davies Narh Korboe, the Managing Director of Cotton Weblink Portfolio Ltd, received the participants and guided them through the facility. Mr. Korboe who was adjudged National Best Farmer in 2009 revealed that during the peak season of their operations, the facility is able to employ over 120 workers who engage all mango farmers within their catchment area to assist in the post-harvest processing and export of fruits. He also noted that demand for fresh fruits in the world market is very huge and encouraged the youth to take advantage of the processing facility provided through the MCA Compact I by going into fruit farming.

Dr. Bernard Koranteng-Yorke, MiDA Infrastructure Director for Compact I led the final tour of the N1 Highway.

He revealed that design works have been completed for five additional interchanges to be constructed on the N1 Highway.

These interchanges have already been designed and are awaiting funds from GoG. These did not form part of the works completed under Phase I of the MCA Program.

He also maintained that the already designed interchanges will be at Abeka Lapaz, Dzorwulu, Kwashieman, Nyamekye and Awoshie intersections.

The YALI team expressed their appreciation to MIDA, MCC and the US Ambassador for the dialogue and tour of the project sites and encouraged continuous engagement with the young people of Ghana.
HRH Princess Anne welcoming Ivan Quashigah, a trustee of the St. Nicholas Foundation to the launch at Buckingham Palace

30.11.2016 LISTEN

The Chaffinch Trust, a charity that brings organisations together worldwide to address, the issues of specific projects has been launched by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace.

HRH Princess Anne, 66, best known for her charitable work hosted an afternoon reception at the Palace on November 10 to celebrate the official launch of the charity.

The Princess Royal, as Guardian of The Chaffinch Trust, welcomed over 230 guests representing many organisations including Save the Children, Swinfen Telemedicine, Rotary International, British Red Cross, The International Federation of The Red Cross and Red Crescent, the Humanitarian Forum, The Duke of Edinburghs Award and the Disasters Emergency Committee.

The Trust encourages charities, organisations and individuals to collaborate and work together to improve conditions for those living in disadvantaged areas.

We are delighted to announce that HRH Princess Royal has kindly agreed to become the Guardian of Chaffinch said Ben Goss OBE Chairman and Founder of the Chaffinch Trust.

Goss, noted: The Trust is as diverse as it is different. All those at this reception share common aims and values, and strive to initiate and support projects to provide education, clean water, sanitation, medicine, shelter and employment - both in the UK and around the world.

We are currently working with many local charities in Britain. Further afield, we have active links with local charities in Malawi, The Yemen, Madagascar, Kenya, Latvia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nepal and Ghana. Projects in other areas are planned.

In January 2015, a five-member delegation from the Trust led by its founder paid a three-day working visit to Ghana to explore areas of cooperation.

Other members of the delegation were: Brian Kelly, Jane Reynolds, Andrew Cowderoy and Suzy Belcher.

As part of the visit the delegation held stakeholder meetings and explored avenues for collaboration and cooperation. Mr Goss intends in the future to return to Ghana to further assist the charities identified during his initial visit.

Ben Goss and a group of Advisors and Ambassadors that includes Deborah Eleazar of the Tsakos Group and St. Nicholas Charity Foundation (Tema Newtown) volunteer their services.

Mr Goss said the Charity supports people in organisations to work more closely for the greater benefit of all, adding: "We were in Ghana to learn about the country, its needs and dreams and explore how we can collaborate."

The Trust works with many charities including Rotary International, Sight Savers, Telemedicine and the Swinfen Trust, Village by Village, the Wildlands Conservation Trust and St Nicholas Charity Tema Newtown.

Individuals and groups approach The Trust with projects that will benefit from collaboration.

Deborah Eleazar, Ivan Quashigah, and Joanne Milne (formerly Director of Centre Point Charity) Trustees of the St. Nicholas Foundation attended the launch at Buckingham Palace.

All who attended the reception at Buckingham Palace joined me in thanking The Princess Royal for her support with our current work and we look forward to her active involvement in the years to come", said Goss.

We have adopted a framework that maximises our collective influence by combining the resources, expertise and experience of many charities. We are able to support many more people around the world by providing them with opportunities to fulfil their potential.

"I am delighted that our work has been recognised at Buckingham Palace. We endeavour to bring a fresh approach to shared challenges, and to prevent charities competing.

The St. Nicholas school project with the motto: "Every child has a right to education.", was initiated by the Maria Tsakos Foundation in 2012.

The project seeks to improve the lives of disadvantaged children living in the deprived Tema Manhean community, by providing education that will enable them to progress to higher levels of education.

Beginning with 28 children, the school now has 110 pupils in 7 classes with 12 permanent teaching staff. Captain Kappas whilst based in Ghana has undertaken to expand and build a two storey school in addition to the existing buildings using all local builders, resources and ensuring employment for the surrounding area.

The school has already received valuable assistance from Swinfen Telemedicine with critical medical advice given for an accident that one of the children had during the Easter holidays and the care, empathy given at the time was amazing.

Current sponsors include: Vodafone Ghana, British Airways UK, , Sea and Shore, Atlas Copco, Blue Chip It Specialists, Leon Shipping, Lotus Shipping, Our Lady Queen of Peace Church Richmond UK, Teabag Charity, QBE Insurance and Teabag Mankoadze, Sailors Society, Soutos Maritime, Tsakos Hellas, Tsakos Columbia Ship Management and Maria Tsakos Foundation.

There also a number of important individual sponsors, including a young Greek girl of 16 Stephanie Dracos who has set up  IMAGINATION EXCHANGE to collect books for St. Nicholas Library, having lived in Ghana for five (5) years.

St. Nicholas Foundation, Tema, is a UK registered Charity with No. 1164193 . The Foundation operates under the umbrella of the Chaffinch Charity.

Meanwhile the St. Nicholas School is preparing to celebrate St. Nicholas Day on Sunday, December 4, 2016. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the Sea and of Sailors.
A Pro-NPP Group, Patriots For Victory, has warned the suspended National Chairman of the party, Mr. Paul Afoko and the former Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, to desist from their evil plots and machinations against the party and its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo.

The group says it is aware of clandestine moves being undertaken by the two personalities aimed at scuttling the chances of the party and its flagbearer ahead of the crucial elections slated for December 7.

They have, therefore, cautioned that they cannot guarantee the lives and safety of the two if they continue to engage in their evil and wicked plots against the party and Nana Akufo Addo.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Kumasi, the group specifically stated that it is aware of series of meetings held by Mr. Afoko and Mr. Mpiani at Golden Tulip Hotel, where they discussed several plans including extending financial support to independent candidates in order to sabotage the party's presidential and parliamentary fortunes.

According to them, they also have concrete information to the effect that the suspended Chairman and the former Chief of Staff have been campaigning vigorously against the party's Presidential Candidate.

"We want to tell Mr. Afoko and Kwadwo Mpiani that we have been monitoring them since last week when they started their operations in the Ashanti Region. We know that they have been giving monies to some independent candidates as well as trying to bribe some of our polling agents so that they can compromise them on the elections day," the group alleged.

According to them, they cannot understand why the two personalities are bent on destroying a party they claim they love, warning that they would also not hesitate to reply in equal measure if they persist in their agenda.

"In one of such meetings which we have on tape, Mr. Mpiani is heard loud and clear saying they would do everything possible to ensure that Nana Addo does not win the elections, whilst Mr. Afoko also told a third party on phone to come for cash for operations in a constituency with an independent candidate," they said.
How President Trump can

Defang Federal Gun Free Zones

Comments

By Dean Weingarten. November 28th, 2016

Article Source

President elect Trump has promised to do away with Gun Free Zones. Because of multitudinous, overlapping, Federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances and regulations, President Trump will not be able to eliminate all Gun Free Zones immediately. He can, unilaterally, do away with enormous swaths of them from the oval office, with a pen and a phone.

The key is to understand how these zones have been constructed. The Federal zones consist of three large pieces and a multitude of smaller chunks. The three large pieces can be eliminated by executive order and findings from the executive branch.

The three large pieces are:

Military bases and installations.

Property managed by the Army Corps of Engineers

Post Office properties and other Federal properties and Buildings

President Trump's executive actions will rest on a solid basis of law. The fundamental base is the Second Amendment.

The next layer is the interpretation of the Second Amendment by the Supreme Court in the Heller and McDonald decisions.

The third layer is precedent set in the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1995

A key finding of the Heller and McDonald decisions is that individual bearing of arms for purposes of confrontation is protected by the Second Amendment and is a lawful purpose for carrying arms.

The Gun Free School Zone Act of 1995 reinforces this understanding by exempting people who have valid carry permits from the penalties of the Act.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) makes provisions for active duty and retired law enforcement officers to carry in most of the nation.

Most Federal gun free zones are based on interpretation of 18 U.S. Code  930 - Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities.

The relevant paragraphs are (a) and (d).

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to --

(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;

(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession is authorized by law; or

(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.

President Trump can and should issue, or work with the Attorney General to have issued, a finding that the bearing of arms with a valid carry permit or under LEOSA, is a lawful purpose under paragraph (3).

This is a commonsense and clear finding that 90% of the nation would immediately accept as valid. It merely reinforces the Heller and McDonald decisions. It enforces existing Federal law. Very few people would argue that carrying a weapon with a valid carry permit, for defense of self and others, is not a lawful purpose.

It eliminates most of the gun free zones of the Post Office and other Federal properties and buildings. It removes a layer of resistance from military gun free zones and Army Corps of Engineer lands.

For Military installations, draft a DoD Directive to this effect:

As of (effective date) commanders shall allow persons with valid carry permits to access the same areas of military installations and lands under military control, that are available to unescorted access by armed members of local law enforcement agencies.

This takes into account sensitive areas, areas that require security clearances, and any other areas where there is a legitimate need to exclude armed members of the public, such as prisons.

The record is clear, from a number of states, that people with valid carry permits are more law-abiding than police officers. The directive could state this fact as a valid reason for the change in policy. It could also cite the Supreme Court decisions in the Heller and McDonald cases.

A separate DoD directive should be developed for active duty military members.

The Army Corps of Engineers is partly taken care of by the actions above. The Corps of Engineers has court actions ongoing in the Ninth and Eleventh circuits. As chief executive, President Trump could direct the Army Corp of Engineers, which falls under his command, to negotiate a Court sanctioned settlement. The settlement would permanently prohibit the Corps of Engineers from violating the Second Amendment. Such Court sanctioned agreements have long been used to create law without congressional approval, law that is impossible to remove by regulatory means. President Trump could find, with an executive order, that such a settlement would be followed by the Corp of Engineers in all other Circuits.

If Court actions were directed against other federal agencies under 18 U.S. Code  930 (d) (3), President Trump could then direct negotiated settlements to the same effect as with the Army Corps of Engineers, for the entire Federal Government. Buildings directly controlled by the legislative branch and the Federal Court system would be excepted.

The executive actions could be done in a very short period of time. Except for the court negotiated settlements, they could be reversed by the next president.

Legislative action would be necessary to prevent that option. The executive action would be a positive spur to legislative action.

Donald Trump has championed the passage of National Reciprocity. A National Reciprocity bill could include direction on all three of the Federal areas listed above. National Reciprocity is already highly popular and likely has the votes to pass.

If National Reciprocity does not pass before the 2018, President Trump can use it to push his agenda in the mid term elections. The necessity of legislative action would be a rallying cry to Second Amendment supporters across the country to push for the election of congressional allies. Such a cause, which resonates with Trump supporters, could be critical for senators in 2018.

2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Link to Gun Watch

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The much anticipated live telecast of the Woyome  Amidu cross examination in court has been turned down by the chief justice Georgina Wood.

A private citizen Richard Asante Yeboah petitioned the CJ to have the showdown beamed live on national television as it happened in the case of the 2012 election petition hearing.

However, the chief justice in a reply to the petitioner said the petition cannot be granted.

I have been directed by the Honourable Ladyship Chief Justice to inform you that, regrettably she is unable to accede to your request for a live telecast of the above-mentioned case as it is not the normal practice by the Judiciary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, Judicial Secretary said in a reply to Mr. Yeboah.

Mr Yeboah filed the petition after the Supreme Court gave Mr Amidu the green light to examine Mr Woyome on the GHS51.2million judgement debt saga.

-Starrfmonline
Election periods are strategic times electorate get to hold politicians to ransom, with the politicians having full knowledge as to what is in stall for them if these needs are not met and President Mahama is definitely having his share of the heat. President Mahama is undoubtedly one of the most criticized leaders Ghana has ever had since independence and perhaps it is so because a certain level of luck and divine favour seems to accompany him, which his detractors cannot deal with.

The man gets insulted, vilified and spat on at the least of opportunities when actually, all he has been trying to do is leave a positive indelible mark in Ghanas history long after he has left office. John Dramani Mahama has widely been branded as an incompetent leader especially by the opposition, New Patriotic Party, maybe because he has not lived up to their expectations as a party.

But let us get into the nitty-gritties of John Mahamas ascent to the presidency, and then maybe we can begin to appreciate the fact that the relatively young, vibrant President has done a lot in his quest to transform Ghana and change the lives of Ghanaians for the better. How did John Mahama become president? He got the job upon the sudden demise of his political godfather, the late Prof. Mills, at a point where I believe he (Mahama) still had a lot to learn on the job.

This means that he had not much experience as compared to his arch-rival Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo who has openly declared that he has been in politics for well over four decades. Nana Addo even referred to President Mahama recently as a novice in democracy. It therefore is surprising how a political luminary like Nana Addo would lose the elections to a novice who had only three months to campaign when he (Nana Addo) had been campaigning for well over one year.

If indeed Nana Addo was as competent and experienced as he claims to be, then winning the 2012 general elections should have been a mere walk-over for him and I find it difficult to reconcile that interesting turn of events. That election victory for President John Mahama was his first demonstration to Nana Addo and his allies, that age does not necessarily predict competence and that the people believed more in John Mahama.

Now fast-forward to the aftermath of that elections, President Mahama has undoubtedly faced certain challenges in the course of his four year administration. Certain wrong decisions have been made and mistakes have been committed as well. Nonetheless, there are still a lot of positive feats achieved under the watch of the president who has faced the most vehement opposition, coupled with strikes, demonstrations and protests in the history of the country.

The man has done well to at least, keep his head above the water, defying all the huge odds that came up against him. The country was bedeviled by the Dumsor pandemic which generally affected all spheres of life from business to the social circles.

The situation which was a result of accumulated short sighted energy policies of previous governments was heavily blamed on president Mahama as though he manufactured the situation himself. He paid dearly for the sins of past leaders and yet, he never gave up. His attempts to fix the problems to relieve Ghanaians of the long suffering were further frustrated by saboteurs within the energy sector who kept giving him false updates, thereby relaying the information to the people in order to be seen as a man who is not of his words (a lying president).

The argument was that the Dumsor situation under president Mahama was more serious and prolonged than that which happened during president Kufuors reign, even though we all are aware that our main source of power was the Akosombo dam and the current climate situation had had a heavy toll on rainfall, which was a major raw material for the Akosombo dam. Nonetheless, the incompetent Mahama managed to pull through gradually and though I personally believe there is still a lot to be done in that sector, the burden of the frequent power outages has been reduced to barest minimum. But in spite of all this, this man is still incompetent right? Okay.

Now to the issue of corruption, the very core fibre of the Ghanaian society is polluted with corruption and politics is perceived by most government appointees as the easiest and fastest way to amass wealth for themselves. However, the president has been putting in effort to control the situation. This is evidence in the immediate sacking of Ms. Victoria Hammah, a former deputy minister who had intentions of amassing illegal wealth for herself through government. Several other MMDCEs have been relieved of their duties and others queried, following acts of corruption which they were found to have engaged in. by this show of commitment towards corruption, is it not encouragement the presidents needs, rather than the constant insults and accusations? The current leadership of the NPP have been accused of syphoning party funds into personal accounts and they are still at post. What moral grounds therefore do such people have to say president Mahama has been incompetent in his fight against corruption? The president has put in on record, that he has never offered nor received a bribe. Till date, no one has been able to come out publicly to refute the fact with concrete evidence.

Detractors of president Mahama are so uncomfortable with his achievements that they would cease every opportunity to punch ho9les into all his achievements. When the newly commissioned Kwame Nkrumah interchange was commissioned, the naysayers said the cost was inflated. Then the presidents paid no head and went on with his good plans. Then when the project was nearing completion, these same people came out to say that the project was not good enough because the contractors used metal instead of concrete. Such show of deep unfounded opposition of the president. Others have argued that indeed, infrastructural development is going on, but it does not translate to money in our pockets. Great. The economy is not in the best state it can be. But at least there is something positive going on too and that is better than losing on both ends.

My point is quite simple. President John Dramani Mahama has not performed badly at all, considering that he was not half as experienced as Nana Addo at the time he took over the presidency. However, he has achieved a lot which deserves commendation in the form of a second term. If he could do this much in his first four years when he lacked enough experience, I can surely imagine a spectacle in the next four years, considering the rich pool of experience he has accrued over the last four years. President Mahamas detractors are just our noisy neighbours. The NDC is surely a party of opportunity. Dont waste your vote on a certain supposed change. Be a wise voter. Vote John Mahama and the NDC. JM must surely TOASO.

Tetteh Nathaniel Guamah

+233244903748

[email protected]
By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - The Court of Appeal has acquitted and discharged Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on five year jail term handed down to him on June 18, 2008.

He was jailed by an Accra High Court.

The Court on Wednesday also set aside the judgment convicting Mr Tsikata for willfully causing financial loss to the state.

The Court upheld Mr Tsikata grounds of appeal pointing out that the decision of the High Court revoking a stay of proceedings pending an appeal.

The Judges of the Court of Appeal was presided by Justice S. O. Kayoke, Justice Kusi Appiah and Justice Sir Dennis Agyei.

Mr Tsikata was convicted on June 18, 2008 by Justice Henerrita Abban.

The Court of Appeal upheld that Mr Tsikata was denied fair trial when the High Court went ahead to deliver judgement in spite of an appeal.

Mr Tsikata challenged his conviction and imprisonment for willfully causing financial loss to the State.

The facts of the case were that on June 30, 2016; Mr Tsikata, who was jailed for willfully causing financial loss to the state, filed a case at the Court of Appeal challenging his sentence.

In his grounds of appeal, filed at the Court of Appeal Mr Tsikata averred that the verdict that led to his imprisonment was unreasonable and was not supported by evidence.

He said the trial judge erred in law in deciding that financial loss had been caused simply because payment of monies had been made by the GNPC.

The trial judge, he said, also erred in law in referring to extraneous matters that was not part of the record in her judgement.

'The trial judge claimed that accused was a member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government, a matter which had no relevance to the case before her and on which no evidence had been led,' he contended.

It was also Mr Tsikata's contention that the judge erred in law in pronouncing judgement when she had previously stated that she was awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on the question of whether the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was amenable to the jurisdiction of the court of Ghana when the decision of the Supreme Court was to be pronounced on June 25, 2008.

'Trial judge showed manifest bias against the accused/appellant in the conduct of the trial and particularly, in proceeding to deliver judgement on the morning of June, 18, 2008.

'The June 18 had not been set for judgement in the case and no notice had been served on the accused to that effect,' Mr Tsikata said.

He also maintained that the judge erred in law in closing the case for the defence, while there was the pending issue of a witness for the defence being subpoenaed to testify.

He said the judge erred in law in proceeding with sentencing the appellant after the conviction simply on the basis that no appeal had been filed in the circumstance where counsel for the appellant was not present and the appellant clearly sought to remain on bail till an adjourned date.

Mr Tsikata was sentenced for causing financial loss to the state through a loan that the GNPC guaranteed for Valley Farms, a private cocoa-growing company.

He was found guilty on three counts of willfully causing financial loss of GH 230,000 to the state and another count of misapplying public property.

His trial started in 2002 and travelled back and forth the court ladder until his sentence, which generated a lot of controversy.

Valley Farms contracted the loan from Caisse Francaise de Development in 1991 but defaulted in the payment and the GNPC, which acted as the guarantor, was compelled to pay it in 1996.

Mr Tsatsu Tsikata was unconditionally pardoned by former President John Agyekum Kufuor on his last day in office but he rejected the pardon and insisted that he would continue to pursue justice in the court of law.

GNA
Movelle Company Limited, an import trading company in Ghana has pledged commitment to support national development through the creation of jobs for the youth of Ghana.

It attested to the fact that unemployment has become a major derailing factor to national development.

The Finance and Business Development Director at Movelle Company, Mr. Alan Osei-Assibey, who stated this in Accra recently, expressed that Ghana can improve the lives of her citizens through the support of the private sector with a focus on job creation, which is a priority of our company, Movelle.

According to him, Movelle Company Limited has built extensive capabilities in sourcing and trading commodities for many years with opportunities at national, regional and global levels for a wide range of marine and agricultural commodities.

He noted that the growth in agribusiness and food processing in Ghana and the sub-region represented an excellent opportunity for the company to expand its operations. Over the next three to five years the expected expansion programme, could create in 10-15,000 jobs in the country, he added.

Commenting on the companys current input considering the unemployment situation, Mr. Osei-Assibey revealed that Movelle has directly and indirectly employed over 1,700 people in the country.

Further, he indicated that the company plans to invest in automated racking systems, improved energy efficiency, and staff training, to enable us maximize its programmes, thereby creating more jobs in the country.

As we continue to keep abreast with the industrial developments and adapt our strategies according to the dynamics of the market, we will also constantly look for opportunities to expand our scope of products and services for the benefit of the company and Ghana.

With a vision of becoming a leading and reliable supplier for the marine companies in Ghana and beyond, Movelle Company Limited has capabilities in trade financing, risk assessment and management, port operations, specialist transport and warehousing, gained from successfully completing numerous international trade transactions.
Rabat (AFP) - Morocco on Wednesday accused the African Union commission's chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa, of blocking Rabat's efforts to rejoin the AU and lacking neutrality.

The foreign ministry, in a strongly worded statement, charged that she was "trying to thwart Morocco's decision to regain its natural and legitimate place within its pan-African institutional family".

Dlamini-Zuma had "delayed, in an unjustified manner, the circulation of Morocco's demand to other members" in September, it said in a statement.

She was "keeping up her obstruction by improvising a new procedural demand, previously unheard of and unfounded... to arbitrarily reject the letters of support from AU member states", it said, without giving details.

The ministry accused Dlamini-Zuma of acting "contrary to her obligation of neutrality, of AU rules and norms, and of the will of its member states".

Rabat officially requested to rejoin the AU in September, 32 years after quitting the bloc in protest at its decision to accept Western Sahara as a member.

Morocco has occupied the sparsely populated Western Sahara area since 1975 in a move that was not recognised by the international community.

It maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of the kingdom even though local Sahrawi people have long campaigned for the right to self-determination.

In 1991, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between Moroccan troops and Sahrawi rebels of the Algerian-backed Polisario Front but a promised referendum to settle the status of the desert territory is yet to materialise.

The Moroccan online website Le360 on Wednesday accused Dlamini-Zuma of "a blatant lack of neutrality" and taking orders from Algiers.
President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated the first phase of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, formerly the Ridge Hospital, although the facility will start receiving patients from January 2017.

The refurbished hospital has been equipped with ultra-modern facilities and expanded to a capacity of 420 beds, to improve quality and expand access to healthcare delivery.

The ceremony was graced by former President Jerry John Rawlings, Health Minister; Alex Segbefia, E.T. Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly; Alfred Oko Vanderpuye, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle; Zanetor Rawlings, among others.

President Mahama in a speech read on his behalf by the Health Minister said, what we are doing is to provide equipment in the new facilities that we have, so that our health professionals will be able to give off their best to the patients.

He also noted that, the location of the Hospital will provide excellent accessibility and disposability to the public and would now provide tremendous healthcare services to the population.

Supporters of the NDC were at the facility in their party colours, to hail President Mahama, the NDC flagbearer, for what they deemed as more evidence of his infrastructure developments, and proof that he deserves a second term with the general elections a week away.

The Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Thomas Winsum Anabah, outlined some of the key upgrades to the hospital noting that, the new facility consists of five edifices; including one for staff accommodation, one for the Anesthesia School, one for the mortuary, the utility building and the main facility.

The main facility has an emergency department which has been expanded from the initial six beds to 42-beds along with four theatres to cater for the emergency facility.

The hospital also has an oxygen unit where it will produce its own oxygen;and a water reserve underground which could last for at least a week.

Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Thomas Winsum Anabah

The obstetric unit accompanying the new facility, comes with a 20 bed reception unit, 17 delivery suits, theatres and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to handle natal complications. The ICU of the hospital has 12 theatres and 36 beds.

Speaking on when the hospital will be ready to receive patients, Dr. Anaba expressed hope that patients could start benefiting from the new facility in January.

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital is expected to have a capacity of 629 beds when it is completed.

The original Ridge Hospital was a 191-bed facility, built in 1929, to provide healthcare for British nationals during the colonial era.

The Greater Accra Regional Hospital was funded through a credit facility provided by the Export-Import Bank of United States for an amount of US$157,500,000 and HSBC Bank for an amount of US$92,500,000 respectively.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Libreville (AFP) - Eleven countries, meeting Wednesday on security in central Africa, urged the Democratic Republic of Congo's opposition to back a deal that could keep its president in office far beyond his official mandate.

Leaders or their representatives from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) met in Libreville, the capital of Gabon.

"The conference called on those political and social forces (in DRC) which have not yet done so to join the October 18, 2016 political agreement, which is aimed at strengthening social cohesion and the holding of calm democratic elections," a statement said.

DRC President Laurent Kabila, whose tenure is scheduled to end December 20, has been elected to two terms and is barred from serving again but has never said he plans to step aside.

In October, he cut a power-sharing deal under a national "dialogue," appointing fringe opposition politician Samy Badibanga as prime minister in a move that analysts say effectively extends his term to at least late 2017.

The "Gathering", a movement of mainstream opposition groups that back politician Etienne Tshisekedi to replace Kabila, has rejected the deal.

In September, during protests organised by the Gathering against the delayed elections, 53 people were killed, according to a UN toll.

Of the 11 countries taking part in Wednesday's meeting, four were represented by heads of state -- presidents Idriss Deby Itno of Chad, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Faustin-Archange Touadera of Central African Republic (CAR) and the meeting's host, Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon.

The statement also said ECCAS intends to "deploy a mission" in the strife-torn former French colony of CAR "to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts."
Kumasi, Nov 30, GNA - Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has rallied Ghanaians to work together to keep the nation united.

He invited his colleague politicians to avoid doing anything to divide the people and excite ethnic sentiments for political convenience.

This comes as voters ready to go to the polls to elect new leaders to govern the country for the next four years.

Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that the unity of the nation was critical to its future and that everybody had a responsibility to ensure that it remained intact at all times.

Addressing journalists in Kumasi as part of his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region, he pointed out, making deliberate attempts to tear the people apart would not be helpful to Ghana's progress.

He gave the assurance that if given the mandate by voters on December 07, his government would focus priority on reforms and strategic initiatives to revamp the economy - to stimulate growth and create jobs.

'The focus will be to re-orient public policy to stimulate Ghanaian production.'

He spoke of plans to develop the bauxite industry, vehicle assembling and interventions in the cocoa and agriculture sector.

Nana Akufo-Addo vowed to complete and revive the Eastern and Western corridor railway lines to transport goods at relatively cheaper cost.

He said the redevelopment of the railway line would be one of the major infrastructure projects his government would undertake to address the transportation challenges.

The NPP Flagbearer promised to keep faith with the people, adding that, his election promise of one million dollars to each constituency would boost infrastructure development - improve water and sanitation in the local communities.

Nana Akufo-Addo pledged leadership of integrity, transparency and efficient management of the nation's resources to create wealth and lift the people out of poverty.

He repeated that Ghana was not poor and that bad leadership and mismanagement of its resources were to blame for the present economic woes.

He stated that the NPP was capable of turning things around and urged the people to trust the party with their votes.

He encouraged voters in the region to go out to vote on voting day to assure the NPP of resounding victory.

The NPP should have held its Ashanti regional rally today (Wednesday) but this had been canceled because Asanteman is in a state of mourning - the death of the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi Serwaah Ampem.

GNA

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah GNA
30.11.2016 LISTEN

By Christabel Addo - GNA

Accra, Nov. 30, GNA - The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Tuesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for the continuous support of health interventions in the north.

The agreement, which marks the beginning of the second phase of JICA's Technical Cooperation Project would within five years, expand from the Upper West, to cover the Northern and Upper East Regions, to strengthen the implementation of the Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Policy, focusing on the life-course approach in these regions.

It would address issues involving Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) and infectious diseases, as well as new and emerging health concerns such as non-communicable diseases, nutrition and ageing, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the causes of death.

Mr Koji Makino, JICA's Chief Representative in Ghana, at the signing ceremony in Accra, said JICA had over the past 10 years supported the implementation of the CHPS Policy in the Upper West Region, where its operation had faced serious challenges.

The current move, he said, was in pursuance of the global agenda of health promotion, and the pledge made by Japan at the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in Tokyo, to support efforts at 'attaining Universal Health Care with strong health systems and better preparedness for public health emergencies'.

He said the project had been formulated to support Ghana in its high level political commitment which led to the country being selected as a model for the attainment of the Universal Health Care (UHC) at another Summit held in August 2016 in Kenya.

He said the GHS through the MOH requested for JICA's support for the project because the country wanted to be one of the first African countries to attain the UHC goals on time, and had therefore prioritised the implementation of CHPS as a national policy and would continue to explore possible resources to achieve these objectives.

Mr Makino said idea was to address these health issues through the life-course approach which would be introduced into the package of primary health care at CHPS level.

The project would focus on strengthening community health activities, capacity of community health management committees and volunteers, and strengthen the collaboration between Local Government and the Health Directorates for the promotion of CHPS Policy under the Decentralisation of the health sector.

He said JICA would continue to support Ghana's efforts for the attainment of UHC comprehensively, not only through its TC project, but would also depend on the support of Policy advisors for the development of an integrated Maternal and Child Health Hand book, and a CHPS business plan which would aid resources mobilisation and support the sector through financial assistance for implementation of CHPS Policy in Ghana.

Mr Alex Segbefia, the Minister of Health, said the CHPS project was the backbone of the country's health care, adding that its expansion would help in the attainment of its health indicators in MCH.

He thanked JICA for the investment made so far in the area of technical and infrastructural development into the country's health care system and expressed the hope that the lessons learnt in the implementation of the previous project would be applied for better outcomes.

Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyirah, the Director General of the GHS said through the JICA support the country has now more than 4700 CHPS Compounds and expressed appreciation to the people of Japan for supporting the country's health system.

GNA
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Editor's note: Sarki Gadah, the Legit.ng partner blogger, gives three tips how to deal with blakmailers and attempts of the blackmailing.

Gadah is the founder of Psychologist Magazine, which exists to help improve the standard of human experience in areas of health, parenting and relationship.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

One of the factors that steal peoples peace and comfort is blackmail. It arouses the feeling of great fear and apprehension, which makes victims depressed or even commit suicide. This humiliating experience had cost a lot of people their fortune and dignity.

Like any form of extortion, blackmailers often threaten to harm their victims physically or emotionally if their demands are not met. Because of the sensitive nature of the information, the blackmailer seems to possess, victims often assume the position of a prey. Most times, blackmailers have more control over the situation but because of their ignorance, blackmailers continue to manipulate them and extort more money or other valuables from them.

READ ALSO: Why girls should never chase guys

Blackmail is a crime punishable by law. The fact that you have a skeleton in your cupboard does not warrant a criminal to illegally extort money from you. Here are some tips that will help you.

1. Do not give in to the demand of the blackmailer

To protect yourself from future harassment and unnecessary worries, report the case to the police. Giving in to the blackmailers demands isnt going to stop him. In most cases, the secret that victims worked so hard to protect is eventually exposed when they can no longer meet the demands of the blackmailer. Instead of co-operating by sending the money, co-operate with words to buy enough time to gather all evidence of blackmail. Keep records of all contacts between yourself and your blackmailer. Save voicemails and record phone conversations. The police will need these evidence to determine the case and how it can be prosecuted.

Keep the whole process a secret. Sometimes, these blackmailers are our acquaintance. By revealing your plans to people around you, you may be revealing it to the criminal.

2. Spill the beans yourself

Most of the time, people worry about the consequence if the secret is exposed. They are afraid of losing something or someone if the secret is exposed. That is not a fact, you can always win the trust of people back. It all depends on your honesty and commitment to the process. Even if It will play out that way, we learn quicker by experience.

How to go about it..

First, confess to the person or group involved before the blackmailer does. This sends a message of repentance, and be truly repentant. Keep in mind that your intention is to win the persons trust back. Communicate in a manner that will restore good will. Be honest with your confession and give all required details (including why you are confessing). Pay attention to his reaction, affirm that he has the right to react that way and reassure him that such will not happen again.

Second, be patient and give him time to get over it. While you wait, take responsibility of your action and make things right. Even if youll have to suffer the consequences, I want you to know that youve done the right thing.

3. Focus on things you can control

It could be that it is your nude image or video that has leaked, and someone is threatening to make it public. In a situation like this, one may ask, what if the blackmailer expose the image in the process? It is likely to happen. But think about it this way: a gangster is a gangster; he is most likely going to make it public after collecting your money. Or you think he will understand and let you be when you no longer have anything to offer? Think about it.

Similar things had happened in the past. It is just so unfortunate that it is your turn. Having everyone talking and gossiping about you behind your back is truly a horrible thing. Instead of worrying about the situation, focus your energy on things you can control  like managing your self-esteem.

Stick with people who support and stand by you. There are people who will always care about you regardless of what people are saying about you. Get the pain off your chest by talking to them about your feelings and fears. If you feel you need someone else to talk to, contact a professional counsellor.

READ ALSO: 5 diseases that can be treated with laughter

Keep yourself busy. Focus on achieving your daily goals while maintaining your cool with everyone. When people see that you are not bothered about it, and you are still friendly, they will realise that you are strong and you truly do not deserve what they are doing to you. When you are confident in yourself and your actions, other people will start believing them. Do not be tempted to leave that community, the gossip will continue the moment you return.

PS: No one had ever been blackmailed for doing the right thing. If you wouldnt want your light cut, pay your bills. The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out Proverbs 10:9.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

Legit.ng welcomes writers, bloggers, photographers and all sorts of noise makers to become a part of our Bloggers network. If you are a seasoned writer or a complete newbie  apply and become Nigerias next star blogger.

Send us some info about your career, interests and expertise and why youd like to contribute to the Blogger Network at blogger@corp.legit.ng Also, please send us the link to your blog and three examples of your work.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

Source: Legit.ng
1 in 7 suffered abuse in the past 12 months

One in seven women in Nepal experienced physical or sexual violence from their intimate partner in the past 12 months, a UN report shows.
Pizza Port is undeniably influential in the Southern California beer scene. What began as a family business in a rundown pizza parlor in coastal San Diego, California has grown into a chain of brewpubs with multiple locations, several related brands, and more than a little confusion in the craft beer marketplace. Lets untangle the connections between the Pizza Port brewpubs, the offshoot breweries, and the other brands that share the family DNA.

The Pizza Port story started when siblings Gina and Vince Marsaglia purchased a rundown pizza joint in the laidback town of Solana Beach some 20 miles north of downtown San Diego. This was 1987, before even Karl Strauss had opened a brewery in San Diego and rekindled beer culture in Southern California. Vince, the younger Marsaglia, started homebrewing in the storage area of the restaurant, and before long Pizza Port made the transition from restaurant to full fledged brewpub. The first house made brews began pouring in 1992, and Pizza Port spent five years developing a reputation as a unique spot to grab some grub and grog in San Diego. In 1997, the siblings opened a second location a dozen miles north in Carlsbad, California. That year they also hired a new brewer to take over in Solana Beach, and the addition of Tomme Arthur to the Pizza Port family signaled the next chapter.

Arthur brewed at Cervecerias La Cruda in downtown San Diego (winning GABF gold there in 1996), then worked at the yeast bank and supplier White Labs briefly before joining the Pizza Port team. With Arthur as Head Brewer, the Solana Beach Pizza Port location won 13 GABF medals and a host of other accolades. Beers like Swamis IPA, Ponto Pale Ale, and Midnight Expressions Schwarzbier drew in crowds from across SoCal.

As the Pizza Port brand grew in reputation and influence in Southern California, demand for the brews grew, and the pubs seemed to always be full of local beer lovers. The Marsaglia siblings opened a third location in Carlsbad (1997), then a fourth in San Clemente (2003). Pizza Port was named the Small Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2003 and 2004. A production brewery was announced in 2006 (more on this in a minute), in 2008 the brand added a bottle shop next to the Carlsbad location, and another pub opened in 2010 in Ocean Beach. Each of the Pizza Port Brewpubs has an independent crew of brewers who develop their own recipes and signature styles. Recipes get shared between the locations, but the pubs can brew whatever they want as long as their customers are happy, says Sean Farrell  the director of Brewing Operations for the chain of brewpubs.

As the craft beer scene in San Diego went from simmering to a full-on boil in the early years of the 21st century, the Marsaglias looked for ways to increase production of Pizza Port beers. Nearby Stone Brewing was also growing quickly, and in 2005 the Escondido-based brewery moved into a new, larger home. Arthur and the Marsaglias saw the opportunity to launch a production brewery, and they formed a partnership to take over Stones original brewery. Arthur had also developed a book of Belgian-inspired beers while brewing at Pizza Port Solana Beach  the Overhead series  and his love of the Belgian traditions continued to drive his creativity. The team decided to split the new brewery into two distinct brands. Theyd brew bigger batches of the most popular Pizza Port brews for distribution as Port Brewing, and Arthur would have free rein to plunge down the Belgian beer rabbit hole under The Lost Abbey name.

As Port Brewing bottles flowed from the Escondido brewery, Belgian brews developed with feedback from tasting room visitors. In 2007 Port Brewing was named Small Brewery of the Year at GABF, and Arthur has earned a pile of medals and awards for The Lost Abbeys beers. There are five year-round bottled beers from Port Brewing along with seven seasonal brews and two barrel-aged variants. Port also makes a handful of draft-only beers with a focus on lower-ABV offerings such as the exceptional Dawn Patrol dark mild ale. The Lost Abbey produces six year-round brews and a dozen or more seasonal and special release bottles, plus the tap-only experimentations and some of craft beers most sought-after whales (Duck Duck Gooze, Cable Car).

The Pizza Port Brewpub family is a separate business entity from the Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey brewery. Tomme Arthur is a partner in the latter, while the brewpub chain is under the umbrella of the Grain To Green company controlled by Vince and Gina Marsaglia. This separation of the brands means that there wasnt a production facility dedicated to Pizza Ports beers that hadnt made the jump to the Port Brewing lineup. This would change in 2012 when the Marsaglias broke ground in the Bressi Ranch region of Carlsbad, California. Pizza Port Bressi Ranch opened in 2013 with a 37,000 square foot production brewery, 250-seat pub, retail space and even an onsite ice cream making facility.

Expanding the reach of Pizza Ports brews beyond the San Diego scene, the Bressi Ranch production facility also cans a line of signature Pizza Port beers. The cans launched in late 2013 with Swamis IPA, a retooled Ponto (now a session IPA), and Chronic Amber Ale. Kook DIPA and Pick Six Pilsner followed, and this summer, Graveyards was introduced. This newest limited release beer  an outsized and well-hopped American pale ale  perfectly captures San Diegos signature flavor profile of impact hops on top of a bitter finish.

In 2015 another brand from the Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey umbrella launched. The Hop Concept would focus on experimentations with hop varieties new and old. Adam Martinez, the Director of Media and Marketing under Tomme Arthur says, rather than try to fit a square peg in a round hole, we came up with the The Hop Concept, as the actual branding wouldnt make sense to force on Port or Lost Abbey. There are four core Hop Concept double IPAs under the Hop Freshener label, each described by the flavor profile of the combined hops, and each released seasonally (Dank & Sticky, Citrus & Piney, Lemon and Grassy and Tropical & Juicy). A few other brews highlighting some potent hop combinations fill-out the lineup.

Apparently not content with owning one of the countrys best chain of brewpubs and their partnership with the lauded Tomme Arthur, the Marsaglia family also purchased Bailey BBQ in Julian  quiet town in the mountains east of San Diego. The Grain to Green team is now converting that brewpub into the Julian Brewing Company to open later this year.

Apart from shaping the tastes of the San Diego beer scene for nearly 25 years, and winning dozens of medals in the process, the Pizza Port brewpubs have been an important training ground for many of SoCals best craft brewers. Apart from Tomme Arthur, Pizza Port has launched countless brewing careers. Some notable Pizza Port alum are Jeff Bagby  who took over for Arthur in Solana Beach back in 2005 and launched Oceansides Bagby Brewing Co in 2014; Yiga Miyashiro  who left Pizza Port Ocean Beach for Saint Archer in 2013, and Devon Randall  who began her brewing career in the cellar at Lost Abbey before moving to Pizza Port Solana Beach  shes now the brewmaster at L.A.s Arts District Brewing.
In the wake of Donald Trumps selection of Steve Mnunchin as Secretary of the Treasury in his forthcoming administration, Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts issued a joint statement condemning the pick. They write:

During the campaign, Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street. Donald Trumps choice for Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, is just another Wall Street insider. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washingtonthat is hypocrisy at its worst. After his bank pocketed billions in taxpayer dollars from the bailout, Mnuchin moved on to make a fortune running another bank that aggressively foreclosed on families still reeling from the crisis. This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again.

The statement refers to Mnuchins 17-year history at Goldman Sachs, as well as his time as chair of OneWest, a bank that was referred to as a foreclosure machine. Though not mentioned by Sanders and Warren, Mnuchin has also said that he plans on stripping back the Dodd-Frank Act, the regulatory bill passed in the wake of the 2007 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending practices, which Sanders voted for in 2010 and which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency Warren lobbied for and helped establish.

Trumps selection of Mnuchin, who, like Trump, has no political experience, has drawn particular condemnation in light of Trumps frequent criticisms of Hillary Clinton for giving paid speeches to Goldman Sachs. As many have pointed out, Trumps rallying cry of Drain the swamp doesnt seem to have been heeded as he puts together his administration. Its almost as if Trumps a pathological liar who said whatever he had to during the campaign in order to rile up his disgruntled conservative base and get himself elected.

Read the senators full statement here.
Constitution amendment bill registration sparks protests

People took to the streets in various parts of the country on Wednesday to protest against the registration of the constitution amendment bill in the parliament with the proposal of splitting Province 5.
The best part about Australias small and provincial media sector is that when one of them make a joke, all of them make exactly the same joke within an hour.

Which is why today, when the story that Australia had slipped backwards in global education rankings to the point that we are now behind Kazakhstan, literally every report somehow mentioned Borat. A nation with a rich history and a solid post-Soviet education infrastructure and most of the reporting was about LOL BORAT.

Like the Daily Tele:

Aaaand Fairfax:

Even the noble ABC described Kazakhstan as a Central Asian country well-known for the satirical film Borat and with a population smaller than ours.

Has any media outlet been able to report the Kazakhstan- education story without mentioning Borat? It was in the lead of ABC News radio.  Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) November 29, 2016

But hey  its not just the media, who were probably obviously going to pick a funny angle on a country that doesnt have a great deal of recognition around here. And they were never going to pick one of the other countries weve slipped behind in science and maths, like Bulgaria.

It was also the guy literally responsible for our education system at a federal level  Education Minister Simon Birmingham also had a crack:

I dont want to denigrate Kazakhstan, or indeed their artistic skills with movies like Borat. I think though Australia should be seeking to be amongst the best in the world and declines like this are unacceptable and that we need to be working hard to turn it around.

Artistic skills with movies like Borat. Is Birmo aware that Borat is, shockingly, not actually a Kazakhstani film? Or that Kazakhstans education system and national literacy rates are by any measure quite advanced? Or that Borat is fictional?

Eh, I give up. Very nice. My wife.
Bribes Rejected to Release 1,318 Chinese Online Gaming Workers in the Philippines

November 30, 2016 Jason Glatzer Editor

Lately it has appeared that the Philippines has been moving away from its long-term alliance with the United States and warming up to better ties with China.

However, a bust of an online gaming operation could potentially be a small thorn in the side of improved diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China.

On Friday, over 1,300 Chinese nationals were arrested by the Philippines National Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice officers for illegally working in an unlicensed online gaming business, said Bureau of Immigration spokesman Tonette Mangrobang. The workers, who reportedly were in the Philippines under tourist visas and thus not legally empowered to work in the Philippines, were detained after a raid on the Fontana Leisure Park & Casino operated by Jimei chairman and gaming tycoon Jack Lam in the Clark Freeport Zone.

The 1,318 Chinese will be charged with overstaying, working violation of the limitations and conditions of their visa and engaging in an unlicensed online gaming business, said Mangrobang to the Inquirer.

The raid was the largest single arrest of suspected illegal aliens in the Philippines and it appears the country's law enforcement officials plan to play things by the book.

The country's top law enforcement official, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II was behind the arrests of the Chinese nationals and shared that the Department of Justice was approached with bribes ranging up to 200,000 PHP ($4,021) per person or over $500,000 total for their release.

Aguirre II emphatically stated that the enforcement of laws would not succumb to bribes.

"We will not be deterred," Aguirre II said. "We will be uncompromising in our fight against crime and corruption...We are sending a message to all who break any of our laws. Break it and we will go after you."

According to the Bureau of Investigations, 99 of the illegal workers overstayed their tourist visas, which will likely lead to a summary deportation of this group. The remaining workers will be subjected to deportation proceedings, during which they will have the opportunity to defend themselves.

*Lead image courtesy of Wikipedia.org.
"This Was a Fun Hand": Mike McDonald vs. Jonathan Jaffe in GPL Playoffs

November 30, 2016 PokerNews Staff

The Global Poker League playoffs are underway, and yesterday saw the top four teams in the Americas Conference play down to a conference champion, the Montreal Nationals. Today the Eurasia Conference will likewise play down to a champion who will then clash with Montreal on Thursday to decide who will be the first Global Poker League champion.

Teams squared off in "The Cube" to play best-of-seven heads-up matches, and among the highlights was a hand coming during the deciding Game 7 between the Montreal Nationals and the San Francisco Rush in the quarterfinals. Mike McDonald represented Nationals, facing off against the Rush's Jonathan Jaffe.

This was a fun hand https://t.co/tK4i2MCH6W  Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) November 30, 2016

Thanks to Montreal earning the Americas Conference No. 1 seed during the regular season while San Francisco came in at No. 4, McDonald began with a chip advantage (130,000 to 100,000) to start the match. Four hands in McDonald was still ahead with about 112,000

It was just the fifth hand of the match, at which point McDonald still had the edge with around 123,000 to start versus Jaffe's just over 106,000.

With the blinds 600/1,200, McDonald opened from the button to 3,000 holding , then Jaffe three-bet to 10,500 holding . McDonald called, then was pleased to see the flop fall to give him an eight-high straight  not that McDonald's poker face showed it.

With second pair, Jaffe led for 7,250 and after a short pause McDonald called, bring the pot close to 36,000. The turn was the , and Jaffe fired again, this time for 11,250.

McDonald had the current nuts, and in fact with that turn card had picked up a flush draw to improve his situation even further. Choosing to continue to slow play seemed a good option, then, and McDonald called once more.

"Did you flop the nuts?" Jaffe immediately asked after McDonald's call, and "Timex" grinned ever so slightly in response.

Watching at home, we knew the river didn't change anything as McDonald already had a lock on things, although there was still betting to come (and McDonald didn't have the best possible hand). The river provided a couple of interesting decisions, then, as well as some entertaining table talk  or rather, "cube talk"  from Jaffe. Take a look:

McDonald went on to win the match, then went on to help the Nationals win the conference finals, splitting two games versus Chance Kornuth as Montreal beat the L.A. Sunset 4-3.

The battle for the Eurasia Conference title begins at 12 noon PT (3 p.m. ET) today, and you can watch for more fun hands by following the live coverage right here on PokerNews.

Image/video: Global Poker League.
Contact

Dr. Bruce Bloom, President of Cures Within Reach

bruce@cureswithinreach.org Dr. Bruce Bloom, President of Cures Within Reach

End

-- Vision For Tomorrow (www.visionfortomorrow.org), an organization dedicated to supporting families affected by low vision, including those with albinism and aniridia, and to funding research to better understand and treat these conditions, announces Dr. Bruce Bloom of Cures Within Reach (www.cureswithinreach.org)as its new Director of Scientific Affairs."I'm thrilled to join the Vision for Tomorrow team." says Dr. Bloom. "Cures Within Reach looks forward to partnering with VFT, focusing on rare disease, including repurposing research."Dr. Bloom will help Vision for Tomorrow create and manage a Scientific Advisory Board, engaging leading experts in ophthalmology and genetic research. Dr. Bloom also will manage research solicitation, selection and administration, and he will support communication with families, clinicians and our funders."As we mark our 10-year anniversary and look ahead, the Vision for Tomorrow Foundation will embark on its most aggressive research plan to date, with the funding of four projects this year and more in the pipeline for 2017 and beyond," said Susan Ballis, Founder, Vision for Tomorrow. "Dr. Bloom will play a central role in helping to move us closer to halting or reversing problems associated with low vision."Dr. Bloom is the President and Chief Science Officer at Cures Within Reach. Cures Within Reach catalyzes repurposing research, which seeks to use FDA approved drugs, devices and nutriceuticals to treat unsolved diseases. Repurposing can help speed treatments to patients in need, especially those suffering from rare diseases, such as aniridia and albinism.Dr. Bloom holds a Juris Doctor degree from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from University of Illinois Medical Center, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from University of Illinois. Dr. Bloom currently serves as an editor to the ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies journal, is the founding Secretary of the International Drug Repurposing Society, chair of the Governance Committee of the Kendall College Trust, a Board member of the Judy Hirsch Foundation, a Science Advisor to the Marian Falk Trust, member of the Science Advisory Board of Rediscovery Life Sciences, Science Advisory Board member for the GARROD AKU Consortium, member of the Board of Councilors of Midwestern University, and a Client Advisor to the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Dr. Bloom was elected an International Ashoka Fellow in 2009.The Vision for Tomorrow Foundation (www.visionfortomorrow.org)seeks to empower people with low vision to have the confidence and ability to achieve their dreams. Research makes it possible to better understand and more effectively treat ocular complications common in albinism and aniridia, two conditions causing low vision from birth.Cures Within Reach (www.cureswithinreach.org)works to catalyze repurposing research to quickly and affordably improve patient lives. We accomplish this through collaborations that connect researchers and funding, by facilitating crowd sourcing and community, and by identifying alternative financing models and incentives.Visit us at http://www.cureswithinreach.org or follow us via Twitter.com/CuresWReach, LinkedIn.com/company/cures-within-reach, YouTube.com/cureswithinreach or Facebook.com/CuresWithinReach.
Women Around the World are Recognized at Event in New York City

By: LG Designs

Award Winner Christina Aldan "Women Helping Women"

Contact

LG Designs

***@lgdesigns.co LG Designs

End

-- Christina Aldan has been named the winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the "Women Helping Women" category in the 13annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are the world's top honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees and the organizations they run. All individuals and organizations worldwide are eligible to submit nominations  public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. The 2016 awards received entries from 31 nations and territories.Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for "crowned," the awards were presented to winners last night during a dinner event attended by more than 500 people at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The event was broadcast on Livestream.More than 1,400 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in more than 90 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Company of the Year, Startup of the Year, Women Helping Women, and Women Run Workplace of the Year, among others. Christina Aldan won in the "Women Helping Women" category for Women in Business.Ms. Aldan enjoys outreach as well as corporate and small business education - offering workshops from mentorship to social media to disruptive marketing. She has been a leader at Girls in Tech, a global non-profit focused on engaging, educating and empowering women and girls passionate about technology. Christina also mentored youth through her partnership with the Girl Scouts of America where she co-created the education campaign "She's Geeky," a series of classes that allow girls between 4-16 years of age to earn badges in Computer Basics, Graphic Design and 3D Printing to Programming, Web Design, and Online Safety. She has mentees around the world; several have become TEDx speakers, award winners, and accelerator recipients. Christina helped secure a $10,000 prize for "Women in Technology" via a partnership with AT&T at their CES Developers Hackathon in 2015. She collaborates with the Las Vegas Urban League to offer training about entrepreneurship and she assisted in the implementation of a $3 million BTOP grant that created 23 public computer centers in underserved neighborhoods in Las Vegas. Additionally, in late 2015 Christina had the privilege to interview at Devoxx Morocco, including female STEM professionals and entrepreneurs from Africa, France, and The Middle East.Christina's rare blend of experience, as a self-made entrepreninja along with her years in sustainability;working in the education and implementation of environmentally sound projects, makes her a good mix of what the business sector seeks in today's marketplace;a passionate, multidimensional expert, adept at handling both traditional and outside-the-box approaches, who is able to adapt and pivot on the fly. Standing on the shoulders of those who have mentored her, Christina uses her charisma and expertise to inspire others, through her speaking engagements and mentoring women in business like herself.A speaker for corporations, conferences, and specialty groups, Christina has appeared at such prestigious events/publications as: TEDxFremontEastWomen, (I'm)Possible Conference, The Good Men Project, DT Zen, Phoenix Startup Week, Imagine2016, CataylstCreativ, The AT&T DevSummit, Geek Girl Conference, DevUp, KalamazooX, CodepaLOUSa, KCDC, Music City Code, 1 Million Cups, The Sage Summit, Bloomberg Radio, Fox 5 News, Channel 8 News, Channel 13 Action News, Lotus Broadcasting, BCN Talk, PR Connections, The Crown Me Queen Conference, and The Downtown Podcast. She also makes time to serve local community organizations, including Project AngelFaces, Never Give Up Foundation, OCA Las Vegas, ACDC Nevada, A-Tech High School and Southwest Career and Technical Academy. Tune in to her podcast on iTunes: "Luckygirl, A bite-sized podcast for solopreneurs."Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 160 professionals worldwide who participated in the judging process this year."Each year we think the quality of achievements portrayed in Stevie-winning nominations couldn't possibly get any better, and each year the amazing women who are recognized in this program prove us wrong," said Michael Gallagher, Stevie Awards founder and president. "We are thrilled and humbled to be able to recognize so many outstanding women in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and to share the stories of their achievement with the world."Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Stevie Award winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ Women Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com
By: South Shore Chamber of Commerce

Jason Milligan

End

-- The South Shore Chamber of Commerce announces that Jason Milligan,Senior Vice President, Business Banking Market Manager with Citizens Bank has been appointed to a three-year term on the Chamber's Board of Directors.In this capacity, Milligan will work with South Shore Chamber President and CEO Peter Forman and Board of Directors Chairman Cameron Snyder to help oversee general strategy and direction for the Chamber.Milligan, a resident of Bellingham, Massachusetts is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University.Peter Forman, President and CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, said, "It is with pleasure that we announce Jason as a member of the Board of Directors. His dedication to and advocacy for our mission is highly recognized and appreciated."The South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the region's largest Chamber, has long been recognized throughout the state as one of the most active and forceful advocates for the business community and numbers among the larger Chambers of Commerce nationally. The South Shore Chamber is a not-for-profit association of businesses in the communities south of Boston. It is committed to helping its members grow their businesses and to improve the business climate in the region. Members range in size from major international corporations headquartered on the South Shore to small local firms and sole proprietorships. For additional information on the Chamber, please visit www.southshorechamber.org or call 781-421-3900.
Anthony Rumore joins 3TV live this morning with some great ways to stay safe while your out shopping this Holiday season

Situational Awareness

Contact

Anthony J. Rumore

***@secureone.us Anthony J. Rumore

End

-- Do not buy more than you can carry. Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or asking a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car. Save all receipts. Print and save all confirmations from your online purchases. Start a file folder to keep all receipts together and to help you verify credit card or bank statements as they come in. Don't flash the cash. Consider alternate options to pay for your merchandise, such as onetime or multiuse disposable credit cards or money orders, including at online stores. Wait until asked by a cashier before taking out your credit card or checkbook. An enterprising thief would love to shoulder surf to get your account information. Be informed about your surroundings. Use the free mobile app available from AlertID to receive alerts about registered sex offenders living and working in the vicinity of your shopping venue. Deter pickpockets. Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front trouser pocket. Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in. Tell a security guard or store employee if you see an unattended bag or package. The same applies if you are using mass transit. Do not leave packages visible in your car. Lock them in the trunk, or if possible, take them directly home. If you are shopping with children, make a plan in case you are separated from each other. Select a central meeting place. Teach them to know they can ask mall personnel or store security employees if they need help. Have them memorize or keep your cell phone number handy. Keep up-to-date photos and accurate descriptions of each child electronically with AlertID's My Family Wallet. Should they go missing, this information can be sent quickly to law enforcement when every moment counts.
Dave Cox, Middleton Idaho DUI Analyst and Consultant, recently concluded multiple DUI Seminars in Ohio, helping DUI attorneys win more DUI cases.

Contact

Dave Cox

***@yourduipro.com Dave Cox

End

--Your DUI Pro, recently traveled to Ohio to present his well-received "Winning DUI Cases" Seminar. Dave visited Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati; Ohio to deliver the seminar to some of Ohio's best DUI attorneys. Dave Cox taught these Attorneys how to win DUI cases using NHTSA Manuals and advanced cross-examination techniques.The attorneys who attended Dave Cox's DUI Seminar, "Winning DUI Cases", had great things to say about their experience. Here are some testimonials from some of Ohio's best DUI attorneys:"Dave Cox had amazing information that I never hear at other seminars."Dana A. Stamps - Dayton, Ohio"Dave Cox gave an excellent presentation."James H. Lagos - Springfield, Ohio"This was a fantastic seminar, it is one of the most valuable CLEs that I have ever attended. Dave is an excellent instructor and very knowledgeable."Karen Miller - Beavercreek, Ohio"THANK YOU."Mark E. Kaido - Zanesville, Ohio"As a former assistant county prosecutor, I had the opportunity to attend several excellent seminars through the National District Attorney's Association. This CLE/Seminar from DUI Pro blew them away. Awesome."Ryan Reed - Urbana, Ohio"I've been to this seminar twice. Informative, great materials, great presentation. Looking forward to Dave Cox's return to Ohio."David C. Shook - Toledo, OhioDave Cox, DUI Analyst and Consultant, has personally trained thousands of attorneys across the United States. Dave is a former police officer and, during his career, he was recognized as one of the top DUI officers in the country. As an officer, Dave Cox was certified as a Drug Recognition Expert, the highest level of training available to DUI enforcement officers. Dave now specializes in training attorneys how to easily and effectively use the officer, the officer's training, and the officer's NHTSA Manuals to win DUI Cases.In the upcoming weeks, Dave Cox will be presenting his DUI Seminar to attorneys in Louisiana, California, and South Carolina. Dave will be visiting the following cities:Alexandria, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans; LouisianaStockton, Bakersfield, and Fresno; CaliforniaOxnard, San Bernardino, and Anaheim; CaliforniaFlorence, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston; South CarolinaTo register for upcoming seminars, please visit http://www.YourDUIPro.com/ seminars To learn more about Dave Cox and Your DUI Pro, please visit http://www.YourDUIPro.com
Savant Books and Publications LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, announces its intent to purchase Aignos Publishing Inc as an imprint.

By: Savant Books and Publications

End

-- Savant Books and Publications, an international publisher headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, after some weeks of pre-discussions, has issued a Letter of Interest to Aignos Publishing Inc for the purchase of Aignos Publishing Inc with the intent of making Aignos Publishing an imprint.Savant Books and Publications publishes enduring literary works "with a twist" designed to entertain readers while broadening their world point of view. According to the 19 November 2016 Letter of Interest, Aignos Publishing will become an imprint of Savant Books and Publications dedicated to the publication of, experimental and inventive works that "push the leading edge" of all genres including fiction and non-fiction. Aignos (pronounced "I-Know") derives from a German word meaning "Confederates bound by oath"."We've always wanted to expand our areas of interest to include unusual and non-traditional works," says Dr. Daniel S. Janik, Owner of Savant Books and Publications. "From the moment we entered into discussions with Aignos Publishing Inc, I was excited at the prospect of both increasing our holdings with works that meet our high publication standards, while at the same time acquring an imprint and attracting another kind of author.""Aignos Publishing has, for over six years, pursued both the best authors of, experimental, new and inventive works in terms of topics and styles of prose. Its reappearance as an imprint of the hugely successful Savant Books and Publications is a natural fit. I look forward to working with Savant to bring Aignos into its administrative fold," says Dr. Zachary M. Oliver, Owner of Aignos Publishing Inc.Immediately after working out the details of the Letter of Interest, both parties began working together to hammer out a final Purchase Agreement, expected to be executed within the next several weeks with implementation of the Purchase Agreement tentatively scheduled for 1 January 2017.Dr. Oliver, having served as the Editor-in-Chief of Savant Books and Publications before starting Aignos Publishing, makes both owners confident that working out the details and integrating the two businesses will proceed quickly and smoothly.Savant Books and Publications LLC is a publisher of enduring literature and media for the 21st Century. For more information visit http://www.savantbooksandpublications.com
By: Retail Brokers Network

Debbie Currier, RBN President

Contact

Paula Dempsey

***@gmail.com Paula Dempsey

End

-- The, one of the nation's largest retail real estate networking groups, announced the formation of a new Executive Committee to help facilitate RBN's ongoing operations. The announcement was made following the organization's mid-year meeting in Charleston, South Carolina.The Executive Committee will be responsible for overseeing the Retail, Restaurant and Investment Sales Councils as well as the Regional Directors, marketing RBN to customers and new member offices, implementing systems to increase activity within the network, financial management and planning RBN's participation in ICSC RECon.Members of the committee are former Regional or Council Directors that have an in-depth knowledge of the organization. The members of the 2017 Executive Committee are:According to, "The RBN network represents over 600 retail specialists across the US that help individuals and companies meet their real estate goals locally and nationally and our newly formed Executive Committee will provide the leadership structure that will help make RBN even more successful as we continue to grow." She added, "I'm thrilled to welcome the Executive Committee members and I'm eager to work with them to accomplish our goals for 2017."Founded in 1992, the Retail Brokers Network, is a nationally renowned retail networking group whose members specialize in retail real estate brokerage. The RBN has over 65 independent commercial retail real estate offices providing their local expertise to retailers, developers and investors within the United States. The RBN network of firms has completed over 5,500 leasing transactions with a value of over $4.2 billion in the past two years. The independent member firms work together on a regional, national, and even international level in all areas of commercial real estate including: tenant representation, investment sales, and project leasing. For more information on the Retail Brokers Network visit www.retailbrokersnetwork.com
Children terrorised by wild elephants

Children living near the buffer zone of Bardiya National Park (BNP) have been terrorised after a boy was killed by a wild elephant while returning home from school last month.
Ceremony to Remember has launched a new and improved website. Ceremony to Remember is now offering new custom Las Vegas Wedding packages. These packages target audiences who want to get married in Las Vegas.

By: Ceremony to Remember

Get married in Vegas

Contact

Julie Nourish

info@customlasvegasweddings.com

(702) 320-1123 Julie Nourish(702) 320-1123

End

-- Ceremony to Remember has launched a new and improved website. Ceremony to Remember is now offering new custom Las Vegas Wedding packages. These packages target audiences who want to get married in Las Vegas. The website features a wedding blog, providing helpful tips and information for not only the Las Vegas wedding client but also world wide clientelle. The owner of Ceremony to Remember, Julie Nourish has been providing professional wedding services since 1996 in Nevada.Ceremony to Remember is a full-fledged wedding company in Las Vegas, Nevada. This wedding company has a wide variety of services and provides clients with the finest wedding-related services in photography, videography, Limousine service, flowers and more. This company has delivered professional wedding services for engaged wedding couples for over two decades. This owner of Ceremony to Remember, Julie Nourish, is devoted to providing clients with top-class wedding services and sets the highest standard. This specialized wedding service provider helps their clientele experience the best wedding celebration possible.Services primarily focus on professional wedding ceremonies and wedding packages in Las Vegas. The website targets engaged wedding couples as well as married couples seeking renewal celebrations. The company provides services on location in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas in 2016 going forward.The website showcases a variety of wedding service options to get married in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Wedding Packages Las Vegas Officiate services Scenic Las Vegas wedding packages Wedding Blog resource Limousine Services and Tours Las Vegas wedding chapel Full-Service Floral ShopLook at the new Mobile Minister on Location packages, custom Las Vegas Wedding Packages, Las Vegas Strip Wedding packages, Scenic Wedding packages and the Las Vegas Wedding Chapel Packages by visiting the website http://customlasvegasweddings.com/ Besides the Las Vegas Wedding Packages ( http://customlasvegasweddings.com/ project/las- vegas-weddi... ), this company provides Limousine services, Flowers services, Transportation, Music and many other services to its clients.Testimonials from a satisfied customers via Wedding Wire:"Before we chose "Ceremony of Remember" we spent a lot of time to find the right one service for us to remember the very important moment in our life: They provided quality, flexibility, professionalism, and value. If you looking for something really good, you can count on "Ceremony of Remember" - StephanieRev Nourish is great. She always replied to emails almost immediately. She gave us an excellent deal for the ceremony and photos. On the day itself she made me as a bride feel very comfortable and made the day extra special. That was the best day of my life. Thank you Rev Nourish you are the best!!"  TejalRev. Julie Nourish made our wedding day perfect! She was on time and very organized. I cannot thank her enough!  MeredithAbout - Ceremony to RememberCeremony to Remember is owned by Julie Nourish, who has specialized in creating the perfect, customized wedding experiences in Las Vegas for her clients for over 20 years. The main features of this company are customized and affordable wedding packages in Las Vegas and customized ceremonial options as well as other wedding services.
Travel to Vietnam with visa service By: TUN Travel visa HANOI, Viet Nam - Nov. 30, 2016 - PRLog -- Up to now, Vietnam has given opportunity for citizens of 23 countries to enter Vietnam without a visa for varying time periods. They are: Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom.



What about the types of visas in Vietnam?

There are only 02 main types of visas, including tourist visas and business visas. For tourist visas: valid 30-day single entry and 30-day multiple entry, and a one-time extension of 30 days after tourists arrive in Vietnam. For business visas: Visitors should obtain the approval letter through their sponsor in Vietnam. Multiple entry and stay of three or six months are acceptable.



What is the Vietnam visa on arrival?

Normally, you have to apply for a visa at the Vietnam embassy in your country, but with "visa on arrival", you do not need to visit the embassy or send your passport off to get a visa. Moreover, the visa price at the embassy is always higher than visa-on-arrival.



You just need to sit at home or your office and apply for your visa online through an international travel company which offers visa service without required documents. After 2 working-days, you will receive an approval letter through email or fax and with it, you can get your visa at any arrival airport. But please be advised that the visa-on-arrival is available only for air travel to Vietnam. And visa-on-arrival is a legitimate service which is guaranteed by the Vietnam Immigration Department.



Where to apply for a Visa?

For visiting Vietnam, visitors must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions like Vietnam embassies or international travel companies such as TUN Travel unless they come from one of the countries exempt from visas. All specific requirements will make it easy to fill out the form, as follows: Application form; 02 photos (4cm x 6cm or 3 cm x 4 cm); original and notarized passport valid for 6 months and visa fee.



Fees for a visa also vary due to the nature of each type of visa, and most diplomatic missions require visitors to contact them directly to check the updated fee. Visitors will also need to pay extra money for a visa if they change the time or schedule by themselves.



After completing all requirements for a Vietnam visa, visitors will receive a Vietnam visa approval letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department through email that you declared in your application form in around 5 to 7 working days. For an urgent situation, the time of getting the approval letter will be shorter, around 1  4 hours, but of course the cost must be higher. By presenting the visa approval letter to Vietnamese immigration officers at the airports, visitors can get a Vietnam visa stamp on their passports.



More details:



Media Contact

TUN Travel

48 Ngo Sy Lien Alley, Hanoi, Vietnam

service@tuntravel.com

+84-4-39230898



Photo:

https://www.prlog.org/ 12604812/1 TUN Travel48 Ngo Sy Lien Alley, Hanoi, Vietnam+84-4-39230898 End -- Up to now, Vietnam has given opportunity for citizens of 23 countries to enter Vietnam without a visa for varying time periods. They are: Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom.There are only 02 main types of visas, including tourist visas and business visas. For tourist visas: valid 30-day single entry and 30-day multiple entry, and a one-time extension of 30 days after tourists arrive in Vietnam. For business visas: Visitors should obtain the approval letter through their sponsor in Vietnam. Multiple entry and stay of three or six months are acceptable.Normally, you have to apply for a visa at the Vietnam embassy in your country, but with "visa on arrival", you do not need to visit the embassy or send your passport off to get a visa. Moreover, the visa price at the embassy is always higher than visa-on-arrival.You just need to sit at home or your office and apply for your visa online through an international travel company which offers visa service without required documents. After 2 working-days, you will receive an approval letter through email or fax and with it, you can get your visa at any arrival airport. But please be advised that the visa-on-arrival is available only for air travel to Vietnam. And visa-on-arrival is a legitimate service which is guaranteed by the Vietnam Immigration Department.For visiting Vietnam, visitors must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions like Vietnam embassies or international travel companies such as TUN Travel unless they come from one of the countries exempt from visas. All specific requirements will make it easy to fill out the form, as follows: Application form; 02 photos (4cm x 6cm or 3 cm x 4 cm); original and notarized passport valid for 6 months and visa fee.Fees for a visa also vary due to the nature of each type of visa, and most diplomatic missions require visitors to contact them directly to check the updated fee. Visitors will also need to pay extra money for a visa if they change the time or schedule by themselves.After completing all requirements for a Vietnam visa, visitors will receive a Vietnam visa approval letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department through email that you declared in your application form in around 5 to 7 working days. For an urgent situation, the time of getting the approval letter will be shorter, around 1  4 hours, but of course the cost must be higher. By presenting the visa approval letter to Vietnamese immigration officers at the airports, visitors can get a Vietnam visa stamp on their passports.More details: www.hotels-in- vietnam.com Email : ***@tuntravel.com Tags : Vietnam , Visa , Hotels , Holiday , Travel , Viet Nam , Application Industry : Hotels , Tourism , Travel Location : Hanoi - Hanoi - Viet Nam Subject : Services Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse Account Email AddressAccount Phone Number


WhyQ Singapore is a fastest and affordable online food delivery service in Singapore. It makes possible for you to order your choicest food from famous hawker centers and food courts, and enjoy the prompt delivery of foods to your doorsteps.

By: whyq.sg

Contact

Varun Saraf

***@gmail.com Varun Saraf

End

-- WhyQ is a leading online food delivery Startup that delivers tastiest and favorite foods, announces the launch of on-demand food delivery to various locations in Singapore.WhyQ Singapore has joined hands with hundreds of food stalls at various FoodCourts and Hawker centers to deliver their famous foods to users in Singapore's popular locations, such as AXA Tower, Asia Square, Capital Tower, Marina Bay Financial Center, One Raffles Quay, Robinson Point. We have efficient and professional runners, who can deliver your ordered food promptly, and at short notice. Our sole aim is to offer a one-stop shop to our users, where they can order their choicest foods from famous Food Courts and Hawker centers, and we will promptly deliver ordered meals to their desired location.We understand how tiring it is to stand in long queues when you are hungry. We also waste our valuable time standing there for our turn to come. Now, all these tiring experiences are things of past because WhyQ Singapore has made your food delivery an easy and convenient task. You just need to tell us about your favorite food from Food courts or Hawker centers, and once you confirm your order, our efficient and tightly-knit team of runners will deliver your desired food to your ordered location, be it the comfort of home or office. With our services, you can also get rid of bothersome and tiring actions like booking a table, ordering a menu, standing in a queue, and waiting for the waiter to serve your order. With our fast food delivery services, you can also avoid ordering expensive foods from the restaurants because we can now deliver your choicest and affordable food from food and hawker centers to your doorstep that you can enjoy in peace.If you are studying in a college, or working in an office, with WhyQ Singapore food delivery service, you can never go hungry because you can order your desired foods from Food centers like Food courts and Hawkers, have lunch in time, and attend your college or office. Moreover, the rates offered for food delivery is also minimum and affordable to suit your pocket because with a flat delivery fee of S$1.50, you can enjoy an affordable meal at your ordered location. On top of low delivery rate, you also have the option of ordering a meal just for you because there is no minimum order tag as such for ordering your food.For your convenience, we have kept our delivery time as:Order by 11am for 12pm delivery or,Order by 12:30pm for 1:30pm delivery. Last order for Han Kee Stall @ Amoy at 10:15 am.For more information and ordering your meal visit website: https://www.whyq.sg/
Proceeds from Runway Storm will benefit nonprofit organization, Flying High For Haiti

By: Prajje 1983

Media Contact

Dominique Jean-Jacques

***@path-agency.com

5612879768 Dominique Jean-Jacques5612879768

End

-- Flying High For Haiti, is a non-profit organization focused on children's education and art in Haiti, with a principal mission to fund Ecole du Village in Ile-a-Vache, Haiti. Effects of the October hurricane, Hurricane Matthew has left Ecole du Village, deeply affected. Prajje 1983 will hold Runway Storm, a benefit for FHFH, on December 10, 2016, at Merc Studio in Miami, Florida with special guest performances by Jude Papaloko, Loray Mistik, and Photography installation from the hurricane zone in Haiti by international photographer Jason Henry.The Haitian-born, Boston-raised designer Prajje Jean-Baptiste of Prajje 1983, and other participants are proud to partner with Flying High For Haiti in their effort to rebuild the homes of students and teachers of Ecole du Village, in Ile-a-Vache following the devastation of hurricane Matthew. Prajje is recognized as a leading exemplar of ethnic-inspired fashion and is known for his luxurious and exotic styles. He has dressed some of the most beautiful and powerful women, including socialites,celebrities, and CEOS. He has been featured on Good Morning America, ELLE Magazine, The Boston Globe, and All on the Line. Prajje is creating a new awareness of the beauty and vibrancy of Haiti's culture and of its artisans' craftsmanship through his designs and his fashion runways both in the US and internationally.For more information on Prajje and his brand Prajje 1983, visit www.prajje1983.comFor tickets or more information about the show, visit http://www.runwaystorm.splashthat.com
Bryan Luxon

Contact

Jeff Schultz

***@the-center.org Jeff Schultz

End

-- The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) has announced the addition of Bryan Luxon to its Business Solutions team. Luxon was named Senior Business Solutions Manager for the northern Metro Detroit region. The hiring announcement was made by Michael Coast, President of The Center."It can be difficult for small to medium-sized manufacturers to identify where the biggest opportunities for improvement exist," said Coast. "Bryan will help answer the needs of manufacturers throughout Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer and St. Clair counties. Our Business Solutions team, including Bryan Luxon, can connect Michigan's manufacturers with The Center's consultants who will provide the best practices and technologies available."In his new position, Luxon will pinpoint the areas where manufacturers need improvementultimately enhancing both productivity and profitability. He brings 12 years of experience in the packaging industry and another 13 years in transport and logistics. Prior to joining The Center, Luxon was the Midwest Sales Manager for Sonoco Protective Solutions and specialized in automotive returnable packaging applications, cost-save redesigns with significant part-pack density elevations and Class A surface management. Luxon is a graduate of Oakland University and holds a number of postgraduate certificates.Luxon resides in Dryden, Mich.Celebrating its 25anniversary, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) is an organization dedicated to supporting Michigan manufacturers to work smarter, to compete and to prosper. The Center offers personalized consulting services to meet the needs of clients in virtually every aspect of their businesses. The Center is affiliated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP Program). The Center also is closely affiliated with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) with the shared goal of making Michigan businesses vibrant, driving GDP growth, and creating new and lasting jobs. For more information, visit www.the-center.org
150-Year-Old Company Takes Home the "Oscars of Sustainability"

By: VSPT Wine Group

Rodrigo Penafiel, Consuelo Pavon, Ian Harris accept the award

Contact

Peter Nasca

***@persistencepr.com



Photo:

https://www.prlog.org/ 12604942/1 Peter Nasca

End

-- The results are in and VSPT Wine Group took home top honors as Green Company of the Year in what are considered the "Oscars of Sustainability,"reinforcing the group's leadership and its firm commitment to social and environmental spheres.With over 150 years of history, VSPT Wine Group is one of the leading wine export groups in Chile and the New World. This was confirmed by the results of the 2016 Green Awards, which were recently announced in London.The annual prize ceremony organized by the British magazine theaims to acknowledge and award for achievements in sustainability within the global alcohol industry.On this occasion, the undisputed winner was VSPT Wine Group, which received the maximum accolade, the "Green Company of the Year" title, as well as also being recognized as leader in the Implementation of Renewable Energies."This is a remarkable milestone that reflects years of work and commitment from all our people in Chile and Argentina," said Pedro Herane, CEO of VSPT Wine Group. "We are truly proud and inspired that this acknowledgement has come to Chile. The award strengthens the Chilean category, making us excellent exponents from the New World."The award acknowledges the enormous efforts that have been made in Chilean viticulture with regards to sustainability. Sustainability is enshrined as one of the group's six strategic objectives, and as one of its corporate values. In 2016, the group inaugurated two important renewable energy projects: in March, Vina San Pedro established the world's First Biogas Plant to use waste from harvest as the only fuel, and months later, the first Mini Hydroelectric plant in a Chilean winery at Vina Tarapaca.The Biogas Plant and the Mini Hydroelectric plant are two great innovations encouraging clean energy consumption for VSPT Wine Group operations. They supply 60 percent of the energy required by Vina San Pedro and Vina Tarapaca, which results in important reductions in its corporate carbon footprint.Also, at the beginning of 2016, the completion of a goal that had been proposed five years before was announced: to reach 360 sustainable initiatives by 2015. These were verified by Deloitte, drawing attention to important work in Biodiversity, Supplier Development Programs, Water Management and Responsible Consumption Programs, amongst others."This is the result of a joint effort from all areas of VSPT," stressed Andrea Zwanzger, head of Sustainable Development at VSPT Wine Group. "This remarkable acknowledgement would not be possible without commitment from each person that comprises the group. Today, we all feel like ambassadors for sustainability and understand that we are key components in accomplishing our objectives. We are more motivated than ever to continue making progress along this long path," says Andrea.VSPT Wine Group is comprised of 9 wineries, seven in Chile: San Pedro (imported and distributed in the United States by Shaw-Ross International Importers, LLC), Tarapaca, Leyda, Santa Helena, Misiones de Rengo, Vinamar and Casa Rivas; and two in Argentina: La Celia and Tamari. VSPT is the leading group in fine wine sales in Chile and the country's second biggest exporter. In the past 10 years, it has made important steps  not only to prove its winemaking and commercial strengths  but also to grow in harmony with the environment, through its firm commitment to sustainability. For more information, go to http://www.vsptwinegroup.com
Paris is one of the most important shopping locations in Europe. The city is highly attractive for millions of visitors annually as well as for investors. German institutional investors favor retail properties in their increasing real asset portfolios as they deliver steady returns and provide good diversification, said Alexander Tannenbaum,

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Genesta has signed a major lease with the real estate advisor Malling & Co in DMG 15 (Dronning Mauds gate 15) in Oslo. Malling & Co will occupy 2,850 sqm of the property, located on the fourth and fifth floor. The premises will be refurbished and Malling & Co is

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FCA India has been trying to increase sales of the Jeep Compass, whose sales are on a steady decline when compared to sales registered in the same month previous year. In order to push sales, Jeep India has been regularly launching new variants of Compass in the market.

The latest they have launched is Compass Sport Plus. The Jeep Compass Sport Plus is priced from Rs.15.99 lakhs for the petrol manual variant and at Rs.16.99 lakhs for its diesel engine counterpart (all prices are ex-sh, Delhi). This is around Rs.59,000 and Rs.38,000 more than the Jeep Compass Sport variant respectively.

Jeep Compass Sport Plus variant gets updated exteriors with new 16 silver alloy wheels, black roof rails, black cladding on rear windshield and doors along with rear parking sensors, a mandatory safety feature, which is not offered on the base Sport variant. These features are in addition to 21 key features that include electric parking brake, disc brake on all four wheels, frequency selective damping, etc that are offered as standard across the Jeep Compass range. The interiors of the Sport Plus variant also see some updates.

The 21 key features include the Jeeps 7 slot front grille, trapezoidal wheel arches and 5 spoke alloy wheels. Its high strength body structure which is fully galvanized with laser welded roof and doors makes it the only vehicle in India to receive this technology. In terms of security, the Jeep Compass has received a 5 Star rating in Australia and Euro NCAP tests. The cabin is seen in soft touch fabric with piano black accents and chrome finish to show off a more premium stance while seating is contoured for more comfort.

The cabin is well insulated with a 28 acoustic baffle plate ensuring that noise is cut off when the occupant is talking on the phone and Jeep UConnect offers infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Jeep Compass excels in safety with a host of driving aids such as hill start assist, traction control system, roll over mitigation besides dynamic steering torque, electronic brake prefill and rain brake support.

Jeep Compass Sport is offered as a front wheel drive system with engine options that include a 2.0 liter Multijet turbo diesel engine offering 173 PS power and 350 Nm torque and a 1.4 liter MultiAir turbo petrol engine offering 162 PS power and 250 Nm torque. The engines get mated to a 6 speed manual transmission and offer fuel efficiency of 17.1 kmpl on the diesel engine and 14.1 kmpl on the petrol engine.
CIA chief warns Trump: Scrapping Iran deal 'height of folly'

The director of the CIA has warned US President-elect Donald Trump that ending the Iran nuclear deal would be "disastrous" and "the height of folly".
In the largest-ever study on screening mammography outcomes, researchers found that there is no clear cut-off age to stop breast cancer screening. The findings will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). This research adds support for guidelines that encourage screening decisions based on individual patients and their health status.

Mammography is the standard imaging exam for breast cancer screening. Guidelines on what age to stop breast cancer screening have been a source of controversy and confusion in recent years. In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new guidelines which stated there was not enough evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women aged 75 years or older.

"All prior randomized, controlled trials excluded women older than 75, limiting available data to small observational studies," said Cindy S. Lee, M.D., assistant professor in residence at the University of California, San Francisco. "There has been a lot of controversy, debate and conversation regarding the different breast cancer screening guidelines, even among major national organizations, over the past few years."

Using data from the National Mammography Database, Dr. Lee and her research team analyzed data from over 5.6 million screening mammograms performed over a 7-year period between January 2008 and December 2014 in 150 facilities across 31 states in the U.S. The research team looked at patient demographics, screening mammography results and biopsy results. Data from over 2.5 million women over age 40 were sorted into patient groups by age in 5-year intervals (40-44, 45-49, etc.).

Four standard performance metrics were calculated to evaluate the performance of screening mammography for each age group: cancer detection rate, recall rate, positive predictive value for biopsy recommended (PPV2) and biopsy performed (PPV3). Recall rate is the percentage of patients called back for follow-up testing after a screening exam. Positive predictive value reflects the percentage of cancers found among exams for which biopsy was recommended or performed. Ideal screening performances would have a higher cancer detection rate, PPV2 and PPV3, and a low recall rate.

Overall, researchers found mean cancer detection rate of 3.74 per 1,000 patients, recall rate of 10 percent, PPV2 of 20 percent and PPV3 of 29 percent. Based on increasing age from 40 to 90 years old, these performance metrics demonstrated a gradual upward trend for cancer detection rate, PPV2 and PPV3, but a downward trend in recall rate.

"The continuing increase of cancer detection rate and positive predictive values in women between the ages of 75 and 90 does not provide evidence for age-based mammography cessation," Dr. Lee said.

The findings lend support to the argument that the decision whether or not to stop screening should be informed by an individual's personal health history and preferences.

"We know that the risk of breast cancer increases with age," Dr. Lee said. "With the uncertainty and controversy about what age to stop breast cancer screening, we want to address this gap in knowledge using a large national database."
The science behind what makes a human voice sound pleasant, or "vocal attractiveness," is something that people are exposed to everyday while interacting with a digital assistant like Apple's Siri. Once the province of psychologists and linguists, vocal attractiveness is now of increasing interest to acousticians as well as artificial intelligence (AI) researchers.

In a study to be presented during the 172nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the 5th Joint Meeting with Acoustical Society of Japan, being held Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii, a Canadian researcher has new data about the vocal attractiveness of consonants. Vowels are already well studied and there are several acoustic cues intrinsic to vowels -- such as pitch -- that effect listeners' judgments of attractiveness.

Data show that both female and male listeners typically agree in their "vocal attractiveness" ratings of voiced vowels whether they were spoken by a female or a male.

According to the researchers, consonants are different. Results of this new study show that both the sex of the speaker and the sex of the listener were important to how an acoustic cue was perceived and ranked a 7-point "vocal attractiveness" scale.

"Overall, I think the big take away from my study is the fact that the sex and gender of speakers and listeners influence the vocal attractiveness of consonants in different ways -- and this influence has not been found for listeners when judging vowels," explained Emily Blamire, a doctoral student in linguistics at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.

One of her key findings specifically pertains to the vocal cue of "s" duration (written by linguists as /s/). In her tests, two native speakers of Canadian English (one male, one female) spoke words containing the /s/ sound to make audio recordings. The recordings were then manipulated to both increase and decrease the value of each cue linguists study such as center of gravity and duration. Unlike other test parameters, it was only the manipulations of "s" duration that evoked statistically significant rating differences by 32 test participants aged 19-32, 16 of whom were female, who were asked to rate vocal attractiveness.

"Results show female listeners rank the male voice as more attractive when /s/ duration is decreased," Blamire said, while male listeners did not.

Blamire continued, "This suggests that not only are male and female voices judged by different standards as to what is attractive, but that men and women are using different criteria when making these judgments."

Why consonants might be different is a topic for future research.

"For the linguistic community, I think one of the most important aspects of this work was that not all consonant cues that encode social information -- such as sex -- played a role in perception of vocal attractiveness," she said.

Though vocal attractiveness research may in fact influence how your phone talks to you, for Blamire, there is a deeper significance.

"Truly, the wider value of this study, I feel, is that it is one little step more in illustrating the complexity of the human mind in how we perceive and categorize the world around us," Blamire said.
Biologists have discovered that the evolution of a new species can occur rapidly enough for them to observe the process in a simple laboratory flask.

In a month-long experiment using a virus harmless to humans, biologists working at the University of California San Diego and at Michigan State University documented the evolution of a virus into two incipient species -- a process known as speciation that Charles Darwin proposed to explain the branching in the tree of life, where one species splits into two distinct species during evolution.

"Many theories have been proposed to explain speciation, and they have been tested through analyzing the characteristics of fossils, genomes, and natural populations of plants and animals," said Justin Meyer, an assistant professor of biology at UC San Diego and the first author of a study that will be published in the December 9 issue of Science. "However, speciation has been notoriously difficult to thoroughly investigate because it happens too slowly to directly observe. Without direct evidence for speciation, some people have doubted the importance of evolution and Darwin's theory of natural selection."

Meyer's study, which also appeared last week in an early online edition of Science, began while he was a doctoral student at Michigan State University, working in the laboratory of Richard Lenski, a professor of microbial ecology there who pioneered the use of microorganisms to study the dynamics of long-term evolution.

"Even though we set out to study speciation in the lab, I was surprised it happened so fast," said Lenski, a co-author of the study. "Yet the deeper Justin dug into things -- from how the viruses infected different hosts to their DNA sequences -- the stronger the evidence became that we really were seeing the early stages of speciation."

"With these experiments, no one can doubt whether speciation occurs," Meyer added. "More importantly, we now have an experimental system to test many previously untestable ideas about the process."

To conduct their experiment, Meyer, Lenski and their colleagues cultured a virus -- known as "bacteriophage lambda" -- capable of infecting E. coli bacteria using two receptors, molecules on the outside of the cell wall that viruses use to attach themselves and then infect cells.

When the biologists supplied the virus with two types of cells that varied in their receptors, the virus evolved into two new species, one specialized on each receptor type.

"The virus we started the experiment with, the one with the nondiscriminatory appetite, went extinct. During the process of speciation, it was replaced by its more evolved descendants with a more refined palette," explained Meyer.

Why did the new viruses take over?

"The answer is as simple as the old expression, 'a jack of all trades is a master of none'," explained Meyer. "The specialized viruses were much better at infecting through their preferred receptor and blocked their 'jack of all trades' ancestor from infecting cells and reproducing. The survival of the fittest led to the emergence of two new specialized viruses."

Meyers's study was conducted over six years in two separate labs. The first experiments were performed at Michigan State, supported in part by BEACON, the National Science Foundation's Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, and the analyses were completed at UC San Diego.
From now on it will be possible to accurately monitor and analyse how stroke patients move during everyday life. This involves the use of a new suit fitted with 41 sensors, plus the infrastructure needed to transmit, store and process all of the data collected. This technology and information will make it possible to improve the rehabilitation process and cut healthcare costs. Bart Klaassen developed the system together with an international team of engineers and healthcare professionals. He will defend his thesis (which is based on this research) on 30 November, at the University of Twente. "The technology is finally ready."

As many as 33 million people throughout the world suffered strokes in 2010. With our aging population, it seems logical to expect a further increase in these numbers in the upcoming years. Stroke survivors often have to cope with physical limitations. They generally take part in rehabilitation programmes, which are intended to help patients function as effectively as possible in their everyday lives. In practice, however, rehabilitation mainly takes place in rehabilitation clinics. Not enough is known about how, after completing such programmes, patients cope with their limitations in a daily life setting. Yet it is known that a better understanding of how these people function in everyday life could lead to more effective rehabilitation, at a lower cost. In the context of a European FP7 research project, Bart Klaassen (a PhD student at the University of Twente) and a large team of researchers developed a system for accurately measuring and modelling these patients' movement quality, and for transmitting the relevant information to the therapist. This project is a world first. Never before have researchers used systems like this to analyse these patients' every movement in a daily life setting. "There has long been a great need for systems like this, but the technology simply was not ready," says Klaassen. "That is now changing rapidly, thanks to rapid developments in the fields of battery technology, wearables, smart e-textiles and big data analysis."

41 sensors

Together with a large consortium of engineers and healthcare professionals, Bart Klaassen developed the INTERACTION System. This consists of a suit that study subjects had to wear under their clothing for three months, as well as the entire technical infrastructure needed to transmit, store and process the data collected. The suit contains no less than 41 sensors, including sensors on a large number of body segments, sensors that measure muscle strength, stretch sensors on the back and the hands, and force sensors in the soles of the shoes. In addition, the suit is equipped with a portable transmitter that can transmit all of the information gathered through the internet to data processing servers at the University of Twente.

In the course of his PhD research, Klaassen showed that the system works well in practice. "We have been able to demonstrate that all the information is transmitted successfully, that this process is very efficient, and much more besides. We have succeeded in modelling all of the relevant movements, and in cleaning up the data that is relevant for the therapist by filtering out the rest.Our project has delivered new techniques and methods that can be used to monitor patients at home for extended periods of time, and to identify any differences with structured clinical measurements. We are currently engaged in further research to obtain final verification that these methods are indeed an ideal way of supervising rehabilitation."

When developing this system, Bart Klaassen and the team adopted a user-centred design approach. This enabled them to continually incorporate feedback from the patients involved into the development of the system. Other relevant parties -- such as insurance companies and healthcare professionals -- were also involved in the design and research work at an early stage.

PhD defence

As part of his PhD research, Klaassen worked closely with what he calls 'world leaders in the field of rehabilitation technology'. These included Cereneo A.G. (a Swiss rehabilitation centre), the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital of Zurich in Switzerland and Roessingh Research and Development BV. Bart Klaassen conducted his research at the Biomedical Signals and Systems Department in the University of Twente's MIRA research institute. Klaassen will defend his PhD thesis in the Prof. G. van Berkhoff hall, in the Waaier Building on the University of Twente campus at 16:30 on Wednesday 30 November. Bart Klaassen is currently working as a coordinator at the University of Twente's tech4People BMS lab.
A new discovery may unlock the answer to a vexing scientific question: How to conduct mitochondrial replacement therapy, a new gene-therapy technique, in such a way that safely prevents the transmission of harmful mitochondrial gene mutations from mothers to their children.

A study to be published Nov. 30 in the journal Nature suggests that clinicians select egg donors whose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is compatible to the mother's ancestral mitochondria. Similar groups of mitochondrial DNA are known as haplotypes, each of which represents major branching points on the human genetic family tree.

"This research suggests that we're going to have the greatest success rates for producing an embryo free of disease-causing genetic mutations by making sure we are using the right combination of haplotypes," said senior author Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., who directs the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at OHSU.

Mitochondrial replacement therapy offers hope for women genetically predisposed to pass on mutant mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside nearly every cell of the body. Mitochondrial DNA is passed only from mothers to their children. Mutations can cause a range of potentially fatal disorders affecting organs with high-energy demands such as the heart, muscle and brain.

Mitochondrial replacement therapy, which has been approved for clinical trials in the United Kingdom, involves swapping faulty mitochondria for those of a healthy donor. Mitalipov previously pioneered the spindle-transfer technique, in which the nucleus -- or spindle -- of a mother's egg is transferred into a donor egg stripped of its nucleus. Mitalipov successfully demonstrated this technique with rhesus macaque monkeys in 2009.

Yet even a small amount of mutant mitochondrial DNA carried over with the mother's nucleus can replicate quickly as the embryo develops -- possibly causing the disease that the therapy was designed to prevent. Today's study suggests a way to prevent mothers from passing on mutant mitochondria.

Mitalipov and colleagues recruited four families who have children suffering from Leigh Syndrome and one with a neurodegenerative disorder called MELAS. They also collected donor eggs from 11 healthy women, screened to confirm that they did not carry inherited pathogenic mutations in their mtDNA.

Spindles from carrier eggs were transferred into 36 donor eggs stripped of their nuclei, fertilized and cultured to blastocysts, and subsequently to embryonic stem cell lines. Most developed with the donor's healthy mitochondrial DNA continuing to dominate. However, a few stem cell lines displayed gradual return to the maternal mtDNA. As those stem cell lines continued to grow in the laboratory, they reverted completely to the original maternal mitochondrial DNA.

Scientists wanted to find out why.

"Currently, there is a lack of studies on the efficacy and safety of oocytes derived from women carrying pathogenic mtDNA mutations," said co-author Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Ph.D., with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. "Our study fills the gap."

Researchers zeroed in on a portion of the mtDNA known as the D-loop, which initiates replication of the entire genetic sequence. There they discovered DNA code polymorphisms that result in preferential replication of the mother's mtDNA. In addition, some maternal mtDNA haplotypes give host cells a faster growth advantage. Researchers are proposing donor mtDNA matching criteria to avoid a return of mutant mitochondria in order to safely move mitochondrial replacement therapy into clinical trials.

"Our research has suggested a plausible cause of preferential replication of specific mtDNA haplotypes that should enable us to zero in on ways to identify better matches between donors and recipients," said co-author Dmitry Temiakov, Ph.D., with the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey.
CIA head warns Trump over scrapping Iran nuclear deal

The director of the CIA has warned US President-elect Donald Trump that ending the Iran nuclear deal would be "disastrous" and "the height of folly".
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.
Pam Ahern is used to rescuing farm animals of all kinds - sheep, pigs, goats, chickens - as part of her work running the sanctuary Edgar's Mission in Victoria, Australia. What Ahern isn't used to rescuing are cats. But when Ahern got a call from a woman who told her about a kitten trapped inside a chimney at a local bakery, she knew she had to help.

Edgar's Mission

According to the woman, who simply identified herself as Jessica, the kitten had been crying for hours - maybe days - but everyone at the bakery was ignoring her. Everyone, that is, except for Jessica. Jessica asked the bakery owner for help, but he refused. She called the local police - they wouldn't help either. Next she tried contacting the state emergency service, local vets and wildlife rescue groups, but no one offered to help, according to Ahern. Eventually Jessica found the number for Edgar's Mission. Ahern was the one who answered the call. "We quickly realized that we were indeed this kitty's and Jessica's last hope," Ahern tells The Dodo. "It was a busy Sunday and chores beckoned, but the plight of the poor animal tugged harder at my heartstrings, so off I went."

Edgar's Mission

When Ahern arrived at the bakery, she realized it wasn't going to be an easy rescue. The kitten had fallen deep inside the chimney - Ahern suspects the kitten's mother was trying to move her across the roof when she fell in. The bakery owner had given Ahern strict instructions not to damage his property. What's more, the kitten was really young - maybe 10 days old. Ahern worried about the kitten's survival, especially as she'd probably been in the chimney for a few days, according to Ahern.

Edgar's Mission

But Ahern refused to give up. Ahern wriggled up through the chimney, past cobwebs and soot, but she managed to grab hold of the tiny, meowing kitten and pull her out to safety. She decided to name the kitten Jessica, after the woman who saved her life.

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Edgar's Mission

Jessica the kitten was skinny, hungry and dehydrated, but she was alive - that was the most important part. Ahern took her back to the sanctuary, where the kitten's life changed forever.

Edgar's Mission

"Being so vulnerable, Jessica was popped inside my jumper and got to meet many, many animals about the farm," Ahern said. "In particular, the many orphans who bunkered down in the office-cum-nursery during the day."

Edgar's Mission

Jessica the kitten seemed to love all the animals, but was particularly crazy about Ahern's dog, E.T. In fact, they were best friends until E.T. passed away last year.

Edgar's Mission

Jessica also adored "training" Ahern and the other people at Edgar's Mission. "One of her favorite games is to see who will open the door for her," Ahern explained. "We all work in an office that runs off from the lounge room of my house. Jessica waits until everyone is sitting down, then appears on the other side of the glass door and scratches madly until someone gets up and lets her in. Then, just for a bit of fun, she decides she wants to go back into the house so she wanders over to the glass door, scratches madly until someone gets up ... and lets her back into the house again."

Edgar's Mission

Jessica also loves cuddles, but usually at the most inappropriate times. "Like when you are madly typing for a deadline, stark naked and about to jump in the shower, and minutes before you have to get out of bed," Ahern explains.

Edgar's Mission

Now that Jessica's older, she likes to assert her authority with the other rescue cats. "As long as they understand Jessica is top cat, things are all well and good," Ahern says. "We have even spied Jessica playing with them, but we won't let her know we have seen that."

Edgar's Mission

Jessica also pretends to hate it when adorable orphaned lambs steal her cat bed ...

Edgar's Mission

... but she probably doesn't mind that either.

Edgar's Mission

The farm animals clearly adore Jessica, and Ahern adores Jessica as well. "I love the way she snuggles into your lap and outstretches her paw towards your mouth so you can kiss it," Ahern says. "Also the way she looks into my eyes then slowly closes hers as if she is in the happiest place on Earth. That makes me feel blessed."

Edgar's Mission
When Romina Pitton's fiance abruptly called off their engagement just days before their wedding in Argentina, she refused to let it spoil her big day. Instead, Pitton decided to embrace the opportunity to celebrate the fact that she was now single, but still far from sad and alone. Filling in for the person who left her at the alter was a much more faithful companion - Pitton's little dog, Regina.

Romina Pitton

With the planned ceremony's venue already reserved for earlier this week, and invitations all long sent, Pitton went ahead and threw a grand bash anyway. Rather than a union between two people, this was what Pitton called a single wedding. And her little dog wouldn't have missed it for the world. "Regina is affectionate in the saddest moments," Pitton told The Dodo. "She loves wearing dresses and is very content."

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Romina Pitton

That little dog, whom Pitton calls "my divine," wasn't the only one in attendance, of course. The would-be-bride's family and friends were all there, too. And no one seemed to mind the fact that no knots were tied that day.

Romina Pitton

"I'm still happy for having carried out my party in spite of the groom," Pitton wrote on Facebook.

Romina Pitton

While the support of Pitton's human guests certainly made the occasion a memorable one, though it didn't go exactly as planned from the onset - it clearly wouldn't have been the same without Regina.

Romina Pitton

Romina Pitton

Truth is, for better or worse, some people have a way of coming and going through our lives, but at least the love of a faithful pup is constant - in sickness and in health, and every moment in between.
<p>Seonae Du<span></span></p>

Saebom knows all about the mean streets. In South Korea, stray dogs don't usually last long on them, especially when belong to a breed called Jindo - a favorite target to be rounded up and taken to a dog meat farm.

Seonae Du

"A dog like Saebom, because he was wandering the streets, he would absolutely get picked up," says Gary Sweeney of Guardians International - a chapter of Guardians of Rescue dedicated to fighting the industry. "Dogs like him who are wandering around, who have been let out or escaped, are on borrowed time," he tells The Dodo. "It only takes the wrong person to see them on the street."

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Seonae Du

But Saebom found kindness on those streets.

Seonae Du

He was picked up and taken to a nearby shelter, where vets tried to treat his severe mange. The trouble is, his condition had been left for so long - and resulted in such agony - staff recommended he be put down immediately.

Seonae Du

Saebom's will to live, however, caught the eye of a local animal rescuer named Seonae Du, who began to care for him.

Seonae Du

It turned out, Saebom's lust for life defied even medical opinion, as - gradually, over the next few months - the dog began to regain his strength.

Seonae Du

Along with a healthy coat of fur.

Seonae Du

And hope.

Seonae Du

Now, Saebom is looking to get on another kind of road - one that leads to a family in the U.S. or Canada. Sweeney doesn't think any dog is safe in a country that still clings to its dubious tradition. More than 2 million dogs are killed every year in South Korea to feed a market that consumes around 100,000 tons of dog meat every year, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. The times are changing, Sweeney notes, thanks in part to increased pressure from the international community, as well as fresh attitudes inside the country. "The majority of people in the dog trade are the older generation who saw their grandparents do it," he explains. "The younger generation is starting to come around and think it is the wrong thing to do."

Free Korean Dogs

Thankfully Saebom never had to know the horrors of a dog meat farm. But he's still looking for one final mercy. He needs someone on this side of the world to be there for him. Once Guardians International gets that assurance, the group will start raising funds for Saebom's long journey.

Seonae Du
CIAA drags VDC, LRO officials to court

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday filed corruption cases at the Special Court against two secretaries of a Village Development Committee in Parsa and a land revenue officer in Siraha.
King Louie was a rare catch. Caught in Canada's Bay of Fundy this week, the 23-pound lobster is taller than your average toddler.

He may even be a century old, a determination based on a rough calculation of his weight and molting pattern. But Louie's options - once a New Brunswick lobster shop bought him from a local fisherman - were slim.

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"A lot of people wanted to buy it and mount it," Catherine MacDonald, co-owner of the Alma Lobster Shop, tells The Dodo. Others wanted to use Louie as a promotional prop for their business. "And then we had a lot of people asking us if we would release it," MacDonald notes. "We could have done anything."

There was always the dinner option - a fate that MacDonald says would have made for a savory feast, 100-year-old meat and all. But there was something about an offer from a local animal lover named Katie Conklin that seemed just about the right outcome for a lobster who had already lived such a storied life.

Conklin asked if she could buy Louie, hoping to send him right back into the Bay of Fundy where he was found. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to spring a lobster from a fish market. In May, a woman from Red Lake, Canada, bought a more average-sized lobster from a deli counter and had him shipped to the east coast for an ocean release. And in July, a Florida chef agreed to spare the life of a 15-pound lobster.

That same month, Buddhist monks bought around 600 pounds in lobster and returned them to the waters off Canada's east coast.

MacDonald ended up selling Louie to Conklin for $230 - a fair market price for a lobster that size.
Duncan was found as a stray in Colorado, wandering around on his front legs. His back legs were fused underneath him, completely unusable. This dog was clearly very special, and therefore in need of some special attention.

The people who found Duncan contacted Panda Paws Rescue, a special needs dog rescue in Washington, to see if the group would be willing to take him on. The rescue agreed right away, and so Duncan flew with his rescuers to Washington in hopes of finding a better life. Before he had even arrived at the rescue, Duncan had a family who wanted to adopt him. Everything was all set - until he met the couple who runs the rescue, Gary Walters and his wife, Amanda.

Duncan formed a special bond with the couple from the very beginning, and when the family that was supposed to adopt him came to meet him, they could clearly see it too. "They told us that they felt like he should stay with us," Walters told The Dodo. Walters was originally worried that they wouldn't be able to give Duncan the time that he needed and deserved, because their rescue was so new. He didn't think that they should keep him, but both Duncan and his wife quickly changed his mind.

Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Guy Falls In Love With His Little Meatball Of A Foster Dog

"I came up that night and Amanda was sitting in bed sobbing, telling him a story about how special he was," Walters said. "She said that she just felt in her heart that our home was his forever home. I caved." After realizing that Duncan was meant to be theirs, Walters and his wife officially adopted him into their family. Ironically, Duncan is now a total daddy's boy, and he and Walters are completely inseparable. "He picked me, I guess you could say, and he changed my life," Walters said. "I've always had dogs, but never one that I've bonded with like him."

When Duncan first arrived at his new home, his back legs were fused in an X shape under his body, and were twisting his spine. They would have eventually caused him severe spinal pain, and so his family made the decision to have them amputated. So far, though, Duncan hasn't really seemed to notice.

Duncan has absolutely no idea that he's any different, and can do everything a four-legged dog can do - and even more. He refuses to use a wheelchair, and seems to get along just fine on his front two legs. He jumps off of everything, dashes up and down stairs and can run as fast and as far as he wants. Absolutely nothing gets in his way.

"It is a running joke when people see him for the first time, they normally say something like, 'He only has two legs?' or 'What happened to his legs?' We always say, "Shhhhh, don't tell him! We haven't told him yet and he doesn't know,'" Walters said.

Duncan struggles with other medical issues, too, including difficulty with his weight and a heart condition called boxer cardiomyopathy. It can cause fainting and even heart failure. Duncan has 'died' and been resuscitated twice, and his family works tirelessly to take care of him and keep him as healthy as possible. "It is VERY important if you have a differently-abled animal that you get proper veterinary care and advice," Walters said. "Special needs animals are a lot of work and require dedication above and beyond."

Duncan is a loving, playful, strong-willed, food-obsessed dog who has yet to notice that he's a little different from the other dogs around him. He's happy just the way he is, and his family loves him that way, too. "He would sell my soul to the devil for a single lick of peanut butter," Walters said. "His personality and will to survive is contagious." And indeed - his thousands of followers on Instagram are inspired by him every day. "He has changed the lives of thousands of people with his never-give-up attitude," Walters said.
The world doesnt quite know what to make of Melania Trump. Is she a victim or an enabler? Is she 
BERLINGerman airline Lufthansa said Wednesday it has made a modified pay offer to pilots as it seeks to put an end to a long-running dispute thats seen a succession of strikes over recent days.

Lufthansa said it is now offering a wage increase totalling 4.4 per cent this year and next plus an unspecified one-time payment. It said the offer is not linked to any other terms or conditions and called for arbitration proceedings.

The new offer is an improvement on one Lufthansa made last Friday. Then, it offered to increase pilots pay by 4.4 per cent by mid-2018, and make a one-time payment equal to 1.8 monthly salaries in lieu of past raises. That offer was presented as part of an overall solution that addressed many other issues, and was rejected by the Cockpit union.

Cockpit is seeking retroactive raises of 3.66 per cent a year going back 5  years.

On Wednesday, Lufthansa cancelled 890 flights on the second day of Cockpits latest walkout  which followed four consecutive days of strikes last week.

Lufthansa said some 98,000 passengers on short- and long-haul flights were affected.

Lufthansa said that over six strike days since last Wednesday it has had to cancel 4,461 flights, affecting a total of 525,000 passengers. It said flights on Thursday should almost be running as scheduled, but that it would have to cancel 40. It urged passengers to check with the airline before heading to the airport.

So far the current round of strikes has not affected Lufthansa subsidiaries such as Eurowings, Germanwings, Austrian Air and Swiss.

Cockpit has been staging strikes sporadically since April 2014.

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On the same day Shomi shut down and the day before the rumoured arrival of Amazon Prime Video in Canada, the world's leading video streaming service upped the ante by finally allowing subscribers to download shows and films and watch them on the go.

"While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, weve often heard they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on airplanes and other places where Internet is expensive or limited," wrote Eddy Wu, Netflix's director of product innovation, in a post on the company's official blog. "Many of your favourite streaming series and movies are already available for download, with more on the way."

At launch, many of the company's original series are available, including Orange in the New Black, Stranger Things and The Crown. Several films are also available, but not the streaming giant's entire library. A new arrow icon on the content page indicates which shows are available for offline viewing.

Analysts speculated the Los Gatos, Calif., company originally required constant Internet connection to stream as a way to fend off piracy  which didn't work. The company has also been a bit of a laggard, especially compared to music streaming services, which have long offered offline listening, in part due to people who listen on their commutes.

It is also a competitive move, as Amazon Prime Video already offers an offline viewing option. Amazons video service is reported to be launching in several markets around the world in December, including Canada, although theres been no official word from Amazon.

"Amazon is definitely encroaching on Netflix's turf," Paul Verna, senior analyst at EMarketer told the Los Angeles Times. "It doesn't seem like something that requires a tremendous investment on their part to enable, so I guess at a certain point they decided, 'Why not.'"

"I'm sure they've analyzed the implications of what it means for one of their customers to download a show versus stream it," added Verna. "Whatever those implications are, it must be valuable data to them."

Bell Media president Mary Anne Turcke told a hearing of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) earlier this week that Prime was launching here on Thursday.

Bell Media owns Canadian video streaming service Crave TV. At the hearing, Turcke was critical of the fact that its global competitors don't have to operate under the same rules as Bell Media.

So its not just our fellow Canadian broadcasters who will try to outbid us for the first-run, original programming, but its Netflix and now Amazon, two entities that are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as us and that have astronomically more buying power than we do, Turcke told the commission.

Shomi and Crave TV both launched two years ago, and were hailed as Canadian-made competitors that were taking the leap into the oncoming streaming future.

But the news that Shomi was shutting down recently raised the ire of Jean-Pierre Blais, the chairman of the CRTC, who recently lambasted its owners, Rogers and Shaw, at a communications conference.

"I have to wonder if they are too used to receiving rents from subscribers every month in a protected ecosystem, rather than rolling up their sleeves in order to build a business without regulatory intervention and protection," said Blais in Ottawa two weeks ago.

Shaw recently released its 2016 fiscal report, which said the company spent $182 million on Shomi for the year, but only earned $46 million from the service.

As streaming services have grown in popularity, so has the competition. With video, Netflix has maintained its first mover advantage by branching out into highly regarded original series, which they also have the benefit of owning, so they can show them globally.

But the company faces several competitors, including HBO and new players, like CBS All Access or web based TV services like Sling TV in the U.S., as well as country specific competitors like Crave TV.

Netflix has 86.7 million customers worldwide, 47.5 million of whom live in the U.S. The company now relies on international markets for most of its growth, and earlier this year expanded its footprint to the entire world, save for China, Syria, North Korea and Crimea.

With files from Star wire services.

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WASHINGTONAir conditioning company Carrier Corp. says it has reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and U.S. Vice-President-elect Mike Pence plan to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

Trump confirmed the meeting on Twitter late Tuesday, promising a Great deal for workers!

Trump spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas. His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

The details of the agreement were unclear. Carrier tweeted that the company was pleased to have reached a deal with Trump and Pence to keep the jobs in Indianapolis.

Neither Wilbur Ross, Trumps pick for commerce secretary, nor Steven Mnuchin  the banker picked to be treasury secretary  would discuss specifics about the agreement on Wednesday. But Mnuchin told CNBCs Squawk Box that Trump and his administration are going to have open communications with business leaders.

He said Trump called the CEO of Carriers parent company and said it was important to keep jobs here.

Both Trump and Pence, who is ending his tenure as Indiana governor, are expected to appear with Carrier officials Thursday.

In February, Carrier said it would shutter its Indianapolis plant employing 1,400 workers and move its manufacturing to Mexico. The plants workers would have been laid off over a three-year period starting in 2017.

United Technologies Electronic Controls also announced then that it planned to move its Huntington manufacturing operations to a new plant in Mexico, costing the northeastern Indiana city 700 jobs by 2018. Those workers make microprocessor-based controls for the HVAC and refrigeration industries.

Carrier and UTEC are both units of Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp.  which also owns Pratt & Whitney, a big supplier of fighter jet engines that relies in part on U.S. military contracts.

In a September debate against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump railed against Carriers plans.

So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this, Trump said. We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States.

Carrier wasnt the only company Trump assailed during the campaign. He pledged to give up Oreos after Nabiscos parent, Mondelez International, said it would replace nine production lines in Chicago with four in Mexico. He criticized Ford after the company said it planned to invest $2.5 billion in engine and transmission plants in Mexico.

Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999, which represents Carrier workers, said of Tuesdays news: Im optimistic, but I dont know what the situation is. I guess its a good sign. ... You would think they would keep us in the loop. But we know nothing.

The event Thursday in Indiana will be a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisers and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries. He plans to make other stops later this week as part of what advisers have billed as a thank you tour for voters who backed him in the presidential campaign.

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FRANKFURTVolkswagen AG, BMW AG and Ford Motor Co. plan to set up a European network for speedy charging of electric-car batteries as the auto manufacturers seek to overcome customer resistance to the vehicles.

The partnership, which will also include Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG, aims to establish thousands of stations along European highways by 2020, the automakers said in a statement. With an initial target of about 400 sites, the group plans to start the rollout in 2017, deploying technology that will be significantly faster than current setups.

A reliable, ultra-fast charging infrastructure is important for mass consumer adoption and has the potential to transform the possibilities for electric driving, Ford chief executive officer Mark Fields said in the statement.

The rare broad-based cooperation shows the strains on carmakers as they invest billions of dollars to develop battery-powered vehicles to comply with tighter environmental regulations. Buyers have so far shown little interest in the models because of limited driving range, the time needed for recharging and the high price of vehicles.

BMW sold fewer than 24,100 of its i3 electric city car last year, out of the companys total 2.2 million deliveries, while the Renault-Nissan automaking alliance has only handed over 350,000 electric vehicles to customers since 2010, versus a target of 1.5 million by the end of 2016.

Germanys government agreed earlier this year to a 1-billion ($1.4-billion) financing package to encourage electric-car purchases, with about two-thirds of the figure slated for developing roadside charging stations. U.S. carmaker Tesla Motors Inc.s network of 744 Supercharger-branded stations includes outlets across Europe.

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I try to help people recover money from large companies after they have a bad experience with a product or service.

While consumers may not score a full refund, they are usually thrilled to get attention from companies that have been ignoring their requests for compensation.

Here are a few stories of money recovered and satisfaction achieved.

Shoppers Drug Mart

Lillian Dayan bought three Esso gift cards, worth $150, which werent activated properly at the checkout and didnt work. The supplier (Imperial Oil) couldnt make them work, either.

Shoppers Drug Mart said it could not give cash refunds on gift cards. All sales were final. Instead, it could exchange her three Esso gift cards for a $150 Shoppers gift card. She could use it to buy merchandise to pay for another Esso gift card.

How can I be sure the same thing wont happen again? This error by Shoppers Drug Mart has cost me much time and embarrassment, Dayan said.

After I contacted Tammy Smitham, a spokeswoman for the retail chain owned by Loblaws, she arranged to send her a $150 cheque for the three cards.

Lesson: Hold on to the receipts for all gift cards you buy, and ask the recipients to give the cards back to you if they dont work. Then ask the store for a refund. Gift card fraud and improper activation are common problems.

Asus

Agnes bought an Asus mobile phone for $300 (including HST) a year ago. When it stopped working, she was told it would cost $200 to fix.

I dont know how I could have done it, she said about the damage (involving a bent pin near the slot to insert a SIM card). I am living on the Ontario disability support plan and I cant afford the cost.

Asus spokesman Jason Chennette said the customer was asked to pay for repairs since her phone had passed the one-year warranty mark.

However, after I escalated her complaint, the companys customer service team decided to make an exception and repair the device free of charge.

Lesson: A new phone should last for more than a year. If a problem occurs soon after the warranty expires, ask for leniency. And if you are financially challenged, make sure to mention that face (and provide supporting documents) in support of your case.

Canadian Tire

Robynn and Rex Kirkpatrick moved in with their daughter after both were injured and couldnt work; Robynn shattered her wrist after a fall and Rex broke his heel in a work accident.

Recently, their Ford Escape truck started making a funny noise and stopped working. They had it towed to the nearest Canadian Tire store.

The problem was a seized engine, which was not covered by their extended warranty. They were just over the warranty period.

The repair shop recommended installing a new engine, which would take up to four days and cost $3,900. Instead, the job took two weeks and cost $4,140.

When Rex went to pick up the truck, it still wasnt working properly. He was kept waiting a few more days, while feeling the repair shop was treating him discourteously.

Things improved when I contacted Stephanie Nadalin at the chains head office. The Kirkpatricks were given a rental truck, along with a trailer hitch to help them move into a new apartment, at no charge.

The truck was fixed properly and the cost was cut back to the original amount quoted. Canadian Tire also threw in a $100 gift card for their inconvenience.

Lesson: There is nothing worse than being held hostage by a repair shop. You cant retrieve your car until it is running properly, often at an extra cost.

I was walking with crutches, my finances were very tight because I wasnt working, Rex said. I think I was treated the way I was because I was in no position to fight back and make any demands.

When you complain about poor service, start with the store manager. Then go to the regional manager and head office.

If that doesnt work, call the Ontario consumer ministry (416-326-8800 or 1-800-889-9768) as well as the checking with Better Business Bureau .

You can also reach out to the mainstream media or use social media such as Facebook and Twitter. They can be effective in helping to gain a companys attention.

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Top scientists are pushing back at the Ontario governments claim that attempting to clean the contaminated river system near Grassy Narrows First Nation could worsen the mercury problem.

This fear is needless, said Dr. David Schindler in a letter co-signed by scientist David Suzuki and sent to Premier Kathleen Wynne Tuesday. If the river system remains in its current state, we anticipate a continued degradation of the health and social fabric of the Grassy Narrows community.

Schindler, a world-renowned ecology expert and professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, told the Star that Premier Kathleen Wynne has a very good record on environmental issues, but added: She is getting some bad advice on this one.

Wynnes government came under renewed criticism in recent days after an ongoing Star investigation found fish from Clay Lake and two points along the Wabigoon River near Grassy Narrows are the most mercury-contaminated in Ontario.

During question period last week, Environment Minister Glen Murray vowed the river would be cleaned up to the satisfaction of the chief and the health of the people of Grassy Narrows.

The next day the Ontario government appeared to back away from the commitment, with Wynne saying she did not want to take any action that would make the situation worse.

Schindler/Suzuki letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne View document on Scribd

It is a statement Wynne has made repeatedly this year and that frustrates Dr. John Rudd, who is at the centre of the provincial effort to deal with the Grassy Narrows mercury problem and who has studied the issue for decades.

We think, and other scientists think, these (cleanup methods) are very benign and wouldnt cause any damage to the ecosystem, said Rudd.

The cleanup plan is contained in a provincially funded report released this May by Rudd and two other environmental scientists. They primarily favour a method called resuspension (when clean sediment is placed in the water so that it settles on the bottom of the lake to stabilize the mercury-contaminated sediment), as well as another technique that involves injecting nitrate or oxygen into the bottom of lakes.

Grassy Narrows, and the lakes and river its people rely on, are downstream from the site of the former paper mill in Dryden, Ont., that in the 1960s dumped 10 tonnes of mercury into the river. Physical symptoms of mercury poisoning include loss of muscle co-ordination and tunnel vision. Recent scientific research shows the poisoning occurs at low levels previously thought harmless, and that fetuses are vulnerable to cognitive damage.

The Star previously reported this method of resuspension was also recommended by Ontarios environment minister in 1984. (The ministers recommendation was prompted by a 1983 scientific report that Rudd was also part of.)

Instead, the province chose to allow the river to clean up naturally. Scientists have told the Star that the dangerously high mercury levels in the river system today suggest there is an ongoing mercury source that needs to be found and stopped.

The letter signed by Schindler and Suzuki called Rudd one of the worlds foremost experts on the biogeochemistry of mercury and adds that his report is very well-reasoned and sound. The cleanup methods recommended are similar to those suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the letter says, adding: It is unlikely that a better team of scientists could be assembled to undertake the reclamation work now, or at any time in the near future.

The Star has repeatedly asked the government for the science that supports the concern that these methods could make the problem worse. On Tuesday, Wynnes spokesperson, Jennifer Beaudry, cited part of Rudds report that says a method called dredging (a process that gathers up contaminated sediment and disposes it elsewhere) could cause disruption of the ecosystem function, remobilization of contaminated sediments, and disrupt natural recovery processes.

In response to this, Rudd told the Star he and his team would only ever recommend a small amount of site-specific dredging where mercury concentrations are extremely high, and would never recommend large-scale dredging in any of the lakes or rivers, which is what could make the problem worse, he said. This approach to do limited dredging is consistent with what the EPA recommends, Rudd added.

In June of this year, the province earmarked $300,000 for field testing, some of which would help identify any ongoing mercury sources.

However, Rudd told the Star funding delays are hampering crucial testing.

Though Murray has said in recent days that the government is investing heavily in the testing, Rudd said he and his team have received only less than 10 per cent of the money and have lost crucial time in the field.

When we first heard Minister Murray say the funding was on its way we started work right away because the field season was passing and called in favours from other scientists we knew. That amounted to (scientists contributing) about $20,000 which the government has paid back, Rudd said. Since then weve received no further funding.

We took a few initial samples. Most of those samples are still in the freezer and waiting analysis because we dont have any funds, he added. A lot more work needs to be done.

In an email Tuesday, Wynnes spokesperson confirmed the province has released only $20,000.

Weve also met regularly with (Grassy Narrows Chief Simon) Fobister to finalize next steps, including funding details for further water, sediment and fish sampling, Beaudry, the spokesperson, said.

Our goal is to finalize those details as quickly as possible so we can help the community determine what approach is most appropriate. By working together, we will find a way to responsibly clean up the river without making the situation worse.

David Bruser can be reached at (416) 869-4282 or dbruser@thestar.ca

Jayme Poisson can be reached at (416) 814-2725 or jpoisson@thestar.ca

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Colombian Senate backs new Farc peace deal

Colombia's Senate has approved a revised peace accord with the country's largest rebel group, the Farc.
EDMONTONAlberta Premier Rachel Notley says she will head to British Columbia as early as next week to make the case for Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Its really important for me to be able to go out there and say to those people who link the pipeline to the issue of climate change and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions that, in fact, our climate change leadership plan has very effectively delinked those issues, Notley told reporters Wednesday in a conference call from Ottawa.

The new pipeline is safer than moving oil by rail, she said.

It increases the return for Albertans  and frankly all Canadians  but it doesnt increase the volume (of greenhouse gas emissions), she said.

Notleys government has passed, or is in the process of passing, sweeping changes to environmental, electricity, and tax rules to reduce Albertas greenhouse gas emissions and move toward renewable energy sources.

A bill now before the legislature will cap total oilsands emissions at 100 megatonnes a year. The current emissions are about two-thirds of that.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced federal approval of Trans Mountain on Tuesday and said it would not have been possible without Albertas plan.

Trans Mountain still has to clear regulatory hurdles and faces stiff opposition in B.C. from environmentalists, First Nations and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

In B.C. Wednesday, Premier Christy Clark said the feds are close to meeting her governments five conditions for its approval of the pipeline, but wants more assurances on spill response, jobs and economic benefits for B.C.

The Trans Mountain pipeline will increase the number of tankers leaving Vancouver-area waters seven-fold.

The pipeline is expected to be a key issue in Mays B.C. election, potentially putting Notley at odds with her NDP colleagues as they challenge Clarks Liberal government.

Notley said she is ready for the debate.

This is not a new thing for B.C., quite frankly, said Notley.

The NDP in B.C. had to manage very profound divisions within its own party over (logging in) Clayoquot Sound and forestry, she said.

Theyre tough conversations, but ... the values that drive me as a New Democrat are both the need to make real progress on protecting our environment but to do so in a respectful way to the working people.

It was at times a rocky path for Notley and Trudeau, who were both in Ottawa for Tuesdays announcement.

Last month, Notley announced she would not go along with Trudeaus plan for a escalating floor price on carbon that would reach $50 a tonne by 2022.

Albertas plan tops out at $30 a tonne, and Notley said then she didnt know how her province would meet $50 a tonne without action on pipelines.

She said she is now onside with the $50 price, but said it is still linked to progress on projects like Trans Mountain. The $6.8-billion project would triple the capacity of an existing line to take crude from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C.

Alberta is in the midst of a prolonged slump in oil prices that have led to thousands of job losses and a budget deficit this year pegged at $10.8 billion.

Notley says a pipeline to tidewater is critical to reach Asian markets and fetch a better price for oil instead of being tied solely to the U.S.

MORE ON THESTAR.COM

Liberals face flood of outrage in B.C. after approval of Trans Mountain pipeline

B.C. Liberal MPs brace for upset constituents after Trans Mountain pipeline approval

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ST. PAUL, ALTA.A jury has found a woman whose lawyer suggested she suffered from battered woman syndrome guilty of second-degree murder for shooting her husband as he was lying on a couch.

Deborah Doonanco, 53, had been charged in the death of Kevin Feland in their home in the village of Glendon, Alta., in May 2014.

She testified that in the days before his death, his drug use was so bad she couldnt sleep and had become physically weak.

She said she couldnt reach out for help because he had told her she was his property and would find her and kill her if she started anything.

But the prosecution argued that after shooting Feland twice, Doonanco set the house on fire to destroy the evidence.

Court was told the couple had been married and then divorced, but later reconciled.

Doonancos lawyer, Brian Beresh, told Global Edmonton his client was upset and surprised by the verdict.

Were very surprised with this jury deliberating in a case like this for less than two hours, he said outside the courthouse. Were not very pleased at all. There certainly will be an appeal.

Felands daughter, Chloe Truss, 15, said the past couple of years have been chaotic and shes happy justice has been served.

Its just a big relief after two-and-a-half years, Truss told Global. We know whats right and it wasnt OK what happened. This has affected all of us.

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MONTREALA former Quebec mayor will reportedly plead guilty to corruption charges under an agreement that will see him serve a six-year jail sentence and repay $9-million after allegations he run the suburb of Montreal like his own criminal fiefdom.

According to Radio-Canada, Gilles Vaillancourts deal with the Crown will be announced at a court hearing Thursday morning in Laval.

No case better captured the corruption crisis that had enveloped the province of Quebec a few years ago than that of the long-serving former mayor of Laval.

He was arrested in 2013 along with 36 others in a massive sweep by Quebecs anti-corruption squad after a lengthy investigation. The other people charged included municipal bureaucrats, engineers, lawyers, notaries, engineers and construction entrepreneurs.

Vaillancourt, along with Lavals director general and a bureaucrat in charge of engineering projects, are alleged to have accepted bribes from companies seeking municipal contracts.

In a news conference announcing the arrests, police explained that construction and engineering firms would pay bribes to intermediaries who would then transfer the cash to Vaillancourt and other decision makers at Laval city hall.

Radio-Canada reported that in exchange for the guilty plea, a charge of gangsterismthat Vaillancourt was leading a criminal organizationwould be dropped.

Neither Vaillancourts defence lawyer, Nadine Touma, nor a spokesperson for the provinces prosecution service was immediately available to comment on the reported plea deal.

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MONTREALIt is a rare government decision that involves a lot of predictable political pain for little obvious electoral gain. For better or for worse, the approval by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline falls into that category.

It is unlikely to win him supporters within the ranks of those who most support the pipeline agenda. They tend to be spoken for by the Conservative party and, for the most part, have no appetite for Trudeaus proactive climate change agenda.

On the other hand, at least some of the seats of the 17 Liberal MPs elected in B.C. in the last election could be on the line. The approval of this pipeline plan will not sit well with many of the constituents. Even if he wanted to, Trudeau could not get all his caucus members to sing the same song on this issue. A handful of them have already broken ranks with his decision.

The Liberals are not the only ones potentially at risk on what is probably Canadas most contentious front these days.

Take British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. She will be campaigning for re-election in the spring. If she supports Trudeaus move, it will be her provincial Liberals who will first test the post-announcement waters. She could be in for a choppy crossing.

There is a widespread expectation on Parliament Hill that Clark will at some point publicly sign off on the Trans Mountain project. The federal government has been playing nice with its B.C. counterpart, delivering a much wanted green light for a major liquefied gas development and promising billions of federal dollars to improve marine safety.

But Clark would not be the political survivor that she is if she did not have a well-honed instinct for self-preservation. B.C. elections are won or lost in the greater Vancouver area, the site of the pipeline whose capacity to carry bitumen oil to the coast Kinder Morgan plans to expand.

On Wednesday, she said Trudeau was close to meeting all of her conditions for supporting the pipeline. She invited the prime minister to come to B.C. to sell the decision. By all indications, she wants to see how it all plays out before taking a definitive stance.

Then there is the NDP. While Alberta Premier Rachel Notley was celebrating a big win alongside Trudeau on Tuesday, Thomas Mulcair was calling the federal decision a betrayal of the trust many B.C. voters placed in the prime minister. The B.C. New Democrats are also critical of the federal decision.

The cracks between the ruling NDP in Edmonton and their opposition cousins in Parliament and in Victoria are becoming too wide to be papered over. Whoever succeeds Mulcair will be hard-pressed to square the pipeline circle.

In any event, as of now Trudeau and Notley are joined at the hip. On Tuesday, the prime minister argued it was the premiers determination to rein in Albertas carbon emissions that made his approval of a pipeline consistent with Canadas climate change commitments.

But if she fails to win re-election the quid pro quo is unlikely to survive her NDP government, leaving Trudeau with little to show on climate change for having delivered a pipeline from tidewater to Alberta.

Had the prime minister vetoed the Kinder Morgan project, he might as well have declared a moratorium on any plan to bring more of Albertas bitumen oil to the Canadian coasts.

There is no way Trudeau could have killed two pipelines to the Pacific coast (Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain) and then backed the no less controversial Energy East project. (Punting the decision on the Vancouver area pipeline would most likely only have hardened opposition to the plan.)

That being said, it might be prudent for TransCanada  the company behind the plan to link the oilfields to the Atlantic Coast through the Prairies and Central Canada  to not take this weeks federal yes to Kinder Morgan as a sign that its pipeline will be good to go any time soon, if at all.

A betting person might reasonably wager that Trudeau will not want to open another front in the pipeline wars between now and the 2019 election. And that probably makes Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, who could be facing an uphill re-election battle in less than two years, a collateral winner of this weeks developments.

Chantal Hebert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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It comes in like a hurricane without warning, that moment of the taking: one minute, you are going about your life; the next, you are side-swiped, seized, swept away.

From free-willed Canadian to helpless hostage, hurled into a terrifying world. Nationality doesnt matter to the kidnappers. They are on the hunt for westerners.

But as time ticks by, your Canadian passport, it turns out, can be a flimsy shield.

As the ordeal grinds toward four outrageously difficult outcomes  rescue, ransom, escape or death  everyone involved becomes a hostage. Not just those who face the blades of their captors, but also family and friends half a world away.

Sworn to secrecy by Canadian officials, families of the hostages find themselves alone in a parallel universe, unable to share their burden.

Such is the grim reality of a 21st-century kidnapping crisis, Canadian-style, as told to the Toronto Star by families who have lived it. Many of the stories that follow throughout the next week are first-time accounts from relatives, surviving hostages and eyewitnesses, together with insights from former and current government, military and intelligence officials and private security consultants, who have had direct involvement in Canadian kidnappings since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In all, more than 50 people shared their experiences.

This much is certain: many capable people with the best of intentions stand at the ready when a Canadian goes missing abroad. But the Stars investigation into what really happens after a hostage taking reveals a system ripe for overhaul.

The biggest frustration is the glacial-like drip of information from Ottawa, where Canadas hostage response system has struggled to keep up since 9/11, regardless of the party in power.

Many relatives say they feel not so much valued as handled, as if the government sees families as a problem to be managed.

For some, it was deeply painful to revisit and share details of their ordeals. But in breaking silence, they hope their stories will trigger a wholesale review of Canadian kidnap protocols.

That hope may not be misplaced: one Ottawa official, responding Tuesday to a series of questions from the Star, confirmed the government is midway through a lessons learned process of how it handled recent kidnap events.

The official described it as a comprehensive effort to genuinely look at what happened  you know, What could we have done differently? 

But the relatives of hostages are asking for more than words. Simply put, they want Ottawa to do a better job for the next Canadian family that gets The Call.

Every country has its wins and losses when it comes to overseas kidnappings. For Canada, it is difficult to conceive of a more disastrous loss than that of John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, 66, who were snatched and held for ransom by the Abu Sayyaf Group 14 months ago, only to be slain on camera seven weeks apart, in April and June of 2016.

Four were taken on that rainy Monday night of Sept. 21, 2015, in an audacious armed raid on the Holiday Oceanview Marina in the southern Philippines, including Halls Filipina partner, Marites Tess Flor, and the marinas Norwegian manager, Kjartan Sekkingstad.

Only the Canadians would perish. Flor and Sekkingstad ultimately were released, the latter involving a ransom payment believed to be some $1.1 million (Canadian).

At first, it seemed the Hall and Ridsdel families were united in their grief, apportioning all blame to the kidnappers. The Hall family even released a statement after Halls murder, endorsing Ottawas no-ransom policy.

Our family, even in our darkest hour, agrees wholeheartedly with Canadas policy of not paying ransom, the statement read.

Five months later, a different story is emerging. In interviews with the Star, Halls two sisters, Trudi Shaw and Bonice Thomas, together with extended family members, speak with fury of how Canada handled their case.

We were essentially being held hostage by our government, says Trudi Shaw of the nearly nine months her family lived in limbo during Halls captivity.

One of Ridsdels two daughters, speaking on behalf of the family, expressed frustrations of her own, saying the family was asked to make key decisions, while rarely provided any of the governments intelligence.

Journalist Amanda Lindhouts mother, Lorinda Stewart, says she put her trust in Ottawa to free her daughter, rather than try to raise the ransom the kidnappers demanded. After a year of reassurances from the RCMP that they were making progress  without telling Stewart the details  they released her to pursue her own options.

I was really angry because I had been questioning them  Am I doing the right thing? If you had children in this situation would you be doing this?  says Stewart. I was reassured  and after a year they dropped us.

Lindhout was freed in 2009 after 460 days of tortured captivity in Somalia. Her mother hired a private security group and raised a ransom of $600,000. I had 100-per-cent confidence in the government . . . and really resented that we were kept hanging for so long. Amanda should not have had to suffer all the months she did if we had been given options.

Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat working as a special envoy to the United Nations in Niger, was kidnapped in December 2008 by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and held with his colleague, Louis Guay, for 130 days. His book, Season in Hell, is an indictment of how the Canadian government  the RCMP, in particular  treated his wife, Mary, during his captivity.

The RCMP seemed to have decided that our families could not be trusted with the knowledge that we were alive. I can only assume they believed our families would handle such information irresponsibly and thereby wantonly put Louis and my lives at risk, Fowler writes. Nobody within the Ottawa bureaucracy seems to have challenged that preposterous position.

And it seems little has changed.

When it comes time for families to make crucial decisions, Canadian officials outline a menu of options during calls or meetings  from military rescue to the paying of ransom  that offer the best hope of bringing the hostage home alive. Worried about government liability, they rarely will offer advice. Some families have been told paying a ransom is a criminal offence. None have been charged.

Bonice Thomas, Halls sister, says the strained relationship with government officials only added to their grief.

From the day Roberts abduction was confirmed, it was a terrible and frustrating struggle to get any sort of information. No matter how much we badgered the RCMP, we simply didnt ever get straight or timely answers about anything.

Heres one example: one of the first things we found out is that Roberts satellite phone had been taken by the kidnappers. So we asked, Well, are you tracking it? That phone got him across the Pacific. It has GPS. Find that phone, its the starting point to finding Robert.

And to this day, we never got an answer back.

Every family member has seared into their memories how they found out. They always remember The Call.

CBC journalist Mellissa Fung delivered the news herself after she was snatched at gunpoint at a refugee camp in Afghanistan in 2008. She dialed her partner, CTV correspondent Paul Workman.

Hi, P. Its me. Im OK, dont worry, Im OK, she said as her kidnappers grabbed the phone and added: She is with us.

She begged for another chance and called back. Hi, its me again. Im just calling to say goodbye  Bye. Love you. Not for another 28 days would her fate be known.

The call reached Jim Loneys brother, Matt, that Jim had been kidnapped in Iraq in 2005 as Matt was preparing to hike in Machu Picchu in Peru. With the help of Canadian officials in Lima, he made the journey to his parents home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The Loneys would wait 120 days to know if Jim would survive.

When the doorbell rang at the Boyle home outside of Ottawa, Dan Boyle, Joshs younger brother, opened to see three officials in suits. I immediately decided that they were probably not (Jehovahs Witnesses) since 11 p.m. seemed too late for witnessing, says Dan. I asked them if my brother was in trouble in Afghanistan.

Josh Boyle and his wife, Caitlan Coleman, then five-and-a-half months pregnant, were backpacking through the Stans in 2012  Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan  and no one had spoken to them in a few weeks. Ten days before The Suits arrived, Dan had noticed a news report about an American and Canadian taken hostage in Afghanistan.

Josh and Caitlan were not supposed to travel there, but Dan still worried. He woke his mother, Linda. He hadnt told her about the report but had shared it with his father, Patrick, who was co-chairing a law conference in Munich, with two of his three daughters in tow.

As Linda and the three RCMP officers talked, Dan went out and sent a text to his dad: Call home. But before Patrick could reply, Dan was warned not to tell anything until they could do so in person. He sent another text: Mom just wants to know what time youre home tomorrow.

My antenna goes up, says Patrick. But even though Ive spent the last 10 days doing a Google News search for Canadian American kidnapping, I just confirm to him when Im arriving.

Patrick and his daughters Kaeryn and Heather had landed at the Ottawa airport, on separate flights the next day. The girls, jet-lagged, longing for sleep, were already at their apartment when Patrick arrived to take them home for dinner.

The car ride up was miserable for all three of us, says Kaeryn. I was so tired I wanted to cry, and I was biting my tongue and clenching my nails into my palm to keep my eyes open. Id been texting Dan on the drive up, trying to get some sort of explanation but he wouldnt answer.

Finally, right as we entered the town, he sent one word: Josh.

At home, Patrick turned into the dining room from the kitchen and saw the three RCMP officers. Nothing can prepare you for that, says Patrick. It looks like youre in a movie with three suits sitting at your table with sombre faces.

Marites Flor, now 39, looked shell-shocked as she was paraded before the cameras the day of her release in June. The photo-op was a quickly assembled victory lap for newly elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Five months later, she feels strong enough to share her story for the first time.

Free, yet heartbroken, Flor has slipped back into the embrace of her family, still on the mend; still grieving for her partner, Hall; still struggling to cope with their months in the jungle, tied together and forced to march, day and night.

It helps that Flor is in almost daily contact with one or both of Halls sisters. United in sorrow, they have found in each other shoulders to lean on.

For Flor, their support has kept her close to Hall as his sisters push to ensure she receives medical and trauma treatment in a country where neither is easily accessed. And Flor, in turn, has been a balm for them, sharing stories of the courage he showed, right to the very end. She has been able to give his family many answers that Ottawa couldnt, or wouldnt, provide.

Flor and Hall had met online about three years ago, striking up an electronic romance that blossomed, ultimately, into the real thing, with Hall flying twice to the Philippines to spend time with Flor and her family.

Hall returned to Canada one last time to set sail on the adventure of a lifetime, navigating Renova, his 36-foot Cape Dory sailboat, toward the Philippines. There was one false start  a sudden squall did serious damage, forcing Hall and his brother Bill to return to port. Three months later, the brothers set out again and enjoyed smooth sailing to Hawaii, arriving just before Christmas 2014. Bill flew home, Robert continued.

The big concern for all of us was just the fact that he was sailing across the Pacific  about all the things that could happen and that he was by himself, remembers Trudi Shaw.

When he made it to the marina in the Philippines where they were eventually kidnapped  we thought, OK, the dangerous part is over.

John Ridsdel was also an avid sailor, first as a young man living in Yorkton, Sask., and then in Calgary, as a young father, where he made time to teach his daughters the skill.

A little more than a decade ago, Ridsdel started working in the Philippines as a manager with the Calgary-based mining company TVI. He was a very socially minded person for someone working for a mining company, said one of his daughters in an interview. She asked that her name not be used for privacy concerns.

It was something he and his activist daughters would have clashes about, I guess, like, Dad, how can you work with these people? And hes telling us, Im out here in these rural communities and they have no income, you know, theyre all involved in these more traditional mining practices which are environmentally unfriendly and bad for peoples health, and theyll send kids down mine shafts.

A couple of years ago, he moved permanently to a small beach community. Divorced in Canada, he met his girlfriend in the Philippines and befriended a young Filipino crewman, Jayson, who had grown so close to Ridsdel that he would sometimes call him Dad.

He had a view out on the beach and a community of friends in his local yacht club and would go sailing on the weekends and drink beer and had a nice little retirement life, says his daughter.

News of the kidnapping reached Ridsdels family first, through friends in the Philippines. Slowly the news spread across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, as they desperately tried to reach those closest to Ridsdel before they learned of the kidnapping through media reports.

His family called a government hotline. Those who took the calls, more accustomed to dealing with lost passports or illnesses, seemed taken aback, but within hours, an imperfect system was grinding into action.

One tragic dimension of the Hall familys plight, not previously disclosed, is that at the time of his kidnapping, both of Halls sisters were battling breast cancer, one undergoing treatment, the other newly diagnosed. Layer upon layer of pain was compounded by fear and feelings of helplessness.

Bonice, Halls sister, was going to bed at her home on B.C.s Sunshine Coast. It was around midnight.

I heard a little 15-second snippet  I always have CBC on in the background  and my heart sank. I just knew.

It would be the last time for a long time she knew anything for certain.

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The federal government wants a Toronto judge to throw out a class-action lawsuit from survivors of the Sixties Scoop  a move the plaintiffs lawyer says is at odds with the Liberals public stance on the issue.

Its believed at least 16,000 people in Ontario were affected when authorities removed indigenous children from their families and placed them in foster care or up for adoption over a period of about 20 years beginning in the 1960s.

The government acknowledged in recently filed court material that indigenous children placed in non-indigenous care would have lost opportunities to learn about their language and culture, and that many children in those situations experienced psychological or other personal harm.

But it also argues that it is wrong to impose present-day standards of care for indigenous children on the Sixties Scoop practices.

Even though it is clear with the benefit of present day awareness that the social science of the class period was, in retrospect, mistaken and negatively affected the plaintiff and others in the class she represents, fiduciary principles and the common law do not permit the imposition of todays standards of care and reconciliatory values on actors of the past, says the governments factum (written submission).

The government lawyers will plead their case before Superior Court Justice Edward Belobaba on Thursday.

The Sixties Scoop survivors, including lead plaintiff Marcia Brown Martel, are engaged in what is called a summary judgment proceeding, meaning they believe they have enough evidence against the government to forego a full trial. They argued before Belobaba in August.

Unlike survivors of residential schools, the children, now adults, of the Sixties Scoop have never received an apology from the federal government. (An apology was offered last year by the Manitoba provincial government, and Saskatchewan has promised to do the same.)

What they have faced, since launching a class-action lawsuit in Ontario against Canada in 2009, is a federal government that has often tried to have the case delayed or dismissed, appealing rulings which allowed the plaintiffs to move forward with their action.

Following their election in 2015, the Liberals spoke of reconciliation with indigenous peoples as a priority, and last summer Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said the government is open to finding a solution to the Sixties Scoop lawsuits.

We, as you know  as a government  would like to get things out of court and to a table where we can make those kinds of agreements together, as a way forward, Bennett said in August.

We want to work together with all of the litigants that are presently in court and try and get to the table.

But the survivors lawyer, Jeffery Wilson, said that judging by the stalling, the requests for dismissal and the thousands of pages the government has disclosed to the plaintiffs at the 11th hour, his clients are getting a completely different message from the government in court.

For my clients, it's just a repeat of governments saying one thing and doing the other, he told the Star.

Sixties Scoop lawsuits are also moving through the courts in other provinces.

The Ontario class-action covers the period from December 1965  when the federal government signed an agreement with Ontario known as the Canada-Ontario Welfare Services Agreement  to December 1984, when aboriginality was made an important factor in child protection and placement practices through Ontarios Child and Family Services Act.

As part of the agreement, Canada agreed to pay Ontario for the per capita cost of extending some provincial welfare programs to Indians in the Province, according to a 2014 Divisional Court ruling dismissing Canadas appeal of the class-action lawsuits certification.

The lawsuit is not about the actual removal and placement of the children, but rather whether the federal government had a responsibility to ensure that those children did not lose their indigenous identity after being taken away.

The government maintains in court documents that there was no duty to consult the individual indigenous bands during the 1960s and 1970s about the placement of the children under the Canada-Ontario agreement. The plaintiffs argue in their official reply filed in court that the government knew it had to consult the bands and that they have evidence showing the government failed to do so.

The plaintiffs also argue in their reply that the government knew early on that the removal and placement of the children would have a negative impact on them.

Canada was fully aware during the class period of the frustration, anger, disappointment and concern of the post-placement effect upon those children after they were removed, says the plaintiffs reply.

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A disgruntled Scarborough resident is fed up with Torontos city council and is hoping a petition will help start the process of de-amalgamation.

Robert McDermott, a real estate agent in Scarborough, said he launched the Free Scarborough Campaign because amalgamation has been a dismal failure that has led to tax increases and declines in service. McDermott is calling for Scarborough to de-amalgamate from the city to restore accessible, local government.

Scarborough and surrounding Toronto municipalities merged to form the modern City of Toronto in 1998 after then-premier Mike Harris passed amalgamation legislation that was proposed as a way to save the province money. The controversial bill was heavily opposed at the time, and calls for de-amalgamation have resurfaced over the years since it was enacted.

Property taxes in Scarborough have been continually going up and services have been declining, McDermott said, adding the amalgamated council has fuelled division between downtown Toronto and the suburbs surrounding it.

Weve lost the ability to manage our own affairs, really. Were being dictated by a centralized government in downtown Toronto.

Online, McDermotts campaign has failed to receive much traction, with just over 90 signatures on the online petition as of Tuesday afternoon. However, he said he has received about 3,200 signatures from going door-to-door in Scarborough. McDermott hopes to gather enough signatures by the end of 2017 to compel municipal and provincial officials to launch a referendum on de-amalgamation.

John Sewell, who was mayor and councillor in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was against amalgamation, believes that council is both too large and that the area it covers is too vast.

A different system would have better government, people more closely related to their government, Sewell said. I dont believe that anybody feels they are in control of what is happening in their city at the moment.

A 2013 study from the University of Torontos Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance found that amalgamation resulted in a city that is both too small to address regional issues that plague the GTA, such as transportation, and too big to be responsive to local residents.

While it is certainly possible to undo amalgamation, it is not an easy process  and one that the province has shown little interest in, said Lydia Miljan, an associate professor of political science at the University of Windsor.

Miljan and Zachary Spicer co-authored a 2015 Fraser Institute study looking at the process of de-amalgamation, focusing on whether it was possible to reverse the process and whether it is the best decision when it comes to finances and governance. That study found while there is no reason de-amalgamation cannot be pursued, it is often not desirable.

Its a really complicated process, said Miljan. You would have to decide what did Scarborough have pre-amalgamation and what did it get after, and then decide whether or not the amalgamated municipality owes money to the place it just left and how much that would be.

In theory, amalgamation is a simple process that just requires provincial approval, said Spicer, an assistant professor at Brock University, but in practice its a bit more tricky.

The province doesnt need the city to say yes or no, but they realistically wouldnt move forward without their approval, he said. Even if the city approved, it wouldnt be easy, it wouldnt be simple and it would take a long time to figure out how to divide assets.

Spicer also said there isnt political motivation for the province to re-open the issue of amalgamation.

The province used a lot of political capital to amalgamate, and to de-amalgamate now would be a fight they dont need. Theres not a whole lot of benefit to do it, he said.

McDermott understands its a difficult process, but he hopes the campaign will get both residents and politicians talking.

Theres a lack of accountability when it comes to decision making, he said. I think its time Scarborough go it alone.

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A judge has dismissed a conflict of interest case against Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson that centred on his family-owned land that was sold for millions of dollars to a developer and votes he took in council.

The decision means Thompson will not be removed from office.

After the Star reported in 2015 that the mayor had sold land to developer Primont Homes for $9.4 million, which raised concerns about votes he took in council involving development near those lands, resident Kelly Darnley filed a Municipal Conflict of Interest Act application against Thompson in July 2015. Her application sought to remove him from office, alleging he pushed development to the west of the town, where he owned land, taking part in council decisions in which he allegedly had a pecuniary interest.

Thompson was clearly relieved by the decision released Wednesday by Justice Peter Daley of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

Justice Daley delivered a clear and strong message in dismissing conflict of interest allegations against me, Thompson wrote in an email to the Star.

Im grateful to my family and friends for their love and support. A big thank you to the Caledon residents who have reached out and offered their support, its meant a great deal to me.

Throughout this process I have worked hard on staying focused on family, community and on my job as mayor.

In his decision to dismiss the application, Daley wrote that it was Thompsons uncontradicted evidence that he did not know who was buying his land when the deal was initiated in 2014.

He also wrote that Thompson did not vote on any resolution involving (Primont) up to the time that the deal closed.

Regarding another allegation, that Thompson had received a $600,000 mortgage in 2007, while a councillor, from a company that allegedly included developers as its principals and then allegedly participated in council decisions regarding at least one of those developers, Daleys ruling was similar.

There is no evidence that (Thompson) had any knowledge whatsoever of a connection between the (company that gave the mortgage) and (a developer involved in decisions council dealt with.)

In dismissing the application, Daley ruled that it failed to provide evidence that Thompson had a pecuniary interest in votes he took regarding development and land use in Caledon.

If found guilty of a violation under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, politicians are to be removed from office unless the court finds they acted inadvertently.

Thompson was represented in the case by lawyer Alan Lenczner, best known for defending former Toronto mayor Rob Ford in a 2012 conflict of interest case. Lenczner had told Daley during one of the hearings for the Caledon mayor's case that the application against him had numerous holes in it, arguing that almost all of the votes detailed in the allegations did not even involve the developers that Thompson, according to the evidence, had financial dealings with.

Hearings were held in the case in April.

Kim Seipt, a spokesperson for local residents group, Your Voice for Bolton, said they were deeply concerned with the decision not to hold Thompson accountable for decision making and alleged conflicts of interest regarding land developments.

Our community group is losing faith in transparent decision making in Caledon and truly hopes the province strengthens the Conflict of Interest Act, Seipt said.

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Can an employer ban your beard, or is the right to unfettered facial hair protected by law?

Allan Stokell says he feels his human rights were violated when courier giant UPS told him hed have to shave his whiskers if he wanted to work for them.

Although not as serious as some (violations), I dont believe large multi-national corporations should be able to get away with this, Stokell, who is 68, said. Ive had a beard since I was 18 and I identify as being a bearded person.

Its something I live by, Im very proud of my beard and Im not really interested in shaving it off.

Stokell, a retired City of Toronto worker, applied to UPS for a seasonal job as a walker  an employee who helps UPS drivers pick up and deliver packages. UPS replied to him with a questionnaire asking, among other things, whether he accepts the companys strict appearance guidelines requiring employees to be clean shaven and hide visible piercings and tattoos.

Stokell responded that he has a short, well-trimmed beard and short hair. In a brief email exchange, a UPS representative told Stokell that unless one is keeping their facial hair for religious or medical reasons, all employees need to be clean shaven at UPS as part of UPSs appearance policy.

Employees seeking beard accommodation on religious or medical grounds must supply proper documentation, Stokell was told.

UPS Canada told the Star that it is confident in the legality of its employment practices.

UPS does have appearance and grooming guidelines in place, company spokesperson Nirali Raval said in an email. Through the interview process the appearance and grooming policy is explained to all applicants.

Raval said the specific appearance policies are internal policies and are not shared externally.

Stokell is not the first Ontarian to chafe under a companys clean-shaven mandate.

In 2014, nickel smelting worker Christopher Browne filed a human rights complaint against his employer, Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, after he was ordered to shave his goatee. In January 2016, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled against Browne, noting that his goatee was not affiliated with religious beliefs and could not be defended as an expression of gender.

Wearing a beard or other facial hair is a matter of style or grooming, and is not a matter of sufficient social significance to warrant protection under human rights legislation  absent any connection to a matter of religious observance, said adjudicator Mark Hart, in his decision.

Janina Fogels, senior counsel at Ontarios Human Rights Legal Support Centre, said Harts ruling set the precedent for beard-related human rights complaints in the province.

The adjudicator is making the point there that the person who wants to wear the beard has to establish that wearing facial hair is protected by the (Ontario Human Rights) Code, said Fogels, who advises and represents complainants on their human rights claims.

That, she added, would require proving that the beard is linked to one of the areas protected by the Code, such as race, creed, skin colour, age, sex, disability.

In 2015, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against UPS, alleging the company discriminated against current and prospective staff whose religious beliefs required them to wear beards or long hair. The suit is yet to be resolved.

Stokell said he considers his beard to be a kind of creed.

My son has a beard, my father and grandfather all had beards Its something you live by.

The Ontario Human Rights Commissions guidelines say creed can include non-religious belief systems that substantially influence a persons identity, worldview and way of life. To determine whether an element of ones lifestyle is a creed, the Commission considers whether it addresses ultimate questions of human existence, and has some connection to an organization or community that professes to have shared beliefs.

Stokell has not officially been turned down for the job at UPS, but has not heard anything further from the company. He says he is no longer interested in working for UPS.

Work has got to be a welcoming environment, Stokell said. If Im going to force them to employ me because of a labour standard its not going to be a good working relationship.

He still hopes UPS softens its stance on beards for future applicants, he said.

They (should) change the policy so that other people dont have to go through this.

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Nine Ontario specialists claimed that they worked more than 360 days last year, according to the provincial auditors annual report.

Among them were six physicians who billed the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for work they say they did on 366 days during the 2015/16 fiscal year (which had an extra day because 2016 is a leap year).

Ontarians are not allowed to know the names of these doctors because the government keeps them secret.

The Star has been trying since April 2014 to get the names of the highest billing doctors released. Earlier this year, the provinces privacy commissioner ruled in favour of an appeal by the Star, but three groups of doctors, including the Ontario Medical Association, are seeking to have that decision overturned. The case is headed to divisional court next year.

In releasing her annual report on Wednesday, Provincial Auditor Bonnie Lysyk said oversight of fee-for service payments to doctors is weak and that the health ministry does not investigate many anomalous physician billings.

The auditor found 648 specialists whose 2015/16 billing trends were anomalous when compared to the expected range of days billed and services provided by specialty category. Among them:

- A respirologist who worked for 361 days billed the province $1.3 million, close to five times more than the upper expected limit. The respirologist made claims for close to 12,400 services, about four times the upper expected range for the same billing category.

- A cardiologist who worked 354 days and billed the province $1.8 million, three times more than the upper expected limit for physicians in the same billing category. This cardiologist provided more than 13,200 services, 2.4 times the upper range of expected services for physicians billing in the same category.

- A diagnostic radiologist worked 313 days and billed the province $1.7 million, which is 2.8 times the upper expected limit for physicians in the same category. This specialist provided more than 57,400 services that year, 5.6 times the upper range of expected services for physicians in the same billing category.

Staff from the provincial auditors office were told that the health ministry does not investigate many cases of anomalous billing because it requires too much time and effort.

But among the eyebrow-raising cases the ministry has identified are more than 500 physicians who billed OHIP for more than $1 million in 2014/15.

The ministry suspected that some of these billings might have been inappropriate: for instance, medically unnecessary services might have been performed or payment made for services that had not been rendered, or the standard of care might have been breached in other ways, the auditors report reads.

It cites the case of an ophthalmologist who billed $6.6 million in 2014/15 and who has previously been described by Health Minister Eric Hoskins as the provinces highest billing doctor.

The majority of this ophthalmologists billings came from performing laser procedures. The ophthalmologist performed the procedures on average seven times per patient over the year. This doctor also billed $1.4 million for diagnostic testing.

Ordering unnecessary diagnostic tests by ophthalmologists is cited for caution by the Choosing Wisely national health campaign in the U.S. and Canada. Choosing Wisely encourages conversation between physicians and patients about unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures, reads the annual report.

The report said that since the beginning of 2013, the ministry has not proactively pursued recovering of overpayments.

Lysyk has advised the province to evaluate the costs and benefits of amending the fee-for-services billing review process and re-establishing an inspector function to oversee physician billings.

Its a controversial suggestion and one the province has said it will consider.

There are currently strong tools in place to review and investigate discrepancies in physician billings, including routine monitoring of anomalies. However, there are opportunities to enhance these oversight measures, Hoskins said.

The province has had no inspector function since 2005 when it disbanded the Medical Review Committee.

That move was made on the recommendation of retired Supreme Court Justice Peter deCarteret Cory who reviewed the auditing process and found it to be debilitating and devastating to physicians. His review followed the suicide of a Welland pediatrician who had been audited.

OMA president elect Dr. Stephen Chris said the government already has tremendous ability to assess and audit physician practices and deal with anomalous, inappropriate billing.

He noted the existence of the Physician Payment Review Board, which is charged with adjudicating over payment disputes.

The government has never referred anybody to it, Chris said.

I think the government has the tools and has the desire to do whatever they can not to pay inappropriately, which we wouldnt have any trouble with, he added, charging that the health ministry is bureaucracy heavy.

There is no suggestion outliers are working inappropriately, Chris said.

We dont have an in-depth understanding of how these individuals are working. That is information that is not available, but if the government hasnt acted on it, there must be some explanation, he said, adding that its possible some communities require an intense level of specialty services.

Lysyk questioned why taxpayers are footing so much of the bill for physician medical liability insurance via the Canadian Medical Protective Association. The province has more than doubled its payments for this insurance over the last three years, forking out $329 million this year, up from $145 million in 2013.

The auditor also found problems with a patient-enrolment payment model adopted by the province about a decade ago. Last year, it cost $522 million more than it would have under the traditional fee-for-service model. Thats in part because 1.8 million patients enrolled in these group practices did not see their physicians during the year, yet the doctors were paid $243 million for having them enrolled.

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Concerns grow over Dr KCs health as fast enters 17th day

Dr Govinda KCs 10th hunger strike entered 17th day on Tuesday, a record compared to his last nine fasts-unto-death, with the total number of days of his hunger strikes adding up to 114 days since 2012.
BEIJINGRescuers in northeastern China searched Wednesday for 22 miners trapped underground in the latest accident to befall Chinas mining industry.

State media reported that Tuesday nights accident occurred at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a coal-mining region bordering Siberia. The cause of the accident was not immediately reported.

The director of the local coal production safety bureau, who gave his name as Liu, told The Associated Press that officials were trying to confirm exactly how many miners were trapped.

China is the worlds top producer and consumer of coal. It announced plans earlier this year to shutter more than 1,000 underperforming mines, though hundreds of new coal plants are also under construction.

An Oct. 31 explosion at a mine in the southwestern region of Chongqing killed 33 people, just weeks after a gas explosion in another mine in adjacent Guizhou province killed seven people.

Chinas work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, down from the thousands of deaths reported annually in previous years, though government figures are often questioned for their accuracy. Official numbers for 2015 or 2016 were not immediately available.

Government officials are trying to balance the vast energy demands of the country with the worlds largest population and the commitment China made to reduce carbon emissions as part of its ratification earlier this year of the Paris climate change agreement. With coal prices rising as winter approaches, China announced in October that efficient coal producers would be allowed to bypass an annual cap of 260 production days.

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BEIRUTA series of artillery rounds lobbed Wednesday on Syrias eastern Aleppo district killed 26 civilians, including seven children, as they fled a government ground offensive in the besieged enclave.

It was the second time the Jub al-Quba neighbourhood, in the historic district of the rebel-held eastern side of the city, was struck in as many days.

An airstrike Tuesday blamed by activists on the government killed 25 civilians in the same area. They were also believed to be newly displaced from the government onslaught on the northern parts of eastern Aleppo.

Meanwhile, eight civilians, including two children, were killed in shelling on the government-held western side of the city, according to state media. The government blamed rebels for the attack.

The embattled opposition fighters clashed heavily on the southern edge of the enclave with government-allied troops, who made new gains in the government offensive that has cleaved the rebel-held part of the city.

The Syrian government pushed its way into the 45-square kilometre rebel-held enclave over the weekend, making its first territorial gain in the area seized by the opposition fighters since 2012.

Government officials say they want to liberate the area, calling the opposition fighters terrorists, and accusing them of holding civilians there hostage.

Despite opening a number of passageways to allow civilians to leave before the offensive, none of the residents took advantage of it, citing fears of being arrested or forcibly conscripted. The passageways were not UN supervised.

The bodies of the victims of the Jub al-Quba attack Wednesday lined the streets, as their bags and few belongings lied close by their sides, photos showed.

Jawad al-Rifai, who took the pictures for the Aleppo Media Center, said they were civilians  mostly women and children  fleeing shelling and airstrikes on other parts of the city.

They were fleeing on foot. They were coming to our side, said Ibrahim Al-Haj, a member of the Syrian Civil Defence teams, explaining that the displaced were heading to what they thought was safer ground. There were children, baby bottles and bags all over.

The neighbourhood and others around it in Aleppos centrally-located old city have absorbed thousands of residents displaced by the advance of government troops in the east.

Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a teacher living in the Zabadieh neighbourhood in eastern Aleppo, said refugees were filling up his building, most of its flats abandoned because of the war. They had close to nothing, he said, and have asked for the simplest things, including salt.

They knock on my door all the time. They ask for a plate, or some sheets, Alhamdo said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of local contacts, said tens more were wounded in Jub al-Quba.

Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said he predicts death tolls will rise in east Aleppo as the internal displacement creates more residential density.

The SCD in eastern Aleppo, also known as the White Helmets, put the toll at 45 killed. It blamed the government for the strikes.

Rescue efforts by the group were hampered by the lack of functioning machinery, said Rifai.

Most of their equipment is out of service because of the targeting against their quarters, he added.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Aleppo as pro-government Syrian forces press on with their campaign to reclaim the divided city.

The Observatory said more than 50,000 out of an estimated quarter-million inhabitants have been displaced by attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo over the past 4 days. Many of them fled to safer ground in areas under government or Kurdish control. The International Committee of the Red Cross says around 20,000 people have fled.

The Lebanese Al-Manar TV channel, operated by Hezbollah which has groups fighting on the government side in Syria, reported from the Aleppo countryside that pro-government forces were advancing in the southern portion of the citys rebel enclave.

Syrian state media announced midday Wednesday that its forces had retaken the southern Sheikh Saeed neighbourhood, while the Observatory said rebels still held onto a third of the area. The Observatory added that Iraqi militia fighters were playing a central role in the governments advance from the south.

Yasser al-Youssef, a spokesman for rebel group Nour el-Din el-Zinki, said the pro-government fighters were repelled and the opposition had captured at least one of their soldiers. The group posted a video of the captured fighter.

There is regime deployment on the southern edge of the city. They are likely to attempt an assault on the southern front, al-Youssef said.

Residents said meanwhile that after the killing in Jub al-Qubba, there was a respite in government bombing, most likely due to heavy rain.

The rain stopped the bombing, al-Haj said.

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We all know if a member of our family had a life-threatening illness, it would be a tremendous relief to know that drugs to prolong their lives were available through our health care system.

But we would also be very aware that our own work had just begun: endless trips to the doctor, coping with the side-effects, and urgently moving to find emotional and psychological support to protect our loved one from despair. We would be managing the familys emotional crisis; dealing with the economic consequences of lost income if its an adult, and the visceral need to hang on to hope for the future if its a child.

The international community has finally mobilized around the delivery of drugs for HIV to Africa. Currently under half of those who need the medication have access, the commitment at least has been made to ensure 90 per cent will be reached.

The heartbreaking reality is that this single-minded focus on delivering drugs has come at the expense of support for the human dimensions of the AIDS crisis. Community-based organizations  which are working directly on the front lines with millions of HIV positive people  are voicing their alarm: Drugs are desperately needed, but drugs are not enough.

So the drugs arrive at a community clinic, now what? How do families infected and affected by HIV and AIDS reclaim their health and lives? Community-based organizations are providing the answer. Legions of home-based care workers are testing and counselling their neighbours. Nutrition counsellors and food supplements ensure peoples bodies accept the drugs.

And then theres the all-important ongoing work to break though stigma and shame. You can imagine the grief and fear of disclosing an HIV diagnosis to your family.

A home-based care worker, often an HIV-positive woman, helps you through it. And when your adolescent child balks at taking the drugs forever, a peer support group will save their lives. When youre afraid to get your granddaughter tested because you cant bear the spectre of more suffering, a community counsellor will hold your hand and get you through it, and teach you how to administer the drugs. When your family has been economically decimated by AIDS, an income generation project can get you back on your feet and get the children (particularly girls) back into school.

The availability of drugs means HIV is no longer a certain death sentence. But its the work of community-based organization that is resurrecting life.

The fact that CBOs are doing all this work on their own, with woefully inadequate funding, has become a huge dilemma for the international HIV and AIDS response. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria received its $13 billion, but only a fraction of this will go to community-level work. The Lancet Commission and the UN political declaration on HIV have called for a massive infusion of funds for grassroots work. Still the money is nowhere in sight.

Its time to get real. We join the families across Africa sighing with relief at the long-awaited arrival of HIV medication, but everybody knows drugs are not enough. Everybody knows that the work being done by community-based organizations must be funded. Why are we waiting?

Ilana Landsberg-Lewis is co-founder and executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

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Justin Trudeaus decision to skip Fidel Castros funeral is misguided and disappointing.

It is misguided because the prime minister is relinquishing a chance to underscore Canadas unique relationship with the Cuba that Castros 1959 revolution created.

It is disappointing because Trudeau has allowed himself to be browbeaten by the usual suspects  anti-Communists posing as human rights warriors who can find no good in modern Cuba.

By dispatching Governor-General David Johnston in his stead to this weeks funeral for the former Cuban president and dictator, Trudeau is taking an easy and well-trodden path.

Many world leaders, including Frances Francois Hollande and Britains Theresa May, have decided not to personally attend Castros funeral.

Some are wary of being on the wrong side of Castros long-time nemesis, the United States  particularly at a time when incoming U.S. president Donald Trump is promising a harder line against the island nation.

Others are merely taking their cue from current U.S. President Barack Obama, who has announced he wont attend.

Russias Vladimir Putin will also be a no-show. Presumably he doesnt want to spook Trump by reviving old Cold War memories.

However, Mexicos president will be there, as will the left-leaning leaders of Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The Cuban Revolution has meaning in Central and South America.

In recognition of Castros unwavering support for the anti-Apartheid struggle, South African President Jacob Zuma plans to be at the funeral as well.

But Canada?

Under successive Conservative and Liberal governments, Canada has had a special relationship with Castros Cuba.

Prime Ministers such as John Diefenbaker and Pierre Trudeau had no patience for Castros Marxist-Leninist methods. But they also understood the context in which the Cuban revolution had taken place.

That context included gross inequality in pre-1959 Cuba as well as domination by the U.S. next door.

The trade and investment embargo the U.S. placed on Cuba after the revolution was a blatant and savage attempt at regime change. Canada understood that too and chose not participate.

Instead, it supported Canadian companies that invested in Cuba and Canadian tourists who flocked there.

Pierre Trudeaus seminal visit to revolutionary Cuba in 1976 created the outline for a path to reconciliation between Washington and Havana, a path based not on hectoring but on realism and respect.

Almost four decades later, Obama and Castros brother, Raul, tentatively embarked on that path.

Fidel Castro understood the importance of the Canada-Cuba relationship. When he showed up at Pierre Trudeaus funeral in 2000, it wasnt just as an old friend. It was as the leader of the Cuban revolution paying his respects to Canada.

Unfortunately, Pierres son Justin is not reciprocating this courtesy.

Im not sure why the current Trudeau lost his nerve. True, he is being attacked for not mentioning, in his eulogy of Castro, that the former president was also a dictator.

But then neither did Obama, who contented himself with referring to Castro as singular (Trudeau used the word remarkable.) Nor did U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who talked of Castros outsized role (Trudeau used the phrase larger than life.)

Still, Trudeau is being mocked on Twitter. Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose has chastised Trudeau for calling Castro remarkable. Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent has accused Trudeau of being naive.

Even hard-right U.S. Republicans, such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have attacked the Canadian prime minister.

That all of this is happening is not surprising. What is surprising is that Trudeau seems to care what these people think.

His father wouldnt have cared. Pierre Trudeau wouldnt have snubbed Fidel Castro just to mollify social media, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

He would have gone proudly to the old villains funeral.

And in spite of themselves, Canadians would have loved him for going.

Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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This is a momentous time in political history. The Brexit vote in Britain, the Trump victory in the United States, and the empowerment of numerous hard right parties all over Europe. There is an authentic risk of progress coming to an abrupt halt and something more twisted and reactionary taking over the road.

Surprising as it may seem, this is where the church could come in. Or to be more specific, its an opportunity for Christianity to live up to its name and reflect the shadow of its eponymous founder, who would have seen the current tide of anger, retreat, hysteria and blame as the hellish product it is.

Political parties arent doing the job: witness the collapse of the traditional Republicans, the failure of the established parties to convince their people to support the European project and the triumphs of new, nationalist parties in France, Holland and Hungary. Unions are similarly in chaos, with millions of their members voting for Donald Trump. As for media, weve seen just how ineffectual and inaccurate journalism can be in the past six months.

At first glance churches seem just as bad, but they were at the forefront of the campaign against slavery, led movements against child labour and unbridled capitalism in the 19th century, were some of the earliest anti-Nazis and championed civil rights. So why did so many white evangelicals vote for Trump and how is it that Christians are often seen in Canada as being apolitical other than when abortion, sex education, gay equality or euthanasia are on the agenda?

The religious rot set in at the beginning of the 20th century when modernism and the advances of science terrified many conservative Christians. Rather then engage the culture, they withdrew from it, confidently waiting for the end times. The problem with Armageddon, however, is that its seldom punctual. Irony is a bitch.

By the early 1960s, many evangelicals realized that indifference was no longer an option and they were joined by a Roman Catholicism fighting its own internal wars over social justice. Rather than looking to the greater, more sweeping economic and social challenges, conservative Christians linked the left with atheism and immorality and conjured up the idea that the freer the market the freer the faith and the more conservative the government the more Godly the society.

Instead of directing their energies into changing economic systems that created poverty, war or injustice, they tampered with a few of the consequences. They do indeed often try to feed the poor and warm the cold but steadfastly refuse to ask why people are poor or cold in the first place.

The mantra was decided. Socialism is anti-Christian, climate concern is pagan, homosexuality is condemned in Scripture  actually its hardly mentioned and then with profound ambiguity  and, of course, abortion is murder.

The abortion phenomenon is fascinating. Its never directly mentioned in The Bible yet has become the prism through which so many Christians view the political world. Nor is it as straightforward as the secular left might have us believe, and there are some genuinely worrying issues involved, such as the fact unborn children with disabilities face an immensely high risk of termination and gender-based abortion is increasingly common.

If we made contraceptives universally available, provided good and modern sex education curricula to children at an early age, empowered women, tried to eradicate poverty, and invested heavily in care for the mentally and physically challenged, abortion rates would fall dramatically. The Christian rights response, though, is as simplistic as it is reprehensible. They threaten to criminalize abortion or remove a womans choice and control over her body. Its a microcosm of the entire mess.

So it may seem strange that I would suggest this could be where the church comes in. Not so. Times and the church are changing. Pope Francis is gradually but skilfully sliding Catholicism into what it is supposed to be, countless younger evangelicals are asking new questions and demanding new answers, and liberal Protestants in, among others, the Anglican, Lutheran and United churches, are informed and mobilized around immigration, aboriginal rights, peace, global warming and economic equity.

Socialism, commented William Temple, is the economic realization of the Christian gospel. Who was he? Archbishop of Canterbury, 1942-44!

Michael Corens latest book is Epiphany: A Christians Change of Heart & Mind over Same-Sex Marriage. mcoren@sympatico.ca

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Justin Trudeaus announcement on Tuesday that his government has approved two oil pipelines and rejected a third is the latest indication that, when it comes to energy and the environment, the prime minister is searching for a middle way.

The appeal of moderation is clear. For governments, particularly ones that want to appear centrist, deciding on energy projects has never before been so complex or fraught. Today, more than in previous decades, governments must negotiate between short-term economic aims and more enduring goals; they must secure social licence from a divided citizenry; and they must fulfill their legal and moral obligations to account for the diverse views of diverse First Nations.

The Trudeau governments pipeline package, which also includes a ban on crude oil tanker shipping on British Columbias northern coast, is clearly aimed at striking a good balance among these competing interests.

Ottawa, for instance, has killed the highly controversial Northern Gateway pipeline. Approved by the Harper government, the line would have run from Bruderheim, Alberta, to Kitimat, British Columbia, endangering some of Canadas most pristine wilderness. Critics worried for good reason about a supertanker foundering in the treacherous coastal waters and fouling the coastline, or a calamitous pipeline rupture in the Great Bear rainforest. Trudeau vowed to nix the project if elected and he has rightly done just that.

The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline, which the government approved on Tuesday, would seem to be a safer means of achieving the same objectives. While the line is not without real environmental risks, many experts agree its route, which is already established, is less problematic. Moreover, the government estimates that Trans Mountain will triple Canadas capacity to get oil to international markets beyond the United States and create thousands of jobs in the process, particularly in struggling Alberta.

Where Trudeau has fallen short, however, is in building the social licence he has said again and again is crucial to giving these projects legitimacy. While consensus is no doubt a quixotic goal, the government ought to have done more.

The Trans Mountain pipeline, in particular, is profoundly unpopular in B.C., where many environmentalists and First Nations are not satisfied that the benefits outweigh the risks. B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, among others, have vowed to continue the fight against the pipeline. Several First Nations have already launched court proceedings. There is a long distance between approval and pipeline.

On Tuesday, Trudeau offered this assurance to detractors in that province: If I thought this project was unsafe to the B.C. coast, I would reject it. The decision was based on rigorous debate, on science and on evidence.

Thats not much of a consolation given that the very science and evidence on which the decision seems to have been based were deemed insufficient by Trudeau during last years election campaign.

In opposition, the Liberals promised to rejig the approval process for energy projects to better build social licence, respect indigenous rights and ensure new development is consistent with Canadas climate goals. Though the National Energy Board had already okayed Trans Mountain under Harpers watch, Trudeau said he would submit the proposal to his new process before signing off on it. Yet a year into his governments mandate, the process remains unchanged and the pipeline has been approved.

Indigenous peoples, too, have reason to be dissatisfied. While Ottawa appears to have widely consulted with First Nations, the impending litigation and widespread discontent suggests theres still much work to be done, especially given the oft-touted promise of reconciliation.

Finally, Ottawa has not done enough to make clear how these projects fit with its Paris Accord commitments. Environmentalists are understandably skeptical. The newly approved pipelines will significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions, neutralizing some of the gains promised by Ottawas plan for carbon pricing and its move away from coal.

Trudeau said on Tuesday that these approvals are consistent with the governments climate goals. But Ottawa has released no comprehensive plan on how it intends to meet its targets. If Trudeau is serious about his Paris commitments, he ought to explain how its possible to meet them without a fundamental shift in Ottawas approach to resource development, especially since the experts say its not.

Every one of these decisions will be a source of division and rancour. Trudeaus pipeline package tries to address the tensions at play, but much more must be done to convince concerned Canadians that the middle way is indeed golden, not simply a political calculation.

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Coal exchange-traded funds are howling so far this year, with the two top ETFs significantly outpacing the S&P 500.

Take the VanEck Vectors Coal ET (KOL) , which is up 115% through November 25, 2016. Then there's the Wisdom Tree Coal Fund (TONS) , which has racked up 49% in gains.

You could make the case that Donald Trump's rise on the national political scene would explain a healthy chunk of those gains, as few saw the incoming president besting Hillary Clinton, an ardent foe of coal and other fossil fuels. But Trump campaigned hard in coal-producing states like West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, which all backed him in the November 8 election.

Experts say there's much more to the coal picture than even a major U.S. presidential election. There are, in fact, many moving parts in play in the coal industry.

"While Trump's rhetoric has been enough to drive short-term stock increases, particularly within natural resources, coal is really not the commodity it once was," notes Tim Pickering, founder of Auspice Capital Advisors, in Calgary, Canada.

Pickering says "it's likely" that a full coal revival is not a high priority in Trump's first 100 days or year as president, and the market may not see a significant upturn as a result. "However, given Trump's assumed protectionist agenda, coal could very well remain a steady choice for investors, especially for those who are looking for exposure through a commodity-based ETF," he says.

It's true that a Trump focus on the expansion of the U.S. energy sector may result in coal getting swept up in a bullish market built around a pro-energy administration. That said, Pickering believes that coal may not be as attractive to investors as other more prominent commodity resources operating within the same space, like liquefied natural gas and crude oil. "That's especially the case if the rhetoric of Trump's campaign does not translate into economic action," he adds. "The fact remains that the U.S. is still experiencing a coal surplus, and countries with large appetites for the commodity - chiefly China and India - have seen declining import levels and policy decisions to cut consumption in favor of cleaner energy alternatives like LNG."

Another curve ball for coal investors is a weakening outlook for coal in 2017 on a global basis.

"We see more supply coming back to the market," said Jim Nicolson, senior vice president Asia of Argus Media Singapore Group in comments to the Fifth Coaltrans Emerging Asian Coal Markets conference in Manila on November 17. "Demand is likely to moderate into the second quarter of 2017. The expectation is that the coal price will decline from the current peak and will stabilize around in the middle of next year."

In addition, China's recent loosening of coal mine working calendar days, which had been heavily restricted, should beef up coal inventories and reduce demand. That could slow coal price growth, after a year where coking coal and thermal coal prices skyrocketed by 177% and 55% respectively. Morgan Stanley counters that argument, noting that China is expecting an especially cold winter this year, and that should produce strong short-term demand.

That leaves coal ETF investors in a dilemma. Should investors head straight to coal ETFs like KOL and TONS? Or should they take a more risk-averse, roundabout route?

Pickering, for one, votes for the former approach.

"Pure-play ETFs that solely track the price of a commodity are always a good choice for investors looking to speculate upon a resource given that, by nature, they are easy to invest in, low-cost and transparent," Pickering says. "These characteristics tend to lend themselves very well to investors seeking a direct investment."

"Unlike equities, which are affected by a myriad of factors including quality of management, stock market beta, and debt and equity financing, commodity-based exchange traded funds have the benefit of solely tracking the performance of a given commodity, allowing investors to express a direct view on the underlying resource, and only the resource," he adds.

With a coal-friendly president-elect transitioning to the White House, and a cold winter creeping up on consumer-rich China, the coal investment train could keep on rolling into early 2017, extending it's year-long gains further in the process.
The fate of two Exelon (EXC) nuclear power plants in Illinois is up in the air - and it will be up to the state's legislature this week to decide whether or not they will survive.

The Illinois General Assembly will meet today through Thursday in a special session. On the table is SB2814, the "Future Energy Jobs Bill," which proposes to give Exelon plants in Clinton and the Quad Cities large subsidies by purchasing "zero emission credits" from the nuclear facilities.

The zero emission credits essentially reward the nuclear plants for their low carbon outputs. Exelon successfully pursued the ZEC strategy in New York earlier in 2016. The New York State Public Service Commission approved a clean energy standard on Aug. 1 that gives ZECs to Exelon plants in Oswego and Ontario.

Exelon has warned that up to 4,200 jobs will be lost if the Illinois bill fails.

The plants will "definitely" shut down if the bill doesn't go through, Morningstar analyst Travis Miller said in a phone interview. "State support is critical if Exelon is willing to keep the plants running."

The bill failed to pass when it was first introduced in May after lawmakers balked at the potential electric rate hike that residential users would face as a result of the subsidies. The latest version of the bill, introduced on Nov. 15, contained tweaks that further enraged its opponents and drew the ire of environmental groups that had supported the bill in its original form.

The new bill included language which would have given subsidies to coal plants owned by Dynegy (DYN) and made it so that Illinois electric customers' bills would be calculated according to peaks in their consumption rather than by overall usage. Both provisions were later scrapped alongside other modifications, which dropped the total cost of the subsidy to about $235 million annually from $285 million.

The changes haven't pleased everyone, though the bill easily passed through Illinois' House Energy Committee.

"This enterprise began as a nuclear bailout and it will end as a nuclear bailout," BEST Coalition director Dave Lundy told the Chicago Tribune Monday. The BEST Coalition is an organization of business and consumer groups that says the bill will increase electricity rates by an average of $4.20 a month and hurt customers.

Exelon's electricity utility company in Illinois, ComEd, previously said that the bill would result in rate increases of 25 cents on average. ComEd senior vice president Thomas O'Neill told the Tribune that the bill as presently modified would cost consumers "substantially less" than 25 cents per month but that ComEd did not know exactly how much less.

"You can't please everybody all of the time," Miller said. "And Exelon is finding that out."

In the meantime, Exelon is touting business organizations that have thrown their support behind the bill, such as the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Illinois Municipal League.

"We are encouraged by the strong and growing level of support from interests representing a broad cross-section of our economy," Exelon executive vice president Joe Dominguez said in a statement. "We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to refine the bill so that we can arrive at the best possible solution for our customers and the state of Illinois."

The bill will surely be modified further before it gets to Governor Bruce Rauner's desk for approval. In the meantime, the two plants face an uncertain future.

"Exelon is a top-tier operator of nuclear plants," Miller said. "If Exelon can't operate some profitably, no one can operate them profitably."
Carrier has agreed to keep about 1,000 jobs in Indiana, delivering an important win to President-elect Donald Trump, , who pledged during his campaign to keep Carrier from shipping jobs to Mexico.

Carrier, owned by Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies (UTX) , posted on Twitter Tuesday evening that it has reached an agreement with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, currently the governor of Indiana, to keep "close to 1,000 jobs in Indy."

Details on the agreement are still to come.

Carrier made waves in February when a video was posted on YouTube showing workers being told they would soon be laid off because the air- conditioning and heating-systems maker had decided to move two Indiana-based plants to Mexico.

Carrier anticipated the move would result in the loss of 2,100 U.S.-based jobs. Based on Tuesday's announcement, the company will keep 1,000 jobs in Indiana. It is not known whether the other 1,100 jobs will still be moved.

Trump and Pence will appear at Carrier's Indianapolis factory on Thursday to announce the deal and may reveal more information on the agreement.

The issue became a major talking point for Trump before and after the election. He frequently discussed Carrier on the campaign trail, and he tweeted as recently as Thanksgiving Day that he was "making progress" with the firm.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller foreshadowed the agreement in a call with reporters on Tuesday morning, saying that both Trump and Pence had been "very hands-on" about the matter.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has taken up the issue as well. Over the weekend, he urged Trump to use United Technologies' defense contracts as leverage for negotiations on Carrier. United Technologies had $6.8 billion in federal government contract obligations in 2015.

Trump on Tuesday evening took to Twitter to trumpet news of the accord.

Trump representatives did not return a request for comment on the agreement.
A top U.S. banking regulator is pushing back against calls to undo sweeping reforms enacted following the 2008 mortgage crisis, even as President-elect Donald Trump pledges to dismantle key rules designed to make financial institutions safer.

Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry told a roomful of bankers in New York Wednesday that a rollback should be avoided. Curry, who was appointed by Obama for five years beginning in April 2012, told reporters after his speech that he planned to remain in his post until end of his term.

"We cannot return to the same practices and weaker safeguards that resulted in the crisis we experienced in 2008," Curry said at an annual meeting of The Clearing House, a trade group for big banks including JPMorgan Chase (JPM) , Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C) . "The benefits of a robust banking system built on strong capital should not be forgotten in any debates about regulatory reform."

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, along with the Federal Reserve, Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., have spent the past eight years putting new rules into place to prevent a repeat of the crisis and ward off future government bailouts. Much of their work has come from implementing the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the main piece of financial legislation emanating from the crisis.

Americans "must never settle for light-touch supervision," and "now is not the time to change course," Curry said.

Curry's remarks came almost exactly as Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, former Goldman Sachs (GS) partner Steven Mnuchin, told Fox Business in an interview that parts of the Dodd-Frank Act should be scrapped. In a separate interview with CNBC, Mnuchin said that doing so would be "the number one priority on the regulatory side." Mnuchin was named by Trump as his Treasury pick earlier in the day.

"There's many aspects of it that we've got to kill," Mnuchin said in the Fox Business interview, according to a transcript. "We need to make sure that banks lend. We want to see huge growth in this economy in small- and medium-size business, and we need to make sure that the banks are lending to them."

Officially known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the law was written to provide greater consumer protection and create tougher regulations on trading and banking to prevent excessive risk-taking.

Asked by a reporter about Trump's call for a slowdown or loosening of new regulations, Curry said: "We're an independent agency, we've got a job to do, and we're going to continue to do it until Congress tells us otherwise. It's pretty simple."

Effective regulation and supervision helps to ensure that any economic damage during the next downturn will not be so "deep or so wide," the regulator said.

"Those who forget or choose to ignore the lessons of the last crisis do so at their own peril and increase the risk to all of us," he said.

Curry's OCC supervises two-thirds of the assets in the U.S. commercial banking system, including more than 1,400 national banks and federal savings associations and 50 foreign bank federal branches and agencies, according to its website.

Pre-tax profits of U.S. banks were $33.5 billion, "dwarfing" European banks' profit of $4.2 billion last year, he said. Meanwhile, banks have added nearly $700 billion in common equity capital -- the cushion of extra assets that's supposed to ensure a financial instution remains solvent in the face of steep loan losses. The number of "troubled institutions" in the U.S. -- banks in jeopardy of failing -- fell to less than 50 last year from 196 at the end of 2010, Curry said.

Curry said he was "glad that our banks and the banking system are stronger today," and he warned against "importing policies views or political views" into the OCC's supervisory mandate.

EXCLUSIVE LOOK INSIDE:Citigroup is a holding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio.Want to be alerted before he buys or sellsthese stocks?Learn more now.
Constitution amendment bill challenged at SC

A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the registration of the bill on amendment to the constitution.
More bad news has come down the pike for Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX)

The drugmaker's shares fell more than 8% Wednesday on reports that its talks with Japan's Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TKPYY) to sells its Salix division have broken down.

Valeant shares fell about 9%, or $1.56 per share, to $15.58 mid-morning Wednesday on a Wall Street Journal report that the sale was on ice.

Takeda has been rumored to be an interested buyer for Salix, Valeant's gastroenterology business, since the beginning of November. Rumors said the Japanese pharmaceutical company could pay up to $10 billion for the unit.

Neither Valeant nor Takeda could be reached Wednesday to confirm the reports. However, Valeant previously confirmed that it is in discussions to sell multiple assets, not just Salix.

The news is dismal for Valeant investors who were looking for the Laval, Quebec-based company to sell the division to keep the company afloat and lighten its massive debt load.

"Given the amount of uncertainty this speculation has created for the company and its employees, we would hope to hear closure on this issue soon," Deutsche Bank analyst Gregg Gilbert wrote in a note. "On the surface, it is not a 'no-brainer' to sell what could be a [growing] and durable business."

Meanwhile, Valeant announced Nov. 29 that it is expanding its sales force for its drugs Xifaxa, which treats irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea and Relistor for opioid induced constipation.

While an expansion sounds good on the surface, competition is likely to enter the market soon, making the move useless down the line.

"We think that the expansion is a reasonable, but ultimately futile," Mizuho analyst Irina Koffler wrote in a Wednesday note.

This is the latest in a long string of news keeping Valeant in the spotlight.

The drugmaker has been under the microscope for its alleged accounting problems and steep price hikes on drugs the company acquired during years of acquisitions fueled by debt.

Valeant has seen its valuation suffer thanks to allegations relating to its relationship with mail-order pharmacy Philidor Rx Services and Philidor's customer R&O Pharmacy, as well as the company's legal but questionable accounting gamesmanship. Valeant in March pinned the blame on its former CFO and former controller, Howard Schiller, for its misstatements of earnings.

On Nov. 17, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against former Valeant and Philidor executives for engaging in "a multi-million dollar fraud and kickback scheme." Gary Tanner, a former executive at Valeant, and Andrew Davenport, the former CEO of Philidor were charged.

Valeant has a market cap of $5.37 billion.
Two patients with advanced multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer affecting plasma cells, have been put into stringent complete remission ongoing for four and six months, respectively, by a genetically engineered T cell therapy from Bluebird Bio (BLUE) .

Another five patients treated with the same Bluebird therapy, known as BB2121, had a "very good partial response" (a real term, meaning close to a complete remission) or a partial response. None of the patients experienced severe immune-related or neurological safety issues from BB2121, the company said.

Bluebird is developing BB2121, a type of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, or CAR-T, in partnership with Celgene (CELG) . The new data reported Wednesday from a phase I study are the first look at BB2121's performance in multiple myeloma patients no longer responding to multiple lines of prior drugs.

While still early, the positive responses and safety profile of BB2121 compare favorably to two other multiple myeloma-targeted CAR-Ts from the National Cancer Institute and a collaboration between Novartis (NVS) and the University of Pennsylvania.

"We're seeing impressive, early responses with BB2121 without the toxicity," said Bluebird CEO Nick Leschly in an interview Wednesday morning. Bluebird shared the BB2121 data with me under embargo.

The relative safety of Bluebird's CAR-T, so far, is a key distinguishing feature, particularly given the recent toxicity issues seen with an experimental CAR-T from Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) , Leschly added.

The phase 1 BB2121 data are being presented Thursday at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium in Munich, Germany.

To make BB2121, Bluebird extracts immune T cells from multiple myeloma patients, and in a lab, genetically engineers them to recognize a protein known as B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). The BCMA protein is found on malignant and healthy plasma cells. Once injected back into the patient, the altered T cells seek out and kill BCMA-containing cells.

For the phase 1 study, Bluebird recruited 11 patients with multiple myeloma no longer responsive to a median of six prior therapies, including newly approved antibody drugs like Darzalex.

The 11 multiple myeloma patients were pre-treated with two chemotherapy drugs, cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, to kill their existing T cells. Then, they were split into four groups for treatment with escalating doses of the anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy BB2121.

Wednesday, Bluebird is reporting efficacy data from the first three dose cohorts of BB2121 encompassing nine patients. The objective response rate among the nine patients is 78%.

One of three patients treated with the lowest BB2121 dose -- 50 million cells -- achieved a partial response that subsequently relapsed.

All six patients treated with the next two highest doses of BB2121 -- 150 million and 450 million cells -- achieved objective responses. None have relapsed to date.

The two multiple myeloma patients with stringent complete remissions were treated with the 150 million-cell dose of BB2121. A stringent complete response means the elimination of all evidence of tumor anywhere in the body. These patients remain in stringent complete remission for four and six months, respectively. The third patient treated at this BB2121 dose has a "very good partial response" with the elimination of minimal residual disease.

All three patients treated at the 450 million-cell dose of BB2121 have achieved a partial response with a median follow up of eight weeks.

"We have relatively little follow up, so we are certainly hopeful that we'll see better responses emerge in these three patients. It's just early," said David Davidson, Bluebird's chief medical officer.

To date, the ability of CAR-T therapies to completely eliminate cancer cells has come at a cost, mainly a severe and potentially fatal side effect known as cytokine release syndrome -- a type of immune system hyper-reaction which causes high fever, muscle pain, heart and kidney problems.

More recently, Juno Therapeutics has been forced to halt a study of its own CAR-T therapy targeting a different protein due to fatal brain swelling.

The multiple myeloma patients treated with BB2121 in the phase I study have, to date, only experienced mild, or grade 1 and 2, cytokine release syndrome and grade 1 neurotoxicity.

"In the context of the whole [CAR-T] field where not too long ago it was assumed to see a deep clinical response it was almost a requirement to have significant cytokine release syndrome. That seems not to be the case here. The caveat is it's early data," said Davidson.

Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania will present data from an early study of a competing anti-BCMA CAR-T in multiple myeloma at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting, which begins on Saturday.

According to a research abstract with preliminary data already disclosed, one of six treated patients in the Novartis study achieved a stringent complete remission. Another patient achieved a very good partial response. There were also two reports of grade 3 cytokine release syndrome and a report of grade 4 neurotoxicity.

A different anti-BCMA CAR-T tested by the National Cancer Institute demonstrated a single complete response among 12 patients that lasted for 17 weeks before relapase but also caused significant toxicity.

Looking ahead, Bluebird intends to enroll additional multiple myeloma patients into the phase I study and explore higher doses of BB2121. (Two patients have already been treated with an 800 million-cell dose but haven't been followed long enough to determine response.)

Barring any problems and assuming an optimal dose is found, Bluebird believes it can advance BB2121 directly into a pivotal clinical trial, which if successful, could lead to marketing approval. The regulatory path of BB2121 is basically the same used by Kite Pharma (KITE) for its CAR-T to treat lymphoma patients.

Bluebird is in charge of completing the ongoing phase I study. Under their collaboration agreement, Celgene would take over development of BB2121 to conduct the pivotal study.

Adam Feuerstein writes regularly for TheStreet. In keeping with company editorial policy, he doesn't own or short individual stocks, although he owns stock in TheStreet. He also doesn't invest in hedge funds or other private investment partnerships. Feuerstein appreciates your feedback; click here to send him an email.
Lucid Motors, an electric vehicle startup based in Menlo Park, Calif., selected a 500-acre site between Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona for its manufacturing plant. The company aims to produce luxury sedans by 2018.

Backed with venture capital from investors in the U.S. and China, the company has been showing a battery-powered, aluminum-body sedan prototype to journalists. Peter Rawlinson, former chief engineer for Tesla Motors (TSLA) , serves as the startup's chief technology officer.

The company last month changed its name from Atieva, under which it had been operating since 2007.

Rawlinson has said "I joined the company to secure series C funding with the clarity of vision of doing something with the electric powertrain that hadn't been done before. We are first and foremost a California brand. This is a cutting-edge Silicon Valley company."

Among the investors, he said, are Venture Rockefeller, Mitsui & Co., Beijing Auto, and the Chinese online video company LeEco, which also is a backer of Faraday Future, another EV startup with plans to manufacture in the U.S.

The emergence of one more Tesla-like automotive start-up underscores the accelerating global interest in an automotive technology that so far has failed to excite mainstream consumers. That could change soon, as mainstream automakers like General Motors (GM) bring to market EVs that are relatively affordable and offer more than 200 miles between charges.

GM is weeks away from introducing its Chevrolet Bolt EV in the U.S. whose price will start at about $35,000, before federal and state incentives, and can travel 238 miles on a single charge in optimal conditions. Earlier this week, Daimler AG said (DDAIF) it will be investing $11 billion through 2025 to bring out 10 new EV models.

The interest in EVs from Chinese investors aligns with that country's strategic desire to dominate the industry one day. A decade ago the Chinese government decided to incentivize research and to stimulate sales of EVs in order to depress reliance on fossil fuels, clean polluted air and -- perhaps -- to attain global leadership in a new mobility technology.

Access to artificial intelligence and software in the western U.S. plays a big role in the location of China EV startups, which also aim to include autonomous and driverless technology among their features. Once the reality of growing Chinese presence in the U.S. automotive market becomes clearer to U.S. policymakers, it's likely that Washington will seek more access to the Chinese market for U.S. firms.

Doron Levin is the host of "In the Driver Seat," broadcast on SiriusXM Insight 121, Saturday at noon, encore Sunday at 9 a.m.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
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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.

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Pentair plc provides various water solutions worldwide. It operates through Consumer Solutions; and Industrial & Flow Technologies segments. The Consumer Solutions segment designs, manufactures, and sells residential and commercial pool equipment and accessories, including pumps, filters, heaters, lights, automatic controls, automatic cleaners, maintenance equipment, and pool accessories for residential and commercial pool maintenance, repair, renovation, service, and construction applications; and water treatment products and systems comprising pressure tanks, control valves, activated carbon products, conventional filtration products, and point-of-entry and point-of-use systems for the use in residential whole home water filtration, drinking water filtration, and water softening solutions, as well as in commercial total water management and filtration in foodservice operations. It offers its products under the Everpure, Ken's Beverage, Kreepy Krauly, Pentair Water Solutions, Pleatco, RainSoft, and Sta-Rite brands. The Industrial & Flow Technologies segment manufactures and sells fluid treatment products, such as advanced membrane filtration products, separation systems, and membrane bioreactors; water supply and disposal, solid handling, fluid transfer, and turbine pumps; and valves, spray nozzles, process filtration systems, and gas recovery solutions for food and beverage, fluid separation technologies, water and wastewater treatment, water wells, pressure boosting, fire suppression, flood control, agricultural irrigation, crop spray, fluid circulation and transfer, fluid delivery, ion exchange, desalination, residential and municipal wells, and wastewater solids handling applications. It offers its products under the Pentair, Aurora, Berkeley, Codeline, Fairbanks-Nijhuis, Haffmans, Hydromatic, Hypro, Jung Pumpen, Myers, Sta-Rite, Shurflo, Sudmo, and X-Flow brands. Pentair plc was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farms in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
United Parcel Service, Inc. provides letter and package delivery, transportation, logistics, and related services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. The International Package segment provides guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and Africa. This segment offers guaranteed time-definite express options. The company also provides international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and post-sales, and mail and consulting services in approximately 200 countries and territories. In addition, it offers truckload brokerage services; supply chain solutions to the healthcare and life sciences industry; shipping, visibility, and billing technologies; and financial and insurance services. The company operates a fleet of approximately 121,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; and owns 59,000 containers that are used to transport cargo in its aircraft. United Parcel Service, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Constitutional amendment bill fails to address demands: Yadav

Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) has expressed its displeasure over the constitution amendment bill registered at the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat on Tuesday evening.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. Its assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The company also operates a portfolio of oil and gas properties primarily located in offshore California and the Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2021, it operated approximately 135 wells. The company was formerly known as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and changed its name to Freeport-McMoRan Inc. in July 2014. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Technical Solutions. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It also provides nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as refueling and overhaul, and inactivation services of ships. In addition, the company offers naval nuclear support services, including fleet services comprising design, construction, maintenance, and disposal activities for in-service the U.S. Navy nuclear ships; and maintenance services on nuclear reactor prototypes. Further, it provides life-cycle sustainment services to the U.S. Navy fleet and other maritime customers; high-end information technology and mission-based solutions for Department of Defense (DoD), intelligence, and federal civilian customers; nuclear management and operations and environmental management services for the Department of Energy, DoD, state and local governments, and private sector companies; defense and federal solutions; and unmanned systems. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia.
Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, distributes, and licenses lifestyle collections of apparel and accessories for men, women, and children. It operates through five segments: Americas Retail, Americas Wholesale, Europe, Asia, and Licensing. The company's clothing collection includes jeans, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, blouses, shirts, jackets, activewear, knitwear, and intimate apparel. It also grants licenses to design, manufacture, and distribute various products that complement its apparel lines, such as eyewear, watches, handbags, footwear, kids' and infants' apparel, outerwear, fragrance, jewelry, and other fashion accessories, as well as to wholesale partners to operate and sell products through licensed retail stores. The company markets its products under the GUESS, GUESS?, GUESS U.S.A., GUESS Jeans, GUESS? and Triangle Design, MARCIANO, Question Mark and Triangle Design, a stylized G and a stylized M, GUESS Kids, Baby GUESS, YES, G by GUESS, GUESS by MARCIANO, and Gc brand names. It sells its products through direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and licensing distribution channels. As of January 29, 2022, the company directly operated 1,068 retail stores in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Its partner's distributors operated an additional 563 retail stores worldwide. The company also offers its products through its retail websites. Guess?, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Cuba holds Castro commemoration

Tens of thousands of people have filled Revolution Square in the Cuban capital, Havana, for a rally honouring Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
GameStop Corp. is a specialty retailer founded in 1999 and headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. The company was originally known as GSC Holdings Corp. but later changed its name following its IPO. Originally a brand of then dominant Babbages, Gamestop altered the way video games were distributed and it is now the world's largest retailer of video games and video game accessories. The company went public in 2004 and operated 4,573 stores at the start of 2022. Brands under the company umbrella include Gamestop, EB Games, and Micromania as well as 50 pop-culture-themed Zing Pop locations.

Gamestop Corp. provides video games and entertainment products through its global network of e-commerce properties and stores. The company sells new and pre-owned gaming platforms and accessories like controllers, headsets, memory cards, and gaming software as well as in-game products like digital currency, downloadable content, and games. The company also sells new and used memorabilia and collectibles. Genres include TV, movie, comic book, and game characters as well as many other items from pop culture. GameStop Corp. also operates Game Informer, a magazine and website dedicated to the gaming industry including reviews, updates, and new developments in technologies.

Game enthusiasts enjoy two primary benefits of using Gamestop. The first is access to the full range of games and gaming accessories. The second is the ability to sell or trade their old equipment and games for fair prices. All old equipment is refurbished to a like-new state before resale.

In 2021 Gamestop announced it was entering the world of cryptocurrency. The company revealed plans to build an NFT (non-fungible token) platform for listing, selling, and holding digital or digitized artwork and collectibles. The beta version launched in 2022 and has so far seen great success with an average daily volume exceeding $1 million. The NFT marketplace also featured Web3.0 games in which characters and in-game items are held forever on the blockchain. As of September 2022, the most successful retailer on the NFT marketplace was Gamestop Presents, a collaboration of cover art from Game Informer Magazine. Sales at the time were just under 168 ETH or about $221,500.00.

GameStop began a slide in 2016 following a series of bad investments that included a foray into the world of mobile phones. The slide came to an end in late 2021 when shareholders using the Reddit thread Wallstreet Bets orchestrated a short-squeeze and brought on the age of meme stocks.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Utilities segment operates approximately 61,000 kilometers (km) of operational electricity transmission and distribution lines; 5,300 km of electricity transmission lines; 4,200 km of natural gas pipelines; 7.3 million electricity and natural gas connections; and 360,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services. This segment also offers heating and cooling solutions; gas distribution; water heaters; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioner rental, as well as other home services. Its Transport segment offers transportation, storage, and handling services for merchandise goods, commodities, and passengers through a network of approximately 22,000 km of track; 5,500 km of track network; 4,800 km of rail; 3,800 km of motorways; and 13 port terminals. The company's Midstream segment offers natural gas transmission, gathering and processing, and storage services through approximately 15,000 km of natural gas transmission pipelines; 600 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage; 17 natural gas processing plants; and 3,900 km of gas gathering pipelines, as well as one petrochemical processing complex. Its Data segment operates approximately 148,000 operational telecom towers; 8,000 multi-purpose towers and active rooftop sites; 10,000 km of fiber backbone; 1,600 cell sites and approximately 12,000 km of fiber optic cable; and 2,100 active telecom towers and 70 distributed antenna systems, as well as 50 data centers and 200 megawatts of critical load capacity. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
The following companies are subsidiares of Novartis: 1 A Pharma GmbH, Abadia Retuerta S.A, Admune Therapeutics, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications, Advanced Accelerator Applications International SA, Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., Advanced Accelerator Applications S.r.l., Advanced Accelerator Applications USA Inc., Aeropharm GmbH, Alcon, Alcon  Couvreur NV, Amblyotech, Amblyotech Inc., Arctos Medical, Arctos Medical AG, Australia Pty Ltd, Beijing Novartis Pharma Co. Ltd., BioMedical Research Co. Ltd., CELLforCURE, Cadent Therapeutics, Cadent Therapeutics Cambridge, Cellerys, Cellerys AG, CellforCure, Chiron Corporation, Ciba-Geigy Japan Limited, Co. Ltd, CoStim Pharmaceuticals, CoStim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Coalesce Product Development Limited, Corthera, Development Co. Ltd., EBEWE Pharma Ges.m.b.H Nfg. KG, Encore Vision, Endocyte, Endocyte Inc., Eon Labs Inc., Farmanova Saglik Hizmetleri Ltd, Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gyroscope Therapeutics, HEXAL AG, Hexal, IDB Holland BV, Iberica S.L.U., Ilaclari Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, JSC Sandoz, Japat AG, Kedalion Therapeutics Inc., Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d., Lek S.A., Manufacturing Pte Ltd , Navigate BioPharma Services Inc, Neutec Pharma Limited, Novartis (Hellas) S.A.C.I., Novartis (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Novartis (Taiwan) Co. Ltd, Novartis (Thailand) Limited, Novartis Argentina S.A., Novartis Australia Pty Ltd, Novartis Austria GmbH, Novartis Biociencias S.A., Novartis Biosciences Peru S.A., Novartis Bioventures AG, Novartis Business Services GmbH, Novartis Capital Corporation, Novartis Chile S.A., Novartis Corporation, Novartis Corporation Sdn. Bhd., Novartis Deutschland GmbH, Novartis Ecuador S.A., Novartis Farma S.p.A., Novartis Farma  Produtos Farmaceuticos S.A., Novartis Farmaceutica S.A, Novartis Farmaceutica S.A. de C.V., Novartis Finance Corporation, Novartis Finance S.A., Novartis Finance Services Ltd, Novartis Finland Oy Espoo, Novartis Gene Therapies, Novartis Gene Therapies EU Limited, Novartis Gene Therapies Inc., Novartis Grimsby Limited, Novartis Groupe France S.A., Novartis Healthcare A/S, Novartis Healthcare Philippines Inc., Novartis Healthcare Private Limited, Novartis Holding AG, Novartis Hungary Healthcare Limited Liability Company, Novartis India Limited, Novartis Inflammasome Research, Novartis Integrated Services Limited, Novartis International AG, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Investment AG, Novartis Investment Ltd, Novartis Investments S.a r.l., Novartis Ireland Limited, Novartis Israel Ltd, Novartis Korea Ltd., Novartis Middle East FZE, Novartis Netherlands B.V., Novartis Neva LLC, Novartis New Zealand Ltd, Novartis Norge AS, Novartis Ophthalmics AG, Novartis Optogenetics Research Inc., Novartis Overseas Investments AG, Novartis Pharma (Logistics) Inc., Novartis Pharma (Pakistan) Limited, Novartis Pharma AG, Novartis Pharma B.V. , Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Novartis Pharma K.K., Novartis Pharma LLC, Novartis Pharma Maroc SA, Novartis Pharma NV, Novartis Pharma Produktions GmbH, Novartis Pharma S.A.E., Novartis Pharma S.A.S., Novartis Pharma Schweiz AG, Novartis Pharma Schweizerhalle AG, Novartis Pharma Services AG, Novartis Pharma Services Romania S.R.L., Novartis Pharma Stein AG, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Limited, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, Novartis Poland Sp. z o.o., Novartis Portugal S.G.P.S. Lda., Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, Novartis Saglik Gida ve Tarim Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, Novartis Saudi Ltd., Novartis Securities Investment Ltd, Novartis Services Inc., Novartis Slovakia s.r.o., Novartis South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Novartis Sverige AB, Novartis UK Limited, Novartis US Foundation, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Inc, Novartis Vietnam Company Limited, Novartis de Colombia S.A., Novartis de Venezuela S.A., Novartis s.r.o., Oriel Therapeutics Inc., PT. Novartis Indonesia, Protez Pharmaceuticals, Pte Ltd, Research Inc, Salutas Pharma GmbH, Sandoz A/S, Sandoz AG, Sandoz B.V., Sandoz Canada Inc., Sandoz Egypt Pharma S.A.E., Sandoz Farmaceutica S.A., Sandoz Farmaceutica Lda., Sandoz GmbH, Sandoz Hungary Limited Liability Company, Sandoz Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Sandoz Inc, Sandoz Industrial Products S.A, Sandoz International GmbH, Sandoz K.K., Sandoz Limited, Sandoz Manufacturing Inc., Sandoz NV, Sandoz Pharma K.K, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals AG, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals d.d., Sandoz Philippines Corporation, Sandoz Polska Sp. z o.o. , Sandoz Private Limited, Sandoz Pty Ltd, Sandoz S.A. de C.V, Sandoz S.A.S., Sandoz S.R.L., Sandoz S.p.A., Sandoz South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Sandoz Ukraine LLC, Sandoz d.o.o. farmaceutska industrija, Sandoz do Brasil Industria Farmaceutica Ltda, Sandoz s.r.o., Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Shanghai Novartis Trading Ltd., Societe par actions SANDOZ, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, The Medicines Company, The Medicines Company, Triangle International Reinsurance Limited, Trinity River Insurance Co Ltd, Vedere Bio, Vedere Bio ll, Xiidra, Ziarco, and Ziarco Group Limited.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Petersburg Products International" LLC, "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, 1837 LLC, Agile Pursuits Franchising Inc., Agile Pursuits Inc., Ambi Pur, Arbora & Ausonia, Arbora & Ausonia S.L.U., Avon - Giorgio Beverly Hills, Billie, Braun GmbH, Braun Shanghai Co. Ltd., Celtic Insurance Company Inc., Charlie Banana USA LLC, Corporativo Procter & Gamble S. de R.L. de C.V., DDFSkincare, Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery Shanghai Co. Ltd., Fameccanica North America Inc., Farmacy Beauty, Fater Central Europe SRL, Fater Eastern Europe LLC, Fater Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Fater S.p.A., Fater Temizlik Urunleri Ltd STI, First Aid Beauty, First Aid Beauty Limited, Folgers Coffee, Fountain Square Music Publishing Co. Inc., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette China Limited, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Shanghai Ltd., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay S.A., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, Inversiones Plaza LLC, LLC "Procter & Gamble - Novomoskovsk", LLC "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", LLC Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, Laboratoire Mediflor S.A.S., Laboratorios Vicks S.L.U., Lamberts Healthcare Ltd., Liberty Street Music Publishing Company Inc., Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones C.A., Merck Consumer Healthcare, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, Native, Nature's Best Health Products Ltd., New Chapter Canada Inc., New Chapter Inc., Nioxin Research Laboratories, Noxell Corporation, OUAI, Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Consumer Health Germany GmbH, P&G Distribution East Africa Limited, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding Inc., P&G Health Austria GmbH & Co. OG, P&G Health France S.A.S., P&G Health Germany GmbH, P&G Healthcare Zhejiang Limited, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Investment Management Ltd., P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G Japan G.K., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G South African Trading Pty. Ltd., P&G-Clairol, PG13 Launchpad Alpha Inc., PG13 Launchpad Beta Inc., PG13 Launchpad Gamma Inc., PGT Healthcare LLP, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Pressbox, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chengdu Ltd., Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble China Ltd., Procter & Gamble China Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent Beijing Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deutschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distributing Philippines Inc., Procter & Gamble Distribution Company Europe BV, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe LLC, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana S.A.U., Procter & Gamble Far East Inc., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finance U.K. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble Ghana Trading Limited, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Ltd., Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Technology Innovation Co. LTD., Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care LLC, Procter & Gamble Health & Beauty Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Health Belgium BV, Procter & Gamble Health Limited, Procter & Gamble Health Ltd., Procter & Gamble Health Poland Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Hellas Single Member Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holding Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Holdings UK Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Honduras S de RL, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership KKT, Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings Inc., Procter & Gamble Indochina Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica Limitada, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala Limitada, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama S. de R.L., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International Sarl, Procter & Gamble Investment Company UK Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Italia S.p.A., Procter & Gamble Jiangsu Ltd., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea Inc., Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble L&CP Limited, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA Pty Ltd, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Tianjin Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Mataro S.L.U., Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Philippines Business Services Inc., Procter & Gamble Philippines Inc., Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo Higiene e Saude S.A., Procter & Gamble Product Supply U.K. Limited, Procter & Gamble Productions Inc., Procter & Gamble RHD Inc., Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services Sarl, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Switzerland SA, Procter & Gamble Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Trading Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Vietnam Company Limited, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil Ltda., Procter & Gamble do Brazil LLC, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble doo Beograd, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Procter and Gamble Lanka Private Limited, Procter and Gamble SA Pty Ltd., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Recovery Engineering, Redmond Products Inc., Richardson-Vicks, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Riverfront Music Publishing Co. Inc., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Series Acquisition B.V., Seven Seas Limited, Shulton Inc., Snowberry, Snowberry New Zealand Limited, Sunflower Distributing LLC, TAOS - FL LLC, TAOS Retail LLC, THIS IS L, TULA, Tambrands, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving, The Art of Shaving - FL LLC, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Iams Company Inc., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company LLC, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., This is L. Inc., Thomas Hedley Co, US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon Shanghai Academy, VitaminHaus Pty Ltd, Walker & Co. Brands Inc., Walker & Company Brands, Wella AG, Zenlen Inc., Zirh, and iMFLUX Inc..

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Ensure safe return

MoFA should work closely with UN to secure release of abductees
Providing a loving home

The Foster Family Programme is a joint initiative by the governments main child protection agency the Institute of Social Well-Being and Research (IBESR), the NGO Terre des Hommes and UNICEF.

Marie-Denise was one of the first women to provide a home to children who have been separated from their biological parents. Rooted in the belief that the best place for a child is with a family or a setting that emulates it, UNICEF supports the extension of the foster family network throughout Haiti, offering a sustainable and appropriate alternative to the institutionalization of children.

Since 2014 this programme includes a formal certification process that each foster family must undergo. Foster parents like Marie-Denise receive technical support and guidance, not payment. Their action is based on compassion and love, not financial interests.

Across the country an estimated 30,000 children between 0 and 17 years currently live in over 700 institutions. Although they are called orphanages, the majority of the children they house have at least one living parent.

Parents who leave their children at institutions do so because they do not have the means to take care of them, explains Geraldine Alferis, child protection specialist with UNICEF Haiti.

This is what happened to Sabrina. Her biological mother left her at the main hospital in Les Cayes where the malnourished toddler was found by UNICEFs partner organization Terre des Hommes.

In collaboration with the IBESR we continuously monitor clinics and health centres to identify children like Sabrina who have been separated from their parents. Our aim is to place these children in a safe family-like context early on, while seeking to trace the biological parents and, if possible, establish conditions for reunification, says Marie Paule Gelus who manages the foster family programme at Terre des Hommes in Les Cayes.

In the case of Sabrina, such reunification didnt happen. Her mother left without a trace and has not sought to get back in touch.
UNICEF/UN042164/Modola

JUBA/LONDON, 30 NOVEMBER 2016  UNICEF Ambassador Tom Hiddleston travelled to South Sudan last week to see how the brutal civil war continues to destroy the lives of vast numbers of children across the country.

Mid-December will mark three years of conflict in South Sudan. On his second visit since February 2015, Hiddleston saw how conditions remain as fragile and severe as ever.

The worsening security situation, economic collapse, reduced harvest and a cholera outbreak have contributed to a severe nutrition crisis for children, especially in areas facing renewed fighting and displacement. More than 170,000 children have been treated for malnutrition in 2016 alone.

Everyone Ive met has experienced traumatic events that no one  least of all a child  should ever have to go through, said UNICEF Ambassador Tom Hiddleston.

Its heart-breaking to see that after three years, innocent children are still bearing the brunt of the conflict. The physical reality is that when fighting breaks out, everybody runs in different directions. Children become separated from their families  from their mothers, from their aunts, from their brothers, from whoever is looking after them  and are immediately vulnerable to psychological and physical abuse, hunger, and forced recruitment as child soldiers.

Hiddleston travelled to the north of South Sudan to a displacement camp in Bentiu where he met children who have escaped violence, recruitment and abuse. In Bentiu, he met two brothers who had been separated from their mother when fighting broke out across the country in December 2013. The boys have had to live with a neighbour in their shelter for the last three years. UNICEFs family tracing and reunification programme has managed to locate the boys mother, and they will be reunited with her soon.



"Ive seen things in South Sudan that will stay with me forever. Its the youngest country in the world, a country which should have so much to look forward to, but the conditions those two boys have to live in  a place still torn apart by civil war  are unimaginable. Knowing that they will be reunited with their mother soon is at least a sign of hope in the immense struggle of the people of South Sudan, said Hiddleston.



Hiddleston saw first-hand how UNICEF is reaching families living in the countrys largest displacement camp, home to 108,000 people, with lifesaving food and water, child protection services and healthcare. Many of the children he met have been living in the camp since the conflict began. Across South Sudan, UNICEF estimates there are currently more than 860,000 children who are psychologically distressed.



Since civil war broke out in December 2013, more than 14,000 unaccompanied, separated and missing children have been identified across the country. Of those, 4,484 children have been successfully reunited with their families through UNICEFs family tracing and reunification programme.



A few weeks ago, 145 children were released by armed groups in South Sudan. This is the second largest release of children since 2015, when 1,775 children were released in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. It is estimated that 17,000 children have been recruited as child soldiers since 2013.



Close to 3 million South Sudanese have now fled their homes and are either internally displaced or have sought refuge in neighbouring countries since December 2013. This includes an estimated 1 million children reported to have been internally displaced as well as half a million child refugees.



UNICEF is working to protect the children of South Sudan, delivering life-saving food, clean water and vaccines, as well as providing education and psychological support. However, humanitarian aid alone cannot keep pace with the tremendous needs of some of the most disadvantaged children in the world.



###
OPEC clinched a deal to curtail oil supply, confounding skeptics as the need to clear a record global crude glut  and prove the groups credibility  brought its first cuts in eight years. Crude rose as much as 8.8 percent in London.

OPEC will reduce output to 32.5 million barrels a day, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Vienna after a ministerial meeting Wednesday. The breakthrough deal, effective in January, showed an acceptance by Saudi Arabia that Iran, as a special case, can still raise production.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is ditching a pump-at-will policy introduced in 2014 to resume its traditional role as price fixer. The shift, aimed at draining a crude glut thats pushed down prices for two years, is intended to help revive the tattered finances of oil-producing countries and will reverberate in markets around the world, from the Canadian dollar to Nigerian bonds to U.S. shale equities.

This should be a wake-up call for skeptics who have argued the death of OPEC, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects. The group wants to push inventories down.

After weeks of often tense negotiations, the eventual alignment of OPECs biggest producers points to the increasing dominance of Iran among the groups top ranks. Its allowed to raise output to about 3.8 million barrels a day, a victory for a country thats long sought special treatment as it recovers from sanctions.

Saudi Arabia previously proposed that its regional rival limit output to 3,707,000 barrels a day, delegates said.

The agreement, which also calls for a reduction of about 600,000 barrels a day by non-OPEC countries, pushed up Brent crude by as much as $4.08 to $50.46 a barrel. Still, prices remain at half their level of mid-2014.

The economics of the deal are incredibly appealing, Jeff Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. The main aim of the cuts is inventory normalization, he said.

Saudi Arabia, which raised oil production to a record this year, will reduce output by 486,000 barrels a day to 10,058,000 a day, an OPEC document shows. Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer, agreed to cut by 210,000 barrels a day from October levels. The country had previously pushed for special consideration, citing the urgency of its offensive against the Islamic State.

The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will reduce output by 139,000 barrels a day and 131,000 a day respectively, the document shows. Nonmember Russia, also pumping at a post-Soviet record, will cut by as much as 300,000 barrels a day, conditional on its technical abilities, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in Moscow.

Russia, the biggest producer outside the bloc, had previously resisted calls to trim its production, insisting that it would only consider a freeze. OPEC plans to hold talks with non-OPEC producers next week in Doha, Qatar.

What was announced so far is bullish, but January is still far away, said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group.

The strength of the deal will depend on whether all parties deliver on their commitment. Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies, the U.A.E. and Kuwait, have traditionally stuck to their cuts, but some others havent, particularly when prices are low. Any doubt in the market could once again see prices come under pressure.

The past two years have been painful for OPEC. The group will earn $341 billion from oil exports this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Thats down from $753 billion in 2014 before prices crashed, and a record $920 billion in 2012.

The group will meet again on May 25 next year, at which point it intends to extend the cuts by another six months, Qatari Energy Minister Mohammed Al Sada told reporters in Vienna.

Indonesia requested a freeze of its OPEC membership. Its suspension wont affect the size of the groups production cut, one delegate said.
In its guise as a company town, Washington is the nations hub for lawmaking, rulemaking and policymaking. Now, Arena Stage is mounting a major effort to make plays about all those things that Washington has been making.

Arenas artistic director, Molly Smith, announced Tuesday that the organization will devote a considerable chunk of its energies over the next 10 years to commissioning and, in many cases, producing new works that focus on the ideas and people shaping American policy and politics.

Called Power Plays, the initiative will encompass 25 plays and musicals, one for each decade of American history, going back to the countrys founding. The project has, in fact, already begun, with two previous world premieres, Camp David and The Originalist, newly designated as part of it, and the forthcoming Intelligence by Jacqueline Lawton, becoming the third entry.

Of the 22 remaining slots, playwrights for seven of them have already been picked and are in various stages of writing or research. They include such prominent playwrights as Sarah Ruhl, Eve Ensler and Rajiv Joseph, and other respected dramatists such as Nathan Alan Davis, Aaron Posner, Mary Kathryn Nagle and John Strand.

We are the perfect place to be producing Power Plays because this is the most powerful city in the world, Smith declared. And in the middle of the tumultuous change were going through, its the right time to say were doing it.

Although the notion may sound like a no-brainer  presenting plays in Washington about the effect of decisions reached in the White House or on Capitol Hill  in actuality, there has long been a reluctance on the parts of many theaters here to concentrate too much on political topics. A feeling has pervaded the theater community for some time that people who think and talk politics for a living dont necessarily want to spend money listening to actors do it, too.

Power Plays will test that assumption. Some of the playwrights who signed on early have picked subjects or even submitted early drafts, according to Seema Sueko, Arenas newly installed deputy artistic director. Davis, for instance, is writing about what came to be known as the black Wall Street, an affluent African American neighborhood of Tulsa that was the scene of a massacre by whites in 1921. Posner, Arena says, is focusing on the life of the nations sixth president, John Quincy Adams; Strand, on Teddy Roosevelt; and Nagle, on Native American tribal sovereignty. The others are still refining their topics.

The project bakes into Arenas schedule a predilection of Smiths for offerings that exist on the edge of current affairs. Shes had the company explore this terrain before, in fictionalized pieces like Jon Robin Baitzs Other Desert Cities, about the anguishing choices of a Republican couple who traveled in the circle of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and Anthony Giardinas City of Conversation, a dramedy that centered on the social and political interests of a Georgetown hostess.

Even more centrally concerned with power and politics were the Arena world premieres of Lawrence Wrights Camp David, about the Israeli-Egyptian peace accord brokered by President Jimmy Carter, and Strands The Originalist, a portrait of Antonin Scalia, the late Supreme Court justice. Lawtons Intelligence, which begins Feb. 24 at Arena, is another play in the companys growing collection of pieces portraying real figures from contemporary Washington; in this case, the figure is Valerie Plame, the former CIA officer whose cover was blown by the late columnist Robert Novak in the midst of the controversy over whether Saddam Hussein had been trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

Its not clear at this point how many of the 25 commissioned works  for which donors who will underwrite them are being recruited, Smith said  will receive full productions at Arena. But, the artistic director added, the strong preference will be to put the plays into the companys seasons. Theres a commitment to developing the plays and a strong potential for producing them, she said, adding that the funding and dollar amounts of the commissions will range, depending on the project.

One of the advantages the playwrights will enjoy in many instances is the deep pool of local authorities on their subjects that theyll be able to turn to. Sueko said that shes already talked to a historian at the National Museum of African American History and Culture about consulting with Davis for his play about black Wall Street. She told Sueko shed be only too happy to.

The excitement about this, Sueko added, is not just on the playwrights side. Its on the experts side as well.

One of the commissioned plays, Strands The Last Progressive: The Life and Deaths of Teddy Roosevelt, had its first reading at Arena on Monday. Its a play that the dramatist believes can help us understand the politics of our own time.

If, as a playwright, I am going to explore a character or period from the past, it has to reveal something about our present, and our present selves, that matters, Strand said. I think the character of Teddy Roosevelt does that. We are able to trace the origins of the two major political parties and what is left of their earlier aspirations. Its a bit of political archaeology.
Dear Dr. Fox:

We adopted a 1-year-old Pomeranian from a rescue group five years ago. He has had trouble with a luxating patella for more than a year.

Now, the vet says it is a Grade 3, and he needs surgery. He would have to be crated most of the time for a couple months, with no running. He is currently taking carprofen and tramadol, when needed.

This dog was crated the whole first year of his life. We only crated him until he was house-trained.

We asked the vet about exercises, and she said they probably would not help. At the present time, his quality of life is good. At what point do we say yes to surgery?

J.S., Wentzville, Mo.

DF: Your dogs condition is quite common in smaller breeds. A luxating patella, or trick knee, calls for surgical correction if, toward maturity, the ligaments helping keep it in place do not tighten up.

This developmental defect has a hereditary basis. There are accounts of pups with this condition, after being given time to mature and regular exercise, having their kneecaps eventually stabilize, and surgery was not needed.

Your dogs confinement in a crate during her early development probably interfered with this self-healing process. If the condition is left untreated, your dog will be unable to enjoy the full range of normal physical activities and is likely to develop inflammatory, arthritic lesions that will later interfere further with mobility.

I would opt for surgery without further delay.

Dear Dr. Fox:

We read your warning about not getting a wild cat hybrid, and agree with you totally.

My husband and I bought a Savannah, a hybrid serval-domestic cat mix, as a kitten. He was neutered, declawed and given lots of love and toys, but the older he got, the more he paced and did not want to get near us, except when it was time to be fed. He made me nervous because he was so restless all the time, and he was easily upset by sudden noises.

After he bit my husband badly on the arm, we sent him to a wild cat sanctuary for these displaced animals that dont seem to know where they belong or what they are here for.

I hope people follow your advice. After we got rid of him, we adopted two kittens from our local shelter, both tabbies and litter mates. Life couldnt be better for them or for us.

T.L., Trenton, N.J.

DF: Thank you for sharing your sad experience with this poor hybrid cat  a lost soul, indeed.

I would like to hear about the experiences of other readers. Another wild cat hybrid, the safari cat, a cross between Geoffroys cat and the domestic shorthair, is a human-created misfit, and this species of wild cat is endangered.

The Scottish wild cat is now endangered as a result of interbreeding with free-roaming house cats. The reverse is possible: A non-neutered wild cat hybrid could escape (they are expert escape artists) and cross-breed with free-roaming domestic cats to produce a new super-predator on our very own doorsteps.

It would be wise, therefore, for municipalities to crack down on breeders and prohibit the propagation of such animals, which has more to do with making money and owning some exotic novelty creature than with any empathic regard and respect for wild cat species and these man-made hybrid aberrations. Most of them are simply unable to effectively adapt to a domesticated, confined existence. Many people with such creations genuinely love them, but such love is no justification for their perpetuation and proliferation.

Dear Dr. Fox:

I take my 5-year-old neutered male cat out for walks on a harness and leash. He seems to love it. Hell ask for me to take him out by meowing and pawing at his leash.

When we walk, I let him take the lead, but by now weve established a regular route around my apartment complex, which hell navigate reliably and predictably, for the most part.

However, cars scare him, bicycles scare him and groups of people scare him, and hell attempt to run off in whatever direction he can to get away from them. Hes on a leash, so Im not concerned about him escaping, but is there anything I can do to minimize his fear?

D.V., Falls Church

DF: I wish more people with cats would get them used to going for a walk  most cats love it, as long as theyre in a quiet neighborhood. I would take a walking stick along, just in case you meet up with an off-leash dog. Your cat might eventually habituate to traffic and noisy people, but be mindful that some cat harnesses, as I learned from personal experience, can be wriggled and twisted out of by a spooked cat.

I advise using two leashes  a collar and leash, as well as a harness and leash  if your cat is not always calm and is easily frightened.

Michael W. Fox, author of a newsletter and books on animal care, welfare and rights, is a veterinarian with doctoral degrees in medicine and animal behavior. Send letters to animaldocfox@gmail.com or write to him at United Feature Syndicate, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. 64106.


A meringue torte, with its tableside pyrotechnics, grabs the attention of diners around the restaurant. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

(Satisfactory/Good)

Just as a book critic is obliged to read to The End and a film reviewer stays until the credits roll, a conscientious food critic visits a subject multiple times before doling out stars (or not). The routine gives restaurants, an art form with lots of moving parts, a fair shot and helps a critic capture the whole experience  soups to nuts, if you will. If you havent noticed, Monday lunch can be a different experience than Saturday dinner, and one days MIA server or bad table can be balanced by another visits pampering waiter or choice seat.

Four meals into RPM Italian in Mount Vernon, a flashy Chicago import with celebrity ties, I still cant predict with total confidence what your evening might taste like. Ive had good dishes and forgettable ones, sometimes on the same night. The constants are a dining room designed to make even a work night feel celebratory and servers devoted to making you feel like a most favored patron. Water glasses never go low here, nor do any crumbs linger long on the ebony tables. A messy appetizer is followed by hot towels, spritzed with lemon before theyre doled out.

To the right of the host stand is a dark bar with a big, square counter. To the left of the greeters is an earth-toned dining room that practically insists you order champagne and truffles. All around you are attendants in white jackets and black ties, moving about the room with purpose, ferrying cocktails from the dreamy backlit bar and big bowls of shrimp from the kitchen. Picture prom, for adults. Only once, when a waiter suggested to a female companion two cocktails that the ladies enjoy, did anyone go off message. Lucky for him, RPMs club music masked our collective groan.



Tuscan roast pork on creamy borlotti beans and cavolo nero. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

There seem to be no bad seats, thanks to a banquette that runs down the center of the room and semicircular raised booths that give everyone a good gaze. The lighting does wonders for anyone hiding their age, but nothing for the wine list, written in type so small youre obliged to ask the sommelier for recommendations. This is a good thing when the request yields a bottle of say, 2010 Colpetrone Sagrantino di Montefalco, an Umbrian red that smells of red fruits and vanilla. The small tables necessitate your choice being decanted out of sight but returned in a sleek flask trumpeting RPMs style sense.

Does some of the sizzle feel chainlike? RPM Italian, backed in part by reality TV stars Bill and Giuliana Rancic, is part of Lettuce Entertain You, a company whose assets include Joes Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab and Mon Ami Gabi. The formula might be corporate, but the actions feel personal.

Salads show flair. They also taste good, particularly slivers of apple, endive and hazelnuts in a high-gloss dressing. Caesar salad is served as a hedge rather than a hill, with capers for spark and crisp-soft croutons made with polenta. And one of my favorite ways to eat commonplace Brussels sprouts is here, where the cruciferous vegetable is shredded and combined with creamy avocado. Throw in some hot arancini, bursting with mushrooms, and youre on your way to thinking youve found a place to add to your restaurant rotation.



Pistachios and green olives enliven squares of crimson tuna crudo. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Concerning seafood, think cold rather than hot, perhaps raw fish or oysters on the half shell instead of the main courses. Crimson squares of tuna crudo get a pick-me-up from green olives and pistachios atop each bite, while the oysters, showy in a silver bowl of ice, prick the tongue with a racy fennel-and-bell pepper mignonette.

Ordering Simply prepared fish, in contrast, reels in disappointments. Striped from the grill, swordfish is sliced too thin and proves most memorable for its red pepper relish. Dover sole suffers the humiliation of a sauce boat of Sicilian lemon condiment that tastes like what would happen if you boiled lemonade concentrate. Thick and sweet, it turns the delicacy into trash fish.

Pastas are a mixed bag, too. While some are on par with Washingtons starrier Italian kitchens, others smack of the kind of places where meatballs are the size of your head and diners exit with shopping bags of leftovers. Risotto is a model from the first camp. The grains of rice retain pleasant bite, and sauteed mushrooms sing the praises of the forest. Heat-seekers have scampi spaghettini to entertain them; Calabrian chilies, smoky and spicy, infuse the dish. (The server isnt kidding when he asks about your threshold for pain if you ask about the pasta.) But other noodles drown in sauce, and with your eyes closed, it would be hard to discern carbonaras from the gravy beneath rigatoni and (tasty) boar sausage.



Mushroom risotto with aged Parmesan evokes a walk in the forest. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Eating a veal chop  one time fine, another meal salty  or Dover sole at RPM always makes me wish I were eating those dishes instead at the homegrown Tosca downtown, whose superior kitchen treats similarly priced entrees with more respect (and consistency, another missing detail at the younger restaurant). Italian pride in serving whats in season was AWOL on my picatta moderno. The surface of the flattened, breaded chicken breast was green with asparagus  in late fall. Pounded just as thin, chicken Parmesan, plucked from the menus Italian Classics section, also comes with a flaw, tomato sauce so sweet it could almost double as ice cream topping. Barolo-braised short rib is tender, but missing signs of the advertised wine.

All of which prompts the question: Will the real RPM Italian please stand up?

Frequent exposure to RPM yields a strategy for success. It starts with a salad or crudo or something fried, maybe a mound of zucchini coins with herbed yogurt; and embraces roast pork on a bed of creamy borlotti beans (mushroom risotto for the vegetarian). For the ending? The pastry kitchen whips up terrific gelato, silky panna cotta garnished with tiny Italian meringues, and cannoli whose crisp shells give way to true-flavored pistachio and vanilla fillings (but not chocolate, which falls flatly sweet).

The dessert that commands the most attention  and the highest price, $23  is the meringue torte. Set aflame at the table, the confection prompts smiles all around and additional sales. The fire gets extinguished in sweet fashion, with chocolate sauce. Unfortunately, its all show. The cake, a combination of salted caramel and vanilla gelato, is enough to feed four. But its so sweet, and dry in parts, that even the dessert die-hards put down their forks after a cloying bite or two.

RPM Italian has good looks and service in its favor. Ill be sure to suggest the venue to anyone who values ambiance and attention over food.

For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit WP Magazine.

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Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.
Nancy Pelosi, House of Representatives Democratic leader, speaks to reporters after she was reelected to her post Wednesday. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Democrats in the House of Representatives reelected Nancy Pelosi as their leader on Wednesday despite concerns over the partys disappointing performance in recent elections.

The California lawmaker, who has led the party since 2002, defeated a challenge from Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio. The secret ballot vote was 134 to 63.

We need the very best to lead us, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California told his fellow Democrats in nominating Pelosi. No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi, 76, was forced to promise changes to answer complaints from lawmakers fed up with the top leadership roles going to Republicans, who control the House and Senate. President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration in January will also give Republicans control of the executive branch.

A half-dozen Democratic lawmakers delivered testimonials to Pelosi in nominating speeches, but not all were supportive.

I think Tim Ryan would be a great leader. Hes a new generation, and I think he would appeal to a lot of millennials and young people in this country, Representative Steve Lynch of Massachusetts said as he headed into the session. He brings a certain excitement and also a bit of common sense from Youngstown, Ohio.

Leadership elections were originally scheduled for before Thanksgiving but were delayed to give Democrats more time to think about the election results and consider a path forward. Many are discouraged after losing the White House and making smaller-than-expected gains in both chambers of Congress.

We cant just say the right things, said Representative Ruben Gallego of Arizona, one of a handful of House Democrats to endorse Ryan. We must take concrete steps to move our party in the right direction.

Republicans reelected Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin two weeks ago to the top leadership job, Speaker of the House. The party is expected to hold 241 seats in the House next year. Democrats won six additional seats on Election Day but will remain in the minority with 194 seats.


Barron Trump, center, with parents Donald and Melania Trump, will be the first young son of a president to live in the White House. The last boy to do so was John F. Kennedy Jr. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Its a boy!

In January, for the first time in more than 50 years, a boy will have a home in the White House.

Recent years have brought a string of first daughters, the latest being Malia and Sasha Obama. The last boy to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was 3-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr., in 1963.

Now its Barron Trumps turn. Barron, 10, is a fourth-grader in New York, and his family says thats where hell stay, at least until the school year ends. Barron has been kept largely out of the public eye, so its hard to know whether he will match the high jinks of previous sons who lived in the White House. Judging from the Lincoln and Roosevelt boys, the bar is pretty high.

Willie Lincoln, center, and brother Tad pose with a relative, Lockwood Todd, in Washington photo studio. The boys once brought pet goats into the White House. (Mathew Brady/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Willie, Tad and the war

Willie and Tad Lincoln, then 10 and 7, moved into the White House in 1861 as the Civil War was erupting. The boys amused themselves by staging a circus in the attic and building a fort on the roof. Tad once drove pet goats through the East Room, where his mother was having guests. Another time, he rigged the mansions bell system so that all the bells rang at once.

Willies death from illness in 1862 devastated Tad. He became his fathers constant companion. He had his own Union Army uniform and liked to fire bombs from his toy cannon. To raise money for the war, he charged guests a nickel to meet his father, and he sold food to people waiting in the White House lobby.

Trivia: Willie is the only presidents child to die in the White House itself. The only presidents baby born there was Esther Cleveland, in 1893.

Those Roosevelt rascals

I dont think that any family has ever enjoyed the White House more than we have, President Theodore Roosevelt claimed. Indeed. Some say the 224-year-old building still shivers from the punishment Roosevelts four sons gave it from 1901 to 1909.

The boys liked to slide down the stairs on kitchen trays, have water-pistol fights and throw snowballs from the rooftop. Sometimes they sneaked out at night and put out all the lights in Lafayette Square, across from the White House.

The youngest brother, Quentin, gave his parents fits. He and his friends, dubbed the White House Gang by his father, got in trouble a lot. One time they had fun flinging spitballs at a painting of President Andrew Jackson. Quentin had to clean up the mess and was not allowed to see his friends for an entire week.

In the most famous Quentin story, he tried to cheer up his brother Archie, who was sick in bed, by bringing Archies pony up in the White House elevator for a visit!



Quentin, left, and Archibald Roosevelt, two of President Theodore Roosevelts sons, play with a camera outside the White House around 1902. All four Roosevelt boys were known for making mischief. (Library of Congress via AP)

Not surprisingly, Quentin was a darling of the press. But he was more than able to handle them. A reporter seeking a scoop about the president got this reply from Quentin: I see him occasionally, but I know nothing of his family life.

Looking ahead

Now its Barron Trumps turn to live in what presidential daughter Luci Johnson once called a public fishbowl. We wish him well when he becomes the new kid in town.
Govt registers statute amendment proposal

After days of confusion, the government on Tuesday registered a constitution amendment proposal at the Parliament Secretariat, seeking to change four constitutional provisions.
Bradley Holmes is director of the youth center at Richardson Dwellings, a public-housing complex in Northeast Washington. The youth center is run by Sasha Bruce Youthwork, a partner in The Washington Post Helping Hand. (John Kelly/TWP)

The coin that Bradley Holmes keeps on his dresser is about the size of a silver dollar. Its worth much more than that, though. He considers it priceless. Its a symbol that everybody needs a second chance, and maybe a second second chance.

Were at the Richardson Youth Center, which is in the basement of a building at Richardson Dwellings, a public-housing development a few blocks off East Capitol Street in Northeast Washington.

I came from the same environment these children came from, says Holmes, who for six years has worked at the youth center that is operated by Sasha Bruce Youthwork, a partner in The Washington Post Helping Hand. Now Holmes runs it, arriving at 4 every weekday to unlock the door and usher in the kids, primarily ages 12 to 20, with a few younger ones eager to tag along.

Holmess mother was 14 when she gave birth to him and his twin brother. It couldnt have been easy for her, he knows now. It wasnt easy for him.

At age 24, he was sent to the penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan., for robbing a bank while armed. He returned to D.C. when he was 41  and promptly started violating his parole. I basically had accepted that my life was going to be what it was: one of hopelessness, one of destruction and defiance, says Holmes, 53.

A former parole officer gave Bradley Holmes this challenge coin. On it are the words Honor, Integrity and Justice. (John Kelly/TWP)

But a parole officer named Darryl Hughes saw something in Holmes. He said, I notice each time youre getting better. That allowed me the room I needed to turn my life around. Here was a guy in a position to drop the hammer on me. He kept saying, You can do it. 

And Holmes did. He stayed out of trouble and completed counseling courses, and his remaining parole  27 years  were excused.

Tonight at the youth center, some boys are playing checkers. A pair of girls color. In a room full of easels for an art class coming up, two little girls have placed picture books on the floor. They just like the look of all those books, a veritable mosaic.

In the computer room, Larry Fullerton is watching as teens take an online quiz to see how well they know what it takes to get a D.C. learners permit. Larry retired from a big law firm, serves on the Sasha Bruce Youthwork board and volunteers at the youth center.

They dont care who your connections are, what your job is, Holmes says of the kids. All they care about is do you care about them? And they do know we care about them.

Once a month, a barber comes to cut the boys hair for free. (Were trying to get it every two weeks, Holmes says.)

In a room at the back, Holmes has stashed bicycles donated by the police department. He plans to fix them up with the kids.

Holmes is cagey with the kids about his past, worried that they might glamorize something he now finds far from glamorous. But he doesnt hide those years, or what he learned during them. There aint no right way to be wrong, he says. I dont care how you try to cut it, how you try to shape it, how you try to form it.

Sasha Bruce Youthwork is among local nonprofit groups tapped by the District for a program called Credible Messenger. Its aimed at young people who have been involved with the court system. Holmes is leading the Sasha Bruce Youthwork mentoring effort through the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

Well hand-carry them through whatever it is they need, whatever challenges they face, he said. Today I stand here a changed, committed, law-abiding, taxpaying citizen. I definitely know what transformation looks like.

Holmess transformation looks like a silver dollar, with an eagle on one side, a flag on the other, and the words Honor, Integrity and Justice. I was so proud to get this thing, the man who robbed a bank says of the coin given to him by his old parole officer.

You can help

Sasha Bruce Youthwork provides a range of services, including a shelter for homeless teens, G.E.D. classes, transitional housing, sexual-health outreach  and the youth center at Richardson Dwellings. Your tax-deductible donation can help ensure that this vital work continues.

To donate online, visit posthelpinghand.com. To donate by mail, make a check payable to Sasha Bruce Youthwork and mail it to: Sasha Bruce Youthwork, 741 Eighth St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. Attention: James Beck.

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Correction: An earlier version of this listing gave the incorrect location and Web address for a Dec. 2-4 holiday ceramics sale by Art League students. The sale will be at the Art Leagues Madison Annex, 305 Madison St., Alexandria. More information can be found at theartleague.org. This version has been corrected.

Thursday, Dec. 1

Citrus fruit sale Features grapefruit, oranges, tangelos and tangerines, honey maple syrup, mixed nuts, and Virginia peanuts. Sponsored by Arlington Host Lions Club. Thursday-Sunday at 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wells Fargo Bank parking lot, Lee Highway and North Glebe Road, Arlington. 703-598-8266. arlhostlionsva.org. Free.

Arlington Community Chorus Light Through the Night: Music to Brighten the Dark Days of Winter performing a repertoire of choral and holiday music. 7:30 p.m. Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington. 703-228-7200. Free.

The Nutcracker ballet Performance by BalletNova featuring Albert Gordon of the Boston Ballet. Thursday-Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington. 703-778-3008. balletnova.org. $15-$41.

Friday, Dec. 2

Adventures of Mr. Bear For infants to age 6 and their families, a performance by Arts on the Horizon. 10:30 a.m. Continues through Dec. 17. The Lab at Convergence, 1819 N. Quaker Lane, Alexandria. 703-967-0437. artsonthehorizon.org. $9.

Holiday ceramics sale One-of-a-kind ceramic vessels and sculptures by Art League students. Friday noon-9 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Madison Annex, 305 Madison St., Alexandria. 703-683-1780. theartleague.org. Free.

Fine Art & Fine Craft Holiday Market Pottery, ceramics, photography, jewelry, fiber, paper crafts, and glass by local artists. Fridays at 6-9 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays at 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Continues through Dec. 18. Del Ray Artisans, Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-838-4827. delrayartisans.org. Free.

First Friday: Season of Celebrations A performance by Roumana, an all-female world music ensemble. 6-8:30 p.m. Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Center, 1605 Cameron St., Alexandria. 571-238-2443. apps.alexandriava.gov. $10; $5 in advance.

Miracle on 23rd Street A tree-lighting ceremony, Santa, holiday music, a raffle and face painting. 6-8 p.m. Linden Resources, S. 750 23rd St., Arlington. 844-454-6336. linden.org. Free.

A Christmas Carol Performed by the Little Theatre of Alexandria. 8 p.m. Continues through Dec. 17. 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. 703-683-0496. thelittletheatre.com. $17.

Campagna Center Scottish Christmas Walk weekend Heather and greens sale, a Taste of Scotland, holiday home tours and deck the halls with Santa. For a complete schedule, go to the website. 703-549-0111. campagnacenter.org. Prices vary.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Jingle Bell Run A chip-timed 5K race, sponsored by Arthritis Foundation Registration at 6:45 a.m. Race at 9 a.m. Childrens fun run at 10 a.m. Pentagon Row Plaza, 1101 S. Joyce St., Arlington. 202-787-5323. jbr.org. $15-$40; registration required.

Virginia Theological Seminary First Saturday series Women in the Anglican Communion, a discussion about womens leadership in ministry and more. 8:30 a.m.-noon. Virginia Theological Seminary, 3737 Seminary Rd., Alexandria. 703-461-1753. eventbrite.com. $10; students $5. Registration required.

Visit with Santa For age 12 and older, includes holiday craft making, toy train runs and a hike in the woods. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 10 at 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m. Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 N. Military Rd., Arlington. 703-228-3403. parks.arlingtonva.us. $8; registration required.

American Arabesque: A Celebration of Culture Art, crafts, music by Tom Teasley, Arabic cuisine and sweets, calligraphy, henna, and childrens activities. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Center, 1605 Cameron St., Alexandria. 703-746-5565. apps.alexandriava.gov. $5; age 5 and younger free.

High School holiday bazaar Handicraft by local artisans, multi-ethnic food, The Madrigals and school musical groups. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington. 703-228-6200. Free.

Material as Medium Explore the future of contemporary fiber and textile art in Future of Fiber. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Reception, Dec. 8 at 6-8 p.m. Continues through Jan. 15. Torpedo Factory Art Center, Target Gallery, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-838-4565, Ext. 304. torpedofactory.org. Free.

Scottish Christmas Walk parade Marching units with Scottish clans, bagpipes, drums, Scottish dancers, reenactment groups, Scottie dogs, dignitaries, classic cars, Santa, and more. 11 a.m. From Saint Asaph to Wolfe streets, ending at Market Square. 703-549-0111. campagnacenter.org. Free.

Scottish Walk Parade open house Carlyle House tour and display of 18th century holiday decorations. Noon-4 p.m. Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. 703-549-2997. apps.alexandriava.gov. $1; suggested donation.

Archaeology ornament decorating workshop Create paper ornaments using shapes, colors and patterns from excavated 19th-century artifacts. 1-4 p.m. Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Suite 327, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-746-4399. apps.alexandriava.gov. Free.

Holiday Festival One-of-a kind artful gifts. 2-9 p.m. Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-838-4565. torpedofactory.org. Free.

Scottish Country dancing Led by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. No partner needed. 2 p.m. The Athenaeum, 201 Prince St., Alexandria. 703-548-0035. nvfaa.org. Free.

Organ and piano recital Joseph L. Arkfeld performs works by Bach, Brahms, Vierne and others. 3 p.m. Cavalry United Methodist Church, 2315 S. Grant St., Arlington. 703-892-5185. mychurchevents.com. Free.

Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights Illuminated boats cruise the Potomac River led by The Vigilant and John Glenn fireboats. 5:30 p.m. Waterfront Park, 1 Prince St., Alexandria. 703-838-4200. visitalexandriava.com. Free.

Del Ray Holiday tree lighting Caroling, photos with Santa, and luminarias along Mount Vernon Ave. Bring nonperishable food and diapers to benefit Carpenters Shelter. 6 p.m. Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, Mount Vernon and Oxford avenues., Alexandria. 703-683-2570. visitdelray.com. Free.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Alternative Christmas market Oil and tapenade, candles, lip balm and bath products, beaded jewelry, carved crafts, fabric bags and woven baskets, and more. 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, 601 N. Vermont St., Arlington. 703-527-4766. fpcarlington.org. Free.

Bagels and Bach concert series A performance by the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonics Trombone Trio. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Center, 1605 Cameron St., Alexandria. 703-746-5565. apps.alexandriava.gov. $10-$15; registration required (activity No. 255205.03).

Holiday wreath workshop For age 12 and older, create crafts using all-natural items, Bring pruners or wire cutters. 1-4 p.m. Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington. 703-228-6535. parks.arlingtonva.us. $30; registration required (program No. 622946-A).

U.S. Navy Band concert Performance by the chamber ensembles. 3 p.m. Faith Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 3133 Arlington Blvd., Arlington. 202-433-2525. navyband.navy.mil. Free.

Messiah singalong Led by the Arlington Chorale. Donations of canned goods benefit AFAC. 4 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, 601 N. Vermont St., Arlington. 703-933-2500. arlingtonchorale.org. Free.

Service of Lessons and Carols Scripture readings, and choral and handbell carols. 7:30 p.m. St. Thomas More Cathedral, 3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington. 703-524-2815. cathedralstm.org. Free.

Monday, Dec. 5

Conversations with Tyler Cowen A discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction author Jhumpa Lahiri. 6-7:30 p.m. George Mason University Arlington Campus, Founders Hall, 3551 Fairfax Dr., Arlington. 703-993-8977. mercatus.org. Free; registration required.

An evening with George Winston Performance by a melodic folk, New Orleans R&B and stride pianist. Merchandise sales and canned-food drive benefit The Carpenters Shelter. 7:30 p.m. Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-549-7500. ticketmaster.com. $39.50.

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Birding trip Travel by van to Westmoreland State Park and George Washingtons Birthplace National Monument to see waterfowl, bald eagles and winter songbirds. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Lubber Run Community Center parking lot, 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington. 703-228-3403. parks.arlingtonva.us. $45; registration required (program No. 622847-A).

Get in the Holiday Spirit Features pendants, earrings, pins, wall pieces and bowls. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Jan. 1. Torpedo Factory Art Center, Enamelists Gallery, Studio 28, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. 703-836-1561. torpedofactory.org. Free.

Early Stage Breast Cancer support sisters Meet others diagnosed with breast cancer, share and learn coping techniques, facilitated by patient navigators. First and third Tuesday, 5-6:30 p.m. Virginia Hospital Center, Cancer Resource Center, 1701 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington. 703-558-6913. Free; registration required.

Wednesday, Dec. 7

Northern Virginia Bird Club walk Find resident and migratory birds at Long Branch and Glencarlyn Parks. 9:30-11 a.m. Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington. 703-228-6535. Free.

NW Arlington Lions fundraiser Florida, Texas and California citrus, Georgia pecans and Vermont maple syrup to benefit charitable organizations. 12:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday; 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday and Tuesday; 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday and Monday; 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday; 1-8 p.m. Wednesday. Overlee Bath House, Lower Level, 6030 Lee Hwy., Arlington. 703-528-1130. Free.

Fill the Cruiser holiday toy drive The Arlington County Police Department will be collecting new, unwrapped toys. 6-8 p.m. Our Lady of Lourdes, 830 S. 23rd St.; or drop off toy donations through Dec. 16 at police headquarters, 1425 N. Courthouse Rd., Arlington. 703-228-5050. Free.

Figure-drawing workshop Draw or paint a live models short/long poses, 2-5 p.m.; long pose, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Del Ray Artisans, Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-836-1468. thedelrayartisans.org. $8-$12.

Sleeping Beauty For age 7 and older, the classic tale of a princess performed by Synetics ensemble. 8 p.m. Continues through Jan. 8. Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St., Arlington. 866-811-4111. synetictheater.org. $10-$60.

 Compiled by Ria Manglapus

To submit an event

Email: axliving@washpost.com

Fax: 703-518-3001

Mail: Community Calendar, The Washington Post, Alexandria-Arlington Local Living, 526 King St., Suite 515, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Details: Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.
American Cancer Societys Road to Recovery program seeks volunteer drivers to provide transportation to cancer patients. Schedules are flexible. 804-527-3719, leah.seldinsommer@cancer.org or cancer.org.

Arlington County Invasive Plant program needs volunteers to remove invasive plants. 9-11 a.m. first Saturdays, Haley Park; 2-4 p.m. second Saturdays, Gulf Branch Nature Center; 10 a.m.-noon third Saturdays, Tuckahoe Park; 2-4 p.m. third Saturdays-Sundays, Madison Manor Park; 2-4:30 p.m. third Sundays, Long Branch Nature Center; 10 a.m.-noon fourth Saturdays, Benjamin Banneker Park; 10 a.m.-noon fourth Sundays, Fort Bennett Park. Information: environment.arlingtonva.us. To register, call 703-228-1862.

Arlington County Police Department will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Fill the Cruiser Holiday Toy Drive from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of Lourdes, 830 S. 23rd St. Drop off donations through Dec. 16 at Police Headquarters, 1425 N. Courthouse Rd., Arlington. 703-228-5050. acpdmedia@arlingtonva.us.

Arlington Neighborhood Village has volunteer opportunities to help the elderly. arlnvil.org.

Community Tax Aid seeks volunteers to help run tax sites for low-income families from Jan. 30 through April 18. Training is in January. 202-547-7773. communitytaxaiddc.org.

First Night Alexandria seeks volunteers to work as individuals, pairs or small groups on Dec. 31. For more information, go to firstnightalexandria.org.

OARs Project Christmas Angel will be held Dec. 14. Donations of toys and gift cards may be dropped off from 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. weekdays at 1400 N. Uhle St., Suite 704, Arlington. Volunteers are needed at the wrapping party on Dec. 14, and drivers are needed to deliver gifts between Dec. 15-21. oaronline.org.

Rosslyns Holiday Clothing Drive Donate gently used winter coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, gloves and jeans for clients of A-SPAN through Dec. 12. For drop off locations, go to rosslynva.org.

Shepherds Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church needs drivers to provide seniors with rides to and from medical and therapy appointments, the pharmacy, and grocery store. 703-506-2199 or info@scmafc.org. scmafc.org.

Travelers Aid needs volunteers to help travelers at Reagan National Airport. Must be able to work evenings and weekends and commit to six months. Parking provided. 703-417-3975, travelersaiddca@mwaa.com or travelersaiddca.com.

Virginia Hospital Center Auxiliary in Arlington County offers opportunities to help on information desks, the surgical center and in gift shops. 703-558-6401.

Wildlife Rescue League needs hotline volunteers, transporters and wildlife rehabilitators. Training provided. 703-391-8625 or volcoord@wildliferescueleague.org.

Volunteer Alexandria: Call the numbers below or contact Volunteer Alexandria at 703-836-2176, mail@volunteeralexandria.org or volunteeralexandria.org for information on the following opportunities:

Alexandria volunteer opportunities around the holidays. For more information, go to volunteeralexandria.org.

Alexandria Tutoring Consortium needs volunteers to work one-on-one with an Alexandria elementary school student for the tutor/mentor program and tutor needed by school program. handsonconnect.volunteeralexandria.org.

The Campagna Center needs volunteers to help with home tours, Taste of Scotland, holiday events, mentoring, and tutoring and other activities. volunteeralexandria.org.

Community Lodgings needs admin/office support, handsonconnect.volunteeralexandria.org, and a budget mentor, handsonconnect.volunteeralexandria.org.

Senior Services of Alexandria needs a grocery delivery volunteer. handsonconnect.volunteeralexandria.org.

Volunteer Arlington: Call the numbers listed below or contact Volunteer Arlington at 703-528-2522 or volunteer.leadercenter.org for information about the following:

Arlington County Department of Human Services Aging and Disability Services Division needs volunteers who serve as court-appointed guardians and conservators. Training and support are available. 703-228-1700.

Arlington County Department of Human Services seeks participants for the Secret Santa program for children in foster care, people with disabilities, and low-income families and seniors. Mail or drop off checks or gift cards to Secret Santa Program, c/o Kurt Larrick, Department of Human Services, 2100 Washington Blvd., Fourth Floor, Arlington, Va., 22043. 703-228-1775.

Arlington library system needs a volunteer for miscellaneous jobs at its central library, volunteer.truist.com. A talking books volunteer, teen volunteers for the Scratch Program, and a Mandarin Chinese conversation group leader at the central library; an English conversation group co-leader at Westover Library; and a film program assistant at Columbia Pike Library are needed. 703-228-5990.

Bikes For the World needs an office volunteer. 703-740-7856.

Phoenix Bikes needs volunteers to refurbish bikes, Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. raymond@phoenixbikes.org.

 Compiled by Ria Manglapus

TO SUBMIT AN ITEM

Email: axliving@washpost.com

Fax: 703-518-3001

Mail: Volunteer Opportunities, The Washington Post, Alexandria-Arlington Local Living, 526 King St., Suite 515, Alexandria, Va. 22314.

Details: Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.
THE DISTRICT

Bei Bei is off the bamboo

Bei Bei, a giant panda cub at the National Zoo, is off the bamboo for while as he recovers from emergency surgery Friday for an intestinal blockage caused by partially digested bamboo.

The panda appeared to almost smile Tuesday morning after gobbling down medicine cleverly hidden in a sweet potato. The zoos panda house is closed to help Bei Bei recover. Zookeepers are keeping Bei Bei off bamboo for now.

 Dana Hedgpeth

MARYLAND

Charges in fatal shooting

Authorities have charged a 34-year-old man in the shooting of a Prince Georges County man whom police say he knew and had argued with before the Nov. 11 incident.

Muhammad Ali of Bladensburg was charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Tyrone Shirriel Jr., 46, of Oxon Hill. Police in Prince Georges County police said they found Shirriel at about 6 p.m. inside a home in the 13600 block of Tower Road after a report of a shooting. The initial investigation, police said, found that the two knew each other and had a verbal and physical altercation before the shooting.

Ali is being held in jail on a no-bond status, police said.

 Dana Hedgpeth

Police say man was homicide victim

An unidentified male found in a shallow grave Nov. 12 in Montgomery County was the victim of a homicide, police said.

Hikers had found a body in a grave in the woods along the 11500 block of Game Preserve Road, Montgomery County Police said in a statement Monday. The cause of death remains under investigation, the statement said, but authorities said it is being investigated as a homicide. Police described the victim as a Hispanic male about 5 feet 6 inches tall in his late teens to early 20s, and asked for the publics help in identifying him.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

Police accuse man in homicide

A D.C. man was arrested Tuesday in connection with a September homicide in Prince Georges County, police said.

On Sept. 8 at about 11 a.m., officers responding to the 2500 block of Southern Avenue in Temple Hills found George Barnes, 52, of Temple Hills, suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.

On Tuesday, John Hazelwood, 26, of Southeast, was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree murder, assault and weapons charges, according to the statement, and is being held without bond. An investigation showed Hazelwood shot Barnes inside Barness apartment building and fled, police said. The motive is under investigation, they said.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

VIRGINIA

Man accused of sexual battery

A man forced a 12-year-old girl into a kitchen at a Fairfax County church and inappropriately touched her, police said.

The incident occurred about 5 p.m. Sunday at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church on Gallows Road in Annandale, according to Fairfax County police. The girl told church members about the incident and they told her parents, police said.

Authorities arrested and charged George Bol, 47, of Falls Church with abduction and aggravated sexual battery.

 Dana Hedgpeth

Gov. calls for special elections

Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) on Tuesday called for special elections to fill General Assembly seats that three state legislators are leaving as they head to Congress.

State Sens. Tom Garrett (R-Buckingham) and A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) and Del. Scott Taylor (R-Virginia Beach) are giving up those seats after winning races in November elections in Virginias 5th, 4th and 2nd congressional districts, respectively.

All three legislative elections will take place Jan. 10.

 Laura Vozzella
Anne Arundel County

The following incidents were reported by the Anne Arundel County police. For information, call 410-222-8050.

BROOKLYN PARK AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Second Ave. and Morgan Ave., 1:14 a.m. Nov. 13. Items were stolen from vehicles. A Baltimore man, 18, and a Brooklyn man, 18, were charged with theft and rogue and vagabond.

GLEN BURNIE AREA

HOMICIDE

Sandsbury Ave., 200 block, 1:28 p.m. Nov. 12. A Glen Burnie woman, 80, died from sharp force trauma to her body. A Glen Burnie man, 57, the womans son, was charged with first-degree murder.

HANOVER AREA

ROBBERIES

Annapolis Rd., 2700 block, 10:11 a.m. Nov. 13. An armed male robbed a gas station.

Annapolis

These were among incidents reported by the Annapolis Police Department. For information, call 410-268-9000.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Catlyn Pl., 1400 block, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 19. Computer equipment, cash, jewelry and vehicle keys were stolen from a home.

Dock St., 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Nov. 16. An cellphone was stolen from a vehicle.

Martha Ct., 1000 block, 3 to 10:30 p.m. Nov. 19 Electronic devices were stolen from an apartment.

Monticello Ave., 100 block, 7 a.m. Nov. 20 to 5:15 p.m. Nov. 22. Cash and a laptop were stolen from a home.

Taylor Ave., 600 block, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 18. A purse was stolen from a vehicle.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

West St., 200 block, 7 to 11:45 p.m. Nov. 17. A 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera was stolen.

Howard County

These were among incidents reported by the Howard County Police Department. For information, call 410-313-2236.

COLUMBIA AREA

ROBBERIES

Little Patuxent Pkwy., 12200 block, 5:26 p.m. Nov. 20. A male stole cash from a pizza delivery person, and fled.

ASSAULTS

Little Patuxent Pkwy., 11600 block, 9:54 p.m. Nov. 21. During an arrest for a robbery, a man assaulted three police officers. A Columbia man, 29, was charged with robbery and three counts of second-degree assault.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Cradlerock Way, 7000 block, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 17. Cash was stolen from a home.

Snowden River Pkwy., 9300 block, 9:01 a.m. Nov. 21. A safe and a cash register were stolen from a swim school.

Woodpark Lane, 7600 block, 4:40 p.m. Nov. 18. Property was stolen from an apartment.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Governor Warfield Pkwy., 10100 block, 4:31 p.m. Nov. 17. A 2012 Toyota Camry was stolen.

High Tide Ct., 5400 block, 4:43 a.m. Nov. 23. A charcoal Toyota Camry was stolen.

INDECENT EXPOSURE

Bird Race, 6200 block, 1:40 p.m. Nov. 19. A male exposed himself to a woman.

ELKRIDGE AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Old Waterloo Rd., 7000 block, Nov. 17 to 18. A storage unit was broken into; it was not determined whether anything was stolen.

Washington Blvd., 7400 block, 2:28 a.m. Nov. 22. Property was stolen from a business.

ELLICOTT CITY AREA

ROBBERIES

Dorsey Hall Dr., 4900 block, 3:52 p.m. Nov. 21. Three males assaulted a male youth and tried to steal his vehicle. The three males fled after a witness approached the scene.

ASSAULTS

Enoch Pratt Dr., 8600 block, 5:52 p.m. Nov. 18. During a dispute, a man assaulted a neighbor. A Ellicott City man, 35, was charged with first- and second-degree assault.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Montgomery Run Rd., Oakton Lane, Cotoneaster Dr., and Brightwind Ct., Nov. 21 to 22. Airbags were stolen from multiple vehicles.

Town and Country Blvd., 9000 block, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Electronic devices were stolen from an apartment.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS

Harrington Dr., 3400 block, 12:07 p.m. Nov. 17. A silver, 2006 BMW was stolen.

Montgomery Run Rd., 8300 block, 5:16 a.m. Nov. 22. A Honda Accord was stolen.

JESSUP AREA

ROBBERIES

Washington Blvd., 8100 block, 9:45 a.m. Nov. 21. A male with his face partially covered jumped over a counter at a hotel, stole cash and fled.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Stayton Dr., 8200 block, 4:53 a.m. Nov. 18. A compressor was stolen from a business.

MOUNT AIRY AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Frederick Rd., 16500 block, Nov. 18 to 19. Two motorcycles and a four-wheeler were stolen from a garage.

WEST FRIENDSHIP AREA

ROBBERIES

Frederick Rd., 12700 block, 9:07 p.m. Nov. 16. An armed male robbed a store and fled.
Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) wants to bar employers from asking about salary history when making a job or salary offer. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

Business leaders are concerned local companies would struggle to comply with a bill pending before the D.C. Council that would bar employers from asking about salary history when making job offers.

The bill, introduced in September by council member David Grosso (I-At Large), seeks to prevent businesses from setting salaries based on pay history. Advocates say this practice exacerbates the nations gender pay gap because it discriminates against women who earn less than men from the start of their careers. Over time, even a small wage gap can result in significant lost income.

[More cities and states are considering barring employers from asking for salary histories]

At a council subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Kathy Hollinger, president and chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, said that if the bill becomes law, it would add to a growing burden on businesses.

There are so many requirements and rules that it is virtually impossible for small-business operators to keep track of all of them and be in compliance, said Hollinger, who said that employers should receive a warning instead of a fine after a first offense. And the city must also inform business owners of the laws requirements, she said.

Barbara Lang, a consultant and former longtime head of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, said employers need to know whether a prospective workers previous salary is in the same ballpark as the one they plan to offer. Otherwise, they risk making an offer drastically lower than the employees previous pay, she said.

Then youve wasted their time and have to start the process all over again, Lang said.

Another issue, she said, is that the law would force large corporations based outside the District to alter their personnel policies just for D.C. Companies could still hire workers in other jurisdictions and transfer them to the District, Lang said. And it might create less incentive to do business in the District, she said.

The legislation would amend the Wage Transparency Act of 2014, which makes it illegal for employers to forbid their employees to discuss wages with co-workers. The act designates that the mayor assess a civil fine of $1,000 for the first violation, $5,000 for a second offense and $20,000 for each subsequent violation.

The same enforcement procedure would apply to Grossos proposed amendment, which received co-sponsorship support from all but two council members, Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) and Chairman Phil Mendelson (D).

Economists and policy analysts at Tuesdays hearing lauded the bill for attempting to close the wage gap, saying it could also aid businesses by saving them from discrimination claims.

Studies show that the Districts gender pay gap is one of the smallest in the nation. The nonprofit American Association of University Women (AAUW) found that the median salary for women in D.C. last year was $62,191, or about 86 percent of the $72,230 median for men. The Districts 14 percent wage gap was the fourth-best in the United States, which had a national wage gap of 20 percent.

But women of color earn much less than white men, both nationwide and within the District, according to the National Womens Law Center. The organization found that black women in D.C. made 55.6 cents for every dollar earned by white men in 2014, while Latina women made 50.4 cents.

Requiring companies to post salary ranges would empower women to successfully negotiate fair wages, said AAUW policy analyst Kate Nielson.

Salary transparency could also help businesses because employees sometimes post their salaries on independent jobs sites, which companies cannot necessarily verify, said Ariane Hegewisch of the Institute for Womens Policy Research.

In a way, it is helpful to employers to take hold of that process rather than to leave it to happenstance in terms of who discloses their salaries on something like [the job site] Glassdoor, Hegewisch said.

Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) said requiring companies to post salary ranges is a terrific suggestion.

Hollinger, the restaurant association president, said the legislation should not move forward without compelling evidence that it would positively affect the problem of disparate wages.

Grosso acknowledged that the bill alone would not close the gender or racial pay gap. But he called it a small step toward improving the imbalance.

The bill mirrors similar legislation enacted in other jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, which became the first state to prohibit employers from requiring a job candidates salary history. Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order making it illegal for city agencies to require salary history in hiring.

On Tuesday, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and three other Democratic members of Congress asked President Obama to use executive action to prohibit federal contractors from seeking prospective employees salary history. Norton introduced a bill that would prohibit employers nationwide from inquiring about salary history before making a job or salary offer.

If the D.C. bill does not pass by the end of the year, Grosso could introduce a similar amendment next year, allowing the bill to go straight to the markup process.
loudoun county

These were among cases received recently by the Loudoun County Department of Animal Services. For animal shelter hours and location, and information on adoption, licensing, rabies clinics and low-cost neutering, call 703-777-0406.

Officer gets turn at bat: Mandeville Dr., 25000 block, Chantilly, Nov. 20. A resident reported having a bat in the living room. When an animal control officer arrived, the confused bat was on the ceiling. The officer collected the bat and assessed it for illness or injury. Because the bat had no contact with family members, it was released to the wild.

Dogs hit the road: Berlin Tpk., 12000 block, Lovettsville, Nov. 19. A caller reported that two Great Pyrenees dogs were causing a traffic hazard. An animal control officer got the dogs out of the road. Because their owners could not be found, they were taken to the animal shelter. The next morning, the dogs and owners were reunited.

Nothing but net: Mountain Rd., 11000 block, Lovettsville, Nov. 18. A squirrel became entangled in a batting cage net in a back yard. An animal control officer freed the squirrel and took it to a wildlife rehabilitation center for treatment.

Horses take a holiday: Mountain Rd., 11000 block, Lovettsville, Nov. 18. Two horses were reported to be grazing on church property. An animal control officer found the owner and helped walk the horses back home.

Act of kindness: Market St. E., 700 block, Leesburg, Nov. 20. A resident reported finding an injured hawk near a hotel. The caller picked up the hawk and waited in the hotel lobby until an animal control officer arrived to take the hawk to an emergency veterinary hospital.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck
These were among incidents reported by the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office and the Leesburg, Middleburg and Purcellville police departments. For information, contact your police or sheriffs department.

ASHBURN AREA

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Barley Ct., 43000 block, 2:55 to 6 a.m. Nov. 18. Items were stolen from an unlocked vehicle.

Blue Elder Terr., 22600 block, 9 to 11:54 a.m. Nov. 22. Property was stolen from a home entered by damaging a patio window.

Granite Run Terr., 44600 block, 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16 to 7:50 a.m. Nov. 17. A refrigerator was stolen from a house under construction.

Red Rum Dr., 21500 block, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22. A wallet was stolen from an unsecured gym locker.

VANDALISM

Airmont Woods Terr., 22500 block, 9:14 a.m. Nov. 20 to 9:15 a.m. Nov. 21. A vehicle windshield was damaged by pellets from a BB-type gun.

LEESBURG AREA

ASSAULTS

Breckinridge Sq., 400 block, 12:40 a.m. Nov. 20. A domestic assault was reported.

Clark Ct., 700 block, 6:07 p.m. Nov. 20. Assault threats were reported.

Doyle Terr., 500 block, 7 p.m. Nov. 24. A domestic assault was reported.

Edmonton Terr., 500 block, 10:03 p.m. Nov. 19. A domestic assault was reported.

Edwards Ferry Rd., 800 block, 11:16 a.m. Nov. 21. Assault threats were reported.

Edwards Ferry Rd., 800 block, 7:42 a.m. Nov. 23. An assault was reported.

Fort Evans Rd., unit block, 12:41 a.m. Nov. 23. A domestic assault was reported.

Huntmaster Terr., 1100 block, 11:40 p.m. Nov. 22. A domestic assault was reported.

Lawson Rd., unit block, 6:36 p.m. Nov. 19. A domestic assault was reported.

Market St. E., 400 block, 8:03 p.m. Nov. 22. An assault was reported.

Village Market Blvd., 1600 block, 2:29 p.m. Nov. 23. An assault was reported.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

Cardinal Park Dr., unit block, 2:59 p.m. Nov. 24. A theft was reported.

Cypress Ridge Terr., 19300 block, 11:15 a.m. Nov. 16 to 11 a.m. Nov. 19. Fraud was reported.

Edwards Ferry Rd., 900 block, 5:25 p.m. Nov. 19. Shoplifting was reported.

Edwards Ferry Rd., 900 block, 7:43 p.m. Nov. 21. Fraud was reported.

Edwards Ferry Rd., 1200 block, 12:24 a.m. Nov. 25. A theft was reported.

Fort Evans Rd., 200 block, 1:16 a.m. Nov. 25. Shoplifting was reported.

Hetzel Terr., 700 block, 9:51 a.m. Nov. 20. A theft was reported.

Market St. E., 600 block, 1:02 a.m. Nov. 22. Fraud was reported.

Market St. E., 500 block, 1:33 p.m. Nov. 23. A theft was reported.

Oak View Dr., 100 block, 11:08 a.m. Nov. 20. A theft was reported.

PURCELLVILLE AREA

THEFTS.BREAK-INS

Purcellville Gateway Dr., 100 block, 1:15 p.m. Nov. 16. A purse was stolen from a shopping cart.

VANDALISM

Hatcher Ave., 200 block, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16. A sign on a nature trail was damaged.

Pinehurst Ct., 17000 block, 5 p.m. Nov. 19 to 10 a.m. Nov. 20. A fence was damaged.

STERLING AREA

ROBBERIES

Severn Way, 45000 block, 7 p.m. Nov. 21. Someone was threatened and robbed of cash at gunpoint.
Half of factory equipment in working condition: Team

With the government planning to revive Hetauda Textile Factory, an inspection team has reported that 50 percent of the factory equipment is in working condition and 30 percent can be repaired.
A veteran lawmaker in Maryland who announced earlier this month that he planned to leave the state legislature after three decades rescinded his resignation on Tuesday.

Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince Georges) said in a letter Tuesday to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) that he is withdrawing his resignation because he wants to end the political fighting over the selection of his replacement.

Currie, 79, submitted his resignation Nov. 4, citing his declining health. He said he could no longer serve with the strength and energy his constituents deserve. The resignations effective date was to be Dec. 1.

Three candidates said they were interested in replacing Currie, who has served in the General Assembly for three decades. They are Del. Darryl Barnes (D-Prince Georges), former delegate Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince Georges) and Curries wife, Shirley, who is a minister.

Since my announcement, it has been nothing but petty political jockeying and deal-making with only the 2018 election in mind, Currie wrote. He also said that this has created a level of divisiveness and discord I have rarely seen in Prince Georges County and which I cannot allow to continue.

Curries rescindment decision was first reported by the Daily Record.

In the letter, Currie said he had hoped his wife could fill his seat until the 2018 election.

During a brief phone interview Tuesday night, Currie said it appeared that his wife did not have the votes from the Prince Georges County Democratic Central Committee to fill the seat. The committee recommends a replacement to the governor when a resignation occurs.

The Lord tells us Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I may be weary at times, but will turn to my faith to assist me in continuing to do good, Currie wrote.

Currie, of District Heights, was in the House of Delegates from 1987 until 1995, when he was elected to the Senate. During his career, he became one of the most powerful and popular lawmakers in Annapolis.

His career was marred in 2010 when he faced corruption charges after a federal investigation of his role as a consultant for a supermarket company. He was acquitted in 2011 after a six-week jury trial.
Christenberrys intimate photographs of crumbling rural Alabama made him one of the most respected and influential artists of the modern South.

William Christenberry The photographer came to Washington in 1968 to teach at the Corcoran School, retiring in 2008. Greg Kahn/GRAIN/For The Washington Post
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY

These were among cases received recently by the Prince Georges County Animal Management Division. Call 301-780-7200 for directions to the county animal shelter, hours of operation, and adoption and licensing procedures. The department website is princegeorgespets4us.com.

Fallen eagle: 13100 block, Croom Rd., Upper Marlboro, Nov. 5. A woman reported seeing an injured bird that was attempting to fly but could not move. An animal control officer picked up the brown female eagle. The injured eagle was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center for treatment.

Dog left at property: 11400 block, Carroll Ct., Upper Marlboro, Nov. 5. A woman requested pickup of a stray dog that was dropped off at her property by an unknown person. An officer removed the 2-year-old fawn-colored male mastiff. The dog was reunited with its owner Nov. 14.

Sick stray in yard: 7400 block, Lanham Lane, Fort Washington, Nov. 6. A woman called animal management to report a stray dog lying in her yard. She said the dog appeared sick because it was breathing but not moving. An animal control officer picked up the 16-year-old buff-colored cocker spaniel mix. The dog was reunited with its owner the next day.

Smoked out: Herrington and Joyceton drives, Upper Marlboro, Nov. 8. A woman reported holding a dog she found running loose. The caller said that the dog was from a house up the street that had recently caught fire and that the animal smelled like smoke and appeared to have burns. An animal control officer picked up the 6-year-old silver-colored female Yorkshire terrier. The dog was reunited with its owner Nov. 15.

Religious rabbit: 11000 block, Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, Nov. 8. An animal control officer picked up a white rabbit that was found hopping around the parking lot of a churchs commerce center. The female shorthair rabbit was transferred to a rescue group Nov 16.

Detained dog: 4200 block, 58th Ave., Bladensburg, Nov. 10. Animal management received a report about a stray dog running up and down the street. An employee at a nearby business was able to capture the dog with a leash. An officer picked up the 8-year-old black female Boston terrier. The dog was reunited with its owner Nov. 12.

LOW-COST SHOT CLINIC SUNDAY

The SPCA/Humane Society of Prince Georges County is sponsoring a low-cost shot clinic for dogs and cats 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at 8210 DArcy Rd., Forestville. Rabies and distemper shots are $10. Microchip IDs are $25. Only cash and credit cards are accepted as payment. All animals must be on a leash or in a carrier. Owners should bring an up-to-date rabies certificate. For information, call 301-262-5625 or visit pgspca.org.

VOLUNTEER NEEDS

SPCA/Humane Society of Prince Georges County, an all-volunteer organization, needs volunteers 18 and older to assist in a variety of tasks. Opportunities include photography and videography, social media outreach, adoption show assistance, administration, and pet fostering. Contact 301-262-5625 or visit pgspca.org/get-involved/volunteer.

Prince Georges County Animal Management Division seeks volunteers to assist animals in need by joining the pet foster-family program. Foster families provide a safe, loving home to animals that are injured, very young, recovering from surgery or in need of other special care until they are adoptable. Call 301-780-7219 or visit princegeorgespets4us.com .

Partnership for Animal Welfare needs volunteers to foster homeless dogs and cats, provide transportation to veterinarian appointments, and handle animals at adoption shows. For information, go to paw-rescue.org or leave a message at 301-572-4729.

 Compiled by Jillian S. Jarrett
Cody (11966/3671) is an 8-year-old, 65-pound male German shorthaired pointer who was given up because of allergies. (Prince William County SPCA)

Cody (11966/3671) is an 8-year-old, 65-pound male German shorthaired pointer who was given up because of allergies. Mocha (10680/3759) is a male dwarf mix rabbit who is 1 to 3 years old. He is good with children. Smidge (11954/3660) is an 8-week-old male domestic shorthair kitten.

The Prince William County Animal Shelter, 14807 Bristow Rd., Manassas, makes animals available for adoption by residents of Manassas and Manassas Park and Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and Stafford counties. If the animal is spayed or neutered, adopters may live outside these areas. Additional animals can be seen at pwcshelter.petfinder.com. Viewing and adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The shelter is closed Mondays and holidays. Adoptions end a half-hour before closing. For information, call 703-792-6465.

Smidge (11954/3660) is an 8-week-old male domestic shorthair kitten. (Prince William County SPCA)
D.C. police have concluded an internal investigation of allegations that an officer berated a Pakistani-born limousine driver during a traffic stop, saying no discipline will be meted out because the driver did not wish to pursue the case.

Speaking on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt, Interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said Wednesday that investigators did not identify the officer who is alleged to have made the comments on Nov. 11. He said officials stopped looking for the officer after the driver said he did not want to stay involved.

David Gregory, a journalist and political commentator on CNN, was in the back seat during the stop at New York Avenue and I-395 and said he heard the officer tell the unidentified driver, I will take everything away from you. Gregory said the driver later told him the officer also said, I will take your head off.

Gregory tweeted about the encounter later that morning. On Wednesday, he concurred with police that the driver didnt want to pursue anything. Gregory said police officials reached out to him in a conciliatory way.

[D.C. police officer accused of berated Pakistani-born limo driver]

Gregory said the officer stopped the vehicle after his driver inappropriately crossed into an oncoming lane while maneuvering around a line of buses he thought were parked, but actually were waiting for a traffic signal. He said the officer yelled at the driver but never got out of his cruiser and did not write a ticket.

The incident came to the immediate attention of Newsham and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who saw the tweets. Officials talked to the driver that day and Bowser issued an apology, saying that the incident described on social media does not illustrate who we are as a city or how we carry ourselves.

On Wednesdays television news show, Newsham said the incident is a reminder to officers that every interaction they have in every single circumstance, people are watching, and they should be on their best behavior. The last thing we want is for our officers to be disrespectful to people living, working or visiting our community.

On Monday, the Districts Police Complaints Board issued a report calling on D.C. officers to watch their demeanor and clean up foul language, saying the panel investigated 945 complaints over four years accusing officers of name-calling and using profanity.

[Office of Police Complaints urges officers to clean up their language]

The oversight group wrote that many officers thought that using harsh language was necessary to command attention and control a person or situation, and that those officers said restricting certain phrases or demeanor is not reflective of the realities officers face on a day-to-day basis.

Newsham, at a news conference Tuesday, said 190 of the 945 complaints over four years involved allegations of profanity, and the rest were objections to officers tone and demeanor. He said the profanity cases equate to about 47 a year, out of 3,700 officers answering nearly 2 million calls annually.

[Read report on police language use by Office of Police Complaints]

I dont want people to think this is a systemic issue for the Metropolitan Police Department, Newsham said.

At the same, he noted that the report contained several antidotes of language abuse the chief said top officials found disturbing. He said disciplinary action has been taken against officers in those cases.

We pride ourselves with our relations with the community, he said.
Police said Tuesday that they are asking for the publics help in locating a man wanted for rape in Fairfax County.

In August, a 15-year-old girl from Falls Church told a case worker that 18-year-old Ronald Fabricio Herrera Contreras raped her in a park in the 7300 block of Lee Highway on July 13, Fairfax County Police said in a statement.

The victim said Contreras is a gang member, police said, and he is wanted for rape, abduction with the intent to defile, gang participation and assault and battery.

Contreras may be in hiding, but police believe he is still in the United States, and described him as about 55 tall and weighing 145 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Police asked anyone with information about Contrerass whereabouts to contact them at 703-246-7800 visit fairfaxcrimesolvers.org.
Police are searching for a woman who they said was involved in the killing of a man Tuesday night in a shopping center in the Woodbridge/Manassas area of Prince William County.

The shooting occurred about 7:30 p.m. near the Food Lion in the 6300 block of Hoadly Road, police said, where 24-year-old Cordrey Douglas Jackson, of Dumfries, got in a fight with a man and a woman, 23-year-old Roberta Edlina Brandon, of Woodbridge.

All those involved in the fight knew one another, Prince William County police said in a statement. Jackson was shot during the altercation and died at a hospital, police said.

A warrant was issued for Brandons arrest, according to the statement. She is charged with murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Police described her as black, 5-foot-10, weighing 154 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call 703-670-3700 or 1-866-411-TIPS.

The homicide was Prince Williams 22nd of 2016, police said.
A dual Dutch-Turkish national was in federal court in Washington Wednesday to face sentencing for providing material support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a U.S.-designated terrorist group active in Afghanistan.

U.S. prosecutors are seeking a maximum, 15-year prison term for Irfan Demirtas, 57, who they said served as a European-based fundraiser and recruiter for IMU leader Tahir Yuldashev.

[Man pleads guilty in D.C. to supporting al-Qaeda-backed terrorist group]

Demirtas has admitted that between January 2006 and May 2008, he provided funds to Yuldashev and was present when the IMU leader thanked him for money and made threats to Americans.

Prosecutors showed excerpts of videos seized in a May 2008 raid on Demirtass home in Tilburg, Netherlands, including some showing Yuldashev thanking Demirtas for providing more than $100,000 in aid to IMU, and Demirtas firing an AK-47, machine gun and rocket propelled grenade with Uzbek fighters.

Uzbek commander and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader Tahir Yuldashev gives a speech in an unidentified location. (Reuters TV/via Reuters)

One of the most telling indications of the defendants intent is a statement made during a videotaped visit to Pakistan, prosecutors led by Michael C. DiLorenzo alleged in sentencing documents. DiLorenzo said in court that a masked man in the video with a Dutch passport was Demirtas, who went on in the video to say that he went to Pakistan to wage war with America.

U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss of Washington called the case difficult for many reasons, including that opposing views of the evidence could not be more different.

After a day-long session Wednesday, Moss continued the sentencing hearing to Dec. 13 saying that he also will consider asking prosecutors to produce additional evidence, including statements made to the FBI by a confidential informant and IMU recruit from Texas who said he was present when a video was made.

Demirtass federal defenders said the masked man in the video was not their client, and that an FBI agent who said he recognized Demirtass voice had spoken with him only once before making the identification. Demirtas never recruited fighters, his attorneys said, but rather was asked once to drive two Turkish fighters from Islamabads airport to an IMU camp in South Waziristan, near the Afghanistan border.

Assistant Federal Defender Mary C. Petras, asked Moss for a 97-month sentence, roughly equivalent to the time he has already served in Dutch, French, German and U.S. custody since his arrest.

Petras said U.S. authorities overstated Demirtass role and ignored his acceptance of responsibility, age, poor health, lack of prior offenses, family circumstances and good conduct  factors that could affect his sentencing calculation under federal guidelines  during a brief period after he was set free by France. Petras cited the harsh terms of Demirtass confinement in the D.C. jail, where he spends all but 15 minutes each weekday in a windowless cell.

Mr. Demirtas has demonstrated . . . that he will not commit any future crimes, but rather will return to his home in the Netherlands and continue to care for his family, Petras told Moss, according to court papers.

At the time of Demirtass visit to Pakistan in late 2006 and early 2007, the IMU was actively battling Afghan and U.S. forces. The United States designated the IMU a foreign terrorist organization on Sept. 25, 2001, and the group has allied itself with the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Yuldashev, also known as Tohir Can, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in August 2009.

Demirtas, at his September guilty plea, admitted that he supported a terrorist group, but denied that he specifically intended to finance violent acts.

Although Demirtas was videotaped firing several weapons at the insistence of his Uzbek hosts, his attorney said, Demirtas saw his donations as an extension of his charitable work to fellow Muslims caught in floods, earthquakes and other disasters.

[European man extradited to D.C. to face charges of funding terrorism]

Demirtas was sentenced in France to eight years in prison for related activities on Jan. 8, 2013.

Prosecutors there said Demirtass French-based network sent at least $390,000 to the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with more than half earmarked for Islamist militancy.

Demirtas was returned to the Netherlands and released in July 2013, but was arrested again in Germany in January 2015 based on a 2012 U.S. warrant. He was extradited to the United States in July 2015.

U.S. authorities agreed not to pursue additional charges in a four-count indictment dated Dec. 8, 2011, and modified this April.

The original U.S. charges included providing resources to terrorists and receiving military-type training as well as a firearms charge, which upon conviction would have carried a mandatory 30-year prison term.
Indefinite banda called in Butwal against province split

Indefinite banda has been called in Butwal since this morning against the decision to split province no 5 through constitution amendment.
Police in Prince George's County are on the scene of a homicide in Hyattsville. (Courtesy of Prince George's County Police)

Authorities in Prince Georges County investigated the death of a man found Wednesday in a roadway in Hyattsville.

There were few immediate details and the persons name was not released, pending the notification of family. Police said the incident happened in the 5300 block of Crittendon Street about 6:45 a.m.

The man was found in the roadway after suffering from trauma, said a police statement. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

This comes as the D.C. region has seen more than 270 homicides this year, based on a count by The Washington Post. Of those, roughly 100 have been in Maryland counties around the District. Ninety of those have been in Prince Georges County.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered in the case and anyone with information is asked to call 1-866-411-8477.
Authorities are investigating a Tuesday morning collision involving two vehicles that killed a 71-year-old passenger, Montgomery County police said.

The passenger, identified as Sultana Firdous Dasti of Gaithersburg, was sitting in the front seat of a car that collided with an SUV, according to a department press release. After the crash, officials said Dasti was taken to an area hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Just before the 11:15 a.m. accident, Dasti was riding in a 2000 Acura TL driven by a 42-year-old. Police said Acuras driver was making a left turn from northbound Snouffer Road onto westbound Centerway Road in Gaithersburg. At the same time, authorities said a Dodge Durango, driven by a 46-year-old Wheaton man, was traveling south on Snouffer Road and was approaching Centerway Road.

The car and SUV collided at the intersection, according to the release.

Police said the driver of the Durango was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the Acura was not injured in the crash.

The collision is under investigation. Authorities ask anyone who witnessed the accident or has information to contact the Montgomery County Police Departments Collision Reconstruction Unit by calling (240) 773-6620.
Prince Georges County Council member Mel Franklin gave remarks after he took the oath of office in December 2014. (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post)

Prince Georges County Council member Mel Franklin was charged with driving under the influence after he crashed a government-owned vehicle recently into a car stopped at a traffic light, police said.

Franklin (D-Upper Marlboro) was traveling south along Pennsylvania Avenue in a county SUV about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 21 when he rear-ended a Mercedes stopped at a light near Dower House Road, according to Maryland State Police.

A breath test measured his blood alcohol concentration at 0.10, according to a copy of a police report obtained by The Washington Post. In Maryland, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more supports a DUI charge.

Two people in the car that Franklin is charged with hitting suffered suspected minor injuries and were transported to a hospital, according to the report and state police. It does not appear that Franklin was injured, but the impact caused the air bag in his vehicle to deploy, according to the police report.

Franklin, a longtime community activist and lawyer, was first elected to the County Council in 2010 to represent some of the most rural parts of southern Prince Georges County. He is widely considered one of the lead candidates to succeed County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) in 2018. But Democrats say he has also been eyeing one of the two new at-large seats created following the November referendum vote to expand the council.

An SUV allegedly driven by Prince George's Council member Mel Franklin in a Nov. 21 collision in which he has been charged with DUI. (Image via Jaklitsch Law Group)

News of his arrest prompted a demand for his resignation from Progressive Prince Georges, a county branch of a statewide coalition of civic activists and grass-roots organizations working on local progressive politics.

We believe that he can no longer be entrusted with public responsibility because of his disregard for the law, the group said in a statement Wednesday that called for Franklin to personally cover the costs of any property damage and medical bills resulting from his alleged actions.

Franklin did not respond to a request for comment on his arrest. His attorney, Theresa Moore, confirmed his involvement and said, as you are aware, this is a legal matter and these issues will be addressed in court.

Franklin is expected to receive a summons with a court date, though it was unclear when that would occur.

County Council Chair Derrick Leon Davis (D-Mitchellville) said in a statement that Franklin has relinquished the use of his county vehicle and no longer has use of or access to any county-issued vehicle.

When troopers arrived at the crash, Franklin was not in the immediate area of the Ford Explorer he was driving, police said. A trooper spotted him about 70 yards away in the center median, crossing the road before walking along the shoulder of the highway, police said.

Its unclear from the police report why Franklin was away from the SUV. The incident was first reported by WJLA-TV (ABC7).

The car allegedly hit from the rear at a traffic light by Prince George's Council member Mel Franklin in a Nov. 21 collision. (Image via Jaklitsch Law Group)

Police identified the driver and the passenger of the Mercedes hit as Matthew and Theresa Collins of Upper Marlboro.

The couple have been released from the hospital but is still undergoing medical treatment, according to their attorney, Christine Murphy of Jaklitsch Law Group.

Murphy said the couple were driving home when they were stopped at a red light and suddenly struck from behind. Theyre definitely shaken up, Murphy said.

Franklin was released to the custody of his wife, according to the initial incident report obtained by The Washington Post, which also shows he turned 41 Wednesday.

Based on information in the police report, it appears Franklin could be subject to the states new, tougher ignition-lock law, dubbed Noahs Law after a Montgomery County police officer fatally struck by a drunk driver.

The long-stalled bill to expand use of ignition locks was approved in the final hour of the annual legislative session, in which legislation over alcohol and driving figured prominently. It lowers the offending blood alcohol level at which ignition locks are required from 0.15 to 0.08.

According to the law, effective Oct. 1, a first-offense DUI conviction would require installation of an ignition interlock, said Greg Shipley, a spokesman for state police.

Franklin was charged with driving while impaired by alcohol, driving while under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving and failure to control speed on a highway to avoid collision, police said.

State police said they will work with the Prince Georges states attorneys office to determine whether any other charges are necessary.

John Erzen, a spokesman for the states attorneys office, said that because Franklin is an elected county official, the office will secure a prosecutor from another jurisdiction to handle the case.

Council members have the option of using the county governments fleet of vehicles, with the cost deducted from their paychecks. If council members use their own cars for government-related travel, they receive an allowance to help offset costs.

Barry Hudson, a spokesman for Baker, deferred questions about Franklins vehicle use to the council, which did not have immediate answers to questions regarding Franklins record of using county-owned vehicles.

Retired Prince Georges firefighter Jonn Mack said that he has known Franklin for more than a decade since their time as Young Democrats and that Franklin is a fighter for the community who had won the trust of constituents and was focused on bringing needed development to the county.

This is completely out of character, Mack said in an interview Wednesday.
A woman was killed in Prince Georges County Tuesday afternoon when she lost control of her SUV and it turned over, the police said.

The incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. on Temple Hills Road near Kirby Road in the Clinton area.

It was not known why the woman lost control of her vehicle, said Cpl. Harry Bond, a police spokeswoman. He said two other people from her vehicle were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

After the SUV overturned it was struck by another vehicle, Bond said. The driver of that vehicle was not injured, he said.
In around one-third of U.S. states, more white people are now dying than being born  a major shift that is expected to continue and has significant implications for government policy.

Seventeen states  home to 121 million people, or roughly 38 percent of the countrys population  had more deaths than births among non-Hispanic whites in 2014, up from just four states a decade earlier, according to research released Tuesday by the University of New Hampshires Carsey School of Public Policy.

The trend, which cuts across blue and red states and can be found in both urban and rural areas, is expected to expand to more states in the near future, including Vermont, South Carolina, Tennessee and Oregon, the report said.

White natural decrease  when births fail to keep up with deaths  is due largely to the aging of the baby-boom generation and declining white fertility rates, particularly since the Great Recession, the report found.

Nationally, the ratio of non-Hispanic white births to deaths is nearly at par, at 1.04 births for every death. The ratio is much higher for minority groups, particularly among Latinos, whose rate is 5.4 births for every death. The ratio for blacks is 1.94 births for every death, and for Asians, it is 1.75 births.





The influx of immigrants from minority groups, who tend to be in their childbearing years, helps fuel the birthrate.

The findings are particularly trenchant in the wake of an election that was often framed in terms of white Americans feeling threatened by the demographic rise of minority groups. While the country is still about two-thirds white, the proportions are shifting. 2011 was the first year in which more minority babies than white ones were born, and demographers expect the country to become majority minority in 2044.

Its growing young immigrant population puts the United States on a different path than European countries, which are facing a looming crisis because of their aging populations. As aging white Americans rely more on Social Security and Medicare, they are expected to be shored up by the influx of young minorities into the workforce.

What government and politicians need to pay attention to is that its the younger part of the population thats going to be contributing to the economy, said Bill Frey, demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. All of the growth in the labor force is going to be racial minorities. Investing in this next generation in terms of their education and being able to contribute to the labor force and pay into Social Security, Medicare, etc. is going to be to the benefit of that older white population.

Kenneth Johnson, an author of the University of New Hampshire study, agreed but noted that not everyone sees it that way.

It doesnt necessarily have to be competitive, but, boy, the rhetoric of recent times tells me that thats the way it certainly has been, he said.

Despite the rapid shift in the number of states with white natural decrease, the absolute size of the non-Hispanic white population continues to be large in many parts of the United States. The share of the population that is white decreased from 79.6 percent in 1980 to 61.9 percent in 2014, according to the report. The share of the nation that is Latino rose from 6.4 percent to 17.3 percent during the same period. (While Hispanics are considered a minority group in the United States, the term Hispanic refers to ethnic origin regardless of race.)

It is going to be a long time before the white people arent a very powerful political force, Johnson said.

Still, he said, he was struck by the speed and scope of the increase, particularly in highly populated states such as California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Among the 17 states noted in the study, all but two, Maine and West Virginia, are seeing more births overall because of growing nonwhite populations. The Latino population is particularly young, with a median age of 28.4 in 2014, and Latino births exceeded deaths by a large margin in all states and the District of Columbia that year.

Even so, the immigration rate from Mexico has declined since the recession, and so has the Latino birthrate, factors that could slow the decline of whites as a percentage of the total population in some states.

Along with the aging of baby boomers, the change is driven largely by a decline in the number of white women of childbearing age, combined with a decline in the white fertility rate. The number of white women between 15 and 44 decreased by 4.7 million, or 12 percent, in the United States between 2000 and 2014.

The Great Recession also changed the trajectory of the birthrate in the United States, Johnson said, noting that if it had continued as it was going before the downturn, there would be around 3.5 million more children in the country.

It is unclear whether the women who did not have those babies delayed having them or will never have them. If the latter is true, it could accelerate the rate of white natural decrease, whereas an uptick in births could slow it. Either way, nationwide, the number of white deaths is expected to overtake the number of white births by the mid-2020s.

The study also cited an uptick in drug-induced deaths among working-class whites. Such deaths outnumbered motor-vehicle-accident deaths in 41 states in 2014, compared with 10 states in 2004, and could accelerate the transition from natural increase to natural decrease in some states, the study said.
Thursday, Dec. 1

JobSource mobile career center Help with employment and reemployment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Charlotte Hall Library, 37600 New Market Rd., Charlotte Hall. 301-884-2211. Free.

Confidential HIV testing Age 16 and older. An oral swab with confidential test results. Sponsored by the Charles County Health Department. Noon-4 p.m. Waldorf West Library, 10405 O'Donnell Pl. , Waldorf. 301-645-1395. Free.

Clark Senior Center book discussion The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. 1-2 p.m. Richard R. Clark Senior Center, 1210 Charles St., LaPlata. 301-934-9001. Free.

Home school STEAM club meeting Ages 5-9. Activities for those interested in science, technology, engineering, arts or math. This months activity is a computer programming project. 2-3 p.m. Charles County Public Library, Potomac Branch, 3225 Ruth B. Swann Dr., Indian Head. 301-375-7375. Free.

Holiday music jam Age 18 and older. Bring a musical instrument for a holiday jam session. 6-7:30 p.m. Charles County Public Library, La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Ave., La Plata. 301-934-9001. Free.

American Legion chicken dinner Includes side dishes, salad and a drink. 5:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 206, 3330 North Chesapeake Beach Rd., Chesapeake Beach. 301-855-6466 or alpost206.org. $12.

Denim & Diamonds: A Holiday Affair Dress in your best denim attire. Hosted by the Southern Maryland chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction to support its efforts in the community. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Waldorf Cultural Center, 109 Post Office Rd., Waldorf. 703-864-3422, nataliebennett1199@gmail.com or southernmarylandtlod.com. $30.

Wreath workshop Includes greens and a wreath sale. Thursday at 6:30-9 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. American Chestnut Land Trust, Scientists' Cliffs Road, Port Republic. 410-414-3400 or acltweb.org.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2

Theater: God of Carnage Presented by Black Box Theatre and Port Tobacco Players. Mature language. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., through Dec. 10. Indian Head Center for the Arts, 4185 Indian Head Hwy., Indian Head. 301-743-3040 or ptplayers.com. $18, seniors, youth and military $15.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Tiny elves and Santas workshop Age 14 and younger. Includes shopping, a pancake breakfast,pizza and gift-making. 9-11 a.m. Hollywood Recreation Center, 24400 Mervell Dean Rd., Hollywood. 301-475-4200, Ext. *1800, or stmarysmd.com/recreate. $30 a child, additional siblings $25 each.

Charitable giving program Age 18 and older. Learn tips on end-of-the-year giving. Presented by the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland. 9:30-11 a.m. Waldorf West Library, 10405 O'Donnell Pl. , Waldorf. 301-645-1395. Free.

Waldorf book discussion Age 18 and older. Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Charles County Public Library, P.D. Brown Branch, 50 Village St., Waldorf. 301-645-2864. Free.

Gingerbread house workshops For all ages. Bring a bag of any edible item to share with the group. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Calvert Library, 850 Costley Way, Prince Frederick. 410-535-0291, 301-855-1862 or calvert.lib.md.us. Free; registration required.

ACLT greens sale Holiday greens and wreaths. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. American Chestnut Land Trust, Scientists' Cliffs Road, Port Republic. 410-414-3400. acltweb.org.

Colonial Christmas program Hang evergreens, make crafts and try traditional dances. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Historic St. Marys City, 18751 Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary's City. info@hsmcdigshistory.org, 240-895-4990 or hsmcdigshistory.org. $10, seniors $9, children 6 and older $6, ages 5 and younger free.

Santa visits La Plata Elves will help children write letters to Santa, plus photos and more. Sponsored by the Citizens of Charles County Public Library. Bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the Childrens Aid Society. 1-3:30 p.m. Charles County Public Library, La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Ave., La Plata. 301-934-9001. Free.

Holiday Craft Day For adults. Make a dip ornament. Materials and instructions supplied. 2-3 p.m. Lexington Park Library, 21677 FDR Blvd., Lexington Park. 301-863-8188 or stmalib.org. Free; registration required.

Holiday concert Sing along to classic songs with the Southern Maryland Concert Band. 3-4:30 p.m., Waldorf West Library, 10405 O'Donnell Pl., Waldorf. 301-645-1395. Free.

Christmas concert Featuring the Unclouded Day, Shorty Kirby and other groups. 6-8 p.m. Waters Memorial United Methodist Church, 5400 Mackall Road, St. Leonard. 410-586-1716.

Christmas Singspiration Includes dessert, coffee and fellowship. 7 p.m. North Beach Union Church, 8912 Chesapeake Ave., North Beach. 410-257-3555. Free.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Hollywood chicken dinner Drive-through or pick up. Includes one-half chicken, parsleyed potatoes, green beans, biscuit and cookies. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, 43256 Rescue Lane, Hollywood. mallgrammy@md.metrocast.net. or 301-373-3131. $12.

American Legion bluegrass series Featuring the Gibson Brothers. 2 p.m. American Legion Post 238, 6265 Brandywine Rd., Hughesville. 301-737-3004 or americanlegionabluegrass.com. $15, 12 and younger free.

Monday, Dec. 5

Prince Frederick community meeting Sponsored by the Prince Frederick Coalition to discuss the future of the town center. 7 p.m. Harriet E. Brown Community Center, 901 Dares Beach Rd., Prince Frederick. 410-474-1043 or pfcoalition@gmail.com. Free.

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Shake, Rattle and Roll story time Ages 3-5. Stories, songs and crafts. 11 a.m.-noon, Charles County Public Library, Potomac Branch, 3225 Ruth B. Swann Dr., Indian Head. 301-375-7375. Free.

American Legion steak dinner Includes trimmings and a drink. 5:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 206, 3330 North Chesapeake Beach Rd., Chesapeake Beach. 301-855-6466 or alpost206.org. $15.

Otaku Nights Ages 10-17. Learn about drawing, story layout, thumbnails and character construction. 7-8:30 p.m. Calvert Library Twin Beaches branch, 3819 Harbor Rd., Chesapeake Beach. 410-257-2411. Free; registration required.

Wednesday, Dec. 7

An Early American Christmas culinary program Age 18 and older. Taste the original version of a sugarplum, a classic cookie, spiced wassail and more. 6-7:30 p.m. Waldorf West Library, 10405 O'Donnell Pl. , Waldorf. 301-645-1395. Free; registration required.

Thursday, Dec. 8

JobSource mobile career center Help with employment and reemployment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Charles County Public Library, Potomac Branch, 3225 Ruth B. Swann Dr., Indian Head. 301-375-7375. Free.

Kwanzaa: 50th anniversary celebration Learn the traditions and philosophy of the week-long holiday. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Waldorf West Library, 10405 O'Donnell Pl. , Waldorf. 301-645-1395. Free.

La Plata book discussion The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah. 7-8 p.m. Charles County Public Library, La Plata Branch, 2 Garrett Ave., La Plata. 301-934-9001. Free.

 Compiled by Bonnie Smith

To submit an event

Email: smliving@washpost.com

Details: Announcements are accepted from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include dates, times, address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.
One of the large lions is installed at MGM National Harbor as the casino nears its opening day. (ESVP llc./MGM National Harbor)

With a luxury resort and casino about to open in Prince Georges County, youd think council member Obie Patterson would be in a celebratory mood. Property values around the $1.4 billion project are rising. Jobs for his constituents have been created, with promises of more to come. Millions of casino dollars are expected to flow into the countys tax coffers.

But Patterson is worried that the good luck is about to run out. When the slots begin to spin at MGM National Harbor on Dec. 8, weekly vehicular traffic to the site is expected to double  from 90,000 cars, buses and trucks a week to an astounding 180,000.

Given the casinos location  where the heavily traveled Wilson Bridge links Virginia and Maryland and connects with the District on Interstate 295  a traffic tie-up could potentially cause disruptions from Charles County in Southern Maryland to downtown Washington as well as for miles along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and on the Beltway.

The casino has a pretty slick traffic plan once you get on the property, but off-site, its going to be nothing more than a nightmare, said Patterson, who lives in Fort Washington, Md., just a few miles from the casino. I expect people to go crazy when they cant get to the doctor or work or church.

When Maryland state legislators approved a casino for the county in 2012, the bill called for developing a comprehensive transportation plan for the site and the surrounding area. The National Harbor location was selected in December 2013. The county finally unveiled a traffic plan last month, but it is far from comprehensive.

[There will be traffic. People are going to want to see the new MGM]

It calls for tweaking the timing of traffic lights, using traffic cops assisted by aerial views from a helicopter, adding message boards and making street signs larger.

Traffic is already an issue during the holidays. On Black Friday, police were called in to direct all the people trying to get to nearby Tanger Outlets, but they were overwhelmed. There was gridlock. Motorists began ignoring officers sometimes-confusing commands.

Im scared stiff, because what happened on Black Friday could be 10 times worse when the casino opens, Patterson said.

At a community meeting last month, the countys police chief, Henry P. Stawinski III, tried to reassure residents. But the countys hastily drafted traffic mitigation plan didnt give him much to work with.

There will be traffic, he told them. There is going to be a lot of people coming to this venue.

Scott Peterson, press secretary for County Executive Rushern Baker, told me: People are going to be upset. But the way you have to look at the cars coming in is that nobody was coming to Prince Georges County before. If you want the kind of economic development that has eluded the county for so long, you have to take the cars, too.

Traffic jams in Prince Georges are already bad  though not as bad as in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. But the county is poised to jump to the top of the list.

Its insulting and embarrassing that county and state officials would not come up with a sensible transportation plan, Patterson said. The voters said they wanted a casino, but they expected their elected officials to fight for jobs and better roads.

Baker is betting that the traffic issue wont take long to resolve and that the benefits of the casino will become more apparent.

[MGM wraps up hiring, puts final touches at $1.4 billion resort]

We will have to be patient for the first 30 days, said Peterson . There will be a lot of outcry, and people will think its the end of the world. But as we see how people are adjusting, we will make adjustments, too.

Starting Tuesday, about 30,000 people who live near the casino will begin receiving postcards from the county telling them what to expect and how to get updated traffic information.

There will also be tens of thousands of robo-calls to keep this on their minds, Peterson said.

And, as if the traffic jams and robo-calls arent annoying enough, residents can sign up for county traffic alerts to be sent to their cellphones and computers.

Its like those weather alerts you get when theres a tornado, Peterson said.

To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy.
Metro board member Corbett A. Price says the agency should consider canceling the Silver Line extension to save money. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

In an apparent effort to pressure Virginia and its suburbs to contribute more money to Metro, a board member said Tuesday that he will ask the agency to consider canceling the $5.8 billion Silver Line extension, which is expected to open in 2020.

The proposal from board member Corbett A. Price, who represents the District, was immediately dismissed by Virginia officials, who said cancellation would break contracts and trigger lawsuits without necessarily saving any money. The second phase of the 23.1-mile line is well underway.

Sharon Bulova (D), chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, called the suggestion pretty ridiculous. Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said it was more rhetoric than somebody actually running the numbers.

The dispute was the latest sign of tension between the District and the Washington suburbs over how to run Metro. The city also has been at odds with Maryland and Virginia over late-night service cuts.

[Is the Silver Line to blame for all of Metros woes?]

Price, a businessman who represents Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) on the Metro board, said the agency cant afford the extra costs of operating the Silver Line if it is extended as planned.

If Northern Virginia wants to finish the project, Price said, it should be willing to pay for its operations by approving a tax or other dedicated funding source for Metro. He said he will propose that Metro discuss the proposal as early as Thursdays board meeting.

Based on my analysis, we ought to look at forgoing the Silver Line, Price said. How can you continue to expand when youre currently in a deficit situation and the expansion project is going to put you further into deficit?

Metro is not paying for construction of the line in Northern Virginia  it is being financed through a combination of federal, state and local funds raised in part through special taxing districts.

Dulles Toll Road users are paying for more than 70 percent of the projects cost.

[Budget proposal paints grim portrait of Metros future]

Construction of the Silver Line is being managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Once completed, each phase is handed over to Metro, which assumes responsibility for maintenance and operations. The first phase of the project  five stations in Reston and Tysons  opened in July 2014. The second phase has six stations, including one at Dulles Airport, and for the first time extends Metro service into Loudoun County. Construction has begun on five of the six stations, and the project is nearly 47 percent complete.

Price said canceling the extension would save about $100 million over two fiscal years beginning in mid-2018, at a time when the District and other jurisdictions are concerned about rising financial demands from Metro for increased government subsidies.

Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans (D), who also represents the District, said he supports Prices idea.

Mr. Prices observation that we may have to just stop moving forward with the Silver Line may make sense in light of the enormous financial challenges that we face, said Evans, who also is a D.C. Council member. It just goes back to the need for a dedicated funding source.

Metro is struggling to close a $290 million budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It could involve a mix of fare increases, service cuts and increased subsidies from the District, Maryland and Virginia.

In addition, Metro has put the jurisdictions on notice that it will be asking for higher-than-expected subsidies in coming years. The District has said its share of the unexpected new burden  for operating expenses and capital investments  will exceed $650 million over the next three fiscal years.

The District has been calling for the region to approve a regionwide sales tax or other reliable revenue source to fund Metros growing needs for both operational subsidies and capital funds to pay for maintenance, new equipment and other investments.

[There are four proposals to save Metro. Which might prevail?]

Evans said Virginia and Maryland ought to speed up plans to seek such a tax. In their 2017 legislative sessions starting in January, he said, the states should propose to allow the suburban jurisdictions served by Metro to tax themselves to support the transit system.

Local officials and business leaders, instead, have been planning to wait until early 2018 to make such proposals in Richmond and Annapolis, giving them time to develop a common regional proposal and lobby for it.

Bulova reaffirmed Virginias position that it would not consider dedicated funding until Metro has made progress on current problems.

It is way too premature to suggest a new funding stream without being sure that management issues, safety issues and governance issues are being addressed, Bulova said.

Virginia residents already pay a portion of their sales tax for transportation. In addition, Republican legislators in the GOP-led General Assembly have promised to block any tax increases for Metro.

Metro is the only major U.S. transit system that does not receive a significant amount of its funds from a dedicated source. This has been identified repeatedly as a major shortcoming that contributes to underinvestment in the system.

Maryland has said it is unwilling to consider additional funding unless Metro is willing to create benchmarks to measure its improvement.

Layne said it would be costly to break contract obligations to cancel the Silver Line extension. He noted that debt has already been issued for the project.

It may be more expensive to stop than it is to go forward, Layne said. I would suggest a thorough review of that before any decision were made.

Bulova suggested that Price and Evans were not serious about killing the project but were instead trying to put pressure on Virginia officials.

Frankly, I think essentially that suggestion is merely provocative and not a real recommendation, Bulova said. Theyre poking us.

She said landowners along the Silver Line route, who were paying higher taxes to support the project, would object if it were canceled.

Price was dismissive of that concern, saying, Thats Virginias responsibility. Thats not Metros.

Lori Aratani contributed to this report.
Locals form pressure group to expedite SIA, fast track

Locals of proposed Province 2 have taken to the streets to exert pressure on government authorities concerned to expedite the construction of Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track and Second International Airport in Nijgad, Bara.
Signs warn where city sewage enters the Potomac River at Oronoco Bay. The city says $150 million to $200 million will be needed over the next 15 years for storm and sanitary sewer projects that Alexandira is required to take on to stop the overflow of sewage into the Potomac River virtually every time it rains. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks tapped the brakes on design work for a recreation center and the installation of long-delayed informational signs Tuesday because of what he described as enormous challenges that the city faces on infrastructure improvements.

The $1.4 million design for the proposed $20 million renovation of the Chinquapin Park Recreation Centers pool and a $25,000 series of way-finding signs planned to direct visitors to interesting local sites are on hold, Jinks told the City Council, because the cost of other major capital improvements are becoming clear and he wants the city to set priorities before any money is committed.

The citys share of the escalating cost of Metro will increase by $90 million over the next 10 years, Jinks said he learned this past weekend. Schools need an additional $200 million over the same period, the local schools chief recently warned. In addition, repairs to existing city facilities may add $80 million to $239 million to the $85 million already budgeted, depending on how extensive the renovations are, the council learned Tuesday.

Jinks said he will give the council his advice on how to prioritize its capital spending needs in February, when he typically presents his budget recommendations. Since Alexandria is one of the few cities in the country that has a 10-year capital improvement budget, the city has some flexibility in planning. But by local measures, the costs of paying for infrastructure repairs are steep, he said.

Meanwhile, $150 million to $200 million will be needed over the next 15 years for storm and sanitary sewer projects that the city is required to take on to stop the overflow of sewage into the Potomac River virtually every time it rains. Each local household will pay an additional $120 to $180 per year on their sewer bills to help cover that cost. The city plans to ask the state to cover some of the cost, as it has for Lynchburg and Richmond, but that request will not be made until 2018.

The council, which had met with four of the legislators who represent Alexandria in the General Assembly earlier Tuesday evening, said they plan to seek money to address all four of the sewer outfalls, and not just the three they are required to fix under the Clean Water Act. The fourth, which empties into Oronoco Bay at the foot of Pendleton Street, spills about 11 million gallons of raw sewage into the river each year.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduces Hillary Clinton before her concession speech at the New Yorker Hotels Grand Ballroom in New York City on Nov. 9. (Olivier Douliery/European Pressphoto Agency)

In his first floor speech since he and Hillary Clinton lost the election, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) revived one of his signature issues Wednesday: urging Congress to authorize military force against the Islamic State terrorist group.

Since Congress declared war against the 9/11 attackers, he said, Presidents George W. Bush and Obama expanded the definition to justify using military force in 14 nations  and set a dangerous precedent for President-elect Donald Trump.

He called lawmakers unwillingness to vote on new conflicts in Syria, Turkey, Yemen and other countries the height of public immorality and disrespectful to the troops.

In the 15-minute speech, Kaine, himself the father of a Marine, paid tribute to Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott C. Dayton, of Woodbridge, Va., whose death last week marked the first U.S. combat casualty in Syria.

We shouldnt order people into harms way to risk their lives unless theres a political consensus, Kaine said.

As Kaine shifts from running for vice president back to freshman senator, he has reprised his role as a moral guide for the body and said the time is right to take a fresh look at the war powers issue.

He urged his colleagues to review the progress of wars against terrorist organizations, redraft the 2001 authorization and reassert Congresss place in the debate.

[After a crushing defeat, Sen. Tim Kaine looks ahead]

Eighty percent of the members of Congress were not in office in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and have never had an opportunity to debate the war against the Islamic State, which he noted did not exist until two years later, he said.

Despite sharing a ticket with Clinton, a former secretary of state, and being an early endorser of Obama in 2008, Kaine has split sharply with the current administration on the issue.

Of all the powers of Congress, he said, I cant think of any that are more important than the power to declare war.

After the weapons of mass destruction justification for the Iraq War dissolved under Bush, Kaine acknowledged that lawmakers may be reluctant to go on the record with votes on various conflicts. Its a backbone issue, he said in an interview after the speech.

In addition, he said, Trump and his colleagues must grapple with difficult questions about what it means to declare war against a terrorist group that doesnt follow the Geneva Conventionss war protocols.

Weve drifted as if the challenge would solve itself, he said. Its not going to.

Kaine is a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees.
RICHMOND  Electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday won permission to open a second retail store in Virginia, a decision that the states auto dealers are expected to contest in court.

Richard D. Holcomb, the Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner, found that Tesla should be allowed to open a store in the Richmond suburbs because no independent auto dealers were prepared to sell the cars.

After careful review of the entire record, I find that there is no dealer independent of Tesla in the community or trade area of Richmond, Virginia, to own and operate a Tesla franchise in a manner consistent with the public interest, Holcomb wrote in a nine-page decision.

[Auto dealers sound alarm as Tesla pushes for second Virginia store]

Holcombs position was a reversal from three years ago, when he came down against the carmaker as it pursued its first Virginia store. Tesla filed a lawsuit over that decision, ultimately winning the right to open its Tysons Corner showroom under a settlement brokered by then-state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R).

Tesla applauds the Commissioners decision to allow us to open our new store and service center in Richmond, Virginia, Diarmuid OConnell, Teslas vice president of business development, said via email. This decision will allow Richmond-area consumers to learn about and purchase their Tesla vehicles in closer proximity to their home. We intend to swiftly begin construction.

Officials with the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Like Tesla, they have indicated a willingness to go to court over the issue.

Car dealers in Virginia and across the country see Teslas direct-to-consumer sales model as a threat to the franchise system, which they say protects consumers as well as their own business interests.

In Virginia, as in most states, it is generally illegal for manufacturers to sell cars directly to consumers, partly to prevent carmakers from undercutting their franchisees. But state law allows manufacturers to sell directly to customers if no one is available to serve as a dealer in a certain area.

No dealers expressed interest when Tesla sought its first Virginia store in 2013. But this time around, 11 dealers sent the company letters expressing interest. Tesla dismissed those as brief form letters orchestrated by the dealers association, not serious expressions of interest. Five dealers took the time to testify at hearings on the issue. But Holcomb found none of them had created business plans for such a dealership or indicated that they were capable of performing service on the all-electric vehicles.

[Electric-car maker Tesla seeks a second store in Virginia]

The auto dealers had contended that they could not come up with business plans because Tesla refused to provide necessary financial information.

Tesla has argued that conventional car dealers, who are used to quick sales, price markups and profitable maintenance work, are not equipped to sell its cars, which take longer to sell because they involve unfamiliar technology. Tesla offers its vehicles at set prices whether they are purchased at a retail store or through the companys website, which the company says leaves no room for markup. And with few moving parts, the cars offer little opportunity to profit from service  an important source of revenue for many traditional dealers.

Tesla, which is licensed to sell cars in 23 states and the District, has stores in Annapolis and Bethesda and on K Street in the District. Tesla also operates a gallery in McLean, where potential customers can learn about the vehicles. But staff there cannot discuss sales or allow customers to test-drive a car.
When most of us think of the homeless, we dont think of someone like Michelle: onetime branch manager of a bank, married with children, someone who doesnt drink or do drugs.

They look at [homelessness] as sort of, You must have lived on the street, said Michelle, who is in her 30s. No, I had a beautiful life.

A year ago, Michelle was living in Pennsylvania with her husband and their then 14-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. Her husband, Michelle realizes now, was into some sketchy stuff, stuff that would eventually land him in jail. Things worsened when Michelle lost her job, a consequence of being unable to find affordable child care. Emotional abuse at the hands of her husband turned into physical abuse.

You never see those relationships end well, Michelle said. When push comes to shove, I have to be alive and well for my children. . . . I didnt have a plan, per se. I packed up what I could, and we just left.

A year earlier, Michelle had attended a church conference where shed befriended a woman who lived in Northern Virginia. Thats where she headed, to the only sympathetic home she could think of. Her friend could accommodate Michelle and her children for only a short while, so the family found itself homeless.

Michelle said the 41 days they spent living in a Fairfax County homeless shelter disabused her of the notion that she was in control of her life.

I was someone who was like, Im supermom, and I can do it all, Michelle said.

Even in the shelter, she worked. She found a job at a post office 50 miles away. She was homeless, barely treading water, deeply in debt, commuting 100 miles a day. Her daughter was distraught that shed started high school while living in a shelter.

I cried on my way to work every morning and on my way home every night, Michelle said.

Then Michelle heard about Homestretch, a charity that works with homeless families in Virginia and is a partner in The Washington Post Helping Hand. More than 90 percent of the families Homestretch serves are headed by single mothers. Sixty percent are homeless because of domestic violence or human trafficking.

The interview process was about three hours long, Michelle said. If you got accepted, you had to come back for another 2-hour interview. . . . They talked about how they want to help you and also how they want you to help yourself.

Homestretch advisers sat down with Michelle and explained that they would provide an apartment for her family. She would be required to pay 30 percent of her salary in rent and put an additional 10 percent of her salary into a savings account to start paying back the debt she had accrued when her marriage was falling apart.

She would also need to participate in financial counseling, employment counseling and life-skills counseling.

All of those resources are tied into one another, Michelle said.

Michelle was impressed that the Homestretch employment counselor urged her not to jump into the first job she could find close to home. It was important that Michelle find a job that suited her skills, paid well and came with longevity.

With longevity comes a better salary, Michelle said.

Thats what Michelle found: an administrative office job that pays $52,000 a year.

For the first time ever, Michelle has life insurance, purchased with the help of Homestretch. I look at my credit report every day, she said. Thats something Ive never done before. Even though I worked in banking, Ive never done it.

Michelle is halfway through the two-year Homestretch program.

My hope for a year from now is to be completely debt-free and also to purchase a home in Virginia, she said. When you purchase a house, its like saying were here for the long haul. Its a safe place. These doors will never be closed. Its home.

You can help

Michelle told me that becoming part of Homestretch was like hitting the reset button. Its given her a safe space in which to get her life in order. (Shes not the only one in the family working. Her teenage daughter is, too.)

Your tax-deductible gift to Homestretch will help other families in need. To give online, visit posthelpinghand.com. To donate by mail, make a check payable to Homestretch and mail it to: Homestretch, 303 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, Va. 22046, Attn: Nan Monday.

Join me Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. as I chat on Facebook Live with Christopher Fay, Homestretchs executive director. Go to facebook.com/washpostpr to tune in.

Were into the third week of The Post Helping Hand fundraising drive. Our goal is to raise $225,000 by Jan. 6. After two weeks, weve raised $24,976.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
The remains of the Roaring Fork Baptist Church and a nearby home destroyed in the wildfire in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Dec. 6, 2016 The remains of the Roaring Fork Baptist Church and a nearby home destroyed in the wildfire in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Bonnie Jo Mount/Washington Post

Linda Monholland ended her shift at the Park View Inn around 9 p.m., stepped outside the resort and found herself surrounded by high flames. For 20 minutes Monday night, she and five colleagues struggled through the thick smoke and blowing embers of a sudden and deadly wildfire until they found safety, a tourist trolley turned evacuation shuttle.

It was like we were in hell. Hell opened up, said Monholland on Tuesday from an 80-acre sports facility pressed into service as a shelter. Walking through hell, thats what it was. . . . I never want to see something like that again in my life, ever.

The calamitous and deadly wildfire engulfed the tourist towns near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and burned much of them to the ground, displacing thousands of residents and visitors and shutting down one of the nations most popular natural attractions.

At least three people were reported dead and 14 others injured, officials said Tuesday. Acres of flames had spread down the mountains into towns with shocking speed, said those who fled with little more than the clothes on their backs, and the fire is estimated to have destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses.

Search-and-rescue efforts were underway throughout Sevier County as dusk arrived Tuesday in the charred, smoke-choked mountains, but some areas remained unreachable, authorities said. The Red Cross launched a service to try to reunite those who were separated, and it was not known how many people might be missing.

Michael Luciano captured video of the wildfire burning north of the Great Smoky Mountains as he tried to flee to safety in the early morning of Nov. 29. Luciano and a fellow passenger were escaping Chalet Village in the town of Gatlinburg, Tenn., as flames tore down trees and cabins alongside the road. (Facebook/Michael Luciano)

It happened so fast, it was staggering. People were basically running for their lives, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) said Tuesday afternoon that the state was sending resources, including the National Guard, to help those left homeless by fire, which he called the worst in at least 100 years.

Although wind gusts exceeding 60 mph caused the disaster to explode in Sevier County, fires have been brewing for months in this region. More than 150,000 acres have been charred in the Southeast by large fires, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and nearly 4,000 firefighters have been called into action to fight blazes that keep popping up.

The wind carried the flames from the nearby Chimney Tops fire across ground parched by a historic drought and into the resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The fire moved too fast and too far to contain, and even late Tuesday, officials could not say how much acreage had been charred or how many hot spots they were continuing to battle.

This is a fire for the history books, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said at a news conference. The likes of this has never been seen here. But the worst is definitely over with.

However, forecasts of strong wind gusts and severe thunderstorms through midweek threatened lightning strikes  and more fires.

Jeff Barker sat on the curb outside a shelter Tuesday afternoon, his eyes bloodshot and glassy with tears. He couldnt bring himself to go inside.

From left, Gatlinburg residents Kirk Wallace, Caleb Graves and Tyler Alden clear debris and put out small fires as the remains of their neighbors' homes smolder. (Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

When he was returning from work on Monday, cars were being stopped from entering Gatlinburg, Barker said. So he set off on foot.

By the time I arrived at my apartment, apartments gone, cars gone, pets are gone, he said. Its devastating when you come home, and all you can do is flee with the clothes on our back.

Inside the gymnasium, other refugees from the fire were resting on cots or sharing stories of loss with neighbors.

Carol Lilleaas, a Gatlinburg resident, said she fled her home with only her animals and her husbands ashes. She does not know what happened to her house or what she might be returning to.

It will be there, or it wont, she said.

Gatlinburg, with a population of about 4,000 about 43 miles south of Knoxville, is surrounded on three sides by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies, part of the Appalachian mountain range, straddle the border between eastern Tennessee and North Carolina.

Considered the gateway town to the Tennessee side of the park, Gatlinburg draws more than 11 million visitors a year, according to tourism officials. It is known for its mountain chalets and ski lodge  drawing honeymooners and other visitors all year long.

Gatlinburgs downtown was mostly spared, volunteer fire department Lt. Bobby Balding told the Knoxville News Sentinel. But he added: Its the apocalypse on both sides.

Katie Brittain, manager at the Dress Barn in Pigeon Forge, said that when she showed up to work Monday, the sky was brown and ash was raining down. Despite the ominous conditions, store employees were not sure whether they were supposed to evacuate from their location, not far from entertainer Dolly Partons theme park, Dollywood.

Brittain said employees stayed put but grew increasingly nervous as the smoke thickened and the wind increased that afternoon. By the end of the day, she said, the inside of the store smelled like a bonfire.

My eyes were burning, and our throats were getting scratchy, she said. Everyone was kind of in a state of disbelief.

Dollywood officials said in a statement that there was no damage to the park as of Tuesday morning, but more than a dozen cabins managed through Dollywoods Smoky Mountain Cabins were damaged or destroyed.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said Tuesday that very preliminary surveys of damaged areas suggested that hundreds of structures are lost.

Westgate Resorts is likely entirely gone (more than 100 buildings), TEMA said in a statement, Black Bear Falls has likely lost every single cabin. The agency initially said that Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area and Amusement Park reportedly is entirely destroyed. However, the mountain resort posted a video Tuesday morning showing the facility intact.

Also most likely destroyed: a personal weather station on the east side of Gatlinburg. At 8:34 p.m. Monday, it showed wind gusts spiking at 69 mph and the temperature at 118 degrees before the station went offline, presumably engulfed in flames.

Sarah Larimer, Travis Andrews and Peter Holley in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press in Gatlinburg also contributed.
MIAMI

Panel suggests its 21st terror-detainee release

The Obama administration parole board has approved the release of a 21st Guantanamo prisoner, recommending after a lengthy evaluation that a Saudi man who was once accused of helping assemble bombs in Pakistan be sent home for possible prosecution and rehabilitation.

It took the Periodic Review Board six months, including a review by national security Cabinet members, to approve the repatriation of Jabran al-Qahtani, 39, and seven months to reject the release of another captive, Yemeni Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, 47.

The dual decisions disclosed Tuesday wrapped up the first round of hearings that President Obama ordered be undertaken within a year in 2011. Instead, it took more than five years as the Pentagon set up a multiagency bureaucracy and the intelligence community developed fresh detainee assessments.

The decisions also meant that, of the 60 war-on-terrorism captives at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba, 29 are forever prisoners  board-approved indefinite detainees  and 10 are in war crimes proceedings at military commissions, six of them death penalty tribunals.

The others, including Qahtani, are approved for release under security arrangements approved by Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter after 30 days notice to Congress, suggesting that some of the men may not be gone from Guantanamo by Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

It is not known whether President-elect Donald Trump will continue the process of releases. Nor is it known whether his administration will retain the federal, interagency review panel Obama ordered set up in March 2011 at the urging of the International Committee of the Red Cross to align detention policies with Geneva Conventions norms.

 McClatchy Tribune

Oklahoma

Officer to stand trial in shooting of black man

A white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man will stand trial for second-degree manslaughter.

A judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence for Tulsa police Officer Betty Jo Shelby to be tried for shooting Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16. Shelby will be arraigned Dec. 15.

Prosecutors say Shelby acted unreasonably because Crutcher was not armed or combative and was following commands to raise his hands.

Shelbys attorneys say she shot Crutcher because she feared for her life, believing Crutcher was reaching into his vehicle for a gun.

Police helicopter video and a dashboard camera showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby on a north Tulsa street with his arms in the air. They do not offer a clear view of when Shelby fired the shot.

 Associated Press

Washington

EPA releases list of chemicals for review

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a list of toxic chemicals that will be the first reviewed under a recently enacted law that gives regulators increased authority to ban substances shown to endanger human health.

The EPAs move comes after a key revision to the Toxic Substances Control Act that Congress passed earlier this year with broad bipartisan support. The list includes chemicals such as asbestos and trichloroethylene that have for decades been known to cause cancer, but the EPA lacked the legal authority necessary to ban their use.

Over the next three years, the EPA will study whether the listed chemicals present an unreasonable risk to humans and the environment. The agency will then have another two years to mitigate that risk through regulations, which could include banning the chemicals from use in the United States.

Once the EPA completes its review of the initial 10 chemicals, studies will begin on dozens of other suspect ones. With tens of thousands of chemicals manufactured each year within the United States or imported, the EPA is prioritizing those that are the most dangerous and widely used.

The EPAs action comes less than two months before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, a frequent critic of EPA regulations that might negatively affect business profits.

 Associated Press

Arizona

Park dedicated in firefighters memory

A memorial park and hiking trail were dedicated Tuesday to 19 elite Arizona wildland firefighters who died in 2013 in a brush-choked box canyon while battling one of the states most devastating wildfires.

Relatives of the Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighting team gathered at a trailhead for the somber ceremony dedicating the site as an Arizona state park, where Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said the three-mile trail and memorial would serve as a lasting tribute to the fallen firefighters heroism.

Only one member of the team, a lookout, survived the June 30, 2013, fire after shifting winds trapped the firefighters near the small town of Yarnell in central Arizona. It was the deadliest day for U.S. fire crews since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the worst for wildland firefighters since the 1933 Griffith Park fire of Los Angeles, which killed 29.

 Associated Press
Morcha obstructs LLRC programme in Rajbiraj

Supporters of the Madhesi Morcha obstructed the district-level discussion programme of the Local Level Restructuring Committee in Rajbiraj on Tuesday. The event was organised in a meeting hall of the District Development Committee Office.
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a veteran lawmaker and vehement critic of the Affordable Care Act, has been picked as President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), a veteran lawmaker and vehement critic of the Affordable Care Act, has been picked as President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

President-elect Donald Trumps choices for health secretary and administrator of the governments largest health insurance programs have for years pursued a sharply conservative agenda that includes redefining Medicare, placing personal responsibility requirements on low-

income recipients of Medicaid, and dismantling the Affordable Care Act.

If adopted, this agenda could dramatically alter access to insurance and medical services for more than 100 million Americans covered through the two entitlement programs and the ACA.

Trump has nominated Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and health consultant Seema Verma to run the HHS agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. The two are master tacticians of the right-leaning health-care vision Trump adopted as central campaign themes.

Price, chairman of the House Budget Committee, is an orthopedic surgeon who was a state lawmaker before his election to Congress a dozen years ago to represent affluent Atlanta suburbs. He has four times introduced his own legislation to replace the polarizing 2010 health-care law, and he was part of a quartet of House committee chairmen who recently forged a GOP consensus document with 40 pages of proposed changes to the health-care system. Last year, he was chief sponsor of the only ACA-repeal bill that has ever reached the White House; President Obama vetoed it.

Verma is an Indianapolis-based health-care consultant who designed the most far-reaching Medicaid experiment under the Affordable Care Act that the Obama administration has allowed. It is based on the idea that beneficiaries should be required to take responsibility for their health and their finances. Even some of the poorest residents were required to pay for part of their care. She has been advising other states with Republican governors on how to alter their Medicaid programs, as well.

Seema Verma, an Indianapolis-based health-care consultant , is Donald Trumps choice to run the HHS agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Taken together, Trumps choices announced Tuesday morning demonstrate his seriousness about demolishing the Affordable Care Act and restructuring the two vast health-care entitlement programs that were pillars of the Great Society of the 1960s.

Prices and Vermas experience in conservative policymaking trenches immediately elated a variety of politicians and health-policy experts on the right, while worrying liberals.

Shortly after word of Prices selection surfaced Monday night, former House speaker Newt Gingrich tweeted: He is the right leader to help Congress replace Obamacare.

In contrast, Ron Pollack, executive director of the liberal health-care lobby Families USA, said on Tuesday, In contradiction to President-elect Trumps promise to protect the poor, both appointees have demonstrated an unusual insensitivity to the health-care needs of low-income families.

[CMS nominee set up Indianas unusual Medicaid expansion]

View Graphic Here are the people Trump has chosen for his Cabinet

One of the central unknowns at the moment is whether Trump, in carrying out his pledge to repeal and replace the ACA, will adopt wholesale the relatively detailed set of ideas that Price, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and other House Republicans have forged  or whether the incoming president will want to place his own imprint on such policies.

For the most part, Trumps health-care positions, during his campaign and since the transition began, have been aligned with the House Republicans thinking, though the president-elects statements have been far less specific.

However, the most recent version of Prices bill to replace the ACA, called Empowering Patients First, contains at least one important difference with Trump. It would reverse a requirement in the law that insurers may not refuse to cover customers with preexisting medical problems. During his campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he wanted to keep that facet of the law.

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning to discuss Prices and Vermas selections, a Trump transition spokesman did not address that difference. The spokesman, Jason Miller, subtly signaled that the president-elect would look to the pair to chart the way forward on health-care policy. Miller noted that Trump has spoken of expanding the use of health-savings accounts, allowing insurers to sell policies in other states, and changing Medicaid from an entitlement program to block grants with fewer federal rules  ideas that all mesh with Prices thinking. Its important to point out that Dr. Price and Ms. Verma will really be our point people who will be leading the charge on this front, Miller said.

At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest gave a fresh defense of the ACA and said that whatever health plan Trump produces should be judged by the extent to which it expands insurance coverage, constrains health-care costs, and lengthens the financial life of Medicare, whose finances are fragile.

Price, a member of the Houses tea party caucus, has been on the speaking circuit for years calling for limiting federal spending and lessening the governments role in health care. He tends to cloak his ideas in gentle language, speaking often of patient-centered health care where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions.

Yet he is associated with the most conservative strain of thought in favor of eliminating the ACA and tilting the Medicaid and Medicare programs toward the private sector.

[Getting rid of Obamacare may take longer than Trump plans]

Early in the spring of 2010, two days after Obama signed into law the health-care bill that had passed without a single House GOP vote, Price pronounced it the nail in the coffin for health care in the United States. A few months later, he signed a Repeal-it! pledge organized by the Club for Growth, a conservative, free-market group.

In 2009, one of the three times during his House tenure that Congress has renewed the Childrens Health Insurance Program, created nearly two decades ago to help working-class families, Price voted against its extension. He also has worked to try to increase protection of his fellow physicians from malpractice lawsuits.

As for Verma, she redesigned Medicaid in Indiana, the home state of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, exercising the flexibility the ACA provides states. Under new rules, Indianas beneficiaries pay for their insurance with help of savings accounts worth $2,500 each provided by the government. An intricate system of rules encourage Hoosiers on Medicaid to save money and get medical checkups. The program offers help in finding jobs but stops short of requiring people to work  a step the Obama administration opposes but that many conservatives favor.

Last year, a spending plan Price proposed as Budget Committee chair would have transformed Medicare, converting it from an entitlement to a system of premium supports  like vouchers  to help buy private insurance policies.

Last year, too, Price was asked in an NPR interview what it would take to get rid of the ACA. His reply was quick. Its going to take a different president.

Abby Phillip, Max Ehrenfreund and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Smoking ban in all U.S. public housing is expected to affect 2 million Americans, including 760,000 children and more than 300,000 senior citizens who live in more than 940,000 public housing units, HUD said. (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

HEALTH

Smoking to be banned in U.S. public housing

Smoking will be banned in all U.S. public housing as of fall 2018 to reduce the exposure of residents to secondhand smoke, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said Wednesday.

Health-care groups including the American Lung Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have long sought the ban because of the numerous illnesses secondhand smoke causes, including asthma attacks and respiratory infections.

The ban is expected to affect 2 million Americans, including 760,000 children and more than 300,000 senior citizens who live in more than 940,000 public housing units, HUD said.

More than 600 of the nations 3,100 public housing agencies already prohibit indoor smoking. The new rule extends the ban to smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes within 25 feet of all federally owned apartments, public areas and administrative offices. Electronic cigarettes are exempted.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated the smoking ban could save housing agencies $153 million annually in lower health-care costs, fewer fires and less costly maintenance.

 Reuters

Planned Parenthood files suits in 3 states

Planned Parenthood has filed lawsuits challenging abortion laws in three states, saying they put unconstitutional barriers in the way of women who want to obtain abortions. The group, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and Center for Reproductive Rights, filed the lawsuits Wednesday.

In North Carolina, they are looking to strike down the states ban on abortions performed after 20 weeks gestation except in the instance of a medical emergency. In Missouri, the groups are challenging laws requiring that doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at hospitals and that abortions be performed only in ambulatory surgery centers. The groups said that most women in the state need to travel to one clinic in St. Louis to get abortions. The laws are similar to Texas restrictions struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

And in Alaska, the groups are challenging a state law that bans abortions in outpatient health centers after the first trimester of pregnancy, claiming it forces many women to leave the state to obtain an abortion after the first trimester.

 Katie Zezima

SOUTH CAROLINA

Murder conviction sought for police officer

A white police officer who fired eight shots at the back of an unarmed black motorist during a foot chase in North Charleston, S.C., should be convicted of murder or manslaughter, a prosecutor argued Wednesday after a month-long trial.

Malice, the evidence required for a murder conviction, had to be in Officer Michael Slagers mind the instant he fired at Walter Scott, who at that point was running away and posed no threat to him, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson argued. Five of the bullets struck Scott in the back.

Manslaughter  a lesser charge the judge agreed to include Wednesday at the prosecutions request  requires proof the killing was done in the heat of passion, after being provoked, Wilson told jurors in her closing arguments.

Scott ran from his car into a vacant lot after Slager pulled him over for a broken taillight in April 2015. Slager chased him down. A bystander recorded the final moments of the encounter in a video that shocked the nation.

Slager was fired from the North Charleston police force shortly after the video was released.

 Associated Press
Morcha stands in support

The Madhes-based parties have reiterated that the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) will make its official view public on the constitution amendment proposal after studying the final draft.
HAITI

Initial results show Moise winning vote

A political newcomer backed by Haitis previous elected leader easily won a presidential election redo against 26 rivals, according to preliminary results released Tuesday.

The Provisional Electoral Council said Jovenel Moise won 55.6 percent of the vote in the Nov. 20 election.

Moise had been the leading vote-getter in the first round of balloting last year, but the results were annulled amid widespread fraud allegations.

This time, Moise, a candidate of former president Michel Martellys Tet Kale party, led his nearest competitor by more than 35 percentage points.

Second-place Jude Celestin of the Lapeh party had 19.5 percent in the preliminary count.

Celestin and the third- and fourth-place finishers have said they reject the preliminary tally and will file challenges. Parties can challenge the results before winners are certified Dec. 29.

The election redo was needed to restore constitutional order in Haiti, which has been led by a provisional government for nearly a year.

 Associated Press

EGYPT

Lawmakers approve clampdown on NGOs

The Egyptian parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of a new law that is aimed at regulating nongovernmental organizations but effectively gives security agencies extensive powers and the upper hand over the financing, registration and activities of NGOs and rights groups.

Rights groups consider the legislation the most repressive for such organizations since the rule of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Under the pending law, yet to be ratified by the president, violators of administrative procedures such as receiving foreign funds or local donations exceeding 10,000 pounds (about $550), partnering with a foreign organization, or carrying out field research and surveys without permission face up to five years in prison and hefty fines of up to 1 million pounds (about $55,000).

Permission will be provided solely by a new oversight body made up of government agencies and security apparatus. Once the pending law is ratified, all rights groups and NGOs will have to abide by its 89 provisions.

Since the overthrow of Mubarak in a popular uprising

in 2011, Egypts rights groups

have faced a heavy security crackdown .

 Associated Press

UGANDA

Tribal king charged after deadly clashes

A Ugandan tribal king has been charged with murder and sent to jail, a government official said Tuesday, after clashes between the kings guards and the army in which 62 people were killed.

At least 149 people have been arrested in the Rwenzori region of western Uganda, where the tribal monarch is based.

The king, Charles Wesley Mumbere of the kingdom of Rwenzururu, has been in detention since his palace was assaulted by the military on Sunday. He has been remanded to jail until Dec. 13.

The killings underscore tensions between longtime President Yoweri Museveni and influential tribal rulers who are constitutionally recognized but have no real authority. Ahead of a presidential election in February, which was won by Museveni, Mumbere came out in support of the opposition.

Among the kings backers are separatists who hope to create a new republic that would include Mumberes Bakonzo people and kin across the border in Congo.

 Associated Press

KASHMIR

Rebels storm Indian base; 7 soldiers killed

Rebels fighting against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir stormed a crucial Indian military base on Tuesday, triggering a gun battle that left at least seven soldiers and three militants dead, officials said.

At the same time, in another part of Kashmir, Indian border forces came across three suspected militants who had allegedly crossed from Pakistan, touching off an exchange of fire in which all three were killed, paramilitary officials said.

The renewed violence followed a five-day lull in fighting between Indian and Pakistani troops, who have been exchanging heavy mortar and artillery fire for months across the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two nations. India has accused Pakistan of helping anti-India rebels stage attacks.

Early Tuesday, at least two to four militants in police uniforms opened fire on the military camp in Nagrota, a town on the main highway linking Kashmirs main cities of Srinagar and Jammu, a senior police officer said. The militants then stormed the base, lobbing grenades and drawing troops into exchanging fire.

It was the most audacious attack on an Indian base since a Sept. 18 assault at an army base in the town of Uri. That attack left 19 Indian soldiers and four suspected militants dead.

 Associated Press

British Web surveillance bill becomes law: A contentious Internet surveillance bill that creates databases of Britons online activity has become law  though the government says some of its provisions still need extensive testing. Civil liberties groups have condemned the law, which requires telecom firms to keep customers browsing histories for a year. The data will be accessible by police, intelligence services and other government agencies.

Dutch lawmakers endorse

burqa ban: Lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved a limited ban on face-covering clothing, including Islamic veils and robes such as the burqa and niqab. The legislation must be approved by the upper house before it can be signed into law. The government describes the measure, which also covers ski masks and full-face helmets, as religion-neutral.

 From news services
Sometimes history doesnt have to wait to judge  and when it comes to dictators, even dead ones, we shouldnt either.

With news of Fidel Castros death Friday  finalmente  world leaders began offering eulogies, some of which were so vapid or willfully ignorant that Castro might have written them himself. It would appear in any case that the 20th centurys quintessential Big Brother managed to infect a few world leaders with an Orwellian strain of mushy-mouthed aphasia.

Apparently bereft of the right words, they treated Castros brutality as polite unmentionables, serving up platitudes as though just another important figure had passed on to his maker.

Did they miss the screams?

Growing up in Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis, running bomb shelter drills and hearing the stories of refugees who became lifelong friends, I somehow managed to evade the charms of the revolutionary rogue, who merely replaced one dictatorship with another far worse. Theres nothing sentimental about a ruthless dictator who once held the world hostage to a possible nuclear Armageddon.

Whether out of loyalty or obligation, thousands of Cubans filed past memorials to Fidel Castro. The Washington Post's Nick Miroff reports from Havana. (Nick Miroff,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

Its one thing to be respectful of the Cuban people  and Im not suggesting we celebrate anyones death. But it is another to sidestep the historical horrors of a murderous, 60-year military regime and strike a pose of diplomatic equanimity that assuages only gluttons of insincerity.

No wonder so many chose to express themselves through Twitter  a communication format well-suited to the small and shallow. Nancy Pelosi tweeted that Castros death marks the end of an era. Stalins death did, too, but whos judging? Justin Trudeau, Canadas happy-boy prime minister, called Castro a remarkable leader, who made significant improvements to Cuba, presumably by taking over all private possessions and culling the island of the middle class. Attaboy.

Its true that Cuba boasts a high level of literacy and a health-care system free to all. Then again, you dont see many people from industrialized nations lining up for heart surgery in Havana.

And then theres Jimmy Carter, on whose watch Castro emptied his prisons and mental institutions, sending 125,000 Cubans, including inmates as well as other lesser desirables, to our shores. As a younger reporter, I spent a week in Miamis Tent City, where local and state officials tried to figure out where to put hundreds of criminals and the mentally ill. This was thanks to Carters telling Castro that countless Cubans wished to leave Cuba.

Although many have lauded Castros political acumen, Ive yet to read about his flair for irony. Carter, for whom irony apparently is what the maid does to his dress shirts, remembered Castro fondly. Perhaps as one reaches the age of wisdom, one leans toward greater charity.

President Obamas remarks, though eloquent, were carefully meaningless. Steering clear of specifics, he noted that Cubans are filled with emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation.

Yes, death, torture, oppression, imprisonment, a state-controlled media and a miserable, state-run economy will flat-out alter a persons course. Obama then grabbed historys tail and gave it a yank, saying, History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.

Aw, come on, lets beat history to it. One of the worst dictators in modern history has mercifully died. It doesnt matter that in 2008 he ceded control of the government to his brother Raul. Symbolically, his death liberates the psyches of at least three generations of Cubans and Cuban Americans.

History will strain little in judging Castro or in sorting out his effect on the world. Now that Obama has eased the decades-long U.S. embargo, wisely in my view, as well as restrictions on travel, the tiny nation has a shot at reinvention. Already, Raul has made changes allowing for limited market socialism, meaning that small businesses and individuals may conduct commerce for profit. The once subterranean dollar economy, which has kept many Cubans financially afloat thanks to Cuban American relatives sending money, is now being openly encouraged by Raul.

President-elect Donald Trump would do well to stay in this lane rather than threaten to reinstate the embargo. He should understand that Fidel Castro loved the embargo more than anyone because, as ever, he could blame the United States for his failures. For Trump to fall into this same trap would be a postmortem gift to Castro and breathe new life into a cruel legacy  the dictators final triumph over the United States and the several American presidents who could never quite bury him.

Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
He surged from the abyss of opinion polls and in four weeks managed to eradicate two rivals whose ambitions had dominated the past 30 years of French conservative politics. Francois Fillon , who won the presidential primary election for the Republicans party on Sunday, is now the uncontested leader of the center-right in France. But in proclaiming that he has gone from Mr. Nobody to the next president, Fillons new sycophants are a bit too quick to jump to conclusions.

Although French campaigns are much shorter than the exhausting American ones, the presidential election will not take place for another five months. However remarkable Fillons success on his own turf  66.5 percent of the votes in Sundays second round  the new conservative champion will need to convince three times as many French citizens from various political and cultural leanings if he is to comfortably pass the first round of the general election. If he does, he would likely confront far-right Marine Le Pen in the second round on May 7.

Fillon is bad news for the far right. He would not commit the mistake of Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president he defeated in the first round, by copying Le Pens oratory or her Trump-style anti-system populism. On the contrary, a practicing Catholic with five children, the president of Les Republicains is the embodiment of the French establishment, entrenched in old bourgeois, provincial tradition.

An elected politician since the age of 27, Fillon has quietly and consistently played to concerns about identity and values, which have proved to be more acute than pollsters had assumed. He has condemned Islamism and pleaded against multiculturalism on the premise that citizens have to abide by the same principles whatever their origins or religion. The noise and rattle of Le Pens arguments, with their subtle racial overtones, do not go down quite as well. The shift already shows: according to the first polls conducted since last Sunday, Fillon would defeat Le Pen if elections were to be held now.

The National Front leader has been prompt to realize she has no other choice but to attack Fillon on his economic and social platform. The bazookas are ready: Isnt he the ultra-liberal disciple of that English witch Margaret Thatcher? Hasnt he promised to erase 500,000 jobs in the public sector, curb the unions, end the 35-hour workweek and even revisit the welfare system? That could be more than enough to energize the blue-collar workers, teachers and civil servants who have enlarged the core of the far right.

The paradox is that the Socialist party would use exactly the same arguments against Fillon  if only it had a leader. The left primaries are supposed to be held next January. Four candidates have decided to skip the process, including Emmanuel Macron, the young neoliberal former economy minister who is running on his own. Six minor candidates are listed so far.

Should incumbent Francois Hollande join in? The mere fact that an outgoing president would have to submit to primaries is an offense to the monarchial tradition of the French presidency. But four and a half years after his victory over Sarkozy, Hollande is so discredited that his few advisers disagree  many have already left the Elysee for better options. In the end, the president is likely to announce his own candidacy before mid-December.

That leaves leftist voters at a loss. Some have opted for the far left, while others have drifted to the far right, as the last regional elections demonstrated. The electoral base of the Socialist Party has shrunk. A small number of activists remain, divided among quarreling factions. On the extreme left, the Left Partys Jean-Luc Melenchon, a flamboyant speaker now busy mourning Fidel Castro, has the support of what remains of the Communist Party. He is currently doing better in the polls than Hollande.

The bottom line is that the left has no chance to make it past the first round of the presidential election. What are leftist voters likely to do then? It is worth noting that in the first round of the conservative primary, which was open to all voters, some 14 percent of them voted for former centrist prime minister Alain Juppe to oust Sarkozy. In the second round, almost the same number supported Juppe to weaken Fillon, whose social and cultural conservatism does not suit urban society. The new conservative leader is against abortion and gay marriage, although he has promised not to question the major laws which have legalized them.

So how will these will voters behave next May if they have to choose between Fillon and Le Pen? The latest poll, published this Tuesday, gives an interesting indication. Whereas the high turn out in the primaries was due mostly to older, more affluent participants, the polling sample included a more varied segment of the population, including low income and suburban voters.

The results are loud and clear: In the first round, Hollande would get 8 percent of the vote, far behind Macron, a surprising third. As expected, Fillon and Le Pen take the lead. On the second round, Fillon would crush Le Pen, 66 percent to 34 percent. Le President des Republicains would become le President de la Republique.But it is only a poll  and there are five months to go.
Richard Stengel, the State Departments undersecretary for public diplomacy, bluntly states the problem that has been worrying him and should worry us all: In a global information war, how does the truth win?

The very idea that the truth wont be triumphant would, until recently, have been heresy to Stengel, a former managing editor of Time magazine. But in the nearly three years since he joined the State Department, Stengel has seen the rise of what he calls a post-truth world, where the facts are sometimes overwhelmed by propaganda from Russia and the Islamic State.

We like to think that truth has to battle itself out in the marketplace of ideas. Well, it may be losing in that marketplace today, Stengel warned in an interview. Simply having fact-based messaging is not sufficient to win the information war.

Stengel poses an urgent question for journalists, technologists and, more broadly, everyone living in free societies or aspiring to do so. How do we protect the essential resource of democracy  the truth  from the toxin of lies that surrounds it? Its like a virus or food poisoning. It needs to be controlled. But how?

Stengel argues that the U.S. government should sometimes protect citizens by exposing weaponized information, false information that is polluting the ecosystem. But ultimately, the defense of truth must be independent of a government that many people mistrust. There are inherent dangers in having the government be the verifier of last resort, he argues.

Consider these points before sharing a news article on Facebook. It could be fake. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Our conversation took place in Stengels office, the same room that was used by Secretary of State George C. Marshall, a paradigmatic figure in the American age of reason. As Stengel observed, the problems of todays information-saturated society would have been unimaginable for Marshall, who lived at a time when information was scarce and precious and when openness brought change.

Now, says Stengel, social media give everyone the opportunity to construct their own narrative of reality. He recalls the early days of the Islamic State in 2014, when extremists used brutal imagery to terrorize people and recruit followers. The State Departments early counter-radicalization efforts mistakenly were tit for tat, arguing with jihadists interpretation of Islam. A better strategy, U.S. officials learned, was to empower others who could make the case more effectively.

The central insight was that were not the best messenger for our message, Stengel explains, because in the post-truth world, the people were trying to reach automatically question anything from the U.S. government. As the Islamic State has weakened, so, too, has its media campaign. Messages have dwindled; recruits have disappeared; the brand has been devalued.

Russias propaganda campaigns since the 2014 invasion of Crimea have been much subtler and harder to combat. Thats partly because Moscows goal isnt to confront the West head-on, but to spread doubt and mistrust within. Stengel quotes Peter Pomerantsev, the author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia. For a Russian leadership schooled on KGB tactics, Pomerantsev argues, Its not an information war. Its a war on information.

Stengel dissects the pastiche of fact and fantasy on Russian media outlets such as Russia Today and Sputnik this way: Theyre not trying to say that their version of events is the true one. Theyre saying: Everybodys lying! Nobodys telling you the truth! 

Russias hacking during the U.S. presidential election had this aim of polluting the public information stream. They dont have a candidate, per se. But they want to undermine faith in democracy, faith in the West. In the cyber-propagandists atomized, construct-your-own-narrative world, agreement on a common framework of factual evidence can become almost impossible.

How should citizens who want a fact-based world combat this assault on truth? Stengel has approved State Department programs that teach investigative reporting and empower truth-tellers, but hes right that this isnt really a job for Uncle Sam.

The best hope may be the global companies that have created the social-media platforms. They see this information war as an existential threat, says Stengel. The tech companies have made a start: He says Twitter has removed more than 400,000 accounts, and YouTube daily deletes extremist videos.

The real challenge for global tech giants is to restore the currency of truth. Perhaps machine learning can identify falsehoods and expose every argument that uses them. Perhaps someday, a human-machine process will create what Stengel describes as a global ombudsman for information.

But right now, the truth is losing. And we wonder: Which side will Americas next president take in the war on information?

Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trumps national security appointments  CIA Director-designate Mike Pompeo, future national security adviser Michael T. Flynn and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Mr. Trumps choice for ambassador to the United Nations  differ with him or with each other on such crucial issues as relations with Russia and the civil war in Syria. But Mr. Trump and his appointees appear united on one point: antipathy toward Iran and the international deal limiting Tehrans nuclear program.

During the campaign, Mr. Trump repeatedly described the 2015 accord as a disaster and suggested he would tear it up and double up and triple up sanctions. Mr. Pompeo tweeted just before Trump announced his planned nomination that I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal. Mr. Flynn has said that the U.S. gets nothing but grief from the deal.

We supported the nuclear pact, albeit reluctantly because of its sunset provisions that will remove most controls on Irans uranium enrichment within a decade. In essence, it is a risky bet that the Islamic republic will lose its appetite for a nuclear arsenal during that time. But for the Trump administration to start by voiding the accord would be a curious inversion of priorities.

Since the bargain was struck, Tehran has aggressively pressed its bid for regional hegemony by other means  foremost by waging war in Syria on behalf of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. As The Posts Hugh Naylor recently reported, the thousands of Shiite militiamen Iran has mobilized to fight there are setting the stage for Iran to dominate the country  much as the Hezbollah militia holds the balance of power in neighboring Lebanon. Iran is also backing Houthi fighters in Yemen against Sunni forces and seeking to challenge U.S. warships in the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf.

Ripping up the nuclear accord will do nothing to address these aggressions. Instead, it will open a rift between the United States and the other parties to the deal. Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia will not reinstate sanctions on Iran unless it is shown to have violated the accord. So far, despite some minor transgressions, it has not. On the contrary, Tehran has reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium by 98 percent, placed two-thirds of its centrifuges in storage and disabled a reactor capable of producing plutonium. For the moment, there is little danger that it could or would attempt to produce a nuclear weapon; but if the deal is ruptured, it could begin to do so  forcing a Trump administration to contemplate war.

All this suggests Mr. Trump would do well to listen to retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, another Iran hawk who is a leading candidate to become his defense secretary. Mr. Mattis was also critical of the nuclear deal because of its long-term risks, but in a speech this year he concluded there is no going back. The general pointed to five threats Iran poses: nuclear, challenges to shipping, ballistic-missile development, cyberattacks and terrorism. The nuclear deal has restrained one, even if temporarily. The Trump administration would be wise to focus on the others.
Sanjar Umarov is a former political prisoner and founder of Sunshine Uzbekistan, an international political coalition aimed at improving the economic and political situation in Uzbekistan.

This year, the U.S. Justice Department, in an unprecedented and bold move, seized $850 million stemming from corrupt telecom deals in Uzbekistan, most of which centered around Gulnara Karimova, the late presidents once-globetrotting daughter.

The question, now, is what to do with the money  a sum that represents roughly 50 percent of the countrys health-care budget. With a new administration set to take office in the United States in January  and with presidential elections in Uzbekistan slated for Dec. 4  this is a defining moment for the two countries and for the international community writ large.

Indeed, the Trump administration, and the Trump Justice Department specifically, represent among the last chances of hope for the Uzbek people. While the decision to seize the $850 million sent a blow to corrupt regimes worldwide, it was only a critical first step: What happens with the seized money will be a test case of how to tackle global corruption.

To begin to understand Uzbekistan, one must first understand the nature and extent of repression in the country. Uzbekistan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, with Transparency International ranking it 153 out of 168 countries in its annual Corruption Perception Index. Countless Uzbek people suffer from appalling human rights abuses, torture, forced labor, unfair arrests and more as the government attempts to extort bribes from them, or as punishment when citizens try to expose wrongdoing.

I can speak firsthand to the poisonous effects of this corruption. After being arrested and falsely accused of political and economic crimes in 2005, I was forced to spend four years in an Uzbek prison. Two of those years were spent in solitary confinement, during which I was routinely tortured and forced to take psychotropic drugs.

Thanks to an international campaign  which included the State Department  I was released in 2009. But many Uzbeks are not as lucky. Human rights groups estimate that more than 12,000 people today are unfairly imprisoned on vague charges related to extremism or anti-constitutional activity. Freedom of speech, the press and assembly are almost nonexistent in the country.

The Justice Department, to its credit, recognizes this harsh reality. It is part of the reason that DOJ took action to seize the money under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, a program that works to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by corruption and abuse of office.

But although the U.S. government agrees that the money should be returned to the people of Uzbekistan, the mechanism through which to do so is much less clear. As it stands, returning the assets to the government led by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who has served as prime minister of Uzbekistan since 2003, would be tantamount to returning it to the people who stole it in the first place.

Instead, the money should be returned to the true victims of corruption  the people of Uzbekistan. Fortunately, there is precedent for this kind of repatriation of assets: Setting up a charitable fund, similar to the BOTA Fund in Kazakhstan, would direct the assets to victims of torture and to social services in the country. For the fund to work, the Uzbek government would need to agree to not interfere or put pressure on the foundations operations  in any way.

But given a regime that has decimated civil society and eroded free expression, this type of charitable project is almost impossible to independently execute and monitor. So the question becomes: With corruption pervasive at every level of government in Uzbekistan, how can the U.S. government ensure that the money is returned to the Uzbek people?

First, the Trump administration should be steadfast in pushing for reform in Uzbekistan. It should use its financial and diplomatic clout to pressure Uzbek leaders to improve human rights, make space for civil society and restore democratic institutions in the country  all necessary prerequisites for a BOTA-like agreement, which ought to remain the principle goal of American foreign policy in Uzbekistan.

Until and unless those reforms happen, however, the Justice Department should hold the recovered assets in a transparent trust that is accountable to the people of Uzbekistan and that could increase in value over time. While a sit tight posture is far from ideal, it is the only feasible option given the state of affairs  and the only hope that the Uzbek people ever see a dime of that money.

Ultimately, the United States has a chance here to set an international standard. By returning the money to the Uzbek people, the Justice Department can provide a clear means to deter corruption, challenge impunity and bring justice to victims of human rights abuses in other countries. Doing so would also protect U.S. businesses from falling into a trap of shadowy deals with corrupt Uzbek officials  and subsequently facing multimillion-dollar penalties for bribery and misleading shareholders.

If President-elect Trump is serious about combating corruption in the United States, that commitment should extend overseas as well. Let Uzbekistan be both the litmus test and example to the rest of the world that the United States takes challenging corruption seriously.
Now that the election is over, the Democratic Party and its nominee, Hillary Clinton, with clear 20-20 hindsight, realize that they completely ignored the plight of the white working class (and the middle class in general). That our own domestic issues took a back seat to an aggressive foreign policy that would likely bankrupt (if not destroy) our nation was unforgivable in the minds of many voters and cost the Democrats an easy victory.

How is it that both the party and Ms. Clinton completely forgot (or ignored) the clarion call of Bill Clintons campaign, Its the economy, stupid, which helped him defeat George H.W. Bush in 1992? They may realize their error now, but hindsight is not a qualification for the presidency.

Wayne R. Knight, McLean
Regarding the Nov. 25 Metro article Legal battle looms in troubled Manassas mobile home park:

As a Manassas resident, I was glad to see that Manassas mobile-home park residents are contesting the citys plan to evict them in February. Manassas officials should be encouraging low-cost housing, not discouraging it. The city should side with the residents rather than the landlord who failed to maintain her sewage system properly.

If the city moves forward with the evictions, it will be penalizing the victims and rewarding the perpetrator. If the city makes a profit on resale of the property, the injustice against the most vulnerable citizens will be that much more unfair. Having their own attorney and a new City Council may help the residents remain in their homes or receive fairer compensation if evicted.

Dan Peacock, Manassas
NCs Poudel meets Jica prez in Tokyo

Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, which is currently on official visit to Japan, held a meeting with President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Dr Shinichi Kitaoka on Tuesday.
Regarding the Nov. 27 editorial Mr. Castros terrible legacy:

With Raul Castro hovering over every aspect of life in Cuba, Fidel Castros passing is unlikely to change much for Cubans. This is especially true for Afro Cubans, who are far less likely to have financially secure relatives living in other countries who can send remittances.

Afro Cubans are underrepresented in government agencies, university administration and civil society. Any additional economic reforms will leave millions of Afro Cubans behind because they traditionally have been excluded from banking and commerce.

We should respect the decision of Cubans mourning Fidel Castros passing. Yet we must ask for more social barriers to be removed that prevent Afro Cubans inclusion in the new economic order.

Cuban Americans must do even more to help Afro Cubans, or one day face the consequences.

Mark M. Spradley, Chevy Chase

I was horrified by the fireworks and dancing in Miami after Fidel Castros death. Mr. Castro left family, loved ones and friends, among others, and they deserve respect, at a minimum.

Mr. Castros enemies can remain silent at the time of mourning and express their sentiments later. Human dignity requires no less.

As an American, I also feel shame about the politicians who seize the moment to vilify this man when heads of state across the world  above all in Latin America  have sent respects and condolences. Why does political expediency have to trump normal, civilized dignity? Did the merrymaking in Florida win us friends and increased respect in Latin America, Europe or elsewhere? I dont think so.

Donaldo Hart, Wheaton

Much has been made about the fact that Fidel Castro outlasted 10 U.S. presidents. But that highlights a big difference between the American Revolution and most others. American leaders trusted the people and allowed them to govern themselves and to elect whomever they wanted to represent them.

Ben Jones, Bowie

It was shocking to see The Posts turn-back-the-clock policy on Cuba. I have just returned from a two-week trip to Cuba in support of a local conservation group. I saw clear evidence of Cuban efforts to turn the page without destroying the Castro brothers success in maintaining health and education services and a social safety net, as documented by The Posts reporting. Why was there no mention of the Bay of Pigs or other relevant U.S. missteps of the past? Credit where credit is due  and a little humility  would help.

Robert Pringle, Alexandria
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow on Nov. 25. (Alexei Druzhinin/Associated Press)

I share the concern Eric Chenoweth expressed in his Nov. 27 op-ed, What about Russias meddling?, about the puzzling lack of focus by politicians and opinion leaders on Russias dangerous and unprecedented manipulation of our election.

Most important, as Mr. Chenoweth asked, Where are the committee chairmen in Congress demanding an investigation? How is it that Republican Party leaders accept the intervention of a foreign power in the election of their partys presidential candidate?

The GOP struts its patriotism and ardent defense of American values on every stage, yet its response to this shocking and unprecedented manipulation of our democracy has been feeble, at best.

While Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons management of her State Department emails triggered massive GOP outrage, Russias interventions in our election trigger random statements. Republicans (and Democrats) have a deep responsibility to come together to get answers to the questions Mr. Chenoweth and others have raised.

R.C. Garton, Bethesda
Phillip Carter is a former Army officer and Pentagon official who leads the military, veterans and society program at the Center for a New American Security. Loren DeJonge Schulman is a former Pentagon and National Security Council official who is deputy director of studies at the Center for a New American Security.

More than any other president-elect in recent memory, Donald Trump has sought out military brass to populate his inner circle. Trump announced Thursday that he wants retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as his defense secretary  a post traditionally designated for a civilian. Trump is also considering retired Army Gen. David Petraeus for secretary of state, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly for secretary of state or homeland security, and Adm. Michael S. Rogers as the director of national intelligence. His national security adviser-designate, Michael Flynn, retired from the Army as a lieutenant general after decades as a military intelligence officer. And CIA Director-designate Mike Pompeo graduated from West Point and served during the Cold War as an Army officer.

There is a great American tradition of veterans holding high political office, from Presidents George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower to senior officials such as Secretary of State Colin Powell in the George W. Bush administration and national security adviser James Jones in the Obama administration. A typical administration, though, starts out with few recent generals in key positions. Filling as many slots with retired brass as Trump is poised to do is highly unusual.

No doubt these men bring tremendous experience. But we should be wary about an overreliance on military figures. Great generals dont always make great Cabinet officials. And if appointed in significant numbers, they could undermine another strong American tradition: civilian control of an apolitical military.

Trump was often dismissive of military leaders during his campaign. He boasted that he knew more than the generals did about fighting the Islamic State. He repeatedly criticized them for broadcasting their attack strategies before the fact. He said they had been reduced to rubble under President Obama and even threatened to remove some of them once he took office.

Retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus has emerged as a potential secretary of state pick for the upcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. (Bastien Inzaurralde,Osman Malik/The Washington Post)

Still, its understandable why he would embrace them now. The military enjoys the highest approval rating of any institution in American society. And hiring former generals is a sure way to gain legitimacy  whether the president is a first-term senator from Illinois seeking cover on his Iraq withdrawal, or a reality television star and casino mogul who lost the popular vote and has a reputation as a foreign policy neophyte.

Of course, Trumps picks have implications beyond political theater. And perceived legitimacy shouldnt be confused with the likelihood of success in high civilian offices.

Like any prospective employees, veterans should be judged on their merits beyond rank or military service. The historical record shows that veterans with similar pedigrees can perform very differently when appointed to high offices. Consider the cases of retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who was national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, and Army Gen. Alexander Haig, who served under President Ronald Reagan as secretary of state. Each came to his role with impeccable military credentials and considerable experience in Washington. Scowcroft performed brilliantly, running an effective National Security Council that stewarded U.S. foreign policy as the Cold War ended, the Soviet Union broke apart and the United States fought the Persian Gulf War. Haig performed poorly, causing (or nearly causing) several civil-military crises with his military-esque assertion that he was in charge following the assassination attempt on Reagan and with his blustery diplomacy toward the Soviet Union. Haig resigned a year and a half into the administration.

Its impossible to know whether Trumps veterans would be more like Scowcroft or more like Haig.

Mattis, the warrior-monk, displayed his strategic and operational genius as a Marine general, but wrangling the Defense Department bureaucracy is a different matter. As our colleague Erin Simpson wrote, he viscerally disdains the minutiae and machinery of the Pentagon. Budgets, white papers, and service rivalries, not to mention the interagency meetings and White House meddling  these tasks are not what you go to Jim Mattis for, she argued. Not only does the role of secretary of defense not play to Mattis strengths, but success in that role would compromise much that we admire most in him: his bluntness, clarity, and single-minded focus on warfighting. The secretarys job is by necessity much more political than all that. You cant run the Pentagon like the First Marine Division.

Flynn is an iconoclast whose record of scorched-earth leadership at the Joint Special Operations Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency does not augur well for how he might manage the National Security Council process or get rival agencies to work together. Even Flynns greatest success  the building of the Joint Special Operations intelligence machine under Gen. Stanley McChrystal  probably wont translate well in his new role. Flynn succeeded at the JSOC because of the unique battlefield conditions of his job, his narrow mandate and the incredible leadership capabilities of his boss, whose force of personality helped knit together the team of teams, as McChrystal called it, that JSOC became.

Petraeus epitomizes the modern U.S. military leader, but his leadership style did not graft well onto the CIA and would probably be an even worse fit at the State Department or another agency.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Mattis is emerging as a potential favorite for President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of defense nominee. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Relying on the brass, however individually talented, to run so much of the government could also jeopardize civil-military relations.

Our founders embedded civilian control of the military in our Constitution for good reasons: They wanted to avoid a military dictatorship and limit the potential for military coups. War is in fact the true nurse of executive aggrandizement, James Madison wrote in 1793. And so they formalized checks and balances by making the president the commander in chief, while vesting Congress with the power to declare, regulate and fund war.

This principle was later strengthened in the National Security Act of 1947, which mandated that the secretary of defense come from civilian life and prohibited appointment within 10 (later seven) years of relief from active duty. An exception was made for the appointment of Army general and former secretary of state George Marshall in 1950, but lawmakers emphasized then that no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.

Mattis  who retired from active duty only three years ago  will need Congress to pass new legislation if he is to serve. Teaming him with several other retired officers in the Cabinet and on the National Security Council would not require congressional approval, but it would be similarly precedent-shattering. Civilian control is so fundamental to the character and the way we think about the United States, former Pentagon strategist Jim Thomas told The Washington Posts Greg Jaffe. Its something that should be preserved at all costs.

Traditional civil-military relations focus on the ways the president and Cabinet engage with the military and make decisions, a vertical dimension that has always been complex. Historically, it was viewed as a one-way command relationship, in which presidents would set objectives for generals, and the generals would figure out how to get the job done. Contemporary scholars such as Eliot Cohen (who served in the George W. Bush administration) and Janine Davidson (who is currently undersecretary of the Navy) describe the relationship now as an unequal dialogue of civilian guidance and military advice among actors, agencies and interests that results in decisions by the president. Cohen says it is a conflictual collaborative relationship, in which the civilian usually (at least in democracies) has the upper hand. It is a conflict often exacerbated by the differences in experience and outlook. . . . These differences are not ideological but temperamental, even cultural. Davidson builds on Cohens point, adding that as long as these differences do not lead to the bureaucratic equivalent of lines drawn in the sand, they can enrich the process by which strategies are debated and decided. By expecting and accommodating a degree of friction, the national security system also avoids the groupthink that arises when friction is absent.

How Trumps generals, should they serve, would behave in this ecosystem  and how they would relate to subordinate generals, to whom they have been friends, rivals or commanders  remains an open question. Its unlikely that hiring generals for the Cabinet would instantly lead to good civil-military relations. It may, in fact, cause deterioration. The deliberate tension of the civil-military dynamic may be magnified by Trumps criticisms of the military leadership, or by existing (and not uniformly positive) relationships between Trumps slate of veteran leaders and todays general officers. On the other hand, the potential for veterans to align with their active-duty counterparts may skew some of the healthy tension built into the relationship.

Alongside the vertical dimension of civil-military relations, there is also a horizontal dimension: how the military relates to other instruments of U.S. power, such as intelligence, diplomacy and finance. Here, the great risk of Trump picking so many generals echoes the old proverb: When you have a hammer, all problems begin to look like nails. This risk is particularly acute now, after 15 years of war, when the military has achieved such policy and budget primacy, and military tools are often looked to as options of first, rather than last, resort. It is not obvious that retired military officers are the right people to better use nonmilitary tools of statecraft.

And there is a societal dimension of civil-military relations that may suffer by the appointment of retired military leaders to high office. The share of veterans in society is in decline, a result of a smaller military, the lack of conscription and a growing population. Concerns abound about the civil-military divide, and how the military should relate to society when a shrinking percentage of Americans serve in uniform or have a personal connection to those who do. Senior military leaders have spent their entire adult lives inside the bubble of the force  living in Americas most exclusive gated communities, in an insular society that has its own legal code, language and customs. Our military is both a part of America and apart from America. Generals and admirals emerging from this environment may be stellar leaders and military professionals, but they make unlikely ambassadors to bridge the civil-military divide. This is true even for generals such as Mattis and Petraeus, great students of civil-military relations who have each written on the subject.

Mattis, in his new book with Kori Schake, Warriors and Citizens, highlights the difference between civilian and veteran approaches to policymaking, writing that veterans are believed to be more hesitant to use military force than civilians. However, Mattis and Schake add that military leaders often try to leach the politics out of political decision making in order to better analyze problems and develop strategy; this can lead to perfect solutions impractical for consideration by elected officials whose portfolios are broader than the military mandate alone. This is the essence of the challenge facing senior military leaders promoted to the political level: how to appropriately consider nonmilitary factors, including electoral politics and the will of the people, when making decisions for the country.

Finally, Trumps embrace of the generals may undermine the apolitical, professional ethos at the heart of our all-volunteer force. Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey implored his fellow generals and admirals to not become part of the public political landscape during the 2016 election. Although he was speaking of political endorsements, the concerns Dempsey raised offer a useful guidepost for why administrations should be thoughtful in offering political appointments to retired military officers.

The greatest risk posed by Trumps rush to court the brass is the extent to which our military leadership may become, in reality or perception, a politicized institution. This might, as Dempsey surmised, lead future administrations . . . to determine which senior [military] leaders would be more likely to agree with them before putting them in senior leadership positions. In the short term, Trump may be satisfied with a politicized military that seems more responsive to him. In the long run, however, both the Trump administration and our national security will suffer if his appointments undermine the institutional integrity of the military and corrupt its leadership in service of political ends.

Twitter: @carter_pe

@LorenRaeDeJ

Read more:

Trumps national security adviser says hes ready to fight another world war

There are three rules of Cabinet appointments. Will Donald Trump break them?

Donald Trumps binder full of white men

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Trumps election has created an awful lot of Trump-branded targets for terrorists

Follow The Posts Outlook section on Facebook and Twitter.
PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trumps threat to deport 2 million to 3 million illegal immigrants with criminal records  a flimsy number that crumbles upon scrutiny  has caused tremors in some of the nations biggest metropolitan areas, especially those considered sanctuary cities. In fact, while some localities impose limits on working with federal immigration authorities, a large majority  including most regarded as sanctuary cities  do cooperate when it comes to helping to transfer and deport dangerous and violent felons scheduled to be released from jail or prison.

The question is, what happens if Mr. Trump wants to go further by enlisting local law enforcement agencies to hand over or help sweep up undocumented immigrants convicted for small-time shoplifting, driving without a license and other minor offenses? The issue  part of a negotiation, in the words of Reince Priebus, Mr. Trumps pick for White House chief of staff  is which crimes are sufficiently serious that they should trigger deportation, and reasonably require cooperation in that regard from local officials.

A common-sense test should apply to federal policies and local ones. A fair-minded federal standard would not require local law enforcement agencies to be pressed into service as deportation agencies chasing or handing over undocumented immigrants who have committed minor offenses. To do so would subvert relations between law enforcement and local immigrant communities, in which trust and cooperation are critical.

A fair-minded local standard would ensure that police, sheriffs and corrections officials see to it that dangerous criminals  violent felons and those convicted of multiple serious offenses, drunk drivers, sex abusers, drug dealers  do not slip through the cracks.

That has happened in some isolated instances, which provided Mr. Trump with fodder for his campaign pledge to end sanctuary cities. The most notorious case involved San Francisco, where the sheriffs office last year ignored a detainer  an official request from federal immigration officials seeking custody of an undocumented immigrant with a long record of drug offenses. Rather than being transferred to the feds, the man was released; soon after, he killed a tourist who was strolling on the citys waterfront.

San Franciscos policy is irresponsible. The city has gone out of its way to defy federal officials, as have some other localities in California, which outstrips other states in thumbing its nose at federal detainers. But those jurisdictions are outliers.

The tricky part is that there is no single accepted definition of a sanctuary city. Some, including New York, cooperate in handing over some felons, but not others, to federal authorities at their release date, depending on the severity of the crime. Others, such as Cook County in Illinois, which includes Chicago, refuse to turn over undocumented immigrants unless federal agents obtain a court warrant.

Its possible that New York considers too few crimes as sufficently serious to warrant transfer for deportation. Perhaps Cook County should honor detainers without insisting on a warrant. The Trump administration is entitled to seek fair and consistent standards that protect communities from dangerous criminals without poisoning relations between local law enforcement and immigrant communities. Better to negotiate terms than punish millions of Americans by suspending billions in federal funding to localities.
Mark R. Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, is a member of the U.S. Senate.

Modern American capitalism is not working for many Americans. Thats why, no matter what your political leanings, fixing an economy that can no longer be counted on to create steady, well-paying jobs for all has to be our top priority.

Whether you were heartened or heartbroken by the election results, millions of American voters have made one thing clear: There is a widespread belief that our once great institutions are unable, or at least unwilling, to work together to address todays economic challenges.

Job creation has continued for 73 straight months. Wages are beginning to rise. Still, the populist tide weve seen all year is fueled by Americans who continue to white-knuckle it every day, believing they are just one or two paychecks away from disaster. Indeed, too many of them are.

Democrats and Republicans in Washington largely have failed to respond adequately to the seismic shifts that have been occurring for some time across our economy, many of them triggered by increased automation and global, competitive pressures.

While there is no consensus yet on how to respond to a globalized economy that now disrupts at Internet speed, here are a few ideas for equipping Americans with new tools to help navigate the changes:

First, while much attention has been given to the recent growth in gig-economy start-ups such as Uber, Lyft and TaskRabbit, this app-driven work remains a relatively small part of a much broader universe of freelance, temporary and part-time work. About one-third of working Americans today are involved in some form of contingent work, and thats expected to swell to nearly 50 percent over the next decade.

Workers unattached to traditional long-term jobs typically have limited access to social insurance such as health care, disability insurance and retirement savings, which provide peace of mind and a safety net to protect them if needed. At the same time, we have never made it easy for even successful independent contractors, such as consultants and lawyers, to find or fund their own social insurance.

So we should be encouraging more innovation and experimentation around portable benefits  a 21st-century safety net tied to the individual, not the job. This approach could provide greater income stability and protection for workers who hold multiple jobs  whether across a single day or an entire career.

Second, the government-driven, top-down programs to train workers for todays jobs simply dont function well enough. The jobs available today and the jobs expected tomorrow are higher-skill positions that will require targeted and continuous learning to allow workers to adapt to changing technology.

Congress should be talking about ways to incentivize businesses to provide additional training, especially for their lower- and middle-skill workers. We should discuss the appropriate metrics to make sure this training actually results in higher skills and better pay.

Third, too many U.S. public companies today are preoccupied with short-term profits at the expense of longer-term investments. While we used to see 50 percent of corporate profits reinvested in a business, today about 95 percent are redistributed as dividends or stock buybacks. This short-term focus robs companies of the investments in capital and people that make them a source of longer-lasting, well-paying jobs.

Investors, too, have increasingly displayed this short attention span. In the 1960s, the average hold of a share of public stock was eight years; today, its four months. If Washington is serious about tackling tax reform next year, we should be looking for constructive ways to encourage more public companies and their shareholders to make longer-term investments.

And while were at it, greater transparency around things such as stock buybacks and executive compensation would help restore public confidence in U.S. businesses, too.

Americans want this economy to work better for more people. They want to know how their jobs will pay for the economic security they have earned by following the rules. And theyre worried about their kids and whether any young person entering todays workforce will ever have an opportunity to catch up.

If the new president and the new Congress do not find new ways to work together and demonstrate a real resolve to begin tackling these challenges, then we will have learned nothing from the election  and that will be on us.
Let them eat cake.

Specifically, let them eat Jean-Georges Warm Chocolate Cake.

But let them start with Young Garlic Soup with Thyme and Sauteed Frog Legs.

Let them follow that with Diver Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower and Caper-Raisin Emulsion.

And let them proceed to Niman Ranch Lamb Chops with Mushroom Bolognese and Pecorino, as well as Dry Aged Prime Sirloin with Citrus Glazed and Roasted Carrots, Miso Butter and Dill.

President-elect Donald Trump eats dinner with Reince Priebus and Mitt Romney. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

Thats what President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney ate when the billionaire met Tuesday night with Mr. Forty-Seven Percent to discuss a job in the incoming administration. Compared with the billionaire Trump, Romney is a relative piker, with a net worth of a mere quarter billion.

Romneys wealth would be dwarfed by at least three billionaires in Trumps Cabinet and sub-cabinet, in addition to Trump himself: would-be education secretary Betsy DeVos, whose family worth is $5.1 billion, commerce secretary pick Wilbur Ross ($2.9 billion), and deputy commerce choice Todd Ricketts, whose family fortune is also in the billions. Harold Hamm, a possible energy secretary, is worth $15 billion.

Remember Trumps talk about taking on the elites and the well-connected? Well, you can stick a sterling-silver fork in it.

The Trump campaign, a revolution of sans-culottes, has yielded to a Trump transition that feels more like Mel Brookss History of the World, Part I.

Count de Monet: It is said that the people are revolting.

King Louis XVI: You said it. They stink on ice!

If you feared that Trump would destabilize markets and impose reckless protectionism, his early appointments are reassuring. If you wanted him to shake up the system and depose the coastal elites  well, early signs are youve been had.

Banker Steven Mnuchin is the next potential Treasury Secretary in Donald Trumps administration. Heres what you need to know about him. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

Goldman Sachs was a bete noire of the Trump campaign, figuring prominently in his closing ad, widely seen as anti-Semitic, denouncing a global power structure controlling the country. Trump blasted Hillary Clintons speeches to the investment bank and highlighted it as a pillar of the corrupt establishment, saying it had total control over his opponents.

But Trump just named former Goldman Sachs partner (and Hollywood executive) Steven Mnuchin to be his treasury secretary. And hes reportedly in talks to hire Goldmans No. 2 executive, Gary Cohn, to be his budget director. Both men are Jewish  a welcome sign that Trump is dropping the sinister themes of his campaign, but no doubt a disappointment to the bigoted alt-right, who cheered Trumps rise. (Alt-right ally Stephen K. Bannon, to be Trumps White House strategist, also used to work at Goldman.)

Mnuchin, worth about $40 million, and Cohn, who according to Bloomberg News owns at least $175 million in Goldman stock, are lightweights on Trumps Team of Oligarchs. But they are ahead of Trumps pick for transportation secretary (Elaine Chao and her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are worth a paltry $22 million) and Health and Human Services (Tom Price is a pauper at $14 million). Possible Labor pick Andrew Puzder, who earns only $4 million a year as a restaurant-chain executive, might need food stamps to afford Cabinet lunches.

These must be who Trump had in mind when he promised to help the forgotten men and women. They will profit hugely from his plan to reduce the top income tax rate to 33 percent from 39.6 percent.

Remember Trumps vow to drain the swamp, and his boast that hes too rich to be bought by donors?

Those who funded Trump are getting a good return on their investments: As The Washington Posts Matea Gold reported, Mnuchin, Ross, Ricketts and their families gave hundreds of thousands to help Trump win. Lobbyists have found an easy workaround for Trumps ban on their participation in his transition and administration; they simply deregister. And foreign diplomats are flocking to the new Trump International Hotel in Washington to curry favor.

Trump made a core issue of Clintons conflicts of interest because of the Clinton Foundation. But his transition has been full of such entanglements, as he and his children mix affairs of state and business interests with Indian, Japanese and Turkish counterparts. Trump remains vague about whether and how he will separate his presidency from the business ties he has to two dozen countries.

Trumps inaugural extravaganza is shaping up to be a new standard for the pay-to-play politics he campaigned against. Those giving $1 million or more toward the $75 million party weekend will get perks including an intimate dinner with Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his wife, a candlelight dinner with an appearance by Trump, Pence and their wives. Those who can only afford $250,000 get an intimate policy discussion and dinner with select Cabinet officials.

No word yet on the menu for when these high rollers meet Trumps billionaire appointees. But you can bet it will be rich.

Twitter: @Milbank

Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Here's what you should know about President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 29 tweet calling for a ban on burning the U.S. flag. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Here's what you should know about President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 29 tweet calling for a ban on burning the U.S. flag. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

It came across Donald Trumps Twitter feed early Tuesday morning, seemingly out of the blue: a demand that flag burners should face consequences, including jail and maybe even the loss of their citizenship.

The Republican president-elects tweet rattled civil liberties and legal experts, who were quick to note that the Supreme Court ruled long ago that flag desecration is considered free speech and that it is unconstitutional to punish someone by stripping their citizenship.

But whatever Trump had in mind, the president-elects outburst underscored a key aspect of his three-week-old transition: He is continuing to cater to his base  the largely white, working-class voters that propelled him to the White House  with relatively few overtures to the majority of voters who cast ballots against him.

Trump won rural America, where support of the flag is a big issue, said Scott Reed, a longtime Republican strategist who served as Bob Doles campaign manager in 1996. A lot of those homes that had Trump signs out front were also flying American flags. This is clearly part of his base politics.

The same dynamic will play out Thursday when Trump kicks off a Thank You Tour with a campaign-style rally of supporters in Ohio. Aides have suggested the tour will include other states where the Republican prevailed, including some traditionally Democratic ones where he won in part by driving up the rural white vote.

An attendee wears an American flag on his hat ahead of a campaign rally with Donald Trump on Nov. 3 in Selma, N.C. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News)

[Trump suggests revoking flag-burners citizenship, despite constitutional protections]

Since defeating Hillary Clinton in electoral college votes on Nov. 8, Trump has made some efforts to reach out beyond his base with Cabinet picks that have pleased the GOP establishment. Those include Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom Trump announced as his transportation secretary on Tuesday.

But there has been little in Trumps actions so far to suggest that he is courting the Democrats who voted against him, nor working to shore up an approval ranking still in negative territory. He has instead spent recent days making unfounded claims about illegal votes costing him the popular vote against Clinton and attacking CNN and other media for how they cover him  the kind of rhetoric that fired up his supporters during a bruising campaign season in which he also rallied on illegal immigration and lost manufacturing jobs.

Trump did not say Tuesday what inspired his tweet about flag-burning, but it came just days after a college in western Massachusetts decided to stop flying the U.S. flag in response to students there burning one in protest of Trumps election. Hundreds of veterans and others gathered Sunday to protest the decision by Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.

A segment on the controversy aired Tuesday on Fox Newss Fox & Friends shortly before Trumps 6:55 a.m. tweet went out.

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! Trump wrote in a tweet that by late afternoon Tuesday had been liked by more than 145,000 people.

In a Washington where carefully vetted statements from the White House have long been the norm, this was clearly a different approach.

This is going to be one of the new dynamics of this incoming administration, said Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. It speaks to how Trump is able to generate a national conversation in 140 characters. . . . The polite society part of Washington is going to be scratching their heads and sometimes flat on their backs.

Tuesday was also not the first time Trump has suggested a narrower view of the First Amendment and the rights it affords. During the campaign, he also blacklisted reporters from The Washington Post and other news outlets who fell out of his favor and suggested that he would open up libel laws to make it easier to sue the news media.

In 1989, the Supreme Court struck down on First Amendment grounds a Texas statute banning flag-burning. Congress responded swiftly by passing the Flag Protection Act of 1989  a law that was invalidated a year later by another Supreme Court ruling.

Among the justices who supported the right burn a flag in both cases was the late Antonin Scalia, whom Trump has said is in the mold of those hed like to appoint to the court.

If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy-bearded weirdo who burns the American flag, Scalia said an event last year. But, he said: I am not king.

Nearly a half-century ago, in 1967, the court also ruled that citizens cannot be deprived of their citizenship involuntarily.

Aware of those rulings, Republican leaders in Washington were loath to offer support for Trumps view. McConnell said the Supreme Court had spoken on the subject of flag-burning, adding that the Constitution protects even unpleasant speech.

During a television appearance shortly after Trumps tweet, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suggested that Congress is unlikely to revisit the issue of a constitutional amendment to overturn the courts rulings.

We have a First Amendment right, but where I come from, you honor the flag, McCarthy said on MSNBCs Morning Joe. If someone wanted to show their First Amendment right, Id be afraid for their safety, but well protect our First Amendment.

Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller defended his bosss position during an appearance on CNN.

Flag-burning should be illegal, he said on CNNs New Day.

[From enemies to potential allies: How the Trump-Romney divide began to heal]

The issue appeared to be an uncomfortable one for some in Trumps party, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

McCain initially told reporters on Capitol Hill that he thinks there should be some punishment for flag-burning despite his respect for the court rulings. But McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, grew testy as reporters continued to pepper him with questions about Trumps tweet.

My time is devoted to trying to make sure this nation is secured, not to comment on every comment of Mr. Trump, McCain said.

The flag-burning debate has been rekindled a number of times in the past quarter-century. A 2005 bill sponsored by Clinton, then a senator from New York, would have outlawed flag desecration when the intent was found to be a threat to public safety. Violations would have been punishable by up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.

A year later, the Senate narrowly failed to approve a constitutional amendment banning flag-burning, with McConnell among those voting in opposition.

On Tuesday, several liberal advocacy groups voiced dismay that Trump was seeking to revisit those debates.

One of the founding principles of our nation is tolerance of peaceful protest, said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

In 2011, a State of the First Amendment survey found that 39 percent supported a constitutional amendment to make flag-burning illegal while 58 percent opposed it. The survey presented brief arguments for both positions before posing the question.

Earlier polls that did not explicitly mention First Amendment issues found more support for making flag-burning illegal. In a 2006 Gallup-USA Today poll, 56 percent said they would favor a constitutional amendment, while 41 percent said they were opposed.

Reed, the longtime Republican consultant who now works for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Trump was reflecting the views of his base on the issue.

This guys got his finger on the pulse of the country more than most, Reed said

Scott Clement contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani as his secretary of state. Here's why that could present challenges. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani as his secretary of state. Here's why that could present challenges. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

President-elect Donald Trumps drama-ridden selection process for secretary of state has narrowed to four finalists, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump aides said Wednesday.

It was the first time that Trumps transition team has publicly confirmed that Romney and Giuliani are competing for the highest ranking Cabinet position. Opponents of Romney have waged a remarkably public fight against him, saying the former Massachusetts governor should not get the nod because he attacked Trump in harsh personal terms during the presidential campaign and that Giuliani should be rewarded for his loyalty during the campaign.

Transition team officials would not name the other two finalists, but other leading candidates include retired Army Gen. David Petraeus  a former commanding general of the U.S. Central Command and CIA director  and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A fifth possible candidate is retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, former chief of U.S. Southern Command. Kelly, who clashed with the Obama administration over women serving in combat and plans to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, is also a candidate for homeland security secretary and possibly other positions, people familiar with the selection process have said. Kelly is scheduled to meet with the president-elect Wednesday at Trump Tower.

Trump aides said there is no set timetable for making a final selection on the State Department and that the president-elects decision will probably not be announced this week. Trump met with Romney on Tuesday night for a two-hour dinner at which the two men were seen laughing and munching on frog legs and other delicacies.

Afterward, Romney emerged and told reporters, I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump. That stood in stark contrast to the campaign, during which Romney had been one of Trumps leading detractors, labeling him a con man, a fake and a phony who was unprepared for the presidency.

Jason Miller, a senior Trump communications adviser, said Wednesday that Trump also thought the dinner went very well and that the two men had good chemistry. He added that Trump and Romney have not spent a significant amount of time together, so this is still the process of getting to know each other.

[How the Trump-Romney divide began to heal]

The naming of finalists for the State Department post came as Trump appeared to be focusing on core economic issues in his emerging Cabinet, while he prepared to put aside his sprawling businesses.

Trump officially announced key members of his economic team, choosing former banker and Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary and billionaire industrialist Wilbur Ross to run the Commerce Department. As Rosss deputy, Trump turned to Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Rickets, whose family members are powerful conservative donors.

This team will be instrumental in implementing the President-elects America First economic plan that will create more than 25 million jobs over the next decade, Trumps transition team said in statement.

House speaker Paul D. Ryan, who often clashed with Trump during the campaign but has been strongly supportive of the president-elect since his victory, praised his choices. I am excited to get to work with this strong team to fix our broken tax code, ease the regulatory burden on American businesses, and grow our economy, Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement.

President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney appear to be allies now, but that hasn't always been the case. Here's a look back at their turbulent relationship. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

But Mnuchin came under immediate attack from leading Democrats, with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) issuing a joint statement accusing Trump of hypocrisy. Trump, along with Sanders, had criticized Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for her close ties to Wall Street, especially Goldman Sachs, where Mnuchin worked for 17 years.

During the campaign, Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street, Sanders and Warren said. Steve Mnuchin, is just another Wall Street insider. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington.

Amid the economic focus, Trumps advisers continued promoting his role in a deal with air-conditioning manufacturer Carrier, which has announced it would reverse plans to move one of its factories from Indiana to Mexico. The company, owned by United Technologies, said about 1,000 U.S. jobs would be preserved. Trumps promise to keep jobs in the United States and rebuild American manufacturing was a core part of his insurgent campaign.

The Carrier deal, I think its terrific, Mnuchin told reporters as he walked into Manhattans Trump Tower on Wednesday morning to meet with his future boss. He said Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence had picked up the phone and called the CEO of the United Technologies and told them we want to keep jobs here. Cant remember the last time a president did that.

Trump and Pence will travel to Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon for the Carrier announcement, transition aides said Wednesday during a telephone briefing with reporters.

[Trumps announcement leaves many questions]

Details of the deal remained unclear, including the extent of Trumps personal involvement versus that of Pence or other officials, and whether any incentives were offered to keep the jobs in the state, where Pence is the governor.

Also uncertain were the specifics of how Trump, a longtime real estate developer with interests around the globe, planned to step away from overseeing his business. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he would soon leave the conglomerate.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Trump wrote on Twitter, which has remained his favorite communication medium during the transition.

The announcement, seen as a response to increasingly voiced concerns about the potential conflicts of interest between Trumps public and private roles, marks a turn from his months-long refusal to distance himself from his private affairs while holding the nations highest public office.

Trumps comments did little to convince critics such as Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), who along with 23 colleagues introduced a resolution Tuesday calling on Trump to follow the precedents set by past presidents and hold his assets in a form guaranteeing no conflicts, such as a blind trust.

I was encouraged to see the President-elects initial response but the devil is in the details, which Mr. Trump was short on in his tweets, Cardin said. The fact that his announcement will be done with his children at his side leaves many questions as to whether he and his lawyers understand the meaning of a blind trust.

Trump did not say if the new arrangement would include a full sale of his stake or, as he has offered before, a ceding of company management to his children, which ethics advisers have said would not resolve worries that the business could still influence his decisions in the Oval Office.

Presidents are not bound by the strict conflict-of-interest laws governing most U.S. elected officials. But most modern presidents have agreed to sell or sequester their assets in a blind trust led by an independent manager with supreme control, in order to keep past business deals, investments and relationships from influencing their White House term.

Giving company management to his three eldest children  Donald Trump Jr., Eric and Ivanka  would still leave open the potential for Trump to make presidential decisions for their benefit. The children have already played a key part in Trumps governing preparations, serving on the transition team now selecting key appointees and sitting in on meetings with foreign heads of state.

Transition aides declined to provide details of Trumps plans for his business during Wednesdays briefing, saying the president-elect will provide them at his Dec. 15 news conference.

With Mnuchin, Ross and Ricketts, Trumps Cabinet nominations reward their loyalty and roles in his campaign. Both Mnuchin and Ross were financial contributors and advisers, while Rickettss father financed a pro-Trump super PAC.

[Trumps big money men get Cabinet posts]

Mnuchin, an investor and former Goldman Sachs executive who joined Trumps campaign in May as finance chairman, has no government experience. But in his statement announcing Mnuchins nomination, which is subject to Senate confirmation, Trump hailed the former private equity fund head as a world-class financier, banker and businessman, who has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs.

Ross is an investor known as the king of bankruptcy for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits. He helped shape the Trump campaigns economic agenda, particularly its hard-line stance on the need to renegotiate or withdraw from free-trade agreements. That position resonated with the working-class voters who were instrumental in delivering Trumps upset victory.

Trump said that Ross, whose nomination is also subject to Senate confirmation, is a champion of American manufacturing and knows how to help companies succeed. Most importantly, he is one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met.

The two expressed confidence in the incoming administrations ability to boost economic growth as high as 4 percent a year.

Crucial to that projection would be passage of Trumps proposed overhaul of the tax code, including streamlining individual tax rates into three brackets and reducing the corporate tax rate to 15 percent. Independent research groups have estimated the plan could cost as much as $6 trillion over the next decade. However, that analysis does not include the potential economic benefits the tax cuts could generate.

Trumps new team spread out to give a sales pitch on Wednesday for his economic vision. In a joint interview with Ross on CNBCs Squawk Box, Mnuchin said reforming the nations tax code would be Trumps top priority and promised significant tax breaks for the middle class but no absolute cut for high-income households.

[Trumps economic team promises tax cut, faster GDP growth]

And at Trump Tower, Mnuchin told reporters that the new administrations number one priority is going to be the economy, get back to 3 to 4 percent growth. We believe thats very sustainable.

Asked how they would achieve Trumps promise to persuade U.S. companies to bring back massive amounts of cash they have stockpiled overseas because of what they see as high corporate taxes, Mnuchin said, Well our first priority is going to be the tax plan and the tax plan has both the corporate aspects to it, lowering corporate taxes so we make U.S. companies the most competitive in the world.

He added, without elaboration, that Trump will ensure that we repatriate trillions of dollars back to the United States.

Drew Harwell, Ylan Mui and Jim Tankersley contributed to this report.
Voting rights advocates are furious at President-elect Donald Trumps baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and concerned that his administration will more vigorously adopt measures that will make it harder for some groups of people to vote.

Some state and local election officials in recent years have cited the potential for voter fraud as the reason for enacting strict voter-ID laws, requiring additional verification for people who want to register to vote and conducting mass purges of voter rolls. Trumps promotion of the widely debunked notion of rampant voter fraud and the presence in his inner circle of political leaders who supported stricter voting laws send a troubling signal, say advocates who have spent the past several years fighting what they say are efforts to disenfranchise minorities and young, elderly and low-income voters.

They dont want us to participate in this democracy, said Cristobal J. Alex, president of the Latino Victory Project. We are gearing up for what will be the biggest fight of our lifetime.

In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 election, Trump often claimed that the election would be rigged and urged his supporters to monitor polling places in certain areas. Trump was elected president by racking up the most electoral votes, but Democrat Hillary Clintons lead in the popular vote has continued to grow. That prompted the president-elect to fire off a series of tweets on Sunday pushing a baseless allegation that Clinton won the popular vote because of millions of people who voted illegally. He specifically cited, without providing evidence, irregularities that he said took place in California, New Hampshire and Ohio.

[Trump pushes conspiracy theory that millions voted illegally for Clinton]

There's a group of people in the United States and its territories who have historically faced disenfranchisement, including felons and certain U.S. nationals. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Referring to that most recent comment, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), who during his Democratic presidential campaign often accused Republicans of engaging in voter suppression, said, When youve got this delusional, crazy tweet from the president-elect, you are sending a signal to the entire administration that their goal is to go forward and suppress the vote.

Trumps transition office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Trump spokesman Jason Miller declined to say at a Monday news briefing whether the president-elects Justice Department would ask state or federal law enforcement to investigate allegations of illegal voting but said there is concern that so many have voted who were not legally supposed to.

Among those concerned about the Trump administrations approach is Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters, who said last week in a statement on the groups website, This election was rigged. But she was referring to what she and other advocates describe as voter suppression.

In an interview this week, Carson cited Ohio, where, in violation of federal law, officials dropped 400,000 voters from the rolls because they had not cast ballots in recent elections. The league sued, and a federal court ordered the voters reinstated a few weeks before the election. Carson said league members scrambled to call as many voters as they could.

The league also sued to block the states of Kansas, Alabama and Georgia from requiring people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. Were not going to sit here and accept . . . that we can just willy-nilly restrict the right of eligible citizens to vote, she said.

Many of the laws that advocates have fought were put in place after the Supreme Courts 2013 decision striking down a section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of discrimination against minority voters to seek the Justice Departments approval before making changes in voting laws and procedures. A law in North Carolina that required voters to show a specific type of ID, cut out a week of early voting and called for other restrictions was struck down by a federal court in July, which described it as the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the groups Election Protection coalition was contacted by 117,000 voters and would-be voters who had problems during the election cycle. We did not receive any complaints of voter fraud, but we received plenty of complaints of elections officials requiring identification where there was no such requirement in place, of polling machines malfunctioning, of individuals brandishing weapons at polling sites, of students being told they were not eligible to vote, she said.

To suggest that vote fraud is rampant across our country invites states to put in place laws making voting more difficult, and that is incredibly anti-democratic, she said.

Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, said the Trump administration could change the voting landscape in a few ways. They include not filing lawsuits against states in which voter suppression is alleged, pressing for more aggressive purges of voter rolls or trying to push legislation through Congress, Weiser said.

The president-elects statements and some appointments and Cabinet nominations that he has made have been of particular concern to groups that fear that a Trump administration could move to suppress voting among black, Hispanic, elderly, young and rural voters. They are worried about Trumps nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be attorney general and his appointment of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an anti-illegal-immigration hard-liner, to his transition team. Kobach also has pushed rules  which were challenged in court  that would require proof of citizenship for those seeking to register to vote. And they fear that a Trump appointee to the Supreme Court could undermine voting rights.

Representatives for Sessions and Kobach declined to answer questions or did not respond to emails from The Washington Post.

[The facts about the voter fraud case that sank Jeff Sessionss bid for a judgeship]

Sessionss nomination to the federal bench was rejected in 1986 in part because of a voting rights case he handled while U.S. attorney in Alabama. Sessionss office alleged then that three black civil rights activists in Perry County, Ala., had tampered with absentee ballots. The activists argued that they changed the ballots with the consent of elderly and illiterate voters and that they were being targeted to suppress the black vote.

Kobach is one of the nations foremost advocates for adding more requirements for people to vote or register to vote. He is considered a possible candidate for a Trump Cabinet post.

[The conservative gladiator from Kansas behind restrictive voting laws]

Given the troubling rhetoric and records of the president-elect and his nominee for attorney general, I am deeply concerned that the Trump administration will use totally unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud of this nature to make it more difficult for citizens to vote, said Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), who participated in the 1963 voter registration drive known as Freedom Day in Selma, Ala.

But Francis De Luca, president of the Civitas Institute, has filed a federal lawsuit in North Carolina asking that ballots cast by people who used same-day registration not be counted until those people can be verified as eligible voters.

De Luca waved off Trumps comments about voter fraud as over the top, but he said he does think that there is a lot more voter fraud than is reported. He said voter fraud on a scale sufficient to affect a presidential election is unlikely but cited a few instances in North Carolina in which local elections turned on a handful of votes.

He said he supports strict voter-ID laws and other measures that protect the electoral process. You have to show ID to get a drink in a bar, he said. Underage drinking is illegal, and its illegal to cast a ballot in someone elses name.

However, even some Republicans are pushing back against Trumps claim that the election was not conducted fairly. Thomas D. Rath, a Republican who has been active in New Hampshire politics and elections for decades and served as the states attorney general, vigorously rejects Trumps contention that the results in New Hampshire were fraudulent.

This election was as fair and honest as anywhere you will find in the country, he said. I dont think its a partisan question. I think the idea of doing elections and getting them right is really very important.

Nationwide, there is skepticism that the nations elections are fair. In September, 46 percent of registered voters said voter fraud happens very often or somewhat often, according to a Washington Post/ABCNews poll. Nearly 7 in 10 Trump supporters said voter fraud happens often, compared with 28 percent of Clinton backers.

After the election, 99 percent of Trump supporters surveyed said they accept Trump as the legitimate winner  but they had many reservations before the election. In the week before, just 69 percent of Trump supporters surveyed said they were prepared to accept the legitimacy of the results.

Scott Clement and Michelle Ye Hee Lee contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said 117,000 voters and would-be voters contacted the Election Protection coalition about problems on Election Day. That total provided by Kristen Clarke was for the full election cycle.
Nepali, Indian officials agree to expedite India-funded projects

Senior officials from Nepal and India on Tuesday agreed to clear bottlenecks in India-funded projects in Nepal and concluded to speed up works.
An employee of the German intelligence agency (BfV) office in Cologne, Germany, has been arrested on charges of making Islamist statements and sharing agency material. (Oliver Berg/European Pressphoto Agency)

Two weeks ago, German intelligence agents noticed an unusual user in a chat room known as a digital hideout for Islamic militants. The man claimed to be one of them  and said he was a German spy. He was offering to help Islamists infiltrate his agencys defenses to stage a strike.

Agents lured him into a private chat, and he gave away so many details about the spy agency  and his own directives within it to thwart Islamists  that they quickly identified him, arresting the 51-year-old the next day. Only then would the extent of his double life become clear.

The German citizen of Spanish descent confessed to secretly converting to Islam in 2014. From there, his story took a stranger turn. Officials ran a check on the online alias he assumed in radical chat rooms. The married father of four had used it before  as recently as 2011  as his stage name for acting in gay pornographic films.

Authorities on Tuesday said they had arrested him on suspicion of preparing to commit a violent act and for violating state secrecy laws. His arrest was first reported in Germanys Der Spiegel. But two German officials familiar with the case  a senior intelligence official and a senior law enforcement official  revealed new details about his double life in interviews with the Washington Post. They include his role in pornographic films, which could cast a fresh light on the judgment and vetting of the German intelligence agency at a critical time.

News of the case sparked a storm of outrage in Germany, even as critics said it raised serious questions about the countrys bureaucratically named domestic spy agency, known as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).

As they scramble to contain a proliferation of new threats from the Islamic State terrorist group and lone wolves in Europe, German security officials have been credited with foiling plots. But they also have stumbled  including in the case of Jaber al-Bakr, a Syrian who was arrested last month on suspicion of planning an attack and who managed to kill himself while on a 24-hour suicide watch in a Leipzig jail cell.

Enter the unfolding case now of a porn actor-turned-Muslim-convert-turned-spy-turned-Islamist turncoat.

Its not only a rather bizarre, but also a quite scary, story that an agency, whose central role it is to engage in counterespionage, hired an Islamist who potentially had access to classified information, who might have even tried to spread Islamist propaganda and to recruit others to let themselves be hired by and possibly launch an attack against the domestic intelligence agency, said Hans-Christian Strobele, a member of the Parliamentary Control Committee that oversees the work of the German intelligence services.

The agency needs to tell us immediately what exactly happened and how it could happen that somebody like this was hired, he said.

One senior BfV official, who discussed the matter on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media defended the agency, said it was virtually impossible to protect against a breach like this.

How should anyone have known this? He had acted under different names and identities online, he said. Not his real name. One has to say that we were able to find out about all this very quickly and also actions were taken fast.

Officials were withholding the name of the 51-year old, as well as the alias he used as a porn actor and in chat rooms. Before he was hired in April, officials insist, he was thoroughly vetted. They said they had interviewed former employers and others who knew him.

Those who have interviewed the suspect say he may have been mentally ill, and perhaps even had multiple personalities, according to the senior intelligence official.

But in hindsight, even officials in German security circles were asking how such a lapse was possible.

With all the information coming out about this individual, the question has to be raised: how he was able to end up in the intelligence service and was able to hide all this from his workplace but also his family, said the senior law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

In April 2016, the man began working for the BfV, charged with monitoring potentially violent Islamists in Germany. The ranks of Salafists  an ultraconservative sect of Islam  have been rapidly growing. In September, Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the domestic spy agency, estimated that there are at least 9,200 in Germany, up from 5,500 three years ago.

However, other members of the German intelligence service also charged with watching chat rooms noticed a user who claimed that he was working for the domestic spy service and offering vital information. They began a direct chat with him.

The user offered to facilitate access to the spy agencys headquarters in Cologne so that Islamist militants could commit violent acts against unbelievers. The man, however, provided so much detail about his directives and role at the agency that the spies chatting with him were able to identify and arrest him by the following day.

In custody, the man, officials say, admitted under interrogation that he was a secret convert to Islam and that he had the aim all along to infiltrate the domestic spy agency so he could warn his religious brothers about the agencys investigations.

He told investigators that he had converted in 2014, after telephone conversations with somebody in Austria who went by the name Mohammed. Investigators asked him if this was Mohammed Mahmoud, an Austrian Egyptian who joined the Islamic State and who previously had run a website where he translated speeches of al-Qaeda leaders. The arrested man refused to confirm a surname.

Officials say there is no evidence yet that the suspect provided harmful details to Islamic militants. But German politicians charged with overseeing the domestic spy agencys work were calling for a review of its vetting procedures.

One can be grateful that this came out, said Andre Hahn, a member of the agencys parliamentary control committee from the Left Party. But it appears to have been rather a coincidence. It could also have happened that he would have worked there for years.

Stephanie Kirchner contributed to this report.

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Nepalis demand NRB increase Indian currency exchange limit

Long queues of people bearing anxious looks were seen on the premises of Nepal Rastra Banks (NRB) Thapathali branch on Tuesday, as they tirelessly waited to fetch Indian bank bills to travel to India for various reasons.
Migrants wrapped in survival foil blankets rest aboard the Topaz Responder ship, run by Maltese and Italian aid groups, after a rescue operation Nov. 5 off the coast of Libya. (Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images)

Migrants heading to Italy from Libya in leaky boats and inflatable dinghies have broken an annual arrivals record, Italian authorities said this week, underscoring the rising popularity of an increasingly deadly journey that nowadays aims not for land, but for a frigid mid-sea rescue.

The number of boat migrants reaching Italy from North Africa this year surpassed 171,000, topping the previous record of 170,100, set in 2014, the Italian Interior Ministry said Monday. But 2016 is also the most lethal year for those trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. So far, 4,690 people have died en route, compared with 3,777 deaths for all of last year, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

[At least 239 migrants believed drowned in Mediterranean, U.N. says]

The surge in fatalities reflects the ever greater numbers of people attempting the journey deep into autumn, even as the sea turns colder and choppier by the day. More than three times as many reached Italy this November as did so in the same month last year, the U.N. says. On Monday alone, Italian and international rescuers reportedly pulled 1,400 people from the water.

People-smugglers in Libya are spreading rumors that the route is about to close, migration groups say, pushing people to undertake the risky journey now rather than wait for better weather.

A boy sits on the deck of the Topaz Responder in Italy after being rescued from a migrant boat on Nov. 22. More than 4,600 people have died this year making the crossing from Libya, which is growing more perilous by the day as winter sets in. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Last week, at least eight corpses were recovered during rescues that also saved about 1,400 people, and more were thought to be missing. Many of the rescued migrants said smugglers had told them that the Libyan coast guard is about to take over rescue operations and will turn boats back to Libya rather than take them to Italy, as is now usually the case.

The rumors point to a development at the core of the worsening crisis: The rescuers have become a crucial part of the smuggling process. None of the dilapidated smugglers boats now actually complete the journey to Italy. Instead, smugglers launch the overcrowded dinghies  often little more than rubber rafts  into the sea, then have the migrants radio or call for help when they are still close to the Libyan coast.

Smugglers no longer need large and robust boats. They need small boats that can make it a short distance and then have search-and-rescue pick them up, said Elizabeth Collett, director of the Brussels-based Migration Policy Institute Europe. How do you break that cycle? You cant stop search-and-rescue.

Although the Libyan coast guard and navy are, indeed, stepping up efforts to halt smuggling and return people to shore, they are hampered by Libyas chaotic civil war and lack of centralized authority. Few Western officials expect the countrys military forces to be able to mount a large-scale effort to intercept the traffic. And even when migrants are turned back, poor conditions in Libya often spur them to make another attempt. For now, the smugglers seem to be feeding migrants fears to drum up business.

[A Libyan militia confronts the worlds migrant crisis]

Migrants often say that they expected better boats for the voyage but that by the time they see the rubber dinghies waiting onshore, the smugglers give them no opportunities to reconsider.

The tactics appear to be more reckless, said Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, referring to the smugglers.





Many smugglers launch several dinghies in the same area at once, migration groups say, creating a bigger challenge for rescuers when the vessels capsize.

Migrants drawings of their journeys show stick figures lined up 20 across, with more people sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the edges of the boats. One drawing that was given to the U.N. refugee agency shows a boat with a special section for women, with the rear reserved for jerrycans of fuel. The person who did that drawing said the boat was about 45 feet long.

It is really the image of the slave boats, all packed in rows, said Carlotta Sami, a Rome-based spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency. The vessels collapse after traveling just a few miles, she added, because they are of such a poor quality.

The people who use the Libyan route are largely from Sub-Saharan Africa, mostly from Eritrea, Nigeria and Gambia, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Most of those who use the route via Turkey are fleeing conflict in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Flows from Turkey to Greece surged last year to almost 1 million people, then nearly stopped this year. In a deal with the European Union that went into effect in April, Turkey agreed to stem the flow in return for more E.U. support for refugees and visa-free travel in Europe for Turkish citizens. Since then, about 20,000 asylum seekers and migrants have arrived in Greece, compared with 735,000 during the same period last year.

However, relations between Ankara and the European Union have taken a turn for the worse since a failed coup attempt in July in Turkey led to a political crackdown. Just last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to unleash a new migration crisis on Europes borders by canceling the deal.

The warning came after the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to advise mothballing talks with Turkey about the countrys potential E.U. membership. Although the vote was largely symbolic, it reflected growing concern among European leaders about Turkeys direction  and a willingness to let the refugee deal lapse despite deep fears about the political strain of taking in more asylum seekers.

Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report.

Read more

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Ahmed Sadek carries his 2-year-old grandson, Osama Hassan, in the mountainous area of Bani Saifan, where their village is located. Osama is suffering from severe malnutrition, but his family cannot afford to send him to a hospital. (Sudarsan Raghavan/The Washington Post)

The family of Osama Hassan faced a wrenching choice as his tiny body wasted away. Should they use the little money they had, in a time of war, to take the 2-year-old to a hospital? Or should they buy food to feed their other children?

His family chose food.

Outside their hut, Ahmed Sadek grimly observed his frail grandson, who was lying on a wooden cot and staring blankly at the gray sky. His hair was sparse, his teeth decayed, his arms sticklike. He could no longer walk on his spindly legs.

With every raspy breath, Osamas ribs protruded through his dry skin.

Theres nothing we can do for him, Sadek said. I know hes going to die.

Every day children are perishing in rural Yemen, where two-thirds of the nations population lives. Parents are forced to decide between saving their sick children and preventing healthier ones from following the same perilous route. Cemeteries in this desperately poor and rugged stretch of villages in the northwest contain the bodies of children who have recently died of hunger and preventable diseases. Most are buried in unmarked graves, their deaths unreported to authorities.



The watered grave of Udai Faisal, who died of severe acute malnutrition, is marked only by stones, at a graveyard in Hazyaz village on the southern outskirts of Sanaa, in March. (Hani Mohammed/AP)

The more fortunate are taken to a hospital, often hours away on broken roads. Survival, though, is bittersweet. Families are often bankrupt after paying for medical care, and the children return home to the same cycle of war-

induced poverty and malnutrition.

Hunger has long gripped the Middle Easts poorest country, its hold tightening as the nation collapsed after the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled President Ali Abdullah Saleh. But Yemens 20-month-old civil war has brought the country closer to famine.

The health system and other safety nets that caught many children before their bodies withered away are frayed or have disappeared. International aid agencies are facing a multitude of barriers, including airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition helped by the United States and obstruction by the rebels who rule the capital, Sanaa, as well as the main northern sea port of Hodeidah.

The U.N. Childrens Fund estimates that 370,000 Yemeni children are severely malnourished and facing death, and 2 million are in urgent need of help.

This is an entire generation thats at risk here, said Erin Hutchinson, Yemen director for the aid agency Action Against Hunger. Were seeing a worsening situation as the conflict continues, and its not stabilizing. The needs are only deepening at the moment.



A malnourished boy sits on a bed at a malnutrition treatment center in Sanaa, Yemen on Oct. 30, 2016. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

Few aid agencies to help

Osama was born prematurely six months before the war started. Underweight, his first view of the world was from inside an incubator. His father worked in Saudi Arabia as a laborer, like tens of thousands of others in Hajjah province, which borders the kingdom. His grandfather sold grain from the familys small farm at the base of a craggy mountain.

There was money, but not much, to take Osama to a hospital.

By March 2015, northern rebels known as Houthis had seized the capital and forced President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi into exile, fracturing the nation. Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries entered the conflict to restore him to power with the Pentagon providing weapons, intelligence and other forms of support.

The rebels, aligned with Salehs loyalists, control the northwest, while portions of the south and east are held by forces backing Hadis government. Radical Islamists, including al-Qaedas local branch and an emerging Islamic State affiliate, rule areas that arent under government or rebel control.

Few aid agencies operate in Bani Saifan and other remote areas. Hospitals have been destroyed by airstrikes or depleted of medicine partly because of a Saudi air and naval blockade. Jobs have disappeared as the violence and siege have torn up Yemens economy and displaced more than 3 million people, nearly half of whom are children.





With the border closed, Osamas father never returned from Saudi Arabia. Soon, his remittances stopped. The childs grandfather and uncle care for him, his mother and three siblings, as well as 20 other relatives.

This year is more difficult than last year, said Sadek, a thin man with a white beard. Many people can no longer afford to buy my grain. They are suffering like us.

Osamas body began to break down this year. Unable to afford fruit, vegetables and other nutritious foods, his family fed him a diet of goats milk and biscuits. Unclean water and poor sanitation abetted his decline.

Three children have died of hunger in their village this year, Sadek said.

Other families in Bani Saifan face a similar situation. Four months ago, Faris al-Shamiri buried his 9-month-old daughter, Samah, in a cemetery near their home.

A lot of children are buried there, Shamiri said. Two months old, 6 months old, they are of different ages. Most of them have died of hunger.

Samah had stopped eating. But Shamiri delayed taking her to the hospital because he didnt have money, and prayed that she would improve. Samah died in the intensive care unit.

No sense of urgency

Help for the region is hardly on the way.

The Houthi administration is struggling financially as the war strangles the economy. And the United Nations has raised less than half of its appeal to international donors this year as Yemen remains in the shadow of Iraq, Syria and other crises.

Yemen ultimately is a media blackout, said Jamie McGoldrick, the top U.N. humanitarian official in the country. Its not getting the attention it deserves. Its not Aleppo. We dont have drones flying over it showing the destruction. We dont have a Mosul, which has BBC cameras 24-7 on it.

Osamas uncle took him to the nearest government clinic, a bumpy journey on a motorcycle taxi that lasted an hour.

There was no doctor to serve the districts population of 70,000. The staff hasnt been paid in three months. Medicine and supply cabinets were empty.

A nutritional supplement provided by UNICEF to treat severe malnutrition, a peanut-base paste known as PlumpyNut, had run out. The Houthi authorities have not cleared deliveries for weeks, said Bismarck Swangin, a UNICEF spokesman. He added that 240 health facilities in the north and coastal areas were facing the same predicament.

Vaccines and other essential supplies have also sat for months in neighboring countries, awaiting approval from the Houthis. The rebels, long suspicious of the West and running out of resources, seek to control and direct the flow of aid, Western aid officials say.

Youve got two levels of a blockade, really, said a senior U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing relations with the rebel government. The blockade which is the result of the [Saudi-led] coalition, an economic blockade of the country. Inside that blockade, you have some elements of the [Houthi] authorities who are making life so incredibly complicated. The medical response is not as effective as it could be.

Theres a malnutrition crisis in the country, the official added, and yet the overall government approach seems to show no sense of urgency.

Mohammed Albukhaiti, a Houthi political official, denied the allegation. He blamed the crisis on the Saudi-led coalition, saying that it has stopped many medicines from coming into the country and [is] selective in what they allow to enter. The coalition has publicly blamed the Houthis for Yemens humanitarian woes.



Saida Ahmad Baghili, an 18-year-old from an impoverished coastal village on the outskirts of the rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeida. (AFP/Getty Images)

Legs of a malnourished boy are pictured at a malnutrition treatment center in Sanaa. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

At the government clinic, the need for urgency is unmistakable. Last month alone, 116 children under the age of 5 arrived with severe malnutrition, 17 of them from Bani Saifan.

Can you help my child? pleaded Zahra Meksha, who

was carrying her malnourished 4-year-old daughter, Widad. She explained that her husband was unemployed and that they were surviving on milk and yogurt.

We cant do anything for her, said Hassan Chailan, the clinics malaria coordinator. She needs to be admitted to a hospital for at least a week.

The clinic advised Osamas uncle to take the child to a therapeutic feeding center at the main government hospital in Hajjah city, the provincial capital. But the trip there, a three-hour drive from their village, costs $50, a princely sum in Bani Saifan.

Two weeks after his clinic visit, Osama was still at home, his face gaunt and taut like an old man.

By then, his grandfather had made a decision. There were too many mouths to feed in the family, including Osamas 4-year-old brother, who had also suffered from malnutrition but was improving.

This is Gods judgment, Sadek said, looking first at Osama, then at his other grandson. What can I do?



Osama Hassan suffers from severe hunger in Bani Saifan, Yemen. (Sudarsan Raghavan/The Washington Post)

He died in my arms

Even when a child is taken to the hospital, there are no guarantees.

Ali Humeit and his wife, who live less than a mile from Bani Saifan, took their 5-year-old son, Rayaan, to the malnutrition ward of Hajjah hospital.

It was a return visit.

In October, Rayaan was hooked up to an IV drip and given nutritional supplements and medicine. He recovered his appetite in 10 days. But when he returned home, he began to lose weight fast. His parents could only afford to feed him water, milk, tea and bread.

Since the war began, I have not been working, said Humeit, who was a construction worker before the conflict.

For the first hospital visit, Humeit borrowed $150 from othervillagers. This time, he was forced to beg on the street, he said. At night his wife sleeps with their child at the hospital, and he beds down free on the floor of a nearby mosque.

With four other children to feed, Humeit has prepared himself for the most agonizing decision of his life if Rayaan gets ill again.

If I dont have money, I cant bring him back, he said, looking at his son, who was visibly irritated and crying. Ill have to leave him at home, and let God handle it.

Abdul Fatah Baashami and his wife never got to see their only child, Nabil, walk or talk.

Eight months ago, the signs of hunger emerged: swollen stomach, loss of weight. Nabil refused to breast-feed. So his parents carried him to nearby private hospitals, then to the same clinic where Osama had been taken. But he still teetered between life and death.

Then last month, Baashamis father died. As the eldest son, he was suddenly responsible for 18 relatives. He earned $1 to $3 a day as a laborer  whenever he found work.

I owe a lot of people money  $650, he said.



Abdul Fatah Baashami stands next to grave of his only child, Nabil, who died of hunger. He was 14 months old. (Sudarsan Raghavan/The Washington Post)

When Nabils health deteriorated, the couple borrowed more money to take him to the hospital in Hajjah.

My son was just skin and bones, recalled Najua Showken, 18, his mother.

In the morning, an hour before their trip, she tried to breast-feed Nabil. Too weak to respond, he began to fade away. Drifting in and out of consciousness until his eyes were rolling up, he finally went silent, his mother said.

He died in my arms, she said.

Nabil had lived for 14 months.

Three hours later, after Nabils body was washed and wrapped in a white cloth in accordance with Muslim ritual, he was placed in a grave at a cemetery a short walk from their home, where eight other children were buried this year.

The cost of his funeral was covered by the money his father had borrowed to save the childs life.

Ali Al-Mujahed contributed to this report.

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A cluster bomb made in America shattered lives in Yemens capital

In Yemeni capital, signs of hatred toward Americans are everywhere

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Harry Sarfo is serving a three-year prison term in Germany on terrorism charges. He was once a soldier for the Islamic State but says he avoided participating in the group's violence. Video provided to The Washington Post by a source inside the Islamic State casts doubt on Sarfo's claims. (Souad Mekhennet, Greg Miller, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

Harry Sarfo is serving a three-year prison term in Germany on terrorism charges. He was once a soldier for the Islamic State but says he avoided participating in the group's violence. Video provided to The Washington Post by a source inside the Islamic State casts doubt on Sarfo's claims. (Souad Mekhennet, Greg Miller, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

German prosecutors have launched a murder and war crimes investigation of an Islamic State fighter who claimed in interviews that he had refused to engage in violence in Syria but was caught on video taking part in a public execution, a German official said.

Harry Sarfo, 28, a German citizen whose sanitized accounts of his experiences in Syria appeared on front pages of major newspapers and television broadcasts, is now suspected of playing a direct role in the killing of seven hostages in the ancient city of Palmyra last year.

German officials said the inquiry was opened after The Washington Post obtained and published a video that showed Sarfo moving hostages into position in a public square, raising his fist in celebration as they fell amid a barrage of machine-gun fire, and apparently firing his weapon at one of the downed men.

[This ISIS defector said he was an innocent bystander. A new video questions his story.]

We are investigating Harry Sarfo for membership in a foreign terrorist organization, murder and war crimes, said Frauke Koehler, spokeswoman for the federal prosecutors office in Karlsruhe, Germany, which is handling the case.

German militant Harry Sarfo is pictured in an undated Islamic State propaganda video.

Officials said that no new charges have been filed, but that the decision to open a new investigation reflects a substantial change in evidence. A conviction on murder and war crimes charges could multiply a three-year sentence Sarfo was given earlier this year for lesser crimes, including violation of German weapons laws.

Udo Wurtz, Sarfos attorney, declined to comment.

A senior German security official said that investigators determined that the video obtained by The Post was authentic and convinced authorities that Sarfo had lied about the limits of his involvement with the Islamic State during a three-month stay in Syria in 2015.

Harry did play down his role and participated in things that he had not been convicted of or sentenced for because we did not know about them, the official said. The official said that investigators still think Sarfo provided some accurate information about other German fighters he encountered in Syria, but question much of what he told investigators and reporters about the inner workings of the Islamic State.

We have great doubt when it comes to certain information he provided, the official said. As Sarfo turned into a media phenomenon, the official said, the more interviews he gave, the more new things he seemed to have remembered.

In interviews, Sarfo denounced the Islamic State and talked at length about the groups efforts to orchestrate attacks against the West.

German authorities allowed news organizations from Europe and the United States to meet with Sarfo at a prison in Bremen, apparently in the hopes that his account would serve as a cautionary tale and discourage other militants from traveling to Syria.

Sarfo, who is of Ghanaian descent, was detained upon his return to Germany last year. He insisted that he had merely stood on the side and said no to the killings that the terrorist group staged, according to court filings.

The claims of innocence he made to news organizations were more emphatic.

Speaking on camera with German broadcaster ZDF this year, Sarfo said that he and other fighters were driven to Palmyra and asked to take part in the execution of seven civilians.

I refused. I did not raise my hand, Sarfo told ZDF, which worked with The Post on follow-up reporting after the new video surfaced. Even when pressured by more senior Islamic State operatives, Sarfo said he stood firm: I dont know this person. He didnt do me any harm. I wont kill him.

In an April interview with the British newspaper the Independent, Sarfo denounced the Islamic State as not just un-Islamic, it is inhuman, and said that he had witnessed stonings, beheadings, shootings, hands chopped off and many other things but never committed such violence himself.

Sarfos denunciations caught the attention of the Islamic State. A person inside the group provided video of Sarfos involvement in the Palmyra execution  footage that had been captured by an Islamic State camera crew, but not included in the groups propaganda releases.

The twists in the Sarfo case serve as a sobering example of how little European security services know about hundreds of militants now returning to the continent after fighting in Syria. More than 6,000 militants have left Europe to fight in Syria over the past five years, a flow that has begun to reverse itself this year as the Islamic State has lost territory.

Miller reported from Washington.

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Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks briefly to reporters at Trump Tower on wednesday after meeting President-elect Donald Trump who asked him to stay on. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President-elect Donald Trump has asked Preet Bharara, the aggressive and fiercely independent U.S. attorney in Manhattan whos made his name going after cases of public corruption, to stay on in his position.

As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Bharara, who was born in India and whose parents brought him to the United States as a child, heads one of the highest-profile federal prosecutors offices in the country.

[The brash New York prosecutor whos indicting left and right]

The president-elect asked, presumably because hes a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years, asked to meet with me to discuss whether or not Id be prepared to stay on as the United States attorney to do the work as we have done it, independently, without fear or favor for the last seven years, Bharara said in a brief statement to reporters on Wednesday after meeting with Trump at Trump Tower.

We had a good meeting, he said. ...I agreed to stay on.

Bharara said he has already spoken to U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who is Trumps nominee to be the next attorney general. Sessions also asked him to remain, he said.

Bharara is a former chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). He was appointed to the U.S. Attorneys office by President Obama in 2009. He oversees 227 prosecutors, making it the second-largest U.S. Attorneys office in the country.

Over the years the office has earned the somewhat sarcastic moniker of the Sovereign District of New York for the way it is perceived to operate  as independently as possible from officials at the Department of Justice in Washington.

Bharara has overseen a number of high-profile prosecutions, including winning convictions last year of the leaders of both houses of the New York legislature: former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is a Democrat; former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is a Republican.

His office also successfully prosecuted dozens of cases involving insider trading on Wall Street. Time Magazine put him on its 2012 cover with the headline, This man is busting Wall Street.

One of the most prominent cases was the 2011 conviction of Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund, who is serving an 11-year prison term.

His office also has had high-profile terrorism cases, including the prosecution of Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to bomb Times Square, and received a life sentence. His office has also won convictions of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Ladens son in law, and of radical cleric Abu Hamza. Both were given life sentences.

Now, his prosecutors are preparing to try Ahmad Khan Rahimi, who is accused of setting off a pressure-cooker bomb in New York City in September that injured more than 30 people.
The U.N. Security Council voted Nov. 30 to further tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to its fifth and largest nuclear test, conducted in September. (Manuel Elias/United Nations via AP)

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday imposed a ceiling on North Koreas coal exports to deprive it of hard currency three months after Pyongyang conducted its fifth nuclear test.

The resolution ratchets up the sanctions in a previous resolution that passed in March in response to Pyongyangs fourth nuclear test, conducted in January. The earlier resolution also banned countries from buying North Korean coal but exempted livelihood purchases.

Under its interpretation of the provision, China had continued to buy coal from its neighbor, which earns an estimated $1 billion a year from such sales. China, which fears floods of refugees if North Korea is destabilized, voted in favor of the resolution that removes the exemption, and U.S. officials say the move will pare North Koreas earnings by more than 60 percent.

Chinas ambassador to the United Nations, Liu Jieyi, called on North Korea to stop its nuclear testing but accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with North Korea by stepping up military exercises in the region.

[North Korea is racing toward the nuclear finish line]

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, thanked China for working on the language of the resolution, which she said will go after North Koreas illicit schemes.

In addition to capping coal sales, the resolution also bans exports of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. It prohibits the sale of bronze monumental statues, which North Korea sells primarily to authoritarian rulers in Africa and the Middle East, earning tens of millions of dollars.

The resolution also adds bone china, rugs and tapestries to the list of banned luxury items that cannot be sold to North Korea, where they have been doled out as rewards for supporters of the regimes leader, Kim Jong Un, and it suggests that countries reduce the number of North Korean diplomats accredited in their capitals.

The United States began working on drafting a resolution shortly after North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Sept. 9, an acceleration of its pursuit of nuclear warheads that can be mounted on missiles, including some that can reach the continental United States. But U.S. officials acknowledged the latest resolution is unlikely to act as an immediate brake on Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions, which have continued to grow despite U.N. sanctions resolutions dating to 2006.

[Outrage over North Korean nuclear test]

Have the sanctions that the Security Council has imposed caused the DPRK to abandon its nuclear program? said a U.S. official familiar with the resolution, referring to North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and speaking on the condition of anonymity to comment on the confidential negotiations. Clearly the answer to that is no. A different question to ask is: Have they impeded the DPRKs nuclear and ballistic missile program from the development that it otherwise would have been able to do? Im quite confident that the answer to that is yes.

North Koreas nuclear weapons proliferation will be one of the most urgent international crises confronting President-elect Donald Trump. This week, former president George W. Bush called the country a prison run by a sadistic warden and a grave security threat.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the latest resolution was the toughest and most comprehensive ever passed by the Security Council and called on Pyongyang to cease further provocative actions.

Read more:

These North Korea missile launches are adding up to something very troubling

N. Korea inches closer to being able to send a nuclear-tipped missile to the U.S.

North Korea is scarier than ever
On left, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the All-Russia People's Front (ONF) Action Forum in Moscow on Nov. 22, 2016. On right, President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally in New York on Nov. 9, 2016. ((Left) Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA (Right) Evan Vucci/AP)

Russia has been in contact over Syria with the team of President-elect Donald Trump, a senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday, suggesting that Moscow is already looking past the Obama administration when it comes to the crisis in Syria.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted by the state-run Tass news agency as saying that Russia had been in communication with several people that we have known for a long time.

Bogdanov, President Vladimir Putins special representative for the Middle East and Africa, declined to name the Trump team members, adding only that Moscow hoped that relations with Washington over Syria would improve under the incoming administration.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unable to confirm information about contacts between Russia and Trumps team. As far as we know, the new team of the president-elect has yet to be formed, Peskov said. He added that negotiations about Syria and other conflict areas are continuing with our partners of the current administration of the U.S. president.

Bogdanovs announcement followed the revelation that Donald Trump Jr., the oldest son of the president-elect, had private talks before the election with diplomats and politicians in Paris on collaborating with Russia to end the conflict in Syria.

Trump Jr. was one of about 30 people who assembled in a private room at the Ritz Paris on Oct. 11 for a summit arranged by the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs, a think tank run by Fabien Baussart, a French businessman known for ties to Russian oligarchs who has made overtures to Russia to resolve the conflict.

[Moscow had contacts with Trump team during the campaign, says Russia]

The meeting also posed questions about the Trump campaigns contact with nongovernmental foreign officials and operatives before the election. The campaign confirmed that the meeting, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, took place.

Just days after the election, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said government officials had conferred with members of Trumps campaign, an assertion later denied by his spokeswoman Hope Hicks.

The president-elect has spoken frequently about cooperating with Russia to fight the Islamic State militant group, rather than following the current U.S. policy of supporting rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Moscows longtime ally.

Putin has committed to supporting Assads regime, which has ruled out any deal with the rebel groups that the United States has supported. Russia describes all rebel groups as terrorists, and Trumps blanket statements about joining Russia have been seen in Moscow as tacitly supporting this view.

On Wednesday, Putin again expressed hope that Trumps election would herald better relations between Moscow and Washington.

Now that the election campaign in the United States is over and a new president is about to move into the White House, it is to be hoped that there will emerge a chance to establish relations crucial not only to both countries, but also to ensure international stability and security, he said at the international forum in Moscow.

Putin did not mention Syria in the comments, but it looms as one of the critical tests for any possible shifts by Washington.

After the election, Russia kicked off a massive aerial and missile assault on Syrian rebel positions, just hours after Putin and Trump, speaking by phone, agreed to combine efforts in Syria to defeat what Moscow has said is its enemy in the fight: international terrorism and extremism.

Randa Kassis, Baussarts Syrian-born wife, documented the Paris meeting with Trump Jr. on her Facebook page. She is the president of the Movement of the Pluralistic Society, a Syrian opposition group endorsed by Moscow that advocates working with Assad.

With Trump as the newly elected president, we can work to find a way to stop this war and start this political process, Kassis told The Washington Post. For me, [Hillary] Clinton was really the worst and could be the worst president concerning this fire in the Middle East  she supported Islamists, and when she was secretary of state, she armed Islamists on the ground in Syria.

On Nov. 8, Kassis met with Bogdanov and, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, exchanged views on developments in Syria and around it, pointing to the need for an early political settlement of the Syrian crisis.

The next day, she heralded Trumps surprise election victory over Clinton in Russian state-controlled media, telling the Sputnik news agency that she had been in contact with him through his son. I succeed to pass to Trump, through the talks with his son, the idea of how we can cooperate together to reach the agreement between Russia and the United States on Syria, she said.

Kassis noted that, before the election, the group had also invited James Rubin, a former State Department spokesman and informal adviser tothe Clinton campaign.

Trump never accepted U.S. allegations that the Kremlin was interfering in the presidential election, even after the Obama administration accused Russia. Instead, the billionaire real estate developer staked out positions that were friendly to the Kremlin, calling for closer ties with Moscow.

There have been questions about whether Trumps ties with Russia might be influenced by his business interests there. He made millions of dollars by taking the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013, and Trump Jr. said in 2008 that Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. In the second presidential debate, though, Trump categorically denied having business interests in Russia.

Several Trump advisers also had well-publicized ties to Russia, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, a Trump national security adviser, sat next to Putin last year during a dinner held by the Kremlin-funded television channel RT, formerly known as Russia Today.

During the election campaign, Trump said Putin had been a leader far more than our president [Obama] has been.

Read more:

Russian air defense raises stakes of U.S. confrontation in Syria

Russian warplanes from Mediterranean carrier join Syria attacks

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Syrian forces have rounded up hundreds of young men as the government pushes its advance into rebel-held zones in the embattled city of Aleppo, residents and a monitoring group said Wednesday, prompting concerns about the safety of those held.

Similar widespread detentions  apparently seeking rebel fighters or personnel for conscription  have followed the fall of other opposition strongholds during the five-year-old conflict in Syria. But the scale of the Aleppo showdown is far bigger, and the government of President Bashar al-Assad has stepped up attacks as it seeks to topple one of the rebels last major urban bastions.

Also Wednesday, the White Helmets volunteer rescue group said at least 45 people  many looking for shelter  were killed in government shelling in Jub al-Quba, an eastern neighborhood. In photographs published to social media, rescue workers were seen picking through a street strewn with bodies and suitcases.

More than 50,000 civilians have fled rebel-held eastern Aleppo since pro-Assad forces overran a third of the area in recent days. Families remaining in opposition territory said Wednesday that the phones of sons, fathers and brothers had fallen silent.

One man who had fled the Masaken Hanano area  retaken Saturday by Iraqi and Lebanese Shiite militias allied with the government  said young men holed up in his brothers home were detained. My sister said he [the brother] was separated from the group by thugs. Weve tried his phone, weve tried his friends phone. Weve heard nothing, he said.

[Trump White House could reorder the Middle East]

Another man said two male relatives were taken in similar circumstances. They decided to stay at home, not to leave. Now they are arrested, he said.

Families interviewed by The Washington Post spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearful of the fate that awaits detained relatives. Assads security forces have been accused of summary killings of detainees.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said more than 300 people were missing from Aleppo. The men were thought to have been taken to a nearby air base for screening and interrogation. Activists said some are expected to be forcibly enrolled in the armed forces, an increasingly common practice as the army faces manpower shortages.

The army denied making any arrests, instead saying Wednesday that men were being put in specific places, the Reuters news agency reported.

More than 20,000 people had fled to government-held western neighborhoods of Aleppo, according to the Observatory, while 30,000 had moved to areas held by Kurdish forces.

[Tale of two Syrias, from a drones eye view]

As armed rebel groups cling to what remains of their strongholds in eastern Aleppo, the suffering of tens of thousands of civilians still there  already struggling through a four-month-long siege  has deepened.

On Wednesday, many families were searching for shelter after fleeing the governments advance farther north. Residents said most had arrived with nothing, raising fears that dwindling food supplies and medicine stocks  last replenished by aid agencies in July  would run out soon.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent said Wednesday that it had provided medical care, blankets and hot meals to at least 1,000 of the displaced. But many more were sheltering in the rain in abandoned, shelled-out buildings, as well as schools, mosques and tents.

The implications of fleeing home are immense. Its not just a matter of picking a few items and leaving. Theres a huge knock-on effect, said Marianne Gasser, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Syria. They need to be guaranteed safe passage and be offered dignified conditions. And they need all the basic necessities such as food, safe drinking water and medical care.

The government-led offensive has brought Assads forces closer to the recapture of Aleppo and their greatest victory of the civil war. Defeat of the rebels in this strategic city, once Syrias economic powerhouse, would be devastating for what remains of the broader fight against his rule.

According to the White Helmets, more than 500 people have died and 1,500 have been wounded in the operation.

[We run toward the screams: Meet the Aleppo rescue team that saved 5-year-old Omran]

The death toll is likely to spiral in the coming days as attacks by government forces target areas where the influx of displaced people has swelled the population.

Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, an English teacher, described Wednesdays bombing and shelling in rebel-held areas as relentless. The bombs were landing, he said, like rain.

Read more:

The battle for Aleppo, explained

Syrian forces seize rebel districts as assault gains momentum

We live in Aleppo. Heres how we survive.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Guinea Pigs Rescued After Being Dumped in Wrexham Park

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Nov 29th, 2016

An appeal for information has been launched after six guinea pigs were found abandoned in a childrens park in Wrexham.

Six guinea pigs, including four babies, have been rescued by RSPCA Cymru after being found by a police community support officer in a park on Rhosddu Road on 18th November.

The guinea pigs  a male, female and four babies  were then collected by the RSPCA from a local police station, and continue to be looked after in RSPCA care.

A plastic bag was found near to the guinea pigs, which the RSPCA say shockingly it is thought was used to transport them, as it was full of fur and faeces.

Following the rescue, RSPCA Cymru is appealing for information to decipher how the animals were dumped in the Wrexham park, with members of the public urged to come forward.

Rachael Davies from the RSPCA, said: Its so shocking to think someone would dump these poor animals like rubbish. Thankfully, they were found by a PSCO, and rescued by RSPCA Cymru  as they would not have survived for long.

The guinea pigs are now doing well in RSPCA care, with the babies far too young to be considered for re-homing at this stage.

With no CCTV in the area, were relying on the local community to come forward with any information which could support our enquiries.

People can contact the RSPCA information line on 0300 123 8018, with all calls treated in confidence.
8-Year Old Illinois Girl Abducted and Murdered While Waiting for Church Bus Suffocated to Death: Prosecutors

The 8-year-old Illinois girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered last Wednesday after being abducted while waiting for a church bus suffocated to death, the states attorneys office confirms to PEOPLE.

Sabrina Stauffenberg was allegedly abducted Wednesday evening, authorities have said. Her body was found hours later near a vinegar plant in Olney, a small southern Illinois city. She had allegedly been sexually assaulted, which caused great bodily harm to that was life-threatening, a spokesperson for the states attorneys office tells PEOPLE.

On Sunday, police arrested 53-year-old Glen Ramey in connection with Sabrinas death.

According to Denise Haley, a friend of the family, Sabrina was allegedly lured off the family porch by Ramey. Haley said Ramey had met the little girl on several occasions and had dated one of Sabrinas cousins.

He was just walking home and he saw Sabrina standing outside and lured her away form the porch, Haley tells PEOPLE. She knew him so she wouldve went.

Haley says Sabrina last spoke with her grandmother before the abduction, telling her that the church bus hadnt come. Sabrinas grandmother hung up and called the church to ask why the bus was late. When she tired to call Sabrina again, there was no answer, Haley says.

So she called aunt and uncle and said she tried getting a hold of Sabrina. They were at home and they looked outside and saw that Sabrina was gone, Haley says. They started screaming outside for her name  They went to the laundromat asking people if theyd seen her. No one had seen her.

Haley says the family contacted the police who tracked Sabrinas cell phone to her body behind the vinegar plant.

She was bound and they found her pants down around her ankles, Haley tells PEOPLE. They did find DNA on her.

The spokesperson for the states attorneys office would not confirm or deny the state of Sabrinas clothing or that she had been bound.

Haley started a GoFundMe page to help the girls family in the wake of Sabrinas death. A funeral for the little girl will be held Friday at Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney.

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Ramey was arrested on Sunday and charged with first-degree murder and predatory sexual assault. His bail has been set at $10 million. He has not entered a plea and has not retained an attorney. Records show that he is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

Court records show that Ramey has been the subject of at least four separate orders of protection since 2014. He is not listed on the Illinois sex offender registry.




The Ambassador Theatre Group is expanding its North American operations, tapping Stephen Lewin as Chief Executive Officer and Kristin Caskey as EVP Content and Creative.

In 2015, ATG acquired a second Broadway theater, the Hudson, and the ACE Theatrical Group, a company which specializes in the design, development, construction and operation of live performance venues. In his new position, Lewin will have the overall responsibility for the merger of the two entities, in addition to expanding the ATG platform in North America. ATGs North American portfolio includes eight theaters: the Lyric, the Hudson, and, via ACE: the Kings Theater in Brooklyn; the Saenger Theater and the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans; the Majestic Theater and the Charline McCombs Empire Theater in San Antonio.

Lewin moves into theater management after 30 years in the wine and spirits business. He has worked for companies including Joseph E. Seagram & Sons; Clicquot, Inc. where he served as EVP, Sales and Marketing; Paramount Brands as President and Chief Operating Officer; Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits as Chief Marketing Officer; Independence Wine & Spirits as Vice President and General Manager; as well as his own import, sales and distribution company.

Veteran theater executive Caskey has spent most of her career with Fox Theatricals, a division of Fox Associates, becoming President in 2010, with responsibility for producing and booking The Broadway Series at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. She has produced more than 20 plays, musicals and tours in partnership with Mike Isaacson, current Artistic Director of The Municipal Theater Association of St. Louis (The Muny). At ATG, she will continue her work as a producer with Isaacson, at the same time as having overall responsibility for programming.

I am enormously looking forward to learning the theater business; and cant think of a better place to do so than ATG  with its breathtakingly beautiful portfolio of theaters  or a better person to learn beside than Kristin: shes the complete theater professional, said Lewin. In recent years, ATG and ACE have achieved great things. I am certain, though, that we have the potential to achieve even more; and cant wait to start capitalizing on that potential.

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Im excited by the prospect of working for ATG and by the things it can achieve artistically. Its going to be great, working alongside somebody with Stephens entrepreneurial energy and branding, management and relationship skills, added Caskey.

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Finally, it's happening: Netflix has announced that you can now download select titles to watch, on-the-go, without any WiFi.

In one game-changing tweet, Netflix introduced a whole new world of options: What do you watch on your off-the-grid vacation, on a never-ending commute, or on a plane without WiFi? Andcruciallywill you finally get through your Netflix queue?

Now that the odds are in your favor, we've got some recommendations for you to begin your Download Option journey.

SEE ALSO: Netflix has tons of hidden categories  here's how to see them



The Rewatch Must-Hits

Parks and Recreation, Season 4

Image: netflix/nbc

Politics got you down? Turn to Amy Poehler, the tiny town of Pawnee, and how they dealt with ugly politics.

Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Yesterdays Enterprise"

A taut, action-packed episode with special effects that still hold up. Since most of the story takes place in an alternate timeline, you have the super-fun factor of being able to kill everybody off, yet still have a satisfying, happy ending. -Tech Editor Pete Pachal

Breaking Bad, "Say My Name"

Worth a download for the opening scene alone. Whenever you need a confidence boost while stuck in a bad commute or on the tarmac, just watch Walter White show a group of lethal drug dealers whos boss. -Pachal

Hot Fuzz

Youll laugh 'til you snort, again and again. -Pachal

The Documentaries

Meet the Patels

When Ravi Patel broke up with his girlfriend of two years he caved and asked his parents to look into the possibilities of arranged marriage. Patel embarks on a meticulous national and international journey to learn about his family history and find a wife from the same original region in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Remember when a eccentric guy filming Banksy decided he wanted to be the next Banksy, and kind of did? Banksy's discomfiting doc about Thierry Guetta examines the motivations and merits of street art, and the quest for fame even in anonymity.

Story continues

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Rivers grew to be a comedy icon, but this intimate film describes the career she envisioned and how she fought through the pain of losing friends and a husband during her time in Hollywood. She becomes vulnerable, and even in her later years, haunted by self-doubtbut always ready to perform.

Comedy specials

Bo Burnham: Make Happy

Burnham's comedy, like the YouTube videos that thrust him into the spotlight, is fast as lightning and often as illuminating.

John Mulaney: New in Town / The Comeback Kid

His sitcom may not have taken hold, but it lasted just long enough to drive home that Mulaney is nothing if not a brilliant standup. From his Catholic upbringing to concerns about how he walks at night, Mulaney is clean, collected and unfailingly funny.

Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden

Months before publishing Modern Romance, an empirical study on how young people date, Ansari turned his observations on the subject into a brilliantly funny (and feminist) routine. This also marks the night we met his parents before falling in love with them on Master of None.

BONUS: Introducing 'Hamster Things'
Greg Chow

Blondie front woman Debbie Harry has scored a vintage property in Roxbury, CT, for $785,000.

The four-bedroom, 2.5-bath home was built in 1795 and has been beautifully maintained, according to marketing materials.

It features a chefs kitchen with a farmhouse sink and Carrara marble countertops, a great room with a wood-beamed ceiling and french doors opening to the front patio. On the main floor is the master bedroom with a sitting room, fireplace, and master bath. Upstairs are three additional bedrooms and a full bathroom.

Exterior realtor.com

The 2,685-square-foot home on 3.47 acres boasts wide-plank wood floors throughout, a new wood-shingle roof, and restored windows. According to the Historic Barns of Connecticut, the original structure was a saltbox-style home popular during the 1790s. The saltbox had other buildings from the property grafted onto it over time.

As it stands now, its a beguiling blend of old-world charm and modern conveniences. The house features central air conditioning, new mechanicals, and a charming kitchen.

The listing agent and seller was Halsteads Jill Sloane, who also sold Harry a neighboring property last year for $185,000, according to the New York Post.

Harry, 71, recorded several No. 1 singles with Blondie during the 1970s and 1980s, including Heart of Glass and Call Me.

Kitchen realtor.com

The post 1790s Style! Blondies Debbie Harry Buys a Vintage Connecticut Home appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.
To celebrate JetBlue's inaugural flight from New York City to Havana, Cuba, the airline is holding a two-day flash sale with 20 percent off all flights that originate in the United States.

Cubas capital is the 100th city JetBlue services, in 22 countries across the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

To get the discount, reservations must be booked by November 30, with travel dates between Dec. 7, 2016 and Feb. 15, 2017. Blackout dates include Sundays, Christmas, and the New Year.

Use promotional code CELEBRATE on JetBlue's website for the discount.

And if you decide to use this deal to visit Cuba for the first time, the airline has made the process straightforward. Simply declare your reason for approved traveltravelers must qualify under a dozen reasons including people-to-people education, journalism, and humanitarian projectson the quick-click affidavit, and purchase a day-of-travel Cuban tourist card at the JetBlue check-in counter.

JetBlue fares to Havana also include Cuban government-required health insurance.

Non-stop flights to Havana will also originate in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale by the end of the month.

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From ELLE

It's no secret how deeply I believe in the power of a syllabus. Part navigation system, part treasure map, and part intellectual training program, a truly great syllabus is something to which you can return, follow again, and still gain new insights. A great syllabus helps to structure our engagement with a topic, idea, person, or event and draw together seemingly disparate fields. Candice Benbow's Lemonade Syllabus is a favorite in this regard. I suspect the Melissa Harris-Perry Show was one of the few (maybe the only) cable news show that regularly produced a syllabus as a companion to our weekly broadcast. I used something like a multi-faceted syllabus approach in my book, Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America, to shed light on the creative ways black women navigate the political world. I am not certain, but it just might be that a great syllabus will save the world.

The week after the presidential election I joined professor Blair L.M. Kelley, Buzzfeed's Tracy Clayton, and Wake Forest University sophomore Erica Jordan for an election conversation between and among black women. Afterward we decided to pull together a syllabus to guide those interested in reading more about the issues we discussed.

Part I: Understanding White Women as Voters

In the weeks since November 9, many observers have expressed shock and dismay to learn that a majority of white women cast their votes for Republican nominee Donald Trump. During our ELLE.com Facebook Live conversation, I said this result was completely predictable and normal. Indeed, it would have been extraordinarily abnormal for a majority of white women to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee, because they haven't in more than three decades.

There is race gap of enormous proportions and a gender gap of very slim margins in this country.

Unfortunately it is hard for most people to discern this fact, given that reputable, nonpartisan research and polling organizations routinely report voting data as though all women are of the same race. Take this 2012 headline from Pew: The Gender Gap: Three Decades Old, as Wide as Ever. This is technically true. Women, as a group, are much more likely to vote for Democrats, but this is only because black women and Latinas are overwhelmingly more likely to do so. White women continue to be Republican voters. A majority of white women voted for McCain, for Romney, and, yes, for Trump.

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The truth is this: There is race gap of enormous proportions and a gender gap of very slim margins in this country. Presidential elections are primarily determined by the proportional turnout of the relevant racial groups, which increasingly map onto partisan and geographic identities in ways that make electoral vote counts a fairly simple task. Gender politics is a secondary game, not the main show.

It is one thing to state this as an empirical and strategic reality. The goal of this syllabus is to try to understand why. Here are some texts that are great starting points for responding to that question.

A foundational text in the academic field of "whiteness studies." This book uses nearly three dozen interviews to explore how white women were able to come to gender consciousness without having to question or confront racial identity. A valuable, early contribution to the scholarly understanding to the racial attribution of white feminism.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

Petersburg is just an hour east of Farmville, Virginia, the site of the 2016 vice presidential debate, where Senator Tim Kaine name-checked Civil Rights activist, Barbara Johns. Petersburg is also the city where historian Suzanne Lebsock tells the stories of black and white women in the decades prior to the Civil War. This is not a book about sisterhood or solidarity. It is not about cross-racial feminist alliances. It is about the stories no one ever tells. Women whose names we never learn. People we think are utterly unimportant to our history. Yet the women's stories Lebsock uncovers in the emerging urban South remind us how policies of race and gender and class exploitation are deeply intertwined in our understanding of property, slavery, autonomy, labor, and the self in complicated ways.

Micki McElya. Clinging to Mammy: The Faithful Slave in 20th Century America. Harvard University Press, 2007

Photo credit: Flikr

Put down The Help. Seriously. That book and movie are probably why so many white women were weeping on election night and why so many donned safety pins the next week. That kind of terrible, no good, very bad, sentimental, false history will get you nothing but grief and confusion. If you want to understand the ways that white women exploited black women's domestic labor and how Hollywood and Madison Avenue went on to make billions marketing that exploitation, this is the text to read. McElya's book clarifies why we should not expect simple or enduring political alliances based on gender unless and until we have some very serious, difficult, and sustained conversations around class and race. As soon as you finish McElya's book, pick up Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo's Domestica: Immigrant Workers Cleaning and Caring in the Shadows of Affluence.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

Alice Blackwell Stone. "Why Women Should Vote" Part of the National American Women's Suffrage Association Collection of the Library of Congress.

This primary document from women's suffrage advocate Alice Blackwell Stone makes the case for a national right to vote for women. Stone is a shero of the movement for women's equality, capable of envisioning a future radically unlike the world in which she lives. Stone wrote that the right to vote " would increase the proportion of native-born voters" and "would increase the moral and law-abiding vote very much."

Mary Douglas Vavrus. "From Women of the Year to 'Soccer Moms': The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Women." Political Communication. 2000. Volume 17. Issue 2.

I assign this article in my "Women in U.S. Politics" course to students too young to remember that 1992 was declared "The Year of the Woman" because women were so pissed by the treatment of Anita Hill during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas that they responded, in part, by running for office. (By the way, Hill is still waiting on an apology.) This article traces how mainstream media stopped covering women as candidates vying for power and instead reduced them to swing voters identified primarily through lifestyle choices or commodities.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

This is not specifically focused on women voters, but it is a profoundly insightful contemporary text addressing the political worldview of the American right. This book is a reminder that Donald Trump's supporters are not deplorable humans writhing in a basket of racial intolerance. They are Americans with deep historic and emotional connections to a country that now feels painfully unfamiliar. With empathy and dignity, this text reveals the stories of ordinary citizens seeking to regain a political stake in their nation through the Tea Party movement. For those of us who live in the South, it has long been a truism that Donald Trump's supporters are our neighbors.

Part II: Understanding Black Women as Voters

Even if we understand the deep historical connection of white women to Republican nominee Donald Trump, it still doesn't fully explain this election. Barack Obama vaulted into the White House twice over the preferences of white women because black women's electoral enthusiasm in 2008 and 2012 translated into unprecedented voter turnout. In 2012, African American women accounted for 8 percent of the electorate, in 2016 they accounted for just 7 percent. The percentage of black men and Latino/as remained steady between 2012 and 2016. The difference seems small, but in crucial states like Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina, it makes all the difference

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

To understand voter turnout in this election we must begin with the structural realities in which Americans cast their votes and especially understand the constraints facing African American voters. No one more clearly and simply traces this history and shows the contemporary impact on the 2016 election than Berman. Berman's near weekly reporting on the continuing effects of post Shelby v. Holder suppressive legislation is a syllabus in itself, but this book is a place to begin. Before we blame Hillary's campaign, Hillary as a candidate, or black women as voters, we need to make a clear-eyed assessment of the system of elections in the United States.

Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, African American Women in the Struggle for the Vote, 18501920. Indiana University Press, 1998

One of the earliest accounts of the history of African American women and suffrage. This text is the beginning of the historical cannon on the subject.

Ann D. Gordon and Bettye Collier-Thomas, eds. African American Women and the Vote, 18371965. University of Massachusetts Press, 1997.

An indispensable collection of black women and historical luminaries exploring the question of black women and the vote.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

This text challenges the narrative that low-income housing was a failure and instead demonstrates how public housing was a site of black women's grassroots activism, political organizing, and class mobility. I met with Dr. Williams while in Cleveland for the RNC this summer and visited her Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve. We discussed the need for community-based institutions to help black voters overcome the hurdles left in the wake of voter suppression laws. Few think of public housing as such an institution, but Dr. Williams' research shows the ways it can serve to build social and human capital and encourage political participation.

Social constructions and myths about black women symbolize their worthiness. They also express the ideas that black women don't deserve to enjoy America's resources because they are in fact not genuine Americans. Jewell helps us understand this unjust reduction.

Hillary Clinton's role in passage of the 1994 Crime Bill and her use of the term "super- predator" were held up as reasons black Americans were less than fully enthusiastic about her candidacy. Both are gendered-a policy and a public utterance seen as harming black men specifically. With some exceptions, the media did not substantially engage in sustained discussion about the 20th anniversary of welfare reform. On August 22, 1996 President Bill Clinton fulfilled his campaign promise to "end welfare as we knew it" by signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The effect was devastating for women and had disproportionate impact on black women, by pushing millions into poverty, hunger, and cycles of insecurity. For black women voters, welfare reform may have blocked enthusiasm for the Clinton candidacy at least as much as the crime bill. Three texts are useful for our understanding of black women's politics relative to welfare reform.

For black women voters, welfare reform may have blocked enthusiasm for the Clinton candidacy at least as much as the crime bill.

Hancock argues how stereotypes of African American mothers and politically motivated misperceptions about race, class, and gender were effectively used to instigate a politics of disgust that drove the passage of welfare reform in 1996.

Sandra Morgen, Joan Acker, and Jill Weigt, Stretched Thin: Poor Families, Work, and Welfare Reform. Cornell University Press, 2010.

This book draws on in-depth interviews with poor families and welfare workers, and survey data tracking more than 750 families over two years, to question the validity of claims that welfare reform has been a success.

Kathleen Coll, Remaking Citizenship: Latina Immigrants and New American Politics. Stanford University Press, 2010.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

This book covers Mexican and Central American immigrant women's grassroots activism in San Francisco in the aftermath of immigration and welfare reforms of the mid '90s. I found this book an interesting parallel to an argument I made about Clinton's race problem with African American voters. I claimed Trump was trying to create a landscape devoid of meaningful electoral choices by pointing out the ways Clinton shared his racial shortcomings. This text illuminates how the policies of Bill Clinton's administration negatively impacted Latino communities as well.

Part III: The History of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and Resistance

Many of us were deeply affected by the grief Professor Kelley expressed during our Facebook live conversation. She framed her sadness as maternal disappointment for her son and daughter who would have to spend part or the remainder of their childhoods in a country gripped by nativist, racist, and sexist backlash. At the same time, Professor Kelley reminded us that she is a scholar of the early twentieth century American South, and therefore familiar with a moment marked by stunning similarities.

It was after the hotly contested 1876 election between Samuel Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes that federal Reconstruction following the Civil War came to an end. Barely a decade had passed since formerly enslaved people had begun to experience the promise of citizenship, but in that short period, black men voted, held elected office, formed labor rights coalitions with white workers, and began to migrate into urban areas in the South and North. Change was uneven and incomplete, but discernable. After 1877, the imposition of Jim Crow legislation and the rise of state-sanctioned violent white supremacy was swift and brutal. Black communities resisted at every step. In her grief, Professor Kelley was reminding us of these troubling histories.

I consider this the best book of 2015. Bell-Scott traces more than a quarter century of correspondence between a first lady committed to progressive social change and a working class, queer, black woman, political activist. I came back to this book repeatedly during the 2016 campaign, wondering who was the Murray to First Lady Obama and to Secretary Clinton.

Blair L.M. Kelley. Right to Ride: Streetcar Boycotts and African American Citizenship in the Era of Plessy v. Ferguson. UNC Press, 2010.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

Professor Kelley's text allows us to reimagine the turn of the twentieth century. This is a period historians once considered "the age of accommodation," but this book clearly demonstrates how utterly inaccurate that characterization is. African Americans in the South pushed back against segregation in myriad ways, and although they often lost, even their failures laid the foundation for future Civil Rights success. It is a reminder of the necessity of constant struggle for those of us who find ourselves at a crossroads.

Deborah Gray White. Too Heavy a Load: African American Women in Defense of Themselves 1894-1994. W.W. Norton and Company, 1999.

A deep dive into the political work of black women from Jim Crow to the 1990s.

Wells was an anti-lynching advocate who employed social science evidence, journalistic advocacy, and strategic political organizing to resist decades of racist terror in the United States. Giddings' text is widely considered the definitive Wells biography.

Photo credit: undefined

Finally, in this section we have included several texts dealing specifically with the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955. I mentioned Till during the Facebook Live discussion, in part because the Mothers of the Movement were fixtures on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton. Like Till's mother, Mamie, they lost a child to racial violence, received no justice in a racist system, and chose political activism as a response to grief. The Mothers of the Movement sought to assure black women voters that Hillary Clinton's experience as a mother and as an advocate on behalf of women and children ensured she would empathize with black mothers, their struggles, grief, and the pain of injustice they face.

During our discussion I argued the Till case stood as a long historical counter-example. The murder of Emmett Till was not the first or most egregious Southern lynching, but it was definitive because Till's mother refused to be silent in the face of injustice. Instead, she became an activist, and her work helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement. But Till's mother did not have the support and solidarity of white Southern mothers. In fact, the wives of the men who murdered her son were often seen smiling and laughing in court, despite the fact that they too had young sons. The images and stories associated with the Till case are part of a historical residue of distrust which remains thick in the discourse and understanding of many African American women as they discuss and understand their potential political alliances with white women. (This is something I discuss at length in Sister Citizen.)

It was never clear the Clinton campaign understood the depth of the historical distrust they had to overcome.

The Mothers of the Movement were on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton but rarely with Hillary Clinton. In small auditoriums of black colleges and from the pulpits of black churches, they told moving stories of her personal connections to their loss and pain, but Hillary did not stand on stage with these women. She did not mention their children in her stump speeches. The Mothers of the Movement did not appear in national television commercials or even in urban radio spots. It was never clear the Clinton campaign understood the depth of the historical distrust they had to overcome in order to convince black women voters to be fully enthusiastic about Clinton's candidacy and to believe that she saw their children the way they believe First Lady Obama sees their children.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

These two texts tell the story of Till from dramatically different perspectives, but each is necessary for understanding who Emmett was as a person, who he became as movement martyr, and how this moment was experienced historical marker.

Devery Anderson's Clarion Ledger column after the death of J.W. Milam's widow, February 2014.

Anderson's brief column on the occasion of Juanita's death in 2014 is a reminder of how incurious we tend to be about the women in this story. Understanding the role they played, what motivated them, and how those motivations are connected to race, gender, class, and politics may prove informative.

Confession by the murderers Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam in Look Magazine, January 1956

Remind yourself that white supremacy is so bold it published confessions of child murder in national magazines. Harbor no illusions.

Part IV: Understanding Political Media

The last major issue we raised during our conversation was the role of political media during the 2016 election. Obviously, this requires its own syllabus! But I wanted to provide a few useful places to begin. Echo chambers and have been implicated in what seemed to be a large-scale failure to accurately predict the election outcome. Set aside for a moment how stunningly meta it is to critique Facebook as a news source during a Facebook Live conversation. Given "Facebook's (Totally Insane, Unintentionally Gigantic, Hyperpartisan) Political-Media Machine" and the apparent inability of some of Facebook's most frequent users to distinguish quality sources from "fake" news, critical media literacy seems a more urgent political skill than ever. Here are a few places to begin reading.

Stephen Ansolabehere and Shanto Iyengar. Going Negative: How Attack Ads Shrink and Polarize the Electorate. Free Press, 1996.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

The Clinton campaign chose to argue Donald Trump was inherently unfit to be president. This message went beyond arguing he was unqualified or his policies were less robust, it was an attack on his character, temperament, intellect, and psychological stability. This 20-year-old book predicted that the Clinton strategy would work against the campaign. Ansolabehere's research shows negative ads tend to reinforce voters' partisan predispositions rather than persuade them to change their views. Campaigns characterized by high levels of negativity result in higher cynicism and stress and decreased voter turnout, which tends to favor Republicans while harming Democrats. Remember how Obama won? Hope and change not fear and stress.

Danny Hayes and Jennifer Lawless. Women on the Run: Gender, Media, and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era. Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Photo credit: Barnes & Noble

I routinely teach Lawless' first book, It Still Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office, because of her empirical finding of how rarely girls and women are encouraged and recruited to for office. I am likely to assign this new book as frequently as her first. Lawless and co-author Danny Hayes challenge many of our assumptions about gendered coverage of politics and find polarization rather than conventional gender bias at the root of women's difficult path to office. Using this lens of polarization is a useful tool for understanding how many voters in 2016 were responding to cues.

No elite institution more fully demonstrated its utter irrelevance during this election than political cable news. This smart little book indirectly reveals why Trump's candidacy was unharmed when party and media elites openly vilified and rejected him.

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Posthumous awards for Neupane, Bohora

Sanjaya Neupane and Karna Bohora, who passed away recently, will be posthumously awarded with this years Sanima Bank National Journalism Award.
Many investors like to look for value in stocks, but this can be very tough to define. There is great debate regarding which metrics are the best to focus on in this regard, and which are not really quality indicators of future performance. Fortunately, with our new style score system we have identified the key statistics to pay close attention to and thus which stocks might be the best for value investors in the near term.

This method discovered several great candidates for value-oriented investors, but today lets focus on LHC Group, Inc. LHCG as this stock is looking especially impressive right now. And while there are numerous reasons why this is the case, we have highlighted three of the most vital reasons for LHCGs status as a solid value stock below:

PEG Ratio for LHCG

While earnings are definitely important, it is vital to know how much you are paying for the growth of earnings as well. One can easily do that with the PEG ratio as this metric looks to show investors how much they are paying for each unit of earnings growth.

LHCG manages to impress on this front as well, as the companys PEG is just 1.41, suggesting that LHC Group is trading as a relative bargain right now. This is particularly the case when you compare this PEG to the industry, as the broader segment has an average PEG of 1.61 in comparison.

LHC GROUP LLC PEG Ratio (TTM)

LHC GROUP LLC PEG Ratio (TTM) | LHC GROUP LLC Quote

Price to Forward Sales for LHC Group

One of the most underrated ratios for value investors is the price/forward sales metric. This ratio shows investors how much they are paying for each dollar of revenues generated. In other words, a lower number is better here while a price to sales ratio of 1 means that you are paying one dollar for each dollar in sales.

With a P/S ratio of 0.87, LHCG investors are paying 87 cents in stock price for each dollar of revenue generated by the company. Compare this to the industry average of 0.93, and it is safe to say that LHCG is undervalued compared to many of its peers on this important metric.

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LHCG Earnings Estimate Revisions Moving in the Right Direction

The solid value ratios outlined in the preceding paragraphs might be enough for some investors, but we should also note that the earnings estimate revisions have been trending in a positive direction as well. Analysts who follow LHCG stock have been raising their estimates for the company lately, meaning that the EPS picture is looking a bit more favorably for LHC Group now.

Over the past 60 days, 5 earnings estimates have gone higher compared to none lower for the full year, while we are also seeing that 5 estimate has move upwards with no downward revision for the next year time frame too. These revisions have helped to boost the consensus estimate as 60 days ago LHCG was expected to post earnings of $1.99 per share for the full year though today it looks to have EPS of $2.07 for the full year.

Bottom Line

For the reasons detailed above, investors shouldnt be surprised to read that we have LHCG as a stock with a Value Score of A and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

So if you are a value investor, definitely keep LHCG on your short list as this looks to be a stock that is very well-positioned for gains in the near term.

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John Levisay has an MBA from the University of Michigan, and he used to work at GE and Ebay. He talks the talk, peppering his conversation with phrases like "asynchronous consumption," "delivery modality" and "cross functional matrix."

He says such things while sitting in a room surrounded by skeins of brightly colored yarn and samples of quilting fabric. It's as if Martha Stewart has taken up with IBM's Watson.

How did this happen? "It's a long story," he laughed.

Levisay is co-founder and CEO of Craftsy, a website of more than 1,300 well-produced online classes that teach people a variety of crafts, from quilting to cooking, knitting to photography. Customers pay on average $20 a class, and 80 percent of Craftsy "members" are women.

Meanwhile, all four founders of the company are men, and it's not clear if any of them know the difference between a knit and a purl.

Besides Levisay, there is co-founder and former COO Josh Scott, plus Chief Technology Officer Todd Tobin, and VP of Engineering Bret Hanna. All four founders used to work at home improvement site ServiceMagic (now HomeAdvisor).

The site they've created goes beyond Pinterest because it actually teaches you how to make things, and with five professional production studios, Craftsy classes are better than most of the how-to videos on YouTube.

How Craftsy came to be

Levisay learned at Ebay that "niches" can be huge, and he and his partners were looking to start something new. They saw a void in online education. Crafts became their focus after Levisay received a quilt from his aunt.

"These are not Play-Doh or macaroni art type hobbies, they're highly skilled," he said. They soon came to realize that women who make things are an underserved community online. "The average investor might not know that the quilting industry is over a $3 billion domestic industry."

However, raising money from venture capitalists was hard. "We ran into this with some of our early meetings with investors," Levisay said. "They asked us flat out, 'What are you going to do for men?' My answer was, 'Well, we'll see, but right now we're in categories that address over 50 percent of the population and a demographic that controls 80 percent of the internet wallet.'"

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They initially raised $1 million. "We started with five of us in a room and five laptops, and the engineers began building the site experience." Levisay said the rest of the team then started figuring out how to produce content.

During the first full year of operation in 2011, Craftsy brought in $6 million in sales. Last year that jumped to $56 million.

"We sell over 4,000 classes a day," the CEO said. "We've got a little over 10 million registered users from 180 different countries."

Quilting classes became an early hit, and Levisay remembers flying to the International Quilt Festival in Houston sitting next to a woman who had taken 135 classes on his site. "My instinct was just to lean over in the plane and give her a big hug, but that could have been deemed inappropriate."

Craftsy is also now selling about 2,000 supply kits daily to provide all the materials needed to complete certain classes. "Our customers, our 'members' as we call them, kept asking for supplies," he said.

After the initial reluctance to invest, Craftsy has since raised over $100 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. "So far, all of our investors have been men," Levisay said. When asked what the long-term plan is for the company  sell it, go public, stay private  the CEO said it's too soon. "Build a great company and those questions will answer themselves."

The company is also feeling new pressure to create videos in other languages, after it became apparent that 30 percent of revenues are coming from overseas. Levisay has put the brakes on that for now. "We still haven't scratched the surface domestically in a lot of our categories. Focus on that."

As for his own passions, Levisay said he and his daughter are starting to get into cake decorating, and he personally would like to see Craftsy provide music classes. "I would love to be able to take guitar lessons from home."

More from Strange Success:

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Josh Scott is a former COO and that all of the founders previously worked for the website ServiceMagic, now called HomeAdvisor.
After declining slightly last month, consumer confidence rebounded strongly this month to hit a nine-year high. This indicates that the Presidential election had not dampened consumer spending. This was also supported by a significant upward revision by the Commerce Department in consumer spending during the third quarter, which played a major role in boosting the economy during the quarter and helped it to expand at a better-than-expected rate.

In this scenario, picking stocks from the retail domain, which is expected to draw the major part of consumer spending, might be a good investment option.

9-Yr High Consumer Confidence

According to The Conference Board, Consumer Confidence Index increased from October to 107.1 this month, hitting its highest level since Jul 2007. Moreover, the reading for last month was revised upward from 98.6 to 100.8. The Present Situation Index and Expectations Index also rose 7.2 and 5.7 points from last month to 130.3 and 91.7 in November, respectively.

Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board said: Consumer confidence improved in November after a moderate decline in October, and is once again at pre-recession levels... A more favorable assessment of current conditions coupled with a more optimistic short-term outlook helped boost confidence.

Additionally, the sentiment of surveyed consumers about the economic scenario was also positive. While 29.2% of the correspondents, compared to last months 26.5%, said that business conditions are good, the percentage of those feeling bad declined from Octobers 17.3% to 14.8% in November. The share of respondents, who believe that jobs are plentiful, also improved to 26.9% from last months 25.3%. Though a major part of the survey was done before the election, results from the samples taken in the post-election period showed that consumers optimism was not impacted by the outcome.

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Consumer Spending Estimate Revised Upward

According to the Commerce Departments second estimate, the U.S. economy expanded at a pace of 3.2% during the third quarter, witnessing the highest rate of growth since 2014s third quarter. It also came significantly higher than the consensus estimate, advance estimate, and second quarter growth rate of 3%, 2% and 1.4%, respectively. Along with encouraging corporate profits during the quarter and solid rise in nonresidential investment, the upward revision in consumer spending during the period also played a key role behind the better-than-expected third quarter GDP growth.

The second estimate showed that consumer spending during the quarter rose at a pace of 2.8%, better than the earlier estimate of 2.1% rise. Moreover, it remained the highest contributor in economic expansion during the quarter. According to the report, personal consumption expenditures made a contribution of 1.89 points on third quarter GDP. Separately, personal consumption expenditure rose at the best pace over the past three-months, increasing 0.5% in September in contrast to a decrease of 0.1% in August.

4 Retail Stocks to Buy

In addition to this encouraging economic data, robust Thanksgiving weekend sales are further expected to boost retail sectors during the ongoing quarter. Moreover, retail companies have also posted encouraging third quarter performance. As of Nov 18, 36 retailers in the S&P 500 index (out of the 43 total) posted third-quarter results. Total earnings for these retailers were up 7.4% from the same period last year on 4.9% higher revenues.

Given this backdrop, fundamentally strong retail stocks might prove to be good additions to ones portfolio. However, picking winning stocks may prove to be difficult.

This is where our VGM score comes in. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM score.

We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks based on a good Zacks Rank and a VGM score of A.

Best Buy Co., Inc. BBY: This technology products retailer has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and has an expected earnings growth rate of 17.8% for the current year compared with the industry average of 0.1%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has increased 7.7% over the last 30 days.

Burlington Stores, Inc. BURL: This branded apparel products retailer has a Zacks Rank #1 and has an expected earnings growth rate of 37.6% for the current year compared with the industry average of 11%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has jumped 6.4% over the last 30 days. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Target Corporation TGT: This general merchandise retailer has an expected earnings growth rate of 11.2% for the current year compared with the industry average of 11%. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for the current financial year (F1) is 14.91, lower than the industry average of 23.29. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved 5.2% over the last 30 days. it carries a has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Potbelly Corporation PBPB: This sandwich shops operator has a Zacks Rank #2 and has an expected earnings growth rate of 29.3% for the current year compared with the industry average of 10.6%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has increased 2% over the last 30 days.

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Yvette Player left high school when she was 17. The now-55-year-old mother has tried three times since then to earn her high school credential.

"Each time, I got sick or had to take care of someone that was sick. My last time, I got sick," says Player, who is enrolled at the newly opened Goodwill Excel Center, a charter high school in the District of Columbia geared toward adults. "This time I've determined nothing is going to stop me -- even though I'm in a lot of pain, but I'm here."

Adults who didn't complete high school, like Player, may wonder who to turn to and how to earn a credential. The following steps may help.

Step 1: Contact an adult education provider. Most public schools or community colleges should be able to direct adults to the right person to talk to about their options, says Lennox McLendon, executive director of the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium.

Adults can also search online for a provider using America's Literacy Directory, says Mark Johnson, director of adult secondary education at the Wisconsin Technical College System.

Step 2: Decide what type of high school completion program to complete. Adults usually have at least two options to earn their high school credential, says McLendon.

Usually that's either to attend an adult high school completion program or take a high school equivalency test, like the GED, he says, though there may be other options.

Students who only need to complete a couple of credits to earn their diploma may want to consider an adult high school completion program, in which students take the courses they need to graduate, like an English class, says McLendon. Adults who need many credits may want to take the GED or similar assessments since it won't take students as long to finish, he says.

Either credential should allow adults to go to college or get a job, says McLendon.

[See which colleges have the most adults over 25.]

However, Amina Brown, school director of the Goodwill Excel Center, says even though earning a GED is quite an accomplishment, employers and colleges look more favorably on a high school diploma and that the GED still carries a stigma for some.

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Step 3: Make sure the program is legit. Adults searching online for high school diploma completion programs should be wary of organizations selling fake credentials, says Johnson, the Wisconsin official.

Adults concerned about the legitimacy of a program they found online should check with a state agency, such as the state board of education or department of education, to make sure the program is legit, says Troy Goracke, who oversees adult high school completion in Washington state.

[Find out how online options to complete a high school diploma are limited for adults.]

Step 4: Consider the logistics. Every state offers a low-cost way to earn a high school credential, but the specific cost will vary, says McLendon. Sometimes programs for adults are free, like the one at the Goodwill Excel Center.

Adult high school completion programs are generally held on weekdays and weeknights, but not usually on the weekends, says McLendon.

Brown says the Goodwill Excel Center doesn't encourage students to work full time, if at all, while studying -- classes are only held during the daytime -- because they don't want students to be distracted by a job.

Adults should also obtain transcripts from any high schools they previously attended, so officials can determine how many credits students need to graduate, says Goracke, the Washington state official.

Step 5: Enroll in a program. It can take as little as a few weeks to a couple of years for adults to earn a high school credential, says McLendon.

Joel Sanders, 21, another Goodwill student, says adults shouldn't expect a typical high school experience.

He says students need to be goal-oriented and willing to put in hard work. "This isn't high school, but you still have to do the work to get the grade. No one is going to hand you the grade just because you showed up."

While earning a high school credential is crucial, says Johnson, the Wisconsin official, most adults will need some education or training beyond high school to get the specific skills necessary to land many in-demand jobs, he says.

[Get five college savings tips for adults returning to school.]

Sanders plans to go to college once he finishes high school.

"You are never too old. It's never too late," he says. "I always told myself that I was too old to be back in a high school setting and coming here I realized that was so far from the truth."

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

Alexandra Pannoni is an education digital producer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.
For the first time since 2008, OPEC has reached an agreement to cut oil production. The cartel announced its decision to reduce output by 1 million barrels a day (b/d) at its headquarters in Vienna on Wednesday, sending oil prices soaring more than 7%.

Todays announcement marks the end of the cartels pump-at-will policy implemented in 2014. The decision to cut output by 1 million b/d represents a reduction of roughly 1% of worldwide output, which should help aid the global supply glut (Also read: OPEC Has Finally Agreed to Cut Output, Sending Oil Up 7%).

Saudi Arabia is taking the biggest hit, cutting its production by 0.5 million b/d, while Iran is set to simply freeze its production at 3.797 million b/d. Non-member Russia will also need to sort itself out; the country did not attend this weeks meeting but has been open to cutting production in line with the cartel in the past.

While there is still some sorting out to do abroad, some of the biggest winners following OPECs announcement were U.S. oil producers. The flooding of the market with excess oil was seen by many as an attempt to drown out American companies, and the end of this policy may mean a more competitive global market.

With this in mind, check out these five U.S. oil stocks that have gained more than 10% on Wednesday:

1. Matador Resources (MTDR)

Matador Resources is an oil and natural gas producer with operations primarily in Texas and Louisiana. The stock is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and shares gained more than 18% in Wednesday morning trading.

2. Denbury Resources (DNR)

Denbury Resources is an oil and gas company headquartered in Plano, Texas, with operations primarily in Gulf Coast region. The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and was up nearly 22% in morning trading Wednesday.

3. Abraxas Petroleum (AXAS)

Abraxas Petroleum is an independent energy company with oil and gas operations in the Rocky Mountains, Powder River Basin, Permian Basin, and South Texas. The company stands as a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and shares were up over 11.5% on Wednesday morning.

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4. Approach Resources (AREX)

Approach Resources is an operator of unconventional oil and gas properties in the Texas, New Mexico, Kentucky, and Western Canada. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and gained over 18% in morning trading Wednesday.

5. Diamondback Energy (FANG)

Diamondback Energy is an oil and gas company with operations in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The stock is currently sitting on top of the strong industry with its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and shares of FANG gained more than 11.2% on during Wednesday morning trading.

Bottom Line

OPECs announcement is a big deal for the worldwide energy industry, but some of the biggest movers today were the U.S. oil producers. Investors should keep an eye on these stocks, as they may be set to take off now that prices are finally on the way back up.

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United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A top UN envoy on Wednesday pleaded with the Security Council to help break the siege of Aleppo, warning that residents of the Syrian city were at risk of extermination.

"For the sake of humanity we call on -- we plead -- with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

O'Brien, speaking to a special Security Council session by video-link from London, said that the clock was ticking on the city as the winter set in.

Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are not functioning after repeated military strikes and an estimated 25,000 people have taken dangerous escape routes out of eastern Aleppo since Saturday alone, O'Brien said.

O'Brien said that aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo but that they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians.

"These are neither new nor complicated demands -- those common threads of humanity that we all have a responsibility to rally around," he said.

"Those parties that can't or won't live up to their basic obligations should know that they will one day be held accountable for their actions," he said.

The eastern part of Aleppo -- which was home to 250,000 people -- has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have carried out the four-month siege to retake control, enjoying military and diplomatic backing from Russia.

O'Brien said he faced the persistent question as he traveled -- "Why on Earth can the Security Council not come together to unite to put a stop to this suffering?"

- Clash at Security Council -

Britain's ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said he had a simple answer to O'Brien's question on why the Security Council could not act -- Russia.

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He accused Russia, which in October vetoed a resolution to stop the bombing in Aleppo, of supporting "a deliberate act of starvation and a deliberate withholding of medical care."

"The Syrian regime and Russia have been executing a plan that has now laid one million people under siege. And executing is an all too appropriate word," he said.

Russia's envoy, Vitaly Churkin, brushed off criticism and said Syria was seeking to eliminate extremists such as the Al-Nusra Front, which has rebranded itself the Fateh al-Sham Front after severing ties to Al-Qaeda.

"We vehemently condemn any attempts to protect terrorists including any political action on a humanitarian pretext which, sadly alas, UN humanitarian works have been dragged into," Churkin said.

He accused Western powers of hypocrisy, saying there were also great humanitarian needs in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and Yemen where the United States is on the opposite side.

The US ambassador, Samantha Power, urged the Security Council to pass a resolution sponsored by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain that would mandate a 10-day military halt to allow humanitarian supplies to enter Aleppo.

"This is a no-brainer. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not have the survival of Syrian civilians at heart," Power said.

But she feared a new Russian veto and acknowledged a brief halt "is barely even a Band-Aid and it is a sign in some ways of just how low our bar has become."
trump protest nypd

In the 10 days following the election, 867 incidents of hate crimes against immigrants, Muslim-Americans, and others have been reported around the US, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

Now, a growing number of city police departments are launching special efforts to combat them.

San Francisco authorities are planning to send undercover officers into neighborhoods to see if they become the victims of hate crimes, The Los Angeles Times reports. LA and San Francisco police are also monitoring and analyzing social media comments that indicate there's a risk of physical confrontations.

In the same vein, The LAPD is teaming up with the researchers from the global policy nonprofit Rand Corporation to identify patterns of prejudice-motivated violence online. Over the next three years, they will monitor millions of tweets, scanning for those that suggest a hate crime could occur, and compare the data to incidents that are actually reported.

From November 8 to 18, there were 99 reports of hate crimes in California  the highest of any state.

On November 20, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of a designated police unit to investigate hate crimes. In the same press briefing, he said New York will set up a legal defense fund for immigrants, and highlighted an established hotline that hate crime victims can call.

Massachusetts created a similar state-wide hotline following the election, and Massachusetts Live reports it received 300 calls in the first four days.

On November 21, Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams also announced a new task force to "vigorously prosecute" hate crimes in the city. Detroit's police department has expressed concern about Michigan's recent increase in hate crime reports as well, and said investigating them is now one of its "highest priorities."

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In conjunction with federal prosecutors, the FBI is investigating incidents in Washington DC to see whether they violate federal law. In a video posted November 18, Attorney General Loretta Lynch urged victims nationwide to report hate crimes to authorities for possible prosecution, USA Today reported.

Police officials in the aforementioned cities have reiterated that in addition to these new efforts, they are still investigating reported incidents as they normally do.

la police

Hate crimes have become more common in the past year, especially in public spaces, according to an SPLC report. In 2015, reported hate crimes rose 6.8% nationwide year-over-year. (There were 5,850 incidents last year compared to 5,479 in 2014, according to the FBI.) The largest portion of reported hate crimes since 2014 have targeted Muslim-Americans.

It's important to note, however, that two in three hate crimes are never reported, so the actual numbers are likely higher. And as Mother Jones' Brandon Patterson points out, most reported hate crimes are never heard by a jury. In a 2013 study, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that just 4% of hate crimes end in arrest. Between January 2010 and August 2015, federal prosecutors brought only 13% of hate crime cases to trial, according to an analysis of DOJ data by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

However, Lynch assured the country in a recent statement that the FBI is playing special attention to hate crime cases going forward.

NOW WATCH: Donald Trump supports a controversial police policy that was ruled unconstitutional





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Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f299418%2factivist-apps-sites-trump

It's been less than a month since President-elect Donald Trump's victory, and everywhere you look, people are struggling to organize.

You can see a lot of it happening on our favorite social platforms. On Facebook, it comes in the form of repetitive pleas to "Call your legislator!" On Twitter, people retweet every 140-character nugget of pseudo-profundity they can find.

SEE ALSO: Trumps America will also be a new golden age of activism

It can be confusing to know what to do when so much of our democracy is at stake, but a few new sites and apps (and even a couple of old ones) can help activists and concerned Americans pave a manageable path forward.

Below, we've compiled a list of digital tools that make it easier for those who want to organize, but need specific solutions, coordinated guidance and helpful information at their fingertips.

1. For day-to-day help: Flippable

Flippable's main goal is simple: to help "turn America blue" by building power at all levels of government, both federal and state.

While state politics may not generate the same energy and theater as national politics, Democrats desperately need to control more state legislatures if they have any hope of stopping gerrymandering and recapturing Congress and the Oval Office.

Image: flippable

Flippable provides users with one simple thing they can do every day to help curb Trump's abuses and/or put progressives into office. Phone numbers, calling scripts and easy-to-follow steps are all there for you  all you have to do is visit the site or sign up for daily emails.

According to its website, the app was set up "by organizers, politics junkies, strategists and engineers who met each other working on the Hillary Clinton campaign in Columbus, Ohio, and Brooklyn, New York."

2. For weekly guidance: Wall-of-Us

Some people aren't able to take a moment every day to organize, but they can donate larger amounts of time throughout the week. Wall-of-Us gives users four "concrete acts of resistance delivered to your inbox each week," which can involve donating to a recount or asking followers to call their local representatives.

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"Three seemed like too few, and five seemed overwhelming," Amelia Miazad, one of the site's founders, told Mashable in an email. "Four seemed like a number that most people could do."

Image: wall of us

As a bonus, the site is really pretty  so that's a small source of comfort in these otherwise unspeakably bleak times.

3. For people who love to pick up the phone: Weekly Actions to Resist Trump

It may be hard to believe, but there are plenty of people left on this earth who still like speaking to strangers on the phone. And, thankfully, calls make a difference  much more so than emails and letters, it seems. Many staffers will tally up the types of calls they've received in a given week, and share the results with your representative.

Weekly Actions to Resist Trump gives users guidance on what types of calls to make, and who to make them to, all while providing the contact information users need.

Image: Weekly actions To Resist Trump

And don't worry  if you call your representative's office, you'll likely speak to a voicemail recording or a trained-to-be-nice staffer. It's a win-win.

4. For people who want to donate that cash: Support.fm/Express

Following the election, organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood reported a surge in donations. (In one week alone, the ACLU raised a record $7.2 million in funds.) And while it's important to support leading nonprofits, many grassroots and community-led organizations will also need real support.

Support.fm/Express provides a comprehensive yet digestible list of groups, including Muslim community organizations, migrant justice groups and POC-led nonprofits, where people can donate their funds (and sometimes their IRL support).

Image: support.fm/express

5. For people who don't want to give Trump their money: Boycott Trump

If there's one thing we learned from the #GrabYourWallet campaign in October, it's that boycotts can work. In the weeks following the start of the campaign, Ivanka Trump's brand experienced a 54 percent drop in "interest," or item views on select online retailers.

Now, Boycott Trump, a new app from the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, allows users to search a database of more than 250 businesses to see if they share any connection to Trump and his business interests.

Image: Boycott Trump

Image: BoyCott Trump

The app has already found dozens of companies that are affiliated with Trump.

6. For people who want to volunteer (and maybe donate, too): TogetherList

Many people want to volunteer or give their money  they just have no idea who needs the help or what needs to be done.

TogetherList provides a list of agencies and nonprofits where people can donate money or volunteer their time. All you have to do is click "donate" or "volunteer" below the organization of your choice.

Sure, it's important to reach out to your legislators or show up to a protest. But TogetherList allows people to support an established nonprofit organization directly and more extensively, whether by volunteering their time or donating their hard-earned dollars.

SEE ALSO: 4 positive ways to take action after Trump's victory

7. For folks who really want to hold their representatives accountable: Countable

Though the app is two years old, Countable remains just as relevant as ever. Users simply type in their name and address, and the app provides them with their list of legislators. Countable users even get to see how they voted on important pieces of legislation so they can  wait for it  hold them accountable.

The app lets you send a video message to your representative so they know you're serious (and have a super nice smartphone).

Image: countable

Of course, there are hundreds of sites out there helping people to organize in their communities, countless 1,000-word Facebook posts telling desperate people what to do, and approximately 19,999,999 articles shared on Twitter that people have promised to send their Trump-supporting family members, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

For many, there's so much to do and so many ways to do it  they just need a lot of focus and a little help. These apps will do the trick.

BONUS: These are the most shocking quotes to come out of Trump's '60 Minutes' interview
Odds are youve made the rounds to plenty of peoples homes for parties, be it for a housewarming, the holidays, or other event. And, as you should know by now, a prime way to work your way into the party hosts good graces is to bring a little housewarming gift. Only what?

Allow me to fill you in. When it comes to parties, you name it, Ive hosted it. Super Bowl? Every year, without fail. Triple Crown race? Twice, in fact, for 30 people each. New Years Day soirees, spring fling cocktail parties, Thanksgiving for 24 (two turkeys, seven pies), and even a Kentucky Derby/Cinco de Mayo combo.

As a result, Im an expert in hostess gifts. From the good and the bad to the downright ugly, Ive gotten it all and Im here to say: No one wants your cast-off bottle of chardonnay. Same goes for that rancid candle in a jar. Instead, do the right thing and offer up something your hostess really wants.

Here are eight perfect picks that are all but guaranteed to result in a return invitation.

Breakfast the next day

It sounds obvious, but almost no one offers up this godsend: After a late night of wiping up spills, doing mountains of dishes, and putting away every piece of glassware I own, Im exhausted. The next day, all I want is to sleep in and enjoy a ready-to-go meal. It doesnt have to be homemade jam or granola (though both are excellent choices). Instead, a yummy loaf to slice and slather with butter is ideal, especially if its an almond stollen from Red Truck Rural Bakery ($31).

Nutty, buttery, divine! Red Truck Bakery

New dish towels

I use at least two or three every day, which means after a few months they end up looking stained and frayed and downright nasty. A guest who brings a pretty tea towel or dishcloth gets extra meatballs and the top-shelf bourbon in her Old-Fashioned. I literally leap for joy when I see this gift coming. These beauties from CypressInk ($10 each) are a good place to start. (I love the jellyfish and the octopus!)

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These towels are hand-printed with eco-friendly ink on soft cotton Cypressink.com

Something personalized

My husband loathes fancy cursive monograms, but hell live with personalization at home if its a very simple version. Coasters or cocktail napkins with the hosts last initial are very welcome. Even better is this useful and unusual gift ribbon from Namemaker ($21) for the endless holiday wrapping thats coming up. Personalized ribbon is also a two-fer, eliminating the need for a name tag.

Personalized ribbon is cute and useful. Namemaker.com

Candles

I dont mean boring white tapers or those 100-pack votives, though I do stock a cabinet full of each. Instead, seek out something really beautifulmaybe one thats shaped like the pear below ($6), or a couple of big pine cones or sparkling silver Christmas trees. Anyone who entertains with any frequency goes through a ton of candles in every shape and size.

A lovely shape in an autumnal hue Amazon.com

A better bottle

Guests bring wine because they think its appropriate, plus its easy to just grab a bottle and go. But if Im throwing a party, Ive definitely ordered a case or two already. If you must bring vino, up the ante and make it Champagne, which I dont normally keep around. Or be more interesting and choose mezcal for a friend who likes tequila or sherry (which you can cook with if you dont drink much), or for the Manhattan lover, pick up some Hella bitters ($15.50).

A bottle of bitters beats wine any daythat is if you love Manhattans. Amazon.com

A two-in-one

One of the best housewarming presents I received was an inexpensive juicer and a bag of oranges. The couple who gave it knew this was a smart midwinter gift (and theyd just returned from Florida).

Other two-in-ones: popcorn kernels and sea salt, or apples and a wedge of cheddar. Im crazy for figs, especially with cheese from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company. Try the Ewes Blue ($35 a pound).

A tangy sheeps milk blue cheese to pair with fruit Murrayscheese.com

Dog gift

Dont forget pets when considering a hostess gift. Youll be my friend for life if you bring my pup a squeaky chew toy or some yummy biscuits from a nearby bakery. Or make it easy and get these from Food52 ($28 for two bags). If your host has a kitty, consider toting along a new scratching post, cat nip toys, or a container of cat grass.

Made with natural ingredients for your sweet pooch Food52.com

Something to share

A group gift the whole family can enjoy is another good option. One year a friend brought the most adorable pencils carved to look like tree branches and tied them with a piece of twine. The kids flipped for themand I squirreled away a few for my own personal fun. Other ideas include a new game or a big batch of candy, like this jar of Swedish fish ($8.50) that we can dive into on movie night.

Who doesnt love Swedish fish? Bring them to my next party, please! Queensboro

The post 8 Unexpected Housewarming Gifts a Hostess Will Never Forget appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.
President lauds NAs role in peacekeeping

President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday lauded the role played by Nepal Army personnel as United Nations peacekeepers in various conflict-hit countries across the globe.
Helsinki (AFP) - Finland's prime minister admitted Wednesday sending angry emails to a reporter as media claimed he tried to block coverage of an alleged conflict of interest.

Finnish media claimed centrist Prime Minister Juha Sipila pressured public broadcaster Yle to stop investigating the alleged conflict of interest after a company owned by his family won a major order from a nationalised mine.

But Sipila denied any intention of doing so.

"I admit that it's a soft spot when my position affects my family and my family gets involved... I admit to having reacted emotionally," he told reporters.

The case centres on an order received by Katera Steel -- an engineering company owned by Sipila's family -- from a nickel mine that had received a cash bailout from the state.

On November 11, the government announced it would invest 100 million euros ($107 million) in Terrafame, the company operating the unprofitable mine that would have shut down without the intervention.

Sipila allegedly contacted the editor of Yle, Atte Jaaskelainen and sent nearly 20 messages in one evening to a journalist investigating the matter.

The premier had reached out following the publication of Yle's first piece on the issue in a bid to discourage further coverage, according to the weekly news magazine Suomen Kuvalehti.

Though Sipila was given a chance to comment on the story hours before publication, he complained on Wednesday that was not sufficient.

"I have not shut anyone's mouth... The piece of news contained a serious allegation about favouring relatives, which was not the case. A possibility to comment should have been given," he said.

- Denies wrongdoing -

But Suomen Kuvalehti reported that the pressure allegedly led Yle to scale down its coverage of the story.

It also revealed that Yle's management had threatened to fire one of its most renowned journalists who planned to discuss the topic in his weekly talk show.

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Jaaskelainen denied bowing to pressure from the prime minister.

"My reasoning is that there was no reason to proceed with the matter... We took this decision ourselves on journalistic grounds," he wrote on Yle's website.

Sipila has denied any wrongdoing in the transaction.

Katera Steel's deal with the mine "had been confirmed before the (state funding) decision," Sipila said.

Antti Rinne, chairman of the biggest opposition party the Social Democrats, said the claims about Sipila interfering with the public broadcaster's work were "very serious".

"Finland is a leading country in press freedom. If the claims about Sipila hold true, we will be facing a serious crisis," Rinne wrote on Twitter.

Production at the Talvivaara mine about 500 kilometres (310 miles) north of Helsinki began in 2008 and was one of the largest nickel mines in Finland. It was nationalised in 2014 to avoid closure.

It caused one of the worst environmental disasters in the country's history when, in 2012, a leak led to nickel, cadmium, uranium and zinc seeping into surrounding rivers and lakes.

A parliamentary watchdog is probing the prime minister's role in the allocation of taxpayer funds to the mine.
Action star Donnie Yen placed his deadly hands and feet in cement at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre Wednesday, voicing hope that his career would inspire fellow Asians to take up acting.

The martial artist -- a multiple world champion in the wushu fighting style -- was being honored for a body of work mainly in Chinese cinema, although he also stars in the much-anticipated "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

"Sometimes being an Asian actor is not easy. Unfortunately, for many years, Asian actors didn't have the same, equal opportunities," the 53-year-old Hong Kong resident told AFP at the ceremony.

"But I think that things have been changing," he added. "And I certainly would like to be one actor that set a good example."

Overshadowed over the years by Jackie Chan and other sought-after kung fu stars, Yen has been gradually breaking into Hollywood since appearing in Guillermo del Toro's "Blade II" in 2002.

In "Rogue One," due to be released on December 16, he plays a warrior monk who is part of a heroic band of rebels that steals plans for the Death Star.

He also stars opposite Vin Diesel in "xXx: Return of Xander Cage," which hits theaters on January 20.

Born in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, Yen came to Hong Kong -- where he lives now -- at the age of two and later moved to the United States, growing up in Boston's Chinatown.

- 'Ridiculous stereotype' -

Much of the star's inspiration comes from his mother, Bow Sim-Mark, a world famous wushu and tai chi master, at whose internationally-known Chinese Wushu Research Institute the young Yen learned kung fu.

When he became involved in gang violence in Boston at age 16, his worried parents sent him to Beijing, where he spent two years training with the famed Beijing wushu team, studying with the same masters as Jet Li.

Yen's turning point came when the veteran film director Yuen Wo-ping, the action choreographer for the "Matrix" trilogy, discovered him and helped him break into movies as the new kung fu hero.

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Yen has spent years since then using his celebrity to wage a campaign to kick the Asian stereotype out of Hollywood.

In the mid-1990s, he turned down an offer from Francis Ford Coppola because of a script he said contained "a ridiculous stereotype about the Chinese."

He also rejected an offer to be in the "Tomb Raider" sequel, which China banned for making the country appear lawless and run by secret societies.

"I hope this ceremony, this achievement, will inspire many Chinese actors -- not just Chinese actors, but many young actors -- that they, too, can achieve the same dream if they put enough hard work into it," he said before sinking his hands into the cement.

"The force is with me and the force is with everybody."
It didn't take long for protestors to respond to President-elect Donald Trump's tweet calling for punishment for those who burn the American flag.

A video posted Tuesday, Nov. 29 (shown above) shows members of the left-wing NYC Revolution club dousing two small U.S. flags in accelerant and igniting them in front of Trump Tower in New York.

The angry display was in response to Trump's tweet early Tuesday, which said that flag burners could face one year in jail or lose their citizenship.

Burning the American flag, which is considered symbolic speech, is technically protected under the First Amendment.

Two incidents led to the acts overturn. The first was the Texas v. Johnson case in 1984 when Gregory Lee Johnson torched the flag outside the Republican National Convention in a protest against Ronald Reagan. He tried to appeal his arrest and lost but later won when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Johnsons actions were expressive conduct, according to Cornell Universitys Legal information Institute.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Johnsons favor. In response, Congress passed the Flag Protection Act, which states: "Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

In 1990, demonstrators were again arrested for burning the flag and appealed to have their charges dropped. The case went to the Supreme Court, named United States v. Eichman. The court struck it down, stating that, "its asserted interest is related to the suppression of free expression and concerned with the content of such expression, according to legal database Oyez.

Since then, Congress has made efforts to overturn the decision. In 2005, Hillary Clinton co-sponsored a bill that would make burning the American flag punishable by up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. In 2006, the Senate rejected by one vote a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court decision.

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The Actors Hall of Fame is launching film and television productions for China starting with William Shakespeares plays, Variety has learned exclusively.

The initiative is launching with feature versions of Romeo and Juliet and a 3D animated feature of A Midsummers Night Dream. Its in pre-production on both projects.

We are in talks with a number of potential partners here in the U.S. and China, to expand the 150 year history of Shakespeare in China, said Rusty Citron, president of the foundation. Today, the Chinese people can not only read Shakespeare in English and Chinese, but can also enjoy his plays on stage. Our goal is to expand that experience to the big screen.

The Actors Hall of Fame will also provide education support in schools through its partnership with AugThat, a mobile streaming company using Augmented Reality programs delivered directly to Smartphones and tablets.

The Chinese translations of Shakespeare, both in print and on stage, were first published in the early 20th Century and staged in 1910s. Over the next 5 years our plan is to introduce Shakespeares most interesting and iconic characters and stories, which are already popular and familiar to the Chinese audience, Citron said.

The Actors Hall of Fame was established in 2008 with the support of HBO, Universal Pictures, Microsoft, MGM, Lionsgate and Google to honor career achievements, as well as generate awareness and resources to restore and support dramatic arts education programs. It launched development earlier this year of Our American Cousin as a miniseries and The Life of Laura Keene as a movie.

Its content includes targeted programs on the foundations two streaming channels, the Shakespeare Channel and the Actors Channel, both premiering on Roku.

Related stories

Actors Hall of Fame Foundation to Host Inagural Shakespeare Film Festival

West End Review: Kenneth Branagh's 'Romeo and Juliet' With Richard Madden, Lily James

Actors Hall of Fame Developing 'American Cousin' Miniseries, Laura Keene Movie
From Christian Bale in The Machinist to Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, some of the best actors in Hollywood have undergone extreme weight loss for a role.

Adam Driver can now add his name to that list of dedicated actors who sacrificed their bodies  and sometimes their health  to create a memorable performance.

The Girls star discussed shedding major pounds for his big role in Martin Scorseses long-awaited film Silence with famed indie director Noah Baumbach for a recent piece in Interview magazine.

He asked us to lose weight, Driver said of Scorsese. The film tells the story of two 17th century Portuguese Jesuit priests (Driver and Andrew Garfield), who travel to a hostile Japan to locate their mentor (Liam Neeson).

When the movie begins, the characters have been traveling for two years, from Portugal to Macau, sailed around Africa. Theres disease and shortage of food, Driver explained. Theyre already kind of depleted when they get to Macau before their last leg to Japan. Theres a lot of storytelling happening off camera.

Although the characters are introduced while they are thin, Driver said he and Garfield continue to lose weight as the film progresses. He wanted to see that physically. He asked us to lose a lot of weight. I didnt know how much that was going to be, Driver said of the director.

RELATED: John Boyega and Adam Driver Give Behind-The-Scenes Scoop on The Force Awakens

While losing the weight was a difficult experience, Driver said he enjoyed having a physical measure of control over his performance. I cant control whats happening in scenes, but I could control when I ate food, he explained. And that visual part of the storytelling, I dont think Ive ever taken it to the extreme before. Its an interesting thing.

Sometimes, the actor said his overwhelming hunger helped him to deliver a more raw performance. Youre so hungry and so tired at some points that theres nothing you can do youre not adding anything on top of what youre doing. You only have enough energy to convey what youre doing, so its great.

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However, he said, There are other times where a scenes not working and you dont have the energy to figure out why its not working.

The historical drama, considered a passion project for Scorsese, hits theaters in a limited release on Dec. 23 before going wide in January.




(SAN FRANCISCO)  The abductors of a California woman who was held captive for three weeks branded her with a message before she was dropped along the side of a freeway on Thanksgiving, a sheriff said Wednesday.

The suspects may have been trying to humiliate and wear down Sherri Papini by cutting off her long hair and branding her, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told Good Morning America.

I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message, he said, emphasizing that the brand was a message, not a symbol.

Papinis hair might have been cut off to change her appearance and humiliate her, he said.

The sheriff did not say where Papini had been branded and he did not provide further information about the investigation. Authorities are looking for two women.

The sheriff did not immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press seeking further details.

Papini, the mother of two small children, disappeared while jogging Nov. 2 near her home in Redding, about 140 miles north of Sacramento. She was released along Interstate 5 near Sacramento.

Her husband Keith Papini has said his 34-year-old wife was covered with bruises and burns and was chained at the waist and wrists when she was found.

In a written statement Tuesday to Good Morning America, he also addressed social media chatter doubting his wifes story of abduction and assault.

Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting, he wrote.

The sheriff has said the case is puzzling for a number of reasons, including motive. He said no ransom demand was made and the Papinis are of modest means.

Bosenko told the AP on Monday that investigators have no reason to doubt the harrowing tale told by Sherri Papini.

Authorities say the two suspects are possibly armed with a handgun and driving a dark colored SUV.

Keith Papini said his wife weighed just 87 pounds and the bridge of her nose was broken when she was tossed from a vehicle along the interstate with her hands restrained and a bag over her head.

Bosenko said Sherri Papini was unable to recall any details about her abduction when first questioned soon after being found. He said victims of traumatic experiences sometimes suffer from memory loss regarding the events.
Adriana Lima defended Kendall Jenner against criticism that shes not a real model, and were loving it

Even though Kendall Jenner is a hugely successful model, her career has been subject to some criticism  especially from other models  who say she only achieved runway status because of her famous family.

HOWEVER, super famous model Adriana Lima is coming to Kendalls defense. Theyre currently working together at the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in Paris, and Lima had only nice things to say to E News about her colleague.

I have worked with Kendall on runways before when we were in Europe, like Versace and also with Victorias Secret. Kendall is very sweet and very nice, and its always pleasant to work with someone like that, Adriana said.

LETS GO LET THE FUCKING BEAST IN ME OUT #BEASTMODE A photo posted by Adriana Lima (@adrianalima) on Nov 12, 2016 at 10:57am PST

She went on to talk about Jenners work ethic, emphasizing that shes a valuable member of the team.

You know, she works as hard as we do, so I give her credit for all the effort. And I think she is going to do great because Victorias Secret is all about personality, and she has her own personality.

Its great to see ladies sticking up for one another! If this happened more often, the world just might be a much more supportive place. Youre the best, Adriana!

And of course, Kendall, you rock our world as well. Keep doing what you do best (being YOU), and dont listen to anyone who tries to bring you down. Everyone who works hard deserves success.

H/T: Cosmopolitan

The post Adriana Lima defended Kendall Jenner against criticism that shes not a real model, and were loving it appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Moscow (AFP) - Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot said Wednesday its net profit had grown nearly seven-fold in the third quarter despite an economic crisis that has battered the Russian aviation industry.

The majority state-controlled company said it had earned a net profit of 41.2 billion rubles ($630 million) between July and September.

Total revenue rose 18 percent to 157.5 billion rubles.

Russia's aviation industry has struggled in the face of the country's economic crisis caused by falling oil prices and Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's actions in Ukraine, hitting travellers' wallets.

Aeroflot is emerging strong from the economic crisis that is now showing signs of stabilisation, capitalising on the bankrupcy of its main competitor Transaero last year.

Aeroflot also saw its passenger numbers climb by 9.2 percent to 32.8 million in the first nine months of 2016, compared to the same period last year.

Aeroflot's deputy chief executive for finance, Shamil Kurmashov, said in a statement that the results showed a "significant improvement" year-on-year.

He said the latest results could be explained by a "growth of the business, net positive FX effects and tight control of operating costs."
Ruling parties join protests against Province 5 split plan

Various political parties, including the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress, staged demonstrations in different parts of the country on Tuesday to protest the government plan of splitting Province 5.
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa on Wednesday launched a major clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus, which scientists hope could be the "final nail in the coffin" for the disease.

More than 30 years of efforts to develop an effective vaccine for HIV have not borne fruit, but for the first time since the virus was identified in 1983, scientists think they have found a promising candidate.

The new study, known as HVTN 702, will involve more than 5,400 sexually active men and women aged 18-35 in 15 areas around South Africa over four years.

It is one of the biggest clinical trials involving the disease ever undertaken and has revived hopes of a breakthrough in the battle against AIDS.

"If deployed alongside our current armoury of proven HIV prevention tools, a safe and effective vaccine could be the final nail in the coffin for HIV," said Anthony Fauci, director of the US National institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is taking part in the study.

"Even a moderately effective vaccine would significantly decrease the burden of HIV disease over time in countries and populations with high rates of HIV infection, such as South Africa."

Condoms are at the frontline of efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, which is mainly transferred through the sexual fluids and blood of infected individuals.

A small number of people, mainly in developed countries, use virus-suppressing drugs as a preventive aid, although the exact level of protection this offers is not clear.

But relying on existing prevention methods was not working, said Mmapule Raborife, one of HIV Vaccine Trials Network's community advisors in the large township of Soshanguve, north of the administrative capital Pretoria.

- 'There are condoms everywhere' -

"There are condoms everywhere in South Africa but people are just passing by as if there is nothing there," she told AFP.

South Africa was not chosen by accident. The country has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world -- 19.2 percent according to the UN AIDS agency -- with more than seven million people living with the virus.

Story continues

"A vaccine is critical for South Africa," Glenda Gray, president of the country's Medical Research Council, told AFP.

"Every day, one thousand people are getting infected and most of them are young women and men so we need to find a solution."

The vaccine has been adapted for the HIV strain prevalent in southern Africa from one used in a trial of 16,000 people in Thailand in 2009, which reduced the risk of infection by more than 30 percent for three-and-a-half years after the first jab.

The safety of the "South African" vaccine has already been tested successfully over 18 months on 252 volunteers. The new study aims to test its effectiveness as a virus-killer.

Vaccines work by priming the body to respond with germ-fighting antibodies whenever a virus or bacteria invades. But the AIDS-causing virus is stealthy and quick to mutate to avoid being targeted.

"If we have a 50 percent efficacy rate, we would consider this an effective vaccine," said Gray.

From there, it could take five to ten years to scale up production, "and we need money to take (it) to a world level," she added.

- Results to take years -

Even if the new vaccine proves effective, experts warn it is vital to remain vigilant in the fight against HIV.

"A highly efficient vaccine would be a game-changer but the results of these trials will take years," Lynn Morris, head of the HIV virology section at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), told AFP.

"We must continue to use other HIV prevention tools to reduce the number of new HIV infections, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young women."

According to UNAIDS, half of the 36 million or so people with HIV around the world have access to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), a figure that has doubled in five years.

Thanks to these treatments, which keep the virus in check and increase the lifespan of HIV-positive people without curing them, average life expectancy in South Africa has risen from 57.1 years to 62.9 since 2009.

"I know people who are HIV positive and I know people who died because of HIV -- some of them are in my family," one trial participant who declined to give her name told AFP.

"I want to make a difference in my community and in my country... there's no cure yet, so we have to keep fighting."

The new trial is being carried out by the US National Institutes of Health, the South African Medical Research Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
South Africa on Wednesday begins a major clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus, which scientists hope could be the "final nail in the coffin" for the disease.

More than 30 years of efforts to develop an effective vaccine for HIV have not borne fruit, but for the first time since the virus was identified in 1983, scientists think they have found a promising candidate.

The new study, known as HVTN 702, will involve more than 5,400 sexually active men and women aged 18-35 in 15 areas around South Africa over the course of four years.

It is one of the biggest clinical trials involving the disease ever undertaken and has revived hopes in the scientific community of a breakthrough in the battle against AIDS.

"If deployed alongside our current armoury of proven HIV prevention tools, a safe and effective vaccine could be the final nail in the coffin for HIV," said Anthony Fauci, director of the US National institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is taking part in the study.

"Even a moderately effective vaccine would significantly decrease the burden of HIV disease over time in countries and populations with high rates of HIV infection, such as South Africa."

Condoms are at the frontline of efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, which is mainly transferred through the sexual fluids and blood of infected individuals.

A small number of people, mainly in developed countries, use virus-suppressing drugs as a preventive aid, although the exact level of protection this offers is not clear.

- Specially adapted -

South Africa was not chosen by accident. The country has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world -- 19.2 percent according to the UN AIDS agency -- with more than seven million people living with the virus.

Each year some 2.5 million people around the world are infected with HIV, which has killed more than 30 million people since the 1980s, according to a study presented at a conference in South Africa in July.

Story continues

The vaccine has been adapted for the HIV strain prevalent in southern Africa from one used in a trial of 16,000 people in Thailand in 2009, which reduced the risk of infection by more than 30 percent for three-and-a-half years after the first jab.

The safety of the "South African" vaccine has already been tested successfully over 18 months on 252 volunteers. The new study aims to test its effectiveness as a virus-killer.

Vaccines work by priming the body to respond with germ-fighting antibodies whenever a virus or bacteria invades. But the AIDS-causing virus is stealthy and quick to mutate to avoid being targeted.

"The results obtained in Thailand are not good enough for a roll-out (...) we have set the minimum bar at 50 percent" lower risk, Lynn Morris, head of the HIV virology section at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD), told AFP.

South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament earlier this month that "scientists expect the (new) vaccine to be at least 50 percent effective but hope that it will be much higher".

- Results to take years -

Even if the new vaccine proves effective, experts warn it is vital to remain vigilant in the fight against HIV.

"A highly efficient vaccine would be a game-changer but the results of these trials will take years," Morris said.

"We must continue to use other HIV prevention tools to reduce the number of new HIV infections, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young women, who continue to be most heavily affected."

According to UNAIDS, half of the 36 million or so people with HIV around the world have access to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), a figure that has doubled in five years.

Thanks to these treatments, which keep the virus in check and increase the lifespan of HIV-positive people without curing them, average life expectancy in South Africa has risen from 57.1 years to 62.9 since 2009, according to authorities.

The new trial is being carried out by the US National Institutes of Health, the South African Medical Research Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Russia and Islamist militants could try to boost their influence in the Balkan nations if the European Union doesn't take them in as members, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama said in an interview published on Wednesday. Rama told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung it was in the EU's interests to try and bring Balkan states into its fold. "If we want to have a secure and stable European Union and with it a secure Europe, it's not good if there are holes," Rama told the paper. "In addition, we shouldn't forget that there are also other, third, actors, who are playing their game and who could profit if the EU leaves a vacuum there," he said. "I'm talking about Russia, but I'm also talking about radical Islam," he added. The Balkan countries are sandwiched between EU members Greece and Hungary. Croatia and Slovenia have already joined NATO and the EU, while Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania are all pursuing EU membership. The six Balkan countries are all at different stages in joining the EU. Serbia aims to complete accession talks by 2019. However, taking on new members has sunk down the list of the EU's priorities. Diplomats from the region have said for some time that Russia is trying to boost its influence in countries such as Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and now also Albania. Rama said his country would continue to move towards EU accession, but cast doubt on the bloc's ability to take on new members. "It's not about how long we still need, it's about how the European Union will continue to develop. In the meantime, we are politically in fairly good form, the European Union is not at present." (Writing by Caroline Copley)
By Lamine Chikhi ALGIERS (Reuters) - Sonatrach boosted natural gas sales to Italy by 140 percent in the first 10 months of the year as Algeria looks to bolster energy exports after years of stagnation, two senior officials from the state company said. More effective exploitation of existing fields and expanded pipeline capacity is helping boost sales, Sonatrach Deputy General Manager for Marketing Omar Maaliou and Vice-president for Exploration and Production Salah Mekmouche told Reuters. Algeria's gas exports between January and October rose 25 percent from a year earlier, with exports for the year expected to rise to 54 billion cubic metres (bcm) from 44 bcm in 2015, they said. Algeria exported more than 13.2 bcm to Spain in the first 10 months of the year and was its top supplier. It supplied around 9.7 bcm of gas to Italy, representing 16 percent of all Italian gas demand. OPEC member Algeria is a leading exporter of gas to southern Europe, and is looking to bolster its standing in the international gas market. Most of its current long-term gas export contracts with European customers are set to begin expiring in 2019 and 2020. "We have focused on development rather than exploration, this is why we got an increase of production," Mekmouche said. "Today we have 30 sets of drilling equipment in the giant oil field of Hassi Messaoud, compared with only 10 in the past few years." Maaliou and Mekmouche said greater export pipeline capacity had also spurred higher output. Sonatrach has announced plans to invest $3.2 billion by 2020 to increase pipeline capacity. [nL5N16G285] The officials said Algeria exported 107 million tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) from January to October, up 9 percent from 98 TOE a year earlier. Despite the production increases, however, Algeria's energy revenue in 2016 is expected to fall slightly. Earnings fell to $35.7 billion in 2015 from $60.3 billion a year earlier reflecting lower oil prices, which put financial pressure on Algeria's government coffers. "The prices have crashed, but our exports have risen by about 10 million tonnes oil equivalent," Maaliou said. "We are in a period of (production) growth, and stagnation belongs to the past." (Editing by Aidan Lewis and Jason Neely)
Did Jeremy Clarkson, former host of the BBC hit Top Gear, inadvertently divulge what Jeff Bezos has planned for his Amazon Prime streaming service?

"Amazon has gone global," Clarkson tweeted Nov. 16 before the launch of his new motoring series The Grand Tour, which he co-hosts with James May and Richard Hammond. In a video, the trio said the Amazon show would be available in more than 200 countries. The comments sparked industry buzz that Clarkson may know something CEO Bezos hasn't revealed - namely that it will expand its video service globally to challenge Netflix.

Amazon has declined to confirm global aspirations, but some believe it's inevitable for a company whose e-commerce service is in fewer than 20 countries and whose streaming video offering operates only in the U.S., U.K., Japan, Germany and Austria. There have been some expansion signs: The video service had a Nov. 17 soft launch in Australia, there's whispers of a Canadian move by December, and execs have pledged to expand to India in what likely will become a key battleground against Netflix. Amazon has secured digital rights for homegrown content in India aggressively, "much more so than Netflix," says Jefferies analyst John Janedis, and that "could lead to Netflix increasing investment in local content."

If Amazon does take its video service global, it would boost content costs by $1 billion to $2 billion in 2017, say analysts, bringing it in line with Netflix's planned $6 billion spend next year. Amazon would have to battle to catch up. In 2016, Netflix launched in more than 130 international markets to take its video offerings nearly global, excluding China, North Korea, Syria and the Crimea. It now has 86.7 million global subscribers. (Amazon had 63 million Prime subscribers in the U.S. alone in June, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, but the company doesn't reveal how many of those users, most of whom subscribe for free shipping and discounts, watch such Amazon shows as Transparent.) Other competitors include HBO, which has streaming services in such countries as Spain, Argentina and Brazil.

Read more: Inside Steven Mnuchin's Hit-and-Miss Path From Hollywood to Treasury Secretary Pick

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter says Amazon won't necessarily need to launch platforms to expand. "I don't think this is a precursor to competing globally with Netflix," he says, adding Amazon might opt to cobble together third-party agreements to distribute Grand Tour (which is said to have cost about $250 million for three seasons). Then the streamer could duplicate that strategy with other originals.

Either way, the idea that Amazon is eyeing the world doesn't bode well for Netflix. Janedis says an escalated war between the two will "ultimately slow Netflix's global subscriber growth."

This story first appeared in the Dec. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Read more: Amazon to Stream 'The Grand Tour' in More Than 200 Countries
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f300724%2fdonkeypolice

For far too long, fluffy pets and barnyard animals have thought they were above the law  and now they're suffering the consequences.

Even though crime is at a historic low in the United States (despite, cough cough, inflammatory reports to the contrary), some animals have escaped the claws of justice. They thought their frighteningly adorable googly eyes and crushingly soft manes meant they could live life above the law.

That time is over.

SEE ALSO: Nothing calms Polly the goat's anxiety like her duck costume

There's a new sheriff in town, and that sheriff is your local police officer, forced to pick up a drunk pig on their way home from work.

Below is a list of some of the most wanted barnyard animals/household pets in America.

1. Squishy the miniature donkey, charged with the crime of "wandering on a road"

It's not everyday that you see a donkey in the back of a police car. Ofc Canaan helped get it safely off the roadway pic.twitter.com/z6j4hajDrD  Norman Police (@normanokpd) December 1, 2015

2. A hardnosed pelican caught WWS (walking while sleepy)





Image: california highway patrol

3. This anarchist owl who assaulted police officer and crashed his car

Image: covington police department/facebook





4. Ex-con golden retriever turned himself into the cops





Image: west windsor police department





5. Michigan drug kingpig does hard time

And you then spend 10 minutes hysterically cry laughing at a picture of a pig in a police car #emotionallybroken pic.twitter.com/lkJyUOFszW  Gemma Rose (@jimjamx) June 8, 2015





6. (Human dressed as) polar bear headed to the slammer





Image: misha japaridze/AP

Story continues





7. Neighborhood squirrel found guilty of acorn embezzlement scheme





Image: grand rapids police department/facebook

8. Baby seal headed for big baby jail

Image: mendocino sheriff/facebook

There are millions more animals like them out there, hiding their dystopian criminal agenda behind their effortlessly soft puppy ears.

BONUS: Watch dogs try cat toys for the first time
SC orders TRC to investigate all complaints

The Supreme Court has scrapped the standard guidelines for shelving the complaints prepared by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Its been a rough couple of years to be an oil cartel. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, has endured a global supply glut, low prices, declining revenue, and rising drama over failed oil production agreements that led many experts to write preemptive obituaries for the group. But on Wednesday, OPEC surprised the world by announcing that for the first time in eight years it would cut back oil production to nudge up crude prices.

The deal, to start in January, would see OPEC member countries trim their combined oil output by about 1.1 million barrels a day, to 32.5 million barrels of oil a day, according to a statement released after the groups ministerial meeting on Wednesday.

Its a long-delayed response to a flood of oil that has outstripped global demand for the stuff and kept prices less than half of what they were in 2014. Its also an indication that OPEC, and especially Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer in the group, is willing to again play a role as market balancer  potentially bringing some longer-term stability back to the global oil market.

Riyadh, who championed OPECs drill-till-you-drop approach two years ago, will take the brunt of the pain, agreeing to an output cut of nearly 500,000 barrels a day from record-high levels of production of 10.673 million barrels a day. Iraq, the cartels second-biggest producer, will cut 210,000 barrels a day. In all, OPEC members  famous for their fractiousness and an inability to share the pain  appear to have agreed to trim production by about 5 percent each. Even Russia, which isnt a member of OPEC but whose breakneck oil production has contributed to the glut, agreed to gradually rein in output by 300,000 barrels a day.

In answer, crude oil prices leapt upward by over 10 percent to top $50 a barrel for the first time in a month. While thats great news for cash-strapped petro states like Iraq and Venezuela  and an early Christmas gift for the U.S. oil patch  its a little less cheery for consumers, who will have to pay a bit more at the pump.

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Under OPECs surprise agreement, one country caught a break: Iran will be allowed to increase production by about 90,000 barrels a day while everyone else cuts back. Tehran has been adamant that it must regain market share that it lost while facing U.S. and Western sanctions that halved its oil exports from 2012 through last year.

OPECs first agreed cut since 2008  when oil prices collapsed late in the year after hitting record levels in the summer  comes when the groups members are reeling. OPEC is on track to earn just $341 billion in oil exports in 2016, down from a record $920 billion in 2012. That has hammered oil-dependent states, making it tougher for Iraq to fight Islamic State, for example, or Venezuela to craft a functioning economy. Even wealthy states, like Saudi Arabia, have felt the pinch, burning through about $180 billion of currency reserves and slashing public-sector salaries in the last two years.

OPECs rediscovery of discipline could be enough to help rebalance the market next year and push up oil prices  if, that is, members actually adhere to it, and if rejuvenated U.S. oil production doesnt spoil the party before it gets started.

OPEC members dont have a great record of actually sticking to agreements they make. And political feuds between members, notably Saudi Arabia and Iran, had a habit of boiling over into OPEC meetings and torpedoing agreements in the past.

We believe much uncertainty remains with respect to global oil supply in 2017, said Kevin Book, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners. Thats primarily due to OPECs poor track record of adhering to production quotas and ongoing supply disruptions around the globe, he added. Another OPEC cut might be needed in the second half of next year, he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. oil companies, who need higher crude prices than their Middle Eastern counterparts, have just been waiting for an uptick to drill even more. And thanks to a couple years of belt-tightening, U.S. drillers have gotten great at cutting costs and squeezing out productivity gains, making it easier to thrive in a low-price environment.

Renewed U.S. production on the back of rising prices could simply end up prolonging the glut, push prices back down, and end up costing OPEC billions.

Photo credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images
An Anchorman-inspired bar is coming to LA, just in case you forgot to stay classy

Its been 12 years since the ultra-quotable Anchorman was released, and we still cant enough of Will Ferrells Ron Burgundy. The world simply cant live without him. So in an attempt to keep Ron Burgundy and his news team very much alive and well, theres an Anchorman-inspired bar opening in L.A. Obviously, its called The Stay Classy Bar.

On December 5th, The Stay Classy Bar will open in the TCL Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood, and it will be very similar to the Stay Classy New York, the Will Ferrell-themed bar on the Lower East Side that pays homage to all of Ferrells most famous funny guys over the years. (You can even get a cocktail called Youre My Boy Blue.)

It will be open for 10 days as a trial of sorts, from which theyll decide if it should become a permanent establishment.

Here we come! TAG A SMELLY PIRATE HOOKER! DECEMBER 5th the smelly pirate hookers from New York are coming to LA! @theriffla @adultsonlybar #smellypiratehooker #anchorman #whalesvagina #stayclassyla #stayclassysandiego #elf #mugatu Posted by Stay Classy New York on Saturday, November 19, 2016

Eater Los Angeles says part of the proceeds will be donated to Cancer for College, Ferrells non-profit that raises funds for students who have had cancer to complete higher education. That might be a good enough reason in and of itself to go check out the Anchorman bar if youre in the area. Remember, you can RSVP by just texting the number provided in the ad!

Um, we dont mean to be a wet blanket, but wouldnt it have been much more appropriate to open The Stay Classy Bar in San Diego? Either way, were pumped.

The post An Anchorman-inspired bar is coming to LA, just in case you forgot to stay classy appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Photo credit: ZooKeys

From Popular Mechanics

There are not many bugs in Antarctica-only three species of midges, which are basically flightless flies-but millions of years ago, the continent was much warmer and more humid. During those years, after the supercontinent Gondwana broke up into the landmasses we have today, there were beetles crawling around on the most southernly continent.

Ball's Antarctic Tundra Beetle, as it has been named, lived some 14 to 20 million years ago, and researchers from North Dakota State University and the Smithsonian Institution recently found two fossils of the extinct beetle's forewings on Beardmore Glacier near the Transantarctic Mountains. These fossils represent a previously unknown species, and they are the first ground beetles ever discovered in Antarctica.

"Insects are least well-represented in Antarctica than anywhere else on Earth. The living fauna consists of three species of flightless chironomid midges," reads a research paper on the discovery published in the open-access journal ZooKeys. "The fossil record for insects in Antarctica is equally poor."

These beetles, which are likely related to an ancient beetle species that lived on Gondwana, help to fill in the geologic record and teach us how Antarctica transformed into the frozen tundra we have today. When Ball's Antarctic Tundra Beetle roamed the continent, there must have been flora growing on sand and gravel banks to provide a food source, such as buttercup, moss mats, southern beech, and cushion plants. The beetles, which may or may not have been able to fly, must have lived in these areas near meltwater and sparse vegetation. Finding and dating the beetle fossils tells us that Antarctica remained a relatively mild place for millions of years after it separated from the supercontinent Gondwana.

It makes you wonder, what else lived on Antarctica before it transformed into a frozen wasteland?

Source: ZooKeys via Gizmodo

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(Adds details, confirmation throughout)

SAO PAULO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Andrade Gutierrez SA, one of Brazil's largest engineering and business groups, on Wednesday signed a leniency deal with a government agency related to a major corruption scandal.

Andrade Gutierrez and antitrust watchdog agency Cade said in separate statements the accord is part of an investigation into engineering works carried out across several shanty towns in the city of Rio de Janeiro in recent years.

The funds used to finance those works were part of ousted former President Dilma Rousseff's Accelerated Growth Plan investment program, also a target of "Operation Car Wash," a corruption probe into fraudulent contracts between builders and state companies.

(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes; Writing by Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Chris Reese and Will Dunham)
Andrew Garfield explains why playing Spider-Man broke his heart and sadly, we get it

Need another reason to love The Amazing Spider-Man actor? Actor, Andrew Garfield explains why playing Spider-Man broke his heart and his honesty is beyond refreshing.

In an interview with Varietys Actors on Actors segment, Amy Adams talked with Garfield and things got really interesting when the subject of The Amazing Spider-Man came up. The 33-year-old actor got real about his intense and heartbreaking role and man, we love him even more for it.

Theres something about being that young in that kind of machinery which I think is really dangerous, Garfield told Adams about the two Spider-Man films. I was still young enough to struggle with the value system, I suppose, of corporate America really, its a corporate enterprise mostly.

Garfield continued saying that his journey as Spider-Man taught him that a story and a character are not always top of the priority list to everyone, which is why he was conflicted with the result.

I found that really, really tricky. I signed up to serve the story, and to serve this incredible character that Ive been dressing as since I was three, and then it gets compromised and it breaks your heart, Garfield explained.

I got heartbroken a little bit to a certain degree, he added.

Poor Peter Parker, his life isnt as perfect as we thought, even though he was a superhero!

To watch the whole interview between Adams and Garfield tune into PBS SoCals presentation of Varietys Actors on Actors, on January 3.

The post Andrew Garfield explains why playing Spider-Man broke his heart and sadly, we get it appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Protesters opposed to the burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at a cemetery for the Philippines national heroes faced off with police after blocking a highway in Manila on Wednesday, November 30.

On the evening of November 29, demonstrators carrying banners that read #BlackMarcos and a fake coffin camped out at the Heros Cemetery, according to local media.

Counter protests were proposed by a Facebook group called Duterte Youth on the same day.

President Rodrigo Duterte decision to allow Macros to be buried with military honors at Libingan ng mga Bayani, a heroes cemetery, on November 18 has angered protesters who pointed to widespread human rights abuses during Marcos 20-years in power. Credit: Facebook/Block Marcos via Storyful
The Daily Beast

GettyRussia announced Wednesday that it views Norways work with other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as provocative, warning that Norways efforts to bolster its military in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine this year will likely be the death knell for Oslo-Moscow relations moving forward.Oslo is now among the most active supporters of NATO's involvement in the Arctic, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday, according to TASS. We cons
Photo credit: Anton Eine / EyeEmundefined

From Esquire

We all make mistakes sometimes, and an Australian citizen had his heart in the right place when he was frightened by a "suspicious" object he found on the beach.

After finding a gelatinous blob on the Sunshine Coast, the man immediately thought of the worst-case scenario: that it's a breast implant that came from a murdered and/or drowned woman. We've all been there, guy.

It's the fishy discovery in Maroochydore that sparked fears someone had been murdered or drowned https://t.co/VG1qBnPoAK pic.twitter.com/7xQFNQYvP1 - Sunshine Coast Daily (@the_daily) November 25, 2016

According to Sunshine Coast Daily, the resident brought the "implant" to local police, telling them his concerns. The police suspected it was a jellyfish, but kindly bagged it up and ran some tests anyway.

Spoiler alert: It was not a boob.

(H/T Mashableand Sunshine Coast Daily)

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Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - The Syrian army's advance into rebel-held east Aleppo has deprived families of anywhere to hide and left shredded bodies of men, women and children strewn in the streets.

Previously, civilians in the eastern sector of the city could try to take shelter from air strikes inside buildings, but now sudden artillery fire can pound the streets without warning, mowing down all those in its path.

"It's really raining shells," said the AFP correspondent in the battered city.

On Wednesday, the correspondent witnessed a shell crashing onto a main road, ripping off a little girl's hand and piercing her head with shrapnel.

With east Aleppo's ambulances either destroyed or lacking fuel, no rescue services were available.

Two young men on a moped tried to whisk 10-year-old Mona away to safety, but her family later told AFP that she died of her serious injuries.

Two weeks into the all-out assault and after a months-long siege, pro-government forces have seized control of around 40 percent of what had been rebel-controlled east Aleppo since 2014.

After wave after wave of air strikes, the army is pounding rebel areas with intensive bombardment.

The crude barrel bombs dropped by helicopters at least gave those on the ground a chance to take cover once the aircraft were sighted.

The relentless artillery barrage has punched gaping holes in the walls of the apartment buildings still standing and torn down balconies.

The UN's World Food Programme spokeswoman Bettina Luescher on Wednesday described the plight of civilians in east Aleppo as a "slow motion descent into hell".

- 'Impossible to cross' -

Many civilians in the stricken areas, especially Shaar district, have been left with no escape route to government-controlled parts of Aleppo.

"The shelling doesn't stop. It's impossible to cross," said one group trying to flee with their few possessions.

Videos posted online Wednesday by Syrian Civil Defence rescue group and the opposition Aleppo Media Centre show a blood-soaked street filled with corpses, human body parts and shoes.

Story continues

A teenage boy appears, crying next to two bodies, one of them his mother who had been walking a few paces behind when the shell struck.

"The artillery hit a first time and we ran. That's when I saw my mother was dead," he says to the camera.

The teenager had been with his parents and a group of displaced persons seeking shelter in a government-controlled neighbourhood of the divided city.

"We're leaving because of the injustice, the air strikes, the bombardments, the lack of food," says the distressed father, as the bodies are wrapped in orange plastic.

More than 50,000 terrified civilians have fled rebel-held areas in four days.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, the battle launched on November 15 has killed more than 300 civilians in east Aleppo, including 33 children.
What is it about the hit science-fiction thriller Arrival that makes it seem more plausible than most Hollywood alien movies? The answer may be, simply, science. For a new episode of his web series Science vs. Cinema, astrophysics professor and self-described film geek Andy Howell takes an in-depth look at how realistic the science of Arrival actually is. What he discovers is that the filmmakers put a massive amount of thought and energy into every detail of the movie, and that even its craziest plot points were backed up with real-life hypotheses and equations. Watch the full video above. (Warning: It contains some major spoilers toward the end, but Howell gives a heads-up that allows you to skip ahead.)

Related: Arrival: Creating an Alien Language From Scratch Is a Long, Drawn Out Process

Arrival tells the story of a linguist (Amy Adams) and theoretical physicist (Jeremy Renner) who are hired by the U.S. government to communicate with aliens whose ships hover mysteriously above Earth. The aliens look nothing like humans, nor do they speak anything recognizable as a language. Its therefore up to the two experts to decipher whether the creatures mean harm or good to humankind.

Physicist Stephen Wolfram uses a white board to explain the science behind the Arrival spaceships in a still from Science vs. Cinema

In the video, Howell talks with the actors and creatives behind the film, as well as scientific experts who served as consultants (including a linguist, a theoretical physicist, and a computer programmer). Director Denis Villeneuve explains that the spaceship design was inspired by an actual asteroid in orbit in the solar system, while famed physicist Stephen Wolfram pulls out a whiteboard to demonstrate how the ship could hypothetically move through space. The real-life computer code used in the film to help decipher the aliens written language is explained, along with the actual procedure linguists use to speak to people who dont share a common language. Finally, Howell dives headfirst into the actual scientific hypotheses behind the films big twist (explained in more detail in the short story that inspired the movie, Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, who is also interviewed in the episode).

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Related: Arrival Review: Amy Adams Stars in a Smart, Moving Sci-Fi Drama About an Alien Encounter

The film does contain some scientifically questionable moments that are mentioned in the episode (like a scene in which Amy Adams character should logically be wearing a mask to breathe) and others that are glossed over (like the paradox inherent in the films climax). Still, Howell sees Arrival as a triumphant fusion of Hollywood and science  and his video is recommended viewing for anyone who wants to dwell a little longer on one of the most thought-provoking films of 2016.

Arrival exclusive clip: Watch Amy Adams make contact with E.T.:
Sangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.
Despite my best efforts, I dont have very much in common with Kylie Jenner. Ive never been to one of Kris Jenners Christmas parties, I lack any and all skill necessary to take a decent belfie, and frankly, Im not really into wigs, but at the very least, I can definitively say that we have both been blessed by the glamorous touch of Hrush Achemyan.

Even if you dont recognize her name, youre certainly familiar with Achemyans work. After all, shes the woman behind the perfectly sculpted, gorgeously glowing looks that Kim, Kendall, Kylie and Ko. have helped make famous. And shes also the woman responsible for the fiercest brows I have ever had in my life.

As one of PEOPLEs resident KarJenner experts  and the writer behind 9 out of 10 Kardashian-related posts that run on Snapchat in a given week  I spend what some might call an unhealthy amount of time staring at their perfectly made up faces, and thus, swooning over Achemyans work. So, when I was asked if I wanted to be a model for the last night of her ELEMENTS Master Course in Hoboken, New Jersey, I leapt at the chance of making my Kardashian-adjacent dreams come true.

After two long hours in the makeup chair (I clearly dont have the same kind of stamina for glam that celebrities do) and a chat with Achemyan herself, I can safely say that they all did. And I even picked up a few tips and tricks on the way:

1. Everything is about symmetry.

Heres a sentence you probably never thought youd read: There is math involved in getting the perfect glam look. The first thing I encourage everyone to do is measure the face, know the symmetry of a face, the mathematical equation of a face, before youre applying makeup, Achemyan said of the fundamental principle behind all of her looks.

Right after I sat down in the chair Christina Puzino, the student who I would be modeling for that evening, pulled out a ruler and measured my face in order to determine its shape (diamond, for the record.) A lot of people think that makeup is just a pastime, and its not, Achemyan said. I look at it as an art and youre basically challenged with a three-dimensional surface versus a flat one. I believe that what Im teaching these girls today, and Ill continue for the next year, it doesnt matter what you do as long as you make the person look beautiful and symmetrical.

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She explained that symmetry is the cornerstone of all of her ELEMENTS course, because what you need to know to execute any look, whether its a shimmery eye, a matte eye, whatever it is your heart desires, youll be able to do it as long as you understand the key factor of symmetry. So what Im trying to teach these girls is like, execution of symmetry more than anything else.

2. Take pictures as you go  especially if youre doing your makeup for a big occasion.

Even the best selfie lighting has a different effect than flash photography, and that, too is different than looking into a mirror to apply your makeup. But taking photos as you got helps you to figure out whats working in your look, and what isnt. To you, visually, something might look appealing in person, but when a photograph goes off on someones face, or a flash goes off, they look super sweaty, or too much, or their eyes look extremely raccoon-y, Achemyan said. Plus, its extra time to practice your smize.

3. The perfect contour needs three things: Shadow, light and warmth.

I feel like dont add the third factor in highlight and contouring, which is warmth, and what I really stress is that you need a color to blend in between the two, she explained as the secret to the perfect contour. So you cant just light highlight and contour for it to look super white and dark, you need to blend it in. A good rule of thumb when blending your contour into the skin? If I can see a line of whats giving you a bone structure, that looks like contour. I want you to look like youre naturally chiseled, she said.

4. And the perfect brow is all about feathering.I, like most people with access to a brow pencil and a YouTube tutorial, thought that I had gotten that whole filling in your brows thing down. But it turns out, I was doing it all wrong, as I learned when Achemyan stopped by my chair to check in on her students work. She had carefully, painstakingly filled in my brows, using a light hand and short, hair-like strokes the way weve all learned. But something wasnt quite right.

After blending away a little bit of the makeup on them, Achemyan added short strokes to the very front of my brows, getting heavier as she moved along towards the tail. Instantly, my whole face changed; my brows, which hadnt been groomed in a little bit too long, look effortlessly perfect, and Im not sure if everyone heard it, but there were definitely choirs of angels singing.

I feel like I see block eyebrows everywhere, like on Instagram, social media outlets, people fill in their eyebrows incorrectly. And its supposed to look natural, its supposed to look like actual hair, you know? Not like I filled it in with colors, Achemyan said afterwards. I love brow feathering, how it makes your brows look more natural.

5. Shes secretly just like us 

Before she was a world-famous makeup artist with 1.7 million Instagram followers, Achemyan could barely afford expensive products. So, she did what everyone who loves makeup does, and went to Sephora to thoroughly test things before she committed to buying them. I think should play around with products. Its so shady, but I used to go into Sephora and play around with the products to make sure that it what I could afford to buy. And then on top of that Id be like can I get a sample of this? Can I have a sample of that?' She also named Chapstick as her number one, ride of die product: I die without Chapstick, I need lip balm and Chapstick all the time.

However, she was also wearing an amazing, low-cut jumpsuit and sky-high heels to teach this class, so shes basically the super gorgeous, glamorous version of ourselves that we always dreamed we could be.

6. Find products that multi-task.

I feel like me as a makeup artist, when people look at my makeup bag, theyre like This is all you use? and Im like, Yeah, Ive just learned to deal with it. I hate breaking my back and carrying a million products and I always turn towards products that are used for multiple purposes, she revealed. And thats why  if you can get your hands on it  her Styled By Hrush palette for Tarte features a blush and shadows that can be used as highlighter, so that everything you need for your whole face can be carried around in one simple palette.

I was asked to do was to create a professional palette for the every day woman, and thats where my inspiration came from. Theyre all corrective colors and its a face palette. If you touch and play with the palette, each shadow has a different texture, so ones for blending and the others for packing on the lid, she said.

RELATED PHOTOS: True Life: I Got Glammed By Kylie Jenners Makeup Artist

7. If you have dry skin, you can use rosewater to help blend and make things look more flawless.

As I was getting my makeup done, I noticed that Christina would periodically spritz a beauty blender with a bottle of rosewater and use it to blend out my foundation a little bit more, and when she stopped by, Achemyan explained that it helped give the skin a more flawless finish, without the need for powder. Sure, its not necessarily the kind of thing that us mere mortals have lying around, but I can say from experience that my skin has never looked so perfect.

8. Cut creases arent meant to be worn on your coffee runs.When asked to name one makeup trend she was over, Achemyan didnt even hesitate before naming cut creases. I just think we should keep that for Halloween or photo shoots. Im tired of seeing people with really heavy cut creases. Like its beautiful, its artistic, but I dont want to see you walking down the street like in broad daylight, rocking out a cut crease on your eyes. It looks crazy. Like, you go to Starbucks, and everyone has a full beat on with a cut crease, youre like, Damn girl, what time do you wake up in the morning? Thats dedication to your face.

9. Mascara and lashes make the biggest difference.

And if your lashes arent making a big enough difference, feel free to build your own by adding individuals on top of a strip of false lashes. Oh, and for any other false lash-newbies out there, like myself (who never wore a pair before that day, despite all of the theater I did in high school), Christina revealed that curling your lashes after theyre in place and adding an extra coat of mascara will help lift them up, so theyre not blocking your vision.

10. Figure out what works best on your features.I think a lot of mistakes that a lot of people make  and I used to do the same thing  is I just applied the same method to every face, and thats incorrect. Each person is beautiful and individual in their own way, and you have to highlight each persons beauty, Achemyan said, as the overarching theme of the lessons she teaches. In other words: Kims contour might not work on you, and thats okay. You have to keep trying and experimenting to find a method and application that makes you look like your most glam self.

Thats my point, she said. Its just to make women look beautiful, not to make them look overdone, not to make them look like the makeup is wearing their face, for them to look like they are wearing the makeup.

Now, if youll excuse me, I need to go build a proper shrine to that glorious, glorious eyebrow, until I can figure out how to replicate it myself, every single day. (For the record, I named it Kylie, and it was the love of my life.)




Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at an IE Singapore event on 30 November 2016 (Photo: Mabel Tan/Yahoo Singapore)

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Wednesday (30 November) that she is cautiously optimistic about the countrys future as she outlined political and other obstacles hindering its progress at a conference in Singapore.

Speaking at an event organised by IE Singapore, Suu Kyi said the lack of political unity, high unemployment and over-dependency on natural resources to drive growth are among the biggest challenges facing Myanmar.

We do not want our country to become unstable but we have a long history of disunity within our nation. National reconciliation and peace are unavoidably important for us, said Myanmars State Counsellor.

While Suu Kyi did not specifically mention any political development, Myanmars government has come under heavy criticism in Asia and elsewhere for the violence and discrimination against the countrys Rohingya Muslims.

The unemployment situation in Myanmar could also be a threat to its stability with many graduates unable to find jobs, Suu Kyi said. As such, job creation is the most important part of Myanmars economic policy, she added.

Despite its potential in the past, Suu Kyi said Myanmar has lagged behind other Asian economies, referring to a comment made by Singapores first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew shortly after the city-states independence in 1965. Lee had hoped Singapore would catch up economically with Burma within 20 years, Suu Kyi noted.

I think we have to change that pitch and say that in 20 years time, Myanmar would have overtaken Singapore, said Suu Kyi.

In recent years, Myanmar has taken steps to promote economic development and open its market. Suu Kyi highlighted the business-friendly Myanmar Investment Law, which is expected to take effect in April 2017.

She gave the assurance to businesses looking to venture into Myanmar that their investments will be safe.

You will not be deprived of your businesses unjustly, unexpectedly. This is the assurance that businesses would like to have and we are happy to give that assurance.

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Given its highly developed economy, Singapore can contribute to Myanmars development by creating jobs and introducing technology, Suu Kyi said.

Prior to Suu Kyis speech, Singapores Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang spoke about the potential for bilateral economic cooperation in areas such as urban infrastructure, transport and logistics, and financial services.

Bilateral trade totaled S$3.5 billion in 2015 while Singapore was the second largest investor in Myanmar after China, with over US$13 billion worth of approved foreign direct investments as of September.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

AUD/USD seemed to be looking elsewhere as Chinese consumer confidence fell

The Aussie Dollar had already been hit by weak local building data

The Chinese numbers didnt stop it edging back up a little

The Australian Dollar often acts as a liquid and investable proxy for Chinas prospects, but seemed pre-occupied with its own affairs on Wednesday as Chinese consumer confidence wilted.

The China Consumer Sentiment Indicator for November from Australian Bank Westpac and research firm MNI hit its lowest point since August at 114.9. The result undercut Octobers 117.1 and ended a two-month run of gains. The survey said that consumers take on current conditions and future expectations were both hit in a broad-based decline.

Ordinarily this might have been bad news for the Australian Dollar, thanks to Australias strong commodity-export links with China. However, the Aussie had already been hit on Wednesday by a woeful set of local building-approval data, and the Chinese numbers failed to make matters any worse for the bulls.

Approvals slumped 12.6% in October. That was the largest fall since September, 2015 and came after a pretty awful 9.3% fall in September.

Those numbers had seen the AUD/USD pair fall from 0.7495 to 0.7477, but the Aussie staged a modest recovery from that level that the Chinese sentiment data did little to derail.

Already under pressure: AUD/USD

Aussie Dollar Focused on Housing As China Consumer Poll Slips

Chart compiled using TradingView

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from IG.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Austral Gold Limited (AGD.AX) is pleased to announce the results of the Company's Annual General Meeting held on 30 November 2016 in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 3.13.2 and Section 251AA(2) of the Corporations Act.

We advise that:

A summary of valid and eligible proxies received for the above meeting was as follows: The following ordinary resolutions were passed on a show of hands: Resolution 2 - Adoption of the Remuneration Report For the record, the show of hands and proxy position were in excess of 75% in favour of Resolution 2. Resolution 3 - Re-Election of Director - Mr Pablo Vergara Del Carril Resolution 4 - Re-Election of Director - Mr Robert Trzebski Resolution 5 - Ratification of Prior Issue of Shares to Argentex shareholders under ASX Listing Rule 7.1 The following special resolutions were passed on a show of hands: Resolution 6 - Approval of amendment of the Company's Constitution For the record, the show of hands and proxy position were in excess of 75% in favour of Resolution 6. Resolution 7 - Approval of 10% Capacity to Issue Equity Securities For the record, the show of hands and proxy position were in excess of 75% in favour of Resolution 7.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold Limited is a growing precious metals mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile and Argentina. The Company's flagship Guanaco project in Chile is a low-cost gold and silver producing mine with further exploration upside. The Company is also operator of the underground silver-gold Casposo mine in San Juan, Argentina. With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral Gold Limited is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: AGLD), and the Australian Securities Exchange (AGD.AX). For more information, please consult the company's website www.australgold.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Austral Gold Limited:

"Stabro Kasaneva"

President and CEO

Further information please contact:

Alison Crealy

info@australgold.com.au

+61 (2) 9380 7233

Mike Brown

Mike.brown@australgold.com

+1 604 568 2496 ext. 21

SOURCE: Austral Gold Limited
milton friedman

Over the past 40 years, the US government has done precious little to invest in the future.

Instead of spending money on education, our government has repeatedly chosen to cut taxes. Instead of investing in infrastructure, politicians have several times shut down the government over budget disputes.

Time and time again difficult decisions have been pushed off for later, and complicated social issues have been relegated to something that the unforgiving "invisible hand of the market" can fix.

It has all been to our detriment. And it is all our parents' fault.



The baby boomers who have controlled this country since the 1980s are a selfish, entitled generation. It is not your imagination, and it didn't come out of nowhere.

This is a short review of the ideas that made them that way.

But first, a note from economist John Maynard Keynes:

The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually slaves of some defunct economist."

Our man, Milton

And so it is in this case.

"The defunct economist in this case is Milton Friedman, who persuaded a generation that selfishness was the natural state of humanity and that selfishness ultimately would lead to the best possible society, when all the empirical data shows exactly the opposite: that people are capable of prosociality and that pro-social societies do better," Lynn Stout, a professor of economics at Cornell, told me in an interview.



Toward the end of the 1960s and in the early 1970s, Friedman was the champion of a school of thought in economics called neoclassical theory.

According to this theory, every human action is motivated by selfishness. As such, all humans can be motivated into doing anything as long as there is an economic incentive for it. In fact, no one does or should look out for the good of the collective  corporations should worry only for their shareholders and not for their workers or their customers, for example. Individuals should think only about their own bottom line. It's all that matters to them really, anyway  the me, here, and now.

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It took some work for this ideology to become mainstream, though, because Americans didn't always think this way.

From the 1920s to the 1960s, corporations were expected to take care of their workers and their communities. And citizens were encouraged to do the best for their country. Taxes were high, workers were well paid, the middle class was built, and America prospered.

historical marginal tax rate for low and high income earners

But there were stumbles, and Friedman and his ilk took advantage of a major one in the 1970s: When the US abandoned the gold standard and the price of oil exploded, neoclassical economists blamed regulation for the country's economic malaise.

Protections for workers were undone. Unions were busted. And serious politicians started to argue that cutting taxes for the rich would benefit everyone, as those cuts would encourage the wealthy to spend more money that would "trickle down" to the rest of the populace.

Former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller put the results of this ideology in a perfect paragraph back in 2012:

"In 1962, we were laying down the foundations of prosperity. About 32 cents of every federal dollar, excluding interest payments, was spent on investments, only 14 percent on entitlements. In the mid-70s the lines crossed. Today we spend less than 15 cents on investment and 46 cents on entitlements. And it gets worse. By 2030, when the last of us boomers have surged onto the Social Security rolls, entitlements will consume 61 cents of every federal dollar, starving our already neglected investment and leaving us, in the words of the study, with 'a less-skilled work force, lower rates of job creation, and an infrastructure unfit for a 21st-century economy.'"

Neoclassical economic theory is behind all of this. It was behind the draconian budget cuts of the Reagan administration that also came with tax cuts for the wealthy. It was behind the Bush tax cuts, too. It was also behind Clinton-era banking deregulation, namely the end of the Glass-Steagall Act, which sowed the seeds of the financial crisis. It is behind the growing wealth gap that has dragged our country down  politically and economically  for decades.

"The neoclassical theory of everyone acting selfishly does not get you to peace and prosperity," Stout told me over the phone. "The way societies prosper is by cultivating conscience."

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

'Ask not what your country can do for you ...'

That, of course, prompts the question: What is the American conscience?

Neoclassical economics was developed, in large part, as a counter to communism. We are not communists. We are capitalists; the question is how we want to bring that to bear on society. Do we do it with violence, allowing the market to rip at the fabric that holds communities together  families, schools, shelter, health?

Or do we do it generously, so that future generations can trust that their country will remain intact?

There is a very American way to engage in capitalism that also ensures that corporations take care of their workers and that the government takes care of its citizens. It's called "future preference," and Bill Clinton referred to it in his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in July 1992:

"America was the greatest nation in history because our people had always believed in two things  that tomorrow can be better than today and that every one of us has a personal moral responsibility to make it so ...

"Of all the things that George Bush has ever said that I disagree with, perhaps the thing that bothers me most is how he derides and degrades the American tradition of seeing and seeking a better future. He mocks it as the 'vision thing.'"

It was the lack of a "vision thing" that made George H.W. Bush promise that he would not raise taxes when he ran for president in 1988. Of course, he eventually did. Our economy demanded it, and Bush was ultimately a pragmatist, not an ideologue.

Unfortunately, now the ideologues are fully in charge of Washington. Donald Trump, a baby boomer who has bragged about not paying taxes, is at the head of the government. He has surrounded himself with economic advisers who will again cut taxes for the rich. He wants to appoint an education secretary who does not believe in making all public schools vibrant and competitive but believes in allowing the market to dictate which schools should and should not survive (an abdication of our responsibility for the future in its purest form).

What you will get from this, of course, are policies firmly rooted in selfishness.

US Inequality Chart

And now, my friends, we are in danger

Stout called today's neoclassical economists "a generation of intellectual slaves."

I call them the people who brainwashed House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Over the next few months, Ryan will attempt to dismantle Obamacare and privatize Medicare. His plan to replace it involves just giving seniors a $20,000 voucher to pay for healthcare. Of course, for many of our society's most vulnerable, that won't be enough. And who knows whether they will have insurance coverage to help them. The private sector does not prioritize the needs of our country's most helpless.

So why do people think we should leave them to the unyielding hand of the market?

Neoclassical economists believe that the private sector does things better because the incentives are more selfish. S0 why not let the private sector handle everything  even the most vital of human needs?

Here's why: The incentive theory doesn't really work when the people being served are not also the people paying for the service. This is the case in education (taxpayers pay, but students learn). This is the case with healthcare (insurers pay the bulk, but patients decide when to see a doctor).

In a selfish system, ultimately the payer's needs supersede everything else. We've seen this play out brutally in the case of incarceration. For-profit prisons have been such horror that the Justice Department decided to phase them out.

For-profit colleges have also been a disaster; last year the Department of Defense said it would no longer allow service members to use its funds to attend the University of Phoenix, the country's largest for-profit college owned by the Apollo Education Group.

A Trump administration is expected to reverse several decisions such as these.

"All of our social cues are telling us to be selfish right now," Stout said. Baby boomers love this, because it means they do not have to consider the needs of others or sacrifice for anyone outside their immediate networks.

"And of course, very rich plutocrats support this because it allows them to continue being very rich plutocrats," she continued.

There is hope, though.



Millennials, a generation even larger than their parents, have grown up watching this selfishness in action. They watched how the recklessness of the housing boom and bust wreaked havoc on our society and forced them to reach adulthood in a world in which opportunity is shrinking. They do not benefit from the selfishness of their parents.

And hopefully they will not emulate it either.

NOW WATCH: Richard Branson: Entrepreneurs need to fill the gap where government is lacking





More From Business Insider
By Mushfique Wadud KURIGRAM, Bangladesh (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Bangladeshi teacher Monjurul Islam was talking to his class of 10-year-olds about how the planet is heating up, when Mosammat Ferdousi stood up and asked: We are experiencing heavy floods in the last few years - is this linked to climate change? Islam told his pupils climate change might be a reason, adding scientists believe the countrys increasingly frequent floods and lightning strikes could be linked to global warming. Most of my students know about climate change, its impacts and what they should do, said Islam, head teacher at Char Bazra Uttarpara Primary School in Bozra village, in the northern district of Kurigram. Ferdousi said she and her classmates had learned we need to plant lots of trees to combat climate change. Their school is near the Teesta River, and during the monsoon season which lasts from June to December, it goes under water. River bank erosion is also a big problem here, and teachers fear their school might disappear into the river some day. Every year, hundreds of schools in Kurigram district are inundated. In August, around 250 primary schools were closed for more than two weeks due to flooding. During monsoon, we need to shift the school to nearby high land, Islam said. As this is a flood-prone area, we also teach students what to do during a flood, he added. IN THE SYLLABUS In Bangladesh, both the government and aid groups are working in schools to educate students about disasters and climate change. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board has included climate change and disasters in the school syllabus since 2013. There are chapters on climate change and disasters in the books used by children aged between 10 and 15, in classes five to 10. In addition, some humanitarian agencies run disaster management programs in schools. International charity Save the Children, for example, is leading such a project in three disaster-prone areas, funded by the European Commission and assisted by local NGO Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service. It is being implemented in 50 schools covering some 4,600 pupils, including Char Bazra Uttarpara Primary. Students and their guardians are very enthusiastic about learning disaster management as they benefit from it in any major disaster, said project technical officer K.M. Alamgir Hossen. Every year, thousands of Bangladeshi schools are affected by floods. This August alone, more than 1,000 primary schools were flooded in northern and central regions of the low-lying nation. At Char Bazra Uttarpara Primary School, Class Three teacher Khadiza Begum has taught her students what to do when flooding hits. She asked them if they would drink floodwater. No, Madam, the whole class chanted. Flood water can cause diarrhea, one student replied. Many posters in the school give practical instructions on how to act during floods, in the local language, including advice to stay away from electricity poles, find a safe place to go in advance, and store books up high. Islam told the Thomson Reuters Foundation the school also conducts drills, where teachers show students how to perform first aid on those injured in floods or earthquakes. COMMUNITY BENEFIT Class Five student Tanjila Akhter said children pass on the information to their parents and neighbors. Most of my neighbors think I know a lot about floods and other such things, as they get benefit from me, she said. Amina Begum, 35, whose daughter studies at the school, said she had learned a lot from her child. We experience floods every year. In the past, we did not have a plan for floods beforehand, but after my daughter told me we should have one, now we work out earlier where we will take shelter during floods, and how to take care of our essential possessions and livestock, she said. Our loss due to floods is insignificant compared to previous years, she added. Jahangir Alam, a community leader and member of the school management committee, said the whole village is gaining from the schools disaster management program. Children are change agents. When they tell their parents about what they have to do during a flood, their parents pay heed to the warnings, he said. (Reporting by Mushfique Wadud; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
By Huw Jones

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - An outline deal on how much capital banks must hold to avoid a repeat of the financial crisis has taken shape, a top regulator said on Wednesday, despite the failure of negotiators at a two-day meeting to reach agreement on global standards.

The European Union had threatened to boycott the proposed rules unless they are diluted and agreeing a deal is seen as a litmus test for a global post-crisis regulatory consensus.

This is showing signs of fraying after a welter of rulemaking, but Stefan Ingves, chairman of the Basel Committee of banking regulators from nearly 30 countries, said "very good" progress was made on an outline deal during a meeting in Chile, which ended on Tuesday.

Basel has set itself an end-of-year deadline for a deal on measures which have been challenged by the EU and Japan who say that the proposed rules would bump up capital requirements too much and risk disturbing the flow of credit to the economy.

Meanwhile, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has said he will scrap Dodd Frank, America's main reform of Wall Street, which includes many globally-written rules.

Basel's original proposals unleashed a major lobbying campaign by banks, later backed by European policymakers and the meeting in Chile failed to reach a final deal.

That means the pressure is now on to iron out differences in time for Basel's oversight body of central bank governors and heads of supervision (GHOS) to endorse a package in January.

The aim of the package is to end wide differences in how much capital banks across the world set aside to cover similar risks. This would be done by curbing flexibility in computer models big banks use to tot up risks on their books.

SLOW TRAIN COMING

A controversial part of the package is an "output floor" for capital, below which a bank could not go, irrespective of what their models say is the right amount.

"I expect an aggregate floor will be part of our package of reforms," Ingves said in speech delivered in Chile on Wednesday.

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But the final configuration of the floor is, however, subject to the endorsement of GHOS - an indication of how the most controversial parts of the package will need to be brokered by the committee's political masters.

Ingves said that at a "high level" the package, which completes a post-financial crisis bank capital reform known as Basel III, includes all the main elements Basel had proposed - a sign that no key element has been completely ditched so far.

But changes are being made to all the main elements.

The package will include a revised "standardised" approach for banks to assess risks from loans, which will be "neutral" in terms of its impact on capital requirements, Ingves said.

The use of internal models by big banks will be "largely" retained - reassurance for European banks, where many are in use. And a revised method of measuring operational risks like fines for misconduct, will replace existing methods.

"It is important to note that a lengthy implementation and phase-in period is likely to be part of this package," said Ingves, who is also governor of Sweden's central bank.

World leaders and GHOS, chaired by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, have agreed that the package of rules should not significantly increase the amount of capital in the overall banking system.

"I am confident that the changes that the committee has agreed move in that direction," Ingves said.

Central bankers say the changes will help reduce investor scepticism in the capital ratios banks publish and thereby help improve their market valuations.

(Editing by Alexander Smith)
Two killed in separate road accidents

A pedestrian was killed on Tuesday at Shambunath Municipality  3, Saptari along the East-West Highway after getting rammed by a bus.
Santiago (AFP) - World banking supervisors said Wednesday they were closing in on finalizing controversial new regulations to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.

The Basel Committee, a forum of international financial authorities, held a meeting in Chile with regulators to set new global norms for banking stability.

"The committee has spent the past two days working towards an agreement to finalize these post-crisis reforms," chairman Stefan Ingves told the gathering in Santiago.

"We have made very good progress and the contours of an agreement are now clear."

The committee plans to oblige banks to strengthen their capital base to cushion them against financial shocks.

Ingves said he hoped the members of the forum would approve the new regulations, known as the "Basel III" reforms, in January.

"There will no doubt be increases and decreases in operational risk capital requirements for certain banks," Ingves said.

The reforms also aim to impose special obligations to regulate the debt ratio or "leverage" of "global systemically important banks," he said.

Disagreements have threatened to complicate the reforms.

The United States has been pushing for strict capital requirements.

European governments, regulators and finance groups fear stringent capital requirements will hobble their banks and economies.

Meanwhile US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate the landmark Dodd-Frank financial reform law adopted in the post-crisis era.

German central bank board member Andreas Dombret said this month he hoped Trump would not derail the Basel reforms.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney said he expected "a handful of institutions" would be obliged to increase their capital base.

"But for the system as a whole it will be relatively modest," he told a news conference in London on Wednesday.
When Jose Galindo, a banker in San Francisco, turned 30 years old, he began reassessing his career by reflecting on his childhood.

While he was growing up in Colombia, his parents couldn't afford to provide him with an allowance. So he came up with some inventive solutions to make money. He sold hundreds of homemade brownies and started a small business offering origami paper stars at school.

Later, he helped his parents manage their own finances. Even though they were well-educated, he realized, they were struggling. And they were not alone.

According to a 2015 National Financial Capability Study, only 30 percent of Hispanics demonstrate a basic level of financial literacy. What surprised Galindo even more was that when he searched online for a term like "tarjetas de credito," or "credit cards," looking for self-help material in his native language, the results were seldom useful.

Though U.S. Hispanics command huge purchasing power  $1.5 trillion in 2015, according to Nielsen  Galindo believes they continue to be an under-served population.

"That's when I realized I could combine technology and finance and my own background to empower the community," he says.

At 35, Galindo has traded in Wall Street for a project closer to home called MoneyMio.com, a personal finance website with free, culturally relevant content aimed at Spanish- and English-speaking audiences. He compares it to the likes of NerdWallet or Credit Karma.

The site makes money off advertising while offering comparison tools for consumers and resources to better understand how financial services work. Galindo says he could soon be searching for investors, too.

The entrepreneur is not the only one concerned about Latinos' financial literacy rates and the economic obstacles they face.

Annamaria Lusardi, professor of economics at George Washington University, who worked on the NFC Survey in 2015, suggests that some in the financial sector might consider learning Spanish, or at least utilizing bilingual materials, in order to better communicate with these populations.

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College-educated Hispanics and Latinos, Lusardi says, is the group she's paying the most attention to moving forward. The U.S. Hispanic population reached 57 million in 2015, as per the Pew Research Center, and by some projections, it could reach 106 million by 2050. But even among this group, the numbers look bleak. A 2015 NFC survey found only 14 percent of college-education Hispanics or Latinos displayed advanced financial literacy. They trailed eight percentage points behind their Caucasian counterparts.

The college-educated population is one of the core groups that Galindo hopes to target with his site. Among the issues MoneyMio will cover are the best financial options for a Latino college student, how to manage parents' finances and the best way to send money to an individual's country of origin.

To the entrepreneur, what's key to helping Latinos understand their finances is creating awareness and content tailored to them.

"We are trying to fill a gap that exists out there," he said. "It's the opportunity to do something that is not only financially viable but [that] could help a lot of people."





More From CNBC


In a special bulletin on Monday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) cautioned financial companies about creating incentives programs for employees and service providers to meet aggressive internal sales goals. According to CFPB, such goals can lead to the employees taking illegal steps, ultimately affecting customers.



Notably, the U.S. lender  Wells Fargo & Company WFC with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) was fined a combined $190 million by the California and federal regulators, including CFPB in Sep 2016, for illegally opening millions of unauthorized accounts to meet aggressive internal sales goals. The San Francisco-based bank was directed to pay $100 million to the CFPB, the largest in the agencys history, given the severity of the violations. Further, the bank will pay $35 million to the Office of Comptroller of the Currency and $50 million to the City and County of Los Angeles. In addition, the amount included $5 million in customer remediation.



Tying bonuses and job security to business goals that are unrealistic or not properly monitored can lead to illegal practices like unauthorized account openings and deceptive sales tactics, said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. The CFPB is warning companies to make sure that their incentives operate to reward quality customer service, not fraud and abuse, he further added.



Employees and service providers could violate consumer financial law even through misrepresentation of benefits of the products offered to the clients, openings accounts without their consent, and steering them toward less favorable terms.



Therefore, CFPB has directed banks to take some steps to make their compliance management systems strong, in order to prevent and detect any violation of law.



No particular directive is prepared by CFPB for compliance management. However, for the effective avoidance of scandals, it directed banks to employ more members from their board of directors and top management for keeping an eye on services. Further, policies and procedures of working should be strong and employees should be completely trained, and be well conversant with the risks involved.



Further, CFPB demands compliance monitoring of key metrics including product penetration rates, employee turnover and financial incentive payouts.



Regulatory authorities are thoroughly investigating issues related to the increasing occurrence of scandals related to business operations and are determined to propose a landmark judgment to terminate such practices and bring justice to the wronged.



Stocks to Consider



The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation BK has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the last 60 days. So far this year, the companys share price has been up more than 17.7%.



Comerica Incorporated CMA has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the last 60 days. Further, the stock has surged over 49.0% so far this year.



Fifth Third Bancorp FITB has been recording upward estimate revisions for the last 60 days. Also, the companys shares have risen nearly 29.9% so far this year.



Notably, the above mentioned stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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A Lammily doll in a prototype of the new wheelchair toy. (Photo: Nickolay Lamm)

The creator of Barbie-like dolls with realistic proportions  as well as such extras as stick-on moles, acne and tattoos  is now aiming to add another unique accessory to its list: wheelchairs.

What if a wheelchair  was as commonplace as a dress in the doll aisle? How would it affect an entire generations mentality? What would it mean to a child in a wheelchair to see this encouraging, positive imagery tied to physical disability [while] growing up?

These were all questions that Nickolay Lamm, creator of the Lammily dolls, asked himself when thinking about how to expand his offerings recently. He explained his thought process on a Kickstarter that launched on Wednesday in an aim to make the mini-wheelchairs a reality. What if encouraging childrens differences could help reinforce the idea that what sets us apart from each other is what makes us unique, and beautiful and cool? he said.

Lamm, an artist, has found success in this type of venue before, as he crowdfunded Lammily  an anti-Barbie doll with proportions based on the measurements of an average 19-year-old American woman  in 2014, long before Mattel released its own new line of realistically size Barbies. His real Barbies project went viral, and he returned to the idea earlier this year by adding a boy doll to his lineup.

Kids at Ayita Wheelchair Dance tested the new toy. (Photo: Nickolay Lamm)

To me, toys are like a diorama of life, Lamm tells Yahoo Beauty. If kids can see diversity in their toys, I feel they can see diversity in others, and accept and love them for who they are.

Now his sights are set on wheelchairs, which appear to have last been on the market when Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky in 1996; the doll was discontinued sometime after for unknown reasons (Mattel did not immediately respond to a query from Yahoo Beauty about the doll).

Barbies and other similar-size dolls can use the new wheelchair. (Photo: Nickolay Lamm)

But according to Lamms Kickstarter, the information on why its not available is sparse  theres an unconfirmed report asserting that the toy wheelchair could not fit into the fashion dolls house. My gut feeling tells me that toy manufacturers need to see market demand for a fashion doll toy wheelchair in order to bring it back to market. So I thought, if we could prove the toy industry wrong with the first Lammily doll, we can do it again with an amazing wheelchair toy. He set out to design a prototype wheelchair with the capacity to fit most fashion dolls, including Barbie, Disney Princess, Monster High and, of course, Lammily.

Story continues

To research such a toys potential impact, Lamm visited Sami Wimberly in Dallas, who runs Ayita Wheelchair Dance, which provides dance lessons to children who use wheelchairs. Wimberly told Lamm that shed never seen a wheelchair for Barbie dolls, and mentioned that the wheelchairs made for American Girl dolls come with casts included, reflecting the assumption that wheelchair users are hurt or defective in some way, Lamm noted on his Kickstarter page. The big moment of truth for this little chair came as Sami presented the wheelchair to her students.

Photo: Nickolay Lamm

The kids absolutely LOVED playing with this wheelchair! Lamm wrote. Seeing this positive reaction from the children for myself, seeing them rejoice at this new accessible alternative for their dolls for the very first time  Its a moment Ill keep with me for the rest of my life, like many Ive experienced along my journey with Lammily.

Lamm also met with Ksenia Gonchar, head of the Big Dreams Childrens Foundation, which provides prosthetics and other adaptive equipment to orphaned children around the globe. And theyll get a boost from the wheelchair sales that, once they are off Kickstarter and available for retail sale, will have 5 percent of proceeds set aside for donation to both Big Dreams and Ayita Wheelchair Dance. Ive seen how we can use crowdfunding to single-handedly start a movement, Lamm noted on his fundraising page. Now Im asking for your support again so that we can bring back the wheelchair to life.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
30 Nov - An actor named Ping Medina has blasted controversial star Baron Geisler recently, for making an acting decision that was both unprofessional and abhorring.



As reported on Rappler, Medina recently shared online that he was shooting Arlyn dela Cruz's new movie, "Bubog", with Geisler  playing the role of an informant who was supposed to be killed by Geisler's character.



Medina stated that the script calls for Geisler to remove the tape from Medina's mouth, hear him beg for his life, and then leave him for his henchmen to kill.



However, right before the take, Geisler told Medina that he wanted to do something to him with the hopes that Medina would not be angry at him. Instead of following the script, Geisler opened his zipper and peed on him.



"My shirt was wet, it ran onto my mouth. It's a good thing that the tape covered my mouth," he said.



Medina also warned other actors and filmmakers to make sure if Baron Geisler is in the movie before saying yes to the project.



Meanwhile, director dela Cruz has also released an open statement to Geisler regarding the issue, saying, "What you did on the set, for the film "Bubog" is unacceptable and cannot be justified by any claim of being in character because I repeatedly explained to you and was clearly written on the script where your character is coming from and how I wanted it to be tackled, stressing that the idea is, power is felt, not expressed. To show true might, in subdued silence and suppressed emotions."



"Ping Medina does not deserve what you did. No actor deserves that. No person deserves that. You told Ping you are ready to face the consequences of your action. Be ready to face it. Because you cannot get away with everything that you do, all the time. To my fellow filmmakers, you may think you need Baron in your movies. But you don't, you really don't," she added.



Meanwhile, Liza Dino, the Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), took to Facebook to slam Baron, saying that what he did was worse than animal.



"We may not have guilds here who can really protect the welfare of our film workers but I will make sure this will never happen again to any actor," she added.



(Photo source: instagram.com/barongeisler)
By Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - When Gina Miller took the British government to court over triggering Brexit, she didn't expect death threats or the need to bring in security so that her children could get to school safely. A successful London investment manager, Miller was assigned by a judge to be the lead claimant in a court case brought by members of the public, which challenged Prime Minister Theresa May's authority to start talks to pull Britain out of the European Union without first asking parliament. Since a panel of three High Court judges ruled in her favor last month, she has received relentless racist and sexist intimidation, including e-mails warning she would be gang raped and calling for her to be run down on the street. The government has appealed the case, which goes before Britain's Supreme Court next week. Miller, 51, has reported the threats to the police who she said were likely to speak to or arrest five people any day. She has spent 60,000 pounds for her own protection including dealing with attacks on the website of her business. The experience of what she describes as a "poisoned chalice" legal challenge has revealed how divided Britain has become since the EU referendum campaign in which one lawmaker, Jo Cox, was killed on the street by a Nazi-obsessed loner. "This division was always there but Brexit perhaps has been irresponsible: Those who were talking about leaving in particular have emboldened people to think such behavior is acceptable," Miller told Reuters at a temporary office which she has leased for security reasons. "It's revealed a side to society which is extremely worrying." She was born in what was then Britain's South American colony British Guiana, now the independent state Guyana, and sent to school in Britain by her parents. A selection of the threatening emails she has received, which she showed to Reuters, was littered with racist slurs as well as sexist obscenities. "The levels of sexual and racial violence have been quite extraordinary, to the level that because I'm a 'colored woman' I don't have any place outside of a kitchen." Some of the hatred, she says, arises from right wing media focusing on her biography to discredit her. Britain's most widely-read newspaper, The Sun, called her a "foreign-born millionaire", an epithet that, she notes, the paper doesn't use to describe its own Australian owner Rupert Murdoch, or Britain's New York-born foreign secretary. "You don't see Boris Johnson described as 'foreign-born'," she said. "I am British. I went to a British school, I pay British taxes and my children are British." "BORN FIGHTER" The Brexit campaign is not her first foray into public policy. Previously, Miller, who founded investment manager SCM Private with her hedge fund manger husband Alan, advocated for more transparency around fund management fees and financial product charges. That galled some asset managers in London, but produced nothing like the anger of Brexit. While supporters feted Miller for her legal action against the government, opponents have cast her as a wealthy pawn of an establishment which wants to soften or slow Brexit in defiance of the wishes of the people. In the June 23 referendum, 51.9 percent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while 48.1 percent, or 16.1 million people, voted to stay. If Miller's victory is upheld in the Supreme Court, the government would be forced to accept a vote in parliament over starting the formal EU divorce talks which are triggered by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. That could delay Brexit and increase scrutiny of May's negotiation. Miller, who describes herself as a "born fighter" and "a failed lawyer", felt physically sick when she heard the referendum result, but says her goal is not to block Britain's exit from the European Union. [nL8N1A70S7] She says prime ministers should not be allowed to undermine 400 years of parliamentary sovereignty. She also dismisses the idea that she is a representative of an out of touch elite. "My principles have been exactly the same from when I slept three weeks in a car because I had no money, to being a single parent doing four jobs to pay for myself through university, having no food, I have had both extremes," she said. "What is wrong with me now using my money that I have worked very, very hard for to do what I think is right?" said Miller. She is being represented by London law firm Mishcon de Reya, which agreed not to charge legal fees. The case was brought on behalf of a group of campaigners but Miller became its face when she was assigned the role of lead claimant by one of Britain's top judges. The second named claimant is Deir Tozetti Dos Santos, a Brazil-born hairdresser. Both are British citizens. [nL8N1DT1Y4] Before the High Court hearing, May suggested that people bringing such cases were attempting to subvert democracy. After three of England's top judges ruled against the government at the High Court, the Daily Mail newspaper cast the bewigged justices as out of touch "enemies of the people". Since the High Court ruling, May has said she values the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of the press. But critics have faulted the government for failing to defend the judges more vociferously. Miller said Britain's political leaders, including in the opposition Labour Party, were too afraid to confront the emotion unleashed by the referendum. "They're being silent because everything to do with Brexit is so emotionally charged that they're hiding and they're quite happy for me to take the blame and be in the headlines and take the threats while they sit around and figure out what they do." Even more anger will be unleashed if Brexit turns out not to improve the lives of those who supported it, she added. "You've woken up an element in society and promised them their lives are going to get better. And when their lives don't get better they are going to be even more angry than they are now," she said. "The politicians are setting themselves up for a really, really dangerous future." The Brexit case is based on legal arguments about Britain's constitution that go back centuries. The government argued that it could invoke Article 50 without lawmakers' approval using "royal prerogative", the power of ministers to act on behalf of the monarch, especially when making or withdrawing from foreign treaties. Miller's lawyers argued that quitting the EU would deprive people of rights, which is prohibited without parliament's approval under 17th century court rulings and the 1688 Bill of Rights. The High Court agreed. The BBC has reported that the government has prepared a brief bill of just three lines to send to parliament, in case the Supreme Court upholds the ruling. Miller said that she would want to see a full and properly drafted act. "There needs to be more than two paragraphs, it needs to be a properly drafted act," Miller said. "If you are going to take away people's rights, inevitably by triggering Article 50, there has to be a discussion about the direction of travel." The Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the appeal, has added another constitutional wrinkle to the case: it will allow lawyers for Scotland to argue that the Scottish legislature should also have a say before Brexit. "They're allowing quite a number of cans of worms to be opened by doing this appeal," said Miller. "Here we are with Brexit -- leaving -- and we have not answered the fundamental questions." (Editing by Peter Graff)
By J.R. Wu ITU ABA, South China Sea (Reuters) - Taiwan held rescue drills on Tuesday off the coast of its sole outpost in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, but the biggest claimant in the disputed waters kept uncharacteristically quiet. China and self-governed Taiwan seldom see eye to eye, but in responding to Taipei's latest assertion of sovereignty over Itu Aba, Beijing has avoided the harsh language it often directs at other claimants to the busy waterway. China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts or all of the energy-rich South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually. Taiwan and China both suffered setbacks to their claims in July, when an international tribunal ruled that China's historic boundary, the so-called nine-dash line, was invalid, and said Itu Aba was a rock, rather than a self-sustaining island entitled to a 200-km economic zone. Experts say Beijing is largely content for Taipei to push its claims on Itu Aba, the largest natural feature in the Spratlys, because China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, to be taken back by force one day, if necessary. So, while Chinese ships have confronted Malaysian, Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the area, Taiwan's regular journeys to and from the lonely outcrop have gone unimpeded. "Our supply transports have never encountered Chinese interference," Lee Chung-wei, minister of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, told reporters visiting Itu Aba for the rescue drills. In the exercises, coast guard vessels and navy helicopters practised how to retrieve injured crewmen from a burning ship and transport them to Itu Aba's small port and hospital. PROTECTING SOVEREIGNTY Vietnam, which also claims Itu Aba, objected to the exercises, saying they violated its sovereignty and threatened peace and stability in the region, the Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday. Asked about the drills on Itu Aba, and whether Taiwan had an obligation to respect Chinese sovereignty there, China's foreign ministry underscored its desire for a unified approach. "The Nansha Islands, including Taiping Island, are inseparable parts of China," spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing in Beijing, using China's terms for the Spratlys and Itu Aba. "Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have an obligation to jointly protect this ancestral property." China's Taiwan Affairs Office added that it would be paying "close attention" to what Taiwan did related to Itu Aba. It did not elaborate. Drills such as Tuesday's show Taiwan's determination to become an important player, said Ian Storey, a South China Sea scholar at Singapores ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, adding that Taiwan officials and experts had told him of frustration at being diplomatically marginalized in the South China Sea. Taiwan treads a fine line between annoying friendly Southeast Asian neighbors and the United States, its sole political ally and arms supplier, by being a proxy for Chinas sovereign interests, despite the risk of angering Beijing, he added. "It is a tricky position that means they are broadly supportive of Beijing," Storey said. "They want to be seen as pushing their own Chinese claims, rather than Beijing's, even though they are essentially the same." Taiwan officials say President Tsai Ing-wen kicked off plans for the drills in July, a month after Beijing cut official communication channels because Tsai, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), refuses to commit to the "one China" principle that Taiwan is part of the mainland. To maintain ties, Tsai must continue arguing that Itu Aba is an island, not a rock, and is not to be used by military forces of other nations, said Wu Shicun, head of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. "Doing so would likely mean that they would threaten Chinas sovereignty in the South China Sea," said Chinese government adviser Wu. "If she steps over these red lines, I believe China will take responsive action." (Additional reporting by Christian Shepherd and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, Greg Torode in HONG KONG, Mai Nguyen in HANOI; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
UML youth wings protest amendment proposal

CPN (UML) youth wings All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) and Youth Association of Nepal (YAN) organised a protest programme in New Baneshwor on Wednesday against the amendment proposal registered at the parliament.
Brussels (AFP) - Belgian police arrested six people on Wednesday in connection with an August machete attack on two policewomen that was claimed by the Islamic State group.

The federal prosecutor's office said they were detained following raids on eight homes in the Charleroi area south of the capital Brussels, with police seizing several bladed weapons, some of them similar to the one used in the attack.

A judge will decide whether to release or detain the suspects further as part of a terror investigation, a statement said.

During the August 6 incident, a machete-wielding man assaulted the two women outside the main police station in Charleroi before being shot dead by a third officer.

He was identified as an Algerian living illegally in Belgium.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said one of the group's "soldiers" carried out the attack "in response to calls to target citizens" of countries involved in the US-led coalition bombing jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

Belgian prosecutors have said the man, identified only as K.B., "had a criminal record but was not known for terrorism."

Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers struck Brussels airport and a metro station near the European Union headquarters on March 22, killing 32 people.

Those attacks were claimed by IS, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria and has claimed numerous terror strikes in Europe over the last year, including attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead.
Gotham stars Ben McKenzie, 38, and Morena Baccarin, 27, are finally engaged!

The two, who play Detective Jim Gordon and Dr. Leslie Lee Thompkins in the Fox show, decided to take their relationship to the next level after welcoming their first daughter, Francez Laiz Setta Schenkkan, in March. A source dished on their engagement, telling Us Weekly on Tuesday, They are very happily engaged.

Baccarin showed off her engagement diamond ring at the 2016 Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York City on Monday, according to E! News. While the couple did not say anything about their engagement, they did gush about their 8-month-old daughter, who is nicknamed Frankie.

She's about to crawl. We're dreading that, McKenzie jokingly said. But she's great, and it's wonderful to have family around and celebrate the holidays together.

This will be McKenzies first marriage and Baccarins second. The actress was previously married to Austin Chick, but they parted ways in 2015. They have a 3-year-old son together named Julius Chick.

Just recently, Baccarin had an argument with her ex husband when she asked for his permission to take Julius to Brazil in order to see her dying grandmother. However, Chick refused after new information regarding the dreaded Zika virus surfaced. According to TMZ, Chick was worried about the long-term risks for kids who contract the virus.

For her part, Baccarin is not worried about the virus and even said that Julius pediatrician agreed with her that Zika is not a concern for Julius.

At the same time, Baccarin accused Chick of lying about Brazils health safety concerns. When their family traveled there before the divorce, Baccarin said that Chick never had any complaints. She has now sought the courts help in allowing her son to travel there with McKenzie and their infant daughter.

Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin

Photo: Reuters/Mark Kauzlarich

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Berlin (AFP) - The German government Wednesday denied security flaws at its domestic spy service after an agent was unmasked as a suspected Islamist and media labelled him a former gay porn actor.

The interior ministry rejected calls for a procedural overhaul at Germany's internal security watchdog, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), where the 51-year-old had worked.

"We currently have no indication that there are fundamental structural problems," said a ministry spokesman, noting that the BfV itself had helped expose what he called an isolated case.

"Based on the facts we have, it is too soon to make specific recommendations for action that might arise from this case."

The agency said Tuesday that the unidentified German national, who had converted to Islam in 2014, had "made Islamist remarks online under a false name, and had offered internal information during online chats" about the service.

The suspect, reportedly of Spanish origin, was caught and arrested on November 17 because his chat partner was also an employee of the domestic intelligence service.

There was no immediate suggestion that the suspect had ties to the radical Islamic State group.

Prosecutors are readying a case alleging he was "preparing a serious act threatening state security". They said the suspect had already made a partial confession.

Germany's top-selling Bild daily said investigators who searched the suspect's home had uncovered gay pornographic videos in which the man featured as an actor.

Although the films were of no relevance to the case, Bild said they painted a picture of the unusual life of the suspect, who is married with children.

A BfV spokeswoman told AFP that she could not confirm media reports that he had been plotting an attack, saying there was no "evidence of a real danger to the office or its workers".

The suspect was employed at a bank and had, since April, also been working for the agency gathering intelligence on the radical Islamist scene in Germany.

Germany has so far been spared the kind of large-scale jihadist atrocities that have hit Paris and Brussels, although individuals have carried out attacks and others have been prevented.
Conan O'Brien asked Bernie Sanders to weigh in on Donald Trump's latest tweets and the senator answered honestly about his concerns for the country.

When asked about Trump's unfounded claim posted to his Twitter account that "millions of people" voted illegally in the election, Sanders said the tweet was "delusional."

"It's totally insane," said Sanders on Tuesday's Conan. "Nobody believes that who studies elections or election patterns." He said what is really frightening is Trump's message behind his tweet. "When he says that, he's really sending a signal to Republicans all over the country, Republican leaders. What he's saying is: We've got to suppress the vote. We have got to make it harder for poor people, people of color, immigrants, elderly people, to participate because they may be voting against us. And that's scary stuff."

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

"My own view is we have got to work overtime to bring more people into the political process, not make it harder for people to participate," added the Vermont senator. When O'Brien brought up Trump's controversial tweet about criminalizing the burning of the American flag - a right the Supreme Court ruled was protected under the First Amendment - Sanders said Trump should be focusing on more important matters like climate change. He says Trump's tweet contains a "hidden message" to people.

"What he is really saying is: If you really want to dissent, be careful. It's not just the American flag here, we're watching you. That's what's scary about that," said Sanders. He added, "I worry about the future of this country," saying he's concerned that Trump won an election using bigotry as the cornerstone of his campaign.

Story continues

Sanders said he wishes he had had the opportunity to go up against Trump in the general election, and also said the media focused on the wrong things during Trump's campaign.

"What the media loved was the fact that Trump would say one absurd thing after another, ugly things about people we have never heard before from a presidential candidate. That was great TV," said Sanders. "The American people have got to demand that media talk about the issues that impact our lives."

On Wednesday morning, Sanders took to Twitter himself to share a video of his clips from the show with the caption: "Donald Trump's claims are insane and delusional. But not only that, they are also scary."

Donald Trump's claims are insane and delusional. But not only that, they are also scary. pic.twitter.com/1oZOtT1TpQ

- Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 30, 2016

Read more: Bernie Sanders Brings His Revolution to 'Late Show': "We're Going to Stand Together and Fight"
bernie sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Tuesday said he wished he had the chance to run against Donald Trump.

In an interview on "Conan," Sanders said that while he was unsure whether he would've defeated Trump, early hypothetical head-to-head matchups showed him far ahead.

"What the polling showed that early on was all the polls nationally and statewide, I was beating him by much larger margins, much more than Secretary Clinton, but you know, then you go through a three-month campaign," Sanders told host Conan O'Brien.

"All I can tell you Conan: I wish to God I'd had the opportunity. I would've loved to have run against him," he added.

During his appearance Tuesday night, Sanders also ruminated on the nature of Trump's election victory. He suggested that Trump used rhetoric to inflame racial and ethnic tensions but successfully branded himself as an outsider who could relate to many voters' frustration with established industries.

"What Trump managed to do was convince people that he was the antiestablishment candidate at the time when people really are not happy with the economic establishment, the political establishment, and the media establishment," Sanders said. "I think, sadly, much of what he said will not be true  he will not keep his word."

He added: "Not everyone who voted for Trump is a racist or a sexist or a homophobe. There are a lot of people who are hurting very badly. They saw him as a glimmer of hope. That's why they voted for him."

Now a prominent member of Senate Democratic leadership, Sanders has emerged as a vocal critic of the forces that shape the electoral process that allowed Trump to win the general election.

Appearing on CNN earlier this week, Sanders called for the Electoral College to be "reexamined." He also became one of the first prominent politicians to endorse Rep. Keith Ellison for chair of the Democratic National Committee to "take on the political establishment and billionaire class."

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The Vermont senator's appearance on Conan came just days after he lamented that it was "a bit strange" he had to appear on late-night comedy shows "in order to have five minutes to talk about serious issues."

"What does that say about American political culture, that you have to go on a comedy show?" Sanders told GQ. "I'm old-fashioned, and I think that politics and public policy are serious issues that need serious discussion, and as a nation I think we need a revolution in media."

NOW WATCH: How to move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen





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Chicago (AFP) - The man who invented the quintessential American fast-food burger, the Big Mac, and inadvertently set off a race to create ever more expansive fast-food menus, has died.

Michael "Jim" Delligatti passed away Monday surrounded by family at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb, according to his family. He was 98 years old.

Delligatti laid claim to one of the most indelible inventions in American cuisine since sliced bread -- a double hamburger with two beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, which is covered in a special sauce.

As owner of a McDonald's restaurant in western Pennsylvania nearly half a century ago, Delligatti convinced the company to venture away from its brief menu of simple burgers, fries and drinks, according to a 1993 profile of the Big Mac in the Los Angeles Times.

He got permission to try his new burger in 1967 and sales jumped 12 percent, the Times said. Within a few years, McDonald's was advertising the Big Mac nationwide.

"This wasn't like discovering the light bulb," he said. "The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket."

He said the idea came from rival burger restaurants in the mid-1960s.

After the Big Mac's invention, the company expanded its menu further, creating an age of new menu items such as the Egg McMuffin and Filet-o-Fish.

But, it was the Big Mac that became a cultural icon.

In a statement, McDonald's said Delligatti was a "legendary franchisee" who made a "lasting impression" on the company.

"We will remember Jim as an insightful franchisee, a knowledgeable businessman," the company said.

McDonald's says it sells hundreds of millions of the oversized burgers globally, although sales have slowed in recent years as millennials reportedly show less interest in super-sized fast food.

According to Delligatti's family he went on to own 48 McDonald's restaurants.

He is survived by his wife Ellie, two children, and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Photo: Instagram/Bad Yogi

Almost everybody has cellulite, and one yoga blogger is tired of the idea that cellulite doesnt happen to thin people. Change in perception starts with US. It starts with YOU! Im super petite and when I move in certain ways, I totally have cellulite and a few stray stretch marks from having a body that changes over time, Erin Motz, aka Bad Yogi, wrote to her 107,000 followers in a Facebook post. These are not things to be ashamed of! Its like having eyebrows or ears. Theyre just there! If you have a body, you have these other things too.

Motz was upset to hear that a thin model asked her graphic designer friend to retouch a photo of her before publishing it. In the photo, the model had a bit of cellulite on her thighs that made her feel insecure. Upon hearing the story, Motz decided to show her followers that even she has cellulite. She blames the unrealistic, overly edited images published in the media for making women feel that their cellulite is something to be ashamed of. What if we saw these perfect images and saw them for what they are: edited images intended to highlight an item or idea, NOT represent what a body should look like? Motz wrote. She wants to change the conversation about cellulite, instead viewing it and your entire body as a trophy to be proud of.

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Motz isnt the first to speak out in an effort to normalize cellulite. Read on to see what your favorite celebrities have to say about the cellulite on their bodies.

I have cellulite. So what! Ive never claimed to be perfect. Its crazy anyone should assume that just because youre in the spotlight, youre flawless. Sometimes I pig out and I still feel great, and think, That was so worth it! Thats how I feel a lot of the time. I think, See this little dimple of cellulite here? It was so worth it for that cookies n cream ice cream!'  Kim Kardashian

I felt free once I realized I was never going to fit in the mold that society wanted me to fit in. Im never going to be perfect enough for an industry that defines perfection from the outside in  rolls, curves, cellulite  all of it. I love every part of me.  Ashley Graham

I obviously have plenty of imperfections on my body, but Id rather have a little bit of cellulite and go do a food trip and try every ice cream place in the South.  Blake Lively

Barbie should make dolls with cellulite!!! After all, around 95% of ALL women have it!!!  Demi Lovato

Its important people see celebrities, or see me as well, go to the beach and have cellulite and know it, like Im cool, Im okay with that and I still feel confident.  Iggy Azalea

I look like the people that walk down the street. I dont have perfect boobs, I dont have zero cellulite  of course I dont  and Im curvy. If that is something that makes women feel empowered in any way, thats great. Kate Winslet

I have a belly. And I have cellulite. And I still deserve love.  Amy Schumer

Ive had my cellulite circled, when Dax [Shepard] and I were in Hawaii. When I saw it I started to sweat, going, Oh, my gosh, someone doesnt like me. Then the more I looked at the pic, I thought, I look great! Im sorry for having human legs, made of muscle, skin and fat. Oops. Like I should be apologizing for that! If I had an extra pound on me, forgive me, but I was happy enough with the picture that I was like, I like my body. I have cellulite. Deal with it. Kristen Bell

We all have cellulite. So do supermodels! Ive been to the shows, and I go, Stick figure has some cellulite! Its nature. Without it, youre not human.  Sandra Bullock

In our business, Im a size 2 and considered curvy. Its important to remind young women, Listen, even skinny girls have cellulite, even Halle Berry has cellulite, and what you see in photos isnt totally real.'  Sophia Bush





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By Matthew Strauss.

Bob Dylan has passed on another Nobel Prize formality. Today, he skipped President Obamas White House meet-and-greet with American Nobel Prize winners, according to The Hill (via Rolling Stone). Unfortunately, Bob Dylan will not be at the White House today. So everyone can relax, Obamas spokesman Josh Earnest, told reporters.

Last month, Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, but remained conspicuously silent after the honor was announced. Reports emerged that he was not responding to the Nobel Committees emails. Once he finally accepted the prize, it he told the Swedish Academy that he would not attend the December 10 ceremony in Stockholm.

Upon the announcement of Dylans Nobel, Obama tweeted, Congratulations to one of my favorite poets, Bob Dylan, on a well-deserved Nobel. In 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (pictured above).

Read our new Sunday Review of Dylans Blood on the Tracks, as well as the op-ed on Dylans Nobel on the Pitch.

This story originally appeared on Pitchfork.

*More from Pitchfork:

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Moscow (AFP) - Three years ago Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko swapped the limelight of the legendary theatre for prison after being convicted of ordering an acid attack that rocked the ballet world.

Released midway through a five-and-a-half-year sentence this summer for good behaviour, Dmitrichenko has resumed training at the Bolshoi and says he dreams of making a comeback on one of the world's most celebrated stages.

"I have a goal: either I return to the Bolshoi or end my ballet career," the 32-year-old dancer told AFP in an interview at a Moscow restaurant.

"I've already crossed the threshold. I've been training there for three months. You can say that I've returned to the Bolshoi," he said, adding that his dressing room remained untouched during his three-year absence.

Dmitrichenko said that this summer he bumped into the Bolshoi's new artistic director Makhar Vaziev who told him he saw "no problem" with him training at the theatre.

The Bolshoi confirmed to AFP that it had agreed to Dmitrichenko's request to take part in morning training sessions.

"This doesn't at all mean that Pavel Dmitrichenko will once again join the Bolshoi ballet troupe," spokeswoman Katerina Novikova said, however.

Upon Dmitrichenko's release, the Bolshoi general director Vladimir Urin, appointed after the attack, said the soloist could audition for a position at the theatre like any other dancer.

The dancer denies masterminding an acid attack on Bolshoi artistic director Sergei Filin that left him scarred and vision-impaired in January 2013.

In court, he said he agreed to a proposal by the convicted perpetrator, an unemployed ex-convict, to "hit" Filin but no more.

The assault, one of the most sensational scandals in the Bolshoi's 240-year history, laid bare dark intrigues and tales of backstage rivalries.

- No villain -

The hollow-eyed Dmitrichenko, who joined the Bolshoi in 2002, was often cast as dark characters such as Ivan the Terrible and the Evil Genius in Swan Lake.

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But off the stage, he insists he is no villain.

The judge hearing his case in 2013 found that Dmitrichenko had ordered the attack because he was upset with Filin's management decisions.

According to the court, the soloist was upset that his ex-girlfriend, up-and-coming soloist Anzhelina Vorontsova, had been passed over for top roles.

Dmitrichenko, who married stylist Yana Fadeyeva while in prison, maintains that Vorontsova was not his girlfriend.

The dancer says the case against him was "completely fabricated" and he was charged "over nothing."

Dmitrichenko said he has seen Filin, who still works at the Bolshoi in a less senior role, only once since his release. Their eyes met in a ballet rehearsal room but they did not speak.

"He is absolutely of no interest to me," Dmitrichenko said. "Even more so today."

In an awkward coincidence, the two men live in the same apartment building but Dmitrichenko said they haven't run into each other.

- 'My body is in shock' -

Dmitrichenko says the three years he spent in a penal colony in Ryazan, a city some 180 kilometres (110 miles) southeast of Moscow, went by "like in a dream."

Dmitrichenko lived in a barracks with some 100 inmates in what he called "terrible conditions."

He served his term with a wide array characters including a regional deputy minister, teachers and university heads convicted of fraud.

"A Russian prison is like a public bath," he said. "There are all sorts of people there."

During night shifts at the prison workshop, he would stuff a grey kitten for company in the hood of his sheepskin coat and run to keep his legs sturdy.

He sometimes lifted weights but his improvised dumbbells were forbidden at the jail and eventually confiscated.

He says he never reflects on his time behind bars.

The only memento he kept from his years in prison is his former running partner, a cat named Yuki, Japanese for "happiness".

Dmitrichenko said he has now regained 95 percent of his pre-prison form and expects to be back at full strength by the end of the year.

"For the past three years, my body was asleep," he said.

"But now it has been awakened and forced to sprint the 100 metres. My body is in shock."

Dmitrichenko recently danced in five charity performances of Swan Lake.

But he said he suffered a torn thigh muscle and painful joints and ligaments were forcing him to take painkillers.

Dmitrichenko said a number of European ballet companies have expressed interest in him since his release.

But the dancer vowed loyalty to the Bolshoi and praises its new leadership for improving the working atmosphere since the acid attack.

"Scandals are the best publicity," he said with a smirk. "And I wasn't the one who created this scandal."


Im back! Back from a Thanksgiving week trip to Sweden and Iceland. I cant wait to share those adventures with you guys in an upcoming post. But for right now I have one very special holiday tip for you! Matcha.

Matcha is my favorite holiday season escape. I curl up to a minty mug of this beautiful spring green Encha matcha and sink into tranquility for a few minutes.

So today I am sharing a Candy Cane Nog Holiday Matcha Latte recipe, some tips for serving matcha to guests and my favorite holiday gifts from Encha! Oh and a pretty awesome giveaway too..

Why Choose Encha? Quite simply, it is the best! Ok, ok, more details..

When I first became a matcha fan a few years ago I spent months trying MANY different brands. I scoured tea stores, ordered piles of matcha online and taste tested everything. I quickly realized that all matcha is NOT created equal. Many of the discount matchas you find online have awful color and taste and are a complete waste of money  they are very inexpensive for a reason! Matcha is such a delicate product. I mean you are grinding fragile green tea leaves into a fine powder. Imagine buying delicate organic raspberries from the market or fresh basil. Whoever is selling those sensitive products needs to take much care into how they are harvested, transported, packaged and more. Matcha is just like that. And Encha cares so much about sourcing, quality, packaging and value.

Encha is truly the best value for such a high quality matcha that I have personally found. And I adore the company and the brand mission and values.

I hope everyone can get a chance to try matcha as it was intended to be served. Encha helps make that happen.

5 Tips for Serving Matcha to Guests

1. Have Options. I always like to have options for my guests. So instead of forcing everyone into matcha, they can choose it. I usually like to have herbal tea, hot chocolate and Nespresso pods on hand as well. Holidays are all about feeling warm and cozy and if someone wants chamomile tea at brunch or an espresso at 2am, I am more than happy to help out. But also, since I am obsessed with getting people to try matcha, I usually offer to make them a latte and if they dont want to finish it they dont have to. And usually, they fall in love with it and feel really excited for trying something new!

2. Start slowly. First matcha latte ever? Dont drown it in green. Start modestly. I usually do one teaspoon per large mug for myself. But for people who are new to matcha, a half teaspoon might be enough! You can tell the strength of the matcha flavor by the green color. The darker green, the more intense the flavor and matcha concentration will be.

3. Add flavors to accent. I love adding peppermint or vanilla accent flavors. Flavors are great for new matcha drinkers because they offer a familiarity to the beverage. So along with the grassy, green tea-flavored matcha, you get something familiar.

4. Sweeten naturally and to taste. I love coconut sugar for sweetening matcha lattes. You can also try maple syrup or raw sugar or honey if you are not vegan. I like my matcha lattes on the sweeter side, but allow your guests to sweeten to their own tastes or ask them their preferences. For newbies, I really try to make it sweet enough when serving so the matcha flavor doesnt feel overwhelming. Some people say green tea can be an acquired taste. I remember loving matcha from the first sip, but upon rememberance, my first latte was on the sweet side.

5. Milk? I usually use Califia Farms unsweetened or original almond milk for my lattes. But organic soy milk is my favorite for creating really intense and fluffy foam and an extra creamy texture. You can also try oat or even coconut blend milks. Sometimes I do a mixture of water and milk when I want a lighter consistency to my latte.

I hope those tips helped. Now here are some really beautiful gifts that are available from Encha. Give the gift of Zen!..

Encha Holiday Gifts:

1. Encha Matcha Starter Kit with Ceremonial and Latte Grades and Whisk Trio

2. Encha Ensemble (All-Grade Bundle)

3. Encha Complete Ceremonial Matcha Box Set with Zen Bowl and Bamboo Tray (6 pcs)

4. Encha Flow and Encha Flow matcha latte set (2 bundle options)

5. Mini Encha Single Serve Packets (great for travel or trying matcha!)

6. Encha Cherry Blossom or Plum Matcha Cups

Hope you can have some yummy matcha Zen this busy and sometimes stressful holiday season!

And finally, my holiday matcha recipe! Love this so much. The minty candy cane and creamy matcha latte are so festive and happiness-inducing. The hint of cardamom gives it a nog-style flavor too. (And dont forget to enter the giveaway at bottom!)

Enter the giveaway..



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Some recipes + matcha links to try:



* matcha buying guide

* Mint Matcha Latte and tips

* Vegan Green Tea Frappucino

* Free Matcha Guide with recipes (PDF)

disclosure: This post is sponsored by Encha matcha as part of my brand ambassadorship, but all opinions are my own.
By Abdiqani Hassan BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Islamist insurgents killed four pro-government Somali soldiers and injured 11 others when a roadside bomb destroyed a military pickup in the north of the country on Tuesday, the military said. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in the Galgala hills, an insurgent stronghold about 30 km (20 miles) to the southwest of Bosasso, the largest city in the region. "A roadside bomb destroyed our pickup as we drove from Galgala hills today. We lost four soldiers, including a female soldier, and 11 men from our forces were injured," Major Mohamed Ibrahim, a military officer in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, told Reuters. Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operation spokesman told Reuters by telephone: "We completely destroyed the military pickup outside Bosasso - none escaped - all 17 soldiers on board perished." The insurgency routinely exaggerates the number of casualties killed in its attacks. The deaths come as hundreds of forces allied to the Western-backed government prepare to retake the northern port town of Qandala from a group that has splintered from al Shabaab and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. [nL8N1DT3OC] Qandala is about 70 km to the east of Bosasso and has been under the control of Abdiqadir Mumin, a Somali insurgent leader, for about a month. "We are also evaluating the situation and we shall attack the IS as soon as possible," Jamac Mohamed Khurshe, the mayor of Qandala told Reuters on Tuesday. Hundreds of pro-government militia began moving towards Qandala on Monday. Somalia has been riven by civil war for more than 25 years. Al Shabaab, which has ties to al Qaeda, is fighting the government to impose their own strict version of Islamic law but has lost much of the territory they used to control. Mumin's group, which renounced al Shabaab in favour of Islamic State, is not thought to number more than a couple of hundred fighters. It has no publicly known operational links to Islamic State in the Middle East. (Additional reporting by Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Alison Williams)
Amid the devastation from the Tennessee wildfires, an employee cleaning up debris at Dollywood discovered a burned page of the Bible with an eerie story to tell.

Read: Dolly Parton 'Heartbroken' as Tennessee Wildfire Rages Out of Control Near Dollywood

Isaac McCord, an employee at Dolly Partons theme park, was helping the house and grounds team clean different areas following the fires when a torn piece of paper, charred around the edges, caught his eye.

It was a page from the Book of Joel from the King James Bible, a part of which references how a fire would devour the wilderness.

Joel 1:19 was one of the visible passages that read: To you, LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.

It also featured Joel 1:20: Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Many of the passages around the chapter were charred and hardly visible.

The 24-year-old posted a photo of his find on Facebook, where it has been shared more than 66,000 times. He captioned the image with the verses and: It was under a bench soaking wet. Talk about goosebumps....

Mark Nagi, a Tennessee state employee, shot video of the devastation caused by the wildfires. His video shows an apocalyptic scene, with charred remains of storefronts, abandoned cars and debris.

"It is remarkable, this is one of those things that people will pay attention to. It is a story that really tugs at the heart strings," he told Inside Edition. "Folks in this area are extremely resilient, they call on whatever they can to get them through moments like these."

On Wednesday, WVLT Local 8 reported that a statue of Jesus was the only thing that remained after a house in Server County burned to the ground.

The fires are still raging in some areas as of Wednesday, but rainfall has helped douse the flames.

Story continues

Read: Body Cam Shows Deputies Racing to Rescue 70-Year-Old Vietnam Vet From House Fire

The fires began late Monday night and spread quickly through the area through Tuesday due to 87 mph wind gusts.

Officials say at least four people have died and 45 others have been injured. More than 250 buildings in the area are said to have been destroyed or damaged.

Watch: Couple Leads Police on a High Speed Chase With Their Baby in Back Seat, Ending in Fiery Crash

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Brasilia (AFP) - Brazilian prosecutors running a giant corruption probe threatened to quit Wednesday over what they said was intimidation by members of the graft-plagued Congress, many of whom face investigation.

Deltan Dallagnol, coordinator of the so-called "Operation Car Wash" probe into a gigantic embezzlement and bribery scheme centered on state oil company Petrobras, said that a bill passed in the lower house in the early hours of Wednesday amounted to an attack on the judiciary.

"The lower house signaled the end of Car Wash," he said in a press conference alongside other prosecutors who threatened to resign if the bill was not vetoed by President Michel Temer.

The controversial law is ostensibly meant to crack down on undeclared election campaign funds, a common practice in Brazilian politics that has been linked to large-scale corruption.

However, lower house deputies also inserted measures opening the way to prosecute judges for abuse of authority. Judges and prosecutors have branded this as a weapon to reduce the judiciary's independence.

"It would not be possible to keep working on Car Wash if this intimidatory law were approved," Dallagnol said.

"Our proposal is to resign collectively if this bill is approved by the president," prosecutor Carlos dos Santos Lima said.

The probe has uncovered multi-billion-dollar embezzlement and bribery involving Petrobras, Brazil's biggest construction companies like Odebrecht, and a host of political parties.

High-ranking figures including former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and some of Brazil's richest men face charges or have already been convicted. Dozens of members of Congress have also come into prosecutors' crosshairs.

Now with executives from Odebrecht striking cooperation agreements with prosecutors, there are expectations of a wave of new politicians being investigated.

- Popular rage -

The anti-corruption drive is popular with Brazilians enraged at the constant scandals in the capital Brasilia where dozens of senators and deputies have had brushes with the law or currently face charges for corruption or other crimes.

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The law approved by the lower house was meant to address that public anger by closing a gaping loophole in illegal campaign financing -- what had effectively been a green light for politicians to take bribe money.

However, well after midnight, deputies weakened the text and inserted the explosive amendment that the judiciary is calling an attack on its ranks.

They did this while the attention of journalists and the public were fixed on the air disaster that killed much of Brazil's Chapecoense football team, and on violent protests against austerity measures voted on earlier in the Senate.

The lower house had already been under intense scrutiny for an attempt last week to change the text of the law to include what amounted to an amnesty for politicians who had already received dirty money.

Amid a public outcry, Temer went on television to promise to veto such an amendment. That measure was dropped but the one targeting the judiciary could turn out to be just as incendiary.

Temer's government, which came into power after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff this year, has vowed to restore Brazil's economic health and political stability.

However, he faces mounting crises and a badly ailing economy, along with popular opposition to his proposed austerity reforms. On Tuesday, crowds fought violent battles with riot police outside the Senate as legislators approved a budget freeze.
Haylee Weber is visiting Australia for five months, studying abroad on the Sunshine Coast. She captured this dramatic video while on a shark diving expedition on a Calypso Star Charter boat in Port Lincoln.

Haylee told Storyful that cage diving with great whites had always been a dream of hers and she decided to make it a reality as a part of her last adventure in Australia before heading home to the United States. Credit: YouTube/Haylee Weber via Storyful
Huntingdon (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Armed with high-vis jackets, a ladder and a half-inch spanner, Tony Bennett and Derek Norman are the footsoldiers of Brexit, waging a slow but successful battle against metrication, one street at a time.

As the setting sun casts an orange glow on the high street in Thaxted, a small town in southeast England, Bennett carefully sticks a plastic card onto a street sign so it gives distances in yards, not metres.

"They were such nice signs, it was a shame to alter them," Norman, the 82-year-old chairman of Active Resistance to Metrication (ARM), told AFP.

Speaking at his home in Huntingdon, eastern England, after the Thaxted job, he said imperial measurements are "part of our culture" that need defending.

Britain first began introducing the metric system in the 1960s, and the move was accelerated by the need to harmonise measurements across the European Union.

But the government has stepped back from ditching imperial measures altogether due to public opposition, driven by activists such as Norman and Bennett -- both supporters of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Today, while most public business and packaged food use metric units, traffic signs are in miles and yards and beer, cider and milk are sold in pints.

In the confusion, local authorities and businesses continue to install signs in metres -- which Norman and Bennett, ARM's secretary, feel they have a duty to amend.

"When we took down the first sign my heart was beating in fear that we would be arrested," said Bennett. "After you do it a few times, you lose the fear."

They see their campaign as a crucial part in harnessing support for Britain to leave the European Union, which culminated in the June vote for Brexit.

- Arrested seven times -

ARM's 15-year campaign is testament to the authority of the high-vis jacket -- often they are left alone to amend or remove signs, with passers-by and even police assuming they are working for a local authority.

Story continues

In jobs ranging from Stansted Airport to the Tower of London, Bennett insists they are only taking down illegal signs and are therefore doing nothing wrong.

The 69-year-old says that more often than not local authorities admit their mistake and amend the signs themselves, with more than 3,000 signs taken down nationwide as a result.

However, he has been arrested seven times and in 2002 was convicted of criminal damage and theft, although the latter conviction was overturned.

On the wall in Norman's sitting room is a cartoon of greengrocer Stephen Thoburn, one of the "Metric Martyrs" who was prosecuted for failing to adhere to the new rules on metric weights and measures.

"I have felt that I'm a rebel. but I also feel that there's really a lot of people who feel like me and they're rebels as well," said Norman, sipping a cup of tea.

At its peak, ARM was made up of about 100 activists, including Norman's wife Kay, who acted as a look-out.

Her codename was "half-pint", while Norman's was "wun-tun".

Bennett opted for "hundredweight", because, he explained, "it's a quirky measure -- 112 pounds -- that summarises our weights and measures system. It's completely daft but we like it."

- 'Time will prove their folly' -

A former Royal Air Force radio engineer, Norman accepts that the metric system is here to stay for many areas of public life.

But he says: "Most people measure their height in feet and inches, most people want to lose a pound or a stone in weight -- and that's nationwide. Why do we need to change?"

He adds: "It was our own system of measurements that brought about the industrial revolution and put the great into Great Britain."

For Derek Pollard, the secretary of the UK Metric Association, however, the current system is unsustainable.

"There are already many areas of metric usage in the UK economy, from construction and manufacturing, science, medicine and mapping, and for these, there is no going back," he told AFP.

He sees no benefit in prosecuting people like ARM through the courts, however, saying: "Time will prove the folly of their activities."
London (AFP) - Nearly five months after leaving Downing Street, Britain's former first lady Samantha Cameron has launched a fashion label -- revealed, naturally, in British Vogue magazine.

The 45-year-old wife of former Conservative prime minister David Cameron won many fans for her smart but modern style during his six years in office, drawing comparisons with US first lady Michelle Obama.

Art school educated, Cameron was formerly the creative director of luxury leather goods and stationery firm Smythson, where she remains a creative consultant, and has also been studying pattern-cutting.

Free from the constraints of public life, she has now come up with her own collection of 40 pieces which will go on sale early next year.

"I felt that there was a lot of American and French brands out there that fit that bracket of designer contemporary with the right price point and the right styling, but there aren't that many British brands which fill that space," she told Vogue.

She added: "I've spent a lot of time trying stuff on my friends."

The brand name, Cefinn, is reportedly derived from her children's names -- Elwen, Florence, Ivan and Nancy.

Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, was quoted in The Times as saying that the collection had a broad appeal, predicting that it would be popular as workwear.

"Like all designers Samantha has reflected her own taste in the clothes -- they are quite simple well-cut shapes, hard-wearing with a lot of concentration on the fabrics so that they won't look rubbish by the end of a busy day and there are a lot of separates," she said.

She added: "The collection is above your average high street price but not anywhere near international designer prices.

"This slot in the shopping market is actually doing very well at the moment so it's a good time for her to be launching."

David Cameron resigned after the vote to leave the European Union, which he had opposed, and was succeeded by Theresa May on July 13.
Itself a spinoff from the annual Raindance Film Festival, the British Independent Film Awards, founded in 1988 as an upstart alternative to the straitlaced BAFTA, recently launched its own ancillary event. Titled BIFA Meets, it offers a chance for cineastes to spend an hour with some of the biggest names in independent film.

On Nov. 17, it was the turn of two-time BIFA winner Brendan Gleeson to take the stage at a curious moment in world history, in the eerie doldrums between Donald Trump moving into the White House and the U.K. leaving  or not  the European Union. What Gleeson said that night struck a chord with Deena Wallace, together with Amy Gustin one of the BIFAs joint co-directors.

Brendan said that the purpose of film  and the arts generally  is to make us feel less alone, Wallace recalls. He said that film has the power to create real empathy and shared human experience, and I believe many of the BIFA-nominated films do this very powerfully.

Wallace could easily be talking about this years BIFA field-leader, I, Daniel Blake, which garnered seven BIFA nominations for its director, coincidentally also the subject of documentary contender Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach.

The story of an unfit-for-work carpenter who falls fouls of a bureaucratic welfare system, I, Daniel Blake, was a surprise Palme DOr winner at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and has so far taken a huge 2.85 million ($3.56 million) in the U.K.

That [sentiment] applies utterly to I, Daniel Blake,  says Loachs longtime ally and producer Rebecca OBrien. Its exactly what has happened with that film, its brought people together. It sounds strange to make such a claim about a film, but it genuinely has had a community effect. People have been really affected by it. There are endless stories of audiences being in tears or spontaneously clapping at the end, even just at screenings in their local cinemas. Its had that impact. So many people identify with the story that its almost got a life of its own now. People are finding their voice through it  theyve been silenced by the system, but the film has given them a voice, and identity.

Story continues

I, Daniel Blake represents a more traditional entry in this years BIFA race, which is particularly eclectic this year, pitting festival favorites American Honey, Notes on Blindness, and Under the Shadow against the lesser-known Couple in a Hole for best British independent film.

They are mostly towards the more indie end of the spectrum, exactly the films that BIFA was set up to champion, Gustin says. Which should also make for a really good atmosphere on the night  films and filmmakers that arent necessarily getting recognized elsewhere are, rightly, given the opportunity to celebrate their achievements, too. Theres also a bit more genre stuff in there than usual, which is great, too, as it showcases the variety and range of British film.

In only their second year running the show, both Gustin and Wallace admit that that it has been a steep learning curve. Nevertheless, they promise a pacey two-hour show, with Taittinger literally supplying the fizz and this year presented by Absolutely Fabulous creator Jennifer Saunders.

Were very excited about Jennifer hosting, Wallace says. She is incredibly funny and intelligent, with just the right mix of acerbic wit and genuine warmth.

The pair have made some policy changes, too, opening up the voting process, allowing all registered voters to vote for best British independent film, and adding more talent categories. Having said that, the pair concede that the BIFAs have their own identity, and as they get closer to the awards 20th anniversary edition, that national treasure status has to be preserved.

Theres a lot that people love about BIFA and dont want to change, Wallace says. Theres a reason people come back year after year, and we hope we have managed not to take away what people love whilst also trying to make it feel a bit different and fresh. We hope that this means were doing more of what the industry wants us to: highlighting new talent and reflecting their view of what the best films of the year are.

Related stories

European Film Awards Announce Best Film Nominees

Ken Loach's 'I, Daniel Blake' Leads British Independent Film Awards Race

In Contention: Anglophiles Look for British Stamp
After growing up in the spotlight, David and Victoria Beckham's son, Brooklyn, is no stranger to cameras. Now, the 17-year-old is hopping on the other side of the lens and releasing a photography book!

The eldest of the Beckham brood announced the book on Instagram, sharing an image of the cover along with its May 2017 release date.

WATCH: David Beckham's Dating Rules for His Kids Will Be Different for Daughter Harper

The full cover of my book 'what I see' hope you like it. Link to pre order and signed copies in bio ^^ A photo posted by bb (@brooklynbeckham) on Nov 29, 2016 at 9:14am PST

"The full cover of my book 'what I see' hope you like it. Link to pre order and signed copies in bio ^^," Beckham captioned the pic.

According to publisher Penguin, the book will feature 300 photographs offering fans "a series of snapshots of [Beckham's] life. Each chapter tells a different story through pictures by and of Brooklyn, accompanied by captions and passages of text in his own words. Unique, authentic and stylish, What I See is a glimpse behind the lens."

Beckham's passion for photography developed after he studied the subject in school.

"When I left school I started shooting in my spare time and really enjoyed it," he told L'Uomo Vogue earlier this year.

The part-time model also shot and starred in a campaign for Burberry earlier this year.

NEWS: Brooklyn Beckham Is Now a Fashion Photographer

A photography book isn't the only way that Beckham is unleashing his creative juices.

The teen and his friends recently wrapped a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to raise money for a three-day art show.

See Beckham's father, David, talk about his children's career paths in the video below.

Related Articles
Brooklyn Beckhams art is moving off of social media and onto the printed page.

The 17-year-old will release his first book of photography next year, he revealed on his popular Instagram page Tuesday.

What I See features a series of snapshots of life, according to publisher Penguin. Each chapter tells a different story through pictures by and of Brooklyn, accompanied by captions and passages of text in his own words. Unique, authentic and stylish, What I See is a glimpse behind the lens.

Earlier this year, Beckham  the oldest child of David and Victoria Beckham  gushed about his passion for life behind the lens in an interview with LUomo Vogue.

RELATED VIDEO: Victoria Beckham Talks About Her Kids Future in the Fashion Industry

I studied photography in high school and straight away I knew it was something I was interested in, the teen said. When I left school I started shooting in my spare time and really enjoyed it.

He said he later interned for the British fashion photographer David Sims and then brushed up on his skills by reading books on the subject. Beckham prefers to shoot in black and white and often does so on his Leica 35mm camera.

What I See will be released on May 4, 2017. Fans can pre-order both signed and unsigned copies through U.K. sellers Waterstones and WH Smith, now.




Women will no longer be able to wear burkas in some public places in the Netherlands if the law is passed. (Photo: Getty)

In a controversial move, the vast majority of members of Dutch Parliament voted on Tuesday to ban the burka  a traditional garment worn by some Muslim women to cover their entire bodies and faces  in schools, hospitals, and government buildings in the Netherlands, according to the Telegraph. Out of 150 members, 132 voted yes to the ban, which will include all clothing that completely covers the face  and that includes ski masks and helmets, according to the Independent.

If the law goes into effect, it will still allow women to wear burkas on the streets and some public spaces. But its not a law just yet  itll have to go before the Senate first. According to the Telegraph, the logic behind the decision is the necessity to be able to interact face-to-face, for instance in places where public services are performed and safety must be guaranteed. The publication says the rule would not affect many women, as only about 150 women in the Netherlands wear a burka  this according to a local newscaster. If the law passes, people covering their faces in the spaces banned will pay a fine of up to 410 (equivalent to about $430).

Part of what makes the decision so controversial is that its supported by the the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV), led by politician Geert Wilders, who had been put on trial for hate speech about Moroccans living in the Netherlands, according to the article. Another lawmaker representing the PVV has gone on record asking, How do we even know theres a woman under this Islamic textile? According to the Independent, the PVV supports a full ban on burkas in the country, which would prevent Muslim women from wearing the garments anywhere in public. Parliamentary elections are being held in March, and the PVV is leading in the polls.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the ban would only apply in specific situations where it is essential for people to be seen or for security reasons, the Independent says. He insists that the bill does not hold any religious implications.

Story continues

But some politicians are being vocal in their defense of Muslim womens rights to wear a burka anywhere. It is reprehensible to exclude these women and isolate them because of a subject anxiety among certain citizens, said Parliament member Tunahan Kuzu, who added that the right to wear burkas counts as freedom of expression. He feels Muslims have an inalienable right to be who they are and dress how they want, according to the Independent.

Some Muslim women protesting the ban by attending last weeks parliamentary debate dressed in burkas, says the Telegraph. One of them, Karima Rahmani, argued that arrangements to enable women wearing full-face Islamic dress to identify themselves were already in place. For that reason, she doesnt see the need for a ban.

The vote to ban burkas in the Netherlands is reminiscent of Frances decision to put the kibosh on the Islamic veil in 2011  it was the first European country to do so. The decision was even supported by the European Court of Human Rights, which claimed it was not a violation of religious rights, as burkas are not a requirement in Islam. About 1,500 arrests have been made in the past five years as a result of that ban, according to the Telegraph, and women have been fined up to 150 for wearing the garments.

Other countries have also implemented a ban. The second country to outlaw burkas was Belgium, which passed legislation in July 2011, according to the Express. Switzerland banned the burka in public areas in 2013, and in September 2016, Bulgarias Parliament banned the burka as well. Other countries that limit the rights to wear burkas in public to varying degrees include Italy, Chad, and Egypt.

Controversy has also swirled around the recent decision in some French towns to ban the burkini  a modest swimwear garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the body and leaves the face revealed. The reasoning, according to the Hindu, is wearing the outfits could undermine public order by making other beachgoers angry or afraid in the wake of acts of Islamic extremism in France, but the burkinis defenders have argued that the wearing of the garment has nothing to do with promoting bloodshed.

Theres still a chance that the law banning burkas in the Netherlands wont be passed, though. According to the Telegraph, The Dutch governments advisory State Council body had said it believed issues around the Islamic veil could be solved without invoking legislation. The government said in a letter, From time-to-time theres discussion about it  but its not really a big social problem.

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The steady revenue stream, driven by a large pipeline of new projects and multi-million deals at regular intervals has enabled CACI International Inc. CACI to successfully outperform the industry this year. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock boasts an average year-to-date return of 40.8% compared with 26.3% for the Zacks categorized Computer-Services industry.



A leader in IT outsourcing for the U.S. federal government, CACI earns its revenues through four customer groups  the Department of Defense, Federal Civilian Agencies, Commercial and Other, and State and Local Governments. The Department of Defenses customers include the U.S. Army (CACIs largest customer) and the U.S. Navy. Federal civilian agencies provide litigation support services to the Department of Justice.



Having the government as one of the biggest clients lends stability to the business and moderates fluctuations in revenues. Although, the government generally has a lengthy approval process, the project continues earning money years after it has been approved. Moreover, government contracts improve the visibility of future revenue streams.

CACI INTL A Price

CACI INTL A Price | CACI INTL A Quote

CACIs system integration skills and intelligence expertise consume a significant portion of the funds earmarked for the Department of Homeland Security, while creating systems that foster the sharing of critical information among all intelligence agencies. We believe the company is comfortably positioned, given its favored relationship with the Department of Defense.



The company recently secured a $79 million contract to augment the intelligence solutions of the U.S. Army. The contract expands the scope of work for the companys Intelligence Systems and Support market area and reinforces its position as one of the leading players in the segment.



Per the contract, CACI will provide support services to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate that operates as the armys research and development center. In particular, the company will offer back-up engineering support and will develop communications networks to better equip the Army to address the evolving intelligence and electronic warfare requirements. This will enable the Army to effectively counter cyber threats as well as fortify itself with thorough intelligence analysis and dissemination capabilities.



Going forward, CACI intends to assiduously grow in large markets, increase new business initiatives and leverage mergers and acquisitions to further increase its market share and create long-term value for its shareholders.



Some better-ranked stocks in the industry include CSG Systems International Inc. CSGS, Ebix Inc. EBIX and ManTech International Corporation MANT, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

CSG Systems has beaten estimates in all the trailing four quarters for an average earnings surprise of 24.9%.



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Nearly 400 years after the first Thanksgiving, researchers have uncovered evidence of the Pilgrims' original 1620 settlement in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Archaeologists discovereda calf's remains and 17th-century artifacts at an archaeological site on Burial Hill in Plymouth  thought to be the location of the first Pilgrim settlement.

The bones of the calf, dubbed Constance, were found buried in a deep pit and offered the first clear evidence that the dig site was the original settlement, because Native Americans did not have domestic cattle, said David Landon, an archaeologist at the University of Massachusetts and leader of the dig. Constance, therefore, would have lived and died within the original Plymouth settlement, according to the researchers. [Plymouth Rock to the Blarney Stone: The World's 6 Most Famous Rocks]

"Oftentimes success in the colony depended on herds of cattle. It became a centerpiece of the economy," Landon said in a statement. "So the calf does connect us to that story."

Since 2013, Landon has led a group of students for five weeks each summer to hunt for evidence of the original Pilgrim settlement. The researchers had set a goal to find evidence of the original settlement by 2020, to coincide with the Plymouth Colony's 400th anniversary.

Along with Constance, the archeological digs also uncovered 17th-century artifacts at the site. The researchers said pottery, tins, beads and musket balls were found in an area distinguished by remnants of the early settlement's "post and ground construction" structures  essentially, holes for wood and dirt.

"While we're digging, we're constantly in the process of trying to interpret what we're finding," Landon said. "It's about much more than the artifacts  it's about trying to pin down soil color and trying to understand constructed features that are no longer there."

Story continues

Details of where the settlement was located and what kinds of items the Pilgrims owned and used will help further refine scientists' understanding of early Colonial activity, said Kathryn Ness, curator of collections at Plimoth Plantation.

Evidence of the original 1620 Plymouth settlement has the potential to "change dramatically our understanding of early European colonization," Ness said in a statement.

Researchers and students are still at work cleaning, labeling and researching this summer's discoveries. Another group of students will join Landon next summer to continue the dig, he said.

"We've opened the first window but we want a bigger view. We want the bay window," Landon said. "We want to see if we can find other components."

The research at Plymouth is a collaborative effort of the Plimoth Plantation museum, and the University of Massachusetts Boston's Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research and the Institute for New England Native American Studies.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
President-elect Donald Trump stands with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus during an election night rally in New York on Nov. 9. (Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Donald Trumps upset win after an acrimonious presidential campaign has thrown the fault lines of a bitterly divided nation into even sharper relief. A tide of animosity has fueled a spike in hate crimes, key states will see their election results subjected to a recount, and the incoming president has taken to Twitter to denounce the views of his opponents rather than unify the country and the still-smarting Democrats behind his leadership.

Against this backdrop I turned to historians and political scientists to ask how America is ever going to unwind the present atmosphere of dug-in political division. Do they see the country getting less divided at some point  and if so, how? Is there any way to reknit our divided America?

Sadly, the scholars agreed that the era of bitter partisanship in which we find ourselves is unlikely to abate anytime soon. The self-segregation of people according to lifestyle preferences, known as the big sort, wont be solved by people moving from urban areas to less expensive exurban or rural areas, as some have advocated, because there are not enough jobs being created outside Americas cities to sustain such a movement of people. And any increase in movement the other way, from the exurban and rural areas to the cities, would only exacerbate the decline of the areas left behind. Meanwhile the rise of the new upper middle class  a prosperous urban fragment thats grown as the middle and lower middle class have shrunk and lost ground  has obscured for many the struggles and difficulties of those outside the cities.

These sobering analyses are well worth pondering as Trump gets ready to take office. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Bill Bishop, author of The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded Americans Is Tearing Us Apart

Its the politics of self-expression. Thats the era that were in. Just as the sort is a cultural phenomenon that only every four years is a political phenomenon. It doesnt matter whether its Occupy or Black Lives Matter or Trump or the tea party  politics isnt about policy, its about people expressing themselves.

Story continues

The divisions in the political sorting are reinforcing every other division. If you look at life expectancy, income, education levels, regional accents  the differences place to place are increasing.

And the preliminary figures I saw in the political sorting were that the percentage of people who live in a landslide county, someplace where one political party won by 20 percentage points or more, was about 51 percent in 2012, and its over 60 percent in this election. And this election is closer. So yeah, those differences are increasing and theyre increasing across the board. I dont see any turning back from that at all.

An estimated 10,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Manhattan on Nov. 11, converging outside Trump Tower to protest Donald Trumps election as president. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

I mean, you hear from editors, Yeah, geez, I see it  but Im not living out there. Im not living out where you live. [Bishop lives in LaGrange, Texased.] The outrageous behavior on the right is matched by a smugness on the left. And the only thing is, our friends on the left dont even realize what theyre doing. I hear it all the time: Were educated. Were open. Were diverse. Well, were diverse except for the people we talk to. Were not diverse in our beliefs, were diverse in the kind of restaurants we go to.

But this kind of self-expressive politics has been matched around the world. Thats the product of modernity. Politics become individualized and primarily a mode for self-expression. So you see the same thing happening in France, in Great Britain, in all these places, where parties  on the left and the right  that are more expressive come to the fore.

People as they grow richer  and this comes straight out of research from Ron Inglehart at the University of Michigan  as people become richer they lose their respect for authority, and thats whats happened in this country since the mid-1960s. People no longer have the need to obey. The history was, as peoples survival became assured, which happens in the welfare state, they no longer have the need to belong to church or family or community, and as a result, respect for authority in all forms  science, business, labor unions, political groups  declines, and the values of self-expression and individual rights increase.

The structures that surrounded peoples lives  community, and what family meant, and church and tradition  all become less important. People become, to use the sociology phrase, disembedded from those institutions. And theyre on their own and become artists of their own lives and their primary occupation becomes describing themselves to themselves and to others. Thus Facebook. You become your own personal brand, and you have to constantly define and describe yourself to others. So the place where you live has to express your self, so thats why you see this lifestyle sorting.

And then politics becomes more about finding the best expressive mode for describing ones self. And Bernie or Trump or Marine Le Pen, or whoever it is who has a stronger expressive value, those politicians come to the front. It has nothing to do with policy.

Its more about finding the politics that allows us to express ourselves more fully. That becomes the most important thing.

How do you turn back from the prosperity and the technology and globalization of modernity? You dont. We look for individual solutions for everything, and in politics we look for the individual solution in the form of the unique personality, and that could be Bernie and that could be Trump. Its certainly not Hillary or Jeb. The question is why do these right-wing expressive candidates seem to have more power, and I dont know the answer to that.

Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening and director of Washington Colleges C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience

If theres a lesson the Civil War era has to teach us, actually its that when a big crisis comes, its a fallacy to think we can simply unwind things to where they were before.

Richmond, Virginia: Major Robertsons Battery of Horse Artillery. (Photo: James F. Gibson/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

The entire moderate middle in America at the beginning of the Civil War, and even throughout much of the war, thought that what they could do if the war ended was restore the country to a version of what it had been, to save the America that they had known and grown up with  and that just wasnt possible. The country was going to be something new, and the question was: What new thing would that be? Who would hold the power and how broadly would that power be shared?

Every moment is different. Its this common truism that history repeats itself. Well, actually, it doesnt really repeat itself. It echoes itself. If there is anything that history teaches us, its that there always is something new, and weve never had a moment quite like this one before. Weve never had anybody like Donald Trump step into the presidency before. I really dont think there are any useful comparisons in American history I can think of.

The imperial presidency as weve known it is at most a little more than a century old. And weve certainly not had anyone come to the White House in that time who is as outspokenly dedicated to tearing down Americas civic and political and constitutional norms and traditions, and as unabashedly authoritarian, as Donald Trump.

So its safe to say thats unprecedented. It may even really be unprecedented in any healthy modern democracy.

Groups split and recombine and split again through American history, and at some times in American history weve faced enormous splits, within, say, the white rural working class, and most dramatically the Civil War. Right now we seem to have a kind of a consolidation of the white rural, working and middle class throughout every region of the country. But weve seen huge realignments in the past, probably most recently in the 1960s, and so we know that we see realignments periodically, and that new coalitions will form and split apart again.

I suppose if theres hope to be found, its that our democracy has so far managed to accommodate those transitions and only truly come off the rails once in 240 years.

Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, co-founder of City Lab and author of the forthcoming The New Urban Crisis: How Out Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class  and What We Can Do About It

What really shocks me is that this is the first time in my life it looks like the United States is really on the wrong side of history.

We avoided the other isms. We avoided authoritarianism. We avoided totalitarianism. We avoided fascism. And even though our crises were deep and our divides were deep, we were a society that was forward-looking, that was on historys right side. I mean, we had the McCarthy era, we had all sorts of blips in our history  but Joseph McCarthy wasnt our president. Now, it looks to me, America, for the first time in modern memory, has elected a president who is on the wrong side of history.

We ran correlations between Clinton and Trump voters: comparisons of Clinton to Obama, and Trump to Romney voters. The correlations were off the charts, they were 0.9. This is state vote share, so Im comparing Clinton vote share to Obama, Trump voter share to Romney. The divide looks the same, more or less. Its more acute, but its not like the tables have turned dramatically in terms of the divide in America. Those correlations are all similar.

Trump supporters watch returns during an election night rally in New York. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

And I think what happened is that in these locations  the stressed suburbs, exurban areas, rural areas  thats where Trump tipped states from blue to red. So our divide is not that different from when we went into this election; its these tipping point communities in certain states that were blue for Obama and red for Trump. And also a lot of voters who were part of the Obama coalition stayed home.

I think this poses problems for America. Trump will be the candidate of not-the-cities. Mrs. Clinton won the cities. According to the Washington Post analysis, Trump won the suburbs, exurban areas and the rural areas.

Cities are engines  density powers innovation  the engines that drive our economy and create progress. This is a backlash against our very sources of progress, and thats what worries me. How do we have a pro-urban agenda, how do we have the ability to address the challenges and abilities of our cities with a candidate who is the candidate from not-the-cities?

The big sort has become a bigger sort, a bigger sort on steroids. The driving force of that is not just cultural preference, its the fact that our economic centers of gravity are large cities and metropolitan areas. So if you want to pursue opportunity you move to where that opportunity is. Its great to evoke move to another place, but the centers of opportunity in the United States and in the world are incredibly clustered and concentrated.

A third of the U.S. workforce are knowledge workers, professional workers, creative workers. That means 66 percent of the workforce is not. Blue-collar workers  the jobs arent there anymore. Jobs are being eliminated.

Our country is divided. Its horribly divided. Donald Trump ran on hardening those divisions. Its hard to see how Donald Trump can reknit our country. Dont get me wrong, there will be some migrations out of these urban cores, these superstar cities and tech hubs, because they are expensive. We will see some migration because they are expensive. But its not going to change the balance of power.

Weve got a civil war. Its not a civil war in the military conflict sense, but we have a terribly divided country. Its not just divided by our ideology  its divided by our class divisions and our locations. America has always been divided between rich and poor, now for much of our modern history we had a middle class, but one thing thats happened is not only has the middle class shrunk, but middle-class neighborhoods have been eviscerated. So we no longer have those once sturdy middle neighborhoods and middle ground, which kind of knit our country together and created more opportunity for people.

Donald Trump supporter Ben Kilgore, left, discusses the president-elect with Brandon Nathaniel Collier, who is demonstrating against Trumps election as the U.S. president, in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 16. (Phil Sears/Reuters)

Our country has divided into areas of concentrated affluence and concentrated disadvantage, and the areas of concentrated disadvantage are just housing more people. I dont think its a privileged 1 percent, its a privileged third. About a third of our workforce and our population is doing OK. And two-thirds are falling further and further behind. And thats the issue. And I dont know how we reknit that.


(Adds quotes from Trudeau, Alberta premier, aboriginal band, reaction from company)

By David Ljunggren and Leah Schnurr

OTTAWA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Canada on Tuesday approved Kinder Morgan Inc's hotly contested plan to build a pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast, setting up a battle with environmentalists who helped elect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Liberal government, under pressure from both green groups and the energy industry, said allowing Kinder Morgan to construct a second pipeline next to its existing Trans Mountain line would help ensure oil exports reach Asia and reduce reliance on the U.S. market.

"We are under no illusions that the decision we made today will be bitterly disputed by a number of people across the country," Trudeau told reporters.

Ottawa imposed 157 binding conditions on the C$6.8 billion ($5.06 billion) project, which would nearly triple capacity on the artery to 890,000 barrels a day. Opponents say the risks of a spill are too large.

"As long as Kinder Morgan respects the stringent conditions ...this project will get built because it's in the national interest of Canadians," said Trudeau.

The government also blocked Enbridge Inc's Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific province of British Columbia, as expected. Trudeau had long opposed the project, which would run through the Great Bear Rainforest.

Enbridge, however, will be allowed to replace the Canadian segments of its ageing Line 3 from Alberta to Wisconsin, a proposed upgrade that had been less controversial than Northern Gateway. Enbridge said it expected the pipeline to enter service in 2019, pending U.S. regulatory approval.

Canada's energy sector, hit hard by a two-year slump in oil prices, wants more pipelines to help ease bottlenecks in moving crude out of Alberta.

"It has been a long dark night for the people of Alberta ... today we are finally seeing some morning light," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley told reporters in Ottawa after talks with Trudeau.

Story continues

"We're getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices."

Kinder Morgan said it planned to start work in September 2017 and should be finished by late 2019.

Environmental groups were quick to promise resistance.

"You will see the movement continue to escalate in the streets as the number of protests and actions continue to grow, in the courts, and at the ballot box here in (British Columbia) and beyond," said Seven Biggs of climate group Stand.earth.

Trudeau, keen to show environmentalists he is not selling out to the energy industry, also said the government would ban tanker traffic along the northern coast of British Columbia.

Earlier this month he said Ottawa would toughen its response to oil spills at sea, which some saw as a signal Trans Mountain would be approved.

The Tsleil-Waututh aboriginal band in British Columbia, which says its land would be devastated by a spill, promised to oppose the pipeline by all legal means.

"We will file a judicial review ... This is not the end of this pipeline issue for (us), this is the beginning of a long road," said band member Charlene Aleck.

(With additional reporting by Nia Williams and Ethan Lou in Calgary and Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Chris Reese, Meredith Mazzilli and Andrew Hay)
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Despite open signs of nervousness among legislators, Canada's ruling Liberals bet they can survive the political damage caused by allowing a pipeline to be built from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday approved Kinder Morgan Inc's plan to lay a second pipeline along the route of its existing Trans Mountain line, setting up a conflict with environmentalists who helped him win power last year. The line travels from Alberta's oil sands to British Columbia, which has become a power base for the Liberals. Opponents predict angry provincial voters could kick out many of the Liberal's 17 legislators in a federal election set for October 2019. This could weaken Trudeau's hold on power. He only has a working majority of 15 in the House of Commons, and unless he won seats elsewhere he could be reduced to a minority and forced to rely on other parties to govern. Liberals feel time is on their side. While Kinder Morgan plans to start construction in September 2017, party insiders say the company is likely to face a series of protracted court challenges before it can dig. This means there will be no television shots of protesters confronting construction workers. Video of demonstrations against a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota has gone viral, helping spread awareness of the standoff. "How are the protesters going to keep this issue alive when the next election is almost three years away and nothing is going to happen between now and then?" said one Liberal with direct knowledge of the file. Two Liberal legislators from British Columbia openly spoke out against the pipeline before Trudeau's announcement and two other members of the caucus on Wednesday told reporters they were unhappy. Veteran party members say their colleagues need to take a longer view. "Even if an election were held tomorrow we'd lose perhaps four seats in British Columbia. As for 2019, it looks as though we'll lose two," said a second well-placed Liberal. Approving the pipeline is part of Trudeau's strategy to tackle climate change while showing enough support for energy projects to deflect charges his center-left Liberals oppose the oil and gas industry. Liberals say that regardless of the potential pitfalls in British Columbia, Trudeau had to approve Trans Mountain to ensure support from the energy-producing province of Alberta, which has long clamored for more pipelines. The province is key to Trudeau's plans to introduce a national carbon price and the province's left-leaning premier, Rachel Notley, had made clear she would back the carbon plan if Ottawa approved Trans Mountain. "If she doesn't get a pipeline it's game over for a national carbon strategy," said a third Liberal. If Notley loses the next election, due in 2019, she will undoubtedly be replaced by a party that rejects the idea of carbon pricing. Alberta could end up with another pipeline if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump fulfils a promise to allow TransCanada Corp to build its Keystone XL line. Barack Obama had vetoed the project in 2015. That could make it easier for Trudeau to veto another potentially tough project - TransCanada's proposed Energy East pipeline from Alberta to the Atlantic coast. Opposition to the pipeline is high in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, where the Liberals hold a whopping 40 seats, and can ill afford to suffer losses. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
This is how they remind you to not drink and drive.

A Canadian police department is taking proactive steps to keep this holiday season safe by threatening to punish drunk drivers with its Nickelback cassette tape.

The Kensington Police Service in the Prince Edward Island province posted a message on Facebook last weekend encouraging holiday revelers to divvy up driving duties, jot down the number to a cab company or plan to sleep at a friends house.

But for those dumb enough to drink and drive, the department has a plan.

[W]hen we catch you, and we will catch you, on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a years driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the offices copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail, the post reads.

Now, now, no need to thank us, we figure if you are foolish enough to get behind the wheel after drinking then a little Chad Kroeger and the boys is the perfect gift for you.

Kensington police said that they did not want ruin their perfectly good unopened copy of Silver Side Up, the Canadian postgrunge bands third studio album, which was a juggernaut commercial success in the early 2000s  going platinum many times over.

The police departments statement went viral swiftly after it was posted on social media Saturday. Online distaste for the band has built up over the years to the point where an otherwise routine post poking fun at a rock group can catch on this quickly. But why do people resent and mock Nickelback so much?

In March, Salli Anttonen, a doctoral student at the University of Eastern Finland, published an academic essay in the Metal Music Studies journal titled, Hypocritical bullshit performed through gritted teeth: Authenticity discourses in Nickelbacks album reviews in Finnish media.

She analyzed reviews of Nickelback in Finnish media from 2000 until 2014 to discover what it was about the group specifically that singled them out for hatred. She found that much of the initial criticism had to do with rock critics value of subversiveness, authenticity and originality. The groups perceived inability to fulfill these criteria combined with their extraordinary success made them an easy target for critical barbs.

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Anttonen said rock music critics have traditionally been seen as a gatekeeper and guardian of taste. It could be argued, she continued, that rock journalists started to harp on the bands flaws as a way of legitimizing themselves.

In my analysis, I got the feeling that some reviews were making an art out of mocking Nickelback, trying to find the most clever way to insult the band, she told Yahoo News.

When asked about the Kensington Police Service threat, she said, Based on my research, this type of joking around Nickelback doesnt seem very surprising at all, although I was a bit surprised that its still happening. I thought the heyday of the joke had passed a bit already.

Soon enough, Nickelback hatred took on a life of its own. The general consensus among Nickelback haters is that the bands music is bland and derivative, a pastiche of the work of beloved hard rock bands, but without the grit or soul that made them enjoyable.

But the group has mustered up some pretty solid comebacks, after British rock duo Royal Blood joined in the Nickelback-bashing. In October, Royal Blood tweeted that Donald Trump plus Hillary Clinton equals Nickelback with an American flag (despite the fact that the group is Canadian).

Nickelbacks response was straight fire.
(Washington)  Air conditioning company Carrier said Tuesday that it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

Trump spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas. His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

The details of the agreement were unclear. Carrier tweeted that the company was pleased to have reached a deal with Trump and Pence to keep the jobs in Indianapolis.

A transition official confirmed that the president-elect and Pence, who is ending his tenure as Indiana governor, would appear with Carrier officials Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the trip ahead of an official announcement.

Trump said last week that he was making progress on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana.

The event in Indiana will mark a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisers and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries. He plans to make other stops later this week as part of what advisers have billed as a thank you tour for voters who backed him in the presidential campaign.
"Talking to other people about a part is not helpful for me," Manchester by the Sea star Casey Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter during the Actor Oscar Roundtable. "It's such an internal and complicated and still kind of mysterious process. Everything helps, but it's almost all inside."

Affleck says there's nothing fun about acting for him, "in the traditional sense of fun, but it can be very satisfying, which is a kind of fun. It can feel like heavy-lifting, and that's fun."

The Oscar-nominated actor went on to say, "I feel like there's an obligation, this sounds terribly pretentious, if you're an artist, to share your own experience in a way that's truthful and honest: 'this is what I have to share, this is my life.' But also, as member of our society, there's an obligation as a group of artists, as a community, we have an obligation to try to open doors and represent other parts of society more fairly."

More roundtables featuring actresses, screenwriters, songwriters, documentarians, directors, composers and producers will continue throughout February in print and online. Tune in to new episodes of Close Up With 'The Hollywood Reporter' starting Jan. 15 on Sundance TV, and look for clips at THR.com/topic/roundtables with full episodes on THR.com after broadcast.
Jerusalem (AFP) - One of the best-known cinemas in the Palestinian territories closed Wednesday after running out of money, organisers said, six years after a grand reopening ceremony backed by international celebrities.

Demolition work had begun on the Cinema Jenin after it failed to attract enough customers in recent years, said Marcus Vetter, one of those behind the 2010 relaunch supported by rock musician Roger Waters and human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger.

The cinema, the last in Jenin in the northern West Bank, was also used as a cultural centre and theatre but is now expected to be replaced by a mall.

"It is a very disappointing and sad moment," Vetter, a German director, told AFP, explaining the heirs of the original owners had sold it for about 1.7 million euros ($1.8 million).

Built in 1957, Cinema Jenin was considered to be one of the largest and most impressive cinemas in the Palestinian territories but it shut down after the first intifada, or uprising, against Israel began in 1987.

The 2010 relaunch was the brainchild of Vetter and Ismael Khatib, a Palestinian who donated his 11-year-old son's organs to save Israeli children after the boy was shot dead by an Israeli soldier in 2005.

Khatib had made the gesture in an effort to promote peace efforts, but it was viewed as controversial by some Palestinians.

At the time the 335-seater cinema received celebrity backing, including a state-of-the-art sound system paid for by a 100,000 euro ($106,000) donation from Waters, a long-time pro-Palestinian campaigner.

- Conservative attitudes and fears -

Jagger attended the launch, which was hailed as a major moment for culture in the Palestinian territories.

Jenin, a conservative Muslim city, was a major base for the two Palestinian intifadas against Israel, the most recent of which ran from 2000-2005.

Juliano Mer-Khamis, a well-known actor from a mixed Jewish-Arab Israeli family who himself had been involved in the cinema, was shot dead in the city in 2011 by unknown gunmen.

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Asked why the cinema failed to attract clients, Vetter said it was a mixture of conservative attitudes and fears that going to this specific theatre amounted to accepting Israel's nearly 50-year occupation of the West Bank.

"People were not ready to really go there. They were also maybe a little bit scared how it would be perceived if they go."

In 2012, the Israeli left-wing newspaper Haaretz said rumours of a so-called "lack of modesty" at a neighbouring guesthouse where volunteers stayed also damaged the cinema's reputation.

Dina Aseer, a leader at a local arts centre, said they used the cinema to teach young people Dabke, a national dance.

"We have a band of 25 and a Dabke school of 150 students and no place to go," she told AFP. "Cinema Jenin was our home."

Despite the closure, Vetter said he did not regret the project.

"You cannot imagine how much work it was to bring all the equipment there, to find the finance, to fight for it," he told AFP Wednesday.

"It was the story of a dream. And at least it's there, the story happened."
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Chanticleer Holdings, Inc. (HOTR), owner and operator of multiple restaurant brands in the U.S. and abroad, announced today that it will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 7 at 2 PM PST / 5 PM EST at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Mark Roberson, Chief Operating Officer of Chanticleer Holdings, Inc., will be presenting, as well as meeting with investors.

Mr. Roberson will be available for one-on-one meetings throughout the day on Tuesday, December 6 and Wednesday, December 7.



The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/microcap companies and will feature 240 presenting names.

View Chanticleer Holdings' profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/HOTR

News Compliments of Accesswire.

About Chanticleer Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Chanticleer Holdings (HOTR), owns, operates, and franchises fast casual and full service restaurant brands, including American Burger Company, BGR: The Burger Joint, Little Big Burger, Just Fresh and Hooters.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.



For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Contact:

Name: John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau

Phone: (203) 972-9200

Email: jnesbett@institutionalms.com

SOURCE: Chanticleer Holdings, Inc. via LD Micro
Chelsea Handler isnt afraid to get real about her best and worst moments of 2016.

In an exclusive video interview, the star dishes to PEOPLE about all the important moments in her life this past year.

I guess the most joyful moment was the first day I felt the show was where I wanted it to be, Handler, 41, says about her Netflix show Chelsea. That just kind of set the tone for the rest of the year.

On another high note, Handler reveals when she felt most beautiful: The other night I went to an event and I was wearing this Valentino dress. It was something I had never worn before that was beautiful, she recalls. I was like, Oh my god, I look beautiful! And I never, ever think that.

She adds, And then the next day I looked like s  but, you know, things happen.

Although the currently single Handler says she doesnt feel beautiful often, that doesnt mean she isnt confident or think thats the most important quality. I dont feel beautiful a lot but I feel sexy a lot, she clarifies. I think lots of things are sexy and I think confidence is sexy and Ive never been short on that.

The star also offers up her most frustrating moment of the year was when she got sick and couldnt work  proof that the comedian is a real professional. When I get sick I get so frustrated. I got sick this year and thats the most frustrated I get. I hate when I cant work. If Im holding other people up or people feel sorry for me, I hate that feeling. It, like, makes me cry, she admits.

On the flip side, Handler shares that her most hilarious moment was the other night at my house when I had a little mushroom pot. I was laughing so hard I peed a little bit, the comedian reveals while adding that the thought of changing her underwear afterwards was too complicated for her at the time. But thats whats fun about being an adult and having no responsibilities for children.

For more from Chelsea Handler, pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

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The talk show host also reveals that her most surprising moment of the year was when she visited her newly purchased house in Spain and realized that it was even more beautiful than she remembered  a fact that she sarcastically says makes her so relatable. I bought a house in Spain and I showed up after all the construction had been done and it was more beautiful than I had even imagined. I didnt even know I had picked out all those things, Handler says.

And the avid supporter of former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also reminisces about getting to honor Clinton at a Glamour event. Im always inspired by women like that who take their own personal time. Theres so much going on in the world and its so nice to see people that care that much.

Chelsea premieres new episodes every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on Netflix.




Chicago has outranked international destinations like London and Paris and snagged bragging rights to being the best good-time or "most fun" city in Time Out's international survey which polled thousands of city-dwellers in the know.

The reasons for Chicago's strong performance are many. Residents in Chicago give their city top marks for its food and dining scene. It also ranked No. 1 when it comes to great places within walking distance from my home.

Unlike other major metropolises, a night out in Chicago won't empty the wallet -- particularly important given the plethora and variety of things to do.



The results also show that Chicagoans are friendlier than residents of other big cities, with 63 percent of locals saying they struck up conversation in the week before being polled. That compares to London's 40 percent.



Overall, the top 10 list of most fun cities is dominated by cities in the US and Europe. Rounding out the top five spots are Melbourne, Lisbon, New York and Madrid.



For the city index, 20,000 people were polled in 18 cities where Time Out is published.



Respondents were asked to rate their cities based on six key characteristics: dynamism, inspiration, food and drink, community, sociability and affordability.



In addition to being the highest-ranked European city, Lisbon is the city where locals are most likely to know their neighbors and bump into friends randomly, making them the least likely to describe the city as lonely or overwhelming.



In other categories, New Yorkers are most likely to go out than any other city's inhabitants at 6.4 times a month while locals in Barcelona work the least hours.



Meanwhile, compared to the other 17 cities, Chicagoans were the happiest with their work/life balance (58 percent), and also hit the gym more often than others.



Here are the top 10 most fun cities according to readers of Time Out:

1. Chicago

2. Melbourne

3. Lisbon

4. New York

5. Madrid

6. Mexico

7. Sao Paulo

8. Los Angeles

9. Barcelona

10. London
SHANGHAI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China's stock markets fell and commodities prices plunged on Wednesday as government efforts to steady the sliding yuan currency and curb capital outflows added to fears of a liquidity squeeze in the banking system.

Analysts said moves by China's central bank in recent days to shore up the yuan were sucking additional liquidity from the system even as banks and companies start to hoard cash as they typically do heading into the year-end.

State-owned banks were seen selling dollars for a third consecutive day on Wednesday.

That is pushing up borrowing costs, making investments in markets such as commodities and equities more expensive.

Capital outflows spurred by the yuan's recent slide to 8-1/2 year lows in the face of a surging U.S. dollar are likely straining the system further, prompting authorities to intervene to steady the currency and discourage capital flight.

"The stress could continue for a while," said Gu Weiyong, chief investment officer at hedge fund Ucom Investment Co, which specializes in fixed-income investment.

"Whether the situation gets better depends on the willingness of the central bank to inject more liquidity into the system."

Coking coal and steel rebar futures prices were on track for their biggest one-day drop on record as the costs of borrowing money. Investors also sold base metals to shore up cash.

China's commodities prices had already been in sharp retreat after major commodity exchanges introduced further measures earlier this week aimed at taming a spectacular months-long rally which many suspect has been fueled largely by speculation.

Short-term money rates spiked, while bond prices slid.

Short-term borrowing costs in Shanghai continued to rise, with the overnight Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate (SHIBOR) climbing to 2.3160 percent, its highest since Sept.30.

The overnight rate looked set to rise for the 15th session in a row.

The seven-day SHIBOR stood at 2.4960 percent, the highest since last August, while the 3-month rate advanced to its loftiest level since mid-February.

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China shares also fell, with the blue-chip CSI300 Index down 0.7 percent and poised to snap a 7-day winning streak as raw material stocks weighed.

An index tracking non-ferrous metals in Shanghai dropped roughly 1 percent, after slumping 4.1 percent on Tuesday, the biggest one-day fall in 16 months. Meanwhile, coking coal futures plunged over 7 percent.

The volume-weighted average rate of the benchmark 14-day repo traded in the interbank market, a gauge of measuring general liquidity in China, shot to 3.6935 percent, the highest since January.

Bond yields, which move inversely with prices, also rose.

Benchmark 10-year treasury yields advanced to a five-month high of 2.943 percent, while 10-year treasury futures on Wednesday touched the lowest level since late April.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen, Winni Zhou and John Ruwitch; Editing by Kim Coghill)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry on Wednesday expressed serious concern about South Korea and Japan signing a military intelligence pact to share sensitive information on the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear activities. The signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement had originally been expected in 2012, but South Korea postponed it due to domestic opposition. The case for the neighbors to pool intelligence has increased, however, as North Korea has been testing different types of missiles at a faster rate, and claims it has the capability to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the move would add a new unsafe and unstable element to northeast Asia and smacked of a Cold War mentality. "China's military expresses serious concern about this," Yang told a monthly news briefing, adding to previous opposition to the deal from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "We will make all necessary preparations, earnestly perform our duties and fulfill our mission, resolutely protect the country's security interests and resolutely protect regional peace and stability," he added, without elaborating. Beijing is North Korea's most important supporter despite Chinese anger at its missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Earlier this month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the agreement would add to tension on the Korean peninsula. Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the South and its main ally, the United States. China has also been upset with South Korea for agreeing to host an advanced U.S. anti-missile system, saying it threatens China's strategic security. South Korea went ahead with the deal despite opposition from some political parties and a large section of the public, who remain bitter over Japan's actions during its colonial rule of Korea from 1910 until the end of World War Two. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has told Myanmar that they should work together to stabilize their shared border, in the wake of a series of attacks by ethnic armed groups on Myanmar security forces and thousands of people crossing into China to escape the violence. The attacks this month dealt a major blow to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's top goal of reaching peace with ethnic minorities, while China is worried about the risk of violence in northern Myanmar spilling onto its side of the border, as it did last year, when five Chinese people were killed. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday told a visiting Myanmar delegation, led by peace commission chair Tin Myo Win, that Beijing was worried by the deteriorating situation and repeated a call for an end to military action and for talks to resolve disputes. "Both sides should properly use the China-Myanmar high-level diplomatic and military mechanism to jointly maintain the peace and stability of the China-Myanmar border region," a Foreign Ministry statement on Wednesday paraphrased Wang as saying. The sudden escalation in fighting comes as the Myanmar government grapples with a conflict in northwestern Rakhine that has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, posing a new challenge to Nobel peace prize winner Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation. Previous fighting along the border pushed thousands of people into China. And Wang expressed support for Myanmar's internal peace process and China's readiness to help. "China is willing, in accordance with Myanmar's wishes and on the precondition of not interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs, to play a constructive role in this regard," Wang said. The ministry said Tin Myo Win explained the peace process and that Myanmar understood China's concerns and hoped to get Chinese support for ameliorating the situation. Separately, China's Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters that the military had been strengthening patrols along the border and making preparations for any eventualities. He gave no details. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it wanted to develop smooth military-to-military ties with the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump. While the world's two largest economies are frequently at odds over issues like the disputed South China Sea, both have been trying to improve trust between their armed forces to reduce the risk of misunderstanding in any encounters. This month, China and the United States staged a three-day humanitarian relief military drill as part of that trust-building exercise. New concern looms with Trump's election as U.S. president. He lambasted China on the campaign trail and has suggested Japan and South Korea be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Asked about Trump's election, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said it went without saying there were tensions in the military relationship and China hoped the United States would respect its core interests and concerns. "China is willing to work hard together with the defense department of the next U.S. government to promote the healthy and stable development of military-to-military relations," Yang told a monthly news briefing. Trump will take over as president in January. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Robert Birsel)
Total gas imports surged 20.9% to-date.

Increased demand for heating will ensure China's appetite for natural gas imports to remain elevated over the winter months, says BMI.

The research house notes that the outlook for the longer term remains equally positive, with the government expected to enact further pro-gas policies to clean up the national energy mix and create additional demand to absorb new contracted gas volumes.

Here's more from BMI:

Following a record gas purchasing spree in September, China imported a more moderate 3.8mn metric tonnes of natural gas in October 2016, according to figures released by the General Customs Administration.

Nonetheless, imports for the month still grew 6.4% on year, as a seasonal uptick in heating needs entered into full swing, driving overall demand October pipeline gas imports retreated slightly, falling 0.3% y-o-y amid lower volumes from Myanmar and Turkmenistan.

This was partly offset by LNG imports, which grew 14.9% y-o-y, on the back of upswing in deliveries from mega-projects in Australia and Qatar.

Additionally, state-owned giant PetroChina reportedly negotiated two-thirds of its contracted LNG volumes from some suppliers to be delivered during the winter months, contributing to stronger offtake.

Total gas imports to date (M1016) are up 20.9% on year.

The increase in imports is driven by comparable growth in domestic gas demand, which posted yearly growth for the 13th consecutive month in October.

We note that the pace of growth could slow down over the coming months, as the government seeks to avoid a repeat of a gas shortfall (particularly in the north and north-eastern provinces) seen in 2015, when stronger-than-anticipated demand forced it to ration gas supplies to certain industrial segments and impose consumption caps on residential users.

CNPC and CNOOC have already made plans to increase gas supplies over Q416-Q117, while PetroChina received permission to raise city-gate gas prices by 10.0% until March 2017 to control overconsumption.

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This supports our long-held view for China's gas imports to see positive growth beyond 2016, as we expect to see continuous regulatory support from Beijing to drive gas consumption over the medium-to-long term committed to its goal to increase the share of natural gas in its overall energy mix from about 6.0% currently to 10 .0% by 2020, in a bid to arrest severe air pollution that continues to plague its major urban centres.

Moreover, incentivising gas use over alternative fuels such as coal will be key to avert risks of an oversupply, as the start-up of several long-term contracts (mostly with projects in Australia and the US) over the coming two to three years is set to expand China's annual LNG import obligation by 12.0-15.0bcm.





More From Singapore Business Review


By Elias Glenn and Shu Zhang

TANGSHAN/GUIYANG, China (Reuters) - Toilet manufacturer Fenghua Ceramics Co is building a factory over farmland in north China's Tangshan city, its first major investment since 2000. While it plans to boost annual production by 20 percent, it won't be hiring more workers.

It's a familiar dilemma vexing many small- and medium-sized enterprises across the country. Even as sales slowly improve, land and labour costs are rising and squeezing profit margins.

The government has lauded this year's steady economic growth and the rebound in private sector investment, saying it shows stronger domestic demand, but economists warn the recent uptick may be short-lived as companies struggle to navigate a business landscape that heavily favours state-linked enterprises.

And not all sectors will be able to create the thousands of jobs policymakers hope for even as investment picks up.

"(The recovery) is still driven by previous monetary easing rather than sustainable changes in structural growth and reform," said Capital Economics economist Julian Evans-Pritchard.

"The question is then what's going to happen to sales growth  it's probably not going to recover much further than it already has," he said. "If I was a Chinese firm, I'd have some concerns about the macroeconomic outlook over the next couple of years."

China Beige Book, a research firm that surveys more than 3,000 companies quarterly, said firms saw revenues rise in the third quarter, but profit margins fell and cash flow deteriorated.

"Profit margins are under threat because labour costs are rising every year. We have to upgrade the production process to remain competitive in the long term," said Daniel Dong, export manager at Fenghua, which has sales of 160 million yuan ($23.3 million) a year.

Corporate underperformance is worrisome as the private sector is vital to China's economic health, accounting for 80 percent of employment in urban areas and more than 60 percent of investment.

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Private investment growth in January-October quickened to 2.9 percent, off a record low this year, but remains far below the boom years of above 20 percent a few years ago. Its performance also lags fixed-asset investment by state firms, which rose 20.5 percent in the first 10 months of the year.

STATE SUPPORT

Local governments have come to the aid of private enterprise with subsidies and other assistance, in part because they are rewarded for encouraging entrepreneurship and improving the business environment.

Their support is in line with a major push by Premier Li Keqiang to put government to work for business.

Guizhou Yangsheng Medical Equipment and Yangcheng Bakery operating in the southwestern province of Guizhou, among the fastest growing in China, received government help with capital raising and will use the funds for expansion.

Yangsheng Medical sells to more than 1,000 hospitals across China and aims to be a bigger brand name, joining the tide of domestic companies the government is supporting to take market share from foreign names.

Yangcheng Bakery, with a large factory in the provincial capital Guiyang, plans to open shops in every county in the province. Owner Zhou Zhaoming is adding new local snack products to ride the province's push into tourism, importing foreign technology and hiring more staff to develop new products.

In Moganshan, a mountain area southwest of Shanghai, entrepreneur Shen Yang and a group of partners have received subsidies of several hundred yuan per square meter for the renovation of farm homes to be leased out as hotels.

The state may be doing more than previously to help private firms, but they have far less insulation than their state-owned counterparts.

Companies say the big challenge is a general slowdown in the economy combined with a highly competitive market where firms are sustaining production and employment levels despite pressure on margins.

Indeed, there have been few signs of rising unemployment even in hard-hit sectors such as steel, with local governments offering subsidies and incentives to companies that avoid layoffs.

Tian Weiguang, a manager at Sunshine Ceramics in Tangshan, says his industry is coming to a crossroads and must find ways to improve productivity.

"There won't be rapid growth, but we can likely keep stable. The industry is at a point where it needs to adjust. If you don't upgrade, you'll have a hard time surviving," Tian said.

($1 = 6.8820 Chinese yuan)

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
shenzhen

Brace yourselves.

China's about to open its "Wild West," tech-heavy stock market to the world.

Last Friday, Beijing announced that the Shenzhen-Hong connect will go live on December 5. The link will give international investors access into China's smaller, tech-heavy Shenzhen exchange.

Authorities toyed with the idea of launching the link last year, but the plan was delayed following the August 2015 market crash  back when China's currency, the renminbi, was devalued.

The Shenzhen connect follows the November 2014 launch of the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect, which allowed international investors to access China's larger Shanghai exchange.

Notably, the Shenzhen exchange is a bit of a wild card and is the second busiest in the world  despite being only the 7th largest. Most of the firms listed are small and unknown and their overall valuations are higher than those in Hong Kong, making them more expensive. Plus, the exchange is reportedly known for speculative trading.

China's cabinet originally approved plans for the Shenzhen link back in August, although, at the time, analysts were not expecting a huge inflow of funds.

The recent weakness of the yuan versus the US dollar "may temporarily deter foreign (dollar-based) investors' interest in the A-share market on FX loss concerns," a Goldman Sachs team led by Kinger Lau wrote in a note. "Also, Shenzhen A-shares are relatively less covered by foreign brokers than those in Shanghai, which is a key input into the international investors' stock selection process."

"The Connect will benefit Hong Kong stocks more, because more money will flow southward due to yuan depreciation worries, and the huge discount Hong Kong small-caps enjoy," David Dai, a Shanghai-based investors director at Nanhai Fund Management Co. told Reuters on Monday.

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Untitled

An interesting angle to the Shenzhen connect's inauguration is the timing: the link will be going live at a time when China struggles with ongoing capital outflows and a weaker renminbi.

"There are undoubted pressures on the capital account as the leakage from outflows caused by both a strong dollar and expectations of further RMB weakness, so the authorities are probably quite keen to open access to its capital markets through the connect and similar to the reason why the yuans assimilation into the IMFs SDR occurred so quickly," a Jefferies team led by global equity strategist Sean Darby wrote in a note.

Notably, there will be a daily quota on the Shenzhen link: international investors can trade up to 13 billion yuan per day of A-shares in Shenzhen stocks, while mainland investors can trade up to 10.5 billion yuan per day of Hong Kong stocks, according to Jefferies.

Screen Shot 2016 11 29 at 12.13.13 PM

Zooming out for the bigger picture, the decision to move forward with the Shenzhen exchange is seen as another play by China to slowly intermingle with global markets and to further advance its currency on the international stage. But it also happens to follow MSCI Inc.'s June decision to delay including China's domestic equities in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index for the third time.

At the time, Remy Briand, MSCI Managing Director and Global Head of Research, said that China had taken significant steps in "addressing the remaining accessibility issues [but] international institutional investors clearly indicated that they would like to see further improvements in the accessibility of the China A shares market before its inclusion in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index."

In other words, investors were still uncomfortable putting their money to work in China, at least in regards to concerns about accessibility.

And now, the Shenzhen connect could bolster the argument for including China's A-shares on global equity benchmarks, a Goldman Sachs team led by Kinger Lau argued in a note.

Screen Shot 2016 11 29 at 12.01.17 PM

It's worth adding that there are differences between the Shenzhen link and the Shanghai link. While the Shanghai exchange is home to state-owned-enterprises  or SEOs, financials, and energy, the Shenzhen is tech-heavy, and includes consumer-related and healthcare companies. (As an interesting side note: this somewhat mimics China's agenda of moving from and investment-based economy to a consumption-based one.)

This "could generate greater enthusiasm from international investors," argued a Societe Generale team led by Frank Benzimra, the head of Asia Equity Strategy, in a note to clients. Moreover, "there are fewer dual listed companies, which were not attractive value propositions at the time of the Shanghai connect launch due to the premium at which these stocks traded versus their offshore peers."

However, other analysts remain skeptical that the move will actually grab investor attention in light of China's overall economic slowdown. Plus, the fact that the exchange is known for speculative trading has kept some investors feeling "wary," according to the Wall Street Journal's Anjie Zheng.

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The Good Wife and Sex and the City star Chris Noth will return to television as the lead in Gone, a new procedural series based on the best-seller One Kick from Chelsea Cain.

The one-hour drama has gotten a 12-episode, straight-to-series order from NBCUniversal International Studios, German network RTL and France's TF1, and will be the first show greenlit under the company's groundbreaking new agreement with the European channels to develop, finance and produce U.S. procedurals directly for international TV.

Matt Lopez (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) created Gone, which follows Kit "Kick" Lannigan, the survivor of a child abduction case. Noth plays Frank Booth, the FBI agent who rescues Kick. Years later, Booth convinces Kick, who has become an expert in martial arts and firearms, to join him on a special task force dedicated to solving abductions and missing persons cases. Lopez, JoAnn Alfano (Resurrection, 30 Rock), NBCUniversal International Studios' executive vp, scripted programming and Sara Colleton (Dexter) will executive produce. Gone is set to launch in late 2017/early 2018.

The series is the first in an experiment by NBCUniversal, RTL and TF1 to address what has become a major problem on the international television market: the lack of high-quality, U.S.-style procedurals. These episode-of-the-week style cop shows have fallen out of critical favor in the U.S. but are still very much in demand in Europe.

NBCUni International Television Production, TF1 and RTL will each contribute a third of the financing for the series they make together and will share equally in global revenues generated by the shows. RTL and TF1 will hold all rights for their respective territories, while NBCUniversal will license the shows in the rest of the world, including North America.

"For us, it's financially right in the middle: more expensive than just acquiring a finished show but cheaper than producing something all on our own," Jorg Graf, executive vp, production and acquisition at RTL, told THR.

Fabrice Bailly, head of programs and acquisition for TF1, said being involved early on, as co-producers on Gone, will give the European channels "creative input, and the series can reflect what we and the audience are looking for."

Read more: Matt Czuchry on His 'Gilmore Girls' Return and Why He Never Watched 'The Good Wife' Finale
London (United Kingdom) (AFP) - CIA director John Brennan warned Wednesday that tearing up the Iran nuclear deal, as US President-elect Donald Trump promised during his election campaign, would be "disastrous".

"I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement," Brennan told the BBC, adding: "It would be disastrous, it really would."

He said it would be "almost unprecedented" for one administration to tear up an agreement made by a previous one.

Brennan warned "it could lead to a weapons programme inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programmes, with military conflict".

Since his election, Trump has been more circumspect, not publicly discussing the international deal with Tehran aimed at preventing the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons.

But his pick to succeed Brennan as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo, is a strident critic of the agreement.

In the BBC interview, Brennan also expressed hope there would be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow.

But he warned: "I think President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is they had pledged."

Trump had said he might authorise the torture of detainees, including waterboarding, to gain information, but has since said he had received advice that made him rethink his approach.

"I would counsel my successor not to go down that road any more," Brennan said.

"Without a doubt the CIA really took some body blows as a result of its experiences in the detention interrogation programme.... I think the overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business."
Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan said Wednesday that President-elect Donald Trump ending the Iran nuclear deal would be the height of folly. If the deal is called off, Brennan warned it could lead to Iran and other countries acquiring nuclear weapons.

I think it would be disastrous. First of all for one administration to tear up an agreement that a previous administration made would be unprecedented, the outgoing CIA chief told BBC in an interview that aired Wednesday.

It could lead to a weapons program inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programs, Brennan said. So I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement.

This was Brennans first interview with British media and aired as he approaches the end of his four-year term. The CIA chief, who steps down in January next year, also opposed Trumps plans to reinstate waterboarding and other torture methods used to interrogate suspects, adding he would disobey the president-elects orders if he was ordered to use such techniques.

I would counsel my successor not to go down that route any more. Without a doubt, the CIA really took some body blows as a result of its experiences in intention interrogation program. And some that were very, very damaging to our reputation as well as to our officers. The overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business, Brennan said.

Trump, during his campaign, indicated his administration would like to work closely with Russia. However, Brennan warned the real estate mogul to be cautious in his dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I hope there is going to be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow, he said. President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is that they have pledged.

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Over the past 90 days, Clearwater Paper Corporation CLW has grossly underperformed the Zacks categorized Paper & Paper Products industry due to continued macroeconomic headwinds. This Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) has an average return of 1.9% for the last 90 days compared with 8.2% for the industry. It appears to be grappling with numerous challenges that are likely to weigh on its performance in the forthcoming quarters as well.



The earnings estimates of the company for the current quarter have declined 24.6% in the last 90 days to 89 cents per share with significant downward estimate revisions. The earnings estimates for the current year have also reduced 9.1% from $3.62 to $3.29 per share in the last 90 days, signifying negative investor confidence.



In order to optimize its operations through better asset utilization and improve its lackluster performance, Clearwater has recently decided to permanently close its Oklahoma City converting facility along with two of its tissue machines that are currently operating at the tissue facility in Neenah, WI. The Oklahoma facility, which converts tissue in to packaged products, is likely to run till Mar 31, 2017.

CLEARWATER PAPR Price

CLEARWATER PAPR Price | CLEARWATER PAPR Quote

The machine shutdown will reduce production capacity at the Winconsin facility by 32,000 tons from the beginning of 2017. The facility will then operate three remaining tissue machines to manufacture a whole range of tissue products.



While the permanent closure will affect 131 employees at the Oklahoma facility, about 85 employees will be affected by the machine shutdown at the Winconsin facility. Clearwater intends to assist the retrenched employees in vocational training and other educational benefits to enable them to get employed as early as possible. The company expects the restructuring actions to save $7$9 million in 2017.



Clearwater manufactures diversified paper and related products including, consumer tissue, away-from-home tissue, parent roll tissue, bleached paperboard and pulp. The company sells these products to major retailers and wholesale distributors, including grocery, drug, mass merchants and discount stores. The company also manufactures bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters.



Some better-ranked stocks in the industry include Fibria Celulose S.A. FBR, Gerdau S.A. GGB and Israel Chemicals Ltd. ICL, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Fibria Celulose has beaten estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters for an average earnings surprise of 24.6%.



Gerdau has a forward P/E (F1) of 85.6x.



Israel Chemicals has long-term earnings growth expectation of 1.6% and has beaten estimates twice in the trailing four quarters for an average positive earnings surprise of 15.3%.



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(Adds details on ICE volumes, quotes from CME and finance professor)

By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - CME Group Inc will set a monthly record for trading volumes in November, a top executive said on Wednesday, as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's surprise victory has injected uncertainty into markets.

Three of CME's top 10 trading days for volumes have occurred since Trump's election on Nov. 8, and volumes have been averaging more than 20 million contracts per day, said John Pietrowicz, CME's chief financial officer, on a webcast of a JP Morgan investor conference.

That is up about 45 percent from November 2015, when the average daily volume was 13.7 million contracts.

At rival Intercontinental Exchange Inc, volumes in November were set to be up 10 percent from a year ago, although not an overall record, spokeswoman Kelly Loeffler said in an email.

Republican Trump's win may continue to support strong volumes and volatility in markets because he is "an inherently volatile guy who's hard to predict," said Craig Pirrong, a finance professor at the University of Houston.

New York businessman Trump has never previously held public office. He has spoken about stimulating the U.S. economy and improving infrastructure, driving trading in futures and options for products ranging from Treasuries to metals, CME executives said at the conference.

Infrastructure investments would require the use of copper and other commodities and "customers are recognizing, 'Hey there's going to be some price volatility that we hadn't factored in before,'" Derek Sammann, CME's head of commodities and options, said on the webcast.

On Nov. 9, the day after the election, futures and options trading volumes set a one-day record of 44.5 million contracts at CME, which owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other markets. The previous record was 39.6 million contracts on Oct. 15, 2014.

On Nov. 23, CME set a record open interest of 117 million contracts, beating the previous record from June.

Story continues

CME's Pietrowicz said a new president with new policies could create risks and uncertainty "depending on your points of view." CME's markets were "really providing a lot of opportunity for our customers to take point of view in terms of that kind of level of uncertainty," he said.

Uncertainty about global oil production has also helped drive trading in energy markets.

ICE Brent crude was headed for a daily volume record on Wednesday, after some of the world's largest oil producers agreed to curb production for the first time since 2008, according to the exchange.

That market was on track for its second largest volume month, ICE said.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Grant McCool)
(Adds details of the settlement and comment)

By Tracy Rucinski

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Coal mining companies Alpha Natural Resources Holdings Inc and Contura Energy Inc have settled a lawsuit filed by a West Virginia regulator that accused them of engaging in a $100 million fraud, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had accused executives of Contura, which bought Alpha's best mines in its bankruptcy, of failing to account for $100 million in liabilities that were discovered after Alpha emerged from bankruptcy.

The regulator filed a lawsuit on Nov. 17 and said it was concerned that the undisclosed liabilities threatened Alpha's viability and thus hundreds of millions of dollars of mine cleanups in the state of West Virginia.

In exchange for West Virginia dropping its lawsuit, Contura will provide the regulator a $4 million letter of credit and up to $4.5 million guaranty on Alpha's cleanup obligations.

In addition, Alpha will grant the regulator a mortgage in property that was last appraised at $6.3 million a year ago as part of the settlement, which is subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia.

DEP cabinet secretary Randy Huffman said in a statement the agreement provides the state with added assurance Alpha will carry out its mine cleanup work. "It also helps to ensure that Alpha will remain a viable operating company with sufficient resources to perform required land reclamation and water treatment," Huffman said.

Three of Contura's top executives, including Chief Executive Officer Kevin Crutchfield, were scheduled to give depositions on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 as part of the West Virginia lawsuit.

The executives had been with Alpha until it emerged from bankruptcy in July.

In separate statements, Alpha and Contura said they were pleased with the resolution.

"We have always been of the view that Contura's officers had acted in good faith in all respects, including in connection with the Alpha plan process, and we welcome this positive resolution," Neale Trangucci, independent director of Contura, said in an emailed statement.

Story continues

Alpha Chief Executive David Stetson said that approval of the settlement, along with a 2017 mining plan that takes advantage of a stronger coal market and maintains a focus on cost savings, "will keep Alpha sustainable in the long run."

Alpha filed for bankruptcy in August 2015 and emerged a year later, after selling its best mines to its lenders who formed Contura Energy.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Tom Hals and Tom Brown)
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Coca-Cola formally has opened its first factory in the Gaza Strip, the company announced Wednesday, in a move that could create hundreds of jobs in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave.

The bottling facility had been partially open for several months but began full operations after a ceremony Wednesday.

The $20-million (19-million euro) investment is the company's first plant in Gaza and will create around 120 jobs immediately, a statement said, with an eventual expansion to 270.

"The opening of our first Gaza plant is an important milestone," Zahi Khouri, said the founder and chairman of National Beverage Company (NBC) responsible for Coca-Cola in the Palestinian territories.

"Our new Gaza plant shows our ongoing commitment to investing and supporting progress in communities around the world, Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola CEO, said in a statement.

There are three other NBC bottling facilities in the West Bank but the new Gaza plant could be a bonus for the struggling enclave's economy.

Between 2008 and 2014, the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, has gone through three wars with Israel.

The Jewish state maintains a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave which it says is necessary for security reasons.

The unemployment rate in the coastal territory is over 40 percent, with close to two-thirds of young people out of work.

The United Nations has estimated the Palestinian economy could double in size if the Israeli occupation ended.

The World Bank said in September that just 10.7 percent of the 11,000 houses that were totally destroyed in the 2014 war had so far been rebuilt and about 50 percent of partially and severely damaged houses were still awaiting repair.
College students from Connecticut have been hailed as heroes after they rescued four kittens that were stuck in a drainpipe.

Read: High School Football Players Rescue Tiny Cat From Storm Drain, Hours Before Big Game

"I just saw their eyes," said Kelly Cates, a student at Quinnipiac University, "they were maybe 20 feet back in the pipe."

Cates was one of several students who noticed the four kittens trapped late Monday night. According to WFSB, Cates jumped in the drain immediately, armed with the flashlight on her phone, and attempted to free the poor felines.

When she was not successful, students were able to flag down campus groundskeepers, public safety officers, and local animal control to intervene.

Rescuers were also met with an additional challenge: It was storming.

To prevent the kittens from drowning, rescuers laid down sand bags and a plastic tarp to stop the drain from filling up, a press statement reported.

Volunteers continued their efforts until 12 hours later, when they were finally able to pull the kittens to safety.

"I love cats," Cates said. "I wanted to do anything I could to get them out."

"We are happy to report all four kittens are now safe, dry and fed," Quinnipiac University wrote in a statement on Facebook.

Read: Two Doberman Pinschers Rescued After They Somehow Became Lodged in a Storm Drain

All four kittens were turned in to a nearby rescue, where they were given medical attention, spayed and neutered. They will be available for adoption in a few weeks.

According to WFSB, the mother cat is still at the bottom of the storm drain. Officials believe she is not trapped and can come and go as she pleases.

Watch: Dedicated Rescue Crew Spends 33 Hours Rescuing Kitten Trapped in Storm Drain

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Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's Senate has approved a revised peace accord between the government and the FARC rebel group, taking a first step toward ratifying an agreement that was rejected by voters.

The text, which was renegotiated after an earlier version was given a thumbs down in the October 2 national referendum, now must be approved by the lower house of the Colombian Congress.

Members of the Centro Democratico, the right-wing party that has led the opposition to a peace deal, walked out of the Senate in protest before Tuesday night's vote.

The measure then passed by a vote of 75-0.

"Long live peace, long live Colombia," shouted Senate president Mauricio Lizcano as he closed the session.

The accord seeks to end a 52-year-old armed conflict between the FARC -- Colombia's largest leftist guerrilla group -- and the state.

Colombian voters, however, wary of a deal that goes easy on rebel leaders, dealt an unexpected blow to the process when they voted against it.

The sides returned to the negotiating table in Havana and produced a new version that President Juan Manuel Santos insists takes into account the opposition's objections.

Rather than risk rejection in another referendum, Santos, who won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, decided to submit the revised accord to the Congress for approval.

His chief rival, ex-president Alvaro Uribe, has rejected the modified deal.

Uribe has insisted, for instance, that FARC leaders should not be allowed to run for office while still serving sentences for atrocities.

He demands any new accord be passed by referendum.

The conflict has killed at least 260,000 people and displaced seven million, according to authorities.
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Kennedy Leonard scored 19 points and No. 21 Colorado had seven players score in double figures in a 112-54 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday.

It was just Colorado's second 100-point game in 15 years, and tied for the fifth highest-scoring game in program history.

Leonard made six of her nine field-goal attempts in the first half and scored 14 points as Colorado jumped out to a 52-23 lead. Brecca Thomas hit an open pull-up jumper to put Colorado over the century mark with 2:40 left.

The Buffs entered The Associated Press poll this week for its first national ranking since Jan. 13, 2014.

Colorado (7-0), which beat No. 17 Kentucky 79-69 earlier this month, blocked 16 shots against SE Louisiana - including three apiece by Zoe Beard-Fails and Makenzie Ellis.

Charliee Dugas led SE Louisiana (2-4) with 12 points. Taylin Underwood, coming off a career-high 35-point game on Friday, was held to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Jakarta (AFP) - Multinational companies are selling consumer products containing palm oil from Indonesian plantations where workers suffer rights abuses, Amnesty International warned Wednesday, listing problems including child labour and exposure to toxic chemicals.

The edible vegetable oil is a key ingredient in many everyday goods, from biscuits to shampoo and make-up, and growing demand has led to a boom in the industry in Indonesia, which is the world's top producer of the commodity.

But palm oil has long been controversial, and a new Amnesty report said it found a "wide range of abuses" at Indonesian plantations. Palm oil from the sites could be traced to nine global firms, including Kellogg's, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever, it said.

Amnesty spoke to 120 workers on plantations owned by two subsidiaries of Singapore-based agribusiness Wilmar International and three Wilmar suppliers, on Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo.

"Companies are turning a blind eye to exploitation of workers in their supply chain," said Meghna Abraham, senior investigator at Amnesty International.

"Big brands continue to profit from appalling abuses. These findings will shock any consumer who thinks they are making ethical choices in the supermarket when they buy products that claim to use sustainable palm oil."

Among the abuses Amnesty said it had uncovered were children as young as eight doing hazardous work on plantations, and women being forced to toil for long hours for salaries below the minimum wage.

Workers suffered injuries from paraquat, a toxic chemical used as a weed killer, were put at risk by exposure to smog from forest fires, and had to work long hours to meet "ridiculously high targets", Amnesty said.

The palm oil industry has been repeatedly accused over the years of failing to protect workers' rights and tearing down protected rainforest to make way for plantations, prompting many companies to pledge greater efforts to improve working conditions and halt deforestation.

Story continues

Wilmar said in a statement that it "recognises and respects the rights of all workers", and welcomed the report.

"It helps highlight labour issues within the wider palm oil industry and in Indonesia specifically," Wilmar said, adding it put great effort into dealing with labour issues and was already investigating allegations raised in the report.

Unilever, which supplies a range of top consumer products from Magnum ice cream to Dove toiletries, said it recognised that "much more needs to be done to tackle these deeply concerning social issues", and pledged to play "a leading role in addressing this challenge".

Kellogg's said it was committed to getting palm oil from "certified sources that are environmentally appropriate".

Colgate-Palmolive, whose brands include Colgate toothpaste, said it was concerned about the allegations and would "hold Wilmar accountable for addressing any issues".

Nestle said it was working to "improve supplier behaviour in the palm oil industry".

The company added: "Practices such as those identified in Amnesty Internationals report have no place in our supply chain."
women in combat

Congress just nixed a plan that would have made women register for the military draft.

Lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees stripped the requirement of women to register for Selective Service that was inserted into the forthcoming $618 billion defense bill, which will be voted on by both chambers within the next few days, according to The Washington Post.

Current law requires all male US citizens aged 18-25 to register for the draft. The provision requiring women to do the same was part of early drafts of the bill, added after a number of military leaders and women's rights advocates offered support for it following Defense Secretary Ash Carter's removal of restrictions placed on women in combat.

While the bill doesn't change the Selective Service System, it does call for a review of whether a military draft is still worthwhile and cost-effective, according to Military Times. The last time a draft was ordered was during the Vietnam War.

Dropping women from draft registration may be a signal that the next Defense Secretary could reinstitute the policy excluding women from some direct combat jobs, such as infantry and artillery. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the policy change in 2013, but since Congress never passed a law affirming it, a stroke of the pen could roll it back.

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Lyle Denniston, Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent, looks at a dilemma facing an eight-person Supreme Court trying to decide the legality of an immigrant detention law.

courtfreize535

The Supreme Court has a long history of staying away from constitutional rulings unless they just cant be avoided. It will even give a federal law an unusual interpretation, if that seems necessary to avoid striking it down as unconstitutional. But what if a law has a high potential for violating the Constitution, but there may not be a Supreme Court majority to think up a way to save the law by giving it a new meaning?

That was the dilemma the court faced on Wednesday, as it spent an animated  and sometimes confusing  hour examining how much power the federal government has to keep in prison-like detention perhaps tens of thousands of foreign nationals who have entered the U.S. illegally, while officials consider whether to deport them.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., appeared to have in mind that very dilemma by suggesting, on the one hand, that the court has no authority to rewrite the immigrant detention law but, on the other hand, it technically does not even have before it the question of whether that law, as written, might violate immigrants constitutional rights to due process. And there was a further complication: finding a way to deal with this situation may be elusive, because a realistic possibility is that the eight Justices will split 4-to-4 on deciding the case.

The detention dispute, in the case of Jennings v. Rodriguez, was taken to the court by federal immigration officials, because they are deeply disturbed about limitations on detention powers imposed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Because the appeals court thought that prolonged detention of undocumented immigrants without a chance to contest their confinement would be unconstitutional, it chose to avoid that question by requiring the government to hold a potential release hearing for every detained immigrant every six months, or else release them to live in the U.S. Moreover, it imposed a tough test that the government would have to meet at such hearings in order to continue the detention.

Story continues

The governments top lawyer in the Supreme Court, Acting Solicitor General Ian H. Gershengorn, protested at Wednesdays hearing that the appeals court had imposed a rigid, one-size-fits-all regime, and did so when there really is no constitutional problem to avoid. Congress clearly had authority to give the government broad power to hold potential deportees, and that should settle the matter, Gershengorn contended.

The courts more liberal Justices, however, repeatedly pressed him on how long detention would have to continue before it would be unconstitutional. At one point, Gershengorn seemed to be saying that 20 years would be too long, but it was not clear that he meant that as the only limit.

The courts more conservative Justices, though, displayed deep skepticism about the Ninth Circuit Courts interpretation of the detention law, and thus seemed inclined to just overturn that ruling and send the case back. But there was no indication that they could garner five votes to take that approach.

While Justice Anthony M. Kennedy might be voting with the three more conservative Justices on that approach, he has expressed concern in the past about prolonged detention of undocumented immigrants, and he might well see a constitutional problem lurking in the absence of a regular hearing to test continued detention.

A lawyer for the immigrants who won the case in the Ninth Circuit, American Civil Liberties Union attorney Ahilan T. Arulanantham of Los Angeles, defended the Ninth Circuit Courts ruling, but much of his argument seemed to be driven by deep constitutional doubts over detention law if it did not provide something along the lines of what the appeals court had done. When he attempted to suggest some alternative ways to read the law at issue, the Chief Justice sharply retorted that the court could not just write a different statute.

But when the immigrants attorney talked of a due process problem with the lack of any meaningful inquiry into the justification for prolonged confinement, both the Chief Justice and Justice Kennedy said that the constitutional issue had not been decided by the appeals court, so it was not before the Justices.

Justice Elena Kagan sought to counter that last point, saying that the Ninth Circuit Court had actually given a lot of thought to the constitutional question that might surround prolonged detention, and gave the law an interpretation precisely because it felt that was constitutionally required to save it. The court could take up the constitutional issue, she suggested, to devise some outer limit on detention authority.

Among the courts four liberals, Justice Stephen G. Breyer was the only one who seemed to be inclined to try to re-interpret the detention law in order to keep from having to strike it down. He would read the law to require hearings only when a specific immigrant might well have a strong claim for not being deported.

If the court does split on what the detention law means, but also is split on the constitutionality of the law as written, it could wind up divided 4-to-4. That would have the effect of upholding the Ninth Circuit Court ruling, but without setting any precedent that would apply to other cases of detention.

In that event, the court might simply choose to sit on the case until a new ninth Justice is on the bench, and then start all over with a new review later in the current term, or in the next term.

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.

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Photo credit: Chip Somodevillaundefined

From Esquire

Day by day, as Trump inches ever-closer to the Oval Office, many on the left have been desperately hoping for a miracle. By now you've probably heard that the founding fathers did in fact provide at least a sliver of hope in setting up the Electoral College in the well known You Can't Trust These Idiots clause. Nonetheless, the fact that electors are often chosen from the ranks of the state party faithful-those unlikely to risk turning on their party-makes the prospect exceedingly rare.

Still, there are occasionally those who find the idea of voting for their party's nominee beyond the pale. This past weekend, a Texas elector, Art Sisneros, announced he would be quitting his position. Sisneros made his decision due to an abundance of faith.

As he explained in a blog post:

I do not see how Donald Trump is biblically qualified to serve in the office of the Presidency. Of the hundreds of angry messages that I have received, not one has made a convincing case from scripture otherwise. If Trump is not qualified and my role, both morally and historically, as an elected official is to vote my conscience, then I can not and will not vote for Donald Trump for President. I believe voting for Trump would bring dishonor to God. The reality is Trump will be our President, no matter what my decision is. Many are furious that I am willing to have this discussion publicly. Personally, I wish more civil officers would be honest about their convictions.

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I called Sisneros on Monday to find out a little more.

For starters, he's an industrial welding supplies salesman from Dayton, Texas. Sisneros says he ran for the position in the state convention in May without fully understanding the historical significance of it. There is no state law in Texas directing how electors should vote, but they do sign a pledge to the state GOP. "I hadn't wrestled with the moral implications of signing a pledge, and the moral implications, as a Christian, how I should view my voting," Sisneros said.

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It wasn't that Trump had changed over the last few months, rather that he himself did.

"As my convictions grew, Trump, last year, and Trump this year, both would've been unqualified in my eyes," he said. "It was more of a moral, religious conviction that I shouldn't be voting for a man that is basically untrustworthy and doesn't have any kind of ethical standards."

Sisneros, a Presbyterian, says his faith plays a big role in all aspects of his life. He also believes strongly in the intent of the Faithless Elector loophole, although, in his personal case, he didn't feel comfortable going back on the pledge he made to the Texas GOP.

"The main reason I didn't choose that route, there was a pledge, so I signed that pledge, and it was my word I would vote for the nominee," he said. "I disagree that the pledge should be there, but they elected me on the assumption I would honor that pledge."

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It's small consolation to the left.

Sisneros' spot will be replaced by another Texas Republican. Still, one has to wonder, why there aren't more people like Sisneros, recoiling from Trump.

"We have fostered this culture of it's our team against their team," he said. "So all of the people of faith, evangelical, moral majority type people, I think they are driven by the fear of who the Democrat is, far more than what is right for the nation. A new revelation to me is that the people on the left are often the same way. Our team is good, their team is bad"

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COT reports show managed money + others + small traders increased longs by a huge 26k contracts, or 20%. This was all done just last week. Open interest is 254k, a few thousand below the record of 262k (X out spring of 2008). Cotton keeps getting praise and adulation from big money, big trade houses, big research, and even the little guys. Is there a bear out there? If there is, we dont know him. One wise trader and analyst in his daily letter recommended farmers get up to 50% hedged in new crop. That is excellent advice, one that few farmers will take, but since mid July the market has given them a few dozen days by which to sell Dec 17 over 7000. This contract is worthy of a hedge now, no matter what one thinks of future price. When and if it dips to -65c, its not worth a hedge.



Spec positions in China for long copper and rubber are highest since? Our charts dont go back far enough, but the 5 year span shows copper net long by 45k and rubber by 19.5k. The cotton futures in China has piggy-backed on industrial markets over there. Below is a 12 month chart of physical prices for various grades in China.

Varner View

JPMorgan says cotton is its favorite ag market, but then only see a potential for 75c in Q3. This is +3c from where July is, hardly a move to trade for. However, if we apply a +/- 3c variation, then a range from 72c to 78c is roughly the JPM price box. JPM sees Q4 price right back to where things are now, so we are left to wonder just why they think cotton is the best horse of the ag markets. JPM calls for a US acreage increase of 6%, a little below our estimate of +8% to +12%. US production is estimated at 16.8 Mb, close to our number of 17.1 Mb. Their new crop world consumption of 113.4 Mb indicates another 9.4 Mb reduction in world stocks, with a production of 104.0 Mb. This production level is basically static, and we think does not take into account incentives to expand acreage next year.

Technicals

Momentum has turned slightly negative. Support is clustering around Fridays low, which coincides with the 21 and 34 day averages at 7035. There have been 6 negative reversals and 6 positive reversals since early Aug. No breakouts, just chop.

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Audi and Lego have partnered on an installation at Design Miami that asks what we will do with all of that extra time when cars drive themselves.

Called "The Extra Hour" the piece, officially unveiled on Wednesday takes an Audi and repurposes it as a live and work space as well as a mode of transport. The exhibit places the car at the centre of a clock that has grown to incorporate a 25th 'Lego' hour, representing the time we're about to gain from this technological breakthrough. A time when we can use our hands for things other than driving a car and unlock creativity.

"We hope to inspire the imagination and creativity of the visitors with this installation and encourage them to allow themselves this break from their everyday routine. The 25th hour is the perfect time for that.,

said William Thorogood, Senior Innovation Director at LEGO Creative Play Lab.

This year's Design Miami runs from November 30-December 4.
Public social spending has remained at approximately 21% of GDP on average since 2009 across 34 member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Public spending in the United States amounts to 19.3% of the U.S. economy, which is the worlds largest.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed OECD data published in the OECD Social Expenditure Database. According to the October 2016 update, Social spending stays at historically high levels in many OECD countries. France leads the world with annual public social expenditure equivalent to 31.5% of its GDP. Mexico trails every other OECD member nation with public social spending at just 7.5% of GDP.

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Public spending as a percentage of GDP grew or remained high after the global financial crisis in many European nations. This was not because of any actual major increases in social spending, but because of GDP contractions in these countries.

Notably, Greece is among the top 10 countries worldwide for its social spending not because of abundant resources but because the countrys economy contracted by almost 20% from 2009 through 2014.

Generous public assistance programs are also found in the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous nations. Germany, in particular, is able to provide its generous welfare programs because of its economic strength. After expanding faster in recent years than almost every other country, the German economy is the third largest in the world with a GDP of $3.8 trillion. Germanys per capita GDP of $46,347 is ninth largest in the OECD.

Old-age and health expenditures make up the majority, about two-thirds, of public social spending in OECD countries. The largest expenditure, at 8.7% of GDP on average across the OECD, is spending on the elderly, which includes pensions. This is often especially the case in countries that spend a great deal overall on social programs. A high share of elderly residents in many of these countries likely helps explain their greater social spending on senior citizens. In the United States, 14.5% of the population is at least 65 years old. In many of these countries, the share of the elderly population is around 20% or higher.

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The official poverty rate in each of these nations is calculated after taxes and transfers. This means that with larger pensions, fewer elderly residents fall under the poverty threshold; with more help from a countrys generous welfare program, financial constraints are less likely to push individuals into poverty. As a consequence, the countries with the largest social nets tend to have relatively low poverty rates.

To identify the countries with the most generous social programs in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed public social expenditures as a percentage of GDP from Social Spending Stays at Historically High Levels in Many OECD Countries, a report published in 2016 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The ranking is based on preliminary 2016 estimates. The latest year of official expenditure data for OECD nations is 2013. Supplementary data from the OECD, including public spending for old-age support programs, health-related programs, family spending, incapacity, and labor market programs as a percentage of GDP are for 2013 -- also the latest year for which detailed data are available. GDP (PPP), and GDP per capita is from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

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These are the countries with the worlds most generous social welfare programs.

10. Norway

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 25.1%

> GDP per capita: $67,429

> Poverty rate: 7.8%

> Avg. income tax rate: 20.2%

The Norwegian government spends the equivalent of 25.1% of national GDP on public social programs, the 10th highest of any country and higher than the average of 21,0% across all OECD member nations. The Norwegian welfare system is funded in part by heavy taxation. The average Norwegian pays 20.2% of their income in taxes, the seventh highest income tax rate in the OECD.

Approximately one-quarter of public social benefits spending in Norway goes to the bottom 20% of earners in the country, a larger share than a majority of OECD nations. The substantial redistribution of wealth and cash assistance received by Norways low-income households likely helps to reduce income inequality and poverty in the country. Norway has the fifth lowest level of income inequality among working-age residents in the OECD, and the nations 7.8% poverty rate is also the fifth lowest.

9. Germany

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 25.3%

> GDP per capita: $46,347

> Poverty rate: 9.1%

> Avg. income tax rate: 19.2%

For some countries public expenditure as a percentage of GDP rose during the Global Financial Crisis. The increases were due largely not to spending surges but to weak economic growth or even contractions. The opposite is true for Germany, where GDP expanded by 39.7% over the decade through 2014. The German economy is third largest in the OECD, and per capita GDP is $46,347, ninth highest of countries reviewed.

Compared with other broad social policy areas, old age-related public spending accounts for by far the largest share of expenditures across the OECD and this is especially the case in Germany. Old-age support programs account for over 10% of expenditures in Germany, versus the OECD average of 8.7%. Elderly Germans also make up 21.4% of the population, second highest after only Japan. This partially explains the countrys large public social expenditure.

8. Greece

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 27.0%

> GDP per capita: $26,006

> Poverty rate: 15.1%

> Avg. income tax rate: 8.8%

Greece was slammed by the financial crisis and continues to struggle today. In the first quarter of 2015, Greeces unemployment rate exceeded 25%, the highest in Europe and well above the EU average jobless rate of 9.8%. Greeces social public expenditure as a percentage of its GDP, which was lower than the OECD average in 1990, is today considerably higher. However, this is primarily due to GDP contractions rather than increased spending -- spending has actually fallen in recent years. While like every other country in Europe Greeces economy has expanded since 1990 until last decade's global recession, Greeces GDP dropped by $52 billion from 2009 -- the only OECD country that has yet to return to pre-recession GDP levels. While the average annual spending on all forms of Greek public social programs increased from 2005 through 2009, most forms of public expenditure fell over the following years from 2010 through 2014.

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7. Sweden

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 27.1%

> GDP per capita: $46,256

> Poverty rate: 8.8%

> Avg. income tax rate: 17.7%

Like other Scandinavian nations, Swedens total public spending is among the highest in the world relative to the size of the countrys economy. Social spending includes programs devoted to the welfare of the elderly. For most countries that spend a large share of GDP on social programs, senior citizens-related programs represent the largest expense, followed by health-related spending. This is the case in Sweden as well, where old age spending is equivalent to 10% of the countrys GDP, while health spending comes to 6.6% of GDP. However, unlike some of the nations on this list, Sweden also spends a disproportionately high 4.3% of its GDP on the disabled, the second highest share of any OECD nation and more than double the OECD average of 2.1% of GDP. On the whole, in part due to higher spending on families as well as the disabled, about 32% of social spending goes directly to poor, working-age residents, much higher than the 23.1% OECD average.

6. Austria

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 27.8%

> GDP per capita: $46,504

> Poverty rate: 9.0%

> Avg. income tax rate: 16.8%

Old age spending accounts for 8.7% of total GDP expenditure across the OECD. Next highest is health spending, at 6.0% of GDP. In some of the countries spending the most on social programs, spending on the elderly is even higher. Although in Austria social spending has increased less than in most OECD nations over the last decade, 14.0% of GDP goes to programs for senior citizens, more than double all other major categories of spending combined. In part because of this high old age spending, just 16.7% of the country's total social outlays go to low-income, working-age residents. While Austria has one of the most generous old age pension systems in the world, it does not appear to be distributed based on income needs. Just 9.1% of the countrys total social expenditure goes to low-income elderly residents, the second lowest share in the OECD.

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5. Denmark

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 28.7%

> GDP per capita: $45,054

> Poverty rate: 5.4%

> Avg. income tax rate: 36.1%

Denmarks average income tax rate of 36.1% is the highest of all OECD countries, which helps explain the countrys ability to provide extremely generous social programs. Across the OECD, the largest share of public social spending, 8.7% of GDP, goes to old age-related programs, followed by health-related programs. Some portion of elderly recipients of public resources are low-income country residents. With not only one of the largest, but also one of the most evenly distributed public welfare programs, people with low incomes in Denmark receive relatively large shares of government resources. More than 33% of all transfers go to the bottom 20% of working-age earners, and more than 20% of transfers go to low-income elderly residents, each among the largest such shares in the OECD. Perhaps as a result, Denmark has nearly the lowest poverty rate in the OECD at just 5.4%.

4. Italy

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 28.9%

> GDP per capita: $35,141

> Poverty rate: 13.3%

> Avg. income tax rate: 21.6%

Public spending on social programs in Italy amount to 28.9% of the countrys GDP, the fourth highest such proportion of any nation in the OECD. Not all residents benefit from the heavy social expenditure, however. Less than 10% of spending on public benefit programs in Italy goes to the bottom fifth of earners in the country, one of the smallest shares in the OECD.

With 21.3% of residents 65 and older, Italy has one of the oldest populations of any high-income nation. Such a large elderly population helps explain the high social public expenditure in Italy. More than 16% of all social expenditure in Italy goes to programs for elderly residents, the second largest share in the OECD and nearly twice the average across all member nations. According to some critics, heavy spending on the elderly has adversely affected younger citizens. With less money to spend on education and job training, Italys youth unemployment rate is close to 45%.

3. Belgium

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 29.0%

> GDP per capita: $43,105

> Poverty rate: 10.0%

> Avg. income tax rate: 28.1%

Belgium spends the equivalent of 4% of GDP on labor programs such as unemployment benefits, highest in the OECD. This is despite the fact that Belgiums Q1 2015 unemployment rate of 8.9% is only slightly higher than the OECD average jobless rate and below that of the EU. The country also spends relatively high shares of GDP on family benefits, disability, and health spending.

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The country is likely able to fund its generous social support system through high tax revenue. The countrys average income tax rate of 28.1% is third highest in the OECD. The U.S. average income tax rate, in comparison, is 18.0%.

2. Finland

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 30.8%

> GDP per capita: $40,739

> Poverty rate: 6.8%

> Avg. income tax rate: 22.7%

Finland provides what many consider to be the best education system in the world. Perhaps as a testament to the countrys generous social programs, not only do Finnish students frequently report world-leading international test scores, but also the education system is famous for emphasizing equality over excellence.

Elderly Finland residents, particularly lower-income elderly residents, are major recipients of public resources. Elderly Finnish people in the bottom 20% of the income distribution receive 34.4% of annual public transfers, the highest such share of all OECD nations. Country residents 65 and older also make up approximately 20% of the population, the fourth largest proportion of countries reviewed.

1. France

> Public spending as pct. of GDP: 31.5%

> GDP per capita: $40,704

> Poverty rate: 8.0%

> Avg. income tax rate: 14.7%

Frances social security deficit was approximately $22 billion in 2012. According to the French government, policies enacted in recent years, including pension reforms and the promotion of generic medicines, have improved the deficit. Government officials expected in 2015 the deficit to reach a decade low this year.

Despite the cutbacks, France has the most generous social welfare spending, which amounts for 31.5% of its GDP. As is generally the case in Europe and other OECD member nations, the bulk of this spending goes to old-age support programs and health. In France, these policy areas account for 14.3% and 8.6% of GDP, the third and the largest such shares of all OECD member nations, respectively.

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Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators warms up in a lavender jersey on Hockey Fights Cancer night prior to a game against the Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre on November 5, 2016, in Ottawa. (Getty)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has taken personal leave to be with his wife Nicholle as she continues her fight against cancer.

Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen first reported the news, listing Anderson out as indefinitely. The Ottawa Senators released a tweet confirming Anderson would not be available on Thursday for the teams game against Philadelphia.

As anticipated Craig Anderson has left the team (personal) and isnt expected to be available tomorrow night.  Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 30, 2016

In Andersons absence, the team will have Mike Condon and Andrew Hammond available in net.

Nicholle Anderson was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in October. She is receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

This will be the fourth game Anderson has taken leave from to be with his wife. No one will fault him for wanting to do so.

Despite having so much going on off the ice, Anderson has been a steadying force for the Senators in net accumulating a 12-5-1 record thus far. This past week, he was named one of the NHLs Three Stars of the Week after going 4-0-0 in his starts. It was the second time this season hes received the recognition.

We wish the Andersons the best as they continue to kick cancers ass.

      

Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD.

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Where others saw two all-beef patties, sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun, Jim Delligatti saw the future.

The McDonalds franchisee, who created the fast-food monoliths signature sandwich nearly 50 years ago, died Monday at his home in Pittsburgh. He was 98. Michael James Delligatti  who ate at least one of his signature creations per week for decades, according to his son  owned a McDonalds franchise in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and created the Big Mac in 1967 after seeing (or perhaps anticipating) the need for a bigger sandwich on the McDonalds menu.

In 1993, Delligatti said he worked on the Big Macs sauce  a variation of thousand-island dressing  for two years before perfecting it. Though his son (also Michael) said Delligatti decided on the name Big Mac because Big Mc sounded funny, it was actually Esther Glickstein, a 21-year-old secretary working in the advertising department of McDonalds, who suggested the name to an executive in 1967. The leading candidate prior had been Blue Ribbon Burger.

RELATED: Size Does Matter: McDonalds Announces Two New Big Mac Sizes

Delligatti said that his overseers at McDonalds initially resisted his invention because the chains pared-down menu was already doing so well. But after his custom creation spread to the rest of the 47 restaurants he managed in Pennsylvania, they added it to the national menu just a year after its creation, in 1968.

Since then, the sandwich has become perhaps the defining item at McDonalds; in 2008, the company estimated it sold one every 17 seconds. Delligatti was a legendary franchisee within McDonalds system who made a lasting impression on our brand, the Oak Brook, Illinois-based company said Wednesday in a statement. The Big Mac has become an iconic sandwich enjoyed by many around the world.

RELATED: McDonalds Responds to Kanye Wests Passionate Poem About the Fast Food Chain

Delligatti opened his first McDonalds in the Pittsburgh suburb of North Hills in 1957. Aside from the Big Mac, he pioneered breakfast service at the restaurant, introducing hotcakes and sausages, designed to feed hungry steelworkers coming in from overnight shifts at the citys steel mills. In 1979, Delligati co-founded Pittsburghs Ronald McDonald House, a facility where families of sick children visiting the city for care can stay; at the time, it was only the seventh in the nation.

And Delligattis creation lives on beyond the culinary world. The Big Mac Index, developed by The Economist in 1986, is a measure of the cost of living and currency comparisons across international borders. Given the Big Macs ubiquity, it serves as a yardstick for determining whether currencies are at their correct level, a practice that has come to be known as burgernomics.




Cropcast Morning Headlines:

-Midwest is wetter in the 11-15 day period. Showers in southeastern areas again later this weekend will further improve moisture for wheat. The 6-10 day outlook is slightly drier in central areas. Temperatures are cooler. The 11-15 day outlook is wetter. Temperatures are unchanged.

-Plains are wetter in southwestern areas in the 6-10 day period. Showers in southern areas later this week and over the weekend should improve moisture a bit, but dryness will continue to stress wheat in west central areas. The 6-10 day outlook is wetter in southwestern areas. Temperatures are cooler. The 11-15 day outlook is slightly wetter. Temperatures are warmer in southern areas.

-No changes for Florida. Continued dry weather through the weekend will favor citrus harvesting. Frost threats will remain very low. The 6-10 day outlook is unchanged. The 11-15 day outlook is unchanged.

 Delta is drier in southern areas in the 6-10 day period. Additional heavy rains this weekend will further improve moisture for wheat early growth. The 6-10 day outlook is drier in southern areas. Temperatures are cooler. The 11-15 day outlook is wetter. Temperatures are unchanged.

-No changes for Argentina. Dryness will continue to stress corn and soybeans across Cordoba as well as central and eastern Buenos Aires. Some slight improvements are possible next week, although confidence remains a bit low. The 6-10 day outlook is unchanged.

-No changes for Brazil. Additional rains in central and northwestern areas through the weekend will further improve moisture for corn and soybeans. However, moisture will decline a bit in southern and northeastern crop areas. The 6-10 day is unchanged.

-No changes for Europe. Colder temperatures in eastern areas will push wheat and rapeseed towards dormancy. Dryness will continue in northeast Italy, northern UK, and Czech Republic.

-No changes for Black Sea. Snow cover should continue to increase in northern and western Ukraine as cooler temperatures return to western Russia and Ukraine.

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-No changes for China. Precipitation should remain limited through the weekend, but wheat and rapeseed conditions should remain stable.

-No changes for Australia. Very limited showers through the weekend will favor wheat harvesting.

-No changes for South Africa. Limited rains through the weekend will allow dryness to continue to redevelop in western corn areas.

Donald Keeney

Senior Agricultural Meteorologist

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Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas eviscerated President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday for their statements following the death of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Speaking from the Senate floor, Cruz said "we are thankful" for "this brutal dictator's" death. He said Trudeau and Obama "should know better" than to offer up the statements they did.

"Let me be absolutely clear: We're not mourning the death of some revolutionary romantic or a distinguished statesman," said Cruz, who is of Cuban descent. "We're not grieving for the protector of peace or a judicious steward of his people. Today we are thankful, we are thankful that a man who has imprisoned and tortured and degraded the lives of so many is no longer with us."

The Texas Republican said he wanted to pay tribute to the "millions" who "suffered at the hands of the Castro regime."

"We remember them and we honor the brave souls who fought the lonely fight against the totalitarian communist dictatorship imposed on Cuba," he said. "And yet at the same time, it seems that the race is on to see which world leader can most fulsomely praise Fidel Castro's legacy while delicately averting his eyes from his less than savory characteristics.

"Two duly elected leaders of democracies who should know better: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and American President Barack Obama have been leading the way."

Cruz said Trudeau "praised" Castro in calling him a "larger-than-life leader who served his people for almost half a century" and "a legendary revolutionary orator who made significant improvements in the education and healthcare on his island nation." Trudeau was roundly criticized for his laudatory statement Saturday.

"Tell that to the people in the prisons," Cruz said. "Tell that to the people who have been tortured and murdered by Fidel Castro."

The 2016 Republican presidential candidate also criticized Obama for offering "condolences to the Cuban people" and suggesting that "history will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure."

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"What is it about young leftists, what is it about young socialists, that they idolize communist dictators who torture and murder people?" he said. "Fidel Castro and Che Guevara and all of their goons are not these sexy unshaven revolutionaries in college dorm rooms on posters that make leftists get all tingly inside. They were brutal monsters."

He reiterated that he called for no US government officials to attend Castro's funeral until his brother Raul released political prisoners. Cruz then condemned Obama's deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, and US diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who will attend the Cuban leader's memorial service.

Watch Cruz's speech below:

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Havana (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Cubans packed Havana's Revolution Square on Tuesday for a massive rally in honor of late leader Fidel Castro.

The crowd chanted "long live the revolution!" and "Fidel! Fidel!" as Castro's leftist Latin American allies and other leaders from the region and Africa joined the commemoration.

A giant picture of a young, bearded Castro in his guerrilla uniform and rifle hung on the National Library as his brother and successor, Raul Castro, waved at the crowd.

Castro -- who ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to his brother Raul in 2006 -- died Friday at age 90. The cause of death has not been announced.

The event was part of week-long commemorations honoring Castro.

Encouraged by the government, long lines of Cubans tearfully had streamed past a picture of Castro inside the monument to independence hero Jose Marti on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, an urn containing his ashes will be taken on a four-day procession from Havana to the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, retracing the route that Castro took to celebrate his victory in the 1959 celebration.

The ashes will be laid to rest in Santiago at the cemetery where Marti, the 19th century independence icon, was buried.
By Dustin Volz

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Governments seeking to curtail the spread of extremist content online risk jeopardizing free speech and privacy rights, an international group comprising some of the largest U.S. technology firms said in a report on Wednesday.

The Global Network Initiative said companies should not be pressured by governments to change their terms of service, and demands to restrict content due to public safety concerns need to be consistent with existing legal frameworks.

Members of the group, which began developing its recommendations in July 2015, include Microsoft Corp, Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, LinkedIn Corp and Yahoo! Inc, and civil society groups and academics.

The report came as governments around the world are pushing companies to do more to stop digital proselytizing on the internet by Islamic jihadists and other extremist groups.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested shutting down parts of the internet to stop the spread of propaganda from the Islamic State.

U.S. officials said on Tuesday a Somali immigrant who injured 11 people at Ohio State University this week in a vehicle and stabbing attack before he was shot dead was likely self-radicalized online.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other technology companies have taken additional steps to eradicate violent content from their sites in the past year.

(Reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Richard Chang)
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / November 29, 2016 / Cyprium Mining Corporation (TSXV: CUG) ("Cyprium" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into debt settlement agreements (the "Debt Conversions") with various creditors who are not insiders of the Company to settle up to $248,703 of indebtedness by the issuance of up 100,000 units at a price of $0.065 per unit (the "Units for Debt"), up 3,427,273 units at a price of $0.055 per unit (the "Units for Debt"), up to 10,318 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.065 per Common Shares, up to 368,900 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.06 per Common Shares and up to 561,782 Common Shares at a price of $0.055 per Common Shares. Each Unit for Debt will be comprised of one Common Share in the capital of the Company and one share purchase warrant of the Company ("Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10, expiring two years from the date of issuance.

Closing of the Debt Conversions and the issuance of the Common Shares and the Warrants is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. Pursuant to applicable securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the above-mentioned transactions will be subject to a hold period of four months plus one day following the closing of the Debt Conversions.

In addition, as announced on October 29th, 2015, upon closing of the acquisition of a controlling interest in a joint venture with respect to the Potosi silver mine located in the mining district of Santa Eulalia in Mexico and the property adjacent to the south of the Potosi silver mine known as La Chinche, the Company acquired from an arms' length third party (the "Arms' Length Party") certain rights with respect to the Potosi silver mine, including the rights to mine the Potosi silver mine (the "Rights"). The total purchase price for the Rights was US$746,846 (the "Purchase Price") which was payable as to US$400,000 in cash at closing in October 2015 and US$346,846 to be paid in monthly installments starting eight months after the date of the closing (the "Post-Closing Amount"). The Company had recently been negotiating with the Arms' Length Party to extend and/or restructure the repayment of the Post-Closing Amount. Cyprium has been informed by the Arms' Length Party of its intent to end negotiations and demanded the payment of the Post-Closing Amount. Cyprium continues to evaluate financing options to finance the payment of the Post-Closing Amount.

Story continues

About Cyprium Mining Corporation

For the description of Cyprium Mining's business and the Company's Forward Looking Statement Disclaimer which form an integral part of this news release please visit our website at:

http://www.cypriummining.com/en/investors/disclaimers

For further information, please contact:

Alain Lambert, Chairman and C.E.O.

Email: ir@cypriummining.com

Ronald Keenan, COO

Email: rkeenan@cypriummining.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. ) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward -looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Such statements include, among others, those concerning the Company's anticipated plans for developments of the Company and its mining projects.

Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management's expectations regarding future growth, plans for and completion of projects by Company's third party relationships, availability of capital, and the necessity to incur capital and other expenditures. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, operational risks in the completion of Company's anticipated projects, delays or changes in plans with respect to the development of Company's anticipated projects by Company's third party relationships, risks affecting the ability to develop projects, risks inherent in operating in foreign jurisdictions, the ability to attract key personnel, and the inability to raise additional capital. No assurances can be given that the efforts by the Company will be successful. Additional assumptions and risks are set out in detail in the Company's MD&A, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. Investors should note that, while the mineralized material being processed by the Company is assayed, there is no certainty that the proposed operations will be economically or technically viable. Investors should also note that the Potosi silver mine and La Chinche property have no established mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined by NI 43-101.

SOURCE: Cyprium Mining Corporation
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For many investors, deciding between a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund as the preferred investment method can be a confusing process.

"The decision is largely philosophical," says Eric Hutchinson, a managing director at United Capital in Little Rock, Arkansas. "It should be based on your goals, objectives and comfort level with each option."

Many financial experts say investors should start by deciding if they want to have their investments to be actively or passively managed. Keep in mind, ETFs and mutual funds both offer active and passive strategies, although mutual funds have significantly more actively managed funds, says Gabriel Pincus, president of GA Pincus Funds in Dallas.

Both are baskets of stocks and offer relatively low-cost ways to assemble a highly diversified portfolio in a single purchase, Hutchinson says. Mutual funds set their price once a day and are overseen by fund managers while ETFs mirror an index -- like the Standard & Poor's 500 index -- and trade like stocks do, which means they can easily be bought and sold throughout the day, not just at the end of the day.

[See: 7 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

While most mutual funds have a fund manager who is actively picking stocks or bonds to try and beat a benchmark -- an index the manager tracks -- ETFs are usually passively managed, geared towards do-it-yourselfers who want to track the return of an index.

"With mutual funds, the investor is hiring a fund manager to make active investment decisions, with a long-term goal of outperforming a certain benchmark," says Mitch Zacks, president of Zacks Investment Management in Chicago. "An ETF (typically) does not have an active manager at the helm, and instead of trying to outperform a benchmark, its goal is simply to mimic it."

If an investor's goal is to track the performance of an index, an ETF structured to mirror the chosen index may be the way to go, Hutchinson says. "You will not likely ever outperform the index with the ETF-mirror approach, but you will always have performance that fairly closely tracks the index," he says. "If you want to outperform an index, an active management strategy may be your only chance to achieve that outperformance."

Story continues

History and trends. Mutual funds began hundreds of years ago, but the first mutual fund in the U.S. was launched by Massachusetts Investors Trust in 1924. Nearly 70 years later, State Street Global Advisors launched the first ETF with its SPDR fund (ticker: SPY) in 1993.

Since then ETFs have become increasingly popular. According to Investment Company Institute, there are $16.35 trillion in assets in mutual funds and $2.39 trillion in assets in ETFs within U.S.-based (SEC-registered) funds that also invest globally. That's a $431.60 billion-- 22.1 percent increase -- in ETFs over a 12-month period.

Pincus says the shift is happening because very few active managers actually outperform their benchmarks and many lose to their benchmarks quite consistently.

[See: 8 Cheap ETFs That You Won't Regret.]

"It's happening because the markets have become more efficient," Pincus says. "It's very hard to outperform an index these days. Years ago when spreads were wider and information moved more slowly, it was easier and people could outperform the index. Now that everyone has the same information, it's very difficult."

The other reason: the amount of money being invested. Think of investment managers as commercial fishermen. In the past they were trying to find "fish" in a pond and now they are searching in an ocean. "You've got to find winning picks when you are a manager," Pincus says. "If a fund is too large, it becomes difficult to select winners without influencing the direction of the market."

Other considerations. Based on its self-directed structure, ETFs offer more tax efficiency than most mutual funds, says Anthony D. Criscuolo, a certified financial planner and portfolio manager with Palisades Hudson Financial Group in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Some mutual funds also have relatively high investment minimums, which ETFs do not.

"While some investors assume ETFs will always be cheaper than mutual funds, this is not necessarily the case," Criscuolo says. "In addition to the expense ratio, investors should carefully consider the other costs of each type of fund. It's just as important to pay attention to an ETF's brokerage fees as it is to understand a mutual fund's load, if any, and other fees."

Fees for mutual funds generally range between 1 to 2 percent, whereas ETFs are generally less than 1 percent because investors have more responsibilities on making choices, Zacks says.

For investors who are concerned about capital gains and controlling the impact of additional, taxable income, Hutchinson says ETFs typically offer more control to investors of when to buy and sell based on the investing vehicle's self-directed structure. Since mutual funds are usually actively managed, it can cause capital gains to be recognized and distributed at times that may or may not be advantageous to an individual investor, Hutchinson says.

John H. Foard III, CEO and founder of Foard Wealth Management in Charlotte, North Carolina, says investors need to be wary of pass-through taxation. Investors will not realize any capital gains on an ETF until they sell, while an investor may realize capital gains and losses during the year without selling at mutual fund.

For example, consider an investor who buys into a mutual fund after the fund manager had already purchased Apple ( AAPL) stock at $50 and later sells it for a gain once it hits $100 a share. "Even though you bought into the fund after the gain you are still beholden to pay your fair share of the capital gains tax," he says. "You have zero control. It's up to the discretion of the fund manager, even if you don't participate in the gain."

Foard says he's had clients receive 1099 tax forms for capital gains on investments they never they saw and lost money on the fund. "I had a client who put $10,000 in the fund, the year finishes and in January the fund is only worth $9,000 and they still get a 1099 for a capital gains inside the fund," Foard says.

[See: 8 Ways to Get Kids Interested in Saving Money.]

Still, Foard says there is a place for mutual funds. "Mutual funds were designed for instant diversification all at once," he says. "It's still an attractive investing avenue if you have less than $100,000 and it's great for folks who can only do $50 a month. That's why people still flock to the mutual fund industry. But if you have more money, especially if you have more than $250,000, you are better off with a customizable portfolio with individual stock purchases."

Dawn Reiss is an award-winning journalist in Chicago who has written for TIME, Reuters, Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic and Travel + Leisure and many other publications. Follow her on Twitter, Google+ and Instagram @dawnreiss.
For many investors, deciding between a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund as the preferred investment method can be a confusing process.

"The decision is largely philosophical," says Eric Hutchinson, a managing director at United Capital in Little Rock, Arkansas. "It should be based on your goals, objectives and comfort level with each option."

Many financial experts say investors should start by deciding if they want to have their investments to be actively or passively managed. Keep in mind, ETFs and mutual funds both offer active and passive strategies, although mutual funds have significantly more actively managed funds, says Gabriel Pincus, president of GA Pincus Funds in Dallas.

Both are baskets of stocks and offer relatively low-cost ways to assemble a highly diversified portfolio in a single purchase, Hutchinson says. Mutual funds set their price once a day and are overseen by fund managers while ETFs mirror an index -- like the Standard & Poor's 500 index -- and trade like stocks do, which means they can easily be bought and sold throughout the day, not just at the end of the day.

[See: 7 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

While most mutual funds have a fund manager who is actively picking stocks or bonds to try and beat a benchmark -- an index the manager tracks -- ETFs are usually passively managed, geared towards do-it-yourselfers who want to track the return of an index.

"With mutual funds, the investor is hiring a fund manager to make active investment decisions, with a long-term goal of outperforming a certain benchmark," says Mitch Zacks, president of Zacks Investment Management in Chicago. "An ETF (typically) does not have an active manager at the helm, and instead of trying to outperform a benchmark, its goal is simply to mimic it."

If an investor's goal is to track the performance of an index, an ETF structured to mirror the chosen index may be the way to go, Hutchinson says. "You will not likely ever outperform the index with the ETF-mirror approach, but you will always have performance that fairly closely tracks the index," he says. "If you want to outperform an index, an active management strategy may be your only chance to achieve that outperformance."

Story continues

History and trends. Mutual funds began hundreds of years ago, but the first mutual fund in the U.S. was launched by Massachusetts Investors Trust in 1924. Nearly 70 years later, State Street Global Advisors launched the first ETF with its SPDR fund (ticker: SPY) in 1993.

Since then ETFs have become increasingly popular. According to Investment Company Institute, there are $16.35 trillion in assets in mutual funds and $2.39 trillion in assets in ETFs within U.S.-based (SEC-registered) funds that also invest globally. That's a $431.60 billion-- 22.1 percent increase -- in ETFs over a 12-month period.

Pincus says the shift is happening because very few active managers actually outperform their benchmarks and many lose to their benchmarks quite consistently.

[See: 8 Cheap ETFs That You Won't Regret.]

"It's happening because the markets have become more efficient," Pincus says. "It's very hard to outperform an index these days. Years ago when spreads were wider and information moved more slowly, it was easier and people could outperform the index. Now that everyone has the same information, it's very difficult."

The other reason: the amount of money being invested. Think of investment managers as commercial fishermen. In the past they were trying to find "fish" in a pond and now they are searching in an ocean. "You've got to find winning picks when you are a manager," Pincus says. "If a fund is too large, it becomes difficult to select winners without influencing the direction of the market."

Other considerations. Based on its self-directed structure, ETFs offer more tax efficiency than most mutual funds, says Anthony D. Criscuolo, a certified financial planner and portfolio manager with Palisades Hudson Financial Group in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Some mutual funds also have relatively high investment minimums, which ETFs do not.

"While some investors assume ETFs will always be cheaper than mutual funds, this is not necessarily the case," Criscuolo says. "In addition to the expense ratio, investors should carefully consider the other costs of each type of fund. It's just as important to pay attention to an ETF's brokerage fees as it is to understand a mutual fund's load, if any, and other fees."

Fees for mutual funds generally range between 1 to 2 percent, whereas ETFs are generally less than 1 percent because investors have more responsibilities on making choices, Zacks says.

For investors who are concerned about capital gains and controlling the impact of additional, taxable income, Hutchinson says ETFs typically offer more control to investors of when to buy and sell based on the investing vehicle's self-directed structure. Since mutual funds are usually actively managed, it can cause capital gains to be recognized and distributed at times that may or may not be advantageous to an individual investor, Hutchinson says.

John H. Foard III, CEO and founder of Foard Wealth Management in Charlotte, North Carolina, says investors need to be wary of pass-through taxation. Investors will not realize any capital gains on an ETF until they sell, while an investor may realize capital gains and losses during the year without selling at mutual fund.

For example, consider an investor who buys into a mutual fund after the fund manager had already purchased Apple ( AAPL) stock at $50 and later sells it for a gain once it hits $100 a share. "Even though you bought into the fund after the gain you are still beholden to pay your fair share of the capital gains tax," he says. "You have zero control. It's up to the discretion of the fund manager, even if you don't participate in the gain."

Foard says he's had clients receive 1099 tax forms for capital gains on investments they never they saw and lost money on the fund. "I had a client who put $10,000 in the fund, the year finishes and in January the fund is only worth $9,000 and they still get a 1099 for a capital gains inside the fund," Foard says.

[See: 8 Ways to Get Kids Interested in Saving Money.]

Still, Foard says there is a place for mutual funds. "Mutual funds were designed for instant diversification all at once," he says. "It's still an attractive investing avenue if you have less than $100,000 and it's great for folks who can only do $50 a month. That's why people still flock to the mutual fund industry. But if you have more money, especially if you have more than $250,000, you are better off with a customizable portfolio with individual stock purchases."





More From US News & World Report


World leaders typically dont get much advance notice of exploding crises. But when it comes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo they do, and with a specific date: Dec. 19. Thats when President Joseph Kabila is constitutionally obliged to leave office after 15 years. Just one problem: The 45-year-old leader plans to stay in power well past his expiration date, despite his widespread unpopularity and the specter of massive nationwide protests. Its enough to push the country over the brink and into crisis, unless a group of Catholic bishops can broker a last-ditch political agreement to keep the coming storm in check.

The United States and the international community are pinning their dwindling hopes for the DRC on the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo, or CENCO. The Congolese organization of Catholic bishops is mediating talks between Kabilas ruling party and the coalition of opposition parties known as the Rassemblement in an attempt to broker a power-transition agreement before Dec. 19. It comes after the president failed to organize elections before the December deadline, culminating two years of failed political dialogues and an impasse between the ruling and opposition parties.

Supporting CENCOs effort is our top priority from now until Dec. 19, Tom Perriello, the State Department Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, told the U.S. Congress Tuesday. He called it the best effort and perhaps the last effort to broker a deal before the deadline sparks mass protests and instability in a country still scarred by a devastating civil war that ended thirteen years ago.

If the CENCO gambit fails, the prospects of violent protests could catalyze a true regional crisis, Perriello said. If this gets settled in the streets, we think that would be a disaster. The DRC got a grim preview in September when anti-government protesters clashed with security forces, leaving more than 50 people dead. The last presidential election in 2011, which Kabila won amid disputed results, also culminated in violent protests and the deaths of dozens.

At first glance, the Catholic Church may seem like an odd choice to take on high-stakes diplomacy. But in the DRC, it makes perfect sense.

A large percentage of the population in the DRC is Catholic, Sasha Lezhnev, a conflict analyst at the Enough Project and a frequent traveler to the DRC, told Foreign Policy. They have trust across the political spectrum and the [Catholic Church] remains an extremely powerful entity. Pope Francis has even weighed in, urging a civil resolution to the crisis in a September meeting with Kabila in the Vatican.

Despite the political clout of the divine diplomats, many fear Kabila wont step down. The signs are he will stay in office and put down the protest movements, Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told FP. That doesnt bode well for a country still slowly recovering from a disastrous war. From 1998 to 2003, more than 5 million people were killed in the Second Congo War. The conflict, dubbed Africas world war, boiled over to neighboring countries, drawing in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Sudan.

The Dec. 19 protests could erupt into violence, Cooke said. And depending on how the state responds, it could spiral very quickly.

The situation has the potential to get really ugly, Lezhnev told FP. Congolese politicians across the political spectrum have links to various youth gangs, armed militias, and units of the Congolese army  some of which act like armed militias, he said. The real danger is that those protests escalate, crackdowns escalate, some politicians use some unit of the Congolese army to brutally crack down some other faction  and it spirals from there.

The United States and the international community are already bracing for impact. Perriello said that Washington is working with the U.N. and its peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, on contingency planning for a worse-case scenario. But he warned that may not cut it, since there are fewer than 20,000 peacekeepers scattered across a country of nearly 80 million people.

The specter of violence hasnt dissuaded prominent opposition leaders from rallying supporters for protests. On Tuesday, one of the DRCs most prominent opposition leaders, Moise Katumbi, said the protests will move forward if Kabila digs his heels in.

On the 19th, we dont need to have more blood. We need a peaceful transition of power, Katumbi said, speaking in Washington, D.C. at the Atlantic Council.

He used his platform in Washington to lambast Kabila. The government has not taken a single step, physical or administrative, to prepare for the elections as required by the constitution, he said. On the contrary, the current regime has become more corrupt, intolerant, repressive and violent.

Katumbi is the former governor of Katanga, once one of the DRCs most powerful and wealthy provinces before it was split into smaller provinces in 2015  an apparent move by Kabila to dilute the regions political clout. He was a Kabila ally until he decided to mount his bid for the presidency in 2015. In June, when Katumbi fled the country for medical reasons and fears of government retribution, he was convicted in absentia to three years in prison for allegedly selling a house which he didnt own.

But Kabilas regime may have trumped up the charges. The presiding judge has since gone into hiding after saying the conviction was a government-led political ploy to take Katumbi out of the presidential race. (Two Congolese journalists were also jailed after airing an interview with the politician-in-exile in July.)

Katumbi has been on the lam ever since, but said he plans to return to his country for the Dec. 19 protests, despite the prospect of jail time.

Jailing him when he entered the country would only escalate the level of frustration, and Im not sure Kabila would want that, said Lezhnev. Katumbi is a very popular public figure so it makes sense hes returning home, he added. The people need to hear from him.

Being out of the country hasnt hurt Katumbis popularity back home; a poll this month found 33 percent would vote for him, far ahead of other opposition leaders, while Kabila himself trailed at 7.8 percent.

Katumbi said the opposition would curb its protests if all sides reached a CENCO-brokered agreement, even if it left Kabila in power a little longer. My job is to support the deal, Katumbi said. If a deal is reached, we are not going to break the country, he added, appearing to suggest the opposition would call off protests.

But the chances of reaching an agreement are slim. There is a deep reservoir of distrust between both sides that any agreement that is reached will be respected, Perriello said, including a respect for President Kabila and his family after he leaves power.

Fear of reprisal may be one factor contributing to Kabilas attempt to prolong his hold of power. Katumbi sought to assuage that concern, pledging to leave Kabila and his family alone after the election. I need President Kabila to stay in the country  to give us advice, Katumbi said, adding that the president did some good for the country.

Im not going to target anyone, Katumbi said when pressed on the fate of Kabila and his family, if he won the presidency. Instead, he said hed target corruption and rule-of-law issues if elected.

Thats a tall order in a country like the DRC. Despite being laden with valuable minerals and natural resources, the DRCs corruption and political instability deter the foreign direct investment needed to help the country pull itself out of an economic hole. The DRC came in 147th out of 168 countries on Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index, and the World Bank ranked it 184th out of 189 countries in its Ease of Doing Business Index, behind Afghanistan but ahead of Venezuela, Somalia, and Libya.

Like those preceding him, Kabila has redirected billions of dollars from the state, and used brutal violence at times to gain or maintain the ultimate prize: control of the state and its vast natural resource base, according to a report published in October by the Enough Project, a nongovernmental organization based in Washington.

Added to the mix is the countrys dismal record on human rights. In its 2015 human rights report, the State Department excoriated the Kabila regime for its severe problem of press crackdowns and human rights abuses, including sexual violence and torture, particularly at the hands of the state security forces.

Kabila tried to reach his own national dialogue agreement outside of the CENCO process. He appointed an opposition party member as prime minister and pledged to hold elections in 2018. In a national address on Nov. 15, he said the proposed agreement sets out realistic and responsible perspectives, both for the organizations of elections and for the stability of the institutions during the pre-electoral, electoral, and post-electoral period.

But neither U.S. officials nor opposition leaders are buying it. Kabilas proposal did not provide adequate guarantees about the presidents commitment to leave power, Perriello said, adding there is great resistance from the population to the delay the elections to April 2018.

Still, officials and experts are holding out a small glimmer of hope. If CENCO, the regional players including Angola, Rwanda, the United States, and EU can speak with one voice  to find an acceptable compromise, Kabila may listen to that, Cooke said.

Sanctions could play a big role in Kabilas calculus. If it looks like Kabila wont be able to move money or his business partners would be put under sanction  thered be a much higher percentage chance of him accepting a deal, Lezhnev said. The chance of Kabila agreeing to a deal is at maybe a five percent chance of happening now, but with the help of sanctions, if things arent going his way, it could go to 50 or 60 percent.

The United States has slapped sanctions on three of Kabilas cronies so far, but is considering adding others to the list, according to Perriello. The European Union threatened to follow suit in October unless elections are held in 2017.

Katumbi also holds out hope, in temporary exile, for an international hand to push Kabila from office and avert the coming crisis. He will only succeed in the end if the world looks the other way, Katumbi said. I am here today to urge the United States and other democratic countries to not look the other way.

Photo credit: MUSTAFA MULOPWE/AFP/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Delcath Systems, Inc. (DCTH), an interventional oncology company focused on the treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancers, announces that Company management will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 7th at 12:00 PM PST (3:00 PM EST) at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Jennifer K. Simpson, Ph.D., MSN, CRNP, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delcath, will be presenting a corporate overview, as well as meeting with investors.

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/microcap companies and will feature 240 presenting names.

Dr. Simpson's presentation will be webcast live and archived for 90 days on the Company's website at www.delcath.com.

View Delcath Systems' profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/DCTH

News Compliments of Accesswire.

About Delcath Systems, Inc.

Delcath Systems, Inc. is an interventional oncology Company focused on the treatment of primary and metastatic liver cancers. Our investigational product, Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection for use with the Delcath Hepatic Delivery System (Melphalan/HDS), is designed to administer high-dose chemotherapy to the liver while controlling systemic exposure and associated side effects. We have commenced a global Phase 3 FOCUS clinical trial for Patients with Hepatic Dominant Ocular Melanoma (OM) and a global Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe and the U.S. to investigate the Melphalan/HDS system for the treatment of primary liver cancer (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Melphalan/HDS has not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for sale in the U.S. In Europe, our system has been commercially available since 2012 under the trade name Delcath Hepatic CHEMOSAT Delivery System for Melphalan (CHEMOSAT), where it has been used at major medical centers to treat a wide range of cancers of the liver.

Story continues

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Investor Contact:

Anne Marie Fields

LHA

212-838-3777

afields@lhai.com

SOURCE: Delcath Systems, Inc. via LD Micro
By Andy Sullivan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump faced criticism from an unusual source on Wednesday when a buttoned-down U.S. government ethics office issued an apparently sarcastic stream of Twitter messages applauding him for selling off his assets. Trump, in fact, has not said whether he will sell the hotels, golf courses and other businesses that make up his global Trump Organization, as the U.S. Office of Government Ethics subsequently acknowledged. But the agency sent out a series of tweets as if he had done just that. "OGE is delighted that you've decided to divest your businesses. Right decision!" one tweet said. "We told your counsel we'd sing your praises if you divested, we meant it." Trump promised only that he will be "leaving his great business in total" in a series of early morning tweets, one of his most common methods of communicating. Democratic lawmakers and other critics said Trump's business interests could pose conflicts of interest when he takes office on Jan. 20 because he will be in a position to influence tax laws, environmental regulations and other government policies that could affect his assets. Ethics office spokesman Seth Jaffe said Trump would more clearly resolve potential conflicts if he sold off his assets, rather than simply transferring control. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Previous presidents have opted to put their savings and investments into blind trusts so they do not know how their decisions in office influence their personal fortunes. Republican Trump, also a former reality TV star who has never previously held public office, has said this would be impractical because it would be difficult to sell off apartment buildings and other properties. He said on Wednesday he is drawing up legal documents that would remove him from day-to-day business operations. He said he would provide details on Dec. 15 at a news conference with his adult children, who are all involved in his enterprises. "While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as president, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses," Trump tweeted. Democratic lawmakers said that announcement was "vague" and urged Republicans who control Congress to hold hearings. Sixteen Democratic members of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee wrote a letter asking whether Trump will transfer his assets to his children; whether his children will be involved in his administration; and whether businesses, foreign governments, and others will "continue to be able to take actions that benefit Mr. Trump and his family." Democrats need the committee's Republican chairman, Representative Bob Goodlatte, to agree to move forward with hearings. A Goodlatte spokeswoman said she did not expect the chairman would have a statement. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Grant McCool)
Back in September, Desiigner was arrested on drug and weapon charges in New York after a road rage incident. Some of those charges were dropped not long thereafter, but he was still facing misdemeanor charges of menacing and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Now, as Billboard reports, those remaining charges have also been dropped. Desiigner and the other three co-defendantsMichael Davis, C.J. McCoy, and Utril Rhaburnhave "accepted adjournments in contemplation of dismissal, or a negotiated settlement that can result in a case being sealed or dismissed." Billboard also reports that the case has been sealed, as per the request of the defendants.

Desiigner an the other four passengers in the SUV were initially charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and possession of drugs with the intent to sell. Along with these charges, Desiigner was also charged with criminal possession of a loaded weapon as well as menacing, a charge that was based on the report of the other driver. Ultimately, investigators failed to find a gun, and the drugs that were found turned out to be steroids and not OxyContin and methadone as previously thought.

Desiigner's attorneys, Ian Niles and Stacey Richman, told TMZ: "We're happy he's been exonerated [...] and happy with the investigation from the D.A."

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WASHINGTON, DC  As the bizarre scandal over South Korean President Park Geun-Hye's relationship with a family friend snowballs toward possible impeachment or resignation, US commitment to deploy THAAD to the region "continues forward."

"Our THAAD deployment continues," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told Business Insider during a press briefing. "The effort to do that as quickly as possible continues forward and I am not aware of any plans to alter that at this point."

On Tuesday, Park announced in a brief televised speech she was willing to leave office early and have parliament decide her fate. If president Park is unseated, an election must be held within 60 days to find her successor.

"I don't think THAAD deployment will change unless a new administration in South Korea  even a progressive one  thinks little of providing for the country's national defense," Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

Negotiations to deploy THAAD to South Korea have been ongoing since president Park's October 2015 visit to the White House. And in July, Washington formally agreed to equip Seoul with the unique missile defense system to further defend the region amid the North's missile tests.

Earlier this month, Army General Vincent Brooks, commander of US Forces Korea, said deployment is slated to occur within the next eight to 10 months.

Pentagon on THAAD deployment: 'We want to do this as quickly as possible' 

Meanwhile, the US's other major ally in the region, Japan, may look to acquire the missile defense system as well.

"The discussion of THAAD for Japan is part of a much larger global demand signal for interceptors with a greater reach than, say, Patriot," Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

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THAAD Launch

"In theory, the potential is there for deployment of a US-owned and operated system, but in practice the demand for US missile defenses well outstrips supply. The US Army does not have extra batteries lying around to send permanently to every base and ally threatened by hostile missiles."

Currently, there are five THAAD batteries  each with approximately 100 soldiers  assigned to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. One of those batteries was deployed to Guam in April 2013 in order to deter North Korean provocations and further defend the Pacific region.

We spent a day with THAAD, read more about how this system works 

The United Arab Emirates became the first foreign buyer of THAAD after signing a deal with the Department of Defense for $3.4 billion.

"If partners and allies want the sustained presence of THAAD or any system for that matter, they're likely going to have to follow the example of the United Arab Emirates and procure it for themselves," Karako added.

NOW WATCH: Meet THAAD: Americas answer to North Korean threats





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Brad Pitt celebrated Thanksgiving without Angelina Jolie and their kids this year.

The World War Z star, 52, jetted off to Turks and Caicos with a close male friend over the weekend and enjoyed a getaway at the Amanyara Villas, a popular celebrity resort, Us Weekly reported. A source previously told the publication that the actress did not invite Brad to spend Thanksgiving with their kids.

Despite this, it seems Pitt still had a good time. An insider told People magazine, Brad had a very restful and relaxing stay in the company of an old friend.

As for Jolie, she spent the holiday with their six children  Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

Prior to Jolie filing for divorce from Pitt in September, the estranged couple had always made it a point to celebrate the holidays with their kids. Plan B exec Dede Gardner previously told People that the two prioritize spending every occasion as a family, saying, Every event is cherished. Every birthday is cherished. The holidays are cherished. Events are made of every moment in the most positive way.

Since their split, their children have been living with the actress, with Pitt only getting supervised visits  an arrangement which hes far from satisfied with. [Pitt] has been very unhappy with the arrangement. He loves his kids and wants to spend more time with them, a source told the magazine.

The childrens living arrangement was suggested by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) amid the ex-couples current legal battle for custody of their kids. In her Nov. 4 divorce petition, Jolie requested sole physical custody of the kids, but Pitt is pushing to have joint physical and legal custody.

Pitt was previously accused of child abuse after rumors surfaced that he was verbally abusive to and got physical with his eldest son, Maddox, during a Sept. 14 flight on their private jet. However, the FBI cleared the actor of all allegations, releasing a statement confirming that no charges will be filed against him.

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In response to allegations made following a flight within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States which landed in Los Angeles carrying Mr. Brad Pitt and his children, the FBI has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation, the agency said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Nov. 22. No charges have been filed in this matter.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

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A few years ago, I took an action that may have helped bring to prominence Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who is now set to become Donald Trumps national security advisor.

Let me explain. Around Christmas of 2009, I got an email from an American serving in Afghanistan. Id been familiar with this person for some time and knew him to be thoughtful, tough, and dedicated. He was writing to tell me that along with two others in Afghanistan  one of them Flynn  he had produced a paper on how to revamp U.S. military intelligence in wartime. I read the paper and thought it was excellent and important.

I shared that paper with my then-boss, a smart young former Marine named Nate Fick. At the time, I was at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank, and Fick was its CEO and chief operating officer. I suggested that CNAS publish it. He agreed and, after some intense internal discussion about the unusual nature of the paper and its path to publication, made it happen in just a week or two. In January 2010, it appeared under the title: Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan.

It began with the eyebrow-raising assertion that eight years into the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. intelligence community is only marginally relevant to the overall strategy. American intelligence officials, it charged, were ignorant of local economics and landowners, hazy about who the powerbrokers are and how they might be influenced, incurious about the correlations between various development projects and the levels of cooperation among villagers, and disengaged from people in the best position to find answers. That was some indictment, especially considering it came from insiders.

The papers authors explicitly acknowledged that they were making an end run around the Defense Department. They stated that they were issuing this unconventional report, and [were] taking the steps to have it published by a respected think tank, in order to broaden its reach to commanders, intelligence professionals and schoolhouse instructors outside, as well as inside, Afghanistan. That is, they were seeking the attention not just of the producers of intelligence but also of its consumers.

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They wanted to pull back the veil of secrecy that obscured intelligence missteps. Too often, the secretiveness of the intelligence community has allowed it to escape the scrutiny of customers and the supervision of commanders. Too often, when an S-2 officer fails to deliver, he is merely ignored rather than fired, they wrote. The paper went on to make a series of specific recommendations about how to better collect information, integrate it, and use it. Overall, it called for focusing less on the insurgents and more on the people.

The paper made a splash. The then-defense secretary, Robert Gates, expressed a bit of puzzlement about why he was hearing from one of his generals through a think tank. A Pentagon spokesman said Gates, himself a career intelligence officer, had real reservations about the generals choice of venue for publication.

The publication of the paper also had an unexpected consequence: It gave Flynn a new prominence in the world of intelligence. At a time of despair over our never-ending wars, there was a general speaking up and speaking out. He seemed to be a breath of fresh air, exactly what the military establishment needed.

Heres the problem: I have reason to suspect Flynn may have had little role in actually writing the paper. On the other hand, he read it, saw that it was good, and agreed to lend his name  and rank  to it. His endorsement gave the paper a major boost. Otherwise it likely would have gone nowhere, and Flynn might now be a name unknown.

Instead, he went on in 2012 to be named head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. How much the CNAS paper had to do with this, I dont know for certain, but I bet it played some role. At any rate, he didnt work out well there, in the view of his overseers at the Pentagon. Barely two years later, he was moved out, though he insisted to me that it was at the time of his own choosing.

And then a president was elected a few weeks ago who expressed distrust of most American generals. He seemed to make exceptions for those who had been ousted by Barack Obamas White House: Gens. James Mattis, David Petraeus, and Flynn. (There has been no word yet on a fourth who was pushed out, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.) I cringed when I saw Flynn chanting lock her up at the Republican National Convention. That was unseemly and also, for a career military officer, unprofessional.

I dont know where all this leaves me. I dont regret my role. As I see it, my task as a writer and journalist is to look out for new things. If you see something good, you put it out there. But you dont try to calculate the consequences, partly because it is impossible, but mainly because that is not your role. In a democracy, the role of a writer is to tell the truth as he or she sees it and to let the people decide what to do with it. I did that with my book, Fiasco, and I did that in passing along the Flynn paper to CNAS.

But lets see how I feel in a few years.

Photo credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Walt Disney, buoyed by record financial results, boosted its semi-annual dividend by 10 percent, saying Wednesday it will pay stockholders 78 cents for each share they own on Dec. 12, up from 71 cents previously.

In the fiscal year, which ended Oct. 1, Disney recorded revenue that rose 6 percent to $55.6 billion and net income that rose 12 percent to $9.4 billion, in large measure due to a record $7.5 billion in box-office results led by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

"We delivered our sixth consecutive year of record revenue, net income and earnings-per-share in fiscal 2016, and we are pleased to increase our dividend to shareholders," Disney CEO Bob Iger said Wednesday. "This payment brings our dividends for fiscal 2016 to $1.49 a share."

The company also announced Wednesday that it will hold its annual shareholders' meeting on March 8, this time in Denver. Disney tries to schedule its annual meeting in a different U.S. city each year.

Shares of Disney fell 1 percent Wednesday to $99.12 and are down 6 percent this calendar year.

Read more: Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global Teams With Antenna for Central, Eastern Europe Expansion
Disneys board just gave investors an early holiday gift by raising the semi-annual dividend 9.9% to 78 cents a share.

We delivered our sixth consecutive year of record revenue, net income and EPS in fiscal 2016, and we are pleased to increase our dividend to shareholders, CEO Bob Iger says.

The sweetener should appeal to investors whove seen Disney shares lose about 5.6% of their value so far in 2016  mostly due to concerns about the prospects for ESPN.

Sentiment improved on November 10, when Iger explained why weve taken a more bullish position on the future of ESPNs sub base. Since then, Disneys been up 4.7%.

The dividend will be payable on January 11 to shareholders of record at the end of December 12.

In addition to the dividend announcement, Disney said that it will hold its annual meeting in Denver on March 8.

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The March 13, 2008 double murder was so shocking it made national headlines.

Eleven-year-old Thomas Hunter was found stabbed to death in his familys Omaha, Nebraska, home, his body discovered near that of the familys house cleaner, Shirlee Sherman. The boys father, Dr. William Hunter, a prominent doctor and director for the Department of Pathology at Creighton University, made the initial discovery.

The killer left the same grisly signature on both of the bodies: A knife stuck in the right side of their necks.

The case went cold for five years until police discovered the bodies of Roger and Mary Brumback, both 65, in their West Omaha home on May 14, 2013. Roger, the former Chair of Creightons Department of Pathology, was found in the entranceway, shot three times and stabbed six times in the neck. Mary was discovered nearby in the living room, stabbed more than 20 times in the neck.

All the wounds were in a small area of the right side of the neck, Omaha Police Department homicide detective Derek Mois tells PEOPLE about the four slayings. All of these wounds told us whoever did this was looking for this geographic spot. Someone knows anatomy is what it told us.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases that Shocked America is out now.

It didnt take long for detectives to zero in on their prime suspect, Dr. Anthony Garcia, a former Creighton pathology resident. Authorities believe the killings were fueled by revenge after Brumback and Hunter fired him from Creighton University in 2001 and later wrote bad references, which had prevented him from getting work as a doctor in other states.

Every time he tried to get a license from somewhere it appeared that the information Creighton would provide was coming back to haunt him, says Mois.

 For more on the revenge killings by Dr. Anthony Garcia, subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this weeks issue, on newsstands Friday.

Garcia was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in July of 2013. In October, a jury found Garcia guilty of the four slayings. He was also was convicted of four counts of use of a deadly weapon and one count of attempted burglary. He has yet to be sentenced.

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Friends of Garcia are baffled as to how a once-promising University of Utah medical school graduate became a cold-blooded killer.

I was very surprised because the person I knew was polite and easy going and got along well with everyone, Garcias former University of Utah classmate Dr. Steve Lore tells PEOPLE.

 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.

With Garcia behind bars, the victims families are still trying to make sense of the tragedy. To this day I still cant understand how somebody can just do that to another human being over a job, says Shermans son, Jeff.

Adds Thomass brother, Tim, I guess it provides some closure but Im not sure if it gives me much in the way of satisfaction. It is kind of a sad reason for murder. As far as justification for murder it is pretty kind of pathetic.




Photo credit: undefined

From Country Living

A massive wildfire is raging through two popular Tennessee towns near the Great Smoky Mountains, causing thousands of evacuations and threatening one of the area's most beloved tourist attractions: Dollywood, the theme park created by country music legend Dolly Parton.

The city of Gatlinburg has been ordered to evacuate, and so have nearby towns like parts of Pigeon Forge, which is home to Dollywood. The theme park announced on its website that there has been no damage to the park so far, but more than a dozen cabins managed by Dollywood were damaged or destroyed. Park staff evacuated families in 50 rooms at DreamMore resort and families staying at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins.

The park has suspended operations through at least Wednesday, and its DreamMore resort will only be open as a shelter for people displaced by the fire and a place for registered guests to stay. "We have fire crews on the park working with our team to protect structures," Pete Owens, Dollywood Director of Media, told ABC News. "There is fire on the ridge near the park." According to TMZ, staffers rescued 50 bald eagles from their shelter at Dollywood and are hosting them at a convention center until the risk of smoke inhalation or fire is gone.

Photographers and reporters have posted images of the flames ravaging areas right near the theme park.

Photos of fire currently burning along Dollywood Lane in Pigeon Forge pic.twitter.com/tcLqHKCxQW - Darren Reese (@GSunDarrenReese) November 29, 2016

From the far parking lots at #Dollywood, nearest Splash Country. No idea where the fire is in relation to park boundaries. #gatlinburg pic.twitter.com/9j65xI9T1h - Darren Reese (@GSunDarrenReese) November 29, 2016

The wildfire has been fueled by high winds and an ongoing drought in the region, though some rain has started to fall in some areas. Locals are hopeful about the forecast rainfall, which is set to hit right where the fire is worst.

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The Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa is "likely entirely gone," the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said. Hundreds of homes and buildings, including a 16-story hotel, have been destroyed or damaged. So far no deaths connected to the fire have been reported, but several people have been hospitalized. The mayor of Gatlinburg, Mike Werner, said his home was destroyed in the fire.

In an eerie coincidence, Dolly Parton herself had just starred in a public service announcement for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starring with Smokey the Bear to warn travelers about the risk of wildfires.

Parton released a statement as the wildfires raged in the area. "I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken," she said. "I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe."

"I am heartbroken." -- @DollyParton's statement on the wildfires in her hometown pic.twitter.com/XrjCSUakTX - Amanda Wills (@AmandaWills) November 29, 2016

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump tweeted early Wednesday morning that he will hold a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 15 in New York City to discuss plans to distance himself from his business.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to make America great again! the president-elect wrote. While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!

These statements come after Trumps various private business engagements around the globe have been called into question when paired with his duties in the Oval Office, including a six-byline report from the New York Times detailing potential conflicts of interest. Although Trump said on the campaign trail that he would turn over his business to his adult children, this is the first time president-elect has announced any plans to distance himself from those ventures since winning the election. Some also call into question whether turning over his business to his children might still influence his decisions as president. Trumps latest tweets do not mention any specifics regarding when and how he plans to turn over power, which will presumably be discussed during the Dec. 15 press conference.

Variety has reached out to the Trumps camp for comment.

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Donald Trump has declared war on the liberal media and theres nothing they can do about it. To the delight of millions of Americans, he has scolded them for their bias and mocked their hypocrisy. Best of all, he is showing just how unimportant they will be to his presidency.

Despite a soaring stock market, rising consumer confidence and other indications that the nation is optimistic about the Trump presidency, the liberal press continues to wallow in gloom. To retake the narrative, Trump has just announced he will take a Victory Tour to several states where he upset Hillary Clinton, staging the kinds of massive rallies that boosted his campaign. It is a brilliant move. News organizations will have to cover these events, and the sheer exuberance of the crowds will reinvigorate his followers and drown out those protesting his election.

Related: Here's the Funny Thing About Trumps Flag-Burning Tweet

Thats not his only line of attack. On Thanksgiving eve, Trump delivered a message urging unity and promising a great national campaign to rebuild our country and to restore the full promise of America for all of our people." He did not appear on ABC News or sit down with Charlie Rose. Instead, he spoke to the nation via a video on YouTube, Trumps version of FDRs Fireside Chat. This wasnt the first time he drew viewers to YouTube -- the new approach was inaugurated a few days earlier with an update on the efforts of his transition team.

Naturally, the political press saw nothing to like in these YouTube efforts  either in his remarks, or his manner of delivering them. The New York Times described the president-elects earlier recording as an infomercial-style video and sniffed that the outreach was supplanting a more conventional appearance saying, The president-elect has declined to hold a news conference since his victory. Why would he bother? Trump knows what kinds of questions hell get  inevitable queries about Nazi salutes or tearful, frightened immigrants  and he knows how his answers will be spun.

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The public doesnt care if he observes press conventions. Just as Rotten Tomatoes is rendering film critics obsolete for the millions of Americans who think their peers a better source for movie reviews, many welcome Trumps direct approach. Tuning into YouTube could become the norm for those interested in hearing from their president-elect. Not only will they enjoy his messages, they will also enjoy the diminished power of the liberal media.

Related: Trumps Twitter Rants Create New Risk for Stocks

According to Gallup, the publics trust and confidence in the media to report the news accurately and fairly has plummeted to an all-time low. In June a survey showed that only 8 percent of Americans had a great deal of confidence in our TV news channels and newspapers. By comparison, 25 percent and 41 percent have that level of esteem for the police and our military, respectively.

People in news organizations dispute that they have treated Trump unfairly, noting that he was given enormous free press during the GOP primaries, helping to pave his path to victory. That is true, but they did not give him free air time to be generous; Trump drove ratings for an industry desperate for readers and viewers. Moreover, he made himself available at all hours of the day and night, for outlets large and small  he never said no. The minute he became the nominee  this candidate that they had mocked and underestimated  the knives came out.

Trump is setting new ground rules, producing the kind of disruption to the status quo urged by his backers. Media operations will retaliate by slanting coverage of the president-elect but, lets face it, theyve already hit them with their worst. Another scathing piece from the New Yorker or CNN has about as much punch as watered-down ginger ale.

Recently Trump headed over to The New York Times to patch up their relationship and said, I have great respect for The Times, and Id like to turn it around. He was courteous and respectful, and to their probable dismay, reasonable. He largely stood his ground; when pressed on favored topics like climate change, he said he had an open mind. When his aide Steve Bannon took a drubbing, Trump defended him. To his enormous credit, only once or twice did he bristle in that room full of hostility.

Related: In First Step Toward Eliminating Obamacare, Trump Names Tom Price to HHS

He tried. But any hopes that The Times will grant him fair coverage dissipated immediately. Day after day the scorching, biased articles continue to dominate the front page. The Times has been warned. There is no law that says a Times reporter must be seated in the White House press briefing room. (For that matter, there is no law saying there must be a White House briefing room.) Trump will be entirely justified if he limits the papers access, and it will hurt his popularity not one iota. One of the most winning moments of George W. Bushs 2000 campaign came when he called New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a major league asshole. Some things never change.

From the beginning, Trump has understood the power of appealing directly to the people. He has used (or over-used, depending on your perspective) Twitter with great success. Trump has 15.7 million followers on Twitter; President Obama has only 12.1 million. Thats a lot of folks ready to listen to what The Donald has to say. Why should he allow his every remark to be filtered through the hate-darkened lens of the New York Times or CNN?

In the next several years, Trump will make plenty of mistakes, and, like all leaders, should be held accountable. Perhaps his efforts to sideline the media will convince them to act as neutral observers, and not partisan players. Maybe he will Make the Media Great Again. Im not holding my breath.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
President-elect Donald Trump showered Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif with praise during a phone call on Wednesday, providing a glimpse into his diplomatic strategy.

You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way, Trump said on the call, according to a readout provided by the Pakistani government. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems.

The penchant for hyperbole that Trump often exhibited in off-the-cuff campaign speeches came through in the phone call, during which Sharif congratulated him on his election victory and invited him to visit Pakistan.

Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people, Trump said.

The full readout of the call, according to the Pakistani government, is below. Trumps transition team has not released a readout.
President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he intends to name Steven Mnuchin as his Treasury secretary, adding both a key campaign figure and a Wall Street veteran to his administration. Trump also intends to nominate billionaire Wilbur Ross as secretary of Commerce.

"Steve Mnuchin is a world-class financier, banker and businessman, and has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs," Trump said in a statement Wednesday. "His expertise and pro-growth ideas make him the ideal candidate to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. He purchased IndyMac Bank for $1.6 billion and ran it very professionally, selling it for $3.4 billion plus a return of capital. That's the kind of people I want in my administration representing our country."



Mnuchin, who served as finance chairman for Trump's presidential campaign, was last the chairman of Dune Capital Management. Mnuchin's firm's Hollywood financing has helped to fund James Cameron's "Avatar," among other blockbusters. He previously spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs (GS), worked at Soros Fund Management and co-founded OneWest Bank Group.



The appointment of Mnuchin, an alumnus of one of the world's most powerful financial institutions, seems to clash with Trump's populist campaign rhetoric and pledge to be the "voice" for downtrodden blue-collar workers. Mnuchin would take the helm of a treasury that could take a starkly different approach than the department did under the Obama administration on taxes, trade and financial regulation.



It is not entirely clear how much Mnuchin's personal views align with the financial priorities Trump has outlined for his United States. Mnuchin, like Trump, donated heavily to Democratic candidates before this cycle. Like Trump, his economic standing has little in common with the economic populism that helped to propel Trump to the White House.

While serving as campaign finance chairman, Mnuchin also outlined some of the economic priorities of a possible Trump administration.



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"We are very focused on lowering business taxes, making sure that U.S. corporations are competitive around the world, bringing back cash from all around the world that's sitting offshore and I think the American public is focused on that," Mnuchin told CNBC in August.



Trump has pledged to cut the U.S. corporate tax rate to 15 percent from more than 30 percent currently, saying it will encourage companies to keep their tax addresses in the United States. Obama's treasury under Jack Lew has enacted rules to make it more difficult for companies to use inversions to get lower tax rates overseas.



Trump's administration will clash with Obama's on trade, as Trump wants to scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Lew said earlier this year he hoped the Asian trade agreement could still be passed. In addition, Trump has trashed and pledged to repeal the Dodd-Frank financial reform act, which Obama's administration praises for helping to create what it calls a safer financial system.



Mnuchin was named Trump's campaign finance chairman in May. The campaign did not start seriously fundraising until June, much later than presidential candidates typically do.



Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton while both raising and spending considerably less than his rival. Mnuchin helped to oversee a campaign that spent much less than Clinton on television advertising and payroll, benefiting from free media coverage and social media efforts.



Ross chosen for Commerce secretary

Ross, the 78-year-old billionaire head of W.L. Ross, has built is reputation as a so-called vulture investor, swooping in to rescue failing companies across a number of industries.



More significantly in recent days, he has been a close adviser for Trump as the Republican puts together a team for his new administration that begins in January. Ross left Trump Tower on Tuesday smiling while wearing a camouflage patterned "Make America Great Again" hat.

"Wilbur knows that cutting taxes for working families, reducing burdensome government regulations and unleashing America's energy resources will strengthen our economy at a time when our country needs to see significant growth," Trump said.

The appointment also represents another insider pick for a candidate who promised to bring outsiders in to fix what ails Washington. Ross has made what is estimated by Forbes to be a $2.9 billion fortune by saving companies in a variety of sectors, including steel and coal.

Before starting his own firm, Ross for 25 years led Rothschild's bankruptcy practice. He has praised Trump for promising a "more radical, new approach to government."

 NBC News and Reuters contributed to this report.







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Donald Trump had dinner with Mitt Romney on Tuesday night and the Internet had a field day.

The president-elect met with his potential pick for secretary of state at Jean Georges, the three-Michelin-star New York City restaurant inside the Upper West Side's Trump International Hotel and Tower. Reince Priebus, Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, also attended the four-course meal - which consisted of garlic soup with sauteed frog legs as appetizers, prime sirloin and lamb chops for the main course and chocolate cake for dessert.

Read more: Jean-Georges Vongerichten on Trump-Romney Dinner at His Four-Star Restaurant (Exclusive)

Ahead of Election Day, the former Massachusetts governor was a fiercely outspoken critic of Trump's. He once called Trump a "phony" and "fraud" and said, "His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University."

After the Tuesday dinner, however, Romney praised Trump for his win when speaking to reporters, saying it was something he "tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing."

"I've been impressed by what I've seen in the transition effort," he said of Trump's appointments and first few weeks as president-elect. "I happen to think that America's best days are ahead of us." He also added that he had a "wonderful evening."

When asked if Romney will be his next secretary of state, Trump told CNN, "Well, we're going to see what happens."

WATCH: Mitt Romney dines with President-elect Trump; speculation grows over selection: https://t.co/esg7hrD1cQ https://t.co/QpgzlGNHVR

- Good Morning America (@GMA) November 30, 2016

The sit-down was captured by photographers and one photo in particular said it all for social media users. In it, the look on Romney's face is that of Chris Christie's Super Tuesday "hostage" expression, which went viral on Twitter.

See the Romney and Trump posts below.

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*record scratch*

*freeze frame*

Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation ... pic.twitter.com/VC9XZblMGY- Hunter Walker (@hunterw) November 30, 2016

The moment when you realize that the expensive dinner your date bought is gonna cost you. pic.twitter.com/z3XWIZzsM2

- Jennifer Weiner (@jenniferweiner) November 30, 2016

When your friend sets you up and asks how it's going pic.twitter.com/PPRC8oUuMF

- Jason Wells (@JasonBretWells) November 30, 2016

pic.twitter.com/NxTSQJW5wS

- Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) November 30, 2016

"Help" pic.twitter.com/zsZzPpOZpY

- Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) November 30, 2016

For the first time in his life, Mitt Romney is All Of Us. pic.twitter.com/e8TyFgmtDl

- John Green (@johngreen) November 30, 2016

.@MittRomney YOU IN DANGER, GIRL. pic.twitter.com/NTFfzHm0B7

- Saeed Jones (@theferocity) November 30, 2016

Mitt Romney is me every time I go on a first date pic.twitter.com/659nSst6rg

- Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) November 30, 2016

PICTURED: Mitt Romney at the exact moment he realizes he's selling his soul pic.twitter.com/XccIJj93KN

- Bucky Isotope (@BuckyIsotope) November 30, 2016

I found the uncropped version of that Trump and Romney photo. pic.twitter.com/VdeLh3QnB1

- neontaster (@neontaster) November 30, 2016

"What's for dinner, Donald?"

"Your dignity" pic.twitter.com/TRFIh56cEe- Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) November 30, 2016

Mitt Romney: "I'd sell my soul for a tiny, fancy meal."

POOF

Trump: "Helloooooooooooooooo." pic.twitter.com/hsxghMiaoE- Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) November 30, 2016

"I said SMILE" [hysterical laughter] pic.twitter.com/sjDbq7gxwD

- Sam Thielman (@samthielman) November 30, 2016

Read more: Donald Trump Tweets He Will Leave His Businesses to "Fully Focus" on Presidency
SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / NOHO, Inc. (DRNK), a Wyoming corporation (the Company) announced the following:

The Company has completed an asset purchase agreement to acquire 1Tapp from The Weaver Group, LLC, a mobile web application. The transaction was accomplished using a portion of the newly converted preferred stock already issued to the insider shareholders and there will be no dilution to the common shareholders.

1Tapp is the Company's new mobile web app that optimizes user interaction by providing an ease-of-use interface for customers to engage with the cannabis retail sector. The app allows customers to access and receive up to date information such as,

- Product promotions

- Rewards programs

- Gift cards

- Daily specials

- Store events

- Direct customer inquiry

- Pricing and new products

1Tapp gives cannabis dispensaries the ability to market directly to both patients and customers through a cost-effective web-based app.

CEO David Mersky, Chief Executive Officer of NOHO, Inc. commented, "This marks an enormous breakthrough in the Marijuana industry as dispensaries will no longer have to rely on stale directory sites that effectively prevent individual branding and do not provide metrics and user data. Dispensaries will now be able to take ownership of their own sales funnel, design their own engagement campaigns and compile their own customer data.

"To facilitate our marketing plans for the 1TAPP app," continued CEO David Mersky, "We are opening a new state of the art telephone sales operation in Phoenix, AZ, located in the prestigious Biltmore area in January, 2017.

Currently, through our subsidiary, Meda360 Licensing, Inc., we are nearing completion of our proof of concept in Arizona, where we have 120 host sights installed, featuring the Company's digital signage and media technology. The point of sale model will serve as the base for the Company to offer 1Tapp and other services as part of a larger suite of products, all designed for the small business to enhance customer engagement.

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Finally, it gives me great pleasure to report that this model will be rolled out nationwide. We look forward to announcing updates as developments occur.

The Company has authorized its counsel to effectuate a name change from NOHO, Inc. to IMBUTEK Corporation, seeking to trade under the new proposed symbol of IMTK, or if not available then IUTK or IBTK. This change is intended to more accurately reflect the nature of the Company's core advertising technology business. Until that process is completed, the stock will continue to trade under its current symbol: DRNK.

Safe Harbor for Forward-looking Statements:

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey to the public the company's progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, they are based on managements current beliefs and assumptions as to future events. However, since the company's operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this news release might not occur, and actual results could differ materially from those described, anticipated or implied. For a more complete discussion of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT:

Investor/Media Contact:

Phillip Sugarman

Investor Relations Partners

818-280-6800

SOURCE: NOHO, Inc.
With Republicans just weeks away from possibly repealing the Affordable Care Act, President Obamas signature domestic policy program, it may seem like an odd time to look for bipartisan unity on legislation related to health care. Nevertheless, Congress appears to be ready to pass a major bill funding medical research and overhauling the approval process for new drugs and medical devices.

The 21st Century Cures Act, which spans 25 separate sections touching on subjects as diverse as drug research and foster care, runs to nearly 1,000 pages. As with any piece of legislation so large, the bill is packed with elements that draw both praise and angry criticism.

Related: 8 Big Changes Under Tom Prices Obamacare Replacement Plan

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chief sponsor of the bill, has called it "an innovative game-changer and a truly once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring our healthcare system light years ahead of where it is today."

By contrast, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders complains that the bill provides absolutely no relief for soaring drug prices and amounts to a gift to the pharmaceuticals industry. The greed of the pharmaceutical industry has no limit, and this bill includes numerous corporate giveaways that will make drug companies even richer  Its time for Congress to stand up to the worlds biggest pharmaceutical companies, not give them more handouts.

At the heart of the bill is a plan to fund the National Institutes of Health and to establish an Innovation Prizes Program to fund areas of biomedical science that could realize significant advancements or improve health outcomes. Beside the NIH program, the bill directs between $50 million and $75 million per year to the Food and Drug Administration over the next decade to create an FDA Innovation Account meant to fund further pharmaceutical research, including treatment for agents that present national security threats.

The bill also outlines various measures to streamline the approval of new drugs and medical devices and to make it easier for desperately ill patients to get access to experimental medications that have not yet been approved for the general population.

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Related: The Healthcare Industry Is in a Panic Over Obamacare Repeal

Among the programs funded by the bill is the vaunted cancer moonshot being spearheaded by Vice President Joe Biden, who recently lost his son, Beau, to a brain tumor. The object of the program is to compress a decades worth of cancer research into a five-year period.

The bill directs the FDA to implement various new protocols in its system for approving new drugs and medical devices, with the aim of bringing them to market sooner and reducing the burden on companies developing potential breakthrough medications and vaccines. It also pays particular attention to the process for testing new antibiotic and antifungal medicines that can treat infections resistant to existing medications.

Another section of the bill takes on the spreading problem of opioid abuse and addiction. It sets aside half a billion dollars in funding to support state-level programs targeting the opioid crisis, including prescription drug monitoring programs, healthcare provider training, access to treatment and more.

But for all the elements of the bill that have wide support, there are others drawing fierce criticism.

Related: A Big Problem for Obamacare: How Much Americans Can Afford to Pay

Democrats note that much of the funding for the bill is dependent on the coming reduction or elimination of the Affordable Care Act, meaning that it represents less new funding for health care than it does a simple transfer of funding from programs supporting direct patient care to research and development.

The bill also delves deeply into the weeds of Medicare policy, rewriting some rules on access to treatment and physician reimbursement, in ways that some critics worry will make it harder and more expensive for some seniors to get needed care.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted the bill as a giveaway to big pharma that will have negative side effects, including making it more difficult for the disabled to get access to doctors under the Medicare program and taking funding away from Affordable Care Act programs. She described the funding of research programs at NIH as a distraction from the bills real purpose.

Why bother with a fig leaf in the Cures bill? Why pretend to give any money to NIH or opioids? she demanded. Because this funding is political cover for huge giveaways to giant drug companies.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Police in Kensington, Canada, are getting serious about cracking down on drunk driving during the holidays. According to a post on the Kensington Police Service's Facebook page, violators will get a hefty fine, driving suspension for a year and a little bonus gift: "playing the office's copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail."

Yes, you read that right -- the Prince Edward Island cops plan to bust tipsy holiday drivers with a mandatory sentence of listening to the Canadian rockers' 2001 album Silver Side Up on the way to lockup.

"So, the Holiday Season is upon us and that means more social events, staff parties and alcohol based libations," the PD wrote in the "Kensington Police Drinking and Driving Gift -- Christmas Bonus Edition" post. "Now, because of that fact, it logically means more people need to plan their nights driving duties. To save any problems at the end of the night, know ahead of time who is the Designated Driver. Write down the number to a cab company or plan to stay over at friends. Anything and everything you can do to eliminate the chances of drinking and driving."

As for the Nickelback sentence on top of the criminal charge and the rest, the PD explained, "Now, now, no need to thank us, we figure if you are foolish enough to get behind the wheel after drinking then a little Chad Kroeger and the boys is the perfect gift for you. So please, lets not ruin a perfectly good unopened copy of Nickelback. You don't drink and drive and we won't make you listen to it."

"What we were trying to do is put a little humour into a very serious matter of drinking and driving," Const. Robb Hartlen, the author of the post told the CBC. "What it does is it sparks that conversation, it pushes that idea that everybody knows with a little bit of humour... Poor Nickelback. They take the brunt of a nation's joke, and I'm sure they're crying all the way to the bank," added Hartlen, an admitted fan of a few of Chad and the gang's songs.

And before any of you Nickelheads get bent out of shape, Hartlen fessed up that he just pulled the image of the album from Google and his department doesn't even have the disc on hand. "I would have no problem at all getting hold of a copy of Nickelback and making that the musical play-along on the way in to chat with someone who's been caught for drinking and driving," he said.

Soon enough, the Kensington Police will have even more Nickleback material to work with -- the band revealed on Tuesday (Nov. 29) that they are back in the studio working on the follow-up to 2014's No Fixed Address.
Dwayne Johnsons HBO series Ballers is moving to California from Florida for its third season and has been conditionally approved to receive an $8.3 million tax credit from the state.

Ballers is scheduled to shoot its next 10 episodes in California, where it will employ 135 cast, 209 base crew, and 5,700 extras. The series will generate an estimated $33.5 million in qualified expenditures, defined as wages paid to below-the-line workers and payments to in-state vendors  making it eligible for a 25% tax credit for its first season in California, followed by a 20% credit for any successive seasons.

Ballers is the seventh series to relocate to California under the states expanded tax incentive program, launched last year. It joins Mistresses (which returned to California from Vancouver); Scream Queens and American Horror Story (which moved from Louisiana); Veep (from Maryland); Secrets and Lies (from North Carolina); and ABCs American Crime (which recently moved from Texas).

Were thrilled to welcome another TV series and the long-term jobs it will create in-state, said California Film Commission executive director Amy Lemisch. Our expanded tax credit program was designed to target such projects, and its working precisely as intended.

The 2015-16 fiscal year marked a major expansion of the seven-year-old tax credit program, aimed at halting the erosion of California-based production to states with bigger incentives such as Georgia and New York. The annual allocation rose from $100 million to $330 million, and applications are ranked on how many jobs they will produce, rather than being selected by lottery.

The program expansion, enacted in 2014 by California lawmakers, covers five years and $1.65 million in tax credits. The credit is set at 20%, but producers are eligible for an additional 5% uplift if they shoot outside the Los Angeles zone, commit to music scoring or music track recording in state, or to do visual effects in California.

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The commission also disclosed Wednesday that it had reserved tax credits for 22 recurring series that are already in the program from the most recent tax credit application period, held Nov. 14-29. Lemisch said the specific tax credit allocations have not been determined since its uncertain whether all of the series will be picked up. She estimated that the total allocation for Ballers and the 22 series would be around $75 million.

The industry responds very favorably whenever were able to level the tax credit playing field, she added.

The recurring series include Paramount TVs 13 Reasons Why, ABC Studios American Crime, Foxs American Crime Story, Horizons Animal Kingdom, Paramount TVs Citizens, ABCs Code Black, CBS Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Horizons Famous in Love, Mesquite Prods. Good Girls Revolt, Showtimes Im Dying Up Here, and Foxs Pitch.

The list also includes Universal TVs Pure Genius, BETs Rebel, Foxs Rosewood and Scream Queens, ABCs Secrets and Lies, Paramount TVs Shooter, Foxs Snowfall, Viacoms Sweet/Vicious, Foxs This Is Us, and HBOs Veep and Westworld.

The next TV project application period for Californias program will be held Feb. 10-17 as the final TV application period for fiscal 2016-17, bolstered by any unused funds earmarked for TV projects earlier in the year. Eligibility will be open to new series, new pilots, relocating series, and recurring series already in the program.

The next film project allocation period will be held Jan. 2-13 for independent and studio feature films.

The commission released a report last month showing encouraging results from the first year of the expanded tax credit program. The report contained an analysis of hours worked by members of Californias below-the-line unions (Teamsters, the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employee, basic crafts and others covered under the Motion Picture Industry Pension & Health Plans) and showed a 12.45% increase for the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year.

SAG-AFTRA employment data showed background actors working in scripted film and television in California generated a 19.7% increase in daily employment during the first quarter. Teamsters Local 399, which covers drivers and location managers, reported that members are working at full employment for the first time since 2007. IATSE Local 44 (property craftspersons) saw a 4.9% growth in membership for the first quarter  the highest gain since the mid-1990s.

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By Asma Alsharif and Arwa Gaballa

CAIRO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Egypt's central bank has told banks they may allocate dollars to a wider range of clients, according to bankers, potentially making hard currency available to foreign companies seeking to repatriate earnings after months of delays.

Egypt's central bank abandoned its currency peg of 8.8 pounds to the U.S. dollar on Nov. 3 in a move aimed at unlocking dollar inflows and restoring the confidence of foreign investors driven away by political instability after the 2011 uprising.

Dwindling foreign reserves and a gaping trade deficit had prompted the central bank to ration dollar supplies through regular auctions. Banks were forced to prioritise essential goods such as medicine, wheat and raw materials.

Importers of non-essential items had to resort to the black market for dollars, where they paid much higher rates.

The rationing along with capital controls imposed in early 2015 meant foreign companies were unable to repatriate profits and companies struggled to open credit lines, resulting in a backlog of dollar orders estimated by bankers at $10-15 billion.

"There are clients who are desperate to address their temporary overdrafts and repatriate dividends and will buy dollars at any rate," said one banker.

When it announced early this month that it was floating the Egyptian pound, the central bank said its priority list for imports had been abolished and banks could allocate dollars to clients at their own discretion.

But bankers said at the time the central bank had verbally asked them to prioritise companies seeking dollars for imports of essential goods, and split any surplus foreign currency between non-essential imports and interbank trade.

Seven bankers told Reuters the central bank had given them the nod to widen dollar allocations.

Once they have fulfilled demand from importers of essential goods, banks are now allowed to allocate half their remaining dollars to business clients seeking to cover temporary overdrafts, repatriate earnings or meet other needs.

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"The central bank yesterday told us we could use 50 percent to be directed to non-essentials or temporary refinance or anything except to cover our short position," said one banker who works in a treasury department.

There was no immediate comment from the central bank. A central bank source referred Reuters to the Nov. 3 statement that stipulated banks were free to allocate foreign currency.

Bankers said the move would increase demand for dollars at the banks and likely put downward pressure on the Egyptian pound, which has roughly halved in value since the flotation.

A sharp drop in the pound as a result of the new move looked unlikely as bankers said backlogs would be cleared gradually.

"We have the option but we are still not able to address the backlog. It will take some time, maybe a couple of months," said one Cairo-based banker.

"There are still a lot of importers of essential goods who are not willing to buy at current prices." (Additional reporting by Nadia El Gowely, Editing by Lin Noueihed/Jeremy Gaunt)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday released its proposed determination to leave unchanged the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions standard set to take effect for light vehicles between 2022 and 2025. The proposed GHG emissions standards were developed in tandem with an Obama administration increase to proposed fuel economy standards requiring a new light-vehicle fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. This so-called CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standard is likely a greater sticking point with carmakers than the emissions standards.

Earlier this month an industry group called the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers sent seeking delays in implementation of the rules they agreed to in 2012. Given the industry's lukewarm support for Trump during the campaign, it's not a sure thing that the carmakers will get what they want. Likely, yes; a slam dunk, no.

ALSO READ: America's Poorest Cities

In Wednesday's announcement EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said:

Given the auto industry's importance to American jobs and communities and the industry's need for certainty well into the future, EPA has reanalyzed these clean car standards and sought further input. It's clear from the extensive technical record that this program will remain affordable and effective. This proposed decision reconfirms our confidence in the auto industry's capacity to drive innovation and strengthen the American economy while saving drivers money at the pump and safeguarding our health, climate and environment.

Although President-elect Trump has not yet appointed an EPA administrator, the person he chose to lead the transition team for his environmental appointments, Myron Ebell, is described as a "climate contrarian" by opponents. On Monday Trump spoke to Kathleen Hartnett White, director of the energy and environment division of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Austin.

ALSO READ: The Worst Companies to Work For

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The EPA will accept comments on the proposed determination through December 30, 2016.

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By Temesghen Debesai LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The desperate voice of a 22-year-old Eritrean mother kidnapped in the Sinai desert will haunt Meron Estefanos forever. "Both her parents had died fighting for Eritrea to gain its independence. This mum and her infant were both tortured for two years. She was mainly worried about what would happen to the child if anything were to happen to her," said Meron, who runs a radio hotline from her home in Sweden for Eritrean refugees. "I was not able to save her and she died at the hands of her captors. That is something I could not get over to this day." Meron left Eritrea for Sweden at the age of 14, but she stayed closely connected to her country of birth in the hope of one day returning there and making a difference. That dream became closer than ever when she moved back home in 2002. But she was dismayed by what she found. "You could see it in people's eyes that life was hard, but they would not want to speak out for fear of getting in trouble," Meron told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Eritreans, under the rule of former independence fighter Isaias Afwerki, struggled to afford even basic necessities in the country's collapsing economy. His administration is accused by an inquiry commission appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council of using enforced conscription, enslavement, imprisonment, rape and torture to instill fear. In a bid to escape the climate of fear, thousands of Eritreans each year put themselves at the mercy of people smugglers to make the treacherous journey across the Sinai to Israel and Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Last year alone, nearly 50,000 Eritreans applied for asylum in Europe. Meron returned to Sweden determined to speak out - using a radio phone-in show to reach Eritreans, especially those on the move and at risk of kidnapping and drowning. She even helps to raise funds of pay off smugglers' ransoms. She is a presenter on Radio Erena  a Paris-based Tigrinya-language station which broadcast globally and, most importantly, into Eritrea via satellite and over the internet. "There are days when I receive up to 50 phone calls a day from inside the country with callers reporting a family member missing," said Meron ahead of a discussion on the migration crisis at Trust Women, an annual human trafficking and women's rights conference organized by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. HOTLINE It was through her show that Meron received a devastating call in 2010. An Eritrean migrant  one of 425 Eritreans packed into a listing boat on the Mediterranean Sea, called her using a people smuggler's satellite phone, pleading for help. Since then, Meron's phone number has became a hotline for Eritrean migrants crossing the Mediterranean or victims of kidnapping held for ransom in the Sinai Peninsula. In 2013, Amnesty International said it was "greatly concerned for the safety and security of refugees and asylum-seekers held captive in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt." Many of them are Eritreans, held for ransom by Bedouin smugglers, and tortured and murdered if demands go unpaid. Calls from the Sinai have been particularly harrowing, said Meron, who heads the Eritrean Initiative on Refugee Rights - a movement working with international refugee agencies and rights groups to draw attention to the plight of Eritrean refugees. She has heard victims screaming in the background while someone was on the phone talking to her. "The calls came in any time of the day or night and nothing prepares you for it. You could hear genuine fear and hopelessness in their voices," Meron said. "Some were so exhausted from the torture that they said death could not come soon enough," she said. At times, Meron was able to negotiate the release of the captives by raising the funds to pay off ransoms. Those who could not pay were murdered by the smugglers. Meron featured in an award-winning documentary film, "The Sound of Torture" in 2013 which highlights her work in helping refugees kidnapped to the Sinai Desert en route to Israel. She campaigns for a change of government in her home country in the hope it can stem the flow of refugees out of Eritrea. "Right now, dictatorship is the root cause of thousands fleeing the country. I believe that an end to dictatorship should also mean an end to these horrible stories and people can go back home," Meron said. (Editing by Ros Russell. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
European regulators are looking at dominant American technology companies and seeing red.

Last month, Alphabet (GOOGL) formally responded to the European Union charge that it used its dominant position in online search to block competitors. In Europe, going after big, successful U.S. technology companies has become sport. Facebook (FB), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) are others under siege, too. And that threatens the pace of global innovation.

They should have seen this coming. In 2014 PayPal (PYPL) co-founder Peter Thiel told a Digits interviewer the stunning success of Silicon Valley had caused great technological angst in Europe.

There is a sense that Europe is falling behind in the IT sector, Thiel said. Thats sort of the driver, and it probably would be better for Europe to find ways to be more innovative, rather than ways to regulate.

Unfortunately, nobody took his advice. Instead, regulators upped the ante, casually mixing privacy, antitrust and tax avoidance to slow progress. Its now a full scale attack on American innovation.

A regulator in Germany ordered Facebook to stop collecting data from users of its WhatsApp unit. In 2014 the European Court of Justice, the highest court in the union, said citizens had the right to demand that their personal information not be included in Google searches even if it was publicly available, and that right should extend to domains not located in Europe. Antitrust officials have opened inquiries into Apple Music, Googles Android and Amazons e-Books. And tax collectors are chasing Apple in Ireland, Facebook in Britain, Amazon in Luxemburg and Google in France.

Silicon Valley is a lot better at innovation than politics, said Ryan Heath, spokesman for Europes digital chief, European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes. I do wonder how many more Valley companies have to get slapped before the rest of them realize its time to start investing in better relations with the EU.

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In fairness, much of this is already in share prices. Most analysts expect the EU will continue to levy penalties and fees to slow the progress of America technology companies. Sadly, this will not help technology companies in the European Union and it will hurt innovation overall.

Artificial intelligence, Big Data and cloud computing are converging and American companies are in the vanguard. Human knowledge is set to grow exponentially as machine learning and data analytics is finally paired with awesome, almost unlimited compute power. This is the new age of discovery.

Penalizing American technology companies will not change the structure of the race. Theyre leading because they have made the necessary investments to win. Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Facebook and others that have fallen afoul the EU like Qualcomm should be bought into weakness.

Click here to sign up for my free VIP newsletter on the intersection of business, technology and culture


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An EU court on Wednesday upheld sanctions imposed on Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally and former judo partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin whose company won a contract to build a bridge linking the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea. Rotenberg had appealed against the asset freeze and travel ban the EU imposed on him as part of a package of sanctions against more than 150 officials, military personnel and Putin associates to protest against Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The General Court of the European Union, the EU's second-highest court, ruled that the EU had given sufficient evidence for the measures against him in 2015-16, although not in 2014-2015. The sanctions still hold because while the bloc had not shown in the earlier period that Rotenberg had benefited from contracts or been favored by Putin at the time of Russia's annexation of Crimea, it provided more proof for 2015-2016. The annulment for 2014-15 amounts only to a technicality, according to a person familiar with the judgment. For the later period, the EU had justified its sanctions with more arguments against Rotenberg, including the bridge construction contract awarded to his company Stroygazmontazh and evidence of his involvement in a public relations exercise to persuade Crimean children that they are Russian. The court said Rotenberg did not deny his ownership of the company or the award of the contract. It said the bridge would consolidate the integration of Crimea into Russia. Rotenberg, said the court, was also chairman of publishing house Prosveshcheniye (Enlightenment), which was involved in the campaign established on Putin's orders to align Crimea to Russian educational standards. This project also supported Russia's policy of integrating Crimea into Russia and undermined the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the court found. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Robin Emmott and Mark Trevelyan)
WARSAW (Reuters) - The European Commission's proposal to attach emissions limits to subsidies paid to utilities that set aside capacity to avert blackouts would be hasty and bad for the environment, Poland's energy ministry said. A draft law published by the EU executive on Wednesday sets stricter rules on capacity mechanisms as the EU pushes to implement 2030 goals on reducing greenhouse gases. Poland, which produces most of its electricity from highly-polluting coal in outdated power plants has hoped to launch a capacity market next year to help the state-run power companies start investment in new coal-fueled units. "From our point of view this would be a hasty decision and not necessarily good for the environment," the ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters. The ministry added it was looking forward to discussing the plans with EU representatives. The Commission's draft proposal still faces a lengthy approval process by member states and European Parliament before becoming law. Wednesday's draft law will set a limit of 550 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour for new plants, the source said, and give EU nations time to adapt existing capacity mechanisms already cleared by regulators. "Attaching the potential limit could indeed be related with reducing support for carbon sources, even if clean coal technologies are used ... retrofitting existing generation units toward clean coal technologies would be undermined," the ministry said. Poland needs to build new power generation plants as it faces the risk of power shortages, since it will have to switch off some of its oldest power plants in the coming years. The pro-coal government wants to develop coal-fueled power stations rather than encourage investment in wind farms, which it says is an unstable source of energy. (Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko; Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel and Susan Thomas)
By Mia Shanley and Eric Auchard

HELSINKI/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Europe's tech sector is on track for a record level of investments this year but poor access to late-stage capital is keeping it from creating independent tech "gorillas", one of the region's most active investors said.

Europe is expected to hit $13.6 billion in tech investments in 2016, up from $12.6 billion in 2015 and almost five times levels five years ago, venture capital firm Atomico said in a report released at Slush, one of the region's biggest tech start-up conferences.

New hives of activity are popping up outside the main tech hubs in places like Munich, Zurich, Copenhagen and Lisbon with money flowing into industries ranging from music and fintech to fashion and food.

Long the laggard in terms of risk-taking, access to capital and creation of globally successful companies relative to Silicon Valley, Europe's rising tech scene is starting to stand out in some unexpected ways.

Five of the world's top ten technical universities are located in the region and Europe also appears to have an edge over the United States in software development.

StackOverflow Insights, which tracks programmer trends, reckons there are 4.7 million professional tech developers in Europe versus 4.1 million in the United States.

Just this month, Facebook (FB.O) and Google (GOOGL.O) announced major expansions of their teams in Europe, citing skilled talent.

"We haven't had the gorillas in terms of size, but it's getting there," said Mattias Ljungman, who created Atomico with Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom. "Slowly but surely it's building up," he told Reuters.

Instead of staying independent and going public, many European tech firms tend to sell early to buyers in the United States or China.

China's Tencent Holdings Ltd bought 'Clash of Clans' maker Supercell in a deal valued at $8.6 billion. Chinese online travel firm Ctrip.com recently agreed to buy UK-based Skyscanner Holdings Ltd for 1.4 billion pounds.

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Moreover, Japan's Softbank snatched up British chip technology company ARM for $32 billion while U.S. based chipmaker Qualcomm snatched NXP of the Netherlands, Europe's largest chipmaker, for $38 billion.

Ljungman said Europe needed to boost later-stage access to capital to ensure more companies stay put, get bigger and keep control of their own destinies.

"The mindset is raise early-stage funding here and then get the bigger tickets in other parts of the world. There needs to be more regional capital - I think that will be super helpful," he said.

Atomico estimates Europe needs to close a $25.1 billion funding gap with the United States. Allocating just 0.6 percent of European pension funds which manage some $4.1 trillion to the tech sector would close that gap, it said.

Top U.S. funds are already getting more active in Europe while more companies and private equity firms are starting to see opportunities, Ljungman said.

Investors expect Swedish music streaming service Spotify, which has held its own against rivals like tech giant Apple Music (AAPL.O), could go public next year.

Ljungman remains hopeful that tech gorillas will emerge in Europe.

"I don't think we should be surprised if over the next 10 years we should be looking at outcomes that are tens of billions and making their way up to hundreds of billions," he said.

(Additional reporting by Jussi Rosendahl and Tuomas ForsellEditing by Ruth Pitchford)
Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The question of whether employers have the right to monitor workers' online communications returned to the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday ahead of a ruling that could have Europe-wide implications.

The Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg-based court heard the case of Bogdan Barbulescu, a 37-year-old Romanian sales engineer.

His employer fired him in 2007 after discovering he was using Yahoo Messenger not only for work but also to chat with his fiancee and brother.

In January this year, the ECHR dismissed Barbulescu's argument that the company had violated his right to confidential correspondence but he succeeded in having the case referred back to the court.

Barbulescu maintains that his employer invaded his privacy by spying on his communications which, the court said, included messages "relating to personal matters such as his health and sex life".

A lawyer representing the Romanian government said the engineer had been well aware of the firm's rules prohibiting the use of company resources for personal purposes.

"He knew all about this ban because he had been informed about it," lawyer Catrinel Brumar said.

She said the company had no interest in the content of the messages, only in the fact that they were private.

But Emeric Domokos-Hancu, representing the applicant, argued he had been unaware his online exchanges were being monitored because the company had used "spyware" software.

In a written submission to the judges, the European Trade Union Confederation said the case was "of particular importance for workers' protection in the digital age".

The ruling was deferred and will be delivered in several months' time.

It will be definitive and will be eagerly awaited because the ECHR's decisions are binding on the 47 countries that have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights.
A former Texas high school teacher faces multiple charges after cops say she had sex with two of her teenage students.

Prosecutors say Kelsey Leigh Gutierrez had sex with two students at Santa Fe High School starting in 2015.

Watch: 2 Disney Employees, First Grade Teacher Among 9 Arrested for Child Porn: Cops

According to court documents, authorities found evidence of a relationship on phones belonging to both the 25-year-old and the most recent teen, including a message from Gutierrez that praised the student's sexual performance.

Court documents obtained by KTRK allege Gutierrez met with an 18-year-old current high school senior November 12 in a parking lot, where they allegedly kissed in the front seat of her car before crawling in the back seat to have sex.

The documents allege they met once again for sex days later.

Investigators said Gutierrez admitted to the sexual relationship and that they found evidence on both of their phones "about meeting times and the student's sexual performance," according to KTRK.

More than a year earlier, documents say Gutierrez had a sexual relationship with another teen who graduated from Santa Fe High in May.

Both students were 18. Gutierrez was arrested Monday and is charged with three counts of improper relationship between educator and student.

Court documents state that Gutierrez "admitted to a relationship and sexual relationship with a current Santa Fe High School student."

Patti Hanssard, spokeswoman for the Santa Fe Independent School District released the following statement on the arrest:



"Santa Fe ISD became aware that a former high school teacher was arrested Monday, November 28, 2016, in connection with allegations that she may have engaged in an improper relationship with a student. As soon as the District learned of the allegations, an internal investigation began including campus administrators and the District police department, and the teacher's employment with the District ended.

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Watch: Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student While Fiance Was at Bachelor Party



"We want you to know that we take very seriously any concerns that relate to the well-being of each of our students and our first priority is the safety and education of our students in our district. We will continue to work in cooperation with law enforcement and the District Attorney's office. Inappropriate actions by teachers will never be acceptable in this District."

In a letter to parents, the high school stated that Gutierrez "has resigned her position due to personal reasons."

Watch: Teacher Charged With Child Sex Abuse After Being Impregnated by Student

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Over 100 episodes of Arrow, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) has been striving to save his city as the Green Arrow, and looking good while doing so. However, not all of the expert archer's fashion choices have hit the target.

Throughout the show's five seasons, Arrow fans have watched Oliver's evolution toward becoming Star City's resident hero via flashbacks, in which the playboy-turned-vigilante dons a number of hairstyles, to varying degrees of success.

Came home during the middle of the day to surprise my daughter. Was wearing Oliver's flashback wig. Didn't go well.  Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) July 24, 2014

ET's Leanne Aguilera spoke to Amell and other stars from the CW superhero hit at Arrow's 100th episode celebration in Vancouver last month, and got them to weigh in on some of Oliver's more interesting 'dos. Check out the video above for their hilarious reactions!

EXCLUSIVE: 'Arrow' Stars Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards Weigh in on Olicity's Romantic Future!

Queen's Gambit Oliver, aka The Frat Boy 101

The CW

"He looks so sweet!" David Ramsey, who plays John Diggle, gushed of pre-shipwreck Oliver. "Playboy Stephen in one of many wigs."

"I was seducing Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) and that's the haircut you needed," Amell said with a laugh.

Echo Kellum, who joined the Arrow cast as Curtis Holt/Mister Terrific in season 4 and therefore missed out on a lot of great early-Oliver hair, wasn't quite as convinced. "What I see here is a hairline that couldn't exist truly in real life," he quipped.

New-to-the-Island Oliver, aka The Douche Out of Water

The CW

Fresh off the boat, and stranded on Lian Yu, this Oliver look is a slightly-disheveled variation on the first. "That's like, I've been through some stuff," Kellum observed.

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Emily Bett Rickards, who plays Felicity Smoak, likened the 'do to "Tarzan," while Ramsey got more of a Zoolander vibe.

"Those are eyes of steel right there, am I right?" he joked. "That's Blue Steel, baby!"

EXCLUSIVE: 'Arrow' Boss Dishes on That Flashpoint Shocker and Season 5's Different Breed of Big Bad

Long Hair Oliver, aka The "New Bachelor"

The CW

Colton Haynes, who played Roy Harper on Arrow's first three seasons, had the most fun with this hairstyle, comparing the "new Bachelor" look to both Brad Pitt's long locks in Legends of the Fall and Chord Overstreet's shaggy 'do on Glee.

Ra's al Ghul Oliver, aka The Bad Boy Buzzcut

The CW

While Oliver's turn as the head of the League of Assassins in season 3 was a dark point in his character arc, it led to an undisputed haircut highlight for the whole cast.

"Stephen, I think you look the hottest with this hair!" Haynes told Amell, who agreed that the look was a favorite of his.

"Oh, I like that," Kellum added. "You don't want to mess with a dude with short hair."

EXCLUSIVE: 'Arrow' Newcomer Tyler Ritter on the Death of His Acting Icon Dad and Finding His Way to Star City

Clean-Cut Politician Oliver, aka The "Mayor Handsome"

The CW

"Oh, that's smooth! Big Daddy right there," Ramsey said with a laugh. "That's the guy I met and fell in love with right there. That's my boo-boo."

"I just think it's really hot," Haynes agreed.

End-of-the-Island Oliver, aka The Full-On Cast Away

The CW

Finally, the ultimate Oliver look has only been seen briefly in Arrow's first season, when Oliver is rescued off of Lian Yu after five long years. However, Amell teased that the long, tangled hair and unkempt beard will be "see again soon!"

"Look at the eyes," Ramsey added. "Look at the steely eyes and the hair. He knows something."

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By Hilary Russ

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The government corporation charged with overseeing Amtrak's $24 billion Gateway rail project between New York and New Jersey has filled out its governing board, sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The Gateway project, one of the most important and urgent rail projects in the United States, calls for the construction of a new train tunnel and the repair of the existing, century-old between the two states, which officials have said could become unusable within the next decade.

Closing of the tunnel would affect tens of thousands of NJ Transit rail commuters and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor route between Washington and Boston, the railroad's most important line.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Amtrak board Chairman Anthony Coscia will serve on the newly established oversight body, called the Gateway Program Development Corporation, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

The corporation will also include two Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board members: Vice Chairman Steven Cohen, nominated to the Port Authority by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Richard Bagger, selected for the authority by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the source said.

The Port Authority officially approved the formation of the corporation earlier this month. It is being led by director John Porcari, an executive at consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff.

On Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to nominate former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to head the Transportation Department as he develops his push for $1 trillion in new infrastructure spending to fix U.S. roads, airports, water systems and bridges.

Proponents of the Gateway project have questioned whether support would continue under a Trump administration.

Another source, who did not want to go on the record because the situation was still developing, told Reuters the Trump administration is expected to replace Foxx, a Barack Obama appointee, on the board after it takes office in January.

Loss of the tunnel would make commuting between New York and New Jersey a nightmare and potentially hurt the regional economy, which generates 10 percent of the national gross domestic product.

(Editing by Daniel Bases and Steve Orlofsky)
Christmas came early for one teen whose family said she may not be around to celebrate the holiday because of an upcoming cancer surgery that's extremely risky.

Cheyenne Hughes, 15, suffers from a rare genetic condition that has left a tumor on her brain, and doctors want to operate as early as possible, December 7.

Read: Makeup Artist Giving Free Makeovers to Cancer Patients: 'It Lifts Their Spirits'

Cheyennes stepmom, Amy Hughes, said Cheyenne was worried she may not be able to experience the holiday, so they wanted to do something special for her.

She was nervous that she may not make it through the surgery or could be paralyzed or on ventilator, Amy told InsideEdition.com. She was afraid that she wouldnt be able to participate or be alive for Christmas and we didnt want her to worry about that.

So her parents, stepmom, and three sisters made Cheyenne a Christmas of her own Saturday.

The kids all wrapped presents and filled her stocking. We let the kids pick out a 4-foot tree to put in their rooms so the Christmas presents for Cheyenne were under her tree in her room, said Amy.

They woke Cheyenne up on that special day.

She was really excited, super happy. She got several things that she was excited about, a radio-controlled ninja turtle and a blue tooth ninja turtle speaker because she loves music, Amy said.

Cheyennes tumor is life-threatening and the best option the family has is to operate. They are now hoping for a Christmas miracle.

Read: Girl, 4, Dies After Dad Shared Her Photo to Call Attention to Harsh Reality of Childhood Cancer

In the meantime, they are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with her.

It was bittersweet. It was great and we love seeing her happy and able to participate, but it was really sad because she might not be here for Christmas. We are hoping and praying for the best, she said.

Story continues

Watch: Teen With Cancer Is Spreading Joy Around Hospital With Chemo Care Packages

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george hotz

Comma.AI, the start-up run by famous hacker George Hotz, has open-sourced its semi-autonomous, Tesla-like driving system after shutting down the project in late October.

The start-up originally announced Comma.AI's first product, dubbed the Comma One, in September. Hotz claimed that the aftermarket semi-autonomous system would give vehicles capabilities similar to that of Tesla's Autopilot. However, after receiving a warning from the federal government in October, Hotz ditched production plans.

Open sourced openpilot, an open source alternative to autopilot. And the plans for the NEO, a robotics platform. https://t.co/b5028Olf1u  comma ai (@comma_ai) November 30, 2016

The cancellation was prompted by a letter Comma.AI received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that asked the startup to provide information ensuring the product's safety or face civil penalties of up to $21,000 a day.

Now Comma.AI has open sourced what it's calling openpilot, an "alternative to autopilot." The start-up also made its plans for its semi-autonomous, hardware system called NEOS available.

Comma.AI held a press conference in San Francisco at 10am PT/ 1pm ET about making its work open sourced. Hotz reportedly said that he didn't give NHTSA or the California DMV advanced warning about releasing the software, according to the Wall Street Journal's Tim Higgins who is live-tweeting the press conference.

Hotz wrote in an email to Business Insider that Comma.AI has been "communicating with the DMV and NHTSA as appropriate." He added that Comma.AI is open to working with aftermarket manufacturers.

.@comma_ai's George Hotz says he didn't give NHTSA or CA DMV advance warning that he'd release software to public  Tim Higgins (@timkhiggins) November 30, 2016

Hotz is best known as the first person to hack the iPhone when he was 17, allowing people to use the phone on other networks aside from AT&T's. He also broke into the PlayStation 3 in 2010 when he was 20.

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Hotz made headlines for his self-driving car ambitions when Bloomberg published a lengthy feature about him building a self-driving car in his garage last December. The article mentioned an email between Hotz and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, where Musk offered Hotz a "multimillion-dollar bonus" to build the product in-house.

Musk wrote in a blog post that the Bloomberg article was inaccurate and that Tesla found it "extremely unlikely" a single person lacking engineering validation capabilities would be able to produce an autonomous driving system that could be deployed on production vehicles.

You can view NHTSA's October letter to Hotz below:

2016-10-27 Special Order Directed to Comma.ai by Anonymous u1dPhdl on Scribd

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Fannie Mae

Who will Trump choose: John or Jeb?

No, not for a Cabinet slot, but rather in the matter of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). Its one of the more contradictory policy decisions confronting the incoming administration. Trump supporter and hedge fund manager John Paulson would like to see Fannie and Freddie reconstituted. But Jeb Hensarling, the Republican chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has a plan that would kill them.

To back up a bit, the two companies, which guarantee the interest and principal on roughly two-thirds of American mortgages, have long been the backbone of homeownership. During the 2008 financial crisis, with home prices tumbling, mortgage holders defaulting, and the stock prices of the GSEs tumbling, they were taken over by the government and put into a state called conservatorship, where they have languished for the last eight years.

The Obama administration had zero interest in fixing them. In fact, that administration arguably made things worse in 2012, when the GSEs overseers changed the rules of the bailout, which initially just granted the government senior preferred stock that paid a nice dividend.

Under the changed terms, every dollar the two companies made would be swept into the Treasurys general account. The result is that Fannie and Freddie  which have over $5 trillion in liabilities combined and remain two of the worlds largest financial institutions  will have no capital by 2018.

That money, $250 billion and counting, could have been used to recapitalize the housing finance system. Instead, theres zero accountability for how its spent.

As a result of the Obama administrations decision to change the bailout terms, investors, including hedge funds, in Fannie and Freddies common and preferred stock, sued. While those suits are wending their way through the courts, the investors  along with affordable housing advocates  have become vocal supporters for reforming Fannie and Freddie and releasing them from conservatorship, which would of course help the value of their stakes.

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John Paulson

Since Election Day, the shares of the GSEs have soared some 100%, in large part because John Paulson, whose Paulson Investment Management is an investor in Freddie Mac, was one of Trumps top economic advisors. As Rick Newman pointed out in Yahoo Finance, the stock price increase might be because other investors think Paulson will be able to get Trump to go his way.

One problem with this conclusion is that rewarding hedge funds seems, on the surface, to be the opposite of the populism that marked Trumps campaign.

But that seeming inconsistency pales in comparison to the far bigger issue. Hensarlings plan  which initially had the not-so-subtle title GSE Bailout Elimination and Taxpayer Protection Act but has been renamed the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners, or PATH, Act  would indeed eliminate Fannie and Freddie, along with almost all government support for the housing market. Some limited assistance for the poor would remain. If made into law, it would render the investors positions worthless (barring some truly ugly compromise in which the investors got paid regardless of the fate of the GSEs.) It is precisely the opposite of what Paulson wants.

In addition, its definitively not what many of Trumps supporters should want. While no one knows exactly what would happen  after all, weve never experienced a modern housing market without government support, since Fannie Mae has been around since the Great Depression  Hensarlings plan does the opposite of its name. It does not support homeowners. Yes, there is an argument that while yanking government support would crush home prices in the short term, and mortgage rates would rise, eventually, the lack of government support would result in more affordable home prices. Maybe. But Hensarlings plan for sure would also result in more so-called risk-based pricing, meaning that mortgages would be priced based on income levels and geographic desirability. The rich in the mostly liberal wealthy coastal areas would be fine. The very poor would get assistance. The middle class would get crushed. This is not what Trump campaigned on.

Jeb Hensarling

What will happen probably boils down to the age-old question of whats right versus what the political realities are. Whatever the motivations of the hedge funds, they do happen to be right about the structure of the housing market. If we want widespread availability of 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at rates that are comparable across socioeconomic class and geography, we need an implicit or explicit government backstop. Recapitalizing Fannie and Freddie protects that guarantee, and avoids disrupting and potentially destroying a major part of our economic firmament. Moreover, an eventual public offering could be a windfall for taxpayers because Treasury owns warrants to buy 79.9% of the companies stock.

If Trump really is a pragmatic deal-maker, this solution offers the proverbial win-win. You might disagree with this point if you think the risk of another taxpayer bailout of the GSEs down the road must be prevented at all costs. I would argue that whatever our housing finance system is, from the big banks to a purely government entity, were going to bail it out if it runs into trouble. The best preventative tools are capital, smart regulation (assuming there is such a thing) and a well-structured profit motive that tries to keep mortgage-making sensible.

Trumps pick for Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, might push him in Paulsons direction. Mnuchin, who is a former Goldman Sachs banker (and not incidentally mortgage finance expert) and who invested with Paulson on the purchase of IndyMac, the large lender that failed in the financial crisis, told Fox News that Fannie and Freddie needed to get out of government ownership, saying that it makes no sense that thesehave been controlled by the government for as long as they haveits right up there on the top ten list of things that were going to get done. Brian Brooks, who is now Fannies general counsel, was a senior executive at OneWest Bank, which is what IndyMacs new owners renamed it, and helped negotiate its eventual sale to CIT Group. One person who knows Mnuchin says that he can offer one piece of advice: Buy Fannie and Freddie.

Theres a fair amount that the Trump Administration will be able to do without Congress. But Mnuchin also said Fannie and Freddie will have to be restructured. If that does require Congress, well, its an open question as to whether Fannie and Freddie haters including, but definitely not limited to, Hensarling, can be convinced to do anything that resuscitates the companies. Unfortunately, twists and turns in both the past and the present of the GSEs have always been dictated by political realities more than thoughtful policy. The safe bet is that the complicated mess of it all means that the next four years will be a continuation of the last eight: Limbo for Fannie and Freddie.

Bethany McLean is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and bestselling author. Her recent book is Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants, published by Columbia Global Reports.
By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A last-ditch effort in the Senate to block or delay rule changes that would expand the U.S. government's hacking powers failed Wednesday, despite concerns the changes would jeopardize the privacy rights of innocent Americans and risk possible abuse by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden attempted three times to delay the changes, which will take effect on Thursday and allow U.S. judges will be able to issue search warrants that give the FBI the authority to remotely access computers in any jurisdiction, potentially even overseas. His efforts were blocked by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate's second-ranking Republican. The changes will allow judges to issue warrants in cases when a suspect uses anonymizing technology to conceal the location of his or her computer or for an investigation into a network of hacked or infected computers, such as a botnet. Magistrate judges can currently only order searches within the jurisdiction of their court, which is typically limited to a few counties. In a speech from the Senate floor, Wyden said that the changes to Rule 41 of the federal rules of criminal procedure amounted to "one of the biggest mistakes in surveillance policy in years." The government will have "unprecedented authority to hack into Americans' personal phones, computers and other devices," Wyden said. He added that such authority, which was approved by the Supreme Court in a private vote earlier this year, but was not subject to congressional approval, was especially troubling in the hands of an administration of President-elect Trump, a Republican who has "openly said he wants the power to hack his political opponents the same way Russia does." Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana also delivered speeches voicing opposition to the rule changes. The U.S. Justice Department has pushed for the changes to the federal rules of criminal procedure for years, arguing they are procedural in nature and the criminal code needed to be modernized for the digital age. In an effort to address concerns, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell wrote a blog post this week arguing that the benefits given to authorities from the rule changes outweighed any potential for "unintended harm." "The possibility of such harm must be balanced against the very real and ongoing harms perpetrated by criminals - such as hackers, who continue to harm the security and invade the privacy of Americans through an ongoing botnet, or pedophiles who openly and brazenly discuss their plans to sexually assault children," Caldwell wrote. A handful of judges in recent months had dismissed evidence brought as part of a sweeping FBI child pornography sting, saying the search warrants used to hack suspects' computers exceeded their jurisdiction. The new rules are expected to make such searches generally valid. Blocking the changes would have required legislation to pass both houses of Congress, then be signed into law by the president. (Reporting by Dustin Volz, editing by G Crosse)
times square snow storm juno

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday supported recent data showing some worrying trends in parts of Manhattan's real-estate market.

The Beige Book compiled anecdotes from contacts of the 12 regional banks, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It is not a hard data release.

"New York City's rental market has been mostly steady, except at the high end, where the inventory has risen and rents have drifted down," according to the Beige Book.

There are too many luxury apartments in the city, with more developments still rising from the ground. A report from Douglas Elliman Real Estate released last month showed that new development inventory surged in the third quarter after four straight periods of declines. Inventory had been falling because developers were moving their properties from active to shadow status to avoid extended marketing periods, the company said.

But this glut has given buyers more options and some more bargaining power to push back against prices they think are unfair. If prices continue to fall, the balance of power in the market could shift so that it becomes a buyers' market.

"Prices have declined at the high end of the market but remained steady for more moderately priced units; bidding wars have become noticeably less prevalent," the Beige Book said.

"Landlord concessions have grown increasingly prevalent, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn," according to the Beige Book. Concessions, which include things like a month of free rent and high-end appliances, are part of landlords' efforts to make renters more willing to pay their asking prices.

The Fed noted that rental vacancy rates in northern New Jersey and upstate New York remained near multiyear lows, while rents rose by about 4% year-on-year.

On the commercial real-estate side, the Fed noted an increase in office availability. Cushman & Wakefield's third-quarter report on Manhattan real estate, released in late October, showed that vacancies rose in every submarket that the firm tracks. Notably, there was a record amount of empty retail space along the high-end strip of Fifth Avenue, as fewer companies chose to pay a premium for that location.

Story continues

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By Jilian Mincer

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Smoking will be banned in all U.S. public housing as of fall 2018 to reduce the exposure of residents to secondhand smoke, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said on Wednesday.

Healthcare groups including the American Lung Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have long sought the ban because of the numerous illnesses secondhand smoke causes, including asthma attacks, respiratory infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

The ban is expected to affect two million Americans, including 760,000 children and more than 300,000 senior citizens who live in more than 940,000 public housing units, HUD said.

More than 600 of the nation's 3,100 public housing agencies already prohibit indoor smoking. The new rule extends the ban to smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes within 25 feet of all federally owned apartments, public areas and administrative offices.

Electronic cigarettes are exempted.

The U.S. Centers for Disease and Control Prevention has estimated the smoking ban could save housing agencies $153 million annually in lower healthcare costs, fewer fires and less costly maintenance.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro said he was optimistic the Trump administration would not "roll back" the rule.

"I'm convinced that no matter the political persuasion, the public health benefit is so tremendous and the resident support for going smoke free is so tremendous that this rule will stick," he said during a conference call.

"This is about protecting the nation's most vulnerable," said Erika Sward, assistant vice president for National Advocacy at the American Lung Association. "No one should be exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes."

Two in five children living in federally subsidized housing are exposed to second-hand smoke, according to a 2015 CDC study.

Sward said they would have preferred the ban to include electronic cigarettes and federally subsidized housing.

HUD said surveys indicate that most public housing residents back the ban but that it would support local agencies as they implement the rule.

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Cornell University professor Jamila Michener said the policy has important health benefits, but worried that it could lead to more evictions.

"The very people we are trying to help could be hurt if we are not careful about implementation," she said. "Eviction has long-term consequences that lead to deeper poverty."

Leading U.S. tobacco companies Reynolds American Inc and Altria Group Inc declined to comment on the ban.

(Reporting by Jilian Mincer; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Depicting the underbelly of a Japanese town dominated by a U.S. airbase, Yamato is like a kick in the butt to the apolitical and inward-looking attitudes of Japans film industry and domestic market. Evoking the economic and psychological burdens of Americas military presence on a rudderless female wannabe-rapper, writer-director Daisuke Miyazaki asks whether his compatriots are colonized within their own country. Gleefully abrasive and opinionated about Japanese and Americans alike, Miyazaki dissects his generations cultural angst as few of his contemporaries have done. So despite a disappointingly ending, the film deserves a release in the U.S. to represent the Japanese civilian view in the ongoing debate of American foreign policy.

Yamato, a town in Kanagawa, near Tokyo, is home to Atsugi Airbase, the largest U.S. naval base in the Pacific Ocean. Although Yamato is the ancient, but still widely used name for Japan, it has an ironic ring considering how the local residents regard their own soil as a special zone of California. This being Miyazakis hometown, nothing escapes his intense scrutiny, beginning with a long take of a giant junkyard, and closing in on high school dropout Sakura (Hanae Kan) rapping to herself inside. Though shes a lousy rapper, her lyrics (living in a radioactive, contaminated country, dodging the brainwashing) strip away Japans Olympic publicity image.

When she goes home, its just another dump: Only a curtain divides her bedroom from her geeky brother Kenzos space, while garbage and used appliances pile up in the backyard. These snippets of suburban life may recall Yu Iries 8000 Miles trilogy about rappers stuck in the drab town of Saitama. However, while Iries works are harmless, offbeat slacker comedies, theres more indignation to Yamatos sense of squalor, as the towns residents seem enervated by the sense of dependency reinforced by the foreign presence.

Sakuras single mom, Kiko (Reiko Kataoka), is dating an American G.I. named Abby Goldman, whose daughter, Rei (Nina Endo), is visiting from America. Since Kiko has to work, she asks Sakura and Kenzo to take good care of Rei.

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Although Rei hails from San Francisco, shes cheerful, courteous, and speaks perfect Japanese. Her host familys insistence on treating her like a foreigner, Kikos desperation to please, and Kenzos euphoria over rare female company are both funny and pathetic. At first, Sakura is downright hostile, but it doesnt take long for her icy pose to dissolve, after discovering Rei knows a thing or two about hip-hop.

A lively, unpredictable dynamic develops as they hang out at a cheap general-goods chain called Don Quixote, a comic cafe, and a local mall  all dives Sakura takes for granted as sad proof of her downscale existence. Nonetheless, theyre novelties to Rei. Still, there are limits to their superficial cultural exchange, so its not surprising that their ad hoc friendship could easily turn sour. When Sakura is uneasy about rapping for Rei, the latter, in a drunken fit, accuses her new friends of being copying America, with no original modern culture of their own.

Since Miyazaki spent his childhood in Chicago but later returned to Yamato, Sakura and Rei could be viewed as two sides of his own self-image, which in turn reflects the post-war identity crisis many Japanese experience. Sakuras description of the elusive Abby, who never appears onscreen, as like a friend or father who taught her about hip hop  but who also uses her family, and even dumps his own daughter on them  symbolizes Japans ambivalent feelings towards America as a protector and freeloader.

The plot could have packed a more provocative punch when it added a Korean girl gang and a homeless community into the mix, but instead, it ties things up in a neat, heartwarming bow that proves out-of-character and out-of-tune with its general edginess.

Kan, a 26-year-old Japanese-Korean who made her debut in Seijun Suzukis Pistol Opera, was once accused of being anti-Japanese because she played an ethnic Korean terrorist in Pure Asia. This controversial past combined with her aloof image makes her an ideal choice for the cranky, neurotic misfit. Rising British-Irish-Japanese actress-model Endo laces her cuteness with just the right dose of spite.

Best known for her cinematography in Kiyoshi Kurosawas films, Akiko Ashizawa refrains from a stylized, polished approach to convey a warts-and-all realism. Sound designers Hwang Yong-chang and Yasuhiro Morinagas live recordings of deafening sounds of fighter jets hover over almost every outdoor scene, and form a vexing whir even when the characters are indoors, echoing longtime complaints of noise disturbances by residents near airbases all over the country.

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ANKARA (Reuters) - Twelve people, including eleven teenagers, were killed when a fire swept through a girls dormitory in the southern Turkish province of Adana on Tuesday, officials said. The fire, which broke out in a dormitory housing middle and high school students, may have been caused by an electrical fault, Omer Celik, a senior government official who represents the province in parliament, told broadcaster CNN Turk. At least twenty-two other girls were injured, Celik said. Also among the dead was a woman who worked at the dormitory. The dormitory housed impoverished girls whose families coming from nearby villages where there are no schools, Elif Dogan Turkmen, an opposition parliamentarian, told CNN Turk. Television footage showed a blaze rising from the rooftop of a multi-storey building and teams of firefighters working to put it out. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by David Dolan)
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / First Bitcoin Capital Corp. (BITCF) is pleased to announce that it has sold its Venezuela mining concessions for a large stake in the cryptocurrency of one of the oldest mineable coins that ranks high on Coin Market Cap. See: http://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/kilocoin/.

Kilocoin which is similar to Litecoin primarily trades on a popular cryptocurrency exchange at https://c-cex.com/?p=klc-btc

A list of its nodes can be found via https://c-cex.com/?id=ws&shownodes=klc

Kilocoin mining can be tracked at https://www.blockexperts.com/klc#

From its web site via http://kilocoin.com/ their wallet can be downloaded.

At its current rate of mining (159 coins per block) it should take centuries to reach the maximum of 25,000,000,000 mineable coins with a little over 10,000,000,000 coins mine thus far, giving BITCF nearly 10% participation. The Company anticipates that the KLC exchange will boost BITCF's balance sheet with tremendous upside potential and may become a source of future dividends.

Differences from Bitcoin and Litecoin and Kilocoin

Bitcoin Litecoin Kilocoin Coin limit 21 Million 84 Million 25 Billion Algorithm SHA-256 Scrypt Scrypt Mean block time 10 minutes 2.5 minutes 5 minutes Difficulty Target 2016 Block 2016 Blocks 288 Blocks Initial Reward 50 BTC 50 LTC 159 KLC Current block reward 25 BTC 50 LTC 159 LTC Block explorer blockchain.info block-explorer.com https://www.blockexperts.com/klc# Created by Satoshi Nakamoto Charles Lee Kilocoin, Inc (DAC) Creation date January 3, 2009 October 7, 2011 Feb 27th, 2014 Coins Mined (as of 8 April 2015) 14,029,116.67 37,984,800 10,013,105,152

Furthermore, in conjunction with BITCF's expanding ownership of its common shares onto its own blockchain (BIT) and trading on foreign international cryptocurrency exchanges, the company is proud to announce that its digital shares are now trading on an additional, popular cryptocurrency exchange, LIVECOIN www.livecoin.net.

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About the company:

First Bitcoin Capital is engaged in developing digital currencies, proprietary Blockchain technologies, and the digital currency exchange- www.CoinQX.com. We see this step as a tremendous opportunity to create further shareholder value by leveraging management's experience in developing and managing complex Blockchain technologies, developing new types of digital assets. "Being the first publicly-traded cryptocurrency and blockchain-centered company (with shares both traded in the US OTC Markets as [BITCF] and as [BIT] in crypto exchanges) we want to provide our shareholders with diversified exposure to digital cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies." At this time the Company owns and operates the following digital assets.

www.BITCoinCapitalcorp.com company website.

www.CoinQX.com Cryptocurrency Exchange, registered with FINCEN.

www.iCoiNEWS.com real time cryptocurrency and bitcoin news site.

www.BITminer.cc providing mining pool management services.

www.2016coin.org online daily election coverage and home page for $PRES, $HILL and $GARY $BURN coins.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as may be disclosed in company's filings. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. Such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings, which are on file at www.OTCMarkets.com.

SOURCE: First Bitcoin Capital Corp.
Photo credit: undefined

From ELLE

Technically, it's more of a care package, explains MuslimGirl.com founder and editor-in-chief Amani Al-Khatahtbeh. The writer and activist is touting her latest venture, a subscription-box service expressly for Muslim women. It's a familiar concept-a monthly shipment that curates a selection of expert-vetted products for a selective consumer. But unlike Birchbox or Blue Apron, the service is about more than convenience. It's a battle cry. "We call our readers the Muslim Girl Army," Al-Khatahtbeh continues. "So, of course, we need to send care packages to our women on the front lines."

Each month, subscribers will receive a themed box stuffed with a scarf that can be worn as a hijab, halal-grade cosmetics, a letter from MuslimGirl.com's Baddie of the Month, and a few more surprises. This month, subscribers will receive limited-edition polish from the halal-certified Tuesday in Love brand and a scarf from Miella Fashion. Al-Khatahtbeh has deemed the inaugural month's shipment the "post-election care package" and is proud that loyalists will find a canister of pepper spray and a self-defense manual for Muslim women within it.

"It was a no-brainer for us, sadly," Al-Khatahtbeh says. "The election season has taken a toll on Muslim women-mentally, emotionally, and physically. So, we have to rise up. I've come to feel like we're in a moment that can go either way. I believe we can use it as an opportunity to empower ourselves rather than be exploited, and that's kind of what we want to push the needle towards." Al-Khatahtbeh advocates preparedness above all-having pepper spray doesn't mean having to use it. Instead, she continues, the box is meant to show that Muslim women can protect themselves and paint their nails in the course of their daily lives. In the meantime, the new service is at least one answer to the questions dogging Al-Khatahtbeh since Donald Trump announced his presidential bid and almost immediately turned minorities and Muslim people into targets. "How can we celebrate Muslim women?... How can we center the Muslim woman and make her feel strong?"

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Al-Khatahtbeh launched the service on Friday, and it's available for order at $20 per box. Already, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Which is good, of course. But Al-Khatahtbeh is most looking forward to users receiving the first shipments: "When these hit their mailboxes, it's a reminder to hit the brakes and just take care of themselves. In spite of everything that's going on around them or maybe because of everything, that's the most important thing."

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President-elect Donald Trumps recent comments about prosecuting flag-burning protesters has started yet another debate about the issue. But in the end, the only Justice left on the Supreme Court from the 1980s could have the final say on the matter.

justicekennedy640

Justice Anthony Kennedy

Since Election Night, there has been a renewed interest in the constitutional subject after several anti-Trump protesters burned flags in public to protest his win over Hillary Clinton. On Tuesday, Trump added fuel to the debate with a provoking message on Twitter: Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

Flag burning, as weve discussed in detail on this blog and at the National Constitution, is a legal debate that goes back decades, and in the minds of the Supreme Court, has been settled since 1990.

Special Podcast: Should we abolish the Electoral College?

In our Interactive Constitution project, scholars Geoffrey R. Stone and Eugene Volokh explained back in September 2015 the basic concept of symbolic speech in the First Amendment, which reads that Congress cant make laws that abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.

The Supreme Court has interpreted speech and press broadly as covering not only talking, writing, and printing, but also broadcasting, using the Internet, and other forms of expression. The freedom of speech also applies to symbolic expression, such as displaying flags, burning flags, wearing armbands, burning crosses, and the like, said Stone and Volokh.

The Supreme Court has held that restrictions on speech because of its contentthat is, when the government targets the speakers messagegenerally violate the First Amendment. Laws that prohibit people from criticizing a war, opposing abortion, or advocating high taxes are examples of unconstitutional content-based restrictions. Such laws are thought to be especially problematic because they distort public debate and contradict a basic principle of self-governance: that the government cannot be trusted to decide what ideas or information the people should be allowed to hear.

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Stone and Volokh also noted that hasnt always been the case. Courts have not always been this protective of free expression. In the nineteenth century, for example, courts allowed punishment of blasphemy, and during and shortly after World War I the Supreme Court held that speech tending to promote crimesuch as speech condemning the military draft or praising anarchismcould be punished. But since the 1920s, the Supreme Court began to read the First Amendment more broadly, and this trend accelerated in the 1960s, they concluded.

Two landmark Supreme Court decisions ruled on the burning of American flags at protests. In 1989, the Court first established flag burning as a protected First Amendment act in Texas v. Johnson. Back in 1984, Gregory Lee Johnson burned a flag at the Republican National Convention in Dallas in a protest about presidential candidates Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. Officials there arrested Johnson and convicted him of breaking a state law; he was sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

In June 1989, a deeply divided Court voted 5-4 in favor of Johnson, and against the state of Texas. Johnsons actions, the majority argued, were symbolic speech political in nature and could be expressed even if it upset those who disagreed with him.

The Courts Johnson decision only applied to the law in the state of Texas. In response, Congress passed a national anti-flag burning law called the Flag Protection Act of 1989 sponsored by a House member from Texas. The final bill approved by the Senate in October 1989 made it unlawful to maintain a U.S. flag on the floor or ground or to physically defile such flag. The bill, however, asked for an expedited Supreme Court review to consider constitutional issues arising under this Act.

There were flag-burning protests the day the federal law went into effect in late October 1989. Arrests were made at protests in Seattle and Washington, D.C., but federal judges dismissed the charges based on the Johnson decision. Government lawyers appealed directly to the Supreme Court, and the same Justices who heard the Johnson case considered United States v. Eichman in May 1990  with the same outcome.

In the majority were Justices William Brennan (who wrote both majority decisions), Anthony Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun and Antonin Scalia. The dissenters were Chief Justice William Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Byron White and Sandra Day OConnor.

The decisions remain controversial to the present day, and Congress in 2006 attempted to pass a joint resolution to propose an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit flag desecration, which failed by just one vote in the Senate.

For the incoming President Trump, the only likely option short of a constitutional amendment would be a change of heart at the Supreme Court. But even with a new member joining the Court next year, there are four members of its liberal bloc still in place, as is Justice Anthony Kennedy, the only member of the 1989/1990 Rehnquist court on the current bench.

It was Kennedy who wrote the concurring opinion for the majority in the Johnson decision, where he agreed with the other four Justices (including Scalia) that Johnsons acts were speech, in both the technical and the fundamental meaning of the Constitution.

The hard fact is that sometimes we must make decisions we do not like. We make them because they are right, right in the sense that the law and the Constitution, as we see them, compel the result, Kennedy wrote in 1989.

I do not believe the Constitution gives us the right to rule as the dissenting Members of the Court urge, however painful this judgment is to announce. Though symbols often are what we ourselves make of them, the flag is constant in expressing beliefs Americans share, beliefs in law and peace and that freedom which sustains the human spirit, Kennedy added. It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt.

Scott Bomboy is the editor in chief of the National Constitution Center.

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Flag burning pioneer Gregory Lee Johnson ignites the red, white, and blue because he sees it not as a symbol of freedom, but one of oppression and American imperialism. Johnson, 60, was the defendant in the landmark Texas vs. Johnson case heard by the Supreme Court in 1989. The 5-4 verdict was in Johnsons favor and determined the practice of burning the flag falls under the First Amendments protections as symbolic speech.

That right, which Johnson has exercised ever since, including most recently at the 2016 Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia this summer, has re-entered the national spotlight following a tweet this week from President-elect Donald Trump calling for punishments like fines, imprisonment or even the stripping of citizenship for anyone who burns the U.S. flag.

Its unclear exactly what spurred Trump to make his comments at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, but they sparked activists to burn flags outside of Trump International Hotel in New York City later that day.

Johnson, who goes by the nickname Joey, first claimed 32 years ago that flag burning was symbolic speech. In a phone interview with International Business Times Wednesday, Johnson said he burns the flag out of an internationalist responsibility, cause I see it as a symbol of oppression and murder, and ugly imperialism."

Johnson called Trumps threats of imprisonment for flag burning fascist.

Hes taking a national symbol, the flag, and attaching one permissible meaning to it, Johnson said. And upon threat of imprisonment or stripping people of their citizenship, hes saying that everyone must submit to that interpretation or that permissible meaning of the flag. Im serious when I say it's fascist and it has very broad and very dangerous implications."

Johnson cited interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, as well as slavery and the killing of Native Americans throughout history as examples of the U.S.' imperialism and oppression. He said Trump's proposal was "an attempt to close up peoples minds, and not have people be exposed to the outrages and the crimes that have been committed in the name of that flag and the name of the system that its a symbol for, which to me, is a system of American capitalism and imperialism."

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"Thats how I see the flag, as a symbol of an ugly system of imperialism and oppression, he added.

Johnson kick-started a national controversy over flag burning more than three decades ago at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas. Johnson burned a flag in protest of President Ronald Reagans administration and was arrested for violating a Texas law against discretion of "venerated objects." He was convicted and sentenced to a year in prison over his protest. He would go on to serve only two days in jail. Johnson was out on appeal bond for five years before the Court ruled.

While government officials may not agree with his stance on burning the flag or his views of the American political system, Democrats and Republicans alike have come out against Trumps stance on the controversial issue. Trumps messages to his 16.4 million Twitter followers led to backlash this week across political party lines. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told MSNBC Tuesday he disagrees with the practice of flag burning, but that, Well protect our First Amendment. Thats what the court has upheld.

During the 2016 Republican Convention, Johnson and members of the Revolution Communist Party practiced their Court-granted right by burning a flag outside the Quicken Loans Arena, which eventually led to 17 arrests on various misdemeanor charges, including inciting violence. Those charged, including Johnson, were released 24 hours later, but the charges are still on the books.

Johnson is fighting the charges and he questions anyone who wants to make flag burning illegal, including their reasons for strongly supporting the flag today.

"Even if people dont feel the way I do about the flag," he said, "Theres a question of - with Trump calling for forced patriotism, mandatory patriotism, upon pain of punishment - 'Do people then still want to wave the flag?'"

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Australia's blue water Sydney to Hobart classic will this year see the domination of eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats challenged by a Scandinavian dark horse and a Korean debut among more Asian entries.

Four supermaxis will tackle the gruelling 628-nautical-mile race among a field of 93, organisers said Wednesday, with local hero Wild Oats the favourite.

Skipper Mark Richards can't forget last year's shock retirement with a split mast and said improvements had been made.

"We've learnt a lot from last year," he said at the official launch for the December 26 race.

"Our preparation this year has been fantastic," including thousands of miles of sailing and some "tweaking".

Richards has removed the yacht's horizontal hydrofoil, explaining that a new 11-metre long forward section of the hull negated the need for it. It also makes the vessel 300 kilograms lighter.

Wild Oats XI, which will be racing in its 12th Sydney to Hobart, "is still a great machine," he added.

Finn Ludde Ingvall took line honours in 2000 and 2004 and he is back for 2016 with Nicorette completely redesigned and renamed CQS.

The 90-foot maxi has grown into a 100-foot supermaxi in a bid to rival the world's fastest yachts, with legendary New Zealand skipper Chris Dixon at the helm.

Ingvall, who lives in Sydney, rates Wild Oats "the best yacht in the world", despite its early retirement last year allowing US supermaxi Comanche to win in two days, eight hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds.

"It's not the same boat," he told reporters about CQS. "From the mast forward, it's new and from the steering backwards it's new. She's a very radical thing, incorporating a lot of ideas.

"We should be good in light airs," he added. "In some conditions we will be up there but we are focusing on taking the boat to the finish line."

That's the ambition of most entrants for the 72nd version of the race from Sydney down Australia's east coast and across the wild Bass Strait to Hobart.

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- Arrive in one piece -

Another rebadged supermaxi is Scallywag, now owned by Hong Kong businessman Seng Huang Lee, which came second in line honours last year as Ragamuffin.

Supermaxi Perpetual Loyal is also back for another tilt after pulling out of the previous two races with damage.

Among 12 international entries, the Korea Ocean Sailing Club has chartered a 52-footer and named it Sonic for the nation's first Sydney to Hobart.

Team Korea is mostly from Seoul and Busan with experience from the America's Cup, while skipper Kwangmin 'Andrew' Rho contested last year's race aboard Flying Fish Arctos, the organisers said.

China has two entries for 2016 with Dong Qing back with Ark323 and a new crew after a stormy debut ended in early retirement for the country's first ever entry last year.

"We did not expect 50-knot winds," Qing said of the savage southerlies that blasted the race in 2015, with dozens of boats pulling out.

"This year we are going to be better."

Overall handicap honours went to Australia's Balance last December with the TP52 competing again, hoping for a second successive crown.

"We will be doing our damnedest to get there in one piece," said owner Paul Clitheroe.
Ford Motor Company F announced that it is teaming up with BMW AG BAMXF, Daimler AG DDAIF and Volkswagen AG VLKAY (including Audi and Porsche) to set up an electric charging network in Europe based on Combined Charging System standard technology. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of creating a joint venture to build a large number of high-powered charging stations. This will promote the use of electric vehicles for long distance travel.

Per this target, most of the charging stations will be situated along highways and major thoroughfares. The chargers will have power levels up to 350 kilowatt to enable fast charging.

Construction of the charging stations will commence in 2017 with an initial goal of 400 locations. Within 2020, the companies aim to build a network of thousands of charging points. While Ford, BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen will have equal share in the joint venture as founding partners, they are open to the participation of other automakers.

Vehicles of all brands that are equipped with Combined Charging System will be able to use the charging network. This move is aimed at facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles in Europe.

Notably, the charging network will help these automakers to complete with Tesla Motors, Inc. TSLA in the electric vehicle segment. Tesla is a leader in the EV market due to its attractive, technologically advanced products as well as a strong Supercharger network in North America, Europe and Asia. The electric vehicle manufacturer presently has 744 Supercharger stations with 4,703 Superchargers globally. These Superchargers deliver up to 120 kW of power.

All five automakers have delivered a negative performance over the last year due to the general weakness in the Zacks-categorized Auto-Tires-Truck industry.

The industry posted a 5.8% fall in price over the last one-year period, compared to a 4.2% gain recorded by the S&P 500 market.

Zacks Rank

BMW currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), while Ford, Daimler and Volkswagen carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

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EXCLUSIVE: Fox Searchlight is circling rights to the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy Greed, produced by UK production banner Revolution Films. Baron Cohen is teaming with Brit helmer Michael Winterbottom, who is set to direct, with Melissa Parmenter producing.

Im hearing the story is a satirical take on the world of the super-rich with Baron Cohen playing a cut-throat retail billionaire. While further details are being kept under wraps, its believed to be a role inspired by the lavish lifestyles of the elite, perma-tanned billionaire businessmen who shamelessly invest money into offshore tax havens, a parody of the unacceptable face of capitalism.

Winterbottom is no stranger to the subject of the growing disparity between economic classes  he directed 2015 documentary The Emperors New Clothes starring actor and activist Russell Brand, which examined the gaping financial inequality that exists in a society where corrupt bankers are rewarded and ordinary families are crippled by austerity. He and Parmenter are also the director-producer duo behind the amusing hit travelogue/feature The Trip and its sequel The Trip To Italy and upcoming The Trip To Spain, all starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, as well as A Mighty Heart and 9 Songs.

Baron Cohen is repped by CAA. Winterbottom is repped by UTA in the U.S. and Independent Talent Group in the UK.

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PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Wednesday that the United States must comply with a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling this week against U.S. tax breaks for Boeing (BA.N), and that failure to do so would give the EU legal basis for retaliatory measures.

The WTO said this week that a tax break from Washington state to help Boeing develop its new 777X jetliner was a prohibited subsidy, in a setback for the U.S. planemaker as it eyes victory in a parallel case against Airbus (AIR.PA).

"The United States must quickly comply with the decision and put an end to these illegal measures," the French finance ministry said in a statement.

"If not, the European Union will have the legal grounds to adopt retaliatory measures concerning goods coming in from the United States," it added.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Brian Love)
Frank Ocean, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, The xx, Aphex Twin, Grace Jones, Slayer, Solange and Van Morrison top the line-up for Primavera Sound 2017.

The performers list includes nearly 200 artists, and remains true to the eclectic draw of the carefully curated Barcelona spring music festival, whose main event is set to take place May 31-June 4 at the Forum Park venue. A parallel free concert program will also be offered at sites in the center of Barcelona.

Primavera will also feature shows by L.A. punk band Descendents, The Magnetic Fields, Miguel, Mercury Prize winner Skepta, Teenage Fanclub, Flying Lotus, Run The Jewels, Broken Social Scene, Angel Olsen, metalcore kings Converge, Shellac and BADBADNOTGOOD and celebrated Barcelona band Mishima, among others.

Also, Seu Jorge will perform his David Bowie covers from the Life Aquatic soundtrack, a 50th anniversary show from The Zombies, and Junun, the project backed by Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) and Shye Ben Tzur, which delves into the traditional music from the north of India accompanied by the Rajasthan Express.

The festival's seaside Beach Club stage will showcase Electronic music from German DJ Dixon, the British duo Bicep, John Talabot and Axel Boman on board Talaboman, Joy Orbison, Bulgarian artist KiNK and Belgium band Front 242 and more.

Festival tickets are now on sale, with full festival passes going for 175 ($186) through Jan. 7.

See the full Primavera Sound 2017 line-up here.
It was a state dinner of gourmet proportions as Donald Trump and Mitt Romney broke bread in New York City Tuesday night.

Read: Donald Trump Supporter Banned From Delta Flights for Life After Tirade Against 'Hillary B****es'

Patrons applauded as the president-elect dined with the former Massachusetts governor as speculation swirls about Romney's appointment as secretary of state.

The former rivals ate at ritzy Jean-Georges, a high-priced French restaurant at Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle, which overlooks Central Park.

Trump's chief of staff and RNC chairman Reince Priebus was also in attendance.

They dined on garlic soup with frog legs and scallops. For the main course, Trump devoured the prime sirloin while Romney ate lamb chops. For dessert they indulged in chocolate cake.

Since both the real estate mogul and the former governor do not drink, they both had water.

Romney, who once called Trump a fraud and a phony, earlier in the year when he urged voters to not select him as president, appears to have changed his tone about the former Apprentice host.

These discussions Ive had with him have been enlightening and engaging and interesting. I've enjoyed them very much, he told reporters. He continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and I have to tell you Ive been impressed with what Ive seen in the transition effort.

On Wednesday morning, Trump announced plans to remove himself from his business empire and hand it over to his children on December 15.

Read: Hat's Off! Trump Shows Off New Cap Without His Signature 'Make America Great Again' Slogan

He took to Twitter to reveal his intentions and plans to the American public.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Watch: Trump Picks Nikki Haley for U.N.; Transition Team Split Between Romney and Giuliani for State Department

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The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for Mondays attack at Ohio State University that injured 11 people. The attack was carried out by university student Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a Somalia-born U.S. citizen, who ISIS called its soldier.

Since ISIS proclaimed itself a worldwide caliphate in June 2014, the extremist group has carried out several attacks across the world. Although a few attacks have been directly linked to the group in the U.S., several of its sympathizers have carried out assaults in the country, with some leading to fatalities.

In Mondays incident, it was not immediately clear whether Artan pledged allegiance to ISIS or any other terrorist group. However, the attack bore similarities to past ISIS-related assaults in the country.

Following is the list of attacks by ISIS and its sympathizers in the U.S.

Curtis Culwell Center attack, May 3, 2015: Two men opened fire at officers at the entrance of an exhibition featuring cartoons of Prophet Mohammed at Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. One security officer was wounded in the incident and both the perpetrators  Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi  were killed by members of a SWAT team. This was the first time ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack in the U.S. However, American authorities said that the attack appeared to be inspired, and not directly linked, to ISIS.

University of California, Merced, Nov. 4, 2015: In an ISIS-inspired attack, 18-year-old Faisal Mohammad stabbed and injured four people. He was killed by authorities. The FBI said Mohammad was self-radicalized and was not in direct contact with the Islamist group.

San Bernardino shooting, Dec. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik carried out a mass shooting and an attempted bombing in Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. The incident left 14 people dead and injured 22 others. Farook and Malik had pledged allegiance to an ISIS leader on Facebook hours before the shooting. However, authorities do not have any evidence that the two were directly linked to the extremist group.

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Shooting of Philadelphia police officer, Jan. 7, 2016: Edward Archer fired multiple shots at Philadelphia police Jesse Hartnett, who survived the attack, in West Philadelphia. Archer later claimed that he pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Orlando nightclub shooting, June 12, 2016: Omar Mateen, 29, carried out a mass shooting inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The shooting claimed lives of 49 people and injured 53 others. Mateen was shot dead by Orlando Police Department following a three-hour-long standoff. Mateen had pledged allegiance to the Sunni hardline group. The attack was the deadliest incident against homosexuals, transgender and bisexual people in the history of the U.S.

Ohio State University attack, Nov. 28, 2016: Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a Somalia-born U.S. citizen, drove his car into pedestrians and attacked people with a butcher's knife. The incident injured 11 people and Artan was killed by authorities. While ISIS called him its soldier, there is no evidence yet that the attack was directly related to the group.

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Gap has recruited an army of street artists for its latest fashion collaboration with RED.

The US brand has launched a collection of its utility jackets', revisited by six global female artists, to mark World AIDS Day on December 1.

The unisex collection features a patchwork flower design by Olek, a Polish-born street artist specializing in crocheting, and a more urban, street-style offering from Japanese creative Shiro. There is also a delicate, people-inspired reworking of the jacket from the Parisian artist Kashink, and a butterfly-esque piece from coloring book author Kelsey Montague. South African artist Faith XLVII opted for a more sober redesign, while Tokyo-born contemporary artist Aiko's jungle inspired interpretation rounds up the series.

"We worked closely with (RED) to select artists with diverse points of view who are creating meaningful work that inspires and empowers," said Gap executive vice president and chief product officer Wendi Goldman.

The pieces by Shiro, Kashink, Kelsey Montague, Faith XLVII and Aiko are now retailing for $198, with Olek's jacket priced at $298. Shiro and Montague's garments are also available in unisex children's versions for $128. A portion of proceeds of this collection will be donated to RED's global fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Gap has been a long-standing partner of the AIDS organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006, contributing $10 million to the foundation over the past decade. The fashion label is one of several major brands to team up with the organization, creating special RED-branded products that see up to 50% of the profits donated to fight global disease.



The collection is available on www.gap.com
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is closed, and thousands of residents in the nearby towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, have fled their homes after a wildfire from the park turned into a rapidly spreading inferno last night (Nov. 28).

At least 14,000 people have evacuated from the two resort towns, and hundreds of structures have been damaged or destroyed, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. But how did a forest fire spread so rapidly that it trapped some visitors inside a local hotel, filming the flames as the blaze approached the parking lot? [Natural Disasters: Top 10 US Threats]

Two words: drought and wind.

Dry year

Most of East Tennessee has been in exceptional or severe drought all summer, said Sam Roberts, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service forecast office in Morristown, Tennessee. At the Knoxville, Tennessee, airport monitoring station, precipitation is down 10.29 inches (26 centimeters) from the annual average, Roberts told Live Science. In the state's Tri-Cities area, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from Gatlinburg, precipitation is down 9.65 inches (25 cm) over the yearly average. And in Chattanooga in the far southeast corner of the state, precipitation has been a whopping 21.5 inches (55 cm) below average.

"If they don't get too much more rain, this will be the driest year on record for them," Roberts said.

A ridge of high atmospheric pressure parked over the U.S. Southeast has kept rain at bay over the summer, Roberts said, setting the stage for the current conflagration. As of Nov. 23, a small section of the northeastern corner of Tennessee is in moderate drought, while the rest of the state struggles under severe, extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. [Dry and Dying: Images of Drought]

Sudden spread

Wildfire activity has been above normal in the eastern part of the state, Roberts said, but even without precipitation, firefighting efforts seemed to have controlled the situation in recent days.

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"Over the past week or so, things had started to settle down a little bit," he said.

That is, they had until Monday night. On Sunday, a fire started at Chimney Tops, a popular hiking peak inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The blaze had spread to around 500 acres in size when a strong front traveling from the southwest brought gusty winds to the area, Roberts said.

"They were getting gusts up there to 40, 50, 60 mph [64 to 97 km/h]," he said. "Because the fuels were so dry because of the drought, the wind just absolutely accelerated these fires at a very, very fast pace."

The winds also sent the fire racing downslope, which is relatively rare, said Brad Panovich, the chief meteorologist at WCNC-NBC TV in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Heat rises and so you tend to get fire burning up the slope," Panovich said. "It tends to burn downslope real slow."

But in Gatlinburg, the twin pressures of wind and blowing dry leaves sent the blaze downhill, with flaming leaves sparking the fire's spread. The winds also knocked over power lines, sparking new fires, Panovich told Live Science.

Nature offered a slice of relief between midnight and 7 a.m. local time today, as Gatlinburg got between an inch and three-quarters inches of rain [1.3 to 2 centimeters], Roberts said. That precipitation helped dampen ground fuels like leaf litter, but large logs, timber and structures are still hot, he said.

"Right now, things are in much better shape than they were last night, but they are still dealing with some hotspots," Roberts said.

The greatest danger to Gatlinburg and surrounding areas now is another front that will bring in gusts of winds of between 15 and 30 mph (24 and 48 km/h) tonight (Nov. 29), Roberts said. Perhaps an inch of rain will follow those winds, starting after midnight, and this should help firefighting efforts, he said.

"The precipitation will come in," Roberts said. "It's just [that] we're going to have to deal with the winds first."

Original article on Live Science.

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Gawker.com may be dead, vanquished at the hands of Hulk Hogan and Peter Thiel, but thanks to a settlement, there's something on the site that is about to change.

On Tuesday, Gawker Media submitted a motion in bankruptcy court to approve a settlement with Mail Online, the parent company of Daily Mail, which filed a libel lawsuit over a March 4, 2015, article by James King, headlined, "My Year Ripping Off the Web With the Daily Mail Online."

King, a former freelancer for Mail Online, penned a piece about lifting other publications' stories wholesale, writing that "the Mail's editorial model depends on little more than dishonesty, theft of copyrighted material, and sensationalism so absurd that it crosses into fabrication."

Six months later, Mail Online filed a $1 million suit against Gawker and King. The case didn't get far because Gawker was wrapped up in separate litigation with Hulk Hogan over the posting of a sex tape. After Gawker experienced a $140 million judgment in the Hogan case, it declared bankruptcy, grounding the Daily Mail suit to a halt.

Gawker, which announced a $31 million settlement with Hulk Hogan earlier this month, has now come to terms with Mail Online. No money is exchanging hands, and there's no admission of wrongdoing, but Gawker is prepared to do something that it would have strongly resisted in its heyday.

According to court papers, Gawker has agreed to include an Editor's Note at the beginning of the King article, replace the illustration in the post with something that doesn't incorporate the Daily Mail's logo, and publish a statement by DailyMail.com in the same story. The agreement also stipulates that the article won't be moved from its current location on Gawker's website.

The statement from DailyMail.com begins, "We utterly refute James King's claim that DailyMail.com depends on 'disonesty, theft of copyright material', and the publication of material we 'know to be inaccurate'."

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It then goes on for nearly 20 paragraphs and includes allegations that King threatened a woman editor with violence and that the Washington Post had rejected King's piece before it was published by Gawker. It also provides lengthy detail about supposed inaccuracies in King's piece. All this will be coming to Gawker.com, assuming a judge grants approval.

Gawker and Mail Media have some things in common despite being legal adversaries. In particular, they have both been on the receiving end of lawsuits filed by attorney Charles Harder, who not only represented Hulk Hogan, but also Melania Trump over a Daily Mail article suggesting the future First Lady once was an escort.

In fact, since no money is being paid, Gawker touts the Daily Mail settlement as benefiting its creditors, which include some of Harder's clients.

"Both Gawker and I stand behind the story," King tells THR. "Ideally we would have fought it all the way to the end because my story is 100 percent accurate. But the circumstances made settling the smart choice, and I'm satisfied with the outcome. Here's why: not a single word in my story was changed as a result of this settlement. Not one. This was a defamation lawsuit, meaning that the Mail claimed something in my story was maliciously libelous. Yet, they didn't change a single word. They didn't change anything in the story itself because they can't."
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called on the G20 leading economies on Wednesday to counter economic crises with closer cooperation.

Speaking at an event to mark the beginning of Germany's presidency of the G20, Schaeuble added that nationalism and protectionism were not the right response to globalisation and stressed the importance of open markets and global trade.

"We cannot reverse globalisation, nor do we want to do so," Schaeuble said.

"We have to expect that we will experience financial and economic crises in the future," he said, adding that an appropriately timed normalisation of monetary policy should go hand in hand with structural reforms to support economic growth.

(Reporting by Gernot Heller; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Michelle Martin)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is confident that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will remain involved in Greece's bailout package, a finance ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday, declining to speculate on the outcome of a Eurogroup meeting on Monday.

"I don't want to preempt the result of the meeting," a spokeswoman for the German finance ministry told reporters at a regular news conference, adding Greece would be on the agenda.

"We are confident that the IMF will stay on board," she added.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Joseph Nasr, Sabine Siebold; Editing by Caroline Copley)
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is sticking to its position that now is not the time for the European Union to start discussing any new policy areas with Turkey in its talks to join the bloc, a government spokesman said on Wednesday. "Chancellor Merkel's position on the accession talks has not changed," spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about a newspaper report that suggested Merkel wanted to stop talks with Turkey altogether. "The EU and Turkey have been negotiating for years without determining the result in advance. Under the current circumstances, the opening of further negotiating chapters is not conceivable," Seibert added. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Michelle Martin, Sabine Siebold)
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliamentary members of her conservative Christian Democrats on Tuesday that she opposed opening new negotiations with Turkey as part of its quest to join the European Union, the Bild newspaper reported. That means the discussions are effectively over, the newspaper reported in Wednesday editions, citing sources who participated in the party meeting. Merkel recommended spelling that out to voters who asked about the party's position on Turkey, the newspaper said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said his country has not yet "closed the book" on the EU after the European Parliament recommended freezing accession talks last week, but said Ankara had other options with other partners. The European Parliament last week voted 479 to 37 for a non-binding motion to temporarily halt membership talks with Turkey because of its "disproportionate" reaction to the failed July 15 coup. German officials have been critical of Erdogan's crackdown on dissidents and journalists after the coup attempt, although Merkel - mindful of the millions of refugees still living in Turkey - on Friday underscored the need for both Turkey and the EU to honor their commitments to each other. Erdogan has suggested that he might scrap a deal to keep hundreds of thousands of migrants inside Turkey's borders in return for the promise of accelerated EU membership talks, visa-free travel for Turks in Europe and financial aid. Turkish authorities have detained or dismissed more than 125,000 people - including soldiers, academics, judges, journalists and Kurdish leaders - over their alleged backing for the coup, in what opponents, rights groups and some Western allies say is an attempt to crush all dissent. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
The pack is pretty divided these days. In Teen Wolf Season 6, episode 3, Lydia, Scott and Malia continued to search for their missing friend. However, Corey, Mason, Liam and Hayden had to protect the Ghost Riders next victim. Unfortunately, Scott might not be able to leave things in the hands of the younger pack members just yet.

The Next Victim: A girl named Gwen comes in looking for her sister Phoebes stuff in the girls locker room. Phoebe was on the lacrosse team for two years, but no one remembers her. Everyone thinks Gwen is crazy, but Hayden (Victoria Moroles) believes her. Gwen says she saw a man standing in her yard, and Hayden realizes Gwen will be the next person erased from reality. Hayden tries to explain the Ghost Riders, but Gwen thinks Hayden is mocking her.

Scott (Tyler Posey) tells Liam (Dylan Sprayberry) to keep Gwen safe. It doesnt matter where, so they move Nathans lacrosse party to Scotts house, which Mason (Khylin Rhambo) lines with mountain ash. Melissa (Melissa Ponzio) is working until 4 am, so they think theyll have the party cleaned up by the time she gets home. They dont run this by Scott, however, since he is busy search for his missing friend.

All the couples try to have a good time at the party while they can, but eventually, Gwen comes running downstairs. A Ghost Rider is chasing her, but no one else can see. Corey (Michael Johnston) goes invisible and touches a Rider to bring him into the regular plane. It makes him visible to the entire party. Once you see a Ghost Rider, youre next on their list. The Ghost Riders just added a whole lot of people to their list of victims. Corey yells for everyone to clear out, leaving only the young pack members and Gwen behind.

Now that hes real, he cant step over the mountain ash. The Rider is trapped, so Corey and Liam fight him. Still, hes too strong. His whip eventually breaks through the barrier and grabs Gwens leg. Parrish (Ryan Kelley) shows up and demands the Ghost Rider let her go. Parrish shoots the Ghost Rider, but nothing happens. Parrish looks at the Rider, but the Rider isnt afraid. He lets go of Gwen, walks to Parrish and stares into the barrel of his gun. The Ghost Rider disappears in a swirl of leaves.

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Scott isnt thrilled about what has happened. He isnt quite sure why a party at his house was necessary, and hes even more upset when he finds out that the Ghost Rider was visible to everyone. He points out to Liam that all of his friends could be a victim.

Whats A Stiles? For most of the episode, the seniors are searching for Stiles (Dylan OBrien). Lydia (Holland Roden) and Scott are looking up the word stiles while Malia (Shelley Hennig) tries to take a makeup test with Mrs. Martin (Susan Walters). Shes about to have a panic attack, and her claws come out. Mrs. Martin thinks breathing techniques are the trick, but Malia ends up going full coyote.

The Sheriff (Linden Ashby) comes by and tells Scott to growl at her. After all, he is the alpha. Lydia, however, realizes that they need to give her space. When they back away, she calms down and becomes human again. They wonder what could be making Malia shift, and Scott wonder if its connected to Stiles. However, they still dont know what a Stiles is.

Luckily, Sheriff Stilinski is there to tell them that Stiles is a person. It seems Stiles is a family nickname. No, the Sheriff doesnt remember his son. His father used the moniker.

Elias Stiles Stilinski was an army engineer, and Lydia and Scott want to talk to him. The Sheriff and his undead wife Claudia (Joey Honsa) dont think its a good idea. While theyre talking, Lydia suddenly has a vision of an old woman walking through the room. The following stops have been canceled, she tells Lydia. The banshee hears train noises again and follows the old woman. She finds the vision staring at the wall. Lydia tries to talk to her, but the woman wont say anything.

Back in the living room, Scott learns he has to find another lead. You dont just talk to this guy, okay?! the Sheriff yells at Scott.

Elias Stilinski: Of course, theyre going to find Elias anyway. Malia locks a nurse in a closet so that they can go talk to Elias at the nursing home. He has dementia. He thinks Scott is the Sheriff and that its 1976. It doesnt seem like theyre going to get answers out of him, and Malia is getting impatient.

When the sun goes down, Elias starts to lose control of his temper. Its called sundowning, which is also the title of episode 3. Dementia patients lose their temper or become confused when the sun goes down. Lydia helps him stay calm by focusing on math equations.

Suddenly, Elias knows whats happening. He knew Scotts dad. He recognizes Lydia as Natalies daughter. The Sheriff interrupts, though. He got a call that a staff member was assaulted, and he kicks the kids out. He barely acknowledges his father.

Go crawling back to your dead wife and your loser son! Elias yells. He loses his grasp on reality before the Sheriff can ask him to clarify.

Later, the Sheriff asks Claudia if she ever has second thoughts about them not having kids. She claims she never has regrets.

The Sheriff visits Scott and helps him clean up the party. He reveals to Scott that Elias was abusive. He pushed the Sheriff through a glass table while trying to beat his wife. Obviously, it makes their relationship difficult.

He continues to open up to Scott. The Sheriff says that hes been having dreams that feel real. In the dream, he and Claudia are talking about kids. He wanted to name his son after Claudias dad, despite an awful name, because hes a good father. Okay, well name him that, but it wont matter. Hell just be called Stiles anyway, dream Claudia tells him.

The New Argent/McCall Team: Over at the McCall house, Melissa hears someone rummaging through her kitchen. Its Chris Argent (J.R. Bourne), who has a cup of coffee waiting for her. He also wants her to help him see a body in the morgue.

The body belongs to the guy found in the boiler room in the premiere episode. Argent shows Melissa the teeth marks in the victims head. Something bit through his skull, and Argent says that this isnt the first victim he has found like this.

The pineal gland, a gland in the center of the brain, is missing from both victims. Supposedly, thats where the soul is. Could there be someone stealing souls in Beacon Hills?

Bad Teacher: In physics class, Mr. Douglas (Pete Ploszek) talks about power and makes a magnet. During his lecture, he starts having a coughing fit, complete with flashbacks to a tank in the Dread Doctors lab. He runs into the closet and uses a mask to get his breathing under control. The flashbacks reveal that Douglas is the Nazi werewolf that the Dread Doctors had kept, the one who escaped in last seasons finale.

It seems Mr. Douglas isnt just a Nazi werewolf. He also might be snacking on peoples souls. Douglas is the one ripping out the pineal gland. He eats the gland and looks like hes in ecstasy. His eyes even go red, like an alpha.

Teen Wolf Season 6 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on MTV.

Teen Wolf

Photo: MTV

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In February 2016, physicists declared the century-long search for gravitational waves was over.

Einstein predicted the existence of such ripples in the fabric of spacetime in 1915, but he doubted their weak signatures could be detected.

But more than 1,000 researchers in September 2015 used the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)  two giant, L-shaped detectors  to record such waves emanating from the cataclysmic merger of two black holes. They also found another signature in December 2015.

However, LIGO was shut down in January 2016 and has been offline ever since  until Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. ET, according to a Caltech press release.

"LIGO's scientific and operational staff have been working hard for the past year and are enthusiastic to restart round-the-clock observations," Joe Giaime, an astrophysicist at Louisiana State University and LIGO member, said in the release.

The reason for the shutdown? Technicians were upgrading LIGO over 10 months to make it even more sensitive to gravitational waves, pushing open the doors to a bizarre and powerful new form of astronomy.

"We may not immediately publish [a study], but there's a good chance we're going to see more black hole collisions this year," Imre Bartos, a physicist at Columbia University and LIGO, told Business Insider in September while the upgrade was underway.

Here's how LIGO works, according to an animation created by researchers behind the experiment, and how recent improvements made it even more sensitive.

How LIGO detects gravitational waves

LIGO is actually two different yet nearly identical instruments that work together. (More could be added later to its network.)

The two L-shaped detectors  each with 2.5-mile-long arms  are separated by nearly 1,900 miles. One is at the Hanford Site in Washington (where Cold War-era nuclear weapons production happened) and the other is in Livingston, Louisiana.

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Together, the detectors hunted for gravitational waves from 2002 to 2010 without any luck, until a new-and-improved "advanced" and upgraded LIGO came online in 2015.

Each LIGO detector shoots out a laser beam and splits it in two. One beam is sent down a 2.5-mile long tube, the other down an identical yet perpendicular tube.

The beams bounce off mirrors and converge back near the beam splitter.

The light waves return at equal length, and line up in such a way that they cancel each other out.

As a result, the light detector part of the instrument doesn't see any light.

But when a gravitational wave comes through, it warps spacetime  making one tube longer and the other shorter. This rhythmic stretching-and-squeezing distortion continues until the wave passes.

When this kind of interference happens, the two waves aren't equal lengths when they return, so they don't line up and neutralize each other. That means the detector would record some flashes of light.

A physicist measuring those changes in brightness would thus be measuring and observing gravitational waves.

This setup is extraordinarily sensitive. When a wave passes by, the arm's length changes by less than 1/10,000th of the width of a subatomic proton particle, according to LIGO.

However, this also means it can be disturbed by the vibration of trucks driving on nearby roads, or even a slight breeze.

That's why there are two LIGO instruments: If they detect a signal occurring at exactly the same time, it's incredibly likely that a huge gravitational wave is passing by and through Earth.

The events that cause these ripples in space must be unimaginably powerful; the two confirmed events detected by LIGO so far are both thought to be merging black holes.

Such collisions instantly convert several suns' worth of mass into pure gravitational-wave energy, which is why we can detect them on Earth from more than a billion miles away.

Pushing for more sensitivity

Still, such events are relatively rare and their signatures are extraordinarily weak.

To upgrade LIGO's sensitivity, researchers assessed their years of operation and made "improvements to lasers, electronics, and optics," according to the release.

The 10-month upgrade increased the frequency range at which the Livingston-based LIGO detector can "hear" gravitational wave signatures, plus it reduced some of the laser-light scattering (which can interfere with measurements). It's said to be 25% more sensitive now.

Meanwhile, workers gave a boost to the power of the Hanford LIGO detector's laser-interferometer. They also upgraded its vibration-reducing equipment.

Together, the more-sensitive detectors should be capable of more frequently detecting black hole-merger events, plus those farther away than the current record of 1.4 billion light-years.

Vicky Kalogera, an astrophysicist at Northwestern University and LIGO, previously told Business Insider that the experiment could detect 10 or more new gravitational waves after the upgrades  and possibly up to 100 a year later on with the help of another experiment called Advanced Virgo.

"This has opened a new window to what we can detect in the universe," Bartos said in September. "We can detect this, we can now see gravitational waves. But the real exciting things are what we discover with these gravitational waves."

Kelly Dickerson and Sarah Kramer contributed to this post.

NOW WATCH: Einstein's wildest prediction from 100 years ago is turning out to be true





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So youve already watched all six hours of Netflixs Gilmore Girls revival, and youre starting to experience symptoms of withdrawal  like you havent had your usual six cups of coffee yet. (Dont worry: Were right there with you.)

Luckily, the stars of A Year in the Life  Lauren Graham (Lorelai), Alexis Bledel (Rory), Kelly Bishop (Emily) and Scott Patterson (Luke)  sat down with Vultures Gazelle Emami in New York on Tuesday night to ease our withdrawals and look back on the experience of returning to Stars Hollow nearly a decade after the original series ended.

PHOTOSGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life: Michael Ausiellos 10 Favorite Moments Ranked

Now since some audience members hadnt seen all four episodes yet  whats wrong with these people?  the cast didnt get into any spoilers, so your burning questions about those last four words will have to wait. But the actors did discuss the experience of slipping back into their old roles, the most emotional scenes to shoot, and the fan backlash to Rorys treatment of poor Paul. (Who?)

Here, the highlights of Tuesdays Gilmore Girls panel:

Gilmore Girls A Year in the Life Netflix

* Graham said she was filled with conflicting emotions as she prepared to play Lorelai Gilmore again: It was the same, but totally different. Everywhere we went, people were excited which put a different pressure on it, too. But the overriding emotion, she said, was gratitude: Mostly, it felt like an opportunity to go back to something and just appreciate it.

* Bledel was frankly taken aback when she saw how messy Rorys life was as the new episodes picked up: I really wanted her to have had some great rewards, or to have enjoyed quite an interesting life I wanted her to be on top of the world, so to learn that we pick up with her scrambling I just had to imagine that for her. She later added that creator Amy Sherman-Palladino probably wanted to inject some conflict into Rorys existence: I think Amy just didnt want her life to be wrapped up in a bow.

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RELATEDGilmore Girls: Who Played Emilys Maid Berta? (Hint: Its Someone You Know)

* So why were Lorelai and Rory so mean to Rorys forgettable boyfriend Paul? Graham brushed off any talk of online backlash: We dont pay attention to anything. None of us are on the Internet. She defended the running joke at Pauls expense: The whole show has a heightened, theatrical quality. Just like Donald Trump, dont take it literally. Does it go ten steps too far? I dont know. Patterson chimed in to add: Paul was the sacrificial lamb, and he knew it.

* Bishop (who, it should be noted, got a rousing round of applause from the crowd) seemed confused by the audiences affection for Emily Gilmore: Ive always been baffled by that. Ive always enjoyed playing what I call the nasty, rich women. Because I cant stand them. So I try to make them as awful as possible. She did find something nice to say about Emily, though: She is funny if you dont have to live with her.

* When asked about the most emotional scenes to shoot in the revival, Patterson picked the scene in Fall when Lorelai returns to Luke after her Wild excursion. It was so fraught with tension, he remembered, and I just started to bawl my eyes out. That was the most impactful scene that Lukes ever been involved in. It might be the most impactful scene Ive ever done. But the waterworks didnt really work for Sherman-Palladino, who directed the episode. As Patterson remembers, Amy says, Cut. Scott, thats really not what we want to do'

* The loss of co-star Edward Herrmann (Richard) was deeply felt on the set of A Year in the Life, and Bledel recalled how great he was to work with: Wed have those long Friday night dinner scenes, and he would share so much. He was such a generous actor. Bishop added that she believes Herrmann really wouldve enjoyed being a part of this revival: I thought, He wouldve loved to have done this. He wouldve relished this.'

Launch Gallery: 'Gilmore Girls' Revival: The Best Quotes

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Lauren Graham Talks Return to Gilmore and Her 'Fall' Monologue -- Plus: Is a Parenthood Revival In the Cards?
Google celebrated St. Andrews Day, Scotlands national day, on Nov. 30 with a brand new Google Doodle.

The day marks the feast of St. Andrew, Scotlands patron saint, and is also the nations official flag day. The Scottish flag, known as the Saltire or Cross of St. Andrews is flown from buildings across the nation.

Although people in Scotland have celebrated St. Andrew as their patron saint for centuries, it wasnt until 2006 that St. Andrews Day was officially declared a public holiday.

Traditionally, Scots celebrate the holiday with feasts of haggis (savory pudding containing sheeps heart, liver and lungs), neeps (rutabaga or swede), and tatties (potatoes) alongside parades, dances and festive music.

Googles doodle pays homage to Scotlands pristine beauty, illustrating the flag as its hoisted amid scenes of the countrys famous landmarks: Cuillin Hills, Ben Nevis, Broch of Mousa, Isle of Skye and Loch Lomond.
British TV star Mary Berry, who created headlines when she quit as a judge on the U.K.s most popular show, The Great British Bake Off, is to appear on the U.S. version of the format.

Berry will adjudicate alongside pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini on The Great American Baking Show, which is hosted by My Big Fat Greek Wedding actress Nia Vardalos and her husband Ian Gomez.

During the eight-episode season, Berry and Iuzzini will seek out Americas best amateur baker, with 10 contestants taking part. Berry also appeared in the first iteration of the U.S. show, which was titled The Great Holiday Baking Show. The Great American Baking Show airs on ABC from Friday.

The U.S. show is made by Love Productions, the same production company that created its British counterpart. The company stirred up a tempest when it pulled the U.K. show away from the BBC after receiving a better offer from rival broadcaster Channel 4. Berry resigned, writing: My decision to stay with the BBC is out of loyalty to them, as they have nurtured me, and the show, that was a unique and brilliant format from day one.

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Flames continued to rip through Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Wednesday as wildfires engulfed the popular resort area in Sevier County. Three people were dead and 14 have been injured since the fire began at around 6 p.m. Monday night. At least 14,000 people were evacuated.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed all its facilities Tuesday as the wildfires blazed in multiple areas of the park. Unpredicted, extreme weather conditions on Sunday afternoon through Monday led to the exponential spread of fires both inside and outside of the National Park, park officials said Tuesday in a press release. Severe wind gusts of over 80 mph, unprecedented low relative humidity, and extended drought conditions caused the fire burning in the National Park to spread rapidly and unpredictably, in spite of suppression efforts on Sunday that included helicopter water drops.

The park lost all power and phone services due to the fire. Wind gusts carried embers and caused new fires in other areas of the park and across Sevier County. Wears Valley, Pigeon Forge and Jones Cove in the county have borne the brunt of the flames. Officials in Gatlinburg reported multiple structures, including businesses and private homes, destroyed in the fires. At least 75 homes had been destroyed in the Cobbly Nob area of Gatlinburg Tuesday morning, according to Knoxvilles WBIR-TV.

The fire began Monday night when embers from flames in Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park blew into Gatlinburg due to high winds. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in downtown Gatlinburg. The Tennessee National Guard has been called in to help local agencies clear debris and check on residents who may be in danger. Residents have been asked to conserve water while firefighters attempt to put out the flames.

The photos and videos below show the latest images from the fires devastating Gatlinburg.

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Photo: Reuters

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Photo: Reuters

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Madrid (AFP) - Environmentalists piled pressure on Spain Wednesday over its sprawling Donana wetlands, a UNESCO World Heritage site they believe is at risk and could be put on the UN body's list of endangered habitats.

Greenpeace activists blocked natural gas operations near the wetland reserves on Spain's southern coast -- home to more than 4,000 species including the endangered Iberian lynx.

And WWF made yet another appeal for Donana, just a day before Spain is due to hand over a report to UNESCO on its management of the wetlands at the request of the Paris-based organisation.

"Donana is in very serious danger," Juan Carlos del Olmo, head of WWF Spain, told AFP.

"We don't want it to be put on the list of endangered sites, but soon there won't be any other option."

The government has defended itself by saying the wetlands are well protected, and are even included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's green list, which recognises good management of natural areas.

Environmental groups don't dispute that, but argue that activities surrounding the huge area of lagoons, woodlands and pristine beaches are a threat.

WWF says the wetlands now only receive a fifth of the water they need, in part due to illegal farming nearby.

They believe the site also faces further damage with nearby mining, gas and dredging activities.

Utility company Gas Natural Fenosa, for one, has been given permission to use depleted natural gas reservoirs as underground storage sites for later consumption, which involves building pipelines in the fragile area.

Angry Greenpeace activists marched on the site Tuesday, blocking the entrance and departure of lorries for further pipeline construction.

They were still there on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman said.

Gas Natural Fenosa condemned the blockage, saying it had "worked near Donana for close to 30 years with the utmost care for the surroundings."

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- Thirsty Donana -

For WWF, though, water is the most pressing problem, since it is being sucked up by up to 2,000 illegal wells and 3,000 hectares of illicit strawberry farms nearby.

Del Olmo said that authorities had started addressing the issue, notifying illegal farms that they will have to close down.

But he added that the planned dredging of the nearby Guadalquivir river to allow cargo and cruise ships to get to Sevilla's port upstream was still a problem, as it will disturb the ecosystem and attract more salt water into the wetlands.

"The Spanish government continues with its idea of dredging the river," said del Olmo.

Last year, a UNESCO mission to Donana concluded this was the most pressing issue.

"If the state party fails to urgently make a permanent and unequivocal commitment to abandon the plan to deepen the Guadalquivir River... it should lead to the inscription of this property on the List of World Heritage in Danger," it recommended in a report.
Guess, Inc. (GES) reported fiscal third-quarter financial results after markets closed on Wednesday. The company said that it had $0.11 in earnings per share (EPS) and $536.3 million in revenue. Thomson Reuters had consensus estimates that called for $0.14 in EPS and $548.37 million in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.15 in EPS and $520.96 million in revenue.

Americas Retail revenues decreased 4.7% in U.S. dollars and 4.6% in constant currency; retail comp sales including e-commerce decreased 4.9% in U.S. dollars and 4.8% in constant currency.

On the international side, Europe revenues increased 16.4% in U.S. dollars and 16.8% in constant currency. Asia revenues increased 9.8% and 6.4% in constant currency.

In terms of the outlook for the fiscal fourth-quarter, the company expects EPS to be in the range of $0.40 to $0.50 and consolidated revenues to grow between 3.5% and 7.5%. There consensus estimates are calling for $723.89 million in revenue.

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On the books, cash and cash equivalents totaled $349.1 million at the end of the quarter, versus $402.4 million in the same period from last year.

Victor Herrero, CEO of Guess, commented:

While I recognize the challenges we are facing in the Americas, I am thrilled that, due to our various revenue enhancement initiatives, our third quarter revenues increased by 3%. We enjoyed strong double digit growth in Europe and in Asia, and we remain focused on improving our profitability in North America. As we reach the end of our transition year, I look forward to fiscal year 2018 with tremendous anticipation and excitement.

ALSO READ: The Worst Companies to Work For

Herrero added:

In the Americas, where the retail environment remains challenging, we are more than ever focused on improving the profitability of our retail business. In order to do so, we have identified a four point plan that we believe will drive value for our business: (1) continue to negotiate rent reductions whenever possible, (2) close unprofitable stores upon lease kick-out or expiration unless new rent terms make them profitable, (3) continue to implement supply chain initiatives including vendor consolidation, fabric platforming and source country diversification and (4) enhance our digital capabilities to help set ourselves apart from other retailers.

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ALSO READ: Uber Drivers Strike for $15 Wage

Shares of Guess closed Wednesday down 1.5% at $15.32, with a consensus analyst price target of $17.70 and a 52-week trading range of $13.20 to $22.84. Following the release of the earnings report, initially the stock was relatively flat in the in the after-hours trading session.

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Actors are showing renewed fire. Writers have healthcare concerns and parity issues. But the tone of master film and TV contract negotiations with the industrys top employers will be set by directors.

The Directors Guild of America will begin formal contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Dec. 5, more than six months before the current contract expires June 30.

Traditionally, the DGA goes first into AMPTP talks and sets the template for many of the terms in the other master union contracts, often to the chagrin of other guilds.

The DGA has historically been the most accommodating of the three guilds, which is why the companies like to deal with it first, says Howard Suber, professor emeritus at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, and a longtime observer of Hollywood labor.

Its understood that the broad outlines of the DGA deal are already in place. The guild made a major advance three years ago in the digital arena, when the contract included wages, terms, and conditions for high budget dramatic new media productions for subscription video-on-demand.

The negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of the month. Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme head the DGAs negotiating committee, with national exec director Jay Roth serving as lead negotiator.

For writers and actors, meanwhile, there is one big shared concern in this round of talks: Both need an increase in contributions from the studios to shore up their health and pension plans. Just as the onset of President Obamas Affordable Care Act in 2010 imposed new requirements on the guild plans, Hollywoods unions are seeking a hedge against the uncertainty of what may come with the repeal or major modification of Obamacare  changes that President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to enact.

The WGA contract expires May 1. The guilds Cadillac health plans, known for generous benefits and lack of co-pay fees, are overextended at every level; a few catastrophic illnesses or premature births among the membership can drain resources.

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Beyond the health plan, the WGA hopes to make progress on bringing residual fees for work for pay cable and basic cable reruns up to parity with broadcast fees. Broadcast residuals have historically been higher than pay cable and basic cable. But residuals from reruns are an endangered species. The major networks carry far more original programming, which means fewer repeats. That shift in programming strategy has cut deeply into the annual income of workaday TV writers.

The DGA has historically been the most accommodating of the three guilds, which is why the companies like to deal with it first. Howard Suber, UCLA

Basic and pay cable TV outlets serve up more reruns, though the boom in original series has cut into the demand for library fare. Residual fees are calculated on a sliding scale depending on the number of runs and the age of the program. With cables lower rates, fees for reruns can be paltry. Securing parity with broadcast rates is probably unrealistic, but the WGA will likely push for gains.

The WGA West told its 8,000 members in May that it planned to seek a bigger cut of what it described as $49 billion in 2015 profits from the top six media conglomerates. But the big growth arena for TV reuse  digital streaming  is not expected to be part of the discussion. The health-plan needs put WGA and SAG-AFTRA in a tough spot for pressing hard on an issue the studios are loath to address; that lack of leverage is another reason the WGA is looking to cable/pay TV parity as a more achievable goal.

No alarms have been heard about a writers strike, given the robust activity in the TV sector. Id be very surprised if theres a strike because those occur when people feel they have nothing left to lose, says Suber.

The WGAs 100-day strike in 2007-08 did result in writers receiving a payment on the distributors gross for digital distribution, but at the cost of writers losing production deals during the work stoppage as companies embraced reality TV. The unintended consequences of the strike will make it difficult to mobilize for a work stoppage, particularly among older writers, Suber notes.

Such concerns havent stopped the actors. The master contract talks come against the backdrop of SAG-AFTRA mobilizing its first strike in 16 years. (Its also the first work stoppage in the decade since the WGA strike.)

The actors have been out since Oct. 21 against 11 video-game companies that are covered by a contract separate from the larger pact for film and TV work. But SAG-AFTRA members in L.A. have shown a new appetite for activism under national president Gabrielle Carteris. The strike has generated three respectably sized picket lines as the union pushes for securing residuals for voice actors.

SAG-AFTRAs AMPTP contract expires June 30. The guild is going into its second master contract negotiation as it prepares to complete the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in January. That process has taken nearly five years: The SAG-AFTRA combination was approved by a membership vote in 2012. Since then, officials have had to sort through differences in eligibility and income-threshold requirements for the various categories of both guilds memberships. Now that the plans are to be joined, the funding needs are significant because more members will qualify. The talks with the studios could be the first real test of the clout the two guilds sought to gain by merging.

The SAG-AFTRA merger was successfully completed, after two previous attempts, under the leadership of national president Ken Howard, who died in March. Howard was assiduously nonconfrontational with employers. Carteris, on the other hand, has been an active presence on the picket lines. That makes her an unpredictable commodity for AMPTP president Carol Lombardini and the studios other negotiators.

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By Joseph Guyler Delva PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Protests and celebrations rippled through Haiti on Tuesday, as losing candidates rejected preliminary results of an election that indicated banana exporter Jovenel Moise would be the next president. Moise, who ran for former President Michel Martelly's Bald Heads Party, won with 55.67 percent of votes cast in the Nov. 20 election, the electoral council said on Monday. The result avoids a second round run-off next year. Police used tear gas on protesters in the La Saline neighborhood, a stronghold of Fanmi Lavalas, the leftist party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It called the results an "electoral coup." The United States Embassy issued reports of demonstrations, gunshots and burning tires in downtown Port-au-Prince and Malpasse, a town close to the border with the Dominican Republic. A spokesman for the Haitian national police said it was responding to protests in La Saline but could not confirm whether protests in Malpasse had taken place. Moise, the front-runner in a scrapped election last year, received a majority of votes, meaning there is no need for a second round. "We salute those who voted for me and those who did not vote for me," Moise said. "We are going to use the people, the sun, the land and water to develop the country." In the upscale Port-au-Prince suburb of Petionville, residents danced and cheered the result. Elsewhere in the city, in the neighborhood of Pacot, Moise's supporters took to the streets in a small parade, accompanied by celebratory gunshots. Jude Celestin, a mechanical engineer who had led a government construction firm, came in second. He received just under a fifth of the vote. Moise Jean-Charles, a leftist senator, netted 11 percent, while Narcisse, running for Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, won around 9 percent, the preliminary results showed. The Organization of American States, which had been among the international observers of the election, said the results corresponded with its data. However, turnout was low and 10 percent of sheets tallying votes were thrown out because of irregularities. In a country of 10 million people, Jovenel Moise received just 600,000 votes. Three people on the nine-member electoral council did not sign the report declaring Moise the winner, although the council's president did not say who had abstained. Those elements fueled a universal condemnation of the results from the losing candidates, who have 72 hours to contest before the final results are released on Dec. 29. "We reject the results because they are invalid votes that have been counted," said Michel Andre, a lawyer for second-place finisher Celestin. "Jude Celestin will challenge the results." Moise Jean-Charles also said on Tuesday that he would fight the results. "The outcome of the election is the result of a conspiracy by the economic oligarchy and sectors of the international community," he said. (Additional reporting and writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Christine Murray, Dan Grebler and Bill Rigby)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f301026%2fjelly_fish_or_breast_implant

Mistaken identity is a helluva thing, particularly when it comes to gelatinous blobs.

One Australian man has clearly been reading too many true crime novels, because last Friday, he mistook a washed-up jellyfish for something more sinister  a rogue breast implant. The concerned citizen even took his discovery to local police on the Sunshine Coast.

SEE ALSO: Snake 'arrested' after eating a dog and trying to hug its human a bit too tight

The embarrassment started when police at Maroochydore station politely informed the man that the damning evidence he had handed over was in fact the corpse of a jellyfish. Although not until they had bagged and tagged the "evidence" first.

Not a boob.

Image: QLD POLICE

Still not a boob.

Image: qld police

The Sunshine Coast Daily reported that the man told police he was concerned that the presumed prosthetic implant could have come from someone who may have been murdered or drowned. But nope. It was nought but a sea blobber.

Imaginative citizens beware: As the weather warms up in Australia, the waters off the coast of Queensland become a haven for stinging breast implants. Tread carefully.

Jellyfish in our south Qld waters already pic.twitter.com/qe7ZJyGDoM  Colleen & Neil Wall (@ColleennNeil) September 30, 2016

BONUS: Huge jellyfish sighting makes scuba divers' day
Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Businessman Jovenel Moise's election as Haiti's next president was challenged by losing rival candidates, signaling more political upheaval in the troubled nation as sporadic protests erupted in the capital.

Violence broke out in some of Port-au-Prince's poorest neighborhoods, which were carried by Maryse Narcisse's Fanmi Lavalas party, against Moise, the man former president Michel Martelly chose to represent his party.

Police launched tear gas grenades to disperse a crowd of hundreds of her supporters who called the vote an "electoral coup" and reacted to the advancing officers by throwing stones.

"We didn't vote in secret. All of the working-class neighborhoods in the country... voted for Maryse, but the results they announced were an electoral coup," said Rose-Marie Rosilus.

Rosilus lives in Bel Air, a neighborhood that has historically been a bastion of former leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who heads the Lavalas party.

"We will stay out in the streets until the electoral council gives us our true results," added Rosilus, who brought lemons to alleviate the effect of the tear gas.

There were no reports of violence elsewhere in the capital or across the country.

Moise, a 48-year-old political novice and entrepreneur who worked in agriculture mostly growing bananas, earning him the nickname "banana man," wants to lift the Caribbean country out of poverty by reviving its agricultural sector.

"We will need to mobilize all the resources of the country, as I repeated during my campaign: men, land, sun and rivers to put food on people's plates and money in their pockets," Moise said late Monday, shortly after the preliminary results of the first-round election were announced.

But his rivals' challenges over the vote's legitimacy could run those plans into the ground.

- 'Cheating' -

The preliminary results showed that Moise won the election outright, garnering 55.7 percent of the vote, thus barring the need for a second round. But he lacks much popularity, with only 21 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots.

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Jude Celestin, who ran as a candidate of the opposition LAPEH and came in second with 19.52 percent, is refusing to accept the outcome, along with fellow candidates Moise Jean-Charles (11.04 percent) and Narcisse (8.99 percent).

"We are saying there was cheating and we will see who cheated," Celestin told AFP, without naming Moise directly.

Indicating he would pursue the matter in the courts, Celestin claimed the results "do not reflect the popular vote."

But election observers from the Organization of American States said the results were "in line" with data they collected at polling stations.

The OAS electoral mission "calls upon all actors to respect the will of the Haitian citizens, expressed emphatically through the polls," it said in a statement.

Interim leader Jocelerme Privert urged for all parties to remain calm in order to "safeguard peace and political stability."

In a statement from his office, Privert said the elections were "crucial for Haiti's political, economic and social future. It's an important step toward political and institutional stabilization in the country."

Provisional Electoral Council president Leopold Berlanger cautioned that the results were preliminary and final results would not be confirmed until December 29.

Haitian law offers candidates the opportunity to challenge the results in electoral courts.

The drawn-out proceedings are slowing down the return to constitutional order in a desperately poor country already beset by political upheaval.

Three of the council's nine members refused to sign the result, signaling a potential conflict over the outcome.

- End to political instability? -

The long-delayed November 20 election took place without major incident. Haiti's vote was originally held in October 2015, but the results were scrapped after an independent commission found massive fraud.

Moise was initially said to have won the October 2015 election's first round with approximately 33 percent to 25 percent for Celestin, who denounced the results as a "ridiculous farce" before they were scrapped.

Fatigued by the long-delayed vote, the majority of Haitians report that they do not believe an election can lift Haiti -- where more than 60 percent of the population survives on less than $2 per day -- out of extreme poverty.

Nearly 6.2 million people were eligible to vote in the Americas' poorest country, parts of which are still struggling to recover from a devastating hurricane.

More than 800,000 people in Haiti currently need emergency food assistance, according to the United Nations.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor and no group more so than its Chinese minority.

They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry, an unnerving sign in a country with a history of lashing out violently against the ethnic minority that makes up 1 percent of its 250 million people.

The first major protest against Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama on Nov. 4 drew more than 100,000 people to Jakartas streets. Some held up banners calling for Ahok to be killed or decrying Chinese influence. It ended in violence, with one death and dozens injured after hard-liners attacked police. A separate mob tried to invade the apartment complex where Ahok lives in the north of the city and vandalized property in the area, which is home to many Chinese.

Hard-line organizers of the protest, who were unsatisfied by a police decision earlier this month to formally name Ahok as a suspect in the blasphemy case instead of arresting him, are promising another giant rally on Friday. After police pressure, they have agreed to concentrate the rally around a national monument in central Jakarta and insist it will be peaceful.

The furor over Ahok, sparked by his criticism of detractors who argued the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader, has highlighted religious and racial fault lines in Indonesia, the worlds most populous nation, and the growing challenge from proponents of Shariah law to its secular system of government.

For Chinese Indonesians, the controversy has awakened painful memories of the mass protests that ousted late dictator Suharto during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Boiling resentment against immigrant Chinese tycoons who profited from ties to Suharto and his famously corrupt family spilled over into mob attacks on Chinese property and people, killing many. Nearly two decades later, Jakartas Chinatown is still scarred by the burned out shells of buildings torched in the chaos.

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Certainly as Chinese descendants, we are still traumatized by the riots in 1998, said Clement Alexander, a grocery store owner in a narrow lane of the bustling Petak Sembilan market in Chinatown. We heard that horrible event may happen again if the government fails to control the protests. Its scared us, but we cannot do anything except pray, he said.

For rich ethnic Chinese, they could flee to Singapore or to other countries, but for lower-class people like me it is rather difficult, we just survive and depend on the government for protection.

When Ahok in 2012 became the first Chinese to be elected deputy governor of Jakarta, and the first Christian in half a century, it was seen as a sign of the pluralistic tolerance fostered by the moderate form of Islam practiced in Indonesia.

But his rise to governor in 2014 to replace political ally Joko Jokowi Widodo after his election as president was unpalatable to hard-liners. With the support of moderates that hope to gain from Ahoks fall, they have elevated their agenda to the national stage, and revealed that intolerant interpretations of Islam adapted from the Middle East have made greater inroads than believed.

Ahok is running for a second term as governor in elections due in February but since the blasphemy accusations erupted in September, his sky-high popularity in opinion polls has melted away. A pro-tolerance rally in Jakarta on Nov. 19 attracted less than 10,000 people. A military-organized event in the city on Wednesday meant to showcase respect for all of Indonesias six officially recognized religions was mainly populated by soldiers, schoolchildren and police, who had no choice about attending.

For the Nov. 4 protest, the normally clogged streets of Jakarta were nearly emptied of cars, embassies closed, countries such as Australia issued advisories against travel to the city and many businesses shuttered for the day, particularly in Chinatown.

We are afraid the riots in 1998 would be repeated. But I dont want to talk about that horrible event, said Jhony Tan, owner of a store selling Buddhist worship paraphernalia.

I hope the government can handle this issue, so theres no negative impact to any other community, especially to ethnic Chinese here. If they fail, Indonesia will be ruined, he said. Im sure the majority of Indonesian people are willing to see that this problem has nothing to do with us.

Christianto Wibisono, an ethnic Chinese businessman and former government adviser whose home was burned in the 1998 riots, said that despite communal tensions, he is hopeful the government will maintain calm during Fridays protest and beyond.

The governments approach needs to sap the momentum of a vocal and highly motivated minority but faces challenges: the moderate, silent majority is intimidated by the hard-liners tactics and months of campaigning for the Jakarta gubernatorial election as well as Ahoks blasphemy trial will keep divisive issues in the spotlight.

Now is really the crucial test for Indonesia to maintain the countrys secular philosophy rather than be run over by Shariah groups. That would affect the whole world, if Indonesia became like the Middle East, he said. We should not import Middle East extremism. We should export our moderate Islamic philosophy and pluralism.

___

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.
Yesterday was a day of loss for the cast and crew of CBS drama Hawaii Five-O. Keo Woolford, who played Detective James Chang on the series, passed away at the age of 49.

Woolford died on Monday afternoon at Pali Momi Medical Center in Oahu, Hawaii, three days after suffering from a severe stroke, People reports. Apart from his recurring role in Hawaii Five-O, the Hawaiian actor was also known for writing, producing and directing a 2013 award-winning independent movie named The Haumana. In fact, the star was in the process of finalizing details of his follow-up film, The Haumana 2.

Woolfords co-star Daniel Dae Kim took to Twitter to express his loss at losing a fellow actor.

Several fans reacted to Woolfords untimely demise.

Kelly Hu, who starred in The Haumana said in a statement, He didnt pigeon hole me like so many other people in Hollywood did. He gave me the opportunity to bring the character of Linda to life. He was a great talent who allowed other talents to shine. I will miss my chosen brother immensely.

Although the Godzilla actor was unmarried, he and his niece were close. Raeceen Woolford Satele remembers him as a friend, counselor and confidante. I think being related to Keo has been a true honor. He empowered me to pursue learning more about my Hawaiian culture and affirmed me in everything I did. I am who I am today, due in large part to his constant positivity, grace, and love.

In other news, Hawaii Five-O Season 7 returns on Friday, Dec. 9 at 9 p.m. EST with episode 10 in which a missing teenager suffering from PTSD recalls witnessing a murder after undergoing hypnotherapy. Also, Danny (Scott Caan) suspects that his sister is getting too close to a co-worker.

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Daniel Dae Kim

Photo: Getty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris

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Haylie Duff fills us in on her secret to a perfect food Instagram pic

You know that friend you have who always has the best tips, tricks, and foods and throws the best parties? When meeting Haylie Duff for a fancy dinner as a part of her Bring Back the Holidays Campaign in collaboration with T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods I was immediately reminded of this kind of magical human being. Duff is a super down-to-earth and friendly lady who loves food almost as much as she loves to talk and write about it. When I arrived to dinner, she already had the whole table cracking about something or another. The overall theme of the evening was to focus on the important part of the holiday fun family and (of course!) sharing food together  not the gift-giving and stress part. Haylie seems to have it on lock.

After the fantastic meal (I had a gorgeous crab gourd soup that I have literally thought about every day since), I got to have a little one-on-one with Duff. The Los Angeles resident by way of Texas hill country hit fame with her sister Hilary Duff in the early 00s and has been steadily acting since then. Now the proud mama of a blog, a book, and a cooking show on the Cooking Channel as well as an actual baby girl, Ryan, Duff has a lot of accomplishments on her plate (ahem!). I talked to the chef a little bit about her blog (and show), The Real Girls Kitchen and holidays with her family  and like any gal pal chatting about their life, Duff had a lot to say!

Haylie Duff partners with T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods to bring back the holidays by sharing her favorite family traditions and recipes.

Haylie Duff partners with T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods to bring back the holidays by sharing her favorite family traditions and recipes.

My first question for Haylie was obviously about the awesome pictures on the blog version of The Real Girls Kitchen, because Im always looking for some tips for the Instagram. Turns out, theres a pretty adorable story behind the beautiful aesthetics which Duff explained, I was taking all my photos by myself for the longest time. And I did a movie, what was it, 5 months ago or something and one of the PAs [production assistant] on set came up to me and he was like Yo.I googled you and you got this like food blog. This enterprising PA had another job as well (as they do in L.A.) a hobby (of photography and he was trying to get some experience shooting food pictures). As Haylie put it, hed never shot food in his life. And I was like what am I going to do with this guy who doesnt know how to shoot any food? So he came over one day and I was like well l just make a couple dishes and just see how we do with each other. She adds,Now, Eddie comes over and he and I grind. We shoot like twenty recipes sometimes in one day. Its wild.

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But for the Instagram lover whos just trying to take a pic of the cool food they just made, Duff recommends pictures where where you see the whole environment of it. I also like where the food feels like its moving. Where he captures my hand moving it or oil moving, kind of in action. Pro tips for the guy or gal trying to spice up their holiday food pics.

The fact that Duff was doing all her photos before the addition of Eddie really isnt much of a surprise  Real Girls Kitchen feels very much like it is a project of the heart. And admittedly, Duff just fell into the whole blog thing because she was bored in her down time on set for something and needed a creative outlet  of course since then its developed into much more with a book (and another on the way) and a series on the Cooking Channel. As Haylie puts it, Im holding on to that as long as I possibly can. I think thats comes across and I think thats why people like so much about it. Because people read it and they know its not a team of people doing it I just really want to try to keep that line of direct communication as long as I possibly can until I cant do it anymore.

Even though Real Girls Kitchen started as Haylies passion project, it seems like the job that she was born to do. Food has been apart of the Duff family since day one. Haylie proudly exclaimed, Weve always been a big food family.  The family-first gal talked about a lot of holiday family recipes including her Nannys stuffing (which she claims she can never make quite as good but an attempt is still on her blog), drop biscuits, and a really great cornbread with broccoli and lots of butter.

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These family recipes are part of all the inspiration Duff has for her work and her work is an unexpected love. She still seemed surprised about her blogs success when she divulged, I feel very inspired by what I do. And I never thought in a million years I would be doing this I just never would have guessed that this blog would turn into anything like this.

The theme of the evening was family, and that seems to be a big theme of Duffs life as well, so I had to ask about an old school Duff family tradition. It was tough for her to think of something besides food; the Duffs are a self-proclaimed and proud food-centric family but she spoke fondly of her mothers record collection and its holiday impact, saying, I think that that was a big influence on my sister both just throughout life in general. You know, with music. I think thats a really great holiday memory too. Kind of like when everyone was off to bed, my mom sort of teaching us who this band was or that band was. I always remember it being around holiday time. I can remember falling in love with Janis Joplin and the Beatles and the older artists.

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And like cooking, this busy mom is continuing the traditions with her family. She shared the recent purchase of a record player for Mattie, her fiance and weve like slowly been building up his record collection so I think that will be a Christmas tradition that well sort of start to implement in our family.

Overall, I was reminded of the importance of spending time with family over the holidays, of following ones dreams and passions, and how wonderful a simple salmon and potatoes dish came be. Be sure to check out Haylies show on The Cooking Channel for the same feels!

The post Haylie Duff fills us in on her secret to a perfect food Instagram pic appeared first on HelloGiggles.
The hedge fund investing technique charms many retail investors as they believe that these deploy unique methods or offer exposure to lower risk strategies, and thereby produce some level of outperformance.

Thanks to this sentiment, the space has seen substantial growth lately with new funds trickling into the area. But this perceived low-risk exposure or uncorrected nature to equity or fixed income markets come at higher costs. Investors should note that expense ratios of hedge fund ETFs range from 0.38% to 1.50% while the expense ratio of the broader market fund iShares Core S&P 500 IVV is just 0.04% (read: Buy These ETFs as BlackRock Cuts Fees).

Moreover, thanks to illiquidity (as average daily trading volumes range between just 550 to 150,000 shares), these ETFs have a wide bid/ask spread ratio and higher trading costs. But does the performance of hedge fund ETFs justify the high cost? Lets take a look.

Performance of Hedge Fund ETFs

If you look at the performance between the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY and IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF QAI one can easily make out how badly hedge funds have fallen short of the broader market this year. So far in 2016 (as of November 29, 2016), QAI is up just over 0.3% while SPY is up 8.4%. In fact, QAI hugely underperformed SPY in the one-year, two-year and five-year frames.

This year (as of November 29, 2016), SPDR SSgA Multi-Asset Real Return ETF RLY has returned 7.6%, the maximum in the hedge fund ETFs space. This is lower than 8.4% offered by SPY.

Agreed, at troubled times, a few hedge fund ETFs especially those with long/short strategies beat the broader market, but over the long term they fail to appeal investors in terms of returns. As per Goldman Sachs, hedge funds are poised to get beaten for the eighth year straight. These funds have offered a meager 4% return on average against over 8% by the S&P 500 (read: Alternative ETFs to Fight the Slump).

Story continues

Why Goldman Sees Hedge Fund to Underperform in 2016 Too

As per Goldman, hedge funds beat the broader index in Q3 on the back of the tech stocks surge. Information technology stocks hold about 24% in hedge-fund baskets, the maximum allocation in more than a decade.

But Trumps win is viewed as unfavorable for tech stocks due to his uncertain/controversial policies regarding immigration, trade and outsourcing. Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF XLK gained 1.4% in the last one month (as of November 29, 2016) compared with over 10% returns in Q3 (read: What Tech Crash? These ETFs are Still Top Picks).

Goldman also went on to explain that hedge funds fizzled out due to their less focus on financial stocks which have outperformed lately on rising rate expectations. However, the funds' considerable investments in the healthcare industry offered it some cushion against the tech-induced sell-off.

What Lies in the Fate of Global Hedge Fund Industry?

Having said this, we would like to note that even with this low return, hedge fund industry AUM reached $3.24 trillion at the end of Q3. As per Preqin, just positive returns, not stellar returns, across most strategies led to AUM growth, though a trend of steady redemption is prevalent in the space.

Preqins report also showed that a greater share of funds based in North America experienced outflows (42%) than inflows (40%). But fund managers in other regions saw assets flowing in more rather than gushing out.

So, while things are not too optimistic for the space, skeptical investors looking for only positive returns and unnerved by Trump, oil and Fed related volatility, may still find these as compelling bets. Investors should note that hedge fund ETFs including Cambria Value and Momentum ETF VAMO, Aptus Behavioral Momentum ETF BEMO and AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF ALFA returned in line with SPY in the last 10 days (as of November 29, 2016).

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Android

Anyone running an older version of the Android operating system, be warned: Malware is infecting 13,000 Android devices every day, putting at risk the private details of more than 1 million Google accounts.

That's according to cybersecurity software company Check Point, which discovered a new piece of malware called "Gooligan" that's infecting Android phones and stealing email addresses.

Users who download Gooligan-infected apps or click links in phishing messages are being exposed to the malware, which allows attackers to access sensitive information from Google apps like Gmail, Drive, and Photos.



Once attackers hack into the device, they're buying apps on the Google Play store and writing reviews posing as the phone's owner, Check Point says.

Anyone who owns a device running Android 4 and 5  that includes Android Jelly Bean, KitKat, and Lollipop  is most at risk, according to Check Point, and those devices make up nearly 75% of Android users.

Check Point has made an online tool to check if your phone is infected with Gooligan. By typing your Google address into the Gooligan Checker, you can find out if you've been hacked.

Security issues on Android are aren't exactly uncommon, since Android runs on third-party devices that are in charge of their own security and can be slow to update. Back in July, Check Point discovered another breach that affected 85 million Android phones. The devices were infected with malware that was generating $300,000 every month in ad revenue. And in August, hackers began using Google AdSense to target Android users and steal their banking data.

"Weve taken many actions to protect our users and improve the security of the Android ecosystem overall," Google's director of Android security Adrian Ludwig wrote in a Google+ post about the attack. "These include: revoking affected users Google Account tokens, providing them with clear instructions to sign back in securely, removing apps related to this issue from affected devices, deploying enduring Verify Apps improvements to protect users from these apps in the future and collaborating with ISPs to eliminate this malware altogether."

Story continues

Head over to Ludwig's post for more on how Google is tracking malware and working to keep users' information secure.

NOW WATCH: Heres what happens when you block someone on your iPhone





More From Business Insider


Photo credit: undefined

From Esquire

Another day, and there's another visit with people with whom I empathize, but whom I never will understand. Nobody was more obviously played by El Caudillo del Mar-A-Lago than the people who do the dangerous grunt work in the coal industry. Quite simply, coal is not coming back. Even climate deniers admit that fracking for natural gas is cheaper than mining for coal, so the coal industry is a dead parrot even on free-market grounds.

Of course, the environmental consequences of "going back to coal" would be disastrous even if it was going to happen, which it's not. Nevertheless, coal country turned out big for Donald Trump and the bill is coming due even before the guy is inaugurated. From Stat:

But now some in coal country are worried that instead of helping, Trump's first actions will deprive miners - and their widows and children - of the compensation they can receive if they are disabled by respiratory problems linked to breathing coal mine dust. That's because buried in the Affordable Care Act are three sentences that made it much easier to access these benefits. If Trump repeals Obamacare - as he vowed to do before the election - and does not keep that section on the books, the miners will be back to where they were in 2009, when it was exceedingly difficult to be awarded compensation for "black lung" disease."You couldn't ever win back then," said Sue Toler, a coal miner's widow in Huntsville, Tenn., of claims for black lung benefits. "It didn't matter what kind of evidence you had."

You voted to bring those days back. I hope the opportunity to hock a loogie at the system was worth it. I hate that I'm tempted to think that way.

Photo credit: undefined

Also, Roll Call has an account of a gathering of rural Democrats who are not at all happy about the campaign just passed. While I agree generally with the notion that showing up is a bigger part of presidential politics than it is generally given credit for being-I first began to confront the possibility that Trump might win when he went out of his way to stop in Lisbon, Maine, in the last two weeks of the campaign-but the account of this meeting is remarkably devoid of any serious proposals that can be considered concrete.

Story continues

But more than anything, these strategists say the Democratic Party simply needs to show up. According to some strategists, the party didn't even bother to organize a voter outreach effort in rural America, they say, much less send candidates to hold rallies there. "People just love it when you show up," said Ted Sadler, a Democratic political hand from rural Georgia. "But for us, there was zero Democratic action in the 8th Congressional District." (The district sits in the heavily rural south central part of the state.)

OK.

They show up. How do they make the case that people really ought not to vote for people who are promising, openly, to immiserate them further? Until the Democrats solve that problem, no amount of advertising in the local newspaper is going to help them or stop people so determined to make their lives worse.

Also, coded appeals like this do not help matters.

"The brilliant ones at top know better," said Nancy Larson, a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. "And they come down and say, 'This is what you do, this is what you say, this is what you have your candidates do, and don't stray from this.'" Larson added: "They talk about the messages that worked in very urban areas, where you have a million people or more. But they don't know how to talk about ordinary people."

Shut up. God, Democrats are impossible.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.

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Hillary Clinton made a surprise appearance at UNICEF's Snowflake Ball in New York Tuesday to honor Katy Perry, one of the Democratic nominee's biggest celebrity supporters, with the program's Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award. Clinton's participation was unannounced going into Tuesday night's gala.

"On a personal level, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be here to help celebrate  a global megastar, a social media queen with the most Twitter followers in the world  although she's getting some competition  and someone whose powerful voice and creative lyrics remind us when you get knocked down to get back up," Clinton said before presenting Perry with the award, which acknowledges charitable efforts on behalf of UNICEF, The Hollywood Reporter writes.



"I have seen Katy's commitment to the causes she believes in firsthand. I've gotten to spend time with her and I know how deeply she cares about making our world a better place," Clinton added. "She is serious about understanding the complex problems we face and pulling people together to solve them. We need champions like Katy now more than ever: her passion, her energy and, yes, her voice, louder than a lion," a reference to "Roar," which Perry performed at the Democratic National Convention.

Perry first endorsed Clinton for president in October 2015 and campaigned for the candidate at numerous fundraisers and rallies.

"I've always had a voice  a singing voice  but I've never had a voice like I've had before," an emotional Perry said following Clinton's speech. "Hillary has lit that voice inside of me, and that light will never go out, it will continue to get brighter and brighter and brighter. Thank you Hillary. You motivate me and so many millions of people. We appreciate you for your incredible work and your heart."

Perry took one subtle swipe at President-elect Donald Trump during her acceptance speech, quipping that, "Even though I've only been on a few field visits, I'm happy I've helped highlight the effects of climate change, which is real." Trump has previously questioned the science behind climate change and has threatened to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

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Two Hong Kong independence advocates elected to the local legislature will not be allowed to retain their seats after a three-judge panel upheld an earlier ruling.

The rejection of an appeal made by Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Sixtus Baggio Leung, 30, who were elected to the Legislative Council in September, is the latest chapter in a weeks-long political firestorm, and comes after a heavy-handed intervention by Beijing, which is implacably opposed to separatism.

The High Court judges found unanimously that the two had, in effect, declined to take their oaths of office when they turned their inaugurations into a political demonstration. At the ceremony on Oct. 12, both Yau and Leung unfurled banners that stated that Hong Kong was not part of China, and departed from the prescribed oath by pledging allegiance to the Hong Kong Nation instead of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of China.

There is therefore no question of allowing them to retake the [Legislative Council] Oath, wrote Justice Andrew Cheung in the ruling, adding that the vacation of their offices was automatic.

Neither Yau nor Leung showed up to hear the ruling, which comes after the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress (NPCSC), Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, found against them in early November  at the same time as their actions were the subject of a judicial review brought by the Hong Kong government.

As critics we can argue that it was improper for the NPCSC to intervene in a pending case but we could not expect the Court of Appeals to challenge that decision, Michael Davis, a former law professor at the University of Hong Kong, tells TIME by email. The NPCSC, he says, essentially foreclosed any chance the court would side with the two legislators.

Both Yau and Leung were among the fresh faces elected as part of a local backlash against Chinese encroachment on the semiautonomous territorys freedoms, and have been under constant attack from loyalist forces for the manner in which they attempted to take their oaths. Business in the chamber has ground to a halt for weeks as a result.

Story continues

The burgeoning Hong Kong independence movement has meanwhile attracted the fury of the Chinese state. Speaking on Nov. 11 in Beijing, President Xi Jinping said, All activities that intend to divide the country will certainly be firmly opposed by all Chinese people. We will never allow any one, any organization, any party to split off any tract of territory from China anytime, or in any way.

On Tuesday, Chinas top lawmaker, National Peoples Congress chairman Zhang Dejiang, declared that Hong Kong independence would bring calamity to the nation and its people.

The High Court said Wednesday that it would hear applications for Yau and Leungs appeal to the territorys ultimate court, the Court of Final Appeal, on Thursday morning.
Alanna Arringtons curls are all set to flourish on the Victorias Secret Fashion Show runway in Paris. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hair on the 2016 Victorias Secret Fashion Show runway is suddenly looking a bit different from what weve grown accustomed to. For years, the look for the lingerie retailers big event  which is happening on Wednesday in Paris, airing for public view on Dec. 5  has been long, beachy waves. But this year, VS is letting tradition fall by the wayside as its models hit the stage with hairstyles that more accurately reflect their natural looks.

Its so important for Victorias Secret and any brand in general to represent women with all types of hair, all types of skin colors, Tanzanian model Herieth Paul told Yahoo Style backstage on Wednesday. It wasnt a big fight not to have the [traditionally used] wigs on the runway, because more people are realizing that natural beauty is whats in right now. Natural beauty has always been in, but more people are starting to trend on it. Im so excited to be a part of the Victorias Secret 2016 fashion show with my natural hair!

While plenty of models are still rocking the waves, VS Fashion Show hairstylist Sarah Potempa says to expect varying textures  and more short hair  on the runway this year. We want to embrace everyones natural beauty. Were giving a carefree approach to the length and type of curl. Some women with shorter hair, maybe a lob, will walk with that hair, Potempa told Refinery 29. Were not going to add extensions to make it super-long. And if someone has short hair on the side or a tight haircut, were not going to put a wig on or put extensions on their head. Were going to embrace it. There are 51 women, and were going to make them feel their most beautiful. And while extensions are still in play, Potempa explained, theyre being used more to enhance the models looks, as opposed to trying to make everyone look the same.

Model Maria Borges, who made headlines walking the runway last year with her naturally kinky hair on full display, says that getting her hair ready this year was a snap  much like it was in 2015. I took, like, one minute to get my hair done. Just spray and thats it, she dished. I think its pretty amazing. Thank You, Victorias Secret, for giving us this opportunity. I saw two other girls with short hair  its fantastic, I love it.

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Alanna Arrington echoed the sentiment. My hair is all natural today and I am so excited to be rocking my natural curls on the runway, she told Yahoo Style. Its exciting for me because I hope girls take something from it and are inspired to rock their natural curls.

Dilone is another naturally curly model, but shes opted to straighten her short hair for a more practical reason  to accommodate one of the accessories included in her runway outfit. My hair is usually curly, like super-natural Dominican curls, and I straightened it because Im wearing a hat, she explained, so Ill have a nice little swoop going on.

Of course, Victorias Secret models dont look like the average woman  and are not supposed to, after all. But seeing less uniformity in favor of the uniqueness of each of these glamazons is a welcome change to the show.

So move over, Becky, because at the VS Fashion Show this year, all hair is good hair  as long as its on the head of one of the 51 models hitting the runway, at least.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.


By Marton Dunai SZEGED, Hungary (Reuters) - A Syrian-Cypriot man was jailed for 10 years on Wednesday for his part in a riot at Hungary's border with Serbia border last year, when he hurled rocks at police in an attempt to force the border open, deemed an "act of terror" under Hungarian law. Ahmed Hamed, 40, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of terrorism, cried as he was given his sentence - the longest handed down by a Hungarian court in connection to the migrant crisis. Hamed was part of a group that crossed illegally into Hungary on Sept. 16 last year and also spoke to the crowd using a loudspeaker before hundreds of migrants forced open the border gate and police fired water cannon and teargas. Hamed, born in Syria, had lived in Cyprus for a decade and held an EU residence permit, Judge Andrea Nagy told the court. He joined his relatives to help them navigate the Balkans route. Nearly half of the more than 1 million migrants who surged into the European Union last year passed through Hungary, often causing chaos at borders and along the main migration routes. Hamed became a leading figure of the migrant crowds at the Serb border, the court said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was an early opponent of migration, telling the EU to boost border defenses or lose its cultural identity. He built a razor-wire fence and organized a referendum on EU migrant resettlement quotas. Other migrants have been sentenced in dozens of prior cases but few received jail time and only one remains behind bars after a case connected to the riots at the Roszke border station last year. None of those migrants were charged with terrorism, a rarely used clause in the criminal code that penalizes forcing action from state actors, such as police, in any way. A small group of protesters called "Free the Roszke 11" gathered outside the Szeged courthouse to demand the release of Hamed and call attention to what they said were racist tactics by Hungary's government. "The Roszke trials are show trials," the group said in a leaflet they handed out to passers-by. "Together with the fence, the police violence and the harsh policy changes (they) are supposed to state an example and create an atmosphere of fear." The prosecutor representing the state rejected those accusations. (Reporting by Marton Dunai; Editing by Alison Williams)
Over a decade after his death, people can soon smoke some of Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompsons personal strains of marijuana thanks to the efforts of his wife, Anita Thompson.

The late writers widow told the Aspen Times last week of her plan to cultivate and sell the authors strains of cannabis. Thompson said she was working with a marijuana company to grow and distribute six kinds of marijuana that she saved, which were once smoked by her husband.

Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries, Thompson reportedly said. Ive had probably 10 meetings in the last three years and I always ended up saying No because its the same story every time: Somebody wants to slap Hunters name on their strain If I put Hunters name on somebody elses strain, I can never go back and say, No, this is the authentic one.

She joked that she was looking forward to being a drug lord, but put those plans on hold for so long on purpose.

For 10 years, we were always careful to steer the conversation back to Hunters work, she said. Because it was never guaranteed that Hunters work would be appreciated into this generation.

Anita Thompson bought Owl Farm  the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas authors longtime home  in June this year. The journalist wrote in his will that his wife could continue living on the 42-acre property but it would be owned by the Gonzo Trust. In June, she bought the property back from the trust for $500,000. She gave up her rights as a beneficiary of her husbands book sales but gained full ownership rights to the Gonzo logo and to Thompsons likeness.

She added that the profits from the cannabis deal will be used to renovate Owl Farm, which she plans on turning into a museum in honor of The Rum Diary author and a writers retreat.

Medical use of cannabis has been legalized in 26 states and the District of Columbia, with three more states to join the list after the November election. Eight states  California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon  and the District of Columbia allow the recreational use of the drug.

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Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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The late, great Hunter S. Thompson was well known for his contribution to journalism. But he was also known for his love of getting f*cked up.

Now, thanks to a new deal with Hunter's widow Anita Thompson, his precious, personal weed strain may be coming to a pot shop near you.

Anita says that she is frequently approached by ganjapreneurs wanting to slap Hunter's name on a weed strain. But she didn't want to do that unless it was a genuinely his. Well, she recently struck a deal with the trust that has been overseeing Hunter's 42-acre estate dubbed Owl Farm that's located in Woody Creek, Colorado, just a short drive from Aspen, according to the Aspen Times.

She no longer owns the rights to Hunter's book sales, but she now owns the property, where Hunter lived from the mid 1960s until 2005 when he died by suicide, and his "likeness."

So I own the house, the property, the logo and Hunters likeness, Anita told The Aspen Times, where she also talked about keeping authenticity behind any marijuana that would want to use his name.

Hunter S Thompson photographed at home on Owl Farm, Woody Creek in Colorado circa July 1983.

Image: Alan Hillyer/Writer Pictures WORLD RIGHTS (Writer Pictures via AP Images)

If I put Hunters name on somebody elses strain I can never go back and say, No, this is the authentic one, Anita explained to the Times.

Anita told the Times that she has six different strains of cannabis that Hunter used to smoke and is now working with a company to grow those strains (or hybrids of them) and sell them to the public in the form of recreational marijuana. More specific details of the strains such as their origin were not immediately available.

She later clarified on Facebook that she has been saving some of Hunter's old pot and hash for over 12 years.

"I have found a legal method to extract the DNA from Hunter's personal marijuana and hashish that I saved for 12-15 years. I am in the process of making the strains available to those who would like to enjoy the authentic Gonzo strains in legal states," Anita wrote.

Story continues

Having a branded pot strain isn't exactly uncommon in recent years. Snoop Dogg has his own cannabis company, Wiz Khalifa has has a strain and Willie Nelson recently launched his own.

Leafs By Snoop

Image: LEafs by snoop

Anita says that she held off on diving into the cannabis world in the years after Hunter's death because she wanted to keep the conversation on his literary work, but now she feels like she can speak more openly about his atypical lifestyle.

I was always steering toward his work and away from his lifestyle, but now I feel like I can talk more openly about his lifestyle, she said. Im proud to do it now. Before, it was a little too risky.

Im looking forward to being a drug lord," Anita joking told the Times.

Profits from the weed deal will go towards renovating Owl Farm in order to turn it into a museum and writer's retreat. Anita says she found inspiration for this after visiting Hemingway Preserve, Ernest Hemingway's last home.

Owl Farm aims to open to visitors by May 2017 by appointment only.

Mashable has reached out to Anita Thompson for additional information and comments.

BONUS: Inside a High-End Cannabis Greenhouse
(Reuters) - Insurers operating in Britain must continue to be able to sell their products freely across the European Union after Britain leaves the bloc, an insurance trade body said on Wednesday.

The International Underwriting Association said it was vital to maintain existing freedoms for insurance services.

Insurers are reliant on so-called passporting rights to sell insurance policies throughout the European Union. Most have said they will need to set up EU subsidiaries if Britain loses access to the single market.

Below are some contingency plans proposed by insurers:

AIG

U.S. insurer AIG last week said it may move its European headquarters from London to another EU country because of the Brexit vote.

AVIVA

Insurer Aviva said it was "considering" turning its Irish branch back into a subsidiary. http://bit.ly/2gJ8dFI

XL CATLIN

Bermuda-domiciled insurer XL Catlin said its UK business XL Insurance Company SE has branches across Europe and operates under the Societe Europeen structure, currently registered in the UK. The Societe Europeen structure is relatively easy to move to a different EU jurisdiction if needed, subject to regulatory approval.

LLOYD'S OF LONDON

The Lloyd's of London insurance market is working on plans to move some business to the European Union, aiming to be ready for the shift as soon as Britain starts divorce proceedings from the bloc.

LANCASHIRE

Insurer Lancashire Holdings said it could consider underwriting some European business from its Bermuda base, if needed.

BEAZLEY

Lloyd's of London insurer Beazley Plc said it had filed an application this month with the Central Bank of Ireland to get approval for its Irish reinsurance business to become a European insurance company.

HISCOX

Lloyd's of London underwriter Hiscox Ltd said it would consider setting up a new EU-based insurance company to weather the possible impact of Brexit.

CHESNARA

Chesnara Plc, an insurance-focused takeover specialist, said it could move its headquarters to Amsterdam depending on the regulatory environment in Britain after negotiations to leave the European Union.

Story continues

ADMIRAL

Motor insurer Admiral Group Plc said it could move its European business to Ireland or another country. Admiral, one of Britain's largest car insurance providers with a market share of over 11 percent, also has operations in Spain, Italy and France.

(Compiled by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru and Carolyn Cohn in London; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
High school students march in opposition to Donald Trumps election victory in San Francisco. (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP)

The day after the presidential election, high schoolers in Illinois reportedly yelled things like terrorist and pack your bags at their immigrant classmates on the school bus, while a Jewish student at the same school was reportedly told, Well burn you.



That same day, a group of Hispanic girls at a high school in New Jersey told their homeroom teacher that another student had warned them that President-elect Donald Trump was going to deport their families.

Seventh-grade boys in Colorado were heard yelling Heil Trump!, and at an elementary school in Michigan, some Muslim girls have stopped wearing hijabs.

These are just a few of the 25,000-plus anecdotes submitted by more than 10,000 teachers, principals, counselors, administrators and others who work at K-12 schools around the country, in response to an online survey conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Centers Teaching Tolerance project in the aftermath of Donald Trumps election.

According to a report released by the SPLC this week, 90 percent of the educators who responded to the survey said that the election has had a negative impact on the overall mood and behavior of their students, with most also expressing concerns that the postelection fallout will continue to weigh heavily on their classrooms for the rest of the school year.

Eighty percent reported that anxieties have intensified among African-Americans, immigrants, Muslims, LGBT and other marginalized students since the election, while four out of 10 respondents said theyve heard students use derogatory language against their African-American, immigrant and Muslim classmates, as well as in relation to students gender or sexual orientation.

Half of the educators reported having observed students pick on one another over politics, and more than 2,500 described fights, violent threats and attacks on both teachers and students, property damage, derogatory graffiti, and other specific incidents of hate and harassment that appear directly linked to the election.

Story continues

My Mexican-American students have been catching comments from kids at school and in the community about being deported, etc. wrote one high school teacher from New York. We also had one student post a pro-Trump/anti-black meme that went to 600 other kids Instagram feeds. (The words he used are not printable here.)

At an elementary school in Minnesota, there have been many fights between students since the election as well as many more boys feeling superior to girls, another teacher noted. I have had one male student grab a female students crotch and tell her that its legal for him to do that to her now.

The findings of this latest report echo those of a similar survey conducted by the Teaching Tolerance project during the presidential primaries in late March. Then, the SPLC, concluded that children of color, in particular, [were] being deeply traumatized, while others appeared to be emboldened by the divisive, often juvenile rhetoric coming from the presidential campaign trail.

Though that earlier survey did not mention any particular candidates by name, the responses from more than 2,000 educators included far more references to Donald Trump than anyone else in the race.

As with the earlier survey, the SPLC notes in its report that the results of their post-election poll are not scientific. While open to any educator who might wish to answer, the questionnaire was primarily shared with those who subscribe to the Teaching Tolerance newsletter or follow the projects social media accounts, as well as the audiences of a few other, like-minded groups.

As result, the report notes, those who responded may have been more likely to perceive problems than those who did not. Still, the SPLC insists, it is the largest collection of educator responses that has been collected; the tremendous number of responses as well as the overwhelming confirmation of what has been anecdotally reported in the media cannot be ignored or dismissed.

Mr. Trump claims hes surprised his election has unleashed a barrage of hate across the country, SPLC President Richard Cohen said at a press conference Tuesday. But he shouldnt be. Its the predictable result of the campaign he waged.

In response to the findings of the Teaching Tolerance survey as well as a separate SPLC report detailing 867 bias and hate-related incidents reported within the first 10 days of Trumps election, Cohen and several other human rights leaders called on the president-elect to take responsibility for the influence his words have had, speak out against bigotry and reassure those whove been most marginalized by his campaign that he will serve all Americans as president.

America is hurting right now, and all of us want to come together and feel safe, Brenda Abdelall of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy organization that has been tracking hate crimes against Muslim Americans over the past year. To bring us together as a nation, he will need to disavow dangerous proposals and ideas that single out and demonize Muslims and other communities.

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to an immediate request for comment on this story, but as Cohen and others noted, the president-elect has thus far only vaguely, and only when pressed, condemned the acts of bigotry that have been reportedly carried out in his name since the election.

Trump has claimed hell keep Americans safe and stand up for the little guy  but he refuses to speak up for the littlest guys  the children  who are being taunted and bullied in schools by kids who use his name as a weapon, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. His [silence]  is deafening.
The Last generation of calligraphers in Urdu Bazaar.

I made my way through the frenzied crowd of Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar to find Mohammad Ghalib, a man in his late 60s, seated comfortably on the floor, in the corner of a book store. He was fiddling with a wooden pen, and had an incredible calm on his face. I introduced myself to him.

I want to interview you, Sir.

Interview? he laughed, and invited me to sit next to him.

Mohammad Ghalib at work

Mohammad Ghalib is one of the few living Katibs (Persian for scribe) left in India. Rewind to half a decade ago when calligraphy was a burgeoning art form. Like other art forms, it was highly revered in its hey day. Right from writing farmaans to books to wedding invitations and posters, calligraphers hardly had any time to spare.

Today, in Chandni Chowk, which was once a thriving market for calligraphers, there are just three of them left.

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Urdu, a mix of Arabic, Persian and local Indian languages, originated in the army camps of the Muslim rulers in Delhi. The exotic language was once very much a part of our daily conversations. But later, as the British scrubbed India with the promotion of English and the Printing Press, the popularity of Urdu suffered. Even then, the calligraphers did not bow out of business. The first real blow was felt in 1997 when the Urdu typeface made its way to desktops.

A book calligraphed by Mohammad Ghalib

Do you think theres a difference between a book thats handwritten and printed?

Yes, of course defended Mr. Ghalib.

The way my brush strokes create letters, a machine can never do it.

Heres a book that I wrote, Mohammad Ghalib showed his book to me as he flipped through the pages. 390 pages, he sighed.

As I flipped through the pages of his carefully handwritten book, there were some careful words that needed that extra effort, some cleverly repaired mistakes, some unevenness layered and perfected with strokes of ink  things youd never find in a printed book.

Story continues

There was a time when I didnt find any time for myself. I was buried in my work and I had to write so many books. I dont get any orders for writing books now.

Can you show me some of your other works?

Mr. Ghalib reached out for his huge jute bag and pulled out a bundle of chart papers carefully rolled and tied with a plastic band.

Mohammad Ghalib showing me his work

The letters on every chart were carved perfectly, forming straight undistracted patterns, as if every paper had poetry written on it.

I wrote this for a guy who came from England and placed an order three years ago. He did not come back to take it. I have been carrying it for three years now.

Pata nahi kab aa jaye, na?, he looked at me for a nod of approval.

The bundle had many such stories  some a few months old, others a few years. But he carried all of them laboriously and thoughtfully, everyday, from Okhla to Chandni Chowk and back.

Charts for clients that remain uncollected

Where did you learn the art? Do you think you can teach it to people?

I learned it during my college days in Saharanpur and then I came to Delhi in search of work. Delhi was a market for the art form. My teacher was a master in the art form. The way he wrote his letters, it was the most beautiful handwriting. I still remember it. But its still difficult to write the way he did. What will I do teaching it to people? Nobody wants to learn. Everything is getting computerized these days.

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Many calligraphers and colleagues of Mr. Ghalib left their job, learned the basics of computers and took to printing. You just need to keep up with the cruel pace of time, I guess. Like many art forms that got written off, maybe you need to keep doing something innovative all the time to be able to pay your bills.

Ghalib showing (off?) his work

Why didnt you think of changing your job or learning something new?

Mr. Ghalib thought for a second, as if he didnt figure it all out yet. I did not know this day would come, he said without regret.

This is the only thing I like doing. I enjoy doing it. So I keep doing it. I did not want to stop and change.

He has a son and a daughter, who chose different careers. He doesnt think of calligraphy as a feasible career option anymore. My son and daughter earn enough, I earn only about a few bucks, and thats if I get lucky, he smiled.

On my request, Mr. Ghalib even agreed to write my name on the cover of my diary. With a steady and balanced grip, the letter spilled on the cover undeviatingly, on his command.

Mohammad Ghalib writing my name on my diary

He wrote with a wooden pen that looked like a broken, sharpened flute.

Is that a flute? I asked.

Yes. I make my own pens. Earlier, I used to buy pens. I still have some of those. But now they dont make these pens anymore. No one cares about calligraphy anymore. So I make my own pens.

Pens that used to be flutes

At this point, a couple came by to place an order for a shayari (proverb) they wanted written.

Do you have a favourite shayari, Ghalib sahib?

Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle. Bohat niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle (Thousands of desires, each worth dying for, many of them I have realized yet I yearn for more).

The cheerful bookstore owner joined us with a few more couplets.

We laughed, we revisited some memories that were carefully folded inside a jute bag, we created a little world that was untouched by the cacophony of Chandni Chowk as the day passed by.

The tools of his trade

How long did it take you to learn calligraphy?

I took 4 years to learn the art of calligraphy and 35 to master it. Its not easy. It needs a lot of practice.

He comes to work every day and even if he doesnt have any orders on some days, he sits down and practices the art.

Dont you get bored?

Never, he smiled.

Give him a call, drop him a line, visit him

Do you see Calligraphy being revived in the future?

No, he said as he scribbled on his paper. Not yet.

But you wouldnt stop coming to work?

No. This is my work.

No plans of retiring then?

Theres no question of retiring. I will come to work every day.

As I bid him good luck and thank him for the interview, a Thomas Gray quote came to mind, Far from the madding crowds ignoble strife, his sober wishes never learned to stray.

More from 101India



Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are independent views solely of the author(s) expressed in their private capacity and do not in any way represent or reflect the views of 101India.com.

By Priyanjana Roy Das

Photographs by Priyanjana Roy Das
MUMBAI  Indias Supreme Court has decided to turn the clock back. On Wednesday it ruled that all cinemas must play the national anthem before every commercial film screening.

The anthem must be accompanied by images of the Indian flag and cinema audiences must rise and remain standing for its duration. Cinema exits must remain closed while the anthem is playing as people walking in and out constitutes disrespect, the court said.

The Supreme Court bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said: The time has come when people must respect the national anthem which is part of constitutional patriotism. People must feel that it is their country. It is because of the country that they are enjoying freedom and liberty.

Cinemas in newly independent India used to play the anthem after screenings from the late 1940s. But the practice ceased in the 1960s. The song Jana Gana Mana was composed in 1911 by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and adopted as the national anthem in 1950, more than two years after independence in 1947.

Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur tweeted: Hope Supreme Court orders Indian Parliament to sing our Nation Anthem before each session. Often its drama too is movie like.

Until recently, it was only the state of Maharashtra, home to Bollywood and the Marathi-language film industry, that required the anthem to be played prior to screenings. Now, in 10 days time, all of India will have to follow suit.

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Thousands of Indonesians rallied across the country Wednesday, praying, singing and calling for peace ahead of a major protest this week by Muslims against Jakarta's Christian governor.

Friday's rally in Jakarta is expected to attract about 150,000 people who have been angered by allegations that Basuki Tjahaja Purnama insulted Islam, a criminal offence in the Muslim-majority country.

That would make it even bigger than a protest earlier this month that was marred by deadly violence.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital on November 4 in the largest protest the city has seen for years.

It turned violent as night fell, with hardliners setting fire to police cars and battling with security forces, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. One person was killed and hundreds injured.

On Wednesday the military and police organised "Archipelago Unity" gatherings across the country to call for peace and reduce tensions before Friday's protest, with thousands packing out a park around a major monument in Jakarta.

"The aim of this event is to unite us. There have recently been tensions among us, let's minimise that and come together again," said event organiser Zamroni, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

Muhamad Amirudin, 30, said the event was a show of unity, adding: "We hope Friday's event will be equally peaceful."

The crowds consisted of military and police personnel, government officials and some members of the public, who listened to speeches and musical performances.

About 22,000 officials, mostly police and soldiers, will be deployed at Friday's protest which will be held in a large park in downtown Jakarta.

Police named Purnama a suspect in a blasphemy investigation earlier this month following the protest, as calls mounted from Muslim groups for him to be prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Koran while campaigning for governorship elections.

After studying the evidence handed to them by police, prosecutors said Wednesday Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, would face court, as had been expected.

The governor, who is also a member of Indonesia's tiny ethnic Chinese minority, could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty.
LONDON (Reuters) - British patients could lose access to vital medicines unless arrangements are put in place to ensure a seamless licensing system after Britain leaves the European Union, a top industry official said on Wednesday. There are more than 5,000 medicines approved through the current regulatory process and manufacturers will need an appropriate product license to still make them available in Britain once ties with the EU are broken. "It's in all of our interests to make sure that, from day one, those medicines are there and available," Virginia Acha, executive director of research at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, told a parliamentary committee. "Otherwise, the real penalty will be paid by the lady in Strathclyde or the gentleman in Hove who can't get the medicine they need and rely on for their health. That's just not something we can play around with." The post-Brexit status of prescription drugs will depend on whether Britain requires UK-specific licenses on day one or whether there is a transition period for transferring current product licenses to a new system. Britain faces a two-year countdown to exit once the government gives formal notice of its intention to leave the EU, as Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to do by March 2017. But there is a growing discussion about possible transition arrangements to avoid a "cliff edge", which would be damaging for businesses across a range of industries. May hinted last week she might be open to such a transitional deal. The highly regulated nature of pharmaceuticals makes regulatory oversight a top concern for drugmakers, who currently use the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a one-stop-shop to get drugs licensed across Europe. The EMA is based in London for now but it is likely to move to another city within the EU after Britain leaves the bloc. Leading drugmakers, including GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, opposed Brexit in the run-up the June 23 referendum and the industry is pushing hard to keep Britain within the European regulatory network in some way. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
On Nov 29, we issued an updated research report on premium technology services and consulting firm Infosys Limited INFY.

In the past three months, Infosys shares have recorded an average return of -8.6%, comparing unfavorably with that of the Zacks categorized Service Market industry average of 4.3%. The company has a dull earnings surprise history for the four trailing quarters, with earnings meeting estimates thrice and missing the mark once.

Further, Infosys earnings estimates have moved south over the past couple of months. The company has seen 10 downward estimate revisions compared to just one upward, over the past 60 days. This has sent the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2017 earnings down from 95 cents to 93 cents per share, which indicates bearish analyst sentiment for the stock.

Headwinds Galore

Of late, Infosys has been grappling with a host of macroeconomic issues that has severely marred its prospects. Persistent decline in the growth rate of IT purchases due to the global economic slowdown and weaker banking business have been a major spoilsport. Though the company has been leveraging its big data capabilities to boost market share, declining demand in the traditional IT technologies has been weighing on its financials.

Also, slower project ramp-ups in large deals are adding to Infosys woes. On account of strong macroeconomic headwinds, the company has lowered its guidance for revenue growth this fiscal to 8%9%, from the previous 10%11.5%. In addition, the recent U.S. election results are expected to exert pressure on the companys margins.

Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trumps anti-immigration stance is likely to jinx Infosys plans to send low-cost developers to work on big tech projects in the U.S. Though the extent of this impact is yet to be determined, Infosys is likely to face the brunt as major Western clients might curtail spending further. This apart, a highly competitive and rapidly changing market poses concern for Inosys.

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The company foresees intensified competition from established IT peers as well as new competitors. In particular, Infosys expects increased competition from firms that are strengthening their offshore presence in India or other low-cost locations, as well as from firms in market segments that Infosys has recently entered.

Catalysts to Fight Pressure

Despite these weaknesses, Infosys Renew New program which lays the blueprint of its long-term growth, has helped it combat these headwinds and propel growth. This program has helped the company reap multiple benefits including the renewal of traditional services, winning of deals, introduction of services, monetization from key initiatives such as Zero Distance and improvement of employee engagement and so on.

Also, Infosys remains bullish that rapid market traction of its AiKiDo offerings (the acronym for Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge-based IT and Design thinking) will prove conducive to top-line performance in the upcoming quarters. For instance, during first-quarter fiscal 2017, Infosys launched Mana  a knowledge-based AI platform  which helps clients renew their core businesses. This platform is successfully attracting new clients.

Moreover, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) companys proactive investments in innovative entrepreneurial ventures are expected to boost its core businesses and help expand market share.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the same space include Barracuda Networks, Inc. CUDA, Amdocs Limited DOX and CDK Global, Inc. CDK, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Barracuda Networks is a CA-based security and storage solutions provider. The company has a striking earnings surprise history over the trailing four quarters, having beaten estimates in each of them, for a remarkable average of 525%.

Amdocs Limited is a leading provider of customer care, billing and order management systems for communications and Internet services. The company has a decent earnings history, with an average positive surprise of 2.8% over the trailing four quarters.

CDK Global provides integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history over the trailing four quarters, beating estimates all through for an average of 9.2%.

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Inventergy Global, Inc. (INVT), an intellectual property licensing and innovation company ("Inventergy"), announced today that it will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 7 at 1:30 PM PST / 4:30 PM EST at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Joe Beyers, Chairman and CEO of Inventergy, will deliver the Company's corporate presentation and discuss recent business highlights. In addition to the presentations, management will also be available for one-on-one meetings. To arrange a one-on-one meeting with management, please contact Robert Haag at invt@irthcommunications.com or 1-866-976-4784.

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/microcap companies and will feature 240 presenting names.

View Inventergy's profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/INVT

News Compliments of Accesswire.

About Inventergy Global, Inc.

Inventergy Global, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based intellectual property company dedicated to identifying, acquiring and licensing patented technologies of market-significant technology leaders. Led by IP industry pioneer and veteran Joe Beyers, the Company leverages decades of corporate experience, market and technology expertise, and industry connections to assist Fortune 500 companies and other technology companies in leveraging the value of their innovations to achieve greater returns.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

Story continues

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Contact:

Robert Haag

IRTH Communications

INVT@irthcommunications.com

866-976-4784

SOURCE: Inventergy Global, Inc. via LD Micro
Since early November, a growing number of iPhone 6s owners around the world have been complaining about their phones shutting down unexpectedly, even when there was significant charge left according to the phones battery indicator. Apple admitted that some of the phones needed to have their batteries replaced, and offered to do the work for free. (Find out how to check whether your iPhone 6s is affected by the battery shutdown problem.)

The company also said that anyone who had already paid to have the problem repaired could apply for a refund.

But a week after Apple announced the repair program, a number of questions remain. And the company hasn't made it easy for consumers to find out whether their phone is eligible for the fix.

Only a "small number" of iPhone 6s units are affected, according to the company: those manufactured in September and October 2015, with a precise range of serial numbers. The companys websiteinvites iPhone 6s customers to bring their phones to an Apple Store or an authorized Apple service provider, or to call Apples tech support, for details. (Cellular carriers aren't participating in the repair program.)

However, Apple hasn't told consumers which serial numbers to look for, or provided any other method for determining whether a particular iPhone 6s is affected. And if you're hoping to get the information by phone to avoid your local Apple store during the holiday-season crush, you're likely to be disappointed.



We called tech support at about a half-dozen Apple stores in the New York City metropolitan area, including the region's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, posing as a customer seeking information.

In most cases, a recording told us to try again later due to high caller volumeand then it hung up.

But even when we did get through to a live person, the exercise proved to be fruitless. For instance, a tech specialist at Apples Fifth Avenue store asked us to go into the phone's General Settings menu, then open the About section and read her the serial and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbersbut then refused to say whether the phone came from one of the affected batches. She insisted that we bring it in for an evaluation.

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We had similar experiences with other salespeople and technicians, who told us they'd been instructed not to provide the information to consumers over the phone.

Earlier this week, the website 9to5mac.com published a list of what it says are telltale digits in affected phones' serial numbers, but Apple declined a Consumer Reports request to comment on whether that information is accurate.

The company also declined to tell us whether there is an adequate supply of replacement batteries available, how many phones were affected, what caused the problem, or whether the same batteries were used in other iPhone models.

By the way, this isn't the only iPhone battery problem in the news. Owners of several iPhone models have been complaining that batteries were draining rapidly on phones that were updated to the most recent version of the operating system, iOS 10.1.1. Apple hasn't said when that problem might be fixed.

If your iPhone 6s is giving you trouble, here is our advice for minimizing the hassles involved in getting it fixed.



If you want to get on the phone with an Apple store in your area, tell the robotic voice that answers that you want to speak to a human, and when it prompts you for more details, say buy an iPhone. Apple is more likely to connect you with a real person if it thinks you're looking to spend money.





If youre confident that your iPhone qualifies for service, try to make sure the store has the parts available before you bring the phone in. But dont be surprised if the salespeople or technicians wont provide that answer. One Apple support person said that if she told us a battery was available, and someone who came in before you took the last part, youd think we lied to you.





Since you can bring the phone to any Apple store, not just the one where you bought it, consider going to a store in a less populated area since this is such a busy shopping season.





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright  2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S.
Photo credit: Kirk Irwinundefined

From Esquire

The day after an attack at the Ohio State University that injured 11 and left the assailant dead, ISIS has claimed responsibility. As reported by Rukmini Callimachi of The New York Times, the group claimed in a bulletin from its news service that a "soldier of the Islamic State" carried out the attack in response to the group's appeals:

1. One day after the attack in Ohio, the Islamic State has claimed credit via its newswire Amaq in a post published on Telegram. Here it is: pic.twitter.com/XqHsepim4p - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

2. In the post, ISIS refers to the assailant who used a car to ram pedestrians, then slashed them with a knife "a Soldier of Islamic State" - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

3. The post also says the assailant "carried out the operation in response to appeals to target nationals of the international Coalition" - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

The attacker, a Somali refugee and legal permanent resident named Abdul Razak Ali Artan, drove over the curb and into a crowd of people on the Ohio State campus Monday morning. He then leapt from the car and attacked people with a knife. He injured 11 before a campus police officer shot him to death.

The claims from ISIS line up with the apparent rationale for the attacks Artan laid out in a Facebook post. From CNN:

He was "sick and tired" of seeing fellow Muslims "killed and tortured"... In a Facebook post shortly before the Monday morning rampage, the Somali immigrant urged America "to stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah," a term for Muslim people at large. "By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims. You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday."

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But Callimachi offers that this does not necessarily mean ISIS or its operatives were in direct contact with Artan. Instead, the ISIS claim is a kind of "cookie-cutter" response to attacks they believe were inspired by their public messaging, much of which urges Muslims in Western countries to instigate attacks on their own.

4. These have become stock phrases ISIS uses in claiming attacks. Almost like a template with blanks: Enter city, weapon, add stock phrases - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

8. Now does the claim of responsibility mean ISIS was on the horn directing the deranged man who did this to his classmates in Ohio? - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

10. But as I've argued 4months, this vision of terrorism as being act carried out by recruit who has a physical connection 2 grp is outdated - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

11. Since at least 2010, al-Qaeda's been experimenting with idea of no longer using a phone 2contact their recruit; instead uses public msg - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

12. Meaning, Osama bin Laden releases a diatribe on YouTube including threats against the West and hopes that someone somewhere listens/acts - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

16. More & more, we are seeing something in the middle: Assailant inspired by propaganda who reaches out, starts talking to an ISIS mentor - Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) November 29, 2016

This is a troubling new paradigm, where a terrorist group does not need to contact potential operatives directly to mobilize them. The San Bernardino attacks were an example of this. Sometimes, after hearing an ISIS message, would-be attackers reach out to the group to begin their radicalization and planning. But the result is that more young men who feel marginalized in the West can be harnessed by terror groups to commit attacks more easily than ever.

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Despite claiming neutrality in the ongoing conflict, Israeli warplanes bombed Syrian army weapons supply caches headed for Hezbollah in western Damascus Wednesday, Haaretz reported.

Syrian state media confirmed that Israeli jets fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace and struck Damascus' al-Sabboura region, calling it "an attempt to divert attention from the successes achieved by the Syrian Arab army." The missiles hit a weapons cache belonging to the Syrian army's Fourth Division and an arms convoy traveling on the Beirut-Damascus Highway. The arsenal was heavily damaged, but no human casualties were reported.

Both targets were reportedly supplying weapons to Hezbollah, a powerful, Iranian-backed Shiite paramilitary movement based in Lebanon and headed by influential cleric Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

The group, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and a number of European and Gulf countries, was formed in 1982 in resistance to Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. Hezbollah was crucial to the coalition of Lebanese forces that repelled Israel and its allies from Lebanese territory in 2000 and once again fought with Israel in 2006, resulting in another Israeli withdrawal after both sides sustained hundreds of casualties. The two sides routinely engage in violent border skirmishes.

Hezbollah is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and fights alongside the Syrian army and allies against Western-backed Syrian rebels and the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. While Israel officially claims neutrality in the conflict, it has struck targets belonging to the Syrian government as well as its Lebanese and Iranian allies.

For example, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon confirmed last year that Israel was providing aid to Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights, a region of southwestern Syria seized during Six Day War in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

The Golan Heights was the venue for the first direct clashes between Israel and ISIS. This past Sunday, the militants reportedly attacked an Israeli reconnaissance unit with a machine gun-mounted vehicle. Israel responded with an airstrike, killing four ISIS militants.

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What did Jackie really know? Get new details about her complicated marriage to JFK, suicidal despair after his death and how she found the strength to go on. Subscribe now to get instant access to this Kennedy confidential, only in PEOPLE!

In the aftermath of President John F. Kennedys assassination in 1963, his wife, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, was so consumed by grief that she privately spoke of her suicidal despair.

Jackie, a devout Catholic, turned to her faith to cope with the traumatic loss of her husband  and the devastation of having to raise her children Caroline, then nearly 6, and John Jr., almost 3, alone. The First Lady, who was then just 34, opened up about her anguish in conversations and letters with two priests.

Writing to Irish priest Joseph Leonard, she confessed to feeling bitter against God.

Another priest, Father Richard McSorley, described to author Thomas Maier a conversation in which Jackie asked him if God would separate her from her husband if she killed herself.

Maier recounted the conversation in his 2003 book The Kennedys: Americas Emerald Kings, explaining that as the priest told Jackie the churchs position on suicide, she finally interrupted him and said, Father, I understand. I know its wrong. I wouldnt do it. But its so lonely out there. 

RELATED VIDEO: Natalie Portman Talks About Becoming Jackie Kennedy

But Jackie soon learned to cope, drawing on the strength and resolve she possessed throughout her life.

Her Vassar College classmate Susan Wilson tells PEOPLE in this weeks cover story, She had a lot of confidence in herself  in all the things the rest of us ordinary mortals were sort of struggling with.




What did Jackie really know? Get new details about her complicated marriage to JFK, suicidal despair after his death and how she found the strength to go on. Subscribe now to get instant access to this Kennedy confidential, only in PEOPLE!

In the five decades since President John F. Kennedys assassination, his legacy, often referred to as the golden era of Camelot, has been colored by revelations of his alleged affairs  yet to this day, exactly what his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, knew and didnt know remains a burning question.

The couple had been married for a little more than seven years when JFK took office in 1961. Soon he became consumed with almost daily sexual liaisons, journalist Seymour Hersh wrote in his 1997 book The Dark Side of Camelot.

In this weeks PEOPLE cover story, those who knew Jackie say her complex marriage was one based on love  and a certain understanding.

It was a marriage of its time, a close family friend tells PEOPLE. At the end of the day, Jack came back to Jackie  and that was it. They loved each other.

It was kinetic between them, adds the friend. She wasnt trying to change him.

Jackie Style author Pamela Keogh says Jackies Wall Street stockbroker father, John Bouvier, had his own indiscretions, which informed his young daughters view of marriage.

She came from a world where that is what men did, and it was accepted, says Keogh.

Longtime New York City gossip columnist Liz Smith, who wrote extensively about JFKs alleged mistress Judith Exner, says of the iconic First Lady,  Truman Capote and Gore Vidal told me she knew all about Judith Exner and everybody else, and that she read on Judith with high interest.

RELATED VIDEO: Natalie Portman talks about becoming Jackie Kennedy

To Jackie, privacy was sacred, and her discretion was unmatched. As Cornelia Guest, whose mother, CZ Guest, was a close friend of the First Lady, explains: It was all just, you turn the other cheek.

For these women, if they ever did discuss , it was more like, This is whats going on; lets go out and get the kids and get on a horse,  she says. They were much more pragmatic about the whole thing.




Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the governor of Indonesias capital Jakarta, is set to face blasphemy charges in court, the Indonesian Attorney Generals Office (AGO) told journalists Wednesday.

The police submitted a dossier to the AGO last Friday, nine days after they named the Christian governor, popularly known by his Chinese nickname Ahok, as a suspect in the case.

Ahok, who is running in the gubernatorial election next year, said the legal process would take some time. The proceedings until the ruling could take one to two years, he said. Theres nothing that shows I insulted a religion. Nothing at all.

The governor, who has a reputation for speaking bluntly, is accused of insulting Islam in a campaign speech he made on Sept. 27, in which he pushed back against hard-line and ultraconservative Muslims who have argued that a non-Muslim should not hold a leadership position in Indonesia  the worlds most populous Muslim nation.

At the time, he said that hardliners who had backed up their position by citing a Quranic verse were lying. He told a crowd: Ladies and gentlemen, you dont have to vote for me  because youve been lied to by those using [the Qurans] Surah al-Maidah verse 51.

Many religious moderates have defended Ahok, and his supporters say the transcript of his speech has been edited to change its meaning. An academic who uploaded the video and transcript online has also been charged with hate speech.

Read: Jakartas Governor Was Questioned for Hours by Police as Part of a Blasphemy Probe

Ahok has repeatedly apologized, but so far failed to appease conservative anger.

Muslim hard-liners have already staged two mass protests against Ahok. One person died in the evening riots that followed a rally on Nov. 4. Around 200,000 people took the streets in downtown Jakarta that day, demanding the governor to be persecuted and that President Joko Jokowi Widodo to step down.

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The hard-liners vow to go ahead with more protests on Friday. Indonesian police chief Tito Karnavian gave a warning on Nov. 21 about the planned rallies, saying that there are political agendas, one of which is a coup attempt.

After his boss Jokowi was elected President in 2014, Ahok became Jakartas governor  a political milestone for a member of Indonesias ethnic Chinese minority. He has won praises for no-nonsense approach to problems that plague the sprawling capital, though his uncompromising attitude has also made enemies.

Ahok is still allowed to seek re-election despite his legal difficulties, but his electability has slipped to No. 2, a survey showed last week. His rival Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the eldest son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, led the poll.
Westworld star James Marsden has only ever met well-known actress Anna Kendrick briefly, whom he described as a delightful woman with a great sense of humour.

But he made enough of an impression for her to tell a Buzzfeed reader looking for self-improvement tips, You should imagine that you have the spirit of Oprah, and the face of James Marsden, and just project that in your daily life.

Asked what he makes of this advice, the 43-year-old American laughed and told Yahoo Singapore wryly, I dont know about the James Marsden part, but I agree with the Oprah part.

The father of three is in town to promote HBOs science fiction drama Westworld, about a futuristic theme park where visitors come to play out their darkest fantasies. Marsden was speaking to Yahoo Singapore in a one-on-one interview on Wednesday (30 November).

Marsden plays the gunslinger Teddy Flood, doomed to die a thousand deaths as a robot host. His romance with fellow host Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) forms the emotional heart of the show.

Weighty themes

Photo: Stefanus Ian/Yahoo Singapore

With a complicated storyline infused with philosophical themes such as the nature of existence, Marsden said there was one theme in Westworld that drew him to the show.

I think some humans come to Westworld to divulge their darker side. One of the big themes was: who are we when no ones looking? Who are we when we dont have consequences?

As a person who tries to be a good man, I ask myself that question a lot.

Marsden has also learned much from watching Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins, who plays the mysterious Doctor Robert Ford. He can go from being the most warm, kind, generous beautifully spirited man, and they say Action, and he turns into a man whos just void of soul and spirit, just dark.

Iconic roles

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. Photo: Everett)

Marsdens million-dollar smile and bluer-than-blue eyes have served him well in iconic movies such as Enchanted (2007) and the X-Men franchise.

But his role in 2004s The Notebook, a romantic drama that has gained a cult following, has struck a particular chord with some very invested fans. Marsden played the man who comes between star-crossed lovers Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams).

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Some people take that film as, not a film, it really happened, said Marsden with a smile, who sees it as a testament to the staying power of the movie.

Some people have come up to me and said, Oh, youre the jerk that was getting in the way of Allie and Noah. You almost made the movie (not) work.

No singing, please

Marsdens Teddy romances Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood). Photo: HBO Asia

Marsden has also sung extensively on the small and big screens, such as the musical Hairspray (2007) and the TV series Ally McBeal (2001-2002).

Given that Westworld has made extensive use of contemporary music, will Marsden be utilising his impressive pipes as Teddy any time soon? Not as long as showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are in charge.

I think were forbidden. I dont know that thats part of Jonahs vision, explained Marsden, who added that the producers want to keep the characters dignified.

But as Marsden told reporters earlier, he has great faith in Nolan and Joy. Theres nothing that happens in this show thats by accident. Everything is there, meticulously planned, and with great precision.

The final episode of Westworld premieres at the same time as the U.S. on Monday, 5 December, at 10am, with a same day primetime encore at 9pm, exclusively on HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601).
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Key dates in the 22-year regime of Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia with an iron fist since 1994 and is seeking a fifth term at an election Thursday.

- A bloodless coup -

On July 22, 1994, Jammeh, then aged 29, leads a group of young army officers in the bloodless overthrow of Dawda Jawara, Gambia's first president who has been in power for nearly 30 years. Jammeh is made chairman of an Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council and bans political activity. A coup is foiled in November and numerous attempted bids to overthrow him are reported in the following years.

- Return to civilian rule -

On September 26, 1996, Jammeh wins a presidential election but observers express doubts about the transparency of the vote.

On January 2, 1997, legislative elections won by Jammeh's party complete the return to civilian rule after 29 months of the military regime.

Jammeh is re-elected three times, in 2001, 2006 and 2011.

- Attack on presidential palace -

On December 30, 2014, Jammeh's forces foil a heavily-armed attack by disaffected soldiers on the presidential palace in the capital Banjul, while the leader is visiting Dubai.

Three soldiers accused of being involved in the attack are sentenced to death, and three others to life in prison after a secret trial before a military tribunal, according to Amnesty International and the military.

- Clampdown on opposition -

On April 14, 2016, a senior figure in Gambia's main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Solo Sandeng, is arrested by riot police when leading a demonstration for political reform. He dies in custody.

Two days later, a second round of demonstrations takes place, with supporters demanding answers over Sandeng's death. Security forces clamp down on demonstrators and arrest UDP chief Ousainou Darboe, a human rights lawyer, and other party leaders.

On July 20, Darboe and about 30 other co-accused are sentenced to three years in jail for six offences relating to the April 16 protest.

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On August 23, UDP official Ebrima Solo Kurumah dies in custody, the second opposition figure to die in detention this year.

- 'Murder' -

On May 28, 2016 Amnesty International accuses the regime of "murder" and criticises the passivity of Gambia's West African neighbours over the deteriorating rights situation.

On November 2, Human Rights Watch says intimidation of opposition parties, media repression and politicised security forces have "all but extinguished" the chance of a free and fair election on Thursday.
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Jon Jay have agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract, likely signaling the end of Dexter Fowler's time with the World Series champions.

Jay batted .291 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 90 games with San Diego last season. He made his major league debut with St. Louis in 2010 and is a .287 hitter in 847 career games over seven seasons.

The Cubs have an opening in center after Fowler turned down a $17.2 million qualifying offer two weeks ago. Fowler also rejected a qualifying offer from Chicago last November and then returned to the Cubs during spring training, but that same scenario seems even less likely this time around.

Jay could platoon in center with righty-hitting Albert Almora Jr., or manager Joe Maddon could move Jason Heyward over from right for Chicago's first title defense since it won it all in 1908.

The Cubs announced the deal with Jay on Tuesday.
Apparently Thanksgiving presents are a thing for Jennifer Aniston! The 47-year-old actress visited The Ellen DeGeneres Show, airing on Wednesday, where she opened up about a very special surprise she got from her husband, Justin Theroux, on Turkey Day.

"My husband, who's been away for almost a year surprised me on Thanksgiving, came home from Germany," she told DeGeneres.

WATCH: Jennifer Aniston Reveals She 'Can't Help' Watching 'Friends' Reruns, Says the Cast Didn't Like the Theme Song

She explained that every year they host a Friendsgiving for fellow "orphans," but that this year Theroux told her that his schedule was too booked to make it.

"Everyone came to the house and no one really understood that Justin was not going to be there. You just saw everyone's face start to fall," she explained. "The whole room was depressed. I was like, 'Guys, I'm here!'"

Thankfully, Theroux made the perfect cameo.

"Everyone was just very somber and next thing you know, turkey walks in, and there was another turkey holding that turkey and that was my hubby," she quipped.

Aniston also opened up about her Huffington Post op-ed from this past July, in which she called out rumors speculating that she might be pregnant after several vacation photos surfaced online.

"I [wrote] it at first, really, just for myself. I had kind of hit a wall," she said. "I was pretty raw at the time. We had just come back from vacation. My mother, she passed."

WATCH: Jennifer Aniston Talks Being 'Shamed' for Her Divorce From Brad Pitt, Explains Why Justin Theroux is the Right Guy for Her

So Aniston penned the piece, and she still has some inspirational words for other women out there.

"We as women do a lot of incredible things in this world other than just procreate. And not that that is not [incredible], but they just get boxed in. They love the narrative, they love the story," she said. "We have to stop listening to [tabloids]. And we have to stop buying them. Because we have to support each other, especially at this time it's up to us, what makes us happy and fulfilled."

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For more from Aniston, watch the clip below!

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Jennifer Lawrence wore a sweater and ballerina skirt on the red carpet, and now we want to, too

Clad head to toe in Dior, Jennfer Lawrence in a ballerina skirt and fuzzy sweater was an absolute vision at showing of her new film, Passengers, in Paris this week.

As a brand ambassador for Dior, J. Law is often photographed wearing pieces from the acclaimed design house. But her most recently look was so beautifully accessible, we just cant it out of our minds  and were pretty sure this is the ideal outfit to wear to every holiday party this season.

Wearing a cozy sweater from the brands spring/summer 2017 collection  it says LEtoile, which means star and also principal dancer in a ballet company (aw!)  and a voluminous embroidered tulle skirt, Jennifer demonstrated how to look like a ballerina even when youre anything but.

"Passengers" Paris Photocall At Hotel Georges V

Take a closer look at that sweater.

"Passengers" Paris Photocall At Hotel Georges V

We. Are. Obsessed!

If youre ready to slip into this pretty ballerina ensemble for your next holiday party, keep scrolling! Weve picked out a few pieces that will have you looking and feeling like the star you are in no time.

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Shine on, little stars.

The post Jennifer Lawrence wore a sweater and ballerina skirt on the red carpet, and now we want to, too appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Photo credit: Instagram

From Harper's BAZAAR

One bite of anything on the menu at Barbuto, Chef Jonathan Waxman's downtown establishment (and a go-to for fashion editors, photographers and models alike in Manhattan's Meatpacking District) and one thing is certainthis man gets you. He gets food on the whole too, and the desire not to overcomplicate itbut more on that later. Let's focus on how much he truly understands what you want to eat, how you want it served and what ambiance you'd like to eat it in. After over ten years in business, Barbuto has fine-tuned its service and style, earning institution status in Manhattan's downtown dining scene. In summer, the garage doors open up to allow diners to eat addictive salads and seasonal dishes and sip refreshing cocktails in the sun. In the winter, cozy dishes of homemade pasta and Waxman's signature JW chicken with salsa verde are a New Yorker's quick fix for the great depression that inevitably takes hold after the holiday season passes and the even-colder temperatures set in.

Photo credit: Instagram

With the opening of Jams, the chef's newer midtown post at 1 Hotel Central Park, Waxman has proved his ability to speak to diners who come to his table with a completely different set of needsbreakfast, room service, a cocktail at odd hours, private dining and even those who want to eat his best known dishes from Barbutolike his infamous kale salad that has our mouths watering just writing about itat their convenience. To boot, he's become an easy-to-spot face thanks to his TV appearances on Bravo's reality culinary competition shows Top Chef, Top Chef Masters (which he competed in and placed fourth) and more recently, Recipe for Deceptionbut his food shows no sign of being affected. We spoke to the chef about the difference between his two NYC outposts, his culinary style and discovered that he works as much like a fashion designer as he does a chef. Oh, and we got the secrets to making that to-die-for kale, too.

Harper's BAZAAR: How do you describe your style of cooking? We've eaten your food and could describe it ourselves (read: delicious) but it's nice to hear how you'd describe it.

Jonathan Waxman: I think you have to go back to my roots; I grew up in California and I'm a quintessential California kid. I think that sort of defines a lot of things but people don't really know what Californian cuisine really means and so it ends up sounding like a cliche or an antiquated term. I run the gamut from Mexican food to Italian food to French food to American food. It is difficult to pinpoint so now I just say Jonathan Waxman food and leave it at thatlet people make up their own mind.

Photo credit: Instagram

HB: That makes sense, especially when in your restaurants you can eat a really delicious rustic Italian pasta dish, and then an entree with salsa verde or salsa picante the next...

JW: My motto has always been keep it simple. Chris Bianco (of Pizzeria Bianco and Bar Bianco fame), one of my good buddies, describes my food as 'take five things and eliminate two and there you go.' Basically, don't do too much.

HB: So basically, you're the Coco Chanel of cuisine. She always said that before leaving the house, a woman should look in the mirror and remove one accessory to avoid looking overdone.

JW: Michael Symon invited me to his restaurant about 20 years ago, and I went and really loved it, but afterwards when he asked me if I had any comments I said, "Yeah Michael, take away two or three things from your plates and you'll be there." To this day he says it was the best pieces of advice anyone has given him, because he was trying too hard. And I think sometimes if you are trying too hard, food gets complicated. If you do a roast duck with pears, then that should be it. You shouldn't add on other things to complicate those two flavors. You might add a wine sauce to complement them, but that's about it. You don't add a gratin or something silly just because you think it needs it. It's like putting lipstick on a pigI hate to use that phrase, but that's what it is.

Photo credit: Instagram

HB: You're on TV quite a lot and yet you retain this elegant balance of staying true to who you are in the kitchen as your name recognition grows. Your food doesn't taste like someone who assumes we want to eat it because you're famous for cooking it. It's just as inviting, just as restrainedit's not flashy. How do you retain that balance? So many chefs seem a lot more challenged by it.

JW: Well, number onethank you very much, that's a very kind thing to say. I try to be incredibly honest about myself on camera; I think that's super important. Secondarily, don't take it too seriouslyit's only food. And third, I think there is some kind of mentorship that needs to happen on set. Whether it's between me and the contestants that are competing with me or if I am judging a show, I don't judge to the point where I put contestants in a corner. My hope is that chefs on these shows actually learn from the experience and are not so intimidated by the whole process that they can actually have fun, and in turn show the audience that being in the kitchen is funyou can do it at home and it's not intimidating. Show them that it's worth getting out of your comfort zone and trying different dishes and new restaurants. I think that it's important that when people see me on TV and see what I cook that it directly relates to they'd see in my restaurantsotherwise there's a disconnect. People are really smart, they get it. The greatest compliment I get from people is that I was their favorite on Top Chef because I seemed to be having a great time. Those comments makes me feel great, like I accomplished what I set out to do and got my message across.

Photo credit: Instagram

HB: Aside from keeping it simple, what's one piece of advice you can impart on those looking to improve in the kitchen or try something new?

JW: On these shows everyone is usually running round like a chicken with their head cut offcooking should be an act done staying in one place and enjoying the process. When I cook, I am the boy in the bubble. Nothing else matters to me. It is only about what I'm doing; I cook and I don't look at anyone else or worry what another chef is working on or what the general public thinks about my food in that momentand I think that serves me well.

HB: What do you eat when you're not in the restaurant? Do you have a guilty pleasure?

JW: You're funny. One of my guilty pleasures is actually taking place next weekI'm going to Alba with Jimmy Bradley and the crew from The Red Cat. We go every year around my birthday and eat white truffles and drink Barolo and Barbarescothat is the ultimate guilty pleasure. It's actually also research, but a real pleasure as well.

HB: Until this very moment my guilty pleasure was a toss up between cheap Hershey's chocolate and Swedish Fish, which is now officially very embarrassing in contrast...so...what are the key differences between Jams and Barbuto?

JW: Jams is an ode to regional Americana where I coupled French sensibilities with American regionality and seasonality. There is this pared-down elegance I try to portray there. The charcoal grill is really what it's all aboutit is the center of Jams and it always has been. I went to open Barbuto and my partner, fashion photographer Fabrizio Ferri, said "lets do Italian" and I said, 'I don't do Italian food.' I mean, I've been in Italy and I know Italian food, but I am not an Italian chef. He said, 'Yes, you are. You cook like my roman grandmotherreally simply and from the heart. You know how cook Italian food.' I thought that was a great compliment, but it also gave me the confidence to open up Barbuto. I didn't want to have twenty-thousand things on a plateI wanted a grilled chicken and salsa verde. A grilled hanger steak with arugula and salsa picante and that was it, because that's enough on a plate to satisfy any palate. We discovered dishes along the way that have become Barbuto traditions, like the gnocchi and the shaved Brussels sprout salad and the kale salad and all that stuffbut the original intention was to preserve that simplicity and heart-felt cooking.

Photo credit: Instagram

HB: At Jams you are dealing with a hotel diner who wants what they want, when they want it. Does that diner sit well with you?

JW: I think the notion of diners thinking they can ask for everything has sort of faded in a way; I know that if you ask for anything and the chefs have to stretch so far from what they do that it's bound to be mediocre. The nice thing about New York is that there's so much around the hotel, so if they really want Thai food they'll go get it. Our guests know the theme of the hotel and Jams; it's about sustainability and taking care of the environment and that should influence how you eat. I grew up in Berkeley, California and so I have that [inherent] sensibility in my cooking as well.

Photo credit: Instagram

HB: We'll regret if we don't askwhat's the secret to that kale salad? How is it so damn good!?

JW: Well, it's really a goofy thing. I had this chef on my team, Melissa Lopez who is now in Los Angeles, and she had this idea of doing kale raw in something. One day, I was doing a kale salad at an event and it struck me that it wasn't coming together the way I wanted it toit still tasted like cattle feet. I did a vinaigrette made with a bit of anchovies, garlic, olive oil, mustard and sea salt and I just started massaging the crap out of it. Massaging the kale makes it exude its inner liquid,and there's acid in there that acts as like a catalyst to break down the fiberous membranes in the kale, which makes it much more texturally delicious and much more digestible. You gotta massage the crap out of it and don't be timid about it, it's a good anger management lessonand you have to do it for a least five minutes. It sounds nutty but it really extracts all of the amazing goodness out of the kale, and keep in mind that some kinds of kale are tougher than others. What you are left with is the most digestible, delicious thing in the world and it's a super foodso, it's a win-win situation.

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By Harriet McLeod

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A white South Carolina police officer committed a crime when he shot a fleeing black motorist last year, prosecutors argued at his murder trial on Wednesday, while defense attorneys said the shocking video of the killing did not tell the whole story.

Lawyers made their closing arguments to jurors who will decide whether former officer Michael Slager, 35, should be convicted for killing 50-year-old Walter Scott in North Charleston.

Video of the April 4 shooting, captured by a bystander and posted online, intensified national debate about racial bias in law enforcement. The jury of 11 white people and one black person viewed it repeatedly during testimony in state court over the past month.

Lawyers for Slager argued in closing their defense that the video wrongly transformed him into a national symbol for a wave of police killings of black men in cities including New York, Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. Slager was fired, arrested and charged with murder.

"He shot him in fear of his life," attorney Andy Savage said. He said Slager did not know at the time that Scott was unarmed and called the motorist "out of control."

Slager testified on Tuesday that he felt "total fear" when he shot Scott, whom he had stopped over a broken brake light. When Scott fled, Slager chased him, first firing a Taser stun gun at him and then drawing his firearm after a tussle.

Prosecutors contended Slager did not appear to be in danger when he fired at Scott's back, hitting him with five bullets.

"How do you avoid the danger of Walter Scott running away?" prosecutor Scarlett Wilson asked the jury. "You stand still."

The state said Scott fled because he was behind on child support payments and feared arrest, noting that any struggle with the officer reflected his reaction to the stun gun used.

Earlier on Wednesday, the jury visited the empty lot where the shooting occurred, taking in a final bit of evidence.

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Slager acknowledged in court that some things clear on the video were not known to him as the incident unfolded, saying "my mind was like spaghetti."

Prosecutors have accused Slager of altering the crime scene by moving the Taser closer to the handcuffed body so he could claim Scott had taken the stun gun.

The jury could also weigh a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. Slager faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of murder.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod; additional reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)
By Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only one member of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is dealing with the CIA and the 16 other offices and agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community, four U.S. officials said Wednesday. Geoffrey Kahn, a former House intelligence committee staffer, is the only person named so far to Trump's intelligence community "landing team," they said. As a result, said one senior career intelligence officer, briefing books prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, the National Counterterrorism Center, and 13 other agencies and organizations are "waiting for someone to read them.""It seems like an odd time to put issues like cyber security and international terrorism on the back burner," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.Previous administrations, the official said, were quicker to staff their intelligence teams, in part because they considered intelligence issues critical to setting foreign policy, defense and budget priorities. The intelligence community has some 200,000 employees and contractors and an annual budget of more than $70 billion. It collects and analyzes information on a vast array of subjects, from national security threats such as terrorism and climate change to global conflicts and the foreign, defense and trade policies of foreign governments. Kahn has been in periodic contact with the CIA, said two of the officials, adding that they did not know if he had been in touch with the other intelligence agencies. In addition to reviewing potential candidates for top posts, Kahn is responsible for coordinating briefings for nominees and helping prepare them for Senate confirmation hearings. Trump has announced that he intends to nominate U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas to succeed CIA Director John Brennan, who will step down in January. He has yet to tap nominees for other senior positions, including a successor to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, the top U.S. intelligence officer. Clapper, 75, will leave the government when Trump is sworn as president on January 20. NO DAILY BRIEFINGS Trump on Tuesday received only his third intelligence briefing since he won the Nov. 8 presidential election, despite an offer from President Barack Obama of daily briefings, three of the officials said. Vice President-elect Mike Pence has been receiving intelligence briefings daily or nearly every day, one of the officials said. Trump's decision to forgo daily briefings and his delay in designating more transition advisers to engage with the intelligence agencies may reflect his focus on filling the top economic positions in his administration. However, said the senior career official, it also may reflect the disinterest and distrust in U.S. intelligence Trump has expressed during and after his presidential campaign. Asked on Aug. 17 if he trusted U.S. intelligence, Trump replied: "Not so much from the people that have been doing it for our country. I mean, look what's happened over the last 10 years." After his first classified briefing as the Republican presidential candidate, Trump said he "didn't learn anything" that prompted him to rethink his view about how to fight Islamic State. On the other hand, he said, "When they call it intelligence, it's there for a reason."On other occasions, he has contradicted or ignored what his briefers told him. After being briefed that U.S. intelligence had concluded that the Russian government was behind the hacking of U.S. political institutions, he said that "maybe there is no hacking" or than maybe it was China or "somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."Trump's attitude contrasts with those of his predecessors. In his book "Getting to Know the President," veteran CIA officer John Helgerson wrote that former President Jimmy Carter asked for longer briefings and Bill Clinton asked the CIA to expand his daily briefs to include economic and environmental issues. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Mark Hosenball; Editing by John Walcott and Jonathan Oatis)
Sumer Spika, center, joins a Fight for $15 protest in Minneapolis. (Photo: Courtesy of Fight for $15)

Sumer Spika had never been arrested before. But on Tuesday, as part of a slew of nationwide protests for higher pay, the homecare worker and mother of four sat and blocked traffic with fellow activists near a McDonalds in Minneapolis and was subsequently cuffed.

This was my first act of civil disobedience, and it was very peaceful, Spika, 37, told Yahoo Beauty by phone not long after going through the booking system. But our state is in a care crisis, and we have been shouting from the rooftops for a really long time about it and weve not been heard. So I felt like I had no other choice. I had to do something, and I did.

Spikas actions were part of a Day of Disruption in 340 cities on Tuesday  organized by the Fight for $15, a movement that began as a fringe effort to raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers in New York City and has now become a national phenomenon. Its caught on with airport workers, childcare providers, Uber drivers, retail employees, and home-care laborers, with strikers demanding $15 an hour and union rights, and Tuesday brought the most disruptive protests yet, at 20 major airports and outside of hundreds of McDonalds across the country.

We cant feed our families, pay our bills or even keep a roof over our heads on minimum wage pay, the Fight for $15 website explains. When we first took the streets, the skeptics called us dreamers  said a $15 wage was unwinnable. We didnt listen. We won $15 an hour across New York State and California  in Seattle.  And we wont stop fighting until we turn every McJob into a REAL job. Thats the #FightFor15.

Dayla Mikell joins a protest in Tampa, Florida. (Photo: Courtesy of Fight for $15)

Spika was among many arrested for civil disobedience in the name of a living wage  along with two of her very supportive clients. She spoke with Yahoo Beauty about what motivated her to protest her pay, earned through an average of 70 hours a week spent at two to three jobs in which she helps care for people with disabilities at home, through services that include bathing, dressing, toilet assistance, and accompanying clients on outings.

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She gets paid $12.93 an hour, without overtime, and her husband cannot work because he has multiple sclerosis and must rely on his own homecare worker (which is fortunately paid for by the state). But even with the mass of hours Spika puts in, she does not make a living wage.

Even with the 70 hours a week, we still rely on government assistance for our healthcare and other things at different times  like food stamps, says Spika, whose children are 2, 4, 9, and 12 years old. On our first union contract, we bargained for paid time off, but instead of using it to go on vacation, I wind up cashing it out at the end of the year and using it towards bills. Were never able to actually use it for what its meant for  a day for myself, or a sick day. Its not something I have the luxury of doing.

Her familys expenses include a mortgage and car payments, and just to keep food on the table is difficult, she says. A recent $1,200 car repair bill wiped out their savings, garnered from a third job Spika held over the summer. Its continually a juggling act of what needs to be paid and what doesnt, she says. But even bigger than my struggle is the struggle of the elderly and those with disabilities who need the care and cannot get it, because nobody wants to do this job  a hard job for so little pay.

The highest toll on her, Spika says, may be emotional. Im not able to be home with my kids like I want to be, she laments. Im constantly caring for other people, so Im certainly last on my list of caring for, so sometimes that can be hard. Still, she stays with her career because of the satisfaction shes gotten from it since the day she started eight years ago.

Sumer Spika, left, blocking traffic in Minneapolis. (Photo: Courtesy of the Fight for $15)

A good friends husband passed away very unexpectedly and they had a 2-year-old with special needs, and she needed help caring for her daughter, she explains. I thought it would be a temporary thing, but I really fell in love with the job, knowing I make a difference in someones life every single day. Its why I keep doing this job. Even if she understands that the work she does is not held in high esteem by society.

I think, historically, this job was done by women  and women of color  so the job has never been valued, she says. People do not understand the value of keeping [disabled and elderly] people in their homes  that theyre living lives with dignity, and also saving the government a ton of money.

Also joining a local protest on Tuesday was Dayla Mikell, 27, a childcare worker in St. Petersburg, Fla., who joined a protest of 100 workers at a McDonalds in nearby Tampa. She began volunteering at her aunts daycare center when she was just a teen, and as preschool teacher has worked with kids ages 1 to 5; currently she teaches 2- and 3-year-olds, getting paid $11.50 an hour.

I recently had to move back in with my parents because my landlord raised the rent up to $1,500, Mikell tells Yahoo Beauty. She and her boyfriend, a cook in a downtown restaurant, could barely afford the $1,000 they had been paying. I moved back in in September, and it was really embarrassing, honestly. I dont like to see myself fail and I dont like to ask for help, but my mom [who works as a waitress] saw me struggling. Its humiliating. Her younger siblings  10, 12, and 15  see her struggling daily, she says, working extra jobs like babysitting and house cleaning to help cover expenses, and they are scared for their futures.

They say, I dont ever want to be where you are. My 12-year-old sister wanted to be a teacher like me and now shes like, no.  Still, its a struggle, but I love what I do, she says. I like that its never a dull moment. Its unconditional love  you could be having a horrible day, but when those kids tell you they love you, it just warms my heart. While she and her boyfriend want kids of their own, she says, Right now we cant afford it. We even have names picked out. But were not financially secure.

Mikells mother got her involved in the Fight for $15 effort, she says, telling her daughter shed seen it on Facebook and then signed her up. Shes been to several demonstrations now, fighting for her line of work to be seen as worth more than it pays.

I think its just brainwashing that a lot of people dont think our line of work is valued, Mikell says. They think its easy work, but its hard. We work all the time and we always think about our kids, even when were off the clock. Our job is never done. Still, she says, Im fortunate to have a job thats very loving, adding that shes hopeful her wages will rise if they keep taking it to the streets. I feel hopeful, because I see other states and other areas getting the $15 an hour. Its going to happen.

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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has approved two of three controversial oil pipelines that, if built, could knock Canada off its course to meeting its climate change commitments, opponents say.

Trudeau on Tuesday signed off on Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline as well as Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline, both of which would carry crude oil from Canada's tar sands region in Alberta to global markets.

He rejected a third pipeline, Northern Gateway, which the prime minister said "wasnt in the best interests of affected communities."

SEE ALSO: Climate activists shut down 5 tar sands oil pipelines

Environmentalists' swift rejection of Trudeau's decisions suggests his honeymoon phase is ending about one year after he swept the federal elections in October 2015. The prime minister already caught international flack this week after he complimented Fidel Castro in a tribute to the Cuban leader, who died on Friday.

An aerial view of an open cast tar sands mine near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Image: Emily Beament/PA Wire via ap images

Canada's tar sands oil is considered particularly dangerous to the climate because it requires significantly more energy to extract and refine compared to other types of crude. Studies have shown that for the world to meet the temperature targets under the Paris Climate Agreement, tar sands oil would need to be left in the ground, rather than burned for generating energy.

But building the pipelines could allow producers in Canada's Alberta province to expand production and add jobs.

Land-locked Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs more pipelines to export its oil sands production to global markets.

Trudeau said the two pipelines would meet "strict environmental impact standards" while creating much-needed jobs and infrastructure in western Canada.

"Strong resource development goes hand in hand with strong environmental protection," the prime minister said via Twitter.

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Weve worked hard to develop policies that stick to these values  creating good, middle class jobs, and protecting our environment.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 29, 2016

The $6.8 billion Trans Mountain project will nearly triple the capacity of an existing pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels a day. The 715-mile twinned pipeline will move oil products from Alberta to a terminal near Vancouver in British Columbia.

Enbridge's Line 3 replacement project will nearly double that existing pipeline's volume to 760,000 barrels a day. The $7.5 billion project would bring oil from Alberta into Superior, Wisconsin.

The rejected Northern Gateway pipeline would have passed through the Great Bear Rainforest and into coastal British Columbia, where oil tankers would've collected the crude and shipped it to Asian markets. Trudeau said this pipeline did not meet environmental standards.

Environmental groups on Tuesday blasted Trudeau's decision to approve the two tar sands pipelines.

"This pipeline shall not pass" is spray painted on a road near a camp setup by protesters blocking the entrance to a trail on Burnaby Mountain where Kinder Morgan was preparing to start work for its Trans Mountain expansion project, Burnaby, B.C., Nov. 14, 2014.

Image: AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck

"Today's announcement may as well have said that Canada is pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement," Aurore Fauret, the tar sands campaign coordinator for grassroots climate group 350.org, said Tuesday in a statement.

The Paris agreement, which officially entered into force this month, commits nations to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping societies adapt to a warming world.

Under the deal, countries have agreed to work to limit global temperature to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to pre-industrial levels by 2100. So far, 114 countries representing nearly 80 percent of the world's emissions have formally joined the agreement.

Canada, for its part, has agreed to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Justin Trudeau signs the Paris Climate Agreement at the U.N. headquarters in New York, April 22, 2016.

Image: AP photo/mark lennihan

Approving the two pipelines means "there is no way Canada can meet those commitments," Fauret said.

"Justin Trudeau has broken his promises for real climate leadership, and broken his promise to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples."

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said approving the Trans Mountain pipeline "is a big step backwards for Canada's environment and economy," according to a statement.

He noted that the Alberta-to-B.C. project was approved under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose administration prioritized energy projects over environmental commitments.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were struggling to keep up even before his November 21 hospitalization for extreme exhaustion. In the aftermath of the October 3 Paris robbery, during which Kardashian, 36, was tied up and held at gunpoint while thieves stole $10 million in jewelry, its just been hell for them, a source says in the new issue of Us Weekly. Find out more in the video above, and detailed below.

While the reality star struggled to feel safe again, West, 39, returned to his 63-date Saint Pablo tour. But Kardashian, normally a backstage fixture, was too anxious to tag along. The trauma of the incident made her more hesitant to do things, explains the source. Of course it strained their relationship, because she hadnt seen him.

PHOTOS: Kanye West's Most Outrageous Moments

When he was home at their 11,000-square-foot Bel Air spread with kids North, 3, and Saint, 12 months, Wests workaholic tendencies got the best of him. He would be up all night ranting about things, says a source close to the 21-time Grammy winner. They were fighting because he was impossible to live with.



PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Sweetest PDA Moments

Kardashians Paris ordeal left West paranoid and completely freaked out, says an insider. The fact that it happened near the nine-year anniversary of the loss of his mother, Donda, only deepened his distress. The mere thought of his wife being taken from him was too much  it was like his mothers death, says a source close to West. Seeing Kim close to death did a major number on him. It sent him into a tailspin.



Kardashian, meanwhile, was enduring her own nightmares and flashbacks, say sources. But when she tried to lean on her husband of two years, she was disappointed. She felt like now she needed him to be stable and her rock instead of the other way around, explains the Kim confidant. Kanyes so used to getting Kims constant support and coding, but its always about Kanye.

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But then  as she was preparing to attend the November 21 Angel Ball in New York  she got that fateful call. West, who hadnt slept in about a week, according to a source  was at the L.A.-area home of his trainer Harley Pasternak acting paranoid and psychotic. He was having difficulty identifying what was real, explains the source.

PHOTOS: Kylie Jenner's Best Selfies: A Definitive Ranking

Despite the recent rocky patch, Kim sprang into action, setting up camp in Wests private hospital room at UCLA Medical Center. And though the incident was scary for the reality star, a source close to the couple says she thinks it will heal their relationship. Kanyes behavior took a huge toll on their marriage, says the source. But Kim feels relieved he is getting the help he needs. She thinks this is what it will take to save him  and help their marriage.



For more on the pairs struggles  and how Kim is nursing West back to health  pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now!





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Kanye West isnt going to let a stay at the hospital stop him from putting out new music. The Life of Pablo rapper has reportedly requested recording equipment at his Los Angeles hospital bedside.

Even though wife Kim Kardashian is advising against, Kanye would like to get back to recording music, and hes willing to do it right from the the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, reports Us Weekly.

Kanye keeps wanting to work. At the hospital, he requested that recording equipment be brought to the hospital so he can record in his bed, a source told the magazine. But its not just music Kanye wants to work on, he also wants to check up on his fashion line.

Kanye West

Photo: Getty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris

He has kept asking to see sketches of his fashion lines, a source added. He continues to want to work, and Kim has to keep telling him to rest.

The Famous rapper was hospitalized on Nov. 22 for paranoia, just one day after canceling the remaining dates on his Saint Pablo tour. On Monday, it was reported that doctors were considering allowing Kanye to be released to the care of his personal doctor but after further evaluation, the staff decided it would be best for him to stay, TMZ reported. No released date for the rapper has been revealed.

If Kanye does go through with working on music while at the hospital, he will not be the first hip-hop artist to do so. In 2002, after being diagnosed with an incurable blood disease known as TPP, legendary producer J Dilla worked on music while staying at a hospital.

During his hospital stay, Dilla finished 29 of the 31 songs featured on the classic hip-hop album, Donuts. It was the final album J Dilla released before passing away three days later on Feb. 10, 2006.

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A week after his hospitalization, Kanye West still remains under doctors' care.

The 39-year-old rapper was transported to UCLA Medical Center last Monday after abruptly canceling the remaining U.S. dates of his Saint Pablo tour.

Here's what we know eight days later:

EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West Still Hospitalized and Undiagnosed, Kim Kardashian Remains 'by His Side 24/7'

1. The family was hoping West would already be released.

A source close to West told ET on Monday morning the plan was for West to be released from the hospital later that day. "Kanye is there in the hospital because he knows he needs to get better and he wants to get better," the source revealed.

2. West remains undiagnosed.

"Kanye's doctors are super reluctant to diagnose anything, mainly because a mental or cognitive disorder cannot be diagnosed after one hospital visit, but rather after observing someone's behavior over the course of a specific time frame," the source said, shooting down reports that West has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. "It's really hard to put a label on it. Doctors are not weighing anything out right now, but they have not diagnosed him with a specific disease or disorder."

EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West Suffered 'Paranoia' Before Hospitalization, Was 'Unsettled' by Kim Kardashian Robbery

3. West only has one person visiting him since being hospitalized.

According to ET's source, West's only visitor at the hospital has been his wife, Kim Kardashian West, as the rapper is not in an area of the hospital where he can have extended visitors. Though West's children, 3-year-old North and 11-month old Saint, are allowed to visit with adult accompaniment and patient permission at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, where West is being held, the source says they don't believe North and Saint have visited.

"The kids have not visited," a source revealed to People, adding that the situation has left Kardashian "overwhelmed" and concerned about her husband's relationship with their children. "She is very worried about the kids being around Kanye," another source revealed to the publication.

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4. Kim Kardashian West has been "stepping up" during her husband's hospitalization.

ET's source revealed that throughout West's hospitalization, Kardashian has been "more dedicated and devoted to Kanye than ever," and that the difficult situation has only made their marriage stronger. "She knows that there are limitations for how much a person can do or take on. She knows that he just needs a break, and she will make sure he gets that," the source said.

"Kim is the type of person who steps up in these kinds of situations. She stays so calm, collected and takes control," the source added. "She's been incredible."

WATCH: Kanye West's Hospitalization: 5 Things We've Learned So Far

5. West suffered from paranoia before his hospitalization.

West was acting paranoid at trainer Harley Pasternak's house before his hospitalization, the source told ET. "He was not speaking correctly. He was convinced people were out to get him, saying things like, 'No one is on my side. It's just me and Kim against everyone. No one is on my side. You're all out to get me.'"

"He was on a rant that wasn't understandable. It was gibberish," the source added. "He just wasn't making sense at all, and that got everyone nervous. For him, when he doesn't sleep, it turns into paranoia."

While a lack of sleep contributed to West's paranoia, according to the source, so did his wife's recent robbery. "Her Paris incident unsettled everyone, unsettled him the most. He had this anxiety that everyone around him was trying to get him."

EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West 'Doing Much Better' After Hospitalization as Kim Kardashian Remains by His Side

6. Keeping Up With the Kardashians continues filming.

Despite reports that Keeping Up With the Kardashians has stopped production following West's hospitalization, sources confirm to ET that cameras are still rolling.

"Keeping Up With the Kardashians is currently in production and has not been halted," a spokesperson for E! revealed in a statement.

Another source close to the production further confirms that the reality series "is still filming" and "with the entire family."

The show did, however, put filming on hold for a few weeks following Kardashian's robbery in Paris.

WATCH: Kanye West's Difficult 2016: A Timeline From 'Life of Pablo' to Kim Kardashian's Robbery to His Breakdown

See more in the video below.

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Kate Mara explains why her favorite fellow actor is Shia LaBeouf

We absolutely adore Kate Mara, and we cant wait to see her latest work in progress! ICYMI, Kate Mara and Shia LaBeouf star in Man Down, in which Mara plays LaBeoufs wife, and its a pretty big deal for Mara. Why? Because hes one of her favorite actors of all time.

Though its been a tough couple of years for Shia LaBeouf in the public eye, Mara explains that his commitment to his craft hasnt lessened, and she admires him even more as a result.

As Mara explained in an interview with WWD ,

I have yet to meet an actor that cares quite as deeply as Shia LaBeouf does.

Kate Mara Shia LeBouf

In the interview with WWD, Mara even refers to LaBeouf as one of the best actors of our generation. Thats high praise. According to Kate Mara, LaBeoufs passion comes to the forefront not just when hes acting, but whenever hes working with other people. He doesnt do anything half way, and she admires him so much for it.

He does everything 100 percent, all the time. Its all or nothing for him and I know that that can be quite controversial for people, but in my experience, it was a really remarkable thing to see and to be a part of.

In Man Down, Shia LaBeouf is to explore his own childhood trauma, as the films theme relates to his own relationship with his father. We can also expect Maras commitment to the film to be just as impressive, as shes given every project shes worked on nothing less than 100%. Were so pumped to see how this film turns out, and were feeling pretty warm and fuzzy to imagine a blossoming friendship between the two talented actors.

The post Kate Mara explains why her favorite fellow actor is Shia LaBeouf appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Cereal maker said on Tuesday it would stop advertising on Breitbart.com, saying the far-right news sites values conflict with its own.

The popular site, until last summer run by Steve Bannon, one of President-elect Donald Trumps top advisers, has been criticized by many as having a racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic slant. Kelloggs move stemmed from customer complaints, according to the company, which makes popular cereal brands like Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies.

We regularly work with our media buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that arent aligned with our values as a company, a Kellogg spokesperson told Fortune in an e-mail statement. This involves reviewing websites where ads could potentially be placed using filtering technology to assess site content. As you can imagine, there is a very large volume of websites, so occasionally something is inadvertently missed.

Bloomberg News first reported the news. Fortune could not immediately reach a Breitbart representative, but the site slammed Kellogg for the move, telling the Associated Press in a statement that Kelloggs move was to its own detriment given the size of its readership. According to ComScore, the site had 19.2 million unique monthly U.S. visitors in October, significantly up from a year earlier and a record for the site.

Kelloggs move was an act of economic censorship of mainstream conservative political discourse and is as un-American as it gets, Breitbart said in its statement to AP.

Other brands have also pulled ads on Breitbart, including , Nest, EarthLink, Warby Parker and SoFi, according to Digiday. Last week, AppNexus deactivated Breitbart News after an audit of the sites content determined that it violates the advertising network ban on hate speech.

Some of Breitbarts most controversial stories have had referred to Muslim invaders, and a Renegade Jew and said Women Should Log Off the internet if they face online harassment. Breitbart Chief Executive Officer Larry Solov told Reuters last week the company always and continues to condemn racism and bigotry in any form.

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See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
By Duncan Miriri

KIGALI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange expects its first exchange traded fund (ETF) to be approved by the regulator this year and trading to start soon after.

The exchange's chief executive Geoffrey Odundo told Reuters it had been investing in new infrastructure to allow the trading of new products, like the ETF, as it diversifies from equities and bond trading.

Earlier this month, NSE issued a profit warning for the year after a fall in share trading.

"Almost 95 percent of all product development is complete. We are at a very imminent phase of launching very many products. We are looking at ETFs coming into play," he said at a meeting of African bourse chiefs in the Rwandan capital on Tuesday.

A foreign company, which he did not identify, had applied to the capital markets regulator for permission to offer a commodities-based ETF for trading on the NSE.

"It will be a first for the NSE," he said.

ETFs are securities traded on exchanges that can allow investors to hedge their risk, as they are based on underlying assets like commodities or a basket of stocks.

The NSE has also been laying the groundwork for a derivatives market that Odundo said will start operating soon.

Like other exchanges in Sub-Saharan Africa, the NSE struggles with poor liquidity and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) regulator has published proposed guidelines to allow funds to trade on borrowed securities in the market to address this.

"Investors will now be able to lend securities to another party, who can then trade on them depending on their view of the market and then be able to give them back," Odundo said.

Local pension funds usually hold shares in top firms listed on the bourse, leaving other market participants starved of a supply of the shares, thus stifling liquidity.

The new guidelines on stock lending and borrowing will eliminate that problem.

"There is urgency and I suspect in the first quarter of next year we should have those regulations up," he said.

(Editing by Katharine Houreld and Alexander Smith)
The leader of opposition in parliament Winnie Kiiza has revealed that they have lined up over 15 lawyers to secure bail for the Rwenzuru King, Charles Wisley Mumbere who was arrested over the weekend.

The King was arrested and charged with murder at Jinja Chief magistrates court.

Kiiza says that the lawyers will also seek justice for the kings subjects who were arrested in the wake of Kasese fighting.

The leader of opposition who has scoffed at charges, say that government should respect the law and inform the public about the whereabouts of all people arrested.
Keo Woolford, a Hawaiian actor and filmmaker who played Detective James Chang on Hawaii Five-O, has died. His publicist Tracy Larrua told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that Woolford died Monday at Pali Momi Medical Center in Waimalu after suffering a stroke on Friday. He was 49.

Woolford wrote and directed the critically praised 2013 indie feature The Haumana, which focused on hula and Hawaiian culture. He had just completed the script for a follow-up to the film at the time of his death and was expected to conduct cast auditions in January, Larrua told the Star Advertiser. His other film work included small roles in films including 2012s The People Ive Slept With (see photo above), Godzilla (2014) and Act of Valor (2012).

Woolford is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Detective James Chang on CBS Hawaii Five-O, a character he played for from 2011-2015.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than a week after being admitted for exhaustion amid a so-called "spiritual crisis", rapper Kanye West remains in a Los Angeles hospital with reality star wife Kim Kardashian by his bedside, her sister, Kendall Jenner, said on Wednesday. Jenner told celebrity website E! News that Kardashian was staying patiently by Kanye's side. "She's good. She's good," the 21-year-old model said when asked how Kardashian was coping with her husband's hospitalization. West, 39, was taken to the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles, last week after police responded to a call for help, several media outlets reported. Sources close to the rapper told "People" he was exhausted from a "spiritual crisis." The hospitalization followed a series of public rants, and West's concert tour was canceled. Representatives for West and Kardashian did not respond on Wednesday to requests for comment on the rapper's health. E! News cited an unnamed source saying that the rapper remained in the hospital because he was still feeling "weak" and "drained." Meanwhile, Kardashian's E! Network reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is "currently in production and has not been halted," a network spokesperson said in a statement. West's hospitalization followed a demanding couple of months for the rapper and his wife, after Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, forcing the family to reassess their security and their public profile. (Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
London (AFP) - Jurgen Klopp says he will do his best to protect starlet Ben Woodburn from the media spotlight after he became the youngest scorer in Liverpool's history in their League Cup victory over Leeds.

Woodburn, aged 17 years and 45 days, edged out Liverpool legend Michael Owen by 98 days when he struck in the 81st minute of Tuesday's quarter-final with the previous record holder sitting in the stands.

He shared the backpage headlines with the air crash tragedy in Colombia that all but wiped out the Brazilian team Chapecoense.

Klopp also praised other youngsters who played in the 2-0 win and said he thought the club would be able to control the situation.

"The only problem is I'm afraid about all you in the media. That's why I'm so quiet," said Klopp after the victory.

"We know how to handle the situation."

Klopp, who has engineered a revival in Liverpool's fortunes since he took over late last year and guided them to second in the Premier League table, said Woodburn was not the finished article.

Klopp added he hoped Woodburn would not be distracted by the sudden flurry of attention.

"He still has a lot of things to do and especially to keep the public away for as long as possible -- but that is a difficult thing to do," said Klopp.

"I said well done to him afterwards. It was not too difficult. I would have scored too in that situation. We know what Ben is capable of and what he is already able to do."
Cuban leader Fidel Castro died Friday last week and his brother Raul Castro  the current president of the country  is expected to step down from office in 15 months, paving the way for heir apparent Miguel Diaz-Canel to be tasked with leading the country at a crucial time when neighboring United States under Donald Trump is expected to put pressure on the island nation in diplomatic matters.

Miguel Diaz-Canel, 56, is currently serving as the younger Castros vice president, a position he was promoted to in 2013, after almost 30 years of climbing the Communist Partys hierarchy. After serving in provincial positions and as minister of higher education, Diaz-Canel became the youngest-ever member of the Politburo at the age of 43. Other members are mosty those who fought in the 1959 communist revolution.

An electrical engineer by profession, Diaz-Canel is also a Beatles fan who has maintained an impressive presence on social media, posting pictures with the president routinely, in an internet-starved country. Diaz-Canel has pushed for press and internet freedom during his time in office, a move that could spell trouble for the one-party state where the government has maintained a monopoly over the media for almost 60 years.

He is well-liked, young, well-educated, and he's gone through all the different hoops. That he is admired in the often snippy world of university circles is very significant and shows he has the talent for handling people, Professor Rafael Betancourt of the University of Havana told the Latin Post.

Even though Diaz-Canel has maintained a low profile, he has been seen sporting jeans and jackets, very different from the countrys past and present leaders who stuck with their military fatigues. While described as witty and relaxed in private, the young leader has a weaker public profile and has refrained from commenting on key issues such as reforms or relations with the United States, making it tough to gauge the steps he could taken if he is appointed.

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Miguel Diaz-Canel

Photo: REUTERS/Desmond Boylan

Born a year after the 1959 revolution, Diaz-Canel has been careful to never overshadow President Castro, unlike some of the apparent successors who rose in recent years only to be struck down for being too ambitious or challenging older leaders.

He has the advantage of having outlived his predecessors (as heir apparent), Christopher Sabatini, a Cuba expert at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs, told Reuters on Monday.

If he takes over, Diaz-Canel will be the first civilian president of the country since the revolution, a fact that could work for him if he is able to appeal to the younger generations of the country, or against him if he steers too far from the Communist Partys agenda.

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa government on Wednesday appointed Matshela Koko as acting chief executive of the country's sole power utility Eskom with effect from Dec. 1, giving the struggling firm it's second head in as many years. Koko, who is in charge of power generation and has worked at Eskom since 1996, replaces Brain Molefe, who resigned after being implicated in allegations of influence peddling in a report by the anti-graft watchdog. Molefe has denied any wrongdoing. In his first remarks after taking charge of Eskom, Koko told the ANN7 channel that he would ensure Eskom "relies less and less on government financial support." Standard & Poor's Global Ratings on Friday cut Eskom's credit rating a further notch into subinvestment, citing financial pressures faced by Eskom. Koko reiterated his support of the government's nuclear expansion plans, saying "we must set ourselves on the path of building nuclear plants by 2030." South Africa, which has the continent's only nuclear power station, has earmarked nuclear expansion as the centrepiece of a plan to increase power generation to ease the country's reliance on an ageing fleet of coal-fired energy plants. The energy department said last week it would delay plans to add 9,600 MW of new nuclear power to 2030, from a previous target of 2025. Pubic Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, who appointed Koko, asked the utility's board to find a permanent chief executive. Molefe was appointed acting CEO at Eskom from his role as the chief executive of the state transport firm Transnet in April 2015, replacing Tshediso Matona, who was suspended pending an inquiry into Eskom woes. Eskom later said it had agreed to amicably part ways with Matona. Molefe was confirmed to his post in September but resigned shortly after being implicated in the anti-graft report. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's statement that his forces in Syria were there to topple President Bashar al-Assad had come as a surprise to Moscow and that it expected an explanation from Ankara. In a speech on Tuesday, Erdogan condemned what he said was the failure of the United Nations in Syria and cast Turkey's incursion in August, when it sent tanks, fighter jets and special forces over the border, as an act of exasperation. "We are there to bring justice. We are there to end the rule of the cruel Assad, who has been spreading state terror," Erdogan said. "The announcement really came as news to us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "It is a very serious statement and one which differs from previous ones and with our understanding of the situation. We hope that our Turkish partners will provide us with some kind of explanation about this." (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Maria Kiselyova)
Since premiering at the fall-festival triad of Venice, Toronto and Telluride  the latter where two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks interrupted his own Sully Q&A to praise Damien Chazelles original Hollywood musical  La La Land has been considered an awards-season lock in several categories. Finally, moviegoers will get the chance to see it on December 9 when the Lionsgate/Summit movie begins its rollout in New York and L.A. Presale tickets for the Emma Stone-Ryan Gosling musical went on sale today at Fandango and other online movie retailers.

La La Land was voted as one of the holiday seasons 10 most-anticipated movies in a Fandango filmgoer survey. Those purchasing tickets on Fandango will receive a free gift with their purchase: an iTunes download of the pics ballad, City of Stars, performed by Gosling and Stone.

La La Land will open at LAs ArcLight Hollywood and Cinerama Dome, the Landmark and AMC Century City and New Yorks AMC Lincoln Square and Regal Union Square before gradually expanding throughout the month.

Fandango created this location map of the various sites where La La Land was shot (the pics signature dance number in the Hollywood Hills isnt that far from where Warren Beattys Rules Dont Apply was shot). The online ticket retailer also produced the video below about movies shot in L.A.

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Different Worlds

Negga, who was born in Africa to an Ethiopian father and an Irish mother and grew up in Limerick, Ireland, related to the tribulations of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving, who were arrested in 1958 for violating Virginias antimiscegenation laws. Their story felt so dear to me and a part of my own history, she says. And I feel so relieved that human beings like these two have existed, with all their grace and integrity and lack of cynicism. Especially when theres so much tumult in the world and were all feeling the strain. I think more than ever we need to see things of beauty and people being kind to one another.

Happy Tears

When Loving received a standing ovation after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Negga was moved to tears. Weepy Ruth, thats what Im known as down my way, she says. But Im in a constant state of sniffliness when I talk about this movie. She also wasnt dry-eyed when she met the Lovings daughter Peggy, the only member of the family whos still alive. Im shy when I meet people, especially if Im going to be playing their mother, Negga says. But I just wanted to show myself to her. We both sat in her home and cried for an hour or two.

Breaking Through

Negga, 35, has appeared in projects as varied as Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and World War Z; she also filmed a supporting role in 12 Years a Slave that was later cut. But as a mixed-race, mixed-nationality actress in Hollywood, her encounters with casting directors have been, well, mixed. She is refreshingly frank about the challenges. I did an interview a few years back [with The Irish Sun] and the headline was something like, Ruth Negga Believes Her Heritage Is Holding Her Back. That was quite a funny phrasing, because I didnt mean my heritage at all. I was talking about other peoples preconceptions of what actors who look like me are able to play. Its not the color of my skin thats limiting, its peoples perceptions.

Story continues

Wide-Range Appeal

Neggas powerful performance in Loving is the sort of role that Academy voters traditionally value. After two years of all-white nominees, shes one of several minority actors positioned for serious Oscar consideration this year. And for evidence of her incredible range, check out Preacher, where she plays a Texas badass named Tulipwho, incidentally, is a Caucasian blonde in the graphic novels on which the series is based. It is an absolute joy, she says of playing both Mildred and Tulip in the same year. I must say that if youre shy but you have a certain energy about you, acting is a great, fantastic job, especially now as opportunities for women of color are changing. The changes may be slow and they may be a bit later than we would have liked, butas Mildred says We must be hopeful.
By Samuel Sebuliba

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has assured all tourists of tight security in Rwenzori sub region despite the recent wave of violence that has caused renewed tension in the area.

Latest figures from the security personnel indicate that over 100 people mainly royal guards and police officers are confirmed to have died while 6 rifles have since gone missing.

Government has put the death toll of the Rwenzori clashes at 207 in the last two years.

Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo, the situation has so far normalized and security to all residents and tourists can now be guaranteed in Kasese town and other areas that were reported to be the most chaotic.
Photo: Facebook/Joaninne Nanyange

When Joaninne Nanyange, a law student studying in Kampala, Uganda, showed up to the Law Development Centre to attend classes, she was reportedly stopped and asked to pull down her skirt to see how far down it could go.

Bewildered, Nanyange said that her knee-length skirt couldnt be pulled down any further. At this point, she was allegedly told that she couldnt enter the campus to attend class.

Nanyange talks about the incident in a Facebook post that has now gone viral:

The other woman, ever with a very satisfied grin, told me I could not access the campus because my skirt was not long enough for LDC standards  I was shocked. Yes. Shocked. Seeing the bewilderment on my face, the two women labored to explain. Apparently, skirts like mine attract the boys and men that we study with and bar them from concentrating. So they could not be allowed!!!!!!

Nanyange believes that patriarchy has been so widely institutionalized that some feel the need to create de facto dress codes and pass rules controlling womens bodies. In an interview with BBCs World Have Your Say, Nanyange reiterated that her skirt wasnt even that short, even for legal professional standards.

The reason they gave me, it wasnt about the fact that maybe your profession requires you to have this length of skirt, it was about the fact that if you go with this length of skirt, youre going to distract the men and boys that youre studying with in class. That is really what I found most shocking and more infuriating because I think we can do better than that.

In her Facebook message, she ponders why she should miss her classes because men cannot control their sexual urges.

Comments on her post were in Nanyanges favor, including, I

I work hard, and I manage to pay therequired (amount) for LDCs tuition. But I cant access the campus to attend my classes because when my brothers look at my knees and legs, they will get erections, she poignantly concludes. Please let us live. Allow us to prosper. This nonsense needs to end.



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In the premiere of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, the former Scientologist and King of Queens star interviews several former prominent members of the controversial religion, who make some startling accusations.

To be fair, the Church has adamantly denied the stories portrayed in the new A&E reality series, saying in a letter on their official website that it is nothing more than a scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized work of fiction.

There are also title cards throughout the premiere episode stating Scientologys leaders deny the statements made by Remini and those she interviewed.

See video: Scientology Leader's Father to Speak Out on ABC's '20/20'

Read the five most shocking allegations below.

Sexual Assault/Statutory Rape

Former Scientology executive Amy Scobee told Remini that she went to work for the Church as a teenager after her mother became a member. At the age of 14, she says she was raped by her 35-year-old boss, but the incident was swept under the rug by Church officials.

They didnt tell the authorities because it would be bad PR for Scientology, Scobee said. They indoctrinated me that anything serious that goes on, its handled internally.

Keeping Tom Cruise Surrounded

Scobee said that one of her duties involved managing Scientologys celebrity centers, as well as coordinating the personal staff of Tom Cruise. Scobee says she was instructed by Church leadership to only hire other Scientologists to work around Cruise, in order to keep him isolated from the outside world.

See video: Watch Billy Eichner, Rachel Dratch Spoof Scientology With Hilarious Obstacle Course

David Miscaviges Temper

Scobee said that David Miscavige, the head of the Church of Scientology, was a very angry man who was prone to violent rages against his subordinates.

If you said something that didnt please him, he would go off on you, she said. If you were a man, he would hit you, knock you down, choke you.

Story continues

Under Constant Watch

Scobee and her husband, Matt, said that when they spoke out against what they saw as abuses within the Church, they were sent to the Rehabilitation Project Force, a sort of prison camp for Scientologists. When they said they wanted to leave altogether, they were placed under 24-hour guard, with an individual security officer assigned to watch both of them.

Also Read: Leah Remini Tears Up Over Scientology and Katie Holmes: 'Now I Know What She Was Going Through' (Updated)

Ethics Officer

After Scobee decided to leave the Church, she knew it would be a matter of time before officials approached her mother, who was also a member, and convince her to disconnect from her daughter.

When she went to talk with her mother first, a Scientology ethics officer  whom Scobees mother described as an enforcer for the Church  showed up unannounced at the door. Scobee hid in a back room for over an hour while the ethics officer tried to convince her mother to break off contact.

What he was telling me was that my daughter was evil and everything she touched was poison, Scobees mother said.

Related stories from TheWrap:

How 'Ghostbusters' Star Leslie Jones Got a Job as a Scientology Telemarketer (Video)

Leah Remini: Scientology Wrote Me Up for Telling Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes to 'Get a Room' (Video)

Paul Haggis Blasts Media for Not Grilling Tom Cruise on Scientology: 'Shame on You'
For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

From ELLE

King of Queens actress Leah Remini famously left the Church of Scientology in 2013. Since then, she's spoken out about her story in a memoir, Troublemaker, and is about to premiere a new show, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, on A&E. On the show, she highlights how the secretive organization tears families apart, especially when one or more members leave.

Remini, who was born into Scientology and received the "celebrity" treatment once her career took off, opened up even more about the scary details of the church in an "Ask Me Anything" Q&A on Reddit on Tuesday. She made it clear that she feels it's her duty to highlight victims of Scientology who are brave enough to tell their stories, despite threats from church officials.

Photo credit: undefined

For her part, she said that she feels "strangely protected by the world at large" and doesn't feel in danger for speaking out. She even gave a shout-out to a Scientology official who would be reading and examining her AMA. But she also said that many other prominent former parishioners couldn't talk to her even if they wanted to. "The policy of the 'Church' does not allow them to come to me," she said. "Former high ranking Sea Org members like Debbie Cook and former members like Katie Holmes are forbidden to speak to other [suppressive persons, or ex-members]. Certain members are forced to sign agreements that does not allow them to speak to ex-members."

Another crazy detail? Remini also added that Scientologists truly believe Tom Cruise is "singlehandedly changing the planet" and is something of a messiah figure for them. When Remini, who paid millions of dollars to the Church during her time there, was at "OT 3" and told the sci-fi-esque backstory of Scientology, she said she freaked out:

"My first reaction was 'Are you all fucking nuts?' and then I looked at my mother and said 'What kind if bullshit did you get me in?' My only option was to leave, but at the time my family was not ready to go. The 'church' told me I didn't need to believe it, just do it. And they always pose this question: 'Are you ready to leave everything you've ever known?'"

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She accused leader David Miscavige of knowing that Scientology is a scam, but noted that lower-level followers "are in the dark and believe they are doing amazing things for the world." When a commenter who claimed his or her parents were in the organization, she gave this advice on how to get them out:

"If you want to get them out there is no way to do it nicely. There is no way to do it quietly. You have to challenge them by saying, 'If you can think for yourself, if you have truly accomplished what Scientology says you have accomplished, you should be able to speak freely on any subject.' [] You should ask them how is it then that you can't watch a movie called Going Clear or look on the Internet if you are the elite of the planet and handling the planet's ills if you can't think for yourself. I only hope that your challenge will get them to simply look."

Remini said she doesn't think the organization will change once Miscavige dies. But she was hopeful that Scientology's horrific practices will one day stop. "I hope that its abusive practices come to an end," she wrote. "I'm all for people believing in things that are decent."

The Church of Scientology has yet to comment on Remini's AMA, but in the past they have issued this statement about her:

"Desperate for attention with an acting career stuck in a nearly decade-long tailspin, Leah Remini needs to move on with her life. Instead, she seeks publicity by maliciously spreading lies about the Church using the same handful of bitter zealots who were kicked out years ago for chronic dishonesty and corruption and whose false claims the Church refuted years ago, including through judicial decisions."

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CDougyFresh: How much did you pay to the church throughout your time there?

Remini: Millions.

JMeJumps1: Are you still in contact with any friends that are still part of the church?

Remini: I am an SP (supressive person). You are not allowed to be in contact with an SP. I would love to talk to my former friends and see my goddaughter.

MLP-e34-clopper: Do you remember what your initial reaction was upon first seeing the course materials for OT3?

Remini: Yes my first reaction was Are you all f*cking nuts? and then I looked at my mother and said What kind of bullsh*t did you get me in? My only option was to leave, but at the time my family was not ready to go. The church told me I didnt need to believe it, just do it. And they always pose this question: Are you ready to leave everything youve ever known?

Welsh_Dragon_Roar: If all Scientologys secrets were revealed tomorrow, which do you think would be most shocking?

Remini: When you reach the top of The Bridge (OTP 8) you will be told that God is a lie for LRH, and there are more levels ahead, that will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no end to Scientology.

Legeto: When you were a Scientologist did you ever get any weird reactions from other famous people?

Remini: Weird reactions? No. I got appropriate reactions, Why are you in this crazy sh*t?

Rach_alGhul: How are they able to recruit intelligent people into what appears to be an obvious scam and cult?

Remini: Most Scientologists are 2nd or 3rd generation, they were born and raised into an ideology and have been surrounded and isolated. It is all they know. They are victims. Most of the original Scientologists are all out and have spoken out. Unfortunately, their children were indoctrinated by them . are still loyal, faithful and have cut off communication due to the policy of disconnection.
At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

An estimated 30,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority living mostly in Myanmar, have been forced to leave their homes since a bloody crackdown by the army in the western state of Rakhine.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop them from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

"The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher."

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, but has also banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area to investigate.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday she vowed to work for "peace and national reconciliation", saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.

Rohingya community leaders in Bangladesh said another 3,000 displaced Rohingya were stranded on an island in the Naf river that divides the two countries, attempting to enter Bangladesh.

"They have been stuck in the island for almost a week without sufficient food and clothes," Abu Ghalib told AFP.

But a spokesman for the Bangladesh border guards said the claims could not be verified as the island was not Bangladeshi territory.

Story continues

Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coast guard ships in an effort to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.

Nevertheless Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh said the number of arrivals had risen this week.

But so far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.

Shinji Kubo, who heads the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh, said the new arrivals needed "urgent" help.

"Obviously these people have come from Myanmar after terrible experiences and without any belongings. The winter is approaching. So everyone is really worried about their wellbeing," he said.

More than 230,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally, although around 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.

Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

"We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said.

Violence in Rakhine -- home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority -- has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area.

It followed a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local militants.
The history of America is a history of important decisions being made over dinner. Luminaries such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, for example, made the decision to move the capital of the United States to Washington, D.C. in exchange for the establishment of a national bank over dinner. John F. Kennedy put pressure on the president of Pakistan for help spying on China over dinner. And perhaps President-elect Donald Trump took the same course (or courses) for his decision as to whom to appoint to the highly-coveted position of U.S. secretary of state.

On Tuesday night, Trump and his one-time critic, former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, got together for a dinner at upscale Manhattan restaurant Jean-Georges where they dined on sauteed frog legs, prime sirloin (Trump and his chief of staff, Reince Preibus), lamb chops (Romney), and chocolate cake paired with hibiscus sorbet.

Twitter has feasted already on Romneys haunted eyes and hangdog look. But after all the vitriol of the campaign trail, what was really said at that meal? Let us imagine

Scene: Interior of Jean-Georges, a tastefully-lit and expensively-priced Manhattan eatery.

Romney: Well, thank you for the opportunity to speak again tonight, Mr. President-elect.

Trump: Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt Americas face to the world.

Romney: Beg pardon?

Trump: Oh, I was just quoting you. What you said after my locker room talk with Billy Bush got aired.

Preibus: You did say that. You tried the sirloin, Donald?

Trump: I did, Reince. Mouth closed when chewing.

Romney: Its true, I did say that. But a lots changed since then.

Trump: Like?

Romney: Well, you won. And now you could make me secretary of state.

Trump: And why do you want the job?

Preibus: Yeah, why?

Romney: Because, sir, even though I said as recently as March that you would plunge our economy into recession, and that you inherited but did not actually create business, and also I said I would vote for any of your primary opponents over you, and your foreign policy was recklessness in the extreme, and I did mention that you lacked the temperament to be president, and I did say all you offered the American people was a lousy hat, and though I may well still believe all those things, the harsh reality is that I want to be secretary of state and it is, or used to be, an honor to serve ones president when asked.

Story continues

Trump: So the tables have turned bigly, is that what youre saying?

Romney: I suppose so, yes.

Trump: Remember when you were embarrassed to have me campaign for you even though you choked like a dog?

Romney: Is  Im sorry, is that an expression?

Trump: Listen, do you want this job?

Preibus, mouth full of hibiscus sorbet: Mittens?

Romney: Yessir, yes I do.

Trump: You willing to humiliate yourself? I mean, really debase yourself?

Romney: It certainly seems that way.

Trump: Prove it.

Romney:

Here's Romney's full remarks after dinner tonight with Trump pic.twitter.com/ufubPoDrZg  Jon Passantino (@passantino) November 30, 2016

Photo credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Levi's CEO Chip Bergh is asking customers to not bring guns into his stores.

Bergh, who is a former army officer, posted an open letter to customers on LinkedIn on Wednesday, asking that they not bring firearms into Levi's stores, offices, or facilities, even in states where it is permitted by law, unless they are authorized members of law enforcement.

"With stores in Paris, Nice and Orlando, and the companys European headquarters in Brussels, I've thought more about safety in the past year than in the previous three decades of my career because of how 'close to home' so many incidents with guns have come to impacting people working for this company," Bergh wrote in the letter.

Bergh goes on to say that the store is not outright banning guns, with the reasoning that "a ban could potentially undermine the purpose of the ban itself: safety." The retailer, he clarified, is making a "request not a mandate."

"It boils down to this: you shouldnt have to be concerned about your safety while shopping for clothes or trying on a pair of jeans," the letter concludes. "Simply put, firearms don't belong in either of those settings."

The decision follows a non-fatal incident in which a customer accidentally shot himself with his own firearm at a Levi's store in Commerce, Georgia, Fortune reported.

When Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz asked customers not to bring guns into shops in 2013, gun-enthusiasts threatened to boycott the brand. Other brands that have asked customers not to carry guns into stores include Chipotle, Panera Bread, and Target.

NOW WATCH: President Obama: You shouldn't be able to buy a weapon if you're on the no-fly list





More From Business Insider
By Ephraim Kasozi

The judiciary has explained why the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere was charged in Jinja.

The government initially planned to arraign the Omusinga in court in his Kasese hometown but made a last-minute change over fears his physical presence in the scarred kingdom could inflame passions and foment more trouble.

There was information earlier yesterday that the king would be charged at the Military Court Martial in Kampala, but that too did not happen.

Details of the official concerns are contained in correspondences between Chief Justice Bart Katureeba and the Director of Public Prosecutions Mike Chibita.

In a November 29 letter, the Chief Justice consented to a request from the DPP to have the king charged elsewhere, saying he had cross-checked with the Chief Magistrate in Kasese and that he was informed the court there had been deserted.

He says that when the situation normalises, he expects that the proceedings will take place in the appropriate court as may be further directed.

It is customary for suspects to be charged in a court located in the area where a crime was committed, and in this case, Mumbere would have been charged in Kasese district where he and others still at large allegedly killed a policeman shortly after the February elections.

He was charged with the murder of a police officer on March 24th before a Magistrates Court in Jinja and remanded to Nalufenya police cells until December 13th.

According to the charge sheet, the Omusinga allegedly committed the offence at the Army Detach in Kidodo cell, Central Division Kasese Municipality in Kasese District.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / LIG Assets, Inc. (LIGA) (also known as the "Leader in Green Assets" or "LIGA") announces it will collaborate with famed environmental pioneer and visionary, Mr. Robert Plarr, to deliver affordable, sustainable homes in select communities throughout the United States. Mr. Plarr has personally tested hundreds of green and sustainable technologies, and has concluded that less than 10% deliver results as promised. Together with Mr. Plarr, LIG Assets plans to build the most cost effective, premier sustainable homes in the world utilizing innovative construction materials, and provide only technologies that meet strict guidelines.

LIGA will deploy state-of-the-art technology to bring sustainable housing to a price level that is competitive with traditional construction. The average homeowner will be able to purchase a home in one of its developments that is sustainable; thus significantly reducing expenses for water and power. Additionally, LIGA will utilize construction materials that are waterproof, mold proof, and fireproof that will not be subject to aging decay associated with traditional building materials. The Company's designs are not necessarily intended for a niche market, but scalable for mass development.

Earlier this month on Monday, November 14, 2016, LIGA hosted its first "Sustainability Impact Conference" at The Entrepreneur Center in Downtown Nashville, TN. At the conference, LIGA invited several of its strategic partners to speak about breakthrough technologies and advanced building materials. Just prior to the conference, a detailed audio-taped interview was conducted with Mr. Plarr. This 25-minute interview is now available the new LIGA website www.leaderingreenassets.com or at the following link:

November 2016 Interview with Mr. Robert Plarr

Mr. Plarr added, "Nothing like this currently exists in the United States. All these systems married together create this incredible, sustainable, inexpensive home."

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Robert Plarr has worked with some of the world's leading scientists to create his exclusive "Science of Sustainable Integration" - known worldwide as the "Plarr's Living Green Structure System." He is widely considered one of the most renowned expects in creating homes that are totally off the grid. Mr. Plarr has also solved one of the most challenging problems facing the green and sustainable sectors; the ability to collect, store, and deliver energy through power and battery systems. Mr. Plarr utilizes power and battery systems capable of collecting 90% of energy produced, store the power, and subsequently use that power. LIG Assets plans to use these power systems in all its homes.

LIG Assets management and advisors are actively negotiating with land owners in at least six states to build model homes to demonstrate its advanced construction materials and showcase its innovative technologies. The model homes will serve as an effective sales tool to pre-sell homes in small, medium, and large developments. The Company will provide more detailed project plans as contracts are signed. Now that LIG Assets has officially entered into an amicable Settlement Agreement with its primary creditor pursuant referenced in its press release last week on Tuesday, November 22, the Company is moving swiftly to lock up multiple opportunities.

About LIG Assets, Inc.

LIG Assets, Inc. (LIGA), is focused on residential and commercial real estate acquisition and development as well as expansion into other sectors via potential acquisitions, mergers and joint venture partnerships. To receive updates directly from the company when material is disclosed, please visit www.LeaderInGreenAssets.com and subscribe to our investor newsletter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings on file at www.OTCMarkets.com.

Contact Information:

Shareholder/Investor inquiries can be directed to:

LIG Assets, Inc.

President: Charles Gambino

Email: Charles@LIGAssets.net

SOURCE: LIG Assets, Inc.
Lil Wayne's former bus driver filed a lawsuit against Young Thug, Birdman, Peewee Roscoe (aka Jimmy Carlton Winfrey), Cash Money Records and Young Money Records, connected to an April 2015 incident in which Winfrey fired shots at Lil Wayne's tour buses after an Atlanta concert.

According to Courthouse News, the suit, filed in Georgia's Cobb County State Court on November 16th by Alvin Lewis, alleges the defendants placed Lewis "in immediate fear of death and severe bodily harm by attacking and attempting to kill him without any just provocation or cause." Lewis is suing for assault and battery, breach of contract and intentional infliction of distress, among other charges.

In the shooting incident, Winfrey pulled up alongside Wayne's tour buses, fired multiple gunshots and subsequently attempted to hide the Camaro he was driving, according to the State of Georgia's indictment. No one was injured in the alleged gang-related shooting, which caused over $20,000 in damages.



Lewis claims he "has suffered and continues to suffer substantial and continuing pain, anguish, suffering, discomfort, medical expenses, lost personal and professional property and lost wages." He is seeking unspecified damages.

Winfrey was sentenced to 20 years  10 in prison, followed by 10 on probation  after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. He was initially indicted on 30 counts connected to the shooting, but he only pleaded guilty to six gang-related charges, per the deal.

While only Winfrey has faced charges, both Birdman and Young Thug were named as his associates in the indictment.

Representatives for Birdman (real name Bryan Williams) and Young Thug (real name Jeffery Williams) did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Lewis' complaint details the events leading to the shooting, including a confrontation in which Roscoe allegedly said, "This is my city  keep fucking around and I'll spray the bus." Lewis adds that neither Young Thug nor Birdman "repudiated Winfrey's acts of violence."

Story continues

Birman denied any involvement with the shooting in a July interview with Power 105.1. "[That's] the craziest shit I ever heard in my life," said the Cash Money executive, explaining that he didn't hear about the incident until afterward.

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Photo credit: undefined

From Town & Country

On December 7, Donald Trump is set to host a $5,000-a-head breakfast that will raise money for Trump for America, a group that is helping to fund the president-elect's transition. The fundraiser, which will be help at an undisclosed location in New York, includes 60 hosts.

Dec 7 breakfast for a trump transition pic.twitter.com/3GFXO80axp - Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 28, 2016

The list offers insight into the men and women backing the nascent Trump administration. Some of the names should be familiar to anyone who has been obsessively following Trump's madcap transition efforts-like Steve Mnuchin (pictured above, reportedly Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary) and Wilbur Ross; others are less familiar, though they have been operating behind the scenes for some time.

Here's a brief primer at those listed on the invite and their relationship to Trump.

Lewis M. Eisenberg: A businessman and investor who serves as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee and sits on the leadership team of Trump's inaugural committee.

Roy Bailey: A Texas businessman and another member of Trump's inaugural committee' previously Texas state co-finance chair for the Trump campaign.

Steven Mnuchin: Formerly of Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin started a hedge fund and moved out West to finance movies, including the X-Men franchise and Avatar. He served as Trump's campaign finance chairman and is reportedly Trump's choice for Treasury Secretary. He has no government experience.

Gentry Beach: A Dallas investor who is one of Trump's close friends.

Hannah and Duke Buchan: Duke Buchan III is the founder of private investment management firm Hunter Global Investors in Palm Beach, Florida. Early in the presidential campaign, he and his wife, Hannah, supported Jeb Bush.

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Stanley Chera: A New York real estate developer born to a Syrian Jewish family, he is the founder of Crown Acquisitions.

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James Coleman: Founder and managing partner of Hanley Advisors, a real estate consulting firm in New York.

Kevin Cramer: Trump's energy adviser, representing North Dakota's at-large (and only) congressional district.

Edward Czuker: Chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based real estate development business Legado Companies who sits on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Louis DeJoy: A Trump fundraiser and entrepreneur who lives in North Carolina and is the former CEO of New Breed Logistics.

David Fischer: An Iowa Republican and a former state co-chair for Rand Paul 2016.

Charlie Glazer: A former ambassador to El Salvador under George W. Bush and now an investment banker in Greenwich who is advising Trump's State Department transition.

Jeffrey Gunter: A dermatologist who sits on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Jon Hanson: Founder and chairman of real estate investment firm Hampshire Companies and the former New Jersey finance co-chairman for Chris Christie's presidential bid.

Charles W. Herbster: A Nebraska cattle farmer and the national chairman of Trump's agriculture advisory committee.

Bob Hugin: Executive chairman of biopharmaceutical company Celgene Corporation and a New Jersey GOP convention delegate.

Darlene Jordan: A Florida fundraiser and executive director of the Gerald R. Jordan Foundation who joined Trump's economic advisory council.

Robert Kohorst: The president and founder of Everest Properties, a real estate and asset management firm in California.

Richard LeFrak: A billionaire real estate developer in New York whose father was friends with Trump's father.

Howard Lorber: President and CEO of New York holding company Vector Group and one of Trump's economic advisers.

Tom Maoli: CEO of Celebrity Motors, a luxury car dealership in New Jersey.

Jamie McCourt: An investor who owned the Los Angeles Dodgers with her ex-husband, businessman Frank McCourt.

Larry A Mizel: A businessman, philanthropist and successful home builder who lives in Denver.

Kevin Moynihan: A Trump delegate for the Republican National Convention who lives in New Canaan, Connecticut and serves as a town councilman there.

Gene Powell: San Antonio real estate developer and one of Trump's Texas finance chairs.

John Rakolta Jr.: CEO of Walbridge Construction Company in Detroit and one of Trump's Michigan finance advisers. He is a former national finance chair for Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential bid.

Phil Ruffin: Las Vegas businessman and casino owner who spoke at the Republican National Convention. Trump was the best man at his wedding, and the two co-own Trump International Hotel in Sin City. He's helping lead Trump's inaugural team.

Anthony Scaramucci: A hedge fund manager who now sits on Trump's inaugural committee.

Doug Steinhardt: Chairman of the Warren County GOP in New Jersey.

David Tamasi: A lobbyist, senior vice president at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, and Trump Victory finance chair in Washington.

Ray Washburne: A Dallas investor who is leading Trump's Commerce landing team. He is reportedly under consideration to lead the Department of Commerce or the Department of the Interior.

Brian Ballard: A leading Republican fundraiser who lives in Tallahassee, and is Trump's Florida lobbyist.

Elliott Broidy: A venture capitalist who is a member of Trump's inaugural committee.

Joseph Canizaro: A Louisiana-based real estate developer and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.

Lloyd Claycomb: CEO of United Builders Services in Colorado and a finance chair for Donald Trump's campaign.

Kelly and Joe Craft: A billionaire based in Kentucky, Craft is the CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, a major U.S. coal producer. His wife, Kelly Knight Craft, is a Republican activist.

Steve Crisafulli: Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

Kevin Daniels: The founder of a funeral services company who lives in New Mexico and organized Trump's first campaign fundraiser in Albuquerque.

Jeffrey Feingold: The Florida chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition and a GOP convention delegate who lives in Boca Raton.

Ron Gidwitz: An Illinois businessman and fundraiser for Trump.

Loretta Solon Greene: A Trump fundraiser in Virginia who founded a D.C.-based consulting company that specializes in international trade and commercial diplomacy.

Bill Hagerty: A Nashville resident and Former commissioner of Tennessee's Department of Economic and Community Development who serves as director of presidential appointments on Trump's transition team. He is reportedly being considered as Trump's U.S. Trade Representative.

Diane Hendricks: A Wisconsin businesswoman and philanthropist who sits on Trump's inaugural committee.

Tommy Hicks Jr.: A partner and managing director at Hicks Equity Partners in Dallas and a finance vice chair for Trump's inaugural committee.

Woody Johnson: The owner of the New York Jets.

Charles P. Joyce: He's the elected national committeeman for the New York Republican State Committee and the president of Otis Eastern Service in Wellsville, New York, an oil and gas pipeline construction company.

Shalli Kumar: An Indian-American businessman in Chicago and the chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition.

Nick Loeb: Sofia Vergara's ex-fiance and a businessman.

Margaret Chai Maloney: A former public relations executive and novelist who is married to Sean Maloney, the former executive vice president of Intel.

Alex Markowits: A New Jersey fundraiser and an alternate at-large Republican delegate pledged to Trump.

Tom Mendiburu: Another New Jersey fundraiser and alternate at-large Trump delegate.

Ryan Morfin: A banker in New York who works for Maroon Capital Group and who donated to Trump's campaign.

Mindy and AJ Papetti: Trump fundraisers in Harding Township, New Jersey.

Andy Puzder: The chief executive of CKE restaurants, the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, among other places, whose name has been floated to run the Labor Department.

Wilbur Ross: The billionaire investor who is expected to be chosen as Secretary of Commerce.

Lee Samson: CEO of SnF Management, a healthcare facility management company in California.

Mel Sembler: A developer in St. Petersburg, Florida who has served as ambassador to Italy and Australia and Nauru.

Bill Summers: A Trump fundraiser in Ohio.

Trevor Traina: Founder of e-commerce company IfOnly.com, and the son of San Francisco socialite Dede Wilsey.

Ron Weiser: The former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia, and a member of Trump's inauguration committee.

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If not for a microchip, this lost and injured pooch may have been mistaken for a stray.

Read: Cop Adopts 3-Legged Puppy After It Was Thrown From Moving Car: 'I Was the Right Officer at That Moment'

Tinkerbell, an enormous mastiff, was spotted hobbling along the L.A. River on three paws in Santa Monica, California. Her fourth paw appeared to be broken or injured.

"His leg is so swollen," a rescuer from Hope for Paws can be heard saying in footage shot by the organization.

Rescuers approached her slowly, nervous that she would run. Tinkerbell was slowly headed to the ocean, and if she hopped over the fence, rescuers would be unable to reach her, the organization said.

The mastiff panicked, and started running away, but after a bit of struggle, they were able to catch her and eventually calm her down.

The Los Angeles Fire Department also arrived to lend a hand in the form of a cage, which was lowered into the river to get her out.

Read: Puppy Loses a Leg After Being Crushed by a Motorcycle... and Now He Matches With His Owner

She was brought to a nearby animal hospital, where veterinarians found a microchip that explained the pup was from Arizona.

Tinkerbell had been visiting the area with her family a month ago when she was spooked by fireworks, and ran off.

"I told you they'd find her," her owners said during an emotional reunion a few days later.

Watch: Hotel Manager Springs to the Rescue After Dog's Leash Get Caught in Ascending Elevator

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Photo credit: (ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ADRIANA ZEHBRAUSKAS)

From LennyLetter

Photo credit: (Monica, Mariana, Celeste y Yaribet, sisters and friends. Huehuetonoc, Guerrero, Mexico, April 2106. All photographs courtesy of Adriana Zehbrauskas)

Like millions across Mexico, photojournalist Adriana Zehbrauskas was horrified when, in September 2014, she heard the news that 43 college students had been disappeared en masse from the rural state of Guerrero. Though originally from Brazil, Zehbrauskas had been documenting Mexico for a dozen years, and she quickly began thinking of ways to tell a visual story of absence. The students number among the 27,000 throughout the country who have vanished since 2008, their cases often left uninvestigated, their families left to mourn with no answers and no grave site to visit. Zehbrauskas traveled to Guerrero nine days after the students disappeared.

As Zehbrauskas began to work in the poor, rural section of Southwest Mexico where the students had been taken, she realized there was a double loss when someone disappeared. Not only were they missing, but because the families rarely had photographs of their loved ones, they had little to remember them by. Often cell-phone images had been lost - because households rarely had the ability to back up or download their photos, a missing or broken phone signified the erasure of that record forever. Zehbrauskas knew she couldn't retrieve those moments - but she could document the present. She set to work taking family photos.

The project that emerged, Family Matters, is a collection of composed portraits of residents in Huehuetonoc, Guerrero. Reading the images, knowing that any of the subjects could one day be missing, the portraits are as unsettling to behold as they are beautiful. Families pose, often before the town church, in this small, mostly indigenous community near the border of Oaxaca State, wearing their Sunday best. Zehbrauskas provided prints to each family that are now displayed in homes throughout Huehuetonoc, along with showings in Mexico City and New York.

Zehbrauskas and I spoke at her Mexico City home.

Laura Tillman: Can you go back and tell me, how did you conceive of the project to begin with?

Story continues

Adriana Zehbrauskas: The project began with the 43 students who went missing in Guerrero in 2014. I started working for many media outlets, and for one of them we decided to stick with one of the families and document their lives every month, and through the lives of this one family try to figure out, Who were they? Because you hear the number - 43 students - but who were these people?

I kept hearing, "No, I don't have any pictures. I lost them, they were on my phone." So I started thinking that was a really terrible thing, because these people had disappeared. It's like disappearing twice: from the future with their loved ones, and also from their memories.

We always go there as journalists and we get into the house, we photograph them, and then we leave. And although I know that ultimately the goal with the stories and the photos is to bring attention to their story, it's not always the case. Sometimes nothing happens. We do the story and most of the time nothing happens, nothing changes for them. They ask me all the time, "Is this going to change?" And I can say, "Well, I don't know, we're doing this, but I can't promise you." But I thought, Well, I can promise a picture.

Photo credit: Adriana Zehbrauskas

Photo credit: Adriana Zehbrauskas

LT: Has that been something that has made you feel uneasy in the past? This sense that you're coming and getting your work and, even though you are bringing awareness, that it's rare to actually see concrete change happen as a result of something that you do?

AZ: Yes, as a journalist that's what we strive for, but sometimes you see change and sometimes you don't. And most of the time you don't. In the beginning, when I started, I was very naive and thought I could change the world. Now I know I can't. But sometimes you can change a little bit, someone's perception. Nothing happens overnight, and it's kind of like a process of waking up.

LT: When did you start to become aware of this phenomenon that people were taking lots of pictures of each other but they didn't actually have a lot of pictures?

AZ: I have a son, and since he was born I was documenting his life every day, and I was shooting with film, and I was printing it. So I have this album - since he was born to five or six years old, and then nothing. My little film camera broke, and it became so hard to develop it, and I was taking pictures with my digital camera. I have it all stored on external discs, but I don't have it printed anymore. And then one day I was showing the pictures to our son, and he said, "Why don't you have any pictures of when I'm older?" And I was like, "Oh, good question." So that started, you know, the first seed of this project.

LT: How do you feel the value people put on photographs has changed with the digital age of photography? Do you feel like photographs are worth less?

AZ: It's funny because I think it's also a paradox. I think people now relate more to photography. Everyone takes pictures and tells their stories online - pictures of your hair, your nails, what you're eating, pictures of your cat, your dog. So I don't think there's ever been a time in history when photography was so pervasive in society, but at the same time I think it's become so much, it's kind of like taking it for granted. You upload somewhere to a cloud, and who knows what will happen with it. It's a very present thing, it's like a moment-thing. No one is thinking about photography as a way to document things, it's photography for enjoyment in that moment. It's like, I take a picture now and upload it now on my Instagram, and my Facebook, and that's it. It's not about "I'm gonna keep this so I can look at it in twenty years." I don't think there's that thought anymore.

Photo credit: Adriana Zehbrauskas

Photo credit: Adriana Zehbrauskas

LT: Do you feel a certain kind of pull to do projects that are more of a collaboration between you and your subjects?

AZ: I think so. I worked for a newspaper for a long time, and it's news, news, news, going from one story to the other, and that's our job. You're there to tell people's stories, and sometimes you can't go back, there's no time to do it. I think that's fine, and you're already giving back a little bit by telling their stories, but I started feeling that it was not enough for me, it was too superficial. It was very little time. So that's why I started doing these types of projects where I could immerse myself more. You have more access to people and can tell their stories if you're more connected to them. And then it becomes like this organic thing. Like you start photographing the community and then you'll become friends with people and end up establishing a relationship with people there. You give them something, and they give you something. I think it's just like how it is naturally.

LT: You're making these photos and then you have to wonder, Will this be the photo someday when someone disappears?

AZ: I think about that all the time. Working in these places, that's a huge possibility that someone's going to go missing. So, I mean, this project is more about creating memory. It's kind of like a counteraction to a possibility, a risk, or a threat.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Laura Tillman is a journalist living in Mexico City. Her first book, The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts: Murder and Memory in an American City, was published in April by Scribner.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Lufthansa said it had made its German pilots a new wage offer to try to end strikes that are causing hundreds of flight cancellations and costing millions of euros a day.

The airline said on Wednesday it had dropped demands that would see pilots working more hours in exchange for a wage increase. It is still offering to raise pilots' pay by 4.4 percent in two instalments in 2016 and 2017 and make a one-off payment worth 1.8 months' pay.

Union Vereinigung Cockpit has called for an average annual pay rise of 3.7 percent for 5,400 pilots over a five-year period backdated to 2012 and had criticised management for seeking additional concessions in exchange for more money.

"We want to get back to the negotiating table as quickly as possible," Lufthansa board member Bettina Volkens said in a statement, adding she hoped the two sides could then discuss other issues such as pensions.

A VC spokesman said the union could not immediately comment on the fresh proposal.

German businesses and some other Lufthansa staff have called for an end to the protests, which are costing the airline 10 to 15 million euros a day.

The strike by pilots on Wednesday grounded almost 900 Lufthansa flights and is the sixth day of strikes since last week. Lufthansa has cancelled about 4,500 flights since the walkouts started last week, the latest in a series of protests that date back to early 2014.

Lufthansa says it has to cut costs to compete with leaner rivals such as Ryanair on short-haul routes and Emirates on longer flights.

One of Lufthansa's major corporate customers, Siemens, said the strikes were harming the Germany economy and the country's image and warned Lufthansa that it needed to become more reliable.

"As a major customer we have to consider how we can deal with this on a long-term basis," Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser told German daily Bild, adding that the pilots should resume talks.

Analysts have said the walkouts are a good opportunity for rivals such as Ryanair and easyJet to gain market share and could mean Lufthansa misses its 2016 profit target. Its shares dropped 2.5 percent on Wednesday, also hit by a rising oil price.

The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) held a rally at Frankfurt airport on Wednesday morning, but also faced a counter-demonstration from Lufthansa ground crew, who feel the pilots are hurting the company and jeopardising jobs.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Additional reporting by Peter Maushagen; editing by David Clarke and Keith Weir)
Berlin (AFP) - German heavyweight airline Lufthansa cancelled a further 890 flights on Wednesday as pilots remained on strike in a long-running wage dispute.

Lufthansa said some 98,000 passengers were grounded by the walkout, which flight crew extended to long-haul flights after Tuesday's action affected only short-haul services.

The airline has sought to limit the impact of the strike by introducing an emergency timetable.

Some 4,461 flights have been cancelled in the six days of strikes since last Wednesday, according to Lufthansa.

Pilots launched their 15th round of industrial action since spring 2014 on Tuesday, after a two-day pause on Sunday and Monday that saw talks break down with management.

Directors and pilots have failed to agree on a wage increase, and Lufthansa's offer of a mediation process has been flatly rejected by pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit.

The flight crew organisation plans a demonstration at Lufthansa hub airport Frankfurt late on Wednesday morning.

Other airlines in the group, including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, are not affected by the strike and are running a normal service.

Cockpit has not so far called for the strike to continue into Thursday.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Lupaka Gold Corp. ("Lupaka Gold" or "the Company") (LPK.V) (LQP.F) reports its financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

The following is taken from the Company's condensed consolidated interim Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, both of which are filed at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

Notable events - the Company's events of note for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and to date are as follows:

On October 6, 2016, the Company provided an update regarding its three development projects;

On August 25, 2016, the Company announced the appointment of Lucio Pareja to its Board. Lucio brings to the Board his extensive experience in the development and ongoing operations of producing underground and open pit mines in Peru. The Company also announced that the Board had accepted the resignation of director Jaime Pinto;

On June 30, 2016, the Company announced that it had: executed a definitive Pre-Paid Forward Gold Purchase Agreement with PLI Huaura Holdings LP ("PLI Financing"), a limited partnership organized under the laws of British Columbia, to fund the completion of development and initiate production at the Invicta Gold Project, upon the Company's completion of certain conditions precedent; completed a bridge loan financing for gross proceeds of $750,000 with a group of third-party individuals (83%) and Insiders of the Company (17%). The Company paid $8,100 cash in finders' fees and $16,300 in other costs in connection with third-party investors; and

On February 22, 2016 the Company announced that it had completed a non-brokered private placement of common shares for total gross proceeds of $419,500 (see "Outstanding Share Data" below for additional details) and completed its second run-of-mine bulk test of 532 tonnes, achieving total recoveries of 87.52% for Gold, 91.18% for Silver and 91.52% for Copper;

Summarized Financial Highlights - all amounts are in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated:



Nine months ended September 30

2016

($000's) 2015

($000's) Operating expenses



Exploration 1,175 2,045 General and administration 373 745





Operating loss 1,548 2,790 Accretion expense 33 - Interest expense 22 - Finance income - interest - (5) Foreign exchange (gain) loss (7) 24





Loss for the period 1,596 2,809





Loss per share - Basic and diluted $0.01 $0.03

Exploration and development expenses - all such expenses relate to the Peru operations of the Company and they totalled $1,175,000 for 2016 compared to $2,045,000 for 2015, a net decrease of $870,000 for the period, as a result of: a net decrease of $900,000 in Camp, Community Relations and Related costs; and a net increase of $30,000 in Project Administration.

General and administration expenses - all such expenses relate to the Canadian operations of Lupaka Gold and they totalled $373,000 for 2016 compared to $745,000 for 2015, with the decrease of $372,000 being the result of:

A net decrease of $208,000 in Salaries and Benefits; a decrease of $149,000 in Shareholder and Investor Relations; a decrease of $23,000 in Office and General expenses; and an increase of $8,000 in Professional and Regulatory Fees.

A snapshot of the Company's balance sheet is as follows:

In thousands of dollars September 30,

2016 December 31,

2015 Cash and cash equivalents 73 52 Working capital (defined as current assets less current liabilities) (1,784) (1,816) Total assets 28,112 29,450 Total liabilities 2,629 2,215 Shareholders' equity 25,483 27,235

The principal changes in the Company's cash during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 were as follows:

Cash used in operating activities in the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $1.491,000 ($2,613,000 - nine months ended September 30, 2015), principally to fund the Company's loss for the period of $1,596,000 ($2,809,000 - nine months ended September 30, 2015), non-cash charges including depreciation of $40,000 ($113,000 - nine months ended September 30, 2015), and share-based compensation of $61,000 ($66,000 - nine months ended September 30, 2015), and offset by a $18,000 gain on disposal of equipment ($Nil - nine months ended September 30, 2015), as well as a net decrease of $11,000 in non-cash working capital (net increase of $17,000 - nine months ended September 30, 2015).

There was $17,000 in investing activities in the nine months ended September 30, 2015, including $20,000 in proceeds on the sale of equipment and $3,000 in purchases of equipment, compared with net cash used in investing activities of $87,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2015 for purchases of equipment.

Net cash from financing activities in the nine months ended September 30, 2016 totalled $1,437,000, consisting of $400,000 in proceeds from a February 2016 private placement, $725,000 in net proceeds from a bridge loan that closed on September 30, 2016, $296,000 from exercises of share purchase warrants and $16,000 from exercises of stock options.

Total current liabilities as at September 30, 2016 totalled $1,923,000 ($1,937,000 - December 31, 2015), comprised of accounts payable and accrued liabilities, mostly for community and Invicta project-related obligations, as well as an accrued liability of $644,000 for severance due to the Company's former President & CEO. Long-term liabilities consisted of provisions for reclamation of $273,000 ($278,000 - December 31, 2015), the difference being attributable to changes in foreign exchange rates from December 31, 2015 to September 30, 2016 and the accreted balance of a bridge loan of $433,000 ($Nil - December 31, 2015) that closed on June 30, 2016.

Status of PLI Financing

Invicta continues to move forward and we anticipate start-up of on-site work shortly. Although the Pre-Paid Forward Gold Purchase Agreement with PLI Huaura Holdings LP (the "PLI Financing") was signed on June 30, 2016, the actual receipt of funding has experienced delays due to completion of a number of conditions-precedent items such as clarification of tax issues, amendment of various security-related clauses of pre-existing royalty agreements on the Invicta property and the process of formally registering the liens and mortgages in Peru, as required under the financing agreement.

As soon as funding is received, the Company intends to ramp-up to a 350 tonnes per day ("tpd") production rate as soon as reasonable while processing all mineralized material on a contract basis. Once a steady-state 350 tpd production rate is established, expansion potential and a timetable for the construction of Invicta's own processing facility will be developed.

"We have experienced significant logistical delays in completing all of the conditions precedent for our previously announced PLI Financing but anticipate getting these out of the way imminently." Stated Gordon Ellis, C.E.O., "As the financial statements show, the Company's expenses to date are approximately one-half of what they were during the same period last year, as we have been reducing costs where possible, while maintaining the activities required to move our projects forward and satisfy the aforementioned conditions precedent. We at Lupaka look forward to moving on to the active production stage at Invicta and to the creation of internal cash flow."

Grant of Incentive Stock Options

Effective November 28, 2016, the Company has granted, pursuant to its 2010 Incentive Stock Option Plan, incentive stock options to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company for the purchase of up to 2,435,000 shares for an aggregate of 8,695,000 or 8% in the capital stock of the Company. The options vest over 18 months from date of grant and are exercisable on or before November 28, 2021, at a price of $0.16 per share.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Lupaka Gold Corp., Investor Relations at +1 (604) 681-5900, e-mail: info@lupakagold.com or visit the Company's website at www.lupakagold.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding the Invicta Production Decision

The decision to commence production at the Invicta Gold Project and the Company's plans for a mining operation as referenced herein (the "Production Decision and Plans") were based on economic models prepared by the Company in conjunction with management's knowledge of the property and the existing preliminary estimate of measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources on the property. The Production Decision and Plans were not based on a preliminary economic assessment, a pre-feasibility study or a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with the Production Decision and Plans, in particular the risk that mineral grades will be lower than expected, the risk that construction or ongoing mining operations are more difficult or more expensive than expected, the risk that the Company will not be able to transport or sell the mineralized rock it produces to local custom toll mills on the terms it expects, or at all; production and economic variables may vary considerably, due to the absence of a detailed economic and technical analysis according to and in accordance with NI 43-101.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release relative to anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, any statements relating to the PLI Financing, the receipt of and anticipated use of proceeds of the PLI Financing, the Company's plans and intentions for Invicta, the expected benefits from a Company-owned processing facility and mineral resource estimates, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made that the Company believes are reasonable, including: that the PLI Financing is consummated on the anticipated terms, that the supplies, equipment, personnel, permits, and local community approvals required to conduct the Company's planned pre-production and development activities will be available on reasonable terms, that the Company will be able to comply with the delivery and other obligations in any PLI Financing agreements, that the contemplated Company-owned processing facility will, if acquired or constructed, achieve the expected benefits, that results of exploration activities will be consistent with management's expectations and that the Company will not experience any material accident, labour dispute, or failure of equipment and with respect to the planned mining operations at Invicta; that pre-production mine development can be completed in the time and for the cost projected; that the Company will be able to obtain funding for planned production expenses; that mineralization on the Invicta project will be of the grades and in the locations expected; that the Company will be able to extract and transport mineralized rock efficiently and sell the mineralized rock at the prices and in the manner and quantities expected; that permits will be received on the terms and timeline expected and that other regulatory or permitting issues will not arise; that mining methods can be employed in the manner and at the costs expected and that such methods yield the results the Company expects them to. However, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: all of the risks described in this news release; failure of the PLI Financing to close on the proposed terms or at all, including due to the Company's inability to complete the conditions precedent, the risk that the contemplated Company-owned processing facility will not be completed or will not achieve the expected benefits, the risk that actual results of exploration and development activities will be different than anticipated; that the Company will not be able to comply with the delivery or other obligations in the PLI Financing and the risk that PLI will enforce its security over the Company's assets, including its mineral properties; that cost of labour, equipment or materials will increase more than expected; that the future price of gold will decline; that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S. dollar; that mineral resources are not as estimated; unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade or recovery rates; risks related to shipping mineralized rock; the risk that local mills cannot or will not buy or process mineralized rock from the planned production for the prices expected or at all; risk of accidents, labour disputes and other risks generally associated with mineral exploration; unanticipated delays in obtaining or failure to obtain community, governmental or regulatory approvals or financing; and all of the risks generally associated with the development of mining facilities and the operation of a producing mine, as well as the risks described in the Company's annual information form, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Lupaka Gold does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Lupaka Gold Corp.
Kibuku district leadership has petitioned ministry of disaster Preparedness, Relief and Refugees for immediate relief food supply to the district for the people who are starving and are at risk of death

In a letter dated Nov 25 2016, the district chairperson Charles Kadyama states that the lack of food is likely to worsen due to the prolonged dry spell.

The Most affected sub-counties are Kabweri, Kasasira, Bulangira, Kibuku,Tirinyi, Kdama, Buseta and Kirika.

In response, the state minister for relief and refugees Musa Ecweru, accompanied to the district by state minister for local government, Jennipher Namuyangu, have appealed to the people of Kibuku not to sell and misuse the available food as the country is in total food crisis.

The two ministers were speaking to the leaders of Kibuku district during their fact finding mission to assess the food situation in the district.
Lyantonde Resident District Commissioner has warned residents against employing children to trap and vend grasshoppers.

Suleiman Tuguragara Matojo sounded the warning during a security meeting held at his office.

He says the practice that is wide spread in the area has greatly affected childrens education and physical growth.

Matojo says that his office has received several complaints over children that are engaged in vending grasshoppers warning that those caught risk being arrested.

Allan Kabwami, the chairperson of grasshopper dealers in Lyantonde district has dismissed claims saying that their laws are strict on allowing children into the business.

He has however, promised to help police in arresting people that employ children because it is against their law.
Singapores State Courts (Yahoo file photo)

She was taking care of a two-year-old boy but upset by a scolding that she received a day earlier, she punched him on the head. For that, Indonesian maid Ayunda Lestari Dayuki was jailed for four months on Wednesday (30 November) after pleading guilty to one count of ill-treatment of a child or young person.

The 24-year-old had worked for the family for about one year when the incident happened on 22 September this year.

A day before the incident, she was scolded by her female employer  the boys mother  for sleeping in the living room when she was supposed to take care of the boy, who cannot be named due to a gag order.

At about 10am on the day of the incident, Ayunda had brought the boy to the toilet to bathe him. When he refused to be bathed and started to cry, she became angry.

Recalling the scolding, she punched the boy on the back of his head thrice, before using a toilet brush to hit him in the same area.

The boys father discovered that there was swelling on his sons head in the evening and took him to the National University Hospital the next day. The doctor who attended to the boy noted an injury consistent with blunt trauma.

Ayunda, who was not represented by a lawyer, pleaded for a lighter sentence via an interpreter.

When asked by Judge Salina Ishak about the offence, Ayunda said she was remorseful and apologised for her silly acts.

For ill-treating a child, she could have been fined up to $4000 and jailed up to four years.
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LONDON  A British actor has been named the world's best Vincent Van Gogh lookalike after a global search to find the artist's doppelganger.

Actor Dan Baker, 35, beat 1,250 contestants from 37 countries in an international competition to find someone who bears a resemblance to the Dutch painter.

SEE ALSO: Glowing Vincent van Gogh costume will illuminate your Halloween

Van Gogh  who died 126 years ago  is best known for his unique Post-Impressionist style, and his most famous works include "Sunflowers," "The Starry Night," along with his self-portraits.

After a friend told Baker that the global search for a lookalike was underway, he decided to send a photo of himself to see what would happen.

Image: Vincent Van Gogh / SWNS.com

Image: SWNS.com

The man behind the competition is Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland  best known for writing 1991 novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture  who intends to enlist the winner as a model for an enormous bronze sculpture of Van Gogh's head.

Baker's red hair, beard and high cheekbones made him stand out in the contest as a strong contender.

Baker was asked to send in more photos of himself before taking part in a Skype interview before being named the 'most accurate' lookalike and a 4,000 ($4,975) prize.

Image: SWNS.com

Baker's face has already undergone a 3D scanning process so Coupland can create the bronze bust of the artist, which will go on display at a Canadian vineyard in 2017.

BONUS: This graphite skeleton is literally drawing itself to death
A long-married North Carolina couple died suddenly after the man suffered a heart attack trying to revive his wife, who he found unresponsive, according to reports.

Johnny Hatley, 67, found his wife, 66-year-old Teresa Hatley, on the floor of their Stanly County home on Sunday morning, family members told the Stanly News & Press.

The distraught husband began performing CPR on his wife, who was believed to have already died.

First responders reportedly told the family that Johnny experienced a heart attack as he tried to save his wife of 31 years.

Read: Wife Of Real-Life 'Fault In Our Stars' Couple Dies Just Days After Husband

Obviously, he could not live without her, their daughter, Lisa Hammill, told the newspaper.

Their other daughter, Shelly Palmer, said: Lisa and I are at peace knowing, without a doubt, that our parents are together in heaven.

The beloved couple were remembered as generous and caring pillars of the New London community, where they owned and operated Fast Stop Food Stores.

I cant imagine New London without them both, mourner Lori Stiller wrote on Johnnys memorial page.

Read: Husband Dies Trying To Rescue Wife From Ocean Rip Currents

I just cant believe New London lost such a great couple on the same day. We will forever be grateful for what your parents have done for our town, she posted on Teresas page. Their legacy will live on in all our hearts.

In addition to their two daughters, the couple was survived by their son, David, whom they cared for, four grandchildren, their sisters and many nieces and nephews, their obituaries read.

The Hatleys will have a joint funeral at 11 a.m. Thursday at Highland Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family wished that memorials be made to the David Hatley Fund at Bank of North Carolina, PO Box 489 in Albemarle, North Carolina, 28002 to help care for their son.

Story continues

Watch: Retired Officer Dies of Cancer After Getting Final Salute By Dozens of Cops

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When a man spotted something fishy on the beach in Australia, he thought he may have stumbled upon a homicide or a drowning.

Officers at the Australia police station were perplexed when a resident informed them hed found the lone "breast implant" of the "victim."

Read: She Was Catfished! Woman Smacked in the Face and Knocked Out by Fish That Fell From Sky

Officers were all hands on deck when, much to their initial alarm, a concerned citizen attended the counter to report a possible homicide," police said in a statement.

While on the boob job, however, police discovered the "implant" was actually a transparent jellyfish.

Read: Did Drunken Vandals Kill One of the World's Rarest Fish?

The species of jellyfish is reportedly commonly found in the area and not considered dangerous.

Colin Sparkes, of Surf Life Saving Queensland, told the BBC the aquatic animal's tentacles "have been knocked off by wave action or eaten by fish.

Watch: Diver Straddle a Huge Shark to Untangle It From Rope

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An angry motorist in Melbourne has been captured on film grabbing a bat and berating another driver stopped at a red light in a tense moment of road rage.

A Melbourne man, who requested anonymity, told Storyful that the situation went awry when the driver of the Lexus appeared to be distracted on his phone while in the slip lane, causing traffic to back up. Thats when the white SUV drove around it, a move that may have set off the driver of the Lexus.

The video, shared on November 29, shows the driver of a black Lexus sedan swerve carelessly several times toward a white SUV, who manages to veer to safety. The two vehicles then stop at a red light in the suburb of Cheltenham when the driver of the Lexus gets out of his car with a bat, and races toward the drivers side of the white SUV, scolding the motorist before returning to his vehicle. Credit: Anonymous via Storyful
So many veterans are heading to Standing Rock to support #NoDAPL protestors that the event reached capacity

As the fight at the Dakota Access Pipeline continues, there is a new development that may surprise you: thousands of veterans are heading to Standing Rock. Why? Because these veterans want to support #NoDAPL protesters. Were just so wowed that veterans are heading to Standing Rock. Its a serious move of solidarity, and an important one, too, considering the violence that many water protectors have faced.

ICYMI, the #NoDAPL protests continue at Standing Rock in North Dakota as a result of the creation of the Dakota Access Pipeline. But things are changing.

Now, hundreds of veterans plan to attend to act as human shields for the protestors.

A photo posted by Zoe Kravitz (@zoeisabellakravitz) on Nov 24, 2016 at 10:18am PST

According to the Independent U.K., the veterans are heading to Standing Rock as a part of Veterans for Standing Rock, which has encouraged veterans to, they explain,

Assemble as a peaceful, unarmed militia and defend the water protectors from assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force and DAPL security.

According to the GoFundMe campaign, over 2,000 veterans are planning to attend, meaning that the event hit capacity. They continue,

Well be standing alongside peaceful water protectors, whove endured violent attacks from the private security funded by DAPL and more brutality and arrests at the hands of militarized police and DAPL security. We have full support of the Sioux tribe elders and will be cooperating with them every step of the way.

A photo posted by Shailene Woodley (@shailenewoodley) on Oct 27, 2016 at 1:54pm PDT

Just, wow. Were feeling so hopeful right now, and so amazed at this act of collaboration and solidarity. If stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline is something you feel passionate about, heres how you can support the #NoDAPL protestors.

The post So many veterans are heading to Standing Rock to support #NoDAPL protestors that the event reached capacity appeared first on HelloGiggles.
A day after wind gusts of nearly 90 mph rushed flames of wildfires through the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the nearby Great Smoky Mountains, a dour portrait of the aftermath began to emerge. At least three people were confirmed dead and many more were missing. Hundreds of scorched homes were left behind. Local businesses in the popular tourist destination had been destroyed by the flames.

The fires forced more than 14,000 residents and tourists to evacuate the area Monday and early Tuesday as the blaze spread quickly and with little warning. They left behind a well-known town with a central tourist district mostly intact but surrounded by areas that a volunteer firefighter there likened to the apocalypse.

Some of the towns best known destinations were spared by the fires, which are part of several blazes in the region that have sparked up in the last month. Those destinations include the Dollywood theme park and resort, which was evacuated but was not damaged, Dolly Parton confirmed Tuesday. Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokies, which had also been evacuated as a precaution, was also left intact, officials announced Tuesday. A team of marine biologists and life support experts were reportedly tending to the 10,518 animals that were left behind during the evacuation.

Extended drought conditions in the region have led this month to the fire near Gatlinburg and also a 25,000 acre fire that spread from Georgia to North Carolina and another 28,000 acre fire in north Georgia.

NASA Gatlinburg fire picture space

Photo: NASA

The drought encompasses the entire southeastern United States, according to a drought monitor kept up by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There has been little or no rainfall in some areas in the past six months. That dry spell has hurt farmers there and created increasingly dangerous conditions that can lead to devastating fires like those this week.

drought monitor UNL

Photo: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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In October 2014, a crowd at an LGBT rights rally in Taipei, one of many, lobbed four large red balloons emblazoned with the Chinese characters for marriage equality into the fenced courtyard of Taiwans legislature. At that time, a comfortable majority of Taiwanese supported same-sex marriage; a number of polls in the self-governing island of 23 million indicated as much, with one showing as many as 71 percent in favor. But several initiatives to amend the law to achieve marriage equality, first mooted in 2003, have not been successful. Two years later, three marriage equality bills now sit on legislators desks; although international media have been quick to announce that Taiwan stands on the cusp of being the first government in Asia to achieve marriage equality, the islands public seems deeply divided. In the latest poll on the subject, released on Nov. 29, 46 percent of respondents supported marriage equality, while 45 percent opposed it. Meanwhile, Taiwans lawmakers and its civil society have been more cautious than recent headlines in Western media suggest.

Island-wide marriage equality initiatives have been unsuccessful in spite of growing support over decades. Even without national legislation, many local governments in Taiwan now allow same-sex couples to participate in collective weddings and to record their partnership in household registries across the island, although neither action confers any legal rights.

To many, the election of President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in January portended a broader, deeper change. Tsai openly made statements that appeared to support marriage equality during and after her campaign. In an October 2015 Facebook video posted to coincide with Taipeis annual LGBT pride parade, Tsai exclaimed, Everyone is equal before love. A year later, she posted a photo on her Facebook page showing a rainbow, adding that her belief has not changed post-election. In August, Tsai appointed the first transgender official in government, Audrey Tang, as executive councilor for digital policy, which looked like another step toward acceptance of different gender norms.

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Since Tsai took office this May, pressure has been building on her to deliver. Yet she has never explicitly promised that her administration would push for same-sex marriage legislation, and critics have feared that once in office, she would find herself unable to follow through on her progressive rhetoric. The party that Tsai leads, the DPP, has neither devoted sufficient resources to communicate the issues of marriage equality nor to reconcile differences within the party, Victoria Hsu, who heads the nonprofit Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR), told Foreign Policy.

It was therefore a setback when Justice Minister Chiu Tai-san announced in August that his ministry still intended to introduce its own same-sex partnership bill  but only in 2017, after studying the impact of such a law on Taiwanese society. (In Taiwan, ministries can introduce bills into the legislature.) The effort dates back to the previous, more socially conservative Kuomintang (KMT) administration of Ma Ying-jeou and is an attempt to compromise between supporters of marriage equality and religious groups opposed. Proposing a separate law for same-sex partnership is politically easier, as it leaves the institution of marriage as currently constituted unchanged.

In the absence of strong top-down leadership on the issue from Tsai, momentum for the bills currently under consideration has come from the bottom up. Audrey Ko, the chief editor of Womany, an online media outlet focused on gender issues and LGBT rights, says a stigma remains for gays and lesbians in Taiwan, one her company seeks to dispel. Other organizations, such as the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association, perform peer counseling and advocacy work. Even corporations are chipping in; in March, McDonalds released a commercial in which a son comes out to his father in one of its restaurants. (The father accepts it.)

This summer, a number of Taiwanese pop artists organized a benefit concert to raise awareness for marriage equality; tickets sold out in minutes. Pop superstar Jolin Tsai performed a lesbian-themed song for the occasion. In the music video for the song Were All Different, Yet the Same, she makes the case for marriage equality by describing the plight of a woman whose partner of more than 30 years is hospitalized; the woman is unable to sign a consent form for emergency surgery because she is legally not a spouse or family member.

A real-life version of this tragedy triggered public outcry and reinvigorated support for marriage equality. On Oct. 16, 67-year-old French professor Jacques Picoux fell to his death from the top of a 10-story building in Taipei, police said. He is thought to have committed suicide after depression caused by the death of his partner due to cancer; Picoux was unable to make medical decisions for his partner in his final days, as Picoux had no legal status. In a response to this outcry, legislators from the DPP and the KMT, as well as the caucus of the New Power Party (NPP), a young activist organization, all introduced similar marriage equality bills.

All three proposals would amend the Taiwan Civil Code to open marriage to same-sex couples, but they differ in how to do so. DPP legislator Yu Mei-nus proposal introduces a general provision extending to same-sex couples the right to marriage, as well as other family law rights that accompany married status. But it leaves further gendered language across the civil code intact. The proposals of KMT legislator Hsu Yu-ren and the NPP would make references to husband and wife and father and mother gender-neutral throughout all relevant civil code provisions. These latter two proposals have great symbolic meaning, because they remove a heterosexual presumption from the code, but the legal effect is likely no different than Yus proposal.

There is still a long legislative road to travel before Taiwan can become the first Asian government to legalize same-sex marriage. The bills passed their first reading on Nov. 17, but the DPP caucus whip has said the proposed bills will next be reviewed on Dec. 26. During the review process, any legislator can introduce a competing same-sex partnership act. Even if the bills were to enter a second reading, they could still face a boycott and be removed from the agenda. The bills will only become legislation after passing three readings.

As these bills went through their first reading in the legislature this month, thousands of people protesting against marriage equality, and only several hundred rallying for it, gathered on Taipeis streets. Opposition to marriage equality in Taiwan largely comes from small but well-organized and vocal conservative religious groups. Four people reportedly even managed to storm into the legislative meeting room, shouting that the legislators are monsters and would want to change Taiwan into an AIDS island.

It is hard to tell whether the legislature will pass a same-sex marriage bill this time, says Hsu of TAPCPR, partly because of internal opposition within the DPP and KMT. (The NPP caucus fully supports its bill but only holds five seats in legislature.) Tsai has reiterated that the bills are clear evidence marriage equality has support across all parties. But even Yu, who introduced the DPP bill, says she is only cautiously optimistic about the chances of passing a marriage equality law.

Outside lawmakers offices, the battle for public support continues. If anything, it seems to be waning precisely at the time when it will be most needed. More and more people are confessing that they love gays but that they dont support same-sex marriage, said Ko, because they believe allowing same-sex partners to get married will harm traditional family values. She is therefore unsure whether Taiwan will manage to pass a bill in the next year. At least, Ko added, people are talking [about it], and it is not a taboo anymore.

Photo credit: Sam Yeh/Getty Images
A Marriott International, Inc. MAR unit, Tribute Portfolio recently announced the opening of Sthala, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, in Ubud Bali. This property will be the first Balinese property under the Tribute Portfolio brand, the collection of aspirational independent hotels and resorts of Marriott.



Situated on a hilltop among the tropical landscape in Lodtunduh, heart of Balis sought-after Ubud district, the hotel provides an overview of the magnificent Wos River Valley. Owned by PT. Anugrah Anadya Nirmana, Sthala marks a remarkable addition to the available hotel choices in Indonesia's most popular island destination.



This new upscale hotel features over 140 rooms and suites. It encompasses a design plot that focuses on conventional Balinese elements, while blending impeccably with the natural surroundings of the quaint location. Other amenities include a fitness centre, a spa, a dedicated yoga deck and a 400 square meter function space. Guests can also enjoy at distinctive dining venues such as The Naga Rooftop Bar & Lounge, the Sungai Restaurant and the Panorama Pool and Sundeck Lounge.



The Independent Brand



The Tribute Portfolio brand, which debuted in Apr 2015 with its first hotel in Miami, is establishing itself internationally across diverse cities like Singapore, London, Jakarta, Hokkaido, along with closer to home destinations like Tampa, Denver, San Diego, St. Louis and Houston. The strength of the high-end category Tribute Portfolio hotels is their ability to uphold an independent spirit, while benefitting from Marriotts leading distribution network, loyalty and sales mechanisms.

MARRIOTT INTL-A Price

MARRIOTT INTL-A Price | MARRIOTT INTL-A Quote

Marriott Outlook



In September, Marriott acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to become the worlds largest hotel company and allow itself huge cost synergies. In fact, the acquisition is expected to result in a bigger brand with increased scale and a robust development pipeline in the long run. Meanwhile, the companys expanding North American business, significant international exposure and attractive brand position should continue to drive growth. Further, its investments in technology for hotel bookings will improve guest experience, which in turn, should boost occupancy.



However, due to its huge international presence, Marriott is susceptible to large-scale foreign exchange headwinds. Furthermore, lingering political uncertainty in key international markets are affecting most of the hoteliers including Hyatt Hotels Corporation H, Hilton Worldwide Holdings HLT, etc. and might restrict revenue growth at Marriott too.



Marriott currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Stock to Consider



A better-ranked hotelier is Red Lion Hotels Corporation RLH whose current-year growth estimate is pegged at 48.7% compared with the industry average of 23.8%. Also, it carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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ROME  Martin Scorsese and Mexican producer Gaston Pavlovich met with Pope Francis on Wednesday prior to a Vatican screening of Silence, the veteran U.S. directors new film about the persecution of Christians in 17th-century Japan.

The private papal audience, held in the Apostolic Palace, was announced by the Vatican press office Tuesday in a clear show of support for Silence, Scorseses passion project.

The film portrays two Portuguese Jesuit missionaries, played by Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, who must contend with various forms of persecution as they travel through 17th-century Japan to proselytize locals and track down their mentor, played by Liam Neeson. The film is based on a novel by the same title by Japanese author Shusaku Endo.

Francis, who is the first Jesuit pope, is known to have joined the Jesuit order hoping to become a missionary in Japan. American priest James Martin, who is editor of the Jesuit weekly America, served as a consultant on Silence.

The Vatican press office said Francis had received Scorsese, who was accompanied by his wife and two daughters, and described the 15-minute meeting as very cordial. The pope told the group that he had read Endos novel. He and Scorsese spoke about the experience of Jesuit missionaries in Japan.

Scorsese gave the pope framed images depicting hidden Christians in Japan, including a reproduction of an ancient image of the Virgin of Nagasaki and a portrait of the martyrs of Japan. The pope gave the guests some rosaries.

Silence will screen Wednesday afternoon in the roughly 50-seat Vatican Film Librarys screening room, located in the Palazzo San Carlo, in Vatican City. It is not known whether the pope will attend.

On Tuesday, Silence screened for roughly 300 Jesuit priests at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, in what amounted to the films de facto world premiere. Attendees were able to discuss the film with Scorsese afterwards.

It was an extremely powerful experience, almost indescribable, to see a film about Jesuit missionaries among my brother Jesuits from all over the world, Martin commented on Facebook.

Story continues

Its taken Scorsese 27-years to make Silence, which had a budget of $46.5 million. The films main financer is Pavlovich, a Mexican businessman and former government official who is now producing increasingly ambitious movies through his Fabrica de Cine company, which has offices in Mexico City and Los Angeles.

The films director and producer share a passion for both movies and religion. Scorsese is known to have considered the priesthood before pursuing film. Pavlovich attends annual Catholic retreats in Mexico and is a frequent guest speaker on Catholic campuses and church events.

While its not unusual for new faith-based films to screen in Vatican City for audiences largely made up of clergy, its rare for the Vatican to become the first place where an upcoming Hollywood release gets its first public screening.

The last Hollywood production to get a Vatican screening was the Angelina Jolie-directed war drama Unbroken, which has a strong spiritual component. It unspooled last year for Vatican prelates at the Vaticans Pontifical Academy for Sciences following its theatrical release. Jolie met briefly with Pope Francis after the Vatican screening, which he did not attend.

Scorseses most spiritual film prior to Silence is The Last Temptation of Christ, which was based on a revisionist novel by Nikos Kazantzakis that gave prominence to Christs human dimension. That film sparked plenty of controversy and was deemed morally offensive by the U.S. Catholic Church in particular due to a dream sequence in which Jesus has sex with Mary Magdalene.

Paramount will release Silence in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 23, a plum awards-season slot, before rolling it out nationwide in January. The pic will go out in Italian theaters via 01 Distribuzione on Jan. 12.

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Watch the First Trailer for Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'
Matthew McConaughey gives rides to University of Texas students and we want to transfer there right now!

Can we go back to college? Legendary actor, Matthew McConaughey gave rides to University of Texas Students and we wish we could magically go back to school in Texas so we too could meet him.

The 47-year-old actor has always been vocal about his support of the University of Texas at Austin, which he graduated from in 1993, and now hes taken his love for the school to the next level.

This week, McConaughey decided to help the university with its SURE Walk program, which helps get students safely home from campus, by helping drive as many students as he could home, and we are freaking out.

Longhorns take care of each other, and its safe to say Matthew McConaughey agrees, the student governments Facebook page read. Dont forget to use SURE Walk when traveling home late at night; you never know who might pick you up!

McConaughey drove four fellow Longhorns, and many more, around in order to give them protection from walking alone late at night, which is alright, alright, alright with us.

While we love this one picture, our reaction to this news of the Dallas Buyers Club actor hanging out at UT is more on point with this undergrads Twitter post.

When u meet Matthew McConaughey & he drives you home & laughs at your joke and finals r about to kill you but all is right with the world, a University of Texas student wrote alongside a selfie with the hot actor.

When u meet Matthew McConaughey & he drives you home & laughs at your joke and finals r about to kill you but all is right with the world  pic.twitter.com/FhNVevbsm0  HeadxOverxHeels (@JIBOMI) November 29, 2016

Okay, its official, we wish we were Longhorns  at least this week while McConaughey is doing good deeds on campus.

The post Matthew McConaughey gives rides to University of Texas students and we want to transfer there right now! appeared first on HelloGiggles.
KIGALI (Reuters) - The Stock Exchange of Mauritius will get its first listing of a "masala" bond - international corporate bonds denominated in Indian rupees - in the next two weeks, paving the way for additional products, its chief executive said.

The 5 billion Indian rupees ($73.01 million) of bonds were issued by ECL, a unit of Indian financial firm Edelweiss, the exchange's Sunil Benimadhu told Reuters on Tuesday.

"For the Stock Exchange of Mauritius to grow, we need to be innovative, we need to use our platform to reach out to issuers who are not only Mauritius-based," he said at a meeting of African exchange chiefs in Rwanda this week.

African capital markets are seeking to introduce new products to cut dependence on equities, which are susceptible to outflows and volatility driven by factors like the current droop in commodity prices.

Benimadhu said the exchange was also offering, in partnership with South African firms, exchange-traded funds, which will give investors exposure to Indian sovereign funds and Standard & Poor's 500 shares.

"Eventually, when we grow the liquidity we would be interested in introducing probably short selling on some of the liquid stocks, but that will come at a later stage," he said.

The Mauritius exchange has a market capitalisation of $12 billion, the chief executive said.

The government of Mauritius, which is already an established offshore financial centre, also plans to introduce a derivatives trading platform, with commodities and currency contracts, Benimadhu said. He offered no details.

The exchange itself will introduce derivatives when it is satisfied certain conditions, like ample liquidity, were met.

"We still need to ensure that the liquidity in the underlying stocks, which has grown over the last few years, keep growing, and then would come to a point where it would be useful for us to think about moving up the value chain," he said.

($1 = 68.4799 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Edmund Blair, Larry King)
The man who created McDonalds Big Mac, Michael Jim Delligatti, died at age 98 on Monday, November 28.



PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars Weve Lost

Kerry Ford  a spokeswoman for the fast food chain  told the Associated Press on Wednesday, November 30, that Delligatti passed away at his Pittsburgh-area home surrounded by family and friends.

Delligatti was known for crafting the original Big Mac burger, which went on to become one of McDonalds most popular menu items for nearly 50 years. The Pennsylvania native opened his own McDonalds franchise in Uniontown the mid-60s and soon began looking for ways to expand McDonalds bill of fare beyond hamburgers, fries and shakes.

PHOTOS: Most Shocking Celebrity Deaths of All Time

Delliganti decided to experiment with making the Mickey Ds burger better by adding two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, and began selling it at his restaurant.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Foodies

During a 2006 interview with the AP, Delliganti revealed that McDonalds initially opposed rolling out his invention to more of its restaurants because sales of the companys burgers were already doing well. However, Delligatti  who went on to own and operate 47 McDonalds locations  never gave up; and after a little bit of pushing, the Big Mac became a national sensation in 1968 after it was introduced to restaurants all over the U.S.



On Wednesday, McDonalds paid tribute to Delliganti via the companys official Twitter account, writing: Today, we celebrate the 98 inspirational years of Big Mac inventor, Michael Jim Delligatti. Jim, we thank and will forever remember you. The fast food chain shared a photo and quote from the fast food inventor, saying: I never would have dreamed that my creation would turn into a piece of Americana.







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Every month the Labor Department issues its jobs report, providing a snapshot of the American economyhow many people are employed, how many are looking for work, whether wages are improving or declining. Behind all those numbers are people. What motivates them to go to their jobs every day? What are their hopes for themselves and their families? How does their work affect how they see themselves?

Over the course of several months, we spoke with more than 100 American workers of diverse backgrounds, occupations, and regions about what their work. The project was loosely-based on the 1974 Studs Terkel book Working, in which he describes work as, a search, too, for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying.

Our interviewees had a lot to say about their jobs, their industries, and their futures: A coal miner in West Virginia talked about what it feels like to work in mining as the industry that once supported his entire community falls apart; a secretary reflected on the cultural pressures that led her to decades of office work; a construction manager wondered whether an economy in which hes been laid off time and time again is really doing so well; a stay-at-home mom took issue with the idea that her worth was determined by traditional measures of income and achievement.

Many of the workers we talked to expressed immense pride in their work. Even for those for whom work was just work, the experiences were core to their sense of self-worth.

Their stories can be found herethe words of just a few of the human beings whose lives make up the numbers of those jobs reports.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Fashion designer Tom Ford has announced that he would not be dressing future first lady Melania Trump when her husband officially becomes president.

While promoting his new film, Nocturnal Animals on The View Wednesday, the designer and filmmaker recalled a time when he was asked to create clothing for the former model.

Read: Gigi Hadid Apologizes for Impersonating Melania Trump: I Have Only the Best Wishes for Our Country

I was asked to dress [Melania Trump] quite a few years ago and I declined," Ford said. "She is not necessarily my image."

He added: The first lady  other than the fact that Im a Democrat and voted for Hillary and am very sad and disappointed that shes not in office  even had Hillary won, she shouldnt be wearing my clothes.

"Theyre too expensive. And I dont mean that in a bad way. Theyre not artificially expensive. Its how much it costs to make these things. But I think to relate to everybody, you shouldnt necessarily [wear such expensive clothes].

Other designers have joined Ford in refusing to dress the former Slovakian model.

Marc Jacobs told Womens Wear Daily: I have no interest whatsoever in dressing Melania Trump Personally, I'd rather put my energy into helping out those who will be hurt by [Donald] Trump and his supporters."

French-born American designer Sophie Theallat, who regularly dressed first lady Michelle Obama, wrote a lengthy open letter she posted to Twitter, in which she denounced the Trumps.

Open letter | Sophie Theallet | November 17th, 2016 pic.twitter.com/g1hIAyBmdF  sophie theallet (@sophietheallet) November 17, 2016

She wrote: As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom, and respect for all lifestyles. I will not participate in dressing or associate myself in any way with the next First Lady. The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by."

Story continues

Theallat added: "Integrity is our only true currency."

Derek Lam told WWD: While I have incredible respect for our country's political institutions, I find it challenging to be personally involved in dressing the new first lady. I would rather concentrate my energies on efforts towards a more just, honorable and a mutually respectful world. I don't know Melania Trump personally, so I don't wish my comments to seem I am prejudging her personal values, but I really don't see myself getting involved with the Trump presidency."

Phillip Lim echoed those sentiments to WWD saying: We do not have a current relationship with Mrs. Trump and I dont foresee a relationship developing under the Trump administration."

Despite that disdain toward Trumps third wife, she has support from other top names in fashion.

Tommy Hilfiger told WWD: I think Melania is a very beautiful woman and I think any designer should be proud to dress her. Ivanka is equally as beautiful and smart, although she wears her own clothes. I don't think people should become political about it. Everyone was very happy to dress Michelle [Obama] as well. I think they look great in the clothes. You're not gonna get much more beautiful than Ivanka or Melania."

Diane von Furstenberg agreed, telling WWD: "Melania deserves the respect of any first lady before her. Our role as part of the fashion industry is to promote beauty, inclusiveness, diversity. We should each be the best we can be and influence by our example."

Thom Browne added: Out of respect for the position of the first lady of our United States, I would be honored to be considered to design for any first lady of the United States."

Read: Melania Trump Will Not Be Moving to the White House Until Barron Finishes School Year

After the election, Carolina Herrera told Business of Fashion she will be reaching out to Mrs. Trump within two or three months and believes everyone will be dressing the president-elects wife because shes representing the United States.

Marcus Wainwright of American clothing company Rag & Bone told The New York Times: It would be hypocritical to say no to dressing a Trump. If we say we are about inclusivity and making American manufacturing great again, then we have to put that before personal political beliefs."

Vera Wang, who has remained neutral about dressing Mrs. Trump, told WWD that the first lady-elect should support American fashion, as did her predecessors."

Watch: Ivanka Trump Raises Conflict of Interest Questions Over Sale of Bracelet She Wore on '60 Minutes'

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Raegan Junge was just 6 years old when she saw a news segment about a family who had lost everything to a tornado  and felt inspired to help.

"The people lost a lot of their belongings  and the kids who lived in the house even lost their toys," she said in a statement. "Thats when I realized its important to help people who have been in natural disasters."

Read: Mom Drowns Holding Son Above Water After He Fell in Lake: 'She Was An Amazing Mother'

So the little girl, from Keystone, Iowa, decided to launch her own non-profit organization in 2011 to help communities struck by natural disasters. And she started raising money in a way a 6-year-old could: Making and selling beaded bracelets.

Now 11, "Rae Rae" has sent supplies to 19 states and her efforts continue. When a tornado recently touched down in the nearby town of Benton, she helped gather supplies to help 48 families.

After making her bracelets, she takes them to local stores and places them beside the cash registers, so customers can take them and donate money. With the funds, she buys clothes, toys, tissues, baby items and other supplies before packing them in boxes for families.

"I always try to buy a mix of necessities and fun items, and we stockpile everything in my office," she said. "I'm proud that I can reach people all over the country."

But as her project has grown, so has her need for more space. So U.S Cellular decided to help her out.

The company recognized Raegans selfless acts for its 'Future of Good' program. They donated supplies to Raegan and gave her $10,000 to help rent a new storage space for two years.

Raegan is a great example of someone who doesnt wait for change to happen, she goes out and does something about it, Grant Leech, vice president of brand management at U.S. Cellular, said in a statement.

Read: Girl, 8, Asks to Clean Up Trash for Her Make-A-Wish Day

Raegan will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange along with five children also nominated for the The Future Of Good program.

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"I want other kids to know that age doesnt matter," she said. "Anyone can help other people. If everybody helps a little, it could become a lot. Thats why I want to help other kids my age get involved in helping their communities because they could learn that its actually so much fun."

Anyone interested in donating to Raegans Tornado Relief Effort, can click here for more information.

Watch: Selfless Teen Spends Her Birthday Money On Buying Meals For Hungry Children

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Steven Mnuchin's investment companies aren't his only connection to Hollywood. Fiancee Louise Linton, 35, who has been known to introduce herself as actress-producer-lawyer, has appeared in and in some cases produced low-budget films, including the 2016 horror movies Cabin Fever and Intruder. The Edinburgh-born Linton's website says she studied acting as a young girl and has a journalism degree from Pepperdine University and a law degree from the University of West Los Angeles. (She is not a member of the State Bar of California.) In 2009, she had a small role in Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs, which she promoted in panties and a garter belt in a provocative spread in Maxim that dubbed her "the hottest thing to come out of Scotland since microwaved haggis."

Linton faced global controversy in July after she self-published In Congo's Shadow: One Girl's Perilous Journey to the Heart of Africa, co-written with Wendy Holden. She intended the book about her gap year to be "the inspiring memoir of an intrepid teenager who abandoned her privileged life in Scotland to travel to Zambia." But she described hiding from Hutu militiamen, writing that, if discovered, "I would be raped. I would be cut down. Smirking men with deadened eyes would brutalize me before casting me aside like a rag doll."

Read more: Inside Steven Mnuchin's Hit-and-Miss Path From Hollywood to Treasury Secretary Pick

A Washington Post opinions editor called the book "the defining work of the White-Savior-in-Africa genre for the digital age." The website Okay Africa dismissed Linton as a "delusional white memoirist." Citing erroneous elements in the book - such as placing the Tutsi-Hutu conflict in Congo rather than Rwanda - critics fired off denunciations that went viral with the hashtag #LintonLies. Linton withdrew the book and restricted access to her Twitter account.

Linton's rep Mike Sitrick says she was targeted unfairly. "Had her critics checked," he says, "they would have found that articles written contemporaneously with the events reported in Louise's book, by among the most respected media in the world, were consistent with Louise's reporting of those events, as was a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees briefing in March 1999."

Story continues

In an Edinburgh Evening News interview promoting the book, Linton said she had dined with Donald Trump, adding, "I appreciate he is polarizing individuals politically, but in person he is thoughtful, personable and polite."

Read more: Hollywood Investor Steven Mnuchin to Be Named Treasury Secretary (Report)

This story appeared in the Dec. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not expect the European Union to open negotiations on new policy areas with Turkey in its talks to join the bloc, her spokesman said on Wednesday. Membership talks have progressed only slowly since they began in 2005 but Merkel has said the EU, which needs Turkey to help tackle the migrant crisis, must engage with Ankara despite concern about its response to a failed coup in July. Bild newspaper ran a story under a headline that said Merkel opposed further EU talks with the fellow NATO member and reported that this meant discussions were effectively over. However, government spokesman Steffen Seibert made clear there was no new stance. "Chancellor Merkel's position on the accession talks has not changed," he told reporters when asked about the article. "The EU and Turkey have been negotiating for years without determining the result in advance. Under the current circumstances, the opening of further negotiating chapters is not conceivable." Neither Ankara nor the EU expect Turkey to be in a position to join the EU for many years to come. Only one of 35 "chapters", or policy areas where Turkey must adopt EU rules, has so far been concluded. Discussions have begun on 15 more chapters while the rest have not yet been taken up. The European Parliament passed a non-binding motion last week urging the Commission and national governments to call a temporary halt to membership talks with Turkey due to Ankara's "disproportionate" response to July's failed coup. Authorities have detained or dismissed more than 125,000 people - including soldiers, academics, judges, journalists and Kurdish leaders - over alleged backing for the coup attempt. However, EU governments are unlikely to change course. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said he had not "closed the book" on the EU but said Ankara had other options with other partners. EU leaders are due to discuss Turkey again when they meet in Brussels at a summit on Dec. 15-16. Germany and other EU states have expressed concern about Erdogan's crackdown which critics say is an attempt to crush dissent. Erdogan has threatened to scrap a deal struck this year under which Turkey would help stop migrants going to Europe in return for visa-free travel to the EU for its citizens. Brussels also agreed to reinvigorate accession talks. A conservative parliamentary source said Merkel had re-stated her position at a meeting of lawmakers when asked about what they should say to voters in their constituencies. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Andreas Rinke, Andrea Shalal and Robin Emmott in Brussels; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
A trip down Memory Lap Lane! Michael Phelps visited Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, Nicole Johnson, and their baby son, Boomer, for the Thanksgiving holiday, and on Monday he took his almost 7-month-old to the pool where he learned to swim.

WATCH: Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson Celebrate Secret Marriage With Wedding Ceremony in Mexico

With the help of the same instructor who first put the Olympian in the water, the happy family tried to coax some enthusiasm out of the cautious infant during one of his first swim lessons.

Boomer mostly clung to his dad's beard, holding tight to him.

"He doesn't want to get wet. He doesn't want his face to go under," Phelps narrated, and once the little tot started to doze off, he added, "I guess he really does go to a happy place, just like Daddy when he's in the pool."

As the Facebook video progressed, Boomer seemed more comfortable in the water, even getting safely dunked underwater with minimal upset.

"So he did better today. He didn't cry that much," Phelps summarized after the lesson. "He had a little good swim today. When we were in here yesterday at the pool he was probably a lot more fussy. But it was good. I felt like he was better relaxed today than before. The pool is so warm, it's like 90 degrees. His big thing is he's obviously not used to going under the water."

It's important to Phelps that Boomer get acclimated to the water, not simply to follow in his dad's footsteps, but also for safety reasons.

WATCH: Michael Phelps Talks Secret Marriage to Nicole Johnson, Says Baby No. 2 'May Be Coming Soon'

"The process has started where he gets to become more water safe and relaxed, more comfortable in the water," he explained. "Hopefully, he'll enjoy it more and more."

For more from Michael's precious family, watch the clip below!

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After earning an undergraduate degree in theater in 2006 and a master's degree in performance studies in 2011, Melanie Lockert had amassed $81,000 in student loan debt. With the recession lingering, Lockert struggled to find a full-time job in New York City, and moving to Portland, Oregon, didn't improve her job outlook either.

But after starting a blog in January 2013 and hobbling together several part-time gigs, Lockert, now 32, managed to eliminate her debt by December 2015. The experience also landed her a book deal. "Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up With Debt" was published in August.

[See: 10 Easy Ways to Pay Off Debt.]

U.S. News recently spoke with Lockert about why she got serious about accelerating her loan payments, how she found her wackiest side hustles and the emotional impact of debt. The following excerpts have been edited for clarity and brevity:

How did you move from frustration over your debt to taking action?

I made the decision to leave New York because I couldn't find a full-time job. I knew that I couldn't afford to pay back my student loan and live in New York and pay rent. So, I moved to Portland to be with my partner and cut my rent in half.

I thought things would be easier in Portland, and unfortunately they were not. The economy was much smaller [in Portland] and I had fewer interviews there than I did in New York. Every day I was so stressed. I felt so overwhelmed with my debt. I had this realization that if I wanted to get out of debt I had to do stuff to get out of it.

I started my blog, DearDebt.com, in January 2013 as a way to keep myself accountable and to talk about all of those taboo emotions and feelings that I was having.

How did you stay motivated?

It was really hard to stay motivated. Debt fatigue is very real. I kept visualizing what my life would look like after debt. I knew that I wanted to travel more. I knew that I wanted to have less stress in my life. I just kept imagining what my bank account would look like without putting $1,000 to debt every month, what that would mean for my travel budget [and what it would mean] that I could actually give more to other people and organizations, that I could say yes more instead of no. I created a secret Pinterest board of my debt-free life to keep me motivated.

Story continues

[See: 10 Steps to Develop a Student Loan Repayment Plan.]

Side jobs were a big part of your debt repayment strategy. Tell us about those.

I'd say one of the most unusual ones was working a rave and selling water bottles from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. I found this gig on Craigslist where this person was hosting a party that was at a warehouse in the middle of the night. I sold water bottles to sweaty, inebriated dancers.

My main side hustle during this time was being a brand ambassador. If you ever go to concerts or sporting events, or even in the middle of public transportation, and people are giving out coupons and free samples, that's a brand ambassador. I am an extravert and a former theater major, so I enjoy talking to people and I enjoy being out in public. Originally, I found those brand ambassador gigs on Craigslist. Then, I found out about the [Facebook groups] Brand Ambassadors of New York and Brand Ambassadors of Portland, and I started signing up for all these marketing agencies.

I worked as a pet sitter. I worked as a mother's helper. I worked at a Jewish congregation as an event assistant. I am not Jewish, which is why they hired me -- they wanted someone who could work holidays. It was a nice insight into Jewish culture, and it was a way for me to make money, and I often got free food and leftovers.

Tell us about the Dear Debt letters.

After six months of blogging, I didn't really know where I was going to go with my blog. There are tons of great websites out there with wonderful financial tips and resources, but I felt like none of them were really discussing the emotional impact that debt has. Everyone thinks: 'It's your fault. You got into debt. Get over it.' But no, there are so many different things at play and we need to acknowledge those emotions so that we can actually take action.

Debt can create a lot of anxiety, shame, depression and guilt. I'm very passionate about emotion, and I'm very passionate about finance. I thought writing these break-up letters to debt would be a perfect marriage of empowering people in a fun way. I invited the community to write break-up letters to debt, and I've had some really wonderful dear debt letters that are humorous -- some that are absolutely heartbreaking. Then, last year Coventry House Publishing approached me about turning my blog into a book.

[See: 8 Financial Steps to Take After Paying Off a Debt.]

Now that you've paid off your debt, what are your new financial goals?

My main priority this year is putting as much money towards saving and investing as possible. I was never very happy in Portland, so I moved back to Los Angeles, where I am from and where my family is.

I went to Italy and celebrated my debt freedom with my mom earlier this year. I am starting to actually live what those dreams were in my debt-free vision board and also saving and investing for the future.





More From US News & World Report


After earning an undergraduate degree in theater in 2006 and a master's degree in performance studies in 2011, Melanie Lockert had amassed $81,000 in student loan debt. With the recession lingering, Lockert struggled to find a full-time job in New York City, and moving to Portland, Oregon, didn't improve her job outlook either.

But after starting a blog in January 2013 and hobbling together several part-time gigs, Lockert, now 32, managed to eliminate her debt by December 2015. The experience also landed her a book deal. "Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up With Debt" was published in August.

[See: 10 Easy Ways to Pay Off Debt.]

U.S. News recently spoke with Lockert about why she got serious about accelerating her loan payments, how she found her wackiest side hustles and the emotional impact of debt. The following excerpts have been edited for clarity and brevity:

How did you move from frustration over your debt to taking action?

I made the decision to leave New York because I couldn't find a full-time job. I knew that I couldn't afford to pay back my student loan and live in New York and pay rent. So, I moved to Portland to be with my partner and cut my rent in half.

I thought things would be easier in Portland, and unfortunately they were not. The economy was much smaller [in Portland] and I had fewer interviews there than I did in New York. Every day I was so stressed. I felt so overwhelmed with my debt. I had this realization that if I wanted to get out of debt I had to do stuff to get out of it.

I started my blog, DearDebt.com, in January 2013 as a way to keep myself accountable and to talk about all of those taboo emotions and feelings that I was having.

How did you stay motivated?

It was really hard to stay motivated. Debt fatigue is very real. I kept visualizing what my life would look like after debt. I knew that I wanted to travel more. I knew that I wanted to have less stress in my life. I just kept imagining what my bank account would look like without putting $1,000 to debt every month, what that would mean for my travel budget [and what it would mean] that I could actually give more to other people and organizations, that I could say yes more instead of no. I created a secret Pinterest board of my debt-free life to keep me motivated.

Story continues

[See: 10 Steps to Develop a Student Loan Repayment Plan.]

Side jobs were a big part of your debt repayment strategy. Tell us about those.

I'd say one of the most unusual ones was working a rave and selling water bottles from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. I found this gig on Craigslist where this person was hosting a party that was at a warehouse in the middle of the night. I sold water bottles to sweaty, inebriated dancers.

My main side hustle during this time was being a brand ambassador. If you ever go to concerts or sporting events, or even in the middle of public transportation, and people are giving out coupons and free samples, that's a brand ambassador. I am an extravert and a former theater major, so I enjoy talking to people and I enjoy being out in public. Originally, I found those brand ambassador gigs on Craigslist. Then, I found out about the [Facebook groups] Brand Ambassadors of New York and Brand Ambassadors of Portland, and I started signing up for all these marketing agencies.

I worked as a pet sitter. I worked as a mother's helper. I worked at a Jewish congregation as an event assistant. I am not Jewish, which is why they hired me -- they wanted someone who could work holidays. It was a nice insight into Jewish culture, and it was a way for me to make money, and I often got free food and leftovers.

Tell us about the Dear Debt letters.

After six months of blogging, I didn't really know where I was going to go with my blog. There are tons of great websites out there with wonderful financial tips and resources, but I felt like none of them were really discussing the emotional impact that debt has. Everyone thinks: 'It's your fault. You got into debt. Get over it.' But no, there are so many different things at play and we need to acknowledge those emotions so that we can actually take action.

Debt can create a lot of anxiety, shame, depression and guilt. I'm very passionate about emotion, and I'm very passionate about finance. I thought writing these break-up letters to debt would be a perfect marriage of empowering people in a fun way. I invited the community to write break-up letters to debt, and I've had some really wonderful dear debt letters that are humorous -- some that are absolutely heartbreaking. Then, last year Coventry House Publishing approached me about turning my blog into a book.

[See: 8 Financial Steps to Take After Paying Off a Debt.]

Now that you've paid off your debt, what are your new financial goals?

My main priority this year is putting as much money towards saving and investing as possible. I was never very happy in Portland, so I moved back to Los Angeles, where I am from and where my family is.

I went to Italy and celebrated my debt freedom with my mom earlier this year. I am starting to actually live what those dreams were in my debt-free vision board and also saving and investing for the future.

Susan Johnston Taylor has contributed to the money section of USNews.com since 2011, covering everything from personal finance apps and spending strategies to mortgages, insurance and estate planning. Her articles on business and personal finance have also appeared in or on The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, Learnvest, Entrepreneur and Fast Company. Susan's goal is to offer readers new insights and practical ways to save money, advance their careers or improve their lives. You can find her on Twitter @UrbanMuseWriter.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Miramar Labs, Inc., (MRLB), a global aesthetic company, announced today that it will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 7th at 8:30 AM PST / 11:30 AM EST at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Mike Kleine, Chief Executive Officer of Miramar, will be presenting, as well as meeting with investors.

Event: 9th Annual LD Micro Main Event

Date: Wednesday, December 7th, 2016

Time: 8:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 a.m. ET

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/microcap companies and will feature 240 presenting names.

An audio webcast of the Company's presentation will be available online at http://wsw.com/webcast/ldmicro11/mrlb. Replay of the presentation will be available for 90 days.

View Miramar Labs' profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/MRLB

News Compliments of Accesswire

About Miramar Labs

Miramar Labs, Inc. is a global medical device company dedicated to bringing innovative and clinically proven applications to treat unmet needs in the aesthetic marketplace. Supported by rigorous clinical research, Miramar Labs is focused on addressing medical conditions for which there are significant unmet clinical needs. The company's first priority is the treatment of bothersome underarm sweat, an issue that hundreds of millions of people deal with daily. The miraDry procedure has an established safety and efficacy profile with over 80,000 patients treated worldwide. Physicians and patients are encouraged to visit www.miramarlabs.com or www.miradry.com for additional information.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

Story continues

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Contact:

Name: Brigid Makes

Phone: 408-579-8700

Address: Santa Clara, CA

Email: investors@miramarlabs.com

Name: Nick Laudico or Zack Kubow

Phone: 646-536-7030 / 7020

Address: New York, NY / San Francisco, CA

Email: nlaudico@theruthgroup.com / zkubow@theruthgroup.com

Name: Bob Prag

Phone: 858-794-9500

Address: Del Mar, CA

Email: bprag@delmarconsulting.com

SOURCE: Miramar Labs via LD Micro
A 44-year-old Washington state mother allegedly doused her teen daughter with gasoline and threatened to light her on fire after becoming angry over a bad test score, PEOPLE confirms.

Lisa Kyles was arrested on Nov. 11, the day after the alleged incident. She was charged with attempted assault and harassment, both with domestic violence qualifiers. She pleaded not guilty to both offenses Tuesday during an appearance in King County Superior Court.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE, police in Federal Way were dispatched to an apartment building on Nov. 10 after receiving reports of an active domestic dispute. At least one of the callers told police an argument had erupted between a mother and daughter and was escalating.

Kyles, who is homeless, had allegedly fled the area by the time police arrived on the scene. There, they encountered Kyles 14-year-old daughter, who allegedly smelled of gasoline. Officers also learned that Kyles allegedly made threats against a woman who had called 911, warning she would return to light her apartment on fire.

 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.

The criminal complaint alleges Kyles daughter appeared to be visibly shaken and was crying and told police her head and hand hurt from allegedly being assaulted. She told officers she was in Kyles parked van hours earlier when her older sister started criticizing her for a grade she had earned on a school test.

Kyles allegedly berated the girl and struck her several times on one of her legs and one of her hands with a tire jack, the complaint states.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases that Shocked America is out now.

Police allege that Kyles then retrieved a gas can from the vans back seat and doused the teen before flicking a lighter close to her.

According to the complaint, the girl escaped, fleeing the van and running towards the nearest apartment building while yelling, Help me, shes trying to set me on fire! and Shes gonna kill me!

Story continues

Kyles allegedly chased after the girl, who was escorted into the apartment building by several residents, the complaint states. When one witness confronted Kyles about her daughters claims, Kyles allegedly threatened to set the witness and her apartment on fire and said, Its my daughter and I can do as I please!

The girl was taken to a local hospital for treatment. She is now in state custody, police say.

The criminal complaint alleges Kyles admitted to hitting her daughter but denied whipping her or pouring gasoline on her. She also said she didnt threaten anyone during the dispute. She also told police the argument was fueled by content shed found on her daughters phone.

Kyles is being held on $150,000 bail and court records do not indicate if she has an attorney or who that is.




When a Kansas police department set up cameras to monitor wildlife at a local park, they didn't expect to find these fantastic beasts roaming around.

Read: Las Vegas Taco Restaurant Turns Robbery Footage Into Hilarious Ad

Lt. Lee Krout of the Gardner Police Department told InsideEdition.com the cameras were placed in Celebration Park about two weeks ago, after a concerned citizen reported tracks of what was believed to be a mountain lion.

The footage showed coyotes and raccoons, but cops were not prepared for what they saw next: Pranksters dressed as monsters, gorillas and even Santa Claus.

Seeing the humor of the situation, the Gardner Police Department posted the images to its Facebook page.

"We actually got a big kick out of it," Krout said. "We thought it was really funny. It made our day."

He said they weren't surprised by the prank since the cameras were out in the open. "My theory is it was probably some kids that had seen [the camera] so they just decided to go out and have some fun with it."

Despite the antics, Krout said the pranksters were "really respectful," and did not do anything obscene or damage the property.

Authorities also said they were not able to identify the pranksters, since they were careful in keeping their faces hidden from cameras.

Read: Burglar Busted After Surveillance Footage Caught Him Doing Happy Dance After Robbing a Car

While the cameras appeared to capture every creature  animal and human  that roams Celebration Park at night, cops said they did not spot the mountain lion that initially prompted installation of the cameras.

Watch: Bored Man Replaces Family Photos in Home With Steve Buscemi to Prank His Parents

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Moscow (AFP) - The Kremlin on Wednesday demanded an explanation after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara intervened in the Syria conflict solely to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkish forces are pressing on with a three-month operation inside Syria in support of anti-Assad forces, while Russia is the chief ally of the Syrian president in the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011.

At the same time, Turkey and Russia have also been working hard to improve relations after clinching a reconciliation deal in June to repair ties brought to a historic low by Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet in November 2015.

Erdogan had said at a meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday: "We went in there to put an end to the rule of the tyrant Assad who carries out state terror, not for anything else."

His comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to meet Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Turkish resort of Alanya on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists he hoped that "clarification will come shortly from our Turkish partners".

Peskov said Erdogan's comment "is not in harmony with previous statements" and "not in harmony with our understanding of the situation".

- 'Flagrant Turkish aggression' -

The Syrian foreign ministry said Erdogan's statement "shows clearly that the flagrant Turkish aggression against the Syrian territory is only the result of the ambitions and the illusions of an extremist despot".

"The leaders, the army and the Syrian people will not allow this arrogant despot to interfere in their affairs," it said in a statement.

Turkey is waging the operation against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and also Kurdish militia to back pro-Ankara rebels, in an unprecedented military incursion.

There has so far been no indication of clashes with Assad's forces or that Turkey plans any offensive against regime-held territory.

Story continues

Russia has generally steered clear of any sharp criticism of the Turkish offensive.

But the Turkish army accused Damascus last week of launching an air strike that killed four Turkish soldiers in Syria, the first time it has made such a claim during the incursion.

Erdogan has repeatedly pushed for the ouster of Assad as the only solution to end the Syrian war and had, until recently, vehemently criticised Russia's military support for his forces and even accused President Vladimir Putin of war crimes.

But since the deal to normalise ties between Turkey and Russia, Ankara has been muted in its criticism of Russia's actions -- in particular its backing for Assad forces in the devastating battle for Aleppo.

Peskov stressed Wednesday that "Turkey is our partner" and said Putin and Erdogan are "in very intensive and confidential contact".

Erdogan and Putin discussed the Syria conflict by phone on Saturday for the second time in just over 24 hours.

Peskov said Erdogan "did not make such statements (on Assad) during his contacts with our president."

Fyodor Lukyanov, who heads the Russian government-linked Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, told Interfax news agency it was against Turkey's interests to take a categorical position on Assad.

"Since Ankara is highly interested in cooperation with Moscow -- as the Turkish side stresses constantly at various levels -- that would run counter to this."

"The various players see Moscow's actions in Syria differently, but as a result of those actions, Assad's position has seriously strengthened," he said.
LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The German Grand Prix was dropped formally from the 2017 Formula One calendar on Wednesday with the renamed Azerbaijan Grand Prix given a new date to avoid a clash with the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race. The absence of Germany was expected, with Hockenheim reluctant to host the race in successive years for financial reasons despite it being a home event for dominant Mercedes and new champion Nico Rosberg. Races in Brazil and Canada, whose fate had also been left open on the draft calendar, were confirmed on a 20-race final version published by the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA). Mexico's race is again paired with the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, in October rather than with Brazil. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
Nov 30 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Wednesday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com.

RBC GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

The asset management unit of Royal Bank of Canada said on Wednesday it had appointed four new executives to strengthen its U.S. institutional sales team.

GUNVOR GROUP

The Swiss-based commodities trader has hired Rich Brockmeyer to head North American natural gas trading at its Stamford office, according to a source.

EXIGER

The regulatory risk and compliance firm said it appointed Richard Plansky to head its newly launched global investigations practice.

PEACEABLE STREET CAPITAL

The private investment firm named Kelly Smith as president of its Canada operations.

NEON UNDERWRITING LTD

The insurer operating in the specialist Lloyd's market said Geoff Riddell would succeed John Mumford as non-executive chairman, effective February.

JETSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT

The asset management firm named Igor Pikovsky chief risk officer.

STANDARD CHARTERED PLC

The financial services company has announced changes to its corporate finance group as part of a move to cut headcount in its global corporate and institutional banking division, according to an internal memo issued on Tuesday and sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

(Compiled by Komal Khettry and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru)
Creating well-balanced space meals.

These arent your kitchen cabinet granola bars.

NASA is developing a line of high-tech, nutrient-dense food bars for its planned Orion missions into space. They are meant for sustaining space travelers during the two-and-a-half years it will take to fly to Mars and back.

When it comes to packing food on board, engineers hope to save space by stocking more meal replacement food bars, which currently come in at least four flavors: banana nut, orange cranberry, ginger vanilla, and barbecue nut. Each bar contains 700-900 calories and is designed to be a substitute for breakfast.

On the International Space Station at the moment, astronauts can choose between about 200 different meal options. But on smaller spacecrafts, where cargo weight and storage space are more tightly controlled to ensure enough room for fuel, the US space agency is looking for ways to maximize efficiencies.

Earthlings use food bars to replace meals on occasionnot always successfully but there are no reliable products for the long-term, wholesale replacement of meals. Theres no commercially-available bar right now that meets our needs, so weve had to go design something that will work for the crew, while trying to achieve a multi-year shelf-life, NASA said in a statement.

Its not just food bars with which the space agency has been experimenting. Engineers are also looking to optimize in-flight management of fresh vegetables, too.

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Natalie Portman on Nov. 6 (Photo: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for LA Confidential)

Natalie Portman will be in select theaters on Friday playing the title role in Jackie, director Pablo Larrains drama about Jackie Kennedy in the days following her husbands assassination. Its a role that could very well earn Portman another Oscar nomination (after her win for 2010s Black Swan). But according to the actress, those meaty roles come along all too rarely. In an interview with New York magazine, Portman, 35, complained that contemporary Hollywood films dont make great female characters a priority.

There are not great female roles that are just flourishing, Portman said.

Playing Jackie Kennedy, the actress immersed herself in mid-century American culture, and believes that the opportunities for women in film were actually better in the 50s and 60s. Even if theyll make the occasional sexist comment, they still have a central woman character who has a personality, she said, citing films like Billy Wilders Sunset Boulevard and Alfred Hitchcocks Marnie. Now I feel like movies are all about white men and then you get a couple that happen to be about women.

Related: A Reminder That Women-Led Movies Arent Risky After the Ghostbusters Near Miss

Portman tried to do her part to correct this balance by becoming a producer, but her first big endeavor, the western Jane Got a Gun, was a box-office failure plagued with production problems. I am not a producer, she admitted. This is not my talent in life.

She did, however, get some decent reviews for her 2016 directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness. And while she has leaned away from Hollywood in recent years, shes still seeking out those great female roles  the next one being the part of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a film about the Supreme Court justices early years as an ACLU lawyer. For that movie, she insisted on finding a female director, who has been chosen but not yet announced. With the issues of gender discrimination in Hollywood right now, how could we not do that? she said.

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Discrimination against women in Hollywood is currently the subject of a federal investigation.

Related: Jodie Foster: Change for Women Directors in Hollywood Not Quick Enough

Watch the trailer for Jackie:




South Korea's three opposition parties on Wednesday said they will continue to push for an impeachment motion vote against the president this week, adding they will not hold talks with the ruling party to cut short Park's term in office.



The opposition parties said President Park Geun-hye must step down immediately and unconditionally, also asking lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party to join the impeachment motion.



The remark came after Park said on Tuesday she will step down in line with a timetable and legal procedures agreed on by political parties during her third public speech delivered since the outbreak of an influence-peddling scandal, which dealt a harsh blow to her presidency.



After the speech, Park loyalists in Saenuri said the opposition parties should start negotiations to tackle the matter, while stressing that the impeachment motion that the opposition bloc is seeking on Friday should be put on hold.



The opposition parties, which released a draft version of the impeachment motion a day earlier, said it will continue efforts to persuade non-Park lawmakers from Saenuri to meet the minimum requirement.



As the opposition parties and independent lawmakers only account for 172 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, at least 28 Saenuri lawmakers must support the motion.



A group of Saenuri lawmakers supportive of the ousting of President Park Geun-hye said Wednesday that the president must clarify her timeline for resignation, saying it would be proper for her to quit by the end of April.



The group also said it has secured a sufficient number of lawmakers to pass the impeachment motion led by the opposition.



"There was concern that we may waver after the president's speech yesterday, but we confirmed in today's meeting that our position has gotten even stronger," said Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, the spokesman of the emergency council of non-Park loyalists.



"It is important that the president clearly state the date of her resignation to prove her sincerity."



Hwang said the ruling and opposition parties must decide on Park's path by Dec. 8, adding the group will otherwise join the impeachment vote on Dec. 9.



Meanwhile, Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the party floor leader who is not included in the group, called on opposition parties to join discussions on Park's resignation and next year's presidential election.



"If the president had announced an immediate resignation in Tuesday's speech, we would have had to hold the election in end-January," Chung said, adding the public does not wish for such a hasty election.



Chung added Park should consider stepping down in April to time the new presidential election for June as proposed by senior politicians late last week.



"If the parliament passes the impeachment motion, we would have only to wait for the Constitutional Court's decision, which will lead to further confusion in state affairs," Chung said.



Meanwhile, the Saenuri dissenters expressed objection to opposition parties' attempt to include her administration's botched response to a deadly ferry disaster in 2014 as grounds for impeachment.



In a draft motion drawn up Tuesday, opposition parties claimed Park breached the Constitution because she failed to carry out her role as the head of state to protect the lives of the people as stipulated in the top law.



"Impeachment should be proposed when the president cannot carry out official duties after committing serious violations of the Constitution and laws," Rep. Kwon Seong-dong of Saenuri said, adding the ferry debacle cannot be considered such a case.



"The motion cannot win approval from Saenuri lawmakers," said Kwon, who is considered a major supporter of impeachment.



The ferry sunk on April 16, 2014, killing 304, mostly students on a school trip.



The leaders of Saenuri, which are Park loyalists, said they will not step down from their posts in late December as promised earlier if the non-Park lawmakers join the impeachment move. (Yonhap)




Destinations like Barcelona, New York and British Airways emerged some of the big winners of National Geographic Traveller magazine's annual reader awards.

In the British edition of the Nat Geo Traveller Reader Awards, which were held in London this week, nearly 8,000 readers cast their votes on their favorite short-haul and long-haul journeys -- countries, airlines, hotels, and attractions around the world.

This year, readers were particularly smitten by Barcelona which was named the best short-haul city, while their long-standing love affair with New York continues, taking the title of best long-haul city.



Britons also expressed loyalty to their country's flagship carrier, as British Airways took the award for best short-haul and long-haul airline.



When it comes to rail journey, readers identified Canadian outfit Rocky Mountaineer as their favorite. The luxury train ride takes guests across Canada's fabled Rocky Mountains and through a few of the country's crown jewels like Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise.



Domed windows provide unobstructed views of the dramatic mountain scenery and increase the odds of spotting wild bears along the journey.



Here are some of the big winners of this year's Nat Geo Traveller Reader Awards:



Short-haul country: Italy

Long-haul country: USA

Short-haul city: Barcelona

Long-haul city: New York

Short and long-haul airline: British Airways

Overseas hotel group: Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Rail journey: Rocky Mountaineer, Canada

Cruise line: P&O Cruises

Overseas attraction: Grand Canyon

Travel blog: Budget Traveller

Travel book: The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson

Travel TV program: Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough, BBC

Outstanding contribution to travel: Michael Palin

The winners will be featured in a spread in the Jan/Feb 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
EXCLUSIVE: NBCUniversal International Studios, Germanys RTL and Frances TF1 have given the green light to Gone, a 12-episode procedural drama series starring The Good Wife and Sex and the City alum Chris Noth. The series, which eyes a launch in winter 2017-2018, was created by Matt Lopez (The Sorcerers Apprentice) based on Chelsea Cains novel One Kick.

Gone is the first series to come out of the innovative partnership the three companies launched last year to produce U.S.-style procedural dramas for the global market.

Gone tells the fictional story of Kit Kick Lannigan, survivor of a famous child abduction case and Frank Booth (Noth), the FBI agent who rescued her. Determined never to fall victim again, Kick trains in martial arts and the use of firearms. She finds her calling when Booth persuades her onto a special task force he created dedicated to solving abductions and missing persons cases. Paired with former Army Intelligence officer John Bishop, Kick brings her unique understanding of the mind of a predator.

Several scripts already have been penned for the series, which is in the process of setting up a writers room and will be written, cast and produced entirely in the U.S. RTL and TF1 will broadcast and distribute the show in German and French territories, respectively, while NBCUniversal International Distribution will license it in the U.S. and the rest of the world. The project is yet to be shopped to American networks.

Gone is executive produced by Lopez; NBCU International Studios EVP of Scripted Programming JoAnn Alfano, and former Dexter executive producer Sara Colleton.

Gone (then titled One Kick), was originally developed at NBC via Universal TV during the 2013-14 season with Lopez writing the adaptation of Cains book and executive producing the project with Colleton. It didnt go to pilot, but after NBCU International Studios set up the venture with RTL and TF1 the following year, Bela Bajaria, then-head of Uni TV, sent her counterparts on the international side the script for consideration.

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Michael Edelstein, President of NBCUniversal International Studios, and Alfano sparked to the premise and spent the past 18 months working with Lopez on redeveloping the project.

This is a traditional procedural with a great female lead, and we know that procedurals resonate particularly well with women, Edelstein said in an interview with Deadline. The producers identified the key roles around Kit as an opportunity to attract big-name actors and were able to get Noth.

Working with Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and TF1 has been a fantastic collaboration and we are all delighted to be moving forward so quickly on our first series together, Edelstein said.

There are scripts for four other drama procedurals currently in development at the studio but there is no pressure to get another series greenlighted soon as the goal is to proceed with a show when it is ready, Edelstein said.

Fabrice Bailly, Head of Programs and Acquisition TF1 Group, added that it needs to be the right concept and project, which was the case with Gone. The French audiences are very keen on procedural dramas, he told Deadline, noting the success of such U.S. imports as The Mentalist, CSI and House. With the exception of medical soap Greys Anatomy, there are no serialized U.S. dramas that are doing well in France and yet that is the type of fare largely offered by American studios these days. Besides filling that void, the alliance among NBCU, RTL and TF1 gives European broadcasters another advantage over licensing existing U.S. series.

Because we are getting involved at the beginning of the project as co-producers, we can have creative input, and the series can reflect what we and the audience are looking for, Bailly said.

Joerg Graf, EVP Production & Acquisition at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, echoed his sentiment.

TF1 and NBCUniversal International Studios share our view that tailor-made formats will meet the increasing need of our viewers for high-quality modern crime dramas, he said.

Noth is best known for his roles as Detective Mike Logan on the original Law and Order, as Mr. Big on HBOs Sex and the City and as Peter Florrick, opposite Juliana Margolis on CBS The Good Wife. He is repped by Gersh and Sanders.Armstrong.Caserta Management.

This U.S. development season, Lopez, who is under an overall deal with Uni TV, is writing high-concept procedural drama Dreamer for NBC, which he is executive producing with John Glenn. Lopez is repped by WME and Melissa Rogal.

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What do a Russian nesting doll and a Mayan pyramid have in common? Archaeologists have confirmed that the iconic Pyramid of El Castillo in eastern Mexico is actually a pyramid within a pyramid within a pyramid.

In the 1930s, the first hidden pyramid was revealed within the Kukulkan tomb at Chichen Itza in Mexico, which researchers estimate was built between about A.D. 850 and A.D. 900. Now, scientists have found an even smaller pyramid inside that one that may have been constructed between A.D. 600 and A.D. 800.

Although the last construction of El Castillo occurred around A.D. 950 to 1000 and combined elements of Mayan and central Mexico cultures, the interior pyramids are "more purely Mayan" because they were constructed earlier, the archaeologists said. [Photos: First Glimpse into a Mayan Tomb]

There has been some controversy surrounding the chronology of Chichen Itza, according to Denisse Argote, an archaeologist and geophysicist at Mexicos National Institute of Anthropology and History. Argote said that although the dating of the structures is not fully proven, the pyramid's interior structure could add to the establishedchronology and understanding of the Mayan culture's early stages.

"Now the second substructure, more ancient than the ones known, would be of a pure Mayan style," Argote said in a statement. "The study of this substructure could tell us a lot about the beginning of the settlement in the site and its cultural influences."

The researchers used a technique called electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), which involves deploying hundreds of electrodes on the surface of the pyramid and into the ground. Without disturbing the archaeological site, ERT injects a direct current and relays any changes in electrical properties, highlighting structural differences inside the monument.

Using this technique, the researchers acquired more than 45,000 observations that helped detail the interior of the Pyramid of El Castillo. The ERT technique confirmed the 2014 discovery of a partially water-filled sinkhole beneath the pyramid, as well as the previous pyramid discovery and the finding of the new structure, the archaeologists said.

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"The results indicate the existence of two pyramids inside the main Mayan building," said coordinating researcher Rene Chavez, a geophysicist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Chavez added that although Mexican researchers discovered one of the interior pyramids in the 1930s, "the second substructure was just a hypothesis in some archaeologists minds."

The new discoveries will be detailed in a poster presentation Dec. 14 at the American Geophysical Union's fall meeting in San Francisco.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Netflix said Wednesday it would allow offline viewing of streamed videos, a feature long sought by users who want to watch on a plane or to avoid data-connection charges.

A Netflix statement said that "many of your favorite streaming series and movies" would be available for download and offline viewing on mobile devices.

"While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, we've often heard they also want to continue their 'Stranger Things' binge while on airplanes and other places where internet is expensive or limited," said a blog post from product innovation chief Eddy Wu.

"Just click the download button on the details page for a film or TV series and you can watch it later without an internet connection."

Netflix did not offer details on how much content would be available offline, noting that it was in discussion with copyright owners.

"Netflix is working with lots of partners globally to get downloading rights for the bulk of the content on our service," a statement emailed to AFP said.

"This is an ongoing effort as we know consumers want this capability and we are working to provide it."

Netflix, which is in a global push and has more than 86 million members, is facing increasing competition from rivals including Amazon, which also is in the midst of an international expansion of its streaming service.

Amazon already allows downloads of videos -- noting that some content is restricted by copyright holders in terms of offline viewing.

Netflix users had been unable to download and view videos offline through its mobile application, but workarounds had been offered by third-party apps.
Abortion rights advocates protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Texas newly adopted amendments requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains every time a woman has an abortion are set to take effect on Dec. 19.

The states Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) adopted the new rules on behalf of the states Department of State Health Services (DSHS) on Monday. They will prevent abortion providers from disposing of fetal remains in sanitary landfills, regardless of period of gestation.

Activists say the new rules place an unconstitutional burden on a woman seeking an abortion, which is a legally protected procedure after the Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. There is also concern that the new rules could lead to more women performing unsafe abortions outside of medical facilities.

These new restrictions reveal the callous indifference that Texas politicians have toward women, David Brown, the senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. Forcing a woman to pay for a burial after she ends a pregnancy or experiences a miscarriage is not just absurd  it is an unnecessary burden and an intrusion on her personal beliefs.

After the rules were first proposed in July, there was considerable pushback from abortion-rights advocates and the medical community, prompting the HHSC to make several changes.

We held two public comment hearings and reviewed approximately 35,000 comments, taking them into consideration as we finalized these rules. They will take effect 20 days after the filing date (so will be in effect Dec. 19), Carrie Williams, the chief press officer for HHSC, said in an email to Yahoo News on Wednesday.

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate demonstrate at the U.S. Supreme Court in June. (Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

We made certain changes to the rules along the way, including adding language to make clear that these rules dont apply to miscarriages or abortions that occur at home, and adding language to clarify that birth or death certificate issuance is not required for proper disposition under the rules.

The Texas Tribune, which has followed the story from the beginning, reported Monday that the commission acted at the behest of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who said fetal remains should not be treated like medical waste and disposed of in landfills.

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The preamble to the final documents filed with the Texas registrar says, The rules carry out the departments duty to protect public health in a manner that is consonant with the States respect for life and dignity of the unborn.

But many are concerned about what these new rules mean for womens health care and abortion rights in the Lone Star State. They also frame the rules as part of an ongoing campaign of anti-abortion legislators to regulate the procedure out of existence through a myriad of state laws.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, a global advocacy organization, had argued that the DSHS does not have statutory authority to promulgate the amendments and that they are further shaming women who seek reproductive health care.

The center called the amendments unconstitutionally vague and accused DSHS of pushing its own moral code upon women in Texas. This, they said, places unwarranted stress on abortion access and miscarriage management.

In the official filings, in response to these allegations, the HHSC cited the Texas Health and Safety Code to argue that the department does indeed have statutory authority. The department contended that the rules impose an obligation only on facilities, not on Texans seeking abortions.

After the regulations were finalized, the Center for Reproductive Rights quickly released a statement saying the group has made clear to Texas officials that it would take the battle to court to make sure women can have legally protected abortions without politically motivated interference.
By Anna Yukhananov MEXICO CITY (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - An hour's drive from the hustle and bustle of Mexico City, paved roads give way to dust, snaking up hills dotted with cornfields and wildflowers. Carolina, 36, moved to this eastern suburb, Chimalhuacan, four years ago so her family could own land. But at least once a week, she is stuck waiting outside her cinderblock home for a water truck to chug its slow way to her doorstep, one of tens of thousands of people living on the edges of Mexico's urban megalopolis who have no running water. "It's because the government doesn't want to spend on us... They don't want us," said Carolina, who declined to provide her last name. Her plight, and those of her neighbors, shows the struggle of expanding urbanization in one of the world's biggest cities, placing a burden on government resources and leaving families stranded without basic services. People started moving to this neighborhood of Santa Maria about 20 years ago to escape higher rents closer to Mexico City, and the pace of new dwellings picked up in the past decade. But families had to wait until 2015 to receive electricity, and running water for everyone is not expected to come until at least the end of next year. Sewage systems are also lacking, and the streets overflow with foul-smelling water in heavy rain, leading to a risk of infection and disease. Cecilia Gayta, 37, a local political volunteer, is fighting for the community to get state funds to install water tanks. She estimated that some 90,000 people live in the area and lack basic water services. "Unfortunately, the government does not pay attention to us," Gayta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. MISUSE OF WATER Jacobo Espinoza Hilario, who works on water issues for the International Habitat Coalition, a nonprofit network that deals with housing issues, said part of the problem is the government not enforcing regulations for new developments, especially those on hilltops that could replenish badly depleted aquifers below. Refilling aquifers becomes more difficult when housing is built on what were once green, unoccupied hills. Those new homes also put pressure on the existing water and sewage resources that are already stretched thin, he said. "I say these new settlements are doubly damaging," Espinoza Hilario said. "There should be a human right to water ... but it is difficult to comply with this right in a city that misuses its water." Despite the heavy downpours that come each rainy season, Mexico City has long struggled with providing enough water for some 21 million people in the greater metropolitan area. Built on the bed of lakes that were drained by the Spanish who conquered the Aztec capital, the city faces acute water shortages despite sitting in a basin that is regularly flooded. With an irrigation infrastructure that has suffered from years of under-investment and neglect, the city relies heavily on pumping up water from underground aquifers. While laws exist to limit drilling of new wells and prevent overuse, Espinoza Hilario said aquifers are around 300 percent overexploited, with extraction fast outpacing replenishment. This forces the government to pipe in water from dozens of miles away to reach the city's 7,300-foot (2,225 meters) altitude, an expensive and complicated feat. Enrique Garduno Ruiz, director of Chimalhuacan's water authority, agrees that part of the problem is illegal settlements such as the Santa Maria neighborhood, where people moved without authorization under official development plans. The land had been used for agriculture and lacked any infrastructure. It was also the subject of dispute between two municipalities, Chimalhuacan and San Vicente Chicoloapan, and neither took responsibility until Chimalhuacan won the rights in 2010. Since then, the water authority, called ODAPAS (the Decentralized Organization for Running Water, Sewage and Sanitation), started digging wells and installing tanks and pipes, Garduno Ruiz said. He estimated that out of the neighborhood's population of some 12,000 families, or 60,000 people, more than half now receive running water from two installed large water tanks, with two more tanks set to become operational "soon". RAINWATER COLLECTION The city also has enough money to install one more tank next year, providing water to everyone by the end of 2017, he said. The tanks vary in size, some holding about 300,000 liters and others as much as 650,000 liters of water. But Garduno Ruiz said the city government still struggles with provision of services, since fewer than a third of those who get running water pay for it. And each week brings more new arrivals flocking to areas like Santa Maria in search of cheap land and affordable living. "Many people work for informal businesses and earn 50, 60 pesos ($2.47, $2.97) a day, which is enough for their food, not to pay for services," he said. "As a city, we can't ourselves resolve these problems of salaries and of work; it's more complicated." He frets about the future, as Mexico City and the surrounding valley drain groundwater more quickly than it can be replaced. Some studies show that Chimalhuacan only has a guarantee of enough water until 2050, forcing the government to consider new measures, such as rainwater collection. "Yes, of course I'm worried," he said. (Reporting by Anna Yukhananov, Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jo Griffin. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
BUENOS AIRES  Somewhere on a high Andes plateau, a pregnant Quechua girls father dies. She determines to leave with her young husband. So begins an odyssey which takes the couple across a benighted landscape, as dry as the moon, a Bolivia Altiplano laid waste by industrial exploitation and bloody militia, heading to Chile and the sea. They meet Ruiz, a 50-year-old, war-scarred photographer who seeks to save them from the war zone, salvaging what remains of his humanity. Written by Nicolas and Lucia Puenzo, and helmed by Nicolas, a co-director of TV series Cromo, survival thriller Los Ultimos (The Unseen) is set in a future which seems ever more part of the present. Luis, Lucia, Esteban and Nicolas Puenzo produce; Lucero Garzon associate produces. Sneak peeked at Los Cabos,The Unseen now plays at Ventana Surs Primer Corte pix-in-post showcase, curated by Cannes Cinefondations Georges Goldenstern. Variety talked to Nicolas and Luis Puenzo and Perus Juana Burga, in her debut film role, about an allegory for the present which is in danger of becoming quite simply the present.

The Unseen is like a post-Apocalypse film without an Apocalypse and a film which is in part futuristic, in part a near contemporary portrait of what happening in the world. I wonder if you could comment?

Luis Puenzo: You are right. Your definition is accurate. Outside the picture however, the Apocalypse is happening before our eyes. We see its symptoms in refugees seeking a place in the world, in the emergency that Bolivia has just declared because of the most brutal drought in decades, or in political retrogression in Latin America and Europe. The Future of The Unseen is almost here.

The central performances from Peter Lanzani and Juana Burga are tremendously physical: Their motivation is reduced to the bare necessity of survival. Would you agree Nicolas?

Nicolas Puenzo: The concept that struck us so deeply was intoxicated beauty. That is what we see happening to our region, both the territory and the populations, because of the bestial exploitation of natural and human resources. Our characters are the excluded: the refugees, the deceived, the survivors. They are beings hardened by the injustice of the system and the harshness of the territory. We constructed them looking for a great intensity and at the same time simplicity in their survival.

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How did you find Juana Burga to play the female lead?

Nicolas Puenzo: On Google! We needed a beautiful young Quechuan, but couldnt find one, were in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina. So Dad went onto the Internet. Im not sure what magical words he wrote but there was Juana.

Juana Burga: Im better known as a model in Peru. One day, somebody said: Theres someone called Nicolas Puenzo who wants to make a film with you. I called my agent, sent a link to Historias Cinematograficas, and my agency was very, very enthusiastic. Then Nicolas interviewed me.

When it comes to describing the film, I feel, rather like The German Doctor or Cromo, that it mixes some genres and indeed narratives, from the Quechua figure of the serpent that eats its tail to the Mad Max tale of desert-set futuristic survival, to the Western, in the figure of Ruiz, a grizzled veteran of violence whose role is to allow the couple a future in which he will not participate. Again, Nicolas, would you agree?

Nicolas Puenzo: Yes, the film exhibits elements of different genres without the story installed in any one specific genre. There are elements of the Western, undoubtedly, as the characters walk and experience the savagery of war and the exploitation of their territory. Here, unlike the classic Western, it is not the state that advances over wild territory but the other way round, a territory abandoned after a cycle of brutal exploitation that has left it unviable for human life.

Ruiz is a character from a Western, with the melancholy of someone who inhabits a territory that has changed and which he no longer understands. A man who meets the end of his era. I would also say that the documentary and the look of photo journalism are the main references of the film, filmed as if it were the vision of a war photographer.

As a film from a cinematographer-turned-director, Luis, what were the main choices made both a DP and also a director?

Luis Puenzo: This question should be answered by Nicolas, who in The Unseen performed the simultaneous roles of director, director of photography and cameraman, as well as producer and before, screenwriter. Exercising multiple roles is not just a habit, for us it is a necessity. This is how we learned and how films are made in countries like ours.

Nicolas Puenzo: My starting point was to forget the differences between the work of the director and the director of photography. I shot the film as if it were a photo journalist shooting, intervening in the terrain and among people, in search of real emotions. I talked with the actors and filmed them at the same time, so as to get a sense of vertigo in the performances and camerawork. I was always thinking of the concept I mentioned before, Intoxicated Beauty, and I was always looking at how to process that idea into the performances and image.

The Unseen was shot in the Salar de Uyuni, where Herzog lensed Salt and Fire. As one of the producers on the film, Luis, what were the major production challenges in what could not have been the easiest of shoots.

Luis Puenzo: In these locations it is not easy to film, but neither is reaching them, nor any other aspect of logistics. Even less with an austere budget, a small team and actors living with all the difficulties, but those demands were faced by Nico. It was my job to stay in the rearguard, taking care of financial engineering, which on a project like this is not easy either.

Ventana Sur will show a rough-cut version of The Unseen in its Primer Corte showcase. When will the film be ready for delivery?

Luis Puenzo: We are working on the final adjustments, without stopping for Ventana Sur. Our plan is to complete post within the remainder of the year and arrive at copy in the first week of January.

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No criminal charges will be filed against the North Carolina police officer who shot a black man in Charlotte in September, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray announced Wednesday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Brentley Vinson's use of deadly force against Keith Lamont Scott was "lawful," Murray said.

"After a thorough review it is my opinion that Officer Brentley Vinson acted lawfully when he shot Keith Lamont Scott," Murray said. "I am fully satisfied and entirely convinced that Brentley Vinsons use of deadly force was lawful. Anyone is justified for using deadly force if they are in danger of great bodily injury or death."

Vinson shot Scott in an apartment complex parking lot after officers said they observed Scott with a gun Sept. 20.

Murray pointed to what he called video evidence of Scott with a semi-automatic gun in an ankle holster before the fatal incident occurred. He said it was not federal law to wait for Scott to fire his weapon before officers could act.

"[Scott] did not raise the gun based evidence and all statements from officers," Murray conceded.

Following the court decision, Scott's family released a statement expressing their disappointment that Vinson was not charged. They also urged any protests that may occur from the announcement to be peaceful.

While we understand that many in the Charlotte area share our frustration and pain, we ask that everyone work together to fix the system that allowed this tragedy to happen in the first place, the statement said. All our family wanted was justice and for these members of law enforcement to understand what they did was wrong.

Justin Bamburg, one of the Scott family attorneys, said after the announcement that Americans were taking to the streets in protest because they have pent up frustrations that justice was some esoteric concept that was only available to a select few in this country. He cited the recent killings of black men Eric Garner and Walter Scott at the hands of the police as reasons why the American public needed to collectively act to fix the problem legislatively.

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Vernita (Walker, Scott's mother) and Scotts family are victims of a situation that should have never happened in the first place, said Bamburg. When are we as a county going to say enough is enough? Lets work to address the problem instead of reacting to tragedies that happen time and time again, said Bamburg.

One of the main disputed issues in this case were whether police should have approached Scott because they said he was in possession of a gun. North Carolina is an "open carry state," meaning licensed citizens are free to not only arm themselves but can openly display guns in their possession.

Another point of contention was whether Scott was actually in possession of a gun. Scotts wife informed Vinson that her husband was suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Scotts family has maintained that Scott was unarmed, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Scott illegally bought the gun in question, Murray said before adding the gun dealer admitted selling it.

Murray said police approached Scott when they saw him rolling a marijuana blunt in his car. Vinson, who is black, said he fired four shots when Scott held up his handgun and made a threatening gesture towards the officers. Vinson had no choice but to use lethal force when Scott failed to comply with multiple orders to drop his weapon, Murray said.

"The blood was tested and there was marijuana," Murray added. "The bottle [the marijuana was in] was tested and had residue that had marijuana."

In a video of the shooting recorded by Scott's wife, officers can be heard yelling at her husband "drop the gun." Rakeyia Scott responded: "He doesn't have a gun. He has a TBI (traumatic brain injury.) He's not going to do anything to you guys. He just took his medicine."

Body and dash-cam videos of the shooting failed to expose absolute, definitive visual evidence" that Scott had a gun, Murray said. But a pistol and an ankle holster were found at the scene containing traces of Keith Lamont Scotts DNA, verifying Vinsons account, according to local reports.

Scott's wife told CBS' This Morning on Oct. 13 that her husband was acting out of character during the shooting because he had taken up to 11 different medications treating his multiple sicknesses, including his traumatic brain injury, before being approached by police.

Murray said that the prosecution was aware that Scott had been taking said medications and they may have resulted in behavior abnormalities such as aggression.

He takes them, and you have to give it time to kick in, she said. If you start a conversation with him, hes not going to remember the conversation. You have to wait for the medicine to kick in.

Among the 991 Americans killed by the police in 2015, 258 were black, the Washington Post reported. So far in 2016, there have been 875 documented deaths at the hands of the police.

Police officers were more prone to killing people with mental health condition, a 2015 Washington Post investigation determined. The analysis found that about 9 in 10 of the mentally troubled people were armed, usually with guns but also with knives or other sharp objects. But the analysis also found that most of them died at the hands of police officers who had not been trained to deal with the mentally ill, the Washington Post reported.

Related Articles
By Greg Lacour

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Reuters) - A police officer "acted lawfully" when he shot and killed an armed black man in Charlotte, North Carolina, in September and will not face criminal charges for his use of force, the local district attorney said on Wednesday.

Officer Brentley Vinson reasonably believed he and several other officers faced an imminent threat from Keith Scott, 43, who they saw holding a gun when they confronted him in the parking lot of a Charlotte apartment complex, District Attorney Andrew Murray told a news conference.

"Officers can be heard at least 10 times ordering Mr. Scott to drop the gun," the prosecutor said, referring to videos of the incident. "Mr. Scott did not comply with those commands."

The decision not to prosecute Vinson raised fears of fresh protests in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city and a U.S. banking hub. Scott's death on Sept. 20 sparked a week of sometimes violent demonstrations, making the city another flashpoint in two years of protests over police killings of black men, many of them unarmed, across the country.

A group called Charlotte Uprising planned to rally outside the city's police headquarters Wednesday night to "demand justice," according to its Facebook page.

Murray and Scott's family urged calm.

The family said in a statement they were "profoundly disappointed" by the decision, but they asked "that everyone work together to fix the system that allowed this tragedy to happen in the first place."

Scott's family and people who said they witnessed the shooting disputed that he had a weapon. Some said the father of seven was instead holding a book and was shot by a white officer, rather than Vinson, who is black.

The district attorney said the two-month investigation disproved those claims.

Murray showed surveillance footage from a local convenience store Scott visited minutes before the shooting that showed a bulge in his pants near his right ankle. That was consistent with the holster and gun later described by officers and located at the scene, the prosecutor said.

Story continues

Murray acknowledged that none of the video recordings from the scene offered clear evidence that Scott was holding a gun when he was shot.

However, Murray said, "all of the credible and available evidence suggests that he was, in fact, armed." Several self-described eyewitnesses did not actually see the incident, he added.

Analysis of all the officers' guns confirmed Vinson was the only one who fired his weapon.

The officers described Scott as having a blank stare "as if he was in a trance-like state," consistent with the side effects of a medication Scott's wife confirmed he had been taking, Murray said.

The prosecutor said Scott's DNA was found on his gun, which was cocked with the safety off and a round in the chamber.

(Additional reporting and writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown)
(Adds governor's comments, other details)

By Terray Sylvester

CANNON BALL, N.D., Nov 30 (Reuters) - More than 2,000 U.S. military veterans plan to form a human shield to protect protesters of a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota, organizers said, just ahead of a federal deadline for activists to leave the camp they have been occupying.

It comes as North Dakota law enforcement backed away from a previous plan to cut off supplies to the camp - an idea quickly abandoned after an outcry and with law enforcement's treatment of Dakota Access Pipeline protesters increasingly under the microscope.

The protesters have spent months rallying against plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

Protesters include various Native American tribes as well as environmentalists and even actors including Shailene Woodley.

State officials issued an order on Monday for activists to vacate the Oceti Sakowin camp, located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, citing harsh weather conditions.

The state's latest decision not to stop cars entering the protest site indicated local officials will not actively enforce Monday's emergency order to evacuate the camp issued by Governor Jack Dalrymple.

Dalrymple warned on Wednesday that it was "probably not feasible" to reroute the pipeline, but said he had requested a meeting with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to rebuild a relationship.

"We need to begin now to talk about how we are going to return to a peaceful relationship," he said on a conference call.

The 1,172-mile (1,885 km) pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete, except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, a contingent of more than 2,000 U.S. military veterans, intends to go to North Dakota by this weekend and form a human wall in front of police, protest organizers said on a Facebook page. Organizers could not immediately be reached for comment.

Story continues

"I figured this was more important than anything else I could be doing," Guy Dull Knife, 69, a Vietnam War Army veteran, told Reuters at the main camp.

Dull Knife, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota, said he has been camping at the protest site for months.

Morton County Sheriff's Office spokesman Rob Keller said in an email his agency was aware of the veterans' plans, but would not comment further on how law enforcement will deal with demonstrators.

Former U.S. Marine Michael A. Wood Jr is leading the effort along with Wesley Clark Jr, a writer whose father is retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, has said on Twitter she will join the protesters on Sunday.

The Army Corps, citing safety concerns, has ordered the evacuation of the primary protest camp by Dec. 5, but said it would not forcibly remove people from the land.

Local law enforcement said on Tuesday they planned a blockade of the camp, but local and state officials later retreated, saying they would only check vehicles for certain prohibited supplies like propane, and possibly issue fines.

Dalrymple on Wednesday said state officials never contemplated forcibly removing protesters and there had been no plans to block food or other supplies from the camp. "That would be a huge mistake from a humanitarian standpoint," he said on the conference call.

He also warned protesters that while emergency responders will try to reach anyone in need, that would be contingent on weather conditions.

Protesters, who refer to themselves as "water protectors," have been gearing up for the winter while they await the Army Corps decision on whether to allow Energy Transfer Partners to tunnel under the river. That decision has been delayed twice by the Army Corps.

(Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Writing by Ben Klayman; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Matthew Lewis)
(Reuters) - North Dakota law enforcement will not make spot checks on vehicles headed to the camp where activists are protesting a controversial pipeline project, the governor's office said on Wednesday.

The move suggests that the state will not be seeking to actively enforce an emergency order issued Monday by Governor Jack Dalrymple for the camp's evacuation due to a coming blizzard.

Local law enforcement officials had said Tuesday that they planned a blockade of the camp - but they and state officials later retreated from that stance to say they would only check vehicles for certain prohibited supplies like propane, and potentially issue fines.

(Reporting By Ernest Scheyder)
By Terray Sylvester

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - North Dakota officials on Tuesday moved to block supplies from reaching oil pipeline protesters at a camp near the construction site, threatening to use hefty fines to keep demonstrators from receiving food, building materials and even portable bathrooms.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

State officials said on Tuesday they would fine anyone bringing prohibited items into the main protest camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple's "emergency evacuation" order on Monday. Earlier, officials had warned of a physical blockade, but the governor's office backed away from that.

Law enforcement would take a more "passive role" than enforcing a blockade, said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department.

"The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away," Herr said by telephone.

Officers will stop vehicles they believe are headed to the camp and inform drivers they are committing an infraction and could be fined $1,000.

These penalties should serve as a hindrance, according to Cecily Fong, a spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

"So that effectively is going to block that stuff (supplies), but there is not going to be a hard road block," Fong said by telephone.

A spokeswoman from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was not immediately available for comment.

North Dakota Governor-elect Doug Burgum, a Republican, declined to comment.

The 1,172-mile (1,885 km) pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Story continues

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The main protest camp near Cannon Ball is called Oceti Sakowin, the original name of the Sioux, meaning Seven Council Fires.

Protest leaders said state officials and local law enforcement officers were "bullying" demonstrators with the threat of fines.

"It's bogus and I don't know about the legality of it," said Kandi Mossett, an organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network. "We're not afraid. We're moving in and out of the camp at will. So people shouldn't be afraid of coming and supporting the water protectors. They've been bullying us since day one."

'HARSH WINTER CONDITIONS'

Dalrymple's evacuation order was issued on Monday due to the "harsh winter conditions." Snow and wind gusts up to 45 mph (73 kph) were forecast for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, law enforcement on Nov. 21 used water cannons to disperse protesters who had blockaded a highway.

Demonstrators and law enforcement have clashed over the months since protests began, with demonstrators claiming excessive use of force by law enforcement.

On Tuesday, the National Lawyers Guild filed a class action in U.S. District Court in North Dakota on behalf of injured protesters, claiming local authorities in Morton and Stutsman counties used excessive force.

The civil rights complaint said there were no orders to disperse or warnings issued before local police turned water cannons and tear gas on the protest. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages.

Stutsman County Auditor Casey Bradley said the county sheriffs office was unaware of the lawsuit and unable to comment on the allegations.

Officers were justified in using water cannons because of the threat posed by demonstrators, Fong and Herr said. Law enforcement gave numerous warnings for protesters to disperse, they said.

North Dakota officials have issued several requests for additional help from federal law enforcement in light of the demonstrators. However, the Army Corps said Monday its order to evacuate the primary protest camp by Dec. 5 would not include forcibly removing people from the land.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of a Army Corps' permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult tribal leaders.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a Tuesday news briefing that Obama believes law enforcement has "an obligation" to show restraint and protesters have a "responsibility" to protest peacefully.

In a related protest, prosecutors suspended charges against Deia Schlosberg, a documentary maker arrested while filming as environmental protesters attempted to shut down the flow of oil through pipelines carrying crude from Canada to the United States in October.

(Writing by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Additional reporting by David Gaffen and Mica Rosenberg in New York, Ernest Scheyder in Houston, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Roberta Rampton and Doina Chiacu in Washington.; Editing by Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis and Andrew Hay)
THAAD Launch

WASHINGTON, DC  The tensions that led to calls for THAAD deployment to South Korea are also helping make the case for sending the missile-interceptor system to the US's other major ally in the region  Japan.

"Japan's proximity to the growing North Korean threat surely contributes to an urgency to deploy medium-tier defenses with longer ranges than Patriot," Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

"If we lived as close to Mr. Kim as they do, we'd probably feel the same way."

So far this year, the Hermit Kingdom has conducted two nuclear device tests and more than 18 ballistic missile tests.

Of those missile tests, Pyongyang has conducted seven Musudan launches. The Musudan is speculated to have a range of approximately 1,500 to 2,400 miles, capable of targeting military installations in South Korea, Japan, and Guam, according to estimates from the Missile Defense Project.

And while all Musudan launches except the sixth one on June 22 were considered to be failures, the frequency in testing shows the North has developed something of an arsenal.

What's more, on August 3, North Korea fired a ballistic missile near Japanese-controlled waters for the first time.

The simultaneous launch of two "No Dong" intermediate-range ballistic missiles near the western city of Hwangju was detected by US Strategic Command.

thaad japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the launch as a "grave threat" to Japan and said Tokyo "strongly protested."

Japan also said its self-defence force would remain on alert in case of further defiant launches from the rogue nation.

Here's a timeline of North Korea's defiant rocket launches and nuclear detonations so far in 2016 

Adding to the growing tension, on August 24, the Hermit Kingdom successfully launched a missile from a submarine with a range capable of striking parts of Japan and South Korea.

Story continues

This was the first time a North Korean missile reached Japan's air-defense-identification zone, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said during a briefing.

nk missile or whatever

"A submarine launch poses an especially grave threat since it could catch the United States and allies by surprise," Rebeccah Heinrichs, a fellow at the Hudson Institute specializing in nuclear deterrence and missile defense, told Business Insider in a previous interview.

Pyongyang first attempted a submarine-based missile launch last year and again at the end of April 2016.

In his four-year reign, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has conducted more than twice as many missile tests as his father, Kim Jong Il, did in 17 years in power.

kim j y'all

During a Pentagon press briefing, spokesman Peter Cook declined to comment on reports of Japanese interest in acquiring THAAD.

Meanwhile, preparations to deploy THAAD to South Korea continue. Army General Vincent Brooks, commander of US Forces Korea, said deployment will occur within the next eight to 10 months.

NOW WATCH: Meet THAAD: Americas answer to North Korean threats





More From Business Insider


In whats likely to mark its final bout of nuclear diplomacy, the Obama administration secured unanimous passage Wednesday of a U.N. Security Council resolution meant to further choke North Koreas earnings in retaliation for developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The resolution targets coal, North Koreas most lucrative export, slashing the amount it can sell by 60 percent from last years levels. This is a big deal for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un; he will now face a $700 million shortfall in revenue compared to last year. The sanctions target other sources of income for Kim Jong Uns pariah state, including exports of silver, copper, and nickel  together worth about $100 million a year to the regime  and restrict Pyongyangs ability to ship workers abroad to raise profits from their labor. The resolution also bars the import of luxury items, like rugs and bone china sets, that cost respectively more than $500 or $1,000.

What the resolution doesnt do is inspire much optimism that Kim Jong Un will submit to multiple U.N. demands to destroy the regimes existing nuclear weapons and scrap its program to build more.

The United States is realistic about what this resolution will achieve. No resolution in New York will likely, tomorrow, persuade Pyongyang to cease its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power said. But the resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the DPRK regime for defying this Councils demands, she added. The sanctions, if fully implemented, would erase about one-quarter of North Koreas export earnings.

Eight years of U.S. and U.N. diplomatic maneuvering during President Barack Obamas tenure has left North Korea increasingly isolated. But it has still utterly failed to achieve the primary goal of curbing the countrys nuclear weapons and missile program. North Korea has detonated five nuclear weapons in underground tests since 2006  four while Obama was in office  and conducted a flurry of missile launches for its growing missile arsenal. U.S. intelligence officers believe it is only a matter of time before the regime builds a nuclear-tipped intercontinental missile capable of striking the United States.

Story continues

The resolution on Wednesday was designed to address a gaping loophole in a previous set of sanctions adopted in March that allowed coal exports from the North for livelihood reasons. China, with its large appetite for commodities, cited the exception to increase imports of coal from its neighbor since the spring.

The new measures are the product of U.S. lobbying of China over the issue, including a veiled threat that the United States would take unilateral action against Chinese companies doing illegal business with the North. In a move seen as a warning to Beijing, the Treasury Department in September issued criminal charges against Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Co. and its owner, alleging that the Chinese firm had links to a notorious North Korean bank, Kwangson Banking.

The U.N. resolution also reflects Chinas frustration with the North, as the regimes provocative actions have irritated Beijing and prompted South Korea to acquire a sophisticated missile defense system that China views a threat to its own military.

But the sanctions fall short of what the United States and European powers had urged, as China wants to increase pressure on Pyongyang while avoiding a collapse of the regime and an influx of penniless North Korean refugees, diplomats and experts said.

This is carefully calibrated by the Chinese. They want to tighten the screws but not to the point where the regime is brought to its knees, a congressional staffer told Foreign Policy.

China holds all the leverage when it comes to the North Korean regimes access to cash. Roughly 70 percent of the Norths trade runs through China, including most of its food supplies. High-quality coal exported to China for use in industry makes up about one-third of North Koreas total export earnings.

North Korea took center stage in the U.S. presidential elections after its latest nuclear test at the height of campaign season in September. But President-elect Donald Trumps erratic comments have made it hard to predict the incoming administrations North Korea policy  much less its wider plans for diplomacy.

In February, the president-elect appeared to suggest the United States should assassinate Kim Jong Un, saying I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly. And in March, Trump rattled U.S. allies Japan and South Korea by suggesting they acquire their own nuclear weapons to defend themselves against North Korea  a dramatic shift in Americas long-established nuclear policy of nonproliferation.

But in May, the former reality television star took a decidedly softer stance toward the North Korean strongman, saying he would talk to him. To add another complicated layer to the mix, Trumps incoming national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, wrote a book arguing China  who helped the United States secure the latest U.N. sanctions  and North Korea have ties to jihadists in the Middle East.

The previous round of sanctions imposed earlier this year against Pyongyang failed to make a dent in commerce between the North and China, or in the regimes coal exports. The two countries traded goods worth $525.24 million in October, up 21.1 percent from a year ago. It was the third month in a row that trade went up, according to data from Chinas General Administration of Customs.

North Korea has successfully circumvented and worked around the vast array of sanctions that have been imposed over the past decade, paying big fees to Chinese middlemen to handle the logistics of transactions with regime banks and companies.

The sanctions unveiled Wednesday target coal exports to China in particular, which have generated more than $1 billion in income for the regime annually.

Thats money thats directly going to come out of the regimes pocket that will then be unavailable for them to use on their nuclear program, British U.N. ambassador Matthew Rycroft said.

But experts say North Korea pocketed large sums of cash when coal and other commodity prices spiked between 2007 and 2010, and is likely still drawing on those reserves.

Senior Staff Writer Colum Lynch contributed to this report.

Photo credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's public prosecutor ordered on Wednesday the release of an Iraqi Kurdish imam after Italian authorities withdrew a year-old extradition request linked to suspicions he had plotted attacks. Mullah Krekar, the one-time leader of the Ansar al-Islam militant group, was arrested in Norway in November 2015 as part of a series of arrests across Europe. Italian prosecutors later asked for his extradition. But Norway's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said Italian authorities had withdrawn the request for the cleric's extradition, without clearly explaining the reasons. A DPP statement said it was "ordering the release of Mullah Krekar." Prime Minister Erna Solberg bowed to the ruling on Krekar, who has been a thorn in the side of successive Norwegian governments. "This is something we have to accept," she told a news conference, saying it was not up to politicians to decide. Though deemed a threat to Norway's national security, Krekar has not been deported to Iraq because authorities there could not guarantee he would not be executed. Last week, Norway's Supreme Court had approved the extradition to Italy of Krekar, who came to Norway as a refugee from Iraq in 1991 and has spent several periods in jail. [nL8N1DO26L] Last year, Italian authorities said that at least 15 suspected members of a militant Islamist group including Krekar were arrested in six European countries, accused of planning attacks in Europe and the Middle East. [nL8N1373DH] Krekar's arrest last year took place in prison, where he was already serving an 18-month sentence for making death threats against a Kurdish man and giving an interview in which he encouraged other people to commit criminal acts. Norway's DPP said the letter from Italy's justice ministry sent on Nov. 25 said an Italian court ruling in March had voided the basis for extradition. The DPP said the Italian letter did not explain the March ruling nor say why it had taken so long to withdraw the extradition request. (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Terje Solsvik; Writing by Alister Doyle; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Photo credit: Getty

From Esquire

An heir to the Fiat fortune was arrested over the weekend after allegedly faking his own kidnapping, according to the New York Times. Lapo Elkann, the grandson of Fiat's Gianni Agnelli, was arrested Sunday morning when police were called to a public housing complex in New York. Elkann, who was with a 29-year-old man, told police he had been unlawfully imprisoned.

Elkann flew to Manhattan on Thursday, and holed himself up in the housing project where he and the other man allegedly consumed alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine until their cash ran out two days later, a source told the Daily Beast.

That's when Elkann, allegedly on his own, concocted the kidnapping plot: he apparently warned his relatives that a woman was holding him against his will and that he "would be hurt" unless his family paid a $10,000 ransom, according to the source. Elkann's family informed the NYPD about the ransom, according to the source, and that is when investigators from the 13th Precinct helped lure both Elkann and his alleged male escort pal to a location to pick up the cash.

Elkann was given a desk-appearance ticket and released, and has a court date scheduled for January, according to the Times. After his grandfather died in 2003, Elkann became the public face of Fiat, and a controversial one known for bragging about his fabulous life of private planes and luxury cars. In 2005 he landed in a coma for three days after a drug overdose in the apartment of a prostitute. In 2015, three Italian paparazzi were accused of blackmailing Elkann with a compromising video.

Shares for Italia Independent, an eyewear company which Elkann founded in 2007, dropped 8.6 percent after news broke Tuesday morning.

Here is a photo of him standing with his Ferrari:

And here he is with Method Actor Jared Leto:

Photo credit: Getty

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LONDON  Back when the Harry Potter film franchise was winding up, quite a few people debated whether or not the final book should have been split into two movies.

Not many people debated the merits of only having one film for the whole series, though.

SEE ALSO: 7 perfect 'Harry Potter' spin-offs we need to see next

Well, with his 90-minute edit of all eight films rolled in to one, New Yorker Tim Stiefler has done exactly that.

The brilliantly titled Wizardhood, which Stiefler shared on Vimeo on Sunday, incorporates some fairly no-nonsense editing techniques to bring the total time down from a hefty 19 hours 40 minutes to a mere one hour 30 minutes.

The opening of Stiefler's 'Wizardhood'.

Image: vimeo

Because Stiefler has cut over 18 hours of footage, there were obviously quite a few sacrifices that had to be made.

The first film is now about ten minutes long, and the second, third and fourth films barely feature at all.

The final three stories still get a decent run, though; Wizardhood is already up to the Order of the Phoenix 20 minutes into the film.

If you've never seen Harry Potter we wouldn't recommend this shortened version. You'll miss out on a pretty badass giant snake and some dragons, not to mention plenty of key plot points.

But it's still a pretty impressive editing feat.

H/T BuzzFeed.

BONUS: Unlocking a chamber of secrets about the 'Harry Potter' movies
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) has called for the release of jailed Argentine social activist Milagro Sala, according to a letter posted on his Twitter account on Tuesday. The letter marked an escalation in international pressure on Argentina to release Sala, a leader of the Tupac Amaru social organization in Argentina's northwestern Jujuy province. Sala was detained in January on charges of "instigation to commit crimes and disturbances," Amnesty International said, after protesting in front of provincial government offices. According to local media reports, the Tupac Amaru organization is also accused of fraud related to a housing construction program it led, which Sala's husband, Tupac Amaru member Raul Noro, has called a political persecution. Noro was arrested in July over allegations of embezzlement and fraud, and has since been released along with three other group members. In the letter, addressed to Sala and dated Nov. 28, OAS secretary-general Luis Almagro said her detention was not justified because there was no risk Sala would flee or interfere with investigative processes, and said he was "convinced of the need for your immediate release." The Washington-based OAS, of which Argentina is a member, is the Western Hemisphere's main multilateral organization and promotes democracy, human rights, security and development in its 35 member states. International human rights groups like Amnesty International have come to Sala's defense, calling on President Mauricio Macri to order her release. Last month, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions said a string of "consecutive accusations" had been leveled against Sala to justify her continued incarceration, amounting to a denial of her due process rights, Amnesty International said. In response, Jujuy governor Gerardo Morales said the UN's claim was "supported by false premises," while Argentina human rights secretary Claudio Avruj emphasized that the UN resolution was non-binding and that authority over the case ultimately lies with Jujuy province, according to local media reports. In an interview earlier this month with Argentina's La Nacion newspaper, Morales said Sala had "robbed the poor." (Reporting by Walter Bianchi; Writing by Luc Cohen; editing by Diane Craft)
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As Barack and Michelle Obamas time in office draws to a close, the presidents senior advisor Valerie Jarrett is looking back on her 25-year friendship with the Obamas  and their incredible journey to the White House.

In a new interview with The Real airing this Friday, Jarrett describes first meeting the Obamas in the early 1990s when they were a young, engaged couple with bright futures. Jarrett, then deputy chief of staff for former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, recalls wooing Michelle away from a private law firm.

I was trying to recruit the first lady to come and work with me in the mayors office in Chicago and we ended up having dinner, Jarrett says. And I will tell you, they are the same in terms of their core values, their commitment to public service. That was before the president was even in the state Senate. But we were talking about, theyre so talented and what do they want to do with that talent and how do they want to give back.

And so their core values, their kind of moral compass, their caring about people who are left behind and who they need to be lifted up with some support  all of those core principles were there, she continued. And Ive enjoyed watching them marry and grow and raise these two amazing daughters.

So proud, so proud of them both, Jarrett added.

As for the Obamas legacy, Jarrett hopes the president and first lady will be remembered for their unwavering devotion to helping every American.

Since Ive been there since Day 1 I can say, they just wake up every single day thinking about you  and thinking about what they can do to ensure that everybody gets that fair shot in our country, Jarrett says.




Washington (AFP) - Bob Dylan was conspicuously absent from the Oval Office Wednesday, but President Barack Obama hosted four of America's other 2016 Nobel Laureates, all of whom were migrants.

Characteristically, Dylan left Obama -- like the Nobel Committee -- "Blowin' in the wind."

"Unfortunately, Bob Dylan will not be at the White House today," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

Dylan has also indicated he will skip the Nobel award ceremony in December.

But the self-confessed science nerd president was not deterred.

With just a couple of months left in office and his successor Donald Trump promising hard-line immigration policies, Obama noted America's magnetic ability to draw top talent from around the world.

Obama was hosting Physics laureates Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz as well as fellow prize winners Oliver Hart, (Economic Sciences) and Fraser Stoddart (Chemistry).

All four were born in Britain, but live and work in the United States.

"We are incredibly proud of them and it's just a reminder that one of the things that makes America unique is our ability to attract talent from all around the world to study at some of our greatest universities," Obama said.

"I spent a lot of time promoting science and trying to encourage young people to get involved in those disciplines that have driven American innovation and American progress as well as driven human progress and one of the best ways for us to be able to do that is to recognize the achievements of Americans who have received extraordinary honors."

This will be the last occasion for Obama to welcome the US laureates, because "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in the White House.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, President Barack Obama blames Fox News for Hillary Clintons Election-Day loss.

Part of it is Fox News in every bar and restaurant in big chunks of the country, the president was quoted saying in the magazine.

But the question is how much was Fox News really to blame for the election results, and how much was it deflection by the president on issues within the Democratic Party? The Five Co-Host Juan Williams weighed in on Obamas comments.

Im so impressed that Fox News is so effective and that the president would acknowledge were in every bar and grill in America, Williams told the FOX Business Networks Stuart Varney.

When Varney questioned him about whether President Obama was ignoring the fact that the Democratic Party also lost 63 House seats, nine Senate seats, 14 governorships and 1,000 state positions in his comments, Williams said he didnt think the president was putting all of the blame on the cable television network.

I think that the first sentence in which he said that the Democrats themselves have not been effective communicators is key. And I think the result is what youre pointing at there, those tremendous losses, down ballots especially in state races now dominated by the Republicans, Williams said.

On the other hand Williams acknowledged Fox had an impact on the election results considering the number of viewers who tune into the networks programming on a daily basis.

I would not ignore the message about the effectiveness of Fox News, Williams said.

He continued that Democrats are threatened by the network, so President Obamas comments are part of pattern of attempts to denounce its legitimacy. Further, Williams said Democrats are concerned over Foxs potential influence in favoring Republican candidates.

The question is about the facts and I think their [Democrats] view is that Fox puts their finger on the scale. As the president has said, he wouldnt vote for himself if he watched Fox News, he said.

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President Barack Obama says though he doesnt think legalizing marijuana will end Americas drug problem, he believes pot should be regulated the same way cigarettes and alcohol are regulated.

Obama, in an interview with Rolling Stone published Tuesday, said regulating marijuana is a much smarter way to handle the issue that continuing to treat it as a Schedule I drug.

Marijuana has been legalized for at least medical use in 26 states and the District of Columbia, with three more states set to join their ranks in the wake of the recent election. Eight states  California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon  and the District of Columbia permit recreational use. In addition, some cities, particularly Chicago and New York, allow individuals to possess small amounts of marijuana, issuing tickets for possession but no criminal penalties.

At least 15 states have amended their marijuana penalties since 2013, raising the amount one is allowed to possess before criminal penalties kick in.

Since the Nov. 8 election, efforts have begun in several other states  Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee  to change the law

It is untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA [Drug Enforcement Agency] to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something that's legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another, Obama said.

obama

Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Obama said allowing the changes to be made first on the state level was a way of measuring public sentiment. The issue could play out in much the same way same-sex marriage did. The key is to take a systematic approach.

The point is that politics in a big, diverse country like this requires us to move the ball forward not in one long Hail Mary to the end zone, but to, you know, systemically make progress, Obama said.

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Marijuana legalization is still a touchy issue among politicians even though public sentiment seems to be leaning toward legalization.

A Pew Research Center poll released last month indicates 57 percent of U.S. adults support legalization compared to just 32 percent a decade ago, with millennials driving the legalization effort.

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Obama Trump

Since his election victory on November 8, President-elect Donald Trump has reaffirmed his intention to deport "2 million ... even 3 million" of what he called "criminal" immigrants living in the US illegally.

Trump's deportation scheme is part of his promised effort to restore jobs to Americans and to secure the southern US border.

There are numerous issues with the plan as he's described it, one of the more proximate ones being his allusion to "criminal" immigrants and who that definition would encompass.

Another important shortcoming with Trump's proposed deportations is that they would only address the result of illegal immigration and likely do nothing to resolve on-the-ground issues that have driven a huge wave of people to the US border in recent years.

In a Rolling Stone interview conducted the day after the election and published this week, President Obama addressed the immigration issue, acknowledging that there is a broad base of concern about it but stressing that policy responses need to be more comprehensive  addressing conditions on the ground in the places these people are fleeing.

Central American migrants Mexico La Bestia immigration

Noting that some Republicans were aware that alienating immigrant and minority communities would not be a winning strategy in the long-term, Obama said:

"It's going to be important for Democrats and immigration-rights activists to recognize that for the majority of the American people, borders mean something. And so there has to be, what I've said before, both rule of law and values that stay true to our immigrant roots."

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Obama also stated a desire for changes to the legal-immigration system, but, recognizing that such changes would not come in the near-term, he said US attention and resources should turn to the conditions that underlie immigration:

"What we can do is to work along the borders in a cooperative way with Mexico so that the pressure of what are now mostly Central American immigrants into our country is handled in a humane way. And what we can do, and I will share this with President-elect Trump when I see him, is continue to make smart investments in countries like Honduras and El Salvador and Guatemala that can help them deliver some sense of well-being for their people."

The Northern Triangle region  made up of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala  has become one of the most violent areas on earth, and those countries have been plagued by weak economies and ineffective institutions.

The US has played an influential role in causing the migration from this region.

honduras soldiers parade kid

Deadly violence there has been driven by the activities of transnational gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18 in particular.

Those two groups emerged in Los Angeles between the 1960s and 1980s, largely formed by Central Americans who had fled civil wars in their countries during those years.

When those civil wars ended in the 1990s, the US began to increase deportations, sending many immigrants and their descendants back to economically and politically fragile countries where they had few roots.

In this environment, many of those deportees quickly reestablished and expanded their previous criminal activities.

"So, in a way, deportations were extremely important to the emergence and expansion of criminal groups like the MS-13 and Barrio 18," Mike Allison, a political-science professor at the University of Scranton, told Business Insider earlier this month.

The US has also pursued a number of economic and political policies that have been blamed for eroding the stability of these areas, undermining communities and spurring on waves of migrants.

The US has worked with the Mexican and Central American governments in efforts to address the flow of undocumented migrants heading toward the US border.

Mexico border

In Mexico, this appears to have translated into pressure to apprehend migrants during their journey through the country and weaponry and other resources to assist the effort.

But Mexico has still struggled under the weight of the many migrants crossing its territory, and in this environment many of the criminal groups active in Mexico have preyed on migrants  many of them women and children  who are vulnerable during their trek.

Trump seems intent on pursuing mass deportations, making use of an enforcement apparatus expanded by Obama himself.

This response, if undertaken without any effort to change the conditions in the places these migrants are leaving, seems likely to reproduce the problem it means to address.

NOW WATCH: Donald Trump on Syrian refugees: 'If I win they're going back'





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Barack Obama

Barack Obama called for re-thinking the federal government's stance on marijuana, and said that the drug should be treated as a "public health" issue, in a recent interview with The Rolling Stone.

"It is untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something that's legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another," Obama told The Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner.

Obama said that while he doesn't believe that legalization is a "panacea," he thinks that marijuana should be treated as a public health issue similar to cigarettes and alcohol.

There's already a thriving commercial market for marijuana in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, and seven more states, including California, voted to legalize marijuana in various forms on November 8.

At the federal level, however, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Obama stressed that whatever his position, de-scheduling marijuana is not something he can do by "presidential edict."

"Typically how these classifications are changed are not done by presidential edict but are done either legislatively or through the DEA," Obama said. "As you might imagine, the DEA, whose job it is historically to enforce drug laws, is not always going to be on the cutting edge about these issues."

bi graphics_marijuana map (1)

The DEA passed up the opportunity to re-schedule marijuana in August, after they were forced to respond to a widely-circulated petition.

Obama likened the debate around marijuana reform to same-sex marriage  change happens incrementally at first.

"There's something to this whole states-being-laboratories-of-democracy and an evolutionary approach," Obama said. "You now have about a fifth of the country where this is legal."

While marijuana advocates welcomed Obama's comments, some say he should have taken more action on the issue during his presidency.

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"It would have been very helpful if he had taken more concrete positive action on this issue before it was almost time to vacate the Oval Office," Tom Angell, of the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority told Business Insider. "That this president didnt apply pressure on the DEA to reschedule marijuana this year will likely go down as one of the biggest disappointments of the Obama era."

marijuana white house legalization protest demonstration

Groups on the other side of the debate point to Trump's pick for secretary of health and human services, Tom Price, as evidence that the president-elect will not make any moves to soften the federal government's stance on marijuana reform.

"It appears that Trump is picking people who are pretty anti-marijuana," Kevin Sabet, the president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana told Business Insider. "HHS [health and human services] plays a big role in drug prevention and I think that what we need is more awareness and prevention around marijuana, so this pick is encouraging."

Obama, for his part, said that he'll use his profile as a private citizen to move the needle on marijuana reform after he leaves office.

"I will have the opportunity as a private citizen to describe where I think we need to go," Obama told The Rolling Stone. "This is a debate that is now ripe, much in the same way that we ended up making progress on same-sex marriage."

NOW WATCH: 'That hypocrisy is also real'  Jon Stewart takes liberals to task for calling all Trump supporters racist





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PATE ISLAND (Kenya) (AFP) - Ahmed Ali Mohamed snorkels over sea grass and coral, keeping an eye out for different fish species darting through the waters below him.

But his job is not to catch the fish -- as his family has done for generations -- instead he only counts them.

Mohamed is one of the first former fishermen to be retrained as a ranger monitoring the health of the reef off Pate Island in southeastern Kenya, where fortunes are dwindling as fast as the fish in the sea.

Pate's fishermen have plied the inshore waters for generations but must now adapt to survive as -- like coastal people around the world -- they learn the hard way that the ocean is not an endless resource.

"The community's population has grown with time and we all depend on the ocean alone for a living," said Mohamed, 45, a former lobster fisherman.

"Before people would go into the waters and come back with a big catch of fish... but now they don't even come back with enough to feed their own families."

The stakes are high for the island, the largest in the idyllic Lamu archipelago.

Fishing became the main source of income after tourism collapsed following a spate of kidnappings by pirates in 2011 and an increase of attacks by Shabaab militants on the mainland.

Community leaders fear the effects of worsening poverty as the fish run out in this mainly Muslim region which neighbours Somalia and has suffered generations of marginalisation by successive governments.

"When it comes to a point where people have nothing to do, no income, (and) increase in poverty, people will have no option but to end up joining bad groups like Al-Shabaab," said Atwas Swabir, the chairman of Pate's marine reserve.

- Fishermen target reefs -

Poverty is already entrenched. On the mangrove-fringed island, electricity only reached the torpid fishing village of Faza two months ago. Dozens of children loiter on the shore while donkeys nibble at flotsam in the water and scrawny, diseased cats yowl for scraps when the fishermen come in.

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Swabir says many of these children will end up as fishermen "whether they like it or not" so finding new ways to make fishing sustainable without destroying the environment for future generations is essential.

"Fishing is not just an income generating activity, it is a lifestyle," said local fisheries director Kamalu Sharif. "You cannot remove a fisherman and take him to the farm."

Close to where Mohamed takes careful notes on an underwater writing slate, traditional wooden dhows work in tandem to drag a large tight-mesh net over the reef scooping up everything in its wake, including young fish, and breaking off bits of sensitive coral.

The reefs teem with fish who are lured there for breeding, making them an easy and vulnerable target for fishermen.

"That is where breeding happens, that is where (fish) lay their eggs. The fishermen are directly targeting those reefs," said Juliet King, an advisor to Kenya's Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a conservation organisation.

The reef ranger programme, funded by the US-based Nature Conservancy, is aimed at helping fishermen manage their resources better, using a method akin to crop rotation to encourage sequential fishing of the reef giving different areas a chance to recover.

However, the long-term plan is for fishermen to move away from the sensitive reef entirely. Currently, they only use a fraction of the more than 200 nautical miles of waters available to them.

"We are trying to encourage (the fishermen) to extend their fishing range to slightly deeper waters and in less exploited areas and that way we will be tackling this big problem of overfishing," said George Maina, Marine Project Coordinator for the Nature Conservancy.

Lending the project more urgency is the nearby construction of a major new port, a boon for development that spells doom for the livelihoods of around 4,000 fishermen if they remain inshore, say local officials.

Further out, they can catch larger, more valuable fish, but that requires ice for storage and a market at which to sell them.

- New methods, bigger earnings -

Testing a new initiative, dhows set off from Pate at night with ice boxes on board. In the deeper waters beyond the reef, they will fish with a hook and line instead of nets.

The next day, the prized catch of snapper, tuna and emperor fish is whisked to a nearby hotel -- which has rented a freezer to the fishermen -- before being sent on to upmarket restaurants and lodges across Kenya.

Taking part in this pilot programme, Mohamed Mwanaheri, 40, says he has more than doubled his earnings.

"People need to be informed so that the community can know there is a ready market (and) change their outdated fishing methods," he said.

Fuzz Dyer, an advisor to NRT and the owner of the hotel where the fish is frozen, reckoned Pate's fishermen could land 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of high-quality fish a day if they are helped to change their methods and access the market.

The alternative, Dyer warned, is disaster with overfishing leaving the reef barren.

"People are just raping the bottom of the ocean," he said.
trump

The Office of Government Ethics launched into a lengthy tweetstorm at President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, appearing to praise the Manhattan billionaire for announcing he would cede control of his business empire.

Trump said in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning that he would announce his plan to leave his business "in total" to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest as president. He said legal documents were being drafted, but did not specify how he would hand off control.

Trump has said he would pass his business to his children in what he deemed is a "blind trust," although a blind trust is run by someone who is independent of the business owner.

The verified Twitter account of the Office of Government Ethics posted a slew of tweets praising Trump for his "divestiture," though Trump did not say anything on Wednesday about selling off his investments.

The office seemed to imitate Trump's famous Twitter tone. For instance, it posted: "Brilliant! Divestiture is good for you, very good for America!"

Read the tweets:

.@realDonaldTrump OGE applauds the "total" divestiture decision. Bravo!  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonalTrump As we discussed with your counsel, divestiture is the way to resolve these conflicts.  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump OGE is delighted that you've decided to divest your businesses. Right decision!  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump Bravo! Only way to resolve these conflicts of interest is to divest . Good call!  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump this aligns with OGE opinion that POTUS should act as if 18 USC 208 applies. https://t.co/T6nNUPxFwp  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump this divestiture does what handing over control could never have done.  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump - we told your counsel we'd sing your praises if you divested, we meant it.  U.S. OGE (@OfficeGovEthics) November 30, 2016

In a statement after the tweetstorm, an OGE spokesman said the organization was "excited" to read Trump's early-morning tweets.

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"Like everyone else, we were excited to read the president-elect's Twitter feed indicating he wants to be free of conflicts of interest," the spokesman, Seth Jaffe, wrote. "OGE applauds that goal, which is consistent with an opinion OGE issued in 1983. Divesture resolves conflicts of interest in a way that transferring control does not. We don't know the details of their plan, but we are willing and eager to help them with it."

"The tweets that OGE posted today were responding only to the public statement that the president-elect made on his Twitter feed about his plans regarding conflicts of interest," Jaffe wrote in a statement provided to Business Insider. "OGE's tweets were not based on any information about the president-elect's plans beyond what was shared on his Twitter feed. OGE is non-partisan and does not endorse any individual."

Read Trump's tweets from earlier Wednesday:

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Trump's ability to separate his business ties from the presidency has been scrutinized throughout the transition process. His daughter Ivanka, who stands to be a leader in taking over his company, sat in on a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this month and was on a congratulatory phone call between the president-elect and Argentine President Mauricio Macri.

Trump also met in his Trump Tower office with three Indian business partners who are building a Trump-branded apartment complex near Mumbai. The men posed with Trump in a picture posted to Twitter.

According to a recent Washington Post story, at least 111 separate Trump companies have conducted business in 18 countries across South America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Pointing specifically to a Trump Towers project in Istanbul, something Trump at one point said could present "a little conflict of interest," The Post wrote that "policy and ethics experts are scrambling to assess the potential dangers of public rule by a leader with a vast web of private business deals."

Yet as recently as last week, it was unclear how Trump would navigate the situation. In an interview with The New York Times, he said that "in theory" he could run both his company and the country "perfectly" because the president is exempt from some conflict-of-interest rules. But he said he would nevertheless phase out his role in his organization.

"My company's so unimportant to me relative to what I'm doing," he said.

The biggest legal risk Trump faces as a result of his business ties is a passage in the Constitution known as the emoluments clause, which forbids government officials from receiving gifts from a foreign government.

As The Post noted, a payment from a foreign official or state-owned company to a Trump hotel or other company bearing his name could potentially violate the clause. So could favorable legislation or treatment overseas from a government aimed at benefiting a Trump property.

NOW WATCH: How to move to Canada and become a Canadian citizen





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Washington (AFP) - The car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University by an immigrant student places a fresh spotlight on the large Somali community in the US, which has seen a number of youth enlist in jihadist causes.

Investigations are ongoing into Monday's attack, in which Somali student Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot and killed by police after driving into a crowd and then slashing several people with a knife.

But a Facebook post Artan apparently made ahead of the attack, as reported by US media, delivered a long threat against "infidels" and urged Muslims to listen to the words of US-born Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who inspired numerous conversions to the jihadist cause.

On Tuesday, a jihadist-linked news agency called him a "soldier" of the Islamic State group.

Artan's attack came just two months after a 22-year-old Somali man wounded nine people in a knife attack in a mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

And just two weeks ago, nine young Somali men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms following their arrest in 2014 in Minneapolis for planning to travel to Syria to join the IS group.

A handful of others are said to have succeeded in joining the Islamic state, and, in 2007-2009, some 20 Somali Americans returned to their country and enlisted in the jihadist Al-Shabab group.

And in 2013 four Somalis in san Diego were convicted of raising money for Al-Shabab, which the US has designated a terror group.

But experts say the number of incidents remain small, given the size of the US Somali population, and that those involved were largely "self-radicalized" rather than organized by Islamic State or other groups.

There are well over 100,000 Somali Americans, including immigrants and their American-born children.

The largest communities are in Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Lewiston, Maine; and Atlanta, Georgia. Most arrived over the past two decades as civil war swept their country.

Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said the number of radicalization cases remains low.

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"I would hesitate to broad-brush the community. You're talking about such a small number of individuals," said Hughes, who spent three and a half years working on Somali community issues at the government's National Counterterrorism Center.

The government launched a pioneering outreach program to the huge Minneapolis Muslim community in 2014, aiming to both woo cooperation from the community and help deter people from joining radical Islamist groups.

Hughes said the city's Muslims remain distrustful, but that the cases of radicalization that have surfaced have encouraged more cooperation, especially from families whose children left for Syria and Somalia.

"I think it's too early to tell" if the program is working, he said.

- Fears of backlash -

But the cases have made the Somali community very sensitive to criticism and concerned over possible backlash.

Speaking at a press conference Monday on Artan's attack, Roula Allouch, the national board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, expressed worry over attacks against Muslims.

"We do know of his Somali heritage and that will be enough for some people to falsely link this tragic incident to the faith of Islam and to the Somali and Muslim communities," she said.

Many Muslim Americans were outraged when now President-elect Donald Trump denounced Somali immigrants at least twice during the presidential election campaign.

In Maine in August, he linked local crime to Somali newcomers in the northeast state.

And just two days before the election, he tied the Minneapolis population to the IS group.

"Here in Minnesota, you've seen first hand the problems caused with faulty refugee-vetting, with very large numbers of Somali refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, your support or approval, and with some of them then joining ISIS and spreading their extremist views over all our country and all over the world," Trump said.

but Horsed Noah, head of the Somali Islamic Centers of Ohio, said that his community did not support attacks such as Artan's.

"It does not represent the beautiful culture and values of the Somali community," he said.
By Ginny McCabe

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - The expected retrial of a white former University of Cincinnati police officer who killed a black motorist during a traffic stop last year hit a series of snags this week as three judges recused themselves before a fourth was assigned to the case.

The quest for a new judge came after a jury failed earlier this month to reach a verdict on whether former officer Ray Tensing was guilty of murder or manslaughter for shooting Samuel DuBose, 43, in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on his vehicle.

DuBose's killing fueled demonstrations against the use of lethal force by white officers against unarmed blacks and other minorities, an issue that has renewed a national debate over racial bias in the criminal justice system.

Courtroom staff for Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Leslie Ghiz said she was assigned to the case on Tuesday, after several colleagues turned down the job.

Court records showed a page-long list of entries as judges were tapped and then recused themselves. Ghiz was expected to meet with lawyers in the case this week.

Hamilton County Judge Megan Shanahan, who presided over the original trial, said in court on Monday she would not hear the retrial.

"It's this court's opinion that the retrial should be conducted with that blank slate on all matters surrounding evidence and procedure," Shanahan said.

After Shanahan recused herself, the case was assigned to Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Tom Heekin. The judge, who represented one of DuBose's children as a court-appointed representative in a civil lawsuit, recused himself on Tuesday morning, said bailiff Mitch Gillen.

The case was then assigned to Judge Beth Myers, who also recused herself, citing an upcoming new post at the Ohio First District Court of Appeals.

Tensing, 27, was fired from the University of Cincinnati Police Department after being indicted for murder and voluntary manslaughter in July 2015 in relation to the shooting. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $1 million bond.

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After the jury failed to reach a verdict on Nov. 12, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he would retry Tensing. He also requested a change of venue for the second trial.

During the July 2015 traffic stop, Tensing asked DuBose to remove his seat belt and tried to open the car door. DuBose did not comply and closed the door. The vehicle started rolling forward slowly as Tensing pulled his gun and fired once.

A date for the retrial has not been set.

(Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
By Mark Hosenball and Kim Palmer WASHINGTON/COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - A Somali immigrant who injured 11 people at Ohio State University in a vehicle and stabbing attack before he was shot dead may have followed the same path to self-radicalization as militants in a number of "lone wolf" attacks, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Abdul Razak Ali Artan, 20, was shot dead by a police officer on Monday moments after he plowed his car into a crowd of pedestrians and then leapt out and began stabbing people with a butcher knife. Investigators were probing the background of Artan, a Muslim who was a lawful permanent resident of the United States and a student at Ohio State. Authorities have given no direct motive for the attack on the Columbus campus. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Artan appeared to have been influenced by material on the internet. "It appears that the attacker was radicalized online by jihadist propaganda," he said in a statement. Schiff said no evidence has been uncovered showing that Artan communicated with or was directed by overseas militant groups. It was unclear what prompted Artan's family to immigrate to the United States or if his time outside the United States played a part in his decision to launch the attack, Schiff said. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the attack. But a federal official who asked not to be identified said investigators have seen no evidence so far that the militant group's role was anything more than inspirational. Artan's actions fit the pattern of lone-wolf militants who carried out other attacks, such as the gunman who shot to death 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, and the man who killed four U.S. Marines and a Navy sailor in a shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last year, the officials said. Those gunmen were also killed by police. ARTAN SPOKE OF 'BOILING POINT' Investigators were looking into a message posted on Facebook by Artan with inflammatory statements about being "sick and tired" of seeing Muslims killed, a law enforcement source said. "Stop the killing of the Muslims in Burma," Artan said in the Facebook post. Violence in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has sent Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh amid allegations of abuses by security forces. All of Artan's Facebook postings have been removed from the social media website. Artan's post did not mention Islamic State, but it praised Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born radical cleric linked to al Qaeda who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2011. Artan, who was born in Somalia, arrived in the United States in 2014, said a federal official, who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing investigation. Members of Columbus' Somali community have denounced the attack by Artan. Investigators believe Artan may have lived as long as seven years in Pakistan, said the federal official. Somali refugees often spend some time in Pakistan before coming to the United States. More recently, Artan worked at a Home Depot store in Columbus, a U.S. law enforcement official said. The attack rattled students at the state's flagship public university. One victim remained hospitalized on Tuesday at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief medical officer at the facility, said at a news conference. Two others were at Riverside Methodist Hospital. No victims have life-threatening injuries. William Clark, a professor emeritus who was struck by Artan's car, told reporters after his release from the hospital that he would withhold judgment about Artan until he learns more about what motivated him. "Im sore, but Im going home this afternoon and he's dead," Clark said. "My sense is, out of respect for just the living and the dead, that we should wait until we know exactly what the truth is." (Additional reporting by Amy Tennery and David Ingram in New York and Ali Abdelatti in Cairo; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
The student who attacked a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday may have been inspired by ISIS and Anwar al-Awlaki, an al Qaeda-linked cleric who was killed in 2011, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Abdul Artan, a Somali immigrant who was shot and killed by a police officer Monday, injured 11 people after plowing a car over a curbside and then attacking people with a knife. Officials said during a Wednesday press conference that Artan had purchased a knife from a Walmart on Monday morning, but that they werent sure if it was the knife used in the attack.

Authorities had no knowledge of or contact with Artan prior to the attack and he was not the subject of any previous investigation, FBI special agent Angela Byers told reporters.

In Facebook posts that surfaced after the attack, Artan railed against U.S. interference in Muslim countries, and wrote, If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace with ISIS. Officials did not comment on the review of Artans Facebook during the conference.

An ISIS news agency claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday, claiming Artan a soldier of the Islamic State. Byers said officials are not jumping to conclusions about the validity of the claim.

We believe he may have been inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki or ISIL, but they have been known to take credit for incidents like this when an assailant is deceased and cannot refute that, she said.
The OPEC Secretary General indicates the oil producing nations can reach some kind of deal to cut production. Oil has been all over the place in the past week or so, depending on each bit of news from the oil producing nations of OPEC. Brent crude has rallied as much as 6% this morning. OPEC is meeting today in Vienna, Austria. Former Goldman Sachs Banker Steven Mnuchin is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Treasury Secretary. In that position, Mnuchin would be the face of the U.S. economy to the world. Trump has also named billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as his choice for Commerce Secretary. Both need Senate confirmation. Air conditioner plant Carrier says it will keep 1000 jobs at its Indiana plant, about half the jobs it had planned to move to Mexico. The Wall Street Journal says the company will receive new government incentives.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Wednesday committed its fractious members to their first oil production limits in eight years. Now comes the hard part.

OPEC has agreed to cut production by about 1.2 million barrels per day, or about 4.5 percent of current production, to 32.5 million barrels per day.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia faces the unenviable tasks of policing cartel members and keeping crude prices within a range that will relieve pressure on oil-producing countries' economies, but which will dissuade non-OPEC producers from increasing output.

Analysts broadly expect an agreement to boost oil prices above $50 a barrel and keep them there. Prices have wavered between about $40 and $54 since the spring.

Commodity watchers also believe the deal will set up a long-awaited balance between oil supply and demand in the first half of next year. The market has been oversupplied for more than two years, by as much as 2 million barrels a day.





But OPEC now has a difficult needle to thread. Oil rigs began popping up in U.S. oil fields when prices approached $50 a barrel, and analysts believe high-cost producers outside OPEC will further ramp up production if crude prices rise above $55 a barrel.

That includes U.S. shale drillers, which have built a backlog of partially completed wells in anticipation of a price recovery. Once prices rise, they could switch on that production-in-waiting.

While many see oil prices averaging between $50 and $55 next year, analysts are not united on the path to that level. Goldman Sachs believes the deal will cause crude prices to spike in the first half of 2017, and then moderate in the second half as both OPEC and U.S. shale producers capitalize on the rally.

But JPMorgan sees prices rising slowly but steadily quarter after quarter. The bank cautioned that the deal is essentially aimed at preventing an even larger buildup of oil stockpiles. The world's storage facilities are brimming with crude and refined fuels.

Story continues

Accommodations the cartel offered to Iran , Libya and Nigeria would mean that total OPEC production will likely increase next year, even as other members cut output in the first part of 2017, JPMorgan said.

Libya and Nigeria were granted exemptions because they have experienced significant supply outages due to internal conflicts. Iran agreed to freeze production near current levels rather than cut as it rebuilds its market share following the lifting of sanctions earlier this year.

Skeptics have long warned that OPEC members are notorious cheaters and may not stick to quotas agreed to on Wednesday in Vienna. But RBC Capital Markets said adherence may not matter so much this time for a simple reason: OPEC members are near full-tilt, and they don't have much more capacity to pump.

"The OPEC producers are close to being capped out, and the ones that do have significant spare capacity continue to face security problems that will likely imperil any ramp-up plans in the near term," RBC wrote in a note.

"Libya and Nigeria collectively have more than one and a half million barrels that are currently off the market, but neither of these countries is close to resolving the political and security problems that have shut in output."

Beyond OPEC, other countries aren't helping out those who hope for higher prices, the International Energy Agency said in its latest oil market report. Demand for oil around the world is expected to increase by 1.2 million barrels a day in 2017, a rate of growth that would match this year.

The IEA also projects Russia , the world's largest oil producer, to increase its crude output by 230,000 barrels a day this year. The agency says Russia could boost production by another 200,000 barrels a day next year.

OPEC said it is seeking to secure 600,000 barrels per day of cuts from non-OPEC producers, and that Russia has committed to temporarily cut production by about 300,000 barrels per day.

But implementing the cuts will be difficult for Russia, said Chris Weafer, co-founder of consulting agency Macro Advisory Partners, prior to the announcement.

The Russian government, which owns a majority share in that country's big oil companies, would face a revolt from minority shareholders if it sought to limit production, he said. From a technical perspective, Russia can't turn off the taps, because much of the production comes from areas with freezing temperatures where drillers must keep oil flowing, he added.

"Russia cannot agree to a production cut because it cannot deliver on that," Weafer told CNBC.



Prior to OPEC's announcement, the IEA said it also expects Brazil , Canada and Kazakhstan to pump more in 2017. That would push total non-OPEC output growth to 500,000 barrels a day next year, compared with a projected decline of 900,000 barrels a day this year.

"This means that 2017 could be another year of relentless global supply growth similar to that seen in 2016," IEA said.





More From CNBC


KENDALLVILLE  Glowing Christmas trees, meaningful wreaths and inviting gift displays provided a festive setting for the approximately 375 people attending the Festival of Trees Saturday night at the Kendallville Event Center.

The 19th annual event sponsored by the Parkview Noble and Parkview LaGrange foundations raised more than $52,000 to benefit the hospice programs of Parkview Noble and Parkview LaGrange hospitals.

Parkview Home Health and Hospice help hundreds of Noble and LaGrange county residents spend their final months at home with family, alleviating pain, reducing discomfort, treating symptoms and enhancing their quality of life.

Hospice provides care to all patients, regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay for services.

Tina Smith spoke about how hospice made a difference to her father, Vernie Blevins, and their family.

Another especially meaningful portion of the evening was when Parkview Noble Foundation director Cathy Linsenmayer gave special recognition to Jane Roush, who retired this summer as executive director of the Parkview Noble Foundation.

In the 15 years that Jane was director of the Parkview Noble Foundation, not only did she grow the foundation, but she made the Festival of Trees what it is today, Linsenmayer said. The success of this years event and the number of people who donated their time, resources and passion show Janes ongoing dedication to the Festival of Trees.

The silent and live auctions received enthusiastic support. One of the biggest crowd pleasers was a Harley-Davidson rocker that sold for $3,000 to Michelle Phillips. The rocker was donated by Ron and Lori Grate, huge supporters who believe strongly in the services provided by hospice care, Linsenmayer said.

Ron Grate drove to Illinois on Thursday to obtain the rocker, handcrafted by Paul Roberts. It is 100 percent wood and 100 percent American made.

Decorated by LeAnn Conley, KPC Media Groups white Christmas tree won the Peoples Choice award, and the Cubs tree sponsored by Burnworth Zollars and decorated by Abbie Samko won the Judges Choice award. The Cubs tree sold in the live auction for $3,500.

The KPC tree won the Judges Choice second place award, and the Mannequin Tree, sponsored by the Marcella Boman family and decorated by Becky Schermerhorn and Susan Ross, was third place Judges Choice.

Also placing in Peoples Choice were the 3-foot tree sponsored by Harper Funeral Home, decorated by ARC, and the wreath in memory of Alma Kiser.

For information about Parkview Home Health and Hospice, call 347-8910.
Its official: OPEC has agreed to cut its output by over 1 million barrels a day. The decision sent oil prices up over 7% to $48.48 a barrel in morning trading on Wednesday. A production cut of this size could push oil supplies below demand levels sooner than expected, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Todays meeting in Vienna was highly anticipated, as oil prices have fluctuated with every rumor and bit of news concerning a production cut over the past year or so. Just last Friday, prices fell as much as 3% on doubts if OPEC could even reach a deal, as well as Saudi Arabias announcement that it would not participate in talks with Russia and other non-OPEC countries amid disagreements on how to share the burden of production curtails.

But todays decision to slash output by more than 1 million barrels reflects a reduction of roughly 1% of global output, a step forward in helping to lessen the oil glut the world faces.

However, only time will tell if OPEC members will actually stick to this newly agreed-upon production levels. Saudi Arabia is taking the biggest hit, contributing around 0.5 million barrels a day by cutting its output to 10.06 million barrels, says Reuters, while Iran is set to freeze its production close to its current levels of 3.797 barrels a day.

Theres also concern about oil-producing countries outside of OPEC, like Russia. While its not clear how much the nation will trim its output, Russia has, in the past, been open to cutting production in coordination with the cartel. The Journal notes that Russian oil production rose by 500,000 barrels a day in September and October, so even if [Russia] agrees to freeze output, it would do so at record high levels.

In other oil news, CNBC reported that U.S. crude inventories decreased by 884,000 barrels over the past week, in comparison with an increase of 636,000 barrels analysts had expected. Gasoline and distillate fuel oil stockpiles, which includes diesel and heating oil, also rose higher than expected. For more U.S. oil news, read: USGS Just Discovered the Biggest Shale Oil Field in America

Story continues

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Orlando Bloom has professed his admiration for the Hadid sisters as both beauties are scheduled to hit the catwalk for the 2016 Victorias Secret Fashion Show. Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that Bloom and girlfriend Katy Perry are already hearing wedding bells.

On Tuesday, Bloom took to Instagram to share a goofy snap of himself donning bunny ears. Based on his caption for the pic, Bloom expressed his appreciation for Bella and Gigi Hadid and regarded himself as the next Hadid sibling. He even used the hashtag #orlandohadid to convey his desire to be one with the sisters, according to Just Jared.

Bella and Gigi are going to be featured in this years Victorias Secret Fashion Show, which Bloom is very familiar with. After all, he was previously married to supermodel Miranda Kerr  the mother of his son, Flynn Christopher Bloom.

Meanwhile, Blooms current girlfriend is also no stranger to the famous fashion show. Perry, performing with Akon, once joined Victoria's Secret models on the catwalk, Yahoo! Celebrity reported. This year, Perrys fellow Hillary Clinton supporter, Lady Gaga, will do the same.

Meanwhile, Bloom and Perry have reportedly decided to take their relationship to the next level, despite recent breakup rumors. Apparently, Perry was spotted walking through New York with a new sparkler on her ring finger, which sparked rumors of the couple's engagement.

Earlier reports claimed Bloom and Perry have already split early this month, according to Yahoo! Lifestyle. Bloom reportedly decided to end their relationship because he was unwilling to commit. These rumors, however, may have been baseless from the get-go. Bloom has been very supportive of his girlfriend as she dealt with Clintons loss to Donald Trump. Bloom even spent Thanskgiving with Perry and the latter's family.

Orlando Bloom

Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

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donald trump phone

Pakistan's government released a detailed readout of US President-elect Donald Trump's phone call with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying Trump praised Sharif as a "terrific guy" and called Pakistanis "one of the most intelligent people."

Sharif apparently called Trump to congratulate him on winning the White House.

The Pakistani news release said Trump called Sharif a "terrific guy" with a "very good reputation."

"You are doing very good work which is visible in every way," Trump said to Sharif, according to the readout. "I am looking forward to [seeing] you soon."

"As I am talking to you, prime minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long," he added, according to the readout.

Sharif and his family were caught in a corruption scandal amid the release of the Panama Papers, and the embattled prime minister is facing increasing uncertainty among the public about his rule.

This isn't Sharif's first go-around as prime minister of Pakistan  he was in power in the 1990s but was eventually ousted in a military coup.

Trump also called Pakistan an "amazing" country with "tremendous opportunities," according to the readout.

"I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems," Trump reportedly said. "It will be an honor, and I will personally do it."

Sharif then asked Trump to visit Pakistan. The readout said Trump said he "would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people."

"Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing, and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people," he said, according to the readout.

NOW WATCH: Its surreal to watch this 2011 video of Obama and Seth Meyers taunting Trump about a presidential run





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Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - President Mahmud Abbas said he remained committed to dialogue with Israel as he addressed his Fatah party's first congress since 2009 on Wednesday while facing grim immediate prospects for advancing his goal of a Palestinian state.

The 81-year-old leader was re-elected head of Fatah as the congress opened on Tuesday, but speculation has mounted over who will eventually succeed him as Palestinian president.

He has contended with personal unpopularity, with polls showing most Palestinians would like him to resign, and internal party dissent.

Many have lost faith in the so-called peace process spelled out in the Oslo accords of the 1990s that he helped negotiate.

In his speech on Wednesday evening, Abbas said he was committed to negotiating a two-state solution to the conflict, but that it would not come at the expense of Palestinian principles.

"We are saying to the Israeli people that we want peace that conforms to international resolutions, but it is your government who does not," he said.

Israel must "recognise that settlements are illegal", he said, adding "our hand will remain extended for peace".

Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in 2014.

The Israelis have called for direct negotiations, while the Palestinians have pursued international support for their cause, saying years of talks have not ended the occupation.

The speech before some 1,400 delegates came with Palestinians facing continued Jewish settlement building in the West Bank and an incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States seen as far more friendly to Israel.

More than 600,000 Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The United States, European Union and others have warned that continued settlement building is eating away at prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict, the basis of years of negotiations.

Story continues

A controversial Israeli bill to legalise some 4,000 settler homes in the West Bank had been due to come up for a first reading in parliament on Wednesday, but it was delayed until Monday as behind-the-scenes debate continued.

The international community considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem to be illegal, whether they are authorised by the government or not.

The Israeli government differentiates between those it has approved and those it has not.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current coalition is considered the most right-wing in Israel's history.

- Hamas outreach -

Fatah's five-day congress is expected to discuss whether to seek to introduce a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.

Abbas, head of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority following Yasser Arafat's death in 2004, has consistently called for a negotiated solution and opposed another violent uprising.

His achievements include having Palestine recognised as a UN observer state, with its flag raised at United Nations headquarters in 2015.

But the ageing leader has grown unpopular and has not publicly backed a successor.

Some analysts see the congress as an attempt by Abbas to marginalise political opponents, including longtime rival Mohammed Dahlan, currently in exile in the United Arab Emirates.

Observers have seen the reduced number of officials to vote -- down from more than 2,000 in 2009 -- as part of a move to exclude Dahlan supporters.

The election of members of Fatah's parliament and its central committee could signal the direction the oldest Palestinian party will take and possibly provide clues to Abbas's thinking regarding his succession.

The congress also comes with Fatah and its Islamist rival Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, still deeply divided. Fatah dominates the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank.

However, a letter from exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in which he said he was "ready to cooperate with Fatah," was read at the opening of the congress on Tuesday.

Abbas and Meshaal recently met in Qatar for the first time in two years.

With the two movements long divided, Abbas's term as Palestinian president officially ended in 2009 but there has been no election since.

Abbas said Wednesday there was "no other path than reconciliation," though repeated previous attempts have failed.
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian judge who asked a rape complainant why she could not "just keep your knees together" should be removed from the bench, a committee of inquiry recommended on Wednesday. Alberta Justice Robin Camp committed misconduct during the 2014 rape trail, relying on "discredited myths and stereotypes about women and victim-blaming," the five-member panel established by the Canadian Judicial Council, which oversees federal judges, said in its unanimous recommendation. The full council will now consider whether to recommend Camp's ouster to Canadian Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who in turn would then decide whether to ask Parliament to vote to remove Camp from the bench. Camp made his comments during the 2014 trial of a man accused of raping a 19-year-old woman who said she was sexually assaulted over a bathroom sink during a house party. Among other remarks, Camp asked the woman, "Why didn't you just sink your bottom into the basin so he couldn't penetrate you?" He also repeatedly called the woman "the accused," and told her that "sex and pain sometimes go together." "There's no talk of real force here," Camp said in his reason for acquitting the accused man. "There's no talk of fear. That doesn't mean that there's consent. It just means that the accused hasn't explained why she allowed the sex to happen if she didn't want it." Alberta's Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal, saying the judge's conduct and reasons for judgment disclosed errors of law, and ordered a new trial. Camp's conduct "was so manifestly and profoundly destructive of the concept of the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judicial role that public confidence is sufficiently undermined to render the Judge incapable of executing the judicial office," the committee said in its report. Four law professors last year filed a formal complaint about the judge's conduct. Alberta's attorney-general also filed a complaint. Amid the uproar over his comments, Camp apologized and said he realized his statements "caused deep and significant pain to many people." He asked to remain in his position, saying he would educate himself and attend gender-sensitivity counseling. The committee said that would not be enough, saying education "cannot adequately repair the damage caused to public confidence through his conduct." Camp can make written submissions before a formal recommendation is made by the council to Wilson-Raybould. The judicial council has only ever recommended removing two judges since its creation in 1971. Both those judges resigned before the recommendations made it to Canada's Parliament. (Reporting by Anna Paperny; Editing by Will Dunham)
Mantes-la-Ville (France) (AFP) - Emilie Fougerolles voted for the far left in 2012 and is "troubled by the racism" of France's far-right National Front, but nevertheless she is seriously thinking of voting for its presidential candidate Marine Le Pen next year.

The 34-year-old sales clerk lives in the Paris dormitory town of Mantes-la-Ville, one of 10 cities the National Front (FN) seized control of during municipal elections in 2014.

Since then, residents are relieved that "nothing has changed in our daily lives," Fougerolles said in the low-rise town some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the French capital.

The string of jihadist attacks that have claimed 238 lives in France since January 2015 have contributed to the shift in the town of around 20,000 inhabitants.

- 'Permanent fear' -

"We live in permanent fear," said Fougerolles, who was especially shaken by the jihadist murder in June this year of a police officer and his companion in Magnanville, just a few kilometres away.

One of her four daughters was taking a judo class only 200 metres (yards) away from the scene of the attack at the time.

That was when Fougerolles began taking an interest in Le Pen. "She has good ideas when it comes to terrorism," Fougerolles said. "If her name weren't Le Pen I would have no doubts at all about voting for her."

The 48-year-old FN leader is the youngest daughter of the fiery and openly xenophobic Jean-Marie Le Pen, who led the party for nearly 40 years.

Since succeeding him in 2011 she has worked to shed the party's racist and anti-Semitic image while hoping to capitalise on economic gloom and concern about Europe's biggest migrant crisis since World War II.

As part of this strategy, she has reportedly instructed FN mayors not to make waves in their cities.

Cyril Nauth, a 35-year-old history and geography teacher and the first FN mayor in the Paris region, failed to see through on his campaign promises to block a new mosque in Mantes-la-Ville, though he has cut subsidies to civic groups.

Story continues

Le Pen has also seized on the fears generated by the attacks with promises of boosting security and countering perceived Islamic inroads into French society.

The so-called "de-demonising" strategy has translated into votes, and the party won 28 percent in the first round of last year's regional elections, though it was defeated in the run-off when the mainstream parties worked together to block it.

Now, thanks partly to deep disarray on the left, voter surveys predict that Le Pen will come in second or even first in the first round of the presidential vote in April, qualifying her for the May run-off.

She is then tipped to lose, most likely to the newly chosen rightwing candidate Francois Fillon.

But after the shock election of Donald Trump in the United States, no-one is writing off Le Pen's chances.

- 'I won't hide it' -

Franck Party, a 49-year-old supermarket manager, said he would "never" have voted for Jean-Marie Le Pen because he is "too over the top," but he has voted FN since Marine took over.

"Her positions on defending France's identity resonate with me," he said, adding that he opposes "mass immigration" and the "dictatorship of Brussels".

Like Party, many residents of Mantes-la-Ville, which is slightly poorer than the national average, make no bones about voting FN.

"I won't hide it," said Alain Baudouin, a 56-year-old former carworker who has taken early retirement, slamming "these immigrants who have everything".

A former mason who gave his name only as Frederic agreed, saying he was sacked "because of Turkish and Polish workers", adding: "Vive the FN".

Patricia, a 58-year-old woman who works at Mantes-la-Ville's town hall, said she did not regret voting FN in the 2014 municipal elections, and said she would vote for Le Pen in 2017.

Like Fougerolles, she has seen little change in the city. "Maybe the streets are cleaner?" she said, before adding that for her the main thing is: "We need to revitalise France!"

A woman in her 70s who declined to give her name said she voted for the FN mayor because she was "fed up of state handouts and immigrants."

But when it comes to the presidency, she said she preferred Fillon. Being mayor is "after all not the same as running a country," she said.
From Harper's BAZAAR

The Angels have officially landed in Paris-and that means crunch time until the show on Wednesday. But it's not all about workouts and wing fittings. We stopped by the official Angels beauty suite where Taylor Hill and Romee Strijd were getting their nails prepped for the big day. See the Angel-approved nail art, and find out these supermodels favorite indulgences and how they'll be celebrating another turn on the Victoria's Secret runway.

Photo credit: Diego Zuko

Harper's BAZAAR: Whats your favorite indulgence?

Taylor Hill: Hot Cheetos, oh I love them.

Romee Strijd: A whole spa day

TH: I knew you were going to say that!

RS: Yea, I love to do a massage, foot massage, get my nails done, getting a juice, and just a whole day of taking care of myself... with Taylor!

Photo credit: Diego Zuko

HB: What's the one thing you're most looking forward to eating after the show

TH: Pizza. Actually, that's a lie I had pizza last week-but I work out so much, what's going to happen in a day?

RS:I haven't been too strict with myself, but of course I'm craving ice cream, and chocolate.

TH: Romee has a sweet tooth!

RS: Yea, I love sweets, I can't wait to have a crepe with nutella in Paris.

Photo credit: Diego Zuko

HB: Will you take any time off after you're done?

TH: Probably not, as an Angel, it's not just about show time. Working out is a part of our lifestyle who we are... is going to the gym. I would go crazy if I don't work out. You need to move your body, release endorphins and it just makes you feel good.

RS: I'm going to take the weekend off, go for brunch-that's what I like to do in New York.

Photo credit: Diego Zuko

HB: What's your favorite workout you've done lately?

TH: I workout with a personal trainer, Lauren Dumel. We do a lot of muscle isolation, targeting certain parts of the body that you want to lengthen and lift. It's a very feminine workout-it burns in all the right places.

HB: If you had some down time in Paris, where's your favorite spot to go?

RS: I'd love to just sit on a terrace and enjoy some wine, there's such a romantic vibe going on here.

Story continues

TH: I've been to Paris so many times the past six years of my career-every time I come here I always go to this one noodle place, it's Japanese udon noodles. It's so good, it's my favorite thing about Paris. Some people are like, oh I want to go to the Eiffel tower, but I'm like, no I want to go to my noodle place.

Photo credit: Diego Zuko

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London (AFP) - A petition calling for the Bank of England to remove a new banknote from circulation had on Tuesday received more than 70,000 signatures, with critics angry it is produced with animal product.

The polymer A5 notes ($6.2, 5.9 euros) were unveiled in September, with the Bank of England extolling the new banknotes for being waterproof and having enhanced security features.

But the central bank has this week come under fire for using tallow, a product derived from animal fats, in the polymer pellets used to make the A5 notes.

A Change.org petition calling for animal products to be removed from banknotes has now gained more than 70,000 signatures.

"This is unacceptable to millions of vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the UK," the petition reads.

Doug Maw, a 47-year-old vegan who started the petition, said the use of tallow was "incredibly disrespectful".

"We have no choice with money. We have to use it. They issue it through ATMs and hand them to us in shops.

"If we refuse them and they haven't got anything else, what are we going to do? Basically, we are being forced to have animal products on us," Maw told the Press Association.

The Bank of England on Tuesday confirmed the substance of the banknotes, without commenting further on the criticism.

"Tallow is derived from animal fats (suet) and is a substance that is also widely used in the manufacture of candles and soap," a spokesperson told AFP.
Pfizer, Inc. PFE and German partner Merck KGaA MKGAF announced that the Biologics License Application (sBLA) for their experimental anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, avelumab, has been accepted for priority review by the FDA.

Pfizer shares rose 0.7% in the past one month comparing favorably with a decline of the same magnitude for the Zacks classified Large-Cap Pharma industry.

PFIZER INC Price

PFIZER INC Price | PFIZER INC Quote

Coming back to the latest press release, the companies are looking to get avelumab approved for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer. With the FDA granting priority review, a response should be out within six months from the day of filing.

The U.S. filing was based on positive data from the phase II study, JAVELIN Merkel 200. If approved by the FDA, avelumab could be the first immunotherapy option for the treatment of metastatic MCC. Avelumab enjoys Breakthrough Therapy, Fast Track and Orphan Drug status in the U.S. for the MCC indication. This is an aggressive disease with less than 20% of patients surviving beyond five years, thereby creating a vital need for treatment options.

Avelumab is under review in EU for the indication.

We note that in Nov 2014, Merck KGaA entered into a strategic collaboration with Pfizer to co-develop and co-commercialize avelumab. Currently, avelumab is being developed for more than 15 types of tumors including breast, gastric/gastroesophageal junction, head and neck, Hodgkin's lymphoma, melanoma, mesothelioma, non-small cell lung, ovarian, renal cell carcinoma and urothelial (primarily bladder). Previously, the companies had said they intend to commercially launch avelumab in 2017, assuming successful development and a subsequent approval of the candidate. Thereafter, they aim to make at least one additional launch every year through 2022.

Interest in immunotherapy is building up fast. The basic concept of cancer immunotherapy or immuno-oncology is to utilize certain parts of the immune system to fight the disease. This can be done by stimulating the immune system to attack cancer cells or by introducing immune system components into the body.

Story continues

Merck & Co., Inc.s MRK anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda, is being studied for more than 30 types of cancers. Amgen, Inc.s AMGN Blincyto, a BiTE antibody, gained earlier-than-expected FDA approval in Dec 2014. Blincyto has the potential to be developed for other hematologic malignancies as well.

Smaller biotechs like Juno Therapeutics and Kite Pharma are also developing immuno-oncology treatments.

Pfizer carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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By Martinne Geller

LONDON (Reuters) - Philip Morris International <PM.N>, the world's largest international tobacco company, said it could eventually stub out cigarette sales as it launched an alternative product in Britain on Wednesday.

Underlining the regulatory pressures facing the tobacco industry, a British court also on Wednesday rejected an appeal against new rules prohibiting the use of marketing such as logos or colors on cigarette packs.

The British government's victory could spur other countries to follow suit, highlighting the need for tobacco companies to develop alternatives to cigarettes to respond to health concerns that are leading more people to quit a habit responsible for an estimated 6 million deaths a year.

Executives from Philip Morris, which sells Marlboros everywhere except the United States, said their ultimate goal was to phase out cigarettes.

"We certainly see a future where Philip Morris no longer will be selling cigarettes in the market," Martin Inkster, managing director of Philip Morris UK and Ireland, told Reuters.

He said that would take many years and require the help of governments and regulators. Philip Morris still produces more than 870 billion cigarettes each year.

Philip Morris, along with British American Tobacco <BATS.L>, Japan Tobacco International <2914.T> and Imperial Brands <IMB.L>, mounted a legal challenge to Britain's plain packaging law that was shot down by a High Court in May.

Philip Morris did not join in the appeal brought by the other three, saying it preferred to focus on lower-risk products such as IQOS. It has not explained the origin of the name, but some observers have dubbed it "I Quit Ordinary Smoking".

NEW ALTERNATIVES TO CIGARETTES

The company said IQOS, the result of a decade of research and $3 billion of investment, was a step toward a smokeless future.

The device, already on sale in over a dozen markets including Japan, Switzerland and Italy, electronically heats tobacco enough to produce a vapor without burning it. The company says the vapor has less than 10 percent of the amount of harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

Story continues

It plans to have IQOS in 20 markets by the end of this year, and as many as 35 by the end of next year. In the UK, it will cost 45 pounds ($56.14), with a single pack of 20 tobacco sticks, called HEETS, costing 8 pounds ($9.98).

The UK is poised to be a big test for IQOS, since its e-cigarette market is more developed than several of IQOS's other markets.

Japan Tobacco and BAT <BATS.L> are testing their own tobacco-based products and are pushing hard to catch up to Philip Morris in delivering products that fill the space where the current generation of e-cigarettes -- which use nicotine-laced liquid -- fail.

BAT, which is in talks to buy Reynolds American <RAI.N> for more than $47 billion, has spent about $700 million over the past five years to develop next-generation products.

Its line-up is more diverse than those of its peers, including the "glo" tobacco device, various Vype e-cigarettes and an inhaler called Voke certified as a medical product.

"Different segments of consumers will prefer different products," David O'Reilly, BAT's group scientific and R&D director, told Reuters earlier this month. "That's why we have a multi-category approach."

With e-cigarettes he said nicotine is not immediately absorbed by the lungs as it is with smoking, so the chemical satisfaction is delayed. But "heat not burn" products deliver a quicker and more authentic hit.

PMI and BAT both have various other products in development.

PMI is working on a tobacco stick that uses a carbon tip as a heat source to generate vapor, in a product that is even closer to a traditional cigarette as the whole thing can be thrown away after use. That technology is similar to one owned by Reynolds, which BAT would acquire if its planned acquisition goes through. BAT is also working on technology whereby an e-cigarette could deliver an immediate nicotine hit, like tobacco, that smokers may find more satisfying.

Imperial Brands <IMB.L>, the fourth-largest tobacco company, has so far stuck with e-cigarettes, which are also widely sold by independent start-ups.

Health campaigners remained cautious.

"If smokers switch to electronic cigarettes or other products that can be shown to cut the risks to their health, this could lead to a big improvement in public health," said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of UK health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

"But we need independent evidence to support any claims made by the tobacco industry."

ASH said that until independent evidence shows that IQOS and similar products are substantially less harmful than smoking, they should be regulated in the same way as cigarettes.

($1 = 0.8016 pounds)

(Reporting by Martinne Geller in London; Editing by Keith Weir and Alexandra Hudson)
Philippine police have detained two men for an attempted bombing this week near the US embassy that has been blamed on Islamic State sympathisers, an official said Wednesday.

Other alleged plotters are still being hunted over the powerful bomb found planted in a trash can near the US embassy in Manila on Monday, said the capital's head of police, Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde.

"They were detained as persons of interest in the planting of the IED (improvised explosive device)," he told AFP of the arrested pair.

"There is a real possibility that this is the handiwork of the Maute group," he said, referring to an armed Muslim extremist group that has previously pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement in Syria and Iraq.

He described one man, who was arrested in Bulacan province just outside the capital, as a Muslim convert and the other, detained in a Manila residential area, as a Muslim.

Albayalde added they were hunting for "three to five other suspects," but declined to give details.

The Maute group has also been blamed for a bomb that injured seven military bodyguards of President Rodrigo Duterte and two other soldiers in Mindanao on Tuesday.

The group recently occupied part of the remote mountain town of Butig in the troubled southern Philippines island of Mindanao, prompting the military to launch an offensive.

Three alleged members were also arrested last month, for the September bombing that left 15 people dead in Davao, Duterte's hometown and Mindanao's largest city.

Duterte visited Butig town 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila on Wednesday, conferring with military officers and local officials and later meeting with wounded soldiers.

Military spokesman Major Filemon Tan said most of Butig had been recaptured from the Maute group with 61 of the extremists slain and 12 wounded, compared to 35 injured on the government side.

But the Maute group has weathered military assaults before, having been driven from Butig in a previous offensive in February.

Story continues

In a speech after visiting Butig, Duterte said he hoped the actions of the group would not lead to further violence.

"I do not want to wage war but do not force my hand to do it," he said.

Muslim groups have waged a decades-long armed independence struggle in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that is believed to have claimed more than 120,000 lives.

On Monday, Duterte said IS, which controlled vast swathes of Iraq and Syria, had linked up with the Maute gang, a departure from previous military denials of formal links between IS and local extremist groups.
Piaggio Hosts Top Dealer Tour in Italy

Piaggio recently honored its top U.S. dealers with a tour of the Moto Guzzi plant in Mandello del Lario, the Aprilia facility in Noale, the Piaggio/Vespa factory in Pontedera and a visit to EICMA 2016.

We wanted to give this rare access to this select group of high-performing dealers, said Mario Di Mario, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas, Inc. There is a passion for motorcycles and scooters in Italy that has to be experienced in person. Giving the dealership principles and sales managers the additional perspective in visiting the birth places of the brands, and seeing the manufacturing facilities, is an experience I believe invigorates their interest in our brands, and will not soon be forgotten.

Piaggio Dealer Tour 2016

Dealerships in the US and Canada were acknowledged individually by brand in categories of Top Vehicle Sales as well as Most Improved. Those taking home this years honors were:

Aprilia USA/Canada: Xtreme Powersports, Thousand Oaks Powersports, Moto Club di Santa Monica, BMG Powersports, Goulet Motosports, International Motorsports.

Moto Guzzi USA/Canada: Cadre Cycle, Moto Guzzi Portland, Windy City Moto Guzzi, Euro Cycles of Tampa Bay, Blackfoot Motosports, MotoVida.

Vespa/Piaggio USA/Canada: Vespa Brooklyn, Vespa Sherman Oaks, Vespa San Francisco, Vespa Laguna Beach, Vespa Montreal, Vespa Quebec.

Piaggio Dealer Tour 2016

Piaggio Dealer Tour 2016

Piaggio Dealer Tour 2016
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish police tear gassed protesters who tried to rally in Ankara Wednesday after 12 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed in a fire at a dormitory in southern Turkey, an AFP photographer said.

The blaze, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, tore through the wooden interior of a dormitory in the southern region of Adana on Tuesday evening.

Riot police stopped around 150 protesters from different organisations including left-wing groups and women's rights activists from demonstrating outside the education ministry in Ankara over allegations that negligence led to the blaze.

Police later detained an unknown number of demonstrators as they tried to run away, the photographer said.

They called for dormitories run by religious sects to be shut down after it emerged the facility belonged to an influential Sunni Muslim group, the photographer added.

Last month, the Ankara region banned all public gatherings and demonstrations until the end of November after receiving information about potential terror attacks.

Some officials suggested the victims were killed on the top floors after they were unable to open a fire door to flee the flames.

But Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak rejected this, saying that according to initial findings the door had been unlocked.

In Adana, police authorities on Wednesday detained eight people, including the manager of the dormitory in the Aladag district, as part of the investigation into accusations of "causing death by negligence".
Police fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters who gathered at Brazils National Congress on November 29 to demonstrate against President Michel Temers austerity policies.

Agencia Brasil reported that police fired tear gas after protesters flipped a car and vandalized government buildings in Brasilia on Tuesday.

The protesters called for the removal of President Temer and spoke out against his governments proposal to use a constitutional amendment to cap public spending for two decades.

The Brazilian Senate passed the amendment, which critics have warned would cripple public health and education services, a day later on November 30.

Temer took power earlier this year after previous president Dilma Rousseff was impeached over alleged breaches of budget rules. Temers austerity agenda comes amidst a recession that has left 12 million people out of work, Reuters reported.

These videos show the demonstrators on the congress grounds and the police shooting tear gas. Credit: Instagram/jhow_winchester via Storyful
TALLINN (Reuters) - High political uncertainty will feed into the European Central Bank's economic analysis and policy decisions next week, ECB rate setter Ardo Hansson said on Wednesday.

"There is still a lot of uncertainty right now," Estonian central bank governor Hansson told reporters on the sidelines of a conference.

"It feeds into the outcomes. It feeds into future projections and feeds into the analysis," he added.

Central bank sources have told Reuters the ECB is ready to temporarily step up purchases of Italian government bonds if the result of a crucial referendum on Sunday sharply drives up borrowing costs for the euro zone's largest debtor.

(Reporting By David Mardiste; Writing by Francesco Canepa)
Acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday, to discuss his latest movie, Silence, which stars Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, and Liam Neeson, inspired by the real life work of Jesuit priests in 17th century Japan.

Quick history: the Catholic Church his 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ morally offensive, and three California bishops and two prominent nuns condemned it, according to the LA Times. The new film screened to 300 Jesuit priests at a pontifical college, an event that suggests that the church has moved past the blacklash that surrounded The Last Temptation of Christ.

Scorsese and his family had a brief, but very cordial meeting with Pope Francis where they discussed Shusaku Endos 1966 novel that inspired the film, and exchanged gifts, according to The Guardian. Pope Francis gave his visitors rosaries, while Scorsese presented the Pope with framed pictures of the Virgin of Nagasaki and a portrait of the martyrs of Japan.

Los regalos de Scorsese al Papa: reproduccion de antigua imagen de la Virgen de Nagasaki, y otra de los martires de Japon. pic.twitter.com/c0CStiBGLz  Javier M-Brocal (@javierMbrocal) November 30, 2016

While Scorseses The Last Temptation of Christ was critically acclaimed, and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director, some in the Catholic Church took issue with the films portrayal of Christ as a young, conflicted man with shocking dreams about Mary Magdalene. The film was deemed blasphemous and was banned in many cinemas and countries, including, according to The Guardian, Pope Franciss homeland of Argentina.

[H/T The Guardian]
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis on Wednesday issued a call for "responsible behaviour" to prevent the spread of AIDS without specifying whether that included wearing condoms.

The pontiff also issued a fresh call for every sufferer, no matter how poor, to have access to treatment.

In a message ahead of World AIDS Day on Thursday the Argentinian pontiff said millions were living with the disease and "only half of them have access to lifesaving treatment".

He added: "I ask you to pray for them and their loved ones and promote solidarity so that even the poorest can benefit from diagnosis and adequate treatment.

"And finally I call on everyone to adopt responsible behaviour to prevent the further spread of this disease."

Francis's comments are likely to be interpreted as a fresh signal of the Church's easing of its opposition to the use of condoms in response to AIDS.

His predecessor Benedict XVI said in 2010 that it was acceptable to use prophylactics if the sole intention was to reduce the risk of AIDS infection.

Francis's comments could however also be seen as a call for carriers of the HIV virus, that can lead to AIDS, to refrain from having sex.

He has previously said that the issue poses a "perplexing" question for Church teaching, which maintains that contraception interferes with the creation of life, and should therefore be forbidden. Benedict acknowledged that this position was problematic if contraception was being used to avoid the risk of death.
Pope Francis shakes hands with director Martin Scorsese on Nov. 30 (Photo: LOsservatore Romano/AP)

By Ariston Anderson, The Hollywood Reporter

Pope Francis met with Martin Scorsese on Wednesday morning before his weekly public audience.

The Oscar-winning director was in Rome to present his new film Silence, about 17th-century Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in Japan.

Scorsese, who was raised Catholic and at one point considered becoming a priest, was visibly moved by his meeting with Pope Francis.

The pontiff, himself a Jesuit, told Scorsese that the topic was of great interest to him. As a young priest in Argentina, he had wanted to travel to Japan as a missionary, but was restricted from going because of health reasons.

The pope told Scorsese that he had also read the 1966 Shusaku Endo book Silence, upon which the film was based.

Related: Silence Producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff is Martin Scorseses Right Hand

In Scorseses adaptation, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver play Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who are persecuted after traveling to Japan in search of their mentor (Liam Neeson). They were faced with the choice of a torturous death or trampling an image of Jesus and renouncing their faith.

Scorsese gifted the pope an image of the Madonna by a 17th-century Japanese artist. This is the most revered image of the hidden Christians, said Scorsese, referring to Japanese converts at the time who practiced their new religion in secret.

Tuesday night 300 Jesuits gathered at the Pontifical Oriental Institute to watch the film, where Scorsese held an hourlong impromptu Q&A after the screening.

Scorseses welcoming at the Vatican took place 28 years after he angered church officials with his film The Last Temptation of Christ, which featured a controversial Jesus dream sequence.

He has called Silence a passion project 27 years in the making. Scorsese will host a second smaller screening at the Vatican on Wednesday afternoon. It is rare that the pope would attend a film screening, but it is not known if he will make an exception this time.

Story continues

Paramount will release the historical drama in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 23 before its wide release in January. It opens in Italy on Jan. 12.

300 Jesuits listen to Martin Scorsese after a screening of his new film "Silence" at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome tonight. AMDG pic.twitter.com/vF63A9etIN  James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) November 29, 2016

Related: Watch the First Trailer for Martin Scorseses Silence




Pope Francis met with Martin Scorsese on Wednesday morning before his weekly public audience.

The Oscar-winning director was in Rome to present his new film Silence, about 17th-century Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in Japan.

Scorsese, who was raised Catholic and at one point considered becoming a priest, was visibly moved by his meeting with Pope Francis.

The pontiff, himself a Jesuit, told Scorsese that the topic was of great interest to him. As a young priest in Argentina, he had wanted to travel to Japan as a missionary, but was restricted from going because of health reasons.

The pope told Scorsese that he had also read the 1966 Shusaku Endo book Silence, upon which the film was based.

In Scorsese's adaptation, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver play Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who are persecuted after traveling to Japan in search of their mentor (Liam Neeson). They were faced with the choice of a torturous death or trampling an image of Jesus and renouncing their faith.

Scorsese gifted the pope an image of the Madonna by a 17th-century Japanese artist. "This is the most revered image of the hidden Christians," said Scorsese, referring to Japanese converts at the time who practiced their new religion in secret.

Tuesday night 300 Jesuits gathered at the Pontifical Oriental Institute to watch the film, where Scorsese held an hourlong impromptu Q&A after the screening.

Scorsese's welcoming at the Vatican took place 28 years after he angered church officials with his film The Last Temptation of Christ, which featured a controversial Jesus dream sequence.

He has called Silence a passion project 27 years in the making. Scorsese will host a second smaller screening at the Vatican on Wednesday afternoon. It is rare that the pope would attend a film screening, but it is not known if he will make an exception this time.

Paramount will release the historical drama in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 23 before its wide release in January. It opens in Italy on Jan. 12.

Story continues

300 Jesuits listen to Martin Scorsese after a screening of his new film "Silence" at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome tonight. AMDG pic.twitter.com/vF63A9etIN

- James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) November 29, 2016

Read more: Watch the First Trailer for Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'
With Thanksgiving behind us, we've officially begun our sprint into the holiday season -- and all the pressures that come with it. Finding the right gift is tough, but affording them can feel impossible if you're struggling with student loans.

While your wish to have your loans gone for good may not come true, your pile of debt doesn't have to turn your holiday season into a lump of coal. Recently, American Student Assistance, the organization that writes the Student Loan Ranger, asked members of its SALT community to share their financial experiences surviving the holidays.

Here are some simple strategies to help you afford the gifts and your loans.

[Discover 10 steps to develop a student loan repayment plan.]

-- Set a budget: Before you even think about gifts, be sure to make a budget. If you don't already have one, the holidays are a great time to pull this together.

Log all your income and expenses -- including your loan payments -- and look for areas in which you may be able to cut spending. When doing this, ask yourself some simple questions to determine your priorities: "Do I need 'X' expense more than a gift for my family?" or, "could I live without 'Y' expense to put some extra money in my holiday spending fund?"

Remember that every little bit counts and that these changes don't have to be permanent. For instance, could you switch to a lesser cable package or cancel Netflix for a couple months without incurring additional fees? You can always go back to your previous arrangement, but maybe you'll realize you like the extra money more than the discretionary expense.

[Read about the perils of skipping loan payments this holiday season.]

-- Give less expensive, more meaningful gifts: Expensive gifts aren't a holiday prerequisite. Instead, consider gifts that are meaningful but less expensive.

Michael Restiano, a Tufts University graduate working on repaying his student loans, suggests scrapbooks. "A good scrapbook is a gold mine. They're fantastic ways to show a person how many visual memories you have with them, and how important all of those were to you. And, like any good book, it will endure the test of time."

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Restiano also recommends looking at the finer details when considering gifts. "If you pay close attention to the people you love, you'll realize that everybody has a personal essential -- a thing they cannot live without if they tried."

Restiano said his grandfather had a beloved but beat-up Red Sox hat. For the holidays, Restiano gave his grandfather a new one. "Getting a person something related to their personal essential is a surefire way to give an amazing gift."

-- Avoid using credit cards: Another strategy that SALT community member Jose Fulgencio shared is to "not use your credit card if you know you won't be able to make the full payment at the end of the month. Instead of purchasing gifts with a credit card, I set money aside months in advance."

He added, "If it's too late for that, choose whom you consider buying gifts for carefully. With a family totaling over 90 relatives, and that is just on my dad's side, my shopping list basically came down to my parents and sisters."

[Discover how to use credit card rewards to pay student loans.]

-- Try budgeted gift exchanges: If you have a large family or a bevy of friends and coworkers to give to, SALT community member Courtney Buohl suggests planning a secret Santa gift exchange with a maximum gift amount of $10. Or consider a twist on the popular Yankee Swap.

"Have everyone bring something they already have in their house, so no one has to spend money," she said. Another great idea is the cookie exchange.

Buohl said, "If you (like me) have a lot of friends who love baking, a cookie swap can be really fun! Everyone makes a different type of cookie and distributes five to eight cookies to everyone else; you end up with a bunch of different cookies to bring home."

-- Be honest: Sometimes, honesty truly is the best policy. If you can't afford to buy gifts because of your student loans, let your friends and family know. Tell them that you'd prefer to not swap gifts and then put your holiday budget toward your loans this year. If they insist on still buying you something, ask for cash that you can add to your payments.

You may feel too prideful or embarrassed to go this route, but don't. Student debt affects millions of people -- perhaps that list includes your gift recipients. They may be relieved that you brought it up.

And just because you're not swapping gifts doesn't mean you can't celebrate in another way. Look for inexpensive ways to spend more time together. The memories will be more worthwhile than any material items anyway.

Ryan Lane is the senior editor for American Student Assistance, where he oversees the financial website saltmoney.org and its online community, SALT Central. He graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in journalism.
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It's time to fight the stigma of cats being lazy. It's time to take a stand for our cats. It's time for cats to go to yoga class.

Good Mews, a no-kill, cage-free cat shelter in Marietta, Georgia, is pioneering this adorable movement by offering Yoga with Cats classes, in which humans practice yoga surrounded by cats.

SEE ALSO: 2 cats are recreating all your favorite movie scenes

"The idea originated with the Good Mews marketing committee, which I lead," Nancy Riley, the Good Mews Animal Foundation Board of Directors & Marketing Chair, wrote to Mashable. "We were brainstorming ideas to draw new visitors to Good Mews to help increase adoptions of our shelter cats and kittens."

"We had heard about a shelter in California that was offering yoga classes," she said. "We have a brand new, huge building  5,500 square feet of space that is completely cage-free for the cats. We have the space, so we thought, why not try a yoga class?"

They also have a volunteer, who is a certified yoga teacher, willing to teach the class and donate the class fee back to the shelter.

"It was a crazy idea that all just came together in a wonderful way," Riley said.

Image: Good Mews Animal Foundation

Image: Good Mews Animal Foundation

The shelter is crawling with adorable kitties seeking warm homes  or at least someone to spend a yoga class with.

"Because the yoga class is taught right in the cat shelter, the students interact with the adoptable cats in the shelter," Riley told Mashable. "We have about 100 cats in the shelter and usually at least half of them decide to wander through the yoga class, choose a mat to nap on, or strike a few yoga poses themselves. The cats love the music and the quiet atmosphere."

Image: Good Mews Animal Foundation

Image: Good Mews Animal Foundation

Classes are $20, with all proceeds going directly to caring for the shelter's cats. The Good Mews website provides some more key info, and includes a fun class description.

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Riley told Mashable that the upcoming December sessions are already sold out. So, they've scheduled a few for after the new year, on Jan. 3, 6, and 8.

"We'll also likely add more classes later January, based on demand," Riley said.

And if you fall in love with a yogi kitty, there's good news  they are all available for adoption, and at just $25 for the rest of the year.

Image: Good Mews Animal Foundation/facebook

BONUS: Watch dogs try cat toys for the first time
Michelle Obama will not be running for President of the United States.

President Barack Obama put the rumor to rest in a candid interview with Rolling Stone magazine, published on Tuesday.

WATCH: Donald and Melania Trump Meet With Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House

"Michelle will never run for office," he said.

The first lady, who many think could beat Donald Trump in 2020, earned rave reviews for her speech at the Democratic National Convention, where she coined the phrase, "When they go low, we go high."

"She is as talented a person as I know," he continued. "You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics."

Rolling Stone

Obama also discussed the advice he plans to give to Trump, who is scheduled to be inaugurated as the 45th president on Jan. 20, 2017.

"I think the main thing that I will say to him is, number one, however you campaigned, once you're in this office, you are part of a legacy dating back to those first Revolutionaries," he explained. "And this amazing experiment in democracy has to be tended. So aside from any particular issue, the president needs to recognize that this is not about you. This is not about your power, your position or the perks, the Marine band. This is about this precious thing that we've inherited and that we want to pass on."

When asked if he thinks the presidency will ultimately constrain Trump, Obama replied, "I think sitting behind that desk is sobering, and that it will have an impact on him as it has on every president."

WATCH: Michelle Obama Does the 'Mannequin Challenge' With LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers

Meanwhile, Michelle kicked off the holiday season on Tuesday unveiling this year's White House holiday decorations and Christmas tree before military families.

.@FLOTUS kicks off the holiday season by welcoming this year's Official White House Christmas Tree. https://t.co/cjM9xXfZRe  The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 25, 2016

"So before I get choked up, let me officially kick off our final White House holiday season," she said to an enthusiastic crowd. "This year's holiday theme is the gift of the holidays and as usual, we're going to be celebrating our country's greatest gifts with special decorations celebrating our military families."

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"Our military families, like all of you, remind us of what matters." @FLOTUS at the #WHHolidays preview pic.twitter.com/E1coA2EZsX  The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 29, 2016

Today, @FLOTUS welcomed some of our nation's military families for a first look at the White House holiday decor. https://t.co/8asHH4KqUQ  The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 29, 2016

"Down in the booksellers when you walk in, the visitors that come will see a tree and a flag display composed of pictures of military families, who my husband and I have met on bases and in communities around the world over the course of our time here," she continued. "The tree is hung with gold ornaments honoring America's greatest heroes, the men and women who have given their lives for our country."

The 19-foot Blue Room tree arrived last Friday and took four days to get it ready. Over 90 volunteer decorators took on the monumental task of decorating the White House this year, doing everything from hauling boxes, making bows, hanging lights and wreaths and trimming trees.

Related Articles
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped a general for his national security advisor and is considering several generals for the job of Pentagon chief. But ensconcing yet another general at the State Department  even one who was once the most celebrated of his generation  may be too brassy for Americas diplomatic corps.

A person familiar with Trumps vetting process confirmed to Foreign Policy that retired Army Gen. David Petraeus is among the top finalists for secretary of state  the highest-ranking cabinet position after the vice president.

Petraeus is definitely in the mix, and I believe youll have a decision by the weekend, the person with knowledge of the vetting told FP on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, Trump met for the second time with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a top contender for the post despite sharp pushback by conservative Republicans and Trumps closest political advisors who bristle at Romneys criticism of the president-elect during the campaign. Trump also met Tuesday with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, and is also believed to be considering former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The president-elect met Monday with Petraeus and afterward declared himself very impressed with the former general.

But at least some career diplomats are less than enthused. Petraeus didnt always give diplomats in war zones as much respect as military personnel  even when the troops were of lower rank, said one current U.S. Foreign Service officer. A suits a suit, Petraeus used to say dismissively, said the diplomat who worked with him in Iraq.

Thomas Pickering, a retired ambassador who spent four decades in the Foreign Service, said U.S. foreign policy can run afoul when members of the military dominate the leadership ranks.

If every problem looks like its solvable with a hammer, we make a mistake by always pounding on the nail, he told FP.

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Another retired four-star who moved to the State Department after leaving the Pentagon  Marine Gen. John Allen  said Petraeus would have to change a little bit to get used to a slower-moving bureaucracy at Foggy Bottom.

Allen most recently led President Barack Obamas anti-Islamic State effort from the State Department. But he also served as Petraeuss deputy at Central Command from 2008 to 2011, and said his former boss needed quick details about missions, or his head would go down.

The State Department bureaucracy is not really efficient  it doesnt snap and pop the way bureaucracies do in the military, Allen said in an interview. It doesnt work in a hierarchical way. Hes going to recognize that hes never going to get a diplomat to tell him something in 10 words that can be said in 14 minutes.

Still, he said having a former general lead the State Department could be valuable, given the variety of threats facing the United States, and Petraeus would be a phenomenal pick for the job.

Were in a damn dangerous world now, Allen said. For Trump to reach out to some of the finest military minds weve ever had  who have led very large, globally-oriented organizations  I dont think thats a bad thing.

Petraeus is keenly interested in the secretary of state job, congressional staffers and former colleagues said. And he likely would be open to other diplomatic posts in the administration as he is anxious to rehabilitate and reshape his image after his fall from grace.

He would be interested in a lot of jobs, even if it was technically below his rank, one ex-official said.

If chosen for secretary of state, the move would place another military leader at the top of Trumps national security team following the appointment of retired Army Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn as White House national security advisor, amid widely believed reports that retired Marine Gen. James Mattis is a top contender for defense secretary.

At the height of his time in uniform, Petraeus was the most celebrated general in a generation for his strategy to quell a bloody insurgency in Iraq and shore up a flagging war in Afghanistan. In 2011, President Barack Obama tapped Petraeus to be CIA director  a job he held only for a year before resigning in disgrace for sharing classified information with his biographer-turned-lover. He pleaded guilty to mishandling classified material, a misdemeanor, in an April 2015 deal to avoid prison.

In the years since the scandal, he has worked as chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which analyzes global risk, and maintained strong support from establishment Republicans and Democrats, especially neoconservatives such as GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

During his time in Afghanistan and Iraq, Petraeus worked with hundreds of Foreign Service officers and many speak highly of his service in both wars.

He knows and appreciates the role of diplomacy in a way very few, if any, others understand, said Bob Silverman, a former senior Foreign Service officer who served with Petraeus in Iraq. He called Petraeus an inspired choice for this job noting his brilliant leadership of both military and civilian personnel in the most important overseas assignments.

Other Petraeus fans said he wont need to look back very far in history for a model of inspiration. His supporters point to Colin Powell, the retired four-star general who became President George W. Bushs secretary of state, as an example of how military leaders can succeed at the State Department.

Powell was an outstanding secretary of state because he knew the importance of workforce planning and fought hard on the Hill for funding to hire new Foreign Service officers, said one current Foreign Service Officer.

Pickering, the former ambassador, called Petraeus a very broad-gauged guy who would do well at the State Department. But said the over-reliance on military leaders across the federal bureaucracy can have a negative effect on policy.

It can bring a heavy reliance on the Pentagon, perhaps too much, he told FP. If they have all the money and resources and tools, that does reduce the influence and capacity of the civilian-dominated agency.

After his meeting with Trump on Monday, Petraeus offered few details.

I was with him for about an hour, Petraeus told reporters after descending Trump Tower. He basically walked us around the world, showed a great grasp of a variety of the challenges that are out there and some of the opportunities as well. Very good conversation, and well see where it goes from here.

In many ways, Trumps interest in Petraeus is surprising, given his recurring line of attack against generals in the Bush administration who failed to win outright victories for the United States. We dont win wars, we just fight, Trump often said on the campaign trail.

And then theres the problem of Petraeus mishandling classified information  given that Trump lambasted Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with the same accusation throughout this years campaign. The FBI investigated, but declined to charge, Clinton for her use of a private email server for government business during time as secretary of state, a setup that risked exposing sensitive information.

Trump spent a year and a half beating up Hillary Clinton over revealing classified information, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told CNN on Monday, slamming the president-elect for considering Petraeus. And then they would appoint somebody who the FBI says not only revealed it, but then lied about it in an interview, and purposefully gave it to someone who did not have the clearance to have that?

Pete Hoekstra, an informal Trump advisor and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said its nearly impossible to predict who among the top contenders  whether Petraeus or any of the others  will ultimately be selected for secretary of state.

One thing you learn very quickly about Donald Trump is that the only person that knows whats going on is Donald Trump, Hoekstra told FP on Tuesday. And I think thats exactly where hes at with secretary of state.

Staff writers Elias Groll and Dan De Luce contributed to this report.
Nov 30 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Steven Mnuchin, a financier with deep roots on Wall Street and in Hollywood, is expected to be named Donald Trump's Treasury secretary as soon as Wednesday. http://nyti.ms/2gikMuK

- Uber, at the European Court of Justice, defended itself by asserting that it was helping to bolster Europe's digital economy, in a long-awaited hearing to decide how the ride-hailing service should be able to operate across the region. Uber's legal challenge in Europe represents a direct attack on how Uber operates in the region. http://nyti.ms/2giot3x

- President-elect Donald Trump proposed that Americans who protest government policies by burning the flag could lose their citizenship - meaning, among other things, their right to vote - as punishment. http://nyti.ms/2giounT

- Intel, Delphi Automotive and Mobileye plan to collaborate in an alliance in which Intel will provide specialized computer chips to Delphi, an auto supplier, and Mobileye, which specializes in vision systems that have been used in some of the autonomous-driving systems made by Tesla. Delphi and Mobileye would begin using the Core i7 Intel chip, and later would use a more powerful and unnamed processor to be unveiled in a few weeks. http://nyti.ms/2gipfgE

- - President-elect Donald Trump and Mike Pence, Indiana's governor and the vice president-elect, plan to appear at Carrier's Indianapolis factory on Thursday to announce a deal with the company to keep roughly 1,000 jobs in the state. http://nyti.ms/2gii1JF

- In a decision that will prompt showdowns with environmentalists, indigenous groups and some political allies, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved the expansion of a pipeline linking the oil sands in Alberta to a tanker port in British Columbia. http://nyti.ms/2gijq2M (Compiled by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru)
When Prince Harry candidly revealed his bond with a mentor during his military training, he opened the door for youngsters across the U.K to seek help.

When we show schools and young people what he said, it makes it cool. We say, If it was okay for HRH, then it is definitely okay for you,  says Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the Diana Award, a youth charity set up in the name of Harrys late mother Princess Diana.

In September, Harry spoke about his closeness with a Colour Sergeant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

I lost my mum when I was very young, and suddenly I was surrounded by a huge number of men in the army, the royal, 32, said.  was someone who teased me at the right moments and gave me the confidence to look forward, to actually have that confidence in yourself to know who you are and to push forward and try to help others.

Ojo tells PEOPLE, When he talked about that, it was incredible. Having the image and video of Prince Harry helped demystified it. When HRH talks about this, we tell young people, How cool is it that you have access to this as well? 

Now the charity has been given $500,000 by a government company to help more young people around the country, specifically in the areas of Birmingham, Solihull, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster, York and North Yorkshire. And they published a poll which found that nearly 30 percent of those currently unemployed say a mentor would have improved their career opportunities, while a vast 82 percent of British adults did not have a mentor during their teenage years.

RELATED VIDEO: Prince Harrys Journey to Save 500 Elephants

Such has been the impact of Harry and the campaign that the charity now has a waiting list of schools wanting to take on the service.

While Harry has been asked to champion mentoring, his brother Prince William has been helping the Diana Awards anti-bullying fight.

With the 20th anniversary of Dianas death at age 36 approaching in 2017, the charity hopes to use the moment to showcase her legacy. Its a great time to remind people of her service and her compassion and, remind people 20 years on, what are you doing to change your world? says Ojo.

Today her sons are working for the same ends, she believes. Everything they do is about changing peoples lives, which is not different from what Princess Diana did herself, says the executive. She made the invisible visible  when people didnt want to consider AIDS patients, she made them visible. In 2017, when everyone is going to talk about her, we are asking people to make a commitment to change one persons life  by becoming a mentor.




FORT WAYNE  Sixteen students from Northwest Allen County Schools had their photographs published in Focus on Photography, a high school photography textbook published by Davis Publications.

Of the 35 images sent in by the students, 23 were chosen. These images range from pinhole photography, digital photography, lumen/digital print, encaustic images, and gold leafed images.

Along with these 16 students, Carroll High School photography teacher Nicole Croy was the subject of an artist spotlight in the book. Croy is well known for her work with pinhole cameras, so Davis Publications requested that she write the lesson on pinhole photography.

Pinhole photography is something Croy teaches to her high school students. This particular type of photography is achieved by creating a camera without a lens. The camera is simply a box with a pinhole to allow light to pass through, thus collecting an image.

Croy believes that teaching her students important photography lessons will help them become leaders themselves.

This is an unbelievable honor for students to have their work published, but not only that, but to lead (with their images) as examples in a printed textbook, Croy said. I teach my students about being good artists and teachers and to help and inspire others in the classroom. This opportunity became the perfect example.

Carroll High School senior Payton Parrish was one of the students published in the textbook. She explained that a spot in the book was not guaranteed.

When the idea first came around to be published in the textbook, it was all hypothetical until it was in hard copy, Parrish said. Pictures could have been pulled out during any of the edits so Im very proud that my piece made it through the process.

For some Carroll photography students, photography is a potential career path. Senior Christine Joseph appreciates the recognition the textbook gives her.

It means a lot to me because it feels like people (are) recognizing my work for what it is and less of a photography assignment, Joseph said. I love photography and Im glad that people are taking me seriously.

Along with receiving appreciation for their work, these students images will inspire and teach other high school students. Senior Hannah Hyde looks forward to having her work published for others to use.

Im really excited about it. I love the fact that my photo will be seen in classrooms all over, and I hope it inspires other students to create new and exciting photos, Hyde said.

Along with Parrish, Joseph, and Hyde, the other NACS students who had work selected are Morgan Reilly, Sabine Croy, Caroline Otter, Jaedon Croy, Micaela Deogracias, Shelby Thomas, Bailey Berndt, Carolyn Frey, Audrey Ottenweller, Claire MacDonald, Dee Dee Morrow, Paige Robertson and Hannah Engelsrud.

Croy sees this opportunity for her and her students as an affirmation for the work they are doing.

The textbook is permanent, said Croy. This is forever. Having this opportunity for students validates that we are doing an amazing job with photography at Carroll High School. This is a rare opportunity that I was so excited to share with my students.

Along with this honor, Croy was recently named the Northwest Allen County Secondary Teacher of the Year and was named the Scholastic Art and Writing Regional Teacher of the Year two years ago.

 Tess Plazek is a Carroll High School senior interning with KPC Media Group.
Prince Harry's latest love interest is about to hit the big screen.

Suits actress Meghan Markle stars in the British crime thriller Anti-Social, which will be releasing its special-edition cut in North America this January. The original version enjoyed a theatrical run across the pond in 2015.

Based on true events that took place in London, the gangster drama stars Markle as a high-fashion model named Kirsten, who is involved with graffiti artist and potential criminal Dee, played by Gregg Sulkin.

Prince Harry, 32, confirmed his relationship with the beautiful 35-year-old earlier this month, shortly before Markle wrapped the sixth season of USA Network's drama, Suits.

RELATED: Meghan Markle Wraps Up Season 6 of 'Suits' Days After Returning From Vacation With Boyfriend Prince Harry

Markle and her royal beau reportedly met with Prince Harry's brother, Prince William, and his wife, Kate Middleton, while vacationing in the U.K. William has since denied any rumors of his disapproval regarding Harry's new relationship.

MORE: Prince Harry's Girlfriend Meghan Markle Hangs Out With Priyanka Chopra as Prince William Denies Disapproval

In fact, many close to the couple are speaking positively about Harry's budding romance with the actress. Markle's Suits co-star, Sarah Rafferty, noted that "it's very exciting," and she is "very happy" for the two.

For more on the duo's recent London vacation, watch the clip below.

Related Articles
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The new Republican administration doesnt take control until late January, but key officials are already making moves to shake up the housing marketstarting with privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Steven Mnuchin, whom President-elect Donald Trump picked to be the new secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, told Fox Business that the Federal National Mortgage Association (aka Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (aka Freddie Mac)the two enormous, government-sponsored enterprises that play key roles in Americas home mortgage marketwill be restructured and privatized.

So what will happen when these two organizations are freed from government control? Details on what a restructuring could entail and, more importantly, what that would mean for home buyers are slim.

The implications to the housing market could be large given the role that [Fannie and Freddie] play in the mortgage market, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of realtor.com. However, assessing the impact would require details on whats being planned.

Mnuchins rationale for prioritizing the privatization of Fannie and Freddie is his contention that they displace private mortgage lending

So let me be clear: Well make sure that when theyre restructured, theyll be safer and they dont get taken over again but weve got to get them out of government control, said Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, on Wednesday. And well get it done reasonably fast.

Fannie and Freddie dont actually hand out mortgages to would-be homeowners. Instead they buy the loans from mortgage makers, combine them into securities, and then guarantee them to investors in the case that a buyer defaults on monthly payments. Because theyre essentially insuring the loans, lenders can give out the relatively inexpensive 30-year fixed-rate mortgages that are popular today.

On the plus side, private companies could just as easily back the mortgages, says Don Frommeyer, CEO of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. And he doesnt foresee a big jump in mortgage rates.

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Not everyone is sanguine about the impact of such a change.

Without these agencies to support first-time home buyers, buyers have [few] other solutions, because the private market doesnt have the lending capacity, the rates will not be as low, and it could be harder for borrowers to qualify for loans, Peter Orser, acting director of the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington, previously told realtor.com.

Privatizing Fannie and Freddie has the potential to raise the debt-to-income ratio, which is how much debt a buyer can carry when seeking a mortgage, says Frommeyer. That could conceivably make it harder for someone with student, medical, or credit card debt to get a loan.

It could be a big deal, Frommeyer says.

Mnuchin isnt the first Republican to want to remove Fannie and Freddie from government control.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the Republican chair of the House Financial Services Committee, proposed phasing them out over five years, according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Robert Corker of Tennessee co-sponsored a bill to get rid of Fannie and Freddie altogether.

Fannie and Freddie have not always been under government control. They were bailed out after the housing bubble burst by the U.S. government in 2008a financial rescue that wound up costing taxpayers a whopping $187.5 billion over time, according to Bloomberg. Theyve since filled the U.S. Treasurys coffers with more than $250 billion.

The fact that theyre such cash cows for the Treasury leads Frommeyer to doubt that theyll ever be fully privatized.

Right now, theres just too much money going to the government, he says.

The post How Privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Could Affect Home Buyers appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - About 30 protesters clashed with security guards at Australia's parliament on Wednesday, some gluing themselves to handrails and shouting "close the camps", in a rowdy demonstration against the detention of asylum seekers in remote Pacific camps. The protesters, who reached the parliamentary public gallery above sitting politicians, forced Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to leave the chamber and the suspension of parliament. Many protesters were wrestled to the ground by security and dragged from the chamber. "We are here today because you have become world leaders in cruelty," one protester shouted, according to local media. Under Australia's tough border security policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach the country by boat are sent for processing at the camps on Papua New Guinea's Manus island and Nauru in the South Pacific. Both major Australian political parties support the offshore detention policy, which has won elections, despite widespread criticism by the United Nations and human rights groups which say the detention amounts to abuse. Even if detainees are determined to be genuine refugees, a process which can take years, they are still banned from resettling in Australia. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry)
Students don't need to attend a four-year college to have an international education experience.

The U.S. government and some community colleges are working to provide more students at two-year institutions with exposure to global cultures and ideas. One effort aims to send more community college students abroad, while another brings international students to U.S. community colleges, creating more diverse campuses.

In fall 2014, approximately 7.3 million students enrolled in for-credit courses at community colleges, according to American Association of Community Colleges data. Of that, 94,022 students were international, per a report from the Institute of International Education.

But during the 2014-2015 academic year, only 7,105 students at two-year colleges studied abroad, according to the institute. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is working to increase this number, says John Sedlins, branch chief of the Humphrey Fellowship and community college programs at the bureau.

[Find out where the best global universities are in the world.]

Sedlins says finding the time to study abroad can be challenging for community college students "who are often working full time and studying at night." But he says the State Department is committed to helping them.

Here are two government-backed programs aimed at boosting international exchange at the community college level.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

Studying abroad helps students build skills they'll need to succeed in a global economy and face global challenges, says Leeanne Dunsmore, branch chief for U.S. study abroad at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

One way the government is working to make these opportunities more accessible to all students is through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which helps fund overseas study or internships for low-income undergraduate students at both four- and two-year institutions.

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The program will award around 2,800 scholarships this academic year. Award recipients at the community college level can participate in programs that range in length from a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of one academic year, according to the program website.

Earlier this year, Michael Clark, 41, then a student at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, won a Gilman scholarship to help finance a fall 2016 semester abroad in Uganda.

[Explore studying abroad as a community college student.]

Clark's classes started in Kampala, Uganda's capital, in August, and since then he's traveled to different parts of the region for coursework and to conduct research. As part of the program, he says he's listened to guest speakers, participated in a homestay and even spent time studying a local language.

"It's a really intense experiential learning program," he says. "So you get involved in understanding what people's lives are like."

Clark's research focuses on barriers to health care access for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender refugees in Uganda. For this project, he interviewed refugees, local government officials and health clinic workers, among others.

After returning to the U.S., Clark will be taking courses at CUNY--Hunter College, majoring in public health and human rights.

Community College Initiative Program

While the Gilman program offers scholarships to U.S students, another program provides financial support for international students to attend U.S. community colleges.

The Community College Initiative Program, or the CCI program, is government-funded and finances 10 months of study in the U.S. for international students. It targets students from underserved and underrepresented populations, Sedlins says.

This year 211 students from 13 countries are participating in the program, and they are studying at 13 community colleges located throughout the U.S. One of the host institutions is Northern Virginia Community College, which administers the program.

Current program participant Hilary Houenou, 20, who hails from Ivory Coast in West Africa, is studying business administration with a focus on marketing at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa. She arrived in the U.S. in July and says in the beginning her stay was challenging due to culture shock.

But things became easier after a few months, and Houenou says the community in Iowa now feels like a home away from home.

CCI students study select academic fields that contribute to economic development in their home countries, says Sedlins. Students can earn one-year certificates in these fields , which include early childhood education, information technology and applied engineering . Program participants can take courses to bolster their English too.

[Learn about how community colleges work to support international students.]

The students also participate in community service, internships and cultural activities, according to the State Department. For instance, Houenou says she's volunteered at a local school and interned at the African-American Museum of Iowa.

The CCI program brings diverse groups of overseas students to community colleges and allows both international and domestic students to learn -- inside and outside the classroom -- from each other's experiences, experts say.

Syedur Rahman, director of international education programs at Northern Virginia Community College and project director for the CCI program, says the program helps "bring the world" to students at the college . "But we also send America to the world through the experiences of the CCI students ," he says.

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

Kelly Mae Ross is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at kross@usnews.com.


A prosecutor in Charlotte has announced that he will not charge a police officer who shot a black civilian as he was waiting near his car September 20.

District Attorney R. Andrew Murray told reporters Wednesday that charges will not be filed against officer Brentley Vinson, who is black, in the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott.

Read: Minnesota Cop Charged With Manslaughter in Death of Philando Castile

"It is my opinion that Officer Vinson acted lawfully when he shot Mr. Scott," Murray said. "His use of deadly force was lawful."

While Scott's family members insist he was not armed during the brief but frightening encounter between him and police, after the shooting, Chief Kerr Putney said Scott was armed and that a gun was found at the scene.

During his press conference Murray showed video of Scott entering a convenience store shortly before the shooting. In the video, Murray said a bulge in Scott's lower right pant leg "is consistent with the holster and gun later described by officers and found at the scene."

He had no gun. He was not a threat. He was just not a threat, period, Rakeyia Scott said told CBS News in October.

During the press conference, Murray played a video in which Vinson explained his actions to investigators.

"[Scott] decided to get out of the car with the gun in and hand," Vinson said. "I felt like if I didnt do anything right then at this point, that he was going to shoot me."

Officers were at the apartment complex where Scott was shot to serve a warrant unrelated to him.

Vinson has been on administrative leave as authorities investigate.

Swarms of protesters took to the streets of Charlotte in the wake of the fatal police shooting of yet another black man in the city.

News footage showed demonstrators swarming a police vehicle and what appeared to be the looting of trucks on Interstate 85 as protestors set fire to the contents.

Story continues

Read: Off-Duty Cop Kills Black Lives Matter Supporter Who Broke Into His Home: Police

In a separate press conference held after the DA's announcement, attorneys for Rakeyia Scott said they are still investigating the case.

"We still have concerns, this doesnt end our inquiry," attorney Charles Monnett said. He pointed to questions surrounding the officers approach in the moments before the shooting, noting that Rakeyia Scott could be heard on video informing officers that Keith Scott had previously suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Watch: Girl, 9, Tearfully Appeals for Peace Following Fatal Police Shooting: 'I Can't Stand How We're Treated'

Related Articles:
A group of protesters burned US flags outside Trump International Hotel in New York City on November 29, after a tweet from Donald Trump in which he said anyone burning the flag must face consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

The protesters were from the NYC Revolution Club, according to the source of this footage. The group advertised a #flagburningchallenge in a Twitter post ahead of the event.

A number of other users  see here and here, for instance  also burned flags using the same hashtag, in protest at Trumps comments. Credit: Twitter/SunsaraTaylor via Storyful
Protesters against a heros burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos gathered in front of Manilas Heroes Cemetery on November 29, the night before Filipinos commemorate revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio.

This video shows the crowd sitting in front of a black #BlockMarcos banner. Demonstrators also tied black ribbons around the railing of the cemeterys gate in protest, Inquirer.net reported.

Rallies against President Rodrigo Dutertes November 18 decision to bury Marcos with military honors were also held on November 30, while counter-protests were proposed by a Facebook group called Duterte Youth on the same day.

Similar demonstrations have been ongoing in the Philippines. Credit: Facebook/Denise Fontanilla via Storyful
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that he and President-elect Donald Trump agreed during a recent phone call that US-Russian relations "must be straightened out."

"During my recent telephone conversation with Mr. Donald Trump, our opinions coincided that the current, unsatisfactory state of Russia-US relations, undoubtedly must be straightened out. As I already have said, our country is prepared to go down our part of that road," Putin said at a foreign policy conference in Moscow.

The Russian leader maintained that the decline in his country's relations with the US was "not our fault," though Putin presided over the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, the bombing of US-backed rebels in Syria last year, and the apparent Russian hacking of the DNC during the election.

Putin's comments came amid reports in the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post that the Kremlin has been in touch with Trump and people close to him about the ongoing crisis in Syria.

During the campaign, Trump's son Donald Jr. met with pro-Russian diplomats in Paris who pressed the younger Trump to "reach an accord on the issue of the Syrian crisis" in partnership, instead of at odds, with Russia.

The pro-Russian diplomats that met with Trump Jr. support an end to the Syrian conflict that keeps Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power, though the US under Obama has called for him to step aside and the international community has accused him of war crimes.

russian airstrikes Syria

In speeches, Trump has characterized Assad as "killing ISIS," despite reports that the vast majority of Russian and Syrian airstrikes in Syria have been directed at anti-Assad rebels operating in western Syria, far from ISIS' holdouts in the east.

Recent polling carried out in Russia shows 71% of Russians favor strengthening economic, political, and cultural ties with the West, as the past several years of sanctions have been crippling to their economy.

Story continues

NOW WATCH: Part plane, part helicopter  here's what it's like to fly in the military's MV-22 Osprey





More From Business Insider


- By Harsh Jain





Qualcomm (QCOM) was a beaten down stock in 2015 mainly because Samsung (SSNLF) decided not to use its Snapdragon 810 processor in its Galaxy S6 models. However, the company has performed well this year, recently reporting strong fourth-quarter results.

The company reported earnings per share of $1.28, easily beating the estimates by 15 cents, whereas revenue came in at $6.20 billion, $360 million better than the estimates. The primary reason behind the company's strong bottom-line and top-line growth was an increase in chipset shipments and new licensing deals that took place in China.





As a matter of fact, the automotive technology market is growing at a rapid pace and getting crowded with time as many companies are entering the market with different offerings. For instance, NVIDIA (NVDA) holds a strong position in the automotive market on the back of its Drive PX 2 platform.

Apart from NVIDIA, NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) has also turned itself into a significant player in the automotive industry after acquiring Freescale Semiconductors last year. Freescale Semiconductors was already a major supplier of automotive processors, but NXP's purchase of Freescale made it the biggest supplier of automotive semiconductors in the market.

The most significant thing to notice is that Qualcomm recently publicized its plan to buy NXP Semiconductors for $39 billion. The company has made a smart move as it will help it to counter the declining sales of smartphones. If the deal goes through successfully, Qualcomm will become a major player in the automotive industry.

Before offering the deal, Qualcomm was just a trivial player in the automotive industry, only supplying wireless modems to automakers, but after buying NXP, the company will gain access to various new automotive tech segments. This deal will help Qualcomm gain a lead over rivals like Intel (INTC).

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This clearly suggests the company is aggressively focusing on diversifying its revenue stream as the company has also started manufacturing chips for wearables, drones and connected vehicles. At present, the majority of the company's overall top line still arrives from mobile system-on-chips (SoCs), but it could suddenly change as soon as it aggressively expands its reach in the Internet of Things market.

Summing up

Although Qualcomm's stock price has surged approximately 50% this year, it looks like the company still has more upside to offer. NXP's leading position across various rising divisions of the semiconductor market should prove to be a long-term financial tailwind for Qualcomm stockholders. As a result, stockholders should consider adding Qualcomm to their portfolio.

Disclosure: No position in the stock in this article.

Start a free seven-day trial of Premium Membership to GuruFocus.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






FORT WAYNE  The U.S. military base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was big, busy and at peace on Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941. It remains so on Fort Wayne pastor Todd Hammonds 1-2,400 scale model.

Pearl Harbor and the world changed the next morning, Sunday, Dec. 7. Japan sent 353 aircraft and 52 ships and submarines on a surprise attack that destroyed or disabled 19 U.S. Navy ships and more than 300 U.S. aircraft. The attack claimed 2,403 military and civilian lives, with more than half that number aboard the USS Arizona. By the next day, the U.S. was at war with the Empire of Japan. Within days, the U.S. was swept up in a global conflict.

The Great War that had been fought just one generation before Pearl Harbor would now be known simply as World War I. The U.S. and its allies would win the new war less than four years later. The cost of the struggle between World War II victors would continue to be paid at new borders across the globe for generations to come.

Hammond chooses to remember the last day before that dramatic and permanent change. Its still a bright Saturday on Hammonds little, peaceful Pacific island, which will go on display 75 Decembers later at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. The USS Arizona rests in Battleship Row.

Hammond, the pastor of Agape Church of the Brethren, has preserved that moment on a meticulously painted plywood base that holds ships, housing and airfields. His 25-year project has won the support of a survivor of that attack. Chief Frank Ruby, USN, retired, was aboard an oiling barge moored off Merry Point that morning in 1941. Ruby first visited Hammonds scale Pearl Harbor years ago in Dayton, Ohio.

He was very impressed when I first met him and I invited him to come and see my little mini-museum, Hammond said. He was just sort of humoring me. He thought it would be a few model ships. In fact, he had made a model of the Arizona and then he had seen someone elses model of the Arizona Memorial, so he was keen to come see it. But then he saw the size of it and the detail involved and he was terribly impressed, and he said Oh, you have to share this. And at that point there were a number of friends of his  veterans, both Navy and Army Air Corps  who came to see it.

Ruby proposed to take the model to elementary schools on a flatbed truck, which would have been just untenable, Hammond said. Then he gave the contact information to the director of the National Museum of the United States Navy, and I offered to loan or even donate the model to them. They said they were planning a 75th-anniversary commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which signaled Americas entry into World War II, and he said they would very much like to have this as part of the exhibition. That was more than two years ago that we started making those arrangements.

Ruby, who celebrated his 99th birthday on Nov. 1, will lay a wreath to conclude an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Dec. 7. The exhibit continues through March 1.

Ruby has shared his memories during his visits with Hammond. He related that when the planes came over they came over the submarine base and fleet resupply area, to attack the ships here at Battleship Row, Hammond said, extending a pointer to near the center of the display. He was at this point here where one of the submarines was moored. He remembers that quite vividly, he said. Then his next memory was to awaken here at the infirmary with no recollection of how he came to be there.

Ruby worked in salvage after the attack, then continued to serve throughout the war. He became part of a still celebrated but ever diminishing remnant of the league of survivors.

He is from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, Hammond said. In fact he was raised in the East Dayton Church of the Brethren. He was actually baptized by my dear wifes great uncle, who was pastor at the East Dayton church for 50, 60 years.

When Hammond and Chief Ruby met, Hammond was pastor of the Brookville Church of the Brethren, in Dayton.

When I first told him this model was going to go Washington for the 75th anniversary, I said I do hope you will be able to come, Mr. Ruby. And he said Well Im 96 now; I cant guarantee Ill still be here. And were just very pleased that he is still with us.

Hammond points to the plywood Pearl Harbor and shares notes on where the USS Nevada was beached after the attack. He explains the several types of housing. These were military housing. See, theres a loose one. Ill just glue that one back on. And once the war started they needed civilian housing, as many as 12 in a small apartment. Its quite spartan living.

Admiral Nimitz actually lived in this home, which now is a museum.

He found details in aerial photos from many sources. Youd be surprised at what you can find, he said. For example, this photo is Hickam Air Force Base. The source from the Library of Congress isnt sure whether its 1941 or 1942. I know from looking at it that its from 1941, early 1941. He points to a rather large repair building on his scale model that was just a beach early that year, but which was complete before the attack.

He still dreams of visiting Pearl Harbor. We were going to go for our 25th anniversary and wound up going to a historic 300th anniversary of the founding of the Church of the Brethren in Germany that year, he said.

He developed the scale model in sections in his basement and has assembled it in a single 113-inch by 76-inch unit that has turned his garage into a museum. He is raising money to ship the exhibit to Washington. After that, he hopes a museum will accept it.

A quarter-century into the project, Hammond cannot explain his level of interest in Pearl Harbor. I dont know, he said. I can name a number of reasons. Initially my fascination was with the sea and ships and particularly modeling these behemoth battleships. But to see so many collected together in one place  and then just the tragedy of all of it. Fascinating. Mans capacity to be inhumane to his fellow man. Its tragic, but fascinating.

Its not just the 3,000 people who died here at Pearl Harbor, but the more than 400,000 Americans who would die in the European and Pacific theaters in the world war. Their lives were as wonderful and precious to them as ours are to us, but they were cut short. And thats not to mention the tens of millions of people who perished.

He has pondered the irony of a Church of the Brethren pastor who has worked so hard to reveal a reminder of war. Its meant to honor those who were lost, he said. Its meant as a tribute to those who served, though others have served in nonviolent ways. Its keeping before us the tragedy, the sorrow, the cost of war, and in a way expressing a hope that humankind would find a better way to solve differences.

VALOR IN THE PACIFIC: A REMEMBRANCE

9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7

National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Building 76, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

A remembrance ceremony and exhibit preview. Two vice admirals and the museum director will install the final two pieces of the exhibit. This exhibit incorporates artifacts, photographs and film footage. The ceremony closes with a wreath-laying with 99-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor Chief Frank Ruby.

The exhibit, which continues through March 1, includes a Pearl Harbor scale model created by Fort Wayne pastor Todd Hammond. The pastor is seeking funding to transport the model to the capital; visit gofundme.com.

Find more information about the exhibit at history.navy.mil/nmusn.
Photo credit: Facebook

From Country Living

If you're a big fan of HGTV, then you're probably dying to know what it's like to be featured on one of the network's most popular shows, and what happens after the camera stops rolling. We already know that Fixer Upper's clients on don't get to keep all of the furniture, and that the homeowner's final decision on Love It or List It doesn't always represent what really happened. And now, we're getting an insider's look at another hit series.

A home buyer featured on a 2014 episode of House Hunters, Michelle Becker of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently explained what the experience was like to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after she became a finalist in the paper's local home-renovation contest. Let's just say the buying process didn't go down exactly how it was depicted.

Michelle's real-estate adventures were featured in the episode titled, "Twenty-Two Year Old Seeks Victorian Fixer-Upper in Pittsburgh." Two years and several remodel projects later, the home has been beautifully transformed and she's thrilled about her purchase, but the filming process was much more different than what she was expecting. Here's what we learned from her experience.

1. You don't have to be in the process of looking for a new home to be on the show. When Michelle was selected to be on House Hunters and started working with the film crew, she had already closed on the property two days prior. In fact, another buyer was in the process of purchasing one of the homes that Michelle and her boyfriend "looked at" on the episode. In other words, the other home tours were just "for show."

2. You have to be ready to commit a big chunk of time to filming. If you want to be featured, the show requires that you devote eight hours each day over the course of five days for filming.

3. The producers want you to be critical. The film crew asked Michelle and her boyfriend to make a negative remark for every positive comment they made about a home. They were even asked by the producer, "can you be more dramatic?"

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4. The crew is really fun and friendly. Michelle said she thoroughly enjoyed filming and working with the show's team-she's even become close friends with one of the producers.

Read more about what it's really like to be on HGTV at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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(Reuters) - Social media website Reddit Inc, known for its commitment to free speech, will crack down on online harassment by banning or suspending users who target others, starting with those who have directed abuse at Chief Executive Steve Huffman.

Huffman said in an interview with Reuters that Reddit's content policy prohibits harassment, but that it had not been adequately enforced.

"Personal message harassment is the most cut and dry," he said. "Right now we are in an interesting position where my inbox is full of them, it's easy to start with me."

As well as combing through Huffman's inbox, Reddit will monitor user reports, add greater filtering capacity, and take a more proactive role in policing its platform rather than relying on community moderators.

Reddit said it had identified hundreds of the "most toxic users" and will warn, ban or suspend them. It also plans to increase staff on its "trust and safety" team.

Reddit's moves are the latest step by social media companies to adjust their policies in the wake of a polarizing U.S. election earlier this month in which their websites played a key role.

Facebook said it is reviewing its approach to so-called 'fake news' - generally sensational but fictitious reports designed to attract as many readers as possible - and banning some sites which host fake news from its advertising network. Twitter is also rolling out new tools to combat abuse.

On Reddit, a channel supporting the U.S. Republican party's presidential candidate Donald Trump, called r/The_Donald, featured racist and misogynistic comments, fake news and conspiracy theories about his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton, along with more mainstream expressions of support for Trump.

Many of those supporting Trump were very active, voting up the r/The_Donald conversations so that they became prominent across Reddit, which is the 7th-most-visited U.S. internet site, according to web data firm Alexa.

Last week, Reddit banned Pizzagate, a community devoted to a conspiracy theory, with no evidence to back it up, that links Clinton to a pedophile ring at a Washington, D.C. pizza parlor, after it posted personal information in violation of Reddit policy.

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Huffman then used his administrative privileges to redirect abuse he was receiving on a thread on r/The_Donald to the community's moderators - making it look as if it was intended for them. Huffman said it was a prank, and that many Reddit users, including some Trump supporters, told him they thought it was funny, but it inflamed the situation.

Reddit has a more permissive attitude than Facebook and Twitter when it comes to what it allows on its site, but r/The_Donald users frequently crossed a line, Huffman said, including by trying to manipulate voting to ensure their posts appear on prominent Reddit pages.

Reddit has stepped up its efforts to combat abuse on the site over the past year, creating what it called an 'anti-evil" team of engineers dedicated to fighting harassment.

"The fact I was saying that combating harassment was important and then letting that openly happen to me, the CEO, there's a disconnect there," Huffman said.

In the past, Reddit has worked with moderators of communities to try to enforce its rules.

With r/The_Donald in particular, "we haven't found that to be particularly effective. We might see flashes of success, but things kind of revert," Huffman said.

Under its new strategy, Reddit will take a more active role in dealing with troublemakers, who Huffman said were an "infinitesimal" portion of Reddit's 250 million monthly visitors.

He stressed that the move was not political.

"We don't want to be censoring political beliefs, but then they do misbehave," he said. "That's why we have worked so closely with the r/The_Donald community. We tell them: don't force us to ban you."

The first wave of bans will likely be skewed to the r/The_Donald community because "that is a catalyst for a lot of this right now. That community is stirred up," Huffman said.

In a draft of a blog post to be published on Wednesday, Huffman said he had been asked by many Reddit users "to ban r/The_Donald outright, but he had rejected that idea, because "if there is anything about this election that we have learned, it is that there are communities that feel alienated and just want to be heard, and Reddit has always been a place where those voices can be heard."

(Reporting By Kristina Cooke; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Bill Rigby)
By John Miller and Anjuli Davies

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - Some Actelion shareholders would be attracted by a $27 billion bid for the Swiss biotech company from Johnson & Johnson, leaving Chief Executive Jean-Paul Clozel with some explaining to do if he turned down an offer around that level.

One source familiar with the matter has told Reuters the two companies are discussing a bid close to that price, or 250 Swiss francs per share.

That would be a 60 percent premium to Actelion's market value before the companies confirmed last week they were in talks, and tempting for shareholders who would prefer to cash in now rather than bet on an uncertain future.

"If I look at the (drugs) pipeline that Mr. Clozel is excited about, I am perhaps less excited about it and see perhaps a greater risk than reward," said Eleanor Taylor Jolidon, a fund manager at Union Bancaire Privee in Geneva, which is among the top 40 investors in Actelion and holds 0.23 percent of outstanding shares, according to Reuters data.

An offer around 250 francs per share would be "something we could start looking at", Taylor Jolidon said. Should Clozel reject such a price, she added, "he would have a lot of explaining to do."

Clozel has, in the past, guarded Actelion's independence, helped by fellow shareholder Swiss billionaire Rudolf Maag and a supportive Swiss investor base.

In 2011, for example, he fended off a campaign by U.S. hedge fund Elliott Advisors to put the company up for sale. At the time, Elliott suggested Actelion was worth 70 francs per share, about a third of its current price.

And in 2015, Clozel reportedly saw off bid interest from British drugmaker Shire.

The source familiar with the matter said Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had increased its offer - which has not yet been made public - after nearly two months of informal talks.

The main stumbling block is Actelion wants J&J to become a major shareholder in a new entity, while the U.S. firm favors a straightforward takeover, the source added.

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Citigroup is advising J&J, while Bank of America is working with Actelion, two sources said.

Both banks and firms have declined to comment on the talks.

GOOD TIMING

Since Actelion's founding in 1997, Clozel and his wife, Chief Scientific Officer Martine Clozel, have built up a world-leading drug portfolio to treat deadly pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and have been lauded for building Europe's biggest biotech from scratch.

They aim to expand in drugs for multiple sclerosis and diarrhea-causing clostridium difficile, but regulatory approvals for those are years away.

The company is also counting on its new PAH treatments Opsumit and Uptravi, which combined are forecast to bring in nearly 4.5 billion francs ($4.4 billion) in annual sales by 2020, according to Reuters data.

The 61-year-old CEO and Maag together own just over 8.5 percent of Actelion stock.

Some investors think J&J has timed its approach well.

"At this juncture and at his age, Mr. Clozel might be willing to consider new opportunities for Actelion," said Alexandre Stucki of AS Investment Management in Geneva, who owns Actelion stock in a portfolio worth "several hundred million Swiss francs".

"If J&J is willing to offer 200 francs or more per share, they probably see good value in the pipeline as well."

Another investor, who declined to be named, said that if J&J offered 250-270 francs per share, Actelion would "have to sell."

At 1405 GMT (09:05 a.m. EDT), the stock was down 2.3 percent at 204.3 francs.

An offer that values the company at nearly $10 billion more than it was worth just last week could cause even Clozel loyalists to jump ship, given questions about its pipeline.

"At the right price, Actelion management might have to engage with a deal  or will face having to justify to shareholders why the long-term direction is more valuable in their hands," Barclays analyst Olivia Capra wrote.

($1 = 1.0151 Swiss francs)

(Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler, Pamela Barbaglia and Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Mark Potter)
By Fayaz Bukhari SRINAGAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A prominent Kashmiri human rights activist who was released from prison on Wednesday said his two-month detention had strengthened his resolve to highlight violations against prisoners in India's restive Himalayan state. Khurram Parvez, 39, coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has long campaigned against abuses by state forces in the volatile region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). His arrest in September on charges of activities against public order sparked criticism from the United Nations, which said it was a deliberate attempt to obstruct his work. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday ordered police to release Parvez due to a lack of evidence. "It was a very bad experience. And it was good a experience as well ... a blessing in disguise. I have learnt so much about the issues faced by prisoners in jails and also about government deficit to address their problems," Parvez told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the city of Jammu. "The jail experience will help me in working for the prisoners whose plight is very bad." Parvez said some prisoners had psychiatric problems. Others were isolated because their families had no money to visit them. The JKCCS has published research into the role of Indian security forces in containing a separatist insurgency in India's Kashmir state that first flared a quarter of a century ago. At least 78 civilians were killed and thousands wounded in more than two months of clashes between protesters and security forces, sparked by the killing of a leading separatist militant in a joint army and police operation on July 8. The unrest was the worst in the Muslim-majority region for six years, and critics have accused Indian forces of heavy-handedness as they struggle to contain the protests. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir since independence in 1947. Both claim the territory in full but rule it in part. RETALIATION FOR ACTIVISM? Parvez was stopped by authorities at New Delhi airport on Sept. 14. He had been due to fly to Geneva to attend the U.N. Human Rights Council. He was detained on Sept 16, released four days later and then placed in preventive detention under a law allowing people to held for up to two years without judicial intervention. The J&K High Court said Parvez's detention was illegal, and that law enforcement authorities had abused their powers by ordering his arrest. Police officials declined to comment on the activist's release from the Joint Interrogation Centre in Jammu, a facility used to detain and question people suspected of militancy. The JKCCS said Parvez's detention highlighted the plight of many Kashmiris who are falsely accused under archaic laws and their fight for justice. "The struggle for the release of Khurram Parvez is a part of the larger struggle against unlawful detentions, state impunity and the use of repressive laws," the Srinagar-based human rights group said in a statement. (Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari. Writing by Nita Bhalla. Editing by Katie Nguyen. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
Grant Tinker has died, but he is still with us.

You can catch glimpses of the legendary TV executives legacy in so many places. Shows that were developed or championed by Tinker set the stage for much of whats great about TV now. Of course, the programs that he helped birth during his time at MTM and NBC were all over the map, and they cant be limited by an easily defined set of qualities.

But if its not presumptuous to say so, I think I saw pieces of Tinkers soul in the best of the shows that were made on his watch.

Few things rile me more than the idea that TV would be better if it werent for the interfering, heartless suits who ruin everything. Thats just lazy thinking. Yes, such creatures exist; TV has always had executives who get in the way of enduring quality and creative integrity, and who fail to understand how caring about those things can lead to commercial success. But ask any TV writer if he or she has ever gotten a helpful or even brilliant note from an executive, and all of them will quickly provide examples.

A good executive can be a deciding element, the key influence that makes a decent show good, or a good show great. So many of Tinkers shows achieved greatness. If thats not evidence of a big, vibrant soul, I dont know what is.

Tinkers colleagues will do a better job than I can of talking about how he got such great work out of so many disparate creative types. All I know is that he was respectful and respected, and there are almost no stories of him being cruel or vindictive. He managed to be extraordinarily successful for decades without being feared or hated, which is something very much worth remembering.

But what I really know of the man is what I saw in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers, Hill Street Blues and The Bob Newhart Show. These shows were humane, smart and silly. They showcased inspired pratfalls and people in pain. They were enormously influential parts of my growing-up years, and they taught me that wry compassion was the key to surviving life.

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All these shows displayed a deep and abiding curiosity in the human condition, and thats really all we can ask of people who tell stories for a living. Tinker was interested in why people are such screwups, and why they can nevertheless, when the worst happens, be so good to each other. Characters on his shows were consistent but surprising, and that is a combination that is almost always delightful.

Thinking about Tinkers shows led me to a realization: Im not talking about shows as much as I am recalling people. Like Norman Lear  who is, thank goodness, still inspiring the men and women making TV today  Tinker left us with so many unforgettable individuals.

Mary Richards, Lou Grant, Rhoda Morgenstern, Frank Furillo (a.k.a. Pizza Man), Sgt. Esterhaus, Venus Flytrap, Dr. Johnny Fever, Les Nessman, Sam Malone, Norm Peterson, Carla Tortelli  Tinker didnt create these characters, but he allowed the writers for the shows they were on to make these men and women as individual and as strange and as flawed as they needed to be. These characters were not interchangeable. Each one was unique.

Anyone who uses a comic pause well or wrings the most awkwardness from a silent moment in a character-driven comedy owes a debt to The Bob Newhart Show. That great program, like Cheers and WKRP and Hill Street, was chock full of eccentric and memorably idiosyncratic individuals, but we dont remember The Bob Newhart Show as being loud or broad or brassy. The humor and the drama in so many of the shows overseen by Tinker didnt come from overwrought moments, cheap spectacle, cruel punchlines or unearned twists. They came from people, who are the most mysterious and hilarious and surprising creatures on earth.

His entire career, Tinker stood by in an idea: Human beings are interesting. His legacy is faith in writers who wanted to create distinctive and complicated characters, and a belief that the audience would want to meet those fictional individuals.

He believed in writers, and he had patience that audiences would find good shows. Without that confidence, we would have been denied most of the great run of Cheers. Writer-producer Ken Levine, who worked with Tinker for years and was a key part of that comedys creative team, recalled how bad things were that first season.

The ratings were dismal, but he didnt care, Levine wrote Wednesday in his appreciation of Tinker. He loved the show, believed in the show, and not only kept it on the air but left us all alone to do it our way. Ironic that his name was Tinker when tinkering was the last thing he ever did.

When characters in a warm, perceptive and intelligent show are memorable and full of clashing emotions, and when they try to understand each other despite their differences, there are molecules of Tinkers legacy in those moments. To quote the wisdom of the Mary Tyler Moore theme song: Love is all around, no need to waste it.

When executives believe in a show and keep it on the air in the face of doubt and low ratings, theyre following in Tinkers footsteps. Tinker knew that, in the hands of the right writers, the comedy and drama that flow from the interactions of people who seem real, and who struggle and laugh just like we do, would be unforced and worthwhile.

We never saw the face of Carlton the Doorman on Rhoda, and I never met Grant Tinker. And yet I feel as though I knew them both. Rest in peace, Mr. Tinker.

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Grant Tinker, Revered Former NBC and MTM Chief, Dies at 90
Riyadh (AFP) - International investigators have found a suspected "weapon pipeline" from Iran through Somalia to Yemen where Shiite rebels are battling the government, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of arming the Huthi rebels in Yemen, but Tehran denies the charges.

Since March last year Riyadh has led an Arab coalition fighting the Huthis and their allies in support of Yemen's internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, after the rebels overran much of the country.

The analysis by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) is based on the seizure in February and March this year of weapons from dhows, traditional sailing vessels, in the Arabian Sea.

British-based CAR, which is primarily funded by the European Union, analysed photographs of weapons confiscated from the dhows by the Australian warship HMAS Darwin and the French frigate FS Provence.

The ships were part of a joint international task force that operates separately from the Saudi coalition.

HMAS Darwin seized more than 2,000 weapons, including AK-type assault rifles and 100 Iranian-manufactured rocket launchers, from the dhow bound for Somalia, CAR said.

The seizure by FS Provence included 2,000 assault rifles "characteristic of Iranian manufacture" and 64 Hoshdar-M Iranian-made sniper rifles, all of which were in new condition, CAR said.

There were also nine Russian-made Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, it said.

UAE forces within the Saudi-led coalition reported recovering in Yemen a Kornet which CAR said is part of "the same production run" as those on the dhow.

This "supports allegations that the weapons originated in Iran and that the dhow's cargo was destined for Yemen," CAR said.

French government sources said the dhow was headed to Somalia "for possible transhipment to Yemen," CAR said.

Light machine guns, suspected to be North Korean made, were found with the same serial number sequence on both dhows, "which suggests that the materiel derived from the same original consignment," the report added.

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It also referred to the US Navy's seizure from a dhow in March of AK-type assault rifles, rocket launchers and machine guns which the US believed "orginated in Iran and were destined for Yemen."

Two of the dhows were made by Al Mansoor of Iran, CAR said.

Although their findings were "relatively limited," the investigators said their analysis "suggests the existence of a weapon pipeline extending from Iran to Somalia and Yemen".

This involves "significant quantities of Iranian-manufactured weapons and weapons that plausibly derive from Iranian stockpiles," they said.

It said that traffickers offload weapons in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northern Somalia "for local arms markets or as transhipment points for onward supply to Yemen".

Other analysts have questioned the extent of Tehran's influence over the Huthis, a minority group which fought six wars against Yemen's government from 2004 to 2010.
Mattis

President-elect Donald Trump may name his nominee for Secretary of Defense before the week is out, and legendary Marine Gen. Jim Mattis seems to be fading among the candidate pool, according to a new report from Colin Clark at Breaking Defense.

The report cites two sources involved with the Trump presidential transition team. One source told the site that Trump may release his pick within the next two days, while the other source said that other candidates, such as former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), are still very much in the running.

After Trump met with Mattis more than a week ago, most defense watchers believed the retired Marine general was the top pick to lead the Pentagon. The President-elect described Mattis, 66, as "very impressive" and said he was "seriously considering" him for the position.

Trump later had an off-the-record meeting with media executives and on-air personalities, in which he said "he believes it is time to have someone from the military as secretary of defense," according to Politico. Other Republicans and many D.C. insiders also offered praise for Mattis, though he would require a congressional waiver to serve as Defense Secretary since he has not been out of uniform for the statutorily required seven years.

When reached by Business Insider, Mattis declined to comment.

Though Sen. Talent has been among the candidates floated almost since the beginning, Sen. Kyl is a new name to emerge as a possible pick. Now a senior counsel at the Washington, D.C. law firm Covington & Burling, Kyl previously served as the second-highest Republican senator when he retired in 2013, after 26 years in Congress.

Kyl was not immediately available for an interview, but soon after the Breaking Defense report was published, he told Politico he was not interested in serving again in government, which "the Trump transition team is well aware of."

A number of defense secretaries who served under President Barack Obama have criticized him for his supposed "micromanagement." Even Mattis himself was reportedly forced into early retirement by the Obama administration due to his hawkish views on Iran, according to Tom Ricks at Foreign Policy.

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Whoever is ultimately picked, the next head of the Pentagon will oversee roughly 3 million military and civilian personnel and face myriad challenges, from the ongoing fight against ISIS and China's moves in the South China Sea to the ongoing stress on the military imposed by sequestration.

The next defense secretary may also end up dealing with a nuclear-armed North Korea, and Russia is very likely to test limits in eastern Europe. The secretary will also need to reinvigorate a military plagued by low morale.

This post was updated 11/30/2016 at 9:18 a.m. PDT.

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One of the biggest questions following the election of Donald Trump has been which end of Pennsylvania Avenue would exert more power under Republican control of Washington. Would Trumps ideological shape-shifting and love of deal-making moderate the hard edges of conservatism on Capitol Hill, or would GOP congressional leaders convert the president-elect from a critic to a champion of their causes?

In Trumps early Cabinet picks, Republicans in Congress have scored a big win.

Three of the seven selections Trump has made for senior posts that require Senate confirmation are sitting members of the House or Senate. Theres Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the nominee for attorney general; Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, Trumps pick for CIA director; and Representative Tom Price of Georgia, tapped to be secretary of health and human services.

Trumps choice for transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, does not serve in Congress. But she is married to the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Congress has long served as a farm team for presidential administrations, and Barack Obama also leaned heavily on Capitol Hill when he filled his Cabinet eight years ago. Four department headsin addition to Vice President Joe Bidenarrived directly from the House or Senate, and two more senators, Tom Daschle and Judd Gregg, could have joined the Cabinet if they hadnt withdrawn their nominations before the Senate could vote on their confirmations.

Trumps initial picks, however, are all the more notable for the fact that he ran against the Republican establishment in Washington during much of his campaign for the presidency. He memorably torched House Speaker Paul Ryan on Twitter, alleging his disloyalty, and he pledged repeatedly to drain the swamp of lobbyist influence. With the exception of tax cuts and repealing Obamacare, Trumps limited policy agenda bore little resemblance to the platform Ryan and House Republican candidates advocated.

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Recommended: Donald Trump and the Legacy of Andrew Jackson

Yet Ryan and McConnell should now have all the influence they could ask for in the new administration. Trumps chief of staff is Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman who is a longtime ally of the House speakergoing back to Priebuss days working in Wisconsin politicsand is closely aligned with the party leadership in Congress. Price, the nominee for health secretary, is one of Ryans best friends in Congress; Price succeeded him as chairman of the Budget Committee, and Ryan supported him in his losing bids for House leadership posts. His selection should augur well for close collaboration between the Trump administration and congressional Republicans in what will be one of their most difficult battles to come: repealing and replacing Obamacare. Price has also supported Ryans efforts to overhaul Medicare and Social Security, which Trump had opposed during the campaign.

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are also fans of two Trump nominees who dont serve in Congress. Would-be Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is a longtime Republican donor who headed the state party in Michigan and backs charter schools and vouchers, while Trumps pick for U.N. ambassador is Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina, another favorite of conservatives in Congress who had endorsed Marco Rubio for president.

Trumps team isnt entirely composed of Republican insiders. Steve Bannon, the president-elects chief strategist, is no fan of Paul Ryan, and the incoming national security adviser, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, is a Trump loyalist more than a GOP stalwart. Trump is said to be leaning toward Dr. Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which would be an unconventional choice given his lack of experience in housing policy.

Recommended: How to Deal With the Lies of Donald Trump

But by and large, Trump has made the kind of appointments that would be expected of a far more traditional Republican candidate. And that is likely due to the influence of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, whom Trump named to replace Governor Chris Christie as his transition-team leader just days after the election. Pence is now the governor of Indiana, but before that he was a conservative leader alongside Ryan and Price in the House.

How many people are you going to take from all of us? Youve got to leave some people left.

Trump may not be done tapping members of Congress for his Cabinet. Republican lawmakers have paraded through Trump Tower just about every day for job interviews and meetings, including Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, a candidate to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a member of the GOP House leadership who could be chosen as interior secretary.

How many people are you going to take from all of us? House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he jokingly asked a transition official when he got word of Prices selection. He quoted himself at a Tuesday panel event hosted by The Washington Post: Youve got to leave some people left.

The potential policy impact of the Congress-to-Cabinet pathway is self-evident. But populating the administration with buddiesand a spouseof top congressional leaders has clear implications for the other chief responsibility of the legislative branch: oversight. And in that respect, Trumps early personnel decisions appear shrewd. Democrats are already raising concerns that Representative Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is uninterested in investigating the many potential conflicts of interests posed by Trumps businesses around the world. And how likely is it that Chaffetz, or any other committee chairman, will conduct aggressive oversight of departments run by their former colleagues? That question also applies to Chao, although she did serve as secretary of labor during the George W. Bush administration when her husband held a lower-ranking post in the Republican Senate leadership. (Trump, too, could have more success winning approval for an expensive infrastructure bill with McConnells wife in charge of the department spending the money.)

Recommended: Tom Price's Anti-Obamacare Agenda

Concerns about appropriate congressional oversight abound whenever one party controls both Congress and the White House. Democrats didnt go after ex-Senators Hillary Clinton or Ken Salazar when they served in Obamas Cabinet in 2009 and 2010 nearly as hard as they scrutinized Bushs secretaries the two years prior. But Republican leaders in Congress have made a point of trying to wrest back power for the legislature that they believe President Obama assumed unconstitutionally for the executive branch, such as his executive actions on immigration or his unilateral moves to delay implementing some provisions of Obamacare. They repeatedly sued in court to get the administration to respect the authority of Congress, and they have already begun the work of undoing rules that Obama put in place over their objections.

With a Cabinet soon to be full of friends and former colleagues, that priority just became a whole lot less important. Returning to the Capitol after the election earlier this month, Ryan said Republicans in Congress were working hand in glove with the incoming Trump administration. After such a turbulent campaign, that claim seemed dubious. Yet with each congressional Cabinet pick, the alliance between the president-elect and the party leaders he once pilloried is coming clearer into view.

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This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rescue workers said more than 45 people had been killed in artillery bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Wednesday, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 50,000 people had been displaced by the fighting. The Civil Defense said in a message posted on its Telegram account that dozens more people had been wounded in the artillery attack it said had hit people displaced from eastern Aleppo. Most of the dead were women and children, it said. The Observatory's toll of 50,000 displaced was more than double a figure of 20,000 given by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Catherine Evans)
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / November 29, 2016 / RMG Networks Holding Corporation (RMGN), or RMG, a leading provider of technology-driven visual communications solutions, announced today that it will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 2:30 pm PST / 5:30 pm EST. Robert Michelson, Chief Executive Officer, and Jana Ahlfinger Bell, Chief Financial Officer, will be presenting, as well as meeting with investors.

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small / microcap companies and will feature 240 presenting names. The conference will be held December 6-8, 2016 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

The company's group presentation will be available for the public to access at http://wsw.com/webcast/ldmicro11/rmgn. This webcast will be archived for 90 days following the live presentation.

View RMG's profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/RMGN.

News Compiments of Accesswire

About RMG

RMG (RMGN) goes beyond traditional communications to help businesses increase productivity, efficiency, and engagement through digital signage messaging. By combining best-in-class software, hardware, business applications, and services, RMG offers a single point of accountability for integrated data visualization and real-time performance management. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit http://www.rmgnetworks.com.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

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For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Investor Inquiries:

Brett Maas / Rob Fink

(646) 536-7331 / 646-415-8972

ir@rmgnetworks.com

SOURCE: RMG Networks Holding Corporation
By Emma Thomasson

BERLIN (Reuters) - German e-commerce investor Rocket Internet reined in losses at its main start-ups in the third quarter but revenue growth slowed at meal box delivery business HelloFresh and online furniture site Home24.

The company published updated valuations for its major holdings, totalling 3.7 billion euros ($3.9 billion), down from 5.1 billion in September, but it left out details for businesses it had previously included, reviving questions among analysts about its transparency.

Founded in Berlin in 2007, Rocket has built up dozens of businesses, ranging from fashion e-commerce to food delivery, in an attempt to replicate the success of Amazon and Alibaba in new markets.

As it seeks to prepare the start-ups for stock market listings and respond to investor concerns about mounting losses, Rocket has shifted its focus towards turning its businesses profitable, even at the expense of slower revenue growth.

Chief Executive Oliver Samwer, speaking to journalists after the company's results on Wednesday, reiterated a pledge to make three start-ups profitable by the end of 2017 but declined to comment on plans for any imminent listings, saying that would depend on market conditions.

Rocket's shares, which have fallen more than a third this year after it cut valuations for several of its main businesses, initially rose after the results but then pared gains to trade flat by 1249 GMT.

ANALYST CONCERNS

Neil Campling, lead technology analyst for Northern Trust Capital Markets, said he was worried about slowing growth at Rocket's companies as well as limited disclosure.

"With weak business momentum, opaque funding structures, concerns over the ability for portfolio companies to scale profitably and the ongoing risk of downrounds in portfolio companies, we remain sellers of Rocket Internet," he said.

Rocket has been forced into a number of so-called downrounds, cutting valuations for several start-ups when raising new funds, most recently for Home24.

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In Wednesday's results, Rocket said that aggregate revenue of selected companies grew by 31 percent to 1.58 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in the first nine months of the year, a slight slowdown from 32 percent in the first half.

Sales growth fell fastest at HelloFresh, Rocket's biggest investment and seen as one of the most likely candidates for an initial public offering. However, it trimmed its losses thanks to improving scale in logistics and marketing.

HelloFresh third-quarter sales rose 72 percent, almost half the growth in the previous quarter. Rocket said the slowdown was down to customers pausing subscriptions for its recipe and ingredients boxes when they went on holiday.

Rocket only publishes limited figures for take-away business Delivery Hero, its other major food investment and potential IPO candidate. Orders processed rose 71 percent in the first nine months, up from 45 percent in the first half.

HOME24 SLOWDOWN

Revenue growth at Home24 ground dried up in the third quarter, which it said was because of a seasonal slowdown in furniture sales during the summer, but it managed to reduce its losses.

The higher-end home furnishings site Westwing revived its sales growth and narrowed its loss as it improved processes and efficiency in areas such as logistics and customer care.

Rocket's aggregate adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin improved to a negative 17.5 percent in the first nine months from negative 34.4 percent a year ago. The first-half margin was a negative 16.7 percent.

The company also said that it has 2.7 billion euros of cash still available after pledging that the 1 billion euros it burnt through in 2015 will mark a peak for losses.

Global Fashion Group (GFG), the emerging markets clothing retailer that is partly owned by Rocket, had already reported slowing revenue growth in the third quarter, though losses narrowed.

($1 = 0.9405 euros)

(Editing by Susan Fenton and David Goodman)
By Steve Holland

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican Mitt Romney made an impassioned statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to try to erase doubts about him among Trump's supporters and remain in contention for U.S. secretary of state.

Romney, a fierce critic of Trump during the Republican presidential primary battle, stopped short of an outright apology but his intention to wipe the slate clean was clear.

The former Massachusetts governor, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost, praised Trump for a "message of inclusion and bringing people together" since his Nov. 8 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Noting the appointments Trump has made to fill key cabinet positions for his administration and his desire for greater unity among Americans, Romney said that "all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us" to a better future.

Romney made his remarks after a lengthy meal with Trump and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus at a French restaurant at a Trump hotel in Manhattan. They dined on garlic soup with frog legs, scallops, steak and lamb chop.

Since Trump began to seriously consider Romney as a potential secretary of state, some on Trump's team have voiced doubts about bringing in a former critic and rallied around their preferred candidate, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a long-time Trump friend and loyalist.

Leading this effort in an unusually public way has been senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who told a round of television interviews on Sunday that Trump supporters would feel "betrayed" if Romney was picked.

Trump, however, has kept Romney in contention for the secretary of state position, and a Republican source close to the transition effort said Priebus has been pushing for Romney behind the scenes.

"I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump," Romney said in remarks to reporters after the dinner. "We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions I've had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging. I've enjoyed them very, very much."

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A senior Trump aide described Romney's remarks as "solid."

Trump is to meet on Friday for the second time with retired Marine Corps General John Kelly as part of his secretary of state search, the aide said.

Trump is also considering U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Corker met Trump at Trump Tower earlier on Tuesday and told reporters afterward that Trump "needs to choose someone that hes very comfortable with and he knows theres going be no daylight between him and them."

"The world needs to know that the secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president and again, thats a decision hes going to have to make," Corker said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Matt Scuffham TORONTO (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada on Wednesday reported a bigger-than-expected decline in fourth-quarter profit and said it was trimming back a key financial target, sending its shares lower. RBC said earnings per share fell to C$1.65 from C$1.74 the year before, reflecting a decline in profit at its capital markets division. The earnings were below the C$1.71 average analyst forecast, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Shares in RBC, Canada's largest bank, were down 3.4 percent in afternoon trading. Speaking to analysts, Chief Executive Officer Dave McKay said the bank had decided to revise its medium-term target for return on equity (RoE), a key measure of how well it uses shareholder capital to earn profits. McKay said the decision was made because of "the pressure on returns in the market including persistently low interest rates and uncertainty on regulatory capital requirements." RBC is now aiming for RoE of at least 16 percent, compared with 18 percent before, a level which is still higher than the majority of large banks around the world. In an interview, Chief Financial Officer Janice Fukakusa said the previous target had been set last year at a time when the bank had expectations of further U.S. interest rate rises which failed to materialise. She expects the bank will get back to a RoE of at least 18 percent in two to three years. "We still want to strive for the 18 percent. It's just going to take a bit longer," she said. Fukakusa also said she saw potential opportunities arising from Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, saying his policies could set the right conditions for "favorable growth" in the United States. "They're talking about growing the economy and stimulating growth through infrastructure spending which will be good and we've already seen some positive influences in terms of November's pipeline being stronger, companies doing debt issuance and loan facilities in anticipation of rate increases there," she said. McKay said RBC would continue to pursue smaller acquisitions in the United States to help expand Los Angeles-based City National, which it bought for C$5 billion last year. RBC said its overall net income fell by 2 percent to C$2.54 billion ($1.90 billion). Earnings at its capital markets business fell 13 percent, which the bank said was partly due to it benefiting from a lower tax rate the year before. (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Lisa Shumaker)
Washington (AFP) - US presidents are normally wary that their words alone can move armies and markets, but for President-elect Donald Trump, incendiary early morning tweet-bombs are a style of governance.

Since his shock win on November 8, the septuagenarian mogul has used Twitter to wade neck-deep into fast-flowing political and constitutional waters -- often before most Americans have finished their breakfast.

He has questioned free speech, targeted individual journalists and made spurious allegations about voter fraud in an election he won.

The effect has been to re-energize his base, rile his political foes and perhaps deflect from troublesome reporting about his cabinet appointments and his business interests conflicting with the world's most powerful office.

The unorthodox utterances have also raised more questions than answers: Is he posturing? Is this US government policy? Does it foreshadow legislation? Is it running commentary? Is he serious? What will he tweet next?

President Barack Obama has cautioned that Washington's web of power centers will prove a reality check for Trump, yet it is difficult to disregard messages sent to 16 million followers that echo across the world.

Each new tweet has moneymen and diplomats across Washington dashing out cables to their capitals and bosses guessing at the importance of what has been said.

Will he really end the detente with Cuba? Will he ban Somali migrants? Will he jail Americans and strip them of their citizenship for burning the flag? Will he gut Obama's health care reforms?

The lives of millions, and the profits of tens of thousands of businesses, depend on the answer.

The White House, for one, is not willing to venture a guess, at least in public.

"I will let the president-elect and his team discuss the words that populate his Twitter feed," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

- Past as prologue? -

Throughout Trump's career as a real estate tycoon, socialite, celebrity TV star and politico, Trump has weaponized the media -- first the New York tabloids and now Twitter.

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He once masqueraded as spokesman "John Miller" or "John Barron" -- Barron is the name of his youngest son -- to tell People magazine and others about his winning exploits.

The result was beneficial coverage that helped mold his brand as a successful playboy billionaire.

It could be that Trump is similarly cultivating his image as a political maverick who will "drain the swamp" of Washington.

Although he is the first man elected to the presidency of the United States without any political, diplomatic or military experience, Trump has very notably stocked his presidential cabinet with old Washington and Wall Street hands.

David Axelrod, a former adviser to Obama, sees the tweets as bait.

"This is just a flare--red meat for base," Axelrod said on Twitter, adding the "real story" is his appointments.

Trump's tweets have annoyed some in his own party, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who objected to Trump's claim that millions of people voted illegally in the election.

"You are now the president-elect of the United States," Graham said. "If you really believe that millions of people voted illegally, you should have some proof. Because your voice is not just an ordinary voice."

"If there is not evidence, please stop saying that," Graham said.

The 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain has -- rather optimistically -- asked journalists to stop asking him questions about Trump's statements.

In a rare post-election interview, Trump himself said that his social media habits would change when he takes office.

"I'm going to be very restrained, if I use it at all, I'm going to be very restrained," he told CBS's "60 Minutes."

Many doubt whether Trump will ditch a useful tool of presidential power, a modern incarnation of Theodore Roosevelt's idea that the presidency can be a megaphone and a "bully pulpit."

But that pulpit, while powerful, depends on people taking you seriously.
Residents in Pakistani Kashmir are racing to build underground bunkers for the first time since the 1990s, frightened by what they say is the worst cross-border violence since a ceasefire was agreed in 2003.

Months of tension between India and Pakistan have erupted into shellings and gunfire across the disputed Kashmir frontier, claiming the lives of dozens of people, including civilians.

People in Azad Kashmir's Neelum Valley say the attacks come once or twice a week, and they never know when they might have to dive for cover.

Chand Bibi has concrete and steel rods waiting to be transformed into an underground bunker where her terrified family can take shelter as the monstrous boom of shelling reawakens old nightmares.

"You are talking about fear," the 62-year-old says. "We are near to dying at the moment we hear the boom.

"The voice of the guns is horrible."

When it comes, Bibi and her relatives pile blankets, quilts and clothes on top of their children to muffle the noise and their panic.

Soon the extended family of about 20 people will be able to flee underground to the bunker they have paid 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($3,000) to build -- just under the cost of constructing a mud house in the valley, where the average worker makes around 800 rupees per day.

Sultan Ahmed is spending even more: up to 500,000 rupees for a three metre by four metre (10 foot by 14 foot) space reinforced by more than 20 centimetres (eight inches) of concrete, fortified with steel rods, and buried under nearly a metre of soil.

Some 25 people will be able to take shelter inside the bunker once it is completed, the 47-year-old teacher says.

- Business booming for masons -

Local mason Ghulam Hussain tells AFP his business has increased because of the renewed violence, as he packs his tools after finishing a bunker at one house to rush to another and start again.

Around half a million people live within range of Indian fire along the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, the de facto border that has divided the Himalayan region since 2003, according to Farooq Haider Khan, leader of Azad Kashmir.

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He says the government plans to build "community bunkers".

Kashmir is one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints, bitterly divided between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 but claimed in full by both.

They have already fought two wars over the mountainous region, but years of relative peace after the 2003 ceasefire were shattered in September, after India blamed Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base that killed 19 soldiers.

India said it had responded by carrying out "surgical strikes" across the heavily militarised border, sparking a furious reaction from Islamabad, which denied the strikes took place.

On Tuesday armed militants stormed a major Indian army base near the frontier with Pakistan, killing seven soldiers in the most audacious such attack since the September raid.

The fear spiralling on the Pakistani side is not only consuming residents -- tourism to the scenic Neelum Valley has plummeted this year, local official Sardar Abdul Waheed tells AFP.

"I am nervous that if this situation continues my whole investment will be sunk," says Zulfiqar Ali, who built a guesthouse in the valley last year.

- Valley cut off -

Since AFP's visit the Neelum Valley has been cut off.

Cross-border firing hit a civilian bus there on November 23, killing at least nine people, one of the highest one-day tolls since the latest unrest began.

In response authorities shut down the main road connecting the Azad Kashmir capital of Muzaffarabad with the valley, effectively sealing it off from the rest of Pakistan with no word when it will be reopened.

Before the valley was closed, many residents told AFP they could not afford to leave and had nowhere to go.

Others, however, said they refused to be driven away.

Those who cannot pay the high cost of transporting bunker materials from Kashmir's main cities to the remote valley are fortifying their homes in whatever way they can.

"We are just placing sandbags to reinforce the front walls," says 65-year-old widow Zarina Bibi, head of a family of 15.

"We are in a state of fear all the time. We don't know when the Indian troops will start shelling again."
ROME CITY  A newly restored habitat at the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site will be known as the Ted and Tedra Hemingway Wetlands.

The name honors an Auburn couple who have devoted countless hours as volunteers and board members for the historic site along the shore of Sylvan Lake.

As board president, Ted Hemingway worked closely with Gene Stratton-Porter Site Manager Dave Fox to begin a restoration project for the 99-acre wetland and prairie, Fox said.

This is the largest project weve undertaken, and it wouldnt have happened without Teds support and leadership, Fox said.

This project was something I had envisioned for GSP since I arrived in 2008, Fox said. Restoring ground that had been farmed since the 1880s to native grasses and wildflowers, while allowing wetlands to return as well, would have made Gene smile for days.

Were pretty proud of that accomplishment, Ted Hemingway said.

We just absolutely love that place up there. Its a great place to be, and its right in our backyard, Tedra Hemingway said about the historic site.

When Ted Hemingway retired as a marketing executive a decade ago, his interests turned back to his college degree in conservation and wildlife management.

He told himself, I can at least volunteer and do the things I was not able to do in my working years, he said.

Hemingway enrolled in the Indiana Master Naturalist program at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. The program required serving 30 hours of volunteer time, and he started with a local conservation group, ACRES Land Trust, around 2007.

In 2011, the Hemingways extended their volunteer work to the Gene Stratton-Porter site.

I taught fourth grade for 35 years. We always took our kids up there for field trips. I just fell in love with it, Tedra Hemingway said about the site.

The Hemingways began volunteering more than 100 hours per year. Ted leads visiting school groups on nature tours. Tedra became the coordinator for the sites more than 120 volunteers. Both serve on the Gene Stratton-Porter Society board.

The couple continued their training to become Advance Master Naturalists, which takes them to sites throughout Indiana. They also remain active with ACRES Land Trust, which owns dozens of nature preserves across northeast Indiana.

Its all conservation-minded people who like nature, Tedra Hemingway said.

The project at the Stratton-Porter site restored small kettle ponds that support migrating birds, Ted Hemingway said. As an added benefit, it helps protect the water quality of Sylvan Lake.

It was amazing. The first year we completed it, we had ducks breeding on some of the small ponds, Ted Hemingway said.

For visitors, a trail along the edge of the wetlands provides opportunities for bird watching and hiking. Plans call for building a viewing platform, he added.

In addition to their conservation efforts, the Hemingways volunteer with the Allen County Public Library Audio Reading Service. In 2015, they were recognized at the annual Giver of Gifts event hosted by the Noble County Community Foundation to recognize outstanding volunteer service in Noble County.
Moscow (Russia) (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday appointed deputy finance minister Maxim Oreshkin as economy minister, replacing Alexei Ulyukayev who was dismissed this month after being charged with taking a $2-million bribe.

"You haven't been working long, but... you are working successfully," Putin told Oreshkin at a meeting, quoted on the Kremlin website.

"I want to offer you the position of economic development minister."

The new economy minister is just 34 years old and worked in the banking sector before joining the finance ministry in 2013. He was appointed deputy finance minister last year.

The finance and economic development ministries are two separate entities in Russia.

Putin commented on Oreshkin's age saying that "you are a quite young person," but praised him as "a mature, experienced specialist."

Oreshkin has been tasked with pulling the country out of a two-year recession exacerbated by depressed prices for its key oil exports and Western sanctions over Ukraine.

He told Putin on Wednesday: "The worst is now over but the growth rates are still, of course, insufficient."

"Therefore the main task for the next year is to prepare key measures that will remove structural obstacles to the Russian economy's growth and let it move forward."

His predecessor Ulyukayev, 60, is currently under house arrest after being slapped with bribe-taking charges that shocked the liberal wing of the government, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev saying his fall from grace was "beyond comprehension."

The FSB security service dramatically detained Ulyukayev in the early hours of November 15 for allegedly accepting a bribe to greenlight state oil giant Rosneft's acquisition of the state-owned majority stake in Russian oil company Bashneft for $5.2 billion.

He had served as economy minister since 2013.
By Denis Pinchuk

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to cut oil production "gradually" by up to 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the first half of next year as part of an agreement with OPEC, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.

"Russia is ready to join the agreement ... Based on our active talks over the last couple of months with key OPEC members and non-OPEC countries, Russia will gradually cut its output by up to 300,000 barrels per day in the first half of 2017," Novak told reporters.

He added that it was technologically challenging for Russia to cut production sharply.

"Our talks with non-OPEC countries allow us to expect some countries to join the deal, cumulatively contributing approximately up to 300,000 bpd," Novak said. He did not elaborate.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are the second- and third-biggest oil producers among ex-Soviet countries after Russia. Russia, the leading global oil producer, saw its output hit post-Soviet highs in recent months. (O/RUS1)

Novak gave no indication from which level Russia was ready to cut output. The Kazakh energy ministry declined immediate comment. The Azeri energy ministry could not be reached for a comment on Wednesday.

"We are optimistic about the agreements reached and consider today's agreement as historically important," Novak said. He added that OPEC and non-OPEC nations were choosing the timing for a separate meeting to sign a memorandum on the deal.

"We think such a meeting will take place within the next 10 days," Novak said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Wednesday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.

(Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Additional reporting by Mariya Gordeyeva in Almaty and Nailia Bagirova in Baku; Writing by Andrey Ostroukh/Katya Golubkova; Editing by Dale Hudson)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday he hoped that the situation in Syria's Aleppo could be sorted out by the end of this year, the RIA news agency cited him as saying. "We are hoping for this of course," Bogdanov was quoted as saying, when asked if the situation in Aleppo could be resolved by the end of 2016. "We need to force these terrorists out in the same way as they need to be forced out in Mosul and in Raqqa. It's a general task." A senior official in the pro-Damascus military alliance said on Tuesday that Syria and its allies aimed to drive rebels from Aleppo before Donald Trump took office as U.S. President. Pro-government forces have surged to their biggest victories in the shattered city for years in recent days. Russia has been in contact with Trump's team over Syria, the TASS news agency quoted Bogdanov as saying. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Maria Kiselyova)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it was ready to escort aid agencies into parts of Syria's eastern Aleppo recently cleared of rebels, but said it had not received any requests from the United Nations or anyone else so far. Sergei Rudskoi, a defense ministry official, told reporters Syrian government forces had completely cleared the Castello road of rebels, meaning there was now an unimpeded path for aid deliveries. Rudskoi also said Russia's air force had not bombed targets inside Aleppo for 44 straight days. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alexander Winning)
By Clement Uwiringiyimana KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda has launched an inquiry into the possible role of at least 20 French military and other officials in the 1994 genocide, the prosecutor general said on Wednesday, a move that will deepen already strained relations with Paris. Rwanda has frequently had diplomatic rows with France since the genocide, when about 800,000 mostly ethnic minority Tutsis and moderates from the Hutu majority population were killed. Rwandan officials have long accused France of supporting the former government of President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu whose death when his plane was shot down in 1994 sparked the bloodbath. Kigali temporarily broke diplomatic ties in 2006 with France when a French judge called for the trial of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi whose rebels halted the genocide in 1994, over the death of Habyarimana. Kagame denies any role and has accused France of training soldiers who led the massacre. "What we announced is the beginning of an inquiry into the role that some of the French officials could have played in the events that took place here in 1994 in the genocide," Rwanda's prosecutor general Richard Muhumuza told Reuters. He said the inquiry would examine the possible role of 20 military and other officials, but he did not name them. "Up to now, we cannot say that we already have something sufficient to make charges on those people. This is why we need to talk to them and hear their version of the story," he said, adding he hoped those named would agree to be questioned. He said he had been in contact with the French government in the past two or three weeks, but did not give details. "DESPICABLE LIE" French officials had no comment on Wednesday, but referred to remarks made on Nov. 16 by Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, when he criticised a possible Rwandan probe into French officers. "To affirm that the French army took part in genocide is a despicable lie that I will not tolerate," the minister said then. In a document dated Oct. 31, Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight against Genocide listed 22 French officers it accused of having a role in the build-up to and during the genocide, including top advisers to France's then-president, Francois Mitterrand. The commission also said cases being pursued by the French judiciary into whether Kagame's rebel force had a role in bringing down Habyarimana's plane in April 1994 were motivated by a desire to mask the role French officials played. "The refusal to end the judicial investigation (into downing the plane) and pronounce a dismissal against Rwandan leaders who ended the genocide is an attempt (at) concealing their responsibilities," the commission said. Rwanda, a former German and Belgian colony, had strong ties with France until 1994. Under Kagame, the government has forged close links with the United States and Britain. In 2009 Rwanda joined the Commonwealth which mostly groups former British colonies. It has also switched the official language for teaching in schools from French to English. (Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Sally Field on March 25, 1985. (Photo: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

Sally Field knows that when people think of her, one of the first things that comes to mind is her acceptance speech at the 1985 Academy Awards. When Field won her second Oscar for the drama Places in the Heart, the actress, then 38, ecstatically declared, I cant deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me! At 70 years old, Field is once again generating awards buzz for her performance in the indie comedy My Name Is Doris (available now on VOD). In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast, she explained what was going through her head in that unforgettable moment, and why she feels its been taken out of context by decades of references, parodies, and misquotes.

Watch Sally Fields 1985 Oscar acceptance speech:

As Field explained over the course of a long conversation with podcast host Scott Feinberg, her career as an actress  beginning at age 12  was riddled with personal and professional setbacks. Nothing has ever been easy for me, said Field. In spite of her many awards and commercial successes, Field was forced into roles she didnt want (like the sitcom The Flying Nun, foisted on her by her manipulative stepfather), fought hard for her best parts (like Norma Rae, in which she was cast over the studios objections), and often felt like she wasnt pretty or accomplished enough to be a film star. Over the years, one of the coping mechanisms Field developed was to live in a fog, tuning out the rest of the world and her own emotions to deal with the work in front of her. Thats how she described the experience of winning her first Oscar, for playing a union activist in Norma Rae.

[Winning the Oscar] was so huge to me that I almost just went back to a place where I survived as a kid, and that is, I just was in a bubble, I was in a fog, I tuned out, she explained. I couldnt feel it. I didnt allow myself to feel it. It was just like, get through it. So I didnt own it.

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Part of that reaction was how vulnerable Field felt to Hollywoods constant criticism; she was afraid to enjoy the moment because she knew she could get torn down again. The tough part of this business is that you get your soul, your self, your person, thrashed, examined and tossed out It becomes a real challenge to pick yourself up and dust yourself off, she said.

Six years later, when she was nominated for the Depression-era drama Places in the Heart, Field made a decision that if she won, she would stop being afraid and allow herself a moment of victory. If you get pieces of the good, of the accomplishment, then you have to allow yourself to feel it. Otherwise all you feel is the negative, is the beat up part, is the trashing part and some part of you will close up shop, she said. So I just said to myself, Im going to feel this, Im gonna feel it, whatever it is.'

She did win the Oscar for Best Actress (beating out Judy Davis, Vanessa Redgrave, Sissy Spacek, and Jessica Lange), but was thrown for a curve when she got onstage: For the first time that year, the producers had decided to flash a light in winners faces as a warning that their speech time was coming to an end. Now they play the orchestra, they try to be gentle. But [then] they had a huge, red, glaring light that started flashing in your face, Field recalled. So it was like, Aaa! It was like the police are coming after you, you know? So I panicked. I went, Oh, Ive gone on too long! I said nothing and I had to get off.

Field didnt know exactly what shed said, and worried that shed squandered her time onstage. I remember the part of me that said, But you didnt say anything that mattered. You didnt say anything genuine, she said. Little did she know that it would become one of the most-quoted acceptance speeches of all time (although its most often misquoted as, You like me, you really like me!) Looking back, Field explains that she was trying to describe the fleeting experience of being at the top of her field, knowing that shed been on the bottom and might be again. (The full conclusion of her speech is: I havent had an orthodox career, and Ive wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didnt feel it, but this time I feel it  and I cant deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me.)

How do you verbalize this one moment in time? I did it? That doesnt work. I accomplished what I needed to accomplish? That doesnt work. It sounds like Im trying to invent penicillin or something, Field said with a laugh. How do you describe what it is, that this communication is between audience and actor? And thats how it came out.

That earnest, vulnerable moment became the butt of countless jokes over the years. Madonna (the opposite of earnest) did her own version, as did Jim Carrey in The Mask. Field herself has joined in the fun, parodying the speech in Legally Blonde 2 and a Charles Schwab commercial. And one could argue that Field created an opening for such delightfully giddy Oscar speech-makers as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Julia Roberts. But it still makes her sad that the immediate reaction to her speech was ridicule. An interesting item in the world, certainly for me, is how easily people want to trash that emotion or ridicule it or misquote it and make fun of it, she told THR. And what it really is is raw emotion.

Watch a video about the shortest speeches in Oscar history:
Cynthia Rowley designed new uniforms for Blades customer-experience team. (Photo: Blade)

Private aviation company Blade has come up with another way to create a top-notch experience for the flying elite: It has partnered with two of the hottest names in the fashion industry to create uniforms for its 2017 customer-experience team. New York City-based designers Cynthia Rowley and Sarah Jessica Parker will outfit flight attendants and staff for the private flight service between Manhattan (or Westchester) and Miami.

Rowley, who is a fan of the service herself, created a suede bell-sleeve dress with a silk necktie for the collection. Blade literally changed my life, Rowley revealed in a press release. On Fridays during the summer, the kids would be waiting for me in Montauk, while I was still at the studio in Manhattan. I can literally jump on a Blade helicopter or seaplane and be at the beach within the hour. Time is the most precious thing you have as a busy mom.

SJP added a special touch to her silver sparkly Mary Jane pumps with a block heel for the collaboration: a blue striped ribbon on the back of the shoe to complement the Rowley dress.

The SJP Mary Jane shoe features a blue stripe on the heel. (Photo: SJP collection)

I know first-hand that the Blade women are lovely from head to toe, and therefore we are so proud our shoes will play a small part in this big and growing operation, Parker said. Select custom pieces from the Rowley and Parker collections with Blade will also be sold on the aviation companys website and app.

This venture isnt a surprising move for Parker, considering the entrepreneur has been attempting to grow her business. Working with Blade is such a huge opportunity for our small team and allows us to expand in new ways while working with Cynthia, who Ive known and admired for years, said Parker. SJP is set to open her first store next week and has plans for more brick-and-mortar shops in the future as well.

This isnt the first time aviation companies have looked to popular designers to put a spin on the classic airline uniform. Delta Airlines partnered with Zac Posen this year, changing its uniform for the first time in a decade.

Story continues

Zac Posen designed Deltas latest uniform styles. (Photo: Courtesy of Delta)

The uniforms, made by Lands End, will be worn by 60,000 Delta employees by early 2018.





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(Adds background)

RIYADH, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman approved the allocation of 100 billion riyals ($26.67 billion) from the kingdom's reserves to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Wednesday, according to a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

The funds would be used to support both foreign and local investments, particularly opportunities in the local market that would help to build the private sector, the statement said.

It did not elaborate on a timeline for the investments, but said they would be phased.

Under economic reforms announced early this year, the Saudi government said it aims to expand the PIF, founded in 1971 to finance development projects in the country, from $160 billion to about $2 trillion by transferring assets such as ownership of state oil giant Saudi Aramco.

That would make the PIF the world's biggest sovereign fund by far on paper, though not necessarily in terms of the cash it had available for investment.

The fund will increase investments abroad - in June, it bought a stake in U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber for $3.5 billion - but it will still focus much of its attention on local projects designed to reduce Saudi Arabia's reliance on oil exports.

On Monday, the fund announced plans to buy a major stake in Adeptio, the Gulf-based investment firm which controls Kuwait Food Co (Americana).

It is also set to take over a stalled financial district project in Riyadh and to buy a stake in the King Abdullah Economic City north of Jeddah.

($1 = 3.7498 Saudi riyals) (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; writing by Katie Paul; editing by G Crosse and Phil Berlowitz)
Photo credit: undefined

From Esquire

Gerald Nye was a Republican who represented North Dakota in the U.S. Senate for the 20 years between 1925 and 1945. Nye was a lifelong good-government progressive who grew up in Wisconsin, where his father, a smalltown newspaper publisher, used to take young Gerald to see Fighting Bob LaFollette speak. Ultimately, Nye was appointed to the Senate by the governor of North Dakota to replace an incumbent who died in office.

Among his other duties was to serve on the Committee on Public Lands. Midway through his first tenure on that committee, the Teapot Dome Scandal landed on Gerald Nye's desk. On February 25, 1928, with the scandal finally behind the government and as dead as Warren Harding, on whose watch it had occurred, Nye said the following:

The investigation has shown, let us hope, privilege at its worst. The trail is one of dishonesty, greed, violation of law, secrecy, concealment, evasion, falsehood, and cunning. It is a trail of betrayals by trusted and presumably honorable men-betrayals of a government, of certain business interests and the people who trusted and honored them; it is a trail showing a flagrant degree of the exercise of political power and influence, and the power and influence of great wealth upon individuals and political parties; it is the trail of despoilers and schemers, far more dangerous to the well-being of our Nation and our democracy than all those who have been deported from our shores in all time as undesirable citizens. And in the end the story is one of the crushing of brilliant careers when finally the light was played upon those who schemed those unhealthy schemes born in darkness.

I'm going to keep this quote handy because, you know, you never know.

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joe scarborough mika brzezinski

Joe Scarborough cast doubt Wednesday over whether President-elect Donald Trump's nominees to lead the Departments of the Treasury and Commerce would bring the populist economic reforms that Trump promised during the campaign.

The "Morning Joe" host said there was "quite a contrast" between Trump's populist pledge to take on international financial institutions and his decision to appoint former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin to lead the Treasury and Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary.

"Donald Trump and his success and failure depends on Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He's not president of the United States without those states. And yet, the people in those states did not vote for Goldman Sachs Treasury secretary. And they didn't expect him to put a billionaire in charge" of the Commerce Department, Scarborough added.

Scarborough argued that Ross and Mnuchin, both appointments from the private sector, will "do Trump's bidding because neither one of them has a history of driving policy."

"If you're going to change Republican economic policy over the past 30, 35, 40 years, you need really smart people that are going to drive that message not only to the hill, but to the American people. He doesn't have those people here," Scarborough said.

He added: "With these picks, Donald Trump will never get the Republican economic conference meaningful legislation that deviates from past economic policy."

Indeed, despite explicitly criticizing Hillary Clinton's ties to the global investment bank, Trump has already drawn from its ranks for his top appointments.

Mnuchin and chief strategist Steve Bannon both worked at Goldman Sachs, while Trump is also reportedly considering Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

For its part, Trump's transition team has said its picks would not execute policies contrary to Trump's campaign message.

Story continues

In an interview later in Wednesday's show, Scarborough asked Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, whether Trump could fulfill his promises to Rust Belt voters while appointing "creatures of Wall Street."

"Steve is going to be lockstep with the vision of Donald Trump and Mike Pence," Priebus replied. "They wouldn't be offered a position if they didn't follow suit with the exact things that President Trump wanted."

NOW WATCH: Romney now says Trump may be the man to 'lead us to that better future' after previously calling him a 'phony, a fraud'





More From Business Insider


Education is the bedrock of national prosperity. Even public education is not free, however, and it is up to taxpayers to foot the bill. U.S. school districts spend an average of $11,009 per pupil a year.

A range of factors affect per pupil spending, and unique circumstances in different regions of the country mean that per pupil spending can vary drastically from one school district to another. Some districts spend more than three times the national average per student. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed spending across U.S. school districts to identify the districts that are spending the most per student. New Yorks Pocantico Hills Central School District spends $63,760 per student each year, far more than any other district in the country.

ALSO READ: 14 Cities With the Strongest Unions

In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Michael Griffith, school finance strategist for the policy think tank the Education Commission of the States, explained that the biggest cost driver for school districts is salaries and benefits of the administration and staff. Depending on the district, as much as 65% of the annual budget goes to teachers' compensation, and another 15% goes towards paying everybody else, from cafeteria workers to the district superintendent.

How much teachers are paid depends largely on local economic forces. Certain parts of the country have higher costs of living and consequently require higher salaries to attract and retain teachers. It's expensive to live in the Northeast; It's expensive to live in California; It's expensive in Alaska -- so we tend to see those places spending a higher amount per pupil, Griffith said. Indeed, each of the 10 school districts spending the most per pupil are located either in the Northeast or Alaska.

The size of the student body also plays a significant role in per pupil spending. When [districts] get below about 1,500 kids, (they) start showing additional costs per pupil -- it really picks up when you get below 500, Griffith explained. Below the 1,500 student threshold, teachers are instructing smaller classes, contributing to a higher overall per-student cost. Enrollment in half of the 10 school districts with the highest per pupil expenditures is less than 1,500 students.

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American public schools receive on average about 9% of their revenue from federal sources, 47% from state sources, and 45% from local sources. In many of the school districts spending the most, these proportions are drastically different. According to Griffith, New York does very little to regulate how much revenue school districts can raise locally. As a result, six of the top spending districts are in wealthy neighborhoods in Long Island and Westchester County and get an outsized share -- from 73% to 93% -- of revenue from local sources. On the other hand, top spending school districts in Alaska, while not always affluent, receive most of their funding from state coffers padded with oil and natural gas revenue.

To identify the 10 American school districts spending the most per pupil, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed annual per pupil expenditures across the 9,605 U.S. school districts serving at least 250 students from the U.S. Census Bureaus Survey of School System Finances. School spending figures and all other district-based values are as of the end of 2014 and come from the U.S. Census Bureaus Survey of School System Finances. Graduation rates come from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

ALSO READ: 18 Jobs Being Replaced by Robots

These are the school districts spending the most per student.

Correction: In a previous version of this article the source for annual per pupil expenditures was incorrectly cited as the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). In fact, annual per pupil expenditures for U.S. school districts came from the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of School System Finances.

10. Jericho Union Free School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $33,841

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $150,313

> Enrollment: 2,999

New York spends more per pupil on public schools than any other state. Even within the state, certain districts spend far more than is typical. The Jericho Union Free School District on Long Island spends $33,841 per pupil annually, the 10th most of any U.S. school district and far more than the $20,610 New York school districts spend per student on average.

The vast majority of public school expenditures go towards salaries and benefits for school staff and administration. In the Jericho school district, administration salaries may have an outsized impact on the overall budget. Henry Grishman, the district superintendent, received $438,349 a year in total compensation, including benefits, more than any other district superintendent on Long Island.

9. Greenburgh Central School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $33,851

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $94,873

> Enrollment: 1,838

Many of the New York school districts that are among the biggest per pupil spenders are in Westchester County, just north of New York City. Located in Hartsdale, Greenburgh Central School District is one of them. Like much of Westchester County, residents within the school district tend to be affluent. The typical area household earns $94,873 a year, far more than the median household income nationwide of $53,657 a year.

With a strong tax base, the Greenburgh schools get much of their revenue -- nearly 73% -- from local sources. In contrast, school districts nationwide get an average of about 45% of funding from local sources.

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8. Rivendell Interstate School District, Vermont

> District spending per pupil: $33,975

> State spending per pupil: $16,988

> Median household income: $58,317

> Enrollment: 277

Rivendell is the only school district outside of Alaska and New York to rank among the 10 biggest per pupil spenders. The district serves students from both Vermont and New Hampshire and spends nearly $34,000 per pupil each year. However, due to recently passed legislation designed to make Vermonts many small and disparate school districts more efficient, Rivendell will not likely remain among the top spenders for long. In 2015, the state enacted legislation known as Act 46, which stipulates that districts with less than 900 students must merge administrations with other similarly small districts. Though Rivendell is exempt from the law because it is an interstate district, there are many strong financial incentives for it to partner up with other districts.

7. Bering Strait School District, Alaska

> District spending per pupil: $34,352

> State spending per pupil: $18,416

> Median household income: $35,495

> Enrollment: 1,904

Many school districts in Alaska have to spend more for basic services, such as heating and electricity, solely because of geography and climate. The Bering Strait School District is no exception. The average daily temperature drops below 40 degrees fahrenheit nine months out of the year. Due in part to extreme weather driving up costs, the district spends $34,352 per student per year, more than all but half a dozen other U.S. school districts.

Incomes are relatively low in the Bering Strait School District. As a result, area schools are primarily funded by the state and by the federal government. Only 4.2% of the districts revenue comes from local sources. In stark contrast, districts nationwide derive an average of 44.7% of revenue from local sources.

6. Southampton Union Free School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $34,704

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $88,239

> Enrollment: 1,613

Located on the south shore of Long Island, Southampton is a relatively affluent community that spends a great deal on public education. The typical area household earns $88,239 a year, roughly $35,000 more than the typical American household. With higher incomes, the school district has a strong tax base to draw from. The Southampton district spends $34,704 per student annually, more than three times the average amount spent across public schools nationwide. Slightly more than 86% of the districts revenue comes from local sources, nearly double the proportion the typical American district collects from local coffers.

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Earlier this year, the districts superintendent, Dr. Scott Farina, stepped down from his post amidst public scandal, including multiple allegations of financial misconduct.

5. Montauk Union Free School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $35,821

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $73,000

> Enrollment: 358

The Montauk Union Free School District spends $35,821 per student per year, more than all but four other school districts nationwide. Like many other New York school districts with similarly high per pupil budgets, Montauk has an exceptionally strong tax base. The typical area household earns $73,000 a year, nearly $20,000 more than the typical American household.

Partially because of the areas relative affluence, the district receives a relatively small share of its funding from state and federal coffers. Less than 1% of district revenue comes from the federal government and only 6.3% comes from the state. Nationwide, districts receive an average of 8.6% of their revenue from the federal government and 46.7% from their respective state.

4. North Slope Borough School District, Alaska

> District spending per pupil: $36,981

> State spending per pupil: $18,416

> Median household income: $74,609

> Enrollment: 2,006

The North Slope Borough School District spends $36,981 per student per year, more than three times the typical amount spent nationwide. The nation's northernmost school district is also the largest in the country by area, covering roughly 89,000 square miles. Much of the per student spending in the district is likely necessitated by to geography and climate. Challenges related to student transportation, lighting, and heating likely make basic public school services abnormally expensive in North Slope.

The school districts graduation rate demonstrates the complicated relationship between investment and outcomes in the realm of public education. Despite spending more per student each year than only three other districts nationwide, North Slopes high school graduation rate is only 45%-49%, well below the nationwide 82.3% rate.

3. Island Park Union Free School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $37,757

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $70,771

> Enrollment: 692

The median household income in the Island Park Union Free School District is $70,771 a year, far higher than the $53,657 the typical American household earns a year. Like many other affluent New York school districts spending relatively large sums on their students, a disproportionate share of the districts funding comes from local taxes. Meanwhile, only 11.0% of the districts funding comes from state coffers, a considerably smaller share than the 46.7% the average school district gets from its respective state government.

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2. Lake And Peninsula School District, Alaska

> District spending per pupil: $43,256

> State spending per pupil: $18,416

> Median household income: $47,143

> Enrollment: 363

The typical household in the Lake And Peninsula School District earns $47,143 a year, considerably less than the statewide median income of $71,583. Despite the relatively weak tax base, the school district spends $43,256 a year per student, more than all but one other school district in the United States. Because local residents do not have the the income to fund area schools, a disproportionate share of the districts budget comes from state and federal coffers. Only 22.1% of the budget comes from local sources, less than half the share school districts typically receive from local taxes. Meanwhile, 17.5% of the district's revenue comes from the federal government, more than double the proportion school districts typically get from Washington.

1. Pocantico Hills Central School District, New York

> District spending per pupil: $63,760

> State spending per pupil: $20,610

> Median household income: $99,737

> Enrollment: 287

New York spends more per pupil on public schools than any other state in the country. It is perhaps no surprise that the state is also home to the nations highest spending school district. The Pocantico Hills Central School District spends $63,760 per student each year, nearly six times the amount the typical American school district spends and more than $20,000 more than the second highest spending district.

Low enrollment and a strong local tax base largely explain the high per pupil spending in Pocantico Hills. The typical household in the school district earns nearly $100,000 a year, far more than the $53,657 national median household income. The high tax revenue collected in the area is spread across a relatively small student body. There are only 287 students in the school district, well below the 1,500 student threshold that typically represents an efficient economy of scale.

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By Lisa Baertlein and Timothy Mclaughlin

LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scores of demonstrators were arrested on Tuesday as U.S. fast-food and airport workers led nationwide 'Fight for $15' protests calling for higher pay and union rights in their first major action since Donald Trump was elected president.

Trump, an international property developer and reality TV star with no government experience, swept into power with promises of creating jobs, especially for downtrodden Americans.

The president-elect - who at various times on the campaign trail suggested U.S. workers were overpaid, but also that the minimum wage should be raised - is due to take office on Jan. 20.

"(Trump) needs to be held accountable for his promises," said Hector Figueroa, president of 32BJ, a property service workers union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union that backs 'Fight for $15'.

Fast-food workers, home care and child care providers, janitors and Uber drivers organized by the campaign targeted McDonald's Corp <MCD.N> restaurants in several major cities. Protesters also rallied at busy airports such as O'Hare International in Chicago and Logan International in Boston.

More than 300 protesters gathered before dawn at Zuccotti Park in New York City, banging drums and chanting slogans.

"When we started demanding $15 ... people thought we were crazy, but we were just demanding the basic minimum to survive," said protestor Alvin Major, 50, a Guyanese immigrant who lives in Brooklyn and works at a KFC <YUM.N> restaurant.

"Right now I can barely pay my bills," said Major, who has four children and a wife who is ill.

Police reported multiple arrests in several cities after protesters clogged traffic. The arrests included 26 in New York City, 36 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 39 in Detroit, and 40 in Los Angeles.

There were protests but no arrests in New Orleans, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee, police said.

Story continues

U.S.-born Kisha Rivera, 41, recently moved her family from Puerto Rico to Chicago, where she now earns $10.50 an hour cleaning airline cabins. She joined baggage handlers and other airport employees for Tuesday's protests, which did not disrupt travel.

"Even though I work 40 hours a week ... the wages aren't enough to survive in this city," said Rivera, a widow who receives state food assistance and social security survivor benefits for the younger of her two children.

'LIVING IN POVERTY'

President-elect Trump said last year that U.S. workers' wages were "too high" and made the nation uncompetitive, but this year, he has said the minimum wage should rise, with states taking the lead.

Trump's as-yet-unannounced choice for Labor Secretary will have a big impact on the administration's approach to wages, working conditions and unions.

McDonald's said in a statement that it invests in its workers by helping them to earn degrees and on-the-job skills. The company last year raised the average hourly pay to around $10 for workers in the restaurants it owns. However, most U.S. McDonald's workers are employed by franchisees who set their own wages.

Opponents to raising the minimum wage say higher costs will force restaurants to cut hiring, and that some businesses would not survive.

Hopes for an increase in the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage were dashed earlier this month by the election of a Republican-controlled U.S. Congress.

Still, voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington approved state minimum wage increases, encouraging advocates to continue pressing their case at the local levels.

Home care worker Sumer Spika, 37, carved out time between her morning and evening shifts to join the Minneapolis protest.

"This is what I had to do for someone to listen," said Spika, who makes $12.93 per hour as a state employee. She is a member of an SEIU-affilated union, but earns no overtime.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles and Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Additional reporting by Alexander Besant and Amy Tennery in New York, Scott Malone in Boston, Lucy Nicholson in Los Angeles and Renita D. Young in Chicago; Editing by Peter Henderson, Bill Rigby and Lisa Von Ahn)
Vatican City (AFP) - Martin Scorsese and Pope Francis swapped stories about Japan's so-called "hidden Christians" on Wednesday after a Vatican viewing of the director's epic new film on the subject.

In a private audience, Scorsese presented the pontiff with two religious Christian paintings from 17th-century Japan which he says helped guide his work on "Silence".

The movie, adapted from Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel of the same name, is about two Jesuit missionaries visiting Japan when Christians faced persecution and torture if their faith was discovered.

"Silence" got its world premiere among the roughly 300 Jesuits at the Vatican's Pontifical Oriental Institute -- though Francis was not among them.

The pope, who met for 15 minutes with the filmmaker, his wife and daughters, did tell them that though he missed the film, he had read the book, according to the Vatican.

As a young priest in Argentina, Jorge Bergoglio had wanted to serve as a missionary in Japan but gave up on the idea due to poor health.

Scorsese, a Hollywood legend who won an Academy Award for "The Departed", was raised as a Roman Catholic and his films often touch on religious themes.

His 1988 work "The Last Temptation of Christ" was condemned as blasphemous by some Christian groups.

Media were kept out of the "Silence" showing on Tuesday, but Jesuit priest Francesco Occetta tweeted afterwards: "A true film, but also a difficult one, which brings up deep questions."

The film is due for release in the United States on December 23.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f29429%2fscreen_shot_2016-11-30_at_4.16.46_pm

There really is something to be said for stopping and asking for directions.

A very lost fur seal turned up in a paddock in rural Australia on Tuesday and National Parks and Wildlife services were perplexed to say the least.

SEE ALSO: Baby seal arrested for trespassing

After being stumbled-upon by a civilian and her dog, organisation staff were called in to assess the furry situation and figured out how the salty sea dog got so far from home.

Got a cute story tonight - this little guy was lost in a paddock at Bega & had to be rescued. Fur #seal long way from home @PRIME7SthCoast pic.twitter.com/M1PUrucnYC  Natalie Forrest (@nat_forrest) November 29, 2016

Grant Brewer, an officer for the animal wildlife group told ABC, the seal "looked like it was in a good condition but it looked very tired."

It's no wonder it was tired: The New Zealand fur seal was found in the New South Wales town of Bega, a cool 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) from the east coast.

"It's just gone up the river looking for food and I think it's gotten disorientated. It just looked like it was lost so we put it back where it should be," said Brewer.

Brewer said the only viable option for the navigationally-challenged mammal was to catch it using specialist equipment and transport it to the mouth of the Bega river  close enough to the ocean for the adventurer to get its bearings.

As for the seal's state when it finally returned to water, Brewer reported to Bega District News that it appeared calm as it swam off.
Photo credit: undefined

From Esquire

Sherlock Holmes once called Dr. Watson "the stormy petrel of crime," for which, showing remarkable forbearance, Watson declined to knock Holmes senseless with his violin. Anyway, for going on a decade now, Dave Dayen has been the stormy petrel of financial crime, so when he says something is a critical moment, then that something is a critical moment. In The Fiscal Times, Dayen points out that there will be a vote this week in the Congress-yes, they're still up to mischief at the moment-that will say a lot about how willing the Democratic congressional caucus is going to be to fight the deregulation avalanche that's coming down the mountain.

As early as Wednesday, the House will take up H.R. 6392, the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act. (Ed. Note: "The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter." - S. Spade.) This bill would lift mandatory Dodd-Frank regulatory supervision for all banks with more than $50 billion in assets, meaning those financial giants would no longer be subject to blanket requirements regarding capital and leverage, public disclosures and the production of "living wills" to map out how to unwind during a crisis Eight so-called "global systemically important banks" would be automatically subject to the standards: Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Bank of New York Mellon, Morgan Stanley and State Street Bank. So this bill, authored by Missouri Republican Blaine Leutkemeyer, isn't about protecting the biggest banks, but the relatively smaller regional players - firms like PNC Bank, Capital One and SunTrust. An estimated 28 institutions would be affected. Don't think that just because a nice-sounding "regional bank" isn't Wells Fargo, this bill makes some sense. Given the extreme interconnectedness of the financial system, relaxing policing of banks with about $4.5 trillion in assets severely hampers overall stability. After all, while the 2008 financial crisis is remembered for the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, regional banks like Washington Mutual and Wachovia also came crashing down. You can see with this bill's framework how financial regulation in the Trump era will be relaxed, not by outright repeal but through deliberate atrophy.

(This strategy is another indication that, for all his eccentricity, the president-elect has a great deal of typical modern conservative Republican floating around in his intellectual stone soup. This has been the strategy ever since the Reagan Administration. Take an oversight agency. Staff it with people who hate it. Let them ignore the rules until the rules die of thirst. Take this as proof that "government" always fails. Profit!)

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="All%20of%20Trump's%20Problems%20Summed%20Up%20in%20One%20Word" customimages="" content="article.51027"]

The failure to truly hold accountable the knaves and thieves who crashed the world economy and then made off with what was left is going to be something that historians of the Obama Administration are going to have to reckon with for some time. There is no evidence at hand that, even after we all helped bail their crooked asses out, they learned anything, or that they were in any way sorry for all the damage they did, or that they would hesitate for a moment from doing it again. This is one of those tests by which we can judge if the Democrats learned anything as well.

For example, a couple of weeks ago, writing in The New York Times, Gretchen Morgenson posited the case that general anger at letting the crooks off lightly was a seriously overlooked element in the burn-it-all-down rage driving the Trump vote.

Recall that more than 800 bankers went to jail after the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. And that mess wreaked nowhere near the devastation that the housing debacle did on the overall United States economy. Embarrassed, perhaps, by their passivity, Justice Department officials recently pledged to take a more aggressive approach to white-collar crime. But the memo issued last September by Sally Quillian Yates, deputy attorney general, outlining new ways the department would hold individuals to account, has not translated into results. These kinds of cases, of course, take time to mount. Still, data supplied by the Justice Department and compiled by Syracuse University shows that white-collar crime prosecutions are actually down significantly in 2016 from previous years. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse indicates that through August - the first 11 months of the government's most recent fiscal year - prosecutions of all types were down almost 18 percent from five years ago.

There really is no excuse for this, and there's no effective argument against Morgenson's position. You didn't have to be Simon Johnson or Paul Krugman to realize that somebody, somewhere was getting away with murder in the aftermath of a nearly fatal fiscal catastrophe. You could be somebody who woke up one morning and realized that your pension fund had been decimated, or that the teaser rate on your mortgage had run out and now you somehow owed a half-a-million on that two-bedroom dream house in the outer suburbs. Hell, as Morgenson points out later in her story, hardly anyone even got fired for doing all this damage.

Politically, of course, this was moronic.

It was the engine behind the distrust of Hillary Rodham Clinton's relationship to Wall Street that caused her so many problems, especially in the primaries. This kind of blind, furious rage at the "rigged" system was so inchoate that it lined up behind a guy whose entire career was built on low-rent versions of these grand and fraudulent schemes. Now, even the shreds of regulation passed after the collapse are under threat. This can't happen again, but it will.

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You can see President Obama transform from a kid to an adult in one mesmerizing GIF

As we begin to bid farewell to President Obama, people everywhere are getting pretty nostalgic. And now, you can get a double dose of nostalgia as you see President Obama grow up right before your eyes in this totally transfixing GIF.

According to The Huffington Post, this GIF was created by a team at healthtrends.com.

The GIF starts with Obama as a young kid with his smiling (and adorable school portrait) and quickly takes you on a time warp throughout the years.

Each portrait has a ton of personality that we can totally relate to. Seeing how that personality shines through on this powerful man is absolutely delightful.

From his early school boy days to his toothless big smile to the more serious teenager, there is so much to love about this mash up.

You can see the adult Obamas face transform into a more serious and focused man, though theres always that playful kid shining through in his eyes.

We can see why the intelligent and wonderful Michelle fell for such a handsome guy.

We are going to seriously miss seeing the Obama family on a regular basis.

Monitoring how you grow and change throughout the years is always interesting. And while people are consistently fascinated with how a president ages during the presidency, seeing how a president ages throughout their lifetime is even cooler.

Despite the fact that its obvious hes been aging (like we all do), Obama remains super healthy.

Which means he can truly enjoy some hard-earned time off in the upcoming year.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced his picks for the biggest roles at the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, naming Rep. Tom Price as the new health secretary and health-care consultant Seema Verma as lead administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The two selections offer some insight into the role Vice-President-elect Mike Pence plays in shaping the cabinet, and the potential battle that may loom for government health care.

Verma has an extensive history in the health care industry. Her consulting firm, SVC, Inc., worked alongside Pence to reform Indianas Medicaid program following the induction of President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act (ACA). Vermas new appointment will require her to oversee and advance the Medicare, Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but her industry track record has been largely favored by conservatives interested in phasing out government health care programs, making Trumps CMS pick a rather contentious one for the more than 100 million people covered by Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA.

While Pence was governor of Indiana, Verma helped create Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0, which required users, including low-income recipients, to make monthly payments for their health insurance services with restrictions that warranted a six-month lockout from coverage if even a single payment was missed.

National Health Law Program policy analyst David Machledt told NPR that the provisions Verma curated for HIP 2.0 block people from getting the health coverage that they need. About 410,000 people in Indiana are currently covered by HIP 2.0.

Early evaluations show that a lot of people dont understand this plan and dont understand the incentives in it, he said, adding that proposals like Vermas Indiana coverage program, which is also favored by Republican-dominated states like Iowa, Kentucky and Ohio, could result in harsher provisions throughout the country.

Along with Price, an orthopedic surgeon and chief sponsor of an ACA-repeal bill that Obama vetoed in 2015 and an outspoken proponent of reducing health-care funding, Trumps promise to bring down the ACA and reshape the other two health care entitlement programs could become reality.

Trump transition spokesperson Jason Miller told reporters on Tuesday that Trump intends to expand the use of health-savings accounts, which would allow insurers to sell policies across state lines, and reform Medicaid from an entitlement program by cutting grants and reducing federal rules.

Confirmation for cabinet appointments will begin in January. It takes a majority of senators to confirm a cabinet member, and the Republicans will have 52 seats in the incoming Senate.

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On Tuesday's Conan, Senator Bernie Sanders had some sharp criticism of the media during and after the election. He specifically called out network and cable news media, saying, "What media loved was the fact that Trump would say one absurd thing after another, ugly things about people we have never heard before from a presidential candidate. That was great TV. CNN's ratings went way up. " Sanders went on to explain that the media has been doing a poor job of informing the public on issues that genuinely affect millions of Americans. He said, "Turn on network news tonight and watch it for the next year. See how much coverage there is about climate change, which is threatening the existence of the entire planet" Thankfully, Senator Sanders said that those who watch the news have the power to fix the problem. "I think the American people have got to demand more out of media. The American people have got to demand that media talk about the issues that impact our lives."
The La Crescent-Hokah School Board will have a new look this January, as the only member staying for another round is Eric Morken. Board members Chuck Dockendorff, Ruth Nissen and Bryan Tornow chose not to run for re-election, bringing to a close long careers on the board.

I am interested in the new people and their new way of thinking, Morken said. We had a strong board, but I was impressed with some of the candidates. Its a steep learning curve. ... Maybe somebody will have the next light bulb idea.

Dockendorff, Nissen and Tornow will be replaced by new members Aaron Abnet, Chrissie Alioto and Jill Rodeberg, the other top vote-getters in the seven-candidate race.

There are a number of difficult decisions ahead for the school board after the district experienced a failed levy in November. It would have provided the school with $495,000 for the next five years.

Around $450,000 and $500,000 has been cut from the schools budget for the past five years, a trend that will now continue and force the newest school board members to make tough budgetary decisions.

Morken, who is disappointed in the failed operating levy, admits that his concern is to keep cuts as low as possible.

We have to keep damage to a minimum in the classroom, he said. There is not one area we cant look at for cost savings. I dont believe we are dire, but we are not in a good place. We need to work harder to pass the levy next year. We need to pass that.

Newcomer Chrissie Alioto is keeping her mind open as she prepares for her new role.

Its kind of bittersweet that the levy didnt pass, she said. Im learning the whole process; I want to go to the meetings and hit the ground running. We have to look at what would be the least detrimental cuts. I want to learn as much information as I can, listen as much as I can and weigh all the options.

In January, the new members of the school board must attend a three-day workshop that the Minnesota School Board Association provides.

Rodeberg and Abnet could not be reached for comment.
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The father of Sherri Papini, the California mom who mysteriously vanished for three weeks before being found along a rural road on Thanksgiving Day, spoke out about the case to PEOPLE via text message.

My wife and I are so thankful to have Sherri back, Richard Graeff writes. We have talked to Sherri a few times. Didnt get into details on the case, just wanted to hear her voice. We dont know anything more than you do. She needs time to heal. Thank you.

Papini was allegedly kidnapped while out for a jog on Nov. 2. She was found around 4:30 a.m. last Thursday in Yolo County  about 150 miles south of her Redding home, where she was last seen.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases that Shocked America is out now.

Papinis husband, Keith, has described the brutal condition she was in the first time he saw her after her release by her captors.

My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed. Her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of her repeated beatings. The bridge of her nose broken, Keith Papini wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. She has been branded and I could feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers.

He added that Papini weighed only 87 lbs. and her long, blonde hair had been chopped off. He wrote that Sherri had been thrown from a vehicle with a chain around her waist  which was also attached to her wrists  and a bag over her head.

 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.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko has said that Papini told police her captors were two adult Hispanic women, armed with a handgun and driving a dark colored SUV, and that authorities currently have no reason to disbelieve Sherri Papinis story.

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Bosenko tells PEOPLE Papini said only one of the women released her.

We dont know what the motive or the reason for the abduction was, he says. We dont know if this was a targeted abduction or a random abduction or she was the specific target. We dont have the reason as of yet of why she was abducted. We dont have details on where she was being held during this period of time.

Bosenko says that before Papini was found, She was able to walk to a nearby church but nobody was there at 4:30 in the morning, and then she walked back and was able to flag down a motorist near Interstate 5 and Yolo County Road 17.

Alison Sutton tells PEOPLE she was driving and called 911 after seeing a woman looking frightened and panicked on the side of the highway waving a piece of fabric that looked like a shirt, waving it up and down trying to flag someone.

 With reporting by CHRISTINE PELISEK
Here come the generals. After more than a year of criticizing and ridiculing U.S. military officers for their failures, President-elect Donald Trump has spent much of his time not taken up by Twitter since the election huddling with some of the most famous generals and admirals of the post-9/11 era.

Retired general Mike Flynn has already been tapped as Trumps national security advisor, and now, David Petraeus appears to be competing with Mitt Romney for the job of Secretary of State. Petraeus is definitely in the mix, and I believe youll have a decision by the weekend, a person with knowledge of the vetting told FPs John Hudson.

The diplomatic corps is split on Petraeus, and some have bristled that he doesnt fully understand what they do. Petraeus didnt always give diplomats in war zones as much respect as military personnel  even when the troops were of lower rank, one current U.S. Foreign Service officer told Hudson, while others who worked with him in Iraq sang his praises.

Another former four-star in the mix, retired Marine Corps general James Mattis, appears to be the frontrunner for the Defense Secretary job. While Mattis could be a mature voice in the room, a congressional staffer told FPs Dan De Luce and Paul McLeary, he also shares some hawkish views on Iran with many in the incoming administration.

But unlike other hawks advising Trump, Mattis is more realistic about U.S. options in the Middle East, former colleagues said. He recognizes that a unilateral bid to dump the Iran nuclear deal  which was negotiated between major powers and Tehran  might harm American interests. Instead, the colleagues said, Mattis probably would argue for enforcing every provision of the nuclear deal, insisting that Iran abide by the agreement to the letter.

Mistake in Syria. American military officials admitted Tuesday they mistakenly killed at least 15 Syrian soldiers in a September airstrike near Deir Ezzour, but said the bombing run was the result of a series of mistakes and miscommunications.

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U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Tex Coe, the officer who oversaw an investigation into the incident, told reporters at the Pentagon that intel assets followed a car thought to belong to the Islamic State to a position with dozens of troops, and then U.S., Danish, British and Australian aircraft rocked the site with 34 precision-guided munitions and 380 rounds of 30mm cannon fire over the course of an hour. Coe added that the death toll was likely higher than 15, but analysis of video could only confirm that number. Other analysts in Syria have put the toll closer to 80.

Budget battle. Lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday finalized a $618.7 billion defense policy bill that reduces the numbers of jets and ships included in previous versions of the bill, but adds more troops to the budget submitted earlier this year by President Barack Obama. Army end-strength jumps to 476,000 from the current 460,000 in 2017, and the Marine Corps inches upward to 185,000 from 182,000 under the plan.

Dont get too excited, though. The bill isnt a defense budget. The Pentagon doesnt actually have one of those just yet, after lawmakers failed to reach consensus back in September on a spending package. The military has been working off a stopgap spending measure since then, and might until at least May, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has indicated that he wants to give the Trump administration time to work though its agenda for its first 100 days before worrying about defense spending.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter blasted the idea in a letter to lawmakers Tuesday, calling the plan unprecedented and unacceptable, as it makes it difficult for the Pentagon to engage in long-term planning without a stable budget.

Moscows moves. Remember the Admiral Kuznetsov, the aging and troubled Russian aircraft carrier deployed off the coast of Syria to strike rebels battling the Assad regime? It appears it has lost its planes. Weeks after one of its jets crashed into the sea, Janes digs up satellite images that show its warplanes have been flown to the main Russian air base in Syria, where theyre not in danger of ending up in the drink.

Russia is also making some noise about an upcoming Ukrainian missile test that would fly over Crimea, the territory annexed by Russia in 2014. Chairman of the foreign policy committee in the Russian parliament, Konstantin Kosachev, warned this week that the move could provoke war: Eight years ago, the leader of another country who was in conflict with Russia  I mean Georgia  tried to test the endurance of our Armed Forces, Kosachov said. We know perfectly well what it ended in. I hope the Ukrainian government remembers this well enough, too.

Good morning and as always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley

Homefront

The Islamic States propaganda mouthpiece Amaq news agency has claimed an Ohio State University students attempt to run over classmates and attack them with a butcher knife. A police officer shot and killed Abdul Razak Ali Artan in the midst of the attack, which injured other students. The Islamic State often latches onto incidents where attackers have no association or communication with the group or its members, claiming perpetrators as soldiers. Authorities have yet to reveal a motive in the attack but a Facebook post attributed to Artan and written before the attack stated that abuses towards Muslims in Myanmar had pushed Artan to a boiling point.

PEOTUS

During the campaign, president-elect Donald Trump famously pledged to toss out the Iranian nuclear deal the Obama administration reached with Tehran in 2015 and negotiate a new one. Now CIA Director John Brennan is adding his voice to the chorus of those urging Trump to keep the agreement in place. In an interview with the BBC, Brennan says ditching the deal would be the height of folly as well as disastrous and unprecedented.

Germany

Germany has an election coming up next year and the countrys top spy is worried that Russian intelligence will try to interfere in the election the way it allegedly did in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. The Guardian reports on recent comments by Bruno Kahl, head of Germanys Federal Intelligence Service, saying that hackers from Russia are focused on delegitimising the democratic process through their attacks. Kahl said the hackers arent trying very hard to cover their tracks but instead deliberately leaving them behind to show off their capabilities.

Meanwhile, in Germanys domestic intelligence agency, the Daily Telegraph reports that German authorities have arrested an employee of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) for participating in a plot to attack the spy agency. The intelligence officer reportedly converted to Islam, made a pledge of allegiance to Mohamed Mahmoud, an Austrian senior member of the Islamic State, and made contact with Islamist extremists in a bid to get them to smuggle a bomb into the BfV office.

Yemen

A new report from the European Union-funded consultancy Conflict Armament Research (CAR) shines a light on the arms trade between Iran and Yemen. The group took a look at weapons seized by Austrian and French warships from boats traveling back and forth between Somalia and Yemen. The researchers found 100 rocket launchers, 2,000 assault rifles, and 64 sniper rifles with Iranian markings on them. In addition to the Iranian-made weapons, CAR also found Russian anti-tank missiles and North Korean machine guns.

Robots

The Islamic State has littered Syria and Iraq with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), causing headaches and hazards for those trying to dispose of them safely. Defense Tech reports that the Air Forces 96th Civil Engineer Group is trying a new tool to deal with the homemade bombs: lasers. The unit says its managed to get lasers that can burn through an IED and now it wants to strap them to the top of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. The goal is to get to the point where the laser can autonomously target IEDs rather than having troops individually target them.

Army

Army and Marine forces are headed to Texas and New Mexico in order to game out what a war in the Pacific would look like with American troops facing cyber attacks, enemy robots, and electronic warfare. The result, Bloomberg reports, is that the Army believes it has some catching up to do. The Armys new Rapid Capabilities Office was involved in the exercise and its director Major General Walter Piatt could inform decisions about what the office will buy and develop next.

Photo Credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images
One week after an 8-year-old Illinois girl was abducted from her grandmothers front porch, PEOPLE has learned that the bus she was waiting for in the dark to take her to her churchs weekly Bible study was never coming.

Just hours after Sabrina Stauffenberg waited in vain for the bus, her body was found dumped behind a vinegar plant in the small town of Olney, and a 53-year-old man is behind bars charged with her rape and strangulation.

Sabrinas pastor tells PEOPLE that Calvary Baptist Churchs regular Wednesday night Bible study was rescheduled for Tuesday evening in light of the impending Thanksgiving holiday.

Wed moved it up so people could travel and we passed out a flier to all the kids about the change, Pastor Chris Jennette explains. You know how kids are with those fliers  they throw it away or most times it doesnt even make it home. Sabrinas family was unaware we werent having services that night so she was outside, waiting for the bus. But it was not coming.

Police allege Sabrina was sexually assaulted and murdered by Glen Ramey, who was arrested Sunday. The rape caused great bodily harm to that was life-threatening, a spokesperson for the states attorneys office tells PEOPLE. Sabrinas official cause of death was suffocation.

A family friend claims Sabrina was allegedly lured from the porch by Ramey, who was familiar to her; Ramey once dated one of Sabrinas cousins.

Jennette tells PEOPLE he first met Sabrina when she began attending services at age 2. He was visiting relatives in Kentucky for the holiday when he received word of her death.

At first, I was shocked, and then I , Jennette says. We kind of went from disbelief that it was her to quite possibly  to be truthful  anger toward the villain and we started questioning why he would do something like this to this little girl.

In the proceeding days, the particulars of Sabrinas final moments would begin trickling out in media reports.

What I know is more than I wanted to know, says Jennette, who admits it has been difficult to stay strong for his grieving congregants. Im trying to be there for the family, because my main concern is to bring them comfort and give them the strength to get through the next few days.

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Sabrinas wake is scheduled for Thursday night, Jennette says. He will deliver the eulogy during her funeral Friday morning.

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.

Grief is like the ocean  it comes in in waves, Jennette says, but we know its over and no one will ever hurt this little girl again, and thats where we find great comfort. As tragic as this is, we know we havent lost Sabrina. We will see her again. Our faith carries us through these valleys.

When Jennette thinks of Sabrina now, he remembers her smile.

She was always full of smiles, because she was always discovering life and enjoying it, Jennette tells PEOPLE. She loved candy, but she also loved our church and she loved those here and it was mutual. Our church loved her  she was the sweetheart of our church. No one ever dreamed anything like this would happen. We are all shocked, but we have the Gospel and we have hope beyond the grave, and we know no one is ever going to hurt her again.

When he eulogizes Sabrina Friday, Jennette says hell focus on her happiness, both before those few moments of struggle in her life and after.

I dont want to focus on how she died but how she lived and where she is now, Jennette says. I believe that will heal a lot of broken hearts.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help Sabrinas family in the wake of her death.

Ramey has been charged with first-degree murder and predatory sexual assault. His bail has been set at $10 million. He has not entered a plea and has not retained an attorney.

Court records show that Ramey has been the subject of at least four separate orders of protection since 2014. He is not listed on Illinois sex offender registry.




Co-existence and opportunity, not competitive threat, was the message that emerged from SMF Ignite, a conference on digital content in Singapore on Tuesday.

The sessions were held at Pixel Studios, the new permanent facilities for short-form story-telling opened this week at One North, Singapore. The building also contains production facilities incubator offices and a Star Wars Battle Pod loaned by Disney.

Antoine Nazaret, head of content at European YouTube rival Dailymotion, insisted that the business model of TV is not dying at all. Instead he suggested that digital environment is a model driven by sponsorship and product placement.

Sashim Parmanand, CEO of 8-year-old Singapore cartoon company, One Animation, said that working for traditional TV companies such as Disney and Nickelodeon to a commission and licensing model was the starting point for her company and remains key. However, advertising revenue from digital platforms this year is on course to be up 70% this year. That, she suggested, puts digital creators with strong content in a better bargaining position with platforms and broadcasters. Content creators need to be bold (and push for more deal points,) she said.

The quality of digital story telling was a recurring theme among speakers. Great story will be found on any platform. The inflection point for Netflix was House of Cards, said Parmanand. She suggested that if the mantra for creators using traditional media was story, story, story, the one for digital producers should be story, character, character.

Derek Tan, co-founder of Singapore-based streaming platform Viddsee, said that non-traditional players are becoming story-tellers. Brands are becoming publishers too, he said. They may not be using pre-roll, but are often playing pure advertisements.

The digital mediums use of data may be a double-edged sword. Nazaret pointed to an example where Dailymotion had helpfully shown a European news provider that its audience was turning off in droves during the last 10 seconds of online clips  and therefore losing control of where viewers click next  but he also suggested a degree of deliberate obfuscation.

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The confusion is deliberate. Platforms cannot even agree even on how views are measured, Nazaret said, who said that Dailymotions emphasis is not on sheer numbers, but on viewer retention. Even Facebook got it wrong.

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Dance music's diversity problem is, at this point, well-documented. While the genre started as a haven for gay minorities, the modern scene has been taken over by mainly white suburban youth or affluent Europeans.

Smirnoff, the vodka company, has thought a lot about this and discovered that 1 percent of all DJs and producers make 77 percent of their peers profits. Last year, only 10 percent of electronic festival headliners were women, according to Smirnoff's findings, and most of the DJs and producers making big waves are straight white men.

"Smirnoff is a firm believer in inclusivity," says local senior brand manager Justin Medcraft. "Inclusivity and diversity are clearly linked, but the biggest opportunity, given a lot of what's been going on recently, is that diversity is something we want to contribute to in the future."

So far, Smirnoff has been doing that through its Smirnoff Sound Collective initiative, which has told the stories of the female-centric Discwoman collective and the Latin artists of NAAFI with its Tribes documentary series. It has also married same-sex couples and celebrated the resilience and strength of the LGBTQ community at its Smirnoff House EDC festival installations, and in 2017, Smirnoff Sound Collective wants to take its initiative one step further. It's going to get involved in the careers of up-and-coming artists directly.

"It's a platform that we're building in collaboration with Mixmag that's goal is to take the diverse artists of today and turn them into the icons of tomorrow," Medcraft says. "We want to make sure, in the future, the electronic music stars and icons are going to be more representative of diverse backgrounds. This is how we feel we can make a shift toward that."

The program brings rising electronic stars of all backgrounds, genders and identities together with established artists who don't just succeed in the industry, but actively lead its evolution. For the next 12 months, Smirnoff will take an active hand in the careers of program members Autograf, Nomi Ruiz, Kissey, Julia Govor, Cassian, Tygapaw, Shigeto, Cakes Da Killa, Amtrac, Nina Dioz, Cry Baby and Gina Turner. In fact, they've already begun.

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A few weeks ago, program artists took part in the first of a series of sleep-away workshops where they had the opportunity to learn from active experts in the booking and promotion fields, as well as take advantage of up-close creative and collaborative sessions with each other and program mentors, who include Roy Davis Jr., and Bob Moses among others. The next such session will be held a few weeks from now in Joshua Tree, California.

"What we really wanna try to do is give them access to all this infrastructure right away, so we can use the rest of the year to build up campaigns around them and release content," Medcraft says. The majority of the program will center on performances, and Smirnoff has a built an infrastructure with LiveNation sponsorships and deals with Mixmag's live-streamed lab events.

Wednesday night (Nov. 30) marks the launch of the program's front-facing initiatives with a performance, live-streamed via Mixmag's Facebook, from program members Autograf, Gina Turner, Kissy and Cry Baby, alongside house legend Kevin Saunderson & Sons. It's not just any party; it's a bold coming out, a chance to make an impression on the RSVP-only crowd.

"It's key that we have the industry on board for this, because they're the ones that are going to be instrumental in moving the industry to be more inclusive and bringing diversity as a common goal," Medcraft says. "I'm completely blown away by the support for tonight. We have a huge representation from everyone: festival bookers, promoters, artists, management, media titles. Everyone in the room is going to be able to make and commit to helping and empowering this diverse cause."

This is only the beginning, and Smirnoff could not be more excited to see what the future holds.

"Diversity isn't just something we believe in," Medcraft says, "it's a real shared, common goal form our artists and mentors, and they really do represent those communities by virtue of their background, by virtue of their beliefs, and by virtue of the communities they represent."
Smiths fans of the world unite: the legendary British indie band will release a 7" single with previously unreleased music on both sides.

Warner Music U.K. will issue a previously unheard "demo mix" of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side," the original of which appeared on the classic 1985 album The Queen Is Dead.

The B-side is an unissued cut of "Rubber Ring," a track which originally appeared on the flip side of the "Thorn" single release.

Morrissey contributed the new cover art (which features Salford actor Albert Finney and can be seen here), and revealed the news from the online fanzine True To You.

For an act that disbanded back in 1987 with little hope for a lifeline, the recent months have turned up some surprise Smiths treats.

Guitarist and co-songwriter Johnny Marr writes extensively on the band in his new memoir Set The Boy Free. In one passage he revealed he and Morrissey almost reunited the band. "For four days re-forming the Smiths was a very real prospect," he wrote.

Whether the "Thorn" release is part of a raid on the Smiths vault is unclear at this stage and release details for the single have yet to be announced.
The Smiths will release a new seven-inch single containing two previously unheard tracks: a demo mix of "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and an alternate version of "Rubber Ring." No release date has been announced, according to Morrissey's fan website, True to You.

"The Boy" originally appeared on 1986's The Queen Is Dead and was released as a single in 1985 with "Rubber Ring" as the B-side. "Ring" appeared on the 1987 compilation album, Louder Than Bombs. The new seven-inch cover features a photograph of actor Albert Finney. The sleeve was designed by Morrissey with layout by Darren Evans.

Despite the release, the Smiths have no plans for a reunion. In his recent memoir, Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr wrote about a 2008 meeting with Morrissey  the pair's first in over a decade  to discuss a potential Smiths reunion, though the plan later fell apart. "I think [the band has] run its course," Marr said in a recent interview with the Guardian. "I don't feel unfriendly in any way towards Morrissey  there's just no need for it. One of the things we had in common was that we lived for work, and we're too busy doing what we're doing now."

Last week, Morrissey postponed the remaining dates on his American tour to accommodate keyboardist Gustavo Manzur's recovery from an illness. Moz's trek currently wraps December 17th in San Antonio, Texas.

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By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - - For young adults who smoke, the risk of a major heart attack is 8 times higher than for their peers who never smoked or who gave it up, a UK study found. Older adults who smoke are also more likely than non-smokers their age to end up with heart attacks, researchers say. Many people underestimate the health risks that come with smoking, said senior author Dr. Ever Grech, of the South Yorkshire Cardiothoracic Center at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. "Many patients seem aware there are some risks of a heart attack with smoking, but they were blissfully unaware that the risks were anything more than slightly higher than usual," Grech told Reuters Health. Smoking has been tied to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems since the 1950s, Grech and his colleagues write in the journal Heart. Smokers have heart attacks at younger ages, but no study has looked at the incidence of heart attacks among young smokers in a local population. For the new study, the researchers used data collected between 2009 and 2012 on people over age 18 in South Yorkshire. The population included 1,727 individuals who were treated for STEMIs, which are major heart attacks caused by a blockage in one of the heart's main arteries. About 49 percent of the STEMI patients were current smokers, about 27 percent were ex-smokers and about 24 percent were never smokers. Applying the results to the South Yorkshire population, the researchers calculated that in a group of 100,000 people, 60 smokers under age 50 would have a heart attack every year, compared to a combined total of 7 never-smokers and former smokers in that age group. The difference is equal to about an eight-fold increase in risk for young smokers, compared to non-smokers. Likewise, the researchers found about a five-fold increase in risk among smokers ages 50 to 65 years and about a three-fold increase in risk among smokers over age 65 years, compared to their non-smoking peers. Grech said the findings confirmed his observations from working in a cardiac catheterization laboratory, where doctors open clogged arteries in patients with STEMIs. "We can use this data to make people better aware of the risks and provide positive encouragement and assistance," he said. The increased risk among smokers likely arises because smoking affects the plasticity of arteries and what happens inside them, said Dr. Umesh Khot, who is vice chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "The harms of smoking in terms of heart attacks of patients who smoke will happen a lot sooner than people think," said Khot, who wasn't involved with the new study. He said it's never to late to quit smoking to reap some health benefits. "For this type of heart attack known as STEMI, the risk drops off very fast," he told Reuters Health. In an editorial accompanying the new study, Dr. Yaron Arbel of Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel called for society to play a more active role in preventing and treating smoking habits in the general population through medical, legislative, commercial and educational efforts. "Without all these efforts, we will not reduce the risks associated with smoking," he wrote. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2gumabl Heart, online November 29, 2016.
Houston County Sheriff Mark Ingletts request for a new boat was approved by the Houston County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 22. The $19,130 cost of the boat, designed for shallow rescue, will be covered by a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grant.. The lowest bid was from SW Marine in Palo, Iowa.

It will replace the 1985 fishing boat that is currently stored at the Brownsville Fire Department.

This boat is a duck hunters dream, Inglett said. It has an excel flat bottom. There are no waters in Houston County that this boat couldnt navigate.

Along with the sheriffs boat approval, Dan Wermager was presented to the board as a new technician to the county.

At the meeting, Wermager requested a resolution of intent to ask the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) for an extension of the current county comprehensive local water management plan. The request is meant to transition the plan to work for both the Root River and Mississippi-Winona watershed.

The Root River One Watershed, One Plan found that due to geographic boundaries, rather than the formerly used political ones, only 94.9 percent of Houston County falls within the plan. The other 5.1 percent, mostly focused around Pine Creek in La Crescent, will eventually be absorbed into Winona Countys Mississippi-Winona Watershed Plan.

Winona Countys plan, also known as Whitewater River, has not been approved yet. They did not apply for the grant in the past year and are only now working out their program. Due to the counties different time schedules, Houston County will take over the 5 percent until Winona County can absorb it into its own plan.

The main reason why Pine Creek falls outside Houston Countys watershed plan is because of the way Pine Creek flows.

Human services update

Houston County Human Services Director John Pugleasa updated the board on what happened to be his first week of work.

I have everything worked out, Pugleasa joked. Thank you to you guys, thank you to the staff, thank you to Mary Marchel.

Pugleasa informed the board that that week, human services had gone through a state-sanctioned audit and view process that looked at child protection services and in-home services. The last time Houston County was audited was 2010.

The state also looked at randomly selected case reviews. They were on site for four days and conducted extensive reviews with parents and staff.

There are seven main outcomes the state compares to their last visit. Houston County improved on six and stayed the same on one. Pugleasa reminded the board that human services has been short-staffed.

It was a pretty impressive report, Pugleasa said.

Human services also went through a review with Optum, an organization that is concerned with the medical side of services.

Houston Countys structural review through Optum received an 85: a passing grade. Their case review received a grade of 98.

In other news

Human resources director Tess Arrick-Kruger asked the board to hire Eric Schmitt as a probationary county surveyor. He has 6.5 years of experience and a Minnesota license to survey.

Commissioner Justin Zmyewski expressed concern over Schmitts level of experience.

I have some reservation on that, Zmyewski said. I dont know enough about surveying to know if 6.5 years is a good amount is surveying.

Commissioner Teresa Walter reassured Zmyewski.

I know a lot about surveying and I think he will do a good job, Walter said.

The board approved the use of the recorders compliance fund for 2017 pictometry air photography flight. The device cost $7,900 and will be paid over three-year payments.

During Commissioner Dana Kjomes commissioner report, he asked if the board would be open to moving board meetings to the Criminal Justice Center in Caledonia to utilize its new audio and visual media. The CJC recently spent $6,500 on media equipment.

We cant have building and planning in here because there isnt any room, Kjome said. They have a state-of-the-art audio visual system.

The board agreed that the idea would be discussed when the new board members join in January.
Two male Army soldiers at Fort Campbell in Kentucky have been charged in the death of a female soldier who vanished in September after failing to report for duty, PEOPLE confirms.

Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray and Spc. Charles Robinson are facing charges of premeditated murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in connection with the disappearance of Pfc. Shadow McClaine, a spokeswoman with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in Tennessee tells PEOPLE.

Robinson and Williams-McCray are currently in pre-trial confinement, pending a preliminary hearing, the spokeswoman says. The preferred charges fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Jail records show that the men were arrested on Oct. 6.

Information about whether the suspects had retained attorneys or entered pleas was not immediately available.

Master Sgt. Kevin Doheny, a Fort Campbell spokesman, tells PEOPLE he believes Williams-McCray is McClaines ex-husband.

McClaines mother, London Wegrzyn, told the Leaf-Chronicle that the pair was married and said theyd been divorced for about a year and a half before her disappearance.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases that Shocked America is out now.

McClaine, 25, was last heard from on Sept. 2 when she texted her mother to say she was driving, Chronicle reports. She did not report for duty on Sept. 6 and her car was later found abandoned in a Nashville parking lot.

 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.

The suspects and McClaine are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division.

According to KCRA, McClaines mother said she joined the Army in 2011 and served stints in Afghanistan and South Korea. She planned to leave the military on Oct. 11 and wanted to return to her native California and go to school for photography, her mother told the outlet.




Madrid (AFP) - Spanish police have arrested 45 suspected members of a Georgian burglary ring that broke into more than 100 homes, a force spokeswoman said Wednesday after a coordinated nationwide sweep.

In 26 searches carried out Tuesday, officers seized 75 watches, fake passports, "countless" items of jewellery, 14,000 euros ($15,000) in cash and 200 receipts for international money transfers.

The suspected right-hand man of the ringleader was detained in the southern city of Seville, two suspects were held in Barcelona, two more in the northern city of Barakaldo, one in the Mediterranean port of Alicante and the rest in Madrid.

The majority of those arrested are Georgian nationals. The suspects face being charged with burglary, membership of a criminal organisation, money laundering and falsifying documents.
Hell probably get confirmed. But first, Steve Mnuchin, Donald Trumps nominee for Treasury Secretary, will have some explaining to do.

Mnuchin is a Goldman Sachs alumnus and lifelong financier who mostly has a strong track record of earning millions of dollars for clients and himself. But he became a lightning rod after assembling a group of investors to buy the insolvent bank IndyMac in 2009. Mnuchin et al. renamed the bank OneWest and successfully turned it around, but in the process foreclosed on thousands of irate homeowners while also drawing criticism for exploiting corporate welfare. Those foreclosures represent ready ammunition for Trump critics eager to paint his Cabinet choices as heartless Wall Streeters.

IndyMac flew high during the housing boom, specializing in Alt-A loans issued to borrowers with decent credit but income that was hard to document. The loans were considered safe as long as housing values kept rising, since in a default, IndyMac would inherit real estate worth more than when it had issued the loan. But when housing values started to crater, IndyMac endured a spectacular crash, including an old-fashioned run on deposits. When it filed for bankruptcy on August 1, 2008, IndyMac was one of the biggest bank failures of all time.

With the whole financial system teetering on the edge of collapse, the FDIC, which took over IndyMac, struggled to find a buyer. Mnuchin, who was operating a hedge fund at the time, thought he saw an opportunity. He assembled a group of investors who bought IndyMac for $1.55 billion in early 2009. To facilitate the deal, the FDIC agreed to a shared loss agreement under which the agencys deposit-insurance fund would bear the cost of bad IndyMac loans above a certain threshold, to assure the new buyers they werent investing in a bottomless sinkhole.

Like most banks during the housing bust, the newly named lender, OneWest, began to foreclose on borrowers who couldnt make their mortgage payments as the housing crisis intensified and a brutal recession left millions unemployed. Protesters began to target OneWest in particular for what they said were callous decisions regarding homeowners in distress. On one day in 2011, protestors briefly overwhelmed security guards at OneWests Pasadena headquarters and occupied the lobby. On another occasion they showed up outside Mnuchins Bel Air mansion, demanding help for one woman who lost her home after her brothers death left her struggling to pay her mortgage.

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By 2015, OneWest had foreclosed on 36,000 homes, according to a nonprofit called the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC), which tracked the banks activities. The CRC also said the FDIC had committed to absorbing $2.5 billion of current or future OneWest losses on loans issued by IndyMacconsiderably more than Mnuchins group paid for the bank in the first place. As part of that deal, OneWest was supposed to be lenient with distressed borrowers and help them avoid foreclosure if possible. Housing advocacy groups accused OneWest of violating its pledge to help troubled borrowers and excessively targeting minority neighborhoods for foreclosures.

Neither OneWest nor Mnuchin was ever officially charged with any kind of wrong-doing, and the bank defended itself at the time by saying its agreement with federal housing underwriters gave it little choice but to liquidate bad loans. In 2015, New York lender CIT bought OneWest for $3.4 billiona 219% return for Mnuchin and his fellow investors. Government regulators cleared the deal, despite opposition from fair-housing groups claiming OneWest hadnt upheld the terms of the 2009 IndyMac purchase. Mnuchin is now a CIT board member, seemingly beyond any type of legal reproach.

But that wont stop bank critics such as Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont from highlighting OneWests foreclosure practices and drumming up some hardship tales involving people who lost their homes to Mnuchins bank. Trump seems to be suffering no blowback, so far, for policies and Cabinet picks that seem to endorse the privileged class Trump ran against during the campaign. So Mnuchin may slide in under the radar. But if Trumps policies fail to lift up the forgotten men and women he promised to help during the campaign, the former activities of his banker aides may start to matter more.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
Video courtesy of Michele Noble

Theyre still with her.

Former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton received an overwhelming outpouring of support when she made a surprise appearance at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in Manhattan on Tuesday night, just three weeks after losing the 2016 election.

The former secretary of state was on hand at the charity gala to present Katy Perry with the Audrey Hepburn Childrens Funds Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award. Clinton was smiling from ear to ear as she took the stage to Perrys hit song Roar. But before she could even speak, Clinton was greeted with a standing ovation and chants of Still with her! Still with her!

It took several moments for Clinton to quiet the crowd as audience members shouted, Hillary! and We love you!

 has the spirit and the energy and the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brought to her work for UNICEF, Clinton said in her introduction. We need champions like Katy now more than ever. We need her passion, her energy, and, yes, her voice  louder than a lion. We all know Katy as a global mega-star. The powerful voice who reminds us: When you get knocked down, get back up.

Clinton added of Perrys work with the organization:She has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since 2013, she has traveled the world advocating for the rights and needs of children, she has visited some of the poorest places on Earth and lent her voice to kids who would otherwise be voiceless from remote villages to Vietnam and Madagascar. She has put a spotlight on child poverty and encouraged the empowerment of women and girls.

Perry, one of Clintons most vocal celebrity supporters throughout her presidential campaign, was moved to tears by the former secretary of states surprise introduction. When Perry joined Clinton on stage to accept the award, the two women embraced, and Clinton told Perry, Im so proud of you.

Perry returned Clintons praise in her acceptance speech, thanking the former secretary of state for inspiring her to use her voice for a good cause.

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Ive always had a voice  a singing voice  but Ive never had a voice like Ive had before. Hillary has lit that voice inside of me, and that light will never go out, it will continue to get brighter and brighter and brighter, Perry said. Thank you, Hillary. You motivate me and so many millions of people, she expressed.

Caryl M. Stern, the president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, expressed her gratitude for both Clinton and Perrys work with the organization in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE.

Children need dedicated, passionate champions now more than ever, and we were so thankful that Secretary Clinton joined us in honoring Katy Perrys incredible work for the worlds children, she said. This years UNICEF Snowflake Ball was a powerful reminder of our collective ability to put children first.




BUENOS AIRES  Nacho Viale and Diego Palacios StoryLab, producers of the Netflix-acquired TV series Estocolmo and co-producers of Intl. Emmy nominated La Casa del Mar, is teaming with Paola Suarezs Jacque Productora and Antonio Pitas Prisma Cine to produce TV series Relaciones Publicas, a run-for-your-life thriller TV which also acts as an expose of media manipulation in Argentina.

Underscoring the increasing international bent of Argentine small-screen fiction, also co-produced by Bonaparte Cine, based out of Cordoba like Jacque and Prisma, Public Relations is set up as an Argentina-Brazil co-production and tapped coin last year from Argentinas go-ahead INCAA Film Institute for international TV co-productions. Plural Filmes co-produces out of Brazil. Canal Brasil has broadcast rights in Brasil.

Yoking elements of crime, drama, romance and reality TV, Public Relations is moving forward as Argentinas Cordoba is firing up new film-TV legislation aimed at consolidate the countrys second city as an industry and international TV hub. Public Relations already looks like one of the biggest fiction formats coming out of Cordoba in 2017. It also looks set to embody a mixed funding model  regional coin, federal moneys, Argentine broadcast finance and international investment  which Cordoba is pursuing on it higher-scale projects to balance smaller works which are totally funded out of Cordoba.

Claudio Rosa and Paula Blusa wrote a first-draft screenplay of Public Relations, with aid from Fernando Crisi, and plan to direct. StoryLabs Lucas Molten, Diego Vago and Diego Palacio are currently polishing the scripts.

StoryLab has more TV experience, shows on national TV, and the necessary contacts, both international, and national, to allow the series to grow, to tap into a certain level of cast we need for the series, said Jaque Productoras Paola Suarez.

Dramas lead role is that of a turned-30 public relations, whos rolling in debt, witnesses a drug trade murder, runs for his life, ends up at a Big Brother reality TV house, decides to stay to win the show so as to wipe off his debts while seeking safe haven from the bent cops who killed his friend, a small-time drug-runner in Argentina but the son of a big-time billionaire in Brazil.

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The first season of Relaciones Publicas looks set to roll April-May 2017, said Suarez.

Public Relations has an element of social critique, detailing police corruption, the journey of its protagonist towards social commitment and an expose of TV, said Pita. He added that, originally more satire, Public Relations is now building in thriller heft.

Public Relations moves forward as Cordoba has approved itsLaw for the Development and Promotion of the Audiovisual Industry. Followed through by Cordoba government official Jorge Alvarez, a former INCAA president, after an industry proposal, the legislation cuts two ways, allowing tax benefits and local employment subsidies for the audiovisual sector, recognised as an industry, and grants of up to $750,000 in cash grants per production from an audiovisual fund whose total funding runs at $3 million-$4 million a year. 51% of crew must be from Cordoba. The fund is in the final stages of implementation and will be fully implemented by March 2017.

Having ones own development and promotion fund and the emphasis now being placed on the importance of this from an industrial viewpoint is a change of paradigm, said Suarez who worked on the legislation as a member of the Cordoba Association of Audiovisual Producers (APAC).

She added: We will see the the initiatives impact on the sector in a very short time. Firstly, production volume will increase. Secondly, we will also raise artistic standards, as well as economic levels in co-productions.

Cordobas new legislation will be presented at Ventana Sur by Alvarez on Thursday.
Prankster Shahzada has a very simple mission; to make people smile! The YouTuber manages to do so with his hilarious pranks.

Shahzada took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur for this funny experiment that left complete strangers red-faced. Credit: YouTube/letzUploadit via Storyful
LONDON (Reuters) - Software company Sage (SGE.L) said a rise in the number of customers subscribing to its cloud-based small business accounting software helped full-year operating profit increase 9 percent.

The British company said more than 1 million customers had now signed up to its accounting, tax and wage processing software based in the cloud, more than double the number two years ago.

Chief Executive Stephen Kelly said it was a "solid set" of numbers, underpinned by 10.4 percent growth in recurring revenue.

Shares in Sage, which had drifted 11 percent from a 16-year high of 761 pence last month, were trading up 1 percent at 682 pence at 0843 GMT.

Sage met forecasts with a 9 percent rise in full-year operating profit to 427 million pounds ($532 million) for the year to end-September on organic revenue up 6.1 percent at 1.57 billion pounds.

It said on Wednesday it expected to grow organic revenue by 6 percent or better this year, and to again achieve an operating margin of at least 27 percent.

($1 = 0.8021 pounds)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle, editing by Louise Heavens)
By Michael Georgy SHAYYALAH AL-IMAM, Iraq (Reuters) - As mortar bombs landed ever closer, Sunni tribal fighters preparing to attack Islamic State seemed more preoccupied by the failures of Iraq's political class than the militants trying to kill them. The men - and one woman - from the Lions of the Tigris unit gathered on Wednesday in Shayyalah al-Imam, a village near Mosul, with some of their leaders expressing deep distrust of the politicians and saying Iraq's governance must change once Islamic State is defeated. "Iraq needs serious reforms," said Sheikh Mohammed al-Jibouri, the top commander of the tribesmen. "Only serious reforms will lead to the unity of Iraq." The unit is part of the Popular Mobilisation Committee, or Hashid Shaabi, which was formed to take on Islamic State after the hardline Sunni group swept through northern Iraq in 2014, facing little resistance from the army. Hashid Shaabi is mostly comprised of Shi'ites but there are also Sunnis, such as the 655-strong Lions of the Tigris unit. Their efforts along with government soldiers to capture several villages are part of an offensive to oust Islamic State from its stronghold of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city. On the surface, their participation lends credibility to the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad, accused by Sunnis of marginalising their minority community. It denies the accusation. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has been struggling to persuade Sunni tribesmen who helped U.S. forces defeat Al Qaeda during the 2003-11 occupation to join the battle against Islamic State. He has declared a war on corruption in government and army but faces resistance. The show of force in Shayyalah al-Imam points to progress, with soldiers and tribesmen standing side-by-side. But some of the men doubted the politicians have the resolve or desire to unify Iraq, gripped by sectarian bloodshed since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein. Another tribal commander, Abdel Rahman Ali, even saw Islamic State as part of an elaborate plot to weaken Sunnis, underlining the pervasive mistrust in Iraq. "Everyone knows Islamic State will be defeated. The conspiracy was designed to hurt Iraq, especially Sunnis, after we liberate Mosul," he told Reuters. "Our own politicians are behind it." UNITY OR PARTITION Officials have said the Mosul offensive, the biggest ground operation since 2003, could make or break Iraq. If it inflames sectarian tensions in the predominantly Sunni city, the fighting could lead to Iraq's partition, they warn. But if the campaign goes smoothly and a new administration in Mosul is seen as non-sectarian, that could help the country to unite. Ali said federalism modelled on the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq is the best option, even though that has created friction with Baghdad over oil resources. Like many Sunnis, the minority who dominated under Saddam and then watched the majority Shi'ites rise to power, he is disillusioned with a governing system that allocates posts according to sects. Sunnis themselves are divided and lack a strong leadership, adding to Iraq's fragmentation. As the men spoke, Islamic State militants fired more mortar bombs towards their unit. One day earlier, suicide bombers attacked the area, a collection of bland cement houses choked by dust, overlooking the desert. A few hundred metres away, soldiers stood on a rooftop, focused on two suspected car bombs in the distance. Nashwan Sahn, a Sunni tribesmen who has been fighting Islamist militants in Iraq for 11 years, taking on al Qaeda and then Islamic State, kept warm at a small campfire where freshly-slaughtered chickens had been barbecued. A few raw livers lay scattered on a tray. Beside him was a Shi'ite soldier. Both said they support Iraqi unity but neither had any faith in the politicians to manage the sectarian tensions which provoked a civil war in 2006-2007. "Federalism would be good but only if we have good leaders," said Sahn, who criticised all politicians including fellow Sunnis. "We liberate these villages where Sunnis live. Yet Sunni politicians who have constituents here have never visited us at the frontline." Miaad Madaad, the only female member of the Lions of the Tigris, clutched an AK-47 assault rifle and vowed to defeat Islamic State. "The last time they came to my house and threatened me I threw rocks at them and called them dogs," she said proudly. Islamic State militants beheaded her father-in-law and brother-in-law. But her story illustrates the sectarian and ethnic complexities and mistrust facing Iraq. When she and her husband fled to the relatively stable Kurdish region earlier this year, he was arrested by Kurdish fighters who suspected him of being an Islamic State fighter. (editing by David Stamp)
New revelations of the torture a California jogger endured while she was missing for three weeks following an apparent abduction include a message burned onto her skin by her captors, according to a local sheriff.

Read: Jogger's Husband Insists Kidnapping Wasn't a Hoax, Says She Was Emaciated and Had Hair 'Chopped Off'

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko spoke out about the branding Wednesday, nearly a week after Sherri Papini was found, alive, on the side of the road with her hands bound about 150 miles away from her home.

Bosenko told ABC News: I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and or maybe some type of message that the brand contained. It is not a symbol, but it was a message."

He did not reveal, however, the message or the type of marking made on the 34-year-old mothers body.

She has been branded," her husband Keith said in a statement to ABC News. "I can feel the rise of her skin under my fingers."

He added: "Her now emaciated body of 87 pounds was covered in multicolored bruises, severe burns, red rashes and chain markings.

The kidnappers also chopped off her long blonde hair, starved her, and broke her nose.

"It could have been to intimidate and keep the victim alive," former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole told Inside Edition. "It could have been to demonstrate that when she was released and found that these are very dangerous individuals."

She said that Papini's surprise release after three weeks is "one of those inconsistencies that makes no sense."

O'Toole added: "You hold onto someone for a long period of time. There is no contact with the family, so it doesnt sound like money is an issue. There were injuries to the victim and an injury pattern that sounds severe. At the end of all of that you enable the release of this person."

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The former FBI profiler also said investigators will speak to her to determine if these were people Papini knew or was it just some people who crossed her and saw her by herself and then [she] became targeted.

Missy McArthur, mayor of the joggers hometown of Redding, California, is one of the few people to speak to Papini since she was found alive Thanksgiving morning.

The mayor said Papini was tearful, thankful and I think emotionally just completely distraught and relieved, relieved that she was out of that horror situation. I mean, it was an emotional phone call.

Read: Woman Who Found Missing Jogger on Side of Road: If She Was Willing to Get Hit by a Car, She Needed Help

Papinis account of having been kidnapped was boosted by a witness, who says she thinks she saw the "scared" and "subdued" victim sitting in an SUV at a truck stop two days before her release.

Christine Everson told DailyMail.com: "I walked over and her window was down a little. I said: 'You look like that woman who was abducted here in Redding. Are you ok? Are you being held against your will? Do you need me to call 911 right now?' "

Everson says Papini said "thanks" and put her head down. Two men were with the jogger, presumably kidnappers.

Everson said she also notified police about her conversation.

Watch: Girl, 5, Found Alone in Bus Station Before Mom Later Found Dead at Home, Search On for Dad: Cops

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(Adds quotes from mortgage insurance agency CEO)

By Nicole Mordant

VANCOUVER, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A housing shortage, not a rush of foreign demand, is probably driving up Canadian property prices, the country's housing agency chief said on Wednesday, as he warned against blaming overseas buyers for the decade-long market boom.

New government data shows foreign ownership is only a small factor behind the high prices, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp (CMHC) Chief Executive Evan Siddall said in a speech at the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Foreigners have been blamed for driving up prices, particularly in Vancouver, Canada's most expensive housing market, where locals believe wealthy Chinese buyers have made housing unaffordable for ordinary Canadians.

But that may be a case more of perception than reality, Siddall told an audience in Vancouver. "When a white person buys a house, we don't notice. When a person of color buys a house, we do. That's not good economics," he said.

The housing agency said in a report on Wednesday that foreign ownership of Canadian condominiums dropped in 2016 after the introduction of a foreign buyers tax in Vancouver, and remains a fraction of overall ownership, concentrated mostly in newer buildings.

The share of foreign ownership fell to 2.2 percent in Vancouver in 2016 from 3.5 percent in 2015, the agency said, suggesting that the August introduction of a 15 percent tax on foreign buyers in that city had dampened demand.

Buyers did not appear to have shifted to other cities where the tax was not imposed, as some analysts had predicted, with foreign ownership falling to 2.3 percent in Toronto from 3.3 percent a year earlier.

Siddall said the most important factor driving up home prices was a supply shortage, particularly in Vancouver, along with rising disposable incomes, immigration and lower mortgage rates.

He urged municipalities to increase housing supply by, for example, speeding up housing development approvals.

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Demand by foreigners for Vancouver-area homes dropped almost immediately after British Columbia imposed the tax on such purchases, but it crept back up in October.

The government has moved in recent years to cool the market, mostly among buyers, by tightening mortgage rules to make it harder to take on too much debt.

Siddall said the most recent tightening, announced on Oct. 3, has resulted in a "slight slowdown in activity" for the CMHC, which insures the bulk of mortgages issued by banks and other lenders. The new rules affect less than one-third of CMHC's business, he said.

(Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Richard Chang and Jonathan Oatis)
The Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments Wednesday on Jennings v. Rodriguez, a 2007 case with implications for thousands of undocumented immigrants being held indefinitely in over 180 detention centers across the country. Justices will determine whether the government has a responsibility to provide bond hearings for immigrants facing deportation after a six-month period of being held in mandatory detention.

The United States places undocumented immigrants, as well as lawful permanent residents also known as green card holders, in detention centers for months or even years on end before ever scheduling a bond hearing or court date. There are currently at least 45,000 immigrants held in detention centers across the country on any given day.

Alejandro Rodriguez filed a class-action lawsuit over the policy in Los Angeles, California after being held in a detention center for three years without a hearing for drug possession charges. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco sided with Rodriguez and his lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights non-profit and lobbying organization. That result had been appealed by the federal government six times before the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, with courts siding with Rodriguez each time. A fractured Supreme Court and split in ideologies amongst justices, however, could prove difficult for the key immigration reform policy to set a national precedent.

"An individualized hearing as to danger and flight risk is the most basic due process requirement for civil detention," the ACLU wrote in its brief to the Supreme Court. "Prolonged incarceration constitutes a serious deprivation of liberty that will often bear little or no relationship to effectuating a removal."

Detention centers meant to house undocumented immigrants with criminal records or those facing deportation who pose a flight risk have become home to countless immigrants charged with petty crimes, or sometimes nothing at all. Even some asylum seekers who arrive at the nations borders seeking refuge are currently held in mandatory detention as the federal government determines whether they face a credible threat of persecution in their homeland.

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Activists say holding anyone in the U.S. without a hearing is unconstitutional, and immigrants should not be considered any different. American detention centers have been described as "prison-like" by critics, though the majority of immigrants who pass through them retain their resident statuses in the country after extensive stays.

"What were really talking about here is whether the United States has a process in locking people up," Michael Tan, staff attorney with ACLU Immigrants rights Project and an attorney in Jennings v. Rodriguez, told International Business Times. "No one is talking about letting dangerous people run amuck in the street. If theres a danger to the community or if someone poses a flight risk, we agree they should be held in mandatory detention as hearings proceed. But in the majority of these situations, thats just simply not the case."

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Photo: Reuters

Over 70 percent of immigrants being held in mandatory detention while facing deportation cases are able to stay in the country. The large majority of those released from detention centers return for upcoming court cases, with the ACLU reporting 86 percent of immigrants taken out of centers in 2015 arrived at their next scheduled hearing. Whether a lawful resident held on minor charges will be a danger to society or flee the country without warning should be a decision any competent U.S. judge should be able to make, Tan said.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department says the rate at which immigrants avoid hearings if not held in detention centers is an issue which threatens communities nationwide. "Absconding is already a serious problem in the immigration system," Solicitor General Donald Verrilli wrote in a May court filing. "It is a statistical certainty, moreover, that some of those criminal aliens will abscond and that some will commit further crimes that detention would have prevented."

The Supreme Courts decision will likely also play a key role in the next White House administrations immigration policies. President-Elect Donald Trump has vowed to deport up to 3 million undocumented immigrants immediately after taking office. If the court were to rule against imposing a mandatory bond hearing after six months, Tan said immigrants might be more likely to accept deportation rather than stay confined to detention centers in the U.S. as they await a trial.

"If the court ruled against us, one unfortunate outcome is that a lot more people would be coerced into giving up their cases and acquiescing their deportation," he said. "They would give up very real claims to asylum in order to get out of jail and be forced back into a situation of grave danger. One of the sad ironies we found in our case that would become more common under the next administration is that the people who have the strongest claims to lawful status are actually the ones most likely to face prolonged immigration detention. Theyre the ones most likely to stay and fight."

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Okay, its only a few tweets, and the details may not measure up to the promise. But incoming president Donald Trump is responding fairly quickly to concerns that his far-flung real estate operations could be a funnel for favors from countries and other entities he deals with as a businessman.

The New York Times recently published a long analysis of the myriad ways Trumps business interests around the world could collide with his duties as the nations commander-in-chief and foreign policy architect. Other groups have begun to track potential conflicts of interest involving Trump, his business and his family. The Sunlight Foundation has identified nearly 30 so far.

After the election, Trump said hed turn over the running of his business to his kids, Ivanka, Eric and Donald, Jr., who already have senior positions in the Trump Organization. But that didnt appease good-government experts, who felt that wouldnt go far enough.

So Trump has now gone a step further, announcing on Twitter that hell withdraw from his business in total. For those who prefer reading real sentences, heres the full statement Trump made in four tweets:

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!

Theres no mention of Trumps kids, which means he could simply be saying what he said before in a different way. To eliminate the appearance of self-dealing, however, Trumps kids would have to choose between running the company or having an informal hand in the government. Trying to do both would generate endless allegations of quid-pro-quo scenarios, similar to those that have dogged the Clinton Foundation for years. Ethics experts say the cleanest way for Trump to avoid any conflict is to sell his familys entire stake in the company and let somebody else run it, similar to what Michael Bloomberg did with his company during three terms as mayor of New York City.

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But if anybody wants to give Trump the benefit of the doubtanybody? Bueller?it seems apparent that hes heard the criticism of his conflicting dual roles and decided to do something about it. Trump, as everybody knows, is sensitive to public opinion, and as much as he claims to hate the New York Times, hes also smart enough to know splashy stories highlighting ethical quandaries wont help his presidency. He promised to drain the swamp, after all, not refill it with his own creatures.

It will be clear from the details revealed on December 15 if Trump is serious about leaving his business career behind and serving solely as president during the next four years. If it turns out hes fudging, the press will howl but his hardcore supporters wont care. Trump will still face an open highway for the legislation he plans to ram through Congress during his first year in office.

But Trumps ethical reputation will begin to matter if something goes wrong, and its hard to think of a president who hasnt dealt with unexpected recessions, wars, social eruptions or other big-league challenges. So assume something will go wrong, and Trumps approval ratingstill below 50% despite a recent surgewill sag. Ethical problems Trump can control, piled on top of other problems he cant, would quickly erode the presidents political capital and his ability to get things done. As Trump himself surely knows, nobody likes a loser. The question is whether he knows how quickly politicians in Washingtoneven the presidentcan become one.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A government-appointed commission recommended on Wednesday that airlines operating in Sweden should pay a tax of between 80 and 430 Swedish crowns ($9-47) per passenger and flight to compensate for climate pollution. One the levy is instituted, the cost of a domestic flight would rise by 80 crowns and an international flight by 280 to 430 and crowns, depending on the distance of the flight. Under current rules in the Nordic state, airlines pay value-added tax of 6 percent on domestic flights while international flights are exempt from VAT. The centre-left government's plans for an airline tax has been criticized by opposition parties who say it would do little to reduce carbon dioxide and would harm the airline industry. The government is expected to incorporate a form of the proposal, possibly amended, within their next autumn budget in October 2017. The commission proposed that the tax come into force on Jan. 1, 2018 and said it would be expected to raise around 1.75 billion Swedish crowns per year. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Winona County has made a settlement in a long-standing court battle with a former administrator.

A settlement agreement was approved by the Winona County Board of Commissioners Nov. 22 for the suit brought by Duane Hebert, alleging he was improperly fired in May 2014.

Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman said the amount and details would not be released Tuesday night, pending final approval by a judge and both parties.

Still, Hebert, reached by phone Tuesday night, said he believes the decision will be final and called it a success.

It provides vindication for me and my family for everything weve been through, Hebert said.

Hebert had originally requested a jury trial and a minimum of $75,000 in monetary damages, according to the filing in Winona County District Court, as well as consideration for additional money if the jury had determined the board defamed him by making statements about his actions prior to his dismissal.

Hebert worked for the county from 2009 until 2014, when the board voted unanimously to fire him, citing an independent investigation that concluded he was improperly involved with a potential renewable energy project the county was considering.

Hebert has long contended that his rights were violated and he was discriminated against because of his wifes employment with the energy company, arguing that since she was an independent contractor doing the companys finances, she played no role in negotiating the project.

Hebert had argued the county terminated his employment because of his marital status, violated his right to due process by firing him without telling him the charges or allowing a public hearing beforehand, and denying him a public hearing to clear his name after he was fired.

He also accused the board of defaming his name and reputation because the board of commissioners knew accusations against Hebert as committing malfeasance or gross misconduct were untrue, the court filing said.

The lawsuit referred to a section of state law that says an administrator with more than one year of tenure can demand written charges and a public hearing on any disciplinary claim or action.

Hebert was put on paid administrative leave in April 2014 while the outside investigation took place, and in May was fired.

During that time Hebert did not go before the county board publicly, and, according to the filing, was never informed as to why he was on paid leave. After he was fired, he asked the board to provide him a name-clearing public hearing and at first the county agreed. A date was scheduled, but then canceled and another date was never finalized.

In summer 2014 Hebert filed a discrimination claim against the county with the Minnesota Department of Rights. But the county didnt agree to the mediation process, saying it was confident it was within its rights to fire him. Hebert and his attorney retracted the claim soon after, giving them the ability to file the suit in Winona County.
SyFy

Tonight SyFy is banking on audience obsession with all things dystopia to boost their latest show, Incorporated, to success. From executive producers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon  yes them  show mixes elements from the films Gattaca and Minority Report, with the tabletop game Shadowrun (though no sign of trolls or magic yet).

Set in the year 2074, it finds the Earth is in dire straits. Global warming has left most of the planet as designated Red Zones. These wasteland dustbowls house the the poor, aka the majority of the population. Meanwhile the Green Zone  lush and full of vegetation  is for the wealthy elites, because of course it is. The world of Incorporated is a caste system (similar to Gattaca) and the government has been replaced by corporations that lord over the populace (as seen in Shadowrun) like Big Brother on meth (taking a page from Minority Report).

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Everything about this sounds like its up my alley. But yet the trailers have left me cold. At a time when happiness sells movie tickets, will Incorporated suffer due to terrible timing? America is in the throes of some divisive revelations. When the world is already awful, we dont need our escapism to remind us. In the video below, I ask whether or not we need another show about how awful humanity is right now.
Beirut (AFP) - Syrian government artillery fire killed 21 civilians, including two children, in an eastern district of Aleppo early Wednesday, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least eight of those killed were civilians who had fled from elsewhere in the east as government forces advance, and sought refuge in rebel-held Jubb al-Qubbeh.

The Britain-based monitor said dozens more were wounded in the "fierce" shelling, and many people were stuck under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Tens of thousands of people have poured out of the rebel-held northeast in recent days, with some crossing into territory held by either the government or Kurdish forces, but others moving south into remaining rebel-held territory.

The White Helmets rescue group published photos of the aftermath of the attacks, showing an apocalyptic scene with bodies and parts of flesh strewn on a street among the rubble of surrounding buildings.

In one image, a young man appeared to weep next to two bodies, their top halves obscured by blankets.

The feet of one body were clad in pink socks, the other wore red boots done up with white laces.

Suitcases and plastic bags were strewn among the bodies, which the White Helmet workers carefully transferred into orange body bags.

Some of the displaced have been sleeping in streets after arriving in remaining rebel-held territory, with others seeking refuge in abandoned buildings left behind by earlier waves of fleeing residents.

East Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the conflict that began in March 2011 with anti-government protests before spiralling into a civil war after a regime crackdown.

The government announced in September that it planned to retake all of the city, and on November 15 launched a new operation, pounding the east with air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire.

The operation has killed nearly 300 civilians in east Aleppo, including more than 30 children, the Observatory has said.

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Rebels have also fired rockets into western Aleppo, killing nearly 50 people since the latest assault began, according to the monitor.

Syrian state news agency SANA on Wednesday said that eight civilians including two children had been killed in rebel rocket fire on the west of the city.

Another seven people were wounded, the agency said, citing a police source in Aleppo.

Government forces now hold at least a third of eastern Aleppo, and are pressing ahead with an assault that could deal rebels their worst blow since the conflict began.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad's ouster.
By Angus McDowall and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels on Wednesday vowed to fight on in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances that have cut the area held by the opposition by a third in recent days and brought insurgents in the city to the brink of a catastrophic defeat. Gains by the Syrian army and its allies since last week have brought whole districts back under government control and led to a human exodus as thousands have fled their pulverized neighborhoods near the rapidly shifting front lines. With the rebels now reduced to an area just kilometers across, the leaders of Russia and Turkey, two of the most powerful supporters of the opposing sides in the war spoke by phone on the need for a ceasefire, according to sources in Ankara. The army and its allies said they had taken the Sheikh Saeed district in the south of the city on Wednesday. Rebels denied this, saying the government's advance had been repelled. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said the insurgents retained a third of Sheikh Saeed. The Observatory reported that the government was detaining and questioning hundreds of those fleeing rebel-held areas for the comparative safety of state-controlled districts. A Syrian military source denied this, saying there had been no arrests, but adding that displaced people whose identities were not known were being moved into "specific places" in the areas of Aleppo where fleeing civilians were found. In their attack on Wednesday, government forces stepped up the use of air strikes, including in Aleppo's Old City, according to a rebel official. Rescue workers in eastern Aleppo said 45 people were killed in an artillery bombardment. The U.N.'s aid chief, Stephen O'Brien, told a Security Council emergency meeting on Aleppo that dozens of humanitarian staff were trapped in Aleppo and that warring parties must protect civilians before the city becomes "one giant graveyard". After a year of gradual advances for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi'ite militias, the taking of Aleppo would represent a huge stride forwards in his efforts to end the rebellion after nearly six years of conflict. For the mostly Sunni Muslim rebel groups, the fall of Aleppo would deprive them of their last big foothold in a major city. A leadership council of the rebel groups in Aleppo called on all men able to bear arms to "defend the oppressed". Russia, Assad's most powerful international ally whose air force has pounded rebels for more than a year, said it hoped the Aleppo situation could be resolved by the end of the year. Rebels in the city have vowed no surrender. NO WITHDRAWAL While rebel lines collapsed unexpectedly in parts of eastern Aleppo at the weekend, sources on the government side say the next phase could be more difficult as they try to take more densely populated areas of the city. Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim rebel group, told Reuters that rebel groups in the city had rejected any withdrawal. "This is the decision of the factions. I spoke to them about everything that was tabled and they said they would not withdraw, and other things may also happen," he said from Turkey, without giving further details. With tens of thousands of people remaining in rebel-held areas of Aleppo, many say they would rather risk death than surrender to a government they have been trying to overthrow since protests against Assad began in 2011. Thousands of people who have fled the fighting have gone into the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud district rather than hand themselves over to a government which U.N. investigators have accused of secretly detaining activists and civilians. Salem Abu Mudar, an east Aleppo resident reached by Reuters, said that although he had never taken up arms against the government, "I fear the regime will not let me go and I will end up in one of its many prisons". Damascus says such reports of arbitrary detention and torture are fabricated. The Syrian military source said reports of detentions in Aleppo were intended to scare the people into staying under rebel rule, and that identities of people leaving the area had to be checked to ensure they were not militants. The army has urged Aleppo's rebel factions to accept a surrender under which they would abandon the city. In previous deals between the government and rebels, insurgents have been given safe passage to the opposition-held province of Idlib. RENEWED ASSAULT Rescue workers in the rebel zone said renewed artillery bombardment had killed more than 45 people, mostly women and children, on Wednesday and injured dozens more, including some of those who had fled from frontline areas. The Observatory put the toll from that attack at 26. "Today there was another massacre, I witnessed it. The displaced people were coming at 6:30 am. There was artillery shelling while they were walking in the streets. Really, it was so, so horrible," said Aref al-Aref, a nurse and photographer in a rebel-held part of the city. Footage sent by the Civil Defence rescue operation, purportedly of the aftermath, showed people lying in the street in pools of blood, including a woman dressed in black who had been carrying a large backpack. Reuters could not independently verify the date or location of the video. Rebel shelling of government-held districts in western Aleppo killed eight people, including two children, and wounded seven, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a source in the city's police force. With diplomatic efforts to resolve the war in deadlock, and uncertainty over the position that the next U.S. administration will take on Syria, Moscow said it had been in contact with President-elect Donald Trump's team on the matter. Russian soldiers helped distribute food aid to displaced people who had fled eastern Aleppo to government areas, handing out packages stamped with the Russian flag and the slogan "Russia is with you" in Arabic. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a telephone conversation on Wednesday on the need for a ceasefire and provision of aid to Aleppo, sources in Erdogan's office said. Moscow did not immediately comment on the call. But Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the Security Council: "We share the grave concerns of the plight of civilians in east Aleppo, but easing their suffering won't happen by ceasing the counter terrorist operation." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to meet his Turkish counterpart in the Mediterranean city of Antalya on Thursday. The fighting has displaced around 50,000 people in the parts of east Aleppo where fighting has occurred, the Observatory said on Wednesday. Speaking in Paris, Brita Hagi Hasan, president of the local council in rebel-held Aleppo districts, said the government should set up a safe corridor for civilians to leave. (Additional reporting by Ellen Francis and Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, Maria Kiselyova in Moscow, John Irish in Paris and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Peter Graff and Giles Elgood)
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese anti-riot police on Wednesday fired tear gas and confiscated banners as demonstrators including lawyers and journalists staged rallies against a government decision to cut fuel subsidies.

Sudan has seen weeks of sporadic protests over the subsidy cuts, which have led to a sharp rise in the cost of other goods, including medicines.

Wednesday's demonstrations came after the end of a three-day nationwide strike called by several opposition groups, which received a mixed response.

"No, no to high prices," shouted about 300 men and women as they marched along a main street in the city of Omdurman near Khartoum on Wednesday morning, an AFP correspondent reported.

Anti-riot police swiftly arrived at the scene and fired tear gas to disperse them.

In downtown Khartoum, about 150 lawyers protested in front of the high court -- the first rally of its kind since the fuel price hike was announced earlier this month.

Dressed in black gowns and coats the group stood facing the high court and carried banners that said: "Say no to corruption, Say no to high prices, Say no to detentions."

Several people in cars flashed victory signs in support of the lawyers as they drove past, the AFP correspondent reported.

The lawyers later dispersed as anti-riot police arrived and began confiscating their banners.

Sudanese authorities have cracked down on protests in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the deadly unrest that followed a previous round of subsidy cuts in 2013.

Dozens of people were killed at that time when security forces crushed large street demonstrations, drawing international condemnation.

Authorities have already arrested more than a dozen opposition politicians in recent weeks, and also cracked down on newspapers critical of subsidy cuts.

Members of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) have seized entire print runs of several dailies that reported the opposition strike call or questioned the cuts.

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Authorities have also halted broadcasts by Omdurman Channel, a private television channel, accusing it of operating without a licence, a charge its owner denied.

To protest the crackdown on newspapers, members of the media staged a small demonstration in central Khartoum on Wednesday wearing "Journalists on strike" badges.

"The authorities are harassing us and restricting our freedom of speech," said one journalist, a member of the Sudanese Journalists' Network, an unofficial group that advocates free speech.

A prominent independent daily, Al-Jadida, whose copies were confiscated this week, decided against publishing Thursday's edition.

"The confiscation of our copies is a type of punishment by the National Intelligence and Security Service," the newspaper said in a statement.

"Our journalists have decided to be on strike tomorrow, and so we will not publish Thursday's edition but will return on Friday."
There are always consequences on Teen Wolf. In the last episode, Corey decided to make one of the Ghost Riders visible, and that made it slightly easier to fight the villain. However, it also forced an entire party to see them, adding dozens of names to the Ghost Riders hit list. The pack will have to protect the partygoers in Season 6, episode 4.

Though Scott (Tyler Posey) and Liam (Dylan Sprayberry) have been working with different sides of the pack lately, it seems theyll both have the same mission on the MTV drama. Scott and Liam protect the lacrosse team from an attack by the Ghost Riders, the synopsis says.

How can they protect the lacrosse players, though? With no weapons proven to work against the Riders, the boys will have to get creative. Unfortunately, it doesnt look like a fight with the Ghost Riders will end well for Liam. The promo video below shows him being dragged by the horsemen on the lacrosse field.

The clip also shows that Lydia (Holland Roden) will still be focused on figuring out who Stiles (Dylan OBrien) is and where he was taken. Lydia searches for clues that lead her closer to finding Stiles, the synopsis teases.

Lydia knows there is a connection to the Stilinski family. She starts to tear off some of the wallpaper at their house, but Claudia (Joey Honsa) will have a problem with that.

Episode 4 is titled Relics, and those are exactly what Lydia is looking for. She wants to find something that Stiles left behind. The Ghost Riders couldnt have taken everything.

Teen Wolf Season 6, episode 4 airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST on MTV.

Teen Wolf 604 spoilers

Photo: MTV

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The teenager who was arrested two years ago for scaling the World Trade Center building is still dangling from Manhattan skyscrapers.

Justin Casquejo, now 18, recently broke into a skyscraper south of Central Park, scaled the tower and uploaded video of the adventure to YouTube on November 4.

The teenager and friends snuck into a building currently under construction and snuck out onto the scaffolding. He dangled from one arm 1,000 feet over Central Park, perched on small ledges and looked down from dizzying heightsarmed only with Nike sneakers, a windbreaker and his camera.

You guys have no idea how beautiful this is, he said while standing on the scaffolding.

Casquejowho lives in Weehawken, New Jerseyhas been climbing around New York City and uploading videos on his YouTube account Live JN at least since October. In his other videos, Casquejo climbed an abandoned cathedral, luxury skyscrapers and scaffolding constructions.

In a blog post, New York Citys firefighters called the stunts selfish, saying that if he fails, it will tie up highly trained technical-rescue resources and put members at risk. They called upon building security to be vigilant of trespassers and urban explorers.

In 2014, the then-16-year-old was arrested after sliding through a hole in the fence at the World Trade Center, sneaking past a sleeping security guard and climbing stairs and scaffolding to the top of 1 WTC. He was sentenced to 30 days community service, ordered to attend counseling and write an essay about the risks of scaling tall buildings. Two weeks after that, he was arrested again for attempting to climb a water tower in Weehawken.

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Data collected by IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre (JTIC) showed that non-state armed groups carried out more attacks in October 2016 than any other month in the past year. According to IHS Markit:

Globally, 2,662 attacks were carried out in October 2016 -- an average of 86 attacks per day. This represents a 59 percent rise in the daily average number of attacks compared with September 2016, which saw fewer than 1,000 attacks for the month. In the preceding 12 months, JTIC recorded an average of 59 attacks per-day.

Typically, prominent incidents in the United States like the tragic killing of 50 people at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub earlier this year and the shooting in San Bernardino, California, almost a year ago have a predictable effect on the stocks of gun makers. While many of the attacks in October took place in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, in the final three weeks of the month Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC) traded up more than 4%, while the share price of Sturm Ruger & Co. (RGR) rose about 10%. Ammunition maker Vista Outdoor Inc. (VSTO) traded up less than 4%.

ALSO READ: America's Poorest Cities

Note that this was before the results of the presidential election were known. In the days after Republican candidate Donald Trump was declared the winner, shares of Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger dropped sharply  more than 20%.

Short sellers have piled into these stocks too. Shares short in Sturm Ruger surged more than 36% to 2.25 million in the first two weeks of this month, and short interest in Smith & Wesson jumped more than 26% to 11.62 million. Vista Outdoor saw its shares short increase more than 25% as well.

Yet, as the Trump administration begins to take shape, and with the incidents of violence and hate crimes in the United States reportedly on the rise, the share price of these guns stocks has begun to rebound. Both Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger have recovered more than 12% since their post-election lows, while Vista Outdoor is up more than 6% in that time.

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24/7 Wall St. recently took a look at the and at .

Smith & Wesson closed most recently at $24.00, in a 52-week trading range of $18.14 to $31.19.

Sturm Ruger stock closed at $53.40, in its 52-week range of $47.15 to $78.09.

Vista Outdoor closed at $40.24 on Tuesday. Its 52-week range is $37.00 to $53.91.

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By Kieran Guilbert DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Texting young women in Kenya with regular information about sex, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases could encourage more to get tested for HIV in a country where stigma surrounding the virus is rife, researchers said on Wednesday. Some 600 female college students in Kenya received monthly text message surveys about their sexual behaviour, and half were also sent weekly messages about HIV prevention, for a recent study by medical researchers and mobile research firm mSurvey. Two-thirds of the 300 women who were sent the weekly texts said they got tested for HIV within six months of the study, while among those who received the monthly surveys, only half reported going to be tested for the virus, the study found. "Young women across Kenya lack knowledge about HIV, but many have mobile phones and love texting," said Njambi Njuguna, a doctor and researcher at Nairobi's Kenyatta National Hospital. More than eight in 10 people in the East African nation own a mobile phone, up from just 10 percent in 2002, according to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, a U.S.-based think tank. "Women like receiving health surveys by text message because it's anonymous and they can do it at their convenience," Njuguna told the Thomson Reuters Foundation ahead of World AIDS Day. Kenya has slashed its HIV prevalence rate among adults to six percent today from 11 percent in 1996, according to the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Yet it remains the leading cause of death in Kenya, responsible for nearly three in 10 deaths, and 1.6 million Kenyans are infected, state data from 2014 shows. Almost three-quarters of the women in the study had never been tested for HIV, and stigma and a lack of awareness about the risk of contracting the virus may be to blame, Njuguna said. Most of the young women in the study who sought testing said they chose to visit health facilities far away from where they lived, in order to avoid being recognised, the researcher added. The text messaging strategy will be expanded next year to reach up to 15,000 women in 10 counties across Kenya, having proved to be far more effective than carrying out surveys over the telephone, by email, or in person, according to mSurvey. The Nairobi-based company said it was looking to expand beyond text messages, and had started using social media, such as Facebook, to send surveys on a variety of issues to Kenyans. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
Black River Falls High School students tested their financial literacy knowledge and skills through a recent quiz bowl-style competition.

The group attended the Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl, where two four-student teams competed at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau for the chance to move on to state.

I just think it creates a fun experience and it creates a team-building opportunity centered on financial literacy, said Jackson Burgau, a commercial credit analyst with Co-op Credit Union, which sponsored the teams for Challenge Bowl. The skills and knowledge students develop will be invaluable for them and their future.

The Finance and Investment Challenge Bowl is a financial literacy program for high school students that teaches a wide range of topics, which align with Wisconsins academic standards for personal finance education. The competition included three rounds and touched on a wide range of money and economics-related topics, including definitions and trends.

The questions expanded to anything you could tie back to money and economics, said Burgau, who collaborated with Black River Falls High School business education teacher Megan Finch for the teams and competition. To me, it seems that strong financial literacy in our youth is going to create a stronger economy nationwide down the road.

Decisions made as youth or young adults will undoubtedly play a role in ones financial future.

Co-op Credit Union  which is headquartered in Black River Falls with offices in Fall Creek, Galesville, La Crosse, Melrose, Onalaska and Strum  also hopes to sponsor a regional tournament in Onalaska with teams from the region in the future.

CCU looks to be a financial literacy resource for youth and adults, said Marianne Torkelson, CCUs vice president of business development and training. Connecting with students through Challenge Bowl competitions is just one way to share valuable and important information with our communities.

CCU and the school look forward to future competitions.

Were proud of the Black River Falls team and are excited they took part in the opportunity, Torkelson said. We look forward to sponsoring more teams in the coming years.
Photo: Getty Images

The common contraceptive pill has been linked to a heightened risk of depression, according to new Danish studies.

The JAMA Psychiatry research suggests that adolescents are most at risk, along with women using hormonal contraceptive implants.

Within six months after initiating the use of contraception, the depression rate was increased by 40 per cent and among teenagers by 80 per cent, the studys author, Dr. Ojvind Lidegaard, told CBC Radio.

Photo: Getty Images

The discovery was made from data collected from more than one million Danish women over a 10-year period. The participants, aged between 15 and 34 years old, had no record of suffering any major mental health disorders prior to the study.

New information also reveals the rate of depression dropped substantially as the women continued using birth control  the study confirming this trend in results from older participants.

While the aversive effects of the pill have been explored in the past, no prior study has produced results of this magnitude.

However, a Seattle pediatrician, Dr. Cora Breuner, urges women to be wary of these new findings, he believes the ability women have to plan parenthood overrides side effects.

An unintended and unwanted pregnancy far outweighs all the other side effects that could occur from a contraceptive, Breuner told Yahoo 7.

What are your thoughts? Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!




Liu Wen was the first Chinese model to walk the Victorias Secret runway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Four Chinese models Liu Wen, Xi Mengyao, Sui He, and Ju Xiaowen  are set to walk in the 2016 Victorias Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday. Considering the first Victorias Secret model of Asian descent did not walk in the retailers annual show until 2009, this is a huge step toward inclusivity and racial diversity for Victorias Secret.

The four models in this years lineup maintain a massive presence on social media and have worked with top designers worldwide. Victorias Secret recently posted an image on its Instagram channel of three of the women in Paris with the caption, Ni hao! @liuwenlw,@mingxi11 & @hesui923 repping China at the #VSFashionShow.

Ni hao! @liuwenlw, @mingxi11 & @hesui923 repping China at the #VSFashionShow. A photo posted by Victoria's Secret (@victoriassecret) on Nov 29, 2016 at 6:56am PST

The shift to a more racially diverse roster of models for the popular show could be reflective of the companys growing market in China.

Since expanding into the region in 2015, the retailer has gradually increased its presence and seen great success in doing so. Starting out with just 20 concept stores  shops that sold only beauty products and accessories  the company now plans to open its first flagship retail store in Shanghai this year, which will sell lingerie, along with a number of standalone stores. The move is ideal considering the lingerie market in China is extremely profitable and has more than doubled in five years, to $18 billion, according to Mintel Group.

Martin Waters, president of L Brands International, Victorias Secrets parent company, recently revealed just how strong the retailers presence is in China at an investors-day event. He shared that an estimated 350 million people in China will watch the upcoming Victorias Secret Fashion Show, according to Ohios Columbus Dispatch.

Maybe someday well have the fashion show in Shanghai  maybe  because were a global brand, Leslie H. Wexner, the L Brands founder, also shared. We have demonstrated that we have the best brand-building ability in the world. People who cant read English, when they see the Victorias Secret name, they smile.

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Sui He walks the runway at the 2015 Victorias Secret Fashion Show in New York City. (Photo: Getty Images)

In past years, the lingerie company has received considerable flak for the lack of diversity on the runway in its highly anticipated show. Of the 44 women on the runway in last years show, only 13 were women of color, around 30 percent.

This years lineup is expected to be its most diverse show yet, with more than 50 women expected to walk. Only two of the 12 models who hold the highly acclaimed Angel status are women of color, but with the retailers trend toward diversity, its only a matter of time before an Asian model is also appointed.

Arrived PARIS???? Countdown 1 day to our big day! ???????????? WE ARE READY READY READY! #vsfs2016 A photo posted by  sui he (@hesui923) on Nov 29, 2016 at 7:52am PST

@hesui923 @mingxi11 @jujujuxiaowen #VSFashionShow ???????????????????????? A photo posted by Liu Wen () (@liuwenlw) on Nov 27, 2016 at 6:28am PST

Earlier this month, three of the companys models, Alessandra Ambrosio, Josephine Skriver, and Sui He, headed to China for Alibaba Groups 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in Shenzhen. Sending a veteran like Ambrosio to the event further exemplifies how the brand is aiming to grow in the country.

Angels in China ???????????????? @victoriassecret photo by @jeromeduran A photo posted by Alessandra Ambrosio (@alessandraambrosio) on Nov 11, 2016 at 4:46am PST

Its estimated that Chinas lingerie market will have retail value of $25 billion by next year and will grow to $33 billion by 2020, according to Euromonitor, so its likely that Victorias Secrets investment will only help its business.





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President-elect Donald Trump said during his campaign that he would, if elected, persuade the air-conditioner manufacturer Carrier not to shutter a plant in Indiana and move more than 2,000 jobs to Mexico.

Trump was elected, and he has evidently made good on that pledge. Or at least some of the pledge.

Carrier said late Tuesday that it would keep more than 1,000 jobs across two locations in Indiana. (Besides the Carrier plant, a facility operated by its parent United Technologies was also facing cuts.)

This Trump deal follows a negotiation he reportedly had with Ford about what the president-elect erroneously thought was a plant relocation to Mexico. It was really just an altered plan by Ford to keep manufacturing a Lincoln vehicle at a Louisville, Kentucky, plant where the automaker wanted to increase production of a similar SUV badged as a Ford.

Ford wasn't considering the production move until 2019, when the existing United Auto Workers contract is up. And no jobs would have been lost as a result of the move, Ford said.

These are wins of a sort for Trump, but a pattern is emerging.

The art of the deal

Some of the Carrier and United Technologies jobs are being saved. Some of the Lincoln production  about 2,000 vehicles a month  is staying put in Kentucky.

It should be fairly clear what's going on here. United Technologies said it could save $65 million a year by moving, but it has $56 billion in annual revenue, according to The New York Times. Indiana will provide $700,000 in tax incentives, but adding the whole thing up is a rounding error in terms of United Technologies' overall business.

Trump wants to make a deal because that's what he does  he's a deals guy. His incoming vice president is Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana. United Technologies keeps some workers in Indiana. Everybody gets to look good.

But, of course, a whole bunch of jobs are still going to Mexico: 1,300, Fortune reported. The outsourcing trend remains intact.

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Ford Kentucky Plant

Ford didn't even have to worry about juggling jobs. All it had to do was not move production of a vehicle it wasn't planning to move for three years anyway. The Lincoln production could also be discontinued at the Louisville plant, replaced with production of the vehicle that Ford had wanted to build, the Ford Escape. It's basically the same car.

There isn't much that changes in terms of Ford's long-term thinking about sending unprofitable vehicle production to Mexico. Ford has, after all, been operating plants in Mexico since the 1960s.

We're talking about only two announcements here, so it may be a stretch to call it a pattern. But if this is the way things are going to go, Trump will be spending a decent amount of time and energy negotiating deals that tweet well but that aren't really what you'd call needle-moving in the grand scheme of things.

Maybe as president he'll up the stakes. Then again, companies that have planned to use NAFTA to their financial advantages will learn what works with Trump  give away something, but keep the master plan intact.

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NOW WATCH: Trump said he prevented a Ford factory from leaving the US  but the company says the move was never planned



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A man in New York City saw an armored truck, an unguarded bucket and an opportunity. With little hesitation he took a chance  and the bucket. Video surfaced this week by New York's WNBC shows the thief raiding a briefly unguarded armored truck and making off with the pail, which happened to be holding gold flakes worth some $1.6 million.

Despite the massive value of the bucket's contents, police apparently believe the swipe wasn't premeditated, rather a heist driven by happenstance. The man seemingly took advantage of an about 20-second window during which one guard was making a drop-off and the other was heading to the front of the armored truck to grab his cell phone.

The September theft took place in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City's Diamond District. The video shows the man keeping an eye on the truck. He seems to notice the guards have left the back of the truck open and unattended. He then cautiously grabs the bucket and starts to run off with it.

"I think he just saw an opportunity, took the pail and walked off," NYPD Det. Martin Pastor told WNBC.

The get-away wasn't even particularly speedy, considering the man was on foot moving through crowded streets. The bucket also weighed about 86 pounds. In fact, the surveillance video shows the man taking a rest on the sidewalk, sitting the bucket the down to catch his breath. It took the thief an hour to go just half a mile with the $1.6 worth of gold, WNBC reported. The guards apparently didn't notice the bucket was missing.

Police believe the thief  described as a 50-60 year-old Hispanic man who is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 150 pounds  was likely surprised by the value of the bucket he swiped. "I think when the lucky charm opened up the bucket, he seen the rainbow and seen the gold."

Thieves have accidentally made off with massive amounts of gold in the past. In fact, one of Britain's most famous crimes was an accidental gold heist. Thieves made off with 3.9 tons of gold from a Brink's-Mat warehouse outside of London's Heathrow Airport in 1983. The criminals expected to make off with cash but instead found the gold worth about $112 million in current U.S. dollars, according to an Atlas Obscura article this year. The theft that was an accident of sorts was then dubbed the "crime of the century."

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Paris (AFP) - Three former Air France employees on trial for ripping company executives' shirts during a dispute over layoffs were found guilty on Wednesday in a case that highlighted the country's fraught labour relations.

The trade unionists were given suspended prison sentences of three to four months over the attack in October 2015 that left one executive naked to the waist and another with his shirt and jacket in tatters.

Appearing in court in northeast Paris, two others who faced the same charges of "organised violence" were acquitted.

The company said the sentences "enable us to close this sad episode", but lawyer Lilia Mhissen, acting on behalf of most of the defendants, said she would encourage them to appeal.

Images of furious activists chasing down the executives at the airline's headquarters on the edge of Paris made front pages around the world when the confrontation took place.

The protests were led by the hard-left CGT, France's largest union, over the airline's plans to cut 2,900 jobs.

Ten other former and current employees from the company were fined 500 euros ($530) Wednesday for damaging the company's property after they broke down a gate at the headquarters during the demonstration.

Pierre Plissonnier, director of long-haul operations at the airline, had told the court of his "humiliation" at seeing pictures of himself with a ripped shirt and jacket scrambling over a fence to escape the mob.

The court also viewed footage in which a worker can be heard threatening human resources boss Xavier Broseta before he was stripped to the waist in front of television cameras.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls had called for the defendants, whom he branded "rogues", to be given stiff sentences.

- Union activism -

The attack came to symbolise the often fraught relations between company executives and trade union representatives in France and led to questions about the limits of legitimate protest.

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Incidents of so-called "boss-napping", in which executives are held against their will during negotiations over job cuts, have spread in recent years.

In 2014, workers at a Goodyear tyre factory in northern France held two directors captive for close to 300 hours to try to prevent the closure of the plant.

The CGT has organised protests against the Air France trial and has accused the company and courts of criminalising union action.

"The justice system isn't independent. It's sided with the powerful," Miguel Fortea, secretary general of the CGT branch at Air France, told AFP on Wednesday.

The airline returned to profit last year after seven years of losses, but faces stiff competition from Asian and Gulf airlines as well as new, low-cost long-haul alternatives.

It still faces tensions with its 55,000 employees, particularly pilots and flight crews who staged strikes in late July.

Chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac said during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that unions threatened strikes too often and stoppages had cost the company 130 million euros in 2016.

"We need to change the relationship between the trade unions and the negotiators for the company," he said.

The airline faces a downturn in bookings, notably by Japanese, Chinese and American customers, because of the string of jihadist attacks that have hit France over the past two years.

Vincent Martinez, one of the men convicted of violence on Wednesday, told AFP that the verdict was "not surprising" and that he would reflect on it before deciding whether to appeal.

Fired by the company like the others after the incident, he said that he "still wanted to be taken back by Air France."

A legal case is underway.
david clarke

One of President-elect Donald Trump's top candidates to run the Department of Homeland Security made eyebrow-raising comments about transgender individuals on his radio show earlier this year.

David Clarke, the sheriff of Milwaukee County in Wisconsin, is reportedly a contender to lead the DHS and met with Trump in New York on Monday. Throughout Trump's presidential campaign, he has been one of Trump's more controversial allies.

On the June 25th episode of his podcast, "The People's Sheriff," Clarke claimed that transgender Americans have mental disorders and painted them as one of several groups who live a "freakish lifestyle."

The sheriff cited Walt Heyer, a former transgender author who has called for parents of transgender Americans to be jailed.

"Folks, more evidence that transgender persons suffer from mental disorders more than physiological disorders," Clarke said, introducing a segment on his show dedicated to Heyer's columns.

He continued:

"Too often in this assault on the First Amendment, and this very totalitarian attitude from the left that any freakish lifestyle, any marginal lifestyle, is now considered part of the norm, and they're shoving it down our throats. So if you're not careful when you engage in this conversation, they'll look for the trap, and they'll catch you saying something that's clumsy or not well articulated, and then they'll just attack you  they'll attack you with it. 'Transgender phobic' and all this other nonsense."

Clarke continued, reading Heyer's June article in the Daily Signal, which claimed that transgender individuals were more inclined to have "psychiatric diagnoses," that transgender identities corresponded with childhood trauma "100% of the time," and that such individuals "need psychotherapy, not access to cross-sex restrooms."

Though the World Health Organization considered being transgender a mental illness in its 1990 International Classification of Diseases, the organization is weighing eliminating this classification when it updates its guide in 2018. Other top medical groups have updated their categorizations to reflect recent studies that argue that it is not a mental disorder.

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In his June broadcast, the sheriff concluded that left-leaning politicians' support for transgender individuals was a crude political calculation aimed at earning support from such voters.

"We will probably not get to the proper course of treatment for these individuals because the left, as you know, is on a political crusade with this, looking to push any lifestyle as mainstream in an effort to gain political power, because they seek their vote," Clarke said.

He added: "We need to push back on this, not because you or I don't like transgender individuals. Because I want to make sure they're getting the proper treatment before embarking on this irreversible medical procedure, that's all.

Clarke's comments in June were far from the only time he's used his radio to float aggressive, eyebrow-raising proposals.

As Mother Jones has reported, during an episode last December, Clarke called for anyone "spewing jihadi rhetoric" to be immediately arrested and detained indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay.

Listen to the clip below, beginning around the 21:48 mark:

NOW WATCH: 'HOLD UP!': Watch Obama defend a Trump protester and scold the crowd at a Clinton rally





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A Toronto man says his human rights were violated when he was told by UPS Canada that he needed to be clean shaven if he wanted a seasonal job at the company. Allan Stokell, 68, told the Toronto Star that hes proud of his beard  and isnt that interested in shaving it.

Although not as serious as some (violations), I dont believe large multi-national corporations should be able to get away with this, Stokell said in the Star interview. Ive had a beard since I was 18 and I identify as being a bearded person.

Stokell applied for a seasonal walker position at UPS Canada, someone who delivers and picks up packages. In a questionnaire, he was asked whether he accepted the companys strict appearance guidelines, which in part requires employees to hide visible piercings, tattoos, and to be clean shaven. The retired City of Toronto worker responded honestly, that he had short hair and a well-trimmed beard.

In an email response, a UPS Canada rep told him that all employees need to be clean shaven at UPS as part of the companys appearance policy, unless one is keeping their facial hair for religious or medical reasons. The policy complies with the Ontario Human Rights Commission guidelines .

A rep from UPS Canada told the Toronto Star that the company is confident in the legality of its employment practices. They have appearance and grooming guidelines in place and that the policy is explained to all applicants during the interview process.

As for Stokell, he hasnt heard anything further from UPS Canada, but he told the Star that he isnt interested in working for them at this point.

Work has got to be a welcoming environmentif Im going to force them to employ me because of a labour standard its not going to be a good working relationship, he said. They (should) change the policy so that other people dont have to go through this.

If interested, check out Stokells beard here.

Is this beard discrimination or a simple request to comply with a companys appearance policy? Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
Toulouse (France) (AFP) - French heavyweights Toulouse have signed highly regarded scrum-half Antoine Dupont from Castres, the record 19-time champions said on Wednesday.

The France under-20 international will join Toulouse next season, although the club has not yet revealed the length of his deal.

"Antoine is an explosive player capable of breaking through any defence but also leading the team tactically with his efficient kicking and accomplished passing game," said Toulouse sporting director Fabien Pelous.

Dupont, who turned 20 earlier this month, moved to Castres in 2014 and has made 33 appearances in the domestic Top 14 while also playing in 10 European matches.
MADISON  Gift cards take the responsibility for buying a Christmas present out of the hands of the giver, but be careful when buying, since gift cards can also cost you more than the purchase price.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is telling shoppers this holiday season to be careful when buying gift cards online, especially with offers of free cards or hugely discounted cards.

Free gift cards can turn out to be scams, and buying cards secondhand, such as those offered by auction on websites, might be fake or drained of value.

The fact gift cards are so popular makes them a favorite tool for scammers looking to separate you from your money, said Frank Frassetto, division administrator for trade and consumer protection at DATCP.

Fake secondhand gift card sales and free card scams on social media sites and in text messages are ways scammers may try to take advantage of your interest.

The best way to avoid losing money on gift cards is to buy directly from the retailer or an authorized merchant, but if you want to buy unused secondhand cards, buy from someone you know.

Some cards online, sold at auction or in classified ads, are already empty of value, are counterfeit or could be stolen from a retailer and never activated.

If the gift card merchant discovers your card is fraudulent, the merchant will deactivate the gift card and refuse to honor it for purchases, DATCP said.

The free card scam is usually tied to taking a survey or is on a fake website that sucks you into giving your cellphone number, so the scammer can use the number to get a variety of services without paying because you are paying.

Scammers also use text messages promising gift cards to retailers by completing a phony survey or by giving personal information; when the card doesnt come and your information has been sold, that free card becomes very expensive.
In a deal that could keep him out of jail, Kevin Roper  the Walmart truck driver who crashed into a vehicle carrying Tracy Morgan, seriously injuring Morgan and killing James McNair  pleaded guilty on Tuesday to vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated assault, ABC News reports.

Ropers charges will be dismissed if he completes 300 hours of community service. He will also be allowed to enter a pre-trial intervention program.

The fortunate thing about this is he can go forward with his life. If he completes the program, the charges will be extinguished and he wont have a criminal record, Ropers attorney David Glassman told reporters on Tuesday.

Also Read: Tracy Morgan Says He's 'Not Even Mad' at the Walmart Driver Who Nearly Killed Him (Video)

Ropers truck crashed into a limo van carrying Morgan, McNair and others on the New Jersey Turnpike in June 2014. He had been awake for more than 28 hours prior to the crash and was traveling 20 miles over the speed limit, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Roper, who was initially charged with charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto in the collision, pleaded not guilty in June 2014.

Morgan suffered multiple injuries in the accident, including a broken leg, a broken femur, a broken nose and several broken ribs.

Also Read: Tracy Morgan Reveals Masturbation's Role in His Recovery (Audio)

He had been returning from a standup show in Delaware at the time of the crash. In addition to Morgan, comedians Ardie Fuqua, Harris Stanton and Jeffrey Millea were also injured.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Tracy Morgan Says He's 'Not Even Mad' at the Walmart Driver Who Nearly Killed Him (Video)

Tracy Morgan Reveals Masturbation's Role in His Recovery (Audio)

Tracy Morgan Reveals Encounter With His Dead Father After Life-Threatening Crash (Video)
Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin created a stir on his first day as President-elect Trumps choice to be Treasury Secretary  both for comments he made about the new administrations tax plans, and for his involvement with housing lender OneWest.

He startled many policy mavens this morning with comments on CNBCs Squawk Box about Trumps plans.

Mnuchin said that proposals to slash marginal tax rates and cut the corporate rate would not benefit wealthy payers  contradicting analyses by independent groups including the Tax Foundation and the Brookings Institution and Urban Institutes Tax Policy Center.

Any reductions we have in upper-income taxes will be offset by less deductions so there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class, Mnuchin said.

He says the plans would result in a middle-income tax cut.

Mnuchin also told Fox Business News that Trump will end government control of the Federal National Mortgage Association (also known as Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac) reasonably fast.

That sent Fannie Mae shares soaring 41.8% with Freddie Mac up 42.7% in afternoon trading. The institutions promote mortgage lending, and have been controlled by the government since 2008 when the housing bubble collapsed: They buy the loans from lenders, and sell securities based on them that they back to guarantee against default.

The stock prices rose as investors speculated that Trump might allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to keep their profits instead of turning most of them over to the government.

Its a sensitive subject for Mnuchin. His Dune Capital bought housing lender IndyMac out of bankruptcy in 2009, relaunching it as OneWest before selling it to CIT Group in 2015. Mnuchin sits on the CIT board.

With IndyMac we bought the worst mortgage portfolio in the history of time, he told CNBC. Regulators who looked at the deal thought it made sense.

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Still, that experience preceded by his work as head of mortgage lending for Goldman Sachs  which he left in 2002 after 17 years  gave Democratic opponents ammunition to attack Mnuchin.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren called him the Forrest Gump of the financial crisis adding that he managed to participate in all the worst practices on Wall Street.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown called Mnuchin a hedge-fund manager whose Wall Street ties couldnt run deeperThis isnt draining the swamp  its stocking it with alligators.

Mnuchins Dune Capital has been active in Hollywood, helping to finance the X-Men franchise, Gravity, The LEGO Movie, Avatar, and Life of Pi. The Treasury Secretary nominee also briefly served as co-chairman of Relativity Media, leaving before mid-2015 when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

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Donald Trump & Mike Pence Visit FNC's 'Hannity' As Thank-You Tour Kicks Off With Carrier Plant Visit
Anthony Scaramucci, founder of investment firm SkyBridge Capital, speaks to reporters at Trump Tower. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the executive committee of Donald Trumps transition team, on Wednesday defended the president-elects promise to drain the swamp in the face of the finance bigwigs and D.C. veterans set to join the Trump administration.

Scaramucci, a financier and hedge fund investor, said Trumps team is superexcited about the choice of former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary and billionaire Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary. Both nominees were officially announced earlier in the day.

These guys are going to be the cornerstone of the economic and trade team working in conjunction with Mr. Trump and other pieces of the economic team, Scaramucci told reporters in Trump Tower.

A reporter asked Scaramucci how those appointments fit with the presidents promise to be an outsider and to drain the swamp of corruption and cronyism in Washington.

You have to remember, both these guys are  they do fit the outsider bill in the sense that theyve never worked in Washington, he said. And so, what I would say to you is  we really want to put a great blend together in the sense that you want some people that are insiders and understand the system, and some outsiders that are creative thinkers, out-of-the-box thinkers and disrupters.

He added: If you can get that blend right, then youll be able to affect change in Washington. I think if you put too many of one or the other, if you have status quo presiders, well nothings going to change. If you have too many status quo disrupters, Washington is a very healthy immunological system, youll see a full-blown organ rejection if you put too many status quo disrupters in Washington.

Steven Mnuchin talks to reporters in Trump Tower. (Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters)

Scaramucci pointed to Trumps decision to name Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus his chief of staff and Steve Bannon, who was the executive chair of the far-right website Breitbart News, as a chief strategist. He argued this is proof the president-elect is trying to get that blend right and mixing outsiders with insiders.

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I think the picks of Stephen Bannon and Reince Priebus are an indication that were going to have the capability to do that. These guys are working terrifically well together. Reince knows the ropes in D.C. Steve really does have a sense for the American people and whats going on in the heartland, said Scaramucci.

Trump appealed to working-class voters throughout his campaign, and Yahoo News asked Scaramucci whether he thinks the administration would ultimately be a populist one.

Well, it depends on how you define populist. If youre talking about an administration thats focused on the potential for the United States and the potential for the American people, and where Mr. Trump wants to be president for everybody, which includes the working class and the middle class, then I guess by that definition, Scaramucci said before trailing off.

Scaramucci went on to describe what he sees as populism.

I dont know. It depends on what your definition of populist [is]. Sometimes theres a misnomer to that definition thats somewhat of a pejorative. I dont see it that way, Scaramucci said. What I do see is that the people that I grew up with, which are basically the working-class people of the United States, they need a break. And we need to switch them from going from the working class into the working poor into what I call the aspirational working class, which my dad was a member of.
By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will unveil its biggest defence research plan in more than a decade on Wednesday to reverse billions of euros in cuts and send a message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that Europe wants to pay for its own security. Part of a broader push to revitalise defence cooperation, the European Commission will propose a defence fund and seek to lift a ban on the EU's common budget and its development bank investing in military research. The main proposal, to be presented at around 12 p.m. (1100 GMT), is an investment fund for defence, which could allow EU governments that pay into it also to borrow, ensuring funds are always available for joint defence programmes such as helicopters or drones. The fund, which could start on a small scale in 2017, could be backed by the European Investment Bank to finance projects if governments agree to remove the ban on backing military projects. With the Commission overseeing a common EU budget of about 150 billion euros ($160 billion) a year, France and Germany say it is time to allow it to be used for military research. The European Parliament has approved a 90 million euro pilot plan for 2017 to 2019 and the Commission could potentially allocate 3.5 billion euros from the budget between 2021 and 2027, officials say. Defence research spending by EU governments has fallen by a third since 2006, leaving the European Union reliant on the United States for advanced warfighting equipment. During the U.S. election campaign, Trump questioned whether the United States should protect allies seen as spending too little on their defence, raising fears that he could withdraw funding for NATO at a time of heightened tensions with Russia. France and Germany rely on ageing military transport planes, for example, while some navy helicopters have been grounded because of technical faults related to long years of service. A report by the German military seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed its Tornado jets had a readiness rate of just 44 percent and its newer Eurofighters were ready for use 52 percent of the time, well under the goal of an average 70 percent readiness. "Europe has to be very careful that the investment gap is not translated into an ever wider technology gap," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told defence contractors and officials at a speech earlier this month. "If left unchecked, this could translate into a political gap which would clearly not be in our interest," she said, referring to a potential loss of the EU's foreign policy clout. Graphic on EU defence spending http://tmsnrt.rs/2ctbMmP BREXIT DILEMMA An earlier Commission plan in 2003 failed to win over governments. This time around, France, Germany and Italy are seizing on Britain's decision to quit the bloc. They see it as removing an obstacle to deeper defence cooperation, given Britain's fears about a European army run from Brussels. Britain's departure removes one of the biggest contributors to the EU budget, although it is not clear if Britain would seek to collaborate on defence from outside the bloc. "We see EU defence as detrimental to NATO, but if there are major collaborative research projects, we would want to be part of them," said Geoffrey Van Orden, a former brigadier in the British army and now a lawmaker with the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament. Germany and France say sharing resources may be the only way to sustain adequate military forces. EU officials point to the merger of missile systems companies in France, Italy and Britain in 2001 to create MBDA, the only European group able to design and produce world-class missile systems. Waste is also a problem, as European governments champion national defence contractors. According to EU data, the bloc has 19 types of armoured infantry fighting vehicle, compared with one in the United States. ($1 = 0.9438 euros) (Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
The family of Trumps pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has a net worth estimated at $5.1 billion. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

President-elect Donald Trump, who rallied populist voters by vowing to drain the swamp of the Washington elite, is filling his Cabinet with people who share a familiar trait: Theyre very rich.

On Wednesday, Trump announced Steve Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive who served as his campaign finance chairman, as his choice for treasury secretary and Wilbur Ross, a private equity investor, as his pick for secretary of commerce.

According to Forbes, Ross has a personal fortune estimated to be worth $2.9 billion, making him the countrys 232nd richest person. Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before founding a Hollywood film investment firm, is said to be worth $40 million, though some consider that estimate too low.

Related: Trumps treasury nominee has a nagging foreclosure problem

Todd Ricketts, whose family owns the Chicago Cubs and is the 66th richest person in America, per Forbes, was named deputy commerce secretary on Wednesday.

Tom Price, Trumps pick for health and human services secretary, is an orthopedic surgeon turned six-term Republican congressman from Georgia. Prices net worth: $13.6 million.

Elaine Chao, Trumps choice for transportation secretary, was labor secretary under former President George W. Bush and is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Chaos net worth: about $22 million.

Thats chump change in comparison to Trumps choice for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, former chair of the Michigan Republican Party and a major GOP donor whose familys net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $5.1 billion, making them the 88th richest in America  and richer than her would-be boss. According to Forbes, Trumps net worth fell $800 million last year to $3.7 billion, putting him at No. 156 on the magazines list of wealthiest people in the U.S. (Trump, who claims to be worth far more than $10 billion, railed against the bankrupt magazine last year, when Forbes assigned him a $4.5 million net worth.)

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Other candidates Trump is reportedly considering for cabinet posts are even richer.

Trump dines with Mitt Romney at Jean-Georges, located at Trump Tower in New York City, Nov. 29, 2016. (Photo: Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Harold Hamm, an oil-and-gas magnate and rumored pick for secretary of energy, has a net worth of $14.6 billion.

Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn, who Trump is reportedly considering for a senior administration job, is one of the highest-paid executives on Wall Street. (Cohns salary was $20.5 million in 2015.)

Texas Rep. Michael T. McCaul, a candidate for secretary of homeland security, is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, with a net worth north of $117 million. McCauls wife, Linda Mays McCaul, is the daughter of billionaire and Clear Channel Communications founder Lowry Mays. (McCauls Texas home is sometimes referred to as the Taj McCaul.)

And Mitt Romney, said to be among the finalists for secretary of state, is said to be worth $250 million.

Also read: Trump adviser: Appointments are a blend of insiders and disrupters

But does all of this combined wealth mean Trumps cabinet, if confirmed, will be the richest ever? That depends on how you factor inflation.

Andrew Mellon, the banker from the wealthy Mellon family who was appointed treasury secretary in the 1921, was one of the richest people in America during his decade in the White House.

And the Cabinets of recent presidents have had plenty of rich members.

Henry Paulson, a former Goldman Sachs chairman who served as treasury secretary under President George W. Bush, had a net worth of $700 million when he was appointed in 2006. Paulsons predecessor, former CSX Corp. head John Snow, had a net worth of more than $62 million when he took over for Bushs first treasury secretary, Paul H. ONeill (net worth: $63 million-plus). Bushs first commerce secretary, Don Evans, was the head of a $1.1 billion Texas oil company when he took the job in 2001.

Between his stints as defense secretary for Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld amassed a financial portfolio worth an estimated $50 million. And Secretary of State Colin Powell reported at least $24.5 million in assets.

Perhaps not surprisingly, W.s Cabinet was dubbed Millionaires row.

President Obamas, too, had its share of rich people.

Secretary of State John Kerry, whose wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is an heiress to the Heinz ketchup fortune, is said to be worth close to $200 million. His predecessor, Hillary Clinton, had a combined net worth with former President Bill Clinton of about $55 million when she was appointed by President Obama in 2009.

And Penny Pritzker, Obamas secretary of commerce, has a net worth of $2.4 billion.
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump has found partial success in his promise to keep the air conditioning manufacturer Carrier from moving jobs from Indiana to Mexico. However, questions remain about the president-elect's negotiations.

Carrier tweeted on Tuesday that the manufacturer had reached a deal with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence that would "keep close to 1,000 jobs" in Indianapolis.

The company had planned to outsource roughly 2,100 jobs to Mexico with the closure of a plant in in Indianapolis, which employs 1,400 people, and another in Huntington, Indiana, which employs 700. The fate of the Huntington plant is still unclear.

While it isn't uncommon for local politicians and state governors to negotiate with individual companies to prevent the relocation of jobs, it is much less common for a president to do so. However, according to John McGinnis, a professor of constitutional law at Northwestern, just because it's uncommon doesn't make it illegal or unconstitutional.

"The president can try his absolute ability to persuade companies to do what he would like," short of threatening to jail or strip property from executives who refuse, McGinnis told Business Insider. "If [the president] is going to take some administrative policy [or] introduce some regulation in Congress ... I don't think that generally is a problem. Whether it's wise or not is another question."

While politicians trying to convince companies to bend to their will isn't necessarily "extraordinary" behavior, McGinnis said it is also uncommon for extensive negotiations to take place before the president-elect takes office.

As Trump is not yet president  and as it would be impossible for the president alone to pass an aggressive tax on outsourcing without congressional support  Trump's tactics in convincing Carrier's parent company, United Technologies Corp., to keep half of those jobs in the US remain unclear.

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Trump followed Carrier's tweet with one of his own on Tuesday, saying he would make a major announcement in Indiana on Thursday about Carrier staying in Indianapolis.

I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis. Great deal for workers!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

TJ Bray, a Carrier worker who serves as a media representative for the manufacturer's United Steelworkers Local 1999 union, told Business Insider that the union had confirmed that a deal had been made, but that it had not been informed of the details.

"We'd like to save all the jobs, but if it's 1,000 at our [Indianapolis] facility ... it's successful in that most of the jobs are staying," said Bray, who has worked at Carrier for 14 years. "We're excited, and it seems like a victory for the little people."

Bray said he was "blindsided" when the news broke on Twitter on Tuesday. While Bray said he was cautiously optimistic, he is also waiting to see what sacrifices had been made in the deal, especially since as recently as yesterday morning he hadn't been very hopeful that Trump would succeed in keeping the factory open.

mike pence donald trump

Reports indicate that the negotiation was a two-way street, with Trump providing benefits as opposed to relying solely on threats of higher taxes to intimidate the manufacturer. The Wall Street Journal reported that Pence, who is the governor of Indiana, took time in negotiations with Carrier to discuss Congress' priorities that could be beneficial for the company, including a tax overhaul that could help reduce taxes on United Technologies' overseas profits.

Trump also had certain leverage on United Technologies because of the company's dependence on government contracts. United Technologies makes roughly $5.6 billion, or 10% of its annual sales, every year from military sales.

Carrier became a poster child throughout Trump's campaign for problems facing American workers as manufacturing jobs leave the US.

"If I was in office, Carrier wouldn't be leaving," Trump said in a speech at the Indiana Fairgrounds in April. He said he would impose an aggressive tax on Carrier and other companies moving manufacturing jobs outside the US.

There are practical issues regarding a president negotiating with individual companies. While Carrier's factories carried major symbolic weight for the president-elect, negotiating on a case-by-case basis with each company that threatens to outsource jobs would require a lot of time and effort  especially if each company expects Trump to sweeten the deal.

Trump may have found a solution for Carrier, but the administration will need to do more work if it wants to fix the underlying issues that would have allowed United Technologies to save $65 million by outsourcing jobs to Mexico.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will be leaving his eponymous company in total as he prepares to assume the White House, but conflict of interest concerns will assuredly remain.

In a series of tweets Wednesday morning, Trump announced a press conference on Dec. 15 in New York City with his three adult children to discuss how he will seek to sever ties with his web of companies. It comes after months of reporting on potential conflicts of interest when Trump assumes the White House on Jan. 20, and questions that took on new urgency after his surprise victory on Nov. 8.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Trump tweeted. While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my   Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to .  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Presidents are not bound by federal conflict of interest statutes, but precedent set by recent presidents is to place their holdings into blind trusts to mitigate any appearance of conflict. Trumps actions will still fall short of that standard.

Trumps statement indicates he will maintain ownership of his real estate, licensing, and hospitality conglomerate, with his children assuming decision-making authority for his businesses. Trump has mingled the political and the commercial through the campaign and the early days of his efforts to form a government, raising ethics questions unseen in generations for a chief executive.

The President-elect has already faced scrutiny for continuing to meet with foreign business partners since winning the presidency, while foreign diplomats are working to secure rooms in his new Washington, D.C. hotel. Meanwhile, Trump is still likely to continue to benefit financially from existing arrangements and new deals his children negotiate in the U.S. and overseas.

But even if Trump steps back, his continued financial stake will sustain questions about a little-known Constitutional prohibition against accepting Emoluments from foreign governments, as well as maintain scrutiny against potential bribery  quid pro quo transactions which are illegal even for a president.
By Melissa Fares and Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Preet Bharara, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan known for pursuing a series of cases targeting public corruption and crime on Wall Street, said on Wednesday he has agreed to remain in his post after Donald Trump becomes U.S. president. Bharara, appointed to his position by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2009, told reporters following a meeting with the Republican president-elect at Trump Tower in Manhattan that Trump asked him to stay on during his administration and he accepted. Trump takes office on Jan. 20. "We had a good meeting," Bharara said. "I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on." The announcement's timing, when Trump has not yet finished filling all Cabinet-level positions, was unusual. But some former prosecutors who served under Bharara said they were not surprised their former boss would be willing to remain as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "I think Preet is an independent, law enforcement-minded prosecutor who loves his job and is clearly talented in it," said Arlo Devlin-Brown, a former chief of Bharara's public corruption unit who is now a partner at the law firm Covington & Burling. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the incoming Senate Democratic leader who Bharara previously worked for as chief counsel, said Trump called him last week to ask what he thought about Bharara staying in his job. "I am glad they met and am glad Preet is staying on," Schumer said in a statement. "He's been one of the best U.S. Attorneys New York has ever seen." CORRUPTION, INSIDER TRADING Bharara's office has pursued an aggressive push against corruption in state and city politics, an agenda that could fit with Trump's vow to "drain the swamp" in Washington. Those political investigations led last year to the convictions of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, and former New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, in separate corruption trials. Bharara also brought dozens of successful cases against insider traders and was on the cover of Time magazine in 2012 with the headline "This man is busting Wall St." Those cases include the 2011 conviction of Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam, who is serving an 11-year prison term, and a $1.8 billion settlement and plea deal in 2013 with hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors LP. His 227-lawyer office also secured corporate settlements with companies including General Motors Co and JPMorgan Chase & Co; won several convictions and guilty pleas of former employees of Ponzi scheme operator Bernard Madoff; and prosecuted Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a son-in-law of the late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Bharara's office's priorities have often matched those set by Obama's Justice Department. Amid an increase in civil rights investigations nationally, for example, Bharara's office joined a lawsuit that led to a settlement in 2015 aimed at reducing violence in New York City's Rikers Island jail complex. How priorities set by the Justice Department under Trump's pick for attorney general, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, affects the cases Bharara's office pursues remains unclear. "Obviously there is likely be some changes in priorities from Main Justice (the department's Washington headquarters), and the office will have to adjust to those," said Richard Zabel, who previously served as Bharara's deputy before becoming hedge fund Elliott Management's general counsel. Bharara said his office had for the past seven years pursued its work "independently, without fear or favor." Former prosecutors they expect that to stay the same. "He would have only taken it on if he were 100 percent confident that that independence could be preserved," said Matthew Schwartz, partner at the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner and a former prosecutor under Bharara. (Reporting by Melissa Fares and Nate Raymond; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Bill Trott and Will Dunham)
Quicken Loans

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named a top government-relations executive for one of the nations largest mortgage companies to the team overseeing the transition at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Shawn Krause is executive vice president of government advocacy for Quicken Loans Inc., the privately held mortgage company that is the largest underwriter of mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration, which is part of HUD.

Ms. Krause, who has been registered to lobby for Quicken since 2009, deregistered as a lobbyist in the last few weeks, a Quicken executive said Tuesday. Ms. Krause was registered to lobby Congress, HUD and other federal regulators as recently as Sept. 30, according to a disclosure form filed Nov. 18.

The Trump transition team ordered all lobbyists removed from its ranks two weeks ago to follow through on campaign pledges made by Mr. Trump to drain the swamp in Washington.

Spokesmen for the Trump transition team didnt respond to inquiries about Ms. Krauses appointment on Tuesday.

Quicken said Ms. Krauses role on the Trump transition didnt pose any conflicts of interest for the lender and said her 26 years at the company made her well-qualified to assist the incoming administration.

It makes total sense youd have someone like that. Youre finding people that actually understand housing, said Bill Emerson,Quickens chief executive. When you think about draining the swamp, this goes right in line with that.

The U.S. Justice Department sued Quicken last year alleging the lender misled the government over the quality of certain mortgages insured by the FHA between 2007 and 2011. Quicken, which is fighting the lawsuit, has said it is the victim of a witch-hunt by federal prosecutors.

The Detroit-based lender also pre-emptively sued the Justice Department and HUD last year, alleging the government unfairly coerced the lender to admit claims of fraud. A federal judge dismissed the case last year, and Quicken has appealed the ruling.

Story continues

Transition teams have been unveiled across the federal bureaucracy over the last two weeks to gather information about particular government functions. They report back to the Trump headquarters about the state of personnel and policy to facilitate a smooth transition of power when Mr. Trump takes office in January.

Mr. Trump also named Jimmy Kemp, the son of former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, to the HUD transition team.

Mr. Trump has said he is considering former GOP presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to lead the department. Mr. Carson last week said he might join the Trump administration, reversing his earlier stance that he didnt want to run a government department.

The post Trump Names Mortgage Industry Lobbyist to HUD Transition Team appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.
TOMAH  The Veterans Administration is asking nearly 600 patients of its Tomah hospital to get screenings for hepatitis and HIV after discovering that a dentist wasnt using sterilized equipment.

The dentist, who was hired in October 2015, was reusing drill bits without properly sterilizing them. The VA requires its dentists to dispose of bits after one use.

The VA announced the lapse Tuesday, the same day it began contacting 592 patients seen by the dentist over the past year.

Acting director Victoria Brahm said only 54 of those patients received crowns or bridges, but the VA wants to test every patient he treated.

Were trying to be transparent, Brahm said. Were taking extreme measures.

The dentist, one of four who practiced at the facility in the past year, has not been identified because of federal employee protections.

VA spokesman Matthew Gowan said the screenings are precautionary.

There is no indication of a transmission of an infection, Gowan said. Out of an abundance of caution its still the proper thing to do.

If any veterans are found to be infected, the VA says it will provide the necessary care and treatment without charge.

Gowan said the dentist was removed from patient care on Oct. 21, immediately after senior staff learned of the violation. The VAs Clinical Episode Response Team launched an investigation that concluded Oct. 31.

Brahm said the VA spent the past four weeks reviewing patient medical records and organizing a hotline and clinic for testing and follow-up care if needed.

We needed to know exactly what we were dealing with first, Gowan said. Folks have not been sitting on their hands.

A review board is scheduled to meet Dec. 5 to recommend disciplinary action against the dentist, who is currently on administrative duties.

Brahm said the VA also has contacted the dental licensing board in Texas, where the dentist was licensed, as well as state and federal prosecutors who are reviewing the case for possible criminal charges.

This was a purposeful act by a dentist who knew better, Brahm said.

The violation was initially reported by a dental assistant who was filling in for the dentists regular assistant, who Brahm said is also being investigated.

Brahm praised the assistant for coming forward and said she hopes that organizational changes made since she took over the troubled organization last year has made it more comfortable for employees to speak out.

Weve been working really hard to change the culture, Brahm said.

Brahm also said dental assistants now rotate regularly so they are not always working with the same dentist.

The Tomah medical center was at the center of an 18-month Congressional investigation that culminated in May with a top VA official acknowledging a clear and inexcusable lack of leadership was to blame for the deaths of at least to veterans who were treated there.

The investigation began after 2015 media reports detailed high levels of opioid prescription and a pervasive culture of intimidation and retaliation against employees who spoke out. Two top officials from Tomah  Director Mario DeSanctis and medical Chief of Staff Dr. David Houlihan  were removed in the wake of that report, as were at least two other care providers.
President-elect Donald Trump believes that the Somali immigrant who plowed a car into a crowd of pedestrians on the campus of Ohio State University on Monday and then used a butcher knife to attack them should never have been allowed to enter the United States.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a 20-year-old Muslim who was a lawful permanent resident and student at the school, was shot and killed by police moments after the attack began. Eleven people were wounded, but all of the victims survived. ISIS claimed responsibility for the assault on Tuesday, calling Artan one of its soldiers.

ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country, Trump tweeted early Wednesday.

ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

But U.S. officials say there is no evidence Artan  a refugee who came to the United States with his family in 2014 after fleeing Somalia for Pakistan in 2007  communicated directly with the terrorist organization. Rep. Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Artan appeared to have been influenced by extremist material on the Internet.

It appears that the attacker was radicalized online by jihadist propaganda, Schiff said in a statement.

Trumps statement echoes his controversial immigration plan, which first called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States. Trump announced that plan after terror attacks in San Bernardino and Paris. He later muddled his position, saying he wanted to suspend immigration from countries or regions that are harboring and training terrorists.

Trump told Yahoo News last year that he was open to the possibility of a database for Muslim Americans. The proposal was met with swift backlash, and Trump distanced himself from the idea. But earlier this month, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Trump policy adviser and potential Homeland Security secretary, said the president-elect was mulling a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries.

Story continues

In an interview published in August, Artan told the Ohio State student newspaper that he was kind of scared to be seen reciting his Muslim prayers in public.

I wanted to pray in the open, but I was scared with everything going on in the media, Artan told the Lantern in a profile for a series called Humans of Ohio State.

If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I dont know what theyre going to think, whats going to happen, he continued. But, I dont blame them. Its the media that put that picture in their heads so theyre just going to have it and it, its going to make them feel uncomfortable.
(Adds comments from Mitt Romney, paragraphs 9-12)

By Steve Holland

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump chose a former Goldman Sachs banker and a billionaire investor on Tuesday to steer economic policy in his administration and a fierce Obamacare critic to dismantle President Barack Obama's signature healthcare program.

Republican Trump is expected to name Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood financier, as his nominee for Treasury secretary, a source said, putting a Wall Street veteran in the top U.S. economic Cabinet post.

Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002 to launch a hedge fund, served as Trump's campaign finance chairman.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, known for his investments in distressed industries, is expected to be named commerce secretary, a source said.

The announcements could come as early as Wednesday.

The flurry of picks showed Trump, a real estate tycoon with no governing experience, rewarding loyalists and established Washington veterans as he rounds out his circle of top advisers.

Republican U.S. Representative Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Trump's health and human services secretary. Seema Verma, the founder of a health policy consulting company, will lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of Health and Human Services and oversees government health programs for the poor and the elderly and insurance standards.

Trump also announced his choice of Elaine Chao, labor secretary under President George W. Bush, to serve as secretary of transportation, saying in a statement that her expertise would be an asset "in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure."

While Trump made decisions on his economic team, he continued to mull over who should serve as his top diplomat.

He dined with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a one-time critic and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, at a French restaurant in New York on Tuesday night.

Story continues

Romney sharply criticized Trump during the presidential campaign but he offered praise after their dinner.

"He continues with a message of inclusion, of bringing people together," Romney told reporters. He said Trump's Cabinet choices so far and speech on Election Night were encouraging.

DISMANTLING OBAMACARE

Trump cast Price and Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office on Jan. 20 with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, the health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. It has been a target of Republican attacks since its enactment in 2010.

Price has characterized Obamacare as "doing real harm to American families" and has co-sponsored legislation to replace it.

Verma helped Pence, the Indiana governor, add conservative pieces to Medicaid coverage for the state's poor by requiring beneficiaries to make contributions to health savings accounts. She also worked on Medicaid programs in Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, was among the defenders of Obamacare who criticized Price's selection. "Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said.

The 2010 healthcare overhaul, aimed at expanding insurance coverage to millions more Americans, triggered a long, bitter fight between the White House and congressional Republicans, who said it created unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry.

Trump has said he will replace Obamacare with a plan to give states more control over Medicaid and allow insurers to sell plans nationally.

Price and Verma will both need Senate confirmation. Congressional approval will be needed to repeal and change the health law.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended Obamacare on Tuesday, saying it had expanded coverage to millions of Americans, boosted consumer protections and shored up the finances of the Medicare program for the elderly.

"We'll see if Trump care measures up," he said.

Trump said after meeting Obama following his Nov. 8 election victory that he would consider keeping the provisions of the healthcare law that let parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and that bar insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Price, an early Trump supporter in the U.S. House of Representatives who leads the budget committee, has proposed a plan that would create age-based tax credits for people who buy insurance coverage on their own.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday the eventual congressional plan to replace Obamacare would likely have much in common with Price's ideas.

Price's plan would also roll back the 2010 law's expansion of Medicaid for low-income people, a change that helped Obamacare cut the number of uninsured Americans to 29 million in 2015 from 49 million in 2010.

Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "save" Medicare, but Democrats said Price's plans could amount to privatizing the government program for the elderly. Price has endorsed converting Medicare from a program that covers set benefits to a voucher-style program to help people buy coverage.

"We say to Republicans who want to privatize Medicare: Go try it. Make our day," Schumer said on Tuesday, saying the change would be unpopular with the public.

Democrats also criticized the pick because Price has supported barring federal funds for Planned Parenthood, which provides some abortions in addition to birth control, health exams and other services.

Trump has met about 70 people as he looks to shape his White House and Cabinet team. Chao, his pick for transportation secretary, was the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position, as labor secretary. She is married to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump saw retired General David Petraeus, a potential candidate for the State Department or the Pentagon, on Monday. On Tuesday, he met Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Corker and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as well as Romney, are in the running for secretary of state.

Trump is set to launch a "thank you tour" of states he won in the election, starting with a rally on Thursday in Cincinnati, aides said.

(Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley, David Shepardson, Susan Cornwell and Roberta Rampton in Washington and Jilian Mincer in New York; Writing by Emily Stephenson and Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney, Leslie Adler and Paul Tait)
By Steve Holland NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump chose a former Goldman Sachs banker and a billionaire investor on Tuesday to steer economic policy in his administration and a fierce Obamacare critic to dismantle President Barack Obama's signature healthcare program. Republican Trump is expected to name Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood financier, as his nominee for Treasury secretary, a source said, putting a Wall Street veteran in the top U.S. economic Cabinet post. Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs before leaving in 2002 to launch a hedge fund, served as Trump's campaign finance chairman. Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, known for his investments in distressed industries, is expected to be named commerce secretary, a source said. The announcements could come as early as Wednesday. The flurry of picks showed Trump, a real estate tycoon with no governing experience, rewarding loyalists and established Washington veterans as he rounds out his circle of top advisers. Republican U.S. Representative Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Trump's health and human services secretary. Seema Verma, the founder of a health policy consulting company, will lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of Health and Human Services and oversees government health programs for the poor and the elderly and insurance standards. Trump also announced his choice of Elaine Chao, labor secretary under President George W. Bush, to serve as secretary of transportation, saying in a statement that her expertise would be an asset "in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure." While Trump made decisions on his economic team, he continued to mull over who should serve as his top diplomat. He dined with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a one-time critic and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, at a French restaurant in New York on Tuesday night. Romney sharply criticized Trump during the presidential campaign but he offered praise after their dinner. "He continues with a message of inclusion, of bringing people together," Romney told reporters. He said Trump's Cabinet choices so far and speech on Election Night were encouraging. DISMANTLING OBAMACARE Trump cast Price and Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office on Jan. 20 with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, the health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. It has been a target of Republican attacks since its enactment in 2010. Price has characterized Obamacare as "doing real harm to American families" and has co-sponsored legislation to replace it. Verma helped Pence, the Indiana governor, add conservative pieces to Medicaid coverage for the state's poor by requiring beneficiaries to make contributions to health savings accounts. She also worked on Medicaid programs in Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, was among the defenders of Obamacare who criticized Price's selection. "Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said. The 2010 healthcare overhaul, aimed at expanding insurance coverage to millions more Americans, triggered a long, bitter fight between the White House and congressional Republicans, who said it created unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry. Trump has said he will replace Obamacare with a plan to give states more control over Medicaid and allow insurers to sell plans nationally. Price and Verma will both need Senate confirmation. Congressional approval will be needed to repeal and change the health law. White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended Obamacare on Tuesday, saying it had expanded coverage to millions of Americans, boosted consumer protections and shored up the finances of the Medicare program for the elderly. "We'll see if Trump care measures up," he said. Trump said after meeting Obama following his Nov. 8 election victory that he would consider keeping the provisions of the healthcare law that let parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and that bar insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. Price, an early Trump supporter in the U.S. House of Representatives who leads the budget committee, has proposed a plan that would create age-based tax credits for people who buy insurance coverage on their own. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday the eventual congressional plan to replace Obamacare would likely have much in common with Price's ideas. Price's plan would also roll back the 2010 law's expansion of Medicaid for low-income people, a change that helped Obamacare cut the number of uninsured Americans to 29 million in 2015 from 49 million in 2010. Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "save" Medicare, but Democrats said Price's plans could amount to privatizing the government program for the elderly. Price has endorsed converting Medicare from a program that covers set benefits to a voucher-style program to help people buy coverage. "We say to Republicans who want to privatize Medicare: Go try it. Make our day," Schumer said on Tuesday, saying the change would be unpopular with the public. Democrats also criticized the pick because Price has supported barring federal funds for Planned Parenthood, which provides some abortions in addition to birth control, health exams and other services. Trump has met about 70 people as he looks to shape his White House and Cabinet team. Chao, his pick for transportation secretary, was the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position, as labor secretary. She is married to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump saw retired General David Petraeus, a potential candidate for the State Department or the Pentagon, on Monday. On Tuesday, he met Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Corker and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as well as Romney, are in the running for secretary of state. Trump is set to launch a "thank you tour" of states he won in the election, starting with a rally on Thursday in Cincinnati, aides said. (Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley, David Shepardson, Susan Cornwell and Roberta Rampton in Washington and Jilian Mincer in New York; Writing by Emily Stephenson and Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney, Leslie Adler and Paul Tait)
New York (AFP) - Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to head off criticism that his vast business empire poses an unprecedented conflict of interest for an incoming US president, even as he comes under attack for packing his cabinet with fellow billionaires.

In one of his trademark pre-dawn tweetstorms, the Manhattan real estate mogul promised that he will reveal a plan next month to put aside his "great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country."

The 70-year-old tycoon did not say who would take over his multi-billion-dollar global property and luxury branding interests, but said his children would be present at a December 15 news conference.

He has previously said his daughter Ivanka and sons Eric and Donald Jr. could take day-to-day charge, but it remained unclear what he would do with his personal stake.

"While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as president, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses," he tweeted, seeking to get ahead of the burgeoning ethics controversy.

US law does not require Trump to give up his business portfolio, although the Constitution states no federal official can receive a gift or "emolument" from a foreign government.

Some previous presidents have placed their investments in a blind trust, but they were not required to do so and Trump has said since winning the election in early November that his lawyers believe it unnecessary.

- Home soil -

However, critics argue that it would be an unprecedented ethical conflict for Trump to maintain interest in properties spanning the globe -- investments that rely partly on goodwill from foreign governments and regulators.

Even on home soil, his company has been attacked for marketing the new Trump International Hotel in Washington -- just blocks from the White House -- to foreign diplomats.

His new chief of staff, Reince Priebus, has insisted there are "smart ethics lawyers" working on a plan to resolve this issue.

Story continues

Trump has admitted the hotel's brand is probably "hotter" now that he is to be president, but has vaguely promised to "phase out" his hands-on, check-signing role in Trump Organization business.

Meanwhile, the Republican is building the cabinet team that will join him in the capital after his January 20 inauguration with a mission to "drain the swamp" of Washington corruption.

So far, aside from former generals sidelined by President Barack Obama's administration, Trump has focused on recruiting super-rich conservative figures from Wall Street and private business.

On Tuesday, Trump dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant with Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and private equity baron.

Although Romney's own 2012 presidential campaign foundered partly because he was tagged as a member of an aloof elite, Trump is considering him as a possible secretary of state.

- 'Suicide Squad' -

The latest figures Trump has nominated for senior roles -- Wall Street veteran Steven Mnuchin and investor Wilbur Ross -- are both billionaires and richer than Romney.

Trump's defeated Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, was attacked during the campaign for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars for giving private speeches to Goldman Sachs bankers.

But Trump, having already named former Goldman banker Steve Bannon as his chief strategist, nominated another, Mnuchin, for the key role of Treasury secretary.

Mnuchin was a partner in Goldman Sachs before he launched a fund backed by Democratic Party supporter George Soros. He financed Hollywood blockbusters, including "Avatar" and "Suicide Squad."

Alongside Mnuchin, Trump picked Ross -- best known for buying failing steel and coal firms and turning them into saleable investments -- for his commerce secretary.

Democrats were quick to slam the hirings.

Senator Sherrod Brown, the senior Democrat on the banking committee, attacked Mnuchin's hedge fund background, declaring: "This isn't draining the swamp, it's stocking it with alligators."

And Senator Elizabeth Warren, a scourge of Wall Street excesses, said Mnuchin's hiring showed Trump has "every intention of running Washington to benefit himself and his rich buddies."

Others criticized Trump for failing to his ownership -- as opposed to control -- of his businesses.

"We need a president whose only interest is the national interest," Democratic Representative Adam Schiff tweeted. "The only way to prevent future conflicts of interest is to fully divest!"

- Chinese steel -

Mnuchin's appointment is widely seen as a reward for taking Trump's side at a time when many major Republican donors, such as the billionaire Koch brothers, had shunned him.

The president-elect has vowed to cut corporate taxes and encourage multinational companies to repatriate their earnings, and plans to scrap the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reforms.

Ross has advocated a steep tariff on Chinese steel imports to prevent what Trump has alleged is the dumping of cheap commodities on the US market.

Trump was scheduled to embark on a victory tour Thursday, leading an evening rally with his running mate Mike Pence in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The pair are also to appear at the Indianapolis plant of Carrier, the air conditioning firm that announced this week it will keep 1,000 jobs in US factories, after Trump warned the company during his campaign about shipping the jobs abroad.

Pence on Wednesday headed to Washington, where he previously served in Congress, to meet with top Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

His message to lawmakers, he said, was to "buckle up," as Trump was ready to engage with Capitol Hill.

But Pence also sought cooperation from Democrats.

"Working with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate, and Democrats who are willing to work with us, we're going to roll our sleeves up and we're going to move the Trump agenda forward," he said.
Photo credit: undefined

From Esquire

It's the new morning ritual: Drag yourself out of bed, turn on the coffee maker, check your phone for the newest pre-dawn Tweetstorm from the president-elect. On Sunday, it was a wild tantrum about how Donald Trump totally would've won the popular vote, OK, if it wasn't for all those millions of illegal voters casting ballots in his brain stem:

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

And this morning, he spontaneously combusted about...flag burning?

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

Apparently, it was in response to a Fox & Friends segment about students at a Massachusetts college who allegedly burned a flag:

Timing of Trump's tweet lines up w/ Fox segment at 6:25AM on students burning the flag https://t.co/W7G4Hlw1O6 https://t.co/8M0AC4EfQy - Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) November 29, 2016

Flag burning is a protected right of American citizens under the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is not grounds to revoke someone's citizenship, and the president does not have the power to unilaterally do so. This change in policy would require a constitutional amendment. (Hillary Clinton co-sponsored a bill to ban flag burning in 2005 that went nowhere.) In short, this tweet is nonsense.

Or is it?

The new theory on the block is that Trump is a genius with disinformation: When something unflattering drops about him, he goes wild on Twitter to get the click-hungry media distracted. On Sunday, The New York Times published a massive report on Trump's mind-bending conflicts of interest around the globe. The thinking in some circles was that his dumb voter fraud tweet was just a shiny object to distract us from the fact that his incentives while in the Oval Office may be gravely affected by the business holdings he refuses to give up:

Story continues

General rule: when you're tempted to retweet Trump, STOP AND RETWEET THE ARTICLE HE'S TRYING TO DISTRACT YOU FROM. https://t.co/QZfdw3WyZ1 - Heidi N Moore (@moorehn) November 27, 2016

But the example today probably tells a more common story: That Trump was sitting in his golden penthouse watching Fox & Friends and spotted an opportunity to throw some raw meat to The Base. "Some kids at a liberal school burned a flag? I'll tell 'em they're deported!" Yes, he is an adept media manipulator, but it's unlikely he has some master plan. He just sees something to get people worked up about, or that got him mad.

If Trump has any conception of limits to his power, checks and balances, and the role of other branches of government in making policy, he has not shown it. In fact, he has shown an interest in disregarding them entirely. The slow march toward authoritarianism has begun, and it doesn't seem likely the leader of the parade knows what the final destination is. He certainly doesn't care what happens along the way.

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President-elect Donald Trump has been in talks with a US company to keep some of its manufacturing jobs from leaving the country.

Carrier, an Indiana-based air-conditioning company, has now announced that it reached a deal with Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana, the Associated Press reported Tuesday night.

"We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon," Carrier wrote in a tweet Tuesday.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence were expected to appear at a Carrier plant alongside company officials on Thursday, the news wire service said.

"Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state," Trump wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night. "We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier."

As a candidate, Trump often railed against US companies moving jobs to other countries and pointed specifically to Carrier, which was planning to move some positions from Indiana to Mexico.

Trump earlier this month said he persuaded Ford executives to keep a Kentucky production plant from moving to Mexico, but Ford quickly countered that characterization, saying it never planned to move the plant to Mexico in the first place.

Ford originally had planned to shift production of one vehicle from its Louisville factory to Mexico, according to the Courier-Journal, but the shift was not expected to affect employment levels at the US plant.

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After ISIS claimed credit for an attack at Ohio State University on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday that the attacker "should not have been in our country."

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an 18-year-old Somali-born student who came to the US legally in 2014, drove into a group of pedestrians on OSU's campus before using a butcher knife to stab people, officials have said.

Eleven people were sent to the hospital with injuries. A campus police officer killed Artan at the scene.

Amaq, ISIS's unofficial news agency, released a statement on Tuesday saying ISIS was responsible for the attack.

Trump responded with a tweet on Wednesday morning.

"ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country," he wrote.

Artan lived in Pakistan for seven years before coming to the US. He and his family left Somalia in 2007. He had legal permanent resident status in the US.

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President Barack Obama and the Department of Labor updated the overtime rules to reflect current times and incomes. Their new regulation raises the level of income an employee must make to be salaried. Currently the level is $23,600 per year and the new proposal would raise it to $47,892. This means that employers would be required to convert any employees making less than $47,892 to an hourly pay system which makes them eligible for time and a half for any hours over 40 in a given week. This would essentially raise the income level of employees working more than 40 hours per week, or if the employer chose not to pay overtime, those employees could not be required to put in extra time. Under the current rule an employee could make $30,000/year and work 60 hours in a week and receive no extra compensation. It is common for companies to compensate mid-level employees using a salary instead of hourly wage so that their pay is fixed regardless of how many hours they work each week. These employees may make no crucial decisions but are vital to the growth and daily operation of the company. The new rule is meant to stop companies from overworking their employees, or require adequate compensation for employees if they do work extra hours.
Pope Francis

Donald Trumps denial of climate change has made him an adversary of environmentalists  a group that includes the worlds most revered religious leader.

In an address to a group of scientists at the Vatican this week, Pope Francis suggested science has become more important than ever.

Never before has there been such a clear need for science to be at the service of a new global ecological equilibrium, the pope said, adding that the goals of the scientific and Christian communities are increasingly converging around the need to protect the planet. These sentiments echoed those more elaborately described in the popes encyclical on the environment, which was published in June 2015.

The delegation of 80 scientists  called the Pontifical Academy of Sciences  includes physicist Stephen Hawking as well as Nobel laureates in the fields of chemistry, physics and medicine.

Though Pope Francis never mentioned Donald Trump by name, he suggested that the delay in implementing global climate agreements indicates that politics has submitted to the profit motive.

It is worth noting that international politics has reacted weakly  albeit with some praiseworthy exceptions  regarding the concrete will to seek the common good and universal goods, and the ease with which well-founded scientific opinion about the state of our planet is disregarded, the pontiff said.

Trump stated in 2012 that global warming was a hoax created by the Chinese to make the US business and manufacturing sectors less competitive. Although he recently told the New York Times that there is some connectivity between humans and climate change, his future chief of staff, Reince Priebus, later told Fox News that Trumps default position is that climate science is a bunch of bunk.

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Trumps campaign promises included pulling the US out of the landmark Paris climate accord, which commits 115 countries to work together to keep the global temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Without the US, the global greenhouse gas emissions reductions would be weaker, and less money would be available for developing countries to use in their climate efforts (the agreement established a fund with contributions from rich nations). Leaders including Xie Zhenhua, Chinas top climate negotiator, have criticized Trump for his threat to back out, and vowed to continue the work with or without the US.

Even without pulling out of the agreement, however, Trump could simply take advantage of the fact that it has no mechanisms of enforcement beyond requirements for transparency, and do nothing to regulate or decrease US emissions. That too, the pontiff said, is unacceptable.

We are not custodians of a museum or of its major artifacts to be dusted each day, but rather co-operators in protecting and developing the life and biodiversity of the planet and of human life present there, Pope Francis said.

Neither Trump nor Myron Ebell, who is leading the Environmental Protection Agency transition, share that philosophy. Ebell has suggested that climate research is actually an arm of a coordinated political movement, and told Business Insider in August that environmental issues are best resolved by innovation in the free market. It would be much better to free up the economy and get rid of the EPA rules and a lot of the Department of Energy programs, he said.

Bob Walker, a senior Trump advisor, has also suggested that the administration will strip funding from NASAs earth science research. The cut, Walker told the Guardian, is part of an effort to eliminate politicized science and prioritize deep space research. But the pope also suggested the nature of scientific research and consensus means it doesnt have an agenda.

It falls to scientists, who work free of political, economic or ideological interests, to develop a cultural model which can face the crisis of climatic change and its social consequences, the pontiff said.

Environmentalists are already prepared for a future full of showdowns with Trump.

If Trump does try to undermine climate action, he will run headlong into an organized mass of people who will fight him in the courts, in the states, in the marketplace and in the streets, Michael Brune, executive Director of the Sierra Club wrote in a statement following the election.

It seems those advocates will have the pope on their side.

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President-elect Donald Trump has announced on Twitter that he will hold a major press conference next month to detail a plan for stepping away from his many business interests.

Trumps family will be joining the president-elect as he outlines a roadmap to remove himself from his business dealings, leaving group companies under the guidance of his children and trusted advisors.

In his tweets, Trump maintained that the law does not require him to take such a step but that he feels  it is visually important, as President, to avoid any possible conflict of interest that he may face during his term in the White House.

The Presidency is a far more important task! said the president-elect, as he concluded a series of tweets announcing the set-up of legal avenues through which he will be stepping away from his business interests to solely concentrate on his work as president of the United States.

According to an analysis by CNN, Trump owns or has positions in over 500 companies, including those that have done business in 25 foreign countries  like Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Despite his decision to hand over the reins of the business to daughter Ivanka Trump and sons Donald Jr. and Eric, ethics experts maintain that this would not completely settle conflict of interest issues. An example of this would be Ivankas presence during Trumps meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump Towers earlier this month.

Trump seems to believe he's above the law, said Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, a Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, who has called for an investigation into the president-elects business interests, CNNMoney reported. That's dangerous for democracy, and it's our duty to look at these situations.

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Corporate Americas biggest worry about incoming President Donald Trump is that hell ignite trade wars with China, Mexico and other big exporters. His pick for Commerce Secretary, private-equity billionaire Wilbur Ross, says thats not going to happen.

There arent going to be trade wars, Ross told Yahoo Finance the day after the election. There are plenty of things that could be done that would not be the end of the Earth but would help our trade balance.

On the campaign trail, Trump talked tough about slapping quotas on cheap imports and punishing China if its currency appeared to be undervalued. If those things were to happen, it would make imports more expensive for American consumers, invite similar quotas on American exports and possibly cause a recession. Hence the worry in US boardrooms.

But Ross, who as Commerce Secretary would lead any trade negotiations, describes a more benign approach. On Mexico, he points out that the United States accounts for 80% of Mexican exports, which gives the United States plenty of leverage to lean on its southern neighbor to buy more American-made products. If Im a guys 80% customer, is he going to fight with me? Ross says. No, hes going to negotiate.

The goal, he says, wouldnt be to punish US companies that produce goods in Mexico, but to reduce Americas $60 billion trade deficit with Mexico. That can be done two ways: by Mexico exporting less to the United States or buying more from it. Either could be accomplished, he says, without dismantling the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The US trade deficit with China is about $335 billion. Ross highlights at least two ways to lower that. First, persuade China to buy more stuff from the United States that it currently imports from somewhere else. Example: energy products, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Trump is going to be promoting LNG and its export, Ross says. It wouldnt be hard for [China] to buy more LNG from us than from the Gulf countries. (Tip for investors: Keep an eye on energy stocks.)

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The second thing the United States can do is persuade China to ease its own limits on imports of American raw materials. They export to us lots of apparel and lots of footwear, but they have quotas on American exports of cotton, Ross explains. They could relax those quotas.

Ross makes it sound easy, but theres no guarantee trading partners will go along. If they dont, thats where Trumps stick would replace the carrot. If they wont negotiate, says Ross, then it may become necessary as a negotiating measure to threaten them with as much as a 45% tariff. Thats not a rash statement. That gives you a flavor for his negotiating position. While campaigning, Trump often suggested such measures as a starting point, but Ross suggests theyd be more of a last resort.

Trumps trade policies would generate losers, especially if partners like China and Mexico bought more American products while reducing purchases from other countries. Russia sells a lot of gas to China and surely wouldnt get muscled aside by the Americans without protest. Many emerging markets supply Mexico and China as well, and they could suffer from reduced exports, with negative implications for financial markets. But Trumps stated goal is to put America first. Were starting to see how.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
Mitt Romney

President-elect Donald Trump is down to his final four candidates in what has been a drama-filled search for his secretary of state.

Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer told reporters during a Wednesday morning press call that Trump was down to four candidates for the administration post. Spicer said no additional appointments are expected this week.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the search was down to five candidates: 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker, former CIA Director David Petraeus, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly. Trump is meeting with Kelly on Wednesday.

It's not clear which of the four is out of the running. Romney, Corker, and Petraeus all met recently with Trump to discuss the post. Giuliani, an early favorite, has seemingly fallen out of favor over the past few weeks.

After a high-profile dinner with Trump last night, Romney told reporters he has "increasing hope" the president-elect can lead the US to a "better future."

"What I've seen through these discussions I've had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we've seen in his speech on the night of his victory, as well as the people he's selected as part of his transition  all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the man who can lead us to that better future," Romney said.

But while Romney is viewed by many as the front-runner, some within Trump's camp, such as senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, have criticized Romney for ridiculing Trump throughout the campaign.

Corker, a Tennessee Republican, also seemed to needle Romney after a meeting the senator had with Trump on Wednesday, saying that the head of the State Department must be extremely loyal to the president.

"The secretary of state's role is so important to a president," Corker told reporters, according to a pool report. "He needs to choose someone that he's very comfortable with and he knows that there's going to be no daylight between him and them. He needs to know that the secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president."

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Asked whether Trump told him about a timeline for the decision, Corker said they "didn't talk about that."

And following his meeting with Petraeus, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information, Trump tweeted that he "was very impressed!"

But the idea of Petraeus as secretary of state, after Trump and fellow Republicans lambasted Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for her handling of classified information as secretary of state, has been criticized. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Wednesday said he didn't know how Senate Republicans could confirm the former CIA director "with a straight face."

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Donald Trump is in negotiations with Carrier to keep two Indiana air conditioning and furnace plants from moving to Mexico, eliminating 2,100 U.S. jobs. A video of executives informing workers of the plant closures went viral in February, leading Trump to vow to stop the outsourcing. Now president-elect, he is exerting his new leverage to make that a reality.

But someone else already holds that power. His name is Barack Obama. He just doesnt seem to care.

The most Obama has said about Carrier, at a June town hall in Indiana, is that some jobs are just not going to come back. He cited automation in manufacturing, enabling many fewer workers to staff a production line than in previous decades, though thats a separate issue from Carriers outsourcing.

Later in the discussion, Obama challenged Trumps promises to keep Carriers plant open. Hes going to bring these jobs back. Well, how are you exactly going to do that, what are you going to do? Theres no answer to it.

In fact, every tool Trump could possibly use to persuade Carrier to keep operations in Indiana has been available to Obama since the day of the companys announcement. He has just chosen not to use them.

For example, Carrier is a subsidiary of United Technologies, an aerospace and defense firm and one of the 10 biggest federal contractors as of 2014. The company had $56 billion in revenues last year, and over 10 percent came from the U.S. military.

Obama could have used those lucrative contracts as a condition of maintaining the Carrier plant, just as Trump is now being urged to do by Senator Bernie Sanders. I call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico, Sanders said in a statement last week.

Its precisely the kind of hardball Obama has consistently played with federal contractors in other contexts. He has signed executive orders to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers to $10.10 an hour, ensure paid sick leave, and promote from within the company. He also signed an order to make companies ineligible for federal contracts if they violated employment and labor law over the past three years. He has no compunction against using the governments leverage as a large purchaser of goods and services to get better outcomes for workers. But this power has been set aside with respect to Carrier  and outsourcing in general.

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During the campaign, Trump vowed that he would slap a 35 percent tariff on any goods coming in from that Carrier plant in Mexico. Critics described this as the stirrings of a counter-productive trade war. But reducing the benefits of outsourcing is substantially similar to what President Obama tried to do to prevent corporate inversions, where companies merge with an overseas firm and shift their nominal headquarters to that country (though none of their workers) to avoid the higher U.S. tax rate.

Obamas Treasury Department issued regulations to make inversions a less lucrative tax avoidance scheme. The main element seeks to prevent earnings-stripping, the shifting of income into low-tax countries through loans from the corporate parent. Other provisions nullified the tax benefits of inversions by cracking down on serial inverters and making the mergers unprofitable.

These rules stopped a merger between drugmaker Pfizer and Irish firm Allergan earlier this year, showing that the chief executive can intervene in corporate maneuvering. But Obama has shown more willingness to do so to protect U.S. tax revenues than U.S. jobs.

Labor unions have criticized Obama virtually his entire presidency for lax attention to outsourcing, citing actions he could have taken without Congressional input. These include declaring China a currency manipulator to reduce the attractiveness of Chinese goods and ending trade deals that hurt American workers rather than promoting them. Critics point out that the head of Obamas Jobs and Competitiveness Council was GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, whose company has a legacy of outsourcing stretching back decades.

Some observers argue that a president of 320 million shouldnt involve himself in individual situations involving just a couple thousand jobs. But the bully pulpit can have effects on other companies as well. And local politicians routinely work with companies in their backyards to encourage them to stay put, typically by offering them tax incentives. Trump appears to be doing something similar with Carrier, discussing a massive tax cut that would allow major corporations to bring back money held overseas at a low rate. Carriers has $6 billion stashed abroad.

Such a massive tax amnesty as a carrot for keeping a handful of jobs in America is obviously disproportionate.

But Obama has talked about using the tax code to entice companies to invest in American jobs repeatedly; its not unique to Trump. Obama promised to remove tax deductions for outsourcing and provide incentives for bringing manufacturing back home  a core Democratic promise since the 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign. It never got done.

Obama has also proposed to double tax incentives for advanced manufacturing, offer $5 billion in clean energy manufacturing tax credits, extend the 100 percent expensing on investment in plants and equipment, and creating a Manufacturing Communities Tax Credit specifically for places like Indianapolis that experience job loss from outsourcing. Some of these tax credits were part of the 2009 stimulus.

Sanders, who routinely criticizes the excess profits and corporate welfare earned by companies that ship jobs overseas, recently vowed to introduce the Outsourcing Prevention Act, which would prevent companies that outsource from receiving federal contracts, tax breaks, grants, or loans, and would claw back a decades worth of those federal benefits from any company that outsources more than 50 jobs in a given year. Sanders would also tax companies that move jobs offshore, and tax the bonuses, stock options, and golden parachutes of executives of outsourcing companies.

At that Indiana town hall, Obama did not show this kind of fight. You cannot look backwards, he said then. And that doesnt make folks feel good sometimes, especially if it was a town thats reliant on a couple of big manufacturers. But theyre going to have to retrain for the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past.

Workers at the Carrier plant, while skeptical of Trump in other contexts, supported his presidential campaign because he signaled that he would at least fight for their livelihoods. Even if they dont fully believe Trump can get it done, they at least found him willing to try.

Democrats lack an answer for these working-class manufacturing communities. Telling them to be realists certainly isnt working.

The post Trumps Showdown With Manufacturer Exposes Obamas Weakness on Outsourcing appeared first on The Intercept.
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's showpiece Washington hotel is at risk once its namesake becomes president, US legal experts said, because of a contract clause that forbids elected officials from having any stake in the property.

Trump International Hotel, located a stone's throw from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, had its grand opening ceremony last month, with the Manhattan billionaire taking time from the campaign trail to preside at the event.

The Trump Organization spent some $200 million on renovations reopening the former government office building as a hotel.

But a 60-year lease that it signed in 2013 with the federal government's General Services Administration for the capital's historic Old Post Office bars any "elected official" from profiting in the arrangement.

"The lease -- in which Donald Trump would, in effect, be both landlord and tenant -- now presents unprecedented and intolerable conflicts of interest," Steven Schooner and Daniel Gordon, two experts on government procurement law, wrote in an essay published Monday.

"In a perfect world, Trump and the GSA would negotiate a mutually agreeable termination of the lease or a novation/transfer to an unrelated firm," they wrote, adding that this was unlikely and that therefore the agency should act unilaterally to end the relationship.

Contacted by AFP, the GSA said only that it would work with Trump's transition team "to address any issues that may be related to the Old Post Office building."

But the GSA said it is up to the Office of Government Ethics to provide "guidance to the executive branch on questions of ethics and conflicts of interest."

In an interview with NPR, Schooner said that as things stand currently, "some civil servant at GSA is going to sit down with the president of the United States' children to negotiate adjustments to a multimillion-dollar lease on an annual basis -- that's incomprehensible."

The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment but in a characteristic tweetstorm on Wednesday morning, Trump said he was in the process of extricating himself from business conflicts.

Trump has said he plans to hold a press conference December 15 to announce how he plans to disentangle himself from his business dealings so that he can concentrate on the presidency. It is not clear however if he will address the issue of his Washington hotel at that event.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkey is seeking multiple life sentences for nearly 70 suspects, including the leader of the main Syrian Kurdish political party, over a deadly bombing in Ankara this year blamed on Kurdish militants, state media said Wednesday.

Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) leader Salih Muslim and several prominent Kurdish militants have been indicted over the February 17 attack on military vehicles that killed 29 people, the official news agency Anadolu said.

Ankara said the PYD and its military wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), were responsible for the bombing.

However a radical splinter group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- claimed the attack.

It said the suicide bombing was revenge for Turkish military operations in the Turkey's southeast where violence has renewed since the collapse of a ceasefire last year.

The indictment says that TAK is "a unit established to undertake sensational actions" by the PKK, Hurriyet daily reported.

Ankara prosecutors are seeking 30 aggravated life sentences for each of 68 suspects in the attack, with one life term stemming from each victim killed and one additional for acting "against the state's security", Anadolu said.

According to Anadolu, prosecutors divided the accused between the alleged organisation leaders -- including Muslim -- and suspects who "participated" in the attack.

They charged that PKK senior leaders gave instructions for the attack that was then carried out by members and some non-members.

Fugitive PKK leaders Cemil Bayik, Murat Karayilan and Fehman Huseyin were also named in the indictment, Anadolu said.

Turkey views the PYD and YPG as terrorist organisations linked to the PKK, which has waged an insurgency inside the country since 1984.

The PKK is proscribed as a terror group by the United States and the European Union.

But Washington sees the PYD and YPG as the main allies on the ground in northern Syria fighting against the Islamic State group, causing friction with its NATO ally Turkey.

The indictment comes a week after Ankara issued an arrest warrant for Muslim and the other suspects.

The PYD leader, who last visited Turkey in 2015, had rubbished the warrant and said it should not be taken seriously.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Muslims to help protect Jerusalem and support the Palestinian cause. The 62-year-old leader took a tough stance against Israel at a time when Turkey is looking to improve ties between the two nations, ending nearly six years of hostilities.

It is the common duty of all Muslims to embrace the Palestinian cause and protect Jerusalem, Erdogan reportedly said Tuesday at a parliamentary symposium in Istanbul.

He added that the protection of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Sunni Islam located in the Old City of Jerusalem, should not be left to children only armed with stones, a likely reference to Palestinian youths who pelt Israeli security forces with stones. The site is also the holiest one for Jews who believe it to be the location of two biblical temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967 and in 1980, annexed the city -- a move not recognized by the international community. Erdogan said Tuesday that a two-state solution is required with Israel and Palestine going back to their pre-1967 borders to establish peace in the region.

The only way for permanent peace in the Middle East is a free and independent Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, he reportedly said. It is not possible to provide peace in the region without bandaging this wound in the Middle East.

Erdogan also condemned the controversial anti-noise legislation dubbed the muezzin bill. The Israeli parliament proposed the bill on Nov. 13 saying it would restrict the use of loudspeakers at mosques in the country to tackle noise. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the bill criticized by Muslims, Jewish and Christian communities.

The Turkish president called the bill irrational and conscienceless adding that Israel was adopting policies of repression and discrimination against our Palestinian brothers.

Erdogans comments come at a time when Israel and Turkey are attempting to restore ties which were severed when an Israeli commando raid killed Turkish activists delivering aid to besieged Gaza.

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Turkey even sent firefighting aircraft to help Israel tackle wildfires last week that forced thousands to evacuate. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin personally thanked his Turkish counterpart for his help during a phone call Monday.

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By Ceyda Caglayan

ISTANBUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Turkish Airlines, which has seen profits hit by a weak lira and tough market, plans to lease out eight of its Airbus A330-200 aircraft, aviation company Air Partner said in a statement, a move that will help it to reduce costs.

The partly state-owned Turkish carrier has been hit by the steady decline of the lira, falling tourism, and stiff competition this year. Its third-quarter net profit almost halved to 584 million lira ($170 million).

Aircraft remarketing agent Cabot Aviation, a division of Air Partner Plc, said the Airbus aircraft would be made available on a wet lease basis, which includes crew, maintenance and insurance, or over a longer period on dry lease.

"These Turkish Airlines aircraft offer an operator the ability to quickly supplement capacity or test markets," Cabot's senior vice president Greg Cope said in a statement.

Turkish Airlines could not immediately be reached for comment. Though its passenger numbers increased in the first ten months of 2016, partly due to transit traffic, its load factor - a measure of capacity utilization - fell.

Turkish tourism has been hammered this year by a spate of bombings by Islamic State and Kurdish militants, and by a failed coup in July. Tourist arrivals plunged 31 percent in the first ten months of 2016 from the same period a year earlier.

The head of Turkish budget carrier Pegasus, a Turkish Airlines rival on some routes, told Reuters last week that it may postpone the delivery of new aircraft, lease some of its current fleet and sell older planes after a difficult year for tourism.

($1 = 3.4260 liras) (Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Alexander Smith)
Where do you get ideas for bills? a woman at a cafe recently asked me.

The best ideas for bills come from people like you, I told her.

December begins a brief time of calm in the Capitol. But behind the scenes, lawmakers are working on new legislation. In the next few weeks I will be drafting bills to introduce in January. I am looking for your ideas.

Lawmakers will open the 103rd session of the Wisconsin Legislature Jan. 3. On that day, and for perhaps the next fifteen months, legislators will introduce roughly 1,800 bills or proposals.

Many of my best ideas for new legislation come from people like you. Ideas show up in my inbox or as a phone call. Often these proposals happen because a question seems to have no common sense answer.

For example, two local school superintendents contacted me with the same question. Why does the state give us extra money to help run rural schools and  in the same funding formula  take away some of our state aid?

I introduced a bill to change the school aid formula and bring needed aid to rural schools.

Broadband is another unmet rural need. Many people called to complain about a lack of high-speed internet service. Through research I discovered unused funds and introduced a bill to use these funds to expand rural broadband. Much work remains to bring internet access to all.

Sometimes a new and serious problem occurs and many constituents with similar complaints contact me. Such is the case with sand mining.

Over the years many constituents have contacted me with specific problems that resulted in me drafting new proposals. In one example, a man bought land and built his dream house in rural Jackson County. He called in tears one day when he learned quite by accident neighbors on three sides of the property had contracts with sand mines and plan to open a mine. This arrangement was made before he bought the land.

His sad story resulted in a bill that requires disclosure of sand mine contracts as part of the normal real estate buying process.

A mother called when she realized an unfair situation happened unintentionally  in this case because of a number in the law. Her son was graduating as valedictorian. State law awards these smart teens an academic scholarship. But the law limited the award to school districts with 80 students. Local enrollment had dropped to just below eighty, leaving her son and other smart rural teens unable to get the same earned reward as their urban peers.

Many people tell me of their concern about the political system. I acted to make Wisconsin politics fairer and more transparent by introducing a series of bills: a referendum on nonpartisan redistricting; banning lawmakers from passing a law that financially benefits their campaign; disqualifying a judges action based on campaign contributions; and shining a light on corporate campaign contributions.

Similarly, people are concerned about legislative speed and secrecy  especially related to the budget. Ive introduced proposals to slow things down and keep nonfiscal policy out of the budget. It is interesting to note that none of these proposals passed  or even had a hearing.

Often people call me when they are upset over threats to their way of life. Such was the case when railroad police warned locals who crossed rail tracks on their way to ice fishing. I introduced a bill to eliminate the powers of the railroad police and another to allow for a complaint system for those threatened.

As a result of anglers concerns, rail officials are working with locals to build needed rail crossings. This is one example of how introducing a bill can create change even if the bill does not become law.

So dont be shy in letting me know what new bills should be introduced!

In the next few weeks I will be working through ideas for new legislation. The best ideas come from you. You can reach me toll free at 1-877-763-6636 or by email at sen.vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Syria's Aleppo with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone for the third time in a week on Wednesday and agreed on the need for a ceasefire, sources in Erdogan's office said. The sources said the two leaders agreed on intensifying efforts toward a cessation of hostilities and on the need for the provision of aid to the city, the sources said. Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the rebels fighting to oust him, but the two have been trying to find common ground on Syria since a rapprochement in August. Syrian rebels on Wednesday vowed to fight on in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances that have cut the city's opposition sector by a third and brought the insurgents to the brink of a catastrophic defeat. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Tuvan Gumrukcu)
Damascus (AFP) - The Israeli air force fired two missiles at dawn on Wednesday that hit near Damascus, without causing any casualties, Syrian state television said.

"The air force of the Israeli enemy today launched two missiles from Lebanese air space," it said, adding that they hit the Sabbura area west of Damascus.

Israel, which is technically still at war with Syria, has sought to limit its involvement in its neighbour's five-year conflict.

But it has carried out sporadic sorties against Lebanon's Hezbollah inside Syria, which has forces fighting in support of the Damascus government.
ROME (Reuters) - Two-time Italian premier Romano Prodi on Wednesday backed Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's flagship constitutional reform and said he would vote in favor of it in a referendum this weekend. But Prodi criticized the 41-year-old prime minister's decision to stake the government and his political career on the vote. Renzi has been furiously campaigning for his reform, appearing repeatedly in talk shows, online interviews and radio programs as he tries to turn around what polls indicated was a lead for the 'No' camp when a blackout period began on Nov. 18. The Sunday referendum calls for the abolition of an elected upper house and its replacement with a chamber of regional representatives which will have much reduced powers. It also proposes taking back key decision-making powers from the regions. Prodi is a founder of Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) and he won two elections against center-right rival Silvio Berlusconi in 1996 and 2006. Until Wednesday, he had not taken a public stand on the referendum. "I feel it is my duty to make public my 'Yes' vote, in the hope that it will help reinforce our democratic rules," Prodi said in a statement. Prodi's endorsement was far from resounding, however. He called Renzi's changes a "modest constitutional reform" that lacked the "necessary clarity or depth". Renzi has held dozens of rallies across Italy in the past two months to promote the reform. If Italians reject it in the referendum, he has said he will step down after 2 1/2 years in office. Financial markets have been jittery ahead of the vote, with government bond yields rising and equities - especially banking stocks - falling on fears that a Renzi loss will bring about a period of political instability. (Additional reporting by Valentina Accardo, writing by Steve Scherer; editing by Ralph Boulton)
(Adds details on cash receipts, background and byline)

By Karl Plume

Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. net farm income is expected to drop for a third consecutive year in 2016, sinking 17.2 percent to $66.9 billion due largely to weak returns for livestock, dairy and poultry farms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

The updated forecast from the agency's Economic Research Service (ERS) was down from its August forecast of $71.5 billion and down 46 percent from record profits for the sector of $123.7 billion in 2013.

If realized, the income would be the lowest since 2009, according to the ERS, signaling pressure for the slumping farm sector.

The weakening farm economy has triggered cost cutting and job reductions at major farm input providers like seed and chemicals company Monsanto and equipment maker Deere , both of which reported lower revenues in fiscal 2016.

Meat processor Tyson Foods this month reported a steep drop in sales and forecast further headwinds into 2017.

Cash receipts for producers of animals and animal products - including dairy, beef, pork, poultry and eggs - are projected to fall 12.3 percent to $166.4 billion this year, the lowest since 2011, ERS data showed.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures plunged by nearly 41 percent in the third quarter, the steepest quarterly decline on record, as cheap feed grains encouraged a much-expanded hog herd. CME live cattle fell 18 percent in the quarter, also the largest drop on record, as beef faced stiff competition from abundant supplies of cheaper pork and poultry meat.

Row crop farming cash receipts were seen unchanged at $186.5 billion as stronger returns for soybean and cotton producers were offset by declines for corn and vegetable farmers.

Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybeans have each notched new seven-year lows in 2016 as a record-large U.S. harvest swelled global supplies.

(Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Tom Brown)
(Adds details on OPEC deal)

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Benchmark U.S. municipal bond prices fell on Wednesday, lifting yields as much as 10 basis points, following an announcement by OPEC to limit crude production.

Yields on AAA-rated muni bonds in the 2036-2046 maturity rose 8-10 basis points, according to a preliminary scale read from Municipal Market Data (MMD), a unit of Thomson Reuters.

OPEC agreed on Wednesday to the first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output, sending oil prices soaring more than 10 percent.

Greg Saulnier, muni research analyst at MMD, said the oil deal triggered a Treasuries selloff, which weakened municipals.

Issuance hit a year low in November, but is expected to return to a normal level.

"Hefty primary supply issuance is weighing on the whole market," said Saulnier. "Once the primary issuance kicked off, it made munis extend losses." (Reporting by Robin Respaut; Editing by Sandra Maler and Meredith Mazzilli)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday aimed at cutting the Asian country's annual export revenue by a quarter in response to Pyongyang's fifth and largest nuclear test in September. The 15-member council unanimously adopted a resolution to slash North Korea's biggest export, coal, by about 60 percent with an annual sales cap of $400.9 million or 7.5 million metric tonnes, whichever is lower. The U.S.-drafted resolution also bans copper, nickel, silver and zinc exports and the sale of statues by Pyongyang. The United States was realistic about what the new sanctions on North Korea - also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - will achieve, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, told the council after the vote. "No resolution in New York will likely, tomorrow, persuade Pyongyang to cease its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons. But this resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the DPRK regime for defying this Council's demands," she said. "In total, this resolution will slash by at least $800 million per year the hard currency that the DPRK has to fund its prohibited weapons programs, which constitutes a full 25 percent of the DPRK's entire export revenues," Power said. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. It conducted its latest nuclear test on Sept. 9. "Sanctions are only as effective as their implementation," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council. "It is incumbent on all member states of the United Nations to make every effort to ensure that these sanctions are fully implemented." China, believed to be the only country buying North Korean coal, would slash its imports by some $700 million compared with 2015 sales under the new sanctions, diplomats said. Over the first 10 months of 2016, China imported 18.6 million tonnes of coal from North Korea, up almost 13 percent from a year earlier. North Korean exports to the end of 2016 will now be capped at $53.5 million, or 1 million metric tonnes. While China said it was opposed to North Korea's nuclear tests, U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi accused the United States and South Korea of intensifying confrontation with North Korea by scaling up military exercises and presence. He described the planned U.S. deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea as "neither conducive to the realization of the goal of de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula nor helpful to the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula." The U.N. resolution blacklisted 11 more individuals, including former ambassadors to Egypt and Myanmar, and 10 entities, subjecting them to a global travel ban and asset freeze for ties to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. It calls on U.N. states to reduce the number of staff at North Korea's foreign missions and requires countries to limit the number of bank accounts to one per North Korean diplomatic mission amid concerns that Pyongyang had used its diplomats and foreign missions to engage in illicit activities. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Jonathan Oatis)
Faced with a dire U.N. warning of a possible genocide in South Sudan, the United States was set this week to finally embrace an arms embargo against the worlds newest country to ratchet down the military might of its warring parties and, potentially, help spare the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire of worsening civil war.

But the effort, which Washington delayed for more than two years, may now be coming too late. The South Sudanese military, which built up its arsenal during three years of civil war, is poised to launch an offensive as the annual dry season  prime time for fighting  resumes in December. And U.S. President Barack Obamas administration, struggling to mount an international response to the killing, has been forced to shelve its planned sanctions after American diplomats realized they couldnt muster the nine votes necessary for U.N. Security Council approval.

On Wednesday, Keith Harper, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council, told diplomats in Geneva that South Sudans government has mobilized 4,000 troops to carry out attacks against towns in the countrys southern Equatoria provinces, where he said at least 1,901 homes have been destroyed in fighting over the last two months.

We have credible information that the South Sudanese government is currently targeting civilians in Central Equatoria and preparing for large-scale attacks in the coming days or weeks, Harper said.

An arms embargo, even if delayed, could still reduce the scale of military fighting over time, said Edmund Yakani, the executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO). I wish the United States could have done this right away when the violence started in 2013, he told Foreign Policy in a Skype interview from Juba, South Sudans capital.

The possibility of genocide is high, Yakani said.

But in New York, officials said Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has put off new plans to call for a Security Council vote for the arms embargo. The American-drafted resolution, shelved Tuesday, also would have imposed targeted sanctions against top South Sudanese officials, according to Security Council diplomats.

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The U.S. strategy for South Sudan in the 15-nation council is at risk of unraveling. It faces resistance not only from traditional rivals, including China, Russia, and Venezuela, and from the African states of Angola, Egypt, and Senegal. But it is also opposed by close American allies, including Japan, which is reluctant to confront South Sudan while hundreds of its own peacekeepers are there. Malaysia has also expressed reservations over the text.

A separate U.S.-backed push by the United Nations to send more than 4,000 additional U.N. peacekeeping reinforcements to South Sudan, primarily based in Juba, has been fiercely resisted by the countrys officials, fueling pessimism over the prospects of them ever deploying. A key potential contributor, Kenya, has meanwhile pulled out of the U.N. operation. Nairobi is protesting a recent decision by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to fire the missions Kenyan force commander for failing to protect civilians during a bout of fighting violence in Juba last summer that effectively marked the de facto death of the countrys peace process.

The Security Council has lost its way on South Sudan, said Richard Gowan, an expert on U.N. peacekeeping with the European Council on Foreign Relations. The combined effort of American diplomats and their Security Council partners, he said, feels more like symbolic diplomacy than anything real.

Gowan noted that the councils focus on pouring reinforcements into Juba, which has calmed since the summer, may be misdirected. Its no longer a question of securing Juba, he said. An increased presence of U.N. peacekeepers in Juba is not going to affect the spreading chaos. The violence has already moved out to other regions.

The United States remains committed to seeking the passage of an arms embargo. But this weeks setback provided a painful illustration of the waning influence of the Obama administration in its final weeks in power. It also reflected what some council diplomats view as a halting American diplomatic strategy that was marred by a failure to invest sufficient time in convincing wavering council members to support the measure.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately provide comment for this story Wednesday.

I think they have completely bungled it, said one observer who closely tracks the negotiations but would speak only on condition of anonymity. They should have done the legwork and reached out to these countries before telling them they planned to table [the resolution].

A Security Council diplomat said the United States had made other tactical errors, piling on a raft of targeted sanctions against senior South Sudanese government officials that made it harder for countries, particular those with troops on the ground, to accept the arms embargo. The diplomat said the United States sat on a far better chance to push for the embargo last summer, when South Sudans government was facing international condemnation for its attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and international aid workers.

They kind of missed an opportunity, said the diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. I think they may be paying a price for their hesitation.

The United States held out the threat of an arms embargo for more than two years, but Susan Rice, Obamas national security advisor, has been reluctant to pull the trigger, arguing internally that it could undermine a democratically elected governments ability to defend itself against an insurgency that has also committed massive human rights abuses. Rice has also voiced concern that an embargo would be ineffective because South Sudans neighbors, including its military ally Uganda, would not enforce it even if one were imposed.

But Rice and other senior U.S. officials have since given their blessing to a U.S. push for an arms embargo, reflecting mounting concern that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has largely abandoned the peace process and plans to resolve the countrys political standoff through a return to war.

South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013, when forces loyal to Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, opened fire on followers of his former vice president, Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer. The violence inside Juba targeted Nuer civilians for slaughter, prompting Machar to organize armed resistance to Kiirs rule. That launched a civil war that evolved from a political struggle for power into an ethnic conflict that pits the majority Dinka against the countrys other tribes.

The warning signs are there, Adama Dieng, the U.N. chiefs special advisor for the prevention of genocide, told the Security Council on Nov. 17, following a visit to South Sudan. Throughout my visit, conversations with all actors confirmed that what began as a political conflict has transformed into what could become an outright ethnic war.

Action can and must be taken now to address some of the factors that could provide fertile ground for genocide, Dieng added.

A shaky U.S.-backed power-sharing arrangement between Kiir and Machar collapsed in July, after a surge of fighting between their forces in Juba led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians and Machar fleeing the country. The United States subsequently cut off Machar, effectively throwing Washingtons support behind a government that has increasingly ruled solely on behalf of Dinkas. Machar, meanwhile, has called on his armed followers to resume resistance to Kiir and has pledged to return to South Sudan.

Since July, violence has spread from Juba to greater Equatoria  where more than 200,000 people have fled a government offensive between July and October  and the Western Bahr el-Ghazal, Upper Nile, and Unity states. In Yei, armed forces linked to the government, and drawn primarily from the Dinka tribe, have reportedly carried out a brutal campaign of rapes, extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, looting, and the burning of homes, according to a report published this month by a U.N. panel of experts. Members of South Sudans other tribes see no viable forum to express political dissent, pursue reform or ensure their basic security, the panel reported.

In Central Equatoria, which encompasses Juba, armed opposition groups have responded by carrying out reprisals against Dinkas. That has spurred threats by Kiir to lead the armys military offensive across the region.

[T]he war is increasingly characterized by the targeting of civilians on a tribal basis, given that it has evolved into what is widely perceived to be a zero-sum confrontation between the Dinka and non-Dinka tribes in many areas, the U.N. panel concluded. The situation, the panel warned, holds the possibility for a catastrophic escalation of violence.

Alan Boswell, a researcher for the Small Arms Survey who recently returned from the border between South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said eyewitnesses fleeing Central Equatoria described Dinka paramilitary forces ravaging other ethnic communities where the rebellion is making headway.

Ethnic cleansing has characterized this entire war, Boswell told FP, relaying eyewitness descriptions of villages looted and abandoned and civilians killed based on ethnicity.

Yakani of CEPO told FP that warring parties have stockpiled enough weapons and firepower to spur massive fighting that could lead to the commitment of atrocities. In Yei and other trouble spots, fighting has barred communities from gaining access to their farms, and the humanitarian situation is getting worse every day, he said.

A breakdown in security, marked by a surge of armed robberies across the country, has increased in recent months, Yakani said. But the greatest fear among locals, he said, is of a massive military confrontation.

Yakani added: The citizens are losing hope in the peace agreement.

FP Africa editor Ty McCormick contributed to this report from Nairobi.

Photo credit: ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN/AFP/Getty Images
London (AFP) - Britain's pro-Brexit foreign minister, Boris Johnson, has told at least four European Union ambassadors that he personally favours free movement within the bloc, Sky News said Wednesday.

The remarks are "incendiary," as they imply the country's top diplomat and a prominent "Leave" campaigner is saying one thing in public and the opposite in private, it said.

Sky quoted four ambassadors as saying Johnson privately told them he supports freedom of movement, a key point of contention in Britain's divorce from the EU.

"Boris Johnson has been openly telling us that he is personally in favour of free movement," one diplomat was quoted as saying. All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity, the report said.

The view was backed by another EU ambassador quoted by Sky News: "(Johnson) told us he was personally in favour of it, but he said that Britain had been more affected by free movement of people than other EU member states."

"He did say he was personally in favour of free movement, as it corresponds to his own beliefs. But he said it wasn't government policy," a third ambassador reportedly told the news outlet.

Another ambassador corroborated the comments and said Johnson was speaking at an ambassadors' lunch, Sky News said.

A fifth ambassador interviewed said he did not hear Johnson make such comments, remarking the British foreign minister lacked credibility and claiming diplomats "don't care what he says".

The former mayor of London, Johnson was a key backer in the campaign to leave the EU and was appointed foreign minister after the June 23 referendum in which the UK voted in favour of Brexit.

The successful anti-EU campaign focussed largely on stopping immigration from the other 27 member states.

Nick Clegg, former deputy prime minister, criticised Johnson for appearing to air a different opinion privately to that which his used on the pro-Brexit campaign trail.

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"It does suggest that Boris Johnson... is just treating voters like fools. Let's remember, Boris Johnson was the figurehead of the Brexit campaign," Clegg, former leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, told Sky News.

- 'Take back control' of immigration -

A foreign ministry source however said Johnson's comments to ambassadors did not differ to his public statements.

aThe foreign secretary said what he has said many times before -- he is pro immigration but wants to take back control to limit numbers.

"He did not say he supported freedom of movement and challenges anyone to show proof that he ever said that,a the source told AFP.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will seek to curb migration from the continent during negotiations with Brussels, a two-year process the premier has promised to begin by the end of March.

But EU leaders have repeatedly warned Britain it will not be able to retain access to the European single market while at the same restricting freedom of movement.

Johnson dismissed such a view in September, in comments which seem to stand at odds with those ambassadors said he made on free movement.

"They would have us believe that there is some automatic trade-off between what they call access to the single market and free movement. Complete baloney. Absolute baloney," he said.

"The two things have nothing to do with each other. We should go for a jumbo free-trade deal and take back control of our immigration policy."
Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey are still working on ways to control an invasive species of fish in the area.

Jon Amberg, a fish biologist with the USGS, recently spoke with members of Friends of the Black River and gave a presentation on some of these new control methods.

Two specific types of Asian carp, the bighead and silver carp, are the biggest concerns for biologists as their feeding habits can destroy habitats for native fish species.

The silver carp is also known for jumping out of the water when motorized boats disturb the water, which can harm boaters. Some carp can reach as heavy as 100 pounds and as long as three feet.

The most effective tactic in keeping the carp out of the Great Lakes is an electric barrier in the Illinois canal.

The electric barrier isnt 100 percent. Small fish can find their way through the barrier, Amberg said.

Other methods for control being considered are harvesting through commercial fishing, stream flow manipulation and injection carbon dioxide into the water.

Researchers hope that injecting the carbon dioxide into the water will drive the carp from the area by altering the pH level of the water.

The USGS asked for assistance from the University of Wisconsin-Plattevilles engineering department for help in developing a machine that can successfully inject the CO2.

The CO2 barrier affects all fish the same, Amberg said. We know CO2 will work, but this isnt a biology problem, this is an engineering problem.

Researchers are also looking into using sound or even using some chemicals to control the carp species, but these methods present their own problems.

Beyond working on control methods, researchers are also developing methods to help diagnose how extensive the invasive carp is.

While some fishers have reported catching the carp as far north as the St. Croix River, there have been no reports of the fish making it into the Black River.

Friends of Black River, which hosted Ambergs presentation, holds monthly meetings to educate the community about environmental issues and conservation.

For more information about the group, e-mail info_fbr@yahoo.com.
London (AFP) - Prime Minister Theresa May hit back Wednesday at the European Union's refusal to open talks on the future of EU citizens in post-Brexit Britain before formal divorce talks begin.

EU President Donald Tusk on Tuesday rebuffed a call by British lawmakers to put the status of Europeans in the UK and Britons living elsewhere in the EU on the agenda of the next EU summit in December.

"I had hoped -- would hope that this is an issue that we can look at at an early stage of the negotiations," May told parliament, saying it was "right that we want to give reassurance" to expatriates.

She added: "But I think the reaction that we've seen shows why it was absolutely right for us not to... give away the guarantee for rights of EU citizens here in the UK, because as we've seen that would have left UK citizens in Europe high and dry."

May has refused to guarantee the rights of an estimated three million EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit until a reciprocal deal is struck for British expats.

She has said however that she wants an "early" deal and raised the issue at numerous meetings with EU leaders, most recently with the Polish premier on Monday.

Media reports had indicated she was seeking some kind of agreement at next month's EU summit, a position cited by more than 80 lawmakers who wrote to Tusk last week.

The apparent failure of May's diplomacy is a "wake-up call" as to how tough Brexit negotiations will be as Britain depends on the goodwill of the 27 other member states, the Financial Times said.

Tusk said discussing the issue at the summit would effectively mean opening formal Brexit negotiations next month -- something only London can do.

EU leaders have repeatedly said there cannot be any talks on Brexit until Britain begins the formal exit process by triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty.

May says she will do this by the end of March.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain hopes to tackle the issue of the future rights of European Union citizens in Britain and Britons living in the EU early on in talks on Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the EU rebuffed a call from pro-Brexit British lawmakers for a quick deal on mutual residence rights for British and EU expatriates, telling them it was up to their government to launch full-blown divorce talks. May has said she will not kick off formal negotiations this year to give the government time to prepare, but will do so before the end of March next year. "I would hope that this is an issue that we can look at at an early stage in the negotiations, of course there will be two years of negotiations. I think it is right that we give reassurance to British citizens living in the EU and to EU citizens living here in the UK," she told parliament. (Reporting by William James and Kylie MacLellan, editing by Elizabeth Piper)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.

The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT.

The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operation and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas.

The UN condemned on Tuesday the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.

He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

"Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees," Rycroft said.

"The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through."
Geneva (AFP) - A UN panel has rejected Britain's request to review a ruling that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is being arbitrarily detained, according to a statement released late Wednesday in Geneva.

Having initially issued its opinion in favour of Assange in February, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said it was not changing course as the British request "did not meet the threshold of a review... and (was) thus not admissible".

Assange, 45, has been at the Ecuadoran embassy in London since 2012, having taken refuge to avoid being sent to Sweden where he faces rape allegations that he denies.

He fears Sweden would extradite him to the United States to answer for the leaking of diplomatic cables and other classified documents by his whistleblowing website. The disclosures caused huge embarrassment in Washington.

The UN panel, which is attached to the Human Rights Council, met between November 21-25 but only published its findings on Wednesday.

Assange said in a statement: "Now that all appeals are exhausted I expect that the UK and Sweden will comply with their international obligations and set me free. It is an obvious and grotesque injustice to detain someone for six years who hasn't even been charged with an offence."

The fate of the former computer hacker, who turned WikiLeaks into a vehicle for releasing classified documents on the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, remains unclear.

He was grilled over the longstanding rape allegation by an Ecuadoran prosecutor at the embassy for two days earlier this month. The questions were provided by Swedish officials but the answers were confidential.

Swedish prosecutors dropped a sexual assault probe into Assange last year after the five-year statute of limitations expired. But they still want to question him about the 2010 rape allegation, which carries a 10-year statute of limitations.

Assange insists the sexual encounters in question were consensual.
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously imposed its toughest sanctions on North Korea, placing a cap on the hermit state's key coal exports after its defiant nuclear tests.

The new sanctions resolution -- which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China -- passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution demands that North Korea "abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs" and takes aim at the state's exports of coal, its top external revenue source.

Under Resolution 2321, North Korea will be restricted from exporting more than 7.5 million tonnes of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 percent from 2015.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700 million in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, she said the move marked "the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation."

"So long as the DPRK makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat," Power said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

- China joins in pressure -

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.

"It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations," said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.

Ban said he was still committed to "sincere dialogue" to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.

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China is North Korea's primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

Although Beijing has traditionally protected Pyongyang diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Un's regime is preferable to its collapse, it has grown frustrated by the neighboring state's defiance.

China's UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing "strongly opposes" the North Korean nuclear tests -- but also made a veiled criticism of joint exercises between the United States and South Korea.

"Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation," he said at the Council.

"This situation must be changed as soon as possible," he said.

- Expanding breadth of sanctions -

The UN Security Council resolution condemns "in the strongest terms" North Korea's nuclear test on September 9 -- the communist state's second this year.

Pyongyang claimed at the time that it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturized warhead on a missile that could reach the United States.

North Korea, which insists its nuclear weapons are a deterrent to US "aggression," brushed aside earlier sanctions that targeted its weapons exports, access to financial markets and imports of luxury goods.

In addition to coal, the Security Council on Wednesday banned North Korea from exporting certain metals, including copper, silver, zinc and nickel, that bring in an estimated $100 million a year.

The Security Council also added 10 companies and 11 individuals --including the former North Korean ambassadors to Egypt and Myanmar -- to a blacklist under which their travel is restricted and assets frozen due to their alleged role in Pyongyang's military programs.

Although the outgoing US administration of President Barack Obama has generally favored dialogue over conflict, it has taken a tough line on North Korea after Pyongyang rebuffed early overtures.

Power said the latest resolution is groundbreaking because it also takes North Korea to task for its human rights violations.

In another rare clause, the resolution threatens North Korea with some losses of diplomatic rights at the United Nations if it violates resolutions.

But Japan's UN envoy, Koro Bessho, voiced willingness to return to dialogue if North Korea shows a "serious commitment."

"We are introducing sanctions not for the sake of introduction sanctions," he said, "but in order to change the course of DPRK policy."
Photo credit: Facebook/Screengrab via Change.org

From Cosmopolitan

Mike Adams, a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a self-described free speech advocate [and] pro-life speaker," has been posting hate speech against the LGBTQ community throughout his tenure at the college. He also named a student hed allegedly never spoken to before as a jihadist in a blog post earlier this year. The Daily Beast reports the college is aware of Adamss accounts and posts and that hes in no violation of any school rules - or the First Amendment.



Dr. Adamss online column and social media presence represent his personal expressions and opinions on a variety of topics, UNCW told The Daily Beast in a statement:

These expressions and opinions are neither within the requested scope of Dr. Adamss duties with the university, nor do they represent the views of this institution. However, they are expressions protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. At this point, the university has not found evidence that Dr. Adams has improperly released any private or confidential information related to the student, or violated the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). There is no evidence of unlawful discrimination by Dr. Adams toward this student in UNCWs working, living, or learning environment, per the universitys harassment prevention policy. Finally, Dr. Adamss conduct and written material do not contain any evidence of a true threat toward this or any other student.

The Daily Beast also reports Adams sued the college in 2006 for religious and speech-based discrimination after he was not promoted to a full professor position at that time. Though he was originally dismissed, an appeals court reversed the decision in 2011, and in 2014 a jury awarded Adams the title he wanted as well as $50,000 retroactive pay and $600,000 in legal fees.

Nada Merghani, the black, queer Muslim student mentioned in Adamss aforementioned post, told the site that was just one of many targeted attacks the professor launched against her online. She ended up leaving the school this month after nothing had been done about the hate speech for more than a year. Merghani said she felt unsafe on campus after Adams [suggested] Im a terrorist without a hint of truth or any regard for my personal safety in this post.

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A UNCW alumna launched a Change.org petition demanding the college president terminate Adams. One supporter asked Adams be fired not because he speaks his mind, [but] because he personally attacks students in a distributed publication on topics well outside his realm of academic expertise using the authority of his position at the University to lend credibility to his childish and angry tirade.

In response to the petition, Adams wrote, Good luck with that  on Facebook (where his bio explains his page is the best way to get offended if you are so inclined). He further defended naming Merghani in his article to the Daily Caller, saying the student had spoken on the issue he addresses in the post (terrorism, womens reproductive health, LGBTQ rights) publicly and therefore his response was in line.

Adams also publicly responded to the UNCW Faculty Senate Steering Committees recent statement that Public remarks by professors about a students race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, or sexual orientation are inconsistent with our values, alleging liberal professors at the college have attacked conservative students, but those incidents went unreported.

Follow Tess on Twitter.

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Variety has selected its 10 Directors to Watch for 2016, marking the 20th anniversary of a talent-spotlighting effort that identified such directors as Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, and Taika Waititi long before they were household names.

This years list brings together up-and-coming feature helmers from all corners of the industry: domestic and international, narrative and documentary, directing everything from heartwarming to horror fare. The directors range from breakthrough indie voice Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) to Indian director Ritesh Batra (who makes his English-language debut with The Sense of an Ending). What all 10 have in common (technically 11, as the list includes a pair of siblings) is a clear vision, distinct voice, and thrilling potential to revolutionize the business in his or her own way.

The lineup includes six debut features, including a couple that have yet to make their festival debuts: Geremy Jaspers Patti Cake$ and The Tribes of Palos Verdes, from brothers and accomplished commercials directors Emmett and Brendan Malloy. Julia Ducournaus shocking Raw made its mind-blowing bow in Cannes, while stage veteran William Oldroyd premiered his Lady Macbeth in Toronto.

The 10 Directors to Watch are:

Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann)

Ritesh Batra (The Sense of an Ending)

Otto Bell (The Eagle Huntress)

Julia Ducournau (Raw)

Geremy Jasper (Patti Cake$)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Emmett & Brendan Malloy (The Tribes of Palos Verdes)

Kleber Mendonca Filho (Aquarius)

William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth)

David Sandberg (Lights Out)

The directors will be profiled in a special standalone issue of Variety on Jan. 3, the same day they will be honored in person at the Palm Springs Film Festival.

Varietys 10 to Watch series spotlights emerging writers, actors, producers, directors, comics and cinematographers. The honorees are selected by a team of Variety editors, critics, and reporters.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2016 / Vendetta Mining Corp. (VTT.V) (the "Company") is pleased to announce further high grade drill results from the 2016 program at the Pegmont Lead-Zinc Project in Queensland, Australia. The last holes in the 2016 resource development program continued the previous work in Zone 5 and on the Zone 2-3 "Z" fold.

Zone 5 Highlights:

PVRD052A: 14.77 metres of 11.91% Pb+Zn (5.46% Pb, 6.45% Zn);

and 4.35 metres of 11.85% Pb+Zn (5.01% Pb, 6.84% Zn);

and 5.05 metres of 10.32% Pb+Zn (4.52% Pb, 5.80% Zn).

Zone 2 - 3 Highlights:

PVRD035B: 14.73 metres of 12.41% Pb+Zn (9.02% Pb, 3.39% Zn);

and 10.32 metres of 11.94% Pb+Zn (9.64% Pb, 2.31% Zn);

and PVRD053: 7.49 metres of 11.51% Pb+Zn (8.10% Pb, 3.41% Zn).

A full summary of the lead-zinc assay results including true widths is provided in Table 1 on page 3.

Michael Williams, Vendetta's President and CEO commented, "The progress at the Pegmont project has been significant. We have successfully confirmed the shallow potential of the Burke Hinge Zone, discovered a high grade fold between Zones 2 and 3, we are able to successfully target mineralization in Zone 5, and in doing so have validated the geological model of zinc grade increasing to the west. We look forward to receipt of the metallurgical test work, updating the NI 43-101 resource which we intend to release early next year and the commencement of the 2017 program in Q1."

Zone 5 Drilling

The Company continued resource development drilling in Zone 5, an underground target, comprising 3 known stacked Lenses; A, B and C. Lens B is the most significant, with Lens C becoming increasingly valuable as drilling moves to the South-West. Mineralization in Lens A is sporadic, however grades also appear to be improving to the South-West.

Drill hole PVRD052A was drilled 40 m along strike of the high-grade step-out hole PVRD017 (4.56 m @ 5.45% Pb, 10.15% Zn), it successfully intersected Lens B and C. PVRD052A, was the most southwestern hole drilled during the 2016 program and importantly zinc grades continued to exceeded lead .

Drill hole PVRD051 targeted Anticline C but didn't intersect the host lithology, interpretation in this area is ongoing.

In drill hole PVRD050 excessive deviation caused drilling difficulties and resulted in the hole being terminated before target depth; it did however, intersect low grade mineralization which is interpreted to be Lens A.

Drill hole PVRD054 was drilled to intersect the steep northern limb of Syncline C, however, the hole path didn't flatten as expected. The hole did intersect two mineralized horizons, interpreted to be Lenses C and possibly a new fourth Lens.

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Zone 2 - 3 Drilling

The Company continued to test the newly identified high-grade "Z" fold between Zones 2 and 3, drilling a second section located 350 m along strike to the north east of the previously announced hole PVRD046 (11.0 m @ 7.84% Pb, 3.18% Zn) which intersected the lower fold in Zone 3.

The Zone 2-3 "Z" fold is a site of structural thickening and elevated grades. Up dip from the "Z" fold the mineralized host is structurally thinned over a distance of about 50 to 75 m, before mineralization of greater than 5 m thickens returns in the Zone 2 open pit target area. The Zone 2 "Z" fold hinge is interpreted to be a flat lying shoot, approximately 50 to 60 m wide, with a total strike potential of over 700 m.

Drill hole PVRD053 successfully targeted the upper fold in Zone 2. Only one historic drill hole is interpreted to be in this structural position, PMR091 (6 m @ 10.19% Pb, 2.81% Zn). PVRD053 will be extended during the next program to test the over turned limb of the "Z" and on into the flat dipping portion of Zone 3.

Drill hole PVRD035B successfully targeted the lower Zone 3 portion of the fold. It is now understood that historic holes PGD023 (18.8 m at 9.48% Pb, 3.53% Zn) and PMRD124 (9.54 m at 9.25% Pb, 3.07% Zn) intersected the lower portion of the "Z" fold in Zone 3.

Drill holes PVRD048 and PVRD049 tested the limits of Zone 3, near the position where Zone 3 is intersected by the Amphibolite Dyke. PVRD049 intersected thin mineralization interpreted to be on a fold limb. PVRD048 failed to intersect significant mineralization, however it may be extended in the future.

Other Activities

As part of the 2016 drilling program, a total of 17 historic drill holes were down hole surveyed using a true north seeking gyroscope, improving the confidence in the position of this data. To date a total of 30 historic holes have been re-logged.

Metallurgical test work at ALS Metallurgy in Burnie, Tasmania is ongoing. Results are expected early in 2017 and will be released when they are finalized.

Other ongoing activities include the interpretation of the recent drill data at Pegmont. The Company expects to deliver an updated NI 43-101 resource estimate, including for the first time Zone 5 and the Burke Hinge Zone early in 2017. Planning of the 2017 program is progressing and will include continued resource development drilling in Zone 5 and on the Zone 2 - 3 "Z" fold, as well as performing a surface EM survey over the recently discovered copper target; see Vendetta news release 19th October 2016.

Table 1. Summary of the Final Assay Results from the 2016 Program.

Grade# Bore Dip / From Hole Azimuth (m) To (m) Lens Pb+Zn Pb Zn Ag Interval (m) True Thickness* (m) % % % g/t Zone 5  Underground Target PVRD050 -66/350 288.31 291.81 3.50 2.6 A ? 1.96 0.77 1.19 0.00 PVRD051 -70/355 No Significant Result PVRD052A -51/138 207.63 233.40 25.77 11 B 9.49 4.21 5.28 4.01 including 215.63 230.40 14.77 6.8 B 11.91 5.46 6.45 5.56 and 274.20 305.30 31.10 10 C 4.92 2.20 2.72 1.80 including 278.20 282.55 4.35 2.0 C 11.85 5.01 6.84 4.87 including 288.50 293.55 5.05 2.5 C 10.32 4.52 5.80 5.63 PVRD054 -75/179 289.25 292.25 3.00 Est. 2.0 C 4.96 3.35 1.61 1.20 and 294.90 309.60 14.70 Est. 8.0 C 1.05 0.45 0.60 0.07 and 330.00 332.78 2.78 Est. 1.5 D ? 3.79 2.27 1.52 0.98 Zone 2  "Z" Fold  Underground Target PVRD035B -67/129 112.44 116.00 3.56 3.0 B 5.46 3.18 2.28 3.28 PVRD036 -56/333 143.00 152.54 9.54 7.5 B 5.29 2.99 2.30 2.90 including 145.00 147.54 2.54 2.1 B 8.55 4.94 3.61 9.73 PVRD053 -56/128 113.00 128.54 15.54 12.0 B 7.28 5.20 2.08 5.31 including 118.05 125.54 7.49 5.5 B 11.51 8.10 3.41 9.50 Zone 3  "Z" Fold  Underground Target PVRD035B -67/129 179.83 214.92 35.09 20.0 B 9.59 7.22 2.37 9.78 including 181.83 196.56 14.73 10.0 B 12.41 9.02 3.39 13.52 including 201.60 211.92 10.32 8.0 B 11.94 9.64 2.31 13.75 Zone 3 - Underground Target PVRD048 -75/328 No Significant Result PVRD049 -77/145 108.74 110.74 2.00 2.0 B 8.28 6.17 2.11 3.93

*True thickness estimate is based on three dimensional geological modeling, except where indicated as an estimate.

#Drill intersections are summarized using a combined 1% lead plus zinc grade, over a 1 m minimum down hole intersection length, higher grade intervals included are reported at a 5% lead plus zinc grade.

Notes on Drilling and Assay QA/QC

The drilling at Zone 5 involved drilling RC pre-collars using a 5.75 inch diameter face sampling bit to depth prior to casing and continuing the hole in HQ2 diamond core. Diamond core samples were taken on nominal 1 m lengths but varied to match geological contacts. Samples of the core are obtained using a diamond saw to half cut the core, if the hole is to be included in metallurgical test work it is then halved again. This was performed to provide sufficient sample for metallurgical test work while retaining a permanent core record.

Field duplicate samples were taken and blanks and commercially prepared certified reference materials (standards) were added into the sample sequence for every hole submitted. These were analyzed by the Company and no issues were noted with analytical accuracy or precision.

Samples used for the results described herein were prepared and analyzed at ALS Laboratory Group in Townsville, Queensland. Analysis was undertaken using a four acid digest and ICP (ALS method: ME-ICP61 for Pb, Zn, Ag, Fe, Mn, Cd and S) with over limit (>10,000 ppm lead and zinc and >100 ppm silver) high grade samples being read with an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS), (ALS methods: Pb-OG62, Zn-OG62, and Ag-OG62).

Drill hole collar positions have been surveyed by a licensed surveyor. Down hole surveys were undertaken using a true north seeking gyroscope with stations every 6 or 10 m.

All HQ2 diamond core is orientated using digital core orientation systems and this data is incorporated into the 3D interpretations. Assay intervals shown in Table 1 are down hole intervals, and the true thickness noted are based on 3D interpretations of the host lithology, structure, and mineralization.

About The Pegmont Lead Zinc Project

Pegmont is a stratiform, Broken Hill-Type deposit that outcrops with an overall shallow dip to the south east and is hosted in a magnetite-rich banded iron formation within high grade metamorphic rocks. The project consists of three granted mining leases and two exploration permits that cover an area of approximately 3,468 ha. The current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate is given in Table 2. Over 13,500 m of drilling will be incorporated into an updated resource estimate.

Table 2. Pegmont Deposit 2014 Mineral Resource Estimate*

Mineral Grade Oxidation

State Resource

Category Tonnes

kt Pb % Zn %

Ag

g/t Indicated 757 6.66 2.69 11.87 Sulphide Inferred 4,417 6.51 2.80 10.56 Indicated 797 4.50 2.17 6.88 Transition Inferred 1,066 5.01 2.23 6.77 Indicated 512 4.56 1.58 6.37 Oxide Inferred 614 5.76 1.23 5.18



*Reference: "Technical Report Pegmont Property Mineral Resource Estimate" AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd, effective date of 28 February 2014. The Technical Report is available on SEDAR.

Notes on Table 2:

1. CIM definitions were used for the Mineral Resources. 2. The cut-off grade applied to the oxide and transition Mineral Resources is 3% Pb + Zn, the sulphide cut-off grade is 5% Pb + Zn. 3. Cut off is based on $0.90 /lb for Pb and Zn, a $0.90 A$:US$ exchange rate, and 90% recovery for both metals. 4. Specific gravity used by oxidation state: 3.2 t/m3 oxide, 3.4 t/m3 transition and 3.9 t/m3 sulphide. 5. Using drilling results to 12 December 2013.

About Vendetta Mining Corp.

Vendetta Mining Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company engaged in acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral properties with an emphasis on lead and zinc. It is currently focused on advanced stage exploration projects in Australia, the first of which is the recently optioned Pegmont Lead Zinc project. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.vendettaminingcorp.com.

Qualified Person

Peter Voulgaris, MAusIMM, MAIG, a Director of Vendetta, is a non-independent qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Voulgaris has reviewed the technical content of this press release, and consents to the information provided in the form and context in which it appears.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Michael Williams"

Michael Williams

President & CEO

T: 1.604.484.7855

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact relating to Vendetta Mining Corp., are to be considered forward-looking statements with respect to the Company's intentions for its Pegmont project in Queensland, Australia. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, are reliant on future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "considers," "significant," "intends," "targets," "estimates," "seeks," "attempts," "assumes," and other similar expressions.

The forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which, while considered reasonable by Vendetta Mining Corp., are, by their nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: the interpretation of current results from the 2016 drilling program mentioned in this news release, further results from the 2016 drilling program, the accuracy of exploration results, the accuracy of Mineral Resource Estimates, the anticipated results of future exploration, the forgoing ability to finance further exploration, delays in the completion of exploration, delays in the completion of the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, the future prices of lead, zinc, and other metals, and general economic, market and/or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements and assumptions will prove accurate and, therefore, readers of this news release are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the information contained within. In addition to the assumptions herein, these assumptions include the assumptions described in Vendetta Mining Corp.'s Management's Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ended, February 29th, 2016.

Although Vendetta Mining Corp. has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual performance, achievements, actions, events, results or conditions to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, there may be other risks, uncertainties and other factors that cause future performance to differ from what is anticipated, estimated or intended. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements contained herein are as of the date hereof and Vendetta Mining Corp. does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date on which such statements were made, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Vendetta Mining Corp.
CARACAS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Venezuela's bolivar currency tumbled past the psychological barrier of 4,000 per dollar on the black market on Wednesday, racking up a 10 percent depreciation since Monday and fueling concerns about the crisis-stricken OPEC nation's economy.

The black market rate has weakened 62 percent this month amid Soviet-style product shortages and a crippling recession that have become the norm in Venezuela's steadily unraveling socialist economy.

The rate reached 4,121 according to website DolarToday, which is a primary reference for the black market rate even though President Nicolas Maduro as well as many of his critics complain the rate lacks transparency and is subject to manipulation.

The black market had remained steady at around 1,200 bolivars for several months, but was boosted by the payment of legally mandated Christmas bonuses as well as an 11 percent increase in money supply in November.

Basic purchases such as a few days worth of groceries often require stacks of 100-bolivar notes, the largest denomination.

A brick-sized package of 1,000 of the smallest bill, a two-bolivar note, buys a loaf of sandwich bread. Fifteen years ago, one individual note of equivalent value would have bought a modest lunch.

Maduro says his government is the victim of an "economic war" led by business with the backing of Washington. Opposition leaders say the situation is largely the result of dysfunctional state controls that cripple the economy.

Venezuela's central bank is preparing to launch a 500-bolivar note, Socialist Party legislator Ricardo Sanguino said on Tuesday. Bankers and economists say the government should issue bills of much larger denominated because 500 bolivars only buys two packages of chewing gum, two packs of soda crackers, or five loose cigarettes.

The country maintains an exchange control system that sells dollars at a rate of 10 bolivars for food and medicine and 661 bolivars for less important items. But businesses and individuals say they rarely get access to those rates and thus end up using the much less favorable black market.

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Venezuelans complain of long lines at banks and withdrawal limits that turn even basic purchases into a headache.

"The bank teller told me that they're only allow withdrawals of 10,000 bolivars, but that isn't even enough to buy two bags of laundry detergent," said Luis Cote, 38, a teacher, as he was leaving a bank in the city of San Cristobal near the border with neighboring Colombia.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth, additional reporting by Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and Jonathan Oatis)
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday to issue a declaration condemning the massacre of 12 civilians by soldiers, a rare display of unity in a country torn by a political crisis.

President Nicolas Maduro's allies and the opposition majority came together to "condemn the forced disappearance and killing of a number of citizens... by members of the military," they said.

The resolution refers to a bloody security operation in October that left 12 farmers missing.

Their bodies were later found rotting in mass graves in the mountains outside the town of Barlovento, in the central state of Miranda.

Eleven soldiers were arrested for the killings.

Tuesday's vote was just the second time Maduro's coalition and the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) have unanimously adopted a piece of legislation since the latter won control of the National Assembly last year.

The other was an endorsement of Pope Francis's call for dialogue on the country's raging crisis.

Oil giant Venezuela has veered toward economic collapse as crude prices have plunged since 2014, fueling an opposition drive to oust Maduro.

The leftist leader, who accuses his opponents of conspiring with the United States to oust him, has vowed to hold onto power at least until his term ends in 2019.

Shortages of food, medicine and basic goods in Venezuela have led to riots, looting and a rise in violent crime.

Seeking to bolster security, the military launched a crime crackdown in July 2015 called People's Liberation Operations, or OPLs.

Activists have voiced concern about rights abuses committed under the program, including the Barlovento massacre.

The military has said it "categorically rejects" the actions of the 11 soldiers arrested over the killings.
The long-awaited day has finally arrived. The 2016 edition of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will be held Wednesday, November 30, in the spectacular setting of the Grand Palais in Paris. This is, in fact, a first for the lingerie brand, which has never before staged a show in the French capital. With just a few hours to go before the show kicks off, here's a look ahead at what to expect from the 2016 event.

The heavenly bodies of the Victoria's Secret models started arriving in the French capital from Monday, November 28, flooding social media with all kinds of photos of their exploits. Since then, it's been hard to avoid the Angels' action-packed schedule of trips to the Moulin Rouge, photo shoots, press conferences and rehearsals for the show.

While the lingerie label hasn't unveiled the creations its Angels will be wearing during this full-scale runway event, the brand has let slip enough information to suggest that this could be one of the most memorable fashion shows in the label's history.

All-star cast

Models for Victoria's Secret shows are always hand-picked with great care and attention, but this time, the brand has pulled out all the stops.

Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Joan Smalls, Lily Donaldson, Liu Wen, Stella Maxwell, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Romee Strijd, Cindy Bruna, Josephine Skriver, Jasmine Tookes and Lily Aldridge are among the 50 models (unless there are any last-minute surprises) who have jetted into Paris for this exceptional event, bringing the creme de la creme of model talent to the Grand Palais.

Lady Gaga on stage

The Victoria's Secret event is a fashion show like no other. Much more than a catwalk preview, with models showing off lingerie on a runway, the event sees international stars perform alongside the Victoria's Secret Angels each year.

The 2016 edition will feature Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd, taking to the stage to play at least one of their latest songs at the Parisian event, treating guests to a virtually private performance.

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A $3 million Fantasy Bra

Following Lily Aldridge last year, 2016 sees the stunning Jasmine Tookes given the honor of presenting the centerpiece of the show, the Bright Night Fantasy Bra. This unique bra was designed exclusively for Victoria's Secret by jewelry designer Eddie Borgo, and features 18-karat gold, emeralds, diamonds and other precious stones.

The figures speak for themselves: this exceptional creation is finished with no less than 9,000 precious stones, took some 700 hours to make and weighs more than 450 karats. It also comes with a $3 million price tag.

The 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will be held in Paris, France, Wednesday, November 30, and will be broadcast on CBS December 5.
A Vietnamese land rights activists had her jail sentence upheld Wednesday, as the authoritarian government pardoned more than 4,000 prisoners but notably excluded scores of dissidents who will remain behind bars.

Communist Vietnam, where the death penalty is still enforced, jails thousands of people every year and hands out heavy sentences to those convicted under its punitive penal code.

Can Thi Theu was sentenced to 20 months in jail for "causing public disorder" -- her second stint in prison for the same charge -- over protests accusing the government of land grabs.

Land is wholly-owned by the government in the one-party state and is a flashpoint issue, with demonstrators routinely clashing with police over disputes.

The 54-year-old farmer appeared in a Hanoi court Wednesday wearing a red coat and looking calm before the judge rejected her appeal.

"I only represent those whose land has been robbed. I should not have been arrested and jailed. It's evidence of a police-governed state," she told the court.

One of her lawyers said she was unjustly convicted.

"Standing on the pavement and shouting slogans does not violate the law. The court does not have grounds to convict my client," Ha Huy Son said in the courtroom, which AFP could monitor on a live feed from a viewing room.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the courthouse, many elderly farmers holding signs reading "Freedom and Justice for Can Thi Theu", before authorities detained scores and carted them away in buses.

Meanwhile, the government pardoned 4,384 criminals convicted for various offences including drug-related crimes, murder, robbery and corruption as part of an annual amnesty exercise.

None of those slated to be released starting from Thursday are activists, the deputy head of the president's office Giang Son said, without elaborating.

But those freed will include nine Chinese nationals, three Laotians, a Korean and an Australian. Their crimes were not disclosed.

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There were more than 142,000 people in jail in 2014 Vietnam, up from some 88,000 in 2005, according to Britain-based Institute for Criminal Policy Research.

The country lags behind Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia on imprisonment rates, according to the centre.

Amnesty International says at least 45 people behind bars are "prisoners of conscience", and accuses the government of severely restricting freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
BUENOS AIRES  Andres Wood, director of Sundance winner Violeta Went to Heaven, is teaming with Guillermo Calderon, co-writer of Pablo Larrains The Club and writer of his Neruda, to create Arana, a political thriller that explores the roots of a new nationalism now threatening the world.

Produced by Alejandra Garcia at Santiago de Chiles Wood Producciones, Arana also sets out to join a burgeoning and distinguished breed of powerful Latin American cross-over movies which combine mainstream tropes and wider audience and artistic ambitions, amped-up budgets, multiple partner co-production structures, and often star presence. Think Wild Tales and The Clan and indeed, Neruda and now Santiago Mitres The Summit.

With a Wood-Calderon screenplay near to completion, Arana is fruit of a reflection about what really merits being brought to the big screen in a contemporary context of multimedia contents, Garcia said.

Departing from true events, Arana joins the dots between Chiles great trauma, Augusto Pinochets coup detat, and todays welling non-civic nationalism. But it does so weaving a tale of passion, betrayal and egotism. It turns on three once inseparable friends, Ines, husband Justo and Gerardo, all members in the early 1970s of Chiles ultra-nationalist movement, Fatherland and Liberty. which organises attacks and crimes to sow disorder in the build-up to Augusto Pinochets 1973 coup detat. Ines and Gerardo carry on a passionate love affair. But in one operation, where they assassinate an Allende aide-de-camp, an act of treachery separates them, seemingly for ever.

More than 40 years later, pardoned by Pinochet, Ines and Justo have ridden Chiles neo-liberal wave, are now powerful, prestigious professionals. Then Gerardo, still a nationalist bigot, erupts once more into their life threatening the couples privileged existence.

Arana is set in a specific historical context but this is treated in a symbolic wave, this is symbolic not historical realism, Garcia said, adding that the feature shows how many societies have very strong nationalistic roots which are growing throughout the world.

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The reflection could hardly be more opportune as U.S. president elect Donald Trump champions America First and the expulsion of millions of paperless immigrants from the U.S.

Wood Producciones script consultant Eliseo Altunaga is advising on the screenplay. Garcia added that Wood Producciones aims to set up Arana as a international co-production. It will go into production second half 2017.

Wood and Calderon have already collaborated on the screenplay of Violeta Went To Heaven, hit Chilean TV series Ecos del Desierto, co-produced with Turner, and Ramona, selected for Cannes inaugural MipDrama Screenings last April, and soon to air on Chilean pubcaster TVN.

The energetic move into small-screen production shows Wood Producciones taking advantage of both mass audiences for upscale TV fare and Chilean state-backed funding.

Many series produced in Chile that have won funding from Chiles national TV regulator show social issues, historic events, current debates on education, political corruption and the role of the church that arent very common topics on other countries TV schedules, Wood told Variety last year, mentioning series such as The Substitute Teacher, Juana Brava and The Karadima Forest, among others. In TV production, Wood Producciones has found a business model, immediate raison detre and an audience.

Four-part Miniseries Ecos del desierto narrates a womans campaign over 40 years to bring the murderers of her husband, killed by Chiles Caravan of Death, a Chilean death squad formed after Pinochets coup. It scored an around-20% share.

Los 80 aired on Canal 13 to around-25% shares. The series has its own rhythm, many times slow and with pauses, which people liked so much that it has run to seven seasons, Garcia said.

Wood Producciones currently has two series in development: Colonia Dignidad and Mary & Mike. Produced by Invercine and Wood Producciones, Colonia Dignidad is based on the true story of the only people who succeeded in escaping from Colonia Dignidad, re-baptised Villa Baviera, a Chilean community which, founded by Paul Schafer in 1961, became a torture center under Pinochet. Schafer himself was convicted of pedophilia in 2007. Patricio Pereira, Julio Jorquera and Esteban Larrain have developed the show. Screenplay is by Luis Barrales.

Another Invercine-Wood co-production made in conjunction with Turner, Mary & Mike is in pre-production, Garcia said. It turns on a true-life couple who worked outside Chile for Augusto Pinochets secret police, assassinating opposition to his regime, such as Orlando Leterial, Salvador Allendes former chanciller, in a murder perpetrated in 1976 in Washington.

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New York (AFP) - The nominations of Steven Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross to the Trump cabinet Wednesday positions Wall Street to exert renewed influence over the US economy after retreating somewhat in the Obama years.

Mnuchin, 53, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the Treasury Department, spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs, where he worked on complex financial derivatives that were later at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis.

Wilbur Ross, 79, Trump's designee for secretary of Commerce, was nicknamed the "king of bankruptcy" for a record of profiting off of dying industries.

The picks drew quick praise in business circles, with Financial Services Roundtable chief executive Tim Pawlenty praising Mnuchin as a "seasoned and results-oriented leader."

A senior Wall Street banker praised as "thoughtful" Mnuchin's reservations about the Dodd-Frank banking regulations enacted after the 2008 crisis.

Business Roundtable President John Engler said, "President-elect Trump is putting together an economic team with an impressive record of business accomplishment, a deep understanding of the US and global economy and a clear vision of how to help all Americans share in the nations success."

But there also was plenty of criticism.

"We are witnessing the wholesale takeover of government by an extremist faction of the corporate class," said Robert Weissman, president of public policy group Public Citizen.

- Drain the swamp? -

Senate Democrats signaled they intend tough scrutiny for Mnuchin, who led an investment group that bought failing California bank IndyMac for $1.55 billion in 2009, then sold the renamed OneWest five years later for $3.4 billion. Part of OneWest's earnings came from driving homeowners into foreclosure in order to collect loss-sharing payments from the government.

"Steve Mnuchin is the Forrest Gump of the financial crisis  he managed to participate in all the worst practices on Wall Street," said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, which will question Mnuchin in confirmation hearings early next year.

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"His selection as Treasury Secretary should send shivers down the spine of every American who got hit hard by the financial crisis, and is the latest sign that Donald Trump has no intention of draining the swamp and every intention of running Washington to benefit himself and his rich buddies."

Senator Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee was equally critical. "This isn't draining the swamp -- it's stocking it with alligators."

- Goldman Sachs: friend or foe? -

During the presidential campaign, Trump attacked Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over her close ties to Wall Street. Trump's closing television campaign ad even included a shot of Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein, part of a global financial and political elite that Trump depicted himself as challenging.

But since winning office, Trump has turned to several financial insiders. Stephen Bannon, who is slated to be a top White House advisor, worked at Goldman Sachs, as did Anthony Scaramucci, a member of Trump's transition team.

Wall Street has spent much of the Obama years playing defense in the wake of the financial crisis, with the Justice Department undertaking myriad investigations of unethical financial practices in the sale and packaging of securities linked to subprime mortgages.

The six largest US banks, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have paid more than $110 billion to turn the page on the debacle.

But the industry's fortunes appear to be on upswing, as signaled by the stocks rally since the election which has pushed share prices to their highest level since 2009.

Since Trump's election, Goldman Sachs has surged 20 percent, Morgan Stanley 21 percent, JPMorgan 14 percent, Bank of America 23 percent, Citigroup 15 percent and Wells Fargo 16 percent.

But Trump's lurch back towards big finance could revive concerns about excessive coziness between the Treasury Department and Wall Street. In the 1990s, then-President Bill Clinton, with backing from his Treasury Secretary Bob Rubin, a Wall Street veteran, repealed a bank law that separated investment banking from the retail side.

During the financial crisis of 2008, several large banks were saved from bankruptcy with public funds under a program overseen by President George W. Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, former chief executive of Goldman Sachs.
Warner Bros. has joined the likes of James Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox Inc., in a push for bringing newly released films to home viewers, challenging theater operators who insist on showing them exclusively for the first three months after a movie's release.

Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of the Time Warner Inc. subsidiary, told an investor gathering Tuesday that the studio considers it an imperative to offer consumers more choices earlier.

Were having very constructive conversations with the exhibitors for the first time that weve had in a long time, he reportedly told Credit Suisses Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. And I think they recognize and we recognize that, all things being equal, we want to work it out with you. So were working with them to try to create a new window.

Addressing the possibility of theater owners opposing such a concept, Tsujihara reportedly said: Were going to do it, and were very focused on it.

Warner Bros. is in talks with theaters to cut down the typical 90 days of exclusivity that the latter have over new releases, as consumers have clearly indicated that this is the way they want to move forward, Tsujihara said, adding: Thats where all the pirating is occurring. We have to meet that demand with a legal solution.

Murdoch had drawn flak from the National Association of Theatre Owners in September when he referred to the current system as crazy, calling for change. The trade group went on to call Murdochs comment self-serving and warned him to be careful he doesnt undermine the trust Fox has with its distribution partners, Bloomberg reported.

Theaters are losing their grip on exclusive rights to fresh content with the emergence of at-home digital distributors like Netflix Inc. On the other hand, studios are facing additional pressure from falling DVD sales and piracy, which they may be able to circumvent by encouraging home-viewing.

A spokesman for the association, however, did not have an immediate comment on the latest remarks by Tsujihara on Tuesday, according to reports.

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So much for that Hamilton boycott. The Broadway show continues to break records since calling out Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and though creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is no longer in the cast, he's continued to rep its message as its titular Founding Father.

It was announced at July's Comic Con that he'd be narrating an Alexander Hamilton-themed segment in the new season of Drunk History, and the episode finally premiered Tuesday night.

Drunk off of Tennessee whiskey, Miranda explained some of the more noteworthy moments of Hamilton's life - how he teamed up with George Washington during the Revolutionary War, an affair that threatened his public reputation, and other historical tidbits.

Pitchfork points out that Dave Grohl made an appearance, as does Questlove, who interrupts Miranda's narration at one point for a FaceTime chat. Aubrey Plaza, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale and David Wain also appear.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Drunk History creator Derek Waters about what it was like to work with Miranda on the star-studded episode. "I had heard that he liked the show," said Waters of Miranda. "I had heard that he was writing Hamilton when he saw our first story ever of Hamilton [on Drunk History]. He liked it and always wanted to do it. I reached out to him and we had a nice conversation over the phone about what would be different about the musical than what would be in this and why we would do a story we've already done. That's why his episode is just one story."

Read more: How 'Drunk History' Scored 'Hamilton's' Lin-Manuel Miranda

A Comedy Central subscription or cable provider login is needed to watch the whole episode online. Here are a couple drunken clips below:

This story originally appeared on Billboard.com.
BLAIR  Dan Gallagher is hoping a $20,000 reward may spur someone to provide information on the killing of trophy bucks on his gated property.

Gallagher has lost 13 bucks, with an estimated total value of more than $100,000, since he started Monarch Valley Whitetails in 2010, including six last year.

Gallagher, 62, initially posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those involved with the shootings, but last years drastic events caused him to quadruple that amount this fall.

My thought about the $20,000 is that theres got to be more than one person in a vehicle with the person whos doing the shooting, Gallagher said Monday while checking signs on his posted property. I cant think one person goes out and does this alone. Maybe the person who was along will talk and get immunity or something.

But, I think more than anything, the reward will create awareness; that people will be keeping a closer eye on things because there is a larger amount out there, he added. Im not sure there will ever be a conviction, but maybe this makes someone think twice about what they are thinking of doing and whether its worth it.

Gallaghers deer, which generate an average of $6,500 to $8,500 per animal from guest hunters, are fenced in about 160 of his 620 acres in the Trempealeau County town of Preston between Coral City and Blair.

Gallagher has surveillance equipment and multiple signs posted along the fence lines. On Monday, during a tour of the property, he noticed three sections of signs had been removed.

If I knew of something different to do, I would do it, he said. I look in every direction for an answer, and I dont find one.

Trempealeau County sheriffs office officials have investigated the shootings numerous times but have no answers.

Det. Mike Anderson called the offices investigation exhaustive in a published report, adding that the office is looking for assistance from the public.

Police have been given the names of possible suspects, and the name of an Amish neighbor who has reportedly witnessed some of the shooting but is reluctant to become involved in the legal process, Gallagher said.

I dont know what else the police can do, he said, adding that anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriffs office at 715 538-4351.

Gallagher said the shootings happen from a raised area along Highway S, where the shooter(s) can see over of the fence.

I have been in parts of the ranch and heard the shooting, maybe 10 to 15 shots and then another 10 to 15 shots, but they are gone before I can get there, he said.

Gallagher said he is at a loss as to why someone would shoot the deer because none of the animals are removed.

It appears they fire a lot of shots at them to kind of get them moving or something. I dont know. It makes no sense to me, he said, figuring the shooter is using a semi-automatic rifle. I would assume its just for thrills or something. Its got to be the only motivation.

Gallaghers business usually entertains 10 to 15 hunting parties a year, with many from Michigan and the South. One group came from Italy.

This shooting is all very upsetting, he said. Its very puzzling. I hope the reward has an impact.
When Oriskany High School teacher Chris Lallier asked his engineering students if they wanted to build something to help a disabled dog walk, their response was a no brainer.

The New York students put their heads together to build what theyre calling a chariot, a custom wheelchair that helps a 2.8 lb. Havanese named Claire get from one place to the other, according to Syracuse.com, who reported the story.

The project began when Lallier heard about the pup, who was born with a birth defect that rendered her back legs useless. She was also the suspected victim of abuse at the Amish puppy mill where she once lived. In October, a group called Angels of Fur K-9 Rescue saved the now 5-month-old from a grim fate.

Her condition was deplorable, Melissa Jones, founder and director of Angels of Fur, told Syracuse.com.

While Claire may still face amputation of one of her legs, the adjustable wheelchair-like device the students created  using a 3D printer  is most definitely helping her get around better. After several visits by the pup to try out prototypes, the young engineers presented Claires Chariot to her on Friday, Syracuse.com said  and it looks like she likes her new wheels (which came complete with a license plate).

A custom wheelchair like this would have been pricey to buy  and, clearly, you cant put a price on a classroom learning experience of this nature.

She couldnt walk at all, said 10th grader Dylan LaSalle, who was involved in the project. Shes just so cute, and it feel goods to be able to help her.

To learn how you can help fund Claires continuing therapy, visit the rescues website.




The US-led coalition has provided ongoing air support for the Iraqi offensive against ISIS in Mosul, and as the fight rages for the terror group's last stronghold in that country, the coalition has also launched airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

On November 19, the US-led coalition destroyed an ISIS training camp near Raqqa, the group's capital and its most important city in Syria, a clip of which you can see below.

In addition to the training camp, six strikes on that day targeted two ISIS tactical units, destroyed seven oil-production machines and one vehicle, and damaged a supply route.

The campaign in Mosul appears to have ISIS on the defensive, even as Iraqi forces and their allies advance slowly in the city's crowded streets. In contrast, efforts to attack Raqqa appear to have bogged down, with Kurdish militias making little progress and US-led strikes in the province mainly targeting the terror group's oil infrastructure.

Farther west, in Aleppo, a focal point in Syria's bloody five-year civil war, the tide appears to have turned decisively for the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, whose forces on Monday seized parts of the city that opposition rebels have held for four years.

Assad's Russian-backed military looks set to take control of all of Aleppo, and some 250,000 civilians who have been besieged in the eastern part of the city have gone without food, fuel, or aid for months.

aleppo

Aid groups say civilians in the city are facing a "dire situation," but convoys with supplies have been unable to access eastern Aleppo. "In terms of east Aleppo, we just need the green light from the people who control the roads going in because, as you know, the east of Aleppo is besieged," said Ramesh Rajasingham, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis.

After the failure of a US-Russian ceasefire in September, US efforts to affect a diplomatic solution to the war have amounted to little, even with ongoing negotiations in Geneva.

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The US has seen its leverage steadily eroded, in part because of Syrian-Russian gains on the ground, and in part because of US President-elect Donald Trump's suggestions he will cooperate with Moscow.

A Syrian government soldier gestures a v-sign under the Syrian national flag near a general view of eastern Aleppo after they took control of al-Sakhour neigbourhood in Aleppo, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on November 28, 2016.

While the US-led coalition continues to strike ISIS fighters and infrastructure in Iraq and Syria, people not affiliated with the terrorist group have been targeted accidentally.

The US government said in early November that 39 civilians had been killed in 13 strikes launched in Iraq since March, while a Pentagon report released on Tuesday admitted that airstrikes mounted by the US, Australia, Denmark, and Britain on September 17 had in fact killed dozens of Syrian armed forces personnel, rather than ISIS fighters.

US Brig. Gen. Richard Coe said the strikes were not illegal, as the mistake was not deliberate or the result of negligence.

You can see the full video of the November 19 strike on the Operation Inherent Resolve Facebook page.

NOW WATCH: A global intelligence analyst explains what makes ISIS so strong





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Fifteen staff members who worked on a well-known bipartisan intelligence watchdog committee wrote to President Barack Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday requesting the administration negotiate a plea agreement with former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

There is no question that Edward Snowdens disclosures led to public awareness which stimulated reform, wrote the staffers who served on the U.S. Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operation with Respect to Intelligence Activities  called the Church Committee, after its Chairman, Idaho Senator Frank Church.

Whether or not these clear benefits to the country merit a pardon, they surely do counsel for leniency, the authors continued.

Frederick, or Fritz Schwarz, Jr., the Church Committees Chief Counsel who now heads up policy and legal advocacy organization the Brennan Center for Justice, penned the letter alongside the committees staff director, William Green Miller, and thirteen other co-signers.

Schwarz, who published a book last year on the allure of government secrecy called Democracy in the Dark, says he has been captivated by Snowden since the former National Security Agency contractor first made his disclosures. Ive known many whistleblowers starting when I was Chief Counsel of the Church Committee, and theyre often praise worthybut [Snowden] seemed straightforward and genuine, he said during a phone interview with The Intercept.

In the 1970s, the Church committee conducted an unprecedented investigation that uncovered abuses by the intelligence committee and led to reforms. Schwarz recalled, during a recorded interview with the Brennan Centers Michael German, being involved in the first and most comprehensive investigation into the intelligence community, which was aimed at being open and rigorous  challenging senators who willfully turned a blind eye to the nations spies and their misdeeds.

The climate at the time, wracked with scandals like Watergate, and leaks, like the Pentagon Papers, led to a pent up interest in what the secret government had been doing, he said.

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The committee uncovered the NSAs practice of retaining copies of telegrams sent overseas, the CIAs experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs and use of domestic surveillance, and the FBIs widely discredited program under J. Edgar Hoover, called COINTELPRO, involving the monitoring of constitutionally protected activities.

Yet that climate of support for reform and investigation has changed, the authors argued. The government has all but stopped making bipartisan reforms, they wrote, arguing that this has left whistleblowers to take matters into their own hands.

Snowden, who provided a massive trove of documents about the governments worldwide surveillance regime to journalists in 2013, served as the spark to inspire lawmakers to reach across the aisle and amend the Patriot Act, ending the bulk collection metadata program in the summer of 2015, they wrote. And, his revelations uncovered the extent of overseas spying, which the Church Committee staffers note led President Obama to promise stronger privacy protections for foreigners.

If Snowden hadnt come forward, Americans might never have known about the abuses taking place, the authors argue. We know first hand that lack of disclosure can cause just as many, if not more, harms to the nation than disclosure, they wrote. When intelligence agencies operate in the dark, they often have gone too far in trampling on the legitimate rights of law-abiding Americans and damaging our reputation internationally.

They also noted that the government has been lenient towards senior national security officials who have been involved in divulging secrets, like former CIA director David Patraeus, who provided classified information to his biographer, with whom he was having an affair, and pled guilty to a simple misdemeanor.

Petraeus is now reportedly being considered for a role in President-elect Donald Trumps administration.

In all these cases, recognition of the public service the individuals had provided weighed against strict enforcement of the law, to come to a fair and just result, the authors wrote.

Meanwhile, the harsh treatment of other whistleblowers, like Thomas Drake and Chelsea Manning, may have inspired Snowden to take the route he did, they suggest.

The authors directly challenged several assertions made by the House Intelligence Committee in a short unclassified excerpt of its investigation into Snowdens motivations and actions, which concluded in September. The full contents of the Houses investigation remain classified, though the Committee has submitted it for declassification and publication.

Notably, the former Church Committee staffers did not advocate for a pardon, something President Obama has rejected as a possibility. Instead, they urged the government to consider offering Snowden a deal.

Under current law, the only way to weigh the public benefits of Snowdens leaks and account for his aim to help America is for the government to mitigate the charges through settlement discussions, they concluded.

I felt a flat pardon as opposed to what we call for, a negotiation with leniency, was very unlikely to happen, Schwarz explained.

When asked if the current political climate might stifle further reform, given the incoming administration and President-elect Donald Trumps known volatility, Schwarz was diplomatic: I think we need to be eternally watchful.

The post Watergate-Era Church Committee Staffers Urge Leniency for Snowden appeared first on The Intercept.
By Maayan Lubell AMONA, West Bank (Reuters) - On a hilltop in the occupied West Bank, Israeli teenagers are hammering stakes into the earth and erecting tent frames, preparing the ground for a confrontation with Israeli security forces. The devoutly religious young men see themselves as a last line of defence for Amona, a collection of pre-fabricated homes perched in the highlands of the West Bank. It is considered an illegal "outpost" under Israeli law and the Supreme Court has ruled it must be demolished by Dec. 25. As the deadline approaches and the 330 people living on the hill hunker down for battle, their supporters in Israel's parliament are pushing for a new law that would legalise Amona and dozens of other outposts scattered across land which Palestinians hope will be part of their own independent state. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. In the five decades since, it has built about 120 settlements, which most of the world deem illegal and an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. The stakes in this showdown are high. The fate of Amona has divided the Israeli government, putting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition in peril. Israeli leaders fear that if the new law passes and the outposts are legalised, it could provide grounds for charges to be brought before the International Criminal Court in the Hague. As well as the formal settlements, which Israel fully supports, settlers have established more than 100 outposts. "We are not going to walk out of here. This is our homeland. This is where we belong," said Elad Ziv, 46, a father of seven who lives with 40 other families on the ridge occupied by Amona, built on private Palestinian land. Their white mobile homes are scattered around the hillside. Children ride their bikes along pathways and mothers push babies in strollers. A cluster of Palestinian villages is visible across the valley. They begin as little more than a tent or mobile home on a hill. But they soon expand, getting hooked up to water and electricity networks and receiving protection from the Israeli army. Over time, they become more established and eventually, like Amona, seek to be recognised as "normal" settlements. While many settlements are in blocs close to the Israeli border, the outposts are distantly scattered, with the apparent aim of creating a presence throughout the West Bank. For the Palestinians, that makes the goal of a contiguous, independent state ever more difficult to achieve. The battle over Amona, the largest outpost, has dragged on for eight years, during which time the community has expanded to 200 children. There are two kindergartens and a primary school. Every time the Supreme Court has ruled it must be torn down, the government petitions for a delay. But this month, the court said there could be no more prevaricating and fixed the December deadline. And so began efforts to introduce a new law. The Palestinians have denounced the move, as have the United States, the European Union and the United Nations. Israel's attorney-general objects to it, saying it does not correspond to international law and that would be hard-pressed to defend if it were challenged in the Supreme Court. BIBLICAL DEFENCE In his kitchen Ziv prepares lunch for his young sons, a handgun strapped to his belt. To him there is no question about ownership in the West Bank, the biblical bedrock of Judaism. It is not Palestinian land, he says, it was promised to the Jews. "We are not occupying anything. We came back to our forefathers' land, our ancient land." In 2006 Amona saw a violent eviction, with nine shacks torn down by Israeli authorities. Police on horseback were confronted by thousands of settlers. More than 200 people were injured. The remnants of the fight -- twisted metal and rubble -- remain. Amona's people say the land was uncultivated when they arrived 20 years ago. Now they point to the sheep grazing on the hillside among grapevines and olive trees. But that cannot disguise the fact that the land is owned by someone else. Across the valley, Palestinian farmer Ibrahim Yacoub, 56, said the terrritory has been in his family for decades. "They took over the land piece by piece," said Yacoub, one of 10 Palestinians who first appealed to the Supreme Court. "They started by building water containers for the adjacent settlement Ofra. Then soldiers came to guard the containers." A few months later caravans sprouted up, he said. "The settlement started to spread like cancer on the mountain." CLOCK TICKING As the clock runs down, far-right lawmakers are racing to find a way to let Amona's residents stay. Set for a vote in the coming days is a divisive bill that would legalize dozens of outposts and potentially backdate that legalislation. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now has called the bill "a grand land robbery" that would lead to the expropriation of 8,000 dunams (800 hectares) of private Palestinian land. The bill is being pushed by the pro-settler Jewish Home party, a lynchpin in the coalition government, and by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own Likud faction. Netanyahu is stuck. Privately, he objects to the bill. On Tuesday, he was quoted in Israeli media as telling his security cabinet that the law would lead to prosecution at the International Criminal Court and U.N. action against Israel. Yet in parliament this month he voted in favour of the bill at its prelimanary reading, knowing that if he opposed it, it could force his coalition to collapse. "It's a political blame game: who will be the guilty one if the buldozers demolish Amona," Amit Segal, political analyst for Israel's Channel Two, told Reuters. "Bennett and Netanyahu each want the other guy to be the baddy." Naftali Bennett, the Jewish Home leader and a cabinet member, opposes a Palestinian state and wants to annexe most of the West Bank. He was encouraged by Donald Trump's election as U.S. president, declaring after Trump's victory that the two-state solution was effectively dead and the era of a Palestinian state over. But if Netanyahu shoots the law down and Amona is razed, the government would likely fall, Segal said. To avoid that, officials are trying to convince Amona's people to move to a nearby, vacant hill while trying to find a legal loophole that would allow them to remain. So far Amona has rejected the compromises as "humiliating". "There will be a forced eviction here and it will hurt," the residents said in a written response. (Additional reporting by Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh and Eli Berlzon; Editing by Luke Baker and Angus MacSwan)
Los Angeles (AFP) - US actress Evan Rachel Wood, who plays one of the leading characters in the new hit TV series "Westworld," has spoken out about being raped twice in an open letter she posted on Twitter.

The 29-year-old said she had revealed the attacks in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and decided to also share her story on social media as she did not want to "stay silent any longer."

The actress said she had been raped by a "significant other" and then by the owner of a bar.

"The first time I was unsure that if it was done by a partner it was still in fact rape, until too late," Wood wrote. "Also who would believe me.

"And the second time, I thought it was my fault and that I should have fought back more, but I was scared."

She said the attacks took place "many, many years ago" and that she had come to understand that she was not at fault.

The star added in her Twitter posting as well as the Rolling Stone interview that she believes the assaults were "one of the many factors" that played a part in an attempt to commit suicide at age 22.

The actress, who is bisexual, said she had hesitated about coming forward in the past for fear of being accused of seeking attention or being told "it wasn't a big deal or that's not really rape."

"I don't believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer. I certainly can't," she wrote.

"Not given the state our world is in with its blatant bigotry and sexism."

Wood said although she was happy in her life, she was "still not ok."

- 'You are not alone' -

"I think it's important for people to know that, for survivors to own that, and that the pressure to just get over it already, should be lifted," said the star, who was briefly married to actor Jamie Bell and had a son with him in 2013.

The actress also defended her past controversial relationship with the rock star Marilyn Manson in the Rolling Stone interview, saying she was "craving danger and excitement" when she met him at age 18 in Los Angeles. He was 36 at the time and married to burlesque star Dita Von Teese.

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"I met somebody that promised freedom and expression and no judgments," she told the magazine.

Wood plays Dolores, an android in the sci-fi series "Westworld" based on the 1973 movie of the same name about a Western theme park of the future.

In the first episode, her character is shown being dragged off to be raped.

The actress posted a message on Twitter on Tuesday, several hours after sharing her letter, saying that she would be taking a break from social media.

"Thank you for all your support and courageous stories. You are not alone. xo," she tweeted.

Fans posted encouraging messages on her Twitter feed, hailing her as a role model and vowing support.

"We'll be here when you come back!" one fan tweeted.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have been having a really hard time this fall. (Photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage)

When it rains, it pours  and the first drops may have started to fall on Kim Kardashian and Kanye West even before she was attacked in Paris, in October. According to reports, there were troubles brewing in their marriage before that. He would be up all night ranting about things, a source told Us Weekly. They were fighting because he was impossible to live with.

With storm clouds already gathering at home, Kim being robbed of $10 million worth of jewelry at gunpoint in Paris on Oct. 3 made matters significantly worse. Following the assault, Kim  who was usually quite comfortable in public  didnt feel like going out. The trauma of the incident made her more hesitant to do things, the source added. Kanye, meanwhile, went straight back to work, resuming his 63-date Saint Pablo tour. Because Kim wouldnt travel, she wasnt with her husband. Of course it strained their relationship, because she hadnt seen him.

But it didnt sound like West was dealing with it very well either. In fact, he was completely freaked out, according to reports. The mere thought of his wife being taken from him was too much  it was like his mothers death, the source said. Seeing Kim close to death did a major number on him. It sent him into a tailspin.

Clearly, her assault had triggered something in Kanye, who was off touring while she coped at home. She felt like now she needed him to be stable and her rock instead of the other way around, the source added. Kanye, however, couldnt take care of her because he was struggling to take care of himself. A source told People that Kanye was extremely sleep deprived and had not been taking care of himself, which certainly didnt help things.

Kim and Kanye are trying to help each other through their struggles. (Photo: Raymond Hall/GC Images)

Then Nov. 20 rolled around, which happened to be the ninth anniversary of Kanyes mothers death. According to TMZ, sources claim the Grammy winner has never effectively grieved after his moms death, and he finally hit his breaking point. He cancelled his show at the LA Forum while Kim headed to New York City for the Angel Ball on Nov. 21 (apparently having recovered somewhat from her fear of going out). That day, Kanye cancelled the remainder of his tour and Kim received a phone call that her husband had shown up at his trainers home and was having difficulty identifying what was real.

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Kim realized how serious the situation was and headed back to Los Angeles, where she got busy holding down the fort in his private hospital room. While Kanye had allegedly had breakdowns like this before, in previous incidents he had bounced back. In the past when Kanye seemed to struggle, no one took it too seriously. The attitude was more like, it was just Kanye being Kanye, a source told People. Usually after a few days things would go back to normal, but this time is much different.

One major contributing factor to the difference seemed to be Kims absence. Without having Kim by his side during the tour, as planned, Kanye wasnt able to snap back. Kim being absent because of her own struggles seems to be why things are different with Kanye this time, the source explained.

Photo: John Parra/GC Images

Though Kim is by his side now, she is also caring for their children (who reportedly have not visited their father in the hospital), splitting her time between home and the hospital. Kim is focused on Kanye right now and making sure her family is getting all the care and attention thats needed, a source informed People. Theyre her priority and main concern right now.

Though people had originally hoped Kanye would be released two days ago, things didnt work out that way and no new release date has been confirmed. It seems that his marital woes combined with Kims assault right around the anniversary of his mothers death might have been too much to handle. Despite that, a source told Us, Kim feels relieved he is getting the help he needs. She thinks this is what it will take to save him  and help their marriage.




By Letitia Stein

(Reuters) - A white former South Carolina policeman testified in his murder trial on Tuesday that he felt fear before fatally shooting an unarmed black man last year in an incident that intensified debate about racial bias in law enforcement.

Michael Slager, 35, appeared emotional at times on the witness stand in a Charleston courtroom, in his first extensive public detailing of the April 2015 killing of motorist Walter Scott, 50.

A bystander's cellphone video appeared to show Slager firing eight times at Scott's back as he fled after a traffic stop in North Charleston. The recording was shown repeatedly on television and social media.

"My family has been destroyed by this," said Slager, who recalled missing his son's birth after being jailed over the shooting. "Scott's family has been destroyed by this. It's horrible."

Dressed in a dark suit, he described how a normal Saturday turned deadly after he stopped Scott for a broken brake light.

Slager said the motorist ran from him, resisting his orders to stop. Slager testified that when he attempted to use a Taser to subdue Scott, they ended up in a scuffle. Scott grabbed his stun gun, the ex-officer said.

Slager said he felt "total fear" as Scott came toward him. He pulled out his gun and opened fire.

"I fired my firearm until the threat was stopped," he said.

The account by Slager, who was dismissed from the North Charleston Police Department after the shooting, offered a different view from what state prosecutors argue was captured by the bystander's footage of the incident.

Prosecutors contend Slager did not appear to be in danger when he hit Scott with five shots. They said Scott fled because he was behind on child support payments and feared arrest.

Under cross-examination, a prosecutor accused Slager of changing his story at times. Slager acknowledged that some things clear on the video were not known to him as the incident unfolded.

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"My mind was like spaghetti," he said, noting he was tired after running and fighting Scott on the ground.

After hearing from Slager and several others, the defense rested its case late on Tuesday. Testimony began early this month before a jury of 11 whites and one black. Slager faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

Slager said that looking back, with facts he since has learned, he would not have left his patrol vehicle to chase Scott.

"Things could have been different," he said.

(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Peter Cooney and Andrew Hay)
While other children were spending their pocket money on candy and toys, a young Robert Franke was busy building his fortune, collecting bottle deposits to invest in his first stock when he was just 9.

Almost 90 years later, his shrewd investments and work ethic continue to benefit the La Crosse community through the Robert and Eleanor Franke Charitable Foundation.

Established in February 2011 from the late couples estate, and run by Robert Frankes longtime attorney Mel Hoffman and his wife, CJ, the foundation continues the legacy of the quietly philanthropic Frankes and will host the Franke Foundations sixth annual Care and Share Expo on Saturday at the La Crosse Public Library.

The expo, featuring 44 local nonprofit organizations, offers people a chance to take the commercialization out of the holidays by making donations in the name of friend or family member. The expo draws 300 to 400 people each year, and the foundation has matched $100,000 in the past five years. This year, the Franke Foundation will match up to $1,000 in same-day donations to each participating organization, and for each board member who attends, an additional $15 will be given to the represented charity.

Getting the word out to the La Crosse community about all the wonderful organizations we have is so important, CJ Hoffman said. We wanted to put all the nonprofits in one room to learn about each other and collaborate. The things they do for our community are beyond phenomenal, and people are really open and wanting to help.

Its been very gratifying to see the development over the years and the enthusiasm, Mel agreed. Theres been nothing like this before.

Robert and Eleanor, who died in in 2009 and 2001, respectively, were fixtures in the community, with Robert living in the same North Side home for 91 years. He worked briefly as a substitute teacher before taking on his dream job as an engineer for Burlington Northern Railroad, running the 4000 engine now permanently stationed in Copeland Park. Eleanor was a teacher and member of the American Association of University Women and the Catholic Womens League.

In 1987, Roberts wealth grew exponentially when the G. Heileman Brewing Co., in which he was the largest common stock holder, was sold for more than a billion dollars. Eschewing a life of luxury, the couple shared their good fortune with local organizations including the Diocese of La Crosse, Coulee Region Humane Society and Mayo Clinic Health System, as well as to people in their neighborhood. Robert purchased homes from elderly neighbors, allowing them to remain living there for just the cost of the yearly property tax. Five years before his death, he received the Franciscan Skemp Foundation Spheres of Influence Award, and today the Franke Foundation offers a Coulee Collaboration award, with this years focus on early childhood education.

The theme will be carried into the expo, where children are welcome to decorate a book bag to fill with free books and kazoos while their parents browse the booths in the librarys museum room, where the event has been held for the past two years.

If kids dont have proper education or cant read, they can be left behind, said CJ, who appreciates the expos scholastic setting. The public library has so many of the same missions as us as far as helping the community  theyre just phenomenal.

The Public Librarys 2016-2021 Strategic Plan includes an Early Childhood Literacy Initiative, and their recent Give-A-Gift fundraiser will receive a matching check from the Franke Foundation.

It was a meeting of the minds to host (the expo) here, said Kelly Kreig-Sigman, director of the La Crosse Public Library. It fits in with the librarys priority of creating connections. First and foremost it gives the community an idea of the wealth of organizations in the community, and any time you have a matching grant its just wonderful because youre doubling your donation. I personally will be coming in with a pocket full of dollar bills to spread the wealth. Its win- win-win.

The African American Mutual Assistance Network, Capable Canines, Hunger Task Force, Riverfront Activity Center, Inc. and Friends of the Library are among the participating non-profits this year, with donations to the latter being filtered back into programming offered by the library. While the organizations are grateful for the funds, CJ says the donors are equally touched.

People love this, CJ said. We actually see tears of happiness.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Many people go just a teeny bit overboard on their holiday decorations: from garlands of twinkling lights strung around their homes, to life-size Westworld-like animatronic manger scenes crammed onto tiny front lawns. Sometimes things just get a bit out of control.

But for presidents, the sought-for Christmas decorating credo seems to be excess without insanity.

And nobody pulls it off quite like the Obamas, who are getting ready to celebrate their last Christmas in the White House. The theme for this years celebration is The Gift of the Holidaysand it comes complete with a 300-pound gingerbread house, a 19-foot Douglas fir in the Blue Room with the preamble to the Constitution on its garland, and giant pompom replicas of the Obamas dogs Bo and Sunny greeting visitors in the East Wing.

Replicas of the First Familys dogs, Bo and Sunny. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Thats in addition to the more than 8,000 bows and ribbons adorning the East Hallway of the White House; trees in the library built from crayons and pencils; and snowball arches created from more than 6,000 ornaments. Wreaths and garlands have been constructed from lemons, limes, clove-covered oranges, apples, pomegranates, and greens to emphasize first lady Michelle Obamas commitment to encouraging healthy eating habits for children.

And did we mention the 56 gingerbread houses made of Legos and representing each U.S. state and territory? They took more than 200,000 blocks to construct.

Lego houses from each state SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The White House decorations are all about attention to detail this year. Even that massive gingerbread house we mentioned earlier is a confectionery (and cavity-inducing) Christmas miracle unto itself. On display in the State Dining Room, the sugary masterpiece is made of 150 pounds of gingerbread, along with 100 pounds of bread, 20 pounds of icing, and 20 pounds of sculpted sugar pieces, according to The Associated Press. Its almost too pretty to eat.

The White House Gingerbread House. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The White House Gingerbread House sits in the State Dining Room. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Nearly 100 volunteers from 33 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico began trickling in on Thanksgiving and spent the past few days helping to ready the White House for the holidays. Their tasks included trimming trees, hanging lights, and making bows, according to the AP.

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The White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room and holiday decorations are seen from the Grand Foyer of the White House SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Military families were invited first to see the decorations to honor one of the first ladys favorite holiday traditions, according to The Washington Post.

We promised to open up this house to as many people from as many backgrounds as possible, Michelle said at a media preview of the decorations on Tuesday. And we truly wanted to make the White House the peoples house.

The smell of the holidays also wafted through the presidential home, with a cookie-scented candle in the security guard station and the mouthwatering scent of roasting meats in the outdoor kitchen, according to The Washington Post.

So take a tip from the first family: Bigger just might be better when it comes to getting your home ready for the holidays. Just be tasteful. Delicious, even.

The post White House-Worthy Holiday Decorations: The Obamas Show How Its Done appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.
It was almost exactly two years ago that OPEC, when confronted by tanking oil prices, famously decided to hold the line on production, ushering in a period in which the cartel would protect market share at the expense of prices.

That moveorchestrated by Saudi Arabiawas a signal to the world that OPEC was powerless to prevent the collapse in oil prices that was spurred by the shale revolution in the United States.

The oil market buckled, with prices falling more than 50% in the months following the policy shift. Headlines proclaimed the "end of OPEC," and the world looked forward to a new paradigm of permanently lower oil prices.

Today OPEC pushed back emphatically against that narrative. Led once again by Saudi Arabia, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to slash production by 1.2 million barrels per day, the first reduction since 2008.

Oil prices surged by 9% on the news to $49/barrel. The United States Oil Fund (USO), which tracks oil futures, gained 9% also. Meanwhile, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) and the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP), which track energy stocks, rallied 5% and 10%, respectively.

YTD WTI Oil Price



What's Changed In The Past Two Years

The immediate reaction in oil prices suggests that traders are impressed with OPEC's comeback. If anything, the cartel has proven it can still capture the attention of the market and move prices significantlyat least in the short term.

But what, if anything, has changed in the last two years to prompt OPEC to reverse course on its policy of market share maximization to now price manipulation?

Perhaps the biggest change is the trajectory of United States oil production. On Nov. 27, 2014, when OPEC made its last big policy decision, U.S. output was rapidly climbing. Output in that month was close to 9.1 million barrels per day, up more than 1 million barrels per day year-over-year. In fact, production wouldn't peak for another eight months after that, in June 2015, at around 9.6 million barrels per day.

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In that environment, it made little sense for OPEC to cut production. Why prop up oil prices only to see U.S. producers continue to drill all-out, negating any reductions the cartel makes?

By stepping aside, OPEC hoped the market would reach equilibrium naturally, forcing U.S. producers to scale back their drilling activity. That's exactly what happened. Low oil prices and tighter credit conditions led U.S. oil companies to slow output dramatically. By the summer of this year, output in the country dipped as low as 8.4 million barrels per day, down 12.5% from peak levels.

Cuts Shouldn't Be Taken At Face Value

Emboldened by the struggles of its biggest competition, OPEC believes it can go back to acting like a cartel again, squeezing prices higher with output cuts.

According to the agreement, Saudi Arabia will take on the bulk of the cuts, accounting for 0.5 million of the 1.2 million barrel per day reduction; Iraq may account for 0.2 million barrels per day of the cut; while Iran will freeze output at presanction levels. Additionally, non-OPEC countries such as Russia may reduce their production by 600,000 barrels per day, according to sources.

Taken at face value, this agreement would be unequivocally bullish for oil prices. A combined 1.8 million barrels per day decrease in global output would push the market decisively into a deficit, leading to steady withdrawals from inventories.

The problem for OPEC is that the proposed cuts can't be taken at face value. Aside from Saudi Arabia and a few of its small Gulf allies, it's unlikely that most member countries will abide by their pledged quotas. Iraq, where output has nearly doubled in the last six years, and which needs funds to fight ISIS, is more likely to continue growing its production than cutting back.

Iraq Oil Production





Source: Bloomberg



Venezuela, which is facing economic calamity, likely won't shoulder its share of proposed cuts. Russia, which often promises to join OPEC in reducing production, never follows through. The list goes on. It's almost a certainty that the actual production cuts that materialize from Wednesday's agreement will end up being much less than what has been proposed.

US Production Comeback To Trump OPEC

The second and bigger problem for OPEC is that U.S. production is slowly rising again. For all the talk of an OPEC comeback that will result from today's news, more important is the trajectory of output in the U.S.

Based on the latest data from the Energy Information Administration, U.S. crude production hit 8.7 million barrels per day last week, up 270,000 barrels per day from this year's lows and the highest level in almost six months.

US Oil Production



A number of indicators, including rig countswhich are up 50% from their lowspoint to U.S. producers increasing their activity. That's based on oil prices rebounding from $26 in January to the high $40s more recently.

If oil spikes into the $50s, $60s or higher, U.S. output will surge, putting OPEC back into the predicament it faced two years ago. That's why, as much as OPEC wants to reassert its influence on the oil market again, it will ultimately fail.

Contact Sumit Roy at sroy@etf.com

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UPDATE: Felicity Jones showed off some of the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story martial arts skills detailed in the post below in a just-for-fun face-off with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show during her Nov. 30 guest spot on the show. To top it all off, Fallon showed a clip from the movie spotlighting the actress in action as Jyn Erso, taking out stormtroopers armed with artillery far heavier than the toy store arsenal the late-night host brought to the fight. Watch the Yahoo Movies Superfan take on the late-night bit above, and the full segment, including the clip from Rogue One, below.

ORIGINAL POST: While training for her role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (in theaters Dec. 16), Felicity Jones discovered an unexpected passion for martial arts. To play Jyn Erso, the criminal turned rebel leader who plots to steal the Empires Death Star plans, Jones trained in wushu, a martial arts style that Jyn emulates in fights.

She has this short stick, and then she grabs onto it and she just hits, Jones told the New York Times of her characters combat style. I can feel it now; I absolutely love doing it. I have to be careful not to do it on my friends or on my boyfriend or on my family.

Rogue-One-Jyn-Erso-Martial-Arts

The word wushu may be unfamiliar to some Star Wars fans, but the fighting style is not. The term is traditionally interchangeable with kung-fu, but wushu in this case refers to the modern competitive practice of Chinese martial arts. Several styles of wushu involve using weapons, both long (like a staff) and short (like a broadsword). This is likely what Jones studied in her Rogue One training. And its also how another recent Star Wars heroine got herself battle-ready.

Related: When Rey Met Jyn: Daisy Ridley Reveals What She and Fellow Star Wars Star Felicity Jones Discussed Over Tea

In preparing for last years The Force Awakens, Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, hit the gym with Liang Yang, whom she described on Instagram as a wushu fricking master. (Yang was a stunt coordinator on the film and also played a featured Stormtrooper.) In the video below, she does a routine with what appears to be a practice lightsaber.

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Watch a video of Daisy Ridley in training for Rogue One:

Some of Ridleys trickier battle sequences in The Force Awakens were performed by stunt double Chloe Bruce, a martial artist who takes her wushu staff skills seriously. See the video below.

Chloe Bruce, the stunt double for Rey in The Force Awakens, shows off her skills:

Going further back into Star Wars history, Darth Mauls double-lightsaber skills in 1999s The Phantom Menace were influenced by the wushu training of actor Ray Park. This is somewhat of a departure from the earliest Star Wars lightsaber fights, which were inspired by Japanese, rather than Chinese, sword-fighting techniques (reminiscent of the Kurosawa samurai films that director George Lucas loves).

In terms of her own Star Wars combat scenes, Jones said wushu was the right choice because the filmmakers didnt want her to be balletic and majestic.

Its all quite short, sharp movements. We wanted it to feel authentic and a little bit dirty, Jones said.

While Jones was a newbie at the art of wushu, one of her Rogue One co-stars is an expert. Donnie Yen, a champion of multiple world wushu tournaments, plays the blind warrior Chirrut Imwe.

Watch Felicity Jones talk about the new female heroines of Star Wars:




Many of the latest administration try-outs turnstiling through Trump Tower over the three weeks since Donald Trumps election couldnt be blamed for rendering sharp salutes to the soon-to-be command-in-chief. After all, thats what they did during their decades in uniform.

Trump has tapped Michael Flynn, a combative and cagey retired Army three-star who ran the Defense Intelligence Agency, to serve as his national security adviser. Other retired generals who have spoken with Trump about serving in his Administration include Jack Keane (retired Army general), who said he turned down an offer to serve as defense secretary. James Mattis (retired Marine general) remains a leading candidate for that post. David Petraeus (retired Army general) is under consideration to serve as secretary of state, and John Kelly (retired Marine general) could be tapped as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

One more three or four-star general given a senior appointment, and we can start referring to a Trump junta rather than a Trump Administration, says Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and military scholar.

Dave Barno, a retired three-star Army officer who commanded U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, doesnt see things that bleakly. He thinks such appointments could help the nascent Administration. Most of these officers are relatively non-partisan, publicly endorsed no candidate during the campaign, and have lifelong records of public service leading large, complex organizations, he says. They could bring a wealth of sober judgment and experience to a Trump foreign policy team in need of both. (Barno and colleague Nora Bensahel published a moral guide Tuesday to help national-security professionals pondering whether they should go to work for Trump.)

A brass-heavy Trump Administration could lead to a military-centric American foreign policy, fears Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine general. What I find interesting is that all these generals seemed at odds with the Obama Administration, he says. We could end up being long on military strategy, much needed after the last two Administrations, but short of foreign policy expertise.

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The big concern many Americans have about generals slipping from uniforms into suits is that theyre hawks who will push the U.S. into wars it might otherwise not fight. Actually, thats generally backwards. It was Colin Powell, who as an Army general, drafted restrictive rules on the use of U.S. military force. It was a diplomatthen-U.S. secretary to the United Nations Madeleine Albrightwho found such rules confining. Whats the point of having this superb military that youre always talking about, she demanded of Powell in 1992 as they debated what to do in the Balkans, if we cant use it?

Despite the doubts of junior officers and nearly all enlisted personnel, generals, retired or otherwise, are merely human. And theyre not produced by cookie cutters: like any group of people, their qualities range from brilliant to buffoon. Retired generals dont necessarily agree with each other, even on nonpartisan national security matters, says Charles Dunlap, a retired Air Force major general. And they are human beings who have their own likes and dislikes, and that includes about each other.

So first things first: generals arent particularly well-suited, or ill-suited, for high civilian positions in the U.S. government. Powell (retired Army general) and Brent Scowcroft (retired Air Force lieutenant general) are two former military men given high marks for their service as as national security advisers; Powell under Reagan and Scowcroft under both Ford and the first Bush. But James Jones (retired Marine general) did not fare as well as President Obamas first national security adviser. Yet because of the blurry nature of the posta President can make it as powerful or as impotent as he wantsits a bit unfair to rank them in a vacuum.

Most importantly, generals and admirals, their Navy counterparts, are not apolitical. Anyone who makes it to three starslieutenant general or vice admiralhas navigated the corridors of power in Washington and around the world for 30 years or more and knows what works. There are 145 of them currently serving. Full generals and admiralsthose with four-star rankhave to be more strategic thinker than military tactician in those roles. There are only 38 of them. (The nation has had nine five-star generals and admirals since the rank was created during World War II to ensure they couldnt be outranked by allied commanders; the life-time rank ended with the death of General of the Army Omar Bradley in 1981.)

I think its time maybe, its time for a general, Trump told the New York Times last week about the top Pentagon post. Look whats going on. We dont win, we cant beat anybody.

But there are a couple of reasons Mattis might not make it to the Pentagon. First of all, that would put a pair of Marines (once a Marine, always a Marine!) in the Defense Departments top two spots. Marine General Joe Dunford is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and therefore will be President Trumps key military advisor. Veterans of the other services, especially the Army, are wary. Two Marine four-stars as chairman of the Joint Chiefs and secretary of defense would make the other services uneasy, says Barry McCaffrey, a retired four-staryou guessed it, Armygeneral.

And when Congress created the position of defense secretary, along with the Department of Defense, in 1947, it said that a military officer would have to be out of uniform for seven years before becoming eligible for the job. Mattis retired from the corps in May 2013, leaving him more than three years short of meeting that requirement, which was instituted to ensure civilian control of the military.

President Truman sought, and won, from Congress an exception when he nominated George C. Marshall to run the Pentagon in 1950. The five-star Army general had already served as secretary of state when Truman asked him to run the U.S. military in the dark early days of the Korean War. In giving Marshalls appointment a green light, Congress made clear it was granting a one-time waiver. Its approval was not to be construed as approval by Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future, it said. Following Marshall, it added, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.

But that was the 81st Congress talking. The current Congress is the 114th. It is free to rewrite the rules, just as Trump has.
A World War II jacket was returned to its rightful owners after the coat was discovered several states away.

Read: Man Finds WWII Trunk While Renovating His House, Unlocks Family's Love Story Mystery

Kathy Bold, of St. Louis, Missouri, kept her father's World War II jacket in storage, but it resurfaced around Veterans Day.

When she inspected the coat, she was shocked to find it bore the name of another man, "D. Prescott."

"I was really disappointed when I first saw it, and it wasn't my dad's," Bold said in an interview with WINK.

But, after a bit of research at the National Records Administration, Bold was able to return the jacket to Norma Prescott, 81, the widow of its original owner, Dewey Prescott.

"I thought, 'How could someone have his jacket?'" Prescott, of Fort Myers, Florida, said in an interview with WKMG."I thought it was a scam, because as far as I knew, my husband had never been in that state."

Sure enough, Bold flew out Tuesday to personally hand off the jacket to Prescott over coffee.

"To think that someone cared enough to want to get this jacket back to his family, that touched my heart," Prescott said.

Prescott's late husband died in 2010 at 83.

He served in both the Army and the Navy during World War II before getting his high school diploma in 1944. He then went on to work as a mechanic.

"We had a lot of good times together. He always said, 'Once someone is gone, they're gone and you're supposed to live,' and that's what I try to do," Prescott said. "I know that the two grandsons are really excited about the jacket because they really love their papa. I've got 60 years of memories, so I don't need a coat, but they might like to have it."

Read: 200 Strangers Attend Funeral of World War II Veteran With No Living Relatives: 'Thank You For Your Service'

Also found in the jacket was the name "R. McDonald." Researchers believe he may have owned the jacket prior to Prescott's husband. The jacket was likely then passed on to Bold's father.

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Watch: Man Seeks Owner of Abandoned Trunk Containing Love Letters and Photos from WWII

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On the 142nd anniversary of his birth, Constitution Daily looks back at what the British leader and author Sir Winston Churchill had to say about the American Constitution, which was quite a lot.

Churchill addresses the U.S. Congress

After all, although Churchill came from a prominent British family on his fathers side, his mother was an American, Jennie Jerome. He was a British citizen, but in 1963, Churchill was the first person even honored by the United States Congress and President as an honorary American citizen.

In 1965, former President Dwight Eisenhower recalled a past conversation with Churchill when he spoke about his American heritage. My mother was American and my ancestors were officers in Washingtons army, I am myself an English-speaking union, Churchill reportedly said.

Churchill drove his point home on Dec. 26, 1941, when he spoke in Washington, D.C. to a joint session of Congress and the Supreme Court just weeks after the Pearl Harbor attack. If my father had been an American, and my mother British, instead of the other way around, I might have gotten here on my own. In that case, this would not have been the first time you would have heard my voice, he told a global audience.

I have been in full harmony all my life with the tides which have flowed on both sides of the Atlantic against privilege and monopoly and I have steered confidently towards the Gettysburg ideal of government of the people, by the people, for the people, Churchill added.

Five years earlier, Churchill wrote an article called What Goods A Constitution for Colliers magazine where he criticized some of President Roosevelts policies but praised Americas Constitution, and offered conflicting opinions on the struggle between Roosevelt and the Supreme Court. But here, many of his other comments dealt with the Constitutions founding principles.

No one can think clearly or sensibly about this vast and burning topic without in the first instance making up his mind upon the fundamental issue. Does he value the State above the citizen, or the citizen above the State? Does a government exist for the individual, or do individuals exist for the government? Churchill asked.

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I hold that governments are meant to be, and must remain, the servants of the citizens; that states and federations only come into existence and can only by justified by preserving the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the homes and families of individuals, Churchill implored.

I judge the civilization of any community by simple tests. What is the degree of freedom possessed by the citizen or subject? Can he think, speak and act freely under well-established, well-known laws? Can he criticize the executive government? Can he sue the State if it has infringed his rights? Are there also great processes for changing the law to meet new conditions? Churchill wrote. Judging by these standards, Great Britain and the United States can claim to be in the forefront of civilized communities.

Also, in his History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill wrote at length about American constitutional values.

At first sight this authoritative document presents a sharp contrast with the store of traditions and precedents that make up the unwritten Constitution of Britain. Yet behind it lay no revolutionary theory. It was based not upon the challenging writings of the French philosophers who were soon to set Europe ablaze, but an Old English doctrine, freshly formulated to meet an urgent American need. The Constitution was a reaffirmation of faith in the principles painfully evolved over the centuries by the English-speaking peoples, he wrote.

Churchill scholars do point out that the former Prime Minister believed that Britains longstanding unwritten constitution was a cut ahead its American cousin, because he was concerned that the written American Constitution could be too rigid.

A written constitution carries with it the danger of a cramping rigidity. What body of men, however far-sighted, can lay down precepts in advance for settling the problems of future generations? he asked, in some ways foreseeing our current debate over originalism versus a living Constitution.

But Churchill also had faith that the amendment process would make sure any changes would follow the guiding idea of the Founding Fathers.

A prime object of the Constitution was to be conservative; it was to guard the principles and machinery of state from capricious and ill-considers alteration. In its fundamental doctrine, the American people acquired an institution which was to command the same respect and loyalty as in England are given to Parliament and the Crown.

In 1953, Churchill told an audience back in England at Westminster, including the commonwealths new Queen, that the English needed to still strive to provide constitutional protections. We must be very careful nowadays  I perhaps all the more because of my American forbears  in what we say about the American Constitution. I will therefore content myself with the observation that no better Constitution was ever better written in English.

Both here and across the ocean, over the generations and the centuries the idea of the division of power has lain at the root of our development. We do not want to live under a system dominated either by one man or one theme.

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This woman charges money to create your wedding hashtag and, uh, why didnt we think of this?

Love them or hate them, wedding hashtags are seemingly here to stay. And while that may be a bit stressful for some  as if booking a venue, a caterer, a photographer, a DJ, etc etc etc wasnt already tedious enough  if youve got some extra cash lying around you can pay someone to do the clever hashtagging for you, The Cut reports. Huzzah.

Happily Ever #Hashtagged, the brainchild of Los Angeles magazine culture and arts editor Marielle Wakim, hopes to take some of the pressure off of the happy couple. After generating winning wedding hashtags for some of her friends  she works for a magazine, after all  she tells The Cut that she decided it might be a good time to make a business out of it.

Paige Thomas & Chad Van Norman #VanAndWife

If there are two things I love, Wakim explains on the Happily Ever #Hashtagged website, its weddings and wordplay. So when wedding hashtags became a thing, it felt natural to marry those two loves (see what I did there?).

Sharrah Robeson & Tyler Stevens turns into #SharrahTysTheKnot

The rates arent outrageous either. You can pay $40 for one hashtag, $85 for 3, or $115 for three wedding hashtags and two additional tags for Bachelor or Bachelorette parties.

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So, how does she do it? Wakim explains to The Cut, Generally where I start is with rhymes and idioms and seeing if theres an idiom that already exists with their last name, or if their last name rhymes with something that can play with a fun idiom or a phrase. Lets be honest. We dont care how she does it. Just dont make us do it.

Maggie Gottlieb & Charlie Madsen turns into #CharMagweddon

And, yes, for those who were wondering, Wakim can hook it up with a clever hashtag for an occasion that ISNT a wedding.

The poet John Dryden once said, Wakim writes, that puns are the lowest and most groveling kind of wit. Was he Englands first Poet Laureate? Yes. Was he a millennial in search of a clever wedding hashtag? No. And so, I choose to align myself with Alfred Hitchcock, who called puns the highest form of literature. Lolol.

Happy hashtagging!

The post This woman charges money to create your wedding hashtag and, uh, why didnt we think of this? appeared first on HelloGiggles.
A woman who moved to Florida to escape her allegedly abusive estranged husband disappeared Sunday afternoon while jogging  and police believe she is with the man she had tried to get away from, PEOPLE confirms.

Rachael Madison, 44, was reported missing by her aunt after she didnt come back to her aunts house after a run along Ormond Beach, Volusia County Sheriffs Office spokesman Andrew Gant tells PEOPLE.

According to a Volusia County police report obtained by PEOPLE, Madisons aunt, Thelma Newsom, told police that days earlier, Madison moved to Florida to get away from her husband, Jarvis Madison. On Nov. 14, Jarvis allegedly held Rachael hostage at gunpoint and fired a gun at her after finding out she wanted to leave him, the police report states.

According to Newsom, Madison was covered in scars from her husbands alleged abuse, including one of her back from when Jarvis allegedly poured acid on a tattoo and several on her neck from when Jarvis allegedly cut her with a knife, the report states.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: Cases that Shocked America is out now.

The report alleges Jarvis frequently called Madison and her family members threatening to kill her if she did not come back to him. On the day of Madisons disappearance, Newsom alleges Jarvis tried one last time to reach his wife, thirty minutes before she went for her run.

However, Gant tells PEOPLE cops are not sure whether Madison willingly went with Jarvis or was taken against her will.

Given the allegations that we were made aware of in the fairly recent past, a higher level of concern , Gant says.

According to the report, Newsom said that while Jarvis held Madison hostage at gunpoint on Nov. 14, Madison called her and kept her on the phone. At one point, Madison attempted to run away but Jarvis allegedly shot his gun at her, making her return to the car out of fear, Newsom told police.

After some time, Madison convinced Jarvis to stop at a Wal-Mart in Indiana, according to Newsom. Once inside, she called police, whose arrival on the scene allegedly prompted Jarvis to flee. On Monday, a felony warrant was issued for his arrest on criminal confinement charges.

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 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.

Rachael was settling into her new, quiet, life, Newsom told police, and jogged along Ormond Beach to clear her mind. She had been keeping a daily diary and was working on finding employment with her familys support, Newsom said.

The couple were homeless and lived between motels in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, police say. They sometimes lived in Jarviss 2011 silver Honda Pilot, police say.

When you dont have a permanent address or fixed location where you can at least start  it poses a challenge, Gant says of the couples transience. We know generally that in the past has been drawn to state parks and 24-hour businesses, like gas stations, but there are a lot of those between Indiana and elsewhere.

Authorities say Jarvis may be traveling in a a silver 2011 Honda Pilot with Indiana tag EN2348. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.

It is unclear whether Jarvis has an attorney in connection with his arrest warrant.

Anyone with information pertaining to the case can contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida toll-free at (888) 277-TIPS.




Things were bad enough for 43-year-old Stacy Omelinoff. Earlier this month she lost her job. Then her car broke down and she spent more than $500 to get it running again.

Thanksgiving weekend brought more terrible news.

Read: Man Who Allegedly Destroyed Donald Trump's Star on Walk of Fame is Arrested

On Friday, she was awakened by police banging on the door of her Los Angeles home. Is your car missing? an officer asked.

No, Omelinoff answered. Its parked in front of a friends house. After receiving more information from his dispatcher, the officer told her it seemed the car was still there, after all.

But it was totaled, he said. What do you mean, totaled? Omelinoff asked him, she told InsideEdition.com Tuesday.

Vandalized, he replied.

So she asked her cousin to drive her to Koreatown, where shed left her Oldsmobile parked in front of a friends house while she celebrated Thanksgiving with her family.

Vandalized didnt exactly cover what had been done to her car.

Her friends surveillance camera captured what appeared to be a young woman climbing on her car, stomping on the roof, pulling off the grill and ripping out a windshield wiper, which she used to gouge a nonsensical series of letters and numbers across the vehicle, stripping away paint down to gray metal.

Omelinoff burst into tears.

It was unbelievable, she said.

Even harder to believe, she said, is the video shows the woman went after her car for more than six hours. Vehicles slowed to down to watch the spectacle, she said. Pedestrians took photos. But no one called police until a nearby business worker phoned about 9 a.m., she said.

The car assailant was still on the scene when police arrived, the video appears to show. She was handcuffed, taken into custody and placed under a psychiatric hold for evaluation, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Read: Man Writes 'Die Yuppies,' Draws Swastika in Cement at Construction Site

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Public Information Officer Tony Im told InsideEdition.com that it was not clear whether the woman was still being treated.

We dont know where she is in her healing process, he said. A police report was filed, but the woman has not been criminally charged, he said.

Omelinoff said she wished no harm to the woman.

This woman had mental health issues. I dont believe she really knew what she was doing, Omelinoff said. There are thousands of numbers and letters that dont make any sense, etched into Omelinoffs car, she said.

I feel sorry for her.

A GoFundMe page was established by Omelinoffs cousin to raise money for a new car.

Omelinoff had only minimal auto insurance after losing her job as a caregiver to a 94-year-old lady whose family was forced to put the elderly woman in a nursing home.

Told late Tuesday that the fundraising site had raised more than $8,500, Omelinoff was stunned. Oh, wow, she said. Oh, thank you. Oh, yes!

Watch: Neighbors Paint Over Racist Graffiti Left on Home When Family Was Out of Town

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By Lin Taylor LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women migrants fleeing wars, political instability and poverty are taking contraceptives in the expectation of being raped but are so desperate they still embark on the journey, a human rights group said on Wednesday. Women and girls who risk sexual violence as they flee their home countries are getting contraceptive injections as a precautionary measure, said researcher Hillary Margolis from New York-based Human Rights Watch. "For someone to know that they are at such risk of sexual violence, and yet they are determined to continue on that journey," she told Trust Women, an annual women's rights and trafficking conference hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A record 65.3 million people were uprooted worldwide last year, an increase of 50 percent in five years, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Data shows developing countries host 86 percent of refugees, led by Turkey with more than 2.7 million Syrians. [nL8N1DQ2HW] The U.N. children's agency UNICEF earlier this year said children in refugee camps in France were being subjected to sexual abuse including rape, violence and forced labor daily. The UNICEF report also included cases of young women being subjected to sexual demands in exchange for a promise of passage to Britain and campaigners said this was not limited to France. Amnesty International said it had spoken to women who said they lived in constant fear of sexual violence on the journey to Libya and rape was so commonplace that they took contraceptive pills before traveling to avoid becoming pregnant. Margolis said she met a number of female migrants in Italy who had taken birth control ahead of their perilous sea journey from Libya "because of the high risk of rape". At least 4,690 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year while trying to reach Europe, compared to 3,777 in 2015. Most have died while crossing from North Africa. [nL8N1DQ3ZG] "The idea that a woman who is traveling with men is automatically safe is a fallacy," Margolis said. "There are women who are coerced into traveling with men, who are trafficked, exploited, who may be experiencing domestic abuse." Joanne Liu, president of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, added that the international community was failing refugee and migrants. Turkey agreed in March to stop migrants and refugees crossing by sea to Greece in exchange for financial aid, accelerated European Union membership talks and other concessions. [nL5N16Q04G] "In the policy we have right now, where we are deterring people from fleeing for their lives, we are aggravating and exacerbating their vulnerabilities," she told the conference. "And for women, there is even more hardship because women became the battlefield of war, of abuses. It's not a new phenomenon and we are not at the end of it." (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)
MADISON  A state appeals court ruled Tuesday that the town of Arcadia waited too long to challenge the city of Independences 1,600-acre annexation for a frac sand mine that may not be developed.

The District 3 Court of Appeals upheld Trempealeau County Circuit John Damon, who previously dismissed Arcadias claim because it was not filed within the required 90 days.

However, the citys legal victory maybe a hollow one as the mining company, Superior Silica Sands, has not been interested in mining the annexed land for some time, said city clerk/teasurer Lenice Pronschinske.

There were some issues  and Superior Silicia is gone, she said.

The annexed acreage is largely farmland, she said.

Further questions about the property were referred to Mayor Robert Baecker, who was not available for immediate comment Tuesday.

A call to Fort Worth, Texas-based Superior Silicia about mining in Independence was not returned before deadline. Neither was was a call to Arcadia town chairman Jon Schultz.

The city and Superior Silica signed an agreement in August 2014 to annex about 1,600 acres into the city and the company would operate a sand mine upon completion of the annexation. Later that same month, Independence adopted ordinances to annex nearly 1,600 acres in the town of Arcadia, 20 acres in the town of Burnside and 80 acres in the town of Lincoln.

The Department of Administration concluded the annexation was defective because the land was not considered contiguous with the city. Burnside and Lincoln contested the annexations filing a claim in November 2014, within 90 days of the ordinances being adopted.

Burnside and Lincoln subsequently dismissed their claims against the city and pursued long-term boundary agreements.

Arcadia filed a motion in April 2015 to intervene in the challenge Burnside and Lincoln had brought against the city. Independence opposed it, and Damon dismissed this challenge finding that the town waited nine months to file, long after the statute of limitations had expired.

Arcadia appealed.

On appeal, Arcadia contended that it should been allowed to intervene in the suit and adopted the other towns claims that the annexation was not contagious to the city. Arcadia attempted to defeat the 90-day requirement arguing that it was only joining the other towns claims, which had been filed in time.

Arcadia contended that it spent significant time gathering public input on the annexation through public hearings and other means, as well as evaluating the merit of a potential legal challenge.

The District 3 Court was unpersuaded by the arguments and found that Independence had adopted three different annexation ordinances and each town had to challenge the appropriate one within the statutory 90 days.

Arcadia essentially ignores that there were three ordinances passed  one for each town affected  and, more importantly, ignores that each affected town has its own interests to protect relative to the attempted annexation, Judge Thomas Hruz wrote in a 25-page opinion.
Probably not. But this being 2016, it may very well change  and perhaps dramatically.

On Sunday, Italians will vote in a referendum. If, as Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hopes, they vote yes, the constitution will be reformed so more power is concentrated in the central government. Right now, both houses of parliament have to approve proposed laws; a yes vote would make the lower house the lawmaker. Renzi has apparently so staked his future on this referendum that he has said he will resign if it fails. (Why, in 2016, anyone would gamble anything, much less his professional life, on a referendum is beyond us, but we are not Matteo Renzi.)

At present, polls predict that no will win the day. (Caveat: polls.) This is significant for two reasons. First, it may throw Italys banks into chaotic crisis and once again shake the eurozone, which has not fully recovered from the fiscal crisis. And second, it could force an early national election in Italy, possibly handing power to the Five Star Movement.

And what is the Five Star Movement? Why, a populist party, of course!

The Five Star Movement, which has been campaigning to defeat the referendum, is led by Beppe Grillo, an actual comedian. It is Italys largest opposition group and is decidedly anti-establishment. A no vote in the referendum could propel them ahead of Renzis Democratic Party  and help make up for the fact that Five Star Movement mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, has bungled her way, per the Economist, to a disastrous start.

Another potential referendum winner is Italys far-right Northern League, which could pair with other opposition parties to be part of the governing coalition in the event of early elections. The Northern League platform involves less Europe, less government but more help (for traditional families, anyway), and more security. Theres a lot of that going around.

The Northern League (which played a supporting role in some of the governments of Silvio Berlusconi) may get a boost from another recent Roman development: 2016 saw a record number of asylum seekers reach Italys referendum-rocked shores.

Photo credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images
Mexico City (AFP) - Mayors from scores of the world's biggest cities gathered in Mexico Wednesday to plot their strategy for fighting climate change in the face of skepticism from US President-elect Donald Trump.

As leaders of busy, polluted cities home to millions of people, they want countries to push on with adopting the so-called Paris Agreement to limit harmful emissions -- an accord that Trump has cast doubt on.

"In the aftermath of this election there's never been a more important time for those city leaders to stay on course -- the whole world is counting on them," said Clover Moore, mayor of Sydney, Australia.

Mayors from members of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group were gathering under the chairmanship of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Trump has in the past vowed to tear up international climate agreements, though the Republican real-estate magnate said in an interview last week that he has an "open mind" about supporting global accords.

The billionaire had called global warming a "hoax" invented by the Chinese and not scientifically proven.

Hidalgo has vowed to push "for the world's biggest and most influential cities to mobilize to make sure the Paris Agreement is fulfilled."

"Mexico, Paris and other cities will announce new measures to fight against air pollution," she said.

Mayors of major US cities including Chicago, Washington, New Orleans, Austin and Phoenix are due to attend to discuss potential resistance from Trump, who will take office on January 20 after winning the November 8 election.

Hidalgo and other mayors were due to officially launch the three-day meeting on Wednesday evening.

The C40 groups 85 cities including London, New York, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Seoul.
By Nigel Hunt

LONDON (Reuters) - Sugar's two-year global supply short-fall, a key factor behind blistering price rises, is expected to end in 2017/18, with rain returning to major Asian producers while European Union reforms will boost production in the trading bloc.

"The end of the deficit period is already clearly visible," F.O. Licht analyst Stefan Uhlenbrock told a two-day seminar hosted by the International Sugar Organization which concluded on Wednesday.

Raw sugar prices more than doubled to a peak of 23.90 cents a lb in October, from as low as 10.13 cents in August last year as investment funds built up a record net long position against the backdrop of shrinking supplies.

The run-up has started losing momentum however as crop news turned positive. Prices had dipped below 20 cents a lb this week as funds scaled back long positions.

"A bull needs to be fed constantly to put on weight and the same can be said for a bull market. For the time being the sugar market has run out of fresh bullish news and that is the reason for the decline we are seeing," Uhlenbrock said.

Uhlenbrock forecast there would be a more balanced market in 2017/18 and possibly even a modest surplus after deficits of 9.9 million tonnes in 2015/16 and 6.2 million in 2016/17.

The deficits have been driven partly by an El Nino weather event that led to droughts in parts of south and south-east Asia including major producers India and Thailand.

In India, consumption is set to outstrip output for the first time in seven years in the 2016/17 season as back-to-back droughts ravaged cane crops in the top producing western state of Maharashtra.

Abinash Verma, director general of the Indian Sugar Mills Association, said on the sidelines of the seminar that rains had returned in September and production should rise in 2017/18.

"Only to talk about Maharashtra we could be talking about another five million tonnes of sugar (in 2017/18)," Plinio Nastari, president of consultants Datagro, said, adding production could rise to 10.0 million to 10.5 million tonnes from the prior season's 5.5 million.

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Nastari also said production should rise in the EU, Thailand and Brazil.

"We see the possibility of a more balanced scenario," he said, noting there could be a modest surplus of up to 2 million tonnes or a small deficit of up to 1.5 million.

Major sugar exporter Thailand experienced its worst drought in more than two decades earlier this year because of the El Nino weather pattern.

"This year Thailand has produced 9.4 (million tonnes of sugar). Next year it could be 11.0 or 11.1 (million)," Nastari said. "These factors are conspiring against the deficit."

EU OUTPUT RISE

EU sugar output is expected to rise following the abolition of quotas next year which will enable its most efficient producers, particularly in France and Germany, to expand.

Analysts say EU output could rise by about 3 million tonnes in 2017/18 although the head of the EU's second-largest producer, Germany's Nordzucker, cautioned the operational challenges could slow growth.

"I think production in Europe will go up. I don't think it will go up to the tune that everyone talks about," Nordzucker AG Chief Executive Hartwig Fuchs said.

Producers in Brazil are also still looking to expand despite the recent decline in dollar-denominated prices, cushioned by the weakness of its currency in the aftermath of Donald Trump's win in the U.S. Presidential election.

"The incentive for sugar remains in spite of the fall in New York (ICE raw sugar) prices in dollar terms because of the depreciation of the real," Nastari said.

"There is a condition (profitability) for the planting of cane at this moment which could be ready for harvesting at the end of 2017," he added.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Veronica Brown and Susan Thomas)
Photo credit: AP Photo

From Cosmopolitan

Italy's Emma Morano became the Guinness Book of Records-certified "oldest woman in the world" this past May, following the death of American Susannah Mushatt Jones. Today, Morano celebrates her 117th birthday.

Photo credit: AP Photo

According to BBC, Morano credits her longevity to three things, one of which is separating from her husband in 1938. "I didn't want to be dominated by anyone," she told The New York Times on her 115th birthday. She now credits her singledom for helping her keep on keepin' on.

The other two secrets to ~stayin' alive~ are her genetics - Morano's mother lived until 91, and two of her seven siblings also lived to be 100 (though they have since died) - and a daily meal of three eggs (two raw) which she adopted after being diagnosed with anaemia as a young woman. Recently, however, she's cut down to two eggs and added a few biscuits to the mix, but her doctor said she's "eaten very few vegetables, very little fruit."



And today was no exception. The birthday girl indulged in not one, but two birthday cakes. The first was shared with her two nieces, a caregiver, and longtime doctor, and the second with the mayor of Verbania, who visited after Morano's ever-essential midday nap.

Photo credit: AP Photo

Before blowing out her candles (no, there were not 117), Morano received a personalized birthday message from the Italian president and appeared for a live broadcast on state-run TV, the Associated Press reports. And all of this celebration took place in Morano's small apartment, which The Guardian says she hasn't left for 20 years.



If her two-part birthday special wasn't enough, the Italian will likely be celebrating again soon. According to BBC, a musical performance about her life and "feminine courage" will soon take the stage in Verbania.

Photo credit: AP Photo

However, it's unlikely that Morano will attend. Besides the whole not-leaving-her-apartment thing (in all seriousness, Morano has been mostly bed-bound for the past year), she's said to be deaf and to have difficulty seeing.



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But the birthday girl's mind is alert, as evidenced at today's celebrations, where she said, "I am happy to turn 117." Cheers to you, Emma Morano! BRB, I'm going to see about some raw eggs...

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram and Twitter.



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Yoshiki has been renowned as a musical innovator for nearly four decades as the leader and a co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan, a classical pianist, composer, drummer and music producer. Having shaped his career contrary to conventional "success," he remembers some of his most important moments as those of disproving what anyone told him could not be done.

Billboard Japan spoke candidly with the prolific Yoshiki about what he aims to communicate through his music, discussing the what a "hit" looks like in the changing music environment and the legacy by which he hopes to be remembered.

The Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart combines eight types of data: physical sales, downloads, streaming, radio airplay, look-up, Twitter, YouTube and GYAO...

I was just in New York for the premiere of We Are X and played piano at Billboard's New York office.

We were actually talking about it at the Japan office and watched the performance on Facebook Live. In order to create a music chart that is relatable to consumers, we at Billboard Japan together with Billboard update our metrics to accurately reflect the market. The way in which people listen to music within the last 10 years has changed dramatically. How do you feel about this change?

I think the way we make music has changed as how we listen to music has changed. For instance, X Japan's song "Art of Life" is over 30 minutes long, but it was created due to the invention of the CD. The song can't fit on vinyl. Although a CD will only hold 80 minutes of music, with downloads and streaming you will be able to put out 90 to 100 minutes worth of music. A long time ago when MTV was in fashion, I wondered why all the songs only lasted three to four minutes. It was to accommodate the broadcasting format of TV. So, I feel that as music distribution platforms and broadcasting media change, it influences the way we make music.

How did you listen to music when you were young?

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When I was young, I listened to classical music records my father would buy for me every month.

But your friends probably didn't listen to classical music, right?

That's right. I think most of them were listening to anime theme songs. I also liked anime music because I used to watch anime on TV, but I mostly listened to classical music until my father passed away.

How do you listen to music now?

When I listen to classical music, I'll go through my old CDs. I use streaming services like Apple Music when I listen to new music.

Any songs that piqued your interest recently?

Well, let's see when an artist like Radiohead, whom I've liked for a long time releases a new record, I'll try to check it out.

As you said earlier, your father was instrumental when discovering new music during your teens. What about now?

Mostly through recommendations from people around me including my friends or even from social networks. If it's a song I hadn't heard of, I'll even look for it on YouTube.

Do you keep track of any music charts?

I do check the Billboard U.S. chart.

Do you think that music charts are necessary?

Because new music is being released every day, it serves a benchmark when choosing which songs to listen to. Or rather, "used to."

What do you mean?

I think one of the roles of the music chart was to show the amount of people listening to a song. I've been living in the U.S. for about 20 years now and up until a few years ago I used to buy songs which hit the top 10 and the Now compilation albums. When you listen to Now, you would be able to pick up on trends like, "There's not much rock this year" or "EDM is getting more popular." I used to listen to the top 10 J-Pop songs too but gradually stopped. I don't mean to discard it but because more people have started to buy multiple physical copies of the same song due to artists releasing various cover designs or added bonus features, I find the charts to be ineffective.

Nowadays, because CDs aren't the only means in which people listen to music, a music chart solely compiled from sales figures do not reflect what people are actually listening to. Like yourself, a lot of people stopped tracking the charts when they realized this.

This is why I think Billboard's combined chart is very good. As you said, data from social media and radio airplay are also included. I think the number of times a song gets played on the radio is the result of promotion done by the record company. I also think it shows their investment in your work, like, "We really want to sell this song." When I look at the Billboard charts, it really makes me wonder which metric should be used to define a "hit" and if record labels are really necessary.

People all over the world are expecting a new X Japan release, which would be the first in over 20 years.

After the major label debut from Sony, a lot of labels have taken us under their wing and at one point I even started my own label. To be a signed artist means that I have to give up certain legal rights to my music. Though I don't want to go against record companies, I have to think carefully about how much they will work on promotion in compensation and also about role management including what I can do myself.

You're going beyond your role of making music and thinking about the promotional aspect too.

I prefer to just think about making songs. I really like making eccentric compositions. I'd rather be recognized now than remembered, say, 100 years after I'm gone and have people say, "He was truly great." This is why I want to think of a way, including distribution, for my songs to be heard now. Whether I'm composing classical material or for X Japan, I don't use any musical instruments and just write sheet music. Some people think new X Japan material won't be born after I die, but I have tons of music written and hundreds of songs can be released. When I think about these things, I start to wonder how the music I'm writing now will be heard in the future.

The ways in which people listen to music will keep changing for sure. At what point did you feel like you were a "hit"?

I've felt it several times throughout my career. The first time was when I was touring smaller venues. I was very confident but because of our hardcore outfit and make-up, critics didn't take the music seriously and dismissed us by saying, "They aren't playing music" or "It's some kind of show or costume party." But as the audience grew and shows started selling out everywhere we went, I realized what I had been doing was right. This was the first time.

After our debut, we wanted to be on the television, but people told us not to because "rock musicians appearing on TV would mean they were weirdos." If that will make people think we're weird, then I'd rather just get it over with. More importantly, I had so much confidence in the music. When we got our big break through on TV, I thought to myself, "We were right." This was the second time. So it's more a constant reminder of "we were right" rather than "this is when we had our big break."

After that, we performed at Tokyo Dome and sold millions of CDs and we finally made our way across the pond. At the time, people were telling me, "You won't make it abroad, don't waste your money" or "You already have a solid career in Japan." It's been 20 years since then and we are able to tour abroad, which proves that I wasn't wrong at all.

It seems like people constantly telling you that you are wrong but you disproving them makes you who you are.

Classical music is the art of how faithfully you can interpret a composer's work. I lost my father when I was still young. I cried all day long and didn't know how to express my anger and sadness because his death was caused by suicide. That's when I met rock music. And I found out that rock gives you the freedom to shout and break things. But when we launched our career, people told me, "Hard rock has to be this" or "We're not too sure if X is hard rock or punk." I thought, "Wait, isn't rock music supposed to be about freedom?" I think my career is built on this feeling of why do people want to create a wall, why do they want to put us in a box? So, when people tell me, "You need to do this," I want to destroy it. To an extent, that's why we went abroad. Even when I'm abroad, if there is a wall between East and West, I want to break the wall.

The second leg of your Yoshiki Classical Special World Tour will run through December 2016.

On my previous tour in 2014, I toured about 10 countries starting from Costa Mesa in the U.S. and went around Mexico, Moscow and Europe. I changed the set list every night as a challenge as well as an experiment. I started to gain confidence around the Berlin show and a lot of audience members were crying because they were so moved.

On the last tour, you played popular songs tailored to that country like Edith Piaf's "L'Hymne a l'amour" in Paris and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in London, is that right?

Because it livens up the audience when we play a popular song from that country. I am also going to Hong Kong on this tour and at the press conference a reporter asked whether I would play any music from Hong Kong. I answered, "If there any requests, I would think about it." But I'm not sure how much I can honor those requests since I'll be playing with an orchestra.

I heard that the entire crowd was singing along to the final song "Endless Rain."

It could be a problem if they sing along to all of the songs [laughs], but I'd definitely want everyone to sing along to "Endless Rain."

On the previous tour, you played with a string ensemble but this time around you'll be playing with an orchestra.

On the previous tour, the emphasis was on my role as a composer. This time, I want the audience to see me as a pianist since I put a lot of effort into practicing the piano after the previous tour. So, I am going to be playing some classical pieces too.

Do you plan on having any special guests?

I am actually thinking about it right now -- including vocalists, so please look forward to it. I also plan on playing a new song but I do want to make the focus classical music, so I'll be doing some experimenting during the four Japanese dates. For the New York show, I'm thinking of adding a little Japanese flavor. I'm trying to decide on what to do, since I have a lot of ideas floating around but it'll be super exciting for sure.

Lastly, what message do you want to deliver through your music?

I don't think I would be alive if I didn't have music because my suicidal desire was so strong. Music has saved my life. I think everyone has a soundtrack to their lives. People lead different kinds of lives, listening to different kinds of music and I hope my music can serve as a soundtrack to as many people's lives as possible. In terms of classical music, whether it's Mozart and Beethoven, we are still playing these songs which were written hundreds of years ago. I'm not sure what Earth will look like in a 100 or in 200 years, but I'm composing music in the hope that someone will play it in the future.

Yoshiki Classical Special Tour Dates:

Dec. 5 - Osaka, Osaka-jo Hall (w/ Orchestra)

Dec. 6 - Tokyo, Tokyo International Forum Hall A

Dec. 7 - Tokyo, Tokyo International Forum Hall A

Dec 8. - Tokyo, Tokyo International Forum Hall A

Dec. 29 - Hong Kong, AsiaWorld-Expo

Jan. 12 - New York, Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage w/ Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra

Jan. 13 - New York, Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage w/ Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh seized power in a 1994 coup and has maintained it ever since with a mixture of severity, mysticism and iron-clad self-belief.

"No matter what people say about me, I am not moved... I don't listen to anybody because I know what is important," he said while depositing his candidacy for this week's presidential election.

Governing, he said, "is between me and God Almighty."

This deeply devout Muslim grew up in the western village of Kanilai in 1965, the year that The Gambia, a long east-west sliver of land bordered by Senegal, gained independence from Britain.

His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Doctor Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh Naasiru Deen joined the army in 1984 -- his military title is the only one he has lost.

Ten years later, Jammeh mounted a coup with fellow army officers against Dawda Jawara, who had ruled the country since independence, pledging to root out corruption and hold elections.

After giving up his rank of colonel to allow him to contest elections as a civilian, Jammeh swept the vote in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, following a 2002 constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits.

- Rights abuses -

Now 51, Jammeh has attracted worldwide attention for declaring The Gambia an Islamic nation, withdrawing the country from the International Criminal Court, and claiming he had concocted a herbal cure for HIV/AIDS.

The longtime ruler has woven a shroud of mysticism around himself using religion and rumours of secret powers.

Never seen without his Koran, sceptre and prayer beads, Jammeh's billowing white robes are rumoured to hide a bulletproof vest, the legacy of several coup attempts by his own guards.

In the last few years, a crackdown on journalists, opposition figures and anyone deemed disloyal within the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), has intensified.

He has promised to bury critics "nine feet deep" and told the UN Secretary-General to "go to hell" after Ban Ki-moon called for an investigation into an activist's death in custody.

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But in another moment he urged his supporters to restrain themselves from violence and allow Thursday's election to go ahead peacefully.

Rights groups allege that those who defy him end up in the country's notorious Mile Two prison, where the UN in 2014 said it had obtained evidence of torture and executions by the country's National Intelligence Agency, which reports directly to Jammeh.

This was supplemented by "interference with the independence of the judiciary, denial of due process, prolonged pretrial and incommunicado detention," Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns said.

"The security forces are his tools, and he uses them to control Gambia by arresting people who don't share his views," a prominent opposition figure told Human Rights Watch.

- Isolated -

Gambia's diplomatic relations have also been precarious of late. In December 2014, the EU cut off 13 million of funding, and threatened to block another 150 million in response to the country's poor human rights record.

International criticism followed the introduction of an "aggravated homosexuality" law in October 2014 that imposed life sentences for a series of new offences.

And EU and ECOWAS observers are not attending 2016's presidential vote.

Relations with neighbouring Senegal too are at an all-time low.

A huge increase on customs fees for trucks entering Gambian territory was put into place without warning in February, cutting the country off from vital supplies for months.

One Banjul-based diplomat told AFP that the blockade, the effects of a 2013 drought, and tourist fears of Ebola in a country that relies on sunseekers for up to 20 percent of its GDP had made economic conditions unbearable for many Gambians.

Jammeh controls several businesses in the country and has in the past seized them without warning, discouraging foreign investment.

The state of the economy has pushed many young Gambians to take the "Back Way", or migrant route across the Sahara to Libya, where they board boats bound for Italy.

But others remain grateful for investment in education and the health system, which were severely neglected under his predecessor.

"He has totally changed the life of the Gambian people," said Yankuba Colley, a key Jammeh campaign organiser. "The future of The Gambia lies in his hands."
YIR 2016: Most Stylish Male and Female Bollywood Actor in 2016 We are so glad that a pregnant belly hasn't stopped Bebo from looking like a million bucks at every red carpet and promotional event. Heck, she even walked the ramp for Sabyasachi when she was very much pregnant. The actress has laid a benchmark of how to look your best with maternity wear.

It is easy to be a well-dressed celebrity now, thanks to all the professional help they get; a personal fashion stylist, hair artist and makeup artist. So, to be honest, there were a lot of contenders for this year's title. It is easy to be 'on trend' and wear the 'it clothes', but what matters is the amount of coolness and bit of swag to carry off even rags.

Take for example fashion's current favourite doll, Deepika Padukone. With a face and body like that, she can even get away with murder. Another actress to talk about here is Jacqueline Fernandez. The Sri Lankan beauty manages to charm us every time, with her pretty smile and her sartorial choices, which reflect her contagious, fun energy. When it comes to the boys, Hrithik Roshan has always managed to look sharp (and drop dead gorgeous). Shahid Kapoor's cool, urban, almost rockstar-ish look hasn't gone unnoticed.

But this year, two stars made us sit up straight with their stylish, sexy and attention-grabbing appearances. One is the yummy mommy-to-be royalty and the other is the utterly unapologetically in-your-face man of the moment. Let's give it up for Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ranveer Singh, Yahoo India's Most Stylish Female and Male Actors of 2016.

 Images from Yogen Shah, Getty Images and Instagram
elon musk solar roof

Contractors working on Tesla's solar manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York are receiving payments late due to corruption charges filed against Buffalo contractor LPCiminelli.

The contractors have not been paid for work done between July and through the Fall, the Buffalo News first reported. Howard Zemsky, the president of Empire State Development, wrote in a statement to the Buffalo News that the payment process is undergoing close examination because of the corruption charges, but that everyone will be paid.

Tesla is not responsible for paying the contractors.

The state of New York is spending $750 million on the Buffalo plant as part of an economic revitalization project called the Buffalo Billion initiative spearheaded by Governor Andrew Cuomo. SolarCity pledged $150 million toward the plant.

The Empire State Development did not return Business Insider's request for comment. LPCiminelli declined to comment.

Tesla and Panasonic will manufacture and produce solar cells at the Buffalo plant as part of Tesla's new solar aspirations since it acquired SolarCity on November 17 in a deal worth roughly $2 billion. Initial production at the plant will center around Tesla's solar roof product.

Tesla did not return Business Insider's request for comment on how the payment delays will affect the plant's production timeline. The Buffalo News reported in August that construction of the plant is near completion with production slated to begin in June.

Federal corruption charges were filed against two former aides close to Cuomo, as well as six other people, over the economic revitalization project in September, according to the New York Times. The complaint alleges that the state's original request for proposals for the solar manufacturing facility was worded in a way that appeared to exclude all bidders except LPCiminelli.

Louis Ciminelli, CEO of LPCiminelli, is known as a generous supporter of Cuomo. Ciminelli, along with his associates and relatives, have donated nearly $150,000 to Cuomo's campaigns over the years.

Story continues

The Buffalo plant was originally meant to be a production facility for SolarCity prior to talks about a Tesla merger began. SolarCity had planned for the Buffalo plant to be up and running this year, but the plant's production timeline was delayed until 2017 due to SolarCity's financial constraints, the Buffalo News also reported in August.

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U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, of Wisconsin, is refusing to say whether he voted for Nancy Pelosi to return as House minority leader.

Pelosi was re-elected Wednesday on a secret ballot with 134 House Democrats in favor and 63 voting for Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan.

Kinds spokeswoman Amanda Sherman says Kind wont say who he backed because this is exactly the type of inside Washington politics that Wisconsinites are sick of hearing about.

Kind instead says in a statement that hes focused on how we can come together to create good-paying jobs, especially in the areas that lag behind the rest of the country.

In the days to come I will continue to reach out to Wisconsinites to see how we can solve the problems they are facing in their daily lives, he said.

The La Crosse Democrat represents western Wisconsin.

The states two other Democratic congressional members, Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore, both voted for Pelosi.

Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz broke with fellow Democrats in his delegation to support Ryan. Walz, who represents southern Minnesota, said he thinks Democrats need more representatives from rural America in party leadership.

Were simply not resonating with the folks we should be, folks who I believe can benefit best from our policies, folks who for years understood that we stood by working people, that we stood by those things that made strong communities and invested in rural communities, Walz told Minnesota Public Radio. And they spoke with their votes, loudly, that they didnt feel that they could trust Democratic candidates from the top of the ticket on down.
Melania Trump lights up the 2002 Victorias Secret Fashion Show in floor-length fur. (Photo: Getty Images)

On Dec. 5, the iconic annual Victorias Secret Fashion Show will be broadcast. Supermodels including the Hadid sisters and veteran Angel Adriana Lima will grace the catwalk clad in the brands new collections, A-list musicians will perform their hottest hits, and high-profile celebs will fill the most coveted seats. Among that sea of famous faces could be our FLOTUS-elect, Melania Trump, if past events are any indicator.

Though Melania has never participated in the Victorias Secret Fashion Show as a model, shes been a fixture in the front row alongside other famous patrons of the lingerie arts, such as Kris Jenner, Nick Cannon, and Michael Strahan. Unsurprisingly, Melania never fails to show up in her trademark luxe style  and accompanied by her husband, President-elect Donald Trump.

Her front-row style is also quite chic in its simplicity. She opts for power pieces, usually in solid black and white, and doesnt overly accessorize. I style myself and choose what to wear based on what I feel good in, she has been quoted as saying. For the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in 2002, the then-Melania Knauss made her arrival cloaked in an over-the-top, floor-length, white fur coat. A fitted, low-cut black cocktail dress peeked through, and on her feet were open-toe black pumps with a silver buckle. She wore her hair down and natural.

Melanias streamlined style is always on point. (Photo: Getty Images)

The following year, during arrivals at the 2003 show, she wore another fur coat  this one more tapered and three-quarter length with a plush collar and matching cuffs.

Underneath, the Slovenian-born former model rocked a white satin Dolce & Gabbana dress that fit her curves like a glove. Blinged-out strappy sandals and chandelier earrings made her look posh and polished.

From white dress to White House. (Photo: Getty Images)

In 2003, Melania and her husband attended another Victorias Secret event  the launch party for the brands photo book, Backstage Sexy, at New York City s Spice Market  in a tight, shimmery black number, perfectly tailored to her hourglass figure. Sparkly statement earrings were the only accessory she needed  well, those and her then boyfriend, PEOTUS Donald Trump.

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You cant go wrong in a well-fitting LBD. (Photo: Getty Images)

No word on whether the soon-to-be first couple will be attending this years VS event in Paris, but one things for sure: If they do show up, all eyes will be on Melania and her impeccable style. Lets just hope she doesnt run into Victorias Secret Angel Gigi Hadid, who impersonated the future first lady when hosting this years American Music Awards. Were thinking that might be a tad awkward.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.


Photo credit: undefined

From Town & Country

Lapo Elkann, the 39-year-old grandson of former Fiat CEO Gianni Agnelli, faked his own kidnapping to try to secure a ransom payment of $10,000 to cover drugs he'd bought with a transgender escort in a New York City housing project over the weekend, according to authorities.

The brash heir allegedly called his family to say he was being held against his will, the New York Daily News reports. Elkann reportedly told his relatives a woman he was with would hurt him if they refused to pay a $10,000 ransom.

Actually, police say, the freewheeling fashion icon, who is reportedly worth $800 million, flew into New York City on Thanksgiving and connected with a 29-year-old transgender escort who helped him find drugs. "The two soon holed themselves up inside a Manhattan public housing project ... where the two men allegedly started consuming alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine," the Daily Beast reports, citing a police source who identified the escort as male.

In an video he posted to Instagram the day before Thanksgiving, Elkann said, perhaps presciently, "I'll be seeing many interesting characters in the creative field and the entrepreneurial field in the next few days."

After two days, their money ran out and Elkann allegedly came up with the plan to get more cash. Elkann's relatives contacted the NYPD, who arranged a drop-off for the $10,000 ransom payment. When the escort and Elkann arrived to collect it, cops grabbed them. After they discovered the plan with Elkann's scheme, cops charged him with filing a false police report and issued him a desk appearance ticket. He is set to appear in a Manhattan court on January 25, and the arrest of his escort companion was "voided and sealed," according to the Daily Beast.

The incident is not Elkann's first run-in with the law. He reportedly nearly died in 2005 from a cocaine and heroin binge while in the company of a 53-year-old transgender prostitute in Turin, Italy.

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A new wave of Android malware spread through apps from third-party app stores has affected up to one million users of older Android phones, according to a new report from security company Check Point. The malware, dubbed Googlian, has been designed to steal Google credentials from affected devices.

Users of older Android phones can use a Check Point online tool to find out whether their account was compromised by the malware.

Googlian is able to take over infected devices by bypassing key security measures, a process thats also known as rooting. It can then access a users Google login information, which could theoretically be used to access that users email account and other personal information. However, Googles director of Android security Adrian Ludwig said Wednesday that theres no evidence that Googlian has actually been used to steal personal information.

Instead, the malware seems to have been designed to boost app downloads on Google Play, and rate apps  something thats likely being sold as a service to app developers looking to improve their standing on the app store. Ludwig said that Google has removed apps that benefited from these automated installs from Google Play.

This isnt the first time that Android users are being targeted by this kind of vulnerability. Similar exploits have been in circulation since 2014, and Google has been trying to clamp down on the phenomenon through technical means, and by urging users to only install apps from Google Play.

However, in some cases, users simply dont have a choice than to go elsewhere. Third-party app stores are especially popular in regions where popular apps arent officially available, or in countries like China where users dont have access to Google Play at all. Check Point reported Wednesday that 57 percent of all devices infected are located in China.

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Malware dubbed Gooligan targets devices running Android 4.0 and 5.0, which represent nearly 74 percent of mobile devices using the Google-powered operating system (AFP Photo/JUSTIN SULLIVAN) (Getty/AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - Malicious software designed to attack Android smartphones has breached the accounts of more than a million Google users, security researchers said Wednesday.

The report by Check Point Software Technologies said the malware dubbed Gooligan targets devices running Android 4.0 and 5.0, which represent nearly 74 percent of mobile devices using the Google-powered operating system.

The attacks can steal email addresses and authentication data stored on the devices to access sensitive data from Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs and other services, Check Point said.

"This theft of over a million Google account details is very alarming and represents the next stage of cyber-attacks," said Michael Shaulov, Check Point's head of mobile products.

"We are seeing a shift in the strategy of hackers, who are now targeting mobile devices in order to obtain the sensitive information that is stored on them."

Check Point said researchers discovered Gooligan's code in an application last year and that a new variant appeared in August 2016, affecting some 13,000 devices per day. About 57 percent of those devices are located in Asia and about nine percent are in Europe.

"The infection begins when a user downloads and installs a Gooligan-infected app on a vulnerable Android device, or by clicking on malicious links in phishing attack messages," the company said in a statement.

Attackers can gain control over the device and generate revenue by fraudulently installing apps from Google Play and rating them on behalf of the victim.

Check Point said it reported the details of the malware to Google, and that the tech giant indicated it would take steps to protect users.

Google did not immediately respond to an AFP query.
By Thorsten Severin and Caroline Copley BERLIN (Reuters) - Leading German politicians have called for IT and telecoms equipment makers to be held liable for cyber attacks, after a failed attempt to hijack consumer router devices caused widespread disruption for Deutsche Telekom customers. Almost a million of Telekom's 20 million fixed-line users suffered internet outages on Sunday and Monday due to a botched attempt by unidentified hackers to commandeer customers' routers to disrupt internet traffic. Chancellor Angela Merkel warned cyber attacks were a growing part of every day life as more devices get connected to the internet. The Telekom outage has heightened concern about insufficient safeguards. In an interview with newspaper Bild published on Wednesday, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere called for firms that manufacture IT equipment to be held to greater account. "Responsibility for digital security is borne by users, company managers, authorities, manufacturers, providers and service providers alike," he said. "This involves a fair distribution of loads. This appears to me not always to be a given in the area of end products for the user. Customers, at any rate, need to be able to rely on the security of IT products on the market," he added. Thomas Oppermann, a senior lawmaker for the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's junior coalition partner, said Germany needed to introduce liability for IT products and increase the accountability of industry. Susanne Dehmel, head of security and data protection at IT lobby group Bitkom, said making equipment makers liable would not stop criminal hackers. "The window manufacturer is not liable if an apartment is broken into or the bicycle lock maker for the theft of bicycles," she said, adding manufacturers had improved their products in recent years. "If they had to take responsibility for criminal cyber attacks, serious providers could no longer offer their products in the German market," she said. MADE IN GERMANY The German Office for Information Security (BSI) said the Telekom attack involved Mirai - malicious software designed to turn network devices, in this case internet routers, into remotely controlled "bots" that can be used to mount large-scale network attacks. It suspects a link to organised crime. Telekom resells routers from more than a dozen mostly Asian suppliers under the brand Speedport. It offered firmware updates on Monday to three models. Thomas Jarzombek, spokesman for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) on digital policy, called for Telekom to get rid of "cheap Chinese technology" and instead use routers made in Germany. "At the moment we are experiencing a loss of control, which must be stopped," he said. Jarzombek also suggested imposing a guaranteed right to return products for 10 years, which would require manufacturers to update equipment with new software. Lars Klingbeil from the SPD said industry should be put under pressure to close security holes. Germany, home to world leading manufacturers, offers rich pickings for hackers, and attacks on industrial production sites are rising, according to the government's IT Security Report. Merkel and Germany's intelligence chiefs have also warned of the risk of potential Russian interference in the run-up to next year's election via misleading media stories and cyber attacks. (Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Mark Potter)
On Nov 30, we issued an updated research report on Crown Castle International Corp. CCI. An extensive tower portfolio, high demand for tower infrastructure, strong business outlook, healthy leasing activity and growing demand for mobile broadband which are likely to benefit the company going forward.

Wireless Demand Strong

Wireless services are advancing rapidly in terms of additional features and capabilities. Much of the infrastructure and upgrades require effective site management of cell towers and equipment. Crown Castle effectively addresses this opportunity as over 90% of its quarterly revenues come from wireless service providers like Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, AT&T Inc. T and T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS. Additionally, wireless consumer demand is expected to increase considerably over the next several years which should bolster the companys top line going forward.

Small Cell Investment

Last year, Crown Castle completed the acquisition of Sunesys  a major fiber service provider with a portfolio comprising around 10,000 miles of fiber. We believe that the Sunesys acquisition should further strengthen Crown Castles leading position in small cell networks.

Internet of Things, 5G Prospects Bright

As wireless network providers work to make 5G network services a reality, the deployment of the same will drive growth on both the companys tower and small cell assets as wireless carriers look to expand their networks to provide the coverage, capacity and speed needed to support mobile video, the Internet of Things (IoT) and fixed wireless broadband services. Notably, IoT is touted as the next big thing in the evolution of technology and higher investment by the wireless carriers will in turn bring increased revenues going forward.

Potential Headwinds

CrownCastlefaces high customer concentration. Notably, the four major wireless service providers account for majority of the companys revenues. Further, evolution of new technologies like Voice over WiFi may reduce demand for site leases. Moreover, owing to its extensive international presence, Crown Castle is highly exposed to currency exchange rate risks. Additionally, volatility of the U.S. dollar and Australian dollar exchange rates may result in fluctuating future revenue trends, owing to the companys significant presence in Australia.

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CrownCastlecurrently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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Qatar's internet service providers have apparently blocked access to the Gulf state's most popular English-language news website in what managers said looked like a deliberate move by the government (AFP Photo/Lionel Bonaventure) (AFP/File)

The Hague (AFP) - Europol admitted on Wednesday that confidential information on terror investigations were accidentally put online, as it launched a probe into what it called a "very serious incident."

Dutch investigative TV programme Zembla, which broke the story, said around 700 pages on terror investigations -- particularly analysis on terror groups -- appeared online, including the names and contact details of hundreds of people with terror links.

The breach happened after the woman, "an experienced police officer... uploaded Europol data to a private storage device... in clear contravention of Europol policy," Europol spokesman Gerald Hesztera told AFP.

"A security investigation in coordination with the respective authorities at national level is ongoing...(but) current information suggests that the breach was not ill-intended," he said.

Hesztera said the sensitive material was around 10 years old and there was "no indication" that any current investigation had been compromised.

The woman has now left Europol, which has since firmly beefed up cyber security.

A similar security breach "would not happen today," Hesztera said.

It was unlikely the files had been seen by people who were under investigation, the possibility could not be excluded, added the spokesman.

One Europol official who declined to be named told AFP the ex-employee is still a member of the Dutch police.

"It was against security regulations, but the information is old and the impact on any current investigation seems to be zero," said this official.

Although some information was indeed confidential, most of it was not classified and some of it even available on Europol's website, the official said.

"We see this as a very serious incident that has consequences for confidentiality on which we place a high premium," Interpol deputy director Wil van Gemert told the NOS public newscaster.

Member states affected by the breach were also immediately informed and "Europol will continue to assess the impact of the data in question," Hesztera said.
The total of 14 suicides so far this year in La Crosse County has the potential to duplicate the recent lows of 2011 and 2012.

The tally, about half of the record-setting 26 suicides in 2014, is an encouraging sign, mental health advocates says.

On the other hand, mental health professionals find a clear explanation for the drop nearly as elusive as they did for the spikes in 2013, 2014 and 2015  but they hope it is at least partly the result of their efforts to increase community awareness of suicide and how to curb it.

I wish we did know so we can keep doing it, said Christine Hughes, a member of the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative, which hosts events and provides materials to educate people about resources to help those considering harming themselves.

With a month remaining in 2016, the number of people who have taken their own lives this year stands at 14, compared with 22 last year and 26 in 2014, said La Crosse County Medical Examiner Tim Candahl.

If the number remains at 14, it would tie the totals for 2011 and 2012 and be lower than the 16 recorded in 2010 and 18 in 2013, according to Candahls statistics.

As far as the ultimate explanation for the optimistic downswing, its hard to know  its the hardest part, because we dont know for sure how many people might have considered suicide but changed their minds after receiving help, said Hughes, a clinical therapist at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse.

We dont really hear the success stories here, she said. But I think people are paying more attention. We hear people talking about the subject more and more, and they are not afraid to say the word.

We hear personal stories, and in general, now people talk, Hughes said.

Echoing that sentiment is Geri Mulliner, another member of the 12-year-old La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative, who said, When we started the initiative, people werent willing to talk about it.

As the shroud of secrecy has been removed and the topic has become a matter of public discussion, increasing numbers of people who are troubled and/or depressed are seeking help and receiving treatment, said Mulliner, a registered nurse who works in behavioral health for Gundersen Health System.

The 14 deaths this year are split between males and females, Candahl said.

That means the number of women committing suicide this year has tracked closely with the seven recorded in 2015 and eight in 2014, although it is markedly higher than the pace of two to three a year extending back to 2009, according to the medical examiners statistics.

Meanwhile, the number of men killing themselves this year amounts to major drops from 15 in 2015, 18 in 2014 and 16 in 2013. The male tally in 2010 was 13, with 11 each in 2012 and 2011, and nine in 2009.

Those who have taken their lives this year range as high as 89 in age, but Ive not seen a lot of younger ones, Candahl said, which marks a departure from previous trends.

The reason for that also is illusory, although Hughes speculated that it may be the result of the fact that more young adults have been able to receive mental health care and treatment because the Affordable Care Act allows them to remain on their parents insurance policies until they are 26.

Guns are the leading means of suicides in the county, Candahl said, with prescription drug overdoses accounting for about one-third.

With prescription drugs, it is hard to determine intent, he said. So we rule according to whether there were prior attempts or other incidents.

The Suicide Prevention Initiative, which sponsors an annual Suicide Prevention Summit and awareness event and Dance for Hope, among other activities, is by no means the sole standard-bearer against suicide.

Also involved in the cause are the Mental Health Coalition of the Greater La Crosse Area, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the nearly two-year-old Campaign to Change Direction, which works to help people recognize the five signs of mental illness and urge those affected to seek help.

Along those lines, local mental health advocates also employ the QPR approach, which means question, persuade and refer to steer people struggling with mental health and stress issues toward help, Hughes said.

Mental health officials encourage people to be especially vigilant for signs among relatives, friends and acquaintances during this time of year, when many people become blue during the holiday season.

Statewide, more than 700 Wisconsin residents take their own lives each year, making the suicide rate four times the homicide rate, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. In addition, about 5,500 Badger State residents are hospitalized because of intentional, self-inflicted injuries.

Between 2007 and 2011, the most recent years for which statistics are available, the cost of inpatient hospitalizations because of self-inflicted injuries in Wisconsin was more than $369 million, according to DHS.

Statewide, more than 700 Wisconsin residents take their own lives each year, making the suicide rate four times the homicide rate.
Reed Hastings is heading to Barcelona in February to talk about the future of broadcast media in a mobile age.

The MWC is one of the most important events on the high-tech calendar, attracting everyone from Samsung and Sony to BMW and Ford, all of whom head to the show in order to unveil flagship products or services.

And in 2017 they will be joined by the CEO and co-founder of Netflix who on Wednesday was announced as a new keynote speaker.

Hastings is the biggest name so far but the GSMA who organizes the yearly event will be revealing more high-profile speakers in the weeks leading up to the event, which in 2017 runs from February 27 through March 2 in Barcelona, Spain.
Photo credit: YouTube

From Seventeen

There are a lot of 2000s music video staples - like low-rise pants, random choreographed arm dancing, and ALLLL the denim - that can be explained away by simply saying, "It was the 2000s!" But there is one music video moment that has gone unexplained for far too long that simply cannot be excused by the times.

You know what I'm talking about: WHY was Kelly Rowland texting using Microsoft Excel in the music video for Nelly's "Dilemma" back in 2002?

On the Australian talk show The Project, one host took Nelly to task about Kelly's odd use of Excel and Nelly attempted to explain.

"You know, that was the thing at the time!" Nelly responded, almost convincingly. "That was the new technology at the time! It looks a little dated now, yeah. I can see it."

Nelly, Nelly, Nelly... I know Kelly was repping the latest in Nokia, full-physical-keyboard-equipped flip phones in that vid, but we all know nobody texted using Microsoft Excel - even in 2002! Nice try, though.

Kelly did give a more believable explaination for Excel-gate to BuzzFeed earlier this year. "OK, I can't explain this picture," she offered. "I was given this phone - we probably got some extra perks for having this phone in the video, y'all know how that works by now. And basically, I don't know why they had this. I don't know why that screen is like this. I'm sorry I can't give you a really good answer. Yeah, I have no idea."

Definitely a more honest answer, though not at all satisfying. Which is why I decided to dig a little deeper. After a quick Google search, I discovered in the archives of the Internet that the phone Kelly shows off in "Dilemma" is a Nokia 9290 Communicator. And although it HAD a messaging app, one of its main apps listed on its ancient web page was - you guessed it - spreadsheets!

So I can only assume that featuring the Nokia phone was a form of product placement. But messaging had been around for a while, so the producers probably decided that showing off the phone's cool, cutting edge spreadsheet feature would be much cooler. Only thing is it just confused everybody BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TEXT WITH EXCEL.

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Basically, 2002 played Nelly and Kelly so hard. They'll forever be the couple that got mad at each other for not getting a text back on Excel.

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Samsung is trying its best to move on and forget about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. As per recent reports, the South Korea tech giant is hoping to fully heal from the scars the discontinued flagship caused by releasing a noteworthy (no pun intended) Galaxy S7 successor. Interestingly, a new leak about the device is claiming that the Galaxy S8 could launch with an advanced front-facing camera.

South Korean publication ET News reported Tuesday that Samsung is actually planning to incorporate automatic focus (AF) function to the Galaxy S8s selfie camera. The new function is said to ensure the quality of photographs taken using the front cam.

To implement this AF function well, Samsung is going to add an encoder-type AP actuator to the front snappers module. This component will be responsible for controlling the location of the lenses and adjusting the focus of the lenses when the front-facing shooter is used. Since AF actuators make it possible for cameras to locate subjects, this would mean good quality selfie photos for users.

For the longest time now, Samsung has stuck to producing 5-megapixel front snappers for its flagship devices. The tech giant has also settled for the fixed focus-type of selfie cameras because they are cheaper to make and can be manufactured in small modules. Moreover, front cameras with autofocus are very rare in the smartphone industry even at present, according to SamMobile.

People are starting to take more selfies and number of demands for cameras that take selfies with higher qualities is increasing, an industry representative was quoted as saying. It is heard that Samsung Electronics has decided to install front actuators for Galaxy S8 in order to differentiate its flagship Smartphone.

The addition of autofocus to the front camera of the Galaxy S8 may not be the main attraction of the upcoming flagship, but it will certainly be a great addition to the device, knowing that Apple has already done a similar move with its latest flagships, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

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Despite the already known risks of owning a Galaxy Note 7 handset, there are still consumers in Canada who are keeping their phones. This has left Samsung with no other choice than to terminate some of the device's functions.

When Samsung decided to discontinue its Galaxy Note 7 in October, the only reason behind the disappointing move was the production error in the battery cells of the flagship phablet. The South Korean giant initially provided replacements, but the effort was deemed futile after more incidents of exploding Galaxy Note 7 handsets surfaced. Since the device was quickly pulled out from the market, it wasnt really known what was causing the explosions.

On Tuesday, The Investor broke the news that Samsung Electronics is going to officially reveal the result of its probe into its controversial Android smartphone. Though no official date has been given as of late, sources with knowledge of the matter are already claiming that Samsung is likely to spill the beans before 2016 ends.

As of late, the new round of investigation that was launched on Nov. 11 is still ongoing. The probe is said to involve product safety authorities and experts both in South Korea and the United States.

Samsung sold 4.3 million Galaxy Note 7 units since its August launch. After learning the incidents of units catching fire, the company launched a program to recall the problematic handsets. Alongside this, the company carried out its own investigation because even though it was already pinpointed that faulty batteries were responsible for the explosions, there are still other factors that could be involved and are yet to be disclosed.

Divulging the real reasons behind the discontinuation of its flagship will actually benefit Samsung. As per PhoneArena, the sooner that the tech giant finds out what was exactly causing the combustion and the sooner it releases the results of its investigation to the public, the faster it would be for everyone to move on from the drama that the fiasco caused.

We are considering all possibilities to find out the exact cause of the accidents, a Samsung official was quoted as saying. Experts are reportedly suggesting that Apples biggest rival takes its time in investigating the issue, so that it could expose the exact cause of the disturbing explosions. This will not only benefit Samsung as it focuses on the launch of the Galaxy S8 early next year, it would also help the industry prevent the same thing to happen in the future.

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Imagine if you could watch your boss playing fetch with her Boston terrier, or if you could commiserate with her as she posts a frustrated selfie while waiting to deplane. Now imagine shes sharing these relatable moments on Snapchat.

Thats exactly what a top executive is doing.

Jennifer Morgan, 45, is the president of software company SAPs (SAP) North American division and oversees 20,000 employees, so naturally, town hall meetings tend to feel impersonal, if not downright ineffective.

Traditionally, when you think about communication in the office, employees go to the leader. Im trying to develop a way to speak with my employees in ways that work for them, she told Yahoo Finance. Though nothing can replace in-person events, Ive discovered that people appreciate effective, efficient communication.

So, after consulting with several employees  and observing how her 15-year-old son uses the app  Morgan scrapped the all-hands meeting and replaced it with a pre-recorded two-minute video that she e-mailed employees. At the end of the video, she shared her Snapchat code and said she would love to continue the conversation on the app. She anticipates this new format to replace the all-hands meetings from here on out.

I was amazed at how many people thanked me for not only giving them back the time but opening up communication on a platform like Snapchat, she said. I think the app is a way to easily communicate in a perfectly imperfect way with my employees.

She highlights that business executives can come off scripted, almost too polished, and are inaccessible to employees.

What I love about Snapchat is its very real, very authentic, and you can show scenes of your personal and professional lives. A lot of people make these assumptions about both male and female leaders with regard to the pace, glamour and travel of our lives, she said. Its fun to show that, sure, some of those assumptions are true  but at the same time we are all human beings tugging at our time, dealing with the same travel hiccups everyone else experiences.

Story continues

Jennifer Morgan, SAP

Morgan is now one of Snapchats 150 million daily active users. Other business leaders may want to take note.

Its common knowledge that Snapchat is wildly popular among teens. Users spend 25 to 30 minutes every single day sending and receiving these ephemeral photos.

But, for Gen Xers, baby boomers, and even the millennials who arent sold on the entertaining utility of the app, this could be a goldmine use case that Snapchat can tap into.

Though shes not part of the apps core user demographic (70% of Snapchats US users are millennials), the app has gained traction with the older generations (parents (and grandparents) love Facebook, after all). And though the overwhelming friend adds came from her employees in their 20s and 30s, older employees have also created accounts to connect with Morgan.

People who were already on the app added me right away. But others have been creating accounts  like me  now, she said. A lot of folks are increasingly curious about Snapchat, especially because they know their kids are on it.

She said that shes seeing a phenomenal return on her investment. Several hundred of her employees have added her and 5-20 people have been adding her every day.

I dont see it as work. Its an easy, natural thing to do, and an everyday, on-the-go part of my job now, she said. My life blends. I work a lot so it becomes difficult to separate who I am at work and home  Im pretty much the same person. When I signed up, I knew I had to be willing to put myself out there, for anyone to see.

Of course, its a two-way street and employees are eager to share bits and pieces of their lives with her, too. Employees have been Snapchat messaging her directly: Someone based in the Berlin office, for example, gave her a tour of his part of the office.

Though she may have gained tons of friends on Snapchat, she did lose one.

My son took me off of Snapchat because he told me it was weird.

Well, you win some, you lose some.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.
President Obamas decision to normalize U.S. diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba, which had been considerably strained since 1961, is again under threat.

Recently, President-elect Donald Trump threatened to terminate the Obama administration's efforts to normalize US-Cuba relations. According to CNN, Trump tweeted "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate the deal."

Notably, Cuba is currently going through a political transition as its long-time dictator and former President Fidel Castro passed away on Nov 25. His brother and present President Raul Castro is taking over complete control of Cuba. Likewise, the White House is witnessing a change of regime from Obama to Trump.

Under Obamas administration, new Cuban policy regulations, approved by the Treasury and Commerce departments, aided the U.S. telecom industry to gain initial exemptions from the existing embargo to invest in Cuba.

The newly developed truce between the two countries enables the U.S. telecom operators to export telecom equipment and services to Cuba. Under these regulations, the U.S. telecom carriers were also permitted to establish the necessary infrastructure in Cuba to offer various telecom services including the Internet.

In Mar 2015, U.S.-based IDT Corp had formed a joint venture with Cuba's state-run Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba SA (ETECSA) to provide direct international long-distance service. In Sep 2015, Verizon Communications Inc. VZ became the first U.S. telecom operator to offer roaming wireless services in Cuba.

Meanwhile, in Nov 2015, Sprint Corp. S signed the first direct roaming wireless service agreement with ETECSA. Earlier, in Apr 2015, Sprints prepaid service division  Boost Mobile  had launched an unlimited voice call and text message service plan between the U.S. and Cuba.

Story continues

In May 2016, T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS had also signed an interconnection and roaming wireless service agreement with ETECSA. Notably, T-Mobile US serves the maximum number of customers in the U.S. who are of Cuban descent. Furthermore, starting from Oct 18, U.S. telecom giant AT&T Inc. T has been offering direct roaming mobile interconnection services to Cuba.

All four stocks mentioned above currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Price Performance of Four Major Wireless Operators

Year-to-date, the Zacks categorized U.S. wireless industry has registered an impressive growth of 17.02%. However, the stock prices of two relatively large telecom operators, namely, Verizon and AT&T have underperformed the industry mark. While AT&T has registered a growth of 14.73%, Verizon witnessed just 10.26% growth in the same time period.

On the other hand, two smaller players -- T-Mobile US and Sprint -- have outperformed the industry. Shares of T-Mobile US surged 41.59% while Sprint witnessed an astonishing 120.99% growth in the same time-frame.

Nevertheless, both T-Mobile US and Sprint are emphasizing on their core wireless network offering several price concessions to entice customers away from their large peers. In contrast, Verizon and AT&T are gradually diversifying their business model into Internet TV, digital mobile platform and highly lucrative mobile advertising segments. We believe this is the primary reason behind all four nation wireless operators currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3.

Our View

We believe that the U.S. telecom operators may not reap any near-term gain from Cuban investments as the country is less developed at present and reels under highly restrictive government regulations. However, in the long-term, Cuba may become a boon for telecom carriers who choose to operate in the country. An opportunity to sell products and services to 11 million untapped customers is a very lucrative and enticing one.

Further, with the weakening of communism and the willingness to enter the economic as well as political mainstream, Cuba is poised to become an attractive emerging market in the future. Additionally, Cubas geographical proximity to the U.S. is a major positive for these telecom operators from the cost of operations standpoint.

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A La Crosse man got away from the cops once last week but was foiled later that day when his cab wasnt fast enough.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The Somali-born student who carried out the car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University stewed over the treatment of Muslims while apparently staying under the radar of federal law enforcement, underscoring the difficulty authorities face in identifying and stopping lone wolves bent on violence.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan was not known to FBI counterterrorism authorities before Mondays rampage, which ended with Artan shot to death by police and 11 people injured, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Thats in contrast to several other recent attacks, including those in New York City; Orlando, Florida; and Garland, Texas, in which those blamed for the bloodshed had previously come to the attention of federal agents.

Law enforcement officials have not identified a motive for the Ohio State violence but have suggested terrorism as a possibility. FBI agents continued to search Artans apartment for clues.

The mode of attack  plowing a car into civilians, then slashing victims with a butcher knife  was in keeping with the recommended tactics of jihadist propaganda. And Facebook posts that were apparently written shortly before the attack and came to light afterward show Artan nursed grievances against the U.S.

He railed against U.S. intervention in Muslim lands and warned, If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace with the Islamic State group.

America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that, he wrote, using the Arabic term for the worlds Muslim community. He also warned that other Muslims are in sleeper cells, waiting for a signal. I am warning you Oh America!

The posts were recounted by a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but wasnt authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The posts were taken down after the attack.

On Tuesday, a self-described Islamic State news agency called Artan a soldier of the Islamic State who carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries. The Islamic State has previously described other attackers around the world as its soldiers without specifically claiming to have organized the acts of violence.

Artans social media rants seemed at odds with the portrait of the young man painted by neighbors and acquaintances.

Jack Ouham saw the Ohio State student almost every day at his market on the outskirts of Columbus, near Artans home.

He was never angry, Ouham said. Very nice guy. Its just shocking to me, he said.

He was never angry, Ouham said. Very nice guy. Its just shocking to me, he said.
Donald Trump walked in on my mother in the womens room.

It was 1983, when Trump Tower in Manhattan was being completed, and my parents were checking out the lobbys pink Breccia Pernice marble from Northern Italy. My mom found a restroom, not knowing that it hadnt been completed, and that part of a wall was missing. Trump, unaware that the bathroom was even functional, popped in with some colleagues holding blueprints.

He apologized, and my father was impressed with the chagrined look on Trumps face.

Cut to 1986. New York City had failed to build an ice-skating rink in Central Park after an effort that took six years and cost more than $10 million. Trump intervened and got the thing built in four months for less than $3 million.

The ladies room and the rink are why my dad, a retired 83-year-old bricklayer from Brooklyn, voted for Donald Trump for president.

I hear a lot of people say Trump supporters are racist, sexist, white nationalists. My father is none of these. Like a lot of men who belonged to craft unions and carried their lunch to work, he was a Democrat who voted for JFK.

He is the kind of blue-collar white man who pundits now say the party somehow lost track of, like misplaced car keys. What he says is that nobody in government has spoken for him in years.

I wrote a book about the white-collar children of blue-collar parents in 2004 (Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams, Wiley).

What I learned from speaking with 100 people I called Straddlers  and from my own blue-collar upbringing as the first man in my Brooklyn family to finish high school  is that working-class people like my dad look at the world differently than everyone else.

And, peering through that very particular lens, they pulled the lever for Trump.

What blue-collar people will tell you is that working-class guys get stuff done. They dont sit around conference tables polling stakeholders on what they need and what theyre thinking, like middle-class types do. Just grab the hammer and lets get going.

Thats why the rink was so important to my dad. Whatever baloney rules and regulations were bogging down the architects and bureaucrats in New Yorks city hall were not nettling Trump. He just did the job without the fuss.

Trump used to build things, which appeals to blue-collar people because a building is a tangible work product. Guys who shuffle papers, like middle-class people do, cant point to anything at the end of the day and say, I did that.

Blue-collar people also like men who are direct. Trump at least seems that way to my father, the moguls pronouncements about restoring America to perceived past glories devoid of hidden agenda and messy subtext.

Sure, he may sound a little rough, but people like my dad, who was in the Army, then worked on the Brooklyn docks, then spent decades on construction sites, dont engage in a lot of polite chit-chat as they toil in the cold and the rain.

Though Trump was to the manor born, his particular manor was in Queens, where the president-elect learned all about working-class bombast and macho swagger.

For guys like my dad, Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are hard to take because, while they clearly are smart, they appear to be bloodless, egg-heady, and generally disconnected from the world of rough hands and rigor.

Of course, Trump is a guy who looks like he takes a limo to the bathroom. But for blue-collar guys, people who are rich are all right, since everybody wants to be rich. White working-class people resent professionals like doctors and lawyers, but admire the wealthy, noted Joan C. Williams in a piece for the Harvard Business Review earlier this month.

If Trump had spent his millions on first editions and underwriting archeological digs in Petra, hed have seemed remote to the true blue-collars. But he dated models and went on television, pastimes that are unassailably cool to plumbers, ranch hands and factory workers, many of whom were not raised to aspire to much more than surviving.

Trump, my father concluded, is a pragmatist, just like him and other blue-collar guys. For them, theres only one rule in life: Make as much money as you can to create as decent a life as you can, so your family can thrive. Nothing else matters.

After the election, my dad asked me if I voted for Trump. I said I went the other way, citing proposed Muslim registries and the Mexican wall and a few other things.

Thats just talk, and nothing like that will happen, said my dad. But now well have a strong leader wholl stand up: Do you see a problem with that?

I mentioned one thing.

The day after the election, my 12-year-old daughter, who was adopted from Guatemala, asked me, Am I going to be sent back there now?

I told this to my father at lunch the other day. He put down his fork and then said nothing for the rest of the meal.
Wisconsins Group Insurance Board will meet this week to consider transitioning health insurance for state employees to a self-insured system.

Most large employers, including many state plans, are self-insured. Prior to self-insuring, most employers buy insurance from one or two large insurance companies, using broad networks of doctors and hospitals. When these big employers move to self-insurance, they pay medical bills directly. But they often continue to hire these large insurers, at reduced fees, to administer their health-insurance program.

For large employers, self-insuring potentially saves money by changing how they finance health care without changing how employees experience their benefits.

But the state of Wisconsin is not a typical employer, and it does not have a typical health care market. Wisconsin has the most competitive health-insurance market in the country. Our largest insurers market share is around 15 percent, compared to 60 percent nationally. Our state-employee plan uses and supports this uniquely competitive environment by purchasing insurance from 17 different health plans, including many smaller plans.

Wisconsin is also unique because we have an unusual number of smaller integrated health systems where the insurance company is directly associated with the doctors and hospitals. These community health plans participate in the state-employee program and are especially popular in certain areas of the state, such as Dane County.

Some ways of self-insuring may disrupt our unique health care landscape. In particular, if a new program uses a few larger insurers to administer the plan across bigger geographic areas, some of our smaller integrated health systems may struggle to participate. That could be problematic for two reasons.

First, reduced involvement of smaller health systems in the state program may create a force for consolidation and reduced competition in some health care markets in the state. Research shows clearly that reduced competition leads to higher health care costs over time, which means the modest savings from self-insurance could be swamped by more rapid growth in health care costs.

For example, in less competitive Minnesota, costs for the state-employee plan, which is already self-insured, are rising 8.7 percent next year. In contrast, our Group Insurance Board kept our increase for next year to only 1.6 percent. If our health care costs grew at Minnesotas rate, it would cost us an additional $100 million next year, much more than the projected savings from self-insuring.

Second, our smaller integrated health systems deliver quality care and may give Wisconsin unique opportunities for reforming health care. Health policy experts are encouraging more experiments with paying hospitals and doctors for peoples health outcomes instead of for procedures they perform. Integrated health systems are especially well-suited to lead these experiments. Even for integrated systems that are able to continue participating in the state-employee program, self-insuring may make it more complicated for them to experiment with payment reforms.

It makes sense for the Group Insurance Board to investigate self-insurance. But the current system appears to be effective, and we need to be cautious about how any changes may impact the level of competition and the involvement of smaller integrated health systems in Wisconsins health care markets.
Sometimes history doesnt have to wait to judge  and when it comes to dictators, even dead ones, we shouldnt either.

With news of Fidel Castros death Friday  finalmente  world leaders began offering eulogies, some of which were so vapid or willfully ignorant that Castro might have written them himself. It would appear in any case that the 20th-centurys quintessential Big Brother managed to infect a few world leaders with an Orwellian strain of mushy-mouthed aphasia.

Apparently bereft of the right words, they treated Castros brutality as polite unmentionables, serving up platitudes as though just another important figure had passed on to his maker.

Did they miss the screams?

Growing up in Florida during the Cuban missile crisis, running bomb shelter drills and hearing the stories of refugees who became lifelong friends, I somehow managed to evade the charms of the revolutionary rogue, who merely replaced one dictatorship with another far worse. Theres nothing sentimental about a ruthless dictator who once held the world hostage to a possible nuclear Armageddon.

Its one thing to be respectful of the Cuban people  and Im not suggesting we celebrate anyones death. But it is another to sidestep the historical horrors of a murderous, 60-year military regime and strike a pose of diplomatic equanimity that assuages only gluttons of insincerity.

No wonder so many of them chose to express themselves through Twitter  a communication format well-suited to the small and shallow. Nancy Pelosi tweeted that Castros death marks the end of an era. Stalins death did, too, but whos judging? Justin Trudeau, Canadas happy-boy prime minister, called Castro a remarkable leader, who made significant improvements to Cuba, presumably by taking over all private possessions and culling the island of the middle class. Atta boy.

Its true that Cuba boasts a high-level of literacy and a health care system free to all. Then again, you dont see many people from industrialized nations lining up for heart surgery in Havana.

And then theres Jimmy Carter, under whose watch Castro emptied his prisons and mental institutions, sending 125,000 inmates as well as other lesser desirables to our shores. As a younger reporter, I spent a week in Miamis Tent City, where local and state officials tried to figure out where to put hundreds of criminals and the mentally challenged. This was thanks to Carters telling Castro that countless Cubans wished to leave Cuba.

Although many have lauded Castros political acumen, Ive yet to read about his flair for irony. Carter, for whom irony apparently is what the maid does to his dress shirts, remembered Castro fondly. Perhaps as one reaches the age of wisdom, one leans toward greater charity.

President Obamas remarks, though eloquent, were carefully meaningless. Steering clear of specifics, he noted that Cubans are filled with emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation.

Yes, death, torture, oppression, imprisonment, a state-controlled media and a miserable, state-run economy will flat-out alter a persons course. Obama then grabbed historys tail and gave it a yank, saying, History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.

Aw, come on, lets beat history to it. One of the worst dictators in modern history has mercifully died. It doesnt matter that in 2008 he ceded control of the government to his brother Raul. Symbolically, his death liberates the psyches of at least three generations of Cubans and Cuban-Americans.

History will strain little in judging Castro or in sorting out his effect on the world. Now that Obama has eased the decades-long U.S. embargo, wisely in my view, as well as restrictions on travel, the tiny nation has a shot at reinvention. Already, Raul has made changes allowing for limited market socialism, meaning that small businesses and individuals may conduct commerce for profit. The once subterranean dollar economy that has kept many Cubans financially afloat thanks to Cuban-American relatives sending money, is now being openly encouraged by Raul.

President-elect Donald Trump would do well to stay in this lane rather than threaten to reinstate the embargo. He should understand that Castro loved the embargo more than anyone because, as ever, he could blame the U.S. for his failures. For Trump to fall into this same trap would be a post-mortem gift to Castro and breathe new life into cruel legacy  the dictators final triumph over America and the several U.S. presidents who could never quite bury him.
President-elect Donald Trump is a climate-change denier, as are a number of conservative U.S. senators and representatives. They refuse to accept the science supported by 97 percent of climate scientists that global warming and resulting climate changes have been brought on by humans burning fossil fuels  oil, coal and natural gas  since the dawn of the industrial age. Global warming, if it continues at its present rate, will be catastrophic for the United States and the rest of the world.

America (the second largest carbon polluter) signed the Paris climate agreement in April, and it was a leader in getting more than 190 countries, including China and India (the first and third largest carbon-emitting nations), to sign as well. The upcoming Trump administration will jeopardize Americas leadership role in addressing carbon emissions, as highlighted in "Climate collision: Paris accord will be first flashpoint" (Sundays La Crosse Tribune).

We cannot turn our backs on our children, grandchildren and future generations by continuing business as usual. Here is an opportunity for America to lead the world in transitioning away from burning fossil fuels and toward a clean, renewable energy future. The Paris climate agreement will not solve the problem, but it is the best step in the right direction that we have seen thus far. Tell President-elect Trump and your U.S. senators and representative to trust our scientists. We cannot afford to ignore them and the futures of our children.

Larry Sleznikow,

La Crosse
Those of us awakening from the long nightmare of white supremacy, male supremacy and human supremacy  collectively known as the American dream  need not despair, no matter how dark this election cycle has been.

Mourn, yes. If you cant cry, go honor someone elses tears. Go listen to any mother who understands the gravity of what half of voters, including people I love, just did to our children and our land. And then, through those tears, gaze toward a place more powerful and empowering than electoral politics: Standing Rock, where something new is being born.

If Donald Trump expresses the ideological cancer in which white males dominate social, environmental, economic and sexual experience, then Standing Rock expresses the antidote to this disease. When I traveled there with my wife and daughter the week before the election, we encountered what so many centuries of white supremacy has failed to kill, convert or colonize out of existence, and which might yet save so many wretches like me.

On the banks of the Missouri, in the land of the Lakota and Dakota, our indigenous brothers and sisters showed us how leaders can stand in circles with people instead of on pedestals above people; how resistance to violent power structures can be rooted in prayer, respect and responsibility, not hate; how everyone  two-spirits, veterans, rainbow people, the oppressed, and the privileged  can unite; how the leadership of women need not be an aberration or accomplishment, but a given.

We will remain blind to all of this if we read about Standing Rock through the usual filters with which we consume news, for what is happening there is not one thing nor anything common. It is a fight to protect the waters, yes, but it is also a fight for climate justice, to honor treaties, to take responsibility for the lives of our descendants, to heal intertribal wounds, to heal wounds between tribal and non-tribal peoples, to model a renewable energy path, to display how decentralized collectives can be extremely organized and effective.

Things that have never happened are happening there. Prayers are being shared that have never been shared. People are praying together who have never prayed together. People who have never put their bodies on the line are engaging in nonviolent direct action.

Of course, there is the other side of the story.

The Dakota Access Pipeline, originally routed near majority white communities, was rerouted toward the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation due to risks to those white communities drinking water.

All five nights we slept among the water protectors, an airplane buzzed the camps and high-powered construction lights shone into tents, disrupting sleep and increasing stress. Private security and police have attacked unarmed protesters with dogs, pepper spray and rubber bullets.

Then on Election Day, Energy Transfer Partners, in blatant defiance of the regulatory process, not to mention treaties and the health of millions whose waters are threatened, announced it would begin drilling beneath Lake Oahe in two weeks. Trump, not surprisingly, stands to profit.

We whites unhappy with a Ku Klux Klan-endorsed president have some soul-searching to do. As the shock of Trump fades and the systems of white supremacy continue to make our lives relatively easy  as they would have under Clinton as well  will we retreat into the meaningless postures and institutions that maintain our status quo existences? Or, awakened to the fact that our culture has always been and still remains a destroyer of peoples and lands, will we finally join the prayers and resistance efforts of those who have been battling white supremacy for centuries?

My 3-year-old daughter put these questions more directly. Walking along the Missouri, a helicopter circling overhead, she asked, What does peace mean, Daddy? I looked across the river where the pipeline was being laid, where a militarized force was securing the desecration of waters, where thousands were camped to protect those waters, and I hesitated. I didnt know what to say.

Thats a good question, I told her, one we need to pray about.

There were tears in my eyes then and they keep returning.

In these mournful days, its her question that calls me back to Standing Rock.
The Viroqua Fire Department has been a part of the city since November 1884, when more than 60 men gathered to organize the volunteer organization.

Eventually it grew to 200, Assistant Chief Dick Wallin said. Then what I call the Monday night massacre happened.

Wallin said people werent showing up for meetings, so the department was abolished and re-established with new bylaws in 1886.

In the beginning, there was no formal training for the firefighters. Training was in-house, which meant firefighters trained the new members. Wallin, who joined the department in 1981, said he and Dave Treptow were the first members to receive formal training by taking a search and rescue course at Southwest Technical College. During the course, the men were able to actually use their SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus). Prior to that, during training in Viroqua, firefighters would only wear the SCBAs, because the department only had three of them. That meant that if the SCBAs were used to breathe during training, they would have to be taken to La Crosse to get refilled before the next fire call.

Wallin said the fire departments first formal training took place around 1983 or 1984. Shortly after that, the first state-certified course was offered.

Currently there are 33 active members  some of whom are longtime and others who are more recent members. The fire department is authorized to have 40 members. Across the county we are one of the younger departments, Lt. Jared Rahr, said.

Rahr, who has been a member since 2006, said new members take a beginning course at Western Technical College called Entry Level Firefighter (ELF). The course includes 64 hours of training. Once they have that, they can respond on calls.

Wallin said once new recruits pass the course, the department requires them to attend a live structure fire. Were slightly more stringent than the state. Within the first year of completing ELF, the new firefighters must obtain their Firefighter 1 state certification.

Training is continuous. Firefighters meet at the station four Mondays each month. There two drills per month, a maintenance night and a meeting night. Sometimes we may train at a meeting and a maintenance night, Wallin said.

Wallin said firefighters have also trained on Saturdays to practice ice and water rescues at Sidie Hollow.

About a year ago, the fire department formed a Junior Firefighters program for 16-17-year-old high school students. The program can accommodate up to 12 at a time.

It lets them be a member of the Viroqua Fire Department, and we treat them as such, Rahr said. They get the same training, but cant go on calls. To be a firefighter in Wisconsin, one must be 18 years old.

Rahr said the program is an opportunity for the teens to look at a possible career.

Wallin said the Junior Firefighter program has several benefits, one of which is getting to witness live structure fires. He said some people may earn an Associates Degree in firefighting, get to a live burn after graduation, and realize firefighting is not for them.

Another benefit, Wallin said, is the junior firefighters can save money by taking the course with the Viroqua Fire Department, rather than through a technical school. They get it while being members of the fire department.

We had kids in the past before we had a formal program who were 14 or 15 years old washing trucks, and as they got older they took the training, Wallin said.

Wallin and Rahr said the program gives teens an opportunity for more experience, because they go all calls, including accidents.

Thats a selling point to professional fire departments  the experience and work history, Wallin said.

So far, Rahr said, one Junior Firefighter member has become a regular member after turning 18.

What does the VFD do?

The Viroqua Fire Departments primary mission is fire suppression  to put out or try to put out fires. We are not always successful, Wallin said.

The department also does inspections, where they identify problems; provides fire education, such as fire extinguisher classes for businesses and units of government; does extrication at automobile accidents and some cleanup of oils, transmission fluid and coolant; assists the police department with traffic control at accident scenes; helps with search and rescue; provides rope rescue; and does ice and water rescue.

In addition, the fire department helps with storm watching, which is done mostly in the summer.

Were paged to the station, Wallin said. Its two-fold  it disperses resources. If a tornado would hit the station were not all in one place (with equipment) and if we need to respond (to a call) were spread out if roads are blocked. We monitor the weather and report to the sheriffs department and National Weather Service.

Wallin said the fire department is looking for new members. There is turnover. Some have moved or their job situations changed.

Wallin said serving on the volunteer fire department is a way to give back to the community, an opportunity to meet and get to know people in the community and maybe gain friends, and learn interesting stuff.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Viroqua Fire Department or the Junior Firefighter program, may pick up an application at the fire and police station, located at 702 E. Broadway St. Anyone with questions may call the station during business hours at 637-3118 and ask for fire chief Chad Buros voice mail, or go to the departments Facebook page.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has disbarred a convicted attorney

The respondent was a member of the bar of this state. On November 17, 2011 he was charged in a sixty-six count indictment filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island which alleged that the respondent had engaged in an investment scheme to defraud insurance carriers by securing the identities of terminally ill people by making direct material misrepresentations and omissions of fact to them, and then purchasing variable annuities and corporate bonds with death-benefit features that utilized these ill patients as the measuring life. On November 19, 2012, four days into what was anticipated to be a three-month trial the respondent entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1343, and one felony count of conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  371. The government dismissed the remaining counts of the indictment.

On February 28, 2013, subsequent to the entry of his guilty plea but prior to the imposition of sentence, the respondent filed a motion to vacate his plea. On August 1, 2013, after a four-day hearing, the District Court denied the motion. On December 16, 2013, the respondent was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of seventy-two months on the charge of wire fraud, and sixty months, to be served concurrently, on the charge of conspiracy. He is presently serving that sentence. Restitution has been ordered in the amount of $46,000,000. The respondent filed an appeal of the denial of his motion to vacate his plea with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. On January 16, 2014, Disciplinary Counsel filed a petition with this court in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Rule 12 of the Supreme Court Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, requesting that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law pending the outcome of his appeal. The respondent notified this Court through counsel that he had no objection to the petition. Accordingly, on February 20, 2014 this Court entered an order suspending the respondent from the practice of law pending the outcome of his appeal and until further order of the Court.

On December 7, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals issued its opinion affirming the District Courts denial of the respondents motion to vacate his plea. The respondent thereafter filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States seeking review of the decision of the First Circuit. That petition was denied on May 23, 2016.

The respondent now has exhausted all avenues of appeal, and Disciplinary Counsels motion to disbar may therefore be granted.

The New York Times reported on the crimes

Joseph Caramadre contends he was a philanthropist and a clever lawyer, offering $2,000 payments to people who were dying. The United States attorney contends that he was a scam artist, preying on the very ill and getting rich by defrauding insurance companies.

In the face of overwhelming evidence, Mr. Caramadre pleaded guilty last year, and on Monday, a federal judge here sent him to prison for six years.

Mr. Caramadre, an estate planner and a prominent member of the states Roman Catholic establishment, said he was merely exploiting a gap in insurance companies writing of the rules governing their products, and doing nothing illegal. Instead, he said, he was giving thousands of dollars to struggling families. His largess is well known; the court received dozens of letters praising Mr. Caramadre, including one from the bishop of Providence and one from a former Boston mayor...

During the hearing, Mr. Caramadre apologized to the families of the terminally ill patients for the distress his actions caused, but stopped short of admitting he had actually cheated any of them.

I cannot tell you I am sorry that these terminally ill people got defrauded, said Mr. Caramadre, who explained he would be lying if he did so. I just wanted to share wealth.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2016/11/the-rhode-island-supreme-court-has-disbarred-former.html
Thursday is World AIDS Day.

For almost 30 years, the United Nations has marked World AIDS Day on December 1.

People often note the number of deaths from AIDS, short for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The virus has killed tens of millions of people since it was first identified in the 1980s.

But on this World AIDS Day, there is more hope than ever before that researchers are getting close to finding a vaccine to protect against infection.

Much has happened since the first World AIDS Day observance in 1988. Countries where people did not talk about the virus now test people and treat those who are infected.

Mothers with HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- can give birth to healthy babies and live to raise them. Drugs can keep the virus from spreading.

And now, scientists are discussing the possibility that a vaccine and cure may be developed.

On Monday, researchers in South Africa began injecting thousands of volunteers with a possible vaccine.

Other researchers are examining whether the bodys own defenses against disease can help fight the virus.

An American study shows this may be possible. One of the researchers was Pablo Tebas of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Tebas spoke to VOA on Skype.

We infuse antibodies into the patients, the participants in the study, and we want to see if those antibodies will control the HIV virus -- will keep it quiet, and prevent the virus from coming back when we stop antiretroviral therapy.

The research in controlling HIV with antibodies is similar to that being done in the fight against cancer. Proteins are used to attack cancer cells. Like cancer, HIV hides in cells. If a person stops taking anti-AIDS drugs, the virus returns.

You want to eliminate the cells that harbor the virus and by making the immune system more active, in finding and eliminating those cells.

The researchers discovered that the antibodies suppressed HIV for 21 days. The goal is to find a combination of antibodies that can suppress the virus for six months to a year. Then, those infected will no longer have to take medicine every day for the rest of their lives.

A new test using two antibodies should begin in the next few months.

Im Anne Ball.

VOAs Carol Pearson reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

infuse  v. to cause (something, such as a quality) to be added or introduced into a person or thing

antibody  n. a substance produced by the body to fight disease

participant  n. a person who is involved in an activity or event; a person who participates in an activity or event (often + in)

antiretroviral therapy - n. medicines used to control and suppress HIV, the virus that causes AIDS

harbor  v. to hold or contain (something)
Vietnam is extending a military runway on a small island in the South China Sea, according to an American-based research group.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says the Vietnamese government is developing one of the Spratly Islands. It said the runway was once 762 meters long, but now stretches 1,005 meters from end to end.

The center published satellite images to support its findings.

The CSIS says the longer runway will make it easier for Vietnamese surveillance aircraft to operate in the South China Sea. Vietnam is also building airplane hangars there, the group said.

The Spratly Islands are made up of many small islands, known as islets, coral reefs, and other land formations in the sea. China, Taiwan and Vietnam each have claimed much of the area and its natural resources. Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei also claim parts of the waterway.

Vietnam is extending the runway because of Chinese efforts to develop military bases in the Spratly Islands, CSIS said.

Chinas activities in the area have increased tensions with its neighbors. They also have raised concerns in Japan and the United States.

The Chinese government has reclaimed land on several disputed reefs by dredging, and also built airfields and ports.

Vietnam has already completed landfill work on 27 small islets in the South China Sea - more than any other claimant. It has also bought submarines and spent a lot of money on other military equipment over the past eight years, observers say.

Adam McCarty is an economist at Mekong Economics in Hanoi. He says Vietnam needs to be careful about how it reacts to Chinese moves in the sea. They dont really want to provoke China, but they also cant just let China do whatever it wants to do.

The South China Sea is an important waterway through which more than $5 trillion worth in trade passes each year. The area is filled with rich fishing grounds and believed to hold oil and natural gas.

McCarty adds that as China keeps developing disputed islands, Vietnams claims will likely be harder to defend.

Last week, the Philippines announced plans to build a seaport in the South China Sea next year. Officials said the port would greatly improve access for people living on the island of Thitu.

About 200 fishermen live on the island, as do about 50 Philippine military troops.

In addition, the proposed port will also provide better access to the other eight Philippine-claimed areas in the Spratly Islands.

Lawmaker Johnny Pimentel said the Philippine government has set aside about $9 million for work on the island. He said the port will make it easier for more people to settle there.

The Philippines has occupied Thitu Island since 1970. It is the second largest island in the Spratlys.

Plans for building a seaport there began in 2012. But the project was halted after the Philippines asked an international court to consider Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

In July, the court ruled against China, rejecting the governments historical claims to large areas of the sea. China has disputed the ruling.

Since the ruling was announced, Pimentel has urged the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to restart oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.

But analysts say additional moves to expand economically or militarily in the South China Sea are likely to lead to reactions from other claimants, especially China.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

surveillance adj. intelligence-gathering

hangar  n. a large building where aircraft are kept

dredging - v. to dig out and clear material from a body of water

provoke - v. to do something that angers others or causes them to take action
Recent withdrawals from the International Criminal Court have raised questions about the courts future.

Russia announced its withdrawal in the middle of November. Earlier, three African nations said they planned to leave.

Observers expect difficult times for the court in the weeks to come. More nations will likely be leaving.

Alex Whiting is a law professor at Harvard University in Massachusetts. He once supervised investigations and legal action against suspects for the International Criminal Court. He expects the court to survive.

I think there will be some difficulties, but that the court is not going to collapse, Whiting told VOA. He said one reason is the courts special power to bring action against the worlds worst kinds of crimes.

The Court of Last Resort

The International Criminal Court was founded in 2002. It is based in The Netherlands. It is considered the court of last resort  the place where criminal charges are brought after all other legal efforts have failed.

Its aim is to bring to justice people responsible for horrible crimes when their own countries are unwilling or unable to take action. The court investigates and tries cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The most important criminal case yet is against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. He is accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He remains in office.

The Sudanese leader has visited other countries in violation of an international ban on his travel. He was able to avoid arrest during visits to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

The court is currently trying Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of the Ivory Coast. He faces charges related to thousands of murders and rapes while he was in power.

Guilty of War Crimes

Among those jailed by the court was former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba. He was found guilty of war crimes.

In another case, the court ruled against Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, an Islamist rebel, for his part in the 2012 violence in Mali. He admitted guilt to destroying Muslim holy places in the historic city of Timbuktu.

Darryl Robinson is an expert on international law at Queens University Law School in Kingston, Canada. He said the court has done a lot in its short 14-year history.

But there are many serious problems in the world, Robinson said. As a result, the court faces demands to do more.

On one hand, the International Criminal Court has been active in far more situations than I think anyone would have predicted in its short history, Robinson said. But on the other hand, there are so many situations in the world that are clamoring for attention.

Russia, like the United States, has not accepted the treaty setting up the courts right to exercise power. Therefore, neither country falls under its authority.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his countrys withdrawal from the court earlier this month. His announcement came after the courts chief prosecutor said that Russias takeover of Crimea amounted to an ongoing state of occupation.

There have also been calls for the court to investigate suspected war crimes by Russian forces protecting the government in Syria.

Russias foreign ministry said the court is not living up to its responsibility to be even-handed.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he might follow Russia out of the International Criminal Court. His comment came after the court warned Duterte over reports of the killing of thousands of people as part of his war on illegal drugs.

Three African Nations Withdraw

Before Russia announced its withdrawal, three African countries -- Burundi, South Africa and Gambia -- announced plans to withdraw from the court. Officials from the three countries said the court unfairly targets African leaders.

All those convicted by the court have been Africans. South Africa says it was pressured to arrest and surrender the Sudanese president to the court when he visited the country last year.

Whiting of Harvard University said it is regrettable a large percentage of the courts cases relate to African countries. But he said court officials argue that they are targeting the worlds most serious cases of government-led abuse.

The courts chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said she is disappointed at any act that may undermine the courts authority to hold people responsible for horrible crimes. She called for more discussions with leaders of Burundi, South Africa and Gambia.

Bensouda also said the court would put more importance on crimes against children.

It is unforgivable that children are assaulted, violated, murdered, she said.

Such crimes should trouble all good people, she said.

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

And I'm John Russell.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

clamor - v. a loud or strong demand for something

authority - n. the power to give orders or make decisions

disappoint - v. to make someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for or expected

undermine - v. to make someone or something weaker or less effective

assault - v. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically

convicted  n. to be tried and found guilty of something
Don Milroy started working at Brown-Harano Photography Studio when he was 15 years old.

On Monday, Milroy celebrated his 80th birthday and his 64th year at the photography studio.

In 1952, I got a job from Earl Harano, Milroy said. I was developing film in my basement and doing all that kind of stuff and I thought I ought to be doing it for money.

I bugged him every week so I could get a job. I think about the 10th time I asked him, he finally gave me a job so I wouldnt bother him anymore. The first thing I did was sweep the front walk and wash the windows.

Milroy now owns the shop at 412 N. Dewey, where it has always been and where he learned the business.

Earl took me in the camera room and Id move the lights around and watch what he was doing, Milroy said. I watched everything he did. When I took pictures, hed let me take pictures any way I wanted to and he would say, Look what this is, and he would make me change everything and make sure I changed the lights. I got a good education with that.

In 1955, Milroy entered the U.S. Army with the intention of becoming a photographer.

They sent me to Army signal school, Milroy said. Everything I did there I was already doing here, so they kind of made me the leader and I could walk around and help the other people.

When he was nearly finished with his military service, Milroy heard from Harano.

In 1958, he wrote me a letter and said there were no jobs, its hard to get a job, come back and work for me, Milroy said. So, I came back and never left. In 1973, Roy Harano and I bought Earl out.

The business has changed over the years. Milroy said Thanksgiving used to be very busy.

On Thanksgiving, we would do 30-40 families on that weekend, Milroy said. It was the biggest week of the year.

Milroy said weddings were also a big part of their business in the past.

Friday, Saturday and then even Sunday, because when I first started here, all the weddings were on Sunday, Milroy said. When we had Roy, Jim Aufrecht and myself, we could each do three weddings a day: morning, afternoon and night. We could do nine in one day. On a weekend we could do 27 weddings and then process them all. It was all black and white in those days.

Over the years, the equipment has changed a lot.

We were doing bridal portraits on 8-by-10 film, Milroy said. When I first came in, they had a carbon arc light that was kind of like you were bringing Frankenstein back to life. ... It was exciting to crank that old baby up.

Milroy and the crew retouched photos by hand.

Earl taught me how to retouch, Milroy said. It was really archaic. If you wanted to take the bags out from under someones eyes, you used a very sharp pencil. The emulsion side was the dull side of the film. Wed apply what we called dope to it  it had a tooth to it  so that when you took a No. 2 pencil that was sharp, you could leave the lead on there and it left more density there and you could lighten the bags under the eyes.

Sometimes the flash would cause a reflection in the eyes that had to be removed.

You took a sharp knife that looked like a scalpel and youd scrape off that density of the flash, which was the black, Milroy said. Youd scratch it off until you could see through it. It was kind of surgical at times when you were working on stuff. It was scientific, but its not near what you can do now.

Brown-Harano was one of the first studios that upgraded to digital, he said.

We used film cameras up until 1996, Milroy said.

He purchased the new equipment at a show in Vegas.

The digital camera was $28,000, Milroy said. Everything I had purchased to go along with it, a printer and two scanners and the computer, came to a total of $85,000. It fit on my desk. I didnt need a darkroom and I could do everything up to 8-by-10. That was probably the most exciting thing. You can do anything anymore and that was just blowing me away. I did the digital and everybody else was still doing the film.

Once digital cameras took off, that pretty much took out the photography studio business, Milroy said.

Roy retired in 1991 and moved to Arizona, and Jim quit in 2004, Milroy said. Then my helper was Tammy Turnbull and she left in 2010. We had a full finishing, developing [business] and did one-hour film, and then Walmart came and took care of that.

He said he loves the business but eventually wants to retire.

I think its time, Milroy said. Ive been doing this for 64 years and Id like to have one summer off. I suppose if I had one summer off Id be coming back. Youve got to have something to do.

Milroy said his work has been fun and he doesnt feel like hes 80. He said he will keep working.

My wife, Angie, said, If you retire and sit in that chair, youll die, Milroy said. Now Im afraid to sit in that chair.
Merle Pfeiffer, age 83, of Arapahoe, died on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016 at Elwood Care Center, Elwood.

Funeral services will be Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church at Arapahoe, with the Rev. James Moshier, officiating. Burial will be at the Arapahoe Cemetery, Arapahoe, with military honors by the American Legion Post No. 96 of Arapahoe and U.S. Army Funeral Honor Guard.

Viewing and visitation will be Friday, Dec. 2, 2016 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., with family present from 4 - 6 p.m. at Wenburg Funeral Chapel, 652 Main Street, Arapahoe and prior to the service at the church.

He was born on Sept. 10, 1933 at the family farm in Frontier County to Oswald and Dorothy (Niedeberger) Pfeiffer.

Merle was baptized and later confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church which was located in Frontier County. He attended Grammar School Grades 1 thru 5 at District 16 School and Grades six thru eight at Salem Parochial School, both were located in Gosper County. He attended and graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1951.

After graduation Merle farmed with his Father on the family farm until November 1954 when he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army. While in the service Merle attended Guided Missile School in El Paso Texas. And was later deployed to Chicago, Ill., to be with the AAA Missile Battalion. In November 1956, he was Honorably Discharged.

During his years in the Service Merle met and was united in marriage to his wife Barbara at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Chicago Ill. In April of 1957. Following their marriage they returned to Nebraska, where Merle started his own farming career. For the first five years they rented a farm northeast of Arapahoe until Merle purchased his parents farm and later other land in the area. Through the years, Merle developed their dryland farm into what he called My irrigated paradise.

Merle and Barbara were blessed with two children, son, Jon and daughter, Leesa. Three Grandsons, Michael Pfeiffer, Jackson Pfeiffer and Maxwell Anderson, who were his love and delight.

In later years when Merle and Barbara retired, they leased their land and pasture to neighboring farmers. After a few years they purchased a home and moved into Arapahoe.

For 30 years Merle served as a director on the board of Twin Valleys Public Power District. In the Spring of 1966, Merle was named Outstanding Young Farmer in Recognition of Exceptional Progress in Agriculture and Contributions to the Community. He was president of the Gosper County 4-H Council served on church boards at Immanuel Lutheran Church and later on the Finance Board of Trinity Lutheran Church, he also was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the American Legion Post No. 96 of Arapahoe.

In 1984 Merle received two National Corn Growers Assn. Awards in Recognition of Outstanding Yield per acre. And in 1988 he received another award from the National Corn Growers Assn. in a Corn Yield Contest.

Merle also received the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award that reads:

The Knights of AKSARBEN Foundation are honored to recognize the Merle M. Pfeiffer Farm for long and meritorious service to agriculture as exemplified by continued ownership within the family of the same Nebraska Farm For 100 years or more.

Nebraska has been enriched by the courageous Pioneer Spirit and Loyalty to the land exhibited by members of this Family, down through the years.

Merle was an exceptionally loving husband, father, and grandfather.

He leaves behind his wife Barbara of 59  years; son: Jon (Julie Clark) Pfeiffer and their two sons, Michael and Jackson; daughter, Leesa (Michael) Marion and their son, Maxwell Anderson; two sisters, Mildred Post and Gladys Shaffer; sister-in-law and brother-in-law: Joan and Luther Bergstrom; numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Oswald Pfeiffer, and a sister Ilene Koch.

Merle asked his family to direct memorials to Trinity Lutheran Church for a Scholarship in his name and to the St. Germanus Fatima Shrine.

Wenburg Funeral Home of Arapahoe is in charge of arrangements.
Nearly two dozen people were arrested in Ybor City Tuesday night during a demonstration aimed at raising the minimum wage.

23 protesters were arrested Tuesday

The Ybor protesters were marching for an increase in minimum wage



No one was reported injured



Workers said the current minimum wage isn't enough, and they'd like to see it raised to $15 an hour.



"I don't have enough money for a light and water bill," said protester Gail Rogers. "You know, everybody has trials and tribulations, and I have been at that stage, but now I need more money for my cost of living. I need $15 and a union."

They held a 'Fight for 15' rally at Centennial Park in Ybor City. Protesters began Centennial Park after 5 p.m., headed toward 7th Avenue, then marched down 22nd Street. According to police, the demonstrators turned west to 21st Street, and it was there that many sat down, blocking the road.



Tampa Police asked them several times to move for safety reasons.



Most of the demonstrators moved to the sidewalk, but police said 23 didn't. Those individuals were arrested.



"Whether you put us in jail or do something more grave to us, we want to let the president and people in power know that we're not going to accept this kind of injustice and racism," said Bishop Chuck Lee, who was one of the protesters who was arrested. "I think the only way we can effectively let them know is by taking to the streets."



No one resisted arrest and police said there was no violence.



Demonstrators who were arrested were released immediately with a notice to appear in court.



Rogers said she has no regrets about it.



"I'm not ashamed," said Rogers. "I will sleep just fine tonight and I'm going to go to work tomorrow and do my regular duties."


Field trips for kids today are completely different than back in the day. No more museums or parks - kids are now heading to the operating room.

Students in St. Petersburg got to learn about new technology during visit to Northside Hospital

Students got hands-on experience using the Davinci surgical robot

Hospital hopes to inspire students to explore careers in health care

One hundred Canterbury School of Florida students got to visit Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg for a day. The hospital hosted the group of eager learners to teach them about their latest technology - the Davinci surgical robot.

The hospital will start using it next year for minimally invasive surgeries.

Dia Nichols, CEO of Northside Hospital said, "We actually had the opportunity to have the kids practice on the robot and they loved it. It's pretty neat and pretty slick. And it's something these kids are pretty familiar with."

Robots are not new to students at Canterbury - they made their own at school. That project inspired the hospital event.

Northside hopes this hands-on experience helps make the kids comfortable in a hospital setting and inspires the students to explore careers in health care.

"It's kind of weird being in a place I've never been before," said Lachelle Allen, a student at Canterbury.

Students got to meet some of the nurses around the hospital and even the administrators who run the hospital.
Diamond jewellery worth Rs 80 lakh belonging to filmmaker Kiran Rao was stolen from actor Aamir Khan's place at Carter Road.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Rao found the jewellery, i.e., a ring and a necklace, missing on 24 November. The last time she saw the jewellery was in October.

Her father filed a complaint at the Khar police station under Section 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which deals with theft in dwelling house.

We dont have any suspects yet, but are probing the matter and looking at all possible angles, said Ramchandra Jadhav, senior police inspector at Khar police station, as per The Indian Express.

However, Hindustan Times reports that the three house helps of Khan and Rao are prime suspects and are being questioned by the police every day. No arrests have been made yet. The police visited the spot and found no one working for the Rao family missing since the incident.

As per a report by Mid Day, the three permanent house helps at Khan's residence are his cook Farzana, assistant Suzanna and the domestic help Jhumki. The same report suggests that the police visited their respective residences to probe and even questioned their families.
Morgan Stanley has marked down Flipkart's valuation as much as 38 percent to $52.13 a share for the quarter ending September as against $84.29 a share in the previous quarter. With this markdown, the company's valuation stands at $5.54 billion. According to a filing by Morgan Stanley Select Dimensions Investment Series to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the fund's shareholding in Flipkart (at 1,969 shares) is now valued at $102,644.

This also marks the seventh time that India's home-grown unicorn has had its valuation slashed down this year, of which four times was by Morgan Stanley. The latest from the Morgan Stanley fund is the steepest cut in the valuation.

Flipkarts current valuation at $5.54 billion compares with $15.5 billion the company enjoyed during mid-2015.

The markdown comes at a time when Flipkart has repeatedly said that it is not looking at any fresh round of funding in the immediate future.

Repeated markdowns

Indias unicorn is losing its shine with repeated markdowns. Two days ago, its valuation was marked down by 25 percent by a mutual fund managed by the US-based investment firm Vanguard Group. It was joined by four other investors by slashing the holding value of its investment in Flipkart as much as 25 percent in the quarter through March, a VC Circle report said, citing filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

From $136.87 a piece Vanguard bought on 30 September, 2015, it slashed its value to $102.65 as on 31 March, 2016. Following the markdown, the overall valuation of Flipkart now stands at around $11 billion. The fund also brought down the value of the shares it bought in the second tranche to $106.71 apiece from $142.23.

Besides this, a fund managed by Morgan Stanley reduced the value of its investments twice while Fidelity Rutland Square Trust II, Valic Co., and T. Rowe Price also each lowered the value once, the report said.

However, the company has been putting up a brave face. On the markdown in the valuation of Flipkart from $15.2 billion to $9.3 billion by Morgan Stanley and T Rowe Price in May 2016, chairman Sachin Bansal had said, I do not think much of the markdowns. We should just focus on execution and keep our heads down on serving our customers."
While private market valuations are functions of basic supply-demand venture economics, what markdown of a company means is that the amount that would be fetched if the company were to be sold today is lower than the value it had in the immediate last round of fund raise. Its the value that an investor ascribes to asset it owns if it decides to sell it off today.

Many a times, mutual funds would look to map private companies they own with similar companies that are listed on exchanges. Sometimes the decision is based on macro outlook, specific events/ factors associated with sectors companies fall into, and their performance metrics over a period of time. Additionally, many of these fund houses have pricing and valuation team that work independently. This should demystify the notion that markdowns are theoretical exercises. They are not. At least not from an investors point of view.

We have heard few non-prudent Indian founders /their investors not accepting harsh reality of markdowns. We will see further humbling of such founders / investors / companies. Many from the Indian venture ecosystem have not been able to come to terms with realities of loss-making, late-stage, internet ventures in India. As a matter of fact, markdowns are ramifications of current, bleak, global market outlook. Global growth, in general, has tanked, effectively meaning that more markdowns may ensue in future. Non-acceptance of the above could be starting point for all problems.

Markdowns are demoralizers for companies, and act as leakers. It hurts morale of employees to the extent that one starts to see exits, from all rank and files. It gets more difficult to hire a new employee. Even the ones that decide to join are not aligned with goals of the company  they are around for shorter time frames with clear plans to exit the down-swinging company. Markdowns specifically means that the common stocks held by employees are worth much less.

Trying to raise money for and operating your venture post meaningful markdowns is akin to trying to refill and write with a broken (leaking) pen: It is tiring, messy, and irritating to write with such a pen. The fear that you would run out of ink in the middle of night triggers mistakes in your thought processes, and hence, in your writings. When you try to borrow ink, you get mocked at your attempt to refill a broken (leaking) pen. Most people you try to borrow ink from are reluctant to see their ink being wasted. If you somehow get successful in finding some ink on your own, it simply gets tough to refill (because the pen is leaking!).

For startups/ventures, one off markdown may not be a serious issue. However, it could be construed as a bad news when slew of investors mark their investments down. It hints that several pricing and valuation teams across a few fund houses and at multiple points in time thought that the said company was / is overvalued with regard to fundamentals, market conditions, other similar companies that are listed, other factors, etc.

For investors, markdowns should be like thunderclaps before the downpour. It should ready them for tougher rainy days. Investors can prepare themselves for tougher environment in many ways: do more diligence on companies before making investments, invest in sustainable companies with positive unit economics, dig harder to find great entrepreneurs who have a purpose / mission to what they do.

Raising tons of money from late-stage mutual funds and cross-over funds in a heated fund raising environment leads to bubble valuations and impending risk of potential markdowns when the markets cools off. Raising a lot of money also means entangling company in the web of preferred stocks, ratchets, liquidation preferences and other special rights that late-stage investors might ask for. This web of terms with the investor may mean that common stocks held by founders and employees may not be worth much.

Price-elastic like, late-stage Indian internet ventures should be valued 1:1, or thereabouts, wrt investments made in them. There isn't much forward / upward lever in such businesses, particularly in price sensitive markets such as India. 'Network Effect' (NE) is the garb under which funds have been raised for such ventures in India. It probably works good for matured and efficient markets such as the USA. But, network effect doesn't work well in heterogeneous markets such as India, which, in my humble opinion, is an extreme example of heterogeneity.

By the way, as an entrepreneur I see markdowns positively! If I were running a late stage venture in India today, I would consider markdowns as pointers to fundamental problems in the business that I must solve. It would push me to become more realistic, pragmatic and action oriented. Markdowns should be seen with similar sentiments in Indian ecosystem.

Markdown stories should push entrepreneurs to appreciate the value of creating sustainable businesses. Newer entrepreneurs should resolve not raising truckload of money to grow but becoming viable businesses with only few rounds of funds.

(The author is Founder & Managing Partner at M1L, a new format venture builder platform based in India.)
Hunt to induct a new Tata Group chairman has been doing rounds for quite some time ever since Cyrus Mistry, the former top honcho, was unceremoniously asked to step down from his position for his alleged failure to improve the group's business prospects.

While Cyrus' predecessor Ratan Tata was reinducted by the Tata Sons board as interim chairman to lead the group, it was communicated to media that a new permanent chairman will be selected by the board in the next four months.

Even as names of several internal Tata group members have been cropping up in last few weeks to take charge, a UK-based industrialist is also in the race for the top job at Tatas.

According to a report that appeared in the UK-based Sky News, one of the Britain's leading industrialists George Buckley has also emerged as a strong contender for the post.

Buckley's emergence as a potential contender to lead Tata, which owns Jaguar Land Rover and the Port Talbot steelworks, makes him the first non-Indian to be linked to the post, the Sky News report said.

Buckley is currently the chairman of FTSE-100 engineer Smiths Group, and has the experience of several large US companies including the global technology firm 3M. He is also on the boards of Hitachi, Stanley Black & Decker and PepsiCo, besides holding position at his two previous employers Brunswick Corporation and Emerson Electric Company.

Buckley's experience spread across the steel, power and chemical industries is understood to have caught Tata's attention, especially, at a time when the multi-billion dollar salt-to-software conglomerate is facing number of challenges since past few years.

The report also says that if Buckley is appointed as chairman, one of his many roles includes mentoring Indian executives at the group, the report added.

Meanwhile, the Economic Times reported that Noel Naval Tata, half brother of Ratan Tata, has emerged as one of the contenders for the top job at Tata Sons.

"The list is a small one and Noel is certainly in it. He is someone who is fully aware of the Tata ethos and value systems that has come under strain in recent times. He is also family," ET report quoted a source as saying.

Other names that are doing the rounds are TCS CEO N Chandrasekaran and Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth, who were recently appointed to the board of Tata Sons.

Also, there is speculation that talks are on with former Unilever COO Harish Manwani for heading the crucial position.
By Tommy Wilkes and Suchitra Mohanty

| NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI Indian cinemas must play the national anthem before screening a film and the audience must stand and listen, the country's Supreme Court said on Wednesday in a ruling echoing growing nationalist sentiment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The court ordered that an image of India's national flag also be displayed on screens during the anthem, and it gave cinemas 10 days to comply, saying its decision would help "instil a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism"."People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," the New Delhi court said in an interim order issued in response to a petition from a local retiree."The time has come for people to realise that the national anthem is a symbol of constitutional patriotism."Nationalist fervour surged when Modi's government said in September it had sent troops into territory controlled by bitter rival and neighbour Pakistan to strike at Islamist militants suspected of preparing to attack.

India's wildly popular Bollywood film industry found itself caught up in the aftermath when a filmmakers' body banned the hiring of Pakistani actors and some regional politicians said that those prepared to work with their neighbours were unpatriotic.Playing the national anthem in Indian cinemas was common in the 1960s, but the practise fell out of favour as fewer and fewer people paid attention. A few states had since made it compulsory for theatre halls and cinemas to broadcast the anthem, but there is no nationwide law mandating it.

Some commentators mocked the court's ruling as idiotic. "The Supreme Court's moral, constitutional and political idiocy in the national anthem order is truly breathtaking. More dark times ahead," Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research think-tank said on Twitter.Thousands took to the streets early this year in India's biggest nationwide student protests in 25 years after the arrest of a student accused of sedition, prompting accusations that Modi's government was clamping down on freedom of expression.

To support his case in the court, petitioner Shyam Narayan Chouksey said the Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act of 1971 had been breached, Indian media reported.The court also ruled that broadcasting a shortened version of the anthem would not suffice, and it prohibited playing the anthem at "undesirable" or "disgraceful" places. (Editing by Mark Heinrich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
A Nevada man who prosecutors say conspired to provide materials and support to co-conspirators to carry out terrorist attacks in India aimed at creating an independent Sikh state pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges.Balwinder Singh, 42, made the plea in U.S. District Court in Reno as part of an agreement with prosecutors, the Department of Justice said in a written statement. Singh, who was arrested in December 2013, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison during his sentencing in February, although federal guidelines typically call for less time.

According to prosecutors Singh, also known as Jhaji, Happy Possi and Baljit, plotted terrorist attacks in India with several other people as part of a movement to create a Sikh state in the Punjab region.Prosecutors said Singh bought two sets of night vision goggles and gave them to a co-conspirator who was planning to carry out the attack, which was thwarted when the man was prevented from boarding a flight to Bangkok at San Francisco International Airport.

Singh is a citizen of India and a permanent U.S. resident, according to prosecutors.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Richard Chang)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Srinagar: The Border Security Force (BSF) said on Wednesday that it has foiled 23 attacks, including two BAT actions by Pakistan, along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir Valley this year and is alert to deal with any untoward incident.

"BSF has foiled and faced 23 attacks of militants and Pakistan regulars on its posts and personnel along LoC in Kashmir this year. The guys (BSF jawans) have done well, they have been doing their jobs with utmost dedication. They have foiled many infiltration bids on the LoC and also foiled two BAT (Border Action Team) attempts and in one of the actions, three of our guys have been killed, but they foiled the action and killed one militant and recovered weapons," Vikas Chandra, inspector general, BSF Kashmir Frontier, told reporters here.

The frontier chief of the border guarding force said security at various installations of BSF has beefed up in the wake of the Nagrota terror attack. "Security arrangements have been made. We are alert 24x7 to deal with any incident during these difficult times," he said.

Chandra said the paramilitary force, along with the army, was "appropriately" responding to the ceasefire violations. "Ceasefire violations have been taking place and we have responded appropriately to them. There were 32 ceasefire violations in 2016 along the LoC on this side. We have lost some men and some others have been injured as well, but that is part of the life, part of duty," he said.

Responding to a question on whether the ceasefire violations were just that or a cover for infiltration, the BSF officer said, "We can say it is combined. They are infiltration bids as well and we have foiled many such incidents."

Asked whether the attack on the LoC by Pakistan and mutilation of bodies of soldiers was a BAT action, Chandra said, "Generally, BAT actions take place. It would have happened, that is why there has been such action."

He said 14 BSF battalions were deployed in the Valley. "Over 14,000 personnel are deployed in the Valley, both on the LoC and in the hinterland. We are working with the army guarding the LoC. In the last one year, nine BSF officers have sacrificed their lives and 18 others have been injured while guarding the LoC and also while working in the hinterland," he said.

On a question whether there was an increase in the militant attacks after India conducted surgical strikes, the BSF officer said, "I will not say it is an increase. It is a tactic they have been using earlier as well. On the LoC, we have to be careful and we are being careful. It is not that they have not been trying, they have been, but we have averted those on this side of the LoC."
Banks and customers may be staring at a nightmarish week ahead as demand for cash is expected to see a sudden spike with customers queuing up to withdraw their salaries to settle monthly bills.

The informal sector staff, especially domestic helps, newspaper vendors, milk seller and the like, are likely to be impacted the most as these segments of population are yet to go digital fully despite the government push.

Though the increase in demand is a usual occurrence at the beginning of every month, this time it is going to be different as this is the first salary withdrawal after the demonetisation-induced cash crunch started affecting the normal life of many in the country.

To be sure, the authorities are assuring everything is being taken care of. They insist that there is enough cash available with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and banks. But the ground situation belies such assurances. The truth is there is no cash with either the banks or at the ATMs.

What has aggravated the problem is the short supply of Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes. While banks are willing to give away Rs 2,000 notes and ATMs are loaded with these high denomination notes, customers are not willing to take these. The demand is for smaller denominations, which is in short supply.

A report in The Times of India cites a banking official as saying that the smaller denomination notes now available are not even adequate to meet even one percent of the demand.

And the demand for cash is indeed going to be high. The fact is despite the government's push towards a cashless economy, very few people in the informal sector have adapted to digital payments. For instance, payments to the maid in the beginning of the month has to be made in cash. Like maids, many others like the milkman, newspaper man, etc., have not come online yet. Rather, it cannot happen overnight no matter how much ever the government forces them to go cashless.

"I have to a lot of payments to be made in cash around 30 November. And in my personal experience at banks, they have not been able to meet my demand for cash," an economist at a domestic brokerage said.

Interestingly, there is not even data available on how much is the usual withdrawals during the beginning of the month.

"The only way to arrive at a ballpark figure is by looking at the salary bill of the government and drawing a monthly figure from that. Of this figure, around 70 percent is usually withdrawals as 30 percent is the savings rate. But that only gives us the figure for public sector employees," says Madan Sabnavis of Care Ratings.

What is adding to the confusion is the lack of regular updates either from the government or the Reserve Bank of India on the evolving situation. Because of this, even after 22 days of the demonetisation announcement, the general public remains clueless what exactly is the current situation.

Prime minister Narendra Modi and his supporters have been harping on many things - from ending terrorism to moving to a cashless economy. But, on the ground, the common man knows only one thing - that the cash crunch is biting. And in the next few days, expect the situation to only get worse.
For us, 33000 ATMs are currently dispensing cash. More will come up as day proceeds. You need to talk to RBI (Sic), said SBI chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya on Wednesday, when asked how long the cash-shortage will last in ATMs and how well the banking system is ready to face the week when salaries get credited to employee accounts and people rush to ATMs/ branches to draw money.

Presently, SBI has about 49,000 ATMs. If 33,000 ATMs are dispensing money, that means about 67 percent of the ATMs of the countrys largest lender (by assets) are dispensing money. Lets assume that rest of the banks too have managed to fill in cash in at least 50-60 percent of their teller machines. Things must have improved. But, then you cant fool your eyes. A good number of the 2 lakh ATMs in the banking system continue to remain cash-starved even after three weeks of demonetisation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and there are still stories of pain in daily lives.

Even after 21 days, there are still no visible signs of pain easing significantly, especially in rural areas if one goes by reports (read here, here, here and here)

The problem of Rs 500 notes

Both the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government have been assuring the public that there is enough cash in the banking system and there is no need to panic. Then why do we still see continuing cash shortage on the ground?

The reason is simple. There isnt enough lower denomination notes (Rs 500 and below) to go around. The government mints have been aggressively printing Rs 2,000 notes, whereas the printing of Rs 500 notes, which is more handy to the common man for daily transactions, is a scarce item. Bhattacharya too attributed to the continuing cash crunch to the shortage of Rs 500 notes.

The current availability is more of higher denomination notes. People want lower denomination notes, especially Rs 500. It takes time to change printing queues. Initially printing was concentrated on Rs 2,000 so as to provide bulk, Bhattacharya said.

How long more should it take before banking system gets enough Rs 500 notes? Talk to RBI, Bhattacharya replied. The RBI has not provided any details about the printing of Rs 500 notes. A detailed questionnaire sent to the spokesperson of the central bank on the details of cash shortage remained answered till the time of writing this copy.

According to a 17 November IANS report, based on capacities of the currency printing presses, the replenishment would take around six months, especially for the new Rs 500 notes. There are four currency presses -- one each in Nashik (Maharashtra), Dewas (Madhya Pradesh), Salboni (West Bengal) and Mysuru (Karnataka). The first two are owned by the central government through the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. According to information available in the Finance Ministry's latest annual report, the yearly currency printing capacity of these two presses is around 40 per cent of the total in the country.

The other two presses -- in Salboni and Mysuru -- are part of the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt. Ltd. (BRBNMPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These two, comprising 60 per cent of the total capacity, can print 16 billion notes in two shifts per year, according to information available on BRBNMPL's website. This means that total capacity in the country would be 26.66 billion notes in two shifts. If all three shifts run, as the government says is happening now, the four presses would be able to print 40 billion notes a year. Now, there were 15.78 billion notes of Rs 500 denomination in circulation and 6.84 billion notes of Rs 1,000, when PM Modi announced the currency ban. In short, it will take at least a few months to replenish the cash stock.

The 50-day promise

On 13 November, PM Modi had sought 50 days from the public to tide over the hardships post the demonetisation. But, can the PM keep his promise? At this stage, it looks doubtful. Most bankers, economists and financial sector experts said that the cash crunch could last at least until March (three more months beyond what the PM sought) for things to return to normal. A recent report in the Quint, says that the printing of the new Rs 500 note has come to a near-halt at the governments Nashik and Dewas mints.

The report, which quoted RBI sources, attributes a series of errors on the new Rs 500 notes and the low printing capacity of Nashik and Dewas presses as the reason that promoted the RBI and the government to call off printing of Rs 500 notes. Firstpost hasnt verified this information independently. But, if indeed this report is true, we are looking at even more delay for the Rs 500 notes coming in sufficient numbers to the rescue of common man. But one needs to wait and watch how the scenario unfolds.

"The situation is pretty bad. It shall take 5-6 six months before we reach normalcy," former RBI deputy governor KC Chakrabarty told Firstpost.

Indeed, the governments hurry to print the stock of Rs 500 notes and the lack of preparedness while doing so was evident when two versions of Rs 500 notes appeared in the public. There were printing errors on certain features like the shadow of Mahatma Gandhis picture, placement of the national emblem, colour shade and border size. This shows nothing but lack of preparedness by the central bank as far as Rs 500 notes are concerned.

Salary rush and hoarding

In the coming days, the scenario could turn even tougher for banks given that salaries will get credited to employee accounts and to draw this money, there could be long queues before ATMs and bank branches.

Evidently, there isnt enough lower denomination notes to go around, which means some of the state governments will find it tough to give salaries. One example is Kerala government, which has already written to the RBI citing the lack of availability of currency to give salaries. The state has sought about Rs 1,200 crore worth notes to give salaries and pensions from the RBI, according to reports in local newspapers.

What will likely add to the pain is the hoarding tendency of people till the time cash withdrawal limits stay. As of now, there is a weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 at branches and Rs 2,500 daily limits at ATMs. Even Jan Dhan account withdrawals have been capped at Rs 10,000 a month, as a temporary measure. All this would mean that the public who draw cash at ATMs and bank branches would be hesitant to spend it except for basic necessities. When the speed of the circulation of the money is slow, that will add to an artificial cash shortage. That is even the money printed out of mints wouldnt return to the system fast.

This, in other words means, banks will struggle to fill up their ATMs and permit higher withdrawals. Even now, most banks are seeking the KYC details of their own customers who come to the counter to withdraw money, to ensure the person is the account holder and the need is genuine. But, beyond a point, banker at the counter cannot keep doing this. Until the government presses churn out sufficient number of cash units into the system, the RBI would not be in a position to remove withdrawal restrictions for public. More withdrawal restrictions, such the current one on Jan Dhan accounts, signal danger to the common man and tell him the problem persists and he needs to be cautious with the cash in hand.

For now, the most optimistic assessments show the cash situation to turn normal only by March at the earliest, that is if the four government printing presses work in full capacity in three shifts. Until the time Rs 500 notes are available in plenty, there is an issue. The Rs 2,000 notes repel the average user as there is no change out there. One should hope that the RBI and the government prove these predictions wrong.

(IANS contributed to this story)
New Delhi: The toll collection on National Highways, which was halted in the wake of withdrawal of high-value notes, will resume from the midnight of 2 December.

"The toll collection on National Highways will resume from 2 December midnight," a Road Ministry official said. To ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce currency hardships, the government announced on 24 November that it has further extended the date for toll exemption on National Highways till midnight of 2 December.

The government had also earlier said the scrapped Rs 500 notes would be accepted at toll plazas on National Highways from 2 December midnight to 15 December.

As per the plan, sufficient swipe machines will be installed at toll booths with help from SBI and other banks in order to facilitate payments and easy flow of traffic.

The government had earlier announced its decision to keep the toll collection in abeyance till 11 November midnight, which was later extended to 14, 18, 24 November and later to 2 December.

The decision was taken to ensure smooth traffic flow across all National Highways and provide relief to the cash-strapped people lining up outside banks and ATMs after Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were scrapped.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ban on such notes to tackle corruption and black money, the government had on 9 November said no toll fee would be collected on NHs till 11 November midnight.

The government's earlier decision to accept the withdrawn notes at the toll plazas led to chaos in the absence of adequate change, causing massive traffic snarls.
The arrest of five persons from Tamil Nadu by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the blasts at five lower courts in south India strengthens the fears of Kerala police about the reincarnation of the proscribed Al-Umma as a new terror outfit.

Senior officials believe that the outfit called Base Movement is a regrouping of Al-Umma, which was banned following the Coimbatore blasts in 1998, and a section of the Al-qaeda. It came up with bases in Tamil Nadu and Kerala after Al-qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri launched Al-qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) in August 2014.

A senior officer involved in the probe into the blast at Malappuram collectorate said that Al-Umma may have transformed into Base Movement after it came under police scanner in connection with various blasts including the one outside BJP's office at Malleswaram in Bangalore.

The officer, who chose to remain anonymous, told Firstpost that the outlawed outfit may have assumed the new name in order to divert the attention of the security agencies. While Al-Umma mostly targetted Hindu shrines and leaders, the focus of the Base Movement so far has been courts.

The new outfit registered its presence by planting a bomb on the premises of a court complex at Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh on 7 April. The Chittoor blast was followed by a second blast at the collectorate-cum-district courts complex at Kollam in Kerala in June.

The Principal District Judge Court complex at Mysuru in Karantaka was the third target, when a pressure cooker bomb went off there on 1 August. This was followed by a fourth low-intensity blast on the premises of Nellore district court in Andhra Pradesh on September 12 and the fifth near the first class magistrate court at Malappuram in Kerala.

Reports said that the outfit had planned more such attacks in Maharashtra, Telengana and Kerala besides targeting nearly two dozen VIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NIA got the details of the plan from the interrogation of the five persons arrested from Madurai and Chennai on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

Although all the Base Movement operatives detained by the NIA are from Tamil Nadu, the state did not figure in their target. Police officials believe that this may be to avoid any suspicion and ensure their smooth operation from Tamil Nadu.

The Al-Umma was banned following its involvement in the Coimbatore blasts. The judicial probe into the blast revealed that the outfit that came into existence in the wake of the Babri Mosque demolition in 1992 hatched the explosion in a bid to eliminate senior BJP leader L K Advani.

The probe found that blasts in which 58 people were killed was hatched by Al-Umma with the help of Kerala-based Peoples Democratic Party headed by Abdul Nasser Madhani to avenge the demolition of the Babri mosque.

Police officials believe that the Base Movement may have been trying to build itself by scaling up its targets gradually. Their initial operations were not intended to kill anybody. The IEDs used for the low intensity blasts in the five places did not have any shrapnel attached to it. The devices were planted at places where minimum casualties could occur.

Sunil Babu K, Kanhangad deputy superintendent of police and the investigating officer of the case, said the initial objective of outfit was only to spread fear. They also may have sought to send a message by selecting lower courts as their targets. The officer said that the outfit was concerned over the continued detention of Madhani in a jail in Bangalore and the killing of five Muslim youths in a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh in April 2015.

In a pen-drive left at the Chittur blast site, the activists of the Base Movement had referred to the killing of the youths, who included erstwhile Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) leader Viqaruddin Ahmed. They were killed while being taken to a court.

Soon After the blast at Chittur, the group had also sent a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes there claiming that they had carried out the explosion as an act of retaliation for the killing of the youths.

The Base Movement had begun its activities after informing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. A letter sent by post to his secretary in January 2015 informed him that they were beginning their activities that year. The letter contained a map of India and a picture of slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The second letter was sent to French consulate in Bengaluru in January 2016 marking their protest against the visit of their President Francois Hollande. It also contained the map of India and Osama bin Ladens picture. The group had left these signs behind the two explosions at Kollam and Malappuram in Kerala as well. However, the NIA has not got any clue regarding involvement of people from the state in the blasts.

Malappuram district superintendent of police Debesh Kumar Behera does not rule the involvement of local people behind the blast at the collectorate. He said that a team of police officials from the district would question the five persons arrested by the NIA to find out their local links.

The NIA and police officials from different states are involved in the investigation. We will have to wait till the arrested persons are remanded to the police custody for interrogating them. We hope to get a chance by the end of this week, the SP told the Firstpost. He said that the police did not know much about the Base Movement. He said that he also could not confirm whether members of the erstwhile Al-Umma were behind the new group until they investigated the matter thoroughly.

Highly placed sources said NIA would take over the investigation as there are striking similarities between all the recent blasts. The special investigation team formed by the Kerala police to investigate the blast had suspected some persons with links with Al-Umma behind the blast.

They include K P Noohu alias Mankave Rasheed, who has been absconding since the Coimbatore blast and Ooma Babu and S Kunjimuhammad, two of the accused in the blast case. All the three hail from north Kerala.

The sources believe that Abubacker Siddique alias Kakkam, who is declared as one of the 12 most wanted extremists, could have brought the different terror modules under the single banner of the Base Movement. A post graduate in English literature, he carries a reward of Rs.2 lakhs on his head.

Siddique, who hails from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, has seven cases pending against him, including the blast at Hindu Munnani office in Chennai in 1995, parcel bomb case in Nagapattinam in 1995, Trichy cantonment bomb case in 1999 and Chittoor bomb blast case in 2016.

A team of police officials from Malappuram had visited his house at Nagapttinam following the blast at the collectorate. Siddique who had received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan is suspected to be behind the letters that the Base Movement sent to various people.

Thrissur Range Inspector General of Police S Ajith Kumar, who is monitoring the investigation, said that only NIA would be able to say more about the links of various people with the terrorist outfit involved in the blasts. He said that the state police was rendering all required assistance to the agency in the investigation.
After five years and a series of legal battles and agitations, around 250 women entered the famous Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai on Tuesday afternoon and solemnly offered prayers, an activist said.

The group comprised women from all over India, including office-bearers of NGO Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) and their supporters.

They arrived at the shrine located on the rocks in the Arabian Sea off Worli, were warmly welcomed by a couple of trustees of Haji Ali Dargah Trust and officials and guided them to mazaar (grave) of revered Muslim saint, Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.

According to a Hindustan Times report, a Qawwali group sat in the shrines courtyard, singing Piya Haji Ali in praise of the saint.

"They came in a very dignified manner, adhering to the rules of the Trust, silently offered prayers, flowers and chadars at the shrine," trustee Suhail Khandwani told IANS.

Many women who made their maiden visit went around the tiny rocky islet, the small mosque and clicked selfies galore.

BMMA co-founder Noorjehan S Niaz said all the women activists came away pleased with the unique experience at the dargah on Tuesday.

"The trustees and officials were extremely courteous and helpful. Very thoughtfully, they offered us tea and refreshments and showed us around the place," Niaz said after returning from the dargah.

"In fact, women's entry had been allowed from 7 November onwards, but from today it has become official. It will be routine now," she said.

"As I entered the iconic Haji Ali dargah's sanctum on Tuesday afternoon, I felt overwhelmed. ... I saw some women weeping," Zakia Soman, co-founder of BMMA, said sharing her experience with The Times of India.

Till June 2012, women were allowed entry up to the mazaar but suddenly it was stopped.

In 2014, the BMMA and others challenged the move of the Haji Ali Dargah Trust in the Bombay High Court.

On 26 August, Justice VM Kanade and Justice Revathi Mohite-Dhere had ruled in favour of the petitioners and directed the trust to allow equal access to women, which the trust challenged in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on 24 October delivered its verdict on grounds of equal access to men and women, even as the trust expressed readiness to allow women into the mazaar.

"It was a fight for equality, ending gender bias and our Constitutional rights. We are happy that it has resulted in women and men getting equal unrestricted access right till the sanctum sanctorum," said Niaz.

Khandwani said that as before (2012) there would be a separate entry for men and women, but henceforth nobody would be allowed to touch the peer's tomb.

Under the new arrangements, all devotees would wait and pray nearly two metres away from the tomb with rights of equal access to all.

The Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of Bukhari, a wealthy Muslim merchant from Bukhara (in Uzbekistan now).

At one time, he renounced all his worldly possessions, travelled all around the world, made a pilgrimage to Makkah and finally settled in what would become Bombay.

The legend

According to local legends, once he saw a poor woman crying over oil spilt from her vessel, afraid that her husband would thrash her.

He took the woman to the spot where the oil had spilt and jabbed his finger in the earth and oil gushed out. The happy woman filled up her vessel and went home.

Later, the saint had tormenting dreams of how he had injured the earth by his action. He fell ill and instructed his followers to throw his coffin into the Arabian Sea in the event of his death.

He died during his pilgrimage to Makkah and the casket carrying his body miraculously was swept back to the shore of Worli and got stuck in the rocks there.

His dargah was constructed at the same spot and on Thursdays and Fridays, it is visited by a large number of pilgrims of all religions from India and abroad to seek his blessings.

With inputs from IANS
New Delhi: The BSF on Wednesday said the exact area from where terrorists who attacked the Pathankot IAF base infiltrated is still a matter of "conjecture" and that there was no direct evidence of a breach in the security system along the Indo-Pak border.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had on Tuesday said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that "four Pakistan-based terrorists entered Punjab via Janial road, Dhusi turn, near Ravi river bridge, Gulpur Simli village-Akalgarh and attacked airforce station in Pathankot."

Border Security Force chief KK Sharma said there are many "variables" on the border, marked by riverine gaps and other unguarded patches and Pathankot could be one of those. "That is still a matter of conjecture. It is suspected they came from this area (as mentioned in the Minister's reply)... But there is no direct evidence of a breach (of the border fence)," he said.

The DG added that due to riverine areas and other gaps in the undulating terrain on the border, it is "not possible to erect a fence" everywhere.

Putting an end to speculation about the number of terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, Ahir's statement made it clear that only four militants had entered the airforce station to carry out the strike.

The answer was seen as contrary to a statement made by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 4 March. He had said that charred remains, apart from four bodies of terrorists, were found at the debris after security forces searched the Pathankot airforce station when the operation ended.

Talking about the Indo-Bangla border, the DG said non-lethal weapons given to BSF troops will "stay" as both the sides are determined to reduce the number of deaths on the frontier.

He said the incidents of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes along the border, especially in the notorious Malda area, has "drastically" gone down post demonetisation.

Asked if hostilities could increase in the wake of new Pakistan Army chief taking over, he said it was a "million dollar question" to him too.

Sharma added that the 2.5-lakh personnel strong force is running a special financial literacy programme for its troops so that they can save and invest better for their future.
By Prabhpreet Singh Sood and Prince Singhal, IndiaSpend.com

Bengaluru: States with higher literacy levels report more protests, and nearly half of these protests were led by political parties, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of police data over six years.

The sharpest rise in unrest came from student-led agitations (148 percent) between 2009 and 2014, the period covered by the analysis, show the data, gleaned from the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD), a national police agency.

Karnataka reported the most student protests (12 percent), despite a statewide ban on student unions in colleges. A high literacy rate and a concentration of educational institutions in the state could be the reason, said Venkatesh Nayak, coordinator, Access to Justice Programme with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an advocacy.

Up to 75.6 percent of Karnataka is literate (national average: 74 percent) and the states capital, Bengaluru, has more colleges (911) than any Indian city.

Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra together account for more than 50 percent of all protests recorded by the police between 2009 and 2014. Except Madhya Pradesh, all other states have literacy rates higher than national average.

Protests rise across India over five years, 200 every day

Between 2009 and 2014, 420,000 protests were held across India  an average of 200 protests every day nationwide (Table 1), and a 55 percent rise over five years.

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The increase was mainly driven by Tamil Nadu and Punjab which, between them, registered nearly half the increase in protests nationwide.

Unrest grew across the country for varied reasons  communal (92 percent), government employee grievances (71 percent). political (42 percent) and labour (38 percent), our analysis shows.

Tamil Nadu leads the unrest on the streets

With almost 25 percent of the total number of protests, Tamil Nadu reported more agitations than any other state in the country. This is almost three times the number witnessed by the state that came second on the list, Punjab.

Agitations are the collective expression of dissatisfaction with government authorities, and social, political and economic establishments. They could relate to an array of issuesfrom education, essential services and transport facilities to wages, dalit issues and rights of women.

A protest gets recorded by the police either when prior permission is sought for holding it or when officials take suo-moto cognisance, based on information they gather.

Tamil Nadu has a history of high-profile agitations: From anti-Hindi agitations in the pre-Independence era to public expression of solidarity with the Tamils in Sri Lanka and marches against the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

MG Devasahayam, a former bureaucrat who was also actively involved in the Kudankulam protest, was of the view that this could be because governance in Tamil Nadu is not democratic enough.

But there are also small parties that simply need to show their presence. So, on the Cauvery issue, there were hundreds of agitations, said Devasahayam. Everyone wants their name to appear in the media.

Delhi, the countrys capital, was seventh in terms of number of protestsit reported nearly 23,000 in the period under study (Table 1). The city has designated demonstration sites, the best-known being Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan and India Gate. Protests are a daily affair at these venues. These range from retired soldiers demand for one rank, one pension to protests that followed the Nirbhaya rape case in December 2012 and Anna Hazares anti-corruption movement.

The less empowered are less likely to agitate

Underdeveloped states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar  with 25 percent of Indias population collectivelyaccounted for less than 1 percent of agitations during 2009-14. These states are numbers one and three respectively on Indias population chart and have literacy rates much below the national average (Bihar has the lowest).

Similarly, undivided Andhra Pradesh, fifth in terms of all-India population ranking but with a literacy rate of only 67 percent, recorded only about 1.55 percent of all the agitations that took place in the country in the period.

The outliers and why they seem quiet

Kerala, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and the northeastern states defy the link between protests and literacy. But that could be explained on the basis of their small populations.

In Kerala, the high court imposed a ban on bandhs  as protests are called colloquially  in 1997, which could also be one reason why protest numbers remain relatively low.

The northeastern states are generally considered to be politically volatile. But it is likely that in at least one state, Manipur, the absence of public protests can be attributed to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which enforces curfew-like situation in the state, said Nayak.

Assam reported the most protests in the northeast: 17,357. The Bodoland issue  a long-simmering movement for a separate state for an ethnic tribe called the Bodos  the question of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and the diverse agendas of the many ethnic communities could be reasons.

Politics parties drive most stirs

Political parties and their affiliates are behind 32 percent of the protests recorded in the country. And if you add their student bodies and labour unions, the percentage goes up to 50 percent.

Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu together accounted for more than 60 percent of the political agitations held across India in six years. This is despite the fact these states had governments that had completed their five-year tenures during the period.

In Maharashtra, the number of demonstrations staged by political parties was large but their scale and intensity were not as high, said former state police chief Rahul Gopal. Political protests are often triggered by the need to be noticed by the electorate, he added.

Crowd control and how it varies across states

While 48 percent of 3,929 protests in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) were quelled by force, less than 0.1 percent of 109,548 demonstrations in Tamil Nadu  the state with the largest number of agitations  were similarly tackled.

Up to 45 percent of protests that attracted police force were in J&K alone. The agitations in the wake of the killing of Burhan Wani in July, 2016, were dealt with using pellet guns, a move criticised for mass blindings and other injuries it caused. (Table 3)

Over the last six years, the government has used police force to check less than 1 percent (3,972), according to the BPRD data.

Most instances of police force were reported from J&K, West Bengal, Manipur and Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have also seen a flurry of demonstrations against major developmental projects that caused displacement of native populations, said Nayak. (Table 2 & 3)

Force of any kind, especially firing, is resorted to only when there is a chance that the protest might turn into a riot, said Gopal.

Bullets are the last resort, he said. Batons or just the presence of a high number of police personnel is enough to make sure that protests do not get out of control in most cases.

The Supreme Court had observed in August, 2016, that while maintaining law and order is necessary, care has to be taken not to use force beyond what is absolutely essential. The apex court had issued the warning while hearing a petition alleging police brutality at a demonstration in support of Jammu migrants in 2007.

Dissent comes at a price

Agitations do lead to lossesboth in terms of human casualties and damage to the economy and businesses.

The Bharat Bandh held two months ago, to focus attention on labour reforms, cost taxpayers about Rs 18,000 crore, said news reports. Ten days later, riots erupted in Karnataka over the Cauvery river row and resulted in a loss of Rs 22,000-25,000 crore, according to trade body ASSOCHAM.

Earlier in the year, violent agitations by Jats in Haryana cost northern states about Rs 34,000 crore, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.

Karnataka, which stands sixth in the list of states with most agitations since 2009, made headlines globally when curfew had to be imposed for a few days owing to rioting over Cauvery water. Bengaluru, which hosts offices of tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Infosys, came to a standstill.

CNN, BBC and Wall Street Journal reported the water war to their audience and media houses back home ran stories with headlines that said the episode had sullied the IT hubs image.

Indiaspend.com is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit
Prominent human right activist and coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir coalition for civil society, Khurram Parvez, walked out of jail on Tuesday morning, after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed his arrest, made under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA).

Parvez, who was accused of being a "threat to peace in the Kashmir Valley", was arrested in September. The state government had faced criticism, both locally and internationally, for booking the activist under PSA.

Often called "lawless laws", the PSA was introduced by popular Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdullah in 1978, to keep timber smuggling in check. However, its use has been often been criticised by people across the political spectrum; rights activists have called for its abrogation. But despite criticism, the J&K government not only continues to use it, but it also just set a new record during the ongoing agitation, booking more than 500 persons, including minors, under the Act.

Successive governments in the state have used the law to crush dissent and political opponents. Khurram, too, was arrested under the same Act, which allows police to detain any person without charge or trail, and hold him/her up to six months or even two years.

Finally, after 76 days of incarceration, Khurram's name was finally cleared by the court on Friday. However, due to a clerical error  the date of issue of the PSA warrant  jail authorities refused to release him. He was only set free on Tuesday, and is currently in Jammu, and is likely to reach Srinagar on Friday, said Khurram's colleague, Pervaiz Imroz. "The judgment is the vindication of the fact that his (Khurram's) detention was illegal and unlawful," Imroz, himself a well-known human right lawyer, told Firstpost.

Despite release orders from the court, however, jail authorities had refused to release the activist; instead, he was taken by the counter-intelligence wing of the Kashmir police, who interrogated him at Meeran Sahib, Jammu.

The state government under chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has come under harsh criticism from the court, which termed Parvez's arrest "illegal" and an "abuse of power", and ordered the government to release him from prison immediately. Upon release, Khurram reportedly expressed gratitude to the local and international solidarity campaigning for his release.

Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar, J&K High Court judge, while referring to the PSA during is pronouncement of the detention order, had said, "A society which catapulted itself to the highest position of democratic values and principles, may not accept the law like the Act of 1978."

He added that Parvez's detention order is not only illegal but the detaining authority has also abused its powers in ordering it. "The detaining authority has stated that activities of the detainee were highly prejudicial to the security of the Valley and maintenance of public order. However, they have not elucidated as to which activities were prejudicial to the security of the territory and which were against maintenance of public order," the order said.

The court held that nothing was brought to its notice, either on grounds of detention or in the reply affidavit that in the investigation of the FIRs involvement of detainee surfaced as accused. "In absence of any such material having been brought to the notice of the court, at this stage, it has to be presumed that the detainee is not involved in any of these FIRs," the court said.

It also raised serious questions about the police case against Parvez that led to his arrest initially, saying that police witnesses made "parrot-like statements" and failed to provide the content of the slogans the police had accused Pervez of raising and instigating people.

Before his arrest, Khurram was barred from travelling to Geneva to participate in a UN Human Rights Council session. As many as 52 activists, scholars, writers and lawyers had written an open letter demanding his immediate release.

Parvez, programme coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, he had often accused the government of gross human rights violation and failing the people of the Kashmir Valley. At the time of his arrest, he wasn't given any reason, and was only slapped with a charge under PSA later.

Srinagar SSP described him as an "anti-social element known for his anti-national activities" and said he'd has "achieved a prominent position in separatist camps under the hidden cover of being a human rights activist".

But the reasons for his detention, Kashmir observers say, was not connected with the ongoing unrest at all, but rather to a case of alleged molestation of a teenaged girl by an Army soldier in north Kashmir's Handwara town earlier this year. Khurram has campaigned against the state government for its inability to protect the identity of the teenaged victim, and harassing her instead. His campaigning had caused a huge public outcry in the state.
The suicide attacks at Nagrota and at Samba on Tuesday morning highlighted the urgency of reorienting war tactics radically.

The key first response to such attacks is what the army calls a QRT (quick response team). Within minutes (zero minutes, ideally) after such a surprise attack gets going, the nearest QRT is meant to spring into action and take on the attackers in combat. Thats how it has worked in several of the attacks over recent months.

A QRT responded on Tuesday morning, just as another one had at the Uri brigade headquarters on 18 September, and during the attack on an army convoy on the highway at Baramulla on 17 August.

The way warfare is developing, war planners must examine how QRTs can become more central to the armys range of tactical options.

The reason for this proposition is that suicide attacks and other forms of surprise attacks have emerged as the chief method of offence over the past quarter of a century, and seem likely to remain so in the foreseeable future. As in the past, shelling at the Line of Control and the border continues to be another major tactic in what passes for peace time. We ought, however, to come to terms with the fact that this is not peace. Undeclared war by other means (call it proxy war if you like) has become more or less the norm. It was in play in  or over  Kashmir from 1989 to 2005 and has returned with intensity over the past couple of years.

To be sure, it has been intertwined with an indigenous freedom struggle each time, but the Pakistani Army has taken on the Indian Army and the Indian State in tandem with that indigenous struggle. One might even say it has done so under the cover of the indigenous struggle  a point that a group of Kashmiri journalists made volubly to Pakistans High Commissioner to India not long ago.

It is the need to refine army tactics for that proxy war, rather than for the indigenous struggle, that the long series of recent attacks have brought into focus.

Most modern armies have evolved from the armies of Europe and West Asia, which were conceptualised around infantry and cavalry. Horse cavalry gave way to tanks exactly a century ago.

The nature of war underwent another sea-change after the Second World War. Nuclear weapons brought deterrence into play. However, armies have remained organised in the same ways, based on the same concepts about how wars are fought.

That changed radically in the battlefields of Afghanistan during the 1980s. Rag-tag forces with non-standard equipment but extraordinary mobility took on a superpower army, and forced it to withdraw.

No doubt the orientations of surrounding populations played a key role  vast support for those rag-tag groups, and antagonism towards the superpower.

Then came another phase of war  symbolised by the aeroplane attacks on New Yorks World Trade Centre on 11 September, 2001. Surprise of every sort was the hallmark of this phase of neo-warfare. Surprise attacks can take various forms. And there has been no dearth of surprise tactics in Kashmir  from the emergence of suicide strikes to the coordination of public demonstrations and militant attacks.

The army has responded in many ways. It spawned the Rashtriya Rifles for internal security operations, for example. However, in many ways, RR has become little more than a variation of army units. The idea of the QRT needs to evolve now. Small, highly alert, extremely mobile, units should, ideally, be able to take on militant groups even before the latter get to their targets. Small units, tiny in terms of the strengths to which armies have got accustomed, should be able to operate relatively independently  the way contemporary attackers do.

Like them, these units would need to be trained for commando operations and survival so that they could operate without the sort of logistical and other sorts of vast support systems that armies are used to.

Of course, such units would need to be backed by far more sophisticated intelligence inputs than now seem to be available.

Given the inertia that sets into any established way of functioning, it will be very difficult to conceptualise  leave alone operationalise  refined tactics of the sort that the situation requires.

It is time the various flatulent security think-tanks put what minds they have to work on this challenge.

So far, they have done precious little to help the nation face these cutting-edge challenges.
The dastardly terror-attack on the Nagrota army camp in Jammu and Kashmir took place on the same day that Pakistan got a new Chief of Army Staff in General Qamar Javed Bajwa. No wonder then that India's former home secretary and now member of Parliament RK Singh said: We need to take note of the fact that this is the (Pakistan) new army chief sending a message. His policy will be the same as followed by the predecessor.

Whether Tuesday morning's attack was Bajwas opening stroke or the parting shot of his predecessor in General Raheel Sharif is not exactly clear. As the attack, masterminded by the Pakistani Army and implemented by its 'non-state' agents, took place when Sharif was still in charge  he handed over the command to Bajwa on Tuesday afternoon.

Worse still, in his farewell speech, Sharif had virtually threatened India: I want to warn India that considering Pakistan's policy of patience and restraint as its weakness will be dangerous for India." In contrast, in his interactions with the press soon after assuming office, Bajwa said: Everything will be all right on the Line of Control (LoC) soon.

What did the new army chief mean when he said all right? This question assumes significance in context of the prevailing situation at the LoC, that is marked by high tensions between India and Pakistan, manifested in repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, terrorists attacks in Uri and now Nagrota, unrest in Kashmir and Indias surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Does this mean that peace will be restored? Or does it point to an escalation of the war-like situation that Sharif believes will be such that India would not be able to forget it for generations to come and will be teaching its children about Pakistans surgical strike.

It may be noted here that Sharif was quite hawkish towards India, the common perception being that his hostility stemmed from the 1971 war that Pakistan lost, in which two of his family members had died. On the other hand, Bajwa has a reputation of being a pragmatist. Though he has a rich experience of serving as Commander FCNA (Force Command Northern Areas) of Gilgit-Baltistan and as General Officer Commanding of 10 Corps (the Rawalpindi-based Pakistani Corps responsible for operations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir), his tenure was a period of relative quiet following the 2003 ceasefire accord between India and Pakistan.

As it is, Bajwa was the proverbial dark horse for the post of army chief. And if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chose him for the most powerful office in Pakistan, superseding two officers in the process, it was mainly because he prefers to keep a low profile and is not known for his hawkish views on what Pakistans politics and foreign policy should be.

The choice of Bajwa, therefore, is based on political considerations; though one cannot doubt his professionalism and experience. Nawaz expects his new army chief to be less-interfering in areas that any elected prime minister would consider as his exclusive domain. He does not want any interference while determining and implementing the core policies for governing Pakistan and promoting its cause and image in rest of the world. In other words, Nawaz hopes that Bajwa will go along with him in restoring the delicate civil-military relationship in Pakistan.

It may be noted here that it was Nawaz who, as prime minister back in 1999, had chosen General Pervez Musharraf as the army chief. And it so happened that it was Musharraf who eventually toppled Nawaz in a military coup. It was Nawaz again in 2013 who chose General Sharif (no relative of his) as the army chief.

It is true that Sharif did not turn out to be a 'Musharraf' and peacefully handed over the command, but the fact remains that a hyperactive Sharif did gravely undermine the prime ministers position. He literally took over the responsibility of internal law and order by establishing numerous military courts to deal with those indulging in acts of terror; brought television and other forums of media under control; and dealt directly with policies concerning India and Afghanistan. In effect, Pakistan was ruled by Sharif from Rawalpindi, and not by Nawaz from Islamabad.

It is also worth-noting that Sharif was a 'popular' army chief, in the sense that Pakistani people at large supported his policies in fighting terrorism emanating from the so-called Pakistani Taliban. Unlike politicians like Nawaz and Imran Khan, who talked of good Taliban, bad Taliban and favoured negotiations with the religious extremists and coexistence with their hatred against non-Sunnis, Sharif decided to take them on.

After all, Pakistan has also been a victim of religious fanaticism, having lost as many as 50,000 people since 2001, including 16,000 military personnel, at the hands of Pakistani extremists. Sharif wanted Pakistan to come out of this partially self-created bloodbath of terrorism.

In a way, Sharif was pursuing, though more vigorously, the thesis of his predecessor General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani that, the war against extremism and terrorism is not only the armys war, but that of the whole nation. We as a nation must stand united against this threat. The armys success is dependent on the will and support of the people.

In fact, it was under Kayani that the Pakistani Army had come out with a new doctrine that, for the first time, talked of Pakistan facing a multifaceted threat and not just the threat "from India. Sharif took this doctrine further by forcing the civilian rulers to agree upon a National Action Plan to defeat terrorism, under which 20,000 registered and 40,000 unregistered madrasas, or religious schools (where three million children are enrolled), were regulated to impart education on 'moderate Islam.

In his fight against fundamentalist extremists in Pakistans frontier areas (North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions bordering Afghanistan), Sharif also started curtailing the activities of extremist groups (including the Al Qaeda) coming from Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, Russia, Chechnya, and many Arab states. These groups, according to experts, have turned between one-quarter to one-third of Pakistan into no-go areas.

The only dichotomy in Sharifs approach was that he did not pursue this with regard to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other Punjab-based Sunni extremist groups because they were targeting India, including Kashmir.

In fact, he allowed the ISI to train and finance them and used these terrorists groups as a potent weapons against India. Here, he differed with Nawaz who wanted to respond constructively to the peace gestures coming from the Narendra Modi government. But 'hate India' is such a unifying slogan in Pakistan that Sharif vetoing Nawazs India-policy did not dent the formers popularity.

The other reason for Sharifs growing popularity was the increasing incompetence and corruption of the elected government, whose politicians depended on patronage, bribes, and a backward feudal culture for their survival. Of course, this trend did not start with Nawaz, but he is now its signing symbol, particularly after the release of the so-called Panama papers that established money-laundering by his family in foreign banks.

In fact, the situation is such that with each passing year, Pakistani people are becoming more comfortable with the Pakistani Army running even the countrys economy. The army now runs the banks, industries, vast housing projects, and the largest transport and construction company in the country. The armys economic muscle is already so strong that it does not allow Parliament to make a full disclosure of its annual military budget.

As Ayesha Siddiqa wrote in her book, Military Inc: Inside Pakistans Military Economy: "Milbus (military capital used for the personal benefit of military fraternity) operates in three areas: Agriculture, manufacturing and services and at three levels: Through direct involvement of the military, obtaining unfair economic advantage for its subsidiaries and obtaining direct favours for individual members of the military fraternity."

Despite constraints to evaluation posed by the lack of transparency, which the author laments, she puts through her main argument that the commercial ventures of the militarys subsidiaries use the influence of the military to obtain business contracts and inputs, financial as well industrial, at subsidised rates. This puts these ventures ahead of their competitors in the private sector. Obviously, this profitable connection with the economy is the reason why the Pakistani Army is unwilling to yield to civilian power.

All told, Pakistan has already become an army with a country rather than a country with an army. It is well established that there are three lakshman rekhas (limiting lines) that the army has drawn for the civilian prime ministers and presidents: One, they would not interfere in any manner in the organisational and administrative work of the armed forces. Two, they would abide by the advice of the army chief on matters of foreign and defence policies. Three, they would not interfere with the army-controlled nuclear weaponisation and missile programmes.

Will Bajwa forgo this legacy and make himself a pliant army chief of the prime minister? It is highly unlikely. There is a remote possibility of any significant shift in the existing civil-military imbalance in Pakistan. And this means that there will be no radical change in the heightened tensions with India. RK Singh is right in saying that Bajwas policy will be the same as followed by his predecessor.
The Nagrota attack has expectedly given rise to questions on the efficacy of India's surgical strikes. The Indian Army, which took another major hit with two of its officers and five soldiers falling to fidayeen bullets, is yet to complete its combing operation, but critics and some political parties have already started suggesting that the operation carried out by India's elite commandos across the LoC was much hype and little substance.

The death of 26 Indian soldiers since 29 September is a clear indication, goes the argument, that instead of restraining Pakistan, the strikes seem to have emboldened our neighbour to carry out more terrorist attacks. The contention is that the surgical strikes were more a political confabulation for the Narendra Modi government rather than an effective anti-terror tool.

There is a lot of room for criticism in Modi's blow hot-blow cold Pakistan policy. Like many of his predecessors, the incumbent prime minister was also driven by an initial urge to author a new chapter in India-Pakistan history. Subsequent developments have perhaps taught him that one cannot rationalise a relationship with a revisionist nation  one that continues to be driven by Ghazwa-e-Hind dreams.

Be that as it may, the haste to label surgical strikes a failure for another terrorist attack on an army base is more than a little problematic. Such an argument is guilty of oversimplification. It is more an exercise of our confirmation bias and strikes at our ideological fault lines than focus energies on a hard-nosed, rational analysis.

Aversion or affinity towards current political dispensation must not cloud our judgement on the efficacy of the strikes, which were carried out by a professional army unit and was the culmination of an extraordinary synchronisation of efforts. It was also a welcome departure from India's reflexive stoicism towards Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks. The rush to call it "ineffective" stems from a lack of understanding of the operation's objectives.

As this columnist has argued in the past, the surgical strikes were not meant to prevent Pakistan from abandoning its decades-old terror policy. Nobody in their right minds would assume that one covert operation is enough to persuade Pakistan to dismantle its terror infrastructure and reverse its policy of using terrorism as a foreign policy tool  one that has brought it rich dividends.

The Pakistani Army would be a fool to let go of terrorism  its one strategic lever against a much more powerful and prosperous neighbour. What, then, was the point of those surgical strikes? There was never a doubt that the covert op, which was subsequently publicised, was an effort by India to raise the bar for retaliatory attacks while staying below Pakistan's nuclear threshold. For a country that drops the nuclear threat at every possible opportunity, the cross-LoC attacks exposed Pakistan's nuclear bluff.

It proved to the rest of the world, and also to some in India, that Islamabad's frequent nuclear threats were meant more as a strategic deterrence against India's response to terror attacks. Surgical strikes annihilated that deterrence.

But while deriding surgical strikes is pointless, it is important to highlight the grave and repeated security lapses that have contributed towards yet another attack on an Army base. Alarmingly, since 29 September, there have been at least a dozen attacks as terrorist infiltrated the border and launched attacks in different areas of Jammu and Kashmir including Nagrota, Baramulla, Bandipore, Sopore, Shopian and Pampore, among others. Altogether, 26 Indian soldiers including BSF personnel, and army jawans and officers have been killed.

While at one level, it reflects Pakistan's outgoing chief of army staff General Raheel Sharif's desperate attempts to save face after getting bruised in the surgical strikes, at another level it also points to crucial lacunae in India's security apparatus. Apprehending suicide attackers is tougher since their motivation levels are high but the repeated breaches of heavily-guarded army bases send a worrying signal about our preparedness or lack of it.

As disturbing details emerge of the fidayeen strike on Nagrota where a hostage-like situation involving civilians have luckily been averted, questions must be raised on an apparent lack of standard operating procedure when it comes to blocking or preventing such attacks. Heads must roll if it is found that our security intelligence network isn't up to scratch or fatigue and complacency played its part.

The 16 Corps headquarters in Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu is 55 kilometres away from the border. It must be asked how heavily armed terrorists  albeit dressed in police attire  managed to remain undetected before launching the attack.

A report in The Huffington Post claims that the terrorists had infiltrated the border at least a week ago and had done a thorough recce of the camp before launching their mission. Quoting a Ministry of Defence official, the report states that the police uniforms that the terrorists were wearing were stitched in India and couldn't have been "done in a day, indicating that the terrorists were already in India for some time". They had also purchased medicines from local pharmacy, added the report.

This, if true, raises several more uncomfortable questions on our intelligence and monitoring system and whether our military bases and security installations are "soft targets".

A Times of India report points out, quoting defence sources, that there was "very little follow-up action" to the comprehensive recommendations of the tri-service committee, led by former army chief Lieutenant-General Philip Campose (retd), which was constituted after the 2 January terror strike on the Pathankot airbase.

These are damning indications. Discussions must be centred around these loopholes instead of meaningless, politicised debates of one-upmanship over surgical strikes.
It was said about the French leader Valery Giscard d'Estaing that the idea of a European Union thrilled him but the details bored him. I have often suspected that this attitude is to be found in many of the things that are taken up by this government.

Over two weeks have gone by since Narendra Modi's grand strike against black money and it is fair to say that two things need to be acknowledged. First, that the wide popular support for Modi is holding despite the inconvenience. Second, that the evidence of an economic problem caused by the shortage of cash is piling up through reports.

The reports are similar, whether from Surat or Ludhiana or Moradabad, all manufacturing centres. They speak of units either running under-capacity or shutting down because of lack of demand, and of raw materials being unavailable because of cash shortage. Another common factor is the reluctance of the units to keep labour and migrant workers being laid off or told to return home for now. We will have to wait for proper data to come in but if the anecdotal reports are indicators of something larger going on there is trouble ahead in December and the new year.

What explains the support for Modi which, and this cannot be denied, is wide and popular despite the uncertainty deliberately produced? Let us look at it since this period has also brought the Modi government to mid point. The unique thing about Modi's time in office so far is his launching of magnificent schemes and major announcements. These launches and announcements capture the imagination of the country, certainly, they capture the attention of the media.

Make in India, bullet train, Smart Cities, Swachch Bharat, surgical strike, demonetisation. All of these and other initiatives of Modi share a pattern. They represent a grand break from the past. They promise to rip away the old and decayed and replace it with something new and better.

Do they achieve this to any extent? What are the real consequences? These we will know only in time. Let us look at one example. The surgical strike after the attack on Uri was meant to be a response to violence being sent from across the Line of Control. It has been reported that since the surgical strike, the Indian army has lost 20 soldiers. This happened mainly because the LoC, which was previously relatively peaceful under a ceasefire, has been aflame after the surgical strike.

The defence minister now says that the ceasefire is holding again but meanwhile 20 Indians are dead. So was the surgical strike a good decision? It is anti-national to answer that question in any way but one so we will leave it there. I should say however that the Indian soldier is worshipped and expected to martyr himself. There is only a sort of reverence for his contribution and no real respect for his life.

This theme of grand announcement leading up to something whose benefits and damage we are not certain of can be said about many announcements. The surgical strike against black money will, of course, take a little longer to show its real effect. But what about the bullet train, on which we are spending about Rs 1 lakh crore? What about expending diplomatic energy and the prime minister's personal goodwill on the pursuit of a position in the nuclear suppliers group?

Have the consequences been analysed with the rigour that is expected? I am not questioning the intention here, and I have no doubt that the government means well. I am merely curious to know whether my suspicions of it being enthusiastic about shooting first and aiming later are unfounded.

Modi is our most credible politician. No other leader could have led the nation into such turbulence with confidence that he would carry the day. He will remain popular for the rest of his remaining two and a half years and will be very difficult to beat in 2019. Many of the consequences of his actions will be stand revealed before that and I hope for his sake and for ours that he has been as interested in the details as he was thrilled by the grand idea.
New Delhi: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu lauded the Supreme Court's direction that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before screening a film, saying it will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people, particularly the younger generation.

"It's a very good decision. It will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people particularly the younger generation. I am very happy about it," Naidu, who also holds the Information and Broadcasting portfolio, said.

The apex court directed cinema halls across the country to play the national anthem before screening films and people should stand up as a mark of respect.

The court also directed that the national flag should be shown on screen when the anthem is played. "People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said, while stressing that it is the duty of every citizen of the country to show respect to the national anthem and the flag.

It also said no person should take commercial benefits by playing the anthem and that it should not be dramatised. The apex court said the anthem should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects, and also barred it from being played on variety shows and its abridged version anywhere.
Nagpur: A former RSS leader, who has not been associated with the organisation for nearly 18 years, has claimed that Sangh did not allow its cadres to express their views if they are not in tune with the Hindutva outfit.

In his autobiography Life by Design, Rambhau Tupkari (80) said though he was not against RSS' policies per se, he opposes its "totalitarian approach".

Tupkari had served as the managing director of Narkesari Prakashan, publisher of RSS mouthpiece cum local Marathi daily 'Tarun Bharat'.

He had also been the chairman of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT).

Tupkari, who joined the RSS in his student days, had left the organisation in 1998 "because debate and discussion on issues were not appreciated in the Hindutva organisation".

Life by Design was released by well-known Marathi writer and journalist Suresh Dwadashiwar at a function in Nagpur recently.

Tupkari also presented a copy of the book to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who was also present at the book launch.

"I was a committed RSS activist and that deprived me of a government scholarship during my student life. What went wrong with me in the RSS was never disclosed by office-bearers of the organisation. I too never uttered a single word as to why I left RSS. However, I have written about it in my autobiography," he said.

Tupkari said he penned the book "to give a reply to the RSS for its totalitarian approach", wherein he has tried to "point out what went wrong with the then office-bearers of RSS".

Dwadashiwar said, "It's regrettable that individual freedom has no meaning in any religious or intellectual-based organisation. If anyone expresses a divergent view, there is no place for such persons in those organisations."

A large numbers of RSS swayamsevaks were present in their individual capacity at the function.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might be hailing its victory in the recent Gujarat civic polls as people's endorsement of demonetisation, but the results serve as an authentication for the newly appointed Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Tuesday's results, regardless of the reasons, are crucial for both Rupani and the ruling BJP as the state is going to polls next year.

Of the 126 municipal and district panchayat seats from the 16 districts in which the by-elections were held, BJP won 109, gaining 40 seats from the Congress. It was just the previous year that the BJP had lost the municipal elections under the leadership of the then Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, who had to eventually make way for Rupani post the loss and after the badly handled Patidar agitation.

For an election held primarily in areas which have been seeing long queues and stalled farmer and industrial payments since demonetisation, the results have come as a welcome relief for the party, which can now claim that the people of the state have voted in favour of the move.

The results are a pointer to the opposition which has been alleging that people are facing inconvenience and are not with the decisions of the BJP and the prime minister, said BJP state general secretary Shabdasharan Brahmbhatt.

The results of the panchayat elections last year, in which the rural areas were wrested by the Congress from the BJP, had forced the ruling party to rethink its strategy. Especially, since this is one state that both party president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not want to lose  as it is their home state.

Recently, Gujarat had featured in the headlines because of the Patidar agitation and the Dalit uprising. Many blamed the loss of rural areas on the anger of the Patels and other castes against the BJP, despite the fact that the party was led by a Patel leader from North Gujarat.

But the results of this by-election, which includes a victory in Saurashtra region and the industrial belt of Vapi in South Gujarat, point to the fact that the party has gained some of the lost ground ahead of the crucial Assembly elections due next year.

Since Modi became the prime minister in 2014, Rupani is the second nominated chief minister in the state. Though Anandiben was hand-picked by Modi, the electoral losses and frequent agitations in the state forced the central leadership to rethink and appoint a replacement.

Tuesdays result will come as a breather for the chief minister and the party leadership, who will now be looking to consolidate on the victory by ensuring that there are no further agitations in the state that could grab national attention ahead of the polls next year.
Thiruvananthapuram: Breaking his silence over the recent 'encounter' killing of two Maoists in the state which has come under criticism from ruling LDF partner, CPM, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said his government will not do anything that will destroy the morale of police force.

Speaking at a function of Kerala Police Association, Vijayan fully backed the police personnel, saying they do not have to give much importance to 'false allegations'.

"Government will not take any steps which will hurt the morale of the police who are sincerely doing their job," he said.

The CPM-led LDF government had come in for criticism from various quarters, including CPI and Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan, over the November 24 encounter in Nilmabur forests in Mallapuram district in which two Maoists were shot dead by elite Thunderbolt Force.

Human rights activists have also come out against the encounter killing of the Left rebels  Kuppuswamy Devaraj, central committee member of the outlawed outfit, and Ajitha, in the Nilambur forests in Malappuram district on 24 November.

The incident occurred during search operations by a 60-member elite team of the Thunderbolt Force based on a tip-off that some Maoists were camping in the area.

Achuthanandan, who is the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, yesterday shot of a letter to Vijayan stating that action should be taken against police officers, if the encounter was fake.

He had also said that government should be prepared to hold talks with Maoists rather than annihilate them.

The Opposition Congress led UDF has also sought to know why the Chief Minister was silent on the issue.

In his first public comments on the issue, Vijayan also said "If mistakes happen, they should be rectified without delay. But when wrong allegations crop up, they need not be taken seriously."

There should be no third degree torture in lockups and that would not be accepted, the Chief Minister said. He said there was need to bring in changes in the recruitment of the police force to ensure that at least 15 percent of it were women, he said.

The CPM-led LDF government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident following widespread criticism.
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"Most of the people eat food in dhabas when they eat outside. Can the government inform us about a dhaba in which a person carries card-swiping machine in his dhoti?" he said.

"Many labourers became unemployed today...there are very long lines and crores of people in those lines. But it is not just that," he said.

"Does the farmer own black money when he engages in transactions for seeds, fertilisers?" he said.

"It is a reality that the farmer is an important part of the economy. That is why India does not have to beg," said a dramatic Anand Sharma in the Rajya Sabha.

"What authority do the prime minister and finance minister have so that we have to beg you for our very own money?" thundered Anand Sharma.

"You have created a condition in which you told a person that he can exchange Rs 4000...I marvel at your generosity," Anand Sharma said sarcastically in the Rajya Sabha.

"After the Uri attack and surgical strikes, we posed various questions about the army....You said we cannot ask questions about the army," said Anand Sharma.

"If you are the government, that doesn't mean India belongs to you. You have created such an environment that we cannot ask questions," he said. "If we ask questions, you start asking questions about our nationality," he added.

"Who got the benefits of your decisions?" he said. "Your government is only for those people who are your friends. You hurt those people who question you."

"If you are trying to give this impression to the country that India started fighting money laundering now, then the prime minister is living on a different planet," said Anand Sharma in Rajya Sabha.

After this statement, the Congress MPs began shouting again. Note that Anand Sharma was not interrupted even once when he was talking in the Rajya Sabha.

"But I think Anand Sharma does not know much about economics," he said. "If his claim of fight against black money is true, he would not have ignored the fact the entire country has welcomed this move by the Narendra Modi government," he added.

"In the future, inflation will be controlled when more people pay taxes," he said. "The central government will also get more resources for the welfare of farmers, labourers, youth, women in the country."

"Some people had suggested that this move should have been made public seven days before implementing it. But secrecy is most important in such issues," he said.

"The government has taken many steps against corruption. Demonetisation was a historic step against corruption. This was also a warning to the corrupt that the black money they had was useless now," he said.

"This move was aimed at only the corrupt," he said.

"Finance Minister had informed the House only about the counterfeit money in the economy, not the money which some people have got through corruption," Goyal said in the Rajya Sabha.

"Some people just seem to be unhappy that Prime Minister Modi has taken an important step against corruption and black money," he said.

"When the government had just come to power in 2014, there was an atmosphere against corruption," Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha.

"We opened Jan Dhan accounts. An account was opened for every person," he said.

"This is a step after which a person will think twice before engaging in corruption," he said. "The poor labourers will benefit the most," he added.

"Please do not hold views which the corrupt can use to free themselves," Goyal added.

"You (Congress) talked about surgical strike. We did not mention it. This is good. You have given us a certificate that we conducted precise strikes against corruption," he said.

"RBI has authority over monetary policy. An RBI board gave approval for this move," he said.

"The country is ready to tolerate a few days of inconvenience," he said. "The entire country is with us," he added.

"And even the Election Commission won't be able to notice when someone is carrying the Rs 2000 note in one's pocket," he said.

"Several crore vegetables were just thrown away per day from markets," he said. "Who gave you the advice to come up with the Rs 2000 note? Go outside Delhi to the villages of India. Nobody will accept that note," he said.

"The farmer is unable to buy fertiliser and seeds," said SP's Ram Gopal Yadav in Rajya Sabha. "Farmers are not able to sell potatoes now. Were these potatoes made using black money?" he said.

Who gave you the advice to come up with the Rs 2000 note? SP asks govt in Rajya Sabha

"Our party will move adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha," she said, adding that demonetisation was a dictatorial and draconian step by the government.

"Credit card will not buy you food...the President knows the country's situation very well," Banerjee said.

"This move is like a move taken by Mohammad bin Tughlaq," she said.

"We told the President that he is the custodian of the Constitution. We told him to talk to the government," Mamata Banerjee said.

"Starvation deaths are rising," she said. "Our country does not have plastic economy," she added.

"Today, people are not getting access to vegetables in the markets. Children are not getting milk. People are dying," she said.

"Today, how did the non-performing assets increase in the last six months?" the Bengal chief minister said.

"After cancelling notes, there were a lot of notes needed in banks for the huge demand," Mamata Banerjee said after meeting the President.

"90 percent of blak money is in tax havens abroad," Yechury further said. "It's like the prime minister is killing the pond to kill the crocodiles, forgetting that the crocodiles can survive on land too."

"But where is this black money? All estimates say 6 percent of this black money is in cash," he said. "Black money is in circulation, in real estate...gold imports have surged in the last few days."

"We want black money controlled. We want it eliminated. The World Bank says that nearly 21 percent of the Indian economy is in the black economy," Yechury said.

"If you stop these Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, you think corruption will stop? Now, corruption will double with the Rs 2000 notes," Yechury said.

"After 26/11, we went on debating over a new law to combat terrorism. On many issues, we had agreed over how terror funding needed to stop," Yechury said.

"We want to stop counterfeit money. Locate where this is happening. Punish them. We will all support this. But this is not the way to stop it," he said.

"By this way, you are killing the poor," he said. "As Anand Sharma said, 0.02 percent of the cash is counterfeit. To take care of that, you needed to do this?" he added.

"The point is that black money is not going to go away with this. Black money is not stock, it is a flow," Yechury said in the Rajya Sabha.

"For the rest of India, it is Tarasta Bharat," he said. "People can't get their children treated at hospitals."

"In our rural population, 80.8 percent of the rural population is not covered by the banks," he said. "What banking does the prime minister want us to go to? There is Shining India with e-wallets for them," he said.

"Why are you agonising the Indian people?" Yechury said. "Agonising people is a way to tell people: I control your personal lives," he said, adding that this was a fascist move.

"People will say this Tughlaqshahi," he said. "This does not meet the objectives of what the prime minister set out to do."

"You have allowed banks to exchange notes. Bulk of Indians today are dealing with rural cooperative banks. You don't allow them to change notes...86 percent of the rural population is dependent on transactions from these banks," Yechury said.

"What is the meaning of this move?" he said.

"Don't give this exemption to political parties to spend whatever they want," Yechury said. "If you're serious about stopping corruption, stop the supply side of corruption," he added.

Laughing at Das, Patel said, "Are you kidding me? How can you allow your EAS to issue such statements. You are making a fool of yourself."

Slamming the Narendra Modi government's handling of the issue, Patel gave example of Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, who during a press conference on Wednesday said: "The new currency notes, just as the old ones, will lose colour if rubbed with a piece of cloth wet because that's the nature of the dye used. If your note does not lose colour, it's one of the signs that it may be fake."

"Abolishing black money is a move we all support, and BJP government's intention is great but you are asking people to be hungry for 50 days for a feast on the 51st day. Vo aadmi toh mar ayega, bhoj kya khayega (The person will die on the 51st day, what will he do with the feast)," says Patel.

Rajya Sabha erupted after the comment. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad interrupted Tiwari's speech and said that the statement, which was "atrocious", should not go in record. "No one speaks about the country's prime minister in such an atrocious way. It should not go in record,"Prasad urged the Chair.

In a dramatised speech, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh compared prime minister to former dictators like Gaddafi, Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. "The seat that you (Narendra Modi) occupy, has been occupied by Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Shastri ji, Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But the way you are working, I am forced to say that it reminds me of dictators like Gaddafi, Hitler and Mussolini."

"Modi government marched to victory in 2014 because the country was tired of scams and scandals. That was our poll promise. I request Congress to come out of the dilemma - are you in favour of the people who are hoarders and scamsters or you are in favour of a bold step that eradicates black money from the country. Narendra Modi is capable of taking very strong steps. Temporary pain for long term gain - is the buzz across India. One thing I want to assure - if your money is valid, nothing will happen to it."

"You have got a chance to discuss important things on this platform so do not waste it by mud-slinging. When it comes to people and their hatred towards our PM (the way you claim), we saw their hatred in 2014 and we will see it in 2019," Naidu says to a thundering applause.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu addresses Rajya Sabha and says that people across the nation are watching this Session and they are not interested in a history lesson.

As expected, the Opposition targetted the Narendra Modi governmemnt over its "ill-preparedness" and "lack of empathy" for the general public. Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad at the end of day one requested the prime minister to appear in the House tomorrow and discuss the issue of demonetisation.

While the Lok Sabha was adjourned earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha argued and debated on topics till 6 pm on Wednesday. Chairman of Upper House PJ Kurien announced that the House will resume the same discussion (on demonetisation) from 2 pm on Thursday.

The first day of Winter Session went as expected, in fact it went better than expected.

While the Union ministers and BJP MPs are demanding an apology from Leader of Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad for his Uri remark, Congress MPs are demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demonetisation scheme.

"The nation wants to know today," he added, reminding of a news anchor famous for shouting at the panellists on his show.

"The Opposition has disappointed us and the country," he said. "I want the Congress to clarify on Azad's remark," he said.

"Those who ruled over the country for 50 years and ruined the situation of the aam aadmi and those who did not let the Parliament function are now also on the same path," said Naidu. "The prime minister will respond if needed," he said.

"They are not strong...they are not on the side of the truth, the people are not with them," Naidu further said.

"The government is ready for a discussion. We don't know what has happened with the Congress. Suddenly, they took a U-turn," said Venkaiah Naidu.

"There is a need to fix the railway infrastructure. Modiji talked about the bullet train. But there is no focus. How will the aam aadmi benefit and get safety?" said Rahul on the Patna-Indore Express tragedy.

"This is one of the biggest economic decisions in India. But the prime minister had not thought about the impact," he said. "This is some other form of the prime minister," he added.

"We are ready for a discussion. These days, why does the prime minister need to come to the Parliament? He is on a different level. He does not need to interact with his ministers," said Rahul sarcastically.

"People are complaining of deals at the back of long lines to banks. So people are suffering huge losses," he said. "Only 15 or 20 friends of the prime minister will benefit from this move," he added.

"People have told me that they are suffering a lot," said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi outside the Parliament on the issue of demonetisation.

The Opposition members raised slogans, even as deputy chairman PJ Kurien threatened to adjourn the House. And... he did. The Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 12 pm.

Rajya Sabh and Lok Sabha will resume in a while. Meanwhile, asking his countrymen to tell their views on demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted saying, "I want your first-hand view on the decision taken regarding currency notes. Take part in the survey on the NM App."

Speaker of Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, quite hassled by the way the MPs were behaving, threatened to adjourn the House. "Kyun kar rahe ho?" asks Mahajan very politely as Opposition MPs raised slogans and asked for debate over demonetisation. The protesting MPs also demanded that Modi should come to the House and make a speech.

The Lok Sabha is heading for another adjournment as the Opposition escalated their attack on the BJP government over the same issue of demonetisation. By the look of it, the Winter Session of Parliament till now has been a total washout with no constructive debate happening on the floor.

After the ruckus got out of hand, a very calm Hamid Ansari stood up and adjourned the Upper House till 2 pm.

Members could not keep it together even as the Rajya Sabha resumed proceedings at 12.32 pm.

However, an unrelenting opposition continued to raise slogans. The Speaker again appealed to the opposition to participate in the debate saying that the disruption of proceedings would not resolve the problem. "I am really pained. If you are people's representatives, you should stand by them," she said. As pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon after 20 minutes of proceedings.

Ignoring the slogan shouting opposition members, Speaker allowed the Question Hour to continue amidst noise. When some opposition members tried to bring a placard, denouncing the demonetisation move, infront of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was replying a question related to his Ministry, the Speaker tried to intervene and asked the MPs not to disturb the Minister. "This is not good. Everyone will be shown on TV, but don't disturb the Minister. If you want to discuss something, raise it before the government. People are in pain, tell the government. But this is not the way to highlight people's grievances," Mahajan said asking them to return to their seats.

Samjawadi Party, NCP and RJD stood in the aisles in solidarity with the other opposition members. While AIADMK members were also on the aisles raising the issue of Tamil fishermen injured allegedly in firing by Sri Lankan Navy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen busy in his seat in an intimate discussion with AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa.

Opposition disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day demanding discussion on demonetisation on a rule which entails voting forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for about 50 minutes soon after it assembled. As soon as the House met, members of Congress, TMC, Left parties and AAP rushed to the Well of the House demanding discussions on the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 under Rule 56, that entails.

As BJP members also created a ruckus, an angry Kurien snapped at them. "Why should treasury benches do this? Mr Minister, why should treasury benches to this," he asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

He told Azad that he was ready to accept his notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business. "Mr Azad, I am ready to admit your notice under 267 if only there is order in the House."

As they shouted slogans from the Well, Kurien said, "You cannot speak in the Well. Shouting in the Well is of no use. If you go back to your seats, I will give you time (to speak)."

At this point, TMC members carrying placards of "Financial Emergency" trooped into the Well, with Congress members following suit.

"He should come and listen to the pain people have faced because of his decision," Mayawati said. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the opposition is ready for discussion on the issue but Prime Minister should come to the Rajya Sabha first. As he spoke, members of the BJP moved into the aisles raising slogans.

No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table in Rajya Sabha, Sharad Yadav of JD(U) said the government should pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to kin of the 70 persons who lost their lives due to hardships caused by withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes. Naresh Agarwal (SP) and Mayawati (BSP) said Modi should be called before starting discussion on the demonetisation.

"Today they want PM Modi to address Parliament, tomorrow they will be demand a JPC on the demonetisation issue. Trust me, the opposition is just shifting the goalpost. Why are they running away from a debate? Why do they just want prime minister to speak, is the finance minister not competent enough to reply to their questions," asks Prasad.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked the Opposition on their demand of asking Prime Minister Modi to address the House of Parliament and in turn asked, "Why is the Opposition running away from debate?"

"Government wants that there should be a long and elaborate discussion so that we can explain to this country the enormous benefits of this move," Singh said. "Congress and other opposition parties are on a self-destructing course."

On the other hand, Jitendra Singh said that the Opposition was on a self-destruct course.

"Let's keep Opposition and government out of this. Let's think of the people," he further said.

"Almost 70 people have died. He must be crying for them. And I respect that," Congress leader Kapil Sibal told Times Now, clearly taking a dig at the prime minister and implying that he could not come to the Parliament because he was crying.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Rahul alleged that the government and the prime minister are not allowing a debate in the House. "We have filed an adjournment motion in the House and we want Modi to discuss the issue with us," says Rahul Gandhi

"Main poochna chahti hoon prime minister se ki agar unhone itna acha kaam kiya hai to vo ghabra kyu rahe hain? (I want to ask PM Modi that if he has taken a decision which is so good why is he scared?) I urge President to summon Modi and ask him to take measures to solve the problems faced by people post demonetisation move," Mayawati told the media after Lok Sabha got its first adjournment of the day.

Alleging that it sends a wrong message if prime minister keeps shying away from a debate, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday that a debate is a must because otherwise the BJP government looks like it has done something wrong. "Puri daal kali lag rahi hai."

If PM has done this great thing, why is he scared to face Opposition: Mayawati

Proceedings was continuously disrupted as Opposition leaders raised loud slogans against the BJP government. Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu urges Speaker Sumitra Mahajan not to adjourn the Lower House. "The debate has begun, madam Speaker. Please let the debate happen. The world is watching what Congress and the Oppostion is doing inside the House," Naidu said.

The protesting MPs, for the past half an hour, have continously made noise and tried to disrupt the Lok Sabha proceedings. Speaker Mahajan still holding solid ground.

Opposition members are trying their best to disrupt the proceedings, but BJP MPs (MJ Akbar, Jitendra Singh) are holding their ground and not giving in to the awful noise that the protesting MPs are making.

 Samajwadi Party's Akshay Yadav tore paper and threw it at Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in the Lok Sabha. This is definitely a new low for Opposition parties in the Parliament.

"I am very sorry that the RBI has been exposed to this kind of criticism which is fully justified," he added.

"It is not good that every day, the banking system comes up with some modifications. That reflects very poorly on the prime minister's office," he said.

"The national income can decline by about 2 percentage points...I feel that the prime minister must come up with some constructive proposal," said the former prime minister.

"In my opinion, the way demonetisation has been implemented will hurt agriculture, small industries and the people in the informal sector," he said.

"I want to know from the prime minister the names of countries where people have deposited their money in banks but are not allowed to withdraw it," he said.

"What has been done can weaken and erode our people's confidence in the currency and banking system," said Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.

"I say so with all responsibility that we do not know what will be the full outcome," he said. "50 days is a short period but for those who are poor, even 50 days can bring about disastrous effects. About 60-65 people have lost their lives," he said.

"Today, there are no two opinions in the country. It is important to take note of the grievances of the common people who have suffered," said Manmohan Singh.

"In the process of demonetisation, monumental mismanagement has taken place," he said.

"I do not disagree with the objectives of taking steps against terroism and black money," said former prime minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.

"By the day, the damage to the economy is increasing. Today, reports have come which have said that in three sectors that are biggest in exports, 4 lakh people have lost their jobs in the last one week or so," Sitaram Yechury said.

Served notice for moving motion of contempt against PM for not showing up in RS: Yechury

Addressing the Upper House, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said how can the prime minister say something like this? "How can the prime minister allege that Opposition parties are in favour of black money? This is wrong."

Within minutes after the Rajya Sabha began today, the opposition members were up in arms protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that those cirticising the government are not angry with the government's preparedness but the fact that they did not get time to prepare.

Slamming the prime minister for his statements on black money hoarders and his veiled attack against the Opposition, the leaders of Congress and SP and BSP created ruckus in the Upper House and demanded that Modi should address the MPs and apologise for his remarks.

"I'm sure many of us have read analysis of noted economist Lawrence Summers, former chief economist of the World Bank and advisor to Obama government who concludes that this exercise has "resulted in chaos and loss of trust" and "without new measures, is unlikely to have lasting benefits. Don't you think it is high time and right time to form a committee of our real experts and intellectuals like Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Subramanian Swamy and other top economists and intellectuals of our party and veteran Murli Manohar Joshi to help the government in this hour?"

In a series of tweets on Friday, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, reiterating his faith in PM Modi's intention, said, "However, I have serious concerns about the outcome, fallout and responses of the people of India and the almost united opposition in particular."

Seventh day of Winter Session and looks like this week business will take a massive hit due to ongoing protests by the Opposition

As Opposition din did not die down even after many requests by the Speaker, Mahajan adjourned the Lok Sabha till Monday (28 November) 11 am.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that a man  Rakesh Singh  tried to jump in the Lok Sabha off the audience gallery on Friday after the House was adjourned. "Security officials overpowered him and took him under custody and he has been let off with warning," Mahajan added.

Taking the nation by surprise, the Prime Minister had on November 8 announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes with effect from midnight.

Latching on to media reports, Yechury sought to pick holes in the November 8 decision as he noted that 29 crore out of the 30 crore Rupay card holders have never used their cards in a swipe machine. Referring to a report on surfacing of two variants of Rs 500 currency notes, the Marxist leader also took a dig at Modi, saying it was the "Prime Minister's way" of stopping circulation of fake currency.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, dubbing him as 'Tughlaq' who had "gone missing" after issuing a farman (order). "Barely 20-25 percent of cash demand being met in Metros. Rural areas even worse. While Tughlaq goes missing after his firman," Yechury tweeted.

Will government's wait-and-watch technique, as far as Opposition's protests are concerned, work out in their favour? Most political observers say no because the government does not have the luxury of time. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders are still not relenting with their demand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in Parliament.

Opposition leaders met before Parliament session commences for the tenth day. However, the worry again is will the Opposition let the Parliament function? Winter Session will go on for 22 sittings - 50 percent of the sittings are already over - the Upper House and the Lok Sabha have still not been able to table crucial bills.

Zero Hour begins with ruling-opposition bickering. As Venkaiah Naidu argues against the Opposition, protesting MPs raised slogans against the prime minister.

"Start the debate! You want the debate, start the debate, Prime Minister Narnendra Modi will come," says Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien.

"Why is the BJP government so stubborn? Why is the prime minister not coming to debate?" Mayawati asks.

In Samba, security forces killed two militants early on Tuesday when a group of militants tried to sneak in from Pakistan through the International Border near a border outpost in this Jammu district. According to reports, the two militants were killed following a "heavy firing exchange" with the BSF.

Even as terrorists infiltrated the International Border and attacked two - Nagrota and Samba - districts of Jammu and Kashmir, there was no talk of that in Parliament. The attack in Nagrota reportedly started around 5.30 am with militants firing at a field regiment camp located in the garrison town of Nagrota near the headquarter's of army's 16 corps in the state.

Demonetisation has been the reason for Parliament washouts over ten days now since Winter Session began on 16 November. Interestingly, Parliament has not discussed anything else except note ban imposed by the Narendra Modi government since the Winter Session began.

Sumitra Mahajan tells two warring factions in Lok Sabha to start the debate. "I am ready, please start the debate."

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am until 1 December as opposition storms the well of the House regarding Nagrota Attack.

TMC leader slammed the BJP government for deploying Army in West Bengal. Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien that the deployment was a routine exercise and casting aspersions on the prime minister is not acceptable.

Opposition members are protesting against the ruling government in the Lower House. Rajya Sabha has already been adjourned.

Opposition: Modiji says he wants the poor to build their own homes, but what about those homes which are being broken?

Opposition members raise slogans and stall Rajya Sabha again. Debates not allowed and Chairman of Upper House Hamid Ansari quietly and hopelessly looks around.

If one had to compare, Rajya Sabha gets adjourned way faster and sooner than the Lower House.

Unrelenting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continues to let MPs speak on different issues while a group of MPs continue to try to disrupt Lok Sabha. But since Winter Session has begun (16 November) members who are against the demonetisation drive have tried, and sometimes successfully, to stall Parliament.

"These photos on the walls of the Rajya Sabha, from where emanates the power of democracy, often haunt me. It has been particularly difficult these last few days to get past those photos.Till 1 December (15th day since the commencement of the Winter Session) no business has been allowed to occur in the House except on the first day when a good debate took place in the Rajya Sabha over demonetisation. Regular disruptions, chaos and high-pitched slogan shouting have resulted in complete pandemonium in the House. The continuous ruckus usually leads to the suspension of the House proceedings and, sadly, it has become a regular feature. I ask myself: is this the only alternative left to us to address the genuine grievances of the public, the states and the nation?"

"He (the prime minister) must answer our questions. India's image has been damaged globally," he said.

"Today, the situation is that the withdrawals of the foreigners who come to India are being rationed," he said. "This has globally affected India's image," he added.

"Demonetisation created a situation that 86 percent of the currency was invalidated. Now, after one month, tens of millions of Indians are standing in queues...It is wrong to give an impression that the Opposition is opposing the prime minister's crusade against black money," Sharma said.

"The government has collective responsibility but the prime minister is the first among the equals," said Congress leader Anand Sharma in Rajya Sabha.

"In the 2G debates, we have insisted that the prime minister participates in this discussions but there is no such practice in this House that the prime minister must be here to listen to each and every member," Jaitley said.

"What is the stage we are in? Halfway through the debate, you interrupted the debate and are now raising concerns which have never been raised in the House," he told the Opposition.

"In this case, we've repeatedly said that the prime minister is going to participate in the debate," Jaitley said.

"It's obviously an important issue. The questions have to be answered," he said. "The government and the council of ministers fucntions on a collective responsibility. There is no such principle that a specific person has to answer."

"We've gone through this exercise of having a major debate which is incomplete. We have spent seven hours on the debate under rule 167," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha.

When asked what does the Opposition want, Rahul said, "He should come and debate in Parliament and explain his decision," he said.

Targetting the Prime Minister over the issue of note ban, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP government saying that the decision to scrap high denomination currency was the biggest mistake ever. "It was a bold decision - that's what Modi ji says - but bold decisions are also foolish decisions. Demonetisation was a foolish decision. Our farmers, fishermen and the poor of the society are dying, our Prime Minister does not care for any of that. He (PM Modi) is laughing and having a nice time while the people of the country are suffering. The idea behind cashless economy is that a few people and corporates will get maximum benefits from these transactions. This has damaged the nation."

Today, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched a full frontal attack on the prime minister and an united Opposition on Thursday observed Black Day to mark one month since the demonetisation scheme kicked in.

8 November was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. It's been a month since then and the Opposition protests have gone on unabated - both in and outside Parliament.

"It is a matter of shame that the government refused to pay tributes to the martyrs," Azad thundered, provoking the ruling party ministers and MPs, who began shouting as if Azad had just thrown something at them.

He also said that by protesting in front of the Gandhi statue, the Opposition was the one which paid tributes to the deceased.

"We have been saying for a long time that over 100 people have died because of demonetisation," said Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha. "But the government refused to pay tribute to the deceased," he added.

It is a matter of shame that govt refuses to pay tributes to people killed due to demonetisation: Congress in RS

President Pranab Mukherjee has accused the Opposition of "gagging majority" in both Houses of Parliament. "Debate, dissension and decision are necessary," Times Now quoted the President as saying. "The Parliament must not be disrupted...this is unacceptable."

Has the Winter Session turned out to be a complete waste of time? Read the full article here .

The Winter Session of Parliament began on 16 November. On 8 December, both the Houses  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha  met for the 14th day but within minutes of commencing, both the Houses were adjourned. The deadlock over demonetisation has led to wastage of the Winter Session so far and considering that just one more week is left for the session to wrap up, there is little hope that the Houses will be able to pass, introduce or even debate the Bills that have been listed for consideration.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Venakaiah Naidu also termed the 'dharna' by opposition leaders near the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises as a big 'tamasha' and an insult to the Father of the Nation. "Our opponents particularly the Congress I am told are observing a Black Day. I say what they are observing is a 'Black Money Support Day'," Naidu said.

Hitting out at the Congress-led Opposition for observing a 'Black Day' against demonetisation decision, government on Thursday said they are actually observing a "Black Money Support Day".

According to Times Now, the parliamentary panel has found Mann guilty of security breach after he filmed a video entering Parliament by crossing several security layers and posted it on social media.

 As if the logjam in Parliament  for which President Pranab Mukherjee admonished both Houses  was not embarrassing enough for the country, there is now a delegation of parliamentarians from Vietnam who are going to witness what happens in an Indian Parliament.

"Govt running from debate, if they allow me to speak then you will see what an earthquake will come," says Rahul Gandhi.

Keep in mind that Vietnamese Parliamentarians are in both the Houses to witness this scene.

It's hard to decide at this point who is trying to stall Parliament. During zero hour in Lok Sabha, MPs in Lok Sabha kept raising ruckus while Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tries her best to keep the House in session.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 14 December On Friday as the count of members in the Upper House remained 21 despite calls from the Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, the house was adjourned till Monday. The benches remained empty while BJP and Congress leaders sparred with each other blaming each other for the non-functioning government.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with key ministers before Parliament convenes on Wednesday morning to decide their strategy," the report said.

According to an NDTV report Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that Prime Minister Modi will be present in Parliament for the three remaining days of the Session and can participate in proceedings for either of the House depending on the need.

Congress is going to raise the issue of corruption charges against Kiren Rijiju. Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader, Anand Sharma has given notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha for discussion on corruption charges against Rijiju.

Comparison of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 and new amendments

"This is the first time that the government is scheming to make sure Parliament does not function. It usually is the job of Opposition to stand up and protest. However, this government is doing a pretty job of that and making sure that Parliament does not work and no one questions the ruling party's decision. Demonetisation has hurt a lot of people, but Modi government's arrogance is not allowing us to debate it in the House," a TMC member said.

BJP was reacting to Congress vice-president's claim that he has information of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged involvement in "personal corruption." Rahul was speaking a joint press briefing of the Opposition after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid din created by Opposition.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar said that if Rahul Gandhi had any information, he could have revealed them twenty days ago, ""but till today he wasn't ready to make any earth-shattering revelations."

Soon after Rajya Sabha passed the amended The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill (2014) and Kurien congratulated the members over a productive day, Anand Sharma raised the issue of Rijiju and his alleged involvement in the Rs 450-crore scam. Kurien tried to maintain calm in the House by saying, "Allegation without informing the Chair cannot be allowed."

As Opposition members raised slogans and ruckus, Kurien said, "What can I do except adjourning. Both sides are indisciplined. The House is adourned till tomorrow (15 December) 11 am."

It seemed like the members in the Upper House were just waiting to pass one single Bill this Winter Session. Soon after Kurien praised the members of the Upper House for being disciplined, ruckus over alleged corruption allegations on Kiren Rijiju took the House by storm again.

Kurien: "I have given the floor to Leader of Opposition. That's the tradition. Let's follow it. Please sit down."

Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi object to leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad speaking in the Upper House. Kurien asks BJP members to sit down. Amid slogans of "Agusta Agusta" , BJP leaders demanded to know what is the topic of discussion?

"I have to adjourn.. what should I do?" asks Kurien. "This is for the first time in history of India that it's the ruling party that's not letting the House to function," says Azad.

Helpless deputy chairman PJ Kurien begs for MPs to sit down as Congress and BJP leaders spar over Ghulam Nabi Azad's speech on demonetisation.

Sources said that it was also decided in the meeting to raise the plight of farmers and common people in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and demand a loan waiver for farmers. Representatives of Congress, Trinamool Congress, BSP, SP, JD-U, CPI, CPI-M, NCP, DMK and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were present in today's meeting.

Leaders of various parties said the entire opposition has decided to approach the President to "complain" against the ruling party for not allowing them to speak in Parliament. The leaders said they were elected representatives of the country and had every right to speak in Parliament and it was "unconstitutional" not to allow them to speak in both Houses. Sources said time is being sought from the President till Friday and all opposition parties were ready to raise the issue unitedly before him.

Taking their protest on demonetisation to President Pranab Mukherjee's doorsteps, Opposition parties sought a meeting with the president to convey the problems caused by the measure to the common man and "over not being" allowed to speak in Parliament. At a meeting of the opposition held in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, representatives of various parties decided to raise with the President the problems of the common people, including the poor and farmers arising out of demonetisation.

Advani also added that "had Atal ji been in Parliament today, he would have been upset."

Senior BJP leader LK Advani told Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene and stop disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Expressing his unhappiness, Advani allegedly said that he "feels like resigning".

Opposition leaders are scheduled to meet the President and PM Modi to push for a way to break the deadlock.

The BJPs Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the strategy to counter the Oppositions charges against the government is currently underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the gathering.

The last day of the Winter Session of Parliament is setup for a big tussle between the government and the Opposition as both try to break the deadlock.

"Regular and continuous disruptions signify this session... The rules about displaying placards and shouting slogans were ignored by all sections of the house," Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari said in his closing statement before adjourning the house.

The Rajya Sabha on Friday concluded its winter session after an emotional speech by the Chairman as the house was adjourned sine die.

On the eve of Winter Session, two all-party meetings were convened, first by the ruling NDA and the other by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. At the all-party meeting Modi requested all parties for cooperation in order to make Parliament session a fruitful one.

"I hope that Winter Session will be fruitful. I expect that Winter Session will proceed in a positive way. I hope that Winter Session debate will strengthen democracy. I believe that to take the country ahead this Winter Session debate will be useful, " said Modi as Winter Session sets to begin.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said govt should should respect Opposition and create an atmosphere for healthy debate during Parliament Winter Session.

"If you will put their husbands in jail, who will provide for them, who will pay for their children," Azad asked as he reiterated that Congress leader Anad Sharma's suggestion to send it to Standing Committee should be taken into consideration.

Ghulam Nabi Azad stood up as the bill was taken up for discussion and said that none of the parties are in opposition of the bill in essence. However, he said that the government's bill will "finish Muslim women" instead of saving them.

He said that a committee should reflect the nature of the House, which the list of suggestions given by Sharma does not. Sharma's suggestion did not include names from the BJP.

Jaitley said that the previous precedents show that any amendments or motions should be introduced with prior notice. He said that the Opposition's demand to send the bill to Select Committee was invalid. He also raised objection on the suggestion on members of Select Committee made by Anand Sharma.

Kurien said that the Leader of the House is a very learned advocate himself and all points raised by him are of relevance. The rule he quotes that a prior notice should be given is also correct, he said. "However, the same rule adds that the Chairman has the power to admit such a motion and which is why I cannot overrule it. It is now admitted and hence is the property of the House, only members can amend it," Kurien said on Jaitley's objection over the Opposition motion seeking triple talaq bill be sent to Standing Committee.

Roy, responding to Jaitley's objection that the Select Committee suggested by him did not reflect the nature of the House, Roy said that he had included members from all parties who were willing to send the bill to the Standing Committee. However, BJP members were not included because the government was not willing to send the bill to the committee. Roy added that if the BJP is interested in sending the Bill for further scrutiny, he has no objection to ammend the list to include its members too.

Govt requests to take up GST bill first as Dy Chairman ruled Triple Talaq bill can't be taken for passage without first building consensus in House

"If you will put their husbands in jail, who will provide for them, who will pay for their children," Azad asked as he reiterated that Congress leader Anad Sharma's suggestion to send it to Standing Committee should be taken into consideration.

Ghulam Nabi Azad stood up as the bill was taken up for discussion and said that none of the parties are in opposition of the bill in essence. However, he said that the government's bill will "finish Muslim women" instead of saving them.

He said that a committee should reflect the nature of the House, which the list of suggestions given by Sharma does not. Sharma's suggestion did not include names from the BJP.

Jaitley said that the previous precedents show that any amendments or motions should be introduced with prior notice. He said that the Opposition's demand to send the bill to Select Committee was invalid. He also raised objection on the suggestion on members of Select Committee made by Anand Sharma.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha after opposition's motion on #TripleTalaqBill , opposition has demanded the bill be sent to select committee

Kurien said that the Leader of the House is a very learned advocate himself and all points raised by him are of relevance. The rule he quotes that a prior notice should be given is also correct, he said. "However, the same rule adds that the Chairman has the power to admit such a motion and which is why I cannot overrule it. It is now admitted and hence is the property of the House, only members can amend it," Kurien said on Jaitley's objection over the Opposition motion seeking triple talaq bill be sent to Standing Committee.

Roy, responding to Jaitley's objection that the Select Committee suggested by him did not reflect the nature of the House, Roy said that he had included members from all parties who were willing to send the bill to the Standing Committee. However, BJP members were not included because the government was not willing to send the bill to the committee. Roy added that if the BJP is interested in sending the Bill for further scrutiny, he has no objection to ammend the list to include its members too.

Govt requests to take up GST bill first as Dy Chairman ruled Triple Talaq bill can't be taken for passage without first building consensus in House

As the Parliament Winter Session reconvenes after a four-day break, it looks like the Opposition may finally get the debate on demonetisation it has been asking for, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to attend all the remaining parliamentary proceedings, reports said on Wednesday.

According to The Indian Express, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress has instructed their Member of Parliaments (MPs) to be present in both Houses for the rest of the session.

The news story, however, indicated that the government seems to have managed to convince the Opposition to forego its demand of a discussion under Rule 193, a primary demand of the Opposition  mostly Congress and Tirnamool Congress  that had lead to a deadlock in both the houses of Parliament since the beginning of the session. It will now be a no-rule discussion, it said.

As for the Opposition's second demand, which was that Prime Minister Modi should answer questions from the Opposition, CNN-News18 said that Modi is likely to attend the parliamentary proceedings. However, whether or not he will speak, remains unclear.

However, according to an NDTV report Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that Prime Minister Modi will be present in Parliament for the three remaining days of the Session and can participate in proceedings for either of the House depending on the need.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with key ministers before Parliament convenes this morning to decide their strategy," the report said.

The Opposition will discuss its strategy during the parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday in an Opposition party's meet at 9.30 am, CNN-News18 reported.

The Parliament's Winter Session has been facing a deadlock on demonetisation ever since it began on 16 November. While the Lok Sabha has managed to conduct two legislative actions  pass the Income Tax amendment bill and approve the Supplementary Demand for Grants  the Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, functioned normally only on the first sitting of the session when a debate on demonetisation took place for five hours.

While three bills related to Goods and Services Tax (GST), are unlikely to be cleared on Wednesday, The Indian Express said, "Rajya Sabha is likely to pass the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 in a brief remission of hostilities."

However, apart from the listed topics of business, the Parliamentary proceedings are likely to attract heated discussions on the arrest of former Air marshal, SP Tyagi, in relation to the AugustaWestland VIP chopper scam as well as BJP leader Kiren Rijiju's alleged corruption in the Arunachal Hydro Power project.
New Delhi: Accusing Congress of "politicising" the sacrifice of seven soldiers who died in Nagrota terror attack, BJP on Wednesday slammed the party for walking out of Lok Sabha after claiming that their demand for paying obituaries to the soldiers was rejected by the Speaker.

"I am very sorry, it is rank falsehood. Speaker said we will hold a proper obituary for them. The combing is going on. Let entire facts be there. (But) Rahul Gandhi and his party were not willing to accept that...can't we have one voice as far as sacrifice of our brave soldiers are concerned. I am pained," senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said outside Parliament.

Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that the Opposition had walked out of Lok Sabha as this was for the first time that there was no obituary offered for those soldiers who had died in a terror attack. Countering Gandhi's allegation, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi, I would appeal to you, the kind of family legacy you represent, at least in certain issues there must be unison in polity of the country...making political comments on sacrifice and valour of brave jawaans and officers is not a right tradition."

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu also slammed the Congress, saying, "That was really unfortunate. This is unbecoming of Congress party...you start doing politics, that's really unfortunate". He said the Speaker had informed that combing operations were underway in Nagrota and once they were over, tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers.

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said it is "extremely sad" that the issue was "being politicised". "I find the Opposition has become so lame that they need crutches of fallen soldiers to stand on. Everyone respects the sacrifice that the armed forces are making and the country stands by them and their families," he said.

He reiterated that the speaker had "clearly mentioned" that "we are waiting for the combing operation to get over" and after that all the necessary steps would be taken. Earlier, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the government for not making obituary reference in connection with the Nagrota attack.

"It is the duty of the government to inform to the Speaker (about the incident)...the condolences cannot be done in installments...are you going to wait for what is going to happen tomorrow? These are emotional issues. You condole road accident, railway accident, house collapse, why not in this case?" Kharge asked.

Seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were yesterday killed in the terror attack at the military station in Nagrota.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien, however, said, the Opposition had proposed obituary for not only 27 soldiers who died in Uri and Nagrota terror attacks but also for those 83 people who allegedly died due to hardship they faced after demonetisation announcement on 8 November.

"We proposed that there should be a obituary reference for these 27 (soldiers), including seven yesterday, and there should be a obituary reference also for the 83 people who have died since demonetisation was announced because of the torture they have been through.

"The government thought it best to dismiss this. This is a government who are now living in their own world, far from reality," he said. Meanwhile, Congress MP and party general secretary Digvijay Singh said that every effort should be made to see that India-Pakistan dialogue is open.

"My party and I personally always held that with the neighbour, we should always be open. We can't have a situation of no dialogue with our neighbour. "As Atal Bihari Vajpayee had rightly pointed out that we can't choose our neighbours and that's a reality. Therefore, we should make every effort to see that dialogue must be open with our neighbour," he said.
New Delhi: Opposition members on Wednesday walked out of Lok Sabha as their demand for an obituary reference on the soldiers who died in the terror attack on army camp in Jammu was rejected by the Speaker on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.

The House was adjourned for nearly 40 minutes till noon after the Opposition created a din over its demand for an adjournment motion on the demonetisation issue.

As soon as the House met for the day, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan initially thought he was raising the issue of allowing the Opposition to bring an adjournment motion on demonetisation.

When Kharge clarified that he wanted an obituary reference in the memory of the soldiers killed, she said she had no problems in bringing the reference but the details were still pouring in as combing operations were still on. "I know seven soldiers have been killed...let the complete report come," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House as it was the day when questions for the Prime Minister's Office are slated to be raised.

But as Kharge was persistent, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said issues of national security should not be brought into controversy.

Most opposition members, including those from Congress, TMC, Left, RJD then staged a walkout.

"It is sad that you raised the issue like this," Mahajan said.

As the House took up the first question for the day during Question Hour, the Opposition members returned and rushed to the Well demanding adjournment motion on demonetisation issue.

The Speaker then adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Later, Kharge and TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay expressed regret over the development but blamed the government for its inputs to the Speaker on the matter, a contention Mahajan rejected saying the government had no role in it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar attacked the Opposition over the matter, saying they should not do politics over martyrdom of soldiers, drawing protests from the Opposition benches.
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"Most of the people eat food in dhabas when they eat outside. Can the government inform us about a dhaba in which a person carries card-swiping machine in his dhoti?" he said.

"Many labourers became unemployed today...there are very long lines and crores of people in those lines. But it is not just that," he said.

"Does the farmer own black money when he engages in transactions for seeds, fertilisers?" he said.

"It is a reality that the farmer is an important part of the economy. That is why India does not have to beg," said a dramatic Anand Sharma in the Rajya Sabha.

"What authority do the prime minister and finance minister have so that we have to beg you for our very own money?" thundered Anand Sharma.

"You have created a condition in which you told a person that he can exchange Rs 4000...I marvel at your generosity," Anand Sharma said sarcastically in the Rajya Sabha.

"After the Uri attack and surgical strikes, we posed various questions about the army....You said we cannot ask questions about the army," said Anand Sharma.

"If you are the government, that doesn't mean India belongs to you. You have created such an environment that we cannot ask questions," he said. "If we ask questions, you start asking questions about our nationality," he added.

"Who got the benefits of your decisions?" he said. "Your government is only for those people who are your friends. You hurt those people who question you."

"If you are trying to give this impression to the country that India started fighting money laundering now, then the prime minister is living on a different planet," said Anand Sharma in Rajya Sabha.

After this statement, the Congress MPs began shouting again. Note that Anand Sharma was not interrupted even once when he was talking in the Rajya Sabha.

"But I think Anand Sharma does not know much about economics," he said. "If his claim of fight against black money is true, he would not have ignored the fact the entire country has welcomed this move by the Narendra Modi government," he added.

"In the future, inflation will be controlled when more people pay taxes," he said. "The central government will also get more resources for the welfare of farmers, labourers, youth, women in the country."

"Some people had suggested that this move should have been made public seven days before implementing it. But secrecy is most important in such issues," he said.

"The government has taken many steps against corruption. Demonetisation was a historic step against corruption. This was also a warning to the corrupt that the black money they had was useless now," he said.

"This move was aimed at only the corrupt," he said.

"Finance Minister had informed the House only about the counterfeit money in the economy, not the money which some people have got through corruption," Goyal said in the Rajya Sabha.

"Some people just seem to be unhappy that Prime Minister Modi has taken an important step against corruption and black money," he said.

"When the government had just come to power in 2014, there was an atmosphere against corruption," Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha.

"We opened Jan Dhan accounts. An account was opened for every person," he said.

"This is a step after which a person will think twice before engaging in corruption," he said. "The poor labourers will benefit the most," he added.

"Please do not hold views which the corrupt can use to free themselves," Goyal added.

"You (Congress) talked about surgical strike. We did not mention it. This is good. You have given us a certificate that we conducted precise strikes against corruption," he said.

"RBI has authority over monetary policy. An RBI board gave approval for this move," he said.

"The country is ready to tolerate a few days of inconvenience," he said. "The entire country is with us," he added.

"And even the Election Commission won't be able to notice when someone is carrying the Rs 2000 note in one's pocket," he said.

"Several crore vegetables were just thrown away per day from markets," he said. "Who gave you the advice to come up with the Rs 2000 note? Go outside Delhi to the villages of India. Nobody will accept that note," he said.

"The farmer is unable to buy fertiliser and seeds," said SP's Ram Gopal Yadav in Rajya Sabha. "Farmers are not able to sell potatoes now. Were these potatoes made using black money?" he said.

Who gave you the advice to come up with the Rs 2000 note? SP asks govt in Rajya Sabha

"Our party will move adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha," she said, adding that demonetisation was a dictatorial and draconian step by the government.

"Credit card will not buy you food...the President knows the country's situation very well," Banerjee said.

"This move is like a move taken by Mohammad bin Tughlaq," she said.

"We told the President that he is the custodian of the Constitution. We told him to talk to the government," Mamata Banerjee said.

"Starvation deaths are rising," she said. "Our country does not have plastic economy," she added.

"Today, people are not getting access to vegetables in the markets. Children are not getting milk. People are dying," she said.

"Today, how did the non-performing assets increase in the last six months?" the Bengal chief minister said.

"After cancelling notes, there were a lot of notes needed in banks for the huge demand," Mamata Banerjee said after meeting the President.

"90 percent of blak money is in tax havens abroad," Yechury further said. "It's like the prime minister is killing the pond to kill the crocodiles, forgetting that the crocodiles can survive on land too."

"But where is this black money? All estimates say 6 percent of this black money is in cash," he said. "Black money is in circulation, in real estate...gold imports have surged in the last few days."

"We want black money controlled. We want it eliminated. The World Bank says that nearly 21 percent of the Indian economy is in the black economy," Yechury said.

"If you stop these Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, you think corruption will stop? Now, corruption will double with the Rs 2000 notes," Yechury said.

"After 26/11, we went on debating over a new law to combat terrorism. On many issues, we had agreed over how terror funding needed to stop," Yechury said.

"We want to stop counterfeit money. Locate where this is happening. Punish them. We will all support this. But this is not the way to stop it," he said.

"By this way, you are killing the poor," he said. "As Anand Sharma said, 0.02 percent of the cash is counterfeit. To take care of that, you needed to do this?" he added.

"The point is that black money is not going to go away with this. Black money is not stock, it is a flow," Yechury said in the Rajya Sabha.

"For the rest of India, it is Tarasta Bharat," he said. "People can't get their children treated at hospitals."

"In our rural population, 80.8 percent of the rural population is not covered by the banks," he said. "What banking does the prime minister want us to go to? There is Shining India with e-wallets for them," he said.

"Why are you agonising the Indian people?" Yechury said. "Agonising people is a way to tell people: I control your personal lives," he said, adding that this was a fascist move.

"People will say this Tughlaqshahi," he said. "This does not meet the objectives of what the prime minister set out to do."

"You have allowed banks to exchange notes. Bulk of Indians today are dealing with rural cooperative banks. You don't allow them to change notes...86 percent of the rural population is dependent on transactions from these banks," Yechury said.

"What is the meaning of this move?" he said.

"Don't give this exemption to political parties to spend whatever they want," Yechury said. "If you're serious about stopping corruption, stop the supply side of corruption," he added.

Laughing at Das, Patel said, "Are you kidding me? How can you allow your EAS to issue such statements. You are making a fool of yourself."

Slamming the Narendra Modi government's handling of the issue, Patel gave example of Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, who during a press conference on Wednesday said: "The new currency notes, just as the old ones, will lose colour if rubbed with a piece of cloth wet because that's the nature of the dye used. If your note does not lose colour, it's one of the signs that it may be fake."

"Abolishing black money is a move we all support, and BJP government's intention is great but you are asking people to be hungry for 50 days for a feast on the 51st day. Vo aadmi toh mar ayega, bhoj kya khayega (The person will die on the 51st day, what will he do with the feast)," says Patel.

Rajya Sabha erupted after the comment. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad interrupted Tiwari's speech and said that the statement, which was "atrocious", should not go in record. "No one speaks about the country's prime minister in such an atrocious way. It should not go in record,"Prasad urged the Chair.

In a dramatised speech, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh compared prime minister to former dictators like Gaddafi, Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. "The seat that you (Narendra Modi) occupy, has been occupied by Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Shastri ji, Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But the way you are working, I am forced to say that it reminds me of dictators like Gaddafi, Hitler and Mussolini."

"Modi government marched to victory in 2014 because the country was tired of scams and scandals. That was our poll promise. I request Congress to come out of the dilemma - are you in favour of the people who are hoarders and scamsters or you are in favour of a bold step that eradicates black money from the country. Narendra Modi is capable of taking very strong steps. Temporary pain for long term gain - is the buzz across India. One thing I want to assure - if your money is valid, nothing will happen to it."

"You have got a chance to discuss important things on this platform so do not waste it by mud-slinging. When it comes to people and their hatred towards our PM (the way you claim), we saw their hatred in 2014 and we will see it in 2019," Naidu says to a thundering applause.

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu addresses Rajya Sabha and says that people across the nation are watching this Session and they are not interested in a history lesson.

As expected, the Opposition targetted the Narendra Modi governmemnt over its "ill-preparedness" and "lack of empathy" for the general public. Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad at the end of day one requested the prime minister to appear in the House tomorrow and discuss the issue of demonetisation.

While the Lok Sabha was adjourned earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha argued and debated on topics till 6 pm on Wednesday. Chairman of Upper House PJ Kurien announced that the House will resume the same discussion (on demonetisation) from 2 pm on Thursday.

The first day of Winter Session went as expected, in fact it went better than expected.

While the Union ministers and BJP MPs are demanding an apology from Leader of Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad for his Uri remark, Congress MPs are demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the demonetisation scheme.

"The nation wants to know today," he added, reminding of a news anchor famous for shouting at the panellists on his show.

"The Opposition has disappointed us and the country," he said. "I want the Congress to clarify on Azad's remark," he said.

"Those who ruled over the country for 50 years and ruined the situation of the aam aadmi and those who did not let the Parliament function are now also on the same path," said Naidu. "The prime minister will respond if needed," he said.

"They are not strong...they are not on the side of the truth, the people are not with them," Naidu further said.

"The government is ready for a discussion. We don't know what has happened with the Congress. Suddenly, they took a U-turn," said Venkaiah Naidu.

"There is a need to fix the railway infrastructure. Modiji talked about the bullet train. But there is no focus. How will the aam aadmi benefit and get safety?" said Rahul on the Patna-Indore Express tragedy.

"This is one of the biggest economic decisions in India. But the prime minister had not thought about the impact," he said. "This is some other form of the prime minister," he added.

"We are ready for a discussion. These days, why does the prime minister need to come to the Parliament? He is on a different level. He does not need to interact with his ministers," said Rahul sarcastically.

"People are complaining of deals at the back of long lines to banks. So people are suffering huge losses," he said. "Only 15 or 20 friends of the prime minister will benefit from this move," he added.

"People have told me that they are suffering a lot," said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi outside the Parliament on the issue of demonetisation.

The Opposition members raised slogans, even as deputy chairman PJ Kurien threatened to adjourn the House. And... he did. The Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 12 pm.

Rajya Sabh and Lok Sabha will resume in a while. Meanwhile, asking his countrymen to tell their views on demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted saying, "I want your first-hand view on the decision taken regarding currency notes. Take part in the survey on the NM App."

Speaker of Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, quite hassled by the way the MPs were behaving, threatened to adjourn the House. "Kyun kar rahe ho?" asks Mahajan very politely as Opposition MPs raised slogans and asked for debate over demonetisation. The protesting MPs also demanded that Modi should come to the House and make a speech.

The Lok Sabha is heading for another adjournment as the Opposition escalated their attack on the BJP government over the same issue of demonetisation. By the look of it, the Winter Session of Parliament till now has been a total washout with no constructive debate happening on the floor.

After the ruckus got out of hand, a very calm Hamid Ansari stood up and adjourned the Upper House till 2 pm.

Members could not keep it together even as the Rajya Sabha resumed proceedings at 12.32 pm.

However, an unrelenting opposition continued to raise slogans. The Speaker again appealed to the opposition to participate in the debate saying that the disruption of proceedings would not resolve the problem. "I am really pained. If you are people's representatives, you should stand by them," she said. As pandemonium continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon after 20 minutes of proceedings.

Ignoring the slogan shouting opposition members, Speaker allowed the Question Hour to continue amidst noise. When some opposition members tried to bring a placard, denouncing the demonetisation move, infront of Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who was replying a question related to his Ministry, the Speaker tried to intervene and asked the MPs not to disturb the Minister. "This is not good. Everyone will be shown on TV, but don't disturb the Minister. If you want to discuss something, raise it before the government. People are in pain, tell the government. But this is not the way to highlight people's grievances," Mahajan said asking them to return to their seats.

Samjawadi Party, NCP and RJD stood in the aisles in solidarity with the other opposition members. While AIADMK members were also on the aisles raising the issue of Tamil fishermen injured allegedly in firing by Sri Lankan Navy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was seen busy in his seat in an intimate discussion with AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa.

Opposition disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha for the fourth consecutive day demanding discussion on demonetisation on a rule which entails voting forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for about 50 minutes soon after it assembled. As soon as the House met, members of Congress, TMC, Left parties and AAP rushed to the Well of the House demanding discussions on the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 under Rule 56, that entails.

As BJP members also created a ruckus, an angry Kurien snapped at them. "Why should treasury benches do this? Mr Minister, why should treasury benches to this," he asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

He told Azad that he was ready to accept his notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business. "Mr Azad, I am ready to admit your notice under 267 if only there is order in the House."

As they shouted slogans from the Well, Kurien said, "You cannot speak in the Well. Shouting in the Well is of no use. If you go back to your seats, I will give you time (to speak)."

At this point, TMC members carrying placards of "Financial Emergency" trooped into the Well, with Congress members following suit.

"He should come and listen to the pain people have faced because of his decision," Mayawati said. Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the opposition is ready for discussion on the issue but Prime Minister should come to the Rajya Sabha first. As he spoke, members of the BJP moved into the aisles raising slogans.

No sooner were the listed papers laid on the table in Rajya Sabha, Sharad Yadav of JD(U) said the government should pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to kin of the 70 persons who lost their lives due to hardships caused by withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes. Naresh Agarwal (SP) and Mayawati (BSP) said Modi should be called before starting discussion on the demonetisation.

"Today they want PM Modi to address Parliament, tomorrow they will be demand a JPC on the demonetisation issue. Trust me, the opposition is just shifting the goalpost. Why are they running away from a debate? Why do they just want prime minister to speak, is the finance minister not competent enough to reply to their questions," asks Prasad.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked the Opposition on their demand of asking Prime Minister Modi to address the House of Parliament and in turn asked, "Why is the Opposition running away from debate?"

"Government wants that there should be a long and elaborate discussion so that we can explain to this country the enormous benefits of this move," Singh said. "Congress and other opposition parties are on a self-destructing course."

On the other hand, Jitendra Singh said that the Opposition was on a self-destruct course.

"Let's keep Opposition and government out of this. Let's think of the people," he further said.

"Almost 70 people have died. He must be crying for them. And I respect that," Congress leader Kapil Sibal told Times Now, clearly taking a dig at the prime minister and implying that he could not come to the Parliament because he was crying.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Rahul alleged that the government and the prime minister are not allowing a debate in the House. "We have filed an adjournment motion in the House and we want Modi to discuss the issue with us," says Rahul Gandhi

"Main poochna chahti hoon prime minister se ki agar unhone itna acha kaam kiya hai to vo ghabra kyu rahe hain? (I want to ask PM Modi that if he has taken a decision which is so good why is he scared?) I urge President to summon Modi and ask him to take measures to solve the problems faced by people post demonetisation move," Mayawati told the media after Lok Sabha got its first adjournment of the day.

Alleging that it sends a wrong message if prime minister keeps shying away from a debate, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday that a debate is a must because otherwise the BJP government looks like it has done something wrong. "Puri daal kali lag rahi hai."

If PM has done this great thing, why is he scared to face Opposition: Mayawati

Proceedings was continuously disrupted as Opposition leaders raised loud slogans against the BJP government. Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu urges Speaker Sumitra Mahajan not to adjourn the Lower House. "The debate has begun, madam Speaker. Please let the debate happen. The world is watching what Congress and the Oppostion is doing inside the House," Naidu said.

The protesting MPs, for the past half an hour, have continously made noise and tried to disrupt the Lok Sabha proceedings. Speaker Mahajan still holding solid ground.

Opposition members are trying their best to disrupt the proceedings, but BJP MPs (MJ Akbar, Jitendra Singh) are holding their ground and not giving in to the awful noise that the protesting MPs are making.

 Samajwadi Party's Akshay Yadav tore paper and threw it at Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in the Lok Sabha. This is definitely a new low for Opposition parties in the Parliament.

"I am very sorry that the RBI has been exposed to this kind of criticism which is fully justified," he added.

"It is not good that every day, the banking system comes up with some modifications. That reflects very poorly on the prime minister's office," he said.

"The national income can decline by about 2 percentage points...I feel that the prime minister must come up with some constructive proposal," said the former prime minister.

"In my opinion, the way demonetisation has been implemented will hurt agriculture, small industries and the people in the informal sector," he said.

"I want to know from the prime minister the names of countries where people have deposited their money in banks but are not allowed to withdraw it," he said.

"What has been done can weaken and erode our people's confidence in the currency and banking system," said Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.

"I say so with all responsibility that we do not know what will be the full outcome," he said. "50 days is a short period but for those who are poor, even 50 days can bring about disastrous effects. About 60-65 people have lost their lives," he said.

"Today, there are no two opinions in the country. It is important to take note of the grievances of the common people who have suffered," said Manmohan Singh.

"In the process of demonetisation, monumental mismanagement has taken place," he said.

"I do not disagree with the objectives of taking steps against terroism and black money," said former prime minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.

"By the day, the damage to the economy is increasing. Today, reports have come which have said that in three sectors that are biggest in exports, 4 lakh people have lost their jobs in the last one week or so," Sitaram Yechury said.

Served notice for moving motion of contempt against PM for not showing up in RS: Yechury

Addressing the Upper House, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said how can the prime minister say something like this? "How can the prime minister allege that Opposition parties are in favour of black money? This is wrong."

Within minutes after the Rajya Sabha began today, the opposition members were up in arms protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that those cirticising the government are not angry with the government's preparedness but the fact that they did not get time to prepare.

Slamming the prime minister for his statements on black money hoarders and his veiled attack against the Opposition, the leaders of Congress and SP and BSP created ruckus in the Upper House and demanded that Modi should address the MPs and apologise for his remarks.

"I'm sure many of us have read analysis of noted economist Lawrence Summers, former chief economist of the World Bank and advisor to Obama government who concludes that this exercise has "resulted in chaos and loss of trust" and "without new measures, is unlikely to have lasting benefits. Don't you think it is high time and right time to form a committee of our real experts and intellectuals like Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Subramanian Swamy and other top economists and intellectuals of our party and veteran Murli Manohar Joshi to help the government in this hour?"

In a series of tweets on Friday, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, reiterating his faith in PM Modi's intention, said, "However, I have serious concerns about the outcome, fallout and responses of the people of India and the almost united opposition in particular."

Seventh day of Winter Session and looks like this week business will take a massive hit due to ongoing protests by the Opposition

As Opposition din did not die down even after many requests by the Speaker, Mahajan adjourned the Lok Sabha till Monday (28 November) 11 am.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that a man  Rakesh Singh  tried to jump in the Lok Sabha off the audience gallery on Friday after the House was adjourned. "Security officials overpowered him and took him under custody and he has been let off with warning," Mahajan added.

Taking the nation by surprise, the Prime Minister had on November 8 announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes with effect from midnight.

Latching on to media reports, Yechury sought to pick holes in the November 8 decision as he noted that 29 crore out of the 30 crore Rupay card holders have never used their cards in a swipe machine. Referring to a report on surfacing of two variants of Rs 500 currency notes, the Marxist leader also took a dig at Modi, saying it was the "Prime Minister's way" of stopping circulation of fake currency.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, dubbing him as 'Tughlaq' who had "gone missing" after issuing a farman (order). "Barely 20-25 percent of cash demand being met in Metros. Rural areas even worse. While Tughlaq goes missing after his firman," Yechury tweeted.

Will government's wait-and-watch technique, as far as Opposition's protests are concerned, work out in their favour? Most political observers say no because the government does not have the luxury of time. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders are still not relenting with their demand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in Parliament.

Opposition leaders met before Parliament session commences for the tenth day. However, the worry again is will the Opposition let the Parliament function? Winter Session will go on for 22 sittings - 50 percent of the sittings are already over - the Upper House and the Lok Sabha have still not been able to table crucial bills.

Zero Hour begins with ruling-opposition bickering. As Venkaiah Naidu argues against the Opposition, protesting MPs raised slogans against the prime minister.

"Start the debate! You want the debate, start the debate, Prime Minister Narnendra Modi will come," says Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien.

"Why is the BJP government so stubborn? Why is the prime minister not coming to debate?" Mayawati asks.

In Samba, security forces killed two militants early on Tuesday when a group of militants tried to sneak in from Pakistan through the International Border near a border outpost in this Jammu district. According to reports, the two militants were killed following a "heavy firing exchange" with the BSF.

Even as terrorists infiltrated the International Border and attacked two - Nagrota and Samba - districts of Jammu and Kashmir, there was no talk of that in Parliament. The attack in Nagrota reportedly started around 5.30 am with militants firing at a field regiment camp located in the garrison town of Nagrota near the headquarter's of army's 16 corps in the state.

Demonetisation has been the reason for Parliament washouts over ten days now since Winter Session began on 16 November. Interestingly, Parliament has not discussed anything else except note ban imposed by the Narendra Modi government since the Winter Session began.

Sumitra Mahajan tells two warring factions in Lok Sabha to start the debate. "I am ready, please start the debate."

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am until 1 December as opposition storms the well of the House regarding Nagrota Attack.

TMC leader slammed the BJP government for deploying Army in West Bengal. Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu told Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien that the deployment was a routine exercise and casting aspersions on the prime minister is not acceptable.

Opposition members are protesting against the ruling government in the Lower House. Rajya Sabha has already been adjourned.

Opposition: Modiji says he wants the poor to build their own homes, but what about those homes which are being broken?

Opposition members raise slogans and stall Rajya Sabha again. Debates not allowed and Chairman of Upper House Hamid Ansari quietly and hopelessly looks around.

If one had to compare, Rajya Sabha gets adjourned way faster and sooner than the Lower House.

Unrelenting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continues to let MPs speak on different issues while a group of MPs continue to try to disrupt Lok Sabha. But since Winter Session has begun (16 November) members who are against the demonetisation drive have tried, and sometimes successfully, to stall Parliament.

"These photos on the walls of the Rajya Sabha, from where emanates the power of democracy, often haunt me. It has been particularly difficult these last few days to get past those photos.Till 1 December (15th day since the commencement of the Winter Session) no business has been allowed to occur in the House except on the first day when a good debate took place in the Rajya Sabha over demonetisation. Regular disruptions, chaos and high-pitched slogan shouting have resulted in complete pandemonium in the House. The continuous ruckus usually leads to the suspension of the House proceedings and, sadly, it has become a regular feature. I ask myself: is this the only alternative left to us to address the genuine grievances of the public, the states and the nation?"

"He (the prime minister) must answer our questions. India's image has been damaged globally," he said.

"Today, the situation is that the withdrawals of the foreigners who come to India are being rationed," he said. "This has globally affected India's image," he added.

"Demonetisation created a situation that 86 percent of the currency was invalidated. Now, after one month, tens of millions of Indians are standing in queues...It is wrong to give an impression that the Opposition is opposing the prime minister's crusade against black money," Sharma said.

"The government has collective responsibility but the prime minister is the first among the equals," said Congress leader Anand Sharma in Rajya Sabha.

"In the 2G debates, we have insisted that the prime minister participates in this discussions but there is no such practice in this House that the prime minister must be here to listen to each and every member," Jaitley said.

"What is the stage we are in? Halfway through the debate, you interrupted the debate and are now raising concerns which have never been raised in the House," he told the Opposition.

"In this case, we've repeatedly said that the prime minister is going to participate in the debate," Jaitley said.

"It's obviously an important issue. The questions have to be answered," he said. "The government and the council of ministers fucntions on a collective responsibility. There is no such principle that a specific person has to answer."

"We've gone through this exercise of having a major debate which is incomplete. We have spent seven hours on the debate under rule 167," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha.

When asked what does the Opposition want, Rahul said, "He should come and debate in Parliament and explain his decision," he said.

Targetting the Prime Minister over the issue of note ban, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP government saying that the decision to scrap high denomination currency was the biggest mistake ever. "It was a bold decision - that's what Modi ji says - but bold decisions are also foolish decisions. Demonetisation was a foolish decision. Our farmers, fishermen and the poor of the society are dying, our Prime Minister does not care for any of that. He (PM Modi) is laughing and having a nice time while the people of the country are suffering. The idea behind cashless economy is that a few people and corporates will get maximum benefits from these transactions. This has damaged the nation."

Today, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched a full frontal attack on the prime minister and an united Opposition on Thursday observed Black Day to mark one month since the demonetisation scheme kicked in.

8 November was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. It's been a month since then and the Opposition protests have gone on unabated - both in and outside Parliament.

"It is a matter of shame that the government refused to pay tributes to the martyrs," Azad thundered, provoking the ruling party ministers and MPs, who began shouting as if Azad had just thrown something at them.

He also said that by protesting in front of the Gandhi statue, the Opposition was the one which paid tributes to the deceased.

"We have been saying for a long time that over 100 people have died because of demonetisation," said Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha. "But the government refused to pay tribute to the deceased," he added.

It is a matter of shame that govt refuses to pay tributes to people killed due to demonetisation: Congress in RS

President Pranab Mukherjee has accused the Opposition of "gagging majority" in both Houses of Parliament. "Debate, dissension and decision are necessary," Times Now quoted the President as saying. "The Parliament must not be disrupted...this is unacceptable."

Has the Winter Session turned out to be a complete waste of time? Read the full article here .

The Winter Session of Parliament began on 16 November. On 8 December, both the Houses  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha  met for the 14th day but within minutes of commencing, both the Houses were adjourned. The deadlock over demonetisation has led to wastage of the Winter Session so far and considering that just one more week is left for the session to wrap up, there is little hope that the Houses will be able to pass, introduce or even debate the Bills that have been listed for consideration.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Venakaiah Naidu also termed the 'dharna' by opposition leaders near the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises as a big 'tamasha' and an insult to the Father of the Nation. "Our opponents particularly the Congress I am told are observing a Black Day. I say what they are observing is a 'Black Money Support Day'," Naidu said.

Hitting out at the Congress-led Opposition for observing a 'Black Day' against demonetisation decision, government on Thursday said they are actually observing a "Black Money Support Day".

According to Times Now, the parliamentary panel has found Mann guilty of security breach after he filmed a video entering Parliament by crossing several security layers and posted it on social media.

 As if the logjam in Parliament  for which President Pranab Mukherjee admonished both Houses  was not embarrassing enough for the country, there is now a delegation of parliamentarians from Vietnam who are going to witness what happens in an Indian Parliament.

"Govt running from debate, if they allow me to speak then you will see what an earthquake will come," says Rahul Gandhi.

Keep in mind that Vietnamese Parliamentarians are in both the Houses to witness this scene.

It's hard to decide at this point who is trying to stall Parliament. During zero hour in Lok Sabha, MPs in Lok Sabha kept raising ruckus while Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tries her best to keep the House in session.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 14 December On Friday as the count of members in the Upper House remained 21 despite calls from the Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, the house was adjourned till Monday. The benches remained empty while BJP and Congress leaders sparred with each other blaming each other for the non-functioning government.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with key ministers before Parliament convenes on Wednesday morning to decide their strategy," the report said.

According to an NDTV report Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that Prime Minister Modi will be present in Parliament for the three remaining days of the Session and can participate in proceedings for either of the House depending on the need.

Congress is going to raise the issue of corruption charges against Kiren Rijiju. Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader, Anand Sharma has given notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha for discussion on corruption charges against Rijiju.

Comparison of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 and new amendments

"This is the first time that the government is scheming to make sure Parliament does not function. It usually is the job of Opposition to stand up and protest. However, this government is doing a pretty job of that and making sure that Parliament does not work and no one questions the ruling party's decision. Demonetisation has hurt a lot of people, but Modi government's arrogance is not allowing us to debate it in the House," a TMC member said.

BJP was reacting to Congress vice-president's claim that he has information of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged involvement in "personal corruption." Rahul was speaking a joint press briefing of the Opposition after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid din created by Opposition.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar said that if Rahul Gandhi had any information, he could have revealed them twenty days ago, ""but till today he wasn't ready to make any earth-shattering revelations."

Soon after Rajya Sabha passed the amended The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill (2014) and Kurien congratulated the members over a productive day, Anand Sharma raised the issue of Rijiju and his alleged involvement in the Rs 450-crore scam. Kurien tried to maintain calm in the House by saying, "Allegation without informing the Chair cannot be allowed."

As Opposition members raised slogans and ruckus, Kurien said, "What can I do except adjourning. Both sides are indisciplined. The House is adourned till tomorrow (15 December) 11 am."

It seemed like the members in the Upper House were just waiting to pass one single Bill this Winter Session. Soon after Kurien praised the members of the Upper House for being disciplined, ruckus over alleged corruption allegations on Kiren Rijiju took the House by storm again.

Kurien: "I have given the floor to Leader of Opposition. That's the tradition. Let's follow it. Please sit down."

Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi object to leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad speaking in the Upper House. Kurien asks BJP members to sit down. Amid slogans of "Agusta Agusta" , BJP leaders demanded to know what is the topic of discussion?

"I have to adjourn.. what should I do?" asks Kurien. "This is for the first time in history of India that it's the ruling party that's not letting the House to function," says Azad.

Helpless deputy chairman PJ Kurien begs for MPs to sit down as Congress and BJP leaders spar over Ghulam Nabi Azad's speech on demonetisation.

Sources said that it was also decided in the meeting to raise the plight of farmers and common people in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and demand a loan waiver for farmers. Representatives of Congress, Trinamool Congress, BSP, SP, JD-U, CPI, CPI-M, NCP, DMK and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were present in today's meeting.

Leaders of various parties said the entire opposition has decided to approach the President to "complain" against the ruling party for not allowing them to speak in Parliament. The leaders said they were elected representatives of the country and had every right to speak in Parliament and it was "unconstitutional" not to allow them to speak in both Houses. Sources said time is being sought from the President till Friday and all opposition parties were ready to raise the issue unitedly before him.

Taking their protest on demonetisation to President Pranab Mukherjee's doorsteps, Opposition parties sought a meeting with the president to convey the problems caused by the measure to the common man and "over not being" allowed to speak in Parliament. At a meeting of the opposition held in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, representatives of various parties decided to raise with the President the problems of the common people, including the poor and farmers arising out of demonetisation.

Advani also added that "had Atal ji been in Parliament today, he would have been upset."

Senior BJP leader LK Advani told Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene and stop disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Expressing his unhappiness, Advani allegedly said that he "feels like resigning".

Opposition leaders are scheduled to meet the President and PM Modi to push for a way to break the deadlock.

The BJPs Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the strategy to counter the Oppositions charges against the government is currently underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the gathering.

The last day of the Winter Session of Parliament is setup for a big tussle between the government and the Opposition as both try to break the deadlock.

"Regular and continuous disruptions signify this session... The rules about displaying placards and shouting slogans were ignored by all sections of the house," Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari said in his closing statement before adjourning the house.

The Rajya Sabha on Friday concluded its winter session after an emotional speech by the Chairman as the house was adjourned sine die.

On the eve of Winter Session, two all-party meetings were convened, first by the ruling NDA and the other by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. At the all-party meeting Modi requested all parties for cooperation in order to make Parliament session a fruitful one.

"I hope that Winter Session will be fruitful. I expect that Winter Session will proceed in a positive way. I hope that Winter Session debate will strengthen democracy. I believe that to take the country ahead this Winter Session debate will be useful, " said Modi as Winter Session sets to begin.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said govt should should respect Opposition and create an atmosphere for healthy debate during Parliament Winter Session.

"If you will put their husbands in jail, who will provide for them, who will pay for their children," Azad asked as he reiterated that Congress leader Anad Sharma's suggestion to send it to Standing Committee should be taken into consideration.

Ghulam Nabi Azad stood up as the bill was taken up for discussion and said that none of the parties are in opposition of the bill in essence. However, he said that the government's bill will "finish Muslim women" instead of saving them.

He said that a committee should reflect the nature of the House, which the list of suggestions given by Sharma does not. Sharma's suggestion did not include names from the BJP.

Jaitley said that the previous precedents show that any amendments or motions should be introduced with prior notice. He said that the Opposition's demand to send the bill to Select Committee was invalid. He also raised objection on the suggestion on members of Select Committee made by Anand Sharma.

Kurien said that the Leader of the House is a very learned advocate himself and all points raised by him are of relevance. The rule he quotes that a prior notice should be given is also correct, he said. "However, the same rule adds that the Chairman has the power to admit such a motion and which is why I cannot overrule it. It is now admitted and hence is the property of the House, only members can amend it," Kurien said on Jaitley's objection over the Opposition motion seeking triple talaq bill be sent to Standing Committee.

Roy, responding to Jaitley's objection that the Select Committee suggested by him did not reflect the nature of the House, Roy said that he had included members from all parties who were willing to send the bill to the Standing Committee. However, BJP members were not included because the government was not willing to send the bill to the committee. Roy added that if the BJP is interested in sending the Bill for further scrutiny, he has no objection to ammend the list to include its members too.

Govt requests to take up GST bill first as Dy Chairman ruled Triple Talaq bill can't be taken for passage without first building consensus in House

"If you will put their husbands in jail, who will provide for them, who will pay for their children," Azad asked as he reiterated that Congress leader Anad Sharma's suggestion to send it to Standing Committee should be taken into consideration.

Ghulam Nabi Azad stood up as the bill was taken up for discussion and said that none of the parties are in opposition of the bill in essence. However, he said that the government's bill will "finish Muslim women" instead of saving them.

He said that a committee should reflect the nature of the House, which the list of suggestions given by Sharma does not. Sharma's suggestion did not include names from the BJP.

Jaitley said that the previous precedents show that any amendments or motions should be introduced with prior notice. He said that the Opposition's demand to send the bill to Select Committee was invalid. He also raised objection on the suggestion on members of Select Committee made by Anand Sharma.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha after opposition's motion on #TripleTalaqBill , opposition has demanded the bill be sent to select committee

Kurien said that the Leader of the House is a very learned advocate himself and all points raised by him are of relevance. The rule he quotes that a prior notice should be given is also correct, he said. "However, the same rule adds that the Chairman has the power to admit such a motion and which is why I cannot overrule it. It is now admitted and hence is the property of the House, only members can amend it," Kurien said on Jaitley's objection over the Opposition motion seeking triple talaq bill be sent to Standing Committee.

Roy, responding to Jaitley's objection that the Select Committee suggested by him did not reflect the nature of the House, Roy said that he had included members from all parties who were willing to send the bill to the Standing Committee. However, BJP members were not included because the government was not willing to send the bill to the committee. Roy added that if the BJP is interested in sending the Bill for further scrutiny, he has no objection to ammend the list to include its members too.

Govt requests to take up GST bill first as Dy Chairman ruled Triple Talaq bill can't be taken for passage without first building consensus in House

New Delhi: Parliament again failed to transact any business as the opposition parties on Wednesday created uproar demanding obituary references to the soldiers killed in terror attack in Nagrota on Tuesday as well as those who died due to harassment after demonetisation.

In the Lok Sabha, the demand was rejected by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who said the operation in Nagrota was still underway and obituary reference can be made only after it is over. In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was ready for a discussion on the terror attack along with that on demonetisation issue.

However, there was uproar in both the Houses, leading to repeated adjournments. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day just minutes before 1 pm while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned at around 2.15 pm. Earlier, as soon as the Upper House met for the day, Opposition led by Congress and Trinamool Congress raised the demand for obituary reference over the killing of 25 armymen since the surgical strikes on September 29 and the "death of 82 people" due to post-demonetisation hardships.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said there should be an obituary reference for the seven army personnel including two officers killed in terrorist attack at Nagrota armybase near Jammu on Tuesday as well as for the 82 people who died because of the "wrong policies of government."

As other opposition members joined in, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien got listed papers to be laid on the table. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool) said he had given a notice under rule 267 for an obituary resolution to mourn the martyrdom of 25 army personnel since the surgical strikes across the LoC, and the death of 82 people standing in queues io get valid currency after the ban on 500 and 1000 rupee notes. Kurien, however, said the notice is not permitted.

"It is a serious issue if the House is not ready to pay homage to brave soldiers and those who died because of the wrong policies" of the government, Azad said. Charging government with being insensitive, Mayawati (BSP) said demonetisation was done without preparation and a condolence message has to be brought before the House.

Jaitley said the government was ready for discussion on both the issues mentioned by the Opposition. While the discussion on demonetisation should be resumed, the government is ready for a discussion on the situation along the border, he said.

When Sharad Yadav (JD(U) also spoke on the currency issue, Jaitley snapped at him asking him to first discuss demonetisation within his party and decide if it is against the move or for it. His remark was apparent reference to JD-U Chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supporting demonetisation.

Yadav shot back, saying his party was not against demonetisation but against the restrictions that have been placed on withdrawals. Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) demanded that the government should pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of all those who lost their lives due to hardship caused by demonetisation.

The Opposition members then trooped into the Well. Kurien said the government is ready for discussion on both the issues and they should decide which of the two should be discussed first.

But Opposition members continued to shout slogans. With his pleas going unheeded, Kurien adjourned the proceedings till noon. When the House met again, Chairman Hamid Ansari called for Question Hour to be taken up, but the Opposition members were again on their feet raising objections.

Soon the members of Congress, TMC, Left, SP, BSP and DMK stood in the aisles and started raising slogans. Later, when they raised slogans of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" the treasury bench members too joined them in shouting the same slogan.

"There is total agreement in the House," the Chairman commented sarcastically and wondered why the House was not being allowed to run. As the din continued, Ansari adjourned the House till 2 pm. When the House reassembled, protests continued as Opposition members kept on raising their demands.

Azad demanded a statement from the Defence Minister on the Nagrota attack. "Defence Minister should come and give the statement. When such a big incident has happened...We want to know the status," the Leader of Opposition said.

To which, Naqvi said, "The Operations are still on. We will give reply at an appropriate time." The Chair also said that the issue can be debated later. "Where the country is one, all MPs are one. ...What the Minister said is that the operation is going on. After that, information will be shared. We can have debate later," the the Deputy Chairman said.

Congress member Rajiv Shukla said, "Many of our soldiers have died. Many have died standing in queue after demonetisation. We need to offer condolences to both in this House."

Pramod Tiwari (Cong) said the House has tradition of offering condolences and it should do first. "Modi government's policies has been such that they is threat to our border security," he said but did not elaborate.

To this, Deputy Chairman said, "With regard to obituary, we will do at an appropriate time." Amid noisy scenes, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Our soldiers are fighting against enemies. We must be sensitive and united in our approach. Otherwise, it will give wrong message." Amid din, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said, "We want the debate (on demonetisation which was initiated on November 16) to continue but the Prime Minister is speaking outside Parliament and painting all political parties in poor light. He should apologise."

CPI (M) member T K Rangarajan said, "....the government is spreading rumour that bandh was failure. The government should apologise."

Trying to convince the Opposition, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the armymen are fighting at borders and they are still on job. "We are ready for debate on this issue," he said. But the unrelenting Opposition MPs assembled near the Chairman's podium, raising slogans "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan."

The Chair expressed happiness over MPs shouting "at least acceptable slogans". Naqvi said, "We welcome your slogans but come for discussion." As slogan-shouting continued, the Chair warned the Opposition members that he would adjourn the House.

As the pleas for order went unheeded and Opposition members continued raising slogans demanding resignation of the Defence Minister, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

The Lok Sabha also saw uproar over the obituary issue after Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge raised it as soon as the House met for the day. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan initially thought he was raising the issue of allowing the Opposition to bring an Adjournment Motion on demonetisation.

When Kharge clarified that he wanted an obituary reference in the memory of the soldiers killed, she said she had no problems in bringing the reference but the details were still pouring in as combing operations were still on.

She said she was aware that seven soldiers have been killed but let the complete report come. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House as it was the day when questions for the Prime Minister's Office are slated to be raised. But as Kharge was persistent, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said issues of national security should not be brought into controversy.

Most opposition members, including those from Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left, RJD then staged a walkout. The Speaker said it was sad that the Opposition had raised the issue like this.

As the House took up the first question for the day during Question Hour, the Opposition members returned and rushed to the Well demanding Adjournment Motion on demonetisation issue.

The Speaker then adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Later, Kharge and Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyay expressed regret over the development but blamed the government for its inputs to the Speaker on the matter, a contention Mahajan rejected saying the government had no role in it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar attacked the Opposition over the matter, saying they should not do politics over martyrdom of soldiers, drawing protests from the Opposition benches.

Turning to demonetisation, the Opposition said it is ready for a debate under any rule that entails voting but the government refused to budge from its stand against division of votes. This led to frequent adjournments.

Leaders of several Opposition parties, including Kharge and Bandhopadhyay, expressed willingness to withdraw their demand that the debate be held under Rule 56, which deals with an Adjournment Motion, but said the government also should not insist on debate under Rule 193 which does not entail voting.

BJD also sided with the Opposition and rejected the government's contention with its leader Bhartruhari Mahtab saying the division of votes was not on black money but the hardships facing people and states following the decision.

Kharge asked the Speaker to decide on any rule that involves discussion and voting.

"We are ready. We are not running away from debate," he said, drawing support from Bandopadhyay.

Ananth Kumar said the people stood with the Narendra Modi government on its action against black money and a divided message should not go out of Parliament on the issue.

It should not appear that Parliament is against the measures being taken against black money, he said.

Taking a dig at the government, Mahtab wondered who is dividing Parliament. He said it is neither the Leader of Opposition, nor the Trinamool leader.

He said the Opposition was demanding a discussion on the predicament people are facing after demonetisation, with every citizen, every state going through hardships.

Jaitley said if the debate is about hardships facing people, then there is no need for division of votes and the debate should start immediately.

Mahajan suggested that a debate should begin in the Zero Hour and Parliament will try to find "something out of the zero" as both sides are divide on rules.

However, the Opposition members trooped into the Well as it became clear that the government was not agreeable to their demand. The Speaker said it was clear that the Opposition did not want a discussion and she adjourned the House till 1245 hours. Before adjourning the House, the Speaker took up Zero Hour asking members to raise issues of national importance. However, nothing was audbile in the din.

When the proceedings resumed, the Opposition again raised the demand for discussion to be held under rules which entails voting. Mahajan said she had given one chance to the Opposition and was ready to allow them to proceed with the debate. However, the dissatisfied Opposition members stormed into the Well again and amidst continued sloganeering, the House was adjourned for the day.
Aleppo: The UN has condemned the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians in Aleppo, with the Red Cross saying nearly 20,000 people have fled a Syrian government offensive on the city in three days.

Diplomats said the UN Security Council would hold an emergency meeting Wednesday in New York on the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where the army has captured a third of opposition-controlled east in recent days.

The fighting has prompted an exodus of terrified civilians, many fleeing empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossing into government-controlled west Aleppo or Kurdish districts.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

ICRC spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said the figure was an estimate and the situation remained fluid as "people are fleeing in different directions".

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

World Food Programme spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said civilians were enduring a "slow motion descent into hell".

The French UN ambassador Francois Delattre said "France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II".

Government forces have advanced swiftly in their two-week operation, capturing all of the city's northeast in a major blow to the opposition.

Sleeping in streets

The loss of their east Aleppo stronghold would be the worst defeat for rebels since Syria's conflict erupted more than five years ago.

The opposition has steadily lost territory in recent months to government forces bolstered by a Russian military intervention since September 2015.

Moscow says it is not involved in the Aleppo offensive, but a Russian defence ministry spokesman said Syrian government forces had seized "nearly half the territory occupied by rebels in east Aleppo in recent years".

"The careful and long-planned operations by the Syrian army have radically changed the situation over the past 24 hours," said General Igor Konashenkov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his government to set up mobile field hospitals around Aleppo, the Kremlin said.

A hospital able to serve up to 250 patients a day will be sent to the Aleppo region on Wednesday morning, reports in Russia said.

More than 250 civilians have been killed in the government's assault on east Aleppo since November 15, including nearly 30 children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The monitor said at least 10 civilians were killed in a strike in the Bab al-Nayrab district Tuesday and reported ongoing clashes in the Shaar and Tariq al-Bab neighbourhoods.

The Observatory said the civilian exodus continued Tuesday from neighbourhoods now on the front line.

An AFP correspondent said families were forced to sleep in the streets or in unfurnished apartments left empty by fleeing residents.

Rights group Amnesty International urged Syrian authorities to protect civilians in recaptured areas.

"Given the Syrian government's long and dark history of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances on a mass scale, it is even more crucial that civilians are protected in newly captured areas of Aleppo city," said Samah Hadid, Amnesty's deputy director for campaigns in Beirut.

Children 'sitting targets'

Save the Children warned the assault was separating families and leaving thousands, including children, homeless and at risk.

"With so many people trapped in an ever-shrinking space, children can be little more than sitting targets for bombs," said Syria director Sonia Khush.

On the ground, residents expressed despair and uncertainty for the future, after months of food shortages and heavy bombardment.

Syria's conflict has killed more than 300,000 people and drawn in world powers including a US-led air coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

After a six-week probe, the Pentagon said intelligence errors resulted in a coalition strike that reportedly killed about 90 Syrian government forces in eastern Deir Ezzor in September.

Also Tuesday, at least 1,200 including rebels and their relatives were evacuated from a rebel stronghold near Damascus to the northwest province of Idlib, the Observatory and aid workers said.

Leaders in Khan al-Shih struck a deal with Damascus that would see their town brought back under regime control in exchange for an end to a government siege.

France and Britain, meanwhile, said they would submit to the UN Security Council a resolution for sanctions against Damascus for using chemical weapons.

A joint investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found regime forces used toxic weapons in 2014 and 2015.

And the Turkish army said two of its soldiers were missing in Syria, where it is fighting IS, after the Amaq news agency affiliated with the jihadist group claimed it had taken the pair hostage.
Dhaka: At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

"The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher."

The Myanmar army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, forcing some 30,000 people to flee their homes.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop the Rohingya from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country.

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police posts last month.

Foreign journalists and independent investigators have been banned from accessing the area to probe the claims.

On Tuesday, the UN rights agency said Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.

Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

"We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said.
London: CIA director John Brennan warned US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday that tearing up the Iran nuclear deal, as promised by him during his election campaign, would be "disastrous".

"I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement," Brennan told the BBC, adding, "It would be disastrous, it really would."

He said it would be "almost unprecedented" for one administration to tear up an agreement made by a previous one.

Brennan warned "it could lead to a weapons programme inside Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programmes, with military conflict".

Since his election, Trump has been more circumspect, not publicly discussing the international deal with Tehran aimed at preventing the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons.

But his pick to succeed Brennan as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo, is a strident critic of the agreement.

In the BBC interview, Brennan also expressed hope there would be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow.

But he warned, "I think Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is they had pledged."

Trump had said he might authorise the torture of detainees, including waterboarding, to gain information, but has since said he had received advice that made him rethink his approach. "I would counsel my successor not to go down that road any more," Brennan said.

"Without a doubt, the CIA really took some body blows as a result of its experiences in the detention interrogation programme. I think the overwhelming majority of CIA officers would not want to get back into that business," he added.
By Andrea Shalal

| BERLIN

BERLIN Top NATO and European military officials called in Berlin on Wednesday for more military spending to deal with threats to Europe and said that would help address concerns raised by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.During his election campaign, Trump questioned whether the United States should protect allies seen as spending too little on their defence, raising fears he could withdraw funding for NATO at a time of heightened tensions with Russia.In Brussels on Wednesday, the European Union unveiled its biggest defence funding and research plan in more than a decade to reverse billions in cuts and demonstrate that it wants to pay for its own security. "The best answer to Mr. Trump is to prove that he's wrong, to prove that Europe is strong enough to defend itself," French Admiral Philippe Coindreau, vice chief of defence staff, said during a panel discussion at the Berlin Security Conference."I think European nations should increase their defence budgets."

Trump's comments have unsettled many in Europe. But NATO said he spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this month and they agreed on the "enduring importance" of the Western alliance.Trump has also spoken twice with British Prime Minister Theresa May and touched on the importance of NATO for European and U.S. security, Peter Watkins, director of general security policy for the British Ministry of Defence, told the conference.

Watkins said he was "pretty confident" that Trump would make a clear statement about his commitment to the NATO alliance.Czech General Petr Pavel, who heads the NATO military committee, said U.S. demands for higher military spending were nothing new. Pavel said it was more important to focus on tangible improvements in military capabilities than fixate on the 2 percent target, which he said was "too far and too big" for many NATO members to meet anytime soon.

NATO's European members cut defence spending to historic lows after the break-up of the Soviet Union a quarter of a century ago, leaving the United States to make up around three-quarters of the alliance's military expenditure.Spending has increased in recent years after Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine, the growing threat of Islamist attacks and large migrant flows. However, only Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia meet a NATO goal of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defence. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
United Nations: India has said that dialogue is the only viable option for a durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue, as it voiced concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region.

"Regrettably, the security situation continues to deteriorate. The imperative need is of restraint and moderation," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Tanmaya Lal said on Tuesday at the General Assembly annual debate on the 'Question of Palestine'.

Lal said India firmly believes that dialogue is the only viable option in the search for a just, durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue.

"We hope that both sides will demonstrate the necessary political will to return to the negotiations," he said, adding that New Delhi is hopeful of the early resumption of a peaceful dialogue between the two sides.

He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in which he reiterated India's support for the cause of Palestine and solidarity with the Palestinian people for their struggle for a sovereign, independent state living side by side and at peace with Israel.

Lal said Modi reaffirmed Indias continued support to the development and nation-building efforts of Palestine by extending technical and financial assistance.

India recently enhanced its contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to USD 1.25 million.

India also contributed USD four million to the National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, with the Indian government helping set up two vocational training centers in Yatta and Hebron.
New York: Donald Trump dined Tuesday at one of New York's swankiest restaurants with Mitt Romney, his erstwhile foe turned potential frontrunner in the race to become America's next secretary of state.

The dinner came as the president-elect got a shot in the arm by a manufacturing company announcing a deal to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in the Rust Belt and as the New York billionaire prepared to switch his attentions from job interviews to a post-election victory tour.

The choice of Jean-Georges, a three-starred Michelin restaurant overlooking Central Park run by celebrity French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and popular with New York high society, was the clearest indication yet that Trump may select Romney as his chief diplomat.

After the dinner, Romney offered words of praise for Trump that contrasted sharply with his past criticisms, saying he had been "impressed" by his acceptance speech and subsequent preparations for office, calling it "a wonderful evening."

"I think you're going to see America continue to lead the world in this century," Romney told reporters, saying he had "increasing hope that president-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future."

The brash real estate tycoon and the former Republican nominee who lost the 2012 election to Barack Obama were joined by Trump's incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus in full view of other diners, who included CNN's senior White House correspondent.

In a restaurant where dinner starts at $148 a head, the Trump team said they feasted on garlic soup with thyme, sauteed frog legs and scallops with caramelised cauliflower and a caper-raisin emulsion.

For their main course, both the president-elect and Priebus opted for prime sirloin with a citrus glaze and carrots, and Romney for lamb chops with the mushroom bolognese sauce. All three had chocolate cake.

Asked by a reporter briefly allowed to observe the meal whether it was going well, the president-elect flashed a thumbs up.

Mnuchin touted

It was the second face-to-face meeting in 10 days between Trump and the 69-year-old former Massachusetts governor, who savaged him as a "conman" and a "fraud" during the election campaign.

Trump's secretary of state will be America's public face to the world who could face the delicate task of reassuring foreign allies alarmed by the president-elect's rhetoric on the campaign trail.

Other key posts yet to be announced are the secretaries of defense and treasury  for which US media reported that Trump was expected to name former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin.

But the search for the right diplomat has proved contentious with some of Trump's inner circle horrified at the prospect of rewarding such a prominent critic with such a plum job.

Romney's distrust of Russia  at odds with a president-elect who has spoken admiringly of Vladimir Putin  and the respect he generally commands have been touted as qualities by establishment Americans.

It remains unclear how influential the secretary of state would be on crafting foreign policy with Trump loyalist and retired general Michael Flynn already nominated as national security adviser.

Besides Romney, other potential candidates are celebrated general yet scandal-clad former CIA director David Petraeus, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump met Corker, 64, who said that he thought Trump had narrowed the choice "to a very small group of people" and it was important that he selects somebody on the same wavelength.

Petraeus, who met the president-elect on Monday, has by far the most foreign policy experience, but he was forced to resign from the CIA after showing classified material to his mistress Paula Broadwell.

In 2015, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified materials, and was put on probation and fined $100,000.

Jobs to stay

Helping Trump claim success on his election pledge to save American jobs from going overseas, Indiana air-conditioning company, Carrier Corp, announced that it had reached a deal with Trump and vice president-elect Mike Pence "to keep close to 1,000 jobs."

Trump had tweeted on America's Thanksgiving holiday last week that he was seeking to persuade the company to stay in the United States.

The New York Times reported that Trump and Pence plan to appear at the company's Indianapolis plant on Thursday to announce they have struck a deal after the company had threatened to move 2,000 jobs to Mexico.

The same day, both Trump and Pence are also scheduled to lead a post-election rally in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The evening event at the home of the Cincinnati Cyclones, with a maximum capacity of more than 17,000, is expected to be similar to those that drew enthusiastic crowds of thousands during the campaign.

The transition team has dubbed it a "thank you tour."
This article is the first in a series on key members of US President-elect Donald Trumps national security team. You can read the second and third parts of the series here and here respectively.

As South Asia heaves a sigh of relief at the first smooth transition of power in Rawalpindi this week in 20 years, the ascent of two former general officers of the United States army to senior positions in the Trump administration will prove more consequential in the global fight against Islamist terrorism in the years to come.

The President-elect has already confirmed that Lieutenant General Michael Flynn will serve as the next National Security Advisor. It also looks increasingly certain  pending Congressional waiver and confirmation  that General James Mattis will serve as Trumps Secretary of Defence. Both Flynn and Mattis came to age professionally fighting in what journalist Jason Burke called the 9/11 wars  the 2001 and 2003 invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq (respectively), and the many sub-conventional conflicts there and since.

Mattis is seen as the archetypal scholar-general, known to assign hundreds of pages of readings each week to soldiers assigned to his command. Flynn  whose last government service was as the Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency  is being increasingly painted as a real-life Colonel Kurtz from the cult film Apocalypse Now: A once-brilliant officer who has now become right-wing nutty, in the words of Colin Powell, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and George W Bush's Secretary of State.

Beyond these perception differences, both mens worldviews have been shaped by their careers fighting shadowy, slippery wars against adversaries who do not don state-issued insignia. These wars have been fought using a combination of covert operations and counter-urban guerrilla tactics, and under conditions where shock-awe display of force through overwhelming firepower has had very limited utility.

Mattis is a Marine who retired as the chief of the United States Central Command. As such, his area of responsibility spanned the Middle East and North Africa to Central Asia. 'The Warrior Monk'  as he is often called affectionately, due to his spartan bachelors lifestyle  however is best known for being the driving force (with General David Petraeus who retired from government service as the director of CIA) behind the 2006 Counterinsurgency Field Manual  an influential document that was instrumental in shaping how the United States military has approached its COIN (Counter-Insurgency) functions since.

At the heart of the Petraeus-Mattis doctrine is  a 2010 Slate profile of Mattis noted  a new concept of risk: Troops use less force and accept more short-term vulnerability to build ties with locals that will bring longer-term security. One just has to compare this precept to the ones the US deployed the only other time it found itself managing a raging local insurgency in Asia  Vietnam  to understand its significance. The United States prosecution of the Vietnam war as it started to spin out of control, with Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defence, became hostage to an obsession with spurious if precise metrics like kill ratios.

A higher kill ratio  the ratio of an adversarys casualties to the ones own  became a key indicator of progress which, in turn, made Vietnam and quagmire synonymous in posterity. Mattis COIN doctrine was determined not to repeat the same mistakes as those in Vietnam.

It strove to do so by putting into place a series of doctrinal guidelines to support a single proposition:

At its core, counterinsurgency warfare is a struggle for the support of the population. Their protection and welfare is the center of gravity for friendly forces.

Mattis worldview is an admixture of restraint and resolve, shaped by a pragmatic sensibility that comes from a lifetime of study and contemplation. (At one point, Mattis personal library is said to have had over 7,000 books.) His position on torture, for example  that it does not work, period  flows from this worldview and puts it at odds with Trumps public belligerence.

In Mattis universe this, however, doesnt mean reluctance to use force when needed. It would be useful to remember Mattis once very pithily summarised his views on the use of force: I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But Im pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f**k with me, Ill kill you all.

It would be a mistake to assume that Mattis thinking is confined to the messy world of counter-insurgency alone. In a remarkable statement in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee in January 2015, he outlined a grand strategy for the United States that is, at once, liberal and pragmatic  and sharply at odds, once again, with Trumps campaign statements. Mattis worldview is broadly contiguous to the position the United States has taken since World War Two: Of a world of American primacy supported by a liberal international order that enjoys broad global consensus.

Mattis asserted:

The constructed order reflected the wisdom of those who recognised no nation lived as an island and we needed new ways to deal with challenges that for better or worse impacted all nations. Like it or not, today we are part of this larger world and must carry out our part. 

Mattis is no isolationist. But he is also a pragmatist. In Mattis grand strategy  the grand chain of national ways, means, and ends  reduction of military spending necessarily implies the need to reduce American appetite for deployment of force oversees. This, in turn, would mean more  rather than less  dependence on allies and prioritising challenges to be met. It also means the avoidance of murky and quixotic political end states. (It is hard not to read this as a stinging criticism of the United States decision to invade Iraq in 2003, a war that Mattis helped prosecute.)

But above all, in Mattis grand strategy the intelligence apparatus of the United States comes to fore as an early-warning system for emerging threats in an era of reduced forward deployment of American troops worldwide.

In this, Mattis will find a friend in Flynn, Trumps NSA-designate, and the man who vocally accused his former boss Barack Obama of ignoring on-ground intelligence, especially when it came to the rise of the Islamic State.

Part 2: Michael Flynn's war on Islamism

Part 3: John Kelly and the narco-terror nexus

The author is a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and a national security columnist for Firstpost. Views expressed here are personal. He tweets @AbhijnanRej
Washington: The internet rumor had the makings of a bizarrely sordid scandal involving a top political aide to Hillary Clinton, allegations of pedophilia and a restaurant in an upscale part of Washington.

It ended in death threats against a small business owner -- and became a shocking case study in the dangers of the growing prevalence of "fake news."

The fake news phenomenon has sent major internet companies scrambling to respond amid claims that bogus reports that proliferated ahead of the US presidential election may have skewed the result.

This episode started in October after WikiLeaks published a batch of hacked emails from John Podesta, the chairman of Clinton's presidential campaign. Journalists and others have pored over the tens of thousands of stolen communications in search of politically relevant information.

But some readers honed in on a handful of innocuous messages recounting a Clinton fundraiser involving James Alefantis, the owner of a popular Washington pizzeria called Comet.

Almost immediately, "pizzagate" was born as right-leaning conspiracy theorists on the discussion sites 4chan and Reddit claimed Comet was not just a purveyor of pizza and beer but in fact a sinister front hiding a politically connected pedophile ring. Word quickly spread.

"They've apparently uncovered an elite child trafficking network which celebrates its tendencies using code words and disturbing artworks," alleged the website The Vigilant Citizen, which claims to study symbols.

In this world, nothing was innocent. Nude paintings on the walls were suspect. Patterns on a child's dress or the menu revealed supposed pedophile symbols and a picture of a girl playing with masking tape was evidence of sexual abuse.

Theorists even resorted to the French language in search of potential codes: the name James Alefantis was supposedly derived from the French phrase for "I love children."

As the November 8 election drew near, hundreds of threatening messages flooded Alefantis's Instagram account. The restaurant's Facebook page was also barraged with negative comments.

"My first reaction was there's a bunch of crazies out there. Everyone is hyped up about the election, so it will go away," Alefantis told AFP. "But instead it went the other direction."

'Weaponised' social media

After Donald Trump's shock victory, things got even worse.

"It was a combination of people telling us that they were going to come and do something or that we've been found out and that we should show where the tunnels are," Alefantis told AFP.

To all appearances, there is nothing untoward about Comet. Friendly and stylish, the restaurant is divided into several areas, including one with ping-pong and Fussball tables, and stages for alternative rock performances in the evening.

"Comet is a place that bridges," said neighborhood resident Leslie Harris who is helping the restaurant respond to the onslaught. "In the early evening, people with strollers bring their little kids in for pizzas."

"It's an adult hang out but the irony of it is that it has also been this safe place for our teenagers."

Alefantis believes the "coordinated and orchestrated attack" was in reality retribution for his political views and his support of Democrats.

"I'm an independent business owner and I feel I have the right to make decisions on who I support and how I utilise my resources," he said.

Alefantis has contacted the local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation but there is little that can be done for the time being. Under pressure, Reddit has closed the "pizzagate" discussion, citing "repeated violations of the terms of our content policy."

But the attacks have not ended.

"It would be like whack-a-mole," said Claire Wardle of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. "It's impossible to regulate or to police these places so instead we have to think of other ways to give users tools to recognize what's trustworthy or not."

In the meantime, Alefantis is calling for greater social media awareness.

"It has to be recognized within the broader society that social media can be weaponized," he said. "You can be easily taken down or destroyed by this sort of attacks."
Washington: Hillary Clinton's aides and supporters are urging dispirited Democrats to channel their frustrations about the election results into political causes  just not into efforts to recount ballots in three battleground states.

The former Democratic presidential candidate and her close aides see the recount drive largely as a waste of resources, according to people close to Clinton. The effort is being fueled by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who's formed an organisation to try to force recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

"Believe me if there was anything I could do to make Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States I would," said former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a longtime Clinton supporter. "But this is a big waste of time."

Aides say Clinton is focused on moving past her unexpected defeat and has devoted little attention to the recount or thinking about her political future. She's been spending time with her grandchildren and going for walks near her Westchester home. Sightings of Clinton hiking with her dogs and shopping at a Rhode Island bookstore went viral on social media.

"There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again," Clinton said in an emotional speech at a gala for the Children's Defense Fund, her one public appearance since her loss.

Former President Bill Clinton, meanwhile, has been poring over the election results, second-guessing decisions by top campaign aides and intensely trying to figure out how his wife lost the white working-class voters who were the base of his electoral coalition, say people familiar with the campaign.

Clinton's team was aware of possible discrepancies soon after the election, telling top donors on a conference call four days after the election that they were looking into potential problems in the three states. But while many campaign staffers believe Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the election, blaming foreign actors for incursions into campaign and Democratic National Committee emails, they've found no evidence of the kind of widespread ballot box tampering that would change the results of the race  or even flip a single state.

Still, some dejected Clinton supporters have been unwilling to accept the results. Stein has raised $6.5 million for her recount campaign, according to a count posted on her campaign website on Tuesday. That's nearly double the roughly $3.5 million she raised during her entire presidential bid.

Some former Clinton aides have asked frustrated supporters to donate their dollars to what they view as more constructive causes, like state parties or the Democratic candidate in Louisiana, where a 10 December runoff will be the party's last chance to pick up a Senate seat this year.

"I wouldn't give a dollar to Jill Stein," said Adam Parkhomenko, a longtime Clinton aide. "Volunteers, supporters and Democrats, they want to pick themselves up and get back out there. The best vehicle to do that is the Louisiana Senate race."

Clinton's team conducted an exhaustive investigation into the possibility of outside interference in the vote tally, tasking lawyers, data scientists and political analysts to comb over the results. They contacted outside experts, examined the laws governing recounts and double-checked all the vote tallies.

The campaign found no "evidence of manipulation," wrote Marc Elias, the general counsel for Clinton's campaign, in an online essay. But, he said, Clinton agreed to minimal participation in Stein's effort, largely to make sure that her interests are represented. They put out a call for volunteers to monitor the proceedings and are relying on local lawyers to handle filings and other legal matters.

Clinton is under pressure to participate from her supporters, some of whom have struggled to accept the election results given her lead in the popular vote, which has grown to more than 2.3 million in the weeks after the Nov. 8 election.

"Now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported," Elias wrote.

Clinton's lawyers filed motions with a Wisconsin judge on Tuesday looking to join Stein's lawsuit demanding that Wisconsin officials recount ballots by hand. The state elections commission will formally began the recount on Thursday.

Stein's organisation has also filed for recounts in six of Pennsylvania's largest counties and says it plans to file a petition Wednesday demanding a Michigan recount.

"It's election law malpractice to not have your lawyers sitting around the table with Jill Stein's lawyers," said Adam Ambrogi, elections program director at the bipartisan Democracy Fund. "It is just due diligence."
Hong Kong: Two pro-independence Hong Kong lawmakers lost their appeal Wednesday against a ban preventing them from taking up their seats in parliament as Beijing faces accusations of stepping up interference in the city's politics.

Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, deliberately misread their oaths of office, inserted expletives and draped themselves with "Hong Kong is not China" flags during a swearing-in ceremony in October.

They are part of a new movement advocating a complete split from Beijing for semi-autonomous Hong Kong, as young pro-democracy campaigners grow frustrated with a lack of political reform.

Beijing hit out at the publicly elected pair in a special "interpretation" of the city's constitution earlier in November that effectively prevented them from taking up their seats because of the way they took the oath.

Following Beijing's protest, Hong Kong's High Court ruled the two lawmakers should be disqualified from the legislature because their oaths were invalid, in an unprecedented judicial review brought by the city's leader and justice secretary.

Yau and Leung appealed, but lost out Wednesday in a judgement that took Bejiing's ruling into account, amid criticism that the separation of powers in Hong Kong has been compromised.

The Court of Appeal's judgement referred to Beijing's ruling as giving the "true meaning" to the part of the constitution that requires lawmakers to take an oath of allegiance to Hong Kong as a special administrative region of China.

The judgement said the court's duty to apply the city's constitution, known as the Basic Law, outweighed the doctrine of separation of powers and non-intervention.

Yau and Baggio were originally offered a second chance at taking the oath by the president of the legislature, but Beijing stepped in to prevent that.

Its special interpretation of the Basic Law ruled that any oath-taker who does not follow the prescribed wording of the oath, "or takes the oath in a manner which is not sincere or not solemn", should be disqualified.

Wednesday's appeal judgement said there could be "no dispute" that Yau and Leung had declined to take the oath.

They are now expected to take their case to the Court of Final Appeal.

The judgement came as the government announced plans to take a third democratically elected lawmaker to court over her oath-taking.

The department of justice said it would initiate proceedings against teacher Lau Siu-lai, a prominent activist who made her name during the city's mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014.

It gave no further detail on the grounds for the case.

Lau's oath was rejected during her swearing in as she read the pledge at a snail's pace, leaving long gaps between every word.

She was later given a second chance to read it and was able to take up her seat.
By Kieran Guilbert

DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women's rights activists on Wednesday urged Nigeria to accelerate efforts to end child marriage after it joined an African Union (AU) campaign to eliminate the practice. Nigeria launched this week a nationwide drive to end child marriage by pushing for policies that protect girls' rights and help the justice system to punish perpetrators, becoming the 16th country to join the AU's campaign. The government made child marriage illegal in 2003, but only two-thirds of the country's 36 states have implemented the law. At least four in 10 girls in Nigeria are married off before they turn 18, while almost a fifth are wed before they reach 15, according to the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF).Early marriage deprives girls of an education, increases the likelihood of sexual violence and HIV, and puts them at risk of serious injury or death during childbirth, experts say.

"These (childbirth) complications are a leading cause of death among adolescents girls in countries like Nigeria ... this is unnecessary and unacceptable," said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF's representative in Nigeria.Rates of child marriage vary widely across Nigeria, with figures as high as 76 percent in the northwest, and as low as 10 percent in the southeast, said campaign group Girls not Brides.Women's rights group Donor Direct Action said the campaign to end child marriage was another positive step after a law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) was passed last year.

The prevalence of child marriage in Nigeria has dropped by nine percent since 2003, according to data from UNICEF."However, its decline needs to be dramatically accelerated, particularly in the north of Nigeria," Anber Raz of Donor Direct Action told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email from London.

"A lot of social and cultural change needs to happen, which may fall on the hands of local groups, who are under-resourced."Nigerian organisation Women's Rights Advancement And Protection Alternative said the state also needed to address discrimination in access to education to prevent child marriage.More than five million girls are out of school in Nigeria due to gender discrimination, said campaign group Girl Rising. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katie Nguyen.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Islamabad: Pakistan asked the United Nations (UN) to play a role for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it is the responsibility of the world body to implement its resolution, despite India deploying over one million troops in the Valley.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that "despite Pakistan's concern, the presence of over one million troops in Kashmir, which is the highest concentration of troops in the world, is a hurdle in implementation of the UN resolution".

He said that the UN should "play its role" for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, as it's the responsibility of the world body to implement its resolution. "Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in Kashmir since past four months," he told Radio Pakistan.

He asked India to immediately stop "bloodshed" in Kashmir, underlining that Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India. Zakaria said that Pakistan would participate in the Heart of Asia Conference being held in India this week because it was related to Afghanistan.

He said that peace in Afghanistan was vital for regional stability. He said Pakistan firmly believes in peace and stability in Afghanistan. The spokesperson also condemned India's "ill intentions" to sabotage the Indus Water Treaty.
By Michelle Nichols

| UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATIONS The United States is struggling to secure the minimum number of votes needed for the United Nations Security Council to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan amid U.N. warnings of possible genocide in the world's newest state, said diplomats.A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes to be adopted, but a senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said so far only seven members were in favour, while the remaining eight were planning to abstain or vote no. While Russia and China are sceptical of whether imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan would achieve much in a country already awash with weapons, diplomats didn't expect them to block the measure if it was put to a council vote. "No one is talking about a veto ... There is a question about whether (the United States) can get to the nine positive votes or not," said the senior diplomat, adding that some countries had argued they wanted more time to consider the move.

The diplomat said it was hoped that Malaysia, Japan, Senegal and Angola could be persuaded to vote in favour instead of abstaining if the draft resolution was put to a vote. Japan last week began deploying a contingent of 350 troops to join a U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, which has been on the ground since the country seceded from Sudan in 2011.

Political rivalry between South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines. The pair signed a shaky peace deal last year, but fighting has continued and Machar fled the country in July.Adama Dieng, U.N. Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, told the council this month he had seen "all the signs that ethnic hatred and targeting of civilians could evolve into genocide if something is not done now to stop it."

The U.S. draft resolution would also blacklist South Sudan opposition figure Riek Machar, South Sudan army chief Paul Malong and South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei, subjecting them to a travel ban and asset freeze. However, diplomats said these targeted sanctions could be dropped in order to win support for an arms embargo. Diplomats also said some countries wanted to know under what conditions an arms embargo could be lifted. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
United Nations: The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said. The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT.

The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operation and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas. The UN condemned yesterday the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. "France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday. He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low. Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

"Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees," Rycroft said. "The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through."
By Lin Taylor

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women migrants fleeing wars, political instability and poverty are taking contraceptives in the expectation of being raped but are so desperate they still embark on the journey, a human rights group said on Wednesday.Women and girls who risk sexual violence as they flee their home countries are getting contraceptive injections as a precautionary measure, said researcher Hillary Margolis from New York-based Human Rights Watch."For someone to know that they are at such risk of sexual violence, and yet they are determined to continue on that journey," she told Trust Women, an annual women's rights and trafficking conference hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.A record 65.3 million people were uprooted worldwide last year, an increase of 50 percent in five years, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Data shows developing countries host 86 percent of refugees, led by Turkey with more than 2.7 million Syrians.The U.N. children's agency UNICEF earlier this year said children in refugee camps in France were being subjected to sexual abuse including rape, violence and forced labour daily.

The UNICEF report also included cases of young women being subjected to sexual demands in exchange for a promise of passage to Britain and campaigners said this was not limited to France.Amnesty International said it had spoken to women who said they lived in constant fear of sexual violence on the journey to Libya and rape was so commonplace that they took contraceptive pills before travelling to avoid becoming pregnant.Margolis said she met a number of female migrants in Italy who had taken birth control ahead of their perilous sea journey from Libya "because of the high risk of rape".

At least 4,690 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year while trying to reach Europe, compared to 3,777 in 2015. Most have died while crossing from North Africa."The idea that a woman who is travelling with men is automatically safe is a fallacy," Margolis said. "There are women who are coerced into travelling with men, who are trafficked, exploited, who may be experiencing domestic abuse."Joanne Liu, president of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, added that the international community was failing refugee and migrants.

Turkey agreed in March to stop migrants and refugees crossing by sea to Greece in exchange for financial aid, accelerated European Union membership talks and other concessions."In the policy we have right now, where we are deterring people from fleeing for their lives, we are aggravating and exacerbating their vulnerabilities," she told the conference."And for women, there is even more hardship because women became the battlefield of war, of abuses. It's not a new phenomenon and we are not at the end of it." (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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A Chinese state newspaper yesterday criticized Singapore over the Southeast Asian city-states military training with self-governing Taiwan, following the impounding of nine Singaporean infantry fighting vehicles transiting through Hong Kong.

The Communist Party-run Global Times said in an editorial yesterday that Singapore was responsible for the incident, but gave no details about what laws or regulations have been broken by the shipping of the armored vehicles from Taiwan. The vehicles were being sent to Singapore from Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, after a military exercise there, when they were seized on last week by Hong Kong.

The editorial said China has long opposed all forms of military cooperation between other countries and Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a breakaway province to be reunited with by force if necessary.

China opposes the outside world having any form of military cooperation or exchange with Taiwan, the paper said. Singapore, a state that has diplomatic relations with China, should be cautious in this regard.

Singapores defense minister, Ng Eng Hen, said yesterday that the city-state supports the one-China principle  Beijings view that the mainland and Taiwan are part of a single Chinese nation  and that Singapore is open about its overseas training arrangements.

Any training matters between us and other countries are bilateral, and we should not unnecessarily, until the facts come out, muddle the picture and impute various motives, he said.

Ng said Singapore plays a positive role in cross-strait relations, and we will continue to do so, citing as an example the city-states hosting of a historic meeting last year between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwans then-

president, Ma Ying-jeou.

On Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that Beijing has lodged a complaint with Singapore following the seizure of the vehicles. Geng Shuang reiterated Chinas opposition to military and other exchanges between Taiwan and the countries China has ties with.

We urge the Singaporean government to stay committed to the one-China principle, Geng said at a regular briefing.

Last week, Singapores defense ministry sent a team to Hong Kong to ensure the security of the eight-wheeled Singapore-made Terrex infantry carrier vehicles that were held by Hong Kong customs on Wednesday. It said the vehicles were not carrying ammunition or sensitive equipment and that the team would assess the situation.

Singapores army chief, Maj. Gen. Melvyn Ong, said yesterday that the vehicles had been shipped commercially and the military was still attempting to ascertain the reason for the detainment.

Hong Kongs South China Morning Post newspaper has said Singaporean authorities would need to contact Chinas foreign ministry to get the vehicles back. The militaries of Taiwan and Singapore have long trained together, much to the irritation of Beijing.

The seizure also comes amid Chinese displeasure over Singapores calls for China to heed international rulings over territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing says belongs to it almost in its entirety. China says international law has no jurisdiction over the matter.

Some experts have speculated that China would use the seized military shipment to pressure Singapore to adopt a friendlier stance toward China on the dispute. AP
Chinese group Huafeng plans to invest USD1 billion in Angola over a period of two to five years, in agricultural projects, livestock, fisheries and industry, among others, said last week in Luanda the chairman of the group, Zhan Yongaiou.

The president of the group said the provinces of Luanda, Moxico, Malanje, Lunda Norte, Huambo, Kuando Kubango, Benguela and Lunda Sul were the regions of Angola chosen to benefit from the investment, taking into account the potential natural resources for investors, according to Angolan news agency Angop.

Zhan Yongaiou said the company, which has been in Angola for three years, will start by building a centre specialising in the production of agricultural seeds, in Luanda, to develop production of grain, vegetables and tubers and launch breeding of beef and pork cattle, poultry, and fish and build a fertiliser and medication plant.

The President of the Chinese group was speaking at the end of the ceremony to sign an investment agreement with the Technical Unit for Private Investment (UTIP). MDT/Macauhub
The people of Northern Ireland have given a rapturous welcome to President Bill Clinton, the first serving US president to visit their country.

At the end of an emotional day that saw Bill and Hillary Clinton visit communities on both sides of the sectarian divide, the president lit Belfasts Christmas lights from behind a bulletproof screen.

Standing in front of a giant Christmas Tree shipped over from Belfasts twin city, Nashville, Tennessee he told the thousands of Clinton fans that America and Northern Ireland were partners for security, partners for prosperity, and most important, partners for peace.

The president and the first lady had spent the day mobbed by ecstatic crowds both on the Protestant Shankill Road and the Catholic stronghold of the Falls Road.

Then after a short helicopter ride to Londonderry, Northern Irelands predominantly nationalist second city, tens of thousands waving the American flag, the Stars and Stripes, turned out in the bitter cold to greet the couple, who were accompanied by SDLP leader John Hume.

But it was a nine-year-old girl that provided the most poignant moment of the day just hours after Mr and Mrs Clinton arrived in Northern Ireland.

Catherine Hamill was one of two children  one Protestant and one Catholic  chosen to read a message to Mr Clinton before his address to workers at the non-sectarian Mackies Metal Works in West Belfast. She recalled the time her father, Patrick, had been shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters in 1987.

She told an audience of 500 guests: My first daddy died in the Troubles. It was the saddest day of my life. I still think of him. Now its nice and peaceful. I like having peace and quiet for a change instead of people shooting and killing. My Christmas wish is that peace and love will last in Ireland for ever.

Clearly moved, the president made his speech urging both sides in Northern Ireland to maintain the 15-month-old ceasefire through continued dialogue. Unionist politicians who believe he is biased towards Catholics will have been pleased to hear him condemning punishment beatings.

On their way from Aldergrove airport Bill and Hillary Clinton had stopped the motorcade to for what seemed to be an impromptu bit of shopping at Violet Clarkes grocery shop in the Protestant Shankill Road.

Later, in the Catholic Falls Road, the couple happened to meet Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams when they popped out of their limousine to visit McErleans bakery.

Swamped by local wellwishers, the worlds press failed to capture the public hand-shake between the US president and the leader of an organisation that many believe is the political wing of the IRA. It was a passerby who snapped the moment that was then broadcast around the world.

The president met Mr Adams again for a 20-minute meeting in Belfast tonight. He is said to have been encouraged by his talk with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, but less so with the Rev Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionists.

He had urged all three to use a twin-track process to talk through their differences.

Courtesy BBC News

In

context

The presidents visit to Northern Ireland was regarded as a great success with politicians of both sides praising his even-handed and sensitive approach.

Only two months later hopes for a lasting peace were shattered when the IRA broke its ceasefire by bombing Londons Docklands on 10 February 1996.

The IRA announced a new ceasefire in July 1997 but negotiations and sporadic violence continued until the Good Friday peace agreement was signed in May 1998.

The problems of decommissioning persisted despite the IRAs more relaxed stance over time which resulted in the opening up of some of its arms dumps to international inspectors.

In July 2005 the IRA declared an end to its armed struggle and two months later the decommissioning body announced the IRA had destroyed all its weapons.

President Clinton was re-elected to office a year after his Ireland visit. His presidency ended in 2001.
The 5th International Forum on Clean Energy, hosted jointly hosted by the International Forum for Clean Energy (IFCE Macao), by the China Economic Development Research Association, and by China Energy News, was convened yesterday.

In the two-day conference, nearly 200 government officials, energy experts, academics and industry figures gathered together to discuss the hot issues and problems regarding the development of a clean energy industry.

Yang Chonghui, vice chairman of China Economic and Social Council, said in his speech that energy transformation is not only an economic and market issue but also a political and strategic issue.

On September 2015, the protocol 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by world leaders at a UN summit.

Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, asked the leaders to implement these goals, which are a shared vision of humanity.

Ambrose So, director-general of IFCE Macao, said in his welcome speech at the opening ceremony that energy saving and emission reduction are not only the responsibility of nations and governments. They also require a common understanding by the general public and collective support from all members of society.

When talking to the media, So said that this years forum is different from the last four in terms of theme. This years theme is Clean and Efficient Use of Energy.

Carbon emissions equal trash, and organizing this conference created so much trash, said So. According to him, organizing the conference represents five tonnes in carbon emissions. We encouraged participants to make donations in order to plant trees in mainland China, so that these trees will completely absorb these emissions in the next ten years, explained So.

The ceremony also included an awards session to reward the leading people and enterprises that were committed to clean energy in 2016.

Moreover, the forum also published two blue books on clean energy: Report on the Emission Reduction of Green House Gas and Development of Carbon Market (2016) and Report on Development of Clean Heating and Building Energy Efficiency (2016).

The forum also held an IFCE Theme Summit, among other seminars related to energy industry. Julie Zhu

Jai Alai renovation to be completed this year

Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) chairman, Ambrose So reported that SJMs Jai Alai complex  a renovated gaming property in the central area of the Macau peninsula  will be finished within this year, although he is uncertain about whether the casino will be open this year or not. So says that more time is needed for Macau to judge whether the gaming industry will continue to recover next year.

We hope that the gaming industrys revenue can remain stable or have a slight increase, said So, so that the industry and society can both feel a little bit secure and steady. In regard to the gaming industrys future, So stated that all parties involved hope to spend more efforts on non-gaming aspects. He believes that Macaus gaming revenue this year can reach MOP200 billion.
The Coffee Festival of Timor-Leste (East Timor), which aims to select the best coffee and the best cocktail made with this product, will run until December 3, as part of an event open to farmers and groups of associated farmers.

The festival was organized by the Timor-Leste Coffee Association (ACTL) and will include the countrys first coffee tasting competition, with professional judges from Australia, Canada, Mexico, Thailand and the United States, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

Its the first time that East Timor will have a festival of this kind, said Evangelino Monteiro, spokesman for the ACTL, who added: East Timor produces high-quality coffee and we want to celebrate it and to inspire people to do even better in future.

In addition to various activities for coffee lovers in Dili, with dining venues also joining in with the event, the festival includes support programs to improve coffee quality for farmers in Ainaro, Aileu, Ermera and Liquica.

The ACTL is a voluntary association that works to increase the volume and improve the value of coffee sold for export and domestic consumption through the revitalization of the coffee sector and by contributing to the development of the international brand of Timorese coffee and the training of farmers.

Despite having reduced production  East Timor annually exports coffee worth about USD20 million  Timorese coffee production has experienced resurgence in recent years. MDT/Macauhub
Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., the operator of a casino on the U.S. territory of Saipan, had its credit rating put on review for possible downgrade at Moodys Investors Service because of concern over funding of a project to build a new resort on the island.

The review of the B2 rating  five levels below investment grade  reflects a delay in selling bonds that will help finance the project, Moodys vice-president Kaven Tsang said in a statement Monday. The evaluation will focus on the Hong Kong-based companys ability to secure sufficient long-term funding and the subsequent impact on its gaming license, as well as the management of money laundering risk to ensure that its gaming business in Saipan is sustainable, Moodys said.

Shares of Imperial Pacific fell 0.9 percent in Hong Kong trading yesterday, paring a decline of as much as 4.6 percent.

Imperial Pacific didnt respond to e-mailed and phone requests for comment. Moodys said it will withdraw its provisional B1 rating for the bonds because they have not been issued as planned.

Imperial Pacifics Best Sunshine Live casino on the remote Pacific island has posted per-table VIP revenues far in excess of those at the grandest gambling resorts in Macau, the worlds number-

one casino hub. The volume of cash has drawn the attention of the U.S. Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which is responsible for alerting prosecutors and other authorities of suspicious financial flows, a person familiar with the matter said this month.

The company, which until a few years ago was focused on the distribution of frozen food, is in the process of building a much larger casino and resort complex, and plans to sell as much as $650 million in bonds to fund the project. Its chief executive officer, Mark Brown, was formerly a senior executive in U.S. president-elect Donald Trumps Atlantic City casino operations.

Imperial Pacific has said that its Saipan operation complies with all relevant money-laundering and other regulations, and that bets are closely monitored by local and U.S. regulators. It has also said it is not aware of any investigation of the casino by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Matthew Campbell, Bloomberg
Japanese health authorities have confirmed a highly contagious avianflu strain in poultry in two prefectures in northern Japan, with culling of hundreds of thousands of birds starting yesterday at the affected farms.

The government confirmed that the highly virulent H5 strain was detected in birds at a chicken farm in Niigata, where about 40 of them were found dead Monday. Dead ducks at a farm in another prefecture of Aomori also tested H5 positive.

Culling of about 310,000 birds began yesterday at the Niigata farm and will continue through Friday. Workers in hazmat suits dug holes and dumped dead birds in them to contain the spread of virus. About 165,000 ducks in Aomori were also being culled.

Officials restricted the movements of poultry and eggs within 3 kilometers (5 miles) of the infected farms. About 60 chicken farms operate in the neighborhood of the affected farm in Niigata, where about half a million chickens are raised. The farm in Aomori and two other neighborhood operators are specializing in French duck known as Barbarie.

Suspected bird flu cases have been found in wild birds in those areas since early November.

Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto told reporters that his ministry is sending experts to the areas for investigation, while raising the caution level to the highest level. The Agricultural Ministry has also dispatched an investigative team to both prefectures. AP
The head of Malaysian electoral reform group Bersih, which led a mass anti-government rally this month, has been freed after being held for 10 days without trial under a security law meant for terrorists.

Maria Chin was detained Nov. 18 for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, just a day before thousands of protesters took to Kuala Lumpurs streets to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over a financial scandal. Police said 15,500 people protested, but Bersih estimated the crowd at 120,000.

Chins release Monday came a day before a court hearing to challenge her detention under the Security Offences Act.

Amnesty International hailed Chins release from what it called a farcical detention and said yesterday that the government must drop any charges against her.

They should also stop using national security or other repressive laws against government critics for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly, it said in a statement.

Shortly after her release, Chin met with hundreds of supporters in Kuala Lumpur and thanked them for holding nightly candlelight vigils to demand her release. Wearing the trademark yellow Bersih T-shirt, she vowed to fight for the abolition of the security law and to press for political reforms. Bersih means clean in the Malay language.

My detention is illegal and a violation of my rights, she said.

Najib has kept an iron grip since graft allegations emerged two years ago involving the indebted 1MDB state fund. He founded the fund in 2009 to promote economic development, but it accumulated billions in debts.

The investigations into 1MDB in the U.S. and several other countries are centered on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme.

The U.S. Justice Department said that at least USD3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Najib and initiated action in July to seize $1.3 billion it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S.

The U.S. government complaints also said that more than $700 million had landed in the accounts of Malaysian Official 1. They did not name the official, but appear to be referring to Najib. AP
The Philippine governments top historian resigned yesterday to protest the presidents decision to allow the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a heroes cemetery, in a growing political storm over the entombment.

Maria Serena Diokno said in a statement that she will join protests against the Nov. 18 burial, including one scheduled at a pro-democracy shrine today.

Diokno, who was chairwoman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, said Duterte could have blocked Marcoss burial in the cemetery despite a Supreme Court decision that dismissed petitions against the entombment.

Diokno said the burial was wrong, denies our history, erases the memory of lives lost and destroyed, mocks the collective action we took to oust the dictator.

Marcos was ousted in a 1986 people power revolt, a largely peaceful, army-backed uprising that helped inspire similar mass actions against authoritarian regimes worldwide. His presidency was marked by largescale corruption and human rights violations, including disappearances, killings and torture of thousands of political dissidents.

Duterte, whose father served in Marcoss Cabinet, allowed the burial on grounds that there was no law barring his interment at the Heroes Cemetery, where presidents, soldiers, statesmen and national artists are buried. It was a political risk in a country where democracy advocates still celebrate Marcoss ouster each year.

Dutertes decision was upheld earlier this month by the Supreme Court. Marcos opponents had 15 days to appeal the decision, but Marcoss family, backed by Dutertes defense and military officials, buried him at the cemetery last week in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony with military honors.

The stealthy burial enraged democracy advocates and sparked protests in Manila and other cities. Jim Gomez, Manila, AP
More details about the scheme that will allow Macau-licensed cars to drive in Hengqin from December 20 were unveiled at the end of Wong Sio Chaks presentation at the Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday.

Replying to a question posed by lawmaker Chan Chak Mo, the Secretary for Security, said: We have to fix some criteria, a connection with Zhuhai must exist, that is, [applicants must] have a life there or have investments there. We cant have all the 250,000 vehicles of Macau going to Hengqin, the island does not support that and this would cause problems on the cross border point.

The new measure has been an ongoing topic of discussion between the MSAR, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Zhuhai Municipal Government, via the established cooperation mechanisms.

Final arrangements for the scheme are apparently being defined this week and will be disclosed soon. Pressured by lawmakers, Wong said that authorities in Hengqin are willing to create a graduated scheme, based on a limited number of vehicles, he said replying to the added pressure on the border checkpoints.

We hope that after tomorrows meeting [with Zhuhai Governor] we can have more information to reveal, added Wong remarking that the graduated scheme will have at least two phases and that there will be an evaluation of the results of each phase that will lead to the measures to adopt for the next stage.

During yesterdays debate at the AL, lawmaker Tong had also been questioned on the possibility of opening a new entry to be located at the campus of the University of Macau (UM) in order to relieve the pressure over the Lotus Flower Checkpoint.

Regarding the possibility of opening a new door into UM, this decision is not under our [control] and we cannot be the ones deciding on that, replied the Secretary, adding that such a measure would violate the agreement established between the SAR and mainland authorities regarding the concession of the Hengqin land area to the region.

This was one of the many topics in discussion during the second day of the question and answer session with the Secretary for Security held at the AL yesterday.

The second day of discussions included the topic of the Tourist Police and the use of portable video cameras by police patrol teams, among other issues also involving borders like the single inspection and the reopening of the cross point of the Inner Harbor.

Regarding the topic of the creation of the Tourist Police in the islands (Taipa and Coloane) Wong was questioned by lawmakers Lau Veng Seng and Chui Sai Peng on the number and qualifications of the police officers that would occupy these positions.

The secretary asked the Public Security Police Force (PSP) Commissioner Leong Man Cheong to reply. Leong explained that such a team has been working in the peninsula with 20 officers that patrol normally the area of the Ruins of Saint Pauls and operate on the repression of the criminal [activity] against tourists and on traffic control, adding that such officers use more careful language and have [bilingual] proficiency.

For the new team, the number of officers was raised to 30 and the number of areas to be patrolled also increased from 6 to 10, Leong said, adding this team will have a constant operation from now on and they will inclusively have a specific uniform  lighter  as well as equipment adequate to their specific functions. Commissioner Leong also took the opportunity to discuss the color scheme (predominately white) of the specific patrol vehicle.

According to the head of the PSP, the officers will patrol in Rua do Cunha as well as other areas in Taipa.

On the topic of the use of the Portable Video Cameras by the police officers, lawmaker Vong Hin Fai asked if there was any law that supported such use based on privacy issues.

Without diving into too much detail, Wong said, We already did a study before. The law allows it. There isnt any problem.

On cross border matters and regarding the Wanzai Port the Secretary used a similar reply as regarding all other border matters stating, We cant decide on this matter, we need to wait for an answer from the Zhuhai side. He reaffirmed his availability to remind the Zhuhai authorities on the matter in todays meeting.

As for the works regarding the implementation of the method of single-inspection on border crossing Wong Sio Chak said We have a clearly defined direction but the works are still ongoing. I cant advance much on that.

The Policy Address sectorial discussion will continue tomorrow with the next two days dedicated to collaboration with the Secretary of Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, and his team.

Chui Sai Peng proposes gps localization for taxis

Remarking on the work undertaken by the Secretary for Security in tackling illegal actions of taxi drivers and transport services operating via mobile apps, lawmaker Chui Sai Peng proposed taxis to be equipped with a GPS localization system to allow passengers to know where they can find a taxi. The measure, which would seem to be a compromise between the normal taxi pick-up operations and the service provided by companies like Uber, provides an added tool to facilitate inspection by authorities and was well received by secretary Wong, who said it was a good idea.

Mini-storage facilities are fire safe, CB Commissioner says

Mini-storage facilities in Macau abide by the law of fire safety, the Commissioner of the Fire Service Bureau (CB), Leong Iok Sam, said yesterday at the Legislative Assembly (AL) during the discussion of the Policy Address for 2017 in the area of security.

The commissioner was replying to the questions of several lawmakers who raised the question over the two days of questions and answers on the topic of security.

Leong took the opportunity to conduct an evaluation on the matter, raised due to concerns after a fire broke out in a similar facility in Hong Kong in June, resulting in the death of one firefighter.

Regarding the situation in Macau, Leong said: We know of 21 of these facilities in Macau and we have been sending staff regularly to inspect them. He added: These facilities are located in industrial buildings, they are equipped with [fire] sprinklers and meet safety standards.

In any case, we have reinforced the work [on such facilities], namely in the inspection of escape routes and primary firefighting equipment, the head of the CB reassured. RM
South Korean President Park Geun-hye said yesterday that shell resign  if parliament arranges the technical details  in her latest attempt to fend off impeachment efforts and massive street protests amid prosecution claims that a corrupt confidante wielded government power from the shadows.

Opponents immediately called Parks conditional resignation offer a stalling tactic, and analysts said her steadfast denial that she has done anything wrong could embolden her enemies. The countrys largest opposition party, the Minjoo Party, said it would not let Parks ploy to avoid impeachment interfere with a planned vote on impeachment that could take place this Friday or the next.

Park, who did not take questions from reporters after her live address to the nation, said she will leave the matters about my fate, including the shortening of my presidential term, to be decided by the National Assembly, referring to parliament.

If the ruling and opposition parties discuss and come up with a plan to reduce the confusion in state affairs and ensure a safe transfer of governments, I will step down from the presidential position under that schedule and by processes stated in law, she said.

How exactly this might play out is still unclear. But some saw Parks speech as a clear effort to avoid leaving office, despite the resignation language.

One clue that she was trying to buy time, said Yul Shin, a politics professor at Seouls Myongji University, was her comment on shortening the presidential term, which he said would require a time-consuming constitutional amendment. Park is to end her single five-year term in early 2018.

There is no possibility that the opposition parties will accept her offer; not when the public is this angry, Shin said. She apparently wanted to buy more time, but in the end she might have hastened the end of her presidency.

Others said lawmakers could shorten Parks term just by securing a vote of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament  the same number of ballots needed to get Parks impeachment motion passed.

Parks speech came as opposition parties were closing in on an impeachment motion. Even some of her allies have called on her to honorably step down rather than face impeachment. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in Seoul each Saturday to demand her ouster.

The countrys two largest opposition parties said they will propose to the presidential office two former senior prosecutors as candidates for a special prosecutor to independently investigate the scandal. Under a law passed by parliament earlier this month, Park has three days to pick a special prosecutor among the two candidates.

Park, in her speech, continued to deny accusations by prosecutors that she colluded in the criminal activities of her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who, despite having no official role in government, allegedly had a say in policy decisions and exploited her presidential ties to bully companies into giving large sums of money to businesses and foundations that Choi controlled.

Not for one moment did I pursue my private gains, and I have so far lived without ever harboring the smallest selfish motive, Park said. The problems that have emerged are from projects that I thought were serving the public interest and benefiting the country. But since I failed to properly manage those around me, [everything that happened] is my large wrongdoing.

Instead of buying her more time, Parks conditional resignation offer may embolden street protesters and further fan the anger of her critics because she continues to deny wrongdoing over the scandal, said Choi Chang Ryul, a politics professor at South Koreas Yongin University.

Chung Jinsuk, floor leader of Parks Saenuri Party, defended her speech as showing a determination to avoid confusion in state affairs, and said that parliament should overcome factions to agree on the process and timeline for Parks exit.

Opposition parties had first planned to put the impeachment motion to a vote on Friday, but it could be moved to Dec. 9 so that the parties can solidify a strategy.

South Koreas first president, Syngman Rhee, quit and fled to Hawaii amid a popular uprising in 1960. The succeeding government was overthrown by a coup by Parks late father, the military dictator Park Chung-hee, whose rule also abruptly ended after he was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979. Choi Kyu-hah then became acting president, but was forced out of office eight months later after a military coup led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would eventually become president.

At the heart of the scandal is Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader and mentor who became close to Park after her mothers assassination in 1974.

Prosecutors have so far indicted Choi, two ex-presidential officials and a music video director known as a Choi associate for extortion, leakage of confidential documents and other charges.

Park, who has immunity from prosecution while in office, has refused to meet with prosecutors. Her lawyer, Yoo Yeong-ha, has described prosecutors accusations as groundless.Foster Klug, Kim Tong-Hyung, AP
Taiwan held a search-and-rescue exercise in the South China Sea yesterday as part of efforts to cement its hold over a key island in the strategically vital waterbody.

Eight vessels and three aircraft took part in the drill simulating a fire aboard a cargo ship that forced crew members to seek safety on Taiping in the Spratly island group.

Both coast guard and navy ships participated in the exercise.

While Taiwan claims all of the Spratlys, it only occupies Taiping and hasnt challenged the presence of forces from China and other nations on other islands in the group. Coast guard head Lee Chung-wei told journalists that Taiwans sovereignty over Taiping is undeniable, but that it wants to turn the island into a base for humanitarian relief missions in the area.

The purpose of this drill is to tell international society that we are keen to conduct humanitarian relief on the island. We want to maintain peace in this region and put away disputes, Lee said.

In recent years, Taiwans chief rival, China, has been aggressively pushing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, putting it in conflict with neighbors Vietnam and the Philippines. Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the South China Sea, while Indonesia has become increasingly assertive in defending its exclusive economic zone that encompasses rich fisheries and a potential wealth of mineral resources. Johnson Lai, Taiping Island, AP
Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners, including one sentenced to five years in jail for a national security-related crime.

Giang Son, deputy chairman of the Presidents Office, told reporters at a joint press conference yesterday that 4,384 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Tran Dai Quang.

The amnesty once again reflects the policy of leniency of our party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the humane tradition of our nation, Son said.

They will be released from their prisons starting today. One of the prisoners is Bui Xuan Kim who was jailed for national security-related crime, according to Senior Lt. Police General Nguyen Van Thanh.

Kim has served three years of his sentence for organizing people to flee to neighboring Cambodia.

International human rights groups, the U.S. government and some other Western governments have urged Vietnamese government to release all prisoners of conscience jailed for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only those who broke the law are locked up.

Fourteen foreigners will also be released, according to Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc. They include nine from China, three from Laos and one each from South Korea and Australia. AP
Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants living in the country illegally willingly came out of the shadows and identified themselves to the Obama administration on the promise that theyd be safe from deportation and allowed to work. Some may now regret that decision.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to immediately scrap the program that protected these immigrants. If he does, its not clear whether he would take action against the more than 741,000 participants. But if he decides to pursue them, the government now has their addresses, photographs and fingerprints.

Twenty-year-old Nancy Villas was among the first to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in the summer of 2012, waiting in line hours at a sign-up site at Chicagos Navy Pier. Since then shes been working part time at a child care center to pay for college classes. Now shes worried she may eventually be forced to return to Mexico, a country she left when she was 9.

I knew it was the only way to have better opportunities, Villas said. I took the risk without thinking that somebody would want to take it away.

Trump made illegal immigration the cornerstone of his campaign, promising to build a massive wall along the Mexican border and deport millions of people living in the country illegally. Once he takes office, Trump can almost immediately rescind the promised protection and, with it, likely void the accompanying work permits.

But there is little to suggest that he would move swiftly to deport program participants. In a post-election interview with CBS 60 Minutes, Trump said he would focus initially on criminal immigrants living illegally in the U.S. He said that could be about 2 million to 3 million people, though that figure is likely inflated.

Mark Krikorian, executive director for Center For Immigration Studies, said the fears of program participants may be overblown.

Unless theres a crime issue or something specific thats going to draw attention to an individual, I cant see how theyd be a priority, said Krikorian, whose think tank describes itself as low-immigration, pro-i

mmigrant.

President Barack Obama initiated the program to shield from deportation young immigrants, some of whom dont even remember their native countries. It didnt give the immigrants legal status, only deferred action  meaning they wouldnt face deportation while they participated.

There was never a guarantee that it would last beyond Obamas term as president. A former immigration official who helped craft the program, John Sandweg, said the White House and the Homeland Security Department considered the reality that a future president could end it. But at the time, he said, it appeared that revoking already-approved protections would be politically difficult.

These are the kinds of kids you should bring out of the shadows, said Sandweg, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I dont think anyone envisioned a President Trump when this was created.

Trump wasnt subtle about his opposition to the program. He called it an illegal amnesty and promised to immediately terminate the program. And since winning office, Trump has said he will nominate immigration hardliner Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general. As he considers other Cabinet vacancies, Trump has met with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who led his states court fight to prevent an expansion of the deportation protection plan.

When the program started, the Obama administration suggested that application files would not generally be used for enforcement efforts. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services addressed the concern in its published frequently asked questions, saying information would be shared with enforcement officials only if someone meets the criteria for deportation proceedings.

But revoking the deportation protection would make those young immigrants almost immediately eligible to face deportation.

Sandweg said going after participants would be a massive logistical undertaking that would only worsen backlogs in an already overburdened immigration court system where many people wait years for a final decision.

Adding about 750,000 to the court system would do nothing for public safety, Sandweg said.

Nonetheless, the mere prospect of that has prompted some Democratic lawmakers to ask Obama to protect these immigrants with pardons before he leaves office.

And advocates for the young immigrants have pledged to keep up their fight to win public and political support for overhauling immigration laws.

We organized across the country, we shared our stories publicly and we came together. We took direct actions and held politicians accountable, said Cristina Jimenez, executive director and co-founder of United We Dream.

Under a Trump administration, Jimenez said, that wont change. Alicia A. Caldwell, Washington, AP
FUNDING

This work was supported by the National Geographic SocietyWaitt Grant Program and the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

Czajas paper, Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria prior to the Great Oxidation Event from the 2.52 Ga Gamohaan Formation of South Africa, was published in Geology, a journal of the Geological Society of America. (access to the full text online is FREE until Dec. 15)



The Department of Geology at the University of Cincinnati is a nationally ranked program with high-caliber faculty and a strong research reputation. The department teaches and conducts research in many areas of the geosciences including paleontology, Quaternary geology, geomorphology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, tectonics, environmental geology and biogeochemistry. Faculty maintain high-tech laboratories and conducts field work all over the world, and our students are involved every step of the way.



The Geological Society of America strives to be the premier geological society supporting the global community in scientific discovery, communication and application of geoscience knowledge. Their mission is to advance geoscience research and discovery, service to society and the stewardship of Earth and the geosciences profession.
In between perfecting your costume for trick-or-treating and watching your favorite Halloween movies, leave time for baking some of the best pumpkin recipes around.

With a pumpkin pie spice and cream cheese center, this delicious pumpkin cake roll is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and give you that fall feeling.
RUPERT  A man was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated battery after an altercation at a Rupert residence.

Lt. Jeff McEwen with the Rupert Police Department said Dale Everett Mounce, 45, was arrested at a home on First and C streets.

Mounce is charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery with exhibition or use of a firearm in a fight after police say he hit a man and two women with a loaded Glock 9 mm pistol during a fight.

A preliminary hearing is set at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14 in Minidoka County Magistrate Court.

In court documents police said a fight broke out between Mounce and a male at the residence when the man came to the residence to visit his mother and Mounce became jealous.

The man told police that Mounce pulled the pistol from his waistband and started hitting him in the head with it, knocking him to the floor.

The man said Mounce also pointed the pistol at him and a woman at the residence.

The woman told police that she and a second woman at the residence tackled Mounce and he hit them both in the head with the pistol. Both women sustained head injuries.

The women were able to go outside the home and flag down a passing motorist, who drove them down the block, where the second woman became unconscious. They were both taken to the hospital.

Police received a search warrant from the home and a gun that had blood spatter inside the magazine was recovered from a gun safe.

Police also found blood spatter on the floor inside the house and on the sidewalk outside the home.
TWIN FALLS  Leticia Lemus kicked off math class Tuesday by asking her students to solve a problem: What is 50 percent off $80?

Instead of just coming up with the correct answer, her seventh-graders at Vera C. OLeary Middle School in Twin Falls wrote down multiple strategies for how theyd tackle the problem.

And Lemus tied in a real-world application: shopping on Black Friday and figuring out how much youd pay for an item on sale.

How many of you guys have seen something like this? she asked her students. Most raised their hand.

During the lesson, a handful of Magic Valley state legislators and Twin Falls business leaders stood in the back of the classroom watching. Rep. Clark Kauffman, R-Filer, told others nearby: This is really different than old school.

The visit Tuesday was part of the Twin Falls School District and Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerces annual legislative tour.

The purpose was to give leaders a glimpse at whats happening in local schools  particularly, before state legislators begin a new session in January. Legislators will set a public education budget and decide on bills affecting thousands of students and employees.

This is one of the highlights of the year  talking with our legislators and business leaders, school district director of operations Brady Dickinson told about 20 attendees.

The tour started at Pillar Falls Elementary School with breakfast and a state of the district presentation. The group toured the new schools first floor, including the gymnasium and pod of first-grade classrooms.

Later that morning, attendees visited the construction site for South Hills Middle School, slated for completion in May 2017 at 3600 North and Harrison Street South.

Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls  who has 22 grandchildren in the Twin Falls School District  told the Times-News he enjoyed the tour and thinks Twin Falls has a good school system.

I think its wonderful that Twin Falls is in a position, essentially, to have three brand new schools, he said. The children seem like theyre doing great.

Heider said he appreciated the chance to tour South Hills Middle School, calling the building beautiful and a monument.

The school district is trying to keep up with population growth, he said, and thats a little taxing on the citizens who are supporting levies and bonds.

Voters approved a nearly $74 million bond in 2014 to build three new schools to help alleviate overcrowding.

Here are some topics that came up during the legislative tour:

Enrollment

The Twin Falls district has more than 9,300 students, and enrollment typically grows 2-4 percent each year.

School funding

A voter-approved two-year supplemental levy  totaling $9 million  makes up about 10 percent of the school districts operating budget.

Dickinson said the district is also thankful legislators continue to restore operational funds now that the recession has ended.

He gave an overview of how state money is used for leadership premiums, boosting literacy rates and advanced opportunities.

Theres a focus on students taking college-level classes that will help them in the future, said L.T. Erickson, secondary programs director. We want to make sure the money is not going to courses that are useless.

State legislators expanded funding for advanced opportunity programs this year to $4,125 for seventh-through-12th graders. It can be used for dual credit classes, allowing students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously.

Rep. Steve Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, asked what portion of dual credit students take classes through CSI, and how many classes are focused on science, technology, engineering and math.

More than 90 percent of dual credit classes are taken through CSI, Erickson said, and subject areas vary.

College go-on rate

One attendee asked about the college go-on rate, which dropped across Idaho: from 52 percent in 2014 to 46 percent last year.

Students are counted only if they enroll in college within a year of graduating from high school.

Twin Falls district officials expected rates to go up locally  especially, because more students are graduating from high school and taking college-level classes, Dickinson said. We were a little puzzled by the results this year.

District officials are digging more into the data to gain insights, he said.

A few possible factors: about 10 percent of graduates are going into the U.S. armed forces  a higher rate than in past years  and students may go right into the workforce or on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Math curriculum

All 13 middle school math teachers are trying out new Common Core-aligned materials this school year: either Ready Mathematics and ConnectED Math.

A decision will be made later this school year about which curriculum to adopt for next year.

In Samantha Mauchs seventh-grade classes, shes trying Connected Math. It allows time for discussion and activities to help make math more relevant to everyday life.

Mauch told visitors, Its probably a lot different than you guys have seen when you were in school.
With just five weeks before his one-year anniversary as Twin Falls' police chief, Craig Kingsbury just got the highest certificate awarded to peace officers in the state.

Victor McGraw, Idaho division administrator of Peace Officer Standards and Training, came to Monday's City Council meeting to give Kingsbury the Peace Officer Standards and Training Executive Certificate. The certificate is given to heads of police agencies who had already gotten the Advanced or Management certification before, and who complete 100 hours of POST-certified executive-level training and have been in an executive position for at least three years. Kingsbury was the chief in Nampa for a couple of years before coming to Twin Falls.

McGraw emphasized that he doesn't give out too many of these certificates; it's not something that every police chief or sherrif gets. McGraw said this was the only one he has given out in the past six months.

"It is a definite milestone in professionalism in a career," McGraw said.

McGraw said that, when a police agency makes the news because something bad happened, "usually its because that agency is stagnant.

"That usually is a reflection of poor leadership," McGraw continued. "This is the exact opposite."

After accepting the certificate, Kingsbury thanked everyone for their support, including the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office  Sheriff Tom Carter was in the audience, and Kingsbury said his office "is an excellent partner"  and city officials, and briefly recapped his career, which started as a reserve officer in his native Lewiston in 1989, where his father was a police sergeant. He worked for the Nez Perce County Sheriff's Office after that. Then, he got a job in Nampa.

"I did get a little tired of having to jail some of my classmates," he joked about the move.

After more than two decades in Nampa, where he worked for the Canyon County Sheriff's Office and then the city and rose to chief, he took the top job in Twin Falls a year ago, replacing interim Chief Bryan Krear, who did the job for a year after chief Brian Pike was sworn in as deputy city manager of public safety.
KETCHUM  Idaho Power Co. wants to construct a secondary transmission line from its Wood River substation near Hailey to its Ketchum substation in Sun Valley, but not everyone is on board.

The existing 1960s line services about 9,000 customers from north of Hailey to Galena Summit. But with no redundancy and recent long outages, Idaho Power has concerns about maintenance that may lead to future outages.

A propose second transmission line would run 12 miles in length with two miles underground.

The cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley are split, however  with Ketchum opposed to and Sun Valley in favor of the $30 million project. Blaine County Planning and Zoning Commission may decide at a special meeting Thursday whether to approve a conditional use permit for Idaho Power. More opposition could delay the project further.

We hope they have enough information to make a decision, said Jeffrey Maffuccio, facility siting coordinator with Idaho Power Co.

Previous public hearings have yielded no decision on behalf of the planning and zoning commission, despite hearing testimony and a number of public comments on the issue.

It definitely aids reliability since that other line is so old, Maffuccio said of the proposed line. Also, it does allow us to perform maintenance on that line.

In 2015, woodpeckers damaged power poles along the existing line, and maintenance crews had to shut power off for nearly eight hours overnight for repairs.

Besides Blaine County, the cities of Ketchum and Sun Valley are the local entities impacted.

The currently proposed $30 million redundant line is not designed to provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate future technologies, Ketchum Mayor Nina Jonas said in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission.

Ketchums stance is that Idaho Power Co. needs to do further analysis of local power generation as an alternative.

Ketchum believes that an independent analysis of alternatives is required to ensure the best use of scarce ratepayer resources, Jonas said.

But Idaho Power believes it has done the necessary analysis of the cost and benefit of local generation. The most inexpensive generation, diesel, would cost approximately $55 million to $60 million to put into a local micro-grid, by some estimates, Maffuccio said.

Our concern with that is the cost of the system maintenance would greatly exceed the cost of maintaining a second transmission line, he said.  The cost of those opportunities are always more expensive than building additional infrastructure like a transmission line.

In her letter, Jonas also said the city requested redundant distribution, allowing local generation to integrate into the grid north of the Hailey substation. Redundant transmission, she said, requires power to integrate into the existing distribution, move south to the Hailey substation, and then come north on the transmission line.

Sun Valley Mayor Peter Hendricks wrote a letter to the PUC in support of the line, saying the City Council recognizes it is vital for the community, which relies heavily on tourism during the winter. Future winter storms and outages could hamper the economy and cause property damage due to freezing pipes.

But the city of Sun Valley also noted its support of researching local power generation.

 the City could also like to affirm its position that  while the redundant line is necessary in the short and immediate term  further study must be conducted to explore locally-generated alternative energy in the Wood River Valley, Hendricks said.

The conditional use permit in Blaine County, if approved, would allow Idaho Power to move forward with construction of the new line. A portion of the line within Ketchum city limits would be Idaho Powers first underground transmission line.

Idaho Power has also applied for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, to get the go-head from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The PUC issued a 21-day notice for parties wishing to intervene in the matter.

They do it as kind of a safeguard, PUC spokesman Gene Fadness said.

The PUC will conduct an expense review later to determine if expenses were prudently incurred and can be included in future rates.
BURLEY  Four Cassia Regional Technical Center teachers will receive large Advanced Regional Technical Education Coalition grant.

Shawna Bingham and Lacie Pincock, health emergency medical technician and certified nursing assistant instructors, will receive a $14,679 grant, Chet Jackson, diesel mechanic instructor, $12,251, Scott Street, automotive instructor, $4,200 grant and Daniel Brown, robotics instructor, $2,620, according to a press release issued by the Cassia County School District.

The technology that industry uses is constantly advancing and the tools the next generation uses for training must also advance, ARTEC President Michael Arrington said. ARTEC is pleased to be a part of the help schools need to acquire these necessary tools and resources.

The center was built in 1998 and offers programs to educate and train high school students so they meet industry standards for computer-aided design, automated manufacturing, residential construction and health professions.

ARTEC encompasses eight school districts, the College of Southern Idaho and business leaders. The consortium provides leadership and career technical support to local high school students to find immediate productive employment.

Jesse Miller, a Declo High School agriculture science teacher, was awarded $10,000 from the Idaho Quality Program Standards Incentive Grant from the Idaho Division of Career and Technical Education.

He will use the grant in his agriculture program at the school.
TWIN FALLS  A nonprofit corporation is seeking to subsidize projects valued over $4 million in Twin Falls, Jerome, Burley or Rupert.

The Montana & Idaho Community Development Corporation has received $90 million in New Market Tax Credits from the U.S. Treasury Department. It plans to use those tax credits to finance business startups, expansions and community facilities that serve rural, low-income areas.

And its specifically looking at those four cities in south-central Idaho, an area where the nonprofit has not previously awarded tax credit financing.

The Magic Valley in particular is really ripe for activity, Montana & Idaho CDC President Dave Glaser said. This is Treasury trying to help communities that are low income create jobs and economic vitality.

In particular, the Montana & Idaho CDC has identified projects in Twin Falls and Jerome. A need identified in Jerome, Glaser said, is the citys priority to get a part of the downtown redeveloped after a fire destroyed an apartment building there in 2013.

The tax credits are sold to subsidize up to 20 percent of a projects total cost, Glaser said.

The impacts of every single project we finance are different, and theyre tailored to the communities theyre in, he said.

Since starting work in Idaho in 2012, Montana & Idaho CDC has provided $93.35 million in New Markets Tax Credits to five projects in Idaho, creating an estimated 855 construction jobs and 549 permanent jobs. The Western States Cat expansion in Pocatello is one example.

The $90 million in tax credits was the largest amount the U.S. Treasury Department awarded to any organization this year, and the highest amount Montana & Idaho CDC has ever received. The credits were awarded to 120 organizations, totaling $7 billion.

The subsidy money is available immediately, Glaser said, to interested companies or nonprofits. It will be awarded first-come, first-serve.

If you know of a project over $4 million, just pick up the phone and call us, Glaser said.

To see if a project qualifies, contact New Market Tax Credits Director Sarah Fitzgerald at 844-728-9234 ext. 251 or sarahf@mtcdc.org.
Grace LaRee Munsee, 87, of Twin Falls passed away November 28, 2016 at Brookdale Assisted Living in Twin Falls. Arrangements are under the Direction of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Weston Orin Rynestad, 23, of Twin Falls passed away Friday evening November 25, 2016 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Services are under the direction of Reynolds Funeral Chapel, Twin Falls.

Virginia Lea Cravens, 89, of Twin Falls passed away on November 29, 2016 at St. Lukes Magic Valley Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are under the direction of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Gary Wayne Rumfelt, 63, of Filer, passed away on November 29, 2016 at his home in Filer. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of White Mortuary  Chapel by the Park.

Jimmy Lee Ethridge, 64, of Kimberly, passed away on November 28, 2016 at his home in Kimberly. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of White Mortuary  Chapel by the Park.

David B. Cochran, 59, of Kimberly, Idaho died November 29, 2016 at a local care center. Arrangements are pending under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary, Jerome.

Carolyn Lee Deuel, 68, of Twin Falls passed away on Monday November 28, 2016 at Bridgeview Estates. Arrangements are under the direction of Rosenau Funeral Home.
TWIN FALLS  Kelsey Osborne waved a sign outside the Twin Falls County Courthouse: Illegal does not equal injury.

She was joined by 10 others including Serra Frank, founding director of Moms for Marijuana International, who held a sign that said, Parents beware CPS is corrupted.

Osborne, 23, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Twin Falls County Magistrate Court on a misdemeanor count of injury to a child. She was charged after she gave her daughter butter infused with marijuana to treat the girls seizure-like symptoms. A jury trial is set for Feb. 8.

Osbornes case has reignited debates in Idaho over the use of medical marijuana oil to treat children suffering from severe epilepsy and other conditions. And Osborne is raising concerns about what she perceives to be dangerous pharmaceuticals and her choice as a parent to give whatever care she deems necessary to her child.

No one at the courthouse appeared to be rallying in support of the charge against Osborne.

Pro-medical marijuana supporters like Frank say Osbornes story shows the failure of marijuana prohibition in Idaho.

In 2015, a bill reached Gov. C.L. Butch Otters desk that would have created a legal defense for possession of cannabidiol oil, or CBD oil, a non-psychoactive marijuana extract, if a person had it to treat either theirs or their childs severe seizure disorder. Otter vetoed the bill and issued an executive order allowing up to 25 children with persistent seizures to have access to an experimental, non-psychoactive drug derived from marijuana.

Osborne said her daughter Madysons behavior has become progressively worse since she was 18 months old. She had a particularly bad night Oct. 4 after several weeks of going on and off Risperidone, an antipsychotic medication. The next morning, Madyson was having febrile seizures, vomiting and acting out in a way she never had.

Osborne said she contacted Madysons doctor at 10:30 a.m. but was told they couldnt get an appointment until 1 p.m.

To calm Madyson, Osborne made her a smoothie with marijuana butter. The mother said her daughters seizure-like symptoms stopped about 30 minutes later, and Madyson took a nap.

The doctor called the Department of Health and Welfare when the girl tested positive for marijuana at the appointment. The state took Madyson and her son, Ryker, from her home and placed them with her ex-husband in Jerome, leaving her with supervised visitation rights.

It was the medicine that caused it, the Risperidone, Osborne said outside the courthouse after pleading not guilty. It caused the seizures and hallucinations. I dont believe there is any way possible that I could have injured my daughter. Them putting her on Risperidone did more harm than the cannabis ever did.

When Caitlin Heiner heard of Osbornes case, she decided show up at the courthouse for support. The mother of three didnt know Osborne, but she could relate to her story.

Heiners daughter Scarlett, 3, has severe disabilities and special needs.

I think cannabis oil and medical marijuana would be especially beneficial for her, Heiner said.

Scarlett is blind, has a feeding tube and uses a wheelchair. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and diabetes insipidus, a rare disorder that causes an imbalance of water in the body, among others that affect her thyroid and brain.

She bites and tears her arm, Heiner said. And punches herself in the head.

Heiner said Scarlett takes 10 medications daily, including injections.

Ive never been anti-establishment or pro-drug, she said. I never even smoked marijuana before, but something needs to change. I never realized how big of a problem this is until I had a special-needs kid.

For others, Osbornes case has parallels to debates over Idahos faith-healing law.

In October, a 10-member legislative panel chose not to submit a recommendation to the Idaho Legislature about changing the law, which allows families to cite religious reasons if they opt not to seek medical treatment for their sick children. Under the law that protects them for prosecution if the child suffers or even dies.

Advocates for the law say it protects religious freedoms and parental rights.

Frank, who was friends with Osborne before she was charged, said Osborne turned to her for help, knowing her mission with Moms for Marijuana International.

I am a family advocate, Frank said. I help them and teach them how to fight the system by learning your rights.

Frank said the grassroots group, Raises awareness, promotes education and creates discussion about the Cannabis plant.

In January, Frank was cited with possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia when she tried to smoke on the steps of the Capitol in downtown Boise. She planned to smoke a joint at the Capitol at 4:20 p.m. on New Years Day as an act of civil disobedience. Frank has interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition, and said marijuana helps her cope with the pain better than any medication prescribed to her.

Frank was stopped before she could light up, but she said she plans to do again as a way to bring awareness to the need to legalize medical marijuana.

Kay Bain, 20, from Twin Falls, heard about Osbornes case in the news and saw the call to protest Tuesday on Facebook. Bain supports the mother for what she did because she believes marijuana should be legal.

Bain held a sign that said, Free the Leaf, along with others protesting near Shoshone Street and Fourth Avenue North in downtown Twin Falls.

Im just here as an individual in solidarity with the Osborne family, Bain said. Its just sad that a woman who only wants the best for her child had her taken away. If a mother has her children taken away, and shes treating them better than mainstream medicine, what does that say about our system?
The president-elect woke up Tuesday morning with a clear agenda before him. Poised to announce his pick of Rep. Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and with a day of meetings slated  including one with onetime foe Mitt Romney  Donald Trump hopped on Twitter to talk about where his attention was focused.

Disparaging CNN and  more unexpectedly  reigniting the once-virulent debate over flag-burning.

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! he tweeted.

Where this came from is anybodys guess. Theres an operating theory among some that Trump throws out tweets like this to distract attention from something else, as though 140-character messages demand our total (100 percent) brain capacity. On MSNBCs Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough speculated that maybe Trump was tossing a bit of red meat to the angry social media lions before announcing that he would pick Romney as secretary of state.

The suggestions of this tweet and the context in which it was issued, though, make it far from just a simple distraction.

Flag-burning is not an issue that has occupied a central position in the American political consciousness of late. Its absolutely the sort of fight that Trump would relish, mind you, pitting egghead supporters of free speech and the First Amendment against the patriotism of people who find flag-burning unacceptable.

Some quick history is in order. Fights over how the flag is depicted have been fought at the Supreme Court for more than a century, including the 1989 decision Texas v. Johnson which established that burning the flag was a constitutionally protected act.

One of the justices who supported that 5-4 decision was Antonin Scalia, the jurist whose death earlier this year created the vacancy that it seems Trump will get to fill  with someone, he has said, he hopes will be in the mold of Scalia. Scalia also voted to protect flag-burning when Congress passed a national law hoping to avoid the problems of Texas v. Johnson  even though he found the practice to be repugnant.

If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy-bearded weirdo who burns the American flag, he said last year, adding an important disclaimer: But I am not king. In an interview with CNN, he explained the distinction simply: Flag-burning is a form of expression, and therefore is protected by the First Amendment.

Congress has tried to work around the decision. Shortly afterward, it passed a law banning flag-burning, which was again thrown out (with Scalias agreement). A decade ago, the Senate narrowly failed to approve a constitutional amendment banning flag-burning, with now-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voting in opposition.

If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, Justice William Brennan wrote in response to the decision to strike down the 1989 federal law, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.

Trump doesnt seem to adhere to this idea. He has railed against the oppositional media repeatedly, suggesting at one point that he might open up libel laws to make it easier to sue the media. He disparaged protests earlier this month as being incited by the press and being illegitimate because the protesters were paid (a claim for which theres no evidence). When protesters in Chicago disrupted one of his rallies, he suggested that they should be thrown in jail. His proposals to address the threat of terrorism often seem to tiptoe beyond the free expression of religion boundaries established in the Bill of Rights.

When Trump finds free expression offensive or disagreeable, he seeks to curtail it and, in some cases, impose harsh penalties. The suggestion that those who burn flags should lose their citizenship is remarkable in part because its such a drastic response  one that would itself rescind any number of legal protections to which the culprit would otherwise be entitled. Incidentally, this suggested punishment is barred as a result of a 1958 decision from the Supreme Court, as Louis Nelson notes at Politico.

Weve often seen Trump dash off a Twitter opinion that goes no further. Theres a fair argument to be made that, in the absence of any broader debate or proposed policy, this tweet about the flag should be treated as a curiosity. But it comes on the heels of Trump tweeting about how the results of the election should be questioned because of fraud (something that, again, lacks evidence). Its a pattern of pushing back against fundamental pillars of our democracy: elections, free speech, Supreme Court decisions. He has every right to do so, of course. If nothing else, thats important context. And it reinforces a desire to treat those who oppose him or his values harshly, even when he lacks the power to do so.

Why now? Who knows. Given the attention he has paid of late to casting his opponents in a negative light (like those claims about voter fraud that were the subject of his tweets Monday), perhaps he wants to force them to defend an unpopular position. Perhaps he even hopes that protesters will appear outside Trump Tower and burn flags. That certainly wouldnt hurt his efforts to rally support from otherwise indifferent Americans.

Anyway. Time for Trump to tick off the next items on his to-do list. Something about putting together a government? With the important stuff done, might as well move on to that.
Here we are, three hours after the death of the mare, Maldonado says in the seven-minute video. ...We need people to come out to the streets...and ask for liberty... Speaking Spanish, he goes on to criticize those feigning sadness over Castros death and ends the broadcast by spraying El Sexto onto a wall at the Hotel Habana Libre where Castro took up temporary residence following his triumphant march into Havana in 1959. Relatives said Maldonado is being held without charges at a police station in Guanabacoa, a municipality on the outskirts of Havana.

Amnesty said El Sexto was arrested because he exercised his right of free expression, and demanded the government immediately released him, according to the Martinoticias report.

Other sources reported that El Sexto has been beaten while in jail, and that the official reason for his arrest is connected to the graffiti on the hotel.

UPDATE: @dmmelsexto 's mother finally visits him in Guanabacoa where he was BADLY BEATEN, accusations are tied to graffiti #FreeElSexto  Alexandra Martinez (@alex____mar) November 30, 2016

Amnesty previously recognized El Sexto as a prisoner of conscience after he was arrested after he attempted to carry out a performance art event in 2014 featuring two pigs painted in green with the names Fidel and Raul. He was released in October 2015, after 10 months in jail.
Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar of the Libya National Army (LNA) was in Moscow for a two day visit during which he met the Russian Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministers, General Sergei Shoigu and Sergei Lavrov respectively. Haftar said relations with Russia are crucial and after discussions with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before adding that our goal today is to give life to these relations. He is hoping that Libya will eliminate terrorism with the support of Moscow. A spokesman at the Russian foreign ministry said talks centered on military and political situation in the war torn country with focus on uniting all Libyans to fight the terrorist organizations in the entire territory of the country.

Haftar is confident that the Russian support will boost their fight against terrorist groups when the U.N arms embargo is lifted. He claimed that Russia is adhering to the arms embargo that has been in place since 2011 while noting that we do not want to disturb our Russian friends concerning the Libyan crisis.

It has been revealed that some countries such as France and Great Britain have clandestine forces in Libya. Russia has not stated if it will send troops to the North African country but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pesko said they are in touch with various Libyan representatives and contacts with Haftar take place as part of this process to end the war. Haftar said Russia is interested in stabilizing the situation in the country and hopes that their corporations would contribute to the restoration of infrastructure, investment, development of oil fields after the crisis.

Haftars visit ended on Tuesday and he seemed pleased with the close monitoring of his forces victories over terrorist groups. This is the second time that he has visited Russia after emerging as a renegade military officer.
Tunisia will be getting billions of dollars worth of investments in the next five years after the European Investment Bank (EIB) said it make an overall investment of $2,66 billion from now till 2020 while Saudi Arabia is willing to spend $800m and Qatar has allocated $1.25billion among others at the Tunisia 2020 international conference. France has promised 250 million euros of annual investment and Turkey is expected to deposit of 100 million euros at the Tunisian Central Bank.

President Werner Hoyer of the EIB described their investment package as an exceptional measure to restore the confidence of public and private investors in order to provide a fresh stimulus to investment and job creation and opening up new opportunities for Tunisias youth through private entrepreneurship, sustainable infrastructure, social housing, energy, education and training of young people and also foreign direct investment and innovation.

Unemployment has been a major challenge in the country and has often threatened the political stability of the transitional period especially at the beginning of this year. The Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim, stated that their fund is dedicated to supporting the struggling economy and promote development to help the country in its efforts towards good governance and organization of political life under pluralism. He is optimistic that economic development with reduce unemployment which will help to prevent negative co-related phenomena, such as despair and extremism.

Tunisia is dubbed to be among the leading countries in North Africa to have its citizens fighting for extremist groups although the country has been able to limit attacks in the country following the Bardo and Sousse fatal attacks.

President Beji Caid Essebsi said the conference is a source of hope for the Tunisians as they look forward to the implementation of the governments 2015-2020 development strategy that is expected to held the country surpass its economic challenges. The conference brought together about 1000 delegates, 150 leaders and decision-makers including representatives of 70 countries, and 50 speakers.
The Russian-backed Syrian army and allied militias are staging a brutal assault on the city of Aleppo to bring the rebels to their knees pushing approximately 16,000 people to flee the city.

The parties to the conflict have shown time and again they are willing to take any action to secure military advantage even if it means killing, maiming or starving civilians into submission in the process, said Stephen OBrien, the United Nations undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs.

The besieged rebel-held areas have suffered a sustained campaign of indiscriminate shelling with Assad army launching a final offensive to crash the opposition before the new US administration takes office.

Once Syrias largest city and its industrial and commercial hubs, much of Allepo now is reduced to ruins as a result of a four-year war with the government forces controlling the eastern part and the rebels the west.

On the backdrop of this surge in hostilities in Aleppo, the UN Security Council announced an emergency meeting to take place on Wednesday.

Divisions within the UNs most powerful body continue to grow. France and Britain criticized Russias indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Syria and called for a cessation of hostilities by the Syrian regime. Moscows UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin described such calls as a propaganda campaign.

In these tragic circumstances, France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian populations since WWII, French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre said.

US State Department spokesperson John Kirby ascribed the responsibility for the massacres in Aleppo to Moscow saying: What weve continued to assert is that Russia bears the ultimate responsibility here for what the Syria regime is doing and being permitted to do in terms of the devastating civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure to include hospitals in and around Aleppo.

The UN estimates that 400,000 lost their lives in the Syrian civil war which displaced more than half of the countrys population causing an acute refugee crisis in Europe never seen since the Second World War.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Chairman of Al Quds Committee, has renewed the North African Kingdoms constant and continued support for the historical, legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

In a message addressed to the Chairman of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Moroccan Sovereign underlined his countrys backing to the Palestinian peoples right to establish their independent State on Palestinian territories, within the June 4th 1967 borders  a viable, sustainable State, with East Al Quds as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

He also called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility towards the Palestinian People, particularly with regard to the unprecedented suffering they are experiencing as a result of the other partys obstinacy, ongoing settlement policy and attacks against the holy shrines in Al Quds Al-Shareef, thus undermining the opportunities for a two-State solution.

According to the Moroccan Sovereign, it has been unanimously agreed that to put an end to the Palestinian peoples crisis and eliminate the causes of instability in the region, affirming that the only solution lies in the establishment of the Palestinian State on Palestinian land, as the outcome of direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, according to a reasonable timetable and with international guarantees accepted by both parties.

He expressed his full support for all initiatives moving in this direction and seeking to promote the Palestinian States capacity building, develop Palestinian national economy and enable civil society to play a major role in promoting peace and coexistence.

King Mohammed VI also said that if Israel presses ahead with its nibbling of land, its settlement policy, its embargo against Gaza, its violation of the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy shrines and its Judaization of East Al Quds, the peace efforts will be in vain and there will be a growing feeling among the Palestinian people and the international community as a whole that Israel is seeking to impose a two-system State, in violation of nature, justice and human values.

This will () will ultimately lead to persisting tension, insecurity and instability in the Middle East region, in addition to deepening the feeling of despair which will fuel extremism, violence and terrorism, warned the Moroccan Monarch.

As acting Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperations Al Quds Committee, I would like to tell anyone who is trying to ignore the holy city in any settlement efforts or to buy time to impose a new reality, that this will only exacerbate bitterness and stoke feelings of injustice, said King Mohammed VI.

He also pledged to remain strongly committed to justice, security and stability, affirming that he will spare no effort to uphold Palestinian rights in the holy city, while defending its legal status through political, legal and diplomatic channels.

I will mobilize all available means and mechanisms, including the Bayt Mal Al Quds, the operational arm of the Al Quds Committee, to carry out social and economic projects, support Maqdissis in their steadfast struggle and help them live decently on their land, underlined the Monarch, noting that this will also contribute to safeguarding the human civilization heritage of the city, so that it remains a symbol of tolerance and coexistence between religions and cultures.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
Common psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is an inflammatory skin disease. Credit: Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen

The antibody ustekinumab is in use for treatment of psoriasis since 2009. It inhibits the underlying inflammation by neutralizing certain messengers of the immune system. Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the Technical University of Munich and the University of Zurich have now shown in 'Nature Communications' that one of these messengers could actually be helpful in battling the illness.

Common psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is an inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by severely scaling skin in areas ranging from small to palm-sized. The disease is estimated to affect between two and three percent of all Europeans.

The cause is said to be immune system malfunctions. The treatment therefore aims to 'pick off' the inflammation messengers. For example, the antibody ustekinumab should bind the two interleukins (IL) 12 and 23 and consequently inhibit their supposedly proinflammatory effects. The substance is especially used to fight plaque psoriasis in patients who fail to respond to superficial therapies.

"The findings of the last ten years have shown that IL-23 is the dominant driving force behind psoriasis," explains Dr. Stefan Haak, one of the study leaders and research group leader at the Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), a joint undertaking of the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). "However, according to our study, IL-12 has a positive effect on the skin affected by psoriasis."

In their study, the researchers first used experimental models to examine the influence of the individual messengers IL-12 and IL-23 on skin cells. These tests showed that IL-12 activates a protective program in the skin cells themselves and prevents the infiltration of certain pathogenic immune cells (IL-17-producing T cells), which inhibits the inflammatory reaction.

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Becher from the University of Zurich, who is also playing a leading role in the study, assesses the results: "Our experiments indicate that IL-12, unlike IL-23, has a quite positive effect in the skin affected by psoriasis. Because the active substance ustekinumab, which is routinely used in treating psoriasis, neutralizes both IL-23 and IL-12, however, there should be a thorough examination of whether or not the effect on IL-12 is counterproductive."

The scientists plan further research in the future to see if IL-12 could also have a positive effect on other symptoms. They criticize that its role and mode of action have not been sufficiently investigated so far. Study leader Haak: "New data from clinical studies support our hypothesis and the specific inhibition of the IL-23/Il-17 axis alone would probably be a better-targeted alternative."

More information: Paulina Kulig et al. IL-12 protects from psoriasiform skin inflammation, Nature Communications (2016). Journal information: Nature Communications Paulina Kulig et al. IL-12 protects from psoriasiform skin inflammation,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13466
A young girl participating in an experiment studying how children divide resources that cannot be shared equally, at the Science Museum in Jerusalem. Credit: Ido Vaqnin

In one episode of Sesame Street, Ernie takes a bigger piece of pie for himself and gives a smaller piece to Bert. Bert responds, "That is not very polite. I mean, if I had two pieces of pie, I'd offer you the big piece and take the small one for myself." Confused, Ernie replies, "Well you have the small piece, Bert."

Fairness is a central concept in the adult world. But how do children learn what is fair and what is not? When do children learn to distribute resources in an equitable manner, and what do they do when it is impossible to divide the pie equally?

In a new research, Dr. Shoham Choshen-Hillel of the Jerusalem School of Business Administration at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Dr. Alex Shaw and Prof. Eugene Caruso from the University of Chicago, examined the decisions that children make at different ages when confronted with inequity.

The study shows that as children mature, they develop an increasingly complex understanding of fairness. As they grow older, children behave less like Ernie and more like Bert although they are not always happy when others get more, they would much rather give the bigger piece of pie to others than waste it, as long as the decision about who gets the smaller piece of pie comes from them rather than someone else.

The research, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that children learn to distinguish between inequity and unfairness at a young age (around 6 to 7), and that as they grow older they become more concerned with the fairness of the allocation rather than the outcomes per se. This makes them more likely to offer others the bigger piece of the pie.

"Children develop an understanding that inequity is not problematic in and of itself. Instead, they realize that inequity is problematic when it is driven by unfairness or partiality," explained Dr. Choshen-Hillel. "Our past research shows that this is how adults react to inequity, but now we have evidence that even children as young as 7 years of age are concerned with inequity, only when it is seen as unfair."

To examine the way children of different ages divide resources that cannot be shared equally, the researchers conducted experiments with about 500 children who visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Each child was told that the research team would like to give them and another child named Mark colorful erasers, because they did such a great job learning at the museum that day. "Mark and you each get one eraser. Now we have one left over. What do you want to do with it?"

In one experiment, children could choose whether to take the third eraser for themselves or throw it in the trash. The results showed that while younger children (aged 4-6) tended to take the eraser for themselves, the older children (aged 7-8) preferred to throw the eraser in the trash. In another experiment, the children could give the eraser to the other child or throw it away. The younger children were more likely to throw the eraser away and the older children were more likely to give it to the other child.

"In both experiments, the choices of the older children demonstrated that they prefer to create inequity but to avoid being unfair towards the other. They disadvantaged themselves and were not concerned about the resulting inequity, because they were the ones responsible for it," Dr. Choshen-Hillel said.

"Previous theories in psychology have argued that as children grow older, they become more concerned about inequity. Our studies show that children develop partiality aversion rather than inequity aversion. They are actually happy to give the bigger piece of the pie to someone else, even if it creates inequity and puts them in an inferior position."

Similar experiments are now being conducted in Israel and in China. The researchers report that initial data suggest this tendency is characteristic of children all over the world.

"Interestingly," said Dr. Choshen-Hillel, "Preliminary findings indicate that children from Israel and from China behave in a very similar way to what we have seen in American children."

The findings shed light on when and how children learn what is fair and what is equitable, an understanding that is central to the grown ups' world. "We distinguish between different types of inequity, and the key factor is whether or not inequity is seen as unfair or partial," explained Dr. Choshen-Hillel.

The findings from these studies may lead to the development of educational tools to reduce children's envy and rivalry, and promote sharing behavior and cooperation.

"For example," suggested Dr. Choshen-Hillel, "We recommend that parents and educators encourage children, especially those who are seven years old or older, to make resource allocation decisions by themselves, rather than have the adults make these decisions. For instance, rather than having the parent decide on who should get the bigger cookie, the children should be asked to make this decision by themselves. This way, the child will benefit from giving to his siblings or friends and would be more satisfied with the final allocation, even if he or she gets less than the others. It is a win-win."

More information: A. Shaw et al. The Development of Inequity Aversion: Understanding When (and Why) People Give Others the Bigger Piece of the Pie, Psychological Science (2016). Journal information: Psychological Science A. Shaw et al. The Development of Inequity Aversion: Understanding When (and Why) People Give Others the Bigger Piece of the Pie,(2016). DOI: 10.1177/0956797616660548
Education and counselling are key to improving the lives of Syrian girls in Jordanian refugee camps, according to a new study. Writing in the journal Pathogens and Global Health, three current and former experts at the United Nations Population Fund outline the dire situation in which many young women in the Zaatari Camp find themselves. The Syrian crisis has left almost five million women of reproductive age without adequate sexual and reproductive health education.

The crisis in Syria is also the cause of another worrying trend: a dramatic increase in early marriage and pregnancy, which puts girls at high risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. As the authors explain: "Syrian refugees resort to child marriage as a common and appropriate response to 'compelling circumstances,' such as to gain economic security".

In Jordan alone, there are 156,000 registered female refugees of reproductive age, of which 42,000 are aged between 12 and 17. "The situation of these adolescent girls is alarming," the authors write. "They are forgotten and their voices are not heard, and their status as refugees increases their vulnerability."

In addition to feeling pressured to marry, some girls see marriage for themselves as a way to lift restrictions on their movement and social lives, as well as a means of protection in a setting where traditional social systems have broken down.

Despite considerable efforts to prevent early pregnancies through family planning programmes and awareness campaigns, few girls can access these services  and even when they do, their choices and ability to make decisions is limited. As the authors observe: "Adolescents in the Zaatari camp are under pressure to marry and become mothers, they live in small, conservative communities, they are left with no options to continue their higher education and with no hope to become economically independent."

To improve the lives of girls with seemingly few choices, the authors suggest that aid planning in Syrian refugee camps must take into account that discussing sexual and reproductive health is 'a prohibited practice, especially for girls'. Aid agencies must implement 'courageous' education policies, taboos and traditions must be challenged, girls must take part in social and educational activities, and boys and men must be engaged.

Ultimately, the aid community must do all it can to give young female Syrian refugees choices, for if they had any, 'they would keep studying and playing as our own children do.'

More information: Shbani S., Alkhateeb M. & Hikmat R. (2016) Early marriage and pregnancy among Syrian adolescent girls in Jordan; do they have a choice? Pathogens and Global Health, 217-218, 110, 6.
A systematic review of rodent studies of anxiety drug targets has found a possible reason for thwarted drug development in the field: researchers might not reveal all the data they collect.

"In a perfect world of open data, researchers would publish every single datum," says Adam Claridge-Chang, who led the investigation at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB). "But there is a stigma attached to negative results, so these data are often censored by the researchers themselves, even though they are useful."

Claridge-Chang's in-depth probe into preclinical data could lead to better treatments for the cluster of mental health disorders that affect more than 7 per cent of the global population.

Treatments for anxiety have been fraught with problems. In the early twentieth century, pharmaceutical companies began selling barbiturates, which put patients at risk of lethal overdose. These were followed by diazepam (first sold as Valium), which can be habit-forming and can cause severe withdrawals.

A new class of drugs was released in the 1990s called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs, including Prozac and Zoloft, increase serotonin levels in the brain by blocking the proteins that pump them into neurons. But scientists have grave doubts about their effectiveness.

Claridge-Chang's group at A*STAR studies anxiety in the vinegar fly, a powerful genetic model. When they turned to the mouse and rat literature for guidance, they found many contradictory results. This lack of consensus was especially striking, as preclinical studies of rodents typically form the basis for psychiatric drugs entering clinical trials.

To make sense of the background, team members Farhan Mohammad and Joses Ho analyzed more than 300 mouse and rat studies published between 1985 and 2015 for ten types of anxiety drug targets, including the targets of SSRIs. Eight of the interventions were found to have strong effects on anxiety in the animals.

However, when the researchers plotted the published data on a graph, they found an unexpectedly skewed pattern. "Where dots should have been, they weren't," explains Ho. Medical statisticians show that such skewed distributions usually indicate that researchers are shelving statistically insignificant results, a phenomenon called 'publication bias'.

This wasn't the only inconsistency: mutant mice lacking the SSRI target protein had higher anxiety levels, even though SSRIs are prescribed as anti-anxiety medications. Yet the literature didn't reflect this. "This is a direct contradiction, but about half of the authors didn't even mention it in their papers," says Claridge-Chang.

More information: Farhan Mohammad et al. Concordance and incongruence in preclinical anxiety models: Systematic review and meta-analyses, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2016). Farhan Mohammad et al. Concordance and incongruence in preclinical anxiety models: Systematic review and meta-analyses,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.04.011
Influenza-like illness (ILI+) for the five NYC boroughs. Weekly ILI+ from the week ending 1/12/2008 to the week ending 9/21/2013 are shown by the `x's; the black trajectory shows the 3-wk centered moving average. Color horizontal lines indicate different ILI+ levels (from the bottom to top: 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%). Credit: Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health developed a computer model to predict the onset, duration, and magnitude of influenza outbreaks for New York City boroughs and neighborhoods. They found the model effective in a test using data from 2008-2013; results appear in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.

The researchers are the first to successfully forecast influenza with this level of geographic granularity. "Much like weather forecasts, flu forecasts are most useful at the local level," says lead author Wan Yang, associate research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. "Our goal is to provide information so individuals and public health authorities can take measures to prevent illness."

Yang and senior investigator Jeffrey Shaman, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences, have previously demonstrated success forecasting the flu on the state and city level. In this study, they tested a new method to provide more localized predictions using data on incidence of influenza-like illness from 52 city emergency departments provided by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene combined with lab-verified regional flu levels from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By incorporating information on daily population movement within the city (the paper uses the technical term, "network connectivity"), they report they were able to forecast influenza activity at a much more localized geographic scale.

"By adding information on the city's commuter patterns, we were able to boost signal, providing a much clearer picture on when outbreaks would take place, how long they would last, and how severe they might be," says Shaman. Like a weather forecast, flu predictions are made with varying degrees of certainty (for instance, an 80 percent change of a flu outbreak in the Bronx).

Variation in flu outbreaks by NYC neighborhood, 2008-2013, using data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Credit: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

The model was able to predict a small uptick in flu activity one week in advance 82 percent of the time; it predicted larger spikes with less accuracy. For severe and ongoing outbreaks, it predicted outbreak duration with 77 percent accuracy. It could correctly estimate an outbreak's magnitude up to 54 percent of the time.

The researchers observed flu outbreaks occurring simultaneously in all five boroughs, including the 2009 pandemic, which was many times more intense than the other outbreaks during the six-year period. For reasons not understood, outbreaks were slightly more severe in Queens. Outbreaks in Staten Island were less intense; however, according to the researchers, this was an artifact as influenza-like illness in the borough was only recorded when a patient was hospitalized.

Among 42 neighborhoods corresponding to local hospital use, the researchers observed greater geographic variation in outbreak intensity and timingsometimes weeks apart (video illustrating neighborhood-level outbreaks is available along with the published paper). Adding network connectivity at this level degraded neighborhood forecast accuracysomething the researchers say reflects the fact that connection between neighborhoods does not match with commuter flows. Ongoing work is exploring alternate data sources to refine neighborhood-level forecasts.

As of now, the researchers are not providing borough and neighborhood-level forecasts in real time. For real-time forecasts on the city level, visit the Columbia Prediction of Infectious Disease website, which reports weekly forecasts during the active flu season (as of November 30, 2016, activity remained low).
Credit: Rush University Medical Center

While AIDS originally was seen as an adaptive immune disease, the research of Alan Landay, PhD, has contributed to a view of it as a cell driven-inflammation linked to immunosenescencethe gradual deterioration of the immune system that also accompanies normal aging.

Landay is professor and chair of Rush University's Department of Immunology and Microbiology and principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health-funded Rush Immunology Specialty Laboratory, or ISL. The lab is part of the NIH's AIDS Clinical Trials Group.

He has 35 years of experience in studies of HIV immunopathogenesis (the immune system response to HIV), has worked with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group since it was established in 1987 and has directed the ISL since it began. This research has resulted in Landay publishing more than 400 peer-reviewed papers that have helped shape current thinking about HIV and AIDS.

Here, he discusses how his HIV studies provide insight into common diseases of aging, including Alzheimer's disease.

Question: Why is the study of HIV so interesting to you?

Landay: Our study of HIV has given us important insight into other diseases and into aging and what we call "inflammaging" (low-level inflammation that often occurs in older adults). We are now seeing serious non-AIDS conditions such as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurocognitive and bone disease in HIV patients who also have persistent inflammation.

We are looking at how to measure that inflammation and understand how it contributes to these diseases of aging, which occur earlier in HIV patients than in the general population. We're seeing development of immune changes in HIV patients at around age 50 that we see in the general population at 65 or 70.

So HIV gives us a potential model of aging and especially of the immune system.

You are also interested in the human microbiome, the microorganisms in the body. How does that relate to your other work?

We are discovering a lot about the microbiome and its relationship to the immune system. Many groups are looking at how the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the gut may affect the immune system and infectious disease like HIV. Additionally, there are studies on gut/brain axis and how the microbiome may be involved in diseases like Parkinson's, depression, and autism.

In normal aging, the gut becomes leaky as its barrier function declines. As products from the gut leak out, inflammation can result, which can further accelerate aging.

We're studying how this inflammation contributes to diseases of aging and how it is perhaps accelerated in HIV patients. This inflammation can also contribute to serious non-AIDS events, and we are now exploring ways to modulate the microbiome to see if we can repair the barrier function of the gut.

I think that knowledge about the microbiome will have an impact in almost every disease area, including cancer and autoimmune, infectious, and neurological disease, as well as organ transplantation. All of these can be potentially affected by changes in the microbiome.

We are hoping that our study of the gut will reveal signatures of change in the microbiome that may predict development of these diseases. More importantly, we hope that we can use preventive measures to modify the microbiome. We have some clinical studies now with HIV patients where we are exploring whether probiotics (bacteria that can aid digestion) can move the microbiome back from dysbiosis (a microbial imbalance in the digestive system) to eubiosis (a healthy balance).

You're also looking at cytomegalovirus, better known as CMV, a virus that infects more than half of adults but usually doesn't cause symptoms. How is it relevant to HIV research?

Almost all HIV patients are co-infected with CMV, which is a virus that may cause some of the consequences of aging. When we look at people as they age, we see that more of the immune system is focused around the response to CMV.

In the aging population, CMV appears to be an important virus that is contributing to inflammaging and immune senescence. We think it also plays an important role in driving inflammatory responses in our HIV population.

We have been thinking about therapies to reduce CMV, which we think may reduce the consequences of aging and inflammation. We've also studied CMV in Alzheimer's and published results indicating that this might be an important virus in the brain and a co-factor to Alzheimer's development.

Tell us about the latest research at Rush.

We are tracking a group of HIV patients as they move along and grow older. Thirty years ago, when HIV first gained widespread awareness, patients typically died within a month or two of diagnosis.

Now they are typically living a healthy life to an age that is only a few years short of normal. But they are contracting these diseases of aging, which is what we are studying.

We are studying the microbiome as one of the possible contributors to this accelerated aging. There are collaborators around the world who are involved in this subject. I was involved in organizing an HIV and Microbiome meeting, held on the National Institutes of Health campus last year, that focused on enhancing our understanding of the role of the microbiome in HIV pathogenesis, prevention and therapy.

In Chicago, with our Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative, we are starting to think about obtaining microbiome samples from a large population base in the Chicago metropolitan area to see what kinds of trends we see.

You work with groups and research cohorts all over the world. Can you talk a bit about that?

I work across the world to set up collaborative networks on understanding the role of HIV in aging. I work with a lot of large NIH-funded networks, one of which is called the AIDS Clinical Trial Group Network. It's the largest network of in the world of people involved with research on AIDS therapies and includes the U.S. as well as the developing and developed world.

I also work with another HIV-funded study that is investigating the progression of HIV disease in women. It is called the Women's Interagency HIV Cohort. Other working groups include a Canadian study of HIV in aging and HIV studies in the Netherlands, Ireland and Australia.

It sounds like aging is at the top of the pyramid of all that you are studying.

Yes, it is. I am trying to understand the basic elements of what we can do in terms of aging. What do we look at regarding nutrition and exercise? How can we apply the tools we have discovered to counter age-related diseases? I am working with colleagues to see how I can use my expertise in HIV and apply it to other important questions in the aging population.

As I said, people with HIV are living longer, and they are not dying of HIV but rather of other non-HIV diseases and co-morbiditiesthe same ones that are affecting the rest of the aging population. I think the fact that I was educated as a basic immunologist and also had clinical immunology training helps to break down some of the conceptual barriers.
Produce in Georgia: New plant in western Georgia benefits 130 local families

Thirty million GEL has been invested in a new enterprise in western Georgia that will bring hundreds of jobs to the local community.Georgia's Acting Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has officially commissioned the new bentonite clay processing factory, to which local firm Askaneli Alliance invested 30 million GEL.The factory was created within the 'Produce in Georgia' state program and located in the Ozurgeti municipality.Kvirikashvili said the opening of the factory was a "patriotic endeavour of national magnitude and significance" while commenting on the plant, equipped with state-of-the-art German machinery and technology. He believed the opening of such large enterprises served as a catalyst for entrepreneurial spirit in Georgia and the entire region.This is an extremely most modern enterprise that uses the most sophisticated German technology in terms of eco-friendly production. What makes me most happy is that a Georgian enterprise will have its branch in Germany for the first time ever in the history of our country and its output will find thousands of ultimate uses, said Kvirikashvili.The Acting PM noted the enterprise will bring hundreds of jobs to the region and benefit many local families."It is very important that initially almost 130 households will have income as a result of the enterprise, while later about 300 jobs will be created in total. Produce in Georgia is an utterly successful program and this case is the best example of a very sound cooperation between the public and private sectors," he said.Construction of the enterprise started in June 2016.Meanwhile today it was announced the the investors planned to increase their investment in the new factory to 100 million GEL and to double the number of jobs at the enterprise.
Senators to reassure Georgia over US commitment

By Messenger Staff

The Washington Post claims that United States Senators from the Republican Party, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, will visit Georgia, Ukraine and Estonia before January 20,when Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes his presidential oath.The Washington Post wrote in its recent article that the aim of the trip is to reassure these European partners that Washington is still committed to confronting Russian aggression.The Washington Post added that starting in January, the pair would hold a series of hearings highlighting Russias transgressions around the world, including war crimes in Syria, cyber-attacks, propaganda campaigns and threats to Baltic States.In addition, Graham has said he wants to use his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommittee to steer new funds to European allies for battling Moscow, the Washington Post read.Since electing Trump as the 45th President of the United States through the November 8 Presidential Election, wherein he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Government of Georgia has stated they were sure that the close partnership with the US would continue under the new President.However, there are people in Georgia and in the United Stated as well who fear Trump may launch a reset policy with Russia that may change Americas attitude to Georgia and NATO.United States (US) ex-Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has told the Wall Street Journal that Russia offers predictable complaints that for Georgia to join NATO would be a provocation.He added that concern about Russias probable reaction persuaded some NATO members that Georgias move toward NATO should be delayed."The Wests security interests should not be held hostage to Russian disapproval, Rumsfeld said."The US should act now to deepen its engagement with Georgia, not as an act of philanthropy but because Americas vital interests are at stake there, he believed."The people of Georgia have shown what good governance, strong democracy and an attachment to Western values can accomplish, even against daunting odds. Georgia is an ally we need and should welcome, Rumsfeld said.President-elect Trump has stated that he wishes to normalize relations with Russia, but is against the process to be called the reset.In his latest statements, Trump did not appear as positive towards Russia as in his previous statements.As it appears, statements before and after elections differ in some cases as Trump, as the President of the United States, will first of all act based on Americas interests.
The News in Brief

Two Georgian citizens released from Tskhinvali remand center



Two residents of the Atotsi village have been released from the Tskhinvali remand center after several days of detention.



They were detained on November 19 near the village.



The so-called court of self-recognized South Ossetia sentenced them to 2000 Russian ruble fine. Their relatives paid the fine and they were released. (IPN)







GDDG to Name Davit Gabaidze as New Chair of Supreme Council of Adjara



President Giorgi Margvelashvili will convene an inaugural session of the newly-elected Supreme Council of Adjara on November 28, the Presidents office said on Tuesday.



The GDDG party told Civil.ge that Davit Gabaidze, number two on the party list, will be named as the new chairman of Adjaras legislative body.



Before becoming a member of the Supreme Council of Adjara, Gabaidze was the head of Legal and Human Resource Management Department in Adjaras government.



The Supreme Election Commission summarized on November 17 final results of the first and second rounds of the October elections, according to which GDDG has won the majority and will have 14 lawmakers in the 21-member Supreme Council. The National Movement will have five lawmakers, and Alliance of Patriots and Nino Burjanadzes Democratic Movement will have one lawmaker each.



Election of a new legislative body in Adjara will lead to formation of a new government. It is unknown whether Zurab Pataradze, who has been leading the Adjarian government since July, will be replaced.



President Margvelashvili will nominate a new head of Adjaras government to the regions legislative body for approval within 10 days after its inaugural session. (Civil.ge)







FGM will be ended very soon in Georgia, says acting justice minister



A government spokesperson says she had never imagined that female genital mutilation is being practiced in Georgia, and that the practice will be ended very soon.



Three villages in the eastern Kakheti region are maintaining the practice which is considered inhuman and subject to international efforts to end its continued use.



Villagers told a reporter for IWPR about their traditions, a story also carried by DFWatch, and the revelation sparked intense interest and debate in Georgia.



We want to eliminate this practice from those two or three villages, very rapidly, acting Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani said Tuesday.



She was offered by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili to remain in her position in the new government that is in the process of being formed following the October 8 election, and as the rest of the ministers she continues in a caretaker role until a new cabinet has been approved by parliament.



Tsulukiani said that a new passage has been added to the Istanbul Convention on violence against women, by which FGM will become a criminal offense, but parliament will have to ratify the convention for it to have legal force.



If the parliament supports it, there will be a separate article which will make so-called circumcision of girls a crime, she said.



After the recent discovery, the Ministry of Internal Affairs began to study the situation, but no investigation has yet been launched. (DF watch)







Investor day in Tbilisi



"We aim to introduce European standards in Georgia and thereby aspire to become more flexible than typical European countries in terms of liberal trade and regulatory burden" stated Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Acting Prime Minister of Georgia, while addressing an audience gathered to celebrate Investor Day on November 22.



In the opinion of the Acting Prime Minister, the main goal of the Government of Georgia is to develop businesses, as the country has all the necessary resources and potential to fully materialize the business opportunities of Georgia.



"As you may well be aware, Georgia concluded an Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU). The Deep and Comprehensive, Free Trade Area is an integral part of it, and offers tremendous opportunities to the country for exporting its output to European markets. Very recently we concluded AAs with member states of the Free Trade Association of Europe. The signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with four more countries enabled us to gain additional access to markets with 14 million consumers. Georgia also concluded negotiations on an FTA with China. It will be signed in the near future," noted Kvirikashvili.



The Acting Prime Minister believes that Georgia is the most open, liberal and free economy in the region, and has a strategically attractive geographical position. Kvirikashvili referred to World Bank indicators, according to which Georgia ranks 16th among 190 countries of the world in terms of Ease of Doing Business, thus progressing by seven positions in contrast with the previous year.



"Annually, reputable international organizations rank Georgia high every time. In line with the Open Governance Matrix, Georgia is one of the key reformers with a business environment, judiciary, rule of law, fights against violence, stability and degree of regulations keep advancing in a sound and sustainable manner. According to the Fraser Institute, Georgia is among the Top Five countries of the world with the Highest Degree of Economic Freedom. This is truly remarkable," added PM Kvirikashvili.



The Acting Prime Minister exposed the event participants to the Four Point Plan of the Reform Agenda of the Government of Georgia.



Investor Day, which was organized by the BGEO Investment Group, aims to attract direct foreign investments (FDI) to Georgia. (Government.gov.ge)




@amysherman1

Broward Democrats will elect their own leaders Saturday including some who will play a key role in selecting the next Florida Democratic Party chair.

About 600 Democratic activists who represent precincts across the county will gather at the Signature Grand hotel in Davie Saturday afternoon to elect a chair, state committeeman and state committee woman and other representatives.

The state committeeman and committee woman elect the state chair based on a formula that gives weight to the number of registered Democratic voters in each county which means that Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach are the key decision-makers. After Broward Democrats elect the committeeman and woman, these county leaders will get lobbied by the long list of candidates vying for state chair to replace Allison Tant in January.

Broward state committeeman Ken Evans will run to keep his position and faces Thaddeus Hamilton, who lost a race against Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam in 2014. Evans has been endorsed by several politicians including local members of Congress Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Lois Frankel and Ted Deutch.

Grace Carrington, a Democratic leader in Coral Springs, is running for state committee woman.

Mitch Ceasar, who has been Broward chair for about two decades, isn't seeking re-election. In 2015, he stepped aside while running for Clerk of Courts, handing off the leadership to vice chair Cynthia Busch. (Ceasar briefly returned to the chair post after losing his primary.)

Busch appears to be the favored candidate in the chair race against vice chair Christine Jones.

Since Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton, Busch says interest has spiked in volunteering for the county party.

"People are really really angry," she said. "We need to channel that constructively and work toward maintaining what we have and making sure we don't lose ground in this off-year."

Broward has about 600,000 registered Democrats -- the highest contingent in the state but it often lags behind the statewide average in turnout, particularly in years when presidential candidates aren't on the ballot.

Busch doesn't get a vote for state party chair but she says one of the candidates called her so far: Stephen Bittel, a prominent Coconut Grove fundraiser and developer. Bittel told the Miami Herald on Nov. 14th that he "might" be interested in the chair position. He could not be reached Monday or Tuesday.

Bittel isn't a Miami-Dade precinct committeeman, a prerequisite to run for state chair but he has said that the party can figure out a way to make it happen. Miami-Dade Democrats hold their election Dec. 6th.

In Miami-Dade, the current chair Sen. Dwight Bullard of Cutler Bay told the Miami Herald that he will run for vice chair for the county -- that allows him to avoid the competitive six-way race for county chair. Bullard, who lost to Republican State Rep. Frank Artiles Nov. 8, said that he will then run for state chair.

Susannah Randolph, former district director for U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, is also running for state chair. Alan Clendenin, the Tampa activist who lost to Tant told Naked Politics that he will decide no earlier than Dec. 15th about whether to run for state chair.
via @learyreports

Sen. Marco Rubio says hes eager to get to work on Donald Trumps agenda of ditching Obamacare and increasing border security, though Rubio implied that Trumps wall was a rhetorical device.

Building a wall is a phrase that is about securing the border and enforcing our immigration laws. And I think that's something we need to move on first, Rubio said Tuesday night in an interview with Sean Hannity. I've -- I've said now for a long time that it is the key that unlocks the door to be able to do anything else on immigration.

Rubios comments reflect what other Republicans on Capitol Hill have said as questions have come up about the cost and feasibility of a wall, at least as Trump described it. Rubio said he generally agreed with Trumps domestic agenda but carefully noted potential differences on foreign policy. We'll see how that develops. He's had -- as I said, he's never held public office before, so he said some things on the campaign trail. We'll see how that translates to foreign policy, Rubio said.
@amysherman1

The son of a Cuban immigrant, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said that he hoped President-elect Donald Trump could press for change for Cubans following Fidel Castros death.

But in a Nov. 27 interview on ABCs This Week, Cruz expressed some skepticism that anything will be better under Castros brother Raul Castro, who began taking over in 2006.

"What the Obama administration has done is strengthen Raul Castro. Raul is the dictator now," Cruz said. "You know, I asked my dad at dinner last night, what do you think happens now that Fidel is dead? And he shrugged and said Raul has been in power for years. The system has gotten stronger. ... You know, in 2015 roughly 10,000 political arrests occurred in Cuba. That is five times as many as occurred in 2010, when there were only about 2,000."

We were interested in his statistic, so we contacted Cruzs office. Spokesman Phil Novack told us the senator slightly misspoke, but his point is still basically accurate.

Keep reading from PolitiFact Florida.
@JeremySWallace

Seven members of Congress and four soon-to-be members are publicly throwing their support behind Republican Party of Florida chairman Blaise Ingoglia for a second term running the state party.

Ingoglia released the list of 11 members who will have votes when the Republican Party of Florida meets in January to vote on who will be the chairman through 2018.

"The organization Chairman Blaise Ingoglia put in place this past election cycle was crucial in delivering big wins from President-Elect Trump and Senator Rubio, our Congressional delegation, and the State Senate and State House, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, a Republican from Alachua County.

Others on the list: Reps Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor; Carlos Curbelo, R-Miami; Ron DeSantis, R-Ponte Vedra Beach; Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee; Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland; and Dan Webster, R-Clermont. Congressmen-elect Neil Dunn, R-Panama City; Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach; Brian Mast, R-St. Lucie County; and John Rutherford, R-Jacksonville.

The list comes days after Ingoglia put out a list of 114 Republican activists who are supporting him.

But Ingoglias opponent Christian Ziegler, a Sarasota Republican, is hardly concerned about the lists. He says many of the people on Ingoglias list are county party chairs who are not seeking re-election this month, meaning they cant vote in January when the race will be decided. He said there are others on the list who have encouraged him to run against Ingoglia so their endorsements may not translate into votes.

One example is Monroe County Republican Party chairwoman Debby Goodman, who after three terms as county party leader is not seeking re-election. Goodman said she wont have a vote in January and said her name on the list must have been an honest mistake.

Ingoglia has since taken her name off his endorsement list.
@PatriciaMazzei

The U.S. House plans to vote Wednesday on a wide-ranging health bill that includes several items of interest to South Florida.

The legislation, dubbed the "21st Century Cures Act," would exempt the University of Miami's Sylvester Cancer Center from Medicare reimbursement cuts imposed on hospitals last year -- a protection that should help Sylvester expand, according to the office of Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Also included in the bill is language Ros-Lehtinen and Boca Raton Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch drafted to direct federal health grants to train physicians and educators about early signs of eating disorders. In addition, the legislation supports federal drug courts modeled in part like the state ones pioneered in Miami.

The Cures Act had been passed by the House before, but the Senate objected to some provisions. The new version is a result of negotiations between both chambers.

Perhaps the best known part of the legislation in South Florida is lifting a restriction to allow the Food and Drug Administration to authorize, on an emergency basis, the use of technologies such as a genetically modified mosquito to combat the Zika virus.
From a Miami Herald op-ed column penned by newly reelected Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo:

A long and uninspiring election season has come and gone. Americans from all regions of the country, with diverse backgrounds and beliefs, cast ballots for candidates who best represented their vision for the future. Since Election Day, we have seen a wide array of emotions, from celebration to protest. As the dust settles and we look towards the future, officials at all levels must put politics aside and serve the people who elected them to make government more efficient.

I have been given the honor of returning to the U.S. House of Representatives for another two years to represent our South Florida community in Congress. Throughout the campaign, the theme I reiterated to constituents was the need for civility, the need to put people and ideas above petty politics. Campaigns might focus on personalities and personal attacks, but governing requires thoughtfulness and consensus-building. Those who govern must lead serious discussions of ideas for making our community and the country better places to live and raise a family. This is the only way we can hope to restore Americans trust and confidence in government and its institutions.

[...]

But we wont be able to accomplish anything noteworthy unless all parties have a seat at the table to share their views and contribute. I encourage the new administration to be inclusive. It didnt take me long to learn that without bipartisan cooperation little gets done in Washington. The best laws are often products of compromise and negotiation.

More here.
@amysherman1

Sen. Bill Nelson, the key elected Democrat in Florida who will likely have influence in selecting the next Florida Democratic Party chair, hasnt publicly revealed who he will support.

The Senator is aware of some candidates who have expressed an interest and will be monitoring the upcoming local DEC elections which determine who is officially eligible to run, said Pete Mitchell, Nelsons former longtime chief of staff who is advising him on his 2018 campaign.

It appears that Nelson is waiting for some of the large Democratic counties to first elect their own leaders before he weighs in publicly on who should replace Allison Tant, who announced after the Nov. 8th election that she wouldnt seek re-election in January.

Broward Democrats will elect their state committeeman and woman Saturday while the Miami-Dade party elects its leaders Tuesday.

Across Florida, committeemen and women vote for the state party chair according to a formula based on the number of registered Democrats in the county which means that Broward and Miami-Dade have the most influence.

Nelson is the lone statewide Democrat in elected office in Florida and the Republicans have placed a target on this back for 2018.

While Nelson easily beat U.S. Rep. Connie Mack in 2012, this time he could face a far more formidable opponent: Republican Gov. Rick Scott appears poised to run. A former hospital CEO, Scott can tap his personal wealth and friendship with President Elect Donald Trump.

Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller who has known Nelson for decades said he hasnt heard from Nelson who he plans to support.

When he weighs in I think for a lot of us that will be a very very important step, Geller said. He is the single individual that if he chooses to influence the race will have the most influence. Thus far I have not heard him choose to use it.

In 2013, Nelson backed Tant.

Nelson will want a party chair who can help unify the party and raise millions of dollars. The key candidate who could generate big bucks for the party is Stephen Bittel, a prominent national fundraiser and Coconut Grove developer. Bittel told the Herald earlier this month he might want the position but he appears to be a serious candidate because he has been contacting Democratic activists. However, for Bittel to run would require some maneuvering because he isnt a precinct committeeman, a prerequisite to run for the state chair position.

There is a long list of potential candidates to run for state chair. Sen. Dwight Bullard of Cutler Bay and Susannah Randolph, former district director for U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson have both said they will run for chair.
HELENA  Theyre joining the likes of Charlie Russell and Theodore Roosevelt. Lee Metcalf and Cecil Garland. Doris Milner and Granville Stuart.

Thirteen conservation visionaries will be inducted into the Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame in a December ceremony in Helena. Whether a teacher, lawmaker, author, attorney or tribal leader, each brings a unique contribution to the outdoor legacy of Montana and the conservation heritage cherished by so many.

Look around at what Montana has become, said Thomas Baumeister, chairman of the selection committee. Were celebrating something done collectively, something we did right.

The committee received 39 applications for this Hall of Fame class  the second following the inaugural class in 2014. The caliber of nominations challenged those charged with making the final selections as reviewers whittled nominees to the final 13.

It was excruciating getting it down because we had so many great people, said committee member Jane Ratzlaff, president of Montanas Outdoor Legacy Foundation, a funder of the project. Its celebrating those willing to stand up to keep Montana an outdoor paradise.

The Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame honors the history of conservation but also serves as inspiration for future generations. Conservationists must resist apathy or believing the work is done, Ratzlaff said, while recognizing the foundation of individuals who shepherded our wild places even when doing so was unpopular.

Thirty million acres of public lands is worth standing up for, she said.

For the first installment of this two-part series on the 2016 inductees, meet Pat Williams, Bob Munson, Pat McVay, Margaret Adams, Bob Anderson, Ken and Florence Baldwin, and George Darrow.

Pat Williams

Rep. Pat Williams, born in Helena, raised in Butte, and now living in Missoula, served in the U.S. Congress from 1979 to 1991. There he earned a reputation for protecting Montanas wild places.

I think some of the great work by Montanans in the Congress like Lee Metcalf and Mike Mansfield set an early marker about protection and the necessity of it, he said. Those markers created a hallmark for the country that simply some places, despite their mineral or energy potential, are off limits because they are marvelous wildlife habitats, the headwaters of our great rivers and scenic cash registers for our businesses.

In 1980 Williams led congressional designations for the Rattlesnake Wilderness near Missoula and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness near Bozeman.

In the 1990s a push for geothermal drilling near Yellowstone National Park raised concerns about the impacts to the parks world famous geothermal features. Williams pushed legislation that prohibited drilling near the parks border that passed after several years of contention.

In the early 1980s Williams secured one of his most notable conservation victories. As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, he fended off efforts from the Reagan administration to seismic test for oil in a 320,000-acre portion of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Rocky Mountain Front.

Bob Munson

Bob Munson couldnt wait to get out of Chicago and come West. As one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the move would prove life changing for Munson and game changing for wildlife.

He attended the University of Montana and married a Libby native. After a stint in the armed services and temporary return to the Midwest, in 1977 Munson came to northwest Montana. It was there that RMEF was born.

In 1984 Munson, Charlie Decker and two other parishioners at the Troy Christian Fellowship Church sat at a kitchen table and talked about the fact that so many wildlife species had dedicated conservation groups. Why not elk?

The four of us believed it was worth a shot, Munson said. I borrowed money from my mother and brother, took my sons college fund and ended up with a mass mailing brochure.

The mission is simple  look out for elk and other wildlife and preserve the hunting heritage and habitat, he said. After more than 30 years, RMEF and its 200,000 members have conserved more than 6.4 million acres of habitat in 27 states and invested more than $84 million in research and conservation projects.

Munson says he shares his induction into the Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame with everyone who worked hard to get RMEF off the ground and build it into the organization of today.

Pat McVay

Teaching the next generation of hunters has been the passion of Kalispells Pat McVay since even before Montana had hunter education.

In the early 1950s McVay started junior shooting and hunter safety programs in Hungry Horse, personally calling the NRA to collect materials for the program.

I moved to Hungry Horse in '52, and we had four hunting accidents in our area. I very much believed they couldve been prevented  Im a firm believer in hunter safety, McVay said.

In January 1957 he received the call from Mel Ruder, editor of Hungry Horse News, who said the Legislature made hunter safety the law of the land. Three days later McVay filed paperwork to become the first certified hunter education instructor in Montana. He still teaches the course at his ranch east of Kalispell.

McVay, 96, believes the field course including live firing is perhaps the most important aspect of hunter safety. Not only was he Montanas first hunter education instructor, but he was also the first to hold an in-the-field course and live shooting rifles and shotguns.

The new Hall of Famers also include

 Bob Anderson, 1943-2013, raised in Livingston, whose passion for the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness led to formation of the Absaroka-Beartooth Task Force in 1970  an effort realized with wilderness designation in 1978.

 Information from Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame biographies.

 Margaret Adams, 1920-2005, a Havre native who shaped the lives of thousands of students in Great Falls as the creator of the school districts elementary environmental education program. In her 60s, Adams and other conservation minded women backpacked through Montanas wilderness areas, returning to testify for wilderness legislation and balking at the idea that the states remote country was only for the young.

 Information from Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame biographies.

 Ken Baldwin, 1908-2007; and Florence Baldwin, 1911-2007. Ken Baldwin was named the Montana Wilderness Association's first president when the group was formed in 1958 at a meeting in Bozeman's Baxter Hotel. The Baldwins organized support for the Wilderness Act, which garnered sponsorship from Montanas senators until it passed in 1964. The landmark law established the Bob Marshall, Cabinet, Gates of the Mountains, Anaconda Pintler and Selway-Bitterroot wilderness areas, and serves as the foundation for all other wildernesses to follow.

 Information from Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame biographies.

 George Darrow, 1924-2015, a Republican lawmaker, was also an oil-field worker, military man, rancher, farmer and petroleum geologist  and passionate conservationist. He worked for passage of the Montana Environmental Policy Act in 1969. MEPA stands as a foundation of environmental law, requiring the state to consider environmental ramifications of its actions. And, he was the chief sponsor of the Montana Water Policy Act of 1967 and an advocate for inclusion of every Montanans right to clean and healthful environment as guaranteed in the 1972 state constitution.

 Information from Montana Outdoor Hall of Fame biographies.
The man who bilked investors for more than $24,000 after promising to make a cowboy documentary narrated by Clint Eastwood pleaded guilty to felony charges on Monday as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

In August 2015, Matthew McClintock was charged with six felonies after securities officials found that instead of spending investor money on the film  which he had promised would air on PBS  he instead spent it on personal expenses.

On Monday, McClintock pleaded guilty to not being registered to sell securities and offering to sell an unregistered security, both felonies, as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors that dismissed his four other felony charges.

A trial in the case had been scheduled to start on Friday.

McClintock is set to be sentenced on Feb. 14 by District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 10 years in the Department of Corrections, nine of which would be suspended. As part of the agreement, McClintock must also pay back the money he stole from investors.

He has said in the past he did intend to make the documentary, but also that he had never spoken to Eastwood about it.

In his pitch to investors in 2014 and 2015, he said the film would have a University of Montana professor as an adviser  which was not true  and that part of the proceeds would go to the Western Montana Breast Cancer Fund, which does not exist.

More than 70 Montana residents invested money in the project, including one who fronted more than $10,000, according to court documents.

McClintock is on probation for a deceptive practices conviction in Madison County and had a prior fraud conviction in Oklahoma. In that case, he used online dating sites to scam women out of thousands of dollars, and was nicknamed the Casanova Con by securities officials.
If the city of Missoula pays $88.6 million to acquire Mountain Water Co., those dollars are likely to disappear into Canada, according to the city's lawyer.

"We are predicting that the money will escape the jurisdiction instantly," said lawyer Natasha Prinzing Jones, with Boone Karlberg, snapping her fingers.

And she believes it'll do so before parties that fronted money to the water company for developments get paid back. Mountain Water is now owned by Liberty Utilities, a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. of Canada.

As such, Jones asked Judge Leslie Halligan to prevent a possible "fraudulent transfer" of funds, joining a request from a group of developers who have fronted money to Mountain Water to ensure those who paid for infrastructure get reimbursed.

The city and the county also loaned the water company money.

Tuesday, the lawyers argued before Halligan about which parties should pay off the debts, an estimated $23 million in all, as the city gears up to buy the water company.

A group of developers represented by Robert Bell want their payment cut out of the $88.6 million the city is going to pay for the water company. The city won the right to use its power of eminent domain to force a purchase of the utility; water commissioners appointed by the court set the fair price at $88.6 million.

Bell said his clients' contracts are with Mountain Water, and Mountain Water needs to pay. The developers are asking the court to order Mountain to pay those balances or authorize the city of Missoula to make separate payments, partly to Mountain Water, and partly to developers.

"The elephant in the room is Mountain Water will soon be an empty shell, void of any assets," said Bell, with Reep, Bell, Laird, Simpson and Jasper.

On behalf of Mountain Water, though, lawyer Mark Stermitz of Crowley Fleck said the law doesn't provide for splitting up a condemnation award, the $88.6 million the city must pay for the water company.

"There's no provision for partially paying an award, much less into a different court," Stermitz said.

Plus, he said, Missoula County District Court lacks jurisdiction to hear any of the arguments in the first place. Stermitz said he wouldn't belabor that point, but he also noted that all of Mountain Water's payments are current  yet the city hasn't paid "just compensation" at all.

At the same time, he said, he's heard plenty of speculation that "the Canadians, quote unquote," were going to behave improperly. In other circumstances, he said, the insinuation that a certain group will cross lines is "pretty offensive."

Jones, though, pointed out that Liberty Utilities already has flouted the law. Liberty Utilities bought Mountain Water from The Carlyle Group without approval by the Montana Public Service Commission; state regulators denounced the transaction as an affront to the law and levied a fine.

Jones suggested the city of Missoula pay Halligan's court an estimated $22 million for the court to disperse as appropriate to the parties owed. She suggested the city then pay the remainder of the condemnation award, some $66 million, into Judge Karen Townsend's court since it's overseeing the eminent domain proceeding.

Monday, one of the three water commissioners who helped determine the value of the water company said the commissioners did take into account the infrastructure fronted by developers when it came up with the value. Dick Barrett, an economist and the presiding officer, said it would be fair for the money owed to developers to come out of that $88.6 million, as calculated by the commissioners in a nearly week-long analysis.

The developers and the city have argued that allowing Mountain Water to keep the entire $88.6 million would be a windfall, but Stermitz said the windfall goes the other direction. If the city is allowed to keep the revenues from new infrastructure without having to repay developers, he said, the city will unfairly gain.

"It'll be the city that'll realize the windfall," Stermitz said.

Stermitz also requested time to respond to a brief filed by the city, and Judge Halligan agreed. She said Mountain Water may file its response, and the other parties may reply; both deadlines are in December.
Three juveniles have been charged with felonies after allegedly stealing cars from a Missoula dealership and breaking into a medical marijuana dispensary in late October.

Sgt. Travis Welsh with the Missoula Police Department said the owner of the dispensary went to his store after its alarm went off just before 3 a.m. on Oct. 28.

He found three people inside the business, who left and jumped a fence when he called police. The suspects left behind a pair of vehicles that were later discovered to have been stolen from a Missoula car dealership the same evening.

Welsh said after almost a month of investigation, three juvenile males were identified and have since been charged with a total of 12 felonies from the burglary and car theft. He said the dispensary had several other reports of burglaries leading up to the October incident.

We just want to remind people that burglary is a crime regardless of the location or a persons age, Welsh said.
University of Montana governance groups and union members will hold a meeting 4 p.m. Tuesday to respond to comments state higher education officials made last week about UM's budget and academic programs.

Associated Students of the University of Montana President Sam Forstag said Tuesday many people on campus did not appreciate comments from state officials, who last week said UM's budget was "personnel heavy" and required further cuts and continued program prioritization.

"I don't think the regents have the authority to be mandating cuts like that," Forstag said.

After the Montana Board of Regents meeting last week, Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian and Deputy Commissioner of Communications Kevin McRae told the Missoulian that UM still needs to make headway toward a student-faculty ratio that is closer to 18 to 1 than 16 to 1, one benchmark.

However, Christian said at the time he expects the detailed budget and program decisions to be made by the campuses. At the same time, McRae said if campuses aren't able to prioritize their programs, the day will come when they are told how to do so.

Forstag said ASUM, Faculty Senate and Staff Senate often meet, but it is unusual to bring in the University Faculty Association.

"This meeting is to show that shared governance on campus really is strong," Forstag said.
Sunburst Community Service Foundation provides opportunities for growth to individuals, families and communities through mental health services, family support, arts and education.

Sunburst Mental Health has five locations in Northwest Montana and provides outreach to other areas. Services provided include therapy, medication management, service coordination/case management, and community support/psychiatric rehabilitation. Sunburst provides strength-based, family-centered services to empower individuals.

It operates in the Flathead Valley and has offices in St. Ignatius, Eureka, Kalispell, Polson and Libby. This program serves as a lifeline between children in foster care and their birth families. Utilizing a staff of compassionate and dedicated individuals, the program provides an array of services to prevent child abuse and neglect as well as assist families in reunification efforts and permanency planning.

In January 2010, Sunburst became a licensed mental health center and now provides mental health services in five locations across northwest Montana.

Since its early days, Sunburst has been active in the arts and culture in the Tobacco Valley region of north Lincoln County. It has sponsored Shakespeare in the Parks since 1998. The foundation is currently embarking on its 18th winter Performing Arts Series in Eureka, which brings a variety of concerts and theatrical performances to schools and community audiences.

A family of five (two adults and three kids, an 18-month-old girl, 5-year-old boy, and a 6-year-old boy) is in need of various items due to both parents being unexpectedly laid off from their jobs due to the lack of available work, and finding themselves temporarily needing assistance. The mother is taking online classes for nursing and would greatly appreciate any help she can get to care for her family during the holidays. The family is in need of diapers sizes 3 and 6, a gas card to drive to appointments and visit family during the holidays, food items, toys, and any other essentials. To help, call Lara Stanley at Sunburst Mental Health Center, 745-3681.
Ed Butchers Modest Proposal (Nov. 21) to limit voting to those who are employed chillingly recalls a long and sorry history of federal, territorial and state restrictions aimed at disenfranchising targeted segments of the population. Butcher advocates for returning to what he envisions as a better time, so that only those who meet his standard of financial means would be allowed to vote. In this vision, we would return stability to the election and governing process.

Butcher is a former history professor, and it is worthwhile to look at the history of limitations placed on the right to vote. There is insufficient space to list all of those attempts. Instead, I will just review a few of the highlights:

 The 1864 Territorial Legislature in Montana limited voting to all white male citizens, and those (white males) that have declared their intentions to become citizens, above the age of twenty-one years.

 In 1871, the Territorial Legislature in Montana made it a crime to create a precinct at any Indian agency, or at any trading post in Indian country, or on any Indian reservation whatever.

 In 1884, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Elk v. Wilkins that Indians were not citizens, and did not become citizens under the provisions of the 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. As non-citizens, they could not vote.

 The 1889 Montana Constitution granted the right to vote to only male citizens who were at least 21 years old.

 Voter registration laws in the United States were virtually non-existent until after the Civil War. They were a product of the post-Reconstruction South to disenfranchise African-Americans. And they worked. A good is example is Louisiana, where by 1898 registration laws were successful in reducing the African-American vote by 90 percent. Voter registration systems have always been about excluding target groups from voting.

 In 1911, the Montana Legislature declared that anyone living on an Indian reservation shall not be deemed a resident and therefore those persons were ineligible to vote.

 Women finally obtained the right to vote in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

 Even though Indians had lived here for thousands of years, they were denied the right to vote in national elections until 1924, when Congress finally adopted the Indian Citizenship Act.

 In 1932, partially in response to the Indian Citizenship Act, Montana amended its Constitution to require that only property taxpayers could vote on issues involving levying a tax, or incurring a debt. This ensured that Indians living on reservations were at least partially disenfranchised (along with anyone else who didnt own real property).

 The provisions of the 1932 Constitution limiting the right to vote to taxpayers was only invalidated by the Montana Supreme Court in 1971 when it decided State ex rel Ward v. Anderson.

 Many jurisdictions in Montana continued to develop methods to systematically deny the right to vote to Indians in Montana. With the passage of amendments to the Voting Rights Act in 1975, Indians finally were given federal protections to the right to vote, a right that the ACLU has litigated many times in Montana.

Over the years those in power have often tried to disenfranchise others, most frequently targeting people of color and the poor. The schemes used to deny others the right to vote have only been limited by the creativity of our lawmakers. In our countrys history, we have seen poll taxes, literacy tests, the purging of voter rolls, citizenship tests, and felon disenfranchisement. Most recently, the new favorite requirement is voter IDs, which purport to combat non-existent voter fraud but in fact prevent many nonwhites and poor people from voting.

Each time one of these roadblocks to democracy has been enacted, it has been challenged in the courts, and thus far our federal and state courts have acted to strike down this kind of perfidious legislation. If Butcher can succeed in convincing a sufficient number of Montana legislators to try his new employment test for voting, the ACLU of Montana would be more than happy to discuss the matter with him, in court. In our post-election world, we stand ready to protect the right of all Montana citizens to vote.
I was taught being able to vote unimpeded as an American was an inalienable right of citizenship. Its hard for me to understand how Americans have not overwhelmingly objected to gerrymandering among states giving political favor to GOP candidates in the recent past. There was only slight media coverage about this practice, though it presented significant obstacles for elderly, low-income people and people of color to exercise their voting right as citizens.

In our recent election there have been equally perverse and intentional methods to skew voting results. Many people were turned away from polls because of strict new voter ID laws. New ID laws in certain states resulted in unknowing elderly and poor citizens with no drivers license ID being turned away even though they had an established history of previous voting at their polling sites for years. It was shown some citizens were so disgusted with the voting challenges set before them, they decided not to vote at all.

The 2016 election was the first presidential contest in 50 years without full protection of the Voting Rights Act because the Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County V. Holder that states with a long history of discrimination no longer need to have their proposed voting changes approved by the federal government. Fourteen states had new voting restrictions in effect for the first time in 2016  including important swing states like Wisconsin and Ohio. There is no way of knowing how many people were kept away from voting by these restrictions.

There also has been a long history of voter discrimination in Texas, Arizona and North Carolina. Wisconsin had its lowest voter turnout in 20 years. Early voting hours and limited days to vote were equally obstructive to millions of voters. Unimpeded future voting rights are in question.

Richard A. Damon,

Bozeman
BUTTE - The largest Superfund site in the U.S. could enter into uncharted territory if federal District Judge Sam Haddon allows The Montana Standard the right to intervene in Butte Hill contamination cleanup talks.

Thats how U.S. attorney Jim Freeman described the decision Haddon faces after a hearing Tuesday in Helena federal court.

Freeman argued against the newspapers lawsuit. The Standard and the Silver Bow Creek Headwaters Coalition filed suit in September to allow the public access to the talks between the federal government and responsible party, Atlantic Richfield Company, over the Butte Hill cleanup.

If Haddon agrees, the Standard would then go back to court to argue the confidentiality order, issued in 2003, should be lifted.

Haddon took the arguments  from Freeman, Standard attorney Jim Goetz and ARCO attorney Kyle Gray  under advisement and will schedule a later court date to issue his decision.

Haddon issued the confidentiality order in 2003. That allows all parties to discuss privately how to clean up the Butte Hills contamination, which is the result of more than 100 years of mining. ARCOs costs are also part of those confidential talks.

ARCO purchased the mining and smelting properties from Anaconda Copper Mining Company in 1977. The smelter closed in Anaconda in 1980. ARCOs Butte-based mining operation shut down in 1982.

Goetz said after the hearing that if Haddon allows the newspaper the right to intervene, the ruling will have impact on other aspects of the Silver Bow Creek-Butte cleanup. The Butte Hill is one part of the larger cleanup site.

Haddons ruling could also affect Anacondas Superfund cleanup, which has not yet officially entered into legal discussions.

Haddon said Tuesday how he decides the case could raise all manner of issues for the future.

Freeman pointed out, in court, that there is a wide acceptance of confidentiality orders in Superfund cleanup.

Much of the arguments Tuesday revolved around why The Montana Standard didn't file suit in 2003 when Haddon issued the confidentiality order. Freeman stated that the newspaper's intervention is "untimely."

"The Standard waited 13 years," Freeman said. He added that the negotiations are "much more significant now than they were 13 or 3 years ago."

Goetz argued that The Standard and the Silver Bow Creek Headwaters Coalition didnt fight the order in 2003 because they had trust in the federal government, Goetz said.

Goetz said what has changed is that The Standard and the coalition feel Buttes interests may not be protected by the federal government.

Freeman said if the public is allowed access to negotiating documents that have been confidential for years, that action would prejudice all the parties involved.

Freeman called the Butte Hill Superfund cleanup a complex environment and said, it will be even harder if it shows up in the morning paper.

Goetz argued that the U.S. governments argument is mere speculation.

What might happen is not sufficient to have a protective order, Goetz said.

Goetz also argued that the confidential talks violate Montanas Constitution and public records and open meetings law. To participate in the talks, the state of Montana and Butte-Silver Bow had to sign the confidentiality agreement.

But Gray, ARCOs lawyer, said there are no sealed documents in this case.

The Standards conclusion that the publics rights are not protected doesnt make sense, Gray said.
RALEIGH, N.C.  There is no doubt that officers surrounded him. That they shouted at him. That they shot him. But a crucial question about the fatal confrontation between Keith L. Scott and police officers in Charlotte, N.C., has always been whether Mr. Scott was wielding a gun.

On Wednesday, in a 40-minute news conference that at times took on the feel of a courtroom argument, R. Andrew Murray, the district attorney for Mecklenburg County, laid out a case that Mr. Scott, who was black, had a gun in his hands and had not heeded warnings to drop it when he was shot and killed.

Its a justified shooting based on the totality of the circumstances, Mr. Murray said. No charges, he said, will be filed against the officer, Brentley Vinson, who is also black.

Mr. Murray made his case with an elaborate presentation of videos, enhanced digital images and other evidence, a reflection of the increasing sophistication of prosecutors who must also sway a public skeptical of police accounts of fatal shootings.
Steve Medina, 41, Butte, was arrested in a parking lot near 100 block of South Main Street around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday on two misdemeanor warrants from the Montana Highway Patrol. The warrants are for Medina's 15th instance of driving with a suspended license, and 12th instance of driving without insurance.

Police arrested a man and a woman at a home on the first block of South Washington Street Tuesday just before 3 p.m. for a series of old warrants. Jason Bruce, 42, was arrested on warrants for felony parole violation, a partner/family member assault that led to serious bodily injury, and an out of jurisdiction warrant from Cascade County. Amanda Montoya, 33, was arrested on a warrant for felony parole violation.
The largest Superfund site in the U.S. could enter into uncharted territory if federal District Judge Sam Haddon allows The Montana Standard the right to intervene in Butte Hill contamination cleanup talks.

Thats how U.S. attorney Jim Freeman described the decision Haddon faces after a hearing Tuesday in Helena federal court.

Freeman argued against the newspapers lawsuit. The Standard and the Silver Bow Creek Headwaters Coalition filed suit in September to allow the public access to the talks between the federal government and responsible party, Atlantic Richfield Company, over the Butte Hill cleanup.

If Haddon agrees, the Standard would then go back to court to argue the confidentiality order, issued in 2003, should be lifted.

Haddon took the arguments  from Freeman, Standard attorney Jim Goetz and ARCO attorney Kyle Gray  under advisement and will schedule a later court date to issue his decision.

Haddon issued the confidentiality order in 2003. That allows all parties to discuss privately how to clean up the Butte Hills contamination, which is the result of more than 100 years of mining. ARCOs costs are also part of those confidential talks.

ARCO purchased the mining and smelting properties from Anaconda Copper Mining Company in 1977. The smelter closed in Anaconda in 1980. ARCOs Butte-based mining operation shut down in 1982.

Goetz said after the hearing that if Haddon allows the newspaper the right to intervene, the ruling will have impact on other aspects of the Silver Bow Creek-Butte cleanup. The Butte Hill is one part of the larger cleanup site.

Haddons ruling could also affect Anacondas Superfund cleanup, which has not yet officially entered into legal discussions.

Haddon said Tuesday how he decides the case could raise all manner of issues for the future.

Freeman pointed out, in court, that there is a wide acceptance of confidentiality orders in Superfund cleanup.

Much of the arguments Tuesday revolved around why The Montana Standard didn't file suit in 2003 when Haddon issued the confidentiality order. Freeman stated that the newspaper's intervention is "untimely."

"The Standard waited 13 years," Freeman said. He added that the negotiations are "much more significant now than they were 13 or 3 years ago."

Goetz argued that The Standard and the Silver Bow Creek Headwaters Coalition didnt fight the order in 2003 because they had trust in the federal government, Goetz said.

Goetz said what has changed is that The Standard and the coalition feel Buttes interests may not be protected by the federal government.

Freeman said if the public is allowed access to negotiating documents that have been confidential for years, that action would prejudice all the parties involved.

Freeman called the Butte Hill Superfund cleanup a complex environment and said, it will be even harder if it shows up in the morning paper.

Goetz argued that the U.S. governments argument is mere speculation.

What might happen is not sufficient to have a protective order, Goetz said.

Goetz also argued that the confidential talks violate Montanas Constitution and public records and open meetings law. To participate in the talks, the state of Montana and Butte-Silver Bow had to sign the confidentiality agreement.

But Gray, ARCOs lawyer, said there are no sealed documents in this case.

The Standards conclusion that the publics rights are not protected doesnt make sense, Gray said.
Over a thousand snow geese that landed in the Berkeley Pit's dangerously contaminated water this week have so far apparently survived  unlike the fate of 342 that perished in a similar 1995 landing.

Nikia Greene, the pits Environmental Protection Agency project manager, said Wednesday afternoon that he has seen no bird mortalities.

Mark Thompson, Montana Resources' manager of environmental affairs, agreed.

The birds apparently arrived Monday during a snowstorm, said Thompson.

That was the similar scenario 21 years ago  almost to the day  when 342 snow geese showed up, but died after ingesting highly acidic pit water.

Thompson said Wednesday, however, after 30-plus hours on the water, the most recent visitors were still able to fly away. He estimates that as many as 500 took flight at first light Wednesday.

Greene confirmed that a flock of the birds flew away Wednesday morning.

More birds left the pit Wednesday afternoon in response to MR shooting rifles from both the north and south sides. MR has been working since Monday night using various noise tactics to try to get the birds to leave.

But in the 21 years since MR and ARCO implemented a bird program to keep flocks off the pits water  in response to the 342 deaths in 1995  no one has seen birds stay on the water this long, Thompson said.

Usually birds that land are gone within 12 hours, said Thompson.

Greene said he believes that about half of the geese have left since they first landed sometime Monday night. Thompson thinks there are about 10 percent of what we first had.

Birding expert Gary Swant of Deer Lodge said heavy metals accumulate in animal tissue. That means drinking metal-contaminated water is not likely to kill the birds right away.

It would be a chemical that would affect them immediately, Swant said.

Necropsies of the 1995 birds revealed acid had burned their throats. So it was likely the sulfuric acid in the pit that killed the snow geese in 1995.

Steve Hoffman, Helena, executive director of the Montana Audubon Society, said the birds likely landed on the pit to rest. (See related story.) If the snow geese on the Berkeley Pit are thirsty, they will drink the water, Hoffman said.

Swant said the massive Warm Springs Ponds, south of Deer Lodge, a popular stopover for migrating birds, is mostly frozen. That means there is no other large body of water in the immediate area where birds could land for a rest.

Thompson said MR is working with the agencies to investigate why the birds landed on the Berkeley Pit after so many years of so few die-offs. The last count, taken in November 2013, found nine birds died in the pit in that month. Due to the instability of the pits walls, MR and ARCO have not been able to monitor bird mortalities in recent years.

Were going to figure this out because we dont want this to happen again, Thompson said.

ARCO spokesperson Brett Clanton said via email that they, too, are working closely with the agencies on the issue. When the snow geese landed in 1995, ARCO spokesperson Sandy Stash initially reported that the bird deaths were due to bad grain. The event gained national media attention.

Despite the tense situation, there is a potential ray of hope for the birds.

A snowstorm is sweeping through Butte Wednesday night and into Thursday, said Missoula-based meteorologist Trent Smith from the National Weather Service.

During migratory season birds fly either ahead of a storm system or they fly behind one, said Hoffman. Birds register a change in barometric pressure.

A sudden drop may get them to want to move on, said Hoffman.
HELENA  A woman who was criminally committed to Montana State Hospital has sued the state for $1.5 million, claiming she was raped by another patient while at the facility, which resulted in the birth of a child.

In a complaint filed last week in District Court in Helena, the woman, S.S., says she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom at the states psychiatric hospital. The lawsuit claims that hospital staff knew about the womans mental health issues, which included episodes of sexual delusions and intrusive sexual thoughts and failed to adequately supervise her. She is being represented by the Penelope Strong Law Office in Billings.

The complaint states that the hospital didnt have adequate staff to control the number of male and female patients in the hospitals D unit, where criminally committed patients live.

The woman is claiming negligence, denial of the right to a safe environment, a failure to supervise, infliction of emotional distress and is asking for damages of $1.5 million to help care for a child that resulted from the rape.

Through a spokesman, the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the state hospital, said it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

S.S. lived in Ravalli County and was formally committed to the state hospital in October 2010. She was found guilty but mentally ill of criminal possession of dangerous drugs in Yellowstone County. Her commitment was until June 2013.

When first at the hospital the woman lived in the forensic unit, where men and women live in separate wings with their own bathrooms.

She was placed into general population Nov. 2, 2010, and six days later was found in a bathroom with a male patient. After the incident she was placed under more strict supervision, but it was lifted after about two weeks.

A year later, on Nov. 27, 2011, the woman was found with another male patient in a bathroom, after which the woman was put on one-on-one supervision and given a pregnancy test, which was positive.

Upon admission to Warm Springs, the lawsuit states that administration and staff knew or should have known about S.S.'s mental health problems and disorders that made her vulnerable to sexual abuse by male patients. Notes in her records from as early as spring 2011 show other patients reported to staff that S.S. was having sexual contact with men in the unit, according to the complaint.

Current hospital policy does not allow sexual relations between patients; nor did policy at the time, according to the complaint.

Local law enforcement were notified by hospital staff of a sexual assault and resulting pregnancy on Dec. 13, 2011. A criminal investigation was done but a case was never filed. The complaint also says staff failed to protect S.S. from additional assaults and verbal abuse from one of her assailants and other residents of the forensic unit after the police report was made.

In August 2012, S.S. gave birth to a daughter in Butte. The lawsuit states S.S. cannot effectively parent her child and her mother cares for the child now.

The woman is suing the state; the Department of Health and Human Services; the departments director, Richard Opper; John Glueckert, who was the hospital administrator; and unnamed employees.

In 2010 the state paid a $375,000 settlement to a woman who said she was raped at the state hospital in 2008. The settlement was a result of a negligence claim filed by Disability Rights Montana, a nonprofit that is required by federal law to investigate claims of abuse at the state hospital. DRM said the woman was locked in a bathroom with a male patient, who was a convicted rapist, for an hour and a half before staff noticed.
WASHINGTON  History has a sly sense of humor. It caused an epiphany regarding infrastructure projects  roads, harbors, airports, etc.  to occur on a bridge over Boston's Charles River, hard by Harvard Yard, where rarely is heard a discouraging word about government.

Last spring, Larry Summers, former treasury secretary and Harvard president, was mired in congealed traffic on the bridge, which is being repaired, and he suddenly understood "American sclerosis." Repairing the bridge, which was built in 11 months in 1912, will take about five years. The problem, he concluded in a blog post, is "a gaggle of regulators and veto players"  Massachusetts' government, contractors, environmental agencies, the historical commission, etc.  "each with the power to block or to delay, and each with their own parochial concerns." Summers' sunburst of understanding continued:

"I'm a progressive, but it seems plausible to wonder if government can build a nation abroad, fight social decay, run schools, mandate the design of cars, run health insurance exchanges or set proper sexual harassment policies on college campuses, if it can't even fix a 232-foot bridge competently. Waiting in traffic over the Anderson Bridge, I've empathized with the two-thirds of Americans who distrust government. ... We seem to be caught in a dismal cycle of low expectations, poor results and shared cynicism."

There is a trope for these times: "I'm a progressive, but ... ." Barack Obama should have understood this in 2009 when he serenely promised "shovel-ready projects," the scarcity of which was one reason his stimulus barely stimulated.

Groundbreaking for the Empire State Building was on March 17, 1930. Construction soon began and the building officially opened May 1, 1931  just 410 days, during the Great Depression. The Pentagon was built in just 16 months, during wartime. After seeing reconstruction of Manhattan's West Side Highway take 35 years (construction of the George Washington Bridge took 39 months), Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan despaired that whereas America once celebrated people who built things, it now honors those who block building.

Today's long lag between the conception and execution of infrastructure projects is one reason they are dubious as countercyclical economic stimulants, and as jobs programs for the unemployed. The economist Milton Friedman said that once, while he was taken to see a canal that was being dug, he expressed astonishment that there was no heavy earth-moving machinery, only men with shovels. A government official said that was because the project was a jobs program. Well, then, Friedman replied, shouldn't they use spoons rather than shovels?

New Deal public works gave the nation splendidly useful engineering marvels, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hoover Dam. It did not, however, significantly reduce unemployment, which never came below 14 percent until prewar military spending began.

Both presidential candidates endorsed huge increases in infrastructure spending, so we are about to relearn that bipartisanship, whatever its many merits, usually means a recklessly open spending spigot. Will there be wasteful projects? Indeed, boondoggles are transaction costs of democracy. As is the inclination to direct infrastructure spending to stagnant regions, where it is unlikely to stimulate growth, rather than to regions where economic dynamism is putting pressure on, and being dampened by, inadequate infrastructure.

Besides, the economic bang from every infrastructure buck is biggest in a society that is starting from a low base, as America did in the first half of the 19th century. Princeton historian James M. McPherson in "Battle Cry of Freedom" noted that before 1815  before all-weather macadamized roads  the only efficient means of moving goods long distances was sailing ships and down-river floats. "The cost of transporting a ton of goods 30 miles inland from an American port equaled the cost of carrying the same goods across the Atlantic." So, "America's transatlantic trade exceeded internal commerce" and "the economy grew little if any faster than population."

Then came the Erie Canal and the frenzied funding of emulative projects, many of which failed, but the successes redeemed the rest. Next came railroads, and soon Americans regarded infrastructure  then called "internal improvements"  as emblems of national greatness. When the Marquis de Lafayette toured America in 1824, a couple of years before the 50th anniversary of the Revolution, his New York banquet table groaned beneath the weight of a 75-foot model of the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825.

Americans hoped that commerce, ignited by infrastructure, would weld the nation's sections, defusing the danger of disunion. Actually, this would require a railroad lawyer from Illinois.
Everyone needs a safe, healthy place to live.

This is true whether you own or rent your home. Yet, many Montana renters contend with a health risk they cant control: secondhand tobacco smoke.

Exposure to secondhand smoke causes up to 65,000 deaths in the United States each year and can make problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worse.

Even if you dont allow smoking in your own apartment, it can seep in from neighboring units through doors, windows, ventilation systems and even electrical outlets.

Theres no way to effectively seal these leaks, either. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers concludes that the only means of effectively eliminating health risks associated with indoor air exposure is to ban smoking activity.

To protect health, smoking should be prohibited from all apartments and common areas such as entries, lobbies, hallways and balconies. This doesnt mean prohibiting smokers. It just means asking those who use tobacco to respect the rights of their fellow tenants to stay healthy by not smoking inside the building. Remember, we all pay for the billions in health care costs caused by tobacco.

Along with saving lives, landlords should know that going smoke-free makes economic sense. Surveys by the Montana Tobacco Use and Prevention Program show that only 19 percent of Montana renters are protected by smoke-free policies, but 85 percent of tenants want smoke-free housing. That means, if you have a smoke-free apartment to rent, you have a product thats in high demand.

Additionally, going smoke-free reduces fire risk and prevents costly damage to carpets, wall coverings, paint and countertops. Landlords know it can cost hundreds of dollars to clean up and turn around smoked-in units.

Going smoke-free is legal and relatively easy, providing you put together a well-planned policy. The Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program can help by providing sample policy language, free educational materials and free smoke-free signage. Interested landlords and tenants can get more information at dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/mtupp/SFH.

Again, tobacco smoke is more than a nuisance  its a serious health hazard that doesnt belong in anyones home.
We write this letter on behalf of landowners along the Smith River, who share a grave concern regarding the proposed copper mine at the headwaters of the Smith River. Tintina Resources, a Canadian company that is controlled by Sandfire Resources, an Australian company, is proposing a large underground copper mine that would be next to and go underneath Sheep Creek, the most important tributary to the Smith River.

The Smith River isnt just the crown jewel of the Montana rivers and the state parks system because of the recreational floating and fishery. It holds sentimental, historical and cultural values upon which you cannot put a price.

Long before Europeans arrived, the Smith River valley was home to several Native American tribes, a fact made evident by more than 70 pictograph sites in the area. State archeologists have said, Its a high density of sites, unlike any other found in the state.

Scotty Allen was a trapper, fur trader and hermit who wandered into the Smith Valley in the mid-1920s. He spent the majority of his life in different camps and cabins in the mountains along the river. His cabins and some belongings can still be seen there today. One can only imagine what this canyon was like all those years ago.

Though the Smith River may be a little more populated today, it is still the same precious place. Generations of families have farmed and ranched along the Smith, and depended upon its clean water for their crops and livestock. Kids have grown up spending their summers on the Smith at the cabins built by their great-great-grandparents. It is a very precious place in the world to them, and a place that they would do anything to protect.

Concerned landowners understand the need for mining and precious metals in our modern society and are not against responsible mining. However, responsible mining isnt just how you mine, but where you mine.

The Smith River and the landowners along its banks are in the cross-hairs when something goes wrong at this mine and it impacts water quality and quantity in the Smith River. Many of the families and landowners have decided to take it upon themselves to begin documenting the precious river and surrounding landscape this year with photographs and well-water tests.

In conclusion, these landowners are joining the conservation community who are demanding zero risk to the Smith River. We are calling on Governor Bullock and his Department of Environmental Quality to make sure this mine is reviewed, critiqued and held to a standard higher than anything we have ever seen in Montana. Tintina must prove this mine will cause no harm now or after it is closed.

Many of these landowners are property taxpayers in Meagher County, and they are calling on the Meagher County commissioners to look at all sides of the issues and listen to everyones comments and concerns, not just the rhetoric of the mine company. With the horrible track record of modern mining in Montana and the bottom-of-the-barrel prices of these metals, there is no reason to risk building a mine that puts this area in grave danger for the benefit of foreign interests.

Signed, landowners along the Smith River:

Thomas and Carol Angland

Warren and Lezlie Hopper

Tom Dean

Debra Louttit/Daniel McKay

Matt Morgan

Bill and Penny Shaw

Gary DeMille

Maureen and Vincent Marko

Chauna Craig

Alice Millard

M. Shaun Donovan, personal representative of the estate of Mike and Marge Donovan

Marlene Cope Waterland

Jim and Janice Cooperstein

William M. Thomas

Julie and Kevin Jurecko

Mark Higgins

Ned and Linda Morgens
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WAPELLO, Iowa  The Louisa County Conference Board approved the appointment of Louisa County Assessors Assistant/Field Appraiser Cathy Smith as the new Louisa County Assessor during a meeting Monday.

Smith will replace current assessor Greg Johnson, who had informally announced several months ago that he planned to retire around the end of December. During Mondays meeting of the conference board, Johnson officially submitted his resignation effective Jan. 1.

According to Smiths resume, she has worked in the Louisa County Assessors office since July 1998 and has experience with field appraiser measuring and evaluating property to set values and other office procedures.

She has also successfully completed the Iowa Assessors Exam.

Experience and completion of the exam are two requirements for regular certification as an assessor, Johnson reported.

The Louisa County Examining Board, a three-member group that reviews resumes for the position of county assessor, had met Nov. 3 and directed Johnson to notify assessment jurisdictions around the state about the opening.

Smith was the only person to apply and she was interviewed by the examining board on Nov. 18. The examining board then approved recommending her to the conference board.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Central Middle School will host their Winter Band Concert in the Central Middle School Auditorium starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8. The concert will feature performances by the CMS Jazz Band, 6th Grade Concert Band, and 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band with smaller performances between each group. Admission is free and there is something for everyone - a mixture of seasonal and non-seasonal music.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Downtown Muscatine will swell with upwards of 5,000 festival goers as the 32nd annual Holiday Stroll featuring a variety of activities takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2. The festival is a Muscatine tradition with over six city blocks of decorated storefronts, entertainers, shopping and activities for the whole family.

Second Street through downtown will be the center of activity but it will not be the only location where visitors can take in a bit of the holiday spirit. Two other events that will take place in Riverside Park as an 18-foot Community Christmas Tree donated by Jerry Lange will be lit in a ceremony at 6 p.m. (see story below).

The twinkling lifts of the community tree will be augmented by a special holiday treat with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railroads Holiday Train at approximately 7:45 p.m. in Riverside Park. This is the 18th edition of the Holiday Train which makes stops throughout the Midwest during the first two weeks of December. The train features a musical performance by Canadian Blues artist Colin James.

Those coming to see the train and concert are asked to bring a food item which will be donated to food banks in Muscatine. The train last stopped in Muscatine in 2014.

The festival is presented by the Muscatine Journal and Toyota of Muscatine. Journal General Manager Jaime Limoges said that organizers are hoping to reach more people than ever before. And with a sponsorship from Toyota of Muscatine, the Journals promotion hopes to reach people within a 50-mile radius.

The digital re-targeting ad campaign is delivered across multiple websites and platforms on tablet, mobile and desktop devices, Limoges said. It also continues to appear once visitors come to our website to read about the holiday stroll. Someone from Iowa City can be on a national news website and see an ad for Muscatines holiday stroll if the algorithms have determined them to be an ideal candidate for a day-trip, we make sure they keep seeing it. We dont want them to forget!

Were excited about this added promotion because digital re-targeting is a product we offer our advertisers and finally we get to showcase downtown Muscatine in the same manner, she said.

And the Journals partner for this promotion is also excited to promote the event.

Since were a local business and a local community, its important to advertise in your local market and be in your community and be active where your customers are, said Lizelle Landino, marketing director at Toyota of Muscatine.

The financial support from area businesses can also be seen on the event schedule including the return of strolling characters, but its also the involvement from downtown businesses that really makes the event happen says Limoges.

From photos with Santa and Disney characters to performances from local choral groups, its the investment of time and talent from shop-keepers and the community that make the holiday stroll what it is, added Limoges.

This year, as in other years, the Journal has acted as a liaison to downtown businesses who are interested in participating.

People call us if they are looking for a place to perform and businesses call us if theyre looking for performers, she said. But mostly our job is coordinating with the city entities as well as tracking down all of the event information.

Its a true labor of love, she concluded, with lots of Christmas lights!

A schedule of events will be posted at muscatinejournal.com/holidaystroll.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  A Christmas tree will soon twinkle with lights on the Muscatine riverfront, thanks to an area resident's donation.

Jerry Lange's home on Mulberry Avenue was "the highlight" of light displays around the city for almost 50 years according to a press release from the City of Muscatine and the memories of thousands who annually visited the display.

Although he has since moved outside the city limits, Lange chose to donate an 18-foot Christmas tree that was placed on top of the pump house building across from Mississippi Mist in Riverside Park on Tuesday by Muscatine Power and Water employees.

The tree will include synchronized LED lights that display various colors and patterns in time with music.

Lange said he wanted to continue his tradition of sharing holiday joy with community members.

Its a way of sharing with the community my enjoyment, and I hope that it will become their enjoyment as well, Lange said.

A ceremony for the first lighting of the Muscatine Community Christmas Tree will be held on the night of the Holiday Stroll, at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in Riverside Park.

All are invited to attend.

Jerry Lange, Muscatine Power and Water, the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Muscatine Public Works and Parks and Recreation staff made the tree and event possible.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The League of Women Voters of Muscatine County hosted a discussion on water quality in Iowa Tuesday night, and a professor at the University of Iowa said voluntary action for Iowa farmers is not improving water quality.

David Osterberg, of the Iowa Policy Project and a professor in the Occupational and Environmental Health Department at the University of Iowa, spoke to gathered Muscatine area residents at the McAvoy Center at Muscatine Community College.

Osterberg presented findings of studies and polls, and said he has seen little progress in reducing nitrate and phosphorous in the Mississippi River and Iowa waterways.

One graph showed measurements of the size of the "dead zone," an area of water where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet the Gulf of Mexico. The area is called the "dead zone," he said, because algae in the area has been fed by enough nutrients that it grows richly, and enough oxygen is consumed shrimp cannot survive.

"That is an area that has been so enriched, hasn't been poisoned, it isn't that we somehow poisoned that area, we enriched it so much that the algae bloomed and bloomed and when they died, the bacteria that ate them sucked up all the oxygen out of the system," he said.

The size of the area, looking at five year averages, Osterberg said, is not improving.

"We've got a very long ways to go," he said.

Although urban areas do contribute, the Iowa Policy Project, Osterberg said, has found 96 percent of nitrogen applied to land in Iowa is applied to corn crop, and two percent to back yards.

"Now it is true though that urban areas are part of what gets in there," he said.

One graph, with figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showed more than 80 percent of Iowa land in 2012 was farmland.

According to an Iowa State University study, Osterberg said, 91 percent of the nitrogen issues stem from non-point areas, areas where water quality management is voluntary rather than mandated, like for farmers. Cities and specified drainage sites, he said, are mandated, although they contribute a smaller percentage.

Mandates of the 2013 Nutrient Reduction Strategy put in place in Iowa, he said, has not decreased the nitrogen and phosphorus as much as is needed, because many farmers are not choosing to implement nutrient reduction strategies, such as cover crops.

Osterberg also said farmers are not investing in improving the environmental quality of their farms, according to the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll.

While requiring farmers to prevent nitrogen runoff would be difficult, Osterberg said, because no two farms are alike, he has not seen evidence that voluntary action is working.

Many residents, as well as elected officials, asked questions. Nathan Mather, recently elected to the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors, said for many Iowa farmers, the issue of water quality in the Gulf of Mexico may seem distant.

That may be the case, Osterberg said, but he showed a steep rise in the number of Iowa beach advisories in recent years due to microcystin, toxins produced by blue-green algae that also absorbs any runoff into the water system and can flourish with the added nutrients.

"This is now Iowa," he said.

The information from Osterberg's presentation as well as further research on Iowa's water quality can be found at iowapolicyproject.org.
News of Fidel Castros death has generated praise for him from numerous politicians on the left. While Castro has a murderous history, wielded dictatorial powers and committed many human rights abuses, a record that even those who praise him abhor, its the very policies that some leftists praise that are the source of Cubas poverty.

For example, in response to news of Castros death, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein tweeted, Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire. Presente!

And U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who met with Castro eight times over the years, said that when she learned Castro had died, I was very sad for the Cuban people. He led a revolution in Cuba that led social improvements for his people.

There is no doubt that Castro has the blood of innocent people on his hands. The Cuba Archive Project, which requires stringent documentation, has verified the deaths of 5,600 people before firing squads and an additional 1,200 extrajudicial assassinations. Historian R.J. Rummel estimates a much larger 35,000 to 141,000 Cubans have died at the hands of Castros government.

Leftists have often apologized for the brutality of socialist governments by claiming that the ends justify the means. A Stalin apologist reportedly told George Orwell that you cant make an omelet without breaking eggs. To which Orwell answered, Wheres the omelet?

Castro had more than 50 years to cook the omelet and all he delivered was broken eggs. The problem is that the recipe, socialism, cant create a meal of economic prosperity.

Socialism requires that the government own the major inputs to production (land, capital, and, at least implicitly, its own citizens labor) and to formulate an economy-wide production and distribution plan. But socialist planners cannot know what goods consumers most urgently want and the most economical way to produce them, because they lack the freely formed prices that underlie profit-and-loss calculations in market economies.

Moreover, planning necessarily entails centralizing a great deal of power. People in positions of power often lack any incentive to plan efficiently even if they knew how to do it. Meaningful political freedom is illusory when those in power control the economic livelihood of their citizens, so rulers often plan for their own benefit rather than the benefit of their people. The horrific abuses of power that have occurred under socialism are a feature of the system, not a bug.

Most former socialist countries converted to some form of mixed economy (interventionist capitalism) by the end of the 20th century. Only three socialist countries remain: Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea, and they are all disasters because all socialist countries suffer from these severe incentive and information problems.

The failure of Cuban socialism should be apparent to anyone willing to recognize it. Poverty is widespread; transport is abysmal; basic consumer goods are lacking in both quantity and variety; infrastructure is crumbling; and even Cubas much praised socialized health care has failed. The health-care system for Cuban elites (the Communist Party, military, official writers, etc.) is what outsiders praise. The one for most Cubans is so bad they have to bring their own bed sheets, soap, towels, food, and toilet paper to the hospitals.

Castro dogmatically stuck to failed socialist policies, while most of the world outside Cuba pragmatically moved toward markets. Even China, where the Communist Party maintains its political control, made major reforms away from socialist planning and toward markets. Chinas reforms have allowed nearly a billion people to escape extreme poverty, while Cuba has remained stagnant.

Castros slogan was Socialism or Death. His socialism delivered a dead economy. The future of the Cuban people will be much brighter if Castros socialist policies go to the grave with him.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Benjamin Powell is a senior fellow with the Independent Institute and the director of the Free Market Institute and a professor of economics in the Rawls College of Business Administration at Texas Tech University. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
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 []
The Orange Online Store will no longer be available in South Africa, said the company.

We have cherished the opportunity to serve you and would like to thank you once again for your business, said Orange.

We leave you in the good hands of our trusted partner CTDI (formerly Regenersis) who will assist with any warranty and/or return queries from the 1st of December 2016.

Orange said CTDI is one of the largest repair providers, with over 70 locations around the world.

You may rest assured that the CTDI team will take good care of you.

Visiting store.orange.com now redirects you to Expansys, with the following message:
Xbox South Africa and Prima Interactive have extended their Black Friday deal until the end of the festive season.

An Xbox One 500GB  with FIFA 17, or Gears of War 4, or Battlefield 1  will retail for R3,999.

The 1TB Xbox One bundles are retailing for R4,999, discounted from R5,799.

Microsoft said the following retailers are participating in the promotion: Incredible Connection, Dion Wired, BT Games, Makro, Game, Takealot, Game4U, CNA, and Musica.

Now read: Powerful new Xbox Project Scorpio announced
The latest Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) results show that South African learners performed extremely poorly in maths and science.

Local students finished second-to-last in maths and last in science for 14-year-olds. This is, however, only part of the bad news.

In South Africa, grade 9 students write exams meant for grade 8 pupils, because the assessment is deemed too difficult for local grade 8 pupils.

This means that South Africa is at the bottom of the global rankings, even though our grade nines compete against other countries grade eights.

These results will shock most countries and their ministers, and may even cost them their jobs.

Not in South Africa.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has celebrated the results, saying it showed South Africa has the most improved education system in the world.

We are very pleased with the consistent improvements we have seen in the TIMSS results, said Motshekga.

This independent study gives an encouraging account of how we measure up in a widely-recognised international testing programme.

South Africa has seen an improvement of 87 points for maths and 90 points for science, more than for any other country with comparable data.

However, South Africa has not improved its relative position (except for one place in maths) since the assessments started.

South Africa also came last out of all African countries, behind Botswana, Egypt, and Morocco.

It is disappointing that, despite the sobering picture presented by TIMSS, Minister Motshekga is popping the champagne corks, said the DA.

Coming close to the bottom in the world in the 2015 TIMSS  with a score far below the world average  is hardly cause for celebration.

The table below shows South Africas performance since 1995.

Year Maths Rank Science Rank 1995 Last Last 1999 Last Last 2003 Last Last 2007 Did not participate Did not participate 2011 Second-last Last 2015 Second-last Last

Now read: South Africans are dummies
SEOUL, South Korea  South Korean President Park Geun-hye's conditional resignation offer appears to be causing cracks in what previously had been a strong push for her impeachment, with opponents now struggling to set a date for a vote to strip her of power.

Park offered Tuesday to leave office if parliament arranges a safe transfer of power, triggering an immediate backlash from opposition parties, which called the overture a stalling tactic to help the president navigate through a huge political scandal involving her shadowy confidante.

Leaders of the country's three main opposition parties met Wednesday and agreed to stick with their plan to try to vote on an impeachment motion as early as Friday. But they also said they'd meet again if that plan does not work, meaning they're bracing for the possibility that a Friday vote might not take place.

Much of their hesitation to pick a clear date is due to the fact that there are not enough opposition lawmakers to pass an impeachment through parliament, and they would need help from dissenters in Park's ruling Saenuri Party.

The three opposition parties and anti-Park independent lawmakers have a total of 172 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly. A passage of an impeachment motion requires at least 200 votes in favor. About 40 ruling party lawmakers have expressed their willingness to vote to oust Park.

But after Park's resignation offer Tuesday, made in an address to the nation, anti-Park lawmakers gathered and agreed it would be best for Park to resign in April, after the installation of a neutral Cabinet that can help ensure a stable power transfer until a new president is elected, according to the office of Hwang Young-cheul, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting.

They said they would still take part in a possible impeachment vote on Dec. 9 if details for an April resignation aren't worked out through negotiations, Hwang's office said.

Opposition parties have previously said a vote on Park's impeachment would take place either on Friday or Dec. 9, because parliamentary plenary sessions are already scheduled on those days.

"It's true that some cracks have taken place at anti-Park forces in the Saenuri Party after her speech," said an official at the main opposition Democratic Party, formerly known by its Korean-language name, Minjoo.

The official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said opposition parties are using unofficial, backroom channels to see if they can still secure enough Saenuri lawmakers who would align with their impeachment drive.

If impeached, Park's presidential powers would be suspended until the Constitutional Court makes a ruling on her fate. The court would have 180 days to deliberate.

Park, in her Tuesday speech, continued to deny accusations by prosecutors that she colluded in the criminal activities of her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who, despite having no official role in government, allegedly had a say in policy decisions and exploited her presidential ties to bully companies into giving large sums of money to businesses and foundations that Choi controlled.

Prosecutors have indicted Choi, two ex-presidential officials and a music video director known as a Choi associate for extortion, leaking confidential documents and other charges.

The scandal has sparked mass protests every Saturday in Seoul. About 30,000 anti-Park demonstrators gathered in the city's downtown area on Wednesday, according to protest organizers.

Park, who has immunity from prosecution while in office, has refused to meet with prosecutors. She has, however, agreed to undergo questioning by a special prosecutor.

On Wednesday, she picked a special prosecutor among the two candidates recommended by opposition parties. The special prosecutor has 120 days to lead an independent investigation into the scandal.

"I will only focus on truth as I investigate," Park Young-soo, the special prosecutor, told reporters. "I will not be distracted by the circumstances and thoroughly investigate (the case) based on law and principle."

Park Geun-hye is the daughter of late dictator Park Chung-hee, whose 18-year rule ended after he was gunned down by his own intelligence chief in 1979.

Adding to Park's woes, one of her former aides was hospitalized Wednesday with self-inflicted wounds while under investigation for alleged bribery. A Busan police official who did not want to be named, citing office rules, said Hyun Ki-hwan, who served as senior presidential secretary for political affairs from July 2015 to June this year, cut his left wrist with a box cutter in a Busan hotel room, but was not in a life-threatening situation.
Visitors and locals alike treasure both the coffee and the community they find at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co. With two locations, Napa and St. Helena, the company is the quintessential Napa family-run business, now in its second generation.

This is not just a business to me, but instead its more about the people, said Nancy Haynes, president, co-owner and mother to Ben and Charlie Sange, who, along with Haynes husband, Brouck, now run the 32-year-old business.

We are passionate about our coffee and believe its the best, but its really the connections between people  our customers and employees  that make the roasting company what it is.

Founded in 1985 by the now-deceased Leon Sange, the first location in Napa became an instant hit with many locals, prompting the opening of the second in St. Helena in 1991.

I spoke with Nancy and her son, Ben, on a crisp fall morning at their St. Helena location.

Ben had been up late roasting just a few feet away from their office door, using their impressive Probat L12 gas-fired drum coffee roaster, and the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans was still thick in the air.

Music from the 80s and the chatter of customers mixed with the grinding, humming and whistling of specialty coffees being made.

Leon was still working as a lawyer when he started the coffee business, Haynes said.

But by the mid-90s it had become his life, and by the time he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers in early 2000, our son Ben was practicing law, but he and his brother Charlie came back to help us run the business.

Nancy and Leon had divorced years earlier. But even so, she and her new husband Brouck helped; Charlie roasted the beans and Ben managed the Napa location, while Nancy continued to do the books and Brouck oversaw retail.

Ben often helped out with the roasting, too, having learned to roast coffee beans in the Napa store when he was going to high school. He was attempting to balance his law practice with the demands of the coffee business and his fathers worsening condition.

One night, we received a phone call from one of our customers in St. Helena about Leon, said Nancy. They said that he was standing out in front of the coffee shop waiting for it to open. But it was 8 oclock at night, so of course nobody was coming to open the store. So they called me and Brouck, and we came down and got him. He wouldnt believe us that it was not daytime. That was one of the first big clues.

The family continued to pitch in, taking care of Leon and the coffee shop.

Taking care of Dad meant taking care of the coffee company, too, Ben said. It was important to him.

When Leon eventually died from his disease in 2006, Nancy, Brouck, Ben and Charlie had fully taken over the operations. Ben left his law practice behind but still retains his license.

It was about doing what was the best thing for Dad, Ben said. I didnt really think about it. But the company had just become a giant extended family to me by then anyway. I started to notice the people that had been coming into the store for the last 25 years and the second generation of baristas working, and thats when it turned for me, becoming something more than just my Dads business.

For many employees of the roasting company, the connection seems like family.

I started working there when I was a sophomore in high school and then worked there on an off until September of 2014, said Tayler Petersen, a second-generation roasting company employee.

It really felt like family. My mother worked there, too, for at least 10 or 15 years. She always spoke so highly of it and how nice everyone was. She worked there until she passed from cancer in October of 2011. They even closed the stores so that the staff could attend my moms funeral which really reinforced the family aspect to me.

The customers feel connected to the roasting company, too.

Ive been coming in for 28 years, said Rick Strathdee, a Napa resident and nurse at the Queen of the Valley Hospital. I am a bit of a coffee snob, and their coffee is the best. I also like that it can be quiet and a peaceful place to sit and read and that they play live music a couple of times a week. But its really the people and the family who inspire my loyalty.

When the 2014 earthquake hit Napa, Strathdee headed downtown to assess the damage to his favorite coffee shop and to see if he might be of some help.

All the windows were broken and there was a huge mess, so I just grabbed a broom and started to help a few of the employees that were there already, said Strathdee. A few reporters came up to me and asked what I was doing, but I didnt think much about it at the time. A couple of days later when I came in for coffee, Amber (now the manager at the St. Helena store) said, Hey, look whos here, the boss, she said and then laughed.

The barista was referring to an article in the New York Times that referenced Strathdee as the owner of the NVCR.

I never said I was the owner, but maybe they thought, Who else would be helping clean the place up? Strathdee said.

Rick is one of our many wonderful customers, Nancy said. We feel honored that many of our customers and employees feel a sense of place here. Its what makes this place special, and we are so grateful to the whole community for their support.

Another time the community came out to support the coffee shop was when Starbucks built a store across the street from their Napa location.

Officially we have no comment about Starbucks, she said.

Since theyve opened our business has actually increased, but I can tell you that we are in complete awe and so appreciative for all those people who spoke out on our behalf. What weve found is that there are many locals and tourists out there that really value a local family-owned business that is making a hand-crafted product. I can also say that our David and Goliath blend has been a big hit.

As a part of NVCRs commitment to all things local, theyve supported many causes over the years by creating special coffee roasts.

We donate 20 percent of the proceeds from the sale of our Coffee for a Cause beans for various local charities, Nancy said.

A few of our current causes include the Vine Trail, police, firefighters, the Pathway House and Jameson Animal Rescue. There are many worthy causes, and we want to do our part.

Ben and Nancy are adamant about not moving beyond the Napa Valley.

We dont want to do anything that will compromise our coffee or our Napa Valley hometown connection, Ben said.

We do offer wholesales beans and many local restaurants serve our coffee, but we currently have no plans to expand beyond the valley.

Charlie has left the day-to-day business, now consulting while living in San Diego with his wife and two sons. Ben and Nancy continue their active involvement, as does Ben, each envisioning a day when a third-generation Sange might step in and lead the company forward.

The future is never certain, Ben said. But what Ive learned is that this business is not just about making the best coffee we can make, but instead its really about making emotional connections with people.
Hang onto your candy canes. The Santa Train is on the roll again and this year the new owners of the Wine Train decided to kick it up a notch with more rides and an upgraded experience.

Since Nov. 19, Santa Train riders can take off on an all-new 90 minute journey to Yountville and back, featuring a professionally choreographed and produced show, interactive music, new costumes and activities and a stop at a newly designed North Pole station in Yountville.

This show is going to blow people away, said Scott Goldie, owner of Brooks Street, a California-based real estate development and investment company. The company co-owns the train along with Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Ltd.

It will be entertaining from the moment you get to the station to the time you get back, Goldie said.

In past years, the trains staff had pitched in to fill Santa Train roles, entertaining the guests as they traversed up and down the valley. It had offered about 16 such Santa Trains with about 5,000 riders coming aboard each season.

Goldie said he knew the Wine Train could do better.

Other such Santa trains, such as the Polar Express Train Ride in Sacramento, are extremely popular, he said.

The Sacramento train presented a much more entertaining show, than what Napas Santa Train previously offered.

Another example  the Grand Canyon Railways Polar Express  hosts about 80,000 riders a year, Goldie said. They sell out immediately.

Riding such Santa trains becomes a family tradition, and thats our goal.

This year, the Wine Train will offer 60 Santa Train trips  from Nov. 19 to Dec. 29.

Were hoping to have at least 15,000 riders, said Goldie.

To upgrade Napas Santa Train, professional actors have been hired to entertain riders. Santa makes an appearance at the depot in Yountville and during the ride a conductor and teddy bear character entertain visitors. They are dynamite, said Goldie.

Magical wristbands featuring LED lights flash in time to the music. The North Pole has been expertly decorated by Napa High School students.

Its a first-class production, Goldie said.

Besides celebrating the holidays, a Santa Train makes a lot of sense financially, he said. This is usually a slow time of year, and extra trains during the holidays stabilizes the business cycle.

We make a lot less than on our normal business but its something cool to offer to do at Christmas time.

Santa Train tickets range from $35 for locals on up to $75 for a weekend ride. Current prices for a Wine Train ride and meal start at $141.

According to Goldie, as of mid-November, the Wine Train had already sold 6,000 tickets and counting. Thats more than all of last holiday season.

Each train can accommodate a total of 350 riders, and the Santa Train runs at 5 and 8 p.m. daily.

The newly revamped Santa Train is one improvement that Brooks Street and Noble House have implemented since they bought the train in September 2015.

This year, the ownership group also added a Quattro Vino train that stops at four wineries in the valley.

Its been very, very well received. Its typically sold out, said Goldie. Well be adding another one or two of those next year.

With a coordinated schedule, the Santa Train and the other Wine Trains are able to share the tracks, he said.

On Nov. 19, the Wine Train partnered with Sleep Trains Ticket to Dream Foundation to provide the opportunity for foster children from around the area to experience the all-new Santa Train free of charge.

Additionally, the community is encouraged to donate an unwrapped toy at any Bay Area Sleep Train location. In turn, everyone who donates a toy at designated store locations, will receive a discount voucher for tickets to ride the Santa Train.

The ride on Nov. 19 also included children from All Stars Helping Kids, Sonoma Mentor Alliance, Northern Lights School, Ricky Watter Kids, Cope Family Center, Boys & Girls Club of Napa, Aim High, United Playaz and Family Service of Napa Valley.

This years Santa Train is a whole new experience, and were thrilled to be partnering with Sleep Trains Ticket to Dream Foundations as well as the Bay Areas most deserving childrens charitable organizations, said Pat Colee, chairman and founder of Noble House Hotels & Resorts.

The Wine Train began gourmet-dining service September 1989. The railroad line was built and operated by Samuel Brannan in 1864 as a tourist railroad to take visiting San Franciscans as they arrived by ferry in south Napa to Calistoga.

The year 2014 marked the 25th anniversary for the Wine Train and the 150th anniversary for the rail corridor.

The Napa Valley Wine Train offers a 36-mile round-trip journey from Napa to St. Helena, including fine dining and wine. The business owns the tracks, which run along an easement. More than 100,000 people ride the train each year. As many as 370 people can ride the train during each 3-hour-long journey.
A ring of foot and bicycle trails around the San Francisco Bay may gain a new branch in south Napa.

Grant funds from a coalition of Bay Area governments will cover 80 percent of the design cost for a 2,900-foot extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail, which will open up access from Stanly Lane south of Highway 12/121 to a 19th-century ferry crossing point on the Napa River. The Napa City Council on Nov. 15 accepted $100,000 from the Association of Bay Area Governments, which approved the grant in July.

Design work is expected to run from January into September, though no groundbreaking date has been set, according to city management analyst Brent Reed. The Napa project is expected to require $389,750 to design and build.

When built, the pathway will form a spur from the Bay Trail, a regional network of walkways in several counties that would cover about 500 miles when completed. The Stanly Lane branch will connect the existing Bay Trail from an existing end point near the Starmont Winery and Vineyards and extend toward the west bank of the river to the historic Soscol Landing site, where ferryboats set off for the east bank during the second half of the 1800s before the construction of bridges.

By following an existing vineyard access road and a levee, the trail should give hikers, joggers and cyclists a better view of the Napa River with minimal disruption to wildlife, according to Reed.

It will allow people to access the Napa River in this historic location, he said Tuesday of the future pathway. Its an opportunity for families to connect with children in the outdoors.

The Napa spur is one of several such branches intended to bring more of the Bay Trails several hundred thousand annual visitors nearer the shore throughout the region, said Maureen Gaffney, a project planner for San Francisco and Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Marin counties.

Especially with what is remaining, a lot of the new segments are part of wetland restorations, so they will use whatever levees and barriers are being incorporated into restoration project, she said.

Napa will host public forums during the design process to help decide how to make the Bay Trail branch more durable as well as accessible to disabled visitors, said Reed.
Gasser Foundation will attempt to overcome stumbling blocks that stymied Bridge Housing Corp. of San Francisco and bring affordable housing to a northeast Napa property.

The Foundation is known for distributing millions of dollars to local nonprofits. It recently bought the former Sunrise Assisted Living of Napa property at 3700 Valle Verde Drive from Bridge for more than $5 million.

Napa has historically had a severe shortage of low-income and otherwise affordable housing, and we are exploring many ways to address these needs, Foundation spokesman Joe Fischer said in an email.

Bridge worked for several years with the city of Napa in a failed attempt to create the 57-unit Napa Creekside Apartments on 2.9 acres east of Queen of the Valley Medical Center. It pulled out in February after a lawsuit by neighbors caused delays, and changes to state affordable housing funding policies hurt the financial plan.

Specifics of how Gasser Foundation might approach the project have yet to emerge. Fischer said the nonprofit group will meet with the city of Napa and Napa County to develop plans.

At this point, we dont know what it will look like, who will own it, who will operate it or how it will work, Fischer said.

Gasser Foundation, as part of the transaction, assumed responsibility for a $1.3 million loan made by Napa County out of its affordable housing fund to Bridge for Napa Creekside Apartments. The Napa County Board of Supervisors approved the move on Nov. 22.

Bridge had interested, potential buyers who wanted to use the Sunrise property for market rate housing, said Nancy Johnson, the countys housing and community development program manager. It sold to Gasser Foundation in hopes the site will eventually have affordable housing.

Were really thankful to Bridge, Johnson said.

Now Gasser Foundation will try to avoid the stumbling blocks faced by Bridge. Neighbors said the Napa Creekside Apartments project would have been too dense and could have hurt fish in adjacent Salvador Creek. In 2014, they won a court decision voiding city approvals.

Bill McGuire is part of the neighborhood coalition that opposed Napa Creekside Apartments. He said he has in his data base the names of about 80 neighbors concerned about the project.

It was that plan in particular, McGuire said on Tuesday. The opposition was not NIMBY, it wasnt because we are concerned about having low-income in the area  the biggest concern was it was just too dense.

Napa County used a recent community workshop with neighbors as it begins to plan affordable housing at its former Health and Human Services Agency campus on Old Sonoma Road. McGuire said such an approach would be helpful for the Sunrise property.

It certainly would help make a much smoother transition to have everyone on the same page, he said.

Bridge wanted to remodel the vacant, three-story Sunrise Assisted Living building and build a three-story building next to it. Napa Mayor Jill Techel said that, since Gasser has not yet unveiled a proposal for the site, its too early to compare and contrast.

Im pleased Gasser is looking at ways to help us deal with the shortage of affordable housing, Techel said.

Gasser Foundation donates $1.5 million to $2 million annually to local nonprofits. Among its most high-profile assets has been a 147-acre legacy property near Imola and Soscol avenues, land that now has such developments as South Napa Century Center.

The Foundations past housing development activity has been focused on its legacy land, Fischer said. Still, he said, the Foundation isnt going in a new direction by buying the Sunrise property, but is responding to what it perceives as a community need.

The Napa City Council in August approved Vista Tulocay Apartments on a 20-acre section of the Gasser Foundations legacy property along Soscol Avenue. The development will have nine three-story buildings with 282 rental units and another 201 units possible, but at this point no subsidized apartments are planned.

Fischer said Vista Tulocay shows the Foundation also supports the idea of so-called market rate housing that is anticipated to be affordable to the local workforce.

Napa natives Peter and Vernice Pat Gasser are the figures behind the Gasser Foundation. Peter Gasser was born in 1905 and died in 1982. He ran a local Dodge dealership, was active in the Chamber of Commerce, had various real estate holdings and was involved in various civic activities.

Vernice Gasser was born in 1900 and died in 1989. The Gasser Foundation was established using $17 million from the Gassers, who had no children.
Napa Countys long-running Syar quarry expansion battle is moving from the Board of Supervisors chamber to the courtroom.

Two groups are challenging the countys decision to allow Syar Industries to expand its rock quarry southeast of the city of Napa. They will seek in Napa County Superior Court to overturn the countys Oct. 18 approval of the project.

Stop Syar Expansion filed one lawsuit and Skyline Park Citizens Association filed the other.

Kathy Felch of Stop Syar Expansion said the county failed to place enough controls on the Syar mining operation, such as perimeter air quality monitors for pollutants and toxic materials. She wondered if this happened in part because some nearby neighborhoods dont rank among Napas more upscale.

If this mine was close to Browns Valley, youd see a lot more controls and monitoring, she said.

Skyline Wilderness Park is located adjacent to the Syar quarry. Napa County leases 850 acres from California for $100 annually and the nonprofit Skyline Park Citizens Association runs the park.

Some park advocates worry that the quarry expansion will bring noise and dust to a secluded part of the park near a popular trail. With the Board of Supervisors decision going against them, they are turning to the courts.

Theres no protection for the park, Skyline Park Citizens Association President Dorothy Glaros said. Whats your choice?

Syar is still evaluating the details of the lawsuits, attorney Jeff Dodd said Tuesday on behalf of the company.

Preliminary review indicates the actions do not have any merits, Dodd said. Rather, they seem to be a last-ditch attempt to thwart the project. While its unfortunate, it doesnt take away from the efforts of thousands of folks to protect the quarry and maintain job security for its hardworking employees.

The quarry yields basalt that is used for the regions road and building projects. Syar officials have said the quarry will run out of basalt  the primary component of asphaltwithin a few months without the expansion, though it could remain open for a few years to allow mining of other rock.

Syars original expansion proposal in 2008 led to years of studies, revisions and controversy. Proponents said an expanded quarry would continue providing needed aggregate and jobs. Opponents said it would pollute the air and create a noisy nuisance with blasting operations.

The dispute reached a climax this year, with the Board of Supervisors granting Syar a 35-year permit to expand a 497-acre quarry by 106 acres and increase production from one million tons annually to 1.3 million tons. The Board approved an environmental impact report saying all potential negative effects can, with steps, be rendered less than significant.

Were confident the project has been fully vetted, attorney Tom Adams said on behalf of Syar at the final hearing.

Dodd said Syar could move into the expansion area next spring, as well as begin operating reclaimed asphalt pavement equipment allowed by the county approvals. For now, Syar is working with county officials and experts to set up the required monitoring for water, noise and other issues.

The Stop Syar Expansion lawsuit criticizes the environmental impact reports analysis for air quality, noise and water supply. For example, it says that the document fails to adequately analyze health impacts from quarry dust that might contain crystalline silica, a carcinogen.

Mitigation for many impacts identified by the report relies on Syar doing self-monitoring and self-reporting, the lawsuit says, adding this arrangement fails to meet state requirements for fully enforceable measures.

The lawsuit asks for a court order requiring the county to vacate certification of the environmental impact report and the quarry expansion approval. It calls on the county to prepare a legally adequate environmental impact report.

Skyline Park Citizens Association filed a lawsuit that, among other things, says changing the open space of the expansion area to a non-agricultural use should require a vote of county residents under Measure P. It says the environmental report fails to adequately analyze groundwater demand by an expanded Syar.

Another recently filed lawsuit involves Syar quarry, one beyond the suits filed by Stop Syar Expansion and Skyline Park Citizens Association lawsuits against the county.

In addition, Stop Syar Expansion, Napa Vision 2050, Felch and Susanne Von Rosenberg jointly filed a lawsuit against Syar Industries. It alleges that dust, particulate matter, diesel engine exhaust and toxic contaminants from the quarry are a nuisance to nearby neighborhoods.

Proposition 65 requires businesses that expose people to carcinogens to provide a warning, such as posting signs and distributing notices. Syar has failed to do so since at least Aug. 25, 2013, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit asks the court to order Syar to stop operating the quarry in the present manner without providing Proposition 65 notices to nearby residents. It also asks the court to fine Syar $2,500 per day for each Proposition 65 violation that the court finds occurred, as allowed under state law.
Courtroom G was full of prospective jurors on Tuesday morning, all waiting to see if they would be picked to decide on the fate of Shozaburo Nakamura who is facing murder charges for allegedly killing his ex-wife, Eiko Nakamura, in 2014.

By 2:30 p.m., 12 jurors and two alternates were picked and Napa County Superior Court Judge Mark Boessenecker gave them their first set of instructions. Attorneys are scheduled to give their opening statements at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

The trial officially began in Napa County Superior Court on Monday.

Nakamura, 74, was arrested on June 1, 2014 after Eiko Nakamura, for whom Eikos Modern Japanese Cuisine restaurant on First Street is named, was found dead in a locked bathroom at the house the divorced couple shared on the 2900 block of Pinewood Drive.

The Napa Police conducted a welfare check on the home after a friend of Eiko Nakamuras noticed that, although Shozaburo Nakamura said Eiko was in San Francisco, that the womans car was in the driveway and her bedroom drapes were unusually opened.

When Nakamura let police inside, he admitted to brutally murdering his ex-wife and pointed to the bathroom, a detective testified during a hearing in 2015. The detective then kicked open the door and found the womans cold body, he said. Eiko Nakamura, who was in her late 70s, had been stabbed more than 20 times.

Blood was reportedly found on both a rock and a kitchen knife at the scene.

Eiko Nakamura and her husband divorced in 1994 after nearly 23 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, according to a court filing. They had been separated for three years.

Eiko continued to run Fujiya restaurant at the Napa Premium Outlets, a restaurant she operated for 24 years, until partnering with Rick and Mike Zaslove in 2011 to open Eikos on First Street.

Shozaburo Nakamura is also facing a special allegation that a deadly weapon was used in commission of the killing. An additional charge of elder/dependent adult abuse was dismissed on Nov. 23.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero is prosecuting the case with Deputy District Attorney Holly Quate. Molly Hendry is representing Nakamura, who is being assisted by a certified Japanese interpreter.

Nakamura is being held without bail at the Napa County jail. If convicted, he will face 25 years to life in prison.
A mid-day overturned big rig blocked both lanes of eastbound traffic on Jameson Canyon Road near American Canyon on Tuesday, the Napa County Sheriffs Office reported.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area for several hours between 11:20 a.m. when the wreck was reported and 3 p.m. when the scene was cleared. Major backups were reported on southbound Highway 29 before the Jameson Canyon turnoff.

The overturned big rig and box trailer initially blocked traffic in both directions, according to California Highway Patrol. North Kelly Road at Jameson Canyon Road/Highway 12 was blocked as tow trucks responded and Caltrans cleared debris, CHP said.

The wreck occurred just inside Solano County, officials said.
Liberalism is a mental disorder. This is the theory of Michael Savage, PhD, and the title of his 2005 book. He is naturally speaking of modern liberalism, which worships the power of the state for the benefit of society as opposed to the Classical Liberalism of Adam Smith and the Enlightenment, which values the freedom of individuals.

Psychiatrist Lyle Rossiter suggests the ailment may be a variant of narcissistic personality disorder, which Mayo Clinic defines as "a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration." The condition manifests in the persistent irrational belief in utopian fantasies despite overwhelming empirical evidence to the contrary.

As with most mental disorders the disease is difficult to diagnose and harder to cure. Understanding the cause helps in prescribing treatment. The present hypothesis is that the primary cause is warped education. It is now proposed that a simple curriculum may be applied to affect cure. Selected in sequential order, the treatment plan requires reading a series of books:

At the elementary level, we begin with The Little Red Hen, an old Russian folk tale (Little Golden Books, 1940). It is a simple story of a little red hen and how she grows some wheat to make bread.

For discussion, the student is asked to contrast with The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister, 1992), a popular kindergarten book that has generally replaced The Little Red Hen in today's schools. Study hint: What happens to a fish when it loses its scales? It dies.

Now comes Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Richard Bach, 1970). This is a short story about a seagull who learns the difference between living and merely existing.

On to secondary education. Hard-core liberals may wish to stop now. The authors below will be like a silver cross to a vampire. I can hear the hissing and spitting already.

First, We the Living (Ayn Rand, 1936). Ms. Rand's first novel after escaping Soviet Russia is somewhat autobiographical. It is a touching story of three young people trying to survive in the 1930s. The idealistic reader will be emotionally moved.

Next, "Anthem" (Rand, 1938), a novella about futuristic dystopia. The student may substitute 1984 (George Orwell, 1949) or A Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932) as "AP" alternatives.

You have completed secondary education. Your mind is clearing, but your frontal lobe has not fully developed. Don't stop - the best is yet to come!

Your first college assignment is "The Fountainhead" (Rand, 1943). A truly enjoyable novel about an architect, nothing more. It is non-political. It describes a man and a woman who live their lives on their own terms. For many, this book will be an epiphany.

Next, a big one: "Atlas Shrugged" (Rand, 1957). Like second-year calculus, this is not for beginners. Many have tried and failed to get through it, but with effort you won't be able to put this one down. In the end, it is a simple romance novel about two people of exceptional ability living in a world shockingly like today. When you read a newspaper, you will instantly recognize analogies.

The cure rate is now well above 90 percent unless you are a hard-core liberal and your head explodes. More likely, the hard-core will have crawled back into his shell long ago and never read the last two books; preferring instead to dwell in the comfort of reading what other like-minded liberals say about Ayn Rand rather than subjecting himself to her actual words. To the brave who did the work, congratulations - you have earned your diploma!

But why stop now? Graduate education is wonderful for those with a true thirst for knowledge.

At the masters level, a set of two books is suggested: "Liberty and Tyranny" (Mark Levin, 2009) and, especially for the younger student, "Plunder and Deceit" (Mark Levin, 2015). These contemporary best-sellers connect theory to current events. They demonstrate how tyranny need not manifest in gulags and concentration camps, but rather has evolved via clever means such as generational theft and the myth of social justice.

Finally, for those seeking the PhD, try "The Constitution of Liberty" (F.A. Hayek, 1960). This is serious scholarship, a comprehensive study of Western Civilization, containing a thorough analysis of man's inherent conflict between freedom and equality. It will deepen one's understanding of history, economics, political philosophy and law. This is advanced material - by no means an easy read - meticulously researched with references in English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Latin and Greek. There is no way to get through this one and still have the disease. In fact, if you get through it, you will not only gain a lifetime immunity to liberalism, you will also gain the ability to cure others.

David Forstadt

Napa
SAN JOSE -- A woman suspected of helping one of two inmates who escaped from the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose last week has been arrested, a sheriff's spokesman said Tuesday.

San Jose resident Emily Vaca, 35, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Glennon said.

Vaca allegedly helped 33-year-old Rogelio Chavez of San Jose flee from law enforcement authorities by driving him around the county, Glennon said.

Chavez and 26-year-old Laron Campbell of Palo Alto escaped from the Main Jail South facility near West Hedding and North San Pedro streets in San Jose around 11 p.m. Wednesday by cutting through bars to a second floor window, Glennon said.

They then lowered themselves to the ground with bed sheets and clothes, according to Glennon.

Investigators didn't find any cutting instruments in the cell or surrounding area where the inmates took off. They reviewed surveillance footage that showed the pair outside the perimeter established by deputies that night, Glennon said.

Two other inmates also fled with Chavez and Campbell but were quickly located by correctional deputies outside of the jail facility, Glennon said.

Around 11:15 p.m. Sunday, deputies went to a Days Inn motel at 8292 Murray Ave. in Gilroy based on tips that Chavez was in or near the motel, according to Glennon.

They were unable to find Chavez, but interviewed many people in the area, the sergeant said.

Deputies Tuesday also raided a property on Inman Way in San Jose for Chavez's associates in the county.

The raid was planned ahead of time and was just blocks away from Apollo High School, William C. Overfelt High School and Most Holy Trinity School, Glennon said.

Deputies are collaborating with local and federal law enforcement agencies in their search. Chavez had been at the jail since Aug. 17 on suspicion of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest and firearms violations, according to Glennon.

Chavez is described as a Hispanic man standing around 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 190 pounds. He has a facial tattoo above and below his left eye, Glennon said.

Campbell was booked into the jail on Feb. 12, 2015, for alleged robbery, false imprisonment, criminal threats and firearms violations, according to Glennon.

Campbell is a black man who stands about 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs roughly 220 pounds, Glennon said.

It's not clear if the inmates have weapons, but they are considered dangerous, Glennon said.

Sheriff Laurie Smith announced a $20,000 reward for anyone who provides information that helps investigators catch Chavez and Campbell, according to Glennon.

Smith has also warned the public that anyone who helps the inmates can expect to face charges.

People with information on the missing inmates' whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's investigations unit at (408) 808-4500 or anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431. Those who see the inmates are asked to exercise caution and call 911.
Starting next year, Frontex will deploy three off-shore patrol vessels (OPVs) from Finland, Romania and France, which will have multi-national European crews for the first time. Currently, member states provide vessels, along with their own crews, to participate in Frontex joint operations.



This marks a tangible step in our transformation into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. This solution will allow us to be more effective when assisting member states at the EUs external maritime borders, said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.



This will allow member states to provide vessels with a core crew for a longer period of time without the need to commit a large number of officers. The rest of the crew will come from other member states in a true spirit of European cooperation at sea, he added.



Frontex has called on member states to submit offers for officers to take part in the new concept by 15 December 2016.
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Experts roundtable: the future of journalism in Trumps America

UF College of Journalism professor Frank Waddell, along with academics from four other universities, weighs in on the challenges journalists face in covering the next administration

Navigating the fake news landscape

After the proliferation of fake news during the 2016 election cycle, the journalism field has come to a grim realization: Accuracy is no longer necessary for news to reach a broad audience. This is particularly problematic on social media, where traditional journalistic functions such as gatekeeping arent necessary.

For journalists hoping to cope with the deluge of fake news, the first step is to understand why fake news stories are so successful. One reason is our default instinct to believe what we have been told, a phenomenon that psychologists have coined truth bias. We are also easily persuaded by the opinions of others, so the likes, comments and shares of those in our social networks can affirm the validity of fake news stories.

Meanwhile, when were overwhelmed with information, were more likely to take mental shortcuts like truth bias. The average social media user often must sift through hundreds of news stories on Facebook or Twitter. When deciding whether to click the share button, its simply easier for readers to trust their gut and go along with the crowd than to carefully consider the veracity of the news story in question.

With these obstacles to accuracy in mind, what can legacy media do? The burden falls on journalists and social media platforms.

News outlets can educate the public in media literacy, debunking viral fake news along the way. Social media sites like Facebook must also do their part, not just by banning the most popular fake news sources, but also through offering their users with easy-to-process cues (like implementing a verified news tag) to indicate when news that has been posted by a reliable and established source.

It may be our tendency to believe what we read, but that doesnt mean our natural instincts cant be reversed.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
"Blinds (unexploded shells) are being destroyed at the encounter site by the bomb disposal squad," Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta told IANS here.

He said the search operation was nearing its end and the site of a nearly 14-hour-long gunbattle between the militants and soldiers was more or less sanitised completely.

Lt Col Mehta said three suicide bombers disguised in police uniform barged into the field regiment camp at Nagrota, 15 km from here, early on Tuesday, killing seven soldiers. All the attackers were gunned down.

Two officers -- Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir and Major Akshay Girish Kumar -- were among the soldiers killed in the attack. The others who died included Havaldar Sukhraj Singh, Lance Naik Kadam Sam Bhaji Yeshwantro, Grenadier Raghvendra Singh and Rifleman Azim Rai.

Five soldiers were also injured in the attack that occurred barely three kilometers away from the headquarters of the Army's 16 Corps in Nagrota. It is the largest Corps of the Indian Army and acts as a nerve centre to fight militancy and defend border with Pakistan.

--IANS sq/sar/mr

( 218 Words)

2016-11-30-13:46:13 (IANS)
The move is supposed to allow comfort to individuals, who were earlier

hesitant to deposit legal tender following the withdrawal of high-value currency notes from November 8.

"It has been decided, on careful consideration, to allow withdrawals of deposits made in current legal tender notes on or after November 29, 2016, beyond the current limits," it said in a statement.

While deposits of the demonetised notes in banks since November 9 has kicked a total of Rs. 8.11 lakh crore (57 percent of the total value of demonetized notes), notes worth Rs. 33,498 crore (three percent) have been exchanged.

"It has been reported that certain depositors are hesitating to deposit their monies into bank accounts in view of the current limits on cash withdrawals from accounts," added the RBI.

Even as deposits surge, there have been reports that the printing of Rs. 2,000 notes has been stalled, which is said to have resulted in a drop in the legal tender being released by banks.

Also, the RBI had reported a total withdrawal of Rs. 2.16 lakh crore as cash. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], Nov 29 (ANI-NewsVoir): CAPDASE, a global pioneer in mobile accessories, has inked a strategic partnership with YMS Mobitech Pvt. Ltd., India's largest app-based e-distribution ecosystem to spread its reach across YMS' network of 11,262 retailers and 361 distributors across 383 cities. CAPDASE also announced its intent to set up its first manufacturing unit in India, outlining an aggressive sales target of 60 million dollars over the next three years. Headquartered in Hong Kong, CAPDASE currently caters over 45 countries worldwide with strong presence in key smartphone markets of China, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong. In 2016 alone, CAPDASE has sold more than 100 million mobile accessories. CAPDASE's top product line includes Armour Suit Case for iPhone 7 & 7+, Quick Charger for car and wall charger, High protection tempered glass for most of the smart phone models, lifestyle car mint series, amongst others. Making the announcement, Roy Chan, Channel Head-Asia Pacific, CAPDASE said, "While the accessories segment mirrors growth in the smartphone market, demand for varied and top-of-the line accessories is set to grow multi-fold in India. Phase 1 of our partnership with YMS Mobitech will involve reaching out to the metros and over 100 tier-1 cities and towns. Our target is to reach sales in excess of 10 mn USD in the financial year 2017-18 and grow from there." Talking about the collaboration, Ajay Laddha, Co-founder, YMS Mobitech Pvt Ltd. said, "We are excited and honored to be CAPDASE's partner in its offline retail journey in India. The mobile handset market in India has witnessed exponential growth over the last few years, leading to a surge in demand for mobile phone accessories. E-distribution platforms like YMS Mobitech will help high-end accessories players like CAPDASE make a successful transition from just online to offline presence as manufacturers can directly bill to Retailers as per their need - making it more efficient and at lesser cost. I am optimistic that our wide-spread and strong distribution channel will enable CAPDASE to gain valuable competitive edge and reach out to every single handset user in the country." Recently, YMS Mobitech announced its tie-up with leading smartphone manufacturer, Mi India to distribute its range of accessories in key states of Eastern India. The e-distribution company is also the Distributor (West Zone) for end-to-end sale of LeEco Mobiles in India. The YMS e-distribution network boasts of over 11,262 retailers and 361 distributors across 383 cities in what is India's largest app-based distribution ecosystem, guaranteeing on-demand sales with zero dead stock and zero loss of business opportunity. Its mobile app can keep a track of all tasks & reports via the YMS Mobile App and a web dashboard. YMS Mobitech also creates financial products for the electronics industry, under its brand Apps You Need, and uses its technology-driven platform to sell and monitor these products. Few months ago, it also launched an accessories and IoT brand CULT. (ANI-NewsVoir)
More than 50 per cent of airline passengers from Hyderabad travel for business/official purpose, revealed a survey. At 53 per cent, this number is much higher compared to Mumbai and Trivandrum, two other cities covered by the survey. Only 28 per cent passengers from Mumbai and 25 from Trivandrum travel for official/business purpose. The survey to understand habits and attitudes of air travellers was conducted by Leadcap Ventures and commissioned by Emirates airline. It covered 1,100 travellers in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Trivandrum. Fifty per cent of the air travellers from Mumbai are on leisure/vacation. Majority of travellers (34 per cent) from Trivandrum also fall into this category. Out of total respondents, one-third travelled for official purpose while two-third travelled for personal reasons. Majority of international passengers travelled for official visit while domestic passengers travelled for personal visit. The survey also revealed that more than three-fourth passengers travelled by economy class. Majority of passengers travelling by first/business class were travelling for official purpose. While majority of the travellers from Mumbai and Trivandrum head straight to work, 53 per cent of travellers from Hyderabad check into a hotel first. An interesting finding of the survey is that Mumbai airline passengers travel with heaviest baggage. One-third of the overall respondents preferred to travel light with basic essentials, while one-fourth respondents from Mumbai exceeded baggage limits regularly. The survey showed that official travellers prefer spending time catching up on sleep before boarding the flight. However, once on the flight they like spending time reading and listening to music. Personal travellers on the other hand spend time shopping prior to boarding. Another key trend observed on flight activities of airline travellers was that the top three in flight activities carried by respondents were sleeping, watching movies and reading. While 34 percent respondents from Mumbai preferred to kill time by reading, majority of respondents from Hyderabad like to sleep in flight, while travelling to international destinations. Books and gadgets stood out as the top two things preferred to be carried in long haul flights. While 40 percent of travellers from Mumbai preferred to carry books, travellers from Hyderabad preferred to carry gadgets and grooming kits. Local cultural items and local confectionery were the top two souvenirs carried by travellers on their return journey. One-third of the official travellers carried local confectionary products while one-third personal travellers carried local cultural items as souvenirs. The trend of booking in advance continues be on the rise with 40 per cent travellers claiming to book tickets a month prior to their travel date. Travel agency was recorded as the main point of booking over airline websites and apps. Almost two-third respondents surveyed prefer travel agency to book their air tickets while one third use airline website. One-fourth respondents surveyed, prefer booking via mobile app of the airline. --IANS ms/in ( 481 Words) 2016-11-30-10:12:13 (IANS)
Addressing a press conference here, Hamid briefed them about Pakistan's participation in the COP22 Conference in Morocco recently, which provided an opportunity to highlight the significant achievements made by the country to address the impact of climate change, reports the Express Tribune.

Hamid said the world community was informed that Pakistan's contribution to global warming was minimal as "we emit less than one percent of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet we are ranked amongst the top 10 countries that are most vulnerable to climate change."

The world community was also informed that Pakistan faced several major risks pertaining to climate change, including glacier melting, variable monsoons, recurrent floods, rise in sea levels, higher average temperatures and higher frequency of droughts.

Millions of people had been affected and a colossal damage was caused on a recurring basis, he said.

"These threats pose major survival concerns for Pakistan, particularly in relation to water security, food security and energy security," Hamid said, adding these threats also had enormous adverse consequences for all socio-economic sectors, limiting the country's ability to promote sustainable growth and development.

The minister emphasised that Pakistan as a responsible member of the global community had taken substantial steps, especially during 2016, to tackle the threat of climate change.

He termed the launch of Rs2-billion Prime Minister's Green Pakistan Programme, which would be implemented across the country, as a historic initiative.

Pakistan has developed the National Sustainable Development Strategy and is perhaps the first country in the world whose National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution adopting the SDGs as its own national development agenda, said the minister. (ANI)
The upcoming Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan to be held in India will discuss the problem of terrorism in the South Asian region in detail, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said on Wednesday. "As we all know and as Afghanistan has always stated, terrorism is a continuous threat especially to India and Afghanistan and of course many others in the region," Abdali said at a media briefing here ahead of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process to be held in Amritsar on Dcemeber 3-4. Without naming Pakistan, he said that during the Heart of Asia process, "unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground of terrorism, the safe sacntuaries, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region or India". "At the same time, as we all know, terrorism is a creation of this region and the solution lies within this region," the Ambassador said. "Therefore, the upcoming Heart of Asia is very well timed and very well placed to discuss how we should find solutions to the theme that we have already put forward: addressing challenges and prosperity." He said he expected the Heart of Asia conference to approve a counter-terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan. "Terrorism is a multi-faceted phenomena and that requires a multi-faceted approach with measures against recruitment, safe sanctuaries, terrorist networks, drug traffickers and of course with measures on how to deradicalise," Abdali said. As for the second part of the theme - achieving prosperity - he said that the geography of the Heart of Asia countries was such that it has huge economic potential. "but unfortunately it is yet to be realised". Stating that connectivity was important for this, the Ambassador said that Afghanistan has made remarkable progress in this area in the last two years. Stating that Afghanistan was strategically located, he said: "We hope that we agree on the early implementation of the CASA 1000 (Centra Asia and South Asia electricity project), TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India gas pipeline), Chabahar (port in Iran) transit agreement that we signed between India, Afghanistan and Iran, the five-nation railway network and a number of other initiatives and projects that we have agreed upon, including North-South, East-West corridor within the region." Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that during the upcoming conference, a basket of six confidence building measures (CBMs) would be discussed. According to Abdali, India has done a "remarkable job" in heading the trade and transit CBM. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will arrive in Amritsar on December 3 afternoon and will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening. With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj being indisposed, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will represent India in the ministerial conference on December 4 which will be attended by around 40 countries. --IANS ab/vm ( 506 Words) 2016-11-30-21:14:13 (IANS)
Close to two weeks before the 'Golden Globe' nominations are announced, biggest stars from the big screen headed to Cipriani Wall Street in New York City for the 2016 'Gotham Independent Film Awards', reports E! Online.

For the arrival, Amy Adams wore a blue piped pant teamed with a Tyler Ellis clutch while Holmes pulls off a perfect pose wearing a knee-length floral dress and a very neat hairdo.

Kate Beckinsale and Ritter nailed black gorgeous gowns. While the 'Underworld' star is seen flaunting her cleavage and perfect shape in a sleek keyhole piece, the 'Jessica Jones' star preferred a thigh high slit through which she showed off her slim legs, reminding everyone of Angelina Jolie infamous leg pose from 2012 Oscars.

Portman looks nothing short of glamour wearing a lacy white dress that compliments her growing baby bump. She teamed the ensemble with a simple hairdo and a matching box clutch.

Hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, the event signals the first honors of the film award season while honouring the filmmaking community.

Adams, Ethan Hawke and director Oliver Stone were just some of the stars set to receive tributes during the night. Meanwhile, films like 'Moonlight' and 'Manchester by the Sea' were favoured to pick up a few honours of their own.

Like many award shows, the big winners are not announced until after the red carpet. (ANI)
'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' actress Felicity Jones recently spoke about wage equality and said that she wants to be paid "fairly" for the work that she is doing. "That's what every single woman around the world wants. We want to be paid on parity with a man in a similar position," the 33-year-old British actress told Glamour magazine in an interview for January 2017 issue, which features her on the cover and in a fashion spread, reports E! Online. ".And I think it's important to talk about it," the 'Inferno' actress addressed. Jones, who starred in 'The Theory of Everything' and plays young rebel Jyn Erso in the new 'Star Wars' film, is the latest actress to speak openly about the problem, following the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Patricia Arquette In her acceptance speech for 'Best Supporting Actress' at the 2015 Oscars, Arquette had called for equal rights for women. Her words earned her a standing ovation, including from Meryl Streep. Lawrence, who Forbes deemed the highest-paid actress in the world for the second year in a row with 46 million dollars in annual earnings, confirmed in a 2015 op-ed that she was paid less than her male co-stars for 'American Hustle'. "It's brave of those women to come forward and make a point about it," Jones told Glamour. "Now younger actresses will have a confidence in those discussions with their agents and be able to say, 'Can we make sure that I'm being paid the right amount for the work that I'm doing?'" Jones also talked to the magazine about her 'Rogue One' character saying, "Everyone wanted to create a character that was not in any way objectified." "We didn't want to sexualize Jyn...We don't even see Jyn's arms! That's not her priority. She's a survivor, and she has a mission to complete," Jones added. (ANI)
Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone go hand-in-hand, be it at party or winning awards together or the acceleration of their career graph.

Putting their break-up rumours at rest, the two were spotted together at Mukesh Ambani's party last week.

The alleged love-birds now bagged International Man and Woman of the Year at Esquire Awards 2016 in Dubai.

Where 'Bajirao' looked dapper in a suit with blue tie and geeky glasses, his 'Mastani' nailed it in a chic black-n-white outfit by Monisha Jaising. Adding on to it was her straight long locks and a lovely neckpiece.

The moment of the night, however, was when the 31-year-old actor, who has never shied away from speaking about DP, gave her a peck on the cheek while he walked to accept the award.

Looks like the two are finally ready to let the world know- 'we are together.'

On a related note, Ranbir Kapoor too spoke about Ranveer-Deepika and wished them 'awesome babies together' on Karan Johar's couch, over a sip of 'Koffee.'

On the work front, the 'RamLeela' pair will soon be seen together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's third collaboration with them- 'Padmavati,' alongside Shahid Kapoor. (ANI)
Woolford died on Monday at a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, after suffering a stroke three days earlier, his publicist Tracy Larrua said, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The actor, a native of Honolulu, also had small roles in films as "Happy, Texas" (1999), "Falling for Grace" (2006) and "Godzilla" (2014).

Woolford toured as a member of the Hawaiian band Brownskin and starred in more than 300 performances as the King of Siam in a stage production of "The King & I" that made its way to the London Palladium.

"The Haumana" closed the 2013 Hawaii International Film Festival, and the writer-director received a special jury prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival for best first feature.

He had just completed the script for a sequel, and acting auditions were set to begin in January, Larrua said.

--IANS nn/vt

( 172 Words)

2016-11-30-12:24:14 (IANS)
Evan Rachel Wood recently shared that it is in her best interest to take "a break from social media" for the time being. Following a recent sit-down with Rolling Stone in which she revealed two separate instances of "physical, psychological [and] sexual" abuse, the 29-year-old star shared her decision on Twitter. "Will be taking a break from social media for the time being. Thank you for all your support and courageous stories. You are not alone. xo," Wood tweeted. Following the interview, the 'Westworld' actress also earlier posted the letter she sent to Rolling Stone elaborating on the sexual assaults, part of which was included in the published story. "I will not be ashamed," a line from the letter read, "I will also not project some false idea of being completely over it because 'I am so strong.' I don't believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer. I certainly can't." Wood said the abuse contributed to her attempting suicide at a young age of 22, a chapter in her life she termed "weirdly, the best-worst thing" that ever happened to her because it "did not work." Alongside the picture was captioned, "Well, since everything is out in the open now, figured I would share the confession letter I wrote to @RollingStone in its entirety." In 2011, Wood came out as bisexual and identifies as gender-fluid. Of the experience, she admitted to the magazine that she did not realize "how damaging" that was until she tried to have healthy relationships as an adult. ".realized that there was still all this shame and conditioning and stigma around my sexuality that was really affecting the way I related to people," she revealed. (ANI)
Mary Kay Carlson, deputy chief of Mission at US Embassy, said India saw a decline of 32 per cent in number of new infections of AIDS virus in 2015 compared to 2007.

C.V. Dharma Rao, Joint Secretary of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), said the fight against AIDS started in India way back in 1992.

"In the last 25 years, the AIDS control programme has grown and the number of new infections have been brought down by 32 per cent and AIDS related deaths by over 50 per cent.

"No other country in the world has been able to achieve that," he said.

Rao added that still more than one million people suspected to be infected by AIDS are undiagnosed.

"People need to come forward and get themselves tested so early treatment could be provided," he said.

Titled "Ending AIDS by 2030: Test and Start treatment", the event was organised in collaboration with the India team of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Public health specialist Sukarma Tanwar said there were new technologies like antiretroviral drugs which lower viral load in patients so that the disease does not get transmitted.

"However, HIV prevention should be delivered as a comprehensive package including bio-medical interventions, behavioural interventions and infrastructural interventions to effectively deal with AIDS," he added.

Simran Shaikh from India HIV/AIDS Alliance said that there is a need to implement early testing and for reducing the stigma attached to HIV treatment.

--IANS vv/sm/dg

( 282 Words)

2016-11-30-19:48:20 (IANS)
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condemned the attack on an Army base camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Nargrota town, saying that the terror will never deter India from its path of peace and progress. "Strongly condemn the attack on Nagrota army camp.Terror will never deter us frm our path of peace&progress.We owe this to our brave martyrs," Gandhi said in a tweet. Meanwhile, coming down heavily on the Centre former chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that regardless of what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago. Attacking the Narendra Modi-led Government, Abdullah stated that terrorists were clearly no more deterred from attacking India's Armed Forces now than they were prior to the surgical strikes conducted in September. "So on a day on which 7 of our brave soldiers lost their lives to terrorist bullets the government must explain its Pakistan policy to nation. It's all very well to call people who question the govt line "Friends of Pakistan" but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought out policy," he said in a series of tweets. Indian Army Chief of Staff General Dalbir Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the deadly terrorist attack on an army artillery unit in Nagrota, in which seven defence personnel lost their lives. Earlier, two Indian Army officers and five jawans were killed in the attack, where a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters. The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, the Army said in a statement. In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives. Following which, the terrorists entered two building which were occupied by families, Officers and men. This led to a hostage like situation but it was quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children. However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives bringing the total death toll to seven. Meanwhile, the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area. Speaking to ANI here, Defence PRO Manish Mehta said that combing operations have been called off for now as it was night time and will be resumed at the crack of dawn on Wednesday. (ANI)
Coming down heavily on the Centre over the recent terror attack on an Army mess in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir in which seven defence personnel were killed, former chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that regardless of what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago. Attacking the Narendra Modi-led Government, Abdullah stated that terrorists were clearly no more deterred from attacking India's Armed Forces now than they were prior to the surgical strikes conducted in September. "So on a day on which 7 of our brave soldiers lost their lives to terrorist bullets the government must explain its Pakistan policy to nation. It's all very well to call people who question the govt line "Friends of Pakistan" but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought out policy," he said in a series of tweets. Echoing similar sentiments, the Shiv Sena as well lambasted the Centre's policy with Pakistan in the wake of the attack and said the government must up the ante against Pakistan and stop gloating over the one lone surgical strike. "Ever since the Uri attack happened, Pakistan has turned the heat and unleashed a string of attacks on us, while we are still beating the drum about one, lone surgical strike. Yes, we did carry out a surgical strike but clearly that has not silenced Pakistan. One mere surgical strike does not amount to teaching Pakistan a lesson," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI here. Indian Army Chief of Staff General Dalbir Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the deadly terrorist attack on an army artillery unit in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir today, in which seven defence personnel lost their lives. Earlier, two Indian Army officers and five jawans were killed in the attack, where a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters. The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, the Army said in a statement. In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives. Following which, the terrorists entered two building which were occupied by families, Officers and men. This led to a hostage like situation but it was quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children. However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives bringing the total death toll to seven. Meanwhile, the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area. Speaking to ANI here, Defence PRO Manish Mehta said that combing operations have been called off for now as it was night time and will be resumed at the crack of dawn on Wednesday. (ANI)
Earlier today, two Indian Army officers and five jawans were killed in the attack, where a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters.

The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, the Army said in a statement.

In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives. Following which, the terrorists entered two building which were occupied by families, Officers and men.

This led to a hostage like situation but it was quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children.

However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives bringing the total death toll to seven.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area.

Speaking to ANI here, Defence PRO Manish Mehta said that combing operations have been called off for now as it was night time and will be resumed at the crack of dawn. (ANI)
The three people have been identified as Bhim Singh, Assistant Superintendent (Jail), Jagmeet, Head Warden and Tejinder Sharma, owner of Shagun Sweets.

The accused have been arrested on the charges of abetment and criminal conspiracy with the escapees.

The accused will be produced before the Nabha Court tomorrow.

The Delhi Police arrested Mintoo, yesterday who had escaped from Punjab's Nabha jail on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Parminder Singh, accused of masterminding the Nabha jailbrea was arrested by the Shamli Police yesterday and a huge cache of arms was also seized from his Fortuner car.

He was sent to a 14-day judicial remand where the Police filed a case under Section 353,420,467,468,471 of IPC and 25/27 of the Arms Act.

A group of armed men in police uniform broke into high security the Nabha Central jail and took along six inmates, including two Khalistan liberation force militants and four gangsters.

Apart from Khalistan liberation force chief Harminder Mintoo the other escaped who have been identified are Amandeep Dodaand, and gangsters Vicky Gonder, Gurpreet Sekhon, Neeta Deol and Amandeep Dhoti. (ANI)
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party member (BJP) member Anant Kumar on Tuesday asserted that there was an urgent need to pass the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill 2016 as it would further strengthen the government's efforts to curb black money post the demonetisation drive. The Income Tax Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha amid slogans from the Opposition against the government over the issue of demonetisation "The Income Tax amendment bill which aims to help the poor, was brought into the parliament given its urgency. Despite our best efforts to make them understand the importance of the Bill they opposed. Had we delayed this bill further it would have adversely affected the poor," Kumar told the media here. Earlier today, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, during a debate on Amendment to Income Tax Bill, said that the government moved amendments after it saw that a few people were trying to convert black money into white post the demonetisation drive. However, the Finance Minister's speech was out-voiced by the Opposition who were raising slogans inside the Parliament. Kumar said that despite government's best efforts the Opposition have been unwilling to discuss and debate the demonitisation issue. "We are ready for discussion and debate on every aspect of demonetisation and even ready to answer the opposition. The opposition has been coming up with various excuse and deferring discussions on demonetisation. I request the Congress party and other Opposition parties to allow the discussion to take place. The Prime Minister will intervene and answer both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha," he said. The Bill provides for 'Taxation and Investment Regime for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016' (PMGKY). As per the Bill, declarants under this regime shall pay a tax of 30 percent of their undisclosed income and a penalty of 10 percent of their undisclosed income. The Bill also proposes to levy a 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Cess', at 33 percent tax rate. Additionally, the declarants shall have to deposit 25 percent of undisclosed income under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme, 2016'. (ANI)
Singh told ANI, "In Nagrota, few terrorists entered in an army unit in which two army soldiers were injured. Damage has been caused and this shows the desperation and frustration of Pakistan."

"They will not get success through such acts. India is not a weak nation and we are ready to reply in a befitting manner, the way Pakistan is behaving with us," he added.

The first attack took place in Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu city where terrorists, carrying guns and grenades stormed into an Army camp.

Although all two terrorists were eliminated by the security forces, three of the army men lost their lives in the gun battle.

The second incident took place in Samba Sector near the Pakistan border where the forces gunned down three militants. (ANI)
Asserting the Centre must up the ante against Pakistan and stop gloating over the one lone surgical strike, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to launch an all out attack against the hostile neighbor. Shiv Sena's fiery statement came in the wake of the three army men being killed today as three-four terrorists stormed into an Army camp in Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu city. "Ever since the Uri attack happened, Pakistan has turned the heat and unleashed a string of attacks on us, while we are still beating the drum about one, lone surgical strike. Yes, we did carry out a surgical strike but clearly that has not silenced Pakistan. One mere surgical strike does not amount to teaching Pakistan a lesson," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI here. Talking about Indian Government's mission to isolate Pakistan on a global level, Raut further said that such an action much begin at the grassroot level in the national capital, where the Pakistan High Commission is located. "The Pakistan High Commission is standing tall in Delhi on our land. From our soil they are strengthening Kashmiri terrorists. We must stop gloating over one surgical strike and the Prime Minister must instruct the Defence Minister to gouge out Pakistan's eyes," Raut said. Earlier today, heavily armed militants stormed an army camp in a town near Jammu, triggering a fierce gunfight that left four attackers and three army men dead and as many soldiers injured. Police said that an unknown number of terrorists barged into the military camp near the headquarters of the Indian Army's 16 Corps. (ANI)
Taking up the plea regarding shifting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin from Siwan jail in Bihar to Tihar Central Jail in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing till 2 p.m. tomorrow. The plea, filed by the victims' families, stated that free and fair trial against Shahabuddin was not possible if he remained in the Bihar jail as witnesses would not be able to depose against the controversial leader with his goons threatening them. Shahabuddin is facing trial in 45 criminal cases. The counsel of Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were murdered at the behest of the RJD leader, today told the apex court that how influential the accused was that he committed offenses even when he was in the jail. Another petitioner, slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's widow Asha Ranjan, had filed a plea in the apex court seeking to shift Shahabuddin from the Siwan to the Tihar jail so that witnesses in her husband's murder case could not be influenced and also sought the safety and security of her family members. A division bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and also comprising Justice Amitava Roy will take up the matter at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Forty-two-year-old Ranjan, the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometer from the police station. The Bihar Government had recommended the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) to probe the case. The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail. Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeo's murder case. Meanwhile a separate petition filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJD leader. Shahabuddin, who had been in jail for more than 10 years in connection with multiple cases, was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a man who witnessed the killing of two brothers in Siwan.(ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) member Sushil Modi and Rashtriya Janata Dal member Rabri Devi on Tuesday engaged in a war of words after the latter "jokingly" remarked that the former should just take away Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and form an alliance. Modi reprimanded Devi saying that such statements are tantamount to raising fingers at the integrity and character of Kumar. "The statements made by Rabri Devi are not against me; rather she has pointed a finger on Nitish's character. It is only for Nitish Kumar to retort. She cannot downplay the entire event by saying that it was a joking remark. It is for Nitish to retort since one of their core alliance partner and a former CM of Bihar has raised a finger on Nitish's character," Modi told ANI. He said that the statement reflected signs of rift within the JD(U)-RJD alliance and it was known that the coalition would not last longer. "It is up to them to decide. We always knew that this alliance would not last long. Nitish Kumar must re-think its relations with congress and RJD especially at a time when both have been against demonetisation," Modi said. He, however, said that the BJP is open for an alliance with the Kumar led Janata Dal (United), if the latter comes up with a proposal. "If any proposal comes from the JD (U) then we will deliberate upon it because in politics there are no permanent ermines or friends. For the past 17 years he was with us, later he defected from the alliance," he said. Responding to Modi's remark, Devi made a sarcastic retort saying "Modi ji (Sushil Kumar Modi) ki baaton pe vichaar Mukhyamantri ji (Nitish Kumar) hi karenge (The Chief Minister will definitely deliberate upon (Sushil) Modi's offer." Earlier today, Devi said Modi should take Nitish away, while responding to media reports of alliance brewing between BJP and the JD(U). However, she later clarified that her statement was just a joke and she was not serious. "Media wale bole Sushil Kumar Modi kahe hain Nitish Kumar RJD chhor BJP aajaye, hum bole Modi ji Nitish ko godi mein utha lejaaye." (Media persons were quoting Sushil Modi as saying that Nitish will soon join the BJP, I think he should take Nitish away)," she said. (ANI)
According to Dr Rana, "Sonia Gandhi has been admitted under the care of Dr. Arun Kumar Basu, senior consultant in Department of Chest and Pulmonology Medicine, and his team of consultants.

"Gandhi's routine tests are being conducted and she is better today. She is likely to be discharged in a day or two," he added.

Earlier, Congress media in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala told ANI, "Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to a hospital on account of viral fever."

He further said, "Gandhi would be admitted for two days after which she would return to resume her duty in Parliament." (ANI)
Sources told ANI that this move was taken after the Election Commission of India raised objections to the AAP manifesto.

The AAP's Dalit manifesto was unveiled in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister and party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal earlier on November 25.

Kejriwal had later tweeted that if AAP wins the Punjab assembly elections then his party will the Deputy Chief Minister's post to a Dalit.

The AAP's 19-point agenda promises among others houses for Dalits, a special cell for implementation of Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme and a hike in the Shagun amount given for the wedding of a daughter to Rs. 51,000. (ANI)
After a series of legal battles that lasted for five years, women activists on Tuesday entered the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah. Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. However, in March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on women's entry calling it a "grievous sin". On October 24, the Haji Ali Dargah Trust had told the Supreme Court that it was ready to implement the Bombay High Court's order to allow women's enter to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine located in South Mumbai and had sought four weeks for infrastructural changes to make arrangements for it. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur was hearing a plea by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Court's ruling to provide equal right of entry to both women and men in the dargah's sanctum sanctorum. On August 26, the Bombay High Court held that the ban imposed by the Trust, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution and said women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum like men. Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional. Bhumata brigade chief Trupti Desai had also said the Supreme Court's decision should act as a guidance for the nation to allow the entry of women in all temples. Speaking to ANI, Desai said, "Those trustees who opposed our movement and did not allow us to enter the dargah, they had to bow down in front of us. The decision of the Supreme Court should act as an inspiration for the nation and to all temples where women are dishonored and not treated at par with their male counterparts." "When we will receive the dates of Haji Ali, we will let you know. We will begin our rally from the place where we were stopped," she added. (ANI)
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday described 'Jan Aakrosh Diwas', an opposition protest rally against the Centre's demonetisation move, as a 'complete flop'. Naidu told the media, "I have experience of 20 years of Parliament and I am unable to understand the demands of the opposition parties. Our opposition had given us a notice for debate on the issue of black money and demonetisation. Congress leaders participated in the debate and all of a sudden they are no more part of debate and are creating ruckus and are not letting parliament function." "Their protest on demonetisation was complete flop and people made fun of them. They declared bandh... And then, the Aakrosh rally was also flop and nobody except their party workers participated in the rally...this protest was a flop because people are happy," Naidu added. Naidu further said, "The decision taken by Modiji is historic and revolutionary. That is why people are happy and not participating in such rallies, there are some difficulties, but people are ready to face them, as demonetisation would help people grow." The nation-wide shutdown called by Left parties on Monday to protest against demonetisation evoked a lukewarm response in the capital, with major political parties such as the Congress and the AAP holding separate protest rallies and marches. The 12-hour shutdown called by six Left parties, including the CPI and the CPM, was aimed at staging demonstrations outside the RBI buildings and SBI branches. But it ended in a march from Mandi House to Parliament Street police station. Trade unions, too, held rallies, but most markets remained open. (ANI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday dubbed the demonetisation of high-value currency notes as 'black emergency' and said that the nation will very soon show the exit door to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is making all attempts to end the federal structure with his stubborn approach. Banerjee rubbished the BJP-led NDA regime's assertion that this step was aimed at ending the menace of black money. "Economy is down. The GDP has suffered huge losses. This is not a fight against black money. This is 'black emergency'. The people are suffering. They (government) want to finish off the federal structure. There are so many villages which do not have banks. How will the people survive? If you get salary in cheques instead of cash then how will you run your daily expenses?" she said. "Some media outlets reported about demonetisation way back in April. The BJP was well aware of the move. Demonetisation is a scandal, which is unfolding slowly," she added. Reaching out to the people in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, Banerjee alleged that the Prime Minister was secretly looting the nation. "If your daughter is getting married, plead to the Prime Minister.he will save you," she said in a sarcastic note. Stating that her party's crusade against the ban on high-value notes will continue, the TMC supremo said that the people must have access to their money. "After snatching everybody's money, he is saying we have enough cash now.You will get change in Big Bazar but the poor and the farmers won't get it from the cooperative banks. What will the people do with Rs. 2000 notes? Which shop will give them change?" asked Banerjee. "Rollback demonetisation or go back Modi ji. The PM is giving only speeches while he has failed to give ration to the people. If Uttar Pradesh has made you the Prime Minister, it can also remove you from the post too," she said. The West Bengal Chief Minister also alleged that there was no planning on the government's part prior to implementation of the scheme. "We have been talking of state-funded elections for a long time now. The colour of different Rs. 2,000 notes are different. This is scandalous. There was no planning. If 1,000 rupees notes promote black money, do 2,000 rupees notes promote white money?" she wondered. "The notes of smaller denominations are not available. Why was no planning done? If we raise our voice, they threaten to unleash their agencies on us. They are depriving us of our constitutional rights. Shops are closed. Farmers are distressed, households are facing problems. After this they will come for your homes and gold. They have already destroyed the future of the youth," she added. Citing the famous couplet "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai, Dekhna Hai Zor Kitna Bazu-e-Katil Me Hai", Banerjee said that she was even ready to go to jail for this cause. "The labourers in unorganised sector are out of work. Food production has stopped. Productivity is at a standstill. I do not mind going to the jail," she said. The TMC boss also took a dig at Prime Minister Modi for asking the BJP MPs and MLAs to disclose their bank transactions post the demonetisation move. "They are calling everyone thieves. Are 85 percent people in the country thieves? And you are the only 'sadhu' (saint)? Are we not Hindus? We are. But we care for all religions. But you (BJP) do not work for people," said Banerjee. "Where is the black money from foreign countries? They have instead looted the people of the country. The Prime Minister has asked the party MPs to disclose their bank transactions. They should start this process with their party president (Amit Shah)," she added. The TMC boss further alleged that the BJP is looting the country without declaring Emergency. "From freedom struggle to fight for land rights, Uttar Pradesh has always been at the forefront of movements in India. Uttar Pradesh has given India several Prime Ministers. This is a fight for people's rights. You did 'note bandi', people will do 'vote bandi'," she said. Banerjee, who has appeared as the face of the protests against the government's move to scrap Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes three weeks ago, arrived in Lucknow last evening. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday refused to be a member of a committee of the Chief Ministers (CMs) proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suggest cashless transactions following demonetisation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to neutralise political turmoil over demonetisation within and outside Parliament had proposed the committee of CMs. Speaking to reporters during a press conference Sarkar said, "Yesterday afternoon the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over phone informed that the Prime Minister wants to talk to me. The government wants suggestions on the present demonization with the aim of cashless transaction and which is good. They want to form a committee of CMs and in the panel want to include the Tripura CM." "In my initial reaction I said that it is a highly technical matter and I have no personal experience or understand how much I can contribute into it. I wanted to know why all of a sudden I shall be there and he (Finance Minister) informed that there shall be CMs of few other states and most likely they also do not know much on it, however, there shall be representatives from the NITI Ayog and the Finance Ministry who shall brief on the matter and after which I can give my advice which will be of great help. To conclude our discussion I said that if the PM wishes it is very tough for the CM of any state to ignore it," he added. Sarkar said to clear all confusions he had directly informed over the phone to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about his decision not to take part in the meeting of the committee of Chief Ministers. He said, "Later I felt that as I said this he (Finance Minister) might have understood that I have given my consent and so I contact him and said Mr Jaitley that I have not yet decided whether shall be part of the committee and so please do not keep my name for the time being and need time to think and shall let you know tomorrow what I have finally decided. He wanted to make me understand the matter and aware me why all of a sudden it was decided. Now after thinking over the issue I have decided not to be part of the committee and everyone is aware about the situation throughout the nation. I told him that I can not be in the committee and not to keep my name but he said that it would be better if I would stay in the committee." According to the Chief Minister, common people, small traders and daily labourers are the worst sufferers of the demonetisation. "What is going on in the entire country after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have been banned and new Rs 2000 notes introduced. When one go to market with Rs 2000 note both customer and businessman can do business due crisis of change. There are crores of daily labourers and small businessman who depend on their daily income for the livelihood and in such a situation when 85 to 87 percent of the currency notes are of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes which have been withdrawn has created problem," said Sarkar. He also suggested to give little relief to the common people the union government should allow the use of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes till coming December 30. He said, "So at least up to 30 December they should allow to use Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. In such a situation the digitization or cashless transaction is a tough thing for me to comment if it is good." According to him, introduction of cashless transaction in a big country like India and such a huge population is quite a tough task and the present government's step towards it is totally mismanagement. He added, "I gathered information and came to know that probably in only Sweden it is in practice and it is a very small nation with small population but even America which is the most powerful economy could not do this. How can our nation with a population of 1.25 crores do transaction with plastic money without adequate number of banks throughout the nation and also in Tripura." Sarkar informed that the Left party to which he belongs had protested in rallies and called for strike against the demonetisation step of the centre and now if he takes part in such committee may mislead the common people and would like to keep away from it. He said, "My participation in the committee means creation of confusion and we are trying to say our views on it from outside the Parliament. All of a sudden five to six CMs heading a committee will lead to confusions among the common people. Moreover, we have call for strike and took part in protest rallies against this, now if we participate it will create confusion."(ANI)
The Bill will consolidate the existing laws relating to admiralty jurisdiction, legal proceedings in connection with vessels, their arrest, detention, sale and other matters connected.

The Mental Healthcare Bill and the Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill is also scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Employee's Compensation Amendment Bill will come up for consideration and passage.

The Bill, seeking to amend the Employee's Compensation Act, 1923, has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill, 2014 is also scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill will provide the prevention and control of the spread of HIV and AIDS and also protect the human rights of persons affected by the virus. (ANI)
The musical extravaganza , that brings alive the splendour of India , was launched at the Kingdom of Dreams here last night.

Being presented by RG Studios, Kingdom of Dreams and the leading Bollywood music composers Salim- Sulaiman, 'Beyond Bollywood' brings to the Indian audiences the experience of West End and Broadway.

'Beyond Bollywood ' , which has nine original music compositions by Bollywood's wizards Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, is a heartwarming tale of a dancer Shaily Shergil, who armed with a burning desire to turn her mother's dream into reality, sets out in search of her roots. The theatrical brings alive the splendour of India which cast a spell on Shaily.

The enthralling dances and the grand visuals of the Musical enraptures the audience, transporting them into a magical world swirling with colour and romance as the protagonist explores India.

Talking about the musical, Salim-Sulaiman said,'' We truly enjoyed working on the music as it covers a vast range from classical,folk to pop music."

Beyond Bollywood brings a mix of masala, culture and Bollywood to Indian audiences.

Addressing the occasion, Viraf Sarkari Director Kingdom of Dreams said,"The show has won rave reviews across various countries in the world. I am sure the Indian audiences will love this spectacle and appreciate it."Beyond Bollywood has been written, directed and choreographed by Rajeev Goswami. Lyrics have been penned by Irfan Siddiqui.

The show has earlier wowed audiences in London, Algeria, Europe, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Italy.UNI PY/AR SV SB 1159

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Oil traders piled into bullish option contracts in U.S. crude on Tuesday, even as doubt surfaced over whether the world's top producers would be successful in hammering out a deal to curb production.Brokers pointed to record volumes in call options that allow the holder to buy January futures at $60 per barrel, as a sign that some market participants were expecting a significant rally if members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agree on a deal.OPEC said in September it aimed to cut crude output to 32.5 million to 33 million barrels per day (bpd), down from a record 33.64 million bpd, to bolster prices. The terms of the deal are expected to be announced at Wednesday's policy meeting in Vienna.However, as of Tuesday, key OPEC members Iran and Iraq were still at loggerheads with top producer Saudi Arabia. That caused crude oil to fall as much as 4 percent as traders started to doubt a deal would get done.The most optimistic of analysts see oil hitting $60 a barrel with a significant deal; more bearish types say crude would not advance much past $50. Oil has not hit $60 since June of 2015, so trading in this contract may be optimistic."I look at that as the proverbial lottery-ticket trade," said John Saucer, vice president of research and analytics at Mobius Risk Group in Houston.Turnover in the bullish option contract soared to over 60,000 lots on Tuesday, up from about 14,000 lots on Monday, according to Thomson Reuters data. At 60,000 lots, more than $2.7 billion in notional terms of crude oil was traded on Tuesday.The value of these option contracts jumped to about 10 cents on Tuesday from six cents Monday. Saucer said the trading suggests expectations for a big post-OPEC rally - perhaps $5 to $7 a barrel - which would make those options increase in value, and therefore make the trade more profitable.Andrew Lebow, senior partner at Commodity Research Group in Darien, Connecticut, said that even if a deal was reached, it would only be a cut of about 600,000 to 700,000 barrels."Iran and Iraq are the big question marks," he said.Volumes in out-of-the-money puts, or bearish options, also rose on Tuesday, but significantly less than in bullish call options. The call-buying could also be aimed at offsetting a short position elsewhere in the market, traders said. REUTERS JW0405 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1044738.Xml
A high-level team from the Union health ministry visited the district to explore possibility of setting up an AIIMS like super specialty hospital in the region. The team, accompanied by officials of the Uttar Pradesh health department, went across the district and identified land for the purpose. Officials said there is a proposal to set up a medical college in the district which can later be upgraded to a super specialty hospital. The team also included Dr RS Mohil, consultant surgeon, Safdarjung hospital, Delhi and Dr RK Sahu, faculty in medicine department of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Delhi. The health ministry is exploring the possibility of upgrading the government hospital in the district to a medical college, so they made a field visit to the district and would be submitting their report shortly. UP Medical education director general Dr VN Tripathi said, ''The experts had come to access the existing medical care facilities and to suggest adequate measures to improve the status. They also explored possibility of inclusion of the hospital in the second phase of ongoing scheme to develop government hospitals into a medical college," he said. Under the aegis of Bundeli Samaj, locals in Mohaba have been resorting to novel ways since March 2015 to attract the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards their demand for a super specialty hospital like AIIMS in the district. Over 2 lakh letters, including one of 5,000-plus pages penned in Sanskrit by Muslims, were sent through registered post between March and June 2015. Thereafter, Hindus fasted during Ramzan while 5,001 women sent rakhis to press for the cause. On PM Modi's birthday in September last, 10,000 schoolchildren painted good wishes and urged him to fulfil their demand. Since August this year, people's group Bundeli Samaj has been holding relay fast for the cause. Bundeli Samaj convenor Tara Patkar expressed happiness over the development but said the campaign would continue till efforts translate into something concrete. "The response has filled us with hope and we will continue the campaign till some action is visible," he said.UNI MB SB 1158 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1044853.Xml
Total oil sales registered their 13th straight month of year-on-year declines last month, down 2.1 percent from a year ago to 2.88 million barrels per day (14.20 million kilolitres), the monthly oil data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) showed.

Kerosene sales fell 1.2 percent last month as temperatures were slightly warmer than a year ago, a METI official said. Sales of 'fuel oil B, C', varieties used for power generation and shipping, were down 2 percent at 189,292 bpd, the lowest for the month since 1959.

Japan's crude oil imports in October fell 2.1 percent from a year earlier to 3.05 million barrels per day (15.06 million kilolitres), marking the lowest for the month of October since 1988, the official said.

Japan imported Ketapang crude oil from Indonesia for the first time, the official added.

The following table shows Japan's crude imports and oil product sales in barrels per day. REUTERS SV PM1256

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The deadlock over demonetisation continued in the Rajya Sabha for the tenth day in running today as the Opposition also targeted the government on the Nagrota terror attack. The proceedings of Zero Hour and Question Hour were washed due to the uproar created by Opposition members who raised slogans protesting demonetisation. Counter slogans were also raised by the ruling benches. In an interesting tandem, slogan raising was heard when the Opposition members raised the slogan of "Jai Jawan" while the BJP members responded with "Jai Kisan". At this juncture Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the proceedings till 1400 hrs saying that there seems to be total agreement in the House. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned till noon after the Opposition raised an uproar over its demand for a resolution to condole the deaths in the Nagrota attack near Jammu yesterday and due to demonetisation. Soon after the House met for the day, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy stood up to demand that the House condole the death of soldiers who have died in the Nagrota attack and people who have died due to the decision of the Government to demonetise old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000. BSP member Mayawati too demanded that the Government bring a resolution to condole the deaths due to demonetisation. The demand by Mr Roy over deaths of soldiers in Nagrota attack was supported by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. He said two officers and five jawans had died in the Nagrota attack. As the Opposition members continued with their uproar, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House till 1200 hrs.UNI RBE AE 1253 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-1045003.Xml
Ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Saturday, five voluntary organisations working for the survivors of the Union Carbide disaster today said that the tragedy continues to affect subsequent generations. In a release issued here, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh President Rashida Bee was quoted as saying, "US multinational Dow Chemical Company which took over Union Carbide in 2001 is responsible for cleaning up the contamination of soil and ground water in more than 50 sq km around the factory. In the last two years Dow Chemical has ignored four judicial notices asking its authorised representative to appear before the Bhopal District Court. And now it is merging with another American multinational, DuPont, to further evade the civil, criminal and environmental liabilities of Bhopal." Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha President Balkrishna Namdeo alleged that the US Government is sheltering both Dow Chemical and Union Carbide by refusing to serve the Bhopal Court's notices to Dow Chemical. He pointed out that 1,27,000 people wrote to the US President's office asking the Department of Justice to serve notice on Dow Chemical. However, only an apology was received in response for inaction. "As such, the organisations will burn the US flag along with the logos of the two corporations," he said. Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha's Nawab Khan charged the Centre for allowing US corporations get away without paying adequate compensation and cleaning up the environmental contamination by downplaying death and injury figures in the curative petition before the Supreme Court. Bhopal Group for Information and Action's Rachna Dhingra held the Madhya Pradesh Government equally responsible for the continuing plight of the survivors and the utter neglect of their children's health.UNI PS SB 1313 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-1045061.Xml
Though the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh hiked the cane price by Rs 25 per quintal after a gap of three years on November 18, it has failed to pressure the private sugar mills to pay the outstanding dues of over Rs 1138.96 crore of the last two seasons. The government announced the hike in the State Advisory Price(SAP) by Rs 25 in all the three categories and even put a condition that the mills would pay the farmers' dues in one installment. But the state government was mum about the pending dues of the last season amounting to Rs 1084.54 crore. Besides the private mills are also sitting on Rs 45.42 crore of the farmers pending of the 2014-15 season. Though Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said that his government will make all-out effort to get the dues of the cane farmers cleared by the private mills, he did not promise the time and date for its clearance. Besides, the Chief Minister did not elaborate how the mills would be paying the farmers their dues in one installment, as even after the advent of the fresh season from October 1, no payment was made by the mills. As per the new rates of cane, common variety, that forms the bulk of cane produced, which had not been revised for the last three years, was hiked to Rs 305 per quintal. The previous SAP hike was effected in 2012-13 from Rs 240 per quintal to Rs 280 per quintal. But the farmers and their organisations had been demanding Rs 350 per quintal for selling cane to sugar mills over steep rise in farm input costs. As per the figures of the UP Sugar Mills Association(UPSMA), 92 private mills have paid Rs 15,014.98 crore or 93.26 per cent of the total dues and still Rs 1084.54 crore were pending of the previous 2015-16 season. They also disclosed that the private mills were also yet to pay Rs 45.42 crore of the 2014-15 season too. In the last season, 117 mills in the state, including one of the corporation, 24 of the cooperative sectors and rest private had crushed 6456.65 lakh quintals of cane and produced 185.53 lakh quintal of sugar at 10.62 per cent recovery rate. Of the main defaulter among the private sugar mills for not paying the dues, Modi group lead the list with a due of Rs 335.40 crores followed by Simbhauli of Rs 207.12 crores, Mawana group of Rs 161.18 crores and the Bajaj Group of Rs 131.19 crores. Sugarcane is a major cash crop in UP and accounts for roughly Rs 30,000 crore worth of direct economy. There are over 4 million rural households in UP engaged in cane farming. UP and Maharashtra are India's top sugarcane and sugar producers and contribute 50 per cent to the country's annual production. The private mills dominate UP sugar sector with 92 of the total 117 mills. The cooperative sector comprises 24 mills, while UP State Sugarcane Corporation Limited (UPPSCL) controls one mill. For 2016-17, UP government has estimated cane acreage to increase marginally to 20.54 lakh hectares (LH) from 20.52 LH during 2015-16. The sugar production in the state is expected to be at par with the last year, when the state had clocked output of a little over 68.55 lakh tonnes. UNI MB SV SB 1319 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1044975.Xml
Describing the deadly terror attack on an army base camp in Nagrota as Pakistan's 'desperation', Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Wednesday said Islamabad cannot break the morale of the Indian Army by such 'cowardly acts'. Talking to ANI, Singh said, "It is a cowardly act on the part of the Pakistan and it shows their desperation. In clear terms Pakistan cannot break our morale because we are resort to fight out militancy and terror and we are doing it." "As of now the operation is almost over but the search operation is going on. Till now two officers and five jawans have been martyred, three terrorist have been eliminated. There is a possibility there might be some other also. There is no firing as of now but search operation is on to meet out any eventuality," he added. Meanwhile, blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the deadly terror attack on an army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, by a bomb disposal team during the combing operations that are still underway. Extensive combing operations resumed today morning in Nagrota, where terrorists attacked an army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives. Army spokesman, Lt. Col Manish Mehta said that search and combing operation began with first day light. A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota in morning hours yesterday, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours. Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. (ANI)
Asserting that the current situation at the border was cause for grave concern, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday stated that in recent months there has been a significant deterioration in relations between India and Pakistan, adding that it pointed to the clear failure by the Centre and the state government. Speaking to the media here, Omar said the situation within the nation as well as on the border and the Line of Control (LoC) was worrisome. "We have seen a significant increase in tension along the LoC, unfortunately we have also seen a rise in militancy resulting in far higher casualties than in recent years. All this points towards a failure on the level of the state government as well as the Centre," he said. Earlier, in a series of tweets, Omar had asserted that regardless of what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago. Abdullah claimed that terrorists were clearly no more deterred from attacking India's armed forces now than they were prior to the surgical strikes conducted in September. "So, on a day on which seven of our brave soldiers lost their lives to terrorist bullets the government must explain its Pakistan policy to nation. It's all very well to call people who question the govt line "Friends of Pakistan" but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought out policy," he said. Also describing the deadly terror attack as Pakistan's 'desperation', Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said Islamabad cannot break the morale of the Indian Army by such 'cowardly acts'. Talking to ANI, Singh said, "It is a cowardly act on the part of the Pakistan and it shows their desperation. In clear terms Pakistan cannot break our morale because we are resort to fight out militancy and terror and we are doing it." "As of now the operation is almost over but the search operation is going on. Till now two officers and five jawans have been martyred, three terrorist have been eliminated. There is a possibility there might be some other also. There is no firing as of now but search operation is on to meet out any eventuality," he added. Meanwhile, blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the deadly terror attack on an army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, by a bomb disposal team during the combing operations that are still underway. Extensive combing operations resumed today morning in Nagrota, where terrorists attacked an army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives. Army spokesman, Lt. Col Manish Mehta said that search and combing operation began with first day light. A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota in morning hours yesterday, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours. Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. (ANI)
Criminals shot dead a sorcerer at Ganauri Tilha village under Paraiya police station area in the district. Police said here that criminals gunned down sorcerer Jagdish Yadav at his hut, which he had built near his ancestral house, late last night. Outlaws made good their escape after committing the crime. The reason behind the murder was stated to be some dispute related to his profession. Yadav also used to grow crops in his agriculture field, police added. A massive manhunt is on to nab the culprits. UNI XC DH AD1416 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1045152.Xml
After her massive protest rally in Lucknow, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee will stage a dharna at the Gardanibagh ground in Patna today against demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. Ms Banerjee has been demanding rollback of the Centre's demonetisation decision. She has been vehemently opposing the Modi led Central government's demonetisation move since it was announced on November 8. Before coming to Patna, she staged dharnas in Delhi and Lucknow. She reached Patna yesterday after staging a dharna in Lucknow where she was welcomed by her UP counterpart Akhilesh Yadav. Talking to the media on her arrival at the Patna airport, Ms Banerjee sought to downplay her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar's support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the demonetisation of high value currency notes by saying every party has its own views on the issue. "Every party and leader have their own perspective on the issue of demonetisation," Ms Banerjee said. She has invited RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to take part in the agitation. Senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy had met Mr Prasad in Patna on November 25 to extend the party's invitation to him for his party's programme but the RJD supremo was unsure at that time also as he was not keeping well. "CM @MamataOfficial came & discussed difficulties faced by ppl due to improper implemntation of demonetization. RJD wil join her protest tom," Mr Yadav tweeted. Several members of the Samajwadi Party were present at the Lucknow rally. Addressing the rally, Ms Banerjee targeted the Prime Minister for demonetisation and said that the people from all sections of society the common man, the farmers, the labourers, housewives -- were facing problems. "The people of Uttar Pradesh have made you the Prime Minister and they can remove you from the post too," she added. Ms Banerjee questioned: "Why only account details from Nov 8? Just three weeks? Why not for last 2-1/2 years? PM Ji you think you alone are intelligent!" "You have started note-bandi, people will reply with vote-bandi. After your 21 days of note-bandi, the whole country is ghar bandi, so why this farce?" she asked. She accused Mr Modi of mismatch between his words and actions. The BJP was looting the country without declaring Emergency, she said and accused the ruling party of depriving people of their constitutional rights. Ms Banerjee slammed the Centre for not planning before going ahead with demonetisation and said the BJP was aware of this move in advance. Calling note-bandi a scandal, she said the fight will go on and she "is even ready to go to jail".UNI BM AD1432 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1045180.Xml
"Homage to Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary," Ms Banerjee tweeted.

Jagadish Chandra Bose born on November 30, 1858, was a multi-talented Indian scientist who also invented wireless communication: Amazing facts about the polymath.

Before the advent of twentieth century, science did not acknowledge the vitality of trees and plants. Then, on May 10, 1901, Bose proved that plants are like any other life form.

Bose proved that plants have a definite life cycle, a reproductive system and are aware of their surroundings. The demonstration took place in the Royal Society in London, England.

He demonstrated that plants are also sensitive to heat, cold, light, noise and various other external stimuli.

Bose contrived a very sophisticated instrument called Crescograph which could record and observe the minute responses because of external stimulants.

It was capable of magnifying the motion of plant tissues to about 10,000 times of their actual size, which found many similarities between plants and other living organisms.

Bose authored two illustrious books; 'Response in the Living and Non-living' (1902) and 'The Nervous Mechanism of Plants' (1926).

He also extensively researched the behaviour of radiowaves.

Mostly known as a plant physiologist, he was actually a physicist. Bose devised another instrument called 'Coherer', for detecting the radiowaves.

Prior to his death in 1937, Bose set up the Bose Institute at Calcutta. He was elected the Fellow of the Royal Society in 1920 for his amazing contributions and achievements.UNI BM

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Bugle sounded the last post at the Victory War Memorial near Island Grounds inthe city to mark the solemn occasion of Lt Gen Jagbir Singh, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area laying a wreath and paying floral tributes to the Martyrs as he relinquished his post on attaining superannuation today. A second generation officer, he retires after 39 years of dedicated service to the Nation. He assumed the present post in February 2014 and has ushered new vigour and infused enthusiasm in the functioning of subordinate formations and Regimental Centres. He gave tremendous impetus to ex-Servicemen welfare addressed their grievances and resolved their issues with compassion and perseverance, a defence release here said. The Lt General's efforts at reaching out to the veterans and widows, as well as his on the spot resolution of their grievances during his numerous visits to every nook and corner of his area of responsibility, has been appreciated by everyone. During his tenure ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme Polyclinics (86), Military Hospitals (8), Colleges and Schools in Dakshin Bharat Area have seen significant increase in infrastructure, facilities and upgradation in equipment which has resulted in enhanced care and quality of education. He was also instrumental in coordinating the deployment of the Army which ensured successful carrying out of rescue and relief Operations during the Chennai floods in December last year which resulted in the rescue of 21,500 men, women and children. He always emphasised on the motto of "selfless service" to all ranks and motivated them to maintain the glorious tradition of the Indian Army.UNI GV 1415 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1045150.Xml
Police said four NCP party workers have been arrested and four others were detained for questioning.

Police also registered a cross complaint against Mr Patil on the basis of statement recorded by Mr Mallik.

"On the basis of allegation levelled by Mr Mallik, we have also registered an attempt to murder case against Patil also," a police official said.

Mr Patil in a statement said people of Mr Mallik tried to assault him with sharp weapons in the rally. He ruled out that any weapon was shown or put at Mr Mallik by him or his supporters.

Whereas, Mr Mallik said supporters of Mr Patil had shown pistol and attempt to kill him.

It may be recalled that ward no. 41 at Chembur, party had a called a rally for appointing ward president, in which Mr Patil wanted to appoint his supporter and Mr Mallik wanted to appoint his supporter, resulted into heated arguments and rampage in the meeting. UNI ST NV SW 1442

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The Calcutta High Court today ordered a CID inquiry into the missing of three children from a home in a northern district of the state in 2014. Worried over the failure of the district police to find out the three children, a division bench, headed by Justice Asim Kumar Roy asked the Criminal Investigation Department to initiate the probeimmediately and file a report before the court by Friday. The court issued the ruling on writ petitions filed by families of the children. Three children from a home in Malda, about 330 kms north of Kolkata, went missing in 2014.UNI XC AD1604 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1045357.Xml
Opposition BJP today staged dharna in thewell of the House demanding tabling House Committee report on theNandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) scam running intothousands of crores of rupees. The House Committee headed by Law Minister T B Jayacyandra hadsubmitted the report to Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad on November 24but it was not placed in the floor of the House by the Speaker. NICE which is headed by Bidar independent MLA Ashok Kheni, a richNRI businessman, is involved in building a outer ring road aroundBengaluru and a expressway between the state capital and Mysore. Aframework agreement to build the project was signed by the thenChief Minister S M Krishna and NICE during 2001. However, the project remains incomplete due to controversies andfarmers refusing to part with the land, the price of which had shotup manifolds. Discussing the issue permitted under Section 69, Oppositionleader Jagadish Shettar questioned the motive of the Speakerdelaying the placing of the report in the House. He said theteam of the House Committee, formed two years back, had strived hardto unearth a major scam and people of the state should know it immediately. BJP member Vishwanath Hegde Kageri stated that if the report wasnot tabled immediately, the Speaker will be suspected. Another BJP member Vishwanath said the land scam involving NICEran up to over Rs 22,000 crore and the private promoter had soldthousands of acres of land for huge sums against the rule. Though Mr Koliwad assured the opposition members that the reportreport will be tabled in the House tomorrow after he held a meetingwith the Law Minister the opposition members was not impressed. Earlier the members, irrespective of party affiliation, said thatNICE road connectivity project has encroached upon agriculture landin excess of allotted for the project. They entered into the well of the house insisting that the reportbe tabled today itself. After they raised slogans and displayedplacards, Mr Koliwad adjourned the house for 10 minutes. Later the opposition withdrew dharna when Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah assured the House that the government will act onreport once it is tabled. His government was not against placing ofthe report as his government had set up the committee. Mr Shetter said that the NICE company has approached the SupremeCourt to get a stay on making the report public. It was pointed outby the members that NICE has encroached on over 7000 acres inBengaluru. UNI RS MSP cs 1601 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1045347.Xml
Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Telangana police were on Saleem's trailfor some time now.

On receiving the information about a gang staying in the forestarea near Srinrangapattana, the police raided the area, pouncedon the gang and recovered a pistol, daggers and other lethal weaponsfrom their possession.

Two women, identified as Prema and Khushi, were also part of thegang. Khushi is said to be a resident of Mysuru.

Bombay Saleem wanted by the police in more than 50 cases ofrobbery, honey trapping registered against him.

The gang was also into honey trapping. The gang would targetgullible people for their operation. The girls of the gang werebefriending the persons and were shooting explicit visuals with them.They were blackmailing the person for money with the video. One suchcase was registered in Srirangapattana, a month ago.

Police also recovered four cars, one gun, 18 live bullets, 10long, six daggers, chilli powder, pepper powder, and spray from thegang.

The gang was presented before the Srirangapattana court and thejudge remanded them to judicial custody.

UNI BSP MSP CS 1626

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The two houses of Karnataka legislature todaypaid rich tributes to seven army men including two officers who laidtheir lives in a gun battle against heavily armed terrorists whostormed an army unit in Nagrota of Jammu and Kashmir in policeuniform yesterday. Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad and Council Chairman D H ShankaraMurthy moved identical obituary resolutions in respective houses which received unanimous support from members cutting across party lines. ''We condemn the terror attack on the army unit in which twoofficers Major Akshay Girish Kumar, a resident of Yelahanka new townin Bengaluru and Major Kulal Gosain, besides seven brave soldierswere killed. Our enemies who do not digest the strides towardsdevelopment achieved by India are responsible for this attack'', MrKoliwad said. He said it was an ugly attack on a civilised society and it wastime that entire mankind come united to fight against terrorism, theSpeaker said. Supporting the resolution Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said thekilling of seven brave sons of India was very unfortunate and hopedthat the families of the martyrs get enough strength to overcome thedeep grief. He said he had spoken to the father of Maj Akshay who had aninfant child. He is a former student of Jain College in Bengaluru.Mr Siddaramaiah paid homages to the brave officer. In the past under samecircumstances when brave army personnel lost their lives fightingfor the country, their families were provided all help by theKarnataka government and it will extend the same to the Major'sfamily, he said. Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar condemned the terror andgrieved the death of seven armymen. He said such violence byterrorists should be replied in a fitting manner. The two houses also condoled the death of Actor, dramatist,Director Ashok Badaradinnin who passed away early this week.UNI RS CNR CS 1647 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1045440.Xml
Opposition BJP today said that the rulingCongress government in the state had totally failed to bring downrising incidents of political murders, communal violence and riotswhile it was doing a mistake by withdrawing the cases filed againstperpetrators of such crime like members of Karnataka Forum forDignity (KFD) and Popular Front of India (PFI). Speaking during a discussion under Rule 69 in the LegislativeAssembly, former Home Minister R Ashok demanded ban on PFI and KFDas they were nothing but new faces of banned SIMI and the leaders ofthe two organisations once headed the terror organisation. Both PFIand KFD involved in nefarious activities in Kerala, Karnataka andTamil Nadu and indulged in killing of BJP and RSS members. 14 murders of BJP or RSS men were murdered since Congress came topower in Karnataka. The perpetrators were from these twoorganisations. Instead of banning them, the government had taken adangerous decision of withdrawing several criminal cases againstmembers of the two organisation, he said. He claimed 250 party cadres in Kerala and 50 in Tamil Nadu weremurdered since 2015. He accused the Congress Government in Karnatakaof soft peddling the action against radical Islamic organisations. Reeling out figures provided by the National Crime ResearchBureau, Mr Ashok said Karnataka had witnessed second highest numberof communal incidents at 1.38 lakh cases in 2015 and communal riotshad risen by 330 per cent. He said while Haryana topped with 201 cases of communal riotsduring the same year, Karnataka witnessed 163, Maharashtra 80 andBihar 79 among the top states. He said in Bengaluru had emerged as the capital of cyber crimereporting 54 per cent rise in cases during 2014-15, all duringCongress rule. He said that the hands of Home Minister G Parameshwara were'tied' due to frequent interference by Chief Minister Siddaramaiahand a 'super cop' minister, he said without naming the latter. Dueto this police officers and cadre were in a state of dissolution.This had led to a series of suicide cases of police officials andconstabulary, he added.UNI RS MSP RSS1830 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1045708.Xml
After Nepal, Kenya and Mexico, Assam's Numaligarh Refinery Ltd Wax is now on its way to Bangladesh. Achieving yet another milestone in Wax export, the first consignment containing 20 Metric Tonnes of Fully Refinery Paraffin Wax(FRPW) was flagged off to Bangladesh from the premises of Numaligarh Refinery Marketing Terminal yesterday. The consignment was flagged off by Director Finance NRL SK Barua, in presence of Senior GM (Projects) NRL MR Baruah, GM (Finance) NRL SD Maheshwari, GM (Operations) NRL BJ Phukan and other NRL employees. Also present on the occasion was Md Abdul Jalil, the importer from Bangladesh, a NRL release said here today. There is a good demand of wax in Bangladesh in the candle making, cosmetics and tyre making industry. High quality of NRL wax has evinced interest from several other countries like Mozambique and USA, making NRL Wax a brand to be reckoned with worldwide. NRL is now eyeing markets in Latin America, South Africa and neighbouring countries for export of Wax. NRL commenced sale of Paraffin Wax in domestic market as well as exports since commissioning of its Wax plant, the largest single unit producing Wax in the country in 2015. NRL's Wax plant was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5 this year.UNI SG BM -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0214-1045884.Xml
Bihar Legislative Assembly was today adjourned for the day within 20 minutes in its post lunch sitting as BJP members trooped into well demanding action against some Congress and RJD MLAs who created unruly scene in the House yesterday. As the House assembled, leader of the opposition Prem Kumar said action should be taken against ruling Congress and RJD MLAs responsible for unruly scene in yesterday. BJP members also troopedinto the well, shouting slogans in favour of their demands and the acrimonious scene continued despite request of the speaker to them for returning to their seats. Amid the din, the Speaker asked Transport minister Chandrika Rai to introduce the Bihar Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which was passed subsequently by a voice vote. Rural Development minister Shrawan Kumar later introduced two bills -- the Aryabhatt Knowledge University (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which too were passed by voice vote. Soon after the passage of the three bills, Speaker adjourned the House for the day as his repeated requests to BJP members to return to their seats went unheeded.UNI KKS BM -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0214-1045900.Xml
Arunachal Pradesh Governor V Shanmuganathan called upon the graduates and the students to have a purpose and goal in life and advised them to think big and act in time with conviction. Gracing the occasion of XIVth convocation of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) in its Rono Hills campus in Doimukh today, the Governor said to do any great work they have to focus on their performance. This will lead to recognition and in the long run earn respect that will give them power. Thus, they have to concentrate on their performance. Discipline, speed of decision making, velocity of actionis the necessary attributes for high performance, he said. Citing examples of Indians doing extremely well internationally, Satya Narayana Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, Pichai Sundararajan CEO of Google Inc and Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi CEO of PepsiCo, the Governor said the youth of India have huge potential. In the same line, he expressed hope that the students of Arunachal Pradesh can become topmost person in the world. He advised the students to have faith and confidence in themselves. The Governor exhorted the students, particularly those who were conferred the degrees to have the passion to contribute towards the society. He advised them to think about the State and Country and make India great. The Governor, who is the Chief Rector of the University urged upon the students to carry out research works through innovative means to address poverty, diseases and other challenges faced by the people. On the occasion, Governor presented the Chancellor's Gold Medal for academic session of 2015-16 to Arvind Kumar Maurya, Master in Computer Application. In his address Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University, Air Marshal (Retd.) Pranab Kumar Barbora congratulated the parents, faculty and students. He called upon the graduates to perform and help India in her progress. The Chancellor advised them to start street smart and stand out. Earlier, Vice Chancellor, Prof Tamo Mibang gave a brief on the University. He informed that 61 major and minor research projects have been taken up by the University. It is one of the unique universities of the country where strength of the female students is more thantheir male counterparts. UNI PB BM -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0214-1045992.Xml
Funeral of Sambhaji Yeshwant Kadam, one of three Indian Army jawans who were martyred in two separate terror attacks in Jammu yesterday, will be held tomorrow at his native Janapuri village in Loha tehsil of the district. Villagers, who are waiting for the arrival of the body, have stopped their routine work in grief for last two days. The body was expected to arrive today but due to bad weather, a special plane carrying it could not take off so far, official sources said. Sarpanch of the village Bali Patil told UNI that atmosphere in the village has been very gloomy for past two days. Every villager felt as if a member of his own family is dead because Kadam was very active, cooperative and talkative when he used to come the village during his vacations. He used to guide youths of the village about how to get recruited in the Army and serve the nation, Mr Patil said and pointed out that he had become a source of inspiration for the youths. ''Now everyone in the village has stopped working. Farmers, labourers and others, instead of going to their work, are eagerly waiting in a tent to have the last glimps of the brave soldier,'' he said. Earlier in the day, students and teachers of a ZP-run school took out a rally in the village amidst sloganeering "Sambahi Kadam Amar rahe" (long live Sambhaji Kadam). All top officials in the village are now busy making all necessary arrangements for cremation of the jawan. MLAs Hemant Patil, Pratap Patil-Chikhalikar and other representatives of people are waiting in the specially erected tent for the body to arrive. Posters paying tributes to the martyr have been put up at many places in the city by the BJP and Shiv Sena. One such poster was displayed by the Employees Association of the collectorate.UNI XR SS SW 1936 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1045953.Xml
The statement compiled the work progress on reservations ineducation, employment and development was placed on the floor ofupper house. But opposition BJP and JD(S) contended the claims inthe statement and trooped into the well of the House demandingwithdrawal of the statement, which was read out by Minister forMedical Education Dr Sharanprakash Patil.

Later the government assured the agitated opposition that theChief Minister will make another statement later and withdrewtoday's written statement.

The statement had said that 9501 posts were being created underH-K package.

However, Minister Dr Patil, Chairman, Hyderabad-KarnatakaDevelopment Board, replying on the floor of the House said that theposts were already when the house was debating implementation ofprojects under 371(J). This led to the confusion.

Objecting to the contradiction, leader of the oppositionK.S.Eshwarappa demanded to know the exact position on which theMinister replied that he will provide a corrected statement. Notaccepting the ministers reply The BJP leader demanded withdrawal ofthe statement signed by the chief minister.

Leader of the House G Parameshwara who later joined the housewithdrew the written statement, officially.UNI RS MSP RSS1950

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today has invited French delegates to invest in the state stating that it is an ideal place for investments with long coast line and abundant mineral resources. A French business delegation called by the Chief Minister here today asked the delegation to invest in various sectors in the state by assuring necessary support and clearances within 14 days.He told the French Business delegates that 24 companies with France collaboration gave presentation on their specialised areas of investments. He said the Government of Andhra Pradesh is ready to enter into MoU with those companies if they come out with their proposals in the areas of their investments. Mr Naidu said if the delegation is not ready at present, they should come prepared to sign MoU during CII partnership summit to be held in Visakhapatnam on January 27 and 28. Stating that AP is a land of opportunities and investments, the Chief Minister said the France companies have already established their units in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, Ambassador of France in India Alexandre Ziegler welcomed the gathering. He praised the dynamic leadership and vision of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.UNI DP AKC SDR PR2130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1046181.Xml
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee today termed the Statement of Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh over one of the most 'deadliest' and 'bloodiest' Fidayeen Attack yesterday as outrageous and insult to the Martyrs. Reacting to the Statement of Dr Singh wherein he allegedly tried to downplay the terror attack at Nagrota, the JKPCC in a statement issued here said that the BJP leader is insensitive to the sentiments of the people and the supreme sacrifices of our officers and jawans who laid down their lives while repulsing one of the deadliest attacks in which two senior army officers and five others army men have been martyred so far. "The yesterday's fidayeen attacks especially in the high sensitive zone of Nagrota where HQ of 16 corps are located, are an eye opener of the designs of the enemy, putting big question mark on the security apparatus and sense of security amongst the people,'' the statement said. It further added that the series of militant attacks on army installations at the behest of Pakistan and continued ceasefire violation post surgical strike, whose number is more than 300 have multiplied manifold, causing huge loss of lives of forces and civilian is a cause of great concern. "The Modi govt's policies to deal with Pakistan effectively have proved to be hollow and yielded no results, so far,'' it said. The soldiers are getting martyred and their bodies being mutilated by the Pakistan and militants, while the only answer from the Govt. is that a befitting reply is being given, while the State Govt simply describes it as a desperation of Pakistan, said the statement adding, ''true the talks and terror can't go together but there are voices from within the State govt itself for initiating peace initiatives, following the approach of Atal Bihari Vajpayee whereas Pakistan continue to export terrorists, to our nation especially in this state''. UNI VBH SDR GC2315 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1046244.Xml
Google has celebrated the remarkable contributions of scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, pioneer of electro-magnetic waves and inventor of an early version of wireless telecommunication, with a doodle on Wednesday -- on what would be his 158th birthday. Widely regarded as the first modern Indian scientist, Bose was born in 1858 at Munshiganj of then Bengal Presidency of British India, now in Bangladesh. "Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a master of scientific achievement with numerous accomplishments in various fields," Google said in a statement. "Bose was to become known not only for his work in biophysics, but also his innovation in the world of radio and microwave sciences, ultimately inventing an early version of wireless telecommunication," it added. Some scientists even believe that Bose was the real inventor of wireless, not Guglielmo Marconi. In 1895 in Calcutta, he publicly demonstrated wireless transmission of electromagnetic waves for the first time anywhere in the world, using the waves to ring a distant bell and thereby to explode some gunpowder, according to a biography at Christ's College, University of Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences. The Daily Chronicle of England noted in 1896 that "The inventor (J.C. Bose) has transmitted signals to a distance of nearly a mile and herein lies the first and obvious and exceedingly valuable application of this new theoretical marvel", it added. Bose's investigations into nature included the invention of the crescograph -- an instrument that measures movement and growth in plant life by magnifying it 10,000 times, Google said. He went on to demonstrate the similarities between animals and plants, particularly when it came to reactions to different environmental, electrical, and chemical influences. --IANS gb/vt ( 285 Words) 2016-11-30-12:08:13 (IANS)
South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, has offered to step down and asked the national assembly to set a new deadline for the end of her turbulent presidency which will not be officially over until early 2018. She was speaking in her third nationally televised address on Tuesday since the scandal broke out. "I will leave to parliament everything about my future including shortening of my term," the Guardian quoted Park, as saying in her public address. Park said that she would step down once the lawmakers come up with measures to transfer power in a way that minimises any power vacuum and chaos in governance. This move comes at a time when she is struggling with a massive political scandal and huge protests asking for her immediate resignation over letting her confidante Choi Soon-sil, who does not hold an official government post, view confidential documents and presidential speeches. Describing it as a last-ditch attempt to avoid the humiliation of impeachment, Opposition lawmakers immediately rejected the offer. The country's major opposition parties have claimed that they have support of enough lawmakers including those from Park's own Saenuri party to go ahead with impeachment. "Park is handing the ball to parliament when she could simply step down," said Park Kwang-on, a lawmaker with the main opposition Democratic Party. "She is asking the parliament to pick a date for her to resign, which she knows would lead to a discussion on when to hold the presidential election and delay everything," he added. Local media and opposition parties have accused Choi of using her relationship with Park to accumulate millions of dollars in donations for her foundations. (ANI)
A statement issued by Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Moscow is not discussing the possibility of joining this project with Islamabad.

"Russia-Pakistan trade and economic cooperation has its own inherent value, and we intend to strengthen it. Russian companies are implementing business projects in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, including the planned construction of the North-South gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore, on a bilateral basis," the statement said.

The proposed CPEC is about 3,000-kilometre long and will consist of highways, railways and pipelines that will connect China's Xinjiang province to the rest of the world through the Gwadar port in Pakistan. Considered to be a part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, the USD 46 billion project covers Balochistan and Sindh provinces and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). (ANI)
Trespassing at different points of the Naf river and Ghundhum area were prevented by the two BGB battalions on Tuesday morning.

Teknaf 2 BGB Commander Abujar Al-Zahid was quoted by the Dhaka Tribune, as saying that at least 70 Rohingyas had boarded in seven boats and were pushed back as they were trying to enter Bangladesh illegally through four border points on the Naf river.

Meanwhile, Cox's Bazar 34 BGB Commander Imran Ullah Sarkar said that 37 Rohingyas, which included 13 children, 14 women and 10 men, were pushed back by them from Ghundhum border.

He said that so far 453 Rohingyas have been sent back by BGB this month.

Violence in Mynamar's Rakhine state has claimed the lives of at least 86 people and displaced 30,000 others.

Myanmar troops launched a crackdown in the Rakhine state in response to attacks on three border posts on October 9 that killed nine police officers, since then many Rohingya Muslims have tried to move into Bangladesh illegally.

Accusations by Rohingyas and rights groups of raping women, torching houses and killing civilians during their operations has been denied by Myanmar and the military.

Rohingyas are not recognised by Myanmar as its citizens and are called Bengali by them. (ANI)
"This death toll is significantly higher than the number of fatalities documented over the same period last year, when 3,565 men, women and children were reported dead through November 30," the IOM said on Tuesday.

It also means that 2016 has been a particularly deadly year for migrants seeking to reach European shores. While deaths this year are considerably higher, the number of arrivals is much lower, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to latest IOM figures, 348,664 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by sea this year compared to 883,393 arrivals recorded at this point in 2015.

By far the most dangerous sea route for migrants, the central Mediterranean passage linking North Africa with Italy has claimed the lives of 4,199 people since the beginning of the year.

A further 429 individuals have perished on the eastern Mediterranean route separating Turkey and Greece, while 62 have died on western Mediterranean passages.

--IANS vgu/

( 189 Words)

2016-11-30-06:26:13 (IANS)
Taiwan has expressed its "stern opposition" to Malaysia's deportation of 21 Taiwanese suspected of multi-million dollar telecoms fraud to China, the latest example of a problem that has strained cross-Strait ties.China's official Xinhua news agency said the 21 Taiwanese were among 74 fraud suspects who were escorted from Malaysia by Chinese police and arrived in Wuhan in central China late on Tuesday. The other 53 were all Chinese.Taiwan's Foreign Ministry expressed regret and "stern opposition" to Malaysia's decision to deport the Taiwanese to China, according to a statement on its website."This action by Malaysia has seriously harmed the rights of our citizens, and harms the long standing friendship between Taiwan and Malaysia," it said.The statement also said Taiwanese police had been working with Malaysia to arrange for the suspects to be returned to Taiwan but that Beijing had pressured the Malaysian government to send all suspects to the mainland.Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, its China policymaker, said Beijing's unilateral action "damages the tacit understanding and foundation for cooperation between security agencies".It said in a statement that cracking down on cross-border telecom fraud depended on cooperation from both sides.Malaysia's foreign ministry did not comment immediately.Xinhua described the deportations as part of cooperation between Malaysian and Chinese police to crack down on several Malaysian-based fraud gangs who they say have been scamming people on the Chinese mainland.Those deported are suspected of involvement in more than 500 cross-border fraud cases, online and over the phone, totalling more than 60 million yuan ($8.7 million), it said.Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and treats the island as part of China in line with Beijing's "one China" principle, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province.Since last November, China has cooperated with police in Kenya, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia to break up more than 60 telecom fraud rings and arrest more than 1,000 suspects, China's public security ministry said in September.China has aired televised confessions by some of the Taiwan people previously deported, raising concern in Taiwan over violations of due process. Reuters SB 0938 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0094-1044784.Xml
A 20-year-old North Carolina man accused of murdering his neighbor and offering to pay someone to kill his own parents pleaded guilty to plotting mass shooting attacks in the name of Islamic State.Justin Sullivan yesterday admitted to one count of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries in federal court in Asheville, North Carolina.The plea agreement calls for a sentence of life in prison.US prosecutors said Sullivan conspired with Junaid Hussain, a British hacker who was an active online recruiter of people to carry out attacks on behalf of the militant group Islamic State. Hussain was killed by a US military air strike in Syria last year.Islamic State has carried out or inspired attacks in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, including the June massacre of 49 people in an Orlando nightclub.Sullivan had discussed his plot online with an undercover federal agent, making plans to buy a semi-automatic rifle at a gun show and discussing potential targets. Sullivan said he would use the rifle at a concert, bar or club in an effort to kill as many as 1,000 people.At Sullivan's request, the undercover agent sent a homemade silencer to his home, which was opened by Sullivan's mother, prosecutors said. When his parents questioned him about the silencer, Sullivan offered to pay the agent to kill them lest they interfere with his plans, according to prosecutors.Sullivan also told investigators he had stolen his father's rifle and hidden it, authorities said. The rifle was used to murder John Bailey Clark, Sullivan's neighbor, and North Carolina state prosecutors indicted him for murder in February.Sullivan did not admit to the murder as part of his plea, but U.S. prosecutors said they may present evidence of the crime at his sentencing.State prosecutors have previously said they plan to seek the death penalty for Sullivan on the murder charge.REUTERS JW0405 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1044736.Xml
Republican congressman Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania said he met with President-elect Donald Trump and discussed becoming his labor secretary."We talked about secretary of labor," Barletta yesterday told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower.REUTERS JW0405 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1044737.Xml
Scores of demonstrators were arrested on Tuesday as US fast-food and airport workers led nationwide protests for higher pay and union rights in their first major action since Donald Trump was elected president.Rallies organized by the union-backed 'Fight for $15' group targeted McDonald's Corp restaurants in several major cities.Baggage handlers and janitors at Chicago's O'Hare and Boston's Logan airports also demonstrated in support of starting pay of 15 dollars per hour. Airport officials said travel was not disrupted.More than 200 protesters gathered before dawn at Zuccotti Park in New York City's Financial District, banging drums and chanting slogans. About a dozen protesters were arrested after blocking rush-hour traffic near a McDonald's restaurant."When we started demanding 15dollar ... people thought we were crazy, but we were just demanding the basic minimum to survive," said protestor Alvin Major, 50, a Guyanese immigrant who lives in Brooklyn and works at a KFC restaurant."Right now I can barely pay my bills," said Major, who has four children and a sick wife.Police and media reported multiple arrests in several cities after protesters clogged traffic. The arrests included 55 in the Chicago area, 34 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 39 in Detroit, and 40 in Los Angeles.Police in New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee, reported smaller protests and no arrests."The goal is 15 dollar an hour with benefits because many contractors lose benefits without notice," said Andy Hernandez, 26, a bag runner transferring luggage between planes at Los Angeles International Airport, who earns 10.65 dollar per hour and is a member of the Service Employees International Union's United Service Workers West.Home health and child care providers, as well as drivers for ride service Uber joined the 'Fight for $15', which receives financial support from SEIU.'LIVING IN POVERTY'President-elect Trump said last year that U.S. workers' wages were "too high" and made the nation uncompetitive, but this year, he has said the minimum wage should rise, with states taking the lead.Trump's picks and candidates to lead top federal agencies thus far have been pro-business, and his choice for Labor Secretary will have a big impact on the administration's approach to the issues of working conditions and unions. Trump is due to take office on Jan. 20.McDonald's said in a statement that it invests in its workers by helping them to earn degrees and on-the-job skills. The company last year raised the average hourly pay to around $10 for workers in the restaurants it owns. That did not apply to the majority of US McDonald's workers since most of the chain's domestic restaurants are owned by franchisees who set wages for their employees.Opponents to raising the minimum wage say higher costs will force restaurants to cut hiring, and that some businesses would not survive.Vermont senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday tweeted in support of protesters, writing: "If someone in America works 40 hours a week, that person should not be living in poverty."Hopes for an increase in the 7.25 dollars-per-hour federal minimum wage were dashed earlier this month by the election of a Republican-controlled US Congress.Still, voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington approved state minimum wage increases advocates vowed to continue pressing their case at the state and local levels.Home care worker Sumer Spika, 37, carved out time between her morning and evening shifts to join the Minneapolis protest."This is what I had to do for someone to listen," said Spika, who makes 12.93 dollars per hour as a state employee. She is a member of an SEIU-affilated union, but earns no overtime.REUTERS JW0406 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1044739.Xml
In a significant political development, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman and former Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has congratulated the country's new army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa on his appointment. The Dawn quoted PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar, as saying that Zardari offered his good wishes to the new army chief. (ANI)
Soon after assuming charge as the country's 16th chief of army staff, General Bajwa told journalists in an informal interaction that the situation 'will be alright' in the near future.

The state-run APP news agency and the Express Tribune, however, said General Bajwa's optimism was contrary to the grim situation prevailing on the ground.

General Bajwa's statement was also in contrast to the one given by outgoing army chief General Raheel Sharif, who warned India against considering any misadventure against Pakistan.

General Bajwa, according to the Express Tribune, apparently suggested that his approach may be different.

The paper said that if the army chief does bring about a change especially in the army's take on relations with India, this will help Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to advance his agenda on reaching out to Pakistan's neighbours, quoting observers.

According to Radio Pakistan, General Bajwa also said that the Pakistan Army would continue safeguarding the country against internal and external threats. (ANI)
Presiding over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy, Sharif said he was satisfied with the progress being made on energy-related projects.

Water and Power Secretary Younas Dagah was quoted by the Dawn, as saying that circular debt has been capped, recoveries were satisfactory and line losses reduced.

The committee was informed that all transmission and distribution lines projects were on track.

Last week, the government had told the Senate that circular debt (in the power sector) stood at Rs.328 billion. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, speaking on behalf of Water and Power Minister Khawaja Asif, had acknowledged that the matter was a serious one, but said that the government had taken a number of steps to bring it under control.

According to an official handout issued by the Prime Minister's Office, the Cabinet Committee on Energy reviewed progress on ongoing power projects, including coal-fired power plants, hydel projects and LNG power plants.

The projects are expected to add considerable power to the national grid in 2017 and before March 2018 - the year set as the deadline to eliminate load shedding from the country. (ANI)
Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan has said it would be the "height of folly" for US President-elect Donald Trump to tear up Washington's deal with Tehran because it would make it more likely that Iran and others would acquire nuclear weapons."It could lead to a weapons programme inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programmes," Brennan said in an interview with the BBC aired today."So I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement."Brennan also said that in dealing with the Syrian crisis, Trump should be cautious in trying to work with Russia."I hope there is going to be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow," he said."President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is that they have pledged." REUTERS SV VP1302 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0103-1045051.Xml
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will be on a two day visit to Rome, Italy, and Vatican City on December 2-3 for bilateral meetings and to participate in the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues. Kerry will meet with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Rome to discuss cooperation on a range of regional and global issues, including Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the enduring strength of the Transatlantic Alliance. He will also work with other senior leaders at the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues to deepen cooperation on a range of challenges and opportunities across the Mediterranean region, including advancing the Dialogues' vision of a "positive agenda" in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges. The Secretary will meet with Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in Vatican City to discuss international issues and peace efforts, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria, violence in Ukraine, and the ongoing dialogue in Venezuela. U.S. Secretary of State John Kirby said in a statement," The United States deeply appreciates the efforts of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Holy See to focus attention on the plight of vulnerable migrants, call for action on climate change, prevent further persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in conflict areas, and support peaceful conflict resolution around the world." (ANI)
In a latest poll conducted by Russia's independent pollster the Levada Centre, up to 71 per cent of Russians want to improve economic, political and cultural relations with the West. The poll was conducted from November 18 to 21 among 1,600 respondents, in 28 Russian regions. More than 50 per cent of respondents claimed that Eastern Europe had nothing to fear from Russia, with 52 percent saying that Moscow posed no threat to NATO members.However, 57 per cent of respondents said that Russia had reason to fear NATO, with 31 per cent seeing no danger in the military alliance. Twelve percent of respondents were undecided.On decisive issues such as the Syrian conflict, about 70 percent said that Russia played an important role in resolving international problems.The West's view of Russia was only important for 44 percent of Russians, with 51 percent claiming that they did not care about Western attitudes. UNI XC SV BL1421 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-1045141.Xml
The Syrian army said Israeli jets fired two missiles on an area west of the capital of Damascus today morning, causing no casualties in an attack mounted from Lebanese air space.A Syrian military source said Israeli planes launched the air strike at dawn, and the missiles fell on the Saboura area.The attack was an attempt to "divert attention away from the successes of the Syrian Arab Army", SANA said, quoting a military source. There was no immediate comment from Israel.REUTERS SDR BL1440 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1045190.Xml
China's Defence Ministry today dismissed reports Chinese military vehicles were patrolling inside Afghanistan, after an Indian media outlet said Chinese security forces were making regular patrols there.India's WION news outlet this month published pictures on its website showing what it said were likely Chinese security forces patrolling in Afghanistan's far northeastern Little Pamir region, where the country shares a border with China.Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun dismissed the report."Reports in foreign media of Chinese military vehicles patrolling inside Afghanistan do not accord with the facts," he told a regular news briefing.Yang said China and Afghanistan did work together in some places to fight terrorist activity and cross-border crime."In recent years, law enforcement bodies from China and Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral cooperation decision on strengthening border law enforcement, arranged to have joint law enforcement operations in border regions," Yang added.He did not elaborate.China has long been concerned that instability in Afghanistan will spill over into the violence-prone Xinjiang region, home to the Muslim Uighur people, where hundreds have died in recent years in unrest blamed by Beijing on Islamist militants.China is also working with Pakistan and the United States to broker peace talks to end Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency that has raged there for 15 years. REUTERS SDR BL1605 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1045337.Xml
Ninety one Rohingyas, who were jailed for trespassing into the Bay of Bengal in 2015, have been handed over to Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Ghumdhum border in Nakkhanchhari upazila of Bandarban district on Wednesday. The Dhaka Tribune quoted BGB Cox's Bazar Sector acting commander Anisur Rahman, as saying that 34 Battalion Commander Imra Ullah and Executive Magistrate Imrul Kayes were present during the incident. The Myanmar nationals were detained by the Bangladesh Navy in 2015 inside their territory in the sea and were later on sentenced to jail for trespassing. (ANI)
Russia dispatched military-transport planes with field hospitals, surgeons and medical equipment to Syria today. The Defence Ministry said Russia's aid was aimed to help the residents of Aleppo. President Vladimir Putin had yesterday ordered the Ministry to send mobile field hospitals to Syria to provide immediate medical assistance to residents of Syria's embattled city of Aleppo and its neighborhoods. "After the arrival in the Syria, Russian military doctors will provide medical assistance to civilians and refugees in the Aleppo region," the Ministry said. According to the Defence Ministry, the urgent supplies include a special medical unit equipped with a multipurpose hospital for 100 patients, which has a children ward. Russian Emergencies Ministry will also send a mobile field hospital for 50 patients, which can also provide ambulatory treatment for some 200 people on a daily basis. The Defence Ministry said the mobile field hospitals will also include ambulance stations, x-ray room, anesthesiology department, laboratory diagnostics department. Russian mobile field hospitals, which are set to be deployed in Syria's Aleppo, will include a surgery department, intensive care unit, children's therapeutics department.UNI XC AKC SW 1841 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1045792.Xml
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Syria's Aleppo with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone for the third time in a week today and agreed on the need for a ceasefire, sources in Erdogan's office said.The sources said the two leaders agreed on intensifying efforts towards a cessation of hostilities and on the need for the provision of aid to the city, the sources said.Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the rebels fighting to oust him, but the two have been trying to find common ground on Syria since a rapprochement in August.Syrian rebels today vowed to fight on in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances that have cut the city's opposition sector by a third and brought the insurgents to the brink of a catastrophic defeat.REUTERS AKC 2346 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1046259.Xml
COLOMBO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka are projected to grow by a further 10.2 percent in the coming six months, an official said here on Tuesday.

Jameson Wong, Director Business Development for the Asia-Pacific region at ForwardKeys, a travel data company, told the Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference held here that the number of Chinese visiting Sri Lanka had grown by 29 percent in the year-to-date.

He said Russian travelers to Sri Lanka were also rising while the overall number of tourists visiting the island had grown at double the rate of international tourist arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region.

The two-day Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference concluded in Colombo on Tuesday with several of Asia's leading hotel investors from 19 countries discussing the investment potential of Sri Lanka and other destinations around the Indian Ocean.

Data from ForwardKeys demonstrated that Sri Lanka had achieved a 12-percent growth in visitor arrivals by air during the past year, more than double that achieved by the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

Several serious investors, including a delegation from China, expressed enthusiasm for opportunities in Sri Lanka, citing its tremendous variety of attractions, such as ancient temples, wild elephants and unspoilt beaches, all within close range of each other.

The Sri Lankan government, keen to attract international finance, announced a series of tourism development zones and President Maithripala Sirisena at the launch of the conference on Monday, promised the next three years, 2017-2019, would be investment years with special concessions to overseas investors.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry has witnessed a boom in the recent years following the end of a 30-year civil conflict in 2009, with India and China becoming the leading markets with the most number of tourist arrivals.

More than 20,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Sri Lanka last month, up 19.8 percent from the same period last year.

An estimated 1.8 million tourists arrived in Sri Lanka last year, contributing 2.98 billion U.S. dollars to the government revenues.

The government expects to attract at least 3 million tourists by the end of this year, and it has set a target of 4 million by 2020.
ANKARA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack that killed two in southeast Turkey, according to its website statement.

TAK, a militant group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said it conducted the attack at the parking place of the provincial governor's office in Adana Province last Thursday, which killed two and wounded another 30.

TAK has previously claimed responsibility for other deadly bomb attacks in Turkey.

Meanwhile, 19 PKK militants were "neutralized" in Turkish military operations in the provinces of Tunceli, Sirnak, Diyarbakir and Mardin, Hurriyet News reported.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that the army prepared to "inflict a major blow" against the group this winter.

A village guard was killed and two others were wounded in clashes with PKK militants in the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir on Monday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey.
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Brexit does not mean that the British government will turn its back on Africa, Lord Paul Boateng, a member of the United Kingdom's House of Lords, has said.

Boateng made the remarks on Monday at the opening of the Africa Trade Forum jointly hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union (AU) from Nov. 28 to 30 at the AU Headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Boateng said that Brexit presents Africa and the UK with an opportunity to "put development at the heart of our trading relationship with Africa," according to an ECA statement on Tuesday.

"The UK recognizes that and we will seek every opportunity to minimize the disruption in our trading relationship and take every opportunity to seize this chance to re-fashion the relationship between the UK and Africa in terms of trade so intra-African trade becomes an opportunity which we can seize together," he said.

African Ministers of Trade, Finance and Transportation as well as senior government officials, heads of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), African CEOs and executives, representatives of international development agencies, civil society and others are participating the three-day Forum.

Contributing to debate on Africa-EU economic and trade cooperation and Brexit implications for Africa, Boateng assured participants that trade relations between the UK and Africa would not be affected following Brexit.

"There is clearly a need in the aftermath of Brexit for there to be a degree of reassurance given to Africa that Brexit doesn't mean that the United Kingdom is going to turn its back on Africa, and I'm able to assure you that right across the political divide in the UK, in both Houses, Africa and the UK's historic link with Africa remains central to our thinking," he said.

"There is a hazard always when you think about the scale of the task that lies ahead in terms of mapping out the future of the trading relationship between the UK and Africa, but I think I can give the absolute assurance that we see this in the UK as an opportunity to be seized."
by Robert Manyara

NAIROBI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Fisheries sector in Kenya is attracting more accommodating innovations as the government seeks to tackle over-dependence on lakes and ocean waters. One of them is the solar powered pond pump.

Farm Africa, an international organization working with rural Africa, is popularizing this new way of rearing fish in Kenya, promoting the government's effort to reducing poverty through inland fish farming.

The pump which can be used by both small and large scale farmers, utilizes solar power to pump water into and out of the pond, explained Solomon Otieno, the organization's marketing officer on Monday.

"Farmers can use the water from the pond which is rich in nutrients to irrigate farms and be able to increase their yields," he told Xinhua.

Otieno said adoption of the innovation draws attention away from fishing in the lakes presently overexploited.

"We are popularizing this solar pump for the ponds in 16 counties spread across the country as we seek to encourage many farmers to rear fish in the ponds," he said.

In the past three years, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock has been aggressive in its campaigns against over-dependence on lakes and Indian Ocean for fish.

It is encouraging farmers to establish ponds within their farms as also a way of increasing food security in the country, boosting nutrition in homes and eliminating poverty from households.

Fisheries and aquaculture sector is yet to be among major contributors to the Kenya's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as it currently averages at a mere 0.54 percent, according to 2013 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data.

Otieno said it is not enough to train farmers on adoption of fishing technology if they are unaware of how to market the fish.

"You can't just train farmers and leave them to think about the way forward. You need to help them connect to the market," he said.

"That is why we work with all stakeholders along the value chain like those who produce fingerlings, offer input and market."

He said it is very important for the farmers to have an insight of the market prior to embarking on any farming venture to avoid losses.

He says innovations play a role in enhancing farmers' agricultural activities. "Some of these new technologies coming up help the farmers to commercialize well their farming and be able to succeed in agribusiness," he said.

Recent report by FAO on state of global fisheries sector indicates an increase in consumption of fish but raises concern on overfishing in fresh and marine waters.

The 2016 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report states that global per capita fish consumption has risen to above 20 kilograms a year.

However, the fish capture situation is worrying. FAO says in the report that almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now fished at biologically unsustainable levels, triple the level of 1974.

Kenya now has a fresh law on management on fisheries sector whose long-term objective is to improve lives of Kenyans, especially those who directly depend on fish farming for survival.

The Fisheries Management and Development Act (2016) has stipulated guidelines on conservation, management and development of fisheries and other aquatic resources in the country, regulations intended to encourage sustainable fishing practices. Enditem
KIGALI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has opened criminal inquiry against 20 French officials for their role in the 1994 genocide, some of whom could be charged in court if proceedings show they have cases to answer, according to a statement released on Tuesday evening by the office of the Prosecutor General.

"The Office of the Prosecutor General announces the start of a formal criminal inquiry into the role of certain French Government agents and/or officials in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda," reads the statement signed by Richard Muhumuza, Rwanda Prosecutor General.

Rwanda wants to conclusively bring to an end simmering tension with France by making those who took part in the massacre of over a million lives pay for their actions, reads part of the statement.

The prosecution authority further said that as investigations continue, other French government agents and/or officials might be required to similarly assist the prosecution authority.

Prosecution said that relevant French government authorities have been formally engaged.

"The inquiry, for now, is focused on 20 individuals whom, according to information gathered so far, are required by the Prosecution Authority to explain or provide clarity on allegations against them, to enable the Authority to make conclusions whether the concerned individuals should be formally charged or not," reads the statement.

Early this month, Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda minister of foreign affairs told local and international reporters that the judicial process against French officials accused of committing genocide crimes will be in steps, starting by a thorough investigation.

She stressed that France had political and military advisors to both the government and militia who perpetrated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

In October, the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), released a list of 22 senior French military soldiers accused of deliberately aiding the planning of the genocide.

France-Rwanda relations continues to sour following the announcement of plans of the reopening of investigations by France into the shooting down of a plane carrying ex-genocidal regime president Juvenal Habyarimana.

Last month, Rwanda President Paul Kagame, while speaking at the Rwanda Judicial year event, warned revisiting the case of plane crash of former president Habyarimana would lead to diplomatic standoffs between Rwanda and France and it will be a "showdown."

Between 2006 and 2009, relations between Rwanda and France was completely broken off after a French judge claimed that top Rwandan officials were involved in the downing of the Habyarimana's plane -- an event widely seen as sparking the crisis.

France's role during the April-July 1994 genocide in Rwanda has for years been the subject of intense scrutiny and much controversy, with both Paris and Kigali trying to pin responsibility on the other for the genocide.

While Rwanda has repeatedly accused France of backing the genocidal regime government, allegedly arming and training the Hutu ethnic group perpetrators responsible for the mass murder during genocide, France has denied the accusations of murder, insisting its forces worked to protect the civilians.
BRATISLAVA, Nov.29 (Xinhua) -- British car maker Jaguar Land Rover announced on Tuesday it would produce its new model of Land Rover Discovery at two European plants -- in Solihull, in the West Midlands of England, and at its newest plant in Nitra, Slovakia.

The car maker also stated the new seven-seat SUV would become the main product made at the Slovak plant, which is due to launch operations in 2018.

The 300,000-square-metre plant in Nitra will require an investment of 1.17 billion euros (1.23 billion U.S. dollars), and will provide jobs to 2,800 people.

The factory's annual output capacity will be 150,000 vehicles. Labelling it as a strategic investment project, the Slovak Cabinet signed a memorandum of understanding with Jaguar Land Rover in August 2015. Later the same year, the government approved 130 million euros in investment assistance to the car company. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Visiting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed (L) shakes hands with her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban during a joint press conference after their meeting in Budapest, capital of Hungary, on Nov. 29, 2016. Viktor Orban and Sheikh Hasina Wazed met here on Tuesday, underlining their intent to cooperate. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina Wazed met here on Tuesday, underlining their intent to cooperate.

Meeting on the sidelines of the Budapest Water Summit, Orban and Hasina underlined the traditionally good cooperation between their countries.

Orban said Bangladesh was exceedingly vulnerable to climate change and faced frequent floods, problems with its day-to-day water supply, and difficulties treating sewage water. Since Hungary was a global leader in water management technology, it could provide valuable help, he added.

Orban also noted that this was the very first Hungarian-Bangladeshi summit meeting in history. Possible areas of cooperation, he said, included water management, agriculture and the digital economy.

Hasina said she saw opportunities for trade and investments, and acknowledged that her country needed experts in water management. The memorandum of understanding included cooperation in this area, she added.

She also spoke of possibilities for cooperation in combating terrorist actions. Bangladesh has taken action against extremists and terrorism and is part of the international effort combating it, she said.

Before the two officials attended the press conference, their delegations signed a memorandum of understanding.
Fighters holding their weapons stand on an armored vehicle as they take part in a gathering in Sanaa, capital of Yemen, on Nov. 24, 2016. A tribal gathering staged by former president loyalist and Houthis was held in Sanaa on Thursday, calling for recruiting to the conflict-zones where their fighters are fighting against the forces loyal to internationally recognized president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi backed by coalition. (Xinhua/Mohammed Mohammed)

by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The recent unilateral government formation of the Shiite Houthi group diminishes chances for peace and derails settlement efforts in war-torn Yemen, said Yemeni and Egyptian political experts.

Controlling the northern provinces of Yemen, the Houthi group and ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party declared on Monday the formation of a "national salvation government," a step that has been rejected by the Yemeni presidency in the south, as well as the Arab League and Gulf states.

GHOST OF DIVISION

The situation in Yemen has been worsening since March 2015, when a war broke out between the Shiite Houthis rebels, supported by former president Saleh as well as Iran, and the legitimate government of fleeing President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, backed by an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Since then, the Houthi fighters and Saleh's forces control most of Yemeni northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, while the pro-Hadi forces control the rest of the conflict-stricken country, including the southern major city of Aden.

"The Houthi formal announcement of government formation might be a start for division between the north and the south in Yemen," said Yemeni journalist and political expert Abulaziz al-Majidi, adding the announcement practically provides nothing new as the Houthi rebels already control the capital Sanaa.

Through his spokesman in Aden, Yemeni President Hadi, who is currently hosted by Riyadh, condemned on Tuesday the Houthi-Saleh government formation move as illegitimate, urging the international community "to hold the militia responsible for the collapse of peace efforts in Yemen."

Also on Tuesday, the Arab League (AL) in Cairo strongly rejected the formation of the so-called "national salvation government," describing it as "an extension of the coup methodology that the Houthis do not want to give up."

AL chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned that the step is a barrier to the peacemaking efforts in Yemen led by United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. "Such a step clearly shows which party blocks the way to reach a peaceful solution for the Yemeni crisis," he added.

The Yemeni expert ruled out the possibility for the recognition of the Houthi government in Yemen by any states including Iran itself, the Houthis' main backer, as the move contradicts the UN Resolution 2216 that affirms the legitimacy of President Hadi.

"Tehran only uses the Houthis for strategic purposes to have control in Bab al-Mandeb Strait vital region and to drain the Gulf states in general and Saudi Arabia in particular," Majidi told Xinhua.

He expected that the pro-Hadi forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition to continue escalation in attempt to restore control over all Yemeni provinces.

SAUDI MILITARY APPROACH

The Saudi-led Arab military coalition has been launching deadly airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, but a lot of civilians have been "wrongly targeted" during the operations.

The civil war, ground battles and coalition airstrikes have so far killed over 10,000 people, half of whom are civilians, injured over 35,000 others and displaced over two million, according to humanitarian agencies.

"I believe that Saudi Arabia made a tactical mistake by continuing its military approach instead of seeking a political settlement after the coalition managed to free Aden," said Mohamed Gomaa, a researcher at the Arab and Regional Unit of Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

In mid-November, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said during a recent Gulf tour that the Houthi group and the Saudi-led coalition had agreed to a ceasefire. Although welcomed by the AL, Hadi's foreign minister said his government was "not interested" and described Kerry's bid as "a media bubble."

"Hadi's position on Kerry's initiative was so negative and it was just an interpretation of Saudi Arabia's position," Gomaa told Xinhua, lamenting that a peaceful settlement in Yemen has regrettably become far-fetched.

The expert said the Saudi position in Yemen complicates the crisis, arguing that the kingdom is reluctant to accept a settlement after Houthi threats partly crossed Saudi borders, "fearing it might be seen as Saudi confession of failure."

Gomaa explained that there are different views between major partners inside the Saudi-led coalition while the U.S. position seems to have given up support for further military operations in Yemen.

"Overall, the Saudi military-based position and the Houthi escalation via government formation have greatly complicated the Yemeni crisis and diminished chances for a peaceful settlement," the expert told Xinhua.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses a memorial for Joseph Verner Reed at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States, Nov. 29, 2016. The United Nations on Tuesday held a memorial to pay tribute to Joseph Verner Reed, a U.S. veteran diplomat who served in 1987 as the UN under-secretary-general to head the then UN Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday held a memorial to pay tribute to Joseph Verner Reed, a U.S. veteran diplomat who served in 1987 as the UN under-secretary-general to head the then UN Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs.

At the memorial, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon mourned the passing of Reed and gave thanks for his life of global service, adding that he opened doors to new friendships for many members of the diplomatic community.

"My wife and I were plunged into sadness when we learned of his passing," said Ban. "We will always cherish memories of our many times together."

"As a member of the UN Arts Committee, he made the Headquarters complex not just an interesting place to visit, but a beautiful sight to behold," noted Ban.

"He also organized the annual celebration of UN Day at the Julian Curtiss School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he brought people from all walks of life together to celebrate our Organization," he added.

Zaw T. Win, Reed's close aide for 30 years, told Xinhua that Reed is "a quintessential diplomat," and "he truly believed in the principles of the United Nations, and a tireless advocate of the objectives of the United Nations."

"He often said that it is far, far cheaper to achieve peace than wage a war," Win said.

"If the world has more diplomats like Ambassador Reed, peace around the world will be much easier to achieve," he said. "The diplomatic community has lost a true champion of peace."

Reed, born on Dec. 17, 1937, served as UN under-secretary-general and special representative for public affairs from 1992 to 1997.

From 1997 to 2004, he was president of the Staff-Management Coordination Committee of the United Nations. In January 2005, he was appointed as UN under-secretary-general and special adviser. He was re-appointed as such in 2009.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, on Tuesday said that he is extremely concerned about the fate of civilians as a result of the deeply alarming and chilling situation unfolding in Aleppo city, calling on the warring parties to "restore basic humanity."

O'Brien, who is also the UN emergency relief coordinator, said that the intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighbourhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the besieged Syrian city.

The latest reports indicated that more than 20,000 people have been displaced, many into uncertain and precarious situations. It is likely that thousands more will have no choice but to flee should fighting continue to spread and intensify over the coming days.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent and local non-governmental organization (NGO) partners have initiated a response to those displaced. The UN is also present on the ground with prepositioned supplies to complement the on-going response and ready to provide immediate assistance and medical evacuations for civilians inside eastern Aleppo.

Meanwhile, O'Brien asked all parties to the conflict to "restore basic humanity" in Syria, and he called on them to lift sieges, ensure that they do not target civilians and civilian infrastructure, and that they allow humanitarian organizations safe and unimpeded access to bring life-saving help to those displaced or under siege.

Also on Tuesday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) called on all parties to the conflict to adhere to and respect international humanitarian law, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

"Pro-government and Kurdish forces must ensure that civilians fleeing the fighting are afforded every protection and are not subjected to acts of retribution due to their perceived support or affiliation to opposition groups," Dujarric said, adding that UNOHCHR called on armed opposition groups to adhere to their obligation to allow civilians who wish to flee areas under their control to do so.

On Monday, inter-agency convoys delivered humanitarian assistance for 60,000 people in the besieged towns of Madaya, Zabadani, Foah and Kafraya, the spokesman noted. "UN, Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams crossed the conflict lines with food, nutrition and health supplies for people in the besieged towns who were last reached on 25 September 2016."

"The UN continues to call for safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all in need in Syria particularly those in hard-to-reaches and besieged areas," Dujarric added.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at its headquarters in New York on Tuesday, and a senior UN official said that the last 10 years was "a lost decade" for making peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who spoke at a special meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said that sadly, in many ways the last 10 years can be described as a lost decade for Israeli-Palestinian peace-making.

If the stalemate continues or deepens, he warned, the two-state solution may well slip out of reach.

The deputy UN chief said that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will leave office by the end of this year "with a profound sense of sadness," since he did not see an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The secretary-general has visited the region 11 times, including during times of war, to see the situation first hand, help negotiate ceasefires and push the peace process forward.

The secretary-general will cover this issue and his persistent efforts at peacemaking in a special report to the Security Council later next month.

On Tuesday evening, the committee and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine will hold the opening of this year's exhibit, "Palestinian Embroidery: Threads of Continuity, Identity and Empowerment," in the Visitors Lobby of the UN General Assembly, where it will be on view for the public until Dec. 28.

Every year since 1977, the United Nations has observed the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29.

In 2016, once again under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the United Nations is marking this important day with a series of official meetings and cultural events.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status at the United Nations by a vote of 138 in favor to 9 against with 41 abstentions by the 193-member Assembly.

The date Nov. 29 was chosen for this Day of Solidarity because on that day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted the Partition Resolution which provided for the establishment of a "Jewish State" and an "Arab State" within Palestine, where Israel serves as a corpus separatum under a special international regime. So far, only the Jewish State of Israel has come into existence.

The International Day of Solidarity is an opportunity to draw the international community's attention to the fact that the question of Palestine is unresolved and that its people have yet to attain their inalienable rights -- namely, the right to self-determination without external interference.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called on the international community to reaffirm commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and working to build a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

In his message to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on Nov. 29, the secretary-general said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a "long-standing, gaping wound that has fed tension and conflict throughout the Middle East."

Ban called for "urgent steps" to revive the two-state solution, which, widely backed by the world community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.

In recent years, there have been unsuccessful negotiations for a peaceful settlement, three armed conflicts, thousands of people killed (the majority of them Palestinians), rampant incitement, terror attacks, thousands of rockets and bombs fired at Israel from Gaza, and an expanding illegal Israeli settlement that undermines Israel's democratic values and own society.

This year, Israeli forces demolished more than twice the number of Palestinian homes and other structures compared to 2015. Gaza continues to be a humanitarian emergency and tens of thousands are displaced while the economy remains paralyzed.

"All this had led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis," said the secretary-general.

"It has strengthened radicals and weakened moderates on both sides," Ban said. "Making matters worse is a dangerous vacuum within the international community as crises elsewhere claim the attention of world leaders."

Moreover, internal divisions and in-fighting in the West Bank add a new worrying dimension to the paralyzing lack of Palestinian unity, and undermine democracy and the rule of law.

The 50th year of Israel's occupation is approaching, and meanwhile prospects for a two-state solution are disappearing.

Nonetheless, the United Nations reaffirmed its commitment to working with partners of the Middle East Quartet, who recently produced a report on the conditions required for successful negotiations, he said. Additional key stakeholders include the European Union, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

On Tuesday morning, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who spoke at a special meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, said that sadly, in many ways the last 10 years can be described as a lost decade for Israeli-Palestinian peace-making.

If the stalemate continues or deepens, the two-state solution may well slip out of reach, Eliasson warned.

The date Nov. 29 was chosen for this Day of Solidarity because on that day in 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Partition Resolution which provided for the establishment of a "Jewish State" and an "Arab State" within Palestine, where Israel serves as a corpus separatum under a special international regime.

So far, only the Jewish State of Israel has come into existence.

The International Day of Solidarity is an opportunity to draw the international community' s attention to the fact that the question of Palestine is unresolved and that its people have yet to attain their inalienable rights -- namely, the right to self-determination without external interference.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status at the United Nations by a vote of 138 in favor to nine against with 41 abstentions by the 193-member Assembly.
Abdul Razak Artan, a third-year student in logistics management, sits on the Oval in an August 2016 photo provided by The Lantern, student newspaper of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. on Nov. 28, 2016. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Extreme group Islamic State on Tuesday said the attacker who injured 11 people on Ohio State University (OSU) campus Monday was a "soldier of the Islamic State."

The attacker carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries, the self-fashioned caliphate said in an online message.

According to media reports, the group recently released a video calling on attacks on the West and demonstrated how to kill people with knives.

It is unclear if the group had any ties with the attacker, identified by local police as Abdul Artan, an 18-year-old OSU student who moved to the United States from Somalia.

Artan was shot and killed by police shortly after he drove a car into pedestrians and started attacking people with a butcher knife.

The Islamic State, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq, is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. government. It is known to claim responsibilities to violent attacks as a propaganda method to forward its ideology, exert influence, and attract potential followers.
SOFIA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The first International Congress on World Civilizations and Modern Tourism kicked off here on Tuesday, bringing together delegations from more than 40 countries and over 20 ministers and heads of tourism.

The aim of the three-day event, jointly organized by the Bulgarian ministry of tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is to address how world civilizations can be brought back to life through the collaboration with creative industries such as architecture, design, arts, technology and science, while contributing to sustainable tourism development.

In 2015, almost 1.2 billion tourists from across the globe traveled the world, and tourism generated seven percent of trade and 30 percent of services worldwide, Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, said at the opening ceremony.

The sector has huge potential to make the world a better place for living and communication between people, Rifai said.

Bulgarian tourism minister Nikolina Angelkova said in turn that her country had a rich history and legacy of ancient civilizations, and revealed that cultural heritage was its main priority.

"At the same time, we realize that we live in an era of unprecedented technical discoveries and innovations. Many of them must and can be used in the tourism industry," Angelkova said.
CHICAGO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed lower on Tuesday, with soybean futures falling more than 1 percent on Tuesday, setting back from a four-month high on a round of profit taking.

Corn and wheat futures also fell, on track for their fourth straight losing session due to pressure from ample global supplies.

The most active corn contract for March delivery dropped 9.25 cents, or 2.58 percent,to 3.49 dollars per bushel. March wheat delivery fell 7.75 cents, or 1.86 percent, to 4.0875 dollars per bushel. January soybeans fell 13.5 cents, or 1.28 percent, to 10.425 dollars per bushel.

Some analysts saw soybeans due for a correction after a seven-day rally that boosted January-dated contract price by 7.1 percent, amid worries that demand from some reliable overseas buyers like China began to wane.

Strong overseas demand had driven much of the upswing, but Brazil and Argentina are expected to ramp up exports soon, ratcheting up competition to U.S. oilseeds.

Strength in the U.S. dollar was seen factoring into decline in March-dated Chicago wheat contracts, which settled lower for the fifth straight session. The contracts have lost around 6 percent over that period.

Traders were also watching for the outcome of a tender being held on Tuesday by Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer. Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), received offers from nine suppliers, with the lowest coming from Russia for 60,000 tonnes.

No U.S. wheat was offered in the tender, adding to the weakness in the futures market.
GENEVA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- It is estimated that more than 20,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Aleppo over the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday.

It added that around 60,000 people fled the war-torn area since August of this year.

In a media statement issued Tuesday night, ICRC said that some people live in shelters, some in mosques, schools, or tents, while others found refuge in unfinished or damaged buildings or being hosted by families who are already under great strain.

"So many people have been forced to flee two or three times as the bullets and bombs got closer," the statement said, adding that the west of Aleppo has seen more than 40,000 people flee areas of active fightings.

In the east, intensified attacks on the neighborhoods of Masakan Hananoo, Jabal Jabro and Sakhour reportedly led 20,000 people to flee in different directions in search of a safe place.

"The majority of those who flee are families, including many with infants and young children, and the situation in their precarious shelters is made worse for all as winter takes hold and temperatures drop," ICRC stressed.

Aleppo used to be a city of over two million but with so much fighting and displacement, it is impossible to say with any precision how many people are left today, it added.

In a statement made available earlier Tuesday morning, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Stephen O'Brien, warned that food stocks have all but run out in eastern districts of the northern city.

This has been compounded by the lack of adequate medical facilities and supplies, as well as a recent upsurge in fighting around Aleppo.
NEW YORK, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Hit magic show -- The Illusionists -- returned to New York's Broadway for its third consecutive holiday season, producer Tim Lawson said on Tuesday.

Featuring nine world class magicians including the up-and-coming duo the Clairvoyants, this year's iteration of the show was subtitled "Turn of the Century" to showcase magic acts that dated back to the 1900s.

The Clairvoyants, an Austrian magician duo who had recently won the first runners-up in the reality show America's Got Talent, wowed the audience by their "mind-reading" tricks. While blind-folded, they correctly guessed the serial number of a bill and birth date of a total stranger.

Other magic acts included a female magician being levitated five meters into the air and another getting out from handcuffs while hanging from a burning rope.

"All of us had our own lifelong successful shows and had taken the best of what each of us do, and put it together," said magician Rick Thomas.

The show will be held in the hundred-year-old Palace Theatre and will run through Jan. 1, 2017.

"I think it's truly a Broadway show and one worthy at being at the Palace Theater," Thomas added.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A team of engineers has built a prototype chip just three atoms thick and hailed it as a possible way to mass-produce atomically thin materials and electronics.

The team, led by Stanford University electrical engineering Associate Professor Eric Pop, started with a single layer of material called molybdenum disulfide, which has a sandwich-like structure: a sheet of molybdenum atoms between two layers of sulfur.

To manufacture a molybdenum disulfide crystal big enough to form a chip, about the size of a thumbnail, the researchers deposited three layers of atoms into a crystalline structure 25 million times wider than it is thick by making refinements to a manufacturing process called chemical vapor deposition.

The approach, described in the journal 2D Materials, essentially incinerates small amounts of sulfur and molybdenum until the atoms vaporize like soot and the atoms then deposit as an ultra-thin crystalline layer on a substrate.

Next, to pattern the material into electrical switches and to understand their operation, the researchers made use of a recent advance led by Chris English, a graduate student in Pop's lab, who discovered that extremely clean deposition conditions are essential to form good metallic contacts with the molybdenum disulfide layers.

The team then used standard etching tools to cut the Stanford logo into their prototype, as a way to demonstrate how a large-scale, single-layer chip manufacturing process might perform this step in the future.

"We have a lot of work ahead to scale this process into circuits with larger scales and better performance," Pop was quoted as saying by a news release from Stanford, in California on the U.S. west coast. "But we now have all the building blocks."
MINSK, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Tuesday's meeting of the Normandy quartet foreign ministers has made no breakthroughs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The implementation of the Minsk Agreements stalled despite "the attention that is paid to it by leaders of the four countries," Lavrov told reporters following the Normandy Format meeting in Minsk on Tuesday night.

The diplomat stressed that at the working level, the parties can not even agree on the sequence of steps in the field of security and political reform.

Lavrov also said nobody was planning to set up a militarized OSCE mission in southeastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said it was impossible to talk about major results of the meeting but expressed hope for some progress on humanitarian issues.

Foreign ministers of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine attended the talks in Minsk.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday lamented "in specific" the UN Security Council's failure to make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, saying that "continued international appeasement and inaction are indefensible."

Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, made the remarks as he was speaking at the UN General Assembly to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on Nov. 29.

"As the situation further deteriorates and peace remains far from our grasp, we lament in specific the Security Council's failure to uphold its Charter duties and implement its resolutions," Mansour said.

"We cannot conceal our deep disappointment and frustration at the absence of serious efforts to uphold political and legal responsibilities towards the question of Peastine, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict," he said.

"This silence irrationally and unacceptably continues despite blatant contempt by Israel, the occupying Power, for the council and systematic, grave violations that have compounded and prolonged the conflict, which remains at the root of the instability and crises in our region and the cause of great human suffering, traumatization generation after generation of Palestinians, depriving them of their rights and a life of freedom, stability and dignity," he said.

"Against a backdrop of successive generations lost, the despair and hopelessness of our youth in particular at this moment -- whether in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, or throughout the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria -- is a source of vast pain and worry," he said.

"As this injustice persists, constituting a bleeding wound in the Middle East, destabilizing the region, undermining peace and stability far beyond, and weakening international law and the international system itself, we must ask: when will the Security Council finally respond to the global appeals to act to heal this wound and contribute to peace and security in our region, as demanded by its Charter mandate and relevant resolutions?"

"How can the international community continue justifying inaction and lack of accountability as we approach the half-century mark of Israel's military occupation and as the international promise to the Palestinian people remains broken and they continue to be denied self-determination, the most fundamental rights?" he said.

Under the UN Charter, the 15-nation Security Council, the most powerful UN body, has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

"What is lacking has not been support or solidarity for Palestine, but rather political courage and will to respect and ensure respect for the law in the face of Israel's intransigence and disrespect," he said.

Also on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community to reaffirm commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people and working to build a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

In his message to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on Nov. 29, the secretary-general Ban said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a "long-standing, gaping wound that has fed tension and conflict throughout the Middle East."

The secretary-general called for "urgent steps" to revive the two-state solution, which, widely backed by the world community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent State of Palestine.

The date Nov. 29 was chosen for this Day of Solidarity because on that day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted the Partition Resolution which provided for the establishment of a "Jewish State" and an "Arab State" within Palestine, where Israel serves as a corpus separatum under a special international regime. So far, only the Jewish State of Israel has come into existence.

The International Day of Solidarity is an opportunity to draw the international community's attention to the fact that the question of Palestine is unresolved and that its people have yet to attain their inalienable rights -- namely, the right to self-determination without external interference.
FRANKFURT, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The benchmark DAX index at Frankfurt Stock Exchange on Tuesday added 37.82 points, or 0.36 percent, and closed at 10,620.49 points.

The German market is reigned by caution ahead of Italy's constitutional referendum. The DAX opened lower and fluctuated within a relatively narrow range.

Another focus of investors is the key meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB) next Thursday. The ECB is expected to extend its asset purchase program to further stimulate the euro zone economy.

Germany's second largest utility company RWE led the list of top performing stocks, with percentage gain of 3.13, followed by Continental AG and Fresenius.

Automaker stocks BMW and Daimler dropped the most by 1.05 percent and 0.70 percent.

Daimler was the most traded share of the day with a turnover of 223.87 million euros (about 237 million U.S. dollars).
CANBERRA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian students are continuing to struggle in maths and science, with just 7 percent of eighth grade Aussie kids considered to be at an "advanced" international level.

According to the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Australian students slipped down five spots in global rankings in both year 8 maths and science, with Australia now trailing nations such as Hungary, Kazakhstan and Slovenia.

Australia is ranked 27th overall in year 4 maths and science and marginally better at 17th in year 8 maths and science.

Australian Council for Educational Research's (ACER) chief executive Geoff Masters told News Corp that the figures were concerning as it was now been 20 years that Australian students had slipped down international rankings.

"The 20-year slide in maths and science learning is a national challenge that requires a national response," Masters said on Wednesday. "We cannot afford another 20 years of stagnation. The answer is not to do more of the same."

ACER's director of educational monitoring and research, Sue Thomson said the results were a shock and should be considered a big wake-up call for lawmakers.

"We are actually slipping backwards," she told News Corp.

Meanwhile the nation's Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the results were not an anomaly, as local testing had shown similar results.

"These new statistics, our (local testing) results and other international rankings all show that, despite significant funding growth in Australia, we are not getting sufficient improvements in student outcomes," Birmingham said on Wednesday.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said while the results were concerning, recommendations from the Labor-backed Gonski report, a review of education funding, had yet to be implemented at the time of testing.

"Only around 7 percent of the six years of Gonski needs-based funding had flowed in 2014," Plibersek said.

"So drawing any link between the TIMSS result and Gonski needs-based funding is completely wrong.

Pressure is now on the government to fund the fifth and sixth year Gonski recommendations, which it chose not to do in its most recent federal budget.
WELLINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay on Wednesday reiterated the government's determination to tackle the growth in non-tariff barriers in the Asia-Pacific region.

McClay was commenting on the release of two studies this week that revealed the cost and impact of "unnecessary red tape and arbitrary trade rules" on exporters.

Non-tariff measures (NTMs) in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies were costing the region's exporters 790 billion U.S. dollars, said a report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER).

The amount was triple the total costs associated with simple border tariffs.

NTMs were costing New Zealand exporters about 5.9 billion U.S. dollars a year, said the report.

Meanwhile, the APEC Business Advisory Council released a new study showing non-tariff barriers were making food trade more difficult and expensive than it should be, and undermining goals of food security in the Asia-Pacific region.

"As the studies show, even as our growing network of trade agreements has reduced the costs for our exports, there has been a significant rise in the number of non-tariff barriers that exporters face," McClay said in a statement.

"These new studies underline the importance of the government's efforts to address non-tariff barriers, to ensure that New Zealand businesses can compete on a level playing field overseas," he said.

"Addressing non-tariff barriers has always been a significant part of our export-focused work. It is core work for a range of government agencies."

The government's New Zealand Trade and Enterprise agency was encouraging its export customers to come forward with market access issues they might be encountering.

Reducing the impact of non-tariff barriers on New Zealand business had also been highlighted as one of the key issues under a "refreshed" trade policy strategy.

McClay, who was in Lima for the annual APEC summit last week, welcomed the role that APEC had played in highlighting the issues posed by non-tariff barriers.

"I am pleased to see APEC taking a leadership role on this issue. New Zealand has been a big driver of this work and we will continue to make a strong contribution to APEC's efforts in this area," said McClay.
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output fell last month as Samsung Electronics discontinued its latest flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones and railway workers went on strikes, a government report showed on Wednesday.

Production in all industries dipped 0.4 percent in October from a month earlier after sliding 0.8 percent in the previous month, according to Statistics Korea.

Samsung's end of production and sales in its latest Galaxy devices led the production in communication and broadcasting equipment to tumble 18.1 percent in October.

Auto and chip production advanced 4.6 percent and 3.8 percent each, but output in primary metals declined 4.0 percent.

Production in mining and manufacturing industries slumped 1.7 percent in October compared with the previous month. Manufacturers posted a factory utilization rate of 70.3 percent, down 1.3 percentage points.

Railway workers went on strikes last month amid the ongoing restructuring in troubled shipbuilders and shipping companies, weighing down on the service industry.

Service industry output inched down 0.2 percent as transport industry production declined 2.0 percent. It kept a downward trend for two months in a row.

Retail sales jumped 5.2 percent in October, marking the highest growth since December 1995. It was mainly attributable to the relatively steep reduction in the previous month that would prove to be a temporary effect.

Facility investment fell 0.4 percent in October from a month earlier on low demand for machinery. Machinery orders plunged 13.0 percent last month compared with a year ago.
SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Nine men have been charged following a series of police raids on alleged crime syndicates in Sydney that involved the murder of a mafia-like boss, firearms and drugs.

Police launched a major operation with 13 search warrants targeting criminal activities in more than 10 areas throughout the city on Tuesday, New South Wales police said in a media release on Wednesday.

The crackdown is part of Strike Force Osprey, which NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione launched less than two weeks ago after a series of killings involving major criminal figures on Sydney's streets.

"All those charged with substantive murder were charged in relation to Pasquale Barbaro," Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins told local media on Wednesday.

Barbaro, a 35-year-old mafia-like gang boss, was shot dead on a footpath in Sydney's western Earlwood suburb two weeks ago.

Four of the nine men are facing murder charges and are set to appear in court on Wednesday. The other five men are facing criminal group charges and are scheduled to be in court in December and January.

During the sting operation, police also seized more than 40 mobile phones/devices, 11 vehicles, a safe, cash and stolen police identification.

Earlier in the investigation, 20 long arms, 23 hand guns, 15 prohibited weapons, including ballistic vests and masks, silencers, a stun gun, and a homemade pipe gun; ammunition, methylamphetamine and ecstasy drugs, and five vehicles were also seized, police said.

"In recent weeks, we reaffirmed the NSW Police Force's commitment to cracking down on targeted violent crimes, and this operation is just the tip of the iceberg," Acting Deputy Commissioner Mennilli said.
File photo taken on Aug. 7, 2014 shows Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (R) presides over the inauguration ceremony of the National Legislative Assembly at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. (Xinhua/Thai Royal)

BANGKOK, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Thai parliament said on Tuesday that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is to become the king of Thailand during a televised meeting.

Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, president of the National Legislative Assembly, said late King Bhumibol Adulyadej had designated the crown prince as his heir apparent, thus the parliament formally invited the prince to be proclaimed as the king.

Sources inside the parliament told Xinhua on Tuesday that Pornpetch is going to invite the crown prince to formally ascend the throne on Thursday.

At the end of the meeting, all members of the parliament stood up and hailed together "long live the new king."

Deeply revered Adulyadej died on Oct. 13 at the age of 88 after years of illness.

Vajiralongkorn, 64, was appointed the crown prince by his father in 1972.

The crown prince still needs to accept the invitation in order for him to be formally proclaimed as the king, according to established procedure.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said earlier in the day that "we expect an audience (with the prince) within the next one to two days."

Once proclaimed king, the crown prince would become King Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782, though his formal coronation will not happen before his father's royal cremation later next year.

For the royal cremation, a funeral pyre is going to be built soon, said the government.

Photo taken on Nov. 29, 2016 shows the general view of a parliament meeting in Bangkok, capital of Thailand. (Xinhua/National Legislative Assembly of Thailand)
JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The National Executive Committee (NEC) of South Africa' s ruling party debated calls for President Jacob Zuma to resign and resolved to keep him, party secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters here on Tuesday.

African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party, held the NEC meeting on Nov. 26-28. According to Mantashe, the party engaged in a robust debate. Zuma, president of both the party and country, did not take part in the debate and only listened.

"We affirm our support in Zuma, president of the party and the republic. Following robust, honest, candid and at times difficult discussions, the NEC did not support the call for the president to step down."

Some ANC veterans, including former President Thabo Mbeki, as well as the opposition political parties have called on Zuma to step down.

Mantashe said that during the NEC debate, some argued for his resignation while others were against it.

He said some requested a vote on the call for the president to resign and that was turned down. Mantashe said they used consensus in the party to oppose voting in the NEC. He also said those who had supported the call for Zuma to step down will not be victimized or treated differently.

Mantashe said Zuma is unfairly criticized at times. The ANC lost 8 percent in the last local government elections where they lost strategic cities including the administrative capital Tshwane.

The NEC resolved to work for the unity in the party, and decided to have a National Policy and Consultative Conference from June 30 to July 5, 2017. They also agreed to hold a national conference in December 2017 where they will elect the new party leadership.

"We would have elected new leadership of the ANC. There will be a new president who will be the face of the party in the 2019 campaign," Mantashe said.

The ANC is currently visiting various parts of the country to engage with local communities to regain the lost ground.
WELLINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully condemned the violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo Wednesday as his government signed up a to United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire.

McCully said New Zealand had joined Egypt and Spain to put forward the joint resolution demanding a ceasefire in the besieged city.

"The presence of a few hundred Al-Nusra terrorists in eastern Aleppo does not justify an all-out attack on more than 250,000 civilians, the bombing of every hospital in the city, and cutting off the population from aid and outside assistance," McCully said in a statement.

"We have long been of the view that the Security Council needs to live up to its responsibilities and the resolution we have put forward spells out the requirements for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a resumption of negotiations in Syria," he said.

"Ultimately a resolution is not going to fix everything in Aleppo, but we need to try and put some pressure on those perpetuating the current violence to change their behavior. If they are not willing to change their behavior they need to accept the international condemnation and isolation that results from their actions."

The tabling of the joint resolution followed negotiations between Security Council members over the last two weeks, said McCully.

The resolution had been circulated to Security Council members and McCully said he would like to see it put to a vote as soon as possible.

New Zealand's two-year term on the UN Security Council comes to an end next month.
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has urged party members of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) to make preparations for the 14th general election, though he still declined to give a definitive answer on whether he would call a snap election next year.

Delegates who attended a closed-door presidential address ahead of the 70th UMNO General Assembly said they had received a clear message from Najib, who serves as UMNO president, to retake seats in the next general election, according to a Wednesday report from the Star.

According to Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, an UMNO supreme council member, Najib told the attendees to "be prepared together with the grassroots to convince the nation that the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional is the strongest and most relevant to lead Malaysia."

Malaysia is due to hold an election by around June in 2018, but with the oppositions, which include a new party set up by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, rumor has it that Najib will call a snap election.

"Most importantly, the war horn has been sounded and we, as the party machinery, must start a mass movement to win back seats," Norsabrina Mohd Noor, another senior member of UMNO was quoted as saying by the Star.

However, in an interview with the same newspaper on Sunday, Najib said the general election would "not necessarily" be in the first or second half of 2017. "It can be later. I'm enjoying this speculation. Let people go on speculating," he said.
JAKARTA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The smooth-running Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) project officiated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo this January will improve connectivity and greatly benefit Indonesia's economic growth, Indonesian officials and experts have said.

The construction of the HSR is going just as planned and the company is finalizing the land acquisition process which has reached 82 percent, Hanggoro Budi Wiryawan, president director of the Indonesian-Chinese consortium PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC), told reporters recently.

All the permissions regarding the construction, operation and environmental protection have been issued by respective ministries, said Bintang Perbowo, president director of the Indonesian state-owned construction firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) under the KCIC.

Perbowo said he is optimistic that the HSR will start operation on schedule as the land acquisition will be 100 percent completed within this year.

The 142.3 km-long project with an investment of 5.1 billion U.S. dollars will connect Jakarta and West Java's capital Bandung in the southeast. With a maximum speed of 250 kmph, the travel time between the two cities will be cut from three hours to less than one hour.

Chinese and Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs), namely China Railway and PT Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia, officially signed the deal to build the mega project in October 2015. According to the deal, Indonesian SOEs will be holding 60 percent of KCIC.

PT Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia consists of four Indonesian SOEs, namely Wika, train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia, toll operator PT Jasa Marga, and plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII.

KCIC was granted a 50-year concession period that will commence on May 31, 2019. The company will bear 25 percent of the project's cost and the remainder will be financed by a loan from China Development Bank after all required land has been acquired. KCIC isn't seeking a financial guarantee from the Indonesian government for the project to proceed.

A director from China Railway International Co. Ltd., the international arm of China railway, denied the report that Jakarta-Bandung HSR was halted or faced any obstacle.

"The project is going on in an orderly fashion, the views that the project is not proceeding as fast as expected are normal because different parties have different understandings and perceptions," said the director, who requested anonymity.

Widodo's administration and he himself fully support the first railway project in Indonesia and even in Southeast Asia.

It is a great project that could benefit local people both in the short and long term as well as improve the country's global competitiveness, Widodo said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Indonesian SOE Minister Rini Soemarno told Xinhua that the Jakarta-Bandung railway economic zone will promote local economic growth.

"It also acts as a foundation for the bigger project of the Jakarta-Surabaya high speed train which has bigger potential in terms of economic growth," she said.

A possible later extension of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR to Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya is under discussion in the country. According to the plan, the 730-km Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train will link up the densely populated corridor from the capital Jakarta to Surabaya on the eastern part of Java island, which suffers greatly from both freight and passenger congestion.

West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan told Xinhua that the project connecting Jakarta and Bandung will improve the connectivity between the two cities and increase the investment environment.

Economic activities, employment and tourism will get a boost, he added.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR project has great economic benefit for Indonesia in both the short and long run, said Hari G. Soeparto, chairman of the Indonesian Association of Project Management Professionals.

The project will create 40,000 jobs yearly in the construction period and promote the development of Indonesia's sector of smelting, cement, manufacturing, electronics, services and logistics, Soeparto said.

In the long term, Soeparto expects that the operation of railways and stations will create more business opportunities.

The local property market and productivity will be spurred, and generally it will promote local economic growth, he added.

As the world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia has a huge demand for infrastructure and inter-island connectivity.

Indonesian experts are welcoming the project, saying it will greatly improve the region's infrastructure and connectivity.

Bambang Suryono, an Indonesian scholar and president of the Jakarta-based Nanyang ASEAN Foundation, told Xinhua that the high cost of mobility of goods and people are the bottleneck of Indonesian development, resulting in logistic costs that account for a quarter of the country's gross domestic product.

The scholar said the project, part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, will boost Indonesia's and ASEAN regional connectivity as well as improve Indonesia's global competitiveness.

Experts also said the Jakarta-Bandung HSR and Jakarta-Surabaya HSR enable Indonesia to obtain modern railway technology transfer from China as well as a boost of bilateral cooperation.

Rene L. Pattiradjawane, an Indonesian expert and founder of the Center for Chinese Studies, said the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project should become a model of strong, comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

The HSR system marks a revolution in national transportation infrastructure and a path to win-win cooperation, Pattiradjawane said.
YANGON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi left here Wednesday for Singapore to pay an official visit to the Southeast Asian member nation, according to official sources.

At the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Suu Kyi is expected to hold bilateral talks with Singapore government leadership on promoting bilateral relations and cooperation during her visit.

During her three-day stay in Singapore, Suu Kyi is also expected to meet Myanmar citizens working in the country and attend IE Singapore's Global Conversation with Singapore businesses among other schedules, Singapore official sources said.

Bilateral relations and cooperation between Myanmar and Singapore have opened a new page as Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Myanmar in June.

During Lee's Myanmar visit, the two countries vowed to enhance cooperation in economy and vocational education, signing an agreement on 30-day mutual exemption of visa for ordinary passport holders of the two countries with effect from Dec. 1.

Singapore stood as Myanmar's second largest investor after China with 15.596 billion U.S. dollars in 221 projects as of October 2016 since late 1988, accounting for 23.28 percent of the total foreign investment in the country.

A total of 212 Singaporean firms have been permitted to operate in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).

Myanmar-Singapore bilateral relations dated back to the year 1966 when the two countries established diplomatic ties.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message as the United Nations (UN) marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

In the message, Xi said the Palestinian issue should be prioritized in the international agenda as it stands at the core of the Middle East issue and is a deep-rooted problem obstructing the lasting peace in the Middle East region.

The Chinese president also urged Israel and Palestine to maintain maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions.

Xi said China hopes that all sides concerned can show their foresight and make the right political decision at an early date for an early resumption of fruitful peace talks.

China welcomes and supports all endeavors that can ease the situation and contribute to an early realization of a two-state solution, Xi added.

Xi stressed that China is a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinians and a sincere mediator for Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is willing to work with the international community to strive for a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, Xi noted.
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three main opposition parties of South Korea on Wednesday urged embattled President Park Geun-hye to unconditionally and immediately step down, vowing to push Park's impeachment unwaveringly after Park made her third address to the nation.

Chiefs of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party, minor oppositions People's Party and the Justice Party held a trilateral meeting, agreeing that they will never negotiate the shortening of presidency, which requires the amendment of the constitution.

Their emergency meeting came a day after President Park addressed the nation for the third time since a scandal involving her and her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, emerged last month.

Apologizing to the nation, Park said she had believed things would contribute to the public's interests, stressing that she had never pursued her personal gains "for a flash."

Prosecutors said Park had been complicit in forcing large business conglomerates to donate tens of thousands of U.S. dollars to two nonprofit foundations Choi actually controlled.

According to the prosecution office, Park pressured a conglomerate into giving business favors to a public relations agency owned by Choi, while conniving at the leakage of confidential presidential documents to her longtime confidante.

Park's speech came ahead of the expected parliamentary vote on her impeachment as early as this Friday or no later than next Friday.

The scandal-hit president threw the ball of decision on her fate in the parliamentary court, saying she would follow the parliamentary decision including the shortening of her presidency.

It was strongly criticized in the opposition bloc as the shortening of her five-year term indicates the revision of the constitution that would take at least one year or longer.

The first South Korean female leader's single presidency is scheduled to end in February 2018. While negotiations are going on between the rival political parties, Park can return to state affairs.
by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Cubans mourning the death of their revolutionary leader Fidel Castro have rejected recent remarks by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened to put thawing ties back on ice unless the Cuban government meets certain demands.

On Monday, in typical Trump fashion, the future White House occupant delivered a blustery ultimatum via Twitter, saying "if Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal."

Trump, who was referring to the U.S.-Cuba agreement to normalize ties, either misread the popular Cuban sentiment or was simply pandering to his Cuban-American constituency in Miami, Florida, and its anti-Castro fervor.

Either way, his words were roundly condemned by Cubans grieving the loss of the man who liberated the impoverished Caribbean country from the clutches of a U.S.-backed dictator more than a half century ago, and instituted universal healthcare and education.

"It is a new aggression against Cuba, this time against the memory of our eternal leader," Marcia Lopez, a retired Cuban who was one of thousands paying tribute to Castro at Havana's Revolution Square, told Xinhua.

"Trump believes Fidel's death means the end of the revolution and he's completely mistaken," Lopez added.

She was also one of the many who signed an oath to continue the ideals of the Cuban Revolution, as expressed by Fidel during a landmark speech delivered on May Day in 2000.

Carlos Martinez, a young middle-class student and Havana resident, said, "Trump will never be able to take away our sovereignty and the independence we have won since Fidel came to power."

Tamara Arias, who works in Cuba's fledgling private sector, criticized what she called Trump's "insolence."

"We have resisted the continuous attacks of the United States for more than 55 years and we are here today stronger than ever," said Arias, adding "Fidel left us a country that many around the world admire."

Ania Morales, a young officer at the island's Interior Ministry, said Castro's leadership, and unswerving commitment to the revolution and the country has instilled in Cubans a sense of dignity and courage.

"We are very aware of what we have to defend. Whoever thinks the revolution is going to end is wrong. There are many Cubans who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the (revolutionary) process," she said.

During his campaign, Trump derided President Barack Obama's new Cuba policy as "weak," and said he would pursue a "better deal" that benefits Washington.

Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro restored diplomatic ties and launched a process to normalize the relationship in 2014.
SUVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural Regional Meeting on Protection hosted by Fiji in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees concluded on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen regional cooperation to address the growing challenge of refugee population in the Pacific region.

The two-day conference brought together representatives from about 13 Pacific island countries to discuss issues relating to refugee protection, including mixed migration, statelessness and climate-induced displacement.

Attended by representatives from Fiji, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, the conference also sought to boost regional and sub-regional innovation to develop solutions to challenges stemming from refugees and displaced peoples in the Pacific.

The participating Pacific island countries exchanged ideas and shared experiences in an effort to identify key actions necessary to increase regional support for people in need of international protection throughout the Pacific region.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Workers from service industries held rallies in Los Angeles on Tuesday to demand rights and a minimum wage of 15 U.S. dollars per hour.

The rallies were part of a U.S. national wave of demonstrations by fast-food chain, homecare and other workers in support of a 15-dollar-per-hour minimum wage and worker's rights.

Two groups of demonstrators gathered on the upper level at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at noon, with one group on the north side and the other group on the south side, marching toward the Tom Bradley International Terminal, according to an LAX statement.

Neither flight operations nor Central Terminal Area traffic were affected, airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.

Organizers of the demonstration said that the demonstrators "will underscore that any efforts to block wage increases, gut workers' rights or health care, deport immigrants or support racism or racist policies will be met with unrelenting opposition by workers in the Fight for 15 Dollars."

The "Fight for 15 Dollars" campaign reportedly began in the United States in November 2012, when fast-food workers staged strikes to demand a higher minimum wage, a demand that later spread to other sectors.

The federal minimum wage stands at 7.25 dollars per hour, but workers have won 15 dollars per hour in some jurisdictions, including the state of California and Seattle.

Castles said demonstrators left the Central Terminal Area around noon, later marched along Century Boulevard and held a rally on a closed block-long section of Airport Boulevard, which was re-opened more than one hour later, she said.

Early Tuesday morning, some demonstrators gathered in downtown Los Angeles and blocked the intersection of Seventh and Alameda streets and police arrested 40 of them, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The protest organizers said that the LAX action was planned to send a message to airlines "that it's time they take responsibility for those whose dedication and hard work help to generate 36 billion dollars in profits for the aviation industry."

Many of the demonstrators at the LAX rally and march arrived and left aboard buses.
HAVANA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Cuba-U.S. relations are at a crossroads as the death of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro may decelerate the normalization of the ties and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's assuming power will bring uncertainties to the U.S. policy on Cuba.

Castro passed away on Friday in the Cuban capital of Havana at the age of 90.

After writing blunt tweets about Castro's death Friday, Trump on Monday further threatened to end U.S. President Barack Obama's deal with Cuba on Twitter, urging Cuba to "make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban-American people and the U.S. as a whole."

Trump's statement issued hours after Castro's death was also filled with negative comments about the Cuban leader.

Rafael Hernandez, Cuban political analyst and head of the Temas magazine, said Trump's statement was very inappropriate at this moment and cast a shadow on the future of the Cuba-U.S. relations.

NORMALIZATION OF CUBA-U.S. TIES COULD SLOW DOWN

Analysts say that although Castro was not the direct promoter of the normalization of the Cuba-U.S. ties, his death could enhance his "spiritual effect" on Cuba, which could decelerate bilateral rapprochement.

Lv Yang, a researcher with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said Castro was always vigilant about the U.S. "Color Revolution" attempt to topple the Cuban government.

Even after ceding power to his brother, Raul, Castro always published articles on Granma, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, to criticize U.S. policy, Lv said.

After Cuba and the United States reestablished diplomatic relations in December 2014, Castro wrote articles to remind his party comrades of the U.S. plot of peaceful evolution, he added.

Havana lost reassurance after Castro passed away, Lv said, adding that Cuban policymakers, whether reformists in favor of Cuba-U.S. rapprochement or conservatives against the detente, will become more prudent in dealing with U.S.-related issues.

The Cuban government will also invest more energy to handle Castro's funeral affairs, the expert said.

NORMALIZATION OF CUBA-U.S. TIES GENERAL TREND BUT FACES CHALLENGES

Experts say that the normalization of the Cuba-U.S. ties is an irresistible trend but faces challenges as Trump could change the U.S. policy toward Latin American countries including Cuba, which would add uncertainties to the future of the Cuba-U.S. ties.

The Cuba-U.S. relationship will be normalized in the end, as Castro's death will not change too much Cuba's policy toward the United States and it is unrealistic for Trump to reverse the Obama administration's policy on Cuba, said Carlos Eduardo, a history professor at the University of Brasilia.

Xu Shicheng, a researcher with the Institute of Latin American Studies under Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said both Cuba and the United States are at a period of transition, adding that Havana still hopes to promote bilateral rapprochement and the key lies in what moves Trump will make after he takes office.

Xu said that the Cuba-U.S. rapprochement is an irresistible trend and the possibility is small that Trump's assuming power will force the two countries to cut their ties.

Even if Trump adopts more restrictive measures against Cuba, Havana has accumulated rich experience in dealing with Washington, Xu said.

However, Trump's rhetoric has signaled that he would adopt repressive policies toward Cuba and it is hard to resolve practical issues such as returning the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base to Cuba and lifting the economic embargo on the Caribbean island nation, he said.
BANGKOK, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn had already "informally" accepted to ascend to the throne as King Rama X, said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Wednesday.

"(The Crown Prince) was known to have already accepted the invitation to become king. Everything has been done in accordance with the established procedures," Prawit told reporters on Wednesday morning.

Thai parliament, or National Legislative Assembly (NLA), formally invited the prince to ascend to the throne on Tuesday.

Once the prince formally accepts the invitation from the parliament, the prince will be proclaimed King Rama X of the 234-year old Chakri Dynasty, succeeding his father, late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had ruled for 70 years and passed away at the age of 88 last month.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen transportation projects are set to break ground next year in Beijing's Tongzhou District, part of the infrastructure for what will be the capital's "subsidiary administrative center."

Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said at a press release on Tuesday that construction on seven road projects, stretching some 75 kilometers, began in 2016. Eleven new projects, including bridges and bus lanes, will start in 2017.

According to the commission, in the next five years the district will have a rail network featuring inter-city, suburban and urban lines.

Tongzhou, which is about 40 minutes' drive from the center of Beijing, was named the subsidiary administrative center for Beijing municipality last year as part of measures to tackle overcrowding in the capital.
File photo taken on July 21, 2016 shows Donald Trump taking the stage on the last day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, the United States. Former real estate tycoon Donald Trump has been elected the 45th president of the United States after a neck-and-neck race with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name a former banker and a billionaire investor as his nominees for treasury secretary and commerce secretary respectively, and a fierce Obamacare critic to hold the post of health and human services secretary, media reported Tuesday.

Three weeks after winning the U.S. presidential election, what the president-elect has said and done are gradually outlining his administration's policies, both domestically and abroad.

"DREAM TEAM"

Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood financier, is expected to be nominated as Treasury secretary by Trump, a source told Reuters. As a Wall Street veteran, Mnuchin has also served as Trump's campaign finance chairman.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross is expected to be named commerce secretary.

The announcements could come as early as Wednesday, the report said.

It also said that without governing experience, Trump, a New York real estate billionaire, is rewarding loyalists and established Washington veterans in "the flurry of picks" as he fills top jobs for his administration.

Trump is set to take office on Jan. 20.

On Tuesday, Trump nominated Chinese-American Elaine Chao as the secretary of transportation, who is set to play a key role in fulfilling Trump's election promise of overhauling U.S. transportation infrastructure.

According to Trump's transition website, he plans to invest 550 billion U.S. dollars to "build the roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, and railways of tomorrow."

Trump is also considering making either former CIA Director David Petraeus, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney or former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani secretary of state, according to media reports.

Also on Tuesday, Trump chose Tom Price, a six-term Republican congressman who firmly opposes President Barack Obama's health care law, to be secretary of health and human services.

Price "is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American," Trump said in an announcement.

PLANS IN OFFICE

During the campaign, Trump promised to overhaul Obamacare, which he has listed as his top priority once he takes office.

However, after winning the election, Trump seems to have moved somewhat away from a full repeal, saying he would favor keeping some parts of the law, including the plank barring insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions and the provision of the law that allows children to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26.

Earlier this month, Trump unveiled his first 100-day plan in office, which is topped by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and creating jobs.

"I'm going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country," Trump said.

"Instead, we'll negotiate fair bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry onto American shores," he added.

Rebuilding the U.S. middle class is a priority of his new policies, Trump said.

Other initiatives boosting job numbers include loosening regulations on the energy sector.

Political reform is also high on the agenda, with Trump having pledged to "drain the swamp" in Washington.

On foreign policy, Trump's remarks on U.S.-Cuba ties have highlighted the speculations on American foreign policy under the new administration.

On Monday, Trump tweeted that he might "terminate" the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations initiated by Obama.

"If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal," he said.

During his campaign, Trump derided Obama's new Cuba policy as "weak," and said he would pursue a "better deal" that benefits Washington.

However, U.S. media reported that Trump's aides said that nothing on Cuba has been decided.
MOSCOW, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has undertaken a successful development path which would result in the timely building of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects by 2020, a Russian expert told Xinhua in a recent interview.

With only five years to go before the deadline of the first of China's Two Centenary Goals, even though the Chinese economy would grow at a relatively lower pace as China's economy has entered the stage of a "new normal," China would reach the goal, said Alexander Lomanov, a professor at the Russian Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Moscow-based Far East Institute.

As steps toward the "Chinese Dream" calling for the rejuvenation of the Asian country, the Two Centenary Goals refer to finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021; and turning China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.

In Lomanov's opinion, China's achievements in promoting its economic growth have changed the economic landscape worldwide, and corrected the misconception that the Western mode of development is the only path for all the developing countries.

Chinese leaders have determined the correct major policies, and the Chinese people should abide by these policies that would lead them toward economic prosperity and social justice.

In the next 10 to 15 years, Lomanov predicted that there's a possibility that China could turn into the largest economy in the world, with its per capita income gradually catching up with those of developed countries.

In the middle of this century, China's per capita income would approach or even surpass that of the moderately developed European countries, but it still lags behind that of the United States, the Russian expert predicted.

Both China and Russia would enjoy long-term stability and development in the next few decades, the Russian researcher said, adding that the two countries should collaborate to establish an unbiased global governance system which is not dominated by one country.

If circumstances permit, China and Russia could find many opportunities to work together on economic projects, not only on the bilateral level, but also on the regional level.

Next to efforts to develop its economy, China should also improve the life quality of its people, especially as regards the environment, as residents of big Chinese cities plagued with pollution are in need of clean water and air, Lomanov said.
People attend a rally demanding President Park Geun-hye to step down in central Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday appointed a special prosecutor who will investigate into her own scandal independently, Parks office said.

Park Young-soo, former senior prosecutor, was selected by the scandal-hit president as the independent counsel among two candidates proposed by three main opposition parties, according to the presidential Blue House.

President Park said she hopes for a rapid, thorough investigation into the scandal, expressing her appreciation to prosecutors who have probed the case until now, Parks spokesman said.

The embattled president said she will actively cooperate with the special prosecutors investigation after it kicks off, vowing to accept the questioning by the independent counsel to explain in detail about whats the truth behind the scandal.

The newly-appointed independent counsel will form his team, composed of four deputy special prosecutors, 20 dispatched prosecutors and 40 other investigators, in 20 days.

And then, they will investigate the presidential scandal for as long as 70 days. The independent counsel is allowed to extend his probe once for as long as 30 days.

The special investigative unit of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which has been in charge of the case, will leave its probe to the special prosecutor.

The prosecution office had repeatedly requested face-to-face interrogations of President Park, who refused any quizzing by the prosecutors.

Prosecutors have said President Park conspired with her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, in extorting tens of millions of U.S. dollars from large business conglomerates in return for granting business favors.

Park has been identified as an accomplice to the illegal leakage of secret government documents to Choi. Park has been also accused of pressuring a large conglomerate into making contracts with a public relations agency controlled by Choi.

Park became the first South Korean leader to be investigated as a criminal suspect.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank of Japan on Wednesday announced the establishment of a bilateral local currency swap agreement, said MAS in a media release.

MAS said the swap agreement is effective as of Wednesday, for a term of three years. This agreement allows for the exchange of local currencies between the two central banks of up to 15 billion Singapore dollars (10.52 billion U.S. dollars) or 1.1 trillion Japanese yen.

MAS added that it will enable the authority to provide Japanese yen liquidity to eligible Singapore financial institutions in support of their cross-border operations.
KAMPALA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A tribal king from western Uganda, Charles Wesley Mumbere was late on Tuesday charged with murder after the weekend clashes between the security forces and a separatist local militia that left 62 people dead.

John Francis Kaggwa, the Jinja Court Chief Magistrate read Mumbere, the King of Rwenzururu kingdom based in western district of Kasese the charges, before remanding him to Kirinya Prison in the eastern district of Jinja.

The security forces on Sunday afternoon stormed the palace of King Mumbere and arrested him following the fierce clashes between his royal guards, army and police on Saturday.

He was airlifted to the capital Kampala and transferred to Nalufenya police station in eastern Ugandan district of Jinja.

Gen. Jeje Odongo, Ugandan minister of internal affairs told Parliament on Tuesday that Mumbere was charged over his role to promote violence.

"He is appearing in court. He is being charged for his role in the Rwenzori region," said Odongo.

At least 16 police officers and 46 royal guards were killed in the weekend deadly clashes between security forces and tribal fighters who are agitating to break away from the East African country to form their own Yiira Republic, attacked the security forces that were on patrol in Kasese town.

At least 149 attackers belonging to the "Kilhumira Mutima", a militia group, have been arrested. The attackers used assault rifles, petrol bombs, grenades, machetes, spears and daggers.

The local fighters have taken up arms to agitate for the creation of the Yiira Republic, which would cover territory in Uganda and part of North Kivu in Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We condemn in the strongest terms possible all those who promote the ideology of extremism and violence. Anybody who takes armed action to destabilize the security of Uganda will be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land," said Odongo.

The authorities in Kampala accuse Mumbere's royal guards of setting up military and training camps in the Rwenzori Mountains alongside separatist militia forces to attack government installations.

The militias reportedly run a small and self-proclaimed government, even collecting taxes from the citizens they control.
DAMASCUS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army said Israel fired two missiles at an area near the capital Damascus on Wednesday.

Israeli warplanes fired the rockets from Lebanese airspace, targeting the Sabura suburb in the western countryside of Damascus at dawn, only causing property damage, according to the military statement.

The army said the Israeli shelling aims to divert attention away from the successes of the Syrian army on the ground as well as to raise the low morale of terrorist groups.

The army didn't disclose the precise target of the Israeli rocket fire, however the same area was previously hit by Israel.

Israel often justifies its strikes as either a response for stray shelling targeting areas under its control in the Golan Heights or strikes targeting posts of the Lebanese Hezbollah group in Syria.
ABUJA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese miner has been identified as one of those killed in an attack by gunmen in central Nigeria's Nasarawa State early this week, a police spokesman told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Kennedy Idirisu, spokesman of Nasarawa State police said another Chinese who sustained gunshot injury is recuperating in a local hospital.

The Chinese, working for a mining company, were returning from a site in a company truck at Alongani village in Nasarawa Eggon local district when the gunmen opened fire on them Monday.

A police escort and two other local people were also killed during the ambush, Idirisu said.

He told Xinhua a police investigation is underway to track down the assailants.
KATHMANDU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government protests flared up in different parts of Nepal on Wednesday against the constitution amendment proposal recently tabled by the government at the Legislature Parliament.

The amendment was registered by the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government to address grievances of ethnic Madhesi communities who have been agitated for more than one year, expressing serious reservations on the key contents of the new constitution including seven provincial boundaries, citizenship and political representation at the lower and upper House.

As part of their protest, thousands of political party cadres and ordinary people took to the streets in various districts of Western Region including the Capital city Kathmandu.

The protests have come a day after the government tabled the proposal at the House for the second time after promulgation of new constitution in September last year.

Political party cadres, especially those who are from the main opposition party CPN (UML), are running protests against the government, while cadres and local leaders from the governing Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) joined in them.

All party demonstrators have staged huge rallies since Wednesday morning, blocking the East-West Highway at Butwal, the headquarters of Rupandehi District.

Demonstrations are being held at Kaski, Gulmi, Kapilwastu, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Nawalparasi, Palpa, Arghakhanchi and Rupandehi Districts in Western Nepal, according to local media reports.

Indefinite strike has been announced in these districts, halting the vehicular movement.

"This rally is the first phase of our protest where we exert pressure to the central leaders. We hope they don't take decision against our wish," Bishnu Muskan, the Arghakhanchi District President of ruling Nepali Congress was quoted by the Kathmandu Post Online.

The constitution amendment proposal, which has sparked huge controversy across the country, was approved by the Cabinet meeting earlier on Tuesday.

The proposal was backed by most of the political parties of Nepal, except the main opposition CPN (UML). This will be the second amendment to the Nepal's new constitution, if approved by the two-thirds majority.

According to the government proposal, the demarcation of provinces 4 and 5 will be changed by swapping some districts.

New languages will be given the national language status and included in the Constitution's schedule in line with the report given by the Language Commission formed by the government.

According to the amendment proposal, any foreign woman married to a Nepalese male can obtain naturalised citizenship after she abandons her citizenship of the country of her birth.

To make the Upper House of the Parliament more inclusive, the proposal has sought representation of one member each from Dalit (untouchable), woman and marginalised community categories and the remaining five to be elected on the basis of population of each province.

The composition of the Upper House is eight members from each of the proposed seven provinces.

Meanwhile, the CPN (UML), the main opposition party, has decided to intensify massive protests at both the street and House against the constitution amendment proposal.

The opposition party believed that the proposal to split the Province 5 will bring conflict among the people.

"We want answer from the ruling parties what was the reason behind splitting the Province 5. Such a decision may jeopardize country's territorial integrity and sovereignty in future inviting communal violence," UML leader Subhash Nembang told media.

Nepal issued the new constitution on September 20 last year after it became secular republic in 2008 with the overthrow of the 240-year Monarchy.
Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, who is acting as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, lays a wreath to late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on behalf of Xi, at Jose Marti Memorial in Havana, Cuba, on Nov. 29, 2016. Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao went to Cuba on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday to pay condolences to late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)

HAVANA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao went to Cuba on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday to pay condolences to late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.

Li, who was acting as Xi's special envoy, went to Jose Marti Memorial here on Tuesday morning to lay a wreath to Castro on behalf of Xi, and conveyed Xi's deepest condolences to Castro's family members on site.

On Tuesday night, Li attended a grand memorial meeting for Castro at the Havana Revolution Plaza, and delivered a speech.

On behalf of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi, the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Li expressed deepest condolences over Castro's passing away.

Li said Comrade Fidel was the founder of the Communist Party of Cuba and the country's socialist cause. He was a great leader of the Cuban people, and had made enduring historic achievements for the Cuban people and the world's socialist development. History and people will remember him forever, Li said.

The Chinese vice president said that Comrade Fidel had been devoted to the Cuba-China friendship, and had been closely following as well as speaking highly of China's development. The Chinese people miss him dearly, he said.

Li believed that under the firm leadership of Comrade Raul Castro, the Communist Party of Cuba, the Cuban government and the Cuban people are bound to turn their sorrow into strength, continue the legacy of Fidel Castro, and make new achievements in the construction of socialism.

China will work with Cuba to deepen the friendship and cooperation between the two parties and the two nations, bring benefits to both peoples, and jointly make active contributions to the noble cause of world peace and development, Li said.

Cuban President Raul Castro and a dozen foreign leaders also gave speeches at the meeting.
URUMQI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of people having received AIDS/HIV treatment has increased almost seven times in the past six years in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, officials said Tuesday.

More than 20,000 people living with AIDS/HIV had received treatment in Xinjiang as of September this year, according to the region's HIV/AIDS prevention authority.

Xinjiang has 39,840 people living with HIV/AIDS, and the number of designated hospitals for antiretroviral treatment in the region rose from 48 in 2010 to 92 in 2016. HIV/AIDS testing, some antiretroviral treatment and medicines are free for patients in these hospitals.

The central and the regional governments have spent more than 260 million yuan (38 million U.S. dollars) on medicines and subsidies for people living with HIV/AIDS in the region, according to Zhang Feng, deputy director of the regional AIDS prevention office.

In a national health plan published earlier this year, China vowed to provide more free medicine to help treat AIDS and improve its AIDS testing facilities.

Across the country, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was 575,000 by the end of October 2015.
WINDHOEK, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has declared three days of mourning in honor of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro who died Friday aged 90.

President Hage Geingob said this in his speech delivered in Havana Tuesday where he was attending Castro's the memorial service.

Geingob is accompanied by two former presidents Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba as well as the Swapo Party secretary general Nangolo Mbumba.

"As part of our collective homage, Namibia has declared three days of national mourning in honor of Fidel Castro," Geingob said, adding, "We are here in good conscience to bid farewell to a man whose legacy will never die and to honor a country whose debt we can never repay."

According to Fidel, Geingob said, helping with the liberation of the oppressed should never be for economic gain, but only to gain in conscience.

"That is why we are here. Our Founding Father and leader of the Namibian revolution, comrade Sam Nujoma as well as our second President, Comrade Hifikepunye Pohamba have both accompanied me to pay Namibia's respect to Cuba," he said.

Geingob recalled how Castro helped Namibia repel the apartheid South African defense forces in battles that later brought the country's independence in 1990.

He spoke about the Cassinga Massacre of 1978 when South African forces attacked a refugee camp in Angola killing hundreds of Namibians.

"The first responders to this scene of brutality and death were the gallant Cuban forces who came to our rescue. It was in our defense in which Cuban soldiers lost their lives and limbs. After the attack, Cuba was the first country to provide education facilities at the Island of Youth for 3,000 surviving children of the Cassinga massacre," he said.

He said although Namibia has forgiven its enemies, it will never forget our friends.

"The Cuban people are our friends. Fidel is our friend. Now and forever," he said.
by Dong Hua, Tao Jun

HO CHI MINH CITY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- "There are no nuclear power plants here now and like our guests, I prefer wind power," Nguyen Van Trung, an employee of the Bau Truc resort in Vietnam's central Ninh Thuan province, told Xinhua on Tuesday, pointing to the tourists strolling around the bungalows made from red bricks and tiles along the windy seaside.

The local man, his complexion darkened by the sun and the wind of the breathtaking coastal area in Ninh Thuan, said the media here had reported that Vietnam's top legislature in late November decided to scrap its first nuclear power plant project that would have had a capacity of 4,000 megawatts and cost nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars in Ninh Thuan. This was not because of technology or safety reasons, but due to the country's current economic situation.

When Vietnam was making preparations for building the plant, also the first in Southeast Asia, which was scheduled to become operational by 2028, its cost was estimated to double to around 18 billion U.S. dollars compared to when the plan was first tabled.

According to the top legislature's resolution in late 2009, Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant would be built in Ninh Thuan's Thuan Nam District, and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant in the province's Ninh Hai District. Ninh Thuan's center is some 350 km from Ho Chi Minh City.

"Many local and foreign tourists, including Westerners and Chinese people, who stay at our resort told me that a nuclear-free Ninh Thuan would be more attractive to them, and the province could tap renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind power," the middle-aged man said, his face brightening with a warm smile.

In a working visit to Ninh Thuan in September, the head of Vietnam's Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh told the provincial leaders that the province's biggest asset is renewable energy, especially solar and wind power. Ninh Thuan can become a clean energy hub of Vietnam, he said.

Ninh Thuan has 14 zones with a total area of some 8,000 hectares, mainly in the three districts of Ninh Phuoc, Thuan Nam and Thuan Bac, which have the most potential for wind power development. The province sees winds gusting with speeds of between 6.4-9.6 meters per second, for 10 months of the year, which is suitable for wind turbines to operate.

According to an electricity development plan, the estimated total capacity of wind power in Ninh Thuan by 2030 is around 2,500 MW with an output of nearly 5.5 billion kWh. To this end, the province should coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to quickly develop a scheme on solar and wind power prices to submit to the government for approval, to encourage and lure investors, Binh said.

Earlier, the state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the country's biggest power producer and sole distributor, proposed a project on building four wind power plants with a total capacity of 200 MW in Ninh Phuoc District, with an investment of 8,000 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 359 million U.S. dollars). The project is scheduled to kick off in 2018 and become operational in 2019.

Ninh Thuan and the neighboring province of Binh Thuan have the best wind sources among the 63 localities of Vietnam. On Nov. 25, the Phu Lac wind power plant, with a capacity of 24 MW and costing nearly 1,100 billion Vietnamese dong (49 million U.S. dollars) in Binh Thuan, started generating electricity. This is the third wind power plant in Binh Thuan, after Phong Dien 1 and Phu Quy.

After Phu Lac, its local investor, Thuan Binh Wind Power Company, will continue to build wind and solar power complexes, including Loi Hai with a capacity of 120 MW, Vinh Hao with a capacity of 60 MW, Ea H'Leo with a capacity of 350 MW and Kong Chro with a capacity of 400 MW.

According to a wind power development plan, wind power plants in Binh Thuan will have a total capacity of 700 MW by 2020. To date, Binh Thuan has licensed five wind power projects, said the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

In November, a Vietnamese firm named Phu Cuong and two foreign groups, including GE from the United States and Mainstream from Ireland, inked a deal to build a wind power plant with a capacity of 800 MW, the biggest of its kind in Vietnam, with a total investment of some 2 billion U.S. dollars in the southern Soc Trang province.

However, some investors told Xinhua that wind power potential in Vietnam in general, and in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan in particular is huge, but its development remains sluggish, mainly due to capital shortage. "Our biggest headache is that the selling prices of wind power is very low, so we find it difficult to recoup our investment," said the local investor of Thuan Nhien Phong wind power project.

On Tuesday, at a seminar on wind power development held in Hanoi by the Danish Embassy and Vestas, the only global energy company dedicated exclusively to wind energy, many Vietnamese and foreign delegates stated that wind power remained largely untapped because investment costs are too high, selling prices of wind electricity are too low, supply of relevant domestic equipment and services are limited, and technical human resources are not good enough.

At the seminar, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Hoang Quoc Vuong, said that along with Vietnam's high economic growth, electricity demand will be huge. The country's annual electricity production is projected to grow 10.7 percent in the 2016-2020 period, and 8.6 percent between 2021 and 2025, he noted.

According to Vietnam's adjusted national electricity development plan made for the 2011-2020 period and with a vision to 2030 approved by the government in March 2016, total wind power capacity will reach 2,000 MW by 2025 and around 6,000 MW by 2030.

Wind power will account for some 0.8 percent of Vietnam's total electricity production by 2020, around 1 percent by 2025 and about 2.1 percent by 2030.

Vietnam's potential wind power capacity is estimated at 513,360 MW, roughly equal to the projected capacity of the country's entire electricity sector in 2020, according to a recent survey by the World Bank.

"We sometimes call our tourism 4S, or sun, sea, sand and shopping. More and more fields of environmentally-friendly wind power along our beautiful seashores will not only generate more electricity, but also eye-catching views for tourists," Trung, said, smiling pleasantly.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China is engaged in talks about an annual summit with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Wednesday.

It is reported that Japan has put itself forward as the host for the annual trilateral summit in December in Tokyo, however, the current political turmoil in the ROK has brought uncertainty to the outlook of the summit.

"The trilateral summit should be held at an appropriate time and under proper conditions for the three parties, and should achieve positive outcomes," Geng said.

China attaches great importance to trilateral cooperation with Japan and the ROK, and is ready to work closely with the two countries to maintain healthy, stable and sustainable growth of trilateral cooperation.

China, Japan and the ROK have hosted trilateral summits since 2008, except for a three-and-half-year suspension, which began in May 2012, due to regional tensions.

The sixth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting was held in Seoul in November last year.
Chinese representatives celebrate as China's "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity during the 11th session of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritages in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nov. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed China's "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The decision for the Chinese heritage, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun's annual motion, came here on Wednesday during the 11th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

During the meeting, the representatives of 24 States Parties to UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, are examining 37 requests for inscription on the Representative List.

Speaking after the decision that has adopted the inscription of the Chinese intangible heritage, Zhang Ling, an official of Chinese Delegation, said that the 24 Solar Terms clearly embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature.

"On behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, my delegation would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the community members, evaluation body and the secretariat for your great effort on the examination and inscription of the 24 Solar Terms," she said.

This is the third inscribed element submitted by China that falls in the domain of knowledge and practices concerning nature and universe as defined in the 2003 convention, according to her.

"As a traditional knowledge system of time that enjoys thousands of years of inter-generational transmission, the 24 Solar Terms clearly embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature," she added.

"We believe that the inscription of the 24 Solar Terms on the Representative List will not only enhance cultural identity of communities and groups concerned but also contributes to ensuring visibility and awareness of the significance of the ICH in general," she noted.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Singapore shares closed 0.86 percent higher on Wednesday, buoyed by the rise in U.S. stock markets overnight.

U.S. stocks rebounded modestly as strong U.S. economic data compensated for a drop in oil prices. U.S. data showed stronger-than-expected third quarter growth, higher housing prices in September and a sharp rebound in consumer confidence in November.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index rose 24.88 points to 2,904.02 points. Trading volume was 2.89 billion shares worth 2.58 billion Singapore dollars. Advancers slightly outnumbered decliners 227 to 222, while 660 stocks did not move.

GuocoLand fell 0.5 percent to 1.87 Singapore dollars. It has won the construction land use rights for land plots in Chongqing, China for mixed development comprising retail, business and residential at the bid price of 3.64 billion Chinese yuan. The land parcels have a land area of approximately 48,961 square meters, with a total above ground gross floor area of 513,600 square meters

JES International halted trading on Wednesday. It has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire stake in Maya Asia Resources for 16.3 million Singapore dollars, payable via cash and 51.3 million shares at 2.6 Singapore cents each. The principal activities of Maya Asia Resources include the manufacturing and moulding of plastic containers, plastic stationery, plastic bottle caps using raw plastic pellets, infant-care products such as wet-wipes, diapers and fashionwear, and the trading and distribution of canned food products such as tuna and preserved fruits.

Among the top gainers, Jardine Cycle and Carriage rose 1.5 percent to 40.15 Singapore dollars, whereas SembCorp Marine became one of the top losers by falling 5.7 percent to 1.395 Singapore dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 6.884 Chinese yuan and 1.43 Singapore dollars)
Chinese delegation Congratulated by other member states at the time the UNESCO has decided on adding China's "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed China's "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The decision for the Chinese heritage, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun's annual motion, came here on Wednesday during the 11th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

During the meeting, the representatives of 24 States Parties to UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, are examining 37 requests for inscription on the Representative List.

Speaking after the decision that has adopted the inscription of the Chinese intangible heritage, Zhang Ling, an official of Chinese Delegation, said that the 24 Solar Terms clearly embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature.

"On behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, my delegation would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the community members, evaluation body and the secretariat for your great effort on the examination and inscription of the 24 Solar Terms," she said.

This is the third inscribed element submitted by China that falls in the domain of knowledge and practices concerning nature and universe as defined in the 2003 convention, according to her.

"As a traditional knowledge system of time that enjoys thousands of years of inter-generational transmission, the 24 Solar Terms clearly embodies the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature," she added.

"We believe that the inscription of the 24 Solar Terms on the Representative List will not only enhance cultural identity of communities and groups concerned but also contributes to ensuring visibility and awareness of the significance of the ICH in general," she noted.
By Shristi Kafle

SOLUKHUMBU, Nepal, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Until few a months ago Nawang Thame, a Sherpa from the Jorsale village in the Khumbu region in the district of Solukhumbu, used to have sleepless nights because he was living in fear that the glacial lake Imja, located a few kilometers away from the world's highest peak Mt. Everest, could flood.

Right after the devastating earthquake of April 2015, his fear deepened as the quake triggered flooding through a number of glacial lakes in the Himalayas. Although Imja was not affected, some other small glacial lakes burst, most notably with two in succession in June creating terror and chaos among local Sherpas living downstream.

Nawang, 29, along with his neighbors made a temporary shelter and lived under tents in an open space and spent a few days in a "wait and watch" mode to survive further possible Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). The danger, however, was seemingly over for a while and people started returning to their daily lives.

However, the community members in Jorsale, located at the bank of the Dudhkoshi River known for its milky water, could not rest until the Community Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project at Imja was completed recently.

Nawang, who works as the Chairman of a local club told Xinhua, "We are very happy that the project was completed successfully and the water level in the Imja Lake has been lowered. It feels like we have been given a new life. There are no more fears and now we can sleep peacefully after decades of worry."

Nawang's statement comes after Nepal formally announced last week the completion of the much-awaited and technically challenging climate change adaptation Imja Lake Lowering Project. The lake located just below the Island Peak was at immediate risk of bursting and had been posing a threat to the communities in the region for decades owing to rising global temperature.

Imja Lake, one of the biggest and most dangerous glacial lakes in the Himalayan country, is located at an altitude of 5010 meters above sea level. The depth of the glacial lake is 150 meters and it has expanded by 1.28 square kilometers.

According to research, the lake has been expanding annually since the 1960s as global temperatures have been on the rise. As the lake was posing a high potential risk of an outburst, the safety project was implemented by the Nepal Army, who successfully lowered the water level by 3.4 meters and formed outlet channels for excessive water.

"We started the project in April and it took us six months for its completion. It is a particularly challenging project due to the high altitude and extreme weather conditions. We only had a narrow window of three months to complete it, but we were successful," Bharat Lal Shrestha, Lieutenant Colonel from the Engineering Department of Nepal's Army told Xinhua.

Shrestha added that it was a technically difficult project as all the construction materials, including excavators had to be carried by helicopters due to a lack of roads and transportation in the Everest region. To be noted, he said, it takes 7 days of trekking to reach Imja Lake from the Tenzing Hillary Airport, located at Lukla, which is the nearest airport in the region.

Around 150 people including 40 Army personnel and locals from Khumbu were mobilized for the state project that was under the auspices of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology of Nepal. The project was jointly funded by the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Development Fund.

The project was initiated based on research carried out in 2014 on electrical resistivity tomography, ground penetrating radar and bathymetric design. Since the lake is located at the Sagarmatha National Park, which is a World Heritage Site and a major tourist destination, the threat was much higher than first anticipated.

Prabin Man Maskey, Senior Technical Adviser at Imja Project, told Xinhua, "We have installed GLOF sensors and these sensors are going to capture any GLOF activity. Six vulnerable locations have early warning sirens and we have 18 community-based early warning systems as well. So this way, any GLOF events that is going to happen is going to be captured and transmitted in real time. And, people will be able to save their lives if anything occurred."

The community-based project has directly benefited more than 96,000 locals in the Khumbu region, as well as trekkers, guides and tourists. Under the project, various communities living downstream from the lake across the Dudhkoshi river corridor, have been provided with infrastructures for disaster prevention and solutions to mitigate risk.

The four village development committees of Solukhumbu, Khumjung, Chaurikharka, Namche and Jubing have been identified as risky settlements and have been provided with evacuation centers, early warning systems and capacity building training programs.

Pasang Norbu Sherpa, head of a community-based task force in the Pangboche downstream settlement located at 3900 meters above sea level, told Xinhua, "We were always living with risk but now we feel secure. We have various equipments for dealing with disasters, from sirens and hammers to ropes and safety helmets. We organize mock drills too. It's really helpful for future disasters."

The project has installed automated hydromel sensors in 6 highly vulnerable communities, which inform the people immediately after the water level has increased in the lake. Similarly, 12 task forces have been formed in the highest risk communities, and provide training on first aid, search and rescue techniques and early warning systems.

Similarly, the project has prioritized downstream settlements located in various districts of the terai region bordering India, such as Mahottari, Saptari, Siraha and Udayapur.

Sophie Kemkhadze, Deputy Country Director at UNDP Nepal told Xinhua, "We started this project to mitigate the risks caused by the Imja glacial lake. The water level is controlled now and the risk of outburst is minimized."

"But most importantly, we have done the work downstream to address potential disaster risk. We have worked with the local communities to develop infrastructures for their preparedness. That's a major strength."

According to reports, Nepal has experienced 24 glacial lake outburst flood events in the past few decades, including three incidents in the Dudhkoshi river basin alone, causing huge damage and loss of life and infrastructure.

A study by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) stated that there are a total of 3808 glaciers and 1466 glacial lakes in Nepal. Among these, 21 in the high Himalayas are considered to pose potential risks and four glacial lakes are at high risk of an outburst, after the risk reduction endeavors carried out at the Chhorolpa and Imja glacial lakes.

Though Nepal's temperature increases annually only by 0.04 degree Celsius as compared to larger countries, the impact of climate change is higher on the environment here, including forests, water resources, agriculture and biodiversity in the region.

Since many glaciers are melting and forming glacial lakes, which are in need of immediate attention, it is high time for the Nepalese government to act promptly to save human lives.
File photo taken on May 25, 2003 shows Fidel Castro attending the inauguration of Argentine President Nestor Kirchner in Buenos Aires. Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro died at 90, Cuban media said on Nov. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Qihua)

HAVANA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Leaders and heads of state from around the world Tuesday night remembered the prominent personality of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the legacy he left to humanity.

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, who came to Cuba on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping to extend condolences to President Raul Castro, attended a grand memorial meeting for him at Havana's Revolution Plaza, and delivered a speech.

On behalf of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi, the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Li expressed deepest condolences over Castro's passing away.

Li said Comrade Fidel was the founder of the Communist Party of Cuba and the country's socialist cause. He was a great leader of the Cuban people, and had made enduring historic achievements for the Cuban people and the world's socialist development. History and people will remember him forever, Li said.

The Chinese vice president said that Comrade Fidel had been devoted to the Cuba-China friendship, and had been closely following as well as speaking highly of China's development. The Chinese people miss him dearly, he said.

Li believed that under the firm leadership of Comrade Raul Castro, the Communist Party of Cuba, the Cuban government and the Cuban people are bound to turn their sorrow into strength, continue the legacy of Fidel Castro, and make new achievements in the construction of socialism.

The President of the State Duma of Russia, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that Fidel Castro became a symbol of Cubans' successful struggle for independence.

"Even today his ideas and dreams are dear to many peoples, so his cause will win," said Volodin.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said that the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution has done a lot for Latin America, and his work is still alive.

"Fidel fulfilled his mission on this Earth, few lives have been so complete, so luminous. He will remain undefeated among us, absolutely absolved by history," said Maduro.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that the former Cuban leader leaves not only a valuable legacy to his people in the fields of education, eradication of illiteracy, health, higher levels of science and culture, but also leaves a valuable legacy to people around the world.

"We in distant Greece also fight for justice and dignity, and in this struggle we are accompanied and will always be accompanied by Fidel's example in our victories and in our defeats, in our challenges and in our commitments," Tsipras said.

Meanwhile, Bolivian President Evo Morales said one of Castro's greatest gifts was to turn politics into the noblest moral weapon for the liberation of peoples.

"Fidel put Cuba on the map of the world in its fight against imperial politics and defeated the United States in the United Nations through reason and justice," he said.

For his part, South African President Jacob Zuma called Fidel Castro one of the great revolutionaries of our time and one of the great heroes of the 20th century.

"We will remember Comrade Fidel as a great fighter for the ideal that the poor have the right to live in dignity. That is why the Cuban Revolution was and continues to be a source of inspiration for South Africa and for the world, in how to achieve a better life for the poor," Zuma said.

Other heads of state and representatives of high-level delegations from all over the world highlighted the ideals of social justice and solidarity promoted by Fidel Castro and his revolution.

According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, delegations from over 55 countries, including around 30 presidents and prime ministers, participated in a last tribute to Fidel Castro on Tuesday night at the Revolution Square in Havana.

On Wednesday, Fidel Castro's ashes will begin a three-day procession east across 13 Cuban provinces, and be placed Sunday in Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba's second-largest city.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- National reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for Myanmar, it is not a matter of choice, said Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi Wednesday during her three-day visit in Singapore.

This is Suu Kyi's first official visit to the city state since her appointment in March 2016. She made the above remarks at International Enterprise Singapore Global Conversations, an engagement session with business leaders organized by IE Singapore, a governmental trade promoting agency.

In her 10-minute speech, Suu Kyi noted that peace and prosperity cannot be separated, especially at this stage for Myanmar.

"We do not want our country to be unstable, but we have had a long history of disunity within our nation. National reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for us. It's not a matter of choice," she said.

"we have to achieve peace and national reconciliation so that our country can be able to progress."

The state counselor expounded the government's new investment law and economic policies, exchanged ideas with senior representatives from Singapore companies with expertise in urban development, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, energy and utilities as well as transport and logistics.

Suu Kyi stressed that the newly-passed investment law is intended to be business-friendly, and will provide the security that investors wish to see. Myanmar is open to feedback on the country's rules and regulations, she said.

She recounted that Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had said that in twenty years' time, Singapore will have caught up with Myanmar.

"I think we have to change that a bit -- in 20 years' time, Myanmar will have overtaken Singapore," she said, adding she hopes Singapore will help Myanmar do that.

Later in the day, Suu Kyi called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who said the two countries will discuss a bilateral investment treaty and update an agreement on avoidance of double taxation.

Myanmar and Singapore established diplomatic ties in 1966. Singapore is Myanmar's second largest investor after China with an accumulative investment of 15.596 billion U.S. dollars as of October 2016.
By Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Xiong Lin and Lin Miaomiao

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Whenever police officer Pan Lin arrives home from work, his wife tells him to take off his uniform and wash his hands before he hugs his two kids. She often asks him whether he has any open wounds.

Pan, 36, works at Likang Education and Correction Institute in Daxing District, Beijing, where drug addicts undergo compulsory rehab and prisoners serving prison terms of less than a year are held. Pan manages the team in charge of all the institute's HIV/AIDS patients.

Likang receives around 200 HIV-positive patients a year, it currently has 50 in-patients.

Thursday is World AIDS Day. As of 2015, China had 577,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), just over 27 percent were infected as a result of unsafe same-sex intercourse. In 2005, the percentage was only 0.3 percent.

In China there is a three-strike rule -- on the third time a drug addict is caught taking drugs they must undergo a two-year compulsory rehab sentence. Anyone arrested on drug-related charges must be tested for HIV/AIDS, those who test positive will be transferred to special organizations, like Likang, for custody and treatment.

According to Pan, the biggest challenge for his team of 17 officers is not infection, but their own fears.

Pan said at first he was too scared to touch the patients and would hesitate before any tactile interaction.

"I thought about my wife and kids before I touched them at the beginning," he recalled. "But now I am actually OK."

RISKS FOR OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE

Dai Jingping, director of the institute's medicine department, says the virus is mainly passed person-to-person through unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions, intravenous drugs and mother-to-child infection during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding.

"Police and doctors are safe from infection as long as they have no open wounds," she reassured.

However, this does not mean there are no risks of infection.

Surgeon Zhang Runsheng insists on a small surgery team when the patient is a PLWHA. Surgery tools, such as scissors and knives, are not allowed to be directly handed to doctors or nurses during surgery.

"A tiny cut or a small amount of infected bodily fluid, these are our occupational hazards," he says.

Chief nurse Cao Yanping remembers an incident involving one of her colleagues.

"After administering an injection, the cover of the syringe broke and she got pricked by the needle," she recalled.

After a course of anti-virus medicine she was given the all clear, but it was a sharp reminder of the gravity of working with PLWHA.

"That time it happened to be her. It may be me next time," she says.

CHALLENGED BY DESPAIR

Many of the residents at the institute, according to Pan, did not realize they were infected before they were tested prior to admission to the center, and many struggle to come to terms with the news. Their mental health issues mean that they are often difficult to manage, and many attempt to harm or kill themselves.

Zhou Chuanlong, 54, deputy leader of the police team, says many residents "act out" and refuse to engage in activities, such as morning exercise.

"They say 'how can you be so mean to me. I'm dying,'" Zhou says. "I've also heard someone threaten to my colleague by saying 'I'll infect you -- then you will understand my pain'."

Having worked as a police officer for 30 years, Zhou understands that patients want to be dealt with without fear and discrimination.

"AIDS is nothing to be afraid of if you know enough about the disease," he says. "They are just human beings who need care."

Each institute resident has a designated police officer, doctor and nurse, and they attend counselling, rehabilitation sessions and other activities to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, relieve their stress and regain confidence.

Wang Sheng (pseudonym) says he has been treated well and the staff endeavor to meet any reasonable demands. "They bought plants for us to decorate our cells and allowed our family to bring us musical instruments," he says.

Wang, 31, used to work in a night club in Beijing. In early 2014, he started taking crystal meth and exploring his homosexual urges. Over the following six months, he arranged to meet strangers through gay hook-up apps, such as Blued and Zank, to take drugs and have sex. In November 2014, the second time he was arrested, he tested positive for HIV.

Zhang Jianmin, president of Likang institute, said the prevalence of same-sex intercourse transmission can be linked to popularity of drugs such as crystal meth.

According to him, crystal meth costs a fraction of the price of heroin, making it more accessible, and leading to more addictions. Of those people sent to compulsory rehab, 80 percent use drugs such as crystal meth.

"Many use these drugs as an erotic enhancer," said president Zhang, adding that protection is often over looked in situations like this. Among the institute's residents, 60 percent were infected as a result of same-sex intercourse, he said.

Wang was married with two daughters. He led a comfortable life, and earned 20,000 yuan (2,900 U.S. dollars) to 30,000 yuan a month by renting out a food stand.

At the height of his drug addiction, however, he spent almost all his 180,000 yuan in savings. His family still do not know that he is living with HIV/AIDS or that he is gay.

Wang will not be discharged for another two months but he is already thinking about how to tell his wife. "The doctors say my family won't be infected if they are properly protected. I don't want a divorce," he says.

(Xinhua reporters Jia Na and Mao Weihao contributed to the story)
by Ronald Ssekandi, Yuan Qing

KAMPALA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's training programs of skilling African government officials are critical in improving service delivery that will fast track development on the continent, a senior government official has said.

Geoffrey Turyamhika, assistant Commissioner at Uganda's ministry of finance, told Xinhua in an interview on Tuesday that over time there has been an improvement in service delivery by officials who have attended short courses in China.

He said the exposure they get from China, which fast tracked its development over the last 30 years, is important when applied in the local context.

"Once you have exposed someone to new technologies, skills of doing business, then you expect to see better results. We have seen more commitment from our officers, they are more committed and inclined to work with a result-oriented attitude," Turyamhika said.

He was speaking shortly after a welcome reception of government officials who had returned from China from short trainings in various sectors.

He said Uganda and China this year piloted the first overseas training program where China sent experts to Uganda instead of sending trainees to China.

He said this saves money and many people can benefit from the training.

"Instead of having two participants going to China, we would rather get two technical officers from China to train 30 people here. We are hoping that for the future we would adopt that same methodology to hold more training in Uganda," he said.

Proscovia Nagayi, one of the beneficiaries, said the training course show how China is interested in having Africa develop. Another beneficiary Innocent Mugisha, who trained in Shanghai noted that in order to fast track development, a country must have enough electricity and must be able to produce for its citizens.

Every year Uganda sends over 300 government officials to attend short training courses in China ranging from finance, agriculture, education, health among others.

Zhao Xiufen, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy who hosted the event, said the trainings signify a deepening bond between the two countries, noting that since the 1950s, nearly 3,000 Ugandans have trained in China through different kinds of seminars.

"I hope that all the participants shall play a more important role in the future and make more contributions to the economic cooperation between China and Uganda," she said.

She said the trade volume between China and Uganda has kept increasing and reached 641 million U.S. dollars last year. China is now Uganda's third major trading partner and the second major source of imports.

"Until now, Chinese companies have totally invested about 4 billion dollars in Uganda. In terms of foreign direct investment, China now ranks number one in Uganda," she added.

China is currently undertaking major transport and energy infrastructure projects in the country.

The training programs are part of the 10 major plans announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping last year to boost cooperation between China and Africa over the next three years.

Xi, in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), said China will establish a number of regional vocational education centers and several capacity-building colleges for Africa, train 200,000 technicians for African countries, and provide the continent with 40,000 training opportunities in China.

China will also offer African students 2,000 education opportunities with degrees or diplomas and 30,000 government scholarships. The country will also every year invite 200 African scholars to visit, 500 African youths to study and train 1,000 media professionals from Africa.
by Xinhua writer Sun Yi

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres told Xinhua this week that China plays a fundamental role to global development, one which is not only effective but also fair.

He gave the interview on Tuesday on the sidelines of his two-day visit to China from Monday, during which he met several Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping.

Hailing the tour to China as an "important and useful" visit, Guterres said it was an opportunity, once again, for him to "be aware of the very strong commitment of China in supporting the UN and the multilateralism."

"China is more and more involved in international affairs, and that is very much welcomed," he said.

Guterres said that he believes China, as an important country and key player in the international relations, can be a broker, a facilitator, or a catalyst, to help others that still have contradictions of interests come together and understand how conflict affects different groups of society.

Guterres said it was very important to look into the way that the UN works, as it is excessively bureaucratic which can have a paralyzing effect in the way it operates.

He said enormous efforts are needed to simplify procedures, decentralize decisions, and be more flexible in order to realize quick deployment, and to effectively address common challenges.

On the other hand, he said it is clear that all UN agencies and departments must be committed to support member states, which are the key actors of related programs, and to support member states to achieve the goals of UN 2030 Agenda.

"We need to make sure that all UN departments work together with the same objectives in an coordinated way," he said, adding that it means each entity should not only work toward its own mandate, but also global objectives.

Guterres said that the truth is that the least developed countries have not had enough support and solidarity from the international community, and one of the ways to increase this is to allow them to have stronger voice and influence in the way the UN works and different multilateral organizations operate.

He noted that if people want globalization to succeed, and if people want to defeat all forms of protectionism, they must not leave anyone behind.

He said that he thought it would be important to visit the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, especially to have frank discussions on peace and security.

He added that consultation is important to see "how we can come together more effectively to make peace become again the central objective of the UN activities."

Guterres will start his five-year term on Jan. 1, 2017. He was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ever since the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations in 1971, the country has pledged to be -- and in fact has always been -- a staunch supporter, defender and participant of the UN cause.

China, with its unchanged commitment to the UN Charter, firm pursuit of world peace and development as well as deeper involvement in UN activities over the past 45 years, was called an "important pillar in the UN cause and multilateralism" by UN Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres.

At a summit marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of UN in September 2015, China proposed a new approach to international relations, which featured win-win cooperation at its core, renewing its commitment to the purposes and principles set out in the UN Charter.

As the world's first major country to set win-win cooperation at the core of its diplomatic posture, China strived to honor its commitment to world peace through concrete actions.

Last year, China announced a 10-year, 1-billion-U.S.-dollar peace and development fund to support UN work and advance multilateral cooperation. It also promised to provide 100 million U.S. dollars in free military aid for the African Union over the next five years support the establishment of the African Standby Force and the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis.

As the second largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping and the largest contributor of troops among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China is also working to establish a permanent peacekeeping police squad, and a standby peacekeeping force of 8,000 troops.

Meanwhile, China has contributed to the UN development agenda and global governance with initiatives including a 2-billion-U.S.-dollar assistance fund for South-South Cooperation, which will formally start operation by the end of this year, as well as substantial investment in some of the world's least developed countries.

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are also part of China's efforts to push for common development.

Moreover, China has ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change, paving the way for the implementation of the climate pact.

As the international situation develops, China is willing to enhance cooperation with the UN to address global challenges.
VIENTIANE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Laos will make efforts to further develop Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to increase broadband coverage, officials said Wednesday.

The country launched its first White Book on Information and Communication Technology during a forum on Lao National Broadband held in capital Vientiane.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Post and Telecommunications Thansamay Kommasith said ICT is an important tool for regional socio-economic integration. ICT is becoming a part of Lao people's daily life.

Laos expects to further develop ICT sector, thus creating better connectivity to ensure that broadband coverage will reach 90 percent of all villages nationwide by 2020, he said, adding the country will continue promoting ICT and calls for cooperation with stakeholders to boost economic development.

Jin Yuzhi, Vice President of Huawei Southeast Asia Region, said at the forum that there is a big gap in level of informatization among countries in Asia-Pacific region. While the broadband penetration in Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore has reached 95 percent of households, that level in countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia is even lower than five percent.

In Laos, it is necessary to strengthen government guidance and policies, speed up infrastructure construction and enhance inter-connectivity with other countries. With a population of more than 6.5 million people and some 61.4 percent of them young adults, Laos has a huge potential for broadband development, Jin said.

The White Book on 10-year plan of Lao National ICT provides recommendations for ICT development in Laos, including strengthening coordination, facilitating the operation of operators, investors and construction entities, among others.

The launching of the ICT White Book and broadband forum drew the participation of representatives from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's ICT giant Huawei, as well as ICT operators from Laos and Thailand.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's support facility project in the east African nation Djibouti is not military expansion, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Yang Yujun said at a regular press conference that the facilities being built in Djibouti will be mainly used to support Chinese armed forces carrying out escorts, humanitarian rescue and other tasks in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia.

The project is progressing smoothly, according to Yang.

"China's overseas support facilities are aimed at better helping it fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations, as well as protecting China's legitimate rights," Yang said.

"They are not aimed at military expansion," the spokesperson said.
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday told a meeting reviewing progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that China has helped Pakistan revive its economy in difficult time.

The meeting reviewed at length the benchmarks set for numerous energy, transport infrastructure and industrial projects in terms of deliverables with particular focus on development of the Gwadar Port in Balochistan Province along with socio-economic uplift projects in Gwadar, the Prime Minister Office said.

"Pakistan's economy was in shambles in 2013 when the present government came into power. It was China that supported and helped us in the economic revival at such crucial juncture for which the government and people of Pakistan are indebted to the Chinese leadership and people of China," Sharif said.

"The visionary Chinese leadership supported us in translating the idea of CPEC into reality," he said, according to a statement issued by the PM office.

While highlighting the significance of CPEC, Sharif said that the Chinese initiative is significantly attracting the world in general and regional countries in particular.

"CPEC has changed the negative security narrative into an exceedingly positive economic narrative for Pakistan," Sharif said, adding that "the successful implementation of the projects under the umbrella of CPEC is a manifestation of the strong and time-tested friendship between China and Pakistan; the success of CPEC has been substantiated by the massive and further expanding foreign investment in Pakistan."

"There is a compelling reason for international investors for investments in Pakistan because of the success story of CPEC initiatives," said the Prime Minister.

The meeting was briefed that energy projects under the CPEC including coal, hydel, wind, solar as well as transmission lines are on track. Besides, infrastructure projects including road, rail, aviation and data connectivity are also being executed simultaneously on fast track basis.

The Prime Minister reiterated that no region or territory must be left behind in reaping the benefits of CPEC and the meeting emphasized that local population must be given priority while giving incentives for industries.

The meeting was also briefed on the steps already in place for the safety and security of Chinese workers working on CPEC projects.

"Our endeavors have started yielding substantive results; our continuing efforts in the completion of CPEC projects will transform the socio-economic landscape of Pakistan where no one will be left behind in getting the multiple benefits," Sharif stated.
BELGRADE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Serbia's six-month presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) met its priorities such as economic and infrastructural cooperation among countries, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said here on Wednesday.

Dacic made this statement at the opening of the 48th plenary session of PABSEC, saying the grouping had a noble goal of strengthening peace, stability and security in the Black Sea region.

He added Serbian priorities during its presidency were to improve economic cooperation, transport, cooperation in international organizations such as European Union and United Nations, as well as increasing PABSEC's efficiency through reforms.

"I sincerely hope that we have succeeded in realizing the tasks that we set on July 1, 2016 when we took over the presidency," Dacic said to representatives of PABSEC member countries.

Dacic reminded that on Dec. 8 the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia will organize the meeting of the Business Council of PABSEC, while on Dec. 13 there will be a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers that will mark the end of Serbia's six-month presidency and transfer the duty to Turkey.

He stressed the increasing interconnection of PABSEC countries, especially in areas of economy, fight against organized crime, healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, natural disasters as well as science and technology.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to improve its value added tax (VAT) policies to further ease the tax burden of companies, according to an executive meeting of the State Council.

The VAT system was rolled out nationwide in May in place of business tax after successful pilots. By the end of October, 96.5 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) had been saved for companies, according to a statement released after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday.

All 26 economic sectors covered by the VAT program have seen their taxes reduced, said the statement, adding that finance, construction, real estate and livelihood services have been covered by the program.

The government estimates that a total of 500 billion yuan will be saved this year, taking into account tax reductions in pilot industries earlier this year.

Policymakers expect the new round of tax breaks to improve the overall tax system, help the development of service sector and other new economic drivers, and aid the nation's economic transformation.

The government will keep a close eye on the program and address problems promptly, and make more efforts to cut business burdens and stimulate market vitality.

Besides, the central authorities will allocate tax rebates to local governments, instead of more returns for regions with higher tax revenues, to help local officials to meet the balance.

The attendees of the meeting also reviewed a report on the annual inspection of state-owned enterprises (SOE) administered by the central government.

The SOEs managed to end a 20-month turnover decline in September and October by means of downsizing and restructuring, which contributed to a stabilizing economy, the report said, but warned of budgetary and operational violations.

The government asked the SOEs involved to conduct internal overhauls, and vowed strengthened supervision over overseas state-owned assets.
LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A motor lobby on Wednesday urged the British government to develop its industrial strategy with an immediate focus on automotive priorities post-Brexit.

The president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Gareth Jones underlined the industry's recent impressive growth and outlined the risks to investment and success if the benefits of the single market were lost.

New SMMT analysis suggests that EU tariffs on cars alone could add at least an annual 2.7 billion pounds (3.37 billion U.S. dollars) to imports and 1.8 billion pounds to exports. Import tariffs alone could push up the list price of cars imported to Britain from the continent by an average of 1,500 pounds if brands and their retail networks were unable to absorb these additional costs, it added.

SMMT published production figures showing British car makers were on track to set a new record for exports and beat the production volumes achieved last year.

However, he warned that this success was the result of multi-billion pound investment decisions made years before the EU referendum was even a prospect.

"The government has commendably put industrial strategy at the heart of business and the department for business. It does so as it faces its toughest challenge of leaving the EU. We must make the right decisions: on trade, on regulations and on business competitiveness," Jones said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) holds talks with visiting Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (2nd L) in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The China-Hungary Belt and Road working group will facilitate the implementation of the initiative, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks after the opening ceremony of the first China-Hungary Belt and Road working group meeting with visiting Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Hailing the establishment of the working group as "innovative," Wang said it would be conducive to putting bilateral consensus into practice and improving pragmatic cooperation.

In June 2015, China and Hungary inked a memorandum of understanding on the initiative, the first document of this kind to be signed by China and a European country.

"This marks the successful alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's Eastern Opening policy," said Wang, adding that bilateral cooperation has progressed ever since.

Noting that the current situation of China-Hungary ties are at a historical high, Wang said China is the largest trading partner of Hungary outside the European Union, and Hungary is the largest investment destination of China in Central and Eastern Europe.

Hungary is also a member of the "16+1" cooperation mechanism which groups 16 Central and Eastern European countries and China.

Wang said he hoped such specialized working groups will spearhead China's cooperation with other countries along the Belt and Road.

Earlier the day, State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with the Hungarian official, calling on both sides to further tap the cooperation potential within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and elevate the bilateral friendship and China-Europe relations to a new high.

Szijjarto expressed the Hungarian side's pride on taking a leading role in promoting Central and Eastern European countries' cooperation with China, and will strive forward to connecting Chinese enterprises with Europe.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China opposes Japanese military procedures under the guise of peacekeeping missions, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense Yang Yujun said at press conference Wednesday.

Asked about Japan sending Self-Defense Forces to South Sudan as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, Yang said China supports various countries' participation in UN peacekeeping operations but opposes participation for any underlying military reasons.

The spokesperson also said the Chinese military has expressed serious concerns over an intelligence-sharing pact between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Officials from Japan and ROK signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement on Nov. 23, which allows the direct exchange of intelligence on the nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The move reflects a "cold war mentality" and will increase instability in northeast Asia, Yang said, adding that the Chinese armed forces will make all necessary preparations and resolutely safeguard national security as well as regional peace.
BAKU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Azerbaijani parliament on Wednesday approved amended legislation that criminalize the defamation of the country's president on the Internet.

Official media reported that the legislation allows the prosecution of activists who post insulting remarks against President Ilham Aliyev.

The amendments to the Criminal Code will impose fines of up to 1,000 manats (580 U.S. dollars) and imprisonment of up to two years for those committing online defamation of the country's top leader.

Anonymous online offensiveness was also punishable with a fine of up to 1,500 manats (870 dollars), 360-480 hours' community service, two years' correctional labor or one year in jail.

In May 2013, the parliament passed amendments imposing fines of up to 1,000 manats and prison terms of up to three years for posting derogatory or demeaning texts on the Internet. President Aliyev signed the bill in the following month.
FLASH: UN SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION IN RESPONSE TO DPRK'S FIFTH NUCLEAR TEST
LUSAKA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed while 49 others injured when a fuel tanker collided with a passenger bus in central Zambia's Kapiri Mposhi town, the police said on Wednesday.

The accident, which happened along a main road between the towns of Ndola and Kapiri Mposhi around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, resulted in the death of the driver of the Tanzania registered fuel tanker while 49 people from the bus were injured, eight seriously, according to police spokesperson Esther Katongo.

She said the accident happened when the driver of the truck improperly tried to overtake another truck but ended up colliding with the bus which was coming from the opposite direction.

"The tanker driver sustained fatal injuries and died on the spot while his body is in the Kapiri Mposhi Hospital Mortuary. The bus driver and some passengers sustained serious injuries," she said in a statement.

Zambia has started implementing a ban on the movement of public vehicles at night as a way to curb road carnages.

According to government figures, 1,700 people died from road traffics accidents in the first nine months of this year.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Cambodian armies will stage a joint drill featuring humanitarian rescue and disaster alleviation in Phnom Penh from Dec. 11 to 26, China's military spokesperson Yang Yujun told a press briefing Wednesday.

A total of 97 land troops from the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army and 280 from Cambodia will take part in the drill, Yang said.

The event aims to strengthen collaboration in the operations of humanitarian rescue and disaster reduction as well deepen pragmatic cooperation, the spokesperson said.

In another development, Yang said the Chinese army has expressed grave concerns over armed conflicts near the China-Myanmar border, calling on all parties involved to take effective measures and strengthen military control in the area.

The Chinese army has strengthened patrol and safety protection along the border and has prepared for various emergencies, Yang said, adding that the army will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, as well as the safety of people's lives and property.
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CAIRO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Wednesday renamed the outgoing prime minister to form a new cabinet, official KUNA news agency reported.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah will form the new government and present the nominees to the country's emir for approval, the report said.

The outgoing government under Sheikh Jaber resigned on Monday as required by the constitution after the announcement of the results of the National Assembly, Kuwait's parliament, elections that were held on Saturday.

The country's emir has the sole power to appoint the prime minister regardless of the outcome of polls.

The new parliament will hold its first session on Dec. 11, the deadline before which the new cabinet should by formed.

In Saturday's elections, the Islamist-dominated opposition won nearly half of the seats in the 50-member parliament and vowed to oppose the government's austerity measures in the face of low oil revenues.

Since 1962, Kuwait has had seven prime ministers.
DAMASCUS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the remarks he recently made against the Syrian government, branding the Turkish leader as "tyrant."

In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the ministry said "Syria will not allow this tyrant to intervene in its internal affairs and will cut off the hands that try to harm it."

The statement came after the recent remarks by Erdogan, who said Tuesday that the aim of his troops intervention in Syria is to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

"The remarks of Erdogan reflect the real intentions behind the Turkish aggression on Syria and that's a result of his greed and illusions that feed the the thoughts of this extremist tyrant," the ministry said.

"It's ironic that such a tyrant knows how to speak of democracy while he was the one who turned his country into a big prison for all of his opponents," the ministry added.

Meanwhile, the ministry urged the international community to put an end to the "behaviors of Erdogan and his meddling in the affairs of the regional countries, which poses a threat to the regional and international peace."

The Turkish army has recently intervened in northern Syria to back rebel groups under a campaign called "Euphrates Shield," declaring to fight Islamic State (IS) group and prevent Kurdish militias from taking over key areas in northern Syria near the Turkish borders.

But Erdogan in his remarks said that targeting the Syrian army is not far from happening.

Following Turkish intervention, the Syrian government made it clear that it will deal with the Turkish forces as a force of occupation.

A couple of weeks ago, three Turkish soldiers were killed near the Syrian northern city of al-Bab, which is controlled by the IS.

Ankara then accused the Syrian forces of targeting the Turkish soldiers, promising retaliation.
SOFIA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Bulgarian army would acquire one unmanned aerial system consisting of four drones by 2018, the country's Air Force commander Major General Tsanko Stoykov said here on Wednesday.

The drones would have a flight range of 200 km and 10 to 15 hours of flight duration, Stoykov said at a public lecture in the Central Military Club.

Through the implementation of this project, Bulgarian Air Force would build a new air defense capability for monitoring and reconnaissance with unmanned aerial systems, Stoykov said.

This would help the army's involvement in activities such as participation in combat search and rescue operations, and the fight against terrorism, he said.

Bulgaria is among the participating nations in the NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance system, which includes a drone element and would be made available to the Alliance in 2017-2018. Enditem
People march with a slogan "No" during a rally ahead of a referendum over the constitutional reform in Rome's People's Square, Italy, Nov. 27, 2016.(Xinhua/Jin Yu)

ROME, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Wednesday that a government constitutional reform of scrapping the Senate and other bodies will save state coffers 500 million euros (529.98 million U.S. dollars) a year.

"The way to erase 500 million euros in waste is to vote on Dec. 4," Renzi said in reference to a referendum to be held on Sunday, when Italy's voters will be asked whether they accept or reject the reform.

Renzi explained that under the reform, which has already been approved by parliament, the Upper House will be reduced from 315 to 100 seats, to be filled by regional representatives and city mayors.

Renzi pointed out that opposition to this reform is widespread, even from within the ranks of his own center-left Democratic Party (PD), because if it passes, many elected officials would see their monthly stipends reduced significantly. Future representatives would only be paid as much as the mayor of the capital of their region.

"With this system, the 100 senators will represent their home territories, not a political class," Renzi said.

The young reformist prime minister said Italy has the highest number of MPs in the European Union, and it is also the only country in which the upper and the lower house of parliament have equal powers. This means it can take years to get laws passed.

"We're original, it's true, but we're great at complicating things for ourselves," Renzi said. "It's as if Germany and France were running a 100-meter race, and we insisted on running a 110-meter steeplechase instead -- you'd have to be a truly great athlete to make it."

"The truth is that some politicians are trying to convince citizens to vote 'No' in order to preserve their privileges," Renzi said.

"It's a battle of citizens against the caste. Many will vote 'Yes,' even people who would never vote for me or my party, because they know this train won't be back for another 20 years," he added.

The prime minister also explained that the reform would cancel the current overlap between the jurisdictions of central government and Italy's 20 regions.

Renzi used the example of a number of scandals across Italy, in which municipal employees and public servants of all kinds were caught clocking in to work, only to spend the day shopping instead.

In response, government issued a decree calling for civil servants who clock in only to disappear from their workplace to be fired within 30 days. The decree, which went into effect in July this year, says managers and supervisors who turn a blind eye to such conduct are also liable to get fired.

However, the Constitutional Court earlier this week voided the decree, saying government must seek approval from regional governors in each case.

"If I want to sack a clock-in cheat, I have to ask permission from the Veneto governor," Renzi said. "I think it's madness".

The prime minister also said that while opponents of his reform argue that it should have been designed differently, action is better than paralysis.

"It's better to do something than to do nothing at all," Renzi said. "Why should we spend the coming years just complaining? I want to change things. Some say the reform is not perfect; I say it's better to take a step forward rather than remain at a standstill."

Renzi said: "I hope Italy will choose the future not the past. Nostalgia is beautiful, but hope is even more so."
by Anthi Pazianou

MYTILENE, Greece, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Stores and public services on the islands of the Northern Aegean remained closed on Wednesday in protest of the government's plan to abolish the reduced rate of VAT for islanders in January 2017.

For three decades the Greek state had granted islands a special taxation status to help local economies. In the context of the latest rounds of austerity measures introduced under the bailout program, these exemptions are abolished next year.

A total of 54 trade unions of the Northern Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios, Limnos and Samos called Wednesday's mobilization. They were backed by unions representing public servants and academics teaching on the islands.

The local societies request the exemption of the islands from the increase of the VAT rate from 17 percent to 24 percent, citing "economic and national reasons."

Protesters who participated in a three-hour symbolic sit-in protest of the General Secretariat of the Northern Aegean and Island Policy on Lesvos, requested a meeting with the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Islanders ask the government to take into account the additional difficulties the region is facing since 2015 due to the refugee crisis. More than one million people have landed on the islands' shores seeking refuge in Europe over the past two years.

"The government's stance towards the islands is unacceptable if we consider the huge load islanders have been carrying in recent months- the refugee issue," Panagiotis Paparisvas, the president of the Trade Union of Mytilene, told Xinhua.

"They are expressing their 'gratitude' to the residents of the Northern Aegean for the solidarity and humanism they have shown, by increasing the VAT rates," he said.
KIEV, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Bohai Commodity Exchange Co., Ltd. (BOCE) purchased the Ukrainian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (UBRD), local authorities said Wednesday.

The Tianjin-based company paid 3.3 million U.S. dollars for the state-owned bank, which was auctioned off in Kiev under Ukraine's privatization program, the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine said in a statement.

To resume the bank's operation that was suspended for lack of funds, the Chinese company should invest at least 100,000 dollars in the financial institution, the statement said.

SPF head Igor Bilous said he wished the new owner will make the UBRD a bridge connecting the businesses of China and Ukraine.

Bilous also invited more Chinese investors to join Ukraine's privatization program, under which the East European country planned to sell more than 300 state-owned enterprises.

The Ukrainian government launched its major privatization program in recent years to fill the cash-strapped budget and enhance the efficiency of state enterprises, nearly half of which have halted their businesses in short of investment.

Established in 2009, the BOCE links private Chinese investors and several state-owned companies and handles about 1 trillion dollars in trade annually.
SANYA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese official Wednesday called for prosecuting agencies of countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to strengthen cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call at the opening ceremony of the 14th SCO attorney generals' meeting and the 2016 BRICS attorney generals' meeting both held in Sanya, Hainan Province,Wednesday.

The SCO attorney generals' meeting will look at the role of prosecuting agencies in fighting terrorism, while the BRICS meeting will focus on battling corruption-related crimes.

Meng called on prosecuting agencies of SCO member states to enhance pragmatic cooperation in anti-terrorism information, fight against cyber-terrorism and improve anti-terrorism law.

Meng also called on prosecuting agencies of BRICS countries to deepen cooperation in anti-graft information as well as hunt fugitives and their illicit gains.

The SCO is an inter-governmental organization founded in Shanghai in 2001, which includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
ALGIERS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Algerian counterterrorism troops on Tuesday arrested two terrorists in the southernmost town of Timiaouine, near the border with Mali, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two gunmen were killed during an ambush by army troops, as a Kalashnikov submachine gun and a quantity of ammunition were retrieved.

Last week, four armed militants surrendered to security authorities in the southern town of In Amenas, near the Libyan border.

Dozens of terrorists have surrendered to army troops due to the underway intense counterterrorism operations in the past nine months, which have killed over 100 armed militants, in addition to destroying bunkers of war weapons and bombs, mostly on southern and eastern borders.

Despite the improving security situation in Algeria, the regions east of the capital, including the provinces of Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou and Jijel, and also the southern part of the country, namely the provinces of Tamanrasset, Adrar and Illizi, still harbor a few number of terrorists.
KHARTOUM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) agreed on Wednesday to elevate bilateral relations to a "strategic level."

The parties reached the consensus at the fourth round of high-level talks in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, the talks co-chaired by NCP Deputy Chairman Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid and Wang Jiarui, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Hamid affirmed a "complete consensus between the two parties" after talks on "all political, economic, commercial, cultural and social axes," highlighting the will and determination by the political leadership in the two parties to press ahead and boost the cooperation ties.

China has reiterated its support of Sudan's issues at all international forums, he added, hailing the continuing support from China towards construction and development projects in Sudan, including the increase of Chinese investments.

He also reiterated "primary supporting stance" toward China's core interests, saying that Sudanese government attaches great importance to the bilateral ties.

Wang assured China's "great concern of its strategic ties with Sudan," underscoring efforts to implement the political consensus of the two countries' leadership amid "new circumstances and new challenges."

He said that CPC is willing to intensify communication with NCP, emphasizing the spirit of the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

He also reiterated depth of the standing traditional friendship between the two countries, applauding the exchange of support "for the sake of mutual progress," according to a written statement at the conclusion of his three-day visit to Sudan.

Wang, accompanied by a CPC delegation, visited Sudan on Nov. 28-30, where he met with Sudan's First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Saleh, Parliament Speaker Ibrahim Ahmed Omer and Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour.

Wang also attended the second session of the dialogue forum between the Chinese and Sudanese industrial and trade sectors as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The high-level talks represent the top mechanism between both parties to discuss issues of strategic political and economic partnership, and it is governed by a protocol which renew itself in every five years.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Why do the Chinese tend to eat dumplings or rice ball soup on certain dates?

The answer comes down to 24 solar terms, which were added Wednesday to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

What exactly are the 24 solar terms?

Put simply, they are a list of terms central to a calendar created in ancient China. Based on the movement of the sun, the calendar divides the year into 24 segments to guide farming over the four seasons.

The Yellow River Basin, in northern China, is believed to be the cradle of the solar terms system. Ancient Chinese farmers used astronomical signs, changes in temperature and precipitation as the basis to create the calendar, which was later adopted by multiple ethnic groups in different regions across China.

As a unique knowledge system of the Chinese people, the 24 solar terms have had a deep impact on Chinese people's way of thinking and behavior for thousands of years, and are considered an important part of the Chinese cultural identity.

In the current time of technology-based modern farming, traditional solar terms remain relevant, especially in Chinese cultural and social life. It is also not uncommon for a patriarch to remind members of the family to put on warmer clothes on the start date of "Frost Descent"; mothers may cook glutinous rice dumplings when "Winter Solstice" arrives.

This legacy reflects the Chinese people's respect for nature and tradition, their unique understanding of the universe, their wisdom to live in harmony with nature, and the world's cultural diversity, said Zhang Ling, an official with the Ministry of Culture, who attended the UNESCO meeting in Addis Ababa.

She said the Chinese government will take this inscription as a starting point to elevate the protection of this intangible cultural heritage, and let more people around the world to know the lunar-solar calendar system.

Some of the solar terms and their meaning are listed below. Note that the start dates vary in the Gregorian calendar.

Beginning of Spring (Lichun), Feb. 3-5;

Rain Water (Yushui), Feb. 18-20, meaning the start of rain;

Insects Awakening (Jingzhe), March 5-7, meaning hibernating worms come to life;

...

Grain in Ear (Mangzhong), June 5-7, meaning wheat grows ripe;

Greater Heat (Dashu), July 22-24, meaning the hottest time of year;

...

White Dew (Bailu), Sept. 7-9, meaning dew curdles and it starts to get cold;

First Frost (Shuangjiang), Oct. 23-24, meaning frost begins to descend;

...

Beginning of Winter (Lidong), Nov. 7-8;

Winter Solstice (Dongzhi), Dec. 21-23, meaning the shortest day of the year;

Greater Cold (Dahan), Jan. 20-21, meaning the coldest day of the year.
LISBON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Portugal and Spain must work together to consolidate the recovery of the economies of both countries, Spanish King Filipe VI said Wednesday.

In an address to the assembly as part of a three-day state visit, Filipe said: "In the past years, both Spain and Portugal suffered an economic crisis that seriously affected our citizens."

"Today, our economies have returned to the path of economic growth and continuing to work to deepen economic bilateral relations is the best way to consolidate recovery, create employment and sustain the social model that we share," he added.

Parliament President Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues also highlighted during the ceremony that both countries had common strategic interests and that these had to be defended jointly by both countries.

King Filipe VI and Queen Letizia began their three-day official visit to Portugal on Monday in Porto, where they were received by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
JUBA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan is on the menace of catastrophe amid deepening ethnic divisions and renewed armed forces recruitment, a three-member UN commission on human rights said Wednesday in the country, calling for sanctions.

Chairperson of the commission Yasmin Sooka told reporters in Juba, capital of South Sudan, at the end of a ten-day visit that there were disturbing indicators of a looming genocide if the international community failed to make efforts to prevent it.

"There is already a steady process of ethnic cleaning underway in several areas of South Sudan using starvation, gang rape and the burning of villages," Sooka said.

The human rights experts said other areas of the country that had been relatively unaffected by three years of civil conflict -- such as the Equatoria region -- were now seeing an emerging trend of armed groups, displacement based on ethnicity and looting.

The commission urged the international community to take immediate steps to avert mass blood by expediting the arrival of the 4,000 protection force authorized by the UN Security Council in August to boost the UN peacekeeping mission, impose targeted sanctions and implement an arms embargo on South Sudan.

Sooka also expressed disappointment with the African Union (AU) and the South Sudanese government for delaying the process of setting up a transitional justice system to try human rights violators.

She said the initial assessment indicated that armed groups in South Sudan had increased new recruitment in preparation for war during the dry season.

"Everywhere we went across this country we heard villagers saying they are ready to shed blood to get their land back. Many told us it already reached a point of no return," Sooka said.

During their mission, the commission members met government officials, civil society activists, diplomatic missions and visited displaced people in Juba, Bentiu and Wau.

They said victims of human rights abuses gave them terrible accounts of continued violence against civilians by armed groups.

South Sudan has been embroiled in civil conflict since December 2013 following a political rivalry between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million people displaced since then.

A peace deal signed in August last year led to the formation of a transitional unity government in April but was later shattered as fresh clashes erupted in the capital Juba in July between forces of the rival leaders.

The UN has on several occasions accused the warring parties in South Sudan of committing horrific human rights abuses. Enditem
Photo taken on Nov. 30, 2016 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on resolution in response to Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) fifth nuclear test, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. UN Security Council adopted resolution in response to DPRK's fifth nuclear test.(Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the country's fifth nuclear test.

In the new resolution, the 15-nation council decided that the DPRK shall not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron and iron ore from its territory, but excluded transactions for livelihood purposes.

The council sets an upper limit on the DPRK's coal exporting, saying the total exports from the DPRK do not exceed 400.9 million U.S. dollars or 7.5 million metric tons per year, whichever is lower, starting on Jan. 1, 2017.

In addition, the Security Council bans the sale of copper, nickel, silver, zinc and statues from the DPRK, according to the resolution.

On Sept. 9, the DPRK conducted a nuclear warhead explosion test. It was Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test, which followed the previous one by eight months.

"The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act," said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi.

"The resolution adopted by the council today demonstrates the uniform stand of the international community against the development by the DPRK of its nuclear and missile programs and for the maintenance of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," said Liu.

Liu pointed out that the relevant measures, as resolution notes, are not intended to produce negative consequences on DPRK's humanitarian situation and the livelihood of its people, nor to affect normal economic and trade activities.

"China urges the parties concerned to effectively implement the relevant provisions the council resolution in its entirety," he added.

Liu noted that the top priority at hand is for the parties concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations and re-launch the six-party talks as soon as possible to safeguard the denuclearization process and realize peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

"China urges the parties concerned to push forward in parallel the negotiations on the denuclearization on one hand and on the replacement of the armistice with the peace treaty on the other," said Liu.

After the council adopted the resolution, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the new resolution "sends an unequivocal message" that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

"The DPRK must reverse its course and move onto the path of denuclearization through sincere dialogue," said Ban, while calling on the international community to improve living conditions of the people of the DPRK.

So far, the Security Council has adopted six resolutions to curb the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs.

In March, the council imposed severe sanctions, including an export ban and asset freeze, on the DPRK in response to its H-bomb test carried out in January.

The country also conducted underground nuclear tests respectively in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Increased integration into the global economy has made the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region a more accessible market for trading goods than either the European Union or the United States, according to a report published Wednesday by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.

Global Enabling Trade Report 2016 features the enabling trade index (ETI), which assesses the performance of 136 economies on domestic and foreign market access, border administration, transport and digital infrastructure, transport services, and operating environment.

The report said that ASEAN's progress as an economic power comes at a time when the United States and the European Union are becoming less open, adding that ASEAN's progress in other areas measured by the index is less pronounced.

As a result, the best economies for enabling trade tend to be in northern and western Europe, with the notable exception of Singapore and China's Hong Kong, in first and third places, respectively.

"Free trade remains the most powerful driver of global economic development and social progress. The challenge for leaders today is to confront protectionism but they also have a duty to make trade a source for more inclusive growth," said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Produced every two years, the Global Enabling Trade Report assesses the extent to which economies have in place the factors facilitating the free flow of goods over borders and to their destination.
Liu Jieyi (C, front), the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the country's fifth nuclear test, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov. 30, 2016. The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the DPRK in response to the country's fifth nuclear test. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday voiced its firm opposition to the Sept. 9 nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and called for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks in order to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political and peaceful means.

Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks as he was taking the floor at the UN Security Council after the 15-nation UN body unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten its sanction against the DPRK in response to its nuclear test in September, the country's fifth one since 2006.

"On Sept. 9 this year, the DPRK conducted yet another nuclear test in defiance of the new universal objection of the international community," Liu said. "The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act."

In the new resolution, the Security Council decides that the DPRK shall not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron and iron ore from its territory or by its nationals. However, the resolution said that the provision shall not apply with respect to transactions in iron and iron ore that are determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes and unrelated to generating revenue for the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"The resolution adopted by the Security Council today demonstrates the uniform stand of the international community against the development by the DPRK of its nuclear programs and for the maintenance of the international non-proliferation regime," he said. "The resolution reaffirms the need to safeguard the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, commits to seeking a solution to this issue by peaceful, diplomatic and political means, supports the resumption of the Six-Party Talks."

The Six-Party Talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, were a multilateral mechanism aimed at solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. The talks began in 2003 and stalled in December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.

The new resolution also emphasized the importance of easing the tension on the Korean Peninsula by all the parties concerned, Liu said. "As the resolution notes, the relevant measures are not intended to produce negative consequences on the DPRK's humanitarian situation and the livelihood of its people, nor to affect normal economic and trade activities."

"China urges the parties concerned to effectively implement the relevant provisions of the council resolution in its entirety," he said.

Since the beginning of 2016, the DPRK has conducted two nuclear tests and multiple ballistic missile tests, Liu noted, adding that on the other hand, certain parties have kept strengthening military deployment, increasing military presence and scaling up military exercises.

"As a result, the confrontation on the peninsula has intensified, plunging into a vicious circle," he said. "This situation must be changed as soon as possible."

As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has all along insisted on the denuclearization resolution of the peninsula and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, he said. "We have always called for the settlement of this issue through dialogue and consultations, and fought against turmoil and conflicts on the peninsula."

Meanwhile, Liu said, "China is opposed to the deployment of THAAD anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula as it seriously undermines the strategic security interest of China and other countries of the region, and upsets the regional strategic balance."

"As such, it is neither conducive to the realization of the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, nor helpful to the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula," he said. "China urges the parties concerned to immediately stop the relevant deployment process."

China has repeatedly voiced its strong opposition to the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea.

"The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is sensitive, complex and dire," he said. "All parties must look at the big picture, meet each other half-way, and avoid any statement or action that might exacerbate the tension."

"The top priority at hand is for the parties concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations at an early date and re-launch the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible so as to work together in a genuine effort to safeguard the denuclearization process and realise peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

"China urges the parties concerned to push forward in parallel the negotiations on the denuclearization on the one hand, and on the replacement of the Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty on the other," he said. "China will persist in advancing dialogue and consultations with a view to solving the relevant issue within the framework of the Six-Party Talks."

Signed in 1953 to end the Korean War, the armistice agreement is designed to "insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved."

China is ready to continue to play an active and constructive role in order to bring lasting peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula, he added.
Photo taken on Nov. 30, 2016 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on resolution in response to Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) fifth nuclear test, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. UN Security Council adopted resolution in response to DPRK's fifth nuclear test.(Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the country's fifth nuclear test.

In the new resolution, the 15-nation council decided that the DPRK shall not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron and iron ore from its territory, but excluded transactions for livelihood purposes.

The council sets an upper limit on the DPRK's coal exporting, saying the total exports from the DPRK do not exceed 400.9 million U.S. dollars or 7.5 million metric tons per year, whichever is lower, starting on Jan. 1, 2017.

In addition, the Security Council bans the sale of copper, nickel, silver, zinc and statues from the DPRK, according to the resolution.

On Sept. 9, the DPRK conducted a nuclear warhead explosion test. It was Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test, which followed the previous one by eight months.

Liu Jieyi (C, front), Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addresses the UN Security Council open debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Oct. 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

"The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act," said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi.

"The resolution adopted by the council today demonstrates the uniform stand of the international community against the development by the DPRK of its nuclear and missile programs and for the maintenance of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," said Liu.

Liu pointed out that the relevant measures, as resolution notes, are not intended to produce negative consequences on DPRK's humanitarian situation and the livelihood of its people, nor to affect normal economic and trade activities.

"China urges the parties concerned to effectively implement the relevant provisions the council resolution in its entirety," he added.

Liu noted that the top priority at hand is for the parties concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations and re-launch the six-party talks as soon as possible to safeguard the denuclearization process and realize peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

"China urges the parties concerned to push forward in parallel the negotiations on the denuclearization on one hand and on the replacement of the armistice with the peace treaty on the other," said Liu.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (C, front) speaks after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution in response to DPRK's fifth nuclear test, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Nov. 30, 2016. The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the country's fifth nuclear test in September. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

After the council adopted the resolution, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the new resolution "sends an unequivocal message" that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations.

"The DPRK must reverse its course and move onto the path of denuclearization through sincere dialogue," said Ban, while calling on the international community to improve living conditions of the people of the DPRK.

So far, the Security Council has adopted six resolutions to curb the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs.

In March, the council imposed severe sanctions, including an export ban and asset freeze, on the DPRK in response to its H-bomb test carried out in January.

The country also conducted underground nuclear tests respectively in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has picked his campaign finance chairman Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary.

"Steve Mnuchin is a world-class financier, banker and businessman, and has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs," Trump said in a statement, adding Mnuchin's expertise and pro-growth ideas make him the ideal candidate to serve as treasury secretary.

Mnuchin, 53, a former Goldman Sachs banker, said Wednesday that the Trump administration will focus on tax reform to revive U.S. economic growth.

"Our most important priority is sustained economic growth, and I think we can absolutely get to sustained 3 to 4 percent GDP (gross domestic product), and that is absolutely critical for the country," Mnuchin said in an interview with CNBC.

"To get there, our number one priority is tax reform. This will be the largest tax change since (President Ronald) Reagan," he said, promising that the Trump administration will bring a lot of jobs and money back into the U.S. by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15 percent.

Ross, 79, known for restructuring failed companies in distress sectors like steel and coal, said in the same interview that the Trump administration aims to increase American exports by fixing "dum trade" deals and getting rid of trade barriers.

"There's trade, there's sensible trade and there's dumb trade. We've been doing a lot of dumb trade, and that's the part that's going to get fixed," he said.

Both Mnuchin and Ross said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a bad deal and that the new administration is in favor of bilateral trade agreements rather than regional trade pacts.

Trump has vowed to withdraw the Pacific trade deal, an ambitious trade agreement among the U.S. and other 11 countries in Asia Pacific, within his first 100 days in office.

In terms of Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, Ross clarified that tariffs are part of the negotiation and not the first choice.

"Everybody talks about tariffs as the first thing. Tariffs are the last thing. Tariffs are part of the negotiation. The real trick is going to be increasing American exports," he said.

Zhang Xiangchen, China's deputy international trade representative with the Ministry of Commerce, said last week that Trump would be reminded that the United States should honor its obligations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after he moves into the White House.

China, as a member of the WTO, has also the right to defend its rights and interests in accordance with the WTO rules, he said.

Zhang was confident that China has good dialogue mechanisms with the U.S. administration on economic and trade policies to ensure that their relations will move forward "on a healthy track."
Syria's Foreign Ministry urged the international community to put an end to the "behaviors of Erdogan and his meddling in the affairs of the regional countries, which poses a threat to the regional and international peace." (AFP photo)

DAMASCUS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the remarks he recently made against the Syrian government, branding the Turkish leader as "tyrant."

In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the ministry said "Syria will not allow this tyrant to intervene in its internal affairs and will cut off the hands that try to harm it."

The statement came after the recent remarks by Erdogan, who said Tuesday that the aim of his troops intervention in Syria is to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

"The remarks of Erdogan reflect the real intentions behind the Turkish aggression on Syria and that's a result of his greed and illusions that feed the the thoughts of this extremist tyrant," the ministry said.

"It's ironic that such a tyrant knows how to speak of democracy while he was the one who turned his country into a big prison for all of his opponents," the ministry added.

Meanwhile, the ministry urged the international community to put an end to the "behaviors of Erdogan and his meddling in the affairs of the regional countries, which poses a threat to the regional and international peace."

The Turkish army has recently intervened in northern Syria to back rebel groups under a campaign called "Euphrates Shield," declaring to fight Islamic State (IS) group and prevent Kurdish militias from taking over key areas in northern Syria near the Turkish borders.

But Erdogan in his remarks said that targeting the Syrian army is not far from happening.

Following Turkish intervention, the Syrian government made it clear that it will deal with the Turkish forces as a force of occupation.

A couple of weeks ago, three Turkish soldiers were killed near the Syrian northern city of al-Bab, which is controlled by the IS.

Ankara then accused the Syrian forces of targeting the Turkish soldiers, promising retaliation.
People enjoy beer during the Belgian Beer Festival in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Aug. 31, 2012. (Xinhua/Yan Ting)

BRUSSELS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Belgium's unique beer culture has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN agency announced on Wednesday.

"Making and appreciating beer is part of the living heritage of a range of communities throughout Belgium. It plays a role in daily life, as well as festive occasions," UNESCO said in a press release.

Almost 1,500 types of beer are produced in the country using different fermentation methods, while some Trappist communities have also been involved in beer production giving profits to charity, it noted.

UNESCO also praised Belgium's efforts to pass down the traditional skills and knowledge in the beer industry.

"Besides being transmitted in the home and social circles, knowledge and skills are also passed down by master brewers who run classes in breweries, specialised university courses that target those involved in the field and hospitality in general, public training programs for entrepreneurs, and small test breweries for amateur brewers," it said.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel posted the news on his Twitter account, and invited people to "come on to Belgium and taste it."

Meanwhile, culture ministers of Belgium's three linguistic communities (Dutch, French and German) issued a joint statement in celebration of the inscription.

"The recognition by UNESCO is the culmination of the work of countless brewers, beer lovers, beer promoters and beer scholars. This recognition will make the beer culture in Belgium more renowned worldwide," said Isabelle Weykmans, culture minister of the German-speaking community in Belgium.

The beer culture is Belgium's 11th item inscribed on the UNESCO list. The others include the Holy Blood Procession in Bruges, the Carnivals in Binche and Aalst and the "shrimp fishing on horseback" tradition of Oostduinkerke.
VIENNA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The OPEC on Wednesday decided to cut its oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day, setting the ceiling of oil production at 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd).

The reduction is effective from Jan. 1, 2017, and is the cartel's first oil reduction since 2008. The reduction is being coordinated with the non-OPEC country Russia, who promised to cut its production by 300,000 barrels per day.

Qatar's energy minister Mohammed Al-Sada, president of OPEC, said the agreement was reached unanimously except for Indonesia, who has now suspended its membership of the cartel.

According to data offered by OPEC, the largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia took the biggest part of the reduction, 486,000 barrels per day.

OPEC crude output rose to a record 33.83 million bpd in October, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), output from the group's 14 members has climbed for five months running. In October, OPEC supply stood nearly 1.3 million bpd above a year ago.

OPEC is to establish a ministerial committee to monitor the implementation of the agreement to secure the oil reduction.
SKOPJE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia remains committed to achieving its European Union (EU) bid, Macedonia's foreign minister Nikola Poposki declared Wednesday during a working breakfast with ambassadors of EU member states here.

The meeting was hosted by Slovakia's Ambassador to Macedonia Martin Bezak, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the foreign minister said in a statement.

Poposki discussed with EU member states ambassadors the European Commission progress report for the country, highlighting Macedonia's efforts to launch EU accession talks as soon as possible, the ministry said.

The Macedonian foreign minister also told ambassadors that Macedonia would focus on addressing European Commission recommendations towards progress in the European integration process.

Later on, Poposki briefed ambassadors on the preparations for the early parliamentary elections scheduled for Dec. 11.

Poposki expressed confidence that Macedonia would be able to carry out a successful electoral process, the statement said. Enditem
MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Wednesday fought Islamic State (IS) militants in the city of Mosul and liberated another district in the city, while a UN humanitarian organization warned of the humanitarian situation in eastern Mosul.

After nearly six weeks of a major offensive to drive out the extremist militants from Mosul, the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) continued fighting heavy clashes with the IS militants in eastern Mosul, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said.

The troops managed on the day to free the district of al-Ekhaa and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings, the statement said.

The troops inside Mosul were met by stubborn resistance from the extremist militants, who are fighting in small groups and moving quickly throughout the districts in the eastern side of the city, locally named the left bank of the Tigris River that bisects the city.

The extremist groups frequently infiltrated behind the advanced CTS forces using tunnels or dozens of houses and buildings.

In west of Mosul, the predominantly Shiite Hashd Shaabi units freed the villages al-Salhiyah and Bootha al-Sharqiyah near the IS-held town of Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, after heavy clashes with IS militants, according to a statement by the Hashd Shaabi.

The presence of the Hashd Shaabi units near Tal Afar enabled them to cut off IS supply routes from the west side of Mosul, and allowed both the paramilitary units and other Iraqi and Kurdish security forces to entirely isolate and surround Mosul.

The units' presence in the whole area in west of Mosul would also enable them to secure the border areas between Iraq and neighboring Syria and would cut off the IS supply routes between Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, the capital of IS self-declared caliphate.

Also on the day, Hashd Shaabi spokesman Yousif al-Kilabi said in a statement that "the order for the Hashd Shaabi is to isolate and encircle Tal Afar, while the army's 15th Division will storm and liberate the center of the town later."

"The Hashd Shaabi units are tasked with surrounding the cities like what happened in Fallujah, but the tasks of storming the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar will be for the army and other forces, according to the distribution of missions decided by the General Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces," Kilabi said.

Earlier in the day, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that almost half of Mosul's children and their families no longer have access to clean water as clashes between IS militants and Iraqi security forces trying to recapture the Iraqi city intensify.

"Children and their families in Mosul are facing a horrific situation," the UNICEF representative in Iraq, Peter Hawkins, said in a statement.

"Not only are they in danger of getting killed or injured in the cross fire, now potentially more than half a million people do not have safe water to drink," he added.

According to the UNICEF, a major pipeline serving eastern districts of the northern city was destroyed amid ongoing military operations.

The conduit in question, one of three pumping water to eastern parts of the war-torn city, is impossible to repair quickly given that it is located in parts of Mosul still under IS control.

The UNICEF said that Iraqi authorities are ferrying water to civilians with trucks, though this temporary measure is not enough to meet the needs of residents.

According to the UN body, civilians will have no choice but to resort to unsafe water resources if the pipeline is not repaired in the coming days.

This would put children in particular at risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as severe diarrhea and the threat of malnutrition.

"The UNICEF urges all parties to the conflict to allow these critical deliveries and repairs. Civilian infrastructure must never be attacked," Hawkins reminded.

Also on Wednesday, the Unites Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report that after nearly six weeks of military operations against IS militants in Mosul, almost 73,908 civilians have fled their homes in Mosul and nearby areas and the number goes up every day.

The OCHA also warned that "supplies of food and potable water are dwindling in eastern Mosul city. Civilians close to the front lines face the threat of IS snipers, leading to rising casualties. As many as one million people are estimated to remain out of reach."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Since then, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under the IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he will leave his "great business in total" as soon as in mid December in order to focus on the presidency, leaving more questions over what he could do to assure the public for this if he insists to hand over the business control to his adult children.

"I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump tweeted.

"While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!" he said.

However, the morning tweets did not clarify what, if any, further steps Trump plans to take to ensure no conflicts of interest will occur, raising more questions about how the New York billionaire will manage the potential conflicts of interest between his world-wide business and the presidency after he takes office in January.

It also remains unclear whether Trump, as he has offered before, will only hand over the company management to his children, which critics says can not curb widespread worries that the business will influence his decisions in the White House. His children played influential roles during his campaign and now are senior members of his transition team. Some of them were even seen with him at his meetings with world leaders after the election.

Norm Eisen, the former top White House ethics lawyer for Democratic President Barack Obama, said Trump's Wednesday announcement continues to leave open the possibility of a major ethics scandal.

"Although it is of course important that he have no involvement in Trump business operations, in order to avoid conflicts, he must also exit the ownership of his businesses through using a blind trust or equivalent." Eisen was quoted by a Politico news report as saying.

"Otherwise he will have a personal financial interest in his businesses that will sometimes conflict with the public interest, and constantly raise questions," he said.

The kingdom of Bahrain on Tuesday sent out invitations to an event at Trump's hotel in Washington, D.C.. and Eric Trump joined a hunting trip with an unnamed Turkish businessman this week, according to local media reports.

It is believed there is no strict conflict-of-interest laws governing most U.S. elected officials, but most modern presidents have agreed to sell or sequester their assets in a "blind trust," led by an independent manager with supreme control, in order to keep past business deals, investments and relationships from influencing their White House term.
NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's HIV/AIDS tribunal has enacted sweeping legislation to shield people living with the virus from stigma and discrimination, an official said Wednesday ahead of World AIDS Day to be marked on Thursday.

Jotham Arwa, chairman of Kenya's HIV/AIDS Tribunal, said the agency had partnered with the judiciary to enforce laws that protect the rights of HIV-positive individuals in the country.

"We have strengthened legal response to HIV/AIDS against a backdrop of rampant stigma and discrimination of people living with the disease in the community and workplace," Arwa told reporters in the capital Nairobi.

He said Kenya had domesticated global instruments to advance the rights and welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS, however the tribunal had documented dozens of cases regarding violation of rights and dignity of these people and had recommended prosecution of offenders.

"These cases will be prosecuted soon to serve as a warning to would-be perpetrators of crimes against people living with AIDS," Arwa said.

While Kenya has made significant progress in reducing the burden of AIDS, stigma has undermined the war against the disease that affects an estimated 6 percent of the population, according to the official.

Director of the National AIDS Control Council, Nduku Kilonzo, said attitude change and law enforcement are key to minimizing such stigma and discrimination. Enditem
Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, wearing a red uniform, looks on from behind the defendant's bars during his trial on espionage charges at a court in Cairo on June 18, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

CAIRO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian military court sentenced on Wednesday 296 loyalists of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi from one to 25 years over inciting violence and storming a judicial complex in Ismailia province northeast of the capital Cairo, state-run Al-Ahram news website reported.

Mohamed Badie, top chief of Morsi's now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, along with three other Islamists, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

One among the total 302 defendants has been sentenced to 25 years in jail, another to one year, two to two years, 15 to three years and 273 to 15 years, while six others have been acquitted of the charges of violence, vandalism, murder and resistance of the authorities.

The case dates back to mid-August 2013 when Morsi's supporters violently stormed Ismailia Court Complex following a deadly security dispersal of two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and Giza that left about 1,000 people dead. The clashes then between Morsi's loyalists and security forces in Ismailia killed about 10 people.

Morsi was removed by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently-blacklisted Brotherhood group.

Most of Morsi's loyalists, as well as the ousted president himself, are currently in custody facing various charges varying from inciting violence to espionage.

In October, the Court of Cassation confirmed a 20-year prison sentence against Morsi over inciting clashes between his supporters and opponents outside the presidential palace in late 2012 that left 10 people dead.

The same court later in two separate sessions in November overturned Morsi's death sentence in a 2011 jailbreak case and his 25-year jail term in the case of espionage in favor of the Palestinian Hamas movement, ordering the ex-president's retrial.

Since Morsi's ouster, the new leadership of former army chief and current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has been facing a rising wave of anti-government terrorist attacks that left hundreds of police and military men dead, which led Sisi to declare "a war against terrorism."
Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the "humanitarian tragedy" in Syria's Aleppo with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call, presidential sources stated late Wednesday.

The sources also said both presidents agreed that aid efforts for the embattled city should be sped up. They also agreed upon the need to put an end to clashes in Aleppo, Turkish Daily Sabah reported.

Erdogan and Putin have discussed Syrian issue twice on the phone in the past week.

The calls covered bilateral ties as well as a "resolution to the Syrian conflict," notably the possibility of "coordinated efforts in the fight against terrorism."

Meanwhile, Erdogan's recent assertion that the Turkish military operation in Syria was aimed at "ending the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad" has raised eyebrows in Russia, with the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry awaiting an explanation.

The Kremlin said Wednesday that Erdogan's remarks had come as a surprise to Moscow, Turkish Hurriyet News reported.
Iraqi Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitaries advance near the village of Tal Faris, south of Tal Afar, on November 29, 2016 during a broad offensive by Iraq forces to retake the city Mosul from jihadists of the Islamic State group. (AFP/Xinhua)

MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Wednesday fought Islamic State (IS) militants in the city of Mosul and liberated another district in the city, while a UN humanitarian organization warned of the humanitarian situation in eastern Mosul.

After nearly six weeks of a major offensive to drive out the extremist militants from Mosul, the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) continued fighting heavy clashes with the IS militants in eastern Mosul, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said.

The troops managed on the day to free the district of al-Ekhaa and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings, the statement said.

The troops inside Mosul were met by stubborn resistance from the extremist militants, who are fighting in small groups and moving quickly throughout the districts in the eastern side of the city, locally named the left bank of the Tigris River that bisects the city.

The extremist groups frequently infiltrated behind the advanced CTS forces using tunnels or dozens of houses and buildings.

In west of Mosul, the predominantly Shiite Hashd Shaabi units freed the villages al-Salhiyah and Bootha al-Sharqiyah near the IS-held town of Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, after heavy clashes with IS militants, according to a statement by the Hashd Shaabi.

The presence of the Hashd Shaabi units near Tal Afar enabled them to cut off IS supply routes from the west side of Mosul, and allowed both the paramilitary units and other Iraqi and Kurdish security forces to entirely isolate and surround Mosul.

The units' presence in the whole area in west of Mosul would also enable them to secure the border areas between Iraq and neighboring Syria and would cut off the IS supply routes between Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, the capital of IS self-declared caliphate.

Also on the day, Hashd Shaabi spokesman Yousif al-Kilabi said in a statement that "the order for the Hashd Shaabi is to isolate and encircle Tal Afar, while the army's 15th Division will storm and liberate the center of the town later."

"The Hashd Shaabi units are tasked with surrounding the cities like what happened in Fallujah, but the tasks of storming the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar will be for the army and other forces, according to the distribution of missions decided by the General Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces," Kilabi said.

Earlier in the day, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that almost half of Mosul's children and their families no longer have access to clean water as clashes between IS militants and Iraqi security forces trying to recapture the Iraqi city intensify.

"Children and their families in Mosul are facing a horrific situation," the UNICEF representative in Iraq, Peter Hawkins, said in a statement.

"Not only are they in danger of getting killed or injured in the cross fire, now potentially more than half a million people do not have safe water to drink," he added.

According to the UNICEF, a major pipeline serving eastern districts of the northern city was destroyed amid ongoing military operations.

The conduit in question, one of three pumping water to eastern parts of the war-torn city, is impossible to repair quickly given that it is located in parts of Mosul still under IS control.

The UNICEF said that Iraqi authorities are ferrying water to civilians with trucks, though this temporary measure is not enough to meet the needs of residents.

According to the UN body, civilians will have no choice but to resort to unsafe water resources if the pipeline is not repaired in the coming days.

This would put children in particular at risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as severe diarrhea and the threat of malnutrition.

"The UNICEF urges all parties to the conflict to allow these critical deliveries and repairs. Civilian infrastructure must never be attacked," Hawkins reminded.

Also on Wednesday, the Unites Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report that after nearly six weeks of military operations against IS militants in Mosul, almost 73,908 civilians have fled their homes in Mosul and nearby areas and the number goes up every day.

The OCHA also warned that "supplies of food and potable water are dwindling in eastern Mosul city. Civilians close to the front lines face the threat of IS snipers, leading to rising casualties. As many as one million people are estimated to remain out of reach."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Since then, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under the IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for tolerance, awareness and helping the vulnerable people in the global efforts to fight the AIDS epidemic.

The secretary-general, in his speech at an event here to mark World AIDS Day, said, "Tolerance and awareness help stop AIDS. Speaking out protects life."

"We are motivated to fight AIDS because we know that every child deserves care, every person deserves treatment, and all vulnerable groups deserve protection from stigma and abuse," Ban said.

"We know that hatred and bigotry spread disease and ... silence equals death," he said.

Half as many children are infected mother-to-child transmission, he said, calling for the joint world efforts to double the number of people who can enjoy access to medicines.

"I am calling for action to get on the fast track to our target of 30 million people on treatment by 2030," he said.

"This requires that we reach the most vulnerable communities -- the young women in Sub-Saharan Africa, people who injects drugs ... and the poor who need services and care."

"We have been making this our commitment that by 2030, there will be no new cases of HIV/AIDS, no deaths caused by HIV/AIDS and also no discrimination against people living with HIV," the virus that causes the AIDS disease, he said.

World AIDS Day, observed on Dec. 1 every year since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.

The World Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World Hepatitis Day.
FRANKFURT, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Germany's flag carrier airline Lufthansa made a new offer on Wednesday to end the current dispute with pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) which has resulted in six-day strike since Wednesday last week, leaving nearly 4,500 flights cancelled.

The company said a two-step 4.4 percent increase in remuneration plus a one-off payment to pilots will be offered, and as a result, remuneration would be increased by 2.4 percent for 2016 and by a further 2 percent for 2017.

"Lufthansa is thus meeting a key VC demand," said the employer.

In addition, the company has been ready for mediation with the pilots' union on the basis of this offer.

"We assume that the VC will now end its strike action," said Harry Hohmeister, Lufthansa's Chief Officer Hub Management.

He also showed his optimism that the airline could return to normal flight operations from the first day of December onwards.

A total of 890 Lufthansa flights affecting some 98,000 travelers have been cancelled on Wednesday alone due to the latest strike.

The airline said almost all its scheduled flights would be operated normally Thursday, with only 40 flights to be cancelled.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lucy, perhaps the world's most famous early human ancestor whose bones were found 42 years ago this month, has long been at the center of a debate about whether the female hominin spent all of her time walking on the ground or instead combined walking with frequent tree climbing.

Now, high-resolution CT scans by scientists from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Austin suggested that the 3.18-million-year-old human ancestor spent a significant amount of time in the trees and that evidence of this behavior is preserved in the internal structure of her bones, according to a study published Wednesday in the U.S. journal PLOS ONE.

Analysis of Lucy's partial fossilized skeleton, the investigators said, showed that all of her limb bones are very strong relative to her body size, indicating that she had exceptionally strong muscles, more like those of tree-climbing chimpanzees than humans.

Specially, the scans showed her upper limbs, similar to chimpanzees, were heavily built, supporting the idea that she spent time climbing and used her arms to move through trees, possibly to forage for food and escape predators.

In addition, analysis of Lucy's upper leg bones suggested that even when Lucy walked upright, she may have done so less efficiently than modern humans, limiting her ability to walk long distances on the ground.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that moving through trees may have remained important to some early human ancestors for millions of years.

"This is the most direct evidence to date that Lucy and her relatives actually spent a significant portion of their time in the trees," said Christopher Ruff, a professor of functional anatomy and evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who led the study.

Exactly how much time Lucy spent in the trees is difficult to determine, the research team said, but another recent study suggests Lucy died from a fall out of a tall tree.

Therefore, "she may have nested in trees at night to avoid predators," the researchers said in a statement. "An eight-hour slumber would mean she spent one-third of her time up in the trees, and if she also occasionally foraged there, the total percentage of time spent above ground would be even greater."

Lucy, housed in the National Museum of Ethiopia, is a 3.18 million-year-old specimen of Australopithecus afarensis -- or southern ape of Afar -- and is among the oldest, most complete fossil skeletons ever found of any adult, erect-walking human ancestor.

She was discovered in the Afar region of Ethiopia in 1974 and previous studies suggested she weighed less than 65 pounds (29 kilograms) and was under four feet (1.2 meters) tall.

"It may seem unique from our perspective that early hominins like Lucy combined walking on the ground on two legs with a significant amount of tree climbing," said study coauthor John Kappelman, anthropology and geological sciences professor from the University of Texas at Austin.

"But Lucy didn't know she was 'unique' -- she moved on the ground and climbed in trees, nesting and foraging there, until her life was likely cut short by a fall -- probably out of a tree."
Qatar's energy minister Mohammed Al-Sada (L), president of OPEC, and Secretary-General of OPEC Mohammed Barkindo attend a press conference after an OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 30, 2016. The OPEC on Wednesday decided to cut its oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day, setting the ceiling of oil production at 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd). (Xinhua/Liu Xiang)

VIENNA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The OPEC on Wednesday decided to cut its oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day, setting the ceiling of oil production at 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd).

The reduction is effective from Jan. 1, 2017, and is the cartel's first oil reduction since 2008. The reduction is being coordinated with the non-OPEC country Russia, which promised to cut its production by 300,000 bpd.

Qatar's energy minister Mohammed Al-Sada, president of OPEC, said the agreement was reached unanimously except for Indonesia, which has now suspended its membership of the cartel.

According to data offered by OPEC, the largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia took the biggest share of the reduction, 486,000 bpd, while Iran is allowed to produce 3.79 million bpd, a moderate number which seems to be consistent with its position of insisting to be exempted from the oil reduction, saying it needs to recover its oil production after the sanction relief.

Iraq, which claimed to be exempted from the reduction because of fighting extremists, also joined the reduction by cutting 210,000 bpd.

It seems that Saudi Arabia, the largest producer and de facto leader of the cartel made a compromise and took the largest hit with the reduction.

OPEC crude output rose to a record 33.83 million bpd in October, around one third of the world's oil production, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and output from the group's 14 members has climbed for five months running. In October, OPEC supply stood at nearly 1.3 million bpd above a year ago.

IEA believes that if OPEC countries implement their Algiers resolution, the resultant production cut will see the market move from surplus to deficit very quickly in 2017.

OPEC member states met in Algiers and the organization announced it would examine how to set up a production ceiling of between 32.5 million bpd and 33.0 million bpd.

The promised oil reduction from OPEC and non-OPEC producers would be over 1.5 million bpd.

It's not clear whether other non-OPEC producers besides Russia would be able to join the oil reduction.

OPEC's decision is followed by the jumping of the oil price on Wednesday, but analysts still doubt whether the cut could save the oil market. John Hall Fei, chairman of Alfa Energy said the reduction agreement could "save OPEC", but would bring the shale oil back, noting the U.S. shale oil companies were happy with this conclusion and would increase the rigs as soon as possible.

Related:

Russia ready to join OPEC's new output freeze deal: minister

MOSCOW, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Wednesday welcomed the OPEC's newly-clinched oil output freeze agreement, saying that Russia was ready to join the deal to stabilize global oil market.
Chinese engineers are working with a Turkish engineer during the construction of Ankara-Istanbul High speed train line on Nov. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Zou Le)

by Xinhua writer Zou Le

ANKARA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Once on the ancient silk road from China to Turkey, camels and horses were the only solutions to exchanges of goods and books.

Now, railways with stronger abilities, especially high speed trains, have been boosting the connection of the East and the West.

From the Ankara-Istanbul high speed line to the East-West high speed line, Chinese workers are making efforts to connect silk road with railways in Turkey.

Ankara, a central Anatolia city surrounded by mountains and hills, has become the home of Zhang Ying, the project interpreter of the Turkish branch of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC).

The local CRCC worked over day and night for the construction of Ankara-Istanbul high speed line in Turkey, which connects Ankara, the city of Eskisehir and the metropolis of Istanbul, providing a fast and convenient way for passengers and helping boost the economy of the connected cities.

"Building railways in a foreign country is not easy at all," Zhang told Xinhua. "As a interpreter, my job is to help the negotiation between Chinese staffs and Turkish cooperative partners during the Ankara- Istanbul project."

The tough work condition and long time abroad left nearly no chance for the 32-year-old lady to find a boyfriend, not to mention a marriage.

For most of the five years in Turkey, she stays at the sites where steels are laying on the subgrade and winds always swirl up dirt and sands.

"We have to take care of both Chinese and Turkish workers, and meet their basic needs and medical services. We care more about the healthy of workers rather than the speed of the project," Zhang stressed.

The Ankara-Istanbul High speed trains are now operating at a speed of 250 km per hour, but "its potential is more than that," said Xu Tiesheng, the project manager of Ankara-Istanbul railway project, a 33-year-old man always sorry for seldomly hugging his four-and-a-half years old son in China.

"Our designed speed is 250 km per hour, but the trains can run faster than this because we pay more attention to the safety," he explained, saying the train could run at 280 km per hour during the test time.

Turkish citizens and foreign visitors now can enjoy a more comfortable and efficient railway trip from central Anatolia to the Marmara Seaside. However the Chinese railway workers want to achieve more.

"We hope to win over the project of East-West Turkey high speed line, which connects Kars province in far northeastern Anatolia boarding Armenia, with Edirne province in northwestern part of Turkey boarding Bulgaria," said Liu lin, the deputy general manager of CRCC Turkish branch.

The bilateral framework agreement on the construction of East-West Turkey high speed line was signed by the Turkish and Chinese leaders in 2010.

"Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi both mentioned the speed line during their visits to Turkey this year, which gave us more confidence on this project and help build a railway silk road under the Belt and Road Initiative," Liu said.

He also said that CRCC fully knows Turkey, which has a huge plan about road constructions including a 10,000-km railway project, has great potential in railways, but CRCC also needs to figure out the challenges and risks in the cooperation.

"In Turkey, we are facing some turbulence in some eastern parts of Anatolia and the Turkish lira is quite weak because of the political and economical risks in this country," he said.

Some powerful competitors also pose challenges, which push CRCC's legal and labor parts to be improved, Liu added, highlighting "however, we will still do our best to connect the silk road with iron and steel."
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet)  Xinhuanet, the online service of Xinhua News Agency, launched North-America Edition on Nov. 30, as part of its efforts to step up the websites overseas localization.

The North-America Edition, presented in English, Spanish and French, is its fourth overseas edition after editions of Africa, Europe and Asian-Pacific.

The new edition aims to build an information bridge connecting China and the North-American countries.

Cherishing the idea to "Publicize China and Report the World", the new edition releases global news information from Chinas Perspective. Information in terms of current politics, multilateral relations, commentaries, economy and trade, society and culture may also be found by those who are keen to know more specifics in these respects.

Xinhuanet has nine foreign language versions including English, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and German, plus four overseas editions, forming an all-media information gathering and distribution network.

Links to Xinhuanet s North-America Edition:

English: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/northamerica/index.htm

French: http://french.xinhuanet.com/amerique_du_nord/index.htm
Photo taken on Nov. 28, 2016 shows an installation artwork of a traditional Portuguese rooster in Lisbon, Portugal. Made of traditional black, red and yellow colors and equipped with 16,000 LED lights about 10 meters high and weighs about 3.5 tons, it illuminates crows at night and attracts large crowd of visitors. The art work was created by renowned Portuguese woman artist Joana Vasconcelos and is on display in the center of Lisbon until the end of this month before it will be ferried to Beijing and Shanghai of China to celebrate the advent of lunar Chinese new year of the Rooster. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)
The official drafts of stamps for Dingyou Year, or the Year of the Rooster, are unveiled in Beijing, China, Nov. 30, 2016. China Post on Wednesday officially released the draft of the Lunar New Year special stamp. (Xinhua/Li He)
Teen in custody for teens killing

The man, of Perseverance Village, Couva, walked into a police station in central and gave himself up on Monday, sources said. Up to yesterday, he remained in police custody assisting with the investigations.

A gunman shot and killed Lewis, originally from Freeport, at about 6.30 pm on Saturday while at Cemetery Extension, off Carli Bay Road in Perseverance Village.

His funeral service takes place today at the Roman Catholic Church at Gran Couva, following a viewing of the body at the house of his aunt at Pepper Village, Gran Couva. Lewis twin sister, Elesha, told Newsday yesterday that the family is trying to cope with the death.
Tobago PNM women condemn murder

The statement added, What is even more alarming about this latest abhorrent act is that last Friday the world stood in solidarity as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed.

Urging Tobagonian women to take pride in their strength of personality and mental resilience, the PNM women said, As a society, we must strive not only to be our brothers but also our sisters keeper. We must not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to any of our women who fall victim to any form of violence. We must also recognise that the wounds of violence are not only
Army Cpl pleads not guilty to 4 charges

Gordon appeared in the Fourth Court before Magistrate Margaret Alert who adjourned the matter to March 29. Police charged him with assaulting Police Constable David Nagassar, behaving in a disorderly manner, using insulting language and resisting arrest.

Gordon, of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, first appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the said court on Monday afternoon and was granted $25,000 own bail to cover all charges.

The matter was adjourned to yesterday for Gordon to appear before a magistrate.

It is alleged that on Sunday night, Cpl Brian Singh and PC Nagassar, both of the Ste Margarets Police Station, had responded to a report of a disturbance at Daves Bar located at Hermitage Road, Claxton Bay.

While the officers were carrying out their duties, Gordon allegedly intervened and committed the offences for which police charged him. Cpl Singh and PC Nagassar laid the charges.
Scholars told submit GPA early to receive payments

Patricia Paul-McDavid, Director of the Scholarship and Advanced Training Division of the Ministry of Education, advised them that if the documents are not received on time it is the scholar who will suffer the consequences. She said that there is a process for the paying of their stipends, this process was approved by Cabinet and it is in the interest of the scholar to make sure the documents are submitted in time.

She was addressing about 400 scholars and their parents at the ministrys Advanced Level and Postgraduate Scholarship Seminar 2016 at the auditorium of the OMeara Campus of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

She said the option is theirs as to where they chose to study but advised that depending on the type of scholarship they do not have to go abroad. Delivering the feature address, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Lovell Francis, said the scholars were embarking on a social contract with the nation.

He said the country has made a serious error by telling young people that they are getting free education because when people hear the word free they do not take it seriously. He said the education they have received and will receive is very expensive. In fact, he said this country spends well over the benchmark nine percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that the United Nations recommends should be spent on education.

According to Dr. Francis, in the typical budget the country spends close to or more than fifteen percent of its GDP on education.

So we invest a lot of money on educating our young people because we understand that education is the singular most important factor that leads to human and national development. He said last year the government would have spent $9.4 billion on education and this year it may end up being something similar if not more.

He told the scholars that their scholarships are individually significant costs more so given the serious and dire economic circumstances that we face. They are a substantial cost. They are given to you because you worked for them and you deserve them but they are given to you with a particular and important understanding. He said that understanding was that their education had been paid for by the taxpayers of the country and they owed something to the country at the completion of their studies. He said that something was dedicated and high quality service and they should come back home and serve their country when their studies are completed.
La Brea man still missing

Cummings, 50, has been missing for the past nine days after leaving his home to go to Freeport, in search of work.

The father of two, told relatives that a man from Freeport had called him to build a wall.

The relative said Cummings left Marabella and decided to stay in Freeport instead of traveling back and forth from La Brea.

He continued to communicate via his cellphone with relatives.

However, on Sunday November 20, he called to say that the man he was working for was refusing to pay him. That was the last time relatives said they heard from him and subsequent calls to his cellphone went to voice mail.

A close female relative told Newsday that she and other relatives are praying and hoping for their loved one safe return. Anyone with information is asked to contact the La Brea Police Station at 648-7444 or the Marabella Police Station at 652-6777.
Heritage site for the Merikins

This was disclosed by Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister, Dr Nyan Gadbsy Dolly, as she deputised for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the National Merikin Community Award and Recognition Ceremony at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port-of-Spain last Thursday night.

The Merikins were Af rican-American refugees of the War of 1812, freed black slaves who fought for the British against the USA in the Corps of Colonial Marines and then, after post-war service in Bermuda, were established as a community in the south of Trinidad in 1815 to 16. Today the Merikin community is calling on the Government to grant them legal rights to land which they have been occupying for generations, Gadsby-Dolly told her audience. She then revealed,  The Prime Minister of TT has asked me to assure you that the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government is already actively examining this long outstanding request with a view to designating the approximately 6,608 acres of land already earmarked in South Trinidad as a heritage site. The audience applauded and cheered loudly in response.

Gadsby-Dolly further disclosed that in recognition of the Merikins celebrations and in keeping with Governments thrust, to document the history of TT for posterity, the Prime Minister has requested Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie to collaborate with the Merikin community with the aim of establishing a programme of nationwide education on the history of the Merikins and their overall contribution to national development.

As she highlighted some aspects of the Merikins history, Gadsby-Dolly observed that the freeing of these African American slaves could be regarded as an, isolated and unplanned forerunner to the abolition of slavery.
Best Village to return

He also promised Carenage residents a plot of land to farm at Chaguaramas. Rowley spoke at a Peoples National Movement (PNM) spot meeting last Friday night at Frisco Junction, corner Haig and Abbe Pujadas Streets, Carenage, where his Diego Martin West constituents heard speeches from a galaxy of Cabinet Ministers and then aspiring councillors.

The Prime Ministers Best Village will be coming back to you and ramped up, because it is a good, positive activity, Rowley said.

We want to encourage young people to direct their energies, and we want to unearth talent that they never knew they had. On a cultural note, he said new community centres are earmarked for Four Roads and Bagatelle, both in Diego Martin. Rowley also encouraged Carenage residents to get into farming, in contrast to the dubious allocation of Chaguaramas lands to Tom, Dick and Harry, days before the 2015 General Elections.

He said the new Board of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) has decided to encourage a number of Carenage residents to access farmland in the Chaguaras Valley. The Board has my support and those of you who are willing to convert Chaguaramas Valley from bush to farming plots, to contribute to the national food import reduction effort, some plots will become available to you to grow vegetables and other crops and you will be encouraged to do so by the Board. By the same token, we will ensure that as we look at Chaguaramas as an area of development, the people of this area - Point Cumana, Diego Martin, Carenage, Lanse Mitan - you get a share of what Carenage is. Relating past residents support for PNM founder, Dr Eric Williams, fight to get back Chaguaramas from the United States military, Rowley vowed, If there are things to be had in Chaguaramas, you are not to be left out. Rowley vowed to build a new Carenage Police Station, and to resume work to build a Carenage Fish Market just as done for the new St Joseph Police Station, the two latter both put on hold for five yearsby the former Peoples Partnership Government.
Division in Tobago PNM

Screams, hoots and jeers could be heard as reporters gathered for the weekly press conference.

Close to 20 protestors with placards loudly voiced their disagreement with the partys candidate Marslyn Jack as they chanted, we want Angus, we dont want no Jack, repeatedly.

At last Wednesdays selection of candidates, Jack a former educator was given the nod over the current THA Councillor and Secretary of Community Development and Culture Dr Denise Tsoi-a-fatt Angus to contest the electoral district.

Labelling the screening process as unfair, one spokesperson for the group, James Trim said that Dr Tsoi-a-fatt Angus was favoured by the majority as she received the highest number of votes, causing her to secure three of the four party groups, but according to him, this was not enough to satisfy the screening committee. He claimed that Tobago party members are breaking the Partys constitution. We believe the rules are being broken.

The deceased Political Leader Patrick Manning had the power to veto anybody who was not on his side, that law has now changed. But today we are seeing people being selected despite not being accepted by the votes of party groups.

Imagine if this is how they are behaving as heads of the PNM Tobago Council, how would they behave if they are elected into the THA, a protestor said.

Another protester shouted a warning to the PNM. Anytime they dont give us Angus, we are prepared to vote for the PDP (Progressive Democratic Patriots)...we have to teach them a lesson. We want Angus, we dont want no Jack! But PNM Tobago Chairman Stanford Callendar, when questioned on the issue, said the party remains unmoved by these protestors, as he stressed the party executives will not be intimidated.

The screening committee of the Tobago Council is the authority in terms of selection of candidates.

What is happening is a clear demonstration of our democracy.

People are free to demonstrate, but one of the things I can tell you as chairman of this party is that the Chairman and this party by extension will not be intimidated by those type of conduct.

You see, the partys constitution is crystal clear, the members, whether it is at the party groups level or the councils level can make their recommendation but the authority is with the councils screening committee of the Tobago arm of the PNM, Callender said. Questioned further on the issue of democracy, Callendar said the decision of the screening committee is final.

Making an entrance during the protest was Political Leader of the PDP Watson Duke. He told the protesting PNMites that they are welcome to join his organisation.

They have a right to choose who they want to represent them and they who are in charge have a right to listen to these people.

I am saying, if they do not get who they want, they can come by the PDP, we want to represent them and we want their support, Duke said.
COP: PNM and UNC rejected

In a statement, the COP said, Despite the spending of millions of dollars by both the PNM and the UNC in this campaign with non-stop media advertisements, broadcasts and major meetings and rallies, these parties have not been able to motivate even their own supporters to come out and cast their votes in the kinds of numbers that they would have expected. The COP said this is a clear signal that the gatekeeper politics of these parties and their versions of good governance are not satisfying the peoples demand for real choice in elections, for real participation in decision-making that affects their lives and for genuine accountability from elected officials at all levels.

The party claimed the low voter turnout caused Prime Minister and PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley, during a news conference at Balisier House on Monday night, to ask a reporter, You in politics? Which party you leading? Similarly, the COP questioned Opposition Leader and UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessars logic for claiming victory because of a gain of half a corporation. The party added, This is unprecedented that a party leader would be boasting about winning a fraction of a corporation. The COP said the results convince us in the COP that the electorate has not lost hope in looking for a real alternative to the two major parties whose turns in government have not lived up to their expectations.
Wounded candidate gets 602 votes

Roberts came up against Peoples National Movement (PNM) candidate, Christine Neptune (1,845) and the United National Congresss (UNC) Abigail Alexis (537) in a three way fight in the district of Palo Seco to sit on the Siparia Regional Corporation.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday, campaign manager Knolly Marshall believes that Roberts would have performed much better had the campaign not be derailed by the shooting incident which left him nursing gunshot wounds to the chest. Up to yesterday he remained in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. According to reports, at about 6 pm last week Saturday, Roberts was in the tray of a pick-up van going through the district when a loud explosion was heard. He fell and those with him observed blood oozing from his chest.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and placed on a ward.

Marshall said, The results didnt come out as we wanted because the incident affected our entire election day machinery.

We had to work even harder on Monday as that interfered with a lot of things. A motive is yet to be established for the incident. .

Marshall is hoping for a full recovery as he said the aspiring politician will not be deterred by what happened and will continue to work in his community. .

He added, I want to extend my gratitude to all those who supported him in his campaign and those who continue to pray for him and wish him well. Be assured that he will continue to work for the people. Roberts is a well-known activist and has been the man behind several protests for jobs and better infrastructure in Palo Seco and environs. .
UNC wins in Central despite relocation of polling station

Balliram complained on Monday that the EBC notified them of a change in the polling station, usually set at the Freeport Presbyterian School, to the Upper Carapichaima Presbyterian School. But by the end of the night, he was celebrating his victory in the Freeport/Chickland electoral district with the widest margin in the Corporation. The UNC captured all 14 seats in the Corporation and Balliram won with a landslide 3295 votes over the People National Movements (PNM) Allison Thomas 432.

Asked whether he still thought the EBC was actively working against him, Balliram said, You see, when you have a proactive approach to the election, it works out in your favour. I had to go around with my car to get people to the polls. On the other hand, Rajbals win was not so easily won, wresting the California/Point Lisas district from the hands of the PNM, earning 1930 votes to the PNMs Dina Thurtons 1812. He complained on Monday about the locations of polling stations 3190 and 3185 being switched and only receiving notification on the morning of the election.

The environs of the polling stations, it was said, was known to be a UNC stronghold. Rajbal also drove around to transport frustrated voters to the correct stations throughout the day. He believed it was his legacy as the first Chairman of the Corporation in 1992 that earned him the historically marginal seat. As I said yesterday, I was confident that I was going to win, but I did not realise it would have been so close, Rajbal said. I credit the victory to the leadership of Kamla Persad- Bissessar and the campaign to send them a message and my personal involvement and work I have done with all the people of the Corporation.
Jubilation, relief in UNC camp

The other corporations won by the Opposition are Princes Town Regional; Penal/Debe Regional; Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation; Siparia Regional and Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo Regional. The battleground Sangre Grande Regional Corporation was split 4-4 between both parties.

The evening had not started off spectacularly on Monday, as by 7.30 pm, only a handful of supporters had gathered at the UNCs Southern Main Road, Couva headquarters to listen to the results.

And listen they did as the new headquarters lacked some of the amenities of Rienzi Complex as there was no large blackboard to tally results or television monitors to view results as it were being tallied. And while UNC officials did take to the microphones to inform the small gathering about the results, media personnel were forced to resort to monitoring the results on the internet or from their respective news rooms.

By 8.47 pm, when the UNC declared its control of five corporations and the Chaguanas Borough, the crowd grew as more and more persons made the journey to party headquarters including several Opposition MPs.

When UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar arrived at 10.45 pm, the crowd now numbering in the hundreds, spilled on to the streets and were celebratory and boisterous.

In her address, Persad-Bissessar described the election result as a victory for the people of Trinidad who had heeded the partys call to send the Dr Keith Rowley administration a message that there was, so much pain and suffering that the time for change had come. They have now sent that message to the Rowley government and we trust that the Rowley government receives the message and having received that message from the people, the Rowley government would take the necessary steps to ease the pain and suffering of the ordinary people of Trinidad, she said.

Persad-Bissessar also pledged to continue to fight for the ordinary citizens while monitoring the performance of the government.

As God is my witness, I pledge that we will hold the Rowley government to account to the people, she said.
Hosein: Congrats to all candidates

In a statement, the former San Fernando mayor said, Taking on the task of representing your community is one which requires humility and bravery. So we all applaud you on stepping up, and for a race well run. In offering congratulations to all the winning candidates, the minister said, This is a passing of the torch for some and a resumption of duties for others. Hosein said these candidates have been elected at a critical time in the history of local government, as we undertake local government reform. He said these candidates will be the ushers of the new system of local governance, in which councils will have greater autonomy, expanded responsibilities and a higher level of accountability to the public. As a start to demonstrate a new willingness, Hosein asked all candidates from all parties to organise supporters to remove posters and election materials from public places. He reiterated this call to reporters outside San Fernando Government Secondary School where he voted. Hosein said he intends to clean up the country and in doing so, will get rid of all dilapidated buildings

Hosein was confident of a victory for PNM candidates. He said, I walked and campaigned in Chaguanas and I could not believe the kind of support the PNM received there. I walked in Charlieville and it was really amazing how people were coming out and wanting to meet you and wanting to be a part of the process. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi voted at San Fernando West Secondary School where there was a steady flow of voters. Al-Rawi, the San Fernando West MP, said he was confident democracy will go to work and the people will speak via their votes. Accompanied by his mother, former MP and minister Diane Seukeran, Al-Rawi joked that he was happy for the good weather and the good attitude with which our people are embracing the polls today. Al-Rawi noted that local government elections are never as large as a general election as it is a significantly different economy from a general election-type economy

Once this election is over, you can expect a significant amount of work in San Fernando. On December 9, come in and see a massive return to life on the (Harris) Promenade. Come in and see life on the promenade again, as we reclaim our city, Al-Rawi said, inviting the public to a Christmas concert that evening. Al-Rawi highlighted PNMs Les Efforts West/La Romaine candidate, Anderson Williams, saying he has done a great deal of work. Housing Minister Randall Mitchell cast his vote at Cocoyea Government Primary School where, he said, the process was smooth
Low turnout on the populous corridor

Some residents in the San Juan/ Laventille region said voting was slower than usual, but in Arima, assistant to the PNM regional coordinator of the Arima Borough, Cagney Casimire told Newsday voting progressed steadily throughout the day in the seven electoral districts. He said there was one complaint of names not appearing on the voters list.

Casimire was confident that the PNM, which won all the seats in Arima Borough in 2013, would win them all once again.

His prediction came through as Arima was returned to the PNM which won all seats on offer. An Arima resident told Newsday that he has stopped voting in local government elections because it makes no difference in the service offered to the people. He said the party in control of central government controls funding at the local government level. Many others at Curepe and Tacarigua shared similar views.

UNC activist in the Tunapuna/ Piarco region Senator Khadijah Ameen told Newsday that voting started off smoothly in the region, but towards mid-morning several UNC supporters began complaining about their names not appearing on the voters lists at some polling stations. Our subsequent checks to the EBC hotline and the EBC website showed that the names were in fact on the list. In some cases, the people had left, so we (UNC) would have lost some votes. That was a concern for us, she said.

This corporation also returned to the control of the ruling PNM.

Meanwhile, Ronald Aqui, campaign manager of the candidate in the Petit Bourg/Mt Lambert/ Champ Fleurs told Newsday that even though the turnout was slow at Holy Family RC Primary School, it was consistent with what he had seen over the years with local government elections.

Aqui said his campaign was focused on ensuring that the district returns to the PNM and his candidate Warren Winchester.
RBI capped withdrawals from Jan Dhan Accounts at 10000 rs per month

New Delhi, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

Due to big deposits in Jan Dhan Accounts after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared old 500 and 1000 rs notes invalid the Reserve Bank Of India has now created monthly withdrawal limit in such bank accounts. RBI yesterday announced that only rs 10000 can be withdrawn from Jan Dhan Accounts in one month. It further stated that the Bank Managers can allow withdrawal of more than 10000 in special cases.

The RBI said these steps are taken to protect the farmers and rural account holders of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna from money launderers. In first two weeks of demonetisation the total balance in the accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna rose to about 72000 crore. Since its launch in August 2014 these accounts generated only 27000 crore till December 2015.

There are more than 25 crore Jan Dhan Accounts and its tough for government to look after each accounts. But government has issued an advisory to report any deposit of more than 2.5 lakh rs in these accounts. West Bengal and Karnataka has seen highest number of deposits in Jan Dhan Accounts after Demonetisation.
Income tax amendments help people with black money: Rahul

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the amendments in income tax rules were aimed at helping people with black money.

Speaking to journalists after the adjournment of the Lok Sabha over the tax bill, Gandhi said: "The government has given back 50 per cent of the black money to thieves."

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the amended income tax law bill by voice vote to facilitate a levy of 60 per cent tax on undisclosed income or investment or cash deposited in banks after demonetisation.

--IANS

rs/in/mr
Inequality driving mental health problems in Uttarakhand

United Kingdom,Lifestyle/Fashion,Health/Medicine, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

London, Nov 30 (IANS) Inequality and social exclusion are the primary factors driving mental health problems in Uttarakhand, says a study by a researcher at Umea University in Sweden.

The survey of nearly 1,000 households in the Indian state showed that six percent of adults were identified as depressed.

People were two or three times more likely to be depressed if they were from the most socially oppressed castes, had taken a recent loan, lived in poor quality housing or had not completed primary school, said the study by mental health researcher Kaaren Mathias.

Mathias has focused over the last four years on how communities in the northern Indian states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh can promote, prevent and treat mental health.

"I was surprised to find such a strong relationship between social disadvantage and mental illness," said Mathias, who lives in India, where she works as a mental health programme manager with the New Delhi-based non-profit Emmanuel Hospital Association.

"People who had not completed primary school were nearly four times more likely to be depressed than those who had completed high school," Mathias said in a statement released by Umea University.

The study found that nearly all people with mental distress had experienced social exclusion and many had experienced economic, verbal and physical violence.

Gender inequality is one of the most significant social factors impacting mental health competency as it leads to a heavier load in caregiving, impoverishment and experiences of violence for women caregivers, the study said.

"Bringing together the findings from this research, I picture community mental health competence using the picture of a tree, where all parts are organically connected. The roots are the many social factors affecting mental health," Mathias said.

--IANS

gb/mr
Mamata and RJD will share stage against demonetisation

Bihar, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

Against the demonetisation the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee will protest against the announcement made by the Prime Minister in which Bihars Janata Dal-United, its major partner in the ruling alliance Rashtriya Janata Dal will also join on Wednesday.



To stage a protest against the announcement of the Prime Minister which was made on November 8, the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, the Trinamool Congress president arrived at Bihar on Tuesday evening.



After arriving at Bihar, Mamata Banerjee visited Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday night and met his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi as well as her younger son Tejaswi Yadav, who is now the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.



Senior party leader Bhola Yadav said, Mamta was extended support by Laluji after she sought endorsement for her protest against Modis decision.



According to him, Banerjee requested Lalu Prasad Yadav tosend Rabri Devi at the protest.



According to the party leaders, during the protest RJD state unit President Ram Chandraa Purve along with senior party leaders will share the ideas with Banerjee. Whereas, Lalu Prasad who was been unwell for the past few days, will not go for the protest and will not share the stage with the Chief Minister of West Bengal.



After the arrrival, Mamata Banerjee said, I will stage a dharna (sit-in) and say something on my next move to oppose demonetisation. However, Mamata Banerjee not called or invited the President of the ruling Janata Dal-United to the protest rally as he has repeatedly been supporting the move.



Earlier, Mamata Banerjee also staged protest against demonetisation at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. When Mamata was protesting here against the November 8 announcement, the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was also not participated with her whereas, some big leaders of Samajwadi Party were present at the protest.



--with agency inputs
Will help mobile-driven businesses in India: Facebook

Delhi,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) At a time when mobile is transforming the way people connect, Facebook is committed to help mobile-driven businesses to grow in India, a top executive said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the "Mobile Moves Business" event here that brought together businesses, industry experts and marketers on one platform, Umang Bedi, Managing Director, Facebook India, reiterated the company's commitment to tap the power of mobile to empower entrepreneurs in the country.

"We are committed to helping businesses grow. Whether it's brand building, generating demand, driving leads or sales, we are focused on helping business unlock growth opportunities and help them move their business through solutions that drive results," Bedi said.

As of the third quarter this year, Facebook reported 166 million monthly active users, 159 million mobile active users, 85 million daily active users and 81 million mobile daily active users in India.

Facebook, which has 1.71 billion users globally, has a strategic partnership with India's top 100 advertisers.

There are over two million small and medium businesses (SMB) pages on Facebook in India and more than 30 per cent of active SMB pages on Facebook are owned by women entrepreneurs.

Forty one per cent of people on Facebook are connected to at least one business in a foreign country.

Facebook is available in 12 languages in the country and over 80 per cent of top-grossing apps in India are integrated with the social networking platform.

Facebook's 'Mobile Moves Business' aims to shift decision makers' perception about the impact of mobile on the consumers, the company said.

--IANS

anuj/na/mr
Paredes out of Rome derby with injury

Italy,Sports,Football, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Rome, Nov 30 (IANS) Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes will be out of action for two to three weeks because of an injury to his left ankle and will miss the Rome derby against Lazio on Sunday.

The Argentine was injured during the Serie A clash against Pescara. Tests have detected an injury to his ankle, reports Efe.

The former Boca Juniors player will miss three games against direct rivals in the fight for the league, Lazio, Milan and Juventus, in addition to the clash against Romanian Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League.

--IANS

ajb/mr
Mamata protests in Bihar against demonetisation

Bihar,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Patna, Nov 30 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday staged a protest here against the demonetisation decision of the Narendra Modi-led central government.

Slamming Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said the Prime Minister has imposed a "super-emergency" in the country by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

"Modi has snatched the freedom of people to live. By demonetisation, he has snatched rights of roti (food), kapda (cloth) and makaan (house) from the people," she said, addressing a rally at Gardanibagh area of Patna.

The West Bengal Chief Minister was accompanied by her party leaders and leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"Modi has badly hit the age-old savings by women in their house. Women used to save some money for emergency purpose but Modi has ended it by demonetisation. It is an insult to women power also," she said.

While Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United has suported demonetisation, leaders of Rashtriya Janata Dal, its major partner in the ruling alliance, including party senior vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and RJD Bihar unit President Ram Chandra Purve, joined Mamata's protest here against the central government's move.

Both Singh and Purve shared stage with her.

She visited RJD Chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday night and met his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi as well as her younger son Tejaswi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.

"Mamta was extended support by Lalu Prasad after she sought endorsement for her protest against Modi's decision," senior party leader Bhola Yadav said.

The TMC president arrived here on Tuesday evening.

Lalu Prasad, who has been unwell for the past few days, could not attend the rally, party leaders said.

However, Mamata neither called on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the president of the ruling Janata Dal-United, nor invited him to the protest rally as he has supported the demontisation move.

--IANS

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Pay Day becomes litmus test for Banks

New Delhi, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

This payday could become D-Day for demonetisation as the banks are running out of notes and the public is eager for cash to pay salaries and bills. The cash less public and banks are gearing for more pain on December 1 when the government and companies pay salaries to their employees.

Banks and ATMs have 40% less cash than they need. Banks are already refusing withdrawal of Rs 24,000 and ATMs giving only Rs 2,000 notes. The All India Bank Employees Association has said already that pay day can become pain day as the banks did not have enough cash to dispense the salaries.

The ongoing shortage of cash forced banks to control withdrawals and shut gates early as the supply of bank notes from currency hubs failed to keep up with the demand. Cash finished at many Bank Branches today as it was the first day of the Pay day week. Private banks in the country received 20 crore which was way below than their daily requirements.

Although customers can withdraw upto 24000 but branch managers are trying, their best to avoid shutting down of cash counters early. The government said they have enough cash to meet the demand but bank branches have a different story.
Slew of fashion start-ups unfold as big businesses

Delhi,National,Technology,Lifestyle/Fashion, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) After food tech, education tech and logistic-tech companies, investors have shifted their interest in fashion-technology start-ups and Indian entrepreneurs are using tricks learned from social media to create fashion communities that together discover, share and, most importantly, buy.

While the fashion e-commerce space is already crowded, there are few unique fashion tech start-ups that are opening exclusive world of fashion. The growth of such platforms can be subjected to the rise of the average ticket size from Rs 500 to 2 lakh.

From social and talent networking platforms to community building, a lot of fashion-tech companies have created niche for themselves and have grown exponentially.

This has manifested itself through the development of a digital product and service platforms.

Extensive use of new technology, engagement of communities and the growing connection between fashion and local or tier 2 markets can be the factors among many others.

The depth of this digital transformation of fashion has been acknowledged by leaders of many companies.

"The fashion industry has always been open to adopting emerging technology for operational efficiency and customer engagement. In the last decade, there has been lot of advancement in the production techniques and also the retail store operations," COO of fashion-tech platform 6Degree Amit Bhardwaj told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"These have helped fashion designers and companies to save cost and increase profitability," he said.

According to Bhardwaj, "using the power of mobile apps to reach customer where they want the brand to be and using software to plan production, marketing and services saves time, effort and resources."

He also said that technologies like live streaming, social media, artificial intelligence based trend prediction, enterprise mobile applications are bringing the next wave of growth to the industry by real time customer engagement, leading to more sales and customer satisfaction.

Another fashion start-up, "CoutLoot", is described by its owners as "an end to end fashion re-commerce service where you can buy and sell second hand or pre-loved fashion really quick and easy".

The co-founder, Jasmeet Thind, believes that the growing consumer base makes demands for more choices.

"Handling and fulfilling large volumes becomes inefficient if not done with correct decisions which should always be based on data," Thind told IANS.

"Fashion has not only gone hi-tech on the consumer interface of things but also at the back-end which helps in day to day decision making for the consumer and brands," she said.

"While the consumer gets to see what he/she really likes, brands also spend much lower on getting their define traditional games on board," Thind explained.

--IANS

mg/vm
RBI sets withdrawal of Rs 10,000 a month from Jan Dhan accounts

New Delhi, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

The Reserve Bank of India has reduced the limit of withdrawal from Jan Dhan accounts which are being used to hoard unaccounted money to Rs 10,000 per month, according to reports.

On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India said that, Fully KYC compliant account holders may be allowed to withdraw Rs 10,000 from their account, in a month.

The branch managers may allow further withdrawals beyond Rs 10,000 within the current applicable limits only after ascertaining the genuineness of such withdrawals and duly documenting the same on bank's record, according to RBI.

The withdrawal limit has been fixed at Rs 5,000 per month from the amount deposited after November 9, with an overall ceiling of Rs 10,000 for the non-KYC compliant accounts.

The Reserve Bank of India said, The decision has been taken to protect the farmers and rural account holders of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana from activities of money launderers and legal consequences under the benami property transaction and money laundering laws.

An upper limit of Rs 50,000 for deposits into Jan Dhan accounts set by the Finance Ministry.

Earlier, Jan Dhan account holders were warned by the government from letting their accounts being used by other people to fix their unaccounted cash.

These are the changes which are made by the government to prevent black money after the announcement of demonetisation of old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on November 8. The government declared that the notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes will be illegal tender from November 9.

After the announcement, people are parking their illegal cash in Jan Dhan account holders to make their cash legal.

--with agency inputs
Afghan army general dies in helicopter crash

Israel,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Kabul, Nov 30 (IANS) An Afghan army general has been killed and several army personnel wounded after a helicopter crashed in western Badghis province, sources said.

"Brigadier General Muhayuddin Ghori, commander of Afghan National Army's 207th Zafar Corps based in western Herat province, was killed after an ANA chopper crashed in Mori Chaq late Tuesday," Xinhua news reported quoting a military official on anonymity, on Wednesday.

The Badghis region has witnessed heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants over the past couple of months.

The crash was caused by a technical failure in the aircraft, any insurgent involvement was ruled out.

An official statement on the incident is, however, still awaited.

The Afghan security forces' casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks by Taliban militant group and other anti-government fighters.

--IANS

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Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid ruckus over demonetisation

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Opposition parties on Wednesday continued their tirade against the government in the Lok Sabha over the demonetisation issue as protests and sloganeering forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the house for the day.

The opposition led by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued their demand to discuss the issue under a rule which entails voting. Earlier, both the parties were insistent that the discussion on the issue be held only under Rule 56, that calls for adjournment motion with voting.

Soon after the house met in the morning, the opposition parties, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, demanded that tributes should be paid by the house to the army men killed in the attack at an army base in Nagrota town, 15 km from Jammu.

The Speaker said that the combing operation is still continuing and the government is gathering the details about the incident.

Expressing dissatisfaction, the Congress, TMC, the Left and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), then staged a brief walkout over the issue.

After a few minutes the opposition members returned to the house and trooped near the Speaker's podium to press their demand for discussion over the demonetisation issue.

Despite the din, Mahajan attempted to conduct the Question Hour, but following repeated disruptions, she adjourned the house till 12 noon.

When the house re-assembled, Leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said his party wants discussion on the demonetisation issue as the people are facing hardships.

Kharge also urged the Speaker to start the debate under any rule which entails voting.

TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay also said his party wants discussion under any rule which entails voting.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bhartruhari Mahatab suggested an immediate discussion on the hardships faced by people because of demonetisation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said the government agreed over Mahtab's suggestions and was ready for a discussion.

However, the government did not agree to discuss the issue under rules that have the provisions for voting, saying any division of vote over the issue will send a wrong message.

"The government is ready to discuss the issue since November 16. The government wants a discussion on the issue without voting and send a message that the house is united to address the issue of black money," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

The Speaker also urged the agitating members that they should begin the discussion keeping aside rules.

But the opposition members did not relent and again trooped near the Speaker's podium and started sloganeering against the government.

When members of the Congress, TMC, Left and others trooped into the well, raising slogans, Mahajan adjourned the house for 10 minutes till 12.45 p.m.

Later, she held a meeting with some opposition leaders in her chamber, but it failed to yield any outcome.

When the house again met after two adjournments, the scene was no different. Mahajan then adjourned the house for the day.

The Lok Sabha has experienced a virtual washout since the session began on November 16 as the government and the opposition have locked horns over the demonetisation issue.

--IANS

bns/pgh/vt
S.Korea's industrial output slumps as Galaxy Note 7 discontinued

South Korea,Technology,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Seoul, Nov 30 (IANS) South Korea's industrial output fell in October as Samsung Electronics discontinued its latest flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, a government report said on Wednesday.

Production in all South Korean industries dipped 0.4 per cent in October as railway workers went on strikes, Xinhua news reported.

Production slided further from previous months according to Statistics Korea.

Samsung's ending of production and sales in its latest Galaxy devices led the production in communication and broadcasting equipment to tumble 18.1 per cent in October.

Railway workers went on strikes amid the ongoing restructuring in troubled shipbuilders and shipping companies, further weighing down on the service industry.

--IANS

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No Indian writer this time in Pakistan Urdu Conference

Pakistan,Art/Culture/Books,Indo-Pak/Pakistan, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Nov 30 (IANS) Writers and poets from India are set to miss the ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi, owing to the prevailing tension on the India-Pakistan border.

Every year "Indian writers and poets attend the moot lending it variety but this time round, due to tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists", Ahmed Shah, a council member, was quoted by Dawn as saying.

Talking about the non-availability of Indian writers and poets, Shah said he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion.

He said Indian writers (Gulzar, Gopichand Narang etc) had contributed substantially to Urdu literature but, these days, Indian writers were afraid of visiting Pakistan fearing they'd be treated badly on their return to India.

However, he said, he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference, scheduled to be held from December 1 to 4, via video or audio link.

Shah said Urdu scholars from countries such as the US, Germany, Denmark, Britain, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference. From within Pakistan, he said, almost all renowned writers and poets had been invited.

--IANS

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6 nabbed for running late-night cafe sans licence in Kolkata

West Bengal,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Nov 30 (IANS) Six persons were arrested from a South Kolkata-based cafe restaurant-cum-hookah parlour for running till late hours without proper license, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, the cafe-cum-hookah parlour, located on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata, was open well beyond the permissible time-limit and served hookah and beverages to a good number of customers.

"A raid was conducted at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday night and six persons, responsible for running the cafe, were arrested as the cafe authority failed to produce any permit for late night operations and licences required to serve food or hookah," an officer of Beniapukur Police Station said.

"The sitting arrangement of the cafe also violated the provision of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)," he added.

Wine bottles, hookah pots containing flavoured tobacco and hookahs were seized from the spot.

Police have charged the six accused under the IPC 188 46AA, Bengal Excise Act (2012) and under section 24 of COTPA.

--IANS

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Jammu martyr's body to be taken to Tripura on Thursday

Tripura,National,Politics,Defence/Security, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Agartala, Nov 30 (IANS) The body of Naik Chittaranjan Debbarma, killed in a terror attack in Jammu, will be brought to Tripura on Thursday for cremation at his native village with full state honours, officials said on Wednesday.

"The body of Debbarma, 36, will be brought here on Thursday and taken to Khowai, 80 km north of Agartala, by road to his native village Paglabari (in western Tripura)," Khowai Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prasun Dey told IANS over phone.Tripura's Forest and Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia, Khowai District Magistrate Apurba Roy, senior Army and security officials will be present at the cremation.

Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base at Nagrota near Jammu.

Three attackers were gunned down. Three more militants died in a shootout with security forces near the International border with Pakistan.

The Debbarma family and their relatives and neighbours in Paglabari plunged into gloom after the news of his death reached the tribal-dominated village late on Tuesday night.

Naik Debbarma is survived by his wife Namita, aged parents and two children aged 11 and seven. His elder brother Arun Debbarma retired from the Army in March.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, in a condolence message, said his government expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

"Our brave Tripura soldier Chittaranjan Debbarma was martyred while protecting our country. We stand with his family in tough times," Sarkar said.

"We are shocked to hear the news. We are also very proud of him. He attained martyrdom while fighting for the nation," Sarkar added.

Chittaranjan Debbarma is the second security personnel from the area killed in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir within a week.

Earlier, 34-year-old Border Security Force Havildar Sambhu Satmura was killed in a landmine blast along the India-Pakistan border at Jamia Wali Gali of Sawjian sector in Poonch district on November 22.

Satmura, a resident of Agartala's Subhasnagar locality, was posted with the F Company of BSF's 107 Battalion.

--IANS

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Michelle will never run for White House: Obama

United States,Politics, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Washington, Nov 30 (IANS) Outgoing US President Barack Obama has said that his wife and the current First Lady Michelle Obama will never run for the White House, despite a growing chant.

The social media has been abuzz for Michelle Obama to run for the 2020 Oval office, however, those close to her have uniformly expressed her disinterest, Aol.com reported on Wednesday.

In a recently released interview, Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner had asked President Obama about his wife possibility of entering politics.

To which, Obama said: "Michelle will never run for office. She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics."

The call for her to become a candidate in the 2020 race began soon after US President-elect Donald Trump clinched victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton on November 8.

In another similar reaction to a radio show 'Sway in the Morning' in October, Obama had said: "Michelle does not have the patience or the inclination to actually be a candidate herself.

"That's one thing y'all can take to the bank."

During an event at the White House recently, Michelle Obama had chuckled when an audience member shouted, "Run for president!"

She just responded by saying, "Be quiet back there."

--IANS

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Five ways to use Instagram for travel planning

Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz,Lifestyle/Fashion, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Planning your trip in advance is getting easier with travel-enabling websites and apps being available to hand. Instagram is one such treasure trove, which can be used to check out locations and fellow travellers feedback, says an expert.

Aurvind Lama, co-founder and CEO, Travelyaari, an online bus booking platform which leverages technology solutions to simplify and streamline bus ticketing processes, suggests how you can make Instagram your best buddy for trips:

* Follow locals: Following a local, especially someone who shares your interests, is a great way of receiving tips and trivia about the place you want to visit. Popular or quaint local spots, cozy cafes and exciting local events - all this and more can be accessed through interacting with someone from the city on your itinerary. Do a quick online search on the top Instagram accounts of the city you are planning to visit. Browse through their feed and follow them to stay updated on the best ways to get an authentic taste of your destination.

* Click on Geotags: These tags display the name of the place where a particular photo was taken. By clicking on the location, you can find out more about the area, including details about the neighbouring region. In addition, you can choose the 'Open in Maps' option, to view the tagged location in Google Maps or any other navigation app of your choice. Along with virtually exploring the place, the map option allows you to save the location for later when you are exploring in real time.

* Put the 'social' in social media: You can do this by reaching out to people who can provide valuable information. Interacting with interesting accounts unearths a goldmine of information about locations and activities, helping you plan your trip with more efficiency. The key is to follow accounts, which will encourage people to return the attention. This will also prompt related accounts to follow, allowing you to discover local advice and vacation tips.

You can even send a direct message to an account after following it for some time for quick queries and useful suggestions. Most Instagram users who post avidly on food, travel and shopping are welcoming and eager to help their followers out.

* Explore hashtags: Exploring hashtags that are popular in potential travel destinations is a handy way of tapping into featured festivals, tourist attractions and gourmet options. A simple click will reveal all the posts users have put up about the hashtag. Planning a trip to Bali? Just search for #bali and you'll be able to see where most people are partying, what are the most scenic spots, what you should be eating and where you should be shopping.

* Follow experts: In addition to following locals, exploring official accounts is a smart way of charting out your itinerary. Tourism boards, celebrity travellers, event accounts - all of these offer not only great advice and tips, but also potential deals and discounts.

--IANS

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Iraqi troops poised to advance on Mosul airport

Iraq,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Baghdad, Nov 30 (IANS) Iraqi forces were on Wednesday poised to launch a bid to recapture Mosul airport as part of their military offensive to wrest the northern city from the Islamic State terror group.

Federal police chief Raed Shaker Jowdat told EFE news that Iraqi forces had weakened the town of Abu Saif, just south of the airport, with artillery and mortar fire.

The town would be a launching pad for an offensive to secure the strategic transport hub.

"This situation will facilitate the takeover of the airport and the complex of government buildings for the next stage of the crucial battle for Mosul," the police chief said.

From a military point of view, the town of Abu Saif had practically fallen to the advancing forces, Jowdat said.

Commander of the Liberation of Nineveh Operation, Najim al-Jabouri said the fight to regain control of the airport was one of the foremost objectives in the battle.

The commander said liberation forces had surrounded the city, providing an escape route for the trapped citizens of the jihadist-held city.

A coalition of Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga and powerful Shia militia have encircled Mosul, cutting off the IS escape route to their Syrian stronghold Raqqa and providing exit corridors to fleeing families.

The police chief said 1,300 IS fighters had been killed since the launch of the battle for Mosul, adding that 210 car bombs had been destroyed.

Some 15,000 families, who had been used as human shields by the IS, had been evacuated.

--IANS

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Israel arrests 24 over wildfires

Israel,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Environment/Wildlife, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Jerusalem, Nov 30 (IANS) Israeli authorities have arrested 24 people suspected of being linked to the wildfires that raged through the country, police said on Wednesday.

Micky Rosenfeld said there were currently 24 people in custody, none of them Jewish, suspected of being directly or indirectly linked to the fires, which were started deliberately, EFE news reported.

He said the interior ministry would decide whether the fires were acts of terror once the investigation was over.

Last weekend, when the fires intensified, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the flames were deliberate and that Israel was facing a wave of incendiary terrorism.

According to the police, another two were arrested on Wednesday morning near Jerusalem while they tried to start a fire with wood and tires.

Both suspects were 16 year old and being interrogated before transferred to a court.

The fires particularly affected residents of Jerusalem and the northern city of Haifa, where tens of thousands were forced to evacuate.

Another blaze in Nataf, in the Jerusalem hills, burned down dozens of homes.

The intensity of the flames forced Israel to request international help from countries including Turkey, Croatia, Russia, Italy, Cyprus and Greece, who all sent aerial firefighting forces.

--IANS

py/dg
Deadlock holds up Parliament as another day washed out (Roundup)

Delhi,National,Politics,Defence/Security,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Parliament on Wednesday saw yet another day of washout with an aggressive opposition raking up fresh demand for obituary reference for the army personnel killed in the Nagrota attack and for the over 80 deaths in demonetisation-related issues as well as pressing for a debate on scrapping of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes under a rule that entails voting.

Neither the Rajya Sabha nor the Lok Sabha could transact any business due to continuous uproar and pandemonium, leading to both houses being adjourned early.

This was the 10th consecutive day of Parliament to be wasted.

In Rajya Sabha, the opposition members created an uproar demanding obituary reference for the army personnel killed in the Nagrota attack and for those who died in demonetisation-related issues.

The House was adjourned for the day after witnessing two earlier adjournments over the issue.

Leader of Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad was the first to raise the issue.

"Our seven soldiers, including two senior officers, have died at Nagrota. The House must first pay homage to them, and after that to the 82 people who have died due to government's wrong policy (of demonetisation)," Azad said.

He was joined by Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy who also pressed for an obituary reference for the killed soldiers as well as for the "people who have died in the queues".

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati, Janata Dal-United's (JD-U) Sharad Yadav and Samajwadi Party's (SP) Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the same demand.

Ram Gopal Yadav also reiterated the demand for compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the people who have died in bank queues post demonetisation.

As soon as the House was reconvened at 12 noon after the first adjournment, opposition members stood up and started chanting "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" and ignored the Chair's call for question hour.

Interestingly, the treasury bench MPs also raised the same slogan.

Amused at this, Chairman Hamid Ansari observed, "There is total agreement in the House."

However, when the sloganeering did not stop, Ansari adjourned the House till 2 pm.

The Chair adjourned the House first till 12 noon, and later till 2 pm. Later, when the ruckus refused to subside, the House was adjourned for the day.

In Lok Sabha, the opposition parties continued their tirade against the government over the demonetisation issue as protests and sloganeering forced Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the house for the day.

The opposition led by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued their demand to discuss the demonetisation issue under a rule which entails voting. Earlier, both the parties were insistent that the discussion be held only under Rule 56, that calls for adjournment motion with voting.

Soon after the House met in the morning, the opposition parties, including Congress and Trinamool Congress, demanded that tributes should be paid by the house to the army men killed in Tuesday's Nagrota attack.

The Speaker said that the combing operation is still continuing and the government is gathering the details about the incident.

Expressing dissatisfaction, the Congress, TMC, the Left and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), then staged a brief walkout over the issue.

After a few minutes the opposition members returned to the house and trooped near the Speaker's podium to press their demand for discussion over the demonetisation issue.

Despite the din, Mahajan attempted to conduct the Question Hour, but following repeated disruptions, she adjourned the house till 12 noon.

When the house re-assembled, Leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said his party wants discussion on the demonetisation issue as the people are facing hardships.

Kharge also urged the Speaker to start the debate under any rule which entails voting.

TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay also said his party wants discussion under any rule which entails voting.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bhartruhari Mahatab suggested an immediate discussion on the hardships faced by people because of demonetisation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said the government agreed over Mahtab's suggestions and was ready for a discussion.

However, the government did not agree to discuss the issue under rules that have the provisions for voting, saying any division of vote over the issue will send a wrong message.

"The government is ready to discuss the issue since November 16. The government wants a discussion on the issue without voting and send a message that the house is united to address the issue of black money," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

The Speaker also urged the agitating members that they should begin the discussion keeping aside rules.

But opposition members of Congress, TMC, Left and others did not relent and again trooped near the Speaker's podium and started sloganeering against the government.

Mahajan then adjourned the house for 10 minutes till 12.45 p.m.

Later, she held a meeting with some opposition leaders in her chamber, but it failed to yield any outcome.

When the house again met after the two adjournments, the scene was no different. Mahajan then adjourned the house for the day.

Parliament has experienced a virtual washout since the session began on November 16 as the government and the opposition have locked horns over the demonetisation issue, and the consequent hardships being faced by people due to cash crunch.

--IANS

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Indian writers will miss Pakistan Urdu Conference: Ahmed Shah

New Delhi, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

In the ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi, no Indian writers and poets are set to attend this. This is because of the prevailing tension on the India-Pakistan border.

A council member Ahmed Shah, said that, Every year Indian writers and poets attend the moot lending it variety but this time round due to tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists.

Shah said on the non-availability of the Indian writers and poets, said that he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion. He said Indian writers (Gulzar, Gopichand Narang etc) had contributed substantially to Urdu literature but, these days, Indian writers were afraid of visiting Pakistan fearing theyd be treated badly on their return to India.

By this statement, he indicated that if Indian writer would go to Pakistan and will attend the conference then Indians writer will be treated badly in India and that is the only reason of not coming to the ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference.

He further said, he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference, which is scheduled to be held from December 1 to 4.

Shah said, from within Pakistan, almost all renowned writers and poets had been invited in the conference. Invitation had been sent to different countries and from countries such as US, Germany, Denmark, Britain, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference.

After the militants entered from Pakistan and attacked on Nagrota of Jammu over the army camp and because of the ridiculous act done by Pakistan. In this attack 7 army men were dead and 5 militants were killed by the security forces. The search operation is still on in which security forces got a bomb but later it was difused by the forces.

--with agency inputs
New Zealand sees 'catastrophic' drop in Indian student visas

United Kingdom,Diaspora,Diplomacy,Education, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Wellington, Nov 30 (IANS) New Zealand has seen a sharp drop in new study visas issued to Indian students in the past five months compared to earlier mainly due to tighter visa rules, a media report said on Wednesday.

Between the start of July and the end of October Immigration New Zealand approved 3,102 visas, just 48 per cent of the 6,462 visas approved in the same period in 2015, said New Zealand's public broadcaster Radio New Zealand.

The decline was due to tighter rules for, and monitoring of, study visa applications from India as many students were arriving with limited money and less proficiency of English to study in New Zealand.

The Auckland International Education Group, which represents 16 private tertiary institutions, said the government had gone too far. The group's spokesman Paul Chalmers said Immigration New Zealand's Mumbai office was turning down too many potential students.

"It's a matter of loosening up in Mumbai and saying 'this is now a catastrophic collapse'," Radio New Zealand quoted Chalmers as saying.

Chalmers said the government is right to tighten English language requirements, but in some cases it is not clear why students are being refused visas.

He also said he expected the number of visa approvals would rise, but not to the highs of previous years.

Richard Goodall, international education spokesperson of Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand (ITENZ), said good institutions would cope with the fall in enrolments from India, but others might go out of business. ITENZ represents several hundred private tertiary institutions.

Goodall also said the number of visa approvals was lower, but the calibre of students was higher. Polytechnics which enrol a lot of Indian students, were not as hard hit as the private sector.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the lower number of new visa approvals was likely to continue for a while. He also said Immigration New Zealand was not being too tough.

"Don't forget what we're doing here is we're focusing on the things that are important for students to succeed here in terms of their English-language capability and their ability to support themselves financially when they're in New Zealand.

"So I make no apology for making sure that those things are followed up on and the declarations students make are correct."

A correction to the Indian market was needed, Joyce said, and added that he expected numbers would grow again.

"It will probably be slower growth than what we saw in the previous two or three years. "But India is always going to be one of the top markets."

Joyce said he did not expect any institutions would go out of business because of the fall in the number of visas for new students from India.

--IANS

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Ghulam Nabi Azad condemns Jammu terror strike

Delhi,National,Politics,Terrorism,Defence/Security, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday condemned the terror strike on the army base in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir where seven army personnel were killed.

"I pay my homage to the brave officers and soldiers who lost their lives in the attack. My heart goes out to their families and I pray that Almighty gives them strength to bear the irreparable loss," said Azad.

Expressing deep concern on the increasing frequency of such attacks and incidents of firing along the border in the last few months, Azad urged the government to take concrete steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base near Jammu, officials said.

Three attackers were also gunned down while three more militants died in a shootout with security forces near the International Border with Pakistan.

--IANS

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Presence of 10 lakh Indian Soldiers in Kashmir is a problem: Pakistan

Jammu and Kashmir, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

Pakistan today urged United Nations to play a key role in peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue, adding it is the duty of the UN to apply its design in Kashmir despite the presence of over one million soldiers there.

Pakistans foreign office spokesperson Nafees Jakaria stated that despite Pakistan's interest, the presence of over ten lakh soldiers in Kashmir that is the highest number of soldiers deployed in a particular palace in the world is a problem in applying of the United Nations resolution.

Zakaria said that Indian Army is doing human rights violation in Kashmir since last four months by killing and torturing innocent Kasmiris. He asked India to instantly stop the atrocities in Kashmir.

Zakaria said Pakistan will attend the Heart of Asia conference scheduled to be held in India as its associated with Afghanistan and they want peace in Afghanistan. He said India want to end the Indus Water Treaty.

India and Pakistan have fought war many times in past. Kashmir remains the main issue. Pakistan claims Kashmir belongs to them and they tell the world that Kashmiris are not happy in the Indian rule. Pakistani Intelligence has tried its best to make Kashmir unstable constantly by sending terrorists here regularly.

Indias enemy like Dawood Ibrahim and Maulana Masood Azhar lives safely in Pakistan under protection of ISI. Maulana Masood Azhar was released by India on 31th December 1999 along with two other terrorists Omar Saed and Azgar Jargar in exchange of the passengers of the hijacked plane IC-814. Masood Azhar founded Jaish-e-Mohammad that is accused of Parliament Attack and Jammu Kashmir Assembly attack. Omar Saed was a student of prestigious London School of Economics and he is in Pakistan Jail now facing death sentence for killing of American Journalist Daniel Pearl.
SC orders status quo on SYL canal land

Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo on land acquired for the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal's stretch in Punjab and appointed the Union Home Secretary, Punjab's Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police as receivers.

Issuing notice to Punjab and the Centre on Haryana's application, a bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy ordered that the "status quo, as of today, shall be maintained by the parties, subject to further orders of this court".

Appointing the receivers for the "lands, works, property and portions of the SYL canal" stretch falling in Punjab, the court asked them to file a report on the ground situation of the property within a period of one week from Wednesday.

However, the court clarified that "for the present, nobody in possession of the land etc. in question as of today would be dispossessed before the next date of hearing".

The court order came on a plea by the Haryana government that sought status quo ante in the wake of the Punjab government's decision to denotify the acquired land and restore it to its original owners.

Appearing for Haryana, senior counsel Shyam Divan told the court that Punjab could not nullify the 2002 and 2004 orders and decrees of the apex court that directed for the completion of the Punjab stretch of the SYL canal.

Seeking the restoration of the March 17 order wherein a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had appointed the Union Home Secretary, Punjab's Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police as receivers, Divan said the three should continue as receivers till they were discharged of their responsibility.

Justice Roy, one of the judges on the Constitution Bench, reminded Divan that on November 10, when the Constitution Bench had pronounced its opinion, he had asked for such relief but the same was not granted.

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Punjab, said the matter before the court was a serious one that requires to be considered.

Telling the court that a legalistic view alone will not help in the dispute's resolution, Jethmalani urged the court to "appoint a group of people who would look into the needs of Haryana and compulsion of Punjab and suggest a way out".

At this, the bench observed that what he was saying was that the matter could not be considered on strictly legal basis but a pragmatic view had to be taken of the same.

The Supreme Court had, in its advisory opinion on a Presidential reference on November 10, held as unconstitutional the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, passed by the state assembly.

Following this, the Punjab government had de-notified 5,376 acres of land acquired from 4,980 owners for the canal.

On November 16, The Punjab assembly passed a resolution directing the state government, its Council of Ministers and government officers and officials not to hand over land to any agency for the canal's construction.

The assembly resolved that the Punjab government should levy a cost on Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi for the water supplied to non-riparian states over the past many years.

Harish Salve, who also appeared for Punjab, sought the next court hearing in April 2017 as the state assembly elections were slated to be held in early 2017 and the model code of conduct will come into force in a fortnight or so.

The enforcement of the model code will prevent the Punjab government from taking any decision having financial or policy implications.

However, the apex court wanted a report on the ground situation and directed for the next hearing on December 15.

--IANS

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NITI Aayog forms panel to turn India into digital economy

Delhi,National,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Policy think-tank NITI Aayog on Wednesday constituted a Committee of Chief Ministers and experts to script an action plan and draw up a roadmap to implement the digital payment systems across the country.

"The committee will examine and implement measures for promoting the use of digital payment systems across the country and usher in transparency, financial inclusion and a healthy ecosystem," said an official statement here.

With Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as its Convener, the committee has Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya as its members.

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Amitabh Kant will be the Member Secretary.

Five experts from diverse fields will assist the committee as special invitees in formulating the action plan and preparing the roadmap to implement the digital payments systems with the participation of people across the country.

The experts are former UIDAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani, Boston Consulting Group Chairman Janmejaya Sinha, netCORE Managing Director Rajesh Jain, iSpirit Co-Founder Sharad Sharma and IIM-Ahmedabad Professor (Finance) Jayant Varma.

The committee's terms of reference say it will identify the global best practices for implementing an economy primarily based on digital payments and their adoption in the Indian context.

The committee will outline measures for rapid expansion and adoption of the digital payments systems like cards (debit, credit pre-paid), digital wallets or e-wallets, internet banking, Unified Payments Interface and banking applications.

"The committee shall evolve an action plan to reach out to the public with the objective of creating awareness and help them understand the benefits of such a switchover to digital economy," said the statement.

Other terms include preparing a roadmap for the administrative machinery in the states to adopt digital modes of financial transactions and to identify and address the bottlenecks and indicate solutions for moving towards a digital payments economy.

It will also associate key stakeholders to implement steps for a digital payments economy, delineate and adopt its measures and address any issue not in the terms of reference, noted the statement.

The committee will be free to devise its own procedures for conducting business, meetings and setting up of sub-groups.

"Digitisation of payments will enable financial inclusion by overcoming physical barriers and enhance access to financial services. It will also enable financial transactions, transparency and plug leakages," the statement added.

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) was set up on January 1, 2015, with the Prime Minister as its ex-officio Chairman, for a bottom-up approach and to make the country move towards cooperative federalism.

--IANS

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World Ayurveda meet opens in Kolkata on December 2

Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) With the support of the Ministry of AYUSH, the World Ayurveda Foundation is organising the 7th World Ayurveda Congress on December 2-4 at Science City in Kolkata.

The focus of the Ayurveda Congress will be "Strengthening the Ayurveda Ecosystem".

The ministry has also organised AROGYA Expo from December 1-4 at Science City to facilitate development and growth of AYUSH system of medicine.

Union Minister for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik will inaugurate the expo on Thursday.

--IANS

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Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle hacked, misused

Delhi,National,Technology,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's official twitter account was hacked on Wednesday, and expletives and abuses were posted on the handle. The abusive tweets were later deleted.

One of the illegal posts had abusive language like "My family is a bunch of corrupt....(expletives) retarded... (expletives)".

The hackers also removed Rahul's profile picture and changed the title of the account from @OfficeOfRG to an abusive one.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle has been hacked. We will file a complaint with the Cyber Cell of city police," Pranav Jha, media coordinator, Congress, told IANS.

--IANS

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500 trucks with essential commodities reach Imphal

Manipur,National,Politics,Defence/Security, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Imphal Nov 30 (IANS) Over 500 loaded trucks, carrying essential commodities, and oil tankers have reached here amid tight security. The capital has been hit by a blockade since November 1.

Despite efforts by the government and voluntary organisations the United Naga Council (UNC), which had imposed the indefinite economic blockade did not calling it off.

UNC activists also dug up the highway at several places, pelted stones and obstructed the movement of the trucks.

There were demonstrations on Tuesday demanding the unconditional release of the UNC president Gaidon Kamei and the publicity secretary Stephen Lamkang.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said: "The law will take its own course and there is no question of releasing them now."

The Manipur High Court had directed the state government to provide "adequate security" to the vehicles plying along the highways.

However, the government was yet to make such arrangement along the highway that snakes through Nagaland.

--IANS

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Amendment bill unacceptable: Nepal's Madeshi Morcha

Nepal,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Kathmandu, Nov 30 (IANS) The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance of major Madhes-based parties on Wednesday said it cannot not accept the Constituent amendment bill registered by the government on Tuesday.

The Morcha under the banner of Front met on Wednesday to make a position on government's proposal.

The meeting concluded though the government's move is just a step forward but did not meet the demands and aspirations of the Madhesi people who are excluded from political mainstream and sharing the state pie in various entities.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday evening, Morcha allies said that the bill, tabled without their consent, could not be accepted under the existing circumstances.

"The constitution amendment tabled by the government on Tuesday doesn't address issues of Madhes, indigenous and excluded communities," the statement said.

Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal (SSF-N) has refused to take ownership of the bill.

In a press statement, SSF-N Chairman Upendra Yadav, who is also the coordinator of the Gathabandan, said the party will continue to protest against all forms of discrimination on indigenous, 'janajati', Tharu, Khas, Muslim, Women, Dalit and Madhesi people.

"The registered bill doesn't fully address any demand of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha and Sanghiya Gathabandan," the statement said.

However, some senior Madhesi leaders have signaled that the agitating parties may vote on behalf of the amendment proposal with reservation to institutionalize the achievements.

Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur, who had chaired the meeting, said the government had agreed in principle to register the bill; but had not held any discussion on contents of the proposal.

The regional parties claim that the bill still fall short of addressing their key demands including the demand on the delineation of the federal boundaries in its entirety.

Madhesi leaders are particularly unhappy with the government for making no mention of the so-called five disputed districts in the bill.

Madhesi leaders said Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had assured to categorise Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur as disputed and split the districts between hill and plain provinces based on recommendation of the State Restructuring Commission.

A day after registration of the amendment proposal, the Sanghiya Gathabandan, an alliance of 29 agitating parties, and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties, separately rejected the proposal.

Some Madhesi leaders hinted at partially supporting the bill to institutionalize the achievements and decided to buy some time until they get clear feedback from the ground. Politically, it is difficult to woo the Madeshi constituencies for them as 59 people were killed and their grievances have not heard until one year after the promulgations of the new constitutions.

--IANS

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Cabinet approves India's position at Kigali climate conference

Delhi,National,Diplomacy,Environment/Wildlife, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the negotiating position adopted by India at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, held last month at Kigali in Rwanda.

The Montreal Protocol, which entered force in January 1989, aims to phase out the ozone depleting substances (ODS).

At Kigali, it was aimed to include Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol in order to regulate their production, consumption and with time phase them out using funds under Montreal Protocol.

The HFCs however are not the ODS but global warming substance and controlling it can limiting the global temperature rise.

"It was agreed at Kigali that there would be two set of baselines or peak years for developing countries and India will have baseline years of 2024, 2025, 2026," said a statement.

It further said this decision gives additional HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) allowance of 65 per cent that will be added to the Indian baseline consumption and production.

Under Montreal Protocol, all countries are assigned a baseline year and a freeze year.

Baseline year is a three year period in which consumption and production of harmful gases like HFCs and HCFCs are analysed and the reduction of the same is assigned based on the amount.

The freeze year is the period when the use of those chemicals must go below what they were during the baseline years.

HCFC used as refrigerant has lower ozone depleting potential but high global warming potential. It was intriduced as an alternative to CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) in 1990.

"The freeze year for India will be 2028, with a condition that there will be a technology review in 2024 or 2025 and, if the growth in the sectors using refrigerants is above certain agreed threshold, India can defer its freeze up to 2030," an official statement said.

Developed countries will reduce production and consumption of HFCs by 70 per cent in 2029.

As per the decisions taken in Kigali, India will complete its phase down in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10 per cent in 2032, 20 per cent in 2037, 30 per cent in 2042 and 85 per cent in 2047.

--IANS

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Leaders of Congress, other opposition parties to meet President

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Leaders of Congress and other opposition parties will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday over demonetisation issue and the manner in which income tax amendment bill was passed in Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed amid opposition protest an income tax amendment bill to facilitate levy of 60 per cent tax on undisclosed income.

"Congress and other opposition parties will meet the President (Pranab Mukherjee) at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) over the demonetisation issue and manner in which income tax amendment bill was passed in the Lok Sabha without any debate and discussion," said an informed source.

Among the parties which are likely to meet the President apart from Congress are CPI(M), CPI, Trinamool Congress, BSP, Samajwadi party and others.

The opposition parties had been staging protests in the Parliament over the issue of demonetisation.

In the Lok Sabha, the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed as the opposition protested and raised slogans against the government.

According to the Bill, the declarant will have to pay a tax of 60 per cent and an additional surcharge of 25 per cent of the tax (i.e. 15 per cent of income), resulting in a total tax component of 75 per cent.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while moving the bill for consideration and passing, called it one of the steps by the Centre to curb black money.

Opposition members raised slogans against the Centre's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, which led to cash crunch across the country.

Members complained that they were not able to move for changes as certain amendments needed President Pranab Mukherjee's assent.

As the opposition protested, Mahajan's said the bill should have been debated but could not be since the house was not maintaining order.

Amid the ruckus, the bill was passed by voice vote, and the house was adjourned for the day.

--IANS

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Rahul's Twitter handle hacked; Congress calls it conspiracy

Delhi,National,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account was hacked on Wednesday and expletives and abuses posted on the handle. The abusive tweets were later deleted.

The Congress said it smacked of "sinister conspiracy and reflected disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture".

One of the illegal posts had abusive language like "my family is a bunch of corrupt....(expletives) retarded... (expletives)".

The hackers also removed Rahul's profile picture and changed the account title from @OfficeOfRG to Retarded gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle has been hacked. We will file a complaint with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police," Congress Media Coordinator Pranav Jha told IANS.

Congress Communication Department incharge Randeep Singh Surjewla tweeted: "Such unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls to hack @OfficeOfRG reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture."

"Pre-meditated hacking of @OfficeOfRG smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse and intimidate. It stregthens our resolve to fight for the nation," he tweeted.

Surjewala tweeted: "Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed and modified."

--IANS

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French firms evince interest to invest in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Vijayawada, Nov 30 (IANS) French companies have evinced interest in collaborating with the Andhra Pradesh government and making investments in smart cities, urban infrastructure, urban development, solar, renewable energy and sports.

A delegation of 53 companies and organisations led by French ambassador to India, Alexandre Zieglar visited the state on Wednesday and met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and senior officials.

They also showed interest in investments in sectors like transportation, water, energy, waste, information technology and communications.

Many firms showed interest in collaborating with the state government in the development of state capital Amaravati and metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Nicolas Forage, Director- South Asia, French Agency for Development conveyed interest in contributing financially to the development of Amaravati, according to a statement from the office of the chief minister.

The French ambassador was impressed by the ambitious Amaravati development project and lauded Chandrababu Naidu's vision to develop a greenfield modern capital city.

The French companies made presentation on their potential areas of collaboration.

Naidu was impressed with the innovative ideas and technologies showcased by the French companies and welcomed their request to partner with the government of Andhra Pradesh.

He requested the French companies to sign MoUs with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and seek assistance on streamlining their entry and investments in the sunrise state.

Naidu said Andhra Pradesh an ideal place for investments with long coast line and abundant mineral resources. He welcomed the French business delegation to invest in various sectors in the state by assuring necessary support and clearances within 14 days.

--IANS

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Bihar legislative faced ruckus on demonetisation, law and order

bihar, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 NI Wire

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During the winter session in the Bihar Legislature on Tuesday, whole day the ruling members and the opposition members debated on different issues like law and order and the demonetisation issue inside and outside of the house, but their discussion turned in ruckus.

Due to ruckus happened in the legislature, both the houses Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council proceedings of the day were lost to the din. The workers of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) came in centre of the house and on the issue of demonetisation they started ruckus.

The MLAs demanded the compensation of 20-20 lakh rupees for those who lost their lives only because of the inconvenience in exchanging the money due to demonetisation. They also said that, with labours and farmers common man is also facing many problems only because of the demonetisation.

The workers of JD (U) blamed BJP that the Bharatiya Janata Party managed its black money in buying land in the different states of the country and created din. On the other hand, the workers of BJP blamed Bihars government on the issue of law and order. The MLAs of BJP said that in Bihar murders, rape, journalists murders are happening and the government is silent on these issues and no actions were taken.

The chairman of Legislative Assembly Vijay Kumar Chowdhary requested workers of the house to express their views from their seats but they refused to listen him and they continued to disrupt the working of the house. After that the chairman adjourned the house till 12 p.m. When the house again started then it happened again.

After the second meeting started at the house, situations were same as earlier and then the chairman adjourned the house till 2 p.m. and after that the house adjourned till Wednesday. Amid din BJP MLA Gayatri Devi and RJD MLA Prema Chowdhary got injured.

The Legislative Council also suffered the same. The ruling party and the opposition members made din and after the adjournment of the proceedings of the council they started strike in front of the cabin of the chairman of the Legislative Assembly here and it continued for long time.

During the whole session and ruckus the senior leader of BJP Nand Kishor Yadav said while blaming the ruling Alliances Allies said that, the allies were responsible for the disruption in the proceedings of the houses and the disputed and indecent statements given by the senior leaders of the ruling party are also responsible.

He also said, the irresponsible way of working of ruling party is responsible for the disruption of the working of the house. BJP is always prepared to do the opposition rule positively but the disputed and irresponsible way and behaviour of the senior leaders of the ruling party are making critical situations in the house.

He further said, that the ruling party is avoiding oppositions questions and they are making these type of situations willingly.

--with agency inputs

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London-based Human rights group Amnesty International Tuesday called on Spain and the kingdom of Morocco to respect the international law concerning migrants human rights after the NGO in a report accused both countries of inhuman treatment given to some migrants because of their nationality and sexual orientation.

Migrants largely hailing from Africa and Syria are subject to police abuses, instant expulsion and inhuman reception conditions in the two enclaves, Amnesty International slammed.

A set of interviews conducted by the NGO in October in the two the autonomous Spanish cities, in migrant camps revealed that both countries migration policy ignore the international law.

Physically disabled people, homosexuals, migrants of some nationalities such as Morocco and Algerian including Sub-Saharan migrants because of the colour of their skin, are targets of mistreatment, the NGO noted.

The report documented the case of 20 years old Guinean named Muhamed who spent seven hours on a fence at Ceuta in September.

I called out the Guardia Civil that I was injured, I applied a tourniquet to my ankle but no one heeded my call, Muhamed told Amnesty International.

Moroccan and Algerian migrants says the right group, once transferred on the Spanish peninsular are denied medical treatment.

Right group also revealed that Syrian migrants are subject to distortion and have been forced to pay large sums of money to traffickers in order to acquire fake documents. The report also finger-points Moroccan control officers who according to the right group forced a Syrian family to cross separately in order to avoid suspicions.

Moroccan control officers are also charged for misconducts towards a group of 60 homosexual migrants. The migrants at Melilla camp the report notes, were persecuted and had to wait between six months to one year before being transferred.
Rached Ghannouchi and his party have been urged to reconcile Muammar Gaddafis loyalists and Islamists, London-based The New Arab reports.

Ghannouchi according to Qatari media has been in contact with Libyan sides. A source in the Tunisian Islamist party told the media that Ghannouchi had recently met with a delegation of acceptable Gaddafi-affiliated figures to discuss him working on behalf of the group to reconcile with moderate Islamist forces.

Libya has been divided into factions since the fall of former Libyan ruler killed in 2011, in a NATO-backed revolution. The country has had two rival governments respectively based in the East and in capital Tripoli. UN-backed unity government in Tripoli has been struggling to impose itself.

Analysts argue that only reconciliation can reunite all sides. They also point out that though no longer in power, Gaddafists still wield important force as they know all the apparatus of the Libyan state.

We have spoken to some of them, like Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam, Abdel Rahman Shalgam and Ahmed Jibril We have always urged our Libyan brethren to avoid any exclusionary tendencies because the Libyan ship has room for everyone.

We are pushing for forgiveness and reconciliation, away from collective punishment and vengeance. It is un-Islamic and unfair to punish everyone who worked with the Gaddafi regime, Ghannouchi told The Arab News in March in an interview.

Ennahda in May, at its congress distanced itself from its Islamist agenda to embrace a political line.
Algeria which has suffered a sharp decrease in oil revenues is seeking desperately to fill in its coffers with an Italian supply deal.

The countrys state-owned Sonatrach and Italys energy company, Eni, inked a deal to supply Italy with 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.

The gas will be channeled through the Transmed pipeline and will cover 16% of Italys needs, several media reports said.

The deal will help Algeria mitigate the dwindling revenues as a result of low oil prices. According to Bloomberg, Algerias foreign exchange reserves eroded by more than a third since the decrease in oil prices to stand at 121 billion dollars in Septembers pushing the government to resort to foreign debt. This month, Algeria took a 900 million-euro loan from the African Development Bank.

At current prices we wont be able to survive two years, Bloomberg quoted Mohamed Said Beghoul, a former director of Sonatrach, as saying.

The IMF estimates that Algeria needs a barrel price of 110 to maintain macro-economic balance at a moment economic analysts warn of an upcoming budget crisis if oil prices remain at current levels around $50 per barrel.
France reiterated its position in support of Moroccos autonomy plan as a serious and credible basis to find a lasting solution to the Sahara dispute.

France considers the autonomy plan put forward by Morocco in 2007 as a serious and credible basis for a negotiated solution, the spokesperson for the French Presidency, Romain Nadal told reporters.

Frances position on the Sahara issue is immutable in favor of a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable solution within the framework of the UN and in conformity with the Security Council resolutions, he added.

In 2007, Morocco offered the autonomy initiative after the organization of a referendum proved to be unfeasible in view of disagreements over who is eligible to vote. The Kingdoms autonomy plan has been internationally endorsed as a credible solution, as a basis for negotiations.

Under the autonomy plan, the Saharan population shall have exclusive powers with regards to managing local affairs within the framework of Moroccos sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Polisario and its mentor Algeria discard the autonomy option as they continue to stick to obsolete positions reminiscent of the Cold War era leading to the perpetuation of the conflict and the prolonging of the suffering of the Saharan population held in the Polisario-run camps in southwestern Algeria.

Algeria continues to fund and support diplomatically and military the Polisario militias which it hosts in the region of Tindouf since the 1970s. The Polisario have been using Algerian territories as a rear base for their guerilla warfare against Morocco until the UN-brokered ceasefire agreement in 1991.
I am not a sheep, I have my own mind

I have had enough of being told what and how to think

Whilst we are still allowed the remnants of free speech,

I will speak out.



I also reserve the right to discuss less controversial matters should I feel the urge.
Donald Trump. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Trumpian conflicts of interest and culture wars. And, making up with Mitt.

With the potential conflicts of interest surrounding Donald Trump (and his family) inciting calls for everything from a congressional investigation to an Oval Office corporate monitor, Trump has announced that next month hell hold a press conference to explain how hell be leaving his great business in total. Do you expect to see any distance put between a Trump administration and the Trump Organization by Inauguration Day?

Are you kidding? Not by Inauguration Day, and not ever. Trump may reverse his stand on any issue in any given hour depending on whom he last talked to or which talking head he last caught on cable. But he does have one ideological imperative that has been and always will be sacrosanct: making money any way he can without regard for ethics, propriety, the suckers on the other end of his deals, or the rule of law. Trump University was merely a preview of the Trump White Houses coming attractions. Hell leave his great business in total on that same day he releases his tax returns.

The Trump administration promises to be a kleptocracy that will make Hardings look like an object lesson in good government by comparison. After all, Harding only countenanced the Teapot Dome scandal  in which the secretary of Interior took bribes from oil companies eager to plunder Navy petroleum reserves  rather than masterminding it. Trump, by contrast, arrives in office as the leader of a family syndicate with international financial interests and decades of training in buck-grubbing chicanery. Were still almost two months away from Inauguration Day, and already the president-elect is formulating foreign policy predicated on promoting his foreign real-estate holdings. His daughter has used her new First Family status to hawk a cheesy product line, and his son-in-law has no interest in deaccessioning his own real-estate empire, which, per The Wall Street Journal, has hundreds of millions of dollars in loans from domestic and foreign financial institutions and also markets condominiums to wealthy U.S. and foreign buyers.

And lets not even talk about the financial conflicts of interests of the billionaires and financiers soon to take roles throughout the Trump administration, as exemplified by the presumptive secretaries of Commerce and Treasury, Wilbur Ross and Steven Mnuchin. Even leaving aside the conflicts of interest with their own holdings, they will dismantle scores of regulations that have been enacted to protect consumers, mortgage holders, shareholders, and bank customers. The result will be an orgy of newly legalized larceny that will stagger the imaginations (and pocketbooks) of those generations of Americans too young to remember the Reagan era.

Whats almost poignant is the still-flickering hope that the press might play an effective watchdog role in policing any of this. Investigative journalism about Trumps sordid business history didnt turn the tide before Election Day, so why should it now? The voters rewarded him for his bad behavior. He has gotten away with keeping his tax returns secret. Theres no incentive for him or his family to alter their rapacious behavior. The Journal, in its excellent report on Jared Kushners business conflicts, writes that there could be legal issues if the son-in-law should rise to a staff position in the Trump administration. So what? The workaround is simple enough: Kushner is not named to a staff position and instead serves as an unofficial adviser. He will be free to do whatever he wants with impunity. God knows that Jeff Sessionss Department of Justice will look the other way if Kushner, like his father before him, crosses any legal line.

Equally ineffectual, if well-meaning, is this weeks Andrew Ross Sorkin Dear President-elect Trump column in the Times proposing in all earnestness that Trump solve his conflict-of-interest problem by hiring a corporate monitor to report to the public on any conflicts that arise during his presidency. A capital idea, and, whats more, Sorkin recruited an unimpeachable volunteer for that job, Kenneth Feinberg, the lawyer who administered the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Yet all one can imagine is Trump and his family reading this proposal and laughing hysterically at Sorkins naivete.

The only way Trump can be policed is by a Republican Congress that has the power to hold hearings, conduct inquiries, and, if need be, impeach. Thats not happening. In the short time since Trumps victory, most #NeverTrump Republicans in Congress and elsewhere in the GOP hierarchy have been falling over themselves to collaborate with the new regime.

Last night Trump met with Mitt Romney once again, this time over frogs legs at the Manhattan restaurant Jean-Georges. What would choosing Romney as secretary of State tell us about Trumps leadership?

Trumps prolonged torturing of Romney has been a priceless spectacle, worthy, as many have said, of Celebrity Apprentice  though minus Omarosa (at least so far). If Romney now fails to get the job, we have to wonder if that was the intention all along: to exact the most excruciating and humiliating revenge that Trump and Steve Bannon could possibly devise. Romney had already exposed himself as a hypocrite by his groveling campaign to be hired by Trump in the first place. Now he is falling over himself to praise the antagonist he once denigrated as a con man and fraud as the very man who can lead America to a better future. Its impossible not to think of Romneys father, George, who destroyed his 1968 presidential campaign by declaring that he had been brainwashed about Vietnam. A susceptibility to brainwashing is clearly in the family DNA.

A similar susceptibility to brainwashing can also be found in certain segments of the news media, where some commentators are already preparing to normalize a potential Romney pick as a team-of-rivals move bordering on the Lincolnesque. But if Romney does get the State Department job, hell still be humiliated, if in slo-mo. His views have zero in common with the Putin-philic agenda of the president-elect, and hell inexorably be brought to heel by both Trump and his Strangelovian national security adviser, the retired General Mike Flynn. By the time Romney is photographed in smiling supplication on an official visit to the Kremlin, hes going to wish he were back being captured on candid camera berating the 47 percent.

In his second week as president-elect, Trump sparked a debate about theaters role as a home for (or distraction from) politics. In his third, hes called for revoking the citizenship of protesters who burn the flag. What should we learn from how the lines in the nascent Trump-era culture wars are being drawn?

What we should learn from both the Hamilton fracas and Trumps latest assault on the First Amendment is that this continuous culture war is a strategy, to rile up the base and retain its loyalty should he fail, say, to deliver on other promises, like reviving the coal industry. In this sense, I think some liberals didnt quite get the cynicism and intent of Mike Pences visit to Broadways biggest hit. Sure, Pence may have wanted to see the show  after all, it has great word of mouth from Dick and Lynne Cheney  but it certainly wasnt lost on Bannon that the vice-president-elects presence was likely to cause some kind of incident, booing at the very least, at that musical in particular in the immediate aftermath of the election.

Its possible that much of that base previously knew little or nothing about Hamilton, but thanks to Pences visit, it would soon learn in even the briefest news accounts that the show is everything that base despises: a multi-cultural-ethnic-racial reclamation of white American history with a ticket price that can soar into four digits  in other words, a virtual monument to the supposedly politically correct elites that Trump, Bannon, and their wrecking crew found great political profit in deriding throughout the campaign. Pences visit to Hamilton was a surefire political victory for Trump even without the added value of a perfectly legitimate and respectful curtain speech that he could trash-tweet to further rouse his culture-war storm troopers. The kind of political theater that Trump and Bannon fomented around Hamilton is likely to be revived routinely in the Trump era.
Michael Slager prepares to take the stand. Photo: Pool/Getty Images

Michael Slager, the police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, after a traffic stop last year, testified in his own murder trial on Tuesday. On the stand, Slager described the total fear he felt just before shooting Scott, but claimed that his memory of the encounter was hazy and failed to explain the multiple inconsistencies between his recollection and a video of the incident.

Stager became increasingly emotional during his testimony, at times seeming close to breaking down. My family has been destroyed by this. The Scott family has been destroyed by this, he said. Its horrible.

Looking back to that day, Slager, 35, recalled: I see him with a Taser in his hand as I see him spinning around. Thats the only thing I see: that Taser in his hand.

I saw that Taser coming at me, he said. I fired until the threat was stopped, like Im trained to do.

Earlier in the trial, Feidin Santana  the bystander who filmed the interaction on his cell phone  testified that Scott, 50, did not in fact take the officers Taser, nor did he spin around.

The video shows Slager firing at Scotts back eight times as he tries to flee, and then handcuffing him while he lies face-down on the ground. Later, Slager is seen dropping something that could be a Taser next to Scotts body.

Slager was fired and charged with murder after the cell phone footage came to light.

During his testimony, the former police officer admitted that he would do things differently if he could do it all again, saying, Going back 18 months later and looking at everything, things could have been different. However, Slager still insisted that he feared he was going to be overpowered in a scuffle with Scott that he says occurred off-camera.

The prosecution, meanwhile, tried to portray the five-year law-enforcement veteran as a hothead who was quick to use unnecessary force, pointing out that he alone was responsible for about 4 percent of the total Taser use by the police force in North Charleston in 2014.

Closing arguments are planned for Wednesday. If found guilty, Slager faces life in prison.
Who has one thumb and wants to build bases on the moon? Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In an interview with USA Todays Capital Download on Tuesday, former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich held forth about President-elect Donald Trump, his staff, and the media.

When pressed about Trumps refusal so far to hold any press conferences, Gingrich offered his support for the move, saying that Trump should continue to shun the press straight through his presidency and instead only answer handpicked questions from the public.

The news media so totally disgraced itself in this election, if I were Trump I would just say no, Gingrich said. And if the White House Correspondents Association doesnt like it, Id say, Fine, disband.

Still, Gingrich conceded that Trump is not without his flaws, chief among them his recent tweet alleging widespread voter fraud and millions of illegally cast ballots, saying, The president of the United States cant randomly tweet without having somebody check it out, Gingrich said. It makes you wonder about whatever else hes doing. It undermines much more than a single tweet.

But a bit of errant tweeting wasnt enough to entirely sour Gingrich on his man. He is still looking forward to a Trump presidency, with Reince Priebus, a GOP Establishment favorite, and Steve Bannon, who ran a website that promotes white nationalism, at the helm. You have a very hard-line conservative warrior as your chief strategist and you have a really sophisticated manager of the Establishment as your chief of staff, he said.

In discussing Trump, Gingrich invoked Andrew Jackson, another famously divisive president (just ask Native Americans). Trump is one-third Andrew Jackson in disruption, one-third Theodore Roosevelt in sheer energy, and one-third P.T. Barnum in selling all the time, according to Gingrich.
Fighting for $15. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images

On Tuesday, the Fight for $15 movement launched its first protests since Donald Trump was elected president. Thousands of low-wage workers  along with activists from labor unions, churches, and community groups  took to the streets in dozens of towns and cities across the country. Nearly 200 protesters have been arrested so far.

Trumps position on the minimum wage is unclear. During a debate he said, Wages are too high. He later claimed he just meant that the federal minimum wage should not increase. He also earned a full flop from PolitiFact for saying the federal minimum wage should go up to $10, then saying states should set their own minimum wage, not the federal government.

In major travel hubs and airports all over the country, thousands of janitors and baggage handlers joined the movement, walking off the job. In Chicago, activists descended on OHare International Airport in droves, and in Los Angeles thousands gathered across the road from the airport, calling for better pay and union rights.

In urban areas from coast to coast, fed-up laborers blocked traffic, often leading to arrests; at last count at least 55 people were arrested in Chicago, 40 in Los Angeles, 34 in Cambridge, and 39 in Detroit.

Dozens of riot cops have arrived on the scene in Durham, NC but we will not be moved #Fightfor15 pic.twitter.com/ZQ7Bai1szG  Raise Up For $15 (@RaiseUpfor15) November 29, 2016

#Durham police have arrested NAACP NC President Rev. William Barber II #Fightfor15 pic.twitter.com/lPN0KRpOHz  Derrick Lewis (@DerrickQLewis) November 29, 2016

In Manhattan, more than 200 activists gathered early in the morning in the citys financial district before marching out and blocking traffic near a local McDonalds. Twenty-six were arrested, including four local and state officials.

BREAKING: Workers getting arrested RIGHT NOW in New York City for peacefully protesting in front of McDonald's #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/jIY1ISgYUE  Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) November 29, 2016

Politicians among 26 arrested this morning in Zuccotti Park #Fightfor15 protest, NYPD says: https://t.co/8pEoK3S2KY pic.twitter.com/di1Se39JH5  DNAinfo New York (@DNAinfoNY) November 29, 2016

The labor-funded Fight for $15 movement  supported by unions like the Service Employees International Union, which poured millions of dollars into the group  has recently signaled its desire to address not only urban low-wage workers, but also the needs of working-class Americans, who helped sweep Trump into office.

Its abysmal that the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. You cant live off that. Its time for a $15 minimum wage. #FightFor15  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 30, 2016

Building economic security starts by raising the min wage to $15/hr & making sure every worker has the right to join a union. #fightfor15  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 29, 2016

The shift from protesting in front of fast-food restaurants  which had been the focus of Fight for $15  to new venues like airports is significant. The group has said that it wants to draw attention to the fact that while some restaurant work has always been low-wage, it wasnt so long ago that airport employees earned a living wage.

And the new strategy was on display on Tuesday, when rallies drew low-wage earners from many different fields, including Uber drivers, health-care workers, and child-care providers.

When Trump is able to spin an entire news cycle about Hamilton instead of other issues that matter to working folks, said Jonathan Westin, director of New York Communities for Change, who helped spearhead Tuesdays action, its that much harder for us to bring attention to the everyday struggles of families trying to put food on the table.
An artists interpretation of improved U.S.-Russia relations. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he and Donald Trump recently spoke on the phone and agreed that the relationship between Russia and the United States has to be straightened out. Speaking at a foreign-policy conference in Moscow, the Russian president said that with Trump soon taking the White House, he believes a chance will appear to smooth relations. What that means is unclear.

Putin also used the speech to insist that the degraded relationship between the two countries was not our fault, which might sound odd coming from the guy whose government annexed Crimea, committed potential war crimes in Syria, and sought to influence the U.S. presidential election with a targeted hacking campaign. But in Putins view its not acts like these that have strained relations between the two countries, its the unwillingness of the U.S. to accept them. When Trump takes office, theres no evidence that Putin is planning to stop making trouble  maybe hes just hoping the White House stops complaining about it.
I made a silent plea for help and all I got was mean tweets. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Donald Trump already made potential secretary of State Mitt Romney kiss his ring, but it seems his atonement has just begun. On Tuesday night, Trump, Romney, and future White House chief of staff Reince Priebus dined at Jean-Georges, a three-Michelin-star restaurant inside the Trump International Hotel. During the meal, a photographer captured Romneys soul leaving his body, and the image quickly replaced Sad Ted Cruz as Twitters favorite meme featuring one of Trumps vanquished enemies.

For the first time in his life, Mitt Romney is All Of Us. pic.twitter.com/e8TyFgmtDl  John Green (@johngreen) November 30, 2016

Mitt Romney is me every time I go on a first date pic.twitter.com/659nSst6rg  Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) November 30, 2016

I found the uncropped version of that Trump and Romney photo. pic.twitter.com/VdeLh3QnB1  neontaster (@neontaster) November 30, 2016

I made the Trump/Romney photo black and white, and it looks like a Twilight Zone episode where a guy just made a foolish deal with the Devil pic.twitter.com/froiDYDJei  Adam Murray (@Atom_Murray) November 30, 2016

A new Black Mirror where if you don't post that Trump/Romney photo in the next 30 minutes your search history is revealed or whatever.  Daniel Ralston (@danielralston) November 30, 2016

Witnesses claim the dinner actually wasnt as hellish as the photo suggests, but that depends on your opinion of paying $215.57 for a meal that includes young garlic soup with thyme and sauteed frog legs.

CNNs Jim Acosta happened to be dining at the same time as Trump, Romney, and Priebus, and he posted updates on their body language.

Trump, Romney and Priebus having a very warm but animated discussion right now. Trump started talking first. Now Romney chiming in.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 30, 2016

Trump crossing his arms for a good while now as Romney smiles and speaks.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 30, 2016

Fresh marshmallows are prepared as Trump, Romney and Priebus dine. pic.twitter.com/JI5KvPgnLT  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 30, 2016

Trump, Romney and Priebus have moved onto dessert. Romney laughing as Trump talks and gestures. No sign of any animosity from campaign.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 30, 2016

As if Romney hadnt suffered enough humiliation for one evening, on his way out he offered effusive praise for Trump, and the cabinet hes building (though he did not mention the most notorious racists by name).

Its not easy winning. I know that myself, Romney said. [Trump] did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in. He won the general election and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together, and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way.

Its unclear if this is a signal that Romney is pulling ahead in the race for secretary of State, or merely a sign that Trump is enjoying his dignified groveling.
Donald Trump and his trusty aide Paul Ryan. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Even before the election, it was clear to anybody who paid attention that unified control of government would mean an executive branch free of accountability or oversight. The investigative arm of the Republican Congress, which had been gearing up for four years of ceaseless torment of Hillary Clinton for any offenses real or imagined, has already switched over to a policy of ignoring already-existing constitutional violations. That policy seems to be extending to the rest of the party.

Of course, most Republicans in Congress support Trump and are happy to sing his praises. In cases where they dont, they simply abdicate any critical judgment. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy evaded questions about Trumps unprecedented lack of transparency and self-dealing in office, first referring the matter to Trumps handpicked counsel, then denying any knowledge of what has been front-page news.

Darren Samuelsohn asks various republicans about Trumps massive violations, and gets a series of run-and-hide replies:

Asked if Congress had any oversight role on the potential conflicts connected to Trumps many businesses, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell smiled and kept walking as he headed off the floor late Wednesday night, declining to say anything at all as he got into a private elevator.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) deflected a question about Trumps potential conflicts to an aide. Do you have an opinion on that? the Iowa Republican asked, before he too stepped in an elevator.

Across the Capitol, the response from some of the chambers most powerful Republicans was largely one of indifference.

Thats beyond my jurisdiction, said Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for dishing out federal funds.

Not for my committee, added Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the chairman of the House Ways and Means that has oversight of the IRS, the controversial agency that Trump famously used as an explanation during the presidential campaign as the reason he couldnt release his tax returns.

I dont think thats something thatthe public is going to hold him accountable for, said Rep. John Shimkus, an Illinois Republican running to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee. I dont think people are thinking he ran for president of the United States to line his pockets.

Youd think the famous straight-talker John McCain, who is now 80 years old and fresh off reelection to a new six-year term in the Senate, might have some ability to exercise independent judgment. But McCains stated policy, as revealed to the Huffington Posts Laura Barron-Lopez, is, I will not discuss President-elect Donald Trump. McCain added, Im responsible for the people of Arizona. Its not like he is a member of some branch of government that the founders designed as a check and balance on the executive. As far as Republicans in Congress are concerned, theyre all working for Trump now.
A few hundred deals like this, and well be back on track. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Incredibly, there are still some people who dont believe Donald Trump will make America great again, so the president-elect has been searching for some immediate, tangible proof that hes turning things around for American workers. Keeping a Lincoln plant open in Kentucky would have served this purpose nicely, but the story was marred by the revelation that Trump took credit for working with Ford to save American jobs, though its plant was never moving to Mexico.

Now Trump has a better example of how his deal-making skills are saving the country, even before his inauguration. Trump and Carrier, which makes heating and air-conditioning equipment, said on Tuesday that they have reached a deal to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana, rather than shifting them to Mexico.

We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.  Carrier HVACR (@CarrierHVACR) November 30, 2016

Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, Indianas governor, are set to appear at Carriers Indianapolis plant to reveal the details on Thursday.

I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis. Great deal for workers!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

The company, which is owned by United Technologies, announced in February that it would close two Indiana Carrier plants, one in Indianapolis and another in Huntington, cutting 2,100 manufacturing jobs across the state over the next few years. Video of the announcement went viral, and Carriers move was criticized by several presidential candidates, including Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders. The company said the decision was financial; the Indianapolis Star reported that while most Carrier workers in Indiana were making $26 an hour plus overtime, their Mexican replacements would earn a base wage of $3 an hour.

Trump frequently called out Carrier on the campaign trail, threatening to tax the hell out of any goods they imported from Mexico. Youre going to bring it across the border, and were going to charge you a 35 percent tax, he said, explaining Carrier executives would quickly change their tune. Now within 24 hours theyre going to call back. Mr. President, weve decided to stay. Were coming back to Indianapolis. (At one point Trump owned stock in United Technologies, but he did not mention that at rallies.)

Trumps appeal to white workers in the Rust Belt was key to his win, and in interviews with the New York Times, Trump voters in Indianapolis made it clear that they will turn on him if he doesnt follow through on his promise to keep the Carrier plant open. Trump made Carrier the poster child and said he would hold Carrier accountable. Well, were going to hold him to it, said Chuck Jones, president of the Local 1999 of the United Steelworkers union.

On Thanksgiving, Trump tweeted that he was working hard to get Carrier to remain in the U.S., even on the holiday, and said they were making progress. So far the terms of the deal  and Trumps involvement  remain unclear. CNBC reported that the agreement was negotiated by Pence and United Technologies CEO Greg Hayes, and that Carrier was offered new incentives from the state of Indiana. The New York Times reported that Trump and Pence are expected to reiterate their pledge to lower corporate taxes and ease regulations, while toning down the threats on tariffs.

Also unclear: exactly how many Carrier jobs will remain in the United States. Carrier said it would keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis, but the plant there has about 1,400 employees. There was also no mention of the Huntington, Indiana, plant, which employs 700 people, or the 400 research and development jobs the company previously promised to keep in the state.



Jones, the United Steelworkers 1999 president, told the Washington Post that the union was not involved in the negotiations. Were trying to figure out what the hell is going on, he said.

Clearly, its fantastic news that at least some Carrier workers in Indiana will keep their jobs. Im ready for him to come, Robin Maynard, whos worked at the company for 24 years, said of Trumps Thursday visit. Now I can put my daughter through college without having to look for another job.



Its also a big PR win for Trump, though it says little about his ability to solve the larger issues driving U.S. jobs overseas  and it may actually set a bad precedent for other companies. University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers tweeted:

Every savvy CEO will now threaten to ship jobs to Mexico, and demand a payment to stay. Great economic policy. https://t.co/t2WAJOgh8F  Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) November 30, 2016

Voxs Matt Yglesias quipped:

I would also like some money from Indiana in exchange for not moving to Mexico.  Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) November 30, 2016

And in his statement on the deal, Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana highlighted another problem:

While this is good news, in Indiana alone, there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier jobs out of the country. We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home.

Though we cant assess the deal until we know the details, it does seem encouraging that the president-elect is following through on his promise to advocate for the working class. But even if Trumps negotiating skills are as brilliant as he claims, having the president work out deals with individual companies is not the blueprint for a functional economy.
Winning the presidential election has not made Donald Trump abandon his dedication to attacks on the right to vote. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Perhaps Donald Trumps tweet alleging that his popular-vote loss to Hillary Clinton was the result of millions of people who voted illegally means nothing beyond the president-elects reflexive inability to admit defeat in any aspect of the election. Maybe as a populist, he thinks it is important to claim some sort of popular mandate for his agenda, facts be damned. And speaking of facts be damned, quite possibly Trump just cannot get out of the habit of playing the victim, even when hes won.

Whatever his motives, Trumps persistence in alleging  without a shred of evidence so far  massive voter fraud even after the election is most unfortunate. It will reinforce the fatal temptation on the political right, extending from non-ideological partisan hacks to the most race-crazed of white nationalists, to declare permanent open season on voting rights. And once universal suffrage stops being a principle to which both major parties subscribe in theory if not always in practice, reestablishing it could become as difficult as it was in the darkest days of the southern struggle for civil rights.

It is bad enough that loose and almost entirely unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud have become routine ammunition in the battle of Republican state lawmakers and elected officials to shave a little bit here (fewer early voting opportunities) and a little bit there (unnecessary and discriminatory voter-ID requirements) from the exercise of the franchise by the young and minority voters most likely to support Democrats. What Trump seems to be buying into is something much more sweeping and ominous: the argument that large-scale voting for Democrats in any particular demographic category is prima facie evidence of fraud because Democrats are offering minority voters  specifically immigrants  inducements no legitimate government should be able to extend, from a path to citizenship to welfare.

The idea that the power of takers not makers is reaching a tipping point where confiscatory socialism becomes inevitable is an old idea among conservatives, although one they do not often broadcast. It was, after all, the basic point of Mitt Romneys famous 47 percent gaffe. In 2016, it was reflected in one of the most pervasive conservative memes: that 2016 could be the last election thanks to the success of Democrats in expanding the electorate to achieve a permanent majority based on lawbreakers and dependents. Indeed, some anti-Trump conservatives used this argument to justify voting for the mogul despite all their misgivings about him: It was the Flight 93 election, in which hurling oneself suicidally into the fight to deny liberals an electoral victory was the only patriotic course of action. But Trump himself endorsed this meme in September in an interview with Christian right journalist David Brody:

I think its going to be the last election that the Republicans can win. If we dont win this election, youll never see another Republican and youll have a whole different church structure. Youre going to have a whole different Supreme Court structure. That has to do a lot with what were doing because the Supreme Court, as you know with Justice Scalia gone, I think you could probably have four to five judges picked by the next president. Probably a record number, David, probably a record number of judges. If they pick the super-liberals, probably to a certain extent, people that would make Bernie Sanders happy, you will never have a Supreme Court, were going to end up with another Venezuela, large scale version. It would be a disaster for the country.

If, indeed, the very continuation of constitutional government depends on resisting the enfranchisement of new Democratic voters, then efforts to disenfranchise them are always in order, in good times and bad, and even in victory as well as defeat. I am afraid that is the new reality we are already seeing in Trumps voter fraud tweet.

With the election of a president who embraces the idea that universal suffrage is political suicide for the GOP and demographic suicide for real Americans, we may have already lost the hard-won bipartisan support for the proposition that voting is a right for everyone who has not done something terrible to forfeit the vote. The entity that is charged with protecting the right to vote, moreover, is being entrusted by Trump to Jeff Sessions, a man whose entire career has been devoted to maintaining and restoring the kind of highly ordered traditionalist society the civil-rights and voting-rights revolutions endangered in the 1960s and endanger now. Thanks to a conservative Supreme Court majority (soon to be reestablished and perhaps expanded by Trump) that vitiated the enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Sessions will, if he wishes, be able to pursue a voter fraud witch hunt without significant contradictory obligations to defend the right to vote from those who would deny or restrict it.

What this ultimately means is that much of what voting-rights advocates have taken for granted for decades now is again in question. It will take some exceptionally principled Republicans to keep their party from adopting voter suppression as a day-in, day-out political strategy followed in broad daylight rather than the shadows. And the more the GOP fights letting those people vote, the more it will depend on restricting the franchise in the future if its shrinking white voter base is to continue to prevail. In effect, every election will be the last election unless voter suppression is not only maintained but intensified to turn back the nonwhite demographic tide.

It is always possible that Donald Trump will decide hes made America so great in so short a time that his party no longer has to rely on giving disproportionate power to old white people in a sort of truncated quasi-democracy. But if that is where this most unlikely leader of the Party of Lincoln is headed, he is off to a terrible start.
Antonin Scalia would have been horrified by Donald Trumps threats against protesters who burn the U.S. flag. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trumps latest Twitter-driven controversy arises from his dashed-off call for jailing or stripping citizenship from protesters who burn the American flag. As Philip Bump notes, this is hardly the first indicator that Trump is not what you would call a civil-liberties enthusiast. And as my colleague Jonathan Chait observes, this might be just another Trump distraction from the nasty stuff he is planning to do in the real world.

It is probably worth taking notice of the fact, however, that demagogic attacks on the First Amendment rights of people conservatives dont like arent as broadly acceptable on the right as they used to be.

The first reason for this change in the politics of free expression is undoubtedly the defense of the First Amendment principles made by prominent conservatives, including some in the judiciary. With respect to flag-burning, the most emphatic rebuttal to Trumps position on record comes from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who stood with the majority in Johnson v. Texas, the 54 landmark decision in 1989 that struck down state laws criminalizing flag desecration. In a speech not long before his death, Scalia clarified his position:

If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy-bearded weirdo who burns the American flag, Scalia said. But I am not king.

A SCOTUS justice with a more ambiguous relationship to conservatism, Anthony Kennedy, also sided with the majority in Texas v. Johnson, while conservative justices more attuned to the political branches of government, Rehnquist and OConnor, went the other way. After a few years of regular fulmination against the SCOTUS precedent and regular House passage of constitutional amendments aimed at overturning the decision, the conservative passion for this particular form of hippie-punching subsided  until Trump brought it back this very week.

But something else has happened that helps explain why leading Republican politicians  including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy  have responded to Trump by reiterating their support for First Amendment protections.

The First Amendment has become the basis for a variety of high-profile conservative causes based on the belief that free expression is under attack by progressives. One, of course, is the religious liberty crusade, based on the idea that antidiscrimination laws violate the First Amendment principle of freedom of religious association. A second is the claim that any sort of campaign-finance regulation  from spending or contribution limits to requirements that donors must be disclosed  is a deadly threat to free speech. Whatever else it was, Citizens United was a First Amendment case. And the First Amendment is even central to the conservative attack on unions and collective bargaining. The pending Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case, which the Supreme Court is very likely to resolve in the plaintiffs favor once Trump has appointed another Justice, involves a claim that requiring a payment for representation by public-employee unions violates the First Amendment right to expression of union-hating employees who benefit from such representation.

When Trump does make that SCOTUS appointment, it will be, of course, to the seat held by Scalia, whom the president-elect has repeatedly described as the model for future Justices. Now that he has been made aware of Scalias position on flag-burning, perhaps Trump will make that issue one of his many flip-flops, memorable until the next one comes along.
Picture someone who has just fallen for a fake-news article  who, for example, is feverishly sharing a convoluted story about how Hillary Clinton runs a child-abuse ring out of a D.C. pizzeria with John Podesta. Theyre middle-aged or older, right? After all, its the nations uncles and grandmas, not its #teens, who are credulous and tech-unsavvy enough to fall into the many tar pits of fake news dotting the online landscape.

Except maybe not. Recently, NPR reported last week on All Things Considered, Stanford professor Sam Wineburg ran a study in which he asked asked more than 7,800 students to evaluate online articles and news sources. The results were demoralizing. Large portions of the students  at times as much as 80 or 90 percent  had trouble judging the credibility of the news they read, said host Kelly McEvers.

From the interview:

SAM WINEBURG: We showed them a picture of daisies that looked like they were deformed. There was a claim on a website that they were the result of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima district in Japan. The photograph had no attribution. There was nothing that indicated that it was from anywhere.



And we asked students, is  does this photograph provide proof that the kind of nuclear disaster caused these aberrations in nature? And we found that over 80 percent of the high school students that we gave this to them had an extremely difficult time making that determination. They didnt ask where it came from. They didnt verify it. They simply accepted the picture as fact.



MCEVERS: So what do you think can be done about this?



WINEBURG: We simply have not caught up to the way these sources of information are influencing the kinds of conceptions that we develop on a day-to-day basis. But the only way that we can deal with these kinds of issues are through educational programs and recognizing that the kinds of things that we worry about  these  the ability to determine what is reliable or not reliable  that is the new basic skill in our society.

On the one hand, it isnt surprising that young people have the same cognitive biases and kneejerk tendencies as their parents and grandparents. On the other, many kids spend all day online, and you would think such constant exposure to the internet would bring with it some level of facility with navigating competing and bogus claims. Maybe not. Sad!

A study like this lends credence to the idea that, as a result of those biases and tendencies, theres something plain broken and off about the way people process information they find online  off in a way that makes it extremely easy for them to be victimized by sponsored content dressed up to look like real stories, or InfoWars scoops, or Exclusive Offers, or whatever else. Its a fundamental indictment of the way digital media operates and what it does to us. Humans have always been credulous, but never before has our credulity been attacked on so many simultaneous fronts.
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Ana Khouri Photo: Kyle Dorosz

The Ring Designer The shopping process for my rings is as simple as possible. You go to the Barneys counter, buy whats ready in the store, or mix and match the stones and settings to your liking, and its ready in about a week. Ana Khouri, founder and creative director at Ana Khouri



After 14 years of designing fine jewelry, why the new foray this year into engagement rings?

If you were to gather 20 women in a room and ask them all to put their engagement rings in a bowl, it would be impossible for them to tell whose ring is whose. The idea of the uniform really bothers me. Then again, even if you do want to veer away from the standard diamond ring, it can be hard to do so if you dont like vintage and dont have tens of thousands of dollars

to spend. I wanted to make a collection of totally new and thoughtful engagement rings that were accessible to a lot of people. We debuted in April with three styles at Barneys that cost between $2,000 and $4,000. We still keep quality front and center: The gold is all fair trade and the stones are conflict-free and sourced from my longtime dealers in Texas, but theyre small  about a quarter-carat each. The nontraditional designs are the focal point, which I find much more interesting than a really large rock.

Whats nontraditional about your rings?

Each features an 18-karat yellow-gold band, but theres a twist: One ring has a quarter-carat white diamond on the exterior of the band. Another band is an incomplete gold circle with an emerald in a bezel setting. We also offer a yellow diamond in a three-prong claw setting.

I also make custom engagement rings and did an oval-shape diamond for a recent customer. The quality and shape of the stone were so distinct that the band itself didnt require a lot of adornment. After showing several sketches of the diamond in white gold, yellow gold, and finally white gold with pave, we decided on a four-prong setting and a simple micro-pave band. Its one of the most beautiful rings Ive ever designed because the quality of the stone truly comes through.

What are the pros and cons of going custom?

The benefit, of course, is that you have a one-of-a-kind piece thats made exactly how you envision it. The cons are that custom work is more expensive and takes a lot of time, sometimes as long as a year. If youre planning to propose to someone at the end of the summer, you cant approach a designer in the middle of June. Ive seen things go very wrong when a budget is not set up front. I never want a client thinking hell spend x amount and end up spending so much more because the bride has changed her mind about the setting or the shape of her diamond. Another issue is when customers come to me with a picture of a ring they want  I wont copy other peoples designs, so I dont work off pictures.

Thoughts on the man band?

Dont go too wide  about 5 millimeters thick is usually just right.

Anakhouri.com; available at Barneys

Pro Tip Remember that even when buying predesigned rings, you can ask for customizations. If you like one of my settings but prefer a sapphire to a diamond, Im open to swapping materials and stones.

Linda Hays Photo: Kyle Dorosz

The Stationer Im the etiquette police. I make sure the invitations are beautiful and reflect the couple, but Im also very involved in choosing the text. It sets the tone for the event. Linda Hays, store manager at Bella Figura

What are the benefits of a physical space over your previously online-only presence?

Were looking at this first flagship, which we opened last October, as a test kitchen. We just started offering engraving, and we have an amazing hand calligrapher, Ted Clausen, who is going to be exclusive to this store. He has quite a different hand; his letters have long swooping tails. We also just started working with artists who make watercolors that can be licensed to print on the back of invitations. Were trying to figure out, is there a market for this? What do people think?

How is the selection experience different?

Online you can change the fonts and colors, and if you think an invite has too many flowers, we can even take some off, at no additional charge, but beyond that youre relatively limited with customization. In the store, everything is customizable. You can work with one of our house designers to create something from scratch for $100 an hour.

Whats the biggest mistake people make when buying invitations?

Not ordering enough. We suggest you have between 20 and 25 more than you anticipate sending because things happen.

Anything to prepare before meeting you?

If youve done a Pinterest board, its always great to share that. If you have wedding colors, its good to bring those. Online we have more than 350 options and in the store we have even more, so these little preparations help narrow things down. If you dont come with anything, well start by going through our best sellers and flagging attractive styles  like the Deveril is our longest-running best seller; its a mix of script and block lettering. That ones strictly text. Then theres the newer Sweet Christine with a debossed honeycomb pattern thats become popular too. From there Ill see what you like and pick out different books that match your font and color choices.

Thoughts on evites?

I was actually just at another wedding talking to the mother of the bride, who told me she received an online invitation for a black-tie affair and found it distasteful. Thats the risk you take with evites. Whats perfectly acceptable, though, is e-response cards. You send your invitation in the mail and have your guests send their RSVP to a website address. Two years ago maybe one percent of our clients did it that way; now its at least 15 percent.

1031 Lexington Ave. 646-257-4788; bellafigura.com

Elizabeth Leventhal Photo: Kyle Dorosz

The Dress Dealer What we eliminate is the overwhelming feeling of hundreds of dresses and gaggles of relatives in the showroom. We cater to the brides who dont have the energy for that.



Elizabeth Leventhal, general merchandising manager at Ready to Wear, Moda Operandi

How does Moda Operandi bring the bridal-salon experience online?

The customer goes on to modaoperandi.com, browses our selection of 20 wedding designers, and either picks the gown they want or works with our customer-service department over the phone or online chat to fine-tune their selection. Once the bride lands on a dress, we can either ship it to her to try on at home, or she can visit one of our stylists in New York, Los Angeles, or London. When she finalizes her choice, we offer a complimentary styling service  which can be done over the phone, email, even Skype or FaceTime  to advise her on all the accessorizing and any other style questions she has for the big day. Well even send her a full list of suggestions for the honeymoon. Sometimes connecting over text or email is difficult, and there can be a lot of back and forth, so our stylists use Skype or FaceTime to see the pieces on, often right before the event. We offer a digital nod of approval or a swap this necklace for a pair of earrings tip,

at no extra cost.

How do fittings work when you purchase a dress online?

For gown fittings, we have a tailor on-site at our salons, or our stylists can recommend tailors for locations elsewhere. Appointments for in-salon alterations can be booked online a month in advance, and stylists will arrange in-home appointments upon request, priced on a case-by-case basis. We always consult with our designers before making a tailor suggestion, but Esin Kirmidizag, at Sew Elegant Bridal, is our go-to person in New York for alterations.

Who are some of your favorite bridal designers featured on the site?

Christos Costarelloss gowns (from $3,500), because of their exceptional detailing. One design has a sequined bodice that adds just the right amount of glamour. Romona Keveza creates super-glamorous, dreamlike gowns (from $3,000). Mira Zwillinger has an ethereal approach to traditional gown shapesI love this two-piece gown and peplum overskirt she does with hand-cut flower appliques ($8,400). Many of our designers will also make one-of-a-kind, custom gowns for brides, and our stylists will arrange all the details  but those can cost around $60,000.

What are some of your favorite winter-bride accessories?

I love a classic fur stole paired with a silk dress  the textures next to each other are so beautiful. We carry a white-mink cropped jacket by Lilly e Violetta ($4,000). Another great accessory is this white-raffia headband by Gigi Burris ($250), which is very Swan Lake. One word of caution when getting married in the winter, though: Theres a good chance youll be trekking through bad weather or near a fireplace, so avoid long trains.



By appointment at 24 E. 64th St.; 212-229-2075; modaoperandi.com

Anna Stankiewicz Photo: Kyle Dorosz

The Spray Tanner I want my tans to be so realistic that people go, Thats a spray tan? Are you kidding me?  Anna Stankiewicz, spray tanner at Louise OConnor Salon

Is tanning a bride similar to tanning, say, Leonardo DiCaprio, as you did for The Wolf of Wall Street?

Yes, I give the same OCD treatment to all my clients. Its all about the details: using barrier cream to prevent Cheez Doodle hands (thats what happens when the tan lies on top and doesnt absorb); going a little lighter in the wrists, knees, and elbows; not forgetting about behind the ears or under the chin; cleaning each fingernail with a Q-tip.

Should people who dont want to be noticeably tan still consider spray tanning before a wedding?

Yes. Its a big misconception that people think you have to go dark. Its not about being dark; its about getting the glow. Ive never had a bride in New York who has asked to be super-tan, like they just got back from Jamaica. They all ask for a glow. I have a light formula that I do on brides. A lot of times people ask, Did you get a facial? People dont know what it is. For a winter wedding, people tend to go a little lighter. For a destination wedding, they will get a little more color but still keep it on the natural side. They dont want to look like theyve been out in the sun too much longer than the person theyre marrying.

How should a bride prep prior to a spray?

Do your spray tan two days before the wedding. Thats the perfect amount of time for it to set so that it wont rub off on your white dress, not even with sweat. Just remember to get all your waxing and manicure-pedicures done beforehand. Also, before your tan, exfoliate with a non-oil-based exfoliator. The oil leaves a residue on the skin so the tan doesnt go on evenly, and then it might last only two days, as opposed to the full five to seven days.

How can people make sure to avoid a Ross Geller  like tanning disaster?

Do a trial! Like before the bridal shower, I start with a lighter shade and mix and customize the formula until its the exact shade you want, then Ill be ready with that color for the big day (from $88). Ill mix a formula to have you achieve a color within your skin tone. Its like creating custom foundation  its something Im kind of known for.

If you still end up orange, what can you do?

You have four hours to shower. Sometimes youre stuck with it. But usually, the more you shower, the more it will come off. If theres just one particular area thats streaky or too dark, like your elbows, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works well for spot treatment. On the flip side, tanning can even out any parts of your skin tone that need evening out. It can hide varicose veins and cellulite. If you come back from your bachelorette party with bathing-suit lines, we can hide those, too. Well just have to wait until youre not red  because red is not a spray-tan color.



33 E. 61st St., third fl. 212-935-6261

Matt Fugate Photo: Kyle Dorosz

The Groomer Men often think they need to change up their grooming routine for the day of their wedding, but the only time you should fuss a little is a couple of weeks before the actual day. Matt Fugate, hairstylist at Serge Normant at John Frieda

How can a groom ensure a good hair day on his wedding day?

One to two weeks before, he should get a good haircut. Once, I was with a bride for her wedding trial and she asked me to speak to her soon-to-be husband. Apparently he always did this dorky spike with his hair, and her one plea was to make him look better. I told her he should book an appointment in advance with a stylist to get the haircut thinned out, but not shortened, using thinning scissors to allow his hair to neatly lie down  and to avoid looking like a freshly cut puppy on the day of the wedding. Also, take this time beforehand to blend grays. I did this for my brother-in-law when my sister asked me to help with his gray-hair situation. It will fade slightly before the wedding to avoid the dreaded, stark Just for Men line of demarcation as new grays grow in. On the actual wedding day, he only needs to shave the neck and clean up the sideburns.

What should he have in his grooming kit the day of his wedding?

A man should use his normal razor kit for his face, a nape razor for his neck and sideburns, nose-hair trimmers, a brush, and some cream or pomade that wont flake. A cream or pomade that doesnt flake is essential.

Its the era of man buns. Whats a style for a man with long hair?

If you can wear it down, do it. Consider getting a blowout. If it is just mid-length to slightly longer, condition with a great conditioner like Kerastase Densifique Fondant Densite and put a leave-in cream like Nutritive Creme Magistrale when the hair is wet. Let the hair air-dry, then touch up with a little more cream when dry.

Any other general grooming advice?

A bit of makeup is okay on your wedding day. If you had too much to drink the night before and youre a little red, a little concealer helps. Although one time I had a groom who went to a strip club the night before his wedding. He and his twin brother got into a fight and beat up all the bouncers at the club. He showed up to his wedding with a big black eye. His wife contemplated putting makeup on him, but I thought it really fit with his personality. I told him it would be badass to see that in your wedding pictures looking back in 20 years. So in the end, he got married with a big shiner on his face.



336 W. 23rd St.; 212-879-1000

Pro Tip Spray on dry shampoo that morning in anticipation that youll start sweating as the day goes on.

*This article appears in the Winter 2017 issue of New York Weddings.
Ireland compensated a woman for traveling to Britain for an abortion. Photo: Hannah McKay/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Womens reproductive rights in the U.S. are currently under attack. As a result, many people are looking to countries where abortion is illegal to see what life might be like if Donald Trump is successful in his fight to overturn Roe v. Wade. Ireland is merely one of the many countries with strict anti-abortion laws, and on Wednesday, it agreed for the first time to compensate a woman who was forced to travel to England to get an abortion.

The Republic agreed to pay Amanda Mellet a highly significant compensation for emotional damage, after she and her husband, James, were forced to travel outside the country to terminate their pregnancy in 2011. Mellet was 21 weeks pregnant when doctors discovered that the fetus had severe congenital defects and would not survive outside the womb. Under Irelands anti-abortion laws, Mellet would have been forced to give birth to baby that would be born dead if she hadnt traveled for the procedure, the Guardian reports.

In 2013, Mellet was the first of three women to take her case to the U.N. Human Rights Committee, where she argued that Irelands ban on abortions in instances of fatal fetal abnormalities is cruel and inhumane. The UN ruled in June that by forcing Mellet to leave Ireland for an abortion, Ireland inflicted trauma and distress upon her.

Abortion in Ireland is only legal if the mothers life is in danger (including risk of suicide), but it isnt legal in instances of rape, incest, or fetal anomaly. Irelands constitution also has an amendment giving full citizenship rights to embryos after conception. Pro-choice advocates who have been arguing for a referendum to repeal the amendment welcomed Irelands agreement with Mellet on Wednesday, according to the Guardian.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time ever that the Irish government has compensated a woman for having to leave the country for an abortion, Ailbe Smyth, an advocate with the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, said. This is long overdue acknowledgement of the profound denial of womens right to autonomy in this country.
Kansas State University. Photo: Allen Holder/MCT via Getty Images

Kansas State University allegedly refused to investigate a report of an off-campus rape in 2014, enabling the male student to rape another student the next year, according to a new lawsuit.

Two female students filed the civil suit on Monday in Kansas federal court, accusing the university of giving a free pass to the male student who raped them in two separate incidents, the Washington Post reports. One of the plaintiffs, 19-year-old Crystal Stroup, claims she was raped by J.G.  as the male student is identified in the suit  at her off-campus apartment.

Stroup reported the rape to police in the hopes that she would prevent a similar attack from happening again to someone else. It was then that she learned J.G. had been accused of attacking another student, Sara Weckhorst, the previous year. I was the somebody else, and that really hurt. And that motivated me even more, she said.

The Post generally does not identify the victims of sexual assault, but the two women wanted to go public. Together, Weckhorst and Stroup filed their suit against the university, citing negligence and violation of their rights under Title IX, the federal anti-discrimination law. The suit focuses on how the university handles sexual-assault investigations.

Steve Logback, a spokesperson for the university, said Kansas State had no comment on the lawsuit. K-State provides support and assistance services to all reported victims of sexual assault, regardless of where the assault is reported to have occurred, Logback said.

Criminal cases over the 2014 and 2015 rape charges are also moving forward in state court. According to court documents seen by the Post, Jared Ralph Gihring has been charged with rape and sodomy in the assault against Stroup, and rape in the alleged attack against Weckhorst.
Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton. Photo: Gary Gershoff/WireImage/Getty Images

As of Tuesday, Steven Mnuchin  a former Goldman Sachs banker and a Hollywood financier  is Donald Trumps pick for Treasury secretary. Hes helped to bankroll films such as Avatar and X-Men, but he also has personal ties to the film industry: Hes engaged to Australian actress Louise Linton. So far Linton has mainly played small roles or starred in low-budget horror flicks, but she made a name for herself last spring when she self-published In Congos Shadow: One Girls Perilous Journey to the Heart of Africa.

The book is a memoir about Lintons time in Zambia, where she traveled to take a gap year in 1999 when she was 18. And just after it was published, it was uniformly shredded by critics for its white savior narrative. She deploys, with maximum flourish, just about every lazy trope there is when it comes to writing about Africa, a Washington Post reviewer wrote.

In one passage, for example, she describes hiding from Hutu militiamen:

Gunshots echoed through the bush and seemed to be getting closer. I couldnt imagine the awful, sporadic acts of violence that were being committed as the village was ransacked. Fear and anger for the children consumed my thoughts  As the night ticked interminably by, I tried not to think what the rebels would do to the skinny white muzungu with long angel hair if they found me. Clenching my jaw to stop my teeth chattering, I squeezed my eyes shut and reminded myself how Id come to be a central character in this horror story.

And in another, she writes that shell look back on her time in Zambia fondly:

I know that the skinny white girl once so incongruous in Africa still lives on inside me. Even in this world where Im supposed to belong, I still sometimes feel out of place. Whenever that happens, though, I try to remember a smiling gap-toothed child with HIV whose greatest joy was to sit on my lap and drink from a bottle of Coca-Cola. Zimba taught me many beautiful words but the one I like the most is Nsansa. Happiness.

Whats more, critics pointed out that her account was factually incorrect. For example, she described monsoon season in Zambia, which is a landlocked country, and she described the Tutsi-Hutu conflict as taking place in Congo rather than Rwanda.

Lintons Twitter account has since been disabled, but at the time she tweeted that she was very sorry to see that I have offended people as this was the very opposite of my intent.
Anti-abortion activists hold a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol. Photo: Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

A Trump presidency doesnt bode well for Roe v. Wade, so its not a huge surprise that the Republican-controlled Congress is also reportedly planning to take away Planned Parenthoods government funding once and for all. GOP sources on and off the Hill told Politico that efforts to defund the family-planning organization will begin in earnest once Trump takes office. We have every assurance [from congressional leaders] that its going to happen, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. Nobody is saying whether, the question is when.

Federal law prohibits Planned Parenthood from using government funds for abortions; instead, the money goes toward other programs, such as providing medical exams and birth control. And a bill passed by the GOP in 2015 cut Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid, which is where most of its federal money came from. But anti-abortion activists still object to Planned Parenthood receiving money through the Title X family-planning program, saying that by supplementing Planned Parenthoods funding, the money is going toward abortions by proxy.

According to Politico, Republican lawmakers are planning to attach a provision defunding Planned Parenthood to the bill that will repeal Obamacare. If thats the case, they could pass the whole thing through a fast-track budget procedure that would bypass a Democratic filibuster and could have the bill on Trumps desk in weeks.

But GOP lawmakers have been evasive about their plans. One Republican aide told Politico that theres an expectation [among conservatives] that it will be included in any reconciliation bill, and House Speaker Paul Ryan said last week, Weve already shown what we believe with respect to funding Planned Parenthood. We put a bill on Obamas desk in reconciliation. Our position has not changed. Other lawmakers refused to discuss the legislative agenda any further.

In a letter published in September, Trump promised he would defund Planned Parenthood as well as implement other restrictions to abortion access, such as making the Hyde amendment permanent and banning abortions after 20 weeks. But hes also said Planned Parenthood helps millions and millions of women  a point Democrats are sure to bring up should its funding be threatened.

Thats a fight Democrats would relish, said one Democratic aide. Doubling down on President-elect Trumps contention that women should be punished for abortion and putting their extreme views into action would be a huge misstep on their part.
Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Ben Affleck. Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images

Casey Affleck, the 41-year-old younger brother of Ben, is predicted to win an Oscar for his starring role in Kenneth Lonergans New England family drama Manchester by the Sea. He posed for the cover of Variety in October, offered himself up for a New York Times profile earlier this month, and appeared on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend to push the narrative that has coalesced around his campaign: He is Bostons humble, overlooked kid brother who deserves to finally get some recognition for his talent. In each interview, Affleck has insisted that he doesnt want fame, and that he is hesitant to put himself back in the spotlight after his last Oscars go-round, in 2007, when he was nominated in the supporting-actor category for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. In the Times profile, titled Casey Affleck Is Making Another Splash, Reluctantly, Affleck declared, I have no desire to be famous at all. Notwithstanding this display of modesty, Affleck is putting himself out there. Hes showing up to interviews with a scraggy new beard for a role, spouting off anecdotes from his childhood, and smiling for the paparazzi like never before. Casey Affleck wants an Oscar, and hes doing what you have to do to get one. Lucky for him, critics are calling him a front-runner.

So what about those sexual-harassment allegations? Luckier still for Affleck, nobody seems to care. In recent weeks, publications including the Daily Beast, Mic, and Mashable have argued that critics and fans should be paying more attention to the fact that two separate women accused Affleck of sexual harassment in 2010, but the story has yet to pick up steam. The prestigious outlets granted access to Affleck during his Oscar campaign have barely mentioned the allegations  CBS did not even ask him about them  so Affleck has not had to seriously contend with his past on this promotional ride to his Academy Awardwinning future. Afflecks alleged history does warrant attention, however, because it paints a much different picture of the actor than the one he is currently presenting to the press.

The women who accused Affleck of sexual harassment worked for him on the critically derided Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary Im Still Here in 2010. Affleck has described the film as a failed passion project, but his accusers had much darker things to say about what went on behind the scenes. Producer Amanda White and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka sued Affleck for $2 million and $2.25 million, respectively, alleging that Affleck verbally and physically harassed them throughout filming. At the time, Affleck was married to Summer Phoenix, Joaquins sister.

In her complaint, White claimed that Affleck constantly discussed his sexual exploits during filming, and that at one point, he directed another crew member to show her his penis, despite her objections. White also alleged that Affleck once attempted to get her to stay in a hotel room with him, and when she said no, he grabbed her in a hostile manner in an effort to intimidate her into complying. Gorka described similar behavior in her complaint, including a disturbing incident in which Affleck allegedly crawled into bed with her while she was sleeping. The crew was staying at Afflecks apartment in New York after a long night of shooting, Gorka said, and Affleck told her she could sleep in his bedroom, while he slept on the couch. According to her complaint, Gorka woke up that night to find Affleck lying in bed next to her. He had entered the room while she was sleeping, she said, and when she woke up, he had his arm around her, was caressing her back, his face was within inches of hers and his breath reeked of alcohol. When she asked him to leave the room, he got angry. Gorka called her treatment on set the most traumatizing of her career.

When White and Gorka filed their lawsuits in 2010, Affleck denied all of the allegations and threatened to countersue. He quickly agreed to mediation, however, and settled both suits for undisclosed amounts. Earlier this year, he quietly separated from his wife. When asked about the allegations now, Affleck describes them as baseless attacks on his family. He told the Times that he does not feel responsibility for what happened, and that it was settled to the satisfaction of all. I was hurt and upset  I am sure all were  but I am over it. To Variety, he characterized the lawsuits this way: People say whatever they want.

Since Affleck settled, the public will never know if he is truly guilty of harassing two female subordinates. Perhaps White and Gorka were just saying whatever they wanted about him, at the risk of their own careers and personal lives. If they were telling the truth about Affleck and his behavior, however, Affleck is not who he says he is. His behavior, as described in their complaints, is not the behavior of a humble actor uncomfortable with fame. It is the behavior of someone who uses his own power and privilege to take what he wants from women.

Audiences have not had to grapple with Afflecks alleged faults, because the media has largely ignored the lawsuits since they were settled. Luckiest for Affleck, he is the brother of a major movie star and the childhood friend of another. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have championed and protected Casey throughout his career, sending a message to the media that they are a united front. Lainey Lui of Lainey Gossip noted earlier this month that Ben and Matt have been particularly present throughout Caseys Oscar campaign, showing up smiling to premieres and posing for photos as a trio. Matt, who himself produced Manchester by the Sea, sang Caseys praises to both the Times and Variety. This brotherly posing makes prestige outlets hesitant to ask the younger Affleck tough questions, for fear of losing access to all three stars. His cruise to the Oscars continues undeterred because of his privileged position in Hollywood.

Affleck is also, according to critics, talented. As Amy Zimmerman pointed out in her piece for the Daily Beast, audiences can be incredibly forgiving of flawed male auteurs, especially if the media is not instructing them to be critical. Affleck will likely have a long, storied career like Woody Allens, and industry publications will never force him to answer for his actions like they did Nate Parker. Parkers Oscar hopes for The Birth of a Nation were quashed earlier this year when outlets began asking him about the fact that he was acquitted of campus rape in 1999. Affleck has all the privilege and protection that Parker did not, which is why, although their cases are not completely analogous, their Oscar journeys have played out so differently. Parkers career is likely over, while Afflecks is on the rise.

This morning, the Hollywood Reporter posted an Oscar actor roundtable video featuring Affleck, which makes no mention of the sexual-harassment allegations against him. Earlier this week, Affleck took home best-actor prizes at both the Gotham Awards and the National Board of Review, which are early Oscar predictors. He is just getting started.
Lmao congrats to them.

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Congratulations to them! Not sure about the middle name but Frances is nice.

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Congrats to them.

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lol with the previous 2 replies being the same.

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cute name

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Is she still married to the previous guy? Or did the divorce go through?

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Pretty sure she is still married, because there was some report of them having to put depositions on hold since she couldn't sit for long periods of time.

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Are they in California? I thought there was a law that the baby would automatically be considered a child of the husband, not Ben...

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she's trying to force the divorce through without a settlement and her ex is fighting it

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And here I thought he was gay. Anyway, I'm happy for him (and her)! Anyone from the main cast of the OC will forever have a place in my heart tbh.

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same tbh even if they all seem douchey except for rachel.



also, it was bugging me that i couldn't figure out why morena looked so familiar, so i looked at her imdb and she was actually on the oc. i can't even.

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That's a really pretty name tbh

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Congrats, but yesssss time for the next installment in this drama lmao

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LOL, I feel bad for the babies but I'm loving all the drama involved with this.

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lmao mte!

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Francis and Julies? Smh...

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Edited at 2016-03-11 02:09 pm (UTC)

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bless, & then next week she's already in preschool, they grow up so fast~

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lmao with how fast all of this went down, i wouldn't be surprised if that were literally the case, since it was like day 1, are they cheating? day 2, she's getting a divorce, day 3, they're dating, day 4, oh she's pregnant, day 5, oh it's a girl

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I still laugh to myself about that. Are we pretty sure this isn't Frances's high school graduation they're announcing?



Edited at 2016-03-11 03:45 pm (UTC)

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After they confirmed they were dating and before or after the pregnancy statement they also announced they were engaged, didn't they?

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oop that was fast, congrats to them



I always forget she's Brazilian, 'Laiz' sounds very Brazilian

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I'll always have a soft spot for him because of The OC. Had a major crush on him back when the show was popular.

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man Mischa was so pretty, god what happened

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she really was

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didn't she have an ed when she was on this :( it's why i'm not very comfortable saying "she was so pretty"

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same, esp cage fighter ryan *_* same, esp cage fighter ryan *_*

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wow didn't realize he looked like a baby back then.

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Mte i was always more of a Ryan than a Seth girl

He was brooding and mysterious

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Same. Ryan Atwood was everything for a good two to three years.

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lol same

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So much.

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lmao

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lmao mte

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lol seriously

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Congrats to them and thanks for the drama!



I always love hearing what kids think of their messy parents. My friend found out when she was 12 that her mum was pregnant with her when her dad was still with his first wife and she always uses it against them in arguments, especially since they are so judgemental of her choices lol.

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Ouch lol

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oh damn

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LMAO



I would too!

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when they first kissed i was like get it. adrenaline is high, i understand lol but then i got tired really quick of it. i don't think she liked him that much. i was very skeptical about her intentions, maybe it was a game or something to make her more innocent. i was so mad at him that he got out of the process by his own game and for her. i understand that he doesn't have anyone anymore and got attached to her real fast and saw the flaws in the process that he was taught to think as the ultimate goal in life, but i still got so mad when he was going out. i keep scream at the tv. stop. come back. don't this. omg you are so stupid lol.



it def. reminded me of the stanford project thing, i think it was meant to be that. i liked marco storyline as well. rafael is an asshole but i can't stop looking at it. i find him interesting. i want to know where it will go
Why is she problematic?

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she's ride or die for Mel Gibson

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Oh right.

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Her personal life was a mess for a while. She left her long term partner for a younger woman then went back to her. Then she moved on to Hedison, who Ellen left for Portia. That was even messier.

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She worked with Polanski.

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Dozens of reasons, and she'll never be flawless. About as far from flawless or honest as you can get. Using flawless and JF in the same sentence must be a joke. No interest in seeing a new movie she's in, either.

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even silence of the lambs? :(

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Even Bugsy Malone?

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we could have been anything that we wanted to be!

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She's just always Jodie Foster. I can't ever see the character she's supposed to be playing, I just see her.

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yeah she's never really the best part of any movie she's in. I can't imagine her inspiring anyone tbh (besides John Hinckley Jr).

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mte

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People need to let Idris as Bond go. He doesn't want the part.

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my fave is not problematic

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Panic Room kind of kills me, like, Jared Leto getting set on fire while listening at the wall, everything about the guy in the mask, etc.

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Jared Leto's cornrows

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Does he even want the part, though? I thought he was not interested. I am sure Daniel Craig will sign on for another couple and by then Tom Five-Headdleston will be completely lacking in the hair dept and will be out of consideration.

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jennifer's dress is so ill-fitting, and looks extra noticeable next to jodie's, which fits beautifully on her



She will play a mysterious character known only as "The Nurse."



so the twist is that she'll be the villain and/or person in charge all along?

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I stopped watching OITNB since the storyline got kinda convoluted, are the episodes she directed good?

I'm here for female directors for Black Mirror in general tho, let's make this a pattern!

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The plot to that sounds like a YA novel.



It's bad that we live in a world where half of new sci-fi stuff, my FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD, sounds like a cheesy YA novel with it's pitch.

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we should all be glad the YA trend is finally dead

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I really don't think it is. It's just taking a break. It'll be back, especially since YA publishers are going for a Star Wars kick for 2017 thanks to Veronica Roth's new Random Capitalization Book.

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Ugh. This accuracy.

Just watched Arrival. It started out so well (despite the confusing sound cues) and then it degenerated to a schmoopy mess in the end.



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Oh you mean they'll finally have an episode directed by a woman? I love Black Mirror but when the director list first came out for the most recent season I was disappointed.

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Ew at JLaw.

I love Jodie idc, my mom used her as an example when she first introduced me to same sex couples, I was probably 5 at the time and I didn't pay attention to my mom.

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Edited at 2016-11-30 05:14 am (UTC) I suppose it wouldn't.

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It most perfectly encapsulates ONTD tbh lol

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I blame Katya for making want to watch Contact again

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Lmao yes.

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I love that when CinemaSins made a video about Contact a bunch of comments were either about Katya or asking who was the Katya that people were mentioning.

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Contact will always be in my fave movies list.

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I was pondering him for sugar daddy status but after reading all this, I've decided to continue my search.

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A good wise choices. Gotta make sure they passed their background checks

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thats a rough 39

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he still looks like shit

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He and Fassbender have the same facialist.

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od that left him in a coma? yikes



he's kinda hot despite all of those pale features looking kinda weird. we could do some blow together but i'd be scared of him so idk i need to do better

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I'm dying at this comment.

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he looks like a drug addled version of Matt Czuchry

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oo I see it

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they both have small eyes, I see it

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Hes super stylish and very charismatic, which makes him attractive until you get to the part where hes a massive cokehead with zero impulse control.

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the beady eyes tho 

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Lmao D:

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Mte

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iirc he'd been partying with a male prostitute & faked his own kidnapping when he ran out of money for drinks & drugs, lmao.



italian twitter had me laughing for hours with their jokes & comments when this happened. also, this makes me miss mistress_f :(



Edited at 2016-11-30 03:17 pm (UTC)

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where did she go???

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she deleted :( it happened after a 'fight' here but i don't think that was the main reason.

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Wasnt it a transwoman prostitute? Or is it a separate incident I missed (which wouldnt surprise me at all because that boy is insanely messy).

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i've been laughin non-stop since yesterday

so many great memes

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Translation: he went to buy an eightball while already coked out of his mind then tried to stiff his dealer and thought the cops would bail him out. Hes done this before.

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sigh

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yikkkes lmao no thank you.

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"Lapo Elkann, Fiat heir... "



That's why he wants to ruin Ferrari for ever.

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Ferrari is owned by Fiat

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Ferrari was owned by FIAT until like 2 years ago tho, and even now FIAT are still the largest shareholders.

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What an ugly car

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his eyes are creeping me out

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I just vomited in my mouth.

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Mess. He looks so fucked up. I wouldn't even date ha idc

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cocaine is one helluva drug

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he looks like some random crackhead that wanted to pose in front of a car.



Edited at 2016-11-30 04:23 pm (UTC)

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I would tbh

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TRIGGERED!! Oh and that car is fugly

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lmaooo this must be Italian thing, reminds me of

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i love everything i am seeing

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I would

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oh, this dick

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i love this

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He looks like an alternate universe version of alan tudyk

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Mess

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This makes me feel kinda bad for him. Dude needs structure in his life, doesn't anybody love him?

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If I learned anything from Korean dramas, rich heirs to an empire never receive love



Until they meet a plain, poor girl that tells it like it is but loses backbone after the series hits its halfway point



Unfortunately they only depict the heterosexual version of things

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lmfao this played out storyline is exactly why I can't watch korean dramas anymore

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A lot of people that grow up with money are like this. Not having to work to pay bills or not having someplace to be a few days a week isn't good for a lot of people.

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He was dating his cousin for a long ass time

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I can't find the interview now, it's very old in internet years but he did an interview with Vogue way back where he talked about how he buys all his travel gear from an Army Navy store. It was very 'noble rich guy interested in simple living' lol.

Also didn't he used to date an Olsen twin?

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lock ha up

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Some asshole on twitter tried telling me hillary was involved with child sex trafficking

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General Michael Flynn, who Trump chose as his national security advisor also believes this conspiracy theory. Get used to this shit, it's now mainstream.

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Is this in relation to the Jeff Epstein island? Cause that's all true and being investigated by the FBI-- the extent of Bill's involvement is unknown even though he is on flight logs, but I've never seen anything re: Hillary until recently when the tin foil hat people came for her

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damn good for you for cutting a toxic friend out. it's hard!

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What an asshole move. You're willing to cut people from your life over searching for TRUTH?



Enjoy your isolation.



Edited at 2016-11-30 05:15 pm (UTC)

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This sounds like the kind of people that believe the Newtown shooting and the Sherri Papini kidnapping are all hoaxes by leftists. There's no reasoning with people who have lost their ability to be rational.

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Yeah that's the latest conspiracy all the anti-Hillary crowd is gobbling up with zero evidence

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The infowars crowd decided pizza was a covert term for sextrafficking in podestas emails.

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i had a lady outside of the polling building try to engage me in a convo about hillary being involved in that rme

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Someone on here brought this up to me and I googled what it was about and like, they found out that Huma forward Hillary two articles about a sex trafficking ring and she seems too interested.



These people are beyond saving. They think Hillary getting forwarded an article about pedos makes her won, but they completely ignore all the creepy sexual comments Trump has made about girl children.

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She can sell guns to terrorists, sell government secrets and sell uranium to Russia but child sex trafficking is off limits? Pedophilia is a huge problem among government officials around the world. It's the perfect way to have leverage over politician across the world. There are previous reports of Bill Clinton visiting private islands that specialize in child prostitution.

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That was wikileaks and infowars misconstruing Podesta emails to link a pizza store to a child prostitution ring.

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Some assholes on Reddit also decided that hillarys interest in a case about an American civilian arrested in Haiti is proof. Except that 1. The person was not smuggling children for sex and 2. It was her job as Secretary of State to know and deal with American citizens arrested abroad.

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How can he misspell Trump so badly?

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I know someone who told me this too. When I asked for credible sources that weren't Wikipedia, he told me to "look it up. There's books and stuff!". Ok...

He also doesn't believe that 9/11 really happened.

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deplorable are the absolute worst

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this thread bringing out the ontd nutballs lmao

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/24/inside-donald-trump-s-one-stop-parties-attendees-recall-cocaine-and-very-young-models.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/donald-trump-hosted-parties-cocaine-teen-models-report-article-1.2843615

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3869504/Donald-Trump-hosted-wild-parties-sex-cocaine-underage-models.html

http://www.complex.com/life/2016/10/donald-trump-parties-young-models-and-cocaine So they will believe made up rumours about Hillary, but when Tramps actual friends say that he threw coke parties with underage models having sex with them, they just ignore it?

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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/technology/fact-check-this-pizzeria-is-not-a-child-trafficking-site.html Not that the NYTimes will convince this person but what about the small business owners that are hurt by this baseless conspiracy theory

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this election really warmed me to katy perry. team katy all the way. not her music tho lol

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hi riz <3

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this is cute , they both look pretty

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Can Hillary be president please?

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I will never ever get over election night

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I feel like it's going to be one of those things that we talk to our children about (if we are so lucky to get that far in life now lol).

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i'm never bringing children into this world

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I'm at the point right now where I would love to have a baby (lol sure, but with what stable male, sis?), but I'm terrified of what the future holds for any potential child with this president.

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i've told my bf i'm holding off on having children for at least the next 4 years, it might be 8 if shit goes worse.

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Everyday I'm in disbelief

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Surprised in a good way by her during this past election. If she also stops with the cultural appropriation, I might start liking Katy. Just a little.

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I'm not sure how your system completely works, Americans of ONTD.



Will a possible recount of any state even help? Is there any chance, however slim, that he'd be revoked of his title?

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Not really.

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Honestly no

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Probably not. We're pretty much fucked in Pennsylvania, but the more I talk to friends in other states, the more shady shit I hear. It makes me really uneasy and thisclose to getting a tinhat out.

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like what kind of shady shit? jfc, the more that comes out about this election, the more upset i become at how our system is a mess and has always been a mess (let me clarify before people come @ me)

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Nope, if there was actual evidence of voter fraud, HRC's team would have been on it.

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the only chance is if the electors decide not to vote for Trump



but that's not going to happen. One Texas elector recently resigned his position because he couldn't make himself vote for Trump so he could be replaced with someone who would. So even those electors with conscience are backing out



the electoral college is a disgusting sham

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ontd felt pretty confident hillary would win so i'm hoping that they are wrong in this prediction as well :)

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Katy is only getting this for being Hillary's bitch this entire election, lets be real

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Can you not read?

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don't engage bb

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Lets not pretend that she would be getting this award from her otherwise.

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Instead we're stuck in hell



I made the Trump/Romney photo black and white, and it looks like a Twilight Zone episode where a guy just made a foolish deal with the Devil pic.twitter.com/froiDYDJei  Adam Murray (@Atom_Murray) November 30, 2016

We could have had Clinton and I can't stop thinking about that. It will be 4 years of anger for me.Instead we're stuck in hell

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this is legitimately terrifying

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re: the tweet, nah @ depicting Romney as a naive fool who didn't know exactly what he was getting into. he's just a power-hungry mercenary.

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I don't think anyone is depicting him like he's naive - especially after what he said about him during the election. Just that he is so pathetic that he'd sell his soul to the devil if it meant being around the WH.

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I don't think Romney is getting SoS. I feel like Trump is just publicly embarrassing him and he'll chose Petraeus (who is literally on probation, but y'know Clinton is the criminal) or Guiliani.

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Romney looks worried



I can't belive these people are suppose to lead America . Should I learn Russian ?

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romney is a dirty stinking spineless excuse of a human but god damn if i am not getting some small shred of enjoyment out of how fucking miserable he looks in this pic.

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I love that the look on Romney's face even says, "Haha what the fuck have I done?"

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hahahaha holy shit. it's like the shining.

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fav gif

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when was the last time your faves won a humanitarian award?



hmm, 2011 iirc.

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OP your mood. Not me, but I follow an anesthesiologist on twitter. She said one of her coolest moments/most movie like moment was when she was waking a patient from surgery and "wide awake" started playing.

It makes me happy to think about

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Awwww that's a qt story. ^_^

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My fave did it first

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I remember this. Queens! 

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She's over. Stop trying to make her happen.

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Oh wow. That's awesome.

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Is there a way to download an entire series at once, or do you always have to do individual episodes?



It let me DL all episodes of Kimmy Schmidt except "Kimmy Goes to a Hotel!". WTF Netflix, gimmie!

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thats fucking awesome. luv u netflix

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I was supposed to do a 15-hour flight with a friend but she bailed so this'll do much better than her drunk driving assholery.

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15 hours! where are you off to?

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I hate how much easier it is to search and find decent netflix shit on the computer than it is on my tv. shit is annoying af



i feel like this would be really time consuming and that you'd only be able to dl one ep at a time

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Get a Chromecast bb

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Nah. I have the netflix apps on my playstaytion and bluray player that I watch through the tv. I just meant it's easier to find stuff to watch because theres more to scroll through

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I second the Chromecast suggestion!

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Excited about this for flights!

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Netflix trying to fix 2016 a little bit.

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Or they know what we're in for for the next 4yrs and are giving us the equivalent of Xanax. Idk about y'all but my survival plan for the next 4yrs involves A LOT of Netflix and limitless amount of naps.

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The ISPs are trying to kill Netflix/streaming video not controlled by them. Netflix has to do this or they will be done for.

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only in the US or everywhere else too?



I really could have used this yesterday when I was trying to watch 3% but my internet kept fizzling lol

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I got the email saying I could do it and I'm in Mexico

So i assume it's for everyone

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I can't seem to find the function on my Netflix but I just got an email saying I could do it so I'm not sure.

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I'm in Germany and it works for me. Just had to update the app and was good to go.

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Update the app? Are you telling me I'll be able to download onto my iPad???

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It's international. The article I read said the only reason they decided to go this route is because they are in 190 countries and many of those countries do not have decent Internet access and can't stream at all, just download :)



Edited at 2016-11-30 06:56 pm (UTC)

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I'm from Argentina and it's available here

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Good. I can start putting my tablet to some actual use.

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oh awesome!!



though I wonder if this applies to international netflix users as well?

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It's international. I'm in Mexico and it's working here.

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I could already do this by illegally downloading their shows but this is nice for everyone who pays.

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lol

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lmao



i illegally download all the time but i also have a netflix subscription bc sometimes i'm just too lazy.

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lmao i download some show but not netflix. i have a family account and doesn't cost much divide but everyone and netflix is so practical

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This! ! But this cuts out the dead links and spam you get from downloading the shows.

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this, lol

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lmao with that icon

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Lmao tru

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I'm totally a sucker. That $7.99 is totally making me broke af rn tbh.

All that content and organized nearly n stuff available whenever.

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It's about damn time.



Just downloaded a few Twilight Zone eps and some random horror movie.

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This is great. Put all the Netflix on my 128 GB SD card k thnx.

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Seriously? So now I can download (some) shows for gifs without worrying about getting a virus or something? YAYYYY!



Edited at 2016-11-30 05:41 pm (UTC)

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I don't think you can make gifs out of these downloads. You can't even take screenshots on the mobile app.

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well, fuck it then.

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I just took screenshots with my iphone, but I know that with a tablet is not allowed.

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oh.....I have nothing nice to say 

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She doesn't look like that without makeup now, tho. She lost the baby fat, has better eyebrows now, and her braces are fixing her teeth. She snaps without makeup a lot.

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she looks very british

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This is actually what I came to say. It's wild how her face is totally created by makeup and she looks like a completely different person without it.

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she has a ridic/excellent voice.. problematic fave inded





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exactly like Anne Romney to me, it is so creepy actually.



She lookslike Anne Romney to me, it is so creepy actually.

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in her defence that is the sad reality of being a natural blonde. we look completely different without the fake tan and makeup and drastically different than dark hair people without makeup. you can't see my eyebrows or eyelashes without makeup. i look scary.

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Ikr? And she got lip fillers but idk what else has she done to herself besides caking makeup lol

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damn this thread is rude

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all the girls in this group wear too much make up tbh

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i think this is the closest ur ever gonna get to a "free make up" picture with her

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i mean, i dont know if henna is cultural appropriation...but fuck her



Edited at 2016-11-30 05:49 pm (UTC)

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Well, I would be unsure about the Henna, too. But with not one, but two headpieces, she is well into ignorant asshole territory.

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the worst are the indigenous head dresses.

there are arguments for/against dreadlocks, henna/mendhi and bindis but the headdresses .. there's absolutely nothing she can say to defend herself there.

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There are no rational arguments against bindis sis, that's a religious symbol.

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I mean, I think it's rational to separate gem bindis from traditional bindis, in terms of being religious symbols, so I think you could make an argument there?

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I don't know that bindhis are defensible but you're right about the headdresses...incomprehensible, really.

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she's like the british katy perry

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She seems to have toned it down a bit? Like, it gets worse the further back you go lol

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I will forgive other PoC culturally appropriating from my cultural heritage any day of the week but never yts. Having survived colonialism I'm bringing these yts down every which way I can tbh.

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lmao @ formerly homeless. she tried it.

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ia lol

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while she is definitely in the wrong, to call her a rachel dolezal is...



Edited at 2016-11-30 05:56 pm (UTC)

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Excuse you

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just a thought about the mocassins- going back to that other post



she says she's had them since she was 13 (just about when she used to live in New Zealand)



in the other post people were saying it's ok to wear them if you've bought them straight from the indigineous people themselves, so i guess if she got them from there, that would be at least redeemable?



no excuses for the other shit obviously. why does she keep on doing this

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She has an incredible voice and she's a gorgeous girl, and her post-break-up sassiness gave me life, but goddamn she needs to educate herself stat. One time, okay, all white people fuck up sometime... but when her fans were like, "um Perrie plz don't" after the first time...

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is henna really cultural appropriation?

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It is if and when you are yourself not part of that culture and/or didn't get it done by someone for whom it is part of their heritage.



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That girl does it for other celebs, and she's really popular. She isn't part of the culture, which makes it wrong, but she always get it done by the same girl, who is part of the culture: https://www.instagram.com/pavan_henna/ That girl does it for other celebs, and she's really popular.

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no, not in the least.

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No

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I don't think so.

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Nah

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i vaguely remember being linked to that post in a later lm post, damn the mess that those comments inspired

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does she even invite south Asian people to these parties?

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Why aren't we allowed to do Henna? Asking for another white girl.

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I'm not a white girl, but I'm curious about it too, from people who are from that culture preferably - not ONTD faux woke people.

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It is cultural appropriation if and when you are yourself not part of that culture and/or didn't get it done by someone for whom it is part of their heritage.

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I got one done years ago by an indian lady who was glad to take my 15 bucks for it, was that cultural appropriation? Back then I didn't know a lot about that topic, but I still feel there is a difference between henna and wearing a headdress...?

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are you even south asian? Please explain to me what the cultural religious significance of henna is as was taught by your upbringing.





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Solar power is starting to crop up in some unexpected places. Take one of Teslas new initiatives for instance. Following Teslas closing of the acquisition of Solar City, the company has jumped on board one of the newest areas in utilities; microgrids.

Microgrids are intended to reduce reliance on a larger electrical grid by decentralizing power generation, thus increasing durability of the system. Solar power is particularly effective for this type of application because it can be easily scaled up or down to fit the size of the need. Teslas microgrid application is running the island of Ta'u, in American Samoa, on a solar energy microgrid. The Tesla grids 1.4 megawatts, can cover "nearly 100 percent" of its 600 residents' electrical needs.

Granted that grid is tiny, but thats not really the point. Instead the broader point is demonstrating uses of solar power in novel settings; in this case on a remote island. Moreover, solar power alone is not enough, storage is also needed. The Tau system consists of 5,328 solar panels plus 60 Tesla Powerpacks that offer a total of 6 megawatt-hours of energy storage. This is a system that would have been impossible a decade ago.

A second example of novel applications of solar panels comes out of France and has spread to four continents. French firm, Wattway, a unit of Colas SA and Bouygues SA has designed rugged solar panels, capable of withstand the weight of an 18-wheeler truck. These solar panels have been through five years of research and laboratory tests, and are now being used in constructing 100 outdoor test sites.

Wattway began testing a kilometer-sized site last month in the French village of Tourouvre in Northern France. The test site includes 2,800 square meters of solar panels which should generate 280 kilowatts of power at peak levels, enough to power all the public lighting in a town of 5,000 for a year. The electricity generated by this stretch of solar road will feed directly into the grid. Other test sites are being used to charge electric vehicles and power a small hydrogen production plant. The next two sites will be in Calgary in Canada and in the U.S. state of Georgia. Wattway also plans to build them in Africa, Japan and throughout the European Union. Related: OPEC Cut Could See LNG Prices Rise

The French firm plans to commercialize the technology in early 2018. The typical approach for solar panels in roads used by Wattway involves layering several types of plastics to create a clear and durable casing. The solar panel underneath is an ordinary model, similar to panels on rooftops. The electrical wiring is embedded in the road and the contraption is topped by an anti-slip surface made from crushed glass. The issue of dirt and grime on roads is potentially a concern for solar panels embedded in roads, but of course the same issue holds true when dealing with rooftop panels to some degree as well.

Many observers have been disdainful of solar panels in roads, but the development highlights an important larger trend. As solar costs have plummeted, solar panels are being increasingly used as part of everyday materials, in essence creating products that do double duty. For example, last month Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled its solar roof, a development that took many by surprise. Other companies are looking seriously for ways of integrating photovoltaics into building facades. The plan to build solar panels into roads is right in line with this trend and is not limited to French companies. Swedens Scania and Solar Roadways in the U.S. are both working to embed panels onto pavement.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil prices surged more than 8 percent on Wednesday as OPEC shocked the world and reached an agreement to cut production. If OPEC members succeed in implementing the deal, set to take effect in January, it could erase the global surplus in an instant.

The sentiment generally is optimistic and positive," Saudi Arabias Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih said before the final meeting on Wednesday. Any production-restraint agreement has to be distributed in an equitable way. We are getting close. Oil prices skyrocketed on his comments and on the news that a deal was within reach.

Still, there was a lot of confusion right down to the last minute, with some news outlets reporting a deal had been reached while others said that the details had not actually been agreed to, just the broader outline. Iraq in particular was a question mark, with reports saying that Iraqi officials were still disputing the secondary sources data well into the afternoon on Wednesday, even as oil prices were posting huge gains. Negotiations dragged on through the day, with only snippets of details emerging from reporters in Vienna.

In the end, OPEC agreed to cut its collective output down to 32.5 million barrels per day (mb/d), a cut of about 1.2 mb/d from October levels. But they leveraged those cuts to bring some key non-OPEC producers on board, including Russia, for an addition cut of about 600,000 barrels per day. Russia alone will cut 300,000 barrels per day. Asked about the non-OPEC contribution, OPEC President Mohammed Al-Sada said that he is confident that they can get 600,000 barrels per day out of themmaybe more. Related: OPEC Cut Could See LNG Prices Rise

The deal appears to be a remarkable compromise after months of an impasse between Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Saudi Arabias Khalid al-Falih said that his country was prepared to take on much of the burden in order to conclude the deal, but only if other countries offered something as well. "It will mean that we (Saudi) take a big cut and a big hit from our current production and from our forecast for 2017. So we will not do it unless we make sure that there is consensus and an agreement to meet all of the principles," he said a few hours before the deal was announced.





Saudi Arabia will account for almost half of the agreed cuts, reducing output by nearly 0.5 mb/d, which will take overall production down close to 10.0 mb/d. Irans figures are a bit confusing, given that the numbers dont add up on the agreement text that OPEC published. Iran wanted its output to climb to a pre-sanctions level of at least 4 mb/d, while Saudi Arabia insisted on a freeze at 3.7 mb/d. Algerias energy minister offered a middle ground  roughly 3.8 mb/d. Despite the discrepancy in the figures published by OPEC on Wednesday, it appears that Iran will be allowed to boost production by another 90,000 barrels per day to 3.8 mb/d, with both Iran and Saudi Arabia offering some concessions.

Clouding the specifics on Wednesday was the small matter of Indonesia suspending its membership in OPEC, due to its status as a net oil importer. It appears that Indonesia will not be part of the deal but its production volume of 722,000 barrels per day will be included in OPECs 32.5 mb/d target, which means its withdrawal will not affect the specifics of the agreement. Related: Is The Permian 20 Billion Barrel Oil Discovery Real?

The six-month accord will need to be renewed at OPECs next official meeting in June, but by then the cartel could have done a great deal to zero out the supply surplus. The IEA estimated that global supplies exceeded demand by just 300,000 barrels per day in the third quarter, so a cut of 1.8 mb/d (1.2 mb/d from OPEC plus another 0.6 mb/d cuts from non-OPEC) will quickly tip the global balance into deficit. There are still very large volumes of oil sitting in storage, but inventories have already started a slow drawdown. The OPEC deal could kick those drawdowns into high gear.

In other words, oil prices have shot up sharply on the news already  WTI and Brent were up more than 8 percent by midday Wednesday  but more gains could be coming as OPEC is set to severely tighten the market. The surprise move will add more fuel to the fire for prices, which were already set to climb in 2017 even without a deal. Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note earlier this week that the [p]rice risk is likely skewed to the upside heading into Wednesday, adding that even in the absence of a cut, we expect the oil market to move into deficit by the second half of 2017.

Very few analysts thought that OPEC would be able to pull off the deal that they just announced. Of course, the burden will be on OPEC to actually implement the deal and take physical barrels off the market, not just promise to do so. But as of now, OPEC just upset everyones forecast for oil prices going forward. The EIA, for example, saw oil prices averaging just $49 per barrel next year. OPECs surprise deal means that oil watchers are going to have to go back to the drawing board and substantially revise up their forecasts for crude prices in 2017.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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After the election of Donald Trump as President, one of the cornerstones of the modern global economic system is being questioned. Trump built his campaign on questioning the status quo, and in economics that has largely meant deriding free trade. This could impact an under-the-radar area of trade between the U.S. and Canada  wholesale electricity.

Electricity trading is a new area of opportunity for trade among the NAFTA members, and its an area that has been growing rapidly. For instance, in resource and waterway rich Canada, hydroelectric power is abundant and cheap. Electricity harnessed from dams and reservoirs in Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia accounted for 63 percent of Canadas overall electric supply in 2015.



While the U.S. and Canada have been trading electricity for more than a century - since well before NAFTA  free trade between the countries has contributed to greater levels of trade. In 2014 for instance, Canada exported 45.6 Terawatt hours of electricity to the U.S. In 2015 that number rose to 59.7 Terwatt hours.

That electricity was worth roughly $2.1 billion.

Those electricity imports helped to stave off potential blackouts as electricity production in the Pacific Norwest suffered due to a drought reducing output from hydropower in Washington, Oregon, and California.

Related: Asian Crude Markets On Edge As OPEC Meets

In New England, where power prices are extremely high compared to national averages, Canadian exports would help cut costs for consumers. Canadian exporters are attempting to tap this market through six new transmission line projects that are in various stages of planning and construction.

Its unclear if all of the projects will go through because of local opposition to power lines and a preference by some area residents for other sources of power. Still, with retail rates in some areas of New England as high as $0.26 per kwh, it is clear this is an opportunity.

Energy exports from Canada could be either clean exports like hydropower or conventional like shale oil.

Both types have value in different areas, just as U.S. exports to Canada do.

Indeed, because of the difficulty of transmitting electricity or moving oil, its entirely possible that Canada could export to the U.S. while the U.S. exports the exact same good to Canada as well. U.S. oil and natural gas production from Pennsylvania could help power Ontario and Quebec for instance, even as Canadian shale flowed through pipelines from Alberta to the U.S. Infrastructure matters a lot in these settings, especially given the difficulties most companies are facing in building new pipelines (Exhibit A: see the Dakota Access Pipeline).

Related: This Oil Major Just Circumvented Sanctions On Iran

Only time will tell how changes in free trade impact the U.S.-Canada energy markets or the nascent market for Mexican oil. Still, it is clear that companies looking to capitalize on trade probably face an uphill political battle compared to the environment a year ago.

The irony of President Trumps position is that economists from both sides of the aisle almost universally agree that free trade is good.

There are actually more Republican economists than Democratic economists according to industry surveys, yet President Trump is ignoring that wing of the party.



Despite the economic reality that free trade is an overall positive for the country as a whole, there are several weaknesses which make it vulnerable as a political point.

First, trade is not positive for every single individual in a country, and second, trade may have short term negative consequences. These points are what has undermined the free trade argument for many Americans and are what is jeopardizing U.S.-Canadian electricity trading.

By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
3 Sheeps Brewing Co. will release its biggest beer yet at a special release party at its Sheboygan taproom at 1837 North Ave. on Saturday, Dec. 3, beginning at 11 a.m.

Veneration is a Belgian-style quad which pays homage to the pioneering Trappists whove brewed exceptional beer in Europe for centuries. The beer, which was brewed in March with figs and molasses has been aging in rye whiskey barrels, producing a complex and dangerously smooth monster boasting 13% ABV. Veneration is part of the brewerys small batch series Nimble Lips Noble Tongue, which has included brews like Uber Joe, Rum Barrel Ewephoria and Hoppy Spice.

A first taste of the brew offered up notes of sweet dried fruit, nuts, coffee and oak, along with a viscous, syrupy texture that holds the beer on the tongue, giving it a long sweet finish.

During the celebration, Veneration will be available both on tap as well as in 22-ounce bombers, which will be sold for $14 (limit of 6 bottles per person). Veneration will be available for purchase in the Milwaukee area beginning the week of Dec. 5.

Festivities surrounding the launch will include live music from SugarNova from 1 to 4 p.m. and food from Milwaukee's Wicked Urban Grille.

For the first time ever, 3 Sheeps fans can also take part in the brewerys inaugural brewery tours, which kick off on Dec. 3 at noon and 4 p.m. The tours, which are $10, include four sample pours (including one straight from the barrel), a logoed sample glass and a free pint at numerous participating bars and restaurants.

Moving forward, tours will take place on Fridays at 6 p.m., Saturdays at noon and 4 p.m. and on Sundays at 1 p.m. Tours are limited to 40 people.
Welcome to America 2.0, the pre-civil rights redux. The World According to Trump.

The worst upset in modern presidential history? Actually, quite the opposite. This election was the simplest of cliches.

If Brexit could happen, Trump could happen. No, its not voter apathy either. Much to their chagrin, Americans were engaged in this campaign  even though the presidential election of 2016 showed the lowest Wisconsin voter turnout in 20 years. Such poor performance may have been because of the high level of voter engagement and a conscious decision not to select either candidate.

Even those who saw both Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump as twin evils in which a choice was required, few can say they werent engaged. Plus, one candidate promised a shiny new wall.

The de facto motto of "Im with her" was met with equal enthusiasm by Trump supporters shouting, "Lock her up!" or "Build that wall!"

It was clear very early on that this presidential campaign would be unlike any other. While Senator Bernie Sanders gave some Democratic primary voters hope for a political revolution, the stalwart backbone of the Democratic Party  African American voters  favored Clinton. The well-oiled "Clinton Machine" was in high gear as she amassed enough delegates and super delegates by mid-May to secure the nomination outright.

The fact that Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be the nominee of a major political party isnt news. In fact, some thought it would have happened in 2008 (myself included).

This was her race to lose  and thats precisely what she did. She lost.

Donald Trump didnt win "bigly." In fact, technically, he lost too. Some two million more voters were with her rather than him.

Theres no complex formula needed to explain Trumps shallow victory. No complicated, color coded map of red and blue electoral college votes required to illustrate this result.

If you exclude Florida, this race came down to Pennsylvania, Michigan, and the Badger State. Coincidentally, the same states undergoing a Green Party-funded recount of ballots cast. Hillary Clinton lost the battleground because she negligently abandoned her base. Secretary Clintons nomination was presumptive. Her victory was assumptive, arrogant, privileged, lazy and disrespectful. The anemic campaign was blatantly avoidant of the issues in Wisconsins African American communities  specifically in Milwaukee.

Hillary Clinton lost Wisconsin twice in one year. Bernie Sanders bested her during the April 5 presidential primary election and Trump beat her on Nov. 8. And how the Clinton campaign responded to the first loss inevitably led to the second.

During the last 100 days of the presidential contest, she was relatively absent. In just over 90 days, Donald Trump made 133 visits to battleground states while Mrs. Clinton made just 87  including zero trips to Wisconsin. Her TV commercial spending in Wisconsin was laughable, her radio ads were sparse and her print media buys were scant. Whether its life itself or the election of our lifetime, you cant win if you dont show up.

The Democrats lost the state by a total of 27,257 votes. Russ Feingold, who had led in the polls for a full calendar year, also lost to incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson.

This catastrophe, a Clinton clinic on cutting campaign corners, culminated in Wisconsin returning to red state status for the first time since 1984. From 1900 to the present, Wisconsin voters selected the winning presidential candidate 77% of the time. 2016 would prove no exception.

The most loyal base of the Democratic party are black voters. However, black voters in Wisconsin didnt see her.

Her campaign offered no palpable change for the thousands of African Americans living in poverty. There was no mention that, of the 56 majority black neighborhoods in Wisconsin, 31 are prisons. The rash of police involved shootings affecting black men and families hardly got the time of day. The skills gap? The education gap? The fact that Wisconsin is the worst state for black children? The 50% black male unemployment rate? Nary a whimper.

Lets be honest: A single trip to Sherman Park, where riot fires burned as a symbol and symptom of hopelessness, wasnt enough for her to look black Milwaukee voters in the eye. No echoes of sympathy. No policy agenda. No commitment to investigate the deepest ills in American society.

So what happened? The black community responded in kind with the same effort as the Clinton campaign: We didnt show up.

An effort to mimic the engagement of black voters as Secretary John Kerry did in 2004, or President Obama did in 2008 and 2012, would have paid dividends. Instead, African American voters got redundant visits from Chelsea. Lets be honest: Chelsea Clinton doesnt excite anyone. Chelsea Clinton doesnt even excite Chelsea Clinton.

The outreach to black voters in Milwaukee during this election cycle was one 10th of what Obama spent in 2012. Even when Milwaukee campaign staff asked for $1 million in additional funds to do black outreach, the $497,000,000 behemoth of the Clinton apparatus responded with a "No, thank you."

Now enter the World According to Trump.

A less ideological Supreme Court, affirmative action, a womans right to choose, worker rights, The Affordable Care Act and a higher minimum wage all go from optimistic policy positions right into the recycle bin.

A xenophobic, homophobic, myopic, racist, anti-Muslim, misogynistic campaign reigned supreme this time.

Had just a few of the ideas, strategies and outreach plans of the Obama and Kerry campaigns been instituted in communities of color  particularly throughout the battleground states  our reality wouldnt be constructed by television programming of the same name.

Few upper income, liberal, progressive, Brewers game attending, Summerfest picnic table dancing, Pabst Blue Ribbon drinking, safe space seeking, helicopter parenting folk want to think that their political agenda is inextricably tied to the performance of black Milwaukee voters. But it is my sincere hope that this case study in how to lose an election on a silver platter drives home the point that were all in this together.
The City of Milwaukee is aiming to help residents deal with lead water concerns within the city while the bigger issue of replacing lead-lined water supply laterals is discussed.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department has partnered with Aquasana, an A.O. Smith company, to provide all residents of the Milwaukee area with a discount to purchase drinking water filters online.

First, you should check here to see if your water lines are listed for lead service lines. Visit Aquasana.com and enter the code "Milwaukee" to shop with the discount.

If you live in the city of Milwaukee and cannot afford a filter, you may be eligible for a one-time, free drinking water filter starter kit. Thanks to the support of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County and the health system partners of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, Aurora Health Care, Ascension Wisconsin, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, the City of Milwaukee Health Department is working with community-based organizations to distribute filters to eligible families.

Free water filtration products will be made available on Tuesday, Nov. 29 and Wednesday, Nov. 30 to Milwaukee residents living in homes with lead service lines.

Residents can go to one of two South Side distribution events to receive a free filter starter kit and lead poisoning education. Filters will be distributed first come first serve, until supplies last. OnMilwaukee spoke to Health Department officials earlier today and confirmed supplies are still plentiful as of now.

Nov. 29, 5-7 p.m.; Sixteenth Street-WIC Clinic (1337 S. Cesar Chavez Dr.)

Nov. 30, 5-7 p.m.; Kosciuszko Community Center (2201 S. 7th St.)

North Side residents can pick up a water filter at the Social Development Commission (1730 W. North Ave.) weekdays.

The two products offered through the program, the Aquasana Claryum countertop unit and the Claryum "Clean Water Machine" powered water filtration pitcher, are NSF-certified to remove more than 99 percent of lead from drinking water as well as more than 65 other potentially harmful contaminants including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, cysts and organic pollutants such as pesticides.
When moving into a new place, most people don't consider much about what their roommate will be to them. Sometimes they become your mortal enemy, sometimes your best friend, sometimes your bandmate.

The Chicago-based band Whitney started from such a relationship. The two roommates hung out in their place and just started writing songs together. From there, they became a band that started to put out music and tour places like Milwaukees Turner Hall Ballroom, the band's next stop on Thursday night at 8 p.m.

The band consists of drummer and vocalist Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek. They both came from former bands  Ehrlich of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Kakacek of Smith Westerns  so music was a common interest between them, making it easier to start a band.

They came up with their name in a simple manner, Kakacek says with a laugh. "We both think 'Whitney' is a pretty word," he explains. "Its not much more complicated than that." As they started to become Whitney, the two wrote music and put together an album.

In June of 2016, they released their debut album, "Light Upon the Lake," featuring 10 songs, including the first single, "No Woman."

This song started to come together when Enrlich was one day laying on the floor of his friends place. Then a shower he took inspired more of the song, and then it hit the final stages as him and Kakacek sat together in their apartment.

The song and album have an overarching theme of losing love and the journey you go on afterward. The musical influences on Whitney's first album include Van Morrison, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Jim Ford and The Band.

The pair started sharing its new work by touring the album in February, and Whitney will continue to promote it with upcoming shows.

"I think all of us were pretty psyched on getting to release it, and so far the reception has been great," Kakacek says. The support has been growing, as fans have shown dedication to the band.

"We had a fan come to around 10 shows of ours in Europe and hang out with us. She ended up becoming a very close friend of ours," Kakacek explains. Whitney's toured in Europe and around the U.S. but has only been to Milwaukee a few times. The band members' favorite place to perform here is at Franks Power Plant.

Now they are back in Brew City, ready to perform the music they've been working on at Turner Hall. Here's a little preview of the upcoming show, in an interview with Max Kakacek.

OnMilwaukee: What can we expect for this show in Milwaukee on Dec. 1? Will we hear all the songs from your new album?

Max Kakacek: This is our first album, so yes, we will definitely play the whole thing, plus a few others.

Whats your favorite song from this album to perform?

I don't really have a favorite song; it really changes every night. We try to include as much improvisation as possible during our set, so each song changes a little every night.  

Whats your pre-show ritual?

Cinnamon roll.

What is your favorite part of performing?

Its hard to describe. I think we are all just hopelessly addicted to it

For ticket information, check out the Pabst website here. And check out Whitney's music here.
From Mike Malloy Website

Trump may be the only Presidential winner in history who bitches about election fraud. What the hell is it with this guy? He can't take yes for an answer? Have we really got a President who is this divorced from reality that he actually believes MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of votes were stolen from him? Maybe billionaires have so much money they don't have to focus on basic math anymore and just forget how to count.

Trump may have indulged in too much turkey over the holiday weekend, or perhaps he ate a bad cranberry, but he unleashed another spate of Tweets that once again make us question his mental fitness.

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally" "Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California -- so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias -- big problem!"

Uh ... really? Millions of illegal voters? And damm that lyin' liberal press, they are participating in this HUUUUUGE cover-up of voter fraud! The media has been out to get Trump from the very beginning. How dare they report on the things he says and does?! It's a conspiracy! There ought to be limits to the First Amendment, don't you know.

Sounds like the kind of paranoid madness you'd expect from Kim Jung Crazy, doesn't it? Especially considering the fact that the media gave him mountains of free publicity (and there is no bad publicity) for a solid year. Spare me. We should be the ones pissed at the telescreens that blasted his screed and waved his hairflap in our faces ad nausea until the constantly repeated propaganda grew tendrils and rooted itself in the redneck brain-stem. Trump complaining about media coverage is like Dolly Parton complaining about back aches.

Even nutty Newt Gingrich thinks Trump sailed past the sanity goalposts on this one. He was interviewed by USA Today and had some very interesting things to say about his buddy Trump:

"Gingrich, a free-wheeling Trump adviser who is a vice-chairman of his transition team, described the president-elect as a leader who is poised to disrupt the regular order in a way no commander in chief has done since Andrew Jackson in the 19th century. "But he also said that Trump's biggest misstep in the three weeks since he won the White House was to post on Twitter Sunday a complaint asserting widespread voter fraud, and in an election he won. 'In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide," Trump wrote, "I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.' "'The president of the United States can't randomly tweet without having somebody check it out,' Gingrich told USA TODAY's weekly video newsmaker series. 'It makes you wonder about whatever else he's doing.'"

It makes you wonder what else he's doing ... uh-oh. How far gone is Trump's mental state if neurotic Newt (who most recently went batshit crazy on Meghan Kelly, accusing her of being sex obsessed -- ironic considering she's another of Roger Ailes' sexual harassment victims) is concerned about what "else" he could be doing? Now that gives me the shivers.

The USA Today interview continued, and Newt related some other frightening insights into Trump's fractured mind:

"When he met with Trump last week, Gingrich says, 'He commented, 'This is really a bigger job than I thought... Which is good. He should think that.' As president, Gingrich went on, 'you have war and peace, you have enormous powers ... and it all comes down to the Oval Office and it all comes down to you.' "He argues that Trump, who hasn't held a news conference since July, should feel no obligation to hold any as president, suggesting instead he solicit questions from the public to answer. 'The news media so totally disgraced itself in this election, if I were Trump I would just say no,' Gingrich says. 'And if the White House Correspondents Association doesn't like it, I'd say, 'Fine, disband.'

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For a teacher of literature who interprets myths as a way of reading a text, I am clueless as to what a "cashless society" is supposed to look like and if at all there are such societies somewhere hidden and unknown to Google Earth. I wonder if PM Narendra Modi understands the gravity of the disaster unleashed on the poor masses thanks to the overnight project of demonetization. The ex-PM Manmohan Singh is right in calling it "organized loot" and "legalized plunder" except that the neo-liberal economic reforms which turned loot and plunder into virtues were initiated when Mr. Singh began his term as the Minister of Finance in 1991. Under the Congress-dominated UPA, looting and plunder took the form of massive corruption though they did not interfere with how the social structure operated as a whole. India being a big country -- the common people have their own ways of working things out at a day-to-day level.

In a closed society like India cash is a deeply private thing like bedroom sex and people hold on to their experience-based strategies of using money to enhance their sense of power. Homemakers from lower-middle class income groups are a good example of the small world power because part of their ability to run the home stems from their ability to save whatever little money comes into their hands. Since we are not a completely modern society some of the traditional ways of functioning such as lending small amounts of money for interest keep the society going.

Thus there are parallel economies without which the entire social order would collapse in a matter of days. In other words, cash enables us to run other economies on a smaller scale rather than being a part of the banking system which caters to those who have accounts. The more than a couple of hundred million people who are outside the banking system are very much a part of the cash-based transactions as it happens with rural folk.

If the agenda of this government is to incorporate everybody into the banking system -- either they are dreaming with their eyes open or they are simply implementing an agenda scripted by the corporate and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) lobby living mainly in the US and UK who want to turn India into a colony for the global elites. In my view, the latter comes closer to the truth. What used to be the white man's burden -- the civilizing mission -- is now the brown man's burden -- the globalizing mission. The popular belief on the streets is that the aim of the demonetization is to take the money out of the pockets of the middle classes and the poor and transfer it as loans to the rich and the powerful. I subscribe fully to this view.

An overnight planned attack of this kind on the common masses needless to say was hatched a long time ago. Out of panic, people are holding on to whatever cash they can lay their hands on. I watch in distress the blank and helpless expression on the faces of poor vendors and small shopkeepers waiting for the nightmare to pass as it happens when your breath stops in sleep and you are struggling to wake up in the hope that things will be normal again.

Crises such as this one are ripe for mass violence. All that a cynical government has to do is distract the masses by doing something dramatic and laying the blame on a group of people who it can conveniently target as being responsible for all our problems. It is fashionable to talk of the Nazis as cynical manipulators but majoritarian governments have functioned throughout history by turning economic crises to their advantage. My gut feeling is that this government will not be an exception.

The public mood is one of subdued anger bordering on indignation, the kind of low flame that at any point could turn into a wild fire, but they are waiting in a restrained way to see what comes next. Nobody seriously believes that terrorism has reduced because of demonetization. I can't say that the public is intelligent as such but I don't think that they are stupid either to swallow hook, line, and sinker the blatant lies of the government.

No ideology can stand before the pinch of the stomach. Violence is bound to erupt at that very point when the stomach takes charge and the mind and heart are left to perish in the cold. To leave people vulnerable and fearful that they could go hungry is the first step to a violent society. By rushing in foolishly where angels fear to tread, the BJP-led NDA government has proved two things: One is that they are completely incompetent as is revealed in the fantasy of a cashless society which the Prime Minister Modi keeps chanting like a mantra as if somehow it would become true. Another is that the agenda of the government is a devious and dangerous one because it wants the masses to be powerless in a way that would not only provide cheap labor for the corporate lobby but would reduce the poor to an animal-like condition where survival becomes an end in itself like it happened with the working classes in the 19th century.

Through man-made famines the British could effectively run India for two hundred years because the masses were starved and simply did not have the strength for a revolt. Gandhi saw through the colonial agenda of starving the masses and knew that passive resistance which empowered the weak was the best possible way of challenging British might. When an elected government decides to act against the interests of the masses to such an extent that the latter are broken and impoverished, both the government and the party in power should be resisted through whatever available legal means at the public's disposal as well as through something that I rarely recommend: popular protest.
From Our Future

The Donald Trump Administration hasn't even started, and the President-elect is already unpopular. Only 42 percent of those polled in this "honeymoon" period approve of Trump. Voters were split (46-45 percent) on their approval or disapproval of his transition process.

Contrast that with Barack Obama's popularity before he took office, when 83 percent of those polled approved of his transition process. (Less than half of voters approve of Trump's three key picks so far: Mike Pence, Steve Bannon, and Reince Priebus.)

Trump's diehard followers will undoubtedly seek out fake news from faux sources, including his own Twitter feed, to cling to the illusion that he's fighting for them for as long as possible. But even they may be forced to face facts when Congressional Republicans target Medicare and Social Security, while Trump's billionaire cabinet despoils the environment, attacks public schools, cuts cushy deals for Big Pharma, and gives tax breaks to millionaires and corporations.

Eventually, most Americans will realize that their lives aren't getting any better -- and are, in fact, getting worse. Where will they turn when that happens?

Democrats like New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are already positioning themselves to lead the coming anti-Trump backlash. In a speech, a Facebook post, and a New York Daily News op-ed, Cuomo condemned racism and bigotry and listed some laudable actions the state will be taking against hate.

These are welcome moves. Cuomo even showed glimmers of his late father Mario's eloquence in announcing them. But Cuomo hasn't placed the blame for the recent surge in hatred where it belongs: on Donald Trump's demagoguery. Instead he has waffled on Trump, who has been a generous donor to Cuomo's campaigns in years past.

And while Cuomo touched on economic issues, that part of his speech was notably lacking in specifics. But then, Cuomo's own economic record is mixed. He signed a statewide minimum wage increase but fought Mayor Bill De Blasio's attempts to raise it in New York City, and aided big-money interests pushing privately-run charter schools there.

Cuomo recently hired one of Chris Christie's top aides, a former communications adviser to Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, and George W. Bush, to sharpen his message. That suggests that he is aiming for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, perhaps with a "bipartisan" theme.

Equivocation and oscillation are characteristic, not only of Cuomo, but of an entire class of well-financed Democrats for whom ambiguity has become a political way of life.

Sen. Cory Booker is also being touted as a contender for the 2020 nomination. Booker famously attacked Barack Obama in 2012 for criticizing Bain Capital, which was founded by Obama opponent Mitt Romney and generously contributed to Booker's mayoral run. Booker described Obama's criticisms of the predatory investment firm as "nauseating" and added, "Stop attacking private equity."

Securities & investment firms gave $1.88 million to Booker's 2014 Senate campaign, and the financial industry was also generous toward his Newark mayoral campaign. Other major Booker sources include law firms and real estate.

Like Cuomo, Booker has taken some progressive positions. That's a welcome development. But it will be hard for Democrats who are so closely associated with financial elites to lead a movement against Trump and his fellow Republicans.

As incoming Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer will be a major voice in the Democrats' anti-Trump front. Schumer is backing Rep. Keith Ellison's bid to lead the Democratic National Committee, a smart move that could reinvigorate the party's image and agenda. That shows that Schumer understands the shifting political ground. But Schumer is also closely associated with finance. His top four industry sources of campaign contributions are securities & investment, law, real estate, and insurance.

As more Americans become disillusioned with Trump, a potentially transformative moment is almost certain to appear. But voters who are dissatisfied with both the status quo and Trump's phony populism are likely to seek equally transformative politicians, not a return to the political styles and power relationships of earlier eras. Failing that, they're likely to become alienated from the political process altogether.

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Remember when the Democrats talked about tax reform but they really meant tax increases? With the election of Donald Trump (R) as President and control of the House of Representatives and Senate still in the hands of the Republicans that narrative can change. But, quite frankly, I am not particularly encouraged that it will, particularly after an article in Saturdays Wall Street Journal:

Fault lines inside the corporate world are emerging over a proposed rewrite of the U.S. tax code, pitting importers against exporters. At the heart of the fight is a Republican plan in Congress that would impose corporate taxes on imports while eliminating them from exports, a move that would upend decades of tax policy.

The proposed shift in effect would curtail existing incentives for U.S. companies to move profits and operations abroad, but it would also pose new challenges for some global businesses. Retailers selling imported products and refiners using imported oil could be hardest hit, while some exporters could see their tax bills vanish.

This isnt tax reform; this is re-arranging the deck chairs  Congress continuing to pick the winners and losers by tax policy. If Mr. Trump is serious about tax reform he needs to establish some basic principles which drive the final results. Let me offer a sound set of such principles:

1. Taxes should be designed to produce the revenues necessary to fund the legitimate functions of government  thats it. Nothing more, nothing less. Taxes should not be used to encourage or discourage investment in particular lines of business. Taxes should not be designed to redistribute income or wealth. And taxes should not be designed to encourage or discourage a particular form for doing business.

Acceptance of this principle would eliminate all incentives, tax subsidies and special treatments. There would be no more special treatment for oil, gas, and coal producers. No special treatment for solar power producers or users, or for wind generation, or any other alternative energy producers. There would be no special treatment for Wall Street moneychangers, investment houses or speculators. No special treatment for agricultural producers, nor importers nor exporters. No special treatment for anyone. No interest deductions for mortgages, and no tax credits of any kind. Income produced in the United States would be taxed in the United States and income produced elsewhere would be taxed in that jurisdiction. Profits after taxes would be repatriated to the United States with no further tax or penalty.

2. Everyone should be required to pay taxes. The whole concept of a representative democracy is that the law, having been adopted through the representatives of the people, should apply equally to all. If you start carving out exceptions for the application of the law, we are no longer a nation of laws but rather a people subject to the whims and caprice of the powerful. The same is true of taxes. If the representative of the people exempt groups from the impact of taxes or tax increases, then they become the representatives of a segment of the political body and impose burdens on the minority.

The whole concept of a democracy is fraught with the danger of the tyranny of the majority. It is why our founding fathers created a constitution replete with guarantees of individual rights. In every instance, our laws should be structured such that a majority cannot impose a burden for which they have exempted themselves or their supporters.

The Oregon Democrat Party, at the behest of its financing arm  the public employee unions  has now adopted a pattern of tax increases that will apply to a small minority of citizens but will be passed by the overwhelming majority of taxpayers who will not be subject to the tax. Their latest attempt with the I-97 gross receipts tax lost because the business community was able to show that the tax would, in the end, be paid by the very taxpayers the public employee unions sought to fool.

Unless all pay taxes, all are not equally impacted by the decisions of government  and particularly not impacted by increases in taxes.

3. The calculation and payment of taxes should be simple and efficient. Today, the Internal Revenue Service employs slightly over 82,000 people. There are at least that number in the private sector who attempt to provide guidance, preparation and defense for taxpayers. Not one of them provides any benefit. In fact, they represent a sword (IRS) and a shield (tax consultants) both paid for by the same taxpayers.

The average cost of a federal employee is approximately $110,000 per years, including salary and benefits. Elimination of half of the employees of the IRS would result in savings to the cost of government of nearly $4.5 Billion annually. A comparable benefit  probably a greater benefit  would be realized by the private sector by being freed from employing less people to advise, prepare and defend tax returns. Elimination of special treatment, benefits, and incentives coupled with elimination of taxes as a means to redistribute wealth will, by definition, simplify the calculation and payment of taxes. It would also eliminate literally tens of thousands of the approximately 74,000 pages of the IRS rules and regulations that grow by an additional 750 pages annually.

4. If progressive tax rates are used, they should result in no more than four categories. There are good policy arguments for a single tax rate applicable to all levels of incomes. However, we have become accustomed to graduated rates for increasing levels of income. If that is to continue under a tax reform they should be limited in number and correlated to a specific economic measure.

Let me suggest the following four categories: First category  income from zero to the federally mandated minimum wage. Second category  income from the federally mandated minimum wage to the median income (statistical middle of income distribution) determined annually by the Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Third category  income from the median income to triple the medium income (average income) determined annually by the BLS. Fourth category  all income above three times the medium income. The tax rate for the first category should be minimal  probably one percent. The tax rate for the second category should be low. The tax rate for the third category should be double the second category and the tax rate for the fourth category should be double the third category. Any tax increases or decreases thereafter should be applied proportionally. (The tax rates and multiples are for illustrative purposes only given that budgetary requirements  including a significant reduction in the cost of administration  will ultimately determine the necessary rates and multiples.)

Couples subject to the marital estate laws of their state of residency will be allowed to treat income as if earned equally by both partners. Capital gains will be taxed at one-half the rate of ordinary income  better said is that only one-half of capital gains will be subject to taxation. No tax on C-corporations, rather income earned by C-corporations will be treated exactly as income by S-corporations and taxed as if received by its shareholders.

The one exception that I would recommend to such a simplified tax system would be the continuation of special treatment for retirement savings. According to a 2014 study by the Tax Foundation:

However, over the last fifty years, U.S. saving and investment have eroded substantially, and during the most recent financial crisis, they collapsed almost completely. At the national level, the U.S. is essentially treading water. Citizens are barely running enough household surplus to make up for government deficits, and businesses are barely investing enough new capital to make up for the depreciation of old capital.

The degree to which we provide for our own retirement has a direct and significant impact on the amount required from tax funded sources  welfare, Social Security, etc. I would suggest that a Roth IRA treatment be provided for all retirement savings (Individual Retirement Accounts, 401k plans, private and public pension plans, etc.) where the earnings but not the contributions are tax free so long as they are not accessed or used prior to retirement age. With regard to current retirement accounts, a method should be adopted to tax amounts previously contributed and deferred from taxation and allow the amounts earned on those contributions to be accessed tax free.

And finally, adoption of a simplified tax system will reduce the number and influence of the lobbying class. The army of lobbyists and their supporting experts (lawyers, accountants, economists and statisticians) currently concentrate on gaining advantage for their clients and/or imposing burdens on their competition. Their favorite target is the tax code and the multitude of exemptions, deductions, credits and deferrals offered. Elimination of those tax treatments will result in a reduction in the power of the lobbying class and level the playing field for a market driven economy.

So long as the tax code remains a haven for special interests there will be no meaningful tax reform. There are significant benefits to be had from a simplified process. Only the president can drive real reform by refusing to accept the multitude of exceptions, exemptions, deductions, tax credits and deferrals that will be included in a Congress wholly beholden to the special interests lobby. President-elect Donald Trump should make sure his veto pen is filled with ink.
An orangutan builds an umbrella against the rain. Efficient and intelligent behavior that can be explained by new research from Stockholm University and Brooklyn College. Credit: Johan Lind/N.

The fact that animals can use tools, have self-control and certain expectations of life can be explained with the help of a new learning model for animal behaviour. Researchers at Stockholm University and Brooklyn College have combined knowledge from the fields of artificial intelligence, ethology and the psychology of learning to solve several problems concerning the behaviour and intelligence of animals.

Animals are often very effective; an oystercatcher opens mussels quickly, a baboon takes every opportunity to steal food from tourists or a rat navigates with ease between the bins in a park. Previously these behaviours have been considered to be inherited instincts, even though it is well known that animals have great learning abilities. Researchers from Stockholm University and Brooklyn College have now created an associative learning model that explains how effective behaviours can arise. This means that an animal does not only learn that the last step of a behaviour chain, the one that is rewarding, is valuable. An animal can learn that all steps towards the reward are valuable.

"Our learning model may also explain how advanced behaviours are created at an individual level. Behaviours like self-control, chimpanzee tool use as well as other phenomena like animals having certain expectations of live", says Magnus Enquist, professor of ethology at Stockholm University. "Similar models are used in the field of artificial intelligence, but they have been ignored in animal studies."

Since the 1970s it has been known that animals weigh the cost of a certain behaviour against the profit and that they, to a high degree, make optimal decisions, which is assumed to be genetically determined. The research group's new model deals not only with learning, it also takes into account the idea that what animals are able to learn can be genetically regulated.

A pigeon takes the subway instead of flying. Efficient and intelligent behavior can be explained by new research from Stockholm University and Brooklyn College. Credit: Photo: Johan Lind/N.

"Young animals are often a bit clumsy, while adult animals are extremely skilled. A small cub does not even consider a vole as food, while an adult fox is an expert vole catcher", says Johan Lind associate professor of ethology at Stockholm University. "Our model shows how genetic regulation of learning can influence the development of species-specific behaviour and intelligence since evolution can affect curiosity and the speed of learning among other things."

The researchers' new model could also explain counterproductive behaviour in artificial environments.

"Many learning models can explain optimal behaviour, but to explain counterproductive behaviour an understanding of the mechanisms of the behaviour is needed. Using our model, we manage to explain why animals get stuck in suboptimal behaviour. Like a hamster running in its hamster wheel despite having food next to it. Our model has captured fundamental aspects of learning", says Stefano Ghirlanda, professor of psychology at Brooklyn College in New York.

The learning model and the research results were recently published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

More information: The power of associative learning and the ontogeny of optimal behavior, Royal Society Open Science, rsos.royalsocietypublishing.or  /10.1098/rsos.160734 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science
Credit: Yann Caradec/Flickr

Australia needs to consider a carbon price of around $US140 a tonne by 2040 to help the world meet its target to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, experts have told The Australian National University annual Energy Update.

Director of the ANU Energy Change Institute Professor Ken Baldwin said the latest World Energy Outlook, released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) earlier this month, found global energy policies were well behind those needed to keep global warming below the 2 degrees target by the end of the century.

"The energy sector accounts for more than two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions," Professor Baldwin said.

"The World Energy Outlook shows that present world-wide energy policies are well behind what is needed to achieve the maximum 2 degree temperature increase ratified by the Paris climate change agreement.

"The carbon price required to keep below 2 degrees is projected by the World Energy Outlook to be US$20, US$100 and US$140 per tonne in 2020, 2030 and 2040 in developed economies.

"Australia needs to consider this - not only in order to mitigate its own greenhouse gas emissions - but also to plan for the future of its trade-exposed industries."

The ANU Energy Update is the ANU Energy Change Institute's annual flagship event, bringing together experts from government, industry and the International Energy Agency to discuss energy trends, new technologies and energy security.

Latest figures in the World Energy Outlook show the world is undergoing a massive transformation in energy generation, that China's demand for coal peaked in 2013 and will continue to decline, and that new energy generation from renewables outstripped all other forms of new energy generation for the first time in 2015.

ANU Energy Change Institute Honorary Associate Professor Hugh Saddler said the global data proved the need for Australia to change its energy policies.

"Politicians and other commentators in Australia can no longer claim that the IEA projects continuing growth in coal demand to rationalise their support for the continuation of current national policies," Dr Saddler said.

Professor David Stern, also from the ANU Energy Change Institute, said the World Energy Outlook was under-optimistic about the role of renewable energy.

"The 2016 WEO ups the role of renewables in below-2-degree climate policies and slightly reduces the predicted improvements in energy intensity compared to last year's Outlook," Professor Stern said.

"This is welcome, but they are still under-optimistic about renewables and over-optimistic on improvements in energy intensity."
The black rail does more scurrying than flying, one reason this secretive bird has remained such a mystery among birders and ornithologists alike. A new report by the Center for Conservation Biology may earn the bird threatened status in the eastern U.S. Credit: David Siebel

The eastern black rail is small, secretive, mysterious and in trouble.

It's a sparrow-sized marsh bird. It hardly ever flies, and gets around by creeping through dense wetland vegetation. The black rail is a blank spot on many a life list and even most of the sightings are really "hearings," the birder identifying the species by its callwhich often comes from a dark swamp in the dead of night.

"Most people haven't seen one. Most birders haven't seen one," Bryan Watts said. "It's one of those species that beats birders."

Watts, the director of the Center for Conservation Biology, has assembled a report called "Status and distribution of the eastern black rail along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America." The report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is part of a 15-year effort spearheaded by the CCB to get the black rail on the federal register of endangered and threatened species.

It's the definitive document on the state of this endangered bird in the eastern U.S., but even this definitive document contains a large amount of uncertainty, largely because the black rail has been flying below the radar of professional ornithologists and birders alike since Audubon's day.

Estimated population varies widely

The study area covers the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal states from Maine to Texas, plus Vermont, West Virginia and Tennessee. The report gives a wide range in estimated black rail population in the area455 to 1,315 breeding pairs. Just three states, South Carolina, Florida and Texas, account for three quarters of the overall total. Watts said that Florida and Texas population estimates carry a high uncertainty rating, because of the large expanses of likely, but unsurveyed, black rail habitat in those two states.

"There has been all this mystery around black rails because birders just can't get onto them," Watts said. "They occur in all these places that are away from where birders have access to."

Black rails were discovered breeding in Philadelphia more than 150 years ago, but today there are huge blank spots in even the most basic knowledge about the birds. Watts says that all of the information on the population existed in bits and pieces scattered throughout more than 100 years of journals, museum specimens and unpublished observations.

"People ask, 'What's in the literature?' Well, what's in the literature is little, tiny bits and pieces," he said. "The literature goes back to the beginning, which was 1836 in North America."

Spoiler: We don't know much about this bird

Watts began by compiling a bibliography of black rail observations, wading through more than 6,000 journal issues, checking out museum collections and downloading black rail records from e-bird, the online birding checklist run by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

Watts summed up his findings of looking through decades of ornithological research: Naturalists have never had a good handle on the black rail. There's never been a status assessment on the species, he said, because there isn't much survey data.

"You go back to the very beginning; they didn't know anything about this bird," he said. "You come up to the present; we still don't know anything about this bird. It's because of how secretive it is."

The birds spend their lives deep in tussocky marshes, making them an extremely challenging species to study. Very few black rails have been banded and their breeding habits are imperfectly understood. Black rails are not even particularly birdlike: Watt's report contains a quote that describes them as "a feathered mouse."

"And that's the way they behave, too," he said. "They rarely take flight. They just scurry around. People get little, tiny glimpses of them scurrying between the vegetation. Rails are that way in general, but black rails are off the charts when it comes to how secretive they are."

Credit: The College of William & Mary

A perfect drought of information

The black rail situation illustrates the degree to which the Center for Conservation Biology and other professional ornithologists rely on the reports of amateur birders. Their secretive habits, preference for out-of-the-way habitat and comparative rarity make the black rail a challenge for recreational birders.

Very serious birders will go out of their way to list a black rail, but the black rail is not the least bit charismatic and not particularly attractive. So once a birder checks Laterallus jamaicensis off a life list, he or she is unlikely to go out of the way to look for more black rails. The habits of the birds, combined with the habits of birders, create a perfect drought of information.

"We know the distribution of a lot of bird species because birders are good at documenting their location," Watts explained. "There are some exceptions to that, and the black rail is one, because they are so challenging and many birders aren't up to that."

Watts said the CCB began its campaign to bring the black rail out of ornithological obscurity about 15 years ago. "We started the Eastern Working GroupI think it was in 2009meeting with biologists throughout the range, trying to get momentum going," he said. "This particular effort was to compress 150 years of literature and bring us up to the present, so we can stop looking back and hopefully look forward."

Despite the challenges posed by gathering patchy evidence on a secretive avian subject, Watts' report arrives at some pretty solid conclusions. Most importantly, he says, the black rail is in trouble as a species.

"It looks like they're falling off a cliff," he said, adding that northern populations have experienced a particular crash in numbers. Overall, Watts said, the outlook isn't good for black rails anywhere in their range: The last record of a black rail observation in Virginia dates to 2014.

Getting flooded out by sea level rise

Secondly, the report notes that much of the bird's preferred habitator what's left of itis doomed, mostly by sea-level rise. Watts said that black rails are known to use a variety of marshy areas, including inland wetlands, ponds, grassy fields and coastal prairies. But 60 percent of the documented sites in the study were classified as tidal salt marsh. To be precise, Watts said, black rails prefer high tidal marsh areas.

"They don't like standing water," Watts said. "Now, a Virginia rail will build its nest right above standing water. Black rails won't do that. They want to have moist soil, but not be in the water. They occupy such a narrow hydrologic band of habitat."

Watts said that rising sea levels will inundate the black rails' narrow hydrologic band, the area that's normally dampened by only the highest lunar tides. As the narrow band narrows further, the birds are forced out.

In fact, Watts notes that much of the black rail's habitat has been long gone. Black rails were first discovered in 1836 by Thomas Rowan on a farm near Philadelphia. Rowan sent his specimens to one Titian Peale, who passed them along to John James Audubon himself. Those first-discovered birds were the basis of the black rail plate in Audubon's Birds of America.

"That farm, where Rowan first discovered the species? It's now the Philadelphia airport," Watts said. It's just one example of the extensive loss of wetlands done in post-Civil War period in the name of reclamation, mostly for agricultural use.

A crashing population and disappearing habitat make the black rail's prospects rather dim, and Watts acknowledges that the ornithological community and regulators are late in getting the bird's plight under serious consideration.

Watts said that the CCB's report will give Fish & Wildlife the information they need to move forward with a designation as per the federal Endangered Species Act. He said he believes the black rail merits a "threatened" designation, denoting a species that is not at the brink of extinction, but is likely to be at the brink in the near future.

After the black rail goes on the protected list, Watts said the next step would be to prepare a management plan to maintain the population. In the meantime, the black rails that remain in the east will have to rely on their old defense of extreme secrecy.
The cat tongue. (A) The four phases of cat grooming: tongue extension, tongue lateral expansion, sweeping of the tongue through fur and lastly retraction of the tongue in a V-shape curl. (B) (top) Cat tongue spines when tissue is straight and curled, (bottom) cat tongue mimic when silicone substrate is straight and curled. Credit: Noel, et al.

Have you ever taken a good look at a cat's tongue? If so, you may have noticed the tiny, sharp "spines" on its surface.

Watching her cat lick a thick, microfiber blanket and immediately become stuck tongue out was all it took to inspire Alexis Noel, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, working in the Hu Biolocomotion Lab at Georgia Tech, to explore the odd "spines" she noticed while helping to disentangle her cat.

If you've never looked closely at a cat's tongue, imagine that it's covered in tiny Velcro-like hooks and as it glides over fur, these hooks catch tangles and snags. "When the cat's tongue hits a snag, it pulls on the hooks, which rotate to penetrate the snag even further. Like a heat-seeking missile for snags, the hook's mobility allows the cat to better tease tangles apart," said Noel.

During the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD), being held Nov. 20-22, in Portland, Oregon, Noel will describe this concept, which she likens to using stiff versus soft hairbrushes, and what it might enable.

"A typical hairbrush has spines that stick straight out. When hair collects on the brush it forms a thick mat that must be removed by hand," Noel explained. "In comparison, the cat's flexible spines make it easier to clean. When not in use, the spines on a cat tongue lie nearly flat against its surface, like overlapping shingles. This configuration provides openings in a single direction, enabling the mat of hair around the bristles to be removed with a single finger swipe. These openings face the cat's throat and [are] also why cats swallow their hair and end up with hairballs."

Cat tongue papillae rotating with tissue stretch. Papillae coated in UV dye for enhanced videography. Credit: Noel, et al

Taking the concept to the lab and using macro- and high-speed videography equipment, Noel and colleagues were able to zoom in and observe the unique shape and flexibility of the tongue spines during grooming. "In terms of shape and sharpness, it reminds me of cat claws. And this opens yet another question of why all claws are shaped so similarly," Noel said.

To help explore their theories, the researchers became the first group to 3-D print a cat tongue mimic at 400% scale.

What did they learn? "Both the cat tongue and mimic are very good at cleaning and removing tangles in fur samples," she said. "We also discovered that the cat tongue is self-cleaning it's easy to remove hair beneath the spines by simply brushing the tongue from tip to end."

This may have important implications for the world of soft robotics, in which researchers are still struggling to find ways for soft materials to grip surfaces. "The cat tongue is flexible, but it can pull apart tangles in fur," Noel said. "So we're trying to develop a cat tongue-inspired surface based on our 3-D-printed mimic. The flexibility of cats' tongue spines may have broad-reaching applications from an easy-to-clean hairbrush to wound cleaning within the medical field."

Next, the group plans to explore how the spacing of cat tongue spines affects frictional resistance. "With this knowledge, we can develop a hairbrush suitable for human grooming," said Noel. "We'd also like to study the tongues of tigers, lions and other large cats to understand how tongue spines scale across the cat family."

In the meantime, Noel and colleagues are planning to develop the cat tongue mimic technology through the Innovation Corps at Georgia Tech and talk to consumers, beauty specialists and medical device specialists around the U.S. about application opportunities. "We've already submitted a technology disclosure form and intend to file a patent within the next year," she added.

More information: Abstract: L1.00008: "Cat tongue Velcro," by Alexis Noel, Andrea Martinez, Hyewon Jung, Ting-Wen Tsai and David Hu is at 6:01-6:14 p.m. PST, Nov. 21, 2016 in Room A105. meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD16/Session/L1.8
In this Feb. 22, 2016 file photo, the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. European Union police agency Europol on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 blamed human error for a breach of its data security rules by a former staff member that reportedly led to dossiers containing information about terrorism investigations becoming visible online. (AP Photo/Mike Corder, File)

European Union police agency Europol on Wednesday blamed human error for a breach of its data security rules by a former staff member that reportedly led to dossiers containing information about terrorism investigations becoming visible online.

Dutch investigative television show Zembla reported that a Europol stafferin a breach of the agency's tight security rulestook dossiers home and copied them to a backup drive that was linked to the internet.

The breach could undermine faith in the organization among EU member states that share highly sensitive intelligence with Europol as a way of boosting continentwide investigations into terrorism and organized crime.

"This leak damages trust in Europol and trust in information exchange, which is our top priority in the security agenda," said Sophie in 't Veld of the ALDE liberal group in the European Parliament. "Information sharing is essential for security."

The liberal bloc called on Europol Director Rob Wainwright and European Commissioner Julian King, whose portfolio includes security, to explain the situation to the European Parliament.

In a statement, Europol sought to allay concerns, saying that the organization "adheres to the highest standards of data security, including continuous security briefings provided to staff members."

But it conceded that "human error is the weakest link when it comes to the intersection of staff, data, and technology."

Zembla said it found more than 700 pages of confidential police dossiers that mention European terrorism investigations on the drive, including the names and phone numbers of people linked to terror investigations. Among the investigations mentioned was the probe into the deadly Madrid train bombings in 2004 that killed 191 people.

Europol said the breach related to "sensitive information dating from around 10 years ago."

The Hague-based organization added that it is investigating the breach and had immediately informed member states involved in the investigations.

"As of today, there is no indication that an investigation has been jeopardized, due to the compromise of this historical data," the organization said in a statement. "Europol will continue to assess the impact of the data in question, together with concerned member states."

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
UMass Boston students have affectionately named this calf Constance. Credit: David Landon

Three hundred and ninety-five years after Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, researchers from UMass Boston's Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research can say they have definitively discovered evidence of the original 1620 Plymouth settlement. Part of the proof involves a calf that UMass Boston students have affectionately named Constance.

For the fourth summer, David Landon, associate director of the Fiske Center, led a group of undergraduate and graduate students in a field school in Plymouth offered through UMass Boston's College of Advancing and Professional Studies. Landon and the students spent five weeks on Burial Hill looking for the site of the original Pilgrim settlement. Landon's goal when he started was to find evidence of the original settlement prior to the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Plymouth Colony in 2020. He met his goal four years early, in the first year of a three-year, $200,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant.

Because the original structures weren't built with bricks, the research team couldn't look for foundations. Rather, they had to look for "post and ground construction"  basically holes for wood, and dirt.

"While we're digging, we're constantly in the process of trying to interpret what we're finding. It really goes to just moving slowly and trying to see if there are any patterns in the flow that we can map out. As soon as that starts, it becomes a slow process. It's about much more than the artifacts  it's about trying to pin down soil color and trying to understand constructed features that are no longer there," Landon said.

But then Landon's team did start finding 17th century artifacts: 17th century pottery, tins, trade beads, and musket balls  around that post and ground construction. Landon says the students and researchers were at this point cautiously optimistic that they had found a location inside the settlement walls. And then they found "Constance"  a calf buried whole in the bottom-most pit. Because native people didn't have domestic cattle, Landon says we know that she lived  and diedin the confines of the original Plymouth settlement.

Credit: UMass Boston

"Constance is a great symbol of this. Oftentimes success in the colony depended on herds of cattle. It became a centerpiece of the economy. So the calf does connect us to that story," Landon said.

Kathryn Ness is the curator of collections at Plimoth Plantation, UMass Boston's partner in this project. She says this discovery is huge.

"Finding evidence of colonial activity inside the original 1620 Plymouth settlement is an incredibly exciting discovery that has the potential to change dramatically our understanding of early European colonization in New England. For the first time, we have proof of where the settlement was located and what kinds of items the Pilgrims owned and used," Ness said. "At Plimoth Plantation, the team's findings will help us further refine our exhibits, as we use archaeological evidence and historical documents as the basis for our portrayal of the past and to ensure that our buildings, activities, and reproduction objects are as accurate as possible. We are looking forward to learning more about their discoveries and seeing what they find next season!"

Landon and more students and researchers will be back next summer.

"We've opened the first window but we want a bigger view. We want the bay window. We want to see if we can find other components," Landon said.

For now, researchers and students are cleaning, labeling, and researching what was found this past summer. They're also going to be trying to figure out how Constance died and why she was buried, rather than eaten.


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      1  2022    2  290,9  ,   18%     2021    36,6%       .
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The state is making $2.5 million in funding available for 20 SUNY and CUNY schools to establish programs to prevent underage drinking and substance abuse on campus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.

Colleges will receive $125,000 per year for five years. The funding will help the colleges develop community partnerships and strengthen local prevention efforts. The program will be administered through the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Applications will be due Dec. 13 and recipients announced on Feb. 22, 2017, according to a news release.

Cuomo said this new College Environmental Protection initiative goes along with his overall initiative to address sexual assault on campus. In 2015, the state implemented new rules to spell out the definition of consenting to sexual activity and provided a victim Bill of Rights.

Cuomo cited statistics that nationally more than 690,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking and an estimated 97,000 in the same age group are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape, according to a news release.

More than 80 percent of college students drinking alcohol and half report binge drinking in the past two weeks, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Another survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services found that 1.2 million of the 9 million full-time college students used alcohol and more than 700,000 used marijuana. Misuse of prescription drugs and opioids is a serious issue as well.

One example is two students dying from heroin overdoses at SUNY Oswego in the spring of 2014.

Time after time, we have seen the reckless behavior, and bad decisions with often life-altering consequences that come with underage drinking, Cuomo said in a news release. This funding will build on our progress to prevent senseless tragedies and equip students with vital knowledge to curb underage and binge drinking, and provide critical services to those at risk for addiction.
Things always get a lot dicier for police, including the state's conservation officers and forest rangers, in rural parts of our region this time of year.

Tens of thousands of armed men, many of whom probably shouldn't be toting weapons for a variety of reasons, head afield to hunt. Many get lost, hurt or worse.

In a lot of places, state laws that govern hunting mean little to poachers who just want to steal some meat or put a nice rack on their wall. Night hunting, spotlighting, trespassing and other complaints are common. Listen to a police scanner around here on an October or November night and hear the calls that come in.

Confronting lawbreakers who you know are armed with high-powered rifles or shotguns is something that no one wants to do, but during hunting seasons, ECOs and others do it virtually every day.

Last night's shooting in Columbia County hit home for a lot of people, conservation officers and DEC personnel who knew the officer who was shot, as well as police who walk into dark woods at night to investigate these types of complaints not knowing who or what is waiting for them.

It sounds like Conservation Officer James Davey is expected to survive a serious injury to his pelvis, which easily could have caused him to bleed to death if he didn't have a partner with him who knew how to help and acted quickly.

It was unclear how the "hunter" came to shoot a person in a field after dark. There is no rationalizing that on any level.

Below is the DEC press release on the incident. Let's hope for a safe end to the hunting season around here.

-- Don Lehman

DEC COMMISSIONER BASIL SEGGOS STATEMENT ON SHOOTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION OFFICER JAMES DAVEY

The following is a statement from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos regarding the shooting of Environmental Conservation Officer James Davey.

On the evening of November 29, 2016, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Officers James Davey and Lieutenant Liza Bobseine were investigating reports of potential illegal hunting activity in the Town of Gallatin in Columbia County when officer James Davey was shot. Officer Davey underwent extensive surgery at the Mid-Hudson Hospital to repair damage from the gunshot wound and is in the Intensive Care Unit in stable condition. I had the chance to meet Officer Daveys wife Nancy, a Forest Ranger at DEC, and other family members last night who were appreciative of the outpouring of support from the DEC family.

Lieutenant Liza Bobseine who was on patrol with Officer Davey investigating the incident is credited with saving Officer Daveys life for her quick and heroic actions in the field. Lt. Bobseine was able to quickly apply a compress to the wound while calling for support and keeping the suspects under control 1/2 mile into a field. Its clear that if it were not for her actions, officer Davey would not have survived. I commend the two officers for their courage in the line of duty and thank them for their dedicated service. Our thoughts and prayers are with the wounded officer and his family.

An investigation led by New York State Police from the Livingston barracks determined that Alan Blanchard, 55, of Gallatin, was responsible for the accidental shooting due to reckless conduct. Blanchard was arrested for Assault in the 2nd degree, a class D felony, arraigned in the Town of Livingston Court, and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of no bail. He is scheduled to reappear in the Town of Livingston Court on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.

ECO Davey, 39, is a 12-year veteran of the force, having graduated from the DEC Basic Police Academy in 2005. He is currently assigned to patrol Columbia County. Officer Davey is a Division of Criminal Justice Services-Certified Police Instructor, having recently become a Certified Firearms instructor for the DEC. He is married to a DEC Forest Ranger, Nancy Davey.
HORICON  The tax rate is going up 1.39 percent in a nearly $3.42 million general and highway fund budget adopted by the Town Board.

Total spending for the general and highway funds is increasing from $3.29 million to nearly $3.42 million. The tax levy is increasing by $9,843 to $564,663.

Horicon stays under the cap by about $400, according to Supervisor Matt Simpson.

We didnt have a lot of wiggle room, he said.

The general fund spending is increasing by around $70,000 because of health insurance costs and bonding for the repair of the upper mill pond dam, according to Simpson.

He said the town offered additional health insurance options in an effort to control costs. One plan was comparable to what employees had before and the other was a high-deductible plan that was offset by a town-sponsored health savings account.

Horicon had been looking at a $56,000 increase in health insurance costs before the changes. Simpson said the increase is going to be smaller than that. New employees pay 20 percent toward the cost of their insurance, he said. Fifteen years ago, employees were contributing a small, flat amount toward the premium.

In addition, Simpson said the town is replacing chairs in the meeting room, purchasing a new mower for the cemeteries and ballfields and upgrading its playgrounds and equipment.

Simpson said among some of the major increases for the highway budget are money for a new quarter-ton pickup truck and a pavement blacktop roller.

There are also 2 percent employee raises for town employees, according to Simpson.

Horicon also receives $1.44 million in revenues from the county, $122,000 in state highway and paving funding, $238,588 in snow removal services from other governments, $173,000 in various fines and fees and $66,700 in state aid. The town is also transferring $507,834 and tapping $268,245 from fund balance to stay under the tax cap.

The fire district tax rate would increase from $0.335 to $0.338 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The Schroon Lake Park District rate would decrease from $0.035 to $0.034.
FORT EDWARD  Cars are going to be downright cheap for the Washington County Department of Social Services next year.

The department had proposed to replace three of its cars in the 2017 budget, at a cost of about $23,000 each. But just before the department put in the order, officials learned they could get them for $3,711 instead.

It turns out the state is willing to reimburse counties for the cost of the vehicles, just as it reimburses counties for other Department of Social Services costs. But Washington County officials didnt know cars were an eligible expense until just now.

We were just discussing things with department heads, Budget Officer and Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell said.

When they realized cars could be reimbursed, they quickly began calculating the savings. The county had expected to spend more than $207,000 over the next three years to replace nine caseworker vehicles. Instead, the county could spend $33,399.

This is fantastic, said Treasurer Al Nolette. Over multiple years, this becomes even more fantastic.

The department actually uses about 12 cars a day, Campbell said. But not all of them are dedicated to social services use alone. The county could easily justify getting reimbursement for nine cars though, he said.

Its like a no-brainer, he said. Why we havent done it before is what I want to know. Were we that wrong before?

So while the supervisors agreed to buy the cars, he isnt convinced the state will actually reimburse the expense.

Youre going to buy three cars anyway, so we might as well see how it goes, he said. Ill let you know in three years how it worked  or one year, if its bad.

Caseworkers use the cars for home visits, which can range from inspections to child abuse cases. They put a lot of miles on the cars and take them on bad roads, county Administrator Chris DeBolt said.

We need the higher-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles to help our caseworkers get into the more rural areas for home visits, he said.

The county plans to buy the Chevrolet Equinox, a compact SUV.
Mr. Richard Asante Yeboah argued that allowing live cameras in the court room would ensure transparency in the process and ensure that Ghanaians are updated on how our Tax-cedi was expended in this Woyome debacle.

He further argues that the move would equally end the usual media spin that characterizes court room reporting and throw more light on the matter especially the incessant tantrums and accusations of Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the effect that the apex court of the land, the Supreme Court has sidestepped the constitution and has rather chosen to persecute him.

READ ALSO: Man petitions Chief Justice to allow camera in court for Woyome case

However, Mrs Wood, in a letter written on her behalf by Judicial Secretary Justice Alex Poku-Acheampong, said she cannot accede to a request for a live telecast because it is not the normal practice by the Judiciary.
According to him, the rate at which unemployed graduates continue to depend on government for jobs is worrying, as the private sector is the largest employer currently and not the government.

He said: Government is not the biggest employer. Private sector is the biggest employer. Total people on government payroll is 600,000 people. And yet the orientation of all our students when they come out of school is that government should provide me with employment.

Governments responsibility is one to build the economy and make it stable so that the private sector can grow and provide those jobs...Government must provide the small and medium enterprise sector because that is the actual driver of growth, Mr John Mahama added.

Candidates who participated in the Presidential Debate were; John Dramani Mahama of the NDC, Ivor Greenstreet of the CPP, Dr. Edward Mahama of the PNC, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP, and Independent presidential candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah.

The flagbearer of the largest opposition party Nana Akufo-Addo NPP and National Democratic Party (NDP)'s Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings were, however, missing in action.
He said that even problems related to the generation of power, if solved, will not help matters because distribution equipment installed several years ago have not been renewed to meet the current power demands.

The power crisis, which has persisted since 2012 due to generation shortfalls, has collapsed several jobs.

Speaking at the Presidential Debate organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Nduom said, "We are talking about putting in a comprehensive solution for the power sector, we still have a power crisis in this country."

He argued that if government begins to pay its debt to the ECG the power challenge will be partly solved adding that a PPP government will solve the power challenge in five years.
"I will, this morning, address residents of the Ashanti Region, and Ghanaians, at press conference in Kumasi at 10:30am. I will speak on my vision for Ghana, touch on policy initiatives that will return Ghana onto the path of progress and prosperity, and the need for CHANGE this year, amongst others," the post of Facebook said.
Sheik Mustapha Hamid, the spokesperson of the Nana Addo, alleged at a press conference on Tuesday that Ibrahim Mahama offered Bugri an amount of 500,000 Ghana cedis and a V8 vehicle to ensure that Nana Addo is tagged as anti-Northern.

The presidents brother led the discussion. He said Bugri was supposed to resign from the NPP, and damage Akufo-Addo beyond electability. According to the president, Bugri should paint Akufo-Addo as an anti-Northern person who could never be trusted to advance the course of the people of the North. He was supposed to tell the world that it was Nana Akufo-Addo who got him to turn against Afoko and that he was now wiser...Bugri was supposed to say Akufo-Addo was running a one-man show in the NPP. He was supposed to label Akufo-Addo as a dictator, Mustapha added.

Many have since questioned why Bugri Naabu failed to address the press conference himself and rather had allowed Mustapha Hamid to do so.

READ ALSO: NDC demands immediate arrest of Bugri Naabu

Others have also asked the northern regional Chair to provide audio recording or photos of the said meeting to support his case.

But speaking on Rainbow Radio, Mustapha Hamid said there is nobody on earth who can have a meeting with the president and record him. I am saying that on authority. It wont happen. It is impossibleYou cannot record the president and it was not possible for Bugri Naabu to have recorded the president.

Bugri Naabu must be arrested - NDC

Koku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has toldPulse.com.ghthat the police must arrest the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu for indicating that he has accepted a bribe.

"Certainly, the NDC has not bribed Bugri Naabu. There is no evidence to that effect. If Bugri Naabu has accepted something from somewhere and has admitted that he is bribable and so accepted some bribe from somebody, let the police pick him up.
In this election, I have heard people say high-five, but Im here to plead with you that what is most important is the elephant, because the NPPs symbol is the elephant, the presidential candidates is also the elephant. Not all MPs will be number five on the ballot, so the most important thing is to remember the Elephant when you are voting.
Every year, in the last four years Mahama arrived, the economy of our country is shrinking every year, he said, adding that the situation demands a change in government to reverse the trend.

...So it imperative for us to vote for a change, especially you here in the Ashanti region, who appear to be the most populous region, Nana Addo said in local dialect Twi.

READ ALSO: Economy of Ghana

With exactly a week to the elections, Nana Addo urged the electorate in the region to go out in their numbers and vote massively for the NPP.

NPP needs your help. Im pleading with you that you go to the polling station and vote early before going to your various farms and other workplaces, he added.

Nana Addo promised them that if voted into power, he would work hard to strengthen the countrys health system, particularly, the National Health Insurance Scheme, as well as, provide jobs for the teeming unemployed in the country, among others.

He further called for an end to ethnocentric comments being peddled around ahead of the elections, adding that such comments will not augur well for the development of the country.
His allegations come on the back of claims by the NPP that Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Dramani Mahama tried bribing the NPP northern regional chairman to tarnish Nana Addo as anti-Northern.

Sheik Mustapha Hamid, the spokesperson of the Nana Addo alleged at a press conference on Tuesday that Ibrahim Mahama offered Bugri an amount of 500,000 Ghana cedis and a V8 vehicle to ensure that Nana Addo is tagged as anti-Northern.

The presidents brother led the discussion. He said Bugri was supposed to resign from the NPP, and damage Akufo-Addo beyond electability. According to the president, Bugri should paint Akufo-Addo as an anti-Northern person who could never be trusted to advance the course of the people of the North. He was supposed to tell the world that it was Nana Akufo-Addo who got him to turn against Afoko and that he was now wiser...Bugri was supposed to say Akufo-Addo was running a one-man show in the NPP. He was supposed to label Akufo-Addo as a dictator, Mustapha added.

Reacting to the news, Dr Nduom said: I cannot state whether that happened or not in the NPP but what I and the PPP do know is that we (PPP) have some six constituencies where we are sure of victory at the parliamentary level, but NDC leaders are calling them to come for cars and money, promising them that when the NDC wins, those parliamentary candidates would be made DCEs and MCEs.

With just a week to the December polls, the NDC leaders are telling those PPP parliamentary candidates to publicly announce that they are no longer contesting and that they had quit following the PPP and Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom. This is really happening; they are not allegations but we have told our parliamentary candidates that they also deserve to go to parliament and so they shouldnt fall for the NDCs dubious agenda, he told Accra FM.

Bugri Naabu must be arrested - NDC

Koku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has toldPulse.com.gh that the police must arrest the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu for indicating that he has accepted a bribe.

Certainly, the NDC has not bribed Bugri Naabu. There is no evidence to that effect. If Bugri Naabu has accepted something from somewhere and has admitted that he is bribable and so accepted some bribe from somebody, let the police pick him up.
Mr. President, I am of the firm conviction, as I believe are outstanding majority of Ghanaians as well, that should the 7th of December, 2016 not be declared as a holiday, it will disenfranchise many Ghanaians and prevent them including myself from performing the essential civic responsibility to vote, the petition added.

His petition follows the announcement by the Ministry of Interior, Prosper Bani that the Election Day is not a holiday.

The Ghana Education Service has also cautioned heads and teachers of educational institutions in the country not to view the Election Day as a holiday.

Below is the full petition

PETITION TO DECLARE 7TH DECEMBER, 2016 A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

I write to humbly petition your high office to declare 7th December a national holiday for the reasons outlined below.

Your Excellency, as you know, universal adult suffrage is a cornerstone of our nascent democracy. Indeed it is one of the pillars on which our Constitution rests, as can be seen in the preamble. This year, the parliamentary and presidential elections come off on Wednesday 7th December 2016, which happens to be a week day.

Mr. President, I am of the firm conviction, as I believe are outstanding majority of Ghanaians as well, that should the 7th of December, 2016 not be declared as a holiday, it will disenfranchise many Ghanaians and prevent them including myself from performing the essential civic responsibility to vote.

Your Excellency, as at the time of writing this letter, there was no indication by your Honourable Ministerof Interior that the said date shall be a holiday. It is for this reason that I humbly petition your high office and appeal to your good conscience and innermost sense of nationalism, to declare Wednesday 7th December, 2016 a national holiday.

Please be assured that Ghanaians, including myself shall be exceedingly grateful to you for granting this petition.

Sincerely,

Signed
Bearing in mind Ghanas history of political stability and peaceful elections, the Secretary-General underscored the need for all political parties to sign a Code of Conduct, which will greatly assist in lowering tensions and preventing electoral violence, a release from the Secretary-General added.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Ghana has warned its nationals of possible election violence in Ghana, urging them to stay away from demonstrations, large gatherings and protests.

Exercise caution during the election process, particularly around polling locations in the weeks before and after the elections. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations," it said in a statement titled Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Safety Considerations and the Upcoming Election.

The statement asked US citizens to review their personal security plans, remain aware of their surroundings including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates.
Sometimes I feel sad when I see some of our northern brothers running and also doing this. They will use you and dump you. Let anything happen today and let our brother Bawumia say he is standing for president in NPP. They will never give it to him I can assure you, he added.
This follows the introduction of a new price floor for data services by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),Pulse has been exclusively informed by telecom operators doing business in Nigeria.

Two weeks ago, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, above three minutes, as a way of getting Nigeria out of economic recession.

According to Emefiele, a tax on phone calls will yield some N100B to the treasury.

A source in one of the telecom services told Pulse on the basis of anonymity that "under the new data price regime, the NCC has directed all telecom operators in the country to review their current data prices to align with the new price floor and implement same by the 1st of December 2016, while defaulters risk having sanctions imposed on them".

In letters addressed to all network operators, the NCC stated that it decided to introduce the data price floor as a strategy to stabilize the industry, improve quality of service and ensure that customers get value for their money.

But there's been resistance from stakeholders.

Indications from industry stakeholders is that the new data price floor would affect all data packages in the market .

All the current data prices in the market fall below the new price floor, meaning telecoms subscribers should expect an increase in the price of data on their network.

A cross section of industry stakeholders have also expressed displeasure over the new price floor introduced by NCC, arguing that it will increase the cost of doing business especially for Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) and other sectors whose operations depend on data.
The movie producer was recently arrested for stealing iPhones in Computer Village, Ikeja and was rumoured to have being held in prison. According to him, he was not remanded in Kirikiri prison.

Meanwhile, a new picture of the filmmaker who was seen pouring himself a glass of lager, was recently posted on Instagram by a user named Seun Oloketuyi.

It was accompanied with a press statement signed by Egbegbe.

The statement reads, "Special Appreciation to you all!

"Following the public allegation about the news/publication on social media that Mr Seun Egbegbe was remanded at kirikiri prison, we will authoritatively inform the general public that Mr Seun Egbegbe of Ebony Films Productions was granted bail on thursday 24th November, 2016 by the magistrate court in lagos with adjournment of case till february 18th, 2017.

"The Media Team to Mr Seun Egbegbe will appreciate if some Non-investigative media, would stop misleading the general public and fans with false report or story over the settled matter.

"I am not presently at Kirikiri prison as alleged by some reporters, since the begining of the whole drama because i know nothing about it and God bears my witness"...says: Seun Egbegbe.

"Special thanks to the Nigeria Police Force for their investigative intervention, Media practitioners and my loving Fans worldwide.

"Thanks for your support & concern. "Good things will never seize in our homes". Note: Please always find out the Truth before reporting or publishing."
Nigerians have however trooped to social media protesting the increase also expressing their disappointment in the Nigerian government.

Now, Nigerian rapper, Vector Tha Viper has taken to Instagram calling out the Federal Government over their lack of direction.

Vector in a post shared on Instagram on November 30, 2016, wrote, "Dear federal government,

You have come a long way with your policies and rule. You have concerned yourself with nothing but the present hence making it look like the constitution has to be remixed and renamed "Your WILL" before your demise.

You have ignored the children you saw grow and focused on the ones from your sperm cells and ovulation that you aren't seeing grow because they have been shipped off to "better grounds" for eductaion.

You have put your wives in other rooms BUT that of improtance forgetting (if you married a good woman) they balance you when you go astray.

You have failed to embrace the spirit and letter of the Almighty you worship be it any religion. You have failed the man you see in d mirror because he isn't a beast or metaphysical being you don't understand. No, He is the poster boy/girl for greed. You have forgotten how you felt when you were coming up but remember this... you will not forget how you fall.

Your money... my bad... our money you take will shame you when you need it the most. The hustling are finding ways to be better but you just want to take from them without giving back. You focus on chasing thieves but never focus on securing the vault they steal from.

In the history of our existence as a generation, we have never gotten levelled platforms to play as we have gotten with the internet. The people have become more exposed to business ideas, global news, information sharing from continent to continent between seconds. Industry has gotten global awareness because of this.

Music has started to look better just because with data you can put up your craft be it music or painting or write ups or poems or comedy or pets or life to make people happy in a steady sinking world of frustrating conflicting governance and hustle.
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! 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!
According to Punch, the incident happened in the Mushin area of Lagos State after, Ajisefini, a site manager who had lived with his parents on Olateju street in the area before relocating to the Isolo, a suburb of the state, had gone to his hood on Saturday, November 26, 2016, to visit his friends.

But when he got to his former house and saw the smokers sitting in front of the building puffing away, was said to have cautioned them and insisted they left the place.

The smokers who was apparently 'high', allegedly told him he had no right to order them to leave the place as he no longer lived there, leading to a quarrel.

An eyewitness narrated further:

"When Tolani told the boys to leave the place, they ignored him. They said he had left the area and had no right to dictate to them what to do and what not to do.

This resulted in arguments and later degenerated into a fight. One of Tolanis friends also backed him and fought the gang members.

Tolani, however, asked his unnamed friend to leave the matter to him alone. He pushed his friend aside and ordered him to leave the place. One mocked the friend, saying Tolani did not appreciate his effort.

It was gathered that Ajisefini in anger, attacked the said Michael for making the statement and in the ensuing scuffle, Ajisefini was alleged to have grabbed a bottle to attack the suspect, who parried it away.

Michael, seeing that his assailant had an advantage over him, was said to have sunk his teeth onto Ajisefini's ear and bit it off.
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 supervising teacher in one of the popular and privately-run schools in Lagos State was alleged to have defiled the little girl under the guise of teaching her sex education.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest to newsmen on Wednesday, said the suspect was later arrested following a complaint lodged by the victims mother at the Ikeja Police Division.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the teacher allegedly defiled the girl, stressing that the suspect would be charged to court soon.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the briefing, the suspect said that he got a phone call from the pupils mother accusing him of defiling her daughter.

The suspect said he wondered where and when he committed such a crime, denying ever doing such with the baby girl.

"The mother of the pupil told me that she wanted what transpired between me and her daughter to end.

"She said she did not want any other person to hear about the incident, that even the girls father was not aware.

"When the mother of the pupil dropped her call, I was disturbed in my spirit and asked myself where the devil was coming from.

"Few minutes later, she sent a text message to me, telling me to remain firm with her daughter, because her daughter respected me like her father," he said.

The teacher, who claimed to be a pastor in a Pentecostal church, denied doing such a thing with the minor.

"Before God almighty, I know nothing about the allegation levelled against me by the mother of the minor.

"I want to implore the Nigerian Police to do a thorough investigation.

"I am ready to surrender myself, but I know the God almighty that I serve will vindicate me because this is a serious challenge for me.

"The allegation that I was teaching the girl sex education is not true, because I had never taught in the school. I only supervise and walk round to make sure everything went well," he said.

The mother of the abused girl, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the daughter told her that someone put his 'wiwi' (penis) into her 'wiwi' (private part).

"I asked her who the person was; my daughter then mentioned Mr Adenekans name saying he did it inside his office toilet.

"Truly, she is two years old but she could describe things vividly.

"After my daughter explained everything to me, I got the teachers phone number from the school and called him.

"Initially, I did not want the issue to go out because of the stigma it would bring against my daughter in the school.

"Thereafter, I confronted the teacher not to threaten my daughter again and it was then he said I could go to anywhere to report.

"He said nobody would believe me, that even if I told the management of the school, they would not believe me," she said.

The girls mother further said that Adenekan had no reason to be at the nursery section of the school, because he only supervises the primary section.
The victim identified as Garba Sani, reportedly stepped out of class to urinate at about 9:30 am but was later found dead, Daily Trust reports.

ALSO READ: Police officers kill student while chasing Yahoo Boy

According to the reports, a teacher in the school speaking on conditions of anonymity, said that the deceased may have been dragged into the building and murdered.

Daily Trust also reports that some students claim to have seen a man suspected to be the killer, successfully jump over the school's fence.

The students reportedly chased the man but is reported to have lost him at Garin Maina.

However, some who claim to have seen him at close range, say he looked like an ex-student of the school.
Life was cheap and black citizens had little to no rights in pre-independent Nigeria. And the British loved it so.

You cannot exploit an empowered people. The massacre of the Aba women in 1929 was intended to protect the status quo and to dissuade any would be activist.

Many were dissuaded but not the late Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti or as fondly called FRK.

Merely describing the "woman the government dreads" as the first woman to drive a car is an insult, not only to her person but to history itself.

A woman whom the British government described as "a big problem to the government of the Nigerian federation, to the powerful Alake of , and to all those who still think that a womans place is in the kitchen."

Unlike todays feminists, who tweet from the safety of their homes, FRK physically squared off with kings, the British colonialists and later the military government.

Her courage was reminiscent of Nigerian women of the time. Women like the ones who partook in the Abas Women Riots. Who stared down guns in a bid to liberate themselves and their husbands from the mad taxes imposed on them by the colonialists.

Brave women who simply wanted a better place for their daughters and sons. That was their driving force. And wise men know to stay clear of a woman protecting her children.

Well everyone knew, except the Alake of Egbaland.

The king with support from the British resident officer had increased the flat rate taxes to punish members of the Abeokuta Womens Union, who led by Olufunmilayo had demanded the abolition of the taxes.

He also issued a verdict demanding that all Abeokuta women who owned property pay income tax.

Idowu [Alake], for a long time you have used your penis as a mark of authority that you are our husband. Today we shall reverse the order and use our vagina to play the role of husband on you O you men, vaginas head will seek vengeance

FRK and her 10,000 strong Abeokuta Womens Union, chanted and danced suggestively in front of the palace of the Alake of Egbaland.

They demanded his removal, the abolition of the taxes and the release of their comrades.

"when the authorities saw the belligerent air of my women followers, they panicked and ordered my release" FRK boasted, after being arrested for refusing to pay taxes.

The king like most men knew not how to fight a woman and still maintain his dignity.

So, on the 3rd of January, 1949 the Alake of Egbaland, Alake Ademola, a monarch with 89 crowns, in an unprecedented move went on a self-imposed exile.

Chased away from his throne by the Lioness of Lisabi.

The Alake, however, was not the only one who got to feel the brunt of the Lioness. The British government was constantly on the receiving end.

And in 1956, they labeled her a communist for traveling to China to attend a conference on womens rights and refused to renew her passport.

But activism is a family business for the Kutis. Her great grandmother Sarah Taiwo, an escapee slave, the first Lioness of Lisabi, had stood against the Alake of Egbaland of her time.

Her husband the late Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti was a founding member of both the Nigeria Union of Teachers and of the Nigerian Union of Students.

Her sons are not left out. Olikoye was an AIDS activist, Beko founded a human rights organisation, the first in Nigeria and Fela the King of Afro Beats was a political activist.

Her grandsons Femi and Seun are carrying on well the legacy their father left behind.

In 1977 "Unknown Soldiers" surrounded Felas place, the Kalakuta Republic, and allegedly threw Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti from a first-floor window. She died the following year.

"...dem kill my mama, dem kill my mama.." Fela sang in a verse on "Sorrow Tears and Blood". His voice broke as he fought back tears whilst recalling the ordeal he, his mum and several others suffered on that fateful day.

Her death was the tipping point for Fela. The one person whose voice was louder than all his yes men and weed induced motivation, had been snatched from him.
The cool kids of the Internet, however, prefer to express themselves on Tumblr, the microblogging site that never truly went mainstream. Tumblr is where you find the "too cool for mainstream" kids.

In this world of underground artistic hub of coolness and wokeness, Places + Faces is the dopest of all the millions of accounts on the site. Within the space of three years, the Tumblr account has blown up.

Places + Faces is a photography, design and fashion Tumblr site created by Nigerian Solomon Boyede and Gambian Imran Ciesay. The duo who live in London has snapped some of the coolest photos you would ever see of your favourite rappers from Drake to Travis Scott. The site also has a bit of Nigerian sauce featuring the likes of Davido.

Boyede and Imran evolved the site after their gif pictures of the world's coolest rappers became a hit. Places + Faces is now into merchandise. Their gear can now be found from London to Japan.

Speaking to Okay Africa, Solomon Boyede, also known as Soulz talked about how Places + Faces started.

"It sparked mainly from creative curiosity and boredom. My partner Ciesay was in New York back in 2013 when a lot of albums were dropping and he would always have his camera and take photos at listening parties for artists like and .

"On the other hand, I was in London attending and taking photos at a lot of concerts for artists like and to name a few. So we just decided to make a photography blog and together Places+Faces was born" Soulz told Okay Africa.

Soulz also added that his proud Nigerian heritage influenced P+F. "Nigeria is very proud country, which has inspired me to be proud of who I am at all times."

Places + Faces also has an active YouTube channel that captures the travels of the co-founders.
Dr Tolu Afolaranmi, CAVSI team coordinator, told NAN on Wednesday in Benin, said the beneficiaries were from Ologbo in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo.

Afolaranmi said the NGO carried out the free eye care service in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and support from the TY Danjuma Foundation.

He disclosed that the 500 beneficiaries, were part of the 1,000 targeted to benefit from the various medical eye services to be provided by the NGO.

He said that out of the targeted 100 persons for surgery, 58 patients had so far benefited with 45 of the patients operated on for cataract while 13 patients were operated for other eyes disorders.

The NGO coordinator added that 250 patients were given corrected eye glasses while others were given free eye drugs.

Afolaranmi told NAN that the free surgeries carried out by the NGO go for between N100,000 and N200,000 in the hospitals.

The Team coordinator, however, disclosed that the team had referred a Peadiatric cataract case for operation to the Jos University Teaching Hospital with all expenses to be borne by the TY Danjuma Foundation.

He disclosed that there were 25 medical personnel comprising six doctors, six nurses and 13 support staff in the team.

NAN reports that the free medical eyes service would end on Friday.

NAN also reports that the NGO carried out a similar exercise at Ehor, headquarters of Uhumwode Local Government Area of Edo in April.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with NAN, expressed appreciation to the NGO and the TY Danjuma Foundation for rescuing them from dark world.

Mr Iguma Omorose, a 66-year old trailer driver, said he was operated on both eyes with his vision now clearer.

He also said he became blind after somebody hit him with a ring in Lagos nine years ago.

A 70 years old farmer, Mrs Regina Ekuku, said her vision had since become very clear after her eye surgery on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 155 people were killed and 40 others kidnapped in the last three months when groups of bandits invaded some villages in Zamfara.

The kidnapped persons were, however, later released following negotiations between the state government and the kidnappers.

Yari, who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the President, commended Federal Governments prompt deployment of security agents to the state to address the challenge.

He said I am here to brief the President on the security situation in Zamfara. The operation is ongoing and is going on successfully. I am rushing back to visit the troops in order to boost their morale.

I will be with them throughout the week. In this kind of situation, you have to be with the people in order to show them that you are concerned as a leader.

I believe the security agencies are doing their best and we will continue as government to give them the support needed to make the operation successful.

The governor expressed the hope that the military would remain in the state for longer time, assuring that the state government would continue to take care of their logistics.

He said The problem we have is that the state is surrounded by forests. The military men there are currently in about six camps. We hope they will stay there for a while.

we thank God that the 40 people are back with their families. They have been rescued and we have returned them to their families without any injury.

We did not pay any ransom.
Malami said the government was compelled to act when it was clear that the National Judicial Council (NJC) was not doing anything about the allegations of corruption levelled against the judges.

The AGF told members of the House of Reps committee investigating the DSS raid on judges homes that the NJC was also notified of the petitions against the senior judicial officers.

Malami said When we are talking about constitutional obligations, it goes without saying that all state instruments, Ministries, Departments and Agencies are under obligation, inclusive of the legislature and the judiciary, to take steps that will abolish all corrupt practices.

It is in respect of that obligation that whatever issues that arose from the search and arrest of the judicial officers were carried out.

The state was in receipt of multiple petitions of corrupt practices by the judicial officers and there was further apprehension that if immediate steps were not taken, the possibility of destroying existing evidence that were believed to have been kept within their respective domains would eventually be tampered with.

Arising from the responsibility created and established by Section 15 of the constitution, the state had to act.

But, the question of which agency has the responsibility of executing it, my response to that derives from the fact that multiple petitions were written to the Office of the AGF, DSS, EFCC and a lot of other agencies of government.

To my mind, I have a discretion to look at and weigh the situation and decide which agency against the background of the petition, who will act for the purpose of ensuring that the obligation of the provisions of Section 15 (5) of the constitution are carried out.

So, whatever evolved from the search and arrest of the judicial officers revolved around the need to comply with the responsibility and obligation vested in them by provisions of the constitution and the need to ensure that the investigation was not in any way tampered with negatively.

These were the circumstances that led to the operations. It was a clear exercise of the constitutional mandate in respect of what is expected of the State to abolish corrupt practices.

The AGF also told the lawmakers that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) does not have the sole responsibility of handling corruption cases.

Citing Section 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, Malami said the government could call on any agency to investigate corruption cases.

This is contrary to the claim by an EFCC representative who said the DSS over-stepped its boundaries by taking on the case of the judges.

Speaking further on why he ordered the raid and subsequent arrest of some of the judges, Malami said When we got the petitions, I had cause personally to write to the NJC, requesting that they take administrative steps to investigate the allegations contained in the petitions.

A response was made to my office that the NJC could not act unless the petitions were accompanied with affidavits. But, I felt there were no reasons why the petitions could not be looked into on their own merit by placing sanctions on the AGF, while it was a constitutional obligation.

Incidentally, multiple petitions were also written to the DSS and I requested that they equally write to the NJC to look into the petitions, but it was the same response the DSS got from the NJC that without a supporting affidavit the petitions could not be looked into.

So, we have a situation where there is reasonable grounds for suspicion for commission of corruption and we have a body saddled with the primary administrative responsibility of looking at such things first, but it seems not to be cooperating in that respect.

Meanwhile, when issue of commission of corruption practice is established, the executive has the responsibility of investigation without recourse to the judiciary.

That is how the idea of taking the advantage of Section 15 (5) arose.

I asked the EFCC and the DSS and another agency to investigate because they were in receipt of several petitions on the same subject and I was informed by the DSS before the search and arrest and I did not object.

The AGF also told members of the committee that the DSS presented a formal report after carrying out the operation.

He said The DSS presented a formal report to me before and after effecting the search and arrest; they informed me that the operation will be done at any hour without restriction.

I had no objection that the operation would be carried out at night because I have taken time to go through the administration of Criminal Justice Act and I was convinced that this operation can be conducted at any hour, any moment without restriction.

I didnt have to inform the Inspector-General of Police or Commissioner of Police in the State about the DSS operation because they were also under the same constitutional obligation to act. One of the agencies had investigated, came up with a report and I was convinced.
The budget, tagged: Golden Jubilee Budget is N150.4 billion higher than the 2016 budget of N662.58 billion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2017 budget has a Capital Expenditure of N512.464 billion and a Recurrent Expenditure of N300.535 billion.

The capital and recurrent ratio of the budget stood at 63:37 respectively.

Ambode said that large part of the budget would be expended on road construction and rehabilitation, health, among others.

According to him, Phase 2 of the 114 Local Government Roads project and the Fourth Mainland Bridge will commence in 2017.

He said A key focus of the 2017 budget is road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance.

Our government will focus on roads that will open up the inter-lands, improve connectivity in the state and reduce travel time.

The governor said that the state was expecting an increase in the Federal allocation through 13 per cent derivation from oil and gas in 2017.

He said that the 2016 budget of N662.58 billion, as at October, had been implemented to about 77.5 per cent, equivalent to N350 billion.

The governor said that fundamental reforms would be carried out on all modes of transportation- roads, water and the walkways.

Ambode called for the cooperation and understanding of all residents in prompt payment of their taxes, saying that the state government would embark on extensive revenue collection reforms.

The successful implementation of this budget depends on all Lagosians.

We all have a huge responsibility to ensure that it succeeds, as we cannot just afford to fail, even at this critical period of economic recession, he said.

The governor said that the state government would continue to render its performance to the residents through the Town Hall Meetings.

Receiving the budget, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, commended the governor for his determination to develop the state, in spite of the dwindling revenue.

Obasa, specifically commended the governor on road infrastructure, transportation, Light Up Lagos project and other developmental projects.

He said that the House would continue to support the executive to bring more developments to Lagosians.

Almost all projections in the 2016 budget have been carried out, in spite of the economic situation.

I commend the governor for a number of life-changing projects he introduced, the speaker said.

Obasa said the House was committed to laws that would improve the socio-economic development of the state.

He said that the Assembly had passed lots of laws to enhance the living standard of residents.

Obasa said the House would ensure that the 2017 deliver on inclusive growth and prioritise the welfare of the residents.

He urged heads of Ministries, Departments and parastatal Agencies to cooperate with the lawmakers while on oversight function visit to their places.

ALSO READ:Governor Ambode signs law against land grabbing
According to Daily Post, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Ben Murray Bruce revealed this while on an oversight visit to the assembly plant of Volkswagen of Nigeria Automobile Limited in Lagos.

He said We want one million cars a year. Everybody who has a job should have a brand-new car. I will propose a ban on the importation of Tokunbo cars; but first, every Nigerian should be able to buy a brand new car in 10 seconds after we put up the ban, not ban and wait for two years.

The car manufacturers should make provision for down payment of N250,000 and N30,000 monthly instalments. The vehicle should be fully insured for seven years.

Another important thing is that the cars being sold in Nigeria are not energy efficient. You (VON) are a distributor for Nissan and the firm has the number one electric car in the world. The electric car should be sold here.

ALSO READ: Ben Bruce accuses Buhari of hypocrisy over forex ban
Buhari made the comment on Tuesday, November 29, after being named the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) at the Presidential Villa.

If I will go in the negative side, how can an ordinary Nigerian go into the sea, 70 kilometres or more, go down two meters and blow up oil installations that cannot be an ordinary Nigerian, he said.

So, I hope you will appeal to your colleagues to make sure that what we have built, they should regard it whether they are working with multi-nationals or the government, he added.

Buhari earlier begged Niger Delta militants to stop bombing pipelines in the restive region.

I appeal to the people of the Niger Delta region to embrace peace and focus on agriculture for sustainable economic development and wealth creation, the president said.

I urge you to take advantage of the huge potential in agriculture and stop the destruction of oil and gas pipelines, which only serve to destroy our ecosystem and economy, he added.
Represented by Mr Danjuma Sheni, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Buhari commended NAF for harnessing the available research and development potentials especially in the military aviation sector.

He said I have been a keen admirer of the NAF, having been following the great stride it has been attaining as a service.

I recall NAF in collaboration with an indigenous firm produced a set of air craft for the primary training of its pilots, the more recent being the design and production of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The overhaul of the brake assembly of one of the fighter aircraft in collaboration with an indigenous company Innoson is commendable. Without any doubt, such research will be of use to the nation.

Buhari said the research arm of NAF also developed an operational unmanned aircraft vehicle which currently undergoing series of test flights.

This he said renewed the hope that with determination and the right leadership, NAF could achieve much.

He saidI strongly believe that if we can harness our efforts as a nation, there is no challenge that we cannot surmount.

He urged stakeholders to embark on fruitful collaborations and joint partnerships to fund more research.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, represented by Sen.Aliyu Wakili, said Nigeria could only carve a name internationally by investing heavily in research and basic technology.

Saraki said Nigeria must maximise the application of the cutting edge designs.

He said We must begin to look inward in order to provide funding for these ideas that can help us address our current security challenges and advance our military technology.

We must seek them out in our people by providing them with the platform to grow.

He reiterated the senates support to NAF; adding that the senate through passage of laws would encourage local content in Nigeria.

He said just last week the senate pushed Nigeria forward to join the rest of the world with research institutes through passage of the air force institute of technology bill.

Saraki said with this framework in place, local content and research by NAF would be built on and developed.

He said the exhibition of NAFs innovations had proved that Nigeria had ample potential hence the need to invest in maximising the value of local content development.

Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff said the event was organised to buttress the Presidents plan of re-professionalising the Nigerian Armed forces and to promote local content. 

Abubakar said there had been collaborations between NAF and academic community and other stakeholders as part of efforts toward creating synergy for technological development of the nation.

He said the aim was to develop its operational and technological capacities while gradually reducing Nigerias reliance on foreign products and equipment.

He said that this was what initiated this years theme Developing Civil-Military Research Programmes toward Enhanced National Development.
The President gave the warning when he met with the world leader of Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement, Sheikh Sharif Mohammed Kabir Ibn Mohammad, at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday.

A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated that Buhari also expressed regret over the destruction of public institutions in the North East by Boko Haram insurgents.

He said government is faced with the problem of rebuilding schools, health centres and whole towns.

We must renovate or rebuild schools and recruit teachers, otherwise, they will become tomorrow's Boko Haram.

President Buhari reiterated the importance of justice in the affairs of governance, emphasising that men and women in authority must show kindness and justice to all the people under their care.

He commended the religious group for the prayers it rendered for three days in Yola, Adamawa State, for the recovery of the economy and for peace in the country.

Buhari observed that the problem of oil production in the country and in global markets had made agriculture imperative for Nigerians.

We are learning the hard way. The mistake we made was to abandon agriculture. We came at a time of difficulty which the country never experienced since the civil war, he said.

President Buhari also requested the religious leaders to persuade Nigerians to embrace hard work, endurance and patience, and gave the assurance that the present administration would not relent in its efforts to achieve self-reliance and security.

In his remarks, Sheikh Sharif Mohammad commended President Buharis sense of justice and concern for the people of Nigeria.
Amu said God showed him Dangote will surprisingly rise to that position, just like Donald Trump shockingly won the United States Presidential election.

The cleric was quoted to have disclosed this in Lagos over the weekend.

He said he had on August 21, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, told newsmen that Trump would win Americas election.

Amu said his prediction of Trump's victory was not published by any newspaper.

"I even told my children to circulate the information on their facebook but they declined. The same God, who revealed Donald Trumps victory in the US, has also declared His intention to install Dangote as the future President of Nigeria," he said.

ALSO READ: Dangote's tomato company threatens to quit production

Amu, however, noted that he is not sure whether Dangote would succeed Buhari or not.
The group also accused telecommunications operator, MTN of pushing for the increase.

The TUCs comments were made via a statement signed by President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Acting Secretary General, Comrade (Barr.) Simeso Amachree.

The statement reads:

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria warns against the on-going conspiracy between the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and some major telecom companies, especially MTN to further increase their data rates from December 1, 2016. It is really startling the extent government and its capitalists cronies would go to frustrate the lives of Nigerians.

We feel particularly awful about the move because data is one of the cheapest ways to empower the teaming youth. This move if allowed would make it unaffordable. In our view, this is insensitive and criminal on the part of the parties involved.

We are not surprised that MTN has thrown its whole weight behind the policy; but the telecom giant should realized that trying to lobby the government will not save the organization when the chips are down. Of course, this cannot happen in South Africa.

Naturally, we had expected that government would increase awareness for greater citizens participation especially in ICT, but unfortunately they are doing the opposite. One cannot really situate Federal government policy direction these days.

On the one hand, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is banking on ICT for youth empowerment while on the other, the NCC is trying to cut youth participation. All the promises made to the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg when he visited the country cannot be achieved if the policy is implemented.

This is not the best way to make money. This move is spineless and should be done away with. What then would be the benefit of the policy to the self-employed who depend on data for their businesses? The truth is, cheap internet data is a vehicle of some sort to economic development.

It is very unfortunate, very unreasonable and inhuman to come up with such idea at a period of recession. Any call for increase in anything for now is most unreasonable, uncalled for and a calculated attempt to record more suicide cases and insecurity in our already tension-soaked country.

The telecoms sector was often used as a case study to justify the removal of fuel subsidy. But the question is, is the telecoms sector truly deregulated? What happens to the issue of free market in the telecoms sector?

There is so much deceit and insincerity in the system. We are calling on government to come up with godly policies that would encourage investment and stimulate growth, instead of deliberately trying to stifle businesses.
Fayose asked Nigerians to resist any attempt to impose new tax on them by the Federal Government.

He stated this in a press release issued in Ado Ekiti by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, on Wednesday, November 30.

The Governor queried why the government is always looking for more avenues for taxes. "Do they want Nigerians to pay with their blood," he asked.

Fayose further said: "If the only way the federal government believes it can take Nigeria out of recession is to impose obnoxious taxes that will further impoverish the people, the federal government is not being fair to Nigerians.

"Under 20 months of Buharis government, petrol price was increased from N87 to N145 per litre, kerosene; diesel and gas prices were increased, electricity tariff was increased, N50 stamp duty was introduced on bank customers, 9% tax for the use of communication services like calls, SMS, MMS and data usage from telecommunication service providers; internet service providers and Pay TV Stations.

"It is also under this APC government that N65 levy was imposed on every withdrawal on ATM, various bank charges introduced, custom duties increased, increment of VAT from five per cent to 10 per cent contemplated, cost of vehicle number plate and drivers licence increased, and now cost of internet subscription is to be increased too.

"Is this government out to tax Nigerians to death?"

Fayose also condemned the proposed increment in the cost of data, saying it is coming less than three weeks after Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture complained about the damage social media is doing to the Buhari administration.

However, the Senate has ordered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop the proposed hike in the cost of data.
Adesina, who admitted that the current situation in the country is very tough, said the President knows where he's going.

Speaking on a Channels Television programme, the Presidential spokesman noted that the problem inherited by Buhari was underestimated, assuring hat the President will "steer the ship in the right direction" eventually.

He said: "We all must agree that the enormity of the problem was underestimated. John Oyegun, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that; Segun Oni, former governor of Ekiti state, has said that, too.

"Whoever thought that Nigeria had been run into a hole like we have now seen! There was facade that made you feel that everything was okay with the country, but the country was in a hole. As of November 2014, the average income of Nigeria for a month was $3.2 billion. By June, July 2015, it dropped to $500 million.

"You couldnt have foreseen that because nobody knew that the crash of oil price would have such effect and when the crash came, the next thing was to say: Where are the savings? But we looked and found nothing. So, it was real trouble.

"This administration is not the type that will manipulate, that will twist issues, whatever you hear us say, just take it that we mean it. The good thing about the president is his integrity. He also means well.

"If you have your doubts about the captain of a ship and you run into a storm, you begin to panic. But if you know that this captain is tested, he is seasoned, and he will not abandon the ship, then you will stay with him.

"I will like to tell Nigerians that the captain of our ship, the president is someone who knows where he is going. He knows where he is steering the ship to. It may be tempestuous for now, we will get to a safe harbour."

On the criticism of his performance as Buharis spokesman, Adesina likened himself to Jesus Christ, who was, despite being the son of God, accused and killed.

He said: "Well, even Jesus was accused. They even said he had a demon. So, if they say that about the son of God, its not surprising to me. Dont they say that to the president? People will accuse people, but in my heart of hearts, I know that I am giving this assignment the best, and I will still continue to give my best to it.

"My job is to project the president, inform Nigerians on whatever he is doing, educate them, and then amplify what he has done, and when it comes to defending him, I also defend him.

"When you are a spokesman, you need to understand the person you speak for. You dont go ahead of him, you either stay with him or come behind him. If you go ahead of him, you are a wrong person."
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Kennedy Idirisu, confirmed the killing to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lafia on Tuesday.

Idirisu said the victims were returning from their mining site in a company truck at about 4p.m. when the assailants shot them from different directions.

Idirisu said a Chinese, a police escort and two others were killed during the ambush while another Chinese survived with bullet wound and was being treated in a hospital.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Sadiq-Bello had deployed officers to the area to work in collaboration with other security agencies as well as the vigilantes to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

According to Idirisu, the commissioner of police had visited the Chairman of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area and the mining company.

The commissioner called on the people of the state to encourage foreigners willing to do business in the state rather than attacking them.
According to Daily Post, IPOB alleged that the military exercise is an attempt to massacre more Igbos.

The Biafra group also slammed Governors in the South-East for allegedly collaborating with the Army to attack Igbos.

IPOBs spokesman, Emma Powerful said the whole thing is a calculated plot to wipe out members of the group.

Powerful also said The federal government and defence headquarters stationed military in every part of the south east to eliminate the lives of all the IPOB members and Biafra agitators in south south and south east.

However, we are going to hold the south east governors responsible if anything happens to any person in the south east because the federal government and the Nigeria defence headquarters cannot afford to bring the military equipment in all the parts of south east without the consent of the state governors.

More so, the governors of Anambra and Abia States have performed their own killing of unarmed IPOB members on 9th February 2016 in Aba and dumped their dead bodies at the borrow pit; the Anambra state governor performed his own on 30th August 2015 at Uga junction and the 30th of May 2016 during the remembrance of the Biafra heroes and heroines at Nkpor and gave them mass burial and feeling that they will go scot-free.

Now the other governors of the south east have joined Okorocha who sent security agents to arrest the IPOB condinator in Imo state with his family, dumped them to unknown place and demolished his house.

They are now together with their counterpart in Enugu and Ebonyi states to kill their kit and kin this time because they feel they are no more relevant in the face of general public in the land; we are going to hold you people responsible if anything happens to any person here.

We are not in a military era and the governors should go back to their masters in Abuja, tell them to recall and remove all the military equipment stationed in all the part of south east, whether they call it operation python dance or what? We must hold them responsible for this atrocities committed in our land.

ALSO READ: MASSOB urges Biafrans to pray for Nnandi Kanu

We are calling on international community and other relevant human rights organizations in the world to take note because our lives are in danger.
The minister also thanked members of the House of Reps for supporting the price modulation template when it was introduced.

According to Punch, Kachikwu said this while meeting with the House committee on Petroleum at the ministry of petroleum in Abuja.

He also listed the achievements of the ministry of petroleum since he came on board.

The minister said the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries have been partially restored.

Kachikwu also revealed that Nigeria was able to sign Memoranda of Understandings worth about $80bn during his recent trips to China and India, Punch reports.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Joseph Akinlaja, said Nigerians are interested to know what is happening in the ministry of petroleum.

Akinlaja also described the oil industry as the life blood of the Nigerian economy.
Boro stated this in Benin on Tuesday when the government formally handed over a 2,000 capacity fish pond to one of the ex-militants, Reuben Opobowie.

The special adviser said 100 of the 10,000 ex-militants would be come from Edo and 500 from Bayelsa, while the others would be from the remaining oil producing states of the federation.

According to him, Buhari has expressed interest and shown commitment toward the development of the Niger Delta region.

The drive we are into now is on agri-business, because it captures three major items, which include food, security, job creation and increment in the finances of the farmers because they will be able to get money from their products.

Agriculture, particularly, is the best alternative to oil for now going by what is happening in the economy of the country as at today.

Those still involved in pipeline vandalism are those, who are not beneficiaries of the programme because they dont understand what the Federal Government is doing, he said.

He stated that the programme has brought him out of the creeks, adding that the programme has given him a direction in life.
Osinbajo also revealed that the government had to spend so much on importing kerosene because a lot of families in Nigeria depend on the product.

Adding that The low LPG consumption in Nigeria has resulted in heavy dependence on kerosene and firewood as primary domestic cooking fuel. The government has undertaken huge subsidy of over $1bn in 2015 on kerosene subsidy.

According to Punch, Osinbajo said the government is working hard to harness the untapped potentials in the Nigerian gas industry.

He also said the Federal Government will soon come up with a policy that will revolutionalise fuel consumption in Nigeria.

The VP also revealed that gas consumption in Nigeria increased in 2007.

ALSO READ:VP blames pipelines vandalism for economic recession

He said In the gas policy, liquefied petroleum gas has been identified as a viable source of stimulation of the socio-economic health of our nation. Nigerias LPG consumption had been declining until the NLNG intervened and since then, our LPG consumption has grown from 50 metric tonnes per annum to 400MTPA.

Though this signifies some improvement in domestic LPG consumption, it translates to a per capita consumption of less than 2.5kg when compared to higher per capita consumption of some African countries. Also, about 40 per cent of our domestic LPG consumption in 2015 was imported, this impacts on our foreign exchange.
A 20th remembrance ceremony of the filmmaker will hold on December 15, 2016, at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, hosting distinguished guests, actors and industry practitioners.

Celebrating his works, his movie "Kadara" (Destiny) which was first released in 1980 will officially premiere.

Still in celebration of the life and legacy of the late filmmaker, the Ade Love Film Week will feature screenings of "Kadara" and "Taxi Driver" throughout the festive season at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

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The movies will also screen at the Lagos Airport Hotel Off Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Silverbird Cinemas, Film House cinemas, Genesis Deluxe, Kada, Viva and other cinemas across the nation.

About "Taxi Driver" 1983

A taxi driver whose estrangement from his wife complicates a series of challenges he faces with his only son. He meets and falls in love with a young lady under the most unusual of circumstances and his life although fraught with challenges sets a turn for positive change. Taxi Driver is a raw reflection and light satire of its time.

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The 1983 movie stars Adeyemi Afolayan alongside Lanre Hassan, Salami Adebayo, Charles Olumo among others.

About "Taxi Driver 2"

After Tunde Samuel's sordid experiences as a young Taxi Driver, he takes on the mantle of moral restoration in cleaning up the society of its criminal aspects. The former Taxi Driver becomes an undercover policeman, beneath the guise of yet another ordinary Taxi Driver.

Synopsis for "Kadara" 1980

When the culture of a kingdom dictates that in finding the most suitable man for the beautiful princess of the kingdom, the man must emerge champion of a collective, non-discriminatory wrestling contest. Kadara is a charming and swooning tale of rivalry between a handsome and endearing farmer and a brutish man of considerable wealth for the hand of the most beautiful princess in the entire Kingdom!

Adeyemi Afolayan was popularly known as Ade Love. A Nigerian film actor, director and producer, he was the brother of actress Toyin Afolayan.

He was also the father of filmmakers Kunle Afolayan, Gabriel Afolayan, Moji Afolayan and Aremu Afolayan.
Galadima made the comment after being asked his opinion on the crisis in the APC during an interview with Daily Trust.

Excerpts below:

Why do you think President Buhari allows certain people around the government despite increasing complaints from various quarters?

I dont know, maybe hes comfortable with those he has now, and its his prerogative. But for us, Nigerians, weve the right to criticize him because we elected him to do certain things for us and if hes not doing them, we would educate the people to tell him that hes wrong.

Why do you think the chieftains of the APC, such as Tinubu and Oyegun and then Atiku and El-Rufai are trading words in the media?

Were a party thats in government but have you ever in the history of Nigeria seen where in the secretariat of the ruling party water is disconnected, electricity is disconnected, salaries of aides and workers are not paid for six months? Its shameful, its disgraceful and we claim to be in government. Were not saints.

Dont you think he doesnt trust those at the helm of affairs of the party?

You mean those working for the party do not deserve their wages? Is that what youre telling me? God said you should pay the person that worked for you before his sweat dries up.

The issue of delay in board appointments is generating a lot of disaffection, what do you think is the problem?

Thats their grudge, not ours. Im not looking for any appointment but therere people who suffered and actualized the success of this party (the APC). They deserve recognition.

If the president had dissolved the boards and refused to appoint because hes saving money, may be it would be reasonable. But therere some PDP people functioning on boards. Thats why in one of the interviews I granted, I said its APC in government, PDP in power.

Dont you think the in-fighting in the APC is about 2019?

It serves all those who dont feel well right. Theyre yet to see until they go to prison.

You mean the chieftains of the APC going to prison?

Yes. Each and every one of them will lose his means of livelihood and end up in prison if he does not pray well.

Why did you say that?

Because I know the characters and I can read them.

Do you think the president is behaving this way probably because hes less interested in getting a second term?
He reacted via a statement released on Wednesday, November 30. The statement reads:

"My "Indefinite suspension" by Governor Nasir El-Rufai controlled, Induced and misinformed self-acclaimed "APC excos" and the paper it was written upon is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence."

"It's as valueless as the used tissue papers of his gluttonous and bulging poodles and lackeys. I wish to fully assure the bespectacled pygmy and his running dogs that the "new suspension" will not give them the public support they couldn't gather with the "first suspension"."

"For a man who has been unable to address the pervasive insecurity and genocide in southern Kaduna for a man who has been unable to stem the tide of rampant kidnapping and abductions in Kaduna, "suspending" Shehu Sani cannot be counted as an achievement."

"Mr Governor, my suspension will not increase your physical height nor give you the flesh or muscle of a macho. El-Rufai remains a typical establishment man who was brought to limelight by the PDP, nurtured by the PDP. He is a dubious progressive and a bogus representation of change."

"If El-Rufai represents change, then Mabutu, Batista, Kamuzu Banda represent change .El-Rufai is a bug, a lice and a parasite to PMB administration. His loyalty to PMB is nothing but self-serving and self-preservation."

"El-Rufai is a foul air to any serious concept of change. El-Rufai remains the excrement of the toilets of PDP Wadata House and no broom or deodorant of change can give him a new identity. We will continue to work for the masses and defend their interest."
Akeredolu said mentioning Tinubu's name means he has to acknowledge about 36 other leaders of the party.

He stated this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, November 30, while addressing newsmen.

He said there was no need to be "looking for leaders all over the place" having acknowledged President for the role he played in his emergence, and , chairman of the party "for standing by the truth."

He said: "I thanked the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the leader of our party profusely for the leadership that he showed leading to this election.

"I also thanked our indefatigable chairman for standing by the truth and for his position on this matter that led to this election. I have no reason to do otherwise.

"You see, party structures to the best of my knowledge is very clear. You have the leadership of the party and that is represented by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. And after the election, a chief executive emerges, he becomes a leader of the party, you dont have to personalise and be looking for leaders all over the place.

"If we have to do that then I will have to mention 36 or 37 leaders. So I believe the leadership as represented by the president covers all leaders and that tells me it would include Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it would include even Baba Akande, Onu, so many leaders. But president Buhari is the leader of the party so that is my position there."

ALSO READ: 7 things you should know about Akeredolu

On his relationship with Tinubu, Akeredolu said, "The relationship with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always been the same. I dont think we have any strain relationship.

"For me as a person, I believe he is one of the leaders of the party and I dont see any strained relationship between us. And you would observe that he has sent in his congratulatory message after the election, so what else do you expect? I mean all of us see this as victory for the APC, not for Akaredolu, not for an individual but for the party as a whole. I believe he is a member of the party. Mr. Femi Adesina had issued a release but you journalists just want to put words into our mouths."

Reacting to the defection of a PDP senator from Ondo, Yele Omogunwa, to the APC, Akeredolu said the lawmaker had joined the ruling party before the election but only made it official on Wednesday.

The governor-elect reiterated his earlier position on not probing the outgoing Governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Mimiko, but he said if a monumental fraud is discovered like "Dasukigate", "the law of the land will take its course."

He said: "At the centre the government of the President Muhammadu Buhari said we must look back in order to move forward, he has been there for over a year now, has he instituted a probe?"

"Looking back is not a probe and I maintain that I will not probe any regime. This is a responsible leadership and Im elected to lead the people.

"The task ahead of us is enormous than for us to start instituting probes. My own is not to institute any probe of last regime and that is what President Buhari has done. But if we find out that wrongs were committed we have enough laws of the land to take care of people who have committed wrong. As we start our work as we go ahead if there is any semblance of Dasukigate at the state, the law will take its course; that is different from probing. We will follow what Mr. President is doing at the centre."
In a statement signed by the Rivers APC spokesman, Chris Finebone, the party called on Wike to stop blackmailing stakeholders in the December 10, 2016 poll.

According to Punch, Finebone said The APC wishes to call on Governor Nyesom Wike to immediately desist from his present free-for-all blackmailing of critical stakeholders in the December 10 rerun elections.

The result of the present situation is that Governor Nyesom Wike is feeling totally vulnerable and jittery. In his helplessness, the governor has resorted to crude blackmail against all the stakeholders in the December 10 rerun election.

Last week, he concocted a fictional story about INEC handing over original results sheets to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a wild accusation the minister debunked immediately.
Daily Post reports that the Catholic priest urged Nigerians not to blame the president for the country's economic state, as things would have been worse under Jonathan's administration.

"President Muhammadu Buhari was not to be blamed for the present economic challenges in the country.

If (former President Goodluck) Jonathan was the president today, the situation would have been worse", he added.

This rubbed the founder of Mind of Christ Christian Center ministry the wrong way, as seen in Omokri's recent outbursts on social media.

On Facebook, he wrote, "Dear Reverend Fr. Mbaka, The wife of an evangelist was beheaded-you kept quiet. Her suspected killers were acquitted-you kept quiet. However, today you have find your voice to defend President Muhammadu Buhari and condemn former President Goodluck Jonathan. As a Reverend Father, were you called by God to speak for a man who has 5 media aides and a minister of information all speaking for him or where you called to speak for the poor and powerless children of God who face injustice with no one speaking for them?"

On Twitter he asked a similar question.

These questions earned him a response from a Facebook user named Yazeed, who supported the reverend father's statements.

To this, Omokri advised the Mbaka supporter to become a Catholic.

Reverend Mbaka has not responded to Omokri's questions and statements, yet.

This is not the first time the Catholic priest has shown his support for the current administration.

In the past, he has described Buhari as Gods answer to the cry of Nigerians, warned people not to speak against Buhari, or face the wrath of God, while blaming former President Jonathan for the bad economy.
Punch reports that members of the three labour unions of the varsity  the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU and National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT  have been divided over the Vice-Chancellor's alleged financial mismanagement.

As earlier reported, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the allegations but was later released, a fact which displeased the members of the union.

Punch reports that the various unions subsequently embarked on a series of protests, calling for the removal of the VC.

A letter issued on Thursday, November 24 and signed by the Registrar of the institution, Mrs Modupe Ajayi, alleged that the sacked staff members have been disrupting academic activities on the campus.

The names of the affected workers are Dele Durojaye, Mike Opirijit, Remi Egunjobi, Bunmi Ayo -Alafe, Felix Adunbi, Obe Rotimi, Aladesuyi Ajoke, Philip Jayeoba, Akanji Justinah, Bayo Aladerotohun, Adefolarin Adesida and Ruth Bakare.

Other names included M.P. Faola, S. Arokoyu, J.S. Asante, Thomas Aina, Nelson Njoku, A.E. Omoraka, O.R. Bello, O.M. Fagbamiye-Akinwale and Mathew Fayiwole.

The letter read in part, Your action amounts to wilful disobedience and act of insubordination to the Governing Council, which is tantamount to misconduct. In this regard, the portion of the letter under reference which states that Council will therefore take appropriate action to restore normalcy if the unions fail to comply with its directive, is hereby being effected.

Consequent upon that, and in consonance with the universitys enabling law, I have been directed that you be put on suspension (on half pay) with effect from Monday, 28th November 2016, pending the resolution of the matter.

Accordingly, you are hereby suspended from the services of the university and placed on half pay with effect from 28th November 2016. You are to hand over all university property in your custody to your Head of Department/Unit.

In view of the foregoing, you are to stay away from the university campus until further notice.

ALSO READ: Members of SSANU protest over sack of 23 workers

However, Punch reports that SSANU Chairman, Mr Dele Durojaye, who is also the chairman of the universitys Joint Action Committee and affected by the directive, denied any knowledge of a letter sacking staff members of the institution.

He said, I just left the university after 4pm; there was no letter to such effect. What we noticed when we were leaving was the presence of policemen at the gates of the university. We are not aware of any letter.
Turkish forces are pressing on with a three month operation inside war-torn Syria in support of anti-Assad forces, while Russia is the chief ally of the Syrian president in the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011.

Yet Turkey and Russia have also been working hard to improve relations after clinching a reconciliation deal in June to repair ties brought to a historic low by Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet in November 2015.

Erdogan had said Tuesday at a meeting in Istanbul in support of the Palestinians: "We went in there to put an end to the rule of the tyrant Assad who carries out state terror, not for anything else."

His comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to meet Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks in the Turkish resort of Alanya on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists he hoped that "clarification will come shortly from our Turkish partners".

Peskov said Erdogan's comment "really came as news," adding that it "is not in harmony with previous statements" and "not in harmony with our understanding of the situation".

Turkey is waging the operation inside Syria against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and also Kurdish militia to back pro-Ankara rebels, in an unprecedented military incursion.

There has so far been no indication of clashes with Assad's forces in the operation or that Turkey plans any offensive against regime-held territory.

Russia has generally steered clear of any sharp criticism of the Turkish offensive.

But the Turkish army accused the Syrian regime last week of launching an airstrike that killed four Turkish soldiers in Syria, the first time it has made such a claim during the incursion.

Erdogan has repeatedly pushed for the ouster of Assad as the only solution to end the Syrian civil war and had, until recently, vehemently criticised Russia's military support for his forces and even accused President Vladimir Putin of "war crimes".
A day of opposition protests ahead of a presidential election in two days' time highlighted deep divisions over Jammeh's 22-year-rule, while the president took the opportunity to say his opponents could not succeed.

Barrow, a businessman, emerged from obscurity to become the flagbearer of all The Gambia's opposition parties bar one after mass arrests of supporters from the largest anti-government grouping in April.

"People have shown us tremendous support. With that support we are 100 percent plus that we are going to win and with a big margin," he told AFP on the final day of the campaign.

With no official opinion polls, it is difficult to corroborate Barrow's claim, but diplomatic sources have indicated in recent days that Jammeh faces his most significant challenge since taking power in a 1994 coup.

"If Jammeh wants advice... if he loses, let him accept the will of the people and accept the value of the Gambian people," Barrow said.

Rights bodies and media watchdogs including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accuse Jammeh of cultivating a "pervasive climate of fear" and of crushing dissent against his regime, one cause of the mass exodus of Gambian youths to Europe.

At a rally near the capital Tuesday, people shouted "Step down!" as they waved red cards demanding Jammeh's removal after 22 years in power.

"He killed dozens of our brothers, he's a killer," one man shouted, as supporters hanging out of parked vehicles kept up a chorus of: "Murderer, murderer!"

"This is to show I would sacrifice my blood for the country," said Mustafa Njie, a former Jammeh supporter turned opposition activist, gesturing at his red bandana.

'They will not win'

Jammeh has won four elections with his ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, following a 2002 constitutional amendment lifting term limits.

At his own final meeting with thousands of green-clad supporters in Banjul, the strongman said there was no question of a different result this time.

"Nothing is going to happen, this is not the first time we have conducted elections," Jammeh told journalists.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720"They will not win," he added.

The leader added there was "no reason for anybody to protest" as The Gambia's elections could not be rigged. "In this country we don't allow demonstrations," he added. Protests have been permitted only during the two weeks of the electoral campaign.

Barrow said a memorandum signed by all the coalition parties in October had laid out plans for a reform-led administration.

A third candidate, former ruling party deputy Mama Kandeh, is standing for the Gambia Democratic Congress.

Campaigning has until now been overwhelmingly peaceful.
"It's presently impossible to even agree on the steps to be taken in terms of security and political reforms" in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying after the huddle in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

At an October summit in Berlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko said they were aiming to resolve an impasse on the conflict by the end of November, vowing to put together a roadmap for applying the frayed 2015 Minsk peace accords.

Neither the Ukrainian government nor the pro-Russian rebels waging an insurgency in the country's east have fully implemented the agreements -- designed to bring an end to a conflict that has claimed 10,000 lives since 2014 -- and low-level fighting continues.

"Regarding the roadmap, the discussion remained very superficial" on Tuesday said Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin, who described the meeting as "very difficult".

"Sadly, we cannot announce any promising results" from the gathering, Klimkin added.
The deputy chairman, Giang Son said at a press conference in Hanoi that the pardons, which were expected in the run-up to Januarys Lunar New Year holiday, included 4,180 inmates convicted of an array of crimes.

Son added that the prisoners had been vetted in a strict approval process to ensure they were at a low risk of re-offending.

Lt.-Gen. Nguyen Bang of the Ministry of Public Security told newsmen that pardon recipients were mainly well-behaved prisoners.

Although rights group maintain that Vietnam holds scores of political prisoners, it was unclear if any were included in Wednesdays pardoning, Bang noted.

New York-based organisation Human Rights Watch said in December 2015 that Vietnam was holding no fewer than 130 prisoners of conscience.
The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution aims to curb North Korea's coal exports -- the top external revenue source for the impoverished state -- by more than 60 percent, a US official said earlier.

The official voiced hope that the resolution would cut $700 million from North Korea's coal earnings, dramatically reducing the money it can use on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

China is North Korea's primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Un's regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the state's defiance.
Finding Peace of Mind: Discover These Five Places in Europe to Unwind
EVOLVE DISCOUNTS DICK TOGO SEMINAR, UPDATED LINEUPS FOR NEXT WEEKEND AND MORE

EVOLVE will be holding a training seminar on 12/9 at the FTW Wrestling Academy (13-15 131st Street) in College Point, Queens, headed by Dick Togo. The promotion announced today they are discounting the seminar 50% for only $75 as part of their holiday sale. Togo was a tremendous talent, so I am sure a lot of knowledge will be weaned from the seminar. Drew Gulak and Tracy Williams will also be running the seminar. For details, visit www.WWNLive.com and www.DGUSA.tv.

The promotion has expanded their Black Friday sale through 12/15, including 50% off Blu-Ray released.

The updated lineup for EVOLVE 74 on Saturday 12/10 in Queens, NY will feature:



*EVOLVE Tag Team champion Tracy Williams & Fred Yehi vs. Ricochet & Peter Kaasa

*Cody Rhodes vs. Ethan Page for the first time ever. Rhodes will also be signing before the event.

*Chris Hero vs. Dick Togo. Togo will be signing before the event.

*Matt Riddle vs. the debuting Jeff Cobb (aka Matanza Cuerto)

*Drew Gulak vs. Jaka

*Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage

*Also scheduled are DUSTIN and Chris Dickinson.

EVOLVE 75 on Sunday 12/11 in Melrose, MA will feature:



*EVOLVE Tag Team Champion Tracy Williams vs. Drew Gulak

*Ricochet vs. Matt Riddle

*Dick Togo vs. Ethan Page with The Gatekeepers. Togo will be signing before the event.

*EVOLVE Tag Team Champion Fred Yehi vs. Jeff Cobb

*Darby Allin & Peter Kaasa vs. Chris Dickinson & Jaka

*Chris Hero vs. DUSTIN.

For ticket information, visit www.WWNLive.com.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
32nd annual holiday stroll dec. 2nd 5:00-8:30pm Join uS for thE holiday Stroll Thank You For Shopping LocaL Music by Cloey Shultheis & austin Wanfalt refreshments & holiday Cheer! This 216 E. Second St, Muscatine Holiday Season The Pearl Plaza is Now oPeN suNdays uNTil ChrisTmas! F REE for all to enjoy! Stop in & Visit During the Stroll Show starts December 1st and will play nightly through the New Year! 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM Muscatine Travel 159 Colorado Street  Muscatine, Iowa 104 W. 2nd St. Join us at the Holiday Stroll! Friday, December 2nd from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Stop by our patio to see our International Holidays Village decorated by area schools and non-profits while enjoying holiday candy and hot cocoa! from find us in front of mississippi pearl photography 204 e. 2nd street Senior Resources, Inc. 1808 Mulberry Ave. Muscatine, IA 52761 (563) 263-7292 Member FDIC Proud t to o SuPPort SuPPort the holiday holiday Stroll! Seasons Greetings! Stop in during the stroll to see Santa! Drop by to make a donation of cash, toys or bikes to Viola Werners Bikes for Tots Campaign! 121 East 2nd Street, Muscatine, IA Carriage House phone: 563-264-3205 www.carpetone.com A muscAtine tradition Stop in during the Stroll! 313 EAST SECOND STREET, MUSCATINE, IA 52761  (563) 263-9396 Happy Holidays! Join US For thE holiday Stroll! Wine TasTing - sWeeT TreaTs DraWings We Welcome Miss Louise School of Dance Join us for the Holiday Stroll! Stop by during the Stroll! Jewelry, Wine, & Unique Finds 203 E 2nd St., Muscatine, IA 563-263-0123 110 E 2nd St., Muscatine (319) 930-9189  creationsbyoz@gmail.com Like us on facebook Strolling CharaCterS at the Stroll The Americas Group 120 E. 2nd St., Muscatine Snowman The Grinch  Jovi elf chriSTmaS Tree reindeer & SanTaS elveS! Strolling Characters made possible by the following sponsors:
A 23-year-old Davenport man is facing a mandatory 25 years in prison after he beat and robbed a man last month, Davenport police said.

Anthony Michael Duyvejonck is charged with one count of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a mandatory 25-year prison sentence, 70 percent of which, or 17 years, must be served before parole can be granted.

Duyvejonck also is charged with one count of willful injury causing serious injury, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. A judge could run the sentences consecutively, meaning that Duyvejonck could be sentenced to as many as 35 years in prison.

According to arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Detective Bill Thomas, at 9 p.m. Oct. 18, Duyvejonck was with several friends near the Marquette Street boat ramp at 300 S. Marquette St.

Duyvejonck and the others were talking to the victim about selling his motorcycle. According to the affidavit, Duyvejonck then told his friends he was going to beat up and rob the victim.

Duyvejonck knocked the man to the ground and then stood over him and continuously punched him in the face and head. After the victim was unconscious, Duyvejonck went through the mans pockets and took his wallet and some personal papers, according to the arrest affidavit.

The victim was later found and taken to a hospital by ambulance, the affidavit states. The victim has a shattered orbital socket around his right eye, broken bones in his face and two of his teeth were knocked out. The victim also had damage to his right eye and had to have surgery to try to repair it. The man will need more surgery and medical treatment on his right eye.

Duyvejonck was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Scott County Jail where he was being held without bond.

This is not the first time Duyvejonck has been charged with assaulting and robbing someone.

According to Scott County District Court electronic court records, in 2009, Duyvejonck pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree theft, a Class C felony, and a charge of assault causing serious injury, a Class D felony, for an incident that had occurred on July 2 of that year. A charge of first-degree robbery was dropped in the plea agreement.

Duyvejonck was sentenced to five years in prison on the Class D assault charge and 10 years in prison on the theft charge. The sentences ran concurrently. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections website, he was placed on parole in Sept. 13, 2013, and released from parole on April 2, 2014.
CEDAR FALLS  The Iowa Board of Regents named its last finalist for the University of Northern Iowa president position as Mark Nook.

Nook currently serves as chancellor at Montana State University Billings, a position he has had since 2014. The school, like UNI, emphasizes teacher training.

Through his career, Nook has also worked as a professor of physics, astronomy, and engineering sciences.

Nook, 58, will meet again later today with the UNI presidential search committee that conducted a previous interview with him. Then, he will have a full day of events throughout the day Thursday to learn about and meet people on campus. It includes a public forum in the afternoon.

The public forum will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Old Central Ballroom of Maucker Union on the UNI campus.

The public forum also will be streamed live on the UNI presidential search website, and a video of it will be posted there upon conclusion of the event.

The three candidates will be on campus this week. The second of three candidates will be conducting his main day of meetings throughout today, and the first candidate was on campus Tuesday.

The UNI presidential search committee will hold what is expected to be its final meetings Monday, Dec. 5 to discuss the candidates campus visits and then discuss those finalists with the Iowa Board of Regents.

The regents will hold 90-minute interviews with the finalists Tuesday, Dec. 6 and are expected to name the next president later that day.

More information about the candidate and the candidate visits is available at http://www.iowaregents.edu/.

The search committee initially looked at 46 applicants. It interviewed six semi-finalists in November and selected four finalists from that group. The fourth candidate withdrew.

UNIs 10th President Bill Ruud announced this spring he would leave for another job, which led to the current search.

The other finalists are,

 Jim Wohlpart who currently serves as UNIs interim president. Wohlpart had served as the universitys provost and executive vice president for academic affairs until UNIs 10th president Bill Ruud announced this spring he would leave for another job.

 Neil Theobald is currently is a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. He served as the universitys president for about four years, resigning from the position in July.
The Rock Island County Board on Tuesday approved changes to its 2017 fiscal year budget calling for $1.5 million in cuts from 15 departments.

The cuts were necessary after voters defeated a half-cent public safety sales tax referendum by a vote of 36,632 to 26,552 in the Nov. 8 election.

The budget, which takes effect Thursday, was approved on a 19-3 vote. Board members Ron Oelke of Andalusia, Drue Mielke of Coal Valley and Rod Simmer of Rock Island voted against the budget changes.

The taxpayers didnt give us a tax increase, and I dont think they should until we look closely at the funding of our mandated services and the funding of our unmandated services, Oelke said after the meeting.

The board needs to decide if it needs to be in the nursing home business with Hope Creek Care Center in East Moline and if an outside entity should own and operate Niabi Zoo, he said.

Neither of those services is mandated by law, but the nursing home and the zoo add to the tax burden of property owners in Rock Island County, he said.

We need to determine what the taxpayers really want to pay for, Oelke said.

Under the new 2017 budget, all capital projects for 2017 and 2018 have been canceled. If anything breaks, such as an air conditioner or if plumbing work needs to be done, for example, the county will find the money to pay for it, said board member Richard Brunk of Moline, who is the chair of the boards finance committee.

Brunk said after the meeting that the county will survive 2017, but its 2018 that is presenting a big problem.

Well make it through FY17, he said. There will be sacrifices, obviously. But weve done what we can do to stabilize the county for the coming year.

The finance committee will meet with county officials quarterly in 2017 to not only see where things stand but to keep an eye on the money supply of each department.

Were going to keep a tight rein on expenditures, he said.

The big thing in my mind is where we will be going into 2018, Brunk added. This will not be an option next year. We will have burned through our reserve by this time next year. There wont be a reserve to make it through a part of 2018.

Asked if he will ask the board to put another sales tax referendum before voters in 2018, the earliest it can be done, Brunk said, Were going to have to do something.

But the county may be able to start out with a little more in 2017. According to the revised 2017 budget the county has published, the budgeted general fund balance at the end of the year is $159,908. However, it could be closer to $1 million since elected officials will not spend all of what they are authorized to spend in 2016. Budget expenditures for 2016 are $28,172,454. Revised estimates of 2016 expenditures are $26,714,040.

According to the new budget, however, whether the fund balance is $100,000 or $1 million, it still represents a depleted fund balance. Without additional cash in the general fund, the county will be borrowing all year to pay bills.

According to the executive summary of the 2017 budget written by County Administrator Dave Ross, the public safety referendum was needed because for years the county used its fund balance to pay operating expenses. This occurred for a variety of reasons, including having the lowest county-portion of sales taxes within the state of Illinois and having a general fund levy capped for the past 33 years.

The ending fund balance for the general fund for fiscal year 2017 shows a limited fund balance ranging from 0.16 percent to 4.25 percent depending on the final expenditures for fiscal 2016.

A healthy fund balance is a minimum of 20 percent of general fund expenditures, or $5.5 million for Rock Island County.

Budget expenditures for 2017 are $27,571,066.

Board member Don Johnston of Moline said that the county has moved money over to the liability fund to help keep tax rates flat in the event of a lawsuit or if a judge orders the county to pay for a mandated service, such as public safety.

According to the published budget, the budgeted revenues of the liability fund for 2017 are $6,279,949, with budgeted expenditures listed at $1,741,912.

The County is budgeting to meet its authorized reserve in this fund to help protect county property tax payers from spikes in property taxes in the coming years, according to the budget.
Rock Island residents will still have three library locations to go to through 2017, although hours will be reduced.

The library has been running a deficit for the past six years and administrators concluded some time ago that, barring a tax levy increase, maintaining three locations is no longer financially sustainable and something would have to give, said Angela Campbell, library director.

In addition to a reduction in hours, three main factors came together to keep all locations open for the time-being: increases in the assessed valuation of homes raised about $30,000 in additional levy money; departure of a few long-time employees whose positions weren't filled, which freed up those salaries, and a new, three-year-contract negotiated with the Milan-Blackhawk Area Public Library District, Campbell said.

This is a district serving residents of Milan, Blackhawk and Edgington townships that does not have its own library, and pays toward operation of Rock Island's Southwest Branch, 9010 Ridgewood Road, for its residents to use, Campbell explained.

For the 2017 fiscal year, the library will have expected revenues of $2.5 million and expected expenditures of $2.67 million, a deficit of about $120,000, Campbell said. This is a decrease from the 2016 deficit of $236,000.

Staffing for 2017 will be 37 full-time employees, compared with 45 three years ago when Campbell was hired.

An unexpected cost over the past year has been repairs to the downtown library's heating/ventilation and air conditioning system, she said.

Still up in the air is the larger question of the library's overall future direction. A study being conducted by the Hodge Group of Dublin, Ohio, is expected to shed light on the best of three options under consideration. Results of that study are expected in March.

The firm is studying the feasibility of raising money for:

 Expanding and renovating the downtown library at 401 19th St. to make it a "destination."

 Moving all operations to the Tri-City Jewish Center, 2715 30th St., which would require the construction of an addition. Leaders of the Jewish Center recently concluded that they no longer need such a big building and suggested it could be used by the library.

 Moving most operations to the Jewish Center, but keeping the downtown location as a branch with specialized services such as access to historical archives and possibly leasing space to other organizations.

Under any of these options, the 30/31 Branch at 30th Street and 30th Avenue would close.

The study is expected to show which of the three would be easiest to fund, although results could be less clear-cut, showing about equal between two or even all three.

The decision of how best to move forward will be up to the library board.
This letter to the editor is in response to the letter titled 'Liberals attack' on Nov. 26. Mr. Swift, when are you and countless other conservatives ever going to let go of President Ronald Reagan and his supposed glory. He lied countless times about welfare, the war on drugs, or his biggest lie ever sold to the American public, trickle-down economics.

Furthermore, have you been living in a pipedream? Conservative political commentators and radio show hosts Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, Fox News correspondents, their cesspool of guests among countless others, have held protests peacefully and/or violently from 2008 to 2016. Thats not even including all the horrific hate speech about President Obama not being American and the racist things said about him, his wife and his own children.

The media is just quoting everything Donald Trump has said, and you the people who voted for him and countless others that support him, cant stand the fact he is prejudiced, sexist and borderline racist. You cant change your speech once its on the teleprompter or when you tell it like it is.

Jose Benito Anaya IV

Davenport
CEDAR FALLS  Shared governance  the idea each interest at a university has a stake and as it moves forward  was a central tenet of University of Northern Iowa presidential finalist Neil Theobalds public presentation Tuesday.

Theobald, 59, told more 200 UNI faculty, staff, students and alumni gathered to hear his presentation it was his commitment to shared governance that cost him his job as president at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Answering the question he posed himself as to why he is the former president of Temple, Theobald said he was directed to hire someone to an open dean position without faculty input and with opposition from the provost.

I chose not to break the covenant of shared governance, which as I mentioned earlier, I have found to be essential in operating a university, Theobald said. The consequence of standing up for that principle is I had to leave, and I am fine with that.

He disputed initial reports he was forced to resign in part because he dismissed the schools provost following a large cost overrun in financial aid.

Theobald said he thought it was in the universitys best interest not to hold a press conference following his resignation as president, and so the reports have been one-sided or simply not factually accurate.

Theobald acknowledged coming into some challenges when he assumed the duties of Temples president in 2012, but mostly focused on the improvements made under his leadership.

Focusing on issues important to UNI, Theobald said under his presidency Temple saw an increase in enrollment, four-year graduation rates, fundraising and student diversity.

Theobald shared five principles he is committed to should he get the job as UNIs 11th president. Among them was shared governance, but the other four also referenced his commitment to many of the other entities that make up a campus community, including a rigorous faculty, a diverse student body, understanding and tackling budgetary issues and focusing on the universitys mission first in everything.

The role of the president is to take the mission as it exists and then within shared governance to develop meaningful and successful solutions to  that mission, Theobald said.

Theobald also shared his background as a person who grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and the first in his family to attend college. He said hes passionate about education  he also is a professor of education  because it helps others to achieve the same success he found in leaving his hometown for college.

He stressed a college education should not be seen as a private good but a public one.

Theobald also acknowledged his need to learn more about the Cedar Falls university and its surrounding community. He pledged to listen to the interests throughout the campus and community. He said he would not be one to simply sit behind his desk.

"My fervent interest in being your president is not driven by the notion that Indiana (University) ideas or Temple (University) ideas can simply be transplanted here, said Theobald, who also had an administrative position at the Bloomington, Indiana, university. No, we would have to look at the mission here, the context here, the realities here and develop UNI solutions to those problems.

UNIs 10th president Bill Ruud announced this spring he would leave for another job.

The public forum will also be available online for those who missed it at iowaregents.edu.
A recent survey on Skyscanner, the search engine for cheap flights, has revealed that are 66prozent of passengers for the use of body scanners. 66% of the respondents were of the opinion that body scanners at airports are useful: accelerated flight safety control and increased security at airports. e. 30% voted against the introduction of body scanners, mainly due to health reasons or because they fear that their privacy could be violated. 4% of the low-cost flight search engine users abstained from her voice. More than 400 people had participated in the poll the result clearly shows that a majority of travellers is positive towards the controversial body scanners. In the future more and more flights from the body scanner issue will be affected, including flights to New York, Sydney and Tokyo.



Barry Smith, co-founder and Managing Director at Skyscanner, Europe's leading search engine for cheap flights and Low-cost travel, says: as long as the devices are safe and possible concerns regarding the threat to privacy, can be overcome, travelers with all seem to agree, what makes flying safer and the security control. And if a body scanner saves me to take off my shoes, to empty my pockets and take off the belt then also I am." The Skyscanner poll has also shown that travellers mainly due to health reasons express concerns over body scanners and the associated x-rays. If you book flights to Berlin, could see body scanner may also at the Berlin airport, in the foreseeable future, for national and international flights operating. According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration TSA, travelers have but no need to worry: the technology in the body scanners is perfectly safe.



The amount of rays here given is also minimal when compared to the charge, of which each passenger automatically put out if he choose to travel by plane. In just two minutes of flight, more radiation than at the control already met him with a body scanner. Some participants of the survey questioned that body scanners actually increased the safety on board; Skyscanner user Vasco Sotomaior declares on Skyscanner's Facebook page even, why he is opposed to the introduction of body scanners: they are useless. While is a threat, but that is so low that it does not justify the introduction of body scanners. What is currently undertaken for the safety when flying, is already more than enough." Body scanners are currently used for test purposes, already at selected airports and train stations in Europe and the United States, in Germany the tests should start at the earliest in summer of this year. Who is planning so soon about a trip to New York, Florida, California, for the security control via body scanners could soon become a reality. The technology in the scanners can it faces during the scanning process to be defaced so that passengers on the images is not detected. Moreover, the images are tested by employees in extra shielded rooms from where they have no perspective on the travelers at the security check. About Skyscanner: Skyscanner.de is the most influential and most flexible flight search engine in Europe and convinced with the direct price comparison for more than 670,000 routes with more than 600 airlines. Skyscanner offers simple navigation users, without having to provide a specific flight or destination information. Skyscanner is available in more than 20 languages, including French, Spanish, and Italian.
Life has been 90 years of crossings for Paul Priest.

When he looks back on his life well-lived, Priest still remembers making soup in a soldiers helmet on Christmas Day 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge and, 72 days later, standing on the Bridge at Remagen over the Rhine River exactly 26,195 days ago, in a firefight that signaled the end of World War II.

But even that turning point, which led to surrender by the Nazis two months later, pales next to the countless crossings Priest has helped children make across one of Rapid Citys busiest roadways over the last quarter-century.

This afternoon, Priest will don his fluorescent vest for the last time, hoist his hand-held stop sign and assist his final child across Mount Rushmore Road as a crossing guard for Wilson Elementary School.

Right now, its just about as big a battle getting those kids across the busiest roadway in Rapid City as it was getting those soldiers across that bridge in Germany so many years ago, Priest said, chuckling, from his Box Elder home on Tuesday. But youve got to know when its time to go.

Three weeks ago, the spry former auto plant assembly man, mechanic and single-person helicopter salesman took a tumble while performing his twice-daily ritual. His head hit the curb, and he mangled one hand. The incident convinced him it was time to let someone younger see to the students safety.

I said to myself, 'Lets pack it in and get out, he said.

Even then, Priest said he approached the decision to retire from the 10-hour-per-week job with some trepidation.

In a way, I feel Im letting these kids down, he said, then quickly added, but hey, I dont have to get up at 5 in the morning to get over there at 7:30 to stand in weather like I did this morning.

All told, Priest has stood the test of time and assisted students in crossing the street during an estimated 8,750 sessions over the past 25 years, all at the intersection of Mount Rushmore Road and Franklin Street. During that same span, hes driven more than 65,000 miles solely to get to and from work.

Its not big money being a crossing guard, but its a job if you like to do it, he said. For me, it was about the kids and having some extra money, and it paid for a few meals out.

During Priests tenure, he said hes been sworn at, hit by bumpers of passing cars, and even thrown his stop sign at speeders who failed to yield, jeopardizing the safety of the children. His worst ire was reserved for red-light runners  an average of 145 per month at his intersection, by his figures.

But of all the things he has accomplished in his lifetime of service, Priest said he was most proud that no student passing through his crosswalk was ever injured.

Humble start

Born Christmas Day, 1925, in Flint, Mich., Priest spent much of the Great Depression wandering the West with his family in search of work and a new beginning. He was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 17, attended basic training in Florida, then headed to the European theater in 1944, with thousands of other GIs.

After arriving at the Battle of the Bulge on Christmas, Priest said he and his fellow beleaguered soldiers assembled a Charlie Brown tree with no leaves and no pine needles, then cooked a holiday dinner consisting of a can of Spam and a can of beans mixed in a soldiers helmet.

Priest, then an 18-year-old private, fought his way through the Ardennes Forest with the 9th Armored Division as it headed toward the Rhine and the German heartland. Even though Adolf Hitler had ordered the bridge at Remagen destroyed to block U.S. Army units from descending on Germany, Priest and his compatriots found it intact.

As the sole surviving member of his division's reconnaissance team, Priest said he remembers arriving at the bridge at Remagen on March 7, 1945, as if it were yesterday.

I remember that bridge as clear as a bell, he said. I still see it, and I know I made it across and I survived.

It was a crossing immortalized in books and film, as well as a German television documentary released last year that featured Priest and his recollections and which, to date, has been viewed more than 7 million times.

"All you were thinking about was getting to the other side, moving from pillar to pillar," Priest said at the time the 45-minute "Die Brucke von Remagen," or "The Bridge at Remagen," was released. The bridge "had vertical joists, so that's what you were doing, jumping from one to the next, hiding behind them to avoid gunfire and get across the bridge."

Capturing the bridge hastened the war's end. Although the bridge collapsed soon after Allied troops had streamed eastward, on April 25, American and Russian forces linked up at the Elbe River. Germany surrendered on May 8, about two months after the battle of the bridge at Remagen.

Coming home

Priest returned home on a 30-day furlough shortly after the war in Europe ended and soon married his lifetime girlfriend, Joan.

After being discharged in 1946, Priest worked in a succession of jobs in Michigan, including auto sales, grease monkey, striker-plate installer at a General Motors plant, garage mechanic, carpet salesman and installer, and as a seller of one-man helicopters. He and Joan moved to the Black Hills in 1980.

Seventy-one years after their nuptials, and two boys and a girl later, Priest said he and his wife are still best friends.

We raised three good kids, he said. We loved camping and fishing and we always worked things out. I feel real good about everything. Weve had a wonderful life together, and Im shooting for another 10 years at least, because I want to hit that 100 mark.

Final farewell

There will inevitably be many words of thanks extended to Priest in the coming days. After all, hes been assisting his second generation of Wilson Elementary students for many years. But the mans impact has extended well beyond youngsters trying to safely find their way to and from school.

"As he's done his whole life, Paul has continued to serve his country, by serving the students and families at Wilson School, said longtime teacher Craig Steinberg. From crossing guard, to lunchroom duty, to sharing his experiences during World War II, to playing Santa Claus, Paul has enriched the lives of Wilson students for years.

Wilson custodian Mike Garr called Priest one of a kind. Once you have met him, you always look forward to seeing him again  a real friend, always helping everyone.

Nancy Johnson, an 18-year secretary at the school, added: I have never met a more dedicated person. He is committed to his work and never took any position lightly. From recess duty helper, to crossing guard and even playing Santa Claus, he put his heart and soul into it. Ask some of the kids he helps cross the street; everyone loves Paul.

Even police officers praise him: Paul has been one of our most dedicated crossing guards, said Sgt. Cathy Bock, of the city police Special Operations Division. He was a highly dependable employee with a commitment to the safety of our students. The corner of Mount Rushmore Road and Franklin Street will not be the same without his smiling face.

Perhaps none of those sentiments was more sincerely expressed or heartily received than the kind words of 7-year-old Tauni Lawton and her mother, Renee White.

With a brisk wind blowing snow flurries horizontally at daybreak Tuesday, little Tauni, bundled up in a purple coat, purple pants and a purple My Little Pony backpack, obediently waited for Priest to extend his stop sign arm and escort her across Mount Rushmore Road.

As the little girl approached the far curb, she extended her hand to Priest. In it was a small white envelope, which Priest wordlessly accepted.

Paul: Thank you for being our crossing guard. We appreciate your dedication. We will certainly miss you on our walks. Your friends, Tauni and Renee.
An overnight stop in Belle Fourche and a trip to a local bar set the stage for prison time for Kurt Gardner Niles.

The 59-year-old Indiana man was stopped in mid April by local police for apparently driving under the influence of alcohol when officers discovered 45 pounds of marijuana and six pounds of "shatter," a form of hashish.

Chargers included possession and intent to distribute.

Street value of the drugs when Niles was arrested was estimated between $300,000 and $450,000.

Niles pleaded guilty in July to the charges and was sentenced Wednesday by Circuit Court Judge Michael Day.

Assistant South Dakota Attorney General Robert Haivala told the judge that Niles had prior offenses, including for drugs, and that it was obvious that 45 pounds of marijuana was not for personal use.

Defense attorney Matthew Kinney said of the 59-year-old, "Socially he is a very desirable person," but was attracted to "make a quick buck" transporting the drugs.

He added that Niles would require ongoing treatment for hepatitis C, and recommended that he receive a suspended penitentiary sentence.

Judge Day disagreed with Kinney, telling Niles, "This is not your first felony ... This is not your first time in the drug world."

He sentenced Niles to eight years in prison with three years suspended on the possession for distribution count, and required payment for his court-appointed defense attorney and costs of time in jail and treatment; and to four years in prison, concurrent with time in his initial sentence, for the possession of a controlled substance.

He also was sentenced to 360 days in jail, suspended on payment of $750 fine and costs, on the DUI charge.
PIERRE | A dozen South Dakota lawmakers and a conservative Rapid City organization that claim they would face illegal conflicts have filed a lawsuit to block parts or all of Initiated Measure 22, known as the Anti-Corruption Act, from taking effect.

South Dakota voters approved IM 22 on Nov. 8. Most of its provisions took effect as law on Nov. 16.

One provision sets a $100 limit on gifts to legislators. The definition includes employment and covers family members.

The group that is a party to the lawsuit is the conservative Family Heritage Alliance Action in Rapid City, which claims it would be injured by the measure.

The Family Heritage group employs a lobbyist at the Legislature named Dale Bartscher and publishes a scorecard at the end of legislative sessions that costs more than $500 to produce and distribute, which could violate the law.

Several Republican legislators also claim that provision would force them to quit the Legislature or quit their jobs, or their spouses would need to quit their jobs.

Examples include Sen. Blake Curd, R-Sioux Falls, whose employer, Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital, pays him more than $100 per year and employs a lobbyist at the Legislature.

Also, Sen. Deb Peters, R-Hartford, is an accountant with clients who pay her more than $100 per year and employ lobbyists at the Legislature.

Sen. Deb Soholt, R-Sioux Falls, is a registered nurse employed by Avera McKennan and is paid more than $100 per year. Avera McKennan employs a lobbyist at the Legislature.

Rep. Mark Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls, serves on the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce board. He estimates the lunches served at the monthly meetings exceed $100 in value. The chamber employs a lobbyist at the Legislature.

There are 12 other legislators who are generally represented in the lawsuit, but dont list specific personal conflicts, who are seeking to overturn parts or all of IM 22.

They are Reps. Lana Greenfield, R-Doland, and Lee Qualm, R-Platte.

They also are Sens. or Sens.-elect Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, Justin Cronin, R-Gettysburg, Bob Ewing, R-Spearfish, Brock Greenfield, R-Clark, Terri Haverly, R-Rapid City, Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, Ryan Maher, R-Isabel, Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, Jim White, R-Huron, and John Wiik, R-Big Stone City.

Mickelson is the incoming speaker of the House of Representatives. Qualm is now House Republicans leader. Peterson is now House Republicans assistant leader.

Brock Greenfield is the incoming president pro tem for the Senate. Curd is now Senate Republicans leader. Maher is now Senate Republicans assistant leader.

Cammack was Senate president pro tem during the past year and is president-elect for the South Dakota Retailers Association, which paid to fight against IM 22.

The group Fighting IM 22 was financed almost entirely by Americans for Prosperity, based in Arlington, Va. It gave $590,000 and provided $36,755.52 in in-kind help by establishing a Sioux Falls office.

Other contributors included Dan Kirby of Sioux Falls, $9,000, Garry Jacobson of Sioux Falls, $2,500, South Dakota Retailers Association, $5,000, Minnehaha County Republican Party, $250, South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, $1,500, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce, $500, and Family Heritage Alliance Action, $250.

The lawsuit also attacks the creation of an ethics commission and establishing a public financing system for legislative candidates and statewide candidates.

Responsible for defending the new laws is state Attorney General Marty Jackley.

Jackley had warned voters, in the ballot explanation he was required to write, that if passed the measure may be challenged on constitutional grounds.

He didnt tell voters what specifically was open to possible challenge.

Jackley as a state official would be subject to the new laws restrictions.

The campaign to pass IM 22 received its funding almost entirely from a group called Represent.Us based in Florence, Mass.

The group hadnt passed its Anti-Corruption Act in a state prior to South Dakota but had won city elections in Tallahassee, Fla, and Seattle.

For its South Dakota campaign, the organization channeled $663,691.98 from hundreds of small donors throughout the nation and directly donated $633,383.20.

Represent.Us also provided $55,079.86 of in-kind services for South Dakota operations from late May through October.

Additional funding flowed into the IM 22 campaign in the early days of November from allies, including $50,000 from Every Voice based in Washington, D.C., another $22,000 from Represent.Us, and $2,500 from several contributors.

Starting in February the chairman for the Yes22 committee supporting the initiated measure campaign was Don Frankenfeld of Rapid City, a Republican former legislator and congressional candidate.

The co-chairman was Darrell Solberg, a Democratic former legislator from Sioux Falls. The treasurer was Rebecca Goeden of Canistota.

In a late May finance report, Yes22 reported $20,000 from Represent.Us and $5,230.27 of in-kind services from the group.

Another committee supporting IM 22 formed in July 2015 called South Dakotans for Ethics Reform.

The Nov. 8 election results for IM 22 were 180,580 yes and 169,220 no.

It received approval from majorities of voters in Brookings, Brown, Buffalo, Clay, Custer, Day, Dewey, Fall River, Jerauld, Lake, Lawrence, Lyman, Marshall, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Roberts, Spink, Todd, Union, Yankton and Ziebach counties.
BISMARCK, N.D. | Anyone delivering supplies to the main protest camp in Morton County could be subjected to a $1,000 fine, according to a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department.

Maxine Herr, of the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said that if law enforcement sees a truck with supplies headed down a county highway toward the camp, officers can pull that person over and question them. If the person says they are headed to the main Oceti Sakowin camp, which Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered to be evacuated Monday, officers will warn them that they are violating the governor's order and can be fined up to $1,000.

Herr said supplies include "anything that goes to sustain living there," including wood, food and blankets.

"They need to evacuate," Herr said. "The executive order is clear that its public safety. If they ignore it, they have to live with the consequences of potentially freezing to death."

Herr indicated the rule applies equally to individuals and businesses ferrying supplies to the camp.

Herr said there had not yet been reports of law enforcement stopping such vehicles. There are no plans for a roadblock on Highway 6, the main road to the camp, she said.

Dalrymple issued the mandatory emergency evacuation order Monday directed at the hundreds of Dakota Access pipeline protesters camping on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near the Missouri River. The edict was issued as a winter storm has dumped at least a half-foot of snow throughout the central part of the state.

The order is effective immediately and will remain until the governor rescinds it.
The Victor Heritage Museum will host its 20th Annual Chocolate Tasting and silent auction fundraising event, 4 to 9 p.m., on Dec. 5.

The fun evening, started in 1997, includes chocolate desserts, silent auction items and a social time for the small community that pulls together to preserve its history.

The Victor Heritage Museum needs the income from its only fundraising event of the year to cover overhead costs.

The museum also needs people to step up and become involved with managing the operation. The board is down by one member.

Board president Suzanne Tout said she loves the event that creates a community feel.

The reason that the building exists at all is to take care of the treasures from the town of Victor and the surrounding area, Tout said. It takes people, time and money and we wish we had more volunteers.

Tout explained that the biggest expense is the insurance followed by utilities, security and preservation.

It is necessary to preserve, not only the outside of the museum and the grounds, but we have items that need to be preserved like the dress we preserved several years ago, she said.

An increase of volunteers could allow the museum to expand its program offerings in the summer. Currently the museum offers summer open hours, breakfast in the park, homecoming open house and special guest speakers.

The Rapp Foundation provided $1,000 for the restoration on the south end of the building. The museum also just received a $1,000 grant from Farmers State Bank, which will enable further restoration.

The Chocolate Tasting will include homemade desserts, truffles, peanut brittle and almond bark created by 45 of the valleys best bakers and chocolate makers. The centerpiece is a chocolate fountain enabling connoisseurs to dribble the smooth dark creamy chocolate over cream puffs and fresh fruit.

The Chocolate Tasting is all the chocolate you can eat for $5, Tout said. There is wassail that we heat over the stove. People come in, eat, carry their little plates of chocolate and go to the silent auction area.

Three Victor Heritage Museum board members began in September to gather the 250 donated items for the silent auction. Some items are homemade and show beautiful work of valley residents.

Some of the businesses that we go to do a pretty definite effort of putting together nice baskets for us, Tout said. Its not just one item; theyll put together diverse items creating fun baskets.

Tout said the donations are also a great way for businesses to advertise as the museum lists their names on the bidding sheets and in the newspaper.

The 250 eclectic items include an HO Scale Rail Inspector Car, hickory flooring, an eight-foot sunshade, jewelry, tools, yarn, fabric, Christmas decor, books, china and sapphires. The volunteers list the value of each item as well as the starting suggested bid.

Farmers State Bank is sponsoring the horse-drawn trolley pulled by Pioneer Carriage and decorated for Christmas that will be at the event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Victor Heritage Museum, decorated in Christmas red and green, has door prize drawings each hour and a tree filled with antique ornaments donated by former board member Bill Hughes.

Board member Sharon Larson said the community would enjoy the event.

There are so many wonderful items to bid on and we have the best chocolate in the world, Larson said.

Board member Jean Jensen said she loves the event.

It is a great opportunity to meet up with friends that you dont see the rest of the year, Jensen said. It is very social with lots of visiting.

Board member Joann Hosko said the silent auction is helpful and saves time.

A lot of people do their Christmas shopping here, she said. These generous donations from local businesses and individuals become gifts for other people.

The Victor Heritage Museums Chocolate Tasting party costs $5 for all the chocolate you can eat, plus wassail, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Dec. 5, at 125 Blake Street in Victor. For more information call 406-642-3997, email victormuseum@cybernet1.com or visit VictorHeritageMuseum.com.
BUTTE  Rick Holman, a leader in Buttes gay community and anti-AIDS advocate, died Monday morning in a Missoula hospital due to complications from a heart issue.

He touched so many peoples lives, said Doug Ingraham, of Butte, Holmans friend and colleague. Hes going to be missed by a lot of people and in a lot of places.

One of those places is Butte AIDS Support Services, Inc., or BASS.

Ingraham, whos the organizations treasurer, said Holman was a founding member of BASS and served as its executive director for about 12 years.

At BASS Holman, along with other members, provided support services for people with HIV and AIDS, including through the mens group potluck, where people could talk about social issues and health concerns, Ingraham said.

Karen Sullivan, Butte-Silver Bow Countys health officer, said Holman was both a formal and informal leader when it came to providing support to those with HIV and AIDS.

Sullivan said Holmans personal phone number was circulated as an informal support line within the community, and he was known as a person someone could talk to about coping with a new diagnosis or getting advice on how to talk to friends and family members.

It wasnt unusual for Holman to get a call from someone at 2 a.m. in the midst of a crisis, she said.

But for Holman the struggle with HIV was personal.

Holman received his own HIV diagnosis 25 years ago and was told he only had a few months to live, Ingraham said.

However, Holmans struggle with HIV wouldnt be the last time his life was impacted by the virus.

Just months before his death, he organized a vigil to honor the 49 victims of the Orlando, Florida, night-club shootings.

Earlier in 2013, he had the honor of serving as the co-marshal of the Montana Pride Celebration Parade in Butte.

As for Sullivan, she noted that Holman died on the eve of World AIDS Day, which falls on Dec. 1.

Funeral services are pending at Wayrynen-Richards Funeral Home.
With the prospect of less pumping, oil prices, which began rising earlier in the day in anticipation of the deal, were up more than 7 percent, to nearly $50 a barrel. Rising prices could provide a lift to the troubled economies of oil-dependent nations like Nigeria and Venezuela, as well as bolster the fortunes of smaller American energy producers that have been shaken by the weakness.

Whats the Current Price of Oil? Brent crude, the main international benchmark, was trading around $ 50 a barrel on . The American benchmark was at around $ 50 a barrel. Why oil prices have dropped so much since 2014 

The optimism, though, may soon be tempered.

The deal is contingent on the cooperation of non-OPEC countries, most notably Russia. OPEC has said that Russia agreed to participate, but Moscow is notoriously hard to predict.

A recent production frenzy creates another wild card for the deal.

While both Saudi Arabia and Iran have vocally supported higher prices, their national oil companies have been making deals in Asia and filling tankers as quickly as they can leave port. Saudi production has increased to well over 10 million barrels a day, while reductions in domestic consumption have left more available for export. Iran, relieved of nuclear sanctions, has gone on its own selling spree in India and started production in new oil and gas fields.

Other OPEC countries have followed, increasing production in recent months. The race to pump more is taking several of the cartels largest members to the brink of their production capacity.

The intense competition makes OPECs new plan less meaningful  part of the broader piece of the industry dynamics that means the price increase could prove temporary.

The size of the cut is fairly trivial in a 96-million-barrel-a-day marketplace that remains oversupplied. Should prices rise in the next few weeks, American shale producers are likely to drill and complete more new wells, which would add supply to the global market and depress prices in 2017. And, if history is any guide, even a modest agreement can be breached by cheating.

If higher prices bring higher output, prices will not remain up for long, said Jim Krane, a Middle East energy analyst at Rice University. It wont be long before were back where we started.

Two months ago, the cartel surprised world energy markets by agreeing in principle to trim production by up to 700,000 barrels a day from current levels of slightly more than 33 million barrels a day. The move by OPEC signaled a significant change of course for Saudi Arabia.

To undercut higher-cost Western players, the powerhouse producer had allowed oil prices to collapse, from more than $100 a barrel, to below $30 earlier this year. With its finances coming under increasing pressure, Saudi Arabias new royal government said it would return to a more traditional effort of managing prices by controlling production.

But the cartels words and actions did not initially dovetail. The production and export frenzy in Iran has been accompanied by increased activity across much of OPEC.

In the midst of a civil war, Libya has more than doubled oil production since August, to 600,000 barrels a day; it hopes to raise output an additional 300,000 barrels by early 2017. Iraq has expanded production by 300,000 barrels a day since the summer. Nigeria has pledged to increase oil production to 2.2 million barrels a day by the end of the year, from 1.9 million.

The Saudis have always feared they would be left carrying the burden while the other members cheat, said Michael C. Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research and a former adviser to OPEC.

The biggest issue, however, has been the Saudi-Iranian rivalry, as has been the case many times in OPECs turbulent history.

Riyadh has insisted that Tehran should contribute to the move to bolster prices. Iran is trying to reclaim the global market share, and the clout in OPEC, that it lost in recent years under Western sanctions tied to its nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern and African producers  particularly Angola, Iraq, Kuwait and Nigeria  took advantage of Irans troubles by raising production levels to serve its old customers. At one point, Iran threatened a retaliatory naval blockade of the critical Gulf choke point of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could have paralyzed the economies of Saudi Arabia, its neighboring allies and much of Asia and inflamed geopolitical tensions.

Now Iran is coming back fast.

Since many sanctions were lifted in January, Irans crude oil production has risen nearly a third, to about 3.7 million barrels a day. Having achieved the goal of returning to pre-sanctions levels, Iranian officials want to take production capacity higher still, toward 4.8 million barrels a day by 2021.

Irans influence in OPEC, and indeed in the region, has been growing since the lifting of nuclear-related international sanctions, said Bhushan Bahree, an OPEC analyst at IHS Markit, a research company. Its oil output has grown rapidly this year, and Tehran is actively trying to attract foreign companies, capital and technology to raise oil and gas production in the years to come.

Iran is beginning to negotiate deals with outside companies for the capital and technological expertise it needs to reach its production goals.

Officials have already reached a preliminary agreement with Total to develop a giant Gulf natural gas field that Iran shares with Qatar, and are discussing energy deals with Royal Dutch Shell, the Anglo-Dutch giant. Nearly 50 oil and gas projects may also be opened to foreign investors.

Irans ultimate success at recovering its old glory is uncertain.

During the presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump promised to rip up the nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by the Obama administration and other world powers. And even if other countries refuse to follow Mr. Trumps lead, persistently low oil prices could deter foreign investment.

There is a lot of uncertainty, said Homayoun Falakshahi, an Iran analyst at Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy.

The rivalry with Saudi Arabia complicates matters further.

Some energy analysts say the Saudis pushed the idea of a cut, in part thinking that Iran had reached its production limits and would not be able to fight for supremacy in the Asian markets for long. In the days before the OPEC meeting, Iran tried to negotiate an exemption from any output cut.

The competition extends beyond markets. Saudi Arabia and Iran are also playing an increasingly deadly political game, battling for power in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East.

The specifics of the OPEC deal give Saudi Arabia and Iran reasonable room.

Saudi Arabia is taking a considerable hit, agreeing to cut by 486,000 barrels a day, the largest chunk of the total deal. But the Saudis would normally cut back substantially in the winter, when they burn less oil to generate electric power for air-conditioning. The countrys output, too, remains at historically elevated levels. Iran faces a ceiling that is about 100,000 barrels a day higher than what analysts estimate the country is now producing.

Adherence to the deal also isnt necessarily a given. Three big and reliable Persian Gulf producers  Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates  account for more than 60 percent of the overall cuts. But the rest come from other producers who may not adhere as closely to their limits.

This is a great headline number, said Jamie Webster, a fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, who was observing the meeting. But considering the need to secure cuts from non-OPEC and that there need to occur big contributions from countries that dont have a great history of compliance, it starts to look smaller, he said.
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Kathmandu, Nepal: The health condition of hunger striking Dr Govinda KCs has drastically been deteriorating in the 18th day on Wednesday.

According to the doctors attending to Dr KC said that his body has gone frail. It is suspected that serious consequence would emerge in his kidneys and other vital organs as ketones are positive in his urine.

Though the governments talk team and the talks team formed on behalf of Dr. KC have regularly been meeting since last Saturday, no progress is made yet to address his demands.

His 10th hunger strike has also beaked the record compared to his last nine fasts-unto-death strike. His eighth hunger strike was the longest ever strike as it had ended on July 25 after 16 days.

Not only the doctors in the hospital, but also the national human right commission and much more other institutions and individuals have raised serious concerns over the deteriorating health condition of Dr. KC.
indiatimes.com

Its 2016 But The Practice Of Witch-Hunting & Killing In The Name Of Superstition Still Persists In Assam

Pranjali Bhonde

May 30, 2016

The classical period of witch hunting dates back to the 14th century when certain people were labelled as witches and executed across Europe, Africa and Asia. The victims included Joan of Arc who was burnt alive at the tender age of 19 at the stake for heresy on May 30, 1431.

In India, witch hunting dates back hundreds of years. It emanated in the Morigaon district of Assam which is now infamously known as the aIndian Capital of Black Magica. People from far-flung areas would come here to learn witchcraft. Even today, witch hunting is being practiced in the State and has become a burning issue, where predominantly women fall prey to this heinous crime.

What is witch hunting?

Witch hunter (photo) BCCL

Witch hunting involves the branding of victims, especially women as witches, either after an observation made by an ojha or bej or a witch doctor. The victim who is branded as a witch is subjected to numerous forms of torture, beatings, burns, paraded naked through the village, forced to eat human excrement and sometimes even raped. In some cases their hair is cut off and the victim and their children are socially ostracised and even put to death.

The practice of witch hunting is also connected to the prevalence of patriarchal attitudes and an opposition to womens rights over property. Lack of education and health services have contributed to the continuation of this antiquated practice of witch hunting.

The fact that witch hunting has been making headlines in all local newspapers of Assam for quite some time, is not only disturbing but also alarming.

According to some reports, about 1,000 women have been killed across India in the past decade for "practising witchcraft". According to the Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rockybul Hussain, at least 77 persons were killed and 60 others were injured in witch hunting incidents across Assam since 2010, and 35 of them were women. Though official cases have been filed against witch hunters, not much progress has been made due to absence of witnesses.

What are the motives of witch hunters?

Some cases that were reported bore testimony to the fact that the witch killings were an act of the Land Mafia. Miscreants use social superstitions to uproot families from the land they have an eye on and later acquire their property at throwaway prices. Even the police have claimed that some alleged witch killings were nothing more than murders.

Another motive is the brainchild of the Ojaa and Beez, who con people and make a living by providing medication to the villagers for several diseases. Due to the lack of development and unavailability of doctors in the villages, the villagers have no choice but to rely on the Ojaas, who eventually fleece the poor.

Some even use witch hunting as a sexual motive

Education and medical care in rural areas is an urgent necessity to drive out this mess. Moreover, civil societies, medical bodies, educational bodies, the police and local bodies have to work hand-in-hand to educate people and make them aware.

The Assam government had launched a project Prahari in 2001 to curb the practices of witch-hunting. Under Prahari, regular health camps are organised. Through qualified experts, villagers are imparted knowledge about health and hygiene and local women are trained.

ALSO READ: Witch Hunting On The Rise Across Several Indian States

On May 8, 2015, the Assam state assembly unanimously passed Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, in a bid to eliminate rising cases of superstition leading to the murder of so-called "witches". This Act provides for more effective measures to prevent and protect persons from witch hunting practices and helps eliminate their torture, oppression, humiliation and killing by a section of the society.

The Act prohibits a person from committing witch hunting or witchcraft with the intent to cause injury or harm to another person.

Moreover, the Act prohibits the practice of witch doctors that cause injury and harm. The Act now recognises all cases of witch-hunting as non-bailable, cognizable and non-compoundable. A person practicing witchcraft would be heavily penalised. The punishment for leading a person to commit suicide after intimidating, stigmatising, defaming and accusing as a awitcha may be extended to life imprisonment and fine up to Rs 5 lakh. The Act also talks about various measures that the administration and police need to initiate along with NGOs and civil society to educate people about witch hunting.

[photo] Birubala Rabha Rediff

Birubala Rabha, a tribal woman from Assam, has been crusading against witch-hunting since the 1980s , when her son was called a witch owing to his mental illness and put through periods of misery. She decided to change the course of events by herself. On 4th July 2015, her efforts were recognised and she was awarded the 12th Upendra Nath Brahma Soldier of Humanity in Kokrajhar.

In spite of the above, this crime still persists in Assam. The state needs not just one but several Birubalas to stand up and fight against this heinous crime.
Is Oregon Good for Business?

Oregons recent legalization of marijuana is attracting a new industry and new group of entrepreneurs to the state.



Image: cannabisreports.com



(SALEM, Ore.) - According to reports from the office of the Secretary of State business growth has been fairly stable in Oregon both over the course of 2016 and throughout the past few years.

Thats not surprising since Oregon has several elements that recommend it for business, as well as some less favorable elements.

Although business owners may complain about high fees and high capital gains tax rates, the lack of state sales tax and low corporate tax actually make Oregon very attractive to businesses.

In a recent study by Ernst & Young for the Council on State Taxation, Oregon tied with Connecticut for the lowest effective business tax rate.

Another recent paper, from The Kaplan Group, outlines issues with the way states business bankruptcy rates are listed and reveals Oregon to have a very low business bankruptcy rate.

Oregons unemployment rate tends to be around the national average and comparable to neighboring states.

So what are some of the less favorable elements for doing business in Oregon?

The state is often cited as having a poor education system, without sufficient funding and a low graduation rate.

Oregons transportation system is not ranked highly, which can be a problem for manufacturing jobs. In an interview for Oregon Business earlier this year, Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, explained that although he had turned down offers to move his headquarters elsewhere, he had built manufacturing facilities outside of the state, in part because of the poor transportation system.

However, thanks to federal assistance, its now possible to fly easily and inexpensively from either Pendleton or Medford to Portland, greatly improving the transportation issue.

Although overall business taxes are low, the tax structure is not seen as particularly good for businesses, especially newer businesses. Oregon also does not aggressively court businesses the way other states do.

Texas in particular is seen as being especially good at attracting businesses. Oregon is also seen as not being a particularly good place for attracting venture capital, although that reputation is changing slightly.

Oregons close proximity to California, often ranked as one of the worst states in which to do business and a state with a slightly higher business bankruptcy rate than Oregon, also winds up benefiting Oregon.

Tech businesses, as well as small businesses have been moving from California to Oregon. Oregons recent legalization of marijuana is attracting a new industry and new group of entrepreneurs to the state.

Outside of business, Oregons climate and culture attract both loyalists and detractors. If you love Oregon, you really love Oregon and are unlikely to want to move and business owners rarely have trouble recruiting workers to the state.

The desire to stay local and the general mythos of the state provides a steady workforce.

In short, Oregon is neither the best place in the country to do business, nor the worst, but if you love the state and want to make it your home and your business home, the business climate is certainly attractive enough to keep you.

_________________________________________
Understanding Ocean Noise Reddit "Ask Us Anything"

On December 8, NOAA scientists discuss ocean noise and what NOAA is doing to reduce this threat in our national marine sanctuaries and beyond.

Many marine organisms, including marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates, rely on sound and hearing for their survival. Over the last century, increases in human activity within our ocean have led to increasing levels of noise. This increasing amount of noise from anthropogenic sources is a rising concern for the health and well-being of marine organisms and ecosystems. NOAA is working to better understand the ocean soundscape by developing programs that can establish baselines, detect changes in noise levels, and support the design of methods to reduce noise impacts.

Reddit "Ask Us Anything" Details Who: NOAA scientists Leila Hatch, Jason Gedamke and Jenni Stanley

NOAA scientists Leila Hatch, Jason Gedamke and Jenni Stanley What: Reddit Science "Ask Us Anything." NOAA scientists Leila Hatch, Jason Gedamke and Jenni Stanley are available to talk about ocean noise...ask them anything!

Reddit Science "Ask Us Anything." NOAA scientists Leila Hatch, Jason Gedamke and Jenni Stanley are available to talk about ocean noise...ask them anything! When: 8 December, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. EDT

8 December, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. EDT Where: Reddit AUA

Meet the Scientists
Discovery of a supercluster of galaxies hidden by Milky Way

An international team of astronomers with the participation of Polish scientist has discovered a previously unknown supercluster of galaxies in the constellation Vela, partially hidden in the sky behind the Milky Way. The discovery was reported by the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and Leiden University (Netherlands).

Superclusters of galaxies are the largest and most massive structures in the universe. They consist of clusters of galaxies, concentrations of hundreds or thousands of galaxies. Their sizes can reach 200 million light years. In the universe they are distributed in the shape of great cosmic web, forming "walls" surrounding giant cosmic void. The most massive supercluster known in our local universe is the Shapley supercluster, discovered by Harlow Shapley in 1930. It is located 650 million light years from us.

Another, previously unknown, large supercluster of galaxies in the constellation of Vela was discovered recently by a research group from South Africa, the Netherlands, Australia and Germany, with the participation of Polish astronomer working in the Netherlands. It is located at the distance of 800 million light years from Earth, and in the sky covers a greater area than the Shapley supercluster.

The discovery was based on multi-object spectroscopic observations of thousands of galaxies. Observations in 2012 with the SALT telescope in South Africa (in which Poland has a partial share) confirmed that eight new clusters reside within the Vela area. Subsequent spectroscopic observations with the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) in Australia provided thousands of galaxy redshifts and revealed the vast extent of this new structure.

Dr. Maciej Bilicki from the Observatory in Leiden (Netherlands) dealt mainly with the theoretical part of the research: estimating counts of galaxies and superclusters density, as well as its impact on the movement of the Local Group, which is the nearest to us clusters of dozens of galaxies, to which the Milky Way belongs.

The discovery of a large supercluster of galaxies in our cosmic environment is important in the cosmological context. This type of huge concentrations of mass strongly affect their environment in a large area.

"Despite the considerable distance from us, the Vela supercluster can have a significant impact on the movement of the Local Group. We hope that it will allow to solve mysteries of observed movements of galaxies around us" - said Dr. Bilicki.

The existence of the Vela supercluster could be confirmed only now due to its location partly behind the plane of the Milky Way. Polish astronomer explained that obstacles in the study of this area are dust and stars in our Galaxy, and the closer to the galactic equator, the better they cut off the extragalactic signal, especially in the optical and ultraviolet range, but also in the infrared range. In addition, nearby there is one of the brightest X-ray sources - supernova remnant in Vela - which effectively hinders or even prevents X-ray measurements used to look for clusters of galaxies.

Dr. Bilicki reminded in an interview with PAP that for at least a decade scientists had suspected that something existed in that area. The first indications were obtained from the photometric counts of infrared survey 2MASS and scans of the photographic plates. In addition, analysis of the cosmic flows, such as the movement of the Local Group, suggested the existence of a mass cluster in the area. Unfortunately, the area was virtually not examined at all in three dimensions, until the spectroscopy campaign. "And without spectroscopic measurements we could not confirm that there was in fact a supercluster of galaxies there" - said Dr. Bilicki.

As if there weren\'t enough obstacles in space, the earthly nature wasn\'t making things easy for researchers. When they received observation time on the AAT telescope in 2013, a great bush fire prevented observations and they had to wait a year to perform observations.

"Then we still had to analyse the data and convince ourselves that this was in fact not a random grouping of small amounts of galaxies, but an actual supercluster - of which we now have strong evidence. But it seems that the final verification of how large the structure is will be possible only through radio observations of neutral hydrogen, with instruments such as the MeerKAT and ASKAP" - added Dr. Bilicki.

In the publication, scientists refer to the Vela supercluster as Terra Incognita. This Latin term used in cartography means "unknown land", a white spot on the map. Researchers graphically compare the supercluster to a large, unknown continent that science is just beginning to explore. They announce further research to find out how big the supercluster is and determine its cosmological significance.

The results are described in an article, which will appear in the scientific journal "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society - Letters". The research group is headed by Prof. Renee C. Kraan-Korteweg of the University of Cape Town.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

cza/ zan/
Monster Fest, one of Australia's best genre fests, wrapped up this past weekend and with it some awards love to some of the many great films to grace our genre-loving screens this year. Raw, Julia Ducournau's debut feature and a big hit on the festival circuit, won both the top Golden Monster Award, and the award for Best FX. Australian film Safe Neigbourhood, also won two awards, for Best Australian film and Best Male Performance for Levi Miller; and A Dark Song won double, for Best Cinematography and Best Score.

Other notable winners in the feature films catageory include The Autopsy of Jane Doe for Best International Feature; Prevenge won the Monster Innovation Award and Bartosz M. Kowalski won Best Director for his film Playground.

Monster Fest also gives a lot of love to short films, with plenty of awards to go around. Andre vredal (director of The Autopsy of Jane Doe) won Best International Short for his film The Tunnel. Najarra Townsend picked up yet another (deserved) award for her performance in Jill Gevargizian's The Stylist. And Alice Waddington's glorious black-and-white Disco Inferno won for Best Cinematography.

Full details and list of winners in the press release below.

The features jury, consisting of Fantastic Fest head programmer Evrim Ersoy, filmmaker Donna McRae and longtime screen critic Simon Foster awarded the festivals top prize, The Golden Monster, to Julia Ducournaus Raw, with Ducournau in person to accept her award, beautifully designed and sculpted by Rain Gidley Studios. Raw also walked away with an honour for best FX. Raw is a tour de force of invention, innovation and storytelling, says juror Donna McRae, A film that celebrates appetite and difference.

Feature film awards also went to Andre vredals The Autopsy of Jane Doe, dual awards for the Australian home invasion feature Safe Neighbourhood (including a Best Performance award for young actor Levi Miller), Bartosz M. Kowalskis Playground, Alice Lowes Prevenge, Sophia Takals Always Shine and more.

In the short film category, jurors Barbara Creed (author of the seminal book The Monstrous-Feminine), filmmaker Heidi Lee Douglas and visiting television scholar Amanda Reyes handed top awards to Andre vredals The Tunnel, Kristy Guevara-Flanagans documentary short What Happened to Her and Kiefer Findlows Insomnolence, while the Trasharama Program gave its Golden Lomax Award to Finnish director Chrzu Lindstroms The Contract and its inaugural Encouragement Award to Australian filmmaker Frank Daft for Blown Away.

There were huge waves of emotions running through the films, says short film juror Amanda Reyes, whether it be legitimate fear and terror, or grief or even wildly raucous humor. Insomnolence, which won the Best Australian Short category is a prime example of combining terror and sadness in unique ways that sat deeply with the jury. Same with The Tunnel, which won for Best International Short. The Tunnel is visually stunning, but it is the tragedy held within the simple gut punch ending that made it an unforgettable experience.

THE MONSTER FEST 2016 AWARD WINNERS:

Feature Films:

Golden Monster: RAW (Julia Ducournau, France)

Best International Feature: THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE (Andre vredal, USA)

Best Australian Feature: SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD (Chris Peckover, Australia)

Monster Innovation Award: PREVENGE (Alice Lowe, UK)

Best Performance (Male): Levi Miller, SAFE NEIGHBOURHOOD (Chris Peckover, Australia)

Best Performance (Female): Mackenzie Davis, ALWAYS SHINE (Sophia Takal, USA)

Best Documentary: SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PROCESS CHURCH OF THE FINAL JUDGEMENT (Neil Edwards, UK)

Best Director: PLAYGROUND (Bartosz M. Kowalsi, Poland)

Best Cinematography: A DARK SONG (Liam Gavin, Ireland/UK)

Best Score: A DARK SONG (Liam Gavin, Ireland/UK)

Best FX: RAW (Julia Ducournau, France)

Special Mention: AUTOHEAD (Rohit Mittal, India)

Short Films:

Best International Short: THE TUNNEL (Andre vredal, Norway)

Best Australian Short: INSOMNOLENCE (Kiefer Findlow, Australia)

Best Victorian Short: SECRETIONS (Goran Spoljaric, Australia)

Best Director: WHAT HAPPENED TO HER (Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, USA)

Best Screenplay: THE INCREDIBLE TALE OF THE INCREDIBLE WOMAN-SPIDER (Pablo Guirado, France)

Best Performance: Najarra Townsend, THE STYLIST (Jill Gevargizian, USA)

Best Effects: THE PAST INSIDE THE PRESENT (James Siewert, USA)

Best Cinematography: DISCO INFERNO (Alice Waddington, Spain)

Best Score: IMITATIONS (Fabian Velasco & Milos Mitrovic, Canada)

Honourable Mentions:

Best Villain: O CHRISTMAS TREE (Greg Kovacs, Canada)

Best Animation: THE ITCHING (Diane Bellino, USA)

Honorable Mention for short we'd like to see made into a feature: DAWN OF THE DEAF (Rob Savage, UK)

Trasharama Awards:

Trasharama Golden Lomax Award: THE CONTRACT (Chrzu Lindstrom, Finland)

Trasharama Encouragement Award: BLOWN AWAY (Frank Daft, Australia)

Monsters Choice Audience Awards:

Best Feature: MONDO YAKUZA (Addison Heath, Australia)

Best Short: Tie: DRAGON FORCE (Stuart Simpson, Australia) / A HELL OF A DAY (Evan Hughes, Australia)
The first trailer for When the Trees Fall (Koly Padayut Dereva) suggests that it's a coming-of-age movie with a striking edge.

Directed by Marysia Nikitiuk in her feature debut, the film is a co-production (Ukraine/ Poland/ France/ Macedonia). Latido Films recently came on board to handle international sales and has released the trailer, which is mighty impressive. It begins by teasing a series of hazy, arthouse backgrounds before revealing several scenes that imply menace has come to town.

Here's the storyline:

Storyline: In a godforsaken village in Ukraine a rebellious little girl learns about life watching her teenage cousin's romance with a young criminal. But when he flees after a murder, her cousin is forced to marry someone else, and this little heroine has to understand just how important it is to fight for your dreams.

The trailer, complete with English subtitles, is NSFW for fleeting glimpses of partial nudity. Take a look below.
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Now that Black Friday has spawned Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and probably something on Sunday I'm forgetting, it's time for #GivingTuesday, in order to help you atone for your consumerist sins of the last week. Local arts organizations and other charities are all hoping that a few email blasts and special campaigns will draw some of your pre-Christmas dollars their way, and it should be a good reminder that now is the time to get yourself a tax deduction, assuming you have a fair amount to give.

Giving Tuesday is still a relatively new phenomenon, but a positive one, with Fast Company reporting that the day of philanthropy generated over $116 million in donations in 2015, up from just $46 million the previous year, and that represented gifts from over 700,000 donors.

Below is just a selection of giving campaigns to consider in the local realm. There are of course plenty of national charities seeking your donations today, like The Humane Society and the American Cancer Society.

American Conservatory Theater

SF's biggest and most established repertory company runs its own MFA program, keeps a year-round company of core performers, and recently debuted a second theater space on Market Street, The Strand, for producing more edgy work.





Berkeley Repertory Theater

This Giving Tuesday, Berkeley Rep is seeking donations of $9.46 to their youth matinee program, providing performances to Bay Area teens  specifically helping them come to see the next big production there, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips.

CUESA

The local org that produces the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market and the Jack London Square Farmers' Market is dedicated to "cultivating a sustainable food system that works," which includes getting healthy food onto your tables and educating kids.

Food Runners

Mary Risley's terrific local organization provides a link between SF's booming restaurant industry and the organizations around town like St. Anthony's and Glide who serve meals to the poor and homeless, delivering leftover meals and ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. Any donation will get you onto their mailing list with invitations to special events, and gifts of $250 get you a t-shirt or apron.

GLBT History Museum

The nation's premiere collection of GLBT history memorabilia and artifacts needs constant help to maintain, catalog, and store its vast archive, much of it donated from the estates of SF residents who died of AIDS in the last few decades.

Glide Memorial Church

One of SF's premiere organizations assisting the homeless and indigent, Glide serves daily meals in their Tenderloin cafeteria and provides a host of programs and services to the community. Their mission: "to create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization."

Homeless Youth Alliance

Certainly among SF's struggling homeless charities, the Homeless Youth Alliance was evicted from their longtime drop-in center space in the Upper Haight in 2013, and they continue to try to secure either another storefront or just an office. Nonetheless, their work continues, offering outreach and case management services to the city's youth homeless population, many of whom are LGBTQ or mentally ill.

The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

The JCCSF, founded in 1877, is the oldest Jewish organization on the west coast, and it provides a fitness center for members as well as performance and lecture series, art and ceramics classes, three preschools, and dozens of events and holiday celebrations throughout the year.

KALW

The scrappier of SF's two public radio stations and owned by the SF Unified School District, KALW can always use your support, especially now in their 75th anniversary year.

KQED

NPR fans, as well as PBS fans, are all surely familiar with SF's big affiliate station. They broadcast all the big guns, from This American Life to All Things Considered, and they also have original programming like The California Report, and City Arts & Lectures.



Photo: La Cocina/Facebook

La Cocina

Pioneering food incubator La Cocina provides business opportunities, primarily to immigrant women and women of color, by helping them to grow small businesses and become food entrepreneurs. And after just 11 years as an organization, they boast dozens of success stories, including Azalina Eusope of Azalina's Malaysian Cuisine, Alicia's Tamales Los Mayos, and Kika's Treats.

Larkin Street Youth Services

Another organization that provides vital services and housing to homeless youth in SF, "Larkin Street was founded in 1984 by a group of local business owners, church members, and neighbors who were concerned by the rising number of young people engaging in risky behaviors on the streets of San Francisco."

The Magic Theater

The Fort Mason-based Magic Theatre has been wowing audiences with new works and old favorites for decades, and for Giving Tuesday they're trying to reach a modest $5,000 goal to help fund their February production, Fool For Love (a legacy production celebrating one of the theater's breakout star playwrights, Sam Shepard). Those who donate today will get special acknowledgement in their Producers' Circle in the lobby, if the goal is reached.

The Marine Mammal Center

The Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center does some extremely important work caring for seals and sea lions in distress or orphaned who are found around the Bay, as well as conducting scientific research and providing educational opportunities. And gifts today are being matched up to $10,000 by the CAA Charitable Trust.

San Francisco Parks Alliance

This group dedicated to protecting, sustaining, and enriching San Francisco parks provides fiscal support to park improvement projects and contributes resources to grow and evolve the city's incomparable park system, including a project last year to research the latest in playground design trends.

SF Film Society

Memberships and donations to the SF Film Society's annual fund help youth education programs, and help to support emerging artists. And memberships, which start at $70, come with an extra three months today.

SF LGBT Center

The Center provides crisis counseling, homeless youth support, and job support for transgender people, noting that 70 percent of trans individuals are unemployed. They see about 100,000 visitors every year, and donations today to the Center are getting matched up to $100,000 by Mika Rueda-Albright and the Aria Foundation.



Museum-goers/models in front of Roy Lichtenstein's 'Figures With Sunset,' 1978. Photo: Henrik Kam courtesy of SFMOMA

SFMOMA

You can just become a regular member of this world renowned museum, but if you join at the Contributor level, starting at $300, you get reciprocal admission at dozens of museums across the country, including the Whitney and Guggenheim in New York.

SFSPCA

San Francisco's biggest and oldest pet shelter (~150 years) would like to remind you today that they are an independent, local non-profit that is not part of any national organization and does not receive any government funding. Donations of $1000 or more land you in the Heart of Gold Society, helping provide vital veterinary services to the pets of the poor, and those found abandoned.

Shotgun Players

In honor of this Berkeley company's 25th anniversary and their current, highly ambitious repertory season going on right now, perhaps consider a donation, which could win you perks like a backstage Q&A with a Shotgun artist.

St. Anthony Foundation

St. Anthony's boasts having served over 42 million free meals from its famed dining room over the past six decades. The organization, now over 100 years old, also provides recovery programs for the substance addicted, and gives out clothes daily.


At a hearing at City Hall Monday, The Stud was approved by the Small Business Commission for Legacy Business status, hopefully boosting its chances of survival following a rent hike and the property changing hands. Mica Sigourney, a.k.a. Vivvyanne ForeverMore, who's been leading the publicity charge for the 15-member co-op that recently took over operation of the bar, announced the news on Facebook, saying, "This qualifies the Stud for supportive grants from the city. [And] We met 12 other Legacy Businesses and are proud to be in their company."

Back in July we first heard that the iconic, 50-year-old nightclub was in danger of closing after its longtime owner, Michael McElhaney, decided to sell the business and move to Florida in the face of a steep rent hike. The rent, which had been $3,800/month, was being hiked to $9,500/month (a 150% increase) under new owners, who are the grown children of the property's now deceased longtime owners, and McElhaney called this "an insane amount of money."

At issue too, beyond this rent increase, is development pressure in the immediate neighborhood which will likely motivate the current owners to want to develop the property to its maximum height of seven stories, like the massive residential development being completed next door to the club.

With Legacy Business status, The Stud stands to get an annual grant from the city of $500 per employee, as well as making grants available to the landlord of $4.50 per square foot, capped at $22,500 per year, in exchange for extending a long-term lease to the business of ten years or more. Business owners have to agree to maintain the historic name and craft of their businesses, and similar programs have shown success in preserving neighborhood character in London, Barcelona, and elsewhere.

Sigourney and the team have announced a community meeting next Tuesday, December 6, to make an announcement about the future of the bar, so stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, you can check out Vivvy in her glory at Club SomeThing on Friday, where the theme is "In the Middle of SomeThing" (featuring a runway down the middle of the dancefloor), and they're doing a live drag version of Match Game on Saturday, December 10.

Previously: The Stud Is Saved, For Now, As 15-Member Co-Op Secures Funds To Purchase Historic Club


Flush with an undisclosed influx of cash following September's acquisition by Ford Motor Company, private shuttle service Chariot announced that it intends to both add 50 new vans and several new routes to its San Francisco offerings. The Chronicle reports that riders should start noticing increases in shuttle frequency immediately, and that routes serving the Sunset and Potrero Hill should be running by January.

The growth comes at a time when Chariot seeks to expand its on-demand service to five cities in addition to SF  the company brought its 15-seat passenger vans to Austin last month, offering crowd-sourced routes like it does here in SF. This is a private company producing a public good, Chariot CEO and founder Ali Vahabzadeh told the paper. We provide more commuting options for individuals and are 100 percent commuter-financed with no taxpayer funding.

Chariot has managed to avoid many of the missteps that sunk high-end competitors like Leap, and its actual-employee drivers (not contractors) put the company in stark contrast to Lyft and Uber. However, with Ford promising self-driving Taxis by 2021, one might assume that like with Uber drivers the lifetime of a Chariot driver's job may be short.

Unlike Uber and Lyft, Chariot rides on fixed routes  like Muni. Differing from Muni, the routes are crowd-sourced and riders are guaranteed a seat. Also unlike Muni, a one-way ride on average costs $4.

Currently offering 33 local routes, the addition of the vans will increase the fleet size from 100 to 150 and will likely make the service a more appealing option for those whose routes to work aren't well covered by existing public transit. This will allow us to address a lot of the pent-up demand for our services, and bring in people whove been driving cars or taking ride-sharing, Vahabzadeh explained to the Chron.

Even with its professed everyman-friendly ethos, Chariot has been on the receiving end of criticism arguing that it and services like it lead to a divestment in public transit. And coming out of startup incubator Y Combinator, it is perhaps easy to see why some may look at the company with wary eyes. That doesn't stop customers, like the ones who ride it from Embarcadero BART Station to work at Fisherman's Wharf, from singing the company's praises.

"Its super easy, Nikki Carlson, who works at Tuscan Hotel, told the Chron. As soon as I get off BART, I order my ride, and normally its about one to five minutes until a Chariot is there, and then 10 or 12 minutes to my stop. You see a lot of the same faces every day, so its familiar and friendly."

Previously: Ford Is Buying SF-Based Shuttle Service Chariot; Also They're Taking Over Bay Area Bike Share
An employee of the Cirque du Soleil show Luzia was killed Tuesday night, the victim of what authorities describe as an "industrial accident."

San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Officer Grace Gatpandan says that officers were called to the corner of Third Street and Terry A. Francois Boulevard, the scene of the scheduled Cirque du Soleil performance, at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, on reports of an industrial accident. When they arrived, they found a male employee of the show suffering from "traumatic, life-threatening injuries," she says.

He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he later died, Gatpandan says.

According to a statement released by Cirque du Soleil, the man, a technician on the show, was struck by a telescopic lift. His identity has yet to be publicly released, they said, pending notification of his family.

Gatpandan says that SFPD's Traffic Collision Investigation Unit and Cal/OSHA will investigate the incident, the exact details of which have yet to be released.

Tuesday's performance was canceled, an event staffers described to ABC 7 as "rare."

The show, described as a "waking dream of Mexico," is scheduled to run in their tent in AT&T Park's Lot A from November 17 to January 29.

Update: In a press release sent by Cirque do Soleil Wednesday afternoon, the deceased man is identified as Quebec resident Olivier Rochette. Wednesday's performance of Luzia, they say, has been canceled. Here's the full release:

The entire Cirque du Soleil family is deeply saddened by the accidental death of LUZIA technician, Olivier Rochette, from Quebec, that happened on November 29th, in San Francisco. His immediate family, including his father Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil, has been informed of the accident. Our thoughts are with Gilles, his family and all Cirque du Soleil employees. We kindly ask the media to respect the wishes of the family to mourn in private. I am heartbroken. I wish to extend in my name and in the name of all Cirque du Soleil employees my sincerest sympathies and offer my full support to Gilles and his family. Olivier has always been a member of our tight family and a beloved colleague, said Cirque du Soleil CEO, Daniel Lamarre. We have been working with the appropriate authorities and have offered our full cooperation. Tonights, Wednesday, November 30, 8 p.m. performance of LUZIA has been cancelled. Cirque du Soleil will determine the status of tomorrows performances at a later time.

Related: Man Fatally Crushed In 'Industrial Accident' At San Francisco Lumber Yard
San Francisco's AMC Metreon 16 was evacuated Tuesday night, after witnesses say a man with a gun began yelling during a screening of the movie Allied.

According to San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Officer Grace Gatpandan, at around 7:55 Tuesday night, emergency dispatchers received calls "about a person inside the Metreon Theater (4th/Mission Streets) possibly armed with a handgun."

The Chron spoke with a witness identified only as "Gary" who said that the male suspect "was yelling and behaving erratically just as the previews wrapped up." When Gary returned to the theater after seeking a manager to quiet the man down, "people were screaming and running out of the theater," saying that the man had a gun.

"Witness Jeff Wincek said he saw the glint of a gun barrel and that 'it was definitely a pistol' that the man was waving," the Chron reports.

Gatpandan says that following the 911 call, "officers from multiple districts responded to the area, ordering the evacuation of the theater in an abundance of caution."

"One subject was located and detained, with a handgun also located at the scene," she says. According to KTVU, however, "It ended up being a replica gun." (An attempt by SFist to confirm that detail with SFPD was unsuccessful as of publication time.) "Even though the gun is a replica," KTVU reports, "the suspect could be charged with felonies depending on the circumstances."

According to KTVU, "The suspect appeared to be an Asian man in his 60s." Saying that "Information on suspects is provided only if they are arrested and booked," Gatpandan declined to provide the identity of the man detained in the incident, and said that more information would be released later today.


If you needed another reason never to cross the Altamont Pass again, a story out of Stockton today tells of the rescue of three dogs over the holiday weekend who were apparently being abused and "rented" for sexual purposes. A local animal rescue group was alerted to the dogs' situation by a Good Samaritan, as CBS 5 reports,

The rescue group, Second Chance Kitty, says they got the notification about the dogs in need of help via social media, and they subsequently located the three dogs: a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix whom they named Ava; a female terrier mix they named Emma; and a male husky they named Lobo.

Cheryl Zuniga, who works with Second Chance Kitty, tells the Stockton Record that she heard about a story being told by a woman on social media who confronted several men living in a trailer on the 300 block of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Stockton, claiming that they were keeping dogs for the purposes of sexual acts, and that men were paying for the privilege.

When subsequently confronted by Zuniga, the men allegedly said they had no knowledge of this, but gave up the dogs to her. A veterinarian subsequently found "obvious vaginal trauma" on the female dogs, as well as vaginal infections in need of treatment. Also, Ava is "very pregnant," and Zuniga says in the Facebook post below that they are waiting to perform a Cesarian on her in the hopes that her pups have a higher survival rate.

The male, Lobo, only showed signs of cuts on his leg. Zuniga writes on Facebook, "A previous owner for Lobo was located via an existing microchip; however, he had been rehomed over a year ago to an unknown Hispanic male for free... (another reason why "free" rehoming is dangerous for animals)."

Noting their affection for one another, Zuniga dubbed the trio the Three Amigos. She describes them all as "very submissive," and "their spirits are broken," saying to the paper, "This is really, really sad. Even though they have been through so much, they are the sweetest dogs. But they are afraid."

Zuniga has been in contact with Stockton police who say they're awaiting further evidence as they investigate. They have apparently conducted some interviews, presumably with the men at the trailer.
Milwaukee County is now poised for national recognition as a result of the recent election but, understandably, no one is boasting about it.

Its the unintended consequence of a local election more than 1,800 miles away, in Maricopa County, Ariz.

Voters in the Phoenix area finally had enough of their cruel, racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio. They threw him out of office after a quarter century by a wide margin.

In 2008, The New York Times awarded Arpaio the title Americas Worst Sheriff, describing him editorially as a genuine public menace with a long and well-documented trail of inmate abuses, unjustified arrests, racial profiling [and] brutal and inept policing.

So now the torch is passed. And no one is a more fitting successor to Arpaio than Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to fill the opening for the worst sheriff in America.

In our current upended political world, that might even increase Clarkes chances of receiving the Trump appointment hes been groveling after for a year. Donald Trump only knows two African Americans and only one of them is a brain surgeon.

That also suggests why Clarke would be an even better choice than Arpaio in the role of justifying brazen racial profiling, inhumane treatment of prisoners and police who shoot first and ask questions later.

White racists like Arpaio are a dime a dozen. Thats why Clarke is so highly valued by right-wing media. As an African American, Clarke can say hateful things about blacks and no one can accuse his white supporters of racism. Their best friend is a black man who tells it like it is!

Deaths in Clarkes Jail

Clarke takes a backseat to no one in fostering contempt for prisoners and producing deadly results. Since April, four deaths have occurred in Clarkes County Jail.

The first involved an inmate who died of extreme dehydration after deputies shut off the water to his cell as punishment for his psychotic behavior. The man was confined for nine days while undergoing a psychiatric crisis and shouting incoherent nonsense, tearing apart food trays and stuffing toilet paper in his mouth. [See correction below.]

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The County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide, meaning it resulted from actions or inactions of another. But so far no jail personnel have been charged with any crime.

The dehydration death mirrored one that took place under Clarke five years earlier, after deputies shut off drinking water to another inmate confined for five days while experiencing psychiatric problems.

The second death this summer was of a baby, who was born and died in an inmates cell over a period of six hours without any deputies noticing. The mentally ill mother was in a special needs unit requiring regular monitoring.

The woman said a deputy laughed at her when she told him around midnight she was going into labor. She gave birth about 4 a.m. to a baby she said cried profusely, but didnt receive any medical attention until 6 a.m.

The sheriffs office denied the woman informed deputies she was giving birth. It didnt explain how she could give birth unassisted without anyone noticing.

The other two deaths involved inmates with drug histories. Inmates nearby said they heard both shouting for help.

The female inmate was hallucinating, screaming that the devil was choking her in her cell. She was found unresponsive the next morning. The male inmate shouted he couldnt breathe and was the only one of the four fatalities who received immediate medical attention.

Needless to say, Clarke wasnt present for any of the deaths or probably anywhere near Milwaukee County. He rarely is these days. Clarke receives more than $150,000 a year for speaking to mostly white, right-wing groups around the country, more than his $132,290 sheriffs salary.

But Clarkes contemptuous attitude toward those incarcerated in his jail fosters the same culture of cruelty that outside groups, including Amnesty International, documented in Arpaios life-threatening facilities.

Thats what leads deputies to punish the mentally ill by shutting off access to drinking water and any food other than a repulsive dog food-like mixture called Nutraloaf. Then they ignore the bothersome distress of inmates whose bodies are shutting down from dehydration.

It causes deputies to laugh cruelly at a woman who says shes about to give birth because inmates are always making up wild, unbelievable stories to get attention.

The deputies themselves have their own problems from stressful working conditions. Clarke famously treats any staff who fail to fawn sufficiently like dirt, leading to expensive legal appeals of harsh employee discipline.

Psychologists have a term for this kind of behavior. Its called battered child syndrome, in which victims of battering often become violent bullies themselves by abusing vulnerable people they can control, like jail inmates.

A community really needs to do something if it ends up with the worst sheriff in America. But the last thing that should ever happen would be for the worst sheriff in America to gain any national power over even more lives of vulnerable people.

Correction: This column should not have referred to employees in the County Jail as deputies. The jail staff are civilian Corrections Officers employed by Clarke. They are not deputy sheriffs.
Feeling depressed, angry, confused or fearful about Donald Trump becoming the leader of the free world?

Youre not alone.

Across the country, people of conscience are banding together to fight back against the Trump agenda, which promises corruption, extreme nationalism and hatred for those who are not like us.

In Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Working Families Party held an emergency community meeting on Monday, which about 40 people attended despite the cold and rain. We are forming the Trump resistance, Marina Dimitrijevic, state director of the party, told the Shepherd.

The gathering was one of about 30 emergency meetings across the country organized by the party. In Milwaukee, anti-Trumpers talked about their biggest concerns for our future, such as the voucherization of public education, the appointment of racist Sen. Jeff Sessions to attorney general, Trumps disregard for climate change, his possible attacks on working people and the social safety net, the dismantling of Obamacare, Trumps potential picks for Supreme Court and, of course, corruption. They also brainstormed ways to positively assert progressive, inclusive values and resist Trumps worst ideas.

Dimitrijevic promised another meeting before the holidays as well as many opportunities to get active. For more information, go to workingfamilies.org/states/wisconsin.
In a case that might have national implications, last week a federal judicial panel voted 2-1 that Wisconsins current legislative map is so unfair to Democrats its unconstitutional. The federal three-judge panel consisted of two judges appointed by Republican presidents and one appointed by a Democratic president. The opinion of the three-judge panel was written by Republican-appointed Appeals Court Judge Kenneth Ripple.

Its the first time in modern history a legislative map was struck down for excessive partisanship.

The map, drawn in 2011 in secret by GOP leaders and staffers and Michael Best & Friedrich attorneys, was developed after the 2010 U.S. Census to be in effect until after the next census, in 2020. The Republicans and their advisors sliced up the map of Wisconsin into a large majority of safe Republican Assembly seats, a minority of safe Democratic seats and just a few swing districts. The GOP map is so skewed toward Republicans that they can win a large majority of Assembly districts even when they win a minority of votes overall. In fact, thats been true in two electionsin 2012 and in 2014.

The plaintiffs12 Democratic voters who successfully argued the legislative map violates their civil rightshired experts who developed a way to measure partisanship: the efficiency gap, in which Democrats are packed and cracked into districts that are either overwhelmingly Republican or overwhelmingly Democratic, with far more Republican districts than those favoring Democrats. The plaintiffs then proposed a three-part test for measuring partisan gerrymandering. Under the test, the Democrats set out to prove that Republicans deliberately intended to gerrymander for partisan advantage; that the efficiency gap was so excessive its unconstitutional; and that the partisan map wasnt simply the result of geography, with Democrats naturally clustered into urban areas and fewer districts and Republicans distributed in the rest of the state.

In their decision, the two majority judges accepted the efficiency gap as well as the three-part test, for the first time affirming a standard for measuring partisan gerrymandering. And Republicans arent happy.

Assembly Majority Leader Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who was one of the leaders of the secret redistricting process, released a statement calling the new standard significantly flawed. When reached on the phone, Vos told the Shepherd that he wasnt taking any questions about the decision and fielded queries to his spokeswoman, who in turn didnt respond to the Shepherds request to comment.

Whats Next?

Democrats, on the other hand, were buoyed by the majoritys decision and the possibility of regaining some seats under a fair map.

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On a press call with reporters last week, William Whitford, a retired University of Wisconsin Law School professor and the lead plaintiff on the case, said he and his fellow Democrats were frustrated by the Republicans gerrymandering.

It left us out of the policy-making role, Whitford said. And that frustration is reflected, I think, in less enthusiasm for state legislative contests and so forth. Hopefully this is part of the remedy.

State Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee), a longtime national expert on redistricting who helped to strategize on this case, told the Shepherd the decision makes plain how Republicans used redistricting to create a lock on power.

I think there are a lot of people who understand how democracy was distorted, Kessler said.

He praised Judge Ripples written decision as being thorough and scholarly, but said it presents many questions going forward, such as:

Whats the remedy?: The judges asked to be briefed by both sides within 30 days on possible remedies and they might ask both sides to present a map that lives up to the new standard. Our lawyers will submit a map thats perfect, Kessler said, if thats what the judges request. We dont think the Republicans can do that. If Republican legislative leaders need to draw a more-balanced map that gives Democrats a fighting chance in more districts, then many of their incumbents will be vulnerable. The balanced maps could put two Republicans into one district or write off a few of them. The most vulnerable, Kessler said, are the suburban Milwaukee County Republicans.

Is the Wisconsin Legislature legitimate?: The state has used the new map since the 2012 elections and each time the Republicans won big legislative majorities. In fact, last months election gave the GOP its biggest majority in decades. But is the makeup of the current Legislature truly legitimate if members were elected under an unconstitutional map? Do the judges have the power to call for a new election under fair maps, and, if so, when would that happen?

Will the state appeal?: The defendants in the case are the six members of the new state Elections Commission, which is made up of three Democratic appointees and three Republican appointees. That said, Republican state Attorney General Brad Schimel said that he plans to appeal the decision. If he does, the appeal will go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

While an appeal might sound like a good strategy to overturn this decision, it presents some risks for Republicans. After all, before the 2010 elections the national Republican State Leadership Committee launched its REDMAP project to create Republican majorities in key statehouses with the specific goal of drawing pro-GOP legislative maps in 2011. REDMAP targeted Wisconsin, along with Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

If the high court affirms last weeks decision, then the new partisan gerrymandering standard will be the law of the land for all 50 states and other maps could be struck down. If Schimel doesnt appeal, the decision will be limited to states in the Federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes just Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.

What will the U.S. Supreme Court do?: For the time being, there is one vacancy on the Supreme Court, and the eight remaining justices are typically split 4-4 along ideological lines. That said, Kessler said he has high hopes for the Wisconsin case. The swing vote is Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has voted with the liberals in recent voting rights cases and has signaled that hes looking for a gerrymandering standard such as the one offered by the Wisconsin plaintiffs. If Kennedy accepts this standard, that could mean a 5-3 ruling under the courts current makeup and if President-elect Donald Trump is able to appoint a justice to the bench, that will still only bring the vote to 5-4 in favor of invalidating the Wisconsin map.
Even before a Milwaukee police officer fatally shot Sylville Smith on Aug. 13 and unrest erupted in the Sherman Park neighborhood, a community coalition was forming to address police-community relations in the city. That group, the Community Coalition for Quality Policing (CC4QP), has grown to more than 20 civic and faith organizations and aims to work with the police and stakeholders to reform the Milwaukee Police Departments policing strategies and improve police-community relations. Last month, with the help of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, CC4QP brought leaders from Cincinnati who worked to reform their police department after officer-involved shootings and a riot in 2001. As detailed in the Nov. 24 issue of the Shepherd, the new Cincinnati policing strategy focuses on community-oriented problem-solving and is lauded as a national model that can be adapted elsewhere.

Members of CC4QP recently sat down with the Shepherd for a lively roundtable discussion about their concerns about policing in Milwaukee. Participating CC4CP members were Elana Kahn, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; R.L. McNeely, chair of the Felmers O. Chaney Advocacy Board; Darryl Morin, past national vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Fred Royal, president of the Milwaukee chapter of the NAACP, and personal injury and civil rights attorney Jonathan Safran. Heres an excerpt of our discussion, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Shepherd: What about the Cincinnati model appeals to you?

Royal: The biggest thing is that officers are evaluated and promoted on their ability to solve problems versus their ability to write tickets and arrest people.

McNeely: Also, it improves police-community relations and it improves police morale.

Safran: The other thing too is that there was a buy in from a number of different groups in the community, the head of the police union and the police themselves, as well as the government. Whenever you have a collaboration in which all of those entities agree on something, thats a good thing.

Morin: Were really looking at what happened in Cincinnati and elsewhere as moving from a warrior model to a guardian model. We realize that this isnt just about putting everything on the police. When there is true collaboration there is a huge responsibility on the community leaders and organizations to step forward as well and participate. Truly, the police are part of our community as well.

Kahn: I think the community is ready for this conversation. This conversation has a lot of constituents. A community chooses people to guard and protect and serve it. Thats what were talking about. How do we ensure that our community is safe?

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Shepherd: But isnt the MPD already using problem-solving techniques and working with the community to solve crimes?

Royal: To change the culture within the police department, problem-oriented policing has to be the over-arching police strategy.

Shepherd: Can it be done voluntarily, without a court order?

Royal: Looking at the scope of our Fire and Police Commission, they have the authority to address any standard operating procedure that is currently in place and the authority to oversee the department.

Safran: They are the main policy maker for the police department, along with the chief. They certainly have the power to hire the chief, and fire the chief, too. They are the oldest and I think probably have the most power of any Fire and Police Commission in the nation.

Shepherd: Are they using their power?

McNeely: Unfortunately, I dont think they even know they have that power.

Safran: My experience has been that they do too many things. If they were able to focus on this as a main focus, as far as policies and procedures and complaints, they would be more successful and it would help this department be more successful. Besides disciplining officers and instituting policies and procedures, they are also involved in hiring and testing of fire and police officers and as a result of that wear many more hats.

McNeely: They are resource poor. They dont have the resources they need to do the things they are supposed to be doing. If the one place they have is occupied then they have to interview people outside of the office, in the corridor or in a stairwell. And thats a problem. What does it say to the person with the legitimate complaint? What is it telling that person? How seriously is the complaint being taken if they are in a stairwell? Its an insult.

Shepherd: In Cincinnati, the officers made fewer arrests and wrote fewer citations and the amount of crime dropped roughly in half. What do you make of that?

Royal: If you deal with the cause of criminogenic behavior then you actually deal with the problems that put people into criminogenic behavior. For example, prostitution. Is the prostitution driven by drug addiction? Or homelessness or human trafficking? Lets deal with the root cause of the individual being left with that option of prostitution or human trafficking, versus just locking that individual up.

Morin: In Milwaukee we have the highest incarceration rate in the nation [for African American men] yet it hasnt made our community any safer. Incarceration alone doesnt result in safer neighborhoods.

Shepherd: What has been the impact of that kind of policing in Milwaukee, where black and brown drivers are routinely pulled over for minor traffic violations?

Royal: We just saw the waiver of the warrants for those types of stops. You saw the thousands of people lined up. Are we driving a debtors court in municipal court? And if you look at how many stops are in the African American community, you would say that it drives an over-policing of the community. And what is the outcome of that?

McNeely: Its not just how many stops there are, its how people are treated after they are stopped. People can be treated respectfully once they are stopped. Thats one thing. If they are stopped endlessly and treated disrespectfully, thats an entirely different thing. You only have to look as far as the body cavity searches and so many other illustrations of how people have been treated to think of the adverse impact its had on police-community relations.

Royal: If you look at citizens as being law abiding you dont have to do these pretextual stops. If you are looking at every person as being a potential criminal, then you do those types of stops. When you stop having an us-against-them mentality and have a collective we mentality, that changes the culture. Thats what our attempt here is to do. We dont want to have this continual level of frustration within the community that was precipitated on August 13. August 13 wasnt because the treatment by police in our community is one of congeniality. Its because the treatment by police in our community is one that is abusive.

Shepherd: Cincinnati also worked very hard on increasing transparency. The police department releases the videos of officer-involved shootings within 24 hours, with a few exceptions. Thats not how videos are handled in Milwaukee.

Safran: None of the videos are being released [in Milwaukee]. That is up to the investigative agencies to decide whether they want to release them. None of them so far have agreed to do it although there has been outcry from the community and elected officials that it should be released. I think the fact the Cincinnati has done that shows how important it is. I think transparency is a huge thing that Milwaukee is missing.

Kahn: [The Cincinnati leaders] talked about it in terms of trusting the community. Saying what they know, saying what they dont know, and trusting the community.

Shepherd: Similarly, what is the impact of not holding police officers accountable for shooting someone in the line of duty?

Royal: Thats what was exhibited on August 13. Frustration. I dont know if the action was so much directly related to Sylville Smith as it was the totality of all the years of no accountability for critically involved incidents with the police department.

Safran: Many of us are wondering why it had not happened sooner. Not that we wanted it to happen, but certainly I have been wondering why it hadnt happened sooner.

Kahn: I think there needs to be a process where people feel like their voice matters and not feel marginalized. When you feel marginalized, then why not have unrest, why not lash out?

Shepherd: How would you like to see police officers be held accountable?

Royal: I want them to be held to the same level of accountability that I am. Actually, they should be held to a higher standard of law because they have the authority to arrest and detain.

McNeely: They have more authority than thatthey have a license to kill.

Royal: That too. But Im hoping that would be one of the things they do not revert to. But if a police officer is engaged in rape, they should be held to the same standard that I am. They should not be out raping individuals and then going back as an investigator on an individual that may have experience being violated by rape. Do you understand the kind of trust issues that come into play when that occurs? Weve had officers that have had rape charges reduced by the district attorney. Do you think that for one minute the public doesnt understand that that occurs? Especially in my community.

You know, there were 75 individuals who were illegally cavity searched. That didnt happen overnight. That didnt happen in a vacuum. Dont you think that an individual who was violated didnt tell somebody that these officers were out there violating them? Hold officers to the same level of the law that I am held. I just got a ticket for overtaking a police officer on a bicycle and he wasnt even in a designated bike lane. And he gave me a $125 ticket.
You think you know the definition of pie. After all, is any dish more firmly ingrained in an Americans mind than a freshly made apple pie? Coming up with a workable definition of the dish should be as easy as  well, you get the idea.

But write out your best definition and those concrete images begin to crumble like a poorly made crust. Try this one: pie features a sweet or savory filling in a crust baked in a circular pan. What could possibly go wrong?

Get ready. If pie only needs a bottom crust, whats the difference between pie and a tart? What about pot pies, which only feature a top crust? Do portable hand pies count? Can you call it a pie if it uses a graham cracker crust? And what of shepherds pie, which forgoes a traditional crust altogether for mashed potatoes?

The more I looked into the question, the more confused I became. I reached out to three pie mavens I hoped could clear up the matter.

Paula Haney, owner of the acclaimed Hoosier Mama Pie Co. in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois, and author of The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie, takes a hard line, believing that pie absolutely has to have a traditional pie dough crust.

Im kind of a snot when it comes to pie, says Haney. It comes from a spending a lot of hours making and rolling dough. If you want to call it a pie, you better spend some time on it. If youve ever eaten one of her incredible pies, you know she does the work.

This ultimately means that some of the items Haney calls pie in her own shop dont even meet her strict definition. While she likes the flavor of crumb-shell crusts, like the kind used for a graham-cracker crust, she thinks they are more like a candy bar than a pie.

Haney also believes seasonality is important: Pie started as a way of preserving or utilizing what you had on hand. I think it would be best if it was kept to what is in season. Though Haney would love to more strictly follow that rule, she admits there would be a riot if apple pie were removed from the menu during the winter.

Kate McDermott, author of the recently released cookbook, Art of the Pie, agrees that pie started as a filling completely enclosed in dough, though this was done less for taste, and more for food storage purposes: It was like the original Tupperware. Fillings were baked into a very sturdy flour and water base, so it could help preserve it. This dense cover was actually referred to as a coffin in medieval England, if that gives you any sense of how the crust tasted.

The idea that the crust needs to completely encase the filling is one that a few fanatical voices make. A small group in England actually launched a government petition.

Maybe we should celebrate pies incredibly versatility, rather than worry about creating exacting standards for it. In food scholar Harold McGees On Food and Cooking, he writes that pie has less to do with doughs than with odds and ends; it came from magpie, a bird with variegated coloring that collects miscellaneous objects for its nest.

I dont think there is one answer, says McDermott. Pie represents so much to so many people.

Ken Haedrich, the self-proclaimed dean of thePieAcademy.com and author of Dinner Pies released last year, thinks the question misses the point: The fact that pie is generally accepted to be most any sweet or savory concoction, with one or two crusts, and baked in a pie or similar pan is perhaps the least compelling thing about it.

For Haedrich, pie has powers far beyond any strict definition: Pie is memories, pie brings us together, and when people gather around pie, political differences tend to fade away.

This feel-good answer appeals to McDermott too: Theres tradition under that crust. I have rolling pins that have helped make over a thousand pies. Its impossible to not to think of all those pies that have come before.
SIOUX CITY | Years ago, a holiday party tray may have consisted of deli meats, an uninspiring selection of cheeses plus a few crackers or pieces of bread.

Nowadays, such seasonal trays are made up of upscale fare designed to dazzle the hard-to-please nosher.

At least that's the opinion of Palmer Specialty Foods manager Jessica Rohde, who said charcuterie-inspired party trays will be a key component for this year's Christmas parties.

"Charcuteries have been popular in restaurants for quite a while," she said, inside her 405 Wesley Parkway store. "It's also becoming popular for home chefs."

In case you were wondering, characuterie is simply a French word meaning cold, cooked meats like sausages, confits or pates.

The meats are then paired with a variety of artisan cheeses, nuts, fruits and homemade or store-bought dipping sauce served on a charcuterie board.

In a nutshell: it falls into the category of fancy finger food.

That's good news for Rohde, who said such trays give guests the opportunity to try new foods.

"I wasn't into blue cheese but, now, I love it," she said. "Likewise, my taste leaned towards savory, but now I'm beginning to like sweet things as well."

"On a charcuterie board, you can have a balance between all sorts of food," Rohde added. "That allows your guests to eat whatever they want."

Grabbing a slate black charcuterie board, Rohde quickly positions flavorful meats like salami and prosciutto. As a counter-balance to such rich meats, she slices pieces of a tomato-basil cheddar cheese as well as a blue cheese which contain pieces of truffles.

Obviously, meats and cheese should be the stars of a meat and cheese tray. But what about the rest?

Rohde pours a handful of almonds onto the tray as well as an assortment of olives and prunes. In addition, she places an abundance of gluten-free crackers and opens up jars of honey and a spicy berry dipping sauce.

"The trick with charcuterie is that there's no trick," she said. "You can add whatever food you want and it will be fine."

For instance, Rohde said a person could substitute pate for prosciutto or get rid of the salami for some smoked salmon.

"I can see a person going for contrasts like including both sweet and savory foods on the same board," she said. "I can also see the appeal of a board filled with foods that are all made in the Midwest."

As the manager of a specialty foods business, Rohde said she attends conferences and conventions around the country. This give her an insight into what's going to be new or cutting-edge in the year to come.

Still, some things have withstood the passage time.

People will always enjoy meeting with friends and family for the holidays.

"Nothing says the holidays better than the foods that we enjoy," Rohde said. "It doesn't matter if you go upscale or make something traditional, the food will be delicious because it will come from your heart."
SIOUX CITY | A recent settlement agreement has pushed the city of Sioux City's costs to settle a series of lawsuits from a 2013 bus accident to nearly $100,000.

The Sioux City Council on Nov. 14 unanimously voted to pay Julie Young $55,000 to settle a lawsuit she filed in February 2015. Woodbury County District Court records show the lawsuit was dismissed on Nov. 21. It had been scheduled to go to trial next week.

It was the third lawsuit settlement stemming from the Feb. 26, 2013, bus accident, bringing the total paid out of the city's tort fund to $97,200.

Young was the driver of a Sioux City Community School District bus that was rear-ended by a city bus in the 3300 block of West 19th Street. Young had picked up students at West Middle School and West High School just before the accident occurred, resulting in injuries to Young and some children. The city bus also was transporting school children.

Young had sued the city for negligence.

In July, the city approved a $29,700 payment to the mother of a student who was injured in the accident. The school district also paid $3,300 to the mother, who had claimed that both Young and Craig Theeler, the city bus driver, were negligent in their operation of the buses.

In August 2015, the city paid a $12,500 settlement to the family of another child who was injured in the accident.
GRAND DETOUR, Ill. -- The worldwide John Deere empire began in a simple blacksmith shop in the little town of Grand Detour. That historic site has been preserved and is now a museum telling the amazing story of one man and an idea for a better plow.

John Deere was born in Rutland, Vermont, on Feb. 7, 1804. When John was just 4 years old, his father left the family and went to England hoping for a better life. He was never heard from again. John and his five siblings were raised by their mother.

John developed an early interest in working with his hands and at 17 he became a blacksmiths apprentice. Just four years later he set up his first blacksmith shop and for the next 12 years plied his trade in various towns around Vermont. But Deere fell on hard times and closed his shop. He was deeply in debt and with four children and another on the way, he didnt know how he would support his growing family. So like his father he left his family in search of a better life. In 1836 his friend Leonard Andrus told him the town of Grand Detour, Illinois, was growing rapidly, and the nearest blacksmith was 40 miles away. Deere moved to Grand Detour and was busy right from the start.

Kathy, a tour guide at the John Deere Historic Site, said Deere saw a problem with the plows being used by local farmers and found a solution. The plows they were using were made in the East. The plows were made of cast iron and the soil here would stick to the plows, said Kathy. She said Deere knew there had to be a better way and set out to find it.

In the East, the soil is light and sandy. Because the thick, black prairie soil of Illinois stuck to the plow blade, farmers had to stop every few yards and scrape the blade clean, making for slow and frustrating work.

John Deere was visiting a friend at his sawmill and noticed an old saw blade, said Kathy. He wondered if that steel blade would make a good plow. Deere took the blade, removed the teeth, polished it and shaped it into a plow. It worked and he gave his new design to a local farmer to try. The farmer loved it, and in 1840 Deere sold 40 plows. Farmers said the John Deere plow cut so smoothly through the soil it made a singing sound. They dubbed the new implement the singing plow.

After this initial success, Deere teamed with friend Leonard Andrus and formed the company Andrus and Deere. By 1846 production soared to 1,000.

In order to be closer to river power for his factory, Deere moved to Moline, Illinois, in 1848 and took on new partners to form John Deere and Company. The business continued to succeed and grow, but Deere wanted to own the company, and in the late 1850s he did. The John Deere Company then began to branch out into making other types of farm equipment.

When most people today think of John Deere they think of tractors, but Kathy said Deere never saw one. John Deere died before the company started making tractors.

In 1963 an archaeological team excavated the original site where John Deere forged his first self-cleaning plow. The site has been carefully documented and preserved so visitors can see where Deere had his first blacksmith shop. The archaeologists found the footings for the buildings and marked off the area. A building was constructed over the site to preserve it, and a museum in the building houses the many artifacts that were uncovered during the excavation.

Also on the grounds of the site is an operating blacksmith shop where demonstrations of the art of blacksmithing are conducted daily. Eric, a blacksmith at the John Deere Historic Site, said that in days gone by the blacksmith was an important part of rural life. The blacksmith not only fixed things like wagon wheels but he also made a lot of what families used every day. During a demonstration Eric made several decorative items used by people in the 1800s such as a portion of a fence gate.

The original John Deere home built in 1836 is near the blacksmith shop. It was here John and his wife raised their eight children and boarded apprentice blacksmiths in the six-room home.

Not far from the home is the gift shop, where items forged in the blacksmith shop are for sale along with clothing, hats and other John Deere memorabilia.
On World AIDS Day, Thursday, December 1 at the Robertson Auditorium in San Francisco, amfAR will hold a community update on progress toward an HIV cure, featuring leading researchers from the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research.

"The global AIDS epidemic is far from over and it will not be ended without a vaccine and a cure. The only way to achieve either of those is with continued investments in both basic and clinical research. Substantial progress has been made in HIV cure research in particular, and there is some confidence in the scientific community that a cure can be achieved," amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost told EDGE.

Frost joins an esteemed panel of speakers, including Steven Deeks, M.D., Professor of Medicine, UCSF; Peter Hunt, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, UCSF; Satish Pillai, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, Associate Investigator, Blood Systems Research Institute; Matt Sharp, HIV Treatment Advocate Paul Volberding, M.D., Professor of Medicine, UCSF, Director, UCSF AIDS Research Institute, Co-Director, UCSF-Gladstone Center for AIDS Research; and Warner C. Greene, M.D., Ph.D., Director and Nick and Susan Hellman Distinguished Professor of Translational Medicine, Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, UCSF, Co-Director, UCSF-Gladstone Center for AIDS Research.

The 2016 HIV Cure Summit is a community research briefing sponsored by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and intended for the general public. The World AIDS Day event will bring together some of the world's leading HIV/AIDS scientists and experts from the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research to provide updates on recent progress toward a cure for HIV.

Worldwide it is estimated that nearly 37 million people are infected with HIV. Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) can help people live longer and healthier lives, but it cannot eliminate the virus.

Launched on the eve of World AIDS Day in 2015, amfAR established the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The Institute is the cornerstone of amfAR's $100 million cure research investment strategy to foster innovation among collaborative research teams, with the goal of developing the scientific basis for a cure by 2020.

The amfAR Institute for HIV Cure Research aims to advance groundbreaking biomedical and clinical research toward the development of a cure for HIV/AIDS by bringing together leading cure researchers in the Bay Area and Northwest region and enabling teams of researchers to work collaboratively, across institutions and across disciplines, to address the key challenges that must be overcome to affect a cure.

Frost said that this is more important than ever, noting that, "the NIH is a critically important leader in this effort, and cuts in funding for AIDS research at NIH will stall progress toward a cure, leading to millions of avoidable deaths and perpetuating the global epidemic for decades to come."

The HIV Cure Summit will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 1, at Robertson Auditorium, UCSF Mission Bay Campus, 1675 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA. The event is FREE, and will be streamed on Facebook Live.
As of Sept. 30 Florida held 22 people in prison under HIV Criminalization (HC) laws. Of those 22 inmates, courts sentenced five only for violating HC Laws. Courts sentenced 12 for related charges as well as HC charges. Courts sentenced another five for HIV-positive has sex, two or more violations.

Floridas prisons hold HC inmates under four HC categories: Criminal Transmission of HIV; HIV-Positive Has Sex - two or more Violations; HIV-Positive Has Sex; and Tissue Donation by HIV Positive Person. These laws generally criminalize failure to verbally disclose their HIV status.

Courts sentenced the woman in one case of Criminal Transmission of HIV, to six years. In the one case of Tissue Donation by HIV Positive Person, courts sentenced the woman to eight years. Sentences for HIV-Positive Has Sex - two or more Violations ranged from two to 29 years. Sentences for HIV-Positive Has Sex range from two to 99 years.

Courts convicted five people solely for violating HIV-criminalization laws. As their conviction depends primarily on HC laws, they can be thought of as primary HC inmates. When their HIV crime is secondary to another offense, those inmates can be thought of as secondary HC inmates. Secondary HC inmates tend to be co-convicted of serious charges such as sexual battery. These 12 cases have longer sentences, part of a throw the book at them strategy. It is not clear whether courts sentenced the five HIV-positive has sex, two or more violations for two or more non-HC violations or for two or more HC violations.

The five primary HC inmates consist of four males and one female. Courts convicted the female for Tissue Donation by Person with HIV. She has an eight-year sentence. All the males are Black. Convicted for HIV-Positive Has Sex, their sentences ranged from two to four years.

All secondary HC inmates have HC charges of Criminal Transmission of HIV, HIV-Positive Has Sex - two or more Violations, or HIV-Positive Has Sex.

Courts co-convicted six secondary HC inmates of sex with a minor. Five are male, one Black, one Latino, and three whites. The one female is Black.

Courts co-convicted five male secondary HC inmates of sexual battery, one Black and four whites. Two were also co-convicted of sex with a minor.

Courts co-convicted one secondary HC inmate, a male, of felony battery.

Courts co-convicted one secondary HC inmate, a Black male, of burglary of an unoccupied house.

Courts co-convicted one secondary HC inmate, a Black female, of felony prostitution, 3rd Conviction. She is also the only person convicted under the charge of Criminal Transmission of HIV.

Courts convicted five male secondary HC inmates, of HIV-positive has sex two or more violations, four Black and one white. Some, but not all, of these five have multiple charges in the same court case. Others may have had past convictions.

Broward has two HC inmates. One has a 2-year sentence. The other a 15-year sentence.

Miami-Dade has one secondary HC inmate serving a 13-year sentence. Palm Beach and Monroe Counties have no HC inmates.

Courts convict people living with HIV of charges other than HIV Criminalization laws. In September 2016, the Florida prison system held 3,953 HIV-positive inmates. If Floridas prison system were a county, it would have the eighth largest HIV-positive population among Floridas counties.

This will be an on-going investigation into HIV criminalization laws in Florida.
In September 2016, the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA2016) occurred in Hollywood, Florida. The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) organized it. Drug manufacturers, Gilead, Merck, ViiV and others provided financial sponsorship.

While antiretroviral treatment (ART) has saved millions of lives, drug companies charge exorbitant prices for ART. This has not made them popular, despite their coupons and various discounts. The drug companies have priced Hepatitis C treatments even higher. Gilead charges $94,500 for a 12-week treatment for Hepatitis C. A mark-up like that would even embarrass Nieman-Marcus.

These high costs absorb large shares of HIV spending, leaving less for other HIV programs. These same drug companies fund HIV conferences, HIV media, and LGBT media.

At a lunch session, this tension surfaced. The session was to feature a Todrick Hall performance and speakers, including former MSNBC host, Melissa Harris-Perry. Just before the session began, about twenty people took the stage. They were chanting Fight Pharma. They denounced Gileads enormous profits as well as its potential influence on the conference. After roughly fifteen minutes, the protest ended. Hall and the scheduled speakers went on. This tension had become visible.

Jeremiah Johnson, HIV Prevention, Research, and Policy Coordinator of the Treatment Action Group spoke at the protest. The next day, he agreed to an interview. Johnson said he had concerns about the presence that Gilead has at this conference. He felt that presence could discourage discussion of drug cost.

According to Johnson, an earlier incident illustrated this problem. At a workshop on barriers to hepatitis C treatment, a moderator had prevented Johnson from discussing drug costs.

A similar protest had occurred at the Durban International AIDS Conference. The marchers had demanded that medicines should be in the public domain rather than patented. He noted, Internationally, there's no question that these patents are rigged to create enormous problems for low- and middle-income countries. Johnson said that the multiple coverage systems in the U.S. obscure the cost of ART.

This tension may have stood out more at this conference than at others. USCA2016 focused on the social determinants of health. Social determinants cause certain diseases to cluster in certain communities.

Some people think of health as an individual possession. Others look at health as a social process or a community resource. People with this view, focus on why certain diseases cluster within certain groups of people. For example, HIV infection tends to cluster in two groups: Black People; and Gay and Bi Men. Among Gay and Bi Men, Black Gay and Bi Men have much higher rates of HIV infection and have less access to treatment.

NMAC advocates opening up discussions about race within the HIV communities. It recognizes that people with HIV cannot wait for the resolution of all U.S. race issues. The dynamics of race may be central to reversing the epidemic. Race affects who becomes infected and who has access to treatment. While NMAC advocates leading with race, its approach is inclusive of other races, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

Another lunchtime session focused on the affects that Puerto Ricos economic crisis has had on its HIV epidemic. USCA2016 had tracks on PrEP, Transwomen, Gay men, Women and HIV, and People living with HIV.

The social determinants of HIV were on full display at USCA2016. When a profiteer of the epidemic funds a conference focusing on social determinants, other tensions go on display. If no other funders exist, these may have to become creative tensions from which movements grow

To learn more about NMAC, please visit Nmac.org.
Thursday, Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, and Compass, the LGBT community center of Palm Beach County, is getting ready to unveil their annual portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt  which, at 126 panels, makes it the largest section of the Memorial Quilt in Florida.

The quilt is displayed in a very unique way, with panels hanging from the ceilings and the walls, Compass CEO Tony Plakas said. It makes a sort of tunnel, and it has a museum feel to it; as you walk through it there is a very somber and contemplative atmosphere. It is a tradition that we care very much about.

According to Compass, 35 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Over 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV, and there are currently 8,197 people living with HIV/AIDS in Palm Beach County alone.

World AIDS day is an opportunity for people to unite all over the world in the fight against the disease and to let people show their support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate people who have died, according to WorldAIDSday.org.

In recognition of World AIDS Day each year, Compass hosts a ceremony which includes the quilt display, a candle light vigil, and a performance by the Voices of Pride, the gay mens chorus of Palm Beach County.

Two weeks worth of community events join local community based organizations and several area churches together to engage the community in becoming a part of a global impact to end AIDS, the Compass website reads. In an effort to work closer with national and local initiatives to provide Palm Beach county with resources, Compass World AIDS Day promotes awareness about HIV and how to live a stronger and healthier life.

In terms of the quilt, Plakas said that everyone is affected differently, as everyone has had a different experience with HIV/AIDS. While the Memorial installment is a place for people to come together in solidarity, it also serves as an opportunity for those unfamiliar with AIDS to see firsthand how the community is affected, and how far it has come since the earlier days of the disease.

We understand that HIV doesnt discriminate, that we have a history of taking care of each other, standing with each other when everyone else had abandoned us, Plakas said. We are reaching out to younger crowds who dont have the history we do  who werent affected like we were. We always try to find a way to give the Memorial Quilt the respect it deserves.

Plakas stressed the strength of the community surrounding the quilt, for those involved in setting it up as well as the people who donate the panels to be displayed.

The quilt is a vehicle to share stories of loved ones lost to AIDS, Plakas said. You start thinking about what these people have to say. It makes it real."

The AIDS Memorial Quilt offers a unique opportunity to educate people about HIV/AIDS and infection prevention, to remember those who have died, and to comfort the grieving and help them heal, reads a personal experience with the quilt on the Compass website. By showing the humanity behind the statistics, the AIDS Memorial Quilt encourages compassion and inspires personal involvement in combatting the AIDS epidemic.

This year, Plakas is excited to share that Macys will be a sponsor of the Memorial Quilt display, and takes it as a sign that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is receiving more mainstream support.

Macys as a mainstream brand proves that things like this have taken off, which makes us excited and proud of what weve accomplished, Plakas said. This is an opportunity to attract more people to the center who may not have necessarily visited before.

With recent medical breakthroughs and more media attention on the topic of HIV/AIDS, Plakas and Compass are hopeful that more people will strive to get involved in the community by coming out to see the Memorial Quilt.

I cant explain the feelings that you have when you see the quilt, Plakas said. My entire career has changed because of the quilt. The only way to understand  the only way I can explain it is that people have to come and see it for themselves.
Next week, Miami will become the center of the contemporary art universe, thanks to the phenomenal growth of Art Basel Miami Beach, an exclusive annual show for collectors, Dec. 1 - 4 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

While the rich and famous flock to the signature event, Art Week Miami, featuring dozens of satellite fairs and special events from Coral Gables to Miami Beach, Midtown, Wynwood and the Design District draws even more art lovers. This year, Art Week Miami is being celebrated Nov. 30  Dec. 4.

When the doors close at the convention center and exhibition tents, the action is just getting started as galleries, hotels and studio spaces across the city host receptions, parties and late night exhibits. DJs spin tunes well into the wee hours of the night at the most popular venues.

Heres your quick guide to Art Basel Miami Beach and major Art Week Miami shows:

Art Basel Miami Beach

Miami Beach Convention Center

$50 one day/$105 multiple days with advance online purchase

Art Basel Miami Beach is among the most important art shows in the U.S., drawing exhibitors from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and specializing in contemporary and modern art, as well as works by emerging artists. MiamiBeach.ArtBasel.com

Art Week Miami Satellite Art Fairs

AQUA Miami



1530 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

$20

AQUA, held at one of SoBes toniest Art Deco hotels, is one of the most popular fairs for emerging art during Miami Art Week. AquaArtMiami.com

Art Miami

NE 1st Ave. & NE 34th St., Miami

$30

Known as Miamis premier anchor fair, Art Miami kicks off the opening day of Art Week - the first week of December when thousands of collectors, dealers, curators, and artists descend upon Miami. Art-Miami.com

ArtSpot Miami International Art Fair

1700 NE 2nd Ave., Miami

$20

ArtSpot International is a stand-alone art fair that showcases innovative and alternative contemporary and modern art. ArtSpotMiami.com

CONTEXT Art Miami

NE 1st Ave. & NE 34th St., Miami

$30

CONTEXT is dedicated to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists and serves as a platform for the presentation of cutting-edge talent by emerging and established galleries. ContextArtMiami.com

Design Miami

Meridian Ave. & 19th St., Miami Beach

$25 - 30

Design Miami is dedicated to a global forum for design and, in its second decade, celebrates growing interest in the work of the 70s and 80s. DesignMiami.com

Fridge Art Fair (Mini-Fridge)

1440 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach

Free

Eric Ginsburgs famed New York Fridge Art Fair moves to Miami Beach this year to the Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive. Mini-Fridge offers a curated show and sale, open 24/7 from Nov. 27  Dec. 4. FridgeArtFair.com

INK Miami Art Fair

1850 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

Free

INK is unique among Miamis fairs for its focus on contemporary works on paper by internationally renowned artists and sponsored by the International Fine Print Dealers Association. InkArtFair.com

Miami Project

6625 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach

$15 - 35

Miami Project will again present a selection of historically important and cutting-edge contemporary works with a unique emphasis on the strength of individual exhibitors programs, irrespective of their primary focus. Miami-Project.com

Miami River Art Fair

400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami

Free

Miami River Art Fair is providing a unique experience, featuring both an indoor booth setting at the Riverfront Hall of the Miami Convention Center and the one-of-a-kind Riverwalk Sculpture Mall, featuring works from around the world. MiamiRiverArtFair.com

NADA Art Fair

6701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

$20

Founded in 2002, the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) is a not-for-profit collective of professionals working with contemporary art and is recognized as a much needed alternative assembly of the worlds youngest and strongest art galleries. NewArtDealers.org

PULSE Miami

4601 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

$25

This fair is divided into two sections and is comprised of a mix of established and emerging galleries vetted by a committee of prominent international dealers. Pulse-Art.com

RedDot Miami

$25 - 30

1700 NE 2nd Ave., Miami

Building upon its reputation as a diverse fair, Red Dot will once again offer a unique selection of approximately 60 galleries exhibiting painting, sculpture, photography and fine-art objects.

RedDotFair.com

Scope Miami Beach

801 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach

$35

Over 100 exhibitors and 20 selected breeder program galleries will present groundbreaking work, alongside SCOPEs special programming, encompassing music, design and fashion. Scope-Art.com

SPECTRUM Miami

1700 NE 2nd Ave., Miami

$25

SPECTRUM, a juried show, is where contemporary meets extraordinary in the heart of Miamis Performing Arts District, featuring live music and plenty of parties. Spectrum-Miami.com

Superfine! House of Art & Design

56 NE 29th St., Miami

$7.77

One of the newer satellite fairs, Superfine! is the first to set up in Miamis emerging Little Haiti neighborhood. Superfine.world

Untitled.

Ocean Dr. & 12th St., Miami Beach

$20 - 30

This fair presents a selection of international galleries and not-for-profit spaces, positioned side by side to create a less segregated fair installation.

Art-Untitled.com

LGBT Interest

A Queen Within

2215 NW 2nd Ave., Miami

Free

Barrett Barrera Projects will showcase fashions exploring femininity and storytelling, including extremely rare pieces from one of the worlds largest private collections of Alexander McQueen. The exhibition also features garments, photography, film, and artwork by Gianfranco Ferre, Gucci, Hussein Chalayan, Iris van Herpen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Viktor & Rolf, all known for their daring designs.

For more information about Art Basel and Art Week Miami events, go to ArtBasel.com/Miami

Beach and MiamiAndBeaches.com.
Twenty-five years ago, I guess when I was relevantI was asked by Center One to deliver an address on World AIDS Day at the Esplanade in Fort Lauderdale. I delivered a talk about young people carelessly contracting HIV.

I found that speech this week. Sadly, there is not much I would change. I pointed out that young adults were becoming more comfortable with their sexual identity; more accepting of homosexuality. Unfortunately, I said, with all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips, the AIDS virus was still spreading too rapidly amongst young people.

At the time, reports from the Center for Disease Control indicated that adolescent AIDS cases represented about 20 percent of all reported cases in Miami. Today, South Florida is still one of the national epicenters of the HIV virus, notwithstanding facts, funding and foundations like AHF, Care Resource, the late Center One, Latinos Salud, Broward House, Poverello, and how many more- reminding us daily we have to be safer?

Gabriel Rotello is an author who explained years ago, when he wrote a book entitled Sexual Ecology. He said correctly "Sex drives our politics and erotics, gives us our modern identity, provides the mortar of much of our community, and animates our lives. Witness the White Party last week. When will we need a White Party no more?

We have learned so much, but the Pride Center is today running programs about meth abuse and sexual carelessness. We have heard of sex parties on South Beach. We know of bare backing cults. We know of bug chasers. We know of complacency and comfort with cocktails. We know young people think they are invincible, whether driving cars or their anatomy. But whether you are 16 or 60, you gotta wake up. It can happen to you. It doesnt take a bathhouse to become positive. It can happen in your bedroom, after one cocktail too many. You have to think with the right head.

The new gay growth hormone in South Beach is a self-indulgent Calvin Klein cocktaila combination of GHB, Special K, a touch of crystal, and some ecstasy. Reckless, rocking and sweating to house music at all hours of the day and night, with bottled water in hand, at least alcohol is out and fitness is in. But so is free, unprotected sex. When did "condoms" become a dirty word? Oh, I wrote those words 25 years ago. So what is different today?

I get that many young people dont read papers anymore, but this column will be online. Dont make a mistake tonight you will have to live with tomorrow. Be more careful, act more cautiously, and avoid the consequences. Stay somewhat sober. Outside of getting a guaranteed prescription for medical marijuana, there are not too many advantages in acquiring HIV.

If I were to give a speech this year, 25 years after being on the Esplanade in Fort Lauderdale, I know I would say this. AIDS is no longer a death sentence. In fact, with a greater worldwide commitment from governments across this world, our researchers and scientists can sentence AIDS to death. We have made enormous progress, and at times it seems as if we are on the cusp of a cure. There is hope on the horizon.

In the meantime, we are now living in a world where we are actually fighting AIDS instead of people with AIDS. When I stood on that platform in Fort Lauderdale 25 long years ago, we were firing librarians with HIV because we were afraid they could transmit the virus by handing books to others. Thats the way it was. It should not surprise you. 35 years before that, America was curing homosexuality with electro shock therapy. The rainbow culture has never been Americas favorite.

I get that there is sex education in the schools, and homosexuality is more acceptable in our community. But unfortunately, so too are we normalizing the HIV virus. No, lets not become comfortable with a condition which causes you to live on meds, with doctors, and in treatment. Its an unfair price to pay for making love. Lets make making love safe again.

As young gay men and women are learning, there is a social acceptance of your sexuality today as never before in American history. You have the ability to be open without public censure, honest without becoming a social outcast. Take advantage of it in a healthy way. Make your presence heard and felt. Be open about safe sex. Force people to deal with you up front before you have sex. Do not be afraid to shake the boat. It will be sturdier for it.

We should never have been the targets of legal discrimination because of a medical condition. We should never have had to fight for our rights politically so we were treated medicinally. But we have moved from those days.

We dont need to make the HIV virus a permanent fixture in our evolving landscape. Lets remember those who have passed by fighting like hell for those who are still here.

Lets get to the day when we can celebrate the cure, and say goodbye to the crisis.

Lets get to the day when we look back on World AIDS Days, and not look forward. 25 years later, thats what I would say today.
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.




Weird Quantum Property of Empty Space ESO

A team led by Roberto Mignani from INAF Milan (Italy) and from the University of Zielona Gora (Poland), used ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile to observe the neutron star RX J1856.5-3754, about 400 light-years from Earth.

Despite being amongst the closest neutron stars, its extreme dimness meant the astronomers could only observe the star with visible light using the FORS2 instrument on the VLT, at the limits of current telescope technology.

Neutron stars are the very dense remnant cores of massive stars  at least 10 times more massive than our Sun  that have exploded as supernovae at the ends of their lives. They also have extreme magnetic fields, billions of times stronger than that of the Sun, that permeate their outer surface and surroundings.

These fields are so strong that they even affect the properties of the empty space around the star. Normally a vacuum is thought of as completely empty, and light can travel through it without being changed. But in quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time. Very strong magnetic fields can modify this space so that it affects the polarisation of light passing through it.

Mignani explains: According to QED, a highly magnetised vacuum behaves as a prism for the propagation of light, an effect known as vacuum birefringence.

IMAGE: This artists view shows how the light coming from the surface of a strongly magnetic neutron star (left) becomes linearly polarized as it travels through the vacuum of space close to the star on its way to the observer on Earth (right). The polarization of the observed light in the extremely strong magnetic field suggests that the empty space around the neutron star is subject to a quantum effect known as vacuum birefringence, a prediction of quantum electrodynamics (QED). This effect was predicted in the 1930s but has not been observed before. The magnetic and electric field directions of the light rays are shown by the red and blue lines. Model simulations by Roberto Taverna (University of Padua, Italy) and Denis Gonzalez Caniulef (UCL/MSSL, UK) show how these align along a preferred direction as the light passes through the region around the neutron star. As they become aligned the light becomes polarized, and this polarization can be detected by sensitive instruments on Earth.

Among the many predictions of QED, however, vacuum birefringence so far lacked a direct experimental demonstration. Attempts to detect it in the laboratory have not yet succeeded in the 80 years since it was predicted in a paper by Werner Heisenberg (of uncertainty principle fame) and Hans Heinrich Euler.

This effect can be detected only in the presence of enormously strong magnetic fields, such as those around neutron stars. This shows, once more, that neutron stars are invaluable laboratories in which to study the fundamental laws of nature. says Roberto Turolla (University of Padua, Italy).

After careful analysis of the VLT data, Mignani and his team detected linear polarisation  at a significant degree of around 16%  that they say is likely due to the boosting effect of vacuum birefringence occurring in the area of empty space surrounding RX J1856.5-3754 [2].

Vincenzo Testa (INAF, Rome, Italy) comments: This is the faintest object for which polarisation has ever been measured. It required one of the largest and most efficient telescopes in the world, the VLT, and accurate data analysis techniques to enhance the signal from such a faint star.

The high linear polarisation that we measured with the VLT cant be easily explained by our models unless the vacuum birefringence effects predicted by QED are included, adds Mignani.

This VLT study is the very first observational support for predictions of these kinds of QED effects arising in extremely strong magnetic fields, remarks Silvia Zane (UCL/MSSL, UK).

Mignani is excited about further improvements to this area of study that could come about with more advanced telescopes: Polarisation measurements with the next generation of telescopes, such as ESOs European Extremely Large Telescope, could play a crucial role in testing QED predictions of vacuum birefringence effects around many more neutron stars.

This measurement, made for the first time now in visible light, also paves the way to similar measurements to be carried out at X-ray wavelengths, adds Kinwah Wu (UCL/MSSL, UK).

Notes

[1] This object is part of the group of neutron stars known as the Magnificent Seven. They are known as isolated neutron stars (INS), which have no stellar companions, do not emit radio waves (like pulsars), and are not surrounded by progenitor supernova material.

[2] There are other processes that can polarise starlight as it travels through space. The team carefully reviewed other possibilities  for example polarisation created by scattering off dust grains  but consider it unlikely that they produced the polarisation signal observed.

More information

This research was presented in the paper entitled Evidence for vacuum birefringence from the first optical polarimetry measurement of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5?3754, by R. Mignani et al., to appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The team is composed of R.P. Mignani (INAF  Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica Milano, Milano, Italy; Janusz Gil Institute of Astronomy, University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Gora, Poland), V. Testa (INAF  Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio, Italy), D. Gonzalez Caniulef (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK), R. Taverna (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Padova, Padova, Italy), R. Turolla (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universita di Padova, Padova, Italy; Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK), S. Zane (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK) and K. Wu (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK).

ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the worlds most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the worlds most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the worlds largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become the worlds biggest eye on the sky.

Links

* Research paper  http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1641/eso1641a.pdf
As of Nov. 21, 2016, there are three spacecraft are docked at the station including the Soyuz MS-02 and MS-03 crew vehicles and the Progress 64 resupply ship. Two more spaceships will arrive in December. Credit: NASA. NASA

The Expedition 50 crew is getting ready to receive a shipment of space supplies Saturday after Russia launches the Progress 65 cargo craft Thursday morning. The final space delivery of the year will be Dec. 13 when the Kounotori HTV-6 resupply ship arrives four days after its launch from Tanegashima, Japan.

Inside the International Space Station, Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson installed aerosol samplers to collect airborne particles for analysis on Earth. Scientists will study the samples using specialized techniques with powerful microscopes.

Commander Shane Kimbrough is setting up science gear inside Japans Kibo lab module to study the fundamental physics of surface tension where liquid and gas meet. The experiment known as Marangoni Ultrasonic Velocity Profiler-2 may improve industrial processes and products on Earth and in space.

New astronaut Thomas Pesquet, from the European Space Agency, strapped himself into the Muscle Atrophy Research and Exercise System chair for a study of his calf muscle and Achilles tendon. On Earth, that area carries loads from the entire human body. He conducted a series of ankle exercises while attached to sensors to monitor any changes in that area caused by living in space.

On-Orbit Status Report

Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) Operations: On GMT 333, upon powering up the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) for RELL ops, the Dexterous Manipulator Control Software (DMCS) Payload Status showed Unloaded for ORU Tool Changeout Mechanism (OTCM) 2 instead of Secure which was unexpected since it was captured to Robotic Micro Conical Tool (RMCT) 2. Root cause was traced to software changes made with the Mount Logan software patch. Ground teams agreed to completely rolling back the original software MSS 8.3 software version (pre-Mt Logan). Overnight the team successfully re-installed a pre-Mt. Logan version of MSS software, and reinitialized the SPDM. OTCM2 is now showing secure (versus the earlier improper unloaded signature). This allowed ground controllers to perform the RELL operations that were originally planned yesterday. The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock (JEMAL) slide table with the RELL package was extended. Ground Controllers then grasped the RELL with the SPDM and began the checkout by pointing RELL towards deep space in order to scan a clean environment as a baseline, and data is being collected. Tomorrow will begin the planned surveys. RELL is an instrumentation package that is maneuvered externally by the SSRMS/SPDM to detect local pressure variations to help in locating a leak. For this demonstration, a predetermined scan/survey procedure will be executed that characterized the ISS environment and scans various ISS elements containing ammonia lines and systems. Planned operations later this week will also attempt to identify the source of the white flakes that have been noticed on downlink video.

Marangoni Ultrasonic Velocity Profiler-2 (UVP2) Installation: The crew began the installation activities for the next Marangoni experiment in the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility (FPEF) within the Japanese Experiment Modules (JEMs) Ryutai Rack. The crew cleaned the FPEF Infrared (IR) Imager forward and downward mirrors, then installed the Marangoni-UVP-2 cassette. The crew then connected cables and performed leak checks. Spatio-temporal Flow Structure in Marangoni Convection (Marangoni-UVP) investigates the fundamental physics of surface tension where liquid and gas meet. Specifically, it investigates a phenomenon known as Marangoni convection, a type of flow that is driven by temperature differences at the liquid and gas interface. The FPEF enables observations of liquid and gas flow in three dimensions, and the microgravity environment on the ISS provides an ideal setting to study convection. Improved understanding of liquid flow physics could lead to more efficient industrial processes, semiconductors, optical materials and biological materials for use in space and on Earth.

Sarcolab-3: After successfully configuring the Muscle Atrophy Research & Exercise System (MARES) in the Columbus module yesterday, today the crew will begin the three day operations phase of joint-NASA-ESA-Russia Sarcolab experiment. Today the subject ingressed MARES, followed by the operator performing ultrasound measurements of the right calf muscle, with remote guidance and direction assistance from ground specialists. The subject then donned Percutaneus Electrical Muscle Stimulator (PEMS), for electrical stimulation at rest and during voluntary muscle contraction, and Electromyography (EMG) electrodes to measure calf muscle and tendon response at the ankle (calf muscle insertion). The MARES equipment and software is used to measure calf strength during spaceflight; the inflight data will then be compared to preflight and postflight measurements to measure the impact of a hypothesized microgravity induced muscle loss. The goal of the Myotendinous and Neuromuscular Adaptation to Long-term Spaceflight (Sarcolab) investigation is to advance the understanding of muscle function and atrophy in space. Results will contribute to further improvement of countermeasures for long duration spaceflight.

Aerosol Sampler Deployment: The crew will deploy seven passive and two active Aerosol Samplers in various locations around the ISS. Aerosols are small particles suspended in the air, and in Earths atmosphere, aerosols include soot, dust, pollen and a wide range of other natural and human-made materials. But smoke does not rise and dust does not settle in microgravity the way they do on Earth, causing aerosols to behave differently and pose hazards for crew members breathing the air. The Aerosol Sampling Experiment (Aerosol Sampler) collects airborne particles in the International Space Stations (ISS) cabin air, and returns them to Earth so scientists can study the particles with powerful microscopes. For this experiment, particles collected on the cabin air samples are analyzed using a variety of microscopic techniques including: light microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, computer controlled scanning electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Todays Planned Activities

All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.

??-11. Biochemical blood test.

Fluid Shifts DPOAE Data Transfer

Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test  Subject

Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup

JEM Mesh Cover-Return Grille Cleaning

Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test  Subject

Aerosol Passive Samplers Hardware Installation

Human Research Facility Ultrasound 2 set up and power on

MARES Ankle Shaving Preparation

CONTURE-2. Experiment Ops (Session 1). Data Archiving and Hardware Power down.

MARES Ultrasound session

XF305 Camcorder Setup

Marangoni Inside (MI) Preparation

Aerosol Samplers Battery Charge

MARES subject electrodes equipment and start of Crew Guided Procedure

Ultrasound 2 Guided Data Export

MARES subject electrodes equipment assistance

Checkout of the installed ???-? Cable-Insert.

Marangoni Inside (MI) Cassette Installation

Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification

Marangoni Inside (MI) Core Installation

Private Medical Conference (PMC)

Human Research Facility Ultrasound 2 power off and stowage

MARES and Laptop Power OFF

Aerosol Active Samplers Hardware Installation

CONTURE-2. Hardware activation, Experiment Session 2. Hardware Removal.

Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain Init

Aerosol Active Samplers Hardware Photography

ISS Crew Orientation

Preparing for Troubleshooting FGB Power Supply System and ???? devices.

Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain Termination and Sample

SPHERES Tether Demo Test Session Review

DAN. Experiment Ops.

DAN. Experiment Operator Assistance

Crew Medical Officer (CMO) On Board Training (OBT)

Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config LAB Setup

PAO Preparation

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD)  Lab

24-hour ECG Recording (start)

??? maintenance

Body Measures Equipment Gather

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test

Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Operations Overview

SPLANKH. Preparation for Experiment

Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification

Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Hardware Gather

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) WSTA Fill

Completed Task List Items

Plug-in-Plan Label Cupola UOP

Manufacturing Device Feedstock Canister, Extruder And Print Tray Exchange

IV Fluid Demonstration

Zero-G Soft Rack (ZSR) Door Fit Check

In-flight Maintenance (IFM) Ku Comm Unit Labeling

Ground Activities

All activities are on schedule unless otherwise noted.

RELL Operations

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 11/30: RELL Ops, Marangoni (MI) Setup, Sarcolab, SODI DCS stow, Body Measures

Thursday, 12/01: RELL Ops, SPHERES Tether, Sarcolab, Packed Bed Reactor Exp (PBRE) setup

Friday, 12/02: HTV Rendezvous OBT, ELF Clean & Sample Exchange, VEGI Harvest

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  On

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Idle

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Process

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Full Up
In a time where forced #PSL season commercialism and a nonsense controversy around red printed cups have exhausted the minds of coffee consumers, Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles are going their own way.

Shop owners Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski are big turkey day fans; whether they are true Starbucks fans, however, is another matter. In homage (or perhaps parody) to the annual glut of Holiday sugar drinks from Starbucks, Babinski and Glanville have created a new tradition: a one-day-only menu of Starbucks-themed holiday drinks, served each year on Thanksgiving.

The service began four years ago, back in G&Bs pop-up days at SQIRL. With much of Los Angeles closed for business that day, the duo decided instead to remain open, offering patrons a place to drink coffee and perhaps avoid family if necessary. The idea was to do a special thing, and we thought, like, 10 people would show up and we got our butts kicked, Babsinski remembers.

Since then, the yearly Starbucksification of Glanville & Babinskis menu has become an event in its own right, planned for months in advance with collaborators like Chelsea Scott, Go Get Em Tigers pastry chef. From casual brainstorming and tossing ideas to serious meetings and discussion over ingredient preparation (all of which gets made in house, of course), the planning begins as early as June.

The closer we get to the actual day the closer we go kind of crazy, Scott admits. It always gets a little out of control. We always end up being super ambitious with what we end up doing.

The thing took off and became something thats like our Super Bowl, Babinski affirms. Its a big event for us.

When we talk holiday drink items from Starbucks, were not just talking syrups mixed into coffee. This years pumpkin spice latte homage featured a miniature house-made kabocha squash & whipped cream pie, resting flakily atop a cup of steamed milk, espresso, house pumpkin spice syrup and nutmeg caramel. One did not simply sip this drink; you had to take a spoon and stab this sucker, pie collapsing into the warm beverage below, with sweet bits crumbling softly into the steaming glass.

The festive creme brulee latte was similarly elaborate: a glass of custard pudding milk tea made with Song Teas Old Tree Yunnan, topped with a breakable rum custard sugar seal. Or what about the humble peppermint mocha? At GGET it came served in an edible three-ounce Chocolate Medansky cup, containing a single shot of 49th Parallel espresso, mint whipped cream and candied mint leaf. Sip your drink, then chase it by eating the cup whole.

Each year offers a new set of flavors and concepts for the cafe to play with, hanging out alongside annual returning favorites. Their bottled espresso-spiked eggnog latte returns each year, and is a crowd favorite. But the most popular offering in 2016for both staff and guests alikewas without a doubt the Cup of Toffee latte.

With branding mirroring a Nissin Cup of Noodles, the Cup of Toffee was served with dry and wet ingredients. in the cup you got sticks of housemade toffee and a sprinkling of Sudden Coffee, todays updated version ready-to-drink instant coffee. On the side youre given a little cup of steamed almond macadamia milk. Pour the hot milk into the dry ingredients, combine, and eat, using coffee stir sticks as a kind of poor mans chopstick to fish out the toffee ribbons. This ramen-esque beverage is their most singular drink yet.

Chelsea Scott says, It was just one of those things where we were laughing so much just thinking about it, and making it actually happen was a lot of fun. Guests were also able to pre-order some of Scotts own pies for pick-up on that day, with flavors like kabocha pumpkin and brown butter pecan. Some 250 pies were prepared by Scott and her team in the two days leading up to Thanksgiving.

With baristas mixing furiously in Christmas sweaters, paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, and NSYNCs holiday album on the speakers, the Thanksgiving tradition at Go Get Em Tiger shows no signs of stopping. Indeed, its become something of a certifiable coffee tradition in Los Angeles, a community gathering in a city where the coffee scene can still feel brand new. This event is about so much more than just one day in November; its no wonder they start thinking about it in June.

Katrina Yentch is a Sprudge contributor based in Los Angeles. Read more Katrina Yentch on Sprudge.

Photos by Jesse Tenorio courtesy of Go Get Em Tiger. Top photo by Katrina Yentch for Sprudge Media Network.
Paris, November 29, 2016 (SPS) - France supports the search for a "just, lasting and mutually agreed" solution to Western Sahara conflict, reaffirmed on Tuesday the French foreign ministry spokesperson.

"The position of France about this issue is known and constant. France supports the search for a just, lasting and mutually agreed solution, under the aegis of the United Nations and in compliance with the Security Council resolutions," spokesman Romain Nadal told an online news conference.

To a question on the reception of a Sahrawi human rights defenders delegation at the French Foreign Ministry, as reported Monday by APS, the spokesman said that representatives of associations held discussion on Western Sahara at the Quai dOrsay.

"At their request, representatives of associations held discussions on 23 November with the Foreign Ministrys competent services about the issue of Western Sahara," he said.

Those discussions are "part of the regular dialogue conducted by the French diplomacy with the civil society in all its diversity."

Monday, Sahrawi sources in Paris told APS that Sahrawi activists have been received by officials in charge of North Africa, Human Rights, Freedom of expression and of press, as well as the relations with UN.

During the meetings at the Quai dOrsay, the Sahrawi activists broached the human rights situation in the territories occupied by Morocco.SPS

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Algiers, November 29, 2016 (SPS) - Completing the decolonization process of Africa is dependent on the support of the peoples of the continent to the Sahrawi cause, said Tuesday in Algiers Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramtane Lamamra.

In his opening address at the international symposium on "Algeria's contribution to the decolonization in Africa," Lamamra said to be convinced that "the achievement of the decolonization process in Africa and the full recognition of peoples' right to self-determination depend on the solidarity between the African peoples and their support to the Sahrawi cause in accordance with the international law."

"Algeria, which has remained faithfull to its unchanging principles and its deeply-held convictions as regards people's right to self-determination, has provided the necessary political, diplomatic, military and financial support to many African states to help them recover their sovereignty and freedom," said the minister, adding that "Algeria has also contributed to the training of revolutionary leaders who played a key role in the independence of their countries."

Among those principles of the Algerian diplomacy, under the leadership of President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Lamamra mentioned its commitment to promoting peace and stability among peoples and its contribution to the resolution of conflicts through peaceful means, in accordance with the November Revolution values.

"Algeria has also remained faithful to the fact of belonging to Africa, and has made huge efforts to promote cooperation and strengthen its relations with the different African States, for the achievement of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty, illiteracy and diseases," said the minister.

In this regard, Lamamra underlined President Bouteflika's initiative to write off the debt of many African countries.

The minister added that the business meeting, which will take place in Algiers in the few coming days, would allow examining means to promote cooperation between African businessmen, exploring partnership and investment opportunities and boosting trade cooperation for the common interest of African peoples.

The Algerian Revolution was "a source of inspiration for all peoples and nations and all liberation movements around the world," stressed Lamamra.

"When the African continent was the most exposed to the throes of colonialism and racial discrimination in all its forms, Algeria was the destination for major African figures of resistance like South Africa's Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Mozambique's Samora Machel, Guinea-Bissau's Amilcar Cabral, Namibia's Sam Nujoma and Angola's Agostinho Neto," said the Foreign minister.SPS

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A successful Standardbred trainer has found himself in hot water. An alleged incident which took place this past August has resulted in a police investigation and the possibility of charges. The horse racing commission overseeing the jurisdiction is also reportedly recommending a 15-year license suspension and a fine of $40,000.

According to an article by The Herald Bulletin, trainer Bobby Brower is fighting allegations that he beat a horse (B Abland) after it had collapsed at Pace Setter Farm, which is located in Anderson, Indiana.

Brower has said that the five-year-old had trained at the farm that day "and he slipped and fell on the wet pavement." The trainer states that a whip was used once on the geldings rear in order to get him up. B Abland did get up, but fell once again. Brower said that others were helping him try to get the horse up by jumping and stomping around him (in an effort to get B Abland to get up). "A horse will just lay there and hurt itself," said Brower, who also went on to state that the charges were due to jealousy within the industry. "The incident has really been blown out of proportion," he said, adding, "I'm going to fight this to the max."

Brower has also been accused tampering with witnesses in relation to the alleged incident. Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings has requested that the Indiana State Police begin an investigation into the whole situation. Cummings has said that investigators will look into the allegations, which include animal cruelty, threatening witnesses, and tampering. He has said that Level 6 felonies or misdemeanour charge could be the result, depending on the findings.

"There was never a criminal investigation, Cummings has told FOX 59. The allegation is ran the horse (sic) until it collapsed and beat and kicked the horse after it was down that sounds, the allegation is pretty severe so it's worthy of at least the police looking into it.

An earlier article on the situation by The Herald Bulletin had inaccurately stated that the incident had occurred on the property of Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. The original article was then retracted due to inaccuracy. Hoosier Park officials are cooperating with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission.

"We maintain a high level of integrity with expert security protocols in place," Rick Moore, Hoosier Park's vice president and general manager of racing, has said via release. "The safety of our human and equine athletes is Hoosier Park's No. 1 priority."

In addition to on-track security measures, Hoosier Park is a loyal advocate for animal welfare and supports a wide array of organizations related to the well being of animals.

"From supporting the Animal Protection League right here in our own community to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, which gives racehorses a bright future once their time on the track is complete, we avidly share the responsibility of promoting the care and well being of all animals," said Moore. "Our job is never done and we will continue to find new ways to support these efforts."

(With files from The Herald Bulletin, FOX 59 and Hoosier Park)
Terror in Ohio: How Does a Muslim 'Self-Radicalize?'

Available for Interview: Randall Terry, producer of new Serial Documentary, "What Would Muhammad Do? Islamic Terrorism Explained" is available for interview.



Contact: 904-687-9806



MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 30, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Mr. Terry holds a Masters Degree in Diplomacy, with a concentration in International Terrorism from Norwich University. He has spent over 10 years studying primary Islamic sources to understand Islamic thought, and Islamic terrorism. After two years of writing and production, his film crew has released a serial documentary on 4 DVDs, entitled "What Would Muhammad Do? Islamic Terrorism Explained." See episode one of serial documentary  "What Would Muhammad Do?" at www.WWMD.tv.



Content to be discussed:

The path to "self-radicalization" by "lone wolves" can be explained and understood if one studies the material that men like Abdul Razak Ali Artan are reading.

Studies have shown  and often the testimony of lone wolves confirms  that they read three main genres of Muslim literature on the path to self-radicalization.

The Quran The Haddith The Siras

The Quran -- Muslims believe that the Quran is the Word of God; an exact duplicate (in Arabic) as the Quran that exists in heaven with Allah. In Arabic, it is taught to be flawless. Islam teaches that the Angel Gabriel gave the Quran to Muhammad over a twenty-year span in Arabia. Islam also teaches that the Jews were given the Torah by Allah through Moses, and that Christians were given the Gospel by Allah through Jesus, but that scribes, priests, and monks altered and corrupted these sacred texts over the centuries. Thus, Allah gave humanity the Quran to "correct the errors of time." Where the Quran and passages of the old or New Testaments disagree with each other, Islam teaches that the Quran is to be believed, and the Bible rejected. While the so-called "sword verses" of the Quran are troubling, it is actually the next two bodies of Islamic literature that play the most dangerous role.



The Haddith -- The Haddith are the written record of Muhammad's words and deeds that are not in the Quran. These multiple Haddith collections that are massive in size and scope; multiple large volumes containing millions of words. The Haddith collections of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered "canonical" (Sahih means "true") i.e., they are above reproach or suspicion, and are to be believed; they are foundational to Islam and Sharia Law, and contain extensive records of Muhammad's battles, those he ordered killed, his treatment of women and girls, etc.



The Siras -- or the biographies of Muhammad. The oldest and most respected biography on Muhammad is "The Life of Muhammad," by Ibn Ishaq, written over 1,200 years ago, translated into English by A. Guillaume. The next two most prominent and respected Muslim biographers of Muhammad are Ibn Kathir, ("The Life of the Prophet Muhammad," 4-Volumes) and al-Tabari ("The History of al-Tabari," 39 volumes.) Kathir and al-Tabari wrote their biographies based heavily on Ishaq's work, as well as various Haddith collections, with frequent references to the Quran as well.



These three bodies of literature  especially the Haddith and the Siras  are the fountains from which lone wolves drink, and self radicalize. Even when they turn to ISIS or al-Qaeda, those groups are quoting the Haddith and the Siras to recruit young men and women to violence.



Randall A. Terry states: "If someone reads the literature sacred to Islam, gets inside the narrative of Islamic thought, and excepts the premise that Muhammad was "the Apostle of God"  the greatest prophet who ever lived  then the path lone wolves are choosing becomes logical. We can only understand them  what motivates them and what they hope to achieve  if we learn the narrative of the life of Muhammad that inspires them. I can tell you what Artan was thinking, because I can tell you the stories of battle and death he was reading."



To schedule a radio or print interview with Mr. Terry, call 904-687-9806 and leave a message.



The documentary has an original music score, as well as voice actors and original art from around the world.



See episode one of the serial documentary -- "What Would Muhammad Do?" at www.WWMD.tv.



"Randall Terry offers this most important enlightening and comprehensive analysis of Islam, with plentiful references  not only the Qu'ran  but also the often ignored Haddith and biographies, which are studied by terrorists. With colorful graphics and extensive historic references, he carefully reveals what Muhammad would do, by showing precisely what Muhammad did." Gerald Nordskog, CEO of Nordskog Publishing
Criminal Charges Filed Against Anglican Priest Arrested at San Bernardino Planned Parenthood

Contact: Contact: Allison Aranda, Life Legal Defense Foundation , 707-227-6675SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016 / Standard Newswire / -- Last month, Father James Linton was arrested outside the San Bernardino Planned Parenthood for offering to pray with women entering the abortion facility. Police held him for six hours and cited him for interfering with and obstructing access to a business. On November 2, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office formally charged Linton, accusing him of violating Penal Code section 602.1 (a) (Interference with a Business). If convicted, Fr. Linton could be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and a $400 fine.When he was arrested, Fr. Linton, an Anglican pastor, was standing on a public easement offering incoming mothers and fathers alternatives to abortion and praying for them to change their minds. "The arrest of Fr. Linton is outrageous," stated Allison Aranda, Senior Staff Counsel for the Life Legal Defense Foundation and a former prosecutor for Riverside County. "Fr. Linton certainly did not intend to interfere with Planned Parenthood's ability to conduct its business. Rather, he simply offered assistance and alternatives to its patrons that could save the lives of their precious babies."Last year, the Center for Medical Progress released the videos of its undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood. At the time, Fr. Linton's wife was pregnant with their third child. "The combination of seeing abortion victims sorted through for parts and my wife being pregnant destroyed me," he said. "She organized a protest and I've been in front of the clinic every Friday since."Every Friday, starting at 6 a.m., the San Bernardino Planned Parenthood performs abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Due in part to Fr. Linton's faithful presence and success at saving babies, the abortion facility recently built a wall in an attempt to hinder sidewalk counselors and prevent them from speaking to mothers and fathers in the parking lot.Fr. Linton and the other sidewalk counselors outside the San Bernardino Planned Parenthood are doing nothing more than exercising their Constitutional right to speak freely on the public sidewalk and rights of way in their community. They are not violating the law. "In fact, the code section under which Fr. Linton was charged, specifically exempts from criminal liability, those who are engaging in activities that are protected by the California and United States Constitution," Ms. Aranda noted.Life Legal will vigorously defend Fr. Linton from these false charges and we will fight to preserve and protect the rights of all sidewalk counselors to share life saving information with mothers entering the San Bernardino abortion clinic.About Life Legal Defense FoundationLife Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org
The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
Wisdom of the Crowd: 55 % of respondents said that the Trust Bak set up by Fairprice will not be profitable as there are already too many d...
General election voter turnout in Cowlitz County was weaker than officials had expected, but the Republican tidal wave was even stronger than initial returns showed, according to official results certified Tuesday.

Even U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, one of the most senior and powerful members of the Senate, lost the county to little-known Republican Chris Vance, though she won easily statewide.

Republicans won all partisan races in the county except for three state legislative seats and incumbent Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

Cowlitz County had a 75.5 percent turnout, about 10 percentage points less than elections officials had forecast. The statewide turnout was 78.8 percent. This years turnout was expected to rival that of the 2008 general election, which had an 82.8 percent turnout countywide and an 84.6 percent turnout statewide.

Cowlitz County Elections Supervisor Carolyn Fundingsland said the elections office was just as busy as in 2008, with phones ringing off the hook and lines at the counter for ballots days before Nov. 8. But that wasnt reflected in the numbers.

We were handing out ballots consistently four or five days leading up to the election, but our turnout sure didnt show that, Fundingsland said. I was very surprised.

Presidential election years typically boost balloting at all levels. But Dave Ammons, spokesman for the Washington Secretary of State, said he thought there was less excitement for presidential candidates than people were expecting.

Early voter turnout was strong, as was the record-breaking number of newly registered voters. But you never know what the voters are thinking, Ammons said, and the frustration from both major party nominees may have led to some voters who wanted to wash their hands of the election.

The big shift to the red was seen in counties across the state outside the urban region, Ammons said. While Cowlitz County did support the initiative on gun control, it did so by a much smaller gap than the 69.4 percent it received statewide. The county also narrowly rejected the initiative to raise the state minimum wage, which passed handily statewide with 57.4 percent approval.

Cowlitz County voted for both Republicans for county commissioner seats, Dennis Weber and Arne Mortensen  ousting incumbent Democrat Mike Karnofski, who has been a county commissioner for six years. Weber, an incumbent, took 56.2 percent of the votes and Mortensen 53.8 percent.

Mortensen, the Cowlitz County Republican Central Committee chairman, said he was pleasantly surprised that the GOP was effective in sending its message that Republicans are for the people and with the people.

While Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in the race for the presidency, she did poorly in Cowlitz County. Republican president-elect Donald Trump took the county with 51.3 percent of the votes; Clinton got only 38 percent of the Cowlitz vote.

Cowlitz County hadnt voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1980. And the countys results were nearly a polar opposite of statewide results; Clinton took 54.3 percent compared to Trumps 38.1 percent. The county also voted for Gov. Jay Inslees Republican challenger, Bill Bryant, giving Bryant a whopping 57 percent of the vote.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Patty Murray also lost in Cowlitz County by a 143-vote margin, or 0.3 percent. Murray won by a landslide in the statewide tally, with 59 percent of the votes.

The open House seat also went to Jim Walsh, the first Republican 19th District state legislator in decades, though Cowlitz County voted for Longview Democrat Teresa Purcell. Walsh won by a 559-vote margin districtwide.

Democratic incumbents state Sen. Dean Takko and state Rep. Brian Blake also won, both districtwide and in the county. Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler won the 3rd Congressional District seat.
Time travelling looks like a fantasy but still scientists are trying to make it a reality. Some scientists have claimed that travelling in future is possible but we cannot go back in the past as it will break some basic laws of physics including the renowned problem of paradox. In a similar attempt, researchers have claimed that we can travel in past by using parallel universes.

Scientists believe that there are multiple timelines in parallel universes and we can use them to travel in the past without breaking the laws of physics.

Physicist Howard Wiseman and Dr. Michael Hall, from Griffith Universitys Centre for Quantum Dynamics, took the help of researcher Dr. Dirk-Andre Deckert, from the University of California, in developing the theory which looks like science fiction and goes in opposite direction of conventional theories of space and time.

Scientists explained that if there are multiple parallel universe interacting with each other then we can jump into different universe on a different timeline. This means that we can go into parallel Earth located in parallel universe on a different timeline or in the past.

The revolutionary theory has brought a new perspective of universe and space and time correlation. The theory harnesses the power of quantum physics. Professor Wiseman said that the idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanic is not new and has been there since 1957.

In the well-known Many-Worlds Interpretation, each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realised  in some universes the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth. In others, Australia was colonised by the Portuguese, said Wiseman.

According to the new theory, we live in one gigantic universe and there are many other such worlds which sometimes interact with each other. These replicas might be similar or utterly different on different occasions. All these worlds follow the same time line and interact through a universal force of repulsion or bumping into each other.

Hall said this approach can help researchers test the theory of multiverses.Interestingly, he said that if there is just one universe, then the theory is reduced to Newtonian mechanics, and if not it reproduces quantum mechanics. This in effect provides a new mental picture of quantum effects.

Although, the new theory might please some people but some researchers are skeptical about it and claim that idea of parallel universes is not possible in reality. If they do exist then why they do not influence our universe at all which suggests that the theory is a fallacy and does not apply on space-time consortium.
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, CSI, CIE, FRS, a polymath, physicist, biologist, biophysicist, botanist and archaeologist, and popular for his science fiction has tributed by the well known Google Doodle today on his birthday. The search engine has celebrated his 158th birthday by launching a doodle which shows him in his laboratory.

Sir Bose born on November 30, 1858, at Mymensingh, Bengal Presidency during the British Raj, which is now in Bangladesh. However, he was raised in a home committed to pure Indian culture and traditions. For higher studies, Bose went to the University of London to study medicine, after completing his graduation from St. Xaviers College, Calcutta, but due to health issues he was unable to pursue studies in medicine.

Later, he conducted his research with the Nobel Laureate Lord Rayleigh at Cambridge and returned to India, to join the Presidency College of the University of Calcutta as a Professor of Physics.

Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose is also known for his remarkable research of remote wireless signalling. Also, he was the first to discover a semiconductor junction which is capable of detecting radio signals, which was later made public in order to allow others to further develop his research, instead of using it for commercial use.

While launching the doodle, Google said in a post, Boses investigations into nature included the invention of the crescograph  an instrument that measures movement and growth in plant life by magnifying it 10,000 times. He went on to demonstrate the similarities between animals and plants, particularly when it came to reactions to different environmental, electrical, and chemical influences.

Todays Doodle features Bose and his invention in action on what would be his 158th birthday, the post further added.
tech2 News Staff

Apple has rolled out its student membership plans to 25 additional countries and the long list now includes India as well. While Apple Music has been available in India for a while now at some really low prices, the student membership plan priced at Rs 60 seems like a steal of a deal.

The new student membership plan will now be the lowest priced plan for an Apple Music subscription in India at Rs 60. The new plan will sit alongside the already available individual membership plan at Rs 120 per month and the family membership plan at Rs 190 per month.

Those who want to avail of the new student membership plan will need to go through a short verification process which can be done with Apple's partner, UNiDAYS. Students will need to add their email address along with the school ID and more to get through the quick verification process. Once students have verified themselves with the service, they can avail the subscription plan at a discounted rate.

But the verification process is no gimmick as the UNiDAYS will regularly check with the subscriber to see if the he/she is still a college student. If the system finds out that the subscriber is no longer a student it switches the student plan to an individual one automatically. The validity of the student plan comes for only 48 months.
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A cyber attack that infected nearly 1 million routers used to access Deutsche Telekom internet service was part of a campaign targeting web-connected devices around the globe, the German government and security researchers said on Tuesday.

The revelation from the German Office for Information Security, or BSI, stoked fears of an increase in cyber attacks that disrupt internet service by exploiting common vulnerabilities in widely used routers, webcams, digital video recorders and other web-connected devices.

Security researchers said the infections spread to countries including Brazil, Britain and Ireland using a technique similar to one that stopped millions of people in the United States and Europe from reaching websites including PayPal Holdings Inc , Twitter Inc and Spotify on Oct. 21.

"It was a global attack against all kinds of devices," said Dirk Backofen, a senior Deutsche Telekom security executive.

The BSI said that German government networks were also targeted in Sunday's attack on Deutsche Telekom customers, though authorities said they succeeded in keeping systems online.

Deutsche Telekom, Germany's largest telecom company, said internet outages hit as many as 900,000 of its users, or about 4.5 percent of its fixed-line customers.

Deutsche Telekom and the German government did not identify other victims, though cyber security firm Rapid7 Inc said it observed the attackers trying to infect routers across the globe.

Irish telecom operator Eir and Vodafone Group Plc in Britain use routers that were vulnerable to same kind of attack, said Rapid7 security research manager Tod Beardsley.

Flashpoint, a second U.S. cyber security research firm, said it routers were infected in Brazil, Britain and Germany.

Eir said in a statement it was aware of potential vulnerabilities in broadband modems from Taiwan's ZyXel Communications Corp used by about 30 percent of Eir customers.

"We have deployed of a number of solutions both at the device and network level which will remove this risk," Eir said. It reported the incident to Irish regulators.

Vodafone declined to comment on whether it customers had been infected, but said it was aware of a vulnerability in routers that enables attackers to mount denial-of-service attacks.

The Brazilian National Computer Emergency Response Team told Reuters it was analyzing the impact of the attack on Brazil, but declined to say how many computers had been infected.

Mirai Botnet

The attacks were launched with software known as Mirai that seeks out vulnerable connected devices, then turns them into remotely controlled "bots" for mounting large-scale attacks that disrupt access to websites and computer systems.

Deutsche Telekom executives apologized for the outages, saying the company had provided details about the attack to other network operators and security agencies.

Security experts said the problem affected Deutsche Telekom customers using three types of routers manufactured by Taiwan's Arcadyan Technology, which created a software patch that was pushed out to users on Monday.

Arcadyan did not reply to Reuters' requests for comment.

Security experts said attributing blame for the attacks may prove impossible because the Mirai software had been released on the internet. It is relatively easy to use, which means hackers with relatively few technical skills could be to blame for follow-on attacks, they said.

Reuters
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Europe's space agency expects its member states to back major programmes such as the International Space Station and the ExoMars mission to the Red Planet this week, even if it does not receive the full 11 billion euros ($11.6 billion) of funding it is requesting, its director general said."If we get only 90 percent of the funding then this is not a catastrophe," Jan Woerner told Reuters in an interview ahead of a meeting in Lucerne on Thursday and Friday this week, at which ministers of the 22 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) are to approve spending plans.

ESA's investments over the coming years are to focus on a shift to what the agency calls "Space 4.0", in which big data becomes a key part of missions and privately owned space startups shake up the sector.A large portion of funding, at 1.6 billion euros, is to be earmarked for earth observation programmes, while another 1.2 billion is to be for telecommunications projects.ESA is asking for 800 million euros for Europe's participation in the International Space Station (ISS) through 2021 and wants approval to extend Europe's commitment to the space station through 2024.

"From the discussions I have had so far with the member states, there was no member state saying we will close the European activity on the ISS. It's more that they are asking for clear results coming out of the ISS," ESA's Woerner said.European astronaut Thomas Pesquet arrived at the ISS this month, around five months after the return of Britain's first official astronaut, Tim Peake.

"The UK is asking for another flight of Tim Peake. This is the normal game," Woerner said.The space agency also needs its member states to approve another 400 million euros of funding for the ExoMars programme, which is to send a rover to the Red Planet's surface in 2020.

As part of ExoMars, Europe sent a gas-sniffing orbiter and a test lander to Mars this year, but the lander crashed due to a sensor failure last month.

Reuters
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Germany's spy chief has warned that Russian hackers are pelting his country with disinformation that could undermine the democratic process, echoing concerns already voiced by his domestic intelligence counterpart. Bruno Kahl, the new head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service, compared the campaign in an interview published on Tuesday to misleading reports on social media before Donald Trump's election as United States president.

The interview appeared in Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung as German officials puzzled over the source of a major disruption on Monday of internet traffic on Deutsche Telekom, the country's largest telecoms operator. Asked about political disinformation appearing in the U.S. and Europe, Kahl said he saw a Russian link in both cases. "We have evidence of cyber attacks that have no other purpose than triggering political uncertainty," he added. "The perpetrators are interested in delegitimising the democratic process as such, no matter who that subsequently helps."

"These attempts to interfere focus on Europe, and on Germany especially," he said. "A kind of pressure is being exercised on public discourse and democracy here, which is unacceptable." The head of Germany's domestic BfV intelligence agency said earlier this month that authorities were worried that Russia may try to interfere in Germany's elections next year by using misleading news stories.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she could not rule out Russia interfering in the vote through Internet attacks. Last week, she also warned that "bots" - software programs that bombard media websites - might manipulate public opinion by spreading fake news. Merkel faces a growing challenge from the anti-immigrant AfD party, which has said the EU should drop sanctions on Russia and that Berlin should take a more balanced position towards Moscow.

Some critics say a proliferation of fake news helped sway the U.S. election in the favor of Republican Trump, who has pledged to improve relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton accused Trump of being a Putin "puppet".

Origin of Telekom attack unclear

Deutsche Telekom has blamed disruptions experienced by hundreds of thousands of its customers on Monday on a failed hacking attempt to hijack consumer router devices for the purpose of a wider Internet attack. The German Office for Information Security (BSI) said on Tuesday it believed organized crime was behind the attack and involved Mirai, a malicious software designed to turn network devices into remotely controlled bots that can be used to mount large-scale network attacks.

Both Merkel and Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said there was no information on where the attack had come from. De Maiziere said, however, that Germany had suffered attacks from private individuals and criminal groups in the past as well as from states like Russia and China. "There is much to suggest that attacks in the past, for example on the German lower house of parliament were initiated by Russia," he said.

Responding to the growing cyber threat, Germany approved an IT security law in 2015 that orders 2,000 providers of critical infrastructure to implement minimum security standards and report serious breaches or face penalties. De Maiziere said Germany was exposed both to "technical attacks" like those on infrastructure and to "intelligent attacks" that can manipulate opinion.

He said Germany wanted to avoid machines sending out 10,000 protest emails - a typical bot operation - and was working on ways to combat this, partly through greater transparency. "Behind every opinion, we want there to be a person and we need to explain who is driving these attacks, how they come about and what affect they have," he said.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

Google Earth, the Google application that lets you look at any corner of the earth as if viewed from a satellite has announced a major update. You will now be able to see a Timelapse of the earth from 1984 to 2016. Along with timelapse, Google Earth is also set to get four new layers of imagery and overall a sharper image quality.

Timelapse feature was introduced back in 2013, to let you see the earth's changing surfaces. The new update will add four additional layers of imagery and petabytes of new data to get a sharper vision of our planet from 1984 to 2016.

"Leveraging the same techniques we used to improve Google Maps and Google Earth back in June, the new Timelapse reveals a sharper view of our planet, with truer colors and fewer distracting artifacts." said The Keyword blog.

Some of the Timelapse GIFs shared on the site include Shirase Glacier in Antartica, O'Hare airport in Chicago, San Francisco Bridge and so on.

Google used the Google Earth Engine to sift through around three quadrillion pixels - 3 followed by 15 zeros - from over 5mn satellite images. Google has used imagery from the Landsat Global Archive Consolidation Program, along with two new satellites - Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2. Here, the growth of the city on the outskirts of Mumbai can be seen.

Google used the best pixels from these satellites to create 33 images of the entire planet with each image corresponding to a year. "We then encoded these new 3.95 terapixel global images into just over 25,000,000 overlapping multi-resolution video tiles, made interactively explorable by Carnegie Mellon CREATE Lab's Time Machine library, a technology for creating and viewing zoomable and pannable timelapses over space and time," said the blog.

These timelapses are available on the Earth Engine website for you to check our how your neighbourhood evolved since 1984. Else you can check out this playlist which shows the timelapse from various regions across the planet.
Kunal Khullar

Lenovo has progressed quite well in the Indian smartphone market ever since it entered in 2013. After taking over Motorola, the company's sales figures increased massively. Today the company is one of the biggest smartphone brands in India. Till date Flipkart claims to have sold more than 13 million Lenovo/Moto products in the country.

The company launched a new high-capacity battery equipped smartphone in the country yesterday called the K6 Power. On paper it sounds a lot like a smartphone that I reviewed a few months back, in fact it even looks very similar. Here is what I think about the new smartphone.

Build and Design

Like I said, it reminds me of a very similar phone that was launched by another Chinese vendor. I am talking about the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime. For a Rs 9,000 device, it really impressed me. Now Lenovo has launched something very similar. Of course, it is an upgrade to the Vibe K5 series, the K6 Power comes with a metal unibody design just like it's predecessor.

Now the power button and volume rocker keys sit on the right edge side while the dual-SIM tray is located on the left. The micro USB port and the 3.5 mm headphone jack are placed on the top. At the back is the camera, a fingerprint scanner and a pair of stereo speakers. Up front is a 5-inch display with capacitive Android navigation keys and the front camera, earpiece and some sensors placed on either sides of it.

The overall build quality feels sturdy and the finish feels quite premium for a sub Rs 10,000 smartphone. Despite the metal build, it felt quite light. It measures in 141.9 x 70.3 x 9.3 mm and weighs 145 grams. Lenovo is offering the smartphone in three colour options - Silver, Gold and Space Grey.

Display

Lenovo has used a 5-inch full HD resolution IPS LCD display. That kind of resolution makes it sharp and it has a pixel density of 441 ppi. It looked pretty good and I was impressed with the vieweing angles as well. Since I've been comparing the K6 Power to the Redmi 3S Prime, I'd like to mention that the display is definitely better thanks to its higher resolution and a slightly better brightness capability.

Lenovo says that thanks to the higher resolution display, one can use this smartphone with the company's VR headset and along with Theatremax technology can experience immersive VR.

Chipset, RAM and Storage

The hardware powering the smartphone includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.4GHz along with an Adreno 505 GPU. While the smartphone was announced globally in two variants, India gets the 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage version. It also comes with a memory card expansion slot (hybrid SIM slot) to further expand the storage. As for the 2GB/16 GB variant, Lenovo said that it wont be bringing that in anytime in the future.

Software

The K6 Power runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Lenovo usually has a skin on top called Vibe UI, but this time the company has renamed it to Pure UI which is now trimmed up to look a lot closer to stock Android. It did indeed feel very stock and the UI felt pretty smooth.

The company has added some useful features like the ability to lock apps with your fingerprint or a password and run two versions of the same app with separate accounts, say Whatsapp or Facebook.

Camera

The primary camera is a 13MP IMX258 Sony sensor along with phase detection auto-focus and an LED flash. On the front there is an 8MP camera to take your selfies. The rear camera offers features like a manual mode, HDR, Panorama, slow-mo mode, time lapse and so on. Pictures seemed to be pretty decent and the overall camera speed felt good for something under Rs 10,000. Of course, I need to thoroughly test it out to come to any results.

Battery and Connectivity

The connectivity options include 4G LTE (with VoLTE support), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, FM Radio and a micro-USB port with OTG and reverse charge support. It comes with a hybrid SIM card slot (micro SIM + nano SIM). The battery is rated at 4,000mAh which is again very similar to the Redmi 3S Prime. According to the company, it offers a 27-day standby time.

Conclusion

For a Rs 9,999 smartphone, the Lenovo K6 Power seems like an interesting option to look out for. While Xiaomi's Redmi 3S Prime already took over the under Rs 10,000 segment a few months ago, Lenovo could be late to give it's fellow Chinese vendor competition. While I still have to thoroughly test the K6 Power, I have to say that Lenovo is offering a neat looking phone with decent specs. Do check the site for the full review soon.
Tushar Kanwar

Its a familiar refrain, one that you may have heard elsewhere on the Internet. You know, the one of the long-time Mac owner, waiting for Apple to upgrade the MacBook Pro line. That upgrade came recently, with the launch of the fourth-generation MacBook Pro, a laptop that was thinner, lighter and more powerful than ever before. With a whole new Touch Bar interface that seemed pretty cool in the demos on-stage. Yet, the mac-lash from among pro Mac users, many of whom have supported the company since before the iPod was cool, has been rather unprecedented, almost in a sense drowning out the short-lived hysteria that followed the iPhone 7s headphone-gate moment.

It may seem strange, at first. Theres nothing seriously wrong with the new Macs  they pack in improved displays, a Touch ID sensor (finally!), insanely fast SSDs, better audio quality and the all-compatible USB-C port on a chassis that makes the much-loved and once-impossibly-thin MacBook Air look fat! But the more I think about it, the more Im not entirely sure if these Macs are for the Pros anymoreor for that matter, who theyre really meant for

Go beyond the slick industrial design  arguably still one of the best around  and youll see what I mean. You get newer chips in this years MacBook Pros but theyre the older Intel Skylake CPUs and not the latest Kaby Lake CPUs  Intel doesn't have a Kaby Lake counterpart ready yet  one of the downsides of both Microsoft and Apples heavy reliance on Intel for their chips.

The massive focus on thinness and power efficiency meant that even on the 15-inch mode, Apple had to forgo the outright performance benefits of the Nvidia GTX1050, opting for the decidedly mid-range AMD Radeon Pro 450 instead. SSDs in the Touch Bar models are without a doubt insanely fast, but theyre soldered on at purchase, and the memory options max out at 16GB of RAM. All these are non-issues for casual consumer use, but for the MacBook Pros erstwhile core audience  developers, many of who use their Macs to develop macOS/iOS apps  these are potential deal breakers.

Even creative professionals don't seem too pleased with exclusion of the SD card slot and the #donglelife they will need to lead if they want to connect to external monitors, keyboards and accessories. Heck, even regular users will ask the obvious questions  why have two different headphone connectors in the latest iPhone and MacBook Pros? Why didn't the iPhone, launched just a month prior, ship with the right cable to charge off the new MacBook Pros? Whys the super popular HDMI port missing?

Part of the problem is that the rest of the Mac lineup was so terribly neglected, with the iMac and the Mac mini seeing their last updates well over a year ago, two in the case of the Mac mini. Remember the 'Can't innovate anymore, my ass' Mac Pro? It last saw an update 1076 days ago!

The MacBook Air looks like its being eased out  a shame for what is still a capable and affordable portable Mac  without Apple offering a similarly priced alternative. The lack of clarity from Apple on the Mac portfolio is a problem, and for many users, the new MacBook Pros represented a window of an upgrade opportunity that just didn't materialise.

Where do we go from here? If Apple were to want to soothe some frayed nerves  you know, other than temporarily cut USB-C dongle prices to appease the first wave of MacBook Pro buyers  what could it do? Would a built-to-order 15-inch model with special configuration for power users solve the problem? Not without a significant hit to battery at the very least. However, if there are updated iMacs or Minis coming early next year, it would do Cupertino no harm in conveying as much without really giving away anything most informed folks couldnt guess for themselves. Or maybe talk about the Mac Pro and the intent to refresh it (if at all) or stick a knife in it and kill it off altogether. Incentivise the adoption of dongles by permanently discounting any dongles you buy alongside the new MacBook Pros, and charging the sticker price for any thereafter.

None of these would make Apple any less Apple, and as the company tries to consciously address a wider audience for its Macs, it would do well to ensure its most loyal and passionate customers don't get left behind.

The author is a technology columnist and commentator and has been contributing for the past 18 years to Indias leading news media. He tweets @2shar.
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Philippine lender RCBC and a Bangladeshi minister traded blame on Tuesday over liability for tens of millions of dollars that were looted from a New York bank and then went missing in Manila after one of the biggest bank frauds ever.

Unknown cyber criminals tried to steal nearly $1 billion from Bangladesh Bank in February and managed to make off with $81 million via an account at the New York Federal Reserve. That was transferred to four accounts with bogus names at one RCBC branch in Manila before vanishing.

The lawyer for RCBC, or Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC), said that her client had no reason to compensate Bangladesh Bank, saying that the lender was "negligent" because the initial security breach was its own fault. Bangladesh's Law Minister Anisul Huq said that was "irrelevant" and argued that RCBC should shoulder the burden for accepting stolen cash.

"It is not for RCBC to point fingers. They should explain their conduct, and the conduct has been very much culpable," he told a news conference in Manila. Most of the money that ended up in the Philippines was laundered through casinos. About $15 million has been recovered from a gaming junket operator and was returned to Bangladesh, with a further $2.7 million frozen.

Huq, who is in Manila to speed recovery of the money, said that his delegation met the Philippines finance minister, gaming regulators, justice department and the Senate speaker. All had assured him of their full cooperation in getting the money returned, Huq said, adding that Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr told him that he would start the process to resume a legislative hearing into the heist saga. Bangladesh Bank has refused to disclose the findings of its own inquiry, saying that it wanted to deny the crime's perpetrators knowledge of the investigation.

'Abnormal' and 'Questionable'

But RCBC external counsel Thea Daep said it should share those results and shed light on the identity of the perpetrators. "They have no case against us. BB (Bangladesh Bank) was the one who was negligent," Daep said in a statement. RCBC received the funds after they went through three layers of highly protected financial institutions, Daep said, adding that reports from Bangladesh officials indicated there were insiders in Dhaka facilitating the heist.

"Shortly after, BB decided to abort its investigation, which raises a lot of questions, to say the least," Daep said. Bangladesh Bank spokesman Subhankar Saha told Reuters that "halt payment" instructions were sent to RCBC from both Dhaka and New York but RCBC did not comply. "The payment in cash was also abnormal," he said in Dhaka. "...The mechanism of transfer of money was also not transparent. So all these are questionable."

The Bangladesh delegation was due on Thursday to meet the Philippine central bank governor and the anti-money laundering body, which last week filed charges against five RCBC staff in connection with the heist.

The central bank fined RCBC a record 1 billion pesos ($20 million) for failing to prevent the transfer of stolen money through its accounts. Huq said that by paying that fine RCBC had shown its culpability. "They have accepted the liability by paying the fine," he said. "That is why we are asking them to return our money."

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

Samsung is expected to announce its new flagship, the Galaxy S8 somewhere early next year in February.

Following the events of the failure of the Galaxy Note 7, the company is definitely planning something huge to cover up its losses. While we heard that the company is working on bringing high-end features that have never been seen before, a new rumour points out that it will be putting in an auto-focus system for the front facing camera as well.

The rumour comes from a report in South Korean media which suggest that instead of using a fixed focus system, Samsung will use encoder technology instead of the existing voice coil motor mechanism for autofocus. This will be an interesting addition as many smartphones today suffer from inconsistent focusing mechanisms on the front camera. Earlier this year HTC had included OIS on the front camera of the HTC 10, which was a welcomed move.

Apart from the above Samsung rumours have suggested that the upcoming Galaxy S8 could come with 6GB of RAM and Qualcomms new Snapdragon 835 or the Exynos 8895 processor depending on the region. The company could incorporate a 5.5-inch 4K Super AMOLED display which will technically make it the second smartphone to have such a high resolution (Sony Xperia Z5 Premium being the first).

It is also said to feature a dual-camera setup at the back and a special 256GB variant. While there is not much info about the design, a certain rumour suggested that a larger version of the device with a 6.2-inch form factor could also be introduced. Rumoured launch date points to 26th of February which will be somewhere around MWC 2017.
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Governments seeking to curtail the spread of extremist content online risk jeopardizing free speech and privacy rights, an international group comprising some of the largest U.S. technology firms said in a report on Wednesday. The Global Network Initiative said companies should not be pressured by governments to change their terms of service, and demands to restrict content due to public safety concerns need to be consistent with existing legal frameworks.

Members of the group, which began developing its recommendations in July 2015, include Microsoft Corp, Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, LinkedIn Corp and Yahoo! Inc, and civil society groups and academics. The report came as governments around the world are pushing companies to do more to stop digital proselytizing on the internet by Islamic jihadists and other extremist groups.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested shutting down parts of the internet to stop the spread of propaganda from the Islamic State. U.S. officials said on Tuesday a Somali immigrant who injured 11 people at Ohio State University this week in a vehicle and stabbing attack before he was shot dead was likely self-radicalized online.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other technology companies have taken additional steps to eradicate violent content from their sites in the past year.

Reuters
These Thanksgiving Side Dishes are not only easy to make, but they are a must have for a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner!

From sweet potatoes, to sausage stuffing, there is something for everyone on this list of delicious recipes.

The holidays can no doubt be a stressful time of the year. We've all been there before!

That's why it's so important to keep it simple, budget friendly, and stress free while cooking. Easy really is better when it comes to these recipes.

With delicious ingredients and step-by-step printable directions, these recipes are sure to make your holiday prep easy and manageable.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF THE BEST THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES BELOW:

1. Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole + Video

From SALTY SIDE DISH :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe Coated in brown sugar, and topped with pecans and marshmallows, is the perfect slow cooker sweet side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas menus!

2. Corn Pudding Casserole

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe The perfect balance of sweet and savory, corn pudding is real comfort food. This rich and creamy dish is rich, creamy, and buttery and only takes 5 minutes to prep.

3. Bacon Green Beans

From GREAT GRUB DELICIOUS TREATS :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe These bacon green beans are a family favorite in our house. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas these bacon green beans are one of the side dishes on our holiday dinner menu.

4. Classic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

From I WASH YOU DRY :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe This Classic Mashed Potatoes Recipe is creamy and fluffy and ready in a flash! Follow my tips and tricks for the best mashed potatoes youll ever make.

5. Cheesecake Apple Salad

From CRAZY FOR CRUST :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe Apples are mixed with marshmallows, nuts, and a no-bake cheesecake for the perfect party side dish.

6. Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

From MOM ON TIMEOUT :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe This easy and delightful recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and a handful of ingredients! Spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with orange juice, it is the best combination of sweet and tart!

7. Classic Green Bean Casserole

From CENTSLESS MEALS :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe This Classic Green Bean Casserole features tender green beans in a creamy cheesy mushroom sauce and is crowned with crispy fried onions.

8. Instant Pot Turkey Breast Gravy

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe. Juicy, tender, and quick-cooking, Instant Pot turkey breast is the easiest way to cook a turkey. No more dried-out turkey, this flavorful turkey breast is cooked to perfection in about an hour. Serve it with gravy made right in the Instant Pot.

9. Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing

From AVERIE COOKS :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe This sausage stuffing is super easy to make since the slow cooker does all the hard work for you! Theres no sauteing or browning required at all and you can FREE UP YOUR OVEN!!

10. The Best Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

From BAKED BY AN INTROVERT :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe These soft, light and fluffy Hawaiian sweet rolls are so easy to make. They dont require much work because a stand mixer does all the kneading for you.

11. Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

From BUTTER YOUR BISCUIT :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy is a must for a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner!

12. Creamed Corn

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE For the full printable recipe. This Creamed Corn recipe is an easy, creamy homemade side dish. Once you know how simple and how tasty it is, it may make an appearance on your table more often!

13. Grape Salad

From THE BEST BLOG RECIPES :: CLICK HERE for the Full Printable Recipe. With sweet, smooth, and crunchy textures, grape salad is a classic side dish. This creamy fruit salad is made with juicy grapes, crunchy pecans, and brown sugar.

MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES
Fidel Castro takes final voyage across Cuba

Cubans pay their respects to Fidel Castro during a massive rally at Revolution Square in Havana.

AFP, Havana :

The ashes of Fidel Castro begin a four-day journey across Cuba Wednesday to his final resting place, retracing the late communist leader's revolution victory tour of 1959.

The "caravan of freedom" will leave from Havana, making symbolic stops along the 950-kilometer (590-mile) trek that will end in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba over the weekend.

The trip follows two days of tributes in Havana where hundreds of thousands were encouraged by the government to view a picture memorial to Castro at the Revolution Square.

The commemorations in the capital ended with a massive rally Tuesday night at the square attended by Latin American, African and Caribbean leaders, along with the Greek prime minister-the only European leader at the event.

Raul Castro, 85, thanked the "countless gestures of solidarity and affection from around the world" and ending with the revolutionary battle cry, "Until victory, always!"

But the presidents of Western powers, and even friendly nations including Russia, China and Iran, sent deputies in their place.

The absences underscored the divisive legacy of a leader who defied the United States, backed guerrilla movements in Latin America and deployed his army to conflicts in Africa during the Cold War.

Leftist Latin American leaders vowed to carry the torch of Castro's revolution as they addressed the rally on Tuesday night and the crowd chanted "I am Fidel!"
Capital market expo begins in city today

Economic Reporter :

A three-day "Bangladesh Capital Market Expo-2016" will begin today (Thursday) at the Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) in the city.

Arthosuchak, an online business news portal, organized the exhibition aiming to create awareness among the prospective investors and branding the country's capital market.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed will attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest while Bangladesh Security and Exchange Commission (BSEC) chairman Dr M Khairul Hossain will present.

PM's Economic Adviser Dr Moshiur Rahman is expected to attend the concluding ceremony as the chief guest.

A total of 40 organisaitons, including Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), will take part in the exhibition. It will remain open from 10am to 8pm every day.

On the sidelines of the fair, different seminars will be held every day.




Envoys of Ethiopia, Mauritania, Tunisia present credentials to President



Ambassadors designate of Ethiopia, Mauritania and Tunisia to Bangladesh separately presented their credentials to President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhban yesterday afternoon.

The all non-resident envoys are: Asfaw Dingamo Kame of Ethiopia, Sidi Mohamed Hanenna of Mauritania and Adel Elarbi of Tunisia. Welcoming the ambassadors, the President said the foreign policy of Bangladesh is friendship to all and malice to none. Bangladesh gives importance to bilateral relations.

He hoped the bilateral relations with the countries will be expanded during their assignments in Bangladesh. President's Press secretary Joynal Abedin briefed reporters after the meeting.

Abdul Hamid said Bangladesh produces world-class pharmaceuticals, RMG and ceramic products and the countries can import those from Bangladesh.

He advised the ambassadors to take steps to utilize trade and investment potentials between Bangladesh and the countries. The envoys told the President that they would work to enhance bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh. They lauded socioeconomic development of Bangladesh. Secretaries concerned to the President were present. Earlier, on their arrival at Bangabhaban, the envoys were given guards of honor separately by a contingent of the President's Guard Regiment.
Four killed in B`Baria road crash

bdnews24.com :

A bus rammed into an autorickshaw killing four persons at Brahmanbarhia's Bijaynagar.

Bijaynagar police OC Md Ali Arshad said, the accident took place around 12:30pm on Wednesday in Shoshoi area on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway. He could not confirm the identity of the victims immediately. OC Arshad told bdnews24.com a Dhaka-bound bus rammed into an autorickshaw leaving three - the autorickshaw driver and two passengers - dead on spot.

"Another woman, critically injured, died after being taken to Madhabpur Upazila Health Complex by locals," he said.
Milad-un-Nabi on Dec 13

Risingbd.com :

The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, the day of birth and demise of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), will be marked on December 13 across the country as elsewhere in the Muslim World with due respect and religious fervor. The National Moon Sighting Committee declared the date after meeting at Islamic Foundation conference room in Baitul Mukkarram in the

capital on Wednesday evening. Various religious, socio-political and cultural organizations are set to chalk out the elaborative programmes in the city and elsewhere in the country, including milad mahfil and Qurankhwani, marking the day.

On this day in 570 AD, the 12th of Rabiul Awal of the Hizri calendar, Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah in Saudi Arabia with divine blessings and messages of peace for mankind. He passed away on the same day in 632 AD. The day is a public holiday.
HC orders to produce 4 female prisoners on Jan 16

Staff Reporter :

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday asked the authorities of Kashimpur Central Jail to produce four female prisoners, who have been serving in jail for seven/eight years in four separate murder cases without trial, in the court on January

16 next.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice J M B Hasan passed the order as Suo Moto after Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee member Ainun Nahar Siddiqua submitted their case documents.

The HC also issued a rule in this connection. The court asked the government to explain as to why the four women prisoners should not be granted bail.

Besides, the HC also sought files and documents of the cases.

The four female prisoners are: Rani alias Nupur hailing from Mymensingh district, Razia Sultana from Gazipur district, Shahnaz Begum and Sumi Akhter Reshma from Narayanganj district.

Nupur was sent to jail on November 21 in 2009, while Razia on May 21 in 2009, Shahnaz on September 16 in 2008, and Sumi landed in jail on January15 in 2009.

Though they were produced in the court several times for hearings, the cases have not been disposed of yet.

SC Legal Aid Committee member Ainun Nahar Siddiqua brought the information to the attention of the HC bench on Wednesday.
Govt to file case against NY Federal Reserve

Staff Reporter :

The government will file a case against the New York (NY) Federal Reserve Bank over the cyber heist of $81 million from Bangladesh Bank's reserve account.

"We will file a case against the Federal Reserve Bank over the cyber heist We will discuss the issues further after Law Minister Anisul Huq's return from the Philippines," Muhith said after a meeting of the Cabinet committee on Economic Affairs at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The minister also said he was surprised on the latest stand of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) and termed it as "strange turnaround".

The RCBC in the Philippines recently said it is not liable to compensate Bangladesh for the bank heist money deposited in its accounts and instead blamed the central bank in Dhaka for being "negligent".

The RCBC said it would not compensate Bangladesh because of the initial security breach was Bangladesh's own fault.

A high-level delegation from Bangladesh including Law Minister Anisul Huq and Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir is now in Manila to push for the recovery of the stolen money.

Unknown cyber criminals tried to steal nearly $1bn from the Bangladesh Bank in February in one of the biggest bank frauds ever.

They succeeded in transferring around $81m via an account at the New York Federal Reserve to four accounts in fake names at a branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) in Manila. Most of the money was laundered through casinos in Manila and remains missing.
Trump tweets: Burn the flag, go to jail

Los Angeles Times

At his second debate with Hillary Clinton, Donald J. Trump said that "I am looking to appoint judges very much in the mold of Justice [Antonin] Scalia." But on Tuesday the itchy-thumbed president-elect tweeted this:

"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"

Apparently Trump is unaware that Scalia was in the majority when the Supreme Court held - in 1989 and again in 1990 - that flag-burning as a political protest is "expressive conduct" protected by the 1st Amendment.

And that might not be Trump's only blind spot when it comes to Scalia's jurisprudence.

Trump does seem aware that Scalia had a robust view of an individual right to keep and bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. But does he also know that Scalia was a champion of free speech generally (not just in the flag-burning context) as well as a supporter of the 4th Amendment's protection against unreasonable police searches and a defender of due process for Americans accused of terrorism? (My guess: No.)

It's not clear why Trump suddenly decided to tweet about flag burning. True, American flags were set on fire during anti-Trump protests shortly after the election, but Trump isn't known for sitting on a grievance. (One theory floated on Twitter was that Trump was impelled to tweet by a Fox News report about a protest at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, which stopped flying Old Glory after a flag-burning that might have been related to the election.)

On the other hand, it wouldn't be surprising if Trump's supporters believed that re-criminalizing desecration of the American flag would help make America great again. In fact, support for outlawing that form of protest remains widespread and isn't confined to Trump's political base.

A 2006 USA Today/Gallup poll found that 56% of Americans supported a constitutional amendment that would allow Congress or the states to make it illegal through a statute to burn the American flag. There was less support - 45% - for a constitutional amendment that would directly outlaw flag desecration. In a 2011 survey by the First Amendment Center, 39% of respondents supported the latter sort of amendment.

Also, Trump's tweet puts him in a long line of politicians from both parties who have played to the crowd on this issue. In 2005 Hillary Clinton, then a senator from New York, introduced a federal statute to criminalize flag-burning. (The headline of a scathing New York Times editorial was: "Senator Clinton, in Pander Mode.")

Of course, Trump suggested not only making criminals out of flag-burners but stripping them of their citizenship, a penalty that also might be beyond Congress' power to impose, given Supreme Court precedents. The justices ruled in 1967 in that the government cannot revoke an American's citizenship without his or her assent.

If such a law were enacted, the Supreme Court would have the final say. Which raises another question: When Trump selects a nominee for the Supreme Court, will he look for another Scalia or for a judge who shares his views about "consequences" for burning the flag?
N`ganj 7-murder verdict Jan 16

N'ganj Correspondent :

A Narayanganj court has set January 16 for delivering its verdict in the sensational seven-murder case.

Three ex-RAB officers, among 23, are accused in seven murder case.

District and Sessions Judge Syed Enayet Hossain fixed the date on Wednesday after concluding the hearing, Public Prosecutor Wazed Ali Khokon said.

On April 27, 2014, Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area in the city. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj District Judge's Court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were abducted on their way to Dhaka.

Three days into their abduction, the bodies of six people, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers on April 30. The body of Nazrul's driver Jahangir was recovered from the Shitalakkhya River on May 1. Two cases were filed in connection with the incident.

Nazrul's wife Selina Islam Beauty filed a case against six people, including former councillor and local Awami League leader Nur Hossain, while Chandan's family filed the other case without naming anyone.

Later, Shahidul Islam, Nazrul's father-in-law, claimed that RAB officials had killed Nazrul and others in exchange for Tk 6 crore for Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the murder case, and other accomplices.

Three former RAB officials, including RAB 11 camp commander Lt Col Tareq Sayeed, were sent on forced retirement for their alleged involvement and are now in jail. Tareq is the son-in-law of Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.

Nineteen others also stand accused in the case.

Nur Hossain and his aides were arrested in Kolkata for illegal entry and possession of arms on June 14 that year. India handed over Nur Hossain to Bangladesh on November 12, 2015 - barely a day after Dhaka deported ULFA separatist leader Anup Chetia.

Several investigation committees were formed to look into the murders.

A RAB internal investigation found that 27 of its members, including three top RAB 11 officials, were involved in the incident.
Home Minister`s effigy burnt on DU campus

DU Correspondent :

Bangladesh Student Union (BSU) on Wednesday burned Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal's effigy at the altar of Aparajeo Bangla in Dhaka University (DU), protesting the killing of a teacher of Phulbaria Degree College in Mymensingh district.

The programme was observed by the BSU in protest against the killing of teacher. The party leaders condemned also the law enforcers' brutal action that claimed life of a college teacher and a fish trader.

BSU President Lucky Akhter said that without any warning police entered the college campus and mercilessly killed them. ``The Home Minister cannot avoid the responsibility of the tragic death'', she said.

Protesting the killing, the BSU announced countrywide torch procession programme to be held on Friday, and rally at Shahbagh on Saturday. It may be said that police intercepted the teachers and the students of the college, who brought out a procession on Sunday, demanding nationalisation.


Six Biman staff suspended

Staff Reporter :

The administration of Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended its six employees relating to the emergency landing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's VVIP aircraft.

"We have suspended them as per the primary report of an investigation team. The Biman employees were involved in the inspection of Prime Minister's VVIP aircraft," Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said it at a press conference held in the Secretariat in Dhaka on Wednesday.

On November 23, a VVIP flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to make an emergency landing at Ashgabad International Airport, the capital of Turkmenistan on route to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

The aircraft, a Boeing-777-300ER, made the emergency landing due to fuel shortage, according to Biman's probe report. Biman formed a four-member investigation committee led by Chief of Technical Captain Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury to investigate the incident.

Biman sources said that the committee found them guilty. "Investigation initially found that a screw was misplaced, leading to sipping of oil from the left engine and finally low oil pressure. The investigators are now trying to confirm whether the technical glitch was intentional or an oversight,' said Biman's spokesperson Shakil Meraj.

He said, a group including Biman officials, who worked before the flight had taken off was vetted by the Special Branch. The aircraft which made the emergency landing into four hours after flying with the prime minister and her 99 entourage at Ashgabad in Turkmenistan around 2:15pm on Sunday, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via Dubai and Sylhet with passengers on Tuesday morning.

After landing, separate probe bodies inspected the aircraft.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines earlier formed a four-member committee to investigate the emergency landing.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry formed another probe committee led by Additional Secretary Swapan Kumar Sarkar (Administration and Tourism) to investigate the incident.
BD asks RCBC to pay missing $66m

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh wants the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) to shoulder the missing chunk of the $81 million (around ?4 billion) stolen from its central bank in a cyber heist in February.



A high-level delegation of Bangladeshi officials is in Manila this week to seek help from the Philippine government in filing criminal and civil charges against the Yuchengco-owned bank, Philippine media said.



"It is clearly established that RCBC was very much involved in the scam, and they have admitted their liability," Law Minister Anisul Huq said at a press briefing on Tuesday.



"There remains $66 million (approximately P3.3 billion) and we have come here to recover that," said Huq.



An inquiry by the Senate and an investigation by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) both found RCBC had committed serious lapses, Huq said, allowing hackers to hide away their loot in fictitious bank accounts in the bank's Jupiter branch in Makati City.



RCBC also allowed the money to be withdrawn, even though it had already received stop orders from the Bangladesh Bank.



Huq said RCBC had effectively admitted to these lapses by agreeing to pay the BSP's record P1-billion penalty.

He said, then-RCBC President Lorenzo Tan had said earlier in a Senate hearing that the bank could pay back the money if it was found guilty of money laundering.



"If we are found liable, yes, I will recommend to the board that we set aside a certain sum of money to give back," Tan said in April.



Huq said, "On that premise, RCBC should pay the money back to Bangladesh."



The $81-million scandal - the largest money laundering case in the country's history - has stretched on for months, but the money trail has long gone cold.



After the money was withdrawn from RCBC, it was converted to pesos through remittance firm PhilRem Service Corp. and then gambled away at several casinos. Only $15 million (around P746 million) has been found and returned to Bangladesh so far. Casino junket operator Kim Wong returned $4.63 million (around ?230 million) and P488 million, claiming he didn't know it was dirty money. About $2.7 million (around P134 million) is frozen in Solaire Resorts and Casino by a court order, while another $17 million (around P845 million) was allegedly kept by PhilRem operators Salud and Michael Bautista.



Huq said, however, that those details were irrelevant. Bangladesh is setting its sights on RCBC and RCBC alone.



"I expect RCBC to take the entire liability. The money came in through RCBC. We do not need to know what happened to the money later on," he claimed.



In a statement on Tuesday, the lender categorically denied it was liable to make any payments.



"RCBC is not the proximate cause of the theft. They have no case against us," RCBC external counsel Thea Daep said.



Daep even turned the tables on the Bangladesh Bank, saying initial findings showed central bank insiders had a hand in the hacking. She challenged Bangladesh Bank to bare the results of its own probe and "show... who really stole from them."



Huq shook off these claims and said RCBC was in no position to make demands on the Bangladeshi government. He declined to comment on the Bangladesh Bank's ongoing investigation into the cyber heist.



The Bangladesh Law Minister also requested the Philippine Senate to re-open the investigation on the cyber-heist.



Meanwhile, Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes said the Philippine government has been supportive of recovery efforts. The delegation met with the Finance and Justice Departments, as well as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. It is scheduled to meet with the BSP on Thursday.



Huq said that any legal actions taken against RCBC would be coursed through the Philippine government.



"Both civil and criminal proceedings are being initiated... Government officials assured us due process would be followed," he said.
Focus on boosting defence, security coop

Sagar Biswas :

Indian Defence Minister Shri Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar arrived Dhaka on Wednesday with a top-level 11-member defence delegation that includes vice chiefs of Army, Air Force and Navy along with Director General of Coast Guard.

A special IAF aircraft carrying Manohar Parrikar reached Bangladesh Air Force Base Bangabandhu at Kurmitola under Dhaka Cantonment where Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh Army Lieutenant General Mahfuzur Rahman received him.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsha Bardhan Sringla was also present at that time, said Inter-Service Public Relations in a press release.

It is the first visit by a Defence Minister of India in over 45 years. Diplomatic Circle expected that the two-day visit of Indian Defence Minister will deepen security co-operation and upgrade defence relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Especially, this visit is aimed to make stronger the relations between the leaders of two friendly countries ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India scheduled on December 18.

Meanwhile, the Indian Defence Minister held a meeting with President Abdul Hamid, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the military, at Bangabhaban yesterday afternoon.

"In the meeting, the President laid emphasis on bilateral defence and security cooperation, including joint military exercise and training. The President also expressed sympathy over the loss of lives in terror attacks in Uri and Pathankot," President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told The New Nation.

Manohar Parrikar was also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of Defence Ministry, and Prime Minister's Defence and Security Adviser Major General [retd] Tarique Ahmed Siddique.

Official sources said that a draft of defence deal is likely to be prepared in presence of Manohar Parrikar which will be signed during Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India, apparently to bring the defence cooperation of both countries under a structural frame.

Apart from defence, India is also showing interest on security affairs. The draft will consist of some bilateral affairs, including increase of arms-ammunition supply, exchange of technology and tackling terrorism, the sources said.

Indian media have reported that, there is a possibility of offering Offshore Petrol Vessel to Bangladesh, something India has already exported to other countries in the region.

Sources close to the Defence Ministry said that India is showing interest to develop bilateral relations in defence sector, after Bangladesh Navy procured two refurbished Type 035 [Ming]-class diesel-electric submarines [SSKs] from China on November 14.

Defence analysts said the close relation between Dhaka and Beijing over defence issue is a very old one. China has emerged as a major supplier when Bangladesh has been looking to modernise its military.

Bangladesh always gives preference to China in purchasing of arms and military hardware. Apart from China, Dhaka also keeps close relation with Moscow in defence purchase deal.

On the other hand, the relation between Dhaka and Delhi over defence cooperation is quite different where both countries usually take part in training, joint exercise and visit of military officials, according to defence analysts.

Indian media reported that, Parrikar's visit is significant as it shows Delhi is ready to help its friendly neighbour in its defence needs, and at the same time, India also looks to counter increasing Chinese footprint in the region.

"Beijing might be looking to gain some strategic benefits from the submarine deal. But the onus is on the Modi government to see that it does not happen," said Bharat Karnad, a research professor at the India-based think tank Centre for Policy Research, Defense News reported.

Before leaving Dhaka today [Thursday], the Indian defence delegation is likely to visit Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong.


Crossover on despite push back

10,000 Rohingyas trespassed into BD so far: UN 5 boats packed with refugees sent back

Staff Reporter :

In the face of 'ethnic cleansing' in Myanmar, Rohingya refugees from the country continue to pour into Bangladesh despite BGB and Coastguard's strict vigilance.



"It is very difficult to resist Rohingya refugees as they are trespassing into Bangladesh territory through different bordering areas especially inaccessible points," AKM Jahangir Alam, Chairman of Ghum Dhum union council of Cox's Bazar district, told journalists on Wednesday. He said, the refugees are now staying in four Rohingya camps on the Bangladesh side of the border.



"But in the most cases BGB also continue to push back them who are trying to cross over into Bangladesh. However, those who managed to enter Bangladesh sought shelter in refugee camps or at our villagers' homes," he said.



On Wednesday, members of BGB sent back five boats packed with Rohingyas to Myanmar following their attempt to intrude into the Bangladesh territory through the Naf Rive.



Lieutenant Colonel Abu Jar Ali Jahid, Commanding Officer of BGB-2 Battalion, said the BGB team pushed the Rohingya nationals back while they were crossing the river.



On the other hand, another BGB team sent five Rohingyas back to their country while they were trying to enter Bangladesh through Ukhiya border point around 4 am on Wednesday, said Lt Col Imran Ullah Sarkar of BGB-34 Battalion.



Meanwhile, United Nations on Wednesday said atleast 10,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar



"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bangkok, according to agency.

"The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher."



The Myanmar army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the Western state of Rakhine, forcing some 30,000 people to flee their homes. Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop the Rohingya from entering, but last week it said thousands had already flooded into the country.



Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's military men. Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.



Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police posts last month.



Foreign journalists and independent investigators have been banned from accessing the area to probe the claims.



On Tuesday, the UN rights agency said Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.



Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.



"We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said.
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.
As director of consulting services, Person aims to enhance the firms executive level consulting, which focuses on health care finance, reimbursement, revenue cycle operations and managed care.

Natalie Domino Person has joined governmental affairs and consulting services firm The Picard Group as director of consulting services. Person aims to enhance the firms executive level consulting, which focuses on health care finance, reimbursement, revenue cycle operations and managed care.

Based in Lafayette, The Picard Group also has offices in Washington, D.C., and Baton Rouge.

A Lafayette native, Person is a graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic High School and LSU, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in finance. She went on to earn an MBA with a concentration in finance from The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. While at Tulane, Person was named associate director of the Burkenroad Reports, the student-run equity analyst program.

Person previously worked as director of cash management in Dallas for Lafayette-based Schumacher Clinical Partners, an emergency medicine hospitalist management firm. While at Schumacher, she managed cash activities and reconciliation for three separate billing systems, four banks and more than $850 million in deposits annually.

Through two large acquisitions, she was responsible for consolidating cash operations of acquired companies requiring bank account migration, lockbox restructuring, offshore team onboarding, personnel ramp down, and integration of processes spanning multiple offices. Person started her career as associate analyst for a hedge fund, Maple Leaf Partners, analyzing companies and industry trends, and preparing long-term operational and financial models to support stock recommendations.
THE BUSINESS OF POLITICS

Since his showing last year in the 5th Congressional District race, when he was barely edged out of the runoff, Duck Dynasty cousin Zach Dashers political future has been wide open  and now it includes speculation about running for the second highest statewide Louisiana office.
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Change of mind is not inconsistency. Cicero

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It's not too late to mention thisalmost, but not quite!

You remember a few days ago I mentioned that Peter Turnley is having his annual Paris Print Sale. I also said that the prints would be inkjet prints for the first time.

That has changed. In his most recent e-mail blast about the sale, Peter announced that "The prints are signed traditional silver gelatin fiber prints. I have decided to offer silver gelatin prints to maintain continuity will all previous printings of my photographs."

I know Peter is more than happy with the quality of the inkjet prints that have recently been made from his workbut all the prints shipped for this sale will be traditional silver gelatin black-and-white prints. (No telling if this will be the last time.)

Thought you'd want to know.



Note that anyone who orders two or more prints will receive a free, signed, slipcased, hardcover copy of Peter's most recent book Cuba: A Grace of Spirit.

Tomorrow is the last full day of the Paris Classics offer, so it's not too late!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Lawrence Plummer: "I had been very close to asking you about the prints when I saw that they were inkjet. I was wondering what happened to Voja Mitrovic! I still marvel at the three prints I picked up in your sales that were printed by Voja. They are superb."

Mike replies: Voja retired many years ago but, as a favor, continued to print for a small, select group of his friends, all of whom happened to be world-renowned photographers. I gather he has now retired from that retirement, although I don't communicate with him directly and don't really know the story. Although getting up in years, he is well.
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WEST FRANKFORT  In a special meeting of the West Frankfort City Council on Wednesday, the citys commissioners appointed three new positions and tabled one for discussion.

With unanimous votes, the council created the salaried position of deputy chief of police and filled it with former Chief of Police Shawn Talluto. The council also voted to hire retired State Police Commander Michael Irwin to replace Talluto as chief. Both take effect Dec. 1.

Whenever I came to him with problems and asked questions about our department and about law enforcement  He had the answers that I was looking for and he is someone who can move our department forward, Mayor Tom Jordan said of Irwin during the meeting.

In an interview before the meeting, Jordan said the department had gone as far as it could with Tallutos knowledge and experience and both he and Talluto agreed fresh eyes were needed.

Irwin said he looks forward to getting right to work and quickly getting to know the West Frankfort community he will serve. He said he wants to come to his new post from the vantage point of education.

Obviously, some people make bad decisions and end up in the court system. But, if we can educate people, try to convince them to do the right things for the right reasons, we eliminate a lot of that, Irwin said.

The council was in less agreement about the decision to appoint and hire a new water superintendent. Jordan asserted that he believed the new superintendent should be a city employee, not beholden to a union.

Commissioner Mike Simpson agreed. Jordan said his choice for the position was Jim White, who has been training the last year by former Water Superintendent Rick McLaskey, who retired in March of 2015 and was retained on a contractual basis.

However, Commissioner Ed Blades took issue with the matter. While he said he had no issue with White to perform the duties of the position, it was the title he did not like.

You dont have to be a superintendent to take a test, Tom, Blades said during the councils discussion.

He said he did not agree with giving the title to such a new city employee. The only other option Jordan came up with was Sewer Superintendent Charles Hubble. But Jordan said with the pending construction of a $1 million sewer facility, he was too valuable in his current position to hire him for Water Superintendent.

After a motion by Simpson and a second by Commissioner Tara Chambers, the council voted 3-1 to appoint White, with Blades casting the only dissenting vote. Blades declined comment after the meeting.

The council tabled discussion to approve the creation of and hiring for the position of director of public works.
WEST FRANKFORT  After months of discussions and weeks of meetings, West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan announced a special meeting to replace his chief of police.

During a special meeting today, the council will meet to discuss personnel. First on the agenda is to create the position of deputy chief of police, a role Jordan hopes current chief Shawn Talluto will fill.

Pending council approval, Talluto will be replaced by veteran officer Michael Irwin. Talluto and Jordan both stressed that this decision was mutual and for the best of the department.

We have exhausted the abilities that we have and the knowledge that we have and we need to bring in someone new to make that jump and I think Michael Irwin is the person to do that, Jordan said.

Since he appointed Talluto four years ago, Jordan said he has met often with him to talk about the direction of the department. After four years, both Jordan and Talluto feel like new experience and new ideas are needed to keep the city going in the right direction.

If we can move forward in any form or fashion, I support it, said Talluto, a 20-year veteran of the department.

The city is operating at a critically low level of officers. Down to just nine active officers, Jordan said the city has three out on disabilities. The issue of staffing is one way Jordan hopes Irwin can help the department, and it is certainly needed.

In just one two week pay period, Jordan said he signed off on 400 hours of overtime for the department. This is not only financially a burden, but Jordan said it is also a drain on staff. Talluto said he looks forward to working side-by-side with Irwin and hopes to get people back to work.

The addition of the deputy chief position will create more administrative resources. Talluto is currently the only administrator at the police department and is tasked with all the day-to-day office work, leaving little time to keep up with new state mandates. This new hire will create another point person, which Jordan said frees the two up to make the necessary changes the department needs.

Jordan sought Irwin out. He said Irwin came recommended from other law enforcement officials. Irwin retired in 2010 as commander of Illinois State Police District 13 in Du Quoin where Jordan said he oversaw more than 120 officers. Jordan looks forward to learning from his experience and reiterated his and the councils support for Talluto in the transition.

I and the council think enough of Shawn Talluto to keep him as deputy chief, Jordan said.

The West Frankfort City Council will meet at 11 a.m. at city hall to approve the new hires for the police department as well as positions in the Water Department and City Works.
A Carbondale man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty last week to the charge of manufacture/delivery of cocaine, according to a Wednesday news release from Michael C. Carr, Jackson County States Attorney.

David C. Ferrell, 31, of Carbondale, was sentenced to five years in state prison with two years of mandatory supervised release.

The release states that on July 2, 2014, an undercover agent of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force purchased two ounces of cocaine from Ferrell during the course of an ongoing investigation.

Two co-defendants, Nicholas Cerbone of Carbondale and Phillip Fann of Carrier Mills, also pleaded guilty to charges related to this matter. Cerbone is serving five years and Fann is serving 10 years in state prison.

 The Southern
MURPHYSBORO  The sentencing hearing of a Carbondale man convicted of first degree murder has been put off for the second time.

At the scheduled sentencing hearing on Wednesday morning, Quentin Baileys attorney argued that the defense required a short continuance in order to obtain records related to an individual who provided testimony for the prosecution.

Bailey, 23, was found guilty in July of first degree murder and armed robbery for a May 2015 incident in a hotel parking lot that led to the death of Broderick Miller of Marion.

Jackson County States Attorney Mike Carr argued in court that Bailey persuaded Miller to the Comfort Inn on the east side of Carbondale by promising him marijuana in exchange for cash, and then shot him with a .380 caliber handgun.

In Jackson County Court on Wednesday morning, defense attorney Gal Pissetzky said the defense had served a subpoena to the Illinois Department of Corrections in October seeking records for a man named Mosezell Jones, who provided testimony in the case, and never received a response. Jones is currently in custody at Pinckneyville Correctional Center.

Pissetzky argued that Jones may have received special treatment in exchange for his testimony. The issue stems from a letter sent by Carr to the DOC, which warned that there was a clear and pressing danger that an inmate  possibly Bailey, once he is incarcerated  would retaliate against Jones with violence due to the testimony he provided.

Pissetzky said the defense needs records detailing Jones requests for transfers in order to preserve the issue for appeal.

Carr called the issue a stalling tactic and nothing more than subterfuge.

Jones testified that he has no fear. If youll remember, he is a 400-pound man and I have a client that is about a buck fifty, Pissetzky said.

Bailey faces a sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison, with an extended term of 25 years to life because the gun that was discharged proximately caused the death of another. The conviction carries a minimum sentence of 45 years, and there is no possibility of probation.

Throughout the earlier court proceedings, Pissetzky argued that Miller was killed by the accidental discharge of the gun, and not by Bailey, but by one of the other men at the scene.

Judge Kimberley L. Dahlen agreed to postpone the sentencing hearing to 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 12, but said the hearing will not be continued a third time.
The states regulating agency has simplified the forms for professional licensure for applicants with criminal convictions to encourage greater participation in the review process, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced this past week.

A spokesman for the agency said that the change on the forms was prompted by feedback from advocates who expressed that the paperwork was overly complex, burdensome and intimidating.

Less than 1 percent of applicants with a conviction who complete the process are denied licensure, but many do not complete the requisite review process, the department said in a news release.

Individuals with felony criminal records, generally speaking, are required to jump through a few more hoops than those without. That includes additional paperwork and often a face-to-face meeting with the governing board overseeing the career field in which the applicant seeks licensure.

Dozens of career fields in Illinois require state licensure. Examples of such jobs are barbers, mental health therapists, massage therapists, dentists, doctors, nurses, real estate professionals, roofing contractors and veterinarians.

To address the issue and encourage applicants participation, the department, according to its release, has adopted the use of less formal legalese in cover letters, added the contact number for the agent assigned to review the application and updated correspondence to note that a conviction does not usually result in denial of licensure.

A criminal conviction is not the only reason an applications submission for licensure may prompt additional review, but it is among the more common reasons. The sentence added to the letter generated when additional review is initiated because of a conviction reads: This inquiry usually does not result in denial of your licensure so you are strongly advised to cooperate with the department.

The sentence is underlined for emphasis.

The department stated that the changes are part of ongoing efforts by Gov. Bruce Rauners administration and the Illinois Criminal Justice Reform Commission to remove unnecessary barriers to those convicted of crimes from obtaining professional licenses.

Rauner has charged the commission with issuing recommendations that could reduce the prison population by 25 percent by 2025. Several of the commissions recommendations in its initial December 2015 report were things that could be addressed administratively, without changes to law, such as clarifying the process for licensure for people with records.

Another round of recommendations are expected in the coming months that are likely to address more challenging reforms such as as mandatory minimums and potential changes to drug laws.

Pam Rodriguez, president of TASC, which stands for Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, said access to employment for people with felony records is a critical component to improving the states recidivism rate.

Rodriguez, who is a member of the governors task force, said this is one of several initiatives the administration has taken to ease the transition for people reintegrating into society after prison. Others include making sure people have access to an official form of identification and are enrolled in any health insurance programs for which they may apply immediately upon their exit.

The first few months after an individual is released from prison are critical to his or her success with reintegration, she said. Having a steady income is a huge part of the equation. If they dont have employment fast, everything starts to unravel, she said.

Rauner said in a statement that the change provides for real change by aiding the pathway to employment for those who may have a blemish on their record.

IDFPR Secretary Bryan Schneider, secretary of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said that as the states regulator, it is our job to facilitate options to licensure, not impede one's practice.

While individuals with a criminal conviction in their past will require a more extensive review by the department, it does not mean they cannot obtain a license, Schneider said. By effectively communicating this through our application process, we hope to not only increase the number of licensed professionals, but create a regulatory environment conducive to strong economic growth and opportunity.

Officials with IDFPR and the Illinois Department of Corrections previously announced a joint initiative to allow individuals to meet with the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding and Nail Technology Board as part of the review process while they are still in prison. This allows licenses falling under this boards purview to be issued immediately upon an approved individuals return to society.

Thus far, the department has issued once such license under that new rule, a cosmetology license to Landus Jackson of Cairo. IDFPR spokesman Terry Horstman said there are at least another 11 inmates who have fulfilled all educational and examination requirements and have received a letter from the IDFPR to proceed with the licensure review process.

The only courses offered in Illinois prisons at this time that allow for a pathway to licensure are: cosmetology, barber and nail technician. Horstman said the department is open to reviewing an expansion of the inmate licensure program to additional IDFPR licensed professions should educational avenues become available within state correctional facilities.
SPRINGFIELD  Nearly three dozen Illinois legislators of both political stripes are asking Gov. Bruce Rauner to resume contract negotiations with the state's largest public-employee union.

The lawmakers said Wednesday that the "nonpartisan" issue is crucial to the struggling state.

Decatur Democratic Rep. Sue Scherer said "nothing happens if you're not at the table."

Republican Rauner broke off negotiations last winter with 30,000 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees state council. A state labor board sided with Rauner this month that talks had reached "impasse." That means the governor can impose his own contract terms.

He did that a second time Wednesday in announcing an employee drug and alcohol testing plan.

AFSCME released a statement it's ready to talk. Rauner's office did not immediately respond.

 The Associated Press
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Having to handle three federal disasters in two and half years is no small task, but the Orangeburg County Emergency Operations Team is dedicated to keeping its community safe and secure.

Hurricane Matthew blew through Orangeburg County in October, causing flooding, downed trees and a loss of electrical power.

It is just one of many disasters that the emergency operations team has steered its community through.

School closings, shelter openings and debris removal are just a few of the things that have to be managed in the event of inclement weather.

Orangeburg County Emergency Services Director Billy Staley said none of it would be possible without volunteers who step in when they are needed most.

It is a we effort. The effort comes from county council all the way down through county administration. We cannot do what we do without guidance from them and that passion from them to do what they do, Staley said.

It is the county emergency operation teams capacity to make competent and rational decisions when its community depends on it most which has earned it the designation as the example of responsibility as part of the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative.

It is an honor which Staley accepted with pride.

I was very proud of the fact that the team was being recognized. Ive been very proud of the response to the entire event from the beginning. Theyve done a remarkable job, Staley said.

He said the team is not just one department, but is comprised of multiple departments and agencies that come together to handle the disasters and these major emergency responses.

Staley said responsibility is what the team is about.

Our office is responsible for emergency preparedness, emergency management and emergency response. On the emergency preparedness side, we have a responsibility to educate the public. We try to do that throughout the year with different events that we do, including everything from Safe Kids Super Saturday, festivals and the fair to going to schools and educating our kids, he said.

The emergency services director said the emergency operations team is only as successful as the help it gets from county departments, including public works.

He said, There are all those departments which go out there and push the streets clean, get the trees out of the road and get us back to where we can put ambulances and fire trucks back on the street.

Its all the volunteers that step up and help us cut the streets and roads and respond to accidents and staff our rescue stations during disasters. Were very proud of that.

Emergency response is a huge undertaking which must involve responsibility, he said.

We have to get there, make a difference and save a life. Theres a lot of responsibility behind that, of ensuring that even in the middle of a hurricane, county emergency services are still ongoing and that functionality is being maintained, he said.

Partnering with agencies on the state level, including the State Emergency Management Division, has helped enhance emergency management and response.

He said, A lot of partnerships and planning processes have grown over many years to make this happen. The bar for us in the emergency operations center is high, and we hold ourselves to it. There is the responsibility for ensuring that everything continues to flow and happen.

A lot of that goes into years of work. Planning for Hurricane Matthew started in 1989 with Hurricane Hugo, and its been building ever since. Thats how long weve been building and partnering with agencies to build these plans and get to the point where we are today.

He said he is not only proud of his team, but the citizens who helped each other out during Hurricane Matthew.

They stood up and were able to take care of their needs when times were tough, and Im proud of that. We all have a responsibility during a disaster, and ours just got noticed, Staley said.

Part of his teams community outreach efforts will include the purchase of a new all-hazards weather safety training trailer which will be taken to schools.

Staley said he is proud of the Community of Character initiative and its efforts to spread good character within the community.

I think it is a very strong and much-needed project. It is always a great day in Orangeburg County when were pushing positive character traits to our citizens and rewarding people for those traits. Its a constant ongoing process, and Im glad to be part of it, he said.
Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster made news ahead of South Carolinas Republican presidential primary early in 2016 by becoming one of the first public officials in the country to endorse Donald Trump.

After winning with that choice, McMaster is about to win again by assuming the elected office he has been wanting for years.

If the U.S. Senate confirms Gov. Nikki Haley as Trumps nominee for ambassador to the United Nations (and there is no reason to believe it will not), McMaster will take over as governor. He would complete Haleys term, which ends in 2018.

McMaster has a distinguished career that includes stints as South Carolina U.S. attorney, state Republican Party leader, attorney general and lieutenant governor, having been elected to the states second-highest office in 2014. McMaster was one of the establishment candidates derailed by Haley when the then-little-known Lexington County lawmaker won the GOP nomination and was elected the states first female governor in 2010.

In the six years since, Haley has won acclaim for her leadership, particularly in some of South Carolinas most testing times. But she has also had challenges, including a less-than-cordial relationship with the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Given McMasters political legacy and his longtime connection with the GOP establishment, its hard not to see him working more closely with lawmakers than has Haley.

And for South Carolina, in the two-year legislative session that opens in January, that could be a very good thing.

Lawmakers must tackle key issues including finding new money for education in the wake of a state Supreme Court order to improve rural schools, going further in allocating dollars to improve the states road and bridges, and dealing with mounting debt for the state employee pension system.

Haleys penchant for drawing a hard line and using her popular support to make it stand up hopefully will be replaced by a more cooperative approach that sees the executive and legislative branches finding common ground before clashing in the public arena. That would be the business-like tact expected of McMaster.

But there is reason to sound a cautionary note. McMaster already was planning a run for governor in 2018 and he is well aware of the danger of being tagged a Columbia insider. He may want to go along with sensible proposals such as increasing the states lowest-in-the-nation gasoline tax to pay for road and bridge repairs, but doing so will set him up for attacks from what is (or at least was) a full field of GOP contenders seeking the Governors Mansion.

The positions Henry McMaster holds as lieutenant governor may not be those that he outlines as priorities as the states new governor. He has from now until sometime in early 2017 to announce his priorities.

But as an experienced leader who will be looking to govern effectively when he gets the office he has long wanted, McMaster surely is busy now working with state lawmakers and others on a agenda that can be pushed forward effectively in the coming year. If not, he should be.
Recent national events compel Claflin University to re-establish itself as a leading institution of higher education with regard to promoting excellence in diversity and inclusion.

These are two core values on which the university was founded. Its in the universitys DNA. An excerpt from Claflins original charter declares No instructor in said University shall ever be required by the Trustees to have any particular complexion or to profess any particular religious opinions as a test of office, no student shall be refused admission, to or denied any of the privileges, honors, or degrees of, said University on account of race, complexion, or religious opinions which he may entertain. The charter was signed by then-Gov. R.K. Scott on Dec. 18, 1869.

Today, by design, Claflins diverse educational community is one of its greatest strengths. The campus community, including faculty, staff and students, is represented by 40 countries and our own United States of America. This international flavor bodes well for an institution that honors the freedoms contained in the Constitution of our democratic nation.

I am proud to continue in the tradition of former Claflin presidents who led the university to outstanding accomplishments in regard to diversity. President Hubert V. Manning, who served from 1956 to 1984, is notable for leading the university through the turbulent years of the Civil Rights Movement. Manning stood firm in the face of unfathomable challenges and university students were bloodied but unbowed for the cause of freedom and justice. As a Claflin student from 1961 to 1965, I participated in the protests in Orangeburg and witnessed those that occurred in cities and states across the land.

So today, in the spirit of my predecessors and as we move forward into the 21st century, I challenge Claflin University to embrace a vigorous commitment to becoming recognized as a leading institution that pursues excellence in diversity and inclusion. The formula for getting us there is to understand, respect and appreciate other cultures, customs and traditions.

Diversity and inclusion are among the goals in The Claflin University Strategic Plan 2016-21, Claflin LEADS: A Shared Vision for the 21st Century, in which LEADS is an acronym for Leadership and Professional Development, Experiential Learning, Academic Excellence, Diversity and Inclusion and Student Success. The goal relating to diversity and inclusion states that Claflin will develop and implement an action plan that ensures excellence in diversity and inclusion among students, faculty and staff and the greater university constituency.

An essential element in the Strategic Plan is Claflins overriding future aspiration. Accordingly, the vision for the future is Claflin University will be recognized as a leading 21st Century institution of higher education that develops a diverse and inclusive community of globally engaged visionary leaders. The universitys vision and strategic goals (along with other elements of the plan) are the result of a collaborative effort by faculty, staff, students and alumni, and approved by the board of trustees to define the course of the universitys journey toward excellence.

They clearly set forth our desire and our determination to become a model diverse community of learning, exploration and self-examination whose impact will be felt across South Carolina and the nation. I fully embrace the vision and goal outlined in our strategic plan and call upon all members of the Claflin community and broader community to share the vision and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

During the coming months, the university will hold a number of forums to illustrate this commitment. Claflins Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion will continue its work on this very important goal. Its work has become more urgent and necessary in light of the nations current political climate.

I also call upon the Orangeburg community, the state and the nation to join us. We want to be and we want our community to be a place where we all feel safe, valued and respected.
Its hard to believe Hurricane Matthew could have benefited anybody, but John Dant says it got him out of a Georgia jail.
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By Azernews





By Gunay Hasanova

Uzbek Defense Minister Kabul Berdiyev and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an agreement on developing military-technical cooperation (MTC) and the plan of bilateral cooperation between the defenses ministries for 2017 on November 29, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

The documents were signed following the talks between the defense ministers of two countries in Moscow.

Situation near the borders of Uzbekistan once again raises the question about the necessity of cooperating within the CSTO and SCO in order to maintain peace and security in the region, noted Shoigu.

The minister expressed his confidence that the countries have prospects and possibilities to strengthen military and technical cooperation in the interests of their own and regional security.

In his turn, Berdiyev stressed that Russia had been the main strategic partner for Uzbekistan.

The agreement aims at deepening cooperation as well as joining efforts to improve each other's military hardware and technology and working on both countries' scientific, technical and industrial capacities related to military, security, law enforcement and special forces applications.



The agreement may lead to the creation of joint military-technical programs, the signing of contracts between the two sides' relevant agencies and holding consultations with the involvement of experts from both Russia and Uzbekistan.

The Russian minister noted that program aimed at modernization and re-equipment of the armed forces of Uzbekistan with modern Russia armament and military hardware will be implemented.

Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan is based on a solid legal base. Relations between the two countries have been developing within the framework of the signed Agreement on Strategic Partnership in 2004 and the Treaty on Allied Relations in 2005.

Moreover, the trade-economic cooperation has a special place in the Moscow-Tashkent ties. Russia is Uzbekistan's second largest foreign trade partner with a share 17 percent.

Currently, over 900 joint ventures established jointly with Russia operate in Uzbekistan. Also, some 85 Russian companies have opened their representative offices in this Central Asian state.

According to Russias Federal Customs Service, Russias trade with Uzbekistan in 2015 hit $2.8 billion. In recent years, over $6 billion was invested in Russia in the Uzbek economy.
US-based Praxair, a worldwide industrial gases company, has restarted negotiations with Germanys Linde over a merger that would create a $60 billion industrial-gas giant, two months after previous talks broke down, a report said.



Praxair approached Linde last week and negotiations could begin soon, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted people familiar with the matter.



A statement from Linde said it has received a revised proposal [from Praxair] concerning a potential merger of equals. It added that the companys executive board is reviewing the bid, according to WSJ.


Bahrain-based wholesale Islamic Investment bank Ibdar Bank has announced the successful exit along with its investors through the sale of five Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft for an undisclosed amount.



The aircraft were leased to Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir, a bank statement said.



The award-winning Ethiopian Airlines transaction involved 12-year Shariah compliant operating leases of brand new aircraft, marking the first Shariah-compliant transactions in Africas aviation sector.

Commenting on the successful transactions, acting CEO of Ibdar Bank Ahmed Al Rayes said: We are very pleased to announce the successful closing of these deals which further underscores the banks growing capability in the aviation sector. As part of Ibdars strategy, the bank is working on bringing to market new transactions in the sector and other private equity segments. Ibdar has gained extensive experience in the field and is uniquely situated to better serve its clients in providing them with income generating assets.

Mohammed Kettani, executive director and head of the banks private equity division, added: The role of private equity in the aviation sector has become more prominent as a result of airlines continuing to grow passenger traffic globally and the increased use of operating leases as a means to finance fleet acquisitions. As such the bank has identified the opportunity gap and developed an aviation platform to maximize on these lucrative opportunities. To date, the bank has completed $196 million in aviation transactions. The bank is working on launching soon new private equity transactions.

In addition to its signicant expertise in aviation investment, the bank is building an impressive track record in infrastructure, maritime, oil and gas, and real estate among others, the statement added.  TradeArabia News Service
Averda, a major environmental solutions provider in region, has expanded its waste management services in Oman with two new contract wins for waste collection and landfilling services in Al Dhakhiliya and Dhofar regions.



The services cover a total area of 127,000 sq km, serving 1,655 towns and 650,000 residents, and a total number of 104,377 houses and buildings.



Providing a variety of services related to municipal waste collection and disposal in Dakhliyah Governorate, Averda daily disposes of 400 tonnes of municipal waste from the areas of Bidbid, Samail, Nizwa, Izki, Bahla, Al Hamra and Adam, transferring the majority of the waste for final disposal to Izz landfill.



With a city-cleaning dedicated workforce of 425 people, supported by 80 waste trucks equipped with the latest GPS (global positioning systems) and automatic weighing technology, Averda aims to provide the residents and business owners in the Dakhliyah Governorate a real sense of pride in the cleanliness and tidiness of their areas.



In addition to the services mentioned above, Averda is also responsible for the secure shredding and appropriate disposal of religious scripts from over 400 mosques across the areas it services.



Supporting one of Beahs main objectives, that of controlling the environmental damage caused by traditional waste dumping processes, Averda will launch a number of awareness raising campaigns in Bidbid, Samail, Nizwa, Izki, Bahla, Al Hamra and Adam to support beah awareness rising efforts related to the environment protection and waste disposal.



Youssef Barake, Averdas Oman managing director, said: We are thrilled to have expanded our service portfolio in Oman and honoured that beah has chosen our group to provide waste collection and landfilling services for Bidbid, Samail, Nizwa, Izki, Bahla, Al Hamra and Adam.



We hope to demonstrate to the Omani people that our decades-long experience in city-cleaning, environmental sustainability and waste awareness raising is unparalleled. We are committed to support and help these regions to further develop their local economies  we want to make a real difference to the progress and development journey of this beautiful country.  TradeArabia News Service
Omans Tanfeedh, a national programme for enhancing economic diversification, has proposed a public-private-partnership (PPP) model for setting up a dedicated minerals-based railway freight line, said a report.



The proposal covers a 337-km railway line connecting Shuwaymiyah, an area known for mineral resources such as limestone and gypsum, with Duqm Port, added the Oman Daily Observer report.



Tanfeedh highlighted that by connecting mineral-rich regions of the country with seaports, the nations mineral-based natural resources can be suitably harnessed.



The initiative, one of several logistics-related investment opportunities, was recently outlined by Tanfeedh at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre.



Provisional studies conducted by Oman Rail, the national railway company wholly owned by Oman Global Logistics Group, have estimated the freight traffic potential of the proposed mineral line to include 5 million tonnes of gypsum, 5 million tonnes of limestone, and around 1 million tonnes of oilfield equipment annually.



But to ensure its investment appeal to the private sector, Tanfeedh has recommended a public-private-partnership model with private investors owning concession rights to minerals targeted by the rail project.



The model presented by Tanfeedh envisages an initial PPP ratio of 80 per cent public / 20 per cent private.



Assuming an agreement is signed with a PPP partner (owning a mineral concession) in 2017, the project is expected to be operational by 2021.
The Masdar City Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system celebrated its sixth anniversary on November 28, just a week after carrying its 2 millionth passenger.



The PRTs driverless pods have covered a distance of more than 891,879 km on their transit route over the past six years, and have displaced CO2 emissions equivalent to running 53 cars for a whole year.



Masdars executive director of Sustainable Real Estate Yousef Baselaib greeted Geethma Devangee, the lucky two million milestone passenger, as the pod completed its journey from the North Car Park station to dock at Masdar Institute.



Geethma, a student from Merryland School Abu Dhabi, was visiting Masdar City as part of an educational tour with her school.



Baselaib said: This achievement stands as a true testament to our culture of innovation. The popularity of the PRT demonstrates how functional sustainable urban transport development is paving the way for cities of the future.



Over the years a wealth of data has been collected from the PRT system which has been used to further the development of autonomous vehicles, both in relation to the technology, as well as user interaction.



The CEO of PRT manufacturer 2getthere, Carel van Helsdingen, said: Real-life applications are invaluable for the reliability of the resulting information. Where a demonstration only provides an indication of the way passengers interface with a system, a real-life application shows real-world behaviour.



At Masdar City we have both daily passengers and first-time users, from 6am until midnight, with the requirement to constantly provide a reliable and high service level under difficult environmental conditions. As a result we have gained significant knowledge to support autonomous vehicle development.



The PRT system in Masdar City welcomed its 1 millionth passenger in May 2014, and has now carried a second million in the short time since, accounting for a 75 per cent increase in passenger numbers. The system is currently carrying five times the originally anticipated number of passengers, averaging close to 90 per cent occupancy rates during morning and afternoon peak hours.



The driverless vehicles are controlled by an advanced navigation system that uses magnets embedded in the corridor to know their position while onboard sensors detect any obstacles in their path. They are powered by a battery that recharges while the pods are standing in the stations between trips.



The Masdar City PRT system benefits from dynamic safety features, resulting in zero accidents or collisions since launch. System availability and vehicle reliability have also consistently achieved success rates of 99.6 per cent and 99.9 per cent respectively.



Phase 1A of the Masdar City PRT pilot project is approximately 1.4 km long and features two stations: the North Car Park and the Masdar Institute for Science and Technology. 2getthere is set to expand this network across more sites across the City, as well as introducing a General Rapid Transit (GRT) system in the near future.  TradeArabia News Service
The Coca-Cola Company on Wednesday (November 30) officially inaugurated its new $20 million bottling facility in the Gaza region of Palestine.



The launch was held in co-ordination with its Palestinian franchisee National Beverage Company (NBC), which currently employs a team of over 600 employees at its four factories in Ramallah, Tulkarem, Jericho and Gaza.



The new bottling facility immediately creates 120 direct jobs in Gaza, while indirectly supporting more than 1,200 Palestinians through a local value-chain of suppliers, distributors and retailers, said a statement from the company.



Accredited with international quality standards and following Coca-Colas robust global certifications, the Gaza bottling facility and distribution centre spans over 15,000 sq m and contains a single bottling line that is capable of filling up to 36,000 returnable glass bottles per hour with sparkling beverages, it said.



The Coca-Cola beverages produced in the new bottling plant will be distributed in Gazan communities through 18 branded trucks which will move from city-to-city and from village-to-village, it added.



Following a planned future expansion within the next three years, the Gaza plant will eventually employ 270 people, bringing the total number of direct Palestinian jobs across the West Bank and Gaza to more than 750, and the total number of indirect job opportunities to more than 7,500, said a statement.



The Coca-Cola Foundation, NBC and Mercy Corps, the international development organisation, also announced a new $1.3 million charitable initiative designed to address two regional development challenges  ensuring access to clean drinking water and creating employment opportunities for Palestinian youth.



The Empowering Sustainable Communities in Gaza initiative is aimed at supporting over 30,000 Palestinian beneficiaries within three years.



The charitable initiative includes plans to construct a desalination plant near Al Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of Gaza that will provide a sustainable water source to a population of more than 24,000 registered refugees, it said.



NBC is the third largest Palestinian employer and the fifth largest Palestinian investor with over 600 direct employees, and is the largest food and beverage company in the region, having produced sparkling and stills beverage products since 1998, including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Cappy juice, Arwa and Jericho mineral water.



Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Company, said: Our company and NBC share great pride in having been part of the fabric of Palestinian communities for almost 18 years, and our new plant shows our ongoing commitment to investing and supporting progress in communities around the world.



We believe that strong businesses can help enable strong communities, and we are delighted to welcome new Gazan employees, distributors and retailers to our Coca-Cola system, while jointly undertaking important work with NBC and Mercy Corps that we believe can have a positive and lasting impact for years to come, he said.



Zahi Khouri, founder and chairman of NBC, said: Ever since our company first began operations, we have been firmly committed to building a successful Palestinian business that can create employment opportunities, support the national economy and demonstrate the great capabilities of our region while serving products of the very highest quality.



The opening of our first Gaza plant is an important milestone in this journey and provides great evidence of the tremendous commercial opportunity that exists, he said.



Imad Hindi, general manager of NBC, said: Our company has worked with partners to expand its supply chain from city-to-city and village to village in the West Bank, with a long-term hope and clear ambition to operating in Gaza.



This new productive operation will eventually create thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities to address unemployment challenges and make a tangible contribution to the Gazan economy, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain-based Batelco, a leading telecom provider, has announced the introduction of an Unlimited Calling from all Fixed PSTN (public switched telephone network) lines for enterprise customers.



The new bolt-on offers great value and will be automatically implemented by the end of December, a statement said.



Batelcos Unlimited Calling has been designed to enable businesses to be more cost efficient by enabling them to benefit from unlimited calls on Batelcos network, both fixed and mobile, for the low rate of only BD5 ($13) per month. By replacing per unit billing with a very competitive flat rate, customers can make as many calls as they like with no worry about receiving big bills.



Batelco chief marketing officer Mike Stanford said that Batelco continuously strives to ensure satisfaction by enhancing products and services that help businesses save costs.



Batelco is focused on providing a complete portfolio of solutions for the Enterprise sector. We understand that the business sector is the backbone of Bahrains economy and the availability of end-to-end communication solutions at competitive prices is of paramount importance.



As such, Batelco supports businesses in their efforts to streamline costs and be competitive; we believe our efforts, in offering good value Bolt-On packages, are beneficial in supporting business excellence, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has ordered the release of 292 inmates of Dubais punitive and corrective institutions in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, a Wam news agency report said.



The decision is to mark the UAEs 45th National Day.



Dubai Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said that the Public Prosecution has started coordinating with Dubai Police to implement the order, which reflects the keenness of Sheikh Mohammed to offer the pardoned inmates a chance to reintegrate into society. This order comes on the occasion of the UAE National Day, which the marks the unification of the seven emirates by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.



Al Humaidan added that the pardon aims to bring happiness to the families of the released inmates. He called on the released prisoners to live a righteous life so that they can have a better future.
Dubai-based Emirates is offering travellers in the UAE reduced fares to some of its most popular destinations in Europe, the US, Far East and South Asia as part of its UAE National Day promotion.



The special fares apply to Economy Class and Business Class flights on bookings until December 8, 2016 for outbound travel between December 1, 2016 and June 15, 2017.



The special return fares in Economy Class start from as low as Dh680 ($185) to Kuwait, Dh850 ($231.3) to Mumbai, Dh910 ($247.7) to Karachi and Dh1,520 ($413.7) to Istanbul.



Passenger flying to Manila, Bangkok and Tokyo can avail return Economy fares starting at Dh1,710 ($465.4), Dh1,790 ($487.2) and Dh3,020 ($822) respectively.



Return Economy fares to London are priced at Dh2,150 ($585.2), while fares to New York and Fort Lauderdale are as low as Dh3,330 ($906.4).



Special Business Class fares start as low as Dh2,490 ($677.7). - TradeArabia News Service
This December, Middlesex University Dubai will host the fourth Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Asia Pacific Conference (APAC) under the theme 'Pushing the Boundaries: Driving Tourism Innovation & Creativity Through Research'.



Dr. Cody Morris Paris, deputy director of Middlesex University Dubai and Conference co-chair, said: "This theme resonates with the spirit of Dubai and the UAE, where there have been significant investments to fulfil a vision of an innovation-driven economy with tourism playing a central role. Already one of the most visited cities in the world, home of the busiest international airport, and the birthplace of some of the worlds leading hospitality and tourism brands, Dubai is well on its way of reaching 20 million international visitors by 2020, the year of EXPO2020.



The fourth TTRA APAC conference follows successful previous conferences in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, and Tokyo. We are coming to Dubai at the Far West of the TTRA Asia Pacific region. Dubai has been a leader in tourism leveraging its geographic advantages as a natural hub with long term investment and vision for our industry, stated Carolyn Childs, TTRA APAC president and conference co-chair.



TTRA International was founded in 1970 to support the travel and tourism industrys growth and success through a focus on the quality, value, effectiveness and use of research in travel marketing, planning and development. Today TTRA continues to provide leadership for the global community of practitioners, educators, and users of travel research.

The conference will feature nearly fifty leading researchers from industry, government, and academia from more than 15 countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Seychelles, UK, USA, Italy, France, Jamaica, Finland, and the UAE. The conference will feature world renowned keynote speakers and panelists presenting on research and practice at the nexus of creativity, innovation, and tourism.



Gerald Lawless, head of Tourism and Hospitality at Dubai Holding and chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council, will give a keynote talk on The Rewarding Union of Travel & Tourism and Cinematography. Prof. Sue Beaton, the founding president of the TTRA APAC Chapter, will launch the second edition of her seminal book, Film-Induced Tourism, and has organized a special panel and paper track on Creating Tourism via Film, TV and Pop Culture featuring filmmakers, destination marketers, and academics.



Carolyn Childs, MyTravelResearch.com and Laura Mandala, Mandala Research will present on a special panel focused on Shopping Tourism. Nasif Kayed, founder and CEO of The Arab Culturalist and Dr. Jeff Dalley, New Zealand Department of Conservation and vice president of TTRA APAC, will give opening keynote talks. In addition to the panelists and keynote speakers, more than forty academic papers will be presented by some of the worlds leading tourism researchers.



Dr. Paris said: Ive been a long time member of TTRA, its always been a fantastic community of researchers from the travel and tourism industry, academia, and destinations. The TTRA Asia Pacific Chapter has made great progresses in growing this community, and Middlesex University is looking forward to hosting the 4th TTRA APAC conference. Tourism research has always been central to the vibrant research culture at Middlesex University Dubai, and we have offered a strong undergraduate programme in Tourism since the Dubai campus opened in 2005. Next September 2017, Middlesex University Dubai will launch the first MSc in International Tourism Management in the UAE. 



The fourth Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Asia Pacific Conference (APAC) will take place on December 3 and 4. - TradeArabia News Service
Etihad Aviation Group has awarded the winners of a special Hackathon, which it hosted in partnership with Cognit, a joint venture between Mubadala and IBM Watson, as part of the UAEs nation-wide Innovation Week celebrations last week.



The Hackathon, which took place at Etihad Airways Innovation Centre, saw more than 20 computer science and engineering students from leading Abu Dhabi-based universities compete over three days to create innovative travel and aviation applications using IBM Watsons cognitive technology.



A team comprising four female students from the Higher Colleges of Technology won for developing an app that gives reminders on when to hydrate, exercise and rest - helping passengers to prevent and recover from jet-lag.



A second team of five students from New York University Abu Dhabi won for developing a door-to-door travel concierge app allowing passengers to get in touch with flight attendants in-flight.



Each member of the winning teams was awarded an Etihad Airways Business Class round-trip ticket to New York to visit IBM Watsons headquarters at Astor Place, and a New York City sightseeing tour. - TradeArabia News Service


Lufthansa's pilots walked out on another strike today, forcing the carrier to cancel a further 890 flights, said a report.



The ongoing labour dispute, which has left thousand's of passengers stranded, has cost the carrier millions of euros and it will continue to lose more if negotiations are not made, said a report in the Daily Express.



Strikes by the carrier's pilots, which entered their sixth day this year, are costing Lufthansa about 15 million ($15.9 million) a day, a spokesman said today.



According to the report, the Union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) wants an average annual pay rise of 3.7 per cent for 5,400 pilots over a five-year period backdated to 2012.



Lufthansa has so far offered to increase pilots' pay by 4.4 percent in two instalments and make a one-off payment worth 1.8 months' pay.



The strike is the 15th since early 2014, and the costs are mounting.



Walkouts in 2015 by both pilots and cabin crew affected 7,748 flights, costing Lufthansa 231 million ($245 million) in lost profit, with around 108 million ($114.5 million) of that coming from lost advance bookings.



Including last week's four-day walkout, Lufthansa has cancelled 4,500 flights so far this year due to strikes, and analysts have said the carrier's 2016 profit target could be at risk.
To celebrate National Day in Oman, the sultanate's national carrier has announced the introduction of a new airfare discount booklet.



The new Oman Air Pass will offer regular travellers between Muscat and Salalah the chance to pre-purchase an online booklet containing eight one-way tickets with discounts of up to 30 per cent off the standard fare for travel in economy. Customers can use the tickets on either Muscat to Salalah or Salalah to Muscat Flights and can be gifted or used by all the family and friends. The tickets must be booked online on www.omanair.com/pass 48 hours prior to flight.



On top of this offer, users of the Oman Air Pass will also earn 460 Sinbad miles.



Oman Air has always been dedicated to facilitating the highest quality of travel between Salalah and Muscat with eleven flights a day on their Boeing 737, Boeing 787 and Airbus 330 aircraft. As recently as June this year the carrier provided a substantial boost to its services to Salalah with the addition of an extra 23,000 seats to the principal city of Dhofar during the key summer months of the Khareef (monsoon season), when the weather is substantially cooler than the rest of the country and the landscape turns green.



In addition to this, Oman Air has increased capacity between Salalah and Dubai by 42 per cent in 2016 to a record 71,176 seats with six daily flights. These unprecedented increases will see Oman Air offer a total of 317,600 seats to and from Salalah in 2016.



To reflect Oman Airs continued dedication to serving the Salalah region, the new Oman Air Pass will enable regular travellers between Muscat and Salalah to make significant savings on their travel while continuing to enjoy Oman Airs award winning in-flight customer service. The booklets can be purchased via the www.omanair.com/pass site today for travel anytime within six months of purchase. - TradeArabia News Service
Rotana, a leading international hotel management company has appointed Martin Kendall as the new general manager of City Centre Rotana, a five-star property in West Bay, Doha.



A British national, Kendall holds an impressive hospitality record that spans almost 30 years, as his passion for the industry paved the way for him to hold hotel management roles in England, Scotland, Wales and Australia within international hotel brands. His achievements include being one of the youngest general managers in the UK in 1996 and successfully introducing a new hotel concept as the area general manager of the Northern Territory in Australia three years ago.



Showcasing his extensive experience and expertise to the Middle Eastern market for the first time, Kendall said: It is an honour for me to become the general manager of City Centre Rotana, Doha  a newly opened property in the heart of Dohas business district. It is indeed an exciting time for the hotel and for the company with its vast expansion plans, and I look forward to driving the hotel and further strengthening its position in a highly competitive market. - TradeArabia news Service


Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
West Virginia regulators on Tuesday walked back accusations of fraud against the top executives of Wyomings Contura Energy after agreeing to a $15 million settlement.

The coal company and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection were at odds over $100 million in liabilities that were not disclosed during the bankruptcy proceedings of Alpha Natural Resources.

Contura was created as a spinoff of Alpha after that company filed for bankruptcy. The new company, led by former Alpha executives, bought out Alphas best coal assets in Wyoming: the Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte mines in Campbell County. It emerged relatively unscathed from the Alpha bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Alpha retained the liability-laden Appalachian mines.

A Virginia court approved Alphas bankruptcy plan in July. But in November, Alpha revealed the $100 million in unaccounted-for expenses. Alpha, Contura and their lenders agreed to split the liabilities three ways.

However, the West Virginia regulators worried that the burden placed the company at further risk of financial failure, jeopardized its ability to pay for reclamation of old mines and undermined the legitimacy of the complicated restructuring agreement approved in July.

The bankruptcy exit plan had released former Alpha executives, now leaders of Contura, from liabilities. The regulators asked the court to withdraw those protections, potentially setting up Conturas top leaders for fraud charges in the future and jeopardizing Wyoming operations.

Contura was also on the hook for some of the cleanup costs in West Virginia as part of the bankruptcy agreement. Along with Alpha, the two companies shared about $165 million in reclamation obligations in the Appalachian state.

Contura and Alpha claimed the fraud allegations had no basis. The additional liabilities were acknowledged in some documents provided to the bankruptcy court but had not been included in cash flow statements.

In the settlement announced Tuesday, Alpha agreed to post its Boone County headquarters, appraised at $6.3 million, as collateral.

In addition, Contura Energy Inc. will post a $4 million letter of credit and issue a secured $4.5 million guaranty of Alphas obligations, each through the end of 2018.

Once again [the Department of Environmental Protections] bankruptcy strategy has helped to ensure that our states interests are protected, said Randy Huffman, cabinet secretary for the West Virginia DEP.

Contura, which had spoken strongly in defense of its executives, also praised the deal.

We have always been of the view that Contura officers had acted in good faith in all respects, including in connection with the Alpha plan process, said Neale Trangucci, an independent Contura director. We welcome this positive resolution.

The settlement agreement must be approved by the bankruptcy court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Holiday peace on Saturday

American Buddhist Monk, Gen Kelsang Rinzin returns to Casper this Saturday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Healthy Life Studio in the Sunrise Shopping Center, 4200 S. Poplar St. to present teachings of the Buddha that are relevant to the holiday season. The Buddha gave profound, yet simple and easy teachings on the nature of inner peace, joy and happiness. This class includes a guided meditation, the teaching, a Q & A and fellowship. Everyone of any religion or no religion is welcome. We are a friendly, diverse group. No need to pre-register. Just show up! A $15.00 donation is requested. Questions? Call Joe at 315-1987.

Latin Club meets

Wish you had taken Latin in school or had paid better attention when you did? You are welcome to join the Latin Study Club at Mount Hope Lutheran School, 2300 Hickory. This friendly group of language enthusiasts meets on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m., to study Latin, free of charge. We will pick up where we left off last year, Chapter 4 of Wheelocks Latin, 7th edition. Noli timere!

Mount Hope Lutheran School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.

Flu vaccination clinic

The Casper-Natrona County Health Department has added a flu vaccination clinic Monday, Dec. 12, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. We are accepting walk-ins on first come first serve basis. $25 per person. We can bill insurance.

Compassionate Friends lights candles

The Central Wyoming Chapter of the Compassionate Friends, a non-profit, self-help support organization for parents who are grieving the death of a child of any age, from any cause will have its annual December Candle Lighting Ceremony meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 from 7 to 9 pm. We will meet at the Natrona County Public Library in the Crawford Room in the librarys basement. You may bring a picture of your loved one. Also, if you would like, please bring a treat to share after the ceremony.

Another Compassionate Friends event is The Worldwide Candle Lighting on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016. Join in this event by lighting a candle in your home at 7 p.m. and letting it burn for an hour until the next time zone lights candles. You will be helping to honor the memories of children who have died, but who will never be forgotten.

For more information please call Gail: 235-0702 or Sheila: 237-0735.

Joshuas needs help

from hunters

Attention hunters, meat is needed to help the hungry in Casper and your donation of wild game will help feed the many hundreds of families in need. Please donate your game to the food pantry. Your donation is tax deductible. Please advise your meat processors where you want this important product to go. Thank you from Joshuas Storehouse.

Shop at Art 321

Did you know ART 321 has a gift shop? Come and shop from our fine selection of original artwork, jewelry, ceramics, prints, and apparel. Perfect for any gift occasion and any budget. ART321/Casper Artists Guild, 321 W. Midwest Ave., hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 265-2655.

Virtual reality demo

Dont miss the chance to immerse yourself in an entirely new world when the library hosts a virtual reality demo from 4 to 8 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 1. Choose from over 40 of the best virtual reality games and apps while being taken through a guided experience with the HTC Vive. Free and open to the public. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Stop by anytime between 4 and 8 p.m. to play for approximately 10 minutes. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Caregiver support

meets monthly

Are you caring for a loved one with a debilitating condition? Confusing and conflicting feelings are likely to come up-anger, sadness, hopelessness, resentment and guilt for having those feelings. Please join us on the second Thursday of the each month to talk about your feelings and learn effective ways to release difficult emotions by joining a support group. Meetings will be held at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 East 2nd Street #500, at 5:30 p.m. Different topics will be discussed each month. Coffee and lemonade will be served. We will be meeting on Dec. 15. To RSVP please call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon.

Parkinsons support

Dec. 13

Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinsons Support Group. Join us on the second Tuesday of each month at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 East 2nd Street, Building 500 at 5:30 p.m.

This support group is open to anyone with Parkinsons or caring for someone with Parkinsons. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13, our guest speaker will be Dr. Cozier, with Wyoming Neurologic Assoc. To RSVP call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon. To find out more about Rocky Mountain Therapy please visit our website at www.rockymountaintherapy.org. Were looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

Veterans get help with employment

Attention veterans! Are you having a hard time finding employment? Need help with a resume? Considering a new career? If so, stop by any Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Office. All of our services are free. In Casper, the office is located at 851 Werner Court. Call 234-4591 for more information.

Saturday morning watercolor classes

ART321/Casper Artists Guild announces the schedule for the Saturday Morning Watercolor Sessions for the months of September and October 2016. We hope to see you then to begin or continue your learning experience with us. All levels are welcome. Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. to noon, $10 per session. If you have questions, please contact Ellen Black at 265-6783.

Dec. 3 no session  Holiday Bazaar at the gallery; Dec. 10, Holly Bryson, a painting from start to finish; Dec. 17, painting snow; Dec. 24, no session, Christmas Eve; Dec. 31, no session, New Years Eve.

ART321/Casper Artists Guild, 321 W. Midwest Ave, Casper, WY, 82601, gallery hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., phone 265-2655, www.art321.org

Teen Challenge offers fall classes

Teen Challenge Wyoming offers classes this fall at local churches, True Care and the Link (Youth for Christ). For more information on these groups or on other Teen Challenge programs, please call 258-5397.

Peacemaking: Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. In this world of division and conflict, it is important for Christians to stay grounded in what the Bible teaches about resolving our differences with orders in a God-honoring way. For more information, call Pat at 258-5397.

Save One: A group for post-abortion healing. For more information, call Judy at 251-5644.

Single & Parenting: Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Covers major challenges single parents face in raising their children, and offers tools to help them meet these challenges. Enter anytime, each lesson stands alone. Call Cathie at 258-6119.

Professionals in Recovery: An ongoing Christian recovery group. For more information, call Gary at 267-7777.

Insight: Discovering the path to Christian character, especially in the midst of stress. Time to be announced. For more information, call Teen Challenge Wyoming at 258-5397.

Possible offering: Committed Couples and/or the Smart Stepfamily (groups designed to strengthen marriages for both married couples and those anticipating marriage) may be offered later this year. For more information on these possibilities, please call Teen Challenge Wyoming at 258-5397.

Casper Charla

Would you like to practice conversational Spanish or help others learn? Come and join the Casper Charla! Te gustaria platicar en espanol? Ven y charla con nosotros! Todos son bienvenidos!

Come and join us on the third Wednesday of each month this fall. We meet at a different restaurant and partake in food, drink and conversation. All levels of Spanish are welcome, from beginning to native-speakers.

Nos reunimos los miercoles en varios restaurantes en Casper. Ven por una copa, un antojito o simplemente una charlita.

Wednesday, December 14, 5-7 p.m., place to be determined for the Fiesta de Navidad.

Caregiver support

Wyoming Dementia Care offers five Alzheimers Caregiver Support groups each month. Caregivers of those with dementia-related illnesses and the loved ones they care for are welcome at any of the group sessions. Professional staff from Intermountain Home Companions will be on hand to offer separate activities and snacks for those who need care. There is no charge for Wyoming Dementia Cares support groups or for the respite care provided during the approximately one hour long sessions.

The morning support group sessions meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 E. 4th St. The afternoon support groups meet at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Life Care Center of Casper, 4041 S. Poplar. The evening groups meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Meadow Wind Assisted Living, 3955 E. 12th St.

For information, email wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or call Dani Guerttman at 265-4678.

Family continues suicide support

Good Grief, Support will continue at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott, by request of attendees. The family of J.R. Hunter, who died from suicide in June 2015 began the support before the especially tough holiday season. Anyone who is grieving a suicide, death, or considering suicide is encouraged to attend. Attendance at the meeting, as well as the content, will be strictly confidential. The Fresh Start Cafe will be open, and you can eat during the meetings. This meeting place was offered by Dan Cantine of the 12-24 Club. You need not be a member to attend.

New depression group begins

J.R.s Hunt for Life is offering See it Clearly, a free peer support group for persons suffering from depression and other mental conditions that lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. We are not professionals but rather a group of like-minded peers wishing to support each other in these struggles. We offer anonymity and confidentiality to all attending. Our meetings are at 6:45 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 500 South Wolcott in the conference room on the second floor, (12-24 Club). If you have ever considered or attempted taking your life or are struggling, please come. You are important to us.

Family offers faith-based groups

The family of J.R. Hunter, who committed suicide, is going to begin two more support groups, these faith-based, in addition to the groups they run on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the 12-24 Club. Those continue.

J.R.s Hunt; for life presents faith-based grief and depression peer to peer support groups at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Restoration Church, 411 S. Walsh.

Grief Support Group, Good Grief: A faith-based grief support group that our family hosts on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. at Restoration Church. Our loss has moved us to offer this to anyone grieving. Youll experience comfort and understanding. We get it.

Depression Support Group, See It Clearly: A faith-based free peer to peer support group for persons suffering from depression and other mental conditions that may lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. We are not professionals but rather a group of like-minded peers wishing to support each other in these struggles. We offer anonymity and confidentiality to all attending. Our meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the Restoration Church. If you have ever considered or attempted taking your life or are struggling, please come. You are important to us.

Parkinsons exercise

Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinsons exercise program. Join us from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 E. Second St., Building 500. These classes are open to anyone with Parkinsons or caring for someone with Parkinsons.

Thursdays class is tailored for the individual with more advanced Parkinsons and focuses on improving endurance, safety and managing symptoms. We are open to all ages and can tailor the class to meet varying exercise needs. The cost of the class is $5. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon.

Celebrate Recovery every Friday

Celebrate Recovery meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday at Highland Park Community Church, just south of Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital on East Second Street. We start with a family meal, followed by praise and worship. At 7 p.m., theres either a lesson from Celebrate Recoverys planned curriculum or a testimony by a person who has found recovery through Christ. Then, people go to gender-specific small groups until 8:30 p.m., when dessert and fellowship conclude the evening. Child care is available at no cost. For more information, contact Chris at 265-4073.

Here and Now: Dementia-focused monthly art class

Classes are every third Tuesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. There is no charge. Here and Now is a program made possible through a collaboration between Wyoming Dementia Care and the Nicolaysen Art Museum. It is designed to provide a supportive environment for people with dementia and Alzheimers and their loved ones.

To register, contact Dani with Wyoming Dementia Care 265-4678, ext. 106, or at wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or Zhanna Gallegos at 235-5247 or at zgallegos@thenic.org.
Local governments dont need to panic. Yet.

In his Wednesday budget recommendations to lawmakers, Gov. Matt Mead asked the Legislature to transfer $105 million it had already pledged to local governments through 2018.

We have to follow through with that commitment, Mead said. The strength of Wyoming requires strong local governments that are in good shape that can maintain their roads and keep businesses open.

That number is already down significantly from the $155 distributed during the 2013-2014 budget and the $183 million distributed in 2015-2016, said Wyoming Association of Municipalities Deputy Director Laurie Heath.

The state faces a $400 million budget shortfall. Meads budget recommendations do not call for any additional cuts, but the state has already cut tens of millions of dollars from the budget this year.

During the last two budget cycles, WAM had requested supplemental funding on top of the base, known as above the cap funding. This year, the $105 million commitment includes no supplemental funding, and Heath said her association had not requested any.

In addition to asking the Legislature to follow through on the above the cap funding for local governments, Mead requested $5 million for emergency grants including infrastructure repairs such as ruptured pipes.

If the Legislature follows Meads budget recommendations, it will still leave Wyoming cities and counties with $73 million less than the last budget cycle, according to the numbers provided by Heath.

But with rumblings that some legislators would like to distribute less than the $105 million committed for the 2017-2018 budget period during the last legislative session, Heath said the governors support is welcome.

The association released a report in October that ranked securing the $105 million as its top priority.

Heath said the states distribution is especially important to smaller cities and counties and those that have seen significant drops in their sales tax revenue over the last year.

We know thats what the governor would agree, and we would assume thats where the legislators would agree to not mess with that, Heath said.

Casper City Manager V.H. McDonald said the city is expecting $3.3 million in state funding during the next year.

We would either have to find cuts for or increase dramatically the spending of the reserve fund, McDonald said.

Casper cut its budget by almost 40 percent earlier this year in response to plummeting sales tax revenue.

Despite the governors support, Heath was unsure whether the funding would come through.

Were not convinced the Legislature in not going to try and change that, she said.

Heath emphasized that local governments understood that the state was facing a budget crunch. Cities and counties had already significantly reduced their spending, she added.

We feel like were on the same page as the state, she said. Were trying to cut costs like everyone else.

The Legislature will convene in January and decide whether to change the $105 million allotment.

Incoming Appropriations committee chairman Bob Nicholas, R-Laramie, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The first 25 percent of the allotment was distributed in August, and the next payment is scheduled for January.
College students  actually their anxious parents, more often  sometimes write to ask what the jobs of the future will look like. What skills and disciplines should workers-to-be master to succeed in the 21st-century economy?

My answer used to involve programming, data analysis, creativity, empathy. Basically, skills that are complementary to rising automation and that will help workers invent new products or support those who do.

Today, my answer must change. In light of the regulatory vision being laid out by President-elect Donald Trump and his advisers, Id recommend college students bone up on hustling and swindling instead.

Mammas, make sure your babies grow up to be con men.

One of the many underappreciated legacies of the Obama administration has been its widespread implementation of pro-consumer policies. Under the outgoing presidents leadership, multiple executive branch departments and independent agencies have enacted laws, rules and regulations designed to protect regular Americans from, well, the Donald Trumps of the world.

By which I mean big companies and moneyed interests eager to fleece unsophisticated or shallow-pocketed borrowers, investors, consumers, workers and small-potatoes entrepreneurs.

To the untrained ear, Trumps campaign rhetoric suggested he might be on board with Obamas mission.

Trump spoke frequently of how the system was rigged against the little guy, and how  because no one knows the system better than Trump  he alone could un-rig it. But now that hes heading into office, Trump has flanked himself with a fleet of anti-regulation, anti-consumer subordinates who appear hellbent on dismantling the Obama administrations hard-won pro-little-guy protections.

With a Cabinet likely worth tens of billions of dollars, Trump is assembling a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. And the policies his team wants to enact wont line only their leaders pockets  to the contrary, if they succeed, theyll enrich enterprising mugs, pugs and thugs throughout the land, too.

Almost immediately after the election, a Trump transition team member declared the president-elects intention to scrap the Obama administrations new fiduciary duty rule. This rule, set to take effect in April, would require retirement investment advisers to act in the best interests of their clients. The finance industry hates the rule and would rather preserve its ability to sell products that are, by definition, not in the best interest of little-old-lady clients.

Trump and his economic advisers have likewise committed to repealing Dodd-Frank, the post-crisis financial reform legislation.

This would, among other things, vaporize the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. While most consumers may not be familiar with the CFPB, they can thank it for going after predatory lenders, forced arbitration clauses, illegal debt-collection schemes and banks that incentivize employees to open up fake accounts in clients names.

Its sole purpose is to make sure the deck isnt stacked in favor of chicaners and cheats.

The Obama administration also made high-profile changes to higher-education policy to protect consumers. It increased accountability at low-performing for-profit institutions, for example, by making access to federal student aid contingent on student outcomes. The Federal Trade Commission likewise sued DeVry University for alleged deceptive advertising, and the CFPB and the Securities and Exchange Commission have brought actions against now-closed ITT Tech for alleged predatory lending and fraud, respectively.

While Trumps pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, does not appear to have taken a public position as yet on higher-ed regulation and enforcement actions, the industry itself is getting pumped about plumping up again. Stock prices for publicly traded for-profit colleges soared following the surprise election result. Plus the fraud case against Trumps own nonaccredited, defunct pseudo-university, recently settled to the tune of $25 million, would suggest that Trump himself may not be terribly sympathetic to the concerns of students who dont feel they got their moneys worth.

With or without substantive legal changes, there are plenty of other snake-oil-based industries that we should expect to thrive under the new administration.

The profitable fake-news business, for instance.

Or the dodgy multi-level marketing schemes that some likely members of the new administration have profited from  and thus look unlikely to police.

With no one watching the till, its hard to advise the next generation of workers to invest time and energy in trying to be productive members of society. Inventing the next iPhone or Google will be hard; legalized grifting is much easier. Even before taking the oath of office, Trump is reshaping the economy in his own image: an economy of con men.
Wyoming government will not suffer a new round of state cuts if the Legislature accepts the fiscal plan that Gov. Matt Mead unveiled Wednesday.

Meads proposal calls for balancing the states government operations budget, which has a $400 million shortfall, by spending up to $144 million of the states $1.6 billion rainy day fund. Mead is calling for the state to issue $80 million in bonds to fix the massive structural problems at the Rawlins prison. He wants the Legislature to use $49 million that the state unexpectedly received from a number of sources, such as investment income and money that agencies didnt spend.

Meads recommendations are just that. Ultimately, the Legislature adopts the budget. They convene Jan. 10.

Rep. Steve Harshman, next years House speaker, said members of the 90-member Legislature wont be too surprised by the lack of cuts in Meads budget proposal. But they are unlikely to accept all of it.

I would guess that we would probably do a mixture of these things  cuts and spending savings, he said.

At the end of June, as mineral revenues that pay for most of state government continued to plummet, Mead announced over 8 percent reductions to the states $3 billion, two-year budget. In all, $254 million was cut. Most of the cuts came from the largest agencies  the University of Wyoming and the departments of corrections, family services and health.

Theres not a lot left to cut from the agencies, which is why Mead said he didnt recommend new reductions.

For instance, the Department of Health lost $90 million in funding and an additional $43 million in federal matching grants.

About 310 state government positions have been reduced through layoffs or freezing vacant jobs, Mead said.

I think the cuts we made in June that started July 1, they have largely  been paper cuts, Mead said during a news conference. People have not felt the full effects of the diminished services. We have not yet heard from the citizens of Wyoming to the full extent of how those decreases have affected them. So before we start cutting more, I think we are in a good enough place that we can wait and see how these cuts affect the citizens of Wyoming.

The next revenue projections will be released in January. If they show more decreases, Mead said it would be time to look at further cuts.

Medicaid expansion

For the past two years, Mead, a Republican, has advocated the state expand Medicaid to 20,000 low-income Wyomingites under the Affordable Care Act. This year he will not push the Legislature to increase the program, which has federal dollars attached to it, since President-elect Donald Trump plans to overhaul or replace Obamacare.

It seems prudent to wait and see what actions are taken at the federal level and that is my recommendation, he wrote in a letter to lawmakers that accompanied the budget plan.

The Republican-controlled Legislature rejected expansion each year for the past four years.

Chris Rothfuss, the Democratic leader in the Senate, said he is disappointed that Mead has chosen not to push for expansion.

First of all, its not going to happen overnight, despite any promise, the Laramie senator said. Second of all, that leaves nothing in place to the close to 20,000 Wyomingites who dont have access to affordable health care.

Savings

There are only three items for which Mead wants to use the rainy day fund: involuntary commitments, the state prison  if there is a structural catastrophe  and to replenish a savings account that he spent.

Law enforcement and medical professionals can involuntarily commit people who are a danger to themselves and others under a program called Title 25. The costs of the program continue to rise, and Mead asked for up to $21 million for the program, if necessary.

Mead also is asking the Legislature for up to $19 million for the Wyoming State Penitentiary, if the building collapses and people are unsafe.

Theres no indication that will happen, but just out of an abundance of caution, because of the situation now, he said. If that did happen, I want to be able to access the money.

The prison was constructed on top of an old lake bed. Floors are buckling and walls are separating.

By state law, 5 percent of the budget  about $104 million must be in an account called the statutory reserve. The money is there to pay the states bills. Mead has emptied the account to keep the state operating, said Harshman, the Republican from Casper.

Mead asked Wednesday for $104 million from the rainy day fund to replenish the account, which is required by law.

Education, local government, bonding

In the two-year budget cycle that begins July 1, 2018, K-12 education in Wyoming faces a $600 million to $700 million shortfall. Education is funded separately from regular government operations.

Mead said lawmakers and stakeholders have called for a number of solutions, from increasing taxes to consolidating school districts. He said a committee made up of members of the public needs to study the issue now.

The looming challenge is not the general fund. It is education, he said.

Mead is recommending the Legislature keep state aid to cities, towns and counties at the same levels  $105 million during the two-year cycle. Additionally, hes recommending the state provide $5 million in emergency funds to local government.

Rothfuss, the Democratic leader in the Senate, wants the Legislature to loosen control over how counties and communities raise funds. Currently, the state dictates how they can increase taxes. That prevents communities from being creative to solve their budget conundrums  especially as it becomes more challenging to find money at the state level to pass onto the local governments.

We need to find additional flexibility for local governments to raise their own revenues, he said.

On the prison repairs, Mead wants to take advantage of the states high bond rating, since Wyoming could get a good interest rate, he said.

Unlike many states, Wyoming doesnt currently issue bonds for large construction projects, so Meads recommendation is unusual. But oil, gas and coal are down. They provide the majority of the states revenue.

Harshman noted that the state has bonded for buildings before, and the Legislature will debate Meads proposal to pay for prison repairs though bonding. Not everyone in the Legislature thinks the 15-year-old prison should be repaired. Some want the facility rebuilt on another site.

Frankly, the last prison we built we bonded, Harshman said. Then we got into the boom and paid the bonds off early.

Next steps

In mid-December, the Joint Appropriations Committee will hold hearings in Cheyenne, drilling into the budget recommendations and asking agency head questions.

During the legislative session, committee members will draft a bill based what they have accepted and rejected from Mead. Before the full Legislature votes to adopt the budget, individual members can amend the bill. Amendments take days to vote on.

Harshman, currently a Joint Appropriations Committee chairman, thinks there will be more reductions.

What most of them probably is in personnel, he said. If you can do those things though vacant positions, or somebodys retired or left or those kinds of things, thats always preferable. That work will continue. I think our Appropriations Committee will continue that. I think everything will be looked at, everythings on the table.

He said the Legislature will look at Meads proposal to use some rainy day money and will likely withdraw more of that money.

It will be a collaborative, team effort in the Legislature, he said.

In March, the Legislature adopted a budget that cut agencies across-the-board, an approach Rothfuss, the Democratic leader, disagrees with. Some of the cuts will cost the state over the long run, he said, citing an example of cutting programs that were proven to diminish the prison recidivism rate.

We need to be more thoughtful and strategic about where were cutting, he said. Some of our across-the-board cuts have been irresponsible.
When David Ira Goldstein was a boy, Fiddler on the Roof was the musical.

The cast album was played in every Jewish household in America, says Goldstein, who is directing the Arizona Theatre Company production of the play, which opens in previews Saturday, Dec. 3.

Both sets of his grandparents had immigrated from Russia, where they lived in shtetls. Its my heritage, he says of the musical, which opened on Broadway in 1964.

But it became much more than a story about Jewish life and immigration  so much more that it has been translated into 20 languages, including Japanese, where audiences seemed surprised that it wasnt written about the Japanese.

Its really the first Jewish musical that became so universal, says Goldstein. You dont have to be Jewish to love Fiddler. It transcends and speaks to all traditions.

Especially today, he added.

I dont think it could be any more relevant than it is right now. When you think about whats going on in Syria, and all the talk of deportations, banning Muslims  the end of this play is about a community made to leave its home.  Fiddler is a particularly human, emotional way to say what it means to leave, what a diaspora means.

The background

Fiddler on the Roof, by Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, is based on short stories by the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem. Written in the late part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th, they are about the milkman Tevye, who narrates tales about his village and family and a life salted with hardship and love with tenderness, humor and irony.

They are touching and bitter and funny and sad all at the same time, says Alisa Solomon in a phone interview. Solomon wrote the definitive book about the musical, Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof.

Bock, Harnick and Stein harbored doubts while they created the musical.

Who would be interested in producing a show about a shtetl? Stein said in Solomons book. But they kept at it, spurred on by their love of the material.

Solomon reported in her book that producers werent jumping enthusiastically on board.

What will we do when weve run out of Hadassah groups? asked one, who turned them down.

Eventually, the well-respected Harold Prince signed on as producer, and the choreographer/director Jerome Robbins agreed to direct, giving the musical a boost as it headed to Broadway.

The story

Fiddler is set in 1905 Russia. Tevye, a Jewish milkman, has five daughters and he and his wife are anxious to find matches for the three of marrying age. Meanwhile, their faith and their traditions are challenged by the increasingly oppressive actions of the czar, whose edict eventually forces Tevyes family and the other Jews in the shtetl to leave the community they know and love.

The story, Solomon said in a phone interview from Chicago, takes place almost entirely in the village, but it has become a story of immigrants.

It has come to represent the origin story for American Jews and, by extension, of American immigrants  people who have left some kind of persecution to come to the U.S., Solomon said. No matter how you slice it  whether its religious or economic persecution  people come here looking for better opportunities, for more freedom, which is what Tevye is doing at the end of the show.

The music

The music is glorious, says Goldstein. Every song is a beautiful song.

Few would argue with him. Sunrise Sunset is often sung at weddings, and in 2011, Harnick wrote a second version of the song for same-sex weddings. Tradition is a rousing anthem to a way of life; Matchmaker, Matchmaker is flirty and joyous; If I Were a Rich Man is a klezmer-ish song full of humor and gives a full look into the character of Tevye, who sings it.

The score, said a New York Times review of the 2015 Broadway revival, enters your bloodstream, indelibly, upon a single hearing, so rousing are its songs of celebration, so beautiful the melodies of its songs of love and loss  two sides, for Tevye, of the same coin.

The dance

Jerome Robbins was a big name in dance when he signed on to choreograph and direct Fiddler. His choreography on such shows as West Side Story and The King and I made his talent clear and his reputation wide.

And youll see much of his work in the ATC production of Fiddler.

Theres a choreography bible that comes with the show, says choreographer Kathryn Van Meter, a lifelong fan of Robbins. Its a series of written-out instructions combined with stick figures and formation shapes. That is the original choreography.

She and Goldstein kept several of those dances, such as the opening number, Tradition, and the Bottle Dance, which ends the first act.

I think Robbins was so successful because he figured out how to theatricalize movements from daily life, she said. The movement itself feels universal.

Van Meter re-envisioned some of the original dances, but felt she had strong guideposts.

For me, it always comes back to the story being told, she says.

Robbins has been one of my personal influences, so staying inside his style is a natural fit for me.

Tevye

This is the second time Eric Polani Jensen has played the iconic role of Tevye, the humble milkman who has an ongoing dialogue with God and is constantly challenged by daughters who want to break traditions.

To me, hes a bit of an everyman, he says about the character. A dreamer. Hard worker. Like all of us, he wants more for himself and his children. He has a great love for his wife and family and community. And tradition.

Jensen loves the music, but he is particularly moved by the closing number, Anatevka.

Its an anthem about home, no matter how good or bad, he says. That speaks to refugees today  that home isnt always the brick and mortar we live in; its the heart we share with each other.
Fiddler

Janine Colletti plays Shprintze, one of the daughters, in Fiddler.

Her fathers family landed in America about 1913, coming through Ellis Island. They came from Sicily and were looking to escape economic hardship that gripped her country.

The same need brought her mothers family to Hawaii from Japan. They settled on Hawaii Island, the big island, where farm work was plentiful.

Munetaka Sakamoto, Collettis great-grandfather, had been trained as a Shinto priest and was college educated. Many of the other Japanese there could not read or write, so he had a big role in the community reading letters and teaching. When World War II broke out, he immediately became a suspicious character to the U.S. government.

The family was told to be prepared to be shipped off to an internment camp, but when the day came, only Sakamoto was taken away.

He was shifted from camp to camp; his family never knew exactly where, though they believe it was an F.B.I. camp rather than a standard internment camp.

He was a community figure so they thought he was a person of interest, says Colletti.

They heard from him sporadically, and after four years, when the war ended in 1945, he returned home. He died just three years later. He was pretty demoralized, says Colletti.
Walter W. Laos, BA: DDS, sent these photos of the USS Arizona to the Star. In 1965, he was on vacation in San Francisco and attended a U.S. Navy open house, which included displays of Naval mementos and souvenirs. He purchased these photos of the USS Arizona.

1 of 5 1 USS Arizona photos from a reader 2 USS Arizona photos from a reader 3 USS Arizona photos from a reader 4 USS Arizona photos from a reader 5 USS Arizona photos from a reader More like this... Close 1 of 5 USS Arizona photos from a reader USS Arizona photos from a reader USS Arizona photos from a reader USS Arizona photos from a reader USS Arizona photos from a reader More like this...
A couple of cooled cats in the basement of a building off Speedway are simultaneously recording sea temperatures in the Antarctic and predicting the shape and size of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way  among many other things.

Ocelote and El Gato are the two most-recent components of a high-performance research-computing system at the University of Arizona that grows and shifts to meet demand and also allows researchers to accept donations of grant funds to buy more processors.

Mike Bruck, assistant director for research computing at UA, prefers the term high-performance computing to describe what his arrays of processors do. He reserves the word supercomputer for the giant banks of processors put together by the National Science Foundation at eight university and institute sites across the country.

Those truly supercomputers contain 200,000 to nearly 1 million processors. The research computers at the UA have about 10,000. Ours are pretty super, but theyre pretty small compared to the big NSF computers, Bruck said.

When chemist Steve Schwartz moved his research group to the UA in 2012, he could have bought his own computers with the startup money he received, but he knew he would have to set up and maintain them.

He instead bought into the universitys first foray into research computing.

When that system was upgraded for a second time this year, he used $200,000 in leftover startup money from the Arizona Board of Regents Technology Research Initiative Fund and a $200,000 match from the National Institutes of Health to buy 1,500 processors on the UAs new Ocelote system. The Ocelote cluster adds nearly 10,000 cores and 60 terabytes of memory.

I dont actually own anything, said Schwartz, but his group has first dibs on using his processors.

Its needed, he said. His 13-member group, which does theoretical and computational studies of complex systems, has projects that require a good deal of computing power.

Schwartz is trying to figure out the physical process that allows enzymes to speed up chemical reactions and is examining the physical properties of surfactants, the molecules that make detergents work and put the foam in beer.

In partnership with his wife, UA medical researcher Jil Tardiff, he is also researching the physical mechanism that leads to heart failure in young athletes.

Were studying how mutations in your heart cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, he said.

Schwartz said his wife brought me kicking and screaming into this with very tiny pieces of cardiac thin-film filament.

Now we study the entire cardiac thin filament  all the atoms and all the water molecules, over 4 million atoms. Thats a very big system, and you need significant computing power for that.

Schwartz said his group can now spend all its time on research, instead of maintaining and fixing computers or writing grants to get on the NSFs supercomputers.

Schwartz had his own bank of processors when he and his wife were researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

In New York, I owned my own cluster. If something broke, one of us had to go over and figure out what to do about it, he said. He arrived at the UA as the university was ramping up its research-computing facilities.

Out of my startup money I bought a nice chunk of that first computer. It was getting turned on the day I walked in the door, he said.

Bruck said the benefits of central research computing are many.

A team of technicians keeps things running in the basement of the University Information Technology Services Building. The computers are cooled by radiators fed by the universitys chilled water supply. Redundant power feeds from Tucson Electric Power are backed by banks of batteries and a diesel generator on the buildings south side.

You dont have to buy processors to use the research computers, said Bruck.

The main funding for the UAs high-performance computers comes from the Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Office for Research and Discovery. They are available to anyone doing research on campus and used by more than 120 research groups, he said.

When Schwartz isnt using his processors, they become windfall time for projects with lesser priority.

Schwartz said he made use of that windfall time on the El Gato system, the 2012 upgrade made possible by grant money from the UAs Department of Astronomy.

Schwatrtz said the heart muscle work required visualization, and El Gato was outfitted with 140 graphics-processing units (GPUs), the kind of computing needed for video games.

The astronomers use them to simulate astrophysical phenomena. Feryal Ozel and Dimitrios Psaltis, the husband-wife team that is preparing the theoretical basis for an attempt to image the black hole at the center of our galaxy, have fed all of the data about black holes and all of Einsteins theories into El Gato to produce animations of what that image should look like if current theories of relativity are accurate.

Oceanographer Joellen Russell was an early proponent of high-performance computing at the UA. The advances of the past few years have allowed her to make the UA the computing center of an international effort to sample the biogeochemical content of the Southern Ocean.

Russell, an associate professor of geosciences, is a principal investigator for the NSFs Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project. The project is run by Princeton University and the floats are deployed by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Currently, the project has deployed 57 of 200 floats in the Antarctic. The floats are missile-shaped tanks that submerge to gather data at the 1,000- and 2,000-meter level. The data are available within eight hours, she said.

Those data are combined with atmospheric observations to create a more complete picture of the effects of a warming world .

The Southern Ocean absorbs half the worlds carbon production and most of its heat, Russell said. Measuring it is important but difficult. Research cruises are expensive and can only be undertaken during the southern summer.

The Southern Ocean is the hardest to observe, because it is so far from ship-enriched countries. It has incredibly bad weather. The westerlies are 30 percent stronger and they beat you to death with icebergs, massive waves and wind.

The floats deployed by Southern Ocean project provide data yearlong. Scientists will be able to see how much the ocean is warming and what affect that has. Were actually watching the acidification of the ocean in real time, Russell said.

The data collected will also serve as a check on treaty promises to reduce carbon emissions and help predict our climate future, Russell said. We dont have any crystal ball except math and supercomputers, she said. This is the new picture of oceanography. Its a revolution. Were going to change the world.

Russell said the work could not have been done at the UA 10 years ago, but the computing power and speed has grown exponentially in the past few years.

Russell, who recently resigned as chair of the Research Computing Governance Committee, said the computing center generates $200 million a year in grants.

Its shocking, really. This is one of those Stone Soup things where everyone brings their good stuff to the table. And this happened during the recession. Its the best thing about being here. We know were not Harvard. We know someone is not going to give us $200 million to buy a supercomputer. Were all basically chipping in to support the university, Russell said.
Its astonishing to think back and realize presidential candidates have been bashing NAFTA for political gain since 1992.

Thats the year Ross Perot made it the centerpiece of his independent campaign. But of course Donald Trump exploited anti-free-trade sentiment too  and successfully  this year, more than two decades later.

Its not hard to figure out why. NAFTA has had mixed effects across the country and the continent. Some have been harmed, some helped, and not all the effects are clearly visible.

But the places where NAFTA still has the worst reputation are in the electoral swing states of the manufacturing belt  Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania. These are the places that lost much of their manufacturing base in the era of free trade, though not necessarily due to the North American Free Trade Agreement.

And they are the states that handed Trump his victory, thanks in part to his absurdly alarmist rhetoric about trade. He actually said a couple of months ago that NAFTA destroyed this country economically, while demanding that it be renegotiated or ended.

Suffice it to say NAFTA did not destroy this country economically  far from it.

But his political rhetoric and the national skepticism toward the trade agreement shouldnt blind us to something obvious: What may have been borderline bad for other places isnt necessarily bad for us. When all the costs and benefits are weighed, it wasnt even necessarily bad for them.

For Tucson and Southern Arizona  for the whole state, as a matter of fact  NAFTA has on balance been a boon that is paying increasing dividends year after year. This isnt to say we havent had any job losses  I covered Weiser Locks flight from Tucson to Nogales, Sonora, in 2000 and saw 450 jobs disappear down I-19.

But for our area, proximity to Mexico and free trade are among our principal competitive advantages, and ones that were finally taking full advantage of, thanks in part to the efforts of elected officials like Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, a Democrat, and Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican.

Those two think differently on many issues, but are in lockstep on increasing trade with Sonora and the rest of Mexico.

Think of the Caterpillar deal. This year, the company consolidated operations that were based in Milwaukee, but also spread around the world, at a new Tucson headquarters. It will employ hundreds in great jobs. Accessibility to mining operations in Mexico and parts further south was a crucial reason why Tucson made sense.

Or think way back to a smaller deal in 2007. The Slim Fast plant built on Tucsons southeast side had never properly worked, so a Mexican bean cannery, La Costena, took it over and has operated it since.

Target.com established a massive distribution center here, and so did HomeGoods, in part due to proximity to Mexico and access to its markets.

Nogales is also doing well, with 1 million new square feet of warehouse space built in 2 years as the new Mariposa Port of Entry came on line, produce distributor Jaime Chamberlain told me.

There is an incredible buzz in Nogales right now, he said. There is an incredible burst of growth since we have our brand-new port of entry.

And of course, on Tuesday, state and local officials announced that a new electric-car manufacturing plant will be built in Pinal County, with parts supplied from Sonora. The hopeful projection is that the plant will employ 2,000 people on this side of the border. Even if its half that number, it will be a massive benefit to the region.

When I asked Rothschild about Trumps rhetoric on free trade, he said its crucial for us that the country not become isolationist.

Its fine to renegotiate trade agreements, he said. They need to be looked at for sensitivity to labor issues, environment issues, fairness issues. Theres a big difference between negotiating and slamming a door.

Thats the same way Mexican Ambassador Carlos Manuel Sada was speaking when my colleague Gabriela Rico interviewed him Monday. The agreement can be revised, he said, but it shouldnt be thrown out in ignorance of its benefits.

I also talked Tuesday with Mauro Guillen, a professor of international management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the same business school Trump attended. He noted that while the job losses in specific towns in states like Pennsylvania have been evident and left a negative impact, there have been many less-noticed benefits.

European and Japanese automakers responded to NAFTA by building plants in the South. Prices on consumer goods went down because they were being made in cheaper locations, which was a net benefit to most of us. And Mexicos economy has surged, meaning its economy is supporting its people well enough that now net migration to and from the United States is zero.

Then there is a whole other area of promise: Mexican companies locating here. You may have read the news last week about Suspiros Pastelerias, an Hermosillo-based bakery chain, beginning its U.S. expansion in Tucson.

Thats part of a broader effort by Rothschild and others in Arizona, and involving former Mexican President Vicente Fox, to help Mexican companies locate here. His effort is focused on incubating Mexican startups in Tucson.

Other Mexican-born businessmen have been participating in the rebirth of downtown Tucson.

So, it is obvious why a presidential candidate would trash NAFTA  it can pave his path to the White House through the industrial Midwest.

But this is where free trades promise is flourishing, and it would be pointless to smother it now.
Tucson police arrested three men Monday night who are suspected of selling the illegal drug "spice" out of a local smoke shop, authorities said.

Over the past two months, Tucson Police Department received reports that The Up in Clouds Smoke Shop, located in the area of North Stone Avenue and East Fort Lowell Road, was illegally selling spice, said Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.

The drug, which is commonly sold in small packages in smoke shops, gas stations and neighborhood stores, mimics THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Tucson police and the Counter Narcotics Alliance served a warrant at the shop Monday night, and arrested 19-year-old Sayed Khilwati and 22-year-old Ruben Pereida without incident, Bay said.

A third suspect, 26-year-old Hakim Rahim, was located during a traffic stop.
An undercover Sierra Vista cop posed as a hired killer, leading to the arrest of a former Cochise County Sheriff's deputy in connection with a murder plot, officials said.

Israel Burkholder was indicted Nov. 10 on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia, said Corporal Tim Wachtel, a Sierra Vista Police Department spokesman.

Over the past several months, detectives had been conducting surveillance on Burkholder, who quit his job with the sheriff's department in March 2015 after he was discovered to have been using prescription painkillers while on duty.

During their surveillance, detectives used an undercover officer, who Burkholder believed was a killer for hire who would end the life of a local man in exchange for money, Wachtel said.

In his communications with the undercover officer, Burkholder made "overt acts to ensure payment" and provided information that the officer would need to know to carry out the murder, Wachtel said.

Burkholder wanted to meet the person he was conspiring with at a local convenience store, and during the meeting provided the undercover officer with the rest of the information necessary to carry out the killing, Wachtel said.

Sierra Vista police's special response team was at the convenience store during the meeting, and arrested Burkholder while he was getting ready to drive out of the parking lot.
When Tucson legislator Bruce Wheeler and his family left a Cuban jazz club last Friday they saw crowds of people milling around the streets of Havana, but nobody mentioned the enormous news of the night.

Longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro, 90, had died a half-hour earlier. The news didnt reach Wheeler until Saturday morning when a relative in Nebraska contacted them to make sure they were OK.

By that time, the normally bustling streets of Havana were eerily quiet, Wheeler said.

Wheeler, a Democratic state legislator from Tucson whose grandfather was Cuban, spent a week in Cuba to celebrate his sons birthday and to take in the sights of a land frozen in time, with crumbling buildings and 1957 Chevys cruising the streets, he said.

Upon learning of Castros death, Wheeler asked a woman cooking nearby what she thought. She responded nonchalantly, Oh, yeah. He died last night.

The woman told him her family was split when it came to Castro. She and her husband didnt like Castro, but her mother-in-law was a Castro supporter, Wheeler said Tuesday from St. Petersburg, Florida, the final stop before returning to Tucson.

One is in mourning, the others are not, he said of the cooks family. Officially, of course, everyone is in mourning.

Castro led an armed revolution that overthrew the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Castro held power until 2006, when he ceded control to his brother Raul.

Castros Cuba endured decades of a U.S. economic embargo and became a Cold War flashpoint in 1962 that nearly led to nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the process, Castro became a leading voice for leftist leaders in Latin America and elsewhere, as well as a dictator in his own right.

In 2009, Human Rights Watch called the Castro brothers rule a system of abusive laws and institutions that led to the arrests of hundreds of political prisoners for staging peaceful marches, criticizing the government in news articles, and trying to create independent unions. Other activities deemed by the government to be dangerous included failing to join official party organizations or attend pro-government rallies.

Like the cooks family, some older Cubans supported Castro until his death, while others opposed him, Wheeler said.

As the country entered a national nine-day mourning period, students gathered on the steps of the University of Havana to honor Castro, Wheeler said. Many in the younger generation, which is made up of a well-educated workforce, want jobs.

The mourning period also spurred a cab driver to grumble to Wheeler, Nine days. I cant make any money for nine days.

Raul Castro is now 85 and pledged to step down in 2018 after his term as president expires.

The question of the moment is whether post-Castro Cuba will resemble post-war Vietnam, which saw an influx of investment and economic growth, Wheeler said, or the chaotic days following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Its like Trump; We dont know whats going to change, but its coming quickly, Wheeler said.

President Obama opened relations with Cuba in recent years for the first time in decades. On Nov. 28, President-elect Donald Trump said via Twitter he could pull back from that opening if a better deal isnt worked out.
University of Arizona's Bachelor's program in Public Health has been ranked one of the 35 best in the nation by a comprehensive college website.

College Choice, an independent online publication, aims to help students and parents find the right school for them by publishing rankings and reviews.

"While the career paths are numerous, undergraduate degrees in public health fields are not," according to the site, which considers tuition, reputation of the schools, anticipated salary, and other factors when ranking the schools.

UA's program made the list at number 19, in part because the department also houses a Pre-Public Health major and a Public Health minor, the site says.

"While most schools offer similar concentration tracks, this program is designed around three unique tracks that are catered toward future professions: Environmental and Occupational Health, Health Behaviors, and Health Deliveries," the site said.

Check out the rest of the list here and see what else they have to say about the UA's program.

Spoiler alert: Arizona State University also made the list, and it's a little higher up than UA.
A Tucson woman has filed a claim against the city, saying that her dog was severely injured by two police K9s who escaped from their handlers home when he wasnt there, documents show.

The Chihuahua mix, who needed two surgeries after the Sept. 29 incident, suffered puncture wounds to the left shoulder as well as other serious injuries. Cynthia Weeks, the dogs owner was also hurt during the attack, according to a claim filed with the city.

The dogs handler, Officer Chris Fenoglio, wasnt home when his two K9s easily escaped through the front door of his house as Weeks was walking by with her two leashed dogs, the claim says.

Fenoglios son was the only person at the residence during the incident, and was unable to control the police dogs.

An incident report was filed with the Tucson Police Department. The status of the investigation, or any subsequent discipline against Feneglio, isnt clear.

The city has 60 days to respond to the claim before Weeks can file a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court.
Help India!

By Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net

Although the country is still waiting for Achche Din, it is clear that Asaduddin Owaisi-led All Indian Majlis Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to enjoy the same in Maharashtra in light of the recent municipal elections.

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The party, which fielded 60 candidates in the elections, has won a total of 36 seats across 25 districts of the state including Beed, Karad, Shahada, Umarkhed, Malkapur and Shegao among others.

Currently the party has two MLAs in the state, elected from Aurangabad central and Byculla, Mumbai. In the municipal elections, the party received good response from Muslim-dominated constituencies like Nanded, Aurangabad and Kalyan and managed to win nearly 40 seats in these areas.

In a conversation with Twocircles.net, party legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel gave credit to people, and said that Muslims have now started showing their presence in the political circle. We too have right to join the power for the development. Or focus is to increase the number of Muslims in the local governing bodies for the political development of the community, he added.

Maharashtra core committee member Anjum Inamdar commented, This win was special for because we achieved this without any alliance with national or regional parties. He said that apart from Muslims, the party also received good support from Dalits and Marathas. I must thank all the voters for keeping faith in us. The rallies of the Owaisi brothers played a key role during election campaign, he added.

It is notable that elections in another 17 local bodies are scheduled to be held in third week of December including Nanded, Thane and Solapur, which have been strong areas for the AIMIM.
Help India!

By Faisal Fareed, Twocircles.net

For nearly two centuries, the Nawabs of Rampur ruled their riyasat. Now their descendents are worried about the news that their crowns are being auctioned in London.

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The auction company, Christies, the famous London-based auction house, has slated November 30 as auction date for two crowns belonging to Rampur riyasat and December 1 for auctioning one precious necklace worn by Nawabs.

It is however, not known how these valuables reached London and landed with auction company.

Nawab Kazim Ali Khan alias Naved Miyan who is also MLA in UP confirmed the auction and shared the picture of the crowns on his social media account. As of now, Nawab Kazim claimed that he is in conversation with other descendants of the clan for stopping the auction.

Nawabs of Rampur ruled for nearly 174 years. The last scion who has been given the title of Nawab is Kazim Ali Khan. Rampur riyasat was the first to merge with India after independence. After the death of Nawab Raza Ali Khan in 1966, several valuables including crown, jewellery were handed over to his descendents and kept in Kothi Khas Bagh in Rampur. It means that these crowns were safe till 1966.

Co-convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Rohilkhand Chapter, Kashif Ali Khan who also lives in Rampur, claimed that the crowns were illegally smuggled from India and reached London. We are not aware what happened today but the crowns are going under the hammer. Indian government should try to bring back the heritage of our country, he said.

Meanwhile, locals in Rampur claimed that several valuables went missing from Kothi Khas Bagh and nothing was revealed. Perhaps these crowns and other articles too were stolen and reached London. The incident was biggest theft in the country then in the decade of 70s and 80s. Kothi Khas bagh is still there in Rampur, but it has lost his pristine glory.

The Nawab family too turned political and its descendents represented Rampur in parliament several times and the latest scion Nawab Kazim Ali is Congress MLA from Swar in the district. Now he has shifted his loyalty towards BSP. The acrimony between Nawab family and Samajwadi Partys Muslim face Azam Khan however still makes news.
Help India!

By Revati Laul

If I told you that given a choice between the people and a convicted rapist, the courts have chosen to protect the rapist, youd say I am making it up. I wish this time that the truth werent so bizarre. Because it also directly impacts my personal safety. But I will come directly to the point.

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On the 28th of February, 2002, a man called Suresh Richard was part of a bloodthirsty mob in the Naroda Patiya area of the city of Ahmedabad. He killed quite a few people that day, raped women and helped tear out the foetus of an unborn child from its pregnant mother and then raped and killed her. He was eventually convicted for these crimes in 2012 and put away in prison where he is now serving a 31 year jail sentence. But prisoners get two weeks or even a month out of jail in the year, to spend time with family, attend to urgent and pressing matters.

Even convicts like Suresh are entitled to this parole time. Sort of the jail equivalent of summer holidays from school. But in his case, he has to apply for parole and the High Court of Gujarat has to review the case and decide whether it is safe enough to let him out. Once they decide that it is, they send a court order to the police station in the area, so that the police can keep an extra vigil, just in case.

The `just in case bit is important here, because Suresh is a man who wears his violence proudly, on his sleeve. He bragged about his crimes of 2002 to a journalist who he believed was a fellow mobster. And said to him, unaware that this was being recorded; I raped Muslim women in 2002 till they were pulverized to pickle.

The court may still think that even such a man has the right to visit his family and look after pressing matters once in a while. So in July 2015, they gave him parole. Suresh used that time to rape his wife. Or so his wife said to a court. He tied her hands behind her back, forced himself on her and stubbed out cigarette butts on her hand. She has filed for sexual abuse, violence and also for divorce. Taking a serious view of the matter of how he conducted himself on parole, the court turned his request down the next time he applied. This was in October 2015. But then in January 2016, Suresh applied for parole again. This time he told the court, his daughter had gone missing, he needed two weeks to look for her. It was granted.

During that time, I, a journalist who is writing about Suresh and people like him; decided to try and meet him and see if he would agree to talk to me. He lurched forward, hit me across the face till my eye began to bleed. Then pulled me and dragged me to the nearby wall, pinned me against it, removed an entire clump of hair from its follicle, kicked and beat me repeatedly. I didnt think I would get out alive. But luckily, his son felt sorry for me and got together with two or three of the hundred bystanders and they peeled him off me. I ran. And filed my own case in court. Sureshs parole was abruptly cancelled and he was marched back to prison. The head of the Special Operations Group in the police, P C Solanki held a press conference in which he said that the people of Ahmedabad and of Gujarat should not feel unsafe. Sureshs parole is cancelled and he will not be granted it again. The system works and this was a minor glitch.

And from then on, requests by Suresh for parole were cancelled. Until the 29th of November. Last night. I was out to dinner when Sureshs ex wife told me that he was out on parole again. He had dialled her brothers number and asked to meet. Thats just fantastic. A man who raped his wife gets out on parole and sends her into a panic, because he can. How did the court grant him parole? I needed to know. But every court reporter and police person I called had no information on this. Not the Additional Commissioners of police who had once been in charge of my assault case. Nor the commissioner who had been in charge of that area. No court order has been sent to the police station where Suresh lives, so we dont know if he is out on parole.

Finally, I got through to the police inspector in charge of the Sardarnagar police station, the area where Suresh lives. Can you please just send a constable to his house and tell me if he is indeed out on parole? I pleaded. I needed to make arrangements. For myself and also to inform his ex wife. The last time he was out on parole, the day I was assaulted; I had to live like a fugitive. In an undisclosed location, until the police confirmed to me that his parole was cancelled. At least I always have the option of fleeing Ahmedabad if I need to. What about his ex wife? Who protects her the next time he is out?

Look, if I need to pack my bags and run again, I need to know okay, so just send someone to his house, will you? I said to the cop.

He was a good cop. He sent someone. And called me a few minutes later. Yes maam. He is out on parole. My constable is there with him just now and he is in his house. He is out for fourteen days.

And now comes the even funnier part of my story. I continued. When did he get out, how many of those fourteen days are gone and how many left? I asked.

That I dont know maam because there is no paper work. The High court has not sent us its parole order. So we have no idea that he was out or who passed the order or when.

So a man who first bragged about raping and killing women in 2002 gets out on parole. He uses that parole to rape his wife. Then he gets out on parole again and attacks a journalist. Then he is out again and this time the court doesnt even send word to the cops. The cops only find out that Suresh is out on his bi-annual vacation, because the two women he victimized on previous holidays from jail told them so.

And with this, I come back to where I began. Who do our courts protect? That is the question. The people or the convict? You want answers? Go ask the judges. But first, you need to find out who the judge was. So far, there is no paperwork. Good luck, yall. I am packing my bags. And so is his ex wife. No address of course.

This article was taken from Facebook post of Revati Laul, who is an independent journalist and film maker, currently based out of Gujarat; where she is working on a book on the perpetrators of the 2002 riots.
Help India!

By Ahamed Ansar for TwoCircles.net

It was six in the evening on Tuesday and I was watching YouTube videos of Puthiya Thalaimurai news channel, one of the leading names in Tamil media.

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After going through some public video bytes on the ongoing currency demonetisation in India, I spotted a weird thumbnail link that attracted me to go and watch the news.

The headline of the video ran as Four terrorists believed to be involved in the bomb attack in Malappuram arrested (the link had now been made as private view from public watch setting after I exposed the graphic cook up). Try to watch it here:

The headline itself was on the wrong one, for not including the endangered verb suspected before four terrorists in that videos title.

Oh come on, suspected or alleged is not the matter I was concerned about. Its an out of fashion accusation by Indian Mullahs aka Muslims right? You can see many news organisations in India still make such insinuating claims without bothering about the boring boredom media ethics.

The news reader briefed about the main news content, followed by the scene of the bomb blast. I was stunned: the scene that the news channel had used in its video report actually belongs to the producer of Malayalam film Anwar (2010) starring Aiyyaa fame actor Prithviraj. See Anwar films scene that has been sequenced in Puthiya Thalaimurai news channel: (from 01:26  01:56)

I took to Twitter in a slightly harsh but abuse-free tone to oppose the apparent media trial unleashed by PT TV. If those who watched the video other than me, they would also find that it was an open hatred to heat up the news against in what Indian media famously call certain community.

To my surprise, the Managing Editor of PT TV, Karthigai Chelvan himself addressed my complaint on Twitter immediately. He advised his web news desk colleagues to correct the error. In less than an hour, at least the video had been made as private view if not permanently deleted from the TVs YouTube channel, at least till the moment this article was published.

However I would still appreciate Editor Chelvans honest and prompt action to correct his institutions mistake. Being an observer of Hindi television news channels, for me the fact that he admitted his mistake was unbelievable. In this jingoistic television news era in India, aam aadmi viewers became Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) to pardon anchors who cook GPS chips in currency notes while Mullah Muslim television audience end up watching demonising #EcoFriendlyEid hashtag campaign.

In October, Listening Post, a weekly programme in Al Jazeera English that monitors world media did an analysis about Indian and Pakistani medias hyper-nationalistic coverage post Uri attacks. And when Richard Gizbert, the show presenter was discussing about Indias growing war room television journalism featuring India Today TVs superstar anchor Gaurav Sawant, I hung my head in shame.

For me, the fact that this Indian anchor was getting humiliated by foreign media was not something to be cheerful about.

But apart from facing international criticisms, I feel we have reached an alarming stage of mockery from global news audience who are keen on watching Indian news channels.

Unless and until our respected editor-in-chiefs sitting in Lutyens Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai etc realize this seriousness, we are heading for a big credibility disaster.

In his goodbye speech at Times Now studio in Mumbai, Arnab Goswami might have sounded like a pessimist for a time being for predicting that the future is independent journalism. But I still have hope if media in India does a periodical self regulation exercise. If television fails, options are still in digital and mobile platforms.

TwoCircles is yet to hear from Puthiya Thalaimurais Editor Karthigai Chelvan on this issue. We will update the story once we get responded. Ahamed Ansar is an independent writer based in Dubai and a former Tamil television journalist
Help India!

By Nishat Ara for TwoCircles.net

In this season of demonetisation, it is common to see the Aam Aadmi asking for change of the new Rs 2,000 notes; that is if they are lucky to get one after standing in queues for hours.

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Many small and mid-scale traders are meanwhile worried about the losses they incur on unaccounted cash they may have. Aapka Kitna gaya? (How much did you lose?) is the common refrain among them.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 in his address to the nation the decision to withdraw old 500 and 1000 rupees notes, my mother called my father wondering what to do what few bundles of 500 notes they had saved from uncertain fruit trade for emergency situations. With fewer 100 rupees notes at home, as a housewife she was also concerned about managing daily needs of the family.

My own experience with the recent move made by the government is not very different from the rest of the countrymen who stood for hours in serpentine queues to deposit and exchange their own savings. I had been privileged enough to avoid queues so far in my life as often as my father or brother would often stand on my behalf to pay my college fees or to pay any other bills. The only memory of standing in the queue I have is in school, during the assembly for prayers.

But this time there was no escaping as you would need some cash for daily chores, especially since I have to travel everyday to go to the university. Since my father had to take care of his own trade and deposit and exchange currency, he asked me to go to bank as well and despot money for my expenses in saving account as well as withdraw some for my expenses.

As I reached the bank and stood for few hours in one long unending queue to deposit money, I realised I need to stand in another such queue once again to withdraw my money. As I stood in line, I kept wondering about lakhs of poorer, uneducated people who anyway found banking complicated but now are forced to deal with it. On another day, the next week, as I stood in front of one ATM near my house in central Kolkatas Elliot Road with my friend Humaira, I counted the number of people in front of me to mentally guess the time it may take for my turn and prayed that the money is not exhausted.

There is no other way of escaping demonetisation. This is not a war time but there appears to be financial emergency in our country. We are no more free citizens of an independent country, but those who are forced to follow the dictates of the government, without any question asked because we are told it is in the larger interest of the nation.

More than the decision of demonetisation, its poor implementation and currency crunch is taking a toll on the purchasing power of common people, affecting the whole chain of production. In fact more than 60 people, most of them poor, have already lost their lives.

What was touted as a major policy decision to catch hoarders of black money is affecting more poorer people than the rich, who are finding different means or Jugaad to bend rules in their favour. Economists have also pointed that often what is termed as black money is not hard cash, but those converted into real estate, gold and investments in share markets as well as those parked offshore in safe tax havens.

The service class will have no real impact of the demonetisation in the long run, however, the major brunt will be on small traders and local retailers while e wallet companies like PayTM and chain retailers like Big Bazar are seeing a huge surge in their business. My mother who goes to buy groceries and vegetables for homes regularly says that most vegetable vendors and Kirana shopkeepers are in gloomy mood.

Bulk of Indias labour force is still in unorganised sectors and they get their payments in cash. In fact industry experts have already predicted loss of jobs in labour intensive industries due to demonetisation.

Of course the world is going towards digitisation and gradually moving towards cashless economy as bulk of transactions take place through internet banking or plastic money. But PM Modis fixation with digitisation need to be in sync with ground realities as well. Although literacy rate has gone up to 74%, but the general level of awareness is still quite low among bulk of rural populace, combined with urban poor. Even after opening of lakhs of bank accounts for poor under Jan Dhan Yojna scheme, only 53% of the citizens have bank accounts and a good number of them cannot use internet banking. There are apprehensions of online frauds when using credit cards or online banking.

Of course one needs to plan to have long term targets of bringing the whole economy under scrutiny and also set goals towards digital banking and transactions, but that must not be imposed on citizens in haphazard manner. It would happen eventually once the level of education and awareness increase and people are more friendly in using mobile Apps and internet.

Disruption in economy may take months to normalise and common Indians will somehow bear this too and move; and only time will tell whether this was only political manoeuvring or it could meet the said objectives of curbing the shadow economy. But in a country where 60% of the population still do not have access to toilets and hence defecate in open, where over 10 lakh children below the age of five die every year due to poor quality of sanitation, nutrition and health system of diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea, making digital banking and cashless economy a priority appear laughable.

Demonetisation has taken even those with all accounted hard-earned money on a roller coaster ride as the so called short term pain for long term gains have been too abrupt. The government was caught totally unprepared for the scale of the policy change that has touched almost every Indian, from shortage of new bills to recalibration of ATMs. One only hopes that the government soon finds some mechanism to control the fiasco before it turns into a disaster.

(The author is currently pursuing her MA in Journalism and Mass Communication at Aliah University, Kolkata)
Help India!

By Faiyaz Ahmed Siddiquee

The triple-talaq is a form of divorce practiced among Hanafi Muslims, under which a man at any point of time may divorce his wife by saying, I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you. There isnt any such reference of divorcing ones wife in the Quran and Sunnah or claimed found by any Islamic high-brow. What the text says is that each talaq utterance should be followed by a waiting period of three menstrual periods for women.

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The period of time helps mitigate and resolve the issue between husbands and wives. Never to forget, it is mentioned in the Quran that divorce is the only most heinous act before Allah which he has legally allowed mankind to perform. On the very basis, polymath like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University, discerned that Islam is spiritually against divorce and considers marriage a sacred relation too as in Hinduism.

A human being, living in a web of human relationships, has every liberty to a system of belief.

The individuals faith in the institution of religion cant be supported by conviction, which in our todays world has become the basis of contemporary human thinking. On this very account all the schools of Islam and its followers, irrespective of conviction, must come to terms and live with harmony and absolute tolerance. The lack of rational basis in ones believe in the religious institution provides every room of liberty to adherence to triple-talaq, or not to believe in it.

But then, there is always the demand of time, it was sheer situational obligation that compelled caliph Omar (RA) to pass an executive order of triple-talaq, in order to protect the women of the time, in Madina, from the psychological tortures of their respective husbands. Primarily, there wasnt any such command in the Quran or reference in Hadith, although, he took the decision  violating the existing command. The caliph Omars step makes us infer that the Islamic Sharia isnt as rigid (or a holy cow) as has been propagated. What the caliph Omar did, was merely a government order. If one government could decide something, so can other governments. If his decision taken as precedent, empowers the ruling governments for amendments in society as they see fit even if they be against the Quran and Sunnah.

I am not a formalist, moreover a Hanafi and believe theres always a scope of ijma (consensus) on anything and everything in Islam without violating its fundamental principles.

On the flip side, the apprehensions of the Muslims of India are also justified that in the guise of repealing triple-talaq, gradually in a subtle fashion the minorities might be pushed towards the uniform civil code.


According to reports coming from the middle east, Israel has attacked two targets on the highway connecting Damascus and Beirut, targeting the Syrian Army which is currently fighting rebel forces, including ISIS. Russia and Assad supporters linked the attack to the achievements the Syrian regime and its partners had recently on regaining territory invaded by terrorist forces "ISIS" in Aleppo and its surrounding areas. The Assad regime and Putin accuse Israel of supporting and aiding the rebels seeking to oust the Syrian president.

Israel has fought Hezbollah for years

The Times of Israel notes that this is not the first such incident attributed to the Israeli Air Force. Israeli, the paper notes, has vowed to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining 'game-changing' arms.The region is plagued by many wars throughout the years, and Israel is diplomatically isolated in the region ever since it's foundation sixty years ago, when a huge Jewish diaspora occurred as a result of the founding of the Jewish state and backlashes from Arab nations followed.

Hezbollah does not recognize Israel state

The Hezbollah although a protecting force in Lebanon and Syria, are unwelcoming towards Israel and it's status as a sovereignty state. Israel and Palestine public support and opinions are very divided and the cause of much enmity between the West and the Middle East.

The Obama administration has supported rebel forces, at times providing weapons to groups suspected of been terrorists. Israel is caught in a very complex region with many enemies.

Trump may be the hope needed to end the Syrian crisis

It is expected that Trump's administration will have a different approach to the Syrian crisis and enter an agreement with Russia.

The last hope for this Russian-American proxy. Syrian opinion is divided, an Arab Assad supporter shared via her facebook "although Trump hates Muslims, we are excited to see an agreement between Russia and America so this war can end. Trump may not like Muslims, but Obama is killing us".

Many people believe a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine would create harmony in the middle east again. But, for that to happen both sides would need to compromise on borders limitations and extended support. We can always hope!
About Me

I am an urban/commercial district revitalization and transportation/mobility advocate and consultant and a principal in BicyclePASS, a bicycle facilities systems integration firm, based in Washington, DC. Urban economic competitiveness is dependent on efficient transit and mixed use, compact places. Therefore, I end up writing mostly about mobility and urban design. While I am based in and write about Washington, DC issues, I try to write so that "universal lessons" are evident in the entries.

View my complete profile
The potential adverse reproductive and developmental effects of Mancozeb, especially in sensitive subpopulations, have not been fully reviewed for this widely used fungicide.

To review the experimental and epidemiologic evidence for the association between exposure to Mancozeb and reproductive and developmental health outcomes using an adaptation of the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) systematic review framework.

Four databases (PubMed, TOXNET, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched for published studies on Mancozeb. Of 403 identified articles, 30 met our inclusion criteria for systematic review.

Results from in vitro studies provide evidence that Mancozeb may indirectly disrupt or impair reproduction at the cellular level and should be regarded as a reproductive toxicant. Animal studies confirm reproductive and developmental toxicity in mammals and suggest that males chronically exposed to Mancozeb experience significant changes in physiological, biochemical, and pathological processes that may lead to infertility. Epidemiological studies were limited to indirect methods of exposure assessment and examined the effect of fungicides more broadly during pre-conception, pregnancy, and birth, yielding mixed results.

High confidence ratings from in vitro and animal studies, in combination with moderate confidence ratings from epidemiologic studies employing indirect methods of exposure assessment, provide evidence that Mancozeb should be regarded as a suspected developmental hazard and a presumed reproductive hazard in humans. More population-based studies linking direct measures and/or biomarkers of exposure to adverse effects on male and female fertility, as well as in utero and early life development, are needed to improve the quality of the evidence base concerning the human reproductive and developmental consequences of Mancozeb exposure.

Environment international. 2016 Jan 22 [Epub ahead of print]

Jennifer Runkle, Joan Flocks, Jeannie Economos, Anne L Dunlop

Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-North Carolina, North Carolina State University, Asheville, NC, USA; Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: ., Center for Governmental Responsibility, Levin College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA., Farmworker Association of Florida, Apopka, FL, USA., Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27887783
When Donald Trump announced last summer that he was running for president, his first line of attack was when he referred to illegal immigrants as "rapists" and "murderers." Since that time, Trump has made immigration reform an essential part of his campaign message, but it appears he's taking it to a new level.

Trumpfalse warning

"They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people," Trump said as he officially kicked off his candidacy for president. Over the last 17 months, Trump has been surrounded by a constant cloud of controversy, while tapping into the fear and anger among his white conservative base.

With just over a week until Election Day, Trump is currently trailing Hillary Clinton on a national level and in key battleground states. According to The Hill on October 31, Trump added a new line to his immigration message during his latest rally.

(Trump's comments start at 25:00 in the above video)

While campaigning in Albuquerque, N.M. on Saturday night, Trump did his best to fan the flames of fear with his supporters. "You could have 650 million people pour in and we'd do nothing about it," Trump said, before stating, "That's what could happen. You triple the size of our country in one week." The Republican nominee was attacking Clinton's alleged immigration proposal, which he refers to as "weak" compared to his "tough" plans.

Despite Trump's claim of "650 million" illegal immigrants entering the country, the current United States population is just under 319 million, while net immigration has gone down in recent years, not increased.

Trump: Clinton will let 650 million immigrants into US in one week https://t.co/z0Abo1zhpo pic.twitter.com/L53QrIC25k  The Hill (@thehill) October 31, 2016

Going further, Trump attempted to tie illegal immigration into potential Islamic terrorist attacks, all while appearing to push for the return of waterboarding.

"These savages are chopping off heads, drowning people. This is medieval times and then we can't do waterboarding?" Trump rhetorically asked. This isn't the first time that the former host of "The Apprentice" has come out in favor of the use of international torture. Earlier in the campaign, Trump promoted the use of torture by citing the behavior of Islamic terrorists, despite waterboarding being illegal on the world stage.

Moving forward

According to the latest Real Clear Politics rolling average, Trump is trailing Clinton by just under five points nationally, while falling behind further in many swing states. After a month of October surprises that have negatively impacted both campaigns, most pollsters are projecting a historic victory by Clinton on election night.
Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is going to the Dakota Access Pipeline protest to join what's being called a "peaceful, unarmed militia of some 2,000 military veterans who are heading to the protest site to support demonstrators trying to halt work on the pipeline.

In a Twitter posting, Gabbard says she will be joining the veterans, a group calling itself Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, who will be standing with protesters at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, for three days beginning on Dec. 4. Initially organizers of the veterans group were expecting a few hundred veterans to join them, but a gofundme page set up to raise money for the effort says 2,100 veterans have signed up and donations have been pouring in.

Through Tuesday night more than $600,000 has been contributed through the site.

In an email to the Observer, Gabbards Press Secretary, Emily Latimer, provided more details about Gabbard's visit

Next weekend, the congresswoman will be joining thousands of veterans from across the country to stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota who are protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through their tribal lands, with grave concerns about the contamination of their major water source, Latimer said in the email.

On Sun., Im joining thousands of veterans who are standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe #noDAPLhttps://t.co/wGfhGKF0Km  Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) November 29, 2016

Gabbard to be first member of Congress at protest site

Gabbards announcement comes as a number of members of Congress have been throwing their support behind the protesters, who are trying to stop Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners from building the final segment of the pipeline.

But Gabbard is the first federal lawmaker to go to the protest site and join the demonstrators.

The 35-year-old Gabbard, herself a veteran, served two tours of duty in Iraq and still holds the rank as a major in the Army National Guard. When she volunteered to be deployed in Iraq in 2004, she stepped down from the position she held at the time as a member of the Hawaii state legislature.

According to her website, in doing so, she became the first state official to voluntarily resign from public office to serve in a war zone.

Gabbard made headlines in meeting with Trump

More recently, Gabbard, who is a Democrat serving her second term in the U.S. House of Representatives, made headlines when she met with President-elect Donald Trump last week.

Reportedly being considered for a position in his cabinet, she says she had a "frank and positive" conversation with the Trump, discussing Syria and other foreign policy issues.

Meanwhile, the Standing Rock protesters -- or water protectors as they call themselves because they say the pipeline would endanger the water supply for the Standing Rock Sioux reservation -- have been getting considerably more media coverage and subsequently additional support from Congress and elsewhere after a violent confrontation with law enforcement officers earlier this month. In that confrontation, Morton County sheriffs officials, claiming they were dealing with what they termed an ongoing riot, soaked protesters with water cannons, fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas canisters into the crowd.

Protest leaders have denied it was a riot and said that nearly 200 people were hurt in the melee.

Senator Cory Booker seeking federal investigation

The incident prompted U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, from New Jersey, to call for the Justice Department to open an investigation into police tactics, while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich are urging President Obama to intervene.

The National Lawyers Guild has also filed a lawsuit against the Morton County sheriff, alleging the use of excessive force, while the American Civil Liberties Union is also criticizing law enforcement over the matter for using what the union calls life-threatening crowd-control weapons against the demonstrators.
Two big budget Tamil films, Dhanush's "Kodi" and Karthi's "Kaashmora" were released all around the world on October 28, 2016. Upon the release, "Kodi" got highly positive reviews from the audiences, while the big budget film "Kaashmora" received mixed to negative responses.

As the first weekend came to an end, trade figures suggest that "Kodi" has dominated over "Kaashmora" in the state of Tamil Nadu, while the Karthi starrer has an upper edge in theatres outside the state.

Karthi's movie gets mixed reviews from trade experts

Credible reports suggest that "Kaashmora" has grossed more than 26 Crores in the first weekend, while "Kodi" has collected 16 Crores from Tamil Nadu alone.

"Kaashmora" has grossed Rs 12.5 Crores from Tamil Nadu in the first weekend. It earned more than 8 Crores from Andhra/Telangana region, while in Kerala, it grossed Rs 2 Crores. If we calculate the overseas collection of 04 Crores, then the overall total will come around Rs 26 Crores.

. @dhanushkraja starrer #Kodi has reportedly grossed around INR 15 cr in the first two days in TN. super hit on cards. #Dhanush  BOX OFFICE WEEKEND (@Cinemaglitz24x7) October 30, 2016

"Kaashmora" is considered to be the biggest film in the career of actorKarthi. The film was released in more than 1700 screens and considering this huge screen count, and we can easily conclude that it will cross a gross collection of 50 Crores before the second weekend.

In the United States, the film is being screened in more than 140 screens, while in Andhra, it was shown on 150 screens.

'Kashmora' audience review:

Dhanush wins at the box-office.

On the other hand, "Kodi" directed by R S Durai Senthilkumar has reportedly impressed all kinds of audiences, and it has already started its journey to emerge as a blockbuster.

Most of the release centers in Tamil Nadu are witnessing more than 90% attendance for "Kodi", and it clearly indicates its public acceptance. Word of mouth too is in favor of this Dhanush film, and it has enhanced its chances of getting a profitable long run.

"Kodi' public response:

Trisha Krishnan and Anupama Parameshwaran have done the roles of lady leads in "Kodi". For the first time in her career, Trisha has enacted a character with gray shades, and it is considered to be one of the major highlights of this movie.
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Elaine Chao, the former secretary of labor, to be his choice for transportation secretary.

Chao, the first American woman of Asian descent to be appointed to a president's cabinet when she was named by President George W. Bush as labor secretary, is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would be expected to play a key role in Trump's plan to get Congress to approve $1 trillion for rebuilding the nation's roads, bridges and other parts of the nation's infrastructure and public transit systems. Republicans in Congress have resisted the Obama administration's attempt to fund an infrastructure program.

Trump on Tuesday also chose Georgia Representative Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services nation's health care system. Price has been a strong critic of Obamacare and a main supporter of efforts to privatize Medicare. He helped draft House Speaker Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare, a position Trump opposed in the campaign.

Chao's nomination was greeted with support from foreign policy experts.

Douglas Paal, vice-president for studies and director of the Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described Chao as "deeply experienced in transportation and an admirable selection to be transportation secretary".

"As an ethnic Chinese-American with Taiwan connections as well as mainland roots, she has involved herself for decades in Sino-US relations," Paal said. "I hope the officials responsible for US foreign and security policy will pay attention to her insights."

Ted Carpenter, a senior fellow of defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute,

said the appointment of Chao will be one of Trump's less controversial selections.

"Given her previous role as a cabinet member in George W. Bush's administration, the choice of Chao seems to be a conciliatory gesture to 'establishment' factions within the Republican Party," he said.

Carpenter said the appointment also will be greeted warmly in China, but that given the nature of the post, it will not have a major impact on relations.

The Chinese government and people will pay far more attention to other appointments, most notably secretary of state, secretary of defense, the assistant secretaries of state and defense for East Asia and the Pacific, and US trade representative, he said. Those appointments will have much greater relevance for bilateral relations, according to Carpenter.

Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University, said Trump's pick of Chao has little to do with China or US-China relations.

"She was picked mainly because of her multiple identities: a veteran Republican politician, a woman, an immigrant, and a Washington insider," Zhu said, adding that the fact that Chao is married to Mitch McConnell, Senate majority leader, may also be very helpful for Trump to smooth his relations with Congress.

However, Zhu said that Trump has an ambitious plan to revamp America's dilapidated infrastructure. "Chao's ties to China could be useful to bringing in Chinese investment and construction-related businesses to help rebuild America's infrastructure in the next few years," he said.

Chao served as the 24th US secretary of Labor from 2001-2009. She served the longest in that post since World War II, and the only member of Bush's original cabinet to have served the entire eight years of his administration.

It was Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, who as president in 1989 named Chao deputy secretary of transportation. In 1991, he named her Peace Corps director.

After leaving government service in 1992, Chao served as president and CEO of the United Way of America. She left United Way in 1996 and joined the Heritage Foundation as a distinguished fellow.
President Xi Jinping paid a visit to the Cuban embassy in Beijing on Tuesday to mourn the passing of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, whom he called a "great friend of the Chinese people".

It was the first time that Xi has gone to a foreign embassy to express condolences for the passing of a foreign leader since he became president in 2013.

"We mourn with deep grief the Cuban people's excellent leader and the Chinese people's great friend, Comrade Fidel Castro," Xi wrote in the book of condolences. Castro, 90, who led the Cuban Revolution, died on Friday.

Xi said the visit is meant to convey a message to Cuban comrades that the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government and Chinese people stand firmly together with them "at this special time".

The president, mentioning that Cuba is the first Latin American country to develop diplomatic ties with China, added that China is willing to make joint efforts with Cuba for the steady development of bilateral ties.

Xi has also appointed Vice-President Li Yuanchao as his special envoy to fly to Cuba for the funeral of Castro, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

Xi sent a message of condolence on Saturday to Raul Castro, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, and brother of the revolutionary leader.

"The death of Fidel Castro has made the Chinese people lose a close comrade and sincere friend. His glorious image and great achievements will go down in history," Xi said in the message.

Newly appointed Cuban Ambassador to China Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos said Xi's visit showed that ties between the two countries were of the highest significance.

Castro had always attached great importance to ties with China and kept a close eye on China's social progress and achievements, Ramirez said.

Fidel Castro led Cuba for nearly half a century before stepping down for health reasons in 2006, when he passed the baton to his brother.

Xi met with Fidel Castro twice in the three years from 2011 to 2014.

In 2011, Xi, then vice-president, visited Castro's house, which was shaded by moringa trees. In July 2014, during his state visit to Cuba, Xi presented Castro with some seeds of moringa and mulberry trees.

The last time a Chinese president went to a foreign embassy to express condolences was in December 2011, when then-president Hu Jintao went to the Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Beijing after the death of DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.

Zou Shuo contributed to this story.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
A group of Washington state high school students who returned from the trip of a lifetime to China in October got another treat on Tuesday.

Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, Chief Consul for Education Yang Jun and Consul Li Guangpeng paid a visit to Lincoln High School in Tacoma.

Luo was on a special mission, to forward a letter from President Xi Jinping to students of the school, who had returned from their 11-day trip last month.

Last September during his stop at the school on a state visit to the US, Xi gave students shelves of books, left two ping pong tables and a set of paddles and balls and surprisingly invited 100 of the students to tour China.

About 30 students who represented the 100 students, Lincoln High School Principal Pat Erwin and teachers welcomed Luo and the delegation to the classroom.

Erwin read the English version of the letter to students, a "heartwarming and great moment" according to students.

The letter, signed by Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan, said, "Young people are the future and hope of a country, and friendship between the people of our two countries needs to be carried forward by the younger generation. We hope the students will share their experience and impressions of China with people around them, so that more Americans will get to know China better."

Students also wrote a letter of appreciation to Xi, in which they wrote down their fond memories of China. They hoped Luo would forward the letter to the president.

"The influence of the trip is far-reaching and the interactions between people will continuing," Luo said.

Jackie Knight, a 12th grader, said though the life-changing experience that they got more confidence and know they can do better.

Devunce Binner, a 10th grader, said he is still emailing with the friend he made in Fuzhou and looks forward to going back to China in the near future.

Almost all of the students said they were interested in going back to China to study. Yang said the educational exchanges between the two countries will promote a better understanding and friendship between the two nations.

To qualify for the trip, students needed a minimum 2.5 grade point average and three letters of recommendation from teachers. Finally, 56 girls and 44 boys were selected and the group included sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Xi is no stranger to Tacoma. He visited the city in 1993 while serving as Communist Party Chief of China's port city of Fuzhou and oversaw the signing of a sister-city agreement between the cities a year later.

lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com
The first International Congress on World Civilizations and Modern Tourism kicked off here on Tuesday, bringing together delegations from more than 40 countries and over 20 ministers and heads of tourism.

The aim of the three-day event, jointly organized by the Bulgarian ministry of tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is to address how world civilizations can be brought back to life through the collaboration with creative industries such as architecture, design, arts, technology and science, while contributing to sustainable tourism development.

In 2015, almost 1.2 billion tourists from across the globe traveled the world, and tourism generated seven percent of trade and 30 percent of services worldwide, Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, said at the opening ceremony.

The sector has huge potential to make the world a better place for living and communication between people, Rifai said.

Bulgarian tourism minister Nikolina Angelkova said in turn that her country had a rich history and legacy of ancient civilizations, and revealed that cultural heritage was its main priority.

"At the same time, we realize that we live in an era of unprecedented technical discoveries and innovations. Many of them must and can be used in the tourism industry," Angelkova said.
A scene from Autobahn. [Photo provided to China Daily] Autobahn

, a Hollywood action film with a full British cast, is to hit China's big screen on Dec 2.

The film follows the protagonist (played by Nicolas Hoult)'s adventure to save his lover (Felicity Jones) amid a conspiracy of a drug dealing gang. There are many road chasing scenes on highways of Germany. Oscar-winners Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley also join the cast.

Chinese cinematic company DMG participates in the production and global distribution of the film.

Last year, the company hooked the industry's attention via its Sino-US coproduction Point Break as a rare example among Hollywood blockbusters to have its global premiere in China.

Cooperating with director James Cameron, a 3D-converted version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day is also being made by the company and will disembark on Chinese market next year. This cinematic classic has never been publicly released in Chinese theaters.
Defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said China has strengthened its patrol forces near the Myanmar border to deal with any possible emergencies and safeguard the national sovereignty and the lives and properties of the people in border areas.

Yang made the remarks at a monthly press conference on Wednesday. He voiced the concerns over the recent military conflicts in Northern Myanmar and urged all parties in the conflicts to take concrete and effective measures to prevent such clashes from happening.

Actions and precautions have been taken to reinforce the border control and deal with all kinds of emergencies, Yang added. Meanwhile, the Chinese military, in cooperation with the local government, has taken in some Myanmar inhabitants who fled to the Chinese territory and tried to restore order along the border.

Military conflicts broke out in the border area in northern Myanmar's Shan state early days ago with an alliance of three ethnic armed groups launching simultaneous and surprise attacks on government military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai townships as well as a border trade center there, Xinhua reported.

Chen Qiqi contributed to the story.
BEIJING - The China-Hungary Belt and Road working group will facilitate the implementation of the initiative, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks after the opening ceremony of the first China-Hungary Belt and Road working group meeting with visiting Hungarian Foreign

Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Hailing the establishment of the working group as "innovative," Wang said it would be conducive to putting bilateral consensus into practice and

improving pragmatic cooperation.

In June 2015, China and Hungary inked a memorandum of understanding on the initiative, the first document of this kind to be signed by China and a European country.

"This marks the successful alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's Eastern Opening policy," said Wang, adding that bilateral

cooperation has progressed ever since.

Noting that the current situation of China-Hungary ties are at a historical high, Wang said China is the largest trading partner of Hungary outside

the European Union, and Hungary is the largest investment destination of China in Central and Eastern Europe.

Hungary is also a member of the "16+1" cooperation mechanism which groups 16 Central and Eastern European countries and China.

Wang said he hoped such specialized working groups will spearhead China's cooperation with other countries along the Belt and Road.

Earlier the day, State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with the Hungarian official, calling on both sides to further tap the cooperation potential within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and elevate the bilateral friendship and China-Europe relations to a new high.

Szijjarto expressed the Hungarian side's pride on taking a leading role in promoting Central and Eastern European countries' cooperation with

China, and will strive forward to connecting Chinese enterprises with Europe.
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UNITED NATIONS -- China on Tuesday voiced its firm opposition to the Sept. 9 nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and called for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks in order to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political and peaceful means.

Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks as he was taking the floor at the UN Security Council after the 15-nation UN body unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten its sanction against the DPRK in response to its nuclear test in September, the country's fifth one since 2006.

"On Sept. 9 this year, the DPRK conducted yet another nuclear test in defiance of the new universal objection of the international community," Liu said. "The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act."

In the new resolution, the Security Council decides that the DPRK shall not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron and iron ore from its territory or by its nationals. However, the resolution said that the provision shall not apply with respect to transactions in iron and iron ore that are determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes and unrelated to generating revenue for the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"The resolution adopted by the Security Council today demonstrates the uniform stand of the international community against the development by the DPRK of its nuclear programs and for the maintenance of the international non-proliferation regime," he said. "The resolution reaffirms the need to safeguard the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, commits to seeking a solution to this issue by peaceful, diplomatic and political means, supports the resumption of the Six-Party Talks."

The Six-Party Talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, were a multilateral mechanism aimed at solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. The talks began in 2003 and stalled in December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.

The new resolution also emphasized the importance of easing the tension on the Korean Peninsula by all the parties concerned, Liu said. "As the resolution notes, the relevant measures are not intended to produce negative consequences on the DPRK's humanitarian situation and the livelihood of its people, nor to affect normal economic and trade activities."

"China urges the parties concerned to effectively implement the relevant provisions of the council resolution in its entirety," he said.

Since the beginning of 2016, the DPRK has conducted two nuclear tests and multiple ballistic missile tests, Liu noted, adding that on the other hand, certain parties have kept strengthening military deployment, increasing military presence and scaling up military exercises.

"As a result, the confrontation on the peninsula has intensified, plunging into a vicious circle," he said. "This situation must be changed as soon as possible."

As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China has all along insisted on the denuclearization resolution of the peninsula and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, he said. "We have always called for the settlement of this issue through dialogue and consultations, and fought against turmoil and conflicts on the peninsula."

Meanwhile, Liu said, "China is opposed to the deployment of THAAD anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula as it seriously undermines the strategic security interest of China and other countries of the region, and upsets the regional strategic balance."

"As such, it is neither conducive to the realization of the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, nor helpful to the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula," he said. "China urges the parties concerned to immediately stop the relevant deployment process."

China has repeatedly voiced its strong opposition to the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea.

"The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is sensitive, complex and dire," he said. "All parties must look at the big picture, meet each other half-way, and avoid any statement or action that might exacerbate the tension."

"The top priority at hand is for the parties concerned to resume dialogue and negotiations at an early date and re-launch the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible so as to work together in a genuine effort to safeguard the denuclearization process and realise peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

"China urges the parties concerned to push forward in parallel the negotiations on the denuclearization on the one hand, and on the replacement of the Armistice Agreement with a peace treaty on the other," he said. "China will persist in advancing dialogue and consultations with a view to solving the relevant issue within the framework of the Six-Party Talks."

Signed in 1953 to end the Korean War, the armistice agreement is designed to "insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peaceful settlement is achieved."

China is ready to continue to play an active and constructive role in order to bring lasting peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula, he added.
Supplier sources have said that Chrysler Group LLC has plans to extend the production of several of its higher end vehicle lines for up to several years.

The Detroit News reported that their sources are saying that the company has made a decision to extend production of the Dodge Avenger until the end of 2015 as well as extend the current generation Jeep Wrangler until mid-2018 and keep building the Dodge Grand Caravan through late 2017.

Chrysler had previously planned to replace the Avenger in January and the Wrangler in mid-2016. The Grand Caravan was due to be replaced with a new version in mid-2016, however the program has been cancelled, suggesting that the Chrysler Town & Country could be the sole minivan produced by the company at its Windsor factory.

CEO Sergio Marchionne would not comment on the extension of the product lines, however, he did confirm Chrysler will be building only one minivan.

Weve made no announcement to that effect, Jodi Tinson a spokeswoman for the company said.

While the company is keeping its decision under wraps, Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP said the move, if it were to occur, actually makes sense for the company.

Its exactly what they need to do. They need to focus on things with volume, he said. When you find your consideration is increasing, you want to cash in with high-volume vehicles  not a bunch of niche vehicles.

Hall went on to tell the News that with Chrysler having trouble launching new vehicles the company wants to focus its energies on ensuring it gets it right for critical high volume cars like the replacement for the Chrysler 200 that is due out next year.

According to Hall, keeping the Avenger and Wrangler is a no-brainer as both vehicles are selling well and the autos are doing so with a minimal marketing campaign.

He went on to explain the auto manufacturer is having problems with other product lines besides the replacements for these three vehicles.

The Challenger replacement, the Barracuda, just got pushed back a while, too, Hall said. Even with it, theyre going to be the third player in a three-car field.

The company is in the midst of an expansion in anticipation of increased sales. Recently Chrysler publically unveiled a new state of the art paint shop that will encompass 898,000 square feet and be able to seal, coat, powder and paint an entire vehicle using advanced robotic systems in about eight hours.
These memories -- the talking, the cooking, the ritual -- have limited resonance for those who weren't there. But the pile of bound documents on my desk tells a story that might be more universal. The evolution of our small Jewish feminist community parallels the larger evolution of Jewish feminism, I think. These haggadot are like snapshots of where we were, each year at Pesach-time as our Jewishness, our feminism, and our liturgical sophistication grew.

At last we declared our revisions complete. We took the haggadah to Office Services to be copied and stapled. We scurried around the JRC's kitchen, making tray after tray of potato kugel and shaping a endless number of matzah balls. When the seder rolled around, I remember a few people giving me a hard time -- one woman in particular seemed offended that we wanted to mix the chocolate of our feminism with the peanut butter of her Judaism! But on the whole people seemed moved, or at least intrigued, and the tradition took hold.

I was invited to join the feminist seder committee in the winter of my freshman year. The first feminist seder had been held at Williams in 1992, the year before I arrived, using a haggadah created by Marissa Brett, Joellen Krupp, and Holly Lowy; I worked with Rachel Clark, Dara Eizenmann, Lauren Golden, Holly Lowy, and Marianna Vaidman to revise it for year two. We gathered in a tiny dorm room, leaving our snow- and salt-crusted shoes in the hallway, and had passionate discussions about candle-lighting and hand-washing and blessings for weeks on end.

In preparation for the talk I'm giving at my alma mater on Sunday, I dug through my files and unearthed six versions of the Willliams College Feminist Haggadah. Just holding them in my hands is like travelling through time.

Each year a new group of people (mostly, though not exclusively, women) gathered to study the previous year's haggadah and to invest it with new meaning by making the changes we deemed important. The question of God-language -- what terms we use for God, and how they shape our reality -- was always at the forefront. In 1993, we argued that gender-neutral language left implicit masculine structures intact, and shifted most of the brachot to Brucha at eloheinu malchat ha-olam ("Blessed are You, our God, Queen of the universe" -- we didn't yet know the Brucha at Shekhinah formula that's become fairly standard for feminized blessings now.)

The next year, we changed our modus operandi again. Here's how we described our God-language choices in the 1994 "On Language" paragraph:

As we began to create this year's Haggadah, we were faced with the immediate issue of language. While we recognize the merit of using female imagery to uproot the assumption that the Eternal is male, we feel that feminizing blessings is not enough. Replacing the word "King" with the word "Queen" may aid us in changing the way we envision the "gender" of the Infinite, but this change does nothing to break down our underlying perceptions of the Eternal as ruler and of ourselves as subjects. In an effort to rid ourselves of our understanding of the Infinite as transcendent and dominating -- in an effort to replace this hierarchy with mutual relation and community -- we have chosen to express all blessings in gender-neutral language.

My reaction to that paragraph now is complicated. On the one hand, I remember the Rachel who, at nineteen, wanted so deeply to replace power-over with power-from-within. I still like the point that replacing "King" with "Queen" is only a certain kind of change and may not shake up our calcified notions of God sufficiently. Then again, at thirty-one I'm starting to recognize that though "ruler" is far from the only metaphor I want to use for God, it's a powerful metaphor which I don't necessarily want to scrap. I suspect I needed to spend a while embracing terms like Wellspring and Source and Breath of Life in order to reach a point where I could relate to melech ha-olam again.

Each year we did the best we could, content in the knowledge that we had invested ourselves in improving what had come before -- and that next year what we created could be further refined, so it was okay if it wasn't perfect yet. (It wasn't incumbent upon us to finish the task, one might say, but neither were we free to refrain from beginning it!)

We struggled mightily with the Ten Plagues. One year we paired the Ten Plagues God Brought Upon the Egyptians with the Ten Plagues Humans Have Brought Upon Women; another year we tried connecting each plague to an issue in our collegiate lives. One year we closed the description of each plague with "Tonight let us rededicate ourselves to...," connecting each with an action or intention we thought was an important part of tikkun olam.

And, of course, we kept refining that "on language" paragraph. The 1995 version began like its predecessor, but ended differently:

Replacing the word "King" with the word "Queen" may aid us in changing the way we envision the "gender" of the Infinite, but this change does nothing to break down our underlying perceptions of the Eternal as ruler and of ourselves as subjects. What's more, God-language should not be exclusive of either gender: both female and male were created in the image of the divine. Our language is insufficient to describe the divine, but we do the best we can, bearing in mind that while our words only approach the Infinite, all language spoken from the heart has God in it.

In the changed ending to the paragraph I see a far more sophisticated understanding of how diverse and variable God-language needs to be. And the way the "on language" paragraph shifted, year to year, replicates for me an evolution I see in the larger Jewish feminist community. First we replaced masculine terms with feminine ones; then we side-stepped the binarist paradigm (and the hierarchy encoded in the "ruler" metaphor) by using non-gendered language; then we came to recognize the holiness in all of these forms. In some ways it's a messy shift. Acknowledging the value of a variety of names for God means we no longer have the comfortable and predictable familiarity of "Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam." For me, though, that's a reasonable price to pay to have liturgy that reminds me of God's infinity, paradoxically encoded in the finite words we use.

As the project grew, we began to work on making it beautiful instead of purely functional. More and more poetry peppers these pages as the years go by: Rachel Hadas, Adrienne Rich, Naomi Shihab Nye, Merle Feld, Marge Piercy, Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz... This, too, strikes me as an important evolution. It shows that we trusted our message (women have voices too; the Passover story of liberation reverberates in our own lives; our stories need to be told) enough to add ornamentation and flourish.

In 1997, a profound physical shift: suddenly the haggadah is staple-bound on the right-hand side, rather than the left. Were we more comfortable that year embracing our Jewishness? Did the feminist seder project by then feel more like a Jewish one than a women's-studies one? I can't remember the decision-making process, but the bound book speaks volumes. (This same pendulum shift is observable in the Reform movement -- where the older siddur Gates of Prayer was printed in both ways, and many shuls chose left-hand binding, the new siddur Mishkan Tefilah will be available bound only on the right.)

By that point we were well-versed in other feminist haggadot. We quoted from E.M. Broner and Naomi Nimrod's The Women's Haggadah. We borrowed a fantastic reading ("How does the journey to freedom begin?/ Once, and then again and again...") from The Journey Continues, the Passover Haggadah created by The May'an Project. That year was the first year we placed an orange on our seder plate. We'd learned the story slightly wrong -- it would be a few years before I read Susannah Heschel's original account -- but we had the general concept down. "Women," we wrote, "belong wherever Jews carry on a sacred life." Indeed.

The last edition that I own is from 1999, the eighth annual Williams College Feminist Haggadah. I was no longer involved with the project, having graduated two years before, but I attended as a guest. The shift toward increased liturgical sophistication, toward more Hebrew terminology, continued. And the 1999 haggadah had an appendix at the back which collected readings from previous years' haggadot.

And there my tangible bundle of history ends. Some years later, a woman I had known from the Williams feminist seder project contacted me about contributing a reading to The Women's Seder Sourcebook, an anthology which arose from the roots of the Yale Women's Seder project (which began in 1993). She told me that the Williams seder had continued beyond my time -- though today when I check the campus calendar I don't see it listed. I guess the days of the Williams College Feminist Seder are over. Perhaps the student community no longer feels the need. Perhaps the dialectical tension of having two seders (a "traditional" one and a "feminist" one) has led to the synthesis of having a single seder which simultaneously fulfils traditionalist and feminist ideals.

Looking back on all of these haggadot now, I can trace the community's evolution through the years I was there. We wrestled with important questions: what does it mean to be women, and to be Jews? What does it mean to be feminists? Does our feminism influence our Judaism, or the other way around? Do we seek to tell stories which have never been told -- or to tell the old stories, but in a new way? How do we understand the Holy Blessed One, and what words can we use to signify that ultimate reality, knowing that our words are insufficient but that they shape our lived reality in deep ways?

What we created was patchwork. Some of it was academic in tone, some poetic; some was traditional, some transgressive. Some of it came from me and some from every other woman who linked herself with the enterprise. Sometimes I think the most important thing was the way we had to wrestle together with the texts -- and, sometimes, wrestle with one another -- to arrive at something we could collectively and communally call our own.

With the benefit of hindsight, and more experience with liturgy and ritual, I can see that some of what we did was clunky. The process may have been more valuable than the result. Then again, some of what we wrote still ripples through the haggadot I make today. Beginning with a note "on language," to explain my take on how to verbalize the Divine; reading Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb's poem about bedikat hametz, and following it with an invitation to name a personal hametz one intends to discard -- these are traditions I learned from the women of the first feminist seder on my college campus, and I cherish them still.

Some of what we wrote still thrills me. Like these lines:

Memory is not a static deposit; it is neither rules nor happenings that confront us unchanging. As members of living communities, Jews continually re-remember; we retell and recast the Jewish past in light of changing communal experience and changing communal values.

That still resonates for me. (In fact, those lines remain in the current version of the Velveteen Rabbi's haggadah for Pesach. (ETA: for a current link to the haggadah, here's the VR Haggadah page on my website.)

The Williams College Feminist Seder project taught me that the words I pray belong simultaneously to the generations of tradition and to me. It gave me a sense of ownership of my tradition, and empowered me to add my voice to the chorus. It sounds a little corny now, but in some very real ways it set me on the path toward who I am and who I hope to become.

Technorati tags: religion, Judaism, feministseder.
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HA NOI  Implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) will help reduce about 20 per cent of business expenses as well as promote investment and create more jobs for Vietnamese.

This was the assessment of Vu Ngoc Anh, Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam Customs, at a workshop yesterday held by the General Department of Viet Nam Customs (GDVC) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and in co-operation with the World Bank.

Viet Nam Customs has made efforts to complete commitments, including on animal and plant quarantines, food safety and hygiene control, logistics services, and procedures for the clearance of goods, Anh told the meeting.

The TFA was passed at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Indonesia on December 6 2013 after ten-year negotiations.

In November 2015, Viet Nam became the 60th country to ratify the TFA, which will go into force when 109 out of 164 WTO member states ratify it.

The commitments are divided into categories A, B, and C.

Viet Nam has already submitted to the WTO its Category A commitments, identifying those that can be implemented immediately upon the TFA coming into force, Anh told the workshop.

Once in effect, the TFA is expected to enhance national and business competitiveness and boost trade and investment by committing Viet Nam to reforms in support of trade facilitation.

The workshop, which brought together more than 50 Government officials, completed reviewing the list of Category A commitments, and revalidated the B and C commitments to be implemented after the Agreement comes into effect.

The action plan detailed activities, objectives and outputs for each commitment, along with the timeframe, needed technical assistance, responsibilities of each agency, and coordination mechanisms.

The workshop was one of a number of activities on which the USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth (GIG) Program is collaborating with the General Department of Viet Nam Customs and other agencies to successfully implement the TFA.  VNS
HA NOI  Ten leading Thai exhibition organisers will come to Ha Noi for a business-to-business forum to meet Vietnamese enterprises, trade promotion organisations and associations this Friday.

The forum, organised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), aims to boost trade activities between the two countries, as well as between other countries in the ASEAN region.

The forum will discuss business opportunities within the ASEAN region through exhibitions in Thailand; commercial linkages among Thailand, Viet Nam and other countries in the region and from the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community and the potential and cooperation opportunities between the two countries as well as ASEAN countries.

This forum is a new form in the Connect Business campaign of TCEB. The bureau expects the campaign will attract Vietnamese businesses to Thailand to attend international exhibitions by strengthening relationships with organisations, associations, chambers of commerce, unions and non-profit corporations.

Thailand expects to welcome 208,000 international trade visitors, creating a total value of US$500 million dollars this year and will continue to support businesses which want to expand their activities through exhibitions in Thailand. - VNS
TUYEN QUANG - Medical waste is threatening the northern province of Tuyen Quang due to difficulties in treating the hazardous material at local healthcare facilities, said Deputy Director of the provincial Health Department, o Thi Ngoc Mai.

She estimated that some 500kg of medical waste were discharged daily in the province, but outdated technology and degradation of incinerators made it hard to dispose of them safely. Shortage of staff and skills in waste disposal also contributed to the problem, Mai said on Monday.

She noted that construction of solid waste treatment facilities required huge investment, but the provincial budget was limited and there were no funds for repair, testing and environmental impact assessments.

Tuyen Quang Province is just one example of the countrywide challenges posed by polluting waste. A recent report by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said an estimated 47 tonnes of hazardous waste and 125,000cu.m of medical wastewater were discharged from industrial zones, production establishments, businesses and craft villages, as well as medical units, into the environment each day

In Ham Yen General Hospital, about 60kg of medical waste are released each day. The hospital collects and classifies medical waste as regulated. But the burning process releases toxic gas due to its outdated technology, which is harmful to health and the environment, according to Bui Thi Minh Huong, a hospital official.

The hospital had to enter into contract with some enterprises to transport and treat medical waste, a process difficult to supervise.

Each day, more than 100kg of hazardous waste discharged from the Tuyen Quang General Hospital was treated but the old waste treatment system was often broken, particularly in the rainy season, hospital director Pham Quang Thanh said. The old burning technology affected the lives of nearby residents, Thanh added.

Things would improve next year when a new waste treatment system funded by the World Bank is put into use, he said.

The treatment of medical waste water in Tuyen Quang also faces major challenges due to deteriorated facilities. Five out of 14 hospitals across the province do not have waste water treatment systems, according to the health department.

Most of them have to use old facilities that do not meet environmental standards.

The solid medical waste of some hospitals is collected and treated at other hospitals, but each facility has to deal with its own waste water.

Hoang Thanh Canh, director of the General Hospital in Yen Son District said the waste water discharged daily was not dealt with thoroughly and affected groundwater resources and the lives of people in the region.

He admitted that the current quality of waste water after treatment did not meet the ministrys standard, but added that things would imrpove once the hospital is relocated and rebuilt.

The department urged hospitals to strictly implement regulations on waste treatment to limit environmental pollution. It also asked the ministry to fund new incinerators for hospitals and hold training courses for health staff in waste treatment management. - VNS
THE HAGUE  Amsterdams Van Gogh Museum ruled out Tuesday a public debate over the authenticity of a book of sketches that an art historian has said belonged to the Dutch impressionist.

Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, a University of Toronto academic, has declared the apparent find to be "the most revolutionary discovery" in the history of Van Goghs work.

But the Dutch museum says the sketches, said to be from the artists stay in the French city of Arles, are fake.

Welsh-Ovcharovs French publishers Le Seuil reproduced the drawings earlier this month in a book titled Vincent Van Gogh, the Fog of Arles: The Rediscovered Sketchbook.

The art historian says the drawings came from the Cafe de la Gare in Arles  where Van Gogh stayed  which "records that on May 20, 1890 Dr Felix Rey (who had treated Van Goghs severed ear) visited the cafe on behalf of the artist" and left a large book of drawings.

But the museum, which has already sought answers directly from the publisher, said that an open debate would not be helpful.

"We will need to have all the hard facts first.

"We therefore call on the publisher and the author to provide a clear and open response to all our comments, to all the issues in need of clarification and to the questions raised," it said.

"Until they have, we see no point in a scholarly debate and our contribution to the discussion ends here: we will no longer respond to further questions."  AFP
President Tran ai Quang attended a ceremony to mark the Viet Nam Association of Historical Sciences (VAHS)s 50th founding anniversary in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang attended a ceremony to mark the Viet Nam Association of Historical Sciences (VAHS)s 50th founding anniversary in Ha Noi yesterday.

In his speech, the President stressed that history was of special importance during the course of development. The VAHS has united historians nationwide and connected with research and training agencies, helping to promote the development of Viet Nams historical sciences and obtain significant achievements.

He appreciated the associations efforts in reforming history-related activities, popularising historical knowledge, and giving advice and feedback on structures and projects relating to Viet Nams history and culture. It has also given opinions on school curriculum and textbook reforms, including on history teaching and learning methods.

Public awareness of the countrys history had improved thanks to VAHSs studies on different historical periods, from prehistory and ancient civilisations to the struggles for national liberation, the national renewal and international integration, he noted.

The VAHS should keep its attention on summarising historical facts and theories on Viet Nams revolution under the Partys leadership, thereby drawing out experience in national development and protection while providing a scientific basis for perfecting the Partys guidelines and policies and the States laws.

President Quang also asked the association to continue engaging in disseminating historical knowledge to all people, helping to improve the teaching of history, and giving feedback on relic preservation and restoration.

It also needed to organise international forums and workshops on historical events and persons, and sea and island sovereignty to raise Vietnamese historians global standing and enhance co-operation with their peers around the world, he added.

At the ceremony, President Quang presented the Labour Order (first class) to the association to recognise its devotion over the past five decades. VAHS Chairman Prof. Phan Huy Le was granted with the Independence Order (third class).

The VAHS comprises 33 provincial associations, four specialised associations, and 22 others at central research and history training agencies, gathering more than 5,200 members.  VNS
Vietnamese and South Korean scholars attends a workshop on the East Sea dispute in Gwangju, South Korea yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Pham Duy

GWANGJU, South Korea  Scholars anticipated that the East Sea (South China Sea) dispute will continue to witness complex developments as China not only rejected the July 12 ruling but also escalated further tensions with the militarisation of its artificial islands.

Vietnamese and South Korean scholars, attending a workshop focusing on the East Sea dispute, also believe that the outlook of the dispute in the future will mostly depend on Chinas activities and the United States attitudes after US President-elect Donald Trump officially comes into office in January.

The international workshop, co-hosted by the Korean Association of Vietnamese Studies and the Institute of International Cultural Studies of the Chosun University in Gwangju, South Korea yesterday, brought together over 50 experts and scholars from Viet Nam and South Korea and students from the Chosun University.

An exhibition displaying nearly 50 ancient maps depicting the East Sea and photos of shoals, reefs and rocks in the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands was held on the sidelines of the workshop. The photos showed Beijings island reclamations and its militarisation activities as well as their impacts on regional security, maritime freedom and marine environment.  VNS
HA NOI  Around 15 per cent of Viet Nams population  approximately 13.5 million people  suffer from 10 of the more common mental disorders, reveal statistics released yesterday.

Around 2.8 per cent of Vietnamese live with depression, 2.6 per cent suffer from anxiety disorder, while 0.47 per cent have schizophrenia, the Voice of Viet Nam (VOV) online newspaper reported.

The data was revealed yesterday at the start of a two-day meeting in Hai Phong City, organised by Lao ong va Xa hoi (Labour and Society) magazine and the Social Protection Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs.

Around 200,000 Vietnamese people suffer from severe mental illnesses, according to a report by Pham Dung from the Medical Committee Netherlands-Viet Nam (MCNV) at the meeting. Of these, 98 per cent cannot take care of themselves, 15 per cent show violent behaviour, and 37 per cent are yet to receive medication for treatment.

Around 18 per cent of families of patients with severe mental illnesses reportedly face discrimination from the community.

The social protection department has only 45 centres across the country that offer care for patients with mental disorders.

Shortage of facilities and trained staff were the main challenges faced by the programme to take care of such patients, the department said.

To fix the situation, the labour ministry has set targets to provide care and functional rehabilitation services for 90 per cent of people with severe mental illnesses by 2020. It also aims to conduct awareness programmes so that local communities stop discriminating against patients and their families.  VNS
HCM City needs to regularly monitor fire safety practices in households and amusement venues to preclude fire accidents, city Party Committee Secretary inh La Thang has said.  Photo hochiminhcity.gov.vn

HCM CITY  HCM City needs to regularly monitor fire safety practices in households and amusement venues to preclude fire accidents, city Party Committee Secretary inh La Thang has said.

At a meeting with fire department officers on Monday to discuss fire safety and prevention, he instructed them to step up inspections of industrial parks, high-rises, traditional markets, supermarkets, and shopping malls ahead of Tet.

With fires breaking out in several places in the last few months, other recreational spots that attract a large number of visitors on a daily basis, like bars and karaoke shops, must also be covered, he said.

Since most fires are caused by short circuits according to the department, it would be important for electrical companies to raise public awareness of electrical safety, he said.

The city should have helicopters for fire fighting and rescue, he said.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa, deputy director of the Department of Planning and Investment, told him the city lacked the financial and human resources for it.

It costs about VN1 trillion (US$44.1 million) to buy a helicopter and build a helipad, she said.

But he dismissed the argument, saying it is necessary for a commercial hub like HCM City to have a helicopter, especially since international investors are particular about fire safety.

The city could rent helicopters from the Viet Nam Helicopter Corporation, he said. VNS
More than 1,000 children are sexually abused per year, equal to about three per day, and the actual number is likely to be much higher, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.  Photo Vietnamplus.vn

HA NOI  In contrast to popular opinion that women and girls can protect themselves by avoiding strangers or unsafe places frequented by criminals, statistics show that 73 per cent of assaults on women are committed by acquaintances, and 10 per cent are fathers or stepfathers of victims.

The information was declared in the third national symposium on Sexuality, Health and Society with the theme Cultural and Institutional Barriers to Addressing Sexual Violence in Viet Nam which was launched yesterday in Ha Noi.

The two-day symposium attracted nearly 300 participants including legal experts, researchers, programme managers, justice officials, social activists and educators.

Research shows that such criminals are often people considered trustworthy in society such as the elderly, celebrities, teachers and even members of the criminal justice system.

Furthermore, incidents of sexual violence often occur at places which are considered safe such as schools, offices or even the houses of the victims.

Speaking at the symposium, Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS), said, Sexual violence is a serious crime against women and children, violating the most basic right of humans which is to live safely and with dignity.

Sexual violence leads to serious consequences for the physical, mental and financial health of the victims. Many victims and their families must strive to earn a living as they had to change accommodation to avoid discrimination. Sexual abuse even led to some victims committing suicide, she said.

Astrid Bant, United Nations Population Fund Representative in Viet Nam, said, Part of the problem is that men think they have a right to control womens bodies and sexuality.

Sexual violence against women and girls is not a disease for which we need to find a cure. It stems from the way that men and boys look at and value our women and girls, she said.

During the symposium, representatives discussed victims and sites of sexual violence, sexual education in school, sexual violence and HIV prevention.

Research by the ISDS showed that out of 322 sexual violence cases reported in newspapers during 2011-16, more than 20 per cent of victims were aged below 10, and some were as young as 2. As many as 60 per cent of victims were aged between 11 and 25. About 13 per cent of the cases related to instances of gang rape.

More than 1,000 children are sexually abused per year, equal to about three per day, and the actual number is likely to be much higher, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.  VNS
HCM CITY  Concerted efforts are needed to reduce pollution and improve the landscape near slums along canals and rivers in HCM City, including investment from the private sector, speakers said at a workshop held on Monday.

Speaking at a workshop on city slums, organised by the HCM City Architects Association, Dr. Le Huy Ba, said that nearly all canals and rivers in the city were now heavily polluted.

Most canals and rivers have been encroached upon by residents living along the canals and rivers, with more than 22 per cent of the water surface used to build houses and other concrete works.

As of July 15, the city had discovered hundreds of cases in which residents had built illegal housing near the sewer systems of canals and rivers, which led to serious flooding during heavy rains.

Architect Le Minh Thanh of the HCM City Architects Association said that foul odours were another issue, especially at the Tau Hu - Ben Nghe canal in District 1 and Tham Luong canal in District 12.

Even the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal, which was recently renovated at a cost of US$350 million, emits a bad odour, especially when the tide ebbs.

HCM City has 5,000km of canals and rivers that help drain water, thus curbing floods.

The city has been able to dredge only 80 km of canals and rivers during the past several decades, Ba said.

Thai Ngoc Hung, an architect, said all of the houses in slums along the canals and rivers had caused serious pollution and destroyed the urban landscape.

"The households need to be relocated as soon as possible," he added.

However, architect Nguyen Truong Luu, chairman of the HCM City Architect Association, said the city was continuing to struggle to seek funds for projects to improve the areas near canals and rivers in the city.

In the past, capital for such projects came from Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans and the state budget.

But now the city has to call for investment from the private sector in and outside the country.

Also, speaking at the workshop, architect Ngo Viet Nam Son said it was difficult to resettle the affected residents due to a shortage of capital for relocation.

Son said the city must create special incentives to attract more investment from the private sector for projects that would improve the environment and landscape near canals and rivers.

He also called for long-term plans to reduce pollution and improve the landscape of canals, rivers, lakes and green zones in the city.

Dr Le Van Thuong, rector of the HCM City University of Architecture, said the citys most recent landscape project near Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal had been ineffective and expensive, and that more efficient alternatives were needed.

The city needs to invite investors to join the process of urban planning to suggest the best solutions, Thuong said at the meeting.

Dr Nguyen Thiem said the city should abolish Decision 150/2004/Q-UB that regulates space needed for the planting of trees along canals or rivers. He said the space required would be a waste of the land fund.

The city should save the land for investors to operate cafes and restaurants along the rivers and canals, which could help develop tourism activities, Thiem said.

City authorities have been struggling to seek funds for a project to relocate people living in 20,000 houses in slums along canals and rivers by 2020.

The slums, mainly located in districts 4, 7, 8 and Binh Thanh, have more than 100,000 people living in unsafe and filthy conditions.

The houses, built with temporary materials, are in serious disrepair and often lack toilets. Most of their residents lack steady jobs.

District 8 accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the slums, with more than 1,000 houses lacking toilets and located in severely polluted areas, according to an official of the district Peoples Committee.

The city has developed a master plan for District 8 that envisages building apartments with blocks of 20  25 floors each for 20,000 people on 75 hectares along the oi Canal.

Around half of the land would be earmarked for green space and public and resettlement use.

Le Van Khoa, deputy chairman of the city Peoples Council, said slums had existed along canals for more than half a century. The city plans to invite investors to build housing for the relocated slum residents, he said.

To make the plan possible, the city is considering options like using more Official Development Assistance (ODA), inviting foreign investors, and reviewing all public land available.

Tran Trong Tuan, director of the citys Department of Construction, said his department would work with the Department of Planning and Architecture, consultancy agencies from the private sector and architects to suggest the best solutions.

Tat Thanh Cang, deputy secretary of HCM Citys Party Committee, praised the ideas and recommendations at the workshop.

He said the city would take into account all opinions and ideas about the best solutions to improve the areas near the canals and rivers.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health has issued a set of criteria to assess hospital quality towards improving services and increasing patient satisfaction.

The 83 criteria were tested over a three-year basis.

Nineteen of the criteria are related to patient care, 14 to work force development, 38 to professional quality, eight to quality improvement and four to professional knowledge, according to the MoH.

Implementation of the criteria will be graded according to five levels: bad, average, moderately good, good and very good.

The head of the ministrys Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, Luong Ngoc Khue, said the criteria was aimed at encouraging hospitals to improve their operation and quality and provide safe and qualified services.

They would also serve as a tool for management agencies to guide hospitals on quality and to implement quality assessment activities, he added.

He noted that effective quality management reduced costs and errors, which in turn attracted more patients.

Hospitals would themselves assess their service quality first, in November and December, and would then be examined by management agencies, according to the official.

The ministry reported last week it had planned to issue more criteria next year to help assess hospital quality more comprehensively.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said at the third national hospital quality forum in September that improving health check-ups and treatment quality to satisfy patients was a priority for the healthcare sector.

Despite some remaining weaknesses, she said that the service quality had seen major improvements in recent years, earning public appreciation. A number of hospitals have taken measures to shorten the time patients wait to be treated, while applying information technology and bettering hygienic conditions, she noted.
BINH INH  Police of Vinh Thanh District in southern Binh inh Province will investigate a deforestation case in the local protective forest, the most serious case ever in the province.

Colonel Chau Trinh, head of the districts police department, said yesterday the deforestation shows signs of criminal activity as well as violation of forest exploitation and protection regulations.

The provincial police force is working with the districts police to expand the investigation and prosecute suspects.

Earlier, from November 5 to 8, 13 large trees in zone 183 of Vinh Hai Commune, Vinh Thanh District, under management of the Vinh Thanh Protective Forest Management Board, were found chopped.

The trees are located 50-100m away from the provincial road and between the two forest protection stations of Hang Hu and Lo Than.

The trees are all some 30 years old and have trunk diameters of 36 to 76cm.

Several trunks were sawed and removed from the forest. Total destruction was estimated at up to 45 sq.m. of wood, according to the Vinh Thanh forest ranger station.

Vinh Thanh Districts Protective Forest Management Board dismissed Huynh Ngoc Son Ha, head of the Hang Hu forest protection station, and asked Nguyen Manh Thuong, a station employee, to transfer work over the failure to protect trees in the area under the stations management.

Tran Phuoc Phi and Tran Van Hoa, deputy directors of Vinh Thanh Districts Protective Forest Management Board, were asked to explain and review their responsibility in connection with the case.

Once the investigation concludes, penalties in accordance with the law will be imposed on violators.  VNS
HA NOI  World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Viet Nam Lokky Wai has called on Viet Nam to undertake more efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The most important factor that contributes to the rise of AMR is the use of antibiotics in humans and animals. Therefore, the most effective measure the government can take is to control the use of antibiotics and ensure they are used appropriately, Wai said at a meeting to mark Viet Nam Antibiotic Awareness Week 2016 today in Ha Noi.

Wai said the increase of antibiotic production, supply and use had contributed to the spread of AMR in the environment and food chain due to the increasing pressure to meet the global food demand of people and international trade, along with industrialisation urbanisation and expansion of the health services sector.

The role of other sectors, such as trade, industry, environment and natural resources, are therefore important to complement regulatory actions and closely monitor the spread of AMR in the food chain and environment, Wai said.

The inter-sectoral action undertaken in Viet Nam is, therefore, a step in the right direction and is an excellent example for other countries in the region. By committing to work together, Viet Nam is making a great contribution to the global fight against AMR, the WHO representative added.

Last year, we had 400,000 individuals pledging to help fight AMR. We will continue to gather more pledges until we reach the one million mark to demonstrate the publics support in building a healthy, safe and progressive Viet Nam, Wai said.

Speaking at the meeting, Luong Ngoc Khue, the health ministrys Health Examination and Management Department director, said antimicrobial resistance is a risk to Viet Nams people and economy following the increase in antibiotic use and weakness in antibiotic management in healthcare and animal husbandry, especially the issue of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and ecological environment.

Viet Nam was in the list of countries with a high AMR rate due to insufficient awareness on antibiotic and AMR in community and health workers. Many residents purchased and used antibiotics without a doctors prescription or overused the latest antibiotics prescribed by doctors. Excessive use of antibiotics in animal and aquaculture production was also a reason for the increase of AMR in the country, according to Khue.

The annual week, titled "Together and Stronger against AMR," aims to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.

According to WHO, AMR results in some 700,000 global deaths per year. By 2050, the number of deaths attributed to AMR is estimated to be 10 million per year, more than the estimate for cancer and 10 times more than the estimate for diabetes.

Studies have shown that a continued rise in resistance by 2050 will lead to a reduction of up to 3.5 per cent of GDP and will cost the world up to US$100 million.  VNS
HA NOI  Ha Noi Transport Department will operate the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) pilot route from December 15, department deputy director Ha Huy Quang told local media yesterday.

The BRT route, covering 14.7 km, will begin at the Kim Ma station in Ba inh District up till the Yen Nghia station in Ha ong District.

It will run through Giang Vo, Lang Ha, Le Van Luong and Le Trong Tan, as well as Tran Phu and Ba La streets.

Some 21 bus stops have been built on the 14.7 km route, with a bus departing every five minutes and each carrying up to 90 passengers. Each bus is equipped with GPS system connected with a centre assisting in resolving incidents.

It will take an estimated 30 minutes to travel the entire route, as opposed to the current one hour or more.

The cost of the project is set at VN1.1 trillion (US$53.6 million) and is being financed through World Bank loans.

Ha Noi Transport and Services Corporation (Transerco) has set up a BRT enterprise, which specialises in operating the bus route, Quang said, adding that the BRT route will be prioritised in terms of traffic lights and lanes. Cars and taxis are restricted from entering the priority lanes for BRT buses.

However, there are not separate lanes, only priority ones for BRT buses, therefore the bus model in Ha Noi is called priority bus, not rapid bus yet, he said.

Next month, the city will run four new bus routes: Nhon-Tay ang, Yen Nghia-Phu Tuc, Yen Nghia-Son Tay and Kim Ma-Noi Bai.

According to Quang, financial assistance from the city authorities for buses has decreased in recent years, from VN1.078 trillion ($47.9million) in 2014 to a projected VN957 billion ($42.5million) this year, presumably because of the oil and petrol price plunge.

In this context, the city has still made efforts to improve bus services and invested in bus infrastructure. Bus networks have been continuously expanded. Many suburban districts and new urban areas have access to buses, such as Quoc Oai District; Xuan Mai area; and Xa La, Van Phu, Linh am, My inh, Tu Hiep and Kien Hung urban areas.

Nguyen Cong Nhat, Transerco deputy director, said the high-quality bus routes were put into operation with new buses, new bus colors and new employee uniforms. Free wifi is available on 15 routes with 200 buses. Until the second quarter of next year, the company plans to have free wifi on all operating routes.

Regarding plans for next year, municipal Transport Departments deputy director Ha Huy Quang said in 2017, the public transport sector of the city will look to improving the passenger capacity and bettering service quality. Some 14 new routes will be added next year, increasing the total number of bus routes in the city to 115.

Priority lanes for buses will be studied on three routes -- Phap Van-Giai Phong-ai Co Viet intersection, Nguyen Van Cu-Ngo Gia Tu and Pham Hung-Khuat Duy Tien-Linh am.  VNS
By Thu Van

Mid-brain Activation seems to be on a lot of minds these days.

Of course, this is thanks to a constant bombardment of advertisements on multiple media fronts.

Those offering this service claim this activiation will equip children with what amounts to extra-sensory abilities in just two days. By stimulating some parts of the brain, children will have improved memory, powers of concentration as well as better intuition.

In these days of intense, stressful academic competition that begins right at the kindergarten level, how can any parent resist such gains!

So, theres Math training, English training, and now, brain training.

The technique, it is claimed, targets a small part of the brain that acts as a relay centre for information gathered from the bodys visual, auditory and motor systems. As a result, those who take the training can carry out everyday tasks with their eyes closed, and the ads seem to mean this in a literal sense.

Going through the Facebook pages of these centres, I saw videos of kids of six or seven, (the claim is that the programme works best for those between seven and eleven) blindfolded, correctly identifying colours by just touching different objects.

Wow! Phenomenal! Which parent wouldnt want their kids to become geniuses with extraordinary abilities?

Vietnamese parents are now familiar with many educational terms, including the Japanese-style teaching method, Glenn Doman and Montessori.

As a mother, I can understand the desire to give kids the best possible opportunities to better themselves and ensure a great future for them.

But in these days of relentless marketing, we need to be a bit skeptical and not get carried away, I feel.

Being able to sense visual properties without actually seeing them might be an extraordinary talent, but normally, it is against basic principles of human physiology.

Our ability to see is the result of a complex interaction that I do not have to layout here. Just imagine a process a million times more sophisticated than the most sophisticated camera.

Now, when you can see normally with such amazing natural equipment, why do you need to do it blindfolded? Okay thats just a question that popped up spontaneously. Could be some bias there. But I do wonder: How will this ability help kids later in their life?

Ive seen many people trying to teach their babies barely a year old to remember letters, using flashcards and whatnot. Yes, the exclamations of surprise and admiration when a child demonstrates unusually early developments are very satisfying, but, for me, theres something unnatural it. Something a little too pushy. Why is that we cant raise our kids naturally?

Is there something wrong about letting kids grow at their own pace? Does every child have to be a genius? Why would you want your baby to be able to read early rather than read stories to them? Yes, it is a competitive world, but wont kids miss out a lot if they are subjected to the parents ambitions. Surely they deserve to enjoy life when they are children!

Raising a child is a long-term task. We know that children learn from their surrounding world, learn though playing and learn through self discovery. Learning, as infants, is a process imbued with magic and wonder. Dont we owe to our kids to maximize this sense of magic and wonder?

Reading, counting, calculating and other skills are very important, but these can be developed as the baby moves from infancy to childhood. Most importantly, these skills do not automatically develop kindness and compassion within the children.

Not to go overboard with my criticism, I talked to a mother whod sent her child to one of these centres. Nguyen Thi Hoai of Lam ong Province took her 11-year-old daughter to two-day midbrain activation programme in HCM City. She said her daughter had recently shown signs of being unfocused, so she wanted to do something about it.

She paid VN2.6 million (US$115) for the training. Hoai said it was true that after two days, her daughter was able to tell the colour of objects without seeing them. But what she wanted most did not happen. Her daughter made little progress at school.

This example might not reflect the whole picture, so I delved a bit further.

Activists from the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations last year launched a campaign against midbrain activation programmes in the country, saying it was a new form of superstition in the name of science.

Such centres were making money by deceiving people, they said.

A childs intelligence cannot be increased through any method, the associations press statement said.

Im not sure about various programmes on offer in Viet Nam, but I agree that a childs intelligence cannot be improved with arcane methods.

I believe it is best that parents control the urge to show off their children, or to push them to Ivy League institutions, and just focus on the children becoming decent, caring human beings.

Our children should be able to be happy, whoever they are, a doctor, a lawyer, a politician or a baker. And for this, parents need to stop stressing about making their kids more competitive through programmes like Glenn Doman, Mid-brain Activation and so on.

I would rather read exciting stories to my kid and share the joy of it than push her into demanding programmes. I would rather chit chat with her, sing to her, dance with her, and tell her how much I love her.

I want to have my child remember her childhood as a happy one. She should remember the white flowers we saw on the way home, the cows we saw in the field in our hometown, the raindrops pattering on the window glass.

Piglet: Winnie, how do you spell love?

Winnie: Piglet, you dont spell love. You feel it. VNS
NEW YORK  Donald Trump stepped up his contentious search for a secretary of state on Tuesday before he ditches cabinet interviews later this week to lead a victory tour kicking off in the swing state of Ohio.

The billionaires nominee for the job will be Americas public face to the rest of the world, the person who will succeed John Kerry, head up a department of 70,000 staff and lead the largest diplomatic operation in the world.

The prospective candidates touted most frequently have been erstwhile Trump critic and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, celebrated general yet scandal-clad former CIA director David Petraeus, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker and outspoken former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Aides say Trump is ahead of schedule in unveiling cabinet picks, mostly recently fierce Obamacare critic Congressman and former surgeon Tom Price as health secretary and Elaine Chao as transportation secretary -- both nominated on Tuesday.

But all eyes are on a trio of key posts that remain to be decided: the secretaries of defence, state and treasury -- for which US media reported that Trump was expected to name former Goldman Sachs investment banker Steven Mnuchin as early as Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal also reported, citing a transition official, that Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor known for taking over ailing industrial firms and selling them for a big profit, would be named as commerce secretary.

For the top diplomat brief, Trump held talks Tuesday with Senator Corker, considered a safe pick without the baggage of Petraeus and unfettered by Romneys history of disloyalty to the billionaire.

Corker, 64, said after the meeting that he thought Trump had narrowed the choice "to a very small group of people" and it was important that the president-elect selects somebody on the same wave length.

"This is a decision that he needs to make," the Tennessee senator told reporters. "He needs to choose someone that hes very comfortable with and he knows that theres going to be no daylight between him and them."

He said that Trump did not discuss a timeline for announcing his pick. "I think hell make the decision when hes comfortable," said Corker.  AFP
VIENNA  OPEC will seek on Wednesday to defy expectations and finalise a deal in Vienna reducing its oil output for the first time in eight years in an effort to boost painfully low crude prices.

It remained to be seen however whether the cartels big guns Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran can overcome their fierce rivalries and agree who will do most of the heavy lifting.

If they fail to agree a deal, experts expect oil prices, at under US$50 per barrel already less than half 2014 levels, to head further south perhaps to $40 or even $30.

In addition, a failure in Vienna would deal a further blow to the already damaged credibility of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, 56 years after its creation.

Arriving in the Austrian capital on Tuesday, Algerian Energy Minister Noureddine Bouterfa appeared hopeful.

"The discussions are going in the right direction," he told reporters.

Analysts, however, took a different view.

"We now see a very low chance for an OPEC cut," said Bjarne Schieldrop at SEB.

"Now it becomes imperative to save face. To save the appearance that OPEC matters. Kicking the can to the next OPEC meeting in half a years time," he said.  AFP
OSU attacker stewed over Muslims plight

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The Somali-born student who carried out the car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University stewed over the treatment of Muslims.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan was not known to FBI counterterrorism authorities before Mondays rampage, which ended with Artan shot to death by police and 11 people injured, a law enforcement official said.

Officials have not identified a motive, but have suggested terrorism as a possibility.

The mode of attack was in keeping with the recommended tactics of jihadist propaganda. And Facebook posts apparently written shortly before the attack show Artan nursed grievances against the U.S.

Cubans, dignitaries honor Fidel Castro

HAVANA (AP)  Regional leaders and tens of thousands of Cubans filled Havanas Plaza of the Revolution Tuesday night for a service honoring Fidel Castro on the wide plaza where the Cuban leader delivered fiery speeches to mammoth crowds in the years after he seized power.

The presidents of Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Panama, South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with leaders of a host of smaller Caribbean nations, flew in to Havana to pay tribute to Castro, who died Friday.

Lines stretched for hours outside the Plaza of the Revolution, the heart of government power.

Thanksgiving meal leaves three dead

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  San Francisco Bay Area health officials warned the public Tuesday to throw out any leftovers from a community Thanksgiving meal they suspect sickened at least 16 people, three of whom died.

Officials are still trying to determine what caused the illness, but they appear to have narrowed the source to a church-sponsored meal at the American Legion Hall in Antioch, Calif., an annual event that this year turned tragic. Thursdays meal served 835 people.

Wildlife cameras snap pics of jokers

GARDNER, Kan. (AP)  Motion-activated cameras intended to capture images of mountain lions in a Kansas park have instead snapped pictures of pranksters dressed as animals, monsters and Santa Claus.

Police said they found the images on the two cameras at the park in Gardner on Monday.

Interspersed among images of skunks and coyotes were photos of people wearing costumes pretending to be lions wrestling, a gorilla, various monsters and an old person with a walker. And of course Santa made an appearance.

The cameras were established this month to investigate reports of mountain lions. No mountain lions were detected.

20 co-workers split Powerball jackpot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee Lottery officials say 20 co-workers at a metal manufacturing plant will split a Powerball jackpot of nearly $421 million.

Lottery officials announced Tuesday the workers from North American Stamping Group in Portland claimed the $420.9 million jackpot. The cash value of the jackpot is worth $254 million, which would give each person $12.7 million before taxes.

The ticket matched all six Powerball numbers drawn Saturday. It was sold at Smoke Shop in Lafayette, about 60 miles northeast of Nashville.

Its the second largest overall prize for the state, bested only by the $528 million Powerball prize won by a Munford family in January.
Feds ban smoking in public housing

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Obama administration has announced a final rule prohibiting smoking in public housing developments nationwide.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development says more than 228,000 public housing units are already smoke-free. The rule HUD announced Wednesday will expand the impact to more than 940,000 units.

The final rule prohibits lit tobacco products in all living units and indoor common areas, and all outdoor areas within 25 feet of housing and administrative offices. The new rule gives public housing agencies 18 months to implement the ban.

House Democrats re-elect Pelosi leader

WASHINGTON (AP)  House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader Wednesday despite widespread frustration over the partys direction.

That disenchantment manifested itself in 63 lawmakers supporting Pelosis opponent, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, in the secret-ballot vote. That was by far the largest defection Pelosi has suffered since she began leading House Democrats in 2002.

Still, the California lawmaker won 134 votes, a testament to her ability to hang onto power even in dark days for Democrats, as they confront a capital that will be fully controlled by the GOP next year.

UNLV paper drops Rebel Yell name

LAS VEGAS (AP)  The student newspaper at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is changing its name from Rebel Yell to The Scarlet & Gray Free Press in a bid to end criticism it evokes the Civil War Confederacy, officials said.

The change will debut next semester.

The move comes after several months of debate and a year after a campus diversity office report commissioned by university President Len Jessup concluded neither the campus Rebels nickname nor its Hey Reb! mascot have ties to the Confederacy.

Big Macs creator dead at age 98

PITTSBURGH (AP)  You probably dont know his name, but youve almost certainly devoured his creation: two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

Michael James Jim Delligatti, the McDonalds franchisee who created the Big Mac nearly 50 years ago and saw it become perhaps the best-known fast-food sandwich in the world, died Monday at home in Pittsburgh. Delligatti, who according to his son ate at least one 540-calorie Big Mac a week for decades, was 98.

Delligatti invented the chains signature burger in 1967 after deciding customers wanted a bigger sandwich. Demand exploded and the sandwich was added to the chains national menu in 1968.

New British bills upsetting vegans

LONDON (AP)  The Bank of Englands new plastic 5-pound note is stronger, cleaner and safer  but apparently not suitable for vegetarians.

Vegans and vegetarians are calling for the new bank notes, which have only been in circulation for two months, to be replaced because they are made with a substance derived from animal fat.

The Bank of England confirmed on Twitter the notes contain a trace of a substance known as tallow  a rendered form of animal fat, processed from suet, which is sometimes used in soaps and candles.
WATERLOO  A Missouri driver has been arrested on drunken driving charges following a collision with a Waterloo police squad car Tuesday morning.

No serious injuries were reported in the crash, according the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office, which investigated the collision. Officer Mark Nissan was transported to a nearby hospital and was treated and released.

Deputies arrested Erik James Anderson, 27, of Iberia, Mo., for second-offense operating while intoxicated, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving on the wrong side of the highway and failure to maintain control. He was later released from jail.

Authorities received complaints of a Ford F-150 pickup truck heading east in the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 20 starting in Grundy County and heading into Black Hawk County around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Capt. Rick Abben with the Black Hawk Sheriffs Office.

The Waterloo police officer went on westbound Highway 20 with flashing lights activated to investigate. The officer positioned his squad car to stop the pickup truck, and the truck crashed into it head on, according to deputies.

Anderson and his passenger, who is his brother, werent injured. Authorities noticed an odor of alcohol and a breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .168, according to court records.

Man sentenced

for bank fraud

WATERLOO  A former Waterloo businessman who has been sentenced to prison for bank fraud told the court he got into financial trouble trying to farm in Brazil.

Judge Leonard Strand on Monday sentenced Kelly Alan Freese, 52, operator of the former Christy Corp. on Airline Highway as well as Freese Ag Services and Ag-Zone, to three years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

The prison time includes an enhancement for Freeses role in the offense, and the judge turned down a defense request for leniency for accepting responsibility. Freese, who was indicted in 2013 while he was living in Brazil, fought extradition back to Iowa and wasnt returned to the United States until 2016.

Strand also ordered Freese to pay $1.06 million in restitution to Lincoln Savings Bank. This is to cover $527,277 in principal, $495,352 in interests and $37,392 in attorney fees.

Freeses Iowa businesses had included snow removal, trucking and agricultural services, according to court records.

In a three-page letter to the court in preparation for sentencing, Freese said he was raised on a farm but wasnt able to farm full time in Iowa. He said he was consumed when he learned about Brazil, which he saw as an emerging agricultural powerhouse.

He and his wife began to vacation in the South American country in the 2000s.

We went on one of those ag tours. My eyes were opened. What a country, what potential. It was intoxicating, Freese wrote.

He eventually bought 2,400 acres of land in the state of Rhondiona, on countrys border with Bolivia, and had planned to begin farming but had trouble getting the needed permits. When he was able to plant rice, the costs were too much, he wrote.

Tried to borrow on assets in Brazil and it didnt work. I need(ed) cash or I would go broke. So I took it from my U.S. business. My vision was clouded over, and I was wrong, Freese wrote.

What authorities said Freese did was overstate the amount of money Christy Corp. was owed when he applied for loans. He told Lincoln Savings he had more than $260,000 in accounts receivable when the true number was around $115,000, court records state.

Prosecutors said when Freese failed to pay payroll taxes and had trouble keeping up with the bank payments, he transferred Christy Corp. equipment that had been pledged to back the loans. The equipment  trucks, vans, skid loaders, trailers, sprayers  was transferred in 2003 and 2004 to Ag-Zone business, which was operated by relatives, and some of the equipment was sold at auction with the proceeds going back to Freese, court records state.

Authorities said the transactions were to evade responsibility to Lincoln Savings Bank and the government, and said he set up a home and business in Brazil where he could flee and seek refuge. Equipment that had been pledge to the bank also was shipped to Brazil, prosecutors said.

Freeses attorney said in court records Freese didnt move to Brazil to flee prosecution and noted Freese had moved before the pledged equipment was sold.

Freese wrote he talked to FBI investigators over the phone in 2012 while he was living in Brazil and admitted to everything. After he was indicted, the father of six wanted to take time to get his affairs in order, he wrote. He was detained in March 2015 and placed in a Brazilian prison for 15 months before arriving in the United States.

Charges dropped against suspect

WATERLOO  Authorities have dropped misdemeanor trespassing charges against a former Decorah man who was found with bombs and a flamethrower in Oran in February.

The move came Nov. 10 after Trevor John Satrom, 34, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device in federal court. Satrom, who is disabled with a post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis after serving in Afghanistan in the Navy, will likely be sentenced to probation in the bomb case, court officials said.

About a month before Fayette County sheriffs deputies and ATF agents found the explosives  along with firearms, smoke grenades, body armor and napalm for the flamethrower  during a raid of Satroms Oran home, he was arrested in a disturbance at the Isle Casino Hotel in Waterloo.

On Jan. 22, security officials spotted Satrom entering the gaming floor wearing a Go-Pro video camera strapped to his head. Casino workers told him about the establishments policy against photography, and he pocketed the camera, according to court records.

A short time later, casino staff noticed him in the poker room using a laptop computer, which also is against policy, court records state. Staff told police it appeared Satrom was playing online casino games on the computer, and Satrom said he had been given permission to use the computer in the poker room.

An argument followed, and casino employees asked Satrom to leave because he was causing a scene, and he was arrested for trespassing when he refused, court records state.

Mother facing neglect charge

GALT  The mother of a child found alone and shoeless in the city of Galt has been arrested.

Ysabel Ceplecha, 24, of Eagle Grove, was charged with felony neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.

Wright County sheriff deputies say it was her daughter, 2, who was found alone Nov. 22 near a vacant post office in Galt, population 32. She was wearing pajamas and no coat or shoes.

Residents brought the child out of the cold and called authorities.

The girl was taken to a local hospital, but did not speak with deputies.

Officials received several tips about the girls identity, as well as her familys, after sending her photo and story to local media outlets, including the Globe Gazette.

The girl was placed in protective foster care.

Waterloo felon

fined for voting

WATERLOO  A sixth felon from Waterloo has been convicted and sentenced for voting in the 2012 presidential election.

Robert Earl Anthony entered an Alford plea Monday, acknowledging he could be convicted of election misconduct but not admitting guilt. A judge fined Anthony $750 and ordered him to complete community service.

Anthony was one of eight Waterloo residents with prior felonies who were charged with illegally voting in the November 2012 election. Prosecutors said the eight had lost their voting rights due to prior convictions.

Many of the defendants said they believed  or had been told  they were eligible. Precinct workers let them register and vote because they didnt check an electronic database of ineligible felons.

Two defendants still face charges.
WATERLOO  A former Waterloo businessman who has been sentenced to prison for bank fraud told the court he got into financial trouble trying to farm in Brazil.

Judge Leonard Strand on Monday sentenced Kelly Alan Freese, 52, operator of the former Christy Corp. on Airline Highway as well as Freese Ag Services and Ag-Zone, to three years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

The prison time includes an enhancement for Freeses role in the offense, and the judge turned down a defense request for leniency for accepting responsibility. Freese, who was indicted in 2013 while he was living in Brazil, fought extradition back to Iowa and wasnt returned to the United States until 2016.

Strand also ordered Freese to pay $1.06 million in restitution to Lincoln Savings Bank. This is to cover $527,277 in principal, $495,352 in interests and $37,392 in attorney fees.

Freeses Iowa businesses had included snow removal, trucking and agricultural services, according to court records.

In a three-page letter to the court in preparation for sentencing, Freese said he was raised on a farm but wasnt able to farm full time in Iowa. He said he was consumed when he learned about Brazil, which he saw as an emerging agricultural powerhouse.

He and his wife began to vacation in the South American country in the 2000s.

We went on one of those ag tours. My eyes were opened. What a country, what potential. It was intoxicating, Freese wrote.

He eventually bought 2,400 acres of land in the state of Rhondiona, on countrys border with Bolivia, and had planned to begin farming but had trouble getting the needed permits. When he was able to plant rice, the costs were too much, he wrote.

Tried to borrow on assets in Brazil and it didnt work. I need(ed) cash or I would go broke. So I took it from my U.S. business. My vision was clouded over, and I was wrong, Freese wrote.

What authorities said Freese did was overstate the amount of money Christy Corp. owned when he applied for loans. He told Lincoln Savings he had more than $260,000 in accounts receivable when the true number was around $115,000, court records state.

Prosecutors said when Freese failed to pay payroll taxes and had trouble keeping up with the bank payments, he transferred Christy Corp. equipment that had been pledged to back the loans. The equipment --- trucks, vans, skid loaders, trailers, sprayers --- was transferred in 2003 and 2004 to Ag-Zone business, which was operated by relatives, and some of the equipment was sold at auction with the proceeds going back to Freese, court records state.

Authorities said the transactions were to evade responsibility to Lincoln Savings Bank and the government, and said he set up a home and business in Brazil where he could flee and seek refuge. Equipment that had been pledge to the bank was also shipped to Brazil, prosecutors said.

Freeses attorney said in court records that Freese didnt move to Brazil to flee prosecution and notes that Freese had moved before the pledged equipment was sold.

Freese wrote that he talked to FBI investigators over the phone in 2012 while he was living in Brazil and admitted to everything. After he was indicted, the father of six wanted to take time to get his affairs in order, he wrote. He was detained in March 2015 and placed in an overcrowded Brazilian prison for 15 months before arriving in the United States.
MASON CITY (AP)  The Mason City police chief has apologized for the arrest of a Mason City businessman who later was cleared.

The letter dated Nov. 22 and the $137,500 settlement paid ended a civil rights lawsuit Kristopher "Kit" Alcorn filed in August 2015.

Alcorn's lawsuit said an officer conducted a false arrest and malicious prosecution against him after an incident at a store. An employee said Alcorn assaulted him. Alcorn denied that, and the assault charge against him was later dismissed.

The lawsuit also said another officer retaliated against Alcorn after the charge was dismissed.

The letter written by Police Chief Jeff Brinkley says the department "regrets that a more thorough investigation was not completed, and apologizes for any stress or disorder. ..."
ALLISON  A North Butler kindergarten educator has been honored as a finalist for a prestigious state teaching award.

Laura Tracy, who is in her 28th year of teaching, was named one of four finalists for the 2017 Iowa Teacher of the Year award. Sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education, it honors outstanding, exceptional educators.

Tracy said via email the nomination by student Walker Buss parents, Scott and Billie Buss, took her by surprise.

In their nomination letter, the Buss family praised Tracy as a tireless academic innovator who communicates well with parents, provides a safe learning environment and embraces technology.

I feel that Mrs. Tracy is always doing little things that make my son a confident learner, the letter read. ... She is everything we could have hoped for in a teacher who supports a child development philosophy at home.

Tracy, who began her career with North Butler Schools in 1989, used technology in an innovative, self-directed project last spring, allowing her students to become movie stars.

As her class begins learning expeditions, Tracy said she and her kindergartners discuss what they know  or think they know  and what they wonder about.

After reading Jack and the Beanstalk and studying beans, students asked Tracy if they could watch a video of the story.

There werent many to choose from, so Tracy asked her class if theyd like to make their own movie.

That resulted in Kindergarten and the Beanstalk, in which her kindergartners developed a storyboard and used stop-action animation to tell the story of a bean that initially wouldnt grow.

They planned a movie premiere for families, friends and neighbors after working in groups to film scenes.

Dressed as movie stars, the children rode in a limo to the school auditorium, where they watched the video on a big screen and signed autographs for guests.

In planning, Tracy said she tries to visualize learning from her students perspective, regularly asking what might make the biggest difference for a learner or what steps to take next.

I genuinely believe our students can lead us to the solutions were looking for, she said. The key is to take time to listen more and observe more.

She said doing so allows her to slow down the tendency to judge, sensing what to try next and make more room for compassion and empathy.

From my view, all students are gifted and talented, so I do all I can to empower them, Tracy said.

Its most rewarding for her to hear, Mrs. Tracy, I figured it out! whether its in the classroom or in physical education class.

She recalled a time a student broke her leg and had to be in a wheelchair, missing roller skating. One classmate put on his skates and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, while another put his hands on his friends shoulders to help push.
CEDAR FALLS  Mark Nook, a chancellor at Montana State University-Billings, will be the final candidate interviewed for the University of Northern Iowas president position.

Nook has held his current position since 2014. Montana State, like UNI, emphasizes teacher training.

Nook has also worked as a professor of physics, astronomy and engineering sciences.

Nook, 58, had his second meeting Wednesday with the UNI presidential search committee. He will have a full day of events today, including a public forum at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Old Central Ballroom of Maucker Union.

The forum will be streamed live on the UNI presidential search website, and a video will be posted.

The search committee initially looked at 46 applicants. The three finalists visited campus this week. Regents are expected to name UNIs next president Tuesday.

More information about the candidate and the candidate visits is available at http://www.iowaregents.edu/.

Bill Ruud, UNIs 10th president, took a job as president of Marietta College in Ohio earlier this year.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Longtime Iowa political reporter David Yepsen, a regular panelist on Iowa Press: for many years, will return to the Iowa Public Television public affairs program in January as host.

Yepsen, who earlier this year retired as director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, will succeed Dean Borg of Mount Vernon, who will retire in mid-January after hosting the program since 1971.

A native of Jefferson, Yepsen covered government and politics for The Des Moines Register for 32 years. He was a fellow at Harvards Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy in 1989 and at the Institute of Politics at Harvard in 2008. Since 2009, he has been at Southern Illinois.

Knowledgeable about Iowa politics, especially the first-in-the-nation caucuses, Yepsen has appeared on numerous network news programs including PBS NewsHour, and CNN, Fox, MSNBC and CSPAN programs.
WATERLOO  Someone had to shout and pound their fists on the podium to wake up Waterloo to find solutions to stop the killing.

The Rev. Michael Muhammad, used to delivering fiery sermons, was OK with that someone being him.

I spoke at the funeral of my nephew one weekend who was shot down like an animal, he said Tuesday night. One week after that, I spoke at a young ladys funeral. Theyre killing girls! ... A 19-year-old baby can never have a future, and were too busy ego-tripping.

But Muhammad wasnt talking to the perpetrators of those crimes. He was talking to a crowd of about 100 who came to the We Are the Village community forum at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, calling them to task for sitting idly by, throwing up their hands or ignoring the troubles of young people in their city.

Everywhere I look, Im seeing broken black people, Muhammad said. So when you hear young people say eff it, theyre realer than many of us. They have looked at (life) and not seen any avenue for hope.

Muhammad was one of 15 speakers at We Are the Village, many of whom brought up similar themes of depression, the school-to-prison pipeline and racism as reasons teenagers reach a breaking point.

We talk about violence in our community  did it ever occur to you that it might be due to a spirit of rejection? asked the Rev. Helen Seenster.

That rejection, said the Rev. Jesse Tink, is because there are two villages of Waterloo  not one.

The community we exist in has to learn how to talk to each other, relate to each other and listen to each other, he said.

Beyond that, said speaker Johnny Patterson, was recognizing what role each person played in the village  and whether they see violent youths as worthy of help.

Are you willing to stand up and say, Enough is enough, and not put blame on our police officers or our mayor? he asked. Who do you say these children are?

Adanya Assata Shakur, a mother and self-described black activist in Waterloo, said everyone needs to be held accountable for youths  including herself.

We cant blame kids for disrespect, she told the crowd. We taught them that  I taught them that, you taught them that. We have to correct that.

Newly-elected Rep. Ras Smith disagreed with some speakers who characterized young people as a wicked generation, saying they were misunderstood.

In a village, theres no I or they  its us, he said. The time for forums and roundtable discussions without action are over.

Thats exactly what LaTanya Graves, organizer of the event and president of the Waterloo chapter of the NAACP, hoped would happen.

It is just so important that we begin to work together, because there are some things happening in Waterloo that have never happened before  never, she pleaded with the audience. It is young people dying, and we are sitting in our homes.
Call the Courier

Q: The taxpayers would like to know when the city and state are going to fix our streets and bridges instead of building streets where they dont even have houses yet?

A: You need to indicate a particular street or bridge if you want The Courier to ask the appropriate agency about a repair timeline. Both the city and state have road and bridge repair programs and budgets. Funding does not always stretch far enough. Most of the new residential streets in cities are being constructed and funded by private developers, not the government.

Q: Where is the Pinnacle nursing home located?

A: Pinnacle Specialty Care is at 1223 Prairie View Road, Cedar Falls. Its in the Pinnacle Prairie development.

Q: What do the different colors on porch lights mean, such as blue, green, etc.? Is there a color for veterans or soldiers?

A: Theres been a recent movement to use blue lights to show support for law enforcement officers and green lights to show support for veterans.

Q: Has Bowe Bergdahl ever been sentenced for betraying his country?

A: Not yet. His trial was set for February; a report in the Washington Post on Nov. 14 said the defense was requesting it be pushed back to May 2017.

Q: Whatever happened to Jenna Wolfe who used to be on the Today Show?

A: She left the show last year. She has new book coming out in December and also runs a fitness and training website.

Q: Cal Thomas wrote an article Trump could win with one great speech. Could you reprint that article?

A: It was in the Nov. 4 paper. You can read it there, or its also available on our website at www.wcfcourier.com.

Q: In front of Ridgeway Place they are tearing up Ridgeway Avenue in Waterloo. Was this part of the Kimball-Ridgeway sewer project? Will contractors pay for repairs to that sewer?

A: This work was not part of the Kimball Avenue project. This construction was to provide a larger water service to the new retail development on the south side of Ridgeway.

Q: The new sidewalk on Ridgeway in front of Walgreens is all broken up. Is the contractor going to replace that?

A: Waterloo Engineering Department officials believe this was done by a utility companys contractor. If staff can determine who is responsible, they will be required to replace it.

Q: Can anything be done about the house on the corner of Anita Street and Logan Avenue across from the school? Everyones house in the area looks nice and trim, and this house has trees growing up around it.

A: We didnt see any such issue at the corner of Anita and U.S. Highway 63 (Logan Avenue). The city does have codes governing the maintenance of homes and property. If a home is in violation of those codes, the city can require it to be remedied. To determine if a violation exists, you would need to contact Waterloo Code Enforcement to file a complaint and prompt an investigation, 291-3820.
At My Book, The Movie

Ronlyn Domingue's "The Mapmaker's War"
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Kazakhstan and China further cooperation

30 November 2016

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Officials from KazAtomProm - the world's biggest uranium producer - and the Kazakh government have visited China for talks on enhanced cooperation in the uranium mining and nuclear power sectors. The Kazakh delegation was headed by Askar Mamin, first deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan.

Askar Zhumagaliyev, CEO of KazAtomProm, met with Zhang Shanming, director-general of China General Nuclear (CGN) and Qian Zhimin, general manager of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

KazAtomProm said today that Zhumagaliyev had discussed a wide range of issues related to nuclear power development, and that the parties had "underlined good progress in cooperation between the companies, successful efforts on joint uranium mining projects and fuel assembly plant construction", among other areas of cooperation.

They also exchanged views on uranium transit through China and the supply of Kazakh uranium products to that country.

Zhumagaliyev invited his Chinese colleagues to participate in the international conference and exhibition Astana EXPO-2017 "to demonstrate China's latest technologies and achievements in the promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear power".

In September, the two countries took a step closer to the supply of Kazakh fuel pellets to Chinese companies. The relevant documents enabling such transactions were signed between Ulba Metallurgical Plant, a KazAtomProm subsidiary, and CGNPC-URC, a subsidiary of CGN.

These followed agreements KazAtomProm signed with Chinese companies at the end of last year. They included one for the development of Kazakh uranium mines and the construction of a nuclear fuel plant in Kazakhstan.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Nov 29, 2016 | By Tess

Belgian 3D printing company Materialise recently partnered with Italian automotive brand Nuova SPA to develop a 3D printed version of the latters Bicicletto e-bike. The new and improved Bicicletto, which is the first product unveiled through the partnership, features a number of 3D printed parts that not only make the e-bike more technologically advanced, but that help make it lighter, faster, and more cost-efficient to manufacture.

Founded in 1906, Nuova SPA is an automotive brand based in Torino, Italy. Having built its reputation on designing and manufacturing luxury and sport automobiles, the company was reborn in 2014 with an emphasis on pairing luxury with innovation. Its recent products have included a number of impressive e-bikes and electric vehicles that retain the companys original vintage flare. Its most recent release, realized in partnership with 3D printing solutions company Materialise, is a perfect example of the marriage between technological innovation and classical design.

While weve seen our fair share of 3D printed e-bikes, such as ETT Industries Trayser bike with 3D printed replacement parts, and Noordungs e-bike with a 3D printed power box, the Bicicletto is still one of a kind. As Julianto Imprescia, CEO of Nuova SPA, explains: 3D printing was a major contributor to our R&D process, it has made production easier, and its also helping us to bring down costs. Bringing Additive Manufacturing to an already-running design, like the Bicicletto, can be challenging but dedicated collaboration helped us achieve it.

Materialises support, which has allowed Nuova SPA to integrate 3D printed end-use parts into the new e-bike, is just the beginning of what is expected to be a long and productive partnership. With the 3D printing specialists help, the Italian automotive company is hoping to optimize its offerings and offer its clients innovative and overall more effective products. According to the companies, they will continue their work together to develop new two-wheeler and four-wheeler bikes. More specifically, Nuova SPA will integrate 3D printing into its development of a new off-road electric bike and a new quadricycle.

For additive manufacturing to bring end-use parts to a premium e-bike like this, it takes more than just 3D printing facilities, explained Alessio Esposti, Account Manager at Materialise Italy. It takes dedicated post-production, rigorous quality control, and in-house engineering expertise. With this collaboration, we look forward to broadening the horizons of the automotive industry through additive manufacturing.

From Materialises standpoint, the fruitful partnership will offer the opportunity to challenge and surpass industry standards. Furthermore, by creating innovative end-use parts at its Certified Additive Manufacturing facility, the Belgian 3D printing company is confident it will help to bolster 3D printing within the automotive manufacturing industry by demonstrating its potential.

Photos courtesy of Nuovo SPA & Materialise

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Ben wrote at 11/30/2016 11:52:24 AM:so with all that fancy design stuff they've forgotten the bike building basics like a proper chain tensioner?Dave Wills wrote at 11/30/2016 3:34:48 AM:In a market where you can get a better cruiser bike like Ariel Rider why will someone pay that much for it. Sure being a 3d printed bike is interesting. but in the end more important point is how it is not how it is manufactured from client point of view.




Nov 29, 2016 | By Benedict

Philips has launched IntelliSpace Portal 9.0, a new visual analysis and quantification platform for physicians that provides 3D rendering and 3D printing features. The STL export feature allows clinicians to 3D print medical models with high levels of detail and resolution.

Taking part in this week's 2016 Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting in Chicago, Dutch technology company Philips has announced the release of IntelliSpace Portal 9.0, the latest version of its comprehensive, advanced visual analysis and quantification platform for medical professionals. The new version features multi-modality functions and expanded neurological tools, in addition to expanded options for 3D rendering and 3D printing medical models that can be used to better understand patient anatomy.

Use of 3D printing technology is becoming more commonplace in the medical world, with its most frequent applications involving the production of 3D printed anatomical models that can be used as surgical aids or as educational tools for medical students and professionals. With IntelliSpace Portal 9.0, Philips provides a new platform with which physicians can combat brain injuries and neurological disorders such as dementia, strokes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as other conditions.

Using new machine learning capabilities, IntelliSpace Portal 9.0 helps radiologists detect, diagnose, and follow up on treatment of diseases, with features like Longitudinal Brain Imaging (not yet approved for use in the US) used to support the evaluation of neurological disorders over time. This continued monitoring allows clinicians to follow the progression of a disease. IntelliSpace Portal 9.0 also includes the NeuroQuant measurement application from CorTech Labs, which enables clinicians to quantify brain volume loss.

As the rates of dementia and neurodegeneration rise, neuroradiologists need advanced tools to help referring physicians treat these challenging cases, said Professor Dr. Leo Wolansky, Acting Chief of Neuroradiology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in the United States. IntelliSpace Portal 9.0 offers a comprehensive set of robust tools so neuroradiologists can quantify disease expediently.

While previous versions of IntelliSpace also made use of 3D rendering and 3D printing capabilities, version 9.0 refines the medical 3D printing features to their highest level to date. Using the platforms STL export feature, clinicians can now 3D print medical models with a high level of detail and resolution that can then be used to better understand patient anatomy. The new version also introduces key updates to core applications like MR Cardiac Analysis and CT TAVI planning, as well as system enhancements.

Radiology has a unique ability to influence and improve outcomes, and intelligent tools enable us to empower radiologists with the right information, said Yair Briman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Healthcare IT for Philips. With advances in machine learning, IntelliSpace Portal 9.0 will now be able to continually learn the usage patterns of users to enhance the important daily functions of a radiologist such as pre-preprocessing of images, encouraging faster and more streamlined diagnosis.

An important feature of IntelliSpace Portal 9.0 is its ability to be accessed from any point of the hospital network, a feature whichin tandem with its integration with PACS and hospital information systemspermits the broad and rapid sharing of information. This remote access, coupled with the systems capacity for expansion, means medical staff can make use of the platforms many tools no matter where they are.

Other improvements to the Philips platform introduced in version 9.0 include MR Cardiac enhancements, including Whole Heart STL export for 3D printing, and tweaks to CT Spectral applications, such as the optimization of the Spectral Diagnostic suite of clinical applications for the viewing and analysis of spectral data sets from the IQon Spectral CT scanner.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Nov 30, 2016 | By Benedict

Global tech company Oerlikon has announced the acquisition of citim, a German additive manufacturing specialist, as it aims to expand its 3D printing capabilities in Europe and the USA. A specialist in small-series production of metal 3D printed products, citim also makes functional prototypes.

In its efforts to become a major player in the global surface solutions and advanced materials markets, Swiss company Oerlikon is seeking to add 3D printing to its growing list of areas of expertise, which includes the engineering of industrial components, materials, and related technologies such as thermal spray and thin-film coating. With the acquisition of metal additive manufacturing company citim, Oerlikon has a particular plan in mind: to make itself into an independent service provider for 3D printed components, with all steps in the additive manufacturing process offered from a single source.

Barleben-based citims main area of expertise is metal additive manufacturing for small-series production and functional prototypes, and the company operates in both Europe and the USA, serving high-tech industries such as aviation, automotive, and energy. In 2015, citim generated $11.8 million in sales and profitability, around the same level as the operating margin of the Surface Solutions Segment.

Although citim will remain the 3D printing expert of the two parties, Oerlikon is already well positioned to transition into additive manufacturing, as it offers a portfolio of advanced metal-based materials and processing technologies, including metal powders suitable for 3D printing processes like Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This, coupled with its R&D skills and knowledge about producing industrial components, powder materials, surface technologies for post-production processing, and in-house services for component production, makes Oerlikon a perfect candidate for a new 3D printing venture.

Metal 3D printed parts from citim at the 2014 TCT Show

Through the acquisition of citim, Oerlikon now seems to be in a good position to advance with its goal of becoming an additive manufacturing service provider, andperhaps most importantlyboth companies believe they can work well together: citim and Oerlikons technology and expertise fully complement each other, said Frank Lehmann, CEO and owner of citim. As part of the Oerlikon Group, citim will be able to offer its global customer base enhanced AM technologies and competencies and a comprehensive range of services along the entire value chain.

Oerlikon CEO Dr. Roland Fischer added: The competencies and team from citim will serve to consolidate our position in the additive manufacturing business, marking the acquisition as an important move for us to drive the industrialization of additive manufacturing and to become an independent service provider for the production of additively manufactured components. We will continue to make targeted investments in the additive manufacturing market to solidify our value proposition.

With over 100 years of experience, Oerlikon currently has over 13,500 employees at more than 170 locations around the world. In comparison, citimfounded in 1996 as a spin-off of Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburghas around 120 employees. In 2004, the German 3D printing company launched its first laser sintering 3D printers, adding laser melting technology to its portfolio five years later.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Nov 30, 2016 | By Benedict

Shares in Aurora Labs, an Australian manufacturer of metal 3D printers, rose dramatically earlier today after the company announced negotiations with a major engineering company. After rising to an intraday peak of 5.39 AUD, shares closed at 3.52, marking a 0.54 (18.12%) increase.

Since a 2.8 million AUD investment allowed it to debut on the Australian Stock Exchange back in August, metal 3D printer manufacturer Aurora Labs has been drumming up a lot of interest both domestically and abroadand from huge organizations, too: around the time it became listed on the ASX, NASA declared interest in the 3D printing company. Despite NASAs reported interest, however, it seems like another business could have dramatically pushed up the companys share price today, with Aurora Labs suggesting that a major engineering and project delivery company was close to agreeing to sell and distribute its metal 3D printing technology.

With the information about the negotiations out there, shares in Aurora Labs opened trading on November 30 at a price of 3.70 AUD, after closing at 2.90 AUD the previous day. To put that rise into perspective, shares in the 3D printing company were valued at just over a dollar around the start of November, while the company listed in August at an issue price of just 20 cents. The current share price gives the Australian 3D printer manufacturer a market capitalization of about 193 million AUD.

Aurora Labs CEO David Budge

Although details are scarce of the reported business deal between 3D print specialist Aurora Labs and the unnamed engineering company, Aurora Labs said it was working on a non-binding terms sheet with the engineering company. The metal 3D printer manufacturer also said it had been in discussions with some of Australias major mining companies, suggesting that its metal 3D printers could be used to 3D print spare parts either on mining sites or at special 3D printing facilities.

At present, up-and-coming additive manufacturing company Aurora Labs has two 3D printer models: the S-Titanium (40,000 AUD) and S-Titanium Pro (43,000 AUD). The smaller S-Titanium has a build volume of 150  150  500 mm, while the larger Pro can print up to 200  200  500 mm. The Pro also has a more powerful 300 W laser, compared to the 200 W of the S-Titanium, but both metal 3D printers have an XY resolution of 50-70 m.

Aurora Labs' performance today and since its ASX debut in August (Bloomberg)

In addition to developing 3D printers, Aurora Labs also makes a range of metal powders suitable for additive manufacturing, as well as laser, lenses, mirrors, and other accessories for 3D printing.

Comparison of the S-Titanium and S-Titanium Pro 3D printers

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Nov 29, 2016 | By Tess

3D Printhuset, the worlds largest 3D printing retail store, located in Copenhagen, Denmark, has just opened an new and even bigger store. The new 3D Printhuset (which translates directly to the house of 3D Printing) spans 6,000 square feet and is located in a three-storey townhouse in downtown Copenhagen.

3D Printhuset, which started two years ago in Copenhagen with its first largest 3D printing retail store that measured an already impressive 3,000 square feet, has experienced considerable success over the past couple years. In fact, just over a year ago the startup opened a second location in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark, and acquired 3D Scandinavia Aps, a distributor of 3D Systems products.

Now, to mark even more success and growth, the Danish company has opened a brand-new location, which is double the size of the previous 3D Printhuset. The new location, which spans 6,000 square feet in total, is dedicated entirely to 3D printing technologies, showcasing the latest from such companies as 3D Systems, Artec, and XYZ Printing. Excitingly, the new 3D Printhuset will also place an emphasis on 3D printing construction technologies and systems.

The new location was officially opened on November 22 with a celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony. At the ceremony, 3D Printhuset was happy to welcome Enrico Dini, the 3D printed construction pioneer, who made a speech. Dini, who invented the D-Shape 3D printer, was one of the first to predict the impact 3D printing would have on the construction industry. As he explained, Already when I was in my 40s, I understood that 3D printing could be the way to affordably achieve beauty in architecture and construction, and since then I devoted my life to make it happen. Within the next decades I imagine that our future urban landscape will be enriched by architectural, algorithmic and topology optimized buildings, perfectly harmonized with the environment due to 3D printed constructions.

Enrico Dini

In announcing the new 3D Printhuset, director Jim Larsen had a few words to share as well: We are very pleased not only with our own expansion, but also with the fact that 3D printing is becoming a factor in more and more applications and industries. 3D printed constructions are now a reality in several places around the world. This is an area that we are going to focus on in the coming years and we are therefore very pleased that Enrico Dini is here to celebrate the opening of our new house for 3D printing; even if this is more than 200 years old and therefore for good reason is not 3D printed.

Ultimately, the goal of the ever-expanding 3D Printhuset is to share and make state-of-the-art 3D printing technologies and trends more accessible to consumers and businesses. Whereas the 3D print house previously focused its energies on promoting the technology for prototyping and visualizations, it has now shifted its focus to be aligned with the advancing additive manufacturing technologies which are better suited for end-use parts, as well as in fields such as construction.

Jim Larsen, Director of 3D Printhuset

Posted in 3D Printer Resellers

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Greg Thomas at The New Republic:

Murrays blues idiom worldview, which he described as a secular form of existential improvisation, is summed up by his phrase elegant resilience, a synonym for swinging in jazz and flow in hip hop. A definitive characteristic of the descendants of American slaves is an orientation to elegance, he writes in From the Briarpatch File,

the disposition (in the face of all of the misery and uncertainty in the universe) to refine all of human action in a direction of dance-beat elegance. I submit that there is nothing that anybody in the world has ever done that is more civilized or sophisticated than to dance elegantly, which is to state with your total physical being an affirmative attitude toward the sheer fact of existence.

Philosophers Kwame Anthony Appiah and Danielle Allen have described a worldview they call rooted cosmopolitanism, which I think describes Murray and the blues idiom to a tee. Rooted cosmopolitanism counters the insular nationalism exemplified by the conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who recently said: If you believe youre a citizen of the world, youre a citizen of nowhere. Murray, unequivocal about his local Southern roots and nationality as a black American, believed that Americans are heir to the best of culture from all times and placesa global, cosmopolitan conception. Likewise, the blues is a vernacular music rooted in the black South of the United States thats connected to Western church music harmonically as well as to music globally. The blues idiom is America at her best because it synthesizes everything in the world as a matter of course, and feed[s] it back to the world at large as a matter of course.

more here.
Dennis Lim at Bookforum:

Robert Bresson's Notes on the Cinematograph holds a special place on the small shelf of books about filmmaking by filmmakers. First published in 1975, this slender and endlessly quotable manifesto by one of the cinema's supreme masters remains, for the receptive reader, potentially seismic. As distilled and exacting as his films, Bresson's compendium of epigramsits title misleadingly translated in previous English editions as Notes on Cinematography and Notes on the Cinematographeris film theory at its most aphoristic, the cinephile's equivalent of Letters to a Young Poet, a book to be read in an afternoon and pondered for a lifetime.

In four decades, Bresson made only thirteen features, works of extraordinary lucidity and profound mystery, of absolute rigor and overwhelming emotion. Most of his characterswho include an imprisoned resistance fighter (A Man Escaped), an obscurely motivated petty thief (Pickpocket), and a suicidal young wife (A Gentle Woman)are searching for a liberation of sorts, whether or not they know it, and most of his films assume the form of a quest for the essential, for a state of grace. Bresson came to movies late, having started as a painter, and he would attempt to exercise as much control over a collaborative, industrial medium as an artist has over his canvas. His allergy to compromise meant that the films were few and far between. Reflection, whether by inclination or necessity, was part of his process. Precision of aim lays one open to hesitations, he writes in Notes, which he took several decades to complete, adding that Debussy would spend a week deciding on one chord rather than another.

more here.
Your guide to the tastiest foodie happenings going down this week. Bon appetit!









Single Thread Opens in Healdsburg

Single Thread may just be the most exciting opening of the year. The all-in-one restaurant/farm/inn is the brainchild of Chef Kyle Connaughton, whose impressive resume includes stints at The Fat Duck in England, Spago in Beverly Hills, Lucques/A.O.C. in Los Angeles, and Michel Bras TOYA in Japan. Plan ahead for this special occasion eatery: the prix-fixe, 11-course meal is a four-hour ordeal, so you may want to make a weekend out of it. Book a night at their inn or nearby Hotel Les Mars. We're predicting three Michelin Stars. // Open Tuesday-Sunday, 131 North St (Healdsburg), singlethreadfarms.com





Pressed Juicery Brings Freeze to SoMa

Juice is so hot right now, but Pressed Juicery is cooling things down with Freeze, a vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free frozen treat made from the ingredients found in Pressed juices. The froyo-like cold treat is available in four flavorsgreens, fruits, vanilla, and chocolate and has all the healthy toppings you could hope for such as chia seeds, almond butter, and cacao drizzle. Say hello to your new go-to healthy treat. // Open daily, 75 First St. (SoMa), pressedjuicery.com









Flores Opens in Marina

Restaurateur Adriano Paganini (Beretta, Lolinda, Super Duper) opened his newest project, Flores, this week. Named after his operating partner at Uno Dos Tacos, Luis Flores, the restaurant brings traditional Mexican food and contemporary cocktails to the Marina. Tortillas are made by hand and will accompany a number of dishes, including mole negro Poblano, duck confit enchiladas, and carnitas. Given Paganini's track record, this one's bound to be a hit. // Open Monday-Saturday, 2030 Union St (Marina), floressf.com









Finn Town Opens in The Castro

Ryan Scott's tavern with a twist, Finn Town, opens in the Castro this Friday. He's taking a modern approach to down home cooking, offering comforting dishes like lobster cioppino, confit duck pot pie, pan seared lamb meatloaf, and more. There are daily specials, as well as cocktails from not one but two bars in the restaurant. On the pastry side of things, Scott is collaborating with Cheryl Storms (Pinkie's, Citizen's Band, and recent Food Network champion) to handle the sweet side of things with Bear Claws and in-house breads. // Open daily, 2551 Market St (Castro), finntownsf.com





New Chef in at Chambers



Chef Yosuke Machida is now at the helm of Chambers Eat + Drink in the Tenderloin. Prior to Chambers, Machida was the Executive Chef at the Michelin-starred Ame, and has worked at Mundaka in Carmel and La Folie in San Francisco. New offerings from Machida include confit octopus with chorizo, butter beans, shiso and Castelvetrano olives, short rib with braised kale and napa cabbage, and a duck breast with confit leg, spied couscous, cauliflower, and a pomegranate sauce. // Open Tuesday-Sunday, 601 Eddy St. (Tenderloin), chambers-sf.com









Holiday Brunch Market at The Progress

The Progress is hosting a special holiday pop-up this Sunday. The second annual holiday market showcases chefs as well as co-owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski's favorite artisans. Look out for ceramicists MM Clay and Jessica Niello, art from Leah Martha Rosenberg, flowers from The Petaler, coffee from Pinhole Coffee, and more. Sounds like the perfect way to stock up on holiday gifts this seasondon't miss it. // Sunday, December 4, 11am-2:45pm, 1525 Fillmore St (Fillmore), Event page here.




Veterans of intergenerational volunteer efforts cautioned, however, that the movement faces some uphill battles. John Gomperts, head of America's Promise Alliance, another nonprofit that promotes civic activism on behalf of youth, asked during one of the workshops: "If these programs are such an awesome idea  and they are  how come we don't have even more of them?"

One obstacle is the ageist stereotype that older adults have little to contribute. In her address to the conference, AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins called on the 10,000 boomers who will turn 65 every day between now and 2030 to demonstrate with their social activism that "aging isn't a problem, any more than living is."

Other conference-goers noted that there can be institutional hurdles to overcome. Not all youth-serving organizations have easy on-ramps for volunteers. Some will have to institute costly background checks. Others may be wary of allowing volunteers to parachute into lives of vulnerable children, many of whom already experience a lot of churn at home and in school.

Then there's the matter of volunteerism trends. The national rate has been ticking down for a decade, from a modern high of 28.8 percent of all adults in 2005 to 24.9 percent in 2015, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The falloff has occurred among all age groups. A 2014 AARP survey found a similar trend, which it attributed to a drop in affiliation with religious and service organizations, traditional mainstays of do-gooder activity.

Along with a decline in volunteering, there's been a scaleback in public investments that favor the young. An ancient proverb says a society becomes great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in. For most of our history, America has been a nation of planters. Lately, not so much. Public investments that promote economic opportunity for future generations  in education, infrastructure, basic research  have been declining as a share of the federal budget.
IndexBox has just published a new report World: Lead  Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2020.

This report has been designed to provide a detailed analysis of the global lead market. It covers the most recent data sets of quantitative medium-term projections, as well as developments in production, trade, consumption and prices.

The global lead trade amounted to 5581 million USD in 2015, fluctuating consistently over the period under review. Exports were on a decline in 2008 and 2009, recovering briefly in 2010 and 2011. 2012 saw another dip, until exports reversed the trend in 2013 and 2014, showing very modest growth. Finally, exports ended 2015 with a 9% decline from the value of 2014. Overall, there was an annual decrease of -0.3% from 2007 to 2015.

According to IndexBox estimates, Australia continued to dominate in the global supplies of lead. In 2015, Australias lead exports totaled 777 million USD, which accounted for a 14% share of global exports. Canada, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and Germany were the other key global suppliers of lead in 2015, with a 31% combined share of global exports.

The Republic of Korea (+22.7% per year) and the UK (+3.0% per year) were the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2015. The Republic of Korea significantly strengthened its position in terms of global lead exports, growing its share from 2% in 2007 to 9% in 2015.

The USA (19%, based on value terms), the UK (9%), India (7%), the Republic of Korea (6%), and Germany (5%) were the leading destinations of lead imports in 2015. Imports to the USA grew at a rapid pace of +7.2% per year from 2007 to 2015. By contrast, Germany contracted its imports of lead over the same period. The USAs share of global imports increased significantly (+9 percentage points), while the balance of major importers each maintained a relatively stable share size.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION

1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1 KEY FINDINGS

2.2 MARKET TRENDS

3. MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE

3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY

3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY

3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 2020

4. PRODUCTION

4.1 PRODUCTION IN 2007-2015

4.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY

5. IMPORTS

5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-2015

5.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY

5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY

6. EXPORTS

6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-2015

6.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY

6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY

7. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

3 easy ways to order

Follow the link below to review a free sample or to buy the report: http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-lead-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

Call us +44 20 3239 3063 to discuss your information needs and for special discounts on multi-report orders

Email your order to info@indexbox.co.uk

Price: 1490 EUR for Single License

Source: http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-lead-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

Media Contact

Company Name: IndexBox Marketing

Contact Person: Inna Ivonina

Email: info@indexbox.co.uk

Phone: +44 20 3239 3063

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Website: www.indexbox.co.uk
Lekki Lagos, February 1st 2019. Rilla Web Hosting, one of the top players in domain registration and web hosting has announces its full ...
Automobile manufacturer Tesla Motors is dropping the use of some non-GAAP financial measures in its earnings releases after receiving several letters from the Securities and Exchange Commission criticizing the practice.

The SEC chided the Palo Alto, California-based electric car maker for employing individually tailored metrics in an earnings release this past August and has raised the issue with the company in four separate letters between mid-September and mid-October, according to The Wall Street Journal. In October, Tesla announced it would stop using non-GAAP measures in its releases.

Tesla defended its actions. "Tesla responded promptly to the SECs May guidance," said a Tesla spokesperson in a statement emailed to Accounting Today. "When Tesla announced its Q2 earnings, it stated that it was evaluating the SECs guidance and was determining whether any changes should be made. When the SEC then asked Tesla about this as part of its review of the SolarCity acquisition, Tesla told the SEC that it had decided to make changes. These changes were reflected in its Q3 earnings, which was just one quarter after the SEC provided its new guidance."

The SEC has been prodding companies to highlight the GAAP numbers in their earnings releases and not to feature non-GAAP measures as prominently. Since the SEC released guidance on the use of non-GAAP measures in May, over 25 percent of S&P 500 companies have begun to put the GAAP figures at the head of their earnings releases. The SEC has also doubled the percentage of comment letters criticizing companies for using non-GAAP measures since last year from 14 to 28 percent, according to the research firm Audit Analytics.
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In July 2011, in response to growing public concern over employment-related identity theft, the Treasury General for Tax Administration announced that the Internal Revenue Service could do more to assist taxpayers by informing them if fraudulent income was being reported under their social security numbers.

This commonly occurs when an SSN is misused by an individual to obtain employment. TIGTA wanted the IRS to identify and flag tax returns that had an SSN on third-party documents, but the tax return was being filed with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number as its tax identifier. Once the return was flagged with this ITIN/SSN mismatch, the SSN owner would be notified their number had been used on someone elses return. During tax years 2009-2013, the IRS ITIN program found that an average of 24 million annual individual tax returns contained discrepancies in the form of an ITIN/SSN mismatch.

In August 2016, TIGTA published a report highlighting that the IRS had not established an effective process to send the required notice to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to alert it of earnings not associated with these victims of identity theft. The TIGTA commentary provides a timely reminder of how current U.S tax policy may have adverse consequences for certain taxpayers, since the IRS allows a tax return to be electronically filed even when it includes an ITIN that fails to match the corresponding SSNs on third party W-2s.

This policy potentially conflicts with a tax preparers professional responsibility to adopt a sufficient level of due diligence, as prescribed by Circular 230, so it is important to ascertain how professionals are currently dealing with this ethical and professional dilemma. In order to explore this issue, the researchers at Metropolitan State University of Denver recently surveyed accounting professionals, paid tax preparers, and volunteers in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, about their views on mismatched tax verification documents, and whether clients should be advised to certify tax returns prepared using conflicting source information. The contacted individuals included CPAs, Enrolled Agents, accounting academics and accounting students. Approximately 2,000 accounting professionals and students were contacted, and surveys were completed by 99 and 28 CPAs and EAs, respectively.

The MSU Denver survey asked respondents whether they follow the rules within Circular 230. The survey then asked the respondents about the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of statements about whether they would prepare a tax return and allow a client to sign such a return in situations where a client provided mismatched or conflicting income verification documents. The survey used a five-point scale for classifying responses, ranging from strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, to strongly disagree. Selected results from the survey are provided in Table 1. For presentation purposes, the strongly agree and agree responses for each statement have been combined together into a single column entitled number agreeing.

Cohn, Michael

Statement 1 focused on determining whether respondents followed Circular 230 when preparing tax returns, and 100 percent of EAs agreed with this assertion. In contrast, only 64.6 percent of CPAs agreed with this statement. Of the 35.4 percent of CPAs who did not agree, 70 percent claimed to be undecided about whether they followed Circular 230, with the remainder choosing not to answer the question.

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Statement 2 explored whether respondents would prepare a tax return where a client provided mismatched or conflicting verification documents. Only 6.1 percent of CPAs agreed they would prepare a tax return in such situations. In contrast, 21.4 percent of EAs said they would complete a return using mismatched documents. Of the other responses, a total of 22 CPAs and EAs chose to not answer this question.

In terms of expected results, the researchers expected to see an inverse relationship between each respondents answers to statements 1 and 2, as a tax preparer exercising due diligence in accordance with the requirements of Circular 230 should be reluctant to prepare a return based upon conflicting verification documents. While this was clearly the case for the majority of respondents, 21.4 percent of EAs would still prepare a return under such conditions, even though 100 percent of the EAs surveyed agreed that they followed Circular 230.

Chris Kuglin

Statements 3 and 4 explored whether respondents would advise their clients to sign their tax return if it was prepared using mismatched or conflicting documents. Statement 3 posed this statement from the perspective of a paid credentialed tax preparer, and statement 4 posed it from the perspective of a volunteer tax preparer, such as a volunteer at a VITA site. The results for both statements 3 and 4 provided further evidence of a strong inverse relationship with each respondents views about statement 1, although in both scenarios, more than 30 percent of CPAs would advise their client to sign a tax return if mismatched or conflicting documents were used during its preparation. The percentage of EAs who agreed that clients should be advised to sign such returns, was relatively lower, with 21 percent and 14 percent stating that paid and volunteer preparers, respectively, would advocate client certification despite a source document mismatch.

In summary, the results of the survey raise a number of questions about the extent to which the current IRS policy on ITIN/SSN mismatches is potentially influencing the practices of CPAs and EAs, in both the paid and volunteer tax preparatory arenas. While survey data is still being collected, the data to date highlights a potential tension between the need to follow the due diligence requirements of Circular 230 against a preparers professional concern for their clients. Are clients really best served by a paid or volunteer tax preparer that allows them to sign a tax return prepared using mismatched verification documents? Clients are signing under the jurat of the 1040: "Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return and accompanying schedules and statements, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct, and complete."

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Best practice would suggest not, especially when this advice could potentially harm the client, the preparer, and those third parties whose SSNs have been misused. Clearly action is needed to tackle the ITIN/SSN mismatch issue. Despite having an ethical and professional responsibility to adopt the highest levels of due diligence, tax preparers are facing increasing pressure to prepare returns using mismatched information, the survey results suggest. As one respondent commented, Congress or the IRS should think about a better regulation to avoid such a conflict, while another stated that their chief concern was not for their client, but for those whose identity has been compromised.

Christine Kuglin, MPAcc, CFE, EA, is a professional in residence in Metropolitan State University of Denvers Department of Accounting. Dr. Andrew Holt is an accounting professor at MSU Denver. Dr. Allan Rosenbaum (deceased) was an author of many current tax laws who was honored in Washington, D.C., last year for his contributions. Anh Sylvain is on the audit staff at the accounting firm Hein & Associates and was educated at MSU Denver.


9X Media is in the news again for acquisition talks. It may be recalled that earlier this year there were talks about Sony Pictures Networks acquiring a majority stake in 9X Media, but the talks had fizzled out. It is now learnt that India TVs Rajat Sharma is in talks to acquire a majority stake in 9X Media. According to industry sources, the deal is valued at approximately Rs 200 crore.

9X Media is backed by New Silk Route. Pradeep Guha, CEO, 9X Media, has 15 per cent stake in the company, while 3.5 per cent stake is with the 9X Media Employee Trust. 9X Medias offerings include 9XM and 9X Jalwa channels, apart from music channels and Marathi and Punjabi language channels.

The now incarcerated power couple Peter and Indrani Mukerjea had set up 9X Media in 2007, which was then called INX Media. New Silk Route came into the picture as an investor in 9X Media in 2007. The Mukerjeas exited the company in 2009.

Hindi news channel India TV is owned by Independent News Service, in which Rajat Sharma and his wife Ritu Dhawan have nearly 60 per cent stake. Silicon Valley based investor Keyur Patel is also a stakeholder in Independent News Service.

Watch this space for more developments.
After the resounding success of Sujoy Ghoshs Ahalya, Jaydeep Sarkars Nayantaras necklace, Adhiraj Boses Interior Cafe , Neeraj Pandeys Ouch , Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is back again with a fifteen minute short film titled Chutney starring the extremely skilled and proficient actor Adil Hussain, the gorgeous Tisca Chopra and extremely talented Rasika Duggal.

Themed on the objective of keep perfecting, the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a platform for aspiring directors to feature along with mainstream Bollywood directors and chase their creative energy to establish themselves in the industry. The platform gives a stage to storytellers to showcase their artistic creativity and reach out to their target audience through the online world.

Commenting on the release, Raja Banerji, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, said Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is extremely happy to present Tisca Chopra and Adil Hussain starrer Chutney. The way we look at cinema today has changed completely and as an attempt to encourage and motivate the young and talented directors we present these short films to the audience. Resonating with the core philosophy of Royal Stag Barrel Select, the platform is meant to help them keep perfecting their skills and establish themselves in the market.

The woman behind Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films new release, Chutney, Jyothi Kapur Das is known for her work in movies like Bhag Milkha Bhag, Gangs of Wasseypur, Queen and Kahaani. The extremely talented Adil Hussain and the very beautiful Tisca Chopra starrer Chutney is an epic piece conceptualised behind the idea of taking a look into the lives of great Indian middle class people with aspirations and desires for imported cars and inclination towards pricey materialistic things. Using satire as a narrative, the director has tried to get a voyeuristic look into the relationships of these people and the dark secrets that they hide while casually going out their daily lives.

Talking about the film, director, Jyothi Kapur Das said, The story of Chutney is an amalgamation of different facets of lives of great Indian middle class people who show a public face to the world but have a deep dark side which no one is aware of. I approached this story with a realistic approach and the way Adil, Tisca and Rasika have played brought sentiments alive through their characters is brilliant. As a filmmaker it is very important to be able to showcase your work freely and I believe Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a great platform that lets you be as creative as possible.
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) announced this evening winners of its 2016 SMARTIES Asia Pacific (APAC) Awards, held at the Pan Pacific Singapore. Concluding the SMARTIES series for the year, the annual Gala saw a full line-up of 58 award recipients in mobile strategy as well as industry-focused categories, celebrating outstanding achievements and effectiveness across the vast mobile marketing ecosystem. Unilever Asia was crowned the prestigious Marketer of the Year in Mobile, while Mindshare Asia Pacific was recognised as Agency Network of the Year in Mobile for campaigns such as 6 Pack Band for Brooke Bond Red Label Tea in India and Lay's Smilestagram for PepsiCos Lay's in Thailand, amongst others.

Furthermore, Mindshare Thailands Knorr Auntie Reply, produced for Unilevers Knorr was presented with two Gold awards in the Lead Generation and Product/Services Launch categories. Digital Arts Networks MasterPass by MasterCard also took home two Gold awards in the Promotion and Relationship Building / CRM categories. Both campaigns also recognised as Best in Show.

It is really exciting to see that marketers are truly starting to leverage mobiles interactive capabilities to deliver real business results for brands in the region. Our industry has reached a tipping point where great strides in innovation are being taken, and technology has the ability to transform the power and impact of mobile campaign. The quality of the winning campaigns highlight the growing significance of mobile in the APAC region, and carves a promising future for the mobile marketing industry, here, shared Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director, Mobile Marketing Association, Asia Pacific.

Other regional brands recognised include Castrol India, Canon Singapore, Disney  Pixar, Hindustan Unilevers Active Wheel, L'Oreal, Nike and Singapore Airlines. A full list of winners in available in Appendix 1, along with the press release as attached. Hi-res photos of the Industry Awards top winners are also available for download on https://bit.ly/2fsF3yj.
WOLLERAU, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Switzerland-based digital payment software company SecurionPay has announced the release of their latest technology, "Cross-Sales": a way for online businesses to significantly boost their sales by engaging with customers immediately after the checkout process and offering products or services directly related to the shopper's initial purchase.

If a business happens to sell laptops, for example, they might offer anti-virus protection, or a smartphone vendor might encourage accessory add-ons like protective cases or headphones.

The company's signature software enables businesses to quickly and easily implement card payment services on their websites and mobile apps. Now, SecurionPay is setting their sights on becoming Europe's answer to Stripe -- the San Francisco-headquartered software platform currently processing billions of dollars per year for thousands of businesses, including Kickstarter and Salesforce.

SecurionPay is following in Stripe's footsteps, setting out to revolutionize the European online payments market by helping merchants registered across the region boost conversions, improve their site's user experience, decrease shopping cart abandonments, and create all around win-win relationships between businesses and consumers.

"If you're operating in the online retail space in the twenty-first century, it really is a no-brainer that if you're not delivering an exceptional user experience or navigable interface, you can bet your customers will go elsewhere, and your bottom line will suffer as a result," said SecurionPay Co-Founder & CEO Lucas Jankowiak. "We designed SecurionPay as way for eCommerce and other online business players to easily provide that value while giving their team end-to-end control over the entire shopping process."

From startups to well-established enterprises, SecurionPay gives businesses the ability to process card transactions worldwide. Their checkout software accepts payments in 160 different currencies, and can automatically recognize and translate 23 different languages. By centralizing the entire transaction process right on the client's page, SecurionPay eliminates the need to redirect visitors to third party websites to complete transactions -- a common nuisance that often leads to shoppers leaving their items at the checkout counter and walking away empty-handed.

An intuitive, user-friendly drag-and-drop process makes it easy for programming novices to integrate the SecurionPay API into their payment processing platforms. More seasoned developers can customize the payment gateway and add extra features with just a few simple lines of code.

The recent addition of the company's new Cross-Sales feature presents the team with an opportunity to gain a stronger foothold in the European market by providing further value to online merchants. And it appears to be working well so far.

The company reports clients enjoying average conversion increases of around 20%. And with the ability to create offers that other SecurionPay merchant partners can push on their website, the Cross-Sales feature represents a mutually-beneficial asset for companies who offer only a limited number of products or services.

When asked about the timeliness of bringing SecurionPay to the European market, Jankowiak said, "While it will be a gradual process, it's undeniable that digital payments will eventually replace the traditional methods we're all accustomed to. We want to make sure you're not only doing it right, but doing it really well. Because when you are, not only will your customers appreciate and thank you for it, but your business will flourish."

The SecurionPay team is inviting those interested in learning more about how they can improve their website's user experience and increase their conversion rate to visit their website.

For more information about this story, contact:

Adam Wesolowski, CMO

SecurionPay

adam@securionpay.com

+48 509 853 108

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/europes-best-kept-digital-payments-secret-just-got-better-300370387.html

SOURCE SecurionPay
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Banco Nacional de Costa Rica's (BNCR) Long- and Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at 'BB+' and 'B', respectively. Fitch has also affirmed BNCR's Viability Rating (VR) at 'bb+' and its National scale ratings at 'AA+(cri)' and 'F1+(cri)'.

The Negative Outlook on the Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency ratings is aligned to the sovereign Rating Outlook. A full list of rating actions follows at the end of this release.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

IDRS, SENIOR DEBT AND NATIONAL SCALE RATINGS

BNCR's IDRs, senior debt ratings, and National ratings are aligned with those of the sovereign, reflecting Fitch's assessment of the ability and propensity of support from the Costa Rican government ('BB+'/Outlook Negative) if needed. Support ability is limited by the sovereign rating while the propensity for support relies on BNCR's explicit guarantee stated in the National Banking System Law which says that all state-owned banks have the guarantee and full collaboration of the state.

VR

The operating environment limits BNCR's VR given the big influence it exerts on its performance. Fitch considers that the bank's VR is highly sensitive to the Costa Rican economic environment and sovereign rating.

The bank's VR of 'bb+' reflects its leading franchise with a local market share of customer deposits and loan portfolios above 20%. The bank's adequate financial performance benefitted from its manageable asset quality, recurrent income and controlled funding cost, which in turn, supports its capitalization metrics.

The bank's asset quality is moderate, impairment ratios are slightly higher compared to the banking system as a whole but reasonable given its state-owned nature and dominant market position. The bank's reserves remain below those of its domestic and international peers, despite the new regulation on loan-loss provisions. Exposure to FX risk is close to the system average, and loan portfolio diversification is moderate.

BNCR has an ample and stable deposit base which benefits from its solid franchise and sovereign support. The bank has proven access to local and foreign markets, complementing its funding profile by subordinated debt and long-term international issuances which also contribute to reducing mismatches in foreign currency.

The bank's profitability ratios are modest and often lower than those of its closest competitors in the country. Operating profitability, measured as operating profit/risk-weighted assets (RWAs) grew by 2.2% at September 2016 (2013-2015 average: 1.5%). Despite the recent improvement, Fitch believes profitability will likely continue lagging as compared to its closest peers given its public profile, and future earnings may be challenged by the operating environment.

Fitch believes that BNCR has a sound capital base, although pressured by sustained loan growth that usually exceeds its internal capital generation and, along with lower loan loss reserves, may restrict the bank's loss absorption capacity in the event of stress. Its Fitch Core Capital ratio averaged 12.8% in recent years.

The bank has local senior unsecured certificates, which were also affirmed to the same level as its international and National scale rating given Fitch's assessment that the likelihood of default of any given senior unsecured obligation is the same as the likelihood of default of the bank.

SR and SRF

BNCR's Support Rating (SR) of '3' reflects Fitch's opinion that there is a moderate probability of support from the state. In addition, the bank has a clear policy role and the explicit support of the state. Support probability is limited by the sovereign rating. The bank's Support Rating Floor (SRF) is equalized to the sovereign rating, given the explicit guarantee from the government to the bank, and its systemic importance.

RATING SENSITIVITIES

IDRS, NATIONAL RATINGS, SENIOR DEBT, SR AND SRF

Changes in Costa Rica's sovereign rating may trigger similar changes in BNCR's IDRs, VR, SR, SRF, and senior debt ratings. Alternatively, a material weakening of the bank's fundamentals could result in a downgrade of its VR, although this is not Fitch's baseline scenario.

National ratings are less likely to be affected should Costa Rica's IDRs be downgraded as it would not alter relativities with local peers, and therefore have a Stable Outlook.

Fitch has affirmed the following ratings:

Banco Nacional de Costa Rica:

--Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency IDRs at 'BB+', Outlook Negative;

--Short-Term Foreign And Local Currency IDRs at 'B';

--Long-term senior unsecured bonds at 'BB+';

--Viability Rating at 'bb+';

--Support Rating at '3';

--Support Rating Floor at 'BB+';

--National scale long-term rating at 'AA+(cri)', Outlook Stable;

--National scale short-term rating at 'F1+(cri)';

--National scale long-term rating for local senior unsecured debt issues at 'AA+(cri)'.

Also, Fitch has assigned the following national ratings:

--Programa de Emisiones de Bonos Estandarizados (Mediano Plazo) en Dolares at 'AA+(cri)';

--Programa de Emisiones de Bonos Estandarizados (Mediano Plazo) en Colones at 'AA+(cri)'.

Adjustment to Financial Statements: Pre-paid expenses and other deferred assets were re-classified as intangibles and deducted from Fitch Core Capital. Fitch has made adjustments to the Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) following its criteria and the agency consolidated the bank's RWAs with those of its main subsidiaries.

Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com

Applicable Criteria

Global Bank Rating Criteria (pub. 25 Nov 2016)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/891051

Metodologia de Calificaciones Nacionales (pub. 13 Dec 2013)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/727099

Additional Disclosures

Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1015590

Solicitation Status

https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1015590

Endorsement Policy

https://www.fitchratings.com/regulatory

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The global fighter aircraft market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period, according to Technavios latest report.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005094/en/

Technavio publishes a new market research report on the global fighter aircraft market from 2016-2020. (Photo: Business Wire)

In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global fighter aircraft market for 2016-2020. Fifth generation fighter aircrafts (FGFAs) are currently the most advanced fighter aircrafts in the market. Major FGFA initiatives are F-35 Lightening II by the US, the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (MPF) program by India in collaboration with Russia, and Shenyang J-31 by China.

Increased emphasis on airborne safety and a need for greater airborne dominance are the key driving features of this market. With growing number of extremist threats and attacks, countries are spending more in state-of-the-art equipment to be better prepared. The incorporation of advanced air-to-air missiles in fighter jets is quickly gaining demand as they make the aircraft more powerful and lethal.

Technavios research study segments the global fighter aircraft market into the following regions:

EMEA

APAC

Americas

EMEA: largest fighter aircraft market

The current political situation in Europe is charged and violence is just contained. Countries like Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, and Ukraine are experiencing economic and political crisis, there is violence in the Middle East, and North African countries are experiencing internal power struggles. Also, there is escalating risk of internal insurgency due to immigration from Syria and Lebanon.

To have greater control over these situations and to improve the combat readiness in times of crisis, the European countries have developed and procured several fighter aircrafts. This also ensures efficient action during emergency situations, attacks, and turbulent or unrest circumstances. With a greater number of anti-extremist missions being initiated, the demand for such aircraft is likely to surge, says Moutushi Saha, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for defense research.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=54686

Technavios sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

APAC

The political situation in APAC, while better than the one in EMEA, is still strained. Asian countries are prone to territorial disputes and insurgent threats. To support the combat readiness of the armed forces, and with the changing nature of urban and conventional warfare, some of the countries in APAC such as Australia, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, and Taiwan are developing and procuring fighter aircraft for their air forces.

The regions two major powers, India and China, have initiated the planning and development of fifth- and sixth-generation fighter aircraft programs, such as the Tejas, Chengdu J-20, and the Shenyang J-31. With the recent purchase of 36 Rafale fighter planes from Russia, the Indian Air Force will become highly formidable. Other countries in the region such as Japan, Australia, and South Korea have agreed to purchase advanced F-35 Lightning II fighter planes as well, says Moutushi.

Americas

North America leads the global fighter aircraft market in terms of expenditure and technological advancements, and generates a very high demand for these planes. The market is primarily dominated by the US, although Brazil and Canada made some investments in the development of these aircrafts.

The US is clearly the largest spender in military aerospace globally. They are investing heavily on F-35s, which will quickly drive market growth. Along with the development of the F-35, the US is currently exporting the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter planes to the foreign markets. Although South America is a market with highest potential for commercial aviation, the market for fighter aircraft in the region is witnessing a dip. On the other hand, Colombia and Peru aim to procure new fighter squadrons, whereas Brazil is focusing primarily on the procurement of Gripen fighter planes.

The top vendors in the global fighter aircraft market highlighted in the report are:

Airbus Defense and Space

BAE Systems

Boeing

Lockheed Martin

Saab

Browse Related Reports:

Global Aircraft Ejection Seats Market 2016-2020

Global Aircraft Carriers Market 2016-2020

Global Military Aircraft Hangars Market 2016-2020

Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but cant find what youre looking for? Dont worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005094/en/

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A busbar is a bar or metallic strip of copper, aluminum, cast iron or brass that conducts electricity within switchgear, substation and distribution board. In Qatar, the per capita electricity consumption stands at around 15,471 kWh, which is about 3 times more than the global average, and thus indicating extensive consumption of electricity in the country. Major factors behind high per capita consumption of electricity include growing demand for electric appliances, especially air conditioners, due to hot climatic conditions; and increasing water desalination projects owing to lack of potable water in Qatar. Backed by high and continuously growing per capita electricity consumption, demand for busbars is anticipated to grow at a robust pace over the next five years. Moreover, Qatar is developing its refinery and petrochemical processing infrastructure in order to promulgate industrial diversification, which calls for the development of electrical infrastructure, including building new power plants and transmission and distribution network, consequently boosting demand for busbars in the country.



According to "Qatar Busbar Market By Type, By End User, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011  2021", the market for busbar in Qatar is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 12% during 2016-2021. On the basis of type, the market has been segmented into three categories, namely, low (up to 125 A), medium (126 A to 800 A) & high (above 801 A). Among these categories, low power busbar segment dominated the Qatar busbar market share in 2015. In comparison to medium and high power busbars, low power busbars are cheaper, and majority of their consumers are residential and commercial users. As a result, the segment is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the next five years as well. However, in terms of growth, medium power busbar segment is anticipated to outpace the low power busbar segment during forecast period. "Qatar Busbar Market By Type, By End User, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011  2021" discusses the following aspects of Qatar busbar market:



- Qatar Busbar Market Size, Share & Forecast

- Segmental Analysis  By Type (Low (up to 125 A), Medium (126 A to 800 A) & High (above 801 A)), By End User (Utilities, Industrial, Residential & Other)

- Policy & Regulatory Landscape

- Changing Market Trends and Emerging Opportunities

- Competitive Landscape and Strategic Recommendations



Why You Should Buy This Report?



- To gain an in-depth understanding of Qatar busbar market

- To identify the on-going trends and segment wise anticipated growth in the coming years

- To help busbar manufacturers, assemblers and distributors and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies

- To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material

- To gain competitive knowledge of leading players

- To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get the research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs



Report Methodology



The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary research. Primary research included interaction with busbar manufacturers, assemblers and distributors in the country. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04049464-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





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SOURCE Reportlinker
LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing will host nearly 150 attendees from at least 12 U.S. states at a regional dealer forum event scheduled for December 4th and 5th in Ontario, California. The Nebraska-based technology company will host equipment and parts dealers, manufacturers, rental and leasing companies, auctioneers, and other professionals from the construction, agriculture, heavy machinery, transportation, and aviation industries as part of a series of regional forums set to take place in 2017.

Sandhills forums present attendees with opportunities to gain industry insights, grow professional relationships, and leverage their partnerships with Sandhills to improve internal efficiencies through results-oriented, cost-effective business tools. The upcoming forum combines open workshops, roundtable discussions, forum-style seminars, and one-on-one sessions to address a range of topics.

"In addition to seminars and roundtable discussions, our forum events provide a venue for one-on-one collaboration with our industry experts," explains Sandhills' Department Manager Michelle Ober. For example, the Ontario forum will include a focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). "Consultations with our web marketing team provide dealers with the information they need to make strategic decisions that lead to higher returns from their online marketing," adds Ober.

Sandhills will also present a number of recently launched products, including NeedWorkToday.com and NeedADriverNow.com, which connect employers and individuals seeking industry-specific employment opportunities; Pre-AuctionTime, a new timed wholesale avenue available to sellers; and more. Sandhills will also make exclusive announcements about product updates and upcoming rollouts.

Dates and locations for 2017 regional forums are set: Sandhills will host forums February 27th and 28th in Dallas, Texas; April 25th and 26th in Roanoke, Virginia; June 12th and 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah; October 16th and 17th in Orlando, Florida; and December 4th and 5th in Phoenix, Arizona. Sandhills will also host its annual three-day Global Forum at the company's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska August 8th, 9th, and 10th. "These regional forums allow us to reach customers all over the country more conveniently, and more frequently," adds Ober, "So they can reap the benefits that our annual Global Forum has delivered for over two decades."

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services are aimed at gathering, processing, and distributing information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud.

Contact: Sandhills Publishing, 402-479-2181



Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150316/182003LOGO



To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandhills-publishing-to-host-regional-dealer-forum-in-ontario-california-300370005.html

SOURCE Sandhills Publishing
Citizen Airmen devoted to canine training, airport security

Passengers waiting in line for security at the Honolulu International Airport came in contact with a passenger screening dog, equipped with a harness that says DO NOT PET who walked vigilantly amongst the line of people.



The canine known as Zip, a German short-haired pointer, is being tested to see if he can pinpoint the decoy, or volunteer, who is carrying simulated explosive material through the security line. If Zip successfully identifies the decoy in various training scenarios, he will gain employment on the elite Transportation Security Administration Explosive Detection Canine team.



Within a matter of minutes Zip provided his handler with the correct alert, his eyes glued to the suspected passenger.



When a dog finds a very sensitive item that could put the public in harms way its rewarding, said Tara Corse, Regional K-9 training instructor for the TSA.



The canines must pass rigorous, real-world scenarios coordinated by Corse, who also serves as an Aerial Transportation Specialist with the 48th Aerial Port Squadron a Reserve unit based out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.



Corse credits her Air Force career for giving her the insight to provide realistic training scenarios for the canines.



When I transferred from Active Duty to the Reserves, I knew I was going to work at the airport as a K-9 instructor, said Corse. So I picked out the aerial port squadron specifically because it would help me in gaining knowledge of the airport environment and all of the inner workings.



The 48th APS provides expertise in all areas of air terminal operations to include aircraft loading, cargo processing and inspecting passenger services worldwide in support of contingency operations, disaster and humanitarian relief.



My TSA job and Reserve career correlates and intermingles wonderfully, said Corse. I am also able to rely on volunteers from the Air Force Reserve to help us train the canines. We need new people each time we do a different scenario. If we used the same person, the dog will associate that persons smell with the sensitive material. Changing the decoys challenges the dogs to ensure they are effective at their job.



The TSA is selective when it comes choosing volunteers.



We have a small pool of personnel we are allowed to use due to the sensitive items we are placing on the decoys, said Corse. We would not be as successful today without the assistance of the Air Force and the Air Force Reserve.



Master Sgt. Marilyn Kinoshita, member of the 624th Regional Support Group, volunteers as a decoy and encourages her team to participate.



I volunteer because as an Airman, it is our duty and responsibility to safeguard and protect the people of the United States, said Kinoshita. The TSA is also a partner in this critical mission as they are the forefront of airport security and the first line of defense in air travel. Teaming up with TSA not only assists in recognizing gaps in their practices, but the outcome of our efforts contribute to corrective action plans that make air travel safe.



The volunteers are able to get a first-hand look at how the TSA operates.



They get to see why the TSA has all of the security requirements and restrictions, said Corse. The public doesnt see all the layers of security and how difficult it is find certain things. The volunteers are able to see the actual capability of the canines and how well it helps in the entire process of screening passengers.



The passengers are also able to witness the talent of the detection dogs since the security line is real-world, not staged.



The traveling public is reassured even though its a test and not a real threat, said Corse. It gives the travelers piece of mind that these dogs are capable of finding even the smallest amount of explosive material on a person.



After Kinoshita experienced Zip identifying her as the decoy as fast as he did, she believes the explosive detection canines enhance airport security.



Either in the combat zones of Iraq, Afghanistan, or in the airports of America, these security professionals are on duty and trained to deter crisis, said Kinoshita. As a passenger, these dogs make me feel safe. As an Air Force warrior, it is good to know that these canine teams are professional, well-trained and on duty to support our war on terrorism.
-- On this look around the Air Force the commander of Air Combat Command visits deployed Airmen, the Berlin Airlift Memorial is reopened, and a specialized stretcher for traumatic brain and spinal injury patients is being tested. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Jasmine Vanderheyden.For previous episodes, click here Related links:
All India Bank officers Confederation (AIBOC) has requested the government to appoint Officer Nominee Directors on the boards of various public sector banks urgently so that the board can discharge its duties efficiently.

The matter being of utmost importance for the effective governance of the bank boards and to meet the requirement of Banking Regulation Act had been included in our strike calls dated December 11 and in subsequent strike calls, AIBOC General Secretary Harvinder Singh said.

If more than a month is taken in getting the status of the issue, then that is not expected from the government, he said in a statement.

Expressing surprise on the inordinate delay in appointment, he said that instead of resolving the issue, which is related to governance of the banks, only status is being updated.

He wondered if the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) could take over a year for obtaining the approval of Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
Employees whose salaries have been credited are worried when they will be able to withdraw their money as queues outside banks are expected to increase once again.

The people whose salary has been credited in their bank accounts are likely to face a torrid time to withdraw their money from banks as there is shortage of cash after Modi governments flawed demonetisation drive. The first day of every month brings a smile on everybodys faces when they receive their pay cheques but this time people are anxious about when they will receive cash in hand. The queue outside banks is expected to increase after the disbursal of salaries to government, private sector employees. Even people working in the unorganised sector like maids, delivery boys, construction labours will face hardships as their employers are finding it difficult to pay them due to cash crunch problem. Ever since the government had scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes cash flow has been disrupted in the market as people are hoarding smaller denomination notes of Rs 50 and Rs 100.

Even though some of the ATMs were dispensing cash some other were shut due to shortage of cash. While many others are yet to recalibrated and it may take some time for situation to improve. Some of the ATMs have been refilled only once after the demonetisation drive was announced. While notes of Rs 100 and Rs 500 are not available in many ATMs and they are dispensing Rs 2,000 note. People are finding it difficult to avail change for Rs 2,000. While some banks have already pasted notice informing customers that only Rs 2,000 note is available for withdrawal which is adding to the woes of the people. The liquidity crunch is not going to ease anytime soon. RBI has informed banks that it is monitoring the situation closely and assured them that crisis will be resolved soon.

Most private companies in India credit salaries to their employees on the last day of a month even as labour laws allow wages to be disbursed on any day before the 10th of the next month.

Sushil Singh an accountant from Borivali said. Even though my salary has been credited but I have to stand in long queue to withdraw my own money. The government should have performed some ground work before taking such decision which is causing huge inconvenience to people.

Arvind Singh a marketing executive from Kandivali said, The government has asked citizens to go cashless but it wont happen overnight. They should have undertaken the demonetisation drive by establishing the necessary infrastructure in place for avoiding hardships caused to people. They should have first connected villages with broadband so that people dont face issues while performing online transactions.

Everything has come to a standstill. Worse, many online payments systems are jammed due to the sudden heavy traffic and payments are pending, fumed a pharmaceutical consultant P. Venkataraman from Kandivali,.

After demonetisation of high denomination currency notes 86 per cent currency has gone out of circulation and adequate alternative arrangements have not been made to replace them with lower denomination currencies. Several banks ran out of cash as some of them even complained that they were getting cash much below their required quota.

On the other hand, some organisations have opted for alternative mode to enable employees to overcome the cash shortage crisis. A manufacturing firm has partnered with four provision stores and will distribute tokens worth Rs 1,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 to its employees. Employees can redeem these coupons at these stores and the amount will be deducted from their bank account.
Telecom regulator Trai said demonetisation has accelerated digital transactions in the country, but expressed concern over India trailing nations like Singapore and Malaysia at the level of broadband connectivity, a key component of digital infrastructure.

There is one area where we need to do a lot of work and that area is broadband connectivity, Trai Chairman, RS Sharma said.

He said at an event on eGovernance and Digital Indiaorganised by Assocham that as per a white-paper, broadband penetration in India was 7 per cent based on certain parametres.

On the other hand, it had pegged Thailands broadband reach at 36 per cent, Singapores at 98 and that of Malaysia at around 35-36 per cent, he said.

India was, in fact, ranked behind Sri Lanka and Vietnam in broadband penetration, he added.

This is really a matter of concernWe are not in a great shape as far as broadband penetration is concerned Digital India will have to ride on this infrastructure and if we dont have robust and reliable infrastructure, we are not going to achieve the objective of digital India, of having a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, Sharma said making a strong case for using cable TV for broadband delivery.

Broadband through cable TV  beaming into millions of Indian homes  would only require tweaking of the policy and Trai has already given its recommendation to the government in this regard.

Our ranking will zoom up. There are millions of cable TV homes and by 31 December all these will be digitised. That can be leveraged. In many of developed countries like US and in Europe nearly 50-60 per cent of robust broadband is coming from digital cable TV. We need to do that, he said.

Highlighting the role that Bharat Net project will play in strengthening the digital infrastructure, he said industry, government and the regulator will have to work together in taking India higher than its ranking of 131-132 among 155 nations in ICT penetration.

On demonetisation being a catalyst for digitisation, Sharma said: Certainly, in the last two weeks or so there has been an acceleration digital transactions.

Cashless society or, in the short term less-cash society, is the aim of digital India, he said, adding that this is accelerating already.

Both Trai and Telecom Department called for making the mobile short code or USSD facility  used to avail banking services on feature phones  more simple and user-friendly.

We need to work on push USSD, where the burden of pressing keys and pulling codes should move from the payer to merchant, Telecom Secretary JS Deepak said.
Jailbreak incident is becoming highly dangerous proposition as more cases are being reported from north Indian states. After the MP jail break, another incident in Patiala, Punjab is one more case of negligence by the jail authorities in helping the inmates escape during odd hours or weekends. Such silly mistakes cost the country heavily after capturing the hardcore terrorists after a long search operation. At least in MP jail escape the culprits were caught in a swift operation. In the Patiala incident, the Khalistani terrorists may have escaped to Pakistan and this may cause more tension in the border areas in future. Jail jinx is causing security risks and the safety at the borders is challenged by such serious lapses.



(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Cab aggregator Ola announced that it has joined hands with leading banks and oil and gas companies to help driver-partners fight cash crunch post demonetisation of high value currency notes.

In Bengaluru, Ola has partnered with BPCL to facilitate the process of obtaining fuel e-vouchers across all BPCL petrol pumps in the city, Ola said.

Thousands of driver partners have already availed this feature and used these fuel e-vouchers issued by Ola to fill-up petrol/diesel in a cashless manner.

The activity kickstarted this weekend and will continue till end of December and will also be implemented in other key cities, it said.

Apart from making fuel e-vouchers available for driver-partners, Ola has partnered with Axis Bank to put up mobile ATMs in its office to support driver-partners with accessible cash withdrawals, it said.

In addition to this, Ola had also tied-up with ICICI bank to facilitate cash conversion for the driver-partners in the past weeks until exchange was permitted.

Bank representatives put up kiosks at Ola office and helped driver-partners in exchanging demonetised currency into accepted denominations.

Vice President, Operations at Ola, Karanveer Singh Shekhawat said, aligned with governments Digital India mission, Ola has been working towards helping hundreds of driver partners across the country get access to digital financial benefits like bank accounts, payment cards, online transfer of earnings on a daily basis.

Ola also rolled out a number of similar initiatives for the public across the country, it added.

In Kolkata, the company has partnered with Punjab National Bank (PNB) to put up mobile ATMs in its cabs to support citizens by reducing the effort of going to a bank.

Ola has also rolled out a similar activity for citizens in Hyderabad, in partnership with the State Bank of India and Andhra Bank.

Similar initiatives will be flagged off in other key cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad in the coming weeks, the statement added.
The BSF on Wednesday said that the terrorists who had infiltrated in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border on Tuesday entered through a small tunnel in the border area.

In the wake of recent Samba attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which three terrorists were killed, Border Security Force (BSF) Director General KK Sharma on Wednesday said that they had anticipated that only a tunnel can be used to infiltrate the Indian side, and had deployed nakas (underground check posts) in depth, through which their team spotted the militants and neutralised them.

We spotted a tunnel in Chambliyal  samba area this morning which might have been used for infiltration, said BSF DG KK Sharma.

Blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation.

A part of Bangladesh border is unfenced including water bodies. It is not humanly possible for me to put manpower in such areas, said KK Sharma.

This is the fourth tunnel detected by security forces in the Ramgarh sector.

The tunnel is close to 80 metres long. We will take up this matter with the Pakistan Rangers, said Sharma.

According to sources, the BSF troops had noticed a suspicious movement along the international border around midnight.

Pakistan Rangers reportedly began unprovoked firing on the Indian side to give cover to the infiltrators.

Earlier, two tunnels were detected along the Line of Control at Aknoor sector. One tunnel was detected in Samba, one at RS Pura sector.

Large quantities of arms and ammunition was recovered from the slain terrorists in the Samba sector.

Three AK-47 rifles, a pistol, 20 magazines, 514 AK rounds, a pistol magazine, 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, 2 knives, 2 dressing rolls, 2 jackets, 3 bags, one head gear, one lighter, 3 gloves, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables were recovered.
American President Barack Obama who is enjoying his last days at White House as US president and the custodian of it, completing two terms and literally the world leader and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Lima, Perus capital for around four minutes on November 20 at the APEC summit in what is likely to be their last in-person meeting before Obama leaves office. The two leaders met at the start of the summit meeting and reportedly briefly discussed about Syria and Ukraine. They exchanged pleasantries and remained standing as they spoke. President Obama later said at a news conference he told Putin that the USA is deeply concerned about bloodshed and chaos in Syria sown by constant bombing attacks by the Syrian and Russian militaries, and that a ceasefire and political transition were needed. As usual I was candid and courteous but very clear about the strong differences we have on policy, Obama said. No controversial issues discussed President Obama said he didnt discuss any controversial issues like Crimea or cyber attacks or alleged Russian meddling in the US election with Vladimir Putin in Lima, an encounter thats likely the last between two leaders divided by Ukraine, Syria, human rights and cyber warfare. As usual, it was a candid and courteous meeting but it was very clear about the strong differences we had on policy, Obama said in a news conference after a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Peru. The issue of the elections did not come up because thats behind us and I was focused in this brief discussion on moving forward. Later at a separate news conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said US President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties; he also said he would welcome President Obama in Russia. The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalize Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we would meet Putin also told a news conference in Lima after the APEC summit that Russia is ready to freeze oil output at current levels. Putin said he thanked Obama during Sundays meeting in Lima for the years of joint work. I told him that we would be happy to see him (Obama) in Russia anytime if he wants, can and has desire, Putin said. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Donald Trumps win in the Nov. 8 presidential election. During the campaign, Democrats accused Russia of interfering in a way that helped Trump, the Republican nominee. U.S. intelligence officials have tied the Russian government to the hacking and subsequent leaking of Democrats e-mails that harmed Hillary Clintons campaign. The recent US elections, Trumps victory and hacking werent discussed during the very brief meeting, Peskov said via text message. Obama repeats old demands Worlds top leaders Obama and Putin have had a challenging relationship. The US president had warned Putin last week about consequences for cyber attacks attributed to Moscow that were seen as trying to influence the US election. Obama said he also urged President Putin to help implement the Minsk peace agreement by working with France, Germany, Ukraine and the United States to halt the conflict in Donbass region of Ukraine. Syria is a major bottle neck between two counties, Obama said he conveyed US concerns about the bombing of civilians in Aleppo by the Syrian government and Russian forces, and he urged Putin to implement a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, where the Russian military is involved in the countrys civil warto see if we can get that done before my term is up, Obama said. Notwithstanding the reports of their closeness, sources say that the Trump-Putin bond that may or may not be real. Obama has opposed Putin over Russias annexation of Crimea, its backing of the Syrian government and the cyber attacks that weighed on the U.S. electoral process, though Moscow always rejected such complaints. During a press conference in Berlin on Nov. 17, Obama said Trump should continue to support U.S. policy in these areas. My hope is that the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia where our values and interests align, but that the president-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia where they are deviating from our values and international norms, he said. Seeking to prolong terror war on the Muslim counties, Obama has called on his successor Trump to stand up to Putin when Russia pursues policies that are at odds with American interests. Trump displayed an affinity for Russia and Putin during his campaign, and the Russian leader has said Trumps election is an opportunity to restore the relationship between the two world powers. Relations downhill Putins foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, blasted the Obama administration as recently as Nov. 17. The departing team has recently been doing everything it can to push our relations into a such dead-end that will be quite difficult for the new team, if it wants, to pull them out of it, Ushakov said. The brief encounter with the Russian president, conducted with the help of a translator, came as Asia-Pacific leaders gathered for a Sunday morning session. There are no plans for a second meeting, said Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Obama, who leaves office in two months, could be seen uttering the word, OK, and Putin was observed reacting with facial expressions, as journalists were permitted into the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders summit for a few minutes to take photographs. Obama also made his way around the room to greet other leaders. A summary of the brief and informal discussion, provided by the White House, said Obama restated USA and allies commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, urged Putin to uphold Russias commitments under the Minsk agreements, and said US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov must keep working with the international community to reduce violence and alleviate Syrians suffering. A bombing campaign by Syrias government has intensified in recent days. The USA has criticized Russia for backing the Syrian regime in a civil war that has killed more than 300,000 people. It was, however, unclear if Putin on his part reminded Obama that the Syrian civil war was actually originated five years ago with Washingtons encouragement and financial and material support for the rebels against the Assad government. The US had also interfered in Syrias internal affairs by organizing funds and training for the Syrian rebel army with the help of its Western and Middle East allies. In fact all started because of Washingtons initiative to change the government in Syria to install a pro-western regime as a part of its Middle East policy. Promotion of APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC in short is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Pacific region. It was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of Asia-Pacific economies and the advent of regional trade blocs in other parts of the world; to defuse fears that highly industrialized Japan would come to dominate economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region; and to establish new markets for agricultural products and raw materials beyond Europe. The first APEC Economic Leaders Meeting occurred in 1993 when US President Bill Clinton, after discussions with Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating, invited the heads of government from member economies to a summit on Blake Island. He believed it would help bring the stalled Uruguay Round of trade talks back on track. At the meeting, some leaders called for continued reduction of barriers to trade and investment, envisioning a community in the Asia-Pacific region that might promote prosperity through cooperation. The APEC Secretariat, based in Singapore, was established to coordinate the activities of the organization. In January 1989, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke called for more effective economic cooperation across the Pacific Rim region. This led to the first meeting of APEC in the Australian capital of Canberra in November, chaired by Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Gareth Evans. Attended by ministers from twelve countries, the meeting concluded with commitments for future annual meetings in Singapore and Korea. An annual APEC Economic Leaders Meeting is attended by the heads of government of all APEC members except Taiwan (which is represented by a ministerial-level official under the name Chinese Taipei as economic leader. The location of the meeting rotates annually among the member economies, and a famous tradition, followed for most, but not all, summits, involves the attending leaders dressing in a national costume of the host country. World awaits Trumps action Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) opposed the initial proposal, instead proposing the East Asia Economic Caucus that would exclude non-Asian countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This plan was opposed because of the member countries in the America Region, and strongly criticized by Japan and the United States. USA and Russia for years have conducted themselves as opposite poles fighting for military supremacy and global influence one has to see if Presidents Putin and Tramp change the rule of game in order to make the world safe and secure. The nature of simultaneously cooperative and confrontational relationship between these top world powers does confuse the world. Obama would leave presidency as incumbent president Donald Trump would assume office on January 20 and soon thereafter would announce his team and policies. World attention is focused on Trumps presidential action at White House once he assumes power. Speculations are indeed interestingly thrilling, especially for those who supported Trump candidacy to end the Democratic rule.








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Fidel Castro, South American leader and Cuba's former president, known as leader of the Cuban Communist revolution and iron man who could have caused a missile war in 1963 with USA by pushing the missile button, has died aged 90. His brother and now Cuban President Raul Castro announced that the country's most iconic leader, Fidel Castro breathed his last on Saturday. Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in a late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated on Saturday. There would now be several days of national mourning on the island.

Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul took over in 2008. His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition to uphold one party rule.

In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress. Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for some time, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana reports. He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious".

Famous for resisting the American nation at the height of its powers during the Cold War era, Fidel was synonymous with the tiny nation and almost always at the centre of a controversy. He had been battling ill-health for a while, which had forced him to retire from public office and cede power to the current incumbent, Raul Castro.

Immortalized in many film and novels, Castro was a staunch Communist and very much anti-US during the early days of his tenure at least. His habit of always smoking a Cuban cigar was aped by many around the world, and the fact that he survived multiple assassination attempts by the CIA only added to his legend.

Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro, a staunch ally of Moscow, was Washington's bete noire. An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, he and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support. Within two years of taking power, he declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied the island nation firmly to the Soviet Union. Yet, despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on the island, Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, he outlasted ten US presidents and defied scores of attempts on his life by the CIA.

Castro is survived by his wife, Dalia Soto del Valle and nine children from his two marriages.

Fidel Castro's key dates --



 1926: Born in the south-eastern Oriente Province of Cuba

 1953: Imprisoned after leading an unsuccessful rising against Batista's regime

 1955: Released from prison under an amnesty deal

 1956: With Che Guevara, begins a guerrilla war against the government

 1959: Defeats Batista, sworn in as prime minister of Cuba

 1961: Fights off CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles

 1962: Sparks Cuban missile crisis by agreeing that USSR can deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba

 1976: Elected president by Cuba's National Assembly

 1992: Reaches an agreement with US over Cuban refugees

 2008: Stands down as president of Cuba due to health issues
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2016 EPA raised ethanol and biodiesel hopes last week when it increased the amount of biofuels that must be blended with the nations gasoline for 2017.

Gene Gebolys, founder, president and CEO of World Energy, one of Americas largest suppliers of biodiesel, tells Agri-Pulse that EPAs raising the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume levels provides a clearer guidepath than we have had in years. With prospects brightening for biofuels, he expects to produce around 230 million gallons of biodiesel for 2017 while expanding production and opening new distribution channels. He predicts that with EPAs new mandates, 2017 will be the year when biodiesel blending becomes ubiquitous at the front end of the nations pipelines.

Gebolys says that although Donald Trumps election has created concern about continuing support for biofuels, whats certain is that we are a nation of laws. He says the RFS is the law of the land as it relates to transportation fuels and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Hes confident that The executive branch will administer the law and the judicial branch will continue to serve as a check and balance on the administration of it.

Despite the oil industrys continuing efforts to repeal the RFS, Gebolys says that American manufacturers of fuel, both petroleum and renewable, have begun a dialogue about working together in areas we both care about and agree on.

American refiners and American renewable fuel producers do share the fundamental value that American fuel should increasingly be made from American inputs by American workers. We both want efficient distribution of our products and we both want fair, predictable, and timely implementation of the laws impacting companies in both our industries.

Gebolys sees plenty of room for improved dialogue between the farm belt and the oil patch. But he warns, That wont happen if petroleum groups keep calling for an RFS repeal they know full well is never going to happen. He says that at least some petroleum groups are tired of paying lobbyists to wage an obviously unwinnable anti-RFS battle and are beginning instead to come together as American fuel producers to work together to put Americans to work using our own products and our own ingenuity to keep the country moving.

The message from the 2016 elections, Gebolys adds, is that its clear that voters want American tax dollars to be focused on American workers, particularly those in rural communities. Expecting further changes such as extending the biodiesel tax credit for American biodiesel producers to improve the RFS rather than repeal it, Gebolys is convinced that the biofuels industry has a bright future, well worth both public and private sector investment.

At Colorado ethanol producer Front Range Energy, Vice President Dan Sanders welcomes the new RFS levels as a signal that we will have a market for what were able to produce. He tells Agri-Pulse that an expanded market helps give producers like us more confidence for capital investments and potentially higher production and gives consumers the option to choose this great fuel in higher blends like E15 and E85 at the pump.

Sanders warns that despite the short-term certainty provided by EPAs new volume mandates, those who oppose the RFS will continue to push to limit the market for biofuels, and well definitely continue to hear debate in Congress. He says any future uncertainty about mandates could again freeze investment and would pull the rug out on the significant investments that have been made in these rural communities. He says biofuels future success is guaranteed as long as EPA administers the RFS as originally intended by Congress  and as long as President-elect Trump remains as committed to the program as he was on the campaign trail.

Jackie Anderson, global media relations manager for leading biofuels producer Archer Daniels Midland, is equally upbeat about biofuels. She tells Agri-Pulse that ADM appreciates the EPAs willingness to work with industry to reach a rule for ethanol that meets the requirements of the RFS, and does more to support American farmers, American drivers, and the environment.

Anderson hopes that along with raising the biofuels volumes, EPA will do still more to offer the certainty the industry requires to continue to grow and create good American jobs. She says that after all that has been invested to create the biofuels industry and its good American jobs, Biofuels today are helping diversify our fuel supply, reduce emissions, lower prices at the pump, and support American farmers and agriculture  and the industry is ready and eager to do more.

Matt Merritt, public relations director for POET, the nations second-largest ethanol producer, tells Agri-Pulse that with the biofuels industrys proven track record for delivering conventional corn-starch ethanol, EPAs higher volume mandate will fulfill the promise of the Renewable Fuel Standard and speed the development of cellulosic ethanol made from crop residues.

We dont expect the oil industry to let up in attacking renewable fuels, Merritt says. But hes confident EPAs support for greater use of biofuels, including higher blends from E15 to E85, will help us continue to prove that when given the option, Americans choose to use more biofuels, and the market can absorb these new levels of ethanol blending.

While POET welcomes EPAs requirement for blending 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels in 2017, Merritt points out that this is simply fulfilling the original intent of the RFS.

We are extremely optimistic about the future, Merritt adds. Mr. Trumps incoming administration was incredibly supportive of domestic biofuels and rural voters heard him loud and clear. In fact, three of every four rural voters supported the president-elect and were responsible for him winning key battleground states. Mr. Trump met with our CEO, Jeff Broin, and visited one of our plants in Iowa. During both encounters we were pleased by not only his passion for promoting biofuels to help achieve energy independence but also by his commitment to revitalizing rural America.

As shown by its own investments, POET believes that one road to revitalizing both the rural and the U.S. economy is developing cellulosic biofuels. As the chart below shows, this effort is continuing, with more production coming on line this year. There is concern that the federal government isnt doing enough to encourage greater investment in advanced biofuels. But despite challenges, investments are being made and industry leaders like POET, ADM, Front Range and World Energy are confident that these investments will continue and will deliver impressive returns.

EPAs Nov. 23 announcement raised the RFS biofuels volume for 2017 to an overall 19.28 billion gallons (bg), up from the 18.8 bg that EPA proposed in May and well above 2016s 18.11 bg. These new numbers mean that biofuels are expected to provide 10.7 percent of the nations transportation fuel supply in 2017, up from 10.1 percent this year.

The new RFS mandate includes 2 bg for biomass-based biodiesel for 2017 and 2.1 bg for 2018, up from this years 1.9 bg. EPA raised total advanced biofuels to 4.28 bg, up 670 million gallons from 2016 requirement. The largest part of the overall mandate will be filled with conventional corn-starch ethanol, at 15.0 bg for 2017. Thats 200 million gallons above EPAs May proposal, 500 million gallons above the 2016 mandate, and back up to the level set by Congress. Significantly, EPAs higher figures come despite intense lobbying by the oil industry and congressional opponents of the RFS mandate.

Reps. Bill Flores, R-Texas, Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., responded to EPAs higher mandates by charging that increasing the amount of ethanol to be forced into our nations gasoline supplies . . . will increase the costs of fuel and food for our constituents. Calling for legislation to limit rather than increase biofuels use, they said that forcing more ethanol into the market creates uncertainty for our economy, the environment and for hardworking American families.

Just days after EPA raised its biofuels requirements, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) raised an opposite concern about uncertainty. It said in a report released Nov. 28 that many experts told us that uncertainty about the future of the RFS is limiting investment in advanced biofuels. In particular, some experts stated that the possibility of a repeal of the RFS has caused potential investors to question whether the RFS will continue to exist until 2022 and beyond. According to these experts, however, in the current political climate little can be done to address the threat of a repeal of the RFS.

Do you find the information on Agri-Pulse helpful? See even more ag, rural policy and energy news when you sign up for a four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.





The GAO report concludes that it is unlikely that the goals of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)  reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the nations renewable fuels sector  will be met as envisioned because there is limited production of advanced biofuels to be blended into domestic transportation fuels and limited potential for expanded production by 2022. The report adds that according to experts GAO interviewed, the shortfall of advanced biofuels is the result of high production costs, and the investments in further research and development required to make these fuels more cost-competitive with petroleum-based fuels even in the longer run are unlikely in the current investment climate.

The GAO report sees the needed answer as federal actions to reduce uncertainty and encourage investment in advanced biofuels through measures such as maintaining a consistent tax credit for biofuels, rather than allowing it to periodically lapse and be reinstated.

Clearly there is a real threat to the biofuels blending mandate that was created when the RFS was launched in 2005 and expanded in the 2007 energy bill. Reflecting strong opposition from the American Petroleum Institute and other oil industry interests, there is a bipartisan effort in Congress to pass legislation to limit or repeal the RFS.

API Downstream Group Director Frank Macchiarola charged that EPAs decision to restore the RFS mandate to statutory levels only serves to reinforce the need for Congress to repeal or significantly reform the RFS. The bipartisan Flores-Welch RFS reform bill (H.R. 5180) with 117 co-sponsors including 11 Democrats, calls for capping the biofuels requirement at no more than 9.7 percent of U.S. gasoline demand, well below the 10.7 percent set by EPA last week and below this years 10.1 percent level.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Generally clear skies. A few sprinkles possible. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Generally clear skies. A few sprinkles possible. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A few showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
November 29, 2016

In recent years, Chechnya has been conducting a dynamic activity beyond Russias borders. Once a rebellious land, but now one of the most loyal republics to the Kremlin, it has built a number of economic and political contacts, including some of the most influential leaders in the Middle East. Its charismatic leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, positioned himself as a staunch foot soldier to Vladimir Putin willing to provide support  military and political alike  for whatever initiative the Russian president comes up with. Kadyrov has been extremely supportive of the Russian operation in Syria: He supported Chechen volunteers fighting for Assad as well as sending members of Chechen law enforcement to help guard Russian military facilities in Syria.

On Nov. 27, Kadyrov came to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also the defense minister and chairman of the Council on Economic Affairs and Development. The two discussed the issues of combating terrorism and religious extremism as well as relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia in the region. Kadyrovs visit is timely: Russia is helping the Syrian government to gain more ground, and as interested regional parties are trying to figure out the future for Syria and themselves after the US election, some  especially those who feel their position is unlikely to get any stronger under the new administration  continue to seek better relations with Moscow. From that perspective, Kadyrov might be a Kremlin messenger. Having warm personal ties with Saudi leaders, a reputation of being a strongman and ambitions of becoming a renowned Islamic authority, he is well-positioned to better convey Russias interests to the Saudis as well as to negotiate thorny issues between Moscow and Riyadh.

Recently, Kadyrov has proved helpful to Russian diplomacy in the region. In October 2016, he came into the spotlight as a top middleman for getting three Russian sailors released in Libya. Members of the Russian tanker Mechanic Chebotaryov were captured by Libyan authorities in September 2015 on accusations of oil smuggling. The process of releasing the sailors was a lengthy, diplomatic effort: Two members of the crew were released within a month after the seizure in October 2015, but it took almost a year to free the other three. The Chechen leader boasted of his role in the negotiation process on his Instagram account, saying his personal aide, Adam Delimkhanov, had been directly in touch with the chairman of the Libyan Council, chairman of the Higher State Council and head of the Libyan investigation committee throughout the process. Kadyrov also noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was personally involved in the release, while sending the Kadyrov delegation to Tripoli was coordinated with the Russian Foreign Ministry. It is remarkable that the unique contacts the Chechen leader has built are being occasionally used by Moscow in its diplomatic activity, including double-track initiatives.

Those who are more suspicious of Kadyrov see these efforts as an attempt to enlarge his own power and gain Chechnya more de facto international legitimacy. One of Russias experts on the Caucasus, who preferred to be quoted on condition of anonymity, said, To date, Kadyrov understands that the project of a successful and prosperous Chechnya can and should be implemented within the Russian Federation  no doubt he is not fostering separatist ideas. But as someone thinking about the future, he also understands that his personal contract with Putin may be reviewed at some point  not necessarily under Putin himself. Therefore, it makes sense to build relationships while there is such opportunity  just in case.

Indeed, not only is Kadyrov promoting Russian interests through his regional contacts, but he is also taking the opportunity to bring foreign investments to Chechnya. For instance, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, Kadyrov met with Majed al-Kassabi, the Saudi minister of trade and investment, and with Prince Mohammed, who is also the co-chairman of the joint Russian-Saudi State Commission. Chechnyas prime minister, Abubakr Edelgeriyev, has also long discussed with Saudi colleagues crop projects with Saudi Arabia.

Israel is becoming yet another source of investments for Chechnya. As a result of the recent trip of Chechen ministers and business people to Israel, the introduction of a large milk farm (up to 1,200 cows) has become possible in Chechnya using money from Israeli entrepreneurs. Construction of a factory producing fish food is another project under development between the two parties.

Taking into account that millions of ethnic Chechens are living all across Europe and the Middle East, Kadyrov is also trying to project an image of being a leader for all Chechens, not just as being the head of the Chechen republic. In September, he surprised many by funding construction of a mosque in the Israeli town of Abu Ghosh, populated predominantly by people who self-identify as Chechens. So the idea of reaching out to the Chechen diaspora is not alien to him either.

Finally, at the international level Kadyrov is trying to play out what is likely his strongest attribute: fighter of all things Salafi. Last week, he announced that the International Training Center for Elite Special Forces will be built in Chechnya by 2018. The planned center would be situated on 400 hectares (1.5 square miles) and have up to 40 training facilities, including shooting ranges, swimming pools and a runway. The center would focus its activity mainly on three aspects: climbing buildings, planting and using explosives, and hostage release. In announcing the center, Kadyrov said hed like to invite about 200 American private military instructors to work at the center: I dont think those American special forces that are now on active duty can teach Russians a lot of new things. Yet you cant deny that there are really cool guys in the US with great experience in covert operations in Latin America, Asia, Africa. He indicated that a number of unnamed countries are interested in sending their special forces to the center, saying, Today we cannot mention whom we have reached final agreements with. Some countries prefer not to publicize their involvement. Almost all of the former Soviet Union republics are willing to send their people. Besides, the head of the center has had contacts with the military and diplomats from Argentina, Denmark, Belgium, Canada, Norway, Pakistan, Oman, South Africa, Tanzania, the Philippines and many others. Its more concrete with the Chinese with whom weve already exchanged delegations.

The move to capitalize on Chechnya as a success story of defeated terrorism trails back to an event earlier this year when the Russian National Security Council held, in the Chechen capital city of Grozny, a seventh international meeting of high-ranking security officials. All in all, there were 300 people from 75 countries. Interested participants had an opportunity to have a tour of the site of the proposed center and talk through the details of potential cooperation.

The major question of whether activity of the Chechen leader better serves the interests of the Russian state or those of Chechnya will be keeping analysts thinking  and divided in their conclusions  for a while. However, as long as these two lines are not mutually exclusive, Moscow will most probably be using Kadyrov's potential to diversify the tools of its own engagement in the region.
November 29, 2016

On Nov. 14, Egypts Detained Youth Committee issued a list of detainees to be pardoned, but the list did not contain the names of a group of youths who are well known in the political and revolutionary scene, namely Alaa Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Douma and Ahmed Maher, founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. Their exclusion from the list did not take into account the call of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) to release them.

On Oct. 27 and as part of the recommendations of a youth conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decision to form the presidential Detained Youth Committee, under the direct supervision of the presidency and whose mission would be to conduct a thorough examination of the young people in custody.

Following Sisis announcement of the committee's formation, NCHR member Abu Saada said in a press statement Oct. 31, The NCHR has repeatedly called for releasing Douma, Abdel Fattah and Maher along with other activists who are unknown to the media, with hopes of easing the political tension and reaching political reconciliation between the forces of the June 30 Revolution  but the government is taking a strict stance against these young people.

Journalist Nashwa al-Hofy, a member of the Detained Youth Committee, raised controversy when she blogged Nov. 13 about refusing the idea of releasing Abdel Fattah, Douma and Maher, because they were sentenced on charges of assaulting police officers, soldiers and the states facilities as well as insulting the judiciary.

Consequently, George Isaac, NCHR member, criticized Hofy, stressing that explicitly stating the names of detained young men compromises the Detained Youth Committees transparency and impartiality.

For her part, Nourhanne Hifzi, Doumas wife, attacked Hofy and criticized the committee, saying its members are not well-informed about this the three activists imprisonment.

The Detained Youth Committee  headed by Osama al-Ghazaly Harb, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Free Egyptians Party  includes Hofy, lawyers Mohammed Abdel Aziz and Tarek el-Khouly  also a member of parliament  and Karim al-Saqa, a member of Sisis electoral campaign before his election as president.

Mustafa Maher, Ahmed Mahers brother, said in a Nov. 13 press statement in response to Hofy that he does not trust the Detained Youth Committee. It does not operate or judge fairly, and it is explicitly expressing hostility against certain people who were [only] accused of protesting.

It seems that the state will not propose the names of Douma, Abdel Fattah and Maher for pardon, which raises a question about the reasons why the state refuses to release them and whether it fears their presence outside of prison.

In a Nov. 16 television statement, Hofy accused Abdel Fattah of stealing a gun from an army officer during the Maspero demonstrations in 2011, wondering, How can Douma, Abdel Fattah and Maher be released when they were accused of burning state institutions?

Gamal Eid, an activist at the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, told Al-Monitor, Some state departments and other parties want to take revenge on the young people who participated in the January 25 Revolution, especially Abdel Fattah, Douma and Maher for their ability to rally the people and for their reputation in the street and among the revolutionary forces.

He added, The revolutionary forces have to continue campaigning for the release of Abdel Fattah, Douma and Maher without giving into the repression campaigns in order for the public opinion to remain concerned about the issue of releasing the activists and the rest of the detained young men.

Gen. Ashraf Amin, former assistant minister of interior, denied all news about the state refusing to release Douma, Abdel Fattah and Maher or to put certain names on the pardon list. He told Al-Monitor that the president set up a Detained Youth Committee to lay down certain rules for pardons and to study the cases of the detained young men. But the conditions required by the committee were not available in the cases of Douma, Abdel Fattah and Maher.

He added, Society rejects the principle of pardon for those accused of burning state institutions, such as Douma, who is accused of burning the Institute of Egypt. But the presidency has the right to issue a pardon for whom it deems fit, noting that he refuses the idea of pardoning the defendants. This decision must be implemented only for humanitarian reasons and health conditions in order to preserve security; however, pardoning whoever burns state institutions or attacks police officers is out of the question.

Amin explained, There are well-known conditions for pardon, such as monitoring behavior inside prison to see if the defendants are fit to return to the community without repeating the same crime they were charged with. If Douma, Maher and Abdel Fattah are released without applying the rules, it would be disrespectful to the law and chaos would prevail.

However, Amin praised the presidency's decision to release a large group of students and young people in custody, stressing that the decision shows the presidents good intentions and is proof that he does not target anyone in particular, which was also stressed by Sisi himself during the youth conference when he called on granting pardons for young people in custody on protest charges.

Despite the governments efforts to alleviate public anger by releasing some detained youths, the Detained Youth Committees exclusion of symbols of the revolution such as Douma, Maher and Abdel Fattah is being met with anger by revolutionary forces but welcomed by supporters of the current regime. This is because of the youths harsh positions against the Egyptian president and state.
November 24, 2016

AIN SOKHNA, Egypt  Egypt invited businessmen and economists from the Gaza Strip to attend the second meeting of the Ain Sokhna conference in the Ain Sokhna Red Sea resort on Nov. 7-9 to discuss the Palestinian cause and the blockade imposed by Israel. Palestinian businessmen saw this invitation as a positive sign of Egypts openness to build commercial ties with Gaza, particularly since one of the most important topics discussed at the conference was reviving the project of the free industrial trade zone between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

The first meeting in Ain Sokhna had taken place Oct. 16-18.

The chairman of the Palestinian Businessmen Association in the Gaza Strip, Ali al-Hayek, who participated in the conference organized by the National Center for Middle East Studies in Egypt, told Al-Monitor that over 30 businessmen and economists from Gaza received invitations to discuss the Israeli blockade that prevents various commodities and raw materials from entering Gaza, thus preventing the reconstruction of Gaza.

He said, We came to the conference to talk about Gazas economic problems. The solution would be through a trade exchange between us and Egypt. We would like to have Egyptian raw materials and products to replace the Israeli products whose entry into Gaza is limited by Israel.

Hayek said that the joint free industrial trade zone between Egypt and Gaza was one of the most important points raised by the Palestinian businessmen, noting, Egypt was responsive to some of the topics we put forward. We felt it was seriously welcoming the need to start a business partnership between Palestinians and Egyptians, by first opening the Rafah commercial crossing for goods and raw materials to enter the Gaza Strip.

The idea of a free industrial trade zone between Gaza and Egypt is not new. It was first proposed 10 years ago by both Egyptians and Palestinians under Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In 2012, the idea re-emerged during the presidency of Mohammed Morsi as a proposed alternative to the tunnels along the Egyptian-Palestinian border through which goods entered Gaza. But in September of the same year, plans for a zone were abandoned under the excuse that it would separate Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territories and turn it into an independent entity. The issue was again placed on the agenda during the second edition of the Ain Sokhna conference.

Israel, for its part, is being cautious about the establishment of a free industrial trade zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. On Nov. 14, The Times of Israel placed the project in the context of Egypts efforts to alleviate the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2006, saying, This project will allow traders in Gaza to buy products directly from the Egyptian town of Rafah. This step serves as a partial lifting of the Israeli blockade imposed on the border between Israel and Gaza.

Maher Tabbah, the director of public relations at the chamber of commerce in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor that the idea of the zone had emerged after Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. But the situation started deteriorating until the Palestinian division in mid-June 2007 disrupted all these efforts.

Tabbah, who participated in the conference in Ain Sokhna, said, Both Egyptians and Palestinians suggested the free industrial trade zone in order to enhance trade exchange and joint investments through the establishment of joint factories in that zone. The idea was brought up again in 2012 when an Egyptian economic delegation visited Gaza, but the [internal] division prevented the implementation of the project.

Tabbah believes that the project will encourage economic cooperation and interdependence between Egyptians and Palestinians, as well as provide international and Arab prospects for the Palestinian people through Egypt. It will attract Palestinian and Egyptian capital by providing a secure investment environment and building factories on both sides to find a structural link between their industrial activities.

According to Tabbah, the project will create many employment opportunities for the Egyptian and Palestinian labor force and increase the national income of the industrial sector, as well as create a large number of jobs in Palestinian areas and reduce the high unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip, which exceeds 43%.

For his part, Osama Kahil, the chairman of the Palestinian Contractors Union in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the Palestinian businessmen who attended the conference have recommended  in agreement with the National Center for Middle East Studies in Egypt  the need to form several economic committees, including a special one for the proposed free industrial trade zone.

He said, A Palestinian committee is currently being formed to follow up on the affairs of the free industrial trade zone that will be ready by December 2016; a similar one will also be formed by Egypt. [The committees] will conduct a comprehensive study for the project. We are simply dusting off this proposal and we will implement it based on a vision that is in line with both the Egyptian and Palestinian political and security situation, all the while protecting it from the Israelis in order for it to be safe for investments.

Kahil believes that both the Egyptians and Palestinians will greatly benefit from the project, since several factories will be set up to manufacture goods for export. We, as Palestinians, are exempted from customs in a number of countries, such as Turkey, Morocco and the Euro-Mediterranean countries as per signed free trade agreements, and thus the zone will be of great usefulness to both sides. The Palestinians will reap benefits in all economic sectors, such as contractors and traders who will get materials and commodities at cheaper prices, as well as artisans and industrialists who will have more job opportunities, he said.

First undersecretary at the Egyptian Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saeed Abdullah told Al-Monitor that a decision to establish the free zone was taken years ago, but it was put on hold because of the security situation in the Sinai Peninsula, where the zone would be established, and the Palestinian internal division.

He said, It was supposed to be a large-scale project. Even the Italians were supposed to take part in it, but we faced many obstacles  most importantly the security situation.

Abdullah believes that the zone would serve both Egyptians and Palestinians in Gaza, and especially the latter, as it would provide many employment opportunities for Palestinians, as well as ready-to-trade goods and raw materials for manufacturing.

The revival of the idea of a free industrial trade zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is a glimmer of hope for Gazans, especially since Israel continues to prevent the passage of thousands of goods and raw materials into Gaza that it has been keeping under blockade for over 10 years.
November 30, 2016

On Nov. 29, Reformist lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi appeared before the special court for culture and media in Tehran to answer questions about his recent comments on possible corruption among senior officials. He has been released after introducing a bondsman to the court, the official IRNA news agency reported.

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Sadeghi has been summoned several times since August but has refused to appear before the court, citing his legislative immunity. Two days earlier, on Nov. 27, judicial authorities attempted to arrest Sadeghi at his home in Tehran with an arrest warrant based on the plaintiffs case against him.

The attempt to arrest him was halted after parliament Speaker Ali Larijani  a brother of judiciary chief Sadegh Larijani  and Vice President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hossein Ali Amiri intervened in the case, ILNA news agency reported. A number of political activists also gathered in front of Sadeghis home to prevent the attempted detention.

The move to arrest Sadeghi appears to be the latest development related to the scandal over exorbitant salaries paid to state officials. Of note, intensified political infighting in recent months has also fueled the arguments over high salaries. On Aug. 10, when the debate was heating up, Irans parliament set up a new faction to supervise high wages and corruption. Sadeghi was elected as the head of this new faction, which was charged with helping ensure transparency and purification of the economy.

What put a spotlight on the member of parliament was his two-minute address before parliament Nov. 14 in which he remarked on the personal bank accounts of the judiciary chief. Sadeghi asked the justice minister to explain the reason behind the alleged transfer of public funds to the personal accounts of Sadegh Larijani. The judiciary chief in turn denied any illegal money transfers to his personal accounts, calling such allegations "100% lies," and criticized President Hassan Rouhani and the parliament speaker for not reacting to Sadeghis remarks.

Although the encounter between Sadeghi and Larijani seemed to be the reason for the judiciarys exertion of pressure on the parliament member, Reformist Etemad daily reported Nov. 27 that the warrant for Sadeghis arrest was due to his comments about Yashar Soltani, the editor of the architecture website Memari News who found himself jailed after exposing the Tehran municipalitys apparent illegal sale of property below market value to Tehran city council members and other figures. According to Fars news agency, Eight plaintiffs, doctoral students among them, filed complaints against Sadeghi, accusing him of spreading lies.

On Nov. 28, prominent conservative and former parliament member Ahmad Tavakoli also criticized the judiciarys actions, saying that according to the constitution, warrants for the arrest of lawmakers should be announced to the parliament speaker, and in the present case, this did not occur.

Ali Motahari, the parliament's outspoken deputy speaker who experienced the same kind of pressure in 2013 after a controversial address before parliament, also denounced the attempt to detain Sadeghi. Reformist Shargh daily on Nov. 28 quoted Motahari as saying, A member of parliament criticizes an issue and immediately an arrest warrant is being issued against him. This person just asked for some explanations on one subject.
November 29, 2016

BAGHDAD  Iraq's parliament will meet Dec. 1 to continue hashing out a draft of the 2017 general budget, which currently includes a deficit that will require the country to seek out non-oil income, attract investments and eliminate alleged corruption.

So far, the draft law pegs the budget at 102 trillion dinars (about $85 billion) with a projected deficit of $26.6 billion.

The country's finances have been hammered by low oil prices, the war against the Islamic State (IS) and, according to a citizens group, significant government waste. Much of its budget will depend on the price of oil. Iraq received good news today when OPEC agreed to cap oil production. After two years of prices that sometimes dropped below $50 per barrel, OPEC now expects that figure to reach $55-$60, the Wall Street Journal reported. OPEC has not always followed through on its promises, however.

Parliament is trying to resolve disputes over a number of items, including the budget for the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). The legislature voted Nov. 26 to make the Iran-backed PMU into an official government military force. Shiite parliament members supported the move, but the Sunni minority boycotted the vote.

On Aug. 31, the proposed budget was amended to increase the PMUs allocations, which had amounted to about 6 trillion dinars ($5 billion) in 2016, but the PMU leadership said that was not enough to cover all necessities. Najiba Najib, a member of parliaments Economics and Investment Committee, criticized the PMU on July 12, telling the media, Allocating 25% of the state budget to the army and the PMU overburdens the budget and adversely affects the economy.

Other proposed allocations also are controversial. The Finance Committee examined the budget in October and concluded it did not adequately address development and service projects. Members proposed revising the budget to address citizens needs by providing support for low-income workers, creating jobs and stimulating investment, but such changes have not been made.

Although the budget allocates $20 billion for investment projects, it halts investments in ministries except for the Interior, Defense, Health and Education ministries. The cost of the war on terrorism is responsible for a large part of the deficit, as 12 trillion dinars ($10 billion) were allocated to the Ministry of Defense.

The drop in oil prices forces the budget to depend on loans to cover the salaries of employees and retirees as well as to compensate the families of those who were killed in the fight against IS, in addition to covering the costs of fighting terrorism and providing farmers entitlements. Jamal Koojerthe, a member of the Oil and Power Committee, has warned that unless parliament is cautious, the country could go bankrupt next year if oil prices continue to drop.

This economic bump in the budget was noted by Ahmed Kanani, head of the Economics and Investment Committee, when he told Al-Monitor, Oil prices have thwarted a lot of projects and plans included in the 2017 budget.

Kanani added, The deficit caused by the lack of non-oil revenues and the costs of the ongoing war against IS since 2014 forced important ministries, such as the Ministry of Defense, to rely on the allocations [taken from] less important ministries to cover the cost of its projects.

Hussein Thaghab, a researcher, correspondent and head of the economics department at Iraqi Al-Sabah newspaper, told Al-Monitor, An economic recovery in light of the financial hardship suffered by Iraq as a result of the drop in oil prices in global markets seems impossible."

According to Thaghab, the solution lies in creating an environment that can attract global investments with a lot of capital and advanced technologies. Global corporations are aware of Iraq's economic capabilities and plentiful natural resources."

He added, "The country is deemed rich, and this is one of the most important elements that guarantee the rights of international companies, especially as the volume of work in Iraq is very large and accommodates a lot of specialized and internationally classified companies." Because of that, Thaghab believes Iraq is capable of gradually achieving economic development," especially if it paves the way for investment projects in the industrial, agricultural and tourism sectors, which will "pump billions of dollars into the federal budget.

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, financial adviser to the prime minister, confirmed Nov. 3 to the media that the 2017 budget is in line with International Monetary Fund requests to develop non-oil resources and other sources of income.

The new budget is also expected to reduce expenses through a project that in some ways resembles a pension or severance pay incentive. Under the program, public employees who have worked at least five years in their jobs can take paid "leave" for five years, but there is no guarantee that their jobs will still be there for them after that period.

Other measures are also expected. These include reducing the number of cars allocated for officials, reducing by 25% the staff of 4.5 million public employees, closing consulates and merging all of the trade, military, cultural and diplomatic missions with embassies. These measures are aimed at containing criticism of unnecessary spending. The Citizen Alliance lashed out Nov. 14 at the House of Representatives for the proposed allocation of 50 billion dinars ($42 million) to the president's office and 39 billion dinars ($33 million) for a plan to collect illegal weapons from civilians.

Najib told Al-Monitor the solution lies in developing public and private sectors, enacting laws that can attract local and international private companies, cutting unnecessary expenditures, adopting a tax policy that encourages investment, and stimulating domestic products so they are up to the level of imported goods.

A main consideration is safeguarding Iraq's money and directing the budget toward the goal of getting rid of financial and administrative corruption. About $361 billion went missing from Iraqi budgets between 2004 and 2014, which led the Iraqi government in 2016 to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations to investigate financial corruption.
November 30, 2016

Secretary of State John Kerry visited Capitol Hill Tuesday evening to caution Senate Democrats against renewing Iran sanctions and to urge them to prevent the incoming administration from unraveling his hard-fought nuclear deal.

The low-key meeting comes ahead of a Senate vote later this week to renew for another 10 years sanctions on Iran's energy, trade, defense and banking sectors that will expire at the end of this year. The White House has stopped short of saying it will veto the bill, but has sought to delay a vote.

Administration officials have also made it clear that they think passing it will antagonize the Iranians without giving the executive branch any powers it doesn't already have to snap back sanctions if Tehran violates the deal. After the House of Representatives passed the bill by a lopsided vote of 419-1 two weeks ago, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the sanctions' extension would surely constitute a violation of the [Iran deal] and [the United States] should know that the Islamic Republic will definitely react to it.

[Kerry] is proud of the deal and started out by saying so, said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who organized the meeting. We're coming up for a vote on sanctions, and he gave us thoughts on that. We're concerned about what happens in the next election in Iran, which is coming up soon, and we hope that the forces in Iran that are working toward moderation will be victorious.

A dozen or more Senate Democrats attended the meeting, along with at least two House members who won election to the Senate this month: Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

Durbin and others said the main thrust of Kerry's visit was to give lawmakers the lay of the land around the world ahead of the Donald Trump administration. Lawmakers were reluctant to divulge specifics from the classified meeting, but made it clear that Kerry argued that President Barack Obama had launched foreign policy initiatives worth preserving during his eight years in office.

He made a very strong case for continuing to work hard on maintaining the structure of the Iranian nuclear deal, climate change goals which we have set for ourselves and for the world and many other issues, said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Earlier in the day, Kerry made a similar appeal during a speech before a womens foreign policy forum. In those public remarks, he urged the incoming administration to stay the course on everything, from the Iran deal to overtures to Cuba and international trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Trump has vowed to pull out of.

Now, I know that some people have said that Iran is such a huge threat we shouldnt even have attempted to do that  that we should have passed up the best chance we had for the international community to come together and block each and every one of Irans pathways to a nuclear weapon, Kerry said at the forum, according to The Washington Post. To me, that argument just doesnt compute.

More broadly, Kerry said at the forum, Success doesnt require a change in direction, but instead bigger strides down the road that were already on.

While that message may resonate with many Senate Democrats, it likely will not be enough to prevent passage of the Iran Sanctions Act. Last month, seven Democrats who voted for the deal last year wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to urge him to schedule a vote on the bill, arguing that it strengthens the deal by giving the White House an unambiguous ability to immediately snap back sanctions in the coming years.

Senate Republicans have vowed to move ahead with the vote this week, and senators and staff leaving the meeting with Kerry said the deal was likely doomed anyway if it can't withstand a largely symbolic extension of sanctions authorities.

Preserving these sanctions is critical given Irans disturbing pattern of aggression and its persistent efforts to expand its sphere of influence across the Middle East, McConnell said on the Senate floor Tuesday. This is all the more important given how the administration has ignored Irans overall efforts to upset the balance of power in the greater Middle East, and how it has been held hostage by Irans threats to withdraw from the nuclear agreement.
November 29, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The internal Fatah conflict continues between the current affiliated with President Mahmoud Abbas and another headed by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan. Everyone in Dahlan's camp has been excluded from participating in the seventh Fatah conference held today, Nov. 29, in Ramallah.

The Dahlan current, the so-called reformist current, protests the convening of the conference amid Abbas rejection of Arab efforts to reconcile with Dahlan and the president's insistence on excluding all those affiliated with Dahlans current from the conference. The conferences attendees will number 1,400, far fewer than the 2,355 of Fatah's last conference held in August 2009.

Supporters of Dahlans current have threatened to take action in response to being prevented from participating. Ashraf Jumaa, a parliamentarian close to Dahlan, told Al-Monitor that the Dahlan current is preparing to hold a conference in parallel to the one Fatah is holding in Ramallah. The second conference will also be called the Seventh Conference of the Fatah Movement, according to Jumaa.

Jumaa said that the figures participating in the parallel conference come from all levels of the Fatah organization. He added that the conference's date has not yet been determined and that it will likely be held in Egypt or a European country if it cannot be held in the Gaza strip.

He stressed that the reformist current will unveil many surprises during and after the parallel conference, which he described as the real seventh conference of the Fatah movement. He also shared that a major Fatah figure he did not identify will chair the conference, which will cover organizational issues within Fatah and the internal disputes.

Parliament member Naima Sheikh Ali, who was dismissed from Fatah, told Al-Monitor, We chose to hold a parallel conference after Arab and factional efforts failed to end the rift between President Abbas and dismissed leader Dahlan, and after [Abbas and his camp] proceeded toward holding the seventh conference, which will be devoid of all voices that oppose President Abbas.

Abbas seems to reject any reconciliation with Dahlan for fear of strengthening his chances of succeeding him as president.

Ali acknowledged that officials and supporters of the reformist current in the West Bank could be harassed, arrested, banned from traveling or have their salaries cut off. She said that on Nov. 21, the security forces in some West Bank refugee camps, specifically the camps in Nablus, placed figures affiliated with the reformist current, namely Ahmad Jaber, Hani Abu Salem and Hazem al-Titr, under house arrest and have cut off their salaries.

The Fatah movement has made light of the reformist current's plan. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a member of the Fatah Advisory Council, told Al-Monitor, The call to convene a parallel conference in an Arab or European country is worthless. The goal of all of the steps taken by figures dismissed by Fatah is to portray that Fatah is suffering from an organizational split. Whoever wants to set up an organization on his own can do so. Fatah has seen many organizational splits in the past, but they did not affect its journey of more than 50 years.

Abdel Rahman said that he was surprised that some dismissed officials (such as Majed Abu Shemala, among others) are insisting on working to return to the movement after they criticized the Abbas-affiliated leadership.

He added that here is no place in Fatah for those who break its rules, which include making autonomous decisions free from any outside interference. He pointed out that his movement rejects external Arab interference in its internal affairs, just as it refuses to intervene in the internal affairs of other Arab countries.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political science professor at al-Azhar University in Gaza, said that the reformist current holding a parallel conference shows that the Fatah movement is undergoing an organizational split between the Dahlan and Abbas currents. He discounted the possibility of a reconciliation between the two currents as long as Abbas is at the top of the Fatah pyramid.

He expects that one of the "surprises" the reformist current is planning is the announcement of a Palestinian national dialogue to be hosted by Cairo.

He said that Abbas current cannot thwart the efforts of the Dahlan current, pointing out that all Abbas can do is dismiss, arrest or cut off the salary of anyone proven to belong to Dahlans current.

In the same context, Akram Atallah, a political writer and analyst in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam, told Al-Monitor that the reformist current's announcement of a parallel conference indicates irreconcilable differences between the two currents, a divorce whose harbingers were clear in recent weeks with the exclusion of officials and members affiliated with the reformist current from the Fatah conference.

He expects to see in the near future an organizational and media conflict between the two currents, and each of which will try to show that it is the true representative of the Fatah movement. He also expects several Arab countries to support Dahlan in light of Abbas rejection of Arab efforts to help them reconcile.

On Nov. 22, unnamed Fatah sources revealed to Safa that Abbas-affiliated security agencies in the West Bank have begun arresting Dahlan's supporters in a sign that Abbas and his current are likely to fight the moves of Dahlans current with all their strength.
November 30, 2016

A top Russian diplomat rebuked Turkeys president over his comments on Syria today, saying they contradict international agreements on the war-wracked country. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies Nov. 30 that his government was puzzled by Recep Tayyip Erdogans assertion a day earlier that Turkey was in Syria for no reason other than to topple President Bashar al-Assad. "We are there to bring justice. We are there to end the rule of the cruel Assad, who has been spreading state terror," Erdogan said.

His words flew in the face of Turkeys earlier claims that it had sent its troops into northern Syria to battle the Islamic State and the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Protection Units: It's against all international agreements that Turkey is party to if Erdogan plans to wage war, on Assad, Bogdanov said.

In separate remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "It is a very serious statement and one which differs from previous ones and with our understanding of the situation. We hope that our Turkish partners will provide us with some kind of explanation about this."

There has not been any yet.

Russia and Iran are the Syrian regime's chief allies in the war against opposition rebels who are, in turn, supported by Turkey, various Gulf states and in part by the CIA. But in recent months Turkey has signaled willingness to rein in the one group that poses the biggest threat to Assads rule  the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, which now calls itself Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. The shift followed a frenzied campaign by Turkey to woo back Russia after the pair fell out over Turkeys downing of a Russian jet in November last year.

Analysts reckon Erdogans latest spate of hawkishness has more to do with placating his own Islamist base than with yet another U-turn in Turkeys thus far disastrous Syria policy. There is growing anger over the silence of the international community in the face of civilian massacres in Aleppo as regime forces backed by Russia and Iran bludgeon their way toward apparent victory. But while few of Erdogans supporters dare say so, there is also mounting frustration at the Turkish governments perceived unwillingness and inability to reverse this tide. Their feelings were summed up by Ibrahim Karagul, the editor-in-chief of the pro-government Yeni Safak, who vowed that the people of Aleppo would be avenged, and that it would be very bitter. But he failed to mention just how.

When Ankara first threw its support behind the Syrian rebels in 2011, offering them bases inside Turkey and becoming the main conduit for weapons flowing in from their Gulf benefactors, Erdogan cheerfully predicted that victorious Turkish leaders and their Syrian allies would inshallah be praying in the famed Ummayad Mosque in Damascus in the shortest time possible.

Such plans have yet to materialize. Instead, Turkey is stuck with almost 3 million Syrian refugees, a Syrian Kurdish statelet on its borders and its troops bogged down in northern Syria with no clear exit strategy.
November 29, 2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been promising since September to liberate the northern Syrian town of al-Bab from the Islamic State (IS) and move east to Manbij to rid it of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkey claims that the YPG  the core of the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting IS  and its parent organization, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), are terrorist groups linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but it has failed to generate international support for this position. Recent developments on the ground also point to increasing difficulties for Erdogan's efforts to fulfill his promises.

After capturing the nearby IS stronghold of Dabiq in October, Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) militias, Ankaras main proxy in Syria, have been unable to muster a serious attack against al-Bab. The situation grew militarily complicated for Turkey after its jets began striking YPG targets in the area  resulting in the United States withdrawing air support for FSA and Turkish forces  and after Russia and Syrian regime forces made serious headway against the FSA in Aleppo, to which al-Bab provides access.

Turkey had launched Operation Euphrates Shield into northern Syria on Aug. 24, proclaiming that its mission was to defeat IS, push YPG fighters east of the Euphrates River and establish a 45-kilometer-deep (28 miles) safe zone on the Syrian side of the border. Ankara moved to establish a safe zone on its own after failing to secure international support for one. It claims such an area will provide protection for civilians uprooted by the war and also prevent illegal crossings into and out of Turkey by members and recruits of IS and similar groups.

It is no secret, however, that Turkeys major reason for the proposed zone is to prevent Syrian Kurds from establishing a contiguous region along the Turkish border. The zone would include the yet-to-be liberated al-Bab to the south, and if Ankara has its way, Manbij, just west of the Euphrates, as well.

On Nov. 22 at the conference Turkeys New Security Concept, Erdogan claimed the FSA was at the gates of al-Bab and implied that victory was imminent. But that wont be enough, he said. From there, we will move on to Manbij. The PYD and YPG are in Manbij.  We want them to leave.

A few days after these remarks, Erdogan had a rude awakening, when on Nov. 24 an apparent airstrike hit Turkish special forces accompanying FSA fighters near al-Bab. Four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine injured. Some believe the attack was actually an IS suicide bombing, but the Turkish military said on the day of the incident that the evidence pointed to a Syrian jet.

Adding to Ankaras shock was that the strike occurred on the first anniversary of the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey after it strayed into Turkish airspace. Although Turkey and Russia reconciled over the event earlier this year, after Erdogan apologized to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it did not temper the widespread belief that Moscow had indirectly supported the attack on Turkish forces to avenge the downing of the jet. It is common knowledge that Syrian airspace is controlled by Russian-provided and -manned advance radar systems.

Clearly uneasy about the timing of the attack, Erdogan held two hasty phone conversations with Putin, Nov. 25 and 26. The semiofficial Anadolu Agency reported that the matter had been discussed, but gave no details. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus then told reporters Nov. 28 that Russia had denied involvement in the incident. The Syrian regime has remained silent about the affair, further compounding the mystery.

Mete Yarar, a former red beret commando who comments on security issues, argued after the strike, [Turkeys] rivals are carrying out the requirements of their proxy war [in Syria] just as [Turkeys] independent operation against al-Bab is on the verge of succeeding. Yarar did not spell out who Turkeys rivals are, but his reference to Turkeys independent operation is telling, revealing an attempt by pro-government commentators to deflect attention away from Russia and toward the United States.

Serkan Demirtas, a foreign policy commentator for Hurriyet Daily News, recalled that Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the US-led coalition against IS, had said Nov. 17 that the coalition was not supporting the Turkish operation in al-Bab because Turkey had launched it independent of the coalition. Demirtas argued, The key word in the spokesmans statement is independent, which could be interpreted as meaning that Ankara and Washington can no longer coordinate their respective moves in Syria and have totally different objectives.

Erdogans supporters are keen to present relations with Russia as a counterbalance to Turkeys increasingly hostile ties with the United States and Europe. Ankaras response to the attack on its forces was surprisingly low key. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey would retaliate, but other than this remark, Ankara has remained largely mute about the incident. Many take this as an indication that Ankara also suspects Russian involvement.

As Demirtas pointed out, Turkey is not in tune with Russia in Syria despite its reconciliation with Moscow. Syrian airspace was closed to Turkish jets after an airstrike Oct. 22 against YPG targets that Ankara said killed 150 terrorists (and the YPG said resulted in 10 deaths).

After that strike, Syria, clearly with Russian blessing, said that it would respond militarily to further violations of its airspace. The restriction was lifted after Gen. Hulusi Akar, chief of the Turkish General Staff, went to Moscow for talks. Turkish jets resumed operations in Syria Nov. 12, notably concentrating on IS targets only.

The restriction was reportedly reinstated for a while, after Turkey targeted YPG positions with artillery fire. Russia, like the United States, evidently wants Turkey to stick to targeting IS.

Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Naim Baburoglu considers the claim ludicrous that Russia was unaware of the airstrike against Turkish forces near al-Bab. He told Al-Monitor that Moscow does not want the FSA, or the YPG for that matter, in al-Bab because the town is a gateway to Aleppo, where the Syrian regime has recently secured major gains against the FSA.

It is unthinkable that any jet in northern Syria, especially one belonging to the regime, can fly there without Russias knowledge or approval, Baburoglu said. What Russia and Syria are telling Turkey is simple: Stop advancing on al-Bab.

He also believes the date of the strike on Turkish forces was indeed significant. Putin is known to wait patiently for his moment, Baburoglu said. Moscow denies involvement in this strike, but the significance of its date was clearly not lost on Russians.

That Russia wants Turkey to steer clear of al-Bab, and the United States wants it to stay away from Manbij, poses a major problem for Ankaras military plans in Syria, Baburoglu observed. The bottom line is that Turkey not only faces IS and the YPG in Syria, but Russia and the United States as well. Given this, many argue that Erdogan is unaware of what he is up against as he tries to please his supporters with promises he will most likely not be able to keep.
Birmingham public radio station WBHM 90.3 FM has named National Public Radio veteran journalist Charles W. "Chuck" Holmes as the station's general manager.

Holmes replaces Scott Hanley, who left WBHM in September after four years at the station to return to his home state of Pennsylvania.

Holmes will direct the operations of WBHM and the Alabama Radio Reading Service, a resource for the blind and print-impaired, as well as develop and execute a strategic plan for the station's news, programming, fund-raising and community engagement endeavors, WBHM said in an announcement this morning.

Holmes has led NPR's daily news operation in Washington, D.C., as deputy managing editor since 2013 and previously served as supervising senior editor of "Morning Edition." Also while at NPR, he shared the Peabody Award for his editorial guidance of "The Race Card Project," and his role in the network's coverage of the war in Afghanistan earned an Edward R. Murrow Award.

"It's a privilege to join WBHM and lead its talented staff," Holmes said in today's announcement. "Robust coverage of local news and strong information and arts programming are vital to Birmingham and the communities of North Central Alabama.

"My family's roots run deep in Alabama, and my commitment to the mission of public radio runs deep, too - serving the audience and making the community a better place to live," Holmes said.

WBHM is licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where its studios are located, and it may also be heard on WSGN 91.5 FM through a partnership with Gadsden State Community College.

"Chuck will lead a great team of public media professionals as they continue growing WBHM with quality journalism, meaningful programming, impactful community outreach and new and innovative fundraising efforts to support the station," Anne Buckley, APR, UAB's chief communications officer, said.

Prior to joining NPR in 2009, Holmes was foreign editor of Cox Newspapers (now the Cox Media Group) and earlier served as a foreign correspondent, posted in Jerusalem and Moscow, for the Atlanta-based company. Holmes gained industry recognition for his coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Kosovo, the Rwandan genocide and civil war, and the war in Afghanistan.
Cherokee County authorities say four people are facing drug related charges following their arrest Tuesday.

Sheriff Jeff Shaver said investigators from the sheriff's office and Centre police executed a search warrant on Sherry Drive in Centre, finding drugs and drug paraphernalia at the apartment.

Bobbie F. Underwood, 43, was charged with drug distribution, drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and second degree possession of marijuana. Melvin McElrath, 52; Rhonda S. McGee, 46, and Brittany J. Underwood, 26, were charged with drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and second degree marijuana possession.

All four are being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center, where they await bond.
butler cabin.jpg

State Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) lost a cabin in the Gatlinburg fire.

(Mack Butler)

Among those affected by Monday night's devastating fires in Gatlinburg, Tenn., is Alabama State Rep. Mack Butler, who owns seven properties in the area.

At least one was destroyed by the fire - a three-story wood and concrete cabin he has owned since 2002.

The "Yogi" cabin in Gatlinburg, prior to Monday's fire.

Officials say three people have died in the Gatlinburg wildfires, which destroyed homes and businesses and prompted the evacuations of more than 14,000 residents and visitors.

Yet Butler (R-Rainbow City) said the toll could have been much worse.

"Just think if this had happened a day earlier, with the Thanksgiving Day weekend happening," he said. "We'd be looking at whole different dynamic."

Butler said he has owned the cabin, called "Yogi," since 2002, when he bought it shortly after it was built. Over the years, it has hosted at least two weddings and countless honeymoon trips, he said. The cabin was located six-tenths of a mile from the Parkway, close to Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

Butler said he started to get word late yesterday at his home in Etowah County that wildfires in the Gatlinburg area were threatening the city. Since then, he has had to rely on people in the area for news. Three of his properties were reportedly safe, but he hasn't heard yet about the other three. He plans to visit Gatlinburg as quickly as he can.

"Yogi" was popular with visitors because of the frequent visits from bears, he said. The cabin had many photos taken by visitors of bears just outside the door.

"It's just unreal that it's gone," he said. "I'm thankful nobody was in it."
A University of Alabama student was followed home and then raped at gunpoint early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The attack happened in the 1200 block of Convent Street. Tuscaloosa Metro Homicide Capt. Gary Hood said the 19-year-old student told investigators she walked back to her apartment from The Strip area at approximately 1:45 am.

Shortly after returning home, an unknown black male walked into her apartment and sexually assaulted her. The victim told authorities the assailant threatened her with a firearm during the incident.

She described her attack as a black male in his early to mid-20's. The suspect was further described as approximately 6-feet tall with a heavy build and wearing a dark-colored hoodie and dark-colored pants.

The victim was taken by a friend to DCH Regional Medical center by a friend for treatment and was released later that morning. Authorities are not yet releasing additional information.

Prior to last weekend's attack, Hood said his unit has investigated 104 sexual assault crimes so far this year - 27 of those from University of Alabama students. Of those 27, only two have resulted in an arrest. Many have been unfounded, or investigators were not able to obtain enough information and evidence to secure a warrant.

Most recently, just two weeks ago, another University of Alabama student was arrested in connection with the rape of another student. Tuscaloosa investigators respond to DCH Regional Medical Center that Sunday about 10:30 a.m., where they met with an 18-year-old female who said she was raped.

The victim said she was drinking with Joseph Tyler Pitts, also a UA student, in a dorm room when she lost consciousness. The victim said she was awakened by two friends, who came into the dorm room and saw Pitts on top of the victim, having sexual intercourse with her. Police charged Pitts, 19, with first-degree rape.

That same weekend, another student reported a sexual assault, but police said those claims were untrue. She was arrested after falsely claiming to have been raped by two men. The student, 18-year-old Emma Mannion, is charged with filing a false report, a Class A misdemeanor.

The teen told police she was forced inside a red Jeep Cherokee in or near the parking area of Solomon's parking lot at 650 Wallace Wade Ave. at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13. She reported the assault occurred inside the vehicle by two men, one of them a Hispanic male with a wiry build.

Hood later said detectives interviewed witnesses and recovered video surveillance of the area which did not support Mannion's initial account of the incident. After confronting Mannion with this evidence, Mannion admitted to investigators she falsified her report.

Hood is asking anyone with information about Sunday's incident to call the Tuscaloosa Metro Homicide Unit at 205-464-8690.
An accused robber is behind bars and a Hueytown fast-food worker is lucky to be alive after a shootout that wasn't.

Both men tried to fire at each other, but the bad guy's gun jammed and the good guy's gun didn't have a round in the chamber.

Hueytown police Chief Chuck Hagler said the incident happened Sunday night at the Sonic on Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive. The male employee and his female cousin were alone at the restaurant when the victim went outside to take out the trash. That's when he encountered the 6-foot, 2-inch tall, 300-pound gunman who told him it was a holdup.

Determined to not let anything happen to his younger cousin, the employee yelled inside for her to call 911 and then slammed the door shut - with him on the outside and face-to-face with his assailant. The would-be robber then pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger. The primer was struck, Hagler said, but the round didn't go off.

The employee then pulled his own gun and fired as well. But there was no bullet in the chamber, Hagler said. They struggled briefly, and the suspect fled the scene in a white car.

Responding Hueytown officers spotted him, and took him into custody after a brief chase. Inside his vehicle they found a gun and a mask, Hagler said.

Theodore Earnest Solomon III, 27, remains in the Jefferson County Jail. He is charged with first-degree robbery and attempted murder, with bonds totaling $120,000.

Hagler praised his officers for their fast work. He also lauded the employee for his bravery and loyalty. "As a police officer you would normally say comply,'' the chief said, "but you have to admire that he was willing to throw himself in harm's way for his family."
staton dormitory by julie bennett in 2013.JPG

A dorm in Alabama's Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore County in 2013.

(Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn told a legislative panel Tuesday that violence has doubled in five years in Alabama's prisons as the number of corrections officers has declined 20 percent.

Fewer recruits are signing up to become corrections officers because of the dangerous conditions, Dunn said.

Dunn gave the Joint Legislative Prison Committee statistics on violent incidents and staffing and updates on litigation and other issues affecting the overcrowded and undermanned prisons.

The commissioner talked to lawmakers about a proposal to borrow $800 million through a bond issue to build three men's prisons and one for women and close most of the existing facilities. The initiative would need approval by the Legislature.

Gov. Robert Bentley first proposed the plan early this year but it died during the last regular legislative session.

Bentley has said he may call a special session early next year to reconsider it.

Dunn said he would provide lawmakers with a study that backs up the assertion that the DOC could pay off the bond debt with savings associated with operating new prisons.

Dunn said a National Institute of Corrections analysis confirmed that the DOC can save enough by replacing the outdated facilities with new ones to pay the debt, about $50 million a year.

About 80 percent of the savings would come from reduced personnel and overtime costs, he said. He said new prisons would employ modern designs and technology to operate safely with fewer officers.

He acknowledged that the plan to cut personnel costs while fully staffing new prisons sounds counterintuitive.

"The reason you can do that is because using modern design and technology you can increase the safety and the security and the conditions in the prison without having to use the manpower intensive facilities that we currently have," Dunn said.

Dunn gave lawmakers charts, including one that shows the number of corrections officers has declined steadily over the last five years, from 2,332 in September 2011 to 1,863 this September, just 52 percent of the authorized staffing level.

The number of violent incidents has roughly doubled in five years, rising each year. There were 2,111 incidents of inmate-on-inmate violence in the last fiscal year, up from 1,108 in 2011. The number of inmate-on-staff violent incidents rose from 289 in 2011 to 522 in fiscal year 2016.

"Our inmates are becoming bolder because they understand that we're challenged with respect to our security apparatus," Dunn said. "They understand that there are not as many boots on the ground."

In September, corrections officer Kenneth Bettis, 44, died after being stabbed by an inmate at Holman prison in Atmore.

In March, the warden and a captain at Holman were stabbed during a riot in which inmates also started a fire.

St. Clair Correctional Facility has also been plagued by violence.

Dunn said the DOC is entering settlement negotiations over a federal lawsuit filed by the Equal Justice Initiative over unsafe conditions at St. Clair.

The commissioner said the DOC has increased security staff at Holman and St. Clair but that such measures are not a long-term solution.

In October, the Department of Justice announced a statewide investigation into Alabama's men's prisons.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson will begin a trial in another federal case that alleges mental health care in Alabama prisons does not meet constitutional standards.

A lawsuit concerning constitutional claims over the system's medical care is expected to go to trial next year.

Dunn gave lawmakers some good news on Tuesday, too.

The commissioner said the DOC is now in compliance with 37 of 44 requirements in an agreement with the Justice Department concerning Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. Dunn said the DOC expects to be in full compliance by April.

And Dunn said the number of inmates in Alabama prisons is declining.

The number has dropped by about 1,000, to 23,328, over the last year. That's roughly 175 percent of the prisons' designed capacity of 13,318.

The number of inmates is projected to continue to drop, to 20,761, by the end of 2020, Dunn said.

The Legislature has passed sentencing guidelines and criminal justice reforms intended, in part, to gradually reduce the prison population, and those are making a difference, Dunn said.

Still, he said only so much can be done in the current facilities, which he said limit the kind of programs needed to rehabilitate and reduce the likelihood that inmates will return to prison. He said that's a key reason new prisons are needed.

"I think the most important point here is not the buildings," Dunn said. "The most important point is that this enables us to create and expand on our ability to rehabilitate inmates and lower our recidivism, which supports the criminal justice reforms that have been going on in this state, prepares inmates to go back into society so that they are productive citizens and don't come back into the department. And then, we believe that it will stabilize the rising cost of corrections."

Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, who has led prison reform efforts in the Legislature, said new prison space has to be part of the long-term plan. Ward said he does not expect sentencing and parole reforms to reduce the prison population much below 20,000.

Ward said he hopes the governor calls a special session to consider the prison plan, because he said the issue needs to be isolated. He also said critics of the plan have valid concerns that need to be addressed.

"That's a lot of money to borrow," Ward said. "And even though you're not taking on any new taxes or anything to pay for it, it's still a lot of money and you want to make sure it's going to be used in the right way."
Three people were killed and four children critically injured as powerful thunderstorms and possible tornadoes swept across much of Alabama late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

Many structures were also damaged following the series of severe storms. Alabama Power said as of 7:30 a.m., there were 2,400 outages statewide. Of those, 2,100 in western areas, 200 in eastern, and 100 in Birmingham. The company warned that outages could increase as the storm moves east throughout the morning.

The Jackson County coroner's office has confirmed three deaths and multiple injuries in the Rosalie Community. The identities of the dead were not released. WAAY TV reports two females and a male were killed.

6AM Updated Severe Threat graphic. Threat has ended across the NW counties. #alwx pic.twitter.com/2KLcx5S8tX  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) November 30, 2016

The three killed in Jackson County were victims of a possible tornado near County Road 659 and Highway 71, the NWS reported. Macklin Baptist Church and Rosalie Plaza were completely destroyed.

Jackson County Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen told The Associated Press the three killed were all in a mobile home. Another person in the home was critically injured.

Harnen also said early Wednesday that there have been a number of other injuries and estimated that 16 to 20 structures in Jackson County have been destroyed.

Officials in nearby DeKalb County said the same possible tornado hit a closed day care center in the Ider community, injuring seven people, including three children.

"Those that were injured at the day care center had left their mobile home to seek shelter in the building," said Anthony Clifton, DeKalb County Emergency Management Director.

Clifton said 50 to 60 homes in the county had been damaged with about half of them destroyed.

Harnen said there were a number of other injuries and estimated that 16 to 20 structures in Jackson County have been destroyed. He could not give an exact number of injuries.

Harnen and Clifton said authorities were searching door to door before dawn Wednesday for any other damage and injuries.

NWS meteorologist Lauren Nash told AP there have been multiple reports of possible tornadoes across several counties in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Around 3 a.m., large hail was reported in Cullman.

Colbert County Emergency Management Agency said two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after a home was damaged on Underwood Mountain Road in Tuscumbia. The residents were entrapped in the home until they were rescued by the local fire department.

Ider Christian Daycare Academy also wiped out completely pic.twitter.com/RwiZrk1oYc  Jake Berent (@JakeBerent) November 30, 2016

No residents were injured after a roof and porch were blown off a Franklin County home. The residence was located in the Frankfort Community on County Road 84 and Lost Creek Road, according to Franklin County EMA.

A daycare destroyed in Ider during storms. Family owned it, took shelter there b/c they lived in mobile home. More on @WHNT. #valleywx pic.twitter.com/nYfBW4GKTQ  Michelle Stark (@mstarktweets) November 30, 2016

A trained spotter in Lamar County witnessed a tornado go across Buck Jackson Road and Morris Road, according to the NWS. Numerous trees fell on the roadway as the tornado traveled right in front of the spotter. A Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy confirmed a tornado crossed Interstate 22 at mile marker 29.

Also in Marion County, roofs were peeled off homes on Cagle Road in northeast Brilliant and a mobile home was severely damaged. A motel in Guin lost its roof, and a barn was damaged according to EMA Director Jimmy Mills. Power lines and trees are also down on Highway 129 and Sawmill Road.

Just after midnight, a Marion County sheriff's deputy confirmed a tornado crossed Interstate 22 at mile marker 29. Also in Marion County, there are reports of trees and power lines down on Alabama Highway 253..

At 9:30 p.m., Madison County EMA received reports of structural damage to homes in the Ryland community located east of Huntsville. The Madison County Sheriff's Office has made a command post at Central School. Capt. Michael Salomonsky said the school building did not receive any damage during the storm, but some homes near the school were severely damaged.

The American Red Cross is taking care of families either displaced by the storm or living without power at Madison County High School, Salomonsky said.

Several homes in the Neel community in Morgan County have experienced some roof damage, Morgan County EMA said. Director Eddie Hicks said displaced individuals are going to a volunteer fire station located at 116 Kirby Bridge Road in Danville for shelter.

According to preliminary storm reports, trees and power lines are down along County Road 946 in Crane Hill in Cullman, a power pole was blown across Oakwood Avenue in Huntsville and two people were trapped in their storm shelter due to fallen trees in Morgan City, which is located in Marshall County.

In Winston County, there were reports at 12:25 a.m. Wednesday of car ports collapsing and roofs being blown off sheds. Cows were also roaming the area after fences were damaged by strong winds.

In northwest Alabama, Florence Police are asking drivers to avoid Tennessee Street in the area of Locust Street due to flooding. Water is beginning to recede, but more storms are expected to come from the west, police said on Facebook.

#weather Avoid Tennessee Street in the area of Locust Street. Road covered by as much as 2' of water. Also, we are... Posted by Florence Alabama Police Department on Tuesday, November 29, 2016

As numerous tornado warnings were issued across the state, the NWS tried to describe the storm's power through social media.

Storm spotter observed a tornado go across the road in front of him, with numerous trees down. This tornado is DANGEROUS!! #alwx  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) November 30, 2016

#alwx #bmxwx @spann Just heard a deputy from Marion Co saying he was "seeing the tornado go over" & transmission dropped out!  JohnTalbot (@JohnTalbot) November 30, 2016

Tornado watches remained in place in parts of Alabama until 10 a.m. as some school systems delayed opening. Wednesday morning, a flash flood warning was issued for Cullman, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan counties.

In Hale County, there were reports around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning of downed trees blocking county road 12 between Faunsdale and Newbern.

Around 7 a.m., Trooper Curtis Summerville said many of the roadways throughout North Alabama are covered with debris including tree limbs, downed power lines, and flying debris. There are currently no reported road closings. Because there may still be standing water in some areas, Summerville said troopers encourage motorists to slow down, drive with extreme caution, and monitor advisories. To report traffic crashes or other emergencies to state troopers, dial *HP (*47).

In Jefferson County, troopers said around 8:15 a.m. there was an two-vehicle crash with injuries and partial road blockage on I-459 southbound, located at mile marker 23. Troopers said to use caution while driving in the area.

To read more about the weather, click here.

This post will be updated as more information is released.

AL.com reporter Ivana Hrynkiw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The mayor of Brighton has declared an Emergency Evacuation of a mobile home park in the small western Jefferson County city in preparation of severe weather forecast for later tonight.

Mayor Brandon Dean issued the evacuation for the Holiday Mobile Home Park on Bessemer Super Highway, where the majority of the residents are Hispanic. He said the mobile home park sits on a creekside and is in a flood plain. The area often experiences damage and destruction from weather events not near as serious as storms expected to move in Tuesday evening.

"In the past, the people who live in this community - where English is their second language - have not been afforded any notice,'' Dean said. "In the past, there has been heavy damage and even loss of life. We're hoping to get the entire community out."

The National Weather Service is warning of the potential for what it called "significant" severe weather tonight in parts of Alabama. Rain and a few storms will be possible through the afternoon, but the main event is expected to develop this evening and last through the night. All modes of severe weather will be possible, including tornadoes, strong winds, hail and heavy rain.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed an enhanced risk of severe weather across the northwest corner of the state. More of the state has a slight risk, including the Huntsville, Decatur, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Mobile metro areas. A slight risk means scattered severe storms are possible.

Dean said he has put Fire Chief Sebastian Carrillo in charge of the emergency response, and they will have a translator on site. They are also translating Dean's Emergency Evacuation writing notice, and will be handing that out to school children to take home as well.

There are roughly 150 mobile homes in the park, and about 350 residents he said. Though the city doesn't have the authority to issue a mandatory evacuation, they are asking that the mobile home park residents move to the Brighton Senior Center at 4100 Main Street.

Brighton City Hall is closing at 4 p.m., and Brighton Middle School has cancelled after-school activities.

The mayor said anyone wanting to volunteer to help should come to the Brighton Senior Center or the Brighton Fire Department. They will be registering evacuees. If there is significant damage, there may be a need for food and other items in the future, he said.

"When there is a threat,'' Dean said, "we are going to do our best to deescalate it and take care of our most vulnerable citizens."
WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans are hoping to move quickly to confirm President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, but Democrats say they have concerns about Sen. Jeff Sessions' views on civil liberties, voting rights and immigration and are asking for time to review his decades of work as a senator and federal prosecutor.

Sessions met Tuesday with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the first time a Trump Cabinet nominee has made the customary courtesy call on Capitol Hill.

At the meeting, Grassley said he hopes to hold a confirmation hearing before Trump's inauguration Jan. 20, setting Sessions up for a quick vote once Trump is president. The Alabama Republican sits on Grassley's committee and is expected to win confirmation in the GOP-controlled Senate.

"I think everybody knows that he's going to give even-handed law enforcement as the nation's top law enforcement officer," Grassley said.

Some committee Democrats aren't so sure.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who will be the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel next year, noted that Trump has in the past referred to "my attorney general" when speaking about the office.

"There's no such thing as a president's attorney general," Feinstein said. "You're attorney general on behalf of the people, not the president."

Feinstein and other Democrats on the panel have pressed for several days of hearings to review Sessions' long record. Over the past three decades he has served as a federal prosecutor, attorney general for Alabama and senator.

Led by Feinstein, Democrats on the committee sent Grassley a letter Monday noting that former Sen. John Ashcroft had several days of hearings when he was nominated and eventually confirmed as attorney general under President George W. Bush. They called for a "fair and thorough" hearing on Sessions.

Still, Democrats have little power to block the nominee after their own party changed the rules in 2013 and curbed filibusters on presidential nominations. Previous presidents have needed 60 votes to confirm many of their nominees, but all of Trump's nominees -- save for the Supreme Court -- will only need a majority. Republicans are expected to hold 52 seats in the Senate next year.

Democrats haven't yet said whether they will focus on racially charged allegations that derailed Sessions' bid to become a federal judge in 1986. That year, the GOP-controlled Judiciary Committee voted against confirming him after he was accused of making the remarks while U.S. attorney in Alabama. Sessions later withdrew from consideration.

Feinstein said she didn't know yet if Democrats would call some of the same witnesses who testified against Sessions 30 years ago.

Sessions has made "a whole lot of remarks on a whole lot of things since then," said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the current top Democrat on the panel.

Sessions has consistently been one of the most conservative voices on the Judiciary Committee, and is known for his support of tough immigration enforcement policies. He has said the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department provides benefit but should not be used as "a sword to assert inappropriate claims that have the effect of promoting political agendas." And he has given some prominence to the specter of voting fraud, a problem that current Justice Department leadership believes is negligible.

"I think Sen. Sessions had a long and complex record that deserves to be fully reviewed," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. "There are areas that I think, based on recent developments and some of Donald Trump's statements in his presidential campaign, that we should all be paying attention to, not least of which is the protection of civil rights and civil liberties."

Another committee Democrat, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, said he is concerned about Sessions' record on voting rights and immigration reform. He said Sessions' nomination is important "in real as well as in symbolic terms about where the administration goes and what its enforcement will be to ensure that people have civil rights and civil liberties."

Blumenthal said Democrats will need to engage the public to develop opposition.

"We'll be as persuasive as possible in what we say about it, hoping to reach and arouse as many people as possible," he said.

Republicans are confident that Sessions will be confirmed. Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate and a member of the Judiciary Committee, said "those of us who have worked with Jeff Sessions know Jeff Sessions."

He doubts the hearing will be several days long.

"I think they'd run out of questions after about the first couple of hours," Cornyn said of the Democrats.
Governor Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency in Alabama after storms ripped across the state last night, killing at least three.

Bentley on Thursday will visit three of the counties affected by the severe weather -- Ider, Rosalie and Arley.

Severe weather Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning damaged homes and structures in 12 counties, including Colbert, Cullman, Dekalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, and Winston.

According to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, 20 homes were destroyed in Jackson County and at least 46 others were damaged. The three deaths also occurred in Jackson County, near County Road 659 and Highway 71.

Four children were injured in the thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. There were multiple injuries in the Rosalie community.

Officials in DeKalb County said a possible tornado hit a closed day care center in the Ider community, injuring seven people, including three children. "Those that were injured at the day care center had left their mobile home to seek shelter in the building," said Anthony Clifton, DeKalb County Emergency Management Director.

"The people of Alabama have already suffered because of this week's severe weather and we are experiencing more today," Bentley said in the state of emergency. "This State of Emergency will activate state agencies to assist communities in whatever way necessary, to ensure our people get the help they need. Tomorrow I will travel to affected parts of the state to survey the damage and ensure people have the resources they need following these storms."

According to the governor's office, there are currently more than 10,000 homes without power.

Four airplanes were damaged or destroyed at the Lamar County Airport, north of Vernon. Two hangars were also destroyed. In Guin, there was severe damage to the Relax Inn.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said tornado watches for Chambers, Lee, Macon, Bullock, and Pike counties were canceled. The watch is still effective for Barbour and Russell counties.
Rain from Monday night's storms wasn't enough to lift the state's burn ban, but Alabama Forestry Commission officials said the downpour from tonight and tomorrow will provide some temporary relief.

The ban has been in place since Gov. Robert Bentley signed the Drought Emergency 'No Burn' Order on Nov. 7, making it illegal to set fire to any trash, forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes. The penalty is up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $500.

Firefighters battled a historic number of fires Monday despite the storms. Gary Cole, interim state forester, said 108 fires torched 2,742 acres across the state. At least eight of those fires were larger than 100 acres. The largest fires include a 400-acre blaze in Marengo County, a 357-acre fire in Russell County, and a 235-acre fire in Jefferson County. Seven fires in Wilcox County burned more than 700 acres alone, Cole said.

"Most of us veteran firefighters here don't remember that many fires in one day," Cole said. "Not only was the number of wildfires higher, but they were also larger in size."

Over 15,000 acres of Alabama land was consumed in a total of 1,074 wildfires in the last 30 days. Bentley thanked the commission for its effort.

"Because of their efforts, wildfires in Alabama have been prevented from doing extensive damage," Bentley said. "Their commitment to protecting life, property and wildlife does not go unnoticed."

Another round of storms is expected to sweep across the state Tuesday night. Cole said officials will reconsider lifting the ban depending on the amount of precipitation.

"The precipitation we received should temporarily help us with the wildfire situation and hopefully more rain is on the way," Cole said. "This reprieve will allow firefighters some much needed rest, as well as an opportunity to perform equipment repairs and maintenance."
State Rep. Oliver Robinson of Birmingham is retiring from his legislative seat so his daughter can serve as House liaison for Gov. Robert Bentley, Robinson announced in a press release.

Robinson, a Democrat, has represented District 58 in the House since 1998.

Robinson said he made the decision after consulting with family.

He said he thought it could cause his daughter, Amanda Robinson, problems in her new job if he continued to serve in the House.

"This is why I'm retiring now to give my child every opportunity to succeed," Robinson said in the press release.

Robinson thanked voters and his colleagues and staff at the House. He was halfway through his fifth four year-term.

Bentley will set a date for a special election to fill the House vacancy.
A line of strong to severe storms was still crawling across Alabama on Wednesday afternoon.

As of noon the line was approaching the Auburn-Opelika area and was affecting Mobile to the southwest.

Other storms had developed in front of the main line in southeast Alabama, and the weather service was watching them closely because the atmosphere was so unstable there.

The main line was sagging to the southeast, while the individual storms were moving northeast.

National Weather Service offices in both Huntsville and Birmingham have issued multiple tornado warnings overnight.

Several people have been reportedly killed by storms overnight.

One tornado watch was in effect in the state. The watch covers parts of central and south Alabama and will be in effect until 5 p.m.:

11:07am CST #SPC_Watch WW 513 TORNADO AL FL GA CW 301705Z - 302300Z, https://t.co/v1ys69jjWf pic.twitter.com/tsteRrRy8Y  NWS SPC (@NWSSPC) November 30, 2016

Strong to severe storms will still be possible this afternoon, and isolated tornadoes can't be ruled out.

For central Alabama, a limited threat of isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and hail will continue through the morning mainly south and east of a line from Gadsden to Selma, according to the weather service in Birmingham.

The severe weather threat should end for southeast parts of central Alabama by 3 p.m.

For southwest Alabama, the weather service in Mobile was watching the line of storms closely as it moved southward and had issued a few severe thunderstorm warnings.

1220PM Continuing to watch bowing segment in the main line and discrete cells ahead of the line pic.twitter.com/PXiaZ9Mt92  NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) November 30, 2016

Forecasters said a low-end tornado threat would be possible over the area as the storms arrive. Damaging wind gusts could also accompany the stronger storms.

Heavy rain was also expected, with 1-2 inches possible across southwest Alabama.

A few severe storms will be possible this afternoon in southeast Alabama as well:

A few severe thunderstorms are possible today, mainly in FL Panhandle & southeast AL. Main threats: damaging winds & isolated tornadoes. pic.twitter.com/GbSpGv94Ep  NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) November 30, 2016

The weather service office in Tallahassee said the main threats to southeast Alabama will be high winds and isolated tornadoes.

The weather service offices in both Huntsville and Birmingham have sent storm survey teams out to look at damage and determine how many tornadoes touched down overnight. Those results will be released throughout the day, but two EF-2 tornadoes and two EF-1 tornadoes have already been confirmed.

The stormy weather is expected to come to an end as the line pushes through during the day.
Amara Alexander sat in the back of the cafeteria, part of a ring of teachers keep watch over their students during an assembly called for a reason she really didn't know.

The teachers at Horizon Elementary School in Madison were told in a faculty meeting that Michael Sentance, the new state superintendent, would be on campus for a tour. Then there was this strange assembly.

As the assembly proceeded, Alexander learned it was to recognize a special teacher at the school by the Milken Educator Awards. And then she learned that recognition included a $25,000 award for the teacher.

Then Alexander heard her name called. She was the special teacher. She was getting the $25,000.

She was stunned.

"I was in shock," Alexander said. "Very surprised. Ecstatic and very humbled and grateful that the Milken Foundation thought that I was a superb enough teacher one of these prestigious awards."

Indeed, all the secrecy was by design as Milken brought in its own videographer and photographer to capture the excitement.

But amid the excitement and surprise was a thread of familiarity. Alexander's mother, Tammy Alexander, received the award in 1998. And her mom was there, along with nine other former Milken winners in Alabama, to welcome their newest member.

As Amara worked her way to the stage through the students sitting on the floor, she saw her mother and moved even faster before they crashed together in a lasting hug.

"It's pretty cool when it's you," Amara's mother said, "but the feeling is way better when it's your child."

Tammy said she did not know her daughter was the winner until Jane Foley, senior vice president for the Milken awards, made the announcement.

Amara Alexander is the only Alabama teacher this year to be recognized by the Milken Foundation. Nationwide, the foundation recognized 35 educators this year.

Amara teaches sixth grade science at Horizon and said she tries to make her classes upbeat and exciting for students, even employing music into her teacher curriculum.

"Science is the future of education," Alexander said. "In my classroom, I try to excite my students about science and I just put my own spin on it. We enjoy singing, we enjoy hands-on activities. I just try to make my classroom very engaging."

Amara Alexander attended Buckhorn High School in New Market and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Alabama A&M University in 2007 and 2010, respectively.

The event brought out Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Madison County Commission Chair Dale Strong and commissioner Steve Haraway.

The Milken Educator Awards, created by the Milken Family Foundation, recognizes teachers, administrators and specialists around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and the promise of what they will accomplish, the foundation said.

Candidates for the award are sourced through a confidential selection process and reviewed by blue ribbon panels appointed by state departments of education, according to the foundation.
Moore Kathy_edited.jpg

Kathy Settle Moore

(Madison County Jail)

An Alabama woman has been indicted on a felony charge in Madison County after a Department of Labor investigation determined she fraudulently received unemployment benefits.

Kathy Settle Moore, 59, of Huntsville, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the Class C felony.

Moore is accused of fraudulently receiving $2,068 in unemployment payments by falsely reporting that she wasn't working, said Madison County Assistant District Attorney Rebekah Callahan, the prosecutor on the case.

"It's not a widespread issue," Callahan said. "We get maybe 20 cases a year. It's not something we see regularly like theft or something like that."

Tara Hutchison, communications director for the Alabama Department of Labor, said she couldn't comment specifically on Moore's case but explained how fraud generally is investigated.

"Typically what happens in these criminal cases is someone gets a job but continues to draw unemployment," Hutchison said.

Alabama Department of Labor

So far in 2016, there are 203 court cases in Alabama associated with $692,817 that's owed back to the DOL, Hutchison said. She noted, however, those instances occur only in a small percentage of unemployment claims. From January to August, the ADOL paid out $130,531,934 in unemployment benefits.

In most fraud convictions the defendants are ordered to pay restitution for the amount of the fraudulent benefits received.

People receiving unemployment benefits are required to "certify" each week online or by phone. That means they must indicate whether they are still unemployed and looking for work, or if they have found a job.

"If you get a job, you are supposed to report that and stop drawing," Hutchison said.

Typically fraud cases are discovered when employers send in a report every three months listing all of their workers and their social security numbers, Hutchison said.

"If there's a problem with what's reported, our investigators go in and try to determine what is going on -- whether it's actual fraud or an over payment or other overlap," she said.

Employers also are required to report new hires within 10 days, and failing to do so can result in a $25 fine for each instance.

"The employers don't get prosecuted, but it's really important for them to report the new hires," Hutchison said. "It helps us catch fraud in a more timely manner."

To report new hires, click here.

People are considered unemployed when they aren't working but are available work and seeking a job.

To qualify for benefits, they must certify that they are applying for jobs that fit their skill sets. Those receiving benefits also use a state career link system or visit career centers to help them find jobs.

Anyone who suspects unemployment fraud is asked to call the anonymous hotline at 1-800-392-8019 or send an email to TipHotline@labor.alabama.gov.

A suspect is indicted if a grand jury determines prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. An indictment is a formal notice of charges against the defendant.

Moore was indicted in March, but she wasn't arrested on the warrant until this past weekend. She was released from the Madison County Jail Sunday on $3,000 bail. Court records do not reflect a court date or defense attorney.
iStock/Thinkstock(HAVANA) -- Despite being an island largely cut off from much of the world due to a decades-long embargo, Cuba has managed to build a robust health system that has been credited with some major medical advancements in recent years.



A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that despite the country's limited resources, it had created a system that many other countries, including a few developed countries, might envy.



"Few can match Cubas record of 98 percent full immunization by the age of 2 years, vaccinating children against 13 illnesses; antenatal care for 95 percent of pregnant women by the end of their first trimester with rates of infant mortality less than 5 per 1000 births; and chronic disease control, including at least yearly blood pressure measurements for almost the entire population," the study authors wrote.



With Cuba back in the headlines after Fidel Castro's death on Friday, here's a look at a few of the country's medical successes:



First to Eliminate HIV Transmission From Mother to Child



In 2015, the World Health Organization recognized Cuba as the first country to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child.



Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible, Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said at the time. This is a major victory in our long fight against HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and an important step towards having an AIDS-free generation.



The WHO and the Pan American Health Organization had been working with Cuba since 2010 to improve "access to prenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing for both pregnant women and their partners, treatment for women who test positive and their babies, cesarean deliveries and substitution of breastfeeding,"



Dr. C. William Keck, the former director of health for the City of Akron and lead author of the 2012 study, pointed out that though the government has limited resources, a relentless focus on preventative care has helped improve health outcomes for many in the country.



"With a few exceptions, it's somewhere around 99 plus percent, [Cubans] are seen at least once a year and probably twice [by their doctor]," said Keck.



Low Infant Mortality Rates



Cuba's infant mortality rate has dramatically lowered to less than 5 per 1,000 births, according to the 2012 study. That is just under the 2014 rate in the U.S. of 5.82 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



In part, the improved outcomes came as Cuba increasingly focused on preventive care according to Keck. He explained that in the mid-1980s, the Cuban government decided to focus on preventative care to keep the residents healthy and started a program to get every Cuban easily accessible health care.



"They were able to put together a preventative-oriented primary care system that reaches every Cuban," Keck explained. "Every Cuban has access to a physician and nurse team."



Keck said doctors and nurses often visit patients at home and are responsible for whole communities so that they can better understand the health problems and risks their patients face.



Devleopment of a Lung Cancer Vaccine



One byproduct of the improved relations between the U.S. and Cuba is the exchange of needed medications. Last year, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, started work to bring an innovative lung cancer vaccine called "Cimavax" to the U.S.



The drug was developed by Cuba's Center for Molecular Immunology and is currently has been approved for a phase I safety and efficacy testing in the U.S. by the FDA. In a Cuba-based trial with 405 total lung cancer patients, those who were given the drug lived on average about three months longer than those who didn't.



Keck said the embargo likely helped spur development as the island was cut off from American-owned medical suppliers.



"The problems continued to worsen to Cuba [in recent years]," Keck said. "They made this huge investment in biotech and now Cuba has 24 research institutions and 58 manufacturing facilities."



Since the government controls all development in the communist country, it has more latitude to put resources in medications without worrying as much about profitability, according to Keck.



"This closed-loop approach is one that asks, 'What are our major public health problems and what can we do with the limited resources to address them?'" said Keck.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Missille home.JPG

A missile found outside this New Hope home was determined to be nonexplosive.

A device discovered outside a north Alabama home has been identified as a nonexplosive missile by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The missile is being transported by the Army to Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and investigators are trying to determine to whom it belongs, said FBI spokesman Paul Daymond.

"The best and most important news is that it was not explosive; it was inert," Daymond said.

Residents of the neighborhood surrounding the home on the 400 block of College Street in New Hope have been returned to their homes after the area was evacuated Monday afternoon. New Hope is a town in Madison County with fewer than 3,000 residents.

No arrests have been made, and FBI officials declined to say whether any charges are expected to be filed.

New Hope police began investigating what they believed to be an explosive device after fire officials saw the missile lying on the ground next to an illegal fire.

New Hope Officer Timothy Garrett said the small brush fire burning behind the home was illegal because Madison county remains under a previously issued statewide burn ban. The ban was issued because of drought conditions across the state.

Eddie Thomas, who lives two doors down from where the missile was found, described the situation as "a little strange."

"I'm just glad they got it gone," Thomas said.

Further details about the missile were unavailable, but Daymond said it is not believed to be a military device.

He said authorities believe it may have been manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- A former space shuttle commander has pleaded not guilty in a fatal wreck that killed two girls in Alabama.

Court records show 60-year-old James Halsell Jr. entered the written plea last week. The former astronaut is charged with reckless murder in a crash that killed two girls riding in a car near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in June.

Authorities say they suspect alcohol was a factor. But Halsell's lawyers filed a document in a civil lawsuit blaming the other driver for failing to yield.

Halsell was arrested after the wreck killed 11-year-old Niomi James and 13-year-old Jayla Parler. He was on probation at the time after receiving a DUI ticket in 2014.

Documents show the Huntsville man is free on bond and is next due in court for a hearing in March.
classroom

(File Photo)

The following schools have announced delays due to the severe weather that swept across the state Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning:

Blount County Schools are operating on a two-hour delay.

Ider School in DeKalb County has been dismissed today due to storm damage in the area and loss of power, according to the county EMA. All other DeKalb County Schools are on a three-hour delay.

Colbert County Schools delayed until 10 a.m. due to fallen trees.

Both Cullman County Schools and Cullman City Schools will have a two-hour delay Wednesday morning.

Guntersville City Schools are delayed until 10 a.m.

In Madison County, Central School, Madison County Elementary School and Madison County High School will also have a two-hour delay.

Jackson County Schools will be delayed for three hours on Wednesday. A second announcement from the district will go out at 8:30 a.m. regarding the remainder of the school day and potential school closings including Rosalie, where three people are confirmed dead.

Oneonta City Schools will begin at 10 a.m. with the buses running at 9 a.m.

Wallace State will delay classes until 10 a.m.

UPDATE: Jackson County (AL) School System will be closed today, Wednesday, November 30, 2016. 1. Jackson County... Posted by Bart Reeves on Wednesday, November 30, 2016

This post will be updated as more schools make announcements on delays or closings.

AL.com reporter Ivana Hrynkiw contributed to this report.
Recovery efforts are underway after severe storms killed three people and injured several others - including four children - in Alabama.

The deaths occurred in the Rosalie community of Jackson County. Other counties experienced significant damage including downed trees and power lines and destruction of homes and businesses.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham sent out two survey teams this morning to assess damage across Pickens, Lamar, Marion, Fayette and Winston counties. NWS later announced four tornadoes have been confirmed across Central Alabama - in north Pickens County, at the Lamar County Airport and in the Helicon,Arley, Ashridge area.

The National Weather Service Center in Huntsville said preliminary reports show three additional tornadoes in North Alabama. EF-2 tornadoes hit Franklin and Colbert counties, northeast Madison County and DeKalb and Jackson counties. Surveys are still being conducted in northwest Morgan, Marshall and Cullman counties.

At 11:30 a.m., Alabama Power said as many as 6,500 people were without power, mostly in the western part of the state. About 10,000 people remain without power statewide.

How you can help

Rosalie Rescue Squad

The Rosalie Rescue Squad is seeking donations of the following supplies: tarps, nails, hammers, water, Gatorade/Powerade and soup or chili to feed volunteers. Donations can be taken to the Rescue Squad building at 15578 Highway 71, Pisgah, AL 35765.

Flint Ridge Farm in Huntsville

Flint Ridge Farm in Huntsville was hit by the storm, damaging one barn and destroying another. The horse riding facility's indoor arena was demolished.

None of the horses at the facility were injured.

Flint Ridge Farm has started a GoFundMe page to support rebuilding efforts.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army of Chattanooga is assisting in Jackson County, Alabama.

In addition to providing food to rescue crews, Salvation Army pastoral crews are heading into the hardest-hit areas.

Monetary assistance is needed. You can donate at csarmy.org, 1-800-Sal-Army, or text TNSTORMS to 41444. Earmark donations for November Storms.

Ivy Green Apartment fire

A Go Fund Me account has been set up by the Eta Rho chapter of Sigma Chi at the University of North Alabama to assist the victims of the Ivy Green Apartment Complex fire. The Florence complex was hit by lightning during Tuesday night's storm. You can donate here.
A Spanish artist has turned his living room into a museum cafe in a key battleground city of the Cuban revolution.

Santa Clara, Cuba  When Mariano Gil de Vena first came to Cuba to study the effects of the US blockade on the civilian population, he thought he would stay for ten days. Twenty-two years later, he is still here  and has turned his living room into a museum and cafe dedicated to the Cuban Revolution.

Gil de Vena, an artist from Spain, says while he is saddened by Fidel Castros death, more important than the mans physical presence are his ideas. Just like Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus, and other great leaders, Fidels legacy will live on, Gil de Vena argues.

Jesus lived 2,000 years ago, only for some 33 years, and he changed the whole world, he says. The important thing is the soul of the revolution.

Unlike the Cuban revolutionaries, Gil de Vena does not label himself a communist, and is not an atheist. In fact, he has a strong Catholic faith  something he thinks aligns well with the Cuban system.

Solidarity, looking after the poor and your neighbours. That is Cuba. If you call that Communist Party X Party or ABC Party, it doesnt matter. Its about the morality, about what the government is trying to do.

While there is still widespread poverty in the country, Gil de Vena praises the Cuban system of free healthcare and free education. That the government has managed to achieve this despite international sanctions and without natural resources is nothing short of a miracle, he says.

The world needs a new political system and for me, Fidel is the beginning of that, Gil de Vena says in the cafe, where the walls are covered in pictures, medals and paintings. The mostly foreign visitors enjoy the typical Cuban fare of cocktails, coffee and sandwiches.

One of Gil de Venas favourite photographs is one in which Cubas current leader, Raul Castro, stands between Che Guevara and Fidel, looking up to his elder brother.

Other centrepieces of the museum are documents that Che and Fidel signed after the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batista, thanking the people of Santa Clara for their support in the battle.

Just days after revolutionaries led by Che captured the city in December 1958, Batista fled the country and Fidels forces declared victory.

The city now houses the Che Guevara mausoleum, and his iconic face can be seen on building walls as well as in sandwich shops and pharmacies. Following Fidels death, Cuban flags and those of his July 26 movement, along with signs saying Gracias Fidel, are dotted across the city.

Born under Francos military dictatorship in Spain, Gil de Vena describes himself as a lucky man, having experienced different political systems. When he was an adolescent, Spain adopted a system of monarchy and democracy  which Gil de Vena describes as an impossible marriage. And now, he lives in what he calls the last working socialist country.

He has no plans to return to Europe, unless the ongoing change turns Cuba into just another capitalist country.

Fidel passed away on Friday at the age of 90, after years of declining health.

Eliel Santos Mendoza, who works behind the bar in Gil de Venas cafe, says that while his death was something Cubans had been prepared for for a long time, it still came as a shock.

He was not just a president. He was much more, an inspiration for millions of people, the 24-year-old says. He was like a father of our country.
While it is difficult to predict what will be the breaking news of the upcoming month, the United Nations, and various communities around the world have marked their calendars in December to remember, and in some occasions, celebrate a number of recurring events and anniversaries. Here are a few of them.

World days

On Wednesday, December 2 , the UN marks the Day for the Abolition of Slavery. Although slavery was officially abolished worldwide in 1981, millions of people around the world still suffer. Modern slavery today is manifested in the form of forced prostitution, human trafficking, bonded slavery, and more.

On Saturday, December 10 , the UN commemorates the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, recognising equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

The first article of the declaration is that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

This year, the Human Rights Day slogan is Stand up for someones rights today, encouraging individuals and organisations everywhere to take a stand against human right violations they observe.

See Al Jazeeras coverage of human rights issues around the globe and the stories behind those suffering, and the movements fighting to bring an end to human rights abuses still rampant in so many corners of the world, and those who work to nurture tolerance and compassion for those most in need.

The UN also call for the observance of the following:

World Aids Day on December 1

The Aids epidemic is estimated to be growing at a rate of 7,500 infections  for young women aged 15-24 alone  every week. Even though HIV is preventable, the UN report highlights a preventions gap in Africa.

Read more from Al Jazeeras coverage of the Aids epidemic and the global efforts to combat the disease.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3

In the United States, more than 200,000 people with disabilities work for subminimum wages, according to the US Department of Labor. With the Day of Persons with Disabilities Day, the UN aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and encouraging greater inclusion for persons with disabilities.





World Soil Day, International Volunteer Day on December 5





On Monday, December 5, the World Soil Day will be celebrated at the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome and in other regional offices. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of the soil on the foods that we eat every day and of climate change.

Read Al Jazeeras coverage of environmental news:

INTERACTIVE: Lungs of the Earth

WATCH: Irans water crisis

On International Volunteer Day, Ban Ki-moon invites the global community to renew our determination to offer strength and inspiration to others through volunteerism.

READ MORE: Volunteers leave Greek island after attacks on refugees

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: Kashmir, volunteers help the injured and needy

International Civil Aviation Day on December 7

Proclaimed in 1996 by the United Nations General Assembly, the Civil Aviation Day marks the anniversary of the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed in 1944 for coordinating and regulating international air travel, which, among other things, calls on every state to refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.





Find out more about the latest plane crash in Colombia.

Interactive Timeline  Major air disasters

International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9

With ongoing news of corruption scandals , it is estimated that corruption is the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development around the world. The Anti-Corruption Day promoted by the UN calls on people to denounce corruption everywhere they observe it.

Exclusive: Uncovering corruption in the Maldives





International Migrants Day on December 18

There is an important distinction between economic migrants, and refugees. Refugees have to flee for their lives because of a war, for example, not just seeking a better economic opportunity.

The International Migrants Day is a reminder of those that lost their lives on the way between borders, or at the borders themselves.

From fleeing for their lives and making perilous journeys to places far away and unknown, to stories of triumph, Al Jazeera has followed the journeys of those who have been uprooted, seeking safety or opportunity.

RELATED: Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean migrants

INTERACTIVE: The refugee crisis beyond Europe

Religious festivities

In December this year, Muslims around the world will commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohamed, born in 570 AD.

Because the date of his birth is marked on the Hijri lunar calendar, it occurs on a different date every year in the Gregorian calendar, like other Muslim holidays . Also known as Mawlid, this year the anniversary is expected on Sunday, December 11, and is generally a public holiday in many Muslim-majority countries, such as Jordan , Pakistan and Malaysia.

On December 25, Christians around the world will celebrate the Christmas festival marking the birth of Jesus in year 0 BCE. Some eastern churches mark the birth of Jesus on January 6.

Just before Christmas day is the Winter solstice, on Wednesday, December 21. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, delivering the fewest hours of sunshine on the day.

National days

On Wednesday, December 7, the US will mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in which the US remembers the day in 1947 in which the Japanese military carried a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Consequently, the US declared war on Japan and entered into World War II .

On a happier note, in the Gulf region, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will be celebrating their national days on December 2 and December 18, respectively.

On Friday, December 2, the UAE marks the unification of the seven emirates and the founding of the country in 1971. On Sunday, December 18 Qatar marks the day in which its modern state was founded in 1878 .

This years celebration comes amid falling oil revenues for the region, reminding the world of the 2009 financial hardship.

In Africa , Kenya and Libya will celebrate their independence.

On Monday, December 12 Kenya marks its independence from the British in 1963. On Saturday, December 24, Libya marks its independence from British-French control in 1951.





End of 2016

At the end of December, on Saturday, December 31 people around the world celebrate the end of the year 2016, and the beginning of a new year at midnight of Sunday, January 1, 2017.

For 2017, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had asked the UN to declare 2017 to be the end of the Israeli occupation .
London, England  Although originally from Bergen in Norway, Viv Askeland has lived in London since 1979. After her marriage broke up, she found herself living on the streets of the capital for six years.

Everybody has a different story, she says. It can be a lost job, the breakdown of a relationship, losing a house  Anything can send people on a downward slope from which they end up homeless.

Mike OHaras story is quite different. He had enjoyed a successful career as a senior manager in facilities management until the economic recession hit in 2008. He lost his job and, two months later, his house.

I decided to go to to Vietnam to ride out the recession, he says. I found teaching work there. Things were going well but then I became seriously ill and was hospitalised.

After two months in hospital OHara lost that job and was left with a huge medical bill that cost him all his savings. He returned to the UK penniless. Denied social security benefits because he had been out of the country for more than two years, OHara was left homeless.

But, in recent years, Askeland and OHara have found new, if unusual, work which has helped them to get their lives back on track and to put roofs over their heads. Both work for Unseen Tours  a social enterprise through which homeless and formerly homeless people offer Londons tourists an alternative street-level tour of the city.
Chomsky and Zizek clashed on voting in the US elections, but the views of both are critically flawed.

The torturous course and calamitous consequence of the 2016 United States presidential election is bound to sustain a critical course of reflections for quite some time to come  and quite rightly so.

The disproportionately dangerous power of the occupant of the White House and the fact that the peace and sanity of the world at large is very much contingent on a reasonable and sane person to occupy that office requires continued reflections on what is happening in this country and its perilously volatile political culture.

In two consecutive conversations with Al Jazeeras Mehdi Hasan, two prominent critical thinkers with a global audience have reflected closely on their respective views on the course and consequence of this presidential election.





In a conversation with British Channel 4 aired just before the US election Slavoj Zizek had said he would vote for Trump, for it will be a kind of big awakening. New political processes will be set in motion, a point he reiterated later after the election in his interview with Mehdi Hasan.

On the opposite side, the distinguished American linguist and critical thinker Noam Chomsky restated his pre-election position in a conversation with Hassan and famously said leftists who didnt vote for Hillary Clinton to block Trump made a bad mistake.

Chomsky then targeted Zizek and compared him with those intellectuals who had welcomed Hitler. Whereas in his pre-election position Chomsky had wisely encouraged voting for Clinton in swing states, in his post-election Al Jazeera interview he evidently dispensed with any such stipulation and categorically denounced those who had not voted for Clinton as immoral.

Arcane views collide

To be sure, both Zizek and Chomsky were and remain highly critical of Clinton. However, the former thinks voting for Trump would expedite the necessary changes he as a leftist yearns for, while Chomsky believes such acts, or even not voting for Clinton, let alone voting for Trump, would be morally reprehensible and politically flawed, for one should always opt for lesser of two evils.

Both these positions are politically flawed and misguided, morally obtuse and insular, both entirely oblivious of what actually has happened in this presidential election.





The fact is that the American political culture today has reached an historic crossroads where the crude cosmetic liberalism of the deeply corrupt Democratic Party must either be swept away to clear the way for far more radical changes offered by Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein or else the proto-fascism of Trump will destroy any semblance of democracy left in this country.

While it is neither surprising nor strange why Zizek is entirely oblivious to such facts, it is both curious and disappointing that Chomsky does not see this, even after the calamitous results of this election are clear for all to see.

In the encounter between Zizek and Chomsky, as a result, we have two opposing but equally stale and arcane views: one is to vote for Trump while the other is to vote for Clinton.

OPINION: Donald Trump as a monkey wrench

One is meant irresponsibly to stir things up, hoping they might get better, and the other equally irresponsibly meant to sustain the status quo for fear of fascism  both out to lunch as to the factual evidence that people have either made a judicious decision to vote for Clinton in swing states and refrain from voting for that corrupt warmonger in solidly blue states, or else voted for Trump not because they are necessarily illiterate racists but to throw a monkey wrench at a deeply corrupt and heartless system that the flawed logic of lesser evil has historically sustained.

The choice of not voting for Clinton, which I among millions of other Sanders supporters made, was not out of any political piety to refrain from getting my hands dirty but to help put the factual evidence of a changing political culture electorally on the map. My not voting for Clinton in New York did not cost her anything  she won New York and all its electoral college counts.

From the comfort of an armchair in front of Mehdi Hasan it is of course easy to moralise about the lesser or greater evil. But not if you are at the receiving end of the US or Israeli military rage.

But it did deny her diehard supporters from counting me among her popular vote and thus sustain their dangerous delusion that she is really a very popular politician or that the majority of American people are really on her side, as diehard liberal supporters of the nefarious Islamophobe Bill Maher such as Michael Moore is doing as I write.

Immoral choices meet abstract politics

In opting for Clinton or Trump, Chomsky and Zizek both avoid the crucial question of actual voters and how and why they voted the way they did, and are fixated on the abstract illusion of being on the left or right side of a vacuous argument.

Contrary to Chomskys high moral horse, it is immoral to vote for a corrupt warmonger who is partially responsible for a pernicious war that has destroyed the entire nation-state of Iraq and murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings, a close partner of Barack Obama in the nearly total destruction of Libya, and deeply in the pocket of the notorious Zionist billionaire supporter of racially profiling Muslims, Haim Saban, and therefore the closest bosom buddy of the nefarious Benjamin Netanyahu, and who as a result even more adamantly than Chomsky himself is dead against BDS, a peaceful act of civil disobedience against the murderous occupiers of Palestine.

From the comfort of an armchair in front of Mehdi Hasan it is of course easy to moralise about the lesser or greater evil. But not if you are at the receiving end of the US or Israeli military rage.

In Gaza, we arent mourning Clintons loss, rightly declares Yasmeen El Khoudary, a Palestinian from Gaza, and yet the august thinkers on either side of the Atlantic, too preoccupied with navel-gazing on who is more left in their own estimations, wonder why.

Hereby, I dedicate Trumps victory to every democracy-loving American senator  who gambled with our lives and futures in order to win more AIPAC votes. Shall we not add to the list of dedications that El Khoudary names critical thinkers on whose moral maps Palestine and the rest of the world do not appear when commanding us to choose between the lesser of two evils?

Closer to home

But we need not go all the way to Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Libya to see the absurdity of the lesser of two evils argument. Right here in the US far superior, far more critically intelligent, were positions beautifully articulated by towering critical thinkers such as Eddie S Glaude Jr, the chair of the Department of African-American Studies at Princeton University.

OPINION: In Gaza, we arent mourning Clintons loss

Glaudes argument was simple and principled: Perhaps the most persuasive reason to vote for Hillary Clinton is Donald Trump. Trump is worse. I know that. The prospects of a Trump presidency  what would be a deadly combination of arrogance and ignorance  ought to frighten anyone. It frightens me. But my daddy, a gruff man who has lived all of his life on the coast of Mississippi, taught me that fear should never be the primary motivation of my actions. It clouds your thinking, and all too often sends you running to either safe ground when something more daring is required, or smack into the danger itself.

If we do not heed the warnings of people such as El Khoudary and Glaude, those who write from experience and pain, not from useless speculations, and through them come to terms with the seismic changes now running amok in the US and around the globe, then the calamitous neoliberalism Chomsky scolds us to choose will surely end up with the neoconservative fascism that Zizek is wishing upon us all.

Hamid Dabashi is Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
White supremacy has been a useful tool to control the anger of the poor and vulnerable.

Hail Trump. Lugenpresse. Nazi salutes. The United States and the wider world reacted with shock when footage emerged of a fascist speech by the poster boy of the so-called alt-right movement, Richard Spencer, given right in the heart of Washington, DC.

Loaded with racism and dehumanisation, the alt-right leader declared: To be white is to be a striver, a crusader, an explorer and a conqueror. We build; we produce; we go upward.

In his rhetoric, he echoed manifest destiny, a 19th-century belief justifying the white European conquest of America. We are the pioneers of the world; the advance-guard, sent on through the wilderness of untried things, to break a new path in the New World that is ours, Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, wrote in White Jacket.

But todays white nationalism is unlike the cocky white supremacy of the 19th century, when the West pretty much ruled large swaths of the world and required an ideology to justify its global dominance. In place of the white mans burden of yore, many whites, especially men, now feel they are regarded as the burden.

Adopting the language of the oppressed

Behind the veneer of entitlement and thin crust lies a serious inferiority complex. No one mourns the great crimes committed against us. For us, it is conquer or die, Spencer lamented, echoing the Islamic extremists the Christian right so despises. We are not meant to live in shame and weakness and disgrace.

And Spencer is not alone. In a recent tweet, David Duke, the former Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan demanded that the Senate stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites.

The far-right movement in the US and Europe, as well as mainstream conservatism  to a lesser degree, seems to have appropriated the language of oppression and subjugation more common among the formerly enslaved and segregated African-Americans, or subject populations who lived under colonial rule, uncommon among a cultural collective still perched at the top of the human power hierarchy.

In societies whose superior technologies have for centuries visited mass slaughter upon weaker populations across the planet, there is now talk of a white genocide  a paranoid theory that there is a conspiracy to wipe out the white race through immigration and multiculturalism.

A recent variation on this is the conspiracy theory that the refugees flooding into Europe are not desperate civilians fleeing war, but part of an invading army bent on the destruction of Western civilisation. This supposed phenomenon has been called jihad by emigration  a term coined by the creator of the far-right Jihad Watch, Robert Spencer.

But beyond the white privilege of the 'old boy' network, there is the aspirational privilege of underprivileged whites. Like the patriarchy and the class system, race primarily serves the top dogs, not the lower classes. by

But what is driving this sense of victimhood among white extremists? After all, objectively speaking, whites remain dominant within their own societies and their countries still exercise a huge amount of global hegemony, especially the US.

White supremacy is still dealing with the aftermath of the anti-racist struggles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, spearheaded by the black liberation movement, as well as the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles across the global south, Matthew Lyons, an independent researcher into fascism, told me.

Most lynchings in the US in the 19th and 20th centuries took place [when] white privilege and power was being eroded, Barry Van Driel, vice-president of the International Association for Intercultural Education, explained to me. That leads to identifying with an authoritarian and strong white leader to protect white interests.

Whitelash

Known popularly as a whitelash, this phenomenon saw the US swing from electing its first African American president, the most visible symbol of the advance of civil rights, to electing arguably its most unqualified white candidate ever.

Donald Trump epitomises the truism that hell hath no fury like a middle-aged white man scorned. Raised with a diamond-encrusted golden spoon in his mouth, Trump believes it is his inalienable right to be a master of the world; he is less neo-Nazi, more neo-narcissist.

OPINION: Donald Trump as a monkey wrench

Imagine how galling and frustrating it must have been for Trump that an unknown black senator became president before him  and to the adulation of the liberals, to which Trump had once belonged, who sang Obamas praises at a rock concert.

Even now that he is president-elect, Trump cannot emerge from under the shadow of his rock star predecessor, whom the liberals regard as a mixture of cool intelligence and vision.

But beyond the white privilege of the old boy network, there is the aspirational privilege of underprivileged whites. Like the patriarchy and the class system, race primarily serves the top dogs, not the lower classes. In fact, racial supremacy has been used since its invention to control the anger and frustration of ordinary and poor whites in two ways.

Firstly, although many whites have always been almost as economically disadvantaged as other inferior groups, their sense of belonging to the superior group helps distort their subordinate reality and absorb their frustrations.

Secondly, when these frustrations threaten to bubble over, this illusion of superiority helps to channel anger away from the real authors of white underprivilege towards softer targets, namely inferior ethnic, religious and racial groups.

This is what the fascists and Nazis in Europe expertly did in the first half of the 20th century, to devastating effect. Moreover, in its efforts to recapture an idealised and distorted golden age before decay set in, white supremacy bears striking similarities to supremacist Islamist and militant discourse.

As unchecked neoliberal economics creates a growing underclass of unemployed whites in the US and many parts of Europe with no prospects, the conditions are ripe for the rise of a similarly delusional and destructive white nationalism that can potentially wipe out everything multicultural progressives hold dear and lead to large scale conflict.

Khaled Diab is an award-winning Egyptian Belgian journalist, writer and blogger. He is the author of Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land. He blogs at www.chronikler.com.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
A highly efficient vaccine would be a game-changer, but results of the new trials will take years, scientists say.

South Africa has launched a major clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus, which scientists hope could be the final nail in the coffin for the disease.

More than 30 years of efforts to develop an effective vaccine for HIV have not borne fruit, but for the first time since the virus was identified in 1983, scientists said on Wednesday they think they have found a promising candidate.

The new study, known as HVTN 702, will involve more than 5,400 sexually active men and women aged 18-35 in 15 areas around South Africa over four years.

Homeless HIV patient removed for Durban AIDS summit

It is one of the biggest clinical trials involving the disease ever undertaken and has revived hopes of a breakthrough in the battle against AIDS.





If deployed alongside our current armoury of proven HIV prevention tools, a safe and effective vaccine could be the final nail in the coffin for HIV, said Anthony Fauci, director of the US National institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is taking part in the study.

Even a moderately effective vaccine would significantly decrease the burden of HIV disease over time in countries and populations with high rates of HIV infection, such as South Africa.

Condoms are at the frontline of efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, which is mainly transferred through the sexual fluids and blood of infected individuals.

A small number of people, mainly in developed countries, use virus-suppressing drugs as a preventive aid, although the exact level of protection this offers is not clear.

But relying on existing prevention methods was not working, said Mmapule Raborife, one of HIV Vaccine Trials Networks community advisors in the large township of Soshanguve, north of the administrative capital Pretoria.

Condoms everywhere

There are condoms everywhere in South Africa but people are just passing by as if there is nothing there, she told AFP news agency.

South Africa was not chosen by accident. The country has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world  19.2 percent according to the UN AIDS agency  with more than seven million people living with the virus.

A vaccine is critical for South Africa, said Glenda Gray, president of the countrys Medical Research Council.

Every day, 1,000 people are getting infected and most of them are young women and men so we need to find a solution.





The vaccine has been adapted for the HIV strain prevalent in southern Africa from one used in a trial of 16,000 people in Thailand in 2009, which reduced the risk of infection by more than 30 percent for three-and-a-half years after the first jab.

The safety of the vaccine has already been tested successfully over 18 months on 252 volunteers. The new study aims to test its effectiveness as a virus-killer.

Vaccines work by priming the body to respond with germ-fighting antibodies whenever a virus or bacteria invades. But the AIDS-causing virus is stealthy and quick to mutate to avoid being targeted.

If we have a 50 percent efficacy rate, we would consider this an effective vaccine, said Gray.

From there, it could take five to 10 years to scale up production, and we need money to take [it] to a world level, she added.

Even if the new vaccine proves effective, experts warn it is vital to remain vigilant in the fight against HIV.

A highly efficient vaccine would be a game-changer but the results of these trials will take years, Lynn Morris, head of the HIV virology section at South Africas National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), told AFP.

We must continue to use other HIV prevention tools to reduce the number of new HIV infections, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young women.

How Malawi reduced its HIV/Aids infection rate

According to UNAIDS, half of the 36 million or so people with HIV around the world have access to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), a figure that has doubled in five years.

Thanks to these treatments, which keep the virus in check and increase the lifespan of HIV-positive people without curing them, average life expectancy in South Africa has risen from 57.1 years to 62.9 since 2009.

I know people who are HIV positive and I know people who died because of HIV  some of them are in my family, one trial participant who declined to give her name.

I want to make a difference in my community and in my country Theres no cure yet, so we have to keep fighting.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is an unusually forthright member of the Saudi royal family and an advocate of womens rights.

An influential Saudi prince has called for an urgent end to his countrys ban on women driving, saying it is a matter not just of rights but of economic necessity.

Stop the debate: Time for women to drive, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his official Twitter account.

 :     https://t.co/BBgyF8i1Gs Stop the debate: Time for women to drivehttps://t.co/6KAniFa4BT     (@Alwaleed_Talal) November 29, 2016

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is an unusually forthright member of Saudi Arabias extensive royal family.

He holds no political posts but chairs Kingdom Holding Co, which has interests in US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

He is a longtime advocate of womens rights in the conservative Islamic kingdom, which has some of the worlds tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.

After his short tweet, Prince Alwaleeds office issued an uncharacteristically long statement in English and Arabic outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity, Alwaleed said.

They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion.





Economic costs

He also detailed the economic costs of women having to rely on private drivers or taxis, since public transit is not a viable alternative in the kingdom.

Using foreign drivers drains billions of dollars from the Saudi economy, Alwaleed said. He calculated that families spend an average of $1,000 a month on a driver, money that otherwise could help household income at a time when many are making do with less.

Having women drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances, said the prince.

A slow expansion of womens rights began under late King Abdullah, who in 2013 named some women to the Shura Council, which advises the cabinet. Abdullah also announced that women could for the first time vote and run in municipal elections.

These and other decisions were initially opposed by some in Saudi society, he noted.

Sahar Hassan Nasief, a womens rights activist in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said the driving appeal from such an influential figure could help to bring about change.

Everybodys talking about him, she told AFP news agency. I think his comments gave us a lot of hope.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says approval of the two contentious pipelines is in the best interest of Canada.

Ottawa, Canada  Canada has approved two controversial oil pipelines, despite growing criticism from environmental groups and Indigenous communities that have vowed to block the projects.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday that his Liberal government had approved a plan to replace a continental pipeline known as Line 3 from Alberta to the United States, and expand a pipeline running from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia (BC), known as the Trans Mountain pipeline.

The decision that we took today is in the best interests of Canada and the best interests of Canadians, Trudeau said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

This is a decision based on rigorous debate, on science, and on evidence. We have not been and will not be swayed by political arguments, be they local, regional or national. We have made this decision because we are convinced it is safe for BC and it is the right one for Canada.

It is a major win for Canadian workers, for Canadian families, and for the Canadian economy now and into the future, Trudeau added.

The government also directed the National Energy Board of Canada (NEB) to dismiss an application for a third project, the Northern Gateway pipeline in northern BC, Canadas westernmost province.

READ MORE: Life on the Pine Ridge Native American reservation

But environmental groups and Indigenous leaders across Canada denounced the governments decision to approve the Line 3 and Trans Mountain pipelines and vowed to continue fighting against the projects.

The Treaty Alliance, a coalition of more than 100 First Nations and Tribes across North America, said in a statement that neither pipeline will see the light of day.

Lets be clear, this is about our survival, said Rueben George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in BC.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, added that just as the government under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper discovered, theres a vast difference between approving a tar sands pipeline and actually getting it built.

Meanwhile, Aurore Fauret, the tar sands Campaign Coordinator with climate justice group 350.org, said the decision to approve the pipelines means that Canada will not meet its commitment under the Paris climate agreement.

Justin Trudeau has broken his promises for real climate leadership, and broken his promise to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples, Fauret said.

Energy giant Enbridge Inc. operates Line 3, which runs between Alberta and the US state of Wisconsin. The cost to build a 1,660-kilometre replacement pipeline is estimated at around $6bn.

Originally built in 1953, the 1,100km Trans Mountain pipeline, meanwhile, stretches from Edmonton, Alberta, to an export terminal in Burnaby, BC.

Kinder Morgan, the company that operates the pipeline, estimates that expanding to a twinned pipeline would almost triple its capacity from 300,000 barrels of oil per day to 890,000 barrels daily.

The company says the $5bn US project is necessary to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands to markets beyond the US, with a particular focus on Asia. It also says it will create thousands of jobs and generate income for Canada.

In May, the NEB, the regulatory body that decides on oil and natural gas projects across the country, recommended that Canada approve the Trans Mountain expansion project as long as 157 conditions were met.

The government had until Dec. 19 to make a decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline, after a ministerial committee released a report raising questions about its environmental effects and impact on Indigenous communities.

While leaders in Alberta had pushed for the pipelines approval, critics of the Trans Mountain project included the mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, and other BC politicians, as well as environmental groups and Indigenous communities.

Many have raised concerns about what a potential oil spill would do to the environment, and have criticised the federal government for failing to take into account Indigenous land rights and the impact on their traditional way of life.

READ MORE: Canadian First Nation cleans up latest fuel spill mess

On Monday, a First Nation community along the Trans Mountain pipeline route in BC vowed to stop its construction.

[We are] still of the mind to say no to the expansion of Kinder Morgan, said Chief Maureen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

For me, it means the survival of Tsleil-Waututh Nation for many years to come, Thomas told CBC News.

A large crowd of protesters gathered in Vancouver Tuesday evening to protest the Kinder Morgan pipelines approval.

Canadians also held vigils in over 45 different locations across the country last week in opposition to the project.

Enbridges Northern Gateway project, which Trudeaus government rejected on Tuesday, sought to build twine pipelines from Alberta to Kitimat, in northern BC, for export to Asian markets.

It has become clear that this pipeline is not in the best interests of Canadians, Trudeau said.
Civilians in rebel-held eastern Aleppo are expressing desperation over their survival as fighting between the government and the opposition carves deeper into their half of the city.

The Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said at least 45 people, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 50 injured in Jibb al-Qubba on Wednesday by the regimes artillery shelling on those fleeing the conflict.

The state news agency, SANA, published a video on Tuesday appearing to show thousands of civilians boarding buses and leaving east Aleppo safely.





The Red Cross (ICRC), operating on the ground, said at least 20,000 civilians have fled their homes in the past 72 hours, with some making it to shelters in the regime-held western half of the city. Others, it said, are retreating into other neighbourhoods in the east.

We are so afraid. The army is about five to six kilometres away from us, Marwa Taleb, resident of the al-Kallasseh neighbourhood in eastern Aleppo, told Al Jazeera.

The exodus is extreme in every meaning of the word. Many from Hanano and Sakhour, where the army has advanced, are coming into our neighbourhoods. There is so much anxiety and fear.

Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces intensified their push for control over eastern Aleppo. They have reportedly captured a third of the area in what residents describe as an unrelenting ground and air campaign.

The city, which was once Syrias largest, has been divided between government and opposition control since 2012.

The UN reports that at least 250,000 civilians remain under siege in the eastern part of Aleppo. For months, they have faced severe shortages of basic supplies, including food, water and fuel, in addition to constant bombardment.

A network of activists across Syria, the Local Coordination Committees, said that a total of 100 Syrians were killed on Monday and Tuesday in Aleppo, as the government and its ally, Russia, close in on the neighbourhoods of al-Myassar, Bab al-Nairab, al-Salheen and Shaar in the east.

READ MORE: Syrias Civil War explained

On Tuesday, Frances ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, warned of the dire situation, saying: France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of [a] civilian population since World War II.

With fighting edging closer to their homes, many civilians have sought refuge in two main shelters, Jibreen and Mahalej, set up by the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in the west of the city.

Local authorities and humanitarian organisations do everything possible to help but the conditions are very dire, as we are talking about some 20,000 people fleeing into these places, Pawel Krzysiek, the ICRCs communication coordinator, said.

They are safe, though many of them are exhausted and traumatised by the journey, danger, [and] emotions of having to leave everything behind.

But as the situation descends into chaos and confusion, Taleb said she and her family are apprehensive to move into areas under government control.

Were hearing different things. Some people are saying the men who leave are being killed, but the women are left alone. Others are saying they are safe in Jibreen. Some have left but we havent heard back from them.

Ibrahim al-Hajj, head of media for the White Helmets Aleppo branch, told Al Jazeera the ones fleeing the area were being attacked.

The shelling is not slowing down. There are people under the rubble. The situation is catastrophic.

Approximately 400,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict that dates back to a 2011 popular uprising against Assads regime, according to the UN.

Close to five million have fled into neighbouring countries over the years, while six million remain internally displaced. The UN has described the situation as the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time.

Please help us. We want anyone to intervene and stop this, Hajj said.
UN envoy urges access to residents of eastern Aleppo as at least 51 civilians killed while fleeing the fighting.

Residents of Syrias Aleppo are at risk of extermination and the clock is ticking on the besieged city as winter sets in, a top UN envoy told the Security Council.

Stephen OBrien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, made the comments on Wednesday as at least 51 civilians, including seven children, were killed while trying to flee the government ground offensive in rebel-held east Aleppo.

Today there was another massacre, I witnessed it, said Aref al-Aref, a nurse and photographer in the citys east. The displaced people were coming at 6:30am. There was artillery shelling while they were walking in the streets. Really it was so, so horrible.

More than 20,000 people have fled from there over the past 72 hours as Syrian forces continued to advance in the rebel-held part of the city, according to the Red Cross.





Terrified civilians have evacuated empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossed into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish-held districts.

For the sake of humanity we call on  we plead  with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard, said OBrien.

He said aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo, but they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians.

The eastern part of Aleppo  which was home to 250,000 people  has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces have carried out the four-month siege to retake control of the city, enjoying military and diplomatic backing from Russia.

READ MORE: Syrias Civil War Explained

Government officials say they want to liberate the area, calling the opposition fighters terrorists, and accusing them of holding civilians there hostage.

The Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer rescue group also known as the White Helmets, said at least 51 people, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 50 wounded in Jibb al-Qubba on Wednesday by the regimes artillery shelling on those fleeing the conflict.

Footage sent by the Civil Defence rescue operation, purportedly of the aftermath, showed people lying in the street in pools of blood, including a woman dressed in black who had been carrying a large backpack. It was not possible to independently verify the date or location of the video.

Civilians in rebel-held eastern Aleppo expressed desperation for their survival as fighting carves deeper into their half of the city.

We are so afraid. The army is about five to six kilometres away from us, Marwa Taleb, resident of the al-Kallasseh neighbourhood in eastern Aleppo, told Al Jazeera.

The exodus is extreme in every meaning of the word. Many from Hanano and Sakhour, where the army has advanced, are coming into our neighbourhoods. There is so much anxiety and fear.

Britains ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, accused Russia, which in October vetoed a resolution to stop the bombing in Aleppo, of supporting a deliberate act of starvation and a deliberate withholding of medical care.

The Syrian regime and Russia have been executing a plan that has now laid one million people under siege  and executing is an all-too appropriate word, he said.

Russias envoy, Vitaly Churkin, brushed off criticism and said Syria was seeking to eliminate armed groups such as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

We vehemently condemn any attempts to protect terrorists including any political action on a humanitarian pretext which, sadly alas, UN humanitarian works have been dragged into, Churkin said.

Russian soldiers helped distribute food aid to displaced people who had fled eastern Aleppo to government areas, handing out packages stamped with the Russian flag and the slogan Russia is with you in Arabic.

OPINION: I live in Aleppo, under siege

Rebel shelling of government-held districts in western Aleppo killed eight people, including two children, and wounded seven, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a police official.

For months civilians have faced severe shortages of basic supplies, including food, water and fuel in addition to constant bombardment.

Ibrahim al-Hajj, head of media for the White Helmets Aleppo branch, told Al Jazeera there was no respite from the constant shelling in eastern Aleppo.

There are people under the rubble. The situation is catastrophic, he said. Please help us. We want anyone to intervene and stop this.

According to the UN about 400,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict that dates back to a 2011 popular uprising against Assads regime.

Close to five million have fled into neighbouring countries over the years, while six million remain internally displaced. The UN has described the situation as the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time.
Remains of the late Cuban leader will travel more than 800-km, retracing in reverse Castros revolutionary tour.

Fidel Castros ashes began a four-day journey across Cuba from Havana to their final resting place in the eastern city of Santiago.

A small, Cuban-flag covered cedar coffin containing the remains of the 90-year-old leader was taken out of Cubas Defence Ministry just after 7am on Wednesday and placed into a flower-bedecked trailer pulled by a green military vehicle for the more than 800-km procession.

The crowds at the rally and along Wednesdays procession route were a mix of people attending on their own and groups of Cubans organised by government workplaces, where attendance was not strictly obligatory, but with strong pressure to attend.

The ashes will be interred on Sunday, ending the nine-day mourning period for the man who ruled the country for nearly 50 years.

The route traces in reverse the victory tour Castro and his bearded rebels took after overthrowing the forces of strongman Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

Outside Havana, the caravan will pass through rural communities significantly changed by social and economic reforms he adopted.

Many residents now have access to healthcare and education. But many of those towns are also in a prolonged economic collapse, the countrys once-dominant sugar industry decimated, the sugar mills and plantations gone.

Many had attended a massive rally on Tuesday at Havanas Revolution Plaza, where the presidents of Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and South Africa  along with leaders of a host of smaller nations  offered speeches paying tribute to Castro, who died on Friday night.

In Havana and across the Caribbean island, people signed condolence books and an oath of loyalty to Castros sweeping May 2000 proclamation of the Cuban revolution as an unending battle for socialism, nationalism, and a role for the island on the world stage.

Cuban leader Fidel Castros mixed legacy

Inside the memorial, thousands walked through three rooms with near-identical displays featuring the 1962 Alberto Korda photograph of the young Castro in the Sierra Maestra mountains, bouquets of white flowers, and an array of Castros medals against a black backdrop, framed by honour guards of soldiers and children in school uniforms.

The ashes did not appear to be on display.

Signs read: The Cuban Communist Party is the only legitimate heir of the legacy and authority of the commander-in-chief of the Cuban Revolution, comrade Fidel Castro.

The scene was played out on a smaller scale at countless places across the country as the government urged Cubans to reaffirm their belief in a socialist, single-party system that in recent years has struggled to maintain the fervour that was widespread at the triumph of the 1959 revolution.
Yahya Jammeh, president since 1994, confident of winning yet another term in the office after Thursdays polls.

The Gambia President Yahya Jammeh, who has been in office for more than two decades, has warned that even peaceful protests will not be permitted after the upcoming election.

On Thursday, more than 880,000 registered voters will head to more than 1,400 polling stations around the country whose population is around 1.9 million.

President Jammeh, 51, who took control of the West African country in 1994, said on Tuesday that his victory in the election is all but assured with divine intervention, and warned the opposition against protesting.





Our election system is fraud-proof, rig-proof, you cannot rig our elections, he said. There is no reason that anybody should demonstrate.

Demonstrations will not be allowed because those are the loopholes that are used to destabilise African governments, he said.

Voters will use marbles, placing them into green, silver and purple ballot drums, which will be counted on the spot using wooden tablets.

Observers from the European Union and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS are not attending the election but the African Union will send a handful of observers.

Jammeh faces off against Adama Barrow, a former businessman and United Democratic Party leader, who emerged as the candidate for an alliance of eight opposition parties.

Former ruling party deputy Mama Kandeh is running for the Gambia Democratic Congress, the only opposition party not in the coalition.

READ MORE: Amnesty accuses The Gambia government of brutal repression

Security forces arrested dozens in April and May after protests calling for electoral and political reforms.

Two main opposition party members died in detention after the protests, and 15 opposition supporters are now serving three-year prison sentences.

Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994, and then swept elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, after a 2002 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits.

Critics, though, say those elections were not free and fair, and they accuse his regime of corruption and human rights abuses.

The Gambia has seen a large exodus of its citizens trying to migrate to Europe on dangerous water routes in recent years.

Jammeh says such migration is a matter of choice, and that Gambians do not leave because of poverty.

Tyranny of the regime

His supporters praise his efforts to boost economic development in the tiny country that is dependent on tourism and agriculture.

He has built the airport, schools, medical facilities and buildings, said 50-year-old Pinta Manneh.

But Omar Amadou Jallow, an opposition leader for the Peoples Progressive Party, which joined the coalition, agreed that this is the year for change.

For 22 years, we have realised that Gambia has been turned into a prison; the arrests, the tensions, the torture and many of our people have gone into exile, he said.

That shows the tyranny of the regime. We are going to give people their freedoms, their liberties. That is more important than anything else.
Civil rights group tracks nearly 900 cases of assaults, intimidation, and harassment in 10 days after election win.

In the wake of Donald Trumps presidential election victory, the United States saw a national outbreak of hate with a spike in assaults, intimidation, and harassments towards ethnic and racial minorities, including children, women, and the LGBT community, a US civil rights group says.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) said in a report released on Tuesday that it documented nearly 900 hate incidents within the 10 days following Trumps election on November 8, but noted it was almost certainly a small fraction of the actual number because of underreporting.

Many of the perpetrators invoked the president-elects name during the incidents, indicating the surge was linked or motivated by his electoral win, the report said.

It also blamed Trump for running an election campaign marked by incendiary racial statements and the stoking of white racial resentment and opening wounds of division in the country.

In one of his most controversial statements, Trump said Mexican immigrants were bringing drugs and crime and described them as rapists. He promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants and called for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the US.

A 2005 recording leaked during the election campaign also caught him making sexually charged and lewd comments about women.

WATCH: Did racism help Donald Trump win?

Ryan Lenz, an editor of the SPLCs Hatewatch blog, told Al Jazeera the staggering flood of reported hate incidents and their severity prompted his organisation to keep track of them for the first time ever.

This is the first time we tracked them, which speaks volumes  Weve never seen something like this, said Lenz.

He noted the only other parallel episodes of hate in recent times in the country occurred in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and Barack Obamas 2008 presidential election.



Fighting racism on agenda of Bernie Sanders

People have experienced harassment at school, at work, at home, on the street, in public transportation, in their cars, in grocery stores and other places of business, and in their houses of worship, the report said.

Anti-immigrant and anti-black sentiment were listed as the most common causes for the documented hate acts, making up 32 percent and 23 percent respectively.

SPLC quoted an anonymous Washington state school teacher as saying that Build a wall was chanted by students in the cafeteria.

If you arent born here, pack your bags, was shouted in my own classroom, she said.

READ MORE: Undocumented immigrants face deportation under Trump

A mother in Colorado said: My 12-year-old daughter is African-American. A boy approached her and said, Now that Trump is president, Im going to shoot you and all the blacks I can find.'



Six US mosques receive letters attacking Muslims

In Arlington, Virginia, a woman crossing the street reported that two young white men yelled at her from their car: You better be ready because with Trump, we can grab you by the [female genitalia] even if you dont want it.

The report also said Muslim women wearing hijabs have been particularly vulnerable to threats and assault.

Zeinab Arain, of the rights group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told Al Jazeera from November 9-18 the organisation recorded 111 anti-Muslim incidents.

A lot of them involved women in headscarves  in which hijabs were pulled off aggressively, kids targeted in schools, and some physically violent assaults, she said.

CAIR quoted Maha Abdul Gawad, a US resident, as saying another woman pulled her headscarf off and said: This is not allowed any more, so go hang yourself with it around your neck  not on your head.

OPINION: White supremacys inferiority complex

The Southern Poverty Law Center also noted that following Trumps election win, the language, literature, and symbols of white nationalism have cropped up throughout the country.

Many fliers perpetuate long-debunked myths of white racial superiority and contain warnings against miscegenation. A handout found on many college campuses explained, Why White Women Shouldnt Date Black Men.

The distribution of Ku Klux Klan recruiting materials has also been reported around the country.

Swastikas have also been drawn in schools, on peoples cars and garage doors. Many of these incidents also contain a reference to president-elect Trump, the report said.

In his November 23 interview with The New York Times, Trump claimed he had no idea why white supremacists  the so-called alt right  had been energised by his campaign.
Torrential rains hit the Caribbean as Barbados celebrates 50 years of independence.

Heavy rain and flooding hit Barbados on Tuesday as the Caribbean island celebrated its 50 years of independence.

British royal Prince Harry arrived just in time for the storm and the celebration.

Ive never seen rain like this  never, he told a group of welcoming dignitaries.

Other nearby islands also reported torrential rains.

Guadeloupe reported 83mm of rain on Tuesday  about a third of the islands November average  and St Lucia reported 100mm, which is more than half of its monthly average.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines, a number of homes were destroyed by the storms, according to the countrys online news website iWitness News.

Bridges were also damaged and destroyed, and heavy flooding also exposed a number of graves at the Sandy Bay Cemetery.

The National Emergency Management Organisation has ordered schools to remain closed on Wednesday, and it has urged people to take appropriate precautions.

More torrential downpours are expected across the region on Wednesday. Now that the ground is saturated, there is a high risk of landslides across the Caribbean islands.
Protest organisers say group of veterans plan to stand between police and Native Americans against pipeline project.

More than 2,000 US military veterans plan to form a human shield to protect protesters of a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota, organisers said.

Veterans Stand for Standing Rock, the contingent led by former US Marine Michael A Wood Jr, will bolster thousands of demonstrators at camps located on US Army Corps of Engineers land, protest organisers said on a Facebook page on Wednesday.





US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii and a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard, has said on Twitter she will join the protesters on Sunday.

Morton County Sheriffs Office spokesman Rob Keller said in an email his agency was aware of the veterans plans, but would not comment further on how law enforcement officials would deal with demonstrators.

Meanwhile, North Dakota law enforcement will not make spot checks on vehicles headed to the camp where activists are based, the governors office said on Wednesday, backing away from a previous plan.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8bn Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native-American sites.

The 1,885km pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete, except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

I figured this was more important than anything else I could be doing, Guy Dull Knife, 69, a Vietnam War veteran, told Reuters news agency at the main camp.

Dull Knife, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota, said he has been camping at the protest site for months.

The Army Corps, citing safety concerns, has ordered the evacuation of the primary protest camp by December 5, but said it would not forcibly remove people from the land.
Syrian army says Israeli jets fired two missiles at an area west of the capital, causing no casualties.

Israeli jets fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus early on Wednesday, the official Syrian news agency said, in a strike on an unknown target that caused loud explosions.

State news agency SANA said the missiles struck the Al-Sabboura area, west of Damascus, and did not cause any casualties.

Citing an unnamed military source, SANA did not specify what the missiles struck, but Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud blasts around 2am.

In a move aimed at diverting the attention on the victories of the Syrian army and to raise the morale of the terrorist gangs, Israeli warplanes fired two rockets from the Lebanese aerial space into the Sabboura area, SANA said, quoting a military source.

The Israeli military declined to comment, but Tel Aviv is widely believed to have carried out a number of air strikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles.

READ MORE: Slain Hezbollah operatives role shrouded in mystery

The arms are believed to have been destined for the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah group, a close ally of the Syrian government and a fierce enemy of Israel.

While the target of Wednesdays air strikes is not yet known, the government-held town of Sabboura is close to the Damascus-Beirut highway and is often used by Hezbollah.

The strikes came days after Israeli aircraft hit a machinegun-mounted vehicle inside Syria, killing four fighters of the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade, a group associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after they opened fire on a military patrol on the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights.

Israel has largely remained unaffected by the Syrian civil war raging next door, suffering only sporadic incidents of spillover fire that have generally been dismissed as tactical errors by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad.
Khurram was arrested at his home in Srinagar in September, a day after he was barred from travelling to Switzerland.

Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir released a prominent human rights activist from prison after a court in the disputed region ruled his detention under a controversial security law was illegal.

Police freed Khurram Parvez after the court ordered his release five days earlier. He was arrested and charged in September under the Public Safety Act, which allows detentions for up to two years without trial.

Parvez, chairman of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, was arrested at his home in Srinagar a day after he was barred from travelling to Switzerland to participate in a session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Seven Indian soldiers killed in attack on army base

Parvez, 39, and his rights group were the first to publicise thousands of unmarked graves in remote parts of Kashmir, and to demand the Indian government investigate to determine who the dead were  and how they were killed.

His organisation has also written scathing reports about brutality by some of the hundreds of thousands of Indian troops in the region and highlighted the widespread powers granted to them.

The court said Parvez had been imprisoned arbitrarily and authorities had abused their power by ordering his detention.

Parvez said on his Facebook page the 76-day detention was a difficult time for him and his family.

I wont let this difficulty make me bitter, instead my resolve for peace and justice has got strengthened, he said.

The 39-year-old has long campaigned against abuses by state forces in the volatile region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shortly before his arrest, immigration officials at New Delhis international airport had barred him from boarding a plane to Geneva without offering any official explanation, although he had a valid visa and a letter of invitation to participate in the UN session.

Police arrested him after he returned home to Kashmirs main city of Srinagar, saying it was to prevent him from causing a breach of peace.

It was a very bad experience. And it was a good experience as well  a blessing in disguise, Parvez told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Jammu.

I have learnt so much about the issues faced by prisoners in jails and also about government deficit to address their problems. The jail experience will help me in working for the prisoners whose plight is very bad.

Relieved 2hear about release of @KhurramParvez,still have 2fight the arbitrary arrest of thousands languishing under inhuman jail conditions  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) November 30, 2016

Welcome back @KhurramParvez, From a smaller prison to the largest open air cage of the world!#Kashmir  Shaista Safi (@Shaista_Safi) November 30, 2016

Parvez imprisonment came during the largest protests against Indian rule in Kashmir in recent years, sparked by the July 8 killing of a popular rebel commander by Indian soldiers.

Nearly 90 people, most of them young protesters, have been killed in clashes with security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir since then.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the two gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full.
Rather than implementing a physical road block, officials will fine anyone providing basic supplies to protest camps.

North Dakota officials on Tuesday moved to block supplies from reaching oil pipeline protesters at a camp near the construction site, threatening to use hefty fines to keep demonstrators from receiving food, building materials and even portable bathrooms.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8bn Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.



North Dakota residents angered by pipeline protests

State officials said on Tuesday they would fine anyone bringing prohibited items into the main protest camp following Governor Jack Dalrymples emergency evacuation order on Monday.

Earlier, officials had warned of a physical blockade, but the governors office backed away from that.

Law enforcement would take a more passive role than enforcing a blockade, said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriffs Department.

The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away, Herr said by telephone.

A spokeswoman from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was not immediately available for comment, and North Dakota Governor-elect Doug Burgum, a Republican, declined to comment.

The 1,885 km pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete, except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The main protest camp near Cannon Ball is called Oceti Sakowin, the original name of the Sioux, meaning Seven Council Fires.

Snow storms and clashes

Dalrymples evacuation order was issued on Monday due to the harsh winter conditions. Snow and wind gusts up to 73 kph were forecast for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, law enforcement on November 21 used water cannon to disperse protesters who had blockaded a highway.



North Dakota protesters blasted with water cannon in sub-freezing temperatures

Demonstrators and law enforcement have clashed over the months since protests began, with demonstrators claiming excessive use of force by law enforcement.

On Tuesday, the National Lawyers Guild filed a class action in US District Court in North Dakota on behalf of injured protesters, claiming local authorities in Morton and Stutsman counties used excessive force.

The civil rights complaint said there were no orders to disperse or warnings issued before local police turned water cannon and tear gas on the protest. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages.

Stutsman County Auditor Casey Bradley said the county sheriffs office was unaware of the lawsuit and unable to comment on the allegations.

Officers were justified in using water cannon because of the threat posed by demonstrators, Herr said. Law enforcement gave numerous warnings for protesters to disperse, she said.

North Dakota officials have issued several requests for additional help from federal law enforcement in light of the demonstrators. However, the Corps said Monday its order to evacuate the primary protest camp by December 5 would not include forcibly removing people from the land.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of a Corps permit required to allow tunnelling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult tribal leaders.
OPEC members are meeting in Vienna in an attempt to stabilise the global market by cutting oil output.

OPEC will seek to defy expectations and finalise a deal in Vienna reducing its oil output for the first time in eight years in an effort to boost painfully low crude prices.

Fast Facts Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an intergovernmental organization of 14 nations, founded in 1960 in Baghdad and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna. As of 2016, OPECs members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader), United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Two-thirds of OPECs oil production and reserves are in its six Middle Eastern countries that surround the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

It remained to be seen, however, whether the cartels big guns Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran can overcome their fierce rivalries and agree who will do most of the heavy lifting on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia, the effective leader of the bloc, wants to reduce oil production in order to drive prices up. Even if the kingdom is extremely wealthy, prices are still half what they were two years ago.

As a result, the country has slashed salaries and spending and is on course for a budget deficit of $87 billion in 2016, owing foreign firms billions in unpaid bills.

The price fall has also exacerbated an already desperate situation in Venezuela, where Human Rights Watch says food and medicine shortages are so bad that there is a profound humanitarian crisis.

But Saudi demands for a reduction have been met with stifs resistance from Iran, a country desperate for money to counter the effect of Western sanctions on its economy.

Iraq too does not want to cut production because it needs all the money it can get to fund its fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

The 14-country group made a preliminary agreement in Algiers in September to cap output at around 32.5-33 million barrels per day (bpd) versus the current 33.64 million bpd to prop up oil prices.

Back then, OPEC said it would exempt Iran, Libya and Nigeria from cuts as their output has been crimped by unrest and sanctions.

COUNTING THE COST: OPEC and the stagnant price of oil

If OPEC members fail to agree a deal at Wednesdays meeting, experts expect oil prices, at under $50 per barrel to head further south perhaps to $40 or even $30.





In addition, a failure in Vienna would deal a further blow to the already damaged credibility of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, 56 years after its creation.

I think the market will respond very dramatically if we dont see a proper deal, Richard Mallinson, a geopolitical analyst from Energy Aspects, told Al Jazeera.

We will see oil prices fall back in to the thirties and that means lower revenues for all of these countries.

And given that they had already suffered under low prices, this ciould have real consequences for the middle eastern region as a whole.

COUNTING THE COST: Crude power  The oil game uncovered

Since OPECs 14 members produce only slightly more than a third of the worlds oil, their ability to reduce the global supply surplus and influence prices is limited.

The cartels efforts to convince other countries, not least Russia which pumps 11 million bpd, to reduce output as well have fallen flat.





Hit hard by the low prices and Western sanctions, Moscow has said it is ready to freeze output but not to cut it.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak pulled out of an expected visit to Vienna, seeing no need to talk to the cartel while there is no agreement.

While consumers might not welcome the more expensive fuel that a deal would bring, OPEC members public finances have been shot to bits by two years of rock-bottom prices.

Even fabulously wealthy Saudi Arabia has slashed salaries and spending and is on course for a budget deficit of $87bn in 2016, owing foreign firms billions in unpaid bills.

This in turn has hit investment in oil facilities, raising the prospect of oil shortages and shocks further down the line, the UAEs Mazrouei said.

Further downwards pressure on oil prices could come from the United States, where president-elect Donald Trumps promise to boost the domestic oil sector, leading to yet more crude flooding the market.
Bangladesh turns away Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar crackdown as the UN decries pattern of violations.

The UN human rights agency says Myanmars Rohingya Muslims may be victims of crimes against humanity as Kofi Annan arrives for a visit that will include a trip to the conflict-ravaged region of Rakhine.

Annan, the former UN chief, is visiting Myanmar in his capacity as the chairman of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, an initiative launched by Aung San Suu Kyis government in August 2016 to identify conflict-prevention measures, facilitate long-term communal reconciliation and address development issues.

Inter-communal riots in Rakhine killed 200 people and displaced more than 100,000 in 2012.

The Myanmar army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the western state and thousands of the Muslim minority have flooded over the border into Bangladesh this month, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.





Up to 30,000 have fled their homes and analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch, the US rights monitor, found that hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting terrorists behind raids on police posts last month.

The government has criticised media reports of rapes and killings, and lodged a protest over a UN official in Bangladesh who said the state was carrying out ethnic cleansing of Rohingya.

Al Jazeeras Florence Looi, reporting from a camp for displaced people in Myanmars Sittwe, said human rights investigators and journalists have been blocked from accessing the areas where massacres are alleged to have happened.

The Myanmar government has denied that these allegations of abuse have happened, but at the same time, they havent been giving people access to these areas, she said.

Many people weve spoken to say they arent very hopeful that the [UN] commission will be able to acheive anything.

Crimes against humanity

The OHCHR, the UN rights agency, says Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.

The government has largely failed to act on the recommendations made in a report by the UN Human Rights Office (that) raised the possibility that the pattern of violations against the Rohingya may amount to crimes against humanity, the OHCHR said in a statement on Tuesday.

Eight boats attempting to cross the Naf River separating Rakhine from southern Bangladesh were pushed back on Monday after six were refused entry on Sunday, Colonel Abuzar Al Zahid, the head of the border guards in the Bangladeshi frontier town of Teknaf, told AFP news agency.

READ MORE: Myanmars Rohingya brace for more attacks in Rakhine

Bangladesh says thousands more are massed on the border, but has refused urgent international appeals to let them in, instead calling on Myanmar to do more to stop people fleeing.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented more than 1,000 Rohingya, including many women and children, from entering the country by boat, officials told AFP.

More than 120,000 Rohingya have been crammed into displacement camps since sectarian violence kicked off in 2012, where they are denied citizenship, healthcare and education and their movements are heavily curbed.

Amid the crisis, Annan on Tuesday began a week-long visit to Myanmar that will include a trip to northern Rakhine.

Aung San Suu Kyi in August appointed her fellow Nobel laureate to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides that split the impoverished state.

Annan has expressed deep concern over the violence in Rakhine, which has seen thousands of Muslims take to the streets across Asia in protest.

But Aye Lwin, a Muslim member of the Rakhine commission, defended Aung San Suu Kyis handling of the crisis.

What she has inherited is a dump of rubbish, a junkyard, he told AFP, pointing out the army retains control of security and defence under a constitution written under the former junta.

Her hands are tied  she cant do anything. What she is doing is trying to talk and negotiate and build trust with the army.
Most of the deaths were caused by a locked fire door and could have been prevented, according to the local mayor.

At least 12 people, almost all of them schoolchildren, have been killed after a fire broke out in a girls dormitory in Turkeys southern province of Adana, according to the local governor.

The fire, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, spread rapidly through the buildings wooden interior late on Tuesday, as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.

Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.

Images showed scenes of devastation, as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck as the roof collapsed.

15 girls from 6th to 12th graders were killed in a blazing fire at a dorm in the town of Aladag in #Turkey's southeastern province #Adana pic.twitter.com/ygTTmjaZ6n  Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) November 29, 2016

We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured, Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.

We have reached all people inside. According to initial reports, we guess that the fire broke out due to the electrical contact, he said.

He also said some of the injured students were affected by smoke and others were wounded while trying to escape the burning building.

Turkeys private Dogan News Agency said that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were said to be 14-years-old or under.

The disaster took place in the town of Aladag, north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.

READ MORE: Erdogan  Protecting Jerusalem a Muslim obligation

Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 7:25pm local time (16:25 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.

Locked fire door

Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.

It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there. by Huseyin Sozlu, Adana Mayor

But Adana city mayor, Huseyin Sozlu said: It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there.

He told NTV of course children would have survived, if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs.

From tomorrow, the governors office will start an investigation.

Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not get outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan News Agency said.

The fire spread quickly because of the buildings wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.

Aladag districts mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan News Agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden.

With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.

In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, he added.

READ MORE: EU and Turkey locked in war of words over refugee pact

The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.

The governor previously announced 28 students were staying at the secondary school dormitory when the fire erupted.

Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual.

Underlining the seriousness of the incident, several ministers were heading to the region, including interior minister, Suleyman Soylu and education minister, Ismet Yilmaz.

Demirtas informed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed his sadness over the catastrophe, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was also briefed by Demirtas and ministers.

Six people were detained in relation to the incident later on Wednesday, a public prosecutor said.

Adana Chief Public Prosecutor Ali Yelden told Turkeys state-run Anadolu agency that the suspects included the dormitory manager, three teachers and two caretakers.
Hundreds arrested after Fight for $15 rallies take place in cities and at some airports across the United States.

Hundreds of people, including a number of officials, have been arrested across the United States for taking part in protests calling for a higher national minimum wage and more labour union rights, organisers say.

Demonstrations affiliated with Fight for $15  a US-based international movement seeking a minimum wage of $15-per hour for low-paid workers  took place on Tuesday in hundreds of US cities, including the commercial hubs of New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

It was the largest Fight for $15 day of demonstration since the movement was launched in 2012. Protests were planned in 340 US cities and at 20 airports across the country.

Although more than half of all US states have higher minimum wages than the national level of $7.25 per hour, none have $15  which senior government officials have introduced a bill in support of.

On Tuesday, workers from the aviation, restaurant, and healthcare industries, as well as university and college faculty, were among the thousands of protesters.

Opinion: Low-wage workers deserve disaster pay

The city of Chicago saw some of the largest demonstrations, which took place outside a McDonalds restaurant, a major hospital, and the OHare international airport.

A member of the Fight for $15s Chicago chapter, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera 60 people were arrested after hundreds of protesters blocked a major intersection near McDonalds.

At OHare airport, more than 2,000 workers  including security guards, baggage handlers, janitors and cabin cleaners  protested inside and outside of the terminal, but flights were not disrupted, he said.

In New York City, police cracked down on a large protest organised by 32BJ  the countrys biggest service industry union that backs the Fight for $15 movement  arresting dozens of demonstrators, including four elected officials who protested in solidarity.

Mark Levine, a city council member who was one of the detained officials, said in a statement made prior to his arrest: Fast food employees and taxi drivers deserve far better wages and opportunities than they currently have.

Civil disobedience demonstrations such as this have a storied and successful past in the history of labours advancement in America, he was quoted as saying in an email sent to Al Jazeera.

That is why I am proud to stand today and risk arrest with hundreds of dedicated 32BJ members, because we have an obligation to set the highest standards for all workers. The Fight for 15 is a cause worth fighting for. Its a cause worth getting arrested for, Levine said.

READ MORE: Minimum wage rises in 14 states and several cities

Jason Surbey, a spokesman for the US Department of Labor, told Al Jazeera that President Barack Obamas administration has pushed for a higher federal minimum wage and encouraged states to raise workers salaries.

He also said the government pushed for paid sick-leave policies for low-wage workers, and more than doubled the salary threshold under which workers are automatically eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours per week.

The department has also been engaged in a robust enforcement effort targeting wage violations, which are common in low-wage industries, to ensure workers receive the wages to which they are legally entitled, Surbey added.

But many fear president-elect Donald Trump  who said during his election campaign that workers wages were already too high and putting US companies at a competitive disadvantage in the global trade arena  could reverse Obamas wage initiatives.
New sanctions resolution passed by a 15-0 vote after three months of tough negotiations between the US and China.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed its toughest-ever sanctions on North Korea, placing a cap on its key coal exports after the states defiant nuclear tests.

The new sanctions resolution on Wednesday, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution demands that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes and takes aim at the states exports of coal  its top external revenue source.

OPINION: Will there be a Korean war under Trumps presidency?

Under the resolution, North Korea will be restricted from exporting beyond 7.5 million tonnes of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 percent from 2015.





Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700m in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Power, speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, called the resolution the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation.

So long as the DPRK makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat, said Power, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

China joins in pressure

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.

It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations, said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.

Ban said he was still committed to sincere dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.

China is North Koreas primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-uns regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the neighbouring states defiance.

Chinas UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing strongly opposes the North Korean nuclear tests  but also made a veiled criticism of joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea.

Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation, he said at the council. This situation must be changed as soon as possible.

The UN Security Council resolution condemns in the strongest terms North Koreas nuclear test on September 9  the communist states second just this year.

READ MORE: North Korea able to produce 20 nuclear bombs, say experts

Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturised warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.

North Korea insists its nuclear weapons are a deterrent to US aggression and has brushed aside earlier sanctions, which have notably targeted its weapons exports and access to financial markets.

In addition to coal, the Security Council banned North Korea from exporting certain metals including copper, silver, zinc, and nickel that bring in an estimated $100m a year, as well as statues and helicopters.
Subsidy cuts have led to sharp rise in prices of food and medicine, leading opposition parties to call for a strike.

Sudanese police forces have fired tear gas at about 300 Sudanese protesters demonstrating against a government decision to cut fuel subsidies.





Groups have staged persistent protests for weeks over the subsidy cuts, which have led to a sharp rise in the cost of other goods, including medicines.

Several opposition groups called for a three-day nationwide strike earlier this week, which received a mixed response.

No, no to high prices, shouted about 300 men and women as they marched along a main street of Omdurman near Khartoum on Wednesday morning, an AFP correspondent reported.

Anti-riot police swiftly arrived at the scene and fired tear gas to disperse them, the reporter said.

Sudanese authorities have cracked down on protests in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the deadly unrest that followed a previous round of subsidy cuts in 2013.

Dozens of people were killed after large demonstrations were crushed, drawing international condemnation.

Newspaper crackdown

Authorities have already arrested more than a dozen opposition politicians in recent weeks, and also cracked down on newspapers critical of subsidy cuts.

Members of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) have seized entire print runs of several dailies that reported the opposition strike call or questioned the cuts.

Authorities have also halted broadcasts by Omdurman Channel, a private television channel, accusing it of operating without a licence, a charge its owner denied.

Today at 8:30pm we received a letter from the authorities saying the channel has been stopped from broadcasting because it didnt have a licence, Hussein Khojali, the channels owner, told AFP on Sunday.

This is completely false, he said, adding that the channel had obtained a licence six years earlier when it had been launched.

Media in Sudan are frequently targeted for their reporting. The country regularly ranks near the bottom of international press freedom rankings.
One in four people living in the EU say rape may be justified under certain circumstances, according to a new report.

More than a quarter of EU residents have said that sex without consent may be justified under certain circumstances, according to a new survey commissioned by the European Commission.

Overall, 27 percent of 27,818 EU citizens who participated in the survey thought forced sexual intercourse was acceptable in at least one set of circumstances.

Some 12 percent of respondents, who were selected from different social and demographic backgrounds, said forced sexual intercourse was acceptable if the victim was drunk or on drugs.

OPINION: Say enough to violence against women

Eleven percent said it was acceptable if the victim voluntarily went home with someone and 10 percent said it was acceptable if they didnt clearly say no or physically fight back.





Respondents in Romania and Hungary were consistently among the most likely to say each situation may be a justification for sex without consent, while those in Sweden and Spain were consistently among the least likely to say so.

Seventy percent of respondents said that sexual harassment of women was common in their country.

Almost one third of respondents, 31 percent, said they believed women were more likely to be raped by a stranger than by someone they knew, with respondents in Eastern areas of the EU the most likely to agree with that.

Women make up rape claims

The survey also demonstrated that about one in five Europeans hold victim-blaming views, agreeing that women make up or exaggerate their claims about sexual assault. One in five said that violence against women was often provoked by the victim.

READ MORE: Gender wage gap will not close for 170 years

Overall, 22 percent of respondents said that they believed women often make up or exaggerate claims of abuse or rape with proportions varying from 47 percent in Malta to 8 percent in Sweden.

Also, almost one in five respondents (17 percent) agreed that violence against women is often provoked by the victim, with respondents in Eastern areas of the EU the most likely to agree.

Across the EU, almost one quarter (24 percent) of respondents said they knew of a friend or family member who had been a victim of domestic violence, while 18 percent knew of someone in their immediate area or neighbourhood.

Almost three quarters of respondents, 74 percent, said they thought domestic violence against women was common in their country, while 29 percent said they believed domestic violence against men was common.

More than eight in ten said violence against women was most likely to happen at home (86 percent), while 19 percent said it was most likely to happen in public places or online. Seventeen percent mentioned the workplace.

READ MORE: What a Donald Trump victory means for women

Almost all respondents (96 percent) said domestic violence against women was unacceptable, although 12 percent said they did not think it should always be punished by law.

Around one in six respondents across the EU also said that they considered domestic violence to be a private matter that should be handled within the family. Respondents in eastern parts of the EU were the most likely to agree with that view.

The reports authors called for more attention to be paid to protecting women from becoming victims of sexual assault but said: There are reasons for cautious optimism in the findings.

Across the EU there is widespread agreement that domestic violence, sexual harassment and other acts of gender-based violence are unacceptable or wrong, they said.
France calls for emergency UN Security Council session as battles rage for control of Syrias second city.

Up to 20,000 people have fled eastern Aleppo over the past 72 hours as Syrian government forces continued to advance in the rebel-held part of the city, according to the Red Cross.





Terrified civilians have fled empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossed into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish-held districts.

The 20,000 figure is an estimate and could increase as people are fleeing in different directions, International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Krista Armstrong told the AFP news agency.

United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien had earlier put the number of displaced people from eastern Aleppo at 16,000.

The city, which was Syrias biggest before the start of a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, has been divided between the government-held west and rebel-held east, where UN officials say at least 250,000 people remain under siege.

The Syrian government offensive to recapture the rebel-held parts of Aleppo has sparked international alarm as it intensified this week.

A voluntary rescue group known as the White Helmets reported at least 51 civilians killed in east Aleppo and more than 150 injured during the government assault.

Syrian government forces dropped more than 150 air strikes from war planes and helicopters and [fired] more than 1,200 artillery shells, the group wrote on its Facebook page.

READ MORE: I live in Aleppo, under siege

The attacks hit the neighbourhoods of Bab al-Nairab, al-Mayser and al-Salheen, among others.

SANA, the official Syrian state media arm, reported that Syrian government forces and allies on Monday took control of several areas in the citys northeast, including al-Haidariya, al-Sakhour, al-Inzarat, al-Sheikh Khedr, Jabal Badro, and al-Halk.

Cannot remain silent

France called for an immediate UN Security Council session on the fighting, which has seen the army capture a third of opposition-controlled east Aleppo in recent days.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.

The 15 ambassadors of the UN Security Council will get a video-conference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operation and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II, said Frances UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.

READ MORE: How much longer can east Aleppo hold out?

He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day pushed for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

Eastern Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees, Rycroft said.

The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through.

The Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising against President Bashar al-Assads rule in March 2011. It has since morphed into a full-on civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands.

The UN refugee agency has registered more than 4.8 million Syrian refugees who have fled the fighting, while another 6.1 million people are internally displaced within the countrys borders.
An insight into a rural community in western Turkey which is losing its livelihood, population and hope for the future.

Filmmaker: Koray Caliskan

Avsar is a small village in south-western Turkey which, like many rural communities around the world, is gradually losing its livelihood, its population and much of its hope for the future.

It has depended on cotton farming for decades, but times have changed. Turkeys agriculture used to be the biggest contributor to the countrys economy and in the 1920s, farm labourers formed three-quarters of the workforce, but now they are under a quarter.

Industrialisation and urbanisation occurred later in Turkey than in Western Europe but had a major impact on farming communities starting in the 1950s.

The cost of growing cotton has increased and made it hard for Avsars working poor to make ends meet. Many villagers have abandoned farming and left for the city, so the population has dropped from 2,000 to 650 in the past 40 years  most of whom are elderly adults.

Gradually, our population will shrink even more through migration, deaths and lower birth rates. I think we'll be the last remaining villagers of Turkey. by Medine Goger, farmer

For grocery store owner Ali Kose, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep his shop open. Hundreds of customers used to frequent his shop, but now its dropped to only 150 and there are fewer every day, he says.

Young people go to [the town of] Soke all the time. The unemployed also leave to look for jobs, and parents go with their kids who study at city schools. This village can last another six or seven years. I know I also have to move. Therell be no reason for me to stay here, says Kose.

The problem for cotton farmers is that the price of cotton has steadily fallen over time, while production costs have increased.

Between 2000 and 2015, the price of diesel has increased by almost 40 percent. And while the government provides diesel subsidies for farmers depending on the crop they cultivate, it is still not enough.

Farmer Medine Goger says: When this tractor goes back and forth 40 times it uses $600 of fuel . You spend $1,700 of your profit on fuel. If you sell the cotton for 30 cents a kilo, it spells suicide for the farmer.

Village mechanic Halil Kanyis tries to help out the farmers as much as he can, but businesses like his are also on the decline. When farmers cant afford a wheel change for a puncture, we patch it instead. They try to make do with it, so our business suffers too. But we cant hold on for long if it goes on like this, he says.

Turkish commentator Murat Guvenc of Istanbul Sehir University believes that rural spaces in Europe will ultimately be economically and socially unsustainable, and that Turkeys village communities will continue to empty, but in some regions small settlements will continue labour-intensive farming in family businesses.

Gradually, our population will shrink even more through migration, deaths and lower birth rates. I think well be the last remaining villagers of Turkey, says Medine Goger.

The Last Villagers of Avsar is a snapshot of life in rural Turkey, which also reflects the continuing decline in rural communities worldwide.
UF President Kent Fuchs has joined more than 350 college and university presidents in signing a statement supporting a program that shields those brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.

Fuchs signed the statement about a week ago after receiving an email from the president of the Association of American Universities, he said.

The email told college and university presidents about the statement circulating that said the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is worth keeping.

University of Central Florida President John Hitt, Florida International University President Mark B. Rosenberg and University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft also signed the statement.

Fuchs said he does not know how many students at UF might have benefited from DACA, but he wanted them and others to know UF welcomes students from all backgrounds.

Were not making a statement about doing anything thats against the law, he said. Were simply saying this is a policy thats beneficial to the nation.

Anaeva Nelsas, a UF biology freshman, said comments from President-elect Donald Trump about deporting undocumented immigrants have scared students who have been affected by DACA.

Nelsas was brought from Venezuela by her parents when she was 6 years old, the 18-year-old said. She didnt learn she was brought illegally until she was 16.

Seeing Fuchs statement, she said, makes her feel supported at UF.

It shows support in a time where we feel very scared and we feel a lack of support, she said.

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The updated Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2011, intended to promote food safety by creating new regulatory guidelines.

Since October, IFAS researchers have provided training mandated by the law across the southeastern U.S. for farmers, Michelle Danyluk, an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, said.

The training is designed to make sure farmers know about the new produce safety regulations like the minimum standard quality of water and standard manure quality, she said.

(Farmers) all take food safety very seriously, Danyluk said. They have been actively engaged in food safety for quite some time.

Pushback from farmers comes from the new changes and added regulatory pressures, Danyluk said. Many of the farmers already followed the now-mandated safety requirements through work with large retailers.

The trainings cost about $150, IFAS researcher Keith Schneider said, which helps cover costs of the researchers performing the training.

Theyre really no more difficult, in my opinion, than what some of the large stores require a supplier to do anyway, Schneider said.

With as many as 3,000 farmers needing to be trained under the new law, IFAS has been training third-party instructors to meet the demand, he said.

Honestly, we are in a quandary because we cant actually meet demand, Schneider said.

Kiley Harper-Larsen, who operates a banana and plantain farm in Palm Beach County, Florida, also provides trainings as a former extension agent with UF.

As a farmer, the 33-year-old has seen the pushback but said it was a normal response to increased regulation.

Harper-Larsen said she feels that the trainings will help create a standard. Because not all farmers have received formal education, the trainings will help provide them with resources and knowledge, she said.

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Theres not a degree at the University of Florida that you go and you get if you want to be a farmer, Harper-Larsen said. (Farmers) dont necessarily have all of the resources that a food scientist would have in their educational pallet, and this training is providing a lot of those benefits that I think our farmers are going to see as a central element.
The Gainesville City Commission notified Student Senate on Tuesday morning that it could not attend the semesters only joint meeting that night.

Student Government External Affairs director Jason Richards told Senate the joint meeting would be rescheduled to next semester. Senators will discuss with commissioners how UF and the city can work together to improve Gainesville.

Senate President Smith Meyers said the commissioners were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, although they did not specify what the conflicts were.

I look forward to collaborating with them on that meeting, Meyers told senators.

Rules and ethics committee chairwoman Isabella Muncan (Impact, Liberal Arts) told senators they needed to complete their requirements by the Dec. 6 Senate meeting. She showed senators a document that outlined each senators unmet requirements.

You are either elected or appointed to represent a group of people, and as of now youre letting them down, she told senators.

Senators representing districts are required to attend a city commission meeting, which could have been the scheduled joint meeting, she said.

University Police Capt. Jeff Holcomb told senators how to stay safe during finals week, when crimes usually increase near the libraries when students leave their belongings unattended.

Holcomb said UPD has installed cameras in the libraries to combat crime.

We have seen a downturn in their crimes, he said. Im hoping its because of the cameras; Im hoping that trend continues.

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First off: My name is Mia, and Ill be joining the opinions section next semester as a regular columnist. I love music, politics, great food, good books, comedy and being outdoors. Thats all you need to know about me  on with the column!

For my inaugural column, Im tackling a question Ive been mulling over for the past month: Do decades of experience in politics  or business, for that matter  give us the clearest idea of who will best lead our country? In other words, what kind of experience makes a president most suited to serve?

I ruminated on this idea after Election Day because of the nature of our two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Claims of inexperience, or too much experience, flew back and forth across the political aisle. Clinton said Trump didnt have the political experience to take the office, and Trump shot back that Clinton had served too much time in Washington, making her corrupt and crooked.

Even now, President-elect Trump has promised to drain the swamp, meaning he thinks we have to break the cycle of corruption in our government and give new voices a chance to go into government service. This all comes from his website, donaldjtrump.com, and based on his current picks for cabinet positions, I have yet to see any newcomers join the scene. But thats a column for another time.

Sometimes age plays a strong role in the question of experience. President Barack Obama is 55, taking office when he was 47, and he faced a sea of criticism regarding his alleged inexperience. Just a quick Google search with the keywords Barack Obama inexperienced dredges up plenty of circa-2008 stories on his experience (or lack thereof), ranging from websites like Politico and ABC News to Breitbart and The Huffington Post. Let me be clear, not all of those websites are news outlets, but, again, thats a column for another time.

So I did some research, using President Obama as an example. He began his political career in 1996 as a senator in the Illinois State Senate. In 2004, he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate; in 2008, he became one of three one-term senators ever elected president. Thats the crux of it: He didnt have decades of experience in an elected office before he landed the presidency.

Heres what I think. Even if you disagree with President Obama on core issues, maybe environmental protections, reproductive rights or the Affordable Care Act, I assert that he truly fought for those issues as effectively as he could with Congress working against him. Essentially, he didnt need a half-century of experience as an elected politician to get the job done.

Before you stop reading and think I voted for a Washington outsider like Donald Trump because he, too, lacked years in an elected position, know this: Hillary Clinton, like Barack Obama, worked tirelessly in her roles in politics to advance the issues she cared about. Her decades of political experience trump Trumps experience in the business world, if you can call it that. He duped innocent Americans in his now-defunct Trump University, and you dont see anyone flying the Trump Shuttle or ordering from Trump Steaks anymore, do you?

All Im saying is this: Look to the quality of experience, not the quantity, to get a real picture of what someone can do in office.

Ill vote for a former civil-rights lawyer and community organizer named Barack Obama  or a so-called career politician who has championed womens rights, health care and equality named Hillary Clinton  over a man who thinks his half-century of bankrupted companies, failed business ideas and deliberate deception earns him the highest office in our land any day of the week.

Mia Gettenberg is a UF criminology and law and philosophy junior. Her columns will appear regularly next semester.

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Tuesday morning (at 6:55 a.m. to be exact), early riser and esteemed tweeter President-elect Donald Trump turned his attention toward those who seek to make political statements via flag burning. Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! the tweet read. Before we go any further on the implications of this tweet, know these things: In 1989, the US Supreme Court ruled that flag burning is a protected practice under the First Amendment. Additionally, we here at the Alligator in no way condone flag burning. We will continue to point out the many things this country has to improve on, and we will always do our best to point out injustices where we see fit. However, that flag symbolizes more to us than a collection of our shortcomings, and we cannot condone such a behavior.

Keeping those things in mind, we can finally acknowledge this tweet for what it really is: bait. This tweet is nothing more than an attempt to trigger the frustrated sentiment held by the overwhelming majority of the nation (For example, Trumps claim that 2 million fraudulent votes were cast has been disproven by virtually every fact-checking institution in our nation.). All Trump is trying to do here is egg on folks to burn the flag so he can denounce all those who dont support him as typical unpatriotic flag burners.

Perhaps what this really symbolizes, though, is one of many views Trump holds: that our Constitution, the backbone of our legal system and political structure, is secondary to his glorious intuition. Hes demonstrated this before. In a debate against Hillary Clinton, he expressed his desire to bring back stop-and-frisk-style law enforcement.

He also advocated for stripping away due process to those on trial for terrorism and previously threatened to jail his political opponent. Mind you, this is something that would never be allowed in the first place as president. Its the attorney generals job, and its their job for a reason (see: balance of power).

With that said, we know at least one of two things: Trump either does not care for constitutionally given rights to American citizens, or he is not aware American citizens have constitutional rights. Given how hes broken countless campaign promises, its reasonable to assume that hes not ignorant of the law. So why does he show such disapproval of our rights?

First, we have to understand the setting in which we are working. Based on the statistics of our known demographics, the majority of Americans arent active Trump supporters, nor are they quite comfortable with Democrats (and understandably so). They are floaters.

So when Trump says stupid s--- like this, hes really enticing that demographic that is fervently anti-Trump to burn the flag in protest. Naturally, the media catches wind of American citizens burning the flag and sprays it all over TV to the point where its impossible to ignore (like Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem). Those average Americans turn on their TVs and see images of their neighbors burning the flag juxtaposed with jihadi terrorists doing the same thing, and out of fear (the main ingredient to any successful conservative campaign), they make a decision. They decide to give Trump their reluctant approval.

Its not possible (anytime soon) for Trump to overturn a Supreme Court ruling and make flag burning illegal. Moreover, even if he eventually does, its legally impossible to have those who burned the flag prior to this overturning stand trial (see: ex post facto). So please, dont give Trump more ammunition.

Banning flag burning dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered. Justice Antonin Scalia

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English News UN Industrial Development Organization lauds Made in China 2025 plan

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 30 Novembre 2016



China made great contributions to the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. This year, China has held the presidency of the G20, vowing to help promote the industrialization and New Industrial Revolution of Africa and of the least developed countries. UNIDO has been and will always be supportive to China's efforts in this field. China is believed to be creating new opportunities for cooperation between itself and UNIDO.

By Li Yong, director general of UNIDO This year marks the 50th birthday of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which was established to help developing nations industrialize after their seats doubled in the UN thanks to the progress of the decolonization movement.



As a staunch partner and supporter of UNIDO, China has cooperated with the organization in a wide range of fields, including technology and intellectual property transfer, vocational training, construction of systems, trade and investment promotion, resource utilization, production and management of clean energy. These projects have all played significant roles in China's economic and social development.



UNIDO had offered a helpful hand to China in the early days of Chinas reform and opening-up campaign. Back then, it was difficult for China to gain experience from other nations, especially Western countries, because of limited international cooperation.



Using its unique internalized network, UNIDO provided assistance to Chinese delegations for overseas studies in those days. Such studies played a key role for policymakers when making decisions on the establishment of special economic zones.



Nowadays, many developing countries hope to replicate the success of China while testing the waters in special economic zones and industrial parks.



Moreover, UNIDO also assisted China in fulfilling its obligations stipulated in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Minamata Convention on Mercury and other major multilateral environment agreements (MEAs).



The programs under these MEAs accelerated the transition of China's industries toward an environmentally friendly model. Up to now, the volume of ozone-depleting substances cut by China accounts for a surprising 55 percent of the world's total.



In September 2015, the UN Sustainable Development Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Since then, cooperation between China and the UNIDO has entered a new era.



China's determination to achieve the SDGs has been verified by its 13th Five-Year Plan. In addition, the concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development proposed during the 5th Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in October will also help accelerate the nation's sustainable development.



UNIDO supports China's sustainable development plans, and hopes to play a significant role in the process. The organization will focus on an inclusive and sustainable industrial development strategy, shoring up China's efforts in realizing its Made in China 2025 initiative.



China made great contributions to the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. This year, China has held the presidency of the G20, vowing to help promote the industrialization and New Industrial Revolution of Africa and of the least developed countries. UNIDO has been and will always be supportive to China's efforts in this field. China is believed to be creating new opportunities for cooperation between itself and UNIDO.



(The author is the director general of UNIDO.)



(Source: Peoples Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China's sports industry on fast track of development Trunk market springs up in Chinese cities Communist of China always maintains vitality Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Goldman Sachs, one of the biggest technology spenders in the industry, admired for being tech savvy as well as extremely private, has publicly acknowledged its use of Infosys's Finacle software to run Marcus, the online lending subsidiary it launched two months ago.

In so doing, it's meeting a challenge faced by most large U.S. banks: how to offer modern digital services while saddled with older, batch-mode core systems they're not ready to overhaul. In this case, Goldman is using Finacle as a lending platform for its self-contained "bank within a bank," as some have called the Marcus brand, which targets the "emerging wealth" generation.

The software allows Goldman to let customers define and change the parameters of their loans, within boundaries the bank sets. For instance, a consumer who's consolidating credit card debt might want to amortize that over five years, to get the lowest possible payment, but then then pay it off after three. She could adjust the terms without having to negotiate with a banker. Marcus provides loans of up to $30,000 in two-to-five-year terms.

"The system has no constraints," said Sanat Rao, global head and chief business officer at Finacle. "It's up to Goldman to define what parameters they want to allow the customer to change."

The software processes transactions in real time. The platform allows the ability to integrate with other applications via restful application programming interfaces, and it's delivered over the cloud.

Goldman and Infosys took the project live in eight months and within budget, Rao said.

Infosys has spent $150 million getting Finacle, its core banking system, ready for the U.S. market. Much of this has gone into compliance with federal and state banking regulations. The company has hired 10 people, many of them former bankers, whose sole job is to deal with compliance matters.

Rivals SAP, Oracle, TCS and Temenos have also poured resources into the U.S. market. They've all lived in a state of perpetual disappointment as large and mid-size banks remain loathe to undergo disruptive core replacements. (TCS's win at Zion's Bank is an exception; that project is still ongoing.)

Infosys has two other marquee U.S. financial services clients. The biggest is Discover Financial Services, which went live using Finacle for deposits in 2014 and consumer loans in 2015. Currently the software is managing four million accounts; it will go up to six million when they load up the student loan portfolios they acquired from Citi and Wells Fargo. The other U.S. client using Finacle is Eastern Bank.
Anthony Labozzetta isn't afraid of change.

As president and chief executive of Sussex Bancorp in Franklin, N.J., he is just as willing to try a new strategy as to reinvent past ones.

That propensity isn't lost on the directors of the $809 million-asset company he helped salvage after the financial crisis.

On many occasions, Labozzetta has worked hard to sway the thinking of a board that was accustomed to moving forward at a much slower pace before his arrival in early 2010, said Edward Leppert, the company's chairman.

"That's a part of the job Tony relishes," Leppert said.

Labozzetta's powers of persuasion were tested after the financial crisis, when he convinced directors that his team should be allowed to keep investing in growth initiatives even as a handful of employees worked to build a firewall around bad assets.

His lobbying skills came in handy again in 2013, when Sussex decided it could no longer rely on its 40-year history of running branches in largely rural markets. To gain traction in the more populous and prosperous areas of New Jersey and New York, Labozzetta proposed resurrecting a hub-and-spoke model that other banks had used before the financial crisis.

However, he wanted to incorporate a twist. Rather than relying on traditional branch managers, he wanted business development professionals to oversee the expansion.

It was a lot for Sussex's conservative board to process.

"We were a little bit cautious because it was a radical change," Leppert said.

Still, Labozzetta prevailed in convincing the board, and so far the strategy has worked out well. Newly added branches, which are operating much more efficiently than traditional sites, also have shown the potential for accelerating deposit growth.

"The thing that has impressed me the most about Tony is that he's always thinking about the business and how he can make it better, change it and keep it nimble and flexible as the environment changes," said Collyn Gilbert, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. "He's very pragmatic in his approach."

Labozzetta's persistence and creativity, willingness to adopt and adapt past concepts, and credibility with investors and directors, have played a big role in Sussex's rebound while creating a blueprint for revitalizing the branch model. For those reasons, American Banker has selected Labozzetta as one of its three Community Bankers of the Year.

Road to Sussex

Before joining Sussex, Labozzetta had never gotten the chance to run a bank. He was close at Interchange Financial Services in Saddle Brook, N.J., where, as chief operating officer, he was arguably being groomed for the top job. Instead, the $1.6 billion-asset company sold itself to TD Bank in 2007 for more than four times book value.

Labozzetta, who eventually became TD's executive vice president of retail distribution for the mid-Atlantic division, enjoyed a three-year stint that would prove instrumental to his career development. Notably, it gave him an opportunity to try retail strategies that he never had a chance to implement at Interchange.

Those experiments would eventually influence how he would run Sussex.

TD, for instance, sought out entrepreneurial employees with the "right personalities" to sell products to customers. The model, which Labozzetta would eventually use at Sussex, favored identifying employees who were geared more toward business development on a regional scale rather than branch management.

It would take years for Labozzetta to implement that model at Sussex, where his first order of business involved cleaning up the balance sheet in the wake of the financial crisis.

Noncurrent loans had begun to increase, peaking at 8.6% of total assets by September 2011, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Many turnaround artists followed a tried-and-true approach to address credit issues after the crisis. They completed bulk loan sales, wrote off huge losses and raised millions in capital to plug the holes. Those "fresh slate" efforts, however, were highly dilutive and damaging to existing shareholders, said Joseph Fenech, an analyst at Hovde Group.

Labozzetta and his team decided to chart a more difficult course to recovery, pursuing parallel paths where one small team would focus on internally working out problem loans while everyone else focused on building for the future. The company would eventually raise a small amount of capital, bringing in about $7 million in 2013.

At one of his first board meetings, Labozzetta told Sussex's directors that his team would be reinvesting in the bank rather than simply grappling with bad assets and slashing costs. The pitch met with some resistance, but directors eventually gave Labozzetta their vote of confidence.

The approach made total sense to the company's new CEO.

"You're giving away shareholder capital if you do a bulk loan sale," Labozzetta said. "The key was to reignite the organization, solve legacy issues, bring in new talent and open regional offices."

Labozzetta held weekly Monday morning meetings with Chief Financial Officer Steven Fusco  a recruit from the Interchange days  and a credit workout team to discuss progress on loans, which were segmented into categories and subcategories. Everyone else was insulated from those problems so they could focus on generating income.

"It was overwhelming to look at when you saw the dollar amount and number of problem assets," Fusco said. "But failure was not an option and we both looked at it as an opportunity to fix something."

By shielding most employees from credit woes, Labozzetta kept morale high. He installed regional lenders, brought in new technology and reversed a decision by previous managers by investing in the company's insurance business. The insurance business, which had been losing money, generated nearly $2.8 million in commissions and fees in the first half of this year.

Labozzetta's approach is "much harder and that's why it is so impressive," Fenech said, adding that it positioned Sussex to "jump off the launching pad" once its credit issues were addressed.

Old Is New Again

In some ways the prolonged recovery was a blessing in disguise to Sussex, Labozzetta said. The company wanted to expand geographically, but doing so would require branches to drum up name recognition and new business.

The turnaround caused management to really think about what these new locations would look like, particularly at a time when banks of all sizes were beginning to rethink  and reduce  their dependency on branches.

That philosophical shift was top of mind as Labozzetta and his team began a more than yearlong process developing Sussex's new branch model. They determined that wholesale changes would be needed  not only to branch appearances, but also to job descriptions and employee requirements.

"The bank paradigm has shifted," Labozzetta said. "We see bank transactions no longer happening in the branches, but more on the digital side of the world."

Labozzetta's vision was built around his experience at TD. He wanted employees who would be far happier venturing out to meet with customers and prospects as opposed to staying inside the branch. Those managers would also need to oversee more than one location.

"The secret sauce is the business-development manager, who manages three locations and not just one," Fusco said. "They are sales motivated and they're out there getting new business."

Each manager is responsible for a hub location and several "spokes." Hubs aren't much larger than 1,000 square feet and are packed with technology such as tablet stations to help meet customers' needs. ATMs and full-service lending teams are also available. (Spokes are still in the works, but will be smaller.)

Labozzetta and his team have tapped into "the wave of the future," said Bob Kafafian, president and CEO of Kafafian Group. Branches generally are getting smaller in size and fewer in number and are being built around giving customers advice rather than completing transactions. Sussex's model hits on all of those notes.

"You still need some physical presence for your people to give advice and resolve issues and develop business and relationships," said Kafafian, who has known Labozzetta for years and has worked with him as a client. "He's one of the more forward-thinking CEOs that I know, and he is not afraid to make changes."

The preliminary results have been positive. Sussex has opened two hub locations  in Astoria, N.Y., and Oradell, N.J.  with spoke locations to come. Labozzetta believes Sussex will only need six to nine branches to provide the same level of service that Interchange provided when it had 28 branches in Bergen County.

The branches also improve efficiency, with Fenech noting that the salary paid to a business development sales manager is lower than what it would cost to compensate multiple branch managers.

Expense management is a welcomed plus, but Labozzetta is insistent that the model was largely geared toward growing the company over the long term. "If you go cost first, you will end up looking at a lot of data and you'll reduce staff  but you won't add the pieces that get you the business," he said.

Banks should instead look to "rethink costs so they're going to the right jobs," Labozzetta added. "And then along the way we got the cost saves."

Eye on the Future

Labozzetta's star continues to rise in an industry where he has been active for decades. He is currently serving a three-year term on the New Jersey Bankers Association, where he was also selected to join the group's executive committee.

John McWeeney Jr., the association's president and CEO who has known Labozzetta for about a decade, praised the veteran executive for being "a dynamic banker" who has earned the respect of his peers. "His experience working at a smaller bank  and a larger one like TD  gives him insights into our needs as an industry, which is helpful for our members," he said.

Labozzetta's reputation was cemented when he was at Interchange, Fenech said, pointing out that TD kept him for years after buying his bank. He also noted that Interchange's loan book held up "better than most" during the crisis. TD "respected his work," Fenech said. "I doubt they would have kept him on otherwise."

Labozzetta's reputation at Interchange also made an impact on Lawrence Seidman, a bank investor from New Jersey with a storied history in shareholder activism. Seidman began buying Sussex stock in late 2014 at about $10 each; those shares have appreciated by more than 60%.

"He's an excellent banker and he's doing a great job," said Seidman, who is not looking for the company to find an exit strategy to maximize value for investors. "His management has been beneficial to shareholders."

The key to Labozzetta's management style, evidenced by his post-crisis efforts, is his ability to make adjustments when necessary to survive and thrive in a climate of change.

The "formula isn't a static one," said Mark Hontz, Sussex's vice chairman. "If a strategy isn't building the right relationship with the customer, the shareholder or employees then it will surely be adapted or changed as time goes on."

A willingness to change could help Sussex as regulators scrutinize the banking industry's reliance on commercial real estate lending. CRE loans amount to more than 400% of Sussex's capital, which is well over the level that typically catches the eye of examiners.

The company is looking to diversify by adding more Small Business Administration and commercial-and-industrial loans. However, Labozzetta is confident in the strength of Sussex's CRE book, noting that management has kept loan-to-value ratios low and the borrowers are familiar customers.

A commitment to change also should help Sussex stay ahead of shifts in customer behavior. While the hub-and-spoke model seems to be working now, Labozzetta readily admits that Sussex might have to find new ways to reach customers in three to five years. So the bank is always looking for ways to improve.

For instance, Sussex taps an employee to serve as the customer advocate during strategic planning sessions. That individual is "basically the attorney for the client," charged with voicing how customers might react to changes such as new fees, Labozzetta said.

Advocacy had led to meaningful change at Sussex, including a decision to adopt a private bank feel where clients sit at a desk to discuss their needs or complete transactions rather than standing at a counter.

In another instance, Labozzetta stepped in to the advocacy role during an annual credit summit, pushing for quicker turnarounds for loan applications. He successfully pressed his team to shorten some of the response times to 24 hours.

"You can't be someone who doesn't like change. We have to adapt," Labozzetta said. "The worst thing you can do is nothing."
To those who wonder if a traditional community bank can stay relevant, German American Bancorp offers a case study on how it can be done.

The only thing about the company that comes close to being splashy is its performance, and that's just how Chief Executive Mark Schroeder intends to keep it.

Unlike a lot of its small-town peers looking to expand, the Jasper, Ind., company hasn't moved into big cities, started national lines of business or negotiated any blockbuster deals.

German American is a frequent acquirer, but its deals have been small, with enough time in between to ensure thorough integration. Even as the company has grown, its commitment to the Midwestern values of its founders never wavered, and along the way it has managed to outperform its peers year in and year out.

The $3 billion-asset company hardly missed a beat during the financial crisis and since then has strung together six consecutive years of record earnings and is well on its way to making it seven. Through Sept. 30 it had earned $25.1 million, up 12% from the same period in 2015.

This formula  strategic acquisitions combined with quietly effective relationship banking  has made German American one of the most consistently profitable banks in the country, and it is why American Banker has selected Schroeder as one of its three Community Bankers of the Year for 2016.

"German American is considered as part of the gold standard in Indiana as far as community banking," an approving S. Joe DeHaven, the longtime Indiana Bankers Association CEO, said in an interview. "Mark is extremely highly regarded, throughout the industry and in Indiana."

A Conservative Tradition

O. Leo Beckman would be every bit as proud.

Beckman, whose father, Fred, helped found German American in 1910, was a legend inside the company. Beckman spent his entire 52-year career there, starting as a teenager in 1930 and working his way up to CEO. He acted as a mentor to Schroeder, who joined the bank as a vault teller in 1972.

Beckman, who passed away in 1995, also was responsible in large part for German American's enduring conservatism.

"Mr. Beckman was very much a traditionalist, very disciplined regarding time-tested banking principles," Schroeder said. "He [drilled into] me that banking is not supposed to be exciting. It's supposed to be boring, and if it's getting exciting, you're probably doing it wrong."

Schroeder said the bank's conservative approach to lending is just as much about protecting its customers as about protecting the bank. "If we have a credit that becomes a problem credit, it's a problem credit for us, but it's a serious dilemma for that client."

That's not to say Beckman wouldn't ever take a risk  as Schroeder first learned 44 years ago when he told his father, Clarence, he had landed an entry-level job at the bank.

"My father told me my grandfather wouldn't bank anywhere else, because Fred Beckman backed him during the Depression," Schroeder recalled. "If the bank hadn't hung in with him, he'd have lost the [family] farm."

In the 1940s, after the Depression had ended, his grandfather ended up selling the property for a hefty profit.

Schroeder has been CEO since Jan. 1, 1999. He had a chance to become CEO in 1982  the year Leo Beckman finally stepped down  but declined an invitation to interview for the job. "I was young," Schroeder said. "I was 27. I was the newest vice president."

When the head of the search committee called, "I remember laughing and saying that I very much appreciated the call, but I thought I needed a little more experience before I could tackle something like that. But I asked him to do me a favor and please call again when you're looking for the next CEO."

German American's board reached outside the company for Beckman's successor, tapping George Astrike, president of neighboring Tell City National Bank. Like Beckman, Astrike was a mentor to Schroeder, moving him up the ranks. "He was one of the brightest stars I had to work with," Astrike said. "He was always very capable and very industrious. I learned to appreciate that from the start."

A few months after his arrival, Astrike appointed Schroeder head of credit administration. "I remember being a little embarrassed to tell people that a $100 million bank had a 27-year-old head of credit administration, but I never had cause to regret my decision."

Though just as conservative as Beckman fundamentally, Astrike was visionary in other respects, Schroeder said. It was Astrike who inaugurated German American's growth-by-acquisition strategy, engineering the purchase of Ireland, Ind.-based Bank of Ireland in 1986.

"What I took from George was the recognition that slow and steady wins the race, but there are times when you have to seize opportunities," Schroeder said. "When those opportunities present themselves, you have to analyze them. You can't jump into something uninformed, but sometimes time is of the essence. From an M&A perspective, the bank that is choosing to join with you really sets the time when they're ready to make a move. As an acquirer, you can't call and say, 'Well, that's great but two years from now would be better for us.' "

Schroeder has continued down the acquisition path, doing a total of six deals in his 16-plus years as CEO. His most recent transaction, an $87 million cash-and-stock deal for the $514 million-asset River Valley Bancorp in Madison, Ind., closed March 1. It marked German American's entry into the greater Louisville market.

In all, German American has closed 15 whole-bank acquisitions over the past 30 years. That's probably enough to qualify the bank as a serial acquirer. Under Schroeder, though, it goes about the bank-buying business with a characteristic conservative twist.

Schroeder said he likes wait two or three years between deals to ensure enough time for integration. He is also content with relatively small transactions, where the seller is no bigger than one-quarter of German American's asset size.

"If you do run into issues [buying a smaller bank], you can throw resources at them," Schroeder explained. "If it is a huge transaction relative to your starting size, it can overwhelm you."

The strategy might be less splashy than that of other acquirers but is no less effective.

"Banks that grow exponentially via acquisition and move into new market, that's an exciting story to read about," said Joe Fenech, who covers German American for Hovde Group. "This is a bank that instead has chosen to grow at a more measured pace."

An Overlooked Gem

Fenech said German American was "flying under the radar" when Hovde initiated coverage on the company in September 2015, headlining its initial report "Basic Bread and Butter Banking at its Finest."

Fenech concluded that German American's stock, then trading at 1.75 times tangible book value, was significantly undervalued, as companies with a similar earnings track record were trading at two times tangible book or higher. Despite consistently posting a double-digit return on equity  now up to 11 years and counting  it was still being overlooked by investors.

"Our contention was if you really compared this company to the appropriate peer group  and by that I mean a group of the absolute highest-performing banks, not just in the past few years but over the past decade  those banks trade at significantly higher multiples than German American did," Fenech said.

German American is on pace to have its best year ever. For the first time in the company's 116-year history, its quarterly profit topped $10 million, up 32% from the third quarter of 2015. At 1.38% and 12.07%, returns on average assets and average equity were both comfortably above industry averages. Nonperforming loans were just 0.25% of total loans.

What's Next

These days, Schroeder refers to German American as a "regional supercommunity bank." The description has an impressive ring to it, but in its day-to-day operation, German American still pursues a plain-vanilla relationship banking strategy. The closest it comes to niche banking are the two large turkey producers it counts as clients.

Like most CEOs, Schroeder spends much of his time plotting strategy. With the integration of River Valley well underway, he is considering the next step, and frequently glances south, across the state line, at Kentucky.

German American joined the Kentucky Bankers Association earlier this year, and Schroeder is doing nothing to dampen speculation the company is eyeing some point of entry into the Bluegrass State's banking market.

"There are a couple of other candidates for us in southern Indiana, but past that we're either going to have to move north around Indianapolis or move south," Schroeder said. "As we look at the landscape, there are more  markets that fit our profile in Kentucky."

As for his own future, Schroeder said he'd like to reach his 50th anniversary with the company in 2022, but he doesn't plan to stay much beyond that. Succession planning is on his radar.

"One of the hallmarks of good organizations long term is that they do CEO succession seamlessly," he said. "I consider it the ultimate test of any CEO."
Glen Burnie Bancorp in Maryland has announced an executive departure for the second time in three months.

John Wright, who has been the $392 million-asset Glen Burnie's chief financial officer since September 2015, will leave Dec. 16 to become CFO of MB Bancorp in Forest Hill, Md., according to news releases issued by the companies this week.

Wright's departure comes after Glen Burnie terminated Chief Operating Officer Edward Connelly on Sept. 1 and eliminated the COO position.

John Long, Glen Burnie's president and chief executive, will take over as CFO until a replacement for Wright is found. The bank will also have to find a new secretary since Wright held that job, too; the secretary job will be filled from within, Long said.

The $136 million-asset MB Bancorp's new president, Phil Phillips, and Wright are former colleagues at another bank. "John Wright is an exceptional chief financial officer with a great deal of experience, and we expect him to make a significant contribution to our organization," Phillips said in MB's release.
Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has hired a veteran risk manager to structure senior debt for commercial and specialty banking.

The $7.7 billion-asset bank said in a press release Tuesday that Volkan Salar was appointed senior credit administrator of commercial banking.

Salar previously served as a credit products market manager with BBVA Compass' corporate risk management group, where he oversaw the growth and management of a $2.5 billion commercial-and-industrial loan portfolio. Before that, he was a portfolio risk manager at Sterling Bank.

Salar "is a highly regarded banking veteran with a deep understanding of, and significant experience in, structuring credit products, services, and solutions for middle-market businesses and corporations." Stephen Gordon, Opus' president and chief executive, said in the release.

Opus earlier this month promoted two lending officers, Ed Padilla and Geoff Anfuso, to lead its commercial real estate and commercial and specialty banking divisions. The bank also announced that it would split its chief credit officer responsibilities to create a role solely focused on commercial and specialty lending.

The company recently reported a third-quarter loss tied to nearly $39 million in chargeoffs on eight loans in its technology, commercial and specialty lending divisions.
John Hope Bryant is proving that you don't need code or an app to innovate in banking.

After more than two decades bringing underbanked consumers into the mainstream, Bryant has found a way to combat financial illiteracy that also addresses two critical business problems facing banks today: keeping branches relevant and finding new customers.

Bryant founded Operation Hope in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, seeking to reverse the vicious cycle of poverty in communities around the country. For most of its history, the nonprofit operated out of its own brick-and-mortar field offices, helping individuals avoid foreclosure, build credit and start their own small businesses.

Operation Hope relied on grants and donations to advance its mission. But in 2013, a lucrative partnership with E-Trade ended, and that compelled Bryant to rethink the whole enterprise.

"In some ways we were fired from our own business plan and we had to reimagine it," he said. "I'm not sure if E-Trade hadn't done that, if we would have ever found the new model."

Operation Hope had a co-location arrangement with Bank of the West in one of its Oakland branches, and it was notably self-sufficient. By putting counselors in existing bank branches, Bryant thought, the organization could focus on its core strengths and rapidly expand its outreach.

That idea grew into Hope Inside: a direct partnership with banks to install Operation Hope-trained financial counselors inside bank branches, paid for by the banks themselves at a cost of roughly $75,000 a year per site.

The counselors can offer free, unbiased financial advice to bank clients and prospective clients  including those with credit or debt problems that might preclude the banks from approving them for loans or other services. Clients can get guidance on how to build their credit, start a business, prepare to buy a home or avoid foreclosure.

The relationship is mutually beneficial. Operation Hope can widen its reach far beyond what it was able to achieve with its own locations, and the banks are able to cultivate new customers and earn Community Reinvestment Act credit.

Hope Inside answers a wide range of challenges facing banks  whose public image never fully recovered from the financial crisis  with a single solution.

"I think this is the first time that many of these CEOs saw community affairs, public affairs, community reinvestment, community engagement, trust  the business [banks are] in  relationship-building, race relations, economic prosperity, job creation, and even business development all line up," Bryant said. "And it's moral, which means that they can feel good about it, brag about it ... and they can rationalize it to their bean counters and to their boards of directors -at scale."

For developing a model that promotes financial inclusion, generates business for banks and gives branches a new purpose at a time of declining foot traffic, American Banker is honoring Bryant as the 2016 Innovator of the Year.

Since its inception 18 months ago, Hope Inside has grown from a pilot program of six branches to more than 40 today. And the number is rising rapidly  SunTrust, one of the program's first bank partners, recently announced that it is expanding its partnership to 200 branches by 2020.

First Tennessee Bank also has expanded its partnership, with a $1 million contribution to Operation Hope and plans for a total of 15 locations, triple the number it has now. (Counseling offices also are open in partnership with nonbanks, including the Atlanta Police Department, churches and even Whole Foods.)

Bryant said he is aiming for 1,000 Hope Inside branches to be open by 2020. The metrics indicate that the program helps banks as well as customers: SunTrust's internal evaluation showed that its seven locations serve roughly 6,000 clients annually, with a corresponding 464% increase in bank referrals year over year in branches with a Hope Inside counselor.

One thing that sets Hope Inside apart from other financial literacy programs is that it is using banks' profit motive to drive participation, rather than tugging on their heartstrings. Bryant said that is the crux of his vision  to appeal to banks' bottom line. "I want the person who eats nails for lunch to respect what I'm saying  it's just a different way of looking at business development," Bryant said. "When you have a bank showing a 500% increase in bank referrals year over year, that sells itself."

D. Bryan Jordan, president and CEO of First Horizon  parent company of First Tennessee Bank  said since first trying the concept in a few branches, the bank has counseled several thousand people, providing valuable services that might otherwise not be available. In the initial nine to 12 months, "we helped counsel 2,400, almost 2,500 people," Jordan said. "It's remarkable the folks that would show up for financial counseling. It's remarkable the progress that can be made. It's a real easy mission to connect with."

SunTrust CEO Bill Rogers said that one of his bank's business goals is to improve his customers' ability to save and manage money. He cited a recent survey the bank conducted that found 40% of Americans, and 60% of millennials, have less than $2,000 in savings. Hope Inside has demonstrated an ability to make the bank's customers and prospects more financially savvy and secure, he said.

"Having Hope Inside counseling in our branches helps us address these issues head on and provides another way to help move more people from financial stress to financial confidence," said Rogers. "Working together, we can help people build their credit score, better manage debt and qualify for important financial services. Rather than saying 'no,' this is a path to 'how,' and it gives people optimism to move forward."

Much of the success of Operation Hope and the Hope Inside model can be attributed to the energy Bryant, 50, brings to the project. People who have met with him and heard his message tend to come away convinced of his authenticity.

This October, a group of about 25 graduates of Operation Hope gathered in Washington to share their experiences in the program and talk about the progress they have made toward starting their own businesses. Unexpectedly, Bryant walked in and thanked them for their initiative in pursuing and completing the program and working to improve their lives and their communities. "I just came in here to say thank you for your time. I know it's hot in here, but that's because of all your passion within," Bryant said. "I don't even know you, but I love you."

Bryant told them they were part of a struggle for economic integration that is deeply ingrained in American history. As the Civil War drew to a close, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican-controlled Congress began thinking through how to integrate the millions of freed slaves into American society. To that end, Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau and chartered the Freedman's Savings Bank. But the bank and bureau withered and collapsed by the 1870s, along with the rest of postwar reconstruction programs.

Bryant's mission, he told the group, is to pick up where the Freedman's Bank left off. "The Freedman's Bank's mission was ... to teach freed slaves about money," Bryant said. "So Lincoln thought the most important thing he could do for freed slaves wasn't reparations, wasn't an apology, wasn't welfare programs, wasn't a handout. No. It was to teach you how the free enterprise system  how capitalism  works."

Financial exclusion, of course, is not a challenge faced by the black community alone. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found in its annual survey of the unbanked and underbanked that 7% of the U.S. population in 2015 had no access to a bank account and nearly a fifth were underbanked, using high-cost alternative financial services instead of those offered by insured depositors.

Counteracting the worst effects of financial illiteracy is a challenge that dates back hundreds, even thousands, of years, and occupies a nebulous region between personal responsibility and financial predation. If a borrower doesn't understand how interest works, the lender can charge more for the same loan than it could otherwise. That minimal level of financial savvy applies to other areas of personal finance  how to buy a home, how to obtain credit, how and why to maintain a good credit score, how to make the money one earns work efficiently, and so on.

Thomas Hoenig, vice chairman of the FDIC and former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, said various nonprofit and education groups have been trying to improve financial literacy for decades. Many states also have attempted to include basic financial literacy as part of high school curricula, but have been routinely hampered by budget shortfalls and a lack of consistency or focus. Meanwhile, the poor continue to rely on the resources available to them, even if they come at an excessive cost.

"Desperate people do desperate things," Hoenig said. "If you're not financially literate and you get yourself in trouble, where you don't have a savings account as a fallback, then you find yourself in need and you take the shortcut."

Laurie Richardson, deputy chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, said Bryant is able to deliver a convincing message largely because he views the problems he's trying to address holistically, rather than as isolated issues.

"He's found a way to reach into communities and have a personal impact on individuals," Richardson said. "That's absolutely necessary to be able to tackle this problem, but it's hard to think about unless you're the type of person who thinks in large-scale terms. He's a dreamer, but he's also very data-driven and analytical."

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., now the president and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, said he has known Bryant for years through the roundtable's fundraising partnership with Operation Hope. Hope Inside, he said, is a novel and deceptively simple solution for delivering unbiased, reliable financial advice to a population that otherwise might not have it.

"John is a dynamic, forward-looking, innovative leader," Pawlenty said. "He's got a heart for these issues, and he's come up with a service delivery platform that is community based. There's a huge need, and he's trying to deliver it genuinely and authentically in a way that helps people."

Two other factors have contributed to Hope Inside's success: credibility in the nonprofit world and credibility with financial regulators. Operation Hope in April was awarded four stars by Charity Navigator  the highest possible rating  recognizing the organization as a responsible and conscientious steward of donations. The rating put Operation Hope among the top fifth of all charities rated by the organization.

The Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and FDIC also said in an April 2014 letter to Operation Hope that a bank's participation in the Hope Inside program would likely be a plus for its Community Reinvestment Act evaluation  offering banks another regulatory incentive to open locations.

Barry Wides, deputy comptroller for community affairs at the OCC, said the agencies have not gone so far as to say that the mere presence of a Hope Inside branch is a panacea for CRA requirements. Much depends on the individual bank and the individual evaluation. But the kinds of activities that do count for CRA consideration  that is, the community development service component of the statute  include things like advancing financial education, credit counseling, homebuyer counseling, financial planning or other similar programs.

"That, in a nutshell, is what Hope Inside does," Wides said. "To the extent that a bank is interested enough to offer these products and services to their low-wealth customers, the unbanked or underbanked, or customers that have less-than-stellar credit, through the Hope Inside initiative, I think that furthers the objectives of the CRA."

Jordan, at First Tennessee, said that whether Hope Inside itself counts toward CRA consideration is less important than how it helps institutions direct their CRA-eligible investments into businesses and individuals in a way that actually improves the communities they serve. By providing that greater precision and helping people become more financially savvy, Hope Inside offers banks more of a return on their CRA responsibilities.

"What's really important about what John has created ... is a road map for how you can make the investments you need to make in a way that will have a real and positive impact on the community," Jordan said. "In its most basic sense, none of us as financial institutions can really do better than the communities we serve  if the communities don't do well, then we don't do well, long term."

Jordan illustrated his point with an anecdote from a management retreat early last year. Jordan had asked Bryant to deliver a speech about the program to bank staff. After the hourlong presentation, a man working as an audio/visual technician approached Jordan and Bryant, saying that he and his wife worked but had long-standing credit and debt problems. The couple had sought help from other for-profit debt consolidation or counseling centers but had not been able to get ahead.

"'Everybody we try to go to'  these are his words  'they're hucksters,'" Jordan said. "'They take your money, they promise you help, and they don't deliver it. Is this for real?'

"I told him, 'Absolutely,'" Jordan said.
Another leading company in the turbulent online lending sphere has replaced its chief executive officer.

CAN Capital, a New York-based small-business lender, said Tuesday that CEO Daniel DeMeo has been placed on a leave of absence. Parris Sanz, the company's chief legal officer, is now serving as acting CEO.

Meanwhile, Ritesh Gupta, formerly the company's chief customer operations officer, has been promoted to chief operating officer.

The leadership shake-up stems from problems that emerged after the company expanded its product offerings several years ago, according to a source familiar with the matter.

CAN Capital, which was founded in 1998, made its name as a provider of merchant cash advances. Small businesses that use merchant cash advances make daily payments to the company based on a percentage of their daily revenue. But if a small business does not make any sales on a particular day, it is not required to make a payment to CAN Capital on that day.

The company started offering term loans in 2010, and sought to ramp up the new product's growth in 2012, according to the source. The term loans require daily payments by the borrower, regardless of whether it made any sales on any particular day.

Problems arose when CAN Capital used old systems, which were not designed to require daily repayments, to collect money owed by term loan borrowers, the source said. As a result, the lender was not collecting all of the money that it was owed by term loan borrowers, according to the source.

CAN Capital alluded to the problems in an emailed statement late Tuesday.

"As the board and our leadership team conducted our business reviews and looked at how we can best position the firm for future growth, we self-identified that some assets were not performing as expected and that there was a need for process improvements in collections," the company stated.

"It became clear that our business has grown and evolved faster than some of our internal processes."

CAN Capital has provided more than $6 billion in financing to small businesses since it was founded in 1998, and is among the top merchant cash advance providers in the U.S.

The merchant cash advance industry has come under fire for the high cost of the financing it provides, as well as for what critics call hard-to-decipher written disclosures that often leave customers confused.

Last month, in response to the criticism, CAN Capital and two other large online small-business lenders unveiled a uniform pricing disclosure box.

DeMeo had been CAN Capital's CEO since 2013. His removal follows recent leadership changes at Lending Club and Prosper Marketplace, two of the nation's largest online consumer lenders.
It looks a bit like a doorbell that has yet to be installed, or perhaps the most rudimentary remote control you've ever seen.

It's a small, unadorned, blue and white device that features a single button. You can place it in your car, beside the bathroom sink, on top of the microwave, wherever you want. If you press the button once a day, $1 gets transferred from your checking account into savings. Press it a second time, and you transfer an additional $2.

The Saver Button is an experiment by USAA, meant to encourage its customers to set aside a little money each day. The idea is to make savings a habit, like brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. Rather than relying on reason  "Let me explain why saving is good for you"  the button is an attempt to engage the instinctive part of the brain. It's an appeal to the inner toddler in all of us.

"You see a button, you want to push it," Vikram Parekh, a USAA executive who is running the trial, explained.

USAA, the military-focused banking and insurance conglomerate, is testing the Saver Button with hundreds of its customers this fall. The company is tracking where users place the buttons and how often they press them.

If the experiment is deemed a success, USAA might eventually send a Saver Button to everyone who opens a bank account. And if the devices wind up in junk drawers, the failure will happen quickly and without rancor, and the folks who volunteered to test the buttons will have a quirky souvenir to keep.

"Will it work? Will it not work? I don't know," Parekh said.

USAA is fundamentally different from other large banks, and the Saver Button study illustrates two key reasons why.

Culture

First, the experiment demonstrates the company's commitment to improving the long-term financial health of its depositors. Banks often pay lip service to this concept, but USAA does far better than most of its competitors in aligning its interests with those of its customers.

Second, the Saver Button experiment is an example of USAA's nimble, failure-is-not-a-dirty-word approach to innovation. The San Antonio-based company has embraced internal processes popularized in Silicon Valley in an effort to keep up with the rapidly evolving expectations of its customers.

USAA stands out in other ways too. The $144 billion-asset company, which serves only current and former members of the military and their families, elicits unusually strong loyalty from its customers (or "members," as it likes to say). Long a pioneer of operating without a large branch network, USAA now stands on the leading edge of the digital banking revolution.

Traditionally, American Banker names a Banker of the Year, an honor that gets bestowed on a single individual. But USAA has a corporate culture that  much like the U.S. military  eschews stars and celebrates teamwork. And it has earned the more fitting distinction as our Bank of the Year for 2016.

Yes, Sir, Lieutenant

USAA was founded in 1922 by a group of 25 Army officers. Automobile sales were soaring, and military men were having trouble insuring their Model Ts and Studebakers since they moved frequently from base to base. The officers gathered at the Gunter Hotel in downtown San Antonio and formed their own insurer, which was originally called the United States Army Automobile Insurance Association.

"Nobody would insure them, and so they got together and insured each other," said Carl Liebert, USAA's chief operating officer.

The company's formal name was eventually shortened to United Services Automobile Association. Over the years USAA grew to be the nation's 22nd-largest financial holding company. Its membership ranks were expanded beyond just officers, to include all current and former members of the military, as well as their spouses and children. Today the company has 11.7 million members.

Despite all the growth, USAA has retained the same basic ownership structure  it remains privately held, which protects against the quarter-to-quarter mindset that often drives decision-making at publicly traded companies. And members continue to share in the profits. Last year USAA insurance policyholders received roughly $1 billion in dividends and other distributions.

USAA got its banking charter in 1983. And even in its early years in banking, it never operated a big branch network. Members often made transactions using the company's toll-free phone number.

A geographically untethered bank for members of the military filled a real niche  service members were still moving frequently in the 1980s, just as they did in the 1920s, so they had little reason to open accounts at locally based institutions. And USAA worked to become indispensable in the lives of its members.

An important part of the formula was, and remains, a demonstrable respect for its members. USAA's advertising carries the tag line "We know what it means to serve." At the company's sprawling headquarters, American flags are everywhere. During a recent visit, preparations were underway for events marking Oct. 13 as the birthday of the U.S. Navy.

Roughly a quarter of USAA's 29,000 employees are either former members of the military or their spouses. That list includes Chief Executive Officer Stuart Parker, a former Air Force combat pilot who says the company  having been founded by people in the military for people in the military  is on a mission to understand its members' needs and to work to meet those needs.

"We put our members first," Parker said. "They deserve nothing less than our absolute best."

USAA's new employees get trained on certain basics of the armed services, including the phonetic alphabet  Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.  which they may hear during phone calls with members.

Call center representatives in San Antonio greet members by their military rank if that is how their profile says they prefer to be addressed. Inside the company, employees joke about the proverbial 80-year-old retired military officer who calls USAA just to hear someone greet him as "Lieutenant."

"Our members would tell you USAA is their company. I've had 60-year members put their finger in my chest  not negatively, but they'll say, 'Sonny, what are you doing with my company today?'" said Greg Pratt, a military-affairs relationship director for USAA. "They feel that the company's been good to them for so many years; they want to know that we're still taking care of it."

Customer-experience metrics back up that assertion. A recent report by Temkin Group found that USAA's members are more likely to recommend the company to a friend or relative than customers of other big banks and even credit unions.

USAA recorded a net promoter score of 62 for its banking business  higher than any other bank studied, and 30 points above the industry average. USAA's scores also were ahead of highly respected consumer brands like Apple, Amazon and Trader Joe's.

"I think a strong customer focus is ingrained in the culture of the organization," said Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group.

USAA's culture is especially notable in light of the scandal at Wells Fargo with creating unauthorized customer accounts, Temkin added. "Banks need to be more explicit about their culture, and make sure that they align their organization around serving customers, not squeezing out every possible ounce of profit."

'Don't Goof Our Members'

Jamie Warder has the perfect resume for a USAA executive. A West Point graduate, he spent five years as an Army tank and cavalry officer before enrolling at Harvard Business School. Then he did stints at the consulting giant McKinsey & Co., PNC Financial Services Group and Capital One Financial, before being hired to lead USAA's banking business in January 2015. He remained in that role until Nov. 22.

Warder carries himself with an informality that is at odds with any preconceptions one might have about an ex-military, Ivy League-educated banker. He brings a backpack to work. He jokes that when USAA was looking to hire a former military officer with the credentials needed to head its retail banking operation, the company had an extremely short list of candidates from which to choose.

That assertion draws a laugh, but Warder insists on self-deprecation. "I'm honestly not trying to pretend [to be] humble," he said.

On a recent fall day, USAA was holding an internal event where Warder and a few other executives offered feedback to employees who were making presentations. The bigwigs wanted to put the presenters at ease, so they decided to wear costumes. Warder dressed up as shock jock Howard Stern.

Later that day, after shedding the long black curly wig, Warder sat down in his office for an interview. Only hours earlier, the news had broken that Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf was resigning amid the scandal there.

Warder said that before taking the job at USAA, he figured that the company's key competitive advantage was its low expense base, which stems from the fact that it does not have a big branch network. But over the last year and a half, he concluded that USAA's real secret sauce is its mission, which focuses on facilitating the financial security of members.

"Just like Wells' culture was cross-sell, our culture is member first, mission first, always," Warder said. "If you really boil the mission down, it's just, 'Don't goof our members,' just, 'Do right by our members.' "

There are lots of examples of that philosophy in action.

USAA's checking accounts do not include monthly service fees. Variable interest rates on credit cards start at a rock-bottom 7.15%.

USAA does not charge overdraft fees on debit card transactions. It's exploring the concept of real-time overdraft, which would give users the option to pay an overdraft fee before completing a specific transaction, in much the same way that out-of-network ATMs users are asked whether they want to accept a fee.

"We're not driven by more profit or more revenue," said Paul Vincent, senior vice president of bank operations and direct channels at USAA.

USAA has proven willing to invest in projects that may benefit its members even if they will not have a short-term financial payoff for USAA. An example is the company's efforts to encourage members to save more. Roughly a third of USAA's members live paycheck to paycheck, and the company is investing significant resources into figuring out how to get them to save more. The Saver Button is one experiment, but others are in the works.

Anne Arvia  who has been named the interim bank president until a permanent replacement for Warder is chosen  said that when she joined the company, she was astounded by the extent to which the corporate culture was biased in favor of helping customers. "This bias is what the success of USAA is," said Arvia, who had been USAA's senior vice president of primary banking before the interim appointment. A USAA spokesman declined to give a reason for the leadership change, saying only that Warder is no longer with the company and that his departure is unrelated to bank operations.

If the U.S. banking industry is looking for an antidote to the reputational hit it has taken from the Wells Fargo scandal, USAA's compensation scheme could provide a useful model. The company does not grant incentive pay based on a particular employee's performance; instead, everyone's bonus is based on a single score that's generated for the entire organization.

But Warder said that when it comes to doing what's in the best interest of the company's members, there is room for improvement.

Even though employees' pay is not linked to their own sales, the sales performance of individuals does get tracked internally at USAA. In the future Warder envisions USAA doing away with that tracking.

He wants employees to have no reason to care whether a customer chooses a USAA product or one from a competitor, which might be offering a better deal. "I want to get to the point ... where our employees are absolutely, completely, 100% indifferent," he said. "I think we can get to the point where we don't even have to track it, we don't even talk about it."

The Tweaks Never Stop

Inside a big church hall across town from the company's headquarters, scores of USAA employees are huddling in front of dozens of large posterboards. There are baked goods to munch on. The room looks less like a corporate setting and more like a seventh-grade science fair.

This is a quarterly exercise known as "big-room planning"  an opportunity for teams of USAA employees to map out, in fine detail, how they will spend the next three months. The idea is that if everyone spends a few days planning under the same roof  not just business people, but lawyers and information technology folks too  everyone will save time later on.

USAA is adopting a so-called agile framework for developing software, and big-room planning is part of that effort. The basic goal is to act more like the nimble fintech startups that are trying to take USAA's customers.

"I think the world has changed," Warder said. "It's, 'How easy are you?,' 'How fast are you?," 'How do you compare to Amazon and Netflix?' Not how do you compare to other banks."

There is a lot of talk on USAA's campus about the need to focus on user experiences, rather than products. To that end, the company has identified 250 discrete banking "experiences"  depositing a check through a mobile phone is one example, and making a credit card payment is another. One midlevel executive gets put in charge of continually improving each experience and is given the resources to make that happen.

The goal is to create an endless process of tweaks based on the needs and preferences of users. One recent example involved making improvements to a feature inside USAA's mobile app that allows customers to temporarily block the use of specific debit cards and credit cards. Once the changes were made, the functionality was no different, but the customer experience was simpler and more straightforward.

"The notion of a project that has an end sort of goes away," said Chris Cox, USAA's vice president of digital strategy and operations. "We never stop working to improve those member experiences."

USAA's focus on innovation has allowed it to lure top digital talent away from much larger banks. In August the company hired Heather Cox, who had been the CEO of Citigroup's FinTech unit, as its chief technology and digital officer.

Emmett Higdon, director of mobile at Javelin Strategy & Research, said that USAA is competing directly with the largest U.S. banks, which are investing heavily in their mobile apps, and is more than holding its own.

He said that USAA is on par with the megabanks with respect to digital banking functionality, but has an edge in user experience. "When it comes to how satisfied their customers are with how they deliver that functionality, USAA is often head and shoulders above the top five banks," Higdon said.

But Can This Model Be Copied?

USAA has certainly had missteps. In September the company announced plans to close 17 of its 21 financial centers across the country, reversing a physical expansion that began in 2009. Executives attributed the decision to a shift in customer preferences toward digital channels.

In the mortgage business, USAA has struggled to adjust to the post-crisis environment. Before the financial meltdown, the company did not require mortgage applicants to provide full documentation, according to John Harrell, its vice president of mortgage product management. That became a problem when the Dodd-Frank Act brought a slew of new requirements.

In mortgages, "our service levels have not really been up to standard  the USAA standard," Harrell said.

USAA embarked on a process of rebuilding its mortgage business from the ground up in 2014, and Harrell said the effort is starting to pay off. "We've been on defense for two years," he said. "Now we're going on offense."

Its regulatory challenges are not limited to the mortgage business. Warder said that USAA is just like other banks that need to evolve in the face of changing regulations.

"I don't see us as being ahead of the industry," he said. "We've got problems and headaches as big as any bank our size out there. We're fighting the fight every day. We're making mistakes. We've got to get better."

But even if USAA looks like other banks in some ways, overall it is something of an odd duck  a membership-based, privately owned institution that has $77 billion in banking assets but does no commercial lending.

There is no doubt that USAA's business model is working from a financial standpoint. USAA Federal Savings Bank, which accounts for the bulk of the company's banking business, has doubled its assets over the last six and a half years. And compared with all banks with more than $10 billion in assets, it has recorded a higher return on equity for 34 consecutive quarters.

So here's the big question: Is USAA's strategy replicable?

Steven Reider, founder of the consulting firm Bancography, has his doubts. He notes that USAA relies heavily on affinity-based marketing, much like credit unions do. Other banks have tried that approach  Amalgamated Bank, which is known for its ties to unions, is reaching out to political progressives  but none have found as much success as USAA.

"I see that as nearly impossible to replicate," Reider said.

USAA's Warder argues that it is possible to find success in banking by mimicking the critical ingredient of the company's formula: the focus on its members' financial well-being.

Banks that have a reputation as places that look for ways to nickel-and-dime their customers will have a hard time overcoming those negative perceptions. Warder urges patience.

"You can't declare tonight I'm going to be, you know, the trusted bank," he said. "I think it takes time and history."


Concerns that not all of the unions will agree to ratify their labor agreements have caused rail shippers and other transportation industry stakeholders to push President Joe Biden to act.
John Judis and Ruy Teixeira published a bestselling book, The Emerging Democratic Majority, in 2002. Judis hailed the continuing validity of their thesis in an Atlantic article published in November 2012. Other authors, such as Democrat pollster Stanley Greenberg and National Reviews chief political correspondent Tim Alberta, have taken up the drumbeat.

The gist of this argument is that a combination of demographic changes to American society and key socioeconomic developments are making it likely that the future will belong to the Democratic Party. Among the demographic changes is the assertion that groups especially likely to vote Democrat  African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities  will be a larger slice of the American electorate in the future, while groups more inclined to back the GOP  especially older, heterosexual white people  will be a smaller portion of the voting-age population.

Other changes in America include the decline of marriage and especially the entry of more women into the workforce; each of these allegedly works to the advantage of the Democrats. Add to this the entry into the electorate of the Millennial birth cohort  or people born in 1982 or later. These people are reported to be much more likely to identify with or lean toward the Democrats than the Republicans. Contrast them to Americas so-called Silent Generation, who are now in their early-to-late 70s, and considerably more inclined to identify with or lean to the GOP.

Voila, so the argument goes, the future looks rosier for the Democrats than for the Republicans.

Before proceeding, lets acknowledge that the future may belong to the Democratic Party, for the reasons usually given.

Then again, it may not. Heres why.

The assertion that Americas future looks rosier for Democrats makes several assumptions, at least some of which seem shaky, at best.

One such assumption is that American policies regarding legal immigration, which have played a significant part in the millions who have flooded into in America, some from countries with cultures that are hostile to traditional American culture, will not be changed. Immigration laws have changed in the past, and may again.

Proponents of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, such as Ted Kennedy, assured Americans that the new policy would not dramatically alter American culture or the ethnic and racial composition of the populace. They were wrong.

Prior to the 1965 Act, most immigrants to the U.S. came from northern Europe and Canada. After 1965, the bulk of immigrants to America came from Asia, Africa, Mexico, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southern or Eastern Europe. In addition, after a 1921 act curtailed immigration to the U.S., the percentage of immigrants among the populace fell to about five in the mid-1960s. As recently as 2014, immigrants made up roughly 13% of the population, or roughly 42 million people.

Moreover, once-upon-a-time, immigrants to America were expected to assimilate to the culture, primarily by learning English. Recently, sizable slices of the immigrant populace have not assimilated. It doesnt help when the education establishment, K-20, refuses to inculcate U.S. values, holidays, and the English language into children from immigrant homes.

A further alteration of American culture and society is associated with a large influx of illegal immigrants, an influx that began long before Barack Obama was inaugurated in January 2009. Even so, the Obama administrations refusal to enforce laws against illegal immigrants, along with historic offers of amnesty to illegals, has made a bad situation much worse.

Proponents of a coming Democrat majority assume that the recently arrived legal and illegal immigrants will, sooner or later, vote in overwhelming proportions for Democrats.

Theres a problem, however, with this assumption. Study the history of immigration to America and you learn that, after a generation or two of being here, living conditions change. First-generation immigrants, and especially their progeny, experience upward mobility, and with improved socioeconomic circumstances have come altered voting patterns.

Many of the one-time immigrants from countries like Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Russia, and especially their children and grandchildren, voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

Another part of the argument has it that immigrants  especially Hispanics  higher birth rates will, sooner or later, cause them to exceed the native-born population. However, were already seeing declining birth rates among some Latinas, and theres good reason to expect this phenomenon to continue.

Now lets consider gender and voting patterns. As Abby McCloskey notes in the December 5 National Review, during the last 30+ years, women have made up between 50 and 60 percent of the workforce. Women are now the primary breadwinners in 40% of U.S. households

In addition, the decline of marriage means that 25% of women today are single mothers.

Since at least the 1980s, weve been hearing about the gender gap, with women more likely to back Democrats at the polls than men. In one sense, the presidential election of 2016 reflected this pattern, with a 24-percentage point gap in mens and womens respective votes for Trump and Clinton.

However, when race is considered, a different picture emerges. According to exit polls, Trump received the votes of 63% of white men, but he also got the votes of 53% of white women. It was African American womens votes, and those of Hispanic women and other minority women, that did much to contribute to a record-level gender gap this year.

(Thus far, I havent been able to learn about the voting patterns of young, unmarried, and/or working, women, versus those with other attributes.)

Proponents of a future Democrat majority might do well to realize that when it comes to American elections, race trumps (sorry!) class, and maybe even gender.

Moreover, if Republicans, like Trump in 2016, adopt women-friendly policies, such as paid leaves-of-absence after childbirth, and child-care programs, the Left will no longer own womens issues. Parties have changed policies before, and may do so again.

Finally, theres the age factor. Proponents of a new Democrat majority tout the Millennials role in bringing that about. But, what if, as they age, Millennials follow earlier birth cohorts, and become less supportive of Democrats and more positive toward the GOP?

In the late 1960s, Baby Boomers, who were just coming-of-age, were much more likely to identify with or lean to the Democrats than the GOP. By 2014, which is the last year for which I could find a poll broken down by partisanship and birth cohorts, 47% of Boomers were some kind of Democrat, while 41% aligned with the GOP.

If a birth cohort alleged to lean to the Left when young could become much less so by the time they reached 50 to 68 years of age, should we expect todays Millennials to be greatly different?

Moreover, according to Deborah Netburn, in the September 8th Los Angeles Times, a new study finds Millennials are more likely to identify as conservatives than were either the Boomers or Gen Xers at the same age.

There are, in short, several reasons to question the prediction that Americas future belongs to the Democrats. One is reminded of what Yogi Berra said about the trouble with making predictions.
The result of recent elections in the United States and in France raises the possibility of a new Holy Alliance, a loose alliance of the two countries to uphold the principles and values of Western civilization by changing the present system.

The great Marxist, Groucho, put it succinctly. "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." Present-day politics has its amusing side as prominent individuals criticize the ruling "elites" or establishment in their country, those who dominate and share in the making of political, economic and military decisions. Criticism of the establishment, by those within it, has become fashionable as recent elections and statements show.

Donald Trump's campaign for the U.S. presidency did not drown because of his constant warning he would drain the swamp in Washington. On the contrary he floated with it. More surprisingly, British prime minister Theresa May and, less surprisingly, Francois Fillon, a leading candidate for the presidency in France, themselves members of their country's elite, point out the inadequacies of contemporary elites.

On November 14, 2016 Prime Minister Theresa May spoke at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the prestigious Guildhall in London to a wealthy, influential audience dining on roast beef and drinking $300 bottles of red wine. She spoke of being aware of the downsides as well as the benefits of the globalization process and of the tensions and differences between those who gain and those who lose from the process.

In a manner similar to Trump, who was supported by those called "deplorables" by his rival Hillary Clinton, May indicated she understood the problem of modest to low income individuals who see their jobs being outsourced and wages undercut. These individuals see and are unhappy about the emergence of a new global elite who sometimes seem to play by a different set of rules and whose lives are far removed from their everyday existence.

For some time, France has been largely governed by a small group of individuals, a self-reproducing caste drawn from those who have studied at the same few elite schools. If Britain has Oxford and the U.S. has the Ivy League, they are only partly comparable to the role and dominance of elite French schools. Those schools, the Sciences-Po, ENA, Ecole Polytechnique, and the HEC business management school, determine the careers of their students and the leaders of France.

One of those eager to be a leader will emerge in the presidential election in France to be held in April 8 and May 2017. Two of the major presidential candidates have made similar statements critical of the French elite or society. The views of Martine Le Pen, head of the Front National (FN) are well known. She has compared events in present-day France, including mass immigration of Muslims, now 8% of the population, to the barbaric invasion of the 4th century, and asserts that the consequences will be the same. The Muslim "occupation" in France weighs heavily on local residents.

Le Pen is a fierce nationalist, and prominent parts of her program are in opposition to the European Union, the "Europe of Brussels," to globalism, to free trade, and to open borders. One of her rallying cries is emphasis on the "voice of people... the spirit of France." She is likely to do well at the first round of voting, but according to polls, not likely to win at the second round. However, the polls in France, like those in the U.S. concerning Trump, may understate the hidden vote, whose priority is anti-immigration.

Opposing her will be a nominee of the Socialist party, but that party and its leader President Francois Hollande, is at present deeply unpopular. Hollande has not yet declared if he will be a candidate to succeed himself: his positive decision is dependent on serious reduction of unemployment in the country. And Prime Minister Manuel Valls is in the wings.

The main opponent of Le Pen will be Francois Fillon, the 62-year-old candidate of the right-wing party, Les Republicains (formerly UMP). Fillon has had a 35-year-old political career, including being prime minister 2007-2012, and a cabinet minister five other times, and a parliamentary representative of his home town, Le Mans. He had led in the first round of the Republican primary, gaining 44.1% compared with rivals, Alain Juppe with 28.6% and former president and his former boss, Nicolas Sarkozy who was eliminated from the second round since he was third with 20.7% of the vote. On November 27, 2016 Fillon won the second round of his party primary with 67 % of the vote. The electoral slogan, similar to that of Donald Trump, of this veteran conservative was, "we have to change the system."

Francois Fillon is more moderate than his rival Juppe, but he is an integral part of the conservative, Catholic Right section of Les Republicains, if not a "social reactionary", the term used by his opponents in referring to him. Though Fillon had emphasized his social conservatism, his Catholic and family values, he has declared he would not seek to overturn the 2013 law allowing same-sex marriage. Though he is personally opposed to abortion, he will not change the 1975 law advocated by Simone Veil that legalized it in France, nor change the abortion law. He embodies family values: he and his wife, originally Welsh, have raised five children in their 12th-century chateau in Western France.

Fillon is clear about the menace facing France and the world. Russia poses no threat. The real danger is Islamist terrorism and fundamentalism, the invasion of bloody Islamism into daily life: "that invasion could herald a third world war." Fillon holds that Radical Islam is corrupting some Muslim citizens in France. He advocates administrative controls on Islam, dissolving the Salafi movement, and banning preaching in Arabic. In summer 2016 he approved the banning of burkinis, the full-bodied swimsuits, worn by Muslim women on the beaches of France.

His attitude towards Islamic extremism was clear in his book, Conquering Islamic Totalitarianism, published in 2016. He called on France to war against that totalitarianism. Like Le Pen, he asserts that France is not a multicultural society, and opposes the idea of identity politics. On the contrary, French national identity must be protected. He invokes, among other things, cooperation with Russia and with Vladimir Putin, who has praised him as a very principled person. The two share a concern about the virulence of Islam, especially ISIS, and the protection of Christians in the Middle East. Fillon believes sanctions against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine should be dropped.

Fillon, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, plans policies similar to theirs, including cuts in public spending, raising the retirement age, reducing the number of public sector jobs by half a million, ending the 35-hour week, lowering taxes, and curbing the power of the trade unions.

Fillon also shares positions that are similar to or coincide with those of both Le Pen and Donald Trump. Among them are doctrines of patriotism, family values, and reduction of immigration to a minimum. All three stress the sovereignty of their country, the U.S. and France, and call for what they see as a decline to be stopped. All three share the strong view that authority and true values must be restored in their country. As in the case of Brexit in the UK, for the three politicians, opposition to immigration is still the key. Does this herald a Franco-American alliance?
Much of the confusion in current political discourse is attributable to a profound error inherited from Progressive Era thought. For early progressives -- and no less Italian Fascists and German nationalists -- the state was the true embodiment of the social will, the thinking, acting entity of which individual people are only one part.

Many Americans still tacitly accept the idea, if only a watered-down interpretation of it, the state is coextensive with the people. For example, too many believe the government school in their neighborhood is the communitys school and the public library down the street really does belong to the public. In short, they believe the governments property is owned by the people collectively, but if this were so, if there were some kind of enforceable agreement granting us concrete rights as citizens through which we might hold the government to account, then perhaps libertarians wouldnt have to worry. Government would be a mere custodian, our agent, safeguarding our property for our collective benefit.

Individualists unequivocally acknowledge the need for and importance of collective action. Only the lazily drawn caricatures of individualists and libertarians would deny it; the importance of planning, coordination, and collective action are central features of the thinking of liberty-minded people. The questions that really matter have to do with how coordination in society is to take place and, in Friedrich Hayeks words, who is to do the planning?

It is a narrow, self-contradictory conception of collective action that facilely reduces it to government action, the distinguishing mark of which is cooperation under duress. It is as if progressives can conceive of no social coordination without coercion and violence, without government edicts and guns to back them. Yet, it is precisely this element of governments definition they forget (or never knew) because so many have been beguiled by the states altruistic rhetoric. The government and the community are conflated without thought to the deep differences between them, both in theory and in practice. Ross Douthat summarized the progressives idea in a 2012 column for the New York Times: In this worldview, the government is just the natural expression of our national community, and the place where we all join hands to pursue the common good.

It is worth comparing this admittedly appealing notion to the behavior of actual existing governments. Just as you have no cognizable claim over the local government school, neither do you have any contractual right to the monies the government has taken from you through, for instance, Social Security taxes. The state does not recognize you as a coequal, worthy of respect in the exchange of reciprocal promises; it rather regards you as a subject whose rights are entirely contingent. And herein lies the insidiousness of positive rights -- the rights to health care, college education, retirement security, and the like; we will, on the strength of the governments worthless word, give up every liberty that matters to obtain them without a guarantee of results or a return on our investment.

Continuing with the Social Security example, as Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff observed back in July, the system is now $32 trillion in the red. Here, the only reasonable interpretation of the governments actions is it has effectively repudiated its promises. Presented with such outrageous circumstances, contract law would grant us the right to demand adequate assurance of due performance, to withdraw from the agreement and its terms until we received that assurance. But alas, there is no contract that binds the state to its commitments. The unscrupulous actions of the federal government mock our participation in that putative social contract. Today, government neither works for you nor feels that it owes you anything; it serves its own institutional interests, committed to the survival of its bloated bureaucracies and those of various powerful pressure groups, from big labor to Wall Street banks. So much for the things we choose to do together. In the end, government is faithless, bound by no promise.

As the great classical liberal Frederic Bastiat understood in 1850, all attempts to accomplish social cooperation and fraternity through government force are destructive to liberty. Warning of the dangers of governments false philanthropy, Bastiat argued, [I]t is impossible.... to separate the word fraternity from the word voluntary. He continues, I cannot possibly understand how fraternity can be legally enforced without liberty being legally destroyed, and thus justice being legally trampled underfoot.

Forced community is a contradiction in terms. It may be that progressives consider the governments violence and threats necessary or justified; but if thats so, then they ought to make that argument, not the one they actually make: Government is just the expression of our consensual cooperation. Some of progressives cheery communalist rhetoric is, perhaps, intended to mislead or obfuscate, but to be sure, most of it is expressed quite sincerely. A dearth of genuine good intentions has never been the problem. Progressivism is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of both the nature of the state and that of synergistic social efforts.

Government, at its best, is there to maintain certain baseline rules: to protect life, liberty, and property so that genuinely cooperative projects can proceed in peace. The list of things we want government to do ought to be short precisely because we want to maximize the sphere of cooperative social action, which carries on today in spite of our imperious government, not because of it. As government grows, it sucks up all the oxygen in the room, narrowing the space within which the spontaneous pursuits of a free society express themselves. Private enterprise, charitable societies, churches, and affinity groups of various kinds are constricted, stunted by the crushing gravity of the modern administrative state. If we want cooperation and community, we must return to freedom and constitutionally limited government, reclaiming ground for society as against government.

David S. DAmato (think@heartland.org) is an attorney, adjunct law professor at DePaul University in Chicago, and a policy advisor at The Heartland Institute, a free-market think tank headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Donald Trump's "America First" platform of trade protectionism, immigration control, and foreign policy non-intervention was the centerpiece of his campaign. He needs his secretary of state to help implement these policies through diplomacy, negotiating trade agreements, setting refugee admissions, and ensuring that foreign nations accept the criminal aliens we deport. This requires a seasoned foreign policy expert whom Trump can trust to stand up to both foreign leaders and domestic critics in both political parties.

Of all the candidates under consideration, congressman and former Reagan administration official Dana Rohrabacher is a perfect fit. Rohrabacher is one of the few politicians who truly understands Washington, without being corrupted by it. He has served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for nearly 25 years. I had the privilege of serving with him on this committee and can personally attest that he was one of the most knowledgeable members on foreign affairs. Even left-wing blogs like the Daily Kos acknowledge that he "knows more about Syria than the State Department." He is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats and previously chaired the Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, which was responsible for supervising the State Department. His foreign policy experience extends all the way back to the Reagan administration, where he helped craft the Reagan Doctrine, which many credit with helping end the Cold War.

Rohrabacher also shares Trump's America First philosophy. He has introduced legislation to prioritize Christian refugees and spoken out against the Islamization of Europe, calling the current refugee crisis "the destruction of Western civilization." He has taken a strong stance against Chinese currency manipulation. Like Trump, he realizes the War in Iraq was a mistake and opposes intervention in Syria. He believes that "a decade of nation building has not worked" in the Middle East.

Rohrabacher's critics don't like his views on Russia. Politico just ran hit piece entitled "Putin's favorite congressman." Of course, the neoconservatives, Democrats, and the media also called Trump a Putin stooge. Like Trump, Rohrabacher believes that China is a greater geopolitical rival and radical Islam is a greater threat to the U.S. than Russia. He wants to work with Russia toward common goals when our interests align. Regardless of whether you agree with him, this is exactly what Donald Trump campaigned on, so it's unreasonable to oppose Rohrabacher for supporting the president-elect's stated policies.

Rohrabacher has already stood up to anti-Trump hysteria, calling Republican leaders who abandoned Trump during his controversies "gutless" and "cowardly." This does not mean he will be a yes-man. Anyone who has worked with him knows he can't be pushed around. When he believes that Trump is going down the wrong path, he will speak out and stand his ground. However, he will do this based only on what he thinks is right, not because of negative political or media attention, and not because he is ideologically inclined to oppose Trump's policies.

The other candidates under discussion do not have Rohrabacher's experience and do not share Trump's views on foreign affairs. By picking him, Trump will prove to his supporters that he is committed to his promise to drain the swamp and put America first.

Tom Tancredo represented Colorado's 6th Congressional District from 1999 to 2009.
A 51-year-old intelligence officer was arrested earlier this month for leaking secrets to Islamists and plotting an attack on Germany's domestic intelligence agency in Cologne.

The unnamed suspect recently converted to Islam and had been with the domestic intel agency, the BfV, for only a short while.

The man was caught trying to recruit other Islamists to join the BfV on an extremist website in order to carry out terrorist attacks.

Washington Free Beacon:

An official with the intelligence agency said the man attempted to pass on sensitive information about [the agency], which could lead to a threat to the office. The suspect also used online chat rooms in an attempt to recruit radical Islamists to the spy agency to mount attacks against non-believers. The man was caught after chatting with an undercover agent from the office, according to Der Spiegel. Germany is currently under a high-threat terrorist alert following a series of attacks in western Europe this past summer. U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned in April that ISIS had terrorist cells in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy similar to those operated by the jihadists who carried out attacks in Paris and Brussels.

The Guardian has more on the suspect:

The man has been identified as a 51-year-old Spanish-born German citizen who converted to Islam in 2014, in a telephone recruitment process. He is believed to have sworn an allegiance to the preacher and recruiter Mohamed Mahmoud, a prominent Salafist from Berlin who is believed to be fighting with Islamic State in Syria. He is accused of revealing agency secrets and of attempting to pass on sensitive information about the BfV that could have endangered [the agency], said the BfV spokesman. In a partial confession the man said his goal had been to infiltrate the BfV and gather information for a terrorist attack on the BfVs headquarters in the Cologne district of Chorweiler. The accused also admitted to making Islamist statements under a false name on the internet. The BfV said it had no information that the man was planning a specific bomb attack on the agencys headquarters. There is no evidence so far that there is a concrete threat, the spokesman said. The man was described by his employer as having previously behaved inconspicuously during his recruitment, training and while undertaking regular duties. A bank employee and father, the man had been employed by the agency from April 2016 as a lateral entrant with the specific task of observing the Islamic scene in Germany.

There appears to be some confusion in the media about what exactly the unnamed suspect was up to. The New York Times and The Guardian downplay the idea that he was preparing an attack. There is even confusion about how he became radicalized, with The Guardian believing that his extremist views are the result of his allegiance to an Islamist cleric, while the German newspaper Deutsche Welle says he was "self-radicalized."

What is clear is that the German government has no idea if the suspect was acting alone or whether he was successful in recruiting others to join the BfV. They don't know where the information he leaked went to, nor how damaging the leaked information was.

The Germans pride themselves on how well they treat Muslims  even if it means relaxing vetting procedures so as not to offend them. I wonder how much longer that sort of attitude will prevail in German intelligence agencies.
Elite, expensive Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts has become the epicenter of a new wave of protests, this time not from the young, brainwashed left, but from a bunch of old guys whom heretofore you may have run into only on bingo night at your local VFW.

If you werent already aware, Hampshire College lowered its flag to half staff following the election of Donald Trump. College officials claim that the action wasnt an objection to Trumps election, but rather a dissent against campaign hate speech. Lowering Old Glory wasnt enough for some Hampshire students, though, so they tore it down and burned it. Since then, the college brain trust issued an edict that all flags be removed from campus. Period.

But something happened on the way to the campus quad: the little people decided they werent going to just stand by and watch.

Since the lowering, burning, and banning of the flag, over a thousand American veterans showed up at Hampshire College to express their displeasure. Sporting Vietnam and Korean war hats and waving flags of every shape and size, the vets held a rally of their own to protest the Hampshire College decree. Fox News interviewed the incensed patriots:

I would die for this flag, I fought for this flag, I lived for it. This stands for all the veterans around the whole nation, everybody who fought for this flagits more than just a symbol.

Tucker Carlson grilled Hampshire College student Daniel Vogel on this very issue last week. Vogel, who claims he wants to be a history teacher but could only name one country in Africa, was eviscerated by Carlsons wit and wisdom. An uneven verbal match-up, to be sure. Carlson sliced and diced this poor matriculating Hampshire intellect until the viewer was left doubled over laughing. It was so funny that we played it on Thanksgiving for sheer amusement, making it the looney left highlight of the day. An Air Force vet in our family laughed so hard we thought we might have to call the medics.

In accepting the nomination of his party and throughout the campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly said he would be our voice. Perhaps hes done one better. Perhaps hes given us our own voice back  and in doing so, awakened a sleeping giant.
Jill Stein's recount operation has ponied up $3.5 million to start the Wisconsin presidential election recount. WISC-TV reports:

Stein faced a 4:30 p.m. deadline to deliver the money so a recount could start on Thursday. The Wisconsin Elections Commission says they got a wire transfer shortly before Tuesday's deadline.

The Los Angeles Times confirms that payment of the $3.5-million tab has set the recount in motion, and that Stein will be responsible for any additional costs incurred. The article also notes that the "more populous counties will face a challenge in meeting the deadline to certify results."

The original Stein estimate of $1.1 million to cover the Wisconsin recount cost turned out to be just a bit short of the mark. The Election Commission asked the county clerks to estimate the recount cost, which came to $3.5 million for a mix of hand counts and optical scanning.

The Stein campaign, in its zeal for a complete fishing expedition, is now suing to force a hand count, and Hillary Clinton is joining that suit:

Stein is suing the Wisconsin Elections Commission in Dane County Circuit Court, asking a judge to force county clerks to hand count every ballot instead of using machines. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has filed to join the lawsuit. The judge has scheduled a 4:30 p.m. Tuesday hearing.

The Chicago Tribune confirms that Wisconsin "Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn began a hearing in the case Tuesday afternoon by allowing Clinton to join the action. She did not comment on her decision."

When Wisconsin state attorneys argued during the hearing that Stein had not justified a hand count, Stein's attorneys called on a computer scientist who said optical scanner machines that "most Wisconsin municipalities use to tabulate votes could be hacked with a screwdriver," but "he hadn't identified any attack on a Wisconsin machine."

The outcome of that court hearing is not known as of this writing.

The Tribune also reports that "[e]lection officials said earlier Tuesday they had underestimated the cost and the recount may wind up costing closer to $3.9 million."

The total cost would appear to be subject to a further increase if the court orders a complete hand count. While many of the counties list "Hand Count" as the tabulation method on the Commission worksheet, the list also includes notes in some cases for the added cost of a hand count over a machine count.

Those notes would add another $270,000, and, in addition, several large counties, including Milwaukee County, do not show estimates for hand counts. It would be reasonable, then, to infer that the total cost increase for all hand counts would be at least $0.5 million, for a total tab to Stein and her donors on the order of $4.4 million, exclusive of legal fees and other costs.

Dr. Stein called the $3.5-million tab paid to date "exorbitant." But hey, it's other people's money:

Stein says the estimate Monday from Wisconsin election officials means she'll be asking her supporters to raise another $2.4 million. In a statement Tuesday, Stein says it's an "undue burden" but won't stop efforts for recounts in that state and in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

That's on top of the previous goal of $7 million, of which about $6.5 million had been raised to date.

The recount is now set to begin Thursday morning and be completed, barring further complications, by December 12, to be certified by the Election Commission at 3 P.M. on December 13, a few days before the presidential electors "formally cast the votes that will elect Trump as the next president" on December 19.

The Commission chairman said he doesn't expect to find more than 300 questionable ballots and remained dispassionate about the process:

If nothing else, this will give us audit. We are not counting illegal people. We are not counting dead people's votes.

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania recount is percolating in the background:

A hearing has been scheduled on a Green Party-backed request for a court-ordered recount of Pennsylvania's Nov. 8 presidential election, won by Republican Donald Trump. The order for a Dec. 5 hearing came a day after the campaign of failed Green Party candidate Jill Stein filed the request.

The Stein forces have also tried to engineer a "voter-initiated" precinct-level recount for all of the roughly 9,000 Pennsylvania voting precincts, but there was just one detail that was overlooked:

Stein asked volunteers to print, complete and get notarized affidavits in an attempt to force an election recount in Pennsylvania. While Stein said volunteers were needed to submit their documentation by Monday, [November 28] Wanda Murren, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, has said the deadline for a voter-initiated recount was Nov. 21.

Pennsylvania rules require at least three volunteers from each precinct to submit affidavits, on the order of 27,000 volunteers for the whole state. While it is a moot point since the deadline was a week ago, reporters asked local election officials about the number of inquiries regarding the affidavits.

The director of one county office said that "they've received a couple visitors and four or five phone calls." Another county director said that "the only calls she's received about affidavits were from the media." Stein's grassroots army appears to be nonexistent.

Based on the Wisconsin cost estimate being low by a factor of about four, it is likely that the original Stein cost estimates for Pennsylvania and for Michigan, for which the recount filing deadline is Wednesday, are also far too low.

Aside from attempting to delegitimize the Trump presidency before it begins, other factors behind the Stein recount operation have been suggested.

Charles Krauthammer says of Jill Stein: "This is the Ralph Nader of 2016 now cashing in on her sabotage  there's no other word  of the Clinton campaign."

The New York Post is characteristically direct on the Stein fundraising pitch: "She's also building a fine database of suckers for future fund appeals."

The New Yorker maintains its anti-Trump slant but observes of Hillary Clinton: "Ultimately, though, a failure to face up to the flaws in her campaign is leading to some dark places, full of the plotting of foreign agents."

Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) tweeted on Monday morning: "Raising doubts about legitimacy of election, even w/out overturning result, is part of Clinton's plans to keep her options open for 2020."

And Gregg Jarrett of Fox News asks whether Hillary Clinton squandered her "get out of jail free" card by signing on with the Stein recount campaign:

Clinton's election night concession seemed to have prompted Trump to hand her a "get out of jail free" card. If she was moving on, then he was moving on. And so would the nation. But in politics, what is given  can be taken away. Especially when the recipient of a generous gift exhibits a conspicuous lack of gratitude. Which is precisely what Clinton has now done.  While Clinton may be a smart person, it makes no sense whatsoever for her to risk criminal indictment by alienating the one person who can best insulate her from the legal consequences of her own extremely careless, if not intentional, conduct. And for what? A recount that is destined to fail?

Repercussions from the recount remain to be seen, but Sir Walter Scott's Marmion comes to mind:
Nothing sums up the Obama legacy better than this quote from Edward Luce of the Financial Times:

It will be as if Mr Obama was never here.

Can there be a more concise judgment?

History will remember Barack Obama as the first black president. Beyond that, what else? His attempt to transform the nation worsened economic and social conditions. He transformed his own party to the point where it may not survive.

Mr. Luce explained what will occur domestically:

The Obama erasure will go far deeper than undoing domestic laws, or foreign deals. Mr Trump will repeal Obamacare, or alter it beyond recognition. He will keep an open mind about whether to pull the US out of the Paris agreement on climate change and quite probably blow up the US-Iran nuclear deal.

The American people demanded the destruction of Obamaism. In order to survive, the Democratic Party will disown their Pied Piper, eventually abhorring his policies more than conservatives.

Despite his overall judgment, Mr. Luce's assessment of Barack Obama is more positive and gracious than mine:

Here was a highly intelligent leader, and a fundamentally decent one, who strived to make the case for international co-operation to a world that was not really listening.  But the worlds attention has wandered. People are highly fearful  and rightly so.

Such an assessment is flattering and fawning in these respects:

The "highly intelligent leader" might be described as painfully ignorant of how the world works or a committed ideologue to a system that always fails. Given Obama's educational opportunities, stupidity rather than ignorance seems appropriate. The "fundamentally decent one" routinely lied to the American people in order to pass harmful policies. He illegally utilized the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service for political purposes and engaged in cover-ups (gun-running to Mexico, Benghazi, etc.) to protect himself. Obama's approach to governance was dictatorial. He went around Congress with executive orders, many of which were overturned by the courts. He famously terminated at least one discussion with: "I won, you lost."

If Obama is to be more than a William Henry Harrison footnote in history, it will be as a result of future events.

Foreign Policy

Mr Luce states:

The global role that Mr Obama inherited  and tried, to some degree, to uphold  is now in tatters.

If legacies can be achieved via future disasters, Mr. Obama still has a chance. His feckless "lead from behind" foreign policy leaves the world vulnerable to conflict. Like his domestic policies, most international agreements were made without congressional approval.

If the world unravels, Mr. Obama has the potential to become history's next Sir Edward Grey.

Post-Presidency

Obama is young for an ex-president. What he does with this time will influence history's assessment. That may not be a positive.

Obama's narcissism and need for attention will make it difficult to leave the stage. As a media favorite, he will always have a platform. As an ex-president, even a failed one, he may make positive contributions. These should be welcomed.

If Obama's need for the stage outweighs his positive contributions, he will become a public nuisance. Past behavior suggests that this should be expected. Obama is likely to try to become the Community Organizer of The World. History is unlikely to look kindly on such an effort.

Monty Pelerin blogs on politics, economics and investing at www.economicnoise.com.
A funny thing happened the other day at a McDonalds in Topeka, Kansas.

It seems a Topeka cop ordered a Dr. Pepper at the drive-through, but when he started to drink it, he discovered that someone, presumably a McDonalds employee, had put mustard in the soft drink!

But wait! About two weeks ago, a similar prank was played on a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper  at the same McDonalds!

One could say these were harmless practical jokes and that nobody was harmed. The person who did this, and perhaps his or her fellow employees, probably thought it was oh, so clever and pretty darn funny. But one could also say the acts were indicative of the utter lack of respect for our law enforcement community that is unfortunately so prevalent  even fashionable!  just now. And (similar to the way psychopaths start out with abusing small creatures before becoming serial killers) when that lack of respect morphs into outright hostility and is taken to the extreme, we have ambush killings of our law enforcement officers.

(At least this McDonalds worker didnt pull a Jesse Jackson on the cop. The civil rights leader has admitted that when he worked in a hotel, he would sometimes spit on white peoples food.)

When I was a kid in NYC, almost everything cops ate or drank while on duty was on the arm. And, in fact, a friend of my dads, an NYPD homicide detective, would take his son and me and another kid to the movies and never pay for anything. Sometimes hed flash the tin, but a lot of times hed just flash the steel. Wed get on the bus, and hed say to the driver, Nice day, isnt it? while opening his jacket and showing his revolver, and the driver would wave us on. It was the same thing with the ticket-taker at the theater and at the snack bar. Cops in uniform never paid for so much as a cup of coffee, and the restaurateurs were pretty happy with the arrangement. It wasnt so much graft or bribery as a way of showing appreciation. And it didnt hurt to have cops coming around; their presence certainly was a deterrent to armed robbers.

Those days are pretty much gone now, and cops generally pay for their food and drink just like anybody else. In the mid-70s, when I helped run a little 24-hour breakfast and burger joint in Seattle, the cops wouldnt let me buy em a cup of coffee! But, just like anybody else, they expect to get what they order and what they pay for, without some jerk adulterating their grub with who-knows-what.

The owners of that particular McDonalds franchise in Topeka, Dobski and Associates of Lawrence, Kansas, have now announced that the matter has been handled internally and the employee in question has been fired (although additional legal action may still be brought; the Topeka P.D. has opened a criminal investigation into the matter).

Personally, I think that now former employee got off way too easy. I think his or her photo should be circulated so that he or she can never again find work in the food service industry.

Furthermore, with his or her photo out there for everyone to see, when that person tries to order food or drink at an establishment that does respect law enforcement, he or she can be emphatically told, No soup for you! In fact, Id like to see that carried out by all manner of businesses the prankster might choose to patronize, so he or she could be told, No soup for you!; No groceries for you!; No gasoline for you! etc., etc. Let him experience that kind of disrespect, except that, in this case, hell actually deserve it. Let him order an oil change and have the mechanic say, Gee, I dont know. I might not be able to stop myself from putting some condiments in your crankcase!

By the way, the announcement of the particular employee being fired came at about the same time that McDonalds workers (and other fast food workers) were marching to demand a $15-per-hour minimum wage for the work they do.

To which I say, Fifteen dollars an hour so you can put mustard in cops drinks? As they say across the pond, not bloody likely!
Fidel is dead. Finally. This is really not news, as in reality he's been dead for some time now. What's news is how many people who should know better write about him as if this murderer, this tyrant was some kind of a hero. Why?

Do they see boats full of people from other Caribbean islands rushing to freedom, toward a better and more fulfilling life? Do they see planeloads of Venezuelans, Bolivians, and others rushing to Havana to learn how to do revolution, how to straighten up their faltering revolutions, how to, finally, do it right?

Are Cubans, after fifty-plus years of his rule and thousands of dead and full prisons, so clearly better off than people in the rest of the Caribbean? Are Cubans from Miami, tired of living in the corrupt, egoistic, greedy, and racist America, rushing back home? Do the Russians look at the billions spent to keep Castro in power as an example of how to invest successfully? Are the Venezuelans celebrating the returns on their Cuban investments?

So what did he and his revolution really accomplish? How different is Cuba of Castro from Cuba of Fulgencio Batista?

Batista's gang was replaced by the Castros and their gang. Batista secret service was replaced by Fidel's thugs. Rich landowners were replaced by party apparatchiks. American tourists were replaced by Russians and East Germans  for a while. Now even they don't come.

Can anyone point out any accomplishment worthy of all the blood spilled, thousands jailed and exiled, all the stolen property? Isn't the sad truth that the only Cubans who prospered from Castros revolution are those who left the island paradise?

And Cuba isn't alone. What is the difference between the Russia of today and the Russia of the tsars? Today's tsar is not a Romanov, but Putin. The boyars no longer exist, but the life of an ordinary Russian is ruled equally badly by bureaucrats. The capitalists are replaced by oligarchs. Can anyone tell me how is the life of an ordinary Russian better than it would have been if the communists never happened? Can anyone point out any accomplishment worthy of all the millions they murdered, jailed, and exiled, and the millions whose property they stole and lives they ruined?

And how different is today's China from the China of the Manchu dynasty? The great Qing emperor is gone, replaced by the latest head of the communist dynasty. The mandarins are replaced by party bureaucrats. Can anyone tell me how the life of an ordinary Chinese is better than it would have been if the communists had never happened? Can anyone point out any accomplishment worthy of all the millions Mao murdered, jailed, and exiled, and the millions whose property he stole and lives he ruined?

Can anyone point out anything that could possibly justify the human costs of the march to a communist paradise in any country?

How do we explain the accolades for dead Fidel coming from the left? To understand it, we need to keep in mind a basic principle: for a leftist, truth is whatever benefits his cause, and whatever does not advance the leftist cause must be destroyed. To a leftist, "revolutionary truth" is more important than reality, and the human costs of their activities are always acceptable price for the future paradise they will, eventually, build for us.

The truth is that under the system they say is based on selfishness, avarice, and greed, we do a pretty good job taking care of one another, while systems based on sharing and common property turn even prosperous countries into miserable, hungry prison camps.

The truth is that man, ever since he was expelled from Eden, has tried to create his own Paradise to show God he can do it better. Each time he has tried, he has created another Hell on Earth.
T-Mobile has zero-rated video in the form of BingeOn. Verizon has zero-rating on certain Go90 content. Sprint even has some zero-rated video options. AT&T previously had some zero-rated data options, but with the rollout of their DIRECTV Now streaming option, theyre jumping into the zero-rating arena with both feet, and if their relatively lax attitude toward the possible net neutrality concerns is any indication for the rest of the industry, a war may well break out among the big players, using zero-rated data as the main weapon. While such a thing may have raised eyebrows as recently as a year or so ago, the industry is apparently already well into the process of descending the proverbial slippery slope, and a few recent factors may have helped with that.

AT&Ts newest streaming option brings DIRECTV to a huge number of different devices for a price, AT&T mobile customers on eligible plans can watch all the DIRECTV content that they want through DIRECTV Now without eating into their data allotment. While this may not be AT&Ts first foray into offering up premium content to their wireless customers at no extra charge and without users having to count gigabytes, it is thus far the biggest, most high-profile such move. Despite the obvious implications of the situation, AT&T has spoken nary a word about the possible concerns with net neutrality rules; indeed, a company bigwig essentially hand-waved the issue back in September.

AT&Ts attitude is likely at least partially due to the FCCs rather lax stance on net neutrality and zero-rating. Strictly speaking, treating data traffic from one provider differently from another by way of speed falls afoul of net neutralitys rules, but charging extra or not charging is arguable. While its this exact behavior that eventually led to Facebooks free internet initiative getting the boot from India, its become a battleground in the mobile world, and regulatory authorities have yet to bat an eyelash. While the current state of things is no guarantee that authorities will turn a blind eye forever, it should be noted that President-elect Donald Trumps choice of cabinet members who show a clear distaste toward the FCC in its current form, and other authorities like it, may have a bearing on the state of things. Whatever the case, AT&T does not seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, and if it never does, its a safe bet that zero-rated premium content will become a hot button issue in the wireless world in the same way unlimited data has been.
The LG G5 launched earlier this year with a slew of Friends as LG called them. This included a camera grip known as the LG CAM Plus, an audio DAC from B&O as well as extra batteries, since the bottom of the device slides out to remove the battery. Now the LG G5 hasnt had a fantastic year, as far as sales go. But B&H Photo is looking to sell quite a few with this deal they have going on right now. They are offering up the unlocked, North American variant of the LG G5. This model supports all four networks, although it does only have one of Sprints LTE bands. B&H Photo is offering the LG CAM Plus, 360 VR Headset, LG Charging Cradle and an extra battery for the LG G5 for just $449. Together, this is a $300 value that you get for free when buying the LG G5.

Those that may not be aware of the specs of the LG G5, were looking at a 5.3-inch QHD IPS display, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It does also sport dual cameras on the backside, with a 16-megapixel camera and a 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, allowing you to get even more into the picture. Its all powered by a 2800mAh battery that is removable, and you get an extra one with this bundle so you dont have to stick to the wall to charge your LG G5.
On Monday, AT&T and DIRECTV announced their very much rumored over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platform, DIRECTV NOW. The service has launched today. You can head on over to the DIRECTV NOW website and sign-up for your free 7-day trial, and check it out before giving AT&T any money. There are four plans available, priced at $35, $50, $60 and $70 per month. However right now, their $60 plan (known as the Go Big plan) is priced at just $35. This plan gives you over 100 channels, and that includes a number of the more popular ones like A&E, C-SPAN, CNN, BET, TNT, TBS, USA and many more. You can check out the full listings on their website  located at the source link below.

AT&T is giving away some goodies for those that sign up. If you pre-pay for a month of DIRECTV NOW service, youll get an Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice control included. Its a pretty nice HDMI dongle for your TV, and includes many of your favorite services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and more. Not to mention that there are a number of Android-based games available as well. For those that pre-pay for 3 months, youll get an Apple TV. This likely isnt a great gift for Android users, but its still pretty cool for AT&T to give these away. Now they arent giving away Android TV boxes like the NVIDIA SHIELD TV or the Xiaomi Mi Box because DIRECTV NOW doesnt work on Android TV right now, surprisingly enough it does work with Chromecast.

If youre a cord-cutter or are looking to cut the cord, DIRECTV NOW is definitely worth taking a look at. They are bringing some pretty stiff competition to the other competitors already out there like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. They are a bit more expensive, but they are offering a whole lot more channels, than either of them. DIRECTV NOW is also zero-rated for AT&T customers, so you can watch TV on your smartphone without using up your data. It has also been rumored that they will be bundling DIRECTV NOW with wireless service in the future, so theres some great perks here for AT&T wireless customers already.
Samsungs Galaxy C7 Pro has popped up in the benchmarks yet again, this time on GFXBench, and it would seem that some of the specs listed match up with previous benchmark leaks for the unreleased smartphone that have surfaced recently. Showing up on AnTuTu just earlier this morning, the Galaxy C7 Pro was listed as having 4GB of RAM which is about standard with most flagships right now, and it would appear that the listing on GFXBench mirrors this particular notion. While this doesnt necessarily mean that the specs are confirmed, it does certainly suggest that theyre more or less accurate.

Alongside the AnTuTu listing from earlier this morning as well as the new showing on GFXBench, the Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is also thought to have shown up on Geekbench yesterday on November 28th, showing the same amount of RAM that can be seen in the other two benchmarks. Among the amount of memory for the phone, there are other matching specifications as well, such as the version of Android software that is likely to come running on the phone out of the box at launch. While this could certainly change by the time Samsung is ready to launch the Galaxy C7 Pro, GFXBench also lists Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow as being the OS version that consumers will be able to expect when the phone finally goes on sale.

When it comes to the screen, the Galaxy C7 Pro looks like it will come equipped with a 5.7-inch display, although again, this is likely not much of a surprise as the previous leaks have listed the same thing. There should also be a 16-megapixel camera for both the front and the back of the device and it looks to be coming with 64GB of internal storage space if the GFXBench listing is to be believed. This latest benchmark also lists a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor as powering the device alongside the Adreno 506 GPU for graphics, so despite the larger screen and seemingly high-quality cameras, the Galaxy C7 Pro is likely to fit well inside of the mid-range device category. At the moment none of these specs can be confirmed, but it shouldnt be long before Samsung makes details official following an announcement that is thought to be coming up in the near future.
Meizu has introduced two flagship smartphones this year, the Meizu PRO 6 and Meizu PRO 6s. These two devices are basically identical on the outside, and have similar specs overall, the Meizu PRO 6s comes with a more capable camera and a larger battery on the inside, though. Having that in mind, both of these devices are quite compact, as a 5.2-inch fullHD Super AMOLED panel ships on both of those devices. The Meizu PRO 5 which was introduced back in September 2015 was quite large, its display was 5.7 inches big, and that phablet was fueled by the Exynos 7420 64-bit octa-core processor. Meizus VP said a while back that the company has no plans to launch the Meizu PRO 7 this year, so we started to wonder whether well see a new Exynos-powered flagship phablet from Meizu in 2016. Well, Meizu just answered that question as theyve released a true successor to the Meizu PRO 5, the Meizu PRO 6 Plus, read on.

The company has just introduced the Meizu PRO 6 Plus in China, and it is fueled by the Exynos 8890 64-bit octa-core SoC, which is Samsungs most powerful mobile processor to date. This very same chip fuels the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones, Samsungs flagship offerings. That being said, the Meizu PRO 6 Plus is a significant improvement over the Meizu PRO 5, at least as far as specs are concerned, which was to be expected considering it has been well over a year since the Meizu PRO 5 landed. The Meizu PRO 6 Plus is made out of metal, and it basically looks like a larger variant of the Meizu PRO 6, which was to be expected considering its called the Meizu PRO 6 Plus. This smartphone comes with the Flyme 6 OS, which is Meizus Android-based operating system, and this is actually the first smartphone to ship with Flyme 6, so Meizu is basically showcasing Flyme 6 today as well. Flyme 6 comes with the One Mind artificial intelligence engine which is, according to the company, able to adjust system performance according to user preference. It basically identifies your favorite apps and pulls extra resources to keep them running smoothly and keep them in memory. In addition to that, there are over 400 new features included in Flyme 6, and the UI looks considerably different as well.

The Meizu PRO 6 Plus features a 5.7-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) Super AMOLED AOD Holographic Display (3D Press included), as Meizu calls it, and the device ships with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB / 128GB of internal storage (UFS 2.0). Samsungs Exynos 8890 64-bit octa-core processor fuels the device, as already mentioned, and a 3,400mAh battery is also a part of this package, and it is not removable, while 24W fast charging is also included here. The 12-megapixel 4-axis OIS camera (Sonys IMX386 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 6P lens, PDAF, Laser Autofocus) is placed on the back of this smartphone along with a 10-LED flash, and a 5-megapixel shooter is placed on the front side of the device. Android 6.0 Marshmallow comes pre-installed on the Meizu PRO 6 Plus with Flyme 6 on top of it, and youre also getting Hi-Fi audio here (ES9018 + ADA4807 chips), as the company included a 32-bit audio DAC here. The company has included dual 4G here as well (both 4G TD-LTE and FDD-LTE are supported). The Meizu PRO 6 Plus measures 155.6 x 77.3 x 7.3mm, while it weighs 158 grams, and it comes in Champagne Gold, Gray and Silver color variants. The companys multifunctional physical home key is placed below the display, and it doubles as a fingerprint scanner, as it did on a number of previously released Meizu-branded smartphones. The 64GB storage variant of the device is priced at 2,999 Yuan ($436), while the 128GB model costs 3,299 Yuan ($479) in China. Do keep in mind that the pricing may vary depending on where you purchase the device, and the phone will be more expensive globally. Speaking of which, the global variant of the Meizu PRO 6 Plus is coming soon, well keep you updated.
The Moto Z may be receiving support for Tango in the future, according to Motorolas CEO Aymar de Lencquesaing. The ability to use Tango technology would be coming to the Moto Z through a Moto Mod attachment as Tango isnt solely based on software, so the device wouldnt simply be able to go through an update and then be Tango compatible. The mod, which is not yet confirmed but is likely, would carry the necessary hardware to enable the Moto Z as a Tango phone thus allowing it to use Tango apps and take advantage of the augmented reality tech.

So far, there is only one Tango phone out on the market, and thats the Lenovo Phab2 Pro that was announced earlier this year and recently launched. While there will likely be more Tango phones in the future, it sort of makes sense that Lenovo might position the Moto Z to be the next device to work with Googles Tango technology. While the hardware inside the phone itself doesnt support Tango, the Moto Mods make it a perfect device for easily attaching the necessary components, and when done users could simply swap out the mod back to another or not use one at all.

While the Moto Mod functionality of the Moto Z does make the phone a great candidate for the Tango camera technology and software, the simple fact that it would be easy to slap on an attachment and enable the phone for Tango is probably not the only reason why Lenovo has been considering developing such a module. As Lencquesaing states, Lenovo is beginning to think of how they as a company can start to bring back products that are on the fringe. A Tango Moto Mod is likely one such method of realizing this particular goal. Currently there is no detail on when Lenovo might launch a Tango module for the Moto Z, let alone officially announce that its coming, but the fact that they have acknowledged its probable existence is surely going to be exciting for Moto Z owners, and may even gain the phone some new prospects.
Googles European legal teams arent having the best year, to put it mildly. The European Commission went after not one, not two, but three of Googles businesses this year. The companys Android, advertising, and Internet search divisions all came up on the ECs radar for the same reason  antitrust laws, or anti-competitive practices, if you will. Now, antitrust law is a rather gray field and possibly even the murkiest area of corporate law. By its very definition, antitrust or competition laws are enacted to prevent predatory business practices from big business at the expense of smaller competitors and consumers.

In that context, antitrust laws are not a good thing; theyre a great thing. Keeping big businesses in check and preventing them from stomping over smaller competitors almost always reflects positively on consumers because a non-competitive market leads to monopolies which consequently results in fewer options when it comes to spending money. Then again, is Googles Android the best example of such practices? Thats a difficult claim to make seeing how Google doesnt exactly hold a monopoly on smartphones, and the same can be said about its advertising business which is heavily rivaled by Facebook. In other words, its hard to argue that Google is abusing its monopoly power when it doesnt hold a monopoly. A company cant be a monopoly if there are viable competitors on the market.

However, virtually all complaints made by the European Commission regarding Google are ignoring Googles competitors in one way or another. The one about Android conveniently ignores the fact that there are other operating systems in existence and that Android itself doesnt prohibit related services which compete with Googles products developed for the said OS. The complaint against Google Search dismisses the existence of the likes of Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. Yes, Google Search is the dominant Internet search engine overall, but the European Commissions complaint is about people using it for fulfilling their shopping needs. In that context, there are plenty of other readily available services that users are choosing over Google Search.

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Likewise, its difficult to argue that Google is creating an anti-competitive environment for Android OEMs by pairing Android with its services. After all, its not like OEMs even want to ship smartphones without apps like Google Play pre-installed. In addition to that, all large OEMs like Samsung install their own app stores on their devices anyway, which is competition by definition. To expand on the Android-related antitrust claims against Google, its crucial to point out that Duo, Hangouts, and Allo combined dont have the same amount of users that the Facebook-owned WhatsApp or Messenger do, not even close. Furthermore, as Wired reports, 40% of all mobile Internet browsing now happens within the Facebook app. Thats right, 40%. Frankly, if Google is abusing the dominance of its mobile operating system, its doing a terrible job of it because its losing market share left and right.

Lets look at the facts  the European Commission accused Google of restricting ways in which websites which use Google Search can display advertisements sold by companies that arent Google. Furthermore, the European Commission recently laid out charges according to which Google used the dominant position of its search engine to harm online shopping services that arent related to its own. Now, are there no other free search engines which offer website integration on the market? No, at least not if we are going to pretend the likes of Duck Duck Go and Bing dont exist. Is Google Chrome  the only desktop Internet browser on the market that defaults to Google Search  pre-installed on third-party computers? Finally, lets not forget that the complaint made by the European Commission against Google Search pertains exclusively to shopping-related searches. As stated above, Google has plenty of competition in that segment.

Last but not least, the European Commission also charged Google with abusing the dominance of the Android operating system to strong-arm original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and wireless providers into pre-installing Google Search and other companys services on their smartphones. If we play along with that and define the mobile market as just Android, how hard and expensive it is to install an alternative to something like Chrome or the Play Store within our imaginary market and do people need to buy an Android smartphone? The answer to those questions should be an obvious no. While the US and EU antitrust laws are not identical, the two systems not only actively cooperate when it comes to regulating potential antitrust violations in their respective jurisdictions, but theyre also following the same spirit of the anti-competitive law  protecting consumers choice. And saying that Google is stifling competition with Android and Google Search is saying that Android and Google Search constitute their own markets with no viable alternatives.

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The very purpose of antitrust laws is to protect consumers. So, if Google is forced to abandon its practice of asking OEMs to pre-install some of its apps to use Android, its difficult to see how that would ultimately help end users. In that scenario, Google would likely ask OEMs to pay for pre-installing its apps. As all phone manufacturers are in the business of making money and will do everything they can to avoid diminishing profit margins, its not unreasonable to suggest that the cost of such licensing would be passed on to consumers. In that scenario, the European Commission would achieve a goal that directly opposes the very principle on which its antitrust laws were based. All in all, if the EC is willing to ignore the fact that every fourth smartphone in Europe is running iOS and that both Google Search and Googles advertising network have a lot of competition, it will set a rather dangerous precedent when it comes to regulating big businesses. While Google is far from perfect, its as consumer-friendly as any multinational tech conglomerate with investments in virtually every industry that exists can get. If Android, an open source platform which gained traction precisely because it gives users more choice than its competitors is labeled as a tool for anti-competitive practices, what will that mean for the future of the tech industry? Only time will tell, but for now, Google is forced to defend itself against accusations that are debatable at best and divisive at worst.
This year has not been the best year for Samsung Electronics, the arm of Samsung responsible for their mobile lineup, and even though things got off to a great start with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, the Galaxy Note 7 was nothing short of a disaster, and will no doubt have its impact felt for some time to come. Behind the scenes at Samsung, a power struggle of sorts has been playing out for some time. The massive company is a family company, and ever since Samsungs Chairman, Lee Kun-hee, was hospitalized by a heart attack, his son, Lee Jae-yong, has been looking to solidify his grip on the company. Last month, he was appointed Director of the firm, and now that the company has been listening to suggestions of splitting Samsung Electronics  the flagship company of the Samsung Group  into two businesses, a holding firm and an operating firm, it appears as though Lee Jae-yong quite likes the idea.

As Business Korea is reporting, Samsung Electronics is to go ahead with the split of Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics is apparently to split into an operating business and a holding business, which could lead to the former merging with other Samsung Group businesses, such as Samsung C&T and other firms. All of this becomes very complicated where stocks and shares are concerned, as there are 13.3 percent of Samsung Electronics locked in treasury shares, which under South Korean law do not have any voting power, but if the firms split, then a holding firm would end up with 13.3 percent of the operating firm via these stocks. As for Lee Jae-yong, often referred to professional as Jay Y. Lee, he would end up with more control over Samsung. His share in the company would rise to an impressive 18.2 percent of the company, but the main reason behind this split is of course foreign investors outside of South Korea, which combined hold about half of the company.

This move would certainly help the founding family take better control of Samsung, but if they wish to purchase more stock, they would need to spend somewhere in the region of $2 Billion just to acquire a further 1 percent of Samsung Electronics. Whether or not the family has the money to take majority control is unclear, but investors outside of South Korea have been pushing for this split, with their reasoning being that the company is grossly undervalued, and that theres a lot more money to be made from the company. If the family is to take control of Samsung further, they might need to strike now, before the company becomes more valuable.
Earlier this week, the Swiss global financial services firm UBS sent a note to investors detailing its observations regarding the likely changes the US wireless service and Pay TV industry will go through under the incoming Trump administration. In short, UBS believes that the next executive branch of the US government is bound to change the approval process for mergers and acquisitions, in addition to reshaping the countrys tax policy and its regulation of the wireless service industry in general. Not surprisingly, UBS thinks that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be significantly less strict when it comes to regulating big businesses once the new administration takes office next year.

As noted by the Swiss-based firm, the incoming departure of the FCCs current chairman Tom Wheeler is music to the industrys ears, as any Trump-appointed chairman will likely be much more lenient towards wireless carriers, as well as cable and satellite service providers. UBS points out that Ajit Pai, the most likely replacement for Wheeler, and Jeffrey Eisenach, an advisor appointed by Trump to help transition the FCC have both advocated for restricting the Commissions jurisdiction in the past. In addition to that, any new head of Antitrust at the DOJ appointed by Trump will certainly look more favorably at potential mergers and acquisitions in the wireless industry, UBS analyst John Hodulik states.

As a result, Hodulik concludes that further convergence of cable and wireless service providers is almost a given once the new administration takes office. In his report, the said analyst gave a few examples of possible mergers between wireless carriers like Verizon and Sprint and cable companies such as Comcast. Interestingly enough, Hodulik mostly described all of his theoretical consolidations as ultimately positive for investors. That isnt to say he believes a merger between Verizon and Sprint or T-Mobile and Dish would have no downsides, but in most hypothetical scenarios he outlined, the positives seemingly outweigh the negatives. You can download Hoduliks latest industry forecast by following the source link below.

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Theoretical scenarios aside, this memo makes no mention of the likelihood of AT&Ts acquisition of Time Warner being approved by the US government. Thats mildly interesting given how all other indications referred to in the forecast suggest that the incoming Trump administration wont stand in the way of this merger. In any case, only time will tell how the new regulatory landscape will impact the wireless industry in the US, but one thing is certain  major changes are on the horizon.
A couple of days ago, the Samsung Gear VR headset celebrated the first anniversary of its commercial release. Since Samsungs first virtual reality headset hit the market, the VR industry as a whole has developed quite a bit, as the likes of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive also launched in the meantime. However, the thing with technology is that its always going forward, becoming cheaper, smaller, and more powerful, sometimes simultaneously. With that inevitable trend in mind, its not unreasonable to presume that the South Korean tech giant is already hard at work developing the Gear VR 2.

In fact, the latest patent uncovered by Galaxy Club seemingly corroborates that assumption. Namely, the said online outlet discovered a patent application Samsung filed in its home country last May. Among other things, the documentation suggests that Samsung is working on eye tracking and face tracking technology for a virtual reality headset. Apart from that, Samsungs next VR headset may also sport additional sensors for monitoring the device as it moves through a 3D space. This technology would allow for a room-scale virtual reality experience, similar to the one currently offered by the HTC Vive. In other words, you could ditch a traditional controller while playing games and start physically moving through your environment while simultaneously moving in your 3D virtual environment. According to the uncovered patent application, the position monitoring solution Samsung is working on utilizes an external camera and standard LED lights. Regarding face and eye tracking, Samsung figured out a way to do both with a single camera installed on the inside of the headset, as the said patent documentation reveals.

While most technology outlined by these recently uncovered documents is rather typical as far as VR headsets are concerned, the solution for tracking facial expressions sounds interesting. The patent form doesnt go into particular applications of this solution, but its not hard to think of some. Imagine playing an MMO in which your virtual avatar mimics the facial expressions you make or launching a media hub which suggests movies based on how it concludes youre feeling. Furthermore, eye tracking technology facilitates foveated rendering, which has been touted as the next big thing in the VR industry. Namely, this rendering technique automatically blurs everything that the viewer isnt focusing on, thus mimicking the way in which a human fovea in the back of the retina works. Consequently, this means that the GPU can focus on rendering only a smaller area of your environment. In other words, this technique can either be used to reduce the GPU load or increase the overall graphic fidelity of any VR experience. In any case, it remains to be seen whether the Gear VR successor will truly sport this technology and whether the Seoul-based tech giant will even release it next year.
Samsung went through a rather rough patch in the last few months. As if the second recall and discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 werent enough, the Seoul-based tech giant also found itself in the middle of a massive corruption scandal in the Far Eastern country. The company is currently in the process of trying to solve all of these issues, and if latest developments are any indication, Samsung chose the right way to approach the situation.

The companys shares rose to a record high today after Samsung reiterated that its planning to review its corporate structure and promised larger capital returns to shareholders. More specifically, the biggest phone maker in the world announced plans to return half of its free cash flow in 2016 and 2017, adding that existing shareholders will receive 36% higher dividends this year than what was originally planned. As a consequence of this announcement, Samsungs market value rose by $9 billion in less than 24 hours as investors quickly jumped at the opportunity to purchase more shares of the South Korean tech giant. This turn of events isnt surprising given how dividends are one of the few reliable ways shareholders can make a return on their investment. In fact, if youre an investor whos content with making a slow but steady return, high dividends are the best thing you can hope for.

Now, its worth noting that this decision by Samsung was heavily influenced by the US activist hedge fund Elliott Management, the same one that recently proposed Samsung splits its operations. Even though the Seoul-based conglomerate is yet to decide whether to heed that particular advice, Reuters reports that most industry analysts and investors are relatively pleased with the latest announcements made by the company. In addition to increased payouts, Samsung also revealed that its planning to repurchase $9.8 billion of its shares next year, which would mark the largest buyback in the history of the South Korean tech giant. The company also confirmed that its still considering Elliotts proposal to split into a holding and an operating company, so more information on that front is expected to follow soon. Elliotts representatives described this announcement as a step in the right direction but noted that the hedge fund expects more from the Seoul-based firm in the future.
Kirk Irwin/Getty Images(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- An Ohio State University professor injured in Monday's attack at the Columbus, Ohio, campus, says that for now, he's withholding judgment on the deceased attacker.



OSU Professor William Clark suffered injuries to his ankle and leg when an OSU student, identified by authorities as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, plowed his car into a crowd, then slashed multiple people on campus Monday morning. Within a minute of the attack, an OSU police officer shot and killed Artan, ending the threat, officials said. Eleven people were injured.



ISIS on Tuesday claimed that Artan was one of its "soldiers," though a Facebook post suspected of being written by the Artan just before the attack does not include a pledge of allegiance to the terrorist organization, as in previous cases. However, it does say that if the U.S. wants the attacks to stop, it has to "make peace with 'dawla in al sham,'" which is how some ISIS followers have referred to the organization.



Three out of the 11 people injured in the attack remained in the hospital Tuesday evening, university officials announced.



All are doing well and I have communicated in person or by phone with a majority of them, said Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief medical officer at Wexner Medical Center. Everyone is continuing to heal and work through the trauma of yesterdays events. At this point, we are thankful there were no life-threatening injuries.



Authorities said late Monday a motive for the attack had not been determined.



At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, when Clark was asked what he would like to say the person responsible, he responded, "Until we really know all the facts. I'd prefer to hold judgment."



"Having been a faculty member for 35 years, I'm only too aware of the things that drive students sometimes to do things they wouldn't ordinarily do, and so before I pass judgment on this young man, I would like to see exactly what the circumstances are and exactly why he took the course of action that he chose to," Clark said. "I'm sore, but I'm going home this afternoon, and he's dead. So I think my sense is out of respect just for the living and the dead we should wait until we know what's the truth."



When Clark was asked if he thinks Artan was radicalized by the internet, Clark said he would not speculate.



"Anybody can take responsibility for anything if they want if they see it as a feather in their cap, so to me that doesn't necessarily imply they were behind the planning," Clark said. "Until I know this was something to do with some radical group and whether that is the entire story, or whether there's some other personal family issues and social issues ... I withhold judgment."



Clark said he'd never seen Artan before.



Clark told reporters that he had gone outside the morning of the attack because the fire alarm went off. Before he could re-enter the campus building, he said he heard a shout.



"It happened so fast," Clark said. "I turned to go back in the building and all of a sudden ... this car is there and I get flipped in the air."



The car clipped the back of Clark's foot and he suffered lacerations to his ankle area and contusions to the side of his leg, he said.



Then the suspect started attacking people with a knife, according to officials. "All I heard was the shouting and screaming from the people standing there," Clark said, adding that he didn't hear the suspect say anything.



Clark added that his daughter knows the OSU police officer, 28-year-old Alan Horujko, who fatally shot Artan, stopping the threat.



Clark said that if Horujko "was here, I'd put my arm around him and tell him he's got a lot to cope with in the days to come."



"He's got to live with this for the rest of his life," Clark said. "But he did the right thing. It's what he was trained to do and what he did and who knows? There's a lot of people walking around between classes, who knows what other damage this young man would have done."



"I think it's very tragic that something like this happens at any university," Clark told reporters. "I decided on a career in universities because, you know, I think there's some sort of calling there. You taking young people at 17, 18, trying to turn them into functional adults. And that doesn't mean you train them in the classroom, you're also trying to show them how to live life, and so whenever anything happens like this happens I think it's absolutely it's tragic."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
(by Patrizio Nissirio) (ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 29 - Starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday, the Italian capital will be welcoming leaders from the realms of politics, the economy, international organizations, civil society and culture for the second-ever Med Dialogues. The initiative will be a chance for an exchange of ideas and discussion on important international issues ranging from crises to major opportunities in this part of the world. The theme is 'Beyond Turmoil, a Positive Agenda', i.e. on how to be constructive in times of confusion. A number of high-level figures have been invited to Rome by the foreign ministry and the Italian think tank the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), including US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, Iraqi foreign minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Thani, the UK's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and Iran's foreign policy chief Mohammed Javad Zarif.

A total of some 500 people from 55 countries have been invited. Italians taking part will include Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who on Saturday, December 3, will be making closing remarks at the event. The complete program is available at: http://rome-med.org/.

ANSAmed, RAI and La Stampa will be the media partners of the event. Prior to the conference, which will open officially on Thursday, on Wednesday a series of events called 'Pre-Med' will be held. There will be roundtable discussions between entrepreneurs on both sides of the Mediterranean, a meeting of the Aspen European Strategy Group, Mediterranean energy regulators (Med-Reg) meetings and ones of security experts from the NATO Defence College. The conference will revolve around four themes: shared prosperity, shared security, migration and media, culture and civil society. An exchange of views is urgent at a time when - as Minister Gentiloni noted in presenting Med Dialogues - Donald Trump has won the US elections and migration towards Europe continues, as do conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya. After Med Dialogues, Italy will be at the forefront of international diplomacy in 2017 with its G7 presidency, the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, its participation in the UN Security Council (in 2018 officially, but its activity will begin in 2017) and the Italian presidency at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). (ANSAmed).


(ANSA) - Copenhagen, November 30 - The Italian justice ministry has not in fact renounced its extradition request for Mullah Krekar, who was being detained in Norway and whom Italy said was responsible for jihadist recruitment and planning terrorist attacks in Europe, but a Trento judge has revoked his arrest warrant, removing the grounds for extradition, judicial sources said Wednesday. Norway said the mullah would be released later Wednesday.

A week ago the Supreme Court in Oslo rejected the appeal of the radical Muslim cleric against his extradition to Italy.

Italian investigators say 60-year-old Najmaddin Faraj Ahmad, Krekar's real name, is the ringleader of Rawti Shax, an extremist network that wants to overthrow the elected government of Kurdistan and replace it with a fundamentalist Islamist "caliphate".

Rawti Shax has branches all over Europe, where it proselytizes, recruits foreign fighters, and provides logistical support for aspiring terrorists.

Italy's Special Operations Department (ROS) last year arrested alleged Rawti Shax member Abdul Rahman Nauroz, who they say recruited terrorists online and through "lessons" he held in his flat in the northern city of Merano. Investigators called Nauroz's flat "a secret meeting location and a crossroads for aspiring jihadis".

A preliminary investigations judge in Italy a year ago upheld a pretrial detention order for the mullah.

The cleric, who obtained refugee status in Norway in 1991, is also known as the founder of Ansar al-Islam, the major Salafist jihadi group that merged with Islamic State (ISIS) two years ago.

He was repeatedly arrested and released after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., and investigations have uncovered his high-level contacts with the al-Qaeda terrorist group. Police also seized a diary in which he had the phone number of slain terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

There are also unconfirmed reports that Norway foiled an attempt by the CIA to bring about the mullah's extraordinary rendition, or government-sponsored abduction and extrajudicial transfer.

Krekar's lawyer Brynar Meling had said he would appeal to the Norwegian justice department to halt the extradition.


(ANSA) - Beirut, November 29 - An Italian national, Sergio Zanotti, has been held captive by an unidentified armed group in Syria for seven months, the Russian site Newsfront reported on Tuesday. The site showed a video in which the hostage, a native of Brescia, appears to call on the Italian government to intervene to prevent him being executed. Sources at the Italian foreign ministry's crisis unit said that the Italian authorities had been aware of the video for several days and were following the case. A man appears in the video with a long beard and dressed in a white tunic, kneeling out in the open amid olive trees. Behind him another man is standing, dressed in black and with his face covered, aiming a machine gun at him. The kneeling man is holding a placard with a date on it, apparently November 15 2016.

In another photo posted on the same site the alleged hostage is standing, barefoot, holding the same placard.

Below his image is that of his passport, made out to Sergio Zanotti, born in 1960 at Marone near Brescia.

"My name is Sergio Zanotti," says the man, speaking with a Brescian accent, "and for seven months I have been imprisoned here in Syria. I appeal to the Italian government to intervene for me before I am executed".

Italian investigators say the video has been circulating on the Web for about a week and the Italian does not appear to have suffered a lot from his alleged seven months of imprisonment.

Investigators are reconstructing the man's movements and have established that Zanotti did indeed leave Italy several months ago for Turkey, where he disappeared.


Israel attacks Syrian weapons cache for Hezbollah-Arab media Aviation strikes military convoy near Damascus

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, NOVEMBER 30 - Israel reportedly attacked a weapons cache and a convoy of Syrian army vehicles destined for Hezbollah on Wednesday, Arab media report.



The sources say the Israeli air force carried out the attacks. The London-based Rai al-Youm newspaper reported that the arsenal belonged to the Syrian army's Fourth Battalion, while the convoy was attacked near the Damascus-Beirut Highway. Lebanese newspaper Elnashra also reported four loud explosions near Damascus, where the weapons arsenal was allegedly attacked. Israel has not confirmed the reports. On Sunday four ISIS militants were killed by Israeli soldiers following an attack on a patrol in the Golan Heights, in what is considered the first direct clash between Israel and the Islamic extremists. (ANSAmed).




AMMAN - A co-Jordanian Palestinian feature film, "3000 nights" about Palestinian prisoners in Israel is making waves across the region after picking up several international awards, the latest came from Film Engage Award at the Mauret Film Festival in France.



The film has received recognition for the original script and the fact that it was shot in a real prison in Jordan, to tell story about continued suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.



The film is a co-production between Jordan, Palestine, France, the UAE, Qatar and Lebanon and directed by Palestinian director Mai Masri.



Jordan has announced it was nominating the film to represent the kingdom at the 2017 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category while the Palestinian authority has adopted the film for the Golden Globe Awards submission, promoters said.



The film, written and directed by Masri, is currently being screened in Tunisian and Emirati cinemas, distributor MAD Solutions said in a statement.



Since its world premiere that has been held at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), 3000 Nights has won 17 international awards so far, most recent of which was at the 27th Carthage Film Festival, where the film won the Bronze Tanit within the Feature Film Competition and the Screenplay Prize for a feature film within the Official Competition.



3000 Nights tells the story of a young Palestinian school teacher who gives birth to her son in an Israeli prison, where she fights to protect him, survive and maintain hope. Masri's film is inspired by a true story and was shot in a real prison in Jordan.



The filmmaker has directed and produced several documentaries that have won over 60 international awards, including the Trailblazer Award at Cannes Mipdoc Film Festival in 2007, the Luchino Visconti Award in Italy (2003) and the Asia-Pacific Screen Award in Australia (2007).
'Culture flies' to Naples with EasyJet-ministry initiative Passengers get half-price entry to museum, Paestum

(ANSAmed) - Naples, November 30 - Travellers flying into Naples with EasyJet can visit the archaeological museum in Naples and the archaeological area at Paestum for half the usual ticket price under a joint initiative of the Italian culture ministry and the low-cost carrier.



'Culture flies' gives all EasyJet passengers landing in the Campania regional capital half-price entry to the two sites from April 1 to June 30 2017 on presentation of their boarding pass at the ticket office. "Naples is rich in beauty and I am pleased that EasyJet can contribute towards valorising the city's cultural heritage," said EasyJet Italy director Frances Ouseley.



Culture undersecretary Antimo Cesaro described the partnertship between the ministry and the air line as a "virtuous collaboration between public and private". EasyJet has said it plans to increase passenger capacity by 8% in 2017, with an additional 1.4 million seats spread across its bases in Milan, Venice and Naples and a further 500,000 seats available across the other Italian airports, to a total of nearly 19 million seats. Services will also be boosted on existing routes and new routes opened up. The investment is expected create nearly 200 new jobs for pilots and flight attendants. (ANSAmed).




MOSCOW - On Tuesday 5,629 civilians including 2,855 children left rebel-held eastern Aleppo to reach "liberated" areas of the city, Russian defence ministry spokesman general Igor Konashenkov has said.



The civilians were assisted by the Russian centre for reconciliation, which comes under the auspices of the defence ministry, general Konashenkov added. They have allegedly been given shelter in humanitarian centres set up beforehand by the Syrian authorities, where they receive food and medical assistance.
ROME - Amman will host the first Euro-Mediterranean Hackathon on eco-efficiency in the agro-food chain, scheduled for December 14 and 15 in the Jordanian capital city.



The event will see 30 young innovators presenting their project ideas aimed at making a strategic impact in the field of agro-food chain sustainability to an expert jury panel that will determine three winners.



The Euro-Med Hackathon is aimed at Euro-Med cooperation in research and innovation, especially in the three "social challenges": water, nutrition and energy.



The 30 young competitors come from 10 Mediterranean countries - Algeria, Egypt, France, Jordan, Greece, Iraq, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey - and their projects range from social farming for refugee camps in Palestine to optimising water use.



The event was coordinated by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, which is the Italian headquarters of the Paris-based International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM).



The event's winners will have the opportunity to take part in the 3rd Seeds&Chips global food innovation summit to be held in Milan on May 8-11 of next year, where they can meet with investors, companies, universities and research centres from around the world.



"We're proud to be able to make our contribution to the development of innovative project ideas by young people from the Mediterranean countries," said Seeds&Chips founder and president Marco Gualtieri.



"Seeds&Chips was born from the idea of facilitating the creation of a global ecosystem matching food innovators with the research and business world," Gualtieri said.
MOSCOW - More than 18,000 civilians and about 650 militants have left Aleppo following a "successful offensive by the Syrian armed forces" that "has broken the armed groups' defensive position network", said General Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Main Operations Department at Russia's General Staff, on Wednesday.



Rudskoi said Russia will send Aleppo more than 200 minesweepers and 47 vehicles to defuse explosives and mines.



He said the Syrian Army cleared the Castello Road to allow for passage of humanitarian aid.



Militants in Aleppo are forcing all male civilians above 12 years of age to take up weapons, he said. He said militants control foodstuffs and only allow food access to those with relatives fighting on the side of the militants.



The militants hold public executions daily for those who try to demonstrate against them or take refuge in areas controlled by government forces, he said.



The Aleppo Media Center (AMC), a platform used by reporters in the city, said at least 45 civilians were killed in a government airstrike on eastern Aleppo on Wednesday that hit a warehouse and some houses in Habbet Qubba, where people who had fled the loyalist offensive had taken refuge.



Meanwhile on the political front, Putin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said he couldn't confirm contact between the Putin administration and US President-elect Donald Trump regarding the situation in Syria, but Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had confirmed just such contact only hours earlier.



French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that on December 10 in Paris a meeting would be held between all states that oppose a "total war" in Syria.



"I will gather the European and Arab countries and the United States who support a political solution in Syria and refuse the logic of a total war," he said.



"It's time for the international community to wake up, because a tragedy is taking place before our eyes".(ANSAmed).
We have other Europeans say Italian's Syria 'kidnappers' 'Want to stop bombing'

(ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 30 - The alleged kidnappers of Italian Sergio Zanotti in Syria on Wednesday said they had other Europeans in their hands. A man calling himself 'Abu Jihad', who posted the video of Zanotti, said in a chat with Russian news agency NewsFront that "we have many Europeans in our hands. We kidnap them because Europe, the Americans and Russians are fighting us and we want to stop the bombardments in Syria".



Italian intelligence services have described Zanotti's alleged capture as "anomalous", also because no ransom demand has been made in the seven months he has been missing. (ANSAmed).




ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, NOVEMBER 30 - These are some of the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: ROME - Pre-Med meetings at the foreign ministry ahead of the international Med Dialogues conference. TUNIS - International conference on economic investments, with vice minister Giro taking part for Italy (until November 30).



ROME - seminar entitled 'Deep Maghreb: (In)Security and Stability. North Africa and its Sahel Dimension', organized by the NATO Defense College Foundation.



VIENNA - OPEC meeting to seek an agreement on production cuts. BRUSSELS - European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will be receiving Mladen Ivanic, head of the Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency.



BRUSSELS - visit by Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi. BRUSSELS - visit to EU institutions by Turkey's Minister for European Union Affairs Omer Celik.



(ANSAmed).




Egypts parliament gives final backing to new rules for NG Measures strongly criticised by human rights groups

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, NOVEMBER 30 - Egypt's parliament on Tuesday approved definitively a new law regulating non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and conferring sweeping powers on the security services concerning their operations.



The law must now be ratified by President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi in order to take effect. Under the new regulations NGOs require state authorisation to receive foreign funding or local donations in excess of 10,000 Egyptian pounds, transfer their headquarters or carry out research or investigative activities, among other things. Permits will be issued by a newly created oversight body comprising government and security agencies including the intelligence agency and the interior and defence ministries. People found violating the new rules face five years in jail and hefty fines. The measures have been strongly criticised by activists in Egypt, with Mohamed Zaree of the Cairo Centre for human rights studies describing them as a "massacre" for NGOs. (ANSAmed).




MOSCOW - Preparations are underway for a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Serghiei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the forum 'Med Dialogues - Beyond Turmoil, a Positive Agenda' in Rome on December 1-3, deputy Russian foreign minister Serghiei Riabkov said Wednesday. "Preparations are being made for this meeting, but the aim of our minister's visit to Rome is to take part in the international conference on the Middle East. There is confirmation that the US secretary of state will also attend. I presume the meeting will take place, but the final details are still being worked out," Riabkov said.
NEW YORK - The United States can "still shape the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" before a change of presidents if Barack Obama grants American diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine before his term expires on January 20, former US president Jimmy Carter has said.



In an Op-ed published in the New York Times Carter urges the outgoing president to follow in the footsteps of 137 countries and help the "state of Palestine  achieve full United Nations membership".



"The primary foreign policy goal of my life has been to help bring peace to Israel and its neighbors," writes the 92-year-old statesman who brokered the 1978 Camp David accords between the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and the Israeli Premier Menachem Begin in the aftermath of the 1967 war and is now concerned about the impact of the future administration led by Donald Trump on the peace process in the Middle East. Meanwhile, his Carter Center "has continued to support a two-state solution by hosting discussions this month with Israeli and Palestinian representatives, searching for an avenue toward peace". "Based on the positive feedback from those talks, I am certain that United States recognition of a Palestinian state would make it easier for other countries that have not recognized Palestine to do so, and would clear the way for a Security Council resolution on the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Carter writes.



Trump has told the New York Times that the husband of his daughter Ivanka, real estate tycoon Jared Kushner, "could help pursue peace in the Middle East". Recently Kushner, a practicing Orthodox Jew, met with Israeli Education Minister and leader of the right-wing religious The Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett, who is close to the settler movement and opposed to a two-state solution. "I fear for the spirit of Camp David. We must not squander this chance," Carter writes.


ROME - Former Libyan Prime Minister Mahmud Jibril said on Wednesday that in order to get Libya out of its crisis, Russia "will have a crucial role, as it is having in Syria".



Jibril spoke in Rome at the NATO Defense College Foundation's conference 'Deep Maghreb: (in)security and stability North Africa and its Sahel dimension'.



"The international community, and the Europeans in particular, are divided and have opposing interests, and this does nothing but prolong the conflict and push the solution further away," he said.



He said even Libyans "speak among themselves through intermediaries and depend on the outside".



Jibril said he is concerned over "the catastrophic humanitarian situation Libya is facing". "And yet we don't receive international aid because we're an oil country," he said.



Russian help if embargo lifted, says Libyan Gen. Haftar. Army fighting militants in Benghazi, battle in Sirte continues

CAIRO - Libyan General Khalifa Haftar told Sputnik online news during his visit to Russia that if the UN arms embargo on his country is lifted, Libyan forces would need training assistance from Russian experts.

"Many of our military experts studied in Russia. But in the future, when an arms embargo will be lifted and the deliveries of advanced weapons begin, we will need Russian weapons experts for military training," Haftar said. "We do not want to disturb our Russian friends concerning the Libyan crisis. Russia has corporations working in various fields. They could contribute to the restoration of infrastructure, investment, development of oil fields. All this will help the Libyan economy and strengthen ties between the countries," he said.

Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army led by Haftar launched a large assault on the terrorist enclave of Ganfouda in Benghazi, using tanks, ground troops and naval forces, according to the Libya Herald online, which said there have been victims. In the Benghazi area the army is fighting militants of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, which supports al Qaeda.

American anti-ISIS airstrikes on Sirte are also ongoing, and have reached a total of 460 since they began last August. Ground operations there are also underway, by militants loyal to the national unity government led by Fayez al Sarraj. The risk is that ISIS fighters escape to other areas such as Misurata and Bani Walid, where military intelligence has detected them.
Russian help if embargo lifted, says Libyan Gen. Haftar Army fighting militants in Benghazi, battle in Sirte continues

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, NOVEMBER 30 - Libyan General Khalifa Haftar told Sputnik online news during his visit to Russia that if the UN arms embargo on his country is lifted, Libyan forces would need training assistance from Russian experts.



"Many of our military experts studied in Russia. But in the future, when an arms embargo will be lifted and the deliveries of advanced weapons begin, we will need Russian weapons experts for military training," Haftar said.



"We do not want to disturb our Russian friends concerning the Libyan crisis. Russia has corporations working in various fields. They could contribute to the restoration of infrastructure, investment, development of oil fields. All this will help the Libyan economy and strengthen ties between the countries," he said.



Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army led by Haftar launched a large assault on the terrorist enclave of Ganfouda in Benghazi, using tanks, ground troops and naval forces, according to the Libya Herald online, which said there have been victims.



In the Benghazi area the army is fighting militants of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council, which supports al Qaeda.



American anti-ISIS airstrikes on Sirte are also ongoing, and have reached a total of 460 since they began last August.



Ground operations there are also underway, by militants loyal to the national unity government led by Fayez al Sarraj.



The risk is that ISIS fighters escape to other areas such as Misurata and Bani Walid, where military intelligence has detected them. (ANSAmed).




If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens.
These are:

Sufficient and affordable infrastructure capacity (including air traffic management), aligned with user needs

Curbing the spate of unprecedented increases in taxes and charges over the last year

Aligning consumer protection regulations with global standards

Enhancing security efforts

Passenger demand in MENA is set to expand by 4.8% each year on average over the next 20 years, to become a market of 400 million passengers in 2035. If that demand is met, the number of jobs supported by aviation in the region will grow from 2.4 million to 3.9 million over the same period. And aviations contribution to regional GDP will increase from $157.2 billion to $359.5 billion.

Aviation is the business of freedom. Its success generates prosperity. A safe, secure, efficient and sustainable air transport industry contributes to the welfare of nations. Strengthening aviation, in partnership with governments, pays huge social and economic dividends. Airlines in MENA face very different business challenges. But whether building or protecting competitiveness, cost-efficient infrastructure, global standards, reasonable costs and secure operations are critical, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO, during his opening remarks at the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) 49th Annual General Meeting in Casablanca, Morocco.

De Juniac urged the region to address four key areas:

Infrastructure

Infrastructure in MENA reflects the foresight of Governments in the region to capture aviations economic and social benefits. However to keep this competitive advantage, continuous consultation is needed so that capital expenditure aligns with industry growth, required service levels and acceptable costs, said de Juniac.

De Juniac also sounded a note of caution on infrastructure privatization and urged governments to effectively balance public and private interests. The desire to harness commercial discipline in managing airports is understandable. But, despite many airport privatizations around the world we have not seen any outcomes that have truly met expectations. Its important to learn from experiences elsewhere, especially ensuring that any privatisation is driven by real user consultation throughout the process, said de Juniac.

De Juniac also called for cooperation to modernize air traffic management (ATM) in the region. Studies show that the average ATM delay in the Gulf is 29 minutes with the potential to double by 2025. Without an increase in the overall efficiency of the ATM systems in the region through improved airspace design, MENAs world-class hubs will be compromised with gridlock. We appreciate the many programs that are in progress - including the GCC Air Navigation Committee, the Middle East ATM Enhancement Program and others. But we must drive these efforts even harder to achieve a real breakthrough, said de Juniac.

Rising costs

IATA urged cooperation to reverse unprecedented rises in taxes and charges - about $700 million in extra costs in 2015 alone. Every dollar that a passenger spends in the region creates jobs and spreads prosperity. And every dollar collected in taxes or charges is an incentive for travelers to go elsewhere. A low cost structure is a key component of the regions successparticularly in the Gulf, said de Juniac.

Consumer Protection Regulations

IATA urged global standards to guide the proliferation of consumer protection initiatives in the region. Regulators in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Jordan and the Arab Civil Aviation Commission are in various stages of activity in this regard. De Juniac called on governments in the region to keep the global standards and recommended practices arrived at through the processes of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the core of any developments.

Security

Security is a global issue. Keeping aviation secure is integral to a states responsibility for national security as highlighted in a UN Security Council Resolution earlier this year. Challenges include insider threats, landside exposure at airports, overflight of conflict zones, and cyber security. Security is clearly a government responsibility. To stay a step ahead of those who would do aviation harm, intelligence gathering by governments and information sharing among governments and with industry is essential. Industry also plays a vital role in supporting their efforts. Its a top priority for IATA and we will become even more active, said de Juniac.
The launch of the new route is in response to significant customer demand also demonstrates Oman Airs commitment to continuing it ambitious network expansion programme, first unveiled in 2014. The new destination opens up easy access to Oman Airs outstanding range of choices for customers from China, in addition, the flights will further help to strengthen political, economic and social links between Oman and China.

Paul Gregorowitsch, chief executive officer of Oman Air, said: It is always exciting to open a new destination and Guangzhou is a perfect choice to Oman Airs network. Guangzhou, the 54th destination on the WY network will be an added value meeting the demand of the traders and businessmen of the two countries, as well as to tradesmen from different neighboring countries. Passengers on the new route can now enjoy their entire journey on our luxurious A330, configured with 196 Economy Class seats and 30 Business Class seats. The operation will initially offer four flights per week, and we are confident that this service will be a great success. We look forward to a long and prosperous presence within the Chinese market.


Further to our clients demand we are delighted to introduce a wide body aircraft type training and expand our capabilities to include the Airbus A330. The training syllabus covers subjects such as aircrafts system and power plant familiarization, conducting checks and troubleshooting on all 3 types of engines (RR, Trend, GE)," said Dimitrios Zikoulis, account manager. With over 1,3 thousand aircraft in operation we believe that the addition of the Airbus A330 Type Training to our EASA Part 147 approval is a significant step towards our increasing expansion to follow the aviation industry tendencies.
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The Angriest is a blog by award-winning Australian playwright and science fiction critic Grant Watson. Current regular features on this blog include episode-by-episode rewatches of Star Trek, a weekly comic book review column called The Pull List, and occassional reviews of Akira Kurosawa's films in chronological order.





In 2016 Grant was awarded Best Fan Writer at the Australian Science Fiction Achievement "Ditmar" Awards.

You might also like to check out FictionMachine , which is where Grant puts all of his full-length film criticism.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told Armenpress overnight November 29-30 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime more than 45 times by firing over 360 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Azerbaijani forces fired also 60mm mortar (10 shells) and automatic grenade launcher (6 grenades) at the eastern direction (Kuropatkino) of the line of contact.

The Defense Army forces are in full control of the situation in the frontline and take countermeasures in case of necessity.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The process of bringing packages and parcels by families to inmates has been facilitated in Armenia through organizing it by an online order, deputy minister of justice Suren Krmoyan said.

Since January 26, 2016, family members of inmates and convicts are able to pass on packages and parcels to the latter without visiting the correctional facility  through an online option of the official website of the correctional department of the ministry (www.ced.am). The online store services are operating in the Armavir and Artik facilities, he said.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia and the French Development Agency will sign 40 million Euro budget support loan agreement on November 30, 2016.

From the Armenian side, the agreement will be signed by Finance Minister Vardan Aramyan, and from the French side, it will be signed by Deputy Director of the French Development Agency Jean-Claude Pires and French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier as co-signer, press service of the Finance Ministry told Armenpress.

The aim of the agreement is to assist the Governments reforms agenda in two major directions, boosting the fiscal, social, environmental stability and strengthening the competitiveness.

Such budget support loan mechanism gives a chance to finance the most important expenditure categories of the budget.

In general, the budget support loans have obvious advantages: in particular, the flexibility in distributing and using the budget support funds is higher, since in this case the Government has the authority to reallocate the resources quickly in case of revising the priorities.

The budget loans can be used for financing such programs that have an important public and strategic significance for the country. The budget support loans are directed towards financing the state budget deficit.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received on November 30 the Director of Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania Saulius Urbanaviciu, Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office.

The interlocutors discussed issues of strengthening Armenian- Lithuanian relations and mutually highlighted the development of cooperation and exchange of experience in various spheres. In this context President Sargsyan and Director of Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania Saulius Urbanaviciu stressed the necessity of inter-state partnership and active interactions. Referring to the importance of cooperation between the Special Investigation Services of Lithuania and Armenia which is in the phase of establishment, the sides expressed conviction that the cooperation will significantly promote the efficiency level of both establishments.

Saulius Urbanaviciu spoke with satisfaction about his meetings and discussions with his Armenian partners, stating that development of cooperation with Armenia within the framework of the Eastern Partnership is among the priorities of Lithuania.
Mike Kimel | November 30, 2016 8:27 am



I have written a number of posts, some using data and some not, on immigrstion. Some of those posts attracted vitriol in comments, including from some who keep accusing me of hiding my punchline. Personally I find myself repeating myself, or trying to restate a point yet a different way so it will sink in. I figured it is probably time to put everything in one place, so here it is:

1. Some cultures prepare their people to function well in the US, some dont.

2. Ability to function well in the US is not the same thing as intelligence. As an example, consider me. I lived almost a third of my life in South America. I have never been to Central Asia. All else being equal, I can hit the ground running more easily in Argentina than in Iran. In Argentina I know how to behave in a seamless way that wont raise eyebrows. In Iran, I would need to put effort into day to day activities. Additionally, my communication skills wouldnt work as well. It isnt just a matter of not speaking Farsi, but also being unable to unconsciously read and display the myriad of social signals Iranian society uses. Therefore, my productivity will be greater in Argentina than Iran (again, all things being equal). And yet my traits  the degree to which I am or am not intelligent, creative, diligent, sane, honest, etc.  will be the same whether I am in Buenos Aires or in Teheran. Most of my work related skills (less those involving communication) will also be the same in both places. The difference between my productivity in Argentina v Iran will be due entirely to differences in cultural compatibility.

3. Cultural compatibility runs the other way too. Arriving in the US doesnt automatically confer respect for Western values. In many countries, anti-Christian or anti-Semitic attitudes are common. In the West people argue about gay marriage. In some countries, the debate is whether gay people should be stoned or thrown off tall buildings. Similarly, the treatment of women and children in some countries would be criminal in the US. Think honor killings, childs marriages, FGM or bacha bazi. (And yes, we are seeing those things happening here now.) Writing again from the role of someone who was a guest in other peoples countries for a third of his life, it should be the responsibility of the newcomer to adapt to his/her new home, and not of the residents of his/her new home to adapt to the newcomer.

4. In Western countries, immigrants who dont manage to bridge cultural gaps are more likely to end up dependent on the taxpayer. Immigrants are disproportionate users of welfare. In general, it seems (at a minimum) to be bad form to request entry into another society only to become a burden on its people. It is one thing for refugees with no other option to do it, but most immigrants to the US are not refugees.

5. Being overwhelmingly reliant on government largesse in a foreign society built by strangers has got to be dispiriting to most thinking adults. It can only add to a persons feeling of alienation. That in turn can lead to various dysfunctions  vices, crime, anti-social behavior and even terrorism. It is no surprise that some of these issues exist disproportionately in some immigrant communities.

6. Countries whose emigrants generally do well in the US also tend to be countries with Western values and strong economies. More precisely, countries whose immigrants do well in the West have economies which thrive from the skills of its people, and not countries whose economies is based mostly on raw material extraction directed by foreigners or on financial transfers from wealthier nations.

7. Countries whose emigrants generally have good outcomes (e.g., high incomes, low unemployment, low crime rates) in the US also have good outcomes in other Western countries. Conversely, countries whose emigrants dont generally have good outcomes in the US also generally dont have good outcomes in other Western countries.

8. Within any society, there are some who are more able to function in the US and some who are less able to function in the US. To be blunt, some people have attitudes that allow them to function well in the West. Typically they are dissidents in non Western countries. Place of origin shouldnt be enough to, by itself, weed out one potential immigrant or guarantee entry to another to another.

9. The fact that there are people in the US who do not have good outcomes (e.g., are in poverty, are criminals, etc.) is not a good argument for immigration of other people who also have do not have good outcomes.

10. There are far more people who would like to immigrate to the US than we allow into the US. Given that, it makes sense to be selective, both for our sake and the sake of those who are unlikely to function well and would become alienated and unable to fend for themselves in the US.

I note that none of these points are new. I have stated them all before, but not all in one place.

Update: Minor edits to Point 7 and 9.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The European Commission proposes a European Defence Fund and other actions to support Member States' more efficient spending in joint defence capabilities, strengthen European citizens' security and foster a competitive and innovative industrial base, Armenpress was informed from the official website of the European Commission.

The European Commission proposes a European Defence Fund and other actions to support Member States' more efficient spending in joint defence capabilities, strengthen European citizens' security and foster a competitive and innovative industrial base.

In his 2016 State of the Union speech, President Jean-Claude Juncker highlighted the importance of a strong Europe that can defend and protect its citizens at home and abroad - an ambition which cannot be achieved without innovating and pooling resources in the European defence industry. The European Defence Action Plan adopted by the Commission today delivers on that vision.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: To guarantee our collective security, we must invest in the common development of technologies and equipment of strategic importance  from land, air, sea and space capabilities to cyber security. It requires more cooperation between Member States and greater pooling of national resources. If Europe does not take care of its own security, nobody else will do it for us. A strong, competitive and innovative defence industrial base is what will give us strategic autonomy."

Under the European Defence Action Plan, the Commission proposes to:

1 - Set up a European Defence Fund to support investment in joint research and the joint development of defence equipment and technologies: the proposed Fund would include two windows" which are complementary but different in their legal structure and budget sourcing.

A "research window" to fund collaborative research in innovative defence technologies such as electronics, metamaterials, encrypted software or robotics. The Commission has already proposed EUR 25 million for defence research as part of the 2017 EU budget, and expects that this budget allocation could grow to a total of EUR 90 million until 2020. Under the post-2020 EU multiannual financial framework, the Commission intends to propose a dedicated defence research programme with an estimated amount of EUR 500 million per year.

A "capability window" which would act as a financial tool allowing participating Member States to purchase certain assets together to reduce their costs. The capabilities would be agreed by the Member States, who would own the technology and equipment. For example, Member States may jointly invest in drone technology or bulk buy helicopters to reduce costs. As an order of magnitude, this window should be able to mobilise about EUR 5 billion per year. The Commission will launch a scoping study to refine this estimate.

2 - Foster investments in SMEs, start-ups, mid-caps and other suppliers to the defence industry: The European Structural and Investment Funds and European Investment Bank (EIB) group already provide financial support for the development of a number of dual-use activities. The Commission will support EIB efforts to improve access to funding by the defence supply chains. It will promote EU co-financing of productive investment projects and the modernisation of the defence supply chains. Under the 'Blueprint for Sectoral Co-operation on Skills' the Commission will support cooperation in the defence sector to ensure people have the right skills and technological ability to generate innovation.

3 - Strengthen the Single Market for defence: The Commissionwill strengthen the conditions for an open and competitive defence market in Europe to help companies operate across borders and help Member States get best value for money in their defence procurement. To do so, the Commission will push ahead with the effective application of the two Directives on defence and security procurement and on EU transfers, facilitate the cross-border participation in defence procurement, support the development of industry standards, and promote the contribution of sectoral policies, such as EU space programmes, to common security and defence priorities.

The Commission will present and discuss these proposals, in particular the creation of a European Defence Fund, with all stakeholders. The European Council on 15-16 December will be a key milestone.

Photo by EPA
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Pobeda airlines flights to Shirak airport will increase tourist flows, acting Chairperson of State Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments Zarmine Zeytuntsyan said at Armenpress media hall.

Since we expect an activation of flight to and from Shirak airport, we have elaborated a concept according to which we plan to keep the tourists in Shirak for one or two days. The goal is to transform this airport from a transit route into an opportunity to guide the visitors to the sites of Shirak Province, she said, noting that a flow of visitors from Javakhk to Shirak is expected.

To the questions who many tourists Armenia hosts during winter season, Zarmine Zeytuntsyan said that there is a general number, but it does not reflect the reality very well. It is not ruled out that 80% of this number are in Armenia for business purposes or just to see relatives. According to her, to record the reality it is planned to implement a program that will provide more precise statistical data. Particularly, to do so that the statistics provides targeted information but not general.

Referring to prices of touristic services, particularly hotel prices, Zarmine Zeytuntsyan noted that the issue of expensive services is sometimes exaggerated.

My interactions with foreigners who visited Armenia show that they see our country as an affordable place, she said. Referring to the question that the prices are not affordable for locals, Zarmine Zeytuntsyan agreed, adding that the social packages provided by the state are aimed at developing domestic tourism.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Republic (NKR) Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address in connection with the Police Officer Day on November 30.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the ARtsakh Presidents Office,. the address runs as follows:

"Respected officers and veterans of the Police,

On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and personally myself I extend my cordial congratulations on your professional holiday.

Policemen have always enjoyed the respect of our people by their impeccable and responsible work directed to securing individual's safety, maintaining public order and public safety, prevention of crimes and offenses, their identification and detection.

High professionalism, human and moral qualities, patriotism and selfless devotion to your work and to the Motherland are certainly the main guarantee for successful implementation of this difficult job and efficient solution of the set tasks. These are the primary and obligatory preconditions for the profession of a policeman.

The state will further on do everything possible for improving your working and social conditions keeping in the spotlight the problems the system faces.

Dear friends,

I once again congratulate all of you on the Police Officer Day wishing successes in your responsible service, peace, robust health and all the best".
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) approved the name and symbols for four elements: nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts), and oganesson (Og), respectively for element 113, 115, 117, and 118, Armenpress was informed from the official website of the IUPAC. Oganesson was named in honor of Armenian scientist Yuri Oganessian.

In concordance with and following the earlier reports that the claims for discovery of these elements have been fulfilled, the discoverers have been invited to propose names. Keeping with tradition, the newly discovered elements have been named after a place or geographical region, or a scientist. The ending of the names also reflects and maintains historical and chemical consistency: -ium for elements 113 and 115 and as for all new elements of groups 1 to 16, -ine for element 117 and belonging to group 17 and -on for element 118 element belonging to group 18.

The name nihonium with the symbol Nh for element 113 was proposed by the discoverers at RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (Japan); the name came from Nihon which is one of the two ways to say Japan in Japanese, and literally mean the Land of Rising Sun.

Moscovium with the symbol Mc for element 115 and tennessine with the symbol Ts for element 117 were proposed by the discoverers at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russia), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA), Vanderbilt University (USA) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA). Both are in line with tradition honoring a place or geographical region. Moscovium is in recognition of the Moscow region and honors the ancient Russian land that is the home of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, where the discovery experiments were conducted using the Dubna Gas-Filled Recoil Separator in combination with the heavy ion accelerator capabilities of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. Tennessine is in recognition of the contribution of the Tennessee region of the United States, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, to superheavy element research.

Lastly, and in line with the tradition of honoring a scientist, the name oganesson and symbol Og for element 118 was proposed by the collaborating teams of discoverers at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russia) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA) and recognizes Professor Yuri Oganessian (born 1933) for his pioneering contributions to transactinoid elements research. His many achievements include the discovery of superheavy elements and significant advances in the nuclear physics of superheavy nuclei including experimental evidence for the island of stability.
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A Q&A with Malaysian cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, known as Zunar, whos facing nine charges of sedition (so far), and up to 40 years in prison, for cartoons about the countrys embattled prime minister.
While implicitly faulting the Metropolitan Museums administration for not having managed its operations in a way thats financially sustainable, Daniel Weiss, who has been the Mets president since July, diplomatically avoided direct criticism during most of our wide-ranging conversation last week.

But in assessing the Mets plans for the new Southwest Wing for modern and contemporary art, he briefly became uncharacteristically blunt.

In Part II of our Q&A, below, he asserted that the timeline previously being discussed for that ambitious, expensive undertaking was not built on a deep understanding of all thats involved in doing a project like this. He noted that there had been some discussion of having this done before the Breuer lease expired. (According to the Mets fiscal 2015 annual report [p. 129], the museum is leasing the former Whitney headquarters for a term of 8 years with an option, at the museums discretion, to extend the term for an additional 5.5 years.)

When hit by the Great Recession of 2008-9, many museums postponed expensive expansion plans, unless they had already broken ground. During the Mets current economic downturn, prudence would dictate that it put its financial house in order before forging ahead. That seems to be its new plan.

As in my previous post, I have lightly edited Weiss comments for clarity. (The links and the italicized asides [in brackets] are mine, not his.)

ROSENBAUM: Youve said to me and to others that the Met Breuer is being paid for by philanthropy. Is that a done deal or is that a hope? Do you have that money in hand, or know that you have it in hand?

WEISS: That was our plan and we are making excellent progress. Weve already got the Breuer philanthropically funded out for many years. We have virtually no concern that the direct costs will be funded.

ROSENBAUM: Are the Met Breuers direct costs its $17-million operating budget?

WEISS: Yes.

ROSENBAUM: Can you at last disclose the cost of the renovation and the cost of the lease? Are those also philanthropically covered and how much does that amount to?

WEISS: As I said the last time we talked, the lease is a management agreement between two museums. That has not been disclosed and is more complicated than just a payment for use of the building. Its really not a lease in the conventional sense. It has not been disclosed because of the nature of the agreement.

ROSENBAUM: But is that a big number, which could be causing part of the problem?

WEISS: No, its honestly not a big number. The Breuers operating costs and the capital costs [i.e., renovation] for the Breuer, which are also relatively modest, were all funded through gifts that did not come out of the operating budget. The only draw on our operating budget has been the indirect costs associated with staff helping to get the thing up and running. Thats a heavier draw on resources for the last six months than it will be prospectively, because now its open and running and the staff is there. So I honestly dont believe that the Breuer is contributing in any meaningful way to these financial challenges.

ROSENBAUM: How much was that indirect cost to get it up and running?

WEISS: We dont really have a figure because we didnt measure it that way. Its just people sitting in meetings and heading over to the Breuer, who work full time in the main building and are helping to get this satellite institution up and running. We never measured it and dont have a number. We all joined in to make it work, and that has some cost.

ROSENBAUM: If the Breuer is, in fact, funded by philanthropy, is that money that might otherwise have gone to the core mission and the core programs that you spoke about as needing to be preserved, first and foremost?

WEISS: Theres always some tradeoff there. Many of the people who have supported the Breuer project would have been primarily focused on supporting modern and contemporary. There is a large number of people within our immediate communityboard members and othersas well as people more broadly distributed, who really believe in the strategy of strengthening modern and contemporary. They rose to the challenge and offered resources there.

I wouldnt say that nobody who gives to the Breuer would give to Greek and Roman. But most of them were really behind the strategy that the Met should enter modern and contemporary at a significant level. That was a decision taken by the board in the strategic plan.

ROSENBAUM: But being a supporter of modern and contemporary doesnt mean that you cant be a supporter of that in the core program of the original building. I suppose thats an unanswerable question: What would have happened if financial support werent needed for the Met Breuer?

But tell me: Whats going to happen with the Southwest Wing [the plan to build a new David Chipperfield-designed facility for modern and contemporary art at the Mets flagship building]?

WEISS: We have been in a schematic design phase for the Southwest Wing and that work is naturally coming to conclusion this summer. We will have a schematic designbasically, a program and an outline of what the building will look like, and a pretty good sense of what it will cost. All of that will be finished this summer.

The next step is for the administration to recommend to the board and for the board to approve the building we want to construct. Then we go into the next level of fundraising for that project. So no more design work needs to be done for now and no more internal management work has to be done. We just are out raising funds for the project. The activity level is paused, because we are raising funds.

We also have to be working with the city and various agencies to get approvals for this project, and that could take a year or two, or even longer. The Greek and Roman project took 15 years! Im less concerned about the timing for this.

Heres what we know: We will manage through the financial issues that we face and end up a very healthy, robust institution, as we always have been, because the Met has all the elements it takes to be successful. Well build this thing in due course. Will it happen in the next three years? The next five years? The next eight years? I dont know.

ROSENBAUM: When was the original projected date for the opening of the new wing?

WEISS: There was some discussion of having this done before the Breuer lease expired. I think that was not built on a deep understanding of all thats involved in doing a project like this. If we had all the money to build this projectright here, right now, in the bankit could not be done in any less than probably seven or eight years, even if there was no financial challenge.

[As it happened, Chipperfields 2013 expansion for the St. Louis Art Museum had also been delayed for financial reasonsthe 2008 recession.]

ROSENBAUM: Whats your best estimate of how much the new wing will cost?

WEISS: The number weve talked about, which is close to the right one, is about $600 million. [A month ago, he had told me that it was too early to say what the cost would be.]

ROSENBAUM: Is there a chance that the project might be scuttled?

WEISS: No.

ROSENBAUM: Is there anything else that you think is important to point out about this situation and the Mets future?

WEISS: The only other thing Id say is were a triple A-rated [by Standard & Poors] institution, with one of the largest endowments and great demand.

Well be fine. We have to do a better job of planning our financial management processes over time. Well get through this. And well be in a very good place.
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Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

Nikki Mudarris  Bio and Net Worth: 5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know Nikki Mudarris, also known as Miss Nikki Baby, is a reality television star, model and fashionista. Shes best known for VH1s reality TV series Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood. Her entrepreneurial skills enable her to create and run a successful lingerie line Nude by Nikki. Not only that, but Nikki has also successfully run the Las ...

5 Interesting Things You Need To Know About Kelly Nash Ever heard of the lady who gained national prominence for taking a selfie with a dangerous ball just a few inches away from hitting her? Its no other person than Kelly Nash, an American sports broadcaster currently working as host of The Rundown show which airs on MLB Network every weekday at 2 pm ET. ...

Understanding The Height of Fame John Oliver Achieved With The Daily Show and How He Met His Wife Without knowledge of who he is and his exemplary career, John Oliver cuts an unassuming figure of a regular man but he is one of the most influential personalities in America, especially on television. Since he began his career in 1998, he has been a loud and unapologetic agent of change, using his wit and ...

Why Did Big Chief Leave Street Outlaws, Where Is He Now And Why Did He Divorce His Wife? Justin Shearer, otherwise known by his professional name Big Chief is a famous street racer and television personality. He is famously known for being one of the main characters on the racing reality television series, Street Outlaws. Justin, who had been a significant part of the show since its premiere in 2013, appeared in a ...

Who is Josina Anderson of ESPN? Her Husband and Family Facts There has been a gradual paradigm shift in the world of sports which has today produced the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and other female athletes that are pulling great feats in different sporting fields. Their achievements have also been followed by the emergence of female sports journalists such as Jillian Mele, Eboni Williams, ...

Is Brittany Wagner Married, Who Is The Husband, How Old Is She? Brittany Wagner has been an inspiration to a lot of sports youngster. She has won the hearts of many athletic students with her role as a life coach and an academic counselor. She is well groomed in her career and has worked over a decade for The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and The National ...

Tati Westbrook Bio  Age, Husband & Net Worth With five videos dished out every week, alongside running her own brand, beauty guru, and YouTube superstar Tati Westbrook has proved to the world that theres utterly no impossibility or limit to whatever one is passionate about. Tati is best known for being the owner and manager of the worlds most-viewed beauty and lifestyle YouTube channel, ...

Cathy Areus Long Road to Becoming a Freelance Journalist and What to Know About Her Kids An American freelance journalist, news analyst, and author, Cathy Areu has built a lasting reputation for herself on cable television. Popular for her skillful and sassy presentation of professional views on varying topics including cultural and feminist issues, Cathy is an inspiration to many women across the globe. In addition to being a journalist, she ...

Tucker Carlsons Love Story With Wife Susan Andrews, their Children and Net Worth Today On the TV screens, Tucker Carlson is that fiery fellow who passionately dishes out his conservative and often controversial views on issues of national importance. Such brazenness has fetched him many enemies, especially on the left-wing, but it has also helped him cement a reputation as one of the foremost broadcast journalists in America. His ...

Paige Wyatts Net Worth, Boyfriend and Where She Is Now Paige Wyatt became popular after the Wyatt family began running the reality television show, American Guns. The Wyatt family comprises Rich Wyatt (father), Renee Wyatt (mother), Paige and Kurt Wyatt (children). Rich Wyatt originally ran a gun shop, the Gunsmoke Guns in Wheat Ridge, Colorado which is outside of Denver. The business which he ran together ...

The Progression of Howard Sterns Career As A Media Personality And Why He Divorced His First Wife Howard Stern is a legendary American radio host, who has also done some notable work as an actor, producer, author, as well as photographer. The radio personality achieved worldwide fame as a result of his self-titled radio program, The Howard Stern Show. As a professional radio personality, he has worked in different radio stations. Since 2006, ...

Lisa Joyners Biography  Ethnicity, Net Worth and Other Key Facts Lisa Joyner is an American Journalist, TV talk show host, and actress. Some of her well-known works are her correspondences for the Los Angeles based TV KCBS, inFANity show, Find My Family Show including her film and television appearances in Brimstone, American Sweetheart, The Bold and The Beautiful among others. Lisas passion for reconnecting people with their biological families ...

Amanda Balionis Rise Through the Ranks of Sportscasting and the Identity of Her Boyfriend Amanda Balionis is an American sportscaster currently working as a golf broadcaster for CBS Sports. Among so many of her works in the field of sports reporting, Amandas PGA Tour coverage seems to be the most popular so far. She covered the Super Bowl working with CBS Sports social media team in Atlanta, where she ...

Dissecting Charles Paynes Sexual Allegations, Its After Effects and More About His Wife Charles Payne had a respectable career as an analyst on Wall Street before he made the transition to television and became a contributor and later a host on Fox. In that time, his expertise has come under scrutiny, and he has been at the center of at least one major controversy. The major controversy in question ...

Erik Asla And Tryra Banks Split: Everything You Need To Know Tyra Banks and Erik Asla have called it quits! The couple, who began dating in 2013 and have a son named York Banks Asla, has decided to end what everybody taught was the perfect relationship. Neither person has come out to give a reason for the breakup, but what is obvious right now is that ...

What to Note About Dr Terry Dubrows Qualifications, TV Works and Marriage to Heather Kent In the realm of people that we expect to see regularly on our screens, medical doctors are closer to the bottom of the list. Aside from the fact that their work has little correlation with TV, they are presumably too busy to pursue life as TV personalities. Yet, a few of them have usurped this ...

Jessica Goch  Bio: 5 Things You Didnt Know About Ninjas Wife Jessica Goch is the Schofield-born American Social Media Influencer who has worked as a model but is now better known as a host and interviewer of prominent Electronic sports celebrities at popular gaming events/tournaments. The screen queen also serves as the manager of her famous husband Ninja aka Tyler Blevins whose exploits on Twitch and Fortnite has ...

CNNs Chris Cuomo Biography  Wife, Family & Net worth Chris Cuomo needs no elaborate introduction as he has starred graced many prominent Television cable networks and his voice has been heard through acknowledged radio shows. He is a television journalist and Lawyer who has previously worked for ABC News as Chief law and justice correspondent as well as a co-anchor on 20/20. If you still ...

Neil deGrasse Tyson  Family, Religion & Net Worth Neil deGrasse Tyson is a distinguished American astrophysicist and author who has been able to achieve so much after falling in love with astronomy at the age of 9. He has since attended and become an alumnus of prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and also recorded numerous achievements in his field of ...

Is Simon Cowell Gay? Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend and Why is He Famous? Simon Cowell is a well-known talent show judge, TV producer, entrepreneur and one of the most popular TV personalities that Britain has ever produced. In conjunction with his company, Syco, Cowell is the brain behind hugely successful talent hunt shows such as The X-Factor UK, The X-Factor US, Britains Got Talent, Americas Got Talent and ...

Everything To Know About Joanna Gaines Life With Chip Gaines, Their Business Pursuits and Kids Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip Gaines became celebrities after their television show Fixer Upper began airing back in 2013. The show which was about home renovation and decoration ran for about 6 seasons with a total of 79 episodes before the couple bade farewell to it in April 2018. Apart from their appearances on ...

Who Is Larry The Cable Guy? What To Know About His Wife And Net Worth Larry the Cable Guy is a self-professed country kid renowned for his trademark Southern accent and sensational catchphrase Git-R-Done! The famous comedian who talks about anything under the sun has gone on to become one of the most memorable characters in comedy history. Join us in unearthing lesser-known facts about the former on-air-personality, standup comedy superstar, movie ...

Who Is Patrick Starr, What Is His Net Worth and Gender? The make-up industry over the years has grown to become a billion dollar industry not just because there are probably more women wearing make-up but because a whole lot of men, especially the young ones, have become bold enough to wear it unlike before. A few of these men, like Patrick Starr, have even gone ...

How Did Chris Jansing Become a Senior Correspondent at MSNBC and Who Is Her Husband? An award-winning American television news reporter and journalist, Chris Jansing has succeeded in carving a spectacular niche for herself in the field of TV journalism. Outstanding for not just her excellence in journalism, Chris is also cherished for her incredibly gorgeous looks post 60! For close to four decades, Jansing has continued to soar in her ...

Jaclyn Glenn Biography  Age, Height & Ex-Boyfriend American Youtuber, Jaclyn Glenn, rose to prominence through her self-titled YouTube channel Jaclyn Glenn. She has remained an acclaimed atheist and continues to air her views on hot issues from politics, religion, animal rights, to atheism. During the heated 2016 US Presidential elections, Glenn featured in Hump Trump: Official Donald Trump Song. Her parallel acting career ...

Is Pat Sajak Married to a Wife or is He Gay With a Partner? Pat Sajak is one of the most popular TV game show hosts in America. He commenced his career as a radio disk jockey as well as a TV weatherman before being tapped to host Wheel of Fortune, the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States. Sajak has hosted the popular game show from 1983 ...

Nayyera Haqs Bio  What To Know About Her Husband, Parents And Family Nayyera Haq can take anyone on political debates as well as discussions on social issues affecting many. Her ability to masterfully deliver her stance on every issue or political debate has made her a regular face in morning and evening news media platforms. This is not a common feat especially for someone from her kind ...

Inside Guy Fieris Family With Wife, Kids and Sister Who Died of Cancer Over the years we have seen men dominate the kitchen and churn out amazing delicacies from it. Some do it way better than their female counterparts and one of such men is Guy Ramsay Fieri  an American TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, bestselling author of four culinary books, and game show host. His ...

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Fadnavis has previously crooned to songs in Kunal Kohlis Phir Se and Priyanka Chopras Jai Gangaajal'.

Both Bachchan and Fadnavis have been involved in several social causes in the state.

Mumbai: After going through a period of lull, music videos, singles or music albums have made a comeback in a big way last year with the aid of social media and video-streaming websites.

With the trend of singles catching on, several stars like Hrithik Roshan, Sonam Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam featured in one over the past few months. And now, Amitabh Bachchan is also set to feature in a single titled Phir Se, according to a report in a leading tabloid.

The megastar is one of the most popular celebrities on social media and with these music videos primarily posted on social media, you can already see this song achieving success.

Giving Bachchan company in the video is Amruta Fadnavis, who is a bank manager and wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Fadnavis has also given her voice to the song, having previously crooned to songs in Kunal Kohlis Phir Se and Priyanka Chopras Jai Gangaajal'.

Bachchan and Fadnavis shot for the video on Tuesday, with the story revolving around Fadnaviss character wanting to enroll in an arts institute headed by Bachchans character. The duo even has a dance sequence in the video.

Ahmed Khan, who helmed previous singles of the ones starring Hrithik and Sonam as well one featuring Tiger and Kriti, has directed the video, produced by Bhushan Kumar.

It would be interesting to see what the video will all be about.
Out of these 28, 15 were new entries, nine were synonyms or sub-castes of castes already in the list while four were corrections.

The NCBC examines requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in lists and hears complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists.

New Delhi: Ahead of Assembly polls in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh that are due next year, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the inclusion of 15 new castes and modifications in 13 other castes in the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal made by the National Commission of Backward Classes, which had recommended a total of 28 changes in eight states  Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Out of these 28, 15 were new entries, nine were synonyms or sub-castes of castes already in the list while four were corrections. The changes will enable persons belonging to these castes/communities to avail of the benefits of reservation in government services and posts as well as in Central educational institutions as per the existing policy, an official statement said.

They will also become eligible for benefits under various welfare schemes and scholarships that are administered by the Central government, which are now available to those belonging to the Other Backward Classes, it added.

On the NCBCs recommendation, a total of 2,479 entries for inclusion, including synonyms, sub-castes, etc in the Central list of OBCs have been notified in 25 states and six Union territories. The last such notification was issued till September 2016.

The NCBC examines requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in lists and hears complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists. Its advice is binding on the Centre.

The government is also considering relaxing the creamy layer norms for OBCs and a note on this is already under its consideration.
The 14-hour-long standoff ended with the killing of all the three militants.

Srinagar: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Wednesday visited the Nagrota Army base where a terror attack claimed the lives of two officers and five soldiers and left half a dozen other soldiers injured a day earlier.

The Army Chief was briefed by the local commanders on Tuesdays attack even as combing operations at the base were underway and live or unexploded bombs left behind by the three slain militants were being defused. The combing operations were resumed on Wednesday morning to ensure there are no more terrorists hiding within the Army unit. Also blinds (unexploded shells) are being destroyed at the site by the bomb disposal squad, Armys Nagrota-based 16 Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Manish Mehta said. The Northern Command tweeted that Gen. Singh accompanied by the Northern commander visited Nagrota to review security situation...paid tribute to martyrs and interacted with next of kin present.

Two Army majors  Gosavi Kunal Mannadir and Akshay Girish Kumar  and five soldiers were killed and half a dozen others wounded when three militants targeted the Army camp on Tuesday. The trio forced its entry into the officers mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries.

Major Mannadir and three soldiers of the Army were slain in the initial militant attack and counter-action and Major Kumar and two jawans laid down their lives while rescuing 12 other soldiers and their family members, including two women and two children, trapped inside two buildings where a hostage like situation had been created after militants stormed into these. The 14-hour-long standoff ended with the killing of all the three militants.

Mannadir, 33, was a resident of village Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra and his counterpart Kumar, aged 31 years, belonged to Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The other martyrs are Havildar Sukhraj Singh, aged 32 years, of village Maan Nagar, PO Batala, district Gurdaspur, Punjab, Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro, 32, from village Janapuri, post office Wadepuri, tehsil Loha, district Nanded, Maharashtra, Grenadier Raghvendra Singh, 28, years, from Village Gadijatar, Tehsil Raja Khera, District Dholpur, Rajasthan, Rifleman Asim Rai, 32, from village Ratanchha, PO Khotang, Nepal and Naik Chittranjan Debbarma, 37, from village Garingpara, Bada Maidan Bazaar, Tehsil Ramchandraghat, Kalampur, West Tripura district, Tripura.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at Nagrota along the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Wednesday, which was attended besides others by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. After laying wreaths on the caskets containing the mortal remains of the seven soldiers she reiterated the cycle of violence has brought immense miseries to the people of the State who want an end to it.

The terror attack took place on a day when the BSF foiled an infiltration bid in Chamliyal area of Ramgarh Sector along the International Border in J&Ks Samba district and about 70-km southwest of Nagrota after killing three militants and forcing others in the group to flee back to Pakistan.

The BSF said on Wednesday that the infiltrating militants had planned to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives. They were carrying five bottles of liquid explosive trinitroglycerin. Militants had infiltrated to carry out big incidents. Their design was to blow up rail tracks and trains here as we have recovered chained IEDs and liquid explosives, Additional Director General (ADG) BSF and Special DG (Western Command) Arun Kumar said at a press conference in Jammu.

He added the slain militants would have carried out a chain of big impact terror incidents including blowing up of running trains and causing fire in trains as chain IEDs and liquid explosive are meant to blow up tracks and cause fire. He said, Had our jawans not successfully contained and eliminated these heavily armed terrorists with huge stores of explosive material, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland. He also said, It was only because of BSFs multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted.

IG BSF Jammu Frontier D K Uphadayaya added, Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. They were carrying with them five bottles of liquid explosive that contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire.

The other arms and ammunition found on the slain men included three AK-47 rifles with 20 magazines and 514 rounds, a pistol with a magazine and 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, two knives, dressing rolls and jackets each, 3 bags and gloves each, one head gear and lighter each, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables, the officials said.
The BSF said that the three militants might have crawled through an 80-metre-long tunnel under farmlands to cross the International Border.

New Delhi: Strong evidence has emerged suggesting that the two terror attacks that rocked Jammu on Tuesday were executed with Pakistans active assistance, security agencies have informed the Central government.

On Tuesday, seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed and six others wounded as terrorists stormed an Army camp in Nagrota, while the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an infiltration bid by killing three militants in Samba. in Nagrota, three terrorists were also killed.

Those killed in Samba had plans to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard-to-detect liquid explosives, the BSF said. Senior BSF official D.K. Uphadayaya said, Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. They were carrying with them five bottles of liquid explosive that contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire.

The BSF said that the three militants might have crawled through an 80-metre-long tunnel under farmlands to cross the International Border (IB). BSF sources claim that the tunnel could not have been constructed without support and knowledge of Pakistani Rangers, and that in all probability they facilitated it.

BSF chief chief K.K. Sharma said the paramilitary force had strong inputs about possible infiltration bids by terrorists from across the IB following the Indian Armys surgical strikes on terror launch pads in September, and hence it was in a position to detect and neutralise the heavily-armed militants. Mr Sharma said that the force would raise the issue of tunnels along the international border with Pakistani counterparts.

On Wednesday, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited Nagrota even as combing operations at the base were underway and live or unexploded bombs left behind by the three slain militants were defused.

Arms, ammunition and some other materials with Pakistani markings were recovered from the three killed militants, suspected to be from JeM, a terror outfit also responsible for a similar attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in January this year. Security forces also recovered a note in Urdu stating the attack was to revenge the hanging of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.

Nagrotas Army camp is barely 30 to 35 km from the international border and security agencies have information that this ``strategic location was chosen by JeM handlers in Pakistans spy agency ISI. Initial investigations have also revealed that the militants had support from some local sympathisers.

Meanwhile, the BSF is planning to put in place smart fencing along the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh where there would be greater reliance on technology using laser walls and surveillance.

The attack at Nagrota is the most audacious one in J&K since terrorists killed 19 soldiers in Kashmirs Uri in September. The Uri attack had led to Indias anti-terror strikes across the LoC and continued border casualties.

About 20 Indian soldiers have been killed in border skirmishes and terror attacks in the past one month. The BSF said 15 Pakistan Rangers and 10 militants have been killed since Indias surgical strikes.
Sartaj Aziz and the Indian leadership to break the ice between the two countries appear very remote.

New Delhi: Despite India on Wednesday saying that there is no request from Pakistan for a bilateral meeting with Indian leaders, an informal meeting between the Pakistan PMs advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and finance minister Arun Jaitley or even Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia Conference is not being completely ruled out by sources. However, chances currently appear slim in the wake of Tuesdays terror attack at Nagrota.

No request has been received from Pakistan (for such a meeting), MEA officials said. Sources said Indias stand is well-known that talks and terror cannot go on together. But a courtesy meeting between Mr. Aziz and Mr. Jaitley or PM Modi himself cannot be ruled out.

Speculation is rife that amid the current public mood of anger in India following the attack on at Nagrota near Jammu on Tuesday by Pakistan-backed militants in which seven Indian soldiers including two officers were killed, chances of a meaningful even if informal meeting or dialogue between Mr. Aziz and the Indian leadership to break the ice between the two countries appear very remote.

However, New Delhi is waiting and watching the situation, given speculation that the new Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa is a moderate which may give Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to assert himself politically and hold out the olive branch to India. Mr Aziz is a close aide of Mr Sharif.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to President of Brazil Michel Temer on the plane crash near Colombian city of Medellin that resulted in dozens of deaths, press service of the Presidential administration told Armenpress.

The Armenian President expressed condolences and support to President Michel Temer, friendly people of Brazil and relatives of the victims in this difficult moment for Brazil and wished them courage and patience.

According to President Sargsyan, the fact that there are survivors after the plane crash already gives strength to look forward.
The court said that entry and exit doors would remain closed when the anthem is played to avoid any disturbance.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that all cinema halls in the country must play the national anthem before each show, and said that audiences would show honour and respect to it. The court gave a 10-day deadline for implementation of its order.

it would instil a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism among people. A time has come when the citizens of the country must realize that they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the national anthem, the court said.

The order comes amid a razing national debate on nationalism and intolerance, and drew reactions on social media, with opinion sharply divided. Some said it was unnecessary, while others saw nothing wrong with it.

Many cinemas across states already play the national anthem before screenings, but there have been instances of people being beaten up for not standing up for the anthem.

The court said that entry and exit doors would remain closed when the anthem is played to avoid any disturbance. The court also said that there would not be any dramatisation or commercial exploitation of the Jana Gana Mana.

when the anthem plays, screens should display the national flag. The anthem or a part of it shall not be printed on any object, it said. The court said love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the national anthem as well as the national flag.

Indias first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore penned the song in 1911. The first of five stanzas was adopted as Indias national anthem in 1950. The court also banned any abridged version of the 52-second song.

In the 1960s and 1970s, after India-China war, cinemas played it after every movie, but since people often walked out, the practice declined and had to be discontinued. The Union home ministrys rules specify that it is compulsory to stand to attention when the anthem is played

The court asked the Centre to circulate its order to the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, and posted the matter for further hearing on February 14, 2017.

Union minister for information and broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu said the order would inculcate a sense of patriotism among people, particularly the younger generation. He said the order would strengthen the idea of Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat, and help India become a world leader.

The Congress also welcomed the order. Party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi however demanded that the national anthem should also be played everyday before the start of each Parliament session.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Shyam Narain Chouksey who had sought enforcement of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
In addition, 1 Pakistani spy agent has also been detected in October 2016, associated with the Pak High Commission in Delhi.

Of those, who were arrested so far this year, nine were detected in Rajasthan, six in Punjab, two in Gujarat, two in Jammu and Kashmir, one in Uttar Pradesh and four in Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: As many as 24 ISI agents have been arrested for spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency so far this year, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

"In addition to these 24 agents, one Pakistani spy agent detected in October 2016 was Pakistan High Commission, New Delhi based intelligence officer Mehmood Akhtar," Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said replying a written question.

Of those, who were arrested so far this year, nine were detected in Rajasthan, six in Punjab, two in Gujarat, two in Jammu and Kashmir, one in Uttar Pradesh and four in Delhi.

Ahir said some of the staff posted in Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi is suspected to be involved in running espionage network.

The official who was apprehended by the Delhi Police for spying was consequently declared persona-non-grata by the Indian authorities.

"The Government is taking adequate steps to counter such incidents in future. The Government is resolutely committed to take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the nation and the safety of our citizens," he said.
One Junior Commissioned Officer was also injured in the crash and is critical.

Cheetah helicopter crashed at around 10.30 AM. (Photo: DC)

Kolkata: Three officers were killed and a junior commissioned officer (JCO) was injured as an Army chopper crashed on Wednesday in West Bengals Sukna district.

Eastern Command spokesperson, Wing Commander SS Birdi, said the Cheetah helicopter crashed at around 10.30 am.

While three officers died on the spot, a JCO was evacuated and admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.

The deceased, identified as pilot Major Sanjeev Latha, co-pilot Major Arvind Bazala and Lieutenant Colonel Rajneesh Kumar, belonged to the Army Aviation Corps.

"Three officers died in the crash. The condition of the JCO is critical. An inquiry has been ordered. It was a routine mission operating from Sukna and the crash happened when the chopper was about to land. Crash site is inside Sukna military base, near the helipad," he said.

The army's 33 Corps is based at Sukna and all aircraft of the Army are run by Army Aviation Corps.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Madrasas remain closed on Fridays in Pakistan and Bangladesh, not in India, said Himanta Biswa.

Guwahati: Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sparked off a controversy by directing madrasas of the state to function on Friday and said his government would take stern action against those who didnt follow the order.

Madrasas remain closed on Fridays in Pakistan and Bangladesh, not in India. In our country Sunday is the uniform weekly off for people of all faiths. Madrasas too have to remain closed only on Sundays, Sarma said. His comments have triggered an angry protest from a section of Muslim organisations and madrasa teachers association.

The madrasas of the state were following the practice of having a holiday on Friday for namaz.

The government only recently discovered that some madrasa institutions in the state remain closed on Fridays. The government said it was against the law and that it would not hesitate to take action against the heads of such institutions.

Sarma, warned of action if they do not give up the practice immediately.

He clarified, The government has no objection to students attending namaz on Friday afternoon but madrasas should not be closed on Fridays.

I have checked it there were no laws that made the madrasas and other educational institutes to remain closed on Fridays. It came to the notice of the government recently, Sarma said.

The education ministers remark has provoked angry protest in some parts of the state and All Assam Minority Student Union (AAMSU) staged protest at Kharupetia by burning his effigy. The protesters also blocked roads at some places.

Some Muslim organizations and madrasa teacherss associations have criticized the education minister over his warning.
While RDJ chief Lalu has extended support to Mamata, Nitish Kumar has refused to join her protest.

Patna: After her mega rally in Lucknow, Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken her fight against Centres demonetisation decision to Patna, where she will sit on a dharna to demand roll back of the move. However, the TMC supremo is reportedly miffed with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who will not be joining her in her protest.

Mamata had met RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday evening, who said that he will accompany Banerjee during the dharna, however, RJD alliance partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led JD(U) will not participate.

Talking to reporters in Patna, Banerjee said every political party has its own stand on the demonetisation issue and so do Nitish Kumar and his party. But according to an NDTV report, Mamata expressed unhappiness that Kumar did not receive her at the Patna airport.

The Bihar CM is one of the very few Opposition leaders that had supported the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. But reports said his stand has led to a rift between his party and the RJD.

Mamata Banerjee on the other hand has been fiercely fighting against Demonetisation. Earlier in Lucknow, she questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why BJP MPs and MLAs should submit their bank account transaction details only for the post-demonetisation period and not since the NDA government came to power.

After her rally, Mamata thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party and the people of the state in a series of tweets.

While leading a protest march against demonetisation in Kolkata, Mamata said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted like god in implementing the demonetisation decision without caring about the common people.

She also threatened to demonstrate outside Prime Minister Modi's residence in the national capital against the demonetisation move.

"The people are distressed. I believe such a step has not been taken anywhere worldwide. Suddenly Modi ji felt, he acts like God. He has done whatever he wants, without knowing the consequence. Ask him why there's scarcity of notes in banks. If there were ample notes in banks then nothing would have bothered us. Without any proper strategy he took the step," she said.

"I am taking pledge that either I'll die or live, but will remove PM Modi from Indian politics," she said on Monday.
Two Army and five soldiers were killed and half a dozen others wounded in the attack.

Srinagar: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Wednesday visited Nagrota army base where a terror attack claimed the lives of two officers and five soldiers and left half a dozen other soldiers injured a day earlier.

The Army Chief was briefed by the local commanders on Tuesdays attack even as combing operations at the base were underway and live or unexploded bombs left behind by the three slain militants were being defused.

The combing operations were resumed on Wednesday morning to ensure there are no more terrorists hiding within the Army unit. Also blinds (unexploded shells) are being destroyed at the site by the bomb disposal squad, the spokesman of Armys Nagrota-based 16 Corps, Lt. Col. Manish Mehta, said.

The Northern Command tweeted that Gen. Singh accompanied by the Northern Commander visited Nagrota to review security situation...paid tribute to martyrs and interacted with next of kin present.

Two Army majors Gosavi Kunal Mannadir and Akshay Girish Kumar and five soldiers were killed and half a dozen others wounded when a group of three heavily-armed militants wearing police uniforms targeted the Armys 166 Medium Regiment unit located 3 kilometres from the 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota which is about 13-km north of Jammu and Kashmirs winter capital Jammu on Tuesday. The trio forced its entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries.

Major Mannadir and three soldiers of the Army were slain in the initial militant attack and counter-action and Major Kumar. The two jawans laid down their lives while rescuing 12 other soldiers and their family members including two women and two children trapped inside two buildings where a hostage like situation had been created after militants stormed into these. The 14-hour-long standoff ended with the killing of all the three militants.

Mannadir, 33, was a resident of Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra and his counterpart Kumar, aged 31 years , belonged to Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The other martyrs are Havildar Sukhraj Singh, aged 32 years, of Village Maan Nagar, PO Batala, District Gurdaspur, Punjab, Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro, 32, from Village Janapuri, Post Office Wadepuri, Tehsil Loha, District Nanded, Maharashtra, Grenadier Raghvendra Singh, 28, years, from Village Gadijatar, Tehsil Raja Khera, District Dholpur, Rajasthan, Rifleman Asim Rai, 32, from village Ratanchha, PO Khotang, Nepal and Naik Chittranjan Debbarma, 37, from village Garingpara, Bada Maidan Bazaar, Tehsil Ramchandraghat, Kalampur, West Tripura district, Tripura.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at Nagrota along the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Wednesday which was attended besides others by Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. After laying wreaths on the caskets containing the mortal remains of the seven soldiers she reiterated "the cycle of violence has brought immense miseries to the people of the State who want an end to it.

The terror attack took place on a day when the BSF foiled an infiltration bid in Chamliyal area of Ramgarh Sector along the International Border in J&Ks Samba district and about 70-km southwest of Nagrota after killing three militants and forcing others in the group to flee back to Pakistan.

The BSF said on Wednesday that the infiltrating militants had planned to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives. They were carrying five bottles of liquid explosive trinitroglycerin.

"Militants had infiltrated to carry out big incidents. Their design was to blow up rail tracks and trains here as we have recovered chained IEDs and liquid explosives", Additional Director General (ADG) BSF and Special DG (Western Command) Arun Kumar said at a press conference in Jammu.

He added the slain militants would have carried out a chain of big impact terror incidents including blowing up of "running trains" and causing fire in trains as chain IEDs and liquid explosive are meant to blow up tracks and cause fire.

He said, "Had our jawans not successfully contained and eliminated these heavily armed terrorists with huge stores of explosive material, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland". He also said, It was only because of BSF's multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted."

IG BSF Jammu Frontier D K Uphadayaya added, Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. They were carrying with them five bottles of liquid explosive that contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire".

The other arms and ammunition found on the slain men included three AK-47 rifles with 20 magazines and 514 rounds, a pistol with a magazine and 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, two knives, dressing rolls and jackets each, 3 bags and gloves each, one head gear and lighter each, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables, the officials said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley re-asserted that the govt was willing to have a discussion on both the issues.

New Delhi: Hitting out at the Opposition over the virtual deadlock in Parliament, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday lamented it was unfortunate that Congress was doing politics over Nagrota martyrs.

Speaking to the media outside the Parliament, the transport minister said, Speaker informed that the combing operations were underway in Nagrota and that once it was over, tribute would be paid in the House to the soldiers. But the Congress party walked out during question hour, and then came back. It is not clear why the Congress walked out despite the Prime Ministers presence in the House. This is unfortunate. People of the nation hate such small politics."

"Congress neither wants any discussion nor wants House to function as they are scared of being exposed. It's an insult to Nagrota martyrs," Naidu added.

Meanwhile Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also sought to quell the Opposition outrage in Rajya Sabha, re-asserting that the government was ready for discussion of all the matters that were being raised.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with cabinet ministers in his chamber in Parliament including Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar.

When the Lok Sabha convened at 11 am, Modi was present in the House. Opposition members raised the issue of the Nagrota terror attack and the issue of note ban and alleged that scores of people have suffered due to the governments policies.

The Nagrota attack was raised in Rajya Sabha also, with the Opposition demanding the PM's reply.

The House was later adjourned.

The Opposition is also reportedly seething over the passage of the Income Tax Amendment Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha yesterday without a debate, and are likely to take up the issue with the President.
Observers believe that the term was used for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who supported Mr Modi on the demonetisation move.

Patna: Seeking immediate withdrawal of demonetisation drive, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee staged a protest in Patna on Wednesday. While dubbing the drive as super Emergency, Ms Banerjee vowed to agitate against it till a rollback of the decision is announced by the Centre.

The government has taken away the freedom from the people that they have been enjoying for the past 69 years. The government has snatched Roti, Kapda aur Makan from the people... A peoples movement was started during the Emergency days... Today, the situation is even worse than Emergency, it can be termed as super Emergency, the Trinamul Congress supremo said.

People are facing difficulties and inconveniences. They (NDA government) have sold the country. It is the duty of political parties to raise their voice for the people and we will continue with our agitation till the government takes a decision to roll back the demonetisation move, she said.

Ms Banerjee has been at the forefront of the protest against the Narendra Modi governments decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. Sharing dais with senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, she said she stands with the common man.

I had two options  to either go with the Prime Minister on the issue or to stand with common people. I chose common people because I feel the Prime Minister has snatched away the basic means of livelihood from them by this demonetisation drive Ms Banerjee said in Patna.

At one point during the rally, she also used terms like traitors for leaders who didnt support the movement. She said,People will not forgive such leaders who betrayed them by supporting the move.

Observers believe that the term was used for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who supported Mr Modi on the demonetisation move. Ms Banerjee had earlier met RJD chief Lalu Yadav in Patna on Tuesday.

Mounting an attack on Nitish Kumar for supporting the drive, RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said, Nitish Kumars support to currency ban is a blow to the grand alliance in Bihar but our stand is clear on the issue.

Miss Banerjee who had met RJD Chief Lalu Yadav after she arrived in Patna on Tuesday had thanked him for his support but when asked about Nitish Kumars stand on the issue she said, His party like any other political party has its own stand on the issue but I thank Lalu Yadav for his support.

Earlier Mr. Yadav and his son, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejaswi Yadav had clarified that RJD was in favour of the move but against its poor implementation.
The decision on meeting the President on Thursday was taken Wednesday evening after another day of complete disorder in Parliament.

New Delhi: Miffed over the governments tough stance, the leaders of the Opposition parties decided to scale up their protests by meeting President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday over the demonetisation move and the resultant hardship being faced by ordinary people due to it. The parties will also discuss the hurried passage of the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill without a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The bill, that is basically a black money amnesty scheme, was passed amid pandemonium.

The decision on meeting the President on Thursday was taken Wednesday evening after another day of complete disorder in Parliament. Trinamul Congress leader Derek OBrien told this newspaper that the march will be joined by all Opposition parties, including Janata Dal (United), though JD(U) president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modis biggest financial gamble till date.

Sources said the decision to scale up the protests and take it outside Parliament to the President was taken after the government refused to budge on not allowing a discussion on demonetisation under a rule that entails voting. The Oppositions belligerence was evident since the morning, when it disrupted both Houses of Parliament over the demonetisation as well as the Nagrota terror attack.

It was evident by the stance taken by both the treasury benches and the Opposition that back-channel talks on a resolution to the fortnight-long standoff had failed. The Congress and the Trinamul Congress led the Opposition walkout in the Lok Sabha over the demand for an obituary reference to the soldiers who died in the terror attack on the Army camp in Jammu on Tuesday. When members of the treasury benches accused the Opposition of running away from a debate on demonetisation, the Opposition MPs stuck to their demand for a discussion under a rule which entails voting.

We do not want to divide the House over demonetisation and so we do not want a vote, said parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar. At one point, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had said she would lay aside all rules and allow the discussion to be held in the Zero Hour. An adamant Opposition, however, kept shouting slogans in the Well of the House.

The Opposition forced two adjournments in the Rajya Sabha as well over the same issues. It rejected the governments offer for a discussion on the situation along the border and resuming the debate on the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

Outside Parliament House, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit out at the government over the forceful passage of the taxation law on Tuesday. He accused the government of helping people who had black money with the amendment in the income-tax laws, adding that half of the unaccounted cash would be returned to them. He said outside Parliament: The government has given 50 per cent of the black money back to the hoarders again.

Asked about the walkout by Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha, Mr Gandhi said: There is a practice in Parliament that whenever someone dies, we respect them. This is the first time that there was no such obituary offered for those soldiers who had died (in the Nagrota attack). So the Opposition walked out.
Sangh parivar affiliates had been holding meetings to get feedback from various sections of the society.

New Delhi: As Modi government faces the wrath of a combined Opposition over cash crunch post demonetisation decision, the RSS top brass is likely to meet on Thursday. The RSS core group, sources said, will review the situation post-demonetisation move and also discuss preparedness of its affiliates, including the BJP, for coming Assembly elections in key states including Uttar Pradesh. Mr Bhagwat, who is scheduled to release a collectors edition of sangh parivars mouthpiece, Panchjanya and Organiser, on the occasion of 90 years of the RSS, is also likely to attend the core group meeting.

Sources disclosed sangh parivar affiliates have been gathering feedback and suggestions on the demonetisation issue, which will be shared with the government as well as the BJP. The ruling party has asked its leaders to highlight the positive effects that the demonetisation decision will have on the economy and also to promote cash less transactions and digital banking, especially in the rural areas. BJP leaders and workers have also been asked to rope in youths to spread Prime Minister Narendra Modis message of working towards a casless society.

The RSS core group meeting, sources disclosed, will be attended by Bhaiyya Joshi, Dattatreya Hosabale, V Bhaigaih and Krishna Gopal. The meeting could also have representatives from the BJP and the government. Other than assessing the situation across the country after the demonetisation decision, the RSS could also suggest measures to ease problems being faced by the comman man, farming and trading communities among others. Sangh parivar affiliates had been holding meetings to get feedback from various sections of the society on the demonetisation move.

With Assembely elections fast approaching in states, including in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, the RSS top brass could also discuss election preparedness in poll going states. Sangh cadre is extensively engaged in election related activities.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas arrived in Armenia on November 18 to take part in the 8th non-official ministerial dialogue of the Eastern partnership dedicated to Research, Science and Innovation issues.

During the recent conference entitled Spreading excellence and crossing the innovation divide held in Brussels, the EU Commissioner shared his impressions on the visit in Armenia, press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia told Armenpress.

In his speech Carlos Moedas stated: Two weeks ago I visited Armenia for the first time and participated in the Science Ministers meeting of the Eastern Partnership countries. The meeting was the first such initiative of its kind directed towards the science development in the region. I witnessed a phenomenon in Armenia which is worth remembering. I visited TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan. This center is designed for school-age children which enables them to perform experiments with digital technologies and their creativity. No child is forced to attend TUMO, however, there are queues for visiting the center. The children do not receive official certificate, instead, they are creating the package of their programs and capabilities. Children form associations by combining the art, science and their preferences. TUMO environment and technical equipment was better than the one I saw in the Silicon Valley. All these more convinced me that excellence exists in every country. Our task, as policymakers, is to promote excellence, to reveal and support it, and make it an international center of excellence.
Ms Hunziker elaborated that Switzerland is also going to have Ayurveda practitioners by 2019.

Vice president of Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation Dilip Sinha said that a list of around 450 plants and formulations have been approved under the framework passed in 2011 in Switzerland. (Representational image)

Kolkata: Switzerland is planning to import Ayurvedic medicines from India from the middle of next year. This was informed by Simone Hunziker, founding president of Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation on Wednesday. She was speaking to the media at 6th international delegates assembly of the 7th World Ayurveda Congress at the Science City here.

Switzerland has institutionalised Ayurveda. A framework legislation has been passed in Parliament. Hopefully, Switzerland will start importing Ayurvedic medicines from India from the middle of 2017. The feedback of the patients on Ayurveda is good. Nearly 80 per cent of the patients find it great. So the Swiss government will also promote Ayurveda, Ms Hunziker said while making the announcement. Vice president of Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation Dilip Sinha said that a list of around 450 plants and formulations have been approved under the framework passed in 2011 in Switzerland.

But the medicines will have to undergo testing before being imported from India because the standard of living is very high in Switzerland, he added. Ms Hunziker elaborated that Switzerland is also going to have Ayurveda practitioners by 2019. At present, they are undertaking a six-year course including a diploma of three years for which they visit India in separate batches, she explained.
The minister met traders in Assam and the owner of Sufla-Bangla, a supermarket chain in Kolkata.

Mumbai: If all goes according to plan, onion producers in the state will get one more new market in Assam in addition to West Bengal and Bangladesh. Assam and West Bengal have a demand of 8 lakh metric tonnes of onion, grapes and pomegranate along with 10 lakh eggs per day.

Plans are in the offing to begin railway wagons between Assam and Maharashtra. The state cabinet has approved deputing officials in both states to coordinate between traders and farmers. Minister of state for agriculture Sadabhau Khot recently visited Assam and West Bengal to expand market opportunities in these states. These two states have huge demand for onion, grapes and pomegranate as well as eggs. At present, most of the onion in Kolkata markets is from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. If they can sell their products, why not Maharashtra! This pushed me to find out new markets, said Mr Khot.

The minister met traders in Assam and the owner of Sufla-Bangla, a supermarket chain in Kolkata.
The three are part of the same family and were sleeping at home when the attack took place.

The incident took place at Goregoan-Irani Wadi in the wee hours of Monday, after which a complaint was registered at the Dindoshi police station. (Representational Image)

Mumbai: Three people who were attacked with acid were admitted at the civic-run Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali on Tuesday. The incident took place at Goregoan-Irani Wadi in the wee hours of Monday, after which a complaint was registered at the Dindoshi police station.

All three members of the family sustained burn injuries after an unknown person attacked them with acid at their home when all of them were fast asleep. The victims have been identified as Aadarsh Singh (4), who sustained 25 per cent burns, his mother Chandani Singh (28), who sustained 35 per cent of burn injuries, and Chandanis husband Chandan Singh, who has 80 per cent burn injuries. The dean of Shatabdi Hospital, Dr Krishna Kumar Pimple, said, The victims were brought in at 3 am. We have shifted them to the burn ward and the requisite care is being taken. But Chandans health is in a serious condition.

Assistant commissioner of police Uttam Marde said, We have registered an offence against unknown people under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, such as 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (causing permanent or partial damage or deformity, or burns or maims, or disfiguring or disabling any part or parts of the body of a person, or causing grievous hurt by throwing acid). He added: We are trying our best to nab the culprits.
Despite her popularity and natural public speaking ability, Michelle isnt interested in a career in politics.

Washington: President Obama says both he and first lady Michelle Obama will be very active in working with people at the grass-roots level to support progressive causes once he leaves office. But despite her popularity and natural public speaking ability, Michelle isnt interested in a career in politics.

Michelle will never run for office, the president told Rolling Stone in an interview conducted the day after the election. She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that shes too sensible to want to be in politics.

Obama says that after he hands the keys to the White House to President-elect Donald Trump, he plans to sleep for a couple weeks and take Michelle on a well-deserved vacation.

After that?

Ill spend time in my first year out of office writing a book, and Im gonna be organizing my presidential center, which is gonna be focused on precisely this issue of how do we train and empower the next generation of leadership, Obama said. How do we rethink our storytelling, the messaging and the use of technology and digital media, so that we can make a persuasive case across the country?

According to Obama, one of the biggest challenges he and his fellow Democrats face is figuring out how to recapture the white working class voters who voted for him  and didnt vote for Hillary Clinton.

I think that part of it has to do with our inability, our failure, to reach those voters effectively, he said. Part of it is Fox News in every bar and restaurant in big chunks of the country, but part of it is also Democrats not working at a grass-roots level, being in there, showing up, making arguments. That part of the critique of the Democratic Party is accurate. We spend a lot of time focused on international policy and national policy and less time being on the ground. And when were on the ground, we do well.

Obama said the Midwestern voters who helped Trump win industrial states like Michigan and Wisconsin didnt get the message that the Democratic Party has been working for them.

This is not simply an economic issue. This is a cultural issue. And a communications issue. It is true that a lot of manufacturing has left or transformed itself because of automation. But during the course of my presidency, we added manufacturing jobs at historic rates, Obama said. You start reading folks saying, Oh, you know, working-class families have been neglected, or Working-class white families have not been paid attention to by Democrats. Actually, they have. What is true, though, is that whatever policy prescriptions that weve been proposing dont reach, are not heard, by the folks in these communities. And what they do hear is Obama or Hillary are trying to take away their guns or they disrespect you.'

face-to-face time with white working class voters is needed, the president said.

I think it is really important for us, as progressives  set aside the Democratic Party as an institution, but just anybody who wants to see a more progressive America  to think about how we are operating on the ground and showing up everywhere and fighting for the support of folks and giving them a concrete sense of what it is that we think will make their lives better, Obama said, rather than depending on coming up with the right technocratic policies and sharing that with the New York Times editorial board. If we are not on the ground, and people are not hearing and seeing us face-to-face, then well keep on losing, even though I genuinely believe that the Republican prescriptions are not going to be as helpful to these folks.

But Obama dismissed the idea that Trumps election represents a hard-right turn among U.S. voters.

If you survey the American people, including Trump voters, theyre in favor of a higher minimum wage, he said. Theyre in favor, in large numbers, of decriminalizing marijuana. They, I think, are, increasingly and with shocking speed, accepting of the need to treat the LGBT community with respect. They are hugely suspicious of Wall Street, hugely suspicious of the Establishment. Part of what Trump did, as well as [Vermont Sen.] Bernie [Sanders], was run against that Establishment. Now the irony, of course, is that one would think Trump would be considered part of that Establishment and not a genuine outsider like Bernie was. So this doesnt seem to be a moment in which there is a huge turn to the right.

Obama also addressed the growing push to legalize marijuana.

Ive been very clear about my belief that we should try to discourage substance abuse, Obama said. And I am not somebody who believes that legalization is a panacea. But I do believe that treating this as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it.

But removing pot from the list of Schedule I drugs is not something the president is willing to do himself.

Typically how these classifications are changed are not done by presidential edict but are done either legislatively or through the [Drug Enforcement Agency], Obama said. As you might imagine, the DEA, whose job it is historically to enforce drug laws, is not always going to be on the cutting edge about these issues.

Still, Obama acknowledged that it is untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something thats legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another. So this is a debate that is now ripe, much in the same way that we ended up making progress on same-sex marriage.
Most people in the developed world, where less-cash is the norm, are literate.

Imagine you are in Sweden, said the man behind me in the queue. We were both waiting to withdraw some cash from the bank. And like others before, and after us, we found ourselves talking about our headline-grabbing race towards being a cashless or less-cash state. Like Sweden.

I have never been to Sweden. Nor had he. At a certain age and stage, some of us may have imagined Sweden by crooning Money, money, money/must be funny/in the rich mans world, a song immortalised by Swedish pop group ABBA. That was then.

Today, Sweden, the first European country to print banknotes (1661), wants to be the first to do away with it totally. If Sweden and so many others can hurtle towards a cashless Nirvana, why cant India  so goes an argument one hears more and more. Nothing stops us from fantasising that we are almost there  in the almost-Sweden state  and we are done with standing in queues for paper money.

An interesting question, however, is also why we dont emulate Sweden with such ferocious intensity in other areas. Sweden is one of the worlds 10 richest nations, has a generous welfare state and 99 per cent literacy. Most people in the developed world, where less-cash is the norm, are literate.

What about India? The latest census reveals that literacy has jumped from 65 per cent to 74 per cent in 2011. But that still leaves us with the largest population of illiterate adults in the world  more than 287 million. This is 37 per cent of the global total.

Thats not to say India cant take a leap forward. It can. But it cant afford to ignore ground realities and limitations.

There were 417 billion cashless payments in 60 countries worldwide in 2014, according to one study. But these are increasing at only a slightly faster rate than the number of ATM cash withdrawals. This means cash is still favoured as a means of payment for a significant proportion of the global population.

In India, where cash has been the economys prime driver, there are other complications. Millions in India still dont have electricity. Nor everyone has mobile phones or a reliable Internet connection.

The other very valid concern is around security. Digital payments can pose major security risks unless specific processes are in place. And while technology can empower the poorest in remote parts of India, illiteracy and lack of tech-savviness can also be disempowering.

The campaign to make India a cashless economy is on mission-mode. But wheres the missionary zeal to wipe out illiteracy or even improve pathetic learning outcomes, which study after study, year after year, demonstrate? How do people become digitally literate without first becoming literate? Can you run before you walk?

In a recent, impassioned newspaper article, senior Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, in charge of information and broadcasting and urban development, told us what we are seeing is tantamount to a cultural revolution, involving a behavioural modification.

The demonetisation of high-value currency notes announced on November 8 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has several dimensions. Cutting off money channels to terrorists and extremist elements, weeding out counterfeit currency and driving out black money are the visible, short-term objectives. But the long-term consequences and gains include ushering in a behavioural change at all levels of society. It is a part of the grand cultural revolution the PM is working on. The entrenched old order needs to make way for a new normal, wrote Mr Naidu.

To many of us who have a nodding acquaintance with history, the words cultural revolution evokes images of one of the bloodiest periods of Chinese history  the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a period of political and social chaos caused by Chinese leader Mao Zedongs bid to use the Chinese masses to reassert his control over the Communist Party.

But let us ignore Mr Naidus slightly curious turn of phrase, and zoom back to Indias attempts at getting the masses and classes to go cashless at breathtaking speed.

The issue is not why India is moving towards a less-cash state. It is about the sequence in which things are happening or not happening. What are Indias priorities as a country with aspirations and a sense of destiny? Is becoming cashless a greater priority than, say, becoming fully literate? What are we doing on cyber security? What is the level of understanding of cyber security issues among the average Indian?

My part-time domestic helper is an elderly widow who dropped out of school after Class 2. She can just about sign her name. How will someone like her fare in a cashless world? Then there are technological illiterates. Even in New Delhi, Indias capital, in recent days I have seen many elderly men and women asking others to help them withdraw money from ATMs and freely sharing their PIN numbers.

You cant always coerce people into changing exactly when you want them to. Trust is critical to sustainable behaviour change. For an example, look no further than the eradication of polio, one of Indias great achievements in recent times.

What truly helped overcome the pools of resistance in the last lap of the battle against polio were concerted efforts at different levels at building trust. Families that had earlier resisted polio drops being given to their children as they were suspicious of the governments motives came around. It took time. But the efforts paid off.

So with this race to become a cashless or less-cash state, it is legitimate to ask why many things that need to exist before a cashless system becomes truly empowering are not talked about as loudly as the cashless vision? And the protection every citizen will have in the envisioned digital paradise.

As with everything else, building trust will be critical. Because though Times They Are A-Changin as Prime Minister Narendra Modi may say, quoting Bob Dylan, its not changing at the same pace for everyone in this nation.
Nikita Khrushchev blinked first and the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its nuclear missiles from Cuba.

In recent times we have had some articles suggesting that the Chinese attack on India in 1962 was coordinated to coincide with the missiles being sent to Cuba. (Photo: AP/File )

On October 14, 1962 US U-2 spy planes over flying Cuba detected Soviet military personnel erecting intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) capable missile launchers. On October 22, President John F. Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba. The two superpowers were now eyeball to eyeball and unless one blinked there would be Armageddon. Nikita Khrushchev blinked first and the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its nuclear missiles from Cuba.

In recent times we have had some articles suggesting that the Chinese attack on India in 1962 was coordinated to coincide with the missiles being sent to Cuba. The facts seem to suggest otherwise.

There might have been something to this logic if the Chinese attack across the Namka Chu river in Arunachal Pradesh (then North-East Frontier Agency), that had begun on October 19, had continued uninterrupted after the huge gains it had quickly made. For by October 23 the Chinese PLAs three regiments had decimated the Indian Armys 7 Brigade commanded by Brig. John Dalvi (taken prisoner) and was within 10 miles of Tawang. On October 24 the PLA entered Tawang unopposed. That night they were also opposite Walong at the other end of NEFA. Both Tawang and Walong were deep inside NEFA.

On October 24 the Chinese issued a statement that made three proposals. They were:

I) Both sides agree to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as of November 1959 and withdraw their forces 20 km from that line.

II) If India agreed to (I), the Chinese would withdraw to the north of the McMahon Line in the eastern sector. (Despite the PLA being quite deep inside NEFA.)

III) That the two Prime Ministers meet, either in New Delhi or Peking, to seek a friendly settlement. New Delhi rejected these the same day. On November 4, Zhou Enlai wrote to Nehru commending the Chinese proposals and urged Nehru to accept them. Nehru countered with a proposal on November 7 that the Chinese should return to the positions they held on September 8 and that talks would follow after this.

On October 29 US ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith called on his friend Jawaharlal Nehru and offered any military equipment India might need. This started arriving within five days and as many as eight USAF and RAF flights a day were each disgorging 20 tonnes of hardware.

Ironically, only weeks before this, Jawaharlal Nehru had rejected Western arms aid and equated it with joining a military bloc, and declared that India would never accept this (even if disaster comes to us on the frontier). The disaster that visited the 7 Brigade was a small one compared what was to visit the 4 Division in November.

The lull that followed the quick Chinese advances to Tawang and Walong and to the gates of Chushul, instead of causing the national leaders to introspect and inject some realism in them, took them on new flights of fancy. The Lok Sabha praised the (wonderful and spontaneous response of the people of India to the emergency). Ram Manohar Lohia, always with a way with words, said: the blood of our martyred jawans is becoming the seed of a new, virile nation that is being born in our country. Little wonder then that Nehru commented we never had it so good.

After the initial debacles in NEFA, Lt. Gen. B.M. Kaul, who was appointed commander of the hastily-created IV Corps, had returned to his familiar battlegrounds in New Delhi stricken with pulmonary edema. Lt. Gen. Harbaksh Singh, who replaced him, after studying the changed tactical position of his troops, decided that the next point of defence would be Bomdila. But he was replaced by Gen. Kaul after hardly four days and transferred out to take command of 33 Corps.

Gen. Kaul returned with the DMO, Brig. D.K. Palit, in tow. Brig. Palit was a favourite of Gen. Kaul and quite well versed with the functioning of the Delhi durbar. Brig. Palit had earlier commanded the now ill-fated 7 Brigade and could claim intimate knowledge of the terrain. The Indian Armys three-tiered defence plan for NEFA prepared in 1959 by Lt. Gen. Thorat called for at least four brigades. In 1961 Lt. Gen. L.P. Sen who took over Eastern Command from Gen. Thorat determined that he would need two divisions or six brigades to do the job. After the debacle at Namka Chu, 4 Division had only two brigades to do the job!

But Gen. Kaul and Brig. Palit, sensitive to durbar politics in New Delhi, decided that Se La, a good 60 miles ahead of Bomdila and nearer Tawang, must be held. The politicians could not afford its loss. 4 Divisions losses were hastily replenished with troops rushed to NEFA from the plains and by mid-November it was back to full strength, but now not quite battle worthy.

November 14 was the Prime Ministers 73rd birthday and Gen. Kaul wished to give him a present. He launched an attack in the Walong sector to push the Chinese back over to the other side of the McMahon Line. This was probably the stupidest order he was to ever give. The PLA had a full division lying in wait at Rima while the Armys new 2 Division just had three battalions designated 11 Brigade at Walong. The PLA retaliated with a massive wallop. 11 Brigade fought bravely but was all but wiped out by November 17 even as newspapers in Delhi were hailing the attack!

The decision to confront the Chinese at Se La led to the thinning of the forces at Bomdila, which was now defended by just six companies. Gen. Kaul and Brig. Palit did not envisage the possibility of the Chinese bypassing Se La in any great strength. But this is just what they did. They took the path known as the Bailey Trail, named after the British officer who rediscovered the traditional route to Tawang. 4 Division with its main defence centred in Se La was much too thinly spread and the PLA began hacking at its rear. By the time orders went out for 62 Brigade to evacuate Se La, it was too late. They were cut off and its commander Brig. Hoshiar Singh, who was later awarded the Param Vir Chakra, fell fighting on November 17. The next day the divisional headquarters at Dirang Dzong, between Se La and Bomdila fell. On November 20 Bomdila fell. The rout in NEFA was complete.

Nehru made a broadcast to the nation that night in which he more or less said was abandoning Assam. He said: Now what has happened is very serious and very saddening to us and I can well understand what our friends in Assam must be feeling because all this is happening at their doorstep. Later that night Nehru made an urgent appeal to the US to intervene with airstrikes against the Chinese on Indian territory. But the IAF was not ordered to do so.

Had we used the interregnum when the Chinese halted their advance and made the offer to withdraw to positions held prior to November 1959 intelligently, we could have built up our strength with the new Western arms and faced the Chinese another time and place. But our political system, with its emphasis on polemics, and our media ever willing to conjure up dreams that never can be, for rulers unable to see their feet of clay even in the light of day, caused us to lurch unthinkingly towards certain disaster. It is still the same story. Just read the newspapers!
Mnuchin has had a long history as a successful financial executive and head of Trump's campaign finance operation.

New York: President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Steven Mnuchin (mi-NOO-chin) to be the nation's 77th treasury secretary, a person familiar with the decision says.

Mnuchin has had a long history as a successful financial executive and a shorter but significant period in a job that ushered him into Trump's inner circle: head of Trump's campaign finance operation.

When Mnuchin, 53, was chosen by Trump as his national finance director in May, he told The Associated Press that the two men had been friends for 15 years. Through his work as finance chairman, Mnuchin grew close to Trump's children and son-in-law, Jared Kushner - a top adviser to Trump - and worked with them on fundraising events.

The campaign raised at least $169 million, in addition to the $66 million Trump spent out of his own pocket. Though that was far short of what Hillary Clinton raised, it represented an impressive haul given that Trump didn't begin fundraising in earnest until the end of May.

A person familiar with Trump's decision said Tuesday that the president-elect will nominate Mnuchin to the Treasury position. The person would only discuss the nomination on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to reveal it ahead of the official announcement.

If approved by the Senate, Mnuchin would follow in the tradition of two previous treasury secretaries - Robert Rubin in the Clinton administration and Henry Paulson in George W. Bush's. All had vast Wall Street experience gained from years spent working at powerhouse Goldman Sachs.

Yet unlike Rubin and Paulson and unlike President Barack Obama's two treasury secretaries, Timothy Geithner and Jacob Lew, Mnuchin would bring no government experience to Treasury, something that could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

After graduating from Yale in 1985. Mnuchin worked for Goldman Sachs for 17 years. His father, Robert Mnuchin, had himself worked for Goldman for three decades, becoming a partner in charge of equity trading.

The younger Mnuchin amassed his own fortune at the firm and then left in 2002. He worked briefly for Soros Fund Management, a hedge fund led by George Soros, before starting his own investment firm, Dune Capital Management.

As head of this firm, Mnuchin and other investors participated in the purchase of failed mortgage lender IndyMac in 2009 and renamed it OneWest. The failure of IndyMac in 2008 with $32 billion in assets was one of the biggest casualties of the housing bust.

Mnuchin became chairman of OneWest, which was sold to CIT Group in 2015. Before the sale, OneWest faced a string of lawsuits over its home foreclosure practices.

This month, housing advocates filed a complaint asking the Department of Housing and Urban Development to investigate OneWest for possible violations of the Fair Housing Act. The lender failed to place branches in minority communities, provided few mortgages to black homebuyers and preserved foreclosed properties in white neighbourhoods while allowing similar homes in minority communities to fall into disrepair, according to the California Reinvestment Coalition and Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California.

CIT declined to respond directly to the complaint but stressed in a statement that it is "committed to fair lending and works hard to meet the credit needs of all communities and neighbourhoods we serve."

Mnuchin also became a major investor in Hollywood, helping finance a number of movies, including the 2009 blockbuster "Avatar."

As treasury secretary, Mnuchin would be the administration's chief economic spokesman, serving as a liaison not only to Wall Street but also to global investors, a critical role given the trillions of dollars in treasury bonds owned by foreigners. In addition, it would be his job to sell the new administration's economic program to Congress.

Mnuchin will also oversee a sprawling bureaucracy that includes the Internal Revenue Service and the agency that issues millions of Social Security and other benefit checks each month. Treasury also runs the agency that wages the financial war on terrorism.

Even before his nomination was announced, he was being attacked for his ties to Wall Street.

"It's difficult to think of a nominee who better embodies the culture of Wall Street greed than the former Goldman Sachs partner," the Communications Workers of America, a labor union, said in a statement. "Naming Mnuchin as treasury secretary would be a slap in the face of millions of working families who will be victimized by this Wall Street-rigged economy."

During the campaign, Trump complained about the Dodd-Frank Act, passed in 2010 in response to the 2008 financial crisis and intended to prevent another crisis by tightening financial regulations. He called the increased regulations on banks a "disaster."

Mnuchin, in an interview with CNBC in July, said he thought Dodd-Frank "needs to be looked at." But he has not spelled out what changes he would like to see. Yet if Trump decides to back Republican attempts to rewrite the law, Mnuchin could be expected to lead the administration's effort.

Analysts said Mnuchin's years of experience on Wall Street and in managing an investment firm gave him real-world skills that likely appealed to Trump, a business executive who also has never served in government.

"Mr. Mnuchin is highly successful, and he's well-known in financial circles here," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands.

Sohn and other economists, however, suggested that Mnuchin's lack of government experience could prove to be a drawback in selling the administration's economic policies to Congress.

"People who come from Wall Street quickly find that they can't just make a decision and have it happen," said Stanley Collender, a longtime staffer on House and Senate budget committees and now an executive vice president at Qorvis communications. "It's not like being a CEO. There is a lot more compromise involved."
Some of injuries were caused when terrified students jumped out the window to escape the flames.

Flames rise from a fire in a school dormitory, in Aladag, Adana in southern Turkey on Tuesday. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: Twelve people, most of them children, were killed on Tuesday when a fire broke out at a school dormitory in the southern Turkish city of Adana, local officials said.

"12 bodies were recovered, 22 wounded people were taken to hospitals," Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas was quoted as saying by the official news agency Anadolu.

Adana Mayor Huseyin Sozlu told the private NTV broadcaster 11 of the dead were secondary school students and the other victim was a female caretaker.

Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students living in it.

He said some of injuries were caused when terrified students jumped out the window to escape the flames.

An initial investigation suggested the fire was caused by electrical fault but the flames spread rapidly because of the building's wooden interior, officials said.
The legislation must now go before the Senate for approval before becoming law.

The Hague: Dutch MPs on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to ban the Islamic full-face burqa from some public places such as schools and hospitals, the latest such move in a European country.

"The law is adopted," said the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Khadija Arib, referring to legislation which will also ban burqas, and face coverings just with eye-slits, from public transport.

The motion "to ban all clothing which completely covers the face" from government buildings was approved by 132 members in the 150-seat house, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte's ruling Liberal-Labour coalition.

The legislation must now go before the Senate for approval before becoming law. It follows similar bans imposed in France and Belgium, and comes amid rising tensions in Europe with Islamic communities.

The Dutch cabinet had approved the plan in mid-2015, but decided not to go as far as banning wearing burqas on the streets.

It backed the legislation due to the "necessity to be able to interact face-to-face, for instance in places where public services are performed and safety must be guaranteed," the government said.

"The government sees no need to impose the ban on all public spaces," it added.

Those flouting the ban would face a fine of up to 410 euros (around $430).

Safety equipment such as helmets or full-face protection while working, playing sport or "during a festive or cultural event" is not however included in the ban.

Supporting the ban was the anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) of firebrand politician Geert Wilders, who is leading opinion polls ahead of March elections.

His election campaign appears to have been given a boost thanks to the publicity from his trial on charges of hate speech in a Dutch court over comments he made about Moroccans living in the country.

"How do we even know there's a woman under this Islamic textile?" said PVV lawmaker Machiel de Graaf.

"It might as well be a well-trained jihadist who completed his training in Raqa of course," he said in a parliamentary debate last week.

Public newscaster NOS said only about 150 women in The Netherlands wear the burqa, most of them only occasionally.

And MP Tunahan Kuzu, who vehemently fought against the draft legislation, said freedom of expression allowed people "to be who they are and dress how they want".

"It is reprehensible to exclude these women and isolate them because of a subject anxiety among certain citizens," he said.

Several women attended last week's parliamentary debate dressed in burqas. One of them, Karima Rahmani, argued that arrangements to enable women wearing full-face Islamic dress to identify themselves were already in place.

"When we go to the town hall we have to identify ourselves, as well as at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport where we have to remove it," she told NOS.

"The obligation to identify oneself is already provided for in the law."

The Dutch government's advisory State Council body had said it believed issues around the Islamic veil could be solved "without invoking legislation".

"From time-to-time there's discussion about it... but it's not really a big social problem," it said in a letter published in mid-2015.

France introduced a ban on women wearing the burqa in 2011, or risk a 150 euro fine, resulting in some 1,500 arrests in the past five years.

The European Court of Human Rights in 2014 backed the French ban, rejecting arguments that outlawing full-face veils breaches religious freedom.

Belgium and some parts of Switzerland have followed France's lead and similar bans are being considered in other European countries.

This summer some French towns also controversially banned burkinis, the full-body Islamic swimsuit.
The market has become a place not just to shop, but to work and to talk to savour the newfound freedom of life.

A lively market has sprung up here on the eastern edge of Mosul, where just a few kilometres (miles) away Iraqi forces are fighting street by street with the Islamic State group. (Photo: AFP)

Gogjali: A month ago it was on the front line of Iraq's battle to retake Mosul, but now the village of Gogjali echoes with shouts of "Chicken! Tomatoes! Cigarettes!"

A lively market has sprung up here on the eastern edge of Mosul, where just a few kilometres (miles) away Iraqi forces are fighting street by street with the Islamic State group.

The market has become a place not just to shop, but to work and to talk to savour the newfound freedom of life without the jihadists.

His head wrapped in a traditional keffiyeh headscarf, Khaled Mohammed Saleh chops meat at an impromptu butcher's shop he has erected with red zinc panels.

"Security here is much better than anywhere else in the area," the man in his 50s says.

Elite Iraqi forces reclaimed control of Gogjali in the early days of the offensive they launched to retake Mosul on October 17, more than two years after IS seized Iraq's second largest city.

Remnants of the battle to capture the village can be seen in the rubble piled at the side of the road and the shells of destroyed buildings. But nearby are signs of new life boxes filled with tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes and onions.

Fares Maher, 27, has come from the Mosul neighbourhood of Zahra, now under the control of Iraqi forces, to stock up.

"I come here every day to buy food and resell it to the residents of my neighbourhood," he says.

Women can again shop alone

A kilogramme of tomatoes or aubergines is selling for less than 1,000 dinars, the equivalent of about 85 US cents.

Maher says that's less than produce used to cost under IS, which imported goods from Syria, the other country in the jihadists' cross-border "caliphate".

Today the products at the market are coming mainly from the city of Arbil, the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, but also from further afield.

Abdelaziz Saleh, who has laid out bags of sweets and boxes of preserved goods, pulls out a cake imported from Iran.

"Iranian products were strictly forbidden" under IS rule, he says.

"When the jihadists saw someone selling Iranian products, they immediately arrested them and seized their merchandise," confirms Ashraf Shakr, a 30-year-old vegetable seller.

For Shakr one big change has been seeing women out shopping by themselves. Under IS, he says, "they always had to be accompanied by a man or a child who would speak to the vendor for them."

Many of the village's residents were unable to find work while IS controlled Gogjali and were pleased to again have the opportunity to earn some money.

Many of those fleeing fighting inside the city have to pass through the village and several grocery stores have sprung up along its streets.

"There is a lot of work, people come every day to do their shopping," says Hussein Haidar, a 24-year-old vegetable seller at the market.

"Before the arrival of Daesh, we were in painting but the company stopped working when IS took control of Mosul," his brother Mohammed says. So now we sell vegetables, he said.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Precipitations are forecasted in most parts of Armenias provinces on December 1, 2 and overnight December 3, and snowfalls are expected in mountainous and foothill regions.

The ministry of emergency situations told ARMENPRESS temperature will increase by 6-8 degrees overnight December 1, and during December 2 afternoon will decrease by 1-3 degrees.

In Yerevan, precipitations are forecasted on December 1-2, and overnight December 3, in upland areas wet snow and sleet is expected, and in lowland areas rain. Clear weather is expected in the afternoon of December 3 and December 4-5.

The Sanitek cleaning and waste management company will operate on a 24 hour regime. The company will carry out snow clearing works in the entire territory of Yerevan on December 1 (taking into consideration the forecasted snow).

The company is equipped with modern and new machines and its staff of 400 is ready to work in snow conditions on a 24 hour regime.

Sanitek urges to contact the company by calling the hotline 80-90, or 099 58 80 90, or via its social media accounts, in case of any inquiries or questions.
by Wang Xiang

A banner - then taken away by police - condemned the presence of Msgr. Lei Shiyin, the excommunicated bishop. A sister tried to stop him before he entered the church, but the bishop was defended by police. The ceremony took place in the Ping'an Qiao church (Bridge of Peace). A demonstration of "who controls the Church in China".

Chengdu (AsiaNews) - An excommunicated bishop, Msgr. Lei Shiyin of Leshan (Sichuan), aided by the police, attended the episcopal ordination of Msgr. Joseph Tang Yuange as bishop of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan (central China). The faithful have demonstrated their disapproval in many ways.

The ceremony was presided over by Msgr. Fang Xingyao of Linyi (Shandong); the other two co-ordaining bishops were Mgr. Luo Xuegang from Yibin and Msgr. He Zeqing of Wanzhou.

Three other three bishops also took part: Msgr. Chen Gongao of Nanchong; Msgr. Xiao Zejiang Guizhou and Msgr. Lei Shiyin of Leshan. All these bishops are recognized by the Chinese government. And all have been approved by the Holy See, with the exception of Msgr. Lei. Even Msgr. Fang Xingyao, despite being heavily criticized for his views very close to those of the political authorities, is recognized by the Vatican.

Many faithful attempted in various ways to prevent Msgr. Leis participation in the ceremony. Sources have told AsiaNews that a nun tried to stop him before he entered the church, but police protected him and he gained access to the Ping'an Qiao church where the ordination took place.

The church itself was surrounded by several security policemen guarding against possible unrest.

Catholics have posted a photo on social media showing a banner (see photo 1) protesting the presence of Lei Shiyin at the ordination. According to AsiaNews sources the banner was exposed for several hours before and after Sunday Mass on the morning of 27 November, but the police then proceeded to remove it.

The banner, is signed by "the faithful of the Catholic church of Ping'an Qiao (Bridge of Peace)" and says: "In compliance with Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law, we strongly oppose Lei Shiyin, who has been automatically excommunicated [latae sententiae], for coming to our church to take part in the concelebration of the liturgy of episcopal ordination.

Lei Shiyin was ordained without papal mandate in 2011. At present he is the subject of heated debate and even accused of having a mistress and children. Some Catholics fear that he will also be present the ordination of the new bishop of Xichang, in Sichuan to be held on 2 December.

According to some members, the presence of Mgr. Lei, "was commissioned by the government to show the Vatican who commands the Church in China".

Msgr. Tang, 53, was appointed bishop of Chengdu in May 2014. A native of Sichuan, he studied in the regional seminary. Ordained a priest in April 1991, he has always served in the diocese of Chengdu.

The Church of Chengdu has 20 priests, nine nuns and a seminarian, serving a community of about 100 thousand Catholics.
Islamabad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Lahore High Court has blocked the deportation of more than 100 Turkish teachers and their families, for a total of over 400 people, whom the government in Islamabad had ordered to leave the country for suspected links with Fethullah Gulen preacher.

The expulsion was decided in mid-November by the Pakistani minister, who had given the teachers a week to prepare for the transfer. After the judges of Lahore, even the High Courts of Sindh and Peshawar have postponed the decision and decided to protect the educators who work in their respective areas.



In mid-November Pakistan had ordered teachers to immediately leave the country, because of the "non-approval of the request for extension of visa". President turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to Islamabad in those same days, had greeted the decision with great favor. The stance was in the air for some time, when in August the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu - on a visit to Pakistan - had stated that "it is no secret that Gulen has institutions here and in many other countries. "I am sure that appropriate measures will be adopted.



The teachers in question work in "PakTurk" schools, a chain of 28 international educational facilities, where more than 11 thousand children study. Ankara accuses them of having links with Gulen, considered the mastermind of the failed coup in Turkey last July.



In retaliation for the attempt to overthrow the government, the Turkish authorities have decimated the leadership of schools, courts, newspapers, universities, arresting tens of thousands of suspected supporters of the Islamic preacher a onetime faithful ally of the president. Ankara has also attempted to extend its influence in the South Asian country, but the Lahore court suspended the order and asked the Interior Minister to report to the Court by January 2017.
by Maria Yuan

Ankang (AsiaNews) - The episcopal ordination of the new coadjutor bishop of Ankang (Shaanxi), Msgr. John Baptist Wang Xiaoxun took place today on the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The ceremony was held this morning in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Ankang, about 360 km south of Xian. The newly ordained bishop has expressed profound gratitude to the elderly bishop of the diocese, Msgr. John Ye Ronghua, for his encouragement and support to young priests.



Msgr. Ye, 85, has been ill for some time and could not take part in the liturgy. The ordination was presided by Msgr. Yang Xiaoting of Yulin, along with other bishops of Shaanxi region: Msgr. Dang Mingyan of Xian, Msgr. Yu Runchen of Hanzhong, Msgr. Tong Changping of Weinan, Msgr. Wu Jingqin of Zhouzhi, Msgr. Han Yinjin of Sanyuan.



The Mass was attended by at least 50 priests from different dioceses of the province, more than 200 faithful and more than 30 nuns.



The celebration was presided by Msgr. Yang Xiaoting who asked for prayers for the new bishop, with the hope that he can live his new responsibilities courageously and guide his flock in the evangelization of society.



Msgr. Wang and all participants bishops are in communion with the Pope and are also recognized by the Chinese government. According to AsiaNews sources, the papal mandate to Msgr. Wang was read "privately" in a meeting with all the priests, before the celebration.



Msgr. Xiaoxun Wang was born in 1966 and completed his studies in Xian seminary. Ordained priest by the deceased bishop of Xian Msgr. Anthony Li Duan in 1992, he served several parishes. In 2005 he was appointed parish priest of the cathedral Ankang. He had been elected coadjutor bishop of Ankang October 13, 2010.



The diocese led by Msgr. Ye and Msgr. Wang is very small and poor. It has nine priests and six nuns who serve 5 thousand faithful.




For Russian Defence minister, terrorist risks are not reduced but increased. Russia and China compete in the region.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and his Uzbek counterpart, Kabul Berdiyev, yesterday signed an agreement on developing military and technical cooperation as well as a plan of bilateral cooperation for 2017.

The agreement provides for joint military activities to enhance military security, capacity building of the armed forces, and military personnel training in both countries.

Minister Shoigu noted that the programme to modernise and reequip Uzbekistans Armed Forces with modern Russian weapons is currently underway, and is expected to be completed by 2020.

The Situation near the borders of Uzbekistan once again raises the question about the necessity of cooperating within the CSTO and SCO in order to maintain peace and security in the region, he explained.

In fact, it shows that the risks are not reduced but increased. This is caused by the appearance of organisations such as the Islamic state and Jabhat al-Nusra (banned in Russia) and, certainly, their activities. This relates to weapons and new methods of warfare.

Towards the end of October, China conducted combined military training in Tajikistan, and invested in the military infrastructure of the Central Asian neighbouring republic.

Some analysts foresee greater competition between China and Russia in Central Asian.
Aleppo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At the request of France, the UN Security Council has been convoked for an emergency meeting in New York to discuss the situation in Aleppo East. The area, which is controlled by rebel groups and jihadist militias, is under attack from the Syrian government which intends to unify the whole town. So far at least 20 thousand people are fleeing the fierce fighting, seeking refuge in the western sector.

The 15 ambassadors, representing countries members of the Security Council, will open the session with a written account of the situation on the ground at this time by the UN envoy in charge of humanitarian operations. A video-conference has also been planned with the United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.



The International Red Cross (ICRC) says that in the last 72 hours "about 20 thousand people have fled from Aleppo east." The UN has described the ongoing violence in the city - according to military experts ready to return under the complete control of Damascus - a "descent into hell."



Hence the request of the French ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre for an emergency meeting, because "we cannot remain silent" in front of "one of the worst massacres of civilians" since World War II. His British counterpart Matthew Rycroft urged "the Syrian regime and Russia to stop bombing and to allow the entry of humanitarian aid."



The Russian ambassador [Moscow and Iran are allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the war] to the UN Vitaly Churkin, has responded calling the meeting a "propaganda campaign" by London and Paris.



The UN is developing "a plan" to bring relief to Aleppo east and evacuate the wounded. Diplomatic sources also add that the so-called "opposition" has now accepted the plan.



Before the war, Aleppo was the second most important city of Syria, as well as the economic and commercial capital of the country. Since 2012 it is divided into two sectors: the western, home to 1.2 million people, under the control of the government; the east, about 250 thousand people, in the hands of rebel and jihadist groups.



Local sources say that, since the weekend, the Assad soldiers and allied Shiite militias have regained more than a third of the east. The advance, however, has given rise to a very serious crisis, as confirmed by the head of UN humanitarian activities Stephen O'Brien that "thousands of people" are ready to leave the war zone.



Khaled Khatib, one of the volunteers of the White Berets - humanitarian NGOs which critics say have ties to jihadist groups - active in Aleppo east speaks of "very, very bad situation." "Thousands of residents of the eastern sector - he adds - are moving towards the western sector of the city", while "Aleppo is about to die."
Photo caption: President-elect Donald Trump speaks along side newly appointed National Security Adviser: retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn/ Photo Credit: CC Commons

By Phil Gurski,

Special to The Post

Soon to be former US President Barack Obama once famously said with respect to foreign policy "don't do stupid shit (or" stuff" depending on your sensitivity to salty language)". That maxim could just have easily been applied to domestic policy. And it is something that incoming president Donald Trump might want to pay attention to.

Alas, the early signs are not hopeful.

As Mr. Trump begins to form the team that will support his administration, we are learning that some of the candidates put forward hold views that are unhelpful at best and disastrous at worst, so far as our struggle with international Islamist terrorism is concerned.

To wit:

1 . The man nominated as National Security Adviser, retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn (by the way he had been fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency by President Obama), has stated, among other things, that "Islam is a cancer" and "fear of Islam is rational" and believes that Sharia (Islamic) law is spreading throughout the US.

2 . The designated attorney-general, Republican senator Jeff Sessions, has supported Mr. Trump's call for a ban on immigration and stated that there is a "toxic ideology" at the core of Islam.

3 . The probable director of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has called for listing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, thus feeding the conspiracy theory that the group has tried to infiltrate the US government.

It is hard to believe that men with these views are in fact being considered for senior security positions. Should they be nominated, and pass Congressional muster, they will indeed make the US less safe, not more, let alone less open and democratic.

The views that these men hold serve to bolster the narratives that terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Islamic State spout ad nauseum: the West hates Islam, the West is at war with Islam, Muslims cannot live freely in the West and hence should perform hijrah (migration) to a Muslim-majority nation. The citations noted above easily fit into this narrative.

These types of opinions not only lead to (and in fact have already led to) hate speech and hate crimes, but they place tremendous pressures on the US' relationship with Islamic nations and Muslims on several levels. It is not inconceivable that some Muslim countries will be less keen to cooperate with the US on security issues if they see a US government that is inherently Islamophobic.

More policies like Guantanamo and torture tactics will create more room for violent radicalisation and extremism. US Muslims will not only be subject to more suspicion and aggression but will be turned off working with authorities to address the small numbers of violent extremists in the US and less likely to report these threats, thus fulfilling a myth with which they have been already labelled. Disgust with racist policies at the highest levels will lead to fewer brave souls willing to help the FBI, either as contacts or as sources. And, in this climate of fear and division, you can kiss CVE good-bye.

The very real threat of Islamist terrorism around the world requires a bold response and collaboration at national and international levels. Working together, however, is not fostered by prejudice and conspiracy theory. These kinds of views undermine everything we have been trying to achieve over the past decade and half (not that all has been perfect in that time, but I think we were getting better).

I found it telling that 50 veteran national security and intelligence officials signed a joint letter during the presidential election campaign saying that a Trump presidency would actually put the US at risk. It now looks like they were right.

Phil Gurski worked for more than three decades in Canadian intelligence, including 15 at Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and is the author of the Threat from Within and the forthcoming Western Foreign Fighters (Rowan and Littlefield). He blogs at http://www.borealisthreatandrisk.com/blog/

This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media (newcanadianmedia.ca).

See http://newcanadianmedia.ca/item/39320-how-not-to-win-the-war-on-terror-how-not-to-win-the-war-on-terror
Everything You Need To Know About Sugar Babies

We Spoke To Women Who Date Sugar Daddies To Find Out Why They Do It

Page 1 of 2

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.

This article was originally published by AskMen UK.

I always say this and people take it the wrong way, but I think its awkward to date someone who makes less money than me.

This bold statement comes from Brook, a pretty 24-year-old who is easily the centre of gravity at the bar were in. Originally from California, she has long brown hair falling in loose curls to her shoulders, and a confident manner that makes socialising a breeze.

Shes good company, and she knows it  if I were wealthy and had a penis, she might even charge me for it. Brook is a sugar baby, you see. She arranges relationships with sugar daddies, men (usually older, always richer) who shower her with gifts and money.

Were in a bar in central London, drinking strawberry-topped champagne with 30 other women who want to be more like Brook. Hosted by SeekingArrangement.com, an online dating site for sugar relationships, this is an event for sugar babies to network and swap tips. Brook, whos been a sugar baby for four years, is a spokeswoman for the brand and says its not all about the money.

I want to feel that someones on my level and that I can learn from them, and that theyre at least as successful as me. Its just, like, you have to have a similar lifestyle expectation to get along. And thats true of any successful relationship.

Since launching in 2006, Seeking Arrangement has swelled to over 5.5 million members. If youre in search of a pretty young thing and are prepared to put your money where your heart is, then the odds are in your favour  a whopping 4 million of Seeking Arrangements users are sugar babies. Just be aware that joining the site will pit you against other sugar daddies with an average salary of around 220,000.

But despite Seeking Arrangements many members, mainstream morality still tends to look down on sugar babies. Outlandish Daily Mail headlines decry such scandalous behaviour, while gold digger is still a common insult used to describe a manipulative woman willing to use her sexuality to ensnare a rich, unwitting man. Is that really whats going on in modern sugar relationships?

As I stand here in this pretend-cave bar, surrounded by fake foliage and an exotic fish tank, I cant help but be reminded of the kitsch '90s game show Man O Man. To many, the concept of sugar dating is just as throwback. At a time when women are free to pursue their own careers and make their own money, why do sugar babies choose to stay dependent upon men? Just as the rise of third-wave feminism tries to crush the idea that a womans worth comes only from her ability to attract men, why do sugar babies appear to be running backwards towards old, sexist tropes? And what kind of man is actually willing to pay money for a relationship?

The Spoiling

Brook first fell into the sugar game as a 20-year old journalism student. In the bar of the five-star Cosmopolitan hotel, a 37-year old man who made most of his money in tech decided to make his move on her.

They arranged to meet for dinner and hit it off. The following weekend she visited him in Miami where they checked into a fancy hotel room and went shopping. In the five months the long-distance relationship lasted, Brook was treated to a series of holidays, Louis Vuitton shoes and more shopping. But it ended when things started getting too serious. He wanted me to move to Miami and switch schools, and I didnt want that because I wasnt ready  I couldnt even drink, she tells me.

It wasnt actually until a friend told her to join Seeking Arrangement that Brook realised she had been a sugar baby. I was like, What do you mean? Theres a word for that? Not only did she sign up to the site, but she applied for a job there and now travels the world representing the brand.

Brook sees the main difference between a sugar relationship and a normal relationship as the spoiling. And me being OK with being spoiled. A lot of women are not okay with even having dinner paid for them. Theyre not comfortable with a man taking care of them, she says.

And I totally, 100% respect that, more power to you. But theres the other girls who dont want to go Dutch, who do want a guy to take care of them, who expect a guy to pay  and Ive always expected a guy to pay.

Mutually Beneficial

Although the bar is largely full of young women, keen to learn how to turn their encounters into something financially rewarding, my expectations are being challenged. I spot a young man, seeking a sugar daddy himself perhaps  or maybe a sugar mama? Its not just the older-guy-and-younger-girl stereotype. Roughly 1 in 8 sugar babies on Seeking Arrangement are men (a mix of both straight and LGBT men), while for every three sugar daddy members there is also one sugar mama.

Brook tells me about sugar daddies who arent looking for sex because theyre older and unable to perform, or married men whose wives dont want to hear all of their gripes at the end of the day. They want to have a beautiful girl who will touch their arm and tell them everythings OK, she says.

I know a sugar daddy who was going through a transition late in life to become a woman, Brook says. She talks of a transgender woman who had recently divorced her wife of around 40 years and now had no one to talk to. Through Seeking Arrangement, she found a female sugar baby who taught her how to wear makeup, accompanied her in public during her transition and who she could talk to.

For Laura*, 21, a sugar relationship saved her from a situation that had become increasingly desperate. As a student in London nearing her exams, she was forced to get a restraining order on her house mate, who had become aggressive and had started destroying her possessions.

Moving into emergency accommodation, she was left with piling housing debts, which werent helped by a scheming landlord who had stolen her deposit. Around the same time, one of her parents lost their job while the other was demoted, and Laura worked three jobs in order to pay her rent and send money home for their mortgage. Unsurprisingly, she became ill from the stress.

I was like, even with all my jobs, I need to move and stat, or otherwise I dont even know whats going to happen to me, she says. I was thinking about sex work and escorting. But I was like, I dont want to get into sex work through desperation.

When Laura joined Seeking Arrangement, her first few dates were completely platonic. I was like, Im not going to sleep with anyone, Im just here for theatre shows, trips, companionship. And I managed to make a few hundred just from that.

Then she met a couple in their thirties who shared similar interests with her and who she got on well with. They paid her 500 a month to be in an open relationship with them and took her to Paris. Laura says the sex developed naturally. They werent paying me to have sex with them, they were paying me because we were in a relationship. They cared about me.

Although the relationship ended after six or seven months, the experience was, for Laura, a positive one, and she continues to seek sugar relationships today. All my other relationships have been platonic. Just from the last couple of weeks Ive made 500 from dates with people. So I think it can be such a good thing for girls to do.

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Three Steps To Choosing A Great Wine

Three Things You Should Know Before Your Pop Open A Bottle Of Wine

Try to think of a time that you went out for drinks with the guys and one of the boys turned to the bartender and asked, can I see the wine list? Dont worry, I couldnt remember one time either.

Guys can rattle off a laundry list of craft beers, others can walk you through a their favorite whiskeys but few can spot a quality Merlot. Its just not one of the things we learn. But it may be time that you expand your palate and learn how to appreciate wine because pounding a pint at a formal dinner date may not be the way to go. In fact, having a few bottles of wine in your liquor cabinet can be considered an investment.

For where to start, I stopped by a wine shop in New York City to talk to Master Sommelier and Ribera y Rueda ambassador Brahm Callahan for a few simple tips.

RELATED: Here's Eight Perfect Date Night Wine Recommendations

Step 1: Know What You Like

This doesnt mean know exactly what kind of wine you like but if youre walking into a wine shop, you will want to know what kind of taste you're looking for. The first question Callahan asked me is, Do you want something fruity or earthy? My first question back to him was, well, what does earthy even mean? For the record, when talking wines, earthy means the wine lacks sweetness. It might have some dryness to it that reminds you of mushrooms.

Despite the fact that I like to sip my whiskey and bourbon neat, I prefer my wine sweet and light. I choose fruity. Callahan suggested a white wine like pinot noir or a zinfandel or red wines from Spain such as a Camino de Navaherreros Garnacha, which is more like bubble gum, Callahan said, and soft on your palate.

Once youve discovered a bottle of wine you like you can branch out to similar wines. But then its also important to know what you dont like. Identify words that can describe the tastes you want and the ones you want to avoid. Big (flavorful), fruit-forward,

Step 2: Know Your Buzz Words

The language of wine is similar to the language of the world, Callahan said. Youll need to find words that anyone listening can identify with. Find a few words that make sense to you. Angry, loud, soft, round, lush, any words that bring a picture to your mind are words youre going to want to bring with you, he said.

Pear & Goat Cheese Crostini + a crisp glass of #Verdejo from #Rueda = the perfect summer day. Thanks @nicholasandriani for the delicious pairing ?? #? #? #whitewine A photo posted by Ribera y Rueda Wine (@riberaruedawine) on Jun 12, 2016 at 12:25pm PDT

Wines have three important characteristics.

Tannins: the textual element that makes wine dry and adds bitterness and complexity. Big or angry wines have lot of tannins.

Acidity: refers to tasting fresh, sour or tart. These characteristics are meant to balance sweetness in wine or tannins.

Alcohol: knowing the percentage of alcohol in a wine can make all the difference in how you feel after a few glasses. Wines with more alcohol content you might want to pair with a larger meal. Unless youre looking for a buzz, that is.

If youre looking for a white wine on a hot day, you might something that is crisp and refreshing (remember those buzz words). If you want something soft and round, Callahan suggested trying a red from Spain, like tempranillo from Ribera del Duero. which he called an entry-level wine. If youre into a big and angry wine, he recommends hitting an Italian wine such as Barolo. For a crisp and easy wine, he suggests Gruner Veltliner or Verdejo or simply a Rose.

Step 3  Know What You're Willing To Spend

Theres no simple answer here. Callahan said to knowing what you should spend. As an expert, he assured me that you can certainly find a great bottle of wine for $30. Anybody can spend a lot of money on wine. The harder part is finding a great bottle of wine for 50-60 bucks, he said. Thats where the work comes in. If somebody in a wine shop or a restaurant youre eating at cant recommend a bottle of wine at a price you're comfortable with, you probably shouldnt be in there.
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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The issue of return of any territory to Azerbaijan can be a subject only in case of deciding the status of Nagorno Karabakh, spokesman of the President of Armenia Mr. Vladimir Hakobyan told RFE/RL.

RFE/RL sent an inquiry to the Presidents Office: When was the decision made on surrendering the 7 regions adjacent to the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, does it mean that in that case Nagorno Karabakh will appear in an enclave situation.

The issue of returning any territory can become a subject only in case of deciding the status of Nagorno Karabakh. The settlement proposal package fixes the necessity of a land connection between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. This was numerously touched upon both by Armenia and the co-chairs. Its not just about a land road linking Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh, but rather a wide, safe and unobstructed link, which will be fully secured from any encroachment by Azerbaijan. Especially after the April war, the current status of the adjacent territories  which act as a security zone  is more than justified, taking into account the direct and continuous threat to the people of Nagorno Karabakh, the response of the spokesman of the President of Armenia reads.

The full article is available at the initial source.
Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Missoula, Montana

Things To Do in Missoula

A visit to Missoula, Montana gives you an extremely rewarding experience and this is the best place to come for those outdoorsy individuals. With a ton of cultural sights and nature at its best, there are various quality destinations Missoula brings to the table. A visit to this spot is never finished without some angling and some famous blue-ribbon trout fishing. With a great deal of eateries and recreational spots, here are the

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Collins Foods KFC and Sizzler international expansion





Collins Foods, owner of a number of Australian KFC and Sizzler restaurants, has reported a jump in profits for the first half of its 2017 financial year which ended 16 October 2016.

The quick service restaurant group announced an underlying net profit of AUD $16.8 million, a 17.2 per cent increase on the same period last year.

However, same store sales at both its KFC and Sizzler restaurants fell by 0.6 per cent when compared with last year. Despite this, overall group revenue increased by 4.7 per cent to AUD $282.5 million with the group acquiring 13 more Australian-based KFCs during the period.

Collin Foods underlying Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation increased by 9.4 per cemt to AUD $38.6 million and the companys net operating cash flow increased by 10.5 per cent o AUD $26.3 million. A fully franked interim divided of 8 cents per ordinary share was declared, up 33.3 percent.

Chief Executive Officer of Collins Foods, Graham Maxwell, said the company was pleased with the overall results.

In addition to the organic growth in earnings that we have been delivering, we have also grown our KFC business through strategic, value accretive acquisitions, Maxwell said.

Collins Foods ventures into Germany

During the reported on six-months, Collins Foods acquired 11 KFC restaurants in Germany which Maxwell said should provide international growth opportunities in an attractive under-penetrated market.

The acquisition of these restaurants is expected to be completed by early December 2016.

Sizzler expansion in Asian region

Despite closing one Australian Sizzler store during the reported on financial period, Collins Foods opened four within the Asian region.

Earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation for Sizzler totalled AUD $2.7 million.

Priorities for the remainder of Collin Foods FY17

Maxwell said for the remainder of the financial year Collins Foods will focus on top line growth, optimising operating performance and building further strength and resilience within the business.

With a strong balance sheet and proven capabilities running KFC restaurants, we will continue to pursue further acquisition opportunities as they arise, while also continuing to grow and refurbish our existing portfolio of restaurants, Maxwell said.

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Queensland government decides to ban plastic bags





The Queensland State Government has decided to ban the use of single-use plastic bans by 2018.

The decision has been welcomed by the Queensland Conservation Council who said the move shows the state taking a lead on the issue.

While other states have been talking about looking into the issues, Queensland bags the prize for its plastic carrier ban, said Queensland Conservation Council head, Dr Tim Seelig.

The New South Wales and Victoria do not currently have plastic bag bans but South Australia, the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania already have bans in place.

A discussion paper has been released asking for feedback on the governments decision to ban the bags.

The ban includes the typical transparent plastic bags typically used by supermarkets. It does not include the heavier plastic bags usually used by other retailers like clothes shops and department stores. However the Queensland State Government is hoping to implement voluntary guidelines to help stop retailers using these types of bags.

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Woolworths and Australia Post partner to capture online shoppers



Ahmed Fahour and Brad Banducci announce the Parcel Locker partnership.

Woolworths and Australia Post have today announced a new partnership which will see at least 500 24/7 Parcel Lockers installed at Woolworths supermarkets across Australia.

Australia Post 24/7 Parcel Lockers allow for consumers to shop online and have their goods sent to the secure lockers for them to pick up at any time of the day. They are designed to help people who will not be at home to accept parcels during the week day nor can they make it to Australia Post centres during their open hours.

The free lockers will be installed at Woolworths sites from the beginning of December 2016.

Chief Executive Officer of Woolworths, Brad Banducci, said the lockers will extend the existing Woolworths click&collect service.

We know our customers are busier than ever and are looking for greater convenience in everything they do, Banducci said.

Weve seen strong year on year growth of our customers shopping with us online, with many choosing the convenience of our click&collect service to pick up their shopping from our stores on their way home, he stated.

Customers wishing to use the parcel lockers just need to add the lockers address to the to field when shopping online and a text or email will be sent when their parcel is ready.

The lockers will be available in selected locations from December 2016.

Woolworths secures Australian Pork logo in time for Christmas

Along with partnering with Australia Post, Woolworths has also introduced the pink Australian Pork logo to all its private label ham bone range this week.

Woolworths says it sold more than 3.7 million kilograms of Australian ham during its 2015 Christmas period, and is expecting the meat to remain popular for Christmas 2016.

We are expecting a bumper year for Christmas ham sales, and when shoppers see the PorkMark at Woolworths they can be confident that they are buying 100% Australian ham, said Woolworths Director of Meat, Pat McEntee.

According to Australian Pork Limited, 69 per cent of Australians prefer to buy ham from local suppliers.

Woolworths private label Christmas ham offering for 2016 includes:

Ham Hickory Smoked Gourmet Half

Woolworths Half Leg Ham

Woolworths Full Leg Ham

Woolworths Double Smoked Half Leg Ham Bone In

Woolworths Gold Free Range Leg Ham

Woolworths Gold Free Range Quarter Leg Ham

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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair (USA) James Warlick said he leaves his post for personal reasons, he told the Azerbaijani APA news agency, reports Armenpress.

The reason for my resignation is personal. I have made a successful career of an American diplomat and after 30 years of service I plan to work in the public sector, Warlick said, adding that the name of the interim Co-Chair will be announced soon.

He said holding the MG Co-Chairs post was a great honor for him. I am confident that the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia are committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict, neither side wants war. All our efforts on reaching sustainable peace are directed towards that, Warlick said.

Referring to the conflict settlement, he said there are good ideas and proposals on the negotiation table which can serve the basis for universal peace. Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan stated that they are committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. At this moment we most desire that the Presidents show political will and take on them the duty to develop the negotiation process, Warlick said.

As for the possible meeting in Hamburg, Warlick said they consider the meeting of the FMs of the OSCE member states as an opportunity to continue the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Female law students are disadvantaged by the law schools they attend compared to their male peers.A study of US law schools found that while women make up half of the students, they tend to be in lower-grade schools and struggle to be accepted into the top institutions.The study; authored by Deborah Jones Merritt of the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University and Kyle McEntee, director of Law School Transparency; discovered three leaks in the pipeline for women entering the legal profession.First, is that fewer female college graduates apply for law school. The authors ask if the institutions are doing enough to make law school an attractive option for women and if the profession is doing enough to make a law career attractive to women.Secondly, fewer women are accepted into law school (75.8 per cent of female applicants compared to 79.5 per cent of men.)Thirdly, women are often joining lower-ranked law schools especially in terms of their placement rates with law firms. This is a recent and growing issue; the report says and may have a correlation with how US test scores are used for admissions with those that men tend to excel in most highly ranked.Author, Deborah Merritt says that the disadvantages that women face at law school level may transmit through their career in the legal profession, resulting in their lower representation at partner and leadership levels.The chairman and senior partner of Allen & Gledhill is to leave the firm to take up the prestigious role of attorney general of Singapore.Lucien Wong will step down from the law firm on 18December and take up his new government role from 17January 2017. He has been with the firm since 1987 and made managing partner in 1998. He began his current role in 2012.Christina Ong and Penny Goh, two of the firms most senior and experienced Partners, will succeed Mr Wong as co-chairmen and senior partners supported by managing partner Lee Kim Shin and newly appointed deputy managing partner Jerry Koh.The UK governments Investigatory Powers Bill has become law, giving authorities unprecedented access to citizens internet and phone records and potentially compromising legally privileged information.Any information that may fall under legal privilege will be subject to a public interest test but critics oppose the ability of authorities to access the information in the first place. A petition has been signed by 130,000 which is sufficient to trigger a debate in the UK parliament as to whether than new law should be repealed.
King & Wood Mallesons global litigation head is apparently mulling a move to the London office of US giant Covington & Burling.Separate reports from UK publications Legal Business and Legal Week say that Craig Pollack, one of the biggest billers in KWM s City office, is in talks with the US big law firm.Pollack has been a long time fixture at the firms London operations, joining legacy SJ Berwin in the early 1990s and being appointed KWMs global litigation and disputes resolution head after the merger in 2014.Currently, Pollack acts for major investment banks, hedge funds, public companies and high net worth individuals and specialises in complex commercial litigation, international arbitration, multi-jurisdictional disputes, regulatory investigations and banking and financial market disputes.If he leaves, he follows other KWM litigation lawyers who have moved to Covington & Burling. In September, former KWM disputes resolution partner Greg Lascelles moved to the US firm. Alex Leitch who used to head the London litigation team of KWM also joined the US giant last year.Pollacks possible move also comes hot on the heels of KWM big-biller Michael Halfords defection to Goodwin Procter, followed by news of funds partners Ajay Pathak, Ed Hall, Shawn D'Aguiar and Patrick Deasy also joining the US big law.Other US giants have also been raiding KWMs European ranks. Proskauer Rose, for example, have snapped up corporate finance partner Andrew Wingfield and former managing partner Rob Day.KWMs European arm is in deep trouble, which you can read more on following the links below.
Justice Stephen Southwood, a judge of The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, is accused of using a racial slur as he argued with a staff member at a Darwin CBD bar on Friday.A staff member of the Stone House wine bar and three other people say the judge used a racial slur during the dispute which stemmed from a pricey bill, a report from the NT News reveals.However, the judge said that the did not threaten the member of staff and did not call him by a racial slur although he admitted that the did raise my voice.According to the publication, customers and staff say the judge appeared to be drunk and that his wife had to calm him down.Justice Southwood is said to have been under the impression that he had paid the tab in full after handing over $194. He initially questioned the bill which was $706 or $760, with an onlooker saying that the judge accused the staff of trying to extort his group.An onlooker also said that the judge identified himself as a Supreme Court judge while arguing loudly over the bill.Justice Southwood apparently called the police who arrived to the bar and recorded their interaction with people at the bar using body cameras, NT News says.Justice Southwood says he has advised the Chief Justice while the staff member at the centre of the dispute said the incident is disappointing but that he just wants to put it behind me.
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Any Pinoy's out there who are interested in applying for 457 Visa? Please share your experiences and plans.
Form 47SP and Form 40SP of course shall be filled out.

Visa charge (As I understand http://austria.embassy.gov.au/files/vien/Credit%20Card%20Authorisation%20Form%20-%20Visa%20Application%20Charges%202014%20April.pdf this is what I need to do for that?)

Scan of her Croatian passport bio page

Scan of/for passport photo

Scan of Birth Certificate

Scan of National Identity Card

Form 888 by my (the Aus partner) two parents and aunt who have Aus citizenship, and also statements from two of our close Croatian friends as extra.

Statements from me and her on the History of our Relationship, and covering all the fields of our relationship

Scan of our Rent/Lease contract for the flat we are living in

Scan of both our documents showing we have moved to the same address.

Scan of the bank's statement where we authorize each other for the use of our bank accounts (Joint bank accounts are not a thing in Croatia)

Scan that I shall get from my netbanking and one of our utilities bills to show I payed for it.

Several scans of grocery shopping's done both from my account and hers over our period together.

Scans of a few letters and packages addressed to both of us together at the same address.

Scan of a friends invitation to us both as a couple to attend her birthday party.

Scan of both our membership cards to a association we belong to.

Scan of a invitation from said association inviting us to attend our annual team building retreat, addressing us together and send by our associations president.

Screenshot showing our large number of mutual friends on facebook.

Scans of paired movie tickets, border crossing's, show tickets, tickets to a National Park, concert tickets.

We are trying to see if we can make a will together, to show our level of commitment.

I am trying to get a phone account listing to show our calls, but I was told its available only for the last 12 months. Still we've been living together and not more for a day apart over the last 6 years anyway.

Screenshot showing the total number of facebook messages between us, as well as several random messages over the entire period of our relationship.

Scans of my national identity card showing that I have been living at the same address as her for almost 2 years now. And in our statements mentioning that we've actually been living together even before that.

Some 20 photos showing us together during the last 6 years. Some of just us, some with friends, a couple with family. (Is 20 too much, should we try to thin it down?)

Scan of Australian citizenship

Scan of my Aus passport's bio page

*and of course managed to mess up the "thoughts*" in the title..sighHi again,I just wanted to share our current state, and perhaps get some insight from the people that happen to be here with more experience on the subject on what they think our situation seems like.Just the shortest of recaps. I'm a dual citizen (Aus and Croatian) living in Croatia. My Croatian girlfriend/defacto partner of 6 years and I are about ready to apply for her 309 partner visa.We've been setting money aside for the charge and have it ready now, and collected as much evidence as we could.I called the Vienna office (or London, not sure, wherever the website said to call) and got a confirmation that YES, we can do the 309 online, no need for any translations from Croatian, and being online we just scan the originals, no witnessing needed.I'd like to list out everything that we will be sending in with the application:From me as a sponsor:Later when asked, we shall be ofc sending the police check and medical check.So yes...as I said anyone with experience, what do you think seeing our list? Does it seem ok, a solid chance then of everything going ok so to speak?Anything important you think is missing (That I'd of course explain if its doable, we already tried or..forgot) advice..?We're SUPER nervous and anxious now, just to collect the last few things and SEND IT IN!
No, not Mad Men, although that would be appropriate for the ad theme of this story. I wonder what Don Draper and the guys would think of the Civic? It's certainly not a Cadillac, but it's not a Beetle either. And could you pick up the voluptuous Joan Harris in one of these?Anyway, the theme of the first Civic hatch promo is this: you've got an underground assembly line where angry robots made the car sitting underneath the regular line for vanilla Civics. It's dark, it's scary, and all the robots look like they might punch you in the teeth. But instead, they punch in the grille and slap some color on that bodywork.To be honest, I don't think it's a good ad. It's almost as if Honda is making fun of its young demographic, suggesting it's childish and superficial. And worst of all, they never point out that it has a trunk, which is the whole point of the Civic Hatchback. That being said, it should sell just fine without ads because it's got a standard 1.5-liter turbo engine that gets between 174 and 180 hp, depending on the trim and gearbox.The Sport Touring model shown here looks pretty good, thanks to double exhaust pipes in the middle and a body kit. But just wait until the Type R blows the competition out of the water next year!Let's end this with a fun little fact. As you probably know, all the 2017 Civic Hatchbacks will come from the UK factory in Sunderland. But did you know the last Civic hatch, the quirky 2002 to 2005 model, also came from England? Exactly, to begin with, it's never been that Japanese.
kW

RM Sothebys will be auctioning the hybrid hypercar on December 3rd at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali, a weekend-long event that will be held in the U.S. at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. Created as a nod to Italy, LaFerrari #500 proceeds will go toward the reconstruction of Central Italy in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 2016.Considering that the LaFerrari s original sticker price is a cool $1.4 million for the U.S.-spec model, the charity car should easily surpass $2 million if attendees arent in the mood for bidding. My gut tells me that's an understatement, chiefly because plenty of people are mad for special edition exotica. Speaking of which, chassis #500 is no ordinary LaFerrari coupe.Whereas the white stripes are inspired by those introduced by the Aperta (a.k.a. LaFerrari Spider), the 500th LaFerrari coupe also wears the Italian flag up front, right next to the Prancing Horse insignia. The earthquakes which have struck Central Italy this year devastated the lives of thousands of people, and the money raised by the sale of this LaFerrari could not be put to a better use, declared Rob Myers, the head honcho of RM Sothebys.Like the regular LaFerrari and the Aperta, the 500th LaFerrari coupe is motivated by an 800 PS 6.3-liter V12 engine coupled to a 120electric motor. Thus, total output stands at 963 PS (950 hp) at a screaming 9,000 rpm and an earth-shattering 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque at 6,750 rpm. These being said, LaFerrari coupe #500 wont be the last-ever LaFerrari considering that the Prancing Horse hasnt pulled the plug on the LaFerrari Aperta just yet. Of the latter, the production run is limited to 209 units.
While the performance offensive has not started as fast as Hyundai s race cars do in the WRC, the cogs of the development team are in motion. The premium brand owned by the South Korean corporation is on full throttle, as it prepares to expand its dealer network in the USA, along with launching new models.After the Genesis range has enough sedans to cover the premium market in a way imagined by its leaders, the company will move on to offer SUVs in the range. Once those are launched, the development team will be able to focus towards creating a new line of cars, which will be the performance variants of some of the models in the lineup.At this time, it is unclear what products in the Genesis range will get sporty versions, but it is clear that the SUVs will not be offered in such a configuration. Apparently, Genesis officials say that there is no market for quick SUVs to justify their development. While some units could be sold, emissions regulations might make them undesirable for the customers of 2020.The most likely choices for Genesis first performance models are the G90 and the upcoming G70. The first of them is the flagship of the range, and it could receive an N performance variant, which would be developed at Hyundais center in Namyang, South Korea. Albert Biermann , BMW M's former Vicepresident, would be in charge of the development work.The G90 has two engines full of potential in its range, a naturally aspirated V8 and a twin-turbo V6, and either of them could be mildly tuned to bring more power to those that want a premium model that is different from an Audi , BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz.Meanwhile, the upcoming G70, which is supposed to become a BMW 3 Series competitor, could also get a performance variant to compete with the legendary M3. The M3 rival does not make as much sense as the G90 N, because it might become too expensive when compared to the benchmark.It is worth noting that Hyundais future performance models launched by its Genesis brand are many years away. We would not expect one to be launched on the market by the end of 2017, but you can never know what the future holds for a brand that is well funded.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan held a meeting with the heads of customs services of the EAEU member states who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 21st session of customs service board of the EAEU states, press service of the Government told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guests, the PM said meetings in such format contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the customs service cooperation and stated that only through joint efforts it will be possible to reach an increase of competitiveness of national economies and ensure conditions for stable development of the business.

PM Karapetyan attached importance to the development of cooperation in the customs field and said it will enable to more quickly respond to issues and make mutually acceptable and effective decisions. The PM said the EAUE draft Customs Code will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the Unions economic activity and will improve the conditions for external economic activity.

The heads of the EAEU customs structures thanked for the readiness on organizing the Boards session in Armenia and preparing it at the highest level. Russias Customs Service Head Vladimir Bulavin said the adoption of the EAEU Customs Code will give a new impetus to the development of integration processes, the increase of productivity and transparency in the customs field, as well as the facilitation of trade turnover.
Chinas BYD will supply pure electric vehicles to Iran. BYDs strategic partnership with the countrys largest private passenger car manufacturer Kerman Khodro will also see the Shenzhen-based company export other leading technological products to Iran including hybrid vehicles, electric commercial vehicles, and rechargeable batteries.

Our partnership with Karmania is an important step in expanding our Middle East operations, said AD Huang, general manager of BYDs Middle East and Africa Auto Sales Division. Irans new energy vehicle market has vast potential because the government of Iran has the foresight of sustainable development. We endeavor to use our excellent technology to provide quality products and service to the people of Iran.

Iran is just one of several Middle Eastern countries responding to climate change concerns through various environmentally friendly policies, including tax breaks for new energy vehicles. These initiatives also assist nations in reducing their dependence on fossil fuel, according to BYD.

BYD said its commercial initiatives in the Middle East and Africa presently include energy storage, new energy vehicles, and solar power generation.
Since opening this CNG fueling station in Anderson, S.C., last year, Piedmont has reduced the price of its fuel to $1.37 per GGE. Photo courtesy of Piedmont Natural Gas

Fuel supplier Piedmont Natural Gas hopes to expand compressed natural gas (CNG) adoption with lowered fuel prices and contracts with government and commercial fleets in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Piedmont has been able to lower the price of its CNG by about 50 cents per gasoline-gallon equivalent due to a federal tax credit to incentivize the construction of CNG refueling stations,

The fuel supplier received approval from state regulators in North Carolina and South Carolina earlier this year to lower its prices, and did the same in Tennessee, where public CNG prices are unregulated. Currently, CNG from Piedmont costs $1.46 per gasoline-gallon equivalent in North Carolina and $1.37 in South Carolina.

Piedmont was recently awarded a contract from the City of Charlotte, N.C., to install a CNG station at the city's existing facility to fuel its refuse trucks. The company is also supplying CNG to private refueling stations for two national waste haulers. In addition, Piedmont has started construction on its 11th public CNG refueling station in Hickory, N.C.

Piedmont sold, delivered, or used approximately 5 million gasoline-gallon equivalents in the past year. About a third of the company's corporate fleet runs on CNG, according to the company.
Konkel

General Motors is expanding its sales and service team for commercial and government fleets by appointing regional directors for the Southeast and West regions.

With the move, GM Fleet expands to five regions from three starting Dec. 1. John Konkel will lead the Southeast region, while Mark Hogland will lead the West region.

"Many of our customers are in growth mode and we're following suit to provide more localized support and build even stronger relationships," said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet. "We're committed to delivering the best customer service in the industry."

Konkel arrives from his GM role as director of global retail in-vehicle technology. He has 30 years of experience with GM. He began his career as a sales engineer for Chevrolet and GMC W-Series medium duty trucks in 1986 and moved into the field soon after as a district sales manager in Baton Rouge, La.

The Southeast region is based in Alpharetta, Ga., and includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and southern Indiana.

Hogland

Hogland arrives from his GM role as a Chevrolet zone manager in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area. He has 13 years of experience with GM. Earlier in his career, he spent time at GM Fleet in the advertising and commercial dealer operations departments.

The West region is based in Westlake Village, Calif., and includes California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

The GM Fleet field team helps large commercial and government customers identify the correct vehicles to support their needs, assists them in selecting financing and provides product and technical support to keep fleets operating efficiently. Customers also can get help with fleet account inquiries, incentives programs, order management, vehicle logistics and service questions by calling the GM Fleet Action Center, according to GM.
Although there have only been a few weeks since its presentation held at the Hall of Los Angeles in mid-November, the 2017 Mazda CX-5 production already starts in Japan. Initially, these first units serve to supply the Japanese domestic market, shortly after starting manufacturing units for global markets.

The 2017 Mazda CX-5 has an evolved design over its predecessor. Thanks to the new KODO design philosophy of the brand, the new CX-5 enjoys more muscular forms, formed from very marked folds, drawing a very stylized silhouette, which rises in the front sharp as described by Newswire

The optics have a very ripped horizontal design, born in the nose in the front grille, while the rear appear to be based on riding the outgoing model. Inside are more quality and details, such as the central display, now towering above the center console and new chrome elements.

In the mechanical section, one can find a composite range of 3 blocks: one diesel 2.2 liters and two gasolines,2.0 and 2.5 litesr. The 2017 Mazda CX-5 will be available in manual and automatic transmissions and all - wheel drive for some versions according to Rankings and Reviews.

The new CX-5 will be built at the largest production plant of the brand, the No. 2 Ujina plant, which is close to the headquarters of the Japanese brand in Hiroshima. These facilities also assembled models like the CX-3 and CX-9, MX-5 and its cousin the Fiat 124 Spider .

The first batch of the 2017 Mazda CX-5 will leave the assembly line and will go on sale already in the local market in Japan in February 2017 before it makes the jump to the global markets. More than 2 months to go of waiting time is awesome. For now, checkout the first factory photos of the CX-5 at the video below.

It is worth noting that the previous generation, the first of Mazda CX-5, was launched in 2012 introducing the design line KODO that currently articulates the brand. In 2015 a figure of 1.57 million units produced since late last October is achieved making the Mazda CX-5 one of the most important cars of the Japanese firm as this model represents a quarter of total sales of Mazda.
Toyota Supra release date is still yet to be announced by the car company, but the production seems to be coming to a completion. Spy photos are recently leaked on the internet and from the looks of it, the new Toyota Supra is ready to shed its camouflage and reveal its all-new features.

From the spy photos leaked by Supra MKV, portions of the Toyota Supra exterior designs include pictures showing the vehicle's front bumper, a shapelier and tapered read end, a large front air intake and the iconic spotlight taillight which deviates from the FT-1 concept released last 2014.

From the spy photos leaked, the rear of the test mule Toyota Supra has a more sculpted look and now resembles a real car compared to the previous ones. Hidden under the camouflaged look is a noticeable bump on its nose which could resemble the FT-1's beak.

According to Auto Mobile, other clues of an FT-1 resemblance include the see slender taillights and a molded ducktail spoiler seen on the photos. From the rear end, the Toyota Supra is looking more like the FT-1 minus the diffuser or the third brake light was seen in the FT-1 model. Seen in the pictures, the test car Toyota Supra has an air channel along the side of the vehicle which could be an indication for a more aerodynamic car.

There are speculations regarding the Toyota Supra's engine. Although no release of information was given by the car company, rumors of a six-cylinder and hybrid drivetrains are in circulation. The new Toyota Supra will have its production together with another new BMW model, the BMW Z5, which will start its production by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. From the spy shots, the new Supra vehicle is almost ready for production. It is about time Toyota Company will announce its production date. For more updates, stay tuned.

Toyota Supra is expected to have similar features with Toyota FT-1 model.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on November 30 held a meeting with the heads of customs services delegations of the EAEU member states who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 21st session of the joint board of the customs services, press service of the Presidential administration told Armenpress.

President Sargsyan welcomed the guests and attached importance to the boards session held today in Tsakhkadzor. Serzh Sargsyan stated the attitude towards the EAEU is formed also due to the quality of work and cooperation of the customs services. He said the improvement of business environment in every country, the formation and development of market of goods, services, capital and labor depends on the activity of these structures.

The President expressed hope that the contemporary issues and the adopted decisions at the Tsakhkadzor session will contribute to solving those issues and the implementation of goals that are set by the Unions member states within the frames of integration processes.

The delegation heads presented President Sargsyan the session results and expressed gratitude to the Armenian partners for organizing the session at the highest level. They stated that every union is first of all based on mutual trust, and the work of the joint board of the customs services is aimed at strengthening that trust through everyday close cooperation.

The delegation heads also presented the President the ongoing work on developing new Customs Code aimed at improving the EAEU customs legislation, the current issues and challenges faced by the customs services, the development prospects.
A ten-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force died Monday when the CF-18 Hornet fighter he was flying crashed while on a low-level attack training mission in northern Saskatchewan. Capt. Thomas McQueen was flying with another Hornet on the training run at the Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake weapons range that straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. He was a combat veteran with deployments in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. I can tell you firsthand how much of an incredible person he was and that he was dedicated to the service of Canada, Col. Paul Doyle, commanding officer of the base, told reporters Tuesday. It was the latest in a string of recent crashes of legacy F-18s.

Canadian CF-18s are of the same vintage as those flown by the U.S. Marines (including the Blue Angels), Navy and some other air forces. At least eight of the 30-plus-year-old jets have gone down since last June, resulting in three other deaths. Most of the other crashes were Marine and Navy incidents but a Swiss air force pilot also died in an F-18 crash in that country. The Navy had planned for most of its F-18s to be retired by now and replaced by F-35s but delays in the Lightning II program have left them short of front-line fighters. Boeing has been contracted to take 30 old F-18s out of desert storage and get them flying again with modern avionics until the F-35s take over.
Underscoring their close security ties, Russia and Armenia on Wednesday agreed to reinforce a joint Russian-Armenian military force that was created more than a decade ago.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and his Armenian counterpart Vigen Sargsian signed an agreement on the united group of troops of the two countries after talks held in Moscow.

Neither man made public statements immediately after signing the unpublicized deal that was formally approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

Russias Defense Ministry cited a November 14 statement by the Kremlin saying that the deal will ensure adequate reaction to armed attacks and other challenges and threats to the security of the parties. The joint force will protect Armenias and Russias borders, the ministry added without elaborating.

The contingent set up in 2000 comprises troops from the Russian military base in Armenia and the Armenian armys Fifth Corps. They have held exercises on an annual basis, most recently in October, typically simulating joint military operations against an invading enemy.

It is not yet clear whether the Russian-Armenian force will be enlarged as a result of the agreement negotiated by the two sides for the past several months.

In an interview with the Moscow newspaper Izvestia published on Monday, Sargsian said the agreement will upgrade the status of the joint force headed by an Armenian army general. He said it will also clarify the military units mission, composition, command-and-control structure and details of its possible deployments.

The main task of the United Group of Troops is to identify preparation of military aggression against Armenia and Russia in a timely manner and to repel it jointly with the armed forces of Armenia and Russia, added Sargsian.

The Armenian defense minister arrived in Moscow from the Russian city of Rostov where he visited on Monday the headquarters of Russias Southern Military District, which oversees the Russian troops in Armenia. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Sargsian discussed with the districts commanders ways of strengthening interaction within the framework of the joint force.

President Serzh Sarkisian stressed the importance of the upcoming defense agreement but declined to divulge its details when he spoke to the state-run Russia Today news agency two weeks ago. There are some details there which I wouldnt like to discuss, he said.

Some Armenian politicians, media commentators and other pundits have criticized the planned deal in recent weeks, calling it a threat to Armenias sovereignty and even security. The Armenian government and its loyalists have rejected the criticism.

The governments pro-Western critics voiced similar concerns after the Armenian parliament ratified in June a controversial Russian-Armenian agreement on the creation of a new system of joint air defense. The Defense Ministry in Yerevan sought to allay those concerns, saying that an Armenian army general will command all Russian and Armenia air-defense forces deployed within Armenia. Those include MiG-29 fighter jets of the Russian military base headquartered in Gyumri.

The base is tasked with helping Armenia protect its internationally recognized territory, which does not include Nagorno-Karabakh. Its troops therefore have no formal obligation to intervene in a possible Armenian-Azerbaijani war for the disputed region.

Nevertheless, some Azerbaijani observers and even pro-government lawmakers have already denounced the new Russian-Armenian defense accord as further proof of Russian support for Armenia in the Karabakh conflict.

Incidentally, Shoygu met with Azerbaijans Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov earlier on Wednesday. A Russian Defense Ministry statement quoted him as saying at the meeting that Russia and Azerbaijan will step up their military cooperation. The Russian defense minister pointed to their joint fight against international terrorism and training of Azerbaijani military personnel at Russian military academies.

The statement did not say whether Shoygu and Hasanov discussed the Russian-Armenian deal signed right after their talks.
A senior diplomat spoke of Frances growing engagement in Armenia on Wednesday as it allocated a 40 million-euro ($44 million) loan that will be used for financing the Armenian governments budget deficit.

The French Development Agency (AFD) formalized the disbursement with an agreement which one of its senior officials, Jean-Claude Pires, and Frances ambassador to Armenia, Jean-Francois Charpentier, signed with Finance Minister Vartan Aramian in Yerevan.

A statement by the French Embassy said the funding will support the Armenian governments efforts to reduce poverty, improve the domestic business environment, and implement other economic reforms.

The agreement marks Frances growing engagement in favor of the countrys social and economic development, it quoted Charpentier as saying. This funding will help to boost economic growth and job creation.

The disbursement raised to approximately $140 million the total amount of AFD funding provided to Armenia since 2013. The French government agencys previous loan worth $82 million was made available in January. It is being used for refurbishing and expanding Armenian irrigation networks.

A separate statement by the Armenian Finance Ministry also said that the French loan, repayable in 20 years, will support the implementation of the recently reshuffled governments reform program. It did not specify whether the loan will be channeled into the Armenian state budget for this or next year.

The government is expected to fail to meet its 2016 budgetary targets because of a shortfall in its anticipated tax revenue. Aramian warned recently that the budget deficit could reach almost 6 percent of Gross Domestic Product because of that.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetians cabinet plans to reduce the deficit next year through spending cuts and better tax collection which is envisaged by its draft 2017 budget. The Armenian parliament began debating the spending bill on November 17.
30 November 2016 11:14 (UTC+04:00)

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 20 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on November 30.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in Gizilhajili village of Gazakh district, Kohnegishlag village of Agstafa district of Azerbaijan underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in Berkaber, Paravakar villages of the Ijevan district of Armenia.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in Munjuglu village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located on nameless heights of the Berd district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions were fired at from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Chilaburt village of the Tartar district, Shikhlar village of the Agdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz village of the Fuzuli district, as well as on nameless heights of the Tartar and Fuzuli districts.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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30 November 2016 12:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The launch of a judicial process over the Khojaly genocide, committed by Armenians back in 1992, may cause a big resonance in the world.

Azerbaijani MP Asim Mollazadeh made the remark during presentation of the project Study of the legal aspects of recognition at the international level crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Baku.

The parliamentarian suggested considering this issue through more real prisms, mentioning that Azerbaijan was late in this matter.

We have little hope that the UN Security Council will take any steps in connection with this crime. However, the international court may punish the criminals, Mollazadeh noted.

He stressed that Azerbaijan, with the participation of international lawyers, should achieve holding of such a trial in the country.

Currently, there are 38 Armenian criminals [who were involved in the genocide crimes] in Armenia and Russia. We have to achieve extradition of these criminals to Azerbaijan through the agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Russia, the MP said.

The Khojaly genocide, which occurred on the night of February 25-26, 1992, is one of the bloodiest tragedies in human history.

As a result of the massacre, 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children, 70 old men, were mercilessly killed, 487 people were injured, 1,275 civilians were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people is still unknown. Moreover, eight families were completely destroyed, while 25 children lost both parents.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 November 2016 18:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A growing number of Armenians are living in poverty, according to the data of the Armenian National Statistical Service.

The official data shows that the total number of poor in 2015 amounted to about 900,000 people. It means that almost every third resident of the country is poor. In this context, pensions and benefits are vital for Armenias population, Hetq.am reports.

The surveys of the NSS show that pensions are the source of income for 54 percent of households in Armenia, and family benefits are such a source for other 13.5 percent. Thus, for many people in Armenia pension and benefits are the main sources of income.

Accordingly, in case pensions and benefits are no longer paid and the population failed to find other sources of income, then the poverty rate in Armenia will increase from 29.8 to 43.7 percent - almost half of the countrys population.

Moreover, the unemployment rate in the country is highest among the CIS states  it made up 18.4 percent in the second quarter of 2016. Therefore, daily Armenians hold protests demanding to open new jobs, while others can find no other way but to leave the country.

All this is certainly linked with the economic situation in Armenia, which is doleful. Armenia will have zero growth of economy in 2016, or possibly a recession, Tigran Jrbashyan, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia, told ARKA.

If the GDP growth will make at least 0.5-1 percent, we will consider that a success. However, I think it will be worse, he added. Jrbashyan predicted that early next year will also be challenging.

Another bad news for Armenians relates to the national debt of the country. Thus, this indicator is expected to equal $6.25 billion by the end of 2017, Armenian Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan said at the Armenian Parliament on November 30.

"By the end of the current year, the figuret is expected to reach $5.85 billion."

Overall, it is obvious that the Armenian economy is stuck in problems and does not have positive prospects for near future. The current Armenian government is to blame for bringing the country into such a situation.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 November 2016 14:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Javier Solana

Across the West, faith in international governance and economic globalization is declining. As Donald Trumps victory in the United States presidential election showed, voters, driven by a sense of injustice and inequality, are increasingly rejecting openness, as well as the political establishment that has advanced it. But, while the grievances fueling these choices are real  many have been left behind by globalization  the treatment is likely to cause more harm than the disease.

Trump won by promising to pursue unilateral and inward-looking solutions, much like those advocated by proponents of the United Kingdoms exit from the European Union. Voters were galvanized by the prospect of rejecting new free-trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and renegotiating old ones like the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA). They rally against multilateral bodies like the World Trade Organization (WTO)  the main forum for negotiating and implementing global trade norms and one of the only international organizations with a quasi-judicial dispute-settlement entity.

All of this ignores a crucial fact: in todays world, turning inward is not a viable option, especially for Western liberal democracies. We are simply too interconnected; the problems, challenges, and opportunities we face have no regard for national borders.

Efforts to move backward to the time of independent nation-states will therefore carry massive costs. Indeed, the decline of the WTO, together with the demise of deals like the TPP and NAFTA, would fuel the emergence of separate trade blocs, inaugurating a new era of great power competition. Perhaps most important, a retreat from global trade would bring about a generalized loss of welfare.

The good news is that not everyone is suffering from such a lack of vision. The European Union and Canada have signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), providing a glimmer of hope that progress can still be made on prosperity-enhancing trade and investment pacts.

It was not an easy negotiation, and the CETA has faced resistance from groups that worry that more trade will hurt their livelihoods. But the protracted talks, which included a complex final approval process, finally succeeded in October.

The CETA is a positive development not only because it links two developed economies that project democratic values and boast strong welfare systems, but also because it introduces high environmental, labor, and phytosanitary standards for trade. It will also provide a substantial economic boost, possibly adding around 12 billion ($12.7 billion) to the EUs GDP, while underpinning a nearly 25% increase in the trade of goods and services for both sides. This is particularly important at a time when trade growth is outpaced by GDP growth, a dramatic reversal from recent trends.

Yet another advantage of the CETA is improved dispute settlement, brought about by the establishment of a permanent court whose members will be chosen by Canada and the EU together, in order to avoid conflicts of interest. To ensure transparency, arbitral awards will be made public, and parties will have the right to appeal.

Recent election outcomes threaten not only trade, but also the environment and the worlds climate. The US, which is responsible for 16% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, is critical to any effort to fight climate change  not least because of the example it sets for other high-emitting countries. Yet Trump vowed repeatedly during his campaign to cancel the historic global climate agreement reached in Paris last December.

If Trump delivers on this promise, the consequences could be dire. The promising news here is that, at this years climate conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, the rest of the signatories to the Paris agreement clearly expressed their determination to implement the commitments they submitted.

There is even more promising news: last month, governments, industry, and civil-society representatives reached a deal to limit CO2 emissions by the civil aviation industry  the first-ever agreement to reduce CO2 emissions in a global sector. Given that, in a high-demand scenario, the industry would be emitting by 2050 almost as much CO2 as Russia and India combined emit today, this is a hugely important development.

Again, the EU stands out for its forward-thinking stance, playing a central role  along with its member states  in brokering the deal, which requires airlines to offset the growth of their CO2 emissions from 2020 by purchasing emission units generated by emissions-reducing projects in other sectors, like renewables.

In the mid-2000s, the EU  which already had its own carbon-trading scheme (the EU ETS) in place  recognized that despite the commitments included in the Kyoto Protocol, the world had not succeeded in reducing the industrys emissions. It commenced work on a solution in 2008. By 2012, it had convinced the International Civil Aviation Organization to commit to reaching a global agreement by the end of 2016. The fulfillment of that commitment amounts to a major step forward for climate cooperation.

The world is past the point of closed borders and unilateral solutions. We have already globalized; now we need global rules to underpin economic and financial stability, as well as peace and security. The EU, despite its many challenges, has not only proved its value as a cornerstone of the international order; it has also vindicated the broader value of global vision and leadership, carried out through diplomacy and smart multilateralism. Now more than ever, it is a lesson that we cannot afford to ignore.

Copyright: Project Syndicate:Why Multilateralism Still Matters

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30 November 2016 10:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A Ministerial Meeting on Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) was held in Baku as part of the Bakutel 2016, the 22nd Azerbaijan International Exhibition and Conference.

Minister of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan, Ramin Guluzade , adressing the event, spoke about the importance of TASIM project against the background of the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan for the development of the ICT sector, Azertac reported.

The Minister said that dynamically developing in the world, ICT is a priority area in Azerbaijan and it is in the spotlight of President Ilham Aliyev.

Ramin Guluzade hailed special role of TASIM in meeting the growing demand for the exchange of information among the countries of the world.

Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication Ahmet Arslan, in turn, expressed satisfaction for being a partner in such a project. He said that Turkey was ready to provide all the support for the implementation of TASIM, which is considered the global project of the future.

The project supported by the United Nations is of great importance for partner countries, as well as world, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Houlin Zhao said in his speech.

He noted that such projects against the background of the dynamic development of ICT were promising future prospects.

In November 2008, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Azerbaijan put forward the initiative to launch a project on building of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM).

A special Baku Declaration to create the Transnational Eurasian Information Super Highway was adopted on November 11, 2008 in Baku.

On 21 December 2009, the 64th session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution on Transnational Eurasian Information Super Highway. Co-sponsored by 30 countries and adopted by consensus the resolution acknowledges the role of the Republic of Azerbaijan in coordination of TASIM.

Since April 2010, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan has established and funded an Executive Group on TASIM as a vehicle for project implementation. The Executive Group, in cooperation with a team of international consultants, created initial business concept for TASIM and negotiated establishment of TASIM consortium with the leading regional countries and operators.

On 21 December 2012, to speed up the fulfilment of the project, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a new resolution, which contributed to the update of political support of the UN for project TASIM. It should be noted that Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Canada, Germany, India, Georgia, Sweden, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Moldova, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United States and Japan were also involved in supporting the project.

The political support of UN to create Eurasian Connectivity Alliance which facilitates the policy dialogue on telecommunications transit route, regional promotion and support of cooperation, the growth of education, as well as serving as the creation of opportunities to exchange experiences and knowledge has been updated with the following resolution adopted without a vote at the 67th session of the General Assembly held on September 4, 2013.

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30 November 2016 17:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

To promote the national brands in Dubai, Azerbaijan's export mission visited the United Arab Emirates recently.

The delegation included representatives of 20 companies engaged in manufacture of natural juices, mineral beverages, agricultural products, meat and meat products, honey, milk and dairy produce, Trend reported.

During the Dubai visit, the Azerbaijani businessmen visited gigantic markets of Dubai such as Carrefour, Spinneys and Union Co-op, where they discussed possibilities of the sale of Azerbaijani products in these markets as well as distribution issues.

The Economy Ministry reported that the delegation visited "Al Aweer" fruit and vegetable store of Dubai. The representative of the "Al Aweer" showed an interest in Azerbaijani pomegranate and apple products and ordered samples of these products for testing.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani businessmen visited logistic companies and discussed issues of exporting national agro products to the UAE.

During the visit organized by AZPROMO and "Dubai Exports", the national companies met with representatives of about 20 companies of the UAE.

In order to bring the economy to a new level Azerbaijan started promoting the Made in Azerbaijan brand in foreign markets.

The presidential decree, dated October 5, approves the form of the report On the work carried out to encourage the export of non-oil products of Azerbaijani origin and helps promoting Made in Azerbaijan brand in foreign markets.

In order to finance the support of these measures, some 3 million manats (about $1.7 million) were allocated from the Azerbaijani Presidents Reserve Fund in the 2016 State Budget.

This is the second export mission organized by the Economy Ministry in order to promote 'Made in Azerbaijan' brand in foreign markets.

Today Azerbaijan outputs more than 250 kinds of home-made products in food, light, heavy and construction industries.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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30 November 2016 15:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Shaki, the ancient and beautiful region of Azerbaijan, will host the 34th session of the Permanent Council of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), Azertac reported.

The Permanent Council will review its activity over the last year, current and new projects, and discuss ways of expanding cultural relations between the member states.

The Council will also select a new city as the cultural capital of the Turkic world for 2017. The session will culminate with the signing of a final declaration and a press conference.

Moreover, the closing ceremony of Shaki  the capital of Turkic world in 2016 campaign will take place on December 1.

In 2012, the city was chosen as the Capital of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Also, 2012 year was declared as the year of Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, an author and activist, who was born in Shaki.

Participants of the event will visit must-see places in Shaki, including Khan Palace and Caravanserai.

Known for its beauty and charm, Shaki is a unique place that has preserved the culture of urban planning inherent to medieval towns.

Shaki located at the foot of timbered mountains, is split by Dayirmanarkhi and Gurjana rivers into north and south parts. Alexander Dumas, Thor Heyerdahl and other famous persons narrated about the beauty of Shaki in their masterpieces.

It was one of the biggest cities of the Albanian states in the 1st century. The main temple of the ancient Albanians was located there. For centuries this beautiful city, which is located along the route of the ancient Silk Road, was an important center of art and commerce.

Rare historical and architectural monuments of the city - caravanserais, mosques, minarets, walls, bridges, etc. indicate ancient architectural style of Shaki.

Shaki, being one of the most ancient cities of Azerbaijan, is rightly called the architectural reserve of the country. Circle shrine, Gelersen-Gorersen fortress (picture), Shaki Juma, Omar Efendi mosques, Narin Gala and other buildings....The palace of Shaki Khans is one of the most precious pearls of this unique place. The maples in the palace`s yard are even older than buildings there.

Ashagi and Yukari caravanserais built in the 18th century is an exotic place for tourists. It is easy to escape summer heat and city noise.

Shaki is home to a number of ancient arts. Tinners, potters, hatters and musical instruments makers are working there. Shebeke ornament is one of the ancient arts in Shaki. It made Shaki famous around the world.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has the best opportunities for development of winter tourism. The country can be presented in the international market as a preferable destination for winter tourism, interim chairperson of the state tourism committee of the ministry of economic development and investments Mrs. Zarmine Zeytuntsyan told a press conference in ARMENPRESS.

Tourism is a direction based on demand. When you create demand, the supply begins to form inside the country. The development of winter tourism is important in terms of both boosting community life and expanding the tourism season. Ski touring is developing globally, and our country has quite favorable conditions for it. We have planned serious joint works with the private sector in order to have good positions in the international market with winter tourism opportunities, she said.

In terms of development of infrastructures, Zeytuntsyan pointed out Tsakhkadzor and Jermuk. According to her, ski touring doesnt require serious infrastructures. In this regard, Zeytuntsyan says all mountainous areas of Armenia are convenient, such as Aragats, Hatis, Ara Mountain etc.

If other countries are spending great amounts of money to have artificially created snow, Armenia in this context is in a very favorable position, Director of Shirak Tours Alexan Ter-Minasyan said, pointing out Shirak province as an example.

The Shirak Province differs with lots of snow. There are parts, where snowfalls are continous for almost 7 months. Moreover, there is an area in the vicinity of Mets Sepasar village, where we invite people to ski in June. When our Austrian partners arrived in Shirak, they were surprised, they were saying we have so much snow but no guests, he said.
30 November 2016 11:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Turkey consistently supports a just resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and takes a common position with Azerbaijan, said Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ahmet Arslan.

Arslan, talking to Trend on November 29, said Turkey and Azerbaijan are two states but one nation.

There are strategic relations between Ankara and Baku in accordance with this principle, and these relations are constantly developing, the minister added.

Noting that Turkey and Azerbaijan always support each other in all international platforms, Arslan said that this fact pleases Ankara.

Cooperation of Turkey and Azerbaijan will develop in the future at an increasing pace. It is important for our countries and peoples, the minister noted.

Ankara backs Baku on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and advocates a solution to this problem in the framework of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Turkey has repeatedly voiced its desire to contribute to peace and stability in the region.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Currently, it is co-chaired by the Russian Federation, the U.S., and France.

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. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 November 2016 16:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The unresolved or protracted conflicts represent a serious threat to the security and stability of Europe, said Azay Guliyev, Azerbaijani MP, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) vice-president.

He made the remarks during the 48th General Assembly of Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) in Belgrade on November 30, Trend reported.

As you all know, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova have been impacted by unresolved conflicts, disrupting the lives of dozens of thousands of people at times with tragic and painful consequences, said Guliyev.

He pointed out that there are no quick and easy fixes to these issues, but it is clear that an inclusive approach in the spirit of the Helsinki Final Act must be developed.

I strongly believe that parliamentary diplomacy, confidence building and dialogue have an essential role to play in the search for solutions to all conflicts in the OSCE region, said Guliyev, adding that in this regard, the Resolution on "Adherence to the Helsinki Principles in inter-state relations across the OSCE area" passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Helsinki in 2015 is highly important.

The MP added that in this resolution, the OSCE PA urges settlement of the conflicts, including those affecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova, based on the norms and principles of international law, in particular those relating to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of the states concerned.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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30 November 2016 10:31 (UTC+04:00)

A working meeting with NATO/US experts was held in the Military Academy of the Armed Forces as part of NATO's Defence Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) to assist the development of the military education system of Azerbaijan's Armed Forces.

Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry reported that a review of visits to military educational institutions of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Sweden, as well as discussions of the issues on the study and use of international military education experience were held during the event.

Azerbaijan's cooperation with NATO is carried out in the framework of the Partnership for Peace program. Earlier, NATO has approved the document of the fourth stage for the Individual action plan within the partnership for 2015-2016.

The country also cooperates with NATO in Afghanistan -- the peacekeeping contingent of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces has been serving there since November 20, 2002. As of April 2016, the Azerbaijani peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan includes 90 servicemen, two medical officers and two sappers.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan allowed the NATO planes carrying non-combat loads for a mission in Afghanistan to fly through Azerbaijan's airspace and to use the country's airports. About 40 percent of all cargo destined for the NATO mission in Afghanistan pass through Baku. In addition,

Azerbaijan has for many years participated in peacekeeping missions in Iraq and Kosovo.

Moreover, NATO keeps the focus the issue of security of the oil and gas pipelines in the South Caucasus region that pass through the territory of Azerbaijan as well.

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30 November 2016 10:39 (UTC+04:00)

A new print edition of the AZERNEWS online newspaper was released on November 30.

The new edition includes articles about: Bakutel 2016 kicks off in capital city, Azerbaijan prepares bill on Khojaly Genocide, BP extends business development program, Azerbaijan seeks to export its products to Germany, etc

AZERNEWS is an associate member of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

The online newspaper is available at www.azernews.az.
30 November 2016 13:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Since 2007, the European Union has successfully implemented 48 twinning projects in Azerbaijan.



Jeroen Willems, Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan announced about this during the event dedicated to summing up the implementation of the joint twinning project by the EU and the Taxes Ministry of Azerbaijan on the improvement of human resource management in Baku.



"This is a very good figure, and it, in particular, exceeds the number of projects in Georgia and Moldova. In 2017, we plan to begin the 50th jubilee twinning project," he said.

He added that over 30 public institutions took advantage of the realized twinning projects in Azerbaijan.

"This increases the level of cooperation between the different administrations. I am very pleased that the Taxes Ministry is one of these institutions," said Willems.

Willems further mentioned that the EU and Azerbaijan mark the 25th anniversary of their partnership in 2016.

"But I would also like to point out that next year will be 10 years since we started the joint implementation of the twinning projects," he added.

Earlier in May, Sahil Babayev, Azerbaijans Deputy Minister of Economy said that the EU is preparing to implement nine twinning projects worth nearly  9 million in Azerbaijan.



Saying that new projects are expected to be implemented in the spheres of justice, education, agriculture, he added that each project is realized within the framework of 2 years.

Currently, the bilateral relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are regulated on the basis of a partnership and cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1996 and came into force in 1999. The agreement provides for wide-range cooperation in the areas of political dialogue trade, investment, in economic matters, legislation and culture.

Since then, the European Union has gradually expanded the scope of its assistance and cooperation with Azerbaijan.

The European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan on November 14.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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30 November 2016 14:11 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 30.

The message reads:

Dear Mr President,

Dear brother,

We were deeply saddened by the news of casualties and injuries as a fire broke out at a student dormitory in the Aladag district, Adana province.

We share your grief over this tragedy. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend deep condolences to you, families and the loved ones of those who died, and the brotherly people of Turkey, and wish the injured swiftest possible recovery.

May Allah rest the souls of the dead in peace!

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, November 30, 2016

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30 November 2016 11:23 (UTC+04:00)

Baku hosted an official opening ceremony of the visit program of delegation consisting of representatives of more than 25 companies operating in various sectors of oil and gas industry led by UK Special Trade Envoy for Azerbaijan Baroness Emma Nicholson.

The event was held in the administrative building of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Azertac reported.

The key goal of the visit is to identify prospects of cooperation between UK companies with local companies operating in the oil and gas industry and further development of cooperation.

During the official part of the event Baroness Nicholson, Vice President on Geology and Geophysics at SOCAR Bahram Huseynov and Vice President of BP-Azerbaijan Joe Murphy spoke about the history of cooperation between the two countries, current and future projects and answered questions of local and British companies who attended the event.

In coming days, guests with participation of international companies will continue to visit enterprises established in Azerbaijan.

During her Baku visit, Baroness Nicholson was earlier received by President Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijan`s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva .

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30 November 2016 15:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

SOCAR Trading SA, the marketing arm of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, has hired three new crude traders, who will be based in London with a view to targeting the Chinese market, SOCAR Trading Chief Executive Arzu Azimov said in an interview with Reuters on November 30.

Wang Zheng, the former head of crude at UNIPEC [China's largest international trade company], in London, and Xun Dong, a former crude trader at Shell [an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company] joined SOCAR this month and a third trader is due to join in 2017, he said.

Of course we will exercise their (traders') network in China and access to refineries in China, Azimov said.

Our strategy is global crude trading and the missing point so far was coverage of Asia because Asia was mostly concentrated around marketing/supply with national oil companies and government-to-government deals, he added.

He further noted that SOCAR Trading plans to sell directly to Chinese refiners, the so-called "teapots", which were given import licenses in 2015.

Asian refiners prefer heavier crude, he clarified.

Headquartered in Geneva, SOCAR Trading was incorporated in December 2007 as the marketing arm of SOCAR with a mandate to market Azerbaijani barrels produced from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field and other surrounding fields in Azerbaijan.

While the company continues to market the bulk of SOCAR crude oil export volumes from Ceyhan port in Turkey, it has also been able to develop significant third party volumes through both leveraging its system barrels, as well as its experienced traders developing new business.

SOCAR Tradings activities cover the US, and countries in Europe and Asia.

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30 November 2016 17:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

OPEC clinched a deal to curtail oil supply and brought about its first cuts in eight years, Bloomberg News reports.

The Cartel will reduce production by 1.2 million barrels a day to 32.5 million a day, a delegate said on November 30 in Vienna, asking not to be identified as the decision isnt yet public.

After weeks of often tense negotiations, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries three biggest producers - Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran - resolved differences over sharing the burden of cuts to rein in supply for the first time since 2008.

Notably, it appears the Saudis accepted that Iran, as a special case, can raise production to about 3.9 million barrels a day. The agreement is also likely to include a reduction of about 600,000 barrels a day by non-OPEC countries.

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30 November 2016 12:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

Uzbek Defense Minister Kabul Berdiyev and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an agreement on developing military-technical cooperation (MTC) and the plan of bilateral cooperation between the defenses ministries for 2017 on November 29, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

The documents were signed following the talks between the defense ministers of two countries in Moscow.

Situation near the borders of Uzbekistan once again raises the question about the necessity of cooperating within the CSTO and SCO in order to maintain peace and security in the region, noted Shoigu.

The minister expressed his confidence that the countries have prospects and possibilities to strengthen military and technical cooperation in the interests of their own and regional security.

In his turn, Berdiyev stressed that Russia had been the main strategic partner for Uzbekistan.

The agreement aims at deepening cooperation as well as joining efforts to improve each other's military hardware and technology and working on both countries' scientific, technical and industrial capacities related to military, security, law enforcement and special forces applications.



The agreement may lead to the creation of joint military-technical programs, the signing of contracts between the two sides' relevant agencies and holding consultations with the involvement of experts from both Russia and Uzbekistan.

The Russian minister noted that program aimed at modernization and re-equipment of the armed forces of Uzbekistan with modern Russia armament and military hardware will be implemented.

Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan is based on a solid legal base. Relations between the two countries have been developing within the framework of the signed Agreement on Strategic Partnership in 2004 and the Treaty on Allied Relations in 2005.

Moreover, the trade-economic cooperation has a special place in the Moscow-Tashkent ties. Russia is Uzbekistan's second largest foreign trade partner with a share 17 percent.

Currently, over 900 joint ventures established jointly with Russia operate in Uzbekistan. Also, some 85 Russian companies have opened their representative offices in this Central Asian state.

According to Russias Federal Customs Service, Russias trade with Uzbekistan in 2015 hit $2.8 billion. In recent years, over $6 billion was invested in Russia in the Uzbek economy.

---

Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia Suren Karayan met with Ambassador of Lebanon to Armenia Jean Macaron and representatives of the Armenian community in Lebanon.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia, in his speech Ambassador Jean Macaron hailed the reforms within the Ministry and the active economic policies of the Armenian Government.

The Ambassador introduced the spheres the Lebanese investors are interested in, particularly mentioning the spheres of coffee and sweets production, tourism, waste management and agriculture.

The Ambassador of Lebanon informed the Minister that Armenian-based Lebanese companies provide 3000-4000 jobs in Armenia. Jean Macaron added that he is interested in activating trade and economic relation s between Armenia and Lebanon.

Minister Karayan listened to the issues of concern of Lebanese investors that are mainly taxes and customs. He mentioned that the policy of the new Government is to decrease the control prices in case of relevant documents are provided. The Minister urged the businessmen to turn to the Ministry in case of such obstacles occur.

Suren Karayan assured that the Ministry will do its best to make the Armenian business environment maximally favorable for Lebanese businessmen and thanked Ambassador Jean Macaron for the meeting, hoping the Lebanese investment potentials will be best realized in Armenia.
30 November 2016 13:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

The Turkish parliament on November 29 endorsed the ratification of the Russian-Turkish agreement on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline construction.

The bill is expected to be voted by lawmakers at plenary session of the Parliament before Turkish Prime Minister's Binali Yildirim's visit to Russia scheduled for December 6-7.

The Turkish Stream project was announced in late 2014 by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to Turkey.

In November 2015, the project was suspended after a Russian Su-24 aircraft was downed by a Turkish F-16 fighter in Syria. A thaw in relations between Moscow and Ankara began last June following Turkey's apology to Russia.

On October 10, Moscow and Ankara signed an intergovernmental agreement, which envisions construction of two underwater legs of the gas pipeline in the Black Sea.

The annual capacity of each leg is estimated to reach 15.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Pipe-laying work for the Turkish Stream will begin in 2017 and end in late 2019.

The projects total cost is estimated at 11.4 billion, with the cost of the first line amounting to 4.3 billion.

---

Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 November 2016 15:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

The Chinese car company BYD and Iranian car manufacturer Kerman Motor signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the production of hybrid and electric vehicles, the Iranian company informed.

Under the deal, the Chinese company will export technology to produce hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as batteries to Iran.

The document also provides for the export of crossover BYD E6 and BYD Tang car to Iran in 2017.

BYD E6 is a fully electric compact crossover, and BYD Tang is a hybrid SUV.

Ad Huang, executive director of BYD for the Middle East and Africa, said on the sidelines of the signing ceremony that Iran has a high potential in terms of renewable energy use in the automotive market.

The company will provide high-quality products and services to the Iranians, he added.

China was Iran's top consumer of crude oil. Even after international sanctions targeted Tehrans energy sector, China continued its cooperation with Iran through purchasing oil and developing energy projects.



Over the past six years, Beijing has been Tehrans major trade partner.



Beyond its oil resources, Iran also plays an important role in Chinas regional economic ambitions. China is for expansion of ties in the transport sector and Iran and China both are considered to be significant destinations that are located along the Silk Road.



Earlier in 2015 Iranian media reported that Tehran plans to participate in an ambitious Chinese plan to revive the Silk Road which aims to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through a network of roads, railways, ports, and airports.

---

Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
So far so good on my CAD/JPY trade, but it looks like doubts about an OPEC output deal are starting to creep in. Think I should keep this open or close early? In case you missed it, dont forget to review my initial long-term trade setup first!

I hopped in a long position on a break of the descending channel at 83.25 with my stop below the 80.00 major psychological level. Price continued to climb from there but found resistance at the 84.00 handle last week before turning lower on Monday as the odds of an OPEC output deal fell.

Apparently, Iran is still refusing to cut production down to the OPEC-recommended levels since its trying to make up for lost revenues from the time when Western sanctions were in place. Meanwhile, Iraq says that it will be on board only when everyone agrees to cooperate. With that, theres a chance that the cartel could fail to produce a deal this week, which could spur sharp losses for the commodity and the oil-related Loonie.

Then again, Saudi Arabia could be intent on maintaining the cartels credibility, especially since their oil minister has been optimistic about reaching an agreement soon. Similar to their September meeting in Algiers, they could announce that they reached a deal to draft a deal. Again.

Another possible outcome is that they could concede to Irans demands and give them special treatment just to ensure that an agreement is made and to prevent further declines in crude oil prices. This could keep CAD/JPY afloat since the Japanese yen looks ready to extend its slide for yet another week.

Ive rolled my stop up to the 82.75 mark, just below the 83.00 major psychological support, to limit potential losses in case OPEC talks break down. This should leave me with 0.04% on the line since I initially risked only 0.25% on this position, giving me room to add another 0.25% in case price makes a sharp break past the 84.25 area.

As always, dont risk more than 1% of your account on a single trade and make sure you read our risk disclosure if youre thinking of taking the same setups.

Q3 2016 Trading Performance Review

Read about my trading framework

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These are some of our favorite trading books, and BabyPips.com receives a small credit from any purchases through the Amazon links above to help support the free content and features of our siteenjoy!

This content is strictly for informational purposes only and does not constitute as investment advice. Trading any financial market involves risk. Please read our Risk Disclosure to make sure you understand the risks involved.
Connor Hakes, an Indiana man, wanted to honor his grandmother by singing at her funeral, but was told by the parish priest that because of his gay lifestyle he wouldnt be allowed to do so.

Father Bob J. Lengerich, saw a photo of Hakes and his friends at a Gay Pride festival, and told him that he wouldnt be able to sing at St. Marys of the Assumption Catholic Church in Decatur because he was openly advocating for gay rights.

Wrote Hakes:

I can no longer sing at my Grandmas funeral, because I attended a gay pride rally and a picture was posted publicly (years ago). The priests reasoning is by attending such event, I am opposing the Catholic Churchs fundamental marriage belief. Both my Grandma and Grandpa would be disgusted by their parish. Their compassion and empathy was abundant, no matter who you were. They saw beyond race, religion, sexuality, and social class. They loved everyone. That is what is means to be a Christian. That is what it means to be Catholic. Please SHARE!

Hakes posted the letter, which says that it would cause scandal because he has embraced the homosexual lifestyle and that any person who serves in the church or as its representative must uphold its values

The letter outlines the reasons why Hake was banned from his grandmothers funeral mass. According to Father Lengerich, the Catholic Church forbids those who openly defy tenants of our faith to serve in [any official church capacity]. This included people who have been divorced or remarried (with the benefit of a declaration of annulity), have openly supported abortion rights and are openly participating in unchaste same-sex relationships.

The letter continues:

The Catholic Church upholds the dignity of those with same-sex attraction. At the same time, it does not permit same-sex relationships or openly advocating for them because it causes a scandal There are many ways for those with same-sex attraction to participate with full communion on the Catholic Church, such as chastity, prayer, and attending holy Mass. At St. Marys we have several LGBT parishioners who have openly declared their intentions to embrace a homosexual lifestyle  the attend Mass each Sunday (some throughout the week) and are warmly welcomed to worship with us.

Lengerich goes on to tell Hake that he is welcome to honor your Grandmother with a special tribute in song as long as it is outside of the Mass and outside of the Church, perhaps at the Funeral Home or Parish Hall during the viewing, at the cemetery after the committal and/or even at the luncheon.

The pastor concludes with his hope we can remain in each others prayers as Grandma Carolyn prayers for all of us.

Heres a photo of the gay face priest in question.

And heres the damning Gay Pride photo:

You can contact St. Marys of the Assumption Catholic Church in Decatur @ 260-724-9159 or by sending an email to the Father Lengerich at blengerich@stmarysdecatur.org

Watch the News Channel 15 report below:

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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 61F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 47F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The 71st session of the Defense Ministers Council of the CIS participating states took place in Moscow on November 30. Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan participated in the session.

Various documents regulating the cooperation between the Defense Ministries of the Participant States were discussed. The works done in 2016 were summarized and the directions of 2017 joint works were planned.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, based on the session results, decisions on issues related to the air defense joint system, communication system development, expansion of mutual cooperation in humanitarian demining field, military personnel training, conducting joint measures on combat readiness, as well as military-sports and educational events within the CIS format were adopted.

In the sidelines of the CIS Defense Ministers Council session, Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan held bilateral meetings with his Russian and Belarusian counterparts Sergey Shoygu and Andrei Ravkov.

During the meeting between the Armenian and Russian Defense Ministers the agreement on the creation of a united military unit comprised of Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and Russian Federation was signed. The sides also affirmed the defense cooperation plan for 2017.

During the meeting of the Defense Ministers of Armenia and Belarus the defense cooperation plan for 2017 was signed.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The tariff for gas supplied by Russia to Armenia will be preserved at $150 for 1000 cubic meters starting from January 1 to December 31, 2017, Armenpress reports this is mentioned in the protocol on amending the agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation on Price Formation for the Supply to the Republic of Armenia of Natural Gas. The issue of signing the protocol is included in Cabinets December 1 session.

It is expected the signing of the protocol will foster mutually beneficial cooperation, create favorable conditions for developing economic relations and foster business activities.

The tariff of Russian gas supplied to Armenia was $165 until April, 2016. During the visit of the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Armenia on April 7 an agreement was reached to lower the tariff to $150.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian exports to the member states to the Eurasian Economic Union amounted to 274 million 95 thousand and 670 USD during the period of January-September, 2016 which is an increase of 55.2% against the same period of the previous year. As Armenpress was informed from the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), Russia is the main export direction which takes the 95.1% of the overall Armenian exports amounting to 260 million 609 thousand and 458 USD. Armenias second partner in terms of export volumes is Belarus with 3.1% of the overall exports (8 million 506 thousand and 218 USD) and the third is Kazakhstan with 1.7% (4 million 733 thousand and 541 USD).

Armenian exports to Kirgizstan amounted to only 246 thousand and 543 USD, which is nearly 0.1% of the total exports of Armenia to the EAEU states.

Armenian exports to each EAEU member state have increased. Exports to Belarus have increased most of all, 78.6%. Exports to Russia have increased by 54.6%, Kirgizstan  53.6%, Kazakhstan  48%.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Australia has set a friendship group with Armenia. Armenpress reports Member of House of Representatives for North Sydney Liberal Trent Zimmerman announced at the parliament.

Nearly 50 thousand Australians have Armenian background. It is a long time Armenians are a part of the Australian society. They first arrived in our country back in 1850s during the period of gold rush but more of them arrived after the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide. Many Armenians arrived during 1950-70s as well, Zimmerman said.

According to him, Armenians in Australia have become exemplary citizens, occupying leading positions in business, culture and politics. Our relations with modern Armenia which marked the 25th anniversary of its independence are of key importance. I am glad for the creation of the parliamentary friendship group, as well as for being the first chairman of the group, Zimmerman said, thanking all the parliamentarians who made efforts for the creation of the group, as well as the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

The Australian MP also noted that modern Armenia works in the direction of democratization and economic development where the Australian experience may be useful. In the same way we can learn much from a country which originates from ancient times. I hope the friendship group will be able to serve as an engine to achieve these goals, the Australian parliamentarian concluded.
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. A loan agreement of 40 million euro between the Republic of Armenia and the French Development Agency was signed on November 30. The agreement was signed by Finance Minister of Armenia Vardan Aramyan on behalf of Armenia and Deputy Director of the French Development Agency Jean-Claude Pires and French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier on behalf of the French side.

According to Deputy Director of the French Development Agency Jean-Claude Pires the loan is a long-term one, while payback process will start after 6 years.

It is much softer burden for Armenia. The loan has grace conditions since it includes subsidies from France, Jean-Claude Pires noted.

He added that this is their second agreement signed in Armenia. Previously there were loan agreements directed at energy efficiency and construction of Vedi reservoir. We have a very positive stance on the cooperation deals between Armenia and France, Deputy Director of the French Development Agency Jean-Claude Pires added.

The aim of the agreement is to assist the Governments reforms agenda in two major directions, boosting the fiscal, social, environmental stability and strengthening the competitiveness.

Such budget support loan mechanism gives a chance to finance the most important expenditure categories of the budget.

In general, the budget support loans have obvious advantages: in particular, the flexibility in distributing and using the budget support funds is higher, since in this case the Government has the authority to reallocate the resources quickly in case of revising the priorities.

The budget loans can be used for financing such programs that have an important public and strategic significance for the country. The budget support loans are directed towards financing the state budget deficit.




In the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, a Tennessee tourist mecca emerged from the smoke, charred and vacant after a swift-moving wildfire. Many buildings were burned to their foundations. Hotel fire alarms echoed through empty streets lined with burned-out cars.

Wildfires have damaged more than 100 buildings in and around Gatlinburg, Tenn

Dry conditions across the South have led to other fires

Crews from Florida Forest Service have traveled to assist firefighters

Slideshow of fire damage in Tennessee

The fire picked its spots as it tore through the Gatlinburg area Monday: It destroyed at least 150 buildings but left others intact. Three people were killed and more than a dozen were hospitalized.

The drought-like conditions also have been a problem throughout the South as smaller fires have also spread in Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and North and South Carolina.

Members of the Florida Forest Service have traveled to those areas to offer aid and assistance to firefighting crews already on the ground.

Victor Memmoli, Forest Area Supervisor for West Polk County, just returned from North Carolina.

"It was very steep terrain, it was in a mountainous state park," Memmoli said of the location where he and his team assisted local firefighters. "Terrain we are not used to."

However, Memmoli said his team is used to the dry conditions.

"Right now Florida as well is in a very dry conditions," Memmoli said. "Especially in the pan handle. Its very very dry. So we may soon see the same type of wildfire activity."

That predicition is already happening.

Brushfires typically don't happen in Florida until around the end of March. But there has already been some brushfire activity in the state.

Meanwhile in Tennessee, rain forecast for Wednesday should help the area after weeks of punishing drought, but the bone-dry ground should soak up the moisture quickly, forecasters said. Rainfall amounts have been 10 to 15 inches below normal during the past three months in many parts of the South.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
October 31, 2022 14:54

Armenias 2023 state budget envisages 35% increase in defense spending

According to the 2023 state budget of Armenia, the defense spending will comprise 506 billion drams which is 35% more than that of 2022, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said during the session of the parliamentary standing committees dedicated to the debate of the 2023 state budget draft.
Africa needs to work with Chinese companies to accelerate the development of its internet infrastructure, an African government representative told the third World Internet Conference.

Abdallar Said Sarouma, Union of Comoros information and communication technology adviser, says China has been very innovative in the internet sector while Africa lags behind.

"We clearly understand the importance of working together with China, especially in the information and communication technology sector," he says.

Ding Shaohua, senior vice-president of Huawei, says investment in ICT technology could drive GDP growth. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily

Comoros is now working with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to install such things as underground fiber-optic cables. In a month, the island nation will finish laying its second international undersea optical cable.

"Africa has a large demand for improving its network infrastructure, but our capabilities are limited, so we hope China and Chinese companies will make efforts to help. I hope China's successful experiences in the internet sector can help us," he says.

Ding Shaohua, senior vice-president of Huawei, says that when a country increases its investment in ICT technology by 20 percent, its gross domestic product can grow by about 1 percent.

He says developed countries invest about 5 percent of their GDP in the ICT sector, a percentage 2.5 times that of developing countries.

"This is why we are discussing accelerating network infrastructure, especially in cooperation between China and Africa, which I think is of great urgency, but also of great potential," he says.

The third World Internet Conference was held from Nov 16 to 18 in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, with the theme "Innovation-Driven Internet Development for the Benefit of All - Building a Community of Common Future in Cyberspace". The conference included 16 forums covering 20 major issues, such as internet economy, internet innovation, governance in cyberspace and international cooperation on the internet.

Yang Changkun, vice-president of the YOFC, a company based in Wuhan, Hubei province, that specializes in the production and sale of fiber-optics and cables, says that the company has already laid fiber-optics for African countries such as Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya. It has already sold about 180,000 kilometers of cable in Kenya.

"The African market has great potential for growth. We have already built a cable factory in South Africa to produce cable for that country's market," he says, adding that in the future he would want to build more production bases in different regions of Africa and build a sales and service network that covers the whole of Africa.

"We need to be patient with Africa, because the building of internet infrastructure will need capital, policy support and many conditions. We need to wait for the market to embrace explosive growth one day," he says.

Yu Xiaohui, chief engineer of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, says China can share its experience of building an internet network, not only because of the large scale of China's network but also because of the imbalance it has.

He says China has many regions that have very advanced internet infrastructure, such as Shanghai, but also many where internet is not well-developed, like many regions in Africa.

"China has good experience of how to transform backward infrastructure into advanced infrastructure," he says.

Ding says that China could also share its experience of cultivating engineers and managers in the ICT sector. Huawei, which has been in Africa for about 20 years, has established seven training centers and cultivated more than 30,000 ICT professionals.

He says Huawei also launched a program last year that expects to cultivate 1,000 African college students in the following five years, asking them to take internship in Huawei's offices in China, and learning ICT technology.

"I believe, they will become ICT experts in Africa in the future," he says.
Fidel Castros international allies and leftist leaders from around the world paid their respects to the deceased Cuban ruler Tuesday night at a massive outdoor farewell ceremony, honoring him with effusive praise that cut a stark contrast with his negative reputation in the United States.

November 30, 2016, 11:43 From a parade of foreign leaders, glowing farewell to Fidel Castro

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: Castros death Friday at age 90 brought jubilant celebrations among Cuban exiles in Miami, but the solemn event here was a reminder that his socialist idealism and clash with the United States made him a powerful symbol in many other nations, and especially in the global south, the Washington Times reported.

The event stretched late into the night as presidents and foreign dignitaries from Russia, Iran, China, South Africa, Vietnam and across Latin America came to the podium in Havanas Plaza of the Revolution, praising Castro as a towering figure and tireless advocate for the worlds poor and downtrodden.

His will could never be broken, nor the will of the Cuban people, said Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russias parliament, who came on behalf of Vladimir Putin. Fidels strength has been an example for all the people of the world who want to choose their own path of development.

The sea of Cubans who came to say goodbye was massive, spilling out of the capacious plaza into the surrounding boulevards. Nicaraguas President Daniel Ortega, whose revolution Cuba supported in the 1970s, told the crowd that Castro would live on in all of them. I am Fidel! I am Fidel! they chanted.

It was the final act of government-scripted tributes in the Cuban capital, after two days during which hundreds of thousands filed past memorials to say goodbye. On Wednesday, Castros ashes will travel by caravan to the eastern end of the island, retracing the journey he and his rebel army made in triumph after seizing power in 1959.

Castro will be buried Sunday morning in Santiago de Cuba, the islands second-largest city.
Five Freaky Features of Oregon Coast Winter You Didn't Know

Published 11/29/2016 at 5:33 PM PDT - Updated 11/29/2016 at 6:09 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  Winter along the coast of Oregon brings a multitude of fun and captivating aspects, not the least of which is stormwatching or holiday events. But there's much more going on here than meets the eye. (Above: massive foam at Manzanita).

Nature has some wild surprises in store for you this time of year. Foam that flies around. Weather shockers. Insanely cool objects hiding beneath the sand you've never heard of before. What frozen sand does and how ocean water can get fired up into the air like a firework. There's actually more than five discoveries in this list.

Flying Foam. The sudsy stuff from the ocean can get especially huge in winter. Strong winds and big waves from storms inject air into the ocean and create what Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) call mountains of sea foam. (At right: flying foam covering Yachats today - Nov. 29 - courtesy Sherry Smith).

This can suddenly take on a life of its own, blowing onto the highways in what look like bleached drifts of sand. Given the right conditions, you may even see it blow upwards into the air, looking like snow going the wrong direction.

The air bubbles in the presence of dissolved organic matter is what causes sea foam to form, ODFW said. The organic matter is mostly made of dead phytoplankton. The protein from the phytoplankton gives the water enough surface tension to form bubbles.

Surf and winds cause the bubbles to pile up in suds-like masses that are often blown up onto the beach. ODFW noted that many people visiting the Oregon coast tend to make the erroneous assumption this is some sort of pollution. It is not. In fact, it's the sign of a healthy ocean.

Wacky Frozen Sand. Everyone has experienced frozen grass in winter: that rather surprising crunch beneath your feet. But did you know sand on the Oregon coast can do this as well? It's an eyebrow-raiser.

Conditions have to be just right, however. If there is a bit of rain or the right amount of enough moisture, those below 30-degree temps on the coast will yield frozen sand. It feels packed a little harder and your footsteps form ice prints on the strand. You'll find eye-catching, angular patterns as the ice is broken in the sand as well.

It can have an unusual shimmering, even glittery look to it. After dark, with a flashlight, the beaches sparkle in a particularly dreamlike way if frozen over.

If you encounter it, it's quite a quirky little delight. Even your dog will be startled. Dogs are apparently amusingly puzzled by the phenomenon, as they're used to sand flying in the air when they walk on it.





Beaches Warmer Than the Valley? It's not unusual at all for it to be warmer on the Oregon coast than inland during big cold spells. This is thanks to the warming influence of the ocean. This happens just about every year in December, January or February.

Conditions stay colder in the valley because of the east winds bringing colder air. On top of this, the coast range further blocks air dynamics from the east. Essentially, if you get a huge cold air mass in towns like Eugene, Portland or Silverton, it settles inland. It is more moderate on the beaches because it's next to the ocean, which is about 50 degrees. In the winter, more often than not the coast stays around the low 50's while the valley gets below that. It's not unusual to find the beaches downright balmy while there's a freeze inland.





Larger Spouting Horns. One of the more spectacular sights of the entire Oregon coast are the spouting horns: essentially large holes in basalt rock where tidal action gets squeezed so tight it releases in an upward jet of sea water. Keep an eye on Depoe Bay and Cook's Chasm south of Yachats. There's also a nice little one at Ocean Drive at the southern end of Yachats.

These fire off at sufficiently large high tides anytime of the year, but they're especially wild in winter. The one at Depoe Bay often sprays across the street when it gets going, dousing traffic. At Cook's Chasm, it makes a startling hissing noise.





Low Sand Level Treasures. Every winter, large storms mean much erosion and the taking away of sand often reveals some fascinating finds. The best known of which is gravel beds, which are a telltale sign of lots of agates. But much stranger things lay beneath those sands, and sometimes ten feet or more can be stripped away to show you just that. (Above: red towers at Arch Cape).

Among them are ghost forests. Some are extremely rare sights, and these are the oldest ones. Ghost forests less than 2,000 years old can be seen a bit more frequently, like the ones at Neskowin, which are viewable year-round. But those around 4,000 years old don't show unless levels really sink. Keep a watch on Curtis St. north of Seal Rock, Newport's Moolack Beach and Hug Point near Cannon Beach. (Full ghost forest guide).

Ghost Forests are stumps of trees that have been buried under the sand by some sudden landscape change millennia ago. They were killed off by this, but that same process preserved them by hiding them from the air.

Also, keep an eye out for red towers: truly surreal beach objects. Only a couple feet high, if that, these are basically beach sand cemented by red iron oxide. Dreamlike in appearance, they look like something out of Dr. Suess or an album cover from the band Yes. More about Red Towers

Bedrock is quite a thrill to spot as well. Sometimes sand gets scoured so much you can see what lies beneath the beaches: often basalt rock that is 40 million years or older. In Newport, the bedrock there is a softer material than basalt and about 22 million years old or so. Oregon Coast Hotels for this - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

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When Beaumont businessman William "Hat" Watkins Jr. bought a 60-year-old Fouga CM-170 Magister French military training jet in 1997 at the age of 62, he didn't tell his family. Not even his wife.

He knew they'd be upset, said Silsbee resident Lorraine Watkins Davenport, Watkins' daughter.

The family didn't learn about the jet until the next year, when Watkins was in a minor plane accident involving a different aircraft, said Davenport.

"His friend said, 'That's going to delay you from that jet,'" said Davenport. "That's when we found out."

When Watkins died in 2012 at 76, Davenport said the family was conflicted about what to do with the jet.

It sat in storage at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport until last summer, when Davenport discovered the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois, northwest of Chicago, while watching an episode of "Small Town, Big Deal." The museum specializes in rare and unique cars.

Davenport said she consulted with her family, and they decided to donate her dad's jet.

"There are some things that are worth much more than money," said Davenport. "We were much more comfortable with this."

Davenport said her father was the co-owner of Batesville, Mississippi-based ACI Building Systems Inc., which required him to travel frequently.

"He was impatient and didn't want to go to the airport," she said. "He started learning how to fly and fell in love with it."

Found in a trader mag

Stig Lunde, a pilot who used to fly with Watkins, said Watkins spotted the jet in a "Trade-a-Plane" magazine. A few days later, they traveled to New York to check it out. Watkins bought it.

"She was a beautiful bird, and we fell in love right away," said Lunde.

Lunde said they flew the jet to Batesville several times. But he said they stopped because the jet - which could reach a maximum speed of 440 miles per hour - burned through fuel so quickly that they had to stop in Louisiana each way. After that, he said, they would fly the plane around the region occasionally, and it spent most of the time in the hangar.

Brian Grams, director of the Volo Auto Museum, said the two-seat French military jet with twin engines was built in the late 1950s. Fewer than 1,000 were made, he said.

The jet will join the Volo Museum's collection of classic and unique cars, including three Batmobiles and a Scooby Doo van, and two other aircraft - a Huey helicopter from the Vietnam War era and a replica of a Harrier jet from the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger film "True Lies."

Grams said the biggest challenge was figuring out how to move the jet cross-country. He said it took him three weeks to locate DeLand Barnstormers, a Florida-based business that specializes in dismantling and transporting planes. He then had to wait two months for an opening in their schedule.

"If you've got a car, I know how to get it no matter where you are in the world, no matter if you're in the desert. But a plane is another thing," Grams said.

Deland Barnstormers broke the jet down into five pieces - a body, two wings and two rear panels. It arrived at the museum at the end of October.

Grams said the jet will go on display in a few months, after the museum builds a structure for it. The museum plans to put a plaque next to it to share Watkins' story and his love of the jet.

"We are so excited that our father's jet is going to be seem by so many," Davenport said. "He loved that jet."

NKrebs@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/natalie_krebs
Police are searching for the suspect in a stabbing that happened early Wednesday morning in Port Arthur, the police department said in a press release.

The incident happened at about 12:40 a.m. near Alford's Market Basket, 5899 W. Port Arthur Road, when two people involved in a traffic crash engaged in an argument, PAPD said.
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: The reason for my resignation is personal. I have made a successful career of an American diplomat and after 30 years of service I plan to work in the public sector, Warlick said, adding that the name of the interim Co-Chair will be announced soon.

He said holding the MG Co-Chairs post was a great honor for him. I am confident that the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia are committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict, neither side wants war. All our efforts on reaching sustainable peace are directed towards that, Warlick said.

Referring to the conflict settlement, he said there are good ideas and proposals on the negotiation table which can serve the basis for universal peace. Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan stated that they are committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict. At this moment we most desire that the Presidents show political will and take on them the duty to develop the negotiation process, Warlick said.

As for the possible meeting in Hamburg, Warlick said they consider the meeting of the FMs of the OSCE member states as an opportunity to continue the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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Port Arthur could become the first city in the state to approve an ordinance that would fine adults caught with minors drinking at their home, even if they did not supply the alcohol and were unaware that it was happening.

The South East Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, or SETCADA, on Tuesday urged the city to draft and adopt a "social hosting accountability" ordinance, which would allow police to issue civil citations that carry several hundred dollars in fines.

Harriet Mitchell, the director of the outpatient and prevention program at SETCADA, told city council the ordinance would put more teeth in already existing criminal laws.

Under state law, adults who supply minors with alcohol face a Class A misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. They can also be held liable for any damages caused by the minor while intoxicated.

There is no state law that punishes adults who were unaware that underage drinking was happening on their property.

According to a recent SETCADA survey of 1,173 Port Arthur high school students, 511 students rated underage drinking as a "severe" problem, 360 said it was a "moderate" problem and 164 said it was a "slight" problem. Just 138 said underage drinking was not a problem at all.

The survey also found 70 percent of teens reported drinking at parties hosted by their friends' parents.

"People held responsible for abetting or allowing this kind of gathering will be more likely to supervise what is happening on their property," said Mitchell. "The intent is to protect rather than punish."

More than 150 cities in 24 states have adopted similar ordinances, but none have passed so far in Texas, said Mitchell.

Texas cities San Antonio and El Paso have discussed drafting similar ordinances, she said.

Port Arthur Mayor Derrick Freeman said after the meeting that the ordinance has a "strong possibility of passing."

Freeman said the city's legal department is drafting the ordinance and said he expects council will vote on it early next year.

"We're going to build it from scratch so it might take a little longer," said Freeman.

Most council members seemed to support the proposed ordinance.

"Property owners need to take responsibility for what happens on their property," said Councilman Willie "Bae" Lewis, Jr.

Councilman Morris Albright spoke out against the proposal, saying it seemed like "government overreach" that could allow police to potentially go onto residents' properties and interview partygoers.

"I'm not in favor of underage drinking, but I'm also not in favor of treading on civil liberties," Albright said.

Councilman Osman Swati said he wants to know the "technicalities" of the ordinance before he would support it.

"One's civil liberties must not be jeopardized," said Swati.

NKrebs@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/natalie_krebs
Congress is projected to consider the 21st Century Cures Act this week, which aims to promote biomedical research, but may also impose less stringent reporting requirements concerning industry payments to physicians, according to ProPublica.

Here are five things to know:

1. The 966-page bill features provisions that would lessen various requirements imposed under the 2010 Physician Payments Sunshine Act. The act mandates drug and device companies to publicly report essentially any payment made to physicians, whether that be consulting fees or gifts. Such payments are documented on the Open Payments' website as well as ProPublica's Dollars for Docs tool.

2. The Cures Act would not require pharmaceutical or device companies to disclose the value of textbooks and medical journal reprints that they provided to physicians. Additionally, they would not have to report payments for continuing medical education courses.

3. Thomas Sullivan, president of Columbia, Md.-based Rockpointe Corp., which provides CME courses to providers, supports the act, saying its goal "is simply to make it a little bit more clear that things that are for education, which really falls into the free speech clause of the Constitution, aren't reported on," ProPublica reported.

4. Those opposed to weakening the provisions say transparency is necessary, especially as patients pay more for their healthcare. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who played an integral role in writing the SunShine Act, told ProPublica, "With taxpayers and patients paying billions of dollars for prescription drugs and medical devices, and prices exploding, disclosure of company payments to doctors makes more sense than ever."

5. The House is slated to consider the bill today, Nov. 30, 2016, with the Senate taking the bill under consideration after the House.
A recent Boston-based Bain & Co. report found Europe's healthcare system is beginning to parallel that of the U.S. healthcare system, despite previous notions that the regions' markets drastically differed, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Here are five takeaways:

1. In both regions, more than half of physicians feel they have an important role in controlling costs. However, differences do remain, with U.S. physicians taking on a more direct role in managing costs. For example, 80 percent of surveyed U.S. physicians said they feel responsible to control costs, compared to 44 percent of German physicians.

2. Among U.K., German, France and Italian physicians, the number of surgeons saying their procurement departments played a major role in the decision-making process for buying tools and devices has rallied to 35 percent last year, up from 23 percent in 2013. A 2015 Bain study found more than 50 percent of surveyed U.S. physicians reported procurement led their organization's purchasing decisions, with the figure up from 29 percent in 2013.

3. The U.S. healthcare system is more systemized than Europe's, but Europe's healthcare system is starting to consolidate. The United Kingdom is similar to the United States regarding systemization due to its single public payer and provider healthcare system. However, Germany and France fail to keep pace as their health systems are less centralized and provide their physicians more freedom on patient care decisions.

4. As Europe and the United States continue to trend toward systemized care, the report authors project that pharmaceutical and medical device companies will see many similarities between these two regions. New stakeholders and procurement officers will have more control over medical device vendors and prescribing decisions and companies will have increasing pressure to prove products' incremental value.

5. The study authors argue European physicians may look to U.S. physicians' successes to see what the future healthcare system will entail for systemization and physician engagement. Tim van Biesen, partner at Bain & Co. said, "Success in healthcare  whether it's in the United States or Europe  requires a deep understanding of the competitive landscape and the ability to adapt to the different ways that physicians and procurement officers are now addressing purchasing decisions."
Within the revenue cycle, data analytics can help identify problem areas for staff to address and improve upon.

Adrienne Younger, RN, certified clinical documentation specialist manager of clinical documentation improvement education at Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services, recently spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about the system's partnership with MedeAnalytics and how the use of data analytics helps Ardent ensure accurate documentation. She also offers coding improvement tips for other hospitals and health systems.

Note: Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: How has coding changed with the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care?

Adrienne Younger: We've talked a lot about this amongst our coding team. As the industry has changed, we've had to change the culture of our coders and our clinical documentation improvement approach because we were ingrained in receiving pay for a certain diagnosis-related group. Since we code what's in the record, we have really focused on changing the culture of the coder to first look at: What does value-based purchasing mean for healthcare; What does value-based purchasing mean for documentation?

And then we had to get it down on a level where a coder or a CDI can understand how it affects them.

I think it's natural for any of us in our jobs to ask what does this mean for me, and what does this mean for my role as a coder? And I think the main thing is that value-based care takes on a quality aspect that we've never really paid attention to or focused on. Clinical validation is a huge thing that I think goes along with both quality and value-based care and will determine what we're going to see in terms of reimbursement in the future.

So, I think the biggest difference in coding under value-based care is changing how the coder looks at the record compared to how they previously looked at it. Their role has morphed into something a little bit different and it is important that we, as leaders, provide them with the resources they need to understand the differences in fee-for-service and value-based care.

Q: What resources do hospitals need to navigate ICD-10?

AY: To prepare for ICD-10, we put our coders and our CDIs through boot camps and our providers through modules on what they need to know about ICD-10. But the biggest resource we needed and the biggest resource we've been able to utilize are our own records. Our own records showed us what is new in ICD-10, and we didn't realize it until we coded enough of them to see a trend. With our experience, I think the biggest resource for hospitals is their own data, creating their own case studies and sending records to their coders and providers. Industry modules and resources are great, but what really makes the impact is when you use your own work to teach yourself.

Q: How was your organization able to improve access to clinical information through data analytics?

AY: First we made a commitment as an organization that we were going to tackle this and be consistent on it, not just for a few months after ICD-10, but several years down the road. We made sure we were consistent in what we did, holding forums and engaging our quality workforce. Once the newness of ICD-10 wore off, we couldn't stop there. We had to continue bringing it up, even if it was the same case, the same situation. We had to continue to put it in front of everybody. We've been credited in how successful we were in getting education out to people. I think repetition and commitment are the main ways we accomplished this. We understood that it was going to take a lot of effort but we figured out that progress is made when you continue to hammer in that directive.

Q: How did data analytics improve care and reduce costs?

AY: It took a while and overall, it's all about a culture of change. It's about changing the way everyone thinks. It's getting everyone to think outside of the box and think of things differently. We've been able to improve care based on how we look at the record. From a coding standpoint, our coders are looking at it and saying, "Gosh, this may be a complication but I don't have to automatically code it as a complication." Instead, they are able to query the provider. We've instilled a mindset in everybody to look at things a little differently. It's not about coding as fast as we can. It's not about putting the length of stay exactly where we want it. It's about the outcome of the patient. If the outcome of the patient doesn't reflect everything they did while they were here, then we're not doing ourselves a service by being able to control costs and improve care. It really comes down to getting everyone to focus as a team. At Ardent, CDI works with the quality team and attends case management meetings to let them know what they need and how they can partner with them. I think by developing that partnership amongst everybody we're not working in silos but instead share the same goal to improve care.

Q: What is your coding advice for hospitals?

AY: Collaborate with your coders. Coding is such a unique profession. I think historically coders have been left on their own. But I think by providing coders with resources to better understand what it is they are coding and to help them understand the clinical side of it, they become more vested in what they do. They're not just there to code a record. They're actually looking out for the patient outcome. They're identifying things they may not have identified before because now they think it needs to be brought to the attention of somebody else on the team. So collaborate with them and make them feel like they are part of the entire hospital system team.
Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth COO Beth O'Brien is stepping down from her post, effective Dec. 9, 2016, according to Portland Business Journal report.

Here are four things to know:

1. Ms. O'Brien is moving to Connecticut "to be closer to her family," the report notes.

2. She joined PeaceHealth as COO in 2014.

3. Prior to that, she worked at Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, Colo.

4. PeaceHealth will begin searching for a new COO immediately.
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: President Sargsyan welcomed the guests and attached importance to the boards session held today in Tsakhkadzor. Serzh Sargsyan stated the attitude towards the EAEU is formed also due to the quality of work and cooperation of the customs services. He said the improvement of business environment in every country, the formation and development of market of goods, services, capital and labor depends on the activity of these structures.

The President expressed hope that the contemporary issues and the adopted decisions at the Tsakhkadzor session will contribute to solving those issues and the implementation of goals that are set by the Unions member states within the frames of integration processes.

The delegation heads presented President Sargsyan the session results and expressed gratitude to the Armenian partners for organizing the session at the highest level. They stated that every union is first of all based on mutual trust, and the work of the joint board of the customs services is aimed at strengthening that trust through everyday close cooperation.

The delegation heads also presented the President the ongoing work on developing new Customs Code aimed at improving the EAEU customs legislation, the current issues and challenges faced by the customs services, the development prospects.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Ga., chairman of the House Budget Committee, for secretary of HHS, and Seema Verma, president, CEO and founder of health policy consultancy SVC, for CMS administrator. Both picks still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Here are five reactions to Trump's picks.

Ted Shaw, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association

"Trump's nominees to lead the national conversation on healthcare both have long careers in health policy. Their depth of understanding of complex health policy issues will be essential as Congress debates the future of healthcare reform and states continue their work to more effectively manage their Medicaid programs."

Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals

"The Federation of American Hospitals congratulates Chairman Tom Price on his nomination to be HHS Secretary.

His decades of experience in the medical field make him uniquely qualified to confront the challenges facing patients, families, and caregivers. As chairman of the Budget Committee, he has proven to be a thoughtful, detail oriented legislator who cares deeply about public policy. In light of expected legislative action on the ACA, it is noteworthy that his repeal and replace proposal recognizes the need to protect access to hospital care for millions of Americans by restoring deep Medicare and Medicaid cuts.

His leadership will be critically important in the days ahead, and we look forward to working constructively with Chairman Price on any effort to ensure that Americans can obtain affordable healthcare coverage.

President-elect Trump's selection to lead CMS, Seema Verma, has a solid reputation as an effective innovator in assisting states in reforming and modernizing Medicaid programs for low-income Americans. A number of our members have experienced her efforts in Indiana and other states and FAH looks forward to developing a strong working relationship with her as she makes the transition to her new and important role in Washington."

Donald W. Fisher, PhD, president and CEO of AMGA

"AMGA offers its congratulations to Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) on his nomination to become the next Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. From his experience as a practicing physician for nearly 20 years and his leadership on the House Ways and Means Committee, House Budget Committee, and the House GOP Doctors Caucus, he brings a wealth of clinical and policy expertise. We are excited to work with his new team to continue to transition the financing of our healthcare system from volume-based to value-based payment. AMGA members are focused on providing quality healthcare to their 130 million patients and we look forward to working with policymakers to enable them to continue their work."

Bruce Siegel, MD, President and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals

Ms. Verma "offers a deep understanding of healthcare delivery and policymaking and can contribute an important state-level perspective on Medicaid, insurance and public health. We are especially proud of her accomplishments as a graduate of the association's Fellows Program."

Jodi Magee, president of Physicians for Reproductive Health

President-elect Trumps plan to nominate Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) signals an alarming direction for reproductive health. Price has been a staunch opponent of womens health and the Affordable Care Act during his time in Congress.

Although Price has insisted that 'patients, families and doctors should be making health decisions, not Washington, D.C.,' he has directly contradicted that by supporting legislative efforts that interfere in the patient-doctor relationship. For example, Price has voted for anti-choice legislation that would harm our doctors patients, including bans on abortion, defunding Planned Parenthood and repealing the Affordable Care Act. We are deeply troubled that Price, though he is a physician, seems to disregard the strong medical evidence that access to safe and legal abortion and contraception protects not just a womans health, but that of her family and community.

As an organization of doctors, we are keenly aware that legislative attacks on access to reproductive care disproportionately target low-income women, women of color, young women, and immigrant women, communities that already suffer from health disparities and inequalities. Should Price be confirmed as HHS secretary, he will be in a position to create even more barriers to comprehensive reproductive health care for these communities. The leader of HHS needs to understand and apply evidence-based medicine to improve health outcomes, not worsen them."
Detroit Medical Center plans to cut $17 million in expenses via a workforce reduction of approximately 1 percent, according to a Crain's Detroit Business report.

Here are five things to know.

1. DMC's cost-cutting is attributed to Medicaid and other state budget reductions for next year.

2. A total of 60 employees and managers will be affected by DMC's layoffs. Additionally, DMC plans to cut another 40 unfilled positions, a hospital official told Crain's Detroit Business. The report notes that another 30 employees were reassigned to other positions.

3. Of the layoffs, Conrad Mallett Jr., DMC's chief administration officer, said in a statement to Crain's Detroit Business: "We regularly evaluate operations and staffing to enhance the quality of care and patient experience we provide. DMC operates in the most efficient way possible so we can continue to invest in our facilities and community.

"Recently we made the decision to reduce approximately 1 percent of the DMC workforce. We minimized the number of affected employees by first eliminating open positions and realigning certain job functions, with careful attention to avoid affecting direct patient care."

4. While DMC is implementing cuts, the hospital's parent organization, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, is also moving to reduce expenses at many of its U.S. hospitals to help pay healthcare fraud fines of $514 million and to shore up stock prices, physician sources told Crain's Detroit Business. As of late August, Tenet's stock price had plummeted 60 percent since July 2015.

5. Two physician sources also told the publication the cost-cutting at DMC and Tenet is expected to worsen over time. DMC officials refused further comment to Crain's Detroit Business. Tenet officials did not return a phone call from the publication seeking comment.
Dublin, Ireland-based Medtronic and Cleveland-based University Hospitals signed an agreement to improve the delivery of care and patient experience to patients at UH.

Together, the organizations will implement operational models to improve workflow and efficiency for select catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

"Our collaboration with Medtronic gives us a unique opportunity to learn from their international best practices in inventory management and scheduling optimization," said Jeffrey Peters, MD, COO of UH. "We are excited to embed their expertise into our clinical operations, allowing our clinical staff to focus on providing the highest level of cardiovascular care for our patients."

"Our goal in collaborating with UH is to enhance patient care and system efficiency through the unique combination of operational insights, data, medical technology and services," said Mike Genau, senior vice president and president of the Americas Region at Medtronic. "Medtronic has more than 65 years of experience to bring to the table, and we intend to be a close associate in implementing innovative solutions along the way."
A 27-year-old man who prosecutors allege attacked a nurse and two other employees at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., has been charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The patient, James Anthony Mette of Glenview, Ill., is accused of attacking a nurse who was working in the area outside of his room. Officials say he then moved her into a nearby room, blocked her from leaving and hit her multiple times in the facial area.

When two other hospital employees tried to get in the room and stop the attack, Mr. Mette hit them as well, according to the report.

Mr. Mette was arrested shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 25. Arlington Heights Police Sgt. Joe Pinnello told The Chicago Tribune he couldn't comment on what triggered the event. However, he did say Mr. Mette did not want to be a patient at the hospital.

The three victims of the attack were all treated for their injuries and released from the hospital, according to the report.

Mr. Mette is being held in Cook County Jail on $300,000 bond.

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An IT services company is setting up a new office in Belfast and creating 17 jobs.

CloudMigrator365, which is based in Manchester but was founded by Antrim man Darren Mawhinney, offers cloud migration services and software to customers across the globe.

It is creating a series of well-paid jobs - with average salaries of 34,000 - as it opens its new Northern Ireland base.

Mr Mawhinney, the managing director of the company, said: "While CloudMigrator365 is established across worldwide markets, we see an opportunity to grow our partner sales channel, build on our capabilities to sell and deliver migration services and ensure our marketing messages reach as wide a global audience as possible.

"Establishing our Belfast team is central to this strategy, and our plans to recruit 17 tech sales, development and support roles over the next two years will give us the resources needed to achieve our objectives.

"The talented workforce, cluster of software development businesses and cost-competitive environment attracted us to Northern Ireland, and we are confident our workforce in Belfast will be a valuable asset to our company."

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said the firm was a "leader in its field".

"The availability and quality of our talent, competitive cost base and Invest NI support has attracted this leading software company to Northern Ireland," Mr Hamilton added. "These jobs will pay an average salary of 34,000, providing high-quality, well-paid employment opportunities for our talented graduates as well as experienced professionals across the ICT sector.

"Northern Ireland is gaining a deserved reputation as a region where tech businesses are thriving, with flourishing clusters, including cyber-security, financial software and data analytics.

"The global market for cloud services is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade - this investment puts Belfast at the centre of CloudMigrator365's development strategy."

Invest NI offered the company 85,000 towards the new jobs.

The business offers customers ways of migrating and moving email, contacts and calenders to Microsoft Office 365.

It has been used to migrate more than 13,000 domains, across five million users, with data across 45 countries.

Mr Mawhinney said the firm had "benefited from the leadership and support" of major IT bosses including Kainos chief executive Brendan Mooney.
A former chief executive of Harland & Wolff has said it could be involved in multi-million pound Royal Navy shipbuilding contracts after a report recommended that the work should be shared among shipyards.

Sir John Parker, who headed the company from 1983 to 1993, said H&W was one of a number of shipyards across the UK which could work on the lucrative deals.

He is the author of an independent report commissioned by the Ministry of Defence on how the building of ships for the Navy - and for export - can be done more efficiently.

Northern Ireland-born Sir John, who is now chairman of mining giant Anglo-American, said that while shipyards like H&W had diversified in recent years, they still had the ability to build the Royal Navy vessels in blocks. In particular, there was scope for the building of the Type 31e frigate - a warship designed for export.

He said he travelled to shipyards around the UK in the course of his research. And speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, he said H&W was as "well placed as any" to bid for the work.

"Without doubt they still have the facilities and they've convinced us that any skills they don't have now, they would be able to hire in," he said.

He said the ships when complete cost "three figure millions". He added the yards could adapt to working on the Type 31e frigates, which could be split into blocks and built in different locations. That would promote a faster rate of production than building the whole vessel in a single location.

"That's the model to get costs away down. We think that this should provide us a real opportunity to tackle very large export market. That's the fuel in the tank, so to speak," he said.

Under his plan the first Type 31e frigates would be ready for delivery in 2020.

A spokesman for H&W said: "H&W engaged with Sir John Parker and his team during the assessment phase of his study.

"We agree with Sir John Parker's conclusions regarding the potential of the wider UK shipbuilding industry's capability and capacity, one that Harland and Wolff continues to demonstrate in the maritime, offshore oil gas and renewable energy sectors. We look forward to continuing our working relationship with the Ministry of Defence and supporting them with their future projects."

Last week H&W announced a deal with ScottishPower Renewables, which it said would safeguard 200 jobs .
Oil prices have soared after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) defied the naysayers to agree its first production cut since 2008.

Brent crude broke above the 50-dollar mark, soaring more than 8% - or three dollars 89 cents - to 51.21 US dollars a barrel after the landmark deal was announced in Vienna.

Despite last-minute infighting between members threatening to scupper months of negotiations, Opec president Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada said the cartel would reduce production by around 1.2 million barrels a day to a total production of 32.5 million barrels a day from the start of next year.

But in a surprise twist, Mr Al-Sada said the move to curb supply could only be enforced if non-Opec members slashed their output by 600,000 barrels a day.

He said Russia - a non-Opec member - had already shown its support by agreeing to cut its production by 300,000 barrels a day from an output of around 10 million barrels a day.

The fallout of the contentious talks also revealed that Indonesia had suspended its membership of the Opec cartel because it could not agree to its share of the cuts.

Mr Al -Sada said: "With the cooperation of, and understanding of, all member countries, we have been able to reach an agreement.

"This agreement comes from a sense of responsibility from Opec member countries and non-Opec member countries for the general well-being and health of the world economy."

Asked whether the deal showed that Opec was still a relevant organisation, Mr Al-Sada said: " If we weren't there, balancing the interests of members and non-members, we wouldn't have a deal today."

The agreement appeared to be a distant hope on Tuesday after it emerged that Opec's top producer, Saudi Arabia, was at loggerheads with Iran over how best to curb supply.

But despite Saudi Arabia's reluctance, it agreed to shoulder the lion's share of the production cuts, trimming its output by 486,000 barrels a day to more than 10 million barrels a day.

Iraq plans to roll out the second largest output cut, pulling production back by 210,000 barrels a day to 4.3 millions barrels a day.

Iran's production cut will take its output levels down to 3.7 million from 3.9 million barrels a day.

Brent crude prices have fallen nearly 50% since their peak of around 100 US dollars a barrel in June 2014, as Opec stayed away from production cuts so it would not lose market share to a resurgent US oil industry.

The slide in prices has delivered cheaper petrol at the pumps for motorists, but hammered the financial performance of blue-chip energy companies.

Oil majors were the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 Index at the end of Wednesday's session, driven by the rallying price of Brent crude.

Shares in Royal Dutch Shell B closed up more than 4%, while rival BP jumped 3% higher.

Bob Minter, investment strategist at Aberdeen Asset Management, said the cut was bigger than most people had expected and could push oil prices to between 56 and 60 US dollars a barrel.

He said: " People were seriously starting to question Opec's ability to react to what has been going on in the oil market and this reaffirms their ability to act as a group.

"Greatly increased demand for oil is not necessarily a given in the years to come. Trump might try to tear up the Paris Accord, but it's the likes of India and China that matter the most and they don't want to rely on oil.

"Opec is going to need to harness all of its powers of coordination and bargaining to chart this existential threat."
The Bank of England highlighted the danger to Britain's financial services sector of withdrawal from the EU

The outlook for Britain's financial stability following the Brexit vote "remains challenging" and is dependent on an orderly exit from the European Union, the Bank of England has said.

In its Financial Stability Report the Bank said that as a result of the June 23 vote, risk to financial stability "remains elevated".

The report said: "It will take time to clarify the UK's new relationships with the European Union and the rest of the world as well as for the UK economy to adjust to these changes.

"The orderliness of the adjustment will influence the risk to financial stability."

Bank governor Mark Carney said clarity on the details of Brexit would help an orderly transition and that it is important British businesses know "as much as possible, as early as possible".

He also dubbed the UK the "investment banker for Europe", adding that it is in the EU's interests that Brexit damage to Britain's banking sector is minimal.

"These activities are crucial for firms in the European Union economy, and it's absolutely in the interest of the European Union that there is an orderly transition and that there's continual access to those services," he said.

His comments come as the financial services sector frets over whether it will continue to have access to the bank passporting system.

Banks and financial firms wanting to trade with a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) must apply for a passport, which allows them to sell their products to any country within the EEA.

The Bank added: "Changes to the trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union may require firms to alter their operations and the services they provide.

"If any such adjustments take place in a short timeframe, there could be a greater risk of disruption to services provided to the European real economy, which could spill back to the UK economy through trade and financial linkages."

The report also said Donald Trump's US election victory earlier this month had "reinforced existing vulnerabilities", flagged the potential for weaker global trade and spoke about heavy debt in emerging market economies.

But despite the fall in sterling, a reduction in commercial property prices and indications of reduced investment into the UK, the Bank said economic activity and business sentiment have recovered from "low points" immediately after the referendum and are "materially stronger than had been expected in July".

The report comes alongside the Bank's annual health check for British banks, which saw Royal Bank of Scotland flunk its stress tests.

The lender, which is 73% owned by the taxpayer, emerged as the worst performer in the stress test and has drawn up a plan overnight to bolster its resilience in case of a financial crisis.

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokeswoman said: "What matters the most for British businesses - whether that's the financial services sector, the automotive sector or others - is the outcome of these negotiations, and that is what we are focused on. How do we get the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union?

"Our approach, therefore, is guided by that, which means where we can provide more certainty we will seek to do so - the Prime Minister has been clear on the timetable for triggering Article 50 - but also making sure that we've got the strongest negotiating hand. That is not going to mean going into every twist and turn and detail of these negotiations."

She added: "We are going to trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year. It's a two-year process, so we know when the end-point is coming."
Concessions over Nagorno-Karabakh could be subject to consideration only in case of finalizing the country's status, a spokesperson for the Armenian president has said, commenting on Serzh Sargsyans recent interview to the Russian media.

November 30, 2016, 17:52 No return of lands unless Karabakh status resolved  presidential spokesman

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: The president did not address all the clauses implying a package-based solution, which the mediators proposed as an integrity. What the president emphasized is that the first clause of the proposal establishes Nagorno-Karabakhs right to self-determination. All the other elements are secondary to that, as Tert.am reports, Vladimir Hakobyan told the Armenian service of RFE/RL (Azatutyun), citing also the presidents remarks delivered at the ruling Republican Partys 16th congress. Any territorys return can be substantial only in case of resolving Nagorno-Karabakhs status, he added.

The proposed resolution package emphasizes the importance of a land connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. This has been repeatedly considered by both Armenia and the co-chairs [of the OSCE Minsk Group]. An enclave status is ruled out. It isnt just about a land corridor connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh; it has to be a broad, safe and uninterrupted land connection which will fully be safeguarded against any Azerbaijani encroachment.

The current status of what is now called a security zone is more than justified especially after the April war - given the continuing and immedate threats to the Nagorno-Karabakh people, he added.
For couples seeking to abstain from traditional forms of marriage and express their love and commitment to one another in weird and wonderful ways, Jillian Canney is, perhaps, the first port of call here.

Her Civil Celebrations business enables couples of all backgrounds, beliefs and persuasions - be they atheist, pagan, LGBT or otherwise - to enjoy the wedding of their dreams featuring original vows, handfasting, ring warming, sand pouring and a multitude of other unusual but increasingly popular symbolic civil ceremonies.

It's been a natural progression for 43-year-old Canney, a mother-of-one originally from Ballymoney but now based in Londonderry, who, in a previous life as a resident DJ in Ibiza and brought thousands of people together on a nightly basis to express their love of music.

Canney moved to the party paradise island off the south-eastern coast of mainland Spain with a friend back in 1997.

An English and theatre studies graduate, Canney had set down roots in London, working mainly in the hospitality industry, but a life of sun, sea and musical adventure seemed like a great idea at the time.

"I left home at 18 to study at Manchester Metropolitan University and then made the move south to the Big Smoke," Canney recalls. "I had heard about Ibiza very vaguely through some friends who were infinitely cooler than I was and, after taking a bit of a mad notion one day, I packed up and set off to this place we knew very little about."

Canney loved life on the Balearic Island so much that she stayed there for the summer, and after another winter working in London decided to make the move permanent the following year. It's not difficult to understand why.

Ibiza, after all, is a Mediterranean Mecca, where the temperature rarely falls below 15 degrees Celsius even in winter. Its port is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, its villages are quaint and peaceful, and its reputation as a global clubbing hotspot is legendary.

"For the most part I lived in Ibiza town or not too far from it," says Canney. "For a number of years I lived within the old city walls, which coincidentally are the same age as the Derry Walls. And by the time I left, I was very much a resident of Sant Jordi, my sweet little village on the way to Salinas beach.

"There's not just one thing that I grew to love about the island, there are a million things. The sun, the sea, the air, the energy, the light, the gorgeous beaches, the multi-cultured, colourful array of people, the music, the parties, the freedom, the never quite knowing what amazing thing would happen next. It's a beautiful lifestyle and it was where my dreams came true."

Canney quickly established herself on Ibiza, initially finding work as a go-go dancer, flyer girl, cocktail waitress, holiday rep and English teacher before her background in hospitality and management led to better-paid roles.

Within five years, in fact, Canney had found work in some of the island's biggest nightclubs.

Her CV reads like a clubber's bucket list - event co-ordinator at Privilege, event promoter at luxury club brand El Divino, then PA to the music director of Pacha and press officer at Manumission.

Canney carved out her niche, helping to organise some of the biggest club nights on the planet and rubbing shoulders with all sorts of celebrities along the way, including hip-hop icon P Diddy and DJ royalty Carl Cox.

"Success, of course, is relative, but hard work, commitment and longevity definitely helped my mission to have a great life in Ibiza," she explains.

"I had many fun times. Privilege, for example, has an enormous stage, which begged to be filled with the exotic on a nightly basis, so fill it we did. Think dancing horses and acrobatic troupes and you get the idea."

Despite her background in theatre studies, Canney did not spend much of her teenage years performing music.

Being surrounded by the world's finest DJs and producers, however, naturally led her to experiment with spinning records on the decks.

Working in the evenings, she spent much of her free time practicing and developing her mixing skills, and eventually performed in most of the big clubs as support to the headline acts.

"It wasn't long after arriving that I decided that I wanted to have a go at DJing myself," she says. "I started putting on parties here and there in some cool little spots and would end up mucking in with the music.

"As far as kudos goes, I'd have to say playing at the legendary Space was a highlight.

"The world of radio always interested me immensely and it wasn't too long before I was co-hosting various programmes on the Spanish airwaves, doing live on-air interviews with household names like Pete Tong, hosting a weekly broadcast on Ibiza Global as part of the Ibiza Rocks the Radio series.

"Thanks to my time spent on Ibiza, DJing has become a nice little hobby over the years. I don't know where I would be without music, to be honest. I don't play out so much these days, what with my boy Sean being just two, but my alter ego, The Stray Kitten, does creep out of the shadows every now and then to throw a few records on."

Canney finally became her own boss in Ibiza, launching her own PR agency, Fix Ibiza, in 2008, whose clients included the Ibiza Rocks music festival. Through the agency, she organised a series of star-studded charity events raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and its Spanish equivalents.

"The Butterfly Ball was a great success," Canney remembers. "People like Neneh Cherry performed live, and each year there was an auction which brought in an endless list of items under the hammer, donated by the likes of David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Kate Moss, Jeff Bridges, Ricky Gervais and my own heroes, Duran Duran. It was amazing."

During this time, Canney became pregnant, and though she kept up work for a time, the idea of raising her boy back home in Northern Ireland proved too great to ignore. In 2014, she left her island life behind to return to the Maiden City.

"Returning to one's roots after 20 years living abroad was a massive thing for me," she says. "Being a mum made me realise that family is number one - without the support of mine, I'd be lost - and so, taking the notions of family, love and babies as the starting point for my new chapter, it made sense that those elements form the basis of my next bright idea, pursuing a future as a civil celebrant."

Canny had been considering gaining the necessary qualifications to act as a celebrant for some years, having attended friends' weddings while living in Ibiza, during which couples had shared their own vows, choosing to incorporate certain aspects of their religion or none at all.

While raising Sean, then, she studied remotely and subsequently completed residential training to achieve an NOCN Level 3 Diploma in celebrancy (naming and couples). Civil Celebrations has been in business since the beginning of 2016. "Statistics show that civil weddings are on the rise in Northern Ireland, and so too are baby-naming ceremonies and the renewing of vows, as people look for alternative ways to celebrate their commitment to each other and their children," Canney explains.

"The absolute joy of a civil ceremony is that, because there are no legalities involved, there are much fewer restrictions in so far as ceremony content, location and timing are concerned.

"Ceremonies can take place anywhere at all - no licence is required - so within the logistical limitations you can let your imagination run wild."

Over the past number of months, Canney has officiated at a diverse array of ceremonies, completing ancient Celtic rituals and performing ceremonies in woodland glades.

"That was my first ceremony and the bride was expecting her first baby, so it became a union of three," she says.

"The couple chose to have a handfasting using three ribbons, plaited into one, symbolising the three of them. It was a beautiful moment."

Canney herself believes "in love, that we are all free to believe in whatever God we choose, as long as we are not hurting anyone, to live and let live", and plans to work with couples at home in Northern Ireland and on her second home of Ibiza in the months ahead as the demand for civil ceremonies continues to rise.

These days, life is much simpler for her - no more late-night parties, celebrity rider requests and charity galas to organise. Though she admits to missing her old Ibiza party lifestyle, being a mother and expanding her entrepreneurial horizons is now the biggest buzz of all.

"My partying days are over," she laughs. "I'm too busy right now being mum to a very active toddler to be thinking about partying. That said, everything is definitely more fun in the sun, so maybe I'll return to Ibiza some day."
Maghaberry accommodates sentenced and remand prisoners and has segregated areas for paramilitary prisoners

A 34-year-old prisoner has died at Maghaberry jail, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed.

This is the third death at the Co Antrim facility this month and brings to six the total number of deaths in the past 12 months - four of whom were suicides.

Acting Prison Service Director General Phil Wragg said: "I would like to extend my sympathy and that of the Northern Ireland Prison Service to the family of the prisoner.

"My thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

The inmate was found dead in his cell on Wednesday morning.

It is understood prison authorities are not treating it as suicide. However, the exact circumstances of his death have yet to be established.

Investigations have been launched by the police, coroner and Prisoner Ombudsman.

Maghaberry, Northern Ireland's only high security prison, accommodates sentenced and remand prisoners and has segregated areas for paramilitary prisoners.

It was ranked among the most dangerous jails in the UK after a damning inspection last year.

Prison authorities were also heavily criticised in a recent Ombudsman report after an inmate inflicted extreme self-harm on himself in June 2014.

Ulster Unionist Party justice spokesman Doug Beattie said this latest death pointed to a crisis within the system.

He said: "Whatever the exact circumstance was, it is simply not acceptable that people who are incarcerated within a state institution are dying on such a regular basis.

"This is the third fatality in the month of November. That fact alone must surely shake away any complacency amongst those in charge of our prison system.

"I repeat what I have said before; there is a crisis in our prison service which deserves the full attention of the Executive, the Minister for Justice, and prison management.

"How many more prisoners have to lose their lives before our Executive realises there is a real crisis within our prisons and our Prison Service that will not go away until decisive and strategic action is taken?"

Earlier this month Stormont ministers announced a review of how vulnerable prisoners are monitored after a number of recent suicides and self-harm incidents.
Traffic congestion in Belfast is projected to cost the local economy almost 800m by 2025.

Belfast is among the most congested cities in Europe, a new study has found.

Traffic analysis company Inrix surveyed road use in 123 cities across 19 European countries by using a wealth of data from the likes of satellite navigations systems, mobile phones and road sensors throughout the past year.

It then ranked the cities in terms of "traffic hotspots," that is when congestion forces the driver to cut their speed by 65% for at least two minutes.

The UK was found to be the worst in Europe with over 20,000 hotspots in cities with a population of 250,000 people or more.

And Belfast was the 10th worst in the UK.

Report authors found that there were 446 traffic hotspots in the city with the worst being the Junction of the West Link and York Street.

The busy Belfast junction carries 100,000 vehicles each day and the Department of Infrastructure is in the process of progressing with the long-awaited York Street Interchange project which will in effect do away with the junctions which snarl up traffic at the point the A12, M2 and M3 converge.

A formal public notice of the department's intention to proceed was the project was made on Wednesday, however, doubt remains over its funding.

The Inrix report also found that congestion in the city is estimated to cost the Northern Ireland economy 800m by 2025.

Graham Cookson, chief economist at Inrix said: "Only by identifying traffic hotspots and analysing their root causes can we effectively combat congestion.

Some of the most effective traffic improvement measures have benefited from this approach."

Chancellor Philip Hammond recently made over 250m available to the Executive for infrastructure projects.
Parliament Buildings at Stormont. More than 1 billion of public money will be paid by 2036 to Northern Ireland-based businesses which signed up to the renewable energy scheme

A senior civil servant charged with overseeing a controversial renewable energy scheme is unable to explain why it was never reviewed.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) aimed to cut the cost of green energy to encourage people off fossil fuels but ended up landing ministers with an overspend of hundreds of millions of pounds.

David Sterling, permanent secretary and accounting officer for the Department of Finance, said the botched initiative had not been high on his radar but accepted mistakes were on his watch.

He said: "With hindsight, I may have got my priorities wrong."

The RHI encouraged the installation of costly eco-friendly heating systems by paying a tariff per kilowatt of heat burned over a 20-year period.

However, unlike in the rest of the UK, in Northern Ireland no cap or payment tier system was placed on the money that could be claimed in proportion to the size of boiler and the hours it was operated.

That effectively enabled a business to burn unnecessary heat 24/7 just to make money.

Thousands signed up to the scheme - a deluge that ultimately forced its closure, but not before Stormont had been left exposed to a huge overspend.

Overall, more than 1 billion of public money will be paid by 2036 to Northern Ireland-based businesses which signed up to the scheme.

Last week economists claimed the failure to regularly review tariffs was the main reason for the scheme's budget-busting demise.

Mr Sterling, who left the department in July 2014, said: "I accept that a review did not take place in my time. I accept that in the business case it was said a review would take place in early 2014.

"I can't satisfactorily explain why the review didn't take place.

"Questions around that are being addressed in the fact-finding review."

During a grilling from MLAs on the Public Accounts Committee at Stormont, Mr Sterling said, at the time, he felt he had fulfilled an obligation to put in place sound internal control and governance mechanisms but with hindsight conceded he should have been more alert to the need for a review.

"It is now clear that the control system may have looked good but the application for the control system was deficient, otherwise how would you explain what has happened," he said.

"The initial tariff design would have mitigated some of the problems we faced had it had tiering introduce at the start but significantly that the review didn't take place and the other significant factor is that warning signs which were flagged up by (government regulator) Ofgem and by the whistleblower were not taken account of.

"You bring those things together and I think that, in large part, contributes to what we are facing today."

Meanwhile, Mr Sterling also rejected allegations of trying to deflect MLAs questions and shift the blame on to others.

He said: "I really would want to stress, I am not seeking to try and pass the buck to others. I will accept full responsibility for any failings which occurred during my time.

"I am absolutely clear about that."

DUP MLA Trevor Clarke was critical of some of the evidence presented and of Mr Sterling's leadership.

He said: "To me this is flagging up an issue within the department under your leadership at that time that there was an issue with this scheme; there was an opportunity to review it; you failed to review it and then it runs out of control."

Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney said he too was disappointed by the lengthy session.

He said "It sounded to me, in your opening remarks and then in response to questions that we were beginning to get a pattern that it was nothing to do with yourself.

"That's not just one member's perception, interpretation or conclusion. It is at least the opinion of another."

Meanwhile, Michelle Gildernew, also of Sinn Fein said the PAC's was to seeking to establish whether the scheme was a "cock-up or conspiracy".
A DUP MP has backed a new report that warns how religious freedoms in everyday life are being eroded in modern Britain. File image

A DUP MP has backed a new report that warns how religious freedoms in everyday life are being eroded in modern Britain.

The paper - published by think-tank ResPublica - said that magistrates, teachers, foster parents, doctors, and therapists have been disciplined, demoted or sacked for living in accordance with their beliefs.

It further suggested that compromises to religious freedom "seriously endanger" the contributions of faith communities to the common good.

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the research "reflects the experience" of many people who have a strong religious faith.

The report also called for the UK Government to press ahead with a British Bill of Rights incorporating a duty to make a "reasonable accommodation" for religious beliefs.

"We are in a society where religious expression is not respected and where the right to express yourself in terms of either what you wear or what you say is being undermined," the Lagan Valley MP said. "We do need to look at this again in terms of the whole questions of rights and responsibilities.

"When you consider the enormous contribution that the faith community and church make to society, including the charitable work they do, the social outreach that they engage in, I think it's wrong that people in the workplace think they almost have to hide their faith and that they can't express it in a way that is reflective of their beliefs."

He claimed that the recent discrimination case involving Ashers Baking Company showed that people feel there is not a "reasonable accommodation" for freedom of expression.

The firm owned by the McArthur family lost their court appeal over a ruling that found their company discriminated against a gay man. Ashers had refused to bake a cake bearing a slogan supporting same-sex marriage for a gay customer.

"I think we need to have a dialogue within our society about the kind of reasonable accommodation that would facilitate people who have a faith perspective," he added. "They feel almost persecuted in terms of their right to freely express a religious view."

The Christian Institute - which is backing the Ashers' legal case - said that freedom of religious expression has "suffered" in recent years.

The institute's Simon Calvert said: "There is a pressing need for legislators to re-examine equality laws to better reflect the kind of balancing act that needs to take place when you get a clash of rights. The ruling against Ashers Baking Company is the latest in a line of cases where the courts have come down in favour of a secular, liberal view at the cost of the freedom of respectable religious people to live according to their convictions."

Phillip Blond, director of ResPublica, said: "We hear a lot about the bad things people do in the name of religion but all faiths actually have a role to play in bringing communities together and stopping division."
A disused customs post on the border between Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland and Newry in Northern Ireland

The economic transformation of Irish border communities brought by the peace process has been put at risk by Brexit, MPs have been told.

The head of a business support organisation working in Counties Armagh and Down issued the stark warning as he gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry into the future of the Irish border when the UK leaves the EU.

Conor Patterson, chief executive of the Newry and Mourne Co-operative and Enterprise Agency, was appearing alongside other leading business representatives from the area.

All of them raised concern about the impact of Brexit, highlighting issues around potential trading tariffs and restrictions on the movement of workers.

Mr Patterson told committee members that an unemployment rate of 30% in the Co Down border city of Newry at the height of the Troubles had dropped to below 3% this summer.

"Over the last 25 years this community has taken advantage of the dissolution of the border as a barrier to the movement of goods and people - growing world beating, locally-owned, innovative companies now employing thousands and making an enormous contribution to the Northern Ireland economy," he said.

He added: "Our concern is that transformation will be put at risk. We accept the result of the referendum but we wish the concerns of border communities to be taken into account by those negotiating both on behalf of the UK Government and the Government of the Irish Republic."

Mr Patterson said many local companies operated on a cross-border basis.

"Any disruption to trading modalities and especially freedom of movement of goods and people will badly affect these vital companies," he said.

He acknowledged the drop in sterling in the wake of the referendum had delivered a "windfall" for Newry retailers, but he said that would only continue if shoppers from the Republic could travel north without restriction.

Michael Blaney, managing director at Newry-based insurance company Autoline, said his ability to attract talent from the Republic of Ireland could be undermined.

He also said the company's plans to expand its business across the border could be negativity affected.

Mr Blaney said the company suffered its first "Brexit casualty" shortly after the vote when one of its data scientists left.

"As soon as the Leave vote came through, he made plans to work in Dublin as he felt he had to remain within the EU," he said.

He added: "One of our major concerns is certainly how the flow of talent will be affected from markets across the border.

"Another of our concerns is that a significant part of our growth strategy was the natural step into the Republic given that two of our offices - Newry and Enniskillen - are so close to the border.

"We feel this would certainly become more difficult from a regulatory perspective if there was a hard Brexit with the passporting rights we currently have to trade in other EU jurisdictions being withdrawn perhaps."

Peter Conway, chief executive of Warrenpoint port, stressed how much the business relied on cross-border trade.

"One of the major concerns that we have is that 48% of the trade through the port emanates from or goes to the Republic of Ireland," he said.

Mr Conway, a member of the British Ports Association, said there were maritime concerns throughout the UK.

He said more than 50% of trade going through UK ports was linked to the EU.

"There are grave concerns in the industry," he added.
The SNP wants a committee to probe differences between Tony Blair's public statements and private correspondence with George W Bush ahead of the 2003 invasion

MPs have overwhelmingly rejected calls for a parliamentary investigation on whether Tony Blair misled the Commons, with Labour saying he should not be a "scapegoat".

The SNP wants the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee to probe any differences between the former Labour prime minister's public statements and private correspondence with then US president George W Bush ahead of the 2003 invasion.

But despite the non-binding motion attracting cross-party support, Labour and Conservative MPs joined forces to vote it down by 439 votes to 70, majority 369.

Five Labour MPs and six Conservatives were among those who voted in favour of the motion.

During the debate, Cabinet Office minister Chris Skidmore said there is "no merit" in further inquiries into the Iraq war.

And shadow foreign office minister Fabian Hamilton, who voted against the 2003 invasion, said the SNP motion risked "distracting" the Commons and the committee from its "true objective" of learning the "real lessons" of the Chilcot inquiry.

He also launched a defence of Mr Blair, telling MPs he did not believe the former PM had acted in "bad faith" when making the case for war.

The six Tories who backed the motion were: Sir David Amess (Southend West); Bob Blackman (Harrow East); Philip Davies (Shipley); Sir Roger Gale (North Thanet); Philip Hollobone (Kettering); and Stephen McPartland (Stevenage).

The five Labour MPs who supported it were: Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley); Paul Flynn (Newport West); Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow); Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North); and Dennis Skinner (Bolsover).

Labour MPs were on a one-line whip, meaning they could back the SNP motion without fear of sanction.

Speaking for Labour during the debate, Mr Hamilton said: "There are many serious lessons to learn from the Chilcot report ... but in terms of learning those lessons, we will do ourselves and future governments no favours if we spend even more time in this House and in the committee rooms examining contentions that the Chilcot report and four other inquiries - at exhaustive length - have already found to be incorrect.

"Nor will any of us benefit if we continue to try and turn a collective institutional and international failure in Iraq into an attempt to pillory or scapegoat one individual.

"Let me be clear, I totally disagreed - as many others did - with Tony Blair on the Iraq war.

"I voted against our government because I thought that our prime minister of the day was simply wrong.

"But never for one second did I believe he was acting in bad faith and I do not do so now."

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said freedom of information requests had demonstrated the Chilcot Inquiry had been "designed to avoid blame", prompting groans from Labour MPs.

Tory former cabinet minister Ken Clarke warned SNP MP Alex Salmond against "personalising" the Chilcot report.

Former Scottish first minister Mr Salmond said he believed the public was "grievously misled into that disastrous conflict" by Mr Blair.

But Mr Clarke suggested a focus on Mr Blair risked relegating the important issue of ensuring that such a "catastrophic foreign policy decision" is not repeated.

Mr Salmond said the Chilcot report concluded that "this was very much a personal campaign by the prime minister" as he said parliamentary accountability could act as a barrier to any repeat.

He told Mr Clarke: "There are committees of this House who have been examining the conduct of the processes of government and if you read the very committee we intend to refer the question of parliamentary accountability to, the minutes of the meeting they had with the cabinet secretary, I don't think you will find much reassurance that there has been a tremendous advance in the process of government, and the overwhelming impression is that a headstrong prime minister could still create a situation where sofa government drove a country into an illegal war.

"I suggest that parliamentary accountability, that an examination of statements made to Parliament and public against the facts as we now know them, would be a valuable additional sanction and tool in restraining future prime ministers from any such course of events."

The Chilcot report found that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein posed "no imminent threat" at the time of the invasion of his country in 2003, and the war was started on the basis of "flawed" intelligence.

Its publication led to calls for the prosecution of Mr Blair, but the former PM insisted that, while he felt sorrow for those whose loved ones died, he stood by his decision to commit Britain to the US-led military action.

Labour MP Ian Austin (Dudley North), who was an adviser to Gordon Brown at the time of the war, claimed the SNP had brought debates on Chilcot, Trident renewal and House of Lords reform to divide the Labour Party rather than represent their constituents.

He said: "Instead of choosing to debate issues that people in Scotland worry about day in, day out - education, health service, housing - they come here to score party political points, choosing motion after motion to divide the Labour Party.

"That's what this is about.

"And they should be treated with contempt."

Gesturing to Mr Salmond and with his voice rising in indignation, Mr Austin added: "Look at him laughing, as if Iraq is a subject of humour, as if it's a joke."

Labour MP Paul Flynn (Newport West), a fierce critic of the war, said: "We know that during that debate, 139 of my comrades on the Labour benches voted against the war.

"It was a courageous thing to do, because we were under great pressure, but there were 50 others who had grave doubts about the war.

"They were, in my view, bribed, bullied and bamboozled into voting the wrong way and many of them have regretted it very much since then."
And just yesterday the wonderful people at Paga Hill Development Company donated $2,000, most of which will go to purchasing copies of the book when it is published in late February.

First there has been the invaluable mentoring and support of Phil Fitzpatrick and Keith Jackson.

It has been a busy time and, as we near the 30 December deadline for submissions, it seems opportune to acknowledge and thank the individuals who are assisting the My Walk to Equality anthology project.

FOR the last two months Ive been collaborating with the women of Papua New Guinea to compile a collection of writing, documenting how they can help reduce various forms of inequality in PNG society.

The project has also received great funding-in-kind support, worth more than $2,000, from Jo Holman whose generous donation of paintings by her late husband, Hal Holman OL OAM, led to some very timely funding towards the project.

I also want to thank and congratulate all the women who have already sent in their contributions for the collection.

Since the initial call on 30 September, interest in the project has come from women writers far and wide. Although things started slowly - as youd expect from writers considering, designing, drafting and rewriting - these last few weeks has seen an increase in the momentum of enquiries and contributions.

From these, we have seen some of our old favourites reappearing as well as the emergence of women writers who are new to us - Betty Chapau, Julie Mota, Alphonse Huvi and Vanessa Gordon.

With only one month left, if youre needing some extra motivation to contribute your writing to this first-of-a-kind publication for PNG, Ive suggested some reasons here, here and here.

Remember that the deadline for submissions is 31 December. You can find details here and if you still have any questions, email me here.

The project has been a wonderful opportunity for connecting people who are passionate about using PNG-authored literature as a vehicle for social change.

In this context I want to thank Dr Linda Van Leewuen from the PNG Business Coalition for Women who, since this project was initiated, has been fantastic in promoting it through her networks.

Id also like to thank the many people who have acknowledged and responded to our requests regarding written submissions, media releases and funding.

The My Walk to Equality anthology project is most appreciative to have the voluntary editing services of Marisa Trigger.

Having worked in PNG last year, Marisas fondness for the country and its people prompted her to contact me when she read our initial call.

Marisa is a member of Editors Queensland and has extensive experiencing including editing fantasy, romance and science fiction with a personal preference for speculative fiction.

Tania Basiou of Tania B Photography and Kila Xavier of PNG fashion label Neneva Designs Clothing are Papua New Guinean women whom have been extremely generous with their time as well as voluntarily providing a wardrobe and photography to create images which I have used across social media and an upcoming PNG-based print magazine publication.

Information will also soon reach readers in Lily PNG magazines Facebook page (15,000+ followers) as well as its upcoming issue thanks to managing editor Margo Nugent.

A few weeks ago, I asked regular PNG Attitude writers for their tips for a writing workshop I was designing and received much useful materials from Lapieh Landu, Michael Dom, Daniel Kumbon, Francis Nii, Phil Fitzpatrick and Keith Jackson.

The workshop was held in Brisbane last Saturday, co-facilitated by Marisa Trigger. It was attended by a group of PNG women who had requested assistance preparing their contributions to the project.

Also there was award-winning Crocodile Prize writer Iriani Wanma (right) and the talented writer, Vanessa Gordon. The workshop materials will be forwarded to writers associations in Simbu, Port Moresby and Enga.

On a related matter, we are in the middle of 16 days of activism (25 November  10 December) to Orange the World, the United Nations program to eliminate violence against women.

You can follow my Instagram page @amoahfive_oh where I promote the names of PNG women writers who will be included in the anthology, many of whom have written about the theme of gender-based violence as a significant form of inequality in Papua New Guinea.
John Teggart, whose father Danny was killed at Ballymurphy, said the families were angry money was not being released

A coroner has blamed an ongoing funding logjam over legacy inquests for his inability to set a date for the case of 10 people shot dead by the Army.

Justice Adrian Colton said he could not schedule a hearing for those killed in Ballymurphy in west Belfast in 1971 because he did not know how much money the Coroner's Service would have next year.

The Ballymurphy case is one of around 50 historic Troubles-related inquests still stuck in Northern Ireland's coronial system due a political impasse over paying for them.

A Catholic priest and a mother of eight were among those gunned down during three days of shooting involving members of the Parachute Regiment in Ballymurphy in August 1971.

The episode is referred to by bereaved families as the "Ballymurphy massacre".

"I am not going to set a date and then disappoint people because I can't deliver it," Mr Colton told a preliminary hearing in Belfast.

"It would be unfair. I don't want to make a commitment I can't keep."

In a clear reference to the political wrangle, Mr Colton, the head of the Coroner's Service, added: "I hope progress will be made outside of this service.

"If that happens the situation is transformed immediately and we'd be in a very different scenario."

In February, Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, proposed that a specialist unit be set up that could deal with the cases within five years.

However, politicians have so far failed to agree to stump up the 10 million needed to fund the process.

The money will be accessed as part of a Government financial package addressing a range of issues related to Northern Ireland's toxic past.

The package of mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles is stuck in the starting blocks due to a dispute between Sinn Fein and the Government on the potential of state papers being withheld from families on the grounds of national security.

While the row relates to the workings of a new historical investigations unit, the Democratic Unionists have refused to sign off on funding the outstanding inquests until consensus is reached on all aspects of the legacy package.

A number of relatives involved in the cases are currently taking legal action against Stormont ministers and the Government over the failure to fund the new inquest unit. An application for a judicial review will he heard in Belfast on December 14.

Outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, John Teggart, whose father Danny was killed at Ballymurphy, said the families were angry money was not being released.

"The families are absolutely devastated," he said.

"Progress can be made - it's just a lack of funding."

Michael Mansfield QC is representing Mr Teggart in the case.

Outside court, he pointed out that witnesses and bereaved relatives were dying amid the ongoing delays.

"I am someone who always says justice delayed is justice denied," he said.

The high-profile lawyer said the problem was outside the court process and rather in the political arena.

"I think personally that long before now the British government should have stepped in to ensure that there isn't a logjam here, that there isn't a blockage," he added.
People in Northern Ireland spend more of their monthly income on Christmas than any other UK region - and they also fork out a fortune on children

People in Northern Ireland spend more of their monthly income on Christmas than any other UK region - and they also fork out a fortune on children.

New research shows the average adult will part with 646, snowballing to a staggering 33bn across the UK this year alone, with just one in 50 self-professed Scrooges admitting to spending nothing.

But as you're delving deep into that seemingly neverending moneybox, fast forward your mind four months to March because that's how long it will take you to pay off the festive debt.

New research has found that generous consumers here spend 67% of their pay packet on yuletide and all its trimmings, which is much higher than anywhere else.

However, it also means we're the UK region where most people - around a fifth - put in long hours at the office and do extra shifts at work to cover the cost of the festivities.

Nationwide's Christmas spending report also revealed exactly who splashes out most money on their children, with Northern Ireland parents coming second out of 12 regions.

The OnePoll survey of 2,000 adults found that on average 198 was spent per child here, a figure eclipsed only by those in the North East of England, who are willing to splash 9 more cash (at 207 each).

Parents in East Anglia dole out the least amount of money on kids, on average just 115, while mums and dads in the East and West Midlands and South East and West all spend slightly over 120 for each child.

Children living in Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside and the North West can expect presents worth over 150 this Christmas, and Scottish parents come in the middle of the table, spending, on average, 149 per youngster.

According to the new data, Northern Ireland can pride itself in being the most generous region of the UK, spending an average of 158 on their partner's present.

Shoppers here are also particularly savvy, with 68% shopping around to find the best deal, and a quarter using loyalty points to pay for presents. Nationwide's head of current accounts Phil Smith cautioned consumers against going beyond their means this Christmas.

"Try to make the most of your festive budget by saving a little towards the extra costs in advance, spreading your purchases throughout the year and making the most of deals, vouchers and loyalty points," he said.

The results of the spending report show that one in three (37%) of us regrets the amount we've spent on Christmas and, for most (45%), it takes a month before we've recovered.

One in three of us relies on charging presents, food, alcohol and other incidentals to our credit cards or overdraft, so it's no surprise that many people suffer financial hangovers for months to come.

Indeed, as many as one in 16 people will spend their whole month's salary on Christmas celebrations, while just over half of people surveyed now buy the majority of their festive gifts online, rather than braving the high street.
Kevin Joseph McGrath, who put his hands around his wifes throat, outside court in Antrim

A groom who kicked and punched his new wife in the bridal suite of a hotel on their wedding night has avoided being sent to prison.

Shocking details of the attack, in which Kevin Joseph McGrath also put his hands around wife Melissa's throat, emerged during a hearing at Antrim Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court was told that it should have been the best day of their lives, but instead McGrath (28) started drinking alcohol at just 10am.

The joiner, whose address was given as Ardnaskea Drive, Coalisland, Co Tyrone, but who had been living in Desertmartin in Co Londonderry, was so drunk that he claimed he could not remember anything after the wedding meal ended at 8pm.

Police were called to the White River House Hotel in Toomebridge on October 2 after the victim fled the room and told staff her husband had attacked her. She was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment to her injuries, the details of which were not outlined to the court.

Staff then confronted McGrath and kicked him out, after which he somehow made his way home to Desertmartin.

More than two months since the incident, he has yet to see his wife or daughter again.

McGrath previously pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his wife, and was back in court for sentencing yesterday.

He sat quietly as a prosecutor said police attended the hotel at 5am after receiving a report a bride had been assaulted by her new husband.

Melissa told officers she had been "scolding" her husband for being sick on the floor when the attack happened.

She explained that as her husband lay on the bed, he put his hands around her throat, "hurting her" and causing her to feel "very scared".

After she was discharged from hospital, she told police that the defendant had kicked and punched her a number of times before going to sleep.

Photographs of the victims' injuries were also shown to District Judge Alan White.

The prosecutor said McGrath told police he had no memory of events after 8pm on his wedding day and could not account for the injuries to his new wife.

Defence barrister Michael Ward admitted the case contained a "very disturbing set of circumstances".

He explained that the couple had been in a relationship for four years, getting engaged in 2013, and had a young daughter together.

The barrister added that what was "supposed to be a very special day for them" and their families ended in disaster because McGrath drank too much.

Mr Ward told the court that the defendant was stressed out during the run-up to the wedding and said there were incidents on the day itself such as the Best Man "taking himself elsewhere" and issues about the music being played by the DJ, which caused "some frustration".

He explained McGrath had been drinking from "10am right through" and added: "He can't remember anything after the meal."

Mr Ward said his client was lying in bed when hotel staff woke him up and told him to get out of the building because he had assaulted his wife. "After being kicked out he doesn't know how he got to Desertmartin," the barrister told the court.

He said McGrath's wife said her husband was "bad-tempered" and "stubborn", but she never would have described him as violent before the flare-up on what should have been the "best day of their lives".

Mr Ward said McGrath wished to unreservedly apologise to his wife, and added that since the incident he has had no contact with her or his daughter.

"He has lost everything as a result of what happened," the lawyer told the court.

The hearing was told the joiner had saved 7,000 to pay for the wedding and "through alcohol consumption, he has thrown everything in his life away".

In mitigation, Mr Ward stressed that his client had made full admissions and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

He said there was no explanation for the violence as McGrath had no history of such offending.

District Judge White said he had to give the defendant credit for the guilty plea and a clear record, but insisted it was an "extremely serious assault".

He added that the courts took domestic violence very seriously and called the incident "a very sad commentary on the effects of alcohol when taken to excess, especially on what is meant to be the best day of your life".

The judge said he was reluctant to send the first-time offender to prison because that would not help him in potentially re-building the relationship with his wife.

Instead, he put him on probation for two years and ordered him to take part in a relationship programme and carry out 100 hours of community service.

Judge White also ordered the defendant to pay 300 compensation to his wife and warned McGrath the sentence was "a direct alternative to immediate custody".

The judge added: "Most people - no matter how badly they behave - deserve one chance in life".
Stormont's First Minister has said she would be breaking the law if she directed the sacking of an alleged UDA boss from his job as head of a publicly-funded charity.

Arlene Foster defended her stance in the controversy surrounding Dee Stitt's role as chief executive of Charter NI as she appeared before her Assembly scrutiny committee.

Addressing the wider issue of people allegedly actively engaged in paramilitarism sitting on publicly-funded organisations, the DUP leader said anyone involved in such criminal activities should be arrested, insisting no-one was "untouchable".

Convicted armed robber Stitt, who denies being a UDA chief, faced down calls for his resignation in the wake of a newspaper interview in which he launched a foul-mouthed tirade against the Government and claimed his flute band in North Down provided "homeland security".

Charter NI is overseeing the delivery of a 1.7 million employment scheme in east Belfast as part of the Stormont Executive's 80 million Social Investment Fund (SIF).

Mrs Foster's role in the furore has been the subject of intense public scrutiny, given she was pictured beside Mr Stitt at a SIF-linked photocall.

She also welcomed initial reports that he had resigned - only for it to subsequently emerge that he had no intention of leaving post.

Since then, the DUP leader has not joined calls made by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness for Mr Stitt to resign.

"I thought he had stood down, because that was reported to me, he clearly hasn't," Mrs Foster told members of the Executive Office committee.

"I think that Mr Stitt made some very controversial statements that were wrong and, as I understand it, the board of Charter NI have taken action over that in terms of disciplinary action."

She said it was not for her to interfere in such proceedings.

"Can you imagine I said to Charter NI 'I want you to sack your chief executive'," she said.

"Do you think that would be legal? Because I tell you now it would not be legal."

Earlier in her appearance at the committee, Mrs Foster was asked a wider question about those with alleged paramilitary links becoming involved in publicly funded bodies.

"We don't go through all members of staff and ask them what their previous associations were - we want to encourage people to move away from anything they have been involved with in the past," she replied.

"And if they are engaged in activities today then they should be arrested for those activities, and I want to say that very clearly - the police should arrest them and they should interview them and, if there is evidence, bring it before the court.

"I don't think that anyone should be given any comfort in terms of thinking that they are untouchable.

"No-one should be untouchable. Everyone should be equal before the law and under the law."

Mr McGuinness, who was appearing alongside Mrs Foster to answer questions on the proposed programme for government and specific plans to tackle paramilitarism, reiterated his call for Mr Stitt to resign.

He expressed concern the loyalist's "ridiculous" remarks in his interview with the Guardian were "overshadowing" the work of the SIF in disadvantaged communities across Northern Ireland.

"If he really does care about the local community then I hope he will take a decision that lays to rest this controversy," he said.
Sinn Fein has accused the DUP of hypocrisy after it came under attack for meeting the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

In a further deterioration of relations between the two main Stormont parties over their Middle East links, republicans said DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson met Hamas representatives a few months ago. Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan posted a photograph of the Lagan Valley MP with Hamas officials and accused his party's power-sharing partners of blatant double standards.

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He said the row over the delegation his party sent to Turkey at the weekend was a manufactured one. Mr Sheehan also emphasised that politicians here had a duty to help troubled areas across the globe work towards reconciliation.

His criticism came after DUP MEP Diane Dodd accused republicans of "glorifying terrorism" by sending the delegation led by Declan Kearney to meet Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk, among others, in Istanbul last weekend.

Mr Sheehan said: "The faux outrage and hypocrisy surrounding Declan Kearney's visit to Turkey is a storm in a teacup.

"All political representatives have a duty and responsibility to assist in peace-building efforts in other parts of the world."

Expand Close Sinn Feins Declan Kearney during his meeting with Hamas representative Dr Musa Abu / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sinn Feins Declan Kearney during his meeting with Hamas representative Dr Musa Abu

In his tweet he asked what the DUP would have to say about Mr Donaldson "meeting Hamas in August".

Mr Donaldson was not available for comment.

But a DUP statement said: "Whilst working in a personal capacity, Mr Donaldson met with Israeli parliamentarians and members of the Palestinian national Assembly."

Belfast Telegraph front page Monday November 28, 2016 #NINews pic.twitter.com/lBepHyL4ci  Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) November 28, 2016

A senior party source also explained that the main thrust of Mrs Dodds' comments were "criticisms about those who would glorify terrorism. Jeffrey's meetings were with both sides".

The source added: "That stands a little different to Sinn Fein's stance on Israel when they support boycotts and so on by councils here."

Mrs Dodds had said: "Sinn Fein have regularly sought to use the international stage to wrongly glorify their own past.

"Sinn Fein speak of wanting a 'viable peace process' and 'inclusive negotiations' with Israel.

"Yet the fact of the matter is that such talks can only be viable if they do not include lingering commitments to terror and criminality from Hamas and other Palestinian paramilitary groups."

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said it was up to Sinn Fein to decide whether to meet Hamas or not.

He added: "The bottom line is that they should be persuading Hamas to give up violence and to get around a table with Israel and negotiate.

"That is what the region wants.

"It is in the interests of the whole world, and it is exactly what Sinn Fein did themselves."

Mr Kearney said that the Sinn Fein delegation "outlined our experience of the Irish peace process and gave an analysis of the current political situation in Ireland".
This is the third death at the prison this month.

A 34-year-old prisoner has been found dead in a cell in Maghaberry prison.

The PSNI, Coroner and Prisoner Ombudsman have launched investigations into the death.

A postmortem is due to be carried out later.

Acting Prison Service Director General Phil Wragg said: "I would like to extend my sympathy and that of the Northern Ireland Prison Service to the family of the prisoner. My thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

This is the third death in the high security prison this month.

On November 15 Barry Cavan who was serving a life sentence for the savage murder of a busker in 2012, died by suicide.

Cavan, a known alcoholic and drug addict, stabbed his neighbour David 'Dee' Corr (24) 39 times in March 2012 over an argument about loud music.

On November 5, Gerard Mulligan died by suicide.

Gerard Mulligan (44) was charged with the murder of his father, also called Gerard, in Limehurst Way, Lisburn on September 29 after his body was discovered in a car boot outside his house.

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The justice spokesman for the Ulster Unionist Party said the death "confirms there is a crisis" within the Northern Ireland prison system.

Doug Beattie MC MLA said: "First of all our sympathies must go to the family of the prisoner who has been found dead in his cell at Maghaberry. Whatever the exact circumstance was, it is simply not acceptable that people who are incarcerated within a state institution are dying on such a regular basis. This is the third fatality in the month of November. That fact alone must surely shake away any complacency amongst those in charge of our prison system.

I repeat what I have said before; there is a crisis in our prison service which deserves the full attention of the Executive, the Minister for Justice, and prison management. There is an immediate need to increase staffing levels to a safe standard and instigate safety measures requested by HMP Maghaberry Prison Officer Association when they met with the FM on 10 October 2016.

"How many more prisoners have to lose their lives before our Executive realises there is a real crisis within our prisons and our Prison Service that will not go away until decisive and strategic action is taken?"
Members of the Alternative A5 Alliance leave the High Court in Belfast where they are involved with legal action against the proposed A5 dual carriageway in Tyrone. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

A campaign group suffered a blow in its second legal bid to halt a multi-million pound dual carriageway project linking Counties Londonderry and Tyrone.

On wednesday, the High Court dismissed claims that the need and justification for the A5 scheme, along with alternatives, will not be properly considered at an ongoing public inquiry.

A judge adjourned a separate ground of challenge over an alleged failure to carry out a strategic environmental assessment (SEA), ruling that it was premature.

Mrs Justice Keegan's decision represents a significant setback in the challenge mounted by a group of farmers, landowners and others opposed to the planned 85km route.

Work on the new dual carriageway section is due to get underway next year.

In 2013 the group, known as the Alternative A5 Alliance, won their first legal action against the new Derry and Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone road.

At that stage a judge quashed the decision to press ahead with the scheme, which forms part of a proposed key cross-border business route linking Dublin and the north west, due to a breach of a habitats directive.

Lawyers representing the Alliance returned to court to seek a judicial review of renewed plans.

They argued there is a requirement for alternatives to be examined by the Planning Appeals Commission, and accused the Department for Infrastructure of engaging in a charade.

Attorney General John Larkin QC, responding for the Department, countered that further PAC hearings in December will look at other options and enable objections to be voiced.

Backing his submissions, Mrs Justice Keegan said the Commission must then prepare a report for the Minister's consideration.

"I reject the suggestion that the inquiry is simply a sixth form debating exercise," she added.

"That, it seems to me, does a disservice to its aims."

A second ground of challenge in the application for leave to seek a judicial review involved arguments that the A5 project must be subject to an SEA if it features in Stormont's next Programme for Government - currently out for consultation.

Mr Larkin stressed that the current draft contains no direct reference to the road scheme.

According to the judge, the campaign group have to cross a hurdle in establishing that the Programme for Government sets the framework for development consent.

"I consider there's a degree of prematurity to this ground of challenge," she said.

"Whilst the Programme for Government consultation process is ongoing and whilst the public inquiry is ongoing I do not consider I should finally determine this issue."

Both processes, she said, impact on the question of whether SEA obligations are triggered.

"It's unclear in my mind at the moment, but may become clearer with fuller information."
Education Minister Peter Weir last night made a last-ditch plea to teachers to call off a strike expected to cause major disruption today.

A large number of schools will be affected, with a small number set to close completely including Strathearn Grammar, Lagan College and St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar. Other schools are open for sixth formers only, while some are planning to remain fully open, including Bloomfield Collegiate in east Belfast.

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Ashfield Girls School in east Belfast said on its website that it will be open to Years 13 and 14 only.

The strike has been organised by teachers' union the NASUWT following a breakdown in negotiations with employers over pay.

Today's action will only affect Belfast and Newtownabbey, but the union says further strikes in other areas will follow.

Striking teachers will attend a rally at the Europa Hotel this morning at 10am.

Justin McCamphill from the NASUWT said: "No teacher has any wish to inconvenience parents or disrupt pupils' education, but this action is not the fault of teachers.

"The minister has been given the money to pay teachers the minimum of 1% for 2015-16.

"It is nothing short of scandalous that he does not think that paying teachers is important. Teachers have been left with no choice but to stand up to such a contemptuous attitude."

Last month all five main teacher unions in Northern Ireland rejected an offer freezing their pay in 2015/16 and raising it by 1% in 2016/17.

Today's strike is only by NASUWT members, but three other teachers' unions - INTO, UTU and ATL - will ballot their members next month for strike action.

Mr Weir expressed his regret.

"A day of strike will only result in the loss of a day's pay, effectively much of the 1% the unions are saying they are fighting for," he said. "I am therefore forced to conclude that union leaders are letting down their members by leading them into a cul de sac of industrial action which is futile rather than focusing on future negotiations."
The Orange Order has appointed its first chief executive to run the administrative side of the institution.

Iain Carlisle (43), from Ballynahinch, Co Down, comes to the role from the Ulster-Scots Community Network, of which he was the director.

He has stated his intention to develop the Orange Order to ensure it remains sustainable and relevant in the future.

There are around 35,000 members of the institution in Ireland who belong to more than 1,000 lodges across the island.

The institution is led by grand master Edward Stevenson and a team based in Schomberg House in east Belfast.

Mr Carlisle will be leading that team and will be primarily responsible for steering the development and execution of the long-term strategy, as well as managing the operation of the Order's Belfast headquarters and administration, serving more than 1,100 private lodges.

He is due to start next month and said he felt honoured to have been appointed to the post.

"My family have been involved with the institution for generations and I have always had a keen interest in Orange culture and history," he said.

"I look forward to working with the officers and members as collectively we continue the process of developing the institution, ensuring its sustainability and relevance, both today and in the future.

"The wider Orange family has an important role in Ulster society.

"Our network of Orange halls provide valuable community facilities, and the musical traditions associated with the institution engage thousands of young people with the arts on a weekly basis.

"These and other important facets of our institution need to be acknowledged, developed and resourced appropriately and I look forward to working towards these goals."

Mr Stevenson congratulated Mr Carlisle on his appointment.

"Iain is an individual of great calibre and experience, who is highly respected both within the Orange fraternity and the wider community," he said.

"His career background, most notably successfully promoting Ulster-Scots heritage and culture, ensures he is ideally suited to spearhead this exciting new chapter for Grand Lodge.

"I have no doubt he will play a pivotal role in ensuring the institution is even more dynamic and proactive in its overall output and outreach, strengthening our status as a major stakeholder in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic."

Mr Carlisle attended Down High School, Downpatrick, before studying history and politics at Queen's University, Belfast.

The father-of-two has been a member of the Orange Order since 1990, and is currently the secretary of Brunswick LOL 1702 as well as a member of the Royal Black Institution in Mourne district, and bandmaster of Brunswick Accordion Band in Annalong.
Anti-fracking campaigners react outside County Hall, Northallerton, after councillors approved an application by UK firm Third Energy

A ban on fracking in the Republic of Ireland should remain in place after a series of reports found there were major risks to the environment including water contamination and escape of gas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that although fracking is possible, there is a widespread risk and that further study is required before it is allowed.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Denis Naughten said the reports finding justified the continued ban on fracking in Ireland, which is in place since 2013. The Dail has recently agreed to a permanent ban in principle.

I believe the report's findings justify the continuing prohibition on the licensing of hydraulic fracturing, he said. I am on record as having raised concerns with regard to the use of hydraulic fracturing. I am pleased that these matters of concern have been addressed in the report.

Fracking involves drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure mixture of water and chemicals is used to shatter shale rock to release natural gas. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure, which allows gas to flow to the surface.

Deposits of shale gas are believed to be available in Leitrim, Clare and Fermanagh, but no exploration was allowing until the research programme from the EPA was complete.

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The Joint Research Programme on Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction (UGEE) involved five research projects which looked at the impacts of fracking on water, seismicity and air quality, as well as a review of operational practices around the world.

The work was commissioned and funded by the governments in Northern Ireland and in the Republic.

The EPA noted that the work was being carried out in the context that Ireland had committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating oil and gas over time.

It found that fracking had the potential to impact both human health and the environment, and there was a lack of data or international experience which did not permit a reliable assessment of consequences.

They included concern about groundwater aquifers being polluted if wells failed, with cracking in rocks potentially allowing pollutants and gas to flow into water.

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There was also a concern about gas escaping, even after wells were capped.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas and therefore this is an issue of concern, the EPA noted.

It found that these issues needed to be resolved prior to any fracking being allowed.

Fine Gael TD for Sligo Tony McLoughlin, has said that the findings in the EPA report justifies his anti-fracking legislation, which he introduced in Dail Eireann in October.

Mr McLoughlin said: "The research was undertaken by a consortium of independent organisations, including the British Geological Survey, University College Dublin and Ulster University.

"It looked in detail at the potential impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction (UGEE) on water, seismicity and air quality.

"The study acknowledged there were three main impacts where data and/or experience wasn't sufficient to establish a reliable assessment of the consequences of fracking. These included the possible pollution of groundwater supplies due to the failure of gas well integrity; the potential increase in the migration of gas and pollutants as a result of the hydraulic fracturing process and the possible impact of gas emissions as a result of the fracking.

"The study noted that these concerns would require clarification before environmental protection and human health can be ensured.

"The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten has said that he believes the Report's findings justify the continuing prohibition on the licensing of hydraulic fracturing in this country. He said there are concerns particularly on such matters as long term well integrity; the potential release of toxic chemicals from the ground; and the significant and considerable potential implications that the use of this technology may have on people in rural communities as a consequence of the spatially dispersed pattern of housing in rural areas.

"Minister Naughten says the report provides the robust underpinning for decision making on this issue of public concern and I believe it justifies the introduction of my anti-fracking legislation, entitled, The Prohibition of the Exploration and Extraction of Onshore Petroleum Bill 2016.

"My legislation provides for a clear and unequivocal position in relation to the exploration and extraction of petroleum from shale rock, tight sands and coal seams on the Irish onshore and also in our internal waters. The Bill does not seek to simply ban the technology associated with Fracking, rather it seeks to ban the act of taking oil and gas out of the ground, where usually fracking would be needed.

"I have been extremely concerned for a very long time about the damage and harm that onshore Fracking could cause in Ireland, and it is my firm hope that my Dail Private Members Bill will prevent this type of exploration from ever occurring in Ireland."
Having read these books, I can add that Jordan is passionate, compassionate and resilient and has overcome many tribulations and tragedies  both his own and those of others that he records in his poems and short stories.

PNG Attitudes many readers already know that Jordan Dean is a generous, warm-hearted man: he has made these three publications available to the world free of charge, and he is actively engaged in helping others, again free of charge, to publish their own works.

Stranger in Paradise and other Short Stories , Jordan Dean, Createspace, 2016, 106pp, ISBN: 978-1537267647. Downloadable free of charge from http://asopa.typepad.com

Despite everything, his writing is full of hope.

Generally-speaking Jordan succeeds in his stated quest to show our incredible spirit of resilience and the voices of hope that have emerged from corruption, moral breakdown, inequality, injustice, poverty and struggle.

These are the themes that pervade, understandably, much of contemporary Papua New Guinean writing.

Jordan does so in a highly competent but largely unremarkable manner.

His writing is, from a grammatically technical point of view, largely without fault. His poems and prose are easy to read (and read reasonably well) and all three publications are well laid out and have few of the typographical and punctuation errors that plague so many other self-published works.

Reading Jordans poems leaves one with only a vague sense of the emotion that underpins them. His intent and messages are clear enough, but, for the most part, in a bland, largely unsatisfying kind of way.

Closer attention to tempo, rhythm and juncture would add significantly to their impact on the reader.

A worthy exception, and where Jordan shines, are his Tok Pisin haiku, where he captures the kiru essence of haiku: the juxtaposition/separation of two images/ideas. This writing succeeds in delighting the reader.

Having recently followed in the footsteps of haiku master, Bassho Matsuo, in a partial guided walk along his deep road north in Japan, this reviewer can see now, thanks to Jordan, how Tok Pisin can work extremely well as a haiku medium.

Jordans short stories are well written and well-structured and are worthy and satisfying reading.

They cover loss (of inheritance (Stranger in Paradise), of money and opportunity (The Buai Seller) and job (Silent Tears), romance, of the mostly venal and unsubstantial kind (Office Affair, Boat Girl, Girls Night Out and Facebook Romance) the enduring challenges of cultural bonds and demands (Public Servant) and crafting a living in Port Moresby (Rascal Encounter).

Each vividly captures the characters, mood, sense of place and time and the protagonists frustration and underlying bewilderment and anger. But they suffer, in some instances, from being a little too predictable.

In summary, Jordans two collections of poetry would benefit from a substantial cull (of the love poems especially) and would also profit from being combined into a single tighter-knit volume. His short stories would also benefit from the hand of an experienced editor.

That said, Jordan is a writer of considerable promise and potential who should probably focus his attention on Tok Pisin haiku and short stories and, perhaps, a novella or novel  and experiment with and develop a more distinctive writing style.

I have no doubt that he will make a substantial and substantive contribution to Papua New Guinean literature.
House belonging to Barry O'Sullivan which is being sold off to aid Focus Ireland

Irish millionaire Barry O'Sullivan has generously offered to donate his holiday home on the Aran Islands to help 15 homeless families.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has offered the proceeds from the upcoming sale of a six-bedroom house overlooking Inis Mor's Kilmurvey beach as part of a new campaign by Focus Ireland and COPE Galway to get "high net-worth individuals" to help with the homelessness crisis.

The 'Home from Home' initiative will allow both homeless charities to buy and refurbish homes for the homeless.

Barry's generous donation, expected to fetch at least 300,000 at auction on December 6, will provide the charities with deposits to buy at least 15 homes for homeless families or individuals, according to Focus Ireland founder Sister Stanislaus Kennedy.

"I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Barry and his family for this lovely gift. I thank him on behalf of Focus Ireland and the families who will have a place to call home because of this great act," she said.

COPE chief executive Jacquie Horan said the homeless crisis wasn't confined to the capital but had spread to other cities, including Galway, which faced an unprecedented number of homeless this year.

"I know from my work with COPE Galway the terrible trauma families who are homeless go through. I also know charities like Focus Ireland and COPE Galway help many families and individuals to secure a home and escape from being homeless," said Mr O'Sullivan.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is facing an angry showdown with party figures after he dramatically tied three of his own politicians to the brutal murder of Irish prison officer Brian Stack.

Mr Adams included the names of the three serving politicians in an email to Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan.

One, a household name, said last night he had no role in the murder of Mr Stack, and Mr Adams never consulted him prior to naming him in the email.

The politician said he will be seeking answers from Mr Adams as soon as he returns from Cuba, where he is attending the funeral of the late dictator, Fidel Castro.

A fourth man, also named in the email, is an alleged senior former boss of the Provisional IRA. In the Dail, Taoiseach Enda Kenny demanded that Sinn Fein come clean on the murder of Brian Stack, saying the family of the prison officer who died in 1984, a year after being shot, "deserve to know the truth".

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan went much further, saying that he now expects the Garda investigation into the Stack murder to be "stepped up" following the decision by Mr Adams to provide the names to Commissioner O'Sullivan.

Mr Stack's son claims he never gave the names to Mr Adams during their several meetings in 2013. But Mr Adams insisted last night the names passed on to the Commissioner were provided to him by Mr Stack.

"I passed the names on to the Garda Commissioner while making clear that I have no information on the death of Brian Stack," Mr Adams said.
The President-elect will give up his interests to focus on leading the US, he said.

Donald Trump has announced that he will "leave his business in total".

The President-elect will give up his interests to focus on leading the US, he said.

The billionaire businessman has received sustained criticism for holding onto his business interests even as he worked on becoming President.

Lawyers have suggested that by doing so, he threatened to make his administration in breach of the constitution from its first day.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

But Mr Trump said that he wasn't being forced to give up the business, and was instead doing it because it is "visually important".

Mr Trump didn't say how he would give up the businesses, though it is likely that he will hand them over to his children. He said that he would explain more at a press conference in mid-December.

The announcement comes after several warnings from officials about potential conflicts of interests.

The former ethics lawyers for president Barack Obama and George W Bush last week asked the electoral college to not appoint Donald Trump as the next president due to his potential conflicts of interest.

Richard Painter, former chief ethics counsel for Mr Bush, and Norman Eisen, former chief ethics counsel for Mr Obama, said that the president-elect must sell out from his real estate and business holdings before 19 December, when the electoral college officially appoints the next president.

Separately Steven Schooner, a law professor at George Washington University, said the President-elect's business in various countries could lead to an impeachment issue" because "foreign states basically paying money to the Trump Organisation by using their hotels.
Police in New York are hunting for man who grabbed a bucket of gold he spotted on the back of an armoured truck in the city's Diamond District.

The man managed to swipe the bucket full of gold flakes within a 20 second window.

It is thought one of two guards was busy making a pickup while the other was at the front of the Loomis truck using his mobile phone.

I think he just saw an opportunity, took the pail and walked off, New York Police Department Detective Martin Pastor, who is overseeing the investigation, told WNBC.

Surveillance footage viewable above was released by the NYPD and shows the robbery from several angles.

Police said it is unlikely he knew what the pot contained.
Spam scam: criminals are always looking at new ways to hack into our accounts

The FBI have been in touch. I think I'm in big trouble. I've received an email which, it says, comes from Agent Andrew G McCabe.

I've googled this man and turns out he is (gulp!) the Deputy Director of the FBI.

Obviously this is serious stuff.

Agent McCabe's email begins pleasantly enough. He apologises, conceding that while usually the FBI don't communicate with citizens via email, this time it has been deemed necessary.

And why?

Apparently a package addressed to me (at my home address) has been intercepted by US Customs. This package contains $40.1m.

Of my money....

Now among the many obvious immediate questions ($40.1m! Really?) has to be this one - why would a package addressed to my home address in the UK be diverted through US Customs?

Okay, so President-elect Donald Trump may have the gall to poke his nose into UK politics by demanding that his Mini-Me, Nigel Farage be appointed Ambassador to Washington.

But surely he wouldn't go so far as to have the all the UK's mail redirected via Washington for US Customs' perusal.

Would he?

That's my $40.1m you have there, Donald.

I want it back.

Agent McCabe signals I can have it back.

However, he points out, the FBI does have some outstanding concerns before this can be processed.

And now, suddenly, the mood in his email changes from genial agent to SWAT team.

The FBI worries that my $40.1m stash might be the proceeds of money laundering, says Agent McCabe.

This would be in contravention of a federal law which he goes on to quote at some length.

As a result, he warns, if I do not reply to his email within 72-hours, the full weight of US law enforcement will descend upon my head.

Bearing in mind that this email landed in my inbox around about a month or so ago and I did not reply as requested, I suppose I can now assume that my next visit to the US will terminate in Rikers Island Correction Facility.

More importantly, I'm tempted to ask, what about my $40.1m?

I assume I'll just have to write that off as unavoidable loss. On the plus side I'm sure I can make up around about the same sum up in the next few weeks if I reply to all those other emails with which I'm daily bombarded.

You know the sort of thing.

Those emails telling me I've won 500 in Aldi or Morrisons or Argos or M&S, or offering me a free Dyson and Apple gadgets or large sums to bet in Ladbrokes or credit cards that will entirely revolutionise my financial standing.

What have I done to bring all this good fortune upon my head?

Been mug enough to give out my email address, that's what.

In shops and on websites you are now so routinely asked for your email address that it seems churlish and even odd not to rattle it out.

But the Information Commission's Office has in recent days expressed concern about how stores are now "harvesting" all our email addresses - under, for example, the guise of offering an e-receipt for purchases - and then using this info to ply us with further endless bumph promoting their wares.

This also helps big business build up a picture of our shopping habits.

More worrying - for a neurotic like me, anyway - is that these businesses may be earning even more from their "harvesting" by passing our info on to much more dubious parties. Including the likes of con-merchants - such as those posing as the entirely honourable Agent McCabe - who try to lure the gullible with fanciful stories of unexpected $40.1m windfalls.

Not so long ago I read an article about an Israeli expert who is regarded as the ultimate guru of future technology.

Interestingly, tellingly, this man doesn't have a smartphone himself or even goes near social media.

The analogy he used that struck me is this one - we are like indigenous tribes conned by early settlers, he says, into giving away our valuable resources in return for glass beads.

Put simply, we are giving away our private, precious data for the equivalent of glass beads.

Spam isn't just a irritant and a nuisance. It's also the tool of criminals ripping off the unguarded.

Is it not time we consumers became a bit more concerned about the combined harvesters of big business who are currently making hay from our private data? That $40.1m the con men dangle in front of all of us may seem a dazzling sum.

But really - and we should all be aware of this - it doesn't amount to all that much in terms of glass beads.

Criminal warlords that are picture perfect

With their photogenic beards and their arty headgear, Fidel Castro and his one-time friend, Che Guevara, were the original hipster warlords. Both committed terrible crimes but were forgiven by their many fashionable friends elsewhere simply because they so looked the part. Che, in particular, took a good photo. One photo was enough to bestow upon him the icon status he might have missed out on with a dorkier snap. Not every leftie is so lucky. The also beardy and be-capped Fidel fan, Jeremy Corbyn still awaits his own poster boy moment. Who needs policies when youve got a good photographer?

O'Donnell's attack on Barron is a new low

Trump taunting is all very well. So long as it's Donald in the firing line. But when it's his 10-year-old son? US comedienne, Rosie O'Donnell, is a very vocal Trump hater.

Trump, in return, has said horrible things about her. But O'Donnell has well overstepped the mark by tweeting that she believes that Barron Trump (that sweet, wee boy we saw struggling to stay awake as his da made his acceptance speech) is autistic. Whether he is autistic is not the point. This is a child. He should not be subject to political wrangling. O'Donnell has hit one of the lowest points in the lowest year for American politics.
Crazy fans, great bars and unwavering support mean the only way is Belfast for Boyzlife.

Former Westlife and Boyzone members Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy are Coming Home For Christmas with two special festive gigs at the Europa Hotel.

Belfast is only an hour and 20 minutes away from where we live in Dublin and yet it feels like were somewhere a million miles away, Keith told Sunday Life.

People in Dublin couldnt give a s**t sometimes but, in Belfast, people are so friendly and everyone is great.

Plus weve had some very good nights out up here.

Brian, who left Westlife for personal reasons in 2004, added: We both have really great memories of playing the Kings Hall and the Odyssey Arena.

The audience has definitely changed, though. They are a lot louder and can drink now so theyre much more responsive.

As if on cue, a fan interrupts our chat at the Europa Hotel to ask for a selfie with the much-loved pair.

We dont get mobbed in a bad way, people are really nice to us, smiled Brian.

After more than two decades in the music industry, the Irish duo admit theyve come a long way from their first gigs in 1995 for Keith with Boyzone and 2001 for Brian with Westlife.

Their two Christmas concerts at the Belfast hotel are a big thank you to the fans that have supported them from the start.

I remember being at the Kings Hall years ago and the nine oclock news was outside interviewing us with the people queuing in the background, said dad-of-two Keith. There were both sides of the divide coming together, with no politics at all, and that was the story. It was amazing for us to be a part of and I know Westlife had similar experiences so were very grateful for the fans up here who still make it the venue that sells out the fastest out of every other one on the tour all these years later.

Keiths first experience of Belfast was appearing on the Gerry Kelly Show in the early 90s with Boyzone. The band stayed at the Europa and dined at Stormont.

He said: You could still smoke indoors then and I remember it being the first place Id ever been to where there was fine dining.

I sat down and was handed a menu and I didnt understand anything on it because we didnt come from posh backgrounds. My tour manager had to explain the menu and then tell me what the cutlery was for!

The former Coronation Street star, 42, added: We were trying to find out who we were at the beginning (of Boyzone and Westlife).

Theres ego and pride in a band in the male kind of way so I suppose there was a little bit of competition but we always got along. You grow out of that and now youre not interested in that.

Brian and I arent jockeying for a position any more, we complement each other both on stage and off it.

In the early days, youd brush things under the carpet or cover up the cracks but now we speak honestly about each other.

ITVs Whos Doing The Dishes host Brian added: What he means is that were good enough mates that we can rip the p**s out of each other and get on with it. If we have a few little niggles on tour, were over it in five minutes.

While the talented duo look back fondly on their time in Belfast with their respective boybands, they enjoy the freedom their new Boyzlife venture has allowed them.

There are so many options for us now, said 36-year-old Brian.

We might record an album in the New Year because a lot of the songs are our own versions.

Its not like when we were in the bands and signed to a record label and had to do what we were told, we can do what we want.

If an offer comes in to do a load of gigs, our manager calls us up and we sit down together and decide whether or not we want to do it, and that's it.

But Keith and Brian admit they had to fall in love with some of their old bands music again.

Brian said: Its funny because you hate singing the ones that were the biggest. For me, I have a love/hate relationship with Swear It Again because I sang it so much when I was in Westlife. It was our first single so we promoted and sang it all over the world so that got a bit annoying, but now its me and Keith its something different.

I really enjoyed doing the Boyzone songs because it was a new experience but it was hard because the first thing you remember is Ronan Keating doing the song and he has such a distinct voice, so we had to mix it up a bit and make it our own.

But the best pals have had plenty of time to work together on their music and consider their Boyzlife plans now that theyre neighbours.

Weve known each other for a long time and, in the early days, Westlife supported Boyzone so it just went from there, said dad-of-two Brian.

Were like Joey and Chandler now, two best mates living beside each other and if we need our washing done we take it over to the big house. If we want a quiet drink, we go to my house.

Keith added: My son is 20 and hes just moved in with Brian too.

My granny died unexpectedly last week too and Brian was away, but I have the keys to his house.

We had a family gathering and all my cousins are girls so they were all sobbing and I was trying to be the tough guy so I didnt have a drink because I knew Id get emotional.

I needed a drink though because the funeral was the next day, so I went over to Brians house. My wife thought I was at the family house but I was actually sitting in Brians house having a few vodkas and a little cry!

The two of us are just having fun at the minute, doing what we want to do and enjoying every minute of it. Were really looking forward to seeing what happens.

For tickets for Coming Home For Christmas at The Europa Hotel on December 18 and 19, visit www.BoyzlifeTour.com/Christmas. The Boyzlife Documentary is also available for pre-order now at www.BoyzlifeTour.com/DVD
Netflix has announced that downloads for offline viewing will be made available around the world.

The streaming service posted an announcement on its website which explained that Netflix members worldwide can now download both episodes of TV series and films at no extra cost.

"While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, weve often heard they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on airplanes and other places where Internet is expensive or limited," Eddy Wu, Director of Product Innovation said.

"Just click the download button on the details page for a film or TV series and you can watch it later without an internet connection.

"Many of your favorite streaming series and movies are already available for download, with more on the way, so there is plenty of content available for those times when you are offline. For example, Orange is The New Black, Narcos and The Crown are available for download today."

The new feature is included in all Netflix plans and available for phones and tablets on Android and iOS.

Early reports suggested that Netflix would commit to an offline mode in order to compete with Amazon Prime Video, despite previously labelling it a "short term fix for a bigger problem" and saying it is "never going to happen".

Netflix users have craved an offline mode for some time, which will enable them to watch more easily in areas with bad signal or during commutes. It is thought that Netflix's decision to cave ties in with its expansion into territories with less stable internet signal.

The feature is already available to users in the UK - you just need to update your Netflix app to the most recent version.
Ginella Massa, a Toronto television journalist, is believed to be Canadas first anchor to wear a Muslim head scarf at during one of the citys major news broadcasts.

Massa was asked to fill in at the anchors desk for CityNews 11pm broadcast last week. She created a buss after the broadcast ended, tweeting Thats a wrap! Tonight wasnt just important for me. I dont think a woman in hijab has ever anchored a newscast in Canada.

Massa says she credits her colleagues at CityNews for helping her flourish. She is proud that she has been able to break the mold for Muslim journalist in Canada. However, she had not even realized she made such a large splash in history until an editor pointed it out to her.

It wasnt until my editor said, Hey, great job! Was that a first for Canada? A woman in a hijab?  as much as I knew it was important, I didnt expect the reaction that I received. My phone hasnt stopped buzzing for the last week, Massa said.

The response to her first segment in front of the camera has been overwhelmingly positive, she told The Huffington Post in an email. Still, nasty comments are difficult to escape.

I think in Canada we are sometimes a little smug because we are such a multicultural and accepting country, we often like to act like we dont have to worry about hatred and racism here, but it does exist, she said.

[The negative comments] tell me that I need to continue what Im doing because for some this may be the only interaction they ever have with a Muslim woman in hijab, and maybe it will change their perception about who we are and what we can do.

In general, however, the comments regarding Massa have been incredibly supportive. For those who missed her, she will be in the anchor seat again in the upcoming months again showing off her hijab.

Messa also shared a message of support for other Muslim women. She exclaimed, How youre dressed shouldnt define whether or not you can succeed. Im really excited to be the first hijabi to anchor the news, but I certainly hope Im not the last.
An Indian soldier stands guard during a gun battle at an army base at Nagrota in the Jammu region that left seven soldiers and three militants dead, Nov. 29, 2016.

Three suspected Pakistani militants stormed an army base in the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, killing seven Indian security personnel, the army said.

All three suicide attackers who entered the Nagrota base camp in the early morning were killed following a fierce gunfight that lasted more than 14 hours, Indian Army spokesman Lt. Col. Manish Mehta said in a statement issued late Tuesday.

The Nagrota Army Base, which houses the headquarters of the 16 Corps unit, is about 12 miles from the Pakistani border.

The attackers, whose identities have not been determined, forced their way into the fortified army installation after firing weapons and lobbing grenades, the army said.

One [army] officer and three soldiers were killed in the initial hours of [the] firefight, Mehta said, adding that the assailants subsequently made their way into the bases residential wing and took 16 people, including women and children, hostage.

At least a dozen soldiers, two women and two children were rescued from [the] family quarters by the army while the terrorists continued firing intermittently. In that rescue operation, another officer and two soldiers lost their lives, Mehta said.

The bodies of the three slain attackers have been recovered and a combing operation was suspended until daybreak, a top police official told BenarNews.

The combing operation will resume tomorrow to clear the area of any stray explosives, Kashmir Director General of Police S.P. Vaid said.

At this moment it is difficult to say anything about the identity of the attackers, but it appears they were Pakistani nationals, he said.

Indo-Pak tensions

The attack came just over two months after suspected Pakistani militants struck an army base in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 19 Indian soldiers. That strike, which was blamed on Pakistan-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, both of which lay claim to the Himalayan region of Kashmir in its entirety.

Days after the Uri attack, the Indian Army claimed to have conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir to wipe out at least five terror launch pads operating across the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides the region between India and Pakistan.

Since the surgical strikes, soldiers from both sides have engaged in cross-border firing.

According to sources in the Indian Army, Pakistani troops allegedly committed more than 150 ceasefire violations along the LoC in the past two months.

Our troops have offered a befitting reply to most of these ceasefire violations, an Indian Army official said on condition of anonymity, while admitting that civilians had been killed on both sides of the border during these confrontations.

Last week, three Indian soldiers were killed, including one whose body was mutilated, in the border district of Kupwara. India alleges that Pakistani troops were responsible.

A day later, the Indian Army claimed to have bombarded Pakistani positions in what was touted as the heaviest exchange of fire on the LoC since a ceasefire came into effect in 2003. Pakistani authorities said 11 civilians and three of its soldiers died.

Infiltration bid foiled

Meanwhile, as Indian Army personnel were engaged in an encounter with the attackers at the Nagrota base, the countrys Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead three suspected Pakistani infiltrators while they were trying to cross over to the Indian side in Samba district about 42 km (26 miles) away, police said.

The three men were trying to sneak into the Indian territory when they were spotted by the BSF and gunned down after heavy exchange of fire, Joginder Singh, Sambas superintendent of police, told BenarNews.

He did not say if the two incidents were related.

We recovered a war-like store, including Pakistani-marked rifles and grenades from the three men killed in Samba, he said.
A bill that would award tax credits to farms for donating produce to local food banks has been vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The legislation, A10584, was supported by interest groups, namely the Hunger Action Network of New York State and the New York Farm Bureau. Farmers filing under the personal income tax or corporation franchise tax would be eligible for a tax credit equal up to 25 percent of the value of food donated to a food bank.

The state Assembly and Senate passed the bill by votes of 139-0 and 62-0, respectively.

Cuomo, who vetoed a similar bill last year, offered four reasons for disapproving the measure. He said the tax credit would be duplicative of existing benefits available for food donations and that it would be "nearly impossible" to determine an accurate value for the donated food.

"While the bill refers to accepted wholesale prices, the age, quality and quantity of the donated food will vary, as will the market for such food, thus making it extremely difficult to establish an enforceable and verifiable wholesale value in regulation," Cuomo wrote in his veto message.

"This uncertainty would harm all parties, as the state would have no method to audit a farmer's valuation and the farmer would have no basis upon which to dispute the results of the state's audit."

Cuomo also raised questions about the bill's failure to define certain terms, which could allow non-farmers to take advantage of the tax credit. And he expressed concern about how the credit would impact the state's finances. He said the farm-to-food bank tax credit should be addressed during state budget negotiations.

The veto disappointed farm and hunger groups that pushed for its final approval.

Susan Zimet, executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State, called Cuomo's veto "misguided."

"By vetoing the Farm to Food Bank bill again, Governor Cuomo has let down the 2.7 million New Yorkers who rely on emergency food programs to feed themselves and their families and those of us working on the front lines of hunger to alleviate their need," Zimet said in a statement. "Hunger Action Network believed that Governor Cuomo would step up to the plate and champion this bill; we are incredibly disappointed that he didn't."

Dean Norton, president of the New York Farm Bureau, said the tax credit would offset the costs of labor, packaging and transportation of the food to food banks and other anti-hunger programs.

Norton disputed one claim made by Cuomo that the proposed tax credit would be duplicative of existing benefits. He noted that the existing credit benefits grocery store chains and large corporations, not family farms.

"His justification for vetoing this bill remains baffling," Norton said.

According to Norton, New York farmers donated roughly 13 million pounds of food to food banks through the Harvest for All program last year. This year's donation total will be announced next week at the farm bureau's annual meeting.

Norton called on Cuomo to address the food-to-food bank credit in his 2017-18 executive budget proposal.

In his veto message, Cuomo indicated that he will do just that.

"I remain fully committed to addressing hunger and improving access to healthy, locally grown food," he wrote. "This is exactly why I created the New York State Council on Hunger and Food Policy. I fully support the council's efforts, and I encourage them to consider how this proposal, as well as other anti-hunger initiatives, can be implemented in a fiscally sound manner.

"I again urge the legislature to join me in taking up this important issue in the annual budget negotiations."
Police escort Mubari Kana, one of three suspects arrested in connection with an alleged bomb plot in the greater Bangkok area, to a housing complex in Samut Prakarn province that, according to Thai authorities, was among sites targeted for attack.

Authorities on Wednesday charged three men from Thailands Deep South over an alleged plot to bomb tourist sites in the greater Bangkok area, but said the suspects were not linked to a southern insurgency.

The three, who were formally arrested on Tuesday, are the first suspects to be arrested and charged in connection with the alleged plot, the deputy police chief said.

They were picked up on Oct. 17 during security sweeps mounted in and around Bangkok after authorities had received an intelligence report warning of car-bomb plots targeting the greater metropolitan area, Police Gen. Srivarah Rangsipramanakul told reporters in Bangkok.

Officials have evidence so that arrest warrants were approved, Srivarah said. For the reason why they would do it, interrogators are questioning them. Some of them admitted plotting attacks, but some did not.

He said the suspects were charged with criminal possession of bomb-making materials and taking part in a conspiracy to commit an act of violence, among other charges.

Srivarah identified the suspects as Talmesi Totanyong, 31, Abdulrashir Suekaji, 19, and Mubari Kana, 22, saying they all hailed from Narathiwat, a province in the predominantly Muslim Deep South. A separatist insurgency has raged for decades in Thailands southern border region, claiming more than 6,700 lives since 2004.

After being detained in the Bangkok area in October, the three were taken to Fort Inkayuth Borihan, an army camp in the Deep South province of Pattani where they were held until Tuesday, Srivarah said.

A court in Narathiwat released them from military custody but they were transferred to police custody and flown to Bangkok, where they were charged at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Wednesday. Warrants for their arrest had been issued on Nov. 25, the deputy police chief said.

I ordered the southern police operations center to further investigate the case. Some suspects gave us useful information so that we believe we can issue arrest warrants on the upper-level leader in the Deep South, he told reporters at the CSD.

But he denied that the alleged bomb plot targeting the greater Bangkok area was connected to the insurgency.

All three came from the southern provinces and were prepared to carry out an attack in Bangkok and surrounding areas, but we believe they are not separatists, Reuters quoted the deputy police chief as saying. They planned to target tourist sites.

Srivarah gave no other details.

Last year, the Thai capital was the site of a bombing that targeted the Erawan Shrine, a Bangkok landmark popular with tourists, and left 20 people dead and 125 injured. Two Uyghur men have been charged and put on trial in Bangkok in connection with the August 2015 attack on the Hindu shrine.

This past August, a series of coordinated bomb attacks killed four people and injured more than 30 others at tourist hotspots across southern Thailand.

But the provinces that were attacked on Aug. 11and 12 lie outside the confines of the Deep South, and Thai officials have denied that those bombings were linked to the southern insurgency.

However in September, a member of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN)  the largest of the armed separatist groups in the Deep South  claimed to BenarNews that his combat unit had carried out the attacks in the seven provinces farther north.
A bid from Pulte Homes to rezone and add 465 residences and possibly a school near Sandy Run Creek on Jedburg Road wasn't met with open arms at a Oct. 26 community meeting on the part of local homeowners seeking to preserve the area's rural characteristics. Read moreJedburg Road residents tell Pulte Homes: 'Keep it rural'
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The House of Representatives has a busy year planned for 2017.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy released the calendar Wednesday for the first session of the 115th Congress, which opens Tuesday Jan. 3, 2017. The House has 145 session days scheduled for the year.

The House will be in session for 15 days in January, 13 in February and 18 in March. With Easter in April next year, the House has a limited schedule  eight session days  planned for that month.

For May, June and July, the House has a total of 43 session days scheduled. Members won't report to Washington in August. They are scheduled to return after Labor Day, on Sept. 5.

The House will wrap up the year with 12 session days in September, 13 in October, 14 in November and nine in December.
The first bill U.S. Rep. John Katko introduced in the House of Representatives is one of the final measures to pass through both chambers in the 114th Congress.

The Northern Border Security Review Act sponsored by Katko, R-Camillus, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to analyze potential threats at the U.S.-Canadian border.

Katko introduced the bill in January 2015  his first month representing central New York in Congress. He also attached the bill as an amendment to a larger border security bill.

House Republican leaders were hopeful that they would be able to pass the border security package, but the legislation didn't advance in Congress.

The issues surrounding the border security bill didn't prevent Katko's measure from advancing in Congress. The House passed the bill in October 2015. This week, more than a year later, the Senate approved the legislation.

"I applaud the Senate for taking action on this critical legislation to help secure our northern border," said Katko, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

"For 20 years, I worked as a federal prosecutor on both our northern border in New York and on our southern border in El Paso, Texas. While much attention is justifiably focused on our southern border, our northern border faces unique threats  including drug and human trafficking, criminal activity and potential acts of terrorism, with several major terrorist attacks having been uncovered and disrupted along the northern border in recent years."

If President Barack Obama signs the legislation, which appears likely, it will be the third Katko-sponsored bill to be signed into law by the president. He's had four other bills included in larger legislative measures that were signed by Obama.
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Von: Hossam Sadek

The Egyptian parliament overwhelmingly passed a law regulating non-governmental organizations on Tuesday, despite widespread criticism from several NGOs, and activists.

The law, described by activists as a huge step toward abolishing civil society, has been passed faster than expected, and with a two-thirds majority, as Safa Essam, a senior parliamentary editor, told Bild.

Essam who is reporting about parliament and very close to civil society issues, said that the law was not on the daily agenda of the house of representatives yesterday, but the speaker of the house, Ali Abdel-Aal, opened a quick discussion about it, and asked the members to vote by standing, not electronically.

Parliamentarian and member of the 25-30 opposition Coalition, Haitham al-Hariry told Mada Masr, a highly trusted media institution, yesterday, that The State Council(high judicial authority) had reservations concerning 23 out of 89 articles, almost a third of the new law. This is an indication the drafting process was too hasty.

According to Essam, the law restricts NGO activity to developmental and social work, and bans civil society organizations from conducting fieldwork or polls without permission or from cooperating in any way with any international body without the necessary approval. The term international body is too broad that some activists say it includes the united Nations.

Lesen Sie auch

The bill also states that foreign NGOs will be overseen by a regulating agency that includes representatives of Egypt's military, intelligence service, and interior ministry. The bill also introduces jail terms up to five years for non-compliance, as Reuters reported.

a law to kill civil society

Various human rights organizations and activists criticized the bill. Heba al-Seweidy, head of Ahl Masr (The People of Egypt) organization, which works with burns victims, wrote on her Facebook page the people who need food, education, water and safe homes wouldnt have survived without these(civil society) organizations in recent years.

Auch interessant

Human Rights Watch called on the president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who still needs to ratify the bill, to reject it. It is absolutely essential for President al-Sisi to reject this strong-arm maneuver by parliament and assert his prerogative to draft a new law with input from Egyptian organizations, the organization said in a press release 2 days ago.

 Rights Watch added that the new law would effectively prohibit independent non-governmental groups in the country by subjecting their work and funding to control by government authorities, including powerful security agencies.

Gamal Eid, an activist at the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, wrote on his facebook page a law to kill civil society, he added that the new law affects 30% of the Egyptian society, if they protest and move against it, we will be with them. If they choose silence, we will not be alternatives to them.

On the other direction, Lawmakers who drafted the bill, say it is necessary to protect national security. The government has long accused human rights groups of taking foreign funds to sow chaos.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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For Immediate Release, November 30, 2016 Contact: Emily Jeffers, (510) 844-7109, ejeffers@biologicaldiversity.org Settlement: Trump Administration Must Study Environmental Risks

Before Approving Deep-sea Mining WASHINGTON Before the Trump administration approves any deep-sea mining projects it must conduct an in-depth analysis of the risks to wildlife and underwater ecosystems, according to a legal settlement filed today in response to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit. The Center sued the federal government in 2015 over its approval of exploratory permits for a Lockheed Martin subsidiary to do deep sea mining work in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone halfway between Mexico and Hawaii. Several countries and mining companies are pushing deep-sea mining projects in the South Pacific and ocean scientists fear it could devastate deepwater ecosystems. Deep sea mining can be as destructive to the ocean floor as strip mining is to the mountains of Appalachia, said Emily Jeffers, an attorney with the Center. The Trump administration will try to do everything it can to exploit wild places for profits. This agreement will be an important step in protecting sea turtles, whales and other wildlife threatened by deep-sea mining. The deep ocean is believed to contain billions of dollars worth of nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, zinc, gold and other rare-earth metals and minerals. Extracting those materials has been considered too expensive, difficult, and risky for investors. But technological advances and skyrocketing prices for these materials, much of which are used in consumer electronics, have triggered a strong push by the mining industry. More than two dozen exploratory deep-sea mining permits have been issued in the South Pacific, often by small island nations that are currently threatened by sea-level rise and other climate change impacts. Solwara I, permitted by Papua New Guinea in its territorial waters, could be fully operational in 2018. The International Seabed Authority, a consortium of nations around the world interested in deep-sea mining in the South Pacific, is currently developing environmental protocols for mining projects. But the United States, which is not a party to the United Nations Law of the Sea that created the authority, has asserted the right to permit deep-sea mining projects on its own. Id hate to see these beautiful and mysterious underwater worlds torn apart by industrial machinery, Jeffers said. This settlement is an important step toward making sure that never happens. For more information visit www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/deep-sea_mining. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
First lady Peng Liyuan (middle, first row) in a group photo at an event ahead of the 29th World AIDS Day, at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in November 2016. [Photo/gov.cn]

China's First Lady Peng Liyuan, also WHO's goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, recently attended an event ahead of the 29th World AIDS Day at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, according to the official website of National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Peng, as an acclaimed Chinese vocal artist, was named the goodwill ambassador on June 3, 2011. She would "have a lasting impact in bringing awareness to two of the world's deadliest infectious diseases" and "reinforce international commitments to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals", said WHO's Director-General Margaret Chan in her statement on Peng's appointment.

From appearing in videos aimed at raising public awareness to attending diplomatic events calling for closer global cooperation, Peng has been busy campaigning against AIDS since her appointment five years ago. As this year's World's AIDS Day approaches, let's have a close look at Peng and her dedicated efforts to control the spread of one of the most deadly diseases on the planet.

Click here to watch the video which first lady Peng Liyuan calls for end of discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients in 2014.
An adjunct instructor is an instructor with a Ph.D. or M.A. and no regular teaching job. He or she travels between colleges, teaching where and when there are openings. Pay is such that even four or five classes never add up to a salary for a full-time job. The adjunct has no hope of tenure, and no benefits. Its like having 1/5 of a job. All one can is that its college teaching, sort of.

I was an adjunct twice. The first time was in a two-year state college 100 miles away. The three-hour writing class was in the evening, so I drove over Tuesday afternoons and returned late at night. The class was in a former factory where windows had been covered with large wooden shields to save heat. The job paid $1,000. Rates today are much higher, but the purchasing power about the same. Money is not what it used to be.

It was winter. The half-empty city, the cold, the gray sky  Siberia? No, just upstate New York.

The students were young adults, most with jobs and, as they made it clear in their writing, bills to pay and payments to make. I didnt notice the light-heartedness I had seen in many undergraduates. Their seriousness shaded into a hard-boiled attitude, or maybe "steely resolution" is a better term. They had come to terms with the world of work.

I taught a composition course. I had the students try to explain in simple, clear English what they did in their jobs, instructions for doing certain tasks, or directions for going from one place to another. I learned a few things about criminal justice, which some were majoring in. It sounded interesting and practical. All of a sudden I was interested in criminal justice. Maybe I could have been a detective, searched for clues and interrogated people? Why had I chosen to teach? It seemed frivolous.

I could have taught a second course on Thursdays, a course on Homers "Odyssey." That would have meant two 200-mile round trips a week, or staying over, which would have been a significant expense. However I gave it thought. It was more money.

There was a problem: I would have to read "The Odyssey," the ancient Greek poet Homers story of Odysseus voyage home after the Trojan war. I knew the story. I had encountered it any number of times, in digest form, all through elementary and high school. And I had seen a movie version, with Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. But I had never read the full, 500-page, intimidating English translation.

Should that have stopped me? Where was my idealism? So what if I wasnt paid much? I should have risen to the challenge, worked like a Trojan and made Homer come alive! But I passed.

My second gig  I didnt know then I was in the gig economy  was in an extension branch of an out-of-state college 300 miles away. It was an even longer commute, but I had a place to stay. The college president told me that the job paid $900. Thats more than some, and less than others, he said, a bit defensively. I said nothing. The class was in a colorful old stone mill.

The course was business communication, and again the students were adults, but older, about my own age, some at a life crossroads. Some were divorced women, trying to translate life experience into course credits  a dubious undertaking, I thought, but never said so. When I asked them why they had kept their husbands names, they said, stonily, because we earned it.

There was one wise guy, head of a small oil company, who turned in three-sentence compositions, and dared me to say anything. I passed on that, too.

One student was a loan officer. I had never thought about working in a bank. I envied her, behind a big desk, deciding who should get the money. Why wasnt I a loan officer? Why hadnt I, me, thought about being a banker?

I wondered: Did I want continue as an adjunct, a human spare part, a scholar Gypsy in a rusty Ford, persisting for the sake of saying I was teaching in some kind of college, holding my dubious academic mission above such earthly concerns like a decent salary, solid benefits and union protection?

I decided to look for a full-time job in high school. After all, I was a teacher.


For Immediate Release, November 30, 2016 Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Republican Attorneys General File Lawsuit to Weaken Protections for

Endangered Species' Critical Habitat Meritless Suit Based on Right-wing Myths Would Hurt Wildlife Nationwide WASHINGTON Eighteen Republican attorneys general, led by Texas and Alabama, filed a lawsuit today seeking to overturn two sets of regulations that provide vital protections for endangered animals and plants around the country. The suit specifically targets the ability of the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect areas where endangered species do not currently live. If successful it would make protecting sufficient habitat for endangered species virtually impossible, and would open the door for the Trump administration to further gut protections for endangered species and put hundreds on a fast track to extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity will intervene to defend against this lawsuit and make sure endangered species get the protection they need to avoid extinction and recover. This attack on much-needed protections for endangered species habitat is unfounded and out of step with strong majorities of the American public, who want to see our wildlife saved from extinction," said Brett Hartl, endangered species policy director at the Center. Theres just no way to save endangered species without protecting the places where they live. Well intervene in this case to defend these vital protections and make sure Donald Trump doesn't sell out species on the brink of extinction. The Endangered Species Act requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat  habitat needed by endangered species to survive  in both occupied and unoccupied areas to ensure those species have a shot at recovery. Research indicates that protected species with designated critical habitat are twice as likely to be recovering as those without it. Identifying which places an endangered animal or plant needs to survive, and designating them as critical habitat, is a first step in building a strategy for recovery. Critical habitat helps species by requiring federal agencies to make sure their actions do not destroy that habitat. Importantly, it does not require states or private parties to change their activities unless they receive federal funding or a permit for that action. Despite the common-sense protections critical habitat provides, the 18 state attorneys general continue to propagate right-wing myths that critical habitat is a land grab by oppressive federal bureaucrats. Republican politicians like to pretend they care about wildlife, but this lawsuit shows the deep hatred toward endangered species that these ideological attorneys general possess, said Hartl. These politicians would allow Americas natural heritage to be snuffed out just to increase quarterly profits for their political benefactors. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.


For Immediate Release, November 30, 2016 Contact: Tierra Curry, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org Monarch Butterfly Expert Lincoln Brower to Be Honored Friday With E.O. Wilson Award 4th Annual Award Presented for Lifetime of Monarch Study, Advocacy WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity on Friday, Dec. 2 will present its fourth annual E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Science in Biodiversity Conservation to Dr. Lincoln Brower, for his six decades of work studying and protecting monarch butterflies. E.O. Wilson Award. Photos are available for media use. Were delighted to present this award to Dr. Brower for his outspoken love for, and lifes work to protect, the monarch butterfly, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center. His willingness to cross the line from scientist to advocate, which many scientists still shy away from, sets an example of the critical role scientists must now play in confronting the extinction crisis. Thanks to Dr. Browers remarkable body of research, we not only have a deeper understanding of the monarchs magical annual journey across North America, but a much better shot at safeguarding it for future generations, said E.O. Wilson, the awards namesake. The award ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. Brower has spent nearly 60 years studying the monarch butterfly and its multigenerational migration across the continent each year. He has been an author on more than 200 scientific papers and has tirelessly worked to educate the public about monarchs and to promote their conservation. Since 1997 Brower has been a biology professor at Sweet Briar College, one of the nations earliest womens colleges. The Center presents the E.O. Wilson Award annually to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to conservation. It is named after renowned scientist Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University, known as the father of biodiversity. Wilsons career has focused on promoting worldwide understanding of the importance of biodiversity and the preservation of our biological heritage, and he is the worlds leading authority on ants. The monarch butterfly, once common across the country, has become the symbol for imperiled pollinators facing extreme population declines. In 2014 Brower joined the Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in submitting a scientific petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch. The petition came in response to a precipitous two-decade decline in monarchs driven by loss of millions of acres of summer breeding habitat in farm fields in the United States due to herbicide-intensive agriculture, as well as the loss of forested overwintering habitat in Mexico to illegal logging. The Service must decide by 2019 whether to protect the monarch as a threatened species. The E.O Wilson Award consists of a handcrafted metal ant sculpture by Anne Bujold of Riveted Rabbit Studio in Richmond, Va., along with a $1,000 cash prize. The three previous recipients of the award were Aradhna Tripati, for her groundbreaking work on climate change; Tyrone Hayes, for his work to protect people and wildlife, particularly amphibians, from pesticides; and the late James Deacon, for his advocacy for sustainable water use and the protection of freshwater desert species. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.


For Immediate Release, November 30, 2016 Contact: Jamie Pang, (858) 699-4153, jpang@biologicaldiversity.org

Dr. Joseph Hinton, (732) 962-5316, jhinton@uga.edu

Dr. John Vucetich, 906) 370-3282, javuceti@mtu.edu Dozens of Scientists Urge Feds to Promote, Not Curtail, Red Wolf Recovery WASHINGTON 30 prominent scientists with expertise in ecology, genetics and other areas relevant to wolf conservation submitted a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today expressing concerns over the agencys plans to dramatically curtail its recovery program for red wolves, the nations most imperiled wolf population. Joseph Hinton, David Rabon, John Vucetich and other scientists urged the Service to identify additional red wolf reintroduction sites rather than remove wolves from the wild and drastically curtail the size of the recovery area in North Carolina, as the agency recently proposed. The Service has once again allowed politics instead of science to drive decisions on red wolf recovery  and the science is clear that scaling back this recovery program only puts these animals on a swifter path toward extinction, said Jamie Pang, endangered species campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. The Service needs to listen to these experts and take the actions necessary to recover red wolves in the wild before its too late. In September the Service proposed to confine red wolf recovery to federal public lands, shrinking the animals recovery area from five counties in North Carolina to just one bombing range and one wildlife refuge in a single county. In the past couple of years, the agency has allowed the wild population of red wolves to drop to as few as 45, down from its peak of 130. Shootings and nonlethal removals threaten the wolves by disturbing pack dynamics and promoting hybridization with coyotes. Wild red wolves now face a perilously high risk of extinction. The Services recent actions seem consistent with abandoning red wolves rather than recovering them, said Dr. John Vucetich, a professor and scientist at Michigan Technological University. The Service has not adequately justified shifting resources away from the wild population. The most prudent action, by far, would be to protect the existing red wolf population in North Carolina and identifying new reintroduction sites elsewhere in the Southeast. Red wolf recovery has been a testing ground for notable conservation strategies and innovation," said Dr. Joseph Hinton, a postdoctoral researcher at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. The science shows that the red wolf can be saved, and that the Service should re-implement those previous management practices to ensure the long-term viability of the wild population in eastern North Carolina. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a
In 2014 Engen Petroleum won a 960 000 tender to provide fuel to the mega construction project to build Reunion's New La Nouvelle Route du Littoral, a 12km long "highway over the sea" that will connect the island's two biggest cities - Saint Denis and La Possession - as well as the island's port and Roland Garros Airport.

Image by 123RF

The benefits of the new road in Reunion are expected to easily outweigh the investment. Safety and economic benefits include an ability to move 60% of the islands freight and 80 000 travellers daily without natural hazards such as frequent cyclonic swells and rock falls.

The highway over the sea is constructed as a viaduct, comprising 48 support poles, each  in turn  made up of 7 voussoirs (wedge-shaped or tapered stones used to construct an arch), weighing 2400 tons apiece. Each pillar and its voussoir is equivalent to 10 000 tons (which is the same weight as the Eiffel Tower!). The first support pole was put in place in August 2016, while the second is due for completion in November. Over 200 000 tons of rocks were necessary to establish a platform of 7m in height upon which to begin.

Herve Maziau, managing director of Engen Reunion says the company has to date supplied 3.35 million litres of the estimated 12 million litres of 10ppm diesel necessary to power the project. The work started in October 2014 and is due for completion in 2018, he says. Engens delivery solution comprises automated delivery into construction equipment with computerised fuel management and security elements.

Maziau says a backup installation of a 50 000 litre emergency fuel tank has been established to combat contingencies. This provides far better control over fuel management, economies, security and environmental protection, he adds.

Engen has a presence in 18 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

Full environmental protection

The software-controlled delivery system prevents unauthorised refuelling and human error. It harnesses vehicle data to provide detailed insights into fuel efficiency, while an anti-siphoning system pairs identification technology in trucks with intelligent fuel nozzles.

The solution removes the need for the customer to mobilise resources for storage facilities and delivery management, or to undergo civil works for an extra storage and distribution area. Furthermore, the projects integrated environmental quality controls effectively manage any environmental risks such as leakage and fire hazards, says Maziau.

Drikus Kotze, general manager of Engens International Business Division says Reunion is taking a huge step into the future with the project. As Engen we are proud and excited to be driving the construction of this mega-project, says Kotze.
Mozilla has announced the judges for the Equal Rating Innovation Challenge , a competition that invites contributions on ways to provide unfettered access to the open internet for anyone across the globe.

As part of its initiative, Mozilla is asking entrepreneurs, designers, researchers and innovators to propose creative and scalable ideas for connecting more people to the Internet, built on local knowledge and expertise.

The judging panel will comprise the following industry leaders:

 Marlon Parker (South Africa), founder of Reconstructed Living Labs

 Omobola Johnson (Nigeria), honorary chair of the Alliance for Affordable Internet and Partner of TLcom Capital LLP

 Nikhil Pahwa (India), founder at MediaNama and co-founder of savetheinternet.in

 Rocio Fonseca (Chile), executive director of Start-Up Chile

They will join Mitchell Baker (USA), executive chairwoman of Mozilla, on the panel for the Challenge. The judges will be bringing their wealth of industry experience and long-standing expertise from various positions in policy, entrepreneurship, and consulting in the private and public sector to assess the challenge submissions.

Mozilla seeks to find novel solutions to connect all people to the open internet so they can realise the full potential of this globally shared resource, said Katharina Borchert, chief innovation officer at Mozilla and one of the initiators of the Challenge.

The Equal Rating Innovation Challenge will support promising solutions through expert mentorship and funding of $250,000 in prize monies split into three categories: Best Overall (with a key focus on scalability), Best Overall Runner-up, and Most Novel Solution (based on experimentation with a potential high reward).

Judging process

The judges will score submissions according to the degree by which they meet the following attributes:

 25pts: Scalability

 20pts: Focus on user experience

 15pts: Differentiation

 10pts: Ability to be quickly deployed into the market (within 9-12 months)

 10pts: Potential of the team

 10pts: Community voting results

The deadline for submission is 6 January 2017. On 17 January, the judges will announce five semi-finalists. Those semifinalists will be provided advice and mentorship from Mozilla experts on topics such as policy, business, engineering, and design to hone their solution.

The semi-finalists will take part in a Demo Day on 9 March 2017 in New York City to pitch their solutions to the judges. The public will then be invited to vote for their favourite solution online during a community voting period from 1016 March, and the challenge winners will be announced on 29 March 2017.

View the judges here.
The announcement that the editor of The Citizen, Steven Motale, was dismissed without a hearing greatly concerns the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef). Motale was suspended from his duties earlier in November, pending the outcome of an internal disciplinary process.

According to an internal memorandum sent to The Citizen's staff and an announcement published in the paper, Motale was accused of failing to follow agreed-upon editorial procedures and to uphold his editorial duties and that this led to an irretrievable breakdown in the relationship of trust and confidence between the editor and the publisher of the newspaper.

 Andrys Stienstra via Pixabay

Motale claims he has had to contend with improper managerial interference in editorial affairs, including news content and processes to hire journalists.

While Sanef has noted that the publisher of The Citizen, Eureka Zandberg, has denied that the content of stories published in the paper were an issue, it strongly condemns the lack of transparency about the disciplinary process that led to his axing and it is seeking an urgent meeting with the publishers of The Citizen to express its concerns.

Sanef is also deeply concerned about recent reports of a high turnover of editorial staff, following allegations of improper management interference in the editorial conduct of newspapers. Such interference is a threat to the freedom and independence of editors and editorial staff and media values that constitute a vital cornerstone to the countrys democracy.

Sanef believes that the termination of service should at all times follow laid down labour relations procedures, which include internal processes, failing which the matter can then be taken to the CCMA and the Labour Court. The decision of The Citizen senior management to abort the internal hearings is worrying and Sanef calls on the company to rethink its decision and hold the inquiry.

Failing that, Motale is within his rights to challenge the dismissal in accordance with the laws of this country. Sanef will support its member in any way possible.
WASHINGTON: A big rise in drone use is likely to lead to a new wave of "dronejackings" by cybercriminals, security experts warned on Tuesday.

goce risteski via 123RF

A report by Intel's McAfee Labs said hackers are expected to start targeting drones used for deliveries, law enforcement or camera crews, in addition to hobbyists.

"Drones are well on the way to becoming a major tool for shippers, law enforcement agencies, photographers, farmers, the news media, and more," said Intel Security's Bruce Snell, in the company's annual threat report.

Snell said the concept of dronejacking was demonstrated at a security conference last year, where researchers showed how someone could easily take control of a toy drone. "Although taking over a kid's drone may seem amusing and not that big of an issue, once we look at the increase in drone usage potential problems starts to arise," he said.

The report noted that many consumer drones lack adequate security, which makes it easy for an outside hacker to take control. Companies like Amazon and UPS are expected to use drones for package deliveries  becoming potential targets for criminals, the report said.

"Someone looking to 'dronejack' deliveries could find a location with regular drone traffic and wait for the targets to appear," the report said.

"Once a package delivery drone is overhead, the drone could be sent to the ground, allowing the criminal to steal the package."

The researchers said criminals may also look to steal expensive photographic equipment carried by drones, to knock out surveillance cameras used by law enforcement.

Intel said it expects to see dronejacking "toolkits" traded on "dark web" marketplaces in 2017. "Once these toolkits start making the rounds, it is just a matter of time before we see stories of hijacked drones showing up in the evening news," the report said.

Other predictions in the report included a decrease in so-called "ransomware" attacks as defenses improve, but a rise in mobile attacks that enable cyber thieves to steal bank account or credit card information. The report also noted that cybercriminals will begin using more sophisticated artificial intelligence or "machine learning" techniques and employ fake online ads.

Source: AFP
The document makes far-reaching proposals about the target energy generation mix leading all the way to 2050. In particular, the plan pronounces on the future scale and role of nuclear energy and renewable energy technologies. The appropriateness of these has been debated a great deal in the country in the past few years.

If adopted in its current form, it will lead to a 15 year delay in the construction of new nuclear power plants. But it will also result in a greater reliance on gas, solar and especially wind power than anticipated five years ago in the previous plan 2010-2030.

The proposed plan has already been the subject of intensive scrutiny and debate, with those for and against lining up to make their points. The state utility Eskom is unhappy about the suggested delay in building a much bigger nuclear capability and has even threatened to ignore key recommendations. For their part, advocates of renewable energy argue that the plan underestimates how much less expensive these technologies will be in the next 20 to 30 years.

The previous road-map

An earlier version of the integrated resources plan released in 2011 envisaged that between 2010 and 2030 South Africas electricity demand would grow from 255 TWh (tera-watt-hours  a unit of energy) to 436 TWh. This was to be achieved through the completion of two very large coal power plants, Medupi and Kusile, which would supply the bulk of the shortfall. Other contributors would be nuclear, for which new plants would need to be built, and the establishment of a new renewable energy generation network of wind power and solar power.

But a great deal has changed since then.

Firstly, the growth in energy demand has proved to be lower than projected. Secondly, the cost of renewable technologies has dropped faster than expected. In particular, the price of solar photovoltaic electricity allocated under the countrys renewable energy procurement programme fell by 75% between 2012 and 2015.

These developments were captured in an updated version of the 2011 plan that was prepared in 2013. It recommended that, in view of these changing conditions, there was no longer a need to kick-start a nuclear build programme immediately. It also recommended that a decision on whether or not to embark on an expensive expansion of the nuclear reactor fleet could be delayed for several years.

But this updated version of the plan was never promulgated. This left the door open for a fiercely pro-nuclear lobby which is in favour of a highly lucrative nuclear expansion programme. This issue has developed into a political hot potato. The central argument is that the push for nuclear goes against economic common sense and that its being pursued for the benefit of politically connected individuals.

The nuclear build issue has come to feature prominently as one of the important drivers of what is referred to as state capture of some of the countrys large institutions.

The latest version

The draft update of the resources plan advocates the following most likely scenario, referred to as the base case.

Electricity demand between 310 and 355 TWh in 2030 (about 100 TWh lower than envisaged in the 2010-2030 plan) with demand rising to between 390 and 530 TWh in 2050. This is based on projection models developed at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.



The construction of 37.4 GW (1 000 GigaWatts equal 1 TeraWatt) of wind capacity and 17.6 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity between 2020 and 2050.



The gradual decommissioning of most existing coal power stations by 2050 in line with international carbon emission agreements.



A substantial increase (35.3 GW) in electricity generation from gas. Due to the high cost of gas it is generally used only as a back up. It would in any case contribute only about 7% of total energy generation.



The construction of just over 20 GW of nuclear power. But this would only gradually come on line between 2037 and 2050. Given that construction of the plants would take ten years the decision to go ahead with the nuclear build could still be delayed for another decade.

Initial reactions

Unsurprisingly, the nuclear industry and its supporters have reacted very negatively to the new draft. Strong nuclear advocates in the state electricity utility Eskom have gone so far as to defiantly declare that they will invite nuclear construction proposals before the end of the year.

But Eskoms defiance is unlikely to lead to anything substantial. This is because the state utility is facing both a credibility crisis and its finances are in poor shape.

On the other hand advocates of faster growth in renewables have criticised two fundamental assumptions underpinning the base case model.

They argue that the model assumes renewable tariffs slightly higher than achieved in the last allocations made under the renewable energy procurement programme. Only by 2030 do these drop a further 20% for photovoltaics and 9% for wind. But given recent trends and projections theres a strong likelihood that future renewable energy costs will be lower than that.

The base case also assumes a limit to how many solar and wind plants can be constructed annually. But based on past interest and delivery by private renewable power producers far greater annual developments are possible.

Several researchers have shown that by applying lower renewable tariffs and removing annual construction limits renewables can make up a much greater proportion of the energy mix, and that new nuclear might not even be needed in 2050.

Future energy demand

The new energy plan is now subject to public input. It is due to be adopted by government in four months time after improvements and further scenario modelling has been added.

Even after adoption, updates will need to be done regularly, ideally every two years since even current projections could be overestimating future energy demand considerably.

This is particularly true given that energy consumption is declining in most developed countries because of advances in technology and energy saving initiatives.

If the energy sector is managed correctly, the current South African energy crisis may not be as far reaching as is often assumed.


A company has turned to Auburn with plans to build a digital billboard after Aurelius town officials shied away from a similar concept earlier this year.

Park Outdoor Advertising was issued a $100,000 building permit earlier this month from the city of Auburn to replace an existing billboard on Clark Street  which faces west toward Aurelius and is visible to travelers on the Arterial  with a new digital version.

The company will move forward after receiving approval for an area variance last month from the city's Zoning Board of Appeals. A six-month building permit was issued by the city on Oct. 25.

According to its building permit application, Park Outdoor Advertising plans to install a 288-square-foot digital billboard with a single face to replace the one currently on 215 Clark St., which is owned by the company. The billboard will also be shifted about 20 feet from its current spot.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Stacy DeForrest, who provides staff guidance to the ZBA, said Park Outdoor Advertising needed a variance since the city code states advertising signs cannot be illuminated except indirectly by white light.

The ZBA voted 5-1 on Oct. 24. A public hearing that night saw no participants. Chairman Ed Darrow, who stood opposed, said he does not believe the sign is appropriate for the Arterial, according to the meeting's minutes.

To the west, Aurelius town officials expressed similar sentiments after a representative from Park Outdoor Advertising approached them with a digital billboard proposal, said Jerry Scouten, chair of the Aurelius Planning Board.

Paul Simonet, of Park Outdoor Advertising, appeared before the Aurelius Town Board in June and outlined a proposal to build a new digital billboard on a property near Veterans Memorial Highway. Though the company did not submit any sort of construction application to the town, Scouten said he told Simonet that Aurelius officials were hesitant.

"We, as the town, are just not convinced that billboards are the way to go anymore," Scouten said. "It's my opinion you can saturate an area with signage so that people don't look at it anymore."

Auburn ZBA members, on the other hand, decided the new board will be an improvement over the existing, dilapidated, billboard, DeForrest said. According to ZBA minutes, Simonet said the current board is 30 years old. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

DeForrest said they were given the understanding that there will be less light pollution from the digital sign.

"The idea that the board appreciated was that it was going to be an improvement as opposed to a negative impact," she said.
Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown says she has approved Eskom Board's recommendation to appoint the current Group Executive: Generation, Matshela Koko, as acting Group Chief Executive of Eskom.

The announcement comes after outgoing Group Chief Executive Brian Molefe resigned from the power utility earlier this month due to personal reasons.

I approved the Boards request to appoint Mr Koko as acting Group Chief Executive Officer. Mr Koko has a wealth of experience and understands the challenges Eskom faces. His appointment will also ensure continuity at Eskom, the Minister said.

She has also asked the Board to immediately start the process of appointing a permanent Group CEO as a matter of urgency.

Mr Koko must ensure that the current trajectory at Eskom continues, said Minister Brown.

Koko joined Eskom in September 1996 as an Engineer-in-training and has moved steadily up the ranks.

The new acting Group CEO has held several other positions at Eskom.

He was a Boiler Plant Engineer Manager and Pressure Parts Engineer in 2000, before taking up a post as a Senior Manager: Power Plant Engineering, Enterprises Division in 2004.

Five years later, in 2009, Koko was appointed as a Senior Manager of Engineering, Generation Division before being appointed as a Divisional Executive for Group Technology in 2010.

Prior to being appointed as a Group Executive for Generation, Koko was a Group Executive Technology and Commercial from 2014.
There are political, environmental and social controversies associated with that most delectable of South African beverages: rooibos tea. The industry is based upon Aspalathus linearis, a leguminous plant from the Fabaceae family that occurs only in South Africa's fynbos region. The debate enfolds both the plant itself and the traditional use and knowledge that fostered the growth of this lucrative industry.

Rooibos was first commercialised at the turn of the 20th century and is now a R300 million-a-year local industry. It employs 5,000 people and trades up to 15,000 tonnes a year.

But these economic feats have been accompanied by dispossession and adversity stretching back over centuries through colonialism and then apartheid when the government imposed a 40-year monopoly on rooibos.

The inequalities continue. About 350 commercial farmers produce 98% of the harvest. Less than 7% of land on which rooibos tea is grown is controlled by coloured  the name given to mixed race descendants of settlers, former slaves and Khoi or Bantu people  farmers who produce about 2% of tea volumes. Despite their involvement in fair trade, many of these farmers remain economically, politically and geographically marginalised.

Laying claim to rooibos

There are claims that the rooibos industry grew on the uncompensated back of traditional knowledge. This has led to the launch of demands by indigenous San and Khoi for a stake in rooibos benefits.

This is in line with South Africas Biodiversity Act and its 2008 Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations. Growing from the international Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol, the law states that benefits arising from use of indigenous biodiversity should be shared with resource custodians and traditional knowledge holders.

In 2010, the South African San Council, one of the organisations representing first indigenous peoples of Africa, wrote to the Director-General of Environmental Affairs to claim their rights as primary knowledge holders of rooibos and honeybush tea. They were joined, in 2013, by the National Khoisan Council  established by former President Mandela to create a platform for Khoisan historical leadership in South Africas Constitution.

Government-commissioned research supported claims by San and Khoi. Its report urged those involved in using rooibos or honeybush to negotiate benefit-sharing agreements. These agreements set out the terms under which genetic resources and traditional knowledge should be used and their benefits fairly and equitably shared.

The report caused ructions. The rooibos industry dismissed it as lacking credibility and commissioned its own report, unpublished to date. At the same time it continued to use images of San and Khoi in the marketing of rooibos. Negotiations are now underway to seek resolution between the rooibos industry and the San and Khoisan councils.

Whose knowledge counts?

There is a tension between achieving historical and restorative justice for the San and Khoi and recognising the long chain of those who have contributed knowledge in different ways.

The San and Khoi indisputably inhabited rooibos-filled landscapes, but by the end of the 18th century the numbers of San had been decimated. Yet their knowledge of local plants was unquestionably passed on.

Important questions have thus been raised about claiming priority, or who was first.

Tryntjie Swarts, for example, was a local woman who located the elusive rooibos seed in ant nests in the 1920s, which led to the industrys expansion.

Russian immigrant Barend Ginsberg first established the industry in the early 1900s, his dream being to make rooibos the Ceylon of the Cape.

Annekie Theron was a Pretoria housewife who accidentally discovered that rooibos had a soothing effect on her hyper-allergic baby. This led to a dramatic increase in demand.

Rooibos Limited

Researchers and innovators have demonstrated the health-giving properties of rooibos and have pioneered different processing techniques. Local farmers have contributed production innovations.

There are questions about who should benefit from agreements under the Biodiversity Act. San and Khoi councils have been proactive in their demands but until recently have not included local coloured rooibos farmers.

These farmers are typically mixed-race descendants of settlers, former slaves and Khoi. They do not easily identify as indigenous or associate themselves with contemporary San or Khoi political structures.

The plant, not the culture, serves as the economic anchor for many. Now there are moves to include these rooibos farmers in benefit-sharing agreements.

Adding value

A potentially larger set of issues also requires resolution. The Biodiversity Convention and Nagoya Protocol are underpinned by the principle of fair and equitable benefit sharing. This is between technology-rich countries of the global North and biodiversity-rich countries of the global South. These principles of remedying global injustice have been all but ignored for rooibos.

For example, flavonoid C-glycosides of the plant have anti-oxidant properties thought to protect against cancer, heart attacks and strokes.

These are attracting growing international interest but this bioprospecting, meaning the search for useful chemical compounds and genes from biodiversity, has yielded few benefits for South Africa.

By 2016, 141 patents had been filed for rooibos, most by Japanese and other foreign companies. These cover a range of uses from pharmaceuticals to teas and cosmetics. Many of these remain inactive but they raise questions about how material was obtained and compliance with South Africas Biodiversity Act.

Rooibos tea is a commodity, but research and development for new products is characterised as bioprospecting and requires a permit. A controversy involving food giant Nestle brought these issues to the fore.

The fact that more than 95% of rooibos is bulk exported without value-adding is also cause for concern. A step in the right direction is the recent granting of geographic indication status for rooibos. This is an important way to secure the plants origin in the market.

There are also invisible injustices, which must be attended to. A central motivation for bioprospecting is that it should enable biodiversity conservation to pay its way by creating incentives to conserve the resource. Yet the conservation of rooibos as a genetic resource, as a habitat and ecosystem, and as a landscape has been all but ignored in the business model of rooibos.

Because the crop is an indigenous species, it is often promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agriculture. But thousands of hectares of natural mountain fynbos, constituting one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world, are ploughed up every year to grow uniform plantations of rooibos tea.

The footprint for cultivated rooibos has grown from 14,000 hectares in 1991 to over 60,000 hectares today. Chemical inputs are also a concern and soils have been depleted.

The vision

Implementing access and benefit sharing in the rooibos industry requires a unifying, integrative and inclusive vision.

Such an approach needs to:

recognise the historical and existing injustices of the sector;



acknowledge the significant contributions that have been made by traditional knowledge holders, researchers, individuals, farmers and commercial enterprises;



regulate research and development to optimise benefits from bioprospecting;



take action to deal with the environmental problems;



embed access and benefit sharing within a wider developmental agenda involving access to markets, credit and land; and



set in place restorative measures to transform the industry.

It is clear that the rooibos industry is poised for transformation. Decisions taken today will not only influence the local industry, but will also have an impact across the seas. Access and benefit sharing, while fraught, irreconcilable and fractured, could catalyse just the kind of forum needed to turn challenges into opportunities for growth, redress and a rethink of the rooibos industry.

The research described in this article is based on a recent published review.


The world's glaciers are melting fast. Since its discovery in 1850, the global retreat of these dense ice structures has long affected numerous communities' access to freshwater. In areas that are heavily dependent on glacier runoff, the continuation of current conditions will eventually deplete it as a source entirely. Some parts of the Himalayas have already been harshly affected by this phenomenon. Now, new and innovative approaches by scientists are providing possible answers.

In the last 20 years, climate change has shrunk the glaciers in the Himalayas considerably. Those that remain are not close enough to the surrounding villages to provide them with fresh water-runoff during the hot months. Inspired by an older engineer and friend who had pioneered a method of freezing fields of water high up in the mountains, Indian scientist Sonam Wangchuk developed a similar method of spraying water from nearby glacial streams into freezing air during the winter months to create artificial glaciers.

After freezing 150,000-litres of water in a six-feet-high prototype under the full glare of the sun, Wangchuk and a group of students piped water from upstream using gravity to a spot that was a little more than 3,000-metres in elevation. Erupting in a fine mist that turned to ice before it hit the ground, numerous frozen water droplets accumulated until the pyramid resembled the wax drippings of a lit candle. When it lasted until May, Wangchuk determined that these gigantic ice cones can be frozen anywhere.

Named after a style of Buddhist monument, the artificial glaciers are called Ice Stupas and are meant to store water for farming and drinking for the villages until the sun melts it during the warmer months. 30 metres tall, the ice structures can provide millions of gallons of water to Himalayan residents.

But these glaciers arent the only ones that have experts concerned. The Swiss Alps have been worrying scientists for decades. Studies show that around two-thirds of the ice volume in the Alps has vanished since 1850. In an effort to slow down the depletion of the Rhone glacier in the Urner Alps of central Switzerland - the largest in the region - Swiss scientists took a slightly more unconventional approach and covered the melting glacier with an enormous blanket.

Locals wrapped a vast tract of the glacier ice with UV-resistant fleece to protect it from the sun. Though the blankets successfully reduce melt by 50%, its likely not enough to save the glacier. This protective action is effective for a few years, but doesnt work as an ultimate solution, says Swiss glaciologist David Volken told Wired. Its not possible to cover the whole Rhone glacier with blankets.

Though there is no one long-term solution to glacial melt, unconventional approaches and experimentation with answers can only be a good thing. It certainly was for Wangchuk, whose research won him this years Rolex Award for Enterprise - as well as 100,000 Swiss francs. The scientist hopes to use the funds from the award to build 20 more glaciers in the Himalayan region.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa is indeed fraught with legal red tape, but there are platforms available that help potential investors navigate their way through.

One such organisation is the European Union Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and its executive chairman, Stefan Sakoschek, said its mission is to present different investment and views in the region.

As a private sector initiative, the chamber provides input to the South African government on potential barriers to investment. Once weve identified an issue, we compile a position paper  usually in response to a green or white paper.

He emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in legislation for foreign investors, although the slowness with which laws are processed can be a deterrent. He pointed out that at present there are about 30 Bills being discussed in parliament or awaiting the presidents signature.

He explained that there is also growing competition for a piece of the FDI pie. South Africa is up against South East Asia and the Middle East on a global scale, Namibia and Mauritius regionally, and Nigeria and Kenya on a continental basis.

You can do whatever you like to make a country attractive, but it must have resources, he said.
MTN's decision to have a share placement at the same time as its new black economic empowerment (BEE) scheme was just one of several reasons the BEE scheme flopped.

This was the view of a BEE fund manager on Tuesday, 29 November, after the cellphone group announced it had raised R2.3bn through the placement of 21-million shares. The money will be used to pay MTN Zakhele shareholders who are cashing in.

Although the placement volume was small, it was another factor contributing to the generally bearish sentiment around MTN and helped to explain why the new MTN Futhi scheme failed to raise the modest R2.5bn targeted.

BEE schemes are not meant to be free, but they are meant to be sufficiently attractive to ensure success. Even the recent ridiculously overpriced DisChem initial public offering was seven times oversubscribed. The take-up of the MTN Futhi offer fell R500m short of its R2.5bn target - a 20% shortfall.

Analyst Riaz Gardee described the latest MTN BEE scheme as far less promising than the group's previous initiatives. "Investors will have to consider MTN's prospects over the next eight years as well as the ability of the management team to deliver in the current phase of the company's life cycle," said Gardee, alluding to the much tougher operating environment.

The scheme was rushed, it was unnecessarily complicated and it was badly priced, said the fund manager. The dismal results of the scheme represent an appropriately awful end to a truly annus horribilis for a cellphone company that for so long could do nothing wrong.

But in 2016, MTN continued to battle to persuade the Nigerian government not to impose a staggering $3.9bn fine for issuing unregistered SIM cards. And it was a year in which it struggled to appoint executives capable of rescuing its reputation from the selfinflicted damage in Nigeria.

Share price volatility throughout the year marked it as an inappropriate time to launch a new BEE scheme. That the MTN board did not opt to roll over the existing MTN Zakhele scheme for an extra year or two was probably the first mistake. At the planning stage, the MTN share price was at about R130; the board may have felt it was worth the risk and that there was no need to set a fixed price. But by the time the offer closed, the share had worked its way down to R112. For MTN Zakhele shareholders who had invested R20 back in 2010, the R112 at which they were going to be bought looked grimly disappointing.

By the end of 2014 MTN was trading at R250. For aspiring MTN Futhi shareholders, the group's grim recent history did little to encourage an investment that will be locked for eight long years. Those who could afford to and were prepared to convert from MTN Zakhele into MTN Futhi were faced with a dauntingly complicated process.

"It was a nightmare for us and we're reasonably sophisticated," said the fund manager. "The lawyers were allowed to run rampant and the resulting documentation must have discouraged a lot of potential applicants."

It may be the MTN board is still too focused on its Nigerian troubles to give its South African transformation requirements the necessary attention. MTN did not respond to requests for comment on the MTN Futhi take-up.

Source: Business Day
President Jacob Zuma has referred the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (FICA) Bill back to the National Assembly for reconsideration.

I have given consideration to the bill in its entirety and certain submissions regarding the constitutionality of the bill. After consideration of the bill and having applied my mind to it, I am of the view that certain provisions of the bill do not pass constitutional muster.

In terms of section 79 (1) of the Constitution, I have therefore referred the bill to the National Assembly for reconsideration for the reasons set out to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the President said.

The President specifically raised concern with the provisions of the bill relating to warrantless searches, which according to him, fall short of the constitutional standard required for the provision not to unjustifiably limit the right to privacy.

The President said he was of the view that even though the purpose to be served by the bill was very important and pressing, all the provisions of the bill, however, must be in line with the Constitution.
Although home staging is not new to the real estate market, its popularity among sellers has seen an increase in recent years.

 David Martyn Hughes  123RF.com

More and more sellers understand the importance of creating buyer appeal in todays challenging market. Momentum in the property market has shifted towards buyers, so sellers need to optimise their chances of standing out from the crowd.

Preparing the home for sale can have a positive impact on prospective buyers perceptions of the property and home staging is just one tool that sellers can use to accomplish this. The primary goal for most sellers is to sell their home within the shortest time, for the highest possible price. If sellers want to be able to achieve this, they will need to ensure that their home appeals to the highest number of potential buyers in the market. Often real estate professionals will use home staging as a marketing tool to highlight the homes prime selling features. At its core, home staging is preparing the home to be listed by using methods that improve the propertys appeal by transforming it into an attractive and welcoming space.

Showcasing the homes best qualities

In a commercial setting, a prime example of staging would be a retail shops display window, which uses props and mannequins to market items that they want to sell. The display allows the passer-by to imagine themselves wearing the clothes or using the items in the window, perhaps enticing them to buy. In a similar fashion, home staging is used to showcase the homes best qualities and entice the potential buyer to see themselves living in that home  it creates aspirations.

If cost is not a factor, sellers can have their homes professionally staged by a knowledgeable staging specialist. Depending on the budget, professional staging can include the rental of furniture or artwork, buying paint or wallpaper, as well as products that may be required to fix certain defects such as cracks in the wall or sanding wooden floors.

If a professional specialist is out of the question, sellers can make simple changes to their home on their own. There are a number of resources available to sellers, such as websites, television shows, and magazines, to name a few. The home must be clean, inviting and exciting for potential buyers to view. The object is for buyers to not only want the home but want it more than any other homes for sale in the neighbourhood.

Declutter and pack away unnecessary items

One of the first steps that sellers should take when preparing their home is to declutter and pack away items that are not necessary. Buyers should be able to focus on the home and what it has to offer, rather than the items inside of it. Rooms that are cluttered with items will feel smaller and overcrowded. Removing unnecessary items and furniture will create more space. While not always practical, it is best to try and reduce the homes contents by about half  this means being ruthless with the selection. Hiring a storage unit while the home is on the market will help in storing pieces that the seller wants to keep, but dont want in the house.

Apart from the space element, with fewer items in the home, it will be far easier to keep clean. Fewer items means that it will be easier to have the carpets professionally cleaned, which will make a big difference to how the home looks and smells. Washing the curtains will also add a pleasant aroma to the home. Fresh or new bedding will go a long way in sprucing up the bedrooms and having them look their best on show day.

It is important to be conscious of the way the home smells because it can have an impact on the sale of the home. Good smells conjure up positive emotions, while bad odours, on the other hand, will put potential buyers off. Nothing beats the smell of freshly brewed coffee or freshly baked bread on a show day  it is a really inviting smell to most people.

Let light in

Once the property has been de-cluttered, cleaned and smells good, sellers can start looking at other aspects such as painting the walls if required or rearranging the furniture. Each room should be as open and bright as possible. It is best to have the curtains or blinds open to let in as much light as possible and the lights should be turned on.

Sometimes subtle, well-planned changes can make the biggest impression, such as a sparkling blue swimming pool or a mowed lawn. A nice touch is some fresh flowers on display, a welcome mat or fresh fruit in a bowl in the kitchen  all these little things combined will add to the appeal of the home and impress potential buyers.
SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday said it was considering splitting the company into two, a move seen as necessary for heir-apparent Lee Jae-Yong to take over the firm from his father.

webandi via Pixabay

Samsung has also come under pressure from foreign investors, including US hedge fund Elliott Management, to improve its corporate governance through the establishment of a holding company and to increase dividends for shareholders.

The move comes as the tech giant struggles to contain the fallout from a global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone prompted by exploding batteries.

Samsung said in a statement it would consider breaking the company into a holding firm and a producing and operating unit and would take at least six months to study the option.

Analysts said a split would give Samsung Electronics' vice chairman Lee Jae-Yong a tighter grip on the company through a holding firm.

Elliott and other investors have urged Samsung to set up a holding company as a way to address its complicated layers of cross shareholdings with sister companies.

They also said the company should increase dividends for shareholders. Samsung said it would increase per-share dividends by 36 percent this year to 28,500 won.

Source: AFP
UD Trucks has expressed interest in expanding and growing its business within Southern and Eastern Africa, citing "great expectations for the future of the brand within the region".

Southern Africa is the largest market for the brand outside of Japan, and is therefore of great strategic importance for the company.

Jacques Michel, president of Group Trucks Asia Sales, said that the business is focused on providing fleet owners with maximum uptime and profitability.

It is easy to sell a truck the first time around but for a customer to return, you need reliable and competitive support, and this is where the UD Trucks dealer network makes all the difference, explained Michel. It is about building mutually beneficial relationships and having the right truck and the right services for the right application that our customers need to be profitable.

Local truck market

The local truck market has certainly gone through several cycles of ups and downs, and remains under pressure in 2016. According to UD Trucks Southern Africas marketing director, Rory Schulz, sales are continuing to decline mainly due to the challenging local macroeconomic conditions.

Some positive growth of 3.3% in the GDP during the second quarter of 2016 is certainly worth noticing, and we are keenly looking to see what effect this, and some possible more growth, will have on the truck market going forward, explained Schulz. It is interesting to note that the GDP is currently at its lowest level since 2009 when some 19 000 new truck units were sold, while we are expecting a sales total of around 25,000 units in 2016.

Industries positively contributing to growth on GDP includes manufacturing, mining, trade and transport. Drought has also had a severe effect on the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries.

The heavy commercial vehicle segment, or so-called bread and butter sector, has been very stable throughout these challenging times, as many of these units are utilised to move food and other essential goods. Within the extra heavy commercial vehicle segment, a decline in specifically the construction and mining industries have certainly negatively impacted this portion of the market.

Within some of the other developing markets in Africa, the economies of countries like Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are continuing to struggle due to a lack of foreign currency investment and low commodity prices.

New Quester additions

UD Trucks also announced that they will launch three new additions to its Quester product range. This includes a rigid 4x2, a rigid 6x2 and a 6x4 dedicated compactor chassis with Allison transmission fitted as standard. These new models will all be available for sale from December onwards.

We are continuing to follow the Japanese manufacturing philosophy of continuous improvements by incorporating the feedback and exacting requirements of our local customers, said Gert Swanepoel, acting vice president of UD Trucks Southern Africa.

Our strategy to promote Quester in the rigid segments such as construction and waste as well as the municipal business has certainly proved successful since the product range was launched in South Africa in 2015. So we are expanding this strategy to offer our customers what they need and adapting to market needs.

The Quester range was recently launched in Ethiopia, and will be introduced in several markets within the southern and eastern Africa region within the next year.
In Heineken's global campaign to transform the cities of the world, Joburg, Cape Town or Durban, will set the stage for a unique show-stopping event in a proudly South African context.

Three teams of select City Shapers in each metropolis will compete to bring to life an iconic and highly visible installation that will capture the publics imagination. Ultimately, Heineken wants city lovers to see their city in a different way.

For Johannesburg, Heinekens passionate City Shapers, mastermind designer Themba Mekwa and Loerie winning creative trailblazer Karabo Poppy Moletsane are working with the brand on the city shaping experience.

Originally from South Africa Themba Mekwa was raised in the US, but returned to his roots to make Joburg his home. An architect and design mastermind who co-founded his own design company, The MAGI Starchitecture, this city dweller with his sense of style can hardly wait to embrace new and creative approaches to contribute to Joburgs #SHAPEYOURCITY experience.

Joining forces with him, the equally talented Karabo Poppy Moletsane is a Loerie award-winning illustrator, print designer, graphic designer and more recently, business owner of Mother Tongue Creative House. Her work reflects a strong South African aesthetic and when it comes to illustration, her keen eye will add to the artistic appeal of Heinekens event. Her uniquely South African approach to graphic design will undoubtedly inject the installation with local flavour.

Voters may purchase a Heineken, find the unique code under the bottle cap and dial *120*222# to enter the code and vote for either Joburg, Cape Town or Durban as the city theyd like to see receive a City Shaping experience. By voting, you also stand a chance to win the trip to Heinekens home city, Amsterdam, as well as great instant prizes.
BRUTUS  A Jordan man has been charged with three felonies for allegedly driving drunk in Brutus just weeks after being convicted of driving while intoxicated in the town of Sennett, state police said.

David J. Sass was arrested Nov. 30 and charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and two counts of felony DWI.

State police in Auburn said that at around 1 a.m. Wednesday, troopers spotted Sass's vehicle parked on the shoulder of Grant Avenue Road in the town of Brutus with the engine running and only one headlight working. When troopers approached the vehicle, police said they found 23-year-old Sass sitting in the driver's seat and detected an odor of alcohol.

After failing several field sobriety tests, Sass was taken into custody with a blood alcohol content of .11 percent. Police said he was charged with felony DWI because he was convicted of DWI on Nov. 2 in the town of Sennett and had his license revoked.

Sass was arraigned in the town of Brutus and remanded to Cayuga County Jail in lieu of $4,000 cash, $8,000 bond. He is due back in court Dec. 5,
Forming part of Ultra South Africa's phase two lineup, Dash Berlin, KSHMR and DJ Snake will perform at the Cape Town Stadium on 24 February and at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on 25 February 2017. This follows the recent announcement that David Guetta and Martin Garrix will headline the event.

Dash Berlin is no stranger to Ultra South Africa; this Dutch trance veteran has been contributing to the international scene for over a decade. Hes worked with icons such as Justin Timberlake, Usher, N.E.R.D. and Lenny Kravitz to name just a few.

KSHMR (pronounced Kashmir), real name Niles Hollowell-Dhar, was awarded "The Highest New Entry" on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJ list, and has since moved up 11 places this year to the No.12 spot. The talented producer's live acts are highly recommended.

DJ Snake is the French DJ and record producer stunning the dance music world with his ability to create smash hit after smash hit. He most recently launched his first studio album Encore featuring collaborations with icons Justin Bieber, Skrillex and more. DJ SNAKE was also behind one of the biggest and most iconic soundtracks of this generation, his collaboration with Major Lazer - Lean On. Expect to hear a range of unreleased future hits from Snake's performance at ULTRA South Africa.

Phase two support lineup

The support lineup is packed full of international superstars including Headhunterz, real name William Rebergen, the Dutch DJ who is known for his hard hitting, energetic sets and who has worked with previous Ultra South Africa artists like W&W and Krewella. Headhunterz will be shaking up the sound with his banging big room set in Cape Town and JHB.

Next up, Felix Jahen, the prodigal German tropical house DJ and producer that went number one in 20 countries with his remix of OMI's 'Cheerleader', will bring a summer sound to South Africa.

The Resistance stage will return to Ultra South Africa. Nic Fanciulli needs little introduction after completing a truly successful Resistance world tour in 2016 with Ultra Worldwide. Anyone who watched him on the Resistance stages around the world or was at the Space Ibiza closing party will know exactly how good this British DJ and producer is at getting a dance floor going, and keeping it going long into the night.

Joining Nic on this years Resistance programme is Black Coffee. Undoubtedly South Africas proudest current export, he started his career around 1995 and since then has played at P Diddys house party in Miami, taken home gold at the DJ Awards in Ibiza, remixed Aviciis Lay Me Down and more. Expect him to bring his magical A-Game to the stage; something that Ultranauts will remember long after the festival is over.

The local support act lineup

Timo ODV

Pascal & Pearce

DJ Fresh

Euphonik

Crazy White Boy

P.H

DJ Milkshake

DJ Shimza

Vigilante

DJ Dimplez

Kyle Watson

Strange Loving

Mark Stent

Ryan Murgatroyd

Vimo

Chunda Munki

Kyle Cassim

Yeti

Dean Fuel

Household Funk

Saubomb

Ricardo da Costa

More local artists will be announced closer to the February 2017 event.

The Ultra Angels will also be returning to beautiful South Africa to grace the stages with their hypnotic dancing and gorgeous costumes.

Ticket details and prices

Tickets are now on sale via this link. Booking fees apply to all tickets.

Johannesburg

General Access:

Tier 1: GA: R800

Tier 2: GA: R950

VIP:

Tier 1: VIP: R1,400

Tier 2: VIP: R1,800

Tier 1: VVIP: R3,000

Tier 2: VVIP: R4,000

Cape Town

General Access:

Tier 1: GA: R750

Tier 2: GA: R850

VIP:

Tier 1: VIP: R1,300

Tier 2: VIP: R1,600

Exclusive to Cape Town: Tables and bottle service will be available on enquiry, and available exclusively to VIP ticketholders. For more information, please email az.oc.tpcococ@pivvartlu

For real-time updates on artists, tickets and festival updates:

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FRANKFURT: German carmakers BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Audi and US competitor Ford said on Tuesday they would cooperate on a Europe-wide network of electric charging stations.

"We intend to create a network that allows our customers on long-distance trips to use a coffee break for recharging," Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler said in a statement.

The firms have signed a memorandum of understanding on the joint venture, planning to begin construction of some 400 high-speed charging stations across Europe in 2017. Completion of the network is slated for 2020.

Hybrid and all-electric cars from any manufacturer using the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard will be able to use the stations, in a move aimed at boosting growth of electric car use on the continent.

German carmakers have lagged behind some competitors when it comes to introducing electric models. The technology remains little-used in Europe, hobbled by high prices, the short range of the vehicles and a lack of recharging infrastructure.

But recent months have seen a fresh commitment from the industry, a pillar of Europe's largest economy, to speed up the introduction of electric cars.

Source: AFP
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: The container shipping unit of Danish conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk on Tuesday refused to comment on a report that it was mulling an acquisition of German peer Hamburg Sud.

The company was interested in buying the entire business, which had $6.7 billion (6.3 billion euros) in revenue last year, and "not just a few vessels," The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

"Out of principle we do not comment on rumours," Maersk said in an email to AFP on Tuesday.

Hamburg Sud's owner, the family-owned Oetker Group, was discussing a sale of its shipping business, the same newspaper reported last week. "Hamburg Sud is one of the players in the industry that is probably too small to survive in the long run. It only has three percent of the market," Sydbank analyst Morten Imsgard told Danish news agency Ritzau.

The shipping industry is undergoing a wave of consolidation after suffering its worst downturn in six decades amid overcapacity and slumping global trade.

Japan's three largest shipping firms said in October they were merging their container businesses, and France's CMA CGM earlier this year bought Singapore-based container liner Neptune Orient Lines (NOL).

Hanjin - South Korea's largest shipping company and once the world's seventh biggest - filed for bankruptcy protection in August.

Source: AFP
One particular area in South Africa that can benefit greatly from a donation of time, guidance and knowledge is entrepreneurship says Gugu Mjadu, spokesperson for the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year competition, sponsored by Sanlam and Business/Partners.

 langstrup via 123RF

Pointing to the Nedbank Giving Report, Mjadu says that not enough time is dedicated to upskilling aspiring entrepreneurs to start or grow their own businesses. The report revealed that only 10% of survey respondents supported entrepreneurship, up 2% from 2012, with the largest percentage of givers supporting social and community development (69%).

The need to address South Africas social and community challenges is urgent and should be a priority; however, many of these issues are driven by unemployment levels. With Statistics SA reporting the highest level of unemployment since 2003 for the third quarter of 2016 (27.1%), more needs to be done to create job opportunities.

As the country continues to grapple with its challenges, Mjadu says that entrepreneurs and small business owners have the opportunity to address South Africas largest problem  unemployment. Already considered a major contributor to job creation, successful entrepreneurs have the potential to increase this contribution by donating their time to help aspiring entrepreneurs grow their business, with the goal of them one day employing their own staff.

While entrepreneurial aspirations and opportunities are abound in the country, many South Africans arent perceived to have the entrepreneurial know-how and skills to capitalise on these and start or grow a business.

Whilst rewarding, entrepreneurship is not always an easy career and often many are ill prepared for the challenges associated with running an own-business. Successful business leaders and entrepreneurs thereby have the ability to give back in a meaningful way by mentoring, teaching or promoting innovation to aspiring entrepreneurs and equipping them with the knowledge and expertise required to run a successful business.

This can be implemented by hosting community workshops, offering mentorship to an individual or group of talented individuals or even allowing a young entrepreneur to occupy your office space and shadow your role.

If more businesses and entrepreneurs could pay it forward and support fellow entrepreneurs, not only will it cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs, but assist in creating future employment opportunities and alleviating some of the countrys social problems.

More so, if the mentality of investing in entrepreneurship could be adopted year-round, a nation of change-makers can be built, concludes Mjadu.
The Creative Counsel (TCC) founders and group co-CEOs, Ran Neu-Ner and Gil Oved, were announced as the winners of the Exceptional category at the EY Southern Africa World Entrepreneur Awards 2016.

The award programme forms part of the Southern Africa Chapter of the World Entrepreneur Award and recognises outstanding entrepreneurs for their vision, innovation, courage, and leadership.

Neu-Ner and Oved manage the largest advertising agency in South Africa which they sold to French global marketing and communication leader Publicis Groupe in September last year. TCC has been at the forefront of the revolution in the communication industry pioneering the merge between shopper marketing, brand activation, social media and field marketing. The agency is one of the largest first time employers in South Africa.

We are humbled by this award which we dedicate to the TCC team which has spearheaded the creative thinking which has spurred the growth and success of this agency, says Neu-Ner. This award also celebrates all business leaders in the country who are championing transformation, innovation and job creation.

The finalists were selected on entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, personal integrity and influence, innovation, community/global impact and strategic direction.

I believe that many of South Africas problems can be solved if we foster more entrepreneurs and give them guidance, mentorship, access to funding to build their ideas into a large scale industrial behemoth, adds Oved.
We entertain, inform and empower African communities that inspire and build us in return.
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It has a name that sounds important and urgent: The Water Quality Rapid Response Team.

And in a press release announcing its formation earlier this year, it detailed an admirable mission of being "charged with identifying and developing plans to swiftly address critical drinking water contamination concerns, as well as related groundwater and surface water contamination problems."

So when a dangerous toxin found its way past the filtration systems of Auburn and Owasco and into the treated drinking water for tens of thousands of area residents, it made perfect sense for the Cayuga County Board of Health to reach out to this New York state rapid response team.

The result? An official letter that came more than 40 days later. And it contained no new information.

Not surprisingly, local officials were disappointed in what looked like a small step above a form letter, which came last week from the state Department of Health on behalf of the Water Quality Rapid Response Team. That Nov. 15 letter was an answer to a blunt Oct. 4 request for funding and other assistance. "Drastic and dramatic steps must be taken now to reverse the ongoing degradation of Owasco Lake before this situation progresses to where we must issue a 'Do Not Drink' order to our residents," the health board said in its appeal for help.

Responding to the disappointment expressed by local officials, state health and environmental officials on Monday attempted to spin their efforts as being robust.

There have been noteworthy actions taken, but given where our water quality is at heading into next summer's algae season, it's not been nearly enough. And there are people on the ground from state agencies who do communicate and work well with local officials, but from what we've seen so far, the people at the highest levels of state government are not interested in getting their hands dirty on this problem.

In the end, it's hard not to conclude that New York state's Water Quality Rapid Response Team is simply a public relations gimmick. Action beyond generic letters and self-congratulatory pats on the back are what's needed to change our minds.
Digital audience measurement provider for IAB SA and data intelligence solutions company, Effective Measure has appointed Greg Mason as its country manager for South Africa as SSA lead, Nicolle Harding moves on to another role. Mason will commence his employment with Effective Measure in January of next year.

With more than nine years of digital marketing experience, Mason brings with him expertise in display, search, mobile and social media marketing. His former employers include publishers like MSN, BBC, CBS Interactive, Sky News, Sky Sports, Daily Mail, TeamTalk Media, Times Live, Career Junction and various other leading local publishers.
Naw Blooming Night Zan, an executive member of CPPCR, said to KIC News: There are no guarantee for children from refugee camps and of migrants. We plan to make the [Burmese Government] officially recognise the birth certificates we have made as well as other children that will be born in the future.

The CPPCR has been recording the births of children born to migrant workers in Thailand since 2004 and it has provided over 20,000 birth certificates.

All children born in Burma can have their births registered and birth certificates issued to them at hospitals, township health departments, and rural health departments.

Currently, many children in the Thai-Burma border area and in rural areas of Karen State are not being registered so they are losing their rights and protections because they have no birth certificates, according to border health organisations.

The CPPCR met with the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) Women and Childrens Rights Committee, the Womens Organisations Network (WON) from Rangoon, the Rangoon Region Karen Affairs Minister and the Karen State Chief Minister Nan Khin Htwe Myint from 21 to 23 November to discuss the birth certificate issue.

Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) Women and Childrens Rights Committee secretary, said: All the committee members accept this since these children are our children and they deserve their rights.

At the meetings Burmese Government officials advised the CPPCR to write a report about the birth certificate issue. The CPPCR will discuss the issue internally before deciding on its future plans.

Eight health organisations from the Thai-Burma border will also meet with the Karen State government on 28 November to discuss their work providing birth certificates to migrant children.

Border-based health, childrens rights, and health organisations founded the CPPCR to protect childrens rights and provide birth certificates in Mae Sot, Thailand in 2002.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
The WON-KS chairperson Naw Khaing Thitzar said: As part of the 16 days of activism to fight violence against women, we have come here to hold this [program]. We came to raise awareness on how to cooperate in cases of violence against women.

Since the civilian NLD government came into power more cases of violence against women have come to the publics attention. Previously the powerful had a hold over the weak and there was a little rule of law because in rural areas such people could use money to buy their way out of being punished for abuse.

The Village Womens Affairs Group, the Maternal and Child Welfare Group, education staff, and nearly 200 women from 15 villages attended the awareness-raising program in Kha Lel Village.

Nan Khin Myint Aung from Kha Lel Village said: When there were domestic violence cases and other physical and mental abuses against women, some of them didnt dare to report [the abuse] to the authorities. We have learned how to protect uneducated women when they have been abused.

The WON-KS has been giving awareness training programs and boosting the morale of women affected by war since their foundation in 2013.

The organisation plans to hold another awareness-raising program on violence against women at Taw Win Yadanar Hotel in Hpa-an on 25 November and at Pai Kyu Village of Hlaingbwe Township on 2 December.

Similarly, the Womens League of Burma (WLB) also released a briefing paper on 25 November that called on state actors to end the systems that fail to take action against perpetrators of sexual violence.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
He identified the man as Aye Chan Ko Ko, a worker at the Kanbawza Bank in Muse.

He was shot while he riding his motorbike at around 7.30pm, said the source. He got hit in his right hand and right leg. His hand was seriously wounded.

I heard that he was shot because he did kept going when the police ordered him to stop, the same source added. He was taken to a hospital in Shweli [on the Chinese border].

Last night, three bombs reportedly exploded in Muse, according to a local resident who requested anonymity on the grounds of safety. One targeted a police station.

Following intensified fighting between Burmese armed forces and an alliance of ethnic armed groups  the Arakan Army (AA), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), who have recently begun calling themselves the Northern Alliance  security has been tightened in Muse Township with police officers stationed across the breadth of the city.

On November 25, Shan Herald reported that some townships in the area, including Muse, Hsenwi and Namkham, had cancelled Shan New Year celebrations, which were scheduled for this week.

Due to the recent hostilities, thousands of civilians from the Muse area have fled their homes, with more than 3,000 seeking refuge across the border in China. Some have returned to their homes in recent days, but the overall atmosphere in the city is described as quiet and tense.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Photo by SHRF- people stage a protest near Namtu River in Hsipaw Township on November 27.

Protestors included community activists, members of youth groups, women and politicians, many of whom came from all corners of Shan State to gather at Ta Long village, where the Upper Yeywa Dam project is slated to be built.

According to Sai Thum Ai, a spokesperson for the Shan State Farmers Network (SSFN), the new hydropower projects  the Upper Yeywa being one of four proposed to be constructed in northern Shan State  will offer no benefits to the public, but will only create problems.

The companies plan to finish building the Upper Yeywa Dam by 2018, he said. By that time, Ta Long village will be under water.

The proposed dam will create a 60-kilometer-long reservoir and flood up to the town of Hsipaw, submerging villages and lands. About 650 villagers live in Ta Long, an agricultural community renowned for its organic oranges, according to the statement released on November 27.

The dam is due to be built by: Chinas Zhejiang Orient Engineering Co: the Yunnan Machinery Import and Export Co; Lahmeyer International GmbH of Germany; Swiss company Stucky SA; and a Japanese conglomerate called Toshiba Hydro Power (Hangzhou) Co Ltd.

The dam site and planned reservoir lie in an area of active conflict, where the Burma Army has been launching offensives in the past few months against ethnic resistance forces and committing grave human rights violations, including the torture and killing of civilians, reads the statement. On October 23, over 2,000 villagers fled from their homes after a Burma Army attack only 20 kilometers east of Ta Long. The recent escalation of fighting in northern Shan State during the past week has caused more IDPs to flee to Namtu.

On June 3, Shan Herald reported that Burmese armed forces tortured and killed villagers near the Yeywa dam site.

Environmentalist Sai Thum Ai said that after the 2010 election, investment increased in Shan State, but more people are struggling. Many civilians lands have been confiscated, he said, while conflict is breaking out all across Shan State.

They [the NLD government] did not solve our problems. On the other hand, they have created more problems for people. If they build more dams, more people will suffer, he said.

We urge the Shan State government and Union government to stop creating new [dam] projects. The current projects should provide equality benefits for local people, he said. We also urge the government to bring about an immediate end to the fighting in northern Shan State.

The SSFN also urged foreign firms involved in the Upper Yeywa Dam to pull out immediately from this controversial project, saying they are complicit in the Burmese armys abusive military operations to secure the area. In particular, the farmers group said, Stucky SA should withdraw, given Switzerlands proclaimed role as a peace-builder in Burma.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Love For Coffee May Prevent Risk Of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Wellness oi-Lekhaka

If you drink 3-5 cups of coffee a day, new research spells good news for you! A moderate intake of coffee may provide protection against age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, says recent research.

The researchers, from the University of Coimbra (CNC) in Portugal, suggested that regular, long-term coffee drinking may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 27 per cent.

The greatest protection against cognitive decline can be seen at an intake of nearly 3-5 cups of coffee per day, they said.

"Moderate coffee consumption could play a significant role in reducing cognitive decline which would impact health outcomes and healthcare spending," said Professor Rodrigo A. Cunha, at the university.

Caffeine, anti-inflammatory agents as well as antioxidants such as caffeic acid -- a polyphenol (antioxidant) found in coffee -- may be associated with the improved cognitive function, the researchers said.

Intake of up to 400mg of caffeine -- the equivalent of up to 5 cups of coffee per day -- from all sources do not raise any concerns for healthy adults, suggested European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in its scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine.

The research was presented at ISIC's symposium held during the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society's 2016 Congress in Lisbon recently.

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 4:02 [IST]
WTF! This Mum Injected Her Son With Poop! Life oi-Syeda Farah

This might be one of the most bizarre things that you would have ever heard of! A mother has been accused of injecting her son with his own faecal matter.

Check out this most disgusting and disturbing case of this insane mother. Wonder what made her do this? Read on to find out!

This is a case that happened in Indianapolis, where a 15-year-old boy had been diagnosed with leukaemia and was undergoing chemotherapy at Riley's Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Also Read: All That You Need To Know About Female Genital Mutilation

Though the boy had undergone treatment, he was admitted again due to severe diarrhoea, fever and vomiting!

Tiffany Alberts, the mother was accused of injecting the faecal matter to the poor kid. Initially, the doctors were confused on the medical condition of the boy.

The blood test revealed the presence of microbes, related to faeces, in the teenager's bloodstream. This confused the doctors who installed monitors in his room to check the happenings in the room.

During the examination of the video camera present in the room, the hospital staff got a shock when they saw the mother inject something in the veins of the boy, multiple times in a week's time.

Also Read: Brazilian Player Who Found Out He Would Be Dad, Just Moments Before His Death

When the woman was confronted, she claimed to have injected water into her son to "flush" the line, in order to reduce the burning sensation that the medicine gave him.

Later, she confessed that she had hidden a bag with the faeces of the boy and injected him faeces several times during the day!

Photo Credit: csak

Apparently, she did all this because she wanted her son to be removed from Riley and get admitted to another hospital for better treatment! How disgusting!!

She has been ordered to refrain herself from any contact with her son and has been charged with a $80,000 bond.

Photo Credit: Giphy
Saksaywaman or Sakshat Waman, Machu Picchu, Inti Watana, Room of 3 Windows are temples of Inca creator god Viracocha, who is Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu

Saksaywaman is distorted form of Sakshat Waman and a temple on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the historic capital of the Inca Empire.

Saksay or Saqsay is a Quechua word meaning, `to be full, and Waman is the Hawk (or person travelling on Hawk).

According to Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas, Lord Vishnus fifth avatar is Vamana (Waman), who was first full human avatar and he travelled all over the world on his hawk (Garuda).

When Vaman took 3 parts of land from King Mahabali (Asia, Africa and Europe), he asked Bali to settle along with his people in Patala Loka (South America).

Vaman travelled on his Hawk (garuda) and destroyed all demons who lived in this region, to make it clear for Bali and his men to settle here.

Machu Picchu, which is about 90km northwest from SaksayWaman in Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District in Peru, was built as temple of Inca God, the creator, Viracocha.

This Viracocha is none other than Vamana God.

Viracocha means one who turns the world upside down, which perfectly matches the description of Vamana Dev.



Lord Vamana took 3 paada bhoomi (3 quarters of inhabitated land) from King Bali and sent him to occupy 4th remaining part, which was on the other side of Balis kingdom.

If the globe is turned upside down, on the other side of South India (Bali ruled from Kerala), is South America and that is Patala Loka.

Viracocha and other deities, were nomadic and had a winged companion  the bird Inti , a kind of magic bird, knowing the present and the future, represented in oral myths as a hummingbird with gold wings (Quri Qinqi), who is none other than the Garuda, and eagle, who carries Lord Vishnu.

The term SaksayWaman is itself a distorted form of Sakshat Waman, which means Vamana God himself in full glory.

Even though, it was thought to be built around 900 CE and Machu Picchu around 1450 CE, Inca civilization goes back long way.



Machu Picchu or Machu Pikchu in Quechua language means Old Mountain, which indicates that this place was in use for worship of God Viracocha (Vamana) since ages.

Viracocha with cane in hand, sun around the head (umbrella of Vaman), pot mendicant on the other hand, is exactly same as described for Vamana dev.

After King Bali agreed to settle in Patala, Vamana gave him a boon that he will be protecting Balis kingdom until end of present Maha Yuga and Bali would be promoted to Indras position later.

       |

     || -- [Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkinda Kanda, 4-40-58]

Translation : Earlier, Vishnu as Trivikrama (conquerer of 3 parts/worlds), took pinnacle of Saumanasa and area below it as first part (here  /Paadam should be considered as a quarter as in Nakshatra Paadam or quarter, not as literal foot), second part was the pinnacle of Mt. Meru and its area and Bali offered 3rd part as his head, which means his own kingdom/land).

According to Inca oral history, Tupac Inca remembered that his father Pachacuti had called city of Cuzco the lion city. He said that the tail was where the two rivers unite which flow through it, that the body was the great square and the houses round it, and that the head was wanting. The Inca decided the best head would be to make a fortress on a high plateau to the north of the city.

After the Battle of Cajamarca during the Spanish Conquest of the Inca, Francisco Pizarro sent Martin Bueno and two other Spaniards to transport the gold and silver from the Temple of Coricancha to Cajamarca, the base of the Spanish. They found the Temple of the Sun covered with plates of gold, which the Spanish ordered removed in payment for Atahualpas ransom. Seven hundred plates were removed, and added to two hundred cargas of gold transported back to Cajamarca. The royal mummies, draped in robes, and seated in gold embossed chairs, were left alone.



After Francisco Pizarro finally entered Cuzco, his brother Pedro Pizarro described, on top of a hill they [the Inca] had a very strong fort surrounded with masonry walls of stones and having two very high round towers. And in the lower part of this wall there were stones so large and thick that it seemed impossible that human hands could have set them in placethey were so close together, and so well fitted, that the point of a pin could not have been inserted in one of the joints. The whole fortress was built up in terraces and flat spaces. The numerous rooms were filled with arms, lances, arrows, darts, clubs, bucklers and large oblong shieldsthere were many morionsthere were alsocertain stretchers in which the Lords travelled, as in litters.

Among the Machu Picchu ruins, is the famous Temple of Three Windows, and these 3 windows represent each part of the world :

Hanan Pacha : the world above, inhabit the celestial beings, constellations, stars, rays, stars, rainbow, clouds.

Kay Pacha : the world here, terrestrial beings live, the mountains, the lakes, men, animals, plants.

Uchu Pacha : the underworld, living the mallquis that are the seeds, the ancestors buried to the earth born young men.



Just 3 of the 5 windows are remaining, 2 closed.

This place is called Winaywayna, that mean Eternal youth or Forever Young.

It has many structures that are considered as baths, where the Inca clean his body and mind, and that baths had minerals that cured any kind of pain and sickness.

The way that this was built, one can avoid the magnificence and precision of the carved stone so perfect that no razor blade, not even a hair could enter between the rocks that were put one on top of another.

The other important site is the Inti Watana, which has a ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Inca in South America.

The stone is erected like a Siva Lingam, with a platform around it.

In the late 16th century, the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo and the clergy destroyed those inti watana which they could find. They did so as they believed that the Incas religion was a blasphemy and the religious significance of the inti watana could be a political liability. The Inti Watana of Machu Picchu was found intact by Bingham in 1911, indicating that the Spanish conquerors had not found it.

Inti Watana was aligned with the suns position during the winter solstice. The Inca believed the stone held the sun in its place along its annual path in the sky.

At midday on November 11 and January 30 the sun stands almost above the pillar, casting no shadow at all. On June 21, the stone is casting the longest shadow on its southern side and on December 21, a much shorter one on its northern side.

The festival Inti Raymi, is celebrated based on Suns movement.
TOKYO - The Japanese government said Tuesday that Japan's plan to hold a trilateral summit between leaders of Japan, China and South Korea before the end of this year was not changed after South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed her willingness to step down before her term ends.

Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kotaro Nogami told a press conference after Park's announcement that there has been "no particular change" to the government's efforts to arrange the trilateral talks before the end of the year.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, for his part, said Japan will continue the efforts to hold the trilateral summit before the end of the year as "the Japan-South Korea-China summit is an extremely important framework for dialogue."

Japan has been trying to bring forth the annual trilateral summit in December, but whether the scandal-hit South Korean President could attend the meeting have evoked question.

Park, who has been embattled by a corruption and influence-peddling scandal since late October, said on Tuesday in a nationally televised address that she would entrust the parliament with the task of making decisions on her fate, including a shortened presidency.

Her statement came ahead of a scheduled parliamentary vote on a bill to impeach the president as early as Dec 2 and no later than Dec 9.

China, Japan and South Korea have been taking turns to host trilateral summits since 2008, except for a three-and-half-year suspension since May 2012 due to heightened regional tensions.

The sixth China-Japan-South Korea leaders' meeting was held in Seoul, South Korea in November last year.
WASHINGTON  Arizona is one of 15 states that expressly allow corporal punishment in schools, but state educators said most schools already heed the spirit of U.S. Education Secretary John Kings call for an end to the practice.

In an open letter Tuesday to governors and chief state school officers, King said physical punishment is harmful to students and he urged them to stop the practice in their states.

Corporal punishment  teaches students that physical force is an acceptable means of solving problems, undermining efforts to promote nonviolent techniques for conflict resolution, King wrote.

Even though Arizona allows the practice statewide, most local school districts have banned corporal punishment in their own schools, according to organizations representing school boards and school administrators in the state, which have promulgated a model policy against the threat or use of physical force on students.

The majority or close to 100 percent of school districts do not allow (corporal punishment) and have adopted the policy, said Arizona School Boards Association spokeswoman Heidi Vega in an email Tuesday.

The official policy states that the threat or use of physical force is not justified in response to verbal provocation alone, and differentiates between school employees using physical force as self-defense and as punishment.

The Arizona Department of Education does not plan to ask the Legislature to overturn the current law that allows corporal punishment because, Were not here to tell our schools what to do one way or another, said Charles Tack, a department spokesman.

This comes down to what the people of Arizona want to see in their communities and their schools, said Tack, adding that Superintendent Diane Douglas strongly advocates for local control.

The decision by local districts to restrict corporal punishment makes it rare in the state. The most recent federal data showed that in the 2011-2012 school year, there were 601 cases of physical punishment doled out to the just over 1 million students enrolled in Arizona public schools.

Compared to Mississippi where 31,236 cases of corporal punishment were reported or Texas with 28,569 in the same period, Arizona had relatively few cases. But one student is too much, said Harry Lawson, director of human and civil rights at the National Education Association.

The research clearly shows negative academic and health impacts when this punishment is the form of discipline, Lawson said. And children of color receive this punishment at disparaging rates that makes the playing field even more unequal.

This held true for students in Arizona: The federal data showed that 34.8 percent of all students punished in 2011-12 were Native American, despite the fact that they made up only 4.8 percent of the general student population.

Disparities in the use of in-school corporal punishment are not limited to race; boys and students with disabilities experience higher rates of corporal punishment, King wrote, noting that these disparities could violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

King did not propose federal action, saying it was up to states to tackle the problem. In addition to the 15 states that have explicit language allowing corporal punishment in schools, seven dont have any law banning it and the rest prohibit the practice.

Although Arizona officials dont think changing state law will be on the table when the Legislature convenes in January, districts are taking their own steps to end the practice.

The Arizona School Administrators strongly opposes any use of corporal punishment by its schools and districts, said Mark Joraanstad, the groups director. Corporal punishment destroys the culture of caring necessary for student learning and family engagement.


A representational photo.

KOLKATA (PTI): Three army officers were killed and a junior commissioned officer was critically injured today when a Cheetah helicopter crashed at Sukna Military Camp in West Bengal.



Army officials said the chopper crashed around 11.45 AM when it was returning to the camp's helipad at Sukna, near Siliguri, from a routine mission.



While three officers died on the spot, a JCO was evacuated and admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.



The army's 33 Corps is based at Sukna and all aircraft of the Army are run by Army Aviation Corps.



A Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.


Detectives with the Flagstaff Police Department would like to make the following Level 2 (intermediate risk to the community) sex offender notification:

 Santos Guereca Jr., 31, is living at 1445 S. Burlington St. in Flagstaff. Guereca was convicted of sexual conduct with a minor in 2014. The victim was a 16-year-old girl.

Notification that Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders are living in the community is required by Arizona law. Resident abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate or harass sex offenders will not be tolerated by the police department.

If residents have information about current criminal activity by any offender, contact the police department at 774-1414.

For more information on sex offenders in the Flagstaff area, visit the Arizona Department of Public Safety sex offender Web site at www.azsexoffender.com.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline replacement program that stretches through Westman has been approved, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday.

The 1,659-kilometre pipeline has been in service since 1968 and travels from an oil terminal near Hardisty, Alta., through Westman to the Canada-U.S. border at Gretna.

In addition to replacing an aging pipeline, the program will see the lines daily capacity roughly double to 760,000 barrels per day.

At $7.5 billion, its the largest project in Enbridges history, with the company noting in a release that it has engaged with 150 indigenous communities from as far away as 300 kilometres from the pipelines right-of-way.

In his announcement on Tuesday, Trudeau also approved Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project from Edmonton to the coast at Vancouver and rejected Enbridges Northern Gateway pipeline from Edmonton to the coast at Kitimat.

Hit by news of that afternoons anticipated approval of Line 3 on Tuesday morning, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Vince Tacan expressed surprise.

Tacan considered consultations related to the proposed replacement and expansion effort to be ongoing.

Were not questioning the project, were just questioning the process, he said, clarifying that given their limited understanding of the project itd be difficult to provide further insight at this time.

While the pipeline wont run through Sioux Valley Dakota Nation directly, Tacan pointed to the traditional lands of southwest Manitoba the pipeline passes through as an area of concern for his people.

With more consultation needed, Tacan said that he was disappointed to see the pipeline expansions approval treated as a foregone conclusion.

Canupawakpa Dakota Nation Chief Viola Eastman is similarly ambivalent about the project.

Her communitys previous council approved the project prior to her election in January, with the current council unaware of the project until about May.

Eastman is concerned. Given the expanded pipelines proximity to Canupawakpa Dakota Nation, with the line situated about 10 kilometres north of the community,

shes worried about their underground water supply in the event the expanded pipeline breaks.

If this happens, Eastman remains uncertain as to who would look after her community, be it Enbridge, the provincial or federal levels of government, or whether the First Nation would have to take care of it themselves.

An avid supporter of Standing Rock Sioux Tribes fight against the Dakota Access pipeline, Eastman remains reluctant to place the same passion behind opposing Line 3.

While Line 3 is much closer to her communitys backyard, Enbridge is working with Canupawakpa Dakota Nation to develop a safety plan. The company has also been involved with some job training efforts for Canupawakpa Dakota Nation members, albeit not as strong an effort as Eastman would like to see.

Our communitys very poor, and I know right now the economys not that good, but it was (good) a year ago and we couldnt get jobs for our people, she explained. We want to benefit as well, just like everybody else.

Like other area leaders, Eastman is waiting to see what the local implications might be before making any stronger comments or suggesting any courses of action she might support, if any.

The municipal council of Oakland-Wawanesa is less ambivalent about the project, having already offered Enbridge unanimous approval for the storage of pipes in the area.

Mayor Dave Kreklewich is welcoming contractors with open arms.

The pipeline stretches across the municipality, and Kreklewich anticipates the project providing an economic boost to the sparsely populated municipality of about 1,500 people.

With those dismantling and replacing the pipeline staying in local hotels, eating in local restaurants and likely renting out a community hall as a gathering place, its safe to say that many area residents welcome the project, he said.

Similarly enthused is Centec Electric & Controls president Scott Johnston.

His Brandon-based company, should it be so fortunate as to earn the tender, would construct the projects pumping stations, which are located along the line every 70 to 80 kilometres or so to pump oil along its way.

These stations usually have two or three 6,000 to 7,000 horsepower engines, with each station costing approximately $2 million.

The Manitoba stretch of Line 3 would necessitate about five of these stations.

With a typical local staff base of between 30 and 100 people, this project would help Centec Electric & Controls bolster its staffing levels during the course of the year-plus construction project.

A definite boost, Johnston said, keen to issue a bid on the project.

With the fate the Line 3 pipeline replacement secured, next on the horizon will be TransCanadas Energy East pipeline, which would pass just north of Brandon on its

4,500-kilometre trip from Alberta to refineries in eastern Canada and a marine terminal in New Brunswick.

Its another pipeline Johnston supports on behalf of Centec Electric & Controls.

Its really not up to me, but itd certainly help our cause and our employees.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarke PA
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the fate of Canadas international trade deals up in the air, Westmans Conservative MPs have been advocating in their favour by sharing their support in the House of Commons.

While their promotion of trade deals is a longer-term priority, recent efforts have been spurred, in part, by the ongoing debate and deliberation that has surrounded those deals currently being hashed out.

United States president-elect Donald Trumps protectionist rhetoric, in which he has threatened to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership, have also fuelled the discourse.

Last week saw Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire push for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act, asserting that such trade agreements increase economic activity.

Constituents back home in Brandon-Souriss agricultural sector are chomping at the bit to see European markets open up under CETA, Maguire shared, noting that almost 94 per cent of European Union tariffs for agrifood products will be duty-free once CETA comes into force.

While politicians speaking on behalf of large swaths of their constituency can prove problematic from time to time, in this case Maguires comments check out, Keystone Agricultural Producers president Dan Mazier affirmed this week  a point local industry leaders contacted for this story readily supported.

Ive farmed here, so I know what keeps this place ticking, Maguire reflected this week, adding that his advocacy for various trade deals would continue.

CETA would open up the European marketplace of about 500 million people and translate into $12 billion in new economic activity for Canadas GDP per year, he said.

Not a small amount when we have a $30-billion deficit, Maguire said.

Simply put, Manitoba is an exporting province, Mazier said, pointing out that about 70 per cent of what is produced in the provinces agricultural sector is exported, primarily to the U.S.

As such, trade deals are a positive, overall, he said, clarifying that they do present some challenges.

Trade deals are all about give and take, and CETA was no exception, Mazier said, pointing to dairy producers as being on the unfortunate side of take.

Trade is good, but we dont want to throw the baby out with the bathwater when were giving up our domestic supply of safe Canadian food, he explained.

Maguire clarified that dairy producers have been addressed within CETA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with CETA limiting the amount of dairy products that can be imported into Canada.

Such is why international trade deals take a while to finalize, he said.

Mazier said that while trade deals can produce winners and losers, the CETA agreement, in general  struck up a balance where Canadians were covered.

Brandon-based Atom Jet Group vice-president of sales and manufacturing operations Terry Dorratt joined Mazier in supporting local MPs advocacy efforts, noting that about 10 per cent of their business in specialized fabrication and manufacturing for various industries is in the United States.

NAFTA has helped open these doors to the U.S., Dorratt said, adding that there is some concern about Trumps protections rhetoric.

The termination of trade deals such as NAFTA might make doing business with other countries  in this case the U.S.  more difficult, he said, noting that it would affect their business.

Aside from some challenges related to shipping between the two countries, Atom Jet Group management finds it relatively easy to do business south of the border at present and dont look forward to the prospect of this situation changing.

A representative from Brandon-based Cascadia Metals who declined to have their name used echoed this sentiment, noting that when it comes to doing business with other nations, there are always underlying concerns about business-destroying tariffs being implemented. Trade deals help quell these concerns.

The hope is that Trumps protectionist rhetoric dies out, Maguire said.

Well have to wait and see whether cooler heads prevail.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkePA
The City of Flagstaff is being told that a change of route will cost it nearly a half-million dollars more to design the Red Gap Ranch pipeline.

Jacobs Engineering and city staff presented a request for an additional $470,479 to complete the design study of the project at a special city council meeting Monday. Council will make a decision on the matter at its Dec. 6 meeting. If approved, the additional funds will come from the citys water utilities enterprise fund and are included in the water rate increase that was approved by council earlier this year.

Douglas Smith, the senior project manager from Jacobs Engineering, explained that the company has had to shift some of the original $1.9 million budgeted for the project to cover the cost of changing the pipelines alignment.

The City of Flagstaff purchased Red Gap Ranch in 2005 to provide a future source of groundwater for the city. The 8,500-acre ranch is located about 40 miles east of Flagstaff. It was purchased using money from a $15 million bond approved by voters in 2004.

City Utilities Director Brad Hill said, in 2008, Council approved the use of more than $1.9 million from the citys water utilities enterprise fund for a feasibility study for a pipeline to connect the ranch with the citys water system. The study was put on hold in 2009 so the city could negotiate crossing land that was owned by the Hopi Tribe and the Arizona Department of Transportation. Work on the study resumed earlier this year after a new alignment for the pipeline was negotiated with ADOT. The new alignment will use right-of-way along Interstate 40 and avoid Hopi land.

The change in alignment meant additional costs for items like negotiations for the use of I-40 right-of-way, soil testing, aerial mapping and surveying, studying the use of natural gas to help pump the water and permits to work on the land. It also includes money to replenish the contingency fund for the project and to cover the escalating cost of the work; the price of equipment and labor has increased since 2008.

Hill said the funding will allow Jacobs Engineering to create a concept design for the current pipeline route. It wouldnt be the final design for the project, but it would allow the city to complete the environmental work and alignment of the pipeline and then shelve the project until it needed to be built. The estimated cost of the total project, including construction, is around $200 million. The city council has yet to determine how that cost would be met.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2016 (2163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO  During the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, President Barack Obama had this to say about the North American Free Trade Agreement: NAFTAs shortcomings were evident when signed and we must now amend the agreement to fix them.

During Obamas term in office, there have been some modest efforts under the Beyond the Border Action Plan to improve the flow of goods and people between Canada and the United States.

Fast-forward to the 2016 presidential campaign and now-president-elect Donald Trump said: We lose with Canada  big league. Tremendous, tremendous trade deficits with Canada. This is the worst agreement ever signed.

What can be expected in the future? Given the size of the Canadian market, a free-trade agreement is more important to Canada than the U.S., but nevertheless it is a significant amount of trade, and its especially important to U.S. states in the Great Lakes region and southwest.

Every day, more than $2 billion in trade and services pass between the two countries. The combined annual trade amounts to almost $1.5 trillion. Canada is the United States largest customer, and more than 400,000 people cross the border every day. From an employment perspective, U.S. exports to Canada support some eight million U.S. jobs, while about 2.5 million Canadian jobs (14 per cent of the workforce) are dependent on Canadian exports to the U.S.

In the state of Washington, for example, goods sold to Canada amount to more than $23 billion per year, generating 244,000 jobs.

In Michigan, 241,000 jobs are dependent on $75 billion worth of annual trade with Canada. In New York, trade with Canada is almost $34 billion per year and creates 596,000 jobs.

(Mr. Trump singled out how bad NAFTA has been for New York state when he said, New York has been horribly, horribly hurt by NAFTA.)

The movement of employees between the two countries is vitally important.

As an integrated economy, we do more than make and sell things to each other; now, our companies increasingly innovate and make things together.

NAFTA includes provisions covering labour mobility. The Trade NAFTA (TN) visa is designed to facilitate temporary entry of workers on a reciprocal basis.

The TN provision is guided by a list of professional occupations to work in Canada, the U.S or Mexico.

One significant drawback of the TN list is that its more than 20 years old. A lot has happened in that time that the list has not kept up with. New occupations have emerged, particularly in IT, finance, health care and many other industries. Only two professions have been added to the list since its creation.

This disconnect with the modern labour market hurts productivity. It creates inconsistency, delays and unpredictability for many businesses that need to mobilize employees between the two countries. In a survey conducted of Canadian and U.S. businesses in 2013, the resounding message was that the TN visa list is out of step with existing and emerging occupations.

This is in contrast with the more contemporary approach Canada is taking on mobility provisions in agreements with its other trading partners, such as the recently agreed-upon Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

While CETA excludes key services in health care, public education and other social services, the temporary-entry provisions will make it easier for highly skilled professionals and businesspeople, such as engineers and senior managers, to work in the EU. The temporary-entry provisions will expand on existing World Trade Organization access by setting a framework to facilitate temporary travel or relocation for selected categories of business people, including short-term business visitors, investors, intra-company transferees, and professionals and technologists.

A further advantage of CETA, in comparison with NAFTA, is the inclusion of a framework for the mutual recognition of credentials.

When regulatory bodies in two jurisdictions agree that the professional qualifications in each others jurisdictions are satisfactory, they can sign a mutual recognition agreement that allows professionals trained and qualified in one jurisdiction to provide services in the other.

Would it not make sense to have such arrangements in place within the North American trade pact?

Political issues aside, the economic benefits of NAFTA to Canada and the U.S are significant. Dismantling the agreement would exact a high price on business and affect the livelihood of more than 10 million workers and their families in Canada and the U.S. alone.

Is NAFTA the worst trade deal ever signed? Far from it. But it certainly could use a major makeover to the TN visa list to increase productivity and the economic benefits that go with it.

 Stephen Cryne is the president and CEO of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council and is located in Toronto. His column was published in the Winnipeg Free Press.
Carl Higbie, a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, said recently that the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was a precedent for the president-elects plans to create a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries. He said the plan would be legal, that it would hold constitutional muster.

That claim betrays a misreading of history. It rests on a wartime Supreme Court decision that was based on falsehoods and suppressed evidence, a decision that is regarded as a stain on American jurisprudence.

In February 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. About 120,000 Japanese Americans  two-thirds of them native-born U.S. citizens  had to register and report to assembly centers. They had just days to divest themselves of all they owned  their homes, farms and businesses. With just what they could carry, they were shipped off to federally run internment camps, imprisoned behind barbed wire and watched by armed guards.

My grandmother, Bette Takei, was one of them. She was incarcerated in Colorado, while her husband, my grandfather, Kuichi Takei, fought in an artillery unit of the United States Army in Europe.

In Californias Bay Area, 23-year-old Fred T. Korematsu quietly defied the February 1942 order. He was picked up, arrested and convicted, and then he too was imprisoned. The ACLU of Northern California represented him before the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the policy of roundups and incarceration. In 1944  after D-day but before the war was over  Korematsu lost.

It was not a unanimous decision. In one dissent, Justice Frank Murphy wrote, Racial discrimination in any form and in any degree has no justifiable part whatever in our democratic way of life. Justice Robert Jackson wrote that the court should not affirm the military order because the principle then lies about like a loaded weapon, ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need.

Decades later, Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, a researcher for a congressional commission appointed to consider legislative redress for victims of the wartime incarceration, who had herself been rounded up as a teenager, found a curious document in the National Archives.

In Korematsus Supreme Court case, government lawyers had submitted a report by Lt. Gen. General John L. DeWitt, and quoted from it in their oral arguments to justify the executive order. They won in large part because of this report, which claimed that the imprisonment of Japanese Americans was a military necessity because there was no time for government officials to determine who was loyal and who might be a security threat.

DeWitts racist views were widely known: A Japs a Jap, he said publicly. It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen or not. But his report offered a plausible justification for Roosevelts policy, and it carried the day.

What Herzig-Yoshinaga found was an earlier draft of DeWitts report, which said that anyone of Japanese ancestry in the U.S. had to be rounded up simply because Japanese racial characteristics made it impossible to distinguish the sheep from the goats  no matter how much time was available.

Had this original report been submitted to the court, its likely the justices would have realized that racism, not time pressure, was the true motivation for the indiscriminate roundup. Instead, almost all copies of the original were destroyed. It was purposefully kept out of the record, along with intelligence reports showing that Japanese Americans posed no credible threat to the U.S.

In the early 1980s, the judiciary, in effect, apologized. Korematsu and two other Japanese Americans who had lost wartime challenges against their incarceration, petitioned to overturn their decades-old criminal convictions. They succeeded using a legal procedure called coram nobis, the equivalent of the judiciary admitting a serious mistake.

The coram nobis cases never reached the Supreme Court because the plaintiffs won at lower levels. So far, the high court has not heard a case that called on it to overturn the original Korematsu decision. Nonetheless, the ruling is as close to completely repudiated as it could be without having been formally overruled.

Federal District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel wrote, presciently, in her 1984 opinion overturning Korematsus conviction: In times of international hostility and antagonism, our institutions, legislative, executive and judicial, must be prepared to exercise their authority to protect all citizens from the petty fears and prejudices that are so easily aroused.

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, provided reparations of $20,000 to each Japanese American camp survivor. The legislation admitted that Executive Order 9066 was based on race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership. Reagan called the incarceration a great injustice and apologized on behalf of all Americans. More than $1.6 billion in reparations was disbursed.

Despite that apology, our leaders have become increasingly bold in unlearning this lesson. Korematsu himself returned to the Supreme Court in 2004 to file a brief challenging the indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Now, the racist underpinnings of the World War II incarceration are being used to push for a Muslim registry.

My family framed the apology letter my grandparents got from the government. It is signed by President George H.W. Bush and it hangs on the wall of the home I grew up in. We can never fully right the wrongs of the past, it says.

When my grandfather died in November 2014, he believed the extreme prejudice he and my grandmother faced had ended. We should remember the wrongs they suffered, not revive them.
142 people is the average number of rough sleepers in Dublin City this winter, up 51 people compared to this time last year.

This is a 56% increase in homelessness in the space of 12 months.

As well as this, there were another 77 people sleeping in the Homeless Night Cafe meaning a total of 219 people were without a bed of their own on November 22 when the official count took place.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said: These figures are not unexpected but nevertheless they are deeply disappointing and very frustrating.

Mr Doyle called on the Government and Local Authorities to move faster to tackle the high levels of empty private homes, particularly in urban areas. He said: Peter McVerry Trusts view is that the only effective way that we can begin to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping is to ensure we have enough appropriate housing options. To that end we need to see stronger and quicker interventions to make housing available.

The organisation has announced plans to cope with the homelessness increase with 230 emergency places which will be made available between now and 9 December.
Gardai in Mayfield, Cork are seeking assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 17-year-old Chloe Elderfield, who is missing from Glanmire, Cork.

Chloe was last seen yesterday (Tuesday) morning.
Irish rail is adding to its service for Christmas.

Iarnrod Eireann has announced late night DART, Dundalk and Maynooth line commuter services are back from this Friday night, on the weekends in the run-up to Christmas, and after Dublin's New Year's Eve celebrations.

The company says it marks the busiest programme of late-night train services yet.

Meanwhile, drivers who use the M50 are urged to be patient, follow instructions from emergency personnel and listen to radio for information, in the event of a collision.

Gardai, Dublin Fire Brigade, Dublin City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland are explaining how they manage a critical incident on the motorway.

Traffic volumes on the M50 have grown every year since 2011  and now stand at 140 thousand cars a day.
An all-party committee will discuss new controls on rickshaw services across the country this morning.

Transport Minister Shane Ross will join members of the group as they address a new Road Traffic Bill which covers a number of areas including drug driving and lowering speed limits in residential areas.
The Taoiseach begins a three day trade mission to the United States today.

Enda Kenny will travel to meet business leaders in Silicon Valley and New York.

Mr Kenny says it is a timely opportunity to promote Ireland as a gateway for American firms into Europe.

The Taoiseach may meet with the President-elect Mr Trump while visiting the states.

It is reported Mr Kenny mentioned the trip to Mr Trump during their 10 minute phone call last week and a face to face meeting was discussed.
Update 5pm: The partner of an Offaly GP accused of killing her 11-year-old daughter has told her trial that she would never have hurt her child.

Bernadette Scully has pleaded NOT guilty to the manslaughter of Emily Barut (PRO: BA-ROOT) at their home at Emvale, Bachelors Walk in Tullamore in September 2012.

The prosecution has accused her of administering a toxic level of the sedative Chloral hydrate.

Emily was severely disabled, but Ms Scullys partner Andrius Kozlovskis said she was her number one priority and he didnt think she saw her life without her.

Andrius Kozlovskis and Bernadette Scully have been together since 2008.

Emily was severely disabled, and on the day she died, he said he made two trips to the pharmacy for sedatives and anti-depressants.

He said Bernadette became agitated when he came back the first time because he hadnt got enough.

After returning with food later that evening, he said she fell asleep on the couch. He said she was exhausted.

Emily was cold when he later checked on her, and he became panicked and knew something had gone very wrong when he couldnt wake Bernadette.

It later emerged she had taken an overdose.

He said he never thought she was suicidal and never spoke about how their lives would have been without Emily.

He said she was an easy child to love and Bernadettes number one priority.

The 58-year-old denies killing her daughter by administering a toxic level of the sedative Chloral hydrate.

Earlier today, her sister described her as a devoted, selfless and caring mother.

Earlier:

The trial of a GP accused of killing her daughter has heard the amount of a sedative found in her blood was ten times more than the therapeutic level.

Bernadette Scully has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Emily Barut at their home at Emvale, Bachelors Walk in Tullamore, Co. Offaly in 2012.

Professor Hans Maurer, a German toxicologist received various samples from the State laboratory in Ireland a few months after Emilys death.

In her blood, they found 220miiligrams per litre of the sedative Chloral hydrate, he said.

The therapeutic level of the drug is between 5 and 20.

Emily was born with severe physical and learning disabilities and the court heard yesterday that her mother took great care of her during her 11 years.

She underwent surgery a few weeks before she died on September 15th 2012, and was in a lot of pain and struggling to sleep.

When her partner checked on Emily on the evening in question, he told Gardai she was cold and he called for an ambulance.

Bernadette was unconscious after taking an overdose herself.

It is the prosecutions case that she killed her by an act of gross negligence  that she had a duty of care to her as both her mother and doctor, and was in breach of that duty.
Picture This have added two extra shows to their already three nights at The Olympia Theatre.

The band will now play June 3 and 4 in addition to May 30, 31 and June 2.
Tescos mince pie van has returned to the streets of Britain to deliver its pies free to 18 areas across the nation.

The retailer has created its own Mince Pie Man to deliver 1,000 pies at each location, ranging from Tescos Finest to its free-from line, to peoples front doors in the run-up to Christmas.

Portsmouth, Exeter, Gloucester and Aberystwyth are among places on the list of areas lucky enough to receive a mince pie freebie.

The Mince Pie Man, named Warren, said he was delighted to be back for a second year to spread Christmas cheer.

This year, Ill be knocking on even more peoples doors, handing out free packs of Tesco mince pies and wishing them a Merry Christmas, he said.

Any customers not at home will receive a voucher so they can pick up their gift in their local store.

The full list of 2016 free mince pie locations is:
A French musician and his lawyer have been detained in Moscow after a Russian pop star accused them of extorting a million euros (850,000) from him in a plagiarism row.

Didier Marouani, a disco star who first toured the Soviet Union in 1983, and his Russian lawyer Igor Trunov were detained on Tuesday evening at a bank where they said they were to sign an out-of-court settlement with Philipp Kirkorov, Russia's biggest pop star.

Marouani claims one of Kirkorov's songs, Cruel Love, contains music he wrote years ago.

The flamboyant Kirkorov, who said in a recent interview that he has socialised with US President-elect Donald Trump for 22 years, has been a household name since the early 1990s.

He told the LifeNews website there was no agreement to settle the dispute out of court and he was "forced" to contact police after Marouani began to extort money from him.

"I'd like to thank Russian law-enforcement officials who were defending my honour and dignity that was called into question by foreign musicians who wrongly accused me of something I didn't do," said Kirkorov, who was wearing sunglasses in the middle of a Moscow night.

Marouani, 63, who was one of the rare Western musicians to perform in the Soviet Union before perestroika, denied the accusations.

"I have been coming to Russia for 33 years," he told local television after he was released. "And now I'm saying for the first time that my song was stolen, and music experts agree with me."

Another of Marouani's lawyers, Lyudmila Ayvar, said the singer and his lawyer were released early on Wednesday and are not facing any charges.

The police sting at a Moscow bank is reminiscent of the arrest of a Russian federal minister who was reportedly caught red-handed last month receiving a bribe he is said to have extorted from a major oil company.
Update 11.55pm: Eight workers have been killed after a cave-in at a Polish copper mine.

The director of the mine said rescue teams have now recovered the bodies of the last three workers from the Rudna pit in the south-west town of Polkowice.

Pawel Markowski said the deaths marked the greatest tragedy for the copper mining company KGHM in 55 years.

Five other miners have been taken to hospital, but they are not thought to be in a life-threatening condition. Several other workers escaped unscathed.

The tremor occurred shortly after 9pm local time on Tuesday some 1,100 metres (3,608ft) underground.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a magnitude-4.5 shallow earthquake in the region at the time of the cave-in.

Update 8pm: Rescue teams have found the body of a fifth miner and kept up the search for the three others still missing at a Polish copper mine that was hit by a tremor and a cave-in.

Earlier:

Rescue workers are using bare hands in a desperate attempt to save four missing miners.

Four other miners were killed in the tragedy, the mines director said.

The tremor occurred shortly after 9pm local time on Tuesday some 1,100 metres underground in the Rudna mine in the south west town of Polkowice.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a magnitude-4.5 shallow earthquake in the region at the time of the cave-in.

The mines director, Pawel Markowski, confirmed the death of a fourth miner, a 24-year-old, and said four other miners remain missing.

Five other miners have been taken to hospital, but their lives are not in danger and a few others escaped unscathed.

Nine rescue teams searching for those still missing were about a dozen metres from where they expect to find them, Mr Markowski said.

He said the cave-in area is filled with rock, "which does not mean we will not find empty spaces" where miners could have been saved, in the mines heavy equipment zone.

He gave the ages of the other victims as 23, 33 and 47.

Mining authorities have opened an investigation into the cave-in and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and Health Minister Konstanty Radziwill were heading to the mine later.

Polish politicians observed a minute of silence and prayed for the victims. President Andrzej Duda extended his condolences to the families of the victims and pledged state support for them.

Spokeswoman Jolanta Piatek said work continues in other areas of the mine, which is operated by the KGHM Polska Miedz, or Polish Copper Company.

In 2013, 19 miners trapped in the Rudna mine following a local tremor and a cave-in were rescued with no major injuries - but this year alone more than 10 miners have been killed at KGHM mines.

Known as the Polish State Mining and Metallurgical Combine under communism, KGHM went through restructuring and partial privatisation in 1991 as Poland shifted to a market economy.

It has grown to be one of the worlds major copper and silver producers. It also has mines in Chile, Canada and the United States.

- AP
The President-elect of America has announced his intention to leave his great business in total in order to focus on his duties at President of America in the near future.

Breaking the news on Twitter, Mr Trump said he was not required by law to leave his business however, he felt it visually important to have no conflict of interest as the President of America.

Mr Trump said he would be holding a major news conference in New York City on December 15 to discuss his intentions.

The 45th President of America concluded by saying legal documents were currently being prepared in order to ensure he is no longer part of his business commitments and that The Presidency is a far more important task!
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting later on the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

France and the UK are calling on the body to sanction the Syrian government and Islamic State over their use of chemical weapons in attacks on civilians.
Brian McErlain, managing director of Northern Ireland-based artisan bakery Genesis Crafty, has won a major honour at the Institute of Directors Awards at the Lancaster Hotel, London.

McErlain beat off competition from a number of competitors to take home the Family Business Director of the Year award.

Genesis Crafty, originally known as McErlains Bakery, is owned and run by six McErlain brothers, who are all qualified bakers.

The business is a major supplier of breads, morning goods and cakes to all the main multiple retailers across the UK and Ireland.

McErlain said that he thoroughly enjoyed the awards ceremony and that it was a great accolade for the business and family.

I was delighted to take away the Family Business Director of the Year award, particularly against tough competition from throughout the UK. I think the award highlights our outstanding work ethic and dedicated staff in the company.
LONDON: Copper prices fell on Monday as rising COVID-19 cases and weaker than expected manufacturing data in China,...
LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industrys Businessmen Panel (BMP) has stressed the...
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Allied Bakeries owner ABF Grain Products is to build a new bakery in Lincolnshire.

The business, which operates brands including Kingsmill, Ryvita and Dorset Cereals, has been granted permission to build on the site of a former British Sugar production facility in Bardney.

ABF Grain Products told British Baker that construction will start this month on the site, and is expected to complete in 2018.

We are delighted to confirm that planning permission has been granted for ABF Grain Products to build a new food production facility, said an ABF Grain Products spokesperson. We look forward to sharing further details about our plans in due course.

According to the planning application, the development will make use of a disused former sugar beet pad and surrounding area, including existing concrete hard standings and internal roadways.

The development will include a new bakery building  with areas for process preparation, baking ovens, packaging equipment and incoming materials and outgoing finished goods  along with associated plant, equipment and external works areas.
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will become the first pontiff in history to visit Bahrain, in a trip this week that is...
A supporter of Vice President-elect Mike Pence faces a court hearing next month after police said he called two women in a New York City diner racist names and pepper-sprayed a bystander who defended them.

Frank Camino, 56, is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 19 on charges of assault with intent to cause physical injury, attempted assault, recklessly causing injury and harassment in the second degree, local news website Gothamist reported.

Police arrested him early Nov. 20 at a diner after he reportedly called two Chinese-American women c**ts and whores and said they should go back to Tokyo, the website reported. Then he pepper-sprayed a man who stepped up to defend the women and said he doesnt tolerate racism, according to a witness. Gothamist couldnt reach Camino for comment.

One of the women, Sally Wen Mao, said the loud, angry man tore into her and a friend after she asked him to lower his voice. He had been griping how disgusting and racist the cast of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton was to issue an appeal to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, according to Mao, a 29-year-old Chinese-American poet.
KUPIANSK: The head of Ukraine's railway vowed to keep trains running and to repair the damage done to the network by...
The ACT government will start work on an Office of Mental Health within the first 100 days of government as youth groups call for the assembly to implement the findings of an inquiry into youth suicide rates and self-harm.

The power-sharing agreement brokered between the ACT Greens and Labor will deliver 20 more school-based pyschologists and bolster community-based youth counselling, as well as installing Shane Rattenbury as the territory's first minister for mental heath.

Mental Health Minister Shane Rattenbury and executive director of mental health services, Katrina Bracher, at the official opening of the Dhulwa secure mental health facility in November. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Mr Rattenbury said the Office of Mental Health would coordinate services and stop people falling through the gaps, identified by an independent panel into the prevalence of youth suicide last year.

"We have heard from the community, and from health workers, that there are gaps in our mental system and long waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health," Mr Rattenbury said.
What does it take to build a star ballerina of the future?

About 292km, 10 hours of technique and barre work, and one very committed Year 8 student every week.

Charlotte Barker will represent the ACT and Southern NSW at the Genee Dance Challenge on 10 December. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Charlotte Barker is putting in all this effort, and then some.

The Canberra Girls Grammar student will represent the ACT and Southern NSW at the Royal Academy of Dance's (RAD) nationwide Genee Dance Challenge in Sydney on 10 December.
An ACT Supreme Court jury has retired to consider its verdict for a daughter who allegedly killed her mother with a hammer at their family home in Canberra's north.

Gabrielle Woutersz, 25, was charged with murdering Norma Cheryl Woutersz, 56, after she dealt a series of fatal blows to her mother's head with a claw hammer in Dunlop in October 2014.

The dilemma was raised amid preparations for a planned retrial for Gabrielle Woutersz, 26. Credit:Rohan Thomson

It's alleged Woutersz then dragged her mother's body into the backyard and tried to bury it in a planter box she had emptied dirt from.

Woutersz was charged after her father arrived home to find his wife's body, bound to a stepladder, in the backyard and the accused inside the house cooking eggs.
The high-rise construction boom that is transforming the skylines of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will probably leave parts of these cities with too many apartments, ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott says.

As figures showed a sharp fall in approvals for high-rise units, Mr Elliott on Wednesday said the bank was taking a more cautious view on this part of the property market, due to pockets of over-building.

While Mr Elliott said this was not a "calamity", his view is consistent with many in the financial sector that parts of the apartment market are at risk of oversupply, which would likely cause prices to drop and is already weighing on rents.

The comment came as another senior banker, Bank of Queensland chairman Roger Davis, said a looming surge in apartment settlements in Brisbane and Melbourne was an "identifiable stress point in the economy" that needed close attention.
How can the government know the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax is being rorted by companies? Easy: The petroleum industry isn't complaining about it. Oil and gas companies are not lobbying to have it changed or removed.

Even if you know nothing about taxation, this is usually a fool-proof measure that can be employed to determine if a tax is raising the appropriate amount of revenue.

Remember the Minerals Resource Rent Tax introduced by former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard? No-one in the minerals industry complained about that one either. It was effectively devised by the industry as a replacement to the mining industry Resource Super Profits Tax.

The MRRT was eventually abandoned, and it barely raised a dollar. The Super Profits Tax would have been a revenue windfall and as such it was the subject of one of the hardest-fought industry lobbying campaigns in Australian history.
Oil giant Caltex is facing a potential class action after revelations of widespread exploitation of workers over a number of years.

ACA Lawyers and California-based barrister Julian Hammond are investigating two potential class actions against the ASX listed group  one brought on behalf of workers, the other brought on behalf of franchisees.

Fairfax Media recently revealed Fair Work Ombudsman was investigating the systemic underpayment and exploitation of workers within Caltex's network of more than 1800 service stations around Australia.

The media investigation also revealed that Caltex's business model is potentially unfair to franchisees who often own stores that make little profit.
If you thought One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts' views about the environment were on the edge of reason, his claims secretive networks of manipulators controlling the world's central banks are another thing altogether.

Despite disavowing any racist intent, the problem for Senator Roberts is that he is trapped between the beliefs he has passionately held for decades, and what he or Pauline Hanson believe is politically convenient to say now.

Senator Malcolm Roberts has spoken of a 'cabal' of 'international bankers'. Credit:Andrew Meares

His prior beliefs were, at the time of publication, readily available on his website.

One of his apparent idols is the late Eustace Mullins, a notorious anti-Semite, whose book The Secrets of the Federal Reserve, Senator Roberts claims, is "primary evidence" for his beliefs about international banking conspiracies.
Dr Thornton said research showed people still underestimated their personal levels of risk in the event of a bushfire. "We're still finding people don't have adequate bushfire plans, that they haven't practised those plans, they haven't written them down and importantly, they don't have a fallback position ... if their first plan doesn't work." He said the costs of responding to and recovering from bushfires were rising as more houses and infrastructure were built in fire-prone areas. "On top of that we've got the changing climate to deal with, which will bring more days which are likely to be like the days we saw on Black Saturday or Ash Wednesday," he said. Dr Andrew Watkins, Acting Head of Climate Monitoring and Prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology, said the months of May to September this year were the wettest in 117 years of records. "Spring has continued that trend and indeed we're looking at our wettest spring since 2011 [in NSW]," he said. The bureau's summer outlook shows "reasonably good odds of having drier than normal conditions" on the east coast, including much of NSW and Victoria, and "high odds of having warmer than normal temperatures through large parts of eastern Australia", he said.

A more northerly weather pattern had created an enhanced risk of heatwaves in December, Dr Watkins said, with temperatures of 40 degrees and above expected later this week in southern Queensland and northern NSW. Warm water off the coast would also help generate more tropical cyclones, he said. More information on preparing and planning for bushfires can be found here . Shark attacks

A spate of shark attacks around Byron Bay and Ballina this year has prompted some people to re-think their summer holiday plans. "I've heard people say they're cancelling their holidays to the north coast of NSW because there's too many sharks," Dr Daniel Bucher, senior lecturer in Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries Biology at Southern Cross University, said. But despite the publicity surrounding such attacks, Dr Bucher said the risk of being killed by a shark is low. "There's never been a fatal attack on a patrolled beach during patrol hours," he said. Dr Bucher said the NSW north coast and south-west coast of Western Australia had been described as "hot spots" for shark activity, but with aerial surveys, drone monitoring and a volunteer shark watch program at Byron Bay - as well as a government shark net trial - "the beaches on the north coast in NSW are probably amongst the safest in the country these days", he said. Dr Bucher said sharks were unlikely to venture into shallow water, but swimmers should stay in groups at popular beaches, avoid the water at dawn and dusk and stay out of dirty water and river plumes after summer storms.

Surfers in deeper water could protect themselves with a shark shield, a device which uses electrical waves to deter sharks, as well as by painting the underside of their boards with high-contrast stripes to signal danger to sharks, he said. Skin cancer Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia, costing the health system an estimated $1 billion annually. It kills about 2000 people each year, with two in three Australians diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.

Sunburn causes 95 per cent of melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer. And while awareness campaigns have helped decrease the rates of melanoma in those aged under 40, millions are still going out in the summer sun without adequate protection. "It can only take a few minutes to burn, which is the strongest indication of sun damage," Professor Sanchia Aranda, chief executive of Cancer Council Australia, said. "We still have a significant proportion of Australians who think that a tan is healthy. Just because you don't burn doesn't mean you're not at risk." Professor Aranda said people needed to think about UV levels rather than heat. "People get caught out because they think clouds or cooler weather will protect them from sunburn, but it's not actually the case," she said. "[There's] a lot of UV in Australia, in summer time it's always high during the day." She said it was important to use all five types of sun protection - protective clothing, hats, seeking shade, wearing sunglasses and sunscreen. Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before going outdoors, be reapplied every two hours and "should never be used to extend the time you spend in the sun". Most skin cancers were easily treated if they were detected early, Professor Aranda said. She urged people to check regularly for signs of skin cancer, including moles or spots that were growing or changing.

Food poisoning Hot weather, festive dining and power outages can be a recipe for disaster over summer, the Food Safety Information Council warns. Chair Rachelle Williams said food poisoning was one of Australia's biggest health issues, costing an estimated $1.25 billion annually. Government statistics show there are an estimated 4.1 million cases each year, resulting in an average of 86 deaths, 31,920 hospitalisations and one million visits to doctors each year.
The Turnbull government has acknowledged for the first time that Australia is failing to secure a fair share of revenue from oil and gas companies, with Treasurer Scott Morrison calling a review into the tax scheme governing offshore projects.

In a stunning admission more than 12 months after Fairfax Media revealed concerns that the petroleum resource rent tax was being gamed by the biggest fossil fuel multinationals, Mr Morrison conceded on Wednesday: "We think it is a problem."

Former Treasury official Mike Callaghan will lead what Mr Morrison called a "comprehensive and holistic review" into why PRRT collections are a paltry $800 million a year, down half since 2013, and why revenue for the oil excise has halved over the same period.

This week's Auditor-General report into one offshore project in the $200 billion industry, the North West Shelf, found a $5 billion bonanza in tax deductions taken by the companies behind the project, including Woodside, Chevron, BP, Shell and BHP Billiton, which have reduced their royalty bills.
Getting wedged between a government desperate for a win in the Senate, an opposition keen to deny any such thing and an infestation of crossbenchers bent on squeezing the merest drop of advantage from the stand-off placed Senator Hinch, in his own words, under "probably more pressure than I've ever felt in my life".

It's scarier than a prison cell or a call from Mick Gatto; more daunting than a death sentence.

Forget the quaint view that the Senate is a retirement home for fogeys.

Senator Derryn Hinch Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Here's a bloke who knows a bit about pressure.

He's been jailed twice and served five months home detention for contempt of court after breaching suppression orders on paedophiles and a murderer, been sacked by newspapers and TV and radio stations around 15 times on his count, surfed the heights of great wealth and bones-of-his bum bustedness and faced death before getting a last-minute liver transplant.

Oh, yes, and that's not even taking into account an on-air blue with Mick Gatto, who is not the sort of fellow you'd really want coming at you. The verbal rumble ended with Gatto snarling that Hinch was a maggot who would very soon find himself in his grave.

And the Senate is more intimidating than all this?
For all the biffo and bluster over backpackers, you'd think Australia's future hinged on a flip flop-led, campervan-powered economic recovery.

Raiding the purses of people who wear them on a string around their neck is never going to plug the hole in the budget.

The difference to Scott Morrison between a backpacker tax of 15 per cent or 10.5 per cent is $80 million - about 0.02 per cent of the budget.

Chicken feed.
A rape victim was drunk? He or she flirted beforehand or wore "revealing" clothing? In some European countries, up to 55 percent of the population says such circumstances would make sexual intercourse without consent justifiable or acceptable, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the European Commission. Overall, about one-quarter  27 per cent  of all Europeans held that opinion.

The number is much higher in Eastern and Central European nations such as Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. In Romania, more than 50 percent of all respondents said nonconsensual sexual intercourse was acceptable in some circumstances. Although there was a clear divide between Eastern and Western Europe, geography alone does not explain the striking differences.

A flashmob gather in front of Hauptbahnhof main railway station to protest against the New Year's Eve sex attacks in Cologne, Germany. Credit:Sascha Schuermann

In Belgium, for instance, 40 per cent agreed that sexual intercourse without consent is justified in some circumstances, whereas only 15 per cent said so in neighbouring Netherlands.

Across Europe, 27 per cent of young men said that some situations justified sexual intercourse without consent, compared with 20 per cent of young women who were polled. Overall, nearly 30,000 Europeans responded to the survey.
On Wednesday Bauer Media announced the closure of the print edition of Dolly, the magazine that, for the past 46 years has been something of a sacred text for pubescent girls. Well, perhaps not the entire 46 years. By the end of the last decade it was becoming plain that the media landscape had changed and that most young women - indeed most people - were getting their information online. Bauer CEO Nick Chan acknowledged this, saying in a press release that it was "no longer feasible to continue publishing the magazine on a regular basis."

The final edition will be published on December 5 and even though its closing was inevitable, nostalgic tributes littered social media feeds, and many high profile media personalities, former editors, Lisa Wilkinson and Mia Freedman included, rightly expressed their debt to Dolly for giving them their headstart.



It's difficult to conceptualise just how influential the magazine was. A quick glance at the "iconic" covers reveal a sweet earnestness; there's Nicole Kidman with her frizzy red hair in 1983; there's Kate Fischer, resplendent in white skivvy, the Dolly cover girl of 1988; (Miranda Kerr won in 1997 and Jess Hart took the Guernsey in 2000  all three women would go on to grace the cover of Vogue).

Miranda Kerr on the cover of Dolly magazine.

The cover lines, bursting with an untouched enthusiasm for "spunks" and "crushes" and "hotties" belie the authority the magazine had over generations of young women, myself among them. To understand the pang of nostalgia so many of us are feeling today, you have to go back to a time when electronic media simply did not exist. No DMs, no emails, no Facebook, no Snapchat, not even texts. You can't talk on the phone for very long because it's a landline, and to hog it was to block all communication from the outside. If you wanted a detailed brief on how to properly conduct yourself as a teenage girl so as to minimise humiliation and the inevitable ridicule that would, as sure as the grim reaper, visit you, then the best you could hope for was a truth or dare session at a slumber party between your 11th and 13th year.
Police have seized over $2.5 million worth of cannabis in extensive drug raids across Sydney on Wednesday.

Six people will face court on Thursday, charged with participating in a drug cultivation network operating across south, south-west and western Sydney.

Police raided suburban homes in Peakhurst, Padstow, Bankstown, Yagoona, Beverly Hills and Granville. In each home they found a sophisticated hydroponic set-up being used to grow cannabis.

In footage of the raids, police are seen storming into one of the homes and arresting one man who complies with them. More footage shows a number of indoor spaces in which cannabis was being grown.
Motorists have been warned to expect delays north and south of Brisbane as a crash and a breakdown disrupt commutes.

Two vehicles collided travelling north on the M1 near the Beenleigh North exit just after 5.30pm, leaving delays back to Yatala.

Cars bank up southbound at the intersection of the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway. Credit:Jorge Branco

About 6am, those delays were continuing north of the crash through to Springwood.

North of the city, a breakdown on the Gateway Motorway southbound, just south of the Deagon Deviation, was causing major delays stretching back to Narangba on the Bruce Highway.
The Queensland government has introduced a bill to abolish the controversial "gay panic" defence.

The homosexual advance defence, to use its legal term, has been used by people accused of murder to claim they were provoked due to an unwanted sexual advance.

Queensland's LGBTIQ community has been campaigning for the change. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The successful application of section 304 of the Criminal Code (killing on provocation) reduced the criminal responsibility to manslaughter, meaning the defendant avoided life in jail.

In introducing the Criminal Law Amendment Bill on Wednesday, Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said she acknowledged the importance of the move to the LGBTIQ community.
The LNP opposition has accused the government of rushing through laws to get its hands on public servants' superannuation.

About 2.30am on Thursday, the government passed its Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill.

The Queensland government has passed laws that will change how some public servants' superannuation is calculated.

Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said the changes could leave a public servant with more than 30 years' service $210,000 worse off.

"These changes will leave core public servants like teachers, police and nurses tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket," Mr Emerson said.
Scientists have found out how the blue whales rose to become the biggest beasts the Earth has seen  and it's all down to their teeth.

The skull of a 25-million-year-old fossilised whale, nicknamed Alfred, has helped palaeontologists join the dots on how whales' teeth evolved into fine, hair-like bristles called baleen.

Belonging to an extinct group of whales called Aetiocetus, Alfred's fossilised remains contains the first evidence that this group used suction methods to catch their prey, in the same way blue whales and other baleen whales do today.

Monash University palaeontologist Felix Marx said horizontal scratches on the surface of his teeth revealed hard food or sand had repeatedly scraped past the teeth, leaving visible parallel channels.
Nine days after the vicious attack, Maria still can't speak.

Her vocal chords were damaged when the stranger put his hands around her neck and choked her, and doctors are investigating whether there has been long-term damage to the cartilage in her throat.

With her face bruised and her fingers missing the rings she'd worn for years, Maria faced the media on Wednesday. Credit:Joe Armao

The diminutive 69-year-old Avondale Heights grandmother still has a large black and purple bruise on her forehead. There are other bruises, too, covered by her hair and clothes.

Police have launched an appeal for information about the men who did this to Maria.
When lifelong fisherman Rod McFarlane leant over the edge of his boat on Port Phillip Bay, he thought he had spotted dinner.

He'd been on the water since leaving the Queenscliff marina at 6.30am on Tuesday and was on a mission to catch some snapper.

Instead his line snagged something a lot bigger about three kilometres off shore from St Leonard, what he reckoned was a gummy shark.

As the retired 73-year-old told reporters the next day from his hospital bed at The Alfred, "I could see the fillets".
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Queensland senator Malcolm Roberts have cancelled a planned event with a Jewish group on Sunday, citing security fears.

The pair had been invited by conservative Jewish gym owner Avi Yemini to speak in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield, in the heart of the city's Jewish community, about the "dangers" of Muslim migration to Australia, repealing race hate laws, and other controversial topics.

Senator Malcolm Roberts during a press conference at Parliament House Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:Andrew Meares

Protesters planned to greet the senators with a large rally on Sunday and it's understood organisers had been told by police they would need a sizeable private security presence to meet protesters.

Several Jewish groups, including Jews Against Fascism, had signalled their intention to protest against the event, calling on supporters to wear bright clothing and bring musical instruments.
A Catholic boys school has suspended a teacher after he hypnotised students and allegedly asked one boy to touch himself.

The incident occurred at Mazenod College in Mulgrave and is now at the centre of a police investigation.

A teacher at Mazenod College has been stood down after using hypnosis techniques on students.

Do you know more? Email scoop@theage.com.au

The school's principal, Father Christian Fini, revealed in a letter to parents on Monday that "a teacher was using hypnosis techniques on students".
The state government will sell 51 per cent of Western Power with the rest to be publicly floated on the stock exchange.

Premier Colin Barnett announced the controversial plan on Wednesday, saying he expected the sale to generate $11 billion, with $8 billion to pay down debt and $3 billion to be allocated into a "next generation account".

The sale is expected to go ahead in late in 2017 or early 2018.

The $3 billion will be poured into schools and tafes, as well as infrastructure projects and improving electricity supplies in country areas.
One of Perth's oldest private all-boys schools has made the announcement it will begin the transition to becoming a 'fully co-educational' high school - and the decision has upset some of the college's parents.

Guildford Grammar will slowly integrate girls into years 7, 8 and 11 next year, and hopes to introduce boarding for girls in the Senior School by 2020.

Headmaster Stephen Webber said the move towards co-education was a 'natural evolution' for the school, and would allow a number of young girls to continue their enrolment into their senior schooling.

"We currently have more than one hundred girls enrolled at the Preparatory School and for many years have fielded inquiries and suggestions from our parent community about extending co-education to all years," he said.
Wednesday was supposed to mark practical completion of Perth's new $1.2 billion children's hospital after which the West Australian government would take control.

That will not happen, marking another delay for the troubled project being built by giant company John Holland and deputy premier Liza Harvey said the WA government's patience was wearing very thin.

The original completion date was more than a year ago in late 2015 and since then lead-tainted water and asbestos-contaminated ceiling panels have been discovered amid other faults and delays.

Ms Harvey said the government wanted the hospital open before the March election but denied that was to ensure Labor leader Mark McGowan's name was not on a plaque to open it if he won the vote.
Proposed cuts to hospitality penalty rates in WA introduced by Premier Colin Barnett on Wednesday morning have drawn both criticism and praise across the state.

The proposal would see the current Sunday and public holiday penalty rates drop to a flat Saturday rate of 1.5x pay.

Hospitality workers would see their Sunday and Public Holiday rates cut. Credit:Louie Douvis

Currently, workers can be paid up to double on Sunday's with the possibility of triple pay on public holidays.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Australian Hotel Association's CEO Bradley Woods welcomed the changes, saying they were encouraged by the Premier's decision to address what the AHA feels are exorbitantly high rates.
Latest News MKM Capital becomes MA Money Rebrand designed to align with non-bank's parent company

How to find a good private lender 10 questions brokers should ask to select the right one

Homeloans has announced a new third party structure following the recently completed merger between the non-bank and RESIMAC.Daniel Carde, who joined RESIMAC in 2006, has been apointed general manager of Third Party Distribution, and will be responsible for both the Homeloans and RESIMAC BDM networks.Unti the merger, Carde was RESIMACs director of Product, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships. This merger has brought together two highly successful and complementary businesses, Carde said.The opportunities this presents are tremendous, and I am looking forward to working with our experienced BDMs and broker partners to deliver one of Australias most comprehensive and competitively priced home loan offerings.Ray Hair, Homeloans current general manger of Sales, will step into the new role of general manager, Branded Partnerships.Hairs responsibilities will lie in focusing on the Homeloans-branded broker network, leveraging the Homeloans brand and assisting brokers in building their businesses.We are very excited about what the future holds, Hair said, adding that it will be business as usual for brokers now that the merger has completed.The new structure does not mean any changes to the way our partners do business with us today, rather it provides us with even greater opportunities and tools to continue to deliver the best solution to brokers and borrowers alike.Carde told Australian Broker: The marriage with RESIMAC will provide Homeloans broker network with an even stronger proposition. The merger effectively gives Homeloans an in-house product manufacturing capability, further enhancing product flexibility and pricing.
Latest News MKM Capital becomes MA Money Rebrand designed to align with non-bank's parent company

How to find a good private lender 10 questions brokers should ask to select the right one

Going into their second day of questioning, executives from the Big Four banks are under the microscope again, this time by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate Carnell, Smart Company has reported.The two-day public hearing comes as a result of a request by the federal government in August to forensically examine how the big banks treat their small business customers.The banks have already undergone private hearings, and Carnell and her team have begun the process of finalising recommendations to government, having also examined individual cases raised by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.The public hearing kicked off yesterday morning with the ombudsman questioning deputy ANZ s chief executive Graham Hodges, small business banking general manager Kate Gibson and customer advocate Jo McKinstray on the suitability of the $1 million turnover cap that ANZ has in place as a definition of small businesses.According to Smart Company, when asked if that definition was adequate, particularly in light of the fact that financial institutions in other regions such as the European Union are considering doing away with a definition of a small business completely, Hodges said ANZ believes the current definition broadly covers the section quite well.He added that when businesses move into brackets of up to $3 million in turnover, and between $3 million and $5 million, they require an increased level of sophistication to manage their accounts.Carnell responded by saying her objective is to ensure SME banking definitions and practices are understandable for a group of people that matter to our economy, who dont have in-house lawyers, who dont have an in-house accountant.Weve got to make the system as simple as possible, she said.I understand banks needs to manage risk. I think the important issue here is manage risk, not avoid risk, and therein lies the balance.The aim of the hearings is to ensure small businesses are protected from unfair treatment by Australias banking system. However, it is widely believed that the biggest concern for SMEs remains access to funding and the lack of genuine competition in a market dominated by the big four banks.A range of themes have emerged during the ASBFEO inquiry process, and a number of potential reform measures have been identified as significant and necessary to a robust relationship between financial institutions and their small business customers going forward, Carnell said on Monday.Were interested in hearing from the banks about their procedures in relation to loan contracts, dispute resolution services and the treatment of valuations, and we will press them on their willingness to change their approach to things like monetary and non-monetary defaults, and the role of administrators in relation to small business bank customers.The latest grilling of the major banks follows the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics report on the banking sector that was released last week, which focuses heavily on endeavouring to make banks more accountable for their actions.The report included two recommendations focusing on improving competition in what is widely perceived as a banking oligopoly, with the Committee stating that it was very surprised that no Australian government has completed a wholesale review of competition in the banking sector in recent times.A live stream of the public hearings is available on the ASBFEO website.
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62nd Precinct

BensonhurstBath Beach

Boozy bandit

Cops cuffed a man who they say robbed a teenager after he refused to buy him beer at the intersection of 19th Avenue and 67th Street on Nov. 25.

The man approached the 13-year-old on the street at 2:35 pm and demanded he purchase beer, but when the teen refused the man threatened him and grabbed cash from his pockets, officers said.

Police pursued the man as he fled on foot and apprehended him around the corner, stated police.

Highway robber

Police arrested a man for mugging a guy on Kings Highway on Nov. 23.

The victim told police that the man grabbed him between W. Seventh and W. Eighth streets at 10 pm and demanded his cellphone and wallet. The man threatened to harm him if he didnt hand over the goods, reported officials.

Police on the scene arrested the man, authorities said.

Sweater weather

A knife-wielding thief swiped a bundle of sweaters from a Bay Parkway sporting goods store on Nov. 27 and threatened a security guard, said police.

A witness told officers that the rascal tried to run out of the store near Shore Parkway with an arm full of sweaters at 6 pm. A security guard chased after him but was forced to back off when the weasel brandished the blade, police reported.

Out on a limb

Police arrested a mother who they say beat her 19-year-old daughter with a tree branch on 67th Street on Nov. 27.

The teen told cops that she and her 56-year-old mother were between 15th and 16th avenues at 5 pm when her mom struck her in the head with a tree branch.

The blow caused pain and bruising to the girls head, officials said.

With friends like these 

A bozo beat her friend with a shoe on 25th Avenue on Nov. 27, said police.

The two women got into a verbal dispute between Benson and Bath avenues at 7 pm that soon turned physical, officials reported. The ruffian took off her shoe and struck her friend multiple times in the head, said police.

The nogoodnik also kicked her friend in the left knee causing bruising, authorities stated.

 Caroline Spivack
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Theyre telling Mayor Tall tales!

City Hall public relations staff and advisors scrambled to push positive press and isolate local criticism during their failed bid to secure the 2016 Democratic National Convention for Barclays Center  going so far as to pen letters of endorsement on behalf of local businesses and digging up dirt on rival cities  according to newly released e-mails.

The January 2015 communications between DeBlasios flacks and his unofficial press guru Jonathan Rosen  also the publicist for the Prospect Heights arena, and whose missives Hizzoner has tried to keep under wraps  offer a fascinating look inside the mayoral marketing machine and how it works to spin coverage.

In response to a critical New York Times op-ed by Atlantic Yards watchdog Norman Oder arguing the massive convention would cause havoc in the neighborhood, Rosens staff quickly penned letters to the editor on behalf of willing local restaurants and bars, emphasizing the business boost the event would create.

How many do we have ready to pitch a counter story to NY1 or another outlet  we need to isolate Norman and these groups? Rosen wrote, likely referring to another article that day by former Community News Group reporter Dana Rubinstein relaying similar concerns from neighbors. Tweets from local business people we can start rolling now?

He also suggested having local entrepreneurs tweet at Rubinstein and the possibility of Borough President Adams and former Borough President Marty Markowitz putting their names to a joint op-ed saying events of this magnitude are no problem for Brooklyn.

Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo wrote her own lengthy letter to the editor, but the e-mails show Rosens and DeBlasios spinmeisters discussed how they could edit or rewrite it to focus on their message of community benefits without offending the local lawmaker.

We should be very sensitive to her version, wrote mayoral aide Michael DeLoach. Fine with changes but we should try to be respectful  she has great pride in authorship.

A few days later, Rosen responded to a Daily News article on how the corruption probe into disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver could sink New Yorks hopes of scoring the prestigious palooza by instructing staff to push back with hits on Democrats scandals in the competing states of Ohio and eventual winner Pennsylvania, and to ask party insiders to whisper to reporters that Silvers woes are a nonfactor.

We should do some quick research on D scandals in Ohio, he said. We NEED NEED NEED some third party voices per my last email that sound like real insiders.

The release also includes an amusing e-mail thread in which the publicists try to convince a Daily News reporter to preview former party boss Debbie Wasserman Schultzs visit to inspect the borough, clamoring to appease the scribes request for a Brooklyny angle.

Is she tasting local foods at the Barclays Center perhaps? Berlin Rosens Dan Levitan asked Laura Santucci, DeBlasios former chief of staff, who left the post to run the unsuccessful convention bid.

Comfortable with local food tasting, Santucci confirmed.

The tabloid subsequently ran an exclusive preview of the Juniors cheesecake and hot dogs Wasserman Schultz would enjoy.

Communication between the city and outsiders are typically subject to the freedom of information requests from journalists, but City Hall had tried to keep private its correspondence with Rosen  whose firm also represents major Brooklyn developers Forest City Ratner and Two Trees  on the grounds that he was a so-called agent of the city.

It finally released 1,500 pages of e-mails on Thanksgiving Eve after the Post and NY1 sued to obtain them.

DeBlasios reps did not return requests for comment, but the mayor has since defended Rosens involvement with his administration  which included sitting in on policy meetings  on the grounds that it was cleared by the Conflict of Interest Board and denied that his pals clients get any special favors.

You can read all the correspondence at NY1.
In the eighth episode of No Tomorrow season 1, No Rest for the Weary, Xavier gets a job at Cybermart to be closer to Evie, but he ends up complicating her already stressful workload by helping the employees stage a strike. Meanwhile, Kareema makes a bold decision to keep Sofia in her life.

No Tomorrow: Heres Why Timothy and Kareema Belong Together >>>

Xavier Makes Evies Job Harder

As the episode begins, poor Evie is stressed thanks to her increased workload. Evie has to balance her new Cyber Hugs job with her old one as the quality control manager. Things get even more difficult for her when Deirdre tells her that workplace productivity is down, and Evie needs to find a way to get the numbers back up.

To make matters worse, Evie gets stuck taking care of a rat after a disgruntled employee of a rodent rescue center shows up and accuses Evie of killing said rat by cutting their funding. Evie tries to explain that she just started the Cyber Hugs job so she had no say in cutting the centers funding, but the guy isnt interested in hearing her out. He leaves the rat in her care so she has to stare into his little rat face and know that his impending death is on her hands. (The rat gets quite a bit of screen time in this episode.)

Now that Evies workload has been doubled, she no longer has any time to hang out with Xavier or to work on their lists. Xavier decides to remedy this problem by getting a job at Cybermart so they can spend all day together. At first, Evie is excited about the prospect of working together because it means Xavier can help her work on increasing productivity in the workplace. Alas, Xavier ends up doing the opposite.

When Xavier sees how monotonous the warehouse job is, he tries to find ways to make it more exciting. His plan works a little too well, as the employees are having so much fun that they end up finishing their daily quota in half the usual time. Deirdre decides to then double their daily quotas. When Evie tries to argue against that, Deirdre explains that the warehouse is in danger of closing unless they show improvements for the next several quarters. This means they are all in danger of losing their jobs.

Evie Helps Mend Fences Between Management and the Workers

Evie informs the workers of their new quota, and they are not pleased. At Xaviers urging, they end up going on strike. Xavier declares that they will not perform any of their duties until their demands are met. Some of those demands are for the quotas to be rolled back and for their sick days, vacation days and maternity leave to match the industry norm. Hank also suggests coming up with a Just Not Feeling It day where they can call out just because they dont feel like coming in to work. (Its basically an honest version of a sick day.)

Evie tries to negotiate a settlement with the workers, but Xavier wont back down. This leads to an argument between the couple. Evie accuses Xavier of putting everyones jobs at risk, but Xavier doesnt think that matters because the world is going to end in six months. Xavier thinks theyre all wasting what little time they have left, but Evie doesnt see it that way.

Since Evie is making no progress in ending the strike, Deirdre decides to call in scabs to replace the warehouse workers. The employees do not react well to this news, and they team up to block the scabs from entering the warehouse.

Evie realizes that the only way to solve this disagreement is for the management to swap places with the floor workers. This will give them a chance to see things from the others point of view. It works, and Deirdre agrees to meet the employees demands, including the Just Not Feeling It day.

With the strike settled, Xavier resigns from his job. And Evie tells Deirdre that she cannot keep doing two jobs, so Deirdre will have to find a new quality control manager. Evie and Xavier then make up, and Evie ends up taking her Just Not Feeling It day so she can spend time with Xavier.

Quiz: Who is Your TV Boss? >>>

Workplace Tension Causes Problems for Hank and Deirdre

Deirdre and Hank are asked to sign paperwork to make their relationship official and make sure they abide by company rules. To that end, they have to attend an in-house dating seminar. Evie and Xavier also have to attend since Xavier is now working for Cybermart. They watch an awful animated movie that talks about keeping their private life separate from their work responsibilities. Alas, this message seems lost on Deirdre as she ends up using her romantic relationship with Hank to try to get him to spy for her. She wants to know whats going on with the strike at all times.

Unfortunately for Deirdre, Hank doesnt want to spy on his friends. She tells him that he needs to pick a side. And much to her dismay, Hank chooses to side with his co-workers.

Hanks decision to stand by his co-workers leads to Deirdre making him the new quality control manager. Alas, it also leads to her breaking up with him because he chose to support his friends instead of having her back. (Is the Hank-Deirdre relationship really over? How do you feel about that?)

Kareema Makes a Major Life Decision

Kareema is still seeing Sofia behind her brothers back, but its starting to get to her. Kareema tells Evie that she plans to just ride things out until Sofia marries her brother and gets her green card. However, this becomes a problem when Kareemas brother finds a sext on Sofias phone. Kareemas brother does not know that Kareema is the one who sent the sext, but he does know that Sofia is involved with someone else. He decides to call off the wedding, which means that Sofia has to leave the country right away.

Kareema is heartbroken about Sofias upcoming departure because she has fallen in love with her. Evie points out that there is a simple solution to her problem. Since same-sex marriage is now legal, Kareema could just marry Sofia herself. Evies solution goes against Kareemas nihilistic lifestyle. But she knows she doesnt want to lose Sofia, so she decides to prioritize love over her beliefs.

Kareema tells Sofia that she wants to see where their relationship will go, so she asks Sofia to marry her. They might be doing things out of order, but Kareema thinks convention is overrated. Sofia agrees to marry her so she can stay in the country. Now they just have to find some way to tell Kareemas brother.

Timothy Gets a New Job

Timothy gets an offer to work for a forward-thinking magazine, but he will only get the job if he can come up with a story that generates lots of hits. Luckily, Hank calls Timothy to inform him of the workers strike, and Timothy shows up at Cybermart to cover it for his story.

Sadly, his coverage of the strike isnt grabbing anyones attention. That is, until he takes Xaviers suggestion and gets personally involved with the strike instead of just reporting it from the sidelines. Timothys story ends up getting plenty of hits, and he gets an offer to sign with the magazine.

What did you think of the eighth episode of No Tomorrow season 1? Are you disappointed that Hank and Deirdre broke up? Do you think Deirdre overreacted to Hank siding with the workers? Is Kareema rushing into things by marrying Sofia to keep her in the United States? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

No Tomorrow season 1 airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of The CW)
While the administration focuses on making good on promises of tax cuts with an eye on managing a projected revenue shortfall, one legislative committee says the state may need to spend hundreds of millions on fixing state prison problems.

A refusal to do so may lead to the release of some really bad guys or escalating prison violence resulting in death, according to the Legislatures Department of Correctional Services Investigative Committee. Complicating the matter further is the possibility of a lawsuit that could force action on overcrowding whether the state is ready or not.

The Nebraska State Penitentiary, the systems oldest facility, is now at 200 percent of capacity. There have been 13 assaults on staff this year with the first sexual assault of a staffer reported recently. Similar situations exist at other institutions in the system, which ranges from facilities in Tecumseh to McCook. The legislative committee was convened after the inadvertent early release of inmates several years ago and an ensuing Mothers Day riot that left two inmates dead at Tecumseh in 2015.

Committee member Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus told the Lincoln Journal Star that the state needs to spend money, or we're going to turn some really bad guys out onto the streets, or some of our inmates or employees are going to be killed."

The committee is expected to release a report in December that comes after months of hearings on issues ranging from staffing and salaries to programs required so inmates can be successful on release. Corrections Director Scott Frakes spent hours answering lawmakers questions on crowding, parole, mental health care and restrictive housing.

The Tecumseh riot, a ban on the death penalty in limbo and the escape of two inmates from the Lincoln Correctional Center in a laundry truck also added to the discussion. Several inmates have been charged and found guilty of involvement in the riot. Nebraska voters decided to reinstate the death penalty and the escapees were caught and are behind bars again.

Schumacher said it has become clear that budgetary constraints were the source of the problems that have festered in the prisons. The constraints are the result of a now 10-year-old program of tax reductions and credits with the public allegedly clamoring for more. At least two think tanks have advanced tax plans and several senators are expected to carry their own or one recommended by Governor Pete Ricketts when the new Legislature convenes in January.

The senator says that state spending has reduced funds available for spending by about $750 million. If that trend continues, by 2024 the state would have $1.1 billion less to spend. On top of all this is a projected revenue shortfall of maybe $900 million over the next biennium. Throw in 17 freshmen legislators and you have the makings for high drama in the George W. Norris Legislative Chamber next year.

But perhaps the very frosting on this upside-down cake comes in the seemingly popular attitude of getting tough on crime as evidenced by the recent vote to repeal the death penalty ban that the 2015 Legislature passed over Ricketts veto. Ricketts then contributed $300,000 from his own pocket to a petition drive that put the repeal measure on the ballot.

In addition to holding out the death penalty as a deterrent to crime  a contention that has yet to be proven  getting tough on crime requires incarceration. It takes money to keep people behind bars and the prospect of having to build more space and hire more staff generates more expense.

If thats not unsettling enough, throw in scrutiny of the prison system by the federal government and the ever-present idea that the American Civil Liberties Union might sue because of overcrowding. A federal court order could result in the release of inmates, some of whom maybe arent ready to be  or shouldnt be  released.

Director Frakes is experienced, knowledgeable and knows what has to be done but is constrained by the political dynamic, Schumacher said.

The Legislature should consider alternative sentencing, programming, expanded community corrections and other modern measures to address the situation. One can only hope that 17 new senators can learn quickly  and the six of them who received money or endorsements from the governor can act independently  in providing solutions for the good of the state.
W.Howard Group has acquired Balcas Kildare, which has been manufacturing decorative mouldings since 1988.

It has developed a strong reputation for quality and service over many years, which the W.Howard Group has recognised, along with its manufacturing capability and latent available capacity.

Jonathan Grant, chief executive of the W.Howard Group, said: "The synergy between the two successful businesses has created an offer to the market which will further help its valued customers.
Bordentown exhibit showcases items belonging to Napoleon's brother

The Bordentown Historical society is gaining international attention for its Joseph Bonaparte exhibit, former King of Spain and brother of Napoleon.
President-elect Donald Trump's flirtation with Mitt Romney as a possible pick for secretary of state has injected a sliver of hope and change into an evolving administration that could use some.

If ever there were a rarer pair -- think Doberman and Labradoodle -- I can't think of one. Then again, how better to present a bad cop/good cop dynamic to a dangerous and fragile world? If Trump is perceived as unstable and potentially volatile, Romney is the face of calm, a steady hand to help guide the next president's foreign policies.

Concerns about the two men's pointed exchanges during the campaign season would seem less important than whether Romney can do the president's bidding -- renegotiating trade deals, for example -- when Trump's views are in direct conflict with his own. Romney has been pro-open trade while Trump campaigned on either scrapping or reworking trade deals.

Having known Romney for a decade or so, I'm pretty sure he'd accept the job if offered, which I base on my understanding of his profound sense of duty to country. While true that Romney worked against Trump during the primaries, his personal values, including a humility rare in the political world, ultimately would prevail over self-regard.

And though Trump called Romney a "choker," hardly a recommendation for the person charged with negotiating the nation's foreign interests, Trump is Trump, meaning he moves easily from one position to another. And politics are politics. Things are said. Things are unsaid.

Indeed, just Tuesday, top aide Kellyanne Conway said that the president-elect won't pursue an investigation of Hillary Clinton, despite having vowed to put her in jail and presided over many a chant of "lock her up."

More than anything else, Trump is a pragmatist and a businessman. Operative question: What works? As he begins to organize his board of directors, otherwise known as the Cabinet, he's surely aware that Romney, of those rumored to be under consideration, would be most effective on the world stage.

The pragmatist, by definition, is unemotional about such decisions. Romney may not be Trumps cup of tea on any number of fronts, including the impossibility of the two settling in for some locker room talk, but the presidency confers a broader view of the world, not to mention the burden of all that follows.

What would not work is Rudy Giuliani. Not only does the man formerly known as "America's mayor" act like he may have plunged his finger into a live socket but his outspokenness in defense of Trump has often seemed like the mad ranting of a man angry at the moon.

We still love 9/11 Rudy, but that Rudy seems to be missing. Even if he were present, the fellow who performs best in a crisis isn't necessarily the one who performs best in preventing a crisis.

By stark contrast, Romney would help relax tensions abroad as well as at home. He has international credibility and a sophisticated understanding of complex global relationships. Remember, it was Romney who, during his final debate with President Obama in 2012, pointed to Russia as our greatest geopolitical foe.

Obama practically laughed him off the stage, but who's laughing now, not that Romney would gloat? Romney is also well versed in areas of international finance and economics -- demonstrably superior to anyone else on Trump's list.

The fact that Trump has admired Vladimir Putin's strength as a leader and has indicated a preference for working with Russia to defeat the Islamic State isn't precisely in conflict with Romney's recognition of Putin and Russia as threats to our national interests. In fact, they can be seen as complementing each other's perspectives with a balance of respect and caution informed by history.

On China, Romney and Trump probably agree more than not. Again, during his own presidential run Romney spoke often of clamping down on China's currency manipulation. He is also the son of George Romney -- who in addition to being governor of Michigan was president of American Motors Corp. -- and likely agrees with Trump that the U.S. needs to create incentives for businesses to invest more in American jobs.

Further to Romney's qualifications, he's an experienced deal-maker, a skill Trump obviously admires. Super-articulate and fluent in policy (as well as French, for what it's worth), Romney is a cool thinker and, not insignificantly, a non-imbiber, also like Trump. Not least, he is by all accounts a thoroughly decent human being.

A wise man would look no further.
Attempts to define intelligence and consciousness have driven philosophers and neuroscientists to despair for millennia. Intelligence can perhaps be described in functional terms, as the ability to learn new skills and solve various types of problems. But consciousness leads into recursive territory, and its definitions involve terms like self-awareness, which leads back to consciousness.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) moved the Delhi High Court on Wednesday challenging a government proposal to levy between Rs 7,500 and Rs 8,500 per flight from Indian operators for the development of regional airports under the recently introduced Ude Desh Ki Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme.
Singapore-based venture firm said it had successfully closed the second fund of $100 million. The new fund is 10 times the size of its first fund, raised in 2012. Ratan Tata, interim chairman of Tata Sons, is a special advisor to the firm.
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Fulgencio Batista

Fidel Castro

According to Castro, the revolutionaries started reorganizing with only two rifles. But by early 1957 they were already attracting recruits and winning small battles against Rural Guard patrols. "We'd take out the men in front, attack the center, and then ambush the rear when it started retreating, in the terrain we'd chosen," Castro said in his spoken autobiography. In 1958, Batista tried to snuff out the uprising with a massive offensive, complete with air force bombers and naval offshore units. The guerrillas held their ground, launched a counterattack and wrested control from Batista on January 1, 1959. Castro arrived in Havana a week later and soon took over as prime minister. At the same time, revolutionary tribunals began trying and executing members of the old regime for alleged war crimes. History.com-Fidel Castro.

Castro and Khrushchev

I've got it you want it, how much are you willing to pay?



Vietnam struggled to find its feet after unification and tried at first to organise the agricultural economy along strict state-run lines. But elements of market forces and private enterprise were introduced from the late 1980s and a stock exchange opened in 2000

REFERENCE SITES

Fidel Castro took over the Cuban island in 1959. I was a Junior in high school when the Bay of Pigs invasion disaster occurred (April 1961). It made little difference to me at that time and I have very few if any actual memories of that event. My first presidential election would not be until 1964, and as a result I, like most teenagers I guess, just did not care about politics. Just one and a half years later the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) took place during my senior year. That got my attention as it no doubt did for many other teenagers as well as adults. I have a cousin in Greenville S.C. who became interested in Major Rudolph Anderson (pictured right) who was the shot down while taking high altitude pictures of the Missiles. He has been instrumental on trying to establish a monument there. Major Anderson was a native of Greenville and a graduate of Clemson University. Subsequent study and research on Cuba and Fidel Castro has given me a perspective that is more backward thinking than any realization at the time these events occurred. We were engaged in the Cold War up to our necks and the battle between Russia and the USA was paramount in the news. I have a very vague recollection about the Berlin Airlift in 1948. Since I was only three at the time my memories are retrospective based on contemporary knowledge.Castro was a result of our support of Batista in Cuba. Batista was a brutal and corrupt dictator and as they sayI am not one that blames everything on America but the seeds are almost always planted when one country tries to run another country or sets up a puppet regime. I am not an isolationist but I serious question any politician who uses theorargument for meddling in other countries politics.Fidel Castro's revolution was fueled by the support of the population with most likely some help from foreign governments, but it was home grown based on the abuses of Batista.The result of the revolution is the Cuban people traded one tyrant owned by the USA for one owned by the USSR. Pure and simple, it was a puppet government, but Fidel did not see himself as a puppet. He was a committed nationalist (Somewhat akin to Gaddafi) who took help from where ever it was offered. He was also fiercely Anti-American based on our support of Batista. But none the less he was "Just a Pawn in their Game" as Bob Dylan wrote about the civil rights movement in the USA at the time. Meanwhile the Cuban people suffered through it all.Our economic embargo is not about the Cuban people. I suspect that the real reason for the embargo was to help drain the Soviet coffers of funds to support a regime that would not be self-sustaining without that support. Once the USSR fell the next puppet master was Venezuela. It too has failed. Venezuelas money no longer fits in a wallet Finally, I come to my conclusion which is based on nothing more than my only experience in Foreign Policy. After I decompressed from my tour of Vietnam, I formed the opinion that there was nothing to fear from the Vietnamese by the USA. The Vietnamese people have fought against foreign imperialism (I do not agree that was our purpose) since before we or the French were ever involved. Our battle had larger a global basis.My experience with the Vietnamese lasted just under one year. The war however and USA involvement with them lasted from 1954 through 1975 with the fall of Saigon. My lack of fear came to me in a reflective moment in 1975 when I was wondering why we had apparently squandered 58,178 and counting lives without a victory. The fears of the politicians that the domino theory would foretell the end of that part of the world for freedom were real and not imagined, but times change and results are not always predictable. I have no illusions that our involvement was designed to help the Vietnamese people, it was to stop the flow of communism in Southeast Asia as was stated by JFK and LBJ.I did feel however that no amount of government control short of a Mao-type purge could stop the lesson the Vietnamese people had learned during our occupation. And the new regime did its best to purge the former allies from its population. We left a legacy ofthere that I doubted any government could dislodge. It is the Black Market and it is super efficient based on pure supply and demand. I got it and you want it. How much are you willing to pay for it?My opinion is based on a few personal observations. Every time we would pitch camp anywhere near a village or population center, the Lambretta scooters would arrive as if we sounded a siren. Don't think that our coming and going was a secret. It damn hard to transport several hundred grunts in noisy Hueys without someone noticing it. They would bring American beer to sell us as well as other items that Infantrymen found important ( wink wink). As I remember, the beer sold for about $1 per beer. The native Beer called "33" sold for 50 cents a can. Although I did not smoke, cigarettes were not really a part of the black market trade in the field but they were big business in the cities. Cigarettes were in every resupply helicopter to the grunts along with an occasional one beer and soda per guy. The black market was alive and well. I often wondered how many tons of the supplies unloaded from the ships in Saigon Harbor actually made it to the Black Market.The other factor that helped me form my opinion was the apparent lack of any concern from the residents of the small villages about whom the hell was running things in Saigon or Hanoi. The raised their crops and bartered trade with each other for essentials. In the rural areas money was not a big factor. Rural areas seldom have a problem with central government unless it intrudes on their space. It is the urban centers where the rabble-rousers ferment then and now.Since we were not paid in real USA dollars, any money that they got was in the form of MPC (Military Payment Certificates) which was supposed to only be good at USA facilities. Good luck with that policy. The MPC became the defacto fiat money for the locals, which they would use to buy things from each other. The only danger they faced is when MACV (look it up) decided to change the money supply from one color to another color. That happened twice when I was there. When they did that the old money was worthless at USA facilities as well as between the Vietnamese.Today the Vietnamese country is a thriving semi capitalistic / communist country.What the hell does all this have to do with Cuba and the Cuban people? Have you ever been to Miami? There is a whole population of "CAPITALIST" living there in exile. I have a few Cuban friends and former business acquaintances left from my time living in South Florida. Many of the Cuban community that are third or fourth generation Americans feel that they are part of the exile community. Many of them would prefer that Cuba be treated like any other country where they could visit their relatives or return to start businesses. Some would like to see Cuba be the 57th state that Obama referred to. I have no doubt that there are many inside Cuba who have hope for a free society as well.Based on that and my Vietnamese experience, I think we will not have to worry about the future of the Cuban people when and if we finally open up trade and travel between Cuba and the USA. My only concern is if we or another country will try to meddle in their politics again. I am sure that Putin will test the resolve of Obama as well as Trump to see if he can re-establish Russia's influence in this hemisphere with post Castro-Cuba. We may in fact return to the Russian and USA battle for influence there. The Raul Castro regime will collapse of its own weight as have most communist countries without an economic basis or conquest. Sooner or later we must learn that we cannot be the umpire or policeman for human abuses or the ever catch all phrase "Human Rights." To do so would mean we would be a war with half the world and offering aid and or protection to the other half.As strange as it seems, the celebration in Miami on the announcement of Castro's death is really, what many have been waiting for since 1961. I would hope that Donald Trump will devise a policy to move the Cuban government towards a mutual beneficial policy. Communism has morphed into a pseudo-capitalist entity just as we have morphed away from capitalism.Once again I reiterate that I am not an isolationist and we should be very aware of potential Hitler's on the horizon, but trying to pick winners and losers in world geography has hardly worked for us or anyone in the past and most likely will not in the future. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan among others are good examples of the unintended consequences of meddling in other countries. I am by no means a fan of or excuse maker for Fidel Castro, I am just trying to put him in a context of the larger issues. He was a tyrant who betrayed the hope of his people after taking power. That seems to be a common theme among the freedom fighters.Years ago, I heard a speaker offer some of the best advice for changing the world I have ever heard. His basic premise was that if you truly wanted to change the world in any country send them plane loads of Bibles and Sears Roebuck catalogs. The Bibles would help them endure the hard times and the Sears catalog would give them a yearning for a better life that they would rise up and make the changes themselves without one American soldier shedding blood. It seems simplistic but it has a basic understanding of the human condition. The Baptist have made missionary work a cottage industry and though the Sears catalog is no longer around it exist on the internet. That is why Cuban has a ban on the internet. I doubt that they will ever be able to ban the faith of the Cuban people.10 http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/venezuelas-bolivar-currency-so-devalued-it-no-longer-fits-in-wallets-20161127-gsyrxs.html 11 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/11/fidel-castro-s-human-rights-legacy-a-tale-of-two-worlds/
With the ouster of Cyrus S Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons, speculations have been rife on who will head the salt-to-software conglomerate. The name of Noel Naval Tata, brother-in-law of Tata group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and half-brother of Ratan Tata, has been doing rounds for the top post.
Rising zinc prices have impacted the profitability of galvanised steel producers hard because of their inability to pass the spurt in production cost on to consumers due to weak demand.
German startup factory announced today financial results for some of its portfolio startups in the first nine months of 2016.


Tata Power has convened an extraordinary general meeting on December 26 to remove Cyrus P. Mistry as director of the company. The decision for the EGM was taken at the companys board meeting on Tuesday.

The boards decision followed a request from Tata Sons, which owns a 31.05 per cent stake in the company. Tuesdays board meeting was chaired by Mistry without any contest either from the independent directors or from the companys executive directors.

The companys independent directors did not issue any separate statement reaffirming the leadership of Mistry as it was done by the independent directors of Indian Hotels, Tata Chemicals and Tata Motors. These companies came out with statements to affirm their confidence in their boards, chairman Mistry, and the managements in the conduct of the companys business.

In Tata Steels board meeting, the independent directors were split in half to come out with a statement to support Mistrys decisions, and did not make any statement.

Mistry was, however, ousted as chairman from the board of Tata Global Beverages (TGBL) after the board removed him from the position in the board meeting held on November 15. After Mistry termed TGBL boards move as illegal, Tata Global initiated a circular resolution on November 25 among its directors for abundant caution to remove Mistry from the chairmans post and appoint Harish Bhat in his place. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had earlier removed Mistry and appointed Ishaat Hussain as its interim chairman.

Since the ouster of Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, Tata Power has lost ~3,083 crore of its market capitalisation. Its shares were trading at ~72 a share, down 13.6 per cent since Mistry was ousted and 78-year-old Ratan Tata was appointed as interim chairman of Tata Sons.

A legal battle is also in the offing with Nusli Wadia serving a legal notice to Tata Sons for defamation. In its special notice to remove Wadia from the boards of Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors and Tata Steel, Tata Sons had said Wadia was galvanising other independent directors and working against the interests of the Tata Group. Wadia has sought proof from the Tatas on these allegations and is seeking legal recourse against the Tatas.




has sold off energy services business EcoEnergy to the Indian arm of United Technologies Corporation for an estimated Rs 465 crore as part of its strategy to exit noncore businesses.
An 80-year-old man has died in a bank where he had gone to withdraw cash in Churu district of Rajasthan.

Munna alias Mohan Lal was standing in a queue outside the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur in Rajgarh town to withdraw cash.

He took cash from the bank and suddenly collapsed and died on the spot, SHO Rajgarh police station Anil Vishnoi said.

The body was handed over to the family members without postmortem, he said.
The Centre has constituted a 13 member Committee of Chief Ministers headed by Andhra Pradesh CM to promote digital payment systems to promote transparency, financial inclusion and also prepare a roadmap in this regard.

Apart from Naidu, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling, Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis are also members of the committee along with NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya and Amitabh Kant CEO, NITI Aayog.

Nandan Nilekani, former Chairman, UIDAI, Janmejaya Sinha, Chairman, Boston Consulting Group, Rajesh Jain, Managing Director, netCORE, Sharad Sharma, Co-founder, iSPIRIT and Jayant Varma, Professor (Finance), IIM (Ahmedabad) are special invitees.

According to officials, the terms of reference of the committee are identifying global best practices for implementing an economy primarily based on digital payment and examine the possibility of adoption of these global standards in the Indian context.

The panel will also outline measures for rapid expansion and adoption of the system of digital payments like cards (Debit, Credit and pre-paid), Digital-wallets/ E-wallets, internet banking, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), banking apps, etc and shall broadly indicate the roadmap to be implemented in one year.

It shall evolve an action plan to reach out to the public at large with the objective to create awareness and help them understand the benefits of such a switchover to digital economy and would prepare a roadmap for the administrative machineries in the States to facilitate adoption of digital modes of financial transactions.

The high level group will also identify and address bottlenecks and indicate solutions pertaining to adoption of the steps required to move towards a digital payments economy.

It will also associate the key stakeholders for implementation of the suggested steps towards a digital payments economy and delineate and adopt measures evolved by the Committee of Officers constituted for the purpose.

It will also examine and address any other associated issues which are not specifically mentioned herein. The committee may devise its own procedures for conducting business, meetings, constitution of sub-groups, etc.
On this day in 1858 was born one of India's greatest scientists of international repute, Jagadish Chandra Bose. Search giant Google on Wednesday remembered this true Indian legend in the field of science with a doodle that showed the scientist with a crescograph, a device invented by him for measuring growth in plants, and also determines environment effects on vegetation.
As many as 191 incidents of attacks, involving 299 Indian nationals, have been reported in 33 countries in last three years with the maximum of such assaults (63) occurring in Philippines, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar also asserted that the safety and security of Indians abroad was among the priorities for the government.

"As per the information, 191 incidents of attacks, involving 299 Indian nationals, have been reported in 33 countries since 2013 till the end of October 2016," Akbar said, adding, however, there was no evidence to suggest that assault on any particular community from India has increased over the past years.

Apart from Philippines, incidents of attacks have been reported from Iraq (41), Yemen (26), the US (23), Afghanistan (14), Australia (10) among other countries.

Replying to another query, the minister said that no exchange of army personnel has taken place between India and Pakistan since 2014 through the mechanisms for securing release of soldiers who stray inadvertently across the LoC into Pakistan-controlled territory.

The mechanisms include a hotline connect existing at the Military Operations Directorate and a telephone contact at the level of DGMOs.
The early days of Adolf Hitler's evil reign, when his National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi) consolidated its power: Above.

The interview between the aforementioned Mathew Blanchard and Tucker Carlson, who made great subtle fun of this liberal fool: Below.

I am updating this post to include this video from Louder With Crowder. Steven Crowder is an excellent spokesman for truth, and very entertaining as well. If there is a theme to this video by Crowder, it would be, 'if you're going to throw stones, don't live in a glass house': Below.

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?



Incredibly, the current accepted definition of Fascism is partially flawed, describing Fascists as "right-wing", who despise "liberalism, "Marxism and anarchism", and even cite these "right-wingers" as "Authoritarians", which is the truest connotation of Fascism; however, "right-wingers" have no lock on the worship of Authority. Regardless of Liberals' profound misunderstandings, with our historical perspective of Fascists and Fascism here in modern times, beginning in the 20 century, there is no excuse to not know the look of Fascism, especially if one uses the word in great abundance as an epithet, even while debating large Liberal issues.Within the parameters of what is American here in these Modern times on the subject of what is Fascist, what is Fascism, I am more right in my understanding of any acceptable definition written by a Liberals, and, moreover, I understand this political epithet more than the Liberals that love to throw the word around so casually, without significant forethought of its meaning.At the heart of my "right" argument is the simple premise that Fascists, at their core, are Authoritarians, or, conversely, those that crave the iron fist of Authority to which they surrender their lives unto its crushing weight. Wrongly, the accepted definition by Liberals of Fascism accuses the "Right-wing", not "liberalism, Marxism and anarchism" as the major condition of the "Authoritarianism" of Fascism - that which takes large sums from one to give to another - to keep Liberals in power.Years ago, as a multi-term Conservative (a.k.a. "right-wing") county commissioner (I have mentioned this before), my core politics were evaluated by the UNC School of Government - no bastion of the "Right-wing" - through an extensive testing, a political catechism of sorts. In my years as a Conservative county commissioner, no one ever questioned my credentials as a Conservative; I reckon I was bona fide. So, did the UNC School of Government get it wrong when they evaluated me, at my political core, and determined that I was the direct antithesis of an Authoritarian? Me, Stan Deatherage, the "Right-wing" Conservative?So, who is right: the UNC School Government, with Conservative County Commissioner Stan Deatherage as its perfect "petri dish", or the Liberals writing inaccurate definitions of Fascism, and throwing the word around that they can't etymologically fathom?Remarkably, the word Fascist, and the act of Fascism is a modern political phenomenon, just beginning in Italy about 90 years ago, with the advent of Benito Mussolini. One would think that Liberals struggling to own the word Fascist, as an epithet, would have done more in an academic sense to understand the word, then use it properly.Accordingly, I write this in light of two pieces of news last week: one large, one very small, so, let's begin with the very small. Last week a disgruntled Liberal; an Authoritarian of sorts, and a L. Hillary supporter, who runs a business regarding the nebulous Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practice, admonished all that voted for Donald Trump or may appear to have voted for Donald Trump, that he would no longer do business with them. His name is CEO Mathew Blanchard of 1st in SEO The intolerant, pathetically smug Mathew Blanchard, a purveyor of the hocus /pocus business of SEO, which was invented to fool Search Engines and those customers that would also be fooled by the SEO gimmick, was the perfect foil to adamantly work the divisive message of the Left. However, I do not admonish Mr. Blanchard for his gimmicky business, I admonish him for freely throwing the word Fascist and Fascism around, and even misrepresenting the history of it. SEO Purveyor Blanchard claimed that, which is wrong. Hitler was not rightfully elected in 1932, and it gets complicated how he consolidated power in 1933, so let's understand that for what it is - Blanchard's meaningless Leftist blather to make a Leftist point, as if he actually knew what he was talking about, which he did not.Instead, Mr. Blanchard misused his time on national television to further meltdown within his "Basket of Deplorables" moment, and a perceptively quick Tucker Carlson destroyed this SEO Fool for his hypocrisy in the intolerance of others extensively unlike himself, of which, hopefully, there are many.This SEO Fool, Mathew Blanchard, was not created in a vacuum. He enjoys a vast support group that reaffirms his oblivious stupidity, his overt prejudice, and intolerance, revealing there must be a concerted effort by committed Liberals to keep their "Sheople" intellectually malleable for their needs. Marxist pioneer Vladimir Lenin referred to this management of these low-information types as "useful idiots".Useful Idiot Mathew Blanchard well manifests how a bold Leftist spokesman does step to the fore to venomously speak for the other less bold liberal "Sheople", who either don't know what they speak of, or, are indoctrinated to ignorance through far too many years of "higher" education by stridently ideological professors; most also educated far beyond their ability of significant comprehension.As I pivot from the Why and the How of such ignorance, I bring to the fore the second much larger piece of news - the much anticipated death last week of Cuba's Dictator Fidel Castro, a strongman, who many "Marxists" and "Anarchists" well admire.Why was a "Marxist" Communist dictator: who ruled as a supreme "Authoritarian", who murdered and imprisoned tens of thousands of his political opponents and even like minded rivals, so revered by Liberals?Continuing that line of thought, how is it that Conservatives, decried as "right-wing" American Fascists, construed as so dysfunctional that Liberal zealots, like the aforementioned Blanchard , would discriminate so vehemently against Republicans or Conservatives, who would support someone other than L. Hillary Clinton ; a deeply flawed American politician?The answer: The Democrat party is now the party that has been hijacked by ultra Liberals and Socialists, and, taking a page out of the political playbook of the ultra Liberals /closet Communists of the 1930s /40s /50's, who revered the political machinations of Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse-tung, are now pushing America hard and fast toward the stance of a full Socialist government. To accomplish that feat of crushing Capitalism for the benefit of the forced sharing other people's property, "Authoritarianism" will need to play a major role. For Socialists like Hussein Obama, the Alinsky method , ofis always a viable option.In the real world that is at the core of Capitalism, one cannot forcibly take the property of others without first limiting certain liberties, thereby, plowing the path to take that which is owned by the productive to redistribute to the supporters of authoritative Socialism. That is the way it works, even to the extent that the seizing of taxes, by legislative fiat in today's Capitalistic America, is termed Police Power. Thankfully, democratic Capitalist will call it for what it is.You will not get that thread of honesty from Liberal /Socialist zealots, who toss around their unknowable word of Fascist like so much confetti. What you will get from this brand of Liberal is stupid talk, while attempting to sound smart , about a historical perspective that is far beyond their level of comprehension, as it also is unknowable to other like minded individuals that are no smarter.Ironically, this bubble knowledge, which is spread quickly through Social Media or Collegiate indoctrination by some members of the Education Industry, retards many young adults from understanding the real history of this real World. These nubile Liberals are not fathoming that words have power, and they should know the meaning of what they say long before they proffer it. Otherwise, they need to stay quiet, or thought a fool, like social gadfly Miley Cyrus or the aforementioned Mathew Blanchard.If I am wrong here, which I am not, please show me how Conservative "right-winger" Ronald Reagan was an Authoritative Fascist, and, alternately, Authoritative Marxists Joseph Stalin and Mao Mao Tse-tung were not. This philosophical construct fits within the definition of Fascists, and regardless of how Liberals spin words about a subject that they have little knowledge of - Fascism - there is an ongoing truth that Libertarian /Conservatives in today's America adhere to a political philosophy of smaller, more effective government, more freedom, more liberty, thereby, less "Authoritarianism", and, therefore, no Fascism.We'll leave the world of Fascism to the hypocritical Socialist Left to grapple with.
India's fastest growing digital payments platform on Wednesday announced its partnership with Mumbai Traffic Police for collection of traffic fines in a cashless manner.

Close to 500 e-challan devices have been rolled out to various traffic chowkies across the city at present. Once an offender is caught violating any rule, an e-challan will be generated against the vehicle registration number.

The challan would also be sent to person's mobile phone immediately. The user can log on to www.mumbaipolice.net, enter their challan or vehicle number and pay using on the payments page.

In a statement shared earlier, Mumbai traffic police said that it expects an annual increase of eight lakh challans, from the existing 22 lakhs. Such an effort will also help them in identifying and taking action against repeat offenders.

"We are pleased to partner with Mumbai Traffic Police in their pursuit of making the process of collecting fines cashless. Digital payments make the process faster and more efficient. Such partnerships are in line with our objective to make an every day, everywhere option for our users," said CEO FreeCharge, Govind Rajan.

FreeCharge is also in discussion with police authorities in other cities to enable traffic challans to be paid via FreeCharge. As per publicly available information, the amount of traffic challans in metros is sizeable Delhi pays about Rs 140 crore annually, Mumbai about Rs. 100 crore, while Bengaluru collects Rs 70 crore. Even smaller cities like Ahmedabad collect nearly Rs 17 crore annually as traffic fines.

FreeCharge aims to provide a seamless payments experience to its consumers and is rapidly expanding its service range to expand and enrich the digital payments landscape in India through such associations and partnerships.
said on Wednesday that India has deployed one million troops in Jammu and Kashmir, which is the highest concentration of soldiers in the world at one place.

Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the presence of Indian troops in such a "large scale was a hurdle in implementing the UN resolution" on Kashmir.

The spokesman alleged that since the last four months, Indian troops have "killed innocent Kashmiris and violated basic human rights".

He urged India to stop "bloodshed in occupied Kashmir", emphasising Pakistan's desire to resolve outstanding issues with India peacefully.

The spokesman also called on the UN to play its role in resolving the Kashmir issue and implement its resolution.

Zakaria condemned India's "ill" intention to sabotage the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty.
Defence Minister arrives in Dhaka on Wednesday on a two-day visit.

This is the first ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to Bangladesh.

The Defence Ministry says Parrikar will meet with Bangladesh top leadership in order to firm up defence initiatives ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi later in next month.

The Defence Minister is also scheduled to meet President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday followed by a meeting with the Prime Minister's Security Advisor later in the day.

He is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong tomorrow and on his return to Dhaka have talks with Prime Minister Hasina who also holds the defence portfolio.

Issues like bilateral naval and air force exercises, training and capability of Bangladesh defence personnel, supply of military hardware, technology transfer, co-ordinated patrolling of the international maritime boundary, joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic zones and co-operation in maritime resources offer scope for expanded bilateral defence co-operation between the two countries.
States with higher literacy levels report more protests, and nearly half of these protests were led by political parties, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of police data over six years.
of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, and the resulting turmoil, makes the April 1, 2017, target date for a national goods and services tax (GST) unlikely, said Amit Mitra, finance minister of West Bengal.
HDFC Bank MD, Aditya Puri does not believe what economists are saying about the economic consequences of demonetisation and has no qualms calling their concerns nonsense. Read about it here
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a proposal to shut down the loss-making Ltd and hand over the companys Palakkad division to the Kerala government.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu remained non-committal on whether or not he would head the five-member committee of chief ministers proposed by the Centre to look into post- related issues.

"I told (Union Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley there are constraints. But there is no communication (from the Centre) thereafter," he said in reply to a question at a press conference.

Chandrababu, however, did not elaborate on what the constraints were and also what exactly transpired between him and Jaitley.

Jaitley called Chandrababu over phone and informed him about the Centre's decision to constitute a five-member committee of chief ministers to address issues arising out of the of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes announced on November 8.

The Chief Minister's Office immediately announced that Jaitley asked Chandrababu to head the committee.

It, however, did not give any other details even as there was speculation that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister "declined" to take up the job.

Asked about this, Chandrababu remained non-committal and merely said there has been no further communication (from the Centre) on the issue.

He, sources said, was "unhappy" that the Centre never consulted him on the issue though Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally invited Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to New Delhi to address the "concerns" raised by the latter.

In fact, it was Rao who suggested that a Chief Ministers' committee be constituted to look into the problems being faced by people in the aftermath of scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre on Wednesday notified a committee of chief ministers to examine and implement digital payment systems across the nation. It will be headed by Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.
Giving a twist to faculty training programmes, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) has initiated the process of sending faculty members to stints apart from the industry norm of students taking up summer assignments.
Recently I attended a meeting of a committee of the University of North Carolina system's Board of Governors that has a mission of "setting goals for economic impact." Higher education's role in the economy cannot be ignored; the extent of that role is, however, highly debatable. Some people believe that academia is the place to look for all mankind's solutions; others regard it as a source of economic inefficiency.At the meeting, I was most interested in a working group formed to investigate one aspect of economic development to which academia is inextricably tied: college education. Their intended goal was to increase North Carolina students in academic majors predicted to be in big demand. The committee settled on three broad career groupings: health care, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), and K-12 education, stating it had "confidence in future demand" in these "key areas."Upon closer inspection, one wonders why these particular fields inspired such confidence. The committee acknowledged that it is "very difficult to predict future market needs with certainty." And exactly how far it would go to promote these majors was uncertain.It dawned on me that, before plunging ahead with such specific goals, a more fundamental question in this facet of economic development must be decided. That is, whether a public higher education system should be proactive or reactive. In other words, should a university system predict the future needs of the state's economy and adjust accordingly by inducing students to adopt majors that are projected to be in high demand and by scaling up departments to handle the increased enrollment before it occurs?Or should the system hold off and react to actual enrollment demand to adjust their schedules and faculty staffing?The proactive side gets the overwhelming majority of public support. I believe the reason is largely because this scenario falls under the principle of "concentrated benefits and dispersed costs." The business community, higher education, and various government officials are self-interested in favor of the proactive approach since they benefit whether or not the approach is successful. They have knowledge and power advantages as well, for they keep a close eye on university-employer pipelines, and have the ear of legislators, administrators, and trustees.But if the proactive solution fails, it is the taxpayers and students who must bear the costs: taxpayers must fund the wasted expenditures and students prepare themselves for non-existent or low-demand careers. Yet they do not put up much opposition, for they are very unlikely to be aware of the issue, even less how it applies to themselves.Therefore, I'm going to do something unusual: argue, to some degree, the case for being reactive.This issue is not an all-or-nothing situation. Both approaches have plusses and minuses. Being proactive enables the state to take advantage of opportunities to help employers who may be expanding, starting up, or thinking of moving into the state. It especially helps out with what I would call the "scaling up" problem. That is, there is a gap in time between recognition of the need to increase graduates in a particular field and the system's ability to educate those graduates.But, just as the proactive approach enables states to get ahead of labor needs, it can be prone to wasteful errors. Even with today's massive computing capacity and armies of PhDs, predicting the future needs of the economy is no easy task. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has no axe to grind for either approach, can be slow to grasp a shift in the employment pattern. For instance, the BLS is still predicting that the United States will need 10 percent more petroleum engineers in 2024 than they needed in 2014. That may have been a reasonable assumption when it was made; however, the bottom fell out of the demand for new petroleum engineers over a year ago with the drop in oil prices.According to the Society of Petroleum Engineers, in 2014, 95 percent of petroleum majors had offers in the industry upon graduation; in 2015, that percentage had dropped to 64.And it may drop as low as 25 percent, according to a variety of sources, such as the U.S. Association of Petroleum Department Heads. Given the large number of entering freshmen who chose petroleum engineering as a major in 2014, it is likely that graduates will continue to flood the market for another year or two. Barring a dramatic increase in oil prices-unlikely for a few years-a labor supply glut may develop that takes considerable time to work itself out.Other STEM fields have had labor supply gluts for many years that have depressed entry-level wages. For instance, in 2009-10, according to the American Community Survey, freshly graduated chemistry majors (B.S.-level) earned only $32,000 per year-the same as sociology majors. Yet the graduates keep coming.That is not to say that educating young people in a rigorous science is bad, even though they might not always find work in their particular field. The mental training and background knowledge gained by completing such a degree can be applied to any number of careers. But the increase in human capital gained through higher education is diminished if people are trained for careers that do not materialize quickly; knowledge is quickly lost and human capital is of no value until it is applied to work. Mismatching majors and careers clearly wastes educational resources.Another common source-one clearly weighted toward the interest of employers' wishes by definition-used for determining future employment trends is the employer needs survey. The most recent North Carolina Employers Needs Survey produced by the state Department of Commerce provided surprising evidence, considering much of the hype about the need for more health care and STEM graduates. The following table shows the percentage of employers in each category who say they had difficulty finding qualified applicants for various levels of experience:STEM and health care, two of the categories identified by the Board of Governors committee as having high future demand, seem to be having no trouble finding entry-level workers: only 13 percent of health care providers and 10 percent of STEM employers claim difficulty. Nor do they have problems finding employees with several years of experience. Given that employers are more likely to overstate their problems finding workers than understate them in such a survey, these numbers suggest there is no shortage-and perhaps even labor supply gluts are building.The only difficulty for health care and STEM employers seems to be finding highly experienced workers. It is hard to see how that is an educational problem; experienced workers are created through employment, not education. Nor will internship programs help-five-year internships are unfeasible and undesirable.There is a distinct possibility that, if the UNC system tries to deliberately increase graduates in health care and STEM at UNC schools, the result will be long-term gluts that don't play themselves out. According to the Board of Governors, both fields already are having increasing degree production. Health care graduates increased 9.6 percent in the last three years (my own look at the system's statistical abstract suggested it was even higher at 24.3 percent), while STEM graduates increased by 8.2 percent.With such naturally occurring rapid rates of growth-without additional inducements-it is obvious that students are aware that these fields are where the opportunities are. Artificially pumping up the growth in these areas through incentives and other means is likely to distort the market, creating gluts that benefit employers but reduce opportunities for students.Another part of the puzzle that is too often ignored by policymakers is providing a proper degree of granularity of data. Using overly broad categories such as "STEM" can be almost meaningless. Each field has to be looked at individually. For instance, both computer science and petroleum engineering are considered technical fields, but demand for computer professionals is now rising after a decade-long supply glut has played itself out, just as the job market is collapsing for prospective petroleum engineers. The enormous differences in opportunities for new graduates in a variety of fields is shown in the two charts below:This need for granularity exists even with specific STEM categories. Consider this representative sample of architecture and engineering jobs:To adjust incentives and inducements for each degree program in such a diverse and volatile market as exists in the STEM fields smacks of socialist central planning-always a mistake.The reactive approach does away with such micromanagement and the excesses it produces. By being more market-driven and less determined by questionable predictions, it is much less likely to produce long-standing gluts. That is no minor problem; when gluts exist across a wide range of career choices, it can be disastrous for young people and the economy as a whole. When careers are delayed, so is adulthood. As a result, houses are not built, appliances are not sold, and children are not born.As you can see in the computer science field below, gluts and shortages can work themselves out in relatively short time if left alone. Throughout the 1990s, between the dot-com boom and "Y2K" (the year 2000) concerns, computer science was one of the hottest degrees. As we entered the new millennium, with the dot-com boom turned to bust, demand fell. The numbers of graduates remained high for a few years, due to the time lapse, but by 2006-7, that number dropped precipitously to reflect the changed economy. Within a few years, as the computer industry again needed entry-level workers, the number of graduates started to climb, reflecting that need.At the same time, if a university system waits for students to realize that demand is picking up in a particular field through word-of-mouth knowledge of increasingly attractive job offers, serious labor shortages may develop instead of gluts. The scaling up problem can become a serious barrier to economic development. Furthermore, scaling up may mean more time needed to attract or educate more teachers in those fields. If there is a severe labor shortage, it may be difficult to attract people who already have advanced degrees in the field for faculty positions, since they will likely be working for good wages.Such labor shortages can drive higher salaries, which can hurt a state's ability to attract or keep industry. At the same time, maintaining low salaries through labor supply gluts is hardly good for the long-term prosperity of the state and its workers.It may be nearly impossible to quantify whether the nimbleness in satisfying industry's needs offered by the proactive approach is more beneficial to a state than the frugal market efficiency offered by the reactive approach. So what is to be done? Should state university systems get involved with predicting and promoting certain fields in the belief that they will be in strong demand in the future? Or let the "Invisible Guiding Hand" play itself out in good time?When uncertainty rules, caution is often the best course of action, which suggests the reactive approach. Perhaps the one thing that lends itself to both approaches is making sure students entering or considering college are aware of how the labor market can affect their futures-and that career paths that look good right now can be subject to volatile changes. Increasingly, students are choosing majors that are vocational in nature on their own. Nobody wants to discourage the student who has a lifelong dream of entering a particular field even though job prospects in that field are limited. At the same time, it may not be wise to offer incentives to enter specific fields when the labor market for graduates can dry up in an instant or remain mired in a glut for decades.
The gross domestic product (GDP) growth accelerated slightly in the July-September quarter, compared to the growth recorded in the previous quarter, but economists and policy planners said growth will suffer a setback in the second half of the year because of the impact of demonetisation.

This also puts pressure on the governments monetary policy committee (MPC) to cut the policy rate at the review meeting next week, amid the post-demonetisation weakening of demand and investment activity.

rose 7.3% in the quarter ended September, higher than the 7.1% in the previous one, as consumption improved but investment slumped, data from the Central Statistics Office showed on Wednesday. With core economic activity almost at a halt after the demonetisation of high denomination currency since November 8, the first halfs slowing is expected to increase in the rest of the financial year, putting at risk the governments earlier forecast of 7-7.75% for 2016-17.

Both and GVA (gross value added) growth decelerated in Q2 (September quarter), relative to Q2 of FY16. The initial data for Q2 imparts a further downside to our and GVA growth forecasts of 7.5% and 7.3% for FY17, which we had revised downward after demonetisation, said Aditi Nayar, principal economist at rating agency Icra.

Growth in the third quarter (October-December) is expected to be the weakest in years, with spending hit due to unavailability of enough replacement currency. Demonetisation could also affect advance estimates for 2016-17, on which Budget assumptions would be made.

Chief statistician T C A Anant said the advance estimates will only take data available till December 2016.



The MPC, chaired by Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel, is expected to meet on December 6-7. Amidst the ongoing demonetisation and its anticipated impact on growth, (theres) a strong case for frontloading of a rate cut of 25 basis points (bps), followed by another 25 bps cut in February, said Shubhada Rao, chief economist, YES Bank.

Growth essentially came from government spending and higher agriculture expansion of 3.3%, the highest in any quarter during the Narendra Modi government tenure so far, on account of a normal monsoon. Public administration, defence and other services - largely government spending - rose 12.5% in the quarter, a pace that will have to be sustained over the rest of the financial year to ensure steady economic growth.

Besides, discrepancies accounted for one-fifth of the GDP growth in the second quarter. These were high in the first quarter as well, but contributed to 13% of GDP growth then.

Growth in GVA - aggregate of agriculture, industry and services - declined to 7.1% in Q2, against 7.3% in Q1. This shows that GDP growth in Q2 was also contributed to by a sharp contraction in subsidies provided by the government, compared to those given in the first quarter.

Manufacturing, a focus area of the government, slowed in Q2 to 7.1%, as against 9.1% in the previous quarter. Industrial activity is expected to be subdued in the next quarter, due to the cash crunch. Industry as a whole (including mining, manufacturing and electricity) grew by 5.1%, from 6% in the same period last year.

As for investment activity, gross fixed capital formation fell by 5.6%, from a decline of 3.1% in the previous quarter. Lending rates are expected to be cut over the next few weeks, as banks are flush with deposits after the old currency ban. Theyve seen deposits of Rs 8 lakh crore since November 8.

Consumption was the bright spot in the data. Private final consumption expenditure grew 7.5%, as against 6.7% in the previous quarter. The higher salaries on account of the Pay Commission implementation from September and an early festival season might have boosted demand during the quarter-end.

The demonetisation move will act as a temporary setback to growth in the coming quarter but we expect a rebound in investment, as the government is taking decisive measures to bring transparency in the system and is committed to improve the investment cycle, which would ultimately take the economy to (annual) double-digit growth trajectory in the long run, said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, Confederation of Indian Industry.

Construction grew 3.5%, better than the 1.5% in the June quarter.
With about Rs 8.45 lakh crore worth of scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes deposited in bank accounts across India over 20 days from Prime Minister Narendra Modis announcement on November 8, banks are plush with cash and depositing it with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). And RBI has been supplying banks newly printed Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, besides other valid currency notes, to meet the demand of people queueing up at banks and ATMs for cash.
The economic wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) called Swadeshi Jagran Manch has vowed to red flag Paytms Chinese connections. But RSS might be better off keeping an eye on other aspects of Paytms shareholding than just focus on Chinese billionaire Jack Mas interest in it.
The governments move to scrap old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations would be good for the economy in the long run, says Aditya Puri, managing director of HDFC Bank. According to him, the worst is behind us, in terms of long queues and inconvenience, and that the focus should now shift to the advantages arising out of it. Edited excerpts from an interview with Niraj Bhatt and Nupur Anand.
Delhi state consumer commission has asked the State Bank of India (SBI) to pay Rs 26,000 to a customer who lost Rs 20,000 in an alleged bank fraud incident in 2010.

The state commission dismissed an appeal filed by the SBI against a district consumer forum's order directing the bank to refund Rs 20,000 along with Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 1,000 towards litigation charges to a south Delhi resident Vinay Pal, who found his account was short of Rs 20,000 when he went to withdraw cash from an ATM in 2010.

The bank, however, had claimed that the amount was withdrawn by Pal himself and informed the forum that they were ready to provide the video footage but failed to do so.

According to the complaint, Pal, had on September 30, 2010, withdrawn Rs 5,000 from an ATM machine located at a CRPF camp in west Delhi when he allegedly found Rs 20,000 short.

He then complained to the concerned branch of the bank and deposited Rs 750 with its manager to obtain the video footage of the ATM.

District consumer forum had held the bank deficient in service and asked it to refund the amount along with compensation.
Death Plan

By Randal C. Archibold

Every Mexico correspondent in recent years, myself included, inherited and worked on the Death Plan". We all thought for sure it would happen on our watch  only to see Castro outlive our tenures, just as he outlasted presidents.
And so it is decided. Francois Fillon, Frances mild-mannered, reflective former prime minister, will stand as the candidate for the centre-right in the 2017 French presidential elections.
Contact: McCrory Communications

McCrory Communications govpress@nc.gov

Raleigh, N.C. Governor Pat McCrory's Hurricane Matthew Recovery Committee will hold its final regional meetings on Wednesday, November 30 and Friday, December 2 in Pitt and Lenoir Counties. Regional meetings have been held throughout North Carolina over the last month in the communities most impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The committee will be taking comments from the public, as well as discussing steps to address relief fundraising efforts, community outreach, long-term plans for sustainable communities and developing recommendations to address needs that will not be met by existing federal relief programs.Governor McCrory said.The next regional meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, at the East Carolina University Heart Institute Building at 115 Heart Drive in Greenville from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The final meeting of the committee will be held on Friday, December 2, at Lenoir Community College in Kinston in the Waller Building at 231 Highway 58 South from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A portion of the meetings will be devoted to taking comments from the general public.The committee has held three regional meetings to date in Robeson, Edgecombe and Cumberland counties. Among the items discussed was Governor McCrory's request for $1 billion in federal assistance to help North Carolina recover from Hurricane Matthew. The committee heard directly from the public in each location to gain an understanding of needs in the local communities.Governor McCrory announced the formation of the Hurricane Matthew Recovery Committee in late October, and convened the first meeting in Raleigh on November 1.The governor is encouraging individuals and groups to help in the relief efforts by making a financial or other contribution. Monetary contributions to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Matthew can be made by texting NCRECOVERS to 30306 or by visiting NCDisasterRelief.org . This is one of the best ways to help fund long-term recovery efforts.
Authorities have arrested a German domestic security agent suspected of plotting an Islamist bomb attack on his agency's headquarters, media has reported.

The suspect, a 51-year-old German, is believed to have been planning a bombing at the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in the western city of Cologne, according to weekly Der Spiegel and daily Die Welt yesterday.

The BfV is Germany's domestic security agency.

"He is accused of making Islamist remarks online under a false name, and offering internal information during chats," a BfV spokeswoman told AFP.

She did not confirm reports that he was plotting an attack, saying there was no "evidence of a real danger to the office or its workers."

But she said a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

The suspect, who has a family and also reportedly worked at a bank, has since April been engaged in gathering intelligence on the Islamist scene in Germany, Der Spiegel said.

The paper said the suspect had partially admitted to the allegations by making references to bomb attacks carried out "in the name of Allah."

He used several different names online and allegedly divulged information about the agency in chat rooms, reports said. His activities were uncovered about a month ago.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) clinched a deal to curtail oil supply, confounding skeptics as the need to clear a record global crude glut - and prove the groups credibility - brought its first cuts in eight years. Crude rose as much as 8.8 per cent in London. Opec will reduce output to 32.5 million barrels a day, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Vienna following a ministerial meeting on Wednesday. The breakthrough deal, effective January, showed an acceptance by Saudi Arabia that Iran, as a special case, can still ...
The ban on high-value notes has left the domestic market reeling as ad-heavy categories such as consumer goods, retail, real estate, auto and jewellery have seen a spurt in ad cancellations and postponements.
Delhi-based auto component maker Amtek Autos stock price surged nearly eight per cent after the debt ridden company said its board has approved proposals from overseas investors to infuse fresh capital.
The Afghanistan Government has questioned Taliban's stance to protect the public welfare projects, and asked the latter to "practically prove" that they won't harm the public sites and projects.

The Khaama Press quoted deputy presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazvi as saying that in the past two months, at least 302 schools, 41 health centres, 50 mosques, 5,305 residential houses, 1,818 shops, one government compound, six bridges, 170 culverts, 123 km of road, 203 retention walls, and 84 service centres were either destroyed or received serious damages.

Murtazvi further said the government and the Afghan people have suffered a loss of almost AFN2 billion due to Taliban.

Taliban in a statement on Tuesday said they would protect public welfare projects, including TAPI, CASA 1000, Ainal Copper Mine, railway, and other transit routes and electrical projects, and also instructed its fighters to protect the public welfare projects, which are beneficial to the country.

The move by Taliban comes after they were accused of the majority of destructions of public and private properties of the Afghan people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Australian Polo team were crowned the champions of the 10th Manipur International Polo tournament after they defeated India-B (Manipur) 9-6 in the summit clash at the historic Mapal Kangjeibung here last evening.

In a befitting grand finale of the tournament, which began on November 22 as part of Manipur Sangai Festival, held under the aegis of Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association, Australia and India B (Manipur) saw as many as 15 goals and also the home team's favourite, P Ojit's treble going in vain.

Adam Tolhurst handed Australia an early lead as he struck the opener in the 58th second of the first chukker. However, Ojit cancelled out the lead as he pulled the leveller in the 2.49' of the first chukker.

The home team then took the lead through S Bimol in the 5.36' of the first chukker.

The Australia team put up a spirited fight in the second chukker, with Beam Bundell equalising the score in the 40th second of the same chukker.

The home team took another lead through Ojit (3.20') in the second chukker only to be cancelled out by Adam Tolhurst in the 5th minute.

The home team could not exhibit their buoyancy and failed to maintain the pace they set in the first two chukker as they conceded four goals to the indomitable Australia in the third chukker.

Beam Bundell once again pulled back for his side in the 27th second while Jock Mackay grabbed a hat-trick (3.11', 3.43' and 6.30') in the third chukker to boost the morale of the Australian team. India-B failed to produce any score in the same chukker.

Jock Mackay asserted his class and struck another in the 16th second of the fourth chukker to make it 8-3. The home team pushed hard to equalise the score. T Pradip, M Jawan and Ojit took turn to hammer in a goal each in the 52nd second, 1.6' and 6.8' only to reduce the margin.

Adam Tolhurst added another goal to the Australia's account in the 6.20' of the fourth chukker.

The thrilling final was attended by Governor of Manipur Dr Najma Heptulla, Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly Th Lokeshwar besides Social Welfare Minister Ak Mirabai and Vice Chancellor of Central Agriculture University, Imphal Dr M Premjit Singh.

Earlier in the day, USA beat England by a narrow margin of seven goals to six in the third place play off.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ninety one Rohingyas, who were jailed for trespassing into the Bay of Bengal in 2015, have been handed over to Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Ghumdhum border in Nakkhanchhari upazila of Bandarban district on Wednesday.

The Dhaka Tribune quoted BGB Cox's Bazar Sector acting commander Anisur Rahman, as saying that 34 Battalion Commander Imra Ullah and Executive Magistrate Imrul Kayes were present during the incident.

The Myanmar nationals were detained by the Bangladesh Navy in 2015 inside their territory in the sea and were later on sentenced to jail for trespassing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secretary Rahul Sinha on Wednesday dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banrejee to ask her Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmakers to disclose their bank details, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done with his party.

"I would like to applaud our Prime Minister's guts for this step. No other party would have dared to this to their own members. As decided by our party president Amit Shah, we will submit all bank related details and if possible share it with the public as well. Mamata doesn't have the guts to take this step. She has been ranting because she has lost all of her money after Prime Minister Modi demonetised currency notes," Sinha told ANI.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday asked all BJP MPs and MLAs to give details of their bank accounts to party president Amit Shah from November 8, the day he announced the demonetisation of currency notes, till December 31.

The BJP leader's remark came in response to Banrejee's tweet who questioned the Prime Minister's move wondering why the law makers were asked to submit their details post demonitisation.

Sinha further said that the opposition's mouth would be "shut" once all the BJP MPs and MLAs share their bank account details with the public.

"I am absolutely sure that the public will appreciate our honesty. More than two-and-a-half years have passed since the Modi government took power and not a single corruption case has been registered against us," he added.

Sources said that the Prime Minister also instructed all lawmakers and legislators to submit their financial details by January 1, 2017.

Banerjee questioning the move said, "Why only account details from Nov 8? Just 3 weeks. Why not last 2 1/2 years all details ? PM Ji you think you alone are intelligent and the rest are ... ??? After your 21 days of note bandi, the whole country is ghar bandi, so why this ..," (sic).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Keeping in mind the recent terror attack on an Army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, the Ministry of Home Ministry (MHA) on Wednesday deployed a five-member team to visit the Indo-Bangladesh border in Bangaon to inspect the security arrangements.

A meeting was also conducted with the Border Security Force (BSF) troops deployed at the border, asking them to increase surveillance to halt any infiltration bids from across the border.

Briefing the media here, BSF DG KK Sharma said that concerted efforts have been made to modernise the nation's border fences.

"A part of Bangladesh border is unfenced including water bodies so humanly not possible for me to put manpower in such areas. We are making efforts to fill the unfenced gaps using technology," he said.

Talking about the recent Samba encounter, Sharma informed that the terrorists has infiltrated through a small tunnel in border area, adding that as of now no technology exists with the BSF to detect tunnels.

"Since surgical strikes, more than 15 Pakistan Rangers have been killed and more than 10 militants neutralised. Also many Pakistan border outposts have been destroyed. Post surgical strikes, we started an operation called 'Operation Rustom' as we anticipated that problems won't be confined to LoC and will affect the IB too," Sharma said.

Meanwhile, blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed today at the site of the deadly terror attack on an army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, by a bomb disposal team during the combing operations that are still underway.

Extensive combing operations resumed today morning in Nagrota, where terrorists attacked an army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India] Nov. 30 (ANI): Delhi is a city of opportunity where every year people from across the country arrive to seek better education, career opportunities and a better life. Those coming from outside bring their unique cultures and traditions.

Celebrating life in a historic manner, the Delhi Eastern Naga Students' Union (DENGSU) recently rolled out a red carpet for their people on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee.

The celebrations were graced by Nagaland's Health and Family Welfare Minister P Longon, DoNER Secretary Naveen Verma and other dignitaries.

"I am happy that I am part of this celebration and to be a part of this commemoration programme. And, I am also proud of my people; unexpectedly my people are also here in Delhi completing 25 years of their stay," said Longon.

DENSU consists of six tribes from Nagaland, namely Chang, Phom, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Sangtam and Yimchunger.

Hundreds of students from these tribes gathered and witnessed their rich and unique culture at the event.

"You feel as if you have come back to Eastern Nagaland. Seeing the Konyak, Morung and the log drum is something that actually took you back to Nagaland. So, I am very happy that the Eastern Naga chapter of Delhi has done a great event. They actually have taken lots of pain to bring and reach Eastern Nagaland right here. And I've told that even the bamboos are authentic, so it is very good. I wish that such events are organised and occur more often here in Delhi," added Naveen Verma, DoNER Secretary.

"This kind of events should take place in Delhi more often and also not only with Nagaland people but also with Delhites, so that interaction makes them closer to each other. And that will increase the mutual understanding and also the corporation between the people of Nagaland and Delhi," added Madan Lal, AAP MLA.

To mark and honour the celebration, the Naga students set up a real indigenous Morung for the first time in New Delhi, which remained the centre of attraction.

Another major attraction was the log drum, giving a glimpse of the rich heritage.

"We, Delhi Eastern Nagaland student try to bring something different in the city of Delhi. In our culture, we have Morung and log drum but this is first time in the history of Delhi that we were able to construct this Morung and showcased the log drum. Log drum is normally used on a occasion, celebration or a war cry. So traditionally for our culture, this is very very significant. And we are very happy that we could put in place this Morung in Delhi," said Dr. Hentok Phom, Jubilee Convener.

The artefacts and the materials were brought all the way from eastern Nagaland for the celebrations.

A cultural programme was also organised where performances by various music bands left the audiences awestruck.

Budding fashion designer Doichung Buchen also showcased her latest collections, a unique mix of traditional and modern designs.

"I feel so good and after long time, I came to such places and I really miss back home. And to see the traditional dresses, I really liked it and enjoyed a lot," added by one of the beaming audiences.

A window to the cultural mosaic of Eastern Nagaland, the event highlighted the rich and vibrant culture and life of the people.

Such celebrations strengthen bond among communities and promotes tribal culture and traditions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Top GOP lawmakers say 2017 session likely to keep major reforms in place as increases in teacher compensation kick in

Top legislative budget and tax writers say the N.C. General Assembly isn't likely to tackle more extensive tax reform next year. Nor are major spending changes in the works.However, they do plan to implement budget changes made during the 2016 short session.said Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, the Senate's senior Appropriations Committee chairman. He said the state will be in the second year of a three-year phase-in of teacher pay adjustments and it will be entering the second year of a plan to increase the standard deduction - or "zero tax bracket" - to $17,500 for married couples filing jointly.said Brown, who is also the Senate majority leader.Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, the House's chief budget writer in recent years, agreed.Dollar said.Dollar continued.said Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, a co-chairman of the House Finance Committee.The General Assembly enacted its major tax reform bill in 2013, which established set a flat personal income tax rate and lowered personal and corporate income taxes. The reform also expanded the income- and sales-tax base. Since then, lawmakers have focused much of their tax-writing efforts on tweaking that law.Saine said lawmakers may work on moves to make North Carolina more competitive with other states economically by looking at the franchise tax, the mill machinery tax, and by reviewing the Department of Revenue's study on "market-based sourcing," which could benefit companies with headquarters and manufacturing plants in North Carolina.Saine said.Brown noted that this past session, the General Assembly approved a plan to bring the average teacher salary in North Carolina up to about $55,000 a year. He said that legislators will continue to review the teacher pay scale.Dollar said, adding that lawmakers also will continue to look at state employee salaries, improve mental health services, and make sure the state's court system is "appropriately funded." He added that lawmakers also will be interested to see what comes of President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to invest in infrastructure."Jobs continues to be our No. 1 focus," Dollar said. "We want to keep the momentum going." Dollar said that would include work force development programs in public schools, community colleges, and the university system.The General Assembly's 2017 long session is scheduled to begin Jan. 11, 2017, when newly elected lawmakers return to Raleigh for an organizational meeting to elect their top leaders.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday refused to be a member of a committee of the Chief Ministers (CMs) proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suggest cashless transactions following demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to neutralise political turmoil over demonetisation within and outside Parliament had proposed the committee of CMs.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference Sarkar said, "Yesterday afternoon the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over phone informed that the Prime Minister wants to talk to me. The government wants suggestions on the present demonization with the aim of cashless transaction and which is good. They want to form a committee of CMs and in the panel want to include the Tripura CM."

"In my initial reaction I said that it is a highly technical matter and I have no personal experience or understand how much I can contribute into it. I wanted to know why all of a sudden I shall be there and he (Finance Minister) informed that there shall be CMs of few other states and most likely they also do not know much on it, however, there shall be representatives from the NITI Ayog and the Finance Ministry who shall brief on the matter and after which I can give my advice which will be of great help. To conclude our discussion I said that if the PM wishes it is very tough for the CM of any state to ignore it," he added.

Sarkar said to clear all confusions he had directly informed over the phone to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about his decision not to take part in the meeting of the committee of Chief Ministers.

He said, "Later I felt that as I said this he (Finance Minister) might have understood that I have given my consent and so I contact him and said Mr Jaitley that I have not yet decided whether shall be part of the committee and so please do not keep my name for the time being and need time to think and shall let you know tomorrow what I have finally decided. He wanted to make me understand the matter and aware me why all of a sudden it was decided. Now after thinking over the issue I have decided not to be part of the committee and everyone is aware about the situation throughout the nation. I told him that I can not be in the committee and not to keep my name but he said that it would be better if I would stay in the committee."

According to the Chief Minister, common people, small traders and daily labourers are the worst sufferers of the demonetisation.

"What is going on in the entire country after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have been banned and new Rs 2000 notes introduced. When one go to market with Rs 2000 note both customer and businessman can do business due crisis of change. There are crores of daily labourers and small businessman who depend on their daily income for the livelihood and in such a situation when 85 to 87 percent of the currency notes are of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes which have been withdrawn has created problem," said Sarkar.

He also suggested to give little relief to the common people the union government should allow the use of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes till coming December 30.

He said, "So at least up to 30 December they should allow to use Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. In such a situation the digitization or cashless transaction is a tough thing for me to comment if it is good."

According to him, introduction of cashless transaction in a big country like India and such a huge population is quite a tough task and the present government's step towards it is totally mismanagement.

He added, "I gathered information and came to know that probably in only Sweden it is in practice and it is a very small nation with small population but even America which is the most powerful economy could not do this. How can our nation with a population of 1.25 crores do transaction with plastic money without adequate number of banks throughout the nation and also in Tripura."

Sarkar informed that the Left party to which he belongs had protested in rallies and called for strike against the demonetisation step of the centre and now if he takes part in such committee may mislead the common people and would like to keep away from it.

He said, "My participation in the committee means creation of confusion and we are trying to say our views on it from outside the Parliament. All of a sudden five to six CMs heading a committee will lead to confusions among the common people. Moreover, we have call for strike and took part in protest rallies against this, now if we participate it will create confusion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Describing the deadly terror attack on an army base camp in Nagrota as Pakistan's 'desperation', Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Wednesday said Islamabad cannot break the morale of the Indian Army by such 'cowardly acts'.

Talking to ANI, Singh said, "It is a cowardly act on the part of the Pakistan and it shows their desperation. In clear terms Pakistan cannot break our morale because we are resort to fight out militancy and terror and we are doing it."

"As of now the operation is almost over but the search operation is going on. Till now two officers and five jawans have been martyred, three terrorist have been eliminated. There is a possibility there might be some other also. There is no firing as of now but search operation is on to meet out any eventuality," he added.

Meanwhile, blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the deadly terror attack on an army base in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, by a bomb disposal team during the combing operations that are still underway.

Extensive combing operations resumed today morning in Nagrota, where terrorists attacked an army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives.

Army spokesman, Lt. Col Manish Mehta said that search and combing operation began with first day light.

A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota in morning hours yesterday, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least two explosions were heard on Wednesday night amid reports of two rockets landing in Shash Darak diplomatic area of Kabul city.

The Khaama Press quoted security sources as saying that the rockets landed between Pul-e-Mahmood Khan area and Shash Darak, but no casualties were reported so far.

Confirming that the rockets landed in the vicinity of Maslakh area in Shashdarak, a security official in the Ministry of Interior said that the area has been cordoned off by the security forces.

The Indian embassy in Kabul is safe.

So far, no group has claimed the responsibility for the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gerard Butler and his girlfriend Morgan Brown have reportedly called it quits on their romance.

The 47-year-old actor and 39-year-old interior designer girlfriend called it quits on their on-again, off-again relationship of over two years "a while ago," reports E! Online.

The former lovebirds were last spotted together in November, leaving a hotspot in Los Angeles. Over the summer, they vacationed in Italy and later jetted off to London in late August.

Butler and Brown took their relationship public in September 2014 during a PDA-filled day at the beach.

Notoriously tight-lipped about his personal life, the '300' star has strayed away from discussing his romance with Brown to the media.

Neither of the two parties has commented publicly on the breakup.

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Senior advocate K.T.S. Tulsi on Wednesday said that apart from rhetoric the government needs to speak to Pakistan to de-escalate tension along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

"It's a very shocking incident, because it only shows that the attack on army units and army cantonments. Now, it is about 60 kilometre inside the Indian territory. How such daring attacks are taking place is a matter of concern, and, I think, apart from rhetoric, the government needs to speak with the neighbour and de-escalate the situation." Tulsi told ANI.

Tulsi's comment came a day after heavily-armed terrorists stormed an army base in Nagrota and killed seven soldiers.

The three terrorists were also killed in the stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive.

Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh is on his way to Nagrota to have an assessment of situation on the ground and will report back Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

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The Congress Party on Wednesday alleged that the BJP-led NDA government, which believes in publicity and is least bothered about security, must take responsibility of yesterday's Nagrota attack and Samba infiltration bid.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, appealed to the government to remain alert and give a befitting reply to Pakistan for the continuous attacks from the other side of the border.

"The government is more indulged in publicity and paying less attention to the nation's security. That's why such incidents are taking place. If they would have been alert and given free-hand to our jawans, such incidents would not have taken place. The government should take the entire responsibility," Kharge told ANI.

Extensive combing operations resumed this morning in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, where the terrorists attacked an Army base in which seven defence personnel lost their lives.

A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota in the morning hours yesterday, triggering an intense gun battle that lasted for hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, lost their lives in this attack before the three terrorists were killed.

Chief of Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh, briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the Corps Headquarters.

In another incident, three terrorists were gunned down by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Ramgarh area of Samba sector near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by the Pakistani troops.

The attack took place on a day when General Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as Pakistan Army Chief.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged followers of her Awami League to prepare for campaigning so that the ruling party can retain power after elections are held in 2019.

"Country's development will continue only if Awami League is there in power. The country will fall behind if any party other than AL comes to power," the Daily Times quoted Hasina, as saying.

She was addressing a civic reception on Tuesday evening organised by All European Awami League in Budapest, Hungary at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Briefly describing various development activities of her government, she said Bangladesh is now the 'role model' of development.

She said those who have presented the nation's flag to war criminals, should face the same punishment like the war criminals.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for the Nagrota army cantonment area attack.

"No doubt seven of our jawans while fighting with terrorists, attained martyrdom, including two of our officers Major Akshay and Major Kunal, but it was an act of bravery from our jawans, they saved the families of the jawans who were kept hostage by the terrorists, including women and children," said BJP leader Ravinder Raina.

Raina said Pakistan's conspiracy is to disturb the nation's harmony and unity.

Praising the Indian Army, he told ANI, "Once again the brave jawans of the Indian Army thwarted the evil designs of Pakistan."

Raina said the Centre should act firmly.

"This was a nefarious design of Pakistan; this was a game plan of Pakistan to attack the cantonment area of the Indian Army in Nagrota. It was a game plan like what happened in Uri and Pathankot, but the alert jawans of army gave a befitting reply to the terrorists and foiled their bigger game plan" he added.

He also said, "I think Pakistan won't understand the language of diplomacy Pakistan only understands the language of bullets, and what the Government of India, what the army has given them; is a befitting reply in the border area. Our forces are all set; we will not forgive Pakistan, Pakistan has to pay heavily for the Nagrota terrorism."

Seven persons died in the attack, including Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir from Pandharpur (Maharashtra), and Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Koramangala in Karnataka.

Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the corps headquarters.

Defence PRO Manish Mehta told ANI that combing operations have been called off and will be resumed at dawn on Wednesday.

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Taking a serious note of the hacking of its vice president Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account, ?@OfficeOfRG, the Congress party targeting the government for the lack of digital safety on Wednesday said if it could not protect a private platform for conversation of crores of the people of India, how it could ever protect them from being hacked in terms of their "financial money".

Asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seriously ponder over 'Digital India', 'Cashless India' and online payments, Congress media in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "If you cannot protect a private platform for conversation of crores of the people of India, how can you ever protect them from being hacked in terms of their "financial money" is also a question that the people of India need to think and ponder over."

"The Congress party has taken the issue very seriously. We will be lodging a formal complaint with the Cyber Police and we sincerely hope that the government will show sincerity of purpose in investigating those who are perpetuating this crime and will punish them within a time-bound frame," Surjewala told ANI.

Asserting that unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls reflects the disturbing insecurity of the prevalent fascist culture and also the lack of digital safety in India, Surjewala said, "It is extremely sad that office of RG twitter account has been hacked. Such lowly tactics will not drown the voice of reason nor will it deter Rahulji from continuing to raise people's voice."

Raising his concern on the lack of digital safety in India, the Congress leader said, "It is also a matter of concern for a government, which talks about online transactions and financial platforms. If Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account could be hacked, then every digital info can be assessed, can be mopped, and can be modified."

If a Twitter account, which is a conversational platform for crores of people of India, can be hacked in this fashion, then what is the safety of digital platforms and online payments, he sought to know.

The Twitter account of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, ?@OfficeOfRG (Office of RG), was hacked on Wednesday evening.

Confirming the development, Congress media in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "@OfficeOfRG hacked. Such lowly tactics will never drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Sh. Rahul Gandhi from raising."

The hacker posted obscenities on the timeline.

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Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has revealed that he feels like an inanimate object when forced to play against star striker Lionel Messi during the training sessions.

Asserting that the star player's talent is not normal, Umtiti said Messi treats his team-mates like "nothing more than cones" during practice.

"Sometimes he dribbles past everyone as if we were nothing more than cones, including me," goal.com quoted the 23-year-old as saying.

Umtiti, who joined Camp Nou from Lyon in June, insisted the one thing which impressed him the most at his new club was the supreme skill that Messi possesses.

"He has so much ease on the ball. His talent is innate although he works a lot. In training he does things that are out of the norm," he said.

Umtiti also expressed his views on current manager Luis Enrique, saying the attacking style under the latter is much more exciting than it was under Pep Guardiola.

"It was less passionate.I adore Barca but when they keep possession for 10 years it's boring'. Later their play changed again," he said.

Barcelona are currently leading the Group B of the Champions League. They will next lock horns with Monchengladbach on December 7.

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Contact: McCrory Communications

McCrory Communications govpress@nc.gov

Raleigh, N.C. Governor Pat McCrory is thanking firefighters and emergency management officials for containing the Party Rock Fire which burned more than 7,100 acres and threatened Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and other communities in Rutherford and Henderson counties. As progress is being made fighting wildfires in North Carolina, Governor McCrory has reached out to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to offer support to crews battling fires there.said Governor McCrory.While outdoor burning remains banned in 47 western counties, fire officials will reevaluate its necessity as much-needed rain moves through the region this week. This rain helped crews contain the Party Rock Fire, which was responsible for an estimated cost of $7.65 million. Additional expected rain will help crews fight other wildfires throughout the region, allowing North Carolina to offer resources to Tennessee.Wildfires have closed U.S. 441 from the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains Park in North Carolina to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.Governor McCrory is reminding citizens that despite rain forecasted for portions of western North Carolina over the coming days, the threat for fires remains high as dry conditions will return after rain moves through the region.Crews in North Carolina continue to monitor wildfires in Burke, Clay, Graham, Macon, McDowell, Transylvania and Watauga counties.
Terming the entry of members of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) inside the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah as a "bogus victory", Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar has said that Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai and "any ultra feminists" would not be allowed to enter Sabarimala.

"Haji Ali and Sabarimala have their own rights under Article 25 (of the Constitution) and let me remind that Haji Ali won the case in the Supreme Court. So, this is bogus victory; let us not delude ourselves with half truths and lies," Easwar told ANI.

"I am sorry to sound assertive, but Trupti Desai won't be allowed inside Sabarimala and our women activists group will block Trupti Desai or any ultra feminists who are trying to attack Sabarimala. They will definitely be blocked," he added.

Easwar asked feminist activists to focus on more "substantial issues" rather than protesting about women's entry into religious places.

"I would be requesting our feminist activists to focus on substantial issues like female foeticide or rising atrocities against women or dowry deaths or lack of tolerance on hygiene. Women entering Haji Ali or Sabarimala are not the most important issue in India. Sabarimala stand doesn't change and will strongly hold onto our position," he said.

After a series of legal battles that lasted for five years, women activists on Tuesday entered the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah.

Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. However, in March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on women's entry calling it a "grievous sin".

On October 24, the Haji Ali Dargah Trust had told the Supreme Court that it was ready to implement the Bombay High Court's order to allow women's enter to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine located in South Mumbai and had sought four weeks for infrastructural changes to make arrangements for it.

A Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur was hearing a plea by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Court's ruling to provide equal right of entry to both women and men in the dargah's sanctum sanctorum.

On August 26, the Bombay High Court held that the ban imposed by the Trust, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution and said women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum like men.

Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional.

Bhumata brigade Chief Trupti Desai had also said the Supreme Court's decision should act as a guidance for the nation to allow the entry of women in all temples.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court' decision to play anthem before the screening of films, saying that these symbols of the constitution must be respected.

"The Supreme Court is created out of the Constitution. The Constitution is interpreted wherever required by the Supreme Court. I think the message is very clear that a country runs by the Constitution, the constitutional mandate, these are symbols of the Constitution, symbols of honour and sovereignty must be respected," BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli told ANI.

He further said that Article 51A is very clear that it is the duty of every citizen to respect the anthem and the national flag.

"The very fact that the Supreme Court had to pass such an order today is a reaffirmation that everything will run by the constitutional mandate. Those who are trying to create a controversy in the past or those who try to make a controversy of it, have to realise that the Constitution is a package," he added.

BJP leader Sudesh Verma told ANI, "We welcome this decision by the Supreme Court. We are very happy about this. Even otherwise the national song and national flag should have a very high place in our day to day existence. We are very confident that this is going to help inculcate a spirit of nationalism and help us to rise as one nation,"

"We should feel proud about this decision. The people of our country will respectfully sing the national anthem. It is decorum. It is our respect, and together, we all should maintain the dignity." Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar told ANI.

The Supreme Court ordered the playing of the national anthem on cinema screens and displaying of the national flag mandatory before the beginning of any movie.

The apex court stated that all people present in the movie must rise and pay respect to the anthem. The next hearing will take place on February 14.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday will continue hearing the plea regarding the shifting of RJD strongman Mohammad from Siwan jail in Bihar to Tihar Central Jail in the capital.

The Bihar government has told the Supreme Court that it is not averse to the shifting of .

The state government, in which the RJD is a coalition partner, concurred with stand of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which has already agreed to the suggestion of the Supreme Court that the alleged criminal be shifted to Delhi as his continuous presence in Bihar may adversely impact trials in various pending cases against him.

The Supreme Court division bench, headed by Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy will take up the matter for further hearing today at 2 pm.

On Tuesday, counsel for Chandrakeshwar told the court that how influential was. He committed offences even while he was in jail and on bail on various occasions.

Another petitioner, slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's widow Asha Ranjan, had filed a plea in the apex court seeking to shift Shahabuddin from the Siwan to Delhi so that witnesses in her husband's murder case could not be influenced and also sought the safety and security of her family members.

Shahabuddin, who had been in jail for more than 10 years in connection with multiple cases, was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a man who witnessed the killing of two brothers in Siwan.

Forty-two-year-old Ranjan, the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometre from the police station.

The Bihar Government had then recommended the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) to probe the case.
Telangana Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari on Wednesday called a meeting-cum-workshop of all new 31 districts District Education Officers (DEOs) and Deputy DEOs at the conference hall of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan office here to discuss ways to overall improvement in the upcoming academic activities.

"We have called all deputy DOs of education department today. Actually we had met 45 days back because of our DOs have taken charge of all the new districts, 31 new districts, after new district reorganisation," Ranjeeva R. Acharya, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Telangana, said.

"At that time we had told the DOs what should be the further roadmap of the department to build a proper image and credibility of the department. So, as a follow up today, we are meeting again. Today's meeting main focus is the academic activity - completion of syllabus, conducting of remedial classes and how to prepare for the exams," she added.

Acharya laid emphasis on not just getting results, but competitive good results.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will be on a two day visit to Rome, Italy, and Vatican City on December 2-3 for bilateral meetings and to participate in the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues.

Kerry will meet with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Rome to discuss cooperation on a range of regional and global issues, including Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the enduring strength of the Transatlantic Alliance.

He will also work with other senior leaders at the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues to deepen cooperation on a range of challenges and opportunities across the Mediterranean region, including advancing the Dialogues' vision of a "positive agenda" in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Secretary will meet with Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in Vatican City to discuss international issues and peace efforts, including the humanitarian crisis in Syria, violence in Ukraine, and the ongoing dialogue in Venezuela.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kirby said in a statement," The United States deeply appreciates the efforts of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Holy See to focus attention on the plight of vulnerable migrants, call for action on climate change, prevent further persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in conflict areas, and support peaceful conflict resolution around the .

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The two flagship programmes of the government - 'Make in India' and 'Skill India' got a big boost at the maiden CII Welding conference. Speaking during the session Y S Trivedi, Sr Vice President and Member of the Board - Heavy Engineering IC, Larsen & Toubro stressed, The amount of weld in a nuclear reactor and submarine is less than 2 and 8 percent respectively, yet these welds decide the fate of the INR 12,000 crore submarine as well as determines whether a nuclear power plant lasts 10 years or 60. If we have to transform India into a global manufacturing hub we need to pay attention to welding. Further he commended that welding holds immense potential for employment and skill development initiative and has a major role to play in the nation's growth.

Talking of the present welding industry, Chetan Ligade, Director, BDB India said that the sector today stands at INR 4,000 crore out of which INR 2,800 falls under consumables and INR 1,200 crore under welding equipment market. Driven by infrastructure, the welding industry is slated to pick up rapidly in the next few quarters and by 2021 the consumable market will grow to INR 4,200 crore and equipment market to INR 1,500 crore.

On this occasion a special report on Indian welding industry was released.

Elaborating on the importance of R&D in manufacturing sector D G Padmanabham, Director, International Advanced Research Centre for Power Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), emphasized, In the west, 70% of R&D funding comes from the industry and 30% from the government whereas in India only 10% comes from the industry. This needs to change. When industry funds a project it drives R&D with purpose, focus, application and absorption. Hence, industry R&D interaction has to be strengthened. Sharing his experience on industry government collaboration he averred that the success rate has been always very high when there is co-operation and collaboration.

A Shivkumar, Conference Chairman and Former Chief Executive, EWAC Alloys said, The stakeholders in the welding sector such as researchers who work on materials, manufacturers, people who execute it like welders and the final beneficiary the consumer - are not connected and aligned to a common agenda. At CII we aim to bring all stakeholders together to create a common agenda and goal to meet challenges and make opportunities available to them in the future.

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Sarda Energy & Minerals rose 7.55% to Rs 247.25 at 10:28 IST on BSE after the company said that the operations at its iron ore mine in Chhattisgarh have been restored.

The announcement was made after trading hours yesterday, 30 November 2016.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 92.11 points, or 0.35%, to 26,486.12.

On BSE, so far 59,000 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 86,198 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 256.65 and a low of Rs 235.50 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 296.60 on 1 November 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 75.50 on 26 February 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past 30 days till 29 November 2016, falling 15.83% compared with the 5.50% decline in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 33.55% as against Sensex's 7.23% decline.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 36.02 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

On 9 March 2016, Sarda Energy & Minerals announced temporary suspension of operation at its iron ore mine in Dongarbore (Chhattisgarh) after a naxalite attack on 7 March 2016, which caused death of one employee and damage of a few vehicles.

Net profit of Sarda Energy & Minerals rose 250.3% to Rs 12.54 crore on 2.7% decline in net sales to Rs 253 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Sarda Energy & Minerals (SEML) is one of the lowest cost producers of steel (sponge iron, billets, ingots, TMT bars) and one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of ferro alloys in India.

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Tata Power Company reported consolidated net profit of Rs 336.24 crore in Q2 September 2016, compared with net loss of Rs 95.87 crore in Q2 September 2015. Total income declined 3.5% to Rs 7311.82 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

Lupin announced that its US subsidiary Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc (LPI) has received final approval for its Armodafinil tablets 50mg, 150mg, 200mg and 250mg from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market a generic version of Cephalon, Inc's Nuvigil tablets. LPI shall commence promoting the product in the US shortly. Lupin's Armodafinil tablets are the AB rated generic equivalents of Cephalon, Inc's Nuvigil tablets. Armodafinil tablets are indicated to improve wakefulness in adult patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy or shift work disorder (SWD). Nuvigil tablets had annual US sales of $515.6 million as per IMS MAT September 2016 data. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

Oil India said that the board of directors of the company in a meeting held on 28 November 2016, accorded approval for voluntary winding up of its wholly owned subsidiary-Oil India International in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

JK Paper announced that credit rating agency, India Ratings and Research (IndRa), assigned JK Paper's Rs 5 crore term deposit programme rating at "IND A-". The outlook is positive. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

Welspun Enterprises said that National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has with respect to the concession agreement entered into between Welspun Delhi Meerut Expressway, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company and NHAI for execution of the project on 4 March 2016, declared the appointed date for the project as 28 November 2016. Under the concession agreement, construction of the project is to be completed within 2.5 years from the appointed date and is to be maintained for 15 years thereafter, post which it will be transferred to NHAI. The project is to develop the existing section of a road in Delhi by six laning and four laning the either side of the expressway on design, build, operate and transfer basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

Eros International Media said that the meeting of board of directors of the company will be held on 2 December 2016, to consider and approve the proposal to raise funds through issue and offer of secured/unsecured, redeemable, non convertible debentures on public/private placement basis, in one or more tranches, upto the limit as may be decided by the board. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2016.

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Yes Bank rose 1.48% to Rs 1,161.15 at 14:15 IST on BSE after the bank announced the launch of SIMsePAY, industry's first innovation to empower all citizens to broad based digital banking.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 30 November 2016.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 172.11 points, or 0.65%, to 26,566.12.

On the BSE, 1.48 lakh shares were so far traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 3.24 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 1,166.10 and a low of Rs 1,145.60 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 1,450 on 7 September 2016. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 632.25 on 20 January 2016. The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 29 November 2016, falling 10.04% compared with 5.54% fall in the Sensex. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 14.44% as against Sensex's 5.41% decline.

The large-cap private sector bank has equity capital of Rs 422.75 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Yes Bank announced the launch of SIMsePAY, a unique innovation that allows any account holder to do money transfers, pay utility bills and other mobile banking services, without the need for smart phones or internet.

The offering is based on a frugal sim-sleeve technology in association with Taisys Technologies, who holds global patent for the same and has implemented the same successfully in other countries including Kenya and China. The solution will cater to the large section of Indian population who remain unbanked or under banked due to lack of access to smart phones and mobile internet. This represents a large inherent market need, and hence a large scope for the solution.

The bank plans to garner a base of 5 lakh SIMsePAY by 2017. The bank has launched the services with the District Co-operative Bank, Dehradun and subsequently plans to launch it across the country.

The product will be offered in a phased manner. The first phase will involve collaboration with co-operative and regional rural banks. The second phase will involve direct outreach to the target segment through Yes Bank's banking correspondent network.

Yes Bank reported 31.31% rise in net profit to Rs 801.54 crore on 24.7% rise in total income to Rs 4982.23 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Yes Bank is one of the leading private sector banks in India.

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Three army officers died and a jawan was critically injured when a Cheetah helicopter crashed inside the Sukna military base in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Wednesday, a defence ministry spokesman said.

The crash occurred around 11.30 a.m. near the helipad inside the military base when the helicopter was about to land.

The deceased were Major Sanjeev Lathar, Major Arvind Bazala and Lt. Col. Rajneesh Kumar, the spokesman said.Sapper Dhamne Yogesh Bhaskar was in a critical condition.

"All four were immediately rushed to the Bengdubi Military Hospital where three of them were declared dead, while Bhaskar was critical wounded," the spokesman said.

Major Lathar was the pilot and Major Bazala the co-pilot of the il-fated helicopter. Lt. Col. Kumar was a passenger.

"It was a routine mission operating from Sukna and the crash happened when the chopper was coming in to land," according to the spokesman.

The ill fated helicopter was following another helicopter with a senior official of 33 Corps.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered by the army authorities to ascertain the cause of the incident.

Lt Col. Kumar was an inhabitant of Farrukabad, Uttar Pradesh. Major Lathar and Major Bazala were residents of Haryana's Bhiwani and RS Pura in Jammu respectively

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of the three army officers.

"Saddened by the death of three army officers in Sukna due to tragic chopper crash. Words are never enough. My condolences to bereaved families," Banerjee said on Twitter.

--IANS

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If President Joe Biden ever wanted to, he could easily blame all of his odd habits on senility. Nobody would bat an eye. His vice president, on the other hand, is more than twenty years his junior and such a claim would never be believable.
At least 34 militants were killed and 12 injured in a series of operations in Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces over the past 24 hours, a military statement said on Wednesday.

The Afghan army on Tuesday launched new operations codenamed "Attal", which means hero, which would last until the militants are swept out from the region, Xinhua news agency reported citing the statement.

Taliban militants, who have intensified their activities and are fighting the government forces in the region, have not commented.

--IANS

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Two unions in the banking sector have urged the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to advice its member banks to seek police protection for branches as they face cash crunch.

The unions also urged the IBA to take up with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the issue of supply of currency notes without discriminating between the government and private banks.

"Sir, we are afraid, there would be lot of undue pressures, tensions, conflicts and clashes in the branches and branch managers, officers and other staff would face a big ordeal," All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) on Tuesday wrote to the IBA.

"We seek the intervention of IBA to advice the banks to ask for proper police protection in branches to provide proper security to the staff," the letter notes.

"The next one week to 10 days are going to be much more tense because huge number of employees, workers and retirees/pensioners would throng the bank branches to draw from their salary credit and non-availability of enough cash may lead to serious issues of law and order also," the unions said.

Citing the allegations that some private banks get more supply of notes from the Reserve Bank of India, the two unions sought that the RBI should ensure supply of currency notes to all banks without any discrimination.

--IANS

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the negotiating position adopted by India at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, held last month at Kigali in Rwanda.

The Montreal Protocol, which entered force in January 1989, aims to phase out the ozone depleting substances (ODS).

At Kigali, it was aimed to include Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol in order to regulate their production, consumption and with time phase them out using funds under Montreal Protocol.

The HFCs however are not the ODS but global warming substance and controlling it can limiting the global temperature rise.

"It was agreed at Kigali that there would be two set of baselines or peak years for developing countries and India will have baseline years of 2024, 2025, 2026," said a statement.

It further said this decision gives additional HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) allowance of 65 per cent that will be added to the Indian baseline consumption and production.

Under Montreal Protocol, all countries are assigned a baseline year and a freeze year.

Baseline year is a three year period in which consumption and production of harmful gases like HFCs and HCFCs are analysed and the reduction of the same is assigned based on the amount.

The freeze year is the period when the use of those chemicals must go below what they were during the baseline years.

HCFC used as refrigerant has lower ozone depleting potential but high global warming potential. It was intriduced as an alternative to CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) in 1990.

"The freeze year for India will be 2028, with a condition that there will be a technology review in 2024 or 2025 and, if the growth in the sectors using refrigerants is above certain agreed threshold, India can defer its freeze up to 2030," an official statement said.

Developed countries will reduce production and consumption of HFCs by 70 per cent in 2029.

As per the decisions taken in Kigali, India will complete its phase down in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10 per cent in 2032, 20 per cent in 2037, 30 per cent in 2042 and 85 per cent in 2047.

--IANS

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Cyclonic storm Nada is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coast near Cuddalore by the early hours of December 2, said the weather office.

In its bulletin on Wednesday the Chennai Meteorological Office said cyclone Nada will cross the north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Puducherry, close to Cuddalore, by December 2.

Cuddalore is around 185 kilometres from here.

According to the weather office, Nada is about 710 km southeast of Chennai, 670 km east-southeast of Puducherry.

The system is very likely to move west-northwestward, intensify further and cross the north Tamil Nadu coast.

According to the weather office, light to moderate rainfall is likely to commence over coastal Tamil Nadu from Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, Lt. General N. C. Marwah, Member, NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), reviewed the preparedness of the state government to withstand the impact of the northeast monsoon, a state government release said.

--IANS

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With a resolve to "end AIDS" by 2030, the US Embassy on Wednesday held a panel discussion on the auto-immune disease at the American Center Library here.

Mary Kay Carlson, deputy chief of Mission at US Embassy, said India saw a decline of 32 per cent in number of new infections of AIDS virus in 2015 compared to 2007.

C.V. Dharma Rao, Joint Secretary of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), said the fight against AIDS started in India way back in 1992.

"In the last 25 years, the AIDS control programme has grown and the number of new infections have been brought down by 32 per cent and AIDS related deaths by over 50 per cent.

"No other country in the world has been able to achieve that," he said.

Rao added that still more than one million people suspected to be infected by AIDS are undiagnosed.

"People need to come forward and get themselves tested so early treatment could be provided," he said.

Titled "Ending AIDS by 2030: Test and Start treatment", the event was organised in collaboration with the India team of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Public health specialist Sukarma Tanwar said there were new technologies like antiretroviral drugs which lower viral load in patients so that the disease does not get transmitted.

"However, HIV prevention should be delivered as a comprehensive package including bio-medical interventions, behavioural interventions and infrastructural interventions to effectively deal with AIDS," he added.

Simran Shaikh from India HIV/AIDS Alliance said that there is a need to implement early testing and for reducing the stigma attached to HIV treatment.

--IANS

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Planning your trip in advance is getting easier with travel-enabling websites and apps being available to hand. Instagram is one such treasure trove, which can be used to check out locations and fellow travellers feedback, says an expert.

Aurvind Lama, co-founder and CEO, Travelyaari, an online bus booking platform which leverages technology solutions to simplify and streamline bus ticketing processes, suggests how you can make Instagram your best buddy for trips:

* Follow locals: Following a local, especially someone who shares your interests, is a great way of receiving tips and trivia about the place you want to visit. Popular or quaint local spots, cozy cafes and exciting local events - all this and more can be accessed through interacting with someone from the city on your itinerary. Do a quick online search on the top Instagram accounts of the city you are planning to visit. Browse through their feed and follow them to stay updated on the best ways to get an authentic taste of your destination.

* Click on Geotags: These tags display the name of the place where a particular photo was taken. By clicking on the location, you can find out more about the area, including details about the neighbouring region. In addition, you can choose the 'Open in Maps' option, to view the tagged location in Google Maps or any other navigation app of your choice. Along with virtually exploring the place, the map option allows you to save the location for later when you are exploring in real time.

* Put the 'social' in social media: You can do this by reaching out to people who can provide valuable information. Interacting with interesting accounts unearths a goldmine of information about locations and activities, helping you plan your trip with more efficiency. The key is to follow accounts, which will encourage people to return the attention. This will also prompt related accounts to follow, allowing you to discover local advice and vacation tips.

You can even send a direct message to an account after following it for some time for quick queries and useful suggestions. Most Instagram users who post avidly on food, travel and shopping are welcoming and eager to help their followers out.

* Explore hashtags: Exploring hashtags that are popular in potential travel destinations is a handy way of tapping into featured festivals, tourist attractions and gourmet options. A simple click will reveal all the posts users have put up about the hashtag. Planning a trip to Bali? Just search for #bali and you'll be able to see where most people are partying, what are the most scenic spots, what you should be eating and where you should be shopping.

* Follow experts: In addition to following locals, exploring official accounts is a smart way of charting out your itinerary. Tourism boards, celebrity travellers, event accounts - all of these offer not only great advice and tips, but also potential deals and discounts.

--IANS

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Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday condemned the terror strike on the army base in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir where seven army personnel were killed.

"I pay my homage to the brave officers and soldiers who lost their lives in the attack. My heart goes out to their families and I pray that Almighty gives them strength to bear the irreparable loss," said Azad.

Expressing deep concern on the increasing frequency of such attacks and incidents of firing along the border in the last few months, Azad urged the government to take concrete steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base near Jammu, officials said.

Three attackers were also gunned down while three more militants died in a shootout with security forces near the International Border with Pakistan.

--IANS

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the amendments in income tax rules were aimed at helping people with black money.

Speaking to journalists after the adjournment of the Lok Sabha over the tax bill, Gandhi said: "The government has given back 50 per cent of the black money to thieves."

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the amended income tax law bill by voice vote to facilitate a levy of 60 per cent tax on undisclosed income or investment or cash deposited in banks after demonetisation.

--IANS

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Almost all political parties outside the Modi government have launched a combined attack on demonetisation but there are clear divisions in the ranks.

The opposition has virtually paralysed both houses of Parliament ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 that he had scrapped the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to battle black money and more.

The unprecedented cash crunch causing chaos across the country, forcing millions to stand in long queues at ATMs as well as banks, has angered the opposition.

While the Congress, Trinamool Congress, the Left, BSP, RJD and AAP oppose the note ban per se, some including the DMK, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and BJD are okay with the demonetisation.

But the DMK has taken part in street protests against the misery caused to bank account holders because of the cash crunch.

And the Shiv Sena, a Modi ally, has taken a hard line on the misery due to the note ban.

More than 70 deaths, including suicides, hospital casualties and people dying in queues outside ATMs and banks in the country in the past three weeks have been linked to the cash crunch caused by the demonetisation.

After the note ban, a person can take out only Rs 24,000 a week from his bank account.

While former JD-U President Sharad Yadav spoke against demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha, Bihar Chief Minister and party chief Nitish Kumar said he supported the Centre's move.

Sharad Yadav has since stopped coming to the Rajya Sabha and the opposition meetings. On Tuesday, he was called to Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's chamber and asked to clarify his party's stand.

When IANS sought a comment from Yadav, he declined.

There is also ambiguity in the Samajwadi Party. While its Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agrawal earlier vehemently demanded the scheme's scrapping, he told IANS on Tuesday that a rollback was not possible now as it would result in bigger chaos.

"But the Prime Minister must find a way out of this mess," he said.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh outlined the Congress view when he called the demonetisation an "organised loot and legalised plunder" that had also proved to be a "monumental management failure".

Since then, the Congress has described the demonetisation as the biggest scandal in independent India.

Interestingly, this stand comes close to the charge hurled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose leader and Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is holding a string of public rallies against the currency ban.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee too is holding protests across the country and has denounced Modi in no uncertain terms for ordering demonetisation.

Some opposition figures said they needed to be careful so that they were not viewed as people favouring black money because of their opposition to the government decision.

In the wake of a nationwide cash crunch, the Left wants the government to allow people to use the old money at least until December 31 for minor transactions.

"Hardly anybody is demanding a rollback. We are demanding a relief for the suffering millions," Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha member Mohammed Salim told IANS.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien, however, told IANS: "Demonetisation is a big scandal. People are suffering. We have offered concrete suggestions."

"One is to allow old and new 500 rupee notes to function parallel to each other," he said.

Salim added: "It is not a two party system here. Every party has its own stand. But broadly in Parliament, we are together and will evolve a future strategy together."

Congress' Jairam Ramesh said the "entire opposition" was united on the issue.

Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav too said his party was with the opposition combine. Asked about his party's strategy in the Rajya Sabha in the coming days, he said: "Let's see what happens."
The Syrian army said Israel fired two missiles at an area near the capital Damascus on Wednesday.

Israeli warplanes fired the rockets from Lebanese airspace, targeting Sabura suburb in the western countryside of Damascus, only causing property damage, Xinhua news agency cited a military statement as saying.

The army said the Israeli shelling aims to divert attention away from the successes of the Syrian army on the ground as well as to raise the low morale of terrorist groups.

The army did not disclose the precise target of the Israeli rocket fire, however the same area was previously hit by Israel.

Israel often justifies its strikes as either a response for stray shelling targeting areas under its control in the Golan Heights or strikes targeting posts of the Lebanese Hezbollah group in Syria.

--IANS

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Tucker Carlson brings out the racist in Black Lives Matter advocate Tariq Nasheed: Below.

There is a weird Group Think among Liberals that is turning into a pattern, one that makes patriots question these Liberals' innate loyalty to the Republic, real Americans, or the mere question of their intellect.After the, yet another, Islamist Terrorist attack on U.S. soil, many of these questionable Americans, even the goofy-almost-vice-president Tim Kaine, joined in, and openly questioned the problem of "Gun Violence" in America, specifically on the Ohio State Campus, where, on 112916, there was one instance of "gun violence": A White police officer shot dead a Black Somali Muslim, who was randomly stabbing and hacking OSU students in the name of Allah.Somehow, muddleheaded Liberals, like goofy-almost-vice-president Tim Kaine, blamed the "gun violence" that saved the lives of countless young students as the seminal problem.One Black racist, Black Lives Matter advocate Tariq Nasheed , intimated that this shooting of the Somali Muslim could have been a racist act: White cop, Black suspect; you know the drill.Somali Terrorist Abdul Razak Ali Artan in Columbus, Ohio: Above.Remember, Black Lives Matter is the racist group that goofy-almost-vice-president Tim Kaine and L. Hillary Clinton wantonly courted as a voting block in the last election.Talk about "Deplorables"; what a skewed perspective; the same perspective espoused by Barack Obama after every Islamist Terrorist attack.Every Islamist Terrorist attack against Americans, on American soil, under Barrack Hussein Obama has been blamed on either "Gun Violence" or a "despicable video".Sadly, this is the core Group Think of today's Liberal, which is the activist, most revered segment of the Democrat party.
The body of Naik Chittaranjan Debbarma, killed in a terror attack in Jammu, will be brought to Tripura on Thursday for cremation at his native village with full state honours, officials said on Wednesday.

"The body of Debbarma, 36, will be brought here on Thursday and taken to Khowai, 80 km north of Agartala, by road to his native village Paglabari (in western Tripura)," Khowai Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prasun Dey told IANS over phone.Tripura's Forest and Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia, Khowai District Magistrate Apurba Roy, senior Army and security officials will be present at the cremation.

Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed on Tuesday after suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base at Nagrota near Jammu.

Three attackers were gunned down. Three more militants died in a shootout with security forces near the International border with Pakistan.

The Debbarma family and their relatives and neighbours in Paglabari plunged into gloom after the news of his death reached the tribal-dominated village late on Tuesday night.

Naik Debbarma is survived by his wife Namita, aged parents and two children aged 11 and seven. His elder brother Arun Debbarma retired from the Army in March.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, in a condolence message, said his government expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.

"Our brave Tripura soldier Chittaranjan Debbarma was martyred while protecting our country. We stand with his family in tough times," Sarkar said.

"We are shocked to hear the news. We are also very proud of him. He attained martyrdom while fighting for the nation," Sarkar added.

Chittaranjan Debbarma is the second security personnel from the area killed in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir within a week.

Earlier, 34-year-old Border Security Force Havildar Sambhu Satmura was killed in a landmine blast along the India-Pakistan border at Jamia Wali Gali of Sawjian sector in Poonch district on November 22.

Satmura, a resident of Agartala's Subhasnagar locality, was posted with the F Company of BSF's 107 Battalion.

--IANS

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The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed pandemonium over the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes as the opposition led by Congress and TMC continued their demand to discuss the issue under a rule which entails voting.

Following the continuous uproar, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day. Earlier, the House saw two adjournments.

Soon after the House met in the morning, the opposition parties including Congress and Trinamool Congress demanded that tributes should be paid by the House to the army men killed in the attack at an army base in Nagrota town, 15 km from Jammu.

Mahajan turned down the request, saying the combing operation in Nagrota was on.

The Congress, TMC, the Left and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), then staged a walkout over the issue.

After few minutes the opposition members returned to the House and trooped near the Speaker's podium demanding discussion over the demonetisation issue.

Despite the din, Mahajan attempted to conduct the question hour, but following repeated disruptions, she adjourned the house till 12 p.m.

When the House reassembled, Leader of the Congress Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party wants discussion on the demonetisation issue as the people are facing hardship.

Kharge also urged the Speaker to start the debate under any rule which entails voting. Earlier, the Congress was reluctant to discuss the issue under rule 56.

TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said his party wants discussion under any rule which entails voting.

However, the government didn't agree, saying any division of vote over the issue will send a wrong message.

"The government is ready to discuss the issue since November 16. The House should not send a divided message. It will not be proper," Kumar said.

The Speaker also urged the agitating members that they should begin the discussion keeping aside rules.

But the opposition members didn't relent and again trooped near the Speaker's podium and started sloganeering against the government.

Mahajan then adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

Later, she held a meeting with some opposition leaders in her chamber, but it failed to yield any outcome.

When the House again met after two adjournments, the scene were no different. Mahajan then adjourned the House for the day.

--IANS

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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi in Patna

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday staged a protest here against the decision of the Narendra Modi-led central government.

Slamming Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said the Prime Minister has imposed a "super-emergency" in the country by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

"Modi has snatched the freedom of people to live. By demonetisation, he has snatched rights of roti (food), kapda (cloth) and makaan (house) from the people," she said, addressing a rally at Gardanibagh area of Patna.

The West Bengal Chief Minister was accompanied by her party leaders and leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"Modi has badly hit the age-old savings by women in their house. Women used to save some money for emergency purpose but Modi has ended it by . It is an insult to women power also," she said.

While Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United has supported demonetisation, leaders of Rashtriya Janata Dal, its major partner in the ruling alliance, including party senior vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and RJD Bihar unit President Ram Chandra Purve, joined Mamata's protest here against the central government's move.

Both Singh and Purve shared stage with her.

She visited RJD Chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday night and met his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi as well as her younger son Tejaswi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.

"Mamta was extended support by Lalu Prasad after she sought endorsement for her protest against Modi's decision," senior party leader Bhola Yadav said.

The TMC president arrived here on Tuesday evening.

Lalu Prasad, who has been unwell for the past few days, could not attend the rally, party leaders said.

However, Mamata neither called on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the president of the ruling Janata Dal-United, nor invited him to the protest rally as he has supported the demontisation move.
KLF chief Harminder Singh Mintoo -- one of the six prisoners to escape the Nabha jail in Punjab -- was the kingpin of the jailbreak plan and was supported by the ISI which wanted to revive militancy in the border state through him, a senior Delhi Police officer said on Wednesday.

The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant had admitted to being the mastermind of the jailbreak, which he planned after meeting Punjab gangster Gurdeep Singh Sekhon six months ago in Nabha jail, the police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Shekhon later contacted his aide Vicky to arrange local criminals for the jail attack on any suitable day, he added.

"Mintoo planned to revive the militant organisation and sleeper cells in Punjab with the ISI help. The ISI was aware of the impending jailbreak and wanted to revive militancy in Punjab. They (ISI and KLF) were helping each other in completing the mission," the senior police officer said.

The ISI wanted to take revenge for the Indian army's surgical strikes against Pakistan on September 28.

Parminder Singh, a gangster since arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police, was assigned the task of arranging firearms which he did with the help of Satnam Kaur, a daughter of another KLF militant, the police officer said.

Mintoo was arrested from the parking area of Nizamuddin railway station by Delhi Police's Special Cell on November 28 morning, a day after he escaped from a high security prison in Punjab.

Six criminals, including Mintoo and Kashmir Singh (both terrorists) and gangsters Gurpreet Sekhon, Vicky Gounder, Amandeep Dhotian and Neeta Deol had escaped from the Punjab prison on November 27.

Police said Mintoo told his interrogators that he chatted with his Pakistani handler Harmeet on Skype from the Nabha jail days before the jailbreak.

Harmeet is also a KLF militant, living in the safe house under the protection of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan, police said.

Mintoo conveyed his jailbreak plan to Harmeet and the ISI agents across the border. Mintoo continued to be in touch with ISI agents in Pakistan ahead of the jailbreak, police said.

The ISI also arranged funds for Mintoo through a KLF sympathiser from England through hawala channels and another from Germany who sent money through legal money transfer channel, he said.

"The money was deposited in a bank account of a Punjab-based sweetshop owner and a hawala trader was assigned to hand over the cash to Mintoo on Monday, the day he was arrested. Since Mintoo escaped in the jailbreak, the sweetshop owner could not hand him the cash," the officer said.

Punjab Police has since arrested the sweetshop owner Tejinder Sharma.

Delhi Police are since conducting raids to arrest Santnam Kaur, apart from raiding a Goa hideout to arrest Mintoo's aide, the officer said.

(Sanjeev Pal can be contacted at sanjeev.p@ians.in)

--IANS

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A mob vandalised a nationalised bank in West Bengal on Wednesday after they could not withdraw money despite being in the queue for hours.

A State Bank of India (SBI) branch at Jagadishpur in Howrah district was attacked around 3 p.m., a police officer said. No one was arrested.

The bank customers lost patience as they could not take out money in spite of standing in the queue for long hours.

The glass door and window panes of the bank were broken. Police had to intervene to control the situation.

--IANS

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Tufail Ahmad, a leading Muslim scholar on Wednesday proposed a draft Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to initiate a public debate on it.

A former journalist with BBC World Service and author of "Jihadist Threat to India - The Case for Islamic Reformation by an Indian Muslim", Ahmad has called it a "working draft for public consultation.

"A uniform civil code was desired by the framers of the Constitution to ensure that basic fundamental rights of citizens, irrespective of their religious and other identities, are protected within a larger human rights framework," he said in a statement.

"This UCC is drafted within a broader context of a Universal Bill of Rights for the Indian citizen (Ubric). This draft UCC is the first-ever attempt to bring specific issues before the public for a wider discussion," he added.

The 12-clause document is a working draft to be improved through wider public consultation.

"At present, no draft UCC exists that could enlighten the people of India regarding the specifics that will constitute such a code," Ahmad explained of his venture.

"It is necessary to emphasize that the word 'uniform' in the uniform civil code is not meant to homogenise the lifestyles and identities of Indian citizens but to ensure that certain fundamental rights to equality and liberty are protected for them by the Indian state."

Ahmad also questioned political parties and civil society who have failed to make any attempt towards advocating UCC and said: "No attempt has been made by the Indian government to draft a Uniform Civil Code for fear that political parties could lose Muslim votes."

"Even civil society organisations and human rights activists have shied away from advocating a UCC for Indian citizens. This is a result of the prevailing erroneous belief that the uniform civil code is meant to curb personal laws, especially only of Muslims."

The Law Commission had, on October 7, floated a 16-point questionnaire on its website asking ed the common people, activists, organisations and other stakeholders to give suggestions on the implementation of the UCC. The Commission has extended the period for submission of replies to December 21.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court order directing cinema halls to play the National Anthem before the start of movies, has got overwhelming support with political parties and prominent people welcoming it wholeheartedly.

"We support in principle everything that enhances the dignity of the nation. Its implementation has to be seen carefully, I am sure care will be taken by every individual," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told IANS.

"In the process of implementation, we should not disrespect any national icon," he cautioned.

Expressing the similar sentiments, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it was a "good decision".

"It's a very-very good decision. I am happy with it. I wonder why it was stopped as it used to be practice earlier also," she told IANS.

Former Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik said that in a country like India, which is very diverse, the decision would help in keeping the country together.

"There are certain ideas which keep the country together. This is one of them," he told IANS.

Badaruddoza Khan, MP of the CPI-M from Murshidabad also supported the idea of playing the the National Anthem before the start of movies in cinema halls.

"During the 1970s, as far as I can recall national anthem was played in cinema halls when the film was over and people would stand up. This is not a totally new thing," he told IANS.

"But there is a concern that with small children crying in cinema hall while national anthem is being played, it would compromise the dignity of the national anthem," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court had directed cinema halls to play the National Anthem, saying it will instil "constitutional patriotism as well as committed patriotism and nationalism".

The playing of the anthem will be accompanied by an image of the Tricolour on the screen, it said while barring its commercial exploitation, dramatisation or playing of an abridged version.

The order shall be given effect to within a period of 10 days.

The court said when the National Anthem is sung or played, it is imperative on the part of everyone present to show due respect and honour by standing up.

"It is because when the National Anthem is sung, the concept of protocol associated with it has its inherent roots in national identity, national integrity and constitutional patriotism," the court said.

--IANS

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Even as broader uncertainty looms over the fate of the H1B visas under the incoming Donald Trump administration, some recent changes by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) make them friendlier to those already on them.

The USCIS will now allow terminated H1B visa holders a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs. Although the existing rules did not explicitly state that the terminated H1B worker had to leave immediately, there have been cases where such H1B workers had to find a way to leave the country immediately. Decision-making in such cases came down to the individual discretion of the immigration officer.

"The immigration authorities have now clarified that that is not the case ending what many thought was an inhuman provision," Neeraj Bhatia, a Silicon Valley based head of an accounting firm and an expert in immigration issues, told IANS.

Under its Final Rule published on November 18, 2016, which will be effective from January 17, 2017, the USCIS will now allow terminated H1B workers a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs.

Another change will also prevent the revocation of I-140 by employers for those employees who have held it for more 180 days but whose services were terminated. What this does is help such employees not lose their turn in the protracted green card process once they change over to new jobs.

One more significant change that the USCIS has announced relates to employment authorisation for H4 visa holders who come as spouses of H1B visa holders. Under this change, those H4 workers will not have to wait for the approval of their extension for them to continue working.

Coming as it does just before President-elect Donald Trump, who is known to be averse to work visas, is set to take over on January 20, 2017, this is a remarkable change. Of course, the visas' long-term viability could come under serious strain if Trump carries out what he has promised during his rather abrasive presidential campaign.

In its pre-election position paper the Trump campaign had said this: "We graduate two times more Americans with STEM degrees each year than find STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) jobs, yet as much as two-thirds of entry-level hiring for IT jobs is accomplished through the H-1B program. More than half of H-1B visas are issued for the program's lowest allowable wage level, and more than eighty percent for its bottom two. Raising the prevailing wage paid to H-1Bs will force companies to give these coveted entry-level jobs to the existing domestic pool of unemployed native and immigrant workers in the U.S., instead of flying in cheaper workers from overseas. This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program."

"It is ironic that the position paper did not realize that a majority of STEM students consists of foreign students from India and elsewhere who eventually get jobs via the H1B visas. It is well-known that not a lot of American students go for STEM programs," Bhatia pointed out.

The Trump campaign's position paper had also called for requirement to hire American workers first, adding: "Too many visas, like the H-1B, have no such requirement. In the year 2015, with 92 million Americans outside the workforce and incomes collapsing, we need to companies to hire from the domestic pool of unemployed. Petitions for workers should be mailed to the unemployment office, not USCIS."

While the H1B system may yet change significantly under the new president, for now, as pointed out by Bhatia, President of Bhatia& Co. with offices in Silicon Valley, New York and New Delhi, the latest USCIS clarifications do make things smoother.

On the issue of retention of priority dates, Bhatia wrote on his blog: "Workers with approved Form I-140 petitions, will generally be allowed to retain their priority date as long as the approval of the initial Form I-140 petition was not revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation of a material fact, the invalidation or revocation of a labor certification, or material error. The final rule provides that Form I-140 petitions that have been approved for 180 days or more would no longer be subject to automatic revocation based solely on withdrawal by the petitioner or the termination of the petitioner's business."

On the question of Employment Authorization Document (EAD), Bhatia said: "The rule automatically extends the employment authorization and validity of existing EADs issued to certain employment-eligible individuals for up to 180 days from the date of expiration, as long as a renewal application is filed before the expiry of previous EAD based on the same employment authorization category as the previously issued EAD."

(Mayank Chhaya can be contacted at mcsix@outlook.com)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 50 per cent of airline passengers from Hyderabad travel for business/official purpose, revealed a survey.

At 53 per cent, this number is much higher compared to Mumbai and Trivandrum, two other cities covered by the survey.

Only 28 per cent passengers from Mumbai and 25 from Trivandrum travel for official/business purpose.

The survey to understand habits and attitudes of air travellers was conducted by Leadcap Ventures and commissioned by Emirates airline.

It covered 1,100 travellers in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Trivandrum.

Fifty per cent of the air travellers from Mumbai are on leisure/vacation. Majority of travellers (34 per cent) from Trivandrum also fall into this category.

Out of total respondents, one-third travelled for official purpose while two-third travelled for personal reasons.

Majority of international passengers travelled for official visit while domestic passengers travelled for personal visit.

The survey also revealed that more than three-fourth passengers travelled by economy class. Majority of passengers travelling by first/business class were travelling for official purpose.

While majority of the travellers from Mumbai and Trivandrum head straight to work, 53 per cent of travellers from Hyderabad check into a hotel first.

An interesting finding of the survey is that Mumbai airline passengers travel with heaviest baggage.

One-third of the overall respondents preferred to travel light with basic essentials, while one-fourth respondents from Mumbai exceeded baggage limits regularly.

The survey showed that official travellers prefer spending time catching up on sleep before boarding the flight. However, once on the flight they like spending time reading and listening to music.

Personal travellers on the other hand spend time shopping prior to boarding.

Another key trend observed on flight activities of airline travellers was that the top three in flight activities carried by respondents were sleeping, watching movies and reading.

While 34 percent respondents from Mumbai preferred to kill time by reading, majority of respondents from Hyderabad like to sleep in flight, while travelling to international destinations.

Books and gadgets stood out as the top two things preferred to be carried in long haul flights.

While 40 percent of travellers from Mumbai preferred to carry books, travellers from Hyderabad preferred to carry gadgets and grooming kits.

Local cultural items and local confectionery were the top two souvenirs carried by travellers on their return journey.

One-third of the official travellers carried local confectionary products while one-third personal travellers carried local cultural items as souvenirs.

The trend of booking in advance continues be on the rise with 40 per cent travellers claiming to book tickets a month prior to their travel date.

Travel agency was recorded as the main point of booking over airline websites and apps.

Almost two-third respondents surveyed prefer travel agency to book their air tickets while one third use airline website. One-fourth respondents surveyed, prefer booking via mobile app of the airline.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's official twitter account was hacked on Wednesday, and expletives and abuses were posted on the handle. The abusive tweets were later deleted.

One of the illegal posts had abusive language like "My family is a bunch of corrupt....(expletives) retarded... (expletives)".

The hackers also removed Rahul's profile picture and changed the title of the account from @OfficeOfRG to an abusive one.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle has been hacked. We will file a complaint with the Cyber Cell of city police," Pranav Jha, media coordinator, Congress, told IANS.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account was hacked on Wednesday and expletives and abuses posted on the handle. The abusive tweets were later deleted.

The Congress said it smacked of "sinister conspiracy and reflected disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture".

One of the illegal posts had abusive language like "my family is a bunch of corrupt....(expletives) retarded... (expletives)".

The hackers also removed Rahul's profile picture and changed the account title from @OfficeOfRG to Retarded gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle has been hacked. We will file a complaint with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police," Congress Media Coordinator Pranav Jha told IANS.

Congress Communication Department incharge Randeep Singh Surjewla tweeted: "Such unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls to hack @OfficeOfRG reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture."

"Pre-meditated hacking of @OfficeOfRG smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse and intimidate. It stregthens our resolve to fight for the nation," he tweeted.

Surjewala tweeted: "Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed and modified."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on Wednesday said the Ministry of Defence has 'initiated the proposal' to construct railway lines along the country's borders with China, Nepal and Pakistan.

"The proposal for construction of Railway lines along China, Nepal and Pakistan borders has been initiated by Ministry of Defence as a strategic line," Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

"A total of 14 strategic lines have been identified, out of which four strategic lines -- 378-km-long Missamari-Tenga-Tawang, 498-km-long Bilaspur-Manali-Leh, 227-km-long Pasighat-Tezu-Rupai and 249-km-long North Lakhimpur-Bame (Along-Silapathar) have been decided to be taken up in first phase."

The Minister clarified that none of these projects has been sanctioned yet.

"Since all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of young Himalayas, stability, geology, constructability, maintainability and safety issues are to be examined," Gohain elaborated.

"Accordingly, final location survey (FLS) has been taken at a cost of Rs 345 crore," Gohain said, adding: "For the year 2016-17, Ministry of Defence has provided Rs 87.18 crore."

--IANS

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Cuban President Raul Castro paid tribute to his brother Fidel Castro with a speech recounting all the historical milestones that they lived through together.

Raul recounted the death of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the dramatic "special period" and many moments that he shared with Fidel in a speech in the iconic Revolution Square in the Cuban capital, Efe news reported on Wednesday.

This was Raul Castro's first public speech since his televised announcement on November 25 on the death of his 90-year-old brother, who stepped down from power 10 years ago owing to a failing health.

Raul, who began his speech with sincere gratitude for the Cuban people, the Communist Party and the Castro family, said that Fidel "devoted his entire life to solidarity".

He said that the late leader "led a socialist revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble, and became a symbol of the anti-colonial, anti-apartheid, anti-imperialist struggle".

"His vibrant words resonate today in this square," said Raul before evoking some of the historic events that took place in the iconic location where thousands gathered to bid their late leader farewell.

In the same square the Cuban leader had ratified the Agrarian Reform Law, one of the first major economic measures undertaken after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.

There they also adopted the first and second Havana Declarations in 1960 and 1962, which reaffirmed the island's sovereignty and its relationship with the erstwhile Communist Soviet Union and China.

Raul recalled how they were together in one of the buildings flanking the Square during the explosion of the French weapons freighter La Coubre in 1960 which left 101 dead in the Havana harbour.

And the night in 1967 when the Revolution Square hosted a solemn evening of tribute to Che after his assassination in Bolivia.

Castro also spoke about the toughest phase of the "special period", when Cuba plunged into a profound economic crisis after the fall and break-up of the Soviet Union.

He hailed the spirit of the youths who came to pay tribute and swear allegiance to the ideas and work of the Commander in Chief of the Cuban revolution.

"Until victory always!" (Hasta la victoria siempre!) the Cuban President said with a broken voice, amid multitudinous cries of "I am Fidel" and "Raul, friend, the people are with you."

--IANS

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South Korea's industrial output fell in October as Samsung Electronics discontinued its latest flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, a government report said on Wednesday.

Production in all South Korean industries dipped 0.4 per cent in October as railway workers went on strikes, Xinhua news reported.

Production slided further from previous months according to Statistics Korea.

Samsung's ending of production and sales in its latest Galaxy devices led the production in communication and broadcasting equipment to tumble 18.1 per cent in October.

Railway workers went on strikes amid the ongoing restructuring in troubled shipbuilders and shipping companies, further weighing down on the service industry.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday appointed an independent prosecutor to investigate into her own scandal, Parks office said.

Park Young-soo, former senior prosecutor, was selected by the scandal-hit President as the independent counsel among two candidates proposed by three main opposition parties, Xinhua news agency cited the Blue House as saying.

Park hopes for a rapid, thorough investigation into the scandal, expressing her appreciation to prosecutors who have probed the case until now, her spokesman said.

The President said she will actively cooperate in the investigation, vowing to accept the questioning by the independent counsel to explain in detail about the truth behind the scandal.

The newly-appointed counsel will form his team, composed of four deputy special prosecutors, 20 dispatched prosecutors and 40 other investigators, in 20 days.

They will investigate the scandal for as long as 70 days. The independent counsel is allowed to extend his probe once for as long as 30 days.

The special investigative unit of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which has been in charge of the case, will leave its probe to the special prosecutor.

The prosecution office had repeatedly requested face-to-face interrogations with Park, who refused any quizzing by the prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Park conspired with her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, in extorting tens of millions of US dollars from large business conglomerates in return for granting business favours.

Park has been identified as an accomplice to the illegal leakage of secret government documents to Choi.

She has been also accused of pressuring a large conglomerate into making contracts with a public relations agency controlled by Choi.

Park became the first South Korean leader to be investigated as a criminal suspect.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As salaries got credited to many bank accounts on Wednesday, more chaos was witnessed outside bank offices with a large number of people queuing up to withdraw their money.

The November 8 demonetisation announcement was followed by huge struggles for the people hit hard by the cash crunch.

The situation has surely gone worse with people now having to deal with total cash payments to domestic helps, drivers, grocery bills.

An IANS correspondent who went from bank to bank both in New Delhi and adjoining Noida found people queued up in bigger numbers to withdraw their salaries were annoyed by the rush and showed resentment about the banks setting their own arbitrary limits and rules for withdrawals.

"I have been standing in the queue for past two hours as I have to pay my maid and grocery bills in cash. I somehow managed to convince my landlord to accept the rent in cheque but I am bound to visit the bank for other payments," said Vishakha Sharma, a resident of Janakpuri in southwest Delhi.

"It is so humiliating that we have to stand in long queues and beg for our own money. I am sure, tomorrow (December 1) will be even worse as maximum number of people will receive salaries in their accounts," the 27-year-old said.

An MNC employee complained about banks not conforming to the rules about the withdrawal limit.

"It's the end of the month and I am supposed to pay bills. I came to withdraw Rs 24,000 but was allowed only Rs 10,000. How will I manage all the bills and expenses with just Rs 10,000 in hand?" Yogesh Yadav said.

Many showed resentment over the same issue and complained their demands were not met by the bankers, who feel that if they go by the RBI upper limit, they will be able to please only some of their customers -- while the queues outside keep getting longer.

A resident of Mayur Vihar, Chirag was not allowed to deposit Rs 4,000 as he didn't carry his identity card to the bank.

A heated argument took place between the branch manger and him as he kept arguing that according to the RBI guidelines there was no need to carry the identity proof to deposit less than Rs 50,000.

"I can't deposit the cash as they are asking for a copy of the identity card, which I am not carrying. I also came to withdraw but they have run out of cash," the 36-year old Chirag said.

"This is obnoxious on part of the bank to be not entertaining its customers by going against the set norms."

A resident of Krishna Nagar, Rahul Chauhan received his on November 29 but was unable to withdraw. "I stood in the queue at 3 a.m. in the morning (on Thursday). By the time, my chance to enter the bank came, the bank ran out of cash."

"It is annoying that bankers were telling others to go back but entertaining the people that they know."

Surinder Kaur, who is in her 50s, also alleged that bankers are helping their friends and relatives and also complained about the abuse of the token system in banks.

"I have been coming to the bank for past three days. Turn-wise tokens are distributed to lady customers. They are told to come around 1 p.m. When we reach, they send us back saying that there is no cash left," she said.

"I am feeling frustrated with the mismanagement on part of the banks and also the government."
RJD strongman Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday opposed the plea seeking his shifting from Siwan district jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi and the transfer of trials in 45 cases he faces, saying that plea for his transfer was against the law.

Opposing the plea, Shahabuddin told the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy that such a transfer from Siwan district jail to Tihar was unwarranted and unjustified as same was contrary to the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950.

Telling the court that it could not issue a mandamus that was contrary to the law, senior counsel Shekhar Naphade said: "The plea for mandamus is contrary to law. What is illegal can't be a mandamus."

He said no order can be passed that is contrary to Section 3 of the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950 as prisons and the prisoners are in the exclusive domain of the State governments.

As bench observed that the plea was seeking the transfer of Shahabuddin from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail invoking top court's powers under Article 142, Naphade said: "You can't exercise powers under Article 142 of the constitution which may infringe my fundamental rights."

Article 142 says "the Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India..."

The top court was told this as it is hearing the plea by Chandrakeshwar Prasad and Asha Ranjan, widow of a journalist allegedly killed on Shahabuddin's orders, seeking his transfer from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi and holding of his trial through video-conferencing.

Chandrakeshwar Prasad's three sons were killed allegedly by Shahabuddin's henchmen.

Reversing the Patna High Court's September 7 order granting him bail, the top court had on September 30 had ordered Shahabuddin back to jail in the Rajiv Roshan murder case as it pointed to the need for balancing the consideration of individual liberty of the accused with that of societal interest.

As Naphade's arguments had not concluded, the hearing will continue on Thursday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After food tech, education tech and logistic-tech companies, investors have shifted their interest in fashion-technology start-ups and Indian entrepreneurs are using tricks learned from social media to create fashion communities that together discover, share and, most importantly, buy.

While the fashion e-commerce space is already crowded, there are few unique fashion tech start-ups that are opening exclusive world of fashion. The growth of such platforms can be subjected to the rise of the average ticket size from Rs 500 to 2 lakh.

From social and talent networking platforms to community building, a lot of fashion-tech companies have created niche for themselves and have grown exponentially.

This has manifested itself through the development of a digital product and service platforms.

Extensive use of new technology, engagement of communities and the growing connection between fashion and local or tier 2 markets can be the factors among many others.

The depth of this digital transformation of fashion has been acknowledged by leaders of many companies.

"The fashion industry has always been open to adopting emerging technology for operational efficiency and customer engagement. In the last decade, there has been lot of advancement in the production techniques and also the retail store operations," COO of fashion-tech platform 6Degree Amit Bhardwaj told IANS in an e-mail interview.

"These have helped fashion designers and companies to save cost and increase profitability," he said.

According to Bhardwaj, "using the power of mobile apps to reach customer where they want the brand to be and using software to plan production, marketing and services saves time, effort and resources."

He also said that technologies like live streaming, social media, artificial intelligence based trend prediction, enterprise mobile applications are bringing the next wave of growth to the industry by real time customer engagement, leading to more sales and customer satisfaction.

Another fashion start-up, "CoutLoot", is described by its owners as "an end to end fashion re-commerce service where you can buy and sell second hand or pre-loved fashion really quick and easy".

The co-founder, Jasmeet Thind, believes that the growing consumer base makes demands for more choices.

"Handling and fulfilling large volumes becomes inefficient if not done with correct decisions which should always be based on data," Thind told IANS.

"Fashion has not only gone hi-tech on the consumer interface of things but also at the back-end which helps in day to day decision making for the consumer and brands," she said.

"While the consumer gets to see what he/she really likes, brands also spend much lower on getting their define traditional games on board," Thind explained.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi left for Singapore on Wednesday to pay an official visit to the southeast Asian nation, officials here said.

She is visiting the country at the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Suu Kyi will hold talks with Lee on promoting bilateral relations and cooperation during her visit, Xinhua news agency reported.

During her three-day stay in Singapore, Suu Kyi will also meet Myanmarese citizens working in the country and attend International Enterprise Singapore's Global Conversation with businesses, among other schedules, sources said.

Bilateral relations and cooperation between Myanmar and Singapore opened a new page as Lee visited Nay Pyi Taw in June.

During Lee's visit, the two countries vowed to enhance cooperation in economy and vocational education, signing an agreement on 30-day mutual exemption of visa for ordinary passport holders of the two countries with effect from December 1.

Singapore stood as Myanmar's second largest investor after China with $15.596 billion in 221 projects as of October this year since late 1988, accounting for 23.28 per cent of the total foreign investment.

A total of 212 Singaporean firms have been permitted to operate in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).

Myanmar-Singapore bilateral relations date back to 1966 when the two countries established diplomatic ties.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President-elect Donald Trump has spoke on phone with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a spokesperson for the transition team said.

The spokesperson, who mentioned it at a daily briefing, did not provide any further information about the call made on Monday.

Pakistani media reports said Trump had offered to play any role he could to help Islamabad find solutions to its problems.

Trump also told Sharif that he looked forward to visiting Pakistan and meeting him, according to Samaa, a Pakistani media website.

The account could not be confirmed independently with Trump's team.

Last month, in an interview to the Hindustan Times, Trump had called the situation between India and Pakistan "very, very hot tinderbox" and offered to "mediate or arbitrate", if asked to.

India opposes any third party involvement in the bilateral disputes with Pakistan.

Earlier, Trump had been critical of Pakistan for allowing some terrorist groups to operate from its soil and ridiculed President Barack Obama's administration for not being able to help the jailed doctor who helped the US track down and kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was sheltering in Pakistan.

After Trump's election, Islamabad's foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz had said that his country was willing to work with him in fighting terrorism.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The various economic think tanks which abound in the national capital, and which depend on government funds to operate, are said to be somewhat miffed that their battery of economists was not consulted by the Prime Ministers Office, the finance ministry or the Reserve Bank of India while planning demonetisation. Now, however, the Centre is reaching out to these think tanks and explaining its move. The situation gets a little awkward here as one of the people reaching out to these economists with their doctorates and years of research is not a decorated academic, but, in fact, a media mogul and member of Parliament, whose news channels take a pro-government stance. One can only imagine the conversations such a person would have with trained economists.
Exactly two months after Indias so-called surgical strike along the Line of Control to avenge the attack on a military base in Uri came a savage reminder that all is not well on the western front. In what appear to be coordinated attacks, terrorists targeted an army camp at the XVI Corps headquarters in Nagrota near Jammu and a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol at Chamliyal in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district. The two attacks resulted in the death of seven army men, two of them officers, in Nagrota and the injuring of four others, including a BSF DIG, in Chamliyal. This is the biggest strike since the Uri attack in September, which claimed the lives of 19 defence personnel. The latest terror attack follows an alarming pattern since 2015, with more than 10 such episodes of varying intensity involving many deaths. The Uri attack was the most deadly but several others stand out, such as the attack in Pathankot in January, when four militants entered an airbase, and in Gurdaspur in July 2015, when militants lay siege to a police station.
Over Thanksgiving, Amazon released a commercial that is attracting attention on both sides of the Atlantic. It features two elderly clerics, an imam and a priest, meeting to exchange good wishes over the holiday season. As the two old friends  who are actual clerics, not actors  sit down to chat over a coffee and rise from their armchairs after the meeting, they ruefully exchange glances over their stiff knees. When they part, they access their Amazon Prime apps and send each other identical gifts the next day; knee braces that enable the priest to kneel with ease in front of the altar and the imam to prostrate himself more nimbly in prayer in the mosque.
Deepak Lals article, On populism (November 30) was scholarly. It seems populism has different meaning, purpose and form in the minds of scholars and the public.
Rating firm Fitch Ratings expects residential property sales of most of the residential developers to come down by at least 20-30% in 2017, because of the government's move to demonetise certain currency notes.
Goods or services for a commercial purpose are excluded from purview of the Act, unless these are purchased or availed for the purpose of earning a livelihood. A person can also change his mind over a period of time, due to various circumstances. An interesting issue arose as to which date should be considered for reckoning whether a transaction is for a commercial purpose or not. This has been decided by the National Commission in the case of Priyajeev Narain Trika versus Bhasin Infotech & Infrastructure in Complaint No. 609 of 2015, decided on November 22, 2016.
The Congress is mulling options like debating or rejecting the (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, when the government moves to pass the legislation in the Rajya Sabha.
Coming down heavily on the Centre over the recent terror attack on an Army mess in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir in which seven defence personnel were killed, former chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that regardless of what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally on Tuesday than it was six months ago.

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led Government, Abdullah stated that terrorists were clearly no more deterred from attacking India's Armed Forces now than they were prior to the surgical strikes conducted in September.

"So on a day on which 7 of our brave soldiers lost their lives to terrorist bullets, the government must explain its Pakistan policy to the nation. It's all very well to call people who question the government line "Friends of Pakistan" but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought-out policy," he said in a series of tweets.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Shiv Sena as well lambasted the Centre's policy with Pakistan in the wake of the attack and said the government must up the ante against Pakistan and stop gloating over the one lone surgical strike.

"Ever since the Uri attack happened, Pakistan has turned the heat and unleashed a string of attacks on us, while we are still beating the drum about one, lone surgical strike. Yes, we did carry out a surgical strike but clearly, that has not silenced Pakistan. One mere surgical strike does not amount to teaching Pakistan a lesson," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI here.

Indian Army Chief of Staff General Dalbir Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the deadly terrorist attack on an army artillery unit in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir today, in which seven defence personnel lost their lives.

Earlier, two Indian Army officers and five jawans were killed in the attack, where a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters.

The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, the Army said in a statement.

In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives. Following which, the terrorists entered two building which was occupied by families, Officers and men.

This led to a hostage like situation but it was quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children.

However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives bringing the total death toll to seven.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area.

Speaking to ANI here, Defence PRO Manish Mehta said that combing operations have been called off for now as it was night time and will be resumed at the crack of dawn on Wednesday.
Twelve people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed when fire ravaged a dormitory for pupils in the southern Turkish region of Adana, local officials said.

The fire, which officials said was likely caused yesterday by an electrical fault, raced through the building's wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.

Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.

Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck and whose roof collapsed.

"We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured," Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.

"According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault," he said.

The Dogan agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under.

The disaster took place in the town of Aladag north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.

Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.

The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 19:25 (1625 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.

Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.

But Adana city Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said: "It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there," he said.

He told NTV "of course children would have survived" if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs.

"From tomorrow the governor's office will start an investigation."



He said the children were aged between 11-14.

Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not flee outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan agency said.

The fire spread rapidly because of the building's wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.

Aladag district's mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden.

With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.

In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, Dogan added.

The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.

Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A French court has convicted 14 current and former Air France workers of taking part in violence during a union protest last year at the airline's headquarters that saw two company executives flee over a fence with their shirts ripped off.

The images of the shirtless managers spread around the world and came as an extreme example of the often-tense labor relations in France.

The judges outside Paris today sentenced three men to three-to-four month suspended terms for aggravated assault. Eleven were given a 500-euro (USD 530) fine for property damage. Two people were acquitted.

All were facing up to three years in prison and a 45,000-euro (USD 48,000) fine.

The violence erupted in October 2015 as executives were announcing nearly 3,000 job cuts during a union meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
GE Capital officials said Tuesday in Billings they will pull out of their West End operation and lay off 60 workers by the end of next year.

The remaining 90 or so workers in other departments in Billings are heading next year to Wells Fargo and Bank of Montreal, which bought operations contained within the companys Center of Excellence in Billings.

GE will continue making lease payments on the building through January 2021.

Executives with GE Capital from Chicago and Connecticut met with representatives of Big Sky Economic Development and other local leaders of all levels of government at the Northern Hotel on Tuesday.

Sixty jobs isnt a lot to a lot of places, but its a lot to Montana and a lot to Billings. Were going to continue to be engaged, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said during the meeting on a conference call from Washington, D.C.

Big Sky Economic Development owns the $9.3 million, 40,000-square-foot building on Hesper Road that was built specifically in 2009 for GE. The company also received about $1.75 million in incentives, mostly funded by taxpayers, to expand in Billings.

Steve Arveschoug, director of Big Sky Economic Development, said the agency must continue to make debt payments on the building through 2034. Big Sky doesnt have a new tenant in place and would like to find a company with a strong commitment to its workforce, he said.

Anyone that is in expansion mode. That facility is perfect for back office space, Arveschoug said.

Tester, fellow U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, Gov. Steve Bullock and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke had lobbied GE since October 2015 to keep at least part of its operations in Billings. Thats when the Connecticut-based company announced it was selling its commercial lending and leasing businesses to Wells Fargo for $30 billion.

The GE Center employed 200 workers at its peak and generated about $95 million in economic activity through direct operations and spin-off jobs. BSED officials had hoped they could save some of the jobs.

About 150 workers are at the facility now, said Chris Favilla, GEs Chicago-based manager of the Billings facility. Favilla and Greg Cameron, chief financial officer of GE Capital Americas, met with employees Tuesday afternoon about the transition.

The laid-off employees mostly worked in GEs fleet management insurance division, which was consolidated with other GE operations, Favilla said.

Several people leaving the GE Capital building in Billings on Tuesday afternoon either declined to comment or referred questions to management.

Wells Fargo took over GEs vendor financing services, and Bank of Montreal bought other services related to transportation financing, she said.

Wells Fargo has a large presence in Billings and could roll the GE properties into its existing services, according to Big Sky EDA. Bank of Montreal has not indicated whether it will remain in Billings. Bank officials could not be reached Tuesday.

The closure of the GE Capital operations traces back to April 2015, when the company announced plans to separate from its financing business and focus more on its core business of energy and technology.

Cameron said the company had a good experience in Billings.

From a GE standpoint, the relationship and our fondness for Billings couldnt be greater, he said.
Nearly 20 countries, including two UN Security Council permanent members - France and Great Britain - have joined hands to celebrate here the issuing of the Diwali postage stamp by the US.

The event co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of Belarus and India to the UN office along with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine would attend the "Diwali" stamp dedication ceremony at the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the United Nations in New York on December 5, according to a media release.

The event would also honour Ranju Batra, chairman of the Diwali Stamp project, who worked behind the scene for several years campaigning before the US Postal Service (USPS) to issue a stamp in honour of the festival of lights. It has become the number one best seller in the history of USPS.

So far more than 170,000 Diwali stamps have been sold.

Other countries that have joined the event as co-sponsors are Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Moldova, Morocco, Panama, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ukraine and Vietnam.

On October 6, the stamp was launched here by the USPS, capping seven-year-long efforts by Indian-Americans and influential American lawmakers to commemorate the festival of lights.

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A 20-year-old Dalit youth was found dead in his house in Morna town here, police said.

Kuldeep's body was found in his house in Bhopa police station area yesterday. The body bears strangulation marks, SHO Yogendera Sharma said.

A case has been registered in this regard and a probe is on.

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In a major haul, 21 kg and 700 grams of ganja (cannabis) was seized by Mizoram Excise and Narcotics department's Anti Narcotic Squad today at Rangvamual in the outskirts of Aizawl, a department spokesman said.

The spokesman said that Lalramzauvi (46) of Churachandpur in Manipur was arrested in this connection and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

The seized drugs were smuggled from Manipur to be sold in Aizawl Earlier on November 17.

Meanwhile, the Special Judge (ND and PS) Liansangzuala convicted Lalchhandama, arrested for possession of 10 kilos of ganja.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 slapped on him.

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At least 22 workers are trapped in a unlicensed coal mine in China's northeastern Heilongjiang Province even as rescuers raced against time to save them, in the latest accident to hit the country's mining industry.

Police are questioning at least two people over the explosion which occurred at a private coal mine in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province, at 9 PM yesterday.

Initial enquires showed that the blast was an accident and the mine was unlicensed, police said.

The manager and another official of the mine is being questioned, police said.

The police have not yet made any formal arrests, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Hundreds of rescuers extinguished the flames and conducted toxic air tests.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal.

An explosion at a mine in the southwestern region of Chongqing on October 31 killed 33 people, just weeks after a gas explosion in another mine in Guizhou province killed seven people.

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An MBA student and her cousin were among three persons arrested with fake Rs 2,000 currency notes amounting to Rs 42 lakh in Mohali today, police said here.

The trio -- Vishakha Verma of Kapurthala, who is perusing MBA from Manipur, her B Tech cousin Abhinav Verma from Dhakoli in Zirakpur and their property dealer friend Suman Nagpal of Ludhiana - were caught in an Audi car with illegal red beacon atop. Two of their accomplices are still at large, Mohali SP Parminder Singh Bhandal told reporters.

The police said post-demonetisation, the accused had begun printing fake Rs 2,000 notes.

According to police, the recovered fake notes were of fine quality and bear close resemblance to the original Rs 2,000 notes.

"With red beacon atop the luxury car, the accused were on their way to dupe a gullible customer when on a tip-off, we intercepted them near Bakarpur village," the SP said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Ludhaina-based property dealer used to look for the gullible persons, interested in exchanging junked currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000, by charging 30 per cent of the total amount.

"After striking a deal, they would give the victims fake currency notes in return," the investigators said.

A case under Sections 420, 489-A, B, C, D and 120-B was registered against the accused, who were sent to one-day police remand by a local court.

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Four youths were killed when their vehicle fell into a 800-mt deep gorge on Bhawali-Nainital road here, police said today.

The car was on its way from Delhi to Nainital when the accident occurred last evening, SO of Tall Tital police station in Nainital Pramod Pathak said.

Three of the deceased have been identified as Nitin Sharma, Rahul Sonwal and Anshu, all residents of Delhi. The fourth one is yet to be identified.

Pathak said the body of Anshu (25), resident of Borari in Delhi, was retrieved from the spot by SDRF jawans today.

Attempts are on to retrieve other three bodies, he said.

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As many as 400 persons have so far been arrested by the excise department of Delhi government in the ongoing drive against public drinking in the national capital.

Although 29 persons were arrested for consuming liquor in public places on Monday, 13 were caught yesterday for violating the laid down rules.

While launching the drive against open drinking on November 7, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said the intention of the government was not to put people in jails but to reform them and curb so this menace which is taking a toll on the families and safety of women can be ensured.

The action is being taken against the violators under section 40 of the Delhi Excise Act and they are handed over to Delhi Police in different Police Stations for further action as per law.

As per the rules, anyone caught drinking publicly has to to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and anyone creating nuisance in public is fined Rs 10,000 and faces imprisonment of up to six months.

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Pakistani security forces have killed five militants involved in extortion and attacks on passenger trains during a search operation in the restive Balochistan province.

The militants were killed in the Talli area of Sibi district after they opened fire at Frontier Corps who were combing the area last night.

The soldiers retaliated after the militants opened fire on them from the mountains, resulting in death of five armed militants in the heavy exchange of fire, a Frontier Corps spokesman said.

He said that three secret hideouts of the militants were also destroyed by the security forces.

The slain militants were involved in extortion, attacks on passenger trains, security forces and gas installations, he added.

Militants have conducted attacks against security forces and national installations in Balochistan, which has been plagued by an insurgency and growing sectarian killings for more than a decade.

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Rescuers are searching for 22 miners trapped underground in northeastern China.

State media reported that yesterday night's accident occurred at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a heavy coal mining region. The cause of the accident was not immediately reported.

China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal. It announced plans earlier this year to shutter more than 1,000 underperforming mines, though hundreds of new coal plants are also under construction and economic planners have lifted limits on production days for some mining operations.

China's work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, though official government figures are often questioned for their accuracy.

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Higher capacity deployment and introduction of new flights helped Air India Express report an 18 per cent increase in operating revenue to Rs 1,897 crore in the April-September period of the current fiscal.

The airline's operating revenue in the first of the 2014-15 stood at Rs 1609 crore,



"According to the unaudited earnings, which the board approved at its meeting yesterday, our operating revenue surged 18 per cent to Rs 1,897 crore during the first half of the current financial year," Air India Express Chief Executive Officer K Shyamsundar told PTI.

The airline during the period increased capacity by 21 per cent in addition to a higher utilisation of the fleet, he said, adding, "all this resulted in posting a profit of Rs 415 crore in the first six months of the current fiscal."



The Kochi-based low-cost airline turned profitable in the last fiscal, posting a profit of Rs 362 crore on the back of lower fuel prices and improved revenues over the past year on the back of flying more people per flight.

Air India Express is the international budget arm of the national carrier Air India Express. At present, it flies to 15 international destinations across Gulf and South-east Asia from 14 domestic airports with a fleet of 23 Boeing 737 planes.

The airline carried 1.64 million passengers during the period while the seat factor stood at 79 per cent, he said.

Load or seat factor is a measure of how much of an airline's passenger carrying capacity is used or average percentage of seats filled in an aircraft.

Air India Express added four more leased Boeing B737-800 planes in its fleet during the April-September period of this fiscal, taking the total number of planes with the airline to 21, he said.

"The first half of the fiscal year also witnessed start of new operations to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Damam from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Tiruchirappalli and Kochi," Shyamsundar said.

With the induction of two more B 737-800 NG aircraft in the 3rd quarter, the airline's fleet size now stands at 23.

With an enhanced fleet size, the airline plans strengthening of its presence in the North Indian markets and additional flight operations from its core markets in South India," he said.

According to Shyamsundar, after Air India Express commences operations on the Kozhikode- Riyadh route from December 2, it will be operating flights to 15 overseas destinations from as many airports here.

AIE has also decided to offer ticket booking facility through net banking, in addition to the existing credit/debit card- based online payment mode in the wake of Government's increase thrust on digital payments, he said.

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BISMARCK, N.D.  Gov. Jack Dalrymple wants to meet with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council in the coming days to discuss the Dakota Access Pipeline protest and begin rebuilding state and tribal relations.

In my opinion, we need to begin now to talk about how we are going to eventually arrive at a peaceful resolution of the situation and restore the relationship between North Dakota and the Standing Rock people, Dalrymple said during a news conference Wednesday.

The governor said he has had ongoing conversations with Chairman Dave Archambault II, but for the first time Wednesday he requested a meeting with the full tribal council.

I think the time has come to talk about our relationship and how we wind up at a place where the Standing Rock Tribe does not suffer any bad consequences long-term from this, Dalrymple said.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe issued an emergency proclamation late Wednesday to safeguard peaceful protests on treaty territory. The declaration calls on the state to withdraw its emergency evacuation order and allow supplies to be delivered to ensure no lives at the camp are threatened.

Dalrymple said hed like to meet with the entire tribal council while hes still in office. Doug Burgum becomes North Dakota governor on Dec. 15.

Whatever we are able to establish in way of progress, I assume that he will continue from the day that he takes over, Dalrymple said.

The governor called the press conference to clarify information about the emergency evacuation order he issued Monday afternoon for the main protest camp, citing harsh winter weather. Dalrymple said the order, which he has also issued to communities during floods, is meant to put people on notice that the area is unsafe but does not mean that people will be removed from the camp.

We have not, at any time, ever contemplated going to the main camp and removing people from that area, Dalrymple said. They have been on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land without a permit. But we have not ever discussed removing them forcibly from that area.

Archambault said in a statement late Monday that the governors order is a menacing action meant to cause fear and an attempt to circumvent federal authority.

Dalrymple said his order does not mean that law enforcement will not stop vehicles or block supplies from being delivered to the camp.

We will not be blocking supplies to people of food and water and clothing. Obviously, that would be a huge mistake from a humanitarian standpoint to do anything like that, Dalrymple said. All were saying is we encourage you to find another place to be. We will continue to do that. We want the entire public to know that this is not a safe place.

However, people could be subject to a $1,000 fine for violating the governors order. When asked if vehicles pulled over during a traffic stop could be subject to that fine if theyre transporting supplies to the camp, Dalrymple and Col. Michael Gerhart of the Highway Patrol said they could not answer a hypothetical question.

One issue Dalrymple said hed like to discuss with tribal officials is a plan to have the North Dakota Department of Transportation safely evaluate the Backwater Bridge and make any necessary repairs. The bridge just north of the camp has been closed since a protest on Oct. 27.

The delay in opening the bridge has been a source of contention for protesters and tribal members who question why it has taken so long for the state to reopen the bridge and have called on the state to reopen Highway 1806.

Meanwhile, additional North Dakota National Guard members have been called to support law enforcement in the protest area.

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann said in a statement the members will train on all potential missions, including crowd control, to support law enforcements efforts. However, the Guard is not currently engaged in any crowd or riot control missions, he said.

"We continue to bring National Soldiers and Airmen in, as needed, to support law enforcement in maintaining public safety, Dohrmann said.

Also Wednesday, the North Dakota Emergency Commission approved an additional $7 million in spending authority to support response efforts to the Dakota Access protests. That amount, which will be borrowed from the Bank of North Dakota, is in addition to the $10 million already authorized. Dalrymple said the new funding is expected to support response efforts through the end of December.

In a statement, Archambault called on the United Nations and President Obama to take immediate action to prohibit excessive law enforcement against the pipeline opponents.

As a tribal nation, we call on the President to take all the appropriate steps to ensure water protectors are safe and that their rights to free speech and peaceful assembly are protected, he said. Gov. Dalrymple had a chance today to condemn the violence and unlawful acts of state and local governments, but failed to do so.

Amnesty International USA, a human rights group, requested a Justice Department investigation into the police response to the pipeline protests Wednesday. The request was based on information gathered by four Amnesty International human rights observer delegations and reports from the area, according to a news release.

In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, AIUSA Executive Director Margaret Huang said individual officers should be charged and prosecuted if investigators discover any civil rights violations committed by law enforcement. She also requested that the Civil Rights Division send observers to the area.

The sheriffs office has used tear gas, concussion grenades and fire hoses against protesters in sub-freezing temperatures, so we believe that federal oversight is necessary," Eric Ferrero of Amnesty International USA said in a statement.

The organization also said recent decisions from the governor's office and the Army Corps to close the land north of the Cannonball River "may violate the human rights of the Indigenous communities and others opposed to the Dakota Access pipeline, including their right to peaceful protest."

Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley defended law enforcements actions Wednesday, saying that the fire hoses were necessary on Nov. 20 because of fires started by protesters and people could have moved back 30 feet to avoid being sprayed. Law enforcement also has said they do not have concussion grenades.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., spoke about the Dakota Access protests from the Senate floor Wednesday to address what he called misperceptions about the project.

He reiterated his call for the Corps to approve the easement for the crossing of Lake Oahe less than a mile north of the Standing Rock Reservation and said the ongoing protests are being prolonged and intensified by the Obama administration.

This inaction has inflamed tensions, strained state and local resources, and, most importantly, is needlessly putting people at risk  including tribal members, protesters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, and area residents  our farmers and ranchers who live in the area, Hoeven said.
Preparing to expand its international presence, Air India is actively looking at starting flights to the Scandinavian region.

"After Madrid, we are actively looking at Scandinavian region to expand our international presence. We are mulling to launch either Copenhagen (Denmark) or Stockholm (Sweden) by the middle of 2017...," Air India Director (Commercial) Pankaj Srivastava said here today.

The national carrier, which is working on ways to revive its fortunes, would be launching its direct services to Madrid, Spain from tomorrow.

Speaking at a function to mark the launch of Madrid flight, he said the airline is also looking at flights to Hong Kong from Mumbai.

However, the launch of such a service would depend on the availability of slots, he added.

Air India has plans to increase the frequency of its services to Melbourne and Sydney (Australia) to five flights per week as well as to Shanghai (China) to seven from five at present.

"As part of international operations expansion plans, we are also planning to connect India with Tel Aviv and Tanzania and Kenya in West Africa," Srivastava said.

Earlier this year, Air India had launched Ahmedabad- London- Newark flight, apart from Delhi-Vienna services.

On November 27, Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said the airline had great expansion plans.

"Madrid connection starts on 1st Dec (December) to be followed by another, at least six new connections in 2017. Great expansion plans for Air India," he had said in a tweet.

Currently, Air India flies to 71 domestic and 42 international destinations.

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Employees of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, who belong to Telangana, held a protest in the Assembly premises here today demanding that they be alloted to their native state.

The employees, who hailed from Telangana but working in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, demanded that they be alloted to Telangana, as the AP House would be moving to its permanent capital city of Amaravati soon.

"We have been working in AP Legislative Assembly. But the AP Assembly would now be shifting soon," an employee told the reporters.

The protesting employees held placards resenting the alleged delay.

Official sources said that the matter is already being looked into.

The bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh came into effect on June 2, 2014.

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Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag on Wednesday visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters and was briefed about Tuesday's terror attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed, even as combing operation to flush out any remaining militant continued.

Three militants were killed by security forces personnel and combing operation to sanitise the area was nearing an end.

Gen Suhag arrived in Nagrota in the afternoon and was briefed by the top commanders on the terror attack at an army artillery unit.

He was also briefed about the combing operations.

He reviewed the security aspect post-terror attack and paid tributes to those killed in the strike.

"Combing operation resumed this morning at the camp. The area has to be cleared... Operation is on to see whether there is presence of any other militant in the area. We cannot take chances," a senior army officer said.

'Blinds' (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation.

Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three km from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued.

Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor V Shanmuganathan today advised the students to have quality life, high moral ethics and physical fitness.

Gracing the XIVth convocation of Rajiv Gandhi University at Rono Hills, the Governor called upon the graduates and the students to have a purpose and goal in life.

He advised them to think big and act in time with conviction.

Shanmuganathan said that to do any great work the students have to focus on their performance.

"This will lead to recognition and in the long run earn respect. Respect will give them power. They have to concentrate on their performance," he said.

He added that to bring out the best in the students, they have to rise above gender, caste, religion, race, and regionalism.

"Leave behind your ego, eliminate bias and welcome courtesy and dignity. Advocate openness, fairness, transparency, accountability and meritocracy," he stressed.

Citing examples of Indians doing extremely well internationally, the Governor said that the youth of India have huge potential.

He expressed hope that the students of Arunachal Pradesh could top the world and advised the students to have faith and confidence in themselves.

The Governor exhorted the students, particularly those who were conferred the degrees to have the passion to contribute towards the society.

He advised them to think about the state and country.

Shanmuganathan, who is the Chief Rector of the University, urged the students to carry out research works through innovative means to address poverty, diseases and other challenges faced by the people.

RGU Chancellor Air Marshal (Retd) Pranab Kumar Barbora in his address congratulated the parents, faculty and students.

He called upon the graduates to perform and help India in its progress.

Vice Chancellor of the univwersity Prof. Tamo Mibang gave a brief on the University.

He informed that 61 major and minor research projects have been taken up by the central varsity.

"It is one of the unique universities of the country where strength of the female students is more than their male counterparts," the VC added.

The Governor also presented the Chancellor's Gold Medal, while Borbora presented the Vice Chancellor's Gold Medal for academic session of 2015-16.

A total of 678 post graduates and 5660 under graduates were conferred degrees while 16 students received PhD, 18 received their Master of Philosophy on the occasion.

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Leading packaging experts and academicians from different countries would converge on December 17 for an 'Asian Packaging Congress' to showcase the recent trends and innovations in the packaging industry.

The event is being organised by Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, an IIP release issued here today said.

The conference themed 'Packaging - A lifeline of Modern Life Style' -- would focus on the importance of packaging in the current lifestyle, N C Saha, director of IIP said.

"The Congress will explore the latest developments in strategies, techniques and technologies in terms of packaging materials, machineries and systems which have a tremendous impact in shaping our modern-day lifestyle," said Dr Sanjay Kumar Chhatopadhyay, Head, R&D, IIP, Mumbai.

IIP has pioneered many initiatives towards innovations in the packaging industry and have set new industry benchmarks through excessive focus on Research and Development, he said.

About 350 to 400 delegates from India and abroad, comprising packaging raw-material manufacturers, ancillary material manufacturers, packaging machinery manufacturers and user industry are expected to participate in this Congress.

The conference would culiminate with an award ceremony to be organised by IIP on December 17.

Packaging professionals and academicians, who would address the gathering include Amitava Ray, Whole time Director, Uflex Ltd, Bernd Jaboloski and Messe Dusseldorf (Germany), Dharma Ratnayeke (Sri Lanka), Albert Lim (Singapore), Dr Sung (South Korea), Ms Aslihan (Turkey), Ms Liza (Russia)), Ms Ariana Sushante (Indonesia), S N Venkatraman, Vice President Marketing, ITC Ltd and Ajay Shah, President, Polymers, Reliance Industries Ltd.

The event will also have a discussion on 'Make in India: A National Mission for Packaging Industry', the release added.

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At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

An estimated 30,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority living mostly in Myanmar, have been forced to leave their homes since a bloody crackdown by the army in the western state of Rakhine.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop them from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

"The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher."



Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse but has also banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area to investigate.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced a growing backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Today she vowed to work for "peace and national reconciliation", saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.

Rohingya community leaders in Bangladesh said another 3,000 displaced Rohingya were stranded on an island in the Naf river that divides the two countries, attempting to enter Bangladesh.

"They have been stuck in the island for almost a week without sufficient food and clothes," Abu Ghalib told AFP.

But a spokesman for the Bangladesh border guards said the claims could not be verified as the island was not Bangladeshi territory.

Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coast guard ships in an effort to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.

Nevertheless Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh said the number of arrivals had risen this week.

But so far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.

Shinji Kubo, who heads the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh, said the new arrivals needed "urgent" help.

"Obviously these people have come from Myanmar after terrible experiences and without any belongings. The winter is approaching. So everyone is really worried about their wellbeing," he said.
At least 16 people are kidnapped everyday in Delhi and as many as 5,920 cases of kidnapping were registered in the national capital this year till November 15, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Delhi Police has reported that 5,920 cases of kidnapping were registered this year till November 15, out of which in 3,127 cases the victims were actually suspected to be kidnapped or abducted, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, he said it has emerged during investigation that some victims who were abducted were sold for money, forced into child labour, prostitution, marriage and sexually exploited.

The number of missing people reported in Delhi this year is 20,882.

Ahir also listed out the measures that Delhi Police has taken to tackle human trafficking, which includes, uploading of information about missing children on Zonal Integrated Police Network immediately.

Juvenile Welfare Officers have been appointed in all police stations and they work in close association with family members of the missing child and the investigating officers, he said.

District Missing Persons Unit and Missing Persons Squad for Delhi are working under Crime Branch to monitor the cases of missing children. Every district has an Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), the minister said, adding if a child (aged between three to eight years) is not recovered within four months, the case is transferred to AHTU of the district concerned.

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Body of a 23-year-old auto driver with a severed head was found in Cholapur area here, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Amit Prajapati, resident of Pandeypur, Station Officer of Cholapur police station Ramesh Yadav said.

He said villagers yesterday informed the police about the body with its head missing from the site of the incident on Varanasi-Azamgarh road.

The body was lying near a pond with its legs and hands tied, Yadav said.

Efforts are on to locate the missing head, he said adding an FIR has been registered.

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A Bahraini court has jailed a journalist for three months over a tweet deemed insulting to religion, Reporters Without Borders said today.

Faisal Hayyat, a journalist and a blogger who hosts a satirical channel on YouTube, was convicted yesterday of insulting a "religious symbol and group," the watchdog said.

He has been in detention since October 9, the last time he tweeted saying that he had been summoned by police for investigation.

The content of the tweet that the charges refer to is not clear, but on October 8, Hayyat posted tweets denouncing Muawiyah, the first caliph of the 7th-century Umayyad Caliphate, who is despised by Shiite Muslims for a conflict with their revered Imam Ali.

The Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom has been shaken by unrest since security forces crushed protests led by crowds of its Shiite majority demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister in 2011.

Scores of Shiites have been jailed on charges of involvement in the unrest and others have been stripped of their citizenship.

The crackdown has drawn criticism from the United Nations and the United States.

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Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid today assured India that it has "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism and sought expanded military ties as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar called on him.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, met the President after holding talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed to strengthen bilateral military and security cooperation.

The President told Parrikar that Bangladesh maintained "zero tolerance" policy in combating terrorism in "all its forms", a presidential palace spokesman told PTI.

The President urged the Indian minister to send more Indian military officials to Bangladesh for training to boost ties between the armed forces of the two countries, the spokesman said.

"The President expressed condolence to the victims of the dastardly terror attacks in Uri and Pathankot," the spokesman said.

Hamid recalled with gratitude India's contribution to Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War, saying "many valiant soldiers of Indian defence forces embraced martyrdom in the war," the spokesman said.

Parrikar said terrorism is a global threat and India is working to establish peace in the region. He also sought joint efforts to enhance bilateral defence relations.

Parrikar, who arrived here today on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, will tomorrow meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet.

The vice chiefs of India's army, navy and air force, held talks with Bangladesh's three services' chiefs at their office in Dhaka cantonment, a defence ministry official said.

"During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," an official statement said.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar's trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) near the southeastern port city of Chittagong tomorrow.

Alongside India, Bangladesh has strong defence cooperation with China especially in military hardware.

Bangladesh Navy this month acquired its first submarines from China, as Dhaka sought to boost its naval power in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib during his recent visit to India had said Dhaka wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others.

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Two bulls in Western Montana have tested positive for brucellosis, a disease that causes cows to miscarry and can threaten Montana's beef economy.

The bulls, which were destroyed, were on a Beaverhead County ranch located in Montanas Designated Surveillance Area, a multi-county region where brucellosis is tightly monitored and isolated instances are tolerated.

The bulls tested positive during a whole herd test. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the test results. The ranch is under quarantine for investigation, but remaining ranch livestock tested negative for brucellosis.

It can be frustrating when a brucellosis-affected herd is discovered, but our robust brucellosis program continues to find them early, which protects our state as well as our trading partners, said Marty Zaluski, state veterinarian, in a press release.

The surveillance area is located in counties near Yellowstone National Park. Elk are considered the likely source of livestock infections.

This is the eighth brucellosis-affected herd found since the creation of the DSA in 2010.

Before Montana created a DSA for brucellosis, a single instance was enough to prompt other states to ban Montana cattle. Since the DSA's creation, Montana exports from cattle outside the area haven't been halted because of a brucellosis discovery.
Several bank branches and ATMs in Punjab, Haryana and here are going dry fast due to "insufficient" cash, even as heavy rush of people is expected in the first week of December due to disbursement of salaries and pensions.

However, banks claimed that they were geared up so that customers do not face any problem while getting cash.

In Tarn Taran, a border district of Punjab, villagers blocked the Chabbal-Bikhiwind main road this morning after a bank's branch allegedly denied them cash due "shortage of notes", SHO (Bikhiwind) Rajbir Singh said.

Long queues at various branches and ATMs were a common sight throughout the day as people waited to withdraw cash, while bank staff at several places became victim to customers' anger when they failed to get cash as per their requirement.

"I wanted to make cash withdrawal of Rs 10,000, But the bank manager told me that I could get only Rs 5,000 as the bank does not have enough cash," Akhil Talwar, a resident of Mohali claimed.

However, bank officials said they were trying to accommodate all the customers with the available cash to ease the situation.

"We are trying to accommodate all customers... And that is why at some places, there was rationing of cash disbursement," a bank official said here, adding, "People are hoarding cash which is adding to the problems."



"I am standing in queue to withdraw my cash but I feel I am seeking loan from the bank," a senior citizen standing in a queue at bank branch in Chandigarh said.

While people said they need to withdraw cash to pay their bills and buy groceries, a bank official said, "We are putting our best efforts to ensure customers do not face any inconvenience.

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Belgian police have detained six people and seized a number of knives in anti-terror raids linked to a machete attack on two police officers earlier this year.

The federal prosecutor's office said eight raids were launched today around the city of Charleroi and that "several knives were seized, including many similar to those used in the attack."



Khaled Babouri, a 33-year-old Algerian, attacked and wounded two women officers with a machete at Charleroi's police station on August 6. He was shot dead by a third officer.

Babouri had been living illegally in Belgium and was twice ordered to leave but failed to do so. He had no prior links to terrorism.

Prosecutors declined to provide further details about today's raids.

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The ruling Trinamool Congress is all set to move a motion on the issue of demonetisation in the West Bengal Assembly followed by adoption of a resolution protesting against the decision, state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee told reporters that the decision to move the motion next week was taken at an all-party meeting.

"We will move a motion protesting against the arbitrary decision to scrap the high denomination notes. After the motion is discussed, we will adopt a resolution. We wanted to bring it together with all parties, but if others decline we will bring it on our own," Chatterjee said.

The all-party meeting was boycotted by the Congress whose chief Abdul Mannan argued that in any all-party meeting the TMC bulldozed other parties' viewpoints.

Speaker Biman Banerjee said that two-and-a-half hours has been allotted for the discussion on the motion on on December 5.

The unity among the Congress, Left Front and TMC over demonetisation in Parliament is not likely be reflected in the upcoming session of the state Assembly as the Congress has declined to go with ruling party's proposal to bring a joint resolution on the issue.

Mannan said the Congress legislative party would bring its own motion whose topics would include unearthing of money looted by various chit-fund companies in Bengal.

"What is the use of an all-party meeting? The TMC bulldozes its proposals and decisions in the all party meeting. They don't pay heed to our proposals, that is why we have boycotted it," Mannan said.

Chatterjee described Mannan's contention as "baseless allegations" and "lame excuses".

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The Bihar legislative Assembly witnessed turmoil in the post-lunch session today with opposition BJP members pressing for resolution against some ruling coalition MLAs for creating unruly scenes yesterday.

The situation prompted Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary to adjourn the House for the day after 20-minute business during which three bills were passed amid the ruckus.

As soon as the House assembled for the post-lunch session to take up legislative business, Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar stood and urged the Speaker to take up a resolution condemning unruly scenes by some members of the Treasury bench, but Chaudhary was unmoved saying the matter has been resolved at an party meeting earlier in the day and pleaded with the Opposition to allow the House to function.

But, Kumar stood his ground and soon the BJP members trooped into the Well raising slogans against the grand alliance government and demanded that a resolution be adopted to condemn the unruly scenes created by Treasury members yesterday.

Amid the din, the Speaker asked Transport minister Chandrika Rai to introduce the Bihar Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which was passed subsequently by a voice vote.

Rural Development minister Shrawan Kumar later introduced two bills -- the Aryabhatt Knowledge University (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which too were passed by voice vote.

Soon after this the Speaker adjourned the House for the day after his repeated pleas to agitating BJP members went unheeded.

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A business delegation from Shaanxi province of China today met West Bengal government officials to explore possibilities on how to improve bilateral trade.

The delegation, which included representatives of industrial houses, met state Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, Agriculture minister Purnendu Basu and other department officials.

Officials said the delegation showed keen interest in improving bilateral trade in between Shaanxi province and West Bengal.

Basu said he told them about various opportunities available in the state in food processing sector.

In the meantime, a team from NITI Aayog also met state government officials to discuss issues related to land laws.

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Accusing Congress of "politicising" the sacrifice of seven soldiers who died in Nagrota terror attack, BJP today slammed the party for walking out of Lok Sabha after claiming that their demand for paying obituaries to the soldiers was rejected by the Speaker.

"I am very sorry, it is rank falsehood. Speaker said we will hold a proper obituary for them. The combing is going on. Let entire facts be there. (But) Rahul Gandhi and his party were not willing to accept that...Can't we have one voice as far as sacrifice of our brave soldiers are concerned. I am pained," senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said outside the Parliament.

Earlier, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said that the Opposition had walked out of Lok Sabha as this was for the first time that there was no obituary offered for those soldiers who had died in a terror attack.

Countering Gandhi's allegation, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi, I would appealed to you, the kind of family legacy you represent, at least in certain issues there must be unison in polity of the country...Making political comments on sacrifice and valour of brave jawaans and officers is not a right tradition."



Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu also slammed the Congress, saying, "That was really unfortunate. This is unbecoming of Congress party...You start doing politics, that's really unfortunate".

He said the Speaker had informed that combing operations were underway in Nagrota and once they were over, tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers.

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said it is "extremely sad" that the issue was "being politicised".

"I find the Opposition has become so lame that they need crutches of fallen soldiers to stand on. Everyone respects the sacrifice that the armed forces are making and the country stands by them and their families," he said.

He reiterated that the speaker had "clearly mentioned" that "we are waiting for the combing operation to get over" and after that all the necessary steps would be taken.

Earlier, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the government for not making obituary reference in connection with the Nagrota attack.

"It is the duty of the government to inform to the Speaker (about the incident)...The condolences cannot be done in installments...Are you going to wait for what is going to happen tomorrow? These are emotional issues. You condole road accident, railway accident, house collapse, why not in this case?" Kharge asked.

Seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were yesterday killed in the terror attack at the military station in Nagrota.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien, however,



said, the Opposition had proposed obituary for not only 27 soldiers who died in Uri and Nagrota terror attacks but also for those 83 people who allegedly died due to hardship they faced after demonetisation announcement on November 8.

"We proposed that there should be a obituary reference for these 27 (soldiers), including seven yesterday, and there should be a obituary reference also for the 83 people who have died since demonetisation was announced because of the torture they have been through.

"The government thought it best to dismiss this. This is a government who are now living in their own world, far from reality," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP and party general secretary Digvijay Singh said that every effort should be made to see that India-Pakistan dialogue is open.

"My party and I personally always held that with the neighbour, we should always be open. We can't have a situation of no dialogue with our neighbour.

"As Atal Bihari Vajpayee had rightly pointed out that we can't choose our neighbours and that's a reality. Therefore, we should make every effort to see that dialogue must be open with our neighbour," he said.
The West Bengal unit of BJP suspended party leader and medical practitioner Dilip Ghosh who was arrested today by the CID for allegedly being involved in the child trafficking case.

Ghosh had contested the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation election last year on BJP ticket. He lost the contest.

"We have suspended him from all posts till he comes out clean in the probe. What he has done in his professional life is not the lookout of BJP," the party's state president Dilip Ghosh said.

BJP was left red-faced over the arrest as it has demanded a CBI inquiry into the child trafficking case.

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Syed Abdul Karim Tunda, accused of masterminding over 40 bomb blasts in the country, was allegedly attacked in Karnal jail by two inmates, police said today.

Tunda (73), who was brought to the Karnal jail last night from Ghaziabad jail, was allegedly attacked by two inmates following a verbal a tiff on some issue while they were having tea, police said.

"The inmates allegedly tried to strangulate him but he was rescued by alert jail staff. He was taken to the local hospital for medical check-up under heavy police security. He is fine," said SP Karnal Pankaj Nain.

The inmates who allegedly attacked Tunda were identified as Amandeep and Joginder, police said, adding security for Tunda has been heightened.

"A case under relevant sections of IPC, including murder has been registered against the two accused," a police officer at Karnal Sadar Police Station said.

Tunda, a bomb expert for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, will appear before a Panipat court tomorrow in connection with a 1997 bomb blast in a private bus in Panipat, police said.

A resident of Pikhuwa in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district, Tunda was arrested by Delhi police from Indo-Nepal border in 2013. The CBI had charged him with organising LeT's major terror attacks outside Jammu and Kashmir.

He is accused in 43 bomb blasts in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Rohtak and Jalandhar in which over 20 persons were killed and over 400 injured.

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A Thai soldier was killed and three others wounded today by a roadside bomb in the kingdom's far south where a Malay-Muslim insurgency has claimed thousands of lives in the past 12 years.

The four soldiers were travelling to set up a checkpoint in Yala, one of the main towns in the Muslim-majority region, when the bomb struck.

"It was buried under the road and detonated by radio control," Chinawat Vethayakorn of Yala provincial police told AFP.

"The dead soldier was 22-years-old. One of the injured soldiers had his leg amputated," he added.

The attack comes three days after a heavily pregnant 26-year-old Buddhist woman was gunned down in nearby Pattani province.

Authorities say rebels also carried out that attack.

Conflict has ravaged Thailand's southernmost region since 2004, with Malay-Muslim rebels trying to shake off rule by Thailand, which colonised the culturally distinct area a century ago.

Bombs and assassinations are the near-daily reality for civilians in the area, which is heavily patrolled by soldiers and police.

Some 6,700 people have died, the majority civilians, caught between the rebels and Thai security forces.

Thai police on Wednesday said they had arrested three Muslim suspects aged 19, 22, 31 - all from the so-called Deep South - on suspicion of planning an attack on Bangkok.

The insurgency usually fails to grab international headlines but a spate of bomb attacks on tourist sites in August sharpened the focus on the conflict.

The people wanted for those assaults, which killed two people, all come from the Thai south, raising fears insurgents could eventually expand their highly localised campaign.

Peace discussions continue to stagger on, with Thai authorities unconvinced their rebel interlocutors have command and control over militant footsoldiers.

Meanwhile the rebels do not believe the Thai junta is ready to hand the south a substantial level of political autonomy - a key step towards an ultimate end to the violence.

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China today said a "broad consensus" has been reached with India during the recent visit of army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag to further improve relations between the two militaries, including cooperation on border management and control.

During his visit to China from November 20 to 25, Gen Suhag held talks with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Gen Xu Qiliang, head of the PLA Gen Li Zuocheng and head of the Commander of the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Gen Liu Yuejun, Chinese military spokesman, Col Yang Yujin said here.

"The two sides exchanged views and reached a broad consensus on further development of bilateral military relations and enhancement of army to army cooperation and cooperation on border management and control," he said to a question on the takeaway of Gen Suhag's visit from the Chinese perspective and the talks between the Indian Army chief and Gen Xu, who reports directly to President Xi Jinping who heads the CMC, the PLA's overall high command.

A press release by the Ministry of Defence here quoted Xu as saying that the militaries of the two countries should serve as the booster and stabiliser in the development of relations between China and India.

Xu said that China and India have a long history of friendship, and the Chinese side attaches great importance to developing relations between with India.

Xu wished that the armies of the two countries would further strengthen border management and control and enhance border defence cooperation, so as to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, it said.

Gen Suhag's visit is the first by an army chief to China in two years after his predecessor Gen Bikram Singh visited the country in 2014.

The visit also coincided with the anti-terrorism exercises 'Hand-in-Hand' being held between the troops of the two countries in Pune.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar had also visited China in April this year.

Since Gen Singh's visit, PLA - the world's largest army - has undergone radical transformation with sweeping reforms initiated by Xi to revamp command and control systems of the 2.3 million-strong force.

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Wyeth Friday, Billings new planning director, hasnt quite moved into his new office on the fourth floor of the Miller Building.

The time he might have spent packing his stuff to move down the hall into Candi Millars former office has instead been spent thinking about ways the 30-employee department he now leads can serve Yellowstone Countys 157,000 residents more effectively.

The former planning division manager had been the departments interim director since Millar retired in July.

Planners handle potentially thorny and politicized issues in both Billings and Yellowstone County, and their work involves much more than helping plan how, when and where the community develops. Fridays department also enforces city codes, inspects building projects and then permits them and helps spur community development, including affordable housing.

Part of Fridays vision means using available software to better serve residents, builders and other clients. One innovation could be offering electronic plan reviews for residential construction, saving contractors or homeowners a trip to the planning office.

The addition of Code Enforcement Officer Craig Salzman, who worked in code enforcement for 17 years in Washington state, means that Salzman can focus on the departments top 15-20 nuisance cases, cases that often end up being resolved in court.

A new online service called Building Eye allows online access to any residential or commercial construction project. That could be expanded to include the work of code enforcement officers.

People really want to know if theres a case on a particular property, and what the status is, he said. The city's code enforcement clerk spends a lot of time on the phone with people wanting to file a complaint, or are curious about their neighbors property.

The Building Division remains awash in money after issuing a record number of roofing and siding permits following the 2014 hailstorm and a subsequent 2016 storm.

We have about $270,000 more than were supposed to have, Friday said, referring to a state law that allows the division to bank up to one years reserve only. The city/county building division currently has about two years in reserve. The Billings City Council will decide Dec. 12 on whether to lobby the Legislature to allow communities to expand to a two-year carryover.

Friday said theres no plan to spend down those reserves by hiring new people. Roofing permit fees have already been slashed, he said, and building staff have been able to keep pace with contractor demands.

The building community wants things smooth and consistent, and with current levels of demand, we dont want to hire people if we dont have demand, Friday said.

Friday said a recent visit with Billings Chamber of Commerce NextGen members convinced him that the department can consolidate its presence on social media to better engage the citys youngest leaders.

Im trying to get more input from a large cross section of the community to get them better engaged, he said. Having a meeting and expecting a lot of people to attend isnt good enough anymore.

There are long-range goals, too, the biggest of which is revamping the zoning code, a task that will eventually involve both the city council and the Yellowstone County Commission.

Friday said he also wants to be sure his department communicates well with other departments. Parks officials, for example, are in the middle of updating the citys parks master plan.

From the very beginning, they brought us in on that process, he said. We hope that master plan will be a great functioning document that we can all live with.

After listing a number of improvements he hopes to make, Friday acknowledged that planners and other department officials are in it for the long haul and employ a long-term perspective.

Pacing all of this is going to be important, he said. I need to work on that and work on that with others, too. You can get overwhelmed very quickly.
A Rs 2,000-crore development package for displaced people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in the country was on Wednesday approved by the government.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Home Ministry's proposal to provide enhanced financial aid to 36,384 families, who are mostly living in Jammu region after their displacement from PoK post Independence.

Each of these families will get around Rs 5.5 lakh as aid, a senior official said.

The refugees from West Pakistan, mostly from PoK, settled in different areas of Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts. However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.

Some of the families were displaced during Partition in 1947, and others during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.

The displaced people can cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls but not in the elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

Jammu and Kashmir Sharanarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), an organisation representing the displaced people of the PoK has been maintaining that the package should not be seen as final settlement as Rs 9,200 crore was required to settle all of them.

The Modi government had in January 2015 approved certain concessions for the refugees from West Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir after considering the problems being faced by them.

The concessions include special recruitment drives for induction into paramilitary forces, equal employment opportunities in the state, admission for the children of refugees in Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has approved one controversial pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast, but rejected another.

He yesterday approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby, British Columbia, but rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, B.C.

These are the first major pipeline decisions for Trudeau, whose Liberal government is trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia with environmentalists' concerns.

"The project will triple our capacity to get Canadian energy resources to international markets beyond the United States," Trudeau said at an Ottawa conference.

"We took this decision today because we believe it is in the best interests of Canada." He added that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion "meets the strictest of environmental standards."



Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production. Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports. Ninety-seven percent of Canadian oil exports now go to the US.

"We are getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said. "And we're getting a chance to reduce our dependence on one market and therefore be more economically independent."



Houston-based Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Vancouver Harbour in Burnaby will increase the capacity of an existing pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day.

But there remains opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia, the birthplace of the Greenpeace environmental movement. There is no guarantee it will get built despite Trudeau's approval as it faces strong opposition from environmentalists and indigenous leaders. Vancouver, B.C.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was profoundly disappointed by Trudeau's decision and said it would bring seven times the number of oil tankers to Vancouver's waters.

Interim federal opposition Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said she supports the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, but doubts it will be built because of the opposition.

Trudeau rejected the Northern Gateway project to northwest British Columbia which passes through the Great Bear Rainforest. Northern Gateway would have transported 525,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific to deliver oil to Asia, mainly energy-hungry China.

About 220 large oil tankers a year would have visited the Pacific coast town of Kitimat. The fear of oil spills is especially acute in the pristine corner of northwest British Columbia, with its snowcapped mountains and deep ocean inlets. Canadians living there still remember the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off an Alaska export hub. 1989.

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Cab aggregator on Wednesday announced that it has joined hands with leading banks and oil and gas to help driver-partners fight cash crunch post demonetisation of high-value currency notes.

In Bengaluru, has partnered with BPCL to facilitate the process of obtaining fuel e-vouchers across all BPCL petrol pumps in the city, said in a statement here.

Thousands of driver partners have already availed this feature and used these fuel e-vouchers issued by Ola to fill-up petrol/diesel in a cashless manner.

The activity kickstarted this weekend and will continue until the end of December and will also be implemented in other key cities, it said.

Apart from making fuel e-vouchers available for driver-partners, Ola has partnered with Axis Bank to put up mobile ATMs in its office to support driver-partners with accessible cash withdrawals, it said.

In addition to this, Ola had also tied-up with ICICI bank to facilitate cash conversion for the driver-partners in the past weeks until the exchange was permitted.

Bank representatives put up kiosks at Ola office and helped driver-partners in exchanging demonetised currency into accepted denominations.

Vice President, Operations at Ola, Karanveer Singh Shekhawat said, aligned with government's Digital India mission, Ola has been working towards helping hundreds of driver partners across the country get access to digital financial benefits like bank accounts, payment cards, online transfer of earnings on a daily basis.

Ola also rolled out a number of similar initiatives for the public across the country, it added.

In Kolkata, the company has partnered with Punjab National Bank (PNB) to put up mobile ATMs in its cabs to support citizens by reducing the effort of going to a bank.

Ola has also rolled out a similar activity for citizens in Hyderabad, in partnership with the State Bank of India and Andhra Bank.

Similar initiatives will be flagged off in other key cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad in the coming weeks, the statement added.
The Chinese military today parried questions over assertions by a Pakistani naval official that PLA will deploy its naval ships, submarines and troops to guard the Gwadar port and the USD 46 billion CPEC, saying that the two militaries have strategic cooperative partnership.

"About the Gwadar port not long ago the operational ceremony was held at the port and operation of the port will contribute to the regional economic development," Chinese military spokesman Col Yang Yujun said here referring to its recent launch in which goods brought by lorries from China through Karakoram highway were shipped from the port renovated and managed by China.

"As per the details you may ask the competent authorities about the port cooperation," he said when asked about reports quoting a Pakistani naval official claiming that China would deploy its naval ships along with Pakistan Navy to safeguard the strategic Gwadar port and trade routes under CPEC.

Pakistan media reports quoted a naval official as saying that the role of maritime forces has increased since the country has made the Gwadar port operational and increased economic activities under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"China would also deploy its naval ships in coordination with Pakistan Navy to safeguard the port and trade under the CPEC," the unnamed official claimed.

While fending off a response, Yang however said Chinese and Pakistan militaries had close relations for long.

"About China, Pakistan relationship both the countries always had strategic cooperation as partners. For years the two militaries have maintained good exchanges and practical cooperation. The two navies also conducted exchanges of cooperation with port calls of naval ships as well as logistic supplies etc," he said.

He also parried another question about the Pakistani military official's remarks that PLA will also deploy a submarine at the Gwadar port and establish a military base there to provide maintenance support for the Chinese naval fleet operating in the Indian Ocean.

"About the construction of Gwadar port and relations between military of China and Pakistan I have already answered," he said.

He also said he had no information about any plans by People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China to establish major bases in Gwadar similar to the one being built at Djibouti in Africa in other parts of the world.

Denying that the Djibouti location in the Indian Ocean where the navy is building a massive facility is a military base, he said it is a supply facility which will be mainly be used for logistic support for PLA troops taking part in escort missions and humanitarian missions in the Gulf of Aden and in waters of Somalia.

"At present the project is progressing smoothly," he said.

The purpose of the facility is to undertake international responsibility and obligations besides protecting its lawful interests instead of seeking military expansion, Yang said.

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China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will spend more than USD 100 billion on wind power in the next four years as part of its efforts to reduce dependence on coal for its massive energy needs, state media reported today.

Wind power's share of the overall electricity mix should be increased to six per cent by 2020, up from 3.3 per cent in 2015, according to a National Energy Administration plan.

A total of 700 billion yuan (USD 102 billion) will be spent on wind power during the 2016-2020 period.

Wind power will create around 300,000 jobs, bringing the total number of employees to 800,000, Xinhua agency reported.

Wind farms are expected to produce 420 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually by 2020, up from 186 billion kilowatt hours in 2015. By the end of 2020, total installed capacity of wind power facilities connected to the power grid will reach 210 million kilowatts, compared with 129 million kilowatts at the end of 2015.

China is promoting non-fossil energy including wind electricity to power its economy in a cleaner and more sustainable manner.

The government aims at lifting the proportion of non- fossil energy in the energy mix to 20 per cent by 2030 from the current level of around 11 per cent.

China's energy mix is currently dominated by coal.

According to the World Resources Institute, a global research organization, China contributes approximately 25 per cent of global emissions, making it the world's top emitter.

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The Commerce Ministry wants there should be "fair valuation" of rupee keeping in view the global environment as it has a bearing on exports, Parliament was informed today.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that there are many factors that influence exports including demand intensity, market share, price elasticity, valuation of other currencies.

"Department of Commerce had suggested a fair valuation of rupee keeping in view of the global market situation. The government and the RBI are closely monitoring the situation including exchange rate of rupee in nominal and real terms and macroeconomic policies," she said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

She was replying to a question as to what extent strengthening of rupee will impact exports and whether the ministry has asked to devalue rupee to boost exports and reasons behind RBI's refusal to do so.

During the April-October period of current fiscal, exports dipped by 0.17 per cent to USD 154.91 billion.

Replying to a separate question, she said it is "true" that India's pharmaceutical exports to Japan are not significant. It was only USD 143.83 million in 2015-16.

She said Japan is a "highly regulated market and product registrations in Japan are time consuming and tedious".

Keeping in view of getting access to Japanese market, the minister said top regulators from India have been visiting there and putting all out efforts to promote generics in that market.

Replying to a separate question, Sitharaman said that India has been taking up the visa issue consistently with the UK.

India has urged the UK to address concerns of the domestic industry in the interest of bilateral trade in services between the two countries.

Changes in visa regime in the UK "are expected to adversely impact the ease of entry and competitiveness of Indian IT companies in the UK thereby negatively impacting bilateral trade relations," she added.

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A day after seven army personnel were killed in Nagrota terror assault, Congress today attacked the Modi government for its failure to strengthen country's security apparatus and asked why recommendations by various committees and experts have not been implemented.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said despite "loud talk" on national security, the country has lost 179 security personnel in the last 30 months and 101 in the past 15 months alone.

He said ever since surgical strikes were conducted on terror launch pads across the LoC in PoK, the country has lost 34 jawans and termed it as "shocking".

"In 30 months period, 179 jawans have lost their lives, while in last 15 months, 101 jawans lost their lives, 53 of them at military installations. After the surgical strikes, 34 jawans have lost their lives. Is this not shocking? Is this the security for which India must hold its head high with pride?



"This is a big question mark and we would have to ask the establishment if it has drawn lessons from the past - from Pathankot, from Uri and now Nagrota. This is the failure of the political establishment, for not doing all that has been suggested by various committees and by experts," he told reporters.

Singhvi said his party's and the country's concern is that in the name of national security there is so much of chest thumping "but the truth is different".

"(The issues of) National security cannot be resolved by speeches, jumlas (platitudes), talks or by running a campaign," he said, adding that Lt Gen Philip Campose headed a committee after the Pathankot terror attack which made certain recommendations which were never implemented.

"This is like playing with our jawans' and the country's security. How many Nagrotas and Pathankots will you wait for. It is a very serious issue," he said.

Senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad strongly condemned the terror strike on army camp at Nagrota in Jammu region.

"I pay my homage to the brave officers and soldiers who lost their lives in the attack. My heart goes out to their families. I pray that Almighty gives them strength to bear the irreparable loss," said Azad.

He also urged the Centre to take concrete steps to prevent such occurrence in future. He also expressed deep concern over the "increase in frequency" of such attacks and incidents of firing from across the border in the last few months.

Singhvi said it is the duty of Congress party to raise these issues, despite the ruling dispensation calling them anti-national, as a responsible opposition.

"A lot of time has passed and we would urge you to implement the recommendations made by various committees to strengthen the security apparatus. At least the country wants a reply on such 'jumlas'," he said.

(REOPENS DEL74)



Congress also raised the issue of alleged deteriorating law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, which is ruled by BJP in an "unnatural alliance" with PDP, and said despite a BJP-ruled Union government the situation is going from bad to worse.

Singhvi said while 100 people have died so far during the recent unrest, a total of 11,000 people including 7,000 civilians and 4,000 security personnel have been injured.

He added that 32 schools have been burnt and the situation is far from normal, while the partners in government continue to be at loggerheads.

"What is your policy? Is the policy being changed every day, is it knee-jerk, zig-zag or is it opportunistic politics? Till you answer the questions raised, we will continue to ask. At least after every incident, we should do some concrete work," he said.
The winter session of Maharashtra legislature beginning in Nagpur on December 5 is likely to be stormy as the opposition Congress is planning to put the Devendra Fadnavis government on mat over the demonetisation exercise and the "distress" it has caused to common people.

A core committee meeting of the Congress was held at Vidhan Bhavan here today to discuss the floor management strategy of the party.

Apart from the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, leaders like Sharad Ranpise, Sanjay Dutt, Varsha Gaikwad and Bhai Jagtap among others attended the meeting.

"The hardships faced by the common man due to demonetisation will be our priority. Apart from the common man, farmers are also suffering as the RBI has banned district cooperative banks from accepting and exchanging demonetised currency.

"We will raise this issue aggressively in both Upper and Lower House during the session," senior leader Arif Naseem Khan, who was also present at the huddle, told PTI.

He said the Congress will also raise demands for reservation to Muslims as well as Dhangar and Maratha communities and the "involvement of BJP ministers in scams" during the session.

"We will not allow the House to conduct business till our demands are met," the former Minorities Affairs Minister said.

The next meeting of core committee will be held in Nagpur on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Vikhe Patil said the Congress will speak with Sharad Pawar-led NCP to get their support during session against the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena.

However, another senior Congress leader expressed doubt over the NCP's ability to corner the government given its debacle in the municipal council polls held recently in Maharashtra.

"NCP may not be aggressive against BJP and Shiv Sena as they are demoralised after their poor performance in the municipal council polls. NCP has also lost three of its MLC seats in recently concluded poll and hence, we doubt their aggressiveness in the session," he said while expressing hope that NCP would at least support the Congress in its bid to take on the government.

Highlighting the "hardhips" encountered by the common people in the wake of scrapping of Rs 500 and 1000 notes, the Congress and other opposition parties have been stalling the proceedings in winter session of Parliament.

Though Shiv Sena is blowing hot and cold over the issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has flayed its senior alliance partner, the BJP over the implementation of the demonetisation move.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Laxmikant Parsekar government setting the deadline of December 30 for Goa to go cashless, the opposition Congress today criticised the "anti-people" decision citing the lack of requisite infrastructure.

"The move is heartless, inconvenient and anti-people. Where do we have the time and infrastructure to go cashless? Are poor fisherwomen, vegetable vendors, labourers etc. sitting by street corners (are) going to accept payment by card?" questionned state unit Congress president Luizinho Faleiro while addressing the party workers during a 'padayatra' (foot march) in Calangute constituency.

The BJP-led government recently set a deadline of December 30 to make the coastal state a cashless society, after the idea was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Faleiro said, "My question to BJP is that are all the banks in Goa have adequate money to dispense cash so that you want to go cashless? Are all businesses in Goa are card-enabled so that in 30 days they can go cashless?



"The BJP government has been responsible for the death of over 80 people across the country through its unthoughtful and fascist move (of demonetising high value currencies) across the country."



The Congress leader asked the Goans to be "aware of the moves aimed at curbing their financial freedom by a government that has taken care of all its party cadres and crony capitalists while it has abandoned common people in the face of a messed up demonetisation exercise.

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The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project has changed the negative security narrative into an exceedingly positive economic narrative for Pakistan, Prime Minister said today as he reviewed the progress on multi-billion dollars venture.

Sharif chaired a meeting at Prime Minister House to review at length the benchmarks set for numerous energy, transport infrastructure and industrial projects in terms of deliverables with particular focus on development of Gwadar Port along with socio-economic uplift projects in Gwadar.

The Prime Minister said that CPEC is Pakistan's strategic economic initiative that has been significantly attracting the world in general and regional countries in particular.

"The CPEC has changed the negative security narrative into an exceedingly positive economic narrative for Pakistan," he said.

The successful implementation of the projects under the umbrella of CPEC is a manifestation of the strong and time-tested friendship between China and Pakistan, he said.

Sharif also said that the success of CPEC has been substantiated by the massive and further expanding foreign investment in Pakistan.

"There is a compelling reason for international investors for investments in Pakistan because of the success story of CPEC initiatives," said the Prime Minister.

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Being a citizen of the United States has different meanings to each and every one of us. To some it means a new beginning and a better life; to others it's just a place called home.

In 1976, when she was 19, my mom came to America. She was looking for adventure and freedom. She met my dad, got married and moved to New Mexico with him. Then she got her green card.

Many years later I sat at the Convention Center like a proud parent in the audience at my moms naturalization ceremony. It had been over a year since she had started the process to become a citizen. I had never felt more proud to be siting there.

I thought back to the many days and nights I spent with my mom helping her study, seeing her make

flash cards and quizzing her. It was an interesting role reversal for me of helping her study for her test as she had helped me countless times with my homework and tests for school. Just as she once sat in the audience for many school achievement ceremonies, now I sat in the audience for one of the biggest things my mom ever did.

When we arrived at the convention center, we were surprised by the number of people there. The line to check in was so long that you could not see the other end, almost going into the hallway leading to the parking garage. As we stood there, I looked around at the assortment of people. I wanted to know everyone's stories. There were two young girls in front of us. I spied over their shoulders. I could see that the one of them had a Vietnamese passport. We later found out that only one of them was becoming a citizen; the other girl was her friend, there with her on this auspicious occasion. Behind us was an older man, he was alone; he was from Mexico. Behind him was a younger man with his kid and what I assume were his mother, father and friends; they were from Argentina. You could see how excited and nervous everyone was. They were all welldressed, after all this was a court proceeding.

Finally we made it to the front of the line and my mom checked in; she had to give up her green card, the one which had the face of my 19yearold mom. After all these years she had the same one that was originally issued to her. Then, my dad and I parted ways from my mom. The rest of us, plus friends of the family, made our way to our seats. The people becoming citizens went to their assigned seats.

It was great to see so many people there supporting their family members at the ceremony. There were so many people at the ceremony that it was a standing room only affair. It looked like almost all of the seats on stage were taken up. My dad and I theorized about the number of people filling the huge ballroom.

The ceremony began. Acclaimed visitors and speakers were introduced, and the judge took her place. She said that even though this was a court proceeding, that it was informal and we could get up and take pictures of our loved ones. She talked about how this was one of her favorite cases because it was for such a happy occasion. The judge talked about her familys origins and told the story of how they got here.

Next, a lawyer took the podium and made a moving speech. He spoke about many things, including how hard everyone had worked to be there that day, the importance of family and the "American Dream". Usually I roll my eyes at this kind of stuff but, this day, this speech was different; it had so much meaning and its tone of acceptance was moving. I definitely teared up during it. The lawyer also reminded the audience how important this ceremony was and how happy he was to see everyone there, saying that America was built by immigrants, that what makes us great is our diversity. He encouraged people not to forget about where they come from and to pass on their culture to their kids so that it would not be lost. One of the last things he discussed was about how children are our future; how they will keep building and maintain our country.

After the speech the judge returned to the podium. She told the audience that there were over 130 people becoming citizens, and that they were from over 35 different countries. Then she recognized every country by having the people stand up when she said each nations name. Some of the countries included Mexico, Cuba, Germany (where my mom is from), Russia, England, Canada, Iran, Iraq, China, and South America.

For the participants to fully become a citizen, they had to say the Pledge of Allegiance and then take an oath. The time had finally come. Then, the audience was given a short time to go and find their loved ones and take photos. After that there was a video message from President Obama and citizenship was bestowed. Finally, joy and pride radiated througout the room, I have never felt more proud to be an American that I did at that moment.
WASHINGTON  With the end of Fidel Castro's nasty life Friday night, we can hope, if not reasonably expect, to have seen the last of charismatic totalitarians worshiped by political pilgrims from open societies. Experience suggests there will always be tyranny tourists in flight from what they consider the boring banality of bourgeois society and eager for the excitement of sojourns in "progressive" despotisms that they are free to admire and then leave.

During the 1930s, there were many apologists for Josef Stalin's brutalities, which he committed in the name of building a workers' paradise fit for an improved humanity. The apologists complacently said, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs." To which George Orwell acidly replied: "Where's the omelet?" With Castro, the problem was lemonade.

Another political innovator, Benito Mussolini, called his regime "ennobled democracy," and as the American columnist Murray Kempton mordantly noted in 1982, photographs of Castro "cutting sugar cane evoke the bare-chested Mussolini plunged into the battle for wheat." Castro's direct democracy was parsimonious regarding elections but permissive of shrugs. It did, however, forbid "acts of public destruction," meaning criticism of communism.

This charge condemned Armando Valladares, then 23, to 22 years in Castro's prisons. Stalin's terror was too high a price to pay for a great novel, but at least the world got from it Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon." And although Castro's regime, saturated with sadism, should never have existed, because of it the world got Valladares's testament to human endurance, his prison memoir "Against All Hope." Prison food was watery soup laced with glass, or dead rats, or cows' intestines filled with feces, and Castro's agents had special uses for the ditch filled with the sewage from 8,000 people.

On April 15, 1959, 15 weeks after capturing Havana, Castro, then 32, landed in Washington at what is now Reagan National Airport. He had been in America in 1948, when he studied English and bought a Lincoln. This time, on April 16, in a concession to bourgeois expectations, he dispatched an aide to buy a comb and toothbrush. His connections to communism? "None," he said. He endorsed a free press as "the first enemy of dictatorship," and said free elections were coming soon. Then he was off to a Princeton seminar and a lecture in the chapel at Lawrenceville prep school, well received at both places.

By July red stars were being painted on Cuban military vehicles. Three years later, Soviet ballistic missiles were arriving. A year after that, a Castro admirer murdered the U.S. president whose administration had been interested in, indeed almost obsessed with, removing Castro.

U.S. flings at "regime change" in distant lands have had, to say no more, uneven results, but the most spectacular futility has been 90 miles from Florida. Castro was the object of various and sometimes unhinged U.S. attempts to remove him. After the Bay of Pigs debacle, the Kennedy administration doubled down with Operation Mongoose, which included harebrained assassination plots and a plan skeptics called "elimination by illumination"  having a U.S. submarine surface in Havana harbor and fire star shells into the night sky to convince Catholic Cubans that the Second Coming had come, causing them to rebel against Castro the anti-Christ. Nevertheless, Castro ruled Cuba during 11 U.S. presidencies and longer than the Soviet Union ruled Eastern Europe.
D K Sharma, a 1980 batch officer of Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers, has taken over as the General Manager of Central Railway (CR).

Prior to joining as General Manager of Central Railway, he was posted as Chief Electrical Engineer on Western Railway in Mumbai, a CR statement said today.

"After graduating in Electrical Engineering, he joined Indian Railways as an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer in 1980 and has held various important posts during his past tenure on Central, Western, South Central and Konkan Railway," it added.

He served as Chief Electrical Engineer of Central Railway, Chief Electrical Engineer (Project) in Konkan Railway, Divisional Railway Manager of Nagpur, Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Mumbai Division of Central Railway etc.

The officer has wide experience of management and construction of the electrical assets besides general administration on Indian Railways, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Commission for Women has sent a notice to police seeking details about cases of crimes against women and girls where the statement of the witnesses was recorded by audio or video means during investigation.

The women's panel has also asked police to provide them total number of cases where the statement of the witnesses under section 161 CrPC during investigation have been recorded by audio or video means by police officers.

"The commission seeks certain information on the implementation of provisions relating to the use of audio-video equipment for the recording of statements of witnesses," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in a letter to Sundari Nanda, special Commissioner of Police (Women Safety), special police unit for women & children.

The Commission has asked the police to give the number of cases of crimes against women and girls where the statement of the witnesses was recorded by audio or video means.

"List of devices that are available in the police stations for recording audio/ video statement of the victim," the letter said.

DCW has requested police to give this information on an urgent basis.

"DCW has the mandate of reviewing, from time to time, implementation of existing provisions of laws affecting women," an official said.

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A dead body was found today in the wheel well of a Nigerian plane after it landed in South Africa, the airline said in a statement.

The body was found on a plane operated by Arik Air, one of Nigeria's largest airlines, that had departed from the country's commercial hub of Lagos and landed at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport yesterday evening.

"The lifeless body of a stowaway was on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 found in the main wheel well of one of Arik Air's A330-200 aircraft," Arik Air spokesman Adebanji Ola said in a statement.

South African engineers "discovered the body of the stowaway during inspection," the statement said.

"Investigations are ongoing to determine how the stowaway found his way into the aircraft's main wheel well."



In the past five years there have been reports of dead Nigerian stowaways found in planes travelling from Lagos to Johannesburg and New York who have frozen to death or have been crushed by a wheel.

Dire economic conditions force Nigerians to embark on risky trips in search of better lives abroad, with many attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.

Nigerians have also been among the hundreds of illegal migrants intercepted off the Red Sea coast of oil-rich Saudi Arabia this year.

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Possible tornadoes swept through parts of Alabama and Tennessee overnight, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen as heavy rains from storms moving across the South produced flooding in areas previously suffering from months of drought.

Possible tornadoes were reported across several counties in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee, National Weather Service meteorologist Lauren Nash said.

Three people were killed and one person was critically injured in a mobile home in the small northern Alabama town of Rosalie when an apparent tornado hit about midnight yesterday, said Jackson County Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen.

The same possible tornado hit a closed day care center in the Ider community, injuring seven people, including three children, who had left their mobile home to seek shelter, said Anthony Clifton, DeKalb County Emergency Management Director.

Authorities said dozens of buildings had been damaged or destroyed in the state.

In southern Tennessee, an apparent tornado also was responsible for the death of a husband and wife in Polk County, while an unknown number of others were injured, said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener. No further details were immediately available.

The storms tore through just as firefighters began to get raging wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, under control after they wiped out hundreds of buildings, including homes, and in Alabama dumped more than 2 inches of rain in areas that had been parched by months of drought.

Tornadoes and hail were also reported yesterday in Louisiana and Mississippi. In Mississippi, the National Weather Service in Jackson said late yesterday that it had counted six confirmed tornadoes so far in the areas of the state it monitors.

The Storm Forecast Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a tornado watch from southeast Louisiana to northwest Georgia as a line of severe storm moved southeast Wednesday morning.

National Weather Service offices in Louisiana and Alabama planned to send personnel out today to check on possible tornados that occurred late yesterday night and today morning.

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Newly-appointed Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today urged Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to ensure proper shelter for the homeless people in the national capital in view of the upcoming winter season.

"Delhi does not have a full time social welfare minister to take care of such an important issue related to the poor. It speaks volumes about the lack of commitment towards the downtrodden in the Kejriwal government," he said in a statement here today.

He also appealed to the BJP workers to ensure that there is no death due to cold in the national capital.

Tiwari (43), who represents North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, took charge as the president of Delhi BJP from Satish Upadhyay today.

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Delhi Government has asked private schools in the national capital to plan a visit for students to the Election Musuem so that they gain electoral knowledge.

The museum, christened 'Journey Through Elections', has been developed in the office premises of Chief Electoral Officer to create an environment and learning place to know about the country's electoral legacy and management, and the views of Mahatma Gandhi on the democracy and election process.

"The centre has been envisaged to impart knowledge and education related with elections to citizens in general and students in particular which shall remain open from 11 AM to 4 PM on all working days.

"School children, especially, students of secondary and senior secondary classes who are aspiring voters in the near future will find it very useful," a communication sent to schools by the Directorate of Education (DoE) said.

The schools have been asked to book a slot in advance through the Election Commission's website. The directorate has also clarified that the exercise is voluntary.

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Paucity of data and lack of information over quantity of waste generated per capita in the city on Wednesday irked the Green Tribunal (NGT), which chided the Delhi government for being "worried about everything except environment."

The green panel expressed displeasure that Delhi government and municipal corporations were not unanimous over the total quantum of waste generated in the capital and whenever any enquiry is made by NGT, they ask for time "to seek instructions".

"What are you (Delhi government) people doing? It is your job to collect data. Tell us how much municipal solid waste is generated in the capital daily. This is something you are not concerned about, which is causing great havoc in the environment.

"There is mosquito breeding, dengue, different kinds of viral fever and you people are worried about everything except environment. There has to be some sense of responsibility," a bench headed by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The observation came during the hearing of a plea filed by Sukhdev Vihar Residents Welfare Association praying for closure of waste-to-energy plant alleging that it uses illegal mass burning technology which causes air pollution.

On the last date of hearing, residents of the city's Sukhdev Vihar area had told the National Green Tribunal that the Okhla waste-to-energy plant in South Delhi should be immediately shut down as it violated Delhi Master Plan 2021.

The tribunal had earlier rapped the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) over "inaccurate" data on various kinds of waste generated in the national capital daily.

In its application, the association had also told that as per observations of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, mass burning technology should be stopped immediately.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today interacted with all the District Collectors on different issues including effects of demonetisation in rural areas of the state.

The discussion was held via video conference on topics like providing relief to farmers after demonetisation, Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojna, Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages and cities, farm ponds progress, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Fadnavis asked bank officials to work in tune and consultation with district administration and ensure more flow for disbursement to farmers from District Co-operative Banks, it said.

The Chief Minister also asked to supply lower denomination currency in tribal areas and also organise awareness programs at tehsil level.

Fadnavis also asked the officials to prepare roadmap for cashless economy which includes citizens' needs, transferring transactions to digital mode, technology awareness, said the statement.

The Chief Minister asked officials to work with more focus and on mission mode for making cities and villages ODF.

He also reviewed progress for farm ponds and asked to complete the works at the earliest, it added.

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Congress today hit out at the government for "two-third reduction" in tax on black money and warned that demonetisation could lead to large-scale job loss in the country.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also claimed that the opposition was united in highlighting the plight of the common man in the wake of demonetisation and brushed aside talks of differences with its ally JD-U, with whom it is in government in Bihar.

JD-U leader Sharad Yadav, who has been skipping a key meeting of all opposition parties since Monday, today attended the all-party meet in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

All opposition parties, including arch-rivals TMC and Left parties, SP, BSP, and JD-U are together with Congress on issue of demonetisation and struck to their demands of holding discussion in Parliament.

"Has this government started closing businesses and employments along with demonetisation? You have reduced 132 per cent tax on black money to 50 per cent and are claiming you have achieved a big thing. You have reduced two-third reduction in penalty on black money. Whose trumpet are you blowing?," Singhvi asked.

He claimed that 10 lakh jobs have been cut and asked, "What policy and achievements are we talking about?".

The imposition of Rs 24,000 limit per week on withdrawals from savings bank accounts and Rs 10,000 per month on Jan Dhan accounts will lead to closure of businesses and job losses, he alleged.

"What kind of policy is this? This is resulting in ending employments and businesses. What achievements are you talking about. We require answers to the questions raised by us. We are bound to ask these questions," Singhvi said.

Rejecting differences with JD-U's Nitish Kumar over demonetisation, the Congress leader said it is common place in last 20 years in the political establishment that issue-based differences, state-based alliances and centre-based adjustments are three separate things.

"This is an issue-based support. They are very much a part of the alliance. On an issue like this there is bound to be a difference, but he is with us.

"While agreeing in principle on demonetisation, Nitish Kumar is agreeing with us 90 per cent on other issues. He is standing in the same boat as us in practice," he said.

Singhvi said "we have a rare degree of unanimity across the country, across warring political parties that demonetisation is bad. Even a person like Mamata Banerjee is ready to hold the hand of the Left on this."



To a question on Ramvilas Paswan claiming Bihar government will not last 2.5 years, he said it is clear that he is playing politics.

To a question on PM asking all party MPs to submit their bank details to Amit Shah after demonetisation, he said, "You will not get a reply. You will get a jumla in answer. We have not yet received a reply on the huge cash amount submitted into bank accounts in West Bengal by BJP.

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The Nagrota attack, which claimed the lives of seven soldiers including two Majors, is a signal from the Pakistani establishment that their policy of proxy war against India will continue despite change of person helming their army, eminent security analysts said today.

"It is a signal that even if the chief at the top changes, national policies will remain the same," said Lt Gen (Retd) Vinod Bhatia, former Director General of Military Operations.

The attack came days ahead of the Heart of Asia Summit on Afghanistan in Amritsar on December 2-3 and the day Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as the new chief of Pakistan army replacing explicitly anti-India Raheel Sharif.

"If you see the pattern of all previous major attacks, you will find that it is either preceded or followed by a diplomatic initiative between both the countries," Lt Gen Bhatia said.

He admitted that the Indian army needs to beef up security of its camps and attributed the lack of it to inadequate resources.

Lt Gen (Retd) H S Panag, a former Northern Army Commander, said Pakistan has a very clear target which is India.

"For them, India is a natural enemy which has, according to it, wrongly deprived them their right over Kashmir," Lt Gen Panag told PTI.

He said that despite sporadic voices of peace that one hears from Pakistan, the army, political establishment and the public are on one page when it comes to what actions that are needed to be taken against India.

He said unlike Pakistan, India does not have a clear strategy against its neighbour.

Lt Gen Panag said initially after the surgical cross LoC strike it was felt that there is a new strategy in place but "subsequent chest thumping showed it was a standalone incident



Meant more for the domestic audience".

He said India should up his covert strategy and even plan out hits on people like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azar, chiefs of terror groups LeT and JeM respectively, besides others.

"We meander from one strategy or the other. There is no one clear policy," he said.

The talk about the number of casualties in Pakistan is just "exaggerated nonsense," he said, calling for a "harder policy" towards that country.

Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), stressed on the need to enhance perimeter security at military facilities which he felt was "grossly inadequate".

However, he did not see any link between the Nagrota attack and the change of guard in Pakistani army and said assaults of such nature are planned in advance.

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The Billings Gazette invites nonprofit and helping agencies in our region to send letters of thanks to be printed on Christmas Day.

As in years past, we will print brief letters that graciously thank the community, all volunteers or all donors. We cannot print letters that thank a list of specific donors or supporters. Please thank everybody and remind readers of the work your organization is able to do with that support. Organizations that serve people in central or eastern Montana or northern Wyoming are encouraged to write.

Letters may be submitted by a representative or leader of the organization and should conform to the usual letter guidelines: Not more than 250 words, include the author's first and last names, address and a daytime phone number for verification. The author's name and city will be printed with the letter.

Letters of thanks must be received no later than Dec. 16 to be published on Christmas Day. They may be emailed to speakup@billingsgazette.com, faxed to 406-657-1208, mailed to Pat Bellinghausen, Billings Gazette, P.O. Box 36300, Billings, MT 59107 or dropped off at the Gazette, 401 N. Broadway. For emailed letters, please type "Christmas thanks" in the subject line.
India has said that dialogue is the only viable option for a durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue, as it voiced concern over the deteriorating security situation in the region.

"Regrettably, the security situation continues to deteriorate. The imperative need is of restraint and moderation," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Tanmaya Lal said here yesterday at the General Assembly annual debate on the 'Question of Palestine'.

Lal said India firmly believes that dialogue is the only viable option in the search for a just, durable and comprehensive peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue.

"We hope that both sides will demonstrate the necessary political will to return to the negotiations," he said, adding that New Delhi is hopeful of the early resumption of a peaceful dialogue between the two sides.

He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in which he reiterated India's support for the cause of Palestine and solidarity with the Palestinian people for their struggle for a sovereign, independent state living side by side and at peace with Israel.

Lal said Modi reaffirmed India's continued support to the development and nation-building efforts of Palestine by extending technical and financial assistance.

India recently enhanced its contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to USD 1.25 million.

India also contributed USD four million to the National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, with the Indian government helping set up two vocational training centers in Yatta and Hebron.

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Turkey today detained eight people over a deadly fire at a dormitory for schoolgirls that left 12 people dead, as anger grew over possible negligence that caused the tragedy.

The blaze, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, tore through the building's wooden interior on Tuesday night as panicked youngsters tried to jump from windows to safety.

Some officials suggested many of the victims were killed on the top floors of the dormitory in the southern region of Adana after they were unable to open a fire door to flee the flames.

"We will learn lessons from this and we will do what needs to be done to ensure this never happens again," said Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz, adding that an inspection in June had not uncovered any issues.

In Ankara, Turkish police used tear gas to disperse a protest outside the education ministry by activists angered that the devastated dormitory was managed by an influential religious sect.

Those detained as part of the investigation into accusations of "causing death by negligence" include the manager of the dormitory in the Aladag district of Adana, the Dogan agency said.

Five people were detained initially while three other suspects were being treated for wounds in hospital. A total of 14 arrest warrants have been issued.

Dogan said most of the dead would be identified using DNA tests, in a sign that the victims were too badly burned to be identified visually.

Ten of those killed were schoolchildren aged up to 14, while the fire also claimed the life of a member of the teaching staff.

The four-year-old daughter of the dormitory manager being held by the police also died, Dogan said. Twenty-four people including 16 children were injured, Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak told a press conference.

Officials said the fire was likely caused by an electrical fault which then spread rapidly due to the dormitory's wooden structures and carpeted floors.

Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas said yesterday some of the schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of windows to escape the flames. He added that none of those injured was in a serious condition.

Adana city mayor Huseyin Sozlu told Turkish television Tuesday that the dormitory's fire door was locked and that most of the dead were recovered from near that exit.

But Kaynak said that according to initial findings, the door had been unlocked.

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Actress Evan Rachel Wood has quit social media after she revealed her rape ordeal.

The 29-year-old actress has decided to temporarily take down her online accounts after she revealed on Twitter she was previously raped on two separate occasions by two people, reported E! online.

She wrote before deleting her account: "Will be taking a break from social media for the time being. Thank you for all your support and courageous stories. You are not alone (sic)."



Just before she closed her accounts, the blonde beauty revealed the incidents still affect her "to this day", but admitted she didn't want her awful experiences to be a "sob story".

After revealing the to Rolling Stone magazine, Wood tweeted out the whole of her note to the publication.

In the tweet, she wrote: "Well, since everything is out in the open now, figured I would share the confession letter I wrote to @RollingStone in its entirety. #NotOk (sic)."



The "Westworld" actress has a three-year-old son with her ex-husband Jamie Bell, and previously dated rocker Marilyn Manson for four years.

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A special CBI court today acquitted a former assistant inspector of police and another person in connection with a 2003 fake stamp scam case involving kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi for lack of evidence.

The prosecution said it will recommend to the Maharashtra government to file an appeal against the acquittal in the Bombay High Court.

The court has acquitted two persons, former assistant inspector Dilip Kamat and Ahmed Turk (an aide of Telgi), Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat.

In 2006, seven accused, including Telgi, pleaded guilty in the case, which dates back to 2003.

Gharat said Kamat was the Investigation Officer of the stamp paper case registered at Dharavi Police station here.

Allegation against Kamat was that he extorted money from the accused and illegally detained one of them for around three days.

Gharat also said Kamat allegedly tampered with the seized stamp papers and failed to seal and dispatch them to the Indian Stamp Paper Press for checking their genuineness.

Kamat was charged with conniving with Telgi and facilitating his illegal activities, while Turk was allegedly one of the associates of Telgi, the scam's mastermind, he said.

The prosecution examined 28 witnesses in the case but the court did not accept its evidence and acquitted Kamat and Turk.

"I will certainly write (to the Government) and recommend that an appeal be filed against the acquittal in the high court," Gharat said.

The multi-crore scam, run by Telgi, came to light in mid- 2002 after seizure of counterfeit stamps and stamp papers in Pune. Later, investigations revealed the scam was spread over nearly a dozen states. Several cases were filed in these states in connection with the scam.

The scam involved printing and sale of counterfeit stamps and stamp papers by a crime syndicate led by Telgi, who was later convicted and sentenced to multiple years in jail.

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The government today gave ex-post facto approval to the negotiating position taken up by India at the recent climate meet in Rwanda to phase down the damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

In a landmark step, 197 nations, including India, had struck a legally-binding deal after intense negotiations in the Rawandan capital, Kigali, to phase down hydrofluorocarbons which are gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning and aerosols among other applications.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the negotiating position adopted by the government at the recent Meeting of Parties (MoP) to the Montreal Protocol of the Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer that took place during October 6-14 in Kigali in Rwanda," an official statement said.

The negotiations at Kigali were aimed at including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol with a view to regulate their production and consumption and phase them down over a period of time with financial assistance from the Multilateral Fund.

HFCs are not ozone depleting but global warming substances and if controlled, can contribute substantially to limiting the global temperature and advance actions for addressing climate change.

The Kigali agreement reached on the amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the ozone layer is expected to prevent a global temperature rise of up to 0.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century while continuing to protect the ozone layer.

"The Cabinet also approved the proposal of the Environment Ministry to argue for adoption of an appropriate baseline years from out of three options within a range of 2024 to 2030 with freeze in a subsequent year.

"The Cabinet approved the flexibility of using any of the options within this range with a combination of the features of the proposed options in consultation with the government," the statement said.

At Kigali, India successfully negotiated the baseline years and freeze years which will allow sufficient room for the growth of the concerned sectors using refrigerants being manufactured domestically, thus ensuring unhindered growth with least additional cost and maximum climate benefits.

Modi had earlier termed the agreement as "historic" and said the deal would provide a mechanism for countries like India to access and develop technologies that leave a low carbon footprint.

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According to the amendment, developed nations will reduce HFC use first, followed by China. India and nine other nations of south and west Asia will follow suit. Overall, the deal is expected to reduce HFC use by 85 per cent by the year 2045.

"It was agreed at Kigali that there would be two set of baselines or peak years for developing countries and India will have baseline years of 2024, 2025, 2026...This decision gives additional HCFC allowance of 65 per cent that will be added to the Indian baseline consumption and production.

"The freeze year for India will be 2028 with a condition that there will be a technology review in 2024/2025 and if the growth in the sectors using refrigerants is above certain agreed threshold, India can defer its freeze up to 2030," the statement said.

On the other hand, developed countries will reduce production and consumption of HFCs by 70 per cent in 2029.

As per the decisions taken in Kigali, India will complete its phase down in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10 per cent in 2032, 20 per cent in 2037, 30 per cent in 2042 and 85 per cent in 2047.

"The Kigali amendments to the Montreal Protocol will also, for the first time, incentivise improvement in energy efficiency in case of use of new refrigerant and technology.

"Funding for research and development and servicing sector in developing countries has also been included in the agreed solutions on finance," it added.
: A director board meeting Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) at New Delhi today fixed fares for Kochi Metro.

The first phase of the metro between Aluva and Ernakukam Maharaja's College is expected to be operational in April next year.

According to the KMRL, Rs 10 is the minimum charge and a passenger traveling from pAluva to Pettah (the entire journey) will have to pay Rs 60.

KMRL said in a Facebook post that Rs 20 is the charge fixed for traveling a 5 km distance, Rs 30 for 10 kms and for traveling 15kms, a passenger will have to pay Rs 40.

The meeting also fixed Rs 50 for traveling a distance of 20 kms and Rs 60 for traveling a distance of 25 kms.

KMRL is planning to give concession for passengers traveling the Metro using the Kochi One application being developed by the Kochi Metro Rail LTD, officials said.

The fares were announced by KMRL Managing Director Eliyas George.

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Finnish media claimed today that the prime minister pressured public television to stop investigating an alleged conflict of interest after a company owned by his family won a major order from a nationalised mine.

The case centres on an order received by Katera Steel, an engineering company owned by Prime Minister Juha Sipila's family, from a nickel mine that had received a cash bailout from the state.

On November 11, the government announced it would invest 100 million euros (USD 107 million) in Terrafame, the company operating the unprofitable mine that would likely have shut down without the intervention.

Sipila allegedly contacted the editor of public television Yle, Atte Jaaskelainen, and a journalist, following the publication of its first article on the issue to discourage further coverage, according to the weekly Suomen Kuvalehti.

The paper reported that the pressure allegedly led Yle to scale down coverage of the story.

Jaaskelainen denied bowing to pressure from the prime minister.

"My reasoning is that there was no reason to proceed with the matter... We took this decision ourselves on journalistic grounds," he wrote on the Yle website.

Sipila has denied any wrongdoing in the transaction.

"I know I have not been improper or biased in this case," Sipila told Finnish agency STT on Saturday.

Production at the Talvivaara mine about 500 kilometres north of Helsinki began in 2008 and was one of the largest nickel mines in Finland. It was nationalised in 2014 to avoid closure.

It caused one of the worst environmental disasters in the country's history when, in 2012, a leak led to nickel, cadmium, uranium and zinc seeping into surrounding rivers and lakes.

A parliamentary watchdog is probing the prime minister's role in the allocation of taxpayer funds to the mine.

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Four passengers were killed and 20 persons injured in a collision between a bus and an oil tanker on National Highway 37 in Golaghat district of Assam, a police official said.

The Tinsukia-bound private night bus from Guwahati had a head-on collision with the loaded oil tanker coming from the opposite direction at Rongamati, officer incharge of Dergaon police station Rupjyoti Dutta said.

The bus driver and three passengers of the bus died on the spot and 18 of its passengers along with two persons in the oil tanker were injured in the accident at around 3.30 AM, Dutta said.

The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Golaghat and Jorhat Medical College Hospital, he said.

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The Kerala government today announced a four-month moratorium on repayment of loans availed from cooperative banks and institutions.

The decision in this regard was taken at a Cabinet meeting to ease difficulties being faced by people following demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. The moratorium will continue till March 31, 2017, a government release said. Cooperation minister Kadakampally Surendran told reporters after the meeting that no action will be taken against loan defaulters during the period.

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Digital payment platform FreeCharge today said it has partnered with Mumbai Traffic Police for collection of traffic fines using its mobile wallet service.

The move assumes importance in the wake of the government's decision to cancel old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes and the scarcity of physical cash that has followed.

Close to 500 e-challan devices have been rolled out to various traffic chowkies across the city at present, the Snapdeal-owned company said in a statement.

Once an offender is caught violating any rule, an e-challan will be generated against the vehicle registration number. The challan is also sent to person's mobile phone immediately.

The person can log on to www.Mumbaipolice.Net, enter their challan or vehicle number and pay for the fine using FreeCharge wallet on the payments page.

Mumbai traffic police has said it expects an annual increase of 8 lakh challans, from the existing 22 lakhs.

"Digital payments make the process faster and more efficient. Such partnerships are in line with our objective to make FreeCharge an everyday, everywhere option for our users," FreeCharge CEO Govind Rajan said.

The company said it is also in discussion with police authorities in other cities to enable traffic challans to be paid via FreeCharge.

Citing publicly available information, FreeCharge said the amount of traffic challans in metros is sizeable -- Delhi pays about Rs 140 crore annually, Mumbai about Rs 100 crore while Bengaluru collects Rs 70 crore.

Smaller cities like Ahmedabad collect nearly Rs 17 crore annually as traffic fines.

Besides, FreeCharge has partnered with Andhra to be part of the 'AP Purse' initiative of the state government.

'AP Purse' is a state government initiative to help consumers make convenient and effective use of digital payments, including mobile wallets. It is a folder which contains various payment apps and tools designed to enable citizens to start using digital payments in a ready and convenient manner.

Users and merchants can download the AP Purse and access and install the required apps.

"With more and more people using digital payments, there will be enhanced awareness on the ease and benefits of the same. At FreeCharge, we are proud to partner with the AP government in their mission to move payments from cash to digital currency," Rajan said.

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The election recount for a tight Billings Southside legislative race is on, following Mondays completion of the state canvass.

Republican challenger Don Roberts told The Gazette on Tuesday that hes ready for a hand recount set for next Monday. He trails Democrat Margie MacDonald by 24 votes in Senate District 26, which covers portions of South Billings.

SD 26 is the only legislative post in Montana up for a recount this year, but thats not the only distinction that sets the district apart. Each of Montanas 50 Senate districts are comprised of two house districts. In SD 26, both of the House Districts were easily won by Republicans. MacDonald is the only Democratic senator sharing turf with two Republican representatives.

I kind of wonder about it when you have two Republicans at lower levels win, Roberts said. Id just like to see how it shakes out and take a look at the balance.

MacDonald won one of those House races in a recount decision two years ago. She had the lead before ballots were recounted in 2014 and actually picked up a vote in the process. She said shes confident her win this year will hold up, but she understands why Roberts would want ballots counted again.

If I were in his shoes, I would probably try to do the same thing, MacDonald said.

The Montana Democratic Party put MacDonalds race in its win column weeks ago, said Amanda Frickle, Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee director. Frickle said she cant remember the last time a legislative race flipped on recount, including the three recount races in the Billings area since 2008.

MacDonald outspent Roberts two to one in SD 26. The candidate spent that money on an aggressive door to door campaign that put MacDonald, or people working for her campaign on the doorsteps of south Billings voters at four to five times this election cycle, Frickle said.

Tuesday, Yellowstone County commissioners appointed a recount board and set a recount for 9 a.m. on Monday in the commission board room.

The board will be comprised of commissioners John Ostlund and Jim Reno and Clerk and Recorder Jeff Martin. Commissioner Robyn Driscoll normally would be on the re-count board but will be away at a training session with the Montana Association of Counties.

Election Administrator Bret Rutherford said Roberts told him Tuesday morning that he was mailing his recount request to the Montana Secretary of States office. Rutherford said he expected the state to notify the county of the request by the end of the week.

MacDonald won the race by 24 votes, or 0.31 percent. MacDonald received 3,829 votes; Roberts got 3,805 votes; and there were 13 write-in votes.

Rutherford said the percentage is outside the 0.25 percent range for a free recount. The $1,100 the county is charging Roberts is based on an hourly rate for salaries of county officials doing the recount and a five-hour recount. If the recount takes about four hours, Roberts will get some money back, he said.

If Don wins, he gets his money back, Rutherford said.

But that would be rare. Weve never had anything overturned. Ive never seen it happen, Rutherford said.

A vote or two may swing, he continued, but it is unlikely that enough votes would change the outcome. The recount will involve about 7,800 ballots.

Recounts are nothing new for Yellowstone County. The county has had a recount in a legislative district in every federal election except in 2012, Rutherford said. We are old pros at this, he added.
Speed breakers, both authorised and unauthorised, on Delhi roads must be geotagged and their location marked by GPS, the Delhi High Court today told the traffic police.

The direction was among several issued by a bench of justices B D Ahmed and Jayant Nath for ensuring that all the speed breakers on city roads conform to the guidelines as framed by the Indian Road Congress (IRC) and the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC).

The bench directed the traffic police to file a status report before January 25, the next date of hearing, regarding the work done to create a data base of each speed breaker with its exact location.

The court directed the authorities, including the traffic police, municipal corporations and the public works department to ensure that signages regarding speed breakers and u-turns are put "to warn drivers" in advance and "aid in reducing accidents".

It also asked the authorities to make the public aware that if they need a speed breaker they have to approach the traffic police and not take law into their hands by making one themselves.

The civic bodies were also told that where they feel a speed breaker is required they need to inform the traffic police about the location and it will in turn independently consider whether a speed breaker was needed.

The court was hearing two PILs filed against unauthorised construction of speed breakers on city roads without complying with the guidelines of IRC and UTTIPEC.

During the hearing, it noted that substantial work has been done to remove unauthorised speed breakers but "more needs to be done" to make them conform to the norms and directed the authorities to complete the work within four weeks.

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Aiming to attract more tourists and boost trade, government today approved a new liberalised visa policy that include long-term multiple-entry comprehensive visa by merging tourist, business, medical and conference visas into one.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also decided to extend the e-Tourists Visa to eight more countries, taking the total number of countries which are under cover the scheme to 158.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for liberalisation, simplification and rationalisation of the existing visa regime in India and incremental changes in the visa policy decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with various stakeholders, an official statement said.

The approval will facilitate entry of foreigners for tourism, business and medical purposes. This is expected to stimulate economic growth, increase earnings from export of services like tourism, medical value travel and travel on account of business and to make 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Make in India' and other such flagship initiatives of the government successful.

This will also considerably ease the travel of foreigners to India for the above-mentioned legitimate purposes, the release said.

Tourists, businessmen or people coming for treatment or to attend conferences or even for film shoots will be covered under the new category of visa, which was first mooted by the Commerce Ministry following a suggestion by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to boost services trade.

The long-term, multiple-entry visa will be given upto 10 years but under this category the visitor will not be allowed to work or stay permanently, a government official said.

Except those covered under 10 year travel and trade visa policy, citizens of other countries would be offered five year multiple visa for travel and trade.

As per the proposal, if a foreigner is granted long-term, multiple-entry non-working or non-permanent stay visa and his or her stay is restricted to 60 days on a visit, the government may waive the visa fee as well.

However, the visitors have to give biometric details and fulfil certain security obligations, the official said.

The plan is part of the Commerce Ministry's initiatives to boost India's services trade.

India is said to be missing out on a huge opportunity worth about USD 80 billion annually in terms of attracting foreigners and foreign exchange.

Medical tourism in India alone is estimated at USD 3 billion and projected to grow to USD 7-8 billion by 2020.

Foreign patients travelling to India for medical treatment in 2012, 2013 and 2014 stood at 1,71,021, 2,36,898, and 1,84,298 respectively.

Small countries like Thailand attract millions of people whereas tourists flow in India is far less.

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To achieve the objectives of major government programmes like 'Make-in-India' and 'Digital India', the country needs to have an easy visa regime, the official said.

Business and health visa to be granted within 48 hours after submitting the application in case of emergency.

Citizens from Pakistan and China will not be covered under the new liberalised visa policy.

Government to establish help desk and immigration counter to help medical tourists.

Government to fix minimum salary limit to grant employment visa in Indian rupee in lieu of the US dollar.

Government to start issuing intern-visa for foreigners to do internships.

For sensitive countries, the government will consider extending group visa to tourists and business persons.

India will also allow tourists coming under the e-Visa to stay up to 60 days instead of 30 days now. Tourists also can apply for the e-Visa four months in advance instead of the 30 days now.

TVoA (tourist visa on arrival), enabled by Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), popularly known as e-Tourist Visa scheme, was launched on November 27, 2014.

Under the e-tourist visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation.

On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country.

Till now, the scheme was extended to 150 countries at 16 Indian airports designated for providing e-tourist visa service. On an average, 3500 e-tourists visa are being granted every day.

The proposal for new category visa assumes significance as the services sector constitutes about 60 per cent of India's GDP but its share in global export of services remains at a low 3.15 per cent.

Services has emerged as a prominent sector in India in terms of its contribution to national and state income, trade flows and FDI inflows.

The sector contributes around 28 per cent to job creation. Its contribution to total trade is 25 per cent-- around 35 per cent to exports and 20 per cent to imports.
Government today approved a proposal to shut down the loss-making Kota unit of Instrumentation Limited and hand over the company's Palakkad division to the Kerala government.

The employees of Kota unit will be offered a voluntary retirement or voluntary separation scheme (VRS or VSS) package as per the 2007 pay scale.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the proposal, sources said.

While the Kota unit of Instrumentation Limited has been in the red for many years, the Palakkad's has been making profit.

"The Cabinet has accorded approval to proposal regarding closure of Instrumentation Limited's Kota unit, including a VRS/voluntary separation scheme (VSS) to its employees. It also gave in-principle nod to transfer of IL's Palakkad unit to the state government of Kerala," a senior government official told PTI.

"While the Kota unit has around 500 employees, the Palakkad unit has over 300 employees," the official said.

Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete had earlier written to Rajasthan and Kerala governments requesting them to take over the units.

Employees of the Palakkad entity had been demanding that the Centre either delink it from its loss-making mother unit at Kota or merge with a profit-making PSU.

In February, the government had approved hiving off profit-making Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) from its parent company Instrumentation Ltd and turning it into an independent central public sector enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Heavy Industry.

REIL was a joint venture between Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) and Instrumentation Ltd, Kota, with 49 per cent and 51 per cent ownership, respectively.

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The government today promised to clear fertiliser subsidy arrears, estimated at about Rs 40,000 crore by March next, at the earliest and also increase the fixed cost of urea in order to strengthen the industry.

With banks flushed with money after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was looking at providing loans to the industry at a reasonable rate through special banking arrangement.

"During our tenure, we want to make subsidy backlog zero... It (subsidy arrears) has become a huge burden," Kumar said while addressing the annual seminar of Fertiliser Association of India (FAI).

"Regarding the subsidy backlog, every year I am addressing this issue. We are pursuing the Finance Minister. This time we have opportunity. After the demonetisation of Rs 500-1000 notes, definitely the coffers of the banks are full. This can be utilised and invested in various forms including the bulk loans at very reasonable rate for the benefit of the industry including fertiliser industry," he said.

Highlighting steps taken by the government like 100 per cent neem-coating of urea and gas pooling to transform the industry, Kumar said the government's priority was to clear the subsidy backlog at the earliest.

Kumar said that he would definitely take up this matter with the finance ministry and see that his ministry gets the share of the benefits that have accrued with improvement in fiscal situation following demonestisation.

According to FAI Director General Satish Chander "subsidy arrears are estimated to fall slightly this year to around Rs 40,000 crore. At the end of last fiscal, the arrear was Rs 43,000 crore".

Fertiliser manufacturers have to incur an additional interest cost of Rs 4,000 crore per annum due to delay in subsidy payment by the government.

The government had allocated around Rs 70,000 crore in this year's budget for payment of fertiliser subsidy and the same has already been exhausted.

On the FAI's demand that the government implement its decision to raise the urea fixed cost by Rs 350/tonne, Kumar assured that this important aspect would be addressed soon.

He also said that the government would look at rationalising the tax structure on imports of various raw materials like rock phosphate.

The minister said that the government would take up all the issues of the industry one by one and try to resolve them.

Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh L Mandaviya asked the industry to educate farmers about the balance fertilisation taking help from soil heath cards.

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Eminent Ethiopian writer-director Haile Gerima will deliver this year's Aravindan Memorial Lecture, conducted on the sidelines of the annual International Film Festival of Kerala, on December 14.

Aravindan Memorial lecture is an annual event conducted in the honour of legendary Malayalam filmmaker G Aravindan. Gerima is best known for his internationally acclaimed film 'Sankofa' made in 1993.

His most recent film, 'Teza', a personal drama, set in Ethiopia and Germany, is to be screened as part of this programme, according to Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the organiser of the event.

Throughout his career, Gerima has used his work as a critical lens for personal growth and creative development. His concern for people of African descent is evident, especially, where the representation of their image is concerned.

An alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Film and Television, Gerima has spent over 40 years making high value, low budget films outside of commercial institutions.

Gerima has been a distinguished professor of film at Howard University since 1975. He is also a leading member of the L.A. Rebellion film movement, also known as the Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers, Academy sources added.

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Businessman Jovenel Moise's election as Haiti's next president was challenged by losing rival candidates, signaling more political upheaval in the troubled nation as sporadic protests erupted in the capital.

Violence broke out in some of Port-au-Prince's poorest neighborhoods, which were carried by Maryse Narcisse's Fanmi Lavalas party, against Moise, the man former president Michel Martelly chose to represent his party.

Police launched tear gas grenades to disperse a crowd of hundreds of her supporters who called the vote an "electoral coup" and reacted to the advancing officers by throwing stones.

"We didn't vote in secret. All of the working-class neighborhoods in the country... Voted for Maryse, but the results they announced were an electoral coup," said Rose-Marie Rosilus.

Rosilus lives in Bel Air, a neighborhood that has historically been a bastion of former leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who heads the Lavalas party.

"We will stay out in the streets until the electoral council gives us our true results," added Rosilus, who brought lemons to alleviate the effect of the tear gas.

There were no reports of violence elsewhere in the capital or across the country.

Moise, a 48-year-old political novice and entrepreneur who worked in agriculture mostly growing bananas, earning him the nickname "banana man," wants to lift the Caribbean country out of poverty by reviving its agricultural sector.

"We will need to mobilize all the resources of the country, as I repeated during my campaign: men, land, sun and rivers to put food on people's plates and money in their pockets," Moise said late Monday, shortly after the preliminary results of the first-round election were announced.

But his rivals' challenges over the vote's legitimacy could run those plans into the ground.

The preliminary results showed that Moise won the election outright, garnering 55.7 percent of the vote, thus barring the need for a second round. But he lacks much popularity, with only 21 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots.

Jude Celestin, who ran as a candidate of the opposition LAPEH and came in second with 19.52 percent, is refusing to accept the outcome, along with fellow candidates Moise Jean-Charles (11.04 percent) and Narcisse (8.99 percent).

"We are saying there was cheating and we will see who cheated," Celestin told AFP, without naming Moise directly.

Indicating he would pursue the matter in the courts, Celestin claimed the results "do not reflect the popular vote."



But election observers from the Organization of American States said the results were "in line" with data they collected at polling stations.

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: The Madras High Court has directed the Revenue Divisional Officer of Villupuram district, to inspect the alleged illegal sand mining activities in Thenpennai river in the district and submit a report.

Passing the orders on a PIL by Villupuram Thenpennai Aru Paadhukappu Nala Sangam yesterday, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan impleaded the RDO in the case and directed him to inspect the site and file a report within two weeks.

It also issued notice to the Special Government Pleader appearing for Villupuram District Collector and the Assistant Engineer/ Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Irrigation Division-I of Public Works Department, TN Rajagopalan, in this connection.

The bench said, "Let the RDO inspect the site and submit a report to this Court with plans and photographs within two weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of this order."



The petitioner alleged that one Muthu, running a sand yard near Kapur village in the district, was illegal quarrying sand from Thenpennai river using more than seven poclain machines, which has affected the livelihood of farmers and cultivation in the surrounding areas.

He further submitted that Muthu had even laid a road in the river bed for transportation of sand in lorries.

Repeated representations made to the authorities on the issue have failed to evoke any response, he said.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to authorities including the Collector of Villupuram to prevent illegal sand mining activities in Thenpennai river.

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Terming as "lethargic" the approach of BMC in finalising a site to set up doppler radar system in the city, the Bombay High Court today came down heavily on the civic chief for dragging his feet on the issue.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta appeared before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak, as directed last week by the high court.

Metha informed the court that he has granted sanction to set up the system on the site identified by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the proposal would be placed before the Improvement Committee and then the General Body of the BMC for final approval.

BMC counsel S U Kamdar, however, pointed out that a portion of the site has been demarcated for setting up a reservoir to supply drinking water to the city.

The court sought to know by when the committee would meet to discuss on the issue.

"We want the committee to hold a meeting immediately and also ensure that IMD officials are also included in the meeting. The civic body has already wasted a lot of time by not following court orders and not fulfilling commitments made by it before us," Chief Justice Chellur said.

"This is an important issue considering what happened in the city during the deluge in the past (referring to the July 26, 2005 flood). I don't want Mumbai to go dark again like in the past during monsoon. Life came to a standstill then. I don't want people of Mumbai to suffer. The city requires for this doppler radar system to be set up immediately," the bench said.

The HC said it expects the civic chief to take all efforts to ensure that the committee holds a meeting at the earliest, and posted the matter for further hearing next week.

"The civic chief shall remain present before us next week also and tell us the date on which the committee would hold the meeting. All this work happens faster when the chief (Mehta) appears before us," the bench said.

The HC further said that "if this is the situation and lethargic approach by the corporation, we fail to understand how it will handle any calamity during monsoon in Mumbai."



The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Atal Bihari Dubey on the heavy rains that brought Mumbai to a halt in June this year.

While there is one doppler radar system at the Colaba



weather station, a state government-appointed committee had earlier recommended setting up of another such facility in suburban Mumbai.

The high court bench pointed out to the assurance given by the BMC on September 1 that the site would be handed over to IMD within eight weeks.

"How did the corporation make such an assurance when it has not even approved the handing over of land? Should we initiate contempt against the concerned officer? If a senior officer goes behind jail for one day for contempt, only then the system would improve," the court said.

The bench noted that such assurances and submissions are made just to escape from the court on that day, and then nothing is done till the court raises the issue.

It also said that if the BMC commissioner is unable to take a decision on the issue, the court would direct principal secretary of the state Urban Development Department to appear before it.

If the principal secretary is also not able to do anything, then the HC would ask state Chief Secretary to appear before the court, the judges further said.
One of the UK's largest Hindu temples has urged worshippers not to donate any new 5-pound notes after it emerged they contain traces of animal fat.

Sree Sanatan Mandir in Leicester made the announcement a day after Bank of England confirmed that there is a trace of tallow in the "polymer pellets used in the base substrate of the polymer 5 pound notes".

Vibhooti Acharya, president of the temple, said it has caused "anger" among Hindus, many of whom tend to be vegetarians and do not believe in harming animals.

She said the temple's committee was considering a ban on the notes.

"No-one was informed and it's been thrown upon us. We don't have the opportunity to choose. There needs to be a decision made between committee as to whether we accept five pound notes in religious ceremonies in future. We have to give a reasonable amount of time for resolve, [but] we can't really take any drastic steps because it's just not practical," she told BBC.

Donations are taken at the Shree Sanatan Mandir temple for charitable causes in the community.

The city of Leicester has one of the largest populations of Hindus in England and is famous for hosting the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India.

Meanwhile, over 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for tallow to be removed from bank notes.

The fatty substance used in the notes is traditionally derived from beef or mutton and sometimes pork.

The new notes with an image of Britain's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill became legal tender in September this year.

The production process was revealed on Twitter this week by Bank of England in response to a question.

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House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader today, ratifying the status quo in a changing Washington despite widespread frustration over the party's direction.

That disenchantment manifested itself in 63 lawmakers supporting Pelosi's opponent, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, in the secret-ballot vote. That was by far the largest defection Pelosi has suffered since she began leading House Democrats in 2002.

Still, the California lawmaker had declared ahead of time that more than two-thirds of the caucus was supporting her, and she won almost exactly two-thirds with 134 votes.

It was a testament to her vote-counting skills and to her ability to hang onto power even in dark days for Democrats, as they confront a capital that will be fully controlled by the GOP next year.

Supporters said the 76-year-old Pelosi was their best bet to confront a President Donald Trump from a defensive crouch in the minority after Democrats' picked up only a half-dozen seats in the House, far fewer than anticipated.

Republicans are on track to hold at least 240 seats in the House next year, while Democrats will have 194.

Pelosi herself, appearing elated after her victory, pledged that Democrats have won elections before and would do so again, even though they've been in the minority in the House since 2010.

"I have a special spring in my step today because this opportunity is a special one, to lead the House Democrats, bring everyone together as we go forward," Pelosi said. Of Trump, she said: "Where we can engage, we will. Where we need to oppose, we will."



And Pelosi disputed the suggestion that she might be concerned about the defections she suffered. "They weren't defections, I had two-thirds of the vote," Pelosi said, repeating "two-thirds, two-thirds" to a group of assembled reporters.

For their part, Ryan and his backers insisted after the vote that they had won a victory in sending a message to Pelosi about the significant desire for change among House Democrats.

"Somebody had to do something," said Ryan, a seven-term lawmaker who before now had been largely a back-bencher. "Our prospects have improved just because of this conversation."



Yet Democrats' marginalized status was evident as Ryan struggled to answer a question about who would lead the party forward, before concluding: "We're all going to participate in leading the party.

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BOZEMAN  Gov. Steve Bullock's budget proposal for the next two years includes a 10 percent cut for the Montana Highway Patrol  a $7.7 million reduction that would mean the loss of 27 jobs, most of them troopers.

"The governor is aligning expenses with revenues across the entire budget," said Tim Crowe, Bullock's spokesman.

The patrol's reduction is its proportion of the reductions in fuel taxes. The Department of Transportation also faces cuts due to decreased fuel tax revenue, Crowe said.

Crowe did not respond when asked whether the governor believes the patrol can absorb the cuts while still fulfilling its duties.

The patrol's current two-year budget is $74.3 million. Bullock is proposing a $66.5 million budget over two years starting on July 1. The patrol has 299 employees, including 238 uniformed officers, the Department of Justice said.

Attorney General Tim Fox, head of the department, called the proposed cuts dangerous.

"The governor's proposal to slash the patrol's budget, while offering no budget solution, demonstrates a lack of leadership and a misunderstanding of the public safety challenges facing our state," Fox said.

Bullock served as attorney general from 2009 to 2013.

Fox said he's confident the Legislature will work with the governor to find a solution. Lawmakers begin the 2017 session on Jan. 2.

Trooper Dustin LeRette, president of the Association of Montana Troopers, said he hopes state leaders will realize the need to have a serious conversation about raising the 27 cent-per-gallon gasoline tax.

"The governor's budget proposes significant reductions in state highway construction and cuts to the Highway Patrol because the state lacks sufficient matching funds to take advantage of the monies allocated to Montana by the federal government," LeRette said in a statement.
Illegal funds are being sent through 'hawala' and other channels to inimical forces in Kashmir Valley to incite protests, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said the practice of sending illegal money through 'hawala' and other channels to inimical elements in the Valley to incite protests have been going on.

Rijiju's colleague, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said separatists and militants were receiving funds from foreign countries through 'hawala' and inward remittances.

Referring to the tension along the Indo-Pak border, Rijiju said 24 suspected militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, were killed, while 78 attempts of infiltrations were foiled till October-end this year.

Till October, there were 201 incidents of infiltration from across the border into Jammu and Kashmir and 30 cases of infiltration into Punjab.

He said 5 BSF personnel killed were and nine others injured due to cross-border firing between September and October this year.

Replying to another question, Ahir said there was no information about espionage being carried out by Pakistan using pigeons.

However, some pigeons with rubber tag with Pakistani telephone no/name of persons have been found in border areas, he said.
India has initiated as many as 353 anti-dumping cases as on November 28 this year, Parliament was informed today.

Anti-dumping duties help protecting domestic players from cheap imports.

"As on November 28, 2016, Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) initiated 353 anti-dumping cases and in 130 cases, anti-dumping measures are in force," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The major products found to have been dumped from China and other countries fall in the categories like chemicals and petrochemicals, pharma, steel, fibre and consumer goods.

Countries initiate an anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of surge in cheap import of any product. As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of the WTO.

The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trade practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters resorting to dumping of goods at below-cost rates.

Replying to a separate question, Sitharaman said that the government has constituted an inter-ministerial task force under the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries with the responsibility to work out specific strategies required from time to time for India's constructive interventions in the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies.

"Flexibilities, particularly for the artisanal, poor and subsistence fishermen, is the major element of India's interventions in these negotiations," she added.

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Breaking the Bofors jinx, India and the US today inked a nearly Rs 5,000 crore deal for 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers, which will be mostly deployed near the borders with China.

This is the first deal for artillery guns since the Bofors scandal in 1980s.

"India has today signed the Letter of Acceptance which formalises the contract between India and US for these guns," sources said.

The deal for 145 American ultra-light howitzers, costing about Rs 5,000 crore was recently cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

The deal was inked as atwo-day meeting of the 15thIndia-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) began here.

India-US MCG is a forum established to progress Defence Cooperation between HQ Integrated Defence Staff and US Pacific Command at the strategic and operational levels.

The meeting commenced with the US Co-Chair Lt Gen David H Berger, Commander US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific calling on Lt Gen Satish Dua, CISC, HQ IDS.

The MCG meeting is co-chaired by Air Marshal AS Bhonsle DCIDS (Operations), HQ IDS.

A 260-member delegation from the US Defence Forces and several officers from the three Services HQ and HQ IDS representing the Indian side are attending the bilateral event.

On the issue of M777, the sources said India had sent a Letter of Request to the US government showing interest in buying the guns which will be deployed in high-altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China.

The US had responded with a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and the Defence Ministry had in June looked into the terms and conditions and approved it.

The offsets, under which BAE Systems, manufacturer of the gun, will invest about USD 200 million, will be pursued independently.

While 25 guns will come to India in a fly-away condition, the rest will be assembled at the proposed Assembly Integration and Test facility for the weapon system in India in partnership with Mahindra.

The first two howitzers will be delivered within six months of the contract being inked, while rest will be delivered at the rate of two per month.

The howitzers that can be heli-lifted were first proposedto be bought from BAE about 10 years back.

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India has invited bids from global oil firms and traders to lease out capacity in the newly built underground strategic oil storage at Padur in Karnataka.

India, which is 80 per cent dependent on imports to meet its crude oil needs, has built three underground oil storages at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka as insurance against supply disruptions.

Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL), under the administrative jurisdiction of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, has built strategic storages at three locations.

"ISPRL, on behalf of Government of India, has invited preliminary Expression of interest from reputed, companies/ traders/ financial institutions/ multinational companies either individually or as a consortium, interested in storing crude oil in any one or more compartments of the storage facility at Padur," an official statement said.

The four compartments at Padur provide a total storage capacity of 19.4 million bBarrels (MMbbl).

The underground rock cavern storages at Visakhapatnam and Mangalore have already been commissioned. Padur facility is expected to be ready for crude filling in the first quarter of 2017, the statement said.

"The Padur facility is connected to the 15 million tons per annum oil refinery of Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) which is proposed to be expanded to 21 million tons per annum soon," it added.

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last week informed the Parliament that Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia and Royal Dutch Shell have evinced interest in hiring strategic oil storages at Mangalore.

Pradhan had said under Strategic Petroleum Reserve project Phase-I, underground rock caverns for storage of 5.33 million tons of crude oil at three locations -- Vishakhapatnam (1.33 million tons), Mangalore (1.50 million tons) and Padur (2.5 million tons) have been created.

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Telecom regulator Trai today said demonetisation has accelerated digital transactions in the country, but expressed concern over India trailing nations like Singapore and Malaysia at the level of broadband connectivity, a key component of digital infrastructure.

"There is one area where we need to do a lot of work and that area is broadband connectivity," Trai Chairman, RS Sharma said.

He said at an event on eGovernance and Digital India organised by Assocham that as per a white-paper, "broadband penetration in India was 7 per cent based on certain parametres".

On the other hand, it had pegged Thailand's broadband reach at 36 per cent, Singapore's at 98 and that of Malaysia at around 35-36 per cent, he said.

India was, in fact, ranked behind Sri Lanka and Vietnam in broadband penetration, he added.

"This is really a matter of concern...We are not in a great shape as far as broadband penetration is concerned ...Digital India will have to ride on this infrastructure and if we don't have robust and reliable infrastructure, we are not going to achieve the objective of digital India, of having a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy," Sharma said making a strong case for using cable TV for broadband delivery.

Broadband through cable TV - beaming into millions of Indian homes - would only require tweaking of the policy and Trai has already given its recommendation to the government in this regard.

"Our ranking will zoom up. There are millions of cable TV homes and by 31 December all these will be digitised. That can be leveraged. In many of developed countries like US and in Europe nearly 50-60 per cent of robust broadband is coming from digital cable TV. We need to do that," he said.

Highlighting the role that Bharat Net project will play in strengthening the digital infrastructure, he said industry, government and the regulator will have to work together in taking India higher than its ranking of 131-132 among 155 nations in ICT penetration.

On demonetisation being a catalyst for digitisation, Sharma said: "Certainly, in the last two weeks or so there has been an acceleration digital transactions."



Cashless society or, in the short term less-cash society, is the aim of digital India, he said, adding that "this is accelerating already".

Both Trai and Telecom Department called for making the mobile short code or USSD facility - used to avail banking services on feature phones - more simple and user-friendly.

"We need to work on push USSD, where the burden of pressing keys and pulling codes should move from the payer to merchant," Telecom Secretary JS Deepak said.

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Former home secretary R K Singh on Tuesady advocated for adopting a "tit for tat" policy against and stressed that there should be no bilateral talks with the neighbouring state till it supports terrorism.

His remarks comes ahead of Prime Minister's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz's visit to India to take part in the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar this week.

"His (Aziz) coming and participating in a multilateral conference, I don't think that it is a problem. But bilateral talks no. There is no point in talking to them (Pakistan). Whenever we have started a dialogue with them, we only had terror attacks," the BJP MP from Ara in Bihar said.

He said that it should be made clear to the neighbouring state that the present Indian government has a new policy of "hitting back".

Asked whether should be declared a terror state, he said that such a declaration from India will not lead to anything but if it is done at the international forum, then sanctions will be imposed and Pakistan will "feel the pain".

"If we (India) alone declares it as terror state, nothing will happen. If it is declared at the international forum, then sanctions will be imposed on it. Then it (Pakistan) will feel the pain. And if Pakistan does not change its policies, then that time will also come.

"It is not only our problem, but it is world's problem."

"This attack is a message that no matter who the chief (Pakistan army) is, our (Pakistan's) policy remains the same. We need to tell them that our policy does not remain the same. During the previous governments, the policy was different. This government has a policy of hitting back," he said.

Referring to the recent terror attack on the army camp in Nagrota, he said the targeting is done by Pakistani army and ISI who not only train and arm these jihadis, but also send them across the border and give covering fire (while crossing border).

"One should not take it as a Jihadi attack. This attack is by Pakistani Army and ISI. They just use jihadis. And the answer to this is only one. If someone hits you, you hit back.

"This we have started through surgical strike. And it is not that we have done it once and we will not do again. It should be made clear to Pakistan that 'tit for tat' is our new policy," he said.
A 29-year-old Indian-origin fraudster who was given 98,000 pounds as a grant to start a new forest project in the South Yorkshire region of England but failed to plant a single tree has been jailed for 27 months.

Pritesh Ladwa, who describes himself as a CEO-director of several companies on Facebook, was given the grant to beautify a former Orgreave colliery site at Waverley in South Yorkshire but failed to deliver.

Ladwa had denied fraud but was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court this week.

"There was no forest where a forest should have been," prosecutor Daniel Oscroft told the court.

Pictures on social media showed Ladwa enjoying champagne and smiling on a yacht in Hawaii, swimming with a dolphin and posing in front of a waterfall in Iceland, the Birmingham Mail reported.

It is believed he blew up the money on his high-flying lifestyle.

Jurors were told that Ladwa won the grant from the English Woodland Grant Scheme, run by the UK's Forestry Commission to create new woods for the public to enjoy.

He told the commission that all the work had been done in March 2014 - but later claimed the site had been targeted by vandals.

He was caught out when two experts from the commission visited the land.

"They found no evidence that trees had ever been planted or any evidence that vandalism had taken place. The place had not even been cleared for the planting of trees. This was the fraud. Ladwa had lied to the Forestry Commission by saying he had completed the work," Oscroft said in court.

Ladwa claimed he and a friend planted some trees and migrant workers had been paid cash-in-hand to plant the rest.

However, the court did not buy his version of the story and jailed him for 27 months.

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With insolvency professional agencies getting registered, the will become operational from tomorrow.

The Code will help quicker resolution of cases and unlock value of assets, Mamta Binani, President, ICSI, the apex body of company secretaries, told reporters here today.

"The entire will be functional from tomorrow," she said.

Both ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) and ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) have registered not-for-profit companies under the Code to act as insolvency professional agencies.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has been set up under the Code that seeks to consolidate and amend laws relating to reorganisation as well as insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time-bound manner.

With the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) becoming redundant, corporate insolvencies will now be dealt by the Company Law Tribunal and proprietorship and partnership insolvencies by the Debt Recovery Tribunal.

A firm registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 -- having a minimum net worth of Rs 10 crore and a paid-up capital of Rs 5 crore -- will be eligible to be an insolvency professional agency.

According to Binani, a majority of the board members of the professional agency, including the chairman, should be independent directors.

"The board will soon appoint a chairman. In the next 20 days, we will have the first meeting of the agency," she said.

Among others, advocates, chartered accountants, company secretaries and cost accountants can serve as insolvency professionals with 15 years of experience in their respective fields.

"An insolvency professional agency is a frontline regulator for insolvency professionals. It enrols professional members, lays down standards of professional conduct for them and monitors their performance," Binani said.

On Monday, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley said there are a lot of expectations from the new insolvency mechanism and expressed confidence that it would deliver the desired results in years to come.
Tamil film producer and accused in the multi-crore medical admission scam, Madhan was today brought back to neighbouring Tirupur, where he was arrested a week ago, as part of investigation in the case, police said.

A 12-member police team from Chennai brought Madhan to Tirupur this afternoon and inspected the house, from where he was taken into custody after remaining absconding since May last.

The team returned to Chennai after spending about one hour in Tirupur, police said.

Madhan of 'Vendhar Movies' was wanted in connection with the alleged multi-crore MBBS admission scam in SRM group of institutions.

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The Bar Association of Jamshedpur has given call for a day-long pen down strike tomorrow demanding adequate security to lawyers, who have miraculously escaped the firing incident that took place on the 2nd floor of the Bar Association building today afternoon.

JMM leader-cum-Contractor Upendra Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election from Jamshedpur West seat, was killed in the firing.

Two of the assailants were caught hold by the people and thrashed before being handed over to police, who have referred them to Tata Main Hospital.

Among other cases, Singh, who owns a restaurant in Mango Bus stand under Sitaramdera police station here, was the prime accused in the murder of his business partner Ramshakal Yadav.

Yadav had been shot dead while taking morning walk at Jubilee Park under Bistupur police station last year.

Singh was released on bail few months ago in this connection.

Meanwhile, in an emergency meeting the Bar Association here has decided to observe pen down strike tomorrow in support of their demand for adequate security to the lawyers fraternity.

"We will observe a day-long pen down strike and may go for an indefinite period, if the Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police do not visit the Bar Association building and assure us of adequate security arrangement for lawyers," Ratim Das, President of Bar Association said.

Das demanded for installation of metal detector in all the four gates of the Bar Association office and thorough body checking of visitors including the lawyers before entering into the building.

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A Lodge Grass man convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing a child 24 years ago will spend nine years in federal prison.

George Chad Deputee, 42, had no comment as U.S. District Judge Susan Watters sentenced him to the low-end of a guideline range during a hearing Wednesday. The high end of the range was about 11 years, while the statutory maximum was life.

A jury in May found Deputee guilty of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact of a child for activity that happened between 1989 and 1994. The victim, who was younger than age 12 at the time, reported the abuse years later and testified at trial that Deputee had repeatedly sexually abused her.

Another victim also testified against Deputee at trial, but he was not charged for those crimes because the period of limitations had expired before the government could seek an indictment.

The sentencing guideline range was based on laws in place at the time of the crimes. Deputee would have faced a mandatory minimum of 30 years if convicted of the same offenses today.

Watters said a nine-year term took into consideration the seriousness of the crimes and that it was not all that uncommon for victims to report such abuse years after suffering it as a child.

The judge also considered that Deputees history was unusual because he had no criminal history or encounter with law enforcement in the years after the offenses. He also has a college degree, although he has not been employed, and has lived with an aunt. And he had no substance abuse problems.

A psychosexual evaluation also found that Deputee was a low risk to re-offend, she said.

Deputee continues to deny the charges and has strong family support, Watters said.

Assistant Federal Defender Gillian Gosch sought a sentence of one year and one day, saying Deputee has lived a quiet, unassuming life, has strong family support and is active in his church.

Gosch described the allegations as a bomb that was dropped 20 years after the fact.

Prosecutor John Sullivan recommended a 15-year sentence, which was longer than the guidelines, saying the term was wholly justified.

This was systematic abuse of multiple victims over several years, Sullivan said. Both victims have suffered throughout their lives because of the abuse, he said.

The abuse was committed in secret, and Deputee relied on the victims innocence, vulnerability and fear to keep them quiet, he said.

Referring to the testimony of one of the victims, Sullivan said, Everybody could tell she was very much a shattered human being.
As part of the agenda to make Jharkhand a preferred investment destination, a business delegation reached Dongguan in China to meet potential investors and host a seminar on business and investment promotion in India, an official release said here today.

The delegation, led by R K Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary, interacted with Dongguan-based large corporate groups with interest in electronic system design and manufacturing and machinery, among others.

Chinese electronics companies are firming up investment plans for Jharkhand in Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Adityapur near Jamshedpur, the release said.

Some of the companies have shown intend to sign an MoU with state government for collaboration in the electronic system design and manufacturing segment.

Companies like Vivo, Huawei and Oppo that have presence in India have shown willingness to expand business in Jharkhand. Among new companies, Shanghai HUAV Technology Co Ltd and China Southern Power Grid International Co. Ltd. Are seen to be keen on investing in Jharkhand, the release said.

Officials of these companies would soon visit Jharkhand and explore partnership opportunity at the forthcoming 'Momentum Jharkhand' Global Investors Summit in Ranchi in February 2017, the release said.

Srivastava addressed a gathering of investors at a seminar organised by Government of Jharkhand with the support of Consulate General of India, Guangzhou, in association with China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Dongguan, the release said.

From Dongguan, the delegation will move to Shanghai to hold a road show where identified industries and investors have been invited.

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JNU students are gearing up for another standoff with the administration as their union today started an indefinite sit-in against the varsity's decision to not allow protests on the campus.

The administration, through two letters dated November 3 and 28, had asked the president of the students' body not to organise any meeting or demonstration at the administrative block.

"But it has come to the notice of the administration that you are going to hold a protest at administrative block. You are once again advised not to hold the above mentioned activity near the administrative block, otherwise necessary disciplinary action will be taken as per university rules," the letter read.

Protest and demonstration at the administrative block is an old tradition on the campus. The administration has, however, cautioned the JNUSU against staging protests, saying it had received complaints from residents and staff.

The JNUSU today not only staged a protest on the issue of the missing first year MSc student Najeeb Ahmed at the administrative block, it also started an indefinite sit-in strike.

"The university is not ready to listen to us. We have no option left but to protest? What we are demanding is a fair probe into Najeeb's matter. Not only the university did not acknowledge in any of its reports that Najeeb was assaulted, but has been insensitive toward the issue," JNUSU President Mohit Kumar Pandey said.

The university administration, however, said it has taken all steps possible to find Najeeb, who had gone missing from the campus on October 15, and also cooperated with the police in investigation.

"These are completely false allegations. The university had issued notices to those students who allegedly assaulted Najeeb.

"However, the university is run by certain rules and regulations and those has to be followed. No one is stopping the students from protesting, but regular disruption at the administrative block is uncalled for," said a senior official.

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A one-day job fair for children of Delhi Police personnel and retired employees was inaugurated by Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma here today.

Around 70 companies participated at the job fair hosted by the Police Families Welfare Society at the New Police Lines at Kingsway Camp.

Over 9,000 candidates have registered for the event, a senior police officer said, adding that selected candidates will receive job offer letters at the end of the fair.

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Former Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin has been appointed chairperson of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) which hears appeals against the decisions of censor board.

Justice Sarin, who was also Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, has been given a tenure of three years as head of the film certification tribunal.

As Delhi Lokayukta, Justice Sarin was proactive and had given a number of judgements against the then Congress government headed by Sheila Dikshit. He had retired from the post in November, 2013.

Filmmakers aggrieved by decisions of censor board often approach FCAT for redressal of their grievances.

When contacted, Justice Sarin said, "I am looking forward to an enjoyable tenure.

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Karnataka Assembly today paid tribute to the seven soldiers killed in the terror strike at Nagrota army camp in Jammu, and termed it as a "cowardly" attack on human society.

As the House met, Speaker K B Koliwad made the obituary reference and said the attack on the army camp was an act by enemies unable to digest India's progress, and called on the humanity to join hands in fight against terrorism.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had spoken to the father of Major Akshay Girish Kumar, an army officer from Bengaluru, who was martyred during the terror attack.

"I have spoken to Akshay's father. He is in Jammu to get the body. I have been told that the body may reach Bengaluru by tomorrow," he said.

Stating that Akshay pursued his education at a city college before joining the Army to serve the nation, the Chief Minister said government would give compensation to the family.

He also paid his tributes to other six, martyred during the attack.

Opposition Leader Jagadish Shettar said "we will have to avenge their death."



JD(S) Leader YSV Datta expressed concerns about such repeated terror incidents and loss of defence personnel's lives in the recent times.

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Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah today renamed the outgoing prime minister to form a new cabinet following polls in which the opposition made a strong showing.

Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling Al-Sabah family, resigned on Monday as required by the constitution after Saturday's snap polls.

He should form the cabinet before December 11, when the new parliament is due to hold its inaugural session.

The Islamist-dominated opposition won nearly half the seats in the 50-member parliament and vowed to oppose the government's austerity measures in the face of low oil revenues.

The reappointment of Sheikh Jaber, 73, came despite calls by a number of opposition lawmakers to select a new premier to reflect the election results.

Under Kuwait's constitution, the emir has the sole power to appoint the premier regardless of the outcome of polls as it does not apply a full Western-style multi-party system.

The official KUNA agency said the emir issued a decree reappointing Sheikh Jaber after consultations with former premiers and ex-parliament speaker Marzouk al-Ghanem.

Analysts expect the new parliament to have strained relations with the government.

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The US Justice Department has announced an Asian art dealer from Long Island admitted to charges that he took part in the illegal trafficking of black rhinoceros horns.

Forty-nine-year-old Fengyi Zhou acknowledged while entering his guilty plea in federal court in Brooklyn yesterday that he purchased up to five uncarved horns that came from black rhinos, an endangered species.

Federal prosecutors say the Syosset man was aware that the horns he purchased were first bought in Texas and unlawfully transported to New York.

Zhou then immediately made a move to sell the horns, which he eventually did for more than USD 130,000 to an associate who is a Chinese national.

Defense attorney Paul Goldberger says Zhou is a legitimate businessman who just made a bad decision. He's requesting no jail time for his client.

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Lt Gen Ranbir Singh today took charge as General Officer Commanding of the elite Strike Corps based here.

"He is an alumni of Kapurthala Sainik School and graduated from the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned into 9th Battalion of theDogra Regiment," Defence PRO Lucknow Gargi Mullick Sinha said.

The General Officer has held various command, instructional and staff appointments, she said.

"His assignments include command of the Mountain Brigade and of an armoured division," Sinha said, adding he has served in the United Nations Peace Keeping Missions and at Army headquarters.

She said the General Officer is an expert in counter insurgency operations, operational art, information operations and his last assignment was at the Directorate General Military Operations at the Defence Ministry.

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The union home ministry constituted Madhukar Gupta committee is on a visit of Indo-Bangladesh border areas spread across various districts of West Bengal to strengthen border vigil and domination.

The visit is aimed at looking into the ways to strengthen border vigil and security on the border, a senior BSF official said.

"The Madhukar Gupta committee is presently visiting the Indo-Bangla border, that runs through various districts of West Bengal. Yesterday they had visited the riverine bordering areas in Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas. They had also visited Benapole and Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas," the senior official, not wishing to be named, told PTI.

Today the team visited a part of bordering areas in Malda district, while tomorrow the committee is slated to visit the second part of Malda and then they will move to other districts, he added.

The committee is presently visiting Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal to look into the aspects of strengthening border vigil and border domination.

"The committee will look into the aspects of strengthening border vigil, border domination, better management of border. We have given them a presentation on various aspects of Indo-Bangla border," the official said.

The committee, headed by former Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, was set up by Ministry of Home Affairs following the January terror attack on Pathankot air base.

It has already submitted its recommendations which included sealing fencing gaps along the Indo-Pak border and suggested use of modern technology and heightened vigil along the riverine frontiers.

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If all goes as per Maharashtra government's plans, farmers in the state will get a new market in West Bengal and Assam, where there is a huge demand for onions, grapes, pomegranate and eggs.

Minister of State for Agricluture Sadabhau Khot recently visited Assam and West Bengal to see if there were any market opportunities for Maharashtra in these two states.

"These two states have a huge demand for onions, grapes, pomegranates and eggs. Currently, Kolkata gets most stock of onions from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. If these states can sell their products, why can't we?" Khot said.

The minister met the owner of Sufal Bangla, a chain of supremarkets in Kolkata and traders in Assam.

"We have decided to supply onion and fruits to Assam through railway wagons and Maharashtra has prepared the proposal. We are awaiting a response from Assam and an agreement between us will then be made," Khot said.

He said there are 700 working groups of fruit producers in the state and each group consists of 50 farmers, that provide farm products across the country.

"Farmers' groups will get an assured market and a good price for their produce. In Maharashtra, onion prices range between Rs 500-Rs 1,400 per quintal, whereas the same onion is priced at Rs 2,000 per quintal in Assam.

"Even if we add transport expenses, our farmers will get a benefit of at least Rs 700 per quintal," Khot said.

Meanwhile, Brijesh Singh, official spokesperson of Maharashtra government said, "The state cabinet has decided to make an arrangement of railway wangon to supply fruits in West Bengal and Assam markets, if these states are willing. An official will be deputed there to co-ordinate between farmers and traders.

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HELENA  The board that certifies election results is holding off on verifying the passage of initiative that will amend the states constitution to create a so-called victims' bill of rights over concern about the date of implementation.

The Board of Canvassers, which met Tuesday and Wednesday, did not sign off on the passage of Constitutional Initiative 116, known as Marsys Law. They will meet again Monday to decide how to proceed.

Proponents of the law say the board must certify the results, and its not the place of the board to change something voters approved.

The initiative passed Nov. 8 with 66 percent of the vote. It creates a new section of the state Constitution with 18 rights for crime victims, including the right to refuse an interview or deposition and to receive notification for all steps of the criminal proceeding. Cities and counties around the state are concerned about an immediate effective date, saying they dont have enough staff to do what will be required.

On ballots statewide, voters saw the sentence: CI-116, if passed by the electorate, will become effective immediately. That language is also on a certificate validating the election that the board must sign.

Two board members  Monica Lindeen, the outgoing state auditor and Denise Juneau, the outgoing superintendent of public instruction  are concerned about the ballot title language and being able to comply with the law immediately.

Representatives for Lindeen and Juneau would not sign a certificate verifying the initiative's passage Tuesday or Wednesday. Both Lindeen and Juneau were term-limited from running again.

The boards third member, Tim Fox, who won re-election as attorney general, supports certifying the results with an immediate effective date. Foxs Department of Justice drafted the initiative title that appeared on ballots and included the immediate effective date.

All three board members were represented by members of their staff at Wednesdays meeting.

Proponents of Marsys Law, including state Rep. Vince Ricci, R-Laurel; William W. Mercer, a former U.S. District Attorney for Montana; and Toni L. Plummer-Alvernaz, executive director at Montana Native Women's Coalition; wrote in the states voter guide that these rights are long overdue and the amendment will make sure victims are treated with dignity, notified of important legal events like bail and parole and have a voice in the process

Opponents, including State Sen. Kris Hansen, R-Havre; Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Missoula; Peter Ohman, training coordinator at the Office of the Public Defender; Sen. Cynthia Wolken, D-Missoula; and Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert, wrote in the voters guide that the law was backed by a wealthy California businessman and that Montana already has strong laws to protect crime victims.

Opponents also said that to follow the new law cities and counties will have to cut services or raise taxes to pay for additional staff. The act also conflicts with a defendant's constitutional rights, opponents said, adding many counties already have victim advocates.

The board approved election results for local and statewide candidates and Initiative 182, which repealed a three-patient limit for medical marijuana patients. That initiative has its own struggles with an effective date: Due to a drafting error it will not take effect for eight months.

Billie LeDeau, executive assistant to the superintendent of public instruction, and Jeff Barber, the state auditors land board adviser, were offered the option of signing the certificate validating the passage of the initiative and adding an amended start date of July 1, but Secretary of State Linda McCulloch, who oversees elections, said she was unsure what effect, if any, that would have.

This has never been done before, she said. It has never come up before where the canvassers have changed the effectiveness date.

The delay in certifying the initiative could also hold up the start of a recount for a legislative district in Billings, though McCulloch said shes not sure if that's the case.

Charles Denowh, the state director of Marsy's Law for Montana, questioned if the board had any authority to change the date.

Barber said it was Lindeens position that the language on the ballot, which called for an immediate effective date, was incorrect and a misreading of the initiative.

A spokesman for the attorney general, whose Department of Justice drafts ballot titles, said the DOJ interpreted a line in initiative language provided by sponsors calling the law self-executing as meaning sponsors wanted an immediate start date.

Initiative language is sent from sponsors to Legislative Services, which creates a draft of what will appear on the ballot. The draft is then sent to the attorney general, who does a legal review and creates a new version. There is a comment period of several weeks where the public can weigh in on any language in the attorney generals draft. The language is then certified and sent to the secretary of state.

The spokesman said the Department of Justice only received two comments on Marsys Law and neither concerned the start date.

Kelly Lynch, an attorney for the Montana League of Cities and Towns, said she believes the attorney general's interpretation of the start-date language is incorrect. She said if ballot language does not specify a date, the law should go into effect on July 1 of the following year.

As soon as this law goes into effect we are going to be subject to violations of constitutional rights, she said. There are new requirements going into place as soon as this date goes into effect that we will not be able to comply with. We need time to get in place the staff, the resources and the processes in order to make this happen.
Malaysia has deported 74 telecom fraud suspects, including 21 from Taiwan, to China in the latest instance of Southeast Asian countries deferring to China's position on the self-governing island.

China's official Xinhua Agency reported that the suspects arrived in the central city of Wuhan yesterday night on a chartered plane escorted by police.

China regards Taiwan as a part of China and pressures its allies and smaller neighbours to abide by that position.

Taiwanese state media reported that Taiwanese officials protested the deportations to Malaysia, saying they "hurt the longstanding friendship" between the two sides.

Cambodia and Kenya are among the countries that have sent dozens of Taiwanese suspects to mainland China.

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A TMC MP today compared party chief Mamata Banerjee to national icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and said the West Bengal Chief Minister's photograph should be kept in every household in the country.

TMC MP from West Bengal's Basirhat, Idris Ali, today came to Parliament sporting an orange kurta, specially created and designed in College Street in Kolkata, with the face of Banerjee drawn on it.

Ali told PTI the photograph of the West Bengal Chief Minister is kept in almost all the households of the state nowadays.

"Just like people keep the photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, I think, her (Banerjee's) picture should also be hung in every household across the country," he said.

He said she is a very popular leader who has lead from the front to oppose the government's demonetisation decision from the very first day.

He said Banerjee leads a very simple life and she has also taken up the cause of the poor. Many leaders from various parties also greeted him after they saw the kurta in Parliament, he added.

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Stepping up her attack on the Centre over demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today dubbed the drive as "super Emergency" and vowed to agitate against it till a rollback of the decision.

"The government has taken away the freedom from the people that they have been enjoying for the past 69 years. The government has snatched 'Roti, Kapda aur Makan' from the people... A people's movement was started during the Emergency days... Today, the situation is even worse than Emergency, it can be termed as super Emergency," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

"People are facing difficulties and inconveniences. They (NDA Government) have sold the country. It is the duty of political parties to raise their voice for the people and we will continue with our agitation till the government takes a decision to roll back the demonetisation move," she said.

Mamata was addressing a gathering here in the course of her party's nationwide campaign against demonetisation.

Raising the the issue of funding of PM Modi's public meetings in foreign countries, she asked "From where do they get money to hold such mega public meetings in foreign countries like the US?".

She also raised issue of registration of land by BJP in Bihar for opening offices in districts and displaying deed numbers of land purchased by the BJP, questioned the PM's intentions as to how could BJP buy huge chunks of land in the month of September, a few weeks before the announcement of demonetisation on November 8.

Without naming anyone, Banerjee said, "If someone comes with us, then it is good. But, it certainly pains us if someone is not with us in the struggle for common people. This is people's cause. People will not forgive 'gaddars' (betrayers)."



Mamata, who arrived in the state capital yesterday, also met RJD chief Lalu Prasad at the latter's residence.

The ruling JD(U) has already made it clear that it would not be present at Banerjee's agitation programme in the light of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's support to demonetisation.

Questioning Modi's poll promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh



to every individual's bank account from money stashed away illegally, Banerjee said, "What happened to the promise? Not a single paise came to anyone's account nor any single paise was brought from the Swiss bank."



Lalu Prasad and his RJD have also been from time and again questioning the fate of this promise.

"Entire industry sector and economy are witnessing a slowdown due to demonetisation as a result of which people, mostly from Bihar who have migrated everywhere in search of jobs, are not getting their payments, especially in the jute industry and tea gardens in Bengal," Banerjee said.

Displaying two new notes of Rs 500 denomination having some dissimilar features, she alleged it smacked of a "big scam".

"The prime minister painted everyone as having black money, even those who file IT returns and pay taxes," she said adding "The PM also disrespected the 'stree shakti' (women power) and 'stree-dhan' (women wealth)."



In order to buttress her point that majority of people still rely on cash transactions in the absence of banking facilities, the TMC chief gave figures of availability of bank branches saying, of the 8,400 gram panchayats in Bihar, 5,000 panchayats do not have branches of any bank.

After the programme was over and Mamata left the venue, senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters, "Nitish Kumar should not have supported the Centre's decision of demonetisation. It creates doubt among the people whether everything was fine in the grand secular alliance."



"There is no unanimity in the JD(U) itself on demonetisation as Sharad Yadav, former JD(U) president, is saying something different while Nitish is supporting demonetisation," he said.

Singh and party state unit chief Ramchandra Purbe, a few leaders of the Bihar unit of Samajwadi Party and Jan Adikar Party of Pappu Yadav along with TMC's senior leader Mukul Roy were present on the dais.
A man has been arrested today in northwest Delhi's Keshav Puram area for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 2 crore on the pretext of getting his demonetised currency notes deposited in a bank.

On November 22, Kapil Mehta, a real estate businessman, filed a police complaint alleging that he has been duped of Rs 2 crore by Pushpendra Khari (50) after promising that the amount will be deposited in the bank, Milind Mahadeo Dumbere, DCP (northwest) said.

Four persons, Krishan Prakash, Neeraj Garg, Manzar Alam, Hemant Mishra and Subhash Singha made Mehta meet Khari on November 18 for depositing the money, the officer said.

Mehta gave Khari the cash and after some days when he kept demanding for the amount, the accused started avoiding him, Dumbere said.

"Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap and arrested Khari," Dumbere said, adding during initial interrogation, the accused confessed to his crime.

"Over Rs 3.51 crore in demonetised currency notes have been recovered from the accused. Other people too have alleged that they have been cheated in a similar manner. Their complaints are being verified," he said.

Khari had been previously involved in more than 10 cases under Arms Act, vehicle thefts, cheating and attempt to murder, the police officer said.

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A central Florida man will serve 25 years in prison for the shooting death of a man whose grandfather founded the employment website Monster.Com.

Treasure Coast Newspapers reports 28-year-old Trayvon Jackson pleaded no contest yesterday to second-degree murder as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

His sentencing is scheduled for December 21.

He had been facing a first-degree murder charge and minimum life sentence.

Authorities say 18-year-old Dylan McKelvey was found dead in an Indiantown field in March 2014. He had multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body.

Authorities say the teen had been living "the gangster life."



At the time of his death, detectives reported McKelvey had gold teeth and the tattoos of a Stuart-based gang on his hands.

McKelvey's late grandfather was billionaire philanthropist Andrew McKelvey.

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Mercedes-Benz, which on Wednesday rolled out a souped up version of its popular compact sedan CLA Class, said has not really impacted sales as yet although it has lowered footfalls at dealerships.

"In the medium to long-run, is a very positive step as it will definitely take out a lot of black money in the system.

"From a sales point of view, of course there is less footfalls at the dealerships as customer sentiment has taken a hit. But I am not worried about it at all as I hope by Christmas, things should get clearer," Mercedes-Benz India MD & CEO Roland Folger said here.

He further said, "Demonetisation, GST are not going to impact our business plans here. But having said that, we have not finalised our 2017 plans yet as there is no clarity at all on anything now. Probably, we will get clarity when the rates are finalised and there is more clarity on implementation side."



Explaining why he is not bothered about the impact of demonetisation, he said, anyway more than 95 per cent of sales are financed and there is negligible cash payment happening at the Mercedes dealers' end. But yes, sentiment has been impacted which does not mean there is a crisis situation now.

Folger also said, the CLA is the 12th product from the the company this year, but the firm will be launching one more model this year as against the original plan of 12 models. However, he did not name the new model.

The new CLA is the ninth model to be manufactured by the company at its Pune plant and the fourth model to be added to the local assembly line this year-after the GLS 400, GLE 400, and the GLC 220 class.

The company had launched the first model of the CLA in January 2015 and in eight months time, its local production from Pune, making India the only other market outside Europe to do so.

The new CLA Class comes in four variants - two each in diesel and petrol, with engine capacity of 1.99 litre to 2.14 litre, and the ex-Mumbai price ranges from Rs 31.40 lakh to Rs 43.68 lakh.

While the stylish new CLA 200 d Style is priced at Rs 31.40 lakh, CLA 200 d Sport comes at Rs 34.68 lakh and the CLA 200 Sport is priced at Rs 33.68 lakh.

Describing the CLA Class as a landmark in automotive design, Folger said the car carves out a niche for itself with its sporty style and interiors. He added that the new model, being rolled out from the Pune plant is ready for sale at dealerships from today.

Folger said the CLA remains one of the best sellers in the new generation cars portfolio of Merc and underlines the compact sedan's popularity, especially amidst the younger generation.
The rights conferred under an Act cannot be taken away by a mere inter-ministerial decision, the Delhi High Court has observed while quashing the minutes of a March 2010 meeting of the erstwhile UPA government regarding citizenship to children born to Tibetan refugees in India.

It said the minutes of inter-ministerial meeting of March 30, 2010 and the August 2011 communication issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the issue were "contrary" to the Citizenship Act.

The MHA, in a letter to the ECI, had conveyed the minutes of the inter-ministerial meeting which said, "the children born to Tibetan refugee in India will not be treated as Indian citizen automatically based on their birth in India before July 1, 1987 under section 3(1)(a) of Citizenship Act, 1955".

The minutes had also said that all such persons will have to submit an application individually under the provisions of the Act to the MHA, after which the nationality status of all such children would be determined by the ministry as per the prescribed procedure.

In his order, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said, "Section 3 of the Act very categorically lays down the conditions under which a person acquires citizenship by birth. By a mere correspondence or an inter-ministerial meeting, the statutory provisions cannot be defeated".

"No decision taken in an inter-ministerial meeting can over-ride a statutory provision. The petitioner has been given rights under the Act, those rights cannot be taken away by a mere inter-ministerial decision," the court said.

"The communication dated August 26, 2011 and the minutes of meeting dated March 30, 2010, being contrary to the Act, are quashed," it said.

The verdict came on a petition by Tenzin Tselha, a girl child born to Tibetan parents in May 1987, who claimed Indian citizenship and that she cannot be denied an Indian passport.

The court allowed her plea and held that she is an Indian citizen and is entitled to all the benefits and privileges as available to the Indian citizens.

"The respondents (Centre) cannot require the petitioner to make any application under section 9 of the Act. Petitioner cannot be denied Indian passport by the respondents on that ground," the court said, asking the Centre to issue an Indian passport to her in accordance with the rules.

During the hearing, the Centre's counsel had relied on the MHA's August 26, 2011 letter issued to the ECI in which minutes of inter-ministerial meeting were conveyed.

The counsel said that as per the minutes, all children born to Tibetan refugees here would not be treated as Indian citizens "automatically" based on their birth before July 1, 1987 and they have to submit applications individually under section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act.

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For promoting cooperation and collaboration between Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Surindra Rajabhat University Regional Development Strategies (SRRURDS) Foundation of Surin Province, North East of Thailand and Mahabodhi Lord Buddha College (MLBC) in Arunachal Pradesh.

The MoU was signed yesterday in line with the development of friendly international cooperation with mutual interests in developing programmes of academic exchange and for establishing a long-term mutually beneficial association between the two institutes for fostering cordial relations between the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand, an official release said here today.

The MoU was signed by Associate Professor Achara Phanurat, Ex-President of Surindra SRRURDS Foundation and Ven Bhikkhu Panyaloka, Director of MLBC in presence of the Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Tharadol Thongruang, Minister Councillor, Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi.

As per the MoU, both the institutes agreed to carry out the activities in academic and research cooperation, cultural activities for international development in educational institutions using international journals, magazines as a stage for academic exchange.

Terming the step as 'significant' Mein said, "The MoU has taken the Act East Policy in high spirit. The state government is committed to bring Act East Policy into practical.

"This is like a family re-uniting," Thongruang said and expressed hope that the small step would expand in a big way in coming days.

He said that Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand were very close to each other, separated by few mountains.

The old routes that links Arunachal Pradesh and North East of Thailand could be re-opened for building better relationships in future, he pointed out.

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India today signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Argentina and Israel ahead of the three-day 7th World Ayurvedic Congress here from December 2 for cooperation in research and development in the field of ayurvedic sciences.

The first MoU was signed between Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under Ministry of Ayush, and the Medical Research Infrastructure and Health Sciences Fund of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, Israel.

The second one was signed between CCRAS and the Government of Instituto Unversitario del Gran Rosario and the Government of Fundacion de Salud Ayurveda Prema, Argentina, on the establishment of an Academic Chair in Ayurveda.

Inaugurating the International Delegates Assembly of the World Ayurveda Congress here, Ayush ministry Secretary Ajit Sharan said the ancient science of ayurveda was undergoing a "second renaissance" and a wave of globalisation.

Speaking about the history and evolution of ayurveda, Sharan said ayurveda reached South-East Asia, the Far-East and China when Hindu and Buddhist monks from India went to those countries where this ancient Indian science blended with local traditions for further improvement.

In modern times, ayurveda has reached Europe, America and the other western countries too, where medical fraternity and health researchers are looking for leads in traditional medicines, especially in cases where conventional medicine has failed, Sharan said.

The Centre has announced 150 research fellowships in the field of Ayush out of which 100 or so would be awarded to ayurveda researchers, he added.

The Ayush ministry works for development of education and research in ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy.

Ayurveda must appeal to the modern generations to create demand and thus to make further headway and this ancient science must be explained in a language understood by the modern scientific community, he said.

Stating that basic fundamentals of ayurveda must be interpreted through the prism of modern science, he asked ayurvedic community and researchers to create research protocols that would be at par with modern science.

In this context, Sharan also stated that Ministry of Ayush has signed an agreement with WHO to develop benchmarks for research and practice of ayurveda.

This will lead to standardisation of ayurveda practice and convergence will happen between ayurveda terminologies and International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

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Rajya Sabha MP and Vice Chairman of NDA in Kerala Rajeev Chandrasekar today said successive governments in the state have ignored the legacy andvalour of 18th century king Pazhassi Raja, who was one of theearliest to fight against the British.

In a statement here on the occasion of the 211th deathanniversary of the King, he said,"Pazhazi Raja, a true Kerala hero, deserves to be recognized and revered by the present and future generations of malayalees.

"It is indeed regrettable that successive Kerala governments have ignored the 'legacy and valour' of the King in the last seven decades since India's Independence," he said.

He was a brave and principled King, leader and one of our earliest freedom fighters protecting and defending North Malabar region against invasions from both the Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan Dynasty and the British Colonialism, Chandrasekar said.

"Lack of recognition of Pazhassi Raja is even more ironical when you see the Congress Party celebrating (Tipu's birth anniversary) despite the High Court ofKarnataka ruling that Tipu was not a freedom fighter", he said. "On the other hand, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja who has the history of leading the fight against the imperialist forces and a pioneer of Indian freedom struggle movement against British colonialism from 1797, hardly has any mentions in our history books," he said.

Citing media reports that Pazhassi Padinjare Kovilakom, where the legendary freedom fighter's descendants lived, was getting into ruins, Chandrasekhar appealed to the state government to take urgent steps to protect it as 'a historic monument' forresearch and reference for future generations.

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An Oklahoma woman this week denied federal charges accusing her of stealing $23,000 cash while working at the Charging Horse Casino and Bingo business in Lame Deer.

Wenonah Sue Wagner, 31, of El Reno, Okla., pleaded not guilty on Monday to an indictment charging her with theft by officer or employee of a gaming establishment on Indian lands.

The indictment accuses Wagner, who worked at the casino, of embezzling $23,000 on Nov. 15, 2015. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe operates the casino.

If convicted, Wagner faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby ordered Wagner to remain in custody. She was arrested earlier in November in Oklahoma on a federal warrant from Montana. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
Buoyed by BJP's impressive show in the recently held municipal council polls in Maharashtra, a party MP today said its Mumbai unit is for contesting forthcoming high-voltage BMC elections sans its partner of nearly two decades in the civic body, the Shiv Sena.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament premise, BJP MP from Mumbai, Kirit Somaiya, said the BJP unit, however, is open to forming alliance with other small allies "if they wish to make the megapolis mafia-free".

Considered as Asia's richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to go to polls in February next year.

"After the unprecedented victory (in the council polls), our target is (to win) BMC elections, to make Mumbai mafia-free.

"It is the sentiment of Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, me and each of the BJP's members that the party contests the election on its own. Our workers are prepared to contest all the 227 wards," Somaiya said.

The Parliamentarian from Mumbai North-East constituency said the BJP though is open to form alliance with other small parties in NDA "if they too want to make Mumbai mafia-free".

On asked if the Shiv Sena figured among such allies, Somaiya said Mumbaikars will not let the BJP go along with "those who looted and handed over Mumbai to mafias", suggesting the strained ties between the two parties.

He also listed alleged scams which took place in the cash-rich municipal body, dominated by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

"Mumbaikars will not let us go along with those people. One party has looted Mumbai a lot. We will declare names of such people at appropriate time," he said in a veiled attack.

The Shiv Sena and BJP are currently enjoying power at Centre and in the state government too. The parties though share uneasy relationship ever since they parted ways in the run up to Maharashtra assembly polls held in November 2014.

The BJP emerged as the major gainer in elections held for 164 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, winning highest number of seats at 893 out of 3727 seats.

The Shiv Sena had emerged as the largest party in the BMC during the previous polls held in 2012, winning around 75 seats in 227-capacity House. The BJP had won close to 30 seats.

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Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed today to work for "peace and national reconciliation" amid mounting international condemnation of a bloody army crackdown on her country's Muslim Rohingya minority.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner did not mention the violence in Rakhine state, but told a business forum in Singapore that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment.

Suu Kyi started a three-day visit to wealthy Singapore, the largest foreign investor in Myanmar after China, as international pressure mounted on her government to address the Rohingya crisis.

Crowds of Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh, making horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind deadly raids on police border posts last month.

Thousands also fled into China this month after clashes broke out between the army and ethnic rebels in northern Shan state, home to one of the many decades-old insurgencies rumbling in Myanmar's borderlands.

"As you know, we have many challenges. We're a country made of many ethnic communities, and we have to work at achieving stability and rule of law which you in Singapore take pride in," the 71-year-old leader said.

"Businesses do not wish to invest in countries which are not stable. We do not wish to be unstable but we've had a long history of disunity in our nation. So national reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for us," she said.

Criticism of Buddhist-dominated Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya has been intense in Muslim-majority neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.

Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, after Singapore but postponed the trip in the face of public protests and a thwarted bomb plot against the Myanmar embassy.

A senior cabinet minister in Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin, on Wednesday called for a review of Myanmar's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because of what he called its "large-scale ethnic cleansing" in Rakhine.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally at the weekend to protest the crackdown on Rohingyas, an official from his office said Tuesday, as the United Nations rights agency reiterated its claim the stateless minority may be victims of crimes against humanity.

An estimated 30,000 people have fled their homes in Rakhine and analysis of satellite images by campaign group Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

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Police is probing if Jasih-e-Mohammed (JeM) was responsible for Wednesday terror attack on an army camp in Nagrota, that left 7 officers and jawans dead, after a note written in Urdu bearing the name of JeM's Afzal Guru Squad (AGS) recovered from three slain terrorists, a senior official said on Wednesday.

"We are working on these links. We are going into all details, and investigation has started (into the links of JeM with after recovery of notes in Urdu)", Director General Of Police(DGP) K Rajendra Kumar told PTI tonight.

"Let us first complete the probe then we will able to say anything on it," he added.

According to reports, a note, along with three AK-47 rifles, magazines and UBGL grenades, was recovered from the site of attack, points to the involvement of JeM's Afzal Guru Squad.

The note, written in Urdu with name bearing at the end of AGS of JeM, says that they have avenged the death of Guru.

The recovered explosives were being disposed off by controlled explosions.

JeM have named a squad after Afzal Guru to target security forces in India last year.

It was first exposed in November last year, when Indian Army repulsed a major fidayeen (suicidal) attack on its Gorkha Rifles (GR) camp near the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar and recovered bags with Afzal Guru Squad markings.

Guru's name also cropped up in Pathankot when Rajesh Verma, who was abducted along with Gurdaspur Superintendent of Police told reporters that the militants had told him that they wanted to avenge the death of 2001 Parliament attack convict.

The DGP further said that security agencies were probing if the group came from International Border (IB) and was part of a group of three militants killed at the border in Ramgarh sector in Samba on Wednesday.

"We have visited Ramgarh in this direction," Kumar said.

Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other security-men, including a BSF DIG, were injured before six heavily-armed terrorists were killed in separate encounters.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General RK Pachnanda today visited the second battalion NDRF headquarters at Haringhata in Nadia district's Mohanpur and took stock of the preparedness of the force.

In his first visit to the second battalion after taking over the NDRF DG, Pachnanda addressed the troops of the battalion during 'Sainik Sammelan' held there at the campus of the unit, a release issued by the Battalion said.

The DG described the NDRF as a unique kind of force in the world dedicated only for disaster response.

He briefed the troops for their readiness during various search and rescue operations in different disasters within and outside the country.

The DG also appreciated the good work done by the unit.

DIG East and North East Zone, NDRF Kolkata, S S Guleria, and Commandant of second battalion NDRF Kolkata, Sandeep Channan, were present to welcome the DG, it said.

Channan briefed the DG on various modern and sophisticated equipment the unit is in possession of for coping with all kinds of disaster, it said adding that the DG also visited site of ongoing construction works in the unit campus.

Presently, there are 12 NDRF battalions deployed all over the country depending on the vulnerability of the areas.

Out of these 12 battalions, the headquarters of second battalion NDRF is located at Haringhata in Nadia district and Channan is the commandant of the unit.

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We need to think with a "new mind" and find out areas in which India and Latin America could cooperate for boosting ties in various sectors, Ambassador of Argentina to India Maria Cristina Ueltschi today said.

She was speaking at a session held here on 'Economic and Commercial Relations between India and Latin America' organised by Aspen Centre.

"India and Argentina need to cooperate in various sectors and boost ties... But, we need to think with new minds, and find out areas in which we could cooperate that would be complimentary for our economy.

"We must share our knowledge and create things in other countries too," she said.

Ambassador of Chile to India Andres Barbe said, we need symbolic gestures from both sides too.

"It will be great if the Indian Prime Minister visit us, we are always there to welcome him. And, his visit would certainly boost Indo-Latin America ties," he said.

"Geographically we are far, but we definitely, support each other," Barbe said.

Joint Secretary, Trade Policy Division, Department of Commerce, Dammu Ravi said, India is reaching out to the region, but there are few challenges that need to be addressed.

"First of all we need to look at these as regions and not just countries. One has to at least look at the sub-region at least... Also, trans-shipment takes 60-90 days from India to Latin America, so that is one area. Being able to trade from far-off distance is not fashionable. Entrepreneurs need to have market access," he said.

He added that doing business should be a "win-win model", as businesses, invested from outside should add value to the county in which they are operating.

Ueltschi said people in India learning Spanish is a display of "new mind" and, "it means, one wants to know and understand the other."



Later on the sidelines, when asked about film and cultural ties, she said, "Bollywood and soap operas are beginning to become popular in our country."



"An Indo-Argentinian co-production film on (Rabindranth) Tagore's relationship with Argentinian writer Victoria Ocampo is already being made, in which Indian actor Victor Banerjee is playing Tagore. So, we are cooperating in this area," she said.

"Thinking of Him", besides Banerjee, stars Raima Sen in key roles.

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Nepal's government has registered the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament despite opposition from CPN-UML, aimed at carving out a new province to meet the demands of agitating Madhesis and other ethnic groups whose protests last year left more than 50 people dead.

The bill, registered at the Parliament Secretariat after the Council of Ministers passed its draft yesterday, also proposes to address three other key issues -- citizenship, representation in the Upper House and recognition of languages spoken in various parts of the country.

The Cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar in the afternoon yesterday.

The government took the step a day after the 15-day ultimatum served by the Federal Alliance for implementing the three-point deal expired.

Federal Alliance is a grouping of Madhesi parties and ethnic groups that have been launching agitation demanding more rights and representation for the marginalised people.

Re-demarcation of the provincial boundary and citizenship issue are the two major demands put forth by the agitating Madhesi parties.

Madhesis, mostly Indian-origin, launched a six-month-long agitation from September last year to February this year in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.

The government has proposed to include parts of Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke, Dang and Bardiya in another Tarai province that will be known as Province 5.

The Cabinet also decided to form a commission to address concerns about five districts Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi said that the government decided to form a commission through an executive order to address all concerns about boundaries.

The bill proposes to list all the mother tongues of Nepal in the schedule of the constitution on the recommendation of the Language Commission.

It also states that all languages recommended to be official languages by the Language Commission will be listed in the constitution's schedule.

On citizenship, the bill proposes that foreign women married to Nepali men can obtain naturalised citizenship after initiating the process to renounce their citizenship.

The bill does not say anything about the rights of the naturalised citizens and citizens by birth.

Opposing the bill, main opposition party CPN-UML Vice Chair Bhim Rawal said the constitution amendment bill was not in the interest of the country and the people.

He said the bill would polarise the society further and create conflict between different political groups.

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Public sector New India Assurance Company Ltd today said it has formulated a health insurance scheme for high net-worth individuals with sum insured upto Rs one crore and was awaiting IRDA's approval for the launch.

The new product would have advance features and the sum insured could go up as high as Rs one crore and the approval of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority was expected in one month, New India Assurance Chairman-cum-Managing Director G Srinivasan told reporters here.

"The sum insured on this new product could go up to Rs one crore and will include many advanced features, besides having complete protection to policy holders and family, in any eventuality," he said.

Apart from this, the company had also made changes to its Mediclaim 2012 product by removing some of the deficiencies, he said.

"This is expected to be rolled out in three to four months and the improved product is also awaiting the IRDA approval," said Srinivasan, who is here for the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the company's Coimbatore Regional office.

On the company's performance, he said it had set a target of Rs.21,000 crore as premium collection this year as against Rs.18,431 crore in 2015-16.

As on October 30, the company had already made a premium collection of Rs. 13,000 crore, an increase of 25 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year, he said.

With a market share of 17 per cent in in the country, the company had issued 2.5 crore policies covering 35 crore people, with a claim settlement rate of 96 per cent, he said.

On the impact of demonetisation on premium payments, Srinivasan said initially there was a drop from cash payers, "but now it is made good and business is normal.

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The single-tier system of duty relaxation under the proposed mega trade deal RCEP will be the central issue to be discussed at the next round of negotiations of 16 countries, including India and China, in Jakarta from December 5.

Under this system, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries will deliberate on finalising the maximum number of goods on which duties will either be eliminated or reduced drastically.

"The technical level meeting will start from December 3 itself. But at the chief negotiators level, it will start from December 5 in Indonesia," an official said.

This will be a crucial meeting of the RCEP. Members have agreed to a single-tier system of tariff relaxation. Issues related to services and investments would also be deliberated upon among the members.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a mega trade deal that aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical co-operation, competition and intellectual property rights.

As the domestic industry has apprehensions over a deluge in imports from countries such as China after the duty cut under the agreement, India wants certain deviations for such countries.

Under deviations, India may propose a longer duration for either reduction or elimination of import duties for such countries.

India already has implemented a free trade agreement with ASEAN, Japan and South Korea. On the other hand, the country is negotiating similar pacts with Australia and New Zealand.

The talks for the pact started in Phnom Penh in November 2012. The 16 countries account for over a quarter of the world's economy, estimated to be more than USD 75 trillion.

The 16-member bloc RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

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The National Green Tribunal today refused to permit over 10-year old diesel vehicles from plying in Karnal in Haryana and asked the state government to expedite installation of CNG stations.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar passed the order on the plea of Karnal Independent Schools Association seeking permission to ply diesel vehicles over 10 years old until adequate number of CNG filling stations are set up in their city that falls in the NCR.

"Why can't you buy new vehicles? Karnal is almost Delhi and it is as thickly populated as any colony here. You run international schools, charge handsomely, why can't you buy new vehicles. We are not going to permit diesel vehicles in Karnal, you can be rest assured," the bench said.

When the NGT asked the lawyer appearing for association to file an affidavit stating that it was ready to fit new engines in the old buses, he withdrew his petition.

In its plea, the association had said that it runs around 900 buses in 77 schools which were all private and unaided CBSE schools in Karnal.

"The member schools do not have substantial means and resources to immediately procure approximately 175 new diesel buses. The schools cannot purchase new CNG fitted buses as well due to lack of adequate resources and as well as due to non-availability of CNG filling stations in the area.

"Many of the children who attend these schools come from far flung, rural and remote areas as well and have no means of transport besides school buses. Many of these children belong to under privileged backgrounds as well," the plea had said.

The tribunal had earlier asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to mull over the possibility of installing CNG stations in NCR and consider the proposal after it was informed that there was no CNG station in Karnal and Meerut.

On July 18, the green panel had directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles which were over 10 years old.

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The NSE Nifty gained for fourth consecutive session by 82.35 points to close at 8,224.50 on across the spectrum buying led by banking segments amid firm global cues.

Domestic funds extended the buying spree on continuous offloading of Indian shares by foreign funds, while building long positions. The market also got support from rising crude ahead of crucial OPEC meeting later in the day.

Banking segments led the rally after two session losing streak, while Auto counters extended their gains.

The key indices opened positive amid higher Asian cues witnessed brief volatility, later rose continuously to finish green.

The 50-share Nifty resumed higher at 8,172.15 and traded between 8,234.25 and 8,139.25 before ending at 8,224.50, a rally of 82.35 points, or 1.01 per cent, from its last close.

Overseas, Asian and European stocks rose as investors awaited the conclusion of a highly-anticipated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting later in the day.

Counter-wise Banks gained (2.22 per cent) followed by Pvt Bank (2.16 per cent), PSU Bank (2.10 per cent), Financials (1.79 per cent), Service Sector (1.30 per cent), Infra (1.19 per cent), Consumption (1.03 per cent), Auto (1.06 per cent), Commodities (0.98 per cent), FMCG (0.89 per cent) and Metal (0.79 per cent).

The secondline shares also rallied Midcap (1.38 per cent) and Smallcap (1.37 per cent), respectively.

Stockwise, major gainers were ICICI Bank (3.95 per cent), Maruti (3.50 per cent), Ambuja Cem (2.80 per cent), Yes Bank (2.56 per cent), IndsndBk (2.52 per cent), SBIN (2.24 per cent) and L&T 2.24 (per cent).

Notable losers were Idea (2.27 per cent), Lupin (0.88 per cent), Reliance (0.77 per cent), GAIL (0.76 per cent) and Cipla (0.45 per cent).

A total of 1,134 scrips advanced, 446 declined while 79 remained unchanged. Total securities that hit their price bands were 124.

Turnover in the cash segment spurted to Rs 31,536.06 crore, from Rs 18,689.50 crore as on yesterday.

A total of 13,040.83 lakh shares changed hands in 10,424,440 trades. The market capitalisation of NSE stood at Rs 10,618,012 crore.

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Pinedale's water starts high in the mountains, in a glacial lake in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

It sounds idyllic, and it's a source of pride for many of the town's 2,000 residents.

But Pinedale officials say a decision by the towns mayor last year compromised the resource, allowing lead levels in the drinking water to spike in the local schools, prompting an Environmental Protection Agency mandate and igniting a battle of political wills.

It started in the summer of 2015, when Pinedale's mayor, Bob Jones, decided to stop using sodium silicate to prevent lead and copper from leaching into the water and instead chose soda ash. The second product proved cheaper but ineffective. For his part, Jones said it was a decision the public works department made as a collective.

The change violated federal drinking water regulations, but the EPA was only notified of the permanent alteration in August.

Shortly after, officials found lead in the schools, first from a faucet in an administrative office, then in the public high school and other district buildings.

The sodium silicate treatment has since been turned back on, and the EPA says the town's water is back in compliance. If lead levels stay under control, the water will no longer pose a health risk.

But in the meantime, the schools are trying to figure out how to replace or repair their old pipes, students and staff are still drinking bottled water and the question of who is to blame is rocketing around the southwest Wyoming town.

*****

Many areas around the country have wrestled with the presence of lead in their drinking water, generally a consequence of lead pipes or lead-soldered joints in older buildings. But the glacial water that feeds into the faucets and bathtubs of Pinedale can exacerbate the problem.

The water is so pure, it tries to add to itself, explained Stephen Smith, the mayor who preceded Jones. Whether from lead and copper pipes or the enamel of a hot tub, untreated Pinedale water will draw minerals and contaminants from anything it touches, Smith said.

Since 1999, the town has used sodium silicate, an EPA-approved corrosion control substance, to mitigate the waters inclination to suck potentially dangerous minerals into the water that comes out of the towns taps. The chemical compound makes water less acidic and leaves behind a filmy buildup on the inside of pipes, preventing water contamination.

The town is free to reassess its corrosion control technique. But that would require a study on a new protocols effectiveness and approval from the EPA.

That didnt happen over the last year, the EPA said in an October letter to the town of Pinedale.

The school district has identified the sources of the lead contamination, which appear to be soldering on pipes on a number of buildings of around the same age, said superintendent Jay Harnack. He intends to hire an environmental expert to guide the district through the mitigation process. As of now, the schools affected are prohibiting students and staff from drinking tap water, instead offering bottled water.

Pinedale officials have turned the sodium silicate treatment back on, according to the EPA.

But 18 months later, the issue is not fully resolved, and recordings show meetings between the mayor and the council have been heated.

You are pointing fingers at everybody below you. But the buck stops right there, said former town councilman Tim Lingle at Mondays council meeting. When you start poisoning my child, who just had a lead test today, I sort of take it personally.

The mayor has overstepped his role, said Ana Cuprill, Pinedale resident and wife of the former mayor.

Cuprill sent a letter to the state attorney generals office asking for an investigation into the current mayor, but that request was denied. The state does not oversee municipal leaders, a spokesman responded.

Smith, the mayor from 2006 to 2014, said he wasnt in a position to criticize the mayors office but was concerned as a citizen whose children attend the public schools.

Its unclear why the mayor removed the corrosion control, he said.

Smith appointed the current directors of the Pinedale Public Works Department. Both are certified and would know the importance of the corrosion control for Pinedales unique water source, Smith said.

I dont know exactly what this guy has done, but he certainly didnt follow the rules that we did for 16 years, Smith said.

Josh Wilson is the current public water manager. He was named by the mayor in public meetings as a coauthor of the decision to end sodium silicate treatment but was unavailable to comment on the story.

The mayor did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the story. Jones did say in a recent council meeting that he was not to blame.

That decision was made with all of us, Jones told an openly hostile town council Monday night. We all agreed. Every time a decision is made in this town, I always go with all the guys that are involved in it.

Councilman Jim Brost said in an interview that he doubted the mayors defense.

Personally, I cant believe that, Brost said. Not the way he runs things.

Council members plan to launch an investigation into the issue, he said.

*****

No one at the meeting Monday night appeared comfortable with the mayors explanations or his continued position as a leader for the towns public works.

You are directly responsible for what your employees do, yet you are not qualified or certified to do that, said Lingle, the former councilman. Maybe instead of just resigning as mayor, get out of public works, and let the staff down there, who know what their jobs are, do their jobs, and you get back to being mayor.

A spokesman for the EPA said Pinedale responded quickly to a warning in October to return the sodium silicate treatment to the water supply.

Recent sampling showed lead levels in more than 90 percent of the samples to be below the limit for action.

However, safe drinking water should have zero lead, according to the EPA. Meanwhile the town is struggling with its new, old, system.

We are having trouble managing that sodium silicate, the mayor told the council, referencing a night over the weekend when the silicate was shut down because the waters pH levels spiked.

Someone in the room remarked dryly that Pinedale had never had trouble with it before.
Indian writers and poets will miss this year's International Urdu Conference in Karachi due to the ongoing tension on the India-Pakistan border, a media report said today.

The ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi will be held from December 1 to December 4, council member Ahmed Shah said.

"Every year Indian writers and poets attend the moot, lending it variety. This time round, owing to the tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists," Shah was quoted as saying by 'Dawn' newspaper.

Highlighting Indian writers and poets contribution, Shah said he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion.

Though the Indian writers like Gulzar and Gopichand Narang have contributed substantially to Urdu literature, these days they are afraid of visiting Pakistan as they fear they would be treated badly on their return to India, Shah said.

He, however, said he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference via video or audio link.

Urdu scholar from countries like the US, Germany, Denmark, the UK, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference, he said, adding that almost all renowned writers and poets from Pakistan had been invited.

Tension between India and Pakistan has increased after the attack on an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18 and the resultant "surgical strike" on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by the army 10 days later.

Since then, cross-border firings have increased killing soldiers and civilians on both sides.

This week, 12 people, including three Pakistani soldiers, were killed in alleged Indian cross-border firings. The Indian response came after the Indian Army warned of "heavy retribution" following the killing of three of its soldiers, with the body of one of them mutilated in a cross-LoC attack.

Pakistan has denied as "false" and "baseless" its troops were responsible for the mutilation and deaths of Indian soldiers.

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CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala today said RBI could examine the functioning of state cooperative banks, but none would be allowed to take complete control of Cooperative banks in the state.

"We will not allow anyone to take control over cooperative banks in the state," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a meeting of officials of cooperative banks and institutions.

The argument that cooperative banks should function under RBI's complete control was against democratic nature of the cooperative banks, he said.

Pointing out that the cooperative sector was functioning in a transparent manner, he said RBI can examine their records, but the central bank will not be allowed take control of their functioning, Vijayan said.

The cooperative sector in the state was facing a severe crisis following demonetisation as these institutions were not being allowed to exchange old notes and accept deposits.

BJP in Kerala had alleged that cooperative institutions in the state were 'hub' of blackmoney.

"There is no black money here. Anyone can examine the same. RBI and Enforcement can examine," Vijayan said.

The chief minister also said banks in the state should be prepared to help district banks. NABARD also should extend all help to the cooperative sector, he said adding government was also prepared to help.

Meanwhile, government also decided to allow primary cooperative society members, who were finding it difficult to withdraw cash following demonetisation, to withdraw cash up to Rs 24,000 a week from district cooperative banks.

It also decided to make KYC mandatory for opening accounts in primary cooperative banks.

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Popular Odia comedian Tattwa Prakash Satpathy alias was on Wednesday attacked with ink and had his face blackened by activists who were offended by his allegedly controversial comments on Lord Jagannath at a stage show.

The incident took place at Jharpada on Bhubaneswar -Cuttack Road when Papu was returning from a shoot.

The comedian, expelled from the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after allegations of sexually harassing a minor girl cropped up against him, was targeted by activists of the self-styled Lulu Sena, police said.

With ink on his face and body, Papu was seen begging for forgiveness by holding his ears inside his car.

During his performance at a stage show in Puri two days ago, the popular comedian had said that 'tulsi' leaves which street dogs dirty everyday are used in the rituals of Lord Jagannath. He further went on to say that those who utter 'Jay Jagannath' are sinners, sources said.

As the audience objected to Papu's remarks, which they considered offensive anti-Lord Jagannath, who is the presiding deity of Odisha, the comedian had to apologise from the stage itself.

Papu has explained that he did not intend to hurt anyone's religious feelings and whatever he said was only for humor.

Meanwhile, Jagannath Sena, an outfit fighting for the protection of Jagannath culture, lodged a complaint yesterday at the Sea Beach police station in Puri demanding Papu's arrest.

The comedian was arrested in June for sexually harassing the minor girl after promising to give her a break in films. He was released from jail after High Court granted him conditional bail on August 10.

Papu had unsuccessfully contested the state assembly elections in 2014 on a BJD ticket.
The winter session of Odisha Assembly beginning tomorrow is poised to be stormy with opposition Congress and BJP bracing up to flay the BJD government on a host of issues including death of over 100 children in Malkangiri due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE).

Congress is all set to take on the government over failure in taking effective steps to contain the deadly JE in the tribal-dominated Malkangiri as the disease has claimed the lives of more than 100 children, said Congress stalwart and leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.

The party would also raise the issue relating to false statement allegedly given by Odisha Chief Minister on Mahanadi issue in the state Assembly in 2010 during the month-long winter session, he said.

'Deteriorating' law and order situation, gunning down of tribal and dalits at Gumudumaha in Kandhamal district, death of tribal infants at Nagaga in Jajpur district due to alleged malnourishment, pathetic health care services and education would also be raised, said the Congress leader.

Similarly, BJP would also raise issues like worsening law and order situation, dismal healthcare scenario, Mahanadi river water row and plight of farmers and distress sale of paddy and deteriorating education system, said senior leaders including leader of legislature party leader K V Singhdeo and MLA Pradeep Purohit.

The ruling BJD on its part said that the party is fully prepared to counter the opposition attack.

Stating that the government is ready to discuss issues to be raised in the house, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha said BJD would raise the Mahanadi river water issue, problem relating to Polavaram project being taken up in Andhra Pradesh and the centre's alleged negligence and slash in central funds.

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In a step towards innovative approaches in governance, the Odisha government has initiated a partnership with the India Center of prestigious University of Chicago, to collaborate in the fields of pollution control and energy efficiency.

An expert group from the University made presentation at a meeting here to discuss the possibilities of collaboration between the two sides.

Considering the proposals and views of the expert group, Odisha Chief Secretary A P Padhi suggested to start intellectual collaborations on energy and environmental issues.

"The state government is working on pollution control and energy saving measures for some years. We would like to have an independent study of the approaches adopted so far by the state and bring in international practices for making these more effective at the field level," Padhi told reporters.

"We had an engagement with Chicago University through Odisha Knowledge Hub (OKH) programmes. Now we are holding preliminary talks with the India Center of the University. The state will like to gain from their world wide knowledge and expertise on monitoring of pollution control and improving energy efficiency," Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan said.

He said, "The areas of collaboration in the matters of training and capacity building are also being explored with the team."



Country Director of Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), India, Anant Sudarshan said, "The objective of EPIC is to bring economic research to the forefront of solving energy and environment challenges."



Presently, the varsity is working with the government of India and various states in reducing power theft, increasing energy efficiency, emission trading to control industrial air pollution, water quality monitoring, exploring new decentralised opportunities, crop burning, electricity reform, access to electricity and its distribution, Sudarshan said.

He added that EPIC would like to "have collaboration with state government and Pollution Control Board to bring about qualitative as well as quantitative improvement in these initiatives of the state government."



The team would hold further discussions with the department of Energy, GRIDCO and Pollution Control Board to identify specific areas of collaboration.

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The OPEC oil cartel held tense talks today to try to agree its first output cut in eight years, sending oil prices soaring on hopes it will defy gloomy expectations.

Brent North Sea crude for January delivery jumped USD 3.83 to USD 50.21, the first time it has risen above USD 50 in a month. West Texas Intermediate won USD 3.59 to USD 48.82 per barrel, the highest level in a week.

As OPEC ministers began their meeting, Khaled al-Falih, energy minister of the cartel's biggest producer Saudi Arabia, sounded an upbeat note.

"We don't know (if a deal will be reached)," he said. "We will find out during the meeting. I think the sentiment generally is optimistic and positive."



In comments likely directed at Iraq and regional rival Iran, more reticent about reducing the flow of crude, Falih said that cuts have to be shared around OPEC "in an equitable way".

Iraq's Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi said he was "very optimistic we're going to come with very fruitful results... There will be a cut, yes, definitely," Bloomberg reported.

In September the cartel agreed in principle to lower production to 32.5-33.0 million bpd, meaning a cut of between 600,000 and 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd).

Falih said he was aiming for the cartel to reduce its output to 32.5 million bpd, while he maintained that non-OPEC producers should limit their production by 600,000 barrels a day.

"It will mean that we take a big cut and a big hit from our current production and from our forecasts for 2017," he said.

The cartel's cut in output would be aimed at reducing the massive supply glut that has depressed prices over the past two years.

But finalising the agreement has proven difficult, with Iran keen to increase oil output to pre-sanctions levels and Iraq short of money to fight Islamic State extremists.

Iran has suggested it freeze production at 3.975 million bpd, or about 200,000 barrels a day above current output, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Saudi Arabia countered with a proposal for Iran to cap output at 3.707 million.

While he stopped short of conceding Iran would freeze or cut its production, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said his delegation was looking at "another framework".

"I am optimistic," he said.

However, should the oil ministers fail to agree a deal, experts expect prices to head south, perhaps to USD 40 or even USD 30.

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Rattled over unclaimed corpses piling up in city morgues, some of them even for four months, Delhi High Court today sternly told the police and other stakeholders to come up with solutions to the problem.

"What is this nonsense? Why don't you (police) do something about it? It is shocking that the IO has to pay for it (cremation)," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Jayant Nath said.

The observation came when the bench was told that investigating officers (IO) have pay from their pockets to cremate these unclaimed bodies. It expressed concern over the "decades old" practice of cops paying for such cremation.

The bench said that in the absence of any legislation, once all stakeholders come up with proposals, the court will step in and issue directions to streamline the process of disposal of bodies in the mortuaries.

The court also said that the problem was due to the lack of a proper system and added that since the Centre has decided not to proceed with a separate Coroners Act, it will issue directions till a legislation comes into place.

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it after a murder accused died in custody and one of his eyes was found missing when his body was kept in the mortuary.

Amicus curiae Saqib and Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that the worst off among the morgues inspected by them was the one at Subzi Mandi area where there were over 85 bodies but its capacity was 65. Some bodies were also stacked on top of others.

They said that 95 per cent of the bodies were lying there for over 72 hours, the stipulated time limit under a Delhi Police standing order for disposal of unclaimed or unidentified bodies.

When Delhi Police counsel Avi Singh said overcrowding at Subzi Mandi morgue was due to a nearby electric crematorium not working, the court shot back, "apart from corruption, what works?"



The court, in its order, sought to know the reasons for delay in disposal of such corpses after amicus curiae told the bench that some bodies have been lying in the morgues since August this year and were in a putrefied state.

The bench asked the police to consider some manner of preservation of DNA samples of unclaimed and unidentified bodies for future reference and listed the matter for hearing on December 21.

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Pakistan today asked the UN to play a role for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it is the responsibility of the world body to implement its resolution, despite India deploying over one million troops in the Valley.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that "despite Pakistan's concern, the presence of over one million troops in Kashmir which is the highest concentration of troops in the world is a hurdle in implementation of the United Nations resolution".

He said that the UN should "play its role" for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue as it is the "responsibility" of the world body to implement its resolution.

"Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in Kashmir since past four months," he told Radio Pakistan's Current Affairs Channel.

He asked India to immediately stop "bloodshed" in Kashmir, underlining that Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India.

Zakaria said that Pakistan would participate in Heart of Asia Conference being held in India this week because it was related to Afghanistan.

He said that peace in Afghanistan was vital for regional stability.

He said Pakistan firmly believes in peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson also condemned India's "ill intentions" to sabotage Indus Water Treaty.

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In the wake of the brazen Nagrota attack, India and Afghanistan would seek to isolate Pakistan on terror at the two-day Heart of Asia conference beginning Saturday in Amritsar as the two countries today pitched for a regional counter-terror framework to effectively deal with the menace.

Identifying terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability, India and Afghanistan said the Heart of Asia -- Istanbul Process, a platform to assist the war-ravaged country in restoration efforts, provides an opportunity to face the challenge "head on".

Afghanistan has been pushing for finalising an effective counter-terror framework to deal with terror at the conference which will be attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia, Pakistan and Iran.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference amid heightened tension between the two countries in the wake of the Nagrota army camp attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed.

Asked during a briefing on Pakistan's willingness for a bilateral meeting with India on the sidelines of the conference, Joint Secretary in the MEA Gopal Baglay said,"We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting." There was indication that posibility of an Indo-Pak bilateral meeting was remote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations on Sunday where the Indian delegation will be led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the absence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is ill.

"Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability.

"We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on," Baglay said, addressing a joint press conference with Afghan ambassador to New Delhi Shaida M Abdali.

On his part, the Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the "breeding ground" of the menace and its "safe sanctuaries", in obvious reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," he said, strongly condemning the Nagrota attack.

Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for "binding" clauses in the counter-terror framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure. Afghanistan has been facing terror strikes by militant groups based in Pakistan.

Asked what role HoA can play in containing terror, Baglay said specifics on what should be done and how to deal with those who "support and glorify" terrorists will be discussed.

"Threat of terrorism is the biggest challenge to peace and stability to the region. There is support to it in our region and where the problem lies we all know. It needs to be sqaurely addressed," he said.

A declaration will be issued at the conclusion of the



conference and is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror.

Asked how India was looking at the challenge and what steps it will push for to tackle terror in the wake of the Nagrota attack, Baglay said these are matters of detail and under discussion at inter-governmental level.

India is also likely to ask contries in the region to show strong resolve to tackle terrorism.

Abdali said terrorism is "creation of the region and the solution lies in the region. Therefore the upcoming HoA is very well timed".

He said terrorism is a multifaceted phenomena which requires a "multifaceted approach" and should include dismantling the "terror matrix", tackling drug trafficking and effectively dealing with radicalisation.

The Afghan envoy said terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where "terrorism is nurtured."



The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity iniatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project. There may be deliberations on TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan- India) gas pipeline project.

President Ghani is schedule to arrive on Saturday and he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting, possibly on that day itself.

Thanking India for providing the last of the four military helicopters to his country last week, Abdali said bilateral talks between the two leaders will be very important, adding security cooperation will be part of the discussion.

On HoA helping Afghanistan in its transition, Baglay said six baskets of Confidence Building Measures are being considered and India has tried to bring in more consultation in the groupings initiatives.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Swaraj had attended last year's conference in Islamabad.

The platform was floated to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.

The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US.

Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guest nations.
A Hindu lawmaker and civil society members in Pakistan have criticised two religious political parties for opposing the Minorities Bill which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country.

Last week, Pakistan's southern Sindh province passed a law making "forced conversions" punishable with a life sentence and forbidding minors from changing their religion, in a bid to protect minorities.

Dr Ramesh Kumar, Members of the National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, yesterday commended the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh for setting the minimum age for religious conversion to 18, Dawn reported.

"People are issued a CNIC (identity card) and driving licence at 18 and are allowed to vote after 18. In Sindh, the age at which someone can be legally married is also 18 because before that, an individual is considered a child. After this law, conversions before the age of 18 will be considered a crime," Kumar said.

He said that girls belonging to minority religions are kidnapped in Sindh and forcibly married, mostly to seminary students, and that they have no choice but to adapt to their new lives.

Ramesh met Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Senator Sirajul Haq outside the parliament building and asked him not to protest unnecessarily against the bill for minority rights.

Members of the civil society said incidences of forced conversions were increasing across the country, particularly in Sindh, and that the bill in question will go a long way in helping the minorities in Pakistan.

"Conversion is a basic right as marriage is, but just like forced marriage, forced conversions are also a violation of human rights and is against the teachings of Islam as well," said Krishan Sharma, chairman of the REAT Network Pakistan.

"There are two kinds of conversions even now, when Hindus convert after they are preached to by Christian or Muslim missionaries or when they are forcibly converted," he said.

All the provinces should adopt similar laws to protect minorities from forced conversions and forced marriages, Sharma said.

The two larger religious political parties, the JI and the Jamiat Ulema Islam-F, are opposing the new law recently enacted in Sindh, claiming the law is part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Talking to the media, JI chief Senator Haq said the law related to religious conversions which was approved by the Sindh Assembly was a violation of the Constitution and was also against the UN Charter.

REOPENS FGN 17



Islamic religious parties and groups have stepped up a campaign demanding the scrapping of the bill passed by the Sindh Assembly last week which carries maximum punishment for forced conversions to Islam.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan and its different factions and other lesser known religious groups have called for protests on Friday against the "un-Islamic" bill which was introduced in the provincial assembly by Hindu lawmaker Nand Kumar Goklani.

Goklani moved the bill after Hindu lawmakers in the country raised the issue of forced conversion of Hindu girls to Islam and their marriages to Muslim boys.

Minority lawmakers and groups claim majority of the time Hindu girls are forcibly converted and forced into marriage particularly in the southern Sindh province where the largest number of Pakistani Hindus reside.

Jamaat-e-Islami senator Haq has called on former president Asif Zardari to scrap the bill. Zardari's PPP governs Sindh province and has a majority in the assembly.

(JUI-S) chief, Maulana Samiul Haq has also called for the dismissal of the Sindh Assembly over the passage of a bill against forced conversions.

The bill, adopted on November 23, is called the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill, 2015 and recommends a five-year prison term for perpetrators, whereas facilitators of forced religious conversions will be handed a three-year sentence.

Ahmed Qadri of the Sunni Tehreek said the central government should impose governors rule in Sindh.

He said the party and other religious groups would surround the Sindh assembly on Friday to protest the bill.

Sami-ul-Haq who also heads the Haqqani network of seminaries said the Sindh government is working against Islam.

"The Sindh government is converting the province into Kafiristan with such un-Islamic decisions," he said demanding imposition of governors rule in Sindh, adding Islam does not allow forced conversions.

The bill says any person from any religion converting to Islam will have to spend 21 days in government care before he can finally convert in a bid to stop forced conversions.
The North Dakota Board of Medicine has hired Bonnie Storbakken as executive secretary.

Storbakken, a native of East Grand Forks, Minn., currently serves as staff attorney for Gov. Jack Dalrymple. From 2013 to 2014, she held a position in the governor's cabinet as commissioner of the Department of Labor and Human Rights.

The board hired Storbakken to replace Duane Houdek, who is retiring April 30.

Houdek, who has served as executive secretary since 2006, said he plans to retire and spend time with his two adult children in Bismarck and his new 10-month-old identical twin grandsons.

Its always a bittersweet thing," he said. "This has been a great job, and Ive enjoyed it, but its time to turn the page."

The North Dakota Board of Medicine has 13 board members appointed by the governor to four-year terms. The board regulates the practice of medicine, licensing and providing disciplinary oversight of about 3,500 physicians, physicians assistants, genetic counselors and fluoroscopy technicians who are licensed in the state.

Houdek, who previously served as Gov. John Hoeven's staff attorney, said he believes Storbakken will do a "good job."

I feel great about the board, and Bonnie taking over it," he said.

Storbakken will start working part time for the board in February. She'll work with Houdek during part of the upcoming legislative session and the board's first scheduled meeting in March.

Im glad hes ready to bring me on in the transition," Storbakken said. "I think thatll be great to work side-by-side with him and learn from him. Hes been in it for a long time."

Storbakken said her experience working for the governor and as labor commissioner should "transfer over pretty nicely." She has previously worked with Houdek, through the governor's office, on issues that have come up for the board.

Im very excited. I think it will be a nice shift," she said.
Pakistan's Parliament today unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning the continued "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by India on the Line of Control.

The resolution was moved by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid.

Radio Pakistan said that the resolution asked the international community to "take notice of the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian forces on the people of Kashmir".

"The resolution also condemned the continued unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary resulting in the loss of innocent human lives including women and children," it said.

It said deliberate targeting of a civilian bus carrying women children in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is deplorable.

The resolution said India's lack of cooperation and limited access to UN Military Observer Group to fulfill its mandate like monitoring of ceasefire violations on LoC is appalling.

It also called upon the UN Security Council to take immediate notice of unprovoked Indian actions and statements that are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to strategic miscalculation.

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General Qamar Javed Bajwa today formally assumed office after being appointed as Pakistan's new army chief and is likely to review the ongoing counterterrorism operations, according to media reports.

General Bajwa, 57, took over the command of the army yesterday at a ceremony in Rawalpindi from General Raheel Sharif.

Gen Bajwa has taken over the command of the army at a time when security situation on the LoC has deteriorated due to ongoing Indo-Pak tension, which needs his immediate attention and the Pakistani troops are consolidating the gains made during the counterterrorism operations in the restive areas.

Apart from external security situation, he faces a huge challenge of taking military operation against militants to logical conclusion.

"He would, therefore, be defining the direction of the new phase, which may be distinctly different from the previous stage that saw kinetic operations," the Dawn said.

Despite efforts by his predecessor General Raheel, terrorism remains a huge threat for Pakistan. It is believed that General Bajwa would have to review the operation in order to fine tune them according to his vision.

Similarly, the relations with India would be in sharp focus as tension on the LoC would divert focus from the fight against militancy, according to experts.

In his brief informal interaction with journalists after the passage of command yesterday, General Bajwa expressed the hope that the situation at the LoC would soon improve.

Gen Bajwa's appointment and assumption of charge is historical event as it is for the first time in 20 years that the transition from one army chief to another took place on time.

Earlier, Pervez Musharraf remained army chief from 1998 to 2007 and his successor Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani served for two terms from 2007 to 2013.

The COAS appointment is for three years, which can be extended. But apart from military dictators, it is rare that an extension is given.

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Pakistan is setting up the world's largest solar park of 1,000 megawatts as part of its plan to promote production of renewable energy in the country, media reports said today.

"Pakistan has also enacted the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2016 to promote effective conservation and efficient use of energy," Minister of Climate Change Zahid Hamid said yesterday.

The minister, however, did not disclose the amount to be spent on setting up of the solar park.

Hamid led a Pakistani delegation in the recently-concluded COP22 Conference in Morocco which provided an opportunity to highlight the significant achievements made to address the impact of climate change, The Express Tribune quoted the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.

The minister said that Pakistan's contribution to global warming was minimal as "we emit less than one per cent of the annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet we are ranked amongst the top 10 countries that are most vulnerable to climate change".

Pakistan faced several major risks pertaining to climate change including glacier melting, variable monsoons, recurrent floods, rise in sea levels, higher average temperatures and higher frequency of droughts, it said.

Millions of people had been affected and a colossal damage was caused on a recurring basis, he said.

"These threats pose major survival concerns for Pakistan, particularly in relation to water security, food security and energy security," Hamid said, adding these threats also had enormous adverse consequences for all socio-economic sectors, limiting the country's ability to promote sustainable growth and development.

Pakistan has launched a Rs two-billion worth of Prime Minister's Green Pakistan programme which would be implemented across the country.

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An Israeli court today sentenced a Palestinian to 16 years in prison for a knife attack that wounded an Israeli in Jerusalem in May, the justice ministry said.

Mohammed Bader, 21 and from Abu Dis in the occupied West Bank on the outskirts of Jerusalem, was accused of having stabbed an ultra-Orthodox Jew on May 16 as he was walking with his wife and two of his children.

A plea bargain saw him plead guilty to attempted murder.

Several stiff sentences have been handed out recently to Palestinians convicted for attacks.

On Monday, an Israeli court jailed a Palestinian for life for the 2015 killing of two Israelis and the wounding of a third in a Tel Aviv knife attack.

At a separate court hearing Monday in Lod, near Tel Aviv, judges jailed another Palestinian for 16 years and six months.

Since October, 241 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

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 died in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

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At first glance, Mashvisor is just one of thousands of websites specialising in US real estate.

But it has a unique feature, undetectable to customers: its designers created it in the West Bank and it is run from the Israel-occupied Palestinian territory.

"The great thing about a start-up is you can work on it anywhere in the world. You can be in Palestine, you can be in Cambodia, Vietnam, China. It doesn't matter," explains Peter Abu al-Zolof, who founded Mashvisor more than a year ago with a friend.

Last week, Mashvisor became the first Palestinian company to get the support of the influential American 500 Startups venture capital fund.

It is one of a number of Palestinian start-ups in the occupied Palestinian territories, long overshadowed by Israel's so-called "Start-up Nation".

The online platform automates and analyses US real estate data nationwide to find investors the best property deals.

As in Silicon Valley, the staff dress casually, drink coffee from state-of-the-art machines in garish colours, and pad through the office wearing US-made headphones around their necks.

But working in the West Bank brings unique challenges.

In October 2015, a wave of violence broke out across Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Abu al-Zolof's friend and founding partner Mohamed Jebrini, who lives in Hebron, found himself stranded in the city as roads were closed, 45 kilometres (30 miles) from their Ramallah offices.

"He was stuck in Hebron and I was stuck in Ramallah and we were still working on our company," explains Abu al-Zolof.

And the American-Palestinian says the online nature of what they do means they can avoid many of the frustrations for other companies in the West Bank, where the Israeli army checkpoints often present very physical challenges to commerce.

"There are no walls, there are no challenges, there is nothing that can stop this kind of thing," he says.

"It's a virtual market, so there are no checkpoints where they tell you: 'You can't sell this. You can't take this out of the country.'"



The company benefited from the support of the Ramallah-based Leaders, an organisation that helps nurture start-ups.

Shadi Atshan, Leader's director general, told AFP that in the start-up scene there was "no unemployment -- unlike almost all other industries and economic sectors in Palestine which have high unemployment".

"Those with good skills can earn a very high income."



The unemployment rate in the occupied Palestinian territories is 27 per cent, according to figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

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A pall of gloom today descended at Mann Nagar here, the native place of Hawildar Sukhraj Singh, who attained martyrdom during the terror attack at Nagrota.

Singh, 32, was among the seven army personnel who were killed when trained heavily armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an Army unit at Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city yesterday.

Singh, who had joined Army 11 years ago, is survived by his wife Harmeet Kaur, mother Swanjeet Kaur, elder brother Dhanrja Singh, seven-year-old daughter Subhpreet and five-year-old son Sargundev Singh.

His wife Harmeet Kaur said he was posted at Nagrota in Jammu six months ago and was to come home on November 29 on leave.

"But instead of going on leave, he fought the terrorists and attained martyrdom," she said.

The soldier's family members demanded that Pakistan be "taught a lesson" for harbouring terrorists while Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur, Pardeep Sabharwal and other civil officers expressed condolences to the family.

His body is expected to arrive here tomorrow.

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The SIT probing the Govind Pansare murder case has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawde at a court in Kolhapur.

The over 400-page supplementary chargesheet was filed in Kolhapur sessions court yesterday.

Tawde, earlier arrested by CBI in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, was in September taken into custody by Kolhapur police in connection with the murder of CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare.

Tawde is the second accused named in Pansare murder case by the state Special Investigation Team.

The SIT had already filed a charge sheet against Sameer Gaikwad, another member of Sanatan Sanstha, in the Pansare murder case.

"We filed the supplementary charge sheet against Tawde here in Kolhapur sessions court," said Additional Superintendent of Police Suheil Sharma, the investigating officer in the murder case.

However, he refused to divulge any information on the charges levelled against Tawde.

"I can only confirm that the charge sheet of over 430 pages has been submitted in the court," he said.

However, police sources said that charges against Tawde are likely to be similar to the ones under which Sameer Gaikwad has been charged.

Tawde was first arrested by the CBI in the Dabholkar case in June this year from Panvel and later the state SIT arrested him on September 2 this year in the Pansare case.

Gaikwad was arrested in September last year in the Pansare murder case.

Tawde had worked as an organiser for the conservative Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha in Kolhapur for some time, and therefore he came under the scanner of state police SIT probing the Pansare murder case, police had earlier said.

Pansare, known for his rationalist views, was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife too was injured in the attack.

Dabholkar, a noted anti-superstition activist and rationalist, was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013.

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India and Bangladesh today discussed military and security cooperation as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's security adviser to strengthen bilateral strategic ties.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, held a meeting with Hasina's security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed.

No official statement was issued after the meeting but officials familiar with the talks said they discussed security cooperation between the two countries.

Parrikar, who arrived here today on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet.

The vice chiefs of India's army, navy and air force, held talks with Bangladesh's three services' chiefs at their office in Dhaka cantonment, a defence ministry official said.

"During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," an official statement said.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar's trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) near the southeastern port city of Chittagong tomorrow.

Alongside India, Bangladesh has strong defence cooperation with China especially in military hardware.

Bangladesh Navy this month acquired its first submarines from China, as Dhaka sought to boost its naval power in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib during his recent visit to India had said Dhaka wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday laid foundation of Patanjali's food and herbal park in Noida to be constructed in 455 acres with investment of Rs 1,666.80 crore.

Praising Baba Ramdev in his addressing Akhilesh said that the project will not only help youths and farmers of the region but will also create direct employment opportunities for over 8,000 persons and indirect opportunities of 80,000 people.

Terming UP as a big market, Akhilesh said if anyone wanted to invest in vegetables and milk production, they would get big market in the state itself which they would not get in the entire country.

Assuring all the help possible from the state government for the establishment of the park, Akhilesh said it would also encourage other entrepreneurs to invest in the state.

Baba Ramdev on the occasion praised CM Akhilesh for the development works initiated by him and said that "state government is doing whatever is possible for making state modern and developed".

He said that the work on the park would be completed by end of next year and it would be biggest food park of the country where products worth Rs 25,000 crore would be produced per year.
The BSF today said the exact area from where terrorists who attacked the Pathankot IAF base infiltrated is still a matter of "conjecture" and that there was no direct evidence of a breach in the security system along the Indo-Pak border.

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had yesterday said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that "four Pakistan-based terrorists entered Punjab via Janial road, Dhusi turn, near Ravi river bridge, Gulpur Simli village- Akalgarh and attacked airforce station in Pathankot."



Border Security Force chief K K Sharma said there are many "variables" on the border, marked by riverine gaps and other unguarded patches and Pathankot could be one of those.

"That is still a matter of conjecture. It is suspected they came from this area (as mentioned in the Minister's reply)... But there is no direct evidence of a breach (of the border fence)," he said.

The DG added that due to riverine areas and other gaps in the undulating terrain on the border, it is "not possible to erect a fence" everywhere.

Putting an end to speculation about the number of terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, Ahir's statement made it clear that only four militants had entered the airforce station to carry out the strike.

The answer was seen as contrary to a statement made by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on March 4. He had said that charred remains, apart from four bodies of terrorists, were found at the debris after security forces searched the Pathankot airforce station when the operation ended.

Talking about the Indo-Bangla border, the DG said non-lethal weapons given to BSF troops will "stay" as both the sides are determined to reduce the number of deaths on the frontier.

He said the incidents of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes along the border, especially in the notorious Malda area, has "drastically" gone down post demonetisation.

Asked if hostilities could increase in the wake of new Pakistan Army chief taking over, he said it was a "million dollar question" to him too.

Sharma added that the 2.5-lakh personnel strong force is running a special financial literacy programme for its troops so that they can save and invest better for their future.

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Hopeful of attracting significant investment, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the state's biggest ever investment summit 'Make in Odisha Conclave' here.

"I hope the policy ecosystem and the investment opportunities showcased in the expo would help in attracting significant investments into the state and generating higher employment for the people," Patnaik said after inaugurating the conclave.

"I would particularly like to thank the industry for joining us and reposing their confidence in the state," he said.

Chief Secretary A P Padhi said Patnaik would have one-to -one discussion with the industry captains for five hours on December 1 and 2.

"We are expecting investment of Rs 1 lakh crore through this conclave. The industries which have abilities to generate more employment will get priority," said Industries Minister Dei Prasad Mishra.

The conclave, being jointly organised by the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Government of India, CII and the Odisha Government, witnessed participation of more than 100 companies.

A special Defence hangar is also created which showcase India's short to long range missiles - Agni, Prithvi, Brahmos and Akash -- as well as the Sukhoi aircraft engines manufactured in Odisha.

The three-day conclave was scheduled to be visited by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tomorrow.

The inaugural session witnessed a tour of the expo by the chief minister followed up with a spectacular laser show bringing out the true essence of the Conclave.

Drawn from the Government's 'Vision 2025: Odisha Industrial Development Plan', the state's mission through 'Make in Odisha' has been showcasing the state as an ultimate investment destination and diversify its investment opportunities across key focus sectors - Downstream and Ancillary in Metal, Food Processing including Seafood, Chemicals, Petrochemicals and Plastics, Textiles and Apparel, Defence, Electronics, Start-Ups and Tourism.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend a conclave of farmers, cattle-rearers and representative of cooperative and dairy sectors, which will be held at Deesa town of Banaskantha district on December 10.

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel made this announcement in Gandhinagar today.

The state government had invited the PM to attend the agri-conclave, which he has accepted, Patel said.

"We had given a formal invitation to the PM to remain present at the event, so that we can get his valuable suggestions related to agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative sector. He has accepted the invitation and he will attend the conclave on December 10 at Deesa," Patel said.

Modi is also scheduled to visit Gujarat in January to inaugurate the international trading operations of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) at GIFT-City near Gandhinagar during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2017. That event will take place on January 9.

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Turkish police tear gassed protesters who tried to rally in Ankara today after 12 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed in a fire at a dormitory in southern Turkey.

The blaze, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, tore through the wooden interior of a dormitory in the southern region of Adana last evening.

Riot police stopped around 150 protesters from different organisations including left-wing groups and women's rights activists from demonstrating outside the education ministry in Ankara over allegations that negligence led to the blaze.

Police later detained an unknown number of demonstrators as they tried to run away, an AFP photographer said.

They called for dormitories run by religious sects to be shut down after it emerged the facility belonged to an influential Sunni Muslim group, the photographer added.

Last month, the Ankara region banned all public gatherings and demonstrations until the end of November after receiving information about potential terror attacks.

Some officials suggested the victims were killed on the top floors after they were unable to open a fire door to flee the flames.

But Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak rejected this, saying that according to initial findings the door had been unlocked.

In Adana, police authorities today detained eight people, including the manager of the dormitory in the Aladag district, as part of the investigation into accusations of "causing death by negligence".

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Anti-riot police today fired tear gas at about 300 Sudanese protesters demonstrating against a government decision to cut fuel subsidies.

Groups have staged persistent protests for weeks over the subsidy cuts, which have led to a sharp rise in the cost of other goods, including medicines.

Several opposition groups called for a three-day nationwide strike earlier this week, which received a mixed response.

"No, no to high prices," shouted about 300 men and women as they marched along a main street of Omdurman near Khartoum this morning, an AFP correspondent reported.

Anti-riot police swiftly arrived at the scene and fired tear gas to disperse them, the reporter said.

Sudanese authorities have cracked down on protests in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the deadly unrest that followed a previous round of subsidy cuts in 2013.

Dozens of people were killed after large demonstrations were crushed, drawing international condemnation.

Authorities have already arrested more than a dozen opposition politicians in recent weeks, and also cracked down on newspapers critical of subsidy cuts.

Members of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) have seized entire print runs of several dailies that reported the opposition strike call or questioned the cuts.

Authorities have also halted broadcasts by Omdurman Channel, a private television channel, accusing it of operating without a licence, a charge its owner denied.

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Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay today said besides arresting Assam Public Service chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul and four of its officials, the police have examined 46 persons so far in connection with alleged corruption in the organisation.

Of the 46 interrogated, the DGP at a press meet here without giving details in the interest of investigation, said they were from the APSC, public servants and private citizens.

To a query, Sahay said efforts were on for submitting even a part charge sheet on the case in court.

In connection with the cash-for-job scam he said so far over Rs 40 lakh, digital evidence, including computers and mobiles, answer scripts, master answer scripts, tabulation sheets etc, have been seized and the digital evidence have been sent for forensic test.

"So far five belonging to the APSC have been arrested, including its chairman (Rakesh Kumar Paul), two members (Samedur Rahman and Basanta Kumar Doley) and Assistant Controller of Examinations (Pabitra Kaibarta).

Four are in judicial custody and one is in police custody," Sahay added.

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Police uniforms in which the armed men stormed the Nabha jail were arranged a day before the sensational jailbreak, police said today.

During the interrogation of Palwinder Singh Pinda, who was brought here from Uttar Pradesh, it was revealed that all the accused involved in the jailbreak incident at Nabha had assembled fire arms, and police uniforms were arranged a day before the incident in the house of one Gurpreet Singh, resident of Moga, police said today.

"It was here that they finalised and rehearsed the execution of plan to free prisoners from Nabha jail," said a police official.

Acting on the input, parties were dispatched to Moga district under the supervision of SP (Investigation Patiala and Mohali).

As a result of which the accused Gurpreet was arrested from the area of Patran police station when he was trying to escape to Uttar Pradesh, police said.

During the search of his vehicle, a 9 mm pistol along with ammunition, an another weapon .380 with ammunition and a car were seized, they said.

The car, which was in his possession, was snatched at gun point from Mohali a few months back, police said.

They said the arrest of Gurpreet was significant as he was providing logistics, funds and a safe house for these gangsters for quite sometime.

Further investigation is on, police said.

Gurpreet was arrested for allegedly harbouring gangsters, a night before they attacked the high-security jail.

Pinda, who facilitated the escape of six prisoners, including two terrorists, from Nabha jail was sent to police custody for 11 days by a local court here.

He was brought from Uttar Pradesh on transit remand and produced before the Nabha court last night.

Meanwhile, the three accused - assistant jail superintendent Bhim Singh, head warden Jagmeet Singh and a sweet shop owner Tejinder Sharma, who were arrested yesterday, on the charges of abetment and criminal conspiracy - were remanded in police custody till December 9 by the local court.

In a sensation jailbreak, a group of armed men stormed the Nabha jail in police uniforms and managed to free six prisoners - Harminder Singh Mintoo, Kashmir Singh and gangsters Amandeep Dhothian, Vicky Gounder, Gurpreet Sekhon and Neeta Deol - from the high security jail at Nabha in Patiala district on Sunday.

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: Madras High Court today directed the State Election Commission to produce the Statement of Declaration of assets made by elected councilors from the year 2006 to 2016 in Chennai.

Justice N Kirubakaran gave the order on a petition by a resident of Injambakkam, praying for a direction to the authorities to conduct an enquiry into alleged evasion of property tax by a councilor



The court directed the SEC to produce the records on V Annamalai, the sitting councillor, who the petitioner alleged amassed wealth after getting to the post.

The court said since the councillor had already contested for the post and got elected in the 2011 local body polls, he should have filed a declaration with the State Election commission with regard to his properties.

Further the councillor also filed a nomination as an independent for the councilor election on September 2016.

"Hence the SEC is directed to produce the statement of Assets made by him at the time of filing nomination for the Municipal Corporation for the year 2011 and 2016. It is also further directed that the SEC produce the statement of declaration of assets made by the elected councilors from the year 2006 to 2016," the court said



Petitioner, Pon.Thangavelu submitted that due to rampant corruption and maladministration in the running of Chennai corporation, he had incurred a huge monetary loss in the December 2015 floods, which inundated his house.

He had met the Mayor and Coporation Commissioner many times to impress upon them the need to prevent middlemen and councilors in the affairs of the Corporation, whose activities had hampered basic amenities he was entitled as a taxpayer.

The stock answer was that the corporation has no proper revenue and local councilors were trying their best to provide good and quality service.

He said his enquiries revealed Annamalai had 'misused' his official position and forced the authorities to assess tax at a very less amount for his nine properties at Injambakkam. So he sent a representation to the authorities, informing them about the illegal assessment of property,to cancel it,reassess the tax and recover the correct property tax from him.

Justice Kirubakaran who perused the property tax details, said these showed all independent bungalows have been charged only meagre amounts of Rs 55 and Rs 110.

"Though this court prima-facie would find fault with the officials, this Court has got every reason to believe that the officials would have been coerced to determine the lower tax amount. Hence the entire records with regard to the above properties are directed to be placed before this Court."



He then adjourned the matter to December 2.

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An earthquake has left at least two people dead and six others missing at a copper mine in Poland, the owners said today.

Five injured workers at the Rudna mine in the southwestern town of Polkowice were taken to hospital but their lives were not in danger, a KGHM spokesperson, Anna Osadczuk told AFP.

"Two bodies have been recovered and the searches continue," she said.

The magnitude 4.4 quake struck deep underground yesterday evening near the town of Glogow, the US Geological Survey said.

One of the largest copper mines in the world, the Rudna mine has 11 operating shafts at a depth of around one kilometre.

It employs 4,400 people and extracts around 12 million tonnes of minerals a year.

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Queues at most of the ATMs and banks across the city today were shorter than expected though there were complaints that cash dispensing machines were either dry or shut and customers could not draw the maximum permissible amount.

When asked about the situation, Central Bank Executive Director R C Lodha told PTI, "We have made adequate arrangements to meet the higher demand for cash as salaries would be credited into customers account (as the month turns). In our bank there would be no shortage of cash."



However, many customers who went to banks today to withdraw money for their monthly expenses, a day ahead of the salary day, complained that they got very less cash, much below the withdrawal limit.

"I managed to get only Rs 4,000 this morning against the withdrawl limit of Rs 24,000 as I was told that there was hardly any cash supply to the banks in the last few days. I will have to wait and try my luck later in the day," said Swamy, a South Mumbai resident.

Barring banks with huge customer base, the turnouts were lower as compared to the initial days of note ban. But in some places, the rush increased in the afternoon after banks were replenished with cash to meet customer demands amid fears of heightened crunch due to salary payments.

Many others complained about ATMs being shut in their area for a fortnight while some others said they were being given coins during high withdrawals.

"There are 4-5 ATMs of leading banks in my locality. But they have been shut since over a week, being dry on cash," said Animesh, a resident of Andheri.

However, they were a few who seemed to be unfazed by the cash chaos resulting out of the demonetisation move.

According to a Bhandup resident Hemang Palan, the situation on the ground has improved significantly compared to the panic in initial days leading to marginal rush and queues outside banks.

"The situation was chaotic in initial days but not now. I think people have realised that this move to demonetise high denomination notes is in the larger benefit of the people and hence they are bearing with the decision," he said.

Also, public has come to terms with the fact that it may take some more days to resolve the crisis entirely as most of the ATMs are yet to be recalibrated.

Nitin Sharma, a budding artist said, one has to bear some



pain to get some gain in the coming months.

"Me and my retired father did face difficulties in first few days, but there is no such rush or mismanagement. Bigger customer base banks, undoubtedly, are having a bit rush but they have streamlined their services and there are separate queues for senior citizens," he said.

However, some people expressed their displeasure over the design and parity of new notes.

A senior doctor working with a government hospital said, "I withdrew some thousands. Though there was no rush outside the bank, I was shocked to find disparity in the note designs. For a few seconds, I thought it was fake. Then I downloaded the Narendra Modi Keynote app and confirmed it by running Modi's speech after scanning it."



He also claimed that situation of cash crisis was improving fast.
The Rajasthan government today exempted point-of-sale (PoS) machines, including micro ATMs, from value added tax (VAT) to encourage cashless transactions in the state.

The decision to exempt the machines from VAT was taken on the directions of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to encourage small scale businessmen to purchase PoS devices and strengthen the infrastructure for digital and cashless payment in the state, a release issued here said.

There was 14.5 per cent VAT on PoS machines which has been exempted by a notification issued today, it said.

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PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Gift Guide Of Gifts, Giggle Water and the Good Stuff A boozy gift guide Drinking is fun! It makes me feel horrible and sexy! In the words of author and sociocultural commentator Warren Ellis, Drinking is fun! It makes me feel horrible and sexy! And that's the joy of hooch, isn't it? It's wonderful and terrible, and therefore the best holiday gift. Honestly, after dealing with family for the entirety of the holidays, your friends and other giftees deserve to feel horrible and sexy. As such, it was our duty and honor to drive around Albuquerque to our favorite liquor stores asking for their holiday gift recommendations. There were no category restrictionsscotch, sherry, wine, beer, whateverand no price limits (because we like to dream of the good stuff even if we'll never taste it). So, if you have a reveler on your list who likes to indulge in the sauce, take a look at what Burque has to offer.

Quarters 4516 Wyoming NE

Recommended by: Anthony 1) Valenciso Rose 2015: This pink beauty is a great host gift to bring to holiday dinners. It's made from 100 percent Tempranillo grapes from old vines in La Rioja Alta, Spain. Dry with big flavor, it goes well with turkey or ham. ($26.99, 14% ABV) 2) Walt Blue Jay Pinot Noir 2014: You just can't go wrong with a good pinot. Be the toast of your next holiday dinner by waxing poetic about the complex flavors of blueberry, briar fruit and black tea. Per the wine manager at Quarters, its an awesome bottle that goes well with ham, turkey and stuffing. ($38.99, 14.9% ABV)

Jubilation Wine & Spirits 3512 Lomas NE

Recommended by: Juan 1) Lagavulin 16-year Scotch Whisky: With the price tag on this bottle, it's a good thing the holidays only happen once a year. But it's totally worth it. If you're going to bother with scotch, it might as well be top quality. Juan described it as peaty, a little bit of iodine at the end and a fair amount of heat. Drink it neat. ($112.99, 43% ABV) 2) Bodegas Barco de Piedra 2013: Made from 100 percent Tempranillo grapes grown in Ribera del Duero, look for notes of raspberry, violet, rose petal, blueberry and minerals. But that doesn't mean you need to get too fancy with a food pairing. Juan said, This Spanish wine goes great with a big, juicy burger. ($17.99, 13.5% ABV)

Kelly Liquors 2270 Wyoming NE

Recommended by: Tyrone 1) Crown Royal Vanilla Whisky: So you've got that one person on your holiday gift list who isn't a drink snob and just wants something tasty and fun. Purchase this eminently affordable vanilla booze. It goes well with Coke or Dr. Pepper or just on the rocks. ($19.99. 35% ABV) 2) D'Usse VSOP Cognac: Show a friend, family member or boss some serious love with this hefty and beautiful bottle and a snifter to make sure they drink it right. They'd better, considering it was aged for four-and-a-half years in the cellars of the Chateau de Cognac in Cognac, France. Your giftee will certainly enjoy the bouquet of wood, cinnamon and flowers, as well as the flavors of spices, almond, honey and dried fruit. ($49.99, 40% ABV)

Stone Face Package Liquor 8201 San Pedro NE

Recommended by: Trent 1) Maker's 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky: For an extra special gift for the whisky lover in your life, grab a bottle of Maker's 46. It's only made in winter and is aged longer than the average bottle of Makers with French oak staves. This process creates a more complex flavor with less bitterness. Its flavor profile is spicy and sweet with notes of vanilla and oakperfect for making an Old Fashioned. ($35.99, 47% ABV) 2) Jack Daniel's Master Distiller Series No.3: This perfect gift bottle was created in honor of one of the seven men who've served as Master Distiller for Jack Daniel's: Lemuel Lem Tolley. According to Trent, It's the formula that Jack used from 1941-1964, and it's going to taste a lot like what people expect the Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select to taste like, but this is going to be closer to that corn mash style they used back thenyou can really taste the corn mash. ($33.99, 43% ABV)

Editor's Choice 1) Alvear Pedro Ximenez 1927: We know what you're thinking, Sherry? That's for old ladies, right? Wrong! This little bottle contains pure, divine ambrosia. It is honey and sunshine and everything rich, sweet and warm in the world. Or to quote the pros, it boasts a dark amber color as well as an extraordinary nose of creme brulee, liquefied nuts, marmalade, and maple syrup. Huge and viscous  it is a profound effort  ($32.99 at Jubilation, 16% ABV) 2) Angel's Envy Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: Now this is a real treat for anyone who enjoys high-quality, small-batch bourbon. This creation by Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson is finished in ruby port wine casks. It's rich and complex with notes of vanilla, honey, fruit and maple. We like two fingers of this firewater neat or on the rocks. ($75 at Stone Face, 43.3% ABV)
Gov. Jack Dalrymple extended an invitation Wednesday for the full Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to meet to discuss issues surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline and how to rebuild the damaged relationship between the tribe and the state.

A peaceful end of the months-long protest movement in Morton County near the tribes reservation boundary is past due, according to Dalrymple, who announced his invitation during a press conference alongside other state officials.

"My hope is we can have a meeting in the next few days, he said. I think the time has come to talk about our relationship.

Messages to a Standing Rock Sioux Tribe spokesman for comment from the tribe on Dalrymples invitation did not receive a response Wednesday afternoon.

Dalrymple said his office has been in regular contact with Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II during the past few months to push for public safety.

He said if efforts to set a meeting with the tribal council are successful, the process of finding common ground will take longer than his term, which ends when Doug Burgum takes office Dec. 15.

He needs to be brought right up to speed, Dalrymple said of Burgum.

Dalrymple said his hope is, if a meeting process is established, Burgum would continue it.

A request for comment by a Burgum spokesman wasnt immediately responded to Wednesday afternoon.
Expressing serious concern over repeated terrorist attacks on security forces establishments in the state, Governor N N Vohra today asked all security forces commanders and the government to enhance surveillance and immediately review security of all important installations.

He disapproved of Pakistan's continuing attempts to exacerbate the situation when India was seeking to restore peace and normalcy.

Vohra asked Chief Secretary to direct districts and divisional civil and police administration to immediately review the security of all important installations and establishments in the state.

After being briefed about the attacks by Pakistani terrorists at Ramgarh and Nagrota yesterday, the Governor spoke with Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda, DGP J&K K Rajendra, GOC XVI Corps Lt Gen A K Sharma, GOC 26 Div Maj Gen S Sharma and IG BSF (Jammu Frontier) D K Upadhyaya.

He conveyed to GOC XVI Corps and IG BSF his grief and sincere sympathy and requested that the same be conveyed to the next of the kin of the soldiers who lost their lives in the encounters with the terrorists and hoped that the injured Army and BSF personnel would recover very early.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who also condemned the terror attack on an army formation at Nagrota, said, in a statement issued here, that Jammu and Kashmir has suffered heavily due to the unending cycle of violence and appealed for an end to it.

She has expressed sympathies with the families of slain soldiers and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.

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Residents in Pakistani Kashmir are racing to build underground bunkers for the first time since the 1990s, frightened by what they say is the worst cross-border violence since a ceasefire was agreed in 2003.

Months of tension between India and Pakistan have erupted into shellings and gunfire across the disputed Kashmir frontier, claiming the lives of dozens of people, including civilians.

People in Azad Kashmir's Neelum Valley say the attacks come once or twice a week, and they never know when they might have to dive for cover.

Chand Bibi has concrete and steel rods waiting to be transformed into an underground bunker where her terrified family can take shelter as the monstrous boom of shelling reawakens old nightmares.

"You are talking about fear," the 62-year-old says. "We are near to dying at the moment we hear the boom.

"The voice of the guns is horrible."



When it comes, Bibi and her relatives pile blankets, quilts and clothes on top of their children to muffle the noise and their panic.

Soon the extended family of about 20 people will be able to flee underground to the bunker they have paid 300,000 Pakistani rupees (USD 3,000) to build -- just under the cost of constructing a mud house in the valley, where the average worker makes around 800 rupees per day.

Sultan Ahmed is spending even more: up to 500,000 rupees for a three metre by four metre (10 foot by 14 foot) space reinforced by more than 20 centimetres (eight inches) of concrete, fortified with steel rods, and buried under nearly a metre of soil.

Some 25 people will be able to take shelter inside the bunker once it is completed, the 47-year-old teacher says.

Local mason Ghulam Hussain tells AFP his business has increased because of the renewed violence, as he packs his tools after finishing a bunker at one house to rush to another and start again.

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Russian representatives have held talks in Ankara with Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad over the possibility of a truce in the divided city of Aleppo, a source said today.

Russia is Assad's main international ally and has intervened militarily to help his forces regain full control of Aleppo in northern Syria.

But concern is growing over the humanitarian situation in Syria's battered second city as Assad's forces press an offensive, depriving inhabitants of the rebel-held east of aid.

"Several meetings have taken place in Ankara to discuss the ways to come to such a truce," said a source close to Syria's rebel factions who asked not to be named.

The last meeting in the Turkish capital took place on Monday, the source said, without saying who had taken part.

Those involved are linked to the opposition Syrian National Coalition and do not include jihadists from the Fateh al-Sham Front, the new name for Al-Nusra Front after it severed ties with Al-Qaeda.

The discussions come as Assad's forces backed by Russia make major progress in their bid to control the city. Should they succeed, it would be the rebels' biggest setback of the war.

The UN's Syria envoy Steffan de Mistura on October 6 urged Fateh al-Sham to leave eastern Aleppo, and Russia and the Syrian regime to stop their bombing once the jihadists depart.

Turkey is also pressing an unprecedented military incursion inside Syria, backing pro-Ankara rebels as they fight Islamic State (IS) jihadists and a Kurdish militia.

Ankara has repeatedly pushed for the ouster of Assad as the only solution to end the Syrian civil war.

But Turkey has been noticeably muted in its criticism of Russian actions in Aleppo since a deal to normalise ties with Moscow in June following a sharp diplomatic crisis over the shooting down of a Russian plane.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met today with Riad Hijab, head of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, with the two discussing "efforts to stop the fighting immediately and to deliver humanitarian aid as soon as possible" to Aleppo, diplomatic sources said.

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Rwanda opened a formal probe into 20 French officials suspected of playing a role in the 1994 genocide, in a move likely to further sour diplomatic ties with France.

Kigali has long accused France of complicity in the genocide of some 800,000 mostly ethnic Tutsis, at the hands of Hutu extremists, angering Paris and straining relations.

"The inquiry, for now, is focused on 20 individuals whom, according to information gathered so far, are required by the prosecution authority to explain or provide clarity on allegations against them," said prosecutor general Richard Muhumuza in a statement.

This will enable prosecutors to decide "whether the concerned individuals should be formally charged or not".

Muhumuza said the relevant French authorities had been contacted and that full cooperation was expected.

The dispute centres on France's role prior to the genocide as a close ally of the Hutu nationalist regime of Juvenal Habyarimana. The shooting down of his plane over Kigali on April 6, 1994 was the event that triggered 100 days of meticulously planned slaughter.

France is accused of missing or ignoring the warning signs, and of training the soldiers and militiamen who carried out the killings.

And when the genocide was in full swing, it was further accused of using its diplomatic clout to stall effective action.

When it did finally send in troops -- in Operation Turquoise -- it was accused of only doing so to counter the advance of the Tutsi rebels of Paul Kagame, who is now president, allowing the perpetrators to escape to neighbouring Zaire which later became the Democratic Republic of Congo.

France says its soldiers were only deployed after most of the killing had happened and that their presence helped save thousands of lives.

And French officials insist that any guilt for failing to prevent the genocide is shared by the entire international community, accusing Kagame of raising the issue in a bid to distract attention from what they say is his own poor human rights record.

When contacted by AFP, the French defence ministry referred to a statement issued on November 16 by Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian after a list of 22 high-ranking French officers suspected of involvement was first published by Kigali.

There was "nothing new" in the list, Le Drian said at the time, adding that it was "almost identical to one produced in 2008" and "to say that the French army took park in genocide was a disgraceful lie".

Although relations between Kigali and Paris were completely frozen from 2006 to 2009, they were on the mend until 2014 when Kagame repeated accusations that French soldiers were both accomplices and "actors" in the bloodbath.

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Saudi Arabia's energy minister said today that an "optimistic" sentiment prevailed at an OPEC meeting meant to agree the cartel's first oil output cut in eight years.

"We don't know (if a deal will be reached)," Khaled al-Falih told reporters in Vienna as the talks started. "We will find out during the meeting. I think the sentiment generally is optimistic and positive."



Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that there was a "framework" for agreement that still needed to be finalised.

The hoped-for cut by the 14-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is aimed at easing a global supply glut and therefore boosting the market price of oil.

Oil prices rose around five per cent today as the meeting began, continuing their recent run of volatility. In recent days market expectations for an accord have been generally pessimistic.

Iraq and in particular Iran, OPEC's next biggest producers after Saudi Arabia, are seen as being uneasy about agreeing to reduce production.

"We have communicated repeatedly over the last few months that any production constraint agreement has to be distributed in a equitable way, in a fair way, in a transparent way and has to be manageable and has to be a mechanism to monitor it. And it has to involve OPEC and non OPEC," Falih said.

He again indicated that Saudi Arabia could also live without a deal, saying that he expected prices to stabilise in 2017 in any case.

"If there is no agreement, I think the market will recover slowly but certainly so I'm not concerned about the no agreement scenario," he told a scrum of reporters at OPEC headquarters.

"I've said it repeatedly that the fundamentals are moving in the right direction. We've seen in the last few months a counter cyclical decline in US inventories and we believe that 2017 will see another high year of demand.

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Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today lauded Supreme Court's direction that cinema halls across the country must play national anthem before screening a film, saying it will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people particularly the younger generation.

"It is a very good decision. It will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people particularly the younger generation. I am very happy about it," Naidu who also holds the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting said.

The apex court today directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.

The court also directed that the national flag should be shown on screen when the anthem is played.

"People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said while stressing that it is the duty of every citizen of the country to show respect to the national anthem and the flag.

It also said no person should take commercial benefits by playing the anthem and that it should not be dramatised.

The apex court said the anthem should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects, and also barred it from being played on variety shows and its abridged version anywhere.

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the Supreme Court's direction on Wednesday that cinema halls across the country must play anthem before the screening of a film, but wondered if it would help boost the feeling of patriotism.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Owaisi said the Prevention of Insults to Honour Act, 1971 and the Union Home Ministry's advisory regarding the anthem do not talk about citizens requiring to stand up when the anthem is being rendered, and suggested to the government to amend the law and revise the advisory.

The act prohibits desecration of or insult to the Constitution, national anthem, flag and the country's map.

"It (the directive) is alright and it has to be followed. But the question is whether it requires people to stand up when the anthem is being rendered? Will this help see rise in patriotism or nationalism?" Owaisi asked.

Referring to a report about a disabled person being beaten up for allegedly not standing up while the was being played at a multiplex in Goa last month, Owaisi sought to know "what can be done in this regard".

"What I believe (is that) children should be taught about (respecting anthem) from very young age... The government needs to amend the 1971 act and correct the MHA advisory," the Hyderabad MP said, adding that he was for patriotism.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.
Exotic winged visitors from different parts of the world are descending in droves to the Chambal National Sanctuary here to avoid cold-climes in central Asia and souther Europe.

Migratory birds of multiple hues from Siberia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Tibet and North India are coming to the sanctuary. Their chirping is soothing and music to the ears of the tourists alongside Chambal river, ornithologist Dr Rishikesh Sharma told PTI today.

These birds start leaving their habitats due to snow fall and extreme cold conditions and make Chambal their home during winters, he said.

The winged creatures start coming to Chambal in the last week of October and return by March end, he said.

Around 22,000 to 24,000 winged visitors flock the sanctuary annually, Sharma said.

The sanctuary is spread over an area of 427 sq km, including ravines on the sides of Chambal river.

He said the sanctuary is home to around 196 species of birds, including 152 domestic species.

The ornithologist said the birds find the sanctuary a good habitat given that they prey on fish which are in abundance in the Chambal river.

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South Korea's three main opposition parties are meeting to determine when to try to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

Today's meeting came a day after Park offered to resign if parliament arranges a safe transfer of power, amid a huge political scandal involving her and a shadowy confidante.

Opposition leaders said at the start of the meeting they'll push for Park's impeachment because her overture is a stalling tactic.

The opposition parties have previously said they would try to impeach Park either on Friday or on December 9.

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A 58-year-old Sri Lankan has become the eighth victim of a rare thunderstorm asthma outbreak in Australia's second largest city this week, forcing authorities to issue health alerts.

The death of Ranjith Peiris here last night in a local hospital took the toll to eight after thecity witnessed changingweather conditions after last weeks storm.

The storm caused rain-sodden ryegrass pollen grains to explode and disperse over the city, with tiny pollen particles penetrating deep into lungs.

Peiris'sson Roshan told local media here that his father was conscious for 45 minutesbutstruggledto breathe and suffered from asthma and lost consciousness.

"All up, we waited an hour and 10 minutes, and my dad was conscious for about 45 minutes trying to breathe," he said.

"They kept saying on the phone, They are on their way. But he never recovered from that time," he added.

After the asthamacrisis, healthauthorities are nowunder pressure to explain why theytheydidn't warn the public about the asthma disaster.

Over8000 patients with respiratory problems and many people are admitted in the hospitals in the city on the night of the outbreak. Most of them had to wait more than half an hour for an ambulance to arrive.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy has said the asthma epidemic put a similar amount of strain on the health system as 150 bombs detonating across Melbourne.

State chief healthofficer Charles Guest said people with a history of asthma, hay fever or allergies were at greater risk of asthma symptoms during changing weather events.

Thunderstorm asthma event was first recorded in Melbourne in 1987. Similar events were also reported in the US, Canada, Britain and Italy. The last major event in Melbourne was in November 2010.

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The government has decided to construct strategic rail lines along the borders with neighbouring countries including China and Pakistan, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The proposal for construction of railway lines along China, Nepal and Pakistan borders has been initiated by the Defence Ministry as a strategic line, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.

A total of 14 strategic lines have been identified, out of which four strategic lines -- the 378km Missamari-Tenga- Tawang line, the 498km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line, the 227km Pasighat-Tezu-Rupai line, and the 249km North Lakhimpur-Bame- Silapathar line -- have been decided to be taken up in the first phase.

However, he said, none of these projects has been sanctioned.

Since all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of the Himalayas, stability, geology, constructibility, maintainability and safety issues are to be examined, he said.

Accordingly, the Final Location Survey (FLS) has been taken at a cost of Rs 345 crore. For the year 2016-17, the Ministry of Defence has provided Rs 87.18 crore.

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Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday said it will be business as usual for listed Tata companies despite the boardroom brawl but cautioned that any change in the group's strategy and Tata Sons' support policy for operating companies could exert pressure on their ratings.

The ratings of four Tata Group operating companies continue to benefit from an uplift from the group's main holding company, Tata Sons, despite the group's ongoing board reshuffle, it said.

"We expect that Tata Sons can continue to extend support to its key operating companies, should the need arise, owing to its substantial cash holdings and the significant value of its listed equity investments, and despite an ongoing boardroom reshuffle," says Kaustubh Chaubal, Moody's Vice-President and Senior Analyst.

Consequently, the ratings of the group's four operating companies - Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Tata Steel and Tata Power - will continue to include a one notch uplift, based on Moody's assessment of support for the companies from Tata Sons, in times of need.

As for Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Group's flagship subsidiary, the company's rating reflects its intrinsic credit strength.

"In Moody's view, it is business as usual at the rated Tata companies, which are listed entities, in spite of the leadership change," it said.

Moody's said it does not expect any change in the operating and long-term strategy of the Tata companies.

"Nonetheless, any change in group strategy or in the strategy of the operating companies - which in our view increases their risk appetite - could exert pressure on the Tata companies' ratings," adds Chaubal.

Also a change in Tata Sons' support policy for its group companies could also affect the Tata Group operating companies' ratings.
Tax reforms, slashing corporate taxes and repatriation of dollars parked abroad would be some of the priorities of the Trump administration, Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin said today.

"Our first priority is going to be the tax plan and the tax plan has both the corporate aspects to it, lowering corporate taxes so we make US companies the most competitive in the world, making sure we repatriate trillions of dollars back to the United States, and the personal income taxes where we're going to have the most significant middle income tax cut since Reagan," Mnuchin said soon after he was nominated for Treasury Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump.

"We're going to incorporate the Child Care Program, so this is going to be a tremendous boon to the economy," he said in response to a question.

"I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to work with him in the administration. Our number one priority is going to be the economy, get back to three to four per cent growth, we believe that's very sustainable and focus on things for the American worker, that's absolutely our priority," the former banker with Goldman Sachs said.

"I know what it takes to make sure that we can make loans to small and mid-market companies, and that's going to be our big focus, making sure we scale back regulation so that we make sure the banks are lending," he said.

Building infrastructure is another focus area, he said.

"It's a big priority of this administration. We need to make sure that our infrastructure is built for the 21st century," he asserted.

"That we have roads and bridges and power grids and infrastructure that support this country, and that's going to be a big focus," he added.

Mnuchin welcomed the decision of Carrier company not to move 1,000 jobs from the US to Mexico.

"The Carrier deal, I think it's terrific. The president-elect and the vice president picked up the phone and called the CEO of United Technologies and told them we want to keep jobs here. Can't remember the last time a president did that and this is going to be a terrific opportunity," Mnuchin said.

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With Tamil Nadu bracing itself to face cyclonic storm Nada, likely to cross the north coastal area of the state early on December 2, NDRF and SDRF teams are being deployed in coastal areas and schools have been asked to remain closed tomorrow.

"Two teams of NDRF and one team of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) are being pre-positioned in Cuddalore, one team each in Nagapattinam and Chennai to meet out any eventuality," a state government release said here.

Stating that India Meteorological Department has informed it that cyclonic storm Nada was likely to cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Puducherry, close to Cuddalore by early morning of December 2, the government said all District Collectors have been alerted.

They have been advised to take all necessary action to evacuate people from low lying and vulnerable areas to the relief centres, wherever required, it said.

The government has asked the general public to call toll free numbers 1070 and 1077 during emergency situations and have been also advised to listen to the latest updates by IMD about the cyclone.

"Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea and to keep their boats tied up in safe places. The public are also advised to move to the relief centres as and when advised by the District Collectors," the release said.

Meanwhile, private and state-run schools in districts, including Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam have intimated parents that schools will be closed tomorrow in view of heavy rains expected tomorrow.

Colleges are also likely to be closed.

The government also gave an elaborate set of "Do's and Don'ts" in view of the storm.

It urged people not to go outside until officially advised safe, to be on guard against being misled by rumours, and those housed in relief shelters not to leave the premises until directed to do so by the rescue personnel.

The note said people should not leave safer places during a lull, children should not be allowed to go out during the cyclone and that none should touch loose or dangling wires from lamp posts.

People have been advised to stay indoors and get away from low lying beaches or other locations which may be swept by high tides, it added.

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Global leader in ATM and PoS machines Diebold Nixdorf expects its business to boom with the push for a cashless economy amid the ongoing demonetisation drive.

The company, which has just completed integration following the buyout of Nixdorf, now manages a little over 1,05,000 ATMs out of the total 2,04,000 and close to 28,000 PoS machines in the country.

It today claimed that it is the first to complete recalibration of cash-vending machines and dispense the new banknotes after announcement of the ban of high-value currencies on November 8.

Jaivinder Singh Gill, VP and MD, South Asia and head of operations, Asia Pacific, Diebold Nixdorf, told PTI today that the US-based company employed over 800 engineers to achieve this.

On the impact of his business due to demonetisation and the push for a cashless economy, he said, "We expect PoS business to grow much faster in the medium term and the removal of all taxes (12.5% excise duty and 4% SAD last week on PoS machines) will give an additional fillip to this. ATM business will also continue to grow, especially the software and security side of this market."



Explaining further, he said the company sees a parallel growth in both cash and non-cash economy and expects ATMs getting continued focus while ePoS market in the retail segment may see faster growth with tax waiver and official push to go electronic.

According to him, Diebold Nixdorf is the largest ATM manufacturer globally also with 33 per cent market share while before the buyout, it was the second.

"When it comes to the domestic market, Diebold Nixdorf is also the largest ATM player with a market share of 49 per cent with over 1,05,000 ATMs. We also have over 28,000 PoS units installed for major retailers in India," Gill said.

There are over 1.4 million PoS machines deployed in the market.

Asked whether the company will set up a plant in India to manufacture PoS units which are currently imported, Gill did not offer an answer.

With over 25 years in India, Diebold has an ATM plant and an R&D centre in Goa with an annual volume of 1 lakh machines, a client base of over 100 banks and presence in more than 4,000 cities and towns.

It also has global software development centre in Mumbai and managed services facility in Mumbai and Hyderabad. Its rival NCR Corp has been pushed down to the second slot with a little over 1 lakh cash dispensers in India.

The Diebold-Wincor Nixdorf merger was globally completed in August. The combined entity is present in over 130 countries. Wincor was a provider of IT solutions and services to retail banks and the retail industry.

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A trader was killed and his nephew was injured when a car in which they were travelling overturned on Yamuna Expressway.

"The balance of speeding Hyundai Barna car was lost when one of its rear tyre burst at milestone no 142 near Raya cut falling under Raya police station yesterday," police said.

After hitting the divider, the car overturned resulting in injuries to trader Jasbir Singh (45) and his nephew Kuldeep, who were travelling to Noida from Ferozabad.

Both were rushed to district hospital where Jasbir was declared brought dead and Kuldeep was referred to S N Medical College in Agra.

"Kudeep was running a scrap business in Mumbai," police added.

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Austrians are choosing Sunday between a moderate and a populist for president and both candidates are hoping to exploit the Trump effect in the first European Union nation facing such a choice since the US election.

Surveys show most Austrians think that populist Norbert Hofer stands to benefit to the detriment of left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen in the December 4 vote.

Whoever wins, the election has significance beyond who will claim the largely ceremonial post.

How the Trump bump plays out here could be a barometer of its resonance in other countries with upcoming national elections that also feature strong populist and euroskeptic contenders inspired by the US billionaire's triumph in the US presidential election.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has welcomed the Trump victory as a "sign of hope," while xenophobe Geert Wilders, who hopes to become prime minister in the Netherlands, has hailed the Trump "revolution."



At his hate-speech trial, Wilders described Trump's victory as the start of a movement "making short shrift of the politically correct doctrines of the elite and their subordinate media."



"It's about to be proven in Austria," he added. Van der Bellen won the vote earlier this year. But it is being re-run by a court order on claims by Hofer's Freedom Party of major irregularities, and with Trump's victory still fresh in the minds of Austria's electorate both candidates hope to benefit.

Van der Bellen says he hopes that Trump's triumph will serve as a "wake-up call" to vote for him and against Hofer. Hofer, whose support ranges from voters disaffected with the political establishment to the neo-Nazi fringe, greeted the US election result as a victory for democracy, blasting opponents who "wildly berate" Trump.

Of 800 Austrian respondents in a Gallup survey with a margin of error of 3.5 per cent, 53 per cent say the Trump victory will benefit Hofer, with only 9 per cent thinking it will help Van der Bellen, and the rest undecided.

Potential voters on the streets of Vienna, however, say the "Trump effect" could cut both ways.

"I would think it helps Hofer," said Fanny Holzer, 19, and Van der Bellen supporter. "On the other hand, if you consider the nonsense that Trump could do, then maybe Van der Bellen." Others said the US election result has not affected whom they will vote for.

"I remain with the choice I made originally," said Leo Ebner, 67. "America is a good distance away from Austria." Anne della Rossa, in her early 40s, said many US voters backed Trump because "people think he will give them something because he is rich."



"I don't think he will influence smart Austrians," she added.

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Wilbur Ross, the billionaire investor considered the "king of bankruptcy" for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits, is expected to join President-elect Donald Trump's senior economic team as commerce secretary.

The nomination could be announced as early as Wednesday. A senior transition official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and requested anonymity, told The Associated Press about it last week.

Reputed by Forbes to be worth nearly USD 3 billion, Ross would represent the interests of US businesses domestically and abroad as the head at Commerce.

His department would be among those tasked with carrying out the Trump administration's stated goal of protecting U.S. workers and challenging decades of globalization that largely benefited multinational corporations.

With a Florida home down the road from Trump's Mar-a-Lago retreat, the 78-year-old Ross played a role in crafting and selling the president-elect's tax-cut and infrastructure plans.

Ross has suggested that much of America is disgruntled because the economy has left middle-class workers behind and says Trump represents a shift to a "less politically correct direction."



"Part of the reason why I'm supporting Trump is that I think we need a more radical, new approach to government - at least in the US from what we've had before," Ross told CNBC in June, referring to Trump's blunt tone and sweeping promises to reinvigorate economic growth.

Ross most prominently created four companies through mergers and acquisitions that focused on steel, textiles, autos and coal. In some cases, Ross has sold the companies he packaged to even larger globe-spanning companies. In 2005, he sold the International Steel Group, which included the former Bethlehem Steel, to the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.

And while his investments appear to have proved generally lucrative, they have also at times brought troubling publicity.

In early 2006, the Sago coal mine owned by Ross exploded, triggering a collapse that killed a dozen miners. Federal safety inspectors in 2005 had cited the West Virginia mine with 208 violations.

Ross said afterward that he knew about the safety violations but that the mine's management had assured him that it was a "safe situation.

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Ukraine ratcheted up tensions with Moscow today by warning the Kremlin its military intended to hold two days of rocket launching exercises near the border with Russian-annexed Crimea.

The tests would begin tomorrow and almost certainly further damage relations between two former Soviet neighbours that treat each other as open foes.

Rocket exercises near the peninsula would be a first for Ukraine and its was not immediately clear what sparked their preparation.

Ukraine also failed to say whether the tests would involve specific targets or if the rockets would only be fired into the air.

But Moscow last week arrested an alleged Ukrainian military spy in Crimea and accused Kiev of abducting two Russian servicemen from the region.

Kiev accuses Russia of illegally annexing the Black Sea peninsula in March 2014 following the preceding month's ouster of Ukraine's Russian-backed president.

It also accuses Moscow of backing a 31-month pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine's industrial east that has claimed nearly 10,000 lives.

Russia calls its takeover of Crimea legal and denies either plotting or backing Ukraine's bloodiest conflict since World War II.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Oleksandr Dublyan said the rocket test launches would begin tomorrow in conformity with international law.

"We are not violating a single international norm," the Dzerkalo Tyzhnya website quoted Dublyan as saying.

Kiev and the overwhelming majority of the international community consider Crimea -- a mostly Russian-speaking resort region of around two million people -- as part of Ukraine.

"We have our own national territory where we intend to conduct exercises," Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Andriy Lysenko told the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

"And as for (Russia's) threats -- they cannot harm the army's plans," Lysenko said.

Moscow-based RIA Novosti state agency earlier quoted Russia's aviation authority as saying that Ukraine's rockets would even approach the Crimean capital of Simferopol.

Kiev's media was full of speculation that Russia intended to shoot down the Ukrainian rockets once the tests begin.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin's official spokesman kept to a more cautious line.

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The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.

The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT.

The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operation and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas.

The UN condemned yesterday the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre yesterday.

He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

"Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees," Rycroft said.

"The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through.

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UN human rights experts on a fact-finding mission to South Sudan warned today of an escalation in ethnic violence in the war-torn country.

"Many expect intensified fighting now that the dry season is setting in," said Yasmin Sooka of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.

Sooka was speaking to the press in the capital Juba at the end of a 10-day visit during which the three member team spoke with civilians in the battleground towns of Bentiu, Malakal and Wau, as well as government officials and members of civil society.

"There are unprecedented levels of violence and ethnic tension all over South Sudan," Sooka said.

"Any sense of national identity is crumbling and tribal or ethnic identity is taking over. I repeatedly heard of the desire for revenge," she added.

South Sudan's current conflict began nearly three years ago when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy and political rival, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup. Since then the world's newest nation has fractured along ethnic lines in a civil war characterised by atrocities.

Sooka said government and rebel armies were both forcibly recruiting soldiers -- including children -- and warned that "renewed recruitment is an indicator that all the parties are preparing for the next conflict".

The UN rights experts repeated calls for an arms embargo, sanctions, the deployment of another 4,000 peacekeepers and the establishment of a special war crimes court.

The US today also warned of escalating violence.

"We have credible information that the South Sudanese government is currently targeting civilians in Central Equatoria and preparing for large scale attacks in the coming days or weeks," Keith Harper, the US representative at the UN Human Rights Council, said in Geneva.

"In the last two weeks, the government has mobilised at least 4,000 militia from other areas of South Sudan and is staging these fighters in Equatoria to begin conducting attacks," Harper said.

Earlier this month the UN's Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, told the Security Council there was a risk of "outright ethnic war" and the "potential for genocide".

The UN rights experts are expected to publish a report of their findings in March.

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Upset over the lack of money at banks even after 22 days of demonetisation, villagers at Bilaspur here today blocked the Noida-Sikandrabad road, affecting traffic for more than an hour.

Reportedly the banks at Mandi Shyam Nagar in Dankaur displayed a 'no cash' notice and when the villagers reached there they were left agitated.

Locals said the villagers then closed the banks' gates from outside and held protest even as some of them blocked traffic on the Noida-Sikandrabad road.

For one and half hour traffic was affected. Senior police officers reached site and pacified the villagers after which the blockade was lifted.

"For the last three days I have been visiting the bank to withdraw Rs 2,000 but am unable to get the money. Banks claim they are not getting cash. The ATMs too are without cash," said one of the villagers, Dharam Bhati.

Another villager, Raje, alleged, "Bank officials give money to their known persons out of turn while the common man after standing in queue for hours was told there was no cash and was sent back."



At Udyog Bandhu meeting held today at DM camp office in Noida, some industrialists raised the problems emerging due to demonetisation before the district magistrate N P Singh.

"Small industries' production was affected. Though the government has allowed withdrawal of Rs 50,000 from current accounts but bank officials are refusing such withdrawals, saying there was no cash at banks," they claimed.

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Leaders of all parties today condemned the unruly conduct in the Bihar Assembly yesterday when members of Opposition and treasury benches trooped into the well and the latter complained about "injuries" to some of their women members during the "pushing and shoving".

Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said he took up the matter at an all-party meeting today where leaders of all parties condemned the unruly conduct and promised to cooperate in the smooth transaction of House proceedings.

The Speaker held both Opposition and ruling party members as responsible for the pandemonium and "uncharitable behaviour".

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar accused the treasury bench, particularly legislators of RJD and Congress, of triggering violent protest in the House in which a BJP woman MLA Gayatri Devi got hurt.

He named Congress Ramdeo Rai and Shakeel Ahmad Khan and RJD's Bhola Yadav and Faraz Fatmi for climbing on reports table, showing party flag and threatening members of rival party and sought their expulsion for the indiscipline in the House.

Kumar accused minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan for provoking party members to stage violent protest. He also demanded a resolution to condemn treasury bench members' conduct.

Congress Legislature party leader Sadanand Singh also regretted yesterday's event and asked BJP members to look inside themselves for creating disturbances instead of pointing fingers on others.

RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui blamed BJP members for the bedlam and charged that BJP members' "provocative" acts infuriated legislators of RJD, Congress and JD(U) yesterday.

The Speaker said he would pursue the matter and initiate action as per laid down rules.

But, this did not satisfy BJP and its NDA allies who insisted on expulsion of some RJD and Congress members and they came in the well and raised anti-government slogans.

The protesting BJP members this time exercised caution and remained away from corridor in the treasury bench side in the well.

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In a bid to ensure "foolproof" security at the Taj Mahal in Agra and religious places in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, the Uttar Pradesh government today directed senior officials of the districts concerned to submit proposals within 15 days.

"Proposals for high-level security have been sought from officers in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura for religious places and Agra officials have also been asked to give their proposal for the Taj Mahal within 15 days," Principal Secretary Debashish Panda said during a security review meeting here.

Panda said that advice of officers of CRPF and other units of Central government should be taken while preparing the security proposals.

Arrangements of modern control room, surveillance cell and CCTVs should also be made at these places to monitor activities of visitors, he said, adding CCTV recordings should be stored for a long time and for it an effective plan should be made.

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The Somali student who plowed his car into a crowd and slashed several people with a knife in Ohio had no ties to terror groups, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said today.

Although Abdul Razak Ali Artan professed support for radical Islamists on his Facebook page and an Islamic State-linked agency claimed he was an IS "soldier," Johnson said the probe had not thus far revealed any direct communications between Artan and such groups.

"At this point we see no direct links to any terrorist organisation," Johnson said.

"The indications are right now that this was an act of someone who was self-radicalised."



On Monday, the Somali immigrant, a new Ohio State University student, injured 11 people before he was shot dead by a university security officer.

Officials have not declared the attack a terror attack, but the IS-linked agency Amaq yesterday said the rampage was inspired by IS calls to action.

"He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries," Amaq quoted an insider source as saying, according to a translation by the SITE group that monitors extremists.

A Facebook page believed to belong to Artan -- and since taken offline -- included grievances against the United States.

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UT Chandigarh administration today said it has started a campaign to become the first 'cashless' city in the country by December 10.

It has been decided that initially all the e-sampark centers will be equipped with a swipe machine and other such modes for making online payments and once the system is operative, no cash will be accepted in the offices of the Chandigarh administration, an official release said.

In view of the decision taken by the Chandigarh administration, Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has decided that all the payments which are being received in cash will be accepted by way of online payment through Net banking or by credit or debit cards, cheques, demand draft, banker cheque or through PAYTM, and any of the methods, mentioned above, etc, it said.

The bankers associated with CHB shall provide these services at a minimum service charge.

At present, the reception counter of CHB is accepting cash as processing charges for various services such as for the purchase of agreement to sell amounting to Rs 200, RTI fee of Rs 10, cost of drawings/building plans, revival charges of dwelling units, demolition charges for removing encroachments/violations or fees for approval of need based changes etc.

Henceforth, CHB will go completely cashless from December 1, 2016.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, V P Singh Badnore presided over a meeting of representatives of all private schools of Chandigarh and discussed at length the viability of introducing digital mode of payments in the city schools.

Parimal Rai, Adviser to Administrator, UT made a detailed presentation about various modes of digital/cashless payments available as an alternative to cash payments in the light of current scenario of demonetization which is plastic money (credit/debit card), e-Wallet, UPI, USSD and Aadhaar enabled payment system.

All the private schools were requested to assist Chandigarh Administration in its endeavour for making Chandigarh the first cashless city, the official release said.

All the private schools agreed to switch to cashless mode for all types of receipts and payments in near future. Private schools urged that their teachers and few students may be imparted training in this regard so that they could disseminate the message to parents and various other sections of the society.

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: UTC Climate, Controls & Security today announced that its India affiliate has entered into an agreement with Wipro Limited to acquire EcoEnergy, Wipro's energy services business division.

Bengaluru-based EcoEnergy is a leading provider of energy management services for commercial customers in North America, Europe and Asia.

UTC Climate, Controls & Security, provider of heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp.

"We believe EcoEnergy's energy management platform and services, along with the expertise of its team, will enable UTC Climate, Controls & Security to further develop its remote monitoring and building analytics capabilities and bring enhanced services and solutions to UTC Climate, Controls & Security's broad, global customer base," Ross Shuster, president, International Operations, UTC Climate, Controls & Security, said.

"Our industry-leading brands, including Carrier, Riello, Chubb, Edwards, Onity, Automated Logic, Lenel, Interlogix, and Kidde, along with their channel businesses, will be able to offer EcoEnergy service options to our customers, leveraging EcoEnergy's talented staff of professionals," he said, according to an UTC Climate, Controls & Security statement.

The transaction will help EcoEnergy continue to serve its customers and enable them to realize the opportunities made possible by IoT and big data analytics, Mansoor Ahmad, Vice-President, Energy Management Services, EcoEnergy, said.

"We expect to develop the EcoEnergy brand in wider segments and geographies through our technology and service expertise, powered by the reach of UTC Climate, Controls & Security brands," he said.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals,the statement said.

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A military jeep carried the ashes of Fidel Castro along streets lined with flag-waving Cubans in Havana today, starting a four-day journey to his final resting place across the island.

After two days of tributes in Havana, the "caravan of freedom" departed on a 950-kilometer trek retracing the route of the revolution's victory tour of 1959.

The flag-covered urn rested on a small olive-green trailer, flanked by white flowers and protected by a glass case as Havana bid farewell to the communist icon who ruled the island with an iron fist for almost half a century.

Hundreds of thousands chanted "I am Fidel!" and "viva Fidel!" as the "caravan of freedom" headed on long trip that will end with a final ceremony in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on Sunday.

Senior officials of the government and Communist Party, and Castro's longtime partner, Dalia Soto del Valle, attended the farewell ceremony at the armed forces ministry before the caravan headed out.

Cubans were observing the fifth of nine days of mourning for Castro following his death on Friday at age 90. Castro ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to his brother, Raul, in 2006.

"It's very moving to say goodbye to a person who meant so much but who lived long enough to accomplish what he wanted," said a tearful Esperanza Pares, 86.

Castro's ashes will take the reverse route that his band of guerrilla fighters took after defeating dictator Fulgencio Batista.

From January 2 to January 8, 1959, the bearded rebels traveled from Santiago to Havana, stopping in Castro's home region, Holguin, as well as the cities of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara and Matanzas.

One of the most symbol-filled stops of this last trip will be in Santa Clara, where the ashes of his Argentine comrade-in-arms, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, rest.

The urn will be laid to rest at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, next to the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti.

The trip follows two days of tributes in Havana where hundreds of thousands were encouraged by the government to view a picture memorial to Castro at the Revolution Square.

The commemorations in the capital ended with a massive rally Tuesday night at the square attended by Latin American, African and Caribbean leaders, along with the Greek prime minister -- the only European leader at the event.

Raul Castro, 85, thanked the "countless gestures of solidarity and affection from around the world" and ending with the revolutionary battle cry, "Until victory, always!"



But the presidents of Western powers, and even friendly nations including Russia, China and Iran, sent deputies in their place.

The absences underscored the divisive legacy of a leader who defied the United States, backed guerrilla movements in Latin America and deployed his army to conflicts in Africa during the Cold War.

Leftist Latin American leaders vowed to carry the torch of Castro's revolution as they addressed the rally.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The wife a man, accused of crimes including murder and suspected to be hiding in Dubai, was today detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on her arrival at the airport here from the Middle East country.

ED officials detained the 45 year-old woman when she arrived here from Dubai, airport sources said.

The woman's husband Kancheepuram-based Sridhar Dhanapal is wanted in many cases of extortion and murder besides others and is suspected to have fled to Dubai a few years ago.

The ED had earlier attached his immovable property worth about Rs 150 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To help rural masses tide over the cash crunch, Yes Bank has launched a new digital transaction service through mobile phones that do not need an Internet connection.

Named as SIMsePAY, the technology is based on wafer-thin sticker attached to any SIM card of a telecom provider that sources information from a co-branded prepaid wallet linked to it.

Yes Bank launched a pilot of the service today with a co-operative bank in Dehradun and will take it wide across the country.

"The sticker installs a SIM Tool Kit based application which can be accessed by the consumer on any mobile phone without the need for Internet connectivity," Yes Bank said.

SIMsePAY allows any account holder to do money transfers, pay utility bills and other mobile banking services, without the need for smartphones or Internet.

"The pilot launch takes place against the backdrop of the government's digital payments drive and is part of Yes Bank's ongoing efforts to broad-base the digital payment infrastructure in India," Yes Bank said.

The offering is based on a frugal 'sim-sleeve' technology, in association with Taisys Technologies, who holds global patent for the same, and has implemented the same successfully in other countries, including Kenya and China.

The co-branded prepaid wallet or card that can be loaded up to Rs 50,000 will be issued by Yes Bank or the co-operative banks' account by the customer to carry out various types of transactions.

The bank said it plans to garner a base of 500,000 SIMsePAY users by 2017.

"Through the launch of SIMsePAY along with co-operative bank tie-ups across the country, we will effectively aid our country's ongoing transition to a less-cash society, and eventually a cashless India," Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor said.

SIMsePAY will cater to the large section of Indian population who remain unbanked or under banked due to lack of access to smartphones and mobile Internet as close to 650 million are feature phones, Yes Bank said.

Yes Bank plans to launch pilots in Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa over the next 10 days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rupaiya Exchange, a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending aggregator, has raised USD 200,000 (about Rs 1.36 crore) in angel funding from a group of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and professionals.

The company, which began its operations in November last year, has developed proprietary technology to assess users registered on its platform and perform credit checks on the borrowers.

The information is then shared with lenders which includes banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and individuals.

"We wanted to partner with investors who shared our vision in making a difference to credit is dissemination in the country. Our endeavour has been and shall be to cater to the population that deserves credit but is struggling because of some reason or the other," Rupaiya Exchange founder Rohan Hazrati said.

The company said it has received loan applications in excess of Rs 70 crore till date and has facilitated disbursement of over Rs 9 crore.

The company aims to scale up disbursement facilitation to Rs 100 crore over the next 12 months.

While the company did not declare the valuation figures, the funds raised will be used to further enhance technology and increasing team strength.

In April this year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had initiated steps to regulate the nascent and unregulated peer-to-peer (P2P) lending business.

The central bank has proposed registering P2P lending platforms as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and had put out a discussion paper on the matter.

A number of online P2P lending companies working as marketplaces bringing individual borrowers and lenders together have come up. These usually work without the intervention of traditional financial institutions like banks and NBFCs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs)  banks, domestic financial institutions, insurance, new pension scheme and mutual funds  pumped Rs 18,277 crore into the Indian markets in November  the highest since the BSE started maintaining the data since calendar year 2005.
Individual traders wanting to transact through the international exchanges at the upcoming near Ahmedabad might not be able to do so under existing Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) rules.
They would play hide and seek. A banker, who nowadays is neck deep in work, "restructuring" the black cash of the rich, promises to meet the writers. Then backs out. "It's hectic today," he texts on WhatsApp. "We have audit which will continue for the next three days." His bank, we learn, has fired him after his illegal cash management expertise was discovered. A second money handler agrees to talk on phone and then never picks the call.



A businessman says he is running a clean business for the past one and a half years. Prior to that, he would do many things, from hoarding cash to cooking up disputes with investors to close down companies. He is travelling right now. "Can't talk more about this on phone. Can't meet."

By a rare stroke of luck on a rather frustrating day, we manage a meeting with a lawyer. His office is sandwiched between tattoo studios and 'Cash for Gold' shops. He has been busy, too. At 4.35 pm, when the meeting is set up, he is still lunching. He has been sleeping in the office; cooking too. A small white statue on his desk has "Sue the bastards" inscribed.

"There is a fear psychosis," the lawyer says, as we ask him about demonetisation and its impact on black money. His bureaucrat friends, who have property in their wives' names, are nervous. "North Delhi Municipal Corporation has started issuing a Unique Property Identification Card. Any property transaction from here on would be tracked. And this move might be implemented by other states." He is, of course, helping them and his clients. Some have been advised to move abroad, and some are buying loss-making companies through back-dated transactions. 'Entry Operators' - people who create shell companies - are making a killing. A spurt of land buying in Nepal is being talked about.

Large chunks of cash with businessmen have been restructured into parcels of Rs 2 lakh. Unorganised workers, mostly hired labourers, are being asked to deposit in their bank accounts, keep Rs 20,000 and return the rest in new currency after the dust settles in. That's one flavour of money laundering. "It is difficult for the government to go after each and every labourer," the lawyer says. Jan Dhan accounts are flushing with cash. Estimates are that deposits have surged almost 30 times by around Rs 21,000 crore in just 14 days since the government's November 8 announcement on the withdrawal of high-denomination currency notes.

Still, there is fear among the lawyer's clients: "Misrepresentation of income can result in jail now. Earlier, the mentality was to show a lower taxable income. Now, what will be declared will be at a logical distance of the actual income."

The problem for scam-stars is that the government seems to be reacting with speed. On November 24, the Union Cabinet reportedly discussed amendments in the existing income tax law to levy 60 per cent tax on 'unaccounted' money deposited in bank accounts between November 8 and December 30. The amendments could be tabled in Parliament during the ongoing winter session.

Black is staggering

Over the decades, those wanting to show lower taxable income or avoid taxes altogether employed a variety of means. Companies indulged in "master roll fudging" where wages and employment were inflated. Companies also under invoiced to generate black money. Black money generation in cash is rampant in businesses with annuity income, such as medical or engineering schools, mining and of course kickbacks that are accepted by bureaucrats and politicians. And not to miss the professionals - charted accountants, lawyers, financial advisors - who actually help restructure black money. Any estimate of this black money in the system can be staggering.

In The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 1948-2008, Dev Kar, an economist with a Washington-based non-profit Global Financial Integrity, estimated that illicit flows totalled $213 billion in illegal capital flight during this period. He later adjusted the estimates to peg it at $462 billion. "The adjustment had to do with the total present value of illicit assets held abroad by Indian residents. So I assumed that none of the black money ever came back. Then I applied the US Treasury bill rate to compound and calculate the cumulative present value of all the outflows over the period 1947-2008," he said. Arun Kumar, a former professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, stresses on the difference between 'black income' and 'black wealth'. Black income, he estimates, is about 62 per cent of India's GDP. Black wealth (assets created and parked in real estate, gold, diamonds, foreign currency, art objects overtime) is a multiple of about 3.5 times this number, a staggering Rs 300 lakh crore. The cash component of black wealth is Rs 3.5 lakh crore. "India's black economy has grown from 4-5 per cent of GDP from 1955 to the present 62 per cent. There is no magic wand," Kumar says, when asked the obvious: will demonetisation help in curbing the black?

Kumar, like many other economists, also question the economic rationale of demonetisation. He says a slowdown can set in, as discretionary sales pause and small businesses are hit by the cash squeeze. Some economists remain perplexed by the choice of the Rs 2,000 denomination. "As an economic policy, it's irrelevant. As a moral policy, it is bang on," says Amir Ullah Khan, an economist. "Everything seems logical in demonetisation except for Rs 2,000. The whole premise is high value notes hide black money. You can't double the value and say this is a solution."

While the near-term economic logic may seem weak, the plan on black money appears to be well thought out. Demonetisation is just one leg. What has generated the fear psychosis is a combination of many things executed over the past two years by the Narendra Modi Government. "They are attacking the ecosystem... and ecosystem is not a one-time measure. Through these measures, the signal is clear that black, illegitimate money will be attacked," says Jagvinder Brar, Partner of Forensic Services at consulting firm KPMG.

The strike isn't surgical

A Supreme Court monitored special investigation team (SIT) was first set up. In its fifth report in July 2016, SIT recommended that "there should be a total ban on cash transactions above Rs 3,00,000 and an Act be framed to declare such transactions as illegal and punishable under law". SIT also suggested an upper limit of Rs 15 lakh on cash holding. Around the same time, markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) wanted stricter KYC and disclosure norms for Participatory Notes - an entity investing in P-notes thrives on anonymity and is not required to register with SEBI.

The government then came up with the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, wherein a property held by or transferred to an individual but provided or paid by another, can attract an imprisonment of up to seven years. There was also The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (to bring back money held abroad) and the domestic black money Income Declaration Scheme (IDS). More than Rs 65,000 crore worth of disclosures were made under the scheme that offered people with black money a one-time chance to pay up 45 per cent in tax as well as penalty. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between India and Mauritius, and India and Cyprus was amended. An understanding was reached with Switzerland for getting information on bank accounts held by Indians with HSBC.

Finally, the biggest tax reform in India's history - the Goods and Services Tax (GST) - is also a veritable spanner for black marketeers. By bringing more businesses in the organised sector from the unorganised, it can reduce the generation of black money. Businesses would need to be registered and acceptance of invoices will be incentivised from suppliers to claim input tax credit. This transactional information would enter the tax systems and therefore reduce the share of unaccounted transactions. For instance, India's trade is one of the biggest components of the service sector, which deals in cash. GST is expected to bring traders not only into the tax net, but also move them to the digital transactions space.

To say that people will forget all these steps is a gimmick to distract, some feel. All the cash that is being deposited in banks now is generating audit trails. "After a couple of months, all this data will be in the hands of authorities such as the Income Tax Department. That is when they can observe the patterns that are emerging. Three years ago, it was not possible to map transactions. It was a manual exercise," KPMG's Brar says. There will be a surge of alerts triggered by the transaction monitoring system of banks and the same would result in an increase in filing of Cash Transaction Reports, Counterfeit Currency Reports, and Suspicious Transactions Reports.

Some builders and those who invest in land have gone cautious. A builder in Bangalore says the split between white and black in a real estate deal in the city used to be 60:40, sometimes 50:50. "Now, we expect the land cost to fall. In future, the ratio might become 85: 15, or even 90:10," he says on phone.

Arvind Virmani, former chief economic advisor to the government of India, says he would never have recommended demonetisation. "But, I am happy that the political-policy-babu-police-mafia nexus will be the greatest losers from this action. The positive effect of eliminating black money element of 50-60 per cent in the total price of real estate, will be much more significant than is recognised by many economists. Governments must lower circle rates and stamp duties to facilitate it."

But even as we write this piece, many real estate companies and builders with projects on ground are flush with cash like never before. A charted accountant, who did not want to be identified, spells out the details. "In their books, real estate companies usually have a lot of cash in hand, whereas in reality they do not have physical cash. They are accepting the cash from hoarders at a 30 per cent premium and depositing in banks. So, Rs 1 crore would change for Rs 70 lakh." As a result, the real estate company is getting free working capital at no interest, at 30 per cent premium to be paid back over a period of one year or so. This has no documentation and is usually negotiated on faith and contacts. And this system of transfers is working well with jewellers, and industries that usually work with high levels of cash in hand in their books.

This implies that even with the fear psychosis, the corruption bucket can be leaky.

What Next?

Black money expert Professor Arun Kumar nowadays shuttles between television studios. He meets Business Today in the cafeteria of a media house. "You have caught the thief, but not the theft. New thieves will emerge," he quips. A doctor who charges Rs 1,000 and declares only Rs 250 will continue to do so, he reckons. "Services is the biggest area of black economy generation. The services sector produces 75 per cent of the black economy. Government cannot eradicate the black economy by this move. It might just happen at a lower rate and a slower pace for sometime," he adds. KPMG, therefore, recommends that the government next bring the segment of designated non-financial businesses and professionals (DNFBP), which includes accountants, auditors, lawyers, trusts and company service providers, jewelers in gold and precious metals, under the purview of enhanced due diligence measures of Regulated Entities.

Indeed, Business Today learns that officials in the Ministry of Finance along with the Parliamentary Committee on Finance are deliberating on ways to expand the tax-to-GDP ratio, and one of the ideas is to look for efficient ways to tax rich farmers and professionals such as doctors, CAs, and lawyers. "The present government must realise that the Income Tax Act has outlived its utility. The answer to the current scenario is the Direct Tax Code. The draft was prepared by the last UPA Government. We are ready to deliberate any amendments they want to bring. The need of the hour is to move coherently to curb generation of black money," says Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily, who also chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

Another big area that needs fixing is gold. A paper on demonetisation from KPMG states that one of the key next steps in the fight against black money could be "direct proceeds of gold sale to be credited to the bank account above a certain threshold (for example Rs 50,000) and make PAN furnishing mandatory for such transactions. This will tackle dilution of hoarded black money and can also have transformational impact". Most black money watchers are expecting gold imports to rise, post the demonetisation episode.

This brings us back to the lawyer whose office is near a few gold shops. At one point during our meeting, he looks contemplative. He lights up, puffs, and places the cigarette on the corner of a crystal ashtray. He wonders what's coming next from Modi. "I think it will be the amendments to The Prevention of Corruption Act; also, scanning of companies under the Registrar of Companies." He needs to prepare for more nights at the office.

With inputs from Anilesh S. Mahajan
The stock of Mumbai-based Tyre manufacturer Balkrishna Industries rose in early trade ahead of the firm announcing its Q2 earnings later in the day.

The firm in an announcement to the BSE said Balkrishna Industries Limited would be having a conference call with Investors/Analysts to discuss Q2FY17 financial results. The Conference call is scheduled on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 12.00 NOON 1ST.

At 10:48 am, the stock was trading 8 percent or 73 points higher at Rs 995 level on the BSE.

The stock opened at Rs 930 level and hit an intra-day high of 1,004 at 10:37 am.

The stock closed 7.89 percent or 72.70 points higher at Rs 994 on the BSE.



The Sensex closed 258 points higher at 26,652 level.


Payments under the 2016 Young Farmers Scheme will commence on 1st December according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.



The Young Farmers Scheme was introduced in 2015 as a measure to support young farmers under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy.

Ireland has allocated 2% of the Basic Payment Scheme national ceiling to fund the Young Farmers Scheme each year from 2015 to 2019. This is the highest percentage allowable under the relevant EU Regulations and provides funding of some 24m annually for the scheme.



Some 8,600 young farmers submitted applications under the scheme in 2016. A qualifying young farmer receives the payment under the Young Farmers Scheme for a maximum period of five years dating from the year of setting up of the holding in his/her own name.

Many of the 8,170 young farmers who qualified under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2015 will receive their second Young Farmer Scheme payment in 2016. Payment to successful applicants under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 is based on 68.54 per activated entitlement, subject to a maximum of 50 entitlements.



The Minister today commented, "This payment is made in the crucial years following the young farmer establishing the holding and has the potential to play a major role in the regeneration of agriculture in Ireland and provide a solid basis for the industry in the coming years."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Three leading representative organisations have called for a full independent debate and public discussion on a government proposal to establish a Supervised Injecting Facility (SIF) for drug users in Dublin City Centre.

The call follows a recent announcement by the Department of Health that it plans to open a SIF in the city centre next year in an effort to curb on-street drug injecting and overdose deaths. The legislation to facilitate this measure is being discussed at the Oireachtas Health Committee today (Wednesday).

However three groups - the Licensed Vintners Association, the Restaurants Association and the Temple Bar Company - have expressed reservations about the project and indeed the long term effectiveness of such centres on drug use in other cities.

In a joint statement the three organisations said the establishment of an SIF in the city centre had serious implications for the people who live and work in the area and it would be irresponsible in the extreme for the authorities to adopt a unilateral approach and to proceed without consulting them fully.



While the location of the proposed centre has not been disclosed, the three organisations pointed out the problems with establishing it in the city centre.



According to the statement, "In other cities these centres have been established in areas with significant historical problem of public drug use, such as Kings Cross in Sydney and not in central business districts. Dublin City Centre is compact by international standards and the decision by different agencies to provide treatment services in the city has created a market for drugs and led to an intensification of drug use in the area. The onset of a drug war between rival drug gangs has now pushed the issue into a crisis."

The statement concludes, "It would seem ironic that the Government would now consider using taxpayers money to provide a centre for drug addicts to consume illegal drugs which are in a large part funding the very gangs which the state is pursuing. Its clear this measure hasnt been fully thought through and we would urge Minister Catherine Byrne to meet with us to hear our concerns."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ten companies were recognised and honoured at the 2016 Docklands Business Awards last week at the Gibson Hotel in Point Village.



Now in its sixth year, the Docklands Business Awards event is arranged by local business network Docklands Business Forum.

In front of an audience of over 200 members of the local business community, as well as Regina Doherty TD, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and Government Chief Whip, companies from different industries, at different stages and of different scale received awards that highlight the diverse enterprise that continues to support and motivate the development of Dublin Docklands.



In a function room resplendent with the computer generated images of the office and residential developments in the pipeline for Dublin Docklands, Alan Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Docklands Business Forum, said that 23,000 additional employees and up to 8,000 additional residents were expected in the area within the next five years.



Dublin Docklands has undergone a remarkable transformation and now supports up to over 40,000 high-level jobs  these include over 30,000 jobs within multi-national companies and an additional 5,000 in the SMEs that provide goods and services within the micro economy.

Docklands Business Forum is focused on supporting enterprise in Dublin Docklands and on promoting Docklands as a place to work, live and visit.



Among the winners were worldwide accommodation firm AirBnB, Irish accountancy firm KPMG, new museum Epic Ireland, the Brasserie at The Marker Hotel and start-up Hiri who won awards in the Exporter of Goods or Services, Responsible Business, Innovator, Foodie and Start Up categories. True to its ethos of motivating co-operation between business and public and voluntary agencies, the organisers included also a category for Public Service that was won by CoderDojo for its success in motivating volunteerism in the Docklands tech sector and in inspiring local children to learn to code.



Referring to the Docklands Summer Festival and the Dublin Port Riverfest both organised by Docklands Business Forum, Alan Robinson said, "We could give the city a more permanent maritime tourism opportunity that would attract yachts from all over the world and bring jobs back and that would have huge potential for significant economic contribution.



Source: www.businessworld.ie
The era of the smartphone is now, with 93% of UK adults owning a mobile (2015), compared to a mere 36% in 2000 - meaning its becoming vital for businesses to create mobile-specific marketing strategies to continue turning over a return on investment (ROI), for using standard business telephone systems simply isnt enough anymore.

The average daily mobile-internet usage is 114 minutes; whereas PCs only amount for 69 minutes, so optimising your web presence for mobiles is vital.

In May 2015, Google released an algorithm designed to promote mobile-friendly websites in their search results. A page is labelled mobile friendly if it meets the following criteria: avoids software that is uncommon on mobile devices (e.g. Flash), uses readable text size that doesnt require zooming, content is automatically fits-to-screen to prevent the need to scroll horizontally and links are situated with enough distance so the intended link can be tapped easily.

Websites deemed mobile-friendly perform better in terms of rankings and clicks so ensuring your webpages pass Googles Mobile Test is a good foundation to build your mobile marketing upon.

Last week Google even announced that their index is now mobile-first. This is a result of more people searching Google using their mobile rather than a desktop PC or laptop.

Methods of Mobile Marketing:

Theres an abundance of mobile advertising strategies available, but the ones that are most suitable will depend on your industry, target audience and budget. Here are some examples:

QR Codes

Quick Response (QR) Codes allow users to scan a matrix barcode with their phone camera; once scanned it is decoded and translated into a URL landing page and automatically generates a variety of actions on the device, including: viewing a mobile website/landing page, viewing a map location, sending an email, dialling a telephone number, viewing a social media profile (e.g. LinkedIn) and many more.

Thankfully most smartphones provide downloadable and free QR code reader applications. Businesses can easily use QR codes for advertising, for they can be integrated into any several printed materials, such as: business cards, brochures/posters, event promotions, printed ads and sale signs.

Unfortunately creating your own app isnt suitable for every business, but there are ways you can still benefit from app popularity.

In-app advertisements such as banners, native ads, auto-play videos and interstitial ads appear in the majority of free apps, for the developers sell advertising space in apps, they can lower the cost; increasing the chances of the app being downloaded, for example: Angry Birds has had over 3.5 billion downloads, making it the most downloaded mobile game of all-time. Services like Google AdMob allow users to create mobile ads that appear within third-party mobile apps.

Location-based Advertising

Considering nearly one-third of all mobile searches on Google are related to location, its unsurprising businesses are using location data to their advantage.

Location-based advertising integrates mobile advertising with location services and personalises advertisements based directly on where an individual is.

For example, if someone is looking for nearby pizza delivery, restaurants and takeaway services can use location-based advertising to ensure they appear top for any local searches that apply to them.

However, it is important to remember PPC on mobiles might not be for you. Compare your desktop and mobile traffic to determine which generates the most before deciding to invest your marketing budget into PPC. Working on your local SEO can be more accessible to some businesses and the pay off on mobiles is just as significant.

Rich Snippets/Structured Data

By adding structured data markup to your website, you can enable functional and visual features to appear directly in search results. This makes it easier for users to identify your official site and locate provided information more efficiently. Unfortunately, space is scarce on mobile SERPS; meaning adapting your website to display as much information as possible is the level of optimisation that can outshine competitors.

See an example below and find out more from Schema.

<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/LocalBusiness">

<h1><span itemprop="name">Beachwalk Beachwear & Giftware</span></h1>

<span itemprop="description"> A superb collection of fine gifts and clothing

to accent your stay in Mexico Beach.</span>

<div itemprop="address" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/PostalAddress">

<span itemprop="streetAddress">3102 Highway 98</span>

<span itemprop="addressLocality">Mexico Beach</span>,

<span itemprop="addressRegion">FL</span>

</div>

Phone: <span itemprop="telephone">850-648-4200</span>

</div>

It's the fact that space on the SERPs is even more scarce and being ahead of your competitors with this kind of optimisation can really push them out of the way.

Optimise your local search engine visibility via Google My Business through map listings; allowing your customers to connect with your business directly. Taking up this much room on the mobile SERPs could really make a difference to your business. Its also free!

With mobile purchases already increasing by 3.05%, its important you advertise your product or service effectively. Direct advertising through emails increases the personalisation of promotional offers (for example, providing special discount codes for birthdays, including a name) increases the possibility of immediate purchases being made because it speaks to desire and impulse.

By Barrie Smith, Digital Marketing Manager at Receptional
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A local organization and a family of community activists partnered up to host an annual giveaway event.

On Monday, November 21, ArchCare at Home, formerly known as the Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, collaborated with real estate businessman and community activist Joel Fishman and his family to host the 33rd Community Turkey Giveaway to feed needy local residents in preparation for Thanksgiving.

The Turkey Giveaway was held in front of the ArchCare at Home facility on 279 Alexander Avenue, where thousands of south Bronx residents lined up to receive a free turkey so they would be able to enjoy a hot meal at home on Thanksgiving day.

The line, which mostly consisted of residents from Mott Haven, began in front of the facility and continued northbound on Alexander Avenue. Upwards of 30 to 40 volunteers from ArchCare at Home participated in the event, along with community liaisons from the 40th Precinct.

In total, over 2,000 turkeys were distributed to residents in need, in the poorest congressional district in the United States.

The closer and closer it gets to Thanksgiving, the harder and harder it is to purchase a turkey, said Joel, who added that the Monday before Thanksgiving is usually the busiest turkey distribution day of the year.

Joel said that, in order to properly prepare for this event, he had to purchase most of the turkeys nearly a year in advance. He noted that some residents had been waiting on the line since 3 a.m. that morning.

He also said that he received donations from contacts in over 30 states, donations which were allocated towards the event before he made up the cost difference of the purchased turkeys.

Fishman, originally a Brooklyn resident, pursued a career in real estate until his retirement, after spending the first 14 years of his life at Kings County Hospital suffering from Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, a condition which greatly affected the use of one of his legs. Since then, he has always found a way to give back.

I always find myself coming back year after year  and how do you stop? asked Joel. Everybody is entitled to celebrate a proper Thanksgiving.

I am very proud to be a part of this giveaway each year, said Dena Fishman-Roth, Joel Fishmans daughter. Its a wonderful feeling to participate in an event that has helped contribute to the community for so many years.

Each year, I am so surprised to see how many people actually show up to this giveaway, said Matthew Roth, Joel Fishmans grandson, who Joel says will carry on the same tradition with his other grandchildren when they are old enough. It makes me happy to know we are helping people in need and Im proud to help my grandfather give back to the community.

The notion here is helping and serving communities who need it the most  and putting that mission into action, said Mary Zagajeski, president and CEO of ArchCare at Home, who said that a culinary institute associated with her organization also donates 150 turkey dinners to families in Suffolk County each year.

ArchCare at Home delivers comprehensive home healthcare and similar services, including in-home nursing care, rehabilitative therapies, home health aides, pastoral care and maternal/child health, along with a wide range of social services and community-based programs for people with specialized health needs and seniors. Up until this year, the organization was known as the Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, when it partnered with the healthcare system of the Archdiocese of New York.
Prominent business and community leaders, committed to improving education in Utah, launched a ballot initiative campaign on Tuesday at Washington Elementary School in Salt Lake City. The initiative, Our Schools Now, hopes to provide a framework to improve outcomes in education and the mechanism to fund these improvements.

According to their news release, this campaign is urgently needed because budget decisions over the last 20 years are now leaving public education with $1.6 billion less every year. This has created teacher shortages and the lowest per-pupil spending in the country, hurting student learning and academic performance. On KVNUs For the People program on Tuesday, Bob Marquardt of the group talked about how this got started.

Well its actually been in the works for a number of years. This came out of the organization Education First, of which I am one of the co-chairs. Weve been active for seven or eight years now to try and work with the state legislature and the governor to improve education in Utah, to improve outcomes. Theres never been a time when education has a bigger impact on our economy and our economic future than it does today, explained Marquardt.

The initiative calls for a seven-eighths-of-one-percent increase in the Utah Personal Income Tax to strengthen education funding.

Others on-board in promoting this initiative include Zions Bank President & C.E.O. Scott Anderson, Lane Beattie of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller group of companies.

Over the next five months, advocates for Our Schools Now plan to solicit input throughout the state to explain the campaign and gather local feedback to draft the initiative. For more information visit www.ourschoolsnow.com.
Growing up, I attended a private, Christian school until 4th grade, when my mother couldnt afford it any more and my brothers and I switched to a blue collar, suburban public school. Academically, I experienced a clear difference. The worst contrast was in math, where I learned basically nothing for three years. The only subject that was probably better at the public school was science, but Im not even certain about that. Class sizes were larger too.

None of this is to say that I didnt have good teachers and experiences and learn a great many things at my public school. I did, and Im quite thankful for it, in fact. And, of course, private schools are perfectly capable of employing bad teachers and failing to properly educate their students. But this was my experience.

So in high school, for purely anecdotal and self-interested reasons, I supported school vouchers, much to the chagrin of many of my teachers. (There was a state level proposal in the 2000 Michigan election in support of vouchers that I wore a button supporting  I wasnt old enough to vote at the time. Incidentally, the proposal failed.) After all, I thought, I might not have become such a slacker if I had continued to be challenged in my public school like I was in my private school.

With the recent appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education by president-elect Donald Trump, vouchers may become a national issue. She has championed the cause and supported politicians who do for years.

Able now to take a less self-interested look at the issue (or so I tell myself), Im actually a bit confused by the politics of vouchers  why isnt there more skepticism on the right and support on the left?

Sure, the left generally supports public sector teachers unions. Vouchers would introduce new competition into the K-12 market that would threaten the public school partial monopoly and thus the power and pull of those unions.

People on the left often will also complain that some schools will fail if they lose students and, thus, funding. But people on the right tend to say, Good. Failing schools should fail! Those students deserve better, and competition will motivate improved educational quality. The public schools that already do a good job dont have anything to worry about, only the bad ones. So on that level, the lefts opposition and the rights support for vouchers (speaking generally, of course) makes sense.

But thats only one angle. Vouchers do increase competition, but they also increase the potential for government influence. When tuition money comes from the state, the state can attach strings. Those who hope this could be a boon for private schools may find that if, purely hypothetically, vouchers became universal, down the line the very thing that helped these schools and families in the short term is used as a channel to manipulate them and undermine their sovereignty.

Its not as if we havent recently seen religious organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor have to fight all the way up to the US Supreme Court just to prove that they should qualify for a religious exemption to the Affordable Care Act. Do we want religious schools across the country to have to fight the same battles, with equal uncertainty of success?

Add to this the fact that for Betsy DeVos (again, only hypothetically at this point  she hasnt proposed anything yet) to mandate vouchers from her post as Secretary of Education would be a hugely top-down move, violating states rights in determining education policy.

So why arent more people on the right skeptical?

But thats not all. Theres another angle to this as well: Vouchers work by redistributing resources from the upper classes (primarily through income and property taxes) to the lower classes. They are explicitly aimed at fighting economic inequality, not only by providing funding but through the goal of better educational outcomes, which in turn correlate with higher incomes. It reduces the privilege of the privileged. Sounds pretty progressive to me.

So why dont more people on the left support them?

A libertarian might interject that a better solution would be not using public funding to pick winners and losers in K-12 education in the first place. Just privatize all public schools and stop taxing people! Im sympathetic to this, but it seems that there should at least be some minimal safety net available for those who, in those circumstances, wouldnt be able to afford schooling for their kids at all (and truancy is currently illegal anyway). Im not willing to live with the consequences of doing nothing, even if the results for many would improve. Not only does every child deserve an education  God made our minds to grow in knowledge  but having an educated citizenry is a public good as well.

So where does that leave me? Confused. Or, at least, conflicted.

I do think students from lower income families, especially those stuck in failing public schools, should have more options, and vouchers might be the best, most realistic policy to make that happen. We shouldnt let the perfect be the enemy of the good, after all. But it would be imprudent to ignore the potential negatives on many levels. In particular, a national mandate for vouchers would open the door for national meddling in private education.

Perhaps one could say that private schools need not accept vouchers. In this way, they could prevent themselves from being held hostage by a secular agenda attached to tuition and maintain their sovereignty. But those who did so would be at a clear market disadvantage as artificially created as the current public school monopoly. They would need to (1) charge students more, (2) decrease costs by increasing class sizes or decreasing staff salaries, or (3) increase donations. The first would, of course, lead to excluding more low income students. The second would decrease education quality. And the third might not be feasible.

Further, presuming private schools may hold differing views about any potential conditions placed on voucher funding  some being content to comply, some considering compliance a betrayal of principle, depending on the requirement  those who passed on vouchers would be in a more disadvantaged market position than private schools currently are in states and localities without voucher programs.

Think, for example, of how most Catholic schools teach evolution in biology classes but some Evangelical schools and others do not. If teaching evolution were made a requirement for receiving voucher dollars, the Evangelical schools would be at a huge disadvantage. (This, interestingly, is precisely the opposite of the worry of many on the left that with vouchers taxpayer money might be used to fund schools that teach intelligent design.) Vouchers could, thus, introduce economic incentives for compromising ones principles that would otherwise have been absent.

So my final answer is that I dont have an answer. Not only isnt this a clear-cut issue to me, but Im confused as to how the political divide on the issue isnt more complicated. Im interested to see what Betsy DeVos will do as Secretary of Education and even cautiously optimistic that there are many things she could do to improve K-12 education, not to mention higher ed.

But at the very least, Id like to see more democratic support for vouchers and more testing at local and state levels before making this a national issue.
The terror attack in late October on a police training center in Balochistans capital Quetta, and the August suicide attack in the same city, indicate that despite certain headway in operation Zarb-e-Azb, terror groups in Pakistan are still capable of conducting devastating attacks and that the countrys war on terror is far from over. However, the greatest challenge that Pakistan currently faces is a lack of consensus on the terror problem and that Pakistans political leadership has yet to accept ownership of this war.

BACKGROUND: On October 25, 2016, three masked gunmen burst into the Balochistan police training center located about 20 kilometers from Quetta, killing 61 and injuring more than 120 recruits. Most of the recruits belonged to the Turbat and Panjgur areas of Balochistan. During the attack, one attacker was killed by the security forces whereas the other two blew themselves up according to media reports. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Army of Jhangvi, LeJ), a sectarian militant group and an affiliate of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. In a press release, LeJ claimed that the attack was conducted to avenge the killing of those of our Mujahideen who were killed indiscriminately (in fake encounters) outside jails in Punjab.

The Commander of the paramilitary force Frontier Corps Balochistan, Major General Sher Afgan, also named Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) as the perpetrator of the attack. Soon thereafter, the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also claimed responsibility for this attack and released a picture of the three attackers on the police training center through its news agency Amaq.

This attack came less than two months after the arguably most destructive terror attack in Balochistan. On August 8, in a carefully planned and executed two-staged attack, the attackers first assassinated the president of the Balochistan Bar Association, Bilal Anwar Kasi. When his dead body was brought to the Sandeman hospital, a large number of lawyers and other people gathered to express their grief. A suicide bomber then killed at least 74, injuring more than 150.

This attack in itself was yet another in a series of terrorist attacks in Balochistan. In the recent past, terrorists have attacked the Police Lines area, the Bolan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Sardar Bahadur Khan Womens University and the Marriabad area. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and close to the ISIS fighters based in Afghanistans Nangarhar province claimed responsibility for the August 8 attack. Islamabad claimed that this attack aimed to sabotage the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The latest terror attack has raised a number of issues that need to be addressed. Both attacks were claimed by groups that have obvious linkages with ISIS. Does this imply that ISIS is establishing itself in the Af-Pak region? And is the political leadership in Islamabad ready to take concrete steps to holistically address the terrorism problem?

IMPLICATIONS: The two major terror attacks in Balochistan in August and October have raised a number of questions about Islamabads counter terrorism policy. Since the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Pakistan has made significant headway in its war against terror yet much still needs to be done. Balochistan is home to different terror and extremist outfits ranging from insurgents to criminal gangs to religious and sectarian militant groups. Balochistan also has a strong military presence as the security forces have operated against the Baloch insurgents since 2004.

For quite some time, Islamabad has been channeling significant amounts of money towards improving the police force in the province. For instance, in the fiscal year 2016-17, 30.25 billion rupees were allocated for this purpose. The budget allocated for law and order is currently 12 percent higher than the provincial governments budget for education. Yet the performance of the police and responses to these terror attacks left much to be desired and raised several questions. For instance, if media reports on the latest attack are to be believed, why were the recruits in the training center unarmed? What about the security of the training center itself? Moreover, at least a few recruits were reportedly called back to the center after they finished their training, with no reason provided, while the police did not have enough vehicles to transport the dead bodies to their home town.

This is just one indication of the security situation in the province. According to several reports, out of the 200 CCTV cameras installed at different locations in and around Quetta, very few are actually functioning. For those familiar with Pakistans political culture, this is not surprising as the political leadership primarily uses the police as a tool for achieving political objectives. At the federal level, the National Action Plan (NAP) that was worked out after the 2014 attack on the Army Public School (APS) remains unimplemented. Critics of NAP consider it an overly ambitious and rather generic document. The same goes for the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). NACTA was established as the primary organization responsible for counter terrorism activities. It is functioning just in name and not in reality. It has never been provided with the necessary resources and financial capacity to operate properly and half of its budget was cut during the current fiscal year.

Pakistans political leadership once again demonstrated that addressing the terrorism threat is not among their top priorities. They generally hold the view that Pakistans army has the main responsibility for fighting terrorism. It seems that the countrys political leadership has yet to acknowledge the existence of the threat, and are unwilling to go beyond their political agendas to address it. For instance, Maulana Sheerani of the JUI-F reacted to the suicide attack on Sandeman Hospital by stating that Pakistans security establishment brought this bloodbath on the country by joining the U.S.-led anti-terror war; and that the arms received from the U.S. under the Coalition Support Fund were used to fight Pakistans own people, with incidents such as the recent attacks as a consequence.

Senior government officials, including Balochistans Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Balochistans Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti, and the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, accused Indias and Afghanistans foreign intelligence services, respectively R&AW and NDS, for masterminding the attack. While their involvement cannot be ruled out, this does not absolve the provincial and federal government of its responsibility and the fact that there are people within Pakistan who believe that terrorism is service to Islam.

Another unfortunate development is the tendency among political actors to float conspiracy theories and allegations in order to score political points. For instance, some in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) questioned the coincidence of the attack on APS in 2014 as well as the recent ones in Quetta with PTIs political demonstrations against the Nawaz government. After the attack on the police training center, Khawaja Asif of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) linked the attack with PTIs planned lockdown of Islamabad on November 2 in a tweet.

CONCLUSIONS: The two recent major terror attacks in Balochistan have prompted a number of questions regarding the on-going operation Zarb-e-Azb and its effectiveness. While the operation has achieved a number of successes, especially in the tribal areas and against the TTP, these attacks clearly indicate that terrorist groups have spread into areas beyond the tribal belt and can still conduct terror activities. An alarming development is the inroads ISIS is making into Pakistan with groups like LeJ, which would require new and tougher measures to address the problem. However, the most pressing issue at hand is the civil-military equation in Pakistan. The political leaderships indifference to this clear and present danger, evident from tweets by politicians on both sides of the political spectrum that link the police training center attack with PTIs march on Islamabad, is a clear signal that the political leadership has yet to accept ownership of this war as representatives of the people. The NAP also needs to be revised and reevaluated to factor in recent developments and to make the objectives achievable.

AUTHORS BIO: Rizwan Zeb, PhD is Associate editor of the Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs (Sage) and a former Benjamin Meaker professor, University of Bristol and visiting Scholar, Foreign policy program of the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA. He tweets @SRizwanZeb.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons, accessed on November 25, 2016
The Q3 report was released today: Household Debt and Credit Report.



From the NY Fed: Total Household Debt Remains Sluggish Yet Non-Housing Debt Continues Expanding



The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which reported that total household debt increased modestly by $63 billion (a 0.5% increase) to $12.35 trillion during the third quarter of 2016. There were increases across every type of non-housing debt, with a 2.9% increase in auto loan balances, a 2.5% increase in credit card balances, and a 1.6% percent increase in student loan balances this quarter. This report is based on data from the New York Fed's Consumer Credit Panel, a nationally representative sample of individual- and household-level debt and credit records drawn from anonymized Equifax credit data.

...

Mortgage delinquencies continued to decline as seen since the financial crisis, while new foreclosure notations reached another new low for the 18-year history of this series.

...

Overall delinquency rates worsened slightly this quarter, while the rate of bankruptcy notations continued its overall trend of improving since the financial crisis.

emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

Mortgage balances, the largest component of household debt saw a 0.1% decline during the quarter. Mortgage balances shown on consumer credit reports on September 30 stood at $8.35 trillion, a $12 billion drop from the second quarter of 2016. Balances on home equity lines of credit (HELOC) declined by $6 billion, to $472 billion. By contrast, balances on every type of non-housing debt grew in the second quarter, boosting up the total.

Overall delinquency rates worsened slightly in 2016Q3, reflecting an uptick in early delinquencies. As of September 30, 4.9% of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency. Of the $609 billion of debt that is delinquent, $400 billion is seriously delinquent (at least 90 days late or severely derogatory).

Here are two graphs from the report:The first graph shows aggregate consumer debt increased in Q3. Household debt peaked in 2008, and bottomed in Q2 2013.Mortgage debt decreased in Q3, from the NY Fed: The second graph shows the percent of debt in delinquency. The percent of delinquent debt is generally declining, although there was a slight increase in short term delinquencies in Q3. There is still a larger than normal percent of debt 90+ days delinquent (Yellow, orange and red).The overall delinquency rate increased slightly in Q3 to 4.9%. From the NY Fed:
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are fundamental rights asserted in the face of oppression and paid for in blood, argues Declan Ganley. They have been the cornerstone not only of American democracy but of western civilization. In a new article for Prospect Magazine, the chairman & CEO of Rivada Networks says that the West needs to defend [these] shared values.

He argues that these fundamental rights are now under attack:

We live in an age where universal values are maligned. During his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of a dictatorship of relativism and an attack on truth that defined the modern era. This is on display when a candidate with close financial ties to despotic middle eastern regimes can be the flag bearer of liberal feminists, while cultural and religious conservatives line up behind a candidate who brags about dodging sexually transmitted diseases being his personal Vietnam and who was recorded boasting about committing sexual assault. It is now possible to choose media sources so as to never read or watch a news story that challenges ones point of view. This is a problem that affects both sides of the political divide. Its consequence is first and foremost a devastating loss of empathy in our societyan increased intolerance for dissenting views and voices that is seen in the comments sections of conservative websites and the safe spaces on our college campuses. Fewer and fewer values are viewed as common, shared or universal and this is an urgent danger.

He goes on to explain why this is an urgent danger:

First, it is a danger because shared values do not just bind us together as societies, but as an international community of western nations. Whatever else one thinks of Donald Trump, his message that it was beyond time that Americas allies ceased to be so dependent on it for defence seemed to resonate with many voters. The President-Elect has signaled a far greater apathy towards Nato and a greater openness to Russia than any of his recent predecessors. This is concerning because a world in which a common system of values and beliefs is replaced with self-interested pragmatism will be a perilous one. Second, the decrease in shared values is dangerous domestically. Twice in the last decade the European Union chose to simply ignore the result of democratic votes. Twice more it demanded that democratic votes be re-run until the correct result was achieved. Unsurprisingly, an increasing number of people frustrated at their inability to change a system now support leaving it. In the UK, some of my fellow Remainers are now arguing that the Leave vote should be overturned by parliament. In the US, millions of people have signed a petition demanding that the electoral college overturn the result of the election. In the west, we are seeing the beginning of movements that reject democracy itself. These movements share a view that the values of their group are more important than the common, shared value, of government by consent.

He ends by describing a well-known scene:

A famous photo was taken in Hamburg in the year 1936. Adolf Hitler is passing and the crowd raises their arms to saluteaside from one man, who stands with his arms folded. This image is not just an icon of resistance to Nazism, for there are many who dutifully saluted in public while working to undermine Hitler in private. It is, rather, an icon of resistance to the mob. In an age where the mob is ascendant, and our common values are under attack, schoolchildren should be shown this photo and taught what it meansthat sometimes the crowd is wrong, and the lone dissenter is right.

Read his full essay.

Declan Ganley will be speaking at the Bloomsbury Hotel in London on Thursday, December 1 at the Crisis of Liberty in the West Conference hosted by Acton Institute and co-sponsored by the Institute of Economic Affairs and St. Marys University Twickenham London. The event is free but requires registration. You can sign up to attend here or for anyone not in London, you can watch a Livestream here.

Follow the conversation on social media using #CrisisoftheWest.
Courtesy Adrian Vermeule at Mirror of Justice, I ran across a word new to me: Kyriarchy. Given the context and my admittedly limited Greek-language skills, I was able to work out the gist of the idea. As Vermeule puts it, On November 20, the Feast of Christ the King, a coronation ceremony took place at the Church of Divine Mercy in Krakow. The President of Poland and the Catholic Bishops officially crowned Jesus Christ the King of Poland.

Vermeule goes on to wonder what impact, if any, this might have for Polands constitutional order: Is Poland now to be classified as an authoritarian regime? What is Polands small-c constitution, if it still has one?

Off the top of my head, I would point to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament as a precedent, which is perhaps best understood as a constitutional monarchy, first with Yahweh as the heavenly monarch with judges as the main earthly authorities, and later with a human monarchy subsumed and accountable to that divine rule. Torah was the national constitution, and there was a whole apparatus in place holding various institutions and authorities responsible for various duties.

I dont think it would be right to call such divine lordship merely symbolic. And I dont see why mutatis mutandis something like that couldnt also be coherently put in place today.

The Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper had a lot to say about something that might be understood as Kyriarchy in a broader sense, at least. For that, I recommend his three-volume treatment of the lordship of Christ Pro Rege, the first of which is now available in English translation.

It is, of course, one thing to affirm the lordship of Christ over everything, including particular nation-states, and quite another to work out the particular ways that ought to be reflected in a particular political order. As Vermeule rightly notes, this isnt merely a technical issue of polity, but a more substantive question of political, and even public, theology.
| BY Ricki Green |

Showpony Advertisings latest campaign for SA Health pulls no punches when it comes to raising awareness of the violence that ambulance officers suffer in the line of duty.

Says Greg Kavanagh, Showpony group account director: Ambulance officers face high risk, especially as they are often the first responders to incidents involving violence, drugs and alcohol. In the last 3 years, there has been a 75% increase in challenging behaviours exhibited towards ambos.

Says Parris Mesidis, creative director, Showpony: It defies belief that the people trying to save our lives are themselves often the victims. We spent a night on duty with the ambos and experienced it first-hand. They are spat on, yelled at, threatened with violence and even suffer sexual assaults while trying to save lives. We were shocked to the core.

Our objective was to raise awareness of the problem, particularly among young men who are most likely to be the perpetrators. We also wanted to create advocates for the better treatment of our ambos. Our creative strategy was simply to share the reality of what our ambos face.

We used reality advertising to tell the story. We set-up the scenario, used real ambulance officers and then let the unscripted scene play out. To use the visual vernacular of our target audience, we filmed it vertically on an iPhone and the result is uncomfortable but truthful viewing.

The campaign has gone viral, with unpaid, organic reach on Facebook exceeding 1 million impressions and 300,000 Facebook video views in 21 hours.

Intensive care paramedic Jordan Pring appears in the video.

Says Pring: This is something that happens, I think its safe to say, on a weekly basis to ambos. Personally I have violence and aggression come towards me on a regular basis. Im really excited to be part of a campaign that highlights the fact that violence and aggression towards paramedics is unacceptable.

Says Jack Snelling, South Australian Health Minister: This new campaign emphasises that every interruption an ambo has to deal with prevents them from helping save someones life and that life might be yours.
| BY Ricki Green |

The Brand Agency, Perth has created its first campaign for the WA Road Safety Commission after being appointed earlier in the year.

The campaign, which launched yesterday, focuses on Speeding, Distracted Driving and Drink Driving. It is the first time that the Road Safety Commission has combined messages for these three transgressions into one integrated campaign. The strategy is designed to increase awareness and ultimately change dangerous driving behaviour.

Moving away from the traditional scare tactics used when delivering road safety messages, the campaign uses a tone and style designed to make an audience that doesnt think they are doing anything wrong, realise that they actually are.

Those drivers who regularly creep over the speed limit, push the drink driving limit and get easily distracted in the car need to take responsibility, change their behaviour, because that can ultimately save lives, said the Commissioner of Road Safety, Kim Papalia.

Running across TV, radio, outdoor, digital, social media and search, The Brand Agency worked in close partnership with Carat, who were responsible for media and campaign strategy.

Nick Bayes, General Manager at The Brand Agency added, We have been wanting to work with the Road Safety Commission for many years and to now have the opportunity to do so is very exciting. The campaign brings together three very different negative behaviours in an entertaining way, that I believe will not only resonate with the audience but also change their behaviour for the better.

Agency: The Brand Agency, Perth

Creative Director: Craig Buchanan

Creative Team: Dave Donald, Steve Straw

Agency Producer: Belinda Di Corti

Head of Strategy: Alison Ray

Account Director: Natalie Pearson

Production Company: Open Space Productions

Executive Producer: Beatrice Masia

Director: Simon Levene

Media: Mark Pinney, Paul Clout (Carat)

RSC Principal Intelligence Analyst: David Slack-Smith
| BY Ricki Green |

Dentsu Aegis Network Perth has won the national media account for Cash Converters following a competitive pitch.

Worth $8 million, the win encompasses all traditional, digital, search, SEO, content, social, data and marketing technology consultancy across Australia. The account will be led by Dentsu Mitchell Media calling upon the full resources of the network in Western Australia and nationally.

International Brand Manager of Cash Converters, Glenn Donaldson (pictured below) said: After several successful years with a different model we sought to change our approach and consolidate the media business. We were impressed with Dentsus approach, their digital and marketing technology and their ability to hit the ground running.

The Cash Converters win tops off a very successful year for Dentsu Aegis Network in Perth, which has collectively added over $30m of new billings alongside the successful launches of new services in search, social, programmatic and content.

Business Director at Dentsu Mitchell Perth, Michelle Testa, highlighted the collective specialism of the Dentsu Aegis Network as a critical element that helped the agency win the pitch.

We are very excited to announce our appointment to the Cash Converters account. Our vision was to mobilise the best talent across the Dentsu Aegis Network, and to bring the best to the table.
| BY Kim Shaw |

In conjunction with National Gallery Singapores first anniversary, GOVT Singapore  the institutions creative partner  has released a variety of work promoting the Gallery Light to Night Festival.

Held for 2 weekends on the 25-27 Nov and 2-4 Dec, the Festival features a variety of activities for all ages including interactive art installations, an art and design market, roving acts and live music sessions which offer a multi-sensory experience.

The activities are in line with the Gallerys objective to make art more accessible. To promote this, GOVT Singapore conceptualized a black and white key visual that communicated the array of all- day programmes available, illustrated by local designer Andy Yang.

In addition, a series of online videos were also shot with a dancer (who is also a performer at the Festival) dressed in a black and white body suit. The videos are themed around the combination of activities at the Festival coming together, like Art x Dance, Play x Explore and Tech x Music.

The same dual-themed execution was then brought to life on ground around town on the weekend before the Festival, and released on the Gallerys social media platforms.

Tim Chan, Creative Director of GOVT Singapore said: It isnt always easy to talk about art in an accessible way, but big credit has to go to our clients who have been pushing us to do work beyond just an informative promotional poster. And that has shown in our previous work for the Iskandar Jalil and Artist & Empire exhibitions as well. Were really pleased to have done our part, and heres to more to come.
| BY Lynchy |

Anna Testa has been appointed Managing Director of Publicis Philippines. Testa (pictured) has a proven 20 year track record of building and nurturing brands for multinational clients like P&G, Nestle and McDonalds.

Prior to her return to Manila in June 2015, she was with Leo Burnett Singapore as the Global Brand Agency Director for P&G Global SK-II. For 11 years, she held various global brand leadership roles for P&G in Leo Burnett Singapore, London and Tokyo.

With rich experience in providing integrated communication solutions to the brands that she has managed, Testa also possesses high level competencies in change management, having been, at one time, a managing principal for an international consulting group on change management and business process effectiveness.

Testa said: After 11 years working outside of the country and heading up an award winning agency in the Philippines for the last one and a half years, I am very pleased to take on the role of leading Publicis. Tapping into Publicis One, the task of driving integration to provide our clients a competitive advantage, is pretty exciting.
When Fidel Castro died last week many on the political left embarrassed themselves by praising the despot. A prime example is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was excoriated for saying that Castro was a legendary revolutionary and orator who made significant improvements to the healthcare system of his country.

There are few modern myths the have been debunked as frequently yet have been accepted as incredulously as the idea that Cuba has a superior (or even adequate) health care system. Articles have been written since the 1960s debunking the nonsensical claims about health care in Cuba and yet it is invariably the issue that is trotted out to show how socialism can actually be effective.

Although adding one more article to the pile probably wont make a difference, it cant hurt to be prepared with arguments in case youre cornered by a Castro apologist like PM Trudeau. Here are six facts that reveal the truth about the Cuban health care system:

1. Cuban hospitals are a horror show

Michael Moore, the worlds most gullible leftist filmmaker, took a trip to Cuba in 2007 to show Americans what they were missing by not having free national health care. In his documentary, SiCKO, Moore takes three New York rescue workers injured in the September 11 attacks to Cuba for treatment.

The Castro brothers, communisms last great master propagandists, played Moore for a fool. As the news agency Reuters wrote in an article titled, SiCKO patients got VIP treatment in Cuba: The 9/11 responders spent 10 days on the 19th floor of Cubas flagship hospital with a view of the Caribbean sea, a sharp contrast to many Cuban hospitals that are crumbling, badly lit, and which lack equipment and medicines.

Most Americans wouldnt even take their family pets, much less a family member, to be treated in the hospitals the average Cuban has to endure. Take a look at these videos to get a glimpse of what Cuban hospitals are really like:



2. Cubans endure extreme inequality of healthcare

In George Orwells dystopian masterpiece Animal Farm the idea that all animals are equal is soon changed to All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Thats also true of the Cuban health care system.

In Cuba, there are three tiers: One for foreigners who can pay with hard currency, one for Cuban elites (government officials, celebrities, etc.), and one for the common people. A primary selling point of socialism is that everyone is treated equally regardless of class or ability to pay. But in reality socialism keeps the inequality of capitalist systems and merely spreads the misery to more people.

3. Cuban doctors are woefully underpaid

In America doctors are well compensated for their years of training and experience. Although the pay varies based on such factors as specialty and region of the country, the average physician in the U.S earns $472,000 a year. In most countries, of course, doctors are not paid nearly as well. In Hungary doctors earn an an annual income of $12,000, while in many regions of China the salary is half that amount, about $5,000 a year.

But Cuba is near the bottom of the least when it comes to compensating health care professionals. Doctors in Cuba earn somewhere between $30 and $50 a month ($360 to $600 a year). At the high end, doctors with two specialties can earn as much as $67 per month.

What about cost of living? Isnt it much cheaper to live in Cuba? No, in fact it can be quite expensive. A young doctor would have to work for more than a week just to afford a gallon of milk (average cost: $7.10). If he doesnt have such expensive taste he can go forgo the dairy for cheaper fare: a pound of potatoes only cost about one days wage (90 cents).



4. Medical care is free, but medication is costly and scarce

In Cuba, medication for hospitalized patients is free, but all outpatient medications have to be paid for out-of-pocket. And all medications (even aspirin) require a prescription. There are also no private pharmacies (except on the black market) so you have to get your Tylenol at a state-run pharmacy. That is, if you can find one. American pharmacist Donna Kosteva tells of her experience traveling to Cuba:

With a population of 11 million, and more than 2 million in Havana, I found only 2 of the nearly 2100 pharmacies presumably located on the island. The first was situated in a residential neighborhood in Havana. It was large yet incredibility rundown, just like its surrounding area. The narrow shelves lining the pharmacy were bare bones, giving the impression that the store was going out of business. The space focused strictly on pharmaceuticals; there were no cosmetic, greeting card, health and wellness, or candy aisles. In comparison, the second farmacia I visited with my pharmacist colleagues near the Ciengage de Zapata Biosphere Reservea 3-hour bus ride from Havanawas no larger than a backyard storage shed. Dressed in a white lab jacket, a female pharmacist manned the Dutch-door prescription window, counseling a patient who stood on the sidewalk. Her female assistant sat at a card table with a cardboard box containing filled prescriptions.

Not surprisingly, the shortages allow health care workers to supplement their income on the black market. As Lucia Newman says, Some doctors, nurses and cleaning staff smuggle the medicine out of the hospitals in a bid to make extra cash.

5. Abortion keeps infant mortality low

The doctors are underpaid, the system is unequal, and the hospitals are horrific. But at least they can take credit for having a low infant mortality rate, right? Actually, theres more to be said for that statistic. As Jay Nordlinger wrote in 2007:

You might suspect a story behind this respectability  and you are right. The regime is very keen on keeping infant mortality down, knowing that the world looks to this statistic as an indicator of the general health of a country. Cuban doctors are instructed to pay particular attention to prenatal and infant care. A womans pregnancy is closely monitored. (The regime manages to make the necessary equipment available.) And if there is any sign of abnormality, any reason for concern  the pregnancy is interrupted. That is the going euphemism for abortion. The abortion rate in Cuba is sky-high, perversely keeping the infant-mortality rate down.

6. Cubans trade freedom for preventive care

There is one aspect of Cubas health care system that seems to produce results: preventive care. As the BBC noted last year, the foundation of Cubas preventative health care model is for family doctors to oversee the health of those in their neighborhoods. But theres a catch.

In Cuba when you hear The doctor will see you now it often means in your own home. And you dont have a choice about it. As the BBC says,

Imagine your doctor knocking at your door to give, not just you, but your whole family an annual health check-up. As well as taking blood pressure, checking hearts and asking all sorts of questions about your job and your lifestyle, this doctor is also taking careful note of the state of your home, assessing anything which could be affecting the health of you and your family.

Chances are the doctor is not just checking to see if youre hiding Twinkies in the pantry, but will be reporting other findings to the local magistrates. Since the U.S. included two amendments to our Constitution to keep government officials from coming into our homes without permission (the 3rd and 4th) that approach isnt like to work here in states.
Planning Minister Mick Gentleman has said the "technical amendment" to allow a hotel on the site would not change the actual height or size of any proposed developments, under a tender for the development of the precinct that is yet to be awarded.
But upon investigation of the source of the smoke, an ACT Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the smoke was caused by a mechanical failure in an air conditioning system and contractors were then called to deal "with the issue".
According to TIMSS director, Michael Martin, the quality and status of teaching is the most important factor to success. On that measure, Australia would appear to have homework to do. University entrance requirements for students aspiring to teach in Australia are not high  indicative not just of relatively poor salaries but of a lack of public appreciation for the work the profession does. Primary school teachers are failing to provide their students with adequate maths and science foundations and the shortage of people properly qualified to teach these subjects at high school is adding to the problem.
In the recent history of minor parties, staff have played a central role. In the Australian Democrats, it was commonplace for political staff to have their own political aspirations and several graduated to become MPs. One of the most famous Democrats leader, Natasha Stott Despoja, first came to Canberra as a very young staffer. Earlier Janine Haines had been a staff member to Liberal Movement leader, Steele Hall. It was also common for staffers to hold administrative positions within the party and as the Democrats fell from grace, the problem of staffers exercising organisational power contributed to tensions within the party.
The event had been mired in controversy from the beginning, with Glen Eira Council issuing a statement soon after Mr Yemini announced plans to hold the event, denying that there had ever been a formal booking to use one of its civic buildings for the function, and saying he could not use its town hall in Caulfield for the event.
William Henry Holmes, about 1875. Random Records of a Lifetime. v. 1. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52009570. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

From November 28th through December 9th, BHL is joining the Smithsonian Libraries, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Smithsonian Field Book Project, and Smithsonian Transcription Center in hosting the #ManyHatsofHolmes transcription event. This event challenges volunteers around the world to help us transcribe William Henry Holmes archival materials. Learn more on the Smithsonian Libraries blog.

As the hashtag implies, William Henry Holmes (1846-1933) studied a variety of topics throughout his distinguished career, including anthropology, archaeology, art, and geology. He spent much of his career affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. He studied art under Theodore Kauffman and went on to work as a scientific illustrator with Smithsonian staff. In 1872, he was appointed artist-topographer to the United States survey of the territories under Ferdinand V. Hayden and in 1874 was appointed assistant geologist. He went on to work with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) before returning to the Smithsonians United States National Museum (USNM). Holmes eventually became head curator of the Smithsonian Institutions Department of Anthropology and Director of the National Gallery of Art.

Many of Holmes field notes and personal records have been digitized by Smithsonian Libraries and Smithsonian Institution Archives as part of The Field Book Project. These are available in BHL. In addition to these archival materials, BHL also holds a number of publications by Holmes.

Top figure: Vessel made from a lightning whelk (Sinistrofulgur perversum)  synonym Busycon perversum  shell. Bottom figure: Earthen vessel made in imitation of a shell. Holmes, William Henry. Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans. 1883. http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11258636. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

One of those publications is Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans, which was published in 1883 as part of the second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology.

Holmes intended this publication to be a preliminary study of the ways in which Native Americans in the distant past used shells as a medium for artistic expression and how this artwork represents a phase in the evolution of human culture. It discusses the use of shells as implements, utensils, and objects of ornamentation (such as jewelry).

Most of the objects presented in the publication were obtained from graves and tumuli (ancient burial mounds), which explains how such delicate pieces survived throughout the centuries. But, while these pieces can be deemed ancient, Holmes did not have enough data to provide a reliable estimation of age.

At this point, you might be wondering why a book about shell art would be relevant for a biodiversity library and what bearing it might have on scientific research. The simple answer is that these shells are remnants of living creatures  mollusks that died long ago but still left behind a legacy in shell. However, Art in Shell has relevance for scientific research beyond this vague connection with the natural world.

Shell spoons made from Lampsilis ovata (synonym Unio ovatus)  top and center  and Potamilus alatus (synonym Unio alatus)  bottom. Holmes, William Henry. Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans. 1883. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11258608. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

In the publication, Holmes attempts to identify the species (or most-specific taxa possible) to which the shell used for the object belongs. This information provides a valuable record of human interaction with various mollusk species and helps document the diversity of species present in ancient America. The presence of shells in various regions, when coupled with species distribution data that demonstrates the transport of these shells from their source, can also provide insight into historic Native American migration paths, tribal contacts, and trade.

Thus, this book is not just a book about art. It represents a beautiful union of art and science. And considering the many disciplinary hats that Holmes wore throughout his career, its no surprise that his publication would bridge these two worlds. Art in Shell is therefore not only a very fitting book to highlight as a representation of the union of Holmes many interests, but the insights it provides into Native American culture also make it particularly relevant this month as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Implements made from Unio vericosus (figs. 1 and 2), Cyclonaias tuberculata (synonym Unio tuberculosus, figs. 3-5) and Pecten (fig. 6). Holmes, William Henry. Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans. 1883. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11258618. Digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

So, can we tie this publication back to the Random Records of a Lifetime series that is the subject of our #ManyHatsofHolmes transcription event? Holmes discussion about his work with shell art in these records seems to be fairly limited, but in his biographical sketch in volume I, Holmes does report that, The years 1882-3-4 and 5 were devoted largely to Museum work and the study of primitive art in its various branches. As Art in Shell was published in 1883, this account is likely a reference in part to his work on this publication (as well as the many others on ancient American art that he produced during this time period).

As you participate in the challenge, can you find additional references in the Random Records that can be linked back to Art in Shell? If you do, share them on social media with #ManyHatsofHolmes.

Additionally, if you need a break from transcription or want another challenge, try taxon tagging the illustrations from Holmes Art in Shell on Flickr. By tagging the shell art with the taxonomic name of the species to which the shell belongs, you can help researchers more easily discover which species ancient Americans were using to create these objects. Learn more about taxon tagging in this article and see our detailed instructions here. Find the Art in Shell images in Flickr here.

See this video for basic instructions on how to tag the illustrations in Art in Shell:

Holmes was truly a man of many trades and talents. As you dig deeper into his work during the #ManyHatsofHolmes event, be sure to share your findings on social media with the hashtag. Thanks so much for participating in our Holmes extravaganza!
Bharti Airtel now owns 83.25% after acquiring Econets 45.2% stake, a shareholding which long caused dispute between the two companies.

The two companies have already settled all claims and disputes, which date back to before Airtel bought Zains African operations in 2010 for $10.7 billion. Econet  which owns Liquid Telecom in south and east Africa  claimed that it had the first call on the operation thanks to an agreement dating back to before Zains ownership.

Bharti Airtel has just reported flat growth for its African operations, which account for 22% of the whole groups revenue and 13% of EBITDA. The company reported $1.7 billion in sales in the six months to the end of September, up just 3% on the same period of 2015. EBITDA was 22.5% of revenue, compared with 18.9% in the same period of 2015.
In April this year VimpelCom said it still owned its 60% share of Telecel, despite a claim from Zimbabwes telecoms minister Supa Mandiwanzira that it had bought the stake for $40 million.

Now VimpelCom has formally confirmed that it and its 51.9% owned subsidiary, Global Telecom Holding (GTH), have completed the sale for the same $40 million.

The deal is likely to make way for Zimbabwes plans to build a national fibre infrastructure and a shared mobile infrastructure.

Telecel is now owned by ZARNet, the Zimbabwe Academic and Research Network, an internet service provider that is wholly owned by the government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.

The completion of the deal means that the Zimbabwe state now owns two of the three mobile operators in the county, Telecel and NetOne, leaving only Econet Wireless, which is owned by the same group as wholesale fibre operator Liquid Telecom, in the private sector.

It also means that the country is more likely to go ahead with its plan  restated only two weeks ago  to insist that all mobile operators share infrastructure. The Postal and Telecommunications Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) issued a statement in mid-November saying that it shall exercise licensing and regulatory powers in respect of infrastructure sharing, saying that plans could cut capital expenditure by up to 60% and lead to savings passed on to consumers.

The negotiations between VimpelCom with GTH  the former Orascom  and the Zimbabwe government have been protracted. The government said in July 2015 that it had the agreement of VimpelCom to take over Telecel, but the government was unable to provide the agreed $40 million. Employees were told a year ago  and a year early  that ZARnet now owned Telecel and that they were now civil servants.

Before the negotiations the Zimbabwe government threatened to cancel Telecel's licence and even at one stage said the licence had been cancelled.

In April the minister said he wants TelOne to build the national fibre infrastructure. When we have elections, they work on the backbone of fibre and we need that infrastructure to be in the hands of a neutral player, which is government because governments change every five years and are there to serve the people, said Mandiwanzira at the time.
Dateline: Massachusetts

The FBI is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the Spelling Bee Bandit. The suspect, believed to have been involved in four bank robberies in the Greater Boston area, is so named because of his inability to spell the world robbery. Investigators think the suspect, a 62 male in his late 30s or early 40s, robbed four different banks in Massachusetts over a two-week period. The last robbery occurred at a TD bank in Peabody on Nov. 13. In every case the suspect was wearing sunglasses and handed a demand note to the teller with the word robery [sic] written on it.

Dateline: Illinois

A Chicago politician who criticized the citys squirrel population ended up in the hospital following an encounter with a kamikaze squirrel. In October Howard Brookins Jr., an alderman from the citys 21st ward, went on a public tirade about aggressive squirrels. Brookins told a City Council budget meeting that, We are spending too much money on replacing garbage carts because the squirrels continue to eat through em. Several of the City Council members reportedly giggled at the aldermans rodent-based rant, and when the executive director of the City Commission on Animal Care asked what the city should do about these violent squirrels, Brookins was at a loss. Well, the squirrelsuhmay I get back to you on that, alderman? Wed be happy to ... talk about strategies to assist residents with wildlife. [But] Im not sure at this time what CACC might be able to do with aggressive squirrels, the Chicago Sun-Times reported him as saying at the time. Less than a month later on Nov. 13, the squirrels struck back. Brookins was riding his bicycle through the city when a squirrel leapt onto the path in front of him, wrapping its body around the spokes of the aldermans bike and causing it to crash. Brookins ended up in the hospital with a fractured skull, broken nose and several missing teeth. I can think of no other reason for this squirrels actions than that it was like a suicide bomber, getting revenge, he told The Chicago Tribune. Most local papers chalked the incident up to a freak accident. Brookins posted about the incident on social media, saying he would be unable to attend events in the near future as he was still recovering from his serious injuries.

Dateline: Arizona

A hawk that swooped down on a home in Peoria, Ariz. and killed the familys pet parakeet was immediately capturedhaving trapped itself in the pets cage. Homeowner Becky Griefer told azfamily.com she usually keeps her sons pet parakeetsnamed PD and Snowyinside but decided to leave their cage on a backyard patio table because the weather was nice. Griefer was alerted to a loud banging noise in the backyard and rushed outside to find a full-sized hawk had flown into the cage through the bars. Im telling you, how can a bird like that squeeze in there without popping the door open is utterly amazing. The bird was flapping around upside down with its foot stuck probably wondering what he got himself into, Griefer said. The homeowner saw PDs body at the bottom of the cage, but was able to pull Snowy to safety. She got a little beat up, said Griefer. The mother set the hawk free, but the predator returned nearly 15 minutes later, obviously looking for his easy meal. Griefers 9-year-old son was reportedly taking his pets death hard, but Snowywho the family says has outlived three mates nowis described as having a pretty strong personality. A memorial service for PD was held on Nov. 21.

Dateline: Nebraska

A Pennsylvania truck driver was arrested after allegedly dumping nearly 1,000 bushels of corn on a Nebraska road after he was fired via text message. Authorities say 36-year-old Darren C. Walp was arrested earlier this month in connection with the Aug. 4 incident on Highway 8 in rural Gage County. According to WMTV-3 Walp was driving a load of corn from Reynolds, Neb., to Hanover, Kan., when he received a text from B & T Livingston Trucking LLC telling him he was fired. Pack your stuff ASAP and you can leave, the police report quoted the text as saying. Walp allegedly responded by pulling over and dumping his entire truckload of corn alongside the highway. The lost corn was valued at $3,094. Local authorities estimated the cleanup cost about $500. Walp was charged with felony criminal mischief and depositing materials on a roadway or ditch.
 Wheres the Coverage? Palestinians Attack Palestinian Security Forces | Main | Iranian Ship Threatens U.S. Helicopter, Media MIA 

November 30, 2016

Let Him Who Is Sinless Throw The First Stone

Writing in Haaretz ("Netanyahu Fights Fire With Ire", 28.11), Odeh Bisharat warns readers that "Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind.? The Op-Ed is a warning to Israelis not to hurl premature accusations against Palestinians and Arab-Israelis. Fair enough. However, Bisharat then employs some reductio ad absurdum to psychoanalyze the Israeli public:

"After all, if you dont steal your neighbors land and dont embitter his life, you have no reason to suspect that he will rise up against us and annihilate us?  as the extremists here like to repeat day and night. But if you feel deep down that, despite assuming the identity of the victim, you are harming your neighbor, then even if theres an earthquake youll blame him for deliberately playing with some underground button. And if theres a deluge from the heavens that will close the countrys highways, you will say he deliberately left the tap in the skies open. Truly, Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind.?

Would Israelis really blame Palestinians for an earthquake or a flood? Doubtful. However, what isn't in doubt is that the reverse has certainly happened.

A conspiracy theory that Israel might generate an artificial earthquake to harm the Al-Aqsa mosque has been making the rounds for years. For example in 2011:

And again in 2012 by the President of the Supreme Islamic Court and Chairman of the Supreme Council for of Islamic Laws:

There are many more examples on Google.

Earthquakes aside, what about floods? Did the Palestinians ever claim Israel left "the tap in the skies open"? In 2015 AFP and Al-Jazeera ran a story claiming Israel had opened dams in Southern Israel, thereby flooding Gaza. Only after CAMERA pointed out that aside from the Palestinian popular imagination, there were no dams in the area did AFP and Al-Jazeera retract their stories.

Posted by gs at November 30, 2016 03:51 AM

bisharat doesn't deny that the fires were set, in fact, his rant is a tacit admission that it was a deliberate attack against israel for alleged grievances. now the shin bet just has to catch the blighters.

Posted by: shloime at November 30, 2016 11:27 PM

It should be "Let him who is sinless..., not "Let he..., as in "Let him throw the first stone"

Posted by: PCM at December 19, 2016 12:49 PM

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Out of 740 recognised universities, only 66 awarded Ph.D's in Entrepreneurship in last 16 years

59% of entrepreneurial research was done by male researchers

167 of these doctoral theses were in English and 10 in Hindi

Bangalore, November 30, 2016: Out of 740 recognised universities in India, only 66 have awarded Ph.D's in Entrepreneurship in last 16 years. While 20,271 doctoral studies in Social Sciences were done in the last 16 years, only 177 Ph.D's were awarded in Entrepreneurship.

Universities in Maharashtra awarded the largest number of Ph.D's in this period with 25 theses, followed by Karnataka with 18, Madhya Pradesh with 15, and Andhra Pradesh & Telangana with 12 each.

These were some of the highlights of the research titled 'Study of Entrepreneurial Research and Doctoral Dissertations in Indian Universities' done by Dr. Kavita Saxena and Mr. Ganapathi Batthini of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, Research, Training and Institution Building.

The objectives of this study were:

to identify the nature and direction of entrepreneurship research in last 16 years;

to identify quantitative growth of entrepreneurship research as compared to social sciences;

to know the contribution of universities in awarding of doctoral degrees in entrepreneurship; and

to find out the state-wise, gender-wise and language-wise distribution of research in entrepreneurship.

The primary source of data for this study was obtained from the official publication of Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi for the period 2000 to 2015.

Want to Become An Entrepreneur? Take This Online Course by MIT

Explaining the research undertaken, Dr. Kavita Saxena, Associate Faculty, EDII, said, "Entrepreneurship as an area of study is gradually gaining momentum and the discipline is moving towards academic legitimisation. However, there is still a long road to be travelled in the area of entrepreneurial research and doctoral education. This study highlights the growth and development of entrepreneurship research in Indian universities for the last 16 years."

"Though the current study identifies women entrepreneurship as the most preferred area of research, further research can be done to identify other areas in which doctoral dissertations can be done in Indian universities. As the entire country is geared up for entrepreneurial movement, state level entrepreneurship policies can be studied. Research implications can be drawn by comparing those policies with the number and type of Ph.D dissertations undertaken in different states," added Dr. Saxena.

Out of the 177 doctoral theses, 104 were done by male researchers and remaining 73 by female researchers. English was the preferred language with 167 Ph.D theses, and remaining 10 were done in Hindi.

Suggestions derived from this study are: Indian universities should increase availability of Ph.D programmes and concentrate in providing methodological education, training and research in entrepreneurship.

Department of doctoral research can establish linkages with existing corporate and family business enterprises so that opportunities for evidence-based research can be explored. This can be used to overcome the divide between knowledge developed in the field of entrepreneurship and its use in practice.

As there is a shortage of experts/Ph.D guides in the domain of entrepreneurship, collaborative industry-academia mentorship support should be arranged for scholars in Entrepreneurship.

Doctoral programmes in Entrepreneurship can be promoted as a platform to connect researchers with start-ups who are keen on conducting market research for business opportunity identification, business plan preparation and other important areas of starting an enterprise.

About EDII

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) is an acclaimed International Resource Centre facilitating all facets of Entrepreneurship Development. EDII's mission is to be a catalyst in facilitating emergence of competent first generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research & institution building.

For further information, visit www.ediindia.org
Vanshaj Ravi Jain, 22, is one among the five Indian students to have secured the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for the class of 2017.

A final year student at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru is all set to become the first Indian to make a mark at the International Criminal Court.

After his undergraduation at the NLSIU, he will head to the University of Oxford to study international criminal law.

This premier law school in Bengaluru has earned the distinction of producing 25 Rhodes scholars since 1996, the first year an NLS student won the scholarship.

"The scholarship is tremendously important in that I'd get to spend 2-3 years studying international criminal law, a field no Indian has broken into," Jain said.

Vanshaj Ravi Jain was selected by a panel chaired by industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, with Rohan Murty as one of its members.

Oxford University Announces Its First MOOC In Economics

A keen theatre person and long-distance runner, Jain grew an interest for international criminal law from a young age.

About Rhodes Scholarship:

The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting outstanding all-round students at the University of Oxford, and providing transformative opportunities for exceptional individuals.

The scholarship is named after Cecil John Rhodes.

It was established in 1903 and is the world's oldest.

A A class of 95 scholars are chosen each year, including five from India.

Benefits of Rhodes Scholarship:

A Rhodes Scholarship covers all University and College fees, a personal stipend and one economy class airfare to Oxford at the start of the Scholarship, as well as an economy flight back to the student's home country at the conclusion of the Scholarship.
State Bank of India (SBI) is recruiting officers for specialised positions in wealth management. Interested candidates can apply for the post through the official website of State Bank of India.

What is Wealth Management?

Wealth management is a top notch professional service that is a combo of financial and investment advice, accounting and tax services, retirement planning and legal or estate planning for a fixed fee.

Who is a Wealth Manager?

A wealth manager is someone who who coordinates input from financial experts and can include coordinating advice from the client's own attorney, accountants and insurance agent. Some wealth managers also provide banking services or advice on philanthropic activities.

Eligibility Required for Wealth Management Officer

Educational Qualification

Graduate from Government recognized University or Institution, preferably possessing the minimum qualifications and certifications mandated by SEBI for Investment Advisers under SEBI Investment Advisers Regulations would be preferred, CFP qualification may be an added advantage.

Professional Qualification

3-10 years of experience on the respective jobs applied

Posts Available

Acquisition Relationship Managers

Relationship Managers

Relationship Manager (Team Lead)

Zonal Head / Senior RM-Sales (Corporate & SMEs)

Zonal Head / Senior RM-Sales (Retail HNI)

Compliance Officer

Investment Counsellors

How to apply?

Visit www.sbi.co.in

Fill the online application form

Register your name

Log in again for further notifications

Dates to remember

Online Registration of Application starts from : 25.11.2016

Last date for Online Registration of Application & Payment of Fees : 12.12.2016

Last date for receipt of the print out of Online application along with enclosures at SBI, CRPD, Corporate Centre, Mumbai: 16.12.2016

Note:

The positions are on contract basis with provisions for termination from either side by giving 3 months notice. The selected candidates will be required to sign an employment contract.

Depending upon the Bank's requirement the vacancies may be available in centres at Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Kochi, Thiruvananthpuram.

Reserve Bank of India has invited applications for Research Positions in Grade B
Capture.JPG

(National Weather Service)

OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Jackson County remains under a tornado watch as a line of heavy storms moves into the area.

The National Weather Service issued the watch, which is currently scheduled to expire at noon. The NWS issued a tornado warning for Harrison County from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Today's forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain, with showers and thunderstorms expected mainly before early afternoon. There is a risk of damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes with this storm system.

By Wednesday night, the rain is expected to end, leaving behind clear skies and temperatures falling to a low of 44 overnight. Thursday's high is forecast at 63.
PGSD general photo.jpg

Students and administration in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District are learned on Wednesday that they were awarded the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assistance program grant to bring a bilingual leading library to the school district to not only assist their Hispanic population, but all students in an effort to promote bi-literacy.

(Pascagoula-Gautier School District)

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Thanks to the persistent voting of residents in Pascagoula, the State Farm Neighborhood Assistance program has awarded the Pascagoula-Gautier School District a $25,000 grant to construct a bilingual library, with the goal in mind to promote bi-literacy throughout the community.

According to State Farm, the program "helps worthwhile nonprofit organizations across the US, offering $25,000 grants for neighborhood projects involved in education, safety and community development."

Kelli McCorkle, author of the grant, said she proposed the grant with the purpose in mind of promoting bi-literacy, which in turn would help the school district's Hispanic population become well versed in the English language, which would in turn help them in test-taking.

"We're just thrilled to receive the State Farm Neighborhood Assistance award and we are just grateful to our community because without their support, we would not have won," McCorkle said. "For our children, especially our children of the Hispanic population, this means they will have exposure to kindergarten readiness, activities, and books that they might not have been exposed to without this grant."

Earlier in the school year, the district submitted one of 2,000 causes which could help improve the community and the district learned it was one of the 200 finalists.

Kelli McCorkle, Director of the Early Beginnings Program and local State Farm representative Brenda Simkins share conversation in the Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center on Wednesday. (Tyler Carter/tcarter@al.com)

McCorkle screened Hispanic students over the summer, and learned that many of the students did not speak English. That was when she decided to construct a proposal for the grant.

"Through testing, we found out that our students' score reflected where they were, it just reflected a language barrier," McCorkle said.

Arlington Elementary School teacher Doris Melendez works with the English Learners program and said with the school district being awarded the grant, the Hispanic population will benefit greatly.

"As a parent, educator, and member of the Hispanic community, I am really excited about the bilingual library because it will be a great asset to the Hispanic community and parents," Melendez said. "When students arrive here with a language barrier, its a great resource to receive support from and supports them in learning English."

Hispanic parents will also have the opportunity to utilize the library to strengthen and improve their English, according to Melendez.

"They will be able to read, learn phonics, and learn all of the reading strategies will use to teach our students at the school," Melendez said.

Local State Farm representative Brenda Simkins said she is immensely proud of the community's support in getting behind the initiative to bring to the school district.

"The Pascagoula-Gautier School District is the first ever grant recipient along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the five year history of the Neighborhood Grant program," Simkins said. "I think that if you look at this and know that there were over 200 finalists and our school district came together to achieve being in the top 40 is a testament to how community centered our school district is in our local community."
Dodge has confirmed that ordering for the 2017 Viper will reopen before the end of the year.



The company paused ordering for the final production year of the famed American supercar on October 7 to assess just how many cars it could produce for the 2017 model year.

According to Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis, it was important for the brand to determine how many orders its suppliers could fulfil, given the high demand for the run-out model.

Speaking with The Detroit News, Kuniskis said We actually had to shut down the ordering because we outran our headlights. We didnt know if we were going to have enough parts to build all the cars that people ordered.

The demand for ACR is off the charts  way more than we ever expected. We are close to opening it back up now that we know how many more we can build. They will sell out quickly, he said.

Soon after Dodge announced that 2017 would be the final year for the Viper, North Carolina dealership, Gerry Wood Dodge, made headlines after revealing that it had ordered 135 Vipers and would even be creating its own special edition models courtesy of the automakers customization program.

PHOTO GALLERY
Well, thats something you dont see every day; a high-speed police pursuit involving a BMW 3-Series north of Melbourne, Australia took a strange turn when the driver of the BMW stopped to refuel, not once butthree times in total.



Police arrested two girls, with the driver still on the run after a high-speed chase north of Melbourne.

The driver is believed to be a 15-year old boy and he was seen driving the 3-Series at speeds of up to 150km/h (93 mph) through Victorian towns. Police had to call off the pursuit as it was deemed too risky for the public, as the BMW driver narrowly missed pedestrians and at least one collision with a semi-trailer.

This allowed the driver to briefly stop at three different petrol stations for refueling, fleeing of course the premises without paying. The two girls got off the car during one of the refueling stops and headed to a nearby supermarket where the police managed to arrest them.

VIDEOS
While The Grand Tour has received rave reviews since its premiere, becoming one of the most highly rated shows ever, theres one segment that has raised a few eyebrows, Celebrity Brain Crush.



While it may have been funny on the first episode where a number of celebrities were killed off before they were interviewed, it reappearance in the second show was a disappointment.

Nevertheless, it doesnt seem to be going away anytime soon with lead host Jeremy Clarkson recently saying hed love to have Donald Trump on the segment, just so he could stage his death.

While speaking with Business Insider at the launch of Drive Tribe, Clarkson said God yes when asked about Trump appearing on the show.

Have you seen what were doing with everybody? Theres some very amusing ways [wed kill Trump off]. We live in interesting times, he said.

Despite Clarksons eagerness to fake the death of Trump, it seems very unlikely the show will get an impersonator of the President-elect just to kill him off, particularly given the shows new focus on American viewership.

In an ideal world, wed like to see the segment scrapped entirely. Lets wait and see if it re-emerges in episode 3.

PHOTO GALLERY
The 500th and final Ferrari LaFerrari coupe produced will be sold on Saturday by RM Sothebys in Daytona Beach, Florida.



Although production of the hardtop LaFerrari was initially limited to 499 examples, Ferrari chief executive Sergio Marchionne announced in August that a 500th unit would be produced and sold off to benefit the reconstruction of towns devastated by the fatal earthquakes that struck Central Italy this year.

According to chief executive and chairman of RM Sothebys, It is an honor for RM Sothebys to be entrusted with the sale of this important car and to help raise significant funds for a desperate cause. The earthquakes which have struck Central Italy this year devastated the lives of thousands of people, and the money raised by the sale of the 500th, and final, LaFerrari, could not be put to a better use. The auction will be an historic event, and the generosity of Ferrari SpA will change lives in the areas most affected by the natural disaster.

Although no estimate has been given for the final sale price, the 500th LaFerrari will certainly be the most expensive sold to date, possibly fetching over $5 million.

PHOTO GALLERY
Every year on January first, the moment I wake up I head to the window to see what my first bird of the New Year will be. My hope is us...
A court hearing to discuss Volkswagens plans to fix its 3.0-liter diesel V6 vehicles in the United States has been delayed by District Judge Charles Breyer.



The hearing was initially pencilled in for November 30, but has been pushed back to December 15. According to Breyer, this is because the German company is still negotiating with regulators and the lawyers representing vehicle owners. According to Automotive News, these negotiations could produce a resolution of the outstanding issues.

Approximately 80,000 affected V6 models reside in the United States and, earlier this month, Volkswagen Group reached an agreement with regulators for a fix and buybacks of affected models.

It is reported that a buyback is being offered for around 20,000 Audi and VW-branded SUVs, while a software fix for newer Porsche, Audi and VW models will be available to owners. Although these agreements have been made with local regulators, VW still needs to iron out the details relating to owner compensation.

PHOTO GALLERY
After The Grand Tours second episode was almost completely free of any cars, episode 3 looks primed to be as car-focused as Top Gear of yesteryear.



For this latest episode, The Grand Tour will be based out of Whitby in the United Kingdom and see Clarkson, Hammond and May embark on an epic road trip through Italy with an Aston Martin DB11, Rolls-Royce Dawn and a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Alongside enjoying some beautiful Italian roads, the trio will all hit a race track for some high-paced fun.

As if this segment alone wasnt enough to get you excited about the latest episode, we will also get the chance to see Hammond and May knocking down Clarksons house after he lost a bet in episode 1, claiming the McLaren P1 would be the fastest of the hybrid hypercars around Portimao. While it seemed like a joke at the time, it appears very serious and absolutely hilarious.

As always, The Grand Tour will air exclusively on Amazon Prime on Thursday night or Friday (depending on your time zone).

VIDEO
While many of its competitors are designing interiors focused on the driver, Volvo believes that it is better prepared for the future of driverless cars, leading the way in autonomous vehicle interior design.



When designing its models, the Swedish brand has long focused on passenger comfort, rather than performance and therefore driver focused designs. This is most obvious with the recently introduced S90 Excellence made exclusively for China as it ditches a front passenger seat entirely to improve legroom and provide greater comfort for rear passengers.

Speaking with Autocar about this, Volvos senior vice president of design, Thomas Ingenlath said Not being a company that has a passion for power and driver focus means that we have spent more time exploring the passenger lounge area. In the S90 Excellence [a three-seater model for China], we used a special centre console and took a seat out to explore what could you actually do with this space.

Now we see all these exercises have become elements in a big puddle and we were naturally researching in this area. It shows that our way of looking into a car has naturally turned into how you use a car in the future, Ingenlath said.

In addition to this, Volvo has design studios in the United States, Sweden and China, three unique markets where interior needs differ greatly. Robin Page, vice president of interior design at Volvo says that countries like China focus on rear passenger comfort, while the U.S. is quite focused on electronic features and Europe remains focused on the driver.

In the future, it seems apparent that these markets will become more similar as the focus on the driver lessens and more attention is given to passengers. If that happens, Volvo is poised to pounce

PHOTO GALLERY
The only feature film award that went to a non-Disney film was for independent feature, a category in which Disney was not eligible to participate.

The reasons for this partisan straight-ticket voting must be figured out and addressed in a meaningful way by ASIFA-Hollywood. These awards are designed not just to recognize the best feature film in any given year, but individual merit within specialized areas of feature animation. It defies belief that only one corporation hires artists capable of creating exemplary work.

ASIFA-Hollywoods problems with skewed voting patterns is a long-running headache for the organization and almost delegitimized the award a half-decade ago. In 2010, Disney Animation and Pixar president Ed Catmull, along with John Lasseter, withdrew all of Disneys productions from the Annie Awards in protest that Kung Fu Panda had won too many awards the previous year. (Pixars film that year, WALL-E, won no awards.) Disneys argument was that the voting process was rigged in favor of Dreamworks Animation, which gave each new employee an ASIFA-Hollywood membership.

ASIFA-Hollywood took Disneys protest seriously. The organization booted its president, Antran Manoogian, and replaced him with the duo of Frank Gladstone and Jerry Beck, the latter of whom is the co-founder of Cartoon Brew. We did have a problem, Beck told Variety in 2015. We had to address it. Among the changes made was creating an advisory board comprised of executives and management from the major animation studios. Other changes included limiting voting to only professional members of the organization and the creation of professional nomination panels.

None of those changes, however, have addressed the issue of straight-ticket voting, which was the reason for Disneys boycott in the first place. The Walt Disney Company, which has now become the beneficiary of this type of voting, remains silent on the problem, as does ASIFA-Hollywood. Should the organization muster the resolve to address the issue, it will likely tread carefully: three of the events seven platinum sponsors (the highest level of Annie Awards sponsorship) are Disney-owned companies.
Photo: pixabay Hong Kong has been ranked the "most free" country in the world by a Fraser Institute report

Despite lacking democracy, a new international report is claiming Hong Kong is the freest country in the world.

The Human Freedom Index, produced by the Fraser and Cato Institutes, uses 79 indicators of personal, civil and economic freedoms to determine a score out of 10.

Canada finished sixth, tied with the U.K. and Australia.

The United States slipped four spots from last year's ranking to 24.

The report acknowledges the lack of democracy in Hong Kong makes it an outlier in its study, but states it has managed to enjoy high levels of economic and personal freedoms without it.

However, with pro-democracy protests taking hold, things may change.

As the political future of Hong Kong plays out, we would not be surprised if we see a decline in its freedom ratings, the report reads.

In Canada, the study points to legislation from the federal, Alberta and Ontario governments in recent years that encroach on economic freedom.

Canadians are generally free to enjoy civil liberties such as freedom of speech and religion, and womens rights, but the more government hampers our ability to trade and conduct business openly, the less free we become, said Fred McMahon, editor of the study.

The 10 freest jurisdictions:

Hong Kong

Switzerland

New Zealand

Ireland

Denmark

Canada

Australia

United Kingdom

Finland

Netherlands

The 10 least free countries
Photo: Kinder Morgan

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is approving Kinder Morgan's proposal to triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C.  a $6.8-billion project that has sparked protests by climate change activists from coast to coast.

Trudeau is also effectively killing the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline across northern British Columbia, but giving a green light to Enbridge's lesser-known $7.5-billion Line 3 pipeline expansion from Alberta to Wisconsin.

The Liberals had promised a decision on Kinder Morgan by Dec. 19 but decided to announce all the pipeline decisions at once ahead of a Dec. 9 meeting between Trudeau and the provincial and territorial premiers.

"(Trans Mountain) will create 15,000 new middle-class jobs, the majority of them in the trades," Trudeau told a news conference Tuesday. "It meets the strictest of environmental standards and fits within our national climate plan."

That includes 157 binding conditions set out by the National Energy Board, said Trudeau, who also noted the project would not have been approved without the government of Alberta's own carbon-pricing efforts and cap on oilsands emissions.

"We are convinced it is in the best interests of Canadians," Trudeau said of the decision.

"We've heard clearly from Canadians that they don't want to see someone trying to make a choice between what's good for the environment and what's good for the economy. They need to go together, and the decisions we've made today and leading up to today are entirely consistent with that."

Indigenous leaders and environmental leaders who spoke earlier in the day appeared resigned to the government's decision, but far from prepared to give up their fight.

"The struggle will simply intensify," said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Chiefs. "It will become more litigious, it will become more political and the battle will continue."

There are no conditions under which the chiefs would have been willing to agree to the project, Phillip added.

"The risks are just too grave. The tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet will increase by 700 per cent and it's inevitable that there will be a collision in a very congested inlet."
Weighing in at 1,712 pounds, this life-sized Ford Mustang replica is made entirely of LEGOs. The 194,900-piece classic took 1,200 hours to assemble and measures 15 feet long, 6 feet wide, and over 4 feet tall.
Photo: BC Gov Flickr Thomson at the Yuriage market in Japan

With the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute hurtling towards litigation, a trade mission to Asia led by Forests Minister Steve Thomson carries more significance than usual.

Thompson, the Kelowna-Mission MLA, is leading a delegation of 25 senior industry representatives on a tour of Japan and China in an attempt to diversify B.C. wood markets.

Japan is worth $760 million to the B.C. wood industry, with China being the province's second most valuable market at $1.2 billion.

Its critical that we continue build and maintain those relationships, Thomson said from Shanghai.

President and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries Susan Yurkovich echoed that sentiment, but said there is still time to salvage a deal, there is certainly still time to negotiate things.

I also feel very good about the work weve done with the Government of Canada and B.C. to prepare. So we are ready, and we are well-positioned to defend that claim. Discussions can continue, and are continuing.

Yurkovich added the Trump administration will not be able grow the American economy like promised without B.C. lumber.
Photo: Philip Charles, Spirit Bear Adventures Tangled whale from September.

A dead humpback whale was recently discovered at a salmon farm off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the second found off the B.C. coast in the past two weeks.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is investigating after the juvenile whale was found trapped between the inner and outer containment nets at Grieg Seafoods Atrevida farm in Nootka Sound.

This is the first time in 16 years of operating that Grieg Seafood has experienced an incident involving a whale at any of its farms in B.C., said the company in a statement.

Investigators have determined the primary containment net at the farm was not breached, and no Atlantic salmon escaped from the farm.

On Nov. 15, a dead humpback whale was found tangled in equipment at an empty fish farm on B.C.'s central coast, north of Bella Bella.

Another whale had gotten tangled at the same farm in September, but made it out alive after rescuers cut the whale free.

- With files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: Getty Images

About three per cent of residential real estate transactions last month in Metro Vancouver involved foreign buyers, a decline of more than 10 percentage points since the B.C. government intervened with a new tax.

The provincial government brought in the 15-per-cent tax in August as a tool to cool the overheated residential housing market in Metro Vancouver.

B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong said Tuesday that the government is downgrading its financial expectations from the tax.

The government had forecast the tax would bring in $165 million for the fiscal year, but the that's been revised to $50 million, he said.

"I'm not particularly surprised by the trajectory of what's happened," de Jong said. "In the immediate aftermath we see investment drop off pretty dramatically. It's starting to come back ... so there are still transactions taking place involving foreign purchasers and they're paying the additional tax."

Provincial government figures show the rate of those purchases was up in October from September, when foreign investment stood at 1.8 per cent in the Vancouver area.

"There is a period of distortion in the market any time a tax is introduced and changed. Many transactions that would have occurred in the months following the introduction of the tax were moved to July to avoid the tax," the government said in a news release.

"As time goes on and the market readjusts, trends say the rate and volume of foreign demand will normalize to levels we can expect to continue."

The statistics show 140 properties worth $115 million involving foreign buyers were transferred in Metro Vancouver in October.

There are still pockets in Metro Vancouver where foreign purchases are higher, including Richmond where 6.7 per cent of all residential transactions were sold to foreigners.

The tax doesn't apply in the Victoria area and it saw more foreign buyers in October at 6.3 per cent of all purchases.

All property transfer transactions are now subject to an audit for up to six years from the date of transfer.

The Finance Ministry has already opened 215 audit files to investigate if the correct amount of tax has been paid and it issued 30 assessments totalling $3 million.

The announcement comes weeks after B.C. Real Estate Association figures show a cooling market.

There was a 16.7-per-cent drop in home sales province-wide in October, compared with the same period last year.

The average price of a home in the province was about $607,000, down 9.1 per cent.
Graniteville resident competing for title of Miss New York USA 2017

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

(Peter Fahrni)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Sabrina Mahmood, 22, of Graniteville, will compete for the title of Miss New York USA 2017 from Jan. 13-15 at The Purchase (N.Y.) College Performing Arts Center.

Sabrina, the daughter of Maria and Arif Mahmood, attends the College of Staten Island.

An excited Sabrina's reveals this is her first attempt at any pageant and she looks with anticipation toward its outcome.

Sabrina whose activities and hobbies include painting, running, and reading explains: "Of course I would love to win, but i think it's really just going to be a great experience and something I can remember for the rest of my life."

The Miss New York Teen USA and Miss New York USA pageants are official preliminaries to the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants -- and Sabrina couldn't be more proud to be part of the entire experience.

The young woman chosen Miss New York USA 2017 will go on to represent the state of New York in the 2017 Miss USA pageant as seen live on FOX television, one of the most anticipated television events of the year.

FYI: Sabrina's pageant dress is from Ultimate Fashions in the Staten Island Mall, her dress pageant sponsor.

The prospective titleholder goes on to say, besides school she's active in her family business, Omar Jewelers in Meiers Corners.

"I am studying accounting at the College of Staten Island as well and I hope to be finishing my bachelor's in about a year. I feel like becoming Miss New York USA would be ideal for me because it would allow me to be more involved in the community and I would be honored to represent my home State of New York."
Photo: @HiMYSYeD

Hundreds of people gathered at Library Square in Vancouver Tuesday night to protest the federal government's approval of the controversial Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday afternoon the government had conditionally approved the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which will carry 890,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from northern Alberta to Burnaby.

Kinder Morgan must meet 157 conditions for the federal government's approval.

Tuesday night's gathering included First Nations members and local politicians, upset with the federal government's decision.

I feel so betrayed, because this prime minister and this government engendered such hope in us, Vancouver City Councillor Adriane Carr told the crowd.

And then he says we can approve two pipeline projects, Kinder Morgan and Line 3, and we can do climate change too. Hes either an idiot or hes a liar.

Carleen Thomas, a member of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, said the government had sold them out.

They threw us under the bus. They threw us under the tank and this is not acceptable, she said.

The crowd marched through the streets with banners, singing and drumming, finishing outside the art gallery.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, a long time, vocal opponent of the project, said Tuesday he was profoundly disappointed and called the decision a big step backwards.

I  along with the tens of thousands of residents, local First Nations, and other Metro Vancouver cities who told the federal government a resounding no to this project  will keep speaking out against this pipeline expansion that doesnt make sense for our economic or environmental future, Robertson said.

- With files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Google Maps

Surrey RCMP is on the scene of yet another shooting Tuesday night, one they believe to be targeted.

Police responded to reports of shots fired on the 12100 block of 68th Avenue at 8 p.m.

Upon arrival, they found a man suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police are canvassing the area and talking with witnesses, but the investigation is still in the early stages.

Anyone with information about the shooting has been asked to speak to police at 604-599-0502.
Photo: Google Street View

ICBC data shows collisions are up almost 50 per cent on a notorious stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Valley.

The news is renewing calls to widen the highway between Langley and Chilliwack.

There were nearly 450 crashes on that stretch last year, compared to 308 in 2011, a 45.7 per cent increase.

Crashes causing injury or death jumped by 40.3 per cent, while property-damage-only crashes increased 49.7 per cent.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun supports widening the 60-kilometre stretch, but worries it could take years.

The Ministry of Transportation has a 10-year plan to expand the highway to six lanes, but Braun says that's too long.

"Accidents happen once, twice, sometimes three times a day," he told CTV.

"People have told me they can't wait 10 years for the widening of this freeway. It's horrendous now I don't know what it would be like five years from now."

He believes the highway should be widened to eight lanes because by the time the six-lane plan happens, it will already be at capacity.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: file photo

A black bear has been killed after it built its den under a Port Alberni home.

The homeowner reported the bear in her crawl space last week, and conservation officers came out and shot the 400-pound animal.

The conservation service says the bear was habituated to human food.

The homeowner feared a second bear had moved in when she noticed the door to the crawl space was open again, so a trap has been set up.

Bears should be hibernating for winter by now, but the service said it seems to be happening later every year.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: The Canadian Press

The federal cabinet's decision to approve Kinder Morgan Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion has prompted a flood of outrage and promises of protests, court challenges and civil disobedience in British Columbia.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was "profoundly disappointed," calling the decision a "big step backwards" for Canada's environment and economy.

The $6.8-billion project would triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline, from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels a day, and would add 980 kilometres of new pipe along the route from near Edmonton to Burnaby.

It would also increase the number of tankers leaving Vancouver-area waters seven-fold, from five to 34 per month, prompting fierce opposition from local mayors and First Nations who say any risk of a diluted-bitumen spill is unacceptable.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the project would be approved with 157 conditions at a news conference Tuesday. He said he expects the decision to be "bitterly disputed" by a number of people across the country, but said the project is in Canada's best interests.

"If I thought this project was unsafe for the B.C. coast, I would reject it," he said.

Premier Christy Clark has insisted her government would not allow new pipeline construction unless five conditions were met, including a "world-leading" marine spill response regime. Earlier this month, Trudeau announced a $1.5-billion ocean-protection plan.

Clark was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but her Environment Minister Mary Polak said the province will continue to work to ensure each of its conditions are met.

North Vancouver's Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the City of Vancouver already have legal challenges before the courts. The actions were filed in May after the National Energy Board recommended the federal government approve the project.

Carleen Thomas, a member of the Tsleil-Waututh, spoke Tuesday night at a rally against the government's decision in Vancouver.

"They sold us out. They threw us under the bus. They threw us under the tank and this is not acceptable," she said.

Hundreds of people gathered for the rally, carrying signs with messages like "Stop Kinder Morgan" and "Leave Fossil Fuels in the Ground."
Photo: The Canadian Press

Officials say Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Tindall is expecting her second child.

She and her husband, retired rugby player Mike Tindall, already have a two-year-old daughter named Mia.

Zara Tindall was a champion equestrian using her maiden name Zara Phillips. She switched to her married name this year.

Officials say the couple's second child is due in late spring.

Elizabeth, 90, and her 95-year-old husband Prince Philip already have five great-grandchildren.
Photo: Randy Millis

Liberals from Western Canada are trying to show solidarity with their government after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's approval of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline.

But frustration is evident as MPs gather for weekly caucus meetings on Parliament Hill.

Liberal Hedy Fry, who represents the riding of Vancouver Centre, says she's unhappy with the pipeline decision, fearing it could cost her votes in the next federal election.

Other B.C. MPs say they will talk to constituents in the coming days about the decision, with some like Pam Goldsmith-Jones saying the decision is in the best interests of all Canadians.

Goldsmith-Jones says the decision shouldn't be seen as a betrayal of West Coast voters, including those in her southwest B.C. riding.

North-Seymour MP Terry Beech  whose name and concerns Trudeau specifically mentioned in his news conference Tuesday  says he will hold an open house this weekend for his constituents.

The pipeline would link Alberta to the southern B.C. coast around Vancouver, and is opposed by environmental groups, First Nations communities and local politicians, including Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Premier Christy Clark says the federal government is close to meeting the B.C. government's five conditions for its approval of the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

Clark says her government is still working with Ottawa on spill response and it still wants assurances on jobs and the economic benefits for B.C.

She says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should come to the province to explain to British Columbians directly why his government considers the $6.8 billion pipeline expansion to be in the national interest.

Clark says she expects to have the five conditions in place before B.C.'s election in May, when the pipeline is expected to be a major issue.

Clark says B.C.'s five conditions are the province's path to support for heavy oil projects. Once those are met, she said the province will support the project.

The Trans Mountain pipeline will increase the number of tankers leaving Vancouver-area waters seven-fold, prompting fierce opposition from local mayors, First Nations and environmental groups who say any risk of a diluted-bitumen spill is unacceptable.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A study that looked at thousands of research papers has concluded that not enough is known about how bitumen behaves in the ocean to be able to assess the risk of shipping it.

The paper comes the day after the Trudeau government approved expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline that would carry bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to the West Coast.

Scientists combed though more than 9,000 papers to assess how much is known about how bitumen acts in marine ecosystems and how it might affect plants and animals that live there.

They found that even the most basic information on bitumen's effects doesn't exist, such as how toxic it is to different organisms.

The study did find 15 different ways that shipping bitumen can affect the environment.

The paper concludes that industry expansion has far outpaced scientific knowledge of its impacts.
Photo: Castanet File Photo Kinder Morgan president Ian Anderson

The president of Kinder Morgan expects there will be backlash and protests after the federal government approved expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

The pipeline runs from Alberta to Burnaby.

During a media conference call Wednesday morning, Ian Anderson said he is aware there are some who have said they will oppose the pipeline expansion "at all costs."

"What I say to them is this, our number 1 and unwavering priority is the safety of our communities, the safety of my staff and, our neighbours, our assets and the environment. We will not compromise that under any condition," said Anderson.

"I continue to say to those who will continue to oppose, to please respect the process, respect the law and above all, respect the safety of our communities."

Anderson said Kinder Morgan has participated, in good faith, during every step of the process.

He said that process led to both the National Energy Board and the federal government concluding the project is in the interest of Canadians.

Opposition to the pipeline is not just regional, but national and international in scope.

He said the company is keeping an eye on situations such as the one playing out in North Dakota, where protesters have occupied a patch of federal land to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

They have vowed to remain despite a federal directive to leave.

Anderson spoke just moments after Premier Christy Clark spoke on the announcement for the first time.

Like the premier, Anderson said he is confident the five conditions set out by the premier when the process first started will be met in short order.

He said he believes construction of the estimated $6.8-billion pipeline project will be ready to move ahead on time, next year.

"This is a defining moment for our project and also a defining moment, I think, for Alberta and our country. I think a great number of things have been brought together," said Anderson.

"It would be be my expectation that we ultimately stand arm and arm provincially, federally and as a pipeline company to ensure we can build this for the benefit of all Canadians."
Senator Lanza and Nate's Pharmacy offer free flu shots

FILE - In this file photo taken Oct. 17, 2012, Bill Staples, a Mississippi Department of Health employee, is given an intradermal shot of flu vaccine by registered nurse Rosemary Jones, also with the health department, in Jackson, Miss. A survey by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers found that in 2011, more than 400 U.S. hospitals required flu vaccinations for their employees and 29 hospitals fired employees that were not vaccinated against the virus. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

(Rogelio V. Solis)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State Senator Andrew Lanza and Nate's Pharmacy will offer free flu shots on Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Senator Lanza's office located at 3845 Richmond Ave. in Eltingville.

Flu shots will be administered to those 18 years of age and older.

To schedule an appointment, call 718-984-4073 or email lanza@nysenate.gov.

FYI: Only about 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year. The flu can be spread through coughing, sneezing or coming into close contact with others.

Flu season is highest in winter, but it can happen any time of year and can be mild or severe.

Although many are able to recover from the flu, it can be a very serious or deadly illness for young children, older adults, pregnant women and those who have health problems. The best way to reduce your chances of becoming infected with the flu is to get the flu vaccine each year.
Photo: CTV

British Columbia's police-complaint commissioner has granted a third extension for an RCMP investigation of Victoria's suspended police chief.

Stan Lowe says the investigation into Frank Elsner was supposed to have been completed by Wednesday but it will now have to be done by Jan. 26.

Elsner already apologized for sending messages through social media to the wife of one of his officers, but the police complaint commissioner later ordered a probe into 10 misconduct allegations arising from the original allegation.

None of the allegations has been proven against Elsner.

RCMP Chief Supt. Sean Bourrie says 66 interviews have been done so far and electronic devices and servers at the Victoria Police Department have been examined.

Bourrie says more time is needed because seven additional witnesses must be interviewed and a previous witness who has spoken with investigators has provided new information, requiring a follow-up interview with Elsner.

Lowe says that while investigations involving alleged misconduct by municipal officers must be completed within six months after they begin, the Elsner matter involves a significant body of evidence.

The commissioner says he acknowledges that the ongoing investigation impacts the operations of the Victoria Police Department and there is a public interest in resolving such matters in a timely way.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Photo radar machines are to remain on Quebec roads despite a recent court ruling that rejected evidence obtained from one, the provincial government said Wednesday.

Quebec court Judge Serge Cimon, in a decision released Monday, cleared a woman from having to pay a traffic ticket she received after a radar machine clocked her speeding.

The judge said the photo radar evidence was hearsay and inadmissible in court because provincial police didn't personally witness the woman allegedly breaking the law or check to see if the machine was functioning properly.

"The prosecutor can consider this as formal notice that the evidence used in the prosecution of fixed photo radar cases is based on insufficient evidence," he wrote.

It is unclear how this decision could affect future cases involving people contesting speeding tickets obtained in connection to photo radar machines.

The woman in the case got out of a $1,160 ticket for allegedly going 140 km/h in a 70 km/h zone.

Transport Minister Laurent Lessard told reporters at the legislature Wednesday that photo radars are useful in assuring security on the province's roads and highways.

Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee wasn't prepared to say whether the court decision would be appealed.

She reminded reporters that the law allowing the permanent installation of photo radar and red light camera technology was endorsed by the provincial legislature in 2012.

Plans to expand the program were announced in 2015.
Photo: Getty Images

A panel that examined 100 domestic-violence deaths in British Columbia says few victims tell anyone what's happening in their lives before they are killed, and even professionals may not know how to help.

The group of experts ranging from police and a former judge to agencies involved in family services and aboriginal health looked at 75 separate incidents between 2010 and 2015.

Its three recommendations, to be implemented by December 2017, are contained in a report released by the BC Coroners Service.

The report says the overwhelming burden of intimate-partner violence is borne by women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 59, and that their children may endure lifelong consequences from exposure to family violence.

The death-review panel is calling for more public awareness about intimate-partner violence and a review by the Justice Ministry to determine the merits of early case management by a single judge in family and criminal cases.

The panel says the Provincial Domestic Violence Office should also enhance access to data so it can be shared between service agencies to support victims and their children.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Racist flyers are once again papering Richmond.

The flyers say wealthy Chinese immigrants are "plundering" Canada by using social resources like schools and health care.

"Where have our politicians been on this social injustice issue?" it reads, also suggesting Chinese immigrants don't pay taxes.

Premier Christy Clark said she's disgusted by the flyer.

"I think it's a disgrace," Clark said to CTV Vancouver. "It's not what British Columbia's about, and I think the way for us to stop it is for all of us to condemn it."

Richmond residents were on the receiving end of another racist flyer earlier this month.

Police are investigating.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press

An Alberta woman from a farming village of less than 500 people says she was surprised and stressed when she found out she'd won a $50-million Lotto Max jackpot.

Lois Olsen of Irma, about 180 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, says she discovered her win the day after the Nov. 11 draw.

Olsen, a long-time resident, bought the lucky quick-pick ticket at the Irma Co-op store.

It was there, while buying groceries, that she found out she was a multimillionaire.

She says she was speechless when she scanned her ticket, and just wanted to get out of the store.

Olsen said she plans to use the windfall to help her loved ones.

"Im going to give some of the money to my family, she said Tuesday as she picked up her cheque at the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission office in St. Albert.

I have my kids, my grandkids, my great-grandkids. It will help my entire family.

Olsen has a few plans of her own, though.

Im thinking of buying a new SUV and Im hoping to do some travelling, she said. I used to travel a lot and Id like to do a little more now.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., President-elect Donald Trumps selection as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, once pushed to allow up to eight states to take the Head Start programs located there.

The federally funded preschool program for low-income children is a part of HHS. Prices amendment , which was ultimately rejected 254-165, would have been part of a bill that reauthorized

funding for Head Start. The proposal had been offered by Republican legislators in 2003 as well, and could offer a hint of Prices priorities toward Head Start, now its 51st year.

Price, an orthopedic surgeon, currently serves as the chairman of the House Budget Committee. An outspoken opponent of the Affordable Care Act, Prices congressional district is in suburban Atlanta.

Currently, Head Start money generally goes directly to grantees in all 50 states, and those grantees directly manage individual preschool programs. (Some large cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, are supergrantees that oversee agencies, and those agencies in turn oversee preschool providers.)

The Price amendment would have created a demonstration program for states to coordinate their existing state-run preschool programs with Head Start.

In 1965, when Head Start was implemented, state-run early-childhood development programs didnt exist, Price said in support of his amendment in 2007, when the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats. Since then, and most recently, and in the past 15 years, states have invested considerable resources into early childhood initiatives.

The states participating in the program would have had to ensure that the children in the blended model would receive health, nutrition, and mental health services that are comparable to those offered by Head Start, he said. Enacting a demonstration program will result in expanding the number of children that can be served, which is not possible in Head Start or just a state-run program alone, he said.

Prices amendment was similar to a Head Start funding bill that passed the Republican-controlled House in 2003. It, too, would have created an eight-state pilot program, but the proposal was dropped in a compromise bill.

In arguing against Prices amendment, former Rep. George Miller, a Democrat from California, said the proposal would simply end Head Start as we know it in those eight states. There would be no requirement that the pilot states run a program that is as comprehensive or as high in quality as Head Start, Miller said.

I daresay that we have watched over the last decades effort after effort be made to block grant programs. Generally, where they have been successful, they have been the first step to the budget cuts, to the loss of quality. Thats whats involved here, Miller said.

Changes to Head Start Over Time

Since that 2007 debate, Head Start has made significant changes in how it is run. Head Start grantees have started competing for continued funding , a process that started during the Obama administration. The federal government has also supported a partnership between local child-care providers and Early Head Start, which pays for services to children under 4. The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership Grants are intended to boost the quality of local day cares, by requiring them to meet federal standards that are often tougher than those required by the state.

Head Start has also recently revamped its performance standards , adding requirements for improved teacher training and a longer school day and year, among other changes.

But the early-childhood landscape has also changed. All but five states now have some sort of state-funded preschool program, and the Education Department has also funneled over $1 billion into early-childhood programs through the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant program and Preschool Development Grants.

Head Start proponents have argued that its program is different from just preschool because of its focus on parent development and on child well-being, as well as academic readiness. Supporters will have to make those same arguments in a much more partisan climate when the program comes up for reauthorization, a process about four years overdue.

Photo: Rep. Tom Price appears in January 2015 before the Rules Committee, joined at right by Rep. John Yarmuth, a Democrat from Kentucky. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP-File)
President-elect Donald Trumps selection of school choice advocate Betsy DeVos to be his secretary of education puts The 74 , the website founded by former TV journalist and Campbell Brown, in an awkward position when it comes to the sites identity. Is it an independent education news and opinion site, as Brown, herself a supporter of school choice and teacher tenure reform, has maintained, or is it an electronic pamphleteer for DeVos and her causes?

The disclaimer on one of the sites first pieces after DeVos was named on Nov. 23 lays out the close connections between DeVos, Brown, and their organizations.

The Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation provides funding to The 74, and the sites Editor-in-Chief, Campbell Brown, sits on the American Federation for Childrens board of directors, which was formerly chaired by Betsy DeVos. Brown played no part in the reporting or editing of this article. The American Federation for Children also sponsored The 74s 2015 New Hampshire education summit, says the statement at the bottom of the story by Kate Stringer with the headline: Trump Picks His Education Secretary: The First 6 Things to Know About Betsy DeVos .

The disclaimer also appears on stories and essays on The 74 that were published in the next few days: A news story by Mark Keirleiber about how DeVos essentially comes from Vice President-elect Mike Pences sphere; an analysis by Carolyn Phenicie suggesting that another candidate considered by Trump for the education secretary job, Michelle Rhee, would have faced confirmation problems with Senate Republicans; an analysis by Matt Barnum about how DeVos could scramble the ideology and politics of education reform; and others, including an essay by Brown herself that comes to the defense of DeVos.

The coverage does not appear as skeptical as some other news outlets have been about DeVos role in promoting charter schools in Michigan.

Kate Zernike of The New York Times wrote that if Michigan is one of the nations biggest laboratories for school choice, thanks to political and financial backing by DeVos and her husband, the state is also among the worst places to argue that choice has made schools better. As the state embraced and then expanded charters over the past two decades, its rank has fallen on national reading and math tests. Most charter schools perform below the state average.

The least glowing piece about DeVos in The 74 has been an essay by Michael J. Petrilli , identified as a research fellow at Stanfords Hoover Institution, but who is also the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington.

Shes smart, committed to kids and a mainstream conservative Republican, Petrilli wrote of DeVos. Still, theres a lot thats not clear, so its going to be important for the press, and for the Senate [education] committee, to ask a lot of questions to understand where she and the president who chose her plan to take federal education policy.

He then offered 20 questions for DeVos, including this one: It was reported that you opposed efforts to beef up quality-control measures for Michigans charter schools. Can you explain how you saw this and what your position was?

And then there is Brown, the former CNN anchor who has been an activist for school choice and teacher tenure and union reform as well as the founder last year of The 74. She wrote in an essay when the site launched last year (and repeated at the time to Education Week ) that advocacy and straight-news journalism were not incompatible.

While The 74s disclaimer may have suggested to some that Brown would recuse herself from all coverage of her friend and donor, Brown took up a defense of DeVos.

its a pity that Betsy DeVos has been so misleadingly caricatured since Donald Trump asked her to serve as secretary of education last week, Brown wrote in an essay titled simply: Campbell Brown: On Betsy DeVos . Not just because shes a friend. Also because her attackers needlessly reopen late-NCLB fault lines and deepen the clamor that follows Trump everywhere.

DeVos is tenacious in defending the best interests of children rather than interest groups and their political patrons, Brown wrote. She is a born decision-maker, thick-skinned, never long discouraged by setbacks and impervious to hostile criticism. Like many friends, she and I agree a lot and disagree a lot; I never doubt her intelligence, good faith, and inclination to think on all sides of a problem.

Dan Bank, a spokesman for The 74, said Brown was not available for an interview on Tuesday.

Campbell has recused herself from editorial coverage related to Betsy and her nomination, but presumably she will write opinion pieces whenever she wants as she always has, Bank said.

Writing in her eponymous blog shortly after the DeVos announcement, progressive advocate Diane Ravitch took note of the friendship and connections between DeVos and Brown:

DeVos doesnt like public schools. Neither does Campbell Brown. They both like charters and vouchers. What a small world!
By now you know that Trump selected Betsy DeVos, a billionaire education activist, to become the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education. DeVos wont be the first secretary of education to ascend to the position without any experience in education whatsoever (well, you know, except for that activism), and she wont even be the first to have gone out of her way to make sure that none of her own children were tainted by the stain of having had to attend public schools . But she will be the first billionaire activist to ever serve as secretary of education! The superlatives keep rolling in for Trumps swamp-draining new government.

You probably also know what DeVos stands for: she has often been described in the stories written since Trump made the announcement as a passionate advocate for school choice. For many of us, our passion for a particular cause is measured in tweets and yard signs and Facebook posts; for DeVos, its measured in millions of dollars spent to influence legislators and shape public opinion to ensure that her ideological commitments become instituted as policy. DeVoswho, again, never attended public schools and whose children never did eitheris willing to spend her fortune to help us out because she is absolutely certain of one thing. It is that her brand of school reform will improve our schools.

But for whom? Thats a hard question to answer. Unfortunately, by any objective measure her investment hasnt been a good one. See, DeVos has been heavily involved in the reform of Detroits chronically troubled public schools and the results have been less than impressive . Not that that has done anything to dampen the spirits of school choice advocates. Theyre certain deliverance is just around the corner. They swear that school choice will engender the kind of competition that will make all schools better.

I find it hard to believe that thats true, but here we are. That we have even come this far says much about the current state of our national discussion about education: it is undeniable that the reform narrative of the past forty years or so has been stunningly effective at reshaping our ideas about education and what its for. That narrative is increasingly dependent on the notion that public schools are failing because they are public, but this assumption is only believable if the rationale for public education is focused narrowly on the relationship between schools and the larger economyor if it is being used in service of political ends that only a minority of Americans actually seem to want.

In fact, were the victims of a classic bait-and-switch: technological change has resulted in seismic shifts in the economy, and activists have taken advantage of that to convince us that the economy changed because schools failed us, not because were living in one of the most significant periods of technological change in the history of the world and struggling to catch up. Theyve taken advantage of our gullibility to push a reactionary menu of zombie ideas designed to slow the pace of change to a speed thats more to their liking. Why? Because keeping things the way they are makes it more likely that people who already have advantages in society will get to keep them. Thats why.

Reform advocates have managed to accomplish what theyve accomplished partly by disguising their true intentions (most will go to great lengths to assure us that school choice will make public schools better even if there is no evidence to support such a claim), and partly with the help of their opponents. Thats right: weve helped them too. There are excellent charter schools out there, no doubt about it, but it seems increasingly likely that charters are the Trojan horse that will make vouchers possible. It gives me no pleasure to say it, but Im afraid it might be true. If it is, public schools will truly be in trouble.

Theyll be in trouble not because charter schools are a bad idea or even because choice is inherently bad either. Conservatives are about to win the argument partly because they won an election, but theyre also about to win because no powerful rationale for choice as a way of advancing equity has ever been embraced by opponents of the conservative agenda. Public school advocates could have, for example, embraced common standards as a way of ensuring more equitable school experiences for all, and as a launching point for then encouraging creativity and innovation in schools of choice that met the unique needs of individual families. Instead many joined conservatives to denounce Common Core as a billionaire boondoggle without recognizing how the standards could advance goals they held dear.

And that brings us to where we are now. The (un-)intended consequences of Trumps plan to distribute $20 billion in federal funds to support choice (note: thats almost exactly half of all the money the federal government spends on K-12 education right now) are mind-numbing to consider, and will, if implemented, have a definite negative impact on many of the people who voted for him. Im thinking especially here of teachers in small towns and rural areas. What happens when the only public elementary school in your community sees half its student population decamp for the local Christian heritage academy? Where will the school board turn for money for modest salary increases or to hire new teachers when federal funds have dried up and local taxpayers have grown even more tired of making up the shortfall? How long will it take before staff are laid off because of shrinking student populations? How will school leaders decide whom to lay off when tenure has been systematically weakened for all teachers?

There are other reasons to be concerned. What happens when the unregulated for-profit charter management organization leaves your city or town abruptly in search of greener pastures? What happens when the high-flying local high school starts turning students away because of overcrowding, and we later find out that it is doing so by systematically excluding students of a particular race or ethnicity? What are the implications of all of this for our experiment democracy? I can tell you this: I dont think any of it would bring us closer together.

In fact, what all of this would do is let people sink further into spaces that separate them from others, segregated by race, income, and cultural background. That might be an effective way to maintain power in the face of popular will, but its not a great way to sustain a democracy.

So should public school advocates be worried about what DeVos means for public education? You bet they should. In fact, Id go so far as to call this an existential crisis. If Trump is successful at distributing this $20 billion in public money for school choice, and if he and DeVos can convince even a handful of states to match or exceed those funds, he will have achieved a policy objective that has made conservative mouths water for decades. This plan is a voucher pig wearing school choice lipstick. Its Title I portability  on steroids. And whos to stop him? Certainly not Republicans in Congress. They have no interest in protecting the government school monopoly conservatives often rail against. This is what theyve been dreaming about, and its about to happen. That none of them would have thought it possible three weeks ago makes it all the more stunning.

And thats what worries me most. If the winners here were caught flat-footed, you can be sure the losers were too. People who dismiss the appointment of Betsy DeVos as just another political appointment of someone to a position without the ability to influence schools had better think again. Those who say we should wait and see and give her a chance to do her job might want to reconsider. The threat here is very real. Weve got a lot of work to do if were going to fight it.
Kenya: Dangote seeks limestone on east coast

30 November 2016

Dangote Group has expressed interest in prospecting for limestone in Malindi, 120km northeast of Mombasa. The group plans to explore limestone deposits in Kwachocha, Kijiwetanga Kizingo, Mbaraka Chembe and Mayungu, said Dan Kazungu, Mining Cabinet Secretary.

Mr Kazungu announced that the ministry is processing a licence to allow the exploration works. The ministry will set up a regional mining office in Malindi town to serve Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu.

Dangotes entry into the Kenyan cement market via low-cost imports from its Ethiopian plant has created a price war. Its imports are priced at approximately US$74/t, undercutting locally-manufactured product by up to 40 per cent. The group is importing cement in a short-term market entry plan as it prepares to establish a local plant by 2019.

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Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican and President-elect Donald Trumps selection for attorney general, said 16 years ago that the regulations around the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were accelerating the decline in civility in discipline in classrooms all over America.

Disability advocates are angry about the remarks , which were made on the Senate floor in 2000 and are archived on Sessions Senate website. As the top official overseeing the Department of Justice, Sessions would be in charge of enforcing the civil rights laws such as the IDEA and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Sessions remarks are heartless and misguided, according to parent advocate Candace Aylor, who was quoted in The Huffington Posts article Tuesday about Sessions remarks.

During his speech, Sessions related several stories from educators in Alabama who said they were unable to control the children in their classrooms because of restrictions placed on them by the special education law. An excerpt:

An experienced educator in Alabama shared these thoughts with me in a letter: "We have a student who is classified emotionally conflicted, learning disabled, and who has attention deficit disorder. While this student has been enrolled, students, teachers, and staff have been verbally threatened with physical harm. Fits of anger, fighting, and outbursts of verbal abuse have been commonplace. Parents and students have expressed concern over the safety of their children due to the behavior of this young man. Teachers have also become extremely apprehensive toward the presence of the student due to his explosive behavior. His misbehavior has escalated to the point that the instructional process of the entire school has been jeopardized." Here is another one: "I have taught for 25 years. I plan to continue teaching, but the problems with discipline are getting out of hand. We are not allowed to discipline certain students. Any student labeled as 'special needs' must be accommodated, not disciplined. A student recently brought a gun to my school. He made threats to students and teachers which he claims were jokes. I was one of those teachers. This student has been disruptive and belligerent since I first encountered him in the 9th grade. Now, he is a senior. After bringing a gun to school, he was given another 'second chance.' He should have been expelled. What is his handicap? He has a problem with mathematics. While this may be an extreme situation, it is not isolated." Still reading from the letter: "Teachers are told to handle discipline in the classroom. The government has taken most of the teachers' rights away; our hands are tied."

Sessions Said IDEA Allows Misbehavior With Impunity

Sessions said that he did not want to undermine the special education law. But at the same time, we need to say that a child is not allowed to commit crimes, to disrupt classroom, to curse teachers, principals and students, and abuse them and do so with impunity.

Sessions was first elected to the Senate in 1996. He voted in favor of the IDEA reauthorization in 1997 and in 2004, which was the last time that the special education law was reauthorized. He also noted in his statement that the federal government has never paid the 40 percent of excess costs of educating students with disabilities, as it is authorized to do under the law.

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network is among the groups that have condemned Sessions nomination , based in part on the 2000 Senate floor remarks.

Senator Sessions has suggested increasing the segregation of disabled students in public schools, calling the inclusion of students with significant disabilities the single most irritating problem for teachers throughout America today. We have grave concerns that under Sessions, the Department of Justice would not protect the rights of disabled people and other marginalized populations, the organization said in a statement.

Trump Campaign Addresses Inclusion

In an article in Forbes , Milwaukee special education teacher Melissa Patterson said that Sessions should visit her classroom.

I think he needs to go sit in an actual special ed classroom and see how it works and see the good is happening instead of what he thinks is happening, because he clearly doesnt know a whole lot of anything, Patterson said in the article. He needs to understand that regardless of disability, these kids are kids, and theyre in school to learn. We need to help them do that, and its his job to enforce that that is done.

In October, the Trump campaign responded to an inquiry about enforcing civil rights laws related to inclusion as part of a questionnaire developed by two disability advocacy organizations.

The federal courts have already found that students with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate education. To the extent this ruling is not being properly carried out, I will be open to ensuring that it is, Trump responded via the campaign.
Its been about a month since Donald Trump was elected president, and thousands of teachers are reporting in a new survey that the divisive election and its results have negatively impacted the classroomeffects that many say will be felt in classrooms for months to come.

Teaching Tolerance, an educational project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, unscientifically surveyed over 10,000 K-12 teachers, counselors, administrators, and other educators about the results of the presidential election, and found that the vast majority report that the bitter campaign season is reflected in classrooms. The educators who responded say that students feel a heightened sense of anxiety and concern, due to Trumps campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Mexicans, Muslims, women, and other marginalized groups.

Its important to note that this survey is not representativeTeaching Tolerance and other like-minded organizations distributed the survey online via email and social media. Those who chose to respond may have a higher level of interest in racial and cultural sensitivity, and educators who have seen problems in their classroom may have been more likely to participate in a survey on the issue.

Still, the collection of 10,000 responses is quite large. Here are some of the findings:



Half of the educators surveyed said that students were targeting each other based on which candidate they had supported in the election.

Half of the educators surveyed said they are hesitant to discuss the election in classand some teachers are even prohibited by their principals from doing so.

Over 2,500 educators recounted specific incidents of bigotry and harassment that can be tied to election rhetoric.

Forty percent of educators have heard derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslims, immigrants, female students, or LGBT students.

Two-thirds of educators said their administrators have been responsive, but 40 percent said they dont think their schools have action plans to respond to these incidents of hate and bias.

The survey is a follow-up to a similar study conducted in March where about 2,000 teachers surveyed said many of their students were feeling vulnerable about what will happen to them after the election, and that there had been a rise in uncivil political discourse.

The newest report includes a sampling of quotes and anecdotes from teachers who participated in the

survey. The chart to the right, taken directly from the report, shows the number of racist, sexist, or other derogatory remarks or references that teachers recounted in the survey.

Teachers reported seeing more blatant racism in schools than ever before, including an uptick in anti-Mexican or anti-Muslim sentiment, students drawing swastikas, or other forms of race-based bullying.

Teachers said their students were wary of each other, and trust had eroded. Students who supported Clinton were angry ateven fightingstudents who supported Trump.

One middle school teacher in Georgia said her African-American students have been refusing to work with the white students who supported Trump. Students are no longer looking at each other as people, but are looking at them as who their parents supported, the teacher said. It is no longer about issues, but about hate and fear and disagreement and all the things we work our tails off to teach our students to be careful and wary of. My heart is breaking.

Of course, not all teachers said the election results have had a lingering effect in their classrooms. A very small minority of respondents, according to Teaching Tolerance, said their students have accepted or welcomed the results and moved on.

Still one high school teacher in Iowa said that teachers were also struggling with how to return to a sense of normalcy after the election. I am wondering if teaching Arthur Millers The Crucible might bring me grief, the teacher wrote. Ive never even considered such a thought in 20-plus years of teaching!

So, what can teachers do in the aftermath? Teaching Tolerance offers several recommendations for teachers and for school administrators . Educators should make sure they have the resources and are prepared to help students of color and immigrant students who might be scared or anxious after the election. (Justin Minkel wrote for Education Week Teacher about what he is doing for his Latino students .)

Teaching Tolerance also advises educators to remind the school community of anti-bullying policies and set the expectation for students to speak up when they hear or see harassment. (Gina Caneva wrote for Education Week Teacher about how educators can combat bullying and harassment and why thats more important than ever.)

Teaching Tolerance also has a list of civic activities and resources on countering biases for teachers to use in class.

Source: Image #1 by Evan Vucci, via the Associated Press. Image #2 via Teaching Tolerance report.
We know that teachers have a significant impact on the children they teach. Research has consistently shown that the most influential factor in a students academic growth for any given school year is the teacher in the room. From prekindergarten through twelfth grade, each teachers skills and expertise contributes to a students educational outcomes. Each students educational outcomes, positive and negative, will influence and impact the students success in future school years and life.

From my personal experience as a math teacher, a school leader, and now as a district leader in Monroe City Schools, I have seen firsthand the effects of effective teaching on students learning. I have also seen, unfortunately, what happens when all students do not have access to effective teachers because of critical teacher shortages and attrition. In a district in which 87% of students are economically disadvantaged, each year it has become a greater challenge to hire and retain certified teachers.

Recently, Louisianas state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted teacher preparation policies that provide a yearlong residency for all aspiring teachers. These policies will take effect for all preservice teachers in the fall of 2018, but Monroe City Schools is not waiting until then to get involved.

Our district views teacher residencies as a powerful tool to address teacher shortages and prepare teachers to teach in our schools. This is why, in the summer of 2016, we committed to fund mentor teacher training and stipends for undergraduate resident teachers who are completing a yearlong residency in Monroe schools this school year.

Our superintendent Dr. Brent Vidrine has made this commitment based on the belief that school districts play a powerful role in preparing aspiring teachers and creating career pathways for our most effective teachers. As the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, I dedicate part of my time to oversee the residency program and collaborate with our partner institutions, Louisiana Tech University, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and Grambling State University.

From our perspective, investing in a yearlong residency program provides Monroe City Schools with several advantages:

1) Teacher residents spend a year in our district, learning our school culture, expectations, and communities. Research shows that new teachers are likely to be hired in the school or district where they completed student teaching, which means that we are more likely to be able to hire these new teachers and keep them in the schools where they are most needed.

2) Our most effective teachers serve as mentors, ensuring that residents are learning the craft of teaching from our best teachers. Further, the mentor teacher position provides the opportunity to invest in the teaching profession while allowing them to continue to hone their teaching skills.

3) School and district leaders co-construct and collaboratively oversee the residency experience to ensure that teacher residents have mastered essential teaching knowledge and skills before they receive a professional teaching certificate.

Its just the first semester of our first year implementing residencies, but we are already seeing its impact on students and teachers. During a recent visit from US Secretary of Education Dr. John B. King, Jr., the mentor teachers who were initially reluctant to host residents shared that the experience is improving their teaching and providing more one-on-one and small group teaching time for their students. The residents also described the power of gaining a years worth of practice alongside a mentor.

As a part of the larger workforce strategy in Monroe City Schools, the residency program has helped to develop a pathway into teaching in our schools and a pathway of leadership for our most effective teachers. We see the investment in residencies as vital to the long-term success of our schools and our students.

Serena White

Supervisor of Curriculum

Monroe City Schools

Monroe, Louisiana
Lil Wayne's Tour Bus Driver Sues Over Highway Drive-By Shooting

This month, Lil Wayne's bus driver filed suit against Peewee Roscoe, Young Thug, Birdman, as well as Cash Money Records and Young Money Records, alleging that all are liable for the emotional distress and other damages he suffered as a result of the attack on Lil Wayne's buses in April 2015. The suit alleges that there was a criminal conspiracy, as well as numerous other claims giving rise to civil liability.

In 2015, Lil Wayne's tour buses were attacked outside of Atlanta, Georgia by Peewee Roscoe, who plead guilty last year and is currently serving a 20 year sentence. Rappers Young Thug and Birdman were also implicated in the shooting, but not charged. The bus driver's suit stems from Roscoe's shooting into the two different buses that were carrying Lil Wayne and 11 others, including driver Alvin Lewis.

Liability for the Shooting

The shooting is alleged to be gang related in the civil complaint, as well as related to a dispute between the rappers. Lil Wayne had asserted a contract breach claim against the record label and Birdman, and had even filed a lawsuit seeking $51 million in damages as well as to be released from his record contract. Young Thug and Lil Wayne, who were reportedly good friends, no longer saw eye to eye as Young Thug planned to remain with the record label, while Lil Wayne was trying to get away from it.

Regardless of the reason for the shooting, Alvin Lewis asserts that he suffered damages as a result of Peewee Roscoe's shooting into the tour buses. The whole situation that led up to the shooting is surreal. The tour buses were being escorted out of Atlanta by police, and Roscoe was following them in a white Camaro with an automatic weapon. When the police escort left the side of the tour buses, Roscoe opened fire, then drove away. While driving to the shooting and then back from it, Roscoe had made calls to both Birdman as well as Young Thug.

While Lewis's complaint may state that Roscoe attempted to murder him by his action, it is clear that Roscoe's beef was with Lil Wayne. but that might not matter much when it comes to liability at the end of the day here.

Related Resources:
Expected Labor and Employment Law Rollbacks Under Trump

While President Barrack Obama was intent on expanding civil rights and pro-employee labor laws, President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be pro-business. As such, many expect Trump to rollback a significant number of the labor and employment law changes made by the Obama Administration, and to take a step further by implementing more pro-business policies.

While campaigning, Trump was rather vocal about repealing the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, the new overtime regulations slated to go into effect may be a prime target for an early Trump executive order. Although Trump already has a reputation for flip-flopping his position on important issues, most expect that he will consistently implement policies that generally benefit big businesses.

Affordable Care Act on the Chopping Block

The Affordable Care Act requires employers of 50 or more employees to offer their employees, who work 30 or more hours per week, health care coverage or face a financial penalty for each worker not covered. Trump, while campaigning, promised his supporters that he would get rid of Obamacare. However, now that Trump has been elected, he has walked back his statement a little bit.

Now, Trump asserts that parts of the ACA, like insurance companies not being able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, may be saved. It is likely to see that Trump will only make changes that benefit businesses, such as removing the penalty for employer non-compliance, and loosening requirements for businesses.

Overtime Rules for White Collar Employees

The rules for paying overtime were changed by President Obama in an executive order in 2014. However, the rule change, slated to go into effect this December, is on hold due to a Texas Federal Court order. Obama raised the minimum pay threshold for white collar employees to be properly considered exempt from the overtime rules from $23K per year to about $50K per year.

The change is expected to be costly for employers both small and large, as salaried employees that make less than the new threshold would become eligible for overtime. Commentators have speculated that Trump may decide to give up on the overtime rules entirely.

Other Possible Rollbacks

Trump's administration could also significantly impact union election rules, arbitration agreements, and the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Order.

But the possible rollbacks are almost endless, given Trump's determination to decrease regulations. Forbes has specified that there are 140 Obama regulations that Trump and the 115th Congress could eliminate.

Related Resources:
Tidal Allegedly Fired a New Mom Over Pumping Milk on the Job

A New York federal court complaint, filed last week, alleges that Jay Z's company, Tidal, discriminated against an employee who was returning from maternity leave. The complaint alleges that the day after the new mother explained to her boss that she needed a private room to pump milk in, she was terminated.

The terminated employee had only returned to work for one week before being terminated. During that week, she did use a private office to pump. However, she was allegedly told that she should stop and pump in a bathroom (which is a violation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). The lawsuit was filed under both state and federal civil rights laws, as well as for breach of contract and an intentional tort.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy discrimination is covered under Title VII and extends beyond simply the time when a woman is pregnant. It also covers situations post-pregnancy, such as lactation issues, and continued medical care. Additionally, pregnancy discrimination can cover someone who faces discrimination because an employer thinks they will become pregnant.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there are specific provisions that require employers to provide lactating mothers with a private area, that is not a bathroom, for them to pump breast milk. While the law does not require an employer to pay an employee while they are pumping, it does require an employer to provide the private space and break time for pumping. This specific provision only applies for one year after a birth, and employers with 50 or more employees may be able to avoid liability if they can prove compliance is too difficult.

As Tidal has learned, businesses must take seriously a woman's right to pump milk on the job. Tidal may be facing serious liability as a result of this alleged violation.

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Is Delaware the Best-Paying State for Lawyers?

'It's Good Being First.' Delaware's slogan turns out to be true -- again.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hottest spot on the map for new lawyers is Delaware. The report shows that the first state in the union is also the highest paying for lawyers based on cost-of-living adjusted salaries. The magic number is $132,446 annually.

Best Adjusted Salaries

Delaware law firms do not necessarily pay as well as big firms in New York and other states. Led by Cravath Swain, New York law firms recently set the mark at $180,000 for first-year associates. Large market law firms from Los Angeles to Washington are expected to follow.

Delaware's largest firms have raised starting salaries to between $150,000 to $160,000. David White, managing partner at Wilmington's McCarter & English, said many factors bring attorneys to Delaware. In addition to good pay, he said, young lawyers should be attracted to the legal culture.

"A young lawyer will not get swallowed up in a large city like New York or Boston or Philadelphia," White said. "There is a lot of mentoring that goes on."

Best Legal System

According to a U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, Delaware also ranked first overall in a national survey of 1,203 in-house general counsel, senior litigators or attorneys, and other senior executives at companies with at least $100 million in annual revenues. Corporate counsel ranked the country's 50 legal systems in 10 categories, including treatment of tort and contract litigation, judges' competence, and juries' fairness. Delaware scored first in six areas, and second in the other four.

"An examination of individual state evaluations, however, reveals wide disparity among those states that are doing the best job and those states that are doing the worst job, with the highest performing state (Delaware), scoring 77 out of a possible 100," the report says.

Money Isn't Everything, Is It?

While Delaware has long been known for its corporate-friendly environment, it is now gaining a reputation for its adjusted salaries and its legal quality of life. Salaries are lower in Delaware than big market states. Smaller firms pay far less, and new deputy attorney generals or assistant public defenders in Delaware usually make $61,837 -- or $31.71 an hour.

But Brendan O'Neill, the state's chief public defender, said the attraction to the public defender's office is not financial. "You can have a meaningful, interesting law practice and still have a balanced life, but you won't get rich," he said.

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It should come as no surprise that earlier this week at the Gartner Data Center, Infrastructure & Operations Management Summit in the United Kingdom, a prime topic of conversation was data center modernization. As demands for innovation grows, and digital business evolves, making the public cloud a part of your IT infrastructure has become a business imperative. It should also come as no surprise that VMware vCloud Air, a leader in this conversation, helps you leverage the benefits of public cloud without sacrificing investments that youve already made in your data center.

Since its built on the solid foundation of VMware vSphere, vCloud Air is the ready-to-run public cloud solution that allows you to seamlessly extend your data center to the cloud, yet still leverage the same infrastructure, network, security, management, and skills you already use with your onsite environment. By extending the same platform and operations model you use in your onsite data center to the cloud, you can deploy and run your applications onsite, offsite, or bothwithout compromise and with less risk.

Attendees in London had the chance to witness demos, talk to experts and understand firsthand how vCloud Air helps companies transform and stay competitive by extending their networks to the cloud.

And next week, the conversation continues here in the the colonies. Beginning December 5th and through December 7th, Gartner hosts the US version of the Gartner Data Center, Infrastructure & Operations Management Conference at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Once again, VMware will be onhand (see us at Booth #137) with technical sessions, more demos and more experts ready to answer questions about the public cloud journey and how you can be an enabler of transformation and data center modernization within your own organization. Hope to see you there!

If youre ready to get started with the hybrid cloud, visit vCloud.VMware.com.

For future updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @vCloud and Facebook.com/VMwarevCloud.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions
Last week, the San Francisco Municipal Light Rail system (the Muni) had to stop charging passengers to ride because a ransomware hacker had taken over its network and encrypted the drives of all of its servers.



The Muni's many screens displayed messages demanding that the system send bitcoin to cryptom27@yandex.com or never get its data back. This prompted an anonymous hacker to break into the cryptom27@yandex.com email account (by guessing the answer to the hacker's secret questions) and share its content with security journalist Brian Krebs; Krebs's source also broke into a backup account apparently associated with the same ransomware creep, cryptom2016@yandex.com.





The cryptom account was also linked to another (as yet unhacked) email, w889901665@yandex.com, which has been used to demand blackmail money in many other ransomware attacks.

Cryptom's preferred attack method is to scan for vulnerabilities in Oracle products, which they leverage to launch ransomware infections. Some of the companies that Cryptom attacked include China Construction of America Inc (which paid him 24 btc); Irwin & Leighton; CDM Smith Inc; Skillman; and Rudolph Libbe Group.





Cryptom's nationality is hard to pin down; some evidence leads to Russia, but Krebs speculates that these might be deliberate red herrings, and that Cryptom may be in Iran.



According to a review of email messages from the Cryptom27 accounts shared by my source, the attacker routinely offered to help victims secure their systems from other hackers for a small number of extra Bitcoins. In one case, a victim that had just forked over a 20 Bitcoin ransom seemed all too eager to pay more for tips on how to plug the security holes that got him hacked. In return, the hacker pasted a link to a Web server, and urged the victim to install a critical security patch for the company's Java applications. "Read this and install patch before you connect your server to internet again," the attacker wrote, linking to this advisory that Oracle issued for a security hole that it plugged in November 2015. In many cases, the extortionist told victims their data would be gone forever if they didn't pay the ransom in 48 hours or less. In other instances, he threatens to increase the ransom demand with each passing day.

San Francisco Rail System Hacker Hacked [Brian Krebs/Krebs on Security]



(via /.)
A Christmas Eve Brunch will be served to those in need, hosted by Salvation Army. The brunch will take place on Saturday, Dec. 24 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Chattanooga Salvation Army ReCreate Cafe, 800 McCallie Ave.



Those in need are invited to gather in the ReCreate Cafe to enjoy a meal in celebration of Christmas. An array of brunch food will be served, along with coffee and other hot drinks.



The Christmas Eve Brunch is made possible by donations made to Salvation Army. "The donations made to The Salvation Army are what make this brunch possible, allowing those in need to eat for free," organizers said.

The brunch will include an array of different breakfast and lunch foods, as well as coffee and other hot drinks. We are able to not only provide warmth and shelter to many of those in need in our community, but also allow them a chance to celebrate the holidays like everyone else, said Kimberly George, director of Marketing and Development at Salvation Army. The donations made by the community allow us to reach our goal of helping those who need it most.



The Salvation Army will also distribute new back packs filled by the community with special gifts to all guests who attend the brunch.

"With the holidays around the corner, its the time of year when people in the community want to give back. The Salvation Army may best be known for the bell ringers, who invite adults and children alike to donate even small change to give back to the organization. Those who donate may not realize the impact their contribution, however, without their donations, events like this would not be possible," officials said.



For more information about the Christmas Eve Brunch, visit www.csarmy.org/events.asp.
A glass is a curious material in between liquid and solid states of matter, but eventually glass always yields to its solid proclivity by settling into the ordered patterns of a crystal. Or so it was thought.

Princeton University researchers have developed a computational model for creating a "perfect glass" that never crystallizes  even at absolute zero. Published in Nature Scientific Reports, the model is a new way of thinking about glass and details the extremely unusual properties of a perfect glass.

"We know that if you make anything cold enough it will crystallize, but this is an extremely exotic situation where you're completely avoiding that," said corresponding author Salvatore Torquato , a Princeton professor of chemistry and the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials .

Princeton University researchers have developed a computational model for creating a "perfect glass" that never crystallizes  even at absolute zero. The molecular structure of a glass suggests it should have liquid properties, yet it behaves with the rigidity of a solid. The researchers expanded beyond the typical 2-body interactions  which refer to the interaction between molecules  to consider 2-, 3- and 4-body interactions. The simulation above depicts a collection of particles (red) being cooled rapidly to 0 degrees Kelvin (absolute zero). The researchers were able to suppress crystallization at absolute zero so that the final state shown is a perfect glass.

Scientists researching glass have been puzzled by its nature for more than a century. The unruly configuration of its molecules suggests that it should flow like a liquid yet it is as rigid and unyielding as a solid. The glass transition, or the temperature when cooled liquids transform into a glass, is another mystery. Whereas the transition from a liquid to a solid is extremely sharp, at 0 degrees Celsius in water for example, glasses can form over a range of temperatures and only if the liquids were cooled rapidly enough to avoid crystallization.

In developing their model, the researchers set out to determine whether a glass could exist that could forever avoid crystallization. "Our model is an out-of-the-box possibility," Torquato said.

The model stems from two areas in Torquato's research group that were well suited for a perfect-glass model. The lab focuses on exotic hyperuniform states of matter, materials for which atoms appear disordered locally but display long-range order globally that pops up in various contexts, including the eye of a chicken. The other is maximally random jammed packing, a way of arranging particles in a system so that it has a very high degree of disorder and the particles are jammed together, forever frozen in space.

In the perfect-glass model "crystals are banished," Torquato said. "They could never form by design of the interactions between the particles."

To find these perfect glasses, the researchers' model considered 2-, 3-, and 4-body interactions, which refer to the interactions between the number of particles, whereas previous models considered only 2-body interactions, or interactions between pairs of particles. While 2-, 3-, and 4-body interactions are more complicated and have yet to be seen in nature, expanding to these interactions allowed the researchers to suppress crystallization where others had failed.

In addition to its defining ability to resist crystallization, a perfect glass is imbued with zero compressibility, meaning that it is impervious to outside forces and also an excellent medium for propagating sound. In fact, sound would be able to travel through a perfect glass at the speed of light, said Ge Zhang, a graduate student in the Torquato lab and lead author on the study. Zhang and Torquato worked with coauthor Frank Stillinger, a senior chemist in Princeton's Department of Chemistry.

The model also offers a solution to a paradox that has perplexed researchers for decades and was first defined at Princeton in 1948 by the late chemistry professor Walter Kauzmann. The Kauzmann paradox considered the "entropy crisis" that's brought on by supercooling a glass-forming liquid beyond a certain temperature.

Entropy is a measure of disorder, which means that a free-flowing liquid has more disorder, and thus entropy, than a highly structured crystal. But as the liquid is cooled, the entropy difference between the liquid and crystal begins to decrease. If that trend played out to low enough temperatures, Kauzmann proffered, eventually there would be a temperature now known as the Kauzmann temperature beyond which the entropy, or disorder, of the crystal actually becomes greater than that of the supercooled liquid  a paradoxical situation.

The perfect-glass model, however, sidesteps this paradox entirely. Since the glass cannot crystallize, there is no crystalline entropy with which to compare the liquid entropy, and thus no risk of running into the entropy crisis.

Normand Mousseau, physics professor at the University of Montreal, said that the Princeton researchers took an atypical approach to answering an old question: "At low temperatures, can the most stable structure be something that is a glass? Can that exist in the universe?" While their model doesn't fully answer those questions, it does provide more information, said Mousseau, who is familiar with the research but had no role in it. "Having a new way to look at this problem clearly helps us to move forward," he said.

For now, the perfect-glass model is a theoretical proof of concept, though an intriguing one that defies current understandings of glass. Its actual creation is a long ways off, though Torquato suggests that polymer systems may be a good place to look. In the meantime, he said, there's still a lot to learn about the theory of perfect glasses.
Civis Analytics, the Chicago-based data science company founded by the chief analytics officer of President Obama's 2012 campaign, has raised $22 million in Series A funding, the company announced Wednesday.

Columbus-based Drive Capital, which focuses on investing in Midwestern companies, led the round. Other investors in the round were Verizon Ventures; WPP, a leading advertising conglomerate; and Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet.

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This is the first outside funding for Civis since it raised an undisclosed seed round in 2013 from Schmidt, who also serves on Civis' board of directors. Early on, the company focused on providing data science services to political and media clients. Now it's also reaching out to other industries and giving them tools to solve problems on their own.

"We kind of built the company Chicago-style," said Civis founder and CEO Dan Wagner, meaning the company took in that "little bit" of early capital, then relied on revenue rather than outside investors to grow into the 135-person company it is today.

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Wagner said he decided to take on funding now to further build up the staff and invest in developing products that can help Civis clients solve business problems using data science techniques and tools.

Civis recently moved into a new office at 200 W. Monroe St. that can house 190 employees, Wagner said. There are currently 120 in the space; he expects the company to hire 70 people to fill the office by the end of 2017. Civis has about 15 employees in Washington, D.C., as well.

Half of Civis' employees work in research and development or engineering, Wagner said. He plans to hire more software engineers, applied data scientists and other data scientists in the coming year.

About a year ago, Civis introduced its first self-service software tools for companies and organizations, marking a departure from its earlier status as a services company. Civis continues to do work for clients including Verizon and the office of the Illinois state treasurer, but also offers tools such as a platform that lets an organization's employees use data to make predictions and one that helps groups decide where to place TV ads. The tools start at $5,000 per user per month, a spokeswoman said.

Wagner said the company's mission  solving hard problems using data  has not changed, but that Civis is today more focused on empowering companies to tackle data problems themselves.

Until now, Civis has worked with a varied group of clients, from digital platforms such as Airbnb to the Gates Foundation. Wagner said two areas of opportunity for the company are the public sector and health-care industry.

The company will also continue to work with political clients. Despite his background with the Obama campaign, Wagner said neither he nor Civis worked on Hillary Clinton's presidential bid this year.

He said both campaigns and companies can learn from what he called the failure of the polling industry to capture public opinion in the run-up to the 2016 election. It's time for political pollsters and others to figure out better ways to reach people who may now be less likely to respond to traditional methods, he said.

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"We're generally building capabilities that help people measure opinion effectively," he said.

aelahi@tribpub.com

Twitter @aminamania
Pritzker Group Venture Capital, one of Chicago's most active venture capital funds, is ramping up its presence in Los Angeles, where it sees opportunity in health care, artificial intelligence and consumer-facing businesses.

The firm announced Tuesday that two of its Chicago investment staff have moved to Los Angeles, a step leaders hope will help it tap into more deals in the city that is home to YouTube and Snapchat.

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Its headquarters remains in Chicago, where co-founder J.B. Pritzker  and 11 other employees are based. His brother and co-founder Tony lives in Los Angeles, where he also works on private capital for the umbrella Pritzker Group.

The firm started evaluating 12 cities across the country for a second office location about five years ago, said Chris Girgenti, managing partner of venture capital. It came down to Los Angeles or New York, based in part on how many new companies were starting there. Plus, the firm had extensive connections in both cities. He said they decided on Los Angeles because there was less local capital there than in New York.

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"The interesting dynamic with LA is you've got some of the Valley (venture capital) firms that can hop on a flight and be here for a day or overnight," said Girgenti, who is based in Chicago but spoke to Blue Sky by phone from Los Angeles. "But we felt like if we could establish ourselves as a resident that we could garner a disproportionate amount of deal flow."

Pritzker Group opened a Los Angeles office in 2001, yet Girgenti said the company until recently had only a single venture capital employee there, supplemented by periodic visits by Chicago-based partner Matt McCall .

"We started to get into the deal flow and meet people," Girgenti said. "I think we became a part of the community but also recognized there was a difference between living here and flying here for a couple days a month."

In August, Peter Liu, a vice president at Pritzker Group Venture Capital, moved to the Los Angeles office, followed in September by partner Gabe Greenbaum. The firm hired an associate for Los Angeles, Nico Gimenez, in October.

This is the first time Pritzker Group Venture Capital has had a permanent, multi-person investing team in Los Angeles. Girgenti said he is interested in opening a similar office in New York within the next two to three years but did not want to open two coastal offices at the same time. For now, the firm will continue to rely on existing relationships to find deals in New York.

He emphasized that Pritzker Group Venture Capital invests in companies across the country, but that he sees an opportunity to do more "in-depth work" in cities where the firm has people on the ground. In addition to seeing more deals, he thinks being in Los Angeles could give the firm better access to the kinds of consumer-facing companies that are rarer in Chicago. The firm's portfolio currently includes SMS Assist in Chicago and actress Jessica Alba's The Honest Company in Santa Monica.

Girgenti said he hopes to expand the firm's Venture Fellows program to Los Angeles, working with UCLA and the University of Southern California. In Chicago, the summer program awards funding and mentoring to teams of Northwestern and University of Chicago MBA students running technology companies.

He said the firm has no specific goal regarding how many deals it will make in Los Angeles. Pritzker Group Venture Capital, which has a $400 million fund, writes checks of all sizes and is not concerned with deal volume.

"Our focus solely is finding good deals," Girgenti said.

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aelahi@tribpub.com

Twitter @aminamania
Fake news isn't the only thing that smartphone users should be cautious about these days.

As the holiday shopping season is in full swing, a slew of fake retail apps are appearing in smartphone app stores. These apps, which usually look like official shopping apps from retail brands, install malware on the phones of unsuspecting customers once downloaded. From there, identity and credit card information can be stolen, or downloaded ransomware can remotely lock a user's phone until they pay up.

Last week, researchers at cybersecurity company RiskIQ released a report estimating that one in 10 apps advertising Black Friday deals was fraudulent.

"This problem has been worse this year than any of the previous years," said Ian Cowger, security researcher at RiskIQ. "Malicious authors targeting app stores have become much more adept at targeting holidays and other events that can net them users."

As shopping increasingly moves online, the holiday season has become a traffic boon to shopping apps and websites. This past Black Friday, phone and tablet app shopping hit a record $3.34 billion revenue, an increase of 33 percent from last year, according to an estimate by software and analytics company Adobe. Meanwhile, the number of brick-and-mortar Black Friday shoppers has dropped.

In an interview with CBS News, fashion blogger Michelle Madhok cited the ease of price shopping on mobile platforms. "It's a click to see what the other prices are," she said. "Before, you had to drive from store to store to compare prices or go through tons of inserts in your newspaper."

The RiskIQ report said that five popular shopping brands were the biggest targets for counterfeit apps. The report did not detail which brands were most affected for fear of causing customer confusion or panic, but the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi, which issued a similar warning last week, cited stores such as FootLocker, Nordstrom, Zappos.com and Christian Dior as common targets.

The report, compiled by monitoring about 180 app stores worldwide, pointed to Google Play, AppChina and Baidu as the app stores with the highest number of counterfeit apps.

When asked for comment, Google supplied information on their prevention process for fraudulent apps, which includes automated scanning for spam-like code and the presence of malware, a team of experts who review apps for potential violations, and a user/developer community flagging function. "We take security seriously," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

But smartphone users need to stay vigilant. Jocelyn Baird, an editor at consumer safety website NextAdvisor.com, recommends downloading apps from official store websites whenever possible to avoid counterfeits. She said that an app purchase that shows up under an unrelated company name on a credit card statement is another typical warning sign. Baird also suggested reading the app name and description carefully for subtle distinctions from an official brand.

"When in doubt, you can do some Web searching to verify the full name a company uses," she said. "Be on the lookout for misspellings or poor grammar, which you're unlikely to see in the description for a real app."

Cowger also recommended ignoring app reviews as an indicator since these can be forged. He noted that apps that ask for strange permissions, such as access to text messages, credit card information or passwords, should be approached with caution.

And last but not least: "If it seems too good to be true," he said, "it oftentimes isn't true."
Karla Brandenburg, who underwent hip replacement surgery, exercises Nov. 23, 2016, in her Elgin home. She used an app provided by the hospital, Amita Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, to help her recovery. (James C. Svehla / Chicago Tribune)

Ten years ago, Tom Riley watched his mother struggle to communicate with her doctors as she battled ovarian cancer.

He noticed that, like many patients, she often skimmed over potentially important details about how she was feeling, problems that could have been addressed had doctors known about them.

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"She didn't think it was important enough to tell her doctor about certain symptoms," Riley said. "She was editing the information without any real medical basis for it."

That experience led Riley, of Glenview, to create TapCloud, an app designed to help patients prepare for and recover from surgery and communicate their symptoms. Local hospital system Amita Health is now using it and has noticed promising results: of 309 orthopedic patients who have used the app, none have so far had to be readmitted to the hospital.

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A growing number of Chicago-area hospitals are beginning to use similar apps in hopes of improving patients' health and reducing re-admissions, which can be distressing for patients and costly for hospitals. Amita, Northwestern Medicine, Rush University Medical Center and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital are among local hospitals and heath systems using such apps with some of their patients.

Karla Brandenburg demonstrates the TapCloud app's display of possible symptoms on Nov. 23, 2016. Patients can tap words that best fit their condition. Brandenbirg, an Elgin author, said the word cloud helped her "feel more comfortable with what I was going through" as she recovered from hip replacement surgery. (James C. Svehla / Chicago Tribune)

It's a trend that likely will continue to grow, said Dr. Karandeep Singh, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School who studies health care apps.

"Frankly, it's the direction our health care system needs to go," Singh said. "People are used to instant feedback."

Though the apps are all different, they often aim to help patients prepare for surgery by reminding them of tasks they should complete ahead of procedures, such as scheduling appointments, avoiding foods after a certain time or clearing their homes of clutter to make getting around easier after surgery. Such suggestions and requirements are otherwise often laid out in paper packets that patients may or may not remember to look at when the time is right.

The apps also help patients recover, such as by reminding them to move a certain amount each day, describing how they should be feeling and helping them communicate with nurses and doctors.

"You might tell patients to follow up in three months or six months, but for that period of time between those follow-ups, you're just assuming the patient is going to let you know if something's going on," said Dr. Reinhold Llerena, chief medical officer at Amita Health Medical Group.

It's an easy means for them to reply back as opposed to fielding a call from the office and returning it. It's just like texting back and forth.  Bill Booth, who used Twistle to communicate with doctors

He called the TapCloud app an "opportunity to follow those patients daily"  a feat that might not otherwise be possible. Nurses don't typically call patients each day to check on their symptoms and progress once they've left the hospital.

TapCloud allows nurses to see, on a daily basis and on one screen, a list of patients, whether they're feeling better or worse each day and their reported pain levels. They can then see which patients need the most help and prioritize follow-up phone calls. Doctors and nurses also can drill down to see whether individual patients are taking their medications, what symptoms they're experiencing each day and what activities or exercises they've completed  based on what patients record in the app.

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Elgin author Karla Brandenburg said she found the TapCloud app reassuring when she used it after a recent hip replacement at Amita Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. She probably would have remembered to do most of her post-surgery activities, such as exercises, without the app, she said. But she liked the part of the app that helped her describe her symptoms to nurses at the hospital.

The app asks patients to describe how they're feeling by presenting them with an array of words, specific to their conditions, to describe possible symptoms. Patients tap the words that best fit their physical and mental states on a particular day.

"Knowing that the word cloud was there and that those symptoms were typical, I think, did make me feel more comfortable with what I was going through," Brandenburg said.

She said it allows patients to tell doctors and nurses about symptoms they might otherwise gloss over  out of discomfort or forgetfulness.

When Bill Booth had his colon removed earlier this year at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, he used an app called Twistle. The app regularly sent him questions about his symptoms post-surgery and made communicating with his doctor simple, said Booth, who works in construction management. A few times, nurses called him to follow up when they thought there might be a problem based on his answers to the app's questions about how he was feeling.

"It's an easy means for them to reply back as opposed to fielding a call from the office and returning it," Booth said of communicating with doctors. "It's just like texting back and forth."

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Lutheran General has been using the Twistle app with patients undergoing colon and rectal surgeries since March as part of a larger team-based care effort. Like Amita, it's seen encouraging results. Readmissions among colon and rectal surgery patients dropped from 14.5 percent in 2015 to 5 percent after March 2016. About 160 Advocate Lutheran patients are now using the app and the hospital plans to soon expand its use, said Flo Kiokemeister, a nurse at the hospital and project manager of the larger effort.

"We've been able to cut down on our readmission rate because these patients have problems that are identified sooner," said Dr. John Park, chief of the division of colon and rectal surgery at the hospital.

Reducing readmission rates can help hospitals and patients save money, said Jodi Rosen, director of innovation at Northwestern Medicine. Hospitals with too many readmissions can face financial penalties under Obamacare.

Northwestern began using an app called HealthLoop this fall with some patients at its downtown medical campus and plans to expand it to cardiac surgery patients at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield this month.

Rush University Medical Center also is just beginning to use an app called SeamlessMD with patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, also partly in hopes of reducing readmission rates and complications, said Dr. Joanne Favuzza, an assistant professor and colorectal surgeon at Rush.

"Our hope is we'll be able to track patients' progress, see how they're doing, maybe identify problems early so they don't need to be admitted," Favuzza said.

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Riley, the CEO of TapCloud, hopes to see his app expand to more hospitals. Like all the apps used by Chicago-area hospitals, TapCloud is free to patients. TapCloud costs hospitals anywhere from $100,000 to $2 million a year depending on how they want to use it.

Riley's mom died about five years ago from her cancer  too soon to use the app herself  but Riley hopes it helps others. He said one of the challenges in health care now is that once a patient leaves the hospital, all the onus is on that patient to decide when to speak up about a problem or seek care.

"If doctors are aware of what's happening with patients earlier, there's much more opportunity to be proactive and catch things before they worsen," he said.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
Uncertainty surrounding the future of Obamacare hasn't stopped a growing number of consumers in Illinois and across the nation from buying health insurance through the law's exchanges this year.

More than 2.1 million Americans  including 68,192 Illinoisans  selected health insurance plans through the Obamacare exchange since open enrollment began Nov. 1, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Wednesday.

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In Illinois, that's up nearly 1,400 over the same time last year, and nationally, that's about 97,000 more compared with November 2015.

"People are trying to get coverage while they can," said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

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People are trying to get coverage while they can.  Sabrina Corlette, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms

The numbers were released a day after President-elect Donald Trump tapped Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., an Affordable Care Act opponent, to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Trump has promised to repeal and replace the health care law, but it's unclear when a repeal might take effect and what would replace Obamacare.

In the meantime, many Illinois consumers say they have little choice but to continue buying the coverage despite the questions about its future. For 2017, they face higher prices, fewer choices and often the confusion that comes from trying to navigate those issues.

Most Illinois residents get health coverage through their employers or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. But this year, more than 300,000 bought insurance through the Obamacare exchange, and about three-fourths of them received federal tax credits to help offset the cost of premiums.

Americans have until Dec. 15 to buy plans through the exchange if they want coverage to begin Jan. 1.

John Holden, a Chicago freelance writer and landlord, said he's relatively healthy now, but doesn't want to gamble on his future by skipping coverage for next year.

"If I were hit by a car or what have you, I wouldn't want to compromise my entire financial future, which I've worked very hard to try to secure for many years," said Holden, 55.

He's not sure whether he'll buy a plan on or off the exchange  though he imagines both will be affected by an Obamacare repeal. The uncertainty is grating, he said, but not enough to stop him from securing health insurance. Under Obamacare, all Americans must get insurance or pay a penalty.

"It just adds another level of aggravation to the process, going through all this work this year and not knowing what we'll face a year from now," Holden said.

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Some experts have speculated that any plan to repeal and replace Obamacare would include a transition period away from the law. Even with a transition period, however, insurers might choose to leave the exchanges if the Trump administration cuts off funding for certain provisions of the law, Georgetown's Corlette said.

Many consumers already have spent hours trying to find the best exchange coverage for their families  a task made more difficult this year by reduced choices and higher prices.

In Cook County, for example, individuals have 38 plans to choose from in 2017, down from 71 plans this year. In many cases, it's become difficult to find plans that include preferred doctors or hospitals.

For next year, no exchange plan includes University of Chicago Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital or Lurie Children's Hospital in its network. One exchange plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois' Blue Precision HMO, allows patients to see doctors at Northwestern's Streeterville campus, but only if they're referred by doctors with Northwestern's hospitals in Winfield or Geneva, or its Regional Medical Group.

Corlette said it's common across the country to see academic medical centers left out of exchange plans. Exchange shoppers tend to be very price-conscious, so insurers are trying to keep premiums for those plans low. One way to do that is by excluding academic medical centers, which often charge higher rates for services than other types of providers, Corlette said. Consumers who must go to an academic medical center for a specific service or specialist can ask insurers if they can make an exception or they can go to their state departments of insurance to see if they can compel coverage in some cases, she said.

The slimmed-down networks, paired with higher prices, have made shopping more confusing this year, said Frank Vance, owner of EganVance Insurance in Chicago and former president of the Chicago Southland Association of Health Underwriters.

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Monica Niccolai, of Chicago, already has made more than a dozen calls to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Northwestern as she searches for a plan for her husband. She said she's gotten conflicting answers, and she's worried that she won't be able to get definitive answers before the Dec. 15 deadline.

At this point, she said in an email she's "hoping and praying" it will all work out.

Insurance broker Robert Slayton, past president of the Illinois State Association of Health Underwriters, said he's hearing more questions from clients about buying exchange coverage for next year. Still, Illinois residents are signing up for exchange plans because the exchange remains the only place to get federal tax credits  even if it's uncertain how much longer those tax credits will last.

"I tell people their job is to get through 2017," said Slayton, who runs a brokerage agency in Naperville. "You can't do any more than that."

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
Dhru Desai, left, chief financial officer and chairman of Schaumburg-based Quadrant 4 System, and Nandu Thondavadi, CEO, were charged with wire fraud and certifying false financial reports related to two acquisitions and the settlement of a lawsuit against the company in 2013. (Handout)

Two top executives of a publicly traded Schaumburg software and consulting firm were arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly misrepresenting the company's finances to inflate its stock price.

Nandu Thondavadi, CEO of Schaumburg-based Quadrant 4 System, and Dhru Desai, its chief financial officer and chairman, were charged with wire fraud and certifying false financial reports related to two acquisitions and the settlement of a lawsuit against the company in 2013.

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Thondavadi faces an additional charge of making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission in May during an investigation into the company's financial practices.

Both appeared in Chicago federal court Wednesday morning to hear the charges, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years each for wire fraud and certifying false financial reports. Thondavadi faces an additional 5 years for allegedly making false statements to the SEC.

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Thondavadi, 62, of North Barrington, and Desai, 55, of Barrington, are being held in federal custody, with a bond hearing set for Friday afternoon.

Quadrant 4, which launched in 2010, provides software and consulting services to health care and education customers. The firm reported $52 million in revenues and a net loss of $516,000 for 2015, according to financial filings.

The complaint alleges that Quadrant 4 misrepresented its acquisitions of Teledata Technology Solutions and Momentum Mobile in 2013, overstating the value of the deals. In the Teledata purchase, for example, the company said in financial statements it paid the seller 3 million shares of Quadrant 4 stock, when the actual agreement called for a payment of 475,000 shares, according to the complaint.

In late 2013, Quadrant 4 began making cash payments on a $1.75 million settlement after a court ruled it had breached a financing agreement with a New York-based lender, Downtown Capital Partners. Quadrant 4 allegedly misrepresented the settlement in financial statements as a payment of 1.87 million shares of its stock to enhance its cash position to investors, according to the complaint.

Thondavadi and Desai were the largest individual shareholders of the company at the time, according to the complaint.

In May, after the SEC launched an investigation into the company's financial practices, the agency questioned Thondavadi in its Chicago office about his potential interests in Core Information Technology Solutions, a major Quadrant 4 client. At the time, Thondavadi denied having any financial control or ownership interest in CITS, despite evidence to the contrary presented by the SEC, according to the complaint.

The company subsequently filed an amended annual report acknowledging related party transactions with CITS, which the complaint alleges resulted in $1.4 million in net transactions with Quadrant 4 in 2015.

Quadrant 4 has offices in seven states and India.

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rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
United Continental is weighing whether to alter a $12.4 billion order for Airbus Group's largest twin-engine jets and is studying a swap of Boeing's smallest 737 for a longer version still on the drawing board.

The airline may convert some of the Airbus A350-1000s to smaller long-haul models, Chief Financial Officer Andrew Levy said in an interview at United's Chicago headquarters. United also is considering the so-called Max 10X, a stretch of Boeing's largest 737, to replace some of the single-aisle jet orders it recently deferred as part of a cost-savings push.

Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz hired Levy in August as part of a new management team charged with closing the company's profit gap with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. In mid-November United postponed 61 of Boeing's smallest passenger jets, trimming spending by $1.6 billion over the next two years, as part of $4.8 billion in initiatives to cut costs and generate revenue.

"These fleet decision are big decisions, they affect your balance sheet for a long time," Levy, 47, said in the interview. "These are big capital decisions that you have to live with for a really long time, so you need to make sure you get it right."

United holds the second-largest order for the -1000, which has only garnered 195 total orders, according to Airbus's website. Qatar Airways is the largest customer for the jet, which is similar in size to Boeing's 777-300ER and took its maiden flight last week. An Airbus representative declined to comment.

Levy said United also is rethinking its share buybacks after announcing a $2 billion repurchase plan this summer that followed a $3 billion effort from a year earlier. The pace may need to slow because of significant increases in labor expenses from several new union contracts as well as rising fuel costs, he said.

United unveiled other efforts this month to reap greater revenue and savings from its worldwide route network. Improvements in the way the airline forecasts demand and manages seats is expected to generate an extra $900 million a year. Cost-cutting moves will save another $700 million by 2020, compared with last year's level.

Munoz pledged to reshape the executive corps he inherited when he became CEO in September 2015 and has been under pressure from investors to improve performance. With new agreements with workers in hand, the focus now is to lift United's operating profit, which amounted to 13.6 percent of sales last year. Industry leader Delta had a 19 percent margin and American's was 15.1 percent.

Scrapping current jet orders altogether is unlikely because it would be too costly, Levy said. United plans to accept delivery of 14 of Boeing's ultra-long 777-300ER, the first of which is due to arrive within weeks. That is a "done deal," he said.

Boeing met with United officials recently to discuss the Max 10X, a longer version of the largest 737 model. It "definitely looks to be of interest to us," Levy said.

United's interest is critical as Boeing weighs how to respond to the Airbus A321neo, which has emerged as a hot-seller for airlines flying trans-continental routes.

Boeing is mulling two options. One is a simple stretch of the Max 9 that would enter the market by 2019 and rely on a higher-thrust version of the Leap-1B engine developed for the Max family. The Chicago-based planemaker is also studying a more extensive revamp that would rely on the larger Leap created for Airbus and would be ready to fly commercially by late 2021.

"We are continuing to work through the business case and talk to customers about a potential Max 10X," Boeing spokesman Paul Lewis said. "Once this process is successfully completed we will be in a position to share more details."

Deferring the 61 737-700s was an easy call, Levy said, because of the jet's small size and older technology. United also is considering the more advanced 737 Max 8 or the Max 9 models as replacements, Levy said.

Levy likes Bombardier's C Series jets but until a review of United's entire fleet is completed he's unsure "if there's a place for a 100- to 120-seat airplane."

United placed the A350-1000 order in 2013, and it has a value of $12.4 billion at list prices before big discounts that are customary for major airlines. Levy wants to look at whether United should swap out some or all of those aircraft for other wide-body jets, such as the A350-900, which can fly longer routes, or the smaller A330.

"Since we have the opportunity let's look at what we think would be ideal," he said.

Bloomberg's Julie Johnsson and Benjamin Katz contributed
When Stephan Jones moved to California five years ago, he followed in the footsteps of many Chicagoans leaving bitter winters behind.

But Jones, owner of Stephan Jones Interiors, also kept a foothold  his two-bedroom condo in a midcentury high-rise building in the Uptown neighborhood, which he lived in for 15 years before moving to Los Angeles.

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"I'm a born-and-bred Midwesterner," he said. Plus, "I still continue to have clients in Chicago."

Jones is one of many who keep a Chicago pied-a-terre, a small apartment or condo in the city to stay in from time to time.

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Some, like Jones, are former Chicagoans who return to visit friends or family. Some travel on business and don't want to bother with hotels. Some simply appreciate a city outpost with arts and culture but more affordable real estate than San Francisco or New York.

"The clients are a little bit all over the map," said Katherine Malkin, a broker at Baird & Warner with clients who have second homes downtown.

Most want flats, she said, in a building with amenities to accommodate the come-and-go lifestyle.

Buying in the city is slightly on the rise  investment purchases in urban areas increased to 29 percent from 26 percent in 2014, according to an April National Association of Realtors survey.

More than one-third (37 percent) plan to use property for vacations or a family retreat, while others purchase for future retirement or rental income.

The Gold Coast used to be the most in-demand area for pied-a-terres, Malkin said. But she added that River North is also popular, as are areas near Grant Park that are walking distance from museums and summer concerts.

Liz Brooks, vice president of sales and marketing for developer Belgravia Group, said many out-of-state apartment owners live in driving-distance states like Michigan.

"They come in with friends and relatives to entertain or for a quick weekend getaway," she said.

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One couple, for example, has a home in Ann Arbor, Mich., but keeps an apartment to visit their son and grandchildren in Lincoln Square. Another couple's primary home is in Houston, yet one spouse regularly travels to Amsterdam and often stays in Chicago.

Pied-a-terres vary from a one-bedroom to apartments with extra bedrooms to entertain family for the holidays.

Key on the second-home shopping list? Amenities and a management company to take care of anything that needs fixing. For example, when a toilet exploded in Jones' apartment.

"When you're not living there on a full-time basis, it's rather nerve-wracking," Jones said. "What if there's a leak going on, and you don't find it until you go home weeks after it started?"

And many people investing in a pied-a-terre want a location where they can grab dinner or drinks with ease.

"They want room service," Malkin said. "I want to call the kitchen at 5 o'clock and say, 'I have seven people coming for cocktails in a couple hours.'"

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Joe Hanauer lived in Chicago for decades before moving to Laguna Beach, Calif., in the 1980s.

He and his spouse often returned, staying in hotels.

"We recognized how much we missed Chicago," he said. "Not just because we have a lot of friends, but also the culture, the feeling of the city."

So 15 years ago, they bought a two-bedroom condo at the Drake Tower on East Lake Shore Drive. Hanauer had always loved the view of the city from that street, and its walking distance to downtown hot spots.

Ahead of visits, they call Treasure Island and get groceries delivered, which building personnel stock in the refrigerator.

When winter strikes, they love the convenience of simply walking downstairs to dine.

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Now, unable to travel as often, the Hanauers have put the condo up for sale.

Another subset of people who invest in a second property downtown? Suburbanites. Often, it's parents or grandparents whose grown children live downtown. Or people who love the symphony. Or frequent attendees of charity events.

"It's fun to have a bit of both worlds," Malkin said.

And, she noted, a pied-a-terre is often a welcome alternative to taking the Metra or snagging a last-minute hotel room.

It also allows people to "try out" city living, Malkin said.

"They'll take a smaller apartment and try it for a while, or they'll go the opposite way, and they'll take a larger one if they know they want to move," she said.

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With second  or third  homes, clients often switch up decor or taste. If they already have a very contemporary home elsewhere, perhaps they look for something traditional, or vice versa.

And not everyone wants a place downtown.

Eileen Campbell, a broker at Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, has noticed Florida buyers flocking to Bannockburn, Ill. She said the area gives clients the feel of a Wisconsin getaway but easy access to O'Hare International Airport. These clients have grown children scattered around the world, she added, so they appreciate a central airport location.

One of them is Chuck Campbell. After moving to Bonita Springs, Fla., he and his wife wanted a bucolic setting to return to in Illinois.

They purchased a lot in Bannockburn, building a spacious four-bedroom home where they soaked up its fall foliage and wildlife.

Campbell returns for the holidays, but is now hoping to sell the home to someone who would enjoy the acreage.

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But Jones, the interior designer, and his partner don't expect to part ways with their stylish refuge anytime soon.

"It's always been the place that I go back to," he said. "I feel fortunate that Chicago was where I started from and that we have this foothold there."

abowen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @byalisonbowen

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In 2015, the Internet gave birth to "Netflix and Chill" and the revelation that any misfortune  no matter how minute  calls for a healthy dose of Michael Jordan tears.

Memes continued to reign supreme in 2016, but with a somewhat newsier twist. After all, its not ever year America sees an election, an Olympics AND a Gilmore Girls remake.

Here are 10 of the biggest meme themes of the year. #NeverForget.

Politics as usual. The World Wide Web sees some of its brightest and darkest days during elections years (Facebook unfriending, anyone?), but you cant argue it doesnt make for great meme-age. Between Trumps expressive orange face and Hillary Clintons inbox, political memes were ripe for the picking.

A photo posted by Tank.Sinatra (@tank.sinatra) on Sep 26, 2016 at 6:26pm PDT
Jimmy Papadopoulos, the chef who made Bohemian House one of the best new restaurants of 2014, is joining forces with Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, GT Prime, Momotaro, Swift & Sons, others) to open a new restaurant in spring 2017.

Papadopoulos left Bohemian House in mid-June to focus on his family and three young children. "It was one of the best summers I've had since I was in school," he said. "I'd wake up, make breakfast, go fishing. Hanging out with the kids  it was priceless time."

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Fellow chef and friend Lee Wolen, executive chef at Boka, put Boka principals Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz in contact with Papadopoulos, who was invited to create a tasting for the pair.

"Over many, many years, Kevin and I have done tastings with hundreds of different chefs," Katz said. "And sometimes, you just know. Jimmy's tasting blew us away. It was one of those memorable tastings. He has one of those distinct chef voices, and that's what you look for."

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As of now, few Chicago diners have a clear sense of what Papadopoulos' voice is. At Bohemian House, his cooking put a subtle thumbprint on traditional Czech cuisine; prior to that, he ran the Sam & Harry's steakhouse in Schaumburg, working within an even more rigid framework.

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The new restaurant will be modern American, said Papadopoulos. "Comfortable and timeless," he said, "but with great energy to it."

"I think, in this restaurant," Boehm said, "his true voice will come through."

Boehm and Katz are keeping mum about the location. "It's an exciting location," is as far as Boehm would go.

The time frame is aggressive; the new restaurant is aiming for a spring opening.

This is just the seventh chef to join the Boka Group fold, expanding a roster that includes Stephanie Izard, Chris Pandel, Giuseppe Tentori, Mark Hellyar, Paul Virant and Lee Wolen.

Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.

pvettel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @philvettel






You know about red, white and pink wine. You (probably) know about green wine, and orange wine too. Now let's expand the color palette to include the black wine of Cahors.

Relax: There's no squid ink or cuttlefish in play. "Black wine" is actually red wine  a very dark malbec.

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Cahors (pronounced "kah-OR") is a small town on France's Lot River, but it also lends its name to the red-wine region in southwestern France that is the ancestral home of the malbec grape. Cahors equals malbec, and malbec equals Cahors. But there, winemakers refer to malbec as auxerrois (confusingly, auxerrois is also a white wine grape grown in France's Alsace region, Germany and more) or cot, and they use it to produce the dense, full-bodied, dry wine known as  you guessed it  Cahors.

Just up the road from Cahors, in Bordeaux, malbec is a blending grape. But in Cahors, it is the primary player  the grape variety that winemakers put all of their chips on. The wine was beloved in Europe as far back as the Middle Ages, and it remained so for hundreds of years before suffering some major setbacks due to pests and weather disasters, some of which occured as recently as the 1950s. Since then, a slow and steady rise to its original glory has been afoot, via an influx of talent and investment money.

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Both the wine's color and personality  broad-backed, usually in need of some aging or at least some time to catch its breath in a decanter  earned it the "black wine" nickname centuries ago, and those highly tannic wines are still being turned out. But contemporary Cahors producers also make malbecs that are more accessible sooner, and generally easier to get along with.

In fact, getting along with some modern Cahors bottlings is close to effortless. Are these friendlier bottles a response to the popularity of Argentine malbecs  those fruity, lush and juicy crowd-pleasers made from the grape that crossed the ocean in the mid-19th century? Maybe. No matter the reason, it's clear that Cahors is going through an overhaul of its image.

The place now refers to itself as the "Capitale du Malbec," and more bottles use the word malbec in place of less-recognizable auxerrois or cot. By using the grape's better-known name, Cahors is sort of  reaching out. Putting in the effort. Trying to make contact with the larger world. And that is nothing but a good thing.

The law calls for Cahors to be composed of at least 70 percent malbec, with merlot and tannat allowed as blending partners. These are big red wines that can stand up to rich and hearty fare such as foie gras, black truffles, beef, game meats, duck confit and cassoulet. Traditionally, Cahors has offered variations on plum, dark berries, smoke, leather, tobacco and hints of so-called animale, but more modern styles can lean to the lighter side, relatively speaking, both in color and body, with supple red fruit qualities and floral notes.

Below are tasting notes for a handful of Cahors that are ready to drink now. They are listed in ascending order, according to price.

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2014 Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Made of 100 percent malbec, this pleasant and affordable wine offered aromas of strawberry, cocoa, smoke and a touch of animale, all leading to a palate full of ripe cranberry, tobacco, cedar and spice on the finish. $13

2011 Domaine du Theron Prestige Here is another 100 percent varietal, rich and velvety, with anise, pine needles, bright red berries, herbs, spice and incense arriving in layers  a drinkable wine that would do well paired with a juicy cut of beef. $18

2011 Georges Vigouroux Chateau de Haute-Serre At 15 percent alcohol, this powerful wine opened with raspberry, cherry and minerality that led to a whiff of eucalyptus and licorice followed by a lush wave of soft red fruit and a slow, spice-tinged finish. $23

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2012 Chateau du Cedre Expect blackberry, forest floor, ripe dark fruit, cedar, bright acidity and an herbal quality in this wine, which is composed of 90 percent malbec and equal parts of merlot and tannat, and made from vines that are more than 30 years old. $30

2009 Chateau Lagrezette Plum, black cherry, blueberry, vanilla and smoke characterize this complex, elegant wine, which aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels, and was so densely colored I could not see even a dark outline of my finger through it. $45

Check back in the coming weeks for a story on malbec from Argentina.

food@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @pour_man






NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Director Rupert Wyatt attends "The Gambler" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on December 10, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

Rupert Wyatt, the executive producer of the Chicago-shot Fox drama series "The Exorcist," will shoot a portion of his next project, the sci-fi movie "Captive State," in Chicago as well.

Rich Moskal, who heads of the city's film office, confirms that Wyatt & Co. will be working in town. Per Variety, "plot details are being kept under wraps." The script is from Wyatt and his wife Erica Beeney and production will be based at the Cinespace soundstage complex.

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Wyatt's previous film credits as a director include 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
There are many fine shows in Chicago that belong under anyone's holiday tree. But anticipation runs incredibly high for the new Joffrey Ballet version of "The Nutcracker." (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

"The Nutcracker" is always a big production, literally. But on Election Day, Joffrey Tower was buzzing as never before. And not about the election, despite the artists' campaign T-shirts and buttons. With less than a month to go, all hands were on deck for Christopher Wheeldon's $4 million take on this chestnut. The choreographer, his assistant Jacquelin Barrett, Joffrey artistic director Ashley Wheater, and all four Joffrey ballet masters were running rehearsals all day in all three studios as they fine-tuned the dancing of nearly five rotating casts of grown-ups and two children's casts totaling nearly 100 kids.

As a painstaking midday rehearsal of Wheeldon's grand pas de deux ended, I heard him mutter "Next!" on his way out the door.

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This is essentially a from-scratch "Nutcracker"; only select elements of the usual ballet remain. But innovation is nothing new for this chameleonic favorite, whose story has been told and retold over decades, ever since Americans fell in love with San Francisco Ballet's first U.S. production in 1944. There's no ur-story  not the 1816 Hoffmann tale, not even the original Petipa/Ivanov ballet of 1892  so lots of choreographers have had their way with the narrative and choreography.

Wheeldon acknowledges the freedom of expression that "Nutcracker" offers but adds, "You don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater." In his production, "The tree still grows, the snow still snows, and it's still a magical kingdom that Marie journeys to.

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"All the Christmas is still there," he says. "But it's as much there in spirit as it is in bounty. We wanted to make this 'Nutcracker' about family and community and people who really struggle to get by but who come together to create magic, create their own Christmas." The much-loved Tchaikovsky score is also still there, played live as usual by the expressive Chicago Philharmonic, always so in tune with the Joffrey dancers.

Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon said of the Joffrey holiday show: "We wanted to make this "Nutcracker" about family and community and people who really struggle to get by but who come together to create magic, create their own Christmas. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

Yet Wheeldon's ballet does radically redefine what an American "Nutcracker" can be, in a version quite unlike Robert Joffrey's exemplar of middle-class opulence, set in 19th-century New York. "Rich girl gets more" is how some have described the usual tale: In terms of drama, the second act takes Marie pretty much nowhere, because the Land of Sweets is just like her bountiful family home.

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Together Wheeldon and Caldecott-winning children's author Brian Selznick  whose graphic novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" inspired the award-winning film "Hugo"  have come up with a darker and, in some ways, more realistic historical tale. Marie's working-class, single-parent home is headed by her mother, a sculptor for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The ballet opens on Christmas Eve, 1892, as the fair's construction workers gather at Marie's home: a shack reportedly inspired by an image Selznick found of a little house underneath towering scaffolding on the fairgrounds. In this telling, gift-bearing Drosselmeyer becomes the fair's Impresario, combining architect Daniel Burnham and inventor Nikola Tesla.

"It was important for me to find a way to tell the story that was a little bit more socially conscious and relatable to kids who don't have the luxuries of a big family Christmas every year," Wheeldon says. "I know the Joffrey has worked really hard on educational outreach, getting kids that don't normally come to the ballet in." He adds that his ballet "feels almost like a political statement at this juncture. But it wasn't planned that way  this is something we had in the works two years ago now."

Moreover, he and Selznick agreed that "fairy tales need the yin and the yang, need darkness in order to have light. They need to be a little bit scary, and at the same time transformative and beautiful." Some of that scary comes from the mice, which puppet master and special-effects artist Basil Twist describes as "more like rats, really  big, fat, New York City-sized things."

Spectacle plays a huge role in this "Nutcracker," as it does in most productions, Wheeldon notes. And in the spirit of contemporary design for dance, that means lots of artists working closely together in overlapping ways: The set must mesh with projections, the costumes with the puppetry elements. MacArthur "genius grant" recipient Twist is collaborating closely with Tony-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch on the mice and the growing Christmas tree, for example. Meanwhile Mother Ginger  almost deep-sixed in this production  takes a shape no one will define for me.

A nontraditional puppeteer in the mold of Philippe Genty, Twist takes an approach ideally suited to, and often actually motivated by, dance and music. Nearly 20 years ago, in his abstract "Symphonie Fantastique," set underwater, he interpreted the entire Hector Berlioz score. "I've always worked with music as a primary text," Twist notes. "I very rarely use actual text. So in many ways, I feel more aligned with dance than with traditional theater, because what I do is movement in time  it's just not necessarily human bodies."

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Twist notes that "it can be challenging to accomplish certain effects" in dance because of the limited stage time to test them out. In the course of designing three ballets for Wheeldon  "Nutcracker" is the third  he's had to rein in some of his biggest, most ambitious ideas. Yet he believes he was able to bring the giant tree in Wheeldon's "Cinderella" to life "because of the spirit I put into it," he says. "Not that I gave it a face and arms, but that it had a soul. That is the essence of puppetry."

While Twist saw "The Nutcracker" as a child in San Francisco and loves the Tchaikovsky score, set and costume designer Crouch has never seen the full ballet live. An artist who cut his teeth on experimental theater, who's had considerable success on Broadway, and who has recently designed for opera, Crouch says that design takes quite different forms in different theatrical genres. "Opera likes a lot of scenery because it helps the acoustics of the voices," he says. "But obviously dance doesn't want so much scenery, because you take up all the space for the dancing."

Originally a mask maker, Crouch says that fashioning the nutcracker and mouse heads has been fun, and that his favorite designs are for the little kids dressed as walnuts. ("The things I'm most proud of in this 'Nutcracker' are actually the nuts!") But despite having worked on Wheeldon's "Cinderella," he is still "a bit of a ballet newbie. The costumes are very, very specialized, and I've had to get help" on that, he says.

"Nutcracker" has been a long and challenging job, "but in a good way," says Crouch. "My challenge has been to make it realistic  and then totally fantasy, somehow embracing the historical framework and some realism but still taking it to fantastical levels." He describes the first-act Christmas festivities as "like the scene in the film 'Titanic' when they go down to the lower deck and there's a huge party going on. Or a bit like 'A Christmas Carol' when they go back to Fezziwig's place."

The one word Crouch uses most often is "fun," yet he also believes this "Nutcracker" has "a bit more depth" than other productions. "I think it has everything people want, though it may not be delivered in exactly the same way. But all the golden moments, the things people remember for all their lives: Hopefully we have those. We've changed some traditional things, but I think what we have got in there is just as fun. If not more so."

"Nutcracker" runs Dec. 10-30 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway; tickets $35-$170 at 312-386-8905 or joffrey.org

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Laura Molzahn is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

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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)
Concordia, Kan., is putting up several statues of orphans like this one of a young Miriam Zitur, who rode the rails from New York to a new home. (Bruce N. Meyer / Chicago Tribune)

A new bronze statue of a little girl sits on a sidewalk in Concordia, Kan. Her name is Miriam Zitur, and she's a darling little thing, about 6 years old with pigtails and bare feet.

Miriam is among the first of several dozen statues representing real children that are popping up on the streets of this north central Kansas town of fewer than 6,000 residents. The statues celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversary of the National Orphan Train Complex that opened at 300 Washington St. in 2007.

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The facility, a former Union Pacific Railroad Depot, is a museum and research center dedicated to the so-called Orphan Train movement, through which an estimated 250,000 children were relocated by rail to homes throughout North America between 1854 and 1929. The museum explores a time when abandoned, orphaned and neglected children, many the offspring of poor immigrants, were left to fend for themselves on the streets of New York.

Miriam was just 19 months old in 1908, an orphan in New York, when she and others like her were gathered up by the Children's Aid Society, placed on trains and sent west  some to loving families, some not so much. The ads in rural newspapers announcing the arrival of an orphan train read "Children: Free to a Good Home." Miriam, who died in 1993, was adopted by a family in Minnesota.

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Visitors can step inside the recently added 19th-century passenger car to feel what it was like to ride an orphan train. They also can learn about Anna Laura Hill, a passionate young woman who accompanied the children west and followed up on them in their new homes. (These days, she'd be called a social worker.) A life-size statue of Hill soon will join the children on the streets of Concordia.

The National Orphan Train Complex is open Tuesday through Saturday; www.orphantraindepot.org.

Diana Lambdin Meyer is a freelancer.

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At least the death of the monstrous Cuban dictator Fidel Castro  who murdered his own people and turned his nation into an island prison  accomplished something.

It triggered the useful idiots of the political left who praised their late hero.

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And it caused me to remember someone I'd forgotten, back from another life, when I was 19, working on a merchant ship, having adventures and thinking I was a grown man.

Luis was his name.

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He was a Cuban and a member of our crew, on a rusty old Liberty ship with old diesel engines and five cargo holds, and winches and planks, tarps and I-beams to support and seal those holds.

Luis was a brutal and violent fellow, who'd been broken in Castro's prisons. He had a heavyweight's height and hands, but his legs were withered, as if they were made of paper, from all the beatings he took.

Back then, when Castro was alive and strong, our ship had engine problems and began to drift toward Cuban water, and Luis began to panic, announcing he would drown himself.

And I thought of him when Castro died, and as the political left painted the anti-American dictator as a hero, rather than as a murderer finally in hell where he belonged.

"While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro's supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for 'el Comandante,'" said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

My favorite response to Trudeau was a tweet by TakingHayekSeriously: "While a controversial figure, the hunter who shot Bambi's mother had a deep love for animals & animals had a love for him. #trudeaueulogies"

Trudeau wasn't alone in his liberal idiocy. Chicago's the Rev. Jesse Jackson, determined to keep his place in the pantheon of fools, also praised Castro as did Dr. Jill Stein  Hillary Clinton's new political buddy. She tweeted that "Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire. Presente!"

And President Barack Obama, tepid and equivocal, said, "History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him."

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Yes, Castro did have enormous impact. The impact of the bullets from Castro's firing squads must have been enormous. And the impact of thermonuclear war would have been enormous, indeed, with Castro inviting the Soviet missiles to Cuba.

But Obama and Trudeau and Stein and the others are politicians.

Luis, the Cuban refugee, was a just a steward on our ship. He peeled the potatoes and served meals. He made coffee and cleaned the commodes.

He had no other place to go. All he wanted was a place to sleep and eat.

And when we'd hit port, he'd stay onboard or go off alone, because no one liked Luis.

Our crew came from everywhere, and we got along. We were Egyptians, Syrians, Sudanese, Greeks, Spaniards, Iranians and Iraqis. And Luis.

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The problem with Luis was that he could be pleasant one day and murderous the next, with those pineapple-size fists of his. So we stayed away from him. We watched him.

He'd been a police officer in Havana before the communist revolution in Cuba, and later was put in prison, and got out, somehow. And wherever our ship went, so did he, as long as it wasn't Cuba.

But on one summer voyage, after running bauxite down to Guyana, we were headed back to New Orleans for a load of grain. That's when the engines stopped. And we drifted toward Cuban waters.

We had good weather with no wind as the engineers waited for parts to come or a tugboat. It was easy work for the deck crew, chipping and painting in the sun, and everyone asked me to tell them about America.

Luis said nothing. He was afraid we'd drift into Cuban water and Cuban patrols would take him. He announced that he would kill himself.

Though we didn't like him, we stood with him at night, so he wouldn't jump overboard. He hit the rum. There were stars overhead and a summer moon, and most of us were drinking and telling stories.

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Luis was silent, fidgeting, terrified, rubbing his shaved head, blinking through those watery brown eyes.

It wasn't like terror in a movie. It wasn't dramatic that way. It was quiet, as if a silent animal was on the inside of him, devouring him in small, quiet bites.

On the evening of the second day the engineers got the boat going again, and we began to putter away from the edge of Cuban waters.

Night had fallen. Luis leaned over the side, and after days of silent fear, he began to sob.

We picked up speed, and soon, the dolphins were running with the ship, breaking out of the smooth tense water, the ship cutting through that calm, black, oily night sea.

Castro was very much alive and strong then and the Soviets were his friends and he'd broken his people so they'd inform on each other.

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And Luis was broken, too.

As we were underway, he raised his head and looked up, with the lights of Havana to starboard, the light from the city glowing into the sky, tears on his face, gulping for air.

Listen to "The Chicago Way"  radio-free Chicago in podcast form  with John Kass and Jeff Carlin here: wgnplus.com/category/thechicagoway.

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Stacy Owens, 56, of Lexington, Ky., describes being one of 92 volunteer decorators at the Obama White House for the Christmas season. (Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  Christmas finery made its seasonal debut Tuesday at the White House with a blend of old traditions and new twists designed to captivate the thousands of visitors who will tour the mansion's ornate rooms during the holidays.

The Obama family, in its final Christmas in the Executive Mansion, reprised several old favorites: a gargantuan gingerbread house, larger-than-life replicas of family dogs Bo and Sunny, and a towering fir tree in the Blue Room that salutes military personnel. The 19-foot Douglas fir was donated by Pennsylvania farmers.

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There are new embellishments too, such as the 56 Lego gingerbread houses nestled in trees rising in the State Dining Room. That's one "house" for every state and territory. Illinois' features Abraham Lincoln, the state flag and state bird, the northern cardinal. In all, more than 200,000 Lego pieces were used to erect the houses.

Mary Mazzeffi, 54, a floral designer from Batavia, helped gussy up that room  and others  on her second consecutive stint as a volunteer decorator.

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"I'm blessed and honored," said Mazzeffi, who was among a handful of Illinois residents to lend their talents in the decorating. She also helped last year and had to reapply to the White House to score a return trip.

Why does Mazzeffi think she was invited back? "I'm a worker bee," she said, "and I just have the passion for it."

There were 92 volunteers in all, from 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, first lady Michelle Obama said.

"The Gift of the Holidays" is the theme of the 2016 White House Christmas season. The colorful decor includes 70,000 shimmering ornaments, fragrant evergreen boughs, miles of bright-red ribbon and vases bursting with fresh yellow tulips.

The media got a preview of the decorations Tuesday as a Marine Band pianist played "Silent Night" and other Christmas favorites. The pianist, Gunnery Sgt. Russell Wilson, 34, of College Park, Md., said the Obamas recently made one musical request: "City of Blinding Lights" by the Irish rock band U2.

Later Tuesday, the first lady welcomed the inaugural guests: military personnel and veterans, some combat-injured, and their spouses and children.

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Amy Dozier, 39, whose husband, Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Dozier, was killed in 2008 in action in Iraq, brought her daughter, Emma Grace, 9, and fiance, Matt Ware, 45. They live in Morehead City, N.C.

Their first trip to the White House was bittersweet as Emma Grace placed a gold star in memory of her late father on a special Christmas tree for fallen troops. The 30-year-old was with a Stryker unit and was killed by a makeshift bomb.

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The first lady was sentimental and thankful in her remarks, recalling her pledge to make the White House into the "People's House" by welcoming visitors from all backgrounds. She expressed appreciation to those who made the home she and her family will vacate Jan. 20 into a "holiday wonderland." And she singled out staffers including the social secretary, ushers, chefs, florists, electricians and carpenters.

Afterward, children made crafts and treats with help from some high-echelon elves: White House executive chef Cris Comerford and executive pastry chef Susan Morrison and the White House chief floral designer, Hedieh Ghaffarian.

Finally, Bo and Sunny, that practiced pair of canine diplomats, put their best paws forward in a cameo appearance, admired  and petted  by one child after another.

kskiba@tribpub.com

Twitter @KatherineSkiba
Former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts, center, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago in October 2013 after being sentenced to 22 months in prison for stealing money from a federal informant. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

Two years after a Cook County judge appointed an outside attorney to review torture claims brought against disgraced former police Cmdr. Jon Burge, a petition filed by University of Chicago lawyers Tuesday seeks another outside expert to review convictions tarnished by another corrupt Chicago cop.

The petition filed Tuesday by lawyers for the Exoneration Project asks the criminal division's presiding Judge Leroy Martin Jr. to appoint a "special master" to review cases brought by former Sgt. Ronald Watts and officers he supervised. Watts is a former public housing officer notorious for shaking down drug dealers for protection money and pinning false cases on those who wouldn't play ball.

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Watts and another officer, Kallatt Mohammed, were arrested by the FBI in 2012 and later pleaded guilty to stealing money from a federal informant. Lawsuits filed by Clarissa Glenn and her husband, Ben Baker, who spent a decade in prison after being framed by Watts when he complained to internal affairs, have exposed further wrongdoing, the petition says.

Chicago aldermen earlier this month agreed to pay $2 million to two whistleblower cops who were blackballed by the Police Department for helping investigate Watts and Mohammed. The city agreed to settle the case in May just before trial.

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"There is little question that (those cases) barely scratch the surface of the wrongful arrests, prosecutions and convictions at the hands of an individual the Cook County State's Attorney's Office now acknowledges is a 'dirty police officer,'" the filing says. "The interests of justice necessitate a full accounting of all the victims that have been harmed by wrongful conviction through the actions of these rogue Chicago police officers."

The petition was brought on behalf of Jamie Kalven, a reporter and activist who wrote a four-part series on the two blacklisted Chicago cops, Shannon Spalding and Daniel Echeverria, who secretly worked with the FBI for two years to build a case against Watts and his crew.

It was a request not made lightly, said Joshua Tepfer, an Exoneration Project attorney.

"This is not just me or Jamie Kalven saying this  this is 10 years of law enforcement documents from the FBI and DEA backing this up," he said. "This is an extreme remedy and I don't think it should be made frequently."

A special master  who essentially works on behalf of the court  would have power to subpoena records from Chicago police and state prison internal affairs as well as the Independent Police Review Authority and its precursor to determine whether defendants had previously complained that they were framed, Tepfer said.

Tepfer said he was asking Martin to limit the inquiry to cases in which Watts or a direct underling made an arrest that led to a felony conviction, in which the defendant alleged he was framed and that he never had a chance to back that claim with the substantial evidence since uncovered of Watts' wrongdoing.

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Cases that fit that criteria  and occurred from roughly 1998 to 2012  would be presented to Martin, who would decide whether the defendants should receive a lawyer to present their claims, Tepfer said. He asked the judge to prioritize cases in which a defendant was still in prison.

Tepfer said the scope of the inquiry was too broad for the state's attorney's conviction integrity unit, which has a small staff and is focused on re-examining murder cases.

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The petition is scheduled to go before Martin next week, five days after the newly elected state's attorney, Kim Foxx, takes office.

In 2012, Judge Paul Biebel appointed David Yellen, dean of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, to serve as a special master and search for cases in which defendants were languishing in prison because of confessions coerced by Burge and his underlings.

Biebel had not been asked to take that action but made the appointment on his own after rejecting class-action status in a lawsuit brought by two inmates.

sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveSchmadeke
Protesters demonstrating against the election of Donald Trump rally in front of Trump Tower on Nov. 12, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Police Department, which had been preparing for a visit later this week by President-elect Donald Trump, has been told the trip is off for now, sources said Wednesday afternoon.

The Trump camp never did confirm such plans, but sources had told the Tribune that Chicago police were working to set up security for a visit from the president-elect from sometime Thursday to Saturday afternoon.

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"We have been in contact with our partners at the Secret Service," said Anthony Guglielmi, the Police Department's chief spokesman. "CPD is not preparing for a visit at this time."

A Secret Service spokesman in Chicago declined to comment.

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No reason was given for the apparent change of plans.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JeremyGorner
Deron Hardge, who has autism and a profound intellectual disability, was moved out of a group home by his mother after he suffered a medical crisis she blames on neglect. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The Illinois Department of Human Services has revoked the license of a group home provider that was spotlighted in a Chicago Tribune investigation this month, citing the state-funded business for safety problems and "willfully violating the rights of individuals" with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Because of the "imminent risk" to those individuals and repeated failures to correct problems, Human Services chief licensing official Felicia Stanton Gray told Reuben Goodwin Sr. on Monday that she was revoking the license for his eight group homes and daytime training program, all of which have operated under the name Disability Services of Illinois since earlier this year.

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In the next two weeks Human Services plans to move 45 adults from Disability Services homes to other community-living options, including group homes operated by different providers, and find new day programs for them, said agency spokeswoman Meredith Krantz.

Goodwin, CEO of Disability Services, can appeal the decision by requesting a hearing before Dec. 23, but Krantz said her department will relocate the residents regardless.

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Attempts to reach Goodwin for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful. In an interview last month, Goodwin said, "I think we do a good job to make sure people are safe and that the staff is trained."

The Tribune's "Suffering in Secret" series revealed this month that the Human Services inspector general's office bungled a 2012 investigation into neglect allegations at Goodwin's business, then known as Southwest Disabilities Services & Supports. One story in the series described serious problems dating back more than a decade at different group home businesses run by Goodwin, including two deaths linked to neglect by Southwest Disabilities employees since 2010.

More broadly, the Tribune showed how Illinois has steered thousands of the state's poorest and most vulnerable residents with disabilities into a network of state-funded group homes, then routinely obscured evidence of harm from the public. The Tribune identified 1,311 cases linked to abuse and neglect in these group homes and their day programs since July 2011, and 42 deaths in the last seven years.

Human Services Secretary James Dimas vowed to reform the investigative process and open previously sealed cases to public accountability. And on Tuesday, Krantz said Human Services is working to fundamentally change the way group homes "are held accountable in order to ensure individuals with disabilities receive high levels of care."

A week after the Tribune shared its findings with Dimas, the department's licensing officials fanned out to all of the group homes run by Goodwin's current business, as well as the daytime training program. State workers immediately closed one Harvey group home because of health and safety violations that included broken windows, insects in the ceiling, a rotted closet door, potential mold in the home, and a light fixture that fell and hit licensing officials during their visit, records show.

At other Disability Services of Illinois homes, inspectors found scalding water, holes in walls, insufficient lighting and bedrooms that were not dry and comfortable, Gray said in a Nov. 28 letter to Goodwin. In addition, adults in various homes had no active day programming activities, and the business billed Human Services for training services that were not supported by state-mandated plans for those individuals, Gray wrote.

In a fragmented oversight system built on giving second chances, Goodwin's businesses got third, fourth and fifth chances.

Equip for Equality, Illinois' federally empowered disability-rights watchdog, excoriated Goodwin's businesses in the early 2000s for hazardous conditions and financial mismanagement. The group, which advocates for the type of community living that group homes offer, titled its scathing report, "Why Does an Agency that Profited from Exploiting Persons with Disabilities Remain Taxpayer Funded?"

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The state then tried three times to cancel contracts with those businesses, according to Carol Adams, who was secretary of the Human Services Department at that time. Goodwin challenged Equip for Equality's findings and said he fixed problems in his homes. Officials from Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office intervened to keep Goodwin's group home network open, Adams said.

Eventually, the public commotion died down. Southwest Disabilities continued operating state-funded group homes, but problems persisted.

In recent years, four arms of state government documented serious concerns about conditions faced by people living in Southwest Disabilities homes. Human Services twice barred Southwest Disabilities from accepting new residents, then lifted those bans after the group homes fixed problems and passed subsequent inspections, records show.

Twice since 2010, Southwest caregivers failed to perform CPR properly when they found adults in their care with no pulse, state investigators found. Both of those residents died.

Southwest Disabilities still faces two civil suits alleging neglect at its group homes. One alleges that a man who needed assistance with meals suffered brain damage in 2012 after workers at a Southwest Disabilities group home on the North Side failed to cut his meat in small pieces, watched him choke, then waited six hours to call 911.

The Tribune investigation highlighted the case of Deron Hardge, a 23-year-old man with autism and a profound intellectual disability whom paramedics rushed to the hospital from his Harvey group home in 2012 in a comatose state, his body icy cold. His mother, Tara Wandick, complained to a state hotline that her son had been neglected and sued Southwest Disabilities after state investigators concluded her allegation was "unsubstantiated" and sealed the case.

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Those investigators, the Tribune found, missed clues pointing to neglect and were easily misled by a Southwest Disabilities employee who later said in a deposition that she made up a story to save her job.

Though Hardge's epilepsy had been well controlled for years, doctors determined he had a severe seizure. When Hardge arrived at the hospital, he had very little of his epilepsy medicine in his system.

Tara Wandick talks about her son, Deron Hardge, 28, during a visit at his group home on Oct. 13, 2016, in Chicago. Wandick moved Hardge there after he suffered a serious medical crisis at his previous home in Harvey because of what she believes was neglect. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Quality inspectors from another branch of Human Services found rampant problems with administration of medication during inspections of Southwest Disabilities homes in March 2012, a few days after Wandick complained to the hotline.

But Michael McCotter, who became inspector general in late 2012 and was in charge when the office closed Hardge's case, told the Tribune he was unaware of that lengthy list of deficiencies, nor did he share his investigative file with the quality inspectors.

In an interview this month, he vowed to begin sharing investigations with Human Services colleagues who oversee the licensing of group homes and their day programs.

He also reopened the investigation of Hardge's case, citing "questions screaming to be investigated."

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Wandick, tearing up, said she was elated that the license was pulled: "Me knowing that they were still working with young adults, it weighed on my soul. I wanted somebody to hear my cry that those young adults needed help."

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Packed nine rows deep in the auditorium, the 80 soon-to-be United States citizens fidgeted with the crisp white envelopes holding the text for the oath of allegiance, instructions on applying for a passport, a congratulatory message from the president. The screen above the stage projected the words "Celebrate Citizenship. Celebrate America."

The ceremony began with a video, then everyone sang the national anthem. The participants' countries of origin were called, Afghanistan to Yemen. The men and women stood, straight and tall, their right hands raised to recite the oath, the final step for these immigrants to become citizens.

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"I hereby declare ..."

The low-key, regimented naturalization ceremony such as the one Wednesday morning happens several times a week inside the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building on Congress Parkway in the South Loop. Since Donald Trump was elected president, hundreds of immigrants living in northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana have been handed their certificate of citizenship.

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The fact that Trump, who made immigration central to his campaign with promises of wall-building and deportation, soon will become president was not lost on the participants. But it also was not foremost on their minds. America, one new citizen said, is more than one man.

"It's up to us," said Andy Sarma, who dreamed of becoming a U.S. citizen since he was a sixth-grader in the suburbs of Kolkata, India. "It's not what you want from the country, it's what you can give to the country."

No matter who won the presidential election, Sarma said, Americans must work hard to make a difference  in their work, with the families, in their community.

"Everything's on me," said Sarma, a 41-year-old from Schererville, Ind., who works in hospitality management and has lived in the U.S. for 11 years. "I'm not dependent on anyone else."

Gazmend Gjeci, who whooped after the national anthem and beamed with pride as he examined his certificate, said the United States will be fine.

"We're a country of freedoms, freedom of speech," said Gjeci, 44, a countertop stone designer from Rogers Park. He came to America in 1999 from Kosovo, fleeing war. "It's been excellent here."

But Irma Garcia, who posed for photos with her children and husband, himself a newly minted citizen, was not as optimistic about a Trump-led American future.

"The way I look at it, everything looks worse," said Garcia, who came to the United States in 1979 from Mexico. "Everyone is saying bad things about Mexicans, and that's just not right."

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Trump has selected Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has hard-line views on immigration, as his choice to be the next attorney general.

Garcia, a 56-year-old from Chicago's South Side, has raised four children in the U.S. Three have graduated from college; the fourth is still in school. Her husband, Inocencio, recently retired after decades in landscape maintenance. Garcia first came to the U.S. to visit her sister in California, met Inocencio and the two decided to stay and build a life together.

"My husband and I, we came from nothing," Garcia said.

The couple worked hard, she said, made a life for themselves and their family. With their children mostly grown, the Garcias decided it was time to "complete all of the circle" and become a citizen. People like her, she said, are able to thrive because of the freedoms and opportunities in America.

"It's emotional, very emotional," Garcia said.

Garcia and the other new citizens are among about 680,000 who take part in naturalization ceremonies by the U.S. citizenship and immigration services each year. Mexico was the top country of origin for fiscal year 2016, followed by India, the Philippines, China and the Dominican Republic.

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In general, a person 18 or older can apply to become a U.S. citizen if they meet these requirements:

Be a lawful permanent resident (green card holder).

Have resided in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least five years.

Have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months.

Be a person of good moral character.

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Be able to speak, read, write and understand the English language.

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Have knowledge of U.S. government and history.

Be willing and able to take the oath of allegiance.

After the ceremony, new citizens could register to vote at tables set up in the lobby.

Sarma planned to grab a postceremony brunch with his fiancee. The couple then was going to head west to Will County, where they planned to shop for a Christmas tree.

poconnell@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @pmocwriter
A 29-year-old Elgin man died Monday after the vehicle he was driving was struck by a semi-truck in unincorporated McHenry County near Marengo.

Malone D. Deloncker was driving east on Harmony Road when he was hit by a semi-truck about 7 p.m. at the intersection of Harmony and U.S. Highway 20, according to a news release from the McHenry County coroner's office.

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Deloncker was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:39 p.m., according to the coroner's office.

A preliminary investigation indicates Deloncker was driving in a 2002 Dodge Durango and did not yield the right of way at a stop sign before turning onto Highway 20, according to a news release from the McHenry County sheriff's office.

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His vehicle was then hit by a 2009 International ProStar semi-truck pulling an empty 53-foot trailer and traveling north on Highway 20, according to the sheriff's office.

The driver of the truck, a 59-year-old Hanover Park man, was transported to Centegra Hospital in Huntley for treatment and is in good condition, the release said. Authorities said the truck driver is cooperating with investigators.

Personnel from multiple agencies, including the McHenry County sheriff's office, McHenry County Conservation District, Marengo Police Department and Huntley Fire Protection District, responded to the crash scene.

Deloncker was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, authorities said. The 29-year-old died from blunt force injuries to the abdomen and chest, according to the coroner's office.

An investigation into the crash is being conducted by the sheriff's office, the coroner's office and the Illinois State Police.

Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter.
A protester holds a burning American flag Feb. 23, 2016, on Michigan Avenue. Protesters were calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez after the police shooting of Laquan McDonald. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Nearly three decades ago, Chicago found itself part of a growing national debate: whether desecrating the American flag should be an illegal act.

It was 1989, and a young art student named Dread Scott, who studied at the School of the Art Institute, exhibited an artwork that invited people to walk on the U.S. flag. Titled "What Is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?" the piece was deliberately provocative and angered donors, sparked protests and even elicited a comment from President George H.W. Bush, who called the work disgraceful.

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With other cases nationwide propelling the issue, Congress passed legislation protecting the flag, which the Supreme Court struck down in a 1990 landmark decision.

The controversy reignited this week after President-elect Donald Trump tweeted on the subject early Tuesday morning: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag  if they do, there must be consequences  perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"

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Although the tweet didn't offer context  it came in between a critique of CNN's coverage and condolences to victims of Tennessee wildfires  it prompted quick response. By late afternoon, the tweet had been favorited 150,000 times and retweeted 54,000 times.

Flag burning in Chicago has been a rare occurrence in recent years. In February, a small cluster of people protesting police violence burned a small American flag during a rally in front of the Apple store on Michigan Avenue. Following Trump's election, flags were burned in protest nationwide, reviving the familiar discord of 1989: the freedom of expression versus the protection from patriotic offense.

Scott, now a 51-year-old artist in Brooklyn, N.Y., said in an email that he supports the desecration of flags. Trump has promised mass deportations and has made campaign statements about restricting Muslim immigration, and will not tolerate a "fundamental critique of America" and its government, Scott said.

"In the face of this, I hope there are many more flag burnings," he said. "(Trump's) proclamation should be defied as part of people demonstrating that we will not accept a fascist America."

But supporters of a ban on flag burning hailed Trump's statement, calling on him to ban the desecration of the flag.

A top-ranking member of the American Legion, the wartime veterans' association, said the flag was a symbol that deserved protection and shouldn't be destroyed even in American protest.

"Our brothers and sisters in arms have shed blood, even paid the ultimate sacrifice, in defense of our nation. The American flag represents their sacrifice and our nation's way of freedom," National Commander Charles E. Schmidt said in a news release.

David L. Hudson Jr., an attorney and scholar for the Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center, said he found Trump's tweet regrettable but also an example of why the First Amendment is so important and should be left alone.

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"The First Amendment protects a lot of offensive, disagreeable and even repugnant speech," Hudson said. "(Trump) tweets about everything, so it's really not a surprise. And he has a right to tweet it."

Hudson said he didn't think Trump's rant was worth the attention.

"There are just much greater problems in society that need to be addressed," he said. "It's almost a way to camouflage problems that we need to address."

The Supreme Court affirmed the right to desecrate the American flag as a form of free speech in the 1989 case Texas v. Johnson. And legislation by Congress to protect the flag was struck down by the Supreme Court the following year.

To undo that ruling, Congress would have to pass a constitutional amendment that would limit the First Amendment  something that a group of lawmakers tries each year without success, according to Edwin C. Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

"Because of the Supreme Court's ruling, you can't simply pass a law, and you can't do an executive order. I'm pretty sure that a tweet doesn't cover it either," Yohnka said.

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In Illinois, an antiquated statute that matches the wording of the statute used in the Texas v. Johnson case remains on the books. Because of this, local law enforcement agencies occasionally arrest flag-burners while citing the statute. Such was the case during the summer, when a 22-year-old Urbana man was arrested after posting a July 4 photo of himself with a flag on fire. But the Champaign County State's Attorney's office ultimately declined to file charges against Bryton Mellott, citing protection from the Supreme Court decision.

Yohnka said he doesn't think Trump's tweet will have an effect on flag-burning laws. And he noted that typically, when cases about protecting the flag become highly publicized, the result is often more incidents of flag destruction.

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"When they have this discussion, at first blush, people say, "Oh yes, let's protect the flag,'" Yohnka said. "But when you actually have the discussion of limiting speech, that's not something they'll support."

Raymond Toczek, a 66-year-old veteran who commands the Portage Park American Legion post, served the U.S. Army in West Berlin for two years in the 1970s. The flag outside his Portage Park home is illuminated 24 hours a day, he said. He supports a ban on the desecration of the flag and wrote a letter of opposition to Scott's artwork in 1989 to the Chicago Sun-Times, believing those who stepped on Scott's flag purposely deserved, at the very least, misdemeanor charges.

While he doesn't agree with Trump that desecrating the flag constitutes the loss of citizenship, Toczek does believe it should be a misdemeanor.

"I'm a proponent of freedom of speech. You can say whatever you want, except for yelling 'Fire!'" he said. "But as far as disrespecting the flag, when you disrespect the symbol of our country, that's where I draw the line."

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meltagouri@chicagotribune.com

vortiz@chicagotribune.com

A story on Wednesday about flag burning erred in paraphrasing a comment by artist Dread Scott to say that he believed Donald Trump's campaign statements contradicted fundamental American values. In fact, Scott said he believed Trump would not tolerate fundamental critique of America and its government.
A man working on a scaffold at Wrigley Field passed out and was taken to a hospital late Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The man was about 30 feet from the ground when one of his two co-workers noticed that he looked like he was about to pass out. He then collapsed, suffering an apparent medical emergency, police said.

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The co-workers grabbed the man and called 911, and firefighters helped him down with a ladder. The man, who appeared to be in his 40s, was conscious when he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.

He was listed in good condition, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Cmdr. Oscar Schroeder, who said the man also injured his arm.

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The scaffolding did not malfunction or fall during the incident, police said.
MADISON, Wis.  A Wisconsin judge refused on Tuesday to order local election workers to conduct the state's upcoming presidential recount completely by hand Tuesday, finding that nothing suggests the state's electronic tabulating machines have been hacked.



Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has been trying to make the case that Wisconsin's tabulating machines could have been compromised in a cyberattack and a hand recount is the only way to tell for sure. But Dane County Circuit Court Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn concluded Stein's attorneys failed to show any hard evidence the machines were attacked and are unreliable.



Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about 22,000 votes in Wisconsin, but Stein has alleged  without evidence  that the results may have been hacked. She asked for a recount last week, saying the state needs to be sure.



The Wisconsin Election Commission had to grant the request under state law but refused another Stein request that the commission order all county clerks to recount the votes by hand, leaving it up to the counties to decide how to conduct the process.



Stein filed a lawsuit seeking a judge's order for a hand recount. Hillary Clinton's campaign joined the action Tuesday, saying she has a stake in the results.



State Department of Justice attorneys filed briefs Tuesday arguing that Stein hasn't shown how a hand recount would change the election's results. Elections Commission Administrator Mike Hass said only 19 counties plan to use electronic tabulators; the rest plan to count by hand.



Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn convened a hearing late Tuesday afternoon that went on four hours. Stein's side called computer experts who testified that Wisconsin's electronic machines are vulnerable to cyberattack but said they couldn't show whether one had actually occurred.



"All that we have here is 100 percent hypothetical speculation about what could possibly happen. That's not convincing evidence," Assistant Attorney General S. Michael Murphy told the judge.



Bailey-Rihn ultimately sided with the state, finding that Stein and Clinton's lawyers failed to show any irregularities that prove electronic tabulators could be problematic in the recount.



Debbie Greenberger, one of Stein's attorneys, told reporters after the decision that Stein would consider appeal options. In the meantime, she said hopes the counties take to heart the judge's remarks about a hand recount being the best way to proceed.



Under state law, Stein is responsible for covering the costs of the recount. The commission initially estimated the recount would cost her $3.5 million but on Tuesday revised the cost estimate to $3.9 million. The commission required Stein to pay $3.5 million Tuesday and said she would have to cover any additional costs.



Stein has raised $6.4 million online since last week to cover recounts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. She griped about Wisconsin's costs being exorbitant but paid the money with five minutes to spare Tuesday. That payment cleared the way for the recount to begin Thursday.



Independent presidential candidate Roque De La Fuente withdrew his request for a Wisconsin recount Tuesday, saying the process would cost too much.

Associated Press
Ronald Reagan was president when Michael Madigan, a Democrat, became speaker of the Illinois House in 1983. Reagan served two terms and died in 2004, and his name adorns schools, roads, parks and an airport. A generation has passed since he left the White House.

And Madigan? He is still speaker, and has been for all but two years since he started. He appears to be as permanent a feature of the Illinois landscape as the Mississippi River.

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Illinois is a blue state, voting Democratic in the past seven presidential elections. But the Democratic Party's control of the state House is not the simple result of its ability to satisfy the citizenry. Democrats have also had the help of district lines drawn to help them at the expense of Republicans.

In 2012, Democratic House candidates got 52 percent of the vote statewide but captured 60 percent of the seats, report political scientist Kent Redfield of the University of Illinois at Springfield and policy consultant Cynthia Canary. In 2014, Democrats got 50.5 percent of the vote and 60 percent of the seats. This year, Madigan's party again won 60 percent of the races.

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That's why Illinois Republicans may side with Wisconsin Democrats on one issue: partisan gerrymandering. On Nov. 21, a federal district court struck down Wisconsin's legislative map on the ground that it unfairly favors Republicans, who dominate the Legislature. It had been more than three decades since a federal court invalidated a reapportionment plan for partisan bias.

The Supreme Court ultimately overruled that decision, upholding an Indiana redistricting plan. But the justices affirmed that a gerrymander could be so biased toward one party as to violate the Constitution. The district court said the Wisconsin plan fits the bill.

Republicans captured the Wisconsin Legislature in 2010, just in time for the decennial reapportionment. They made the most of the opportunity. In 2012, GOP candidates got 48.6 percent of the statewide vote  but 60 of the 99 seats in the lower house, the Assembly. In 2014, they got 52 percent of the vote and 63 seats.

A scholar they had asked to analyze the plan before its adoption said Democrats would need at least 54 percent of the statewide ballots to regain control of the Assembly. It was a recipe for Republican control in good times and bad.

In 1986, the Supreme Court noted that when legislators are entrusted with redistricting, the results are bound to have a partisan tilt. But it concluded there is a limit to what is permissible. "Unconstitutional discrimination occurs," it said, "when the electoral system is arranged in a manner that will consistently degrade a voter's or a group of voters' influence on the political process as a whole."

Wisconsin Republicans insist they have a natural advantage: Democrats are concentrated in cities, limiting the number of districts in which they enjoy majority strength, while Republicans are more scattered.

But the federal court said these facts don't explain the GOP's formidable edge. It is instead the product of efforts to dilute the votes of Democrats by "packing" large numbers into a few districts, where they can't lose, and "cracking" the rest into many more districts, where they can't win.

The Supreme Court (which will get this case on direct appeal) has hesitated to intervene in such matters because of a knotty question: how to separate the acceptable and unacceptable types of partisan gerrymandering. The Democrats in Wisconsin offered a formula, devised by Nicholas Stephanopoulos, a University of Chicago law professor, and Eric McGhee, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, that permits simple assessments.

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What they refer to as the "efficiency gap" is enough to lock in GOP control in Madison for a full decade under almost any realistic conditions. The court found that the reapportionment violates the First and 14th amendments by intentionally hobbling Democratic voters. Every affected citizen, it said, is "an unequal participant in the decisions of the body politic."

Illinois Republicans know how that works. For the moment, partisan gerrymandering favors the GOP because it holds power in more states. But Republicans have been its victims just as often as Democrats  and, if the Supreme Court doesn't curb the practice, will be again.

In the end, partisan gerrymandering is not really aimed at frustrating the party that is out of power. It's aimed at foiling voters who might want to remove politicians from office. As Michael Madigan can attest, it really works.

Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/chapman.

schapman@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveChapman13

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A group opposed to Chicago's new ordinances on Airbnb and shared housing is suing the city, saying the ordinances are unconstitutional. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

When the Cubs won the World Series in early November, the city was euphoric. And in the days leading up to the win, Wrigleyville was buzzing with excited fans  from Chicago and around the world. During that time, Airbnb reported that people who rent out their homes using the platform made at least $2.6 million from World Series visitors.

But it's not just during a Cubs World Series run that Chicago benefits from home-sharing services. Airbnb has reported that about 4,800 Chicagoans, across all 50 wards, are Airbnb hosts, and they earn an average of $5,300 per year renting out their homes. On the South Side alone, Airbnb hosts made $2.6 million in 2015. Many of those people count on that income to pay their mortgages and their property tax bills.

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"Home-sharing" may sound like a new thing  part of the cutting-edge "sharing economy"  but it's a centuries-old American tradition. For generations, people have let visitors stay in their homes, rather than in hotels, sometimes in exchange for money or for doing chores. The internet has enabled homeowners and travelers to connect better than ever before, and online home-sharing platforms such as HomeAway now help millions of people rent rooms or houses to help pay their bills.

Home-sharing gives travelers more choices and lower prices and attracts visitors to communities they might not otherwise visit, where they support local businesses. Home-sharing also gives property owners an incentive to buy dilapidated homes and restore them.

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But in June, Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed a city ordinance severely restricting home-sharing in Chicago.

The city's complicated 58-page home-sharing ordinance imposes burdensome new restrictions: The ordinance levies special taxes on home-sharers and forbids many people from renting property if they don't live there  rules that don't apply to hotel owners. And the ordinance threatens home-sharers with punishment if their guests make noise exceeding the "average conversational level"  another rule that doesn't apply to hotels.

What's truly shocking are the ordinance's rules that allow city inspections of any home-sharer's property without a warrant, for any reason, as often as the government wants. That's what the ordinance says: Homeowners must submit to inspections "at any time and in any manner." Another rule forces home-sharers to collect their guests' personal information  including their home addresses, signatures and dates they visited  and to give that information to city officials upon demand, without a warrant, or even a reason.

Home-sharers who don't comply could be fined between $1,500 and $3,000 per day.

Both the state and federal constitutions forbid the government from searching homes arbitrarily. Just last year, the Supreme Court struck down a Los Angeles ordinance that forced hotels to give police their guests' private information upon demand. Such broad rules, the court said, create "an intolerable risk that searches authorized by it will exceed (legal) limits, or be used as a pretext to harass hotel operators and their guests."

The Chicago ordinance is the latest in a nationwide campaign of harassment against home-sharers, a campaign that's often fed by misinformation and overreaction. While some communities have imposed unjust and arbitrary rules like Chicago's, others have banned home-sharing entirely. Some argue that such restrictions are necessary because, they claim, home-sharing disrupts neighborhoods and causes noise or traffic. But communities already have tools for addressing these problems without violating constitutional rights  and there's no need for such extremism. Cities don't outlaw backyard barbecues just because some get noisy, or prohibit graduation parties because guests sometimes park on the street. Instead, they rely on existing rules that limit noise, or regulate parking or other nuisances.

That's why the organizations we work for  the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center and the Goldwater Institute, based in Phoenix  are challenging the constitutionality of Chicago's ordinance on behalf of homeowners.

We're prepared to fight this legal battle for as long as it takes. But we shouldn't have to. Instead, the City Council should do the right thing by repealing the ordinance and letting Chicago homeowners, visitors and businesses enjoy the benefits of home-sharing.

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Jacob Huebert is a senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center and Christina Sandefur is the executive vice president of the Goldwater Institute.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., joined by, from left, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. James Clyburn of S.C., and Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., walk down the steps of the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 23, 2016, to speak after House Democrats ended their sit in protest on the House floor. (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

WASHINGTON  Pardon me if I don't get wildly excited by Democrats looking to place blame for their party's defeat and proposing a road map for the future.

I've seen it before  after every election, actually.

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I still remember representatives of the AFL-CIO and the more moderate Democratic Leadership Council blaming each other for Michael Dukakis' defeat in 1988 and arguing about the party's future strategy and message. It was only after pragmatist Bill Clinton won the White House in 1992 that the sniping stopped.

This year, most of the criticism has been aimed at the Hillary Clinton campaign's lack of a compelling economic message, particularly one aimed at white working-class voters. It's one of a number of reasonable explanations  as is the candidate's personal liabilities and the campaign's error of not treating Wisconsin and Michigan as electoral problems.

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More generally, the Democratic Party is under the microscope for losing more governors and state legislators this year, and for still being in the minority in the House and the Senate. The party certainly needs to reassess, but Democratic strategists ought to look before they leap, since there are structural reasons for the party's current standing that have little to do with Hillary Clinton.

Midterm elections offer disgruntled voters an opportunity to send a message of dissatisfaction to the White House. Because of that, the party not holding the White House historically has done well. Republicans had a great 2010 election because voters believed that President Barack Obama went too far, too fast in his first two years in office.

Since 88 of 99 state legislative chambers held elections in 2010, and 38 states had gubernatorial contests that year, the 2010 midterm results proved to be a bonanza at the state level for the GOP.

Republicans gained control of 20 state legislative chambers that year. Before the midterms, Democrats controlled 52 chambers to the GOP's 33. But after the 2010 election, Republicans held a majority in 53 chambers to the Democrats' 32. Among the states that flipped to the GOP were Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama and Wisconsin.

Republicans also netted six governorships in the midterms, including in populous states Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin. Republican victories in congressional races, state legislative elections and governors' contests came at an ideal time for the GOP, since it gave them many opportunities to redraw state legislative and U.S. House districts following the 2010 Census. (Since the North Carolina governor has no role in redistricting, Republicans also controlled redistricting there too.)

That advantage allowed Republicans both to maximize the number of legislative and congressional districts they would win and minimize their future vulnerabilities, even in a presidential election year that might favor Democrats. The 2014 elections, Obama's second midterm election, gave GOP incumbents and challengers another opportunity to run against Washington, D.C. and a controversial president.

Only a single incumbent Republican governor was defeated in 2014 (in Pennsylvania), while three reliably Democratic states (Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts) elected Republican governors. All three of those states went solidly for Hillary Clinton in 2016, proving that their gripe was not with the Democratic Party but with Obama, their Democratic governors or their Democratic gubernatorial nominees.

None of this exculpates Democrats from the charge that they failed to turn out core voters earlier this month or that they didn't have a winning message that appealed to swing voters or working-class whites.

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But when Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who hopes to oust Rep. Nancy Pelosi as his party's leader in the House, tells Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that "We've been getting the message wrong since 2010," he needs to explain what that says about Obama, whose job approval was a solid 53 percent in the exit poll but who surely is more responsible than Clinton for the current weak state of the party.

Clinton certainly wasn't an ideal nominee, especially given the electorate's mood, but it's always difficult for a party to win three straight presidential elections. Moreover, Clinton did carry the popular vote quite comfortably, by over 2.2 million votes. That isn't an excuse, merely some perspective.

Would Bernie Sanders have won the election? I'm not sure. But I'd bet that Joe Biden would have carried Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which would have put him in the White House and almost certainly handed the Senate to the Democrats.

In other words, if Clinton had received a total of about 100,000 more votes than she did in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, we'd all be talking about the GOP's problems, not the Democrats'.

As Democrats evaluate the state of their party and look to move forward, they should remember that each election cycle is unique, and the 2018 and 2020 elections will be very different from the past four elections because a Republican occupies the White House.

Obviously, the makeup of the 2016 Senate class limits Democratic opportunities, but the House of Representatives suddenly became a very different battlefield with a Republican president.

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Since a midterm is almost always a referendum on the sitting president, the contours of 2018 will depend on President Trump's success and failures, as well as on Democratic recruiting and fundraising. That makes it fundamentally different from the last five general elections.

Like all parties after defeat, Democrats should assess their strengths and weaknesses, their vulnerabilities and their opportunities. But they better not simply prepare to fight the last war again.

Washington Post
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 29: (L to R) Reince Priebus, incoming White House Chief of Staff, President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney dine at Jean Georges restaurant, November 29, 2016 in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling cabinet and other high level positions for the new administration. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

Donald Trump promises to impose, soon after his inauguration, a new requirement on federal agencies: If they want to issue a new regulation, they have to rescind two regulations that are now on the books. The idea of "one in, two out" has rhetorical appeal, but it's going to be extremely hard to pull off.

In the abstract, of course, it sounds like a gimmick, and it's a pretty dumb idea. As presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama have recognized, the real question is whether regulations, whether new or old, are justified. That requires a careful analysis of their costs and their benefits.

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For some agencies, the right approach might be "zero in, 10 out," because there's no justification for anything new and a lot has to go. For other agencies, the right approach could be "10 in, zero out," because all 10 have benefits well in excess of costs, and there's really nothing to eliminate.

It follows that the right approach is not "one in, two out" but a careful check on issuing new rules, with the help of cost-benefit analysis  accompanied by an ambitious program to scrutinize rules on the books to see if they should be scrapped. The Trump administration doesn't need a gimmick to make progress on both fronts.

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But life isn't lived in the abstract. It's reasonable for the Trump administration to reduce regulatory activity, certainly in some domains, and the "one in, two out" idea is likely to deter new rule-making  which may be the main goal. It's also reasonable to create a strong incentive for agencies to get rid of unjustified rules. On that count, "one in, two out"  a variation on an idea that has been tried in Canada and the U.K.  might be a lot less random than it seems.

Even if that's so, Trump's appointees are going to face some serious implementation problems. Four categories of regulations should probably be exempted  and if that happens, the "one in, two out" rule will have a pretty narrow scope.

1. Some regulations are deregulations; they reduce existing burdens. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency might exempt small businesses from an air pollution rule. By the very logic of the "one in, two out" rule, deregulation should not be covered.

2. Agencies regularly issue "technical amendments," responding to a request for clarification, correcting an inadvertent error, or allowing a bit more flexibility (say, by allowing less frequent filing of reports). It would be a big mistake to deter technical amendments by requiring them to be accompanied by "two out." (True, the line between a technical amendment and a substantive change is sometimes elusive.)

3. Numerous regulations impose no significant costs on the private sector or anybody else  for example, they might provide valuable information or combat fraud, waste and abuse. A recent one would allow the Agricultural Marketing Service to remove "board members and staff who fail to perform their duties or who engage in dishonest actions or willful misconduct." Another recent one "establishes the opening date for all Atlantic shark fisheries." Yet another proposes "to amend procedural regulations governing the filing and delivery of documents to allow for electronic filing of documents." Do we really want to deter agencies from issuing rules like those?

4. Numerous regulations implement federal spending programs. They might provide hurricane disaster assistance, establish rules for disability insurance for soldiers, or make changes to the program that offers payments for end-stage renal disease. Sure, the Trump administration might want to scale back some of these programs. But so long as that spending is required by law, the rules that make such spending possible seem a poor fit for "one in, two out."

So what's a good fit? The best answer points to a subcategory of what the executive branch calls "economically significant" rules  those that impose $100 million or more in costs on the private sector. Most administrations issue dozens of such rules every year. This is the most workable version of Trump's proposal: Whenever a regulator is imposing significant costs on people (either $100 million or some lower threshold), it must take two regulations away at the same time.

But that raises further questions. Which regulations? Would any do? Surely not. If you're imposing $1 billion in costs, but eliminating two regulations whose total cost is $10,000, you get "one massive rule in, two tiny rules out"  hardly what Trump has in mind. What most matters is the cost of rules, not the number. For the private sector, a dozen inexpensive rules may not be a big deal, while two that cost over $1 billion might be a horror show.

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So it's tempting to say that whenever a regulator is issuing an expensive new rule, it must eliminate two that cost at least as much as it does. The problem is that within the next year, one agency or another (headed by a Trump appointee, after all) is going to want to issue a rule that costs more than $100 million (say, to reduce the risk of illegal immigration, to protect against violent crime, or to promote safety on the highways), and it just won't be able to come up with two expensive rules that it makes sense to eliminate.

The best way to solve that problem is for Trump to give someone in the White House  most likely, the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs  the authority to waive the "one in, two out" idea after a compelling showing of need. Or perhaps the idea of "one in, two out" could be understood to apply government-wide, and not be imposed on particular agencies.

The conclusion? In theory, "one in, two out" is silly, and in practice it's likely to be a bit of a mess. It's hardly the most sensible approach to regulatory reform. But with a little flexibility, and a lot of determination, executive branch officials might be able to make it work.

Bloomberg

Cass R. Sunstein is director of the Harvard Law School's program on behavioral economics and public policy.
When Donald Trump takes office, he says, one of his first acts will be to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade deal with 11 other nations. Illinois farmers and factory owners are dismayed. China's thrilled. What does that tell you about the wisdom of Trump's decision? Let's unpack it:

The point of TPP is to knock down trade barriers and create stronger, fairer business relationships with a group of countries that make up 40 percent of the global economy. TPP would increase the exports of Illinois corn, pork, machinery and other products to member countries such as Japan. Give American exporters the opportunity to compete, and chances are they win. That's how our country rolls. That's why so many of our neighbors already have jobs that depend on robust global trade. TPP, which requires congressional approval, would help America, and Americans.

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China, potentially the single most important trade partner with the U.S., chose not to join TPP at inception, a gamble that suddenly looks shrewd. The Chinese proposed their own, looser Asia-Pacific trade federation of 16 nations, not including the U.S. The alternate pact, known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, doesn't have the potential firepower of TPP, so the notion hasn't meant much to American interests. But if Trump effectively kills TPP (the agreement is worth little without U.S. participation), then China's trade gambit takes center stage  as does China's ability to dictate the future terms of globalization.

This is why the death of TPP would be such a travesty: Trade is more than a two-way street. It's a vehicle for defining and nurturing relationships, making it a crucial element of the post-Cold War global competition for economic and political influence. America has done well in that competition.

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TPP would knock down tariffs, quotas and burdensome red tape. It would set rules governing intellectual property, establish principles for labor rights and address the unfair competitive advantages held by government-owned companies. Overall, TPP would bind the United States more closely to other member nations, and do so in a way that promotes democratic, free-market ideals. TPP countries, besides the U.S. and Japan, are Canada, Australia, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Chile, Peru, New Zealand, Vietnam and Brunei.

If TPP is kaput, China gets a free hand to sidle closer to its proposed RCEP trading partners, which include the nations of Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. "This is a good opportunity for China to be more powerful on the global stage starting with economics, and to gain a larger voice," Zou Zheng-fang, an economics professor at China's Renmin University, told The Wall Street Journal. What will China do with its larger voice? Not a lot to promote American goals and interests. Nothing to nurture democracy. And absolutely zip to create jobs in Chicago, Illinois, the Midwest, the U.S.

Trump made attacks on trade, and TPP in particular, a big part of his campaign. His argument, that global trade is robbing America and is to blame for the loss of factory jobs, is politically powerful. It's also simplistic, and wrong. The U.S. is already an integral part of the global economy. Trade juices economic growth for all nations because it allows them to specialize in what they do best and buy everything else from others, often at cheaper prices. While Trump blamed trade for the loss of American manufacturing jobs, the truth is most of those positions didn't migrate to China or Mexico. Most disappeared because American factories continually improve their productivity.

During the campaign, Trump badgered Carrier, the Indiana manufacturer, for deciding to move as many as 2,000 jobs to Mexico. Tuesday night, Trump declared victory: Carrier agreed to preserve more than 1,000 jobs in the state, reportedly in exchange for economic incentives. That's tremendous news for those workers, but it does nothing to position the United States to compete and win in the global economy. Presidents, even ones who think of themselves as consummate dealmakers, can't spend their time in office traveling the country negotiating expensive government incentives to save jobs.

Once in the White House, we hope Trump refocuses on the big picture to help make American companies as profitable and vibrant as they can be. That includes bringing down tax rates to give business owners a level playing field with companies overseas. It also means giving those employers every incentive to invest in jobs and growth here. And it includes accepting the idea that America's future prosperity and security will be assured by embracing global trade, not backing away.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
Illinois has some of the most aggressive asset-forfeiture laws in the country and they should be softened. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)

In this era of particularly bitter partisan divides, it's refreshing to come across an issue on which the liberal American Civil Liberties Union and the conservative Illinois Policy Institute are in accord.

The organizations frequently find themselves on opposite sides, but they recently issued their first-ever joint report, a 32-page broadside against Illinois' appalling asset-forfeiture laws  a set of statutes that allows state and local law enforcement officials to seize vehicles, real estate, cash or other personal property from citizens when they think the property might have been derived from or otherwise involved in the commission of a crime.

Those attempting to get such property back find it time-consuming, expensive and often futile.

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The ACLU and IPI pored over public records and estimated that state officials made $319 million by seizing cash and goods in Illinois from 2005 to 2015, while federal officials made $404 million.

Some of the seized property  the proceeds of drug traffickers and other criminals, for instance  certainly should have been taken and converted to public use. But some  the report tells the story of a woman from the Quad Cities who had her car impounded for five months simply because her grandson had been driving it while his license was suspended  certainly should not have been.

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Only two states have asset-forfeiture laws more aggressive than the laws in Illinois, according to " Policing for Profit ," a November 2015 report by the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public-interest law firm. That report takes an exhaustive look at the problems in nearly every state's forfeiture laws.

The ACLU/IPI report's 10 recommendations for improving Illinois' laws help explain how problematic forfeiture laws can be. Among them:

 "Require a criminal conviction before property can be forfeited to the government."

Most people find it unimaginable that the government can confiscate your possessions without finding you guilty of something given that the Bill of Rights specifically protects citizens from "unreasonable  seizures" and the deprivation of "life, liberty, or property without due process."

But there it is. The statutes have roots in old laws of the sea designed to impound contraband from pirates and smugglers without a lot of courtroom fuss. Authorities dusted them off in the 1980s as an expeditious way of draining the profits and glamour from drug-dealing.

The legal corner-cutting is now out of hand in Illinois, as it is in all but a few states. Such flimsy standards as "probable cause" and "preponderance of the evidence" are all that's required to seize property in most cases, and the owner of the seized property doesn't even have to have been charged or arrested.

The owner has to pay a bond to challenge the forfeiture and isn't entitled to the presumption of innocence, free representation or recovery of legal costs. And, unbelievably, prosecutors are allowed to introduce hearsay evidence against the property owner, but the property owner is not allowed to use hearsay evidence in rebuttal.

 "Eliminate direct financial incentives for law enforcement to seize and pursue forfeiture of property."

The ACLU/IPI report says that "in most cases, 65 percent of forfeiture funds are kept by the seizing agency, 25 percent go to prosecutors, and 10 percent are given to Illinois State Police." Which is great if the funds are actually the ill-gotten proceeds of crime, but not so great if they're the fruits of flimsy suspicions, hunches or just the desire to fill departmental coffers.

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The report recommends diverting all proceeds from forfeitures to the state's general revenue fund, as they now are in such states as New Mexico, Maryland and Maine that have updated their forfeiture laws in recent years. Separate federal forfeiture laws also need updating.

 "Require a link between forfeiture and a public safety benefit."

The report cites instances in which courts have OK'd vehicle forfeitures in cases when occupants had small quantities of illegal drugs in their pockets.

"It is difficult to imagine how being permanently deprived of their cash, cars or other valuable property is supposed to make these individuals less likely to engage in criminal behavior," the report's authors note dryly.

 "Improve reporting requirements."

The report authors admit their statistical analysis is based on good-faith estimates gleaned from public records that are "not terribly detailed." The available records do not distinguish between forfeitures related to criminal trials and those related simply to suspicions, between seizures that were contested and those that were not, and between those in which the property was eventually returned and those in which the government got to keep it.

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Perhaps accordingly, ACLU/IPI researchers found that numbers provided by the state didn't square with numbers they compiled county by county.

"Inaccuracy in reporting undermines transparency," says the report. This prevents "news organizations, researchers or even average concerned citizens from having reliable, accurate information from which to judge the utility and appropriateness of actions undertaken in their names."

Putting common sense and fairness into these laws is clearly not a matter of left and right, but of right and wrong.

Can our Solons in Springfield come together to get it done?

Twitter @EricZorn
School District 308 is set to make a final decision on new attendance boundaries in a couple of weeks.

A 37-member advisory committee Monday night presented its recommendations to address capacity issues and program changes.

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The majority reached a consensus on a set of maps developed after months of discussion and feedback from two public forums as well as online surveys.

They said while there was "no perfect plan," the majority did like two options for proposed boundary changes that would have the least impact on the greatest number of students.

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"It worked out well, yet there is not going to be a perfect solution," school board president Matt Bauman told the committee. "We do appreciate all your work."

The last boundary changes were implemented in the 2012-13 school year. The district used educational planning firm RSP and Associates to facilitate the process then and now.

Craig Menozzi, of RSP and Associates, said one new plan proposes to make boundary changes in the fall, and there would be fewer elementary schools that would be split between junior high schools, while the other would phase in boundary adjustments and more schools would be split.

"Essentially under one plan, all of the moves would be in the 2017-18 school year. There's a little bit more of a bite to it, but then it would be done," he said.

Menozzi said many committee members favored having the adjustments made next year.

"They are interested in having the same elementary students attend the same junior high and high schools," he said. "The one plan accomplishes that a lot better."

Menozzi said about four schools in the district were reaching capacity while others were underutilized.

"One of the criteria was to ensure that all buildings were equally utilized and efficient," Menozzi said.

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During public comment, parent Sara Carson encouraged the board's support for one alternative she described as the "best scenario" because it met criteria for a feeder system and addressed transportation safety issues.

She said it would significantly reduce the number of elementary schools that would be split as they feed into the district's junior high schools.

Under the other plan, five of 13 elementary schools would be affected, and Southbury Elementary students would be split when they leave between three junior high schools, she said.

Carson said under the first plan, students would be affected for only one year, and students moving into junior high would change with their entire class, which would give them a "stronger support network."

The school board will vote on the boundary recommendations Dec. 12. The district will begin notifying families impacted by boundary changes next month.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
The first of four Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles guards indicted on a variety of criminal charges involving wrongdoing at the facility made his initial court appearance Wednesday.

Andre McFarland, 31, of Rockford, is charged with a total of nine felony counts alleging, among other things, that he observed and helped encourage attacks among juvenile detainees at the center just west of St. Charles. Free on $30,000 bail, McFarland appeared before Kane County Judge David Kliment with a private attorney. Kliment scheduled a Jan. 12 hearing for McFarland to be formally arraigned.

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On Monday, Kane County prosecutors announced indictments against McFarland and three other Youth Center employees - Johan Asiata, 30, of Channahon; Michael Klimek, 40, of Yorkville; and Elliott Short, 34, of St. Charles - in connection to a series of January incidents at the facility. Led by Klimek, the four prompted certain detainees to commit attacks on others as "a form of discipline," according to authorities.

A grand jury Nov. 22 issued a 76-count indictment against Klimek that includes official misconduct, aggravated battery, unlawful restraint, mob action and misdemeanor theft. Asiata was indicted on official misconduct, aggravated battery and unlawful restraint charges, while Short's indictment includes official misconduct and aggravated battery counts. The four, who have each been placed on paid administrative leave, worked as juvenile justice specialists during the incidents, which occurred on six occasions between Jan. 9 and 28 of this year, prosecutors said.

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Asiata, Short and Klimek are each scheduled to appear in court next week when their respective arraignment dates are likely to be set.

Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles opened in 1904 and currently serves as a medium-security facility, as well as a reception center for most male detainees processed by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the department's website.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
Aurora firefighters use this type of oxygen mask to help save pets suffereing from smoke inhalation. (Chicago Tribune / Chuck Berman)

If a photo had been taken at the site of the Big Rock fire last week, it would have been well worth a thousand words, as firefighters rescued a menagerie  from dogs and cats to chickens, turtles and even a bearded dragon.

Capt. Debra Raymond, a 30-year-veteran of the Big Rock Fire Department, was inside the ambulance as "they just kept bringing animals out"  and those critters "started stacking up" inside the emergency vehicle.

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Among Raymond's duties that night: cut up an oxygen mask and insert the tubing into the throat of a kitten struggling to breathe.

Although firefighters insist that they will do all they reasonably can to rescue family pets, humans take precedence over animals. And that point needs to be emphasized in the wake of the Nov. 20 fire on Iowa Avenue on Aurora's near west side, where a 76-year-old man, after he was safely out of the burning home, went back inside before first responders arrived in a futile attempt to rescue two small dogs.

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According to fire marshal Javan Cross, the man was overcome by heavy smoke conditions and, after initially being taken to Presence Mercy Medical Center, had to be flown to Loyola Medical Center, where he is now in critical but stable condition.

"Once you are out, stay out" is a chant Cross said he has effectively used with school kids for years. Unfortunately, he added, too often adults let emotions get in the way of common sense, especially when it comes to their pets.

"Once you are out, stay out," Cross repeated again. "I can't emphasize that enough. Leave it to us who have the training to get the animals out."

And, while firefighters "will not put people at risk for the sake of those pets," Cross said, they will give it their best shot at rescuing them.

Although those situations usually involve a family dog or cat, first responders won't ignore the less cuddly species trapped inside. Last year, firefighters even repeatedly went back into a burning home in Sandwich to rescue opossum, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, skunks, rabbits and rats from the home of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Although pets are considered property by law, "a life is a life," Raymond said. And yes, that includes guinea pigs and goldfish  the latter of which can present a unique challenge because of the weight of aquariums.

Aurora firefighters rescued a rabbit and a chinchilla from a house fire on the 200 block of South Elmwood Drive last May. (Aurora Fire Department / Handout)

"If possible," she said, "we will scoop the fish into a bowl" to bring them out of danger.

Pets, which are often home alone when fires break out, pose other hurdles, including the fact that terrified animals, particularly cats, tend to hide. Because "knowledge replaces fear," Raymond said, first responders will immediately began asking questions about the animals that will help pinpoint their location in the house. Where does the dog hang out? Where is the kitty litter box?

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Aurora fire Lt. Jim Rhodes said his department does not take special training on animal rescue, although first responders  unlike in Big Rock  do carry a smaller oxygen mask designed for pets.

At a house fire in Geneva in October, however, a firefighter with special training in dog resuscitation tried to give a 13-week-old golden retriever CPR and oxygen. The method included placing the chest compressor in a different location, said Chief Mike Antenore, and blowing oxygen by the nose with the oxygen mask.

"Sometimes it works, but in this case the puppy's injuries from the smoke were well advanced," added Antenore. "It was a sad occasion."

Even worse, however, is human injury  which is why firefighters are adamant that you should never go back inside. Even Geneva homeowner Terry Irvine later admitted to a reporter he probably shouldn't have braved the fire to try to save his puppy. "I almost didn't make it back out," he said.

Bottom line: Firefighters will do all they can to bring that golden retriever or that gerbil or that goat out of the burning building. "But," insisted Cross, "we will not put people at risk."

"You risk a lot to save a lot," said Antenore. "Never go back in. Let us take care of the animals."

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Dcrosby@tribpub.com
Donna Webster and her family organized a fundraiser for husband Kenneth Webster, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. Barrington business Acanthus will sell Kenneth Webster's artwork and paintings he made as a hobby. Proceeds support the Webster's medical expenses. (Todd Shields / Pioneer Press)

An insurance worker for 40 years with New York Life usually wouldn't be thought of as an accomplished artist and painter.

But Algonquin resident Kenneth Webster, 73, has helped defy that perception by creating different paintings and participating in art shows during his free time throughout the past four decades.

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Now, his family is hoping he could defy the more serious matter of a brain cancer diagnosis and is working with a Barrington business to help raise community support for Webster's treatment by putting his hobby on display.

"He has all this beautiful art," said Webster's son, Kenneth Webster, Jr.

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Faced with increasing medical expenses and expired insurance coverage for Kenneth Webster's nursing home care, the Webster family connected with Debora Watson, who owns the interior design studio Acanthus in Barrington.

Watson previously knew Kenneth Webster and also worked with his wife, Donna Webster. The business owner brainstormed ideas with the family on how to raise funds to support Kenneth Webster's medical costs.

They decided on an art sale, offering Kenneth Webster's paintings for purchase. Proceeds go to the family, who would use the funds to continue nursing care for Kenneth Webster at Rosewood Care Center in Elgin, both Watson and the family said.

Between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day from Dec. 3 through Dec. 11, Acanthus will display about 40 of Webster's framed art pieces for sale at the Barrington business, 442 W. Northwest Highway.

"Ken's art can fit beautifully into so many homes," Watson said. "All funds from this showing and sale will go directly to defray costs of his nursing care."

Before the brain cancer diagnosis in July, Kenneth Webster was working toward retiring from New York Life in 2017.

Plans changed after doctors diagnosed him with high-grade glioblastoma, the most aggressive and malignant form of primary brain cancer, said Dr. Dennis Wen, a neurosurgeon at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin who treats Webster.

"The average survival rate for this is a little over a year," Wen said. "His prognosis is very poor."

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The art sale not only helps the Webster family cover medical bills but it also recognizes his longtime hobby, said Donna Webster.

An artist who taught himself to paint, Webster incorporates themes throughout his life into his artwork while using a heavily textured technique, the family said.

He uses materials such as sand, plaster, metal, acrylic paint and concrete in his art, Donna Webster said.

"Each individual piece of art tells a different period in Ken's life," she said.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
Vinnie Gupta is living in Burr Ridge, having moved to the Chicago area from Los Angeles a few months ago to attend medical school. He answered these questions at the Starbuck's in the Burr Ridge Village Center.

Q: Where did you grow up?

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A: Los Angeles

Q: What is your impression of the Chicago area?

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A: People here are very nice.

Q: Where is the farthest you have traveled?

A: I've been everywhere, Europe, Asia.

Q: What would be your dream vacation?

A: Staying at home, cleaning up, getting things done. Sleeping would be very much appreciated. It's nice to relax and catch up on things.

Q: What kind of music do you like?

A: Eclectic. I grew up listening to old time rock 'n roll. But I'm a sponge. I listen to what everyone else is listening to.

Q: Do you play a musical instrument?

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A: I play the flute, but not in a while. I played in high school, in the marching band.

Q: What is the last book you read that you would recommend?

A: "Reinventing American Health Care" by Ezekiel Emanuel. He's the brother of the Chicago mayor. I learned a lot. This book goes into detail about the Affordable Care Act, the history of health care in America, the political situation leading up to the bill and his predictions for the future and future reforms. It was fascinating. I couldn't put it down.

Q: Do you have a favorite movie?

A: One of my favorite movies is "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." There are a lot of Shakespeare references in it and I love Shakespeare. The title, "Undiscovered Country," is from Hamlet. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" had a lot of references to Richard III. There was a well-developed story line and great musical score, like Star Trek I, it was a full theatrical experience.

Q: What super power would you like to have?

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A: Teleportation. That way I wouldn't get stuck in traffic.

Q: If they made a movie of your life, which actor would you want to portray you?

A: I don't know many Indian actors.

Q: Would the actor have to be Indian?

A: I always liked Michael J. Fox. I think he would capture my spirit in many ways.

Shout Out is a weekly feature where we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.

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kfornek@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @kfdoings
The Giving Tree at the Orland Park Public Library is set up so it can be decorated with hats, gloves, scarves and coats during the library's annual collection drive. (Laura Hinderman / Daily Southtown)

The Orland Park area offers many opportunities to give back or contribute to the community

The Giving Tree at the Orland Park Public Library

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Orland Park Public Library and the Orland Township Food Pantry are again hosting The Giving Tree. During December, the library will collect new winter clothing  coats, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. The Giving Tree is located on the main level of the library.

The Giving Tree service project has been gathering items during this time of year for 16 years. The library's teen advisory group, Teen Inc., began this service project. It remains a wonderful way for library patrons to give back to the community. Simply bring your donations to the library Youth Services Desk, or place them under the tree (or on it, if you are so inclined), during regular library hours.

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Check out many of the other programs and gifts the library has this season at orlandparklibrary.org. Patrons interested in supporting the library may contact Library Director Mary Weimar to memorialize a loved one with a paver or by gifting books.

Orland Township Food Pantry Holiday Program

The Orland Township Food Pantry is accepting donations to stock their shelves and is again sponsoring families for their upcoming Holiday Program. Marianne Hill, Food Pantry coordinator, spoke with me about the Holiday Program. She has been involved with the Food Pantry since it began in 1983.

The Food Pantry coordinates programs for families that may need a little extra help during this season through its Holiday Program. Adopt-A-Family and Family Sponsorships are currently underway, wherein generous individuals may gift toys, clothing, and other necessities to ensure other families that may be having a difficult time this year may enjoy the holiday.

New this year for Orland Township is a Giving Tree, which is located in the lobby of the Township Offices at 14807 Ravinia. To participate, simply choose an ornament hanging from the tree. The ornament contains the age and gender of a child hoping for a gift. Purchase an item, and return the gift and tag to the Township offices before December 9.

Donations for The Holiday Program, which will be Dec. 15, should be received by the Food Pantry by Dec. 9. During the Holiday Event, families that have previously filled out paperwork and a "Wish List" will then be invited to the event to receive their gifts.

This is a great volunteer opportunity for groups or students in need of community service hours. Currently, volunteers are needed during certain shifts. Please phone the Orland Township office at 708-403-4222 to volunteer, as opportunities fill up quickly.

"Orland Township provides gifts, food, and gift certificates to deserving families served in this area. We wish to thank everyone for their donations. We truly appreciate all of the donations that are received. Our goal is to help families have a happy and merry Christmas," Hill said.

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More information is at orlandtownship.org/food-pantry/

Forest Preserve District of Will County

If the holiday season has already begun to get a bit overwhelming, the Forest Preserve District of Will County has an upcoming volunteer opportunity that could help.

A natural resource workday will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 11, at Messenger Woods Nature Preserve in Homer Glen. Participants will help remove woody invasive species in the preserve.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"Volunteers will have the opportunity to contribute to their community, support the local environment, meet fellow nature-lovers, and get some fresh air and exercise," said Cindy Cain, the district's public information officer. Registration is required at 815)-722-7364, or send an email to volunteer supervisor Renee Gauchat, rgauchat@fpdwc.org.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

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Paul Martinez, marketing and web manager for the Chicago Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, shared information about their inaugural Jingle Bell Walk from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday. This event features a 3K walk through Lincoln Park, with choirs caroling along the way. Hot chocolate and fresh cookies will be served; there will be kid's crafts, a special visit from Santa, and view of the zoo and city holiday lights!

The net proceeds go toward alleviating poverty among the poor, cold, and hungry during the holiday season. Participants will receive a winter hat with the St. Vincent de Paul logo and the option to attend the after-party (tickets sold separately). More information is at www.jinglebellwalk.com

St. Vincent de Paul is always looking for donations, especially this time of year. Martinez reminds us that "Donations tend to drop off during the holidays and winter months so it's nice to remind people that we serve people in need every day of the year! The holidays are probably the toughest time for many people."

This time of year, let us keep in mind to be thankful, helpful, giving, and kind.

Laura Hinderman is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
We are still five months away from the usual free-for-all that accompanies local elections in this part of the civilized world. In this post-Thanksgiving month there seems to be no end to potential candidates now seen circulating their petitions for elected office. You can't even pay your water bill at the local village hall these days without being tapped on the shoulder and asked if you want to "sign here."

People older than me (yes, Virginia, they exist!) say at one time Park Forest held calm elections, with its Non-Partisan Committee insisting on strict guidelines in its candidate forums. Each aspirant for office had to pledge to run independent of party or with another contender for office. By playing nice, it was hoped that a little civil light would shine through. The Non-Partisan Committee still exists and still runs the community-wide forums in the Village, but it is not 1960 anymore.

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Impartial observers can understand.

We write this after former Park Forest Village Board member Gary Kopycinski said he does not plan to run for office next year. He insists he is almost absolutely sure, almost positive that after serving two terms on the board, he will not seek to return to the seat he lost in a contentious campaign two years ago.

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We need to set a scene. In 2015, Kopycinski was seeking a third term as trustee and fellow Trustee JeRome Brown was trying to unseat Mayor John Ostenburg, who was going for his fourth term. Brown won a seat in 2013 by six votes despite some acrimonious words written about him in an online paper about the village (eNews Park Forest) operated by Kopycinski. At the time editor Rosemary Piser called Brown a candidate who did not always speak the truth and could not back up his promises.

Picky, picky!

At one of the candidate forums in 2015, sitting Trustee Robert McCray, who was not on the ballot, but someone who has had numerous differences with Brown, strode to the microphone during the questions from the audience portion of the forum and asked if Brown was telling the truth "because I've heard a bunch of lies."

"I speak the truth," replied Brown, who then suggested that Kopycinski recent health issues were due to his negative articles about Brown. "What goes around comes around," he said. "Negatives create negativity."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Impartial observers gave Brown four stars for that snide remark.

Near the end of the forum, Brown left his seat on the dais and went to the audience mike and asked all candidates what they thought about an online paper with Park Forest in its name, filled with "negatives and biased opinion." Verbal shrugs followed but Trustee Mae Brandon said that news is news and "if the information is correct, that's what it is."

For his part Kopycinski said he was not sure what Brown was talking about, but in the next issue of his publication there was an editorial headlined "Can't Take the Heat? Get Out of the Kitchen." This, he later said, was not aimed at Brown but was a caution to all candidates. That response drew four stars for snarkiness from our impartial observers.

In the 2015 election Tiffani Graham edged Kopycinski by seven votes for the final seat on the Board. Brown lost his mayoral bid by some 700 votes.

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We may have missed some announcements, but as of last Sunday perennial candidate Jonathan Vanderbilt and Park Forest Veterans Commission chairperson Yvette Jones said they are running for positions on the Board. If Gary Kopycinski sticks to his guns, he still has his online paper with which he can comment to his heart's content on the scene and about any and all specific candidates.

Impartial observers take note.

Jerry Shnay is a freelance journalist and can be reached at jerryshnay@gmail.com.
Beverly resident Therese Connors said receiving the Madonna Medal for community service from Mount Mary University in Wisconsin was like winning an Oscar.

Mount Mary University awards the Madonna Medal for alumnae who epitomize the spirit of the university. Awards are given to graduates who clearly demonstrate a longstanding commitment to their profession or volunteerism, and Connors was one of six recipients of the award that recognized her efforts in the Beverly community and beyond.

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In her home community, Connors founded Little Flower Healthcare, an agency that for 16 years has matched caregivers up with people who need help in their day-to-day living. Beyond Chicago, for 20 years, Connors has volunteered her time in providing clothing and various household items for people in need in Guatemala. The nomination letter for Connors said these efforts show that her heart makes this a better and more compassionate world.

Connors, who graduated from Mount Mary in 1971, said she was very grateful to win the award, and honored to be with the women who also won the award in different categories.

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"It felt like I was going up to get an Oscar," said Connors, 66. "Twelve of my college friends came (to the award ceremony) and it was just wonderful. I loved it."

According to the Mount Mary website, the Madonna Medal award was first given in 1960, and is the university's highest honor for alumnae achievement. To win the award, Connors first had to be nominated by a fellow alumna of the school, and then she had to provide reference letters. One such letter came from her neighbor and friend, Mary Kopale.

Kopale brought up Connors' years of effort on behalf of poor people in Guatemala, including the fact that Therese has organized not only clothes to Guatemala, but shoes and school supplies as well. In so doing, Kopale said Connors has inspired many school children to follow her example of volunteerism.

"Therese cares," Kopale wrote. "Her compassion is boundless. The community Therese serves starts at her front door, runs down the street, and around the parish and city, and encompasses the world."

Connors said her compassion for people started in her own family. She pointed to the example she had from her "trailblazing" female family members. She recalled her grandmother coming to America at 18 to start a new life, and then she referred to her mother, who raised 12 children, and held a job at the local hospital, working as a night supervisor in the psychiatric department. With their examples, she said she felt confident in starting her health care business.

"What did I know when I started Little Flower Healthcare?" Connors said. "I didn't have a business degree, and I didn't have a marketing degree, but I knew from taking care of my sister, and later my brother-in-law that there was a need for caregivers."

Connors explained that her sister Margaret was a lifelong diabetic, and as such she had many health related issues. Connors was very active in caring for her sister, and after her sister passed away, Connors suddenly had to help another sister, because that sister's husband was dying from kidney cancer. Through these caregiving opportunities, Connors realized that people

needed help, and she decided to start the Little Flower Healthcare Agency. That decision was 16 years ago, and in that time, she has helped more than 3,000 people with their day to day living activities.

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"Even though I didn't have any background in this business, I picked up the phone, and I put people together," Connors said. "The process of getting care for an elderly parent is very hard, especially on the adult children. Unlike the 'old days,' we are no longer able to be at home and assist our parents on a daily basis. There is always guilt on the side of the adult children and fear on the side of the elderly parent.

"Giving up independence, having a stranger come to live in your home is not easy. We try to help the family look at several options and make the best choice they can. Once they see Mom or Dad actually thriving with help from a caregiver, everyone seems to relax. Before you know it, the parent and the caregiver become fast friends. This is what makes our work worthwhile."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Beverly resident Gaby Gribble worked with Connors, helping to send clothes to needy people. Gribble spoke highly of Connors.

"I worked with Therese when she was sending hats and t-shirts to the poor," Gribble said. "Therese is a busy woman who always has time for a cause, whether it is in her own back yard, or across the planet."

Connors plans to continue her work in Guatemala and beyond, and says that volunteerism, as well as the award, are very important to her.

"Receiving the Madonna Award and being acknowledged for my life's work was one of the most memorable moments of my life," Connors said. "Having my adult children there to share this experience was so special.

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"I believe that we all have a chance at greatness, not by doing great things, but by doing small things with great love. This is how we will change the world."

Patti Ahern is a freelance columnist.

PattiRMA@aol.com
Business / Companies

by Staff reporter

LOW cost pan-Africa airline, fastjet, will from December 5, suspend flights on three routes including Johannesburg/Victoria Falls service, to contain costs.Suspension of the Johannesburg/Victoria Falls flights comes as the airline will also stop flights between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Entebe, Uganda as well as the Tanzanian capital city and Nairobi, Kenya.fastjet started flights between Johannesburg and the resort town of Victoria falls in March citing strong demand by passengers and tour operators.Flight services between OR Tambo International Airport and the Victoria Falls International Airport were being operated using the airline's modern Airbus A319 jet aircraft, which has a seating for up to 156 people.fastjet earlier said that it believed that affordable air travel was key to continued growth of tourism between Zimbabwe and its southern neighbour.Victoria Falls had long been established as a tourism draw card to the region.The route between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg came less than two months after the low cost airline introduced flights between Harare and Victoria Falls, and its first international service from Harare to Johannesburg.When launching the Johannesburg service the budget airline said it would fly twice a week on Fridays and Sundays with the flights taking a time of 1 hour 35 minutes.But fastjet said it had suspended flights on the three routes in order to facilitate ongoing turnaround programme in pursuit of long term sustainable financial structures for its businesses in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Student enrollment at School District U46 dipped below 40,000 students this fall, according to a district analysis. (Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News)

Student enrollment at Elgin School District U46 fell below the 40,000-student mark this fall, according to a district analysis.

The overall enrollment dropped from 40,137 students last fall to 39,711 at the end of September, or 426 students from the same point last school year. School districts report enrollment numbers to the State Board of Education every fall.

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The numbers show a continuing decline in the number of children attending the school district, which during the 2010-11 school year was close to 40,500 students, according to State Board of Education enrollment data. The year-to-year drop is the largest recorded, said district spokeswoman Mary Fergus.

"It's certainly something that we monitor but we don't anticipate a dramatic drop anytime (soon)," she said.

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At a recent U46 Board of Education meeting, Chief Operations Officer Jeff King quelled fears the 1-percent drop in students would mean a reduction in revenue from the state. King reminded the board general state aid is calculated using three-year average daily attendance data and not overall enrollment.

"If there is any impact, it's going to be pretty minor because it's averaged," said King. "If the attendance number is impacted by the same percentage but then you turn around and average it, we might see a minor adjustment downward, but I don't think it will be particularly significant."

Among the notable items in the data is a 342-student decline in the elementary grade levels. While Coleman and Highland elementary schools saw respective increases of 140 and 128 students from one year to the next, Channing Elementary School saw a drop of 146 students. King said it was due to changes in the school's boundary maps.

Last December, the board approved boundary changes, which included sending 29 students from Channing to Garfield and 76 students from Channing to O'Neal.

Lincoln Elementary School in Hoffman Estates reported the largest year-to-year enrollment drop, down 201 students. According to state figures, enrollment at Lincoln was 627 students last school year. Those students were sent to Lords Park, McKinley, and Coleman elementary schools.

School District U46's eight middle schools reported an increase from 5,722 to 6,004, or 282 students. According to the data, Canton Middle School in Streamwood was the only middle school to see a drop of more than 40 students.

Average class sizes vary by grade level, according to the report. The class size ranges from 21 in kindergarten to 27 in fifth grade. At last month's meeting, King said the average class size in a general education classroom  English, math, science and social studies -- at the middle school and high school level was 25 and 18, respectively.

According to the data, U46 remains the second-largest school district in the state, trailing Chicago's count of almost 392,000 students. Just behind the Elgin-based school system is Rockford School District 205, with an enrollment of more than 28,000 students.

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raguerrero@tribpub.com
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe has described the death of former Cuban president, Fidel Castro as a loss not only to the Cuban people alone but to the whole progressive world.Speaking to Zimbabwean and Cuban journalists soon after arrival at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana this Tuesday, Mugabe commended the people of Cuba for continued resilience in the face illegal economic sanctions by the United States.He said despite the economic embargo, Cuba has continued to support other countries fighting imperialism and colonialism across the globe and most notably in Africa.Mugabe extolled the role played by the late Castro in supporting African liberation struggles including Zimbabwe and the assistance the country continued to render to other countries after independence especially in the training of medical doctors who continue to man some of Zimbabwe's health institutions."President Castro was not only your leader but a leader for all of us, we listened to him. He was not just a man of words but a man of action and he came to Zimbabwe during the Non Aligned Movement summit when he came up with the idea of training young men and women leading to the education of over 3000 teachers who have done a lot of good work for Zimbabwe," President Mugabe said.He added that he had come to Cuba to mourn the loss of a dear brother and express condolences to the Cubans for the loss which is shared by Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Zimbabwean man and four South Africans have been arrested at Victoria Falls Border Post for allegedly trying to smuggle into Zambia three Toyota Fortuner SUVs and two Land Rover vehicles worth thousands of dollars.Police have since intensified border patrols to curb smuggling.The five were arrested last week.They attempted to smuggle the vehicles into Zambia using fake registration books.National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident."The accused persons were arrested after police got a tip-off that the vehicles were stolen in South Africa and were being driven to Zambia via Zimbabwe. The accused persons had counterfeit vehicle registration books," he said.The vehicles have since been seized by the police.Investigations are underway.A number of criminals were nabbed in recent years after they allegedly stole vehicles especially SUVs.They would then attempt to smuggle the vehicles into Mozambique through Sango Border Post in Chiredzi.
News / National

by Staff reporter

CRACKS have started emerging in the Zanu-PF leadership structures in Mashonaland Central over the controversial resolution that seeks to challenge the party's one centre of power principle that empowers the party President and First Secretary to appoint his deputies.Mafios, who is acting chairman of Mashonaland Central province, reportedly smuggled the resolution into the final basket of the provincial resolutions ahead of the Zanu-PF annual National People's Conference to be held in Masvingo next month.Some members of the province have since disowned the centre of power resolution.However, provincial members who exposed Mafios' plans were now reported to be targets for a vote of no confidence, which is allegedly being engineered by national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.Kasukuwere is brother to Mafios.Sensing the plot, which was supposed to be effected starting yesterday, the provincial members have decided to pre-empt the plan by resigning from the provincial executive.The offence that the provincial members committed was to talk about Mafios' resolution to our Harare Bureau.First to drop the gauntlet was Shantel Mbereko, who is the deputy secretary for education.She tendered her resignation from her provincial position at the party's provincial offices in Bindura yesterday morning before the provincial executive meeting that was convened at the same venue later in the day.In her resignation letter that was copied to Kasukuwere and secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo, Mbereko said she took the action as a result of "intense pressure" from Kasukuwere.Mbereko said other party members told her that her life and that of her family was now in danger."The pressure resulted in me receiving numerous calls from people advising me to watch out for my life and that of my family and hence (I) decided to quit and remain a party card holder," reads part of her letter."The reason is I responded to a call from someone who I did not know was from the Herald. But the main issue is I honestly explained that the resolution to have Vice Presidents voted for did not come from the Women's League, but was smuggled in as it was against the amended party constitution, which gave all powers to the President."The second reason is that the national commissar Kasukuwere is victimising (me)  in fact he did that in the coordination (meeting) held on Sunday and even before, his intention being to grab the (Kitsiyatota) mining project I and other women own."He even openly stated it in the meeting that the mine should be taken away from us by force and made a provincial project."Mbereko said Kasukuwere was not telling the truth using the name of the party as he wanted to grab the mine for personal benefit.She declared that she would fight to the bitter end to expose the evil works by Kasukuwere under the name of the party in Mashonaland Central.Mbereko claimed that Kasukuwere at one point instigated her arrest with the help of former Vice President Joice Mujuru over the Kitsiyatota Mine issue."This time, I am going to fight to the bitter end any attempts to take over our blocks by corrupt means and abusing ranks and positions," she said."I am prepared for a legal battle and I am already on my way to the highest office to divulge such corrupt activities in Mashonaland Central. I have already started compiling all the activities."Mbereko said Kasukuwere was a national figure and it was mind boggling as to why he was obsessed with issues happening at provincial level.She challenged why she was the only one being censored yet Mafios was the first to speak to our Harare Bureau over the matter."(Cde) Dickson Mafios was the first to respond to the Herald reporter when he stated: "One centre of power is not benefiting anyone and its undemocratic."The national political commissar pretends to be blind and deaf to that and decided to zero in on me, clearly showing that he had come to clear his brother by riding over us and myself in particular."A provincial executive meeting that was meant to pass a vote of no confidence on Mbereko yesterday turned out to be a farce after she pre-empted it by her resignation.Mafios denied that they had a meeting yesterday."I don't know about that meeting," he curtly said.Efforts to get a comment from Kasukuwere were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.A provincial member who attended the meeting said: "It became difficult to pass a vote of no confidence on the other comrades after Mbereko pre-emptied the plan. It was later resolved that the matter of people who spoke to the media over that resolution will be dealt with next year."
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The winners of an annual award for overseas students' short documentaries on China were announced at Beijing Normal University on Sunday.

The Horse Land, which is directed by Israeli student Dmitry Konoploy, captures the lives of herdsmen in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The film won the top Gold Lens Award in the Looking China: Youth Film Project.

The project, which was launched by the university's Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture in 2011, has since become a major cross-border cultural event.

More than 100 students of cinema from 25 countries came to China this year to shoot 10-minute documentaries here. This year's focus was cultures among the non-Han ethnic groups.
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The central government on Tuesday released a set of guidelines to encourage rural residents to explore entrepreneurship and innovation.

According to a State Council document, the government will roll out policies to encourage migrant workers, college graduates, retired servicemen, scientists and technicians to start up businesses in the countryside to aid rural economic development.

The government expects them to work together and inject new energy into the rural economy by introducing modern technology, systems and management concepts to the countryside, which would make China's agricultural sector more competitive and increase farmers' income.

New agribusinesses including large-scale farming, farm produce processing, leisure agriculture, rural tourism, producer and consumer services are priorities of the policy support, it said.

The government will also encourage new types of business entities like family farms and farming cooperatives and online businesses.

Specific measures include easing market access, improving rural financial services, increasing fiscal support, providing entrepreneurship and innovation training and perfecting social safety net, it said.
Scientific journal Nature Biotechnology published a statement on Monday urging readers not to cite a paper it published in May by Chinese scholar Han Chunyu on the next-generation gene-editing tool NgAgo.

Han, an associate professor at Hebei University of Science and Technology, impressed life scientists across the globe when he announced his discovery of NgAgo, which he said is more efficient than the widely used CRISPR/Cas9 approach, also known as the "molecular Swiss armyknife".

However, scientists from home and abroad soon began to report failures in reproducing Han's experiment.

An academic debate escalated into a battle of words in the mass media. Han insisted that he was able to rerun the experiment and reproduce the results in his own laboratory, but he refused to repeat it in an independent lab. Objectors then asked Hebei University of Science and Technology to open an investigation into the possibility of academic misconduct.

Nature Biotechnology published an Editorial Expression of Concern together with correspondence from three other groups who reported failures in repeating Han's experiment.

"Nature Biotechnology believes that it is important for authors to be able to investigate the concerns raised by such correspondence, and to provide additional information and evidence to support their paper, if they are able to do so. Thus, we will continue to liaise with the authors of the original paper to provide them with the opportunity to do that by January 2017," the Editorial Expression of Concern said.

Major scientific journals, including Science and PNAS, have a tradition of publishing an Editorial Expression of Concern over academic disputes, said Rao Yi, a researcher at the National Institute of Biological Sciences on Zhihu, a Chinese online question-and-answer platform.

Gao Fu, an academician and professor at the Institute of Microbiology affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggested an investigation into NgAgo technology to assess the possibility of alleged academic misconduct.

"The goal of scientific research is to search for singularity, so it is not unusual if a scientist makes mistakes. On this occasion, we should help Han to find out where the problem lies," Gao said.

"However, public attention has been focused on whether Han intended to mislead people. If that is the case, it would be considered academic misconduct, which is a moral issue."

Two authors of the original paper, Han and Shen Xiao, agree with Nature Biotechnology's Editorial Expression of Concern, whereas three others authors of the paperGao Feng, Jiang Feng and Wu Yongqiangbelieve it to be inappropriate, the journal said in its statement.
China's top security authority has issued a guideline for overseas NGOs to operate on the mainland, providing detailed rules for them to register a representative office and organize events.

The Ministry of Public Security published the guideline on Monday on its website, saying the document was rolled out in accordance with a law on the management of overseas NGOs that was passed by the top legislature in April.

The law, which will take effect on Jan 1, designates the Ministry of Public Security and provincial police authorities to be in charge of the registration and management of overseas NGOs on the Chinese mainland.

In the guideline, the ministry lists the qualifications and procedures for NGOs to register or to close their offices as well as the documents needed for an annual review of their operation.

According to the provisions, overseas NGOs must be legitimately established outside the Chinese mainland and be able to bear civil liability independently, and they must have operated for at least two years before applying to set up an office on the mainland.

Also required for registration are the organization's charter, the source of its funding and its planned location on the mainland. Additionally, the organization's chief representative in China must not have a criminal record.

While registering, an overseas NGO should specify the region where it plans to conduct activities in China, either within a single provincial-level region or across more than one such region. The area should be in line with its scope of business and actual needs, the guideline says.

Liu Taigang, a professor of governance at Renmin University of China, said clearer, more transparent rules for the performance of NGOs have been introduced, which is an important step in advancing the rule of law.

"Since the guideline was made public, it is more convenient for parties concerned to get access to the detailed information. It clearly explains the criteria for setting up a representative office, lists all the documents needed for registration and provides even the telephone number of the management office for NGOs under the Public Security Ministry," he said.

On Nov 8, the ministry and the Shanghai Public Security Bureau jointly organized a meeting to brief consulates in Shanghai about the detailed rules.

The law caused some concern among overseas NGOs during its drafting, since they worried that their operations and activities would be restricted.

Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said such worries were "totally unnecessary if (the overseas NGOs) follow Chinese laws".
A sculpture by Huangpu River is set to be demolished this morning after it came under fire for being an identical copy of a work by a renowned British artist.

The similar sculptures that stand by Thames and Huangpu rivers.

The decision was announced last night by the Pudong New Area Planning and Land Resources Administration.

Wendy Taylor had said earlier the statue was "almost an exact copy" of "Timepiece," her 1973 work that functions as a giant sundial. The sculpture in Shanghai has been in the Dongchang Binjiang greenland for more than 10 years, and there is no sign indicating its designer or when it was created.

The greenland is now managed by Shenjiang Group. The group has covered up the disputed sculpture and will demolish it first thing today, the Pudong administration said.

The Independent on Sunday reported earlier that Taylor was shocked after she was sent a photo of a sculpture. The only difference was how the sculpture was angled, according to the Independent.

The sculptor was informed by an art aficionado who came across the installation on holiday and e-mailed the photo to her, the newspaper reported.

Taylor's "Timepiece" is sited alongside Tower Bridge in London. "At first I thought someone had done a clever 'Photoshop' and changed the background, but then I looked more closely and thought 'oh my god no, this is a complete copy'" the newspaper quoted Taylor.

"I am very angry at what I consider theft of my intellectual property.," Taylor told Shanghai Daily yesterday before last night's decision was announced.
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The Syrian government troops have made a "major breakthrough in their anti-terrorist operation" in eastern Aleppo, with nearly half of the eastern part of the city cleared of militants, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"The situation has radically changed in the last 24 hours due to well prepared and very precise actions by the Syrian troops," the ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

More than 80,000 Syrians, including tens of thousands of children, have been freed and provided with water, food and medical care in humanitarian centers, the spokesman added.

With the help of Russian war planes, the Syrian army has intensified the offensive on rebel positions in eastern Aleppo over the past two weeks to break their defense lines.

Aleppo, Syria's former commercial center, has been bitterly contested by the Syrian army and the rebels due to its strategic location.

By retaking Aleppo, the Syrian government forces will have a clear upper hand in dealing with rebel fighters elsewhere in the country, analysts have said.
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Kenyan police have issued an alert and tightened security, saying Somalia-based Islamist group Al-Shabaab is planning to launch attacks in the country ahead of the festive season.

Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinnet, said on Tuesday Al-Shabaab militants were planning to launch attack in the border region and the tourist resort coastal region of Mombasa, with targets including security personnel and public service vehicles.

"We are also aware Al-Shabaab is planning to amass its militants in Jedahaley area in Somalia with intention of infiltrating into the country for attacks," Boinett said.

"Some are hiding in small groups pretending to be herders around Hida and Dambala in Somalia while plotting to sneak into the country," he added.

The police chief said Al-Shabaab remains the major threat, particularly in areas along the border with Somalia.

"We have since heightened security alertness to avert any attacks and equally appeal to the public to continue cooperating with security agencies and remain vigilant," he said.

Al-Shabaab has carried out a series of attacks in Kenya since Kenyan peacekeeping troops entered Somalia to battle the group in 2011.
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An Afghan army general has been killed and several army personnel wounded after a helicopter crashed in western Badghis province, sources said.

"Brigadier General Muhayuddin Ghori, commander of Afghan National Army's 207th Zafar Corps based in western Herat province, was martyred after an ANA chopper crashed in Mori Chaq district, Badghis province late Tuesday," a military official told Xinhua anonymously Tuesday.

The province has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants over the past couple of months.

The source ruled out involvement of the insurgents in the incident, saying the crash was caused by a technical failure in the aircraft.

Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of any official statement.

The Afghan security forces' casualties have risen recently as they struggle against a surge in attacks by Taliban militant group and other anti-government fighters.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 64-YEAR-OLD Zvishavane man has admitted in court that he bludgeoned his wife of 33 years to death with a log before burning her body, after she opposed his plans to marry a second wife.Kenneth Masuku, of Mabele Village under Chief Hwedza in Zvishavane, appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Mr Peter Madiba facing one count of murder.Masuku confirmed his warned and cautioned statement and the magistrate remanded him in custody to December 12.Mr Madiba advised him to apply to the High Court for bail.The prosecutor, Ms Monica Mungwena, told the court that a misunderstanding arose between Masuku and his wife on November 22.She said Masuku lied to his wife, Lucia Dziwandi, that a prophet would visit their homestead to cleanse it.She said around 8PM on the same day, Masuku, ordered his wife to accompany him to Ngezi River to fetch water which was to be used by the prophet."They had empty five litre containers each which they filled with water before walking towards their homestead," said Ms Mungwena.The court heard Masuku changed the route back home and walked through Mushandukwa Hills.Ms Mungwena said in the Hills, Masuku picked up a log and struck Dziwandi once on the left side of the head before she fell down right on top of a pile of firewood which he had arranged beforehand."He struck her for the second time on the head and she died, he started a fire using dry grass, which he had placed on the fire wood, burning the deceased's body in a bid to conceal evidence," she said.Villagers handed Masuku over to the police."The accused led to the recovery of the deceased's charred remains, a cellphone and partly burnt national identity card," said Ms Mungwena.
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The Pentagon said on Tuesday a series of human errors resulted in a mistaken coalition airstrike in September that killed dozens of forces aligned with the Syrian government.

"We concluded based upon post-strike analysis that a number of 'human factors' resulted in incorrect identification of forces on the ground," said the U.S. Central Command in a statement after an inquiry into the incident.

"In this instance, we did not rise to the high standard we hold ourselves to," said Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces central commander, in the statement.

Several factors led to the misidentification of the forces targeted, according to the U.S. military inquiry, which claimed that the those killed by the airstrike "were not wearing recognizable military uniforms and identifying flags."

There were also errors in the development of intelligence, as well as missed opportunities for Coalition members on duty to recognize and voice contrary evidence to decision makers, the inquiry found.

Also, human factors, such as "improper labeling" and "invalid assumptions," resulted in labeling of individuals as militants of the Islamic State group early in the targeting process, the inquiry concluded.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sept. 17 that the U.S.-led coalition killed 62 Syrian government troops and injured some 100 others in a round of airstrikes in eastern Syria's province of Deir al-Zour.

Syria's national TV also confirmed the killing of Syrian servicemen by the U.S.-led coalition.
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday chose Tom Price, a six-term Republican congressman who firmly opposes President Obama's health care law, to be secretary of health and human services.

Price, regarded as a policy wonk, "is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American," Trump said in making the formal announcement.

Conservatives lauded the appointment, while abortions rights supporters and other Trump critics denounced it.

Price, 62, became an outspoken opponent of the health care law Obama signed in 2010, calling it an "unaffordable" piece of legislation.

"Premiums have gone up, not down," Price said recently. "Many Americans lost the health coverage they were told time and time again by the president that they could keep. Choices are fewer."

He joined Trump at his campaign speech on health care reform earlier this month, and issued a statement praising Trump's commitment to "fully repealing this failed law."

During the campaign, Trump promised repealing and replacing Obamacare, listing it as a top priority when he takes office.

However, after the election, Trump seems to have moved somewhat away from a full repeal, saying he would favor keeping some parts of the law, including the plank barring insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions and the provision of the law that allows children to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26.

Price won election to the Georgia State Senate in 1996 and was first elected to the U.S. House from Georgia in 2004. He currently chairs the House Budget Committee.

He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan and started his career as an orthopedic surgeon in Roswell, Georgia.

The Cabinet-level pick requires Senate confirmation.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that his country has not yet "closed book" with the European Union (EU), but is considering other alternatives after European lawmakers voted lately to freeze talks over Ankara's accession to the bloc.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) reacts after attending the funeral of a victim of the coup attempt in Istanbul on July 17, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

"At the moment, we have not yet closed book with EU," Erdogan said at a meeting in Istanbul. "But the picture ahead us does not allow us to have positive expectation."

"We could move on in considering one of these alternatives," he said, without elaborating.

The president recently talked of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Eurasian political, economic and security organization, as an option for Turkey.

Last Thursday, the European Parliament voted in favor of a non-binding motion on suspending membership talks with Turkey, sparking strong reactions from the country.

Following the vote, Erdogan had threatened to open borders for illegal migrants to flood into Europe.

Turkey has moved to reduce significantly the illegal flow of migrants under a deal reached with the EU in March.

Turkey applied to join the EU in 1987 and started the accession talks in 2005, but the talks have faltered in recent years due to disagreements over issues such as refugees, freedom of press and human rights.
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A Chinese miner has been identified as one of those killed in an attack by gunmen in central Nigeria's Nasarawa State early this week, a police spokesman told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Kennedy Idirisu, spokesman of Nasarawa State police said another Chinese who sustained gunshot injury is recuperating in a local hospital.

The Chinese, working for a mining company, were returning from a site in a company truck at Alongani village in Nasarawa Eggon local district when the gunmen opened fire on them Monday.

A police escort and two other local people were also killed during the ambush, Idirisu said.

He told Xinhua a police investigation is underway to track down the assailants.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Mafela Trust has expressed outrage at the government's failure to accord hero's status to a late ex-Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) intelligence official, Simeon Nkomo, who died last Friday after a short illness.Nkomo was buried on Monday morning at Luveve Cemetery.Mafela Trust director, Zephaniah Nkomo said lack of communication among the war veterans had led to burial of Twilight, as he was affectionately known, "among other cadres at Luveve Cemetery"."This intelligence cadre should have been at provincial heroes acre with his fellow comrades, whom he fought alongside with or at Lady Stanley, where his commanders lie," he said."He contributed immensely to the liberation of Zimbabwe. We are saddened that communication is not effective and as a result he is buried here. I believe that if communication was done in a proper way, even the Vice-President (Phelekezela Mphoko) and Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi Moyo would be here."The late Nkomo joined the liberation struggle in 1975 and trained at Mwembeshi in the same year and later in Morogoro in Tanzania.He went for advanced training in Russia, specialising in military hardware and intelligence.Upon his return, he was deployed at ZPRA headquarters as one of the support staff to the arms logistics led by Mphoko.In 1976, he was part of the Zimbabwe People's Army delegation in Mozambique, which had, among others, Mphoko as chief of logistics.Nkomo was assigned to Mozambique as contingent personal related to arms logistics and intelligence operations and returned to Zambia in 1978 before being demobilised in 1980.Nkomo is survived by three children.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has assured President Robert Mugabe that if the increasingly frail nonagerian retires from office now, long suffering Zimbabweans would ensure that he will not suffer retribution or end up being hauled before the courts for the human rights violations he allegedly committed ion his 36 years in power.He said that Mugabe's stunning fallout with war veterans earlier this year was a potential game changer in Zimbabwe's tortured politics.Tsvangirai told his party supporters on Saturday at a rain-soaked rally in Harare that Mugabe should relinquish power "immediately", saying the veteran leader was a stumbling block to the country's economic turnaround."You (Mugabe) have failed so you must step down immediately to pave way for new blood. You must feel for the traumatised people of this country," said the main opposition leader amid applause from thousands of his supporters.For his part, Mugabe recently told some veterans of the country's liberation war that he was not going anywhere.Mugabe, who won the disputed 2013 polls to end a unity government he formed with Tsvangirai in 2009 following another contested plebiscite, has vowed to stay in power, saying he has an electoral mandate to govern Zimbabwe."If the people say continue (to lead) I will continue. If our party (Zanu-PF) says continue, I will continue," said Mugabe.Meanwhile, Tsvangirai said he was not prepared to form another government of national unity (GNU) with Mugabe, as the country's economy continues to shrink."Some people are talking about forming a second GNU; No. I am not going to be part of another GNU; what we want as the MDC are electoral reforms before the 2018 elections so that we hold elections that do not breed a predetermined outcome".At the same time, Mugabe is battling internal fissures in his Zanu-PF party with two factions, Lacoste and Generation 40 (G40), angling to succeed him.Lacoste is being linked to Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa while G40 is being associated with young Turks in the ruling party backing Mugabe's wife Grace to succeed her husband. However, both Mnangagwa and First Lady have denied harbouring presidential ambitions.As the succession question rages on while the economy continues to plunge, Tsvangirai's party is rallying its supporters to stage street protests on November 30.Zimbabwe police have previously crashed anti-government protests with brute force.
Siemens AG displays its latest medical equipment at an international exposition in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

German companies in China believe the Made in China 2025 strategy will generate benefits for their operations in the country over the next five years, the German Chamber of Commerce in China said on Tuesday.

More than half of German companies consider this strategy will create positive effects, even though many of them evaluate their growth in turnover and profit more cautiously than before in the 2016 fiscal year, according to the Business Confidence Survey 2016, conducted by the chamber between Sept 1 and Sept 28.

The Made in China 2025 strategy is a 10-year national plan designed to transform China from a manufacturing giant into a global high-tech manufacturing power.

The survey interviewed 426 companies on issues related to business outlook, investment climate and market conditions.

Lothar Herrmann, chairman of the German Chamber of CommerceNorth China, said the overall outlook for the coming year is more positive, reflecting the belief of German companies in the Chinese market and its recovery.

Lothar Herrmann, chairman of German Chamber of Commerce - North China [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Many Germany companies, especially from the machinery, chemicals, automotive and pharmaceutical sectors, have already shifted their focus to the automation and digitalization growth areas, as well as forming partnerships with local companies to retain stable growth," he said.

The survey said German companies with plants in China were asked about the status and potential of the German government's Industry 4.0 strategy for their local operations in China. Eighty-three percent see the suitability of implementing Industry 4.0 within their own production processes as a given.

Fourteen percent already point to the intensive or partial use of technologies related to Industry 4.0. One in two companies is implementing or planning for it. The automotive industry is furthest ahead in development toward Industry 4.0.

Founded in 1999, the chamber has more than 2,500 members throughout China.

After strong performance in 2014, companies found rising labor costs and shortage of qualified workers remain the main challenges for the majority of German companies in China.

Alexandra Voss, the chamber's executive director for the North China region, said with three years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative had proved to be a practical method driving the growth of both German and Chinese companies in a broader market place.

The initiative has brought new opportunities in overseas projects for Chinese companies. Chinese companies signed about 4,000 contracts for engineering, procurement and construction projects in 60 countries and regions along the route of the initiative in 2015, while the total contract value reached $93 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

"The Yangtze River Delta region, Shanghai, Chongqing and Chengdu with strong consumption power, demand for industrial upgrading and infrastructure, will continue to remain attractive to German companies from long-term perspective," Voss said.
A man walks past an advertisement for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S7 Edge and Gear VR during the Korea Electronics Grand Fair at an exhibition hall in Seoul on October 27, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Samsung Electronics Co will increase cash returns to shareholders, add at least one outside director and review its corporate structure, adopting some of the changes proposed by activist investor Elliott Management Corp.

Samsung will spend at least six months looking at the possibility of creating a holding company structure and the feasibility of listing the company's shares on additional international exchanges, South Korea's most valuable company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Samsung said it will also use 50 percent of free cash flow for shareholder returns for this year and next, committing to the upper end of a previously announced plan to return 30 percent to 50 percent of cash flow to shareholders through 2017.

That indicates a return of 9.5 trillion won ($8.1 billion) in 2016, based on free cash flow estimates.

Samsung will increase total dividends by 30 percent in 2016, bringing the annual dividend amount to 4 trillion won. The rest of the allocated total cash return will be used to buy shares starting at the end of January.

Bloomberg
Two engineers conduct a test on a new tram just off the production line at the CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd. Long Hongtao / Xinhua

Rail-ware 'capital' Zhuzhou, the 'Engine Valley', dares to punch above its weight

Zhuzhou, a small city (population: 4.05 million) in central China's Hunan province, has an ambition to emerge as the "engine" of China's growth. It's not an unrealistic ambition or a fantasy, considering that local railway industry's output exceeded 100.37 billion yuan ($14.55 billion) last year.

Home to 62 rail transit related enterprises, including several arms of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp Ltd, such as Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd and Zhuzhou Times Electrics Co Ltd, Zhuzhou also boasts major manufacturers and exporters of China-made railway products. More than 70 countries and regions source products from Zhuzhou.

"Along with the rail transit research and production capacity, we have strong advantages in manufacturing clean energy buses and small and medium-sized aerocraft engines," said Mao Tengfei, the top official of Zhuzhou, adding the city is planning to position itself as the valley of China's economic engines.

China's first independently-innovated low-speed maglev line, linking the airport of Changsha, capital of Hunan province, with the downtown has been running for more than 200 days. The 18.5 kilometers airport express, with a top speed of 100 km per hour, were created by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd.

Hauled by such "engines" in the form of rail transport, new energy vehicles and aerocraft industry, the output of the city's three big industrial sectors is expected to reach 400 billion yuan by 2021. The rail transit sector will account for half of it, and one fifth of the total production will go to international markets,according to the city's action plan to build "Engine Valley".

In 2015, revenue of Zhuzhou's rail transit equipment, auto and aerocraft grew 31 percent, 52 percent and 22 percent year-on-year respectively.

A 20-billion-yuan innovation park was set up to enhance the research and development capability of the rail transportation sector.

Another 20-billion-yuan project will be implemented to facilitate the growth of small and medium-sized aerocraft engines.

Hunan Sunward Science and Technologies Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Hunan Sunward Intelligent Machinery Co Ltd, a private manufacturer of general aviation products, debuted its independently innovated new model of carbon fiber-made Sunward SA60L aircraft at the Air Show in Zhuhai earlier this month.

He Qinghua, chairman of Sunward, said the SA 60L plane, also called "Aurora", is the result of 10 years of efforts, and is capable of flying 1,300 kilometers non-stop by consuming just eight liters of aviation fuel per 100 km.

Liu Daxi, deputy general manager of Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co Ltd, said the company spends up to 20 percent of its annual revenue on R&D.

"We'll have wider and deeper strength on international cooperation," Liu said. The company is now focusing more efforts on cooperation with overseas universities to consolidate its R&D ability and widen talent pool.

It has also established closer ties with the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham and the University of Cambridge in the UK and the University of Michigan in the US, along with several domestic ones, including Tsinghua University.
A view of Beijing Construction Engineering Group in Beijing, May 20, 2010. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - Chinese construction giant Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) has signed a deal with a British real estate firm to develop Britain's largest residential project, the companies announced Tuesday.

BCEG signed the contract worth 85 million pounds ($105 million) with British Scarborough Group. The Chinese company will carry out first-stage construction on Middlewood Locks, Britain's largest multi-functional residential project.

Kevin McCabe, Chairman of Scarborough Group, said the project, located in the city of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, covers an area of 110,000 square meters and will cost 400 million pounds ($495 million).

The project includes 2,215 apartments, hotels, office buildings as well as recreational facilities and retail stores.

"We are responsible for the design and construction of 571 apartments. The first stage of the project covers a construction area of 47,000 square meters. We have been confirmed as the preferred contractor for the whole project and will take an active role in later construction," said Zeng Peng, president of BCEG International Co, Ltd.

BCEG, which employs 20,000 people worldwide and has branches in 27 countries and regions, was ranked as one of the world's top 250 contractors in revenue over the past 23 years.

It entered the British market in 2013 when it signed a deal with British firms to develop a business district around Manchester airport, one of the largest construction projects in the United Kingdom since the 2012 London Olympics.

Britain has been trying to woo Chinese investment as part of plans to increase bilateral trade. In 2015, bilateral goods trade between China and Britain stood at $78 billion.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Chaos could once again engulf Harare today as pro-democracy groups mount yet another demonstration in the capital, to protest the country's deepening political and economic crisis, as well as the government's reluctance to implement much needed electoral reforms ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2018 polls.And most ominously for the capital's residents and visitors alike, panicking authorities have already given notice that the planned mass protest will once again be dealt with severely by law enforcement agents as police had not cleared demo.Meanwhile, the government has threatened to crush today's planned "grand" demonstration over the introduction of bond notes, but Tajamuka/Sesijikile and other organisers have vowed to fight back, vowing no amount of violence will stop them.Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday said people should embrace bond notes, as they were already in circulation and stop what he termed grandstanding. But the protest organisers vowed to go ahead and resist the police's heavy-handedness.MDC-T youth leader, Happymore Chidziva, under the #MyZimbabwe campaign, justified the demonstration, which comes after the introduction of #bondnotes , saying they had to fight "this economic genocide."
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles based Lionsgate and China's iQiyi announced Tuesday a long-term deal under which the Chinese firm will have exclusive rights to stream select Lionsgate titles on its platform in China.

iQiyi is one of China's largest online video platform. The agreement will make Lionsgate films available to more than 500 million users, a joint statement said.

The two companies did not mention how much their deal is worth.

iQiyi's latest agreement with Lionsgate started in fall 2015 and iQiyi served as Lionsgate's promotional partner earlier this year on the film "Now You See Me 2", which the statement called the highest-grossing Lionsgate film ever released in China.

The deal announced on Tuesday includes upcoming titles such as "Robin Hood", starring Jamie Foxx, the Lionsgate/CBS Film "Patriots Day", the counter-terrorism thriller "The Glass Castle", Lionsgate/CBS Films' "American Assassin" and "Wonder", starring Julia Roberts.

"We're delighted to expand our relationship with iQiyi, a world-class platform at the cutting edge of delivering premium quality films to online Chinese audience," said Lionsgate Executive Vice President of International Sales Wendy Reeds in a statement.

"We have collaborated with iQiyi on the promotion and distribution of some of our biggest releases in China, and our new agreement represents a great opportunity to bring a slate of blockbuster films and a deep portfolio of library titles to one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world."

"Lionsgate has emerged as a major creative force in the global marketplace, and we're proud to continue adding their incredible pipeline of star-driven movies to our platform," said Yang Xianghua, senior vice president of iQiyi. "This agreement with one of Hollywood's major studios significantly expands the selection of premium quality movies we will bring to our audiences."
Workers assemble a GS8, a homegrown SUV, at the production base of GAC Group in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Editor's Note: China Daily kicks off a special series on homegrown companies' growth, branding strategies and business operations. The series will look at industry segments like auto manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, new materials, home appliances, childcare products and industrial cables. The series' first part takes stock of Chinese automakers' ambitious future plans.

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd, one of China's major carmakers, has long been known for its production and sales of Japanese car brands such as Toyota and Honda, since it established joint ventures with the Japanese car giants more than a decade ago.

However, the Guangzhou-based carmaker started developing a homegrown car brand eight years ago, at a time when the domestic market was almost entirely dominated by foreign brands.

"Cooperation with the Japanese carmakers in recent years has made a great contribution to launching innovative and homegrown brands. We needed to boost our market presence by launching a high-end homegrown brand," said Zeng Qinghong, president of GAC Group.

Thanks to increased efforts focusing on research and development of self-innovated technology, GAC Group's homegrown vehicles, under the Trumpchi brand, have become a hit in the domestic market, with annual sales increasing more than 80 percent year-on-year since it was established in 2008.

In the past 10 months, GAC Motor, a subsidiary of GAC Group, sold more than 296,000 Trumpchi cars, a year-on-year rise of 126 percent, the company said.

"We will focus not only on the production of joint-venture brands, but also homegrown vehicles," said Zeng.

GAC Group has been positioning to develop three varietiesJapanese brands, European and US brands, and homegrown vehicles.

"We are transferring from simply manufacturing joint-venture cars to developing a powerhouse of homegrown vehicles," said Zeng.

According to Yu Jun, general manager of GAC Motor, the demand for high-end homegrown vehicles has exceeded the company's production capacity.

The company has secured orders for more than 18,000 units of the GS8 since sales of the seven-seat SUV were launched in late October.

"Sales of the GS8 will reach more than 100,000 units a year as it is very competitive both in quality and design in the domestic market, which is traditionally dominated by foreign brands," said Yu.

The company will make more effort to expand its capacity to meet growing domestic market demand for its high-end vehicles.

After the second assembly line of its Guangzhou facility was put into operation in July, GAC Motor became able to produce 400,000 cars annually. The company is also building an assembly line in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and is upgrading another facility in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.
Customer service employees of an online store work to answer potential buyers' questions in Nantong, Jiangsu province. Xu Peiqin / For China Daily

I buy certain Indian groceries, including unusual vegetables, from stores on Taobao that specialize in such commodities.

In Sanya, Hainan province, some retailers cater to Russians (even their signboards are in the Russian language). These days, Australians and Africans in China buy on Tmall.com. Chinese consumers in China buy foreign products on platforms such as xiji.com and ymatou.com on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Conceivably, the next trend could be something like this: Indian consumers in China will buy Indian products directly from Indian online marketplaces, even as their compatriots back in India buy Chinese gadgets directly from Alibaba.

That appears possible because e-commerce has innovated traditional festive shopping like Christmas sales imaginatively. Hitherto limited by geography, shopping festivals are becoming borderless online.

Singles Day is no longer a deal bonanza just in China. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not limited to Western markets either. India's Diwali is a festival for Chinese, South Korean and European manufacturers, too.

Here's proof: in India, Chinese products were bought online by millions during the annual shopping frenzy in festive October. On Nov 11, products made the world over, including in China, and worth an estimated over $20 billion, were bought from Chinese online marketplaces by consumers in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan province (Alibaba alone netted over $17 billion).

Evidently, e-commerce has become a melting pot of shopping cultures: In the United States, popular year-end sales started not with the Black Friday-Cyber Monday period but much earlier, with 11-11, an Alibaba invention that has become an export item itself, an extension of China's soft power.

Double-11 is being customized for markets outside the mainland, just as Black Friday and Cyber Monday are getting a new character in China (and a Chinese touch in the United States - this year's Thanksgiving Day parades in Chicago and New York were enriched by Chinese cultural elements Monkey King, Sichuan Opera and pandas).

This is perhaps best exemplified by Dealmoon.com, a US-based brand aggregator run by Chinese-Americans. Dealmoon celebrates 11-11 in the US through offers on products that "Alibaba/JD typically don't have": luxury goods such as handbags and skincare brands.

Dealmoon's main targets are Chinese-Americans. Apparently, they have already splurged an estimated $100 million on US brands since 11-11, suggesting that diaspora groups are transitioning to a new mindset.

As voters in the US, Chinese-Americans "are turning a bit to the right", as one adviser to the Donald Trump campaign told China Daily. As consumers, they are turning a bit to Western luxury products, even as Chinese goods find ways to reach the US faster.

Brands and online sellers are desperately trying to make sense of this phenomenon and exploit it, according to a Dealmoon spokesperson. She was among the e-commerce executives who attended Luxury Interactive, a three-day conference in New York in October.

"They (e-commerce executives of luxury brands from Louis Vuitton to Ferrari) are all dying to sell their products to Chinese consumers, including those living in the US and China."

Such precision-targeting will become essential as new trade agreements promise to increase the flow of human resources, and as cross-border shipping becomes free/affordable. Markets within national boundaries will likely become even more segmented into country-wise consumer groups.

So, Alibaba, JD and their ilk need to be aware that, in China, their patrons include both Chinese and non-Chinese consumers. Ditto for Amazon in the US, Flipkart in India, and others elsewhere.

To serve such groups better and grow their businesses, e-commerce labels need to make their online marketplaces, digital payment systems, product manuals and customer service multi-lingual. Companies such as Xiaomi, Huawei and Amazon also need to consider integrating their global operations, in terms of product customization.

They also need to ponder: Could a non-Chinese consumer in China be able to buy a laptop or an e-book reader with English-language operating system? Could a customer who bought an Oppo, OnePlus, Gionee or vivo smartphone in India, and then relocated to China, get free service and repairs in China?

The coming 12/12, Christmas and New Year sales will globalize online shopping further. And, thanks to China, 2016 will go down in history as the year that pushed cross-border e-commerce past the tipping point.
Actress Zhang Ziyi takes part during a photo shoot for 2017 Pirelli calendar. [Photo/Official Weibo account of Pirelli]

Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and Helen Mirren have come together in Paris to unveil next year's Pirelli calendar.

It is the 3rd one to be shot by photographer Peter Lindbergh and features 14 acclaimed actresses.

Lindbergh is opting for a natural, makeup-free look.

"I said I don't want to do sexy anymore because sexy, for me, is talent and not kind of a nice piece of skin or something. And the second one is that we got all actresses who did one film or two and got an Oscar nomination. So hope. And it was not sexy at all, because sexy was the talent of them. And third one, we finally get to the real point and that is to say: beautiful (beauty) is this, what you see, you know?"

Actresses including Kidman and Mirren were delighted by Lindbergh's approach.

Zhang Ziyi also posed for the 40-page calendar titled Emotional.

It will be launched at the gala in Paris today.

Related:

China's Yao Chen on the cover of 2016 Pirelli calendar
Cases will be reviewed to correct any improper expropriations or other errors

Courts across the country will retry controversial cases that might involve improper expropriation of land and houses in an effort to better protect property rights, the top court said on Tuesday.

"For wrongful cases in which governments failed to provide statutory or reasonable compensation for individuals whose property was expropriated, courts should start the retrial procedure after a review," said Teng Wei, deputy chief judge of the Trial Supervision Tribunal at the Supreme People's Court.

The move by the judicial system follows a guideline on better protection of property rights, released jointly on Sunday by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet.

It is the first time that China has issued a State-level guideline on the protection of property rights. The guideline says that all kinds of property rights, publicly or privately owned, will receive equal protection.

The guideline also calls for the review of some disputed property rights cases that have received wide public attention, which can be corrected if previous rulings are found to be wrong.

Teng said courts will carefully review "important verdicts" about property rights since the country's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s. "For wrongful ones, we'll correct and disclose them to the public as soon as possible," she said, without revealing how many cases, or which cases, will be reviewed.

The guideline also calls for caution as judicial authorities freeze, auction or use other ways to handle property when illegal actions are suspected.

"Some grassroots courts had flaws or even mistakes while dealing with such properties. For example, an enterprise should have frozen properties worth 1 million yuan ($144,980) in a case, but a court might freeze 5 million yuan or even more, which made it difficult to operate and hampered justice," said Yan Maokun, director of the top court's Research Office.

Courts also are asked to distinguish commercial disputes from economic crimes.

Zhang Bin, general manager of Shanghai Solid Stainless Steel Products, a manufacturer and exporter, said, "The new regulation will surely make us feel less vulnerable when we face certain disputes and related cases that may lead to a negative impact on the operation of business."

Liu Junhai, a professor specializing in civil and commercial laws at Renmin University of China, said these latest moves will be effective in encouraging residents and enterprises to create more wealth. "They will also help improve judicial and governmental credibility."

Yu Ran in Shanghai contributed to this story.
New guideline explains criteria for registering an office and operating on the mainland

China's top security authority has issued a guideline for overseas NGOs to operate on the mainland, providing detailed rules for them to register a representative office and organize events.

The Ministry of Public Security published the guideline on Monday on its website, saying the document was rolled out in accordance with a law on the management of overseas NGOs that was passed by the top legislature in April.

The law, which will take effect on Jan 1, designates the Ministry of Public Security and provincial police authorities to be in charge of the registration and management of overseas NGOs on the Chinese mainland.

In the guideline, the ministry lists the qualifications and procedures for NGOs to register or to close their offices as well as the documents needed for an annual review of their operation.

According to the provisions, overseas NGOs must be legitimately established outside the Chinese mainland and be able to bear civil liability independently, and they must have operated for at least two years before applying to set up an office on the mainland.

Also required for registration are the organization's charter, the source of its funding and its planned location on the mainland. Additionally, the organization's chief representative in China must not have a criminal record.

While registering, an overseas NGO should specify the region where it plans to conduct activities in China, either within a single provincial-level region or across more than one such region. The area should be in line with its scope of business and actual needs, the guideline says.

Liu Taigang, a professor of governance at Renmin University of China, said clearer, more transparent rules for the performance of NGOs have been introduced, which is an important step in advancing the rule of law.

"Since the guideline was made public, it is more convenient for parties concerned to get access to the detailed information. It clearly explains the criteria for setting up a representative office, lists all the documents needed for registration and provides even the telephone number of the management office for NGOs under the Public Security Ministry," he said.

On Nov 8, the ministry and the Shanghai Public Security Bureau jointly organized a meeting to brief consulates in Shanghai about the detailed rules.

The law caused some concern among overseas NGOs during its drafting, since they worried that their operations and activities would be restricted.

Zhang Yong, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said such worries were "totally unnecessary if (the overseas NGOs) follow Chinese laws".
Scientific journal Nature Biotechnology published a statement on Monday urging readers not to cite a paper it published in May by Chinese scholar Han Chunyu on the next-generation gene-editing tool NgAgo.

Han, an associate professor at Hebei University of Science and Technology, impressed life scientists across the globe when he announced his discovery of NgAgo, which he said is more efficient than the widely used CRISPR/Cas9 approach, also known as the "molecular Swiss armyknife".

However, scientists from home and abroad soon began to report failures in reproducing Han's experiment.

An academic debate escalated into a battle of words in the mass media. Han insisted that he was able to rerun the experiment and reproduce the results in his own laboratory, but he refused to repeat it in an independent lab. Objectors then asked Hebei University of Science and Technology to open an investigation into the possibility of academic misconduct.

Nature Biotechnology published an Editorial Expression of Concern together with correspondence from three other groups who reported failures in repeating Han's experiment.

"Nature Biotechnology believes that it is important for authors to be able to investigate the concerns raised by such correspondence, and to provide additional information and evidence to support their paper, if they are able to do so. Thus, we will continue to liaise with the authors of the original paper to provide them with the opportunity to do that by January 2017," the Editorial Expression of Concern said.

Major scientific journals, including Science and PNAS, have a tradition of publishing an Editorial Expression of Concern over academic disputes, said Rao Yi, a researcher at the National Institute of Biological Sciences on Zhihu, a Chinese online question-and-answer platform.

Gao Fu, an academician and professor at the Institute of Microbiology affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggested an investigation into NgAgo technology to assess the possibility of alleged academic misconduct.

"The goal of scientific research is to search for singularity, so it is not unusual if a scientist makes mistakes. On this occasion, we should help Han to find out where the problem lies," Gao said.

"However, public attention has been focused on whether Han intended to mislead people. If that is the case, it would be considered academic misconduct, which is a moral issue."

Two authors of the original paper, Han and Shen Xiao, agree with Nature Biotechnology's Editorial Expression of Concern, whereas three others authors of the paperGao Feng, Jiang Feng and Wu Yongqiangbelieve it to be inappropriate, the journal said in its statement.

Li Lei contributed to this story.
Some unlicensed fish farmers in the Tianjin Binhai New Area have been using a banned substance to raise fish, Beijing News reported.

The fish farmers reached by the newspaper were using various antibiotics and organic chemicals, including malachite green, an industry dye that can cure several fish diseases, but is a potential carcinogen for people.

Once widely used nationwide, the substance was banned in aquaculture in 2002.

According to local regulations, the fish farmers have to be licensed, while the products need to pass inspection and be certified before coming to market.

However, the farmers interviewed were not licensed, and their fish have never been tested, according to Tuesday's report.

"We never eat the fish in our pond," a farmer, speaking on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Zhong Kai, a researcher with China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, said the amount of the banned substance found in previous cases did not pose a cancer risk to people.

He said the concentration of malachite green would have to be 400 micrograms per kilogram over an extended period of time for it to be harmful. However, the concentration was below 50 mcg per kg in most previous cases.

In 2006, turbot from Shandong province sold in a Shanghai market tested positive for malachite green and resulted in 50 million turbot in Shandong going unsold.

Zhou Zhuocheng, a senior member of the China Fisheries Association, said the use of the banned substance has been rising in the past few years and is used in turbot, weever and mandarin fish more than other species.

The China Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that it would launch a special inspection on food production in rural areas nationwide, including "the abuse of antibiotics and veterinary drugs".

The administration also announced on Nov 17 that it would launch a special inspection into seafood in 10 cities across the country.

Following the move, many supermarkets in Beijing stopped selling live freshwater fish for a few days, reportedly in a bid to avoid examination.

The absence of live freshwater fish in Beijing received wide attention from the public and gave rise to speculation that water near the capital had been polluted.

This year, more than 96 percent of all fish products in Beijing passed quality tests.

tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn
Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on the campus of Ohio State University in the United States on Monday. JOHN MINCHILLO/AP

The attack on the campus of Ohio State University on Monday has raised concerns among Chinese parents about the safety of their children studying in the United States.

The attacker, an 18-year-old Ohio State student from Somalia identified as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, drove a car into a group of people on the campus and then began stabbing people with a butcher knife. Eleven people were injured, one of whom was in critical condition, The Associated Press reported. The attacker was shot to death by a police officer.

Authorities were investigating whether the incident was a terrorist attack.

Tang Xiaobing of Beijing, whose son attends a high school in the US state of Connecticut, said she immediately contacted her son after hearing of the attack, although Connecticut is far from Ohio.

"As an old Chinese saying goes, a mother is always concerned about her child when the child is thousands of miles away from home," the 47-year-old said. "I know that the attack was not in my son's city, but every time I hear about such incidents, I still want to make sure that he's safe and remind him a thousand times to take care of himself."

The US has long been a major destination for Chinese studying overseas. Ohio State University, a public institution in the east-central United States, has attracted a large number of Chinese students, said Li Peng, deputy general manager of the Kentrexs Education Group, a Beijing-based agency that arranges for young Chinese to study in the US.

According to The Lantern, the Ohio State University student newspaper, Chinese students account for nearly 60 percent of the university's international student population at the main campus, which has a total of 60,000 students. In 2013, there were 3,606 Chinese undergraduate, graduate and professional students enrolled in the university.

The current number of Chinese students on the campus was not available. However, according to the university's 2016 enrollment report, China tops the list of countries of origin for its international students.

Xie Hui, a resident of Jinan, Shandong province, said she had planned to send her 15-year-old daughter to study in the US, although one factor holding her back is the safety issue.

"I know that attacks like the one in Ohio are events of small probability, but I just can't help worrying," she said. "And each new incident adds to that concern."

Li of Kentrexs said his company will soon offer safety training to students, adding that some overseas education consultancies already do so.

Chong Xiao and Judy Zhu in New York contributed to this story.
Prosecutors have finished an investigation into five former police officers suspected of negligence in a case where a young man Prosecutors have finished an investigation into five former police officers suspected of negligence in a case where a young man choked to death after being taken into custody.

The Beijing People's Procuratorate referred the case to the public prosecution on Tuesday.

Four of the suspects have been released on bail. A fifth, surnamed Xing, former deputy director of Dongxiaokou police station in Changping district, is still in custody, the procuratorate said on Tuesday.

Lei Yang, 29, choked to death on his vomit shortly after being taken into police custody, according to an independent autopsy released on June 30.

He was detained on suspicion of soliciting prostitution on May 7, but refused to cooperate and was handcuffed after attempting to escape. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead hours later, according to previous police statements.

At least one of the suspects was an auxiliary officer.

On Tuesday, the State Council, China's Cabinet, released a regulation targeting management of auxiliary officers, requiring a thorough investigation and cleanup across the country.

Auxiliary officers are necessary for public security, but there are some problems in how they are managed, the State Council said.

The regulation stipulates specific management rules, including listing their responsibilities, recruitment requirements and supervision, aiming to straighten out management and improve services by the end of next year.

Public security authorities are required to conduct thorough investigations on auxiliary officers, it said.
News / Regional

by Stephen Jakes

Amagugu International Heritage Center on 23 and 24 November 2016 conducted an Arts, Culture and Heritage capacity development workshop in Matobo's Maleme Rest Camp.The organisation said the workshop was for capacity development on arts, culture and heritage for Councillors and Council management from Matobo and Mangwe Rural District Councils."Also in attendance were the Chief Executive Officers and District Administrators from the two Districts. Also an important stakeholder group were representatives of selected Government departments such as Education, Women, Youth as well as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises," said the organisation."Having conducted a baseline survey to determine the status of arts, culture and heritage in four Matabeleland South Provinces of Matobo, Mangwe, uMzingwane and Beitbridge, the capacity development workshop sought to share the findings and enhance the comprehension of Councillors and Council management in Matobo and Mangwe on the nexus between service delivery, arts development and sustainable local level economic growth."The Chief Executive Officers from Mangwe and Matobo shared what their respective Districts have been doing over the years to support arts development in their areas."Creative practitioners in the workshop shared their support aspirations that ranged from access to working space to development of market linkages. Participants explored the key tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements found in their respective Districts, making apparent some of the key arts, culture and heritage policy priority areas," said the organisation."With a common understanding of the rationale of mainstreaming arts, culture and heritage in service delivery, the next training is for uMzingwane and Beitbridge Districts in early 2017 after which cultural policies and strategies for the four Rural District Councils will be developed.""Ours is a quest to strengthen local level arts development. The Strengthening Local Cultural Policy in Zimbabwe project is implemented with support from UNESCO under the International Fund for Cultural Diversity."
The ancient scrap of paper was unearthed 30 years ago in Gansu province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A Chinese archaeologist has announced new findings about an ancient scrap of paper, likely the earliest on record, dating back to 250 years before Cai Lun revolutionized papermaking technology in China.

The piece, about five centimeters long and two centimeters wide, was unearthed three decades ago in Fangmatan, an archaeological site in Gansu province, but it didn't garner attention until 2012 when Li Xiaocen, an archaeologist at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, found the piece had uneven fiber distribution when put under the microscope.

"The surface of the fragment is yellow and quite rough, and the fibers are randomly yet densely interlaced," Li said.

"These are the traits of an ancient papermaking technology, very different from CaiLun's, that ethnic minorities in Tibet, Yunnan and Xinjiang still use to make Kongming lanterns and transcribe scriptures."

Li revealed his findings at a recent seminar, attended by more than 160 archaeologists from China, Germany, Greece and Peru.

A crude type of paper was used as early as the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD24). However, Cai Lun, a eunuch in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), greatly reformed the art of papermaking and is regarded as the inventor of ancient paper and the paper-making process.

Li said the fragment predates Cai Lun's invention by about 250 years, though controversy remains over whether the fragment should be identified as real paper.

"Further research should be conducted on, for example, the degree the pulp was beaten and the entire production process as well as the paper's whiteness," according to Chen Gang, a professor with the department of cultural heritage and museology at Fudan University. "But Li's research is helpful for us to understand the full picture of ancient papermaking technology in China."
Students from different countries vow to contribute to the One Belt One Road Initiative. Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily

Analysis and suggestions for the potato processing industry in Inner Mongolia and information on how much Russians know about China are among the reports prepared by undergraduates based on case studies they made this summer in countries that are part of the One Belt One Road Initiative.

More than 9,000 students from 313 universities participated in the case study project. They spent two months walking through the areas and countries along the path of the One Belt One Road Initiative and doing research under one of the six themes. The studies were released on Thursday at the University of International Business and Economics.

Students from Shenzhen University went to the China-Kazakhstan border trade zone and focused on the current financing situation of small and micro businesses in Khorgos, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. After interviewing people associated with 22 local enterprises and analyzing policy and statistics, the group concluded several main causes of the difficulties businesses have in securing loans and proposed some feasible suggestions.

Taking advantage of e-commerce, a group from Hainan University presented a plan to open an online store, which would partner with local producers within the One Belt One Road region to promote and sell their specialties.

Some participants have already set up their own company. A team from Xidian University has started selling local agricultural products through their online shop, named Xiao Man Liang Cang.

The project included six different topics, ranging from cultural and creative products to the financing of small and micro businesses and from rural care to Chinas international image, as well as discovering new product and other ideas related to One Belt One Road.

Jiang Qingzhe, party secretary of the University of International Business and Economics, hoped the project will keep attracting students, and thus generate more innovative ideas for further development.
Mid-ranking military officers and attaches from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, attended a symposium on counter terrorism at the Special Operations College of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing from Nov 23-27, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The participants exchanged experience on strengthening counter-terrorism capacity and cooperation.

The delegates also went to Kashgar, a city located in the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region to watch the regions special forces conduct counter-terrorism combat training on Monday.

China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan are members of a quadrilateral counter-terrorism mechanism established in August in response to the threat of terrorism and extremism.

The symposium is part of the four-nation mechanism scheduled work aiming to strengthen practical counter-terrorism cooperation and enhance their ability to jointly respond to threats of terrorism.
Sun Yincong in black helps wash Ren Caimei's face at their home in Taian village, Ruicheng county, Yuncheng city in North China's Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Here's a story that should warm your heart. A woman who herself is in her 90s has been taking care not of her husband or children but her daughter-in-law and not for one year, two year or even 10 years but for more than two decades.

Sun Yincong, 94, has been named one of the moral citizens in North China's Shanxi province of the first half of 2016, as she has been caring for her partially paralyzed daughter-in-law for nearly 27 years, local newspaper Sanjin City News reported on Tuesday.

Sun from Taian village in Ruicheng county, Yuncheng city in North China's Shanxi province, has been called the most respected person in the village by locals, who volunteer to celebrate the old woman's birthday on the eighth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

"Sun has spent 27 years taking care of her paralyzed daughter-in-law, and has never left her side. It's common to see daughters-in-laws looking after mothers-in-law, but Sun's case is just the opposite," said a villager, who refused to disclose his or her name.

In November, 1989, Sun's husband died of illness, while their son died from gas poisoning just 10 days after the father's death. Ren Caimei, Sun's daughter-in-law, was so shocked by the tragidies that she got hemiplegia (partial paralysis) due to a cerebral hemorrhage six months later.

Sun decided to take care of Ren wholeheartedly then and there.

"My grandma never leaves my mother aside for a moment and looks after her. Once my mother got such a severe cerebral hemorrhage that doctors were ready to give up. And our relatives and friends also asked my grandma to give up the treatment. However, my grandma insisted on taking my mother to other doctors. Thanks to my kind grandma, my mother is still alive," said Gao Weidong, the eldest grandson of Sun.

As Sun and Ren grow older and older, Sun couldn't carry her daughter-in-law. Since 2015, Sun has asked Gao Hongyu, Ren's daughter, to help put on Ren's clothes and carry her on the wheelchair each morning and carry her to bed each evening. Gao lives in the same village.

Gao Hongyu said: "Each morning, grandma helps wash mother's face and comb her hair. Grandma usually takes my mother to enjoy the sunshine when it's sunny. And grandma is used to preparing meals after asking my mother's opinions with gestures. When my mother draws a circle with hands, my grandmother will serve her baked pancake, and when my mother draws a long strip with hands, my grandmother will prepare noodles for her."

Living next to Ren's room, Sun said: "Thanks to our family's efforts, our lives are better nowadays. No matter what happens, our family will keep on living full life."

"Great personality is embodied in everyday life. Sun is also very kind to other villagers. What she did teaches her family members, neighbors and other villagers," said Zhang Chaoping, head of Taian village.
BEIJING -- Eighteen transportation projects are set to break ground next year in Beijing's Tongzhou district, part of the infrastructure for what will be the capital's "subsidiary administrative center."

Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said at a press release on Tuesday that construction on seven road projects, stretching some 75 kilometers, began in 2016. Eleven new projects, including bridges and bus lanes, will start in 2017.

According to the commission, in the next five years the district will have a rail network featuring inter-city, suburban and urban lines.

Tongzhou, which is about 40 minutes' drive from the center of Beijing, was named the subsidiary administrative center for Beijing municipality last year as part of measures to tackle overcrowding in the capital.
A top military officer visited the Cuban embassy in Beijing on Wednesday to express condolences on the passing of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, a day after President Xi Jinping visited the embassy.

Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Fan Changlong expressed condolences and laid a wreath to mourn the Cuban revolutionary leader.

The commission, China's top military commanding agency with two vice-chairmen including Fan, is headed by Xi.

Calling Castro "a close friend of the Chinese people and army", Fan said that the revolutionary leader was dedicated to friendship between the two countries and had paid a great deal of attention to exchanges involving the two militaries.

The passing of Castro is a great loss, not only for the Cuban and Latin American people, but also for peace-loving people around the world, he said.

The friendship between China and Cuba will be strengthened and developed, and the practical cooperation between the two militaries will reach a new level, he added.

Cuban Ambassador to China Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos said the visits of Chinese leaders to the embassy showed that ties between the two countries were of the highest significance.

Cuba will continue to be dedicated to the development of military ties with China, he added.

On Tuesday, when Xi visited the Cuban embassy, he called the Cuban revolutionary leader a "great friend of the Chinese people".

It was the first time that Xi has gone to an embassy to express condolences for the passing of a foreign leader since he became president in 2013.

"We mourn with deep grief the Cuban people's excellent leader and the Chinese people's great friend, Comrade Fidel Castro," Xi wrote in the book of condolences. Castro, 90, who led the Cuban Revolution, died on Friday.
Elementary school students in Donghai county in Jiangsu province crafted red ribbons as part of an HIV/AIDS prevention campaign on Tuesday. ZHANG ZHENGYOU / FOR CHINA DAILY

The 2016 World AIDS Day on Thursday will be a bit different for Liu Shi, a 24-year-old gay man, who is HIV-positive.

He will host a talk show about his own experience and HIV/AIDS prevention in a temporary glass room set up in a plaza in Sanlitun, a bustling commercial district in Beijing. The show will also be available live-streaming online.

"I feel a bit upset now, since there are usually lots of people in that area and they can see me through the glass," said Liu Shi, who works full time at a private nonprofit organization that provides support for AIDS patients in the capital.

Liu learned of his HIV-positive status in 2012, and since graduating from an occupational school has worked for NGOs to combat HIV/AIDS stereotypes and discrimination.

"Someone like me in the community has to stand out, providing a voice for patients," he said on Wednesday.

Wu Zunyou, head of the National Center for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Control and Prevention, co-organizer of the Sanlitun event, said Liu's bravery will deliver the message to protect yourself against HIV, particularly to young people.

As of September, there were 654,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China, and 201,000 deaths, according to the center.

The center has alerted the public to increasing HIV transmissions among the young. In the first nine months of the year, 2,321 students aged 15 to 24 tested positive for HIV, a number 4.1 times greater than in 2010.

LIU SHI

"At a sexually active age, they are aware of HIV/AIDS but their limited knowledge of disease prevention has failed to provide enough protection," Wu said.

While most new transmissions are among gay males, Wu also urged school authorities to be more open and provide more information to both male and female students.

Liu said that for a long time, HIV/AIDS education in the country highlighted only the fear and desperation surrounding the condition, which "failed to deliver the key preventive messages to young men like myself."

On Thursday, Liu said besides sharing such messages, his appearance would have another positive effect.

"They can see me, an AIDS patient who's been in treatment for four years, still young, energetic, healthy and with great hope for the future," he said.

Liu said he also will talk about fighting discrimination. "Despite growing social tolerance, AIDS related discrimination still runs rampant here."

Having been denied medical treatment before, Liu said he still hides his status when seeing a doctor.

Discrimination makes people avoid HIV testing and timely treatment, and that undermines the nation's overall AIDS battle, Wu said.

Liu said: "I hope I will be nicely treated tomorrow. Social norms cannot be changed overnight. But when I am old, I can say I've tried."
Yuri Pines says ancient Chinese philosophies may offer good solutions to today's global issues.[Photo provided to China Daily]

How Israeli Sinologist Yuri Pines got into Chinese studies is the stuff of movies: His initial understanding of China was different, but he developed an interest in Chinese philosophy while in prison near Haifa, Israel. And, his early readings on China were in Russian.

Some 30 years since Pines first started to learn Chinese, he is still delving into ancient Chinese political thoughts, which he thinks are immensely rich and could help the world to become more pluralistic and engaging.

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1964, Pines grew up in the former Soviet Union at a time when ties between China and the Soviet had deteriorated.

He now teaches at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

"In my early education, China was an enemy - a threat to the Soviet Union," recalls Pines.

"But when I came to Israel, nobody was interested in China," says Pines, who migrated to Israel when he was 15. "People didn't pay attention to China, and maybe, Asia at all."

It was a coincidence that sparked Pines' interest in China.

In the early 1980s, Pines, like most adults in his adopted country, was conscripted into the army but his refusal to serve in the West Bank led him to an Israeli military prison where he spent six months.

There, among the detainees, he met someone who had studied Chinese philosophy and talked about it with Pines. That aroused Pines' curiosity.

After being released, Pines went to a library to borrow books on Chinese philosophy.

Pines recalls he didn't find books in Hebrew about China at the time, so he borrowed some books in Russian and read them in a few weeks.

"It's a great feeling when you discover a new world," says Pines. "It's so interesting, so different, and so deep. I said, 'I must study it.'"
A stone animal is seen next to a security camera at Chongling Mausoleum of the Tang Dynasty in Xianyang city, Shaanxi province, Nov 29, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

Electronic monitors have been installed at Chongling Mausoleum of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Xianyang city, Shaanxi province, and just began a trial run. Each of the electronic cameras faces a stone relic. This is one of the high-tech programs intended to protect relics in the field above provincial level in Shaanxi province.

Chongling Mausoleum, tomb of Li Shi, Tang Dynasty Emperor Dengzong, is located at the Cuo'e Mountain, northwest of Jingyang county, Shaanxi province.

Due to recent cases of tomb robbery nationwide and at the Chongling Mausoleum in 2011, the electronic monitors were installed as 24-hour on duty tomb-keepers to safeguard the precious ruins.
(Xinhua) Updated : 2016-11-28

China on Sunday released a guideline on better protection of property rights in an effort to shore up social confidence and promote social justice.

It is the first time for China to issue a guideline of state level on protection of property rights.

The country will provide equal, comprehensive and law-based protection to all kinds of property rights and encourage the participation of the public in the process, says the guideline issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.

Major problems concerning property rights must be solved to increase protection and build a long-term mechanism. Although China has worked to protect property rights, there are still many problems, including infringement on private property by public power and weak protection of intellectual property rights.

Secure property rights "raise people's sense of wealth security, boost social confidence, foster positive expectations and raise the impetus for entrepreneurship and innovation by various economic entities," according to the document.

Protection will also help social justice while maintaining healthy economic and social development.

China will further clarify the relations between owners and managers of state-owned property, and push for equity diversification of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and modern corporate governance of those companies.

SOEs should improve internal supervision, ensure their boards operate within the law and better supervise their managers, the document says.

The guideline highlights equal protection of property rights for various market entities, while vowing to enhance protection on non-public properties according to the criminal law.

Property right cases that remain unresolved due to historical reasons should be dealt with appropriately, says the guideline. An accountability system shall be implemented to guard against improper court decisions.

Law procedures should be elaborated concerning the sealing up, distraining, freezing, auctioning or other disposal methods of property belonging to enterprises or individuals that are suspected to be unlawful.

The document stresses that law enforcement officers should take a prudential attitude toward applying different degrees of judicial policies to property rights and economic disputes. The presumption of guilt principle should be banned.

Mechanisms to ensure governments of all levels to be trustworthy should be improved. Officials should be severely punished for breach of contract.

Regulations on expropriation of property should be improved and the scope of public interests should not be broadened. Compensation should be fair and square.

The guideline also vows to intensify protection of intellectual property rights. Violators' credit records will be contaminated and relevant punishment result will be made public.

Policies should be upgraded to increase property income of urban and rural residents. Follow-up legal arrangement on residential construction land use right when it expires will be discussed.

Fostering a sound social environment for property right protection is also important, the document says.

"Many policies and measures appear for the first time in this document of the central authorities, showcasing China's unprecedented efforts to step up protection of property rights," said Yin Wenquan, head of the National Development and Reform Commission's Institute of Economic System and Management, speaking highly of the significance for private property protection.

"The central government's decision to see irregular actions in the past in a historical and dialectical perspective would set private entrepreneurs' mind at ease and encourage their investments," said Chang Peng'ao, professor with Peking University Law School.

Detailed methods on property right protection should be introduced as soon as possible, Chang suggested.

Sun Xianzhong, researcher from the Institute of Law of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted the significance of the guideline's arrangement to improve governments' credibility, saying it is meaningful to constrain government power and safeguard the rights of the people.
News / Regional

by Staff reporter

Former Zimbabwe Ambassador to Tokyo, Dr Tendai Mutunhu, has died.Dr Mutunhu passed away at West End Hospital in Harare on Saturday.At the time of his death, he had retired from Foreign Service. Ambassador Mutunhu joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 18, 1982 as Assistant Secretary.He served at the Zimbabwe Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, as deputy Head of Mission until September 3, 1984.While still at post in Stockholm, he was rewarded for his unwavering dedication to duty, through promotion to the Under Secretary post.In recognition of his loyalty and commitment to national duty, he was appointed Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Tokyo, Japan on May 4, 1990.Minister of Foreign Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, his deputy Edgar Mbwembwe and the Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha yesterday expressed deep sorrow at the passing on of Dr Mutunhu."As the family mourns its dearly departed, we pray that the Almighty give them the strength and courage necessary during this very sad period," the ministry said in a statement.Mourners are gathered at Number 11 Northweld Road, Bluffhill, Harare.He will be buried on Saturday at Fairacre Farm, Old Mutare.
Republic of Korea media protest the decision to bar photographs, as Japanese ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine enters to attend the intelligence deal signing ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday. [Photo/Agencies]

Republic of Korea President Park Geun-hye has indicated she intends to attend the planned China-Japan-ROK leaders meeting in Tokyo next month.

Yet the uncertainty of her position is growing each passing day because of domestic political turmoil.

A lot could happen and change in the three weeks or so before the anticipated meeting, not just in the ROK.

The latest revelation that Tokyo is likely to follow Seoul's example and deploy the United States' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system on its soil has added a new variable to the already delicate situation.

Like Seoul's, Tokyo's official excuse for deploying THAAD is the threat from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Yet it does not take anything as sophisticated as the THAAD to deal with any threat from the DPRK.

And if the ROK does deploy THAAD, considering the latest Japan-ROK military intelligence sharing agreement, it makes no economic or security sense to install the same system in nearby Japan, if the imagined threat is just the DPRK.

However, on a more optimistic note, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has pledged his country will "strive to make the meeting happen", said on Monday both Japan and China are positive about talking to each other.

And three weeks ago, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for concerted efforts to "create the necessary atmosphere and conditions" for the anticipated leaders' meeting, at which the three leaders are reportedly to discuss accelerating their negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement and their anti-terror cooperation.

But even though Chinese and Japanese defense officials held security talks in Beijing on Monday, in order to ease tensions in the East China Sea, it would not be a surprise if Japan's intention to emulate the ROK and deploy the US' anti-missile system means the planned leaders' meeting does not go as smoothly as planned.

Perhaps, therefore, it would be more productive to take the meeting as an opportunity to tackle the security conundrum that exists between the three.

The three countries badly need to communicate and relieve one another of unnecessary worries and suspicions. Which is why, despite the shadow cast by THAAD, a meeting of leaders of the three countries should happen, even if this one is postponed while the ROK resolves its leadership crisis.
Nearly 1,000 attendees practice yoga in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, on June 11, 2016, ahead of the International Yoga Day,which falls on June 21. [Photo/VCG]

A student at Wuhan University in Central China's Hubei province died while doing a physical fitness test on Nov 19. This is not the first time a student has died while taking such a test. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Tuesday:

Physical fitness tests have become high-risk actions for students. As a result, Tianjin University recently asked students to sign a waiver of liability before taking the physical fitness test.

However, this is a questionable practice because in August 2014, the Ministry of Education issued the revised national student physical health standard, which clearly stipulates that students must take a physical fitness test lasting 50 minutes at the beginning of each new semester or they will not be given a graduation certificate.

While the deaths of students taking fitness exams is a concern, so too is the fitness of youngsters. In December last year, according to a report by Hunan University, out of its 20,000 undergraduate students only 19 people achieved an excellent performance in their physical fitness test, 2.85 percent were good or above, while 23 percent failed to pass the test.

In general, students' physical education is ignored in favor of their studies and homework. But with students' physical fitness declining year by year, how long will it be before the examination-oriented education is no longer favored at the cost of the physical well-being of students?
As the British government seeks to build economic ties with China, teaching students Mandarin is now a top priority.

It is common for British adults not to speak another language. Having command of a single language carries no stigma and isn't seen as essential to one's employment prospects. In fact, some Brits speak of their lack of language skills with a certain amount of pride. Much of the world speaks English, doesn't it?

Not quite. Successive British governments have desperately tried to arrest a long-term decline in the numbers of students studying a second language to A-level  Britain's pre-university qualification.

Despite many initiatives to encourage languages, most have met with limited success due to the continual change in priorities that is the nature of government policy in a parliamentary democracy. The number of students starting a languages degree at university actually fell by 16 percent between 2007 and 2013.

French and German have generally been the languages schools have offered over the past few decades, having been priority languages for past British governments.

Yet there is evidence that there is a demand from UK employers for Mandarin speakers, and this is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade. But there's a problem  there is a dire shortage of language teachers.

The simple fact is that most schools are simply unable to offer Mandarin as an option to students. As of 2010 only around 100 teachers were qualified to teach Mandarin. At the time, the then education secretary Michael Gove announced a program to train a further 1,000 teachers over a 5-year period.

However, it would be generous to suggest this represents a serious commitment to developing students' Mandarin skills.

Even if the government managed to acquire a Mandarin teacher for every school, students would still be able to give up the language at age 14. And in any case, the way languages are taught in Britain arguably leaves a lot to be desired, with very little classroom time, and with many parents prioritizing the three key subjects  mathematics, English and the sciences.
Longqing Gorge in Yanqing district is called the "Little Three Gorges" for its karsts.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Beijing's suburbs offer exceptional excursions to discover destinations less central than the icons - yet they are capital sites in every sense. Erik Nilsson explores a three-day itinerary through the metropolis' hinterlands.

The Great Wall is great. It lives up to its namesake. The Forbidden City is foreboding - in a good way. And the Summer Palace draws crowds in all seasons - for many reasons.

Beijing is a metropolis, where most iconic sites gravitate toward its nucleus.

But its downtown of hutong ringed by high rises is orbited by a treasure trove of hidden gems beyond such crown-jewel icons within the Sixth Ring Road - plus those beyond, including the Wall.

The capital is also among the Chinese cities offering 72-hour visa-free transit to foreign visitors from dozens of countries.

China Daily hits the road and heads out of town to discover what travelers can explore around Beijing within three days.

DAY 1

Longqing Gorge (Yanqing)

First, a giant plastic dragon swallows you. Then, it spits you out atop Longqing Gorge.

The Soaring Dragon Escalator earned an inscription in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest series of consecutive escalators. But its aesthetics endow an appeal beyond metrics.

Longqing Gorge is nicknamed the "Little Three Gorges" for its karsts. They conjure something like a miniaturized version of Southwest China's globally acclaimed trio of canyons flanked by jutting peaks.

These fantastical formations here are smaller but sheerer, and are best explored aboard dragon-shaped gondolas.

Temples teeter atop the crags, which sporadically gush with waterfalls.

The 100 Flowers Cave has been arranged into subterranean exhibits displaying sceneries from various regions of China with a profusion of plastic blooms that serve its namesake.
Editor's note: In April, 28-year-old Ecuadorean Santiago Navarrete had his right leg amputated after being injured in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Thanks to Beijing-based international disaster relief NGO Pearl Humanitarian Rescue, he now wears a prosthesis. This is the story of how Navarette lost his leg, but found a new love for a far-flung country.

Had she not been carrying a giant plush panda, Laura Mendez might have gone unnoticed as she walked past the presidential palace of Ecuador in Quito with her son, Santiago Navarrete, and their Colombian friend Nicolay Fonseca.

Fonseca is the Latin America representative for Pearl Humanitarian Rescue, an international disaster relief NGO established in Beijing last year.

President Xi Jinping and his Ecuadorean counterpart Rafael Correa were meeting inside the palace. It was Nov 18 and, for the first time in history, a Chinese head of state was visiting Ecuador.

Seven months before, on April 16, China had provided $2 million in emergency cash and 60 million yuan ($8.69 million) in humanitarian aid after the most devastating earthquake since 1949 hit Ecuador's northwest, claiming 673 lives and injuring more than 27,000. Among the injured was 28-year-old Navarrete, a university student from Quito.

He was on vacation with his best friend in the small coastal town of Canoa, about 170 kilometers from Quito and close to the 7.8-magnitude quake's epicenter in Pedernales.

When it struck at about 6:58 pm, Navarette was showering after a swim in the sea. The hotel he was staying in collapsed, burying him and killing his friend.

He was found seven hours later, at about 3 am. But it wasn't until 7 am that he was freed from the rubble by Ecuador's national rescue team, led by Jose Serrano, minister of internal affairs, who coordinated the rescue efforts on site.

A military helicopter rushed him to a hospital in Quayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, but his right leg was badly infected and had to be amputated.

Four days later, a nine-member medical team from PHR led by Xue Yu, its founder, arrived in Pedernales.

Using the experience they had gained from the Nepal earthquake last year, the team quickly established a base, distributed medication and provided food.

Serrano, the minister, was impressed with the way they coordinated different resources and negotiated with the disparate organizations on the scene, including branches of the UN.

Having not had to deal with a major disaster for more than 60 years, since a 6.8-magnitude earthquake killed 5,050 people on Aug 5, 1949, Ecuador national rescue team found itself out of practice and outperformed by the PHR medics.

Seeing this, Serrano made the decision to invite Xue and his team to attend working meetings with generals and government officials, and even authorized them to use military helicopters. PHR is the only international NGO to be integrated into the Ecuadorean government's rescue work in this way.

After 12 days of intensive effort, PHR finished its work in Ecuador. In total, they had treated 2,600 injured people, spending $160,000 in a joint effort with the China Poverty Relief Foundation.

But before they left, Serrano suggested Xue check on the first man he had rescued - Navarrete, who had been transferred to a hospital in Quito. The minister had learned about the student's amputation, and was anxious that Ecuador didn't have the capacity to manufacture and mount artificial limbs. He hoped his new found Chinese friends might be able to help.

Despite having faced the trauma of losing his leg, Navarrete was optimistic about being fitted with a prosthetic. Xue gave him a hug, promised to help and bought him a giant plush panda from a local Chinese supplier.

In the meantime, PHR hired a fluent Chinese speaker from Colombia called Nicolay Fonseca, to work in Ecuador as a project liaison officer, searching for others in need of artificial limbs. "We are trying to identify more people who could benefit from this project, since not all of the injured are suitable for artificial limbs and we need to do a medical evaluation of them first," he said, adding that five other injured people are currently undergoing evaluation.

Fortunately, Navarrete was able to have a new leg fitted. Over the following three months, PHR spent $9,500 working with the Hermano Miguel Foundation in Ecuador and a prosthesis workshop in the US to fabricate and mount the new leg.

"Mid-and-long-term assistance is actually PHR's main mission," Xue said. "This is similar to what we have done for the people in Wenchuan."

Before Nepal and Ecuador, Xue and his family had sponsored more than 1,000 orphans who lost their parents in the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, which killed almost 69,000 people in Sichuan province alone.

Navarrete knows that without Chinese assistance he might never have walked again.

When he learned that President Xi was visiting Quito, he and his mother, Laura Mendez, hoped to express their gratitude in person, which is why they were outside the presidential palace on Nov 18.

They brought the giant plush giant panda and a letter Navarette had written to Xi.

"I am the luckiest one among all unlucky people who suffered the earthquake in April; not only because I was the first to be rescued by our national rescue team, but also because I have obtained a China leg with the help of Pearl Humanitarian Rescue from China," he wrote.

"I would like to take the opportunity of your visit to my country, Ecuador, to express my gratitude to you and the very kind Chinese people. Your people came from a country 10,000 miles away, provided us with medical assistance and created plans to mount artificial limbs for the injured. All this has made it possible for me to stand up again with the courage and confidence to continue in life. Thank you for giving me this beautiful life."

However, the mother and son were disappointed, as Xi stayed less than 24 hours in Quito and could not meet with them.

But with his "China leg", Navarette is determined to live his life as never before. Using his major in transportation management, he now works for the Ecuadorean interior ministry's department of motor vehicles. His knowledge of China has grown as well.

He now knows of Coca-Codo-Sinclair, a $2.3 billion hydraulic power station in eastern Ecuador built by Sinohydro Corporation, that is the largest Chinese investment project in the country and can provide one third of its electricity needs.

Navarette is getting married in April, one year after his new life began. He and his fiancee Nathaly Gordillo are hoping to honeymoon in Beijing, so that they can be reunited with their friends at PHR.

They would like to visit the Great Wall and see Changchun, where the iconic Red Flag car brand is made.

It is still Navarette's wish to meet with President Xi and express an ordinary Ecuadorean's thanks to him. But whether he does or not, he will have his giant plush panda with him. That panda has become his mascot. Forever.

larrylee@chinadailyusa.com
China's Coast Guard has rescued two Philippine fishermen after their vessel encountered rough seas off Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, and it is helping search for other missing fishermen, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday.

Philippine Coast Guard officials said on Monday that they had launched a search and rescue operation for five Filipinos who had failed to return to port after a typhoon struck, the Associated Press reported.

The Philippine Coast Guard was coordinating operations with its Chinese counterpart, AP quoted Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo as saying.

At a daily news conference in Beijing, Geng said, "China attaches great importance to the situation, and Chinese boats and ships have been deployed to search for the missing fishermen."

He confirmed that two Philippine fishermen had been rescued and said, "China will continue to conduct search and rescue operations."

China has tightened its control over the island since 2012, when the government of former Philippine president Benigno Aquino III stirred up tension in the region by arresting Chinese fishermen.

Filipinos were allowed to fish near the island beginning last month after new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's four-day visit to China, which marked an overall improvement in the China-Philippines relationship.

Xu Liping, a senior researcher on Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China showed that it is a responsible country by offering humanitarian help to people fishing in the area. He said the rescue effort also reflects friendly cooperation between the two countries.

"Treating both Chinese and Philippine fishermen equally without discrimination will help the two sides play down their differences over the South China Sea and meet each other halfway in the future," Xu said.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
Guests stand for a moment after lighting their candles during a prayer vigil at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, near where a violent attack happened on Monday, November 28, 2016 on the Ohio State campus. [Photo/IC]

WASHINGTON/COLUMBUS - A Somali immigrant who injured 11 people at Ohio State University in a vehicle and stabbing attack before he was shot dead may have followed the same path to self-radicalization as militants in a number of "lone wolf" attacks, US officials said on Tuesday.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, 20, was shot dead by a police officer on Monday moments after he plowed his car into a crowd of pedestrians and then leapt out and began stabbing people with a butcher knife.

Investigators were probing the background of Artan, a Muslim who was a lawful permanent resident of the United States and a student at Ohio State.

Authorities have given no direct motive for the attack on the Columbus campus. US Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Artan appeared to have been influenced by material on the internet.

"It appears that the attacker was radicalized online by jihadist propaganda," he said in a statement.

Schiff said no evidence has been uncovered showing that Artan communicated with or was directed by overseas militant groups. It was unclear what prompted Artan's family to immigrate to the United States or if his time outside the United States played a part in his decision to launch the attack, Schiff said.

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the attack. But a federal official who asked not to be identified said investigators have seen no evidence so far that the militant group's role was anything more than inspirational.

Artan's actions fit the pattern of lone-wolf militants who carried out other attacks, such as the gunman who shot to death 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, and the man who killed four US Marines and a Navy sailor in a shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last year, the officials said.

Those gunmen were also killed by police.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivers a speech during the opening session of Fatah Party's congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov 29, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

RAMALLAH -- The 1,400-member congress of Fatah Party held in the West Bank city of Ramallah re-elected on Tuesday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the chairman of the group.

The five-day congress, kicking off Tuesday morning, will elect a new leadership, a central committee and a revolutionary council, in addition to re-electing Abbas as the chairman.

"Today we meet to write a new chapter in the procession of our pioneer movement. We are meeting today with all those who were involved in the battle of defending the Palestinian revolution," Abbas told the congress, right after he was re-elected.

According to Abbas, 60 delegations from 28 countries are also participating in the seventh Fatah congress, where 1,320 members out of 1,411 have arrived.

Earlier on Tuesday, Fatah officials said 75 members from the Gaza Strip were unable to attend the congress after they were denied permission to cross from Gaza to the West Bank through Israel.

It is the second congress of Fatah party that is held in the Palestinian territories since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994. The first congress was held in Bethlehem in 2009.
BRUSSELS -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller on Tuesday stressed the importance of continuing dialogue with Russia at a forum in Germany, according to a NATO statement.

Participating in a panel discussion at the Berlin Policy Forum, Gottemoeller outlined the Alliance's dual-track approach of strong defense and dialogue with Russia.

She said that in times of tension, dialogue with Russia is even more important to reduce risks and build confidence.

NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia in April 2014 in response to the Ukraine crisis, and the NATO-Russia Council was the only channel left open.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also highlighted that NATO wants dialogue with Russia.

"Russia is our biggest neighbor, Russia is there to stay and especially when tensions run high and especially when we face many different security challenges, it is important to have dialogue," Stoltenberg told media while attending EU defense ministers meeting on Nov 15.
SEOUL -- South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party members close to President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday demanded the country's constitution be amended to shorten the five-year term of the embattled president.

Saenuri Party chairman Lee Jung-hyun, one of closest aides to President Park, told reporters that the president expressed her willingness to step down without ending her constitution-guaranteed tenure, according to local media reports.

Lee urged opposition lawmakers to negotiate a roadmap for Park's "honorable retreat," indicating the need for the revised constitution to shorten the single, five-year presidency.

His comments came a day after President Park addressed the nation for the third time since a scandal involving herself and her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, came into focus in October.

The scandal-plagued president threw the ball of decision on her fate in the parliamentary court, saying she will follow the parliamentary decision including the shortening of presidency.

Chung Jin-seok, the ruling party's whip, told reporters that the constitutional revision could become a first step toward reflecting the public wish, proposing the orderly resignation of the president who will stand down in April next year. The presidential election could be held two months later, according to his suggestion.

Three main opposition parties denounced President Park's speech, saying it was a ploy to delay her resignation and impeachment as the shortening of presidency requires the constitutional amendment that would take at least one year or longer.

Heads of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party and minor oppositions People's Party and the Justice Party agreed to continue their push for Park's impeachment as early as this Friday or no later than next Friday when the parliamentary regular session ends.

The impeachment requires at least two-thirds of the 300-seat National Assembly. As there are 172 opposition and independent lawmakers, the impeachment bill must have at least 30 yes votes from the governing party.

The spokesman of anti-Park faction within the Saenuri Party, reportedly composed of 40 to 50 lawmakers, told a press briefing that the constitutional revision for the shortened presidency would not be accepted by the general public.

He said that if rival parties do not agree to any roadmap for Park's resignation, the impeachment should be pursued no later than next Friday.

If the impeachment motion is passed through the parliament, President Park will be suspended immediately, and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will become an acting president.
Opinion / Columnist

A stubborn fact that many Zimbabweans conveniently forget when we reflect on corruption in our country is that President Mugabe and his administration have no history of sacrificing loyal or useful lieutenants for corruption. In shame, Morris Nyagumbo carelessly took his own life in the late 80s following the Willowgate Scandal which the Sandura Commission competently exposed. Nyagumbo was not sacrificed. In fact, his partner in crime, Fredrick Shava was promoted.In a tiny and struggling economy where USD15 billion vanishes into thin air, the president appears on national television admitting it and yet nobody is arraigned before the courts for that great disappearance or theft - why then should anybody expect to see Jonathan Moyo done for a mere USD400k? This is mere pocket money in ZANU -PF lingo though it takes a decent professional in the developed world 25 years to pay off a mortgage of the same value.I am one of those Zimbabweans opposed to the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe currency in any name, shape or form for as long as we do not have sound economic fundamentals to support it. However, there are times when I tend to think that Zimbabweans deserve the Bond Note. They are one of a few nations on earth that have become used to abusing the Greenback to an extent where they almost reduced it to an ordinary currency.When a government minister sues his colleague for more than USD10 million in a very minor defamation case, then you know we are not talking about the same American dollar as we know it. In courts, ordinary citizens are charged as much as USD500 in bail for very minor offences like pointing a finger at or uttering "derogatory" words in front of the presidential portrait! But I digress.Not long before he was kicked out of ZANU-PF, former Energy Minister, Dzikamai Mavhaire, was taken to task for allegedly diverting USD40k to mai Mujuru's political activities while she was still the vice president. True to tradition, the matter died a natural death along the way. It may only be revived when it suits the emperor, usually close to elections in order to keep the monkey busy.The First Lady was implicated in the VIP Housing Scheme when she built a mansion in Chivhu which later became nothing but a white elephant. What happened to her? Nothing. Her brother, Reward Marufu looted the War Victims Compensation Fund with impunity. His "punishment" was a diplomatic post to Canada.Sydney Gata presided over ZESA's collapse. He was Mugabe's brother-in-law. PTC, GMB, NRZ, ZISCO and many other organisations suffered the same fate. At independence, donors funded the demobilisation exercise on which millions were spent. There is no doubt that most of the aid ended up in private pockets. One needs to be extremely naive or gullible to believe that President Mugabe was not aware of all this rot. Tacitly if not actively, he supports this institutionalised madness.Jonathan Moyo did not need much effort to convince the emperor that he was innocent, by ZANU-PF standards. He publicly admitted that he diverted Zimdef funds to ZANU-PF activities. It is possible that Moyo proved his case beyond doubt and it would be foolish for Mugabe to sacrifice a foot soldier doing exactly what the party expects  kufamba mugwara remusangano!This is not surprising. A lot of innocent Zimbabweans have been murdered, maimed, raped, persecuted, or tortured with some losing their homes for opposing ZANU-PF. These heinous crimes committed in the name of the so-called revolutionary party are treated as an act of political holiness by the sponsors. If that was not the case, James Mwale who allegedly murdered Talent Mabika and Tendai Chiminya of the MDC in 2008 would have died in prison. His friend, Kizito Chivamba who maimed Patrick Kombayi in a murder attempt, would not be a member of parliament as we speak. But he walked out of prison as quickly as he walked in, courtesy of presidential amnesty! The same applies to another murderer, Biggie Chitoro (maybe rot in hell) who once caused mayhem in Mberengwa and areas around Zvishavane.Arguably, if anybody wants to put Jonathan Moyo on the cross for diverting "peanuts" in the form of USD400k to ZANU-PF, then those who caused the disappearance of USD15 billion must be hanged and cremated. I am sure that the culprits are known to ZANU-PF.The simple reason why culprits remain untouched is that the chief superintendent, the senior prosecutor, the judge president and the jury, President Mugabe, has no history of punishing those loyal to him and his family for corruption. They can only be touched if they become a threat to his grip on power. And you hear people saying Zimbabwe is a democracy, what rubbish!Given ZANU-PF's long record of corruption, Jonathan Moyo's case is nothing but a tiny drop in a calamitous and ferocious sea of corruption. The magnitude of Zimbabwe's corruption cases will only be known when we have a democratic government in place.If we do not get rid of these perennial and shameless thugs in 2018 or before, we will become an interesting political case study of a very promising nation that succumbed to one old man. A very senior South African diplomat once asked "What's wrong with you Zimbabweans? You have built every road and every building in South Africa and yet you can't get rid of Mugabe. Why do you think South Africa should do that for you?"As Zimbabweans, we have a chance to do it ourselves if we make the right choices now as we prepare for 2018. Some of those choices, complementary to a vicious fight for democratic reforms, are formation of a genuine and effective coalition as well as a vigorous voter registration campaign.--------------Moses Chamboko is a pro-democracy activist and interim secretary general of ZUNDE. www.zunde.org; info@zunde.org
Defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said on Wednesday that China opposes any action that would harm national security of other countries and regional stability under the pretext of Pyongyang's missile threats.

Yang made the remarks at a monthly press briefing in response to the reports that Tokyo would set up a committee to deliberate the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD) system in the country. And the blueprint is scheduled to be finalized before the summer.

Foreign ministry on Monday has also voiced China's position on the issue, urging Japan to "act prudently" and play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

Chu Yi contributed to the story.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday that China highly appreciates Malaysia for firmly pursuing the one-China policy and thanks it for its cooperation with China in cracking down on cross-border crimes, including telecom and cyber fraud.

On Tuesday, Chinese police escorted 74 telecom-fraud suspects back to China from Malaysia, including 53 from the Chinese mainland and 21 from Taiwan. The suspects are allegedly involved in over 500 cross-border telecom and cyber fraud cases involving over 60 million yuan ($8.7 million).

"Chinese authorities will treat the suspects in accordance with the law," Geng told a daily press conference in Beijing.

He also said that the move will help the investigation and retrieve illicit money. The crimes will be punished according to law, and the victims legal rights will be protected, he added.

"We believe that this will be understood and supported by compatriots across the Straits and the international community as well," he added.
South African President Jacob Zuma sings at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, November 18, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

JOHANNESBURG - The National Executive Committee (NEC) of South Africa' s ruling party debated calls for President Jacob Zuma to resign and resolved to keep him, party secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters here on Tuesday.

African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party, held the NEC meeting on Nov 26-28. According to Mantashe, the party engaged in a robust debate. Zuma, president of both the party and country, did not take part in the debate and only listened.

"We affirm our support in Zuma, president of the party and the republic. Following robust, honest, candid and at times difficult discussions, the NEC did not support the call for the president to step down."

Some ANC veterans, including former President Thabo Mbeki, as well as the opposition political parties have called on Zuma to step down.

Mantashe said that during the NEC debate, some argued for his resignation while others were against it.

He said some requested a vote on the call for the president to resign and that was turned down. Mantashe said they used consensus in the party to oppose voting in the NEC. He also said those who had supported the call for Zuma to step down will not be victimized or treated differently.

Mantashe said Zuma is unfairly criticized at times. The ANC lost 8 percent in the last local government elections where they lost strategic cities including the administrative capital Tshwane.

The NEC resolved to work for the unity in the party, and decided to have a National Policy and Consultative Conference from June 30 to July 5, 2017.

They also agreed to hold a national conference in December 2017 where they will elect the new party leadership.

"We would have elected new leadership of the ANC. There will be a new president who will be the face of the party in the 2019 campaign," Mantashe said.

The ANC is currently visiting various parts of the country to engage with local communities to regain the lost ground.
BEIJING - China is engaged in talks about an annual summit with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Wednesday.

It is reported that Japan has put itself forward as the host for the annual trilateral summit in December in Tokyo, however, the current political turmoil in the ROK has brought uncertainty to the outlook of the summit.

"The trilateral summit should be held at an appropriate time and under proper conditions for the three parties, and should achieve positive outcomes," Geng said.

China attaches great importance to trilateral cooperation with Japan and the ROK, and is ready to work closely with the two countries to maintain healthy, stable and sustainable growth of trilateral cooperation.

China, Japan and the ROK have hosted trilateral summits since 2008, except for a three-and-half-year suspension, which began in May 2012, due to regional tensions.

The sixth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting was held in Seoul in November last year.
Campus of the University of Sheffield. [Photo/Provided to China Daily UK]

Retailers in Sheffield -from a florist and a duck egg shop in Moor Market to a kebab restaurant near Sheffield University - are turning to Mandarin to help with an influx of Chinese students and visitors to the city in the north of England.

In recent years, the number of Chinese students enrolled at Sheffield University has surged, with 2,278 coming in 2015 from the Chinese mainland alone. An additional 159 arrived from Hong Kong. Across town, Sheffield Hallam University reported that 1,378 Chinese students registered for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Sheffield's Chinese connection does not stop there. In July, the city announced a 60-year partnership agreement with Sichuan Guodong Construction Group, worth more than 1 billion pounds($1.32 billion).

Smith & Tissington is one of the local businesses on Sheffield's Moor Market that is keen to attract Chinese customers with its offering of duck eggs, a popular purchase back home.

Spotting a rise in the local Chinese population, the owner hired two Chinese staff members and posted a sign in Chinese reading 'Duck Eggs' to attract Chinese students. Nigel Wildgoose, who has worked at the shop for more than two years, said the local duck eggs were proving to be a welcome purchase among Chinese communities in Sheffield.

"The Chinese characters help catch the attention of Chinese customers," he said. "And the presence of a Chinese sales assistant makes Chinese students feel more comfortable and it adds convenience to their shopping experience."

Karon Breckon, owner of Meadowhead Flowers at the market, actively uses social media to promote her business and now uses Chinese symbols in her Twitter feed. As of 6 months ago, whenever she posts, she always adds a hashtag with the name of a flower, followed by its Chinese symbols.

She has learned that roses are very popular with Chinese customers, while chrysanthemums are not, adding: "There's a great link between flowers and Chinese culture, in which reds and pinks represent luck and friendship, whereas white chrysanthemums are usually linked with funerals."

Nearby, at the Istanbul Restaurant and Takeaway, adverts in Mandarin offer students a 10 percent discount on the dinner menu. And a kebab restaurant on West Street, near Sheffield University campus, uses Mandarin on its lunch menu flyer.

Chinese students in Sheffield have welcomed the gestures from local businesses.

Chen Zhenkun, 24, who studied for his master's degree at Sheffield University, said he was particularly amazed with the Chinese signage provided at local tourist spots. He said that local staff are also able to greet visitors with a good command of Chinese.

Chen said he tends to go to restaurants and shops with some Chinese connection because it makes him feel at home, even though he is abroad and in an unfamiliar place.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in London, November 23, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Britain hopes to tackle the issue of the future rights of European Union citizens in Britain and Britons living in the EU early on in talks on Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the EU rebuffed a call from pro-Brexit British lawmakers for a quick deal on mutual residence rights for British and EU expatriates, telling them it was up to their government to launch full-blown divorce talks.

May has said she will not kick off formal negotiations this year to give the government time to prepare, but will do so before the end of March next year.

"I would hope that this is an issue that we can look at at an early stage in the negotiations, of course there will be two years of negotiations. I think it is right that we give reassurance to British citizens living in the EU and to EU citizens living here in the UK," she told parliament.
Photo taken on Nov. 30, 2016 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on resolution in response to Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) fifth nuclear test, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States. UN Security Council adopted resolution in response to DPRK's fifth nuclear test. [Photo/Xinhua]

UNITED NATIONS - China on Wednesday voiced its firm opposition to the Sept. 9 nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and called for an early resumption of the six-party talks to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political and peaceful means.

Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks as he was taking the floor at the UN Security Council after the 15-nation UN body unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanction against the DPRK in response to its nuclear test in September, the country's fifth nuclear test since 2006.

"On Sept. 9 this year, the DPRK conducted yet another nuclear test in defiance of the new universal objection of the international community," Liu said. "The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act."

The resolution sets an upper limit on the DPRK's coal exporting, saying the total exports of coal from the DPRK should not exceed 400.9 million U.S. dollars or 7.5 million metric tons per year, whichever is lower.

However, the resolution said that the provision shall not apply with respect to transactions in iron and iron ore that are determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes and unrelated to generating revenue for the DPRK's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
VIENNA -- The OPEC on Wednesday decided to cut its oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day, setting the ceiling of oil production at 32.5 million barrels per day.

The reduction is effective from Jan. 1, 2017, and is the cartel's first oil reduction since 2008. The reduction is being coordinated with the non-OPEC country Russia, who promised to cut its production by 300,000 barrels per day.

Qatar's energy minister Mohammed Al-Sada, president of OPEC, said the agreement was reached unanimously except for Indonesia, who has now suspended its membership of the cartel.

According to data offered by OPEC, the largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia took the biggest part of the reduction, 486,000 barrels per day.
Opinion / Columnist

Mbada Diamond Company, which is owned by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Company - a government-owned entity - has been allowed to get away without paying its long-suffering workers for far too long, whilst it has been raking in billions of dollars.This can never be allowed to happen in a democratic and civilised world, where slavery is supposed to have been abolished centuries ago, yet still rears its ugly head in some parts of today's world - including in Zimbabwe.Diamond mining in Zimbabwe has been very fruitful to those who already had wealth, but the 'have nots' have been abused, and the little that they still had stolen from them and left with nothing.The Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe already came out saying that at least USD15 Billion vanished into thin air in the diamond industry.I will not delve into how such a staggering amount could just disappear from the country without the knowledge of those in power, but the fact still remains that billions - if not trillions - of dollars were made from diamonds - yet those who worked there have not been paid their salaries and pensions.How heartless is that?Such cruelty in the 21st Century is not to be expected - let alone tolerated.Mbada Diamond Company should not be left scot free, but should be held responsible for its actions.Most of the workers stories are similar.They worked at the company from 2012, but till they were unceremoniously laid off in 2014, they were hardly paid.The company owes them thousands of dollars, in both unpaid salaries and pensions.The manner in which they were dismissed also leaves the world asking whether this company is run by civilised people, or by some alien species.How can a company simply call in workers and give them dismissal letters, and 24 hours to vacate the mine?They were then told to return after a month, not to be given their money, but to merely collect payment statements - that simply acknowledged that the company owed them, but without committing to any payment date.When these workers returned for the payment statements, the company did not even allow them onto the premises, but gave them the letters through the gate.As of today, these workers are still waiting.This is not to say they have been sitting idly - as they have tried their best to be paid their dues.They approached the Labour Court in Mutare, where the matter was referred to conciliation in December 2015.Mbada Diamonds agreed to pay its dismissed workers, but never fulfilled its pledges.In fact, what makes this case even more suspicious is that when the workers met in Chiadzwa on 16 August 2016 to discuss the issue, they were forcibly dispersed by suspected state agents - as they were accused of an illegal gathering.Why would the state be more concerned with an alleged 'illegal' gathering more than the sad situation that these unfairly treated workers have been subjected to by their employer?Remember the missing USD15 Billion?These same workers went to the company's head offices in Borrowdale, Harare, but they were refused entry, and dogs allegedly set on them.They demonstrated at the gate for five months but no one from the company came to address them.In fact, Mbada Diamonds secretly vacated these premises, and the workers do not know where they relocated to.This has further complicated the matter, since if they want to serve the company with legal summons, no one knows where to find them.And this is a company that is owned by the Zimbabwe government!What does this say about the government?These dismissed workers' families are living in abject poverty.Their children are now lacking the most basic of rights - a good education, as the parents can not afford.Food, and accommodation - let alone, decent clothing - are now a daily struggle.Yet, they toiled to many some few individuals billions, if not trillions, of dollars - splashing some of it on lavish sporting sponsorship deals.The workers' plight is worsened by the fact that they can not even afford a lawyer.The poor getting poorer, and the oppressed getting more oppressed.Such can not be allowed in this day and age.Is this how today's diamond industry wants to be globally portrayed?Does the diamond industry want to be associated with slavery?Did the diamond industry learn anything at all from the 'blood diamonds' fiasco?Should the world mobilize to shun this industry, as it turns a callously blind eye towards this wanton disregard of human rights?Organisations such as the Kimberly Process, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) should be roped in to ensure that these workers are treated fairly, and finally receive justice.We call upon all those who can push for the plight of these workers to come forward - such as Zimbabwe's legislators, human rights lawyers, and activists.We also would want to see diamond workers in other parts of the world stand in solidarity with these Mbada Diamonds employees.These are no longer the days of John D. Rockefeller - who made their fortunes on the backs of an abused, over-worked, and grossly under-paid workforce.In fact, in those days at least the workers were paid, but in Mbada Diamonds' case, it is downright slavery, and should not be allowed to continue in a world that prides itself as being more civilised than those of medieval times. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes any feedback. Please feel free to call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com
(Photo : Getty Images) Xiaomi Mi 5c is expected to have a price tag at around CNY 1,000 ($150).

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Xiaomi will be launching its Mi 5c on Dec. 6 as per Chinas microblogging site Weibo.



The Chinese tech companys Mi 5c is expected to release as a lesser variant of the Xiaomi Mi 5s. Aside from the launch date details, three images of the Mi 5c have also been posted.



The photos resemble the images of the phone leaked from the past. The images show the front and back of the smartphone and the About Phone section, BGR reported.



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Xiaomi Mi 5c is anticipated to be powered by 2.2 GHz octa-core processor, which may be Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow based MIUI 8 operating system. It will feature 3GB of RAM with 64GB of storage space.



The new Xiaomi headset is seen sporting a black color and anticipated to feature a 2.5D glass display but it will also be available in rose gold. It will have a 5.2-inch full HD 1080p screen display while the other version will have 5.5 inch display.



Its front camera or selfie camera is located above the display. The Home button is expected to double as a fingerprint scanner. The rear camera 5c is placed on the top left corner of the device with the Mi logo embedded down below.



The rear camera is 12MP, while the selfie camera is 8MP. Xiaomi Mi 5c will come with NFC support and backed by 3080 mAh Li-ion battery. The device is expected to have a price tag of around CNY 1,000 ($150), according to GSM Arena.



Aside from China, Xiaomi may launch the new device in other markets like India. The Chinese tech firm has announced as well that they will be joining CES 2017 in January and another device may be launched.



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TagsXiaomi, Xiaomi Mi 5c, Mi 5c, Mi 5c Dec. 6, Mi 5c specs, Mi 5c price, Mi 5c launch date
(Photo : Getty Images) Philippine's officials on Friday arrested over a thousand Chinese citizens for illegal online gambling.

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China on Monday voiced its concerns in regard to the arrest of more than 1,000 Chinese citizens by the Philippine government. The suspects were arrested after they were allegedly found engaging in illegal online gambling.



In a CCTV report, Geng Shuang, the Spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that they would continue to pay attention to the ongoing case.



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"China has requested the Philippines," said Shuang. "They should make proper arrangements with those who are currently in holding."



He said that the state had been lenient to some of the arrested Chinese citizens and released them while the investigations continued.



"Accelerate identity, release those with legal identities as soon as possible and guarantee the safe, humanitarian treatment of the detainees," Shuang added.



A report by the Filipino Times revealed that the culprits were arrested on Friday after they were caught in the act in Pampanga province in Central Luzon.



The Head of the Immigration Bureau Jaime Morente said that the individuals were arrested after a confirmed suspicion of illegal activities that were ongoing at the Fontana Hotel and Resort.



Morente further added that as of early Friday morning, his unit has already arrested and detained more than 1,200 Chinese citizens.



Meanwhile, Shuang noted that the Chinese state is expecting its citizens who travel abroad to work in accordance with the country's law. While still on the matter, he added that the Philippines should be fair in handling the case.



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Tagschina, Philippines, China ministry of foreign affairs, Illegal Online Gambling
(Photo : Getty Images) Ford Lincoln introduced its flagship Continental model in China.

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China's luxury car market has just got hotter, with Lincoln launching its flagship brand Lincoln Continental in the Chinese market. What is so special about this launch is that China is the only third country in the world where the flagship brand has been launched, the other two being the United States and Canada.



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Lincoln Continental will be available in two engines: 2.0 turbo with 261hp and 286nm and 3.0 twin-turbo V6 with 378hp and 570nm. Both engines will be available in six-speed automatic gearbox.



Lincoln's decision for an early launch of its flagship brand in China is apparently backed by its recent impressive quarterly results in the country. The company sold 20,988 cars in the current financial year, which is a whopping 191 percent more compared with that of the same period last year.



The impressive sales number has also brought the luxury car company closer to its rival Infiniti; however, it is still far behind other competitors such as Cadillac, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.



Lincoln, which is a luxury division of Ford Motors, currently sells three to four brands in China including MKZ, MKC, MKX, and the Navigator.



Many of the global auto companies fortune hinges on China, as over the years it has emerged as the world's largest car market. Several auto giants like Audi, Honda, General Motors, and Hyundai have recently announced several plans to increase their market share in the Chinese car market. Most of the companies are planning to increase their production capacity in the country.



Incidentally, the boom in Chinese car market has completely defied the downturn in Chinese economy, which has been described as the worst economic crisis that China has witnessed in over two decades.



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(Photo : Russian Air Force) Russian Su-30.

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Iran has categorically refused to confirm plans to buy an unspecified number of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighters after Russia apparently balked at some of Tehran's demands as part of this multi-billion dollar deal.



Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan only said the acquisition of the Su-30SM version of this two-seat, supermaneuverble fighter jet was on his ministry's agenda, but made no mention of any ironclad agreement sealing the deal for these jets.



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He denied earlier reports in Iranian and world media the deal was a sure thing. Other defense ministry officials also said reports confirming the deal are incorrect.



Dehghan also said Iran will hold talks with any source capable of meeting its military needs, except the U.S. and Israel.



He earlier said Iran needs to "seriously focus on the air force and fighters."



Acquiring the Su-30SM would have made this aircraft the most modern in the badly equipped Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) that still counts a four-decade old version of the U.S. made McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet as one of its two main ground attack aircraft.



In the air superiority role, the Su-30SM would have been invaluable in assisting IRIAF's two air superiority fighters: the iconic Grumman F-14 Tomcat variable-wing interceptor (first flown by the U.S. in 1970 and retired in 1996) and the Mikoyan MiG-29.



IRIAF operates 24 F-14s and 20 MiG-29s. It also has 24 Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft in its inventory.



Iranian media quoted Dehghan as only saying "the purchase of this fighter is on the agenda of the defense ministry" and that "reinforcing and providing the needs of the air force are among the priorities of the defense ministry," without referring to the Russian jets in particular.



Earlier this year, however, Dehghan said Iran and Russia had begun talks on Iran's purchase of the Su-30s. Iran's about face seems to confirm potentially damaging disagreements that might scuttle the deal in the end.



Iranian media said Iran wants any deal with Russia to include a Russian transfer of technology and Russia's jointly investing in the project to produce the Su-30 in Iran.



Russia was previously reported to have agreed to both terms but Iran's refusal to categorically confirm the Su-30 purchase indicates problems with these demands.



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TagsIran, Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighters, Russia, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, IRIAF
(Photo : US Army) A THAAD missile system on its mobile launcher and what the system can do.

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China held the largest ever naval exercise involving all the three fleets of its the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) last September in a failed effort to scare South Korea into changing its decision to deploy the United States' THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system on its soil in 2017.



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Japan also announced it has taken the first steps in a process that will eventually lead to its deploying THAAD on Japanese soil, a decision China will ferociously oppose.



On Nov. 14, Seoul announced its decision to speed-up the deployment of THAAD instead of being cowed by the unabashed show of force by the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force (PLANSF) that combined warships from all its three fleets -- the South Sea, East Sea and North Sea Fleets.



PLANSF held its joint surface exercise that involved live ammunition firings at the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. Over 100 surface warships of the PLANSF took part in the drill intended to frighten South Korea into submissiveness along with dozens of warplanes from the PLAN and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).



The drill last September was the third large-scale PLAN exercise over the past four months intended to scare South Korea. PLAN held two other drills in the South and East China seas in July and August, which were revealed to media, unlike the drill last September revealed only yesterday.



A Chinese military analyst told Chinese state-controlled media the reason for the secrecy was to exert enough pressure to get South Korea to change its mind without going too far. At the time of the secret naval drill, the South Korean government had still not made up its mind on whether or not to deploy THAAD. The analyst said China wanted to scare South Korea into not deploying THAAD.



The decision, however, was clinched in November with South Korea and the United States making separate announcements confirming the deployment of THAAD. The first of two THAAD systems should become operational by September 2017.



South Korea wants THAAD to defend against the real strategic threat posed by North Korea's expanding arsenal of ballistic nuclear missiles. North Korea claims it now has the capability to arm these missiles with nuclear warheads. South Korea has no home grown defense against ballistic missiles.



Japan early this week announced it had established a commission to examine the potential benefits of emplacing THAAD on its soil to increase its defense capabilities against North Korean ballistic missiles.



The commission headed by State Minister of Defense Kenji Wakamiya will examine the pros and cons of using THAAD.



"We are investigating future systems for intercepting missiles," said Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada.



Although Japan has no concrete plans to deploy THAAD, the Japan Self-Defense Force is considering what can be done to better defend Japan from the threat posed by North Korea's ballistic missiles.



Japan is seriously considering a three-stage THAAD defense system. The first-stage consists of an anti-ballsitic missile defense system now in place is a two-tier system relying on ship-based RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors aboard its Atago-class and Kongo-class guided missile destroyers to target missiles in space.



The second-stage consists of land-based MIM-104F Patriot (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile batteries to intercept rockets flying close to the ground.



THAAD will allow the interception of missiles in or outside the Earth's atmosphere, thereby constituting a third-stage defense.



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Tagschina, South Korea, naval drill, THAAD, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, People's Liberation Army Navy, south sea, East Sea and North Sea Fleets, Japan, People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: DICTATORS FOR LIVE OR FREEDOM FOR LIVE ITS TIME TO CHANGE

Enough is enough. I denounce Violence, I denounce Molestation, I denounce Acts of Aggression towards innocent citizens. I have call on the international community to restrain the aggressors of the Paul Biyas Loyalists with immediate effect.

English speaking Cameroonians are under ethnic cleansing and the entire world is watching.

This neither is more than Saddam Hussein and above Mohammed Gadhafi nor is the aggression compared to Bashar Al Assad Dictatorship.

Its time the CPDM Regime be held accountable.

As it not enough the aggressors are now rampantly rapping of students, torturing and hanging of innocent citizens

Brutality towards Common Law Lawyers and Teachers

I denounce mass burial of living citizens

I condemn in the strictest terms and I as the leader of The Cameroon Reformation Party I have written to the British prime Minister, French President and the European human right to call for restrain.

This is Barbaric, These are act of ethnic Cleansing, and there is no difference between the Biyas regime and terrorist Network. I am short of words; to me the CPDM must be banned from all political activities as these acts of aggression are in violation of the Cameroon constitution.

My fellow Brothers and sisters we need justice we need accountability from top to bottom we need a system clean up. In this regards, I call for a unified vision amongst opposition parties

Biya and his people are killing English speaking Cameroonians.
(Photo : PLAAF) PLAAF fighter pilots march like soldiers.

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The People's Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Nov. 24 launched what it termed a "long march of deepening military reform" aimed at giving it professional parity with the United States Armed Forces over the next decades.



PLA propaganda played-up Nov. 24 as "a fresh start" in the history of the PLA, whose commitment "to building a strong military has become stronger."



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The PLA is manned overwhelmingly by poorly-motivated and poorly-educated conscripts, an increasing number of whom are either too fat or are spoiled only children derided as "Little Emperors." In contrast, the U.S. Armed Forces is a professional all-volunteer force that has been in continuous combat since the turn of the century.



One of the more important PLA websites described China as entering "a key stage of transforming itself from a big country into a strong power, which calls for greater courage in advancing military reform."



Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, the central authority has championed improving combat capabilities as the ultimate goal of building a strong army.



This makes it necessary for the PLA to implement a new round of reforms focusing on removing systematic barriers that hinder military development.



PLA morale was boosted when military flags were conferred on the general command for the PLA Ground Force, the PLA Rocket Force and the PLA Strategic Support Force in December 2015.



That same month, the CPC reshuffled its military headquarters under the Central Military Commission (CMC), the country's top military organ. Last February, CMC reorganized the PLA regional commands into five theater commands.



The PLA said its reforms won't end here. It said China is working hard to boost its military capacity through civilian-military integration and innovation-driven development.



Over the past years, China has striven to develop its national defense technology by harnessing the "Made in China 2025" and "Internet Plus" programs, as well as cutting-edge information technologies such as big data.



Anti-graft efforts have been enhanced, thereby contributing to building a clean military.



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TagsPeople's Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party of China, United States Armed Forces, new round of reforms, china, Central Military Commission
(Photo : Getty Images) President Xi Jinping has visited the Cuban Embassy in Beijing to mourn the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has mourned the passing of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro as he visited the Cuban Embassy in Beijing to pay his last respects on Tuesday.



President Xi, along with Chinese officials, signed the Book of Condolences at the embassy for the death of Castro, saying the Chinese government and people stand with the Cuban people "at this special moment."



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"My deep condolences for the death of the excellent leader of the Cuban people and the great friend of the Chinese people," the president wrote in the book at the Cuban embassy in Beijing.



.The communist-backed newspaper, Global Times, said Xi was moved when he received the news of Castro's death upon his arrival from the APEC summit held in Peru last week.



Legacy



Xi said that with Castro's death, the Cuban government, under the leadership of Raul Castro, and the people will carry on the legacy of the revolutionary leader and would continue to make "new achievements" in the country and develop socialism.



President Xi will skip Castro's funeral to be held in Cuba this week and will instead send Vice President Li Yuanchao and a delegation to represent Beijing.



Chinese academicians told the Global Times that the deep relationship between Cuba and China was highlighted by President Xi's rare display of deep sympathies at the embassy.



Charismatic



Xu Shicheng, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Castro's charismatic leadership has inspired many Chinese people to achieve their goals in the small nation.



A large number of Chinese citizens have visited the embassy since Friday following the death of the 90-year-old Castro.



The Chinese mourners laid wreaths and flowers outside the Cuban embassy to show respect to the late Cuban leader.



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TagsFidel Castro death, President Xi Jinping, Cuba, Book of Condolences, Cuban Embassy
(Photo : US Army) M27 in combat in Afghanistan.

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There's an offhand chance the Heckler & Koch M27 Infantry Assault Rifle (IAR), considered by some as the best assault rifle in the world, might be considered by the U.S. Marine Corps as its primary infantry weapon replacing the Colt M4 carbine.



The M27 has already replaced the heavier M-249 Squad Assault Weapon (SAW), of which there are three in every Marine squad of 13 men. The M27 is fed by a 30-round magazine firing 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round; has a longer range than the M4 and has proven the more accurate.



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Based on the Heckler & Koch HK416 tactical rifle/carbine, the lighter weight M27 intends to enhance an automatic rifleman's maneuverability compared to the heavier SAW. The M27 weighs 3.6 kg empty as against the SAW's 7.5 kg empty weight.



The SAW's 200-round ammunition drum adds an extra three kilograms to the weapon's weight, bringing the loaded weight of this light machine gun to a hefty 11 kg. That compares to the M27's weight of just over 4 kg with a 30-round magazine.



Whatever advantage the M27 loses in rate of fire since it's magazine fed it regains with far better accuracy compared to the M249. The Marines said the substantially increased accuracy of the M27 was a key factor in their decision to replace the M249.



On the downside for the M27 is that it costs some $3,000 apiece, a price that's cheaper than the M249's $4,000 but still a mouthful considering the Corps' tight budgets.



The HK416 was originally developed as an improvement on the Colt M4 carbine family, which it is. It has a free-floating barrel that keeps the barrel out of contact with the stock and minimizes the effect of vibration on bullet trajectory.



The HK416 also has a proprietary gas piston system that makes the weapon more reliable than the M4 and reduces wear and tear. It can also fire fully automatic, while the M4 has single shot, semi-automatic and three-round burst options.



The decision on whether to replace the M4 with the M27 as the Marines' primary infantry weapon will be made by Gen. Robert Neller, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, however.



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TagsM27 Infantry Assault Rifle, IAR, U.S. Marine Corps, primary infantry weapon, Colt M4 carbine, Heckler & Koch HK416, Heckler & Koch, M-249 Squad Assault Weapon
(Photo : YouTube) Russia officially granted a domestic certification for Jolla's Sailfish OS.



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Jolla, the Finland-based company behind Sailfish OS, recently announced that its mobile operating system has received domestic certification in Russia. The certification essentially allows Sailfish OS to be installed on government and corporate devices.



The mobile platform is dominated by two operating systems, Android and iOS. Jolla's Sailfish OS is one of the few remaining alternative operating systems out there and it is a welcome news for the firm to receive a Russian certification.



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The Russian government has announced its plan to significantly reduce its dependence on mobile operating systems built and maintained outside the country. In 2015, 95 percent of the Russian mobile market runs on Android and iOS. Russian plans to reduce that by up to 50 percent in 2025.



Earlier this year, a new Russian company named Open Mobile Platform (OMP) has acquired licensing agreement to develop a custom version of the Sailfish OS.



In a statement acquired by Tech Crunch, OMP chief executive officer Pavel Eyges said, "We believe that open source based and independent Sailfish OS is the mobile OS platform of the future. It has great potential in Russia and elsewhere."



Unlike other alternative mobile operating systems, Sailfish OS is compatible with some Android apps. This makes it easy for Sailfish OS users to integrate common apps into a device that runs on the operating system.



According to Digital Trends, despite its recent brush with the Russian government, Jolla said that it plans to keep Sailfish OS independent and open. The company added that the collaboration project with Russia is a pilot program that will serve as a framework for its future plans of extending its support to other interested countries.



Jolla said that the company is currently in talks with China and South Africa.



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TagsJolla, Russia, Android, sailfish, mobile operating system, apple, iOS, Sailfish OS
(Photo : Getty Images) Malaysia deported a total of 74 suspects allegedly involve in a telephone scam that extorts money from Chinese citizens.

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Malaysia deported 74 suspects, including 21 Taiwanese suspects, to China on Tuesday in connection with the multi-billion dollar telecom fraud scam. This is the latest development in deportation saga that has had considerable impact on cross-strait relation.



All the suspects landed at central city of Wuhan on Tuesday evening through a charter plane that was also boarded by Chinese and Malaysian police, state media news agency Xinhua reported.



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Apart from the 21 Taiwanese suspects, all other suspects are Chinese.



Taiwan's Foreign Ministry immediately lodged protest following the deportation, claiming that the latest development will further dent cross-strait relations.



"This action by Malaysia has seriously harmed the rights of our citizens, and harms the long standing friendship between Taiwan and Malaysia," it said.



The statement further claimed that Taiwanese police were in touch with the Malaysian government to arrange for the extradition, but its efforts were stalled because of interference and pressure applied by China.



Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which formulates foreign policy for China, also expressed displeasure by saying that Beijing authoritarian actions "damage the tacit understanding and foundation for cooperation between security agencies."



Malaysia so far has not released any statement in the latest deportation saga.



Kenya, Indonesia, and Colombia are other countries to deport hordes of suspects to China in connection with the telecom fraud scam.



Taiwan reportedly also pressured Kenya and Colombia for extradition of its citizens. But lack of diplomatic relations with these two nationals supposedly sabotaged its efforts. Taiwan is officially recognized by only 22 countries, most of which are poor and small nations located in African and Latin American continents.



China Busted Telecom Fraud Scam Last Year



China busted the multi-billion dollar scam last year with the help of several countries. Chinese government alleged that all the deported suspects were part of telephone ring racket that extorted money from people living in China.



The investigation claims that they extorted nearly 60 million Yuan ($8.7 million) from Chinese citizens.



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TagsMalaysia, China and Malaysia, Taiwan, China and Taiwan, China Telecom Fraud Scam
(Photo : Xinhua) Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

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China praised its stronger military ties with the Russian Federation and its president, Vladimir Putin, and promised to "strengthen bilateral strategic mutual trust."



Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a member of the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee that effectively rules China, made these remarks to Russian Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu during the latter's recent official visit to China.



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Yu told Gen. Shoigu that China places great importance on its military cooperation with Russia, and noted the military ties between China and Russia ties are at their best in history.



He said the partnership not only benefits both countries, but meets the needs of safeguarding regional and world peace and promoting international justice. Yu also called on the two countries to boost all-round cooperation and jointly work for world peace, stability and development.



For his part Gen. Shoigu said strengthening the strategic partnership of coordination with China is a priority of Russia's foreign policy.



This year is the 15th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and the 20th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination.



Gen Shoigu also revealed that Russia and China entered into military and technical cooperation contracts worth $3 billion this year.



"We achieved major success in the sphere of military and technical cooperation. We have reached the level of around $3 billion per year in performing various contracts. All of them are implemented as part of mutually beneficial military and technical cooperation," said Gen. Shoigu.



"The sides achieved major agreements and signed a range of documents and deals. I congratulate you on this," said Yu.



"I have heard that the Russian defense minister attaches great importance to developing military and technical cooperation with China and makes huge personal efforts here. I also highly appreciate this," he added.



During his visit, Gen. Shoigu also held talks with Chinese Defense Minister, Colonel General Chang Wanquan about pressing issues related to international and regional security and military cooperation between the two countries.



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TagsYu Zhengsheng, Russian Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu, china, Russia, Colonel General Chang Wanquan
(Photo : Getty Images) China warned Taiwan on Tuesday to stay out of Hong Kongs internal affair, claiming that Taipei's interference could cause instability and chaos in semi-autonomous city.

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China warned Taiwan on Tuesday to stay out of Hong Kong's affair, claiming that the self-ruled island's interference could cause instability in the former British colony.



The warning comes after a Taiwanese legislature, Baggio Leung, offered his support to Hong Kong's two pro-independent lawmakers Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung.



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"The words and deeds of Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching run contrary to mainstream public opinion in Hong Kong and Hong Kong resident's basic interests, but relevant parties in Taiwan are helping them, to what intent?" Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters.



Ma further warned that the self-ruled island must stop speaking non-sense about Hong Kong's internal affair and quit jeopardizing Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.



Taiwanese leaders have been on an overdrive to offer their support to Hong Kong in the wake of the latest pro-democracy movement across the semi-autonomous city. The island's ruling party Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has urged Beijing to listen to the aspirations of the people of the former British colony and grant them complete independence.



These supposedly adverse comments and support have come at a time when cross-strait relation is already going through considerable strain. The recent strains became apparent especially after Taiwan's pro-independent leader Tsai Ing-wen assumed the office earlier this year.



Hong Kong's Latest Pro-Democracy Movement



Hong Kong's recent pro-democracy movement has been largely fueled by two pro-independent lawmakers. Yau, 25, and Leung, 30, allegedly misread their oath and carried pro-independent banners during their oath taking ceremony on Oct. 12.



Their oaths were subsequently termed as 'illegal' and were also barred from assuming their legislature seats.



The entire controversy soon snowballed into street movement, after China announced that its top legislative body would interpret Hong Kong's mini-constitution or basic law in order to stop the lawmakers from assuming office.



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TagsHong Kong, china, Taiwan, China and Taiwan, Hong Kong Pro Independence
Farrakhan compares Castro, communist dictator who killed thousands, to Jesus Christ 30 November, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

HAVANA (Christian Examiner)  "Long live Fidel! A hero of the liberation struggle, a man of high principle." That was the Nov. 29 headline of Final Call, official newspaper of the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan.

In an article written by Senior Editor Askia Muhammad, Castro is praised for his "steadfast, unwavering commitment to helping provide a better quality of life for the 12 million people of Cuba."

He is also praised by Louis Farrakhan, leader of the black separatist group, who mixes elements of Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and science fiction in his theology. Farrakhan told the paper in an "exclusive interview" that Castro  who he visited on multiple occasions  possessed virtue "cut out of his spirituality."

He becomes a messenger to all from the God of all to answer the critical needs of all. And like Jesus, who said he came in to the world so those who say they see may go blind, and that those who are blind may see. The revolution that Jesus brought would take those who were up and sit them down, and those that were down and deprived would be raised up. Such a man was Fidel Castro. No wonder some people hated him.

In a separate audio statement, Farrakhan also identified Castro with Jesus Christ. Castro was a Marxist atheist, though he frequently appropriated the words of Jesus in his communist ideology.

Farrakhan said Castro was still a "deeply spiritual man, though he spoke in practical terms."

"It didn't have to be religion, because much of religion and religiosity is hypocrisy," Farrakhan, who first visited Cuba as Castro's "guest" in 1977, told the paper.

"[W]hen I left Cuba I landed in Barbados. They asked me how could I visit a 'Communist country?'" Farrakhan said.

"I asked them, 'Are they Christian?' And they said, 'Yes.' Well, Jesus spoke of two men who were asked to do the will of God. One said he would and he didn't. And the other said he wouldn't, but he did. And Jesus asked, 'Which of these two men did the Will of God? The one who said he would, and didn't, or the one who said he wouldn't, and did?'

"I said, 'Here you are, a Christian country, yet you don't do what Jesus said, when he asked his disciples: When was I naked and you clothed me not? When was I hungry and you fed me not? When was I sick and in prison and you ministered not unto me? When was I out of doors and you gave me not shelter?'

"And the average Christian nation has not done this. But here is a man who doesn't claim religion, but he feeds the hungry. No one is without a home. They have free education from kindergarten through college. He has free medical care.

"I said, 'Which one of you, both the Christians or the so-called agnostics or atheists, which one of the two of you have done the Will of God?' (Mr. Castro) was more of a deeply committed spiritual man than many who preach religion and say lots and lots of prayers. He may not have said a lot of prayers, but his deeds were the answer to many peoples' prayers," Farrakhan said.

Except for those who set before a firing squad.

The exact number of political prisoners killed by Fidel Castro may never be known.

Some sources peg the number of dissidents executed at nearly 5,000, while others set the figure closer to 30,000. But those figures don't include the Cubans  perhaps as many as 80,000  who have died trying to make the 90 mile journey by raft from the island nation to Florida to escape the regime.

It also doesn't include those who died after being denied medical treatment, those who committed "suicide" while in prison, or those who died in otherwise mysterious circumstances.

Many have simply "disappeared" since Fidel (and his brother Raul, now president) wrestled power from the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, promising to return the country to constitutional rule.

Castro was by no means an Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong in terms of the total number of people he killed, but he was nonetheless brutal and, per capita, one of the worst mass murderers in history. In fact, groups like the Cuba Archive still annually document reports of executions, disappearances and extra-judicial killings  like the time Castro's forces murdered dozens trying to flee Cuba on July 13, 1994.

Those who did not face a firing squad under Castro died by other horrific means  drowning, starvation, electrocution and forced blood extraction followed by execution (the blood was sold to the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War).

Despite the murderous reign of Fidel and his gleeful executioners  among them the notorious hero of the Left, Che Guevara  Farrakhan called Castro "one of our greatest revolutionary thinkers."

Farrakhan has a history of developing cozy relationships with dictators. He repeatedly visited Lybia and said Muammar Ghaddafi was his "brother" and had "always been my friend." When he was advised to distance himself from the Lybian dictator, Farrakhan said he was not a "punktified Negro" and would not abandon him.

He also argued against sanctions against Iraq after meeting with dictator and mass murderer Saddam Hussein, and has traveled to Iran to meet with Iranian officials who repress all dissent.

In the audio statement, also published Nov. 29, Farrakhan himself described his last conversation with Castro. He said it was supposed to last for 20 minutes, but ended at just over three hours. He said he spoke to Castro about himself in the last 20 minutes of the conversation.

He told Castro that he was "an answer to the prayers and longing of the people not only in Cuba ... but all over the world" who wanted to be free of slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism.

"In answering the prayer of all, he becomes the messenger of Allah," Farrkhan said. "He becomes a messenger to all from the God of all to answer the critical needs of all. And like Jesus, who said he came in to the world so those who say they see may go blind, and that those who are blind may see. The revolution that Jesus brought would take those who were up and sit them down, and those that were down and deprived would be raised up. Such a man was Fidel Castro. No wonder some people hated him."

Farrakhan then supposedly discussed the leader's health and his impending death. He told Castro, "There is no such thing as death for you."

"The ideas and principles, the universal principles, the internationalist thought that you put in the people, is the seminal fluid of the kingdom of God on earth," Farrakhan told Castro.

"He lives. He lives in my heart and the heart of all us who understand his role. He will never die," Farrakhan concluded.
A staff member at Ohio State University, where an attack was carried out Monday morning, has expressed sympathy for the perpetrator of the attack.

According to The Daily Caller, Ohio States Assistant Director of Residence Life, Stephanie Clemons Thompson, posted:

DO NOT SHARE THIS POST

Abdul Razak Ali Artan was a BUCKEYE, a member of our family. If you think it is okay to celebrate his death and/or share a photo of his dead body and I see it in my timeline I will unfriend you. I pray you find compassion for his life, as troubled as it clearly was. Think of the pain he must have been in to feel that his actions were the only solution. We must come together in this time of tragedy. #BuckeyeStrong #BlackLivesMatter #SayHisName

DO NOT SHARE THIS POST

Clemons apparently recognized the controversial nature of her post, and thus told her friends not to share it. The post has nevertheless found its way around the internet.

Artan was killed by campus police after he drove his vehicle into a group of students and then began attacking them with a butcher knife.

Shortly before carrying out his attack, Artan posted:

I cant take it anymore. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that. If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace. We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims.

Artan reportedly came to the U.S. as a refugee from Somalia. He became a legal permanent resident in 2014.

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Publication date: November 30, 2016
Churches in New York City are growing rapidly, with an increased church attendance and a rise in the number of people professing to be born-again believers, according to various reports.

The most astounding growth has been observed during the past five years, which is being attributed to efforts of spiritual revival by many church leaders.

Less than one percent of the city population attended church in 1989, but number has grown to about five percent and the most spectacular rise was witnessed after 2010, CBN News reported.

Various studies also observed the trend of increased faith activity in the city over the last two decades, and said that outreach activities by church and Christian books making it to bestsellers list influenced the growth.

A Barna study released in 2011 noted that though many people filled the churches post 9/11, the effect did not last long and after a few months the church attendance was back to near pre-9/11 levels. The study shows that the real church growth increased after 2004, indicating that the reasons behind them went beyond crisis events and could be attributed to efforts of revival events by church leaders.

Barna group was conducted on 3,400 New York residents, which reveal that the city become more "spiritually active" in 2010 as compared to late 1990s and after the short-lived spike in church growth post 9/11.

The study also says that the number of born-again Christians in New York rose from 20 percent before the turn of the century to 32 percent around 2010.

"Also reflecting the overall rise in spiritual participation, the percentage of residents of the New York area who are unchurched - defined as those who have not attended a worship service in the last six months - declined from 42% to 34% (between late 1990s and 2010)," a Barna report says.

Religion News Service cited a list of 16 church leaders who put in their efforts to reach more and more New Yorkers, including Pastor Tim Keller, Pastor Jim Cymbala, Greg Thornbury, Jon Tyson, Michael Luo, Gabe Lyons, Gabriel Salguero, A.R. Bernard, and Raymond Rivera. Many of these pastors also authored books which were widely read, and might have contributed to bringing more people to church. Sally Lloyd-Jones's book for children sold over one million copies and was listed among New York Times bestsellers.

"Most of the change in spiritual behavior seems to have happened since the middle of the last decade. Church participation in the New York market especially has shifted most since 2004," Barna Group president David Kinnaman noted.

The trend continues with mass spiritual gatherings being organized in the city. In October, thousands of Christians from over 90 countries assembled in New York to participate in the Movement Day Global conference.

"God is bringing the revival of Christianity from the global south to the global north. The question for us is this: Do we understand our cities well enough to interpret how God is choreographing nations into our cities? Do we have the cultural agility to identify, celebrate and collaborate with our new neighbors? God wants to disrupt the world with the Gospel through our communities. The only antidote to the chaos of complexity of cities is simply the unity of the body of Christ. We are one loaf," Reverend McKenzie "Mac" Pier, founder and president of The New York Leadership Center, said at the conference.
A new survey shows that a quarter of Christian low-cost schools in Pakistan do not have potable drinking water facilities, and about half of them have no playgrounds and separate facilities for staff.

Many in the middle school do not even have a chair to sit on, and half of grades 2 and 4 classes are taught with another class.

The survey was carried out on 604 schools and was commissioned by Starfish Asia, an education charity which tries to mostly cater to Christian minority students but their schools also serve Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh children.

Director of the charity, Anser Javed's father was a sanitary worker in Karachi and his mother was a sweeper. His father died in a work accident, and his mother could not afford to care for him so sent him to an orphanage.

After getting educated, he became the principal of a school which saw rapid growth in the span of eight years when he led it. As the director of charity, he is passionate about educating children from low-income families.

He commissioned the survey on the low-cost schools for Christians in Pakistan because he has witnessed the struggles of the children first hand when he was growing up.

"My early years and the grace of God gave me a foundation of concern for the millions in our country who are born into poverty and deprivation. Thanks to my parents, the commitment of my guardians and a personal determination to succeed, I gained an education that prepared and equipped me for a life of dignity and service in society," Javed wrote in the survey report.

"In 2011 my wife and I joined Starfish Pakistan as Director and Academic Co-ordinator. We were convinced of the urgency and necessity of supporting education, especially for the least privileged and most downtrodden in our minority Christian community," he continued.

About 15 percent of the students were without notebooks or writing accessories in eighth grade, while 10 high schools did not have any blackboard. Only 23 percent of the high schools and 2 percent of the primary schools had internet access.

The most startling finding was that only 5 percent of the primary and middle schools had libraries.

Some 45 percent of the second graders did not have footwear, and student attendance was 52 percent on the day of survey.

As many as 64 percent of the schools did not receive funding from either government or churches, and only had meager school fees as the means to sustain the education of children.
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
The remains of Fidel Castro are being displayed in Havana as part of Cubas nine days of official mourning for the deceased dictator. Many world leaders will not attend the funeral next week for the man who raised literacy rates but kept a rigid grasp on civil rights.

For Cuban Christians, his death isnt likely to be a sea change in how the island nations Communist government approaches religion.

Like most Cubans, Castro himself was raised Catholic, educated by Jesuit priests as a child. He rejected his faith during the 1959 revolution, after the church rejected his movement toward atheism and socialism. Priests were killed and deported, while Christians (and other groups) were discriminated against and banned from joining the Communist Party.

But Castroand his brother, current ruler Raulsoftened with time. Some credit the Catholic Church and its popes with influencing Cubas slow turn from Marxism.

They were also good for religious holidays. Pope ...

1
'A Capitol Christmas Concert' Featuring Steve Amerson, Babbie Mason & The National Christian Choir Contact: Barbara Allen, 818-368-0749



WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /



Babbie Mason and Steve Amerson are signature voices in the Inspirational music world. The National Christian Choir under the direction of Kathy Bowman has established themselves as a premiere choral group with singing with excellence and a passion to give praise to God.



The concert is produced by The Jefferson Gathering, a weekly worship service which, is held in the United States Capitol for members of Congress and staff every Wednesday night.



After over more than 140 years, weekly worship services returned to the United States Capitol in July of 2014. The services were launched under the direction of Dr. Jim Garlow, lead pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego and Rev. Dan Cummins, an associate pastor of that congregation.



Pastor Dan Cummins provides weekly leadership in the services and Inspiration artist, Steve Amerson provides musical leadership on a continuing basis.



"A CAPITOL HILL CHRISTMAS CONCERT"

Monday, December 5, 7:30p.m. - 9:00p.m.

The Cannon Caucus Room #345

Cannon House Office Building

27 Independence Ave SE - Washington, DC 20003

Free to the Public - Doors open at 7:00p.m.

Share Tweet Contact: Barbara Allen, 818-368-0749WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- On Monday, December 5th, Christian artists, Steve Amerson and Babbie Mason and the Nation Christian Choir will present "A Capitol Christmas Concert" in the Cannon Caucus Room in the Cannon House Office Building. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.Babbie Mason and Steve Amerson are signature voices in the Inspirational music world. The National Christian Choir under the direction of Kathy Bowman has established themselves as a premiere choral group with singing with excellence and a passion to give praise to God.The concert is produced by The Jefferson Gathering, a weekly worship service which, is held in the United States Capitol for members of Congress and staff every Wednesday night.After over more than 140 years, weekly worship services returned to the United States Capitol in July of 2014. The services were launched under the direction of Dr. Jim Garlow, lead pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego and Rev. Dan Cummins, an associate pastor of that congregation.Pastor Dan Cummins provides weekly leadership in the services and Inspiration artist, Steve Amerson provides musical leadership on a continuing basis."A CAPITOL HILL CHRISTMAS CONCERT"Monday, December 5, 7:30p.m. - 9:00p.m.The Cannon Caucus Room #345Cannon House Office Building27 Independence Ave SE - Washington, DC 20003Free to the Public - Doors open at 7:00p.m.
home Faith Billy Graham: Don't treat Christmas like a secular holiday

Rev. Billy Graham said that Christians should not to celebrate Christmas just like any other secular holiday and take the time instead to remember God's greatest giftaJesus Christ.

In his question and answer column at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website, Graham was asked by an immigrant which of the two holidays, Thanksgiving or Christmas, was more important.

The famed evangelistic explained that Thanksgiving is celebrated to commemorate the first European settlers in America who gave thanks to God despite the hardships they experienced.

"About a month later most Americans will join with people in many other countries to celebrate Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago," he continued.

He mentioned that many Americans will be shopping for gifts and decorate their homes and businesses to celebrate Christmas.

Graham noted that most people would say that Christmas is more important than Thanksgiving but he said that both should be treated equally because both holidays remind people of god's goodness.

"Unfortunately, for many people both Thanksgiving and Christmas are merely secular holidays. But take time today to thank God for His goodness to you, and to commit your life anew to Him. And as Christmas approaches, take time also to remember God's greatest gift to usathe gift of His Son, Jesus Christ," he said.

Graham's observations about Christmas being preferred by most Americans seem to align with surveys about American's favorite holidays.

In an online survey conducted by FiveThirtyEight last year, Christmas came on top of the list of favorite holidays. Seventy-eight percent of 1,095 respondents listed it among the top five holidays. Thanksgiving came in second at 74 percent followed by Independence Day at 47 percent and New Year's Eve/Day with 41 percent. Easter came in fifth with 26 percent.

Christmas was also the top pick in another survey conducted by The Harris Poll in November last year. It was named as the favorite holiday by 46 percent of 2,368 respondents followed by Thanksgiving with 19 percent. Halloween came in third with nine percent.
home World Cubans ask for more Bibles as Christian community expands

The demand for Bibles has risen significantly in Cuba a year after the communist regime lifted the ban on the Holy Book.

It is common for a Cuban church of 40 or more people to share just one Bible and many people are desperate to own a copy.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) teamed up with the Cuban Council of Churches to distribute Bibles in the country after the Cuban border opened to the U.S. in 2015.

"The demand is so high. You can't announce [that you're distributing Bibles]," Rev. Joel Dopico, director of the Cuban Council of Churches, told BGEA. He added that even non-believers are asking for the sacred texts.

Around 40,000 Bibles have been distributed across the country because of the "Bibles for Cuba" campaign, but Dopico said that they need more.

"We have thousands of Cubans just dreaming every day for the opportunity to have a Bible ... If you put up an announcement in Cuba saying, 'Tomorrow we're going to distribute Bibles,' there wouldn't be enough Bibles," he said.

Bibles were available in libraries for people to check out, but many of them have not been returned to the shelves due to the high demand for the book.

"When we went to the National Library, they had very few Bibles and the Bibles they had were very, very old. So we asked how many Bibles they would need to be able to have Bibles in case people asked for them," Dopico narrated.

"The library asked us for 200 Bibles, but then later said, 'It would be better if you bring us 300 because we have 100 workers, and all of them want the Bible,'" he continued.

The American Bible Society is also involved in the distribution of scriptures on the island.

It was estimated that there are more than a million Christians from 62 denominations in Cuba, but 40 percent of them do not have Bibles. Over 317,000 Bibles were provided to churches in 64 denominations through the efforts of the American Bible Society and Cuban Council of Churches.
home World Franklin Graham says Castro regime is example of why Christians should vote

Samaritan's Purse CEO Franklin Graham said that the authoritarian rule of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is an example of why it is important for Christians to vote.

Castro died at the age of 90 last Friday, prompting mixed reactions from world leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama extended his condolences to the family and expressed his hopes that the relations between Cuba and United States will improve. President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, labeled Castro as a dictator who oppressed the Cuban people.

Graham noted in a Facebook post that Castro deposed a dictator only to impose his own totalitarian rule.

"Loved by few, hated by millions, his communist revolution deposed a dictator, but ushered in a socialist police state that drove the entire Cuban nation into complete poverty and oppression. And to think that Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Keith Ellison and others wanted socialism as a model for our country today!" the evangelist wrote.

"And why didn't they win? Godathat's why. The church prayed and came out by the millions and voted. Praise God! And may we all as free Americans give Him glory, great things He has done! This is why it is so important to vote," he continued.

He reminded Christians that an election is coming up in two years and encouraged them to run for office. He also warned that socialists are growing in number and they are becoming more determined and organized.

Other Christian leaders and American politicians have also reacted to the news of Castro's death. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, urged Christians to pray for the religious freedom of the Cuban people.

Pastor Ed Stetzer expressed his disappointment that Obama offered condolences to the Castro family but not the families of the Cuban leader's victims.

U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who are both Cuban-Americans, denounced Castro and his regime.

Cruz referred to the Cuban leader as a "murderous Communist dictator" and criticized Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for "celebrating Fidel Castro."

Rubio stated that nothing has changed in Cuba even after Castro's younger brother Raul took over as president. He pointed out that over six million Cubans have been forced to flee from the country and those who were accused of opposing the regime were either jailed or killed.
home World Iraqi Christians want to keep track of crimes comitted by ISIS

Iraqi Christians want to document the crimes committed by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) before cleaning up the newly liberated villages.

Father Ammar of the Syrian Catholic Church said that he wept when he saw the condition of the hospital and church in Qaraqosh. He had been living in the Christian enclave Ankawa in Irbil when ISIS took over the Christian towns of the Nineveh Plains in 2014, Deutsche Welle reported.

Ammar, who currently offers assistance to the members of the Mart Shmony Church in Ankawa, revealed that the residents are angry because they believe that cleaning up the town would hide the crimes of ISIS.

"They are angry that the government wants to clean up in Qaraqosh, to hide the crimes," said Ammar.

"We want to document everything, all the damage and destruction, before anything is cleaned. Already something has been changed, the IS slogans have been painted over," he continued.

He noted that ISIS leaders took the best houses in the town, and one of the leaders occupied the house of the Church of The Immaculate. He added that many of the fighters came from the surrounding villages and provided the leaders with fuel and food.

"Houses became clinics and pharmacies. Some were stores for weapons. The Church of Mar Gorgis became a bomb factory," the priest continued.

Ammar said that all the houses had been looted and graves had been opened to steal the valuables buried with the dead. He added that the militants kept Yazidi women as slaves in one of the houses belonging to the church.

It was reported that there are about 30 to 70 Christians missing in the town since it was invaded by ISIS.

Many of its former residents are saying that they will not live in the town again, unless they are provided proper protection and compensation.

Dhia Roufa used to live in Mosul but she fled to Qaraqosh in 2006 when militants threatened to abduct her daughter. She said that she cannot return to Qaraqosh even if it is declared safe from ISIS because she has no means to rebuild her house.

"I am 64 years old. If I were young I could start again, but at this age what can I do? We (Christians) have no future in Iraq," she told Reuters.
home World School apologizes for disciplining Christian teacher who shared views about homosexuality

A school in Cornwall, England has apologized to a teaching assistant on Monday for issuing a disciplinary warning after she answered a student's question about homosexuality.

Victoria Allen, 51, planned to go to an employment tribunal to challenge the disciplinary action issued against her by the Brannel School in St. Austell, but the two parties reached an agreement without any intervention, Christian News reported.

In a video released by Christian Concern, Allen narrated that she was asked three questions related to homosexuality by one of the pupils at the school.

"The first question was about same-sex relationships. The second question was whether the rainbow meant the same or something different. The third question was whether I believed what the pope believed," she recalled.

She said that she responded to all three questions according to her Christian beliefs and the student appeared to be satisfied with her answers.

The next day, Allen was informed that someone had filed a complaint against her and she had been placed under investigation. She was told that her duties at the school would be suspended and she would only be allowed to interact with the children under the supervision of another adult.

The investigation resulted in a disciplinary action against Allen. According to a report from the BBC, Allen and the school spent the day at Bodmin Magistrates' Court to work out an agreement.

Upon reaching an agreement, a joint statement was released, declaring that the head teacher, Andy Edmonds, "recognised Victoria Allen's right to share her Christian beliefs with students and has apologised for any upset that Victoria Allen may have felt during the disciplinary process."

Allen stated outside the court that she was made to "feel like a criminal" for expressing her beliefs. She said that the student asked her a direct question about her religious beliefs and she felt obliged to give a proper response.

"We know that there are lots of people who disagree with the Biblical view of marriage and they are free to disagree," said Libby Powell of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Allen.

"What we want to say is that there has to be space for the other point of view, Vicky's point of view, to be there as well," she added.
5 Things That Are Sure to Throw Ministry Leaders Off Track

Church leaders hold a great deal of responsibility, but sometimes, they struggle with misconceptions that are formed by training, culture, and personal beliefs and insecurities.

If they don't acknowledge these misconceptions, they might become harmful habits that may eventually destroy the church and its members.

Dan Reiland, the executive pastor at 12 Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia, shared with Charisma News five of the most common misconceptions that church leaders need to address.

First, some church leaders mistakenly assume that their place on the organisational chart grants them some influence. Reiland said when ministry leaders hold this view, they think that they lead because it is their "right" to lead.

"Being granted a position does give you responsibility and an opportunity to lead, but that's it," he said. "From there, it's important to develop positive relationships, produce results and invest in people. Real influence comes from making a difference in people's lives, not your place on the org chart."

Next, ministry leaders try to be emotionally fit for their congregation and give off an aura of strength. But Reiland said everybody needs encouragement, and it's okay for them to feel down every once in a while. Reiland added that it would be helpful if church members show their appreciation to their pastors, be it in a kind word or a smile.

The third misconception Reiland bared is that being fair is a good idea. Contrary to popular belief, Reiland said the opposite rings true in the church environment. "As a young leader, being fair was one of my misconceptions. It came from a good place (I wanted to treat people well), but it was nonetheless a misconception," he shared. "It probably also came from an insecurity that made me want to make everyone happy. We all know that doesn't work."

Even Jesus Christ did not treat His disciples equally, since Peter, James and John all got privileges the others didn't. In the same way, Reiland said some staff are paid more than others while some are trusted with more information and given more responsibility.

"Fair is easy, but not wise. Discerning leaders understand the nuances of leadership and make decisions accordingly, but not based on fairness," he said.

Next, some pastors assume that no news is good news. But Reiland said a leader should thrive in being current, and they should avoid falling asleep at the wheel of their organisation.

Lastly, it's wrong for them to think, "If I just preach and pray, it will all work out." Reiland said ministries aren't always that simple. It's good for people to rely on prayer, but they must be discerning enough to translate it into strategy, problem-solving, and innovation.
'Call the Midwife' 2016 Christmas Special spoilers: BBC announces special episode's release details

BBC One officially released the time slot for this year's Christmas special of "Call the Midwife."

The network announced that fans of the period drama series will be able to watch the show at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25.

During the Christmas special, the nuns and midwives from Nonnatus House will travel all the way to South Africa during the Apartheid era.

According to reports, the plot of the upcoming special episode will begin after the residents of the Nonnatus House received and alarming call from the rural Hope Clinic located near Cape Town while they are celebrating White Christmas. The nuns and midwives were asked to help take care of the unfortunate patients in the area.

They will have to deal with several challenges along the way, such as being understaffed in a hospital filled with sick patients, working with a limited budget, using contaminated water supplies, starting a polio immunization program for rural children, as well as performing caesarean operations using candlelight.

In an interview with Telegraph UK, series writer Heidi Thomas revealed that she deliberately intended to incite anger to the show's audience during Christmas day.

"We often tell the story of people who are in a minority and it says something about the British viewing public that a minority subject gets a majority audience," Thomas stated. "We have a passion for the way history well told can reflect the way we lived our lives. That passion leads to compassion. Passion, compassion and anger are all there in our Christmas story," the writer went on to say.

The Christmas special of "Call the Midwife" will feature the return of actors Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Jean, Pam Ferris as Sister Evangeline, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Bryony Hannah as Sister Mary Cynthia, Helen George as Trixie Franklin, Laura Main as Shelagh Turner, Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle, Charlotte Ritchie as Barbara Gilbert, as well as Linda Bassett as Nurse Phyllis Crane.
Christian Charity Says Lawyers Campaigning For Easier Divorce Laws Are 'Naive'

More than 100 lawyers are marching on Parliament on Wednesday to demand the weakening of divorce rules.

Resolution, a family law company, is leading the protest for "no fault divorce" to make it easier for couples to seperate. However a Christian lobby group has branded the campaign "naive" and accused the firm of undermining marriage.

Current divorce law dictates that unless a couple have lived seperately for more than two years, one side needs to atrribute fault - such as adultery or unreasonable behaviour - to the other as a reason for divorce.

Resolution says this is "unnecesarily complex" and forces couples to find a fault even when they don't want to.

"This often creates conflict and makes reaching a mutually acceptable agreement much more difficult," a statement from the organisation read.

Nigel Shepherd, national chair of Resolution, said: "Divorce is already difficult enough, we don't need it being made harder by the law pushing couples into conflicts and arguments.

"For so many to descend on Parliament to lobby MPs and Peers shows that it is time for politicians to act, and bring an end to the blame game."

The group say they are backed by the deputy president of the Supreme Court, the Family Mediation Task Force, and the relationships charity Relate.

But campaigners at The Christian Institute said liberalising the law would undermine marriage and make the UK's "appalling" divorce rate worse.

Simon Calvert, deputy director of The Christian Institute said, "Changing the law to facilitate quick no fault divorces is at best naive and at worst would further weaken the institution of marriage  the most stable form of relationship for raising children."

He said family breakdown was damaging for children and argued more than 10,000 couples file divorce papers each year but do not follow through with the split.

"Making divorce quicker and simpler would prevent these couples and many others from seeking help and pulling back from the brink. These changes would therefore see a significant additional number of divorces granted compounding the epidemic of human misery caused by family breakdown in this country."

He added: "Rather than weakening marriage, lawyers who often see at first hand the hurt and damage done by family breakdown should be arguing for schemes that back this great institution, such as compulsory marriage counseling and further financial support for married couples  proven measures that support stability and strong relationships, rather than undermining them."
Christians in Iraq Unite in Prayer to Ask God to Help Them Rebuild Their Homes Destroyed By ISIS

Amid all the ruins and destruction around them, Christians in Iraq are uniting to call for God's help so that they can rebuild their homes and return to normal life.

Believers in the war-torn Middle Eastern nation recently held what they call as the "return festival" where they met, prayed and worshipped to ask God to help them in this new chapter of their lives after being liberated from the Islamic State (ISIS) occupation forces, The Christian Broadcasting Network reported.

Mahar Barbary of Life Agape said the event was meant to gather Iraqi Christians to pray for their native land.

"Because their land has been taken by ISIS, we believe that this land needs to be cleansed. And we believe as we pray for this land, people will go back. We believe for a new spirit, for a new situation," Barbary said.

While some Christians have given up hope about returning to Iraq after experiencing ISIS atrocities, he believes other believers will choose to stay to keep the faith in their native land.

"We believe that there should be some witnesses for Jesus. Jesus said that He would not leave Himself without a witness so if all the Christians will leave, who will witness for Jesus?" he asked.

Barbary recalled a biblical verse from the Book of Isaiah, where God promised to "replace ashes for beauty."

"The ashes that we saw, burnt-out churches, burned-down homes and some ashes inside us, the Lord promised that He would change it for beauty," he said.

Some of the returning Iraqi Christians have vowed to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and rise from the ashes while holding on to their faith. Sama, a local resident from Qaraqosh, for instance, shared a prayer to help in efforts to rebuild their homes.

"The main theme of my prayer is peace in general and for my village of Qaraqosh, so we can find peace there and we can go back there," Sama told CBN News.
Church Members Defend Pastor Who Sprayed Them in the Face With Pesticide; Claim to Be Healed

What? A toxic pesticide ominously called Doom can heal people?

Yes it can, claims South African Pastor Lethebo Rabalago who has been spraying the chemical on members of his Mount Zion General Assembly in Zebediela, South Africa, The Christian Post reported.

Far from complaining, the church congregants are even thanking their pastor for what he's been doing and coming to his defence after he has been accused of abusing and endangering the health of his flock.

They claim that they have been healed of various ailments resulting from the spray, The Southern Times reported.

One woman, Surprise Mathe, claimed that she had been feeling pains in her stomach and waist, and that she had a rash on her face. But after Rabalago sprayed Doom on her, they all vanished, she said.

"Give God the glory," she exclaimed.

Eva Molokomme also claimed in a Facebook post that she had been having headache bouts for six months now. She also had painful legs. But after the pastor sprayed Doom on her, "I became healed immediately. God is alive."

Rabalago has received warnings from several government organisations, including the South African Council of Churches, and the manufacturer of the toxic pesticide.

In a statement, the Freedom of Religion South Africa said, "Spraying a known toxic liquid over another person, and thereby causing them physical harm, is both unlawful and illegal. We therefore call upon the government to exercise its powers to ensure that this action is reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities, to ensure that its perpetrator is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Rabalago has rejected the warnings, saying God can use anything to heal people. He said he is using Doom just like other preachers who use holy water or oil to heal people.

"In the book of Genesis the spirit of God was hovering over the water. [Therefore] everything here on Earth belongs to God. Petrol belongs to God. Doom belongs to God," the pastor said.
Egyptian Muslim Radicals Destroy Coptic Christian Properties

Muslim radicals have attacked properties and homes belonging to Coptic Christians in Egypt after rumours circulated about a church being constructed.

According to International Christian Concern, the attacks took place in Manshiet El-Naghamish village located in the Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt.

More than 2,000 Coptic Christians live in the village, with the nearest church being over three miles away. When Christian villagers in El-Naghamish built a four-storey building to be used as a community centre, preschool and retirement home, Muslims in the vicinity assumed that the building would become a church. While the Christians in the village have applied for a permit to build a church, they are still awaiting approval from the government.

Leaflets called on local Muslims to attack the community were distributed after the local bishop was asked to preside over a prayer meeting.

Samir Nashed, a Christian resident of El-Naghamish, told ICC: "On Friday [at] noon, November 25, following the Muslim prayers, a great deal of fanatic Muslim young men, some of them were carrying gas canisters and rocks while others came armed with automatic rifles, clubs, machetes and knives, they attacked Copts and Coptic-owned houses."

Four Copts were injured, a Christian-owned guest house was destroyed as well as nine Coptic homes, and four Coptic-owned shops were looted and burnt.

"The attackers cut [off] the road so that the fire trucks could not enter the village; they also cut off the water and power supply to the village," Nashed explained to ICC.

After police gained control of the situation, they arrested 18 Muslims involved in the attack. The Governor of Sohag and the Chief of Security of Sohag visited the scene and held a reconciliation session between the two communities.

William Stark, ICC's Regional Manager, said: "We are shocked at the news of yet another attack against Christians incited by rumours of church construction. ICC mourns with the families who have lost their homes and businesses due to these hate crimes. This is the latest in a long string of similar attacks and we are impatient to see proper justice served.

"The Egyptian government must do more to secure the lives and properties of all citizens, including Christians."
Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth's Courtship Rules: No Holding Hands Until Engagement

Joy-Anna Duggar from TLC's "Counting On" is the latest child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar to enter into a courtship relationship. She introduced her new beau Austin Forsyth earlier this month, but sources said they actually started dating even before Jinger tied the knot with Jeremy Vuolo.

Austin was Joy-Anna's date in her sister's wedding on Nov. 5 at the Cathedral of the Ozarks at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, according to Us Weekly. Eyewitnesses said the two looked quite cozy together, and many believe that was the time when their relationship really blossomed.

"They looked really cute together," an unnamed guest told the magazine.

While Joy-Anna's elder sister Jinger broke some strict courtship rules (such as going beyond the permissible side hug), Joy-Anna seems to prefer going the traditional route and limit any physical contact. "The duo will not hold hands until he puts a ring on it," the magazine reported.

The Duggar family has warmly welcomed Austin. Not only did he get an invite to Jinger's wedding, but his soon-to-be in-laws cannot help but gush about him. In a video posted on the Duggar family's YouTube account, Joy-Anna's parents said they totally approve of Austin. "We're so thankful for Austin," Michelle said. "He is a great guy, and we're excited about the future for what God has in store for you guys."

The love goes both ways, since Austin's parents adore Joy-Anna as well. His parents own Fort Rock Christian Family Camp and Retreat Center, and they used the camp's Facebook page to rave about their son's blossoming relationship.

"We are extremely happy to announce the courtship of our son, Austin!" the message read. "He and Joy have honoured the Lord and will be a great testimony for His goodness and provision for a spouse! Congratulations to Austin & Joy!"
Microsoft Surface Phone rumors, release date, news: Flagship reportedly in test production

It looks like Microsoft is nowhere near done with the mobile department after all, and it is making progress in the development of the Microsoft Surface Phone.

Taiwan-based publication Commercial Times claims that Chinese supplier Pegatron has teamed up with Microsoft again for the Redmond giant's smartphone flagship.

Pegatron is reportedly preparing to begin production trials for the Microsoft Surface Phone, which means that the device is not canceled after all.

Microsoft has enlisted Pegatron for the production of its newly unveiled Surface Studio, which makes it likely that the company is working with the supplier for the Microsoft Surface Phone as well.

Additionally, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has recently said that the company is not done with mobile devices yet and is, in fact, looking to create "the most ultimate mobile device."

Commercial Times also reports that the flagship will be powered by an Intel mobile processor and will feature a new and improved Continuum that will allow for x86 emulation.

Interestingly, it was reported that the Microsoft Surface Phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

The mobile chipset will be the first from Qualcomm to make use of the 10-nanometer technology, which will allow Microsoft to make the Surface Phone thinner or use a bigger battery pack.

Either chipsets will do when it comes to Microsoft's efforts to have the Microsoft Surface Phone run x86 apps, which is something that the Continuum in its current state is unable to do.

Although the Microsoft Surface Phone is already in production testing, Commercial Times says that Microsoft will not release it until late next year or early 2018. However, a 2017 unveiling is expected.

This is also likely since, like what Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet said, Microsoft could be waiting for the Redstone 3 update for Windows 10, which is not coming until late next year.
Off With Their Hats: Cardinals Who Queried Pope's Teaching Could Be Demoted

Four cardinals who publicly queried Pope Francis over his document on the family, Amoris Laetitia, may be disciplined by being demoted, a senior Vatican judge has suggested.

The four, who include the conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke, published a letter asking the Pope to "dispel all ambiguity" over the document. Technically called a "dubia", the letter refers to "a grave disorientation and great confusion of many faithful". It asks Francis to clarify whether divorced Catholics who have remarried in a civil ceremony can be admitted to communion  a traditional prohibition of the Church which chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia appears to soften. It says that "what is at stake in Amoris Laetitia is not only the question of whether or not the divorced who have entered into a new union can  under certain circumstances  be readmitted to the sacraments.

"Rather, the interpretation of the document also implies different, contrasting approaches to the Christian way of life."

The letter from the cardinals represents a push-back from conservatives troubled by Pope Francis' approach to pastoral issues, which emphasises the need to approach people as individuals and demonstrate the maximum flexibility consistent with adherence to the Church's teaching.

Now Father Pio Vito Pinto, appointed by Pope Benedict as head of the Vatican's main court, has described their action as a "very grave scandal, which could even lead the Holy Father to take away their red hats, as it's happened already in some other times in the Church".

Speaking to the to the Spanish news site Religion Confidencial and reported by Crux, he said the cardinals were questioning "two synods of bishops on marriage and family. Not one but two! An ordinary and an extraordinary one. The action of the Holy Spirit is beyond doubt!"

He continued, "the truth is that many baptized celebrate civil marriages or live together out of wedlock".

He asked: "What do we do? Turn the Church into a prison? Stand at the door of the parish and say: 'You yes [can go in], you no?'"

Pinto  who stressed he was talking about what the Pope could do, not suggesting it would happen  is not the only figure to spring to Francis' defence. The president of the Bishops' Conference of Greece, Bishop Frangiskos Papamanolis, condemned the four cardinals in an open letter saying they should have resigned before they wrote to the Pope and claiming they were themselves receiving communion "sacrilegiously". He concluded his letter: "Dearest brothers, may the Lord enlighten you to recognise your sin as soon as possible, and to make good the scandal you have given."

While in theory Francis could demote the cardinals, in practice he is highly unlikely to do so as he would risk further offending conservative Catholics.
Persecuted Christians Need Your Support, EU Officials Told

European Union officials were urged to help persecuted Christians in the 12th meeting of religious leaders on Tuesday.

EU Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans was told of the concern for abused minorities in the Middle East at the meeting in Brussels.

"They [Christians] need support, material support, concrete support and a safe place," said Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, chairman of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany in a press conference afterwards.

He said Christians wanted the protection necessary to return home, according to EUObserver.

"Many people told me we will leave if this happens again, they need support by the European Commission and other institutions," he added in reference to his own time in northern Iraq.

The chief rabbi of Vienna, Arie Folger, accused the EU of not treating the situation seriously.

He said he was "very concerned the plight of Christians in certain parts of the Middle East has not been considered a matter serious enough for European countries, for Western countries in general, to get involved and react."

Timmermans was joined by Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and European Parliament Vice-President Antonio Tajanias the group discussed how to intergrate new arrivals into European countries.

Timmermans said afterwards: "Religious leaders play a pivotal role to spur the integration and participation of all their members in Europe as full Europeans, no matter the place of their cradle, no matter their creed.

Avramopoulos added: "Reaching out to all communities, including the different religious ones, is essential for creating and maintaining a cohesive and inclusive society for all.

"With the rise of nationalism, xenophobia and extremism, we must ensure that our society remains welcoming  especially to those fleeing from war and in need of international protection  while preserving its core values and principles."
Religion More Important Than Race Or Class In US Election - Analysis

Religious identity was more important than class or race in the US election, analysis published by PRRI suggests.

Christian voters were the core reason for Donald Trump's victory, the research group said, arguing his religious backing was the most significant factor on election night.

The states with the largest white Christian populations were more likely to back Trump. The Republican candidate won 69 per cent of the vote in West Virginia with its 70 per cent white Christian population.

Other states with large Christian populations such as North Dakota (67 per cent), Kentucky (64 per cent) and Missouri (60 per cent) that boast large white Christian populations also went decisively to Trump.

The research highlighted four swing states where Trump did better than expected and pointed out their high white Christian populations. The Republican won Iowa, which is 64 per cent white Christian, Wisconsin, 63 per cent, Ohio, 58 per cent, and Pennsylvania, 57 per cent.

Vermont was one exception to the pattern as 57 per cent are white Christian but only about 33 per cent voted for Trump. PRRI suggested this could be because Vermont was among the least religious states in the country, second to New Hampshire, which also went to Clinton.

"This analysis highlights the power of religious identity and culture in the election," said researcher Daniel Cox.

"Notably, the proportion of white Christians in each of the 50 states is more strongly correlated with support for Trump than is the proportion of white residents without a college degree in the state."
Theresa May: Christians Are Free To Speak About Their Faith

Theresa May encouraged Christians "to speak about their faith" at work and in public during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

The PM said the UK should be proud of its Christian heritage and tradition of free speech. May, a Church of England member and daughter of a clergyman, said religious freedom was "an important issue" to her personally.

Christian MP Fiona Bruce asked about religious freedom in light of a report by the Lawyers Christian Fellowship and the Evangelical Alliance that confirmed the legal rights "to speak about one's faith, respectfully, responsibly and without fear  are as strong today as ever."

May welcomed the report and said the UK had a "strong tradition of religious tolerance and freedom of speech".

She told MPs: "I am sure we would all want to ensure that people at work do feel about do feel able to speak about their faith, and also feel able to speak quite freely about Christmas."

Her comments came after the equalities commissionar, David Isaac, called for a "common sense approach" to dealing with religion in the workplace.

He lambasted over-zealous employees who punished Christians for talking about their faith or banned Christmas cards in favour of "seasons greetings".

He said fear of causing offence and a lack of understanding about the law caused "misinterpretation and confusion" and called for a "sensible" attitude, according to the Mail.

"I want to put the record straight... you can send Christmas cards and have a Christmas party," he said.

"Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and it shouldn't be suppressed through fear of offending. Lots of employers have now become really worried about doing anything discriminatory regarding their Muslim or Jewish staff," he added.
Two Thirds Of People Could Not Spot Child Abuse In Faith Setting

Two thirds of people could not identify child abuse linked with certain beliefs or faiths, according to research published on Wednesday.

The study identified shockingly low knowledge of abuse indicators within religious groups. Just 33 per cent of professionals or members of faith-based groups said they could clearly identify indicators of abuse linked to belief.

The survey of more than 1,300 professionals and members of faith-based organisations was commissioned by the government's National Working Group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief and is the largest of its type to have been carried out in the UK.

It looked at sexual, physical and psychological child abuse that is linked with particular beliefs or religious groups and found only 25 per cent of respondants had had appropriate training.

The government's national action plan to tackle child abuse linked to faith or belief suggests examples could include witchcraft or belief in demons acting through children. It also highlighted concepts such as the evil eye in Islam and ritual murders of children for magical remedies.

It highlights this particular abuse is not relevant to churches in general but only to particular beliefs that result in abuse.

The researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University called for more information on how to tackle abuse and spot indicators. They pointed to cases such as Kristy Bamu, a 15-year-old boy who was tortured and murdered after being accused of witchcraft, and the murder of Victoria Climbie, an eight-year-old girl who was tortured and murdered by her guardians. They said these instances have raised awareness of the need to develop child protection in this area.

Authors Dr Lisa Oakley and Dr Kathryn Kinmond, Senior Lecturers in Abuse Studies, said that the study is extremely timely and important in providing a foundation on which to build more effective identification of abuse cases, policy and intervention.

Dr Oakley said: "There are relatively small numbers of recorded cases and this could be due to underreporting and a lack of recognition of such cases.

"The respondents reported wide variety of definitions and understandings of child abuse linked to faith or belief  from witchcraft and spirit possession to female genital mutilation."
Will Protestants Welcome Pope Francis To Northern Ireland?

The Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland (EANI) has welcomed news that Pope Francis might visit the province in 2018.

Francis is set to visit the Republic of Ireland but speculation that he might cross the border into the North has mounted in recent days.

EANI's public policy officer David Smyth said he wanted to extend a "warm and sincere welcome to the Pope" and hoped that such a welcome would be shown "by the whole community".

"Sometimes we can be concerned that by showing warmth or generosity that that can be misunderstood as endorsing everything someone stands for," he said.

"Maybe we need to be bolder in our welcome."

However, other Protestants are less enamoured with the prospect. Free Presbyterian ministers have said they will protest if the Pope visits the North. Rev Ian Brown, pastor of the Martyr's Memorial Church founded by the late Dr Ian Paisley, told the News Letter that the current Pope was "no closer to proclaiming the one true biblical Gospel  that salvation is by faith alone through Christ alone"  than the Catholic church of Martin Luther's day and "the only proper response to his high publicity visit is a solid protest".

Another Free Presbyterian minister, Rev David McIlveen, said he believed he had a duty to hold a "peaceful protest" as he believed the Pope's office as "Vicar of Christ on earth" usurps the place of Christ.

McIlveen accompanied Ian Paisley to Strasbourg in 1988 when he was ejected from the European Parliament for protesting the appearance of Pope John Paul II there, calling him the "anti-Christ".

Paisley's successor as First Minister, Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster, said she would be willing to meet the Pope if he travels to Northern Ireland. But she said in a statement the invitation must come from the British Foreign Office.

Pope Francis has visited several trouble spots during his papacy, sometimes at the risk of his life, including the Central African Republic where Christians and Muslims were involved in intercommunal violence. A visit to Northern Ireland would have been unthinkable a few years ago during the Troubles which saw Protestant and Catholic communities pitted against each other, but the Church  and British and Irish diplomats  might calculate that relations have warmed sufficiently to make a trip feasible.

Many conservative Protestants, however, have remained immune to the 'Pope Francis effect', having been taught that the papacy  embodied by the incumbent Pope  is the "anti-Christ", identified with the dragon of Revelation 13 or the "great prostitute" of Revelation 17.

In the Republic, Francis will have to face disillusionment with the Church following revelations of widespread abuse carried out in its institutions.
Records tumbled and funds were raised for multiple charities across three auctions led by the Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale
Dale Martin/Houston Zoo

Texas has once again sued the federal government, this time over new rules designed to protect endangered and threatened species.

The lawsuit claims the federal rules greatly expand the legal definition of critical habitat designations, which are a crucial component of the Endangered Species Act.
Next year marks two decades since the release of "No, No, No," the first single from Houston-born girl group Destiny's Child. But, perhaps more important, it's been more than a decade since the group went on hiatus.

A couple of recent online blips grew hopes that the trio would reunite for 2017.

Members Michelle Williams, Beyonce and Kelly Rowland recently participated in the Mannequin Challenge, a viral video craze that requires participants to remain frozen for several seconds. And an official DC3 Instagram account popped up in October.

STRIKE A POSE: Destiny's Child does the #MannequinChallenge

More Information 97th annual Mayor's Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting When: 6 p.m. Friday Where: Hermann Square at City Hall, downtown Houston Admission: Free See More Collapse

Williams answers the reunion question before it's even asked during a recent interview.

"We don't talk about it," she says. "When we get together, we're so happy to see each other that doesn't come to mind.

"I think we were all shocked at the Instagram page. None of us knew about it. Everybody's like, 'Oh, my God, they're doing something, it's verified.' It is a blessing that people still say, 'Are y'all gonna get together?' Heck, when I see Justin Timberlake, I'm gonna ask him, 'When is NSync getting back together?'

"I don't have the answers, other than we love each other and that's it. I'm probably gonna find out when y'all find out."

Williams joined Destiny's Child in 2000 and became part of the group's final lineup, contributing to the "Survivor" and "Destiny Fulfilled" albums. She was the first member to release a solo album, 2002's "Heart to Yours," and has found success in the gospel and dance genres.

That solo shine extends to the holidays as Williams will headline the 97th annual Mayor's Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting Friday at City Hall. Before the caroling begins, she talked Christmas memories, 2017 goals and why you'll never see her fighting for sweaters at a mall.

Q: You lived in Houston during the DC3 days. What comes to mind when you think of the city?

A: The very, very first time I came to Houston. And the reason why I came to Houston was to finally meet my sisters Beyonce and Kelly Rowland. Pappadeaux comes to mind. The food. My old apartment that I used to have.

Q: Are you big on Christmas?

A: It's a time when you're able to be home with your family. I've traveled close to 200,000 miles this year, just on one airline. I live in the Chicago area, so it's cold up here. I do not look forward to that. It's disrespectful. I do not like cold weather at all. I loved the humidity, the heat (in Houston).

Q: What's one of the best gifts you ever received?

A: My parents got us our own TV. You really were big-time if you tell your classmates you got a TV.

Q: Something you got that wasn't particularly high on your list?

A: I had an uncle who was a retired math teacher. He would give us stuff like socks and pajamas and calculators for Christmas. I mean, I will take it. I need socks, I guess. My mother is guilty, too. She's gotten me pajamas for Christmas. Tell people to find me the ugliest pair of pajamas ever, and I have to wear them, and I have to post it to my Instagram page as a challenge. We'll start a pajama challenge.

Q: Favorite holiday food?

A: I think of all the sweets, the cakes, the brownies, the cookies. My grandmother did these amazing cream cheese brownies. And she would only do it around Christmas, so we had to wait for those.

Q: Are you a big Christmas shopper?

A: My shopping process is on Christmas Eve. I go out and get gift cards, unless there is something specific that my mom or dad wants. I just think about the pressure that it puts on people to be out and about, to get stuff that they can't afford. I don't like the hustle and bustle of being in big malls and trying to get things. I'm not out in the street trying to compete with somebody for this ugly sweater. I'm not doing it.

Q: What's on your list this year?

A: Oooh. Maybe some, I don't know, nice luggage? I'm not in need of anything. I don't want anything. I'm single, so everything I want, I have to get it myself. Maybe you could put a nice, handsome man under the tree that says, "I'm going to get you everything you want." I know we sang "Independent Women," but I'm tired of being independent. I am tired.

Q: You recently launched a bedding line called Believe. What was the motivation?

A: My grandmother was a huge inspiration to so many of us in our family. She was a seamstress, and everything in her house - bedding, curtains and draperies - she made those by hand. She made every child in the family quilts. Now mind you, my mother has eight brothers and sisters. It had our name, date of birth, how much we weighed. It had a patchwork baby on it. She even had it down to the complexion of our skin. I don't sew, but I still somehow wanted to keep the legacy of what my grandmother started. And my mother is amazing in interior design. When I grew up, my mother had pride in her living room and how our bedrooms looked.

Q: Have you been working on new music?

A: I'm interested in doing a holiday album for next year. I've always wanted to do a classic Christmas album. Of course, coming from the type of music I do, you have to have some fun, upbeat music on there, too. Some new, original material. Maybe I can incorporate pajamas and calculators in a song?

Q: "8 Days of Christmas" from Destiny's Child was a good example of blending traditional and modern elements.

A: We were busy touring, and sometimes after a show late at night, we'd go in the studio and do a song. One of my favorites on the album, "Opera of the Bells," that was recorded at Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' studio in Minneapolis.

Q: What are your goals for the new year?

A: I'm hoping to accomplish the expansion of my bedding line. I want to go into retail. I want to have my own furniture. I hope to continue to do more theater. Broadway is calling my name again. I have to get on that stage. I'm in the beginning stages of a book. I'm really, really excited about what we're already planning for next year.
Brilliant blue stone picture frames, shiny gold boxes and sleek architectural touches are all part of jewelry designer Kendra Scott's foray into the world of home decor.

The Austin-based designer on Nov. 30 launched her collection of pieces made from genuine stones -- sodalite, green and tan agate, amethyst and labradorite -- including photo frames, trays and square or rectangle boxes with Lucite handles. Filigree metal accents are in bright brass, rose gold, antiqued silver and gunmetal. Prices range from $65 to $495.
Community colleges can take students ages into account as they decide where and when license holders can and cannot carry concealed handguns on campus, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion on Tuesday.

Such rules could prohibit concealed handguns in specific classrooms and campus areas at times where there may be a congregation of minors, as well as specific rooms where child-care services are provided, he wrote.
One of the country's most popular culinary events is coming back to Houston in 2017 when Cochon555 plants its pig-out in H-town on May 21.

The producers of the Cochon555 Tour  an event that celebrates heritage breed pigs and the chefs who work with them  announced Tuesday that Houston would be among the 14 cities on lineup for 2017. The tour begins in New York on Jan. 29; from there Cochon555 will travel to Minneapolis, Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Houston and Austin. Chef winners from each stop on the tour are invited to compete in the Grand Cochon (to be held in Chicago on Oct. 1) where the King or Queen of Porc is crowned.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  A Houston woman's pet dog that was lost in the Mexican City airport has been found after airline Interjet launched a campaign dubbed #BuscandoMika (FindMika).

The 8-year-old mixed-breed female dog apparently escaped her cage and got lost.
The Houston Police Department is waiting on the autopsy report of a man who was found dead on Monday, Nov. 28, before taking the next step in its investigation.

The male was found at 2201 Wirt Road about 11:50 a.m. Monday, Nov. 28. His identity of the male and the cause of death are pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
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The barbershop scene in Houston gets a little bit more crowded this coming weekend as one of Austins most popular chains opens its first location in the Bayou City.

On Saturday, Dec. 3 Birds Barbershop is slated to open its first Houston location at 420 East 20th Street in the Heights. Doors open at 9 a.m.

The circa-1955 strip center is called The 420  because of the address  and architect Troy Schaum of Schaum/Shieh Architects has worked his magic on the revision of the building, formerly a laundromat. Steel City Pops, a new-school popsicle place, has already opened next door.

HEIGHTS HISTORY: How the Heights became the Heights

The Heights shop is offering up half-price haircuts until Dec. 10 to celebrate moving into the Houston market. Walk-ins are welcome and recommended and customers can also call ahead to get on a list. A list of prices is available on the chain's website.

With eight locations springing up since 2006, Birds has become an Austin mainstay. Co-founders Michael Portman and Jayson Rapaport were simply aiming to open up a place where Austinites of both sexes could get affordable haircuts, grab a beer, listen to curated tunes, and play some video games while they wait to get in a barber chair.

VINYL FANTASY: The history of Vinal Edge, one of Houston's favorite record stores located in the Heights

As Austin has boomed over the past decade, so has Birds. After looking into expanding into Dallas and Nashville, the chain decided Houston was the place to be.

Birds joins a flourishing Houston barbershop scene that has sprung up in recent years with shops like Cutthroat Barbers (two locations now), East End Barber, scene vet Big Kats, and the Argyle League packing customers most every day from opening to close. Beard trims are in high demand in Houston, they all say.

STAY TUNED: Heights restaurant temporarily closing until 2017

Birds is also known for its distinctive exterior and interior design work at each location, including murals inside and out. The Heights location is covered in vibrant dots, courtesy of Dandee Warhol at War'Hous Visual Studios.
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A family's fears were confirmed Wednesday when a 17-year-old Spring Dekaney High School student was identified as the lone robber who was shot and killed in an armed robbery Nov. 22 at Raising Cane's in Shenandoah.

Montgomery County Sheriff's officials identified Elijah Mark Cobb as the robber who died when off-duty Deputy Prudencio Ochoa shot Cobb at the restaurant in the 1500 block of Research Forest Drive. Cobb rushed into the chicken fingers restaurant and brandished a gun, demanding money from employees.

Ochoa, who was working a private security job at the time of the robbery, ordered Cobb to drop his weapon, but Cobb refused. That's when Ochoa fatally shot Cobb.

READ THE INITIAL REPORT: Officer kills robber at Raising Cane's restaurant

Cobb's family members last heard from him Nov. 22, according to his older sister Alexis Davison, who said she had feared the worst.

"Nobody's seen him," said Davison, who contacted The Courier Wednesday. "My little sister goes to school with him, and she said she hasn't seen him in a week."

Representatives with Spring ISD were unable to immediately confirm whether Cobb has attended class since the Thanksgiving break.

Davison reached out to The Courier about a story posted online Tuesday reporting that law enforcement had yet to identify the robber, who she was believed was her "baby brother."

An employee who witnessed the encounter said the officer shot multiple times after the robber would not put down the weapon. However, no identification was found on the dead male and no abandoned vehicle was found in the area.

Davison said she and other family members thought Cobb could be the deceased robber.

"His friends at school, they found a way to get in contact with me," Davison said. "They said it's been going around the school that my little brother's been shot and that he did a robbery at the Raising Cane's."

Davison said family members reached out to law enforcement Wednesday to help positively identify Cobb. His body is sitting in the Montgomery County Forensic Services building awaiting completion of an autopsy.

Cobb has never been in trouble with law enforcement, to the best of Davison's knowledge. Any would-be criminal history records would not be public record due to Cobb being a juvenile.

Davison said Cobb's death was especially hard on her since the day of the shooting was special to her.

"It hurts so much, because last Tuesday was me and my twin brother's birthday," Davison said. "I had a bad day when I first woke up."

Law enforcement officials had trouble positively identifying the robber at first since none of his fingerprints matched those in a nationwide database. There was no identification on him and no vehicle was found in the area.

During the robbery, Ochoa ordered Cobb to drop his weapon, but the robber refused to comply, Lt. Brady Fitzgerald said.

"In an effort to neutralize the threat that was posed to himself and the patrons at that location," Fitzgerald said Tuesday, "he opened fire on the subject."

Ochoa was placed on paid administrative leave immediately after the shooting, per MCSO policy. It is up to command staff to determine if, when, and how the deputy will be placed back on duty.

Although the shooting happened inside the city of Shenandoah, Texas Rangers are conducting an independent investigation into the shooting alongside MCSO and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Fitzgerald said the Shenandoah Police Department is assisting in the investigation.

The DA's office will present the case to a grand jury, as it does with every officer-involved shooting in the county, according to Chief Prosecutor Tyler Dunman.

Speaking of the process, Dunman said presenting each case to a grand jury holds law enforcement officers accountable as well as protects them.

"If the grand jury felt the officer's conduct was illegal or there were some other issues, that is the stage at which they would pursue charges against the officer," Dunman said.

Ochoa can be placed back on full duty before a grand jury determines if criminal charges are necessary, Fitzgerald said.
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A 51-page handwritten book allegedly written by Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan is on sale for more than $1,300 at an online "murderabilia" site.

"I think it's a shame," said Dorothy Carskadon, one of more than 30 wounded in Hasan's 2009 murder spree.

The 46-year-old former Army psychiatrist is currently on death row at Fort Leavenworth's disciplinary barracks after he was convicted of slaughtering 13 people and wounding dozens more during his Fort Hood massacre.

"In his trial he never testified; he never said anything," said Andy Kahan, the City of Houston's victims advocate. "So this quite possibly could be an incredible look into his mind."

It might not be the only look into his mind, though; Hasan's civil attorney John Galligan said his client has been toiling away at another book.

"It was much longer than 51 pages and I can tell you that to the best of my knowledge, it hadn't been released to anyone," he said.

MORBID ART: Death row inmates' last meals painted on plates

Galligan called the shorter book for sale a "total surprise." But True Crime Auction House owner Andrew Sturgess - who asked to be identified by his business name - is confident it is authentic.

Sturgess  who learned of the odd find from one of Hasan's pen pals  has been exchanging letters with the killer for years, so he was able to compare the penmanship.

"It's his handwriting for sure," Sturgess said. The title shown in photographs is "Man's Duty to His Creator and The Purpose of Life," but Sturgess didn't offer specifics as to the contents of the tiny volume.

Carskadon, who is out of the Army reserves and working as a social worker in Amarillo, said Hasan's apparent decision to release writings did not come as a shock.

"It doesn't surprise me. He was very much self-absorbed," she said.

"I'd be surprised if he's able to make a profit on it because that's against the law."

Some states, including Texas, have banned the sale of murderabilia if the killer profits.

"I'm going to bet there's no federal law on this issue," Kahan said. "Eight states including Texas have notoriety for profit laws, so if he were here in Texas it would be illegal here and we'd have to shut it down." But that's only if Hasan would profit from the deal.

"It would be up to federal officials to investigate whether he will be receiving any of the proceeds," Kahan said.

It's typically not illegal to sell murder-related memorabilia if a third party is profiting, even though victims and victims' advocates may disapprove.

"There's a lot of books about a lot of different horrific events and getting permission from the family members and the victims is, I believe, the decent thing to do," Carskadon said.

Sturgess says those works could have important historical value.

"The way I look at Nidal Hasan is that 20 or 30 years from now all of this will be historical documents, whether people now want to look at it that way or not."
Courtesy of the Texas Office of the Attorney General

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The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office arrested seven people in a prostitution case during Thanksgiving week.

According to Constable Mark Herman's Office, the arrests came during an undercover operation "focusing on prostitution and human trafficking" at a hotel near the North Freeway and Louetta.

The business was not identified in a press release from the constable's office.

Of the five females who were charged with prostitution, one is a student at a local high school. Another female is accused of pimping two of the females. A man was arrested for open warrants.

Click through the slideshow above to see their mugshots.
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On Saturday, a white-bearded man in a cowboy hat held a sign outside of a Texas mosque.

His sign read "You belong. Stay strong. Be blessed. We are one America" and he - as well as his message - quickly went viral.

While the man in the photo remained unnamed for the days following, he has finally stepped forward on social media.

ORIGINAL STORY: Texan stands up against Islamophobia outside Irving mosque

America, meet Justin Normand.

"I'M THE TEXAN WHO HELDTHE 'YOU BELONG' SIGN IN FRONT OF THE MOSQUE IN IRVING [sic]," his Facebook post reads. He explains why he did what he did and the response he received in the days following.

He reveals that he had the sign made in the sign shop he manages and stood outside of the mosque as a practice of his own Presbyterian religion.

"This was about binding up the wounded. About showing compassion and empathy for the hurting and fearful among us," Normand writes. "Or, in some Christian traditions, this was about washing my brother's feet."

AMERICAN TENSIONS: Man charged with using Muslim slurs in restaurant attack

He continues to write, while citing scriptures from the Bible, about the human call to be generous and kind to our neighbors - no matter their background.

"Lastly, it worked. I felt better for the impact it had on my neighbors. They genuinely needed this encouragement," Normand concludes his Facebook post. "They need us. They need all of us. They need you. We ARE one America."

Normand's actions come at a crucial time as hate crimes against Muslims have spiked in America by 67 percent from 2014 to 2015 and 6 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the New York Times.

The Islamic Center of Irving is where a group of armed protesters gathered outside last year in order to "Stop the Islamization of America," according to the Dallas Morning News.

Their protest came after the November 2015 ISIS attacks in Paris. The coordinator of the protest, David Wright, said, "It would be ridiculous to protest Islam without defending ourselves."

This event is among the many racially and religiously charged attacks in response to America's current political climate. To learn of other examples of hate crimes in America, click through the gallery above.

AROUND THE NATION: Student tries to rip hijab from Muslim woman's head, implies she's a terrorist
Plans to renovate the Pearland City Hall complex are set to proceed after City Council recently approved a $6.1 million contract that will include multiple security improvements.

The project will install access control throughout the complex to prevent unauthorized entry to the top two floors of City Hall and other areas. Visitors would need to check in at the front desk and wait for an escort to certain areas. Suggested through a 2013 audit by the Pearland Police Department, the measures will include new security cameras and panic buttons at key locations.

Through the contract with Construction Masters of Houston Inc., all three floors of City Hall will be remodeled, and new office space will be provided for the Pearland Economic Development Corp., with the Human Resources Department consolidated on the third floor.

The complete cost of renovations totals $6.98 million and includes $335,000 for furniture, $55,772 for a card-access security system and new audio and video equipment for City Hall conference rooms.

Renovations are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks are expected to be complete within 330 days.

Council concerns voiced

City Council was divided in authorizing the work on Nov. 15. Members voiced concerns about the project's cost and the use of roughly $6 million in debt that had not been approved by voters.

"This doesn't have an effect on the day-to-day life of citizens like a street project or a drainage project. I haven't had a single citizen come to me to say, 'We really need to make City Hall look better,' " Councilman Tony Carbone said.

The city's 20172021 capital improvement plan includes a proposed $69.7 million bond election in 2019. Carbone said it would be better to wait and include the project in a bond referendum and allow voters to weigh in. "I think it makes perfect sense to wait and put it on the ballot and let the voters say yea or nay, and then I'm fine moving forward with it. But, right now we're issuing close to $6 million in nonvoter approved debt and I have a problem with that," he said.

Councilman Trent Perez also voiced concerns about the cost and the use of certificates of obligation bonds, which don't require voter approval, to pay for the project, but said he thought it was something that had to be done. "I wish it was closer to the $4 million that was originally presented some years ago; obviously it's not," Perez said. "I'm not real comfortable with using certificates of obligation to complete this project; but I think at this point that to do it and do it right, it's something that we have to do."

Councilman Keith Ordeneaux voiced support for the project.

"Citizens have put a ton of money into infrastructure, and this building is one of those things and you have to maintain that infrastructure or it's just going to cost more to fix it later," he said. "None of us like the price tag. I don't like the price tag when I take my car in or get my home fixed either, but it's just something you have to do."

In the end, the measure was approved in a 4-2 vote, with Perez, Ordeneaux, Greg Hill and Gary Moore in favor and Carbone and Derrick Reid voting against.

Other project features

Other project expenses include $91,121 for exterior lighting, sidewalk repairs and other modifications and $537,298 for expenditures related to architectural design, according to City Council agenda documents.

The project will include an upgrade the City Hall elevator and updating the building interior to match the aesthetics of renovated building.

In addition, the project will replace the temperature-control system in both buildings and replacement of the electrical and plumbing systems to meet current codes.

The city secretary's offices will be moved to the first floor and a raised first floor receptionist workstation will be added. As part of the new security system, the first floor stairs will be removed from the lobby and access to the elevator will be controlled by security-card access.
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Law enforcement officials have yet to positively identify a robber shot and killed by an off-duty Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy days before Thanksgiving.

Nine-month MCSO Deputy Prudencio Ochoa, who was working as a private security guard at the time, opened fire on the unknown robber moments after the robber entered Raising Cane's in the 1500 block of Research Forest Drive on Nov. 22. The robber pulled a gun on employees and demanded money, witnesses said, before Ochoa confronted him.

"(Ochoa) instructed the suspect to drop the weapon," MCSO Lt. Brady Fitzgerald said. "The suspect wasn't following his directions. In an effort to neutralize the threat that was posed to himself and the patrons at that location, he opened fire on the subject."

INCIDENT NOT ISOLATED: Other Raising Cane's restaurants had been robbed recently

None of the robber's fingerprints matched a national database, so officials are trying "other routes" to figure out who exactly the robber is, Fitzgerald said. In a response to an open-records request made by The Courier, Montgomery County Forensic Services employees said the robber's autopsy could take up to 90 days to complete.

Fitzgerald said Ochoa was placed on paid administrative leave immediately after the shooting, per MCSO policy. It is up to command staff to determine if, when, and how the deputy will be placed back on duty.

Although the shooting happened inside the city of Shenandoah, Texas Rangers are conducting an independent investigation into the shooting alongside MCSO and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. Fitzgerald said the Shenandoah Police Department is assisting in the investigation.

The DA's office will eventually present the case to a grand jury, as it does with every officer-involved shooting in the county, according to Chief Prosecutor Tyler Dunman.

Speaking of the process, Dunman said presenting each case to a grand jury holds law enforcement officers accountable as well as protects them.

"If the grand jury felt the officer's conduct was illegal or there were some other issues, that is the stage at which they would pursue charges against the officer," Dunman said.

Ochoa can be placed back on full duty before a grand jury determines if criminal charges are necessary, Fitzgerald said.

The Courier initially reported that a witness to the shooting believed the officer did not use a firearm to shoot the robber, but Fitzgerald said both the deputy and the robber had firearms.
I have recently enrolled in Medicare and have received my 2017 Medicare and You handbook. I have looked all through this book and cannot find what the 2017 Medicare Part A and B deductible or maximum out of pocket is? Can you provide me with an easy way to find these numbers?

I really would not want to pay more than I have to. Thank You, Sylvia from Kansas City, Kansas

Hello Sylvia:

Every year the Medicare and You handbook is mailed out before Oct. 1 to all Medicare beneficiaries to help guide them with the Medicare open enrollment period that ends on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at midnight.

The handbook states that at the time of printing the 2017 Medicare and You Handbook the premiums, and deductible amounts for Part A and Part B were not available.

It just happens that on Thursday, Nov. 10, Medicare's 2017 premium and costs were released by the "Centers for Medicare and Medicaid" aka CMS (Medicare).

The new 2017 Medicare Parts A and B costs are below:

Part A Costs (Inpatient Hospital): The new 2017 Part A inpatient hospital deductible will be an increase of $28 to $1,316. Remember the Part A deductible starts over every 60 days. It is not a once a year deductible. Under Part A is also Medicare Skilled Nursing for 2017 your costs will be days 1-20 $0 co pay per day and days 21-100 will be $164.50 per day.

Part B Costs (Medical): The new 2017 Part B medical/doctor deductible will increase from $166 in 2016 to $183 in 2017. With Medicare paying 80 percent of the Medicare approved amount and you (Medicare beneficiary) paying the remaining 20 percent of the Medicare approved amount.

Part B Premiums: New premium for 2017 is $134. Those who are not receiving their Social Security check and those new to Medicare will pay the new 2017 Part B premium of $134. Most Medicare beneficiaries who are receiving their Social Security check and who's 2016 Part B premium was $104.90 will have a $109 monthly premium for 2017. Those that paid $121.80 and are also receiving their Social Security check will have a 4 percent increase to about $126.67. Many Medicare beneficiaries whose income is more than $85,001 for an individual or $170,001 for a couple will pay more than $134.

Part D Costs (Prescription Drug Plan): The new 2017 Part D changes are the deductible is $400 once a year. You will pay your share for your prescription drugs until the combined amount reaches $3,700 and then you have reached the famous donut hole. When you have reached the donut hole, then you will pay 40 percent for your prescription drug plan's cost for "covered" brand name drugs and drug manufacture will pay 50 percent with your prescription drug plan paying the remaining 10 percent. For generic drugs, you will pay 51 percent for the plan's cost for covered" generic drugs and the drug plan pays 49 percent. When a total of $4,950 has been spent as out-of-pocket the one will fall out of the "famous" donut hole for the year. Once that amount has been spent, then you will enter catastrophic coverage and will pay a small coinsurance or copayment for each "covered" drug.

Visit Tonisays.com to receive your copy of the 2017 Medicare costs and to sign up for the latest Toni Says newsletter or visit Medicare and view costs www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs.

Toni King, author of the new Medicare Survival Guide with a "Thank You, Houston" $5 discount available for Houston Chronicle/HCN readers at http://tonisays.com/reader-special. Medicare consultations are available at the Toni Says office or email questions to info@tonisays.com or call 832/519-TONI (8664).
Threats of a lawsuit didn't stop Lan Cai from writing negative online reviews of the Law Offices of Tuan A. Khuu and Associates.

Now, four months later, a judge has dismissed the $100,000 to $200,000 lawsuit against Cai, 20, and ordered Khuu to pay her nearly $27,000 in attorney fees.

TWITTER TROLL: Dallas man reportedly jailed for trolling judge on social media

Houston attorney Michael Fleming represented Cai in the case and commended her for not backing down.

"This woman is a part-time student and got threatened with a lawsuit after the first review," Fleming said. "But she stuck with it and wouldn't take the reviews down."

Representatives at Tuan A. Khuu and Associates declined to speak on the case.

PLAYBOY AND THE BEATLES: Playboy slapped with lawsuit over Paul McCartney mullet photo

Cai hired the law firm over the summer to represent her after she was hit by a drunk driver. When she felt Khuu and Associates failed to work with her after taking on her case, Cai wrote negative reviews online.

"...they came to my house and into my house and into my room to talk to me when I was sleeping in my underwear! Seriously, it's super unprofessional!" Cai wrote in a June 30 Facebook post. "Not only that, they also put a lien on all 3 insurances including my own."

In a July 7 Yelp review, Cai wrote, "When I try to reach them, no one would answer my call or email. I was so lost with my insurance, I didn't know what to do with my car."

OWNING UP: Ted Cruz pays up to settle music lawsuit

Fleming said the lawsuit was a strategic lawsuit against public participation, known as SLAPP. Texas has an anti-SLAPP law called the Texas Citizens Participation Act, which protects people from getting sued for online speech.

"You see this in a number of cases across Texas, it's not uncommon," Fleming said of lawsuits relating to online postings. "What you don't really see is a law firm suing someone for reviews."

Fleming said people who are afraid of repercussions for posting negative reviews and opinions online should remember that "the law is there to protect them."
Patric Schneider/Associated Press

A 911 call about a shooter at Lone Star College's North Harris Library was actually a hoax from a bored 11-year-old, police said on Wednesday.

The college said in a statement on Wednesday that police received the call on Nov. 17. After an investigation, Lone Star College police discovered the call was made by an 11-year-old girl.
A man and woman were shot early Wednesday morning as they drove along the 610 Loop in southeast Houston.

The gunfire erupted about 12:30 a.m. on the eastbound South Loop near Wayside, said Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department.
Authorities on Wednesday formally identified a 30-year-old woman a day after she was found dead when flames swept through a condominium complex in south Houston.

The fire broke out about 3:20 a.m. Tuesday at the Briarwick Condominium complex at 2750 Holly Hall, according to the Houston Police Department.
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A Little Woodrows location in Midland is coming under fire after a patron was kept out of the bar for having face tattoos.

Little Woodrows is a Houston-based bar chain with locations across Texas that was founded in 1994 by Danny Evans.

An Odessa man, Joeseff Rivera, filmed himself in front of the Little Woodrows location on Nov. 8 speaking out after the bars bouncer denied him entry into the establishment for having a small tattoo under his left eye.

OUCH GUIDE: Wondering how much that next tattoo will hurt? Check out this website first

The bar had just opened days before and was enforcing a dress code, as many bars and clubs do. The dress code happens to prohibit visible tattoos on the neck and face. The tattoo rule is enforced at all Little Woodrows locations.

Rivera wasnt happy, of course, pointing out that the bouncer himself had tattoos on his arms. The rules, though, apply to tattoos on the face and neck and not the arms or other extremities.

I just came to Little Woodrow's and they wouldn't let me in to spend my money because I have a tattoo on my face, Rivera says in the Facebook video he posted.

INK HISTORY: Houston hosted the world's first tattoo convention in 1976

After this video made the rounds on social media, the Facebook page of the Midland bar was inundated with people supporting Rivera and writing angry reviews of the place in protest.

Tattoo sleeves  visible tattoos up and down the arms  are more or less accepted in 2016. Face and neck ink are a different story, with negative connotations for some in the mainstream. Recently hand tattoos started entering the mainstream as well.

Were still not sure what to call tattoos up and down the legs. Stockings?

Philip Brinson, the attorney for Little Woodrows, responded to a request for comment from Odessas KOAS-TV.

FACE/OFF: When it comes to removing face tattoos, the pain is worth it for a new start

"We don't like to refuse service to anyone, but if somebody comes in and is not dressed appropriately we will ask them to either change it up a little bit or in this case with tattoos cover it up, Brinson said. "We do not prohibit anyone from having tattoos and entering the establishment. We prefer that there be no face or neck tattoos.

DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY AT THIS PLACE.!! MIDLAND,TX - LITTLE WOODROW'S I'm a Level 2 Security Officer,just wanting to spend money and have a Good time with my sister.Was denied Entrance due to a Tattoo on my face. Keep in mind the worker at the Front door is tattooed up.. Posted by Joeseff Rivera on Monday, 7 November 2016

Brinson told the outlet that to his knowledge only two patrons have been turned away at the Midland location, including Rivera. Another man with a neck tattoo covered his ink up so he could enter.

Hand tattoos, it appears, are still OK with everyone.

TEXAS PRIDE: You can't get much more Texas than these tattoos

Back in March 2015, a Houston man named Erik Leighton made headlines after he shared his story of being escorted out of a Bombshells location off Fuqua for having tattoos on his face.

That chain later told Leighton via text message that the area had an issue with gang activity and that face tattoos are by and large gang-related. The rule was meant to sidestep any possible violent confrontations. The location later apologized to Leighton over the incident.

I know what I did by getting myself tattooed on my face and neck. Its a lifestyle choice. But I work at a plant and they hired me and they took a chance on me, Leighton told Chron.com. I understand I look different and that I took things to a whole level by getting these tattoos.

Getting a tattoo on your face, head, neck or hands in 2016 is still not the norm. Some employers won't hire someone with artwork on those very public areas and some artists won't tattoo a client on these places because of the stigma attached.
Texas proposed rules requiring the cremation or burial of fetal remains will take effect Dec. 19, according to state health officials.

Despite intense outcry from the medical community and reproductive rights advocates, the state will prohibit hospitals, abortion clinics and other health care facilities from disposing of fetal remains in sanitary landfills, instead allowing only cremation or burial of all remains  regardless of the period of gestation.

Texas health officials, who quietly proposed the rules in July, are adopting the new requirements with few changes following months of public comment periods, two hours-long hearings and more than 35,000 comments submitted to the states Health and Human Services Commission.

In the final rules filed with the secretary of states office on Monday, health officials clarified that the requirement does not apply to miscarriages or abortions that occur at home. Addressing confidentiality concerns, they also added language to indicate that birth or death certificates will not be required for proper disposition under the rules.

Proposed at the direction of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, the health commission had argued the rules would result in enhanced protection of the health and safety of the public. Abbott said in a fundraising email that the rules were proposed because he doesn't believe fetal remains should be treated like medical waste and disposed of in landfills.

But the new requirement prompted outrage from the reproductive rights community, which accused state leaders of pushing unnecessary regulations. Women who experienced miscarriages or lost children in utero questioned why the state would make their situations more difficult by enacting the requirements. And medical providers  including the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Hospital Association  had also raised concerns about who would bear the costs associated with cremation or burial  a figure that can reach several thousand dollars in each case.

In response to those concerns, health officials indicated that health care facilities  and not patients  will be responsible for the disposal of fetal remains and that related costs would be "offset by the elimination of some current methods of disposition." Officials also wrote that the rules "carry out the department's duty to protect public health in a manner that's consonant with the state's respect for life and dignity of the unborn."

Reproductive rights advocates on Monday said the state had failed to provide evidence that the rule benefits public health or improves current medical practices.

The state agency has once again ignored the concerns of the medical community and thousands of Texans by playing politics with peoples private healthcare decisions," Heather Busby, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, said in a statement.

The new rules are likely to be challenged in court. In a letter sent to health officials, lawyers with the Center for Reproductive Rights warned that the proposal will almost certainly trigger costly litigation. While the center did not take immediate legal action, senior staff attorney David Brown on Monday said the rule was "an unnecessary burden and an intrusion" on a woman's "personal beliefs.

These new restrictions reveal the callous indifference that Texas politicians have toward women, Brown said.

The rules were drafted through the health agency's "rulemaking authority," but Republican lawmakers have already filed legislation to write the rules into statute when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

Read related Tribune coverage:

In a new letter to the state, reproductive rights lawyers argue Texas' proposed rules requiring the cremation or burial of fetal remains "will almost certainly trigger costly litigation."

In a little-noticed effort to regulate abortion providers, Texas health officials have quietly proposed rules that would require abortion providers to cremate or bury all fetal remains.

Disclosure: The Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.
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SAN ANTONIO  A 29-year-old San Antonio man is now accused in the gruesome slayings of four women, ranging in age from 15 to 46, over a period four months.

Johnny Avalos was indicted on capital murder charges Tuesday by a Bexar County grand jury. He is accused of killing Natalie Chavez, 15, in Dec. 2014; Rosemary Perez, 28, in January 2015 and Celia Lopez, 29, and Genevieve Ramirez, 46, in April 2015, according to a news release issued by the Bexar County District Attorney's Office.

RELATED: Christian Bautista, accused of killing San Antonio runner, stared down, blew kisses at women

Avalos was taken into custody by the San Antonio Police Department on April 22, 2015 and initially charged in connection to the death of Chavez, whose naked body was found under a bridge at Apache Creek and Vera Cruz Street on the West Side around 10 a.m. in December 2015. There was evidence of a struggle and sexual assault.

When Avalos was initially booked, detectives said they believed he also had killed Lopez, whose body was found in a vacant lot in the 4400 block of South Presa Street that month three days after being reported missing by family.

Investigators believed she had been dead for several days. A witness told police Avalos confessed to killing Lopez and taking money from her while the witness and suspect were traveling together in a car.

Avalos, who denied knowing Lopez to police, was charged in that case a few months later.

Police believe Avalos assaulted Ramirez nearby in the "same scheme and course of conduct," according the news release. She was found alive but unresponsive, with trauma injuries, in an alley along the 100 block of Avondale on April 3, 2015. She died from her injuries two months later, the release said.

RELATED: Women, children shown in eerie photos taken by serial killer from San Antonio

On Tuesday, the grand jury included a fourth capital murder charge in the case of Perez, whose body was "found wrapped in a sheet along a sidewalk in the 2100 block of San Fernando" in January 2015, according to the release.

The district attorney's office plans to pursue the death penalty. Avalos is scheduled to appear in the 437th District Court on Dec. 19 for a preliminary hearing, the release said.

The alleged serial killer's last known address is at a South Side home near Hot Wells, records show.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

kparker@mysa.com

Twitter: @KoltenParker
AUSTIN -- The U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday it is dispatching officials to Texas to continue an investigation into whether the state is illegally keeping students with disabilities out of special education services.

Federal officials will hold public "listening sessions" with students, parents, advocates and educators in Houston, Dallas, Austin, El Paso and Edinburg next month, the department said. The meetings will take place during the week of Dec. 12.

"The sessions provide members of the public an opportunity to comment on the timely identification and evaluation of students with disabilities, as well as the delivery of special education and related services to all eligible children," the department said.

The events will continue a federal investigation launched in response to a Houston Chronicle report that revealed that the Texas Education Agency has arbitrarily set a benchmark for what percentage of students should get special education and that schools have responded by dramatically curtailing services.

In the decade since the TEA set the 8.5 percent benchmark, the percentage of students receiving services has dropped from near the national average of 13 percent down to exactly 8.5 percent. That is the lowest of any state in the country, by far.

No other state has ever set a target for special education enrollment. Texas imposed its target while facing a $1.1 billion state budget cut and without consulting the federal government, state lawmakers or any research, the Chronicle found.

In response to the revelations, the U.S. Department of Education ordered the TEA to end the benchmark unless it could prove that no children with disabilities have been deprived of services.

Last month, the TEA responded that it would immediately suspend and eventually eliminate the benchmark. But it also vigorously defended the policy, saying it was not a "cap" on students allowed to get special education services, was not designed to save money and did not seriously punish districts that served a higher percentage.

The TEA has attributed the dramatic drop in special education students to new teaching techniques that it says has lowered the number of children with "learning disabilities," such as dyslexia.

More than 150 current and former Texas educators have told the Chronicle that they interpreted the benchmark as a hard cap, and nearly 100 educators have admitted that they delayed or denied services to children in need of help in order to try to comply with the policy.

About 100 special education experts have said that the new teaching techniques almost certainly cannot explain the decline because they have been implemented nationwide and have not led to a reduction in any other state.

The full schedule

Dallas, Monday, Dec. 12

6:00 pm8:00 pm

Region 10Richardson

400 E. Spring Valley Road

Richardson, TX 75081-5101

972-348-1536

Houston, Monday, Dec. 12

6:00 pm8:00 pm

McKinney Conference Center, Room 100 A-F

7200 Northwest 100 Drive

Houston, TX 77092

713-462-7708

El Paso, Tuesday, Dec. 13

6:00 pm8:00 pm

Region 19El Paso

6611 Boeing Drive

El Paso, TX 79925

915-780-6570

Edinburg, Tuesday, Dec. 13

6:00 pm8:00 pm

Region 1Edinburg

1900 West Schunior

Edinburg, TX 78541-2234

956-984-6180

Austin, Thursday, Dec. 15

6:00 pm8:00 pm

Region 13Austin

5701 Springdale Road

Austin, TX 78723-3675

512-919-5313


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President-elect Donald Trump made nearly 300 promises to voters during his campaign, and only a handful pertained to unemployed Americans.

Now that his seat in the White House is secured, some of Trump's supporters are likely keeping a watchful eye to see if the Republican makes good on those promises.

The business mogul's attempts will not be an easy thing.

DEFENDING BARRON: Melania Trump threatens lawsuit over YouTube video

On Tuesday, Connecticut-based Carrier Corp. announced it made a deal with Trump to keep 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Last week, Trump said on Twitter he was trying to negotiate with the air conditioning company to keep its manufacturing in Indiana rather than Mexico, according to the Washington Post. It was one of his campaign promises that also included a not-so-veiled threat: a 35 percent tariff on all air conditioners imported into the U.S.

But The Guardian paints a dour picture about jobs. Trump's efforts, Tim Dunlop says, are likely doomed to fail because of how much America's landscape has changed over the years. The industrial economy has largely given way to one built on information services.

CHAOS IN THE AIR: Delta hands down a lifetime ban for Trump supporter

"What's more, technology is displacing not just blue-collar jobs but white-collar ones as well, and this is unprecedented," Dunlop writes.

Still, Trump's audience of rural workers are likely just happy that the president-elect is at least aware of their plight.

We've compiled more than a dozen promises Donald Trump has made during the course of his presidential campaign. You can see them all in the gallery above.
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.
Award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker Ed Ou, who has covered the Middle East for over a decade, has worked under threat as a journalist in almost too many countries to count. Authorities in Turkey, Egypt, Somalia, Djibouti, and Bahrain have arrested or detained him at some point in his career. But he always assumed working in the United States would be safeuntil last month.

The story that followsfirst reported in The Washington Post todayis a stark reminder that the US government has eviscerated press freedom and privacy rights at the border. Journalists have been stopped or detained in the past, and thousands of travelers have their electronics confiscated each year.

Ou, a Canadian citizen who is living temporarily in Canada after a long stint in Egypt, travels to the US often. He has friends and family here, and he regularly vacations and attends work events and conferences here. On October 1, he scheduled a routine flight into the country again, he told me in an interview.

He was on assignment with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, working on a long-term project about the health care system for indigenous people in North America. As part of his reporting, he scheduled a trip to cover the protests in Standing Rock, North Dakota, where Native Americans have been protesting the building of an oil pipeline that threatens the water supply on their land.

As Ou attempted to go through security at the Vancouver International Airport for his flight to Bismarck, he was flagged for extra screening by US Customs and Border Patrol. Because hes traveled to various Middle Eastern countries over the years, he says hes often flagged when entering the US, but usually he simply explains hes a journalist and they let him go on his way.

This time was different. It all started, Ou said, when he put his Nexus card into the reader (Nexus is the Canadian equivalent of Global Entry, so he can go through security lines faster; it means he had already been vetted by customs officials.) I got an immediate flag to go to secondary screening and I got the SSSS on my boarding pass, he told me. SSSS is the dreaded symbol that marks someone as being on some sort of list.

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He was interrogated at the airport for the next seven hours, had his cell phones, personal diaries, and documents confiscated, and was denied entry to the country.

Related: 7 photos that capture the absurdity of the election season

He immediately told the border agents that he was a photographer and filmmaker. He was on assignment for the CBC, he told them, but he also works for Getty Images. His photography has appeared in The New York Times, Harpers, Time, The Guardian, and many other publications. Hes covered extremist groups and volatile political situations in a variety of countries.

I had offered to show them press accreditation or put them in contact with my editor, he told me. There was no doubt that they knew I was a journalist.

The first question they asked me was When was the last time you were in Iraq? He hadnt been to Iraq in over a year, and had been back to the US many times since then without issue. At this point in time, its still pretty routine, since I get this all the time. My first thought was Im back in the US so I dont have to hide that Im a journalist. I dont need to be ashamed of that fact. So I was completely straightforward and honest.

He explained to me that in the Middle East, he and his colleagues are regularly detained under false pretenses. As a result, he often attempts to downplay his profession there. In North America, he assumed, I can proudly claim Im a journalist and not worry about anything.

He soon learned that was not necessarily the case. He said he was taken to a room and given a list of every country hed visited in the past five years and told to write down everything hed done in those countries and all the extremist groups hed been in contact with. He explained that documenting extremists groups was often a part of his job. By now, hed missed his flight.

Then they asked my why I was going to Standing Rock and why I was so interested in that. They wanted to know the people I was going to meet, what I was going to cover.

Related: Dear US journalists: Things are about to change

Border agents, according to Ou, said they wanted him to consent to a search of his phone because they wanted to make sure there werent pictures on my phone of me posing smiling with a dead body.

This is when Ou started to get angry. I thought, Oh my god. The first thing that came to my mind was [journalist] Jim Foleymy colleague and my friendwho was killed in Syria. So I started to put the pieces [together] in my head. Maybe they think Im a militant who went to fight for ISIS and came back?

He had three phones with him, two iPhones and an Android. They all were encrypted and turned off, which Ou says he does by reflex when I go over any border. (This is good advice for any journalist.) He adamantly refused to unlock his phones, telling them Im a journalist and have sources to protect. Im not going to open my phone for you, or anyone for that matternot the cops, not the US border patrol, or the Russian or Chinese or Iranians. Its just something I dont do.

As Andrea Peterson noted in the Post, If Ou had already been inside the U.S. border, law enforcement officers would have needed a warrant to search his smartphones to comply with a 2014 Supreme Court ruling. But the journalist learned the hard way that the same rules dont apply at the border, where the government claims the right to search electronic devices without a warrant or any suspicion of wrongdoing.

After they took his phones and SIM cards into another room, Ou says they started going through his checked bags. Then they read and photocopied his personal journals against his wishes.

Five hours later, he got his phones back and noticed the SIM cards had been tampered with. Ou said they finally told him, You or someone that sounds like you is on a persons of interest list. He immediately said hed do whatever he could to clear it up. But then they said they couldnt tell me anymore because its classified, Ou explained.

Related: Eight steps reporters should take before Trump assumes office

Ou was officially denied entry into the US by border agents, and he says they recommended that he not try to enter again. Its still unclear what the official reason was for denying him entry.

As the ACLU has documented in detail, the US watch lists that prevent all sorts of people from entering the country are a due process-free nightmare, in which everything is kept secret from those affected and often there is no meaningful way to challenge it. Ous case is particularly egregious, given that it should have been obvious to US authorities that he was a journalist who was attempting to protect his sources. (This is not the first time this has happened to a journalist, either.)

The ACLU is also representing Ou. ACLU staff attorney Hugh Handeyside said: Eds experience is yet another sign that the government is exceeding its power and using the border as a dragnet to gather intelligence on innocent people. Targeting journalists for these kinds of abusive border searches can prevent important reporting on government activities and weaken public discourse.

At a minimum, the US government owes Ou an apology and a complete restoration of his travel rights. In the larger picture, this is a stark reminder that journalists need to do everything possible to protect themselves and their sources when traveling over any borderincluding into or out of the United States.

Photo by: Gerald L. Nino, via Wikimedia Commons

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Trevor Timm is the executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports and defends journalism dedicated to transparency and accountability. He is also a twice-weekly columnist for the Guardian, where he writes about privacy, national security, and the media.
For South Florida newspapers and television stations, Fidel Castros death was not just a local story, it was the local story, the one that some journalists had anticipated and planned for their entire careers.

When word came late Friday night that Castro was really, most sincerely deadthere were so many false alarms over the years that his previously reported demise became something of a laugh lineeditors and producers needed only to turn to the Castro Plans that had been on hand and regularly refreshed for decades.

If you work at the Miami Herald, this was the story you always wondered about, worried about, wanted to be prepared for, says managing editor Rick Hirsch.

Slightly more than a third of Miami-Dade Countys population is of Cuban origin, about 950,000 people in all. Broward County, just to the north, is home to another 92,000. The Cuban presence is so pronounced that the region is sometimes called Cubas second capital. Hundreds of thousands fled the island after Castro took power in 1959 and nearly 200,000 more came in 1980 during the so-called Mariel Boatlift.

Word of Castros death came to local media shortly after midnight. The timing was as bad as it could get, late at night on a holiday weekend. For years, news executives expected flotillas to set off from Miami with exiles intent on fetching their relatives, and flotillas of refugees leaving Cuba for Florida. They prepared to move reporters on rented boats or with the Coast Guard, to get there any way they could. But Castro had faded from view over the last decade, handing over power to his brother Raul and looking increasingly frail as he appeared in public less often.

Herald editor Aminda Marques Gonzalez reflected on what might have been in a Sunday column. Once upon a time, you envisioned Fidel was in charge of everything, says Hirsch. By the time he died last Friday night, it was pretty clear there was a lot less uncertainty.

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Uncertainty or not, Herald reporters, photographers, and editors streamed to their offices. Some didnt wait to be summoned.

If it had happened at 2:30 in the morning instead of 12:30 at night, I think fewer people would have been awake, says Hirsch. But we had some people who went out and just began reporting.

And it wasnt just in Miami.

It was a much different experience that many of us had anticipated for so long, agreed Dana Banker, managing editor of the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, a 30-mile drive north of Miami. The Sun-Sentinel, like other media, had over the years scaled back its Castro death plan. It did not, for example, send a reporter to Havana, relying on wires for coverage there. The Herald, which the Cuban government has viewed as anti-Castro, received visas for a reporter and photographer early this week; local television stations also sent reporters.

Still, the Cuban leaders death was a big deal, and newspapers and television stations dug into stories theyd prepared in advance. And it wasnt just in Miami. The New York Times also had a plan, complete with its own many-times-rewritten obituary and a list of reporters to deploy.

In South Florida, though, the news was more immediate. The Sun-Sentinel, like the Herald, had enough material in the can to go online almost immediately and updated that with live coverage as soon as it came in. The evergreen stories had been laid out on pages for years, ready to be supplemented with live coverage. That let the paper publish a 12-page wraparound special section in their Sunday editions.

TV stations were prepared, too. WPLG, the local ABC affiliate, put up a 22-minute obituary package as soon as the Associated Press confirmed the death, part of a 20-year-old rundown that included evergreen pieces, space for live coverage, and lists of staffers to contact.

Morning show executive producer Natalie Morera, who got to the station at about 2 a.m. on Saturday, had been charged with keeping the rundown up to date. The obituary was deliberately lengthy, she said, to allow time for anchors to get to the set and to deploy reporters, photographers, and the cast of dozens required to get news on the air. The first order of business was call our news directors, call our assistant news directors and down the list, she says.

Among the first calls was to the stations helicopter pilots, who quickly launched to pursue video of thousands of exuberant Cubans who gathered in front of places like the Versailles Restaurant, an iconic Little Havana institution and perennial focal point for Cuban events.

Our station was first locally to announce the death of Castro, Morera said. Were pretty proud of that.

In the end, though, there was a sense among journalists that the cataclysmic event for which theyd prepared was just a little disappointing.

We expected it to be like a Category 5 hurricane, Banker says. Instead it was more like a tropical storm.

This story has been updated.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Neil Reisner is a professor of journalism at Florida International University in Miami. He spent 25 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers in New Jersey and Florida, including the Miami Herald. Reach him at neil.reisner@fiu.edu.
Journalists in the US are never off-limits for criticism. But what were seeing right now goes too far. We must fight back.

We must fight a president-elect who obsessively attacks the press on Twitter, fight death threats toward reporters and editors, fight unrelenting anti semitism on social media, fight the resurrection of the Nazi-Germany term Lugenpresse.

Its an affront to our national heritage. And if the American people dont remember or understand this, we need to remind them. Often. So as we prepare to embark on a Donald Trump presidency, I offer a mini manifesto to share with press-hating friends, family, co-workers, and strangers.

One of the most bold and dangerous lies of our moment is the notion that scorn, or even violence, toward reporters is patriotic. Trump and his press-attacking supportersfrom Curt Schilling to anonymous rally attendeesshould spend a minute with Anthony Lewiss biography of the First Amendment, which begins by calling the US the most outspoken society on earth, where people are freer to think what we will and say what we think than any other people. Theres an indelible, nonpartisan lesson in this book: When you insult and undermine the press, you play an active role in making America less exceptional.

Related: Dear US journalists: Things are about to change

For evidence, start at the very beginning. The Bill of Rights reminds us that, for the architects of the United States, press freedom was literally a top priority. Thomas Jefferson said, Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press. Benjamin Franklin said, Freedom of Speech is ever the Symptom, as well as the Effect of a good Government. John Adams wrote, The liberty of the press is essential to the security of the state.

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Since Republicans will soon control the House, Senate, and White House, its worth highlighting conservatives throughout history who have agreed. Richard Nixon (of all people!) gave Medals of Freedom to eight journalists in one day. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart voted to give The New York Times and Washington Post a green light to continue publishing the Pentagon Papers, in 1971. Ronald Reagan gave journalists a shout-out in his 1985 State of the Union, when he said, Victories against poverty are greatest and peace most secure where people live by laws that ensure free press, free speech, and freedom to worship, vote, and create wealth.

But it isnt just our history that shows how American and journalistic values are intertwined. Look at the regimes with which we have the starkest ideological differencesplaces like North Korea, Iran, China, and Cuba. All appear on the Committee to Protect Journalists most recent 10 Most Censored Countries list.

Related: 7 photos that capture the absurdity of the election season

This isnt to say the US has a perfect record on press freedom. Congress passed the Sedition Act in 1798. Abraham Lincoln and his surrogates sometimes wavered in their commitment to free speech during the Civil War. And, in modern times, weve seen September 11 try our resolve.

But heres the thing: We as a country have never permanently succumbed to the urge to restrict speech. The responses to Donald Trumps ill-informed tweet on flag-burning were a reminder of that. Our staunch defense of the right from which all others flow is a central part of who we are.

Demonizing journalists doesnt just dishonor our history; it also carries a high risk of hypocrisy. Press freedoms are not only enshrined in the Bill of Rights, theyve been upheld by landmark court decisions. You cant call for law and order, or fight to protect one law (say, the Second Amendment), while attacking legally-protected speech and reporting. That makes you a part-time patriot.

Dwight Eisenhower understood this when he called censorship a stupid and shallow way of approaching the solution to any problem. Antonin Scalia understood this when he said, it would be not much use to have a First Amendmentif the freedom of speech included only what some future generation wanted it to include.

Related: The goal is not to fear Trump, but for Trump to fear you

James MadisonFather of the Constitution; fourth president; namesake for cities, universities, rivers, buildings, mountains, warshipsunderstood this, too, when he wrote, To the press alone, chequered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.

You can call yourself many things while you foment hatred toward reporters, but all-American is not one of them. Journalism is our originaland enduringnational anthem.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Philip Eil is a freelance journalist based in Providence, Rhode Island. He sued the Drug Enforcement Administration under the FOIA, with help from the Rhode Island ACLU and two pro-bono attorneys, Neal McNamara and Jessica Jewell. Follow him on Twitter: @phileil.
gavel-328.jpg

Demetrius Ford, 18, was found guilty Tuesday of purposefully scalding his infant daughter while giving her a bath.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio - An 18-year-old Akron man was found guilty Tuesday of scalding his infant daughter while bathing her in February.

Demetrius Ford was found guilty by a Summit County jury of felonious assault and child endangering charges, a news release from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office states. Ford, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was originally charged in juvenile court but his case was bound over to adult common pleas court in July.

Ford's 4-month-old daughter was burned on Feb. 4 while he was giving her a bath, the prosecutor's office said. The girl suffered severe second- and third-degree burns to her face, shoulders and chest.

During his trial, a child abuse expert testified that Ford "purposefully submerged" the girl in the scalding hot water, the release says. The girl also had suffered a skull fracture and broken ribs.

The girl's mother - Chavelle Grier, 21, of Akron - was also charged in connection with the child's injuries. She pleaded guilty to two counts of child endangering in May and is now on probation.

Ford will be sentenced 9 a.m. Dec. 27, the prosecutor's office said.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland was one of more than 300 cities nationally where supporters of a $15 minimum wage rallied Tuesday as part of the Fight for $15 Day of Disruption.

Things were peaceful at the Cleveland rallies, one in front of the McDonald's restaurant on Carnegie Avenue near East 30th Street, and the other demonstration at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. About 300 peope participated between the two rallies.

To find out more about why rallies were held in Cleveland, see:

At rallies in other cities across the country, including New York and Chicago, the protests often weren't as peaceful. Protestors were arrested for such things as blocking streets outside fast-food restaurants as they made their demand for a $15 minimum wage. This is the fourth year Fight for $15 has held demonstrations calling for a wage hike. The movement is backed by the Service Employees International Union.

"Our modern economy is fueled by our nation's service sector," said SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry in a news release. "These workers -- child care and home care providers, airport workers, and higher education faculty -- care for our parents and children and educate our future generations. Their work gives American families and consumers the choice and freedom to do their jobs and care for their families. But the value of this work is not reflected in their pay. Too many service and care workers who work full time still struggle to make ends meet for their families."

An early goal of the low-wage workers movement was to increase the federal minimum wage, which remains at $7.25 an hour. (Ohio's minimum wage is $8.10.)

However, supporters have been able to claim victory by taking the fight for a wage hike to voters and legislatures in states and municipalities around the country. A report, released Tuesday, by the liberal National Employment Law Project, based in Washington, D.C., said the Fight for $15 movement was responsible for low-wage workers receiving $61.5 billion in annual raises since 2012.

This includes wage hikes in places including California, New York and Washington, D.C. This month voters in states including Arizona and Maine voted for minimum wage hikes. Though a few municipalities have gone to $15, most increases have been more modest. Cleveland voters will get to decide on a $15 minimum wage in May.

But not everyone has been in favor of increasing the minimum wage. For example, America Rising Squared, a conservative group based in the Washington, D.C .area, which is highly critical of unions, opposes the Fight for $15 movement.

"The American people understand that this kind of dramatic, across the board minimum wage hike would only hurt workers by killing jobs, damaging our nation's economy," states the conservative group's news release.

Follow @OPinfo
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Renewable energy companies joined environmental groups and trade associations this week to oppose legislation drawn up by Ohio's GOP lawmakers to further delay standards requiring power companies to provide green energy and energy efficiency programs for their customers. The bill could be approved as early as next week. But Gov. John Kasich has said he will veto any bill that extends the state's two-year freeze on rules requiring power companies to supply an annually increasing amount of green power and efficiency savings.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the second day in a row, businesses, trade groups and environmentalists lined up outside State House committee hearing rooms to testify against a proposal to make Ohio's green energy mandates voluntary for the next three years.

The mandates requiring power companies to provide an annually increasing percentage of green power were approved by a near-unanimous vote in 2008, but then in 2014 were suspended for two years after months of bitter hearings.

The 2014 legislation included an unusual provision that brings the rules back to life in 2017 unless lawmakers acted again.

That may have been politically palatable at the time, but its impact on business has been a disaster, witness after witness said this morning and Tuesday evening before a Senate committee hearing on Senate Bill 320, a slightly different but parallel proposal. More than 60 testified.

This morning about 40 people, most representing wind and solar businesses, joined a handful of environmental and trade groups to address the House Public Utilities Committee, chaired by Mike Dovilla, a Republican from Berea.

And Dovilla limited their testimony to just three minutes each. Many of the committee members questioned several of the businesses about the accuracy of their claims. And by end of the morning, less than half of the crowd had had a turn at the microphone.

Colin Meehan, director of regulatory and public affairs for Ohio's only solar panel manufacturer, First Solar in Perrysburg, may have said it best.

After a series of questions from lawmakers who seemed to doubt his claims, and even doubt the value of solar technology, Meehan warned that approval of the bill would cause the company to take a hard look at staying in Ohio.

First Solar's research and development labs in Perrysburg spend $100 million a year, he said. The company has employed as many as 1,400, though that is currently at about 1,200.

And the company, which is about to re-tool its plant to build a highly automated production line manufacturing its "next generation" solar panel, needs a consistent policy, one that it can trust "won't be up-ended," Meehan said.

The hearing is expected to continue for a good part of the afternoon as lawmakers rush toward a vote of the full House next week in an effort to put the legislation on Gov. John Kasich's desk.

Kasich has said he would veto any legislation that extends the 2014 freeze. He has not said how he will view the "voluntary" rules. But there has been talk among lawmakers that they will try to override a veto, if it comes.

Check back for updates/developments to this story.


CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Greater Cleveland Congregations group has approached city officials about the need to address housing needs in the Noble neighborhood, using some of the projected 2017 budget carryover.

"We understand that our city has received some excellent news -- a projection that we will end the year with a balanced budget and maybe even a substantial surplus," said Diana Woodbridge with the GCC Cleveland Heights Housing Issue Team.

That surplus could be $3 million or more, which prompted Woodbridge and Gary Benjamin, who chairs the city's Economic Development Advisory Committee, to appear at City Council's Nov. 14 budget hearing.

Mayor Cheryl Stephens noted that it was the first time in recent memory that citizens had made budget hearing presentation. She was also impressed that a prepared request was distributed to council.

In it, the GCC listed some potential priorities for the use of surplus funds, including increased funding for a proactive housing inspection program to address the challenges created by the housing crisis of 2007.

"It continues to impact the health of our city's housing stock to this day," Woodbridge said. "It goes without saying that Cleveland Heights is a residential community, and our housing is indeed our 'bread and butter.'"

In addition to GIS software that the city has applied for through Community Development Block Grants, the GCC also recommended shortening the cycle of exterior home inspections from five years to three or four.

"Repairs caught early often avoid very costly (expenses) down the road," Woodbridge said.

In its proposed 2017 budget, the city does have plans to hire a "property investigator" to check "exterior compliance."

The GCC group also recommends establishing a Community Development Fund targeting housing, after several years of neglect due to the economic downturn and "structural deficit problems" the city has had.

"We think now is the time to send the message to the community that Cleveland Heights is serious about development," Woodbridge said.

Benjamin has made it clear from the outset of his appointment to the mayor's advisory community that housing stock needs to be a major component of the city's economic development plans.

With that in mind, the Community Development Fund could provide:

-- Incentives and assistance to households - even those over CDBG eligible income, and in many cases, just barely - to make costly repairs and improvements.

-- Funds to provide "above moderate-income" households with incentives, such as downpayment assistance, to buy a home in Cleveland Heights, "especially in the Noble neighborhood where there is an excess of affordable housing."

The GCC continues its efforts to get Noble included in the Greater Circle Living homebuyers incentive program targeted at employees of University Circle institutions.

In the meantime, a local program "would augment the CDBG-funded program for low- to moderate-income households," Woodbridge said.

The GCC Heights Housing Issue Team also recommends a tax abatement program for residential properties to encourage homeowners to make improvements -- perhaps through Cuyahoga County Housing Enhancement Loan Program (HELP).

"It is important that the 'cap,' the amount that must be spent in order to qualify for abatement, is set low enough to attract homeowners with more limited incomes," Woodbridge said.

Greater Cleveland Congregations further encouraged that funding be set aside to establish a Community Development Corporation, along the lines of what has been proposed by the local nonprofit Future Heights organization.

"Finally, if there is not enough time to come to agreement on the specific programs, we ask that the city set aside at least $500,000 that can be allocated to critical housing and economic development needs," Woodbridge concluded.

Benjamin further recommended that the such a fund become a line item in the city's budget and be replenished annually back to $500,000.

Council introduced its $43.8 million budget on Nov. 21, with a second reading forthcoming in December.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- By a 5-2 vote, City Council signed off last week on the restructuring of the remaining $222,000 owed by Lopez on Lee for a commercial loan that dates back to 2001.

This came over the objections of Mayor Cheryl Stephens, who was hoping for more repayment up front, either from the exiting ownership with proceeds from the sale, or the new proprietor, Heshny LLC, headed by the executive chef.

Stephens was also looking for some "cross-collateralization." Describing the deal as "over-leveraged," Stephens said the package offers no guarantee that the city will get all of its money back.

Councilman Kahlil Seren also voted against the restructured loan, saying it was no reflection on the restaurant, but simply the fact that the extension agreement is not being made under optimal circumstances.

"My 'no' vote is not an indictment of Lopez or its delicious food or the new owners," Seren said on Nov. 21. "I realize they're trying to make the best out of a bad situation, but this is more of a principled vote, because I feel that it's not a good deal."

Vice Mayor Jason Stein said he was in favor of the restructuring of the loan -- for at least the third time -- because it's basically the same terms being turned over to the new ownership.

Councilman Mike Ungar said he voted to approve the deal in deference to the staff recommendation, which will take the loan out at least another 10 years.

In other business at the Nov. 21 meeting, council officially declared the Rise Bar, formerly Gibbs Restaurant at 3560 Mayfield Road, to be a public nuisance.

By declaring the establishment a "blighting influence and a hazard to the health and safety of patrons and neighbors," the city reserves to right to pursue revocation of the Rise Bar's certificate of business occupancy.

Speaking of maximum occupancy, Stephens noted that the establishment is permitted by fire code to have up to 185 people inside, but on one occasion, there were roughly 300 present.

Safety forces have been to the bar at least 18 times this year, including a Nov. 13 incident where police were called about 2 p.m. to help close it down for the night after a disturbance.

Then about 4:30 a.m. a man called and said he had driven himself to the hospital with a stab wound to the chest he'd received outside the bar.

Meanwhile, liquor permits for the former Winking Lizard Lounge on Coventry are the subject of a license transfer to a new restaurant seeking to open in the same space, the House of Crab, run by JZ Restaurant Group Inc.

The notice for the new establishment was forwarded from the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.

Council also approved a $50,000 application to Cuyahoga County's Community Development Supplemental Grant program for a "Green Commercial Building Initiative" offering up to $5,000 to businesses making environmentally-sound improvements and promoting sustainability.

The grant money is collected by the country through its casino taxes.

Legislation for a proposed one-year moratorium on medical marijuana sales outlets and dispensaries was pulled off of the Nov. 21 agenda.

"Council would like to have more discussion on this issue before any legislative action is contemplated," City Manager Tanisha Briley said Tuesday.

Ohio lawmakers legalized medical marijuana earlier this year and some city officials have suggested looking at additional local regulations.
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Cuyahoga County Probate Court Judge Anthony J. Russo speaks to members of Tamir Rice's family and their lawyers to confirm that they believe the settlement should be approved on Wednesday.

(Eric Heisig/cleveland.com)

Tamir Rice

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County Probate Court judge on Wednesday approved a $6 million settlement the city of Cleveland entered into with the family of Tamir Rice for the 12-year-old's police shooting death in November 2014.

Presiding Judge Anthony J. Russo said during a hearing that the settlement was fair, just and equitable, and said Rice's death was "a truly unfortunate, tragic and disturbing event, to say the least."

Under the $5.5 million portion of the settlement with the boy's estate, $3.34 million was split between members of Rice's family. Of that, Tamir's mother Samaria Rice will receive more than $1.78 million, in addition to a separate $250,000 settlement she received.

Leonard Warner, the 12-year-old's father, will receive $843,000. Tamir Rice's sister Tajai Rice will receive $640,000, in addition to a separate $250,000 settlement. After attorney's fees, she receives a total of $802,653.

Other siblings, half siblings and family members will receive a combined $75,000.

Attorneys will get about $1.81 million, or roughly one third, for compensation and case costs. Of that, Walter Madison, a former attorney for the family, will receive $90,000. Also included in this amount is compensation for New York law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, Cleveland attorney Subodh Chandra and Chicago attorney Billy Joe Mills.

The settlement was reached in April. It required the approval of a judge because Tamir was 12 years old when he died and did not have a will. The city will pay $3 million this year and $3 million in 2017.

Tamir was shot by police officer Timothy Loehmann at Cudell Recreation Center on West Boulevard on Nov. 22, 2014. Loehmann and his partner Frank Garmback responded to a report of a "guy with a gun," and he almost instantaneously shot the boy when he saw him with a gun. The city's internal investigation into both officers is ongoing.

The 12-year-old was playing with an airsoft pellet gun. When Tajai Rice ran to her brother's aid after the shooting, a police officer held her back, took her to the ground and placed her in a police car.

A grand jury, following county Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty's recommendation, declined to charge Loehmann and Garmback in December 2015.

Before giving his approval, Russo asked Samaria Rice, Leonard Warner and other attorneys present whether they were satisfied with the settlement. They all said yes.

Russo said that "while no amount of money can fully compensate this family for the loss of Tamir, the court finds that the amount of this settlement constitutes reasonable compensatory damages under the circumstances, achieves civil justice for the family and is certainly in the best interest of the beneficiaries who are present here today."

Samaria Rice, when walking out of the courtroom, said her priorities now are to meet with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, have Loehmann and Garmback fired, have incoming Prosecutor Mike O'Malley take up the case again and for the city to allocate more money toward the schools.

The settlement is likely the largest the city has ever paid for a police-shooting case.

The shooting caused near-instantaneous outrage and was seen by many as just one of several examples of police in Cleveland and across the country using too much force when responding to calls involving black residents. Those views were later backed up by a scathing U.S. Justice Department report, and the city of Cleveland agreed to court-mandated reform.

The Justice Department is conducting a review of the case to see either officer violated any federal civil-rights laws. However, such reviews rarely yield criminal charges.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- A Lakewood man faces a felonious assault charge after he shot a 16-year-old in the arm, according to police and court records.

Denzel Johnson, 26, of Lakewood was arrested about 2 a.m. Sunday, several hours after the shooting took place.

The teen was shot about 10:50 p.m. Saturday in the 1300 block of West Clifton Boulevard.

The victim was treated and released from MetroHealth Medical Center.

Lakewood police received a 911 call indicating a man had been shot in the arm. The victim and a witness identified Johnson as the shooter, police said.

Police along with the Lakewood Fire Department responded to the scene.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section.
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Bryan Ferry will play the State Theatre on Sunday, March 26.

(Courtesy of Playhouse Square)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland was always a Roxy Music kind of town. The British glam stars were bigger here than in almost any other American city, thanks in part to heavy rotation on WMMS FM/100.7.

The band was always a sellout when they played Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre in the early '70s. Frontman Bryan Ferry also found success in town, most recently playing to a packed house in 2011 at Playhouse Square.

Now the leading man of romantic postpunk crooning will return to Playhouse Square with his catalog of hits -- solo and with Roxy Music. He will play the State Theatre on Sunday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at playhousesquare.org, the Playhouse Square Ticket Office or by calling 216-241-6000. Prices will be $100, $79.50, $59.50 and $39.50.

Updated at 5:30 p.m.
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio

Vandalism, Mayfield Road:

Someone threw a rock at a window at Mayfield Gun around 7 p.m. Nov. 19, causing damage to the window and the door. Witnesses from a neighboring store said two males were in the area and believed to have left in a vehicle that was parked on Ranchland Drive. The store was closed at the time of the incident. No entry was made to it.

Theft from auto, Windsor Drive:

Three residents reported their vehicles were broken into around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 21. While officers were investigating, an unknown male was reportedly seen trying to enter a vehicle on SOM Center Road and then running off through a backyard. A track of the suspect was unsuccessful, but a cell phone was found in a front yard on Ridgeview Road. The incident is under investigation, as officers are trying to determine the owner of the phone. It has been learned that it was purchased a month earlier by a disaster recovery company.

Suspicion, Golden Gate Boulevard:

Officers responded to a report of possible prostitution Nov. 17. They spoke with a man who was waiting in a vehicle for a woman. He said the woman was in a home and he had only known her for two weeks. He said she met the man she was visiting on a website known as Backpage and he believed she expected to make $30-40. Officers subsequently arrested the Kilbuck woman, 25, on a felony warrant for robbery with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department. She said she was in the area so she decided to visit her friend, but she denied having sex with him and identified him by the wrong name. That man said he did not have sex with her or exchange money, but he did have sex with her a previous time she had visited. Officers told him to have no further contact with her and to stay off of Backpage.

Theft from building, Mayfield Road:

An unknown male stole a display cell phone from T-Mobile Nov. 17 and ran from the store. He damaged the security device as he removed the phone, which was valued at $849.99. He was not located.

Harassment, Mayfield Road:

A woman reported Nov. 17 she was receiving harassing phone calls and text messages from her ex-boyfriend. She said the messages were in regard to her and her current boyfriend. She also stated she quit her job in Cleveland Heights because she felt threatened by him after he came there to confront her. Officers left a voice mail for the man, 26, advising him to have no further contact with the woman.

Theft, Golden Gate Plaza:

A Cleveland woman, 23, and Euclid woman, 20, were arrested for theft Nov. 18 after they were suspected of stealing merchandise from Bath and Body Works. They had left the store but officers stopped their vehicle in the area, where one of them tried hiding items under a seat. Among the merchandise collected was that from Bath and Body Works and other from Walmart and Carter's, which was also confirmed to have been stolen.

Impaired driving, Mayfield Road:

A Richmond Heights man, 24, was arrested for OVI after he was stopped for a traffic violation at 3:13 a.m. Nov. 19. He said he was coming from Two Bucks, where he had consumed alcohol.

See more Mayfield Heights news at Cleveland.com/hillcrest.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Castro was certainly a dictator and human rights violator. The problem was he wasn't our dictator and human rights violator as in the case at U.S. supported government in Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala which did the bidding at American state department and savagely oppressed their own people. The U.S. supported other dictators in Latin America as long as they created a favorable business environment for U.S. investment.

Castro, in contrast to these compliant regimes nationalized one billion dollars worth of property belonging to Standard Oil and DuPont. That made him a thorn in the side of the United States. But other communist countries, like Red China were OK because they favored U.S. business investors who made billions of dollars off of that dictatorship's slave labor. But if Castro had played ball with the U.S., we would have eulogized him as one OK hombre.

Stanley J. Niemiec,

Fairview Park
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St. Vincent de Paul was among the organizations that participated in #weGiveCatholic on Giving Tuesday.

(Plain Dealer file art)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than $400,000 was raised in 24 hours Tuesday during the Diocese of Cleveland's first online day of Catholic giving.

The #weGiveCatholic crowdfunding event by the Catholic Community Foundation of the Diocese Cleveland raised $414,199 to support the work of 157 participating schools, parishes, ministries, Catholic Charities sites, programs and other nonprofits in Northeast Ohio.

In its fifth year, Giving Tuesday focuses on encouraging people to contribute to their favorite charity, giving back after consumer-oriented Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Participants included Catholic Youth Organization, Society for St. Vincent de Paul, West Side Catholic Center, Camp Christopher and St. Augustine Ministries, John Carroll University, Ursuline College, Notre Dame College, along with elementary, high schools and parishes throughout the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland.

Throughout the day, participating organizations had the opportunity to compete for cash prizes.

"The money raised will not only help parishes, schools, ministries and nonprofits carry out their mission, but also inspires a greater sense of presence and purpose in our Northeast Ohio region," Patrick Grace, Catholic Community Foundation executive director, said in the release.

Among other giving efforts, Lake Catholic High School captured millennial donors by asking students and young alumni to make donations and text others for support. Catholic Charities Disability Services and Ministry connected with donors in a live coffee house event and ongoing social media campaign.

A list of participating organizations can be viewed at weGiveCatholic.org.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Somali-born Ohio State University student who carried out a car-and-knife attack on campus may have been inspired by the Islamic State group and a former al-Qaeda leader, FBI officials said Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials said Wednesday they're still defining a motive for the rampage that hurt 11 people on Monday and that it's too soon to say it was terrorism.

FBI special agent Angel Byers said the agency has not yet verified whether OSU student Abdul Razak Ali Artan posted a rant on Facebook about U.S. interference in Muslim lands on the morning of the attack. The post mentioned Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric and al-Qaeda leader killed in Yemen by American drones.

The Islamic State news service claimed Artan as a "soldier" for the militant group.

"In the past they have claimed responsibility when the assailant is dead and can't refute that -- that makes it pretty easy for them," Byers said during a news conference.

Byers said the FBI had no knowledge of or contact with Artan before Monday's attack.

Artan bought a knife at a Walmart store before the attack, according to Columbus police, but investigators do not know if that was the weapon he used.

The 18-year-old was fatally shot by a university police officer shortly after driving into pedestrians and then slashing people with a knife. A preliminary autopsy report showed Artan died of gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Police confirmed reports that one victim was struck with a bullet in the foot from officer Alan Horujko's gun. All but three victims had been released from Columbus hospitals as of Tuesday afternoon.

The FBI is asking anyone with information about Artan's whereabouts before the 9:52 a.m. attack to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

A preliminary autopsy shows Artan died from gunshots to the head and chest, the Associated Press reported.

The coroner's office in Columbus said Wednesday that it could take eight more weeks before it can issue a final report on his death, AP said.

To comment on this story, please visit cleveland.com's crime and courts comments section.
OSU Attack

The car involved in the attack outside Watts Hall Monday afternoon on the campus of Ohio State University after an attacker allegedly drove a car into a group of students near Watts Hall and then got out of the car and attacked them.

(David Petkiewicz/cleveland.com)

The Monday attack could have been so much worse.

Were it not for heroic action by Alan Horujko, an Ohio State University police officer, Columbus, Ohio would be the epicenter of a nation in mourning. Instead, we're left badly shaken by a near massacre on the Ohio State campus and forced to confront difficult questions:

How many other ticking time bombs walk quietly among us? How we do a better job of identifying dangerous fanatics without trampling cherished constitutional guarantees of religious freedom? How we better protect ourselves in public places?

Abdul Razak Ali Artan -- a first-year student at OSU and a Somalian-born national who moved to Ohio in 2014 from Pakistan -- is accused of deliberately ramming his car into a group of students. He emerged from the vehicle and began stabbing anyone he could reach.

He offered a clue to his motivation by posting on Facebook minutes before his rampage. He wrote of his anger at America for what he viewed as persecution of Muslims. His final posting read in part: "By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims. You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday."

Fortunately, Horujko was already responding to reports of a car that struck pedestrians. He quickly discerned that the action unfolding was no accident and fatally shot Artan, ending the attack almost as quickly as it started.

The nation dodged a bullet as an apparent lone-wolf attacker plotted his attack poorly and was unable to achieve the mass casualties he likely envisioned. Eleven people were injured, but all reportedly will recover.

Still, the shock of the attack will reverberate throughout Columbus and far beyond. Immediately after news of the attack was broadcast, I began to see social media snapshots of panicked Ohio State students barricading the doors of classrooms with stacks of chairs. I could only grieve for them. Any of them could have been my child. There was no way to know how the attack would end.

I was filled with anxiety by the emergency instructions that the OSU administration sent out to the student body over Twitter: Run, hide, fight. These instructions are the protocol advised by the Department of Homeland Security in the event of an active shooter.

But how is this advice implemented in real time when lives are on the line?

Run where?

Hide where?

Fight how?

That last option for survival is worth exploring further as the nation's anxiety continues to grow with each attack bearing the hallmark of terrorism.

"As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger: attempt to incapacitate the shooter. Act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter," Homeland's protocol advises.

I hope I'm never in that situation. I hope even more fervently that I'm never in that situation without a gun at my disposal.

On Tuesday, cleveland.com published a heartfelt column by State Sen. Kenny Yuko about his intention to vote against House Bill 48, a measure that would allow concealed carry into a number of new public places, including daycare centers and college campuses.

Yuko noted that as he wrote his commentary, word of the OSU attack had just been broadcast. The attack, however, didn't change his belief that guns have no place on college campuses.

"It is just too dangerous to allow concealed carry in high-risk areas when we cannot tell responsible gun owners from careless or malicious ones. House Bill 48 would force Ohioans to take that risk with the lives of their loved ones in new and often vulnerable territory," he wrote.

Tuesday afternoon Yuko told me his opposition against civilian guns on campus had only strengthened.

"This dangerous situation was resolved quickly and efficiently. But things could have turned out very different if the patrolman had arrived on the scene and saw 40 people standing around with guns in their hands. What happens when law enforcement can't determine the good guys from the bad guys?" he asked rhetorically.

Fair question.

However, this much is clear: A young refugee with a grudge, a car, and a knife came close to causing unimaginable suffering and death at Ohio's flagship university. Thank God a good guy with a gun was there to stop him.

But what about next time?
Donald Trump Geneva

Donald Trump arrives at an Oct. 27 campaign rally in Geneva, in Ashtabula County.

(Evan Vucci, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This November, Ohio Republicans running in local races saw widespread success, including winning in some places where they hadn't had much luck for a long time.

And while local Republicans say the victories reflect their hard work, it's hard not to tie the results to Donald Trump.

Overall, Republicans gained a net 33 county-level elected seats across the state, either by winning open seats previously held by Democrats or by knocking off Democratic incumbents. Republicans took control of three county commissions across the Ohio -- in Ashtabula, Belmont and Lake counties.

In doing so, Republican officials say they've dealt a blow to Democrats' efforts to build a farm team for future state-level races.

They also hope to have gained a foothold that would allow them to build on Trump's surprising landslide victory here in future elections.

"It's an opportunity for smaller Republican Parties that have been operating in historically heavily Democratic areas," said Belmont County Republican Party Chairman Chris Gagin. "For the first time, a lot of those folks are sort of open to our message. And that also is a challenge."

After being swept in state-level races in 2010 and 2014, Ohio Democrats have focused on building up local candidates, grooming them for future statewide races. Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper, a former Hamilton County commissioner who started his job in January 2015, acknowledged this year's election was a setback to these efforts, referred to as the party's "Main Street Initiative."

"I think given what happened, it's not surprising because of the turnout surge you saw in certain counties, but I don't think it represents a long-term shift," Pepper said. "At least if we do a good job."

Here's a quick look at each of the counties where Republicans took over the county commissions. Each in their own way represents a different aspect of the Ohio electorate.

About Belmont County

Belmont County, an Appalachian, coal and natural-gas producing area that borders West Virginia, used to be reliably Democratic, but increasingly has trended Republican in recent years.

Trump carried Belmont County, and Republicans won two county commission seats that were previously held by Democrats, including narrowly defeating Matt Coffland, an incumbent Gagin described as popular.

"In a more normal year, I probably would have expected him to retain his seat," Gagin said. "But [Republican challenger Josh Meyer] won by 141 votes. And that's what tells me that the Trump effect was definitely real."

County Republicans now control two of the three county commission seats, and will have the opportunity to build their brand at the local level if they can govern the county well, Gagin said.

"I know it's been 40 years since we had a single [county commissioner]," he said. "I'm not sure if we've ever had a majority."

About Lake County

In suburban Lake County, a swing county that tends to reflect statewide vote totals, Republicans won two seats, gaining a majority on the county commission for the first time since 1998.

One of the defeated candidates was Kevin Malecek, a 37-year-old up-and-comer whom the county Democratic Party appointed to the county commission in 2015 to fill a vacancy. He lost by about 2 points to John Hamercheck, a Madison village councilman who lost a bid for the county commission in 2012, and did not campaign heavily this year.

"This year, we had some nontraditional Republican voters voting in a lot of areas," said county GOP Chairman Dale Fellows. "And a lot of what we did was making sure" they were familiar with down-ballot Republican candidates, he said.

Fellows added: "By giving them an entree into voting Republican and then seeing the results down the line, that hopefully will bode well for them to be comfortable with voting for Republicans at all levels."

About Ashtabula County

In blue-collar Ashtabula County, a rural area where Democrats normally perform well, Republicans won two county commission seats, taking unanimous control of the county for the first time in recent memory. (Republicans held two seats at one point during the 1970s.)

"Some of the old-timers thought it may have happened in the 1940s or 1950s, but I haven't had a chance to look," said County Republican Party Chairman Charlie Frye.

By focusing on local, quality-of-life issues, and benefiting from Republican-leaning voters who are moving into a more suburban area of the county, the Ashtabula GOP gradually had been making inroads, Frye said.

In 2014, former state representative Casey Kozlowski was elected to the county commission. But the county was just two years removed from overwhelmingly voting for Democratic President Barack Obama for a second straight presidential race.

In 2016, Trump won the county by 19 points.

"Obviously the Trump effect expedited everything pretty substantially," Frye said.

Frye also said the county party embraced Trump, who held particular appeal to working-class voters there, at a time when other county parties approached him more apprehensively.

Frye said Ashtabula County voters are truly independent voters who have been frustrated by economic stagnation in the county, and were looking for a change.

"We embraced hard and early, and I think the ultimate result is when people went to vote, they went down-ticket and voted a straight Republican ballot," he said.

What it means

Pepper, the Ohio Democratic Party chair, said Democrats will have an opportunity to regroup for 2018. It's not unusual for the opposition party to make gains two years into a new president's term, and Pepper said he expects Trump will turn off swaths of the public once he assumes office.

Without a presidential candidate, the state party will have more control over honing a message that's specifically tailored toward Ohio voters, Pepper said. The 2018 slate will be topped by an as-yet unknown gubernatorial candidate and presumably, Sen. Sherrod Brown, who will face re-election.

"I think in 2017 and 2018, there will be a lot more control over that messaging and narrative from us at the state level, because there won't be a national race," Pepper said. "So I think the first thing we need to do is make sure all our candidates, and Sherrod Brown already does this, have a message that clearly gets across to people in places like Ashtabula County and Lake County that yes, Democrats are fighting for them."

In the event that 2018 proves to be a more challenging national political environment, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges said the GOP still will have the advantage.

"We will have strong, prepared candidates, backed by a state party that not only will prepare them to win, but that also has done a lot of damage to what Democrats might consider their farm team," Borges said. "So, hopefully we're putting ourselves in a position to win in the future."
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump waves to the crowd during a campaign rally, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, in Cincinnati.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Donald Trump picks Cincinnati to kick off a multi-state "thank you" tour. As House Democrats prepare to elect a leader, Tim Ryan voices confidence while Nancy Pelosi goes on the attack. And Sherrod Brown steps up his Trump criticism. Today's Ohio Politics Roundup is brought to you by Jeremy Pelzer.

Trump's victory lap to start in Ohio: "President-elect Donald Trump is kicking off a 'thank you' tour of swing states with an event in Cincinnati on Thursday," writes cleveland.com's Andrew J. Tobias. Officials told Bloomberg News that the event at U.S. Bank Arena is the first of a series of planned similar events in swing states.

Tim Ryan's big day: House Democrats are scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to remove Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader in favor of Niles-area Rep. Tim Ryan. As cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton reports, Ryan predicted he's within "striking distance" of Pelosi and that "a lot of people are going to be surprised by the vote."

Uphill battle: But Pelosi said she's secured backing from two-thirds of the caucus, while a dozen or so lawmakers are publicly supporting Ryan. Ryan hasn't raised a lot of money for colleagues while serving in Congress, nor served in a lesser leadership post. But as Eaton writes, Ryan "pitches himself as the best candidate to lead its turnaround because of his appeal to the working class, Rust Belt voters the party must win back to lead to a majority in Congress."

Pelosi goes on offense: On Monday, Pelosi mocked Ryan's argument that he can better attract blue-collar voters, telling the Huffington Post's Jennifer Bendery, "He didn't even carry his district for Hillary Clinton, so I don't know why he's saying that."

She also strongly denied Ryan's claim that her proposed internal changes - adding a freshman member to leadership, opening up the job of assistant Democratic leader to more members - are designed only to strengthen her grip on power. "It's so completely not true that it's almost pathetic," she said.

A gravelly voice of opposition: Three weeks after Trump's victory, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has quickly become a consistent critic of the president-elect, writes the Columbus Dispatch's Jessica Wehrman. Most recently, the Ohio Democrat urged Trump to retract a tweet claiming that millions voted illegally in the election, calling the allegation "downright dangerous to democracy." Brown also blasted Trump for picking Rep. Tom Price of Georgia as secretary of health and human services.

Trump University: The University of Akron plans to offer a new course next spring called "Trump's Triumph" that will examine the president-elect's policies and how he won the 2016 election, cleveland.com's Mary Kilpatrick reports. Kent State University, meanwhile, is already set to offer a class next semester on Hillary Clinton.

Mary Taylor's new Beau: Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor's political committee has hired a new finance director - Beau Euton, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's longtime vice president of membership. As the Columbus Dispatch's Randy Ludlow reports, Euton said she left the chamber because of Taylor's "positive" chances to be elected governor in 2018.

E-schools fight to keep state funding: "ECOT, Ohio's largest online school, has lost a court appeal that would have blocked the state from trying to 'claw back' as much as $65 million the school received last year," writes The Plain Dealer's Patrick O'Donnell. The ruling comes as e-schools around Ohio are asking lawmakers to pass lame-duck legislation to stop the state from using attendance reviews to withhold millions in state funding.

The case for mayor's courts: There are few more reviled political institutions in Ohio these days than mayor's courts, which are portrayed by critics as cash cows for small towns with little state oversight. But as cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt finds, mayor's courts usually charge lower fees, have a more convenient hearing schedule, and more money from fines stays in the area, among other reasons. In addition, she adds, "eliminating mayor's courts won't solve the problem of high or varying court costs."

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @JPelzer
Cuba Fidel Castro

A woman looks from her balcony in Havana, Cuba on Monday as Cubans began bidding farewell to Fiedal Castro, the man who ruled the island for nearly half a century. Cuba's government declared nine days of national mourning following Castro's death Friday night at age 90. Ted Diadiun writes good riddance about the dictator who was a thorn in America's side for so many years -- and wonders why President Obama wouldn't also say so after Castro's death.

(Desmond Boylan, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND -- Fidel Castro is dead, and it's about time. Good riddance to him.

As an additional gift on the occasion of this long-overdue moment of relief in world history, Castro's Friday demise afforded us an opportunity to contrast the way our outgoing president responded to the news with the reaction of our incoming president.

It is instructive.

President Barack Obama has handled his role over the last eight years with consistent dignity and class, of that there is no doubt. And there will be days in the future when even the hard right will long for a time when their president was less personally combative with his political and ideological opponents, and didn't react to every criticism with an emotional Tweet.

Yet, there are times when I want my president to stand up and speak passionately for this country and against our enemies, and to call things by their real names.

This was one of those times. Obama's reaction to Castro's death embodies what I will not miss about him, while President-elect Donald Trump's comments signal a welcome change in attitude.

Let us be clear: Castro was one of the great villains of modern history.

He and his lieutenants executed and imprisoned thousands of his countrymen over the last 57 years for doing little more than disagreeing with him. He sent many other Cubans fleeing on desperate ocean escape attempts that many did not survive, and sentenced most of the rest to lives of poverty and servitude behind the closed borders of the Cuban workers' paradise.

Much of America had cheered in the late '50s when Castro led the rebellion that ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista, promising freedom and democracy. Instead he embraced the Soviet Union and established a ruinous communist dictatorship that went far beyond anything Batista ever dreamed of. He squashed freedom of expression and religion in his own country, did his best to spread communism throughout Latin America, and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war in 1962 by inviting the Soviets to use Cuba as a nuclear missile launching pad.

In the wake of that wretched historical record, Obama, who last spring used his executive power to defy Congress and end more than five decades of diplomatic and economic boycott against the Castro regime, offered up a measured, conciliatory statement:

"At this time of Fidel Castro's passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people," Obama said. "We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him."

He finished by offering condolences to Castro's family, along with his thoughts and prayers to the Cuban people.

"Altered the course of lives and families" is an interesting way of describing the despotic Castro regime. You would have thought Obama was talking about the pope.

Trump, after predictably firing off a hasty Tweet that simply said, "Fidel Castro is dead!" gathered himself and said what likely most Americans - and certainly most Cuban Americans - were thinking: that the occasion marked "the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades."

"Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights,"

said.

In extending his own olive branch, he didn't sugarcoat the past, saying that "it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long," and that his administration "will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty."

It was refreshing, after eight years of apologies to America's enemies and spurning of our friends, to read such a human, forthright dismissal of a man who has been our sworn enemy for more than half a century.

Obama wasn't alone on the left, of course, in his revisionist downplaying of Castro's malevolent legacy.

Ex-President Jimmy Carter was his usual tone-deaf self: "Rosalynn and I share our sympathies with the Castro family and the Cuban people on the death of Fidel Castro. We remember fondly our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country. We wish the Cuban people peace and prosperity in the years ahead."

And Jill Stein, serial Green Party presidential candidate, went all the way, taking time out from her quest for an election recount to Tweet this pearl about the departed dictator, as the 1.2 million people who voted for her (we can only hope) hung their heads in shame:

"Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire."

Fidel Castro was a symbol of the struggle for justice in the shadow of empire. Presente!  Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) November 27, 2016

That is a comment that would cry out for ridicule if the subject were remotely funny. Contrast it with Cuban American Senator Marco Rubio's CNN interview, calling Castro an "evil, murderous dictator who inflicted misery and suffering on his own people."

Many people on the left are still reeling in disbelief over the recent election results. Embedded in the above comments is yet another reason why that happened.

Ted Diadiun is a member of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

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trump.nytimes.jpg

President-elect Donald Trump visits The New York Times building in New York City. Could this all be God's will moving in mysterious ways? writes Garrison Keillor.

(Mark Lennihan, Associated Press)

Garrison Keillor

So many Trumpists have written in since the election, and I am grateful for their interest and also impressed by the sheer variety of their profanity. I never learned to swear that well because by the time my mother died, at 97, it was too late for me to learn. I gather from the letters that their lives were devastated by the advent of gay marriage, political correctness, the threat of gun control, the arrogance of liberals -- and now a champion rises from Fifth Avenue & 56th Street and God forbid that any dog should bark when he speaks or any pigeon drop white matter on his limousine.

What the letter-writers don't grasp is that cursing is highly effective in person -- someone kicks his car in rage, forgetting he's wearing flip-flops, and flames pour from his mouth, it's impressive. But you see it in print and it's just ugly. It makes you pity the writer's wife.

Trump Tower tourism in New York City.

It's not good form to curse at someone you've just defeated. That is why the president-elect made it clear he would not be waterboarding Hillary or sending her back to Mexico. He was gracious in victory and said the Clintons are "good people."

Several of his biggest applause lines seem to have been put back in the box. And his base is faced with the possibility that they may have elected a Manchurian. They know that he was a Democrat for most of his life and that the sight of Adam and Steve holding hands does not fill him with loathing. He is, after all, a New Yorker; he's not from Tulsa. He likes drama. Maybe he'll appoint his sister to the Supreme Court. Maybe he would rather row than wade. Maybe the Republicans will privatize the Pentagon and maybe the Chinese will be the low bidder. Why not run the Marines like a business? Put the "deal" back into "idealism."

Meanwhile, Mr. Christie waits for the prosecutor to call and summon him to a low-ceilinged room with fluorescent lights and ask him pointed questions for the good man to answer under oath and say the same things he's said in public, that he had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with those orange highway cones.

Meanwhile, Mr. Giuliani waits for his phone to ring, the mayor who put his Emergency Command Center on the 23rd floor of the World Trade Center, over the objections of the police department, and later started his own security consulting company. This is a new level of chutzpah. This is like the captain of the Titanic, had he survived, writing a book about the art of navigation.

My first election was 1948, when we stayed up late listening to returns on a Zenith radio, in our basement home in the cornfields north of Minneapolis. Mother was content with Harry Truman's victory, believing that he cared about the poor, and Dad was dubious of politicians in general and Democrats in particular. It was interesting for a child to sense this division, though they were gentle people and evangelical Christians who refrained from voting on the assumption that the Lord was in charge and would put into power whomever He wished. If you voted, you might vote against the Lord's Will.

Their reasoning seemed shaky to me -- it seemed to argue that one should not get out of bed in the morning lest you eat the wrong cereal for breakfast -- but I've inherited some of their fatalism. Maybe God did choose this bloated narcissist and compulsive liar and con man to be president, and maybe He will send a couple of Corinthians to light his pathway.

I have my doubts. You grow up to be skeptical of the hormone treatment that eliminates wrinkles, the metal detector that will locate buried treasure, the school that will teach you the secrets of getting rich, the great leader who will make the country great again.

But it does seem like the very thing God might do. Put an idiot in charge and cluster his clueless children around him and a coterie of old hacks and opportunists and thereby teach us haughty journalists a lesson. God made Balaam's donkey open its mouth and say, "Quit hitting me, stupid." And if He could do that, He could make this moose a halfway decent president.

Meanwhile, blessings on all who cursed me. May you thrive and prosper. I hope you have not cursed your children.

Garrison Keillor is an author, entertainer and former host of "A Prairie Home Companion." (Washington Post News Service with Bloomberg News) (c) Garrison Keillor

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WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia - There are no bright blinking lights in Colonial Williamsburg, no giant Christmas trees, no Santa Claus interpreters scoping out town chimneys.

And yet, there are numerous ways to celebrate the holidays in the one-time capital of colonial Virginia:

* A horse-drawn carriage ride through town.

* A feast on period fare at one of four historic taverns.

* A candlelight concert at Bruton Parish Church, built 300 years ago, or another historic venue.

If you're looking for an old-fashioned holiday getaway, you can't get much more authentic than Colonial Williamsburg, the living history museum in southeast Virginia.

Yes (thankfully), there are plenty of modern touches around town - an outdoor ice-skating rink, credit-card approved shopping venues, central heat in the hotels - but the vibe here is unmistakably early American.

Modern-day visitors share the streets with revolutionaries in tricorn hats and ladies in long red cloaks.

Among the holiday highlights for my 21st-century crew: Listening to new President George Washington issue a proclamation for a national day of thanks on Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789.

Washington, in his sixth month as head of state, gave thanks to God for the nascent U.S. government, for victory over the British and "for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed."

A Williamsburg Christmas

Where: Williamsburg is about 500 miles southeast of Cleveland, an eight-plus hour drive. The closest airports are in Newport News and Richmond, Virginia.

Admission:

Single-day tickets are $40.99 for adults, $20.49 ages 6-12, and provide access to all the historic buildings in town. Deep discounts are available if you stay at a Williamsburg-owned hotel. A ticket is not needed to stroll through town, visit the shops and dine in the restaurants.

Holiday happenings:

The next several weeks are packed with holiday fun, including concerts, reenactments, teas, storytelling, special tours, festive meals and more. For a complete list:

.

Where to stay:

We stayed at the Woodlands Hotel & Suites, one of four hotels owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. We paid about $170 per night in mid-November, which included admission to the historic area. The elegant Williamsburg Inn, built in the 1930s, is a more luxurious option, with rooms starting at about $400. The foundation also rents out historic homes to overnight guests. Information:

.

Where to eat:

Dine at least once in one of Williamsburg's historic taverns, with period menu items, waitstaff in colonial attire, strolling musicians and more. The food is reasonably good and the experience is not-to-be-missed. For a more contemporary dining atmosphere, head to Merchants Square, adjacent to the colonial district. Sandwiches at

are legendary.

Holiday shopping:

There are numerous shops within the historic district offering period items, including clothing, cookware, toys, jewelry and more. The Merchants Square area offers more contemporary shopping options, including the Christmas Shop, the Peanut Shop of Williamsburg, Wythe Candy, the William & Mary Bookstore, Talbots, Williams-Sonoma and more. Information:

.

More information:

,

Amen to that.

(Point of fact: Washington gave the speech in New York City, not Williamsburg, where he served as a member of the House of Burgesses for 15 years before the Revolutionary War. But that's a quibble.)

We also enjoyed:

* Sips of super-rich hot chocolate at R. Charlton's Coffeehouse, which, 250 years ago, served Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other members of Virginia's colonial government, who met across the street at the Capitol building. We could choose from chocolate, tea or coffee, but no rum -- which was the most popular drink here among the colonists.

* A candlelit dinner at Shields Tavern, one of seven licensed taverns in Williamsburg during the mid-1700s. Among our fare: crayfish and shrimp stew, pork roast and stewed chicken (my guess is there was not a cheeseburger on the menu back then, but my daughter could not be dissuaded).

* Tours of the Capitol, Governor's Palace and the original, brick residence of George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and early teacher of Jefferson. It is restored to the time period of September 1781, when Washington took up residence here to plan his Siege of Yorktown.

Colonial Williamsburg, stretching across about 300 acres, includes 88 original, 18th-century buildings, along with dozens of newer structures, many of which were reconstructed on their original sites.

The living museum was the brainchild of W.A.R. Goodwin, pastor of Bruton Parish Church, and a professor at the College of William and Mary in the 1920s.

Concerned about deteriorating historic buildings in the former colonial capital (which moved to Richmond in 1780), Goodwin approached Cleveland-born philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., son of the founder of Standard Oil, and asked for help. Rockefeller ultimately donated more than $60 million to the cause.

Colonial Williamsburg, now the nation's largest living history museum, opened to the public in 1932.

The celebration of Christmas posed a bit of a problem from the very beginning, as Williamsburg the town was being converted to Williamsburg the museum.

Community residents - the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation still rents homes in the historic district to employees and others - wanted to continue to decorate their properties for the holidays. Historians, however, discovered that colonial Virginians didn't decorate much for Christmas.

"There might have been a little bit of mistletoe, some holly in a vessel near the fireplace," said Jennifer DeFratis, a Williamsburg training specialist and an expert on colonial Christmas. "The whole Christmas tree thing doesn't come around till much later, with Queen Victoria. The Germans are doing it, the English are not."

So historians came up with a compromise - and the wreath tradition was born, inspired by the Colonial Revival movement that was in full swing in the early 20th century.

Williamsburg wreaths have been beloved since the 1930s, with elaborate, all-natural creations decking the doors and entryways of homes and other buildings throughout town. Among the materials used: apples, pinecones, oranges, cinnamon sticks, oyster shells and artichokes.

DeFratis said the tradition is not colonial in the slightest: "The colonists would have never ever nailed fruit to their doors like we do. It would have been a complete waste," she said.

Still, the effect is lovely - and what's a bit of historical inaccuracy in the pursuit of holiday cheer?

For a more authentic look at holiday decor, head to Bassett Hall, former home to John D. Rockefeller Jr. and wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.

The house - extremely modest, by Rockefeller standards - was built in the mid-1750s by Philip Johnson, a member of the House of Burgesses. Originally just four rooms, it was expanded in the 1770s and again in the 1930s, after the Rockefellers bought it.

The couple traveled here twice a year, in spring and fall, frequently inviting college students or soldiers training at nearby Camp Peary for dinner.

"It was their favorite house, the only place they felt like normal people," said tour guide Nancy Hale.

Abby Rockefeller died in 1948, her husband in 1960; in 1979, the Rockefeller family donated the house to Colonial Williamsburg, with the stipulation that it be opened to the public.

Unlike Williamsburg's other buildings, restored and furnished to the colonial era, Bassett Hall remains as it did in the 1940s, largely as the Rockefellers left it - from Abby Rockefeller's extensive folk art collection to the couple's twin beds in their second-floor bedroom.

The house, too, is one of few in the historic district that gets to decorate for the holidays. It wasn't up when I toured the hall the day before Thanksgiving, but I'm told there will even be a Christmas tree.
South Korea's promise to host advanced American missile defense technology on its soil may fall apart following President Park Geun-hye's de-facto resignation.



In July, Park's ruling Saenuri party agreed to host the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD), designed to shoot down ballistic missiles, as a counter to the growing sophistication of North Korea's weapons program.

Seoul and Pyongyang fought a three-year conflict that ended with a ceasefire in 1953. But North Korea issues frequent threats to its southern neighbor. In September, North Korea said it tested a miniaturized nuclear warhead that was reportedly the country's largest test to date.

Park's embrace of THAAD angered China and Russia, who contend its deployment on the Korean Peninsula threatens their respective national security interests.

South Korea's main opposition parties, the People's Party and Minjoo Party, are also opposed to THAAD, claiming that it won't effectively protect against the North, while seriously damaging relations with Beijing.

"The opposition has long believed that a confrontational stance toward the North is counterproductive, and needs to be balanced with greater engagement," explained Stephan Haggard, director of the Korea-Pacific program at the University of California San Diego.

The opposition's stance has some public support; the southern town of Seongju was chosen as the site for THAAD deployment but local citizens have rallied against the idea amid concerns about their homes becoming military targets.



Opposition politicians also don't wish to anger the world's second largest economy and Seoul's largest trading partner, Haggard added.

But with President Park now headed towards the exit door, the opposition has a chance of winning greater political control and that could threaten THAAD's future.

On Tuesday, Park announced she was relinquishing her powers amid her alleged involvement in an influence-peddling offense that sparked large-scale anti-government protests. Parliament, known as the National Assembly in South Korea, will now be deciding Park's fate, including whether she resigns before her original term ends in February 2018.

Presidential elections were originally slated for December 2017 but if parliament decides that Park's official resignation will take place in March or April, elections could be pushed forward to mid-year, Nomura said in a Tuesday note.

Park can't resign immediately as that would result in an election within the next 60 days, and neither the ruling nor opposition parties currently have strong candidates.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name billionaire Wilbur Ross secretary of commerce, NBC News confirmed.

He could be named to the position as early as Wednesday, a transition official told NBC.

Ross, the 78-year-old billionaire head of W.L. Ross, has built is reputation as a so-called vulture investor, swooping in to rescue failing companies across a number of industries.

More significantly in recent days, he has been a close adviser for Trump as the Republican puts together a team for his new administration that begins in January. Ross left Trump Tower on Tuesday smiling while wearing a camouflage patterned "Make America Great Again" hat.

The appointment also represents another insider pick for a candidate who promised to bring outsiders in to fix what ails Washington. Ross has made what is estimated by Forbes to be a $2.9 billion fortune by saving companies in a variety of sectors, including steel and coal.

Before starting his own firm, Ross for 25 years led Rothschild's bankruptcy practice. He has praised Trump for promising a "more radical, new approach to government."

 CNBC contributed to this report
The incoming Trump Administration and United Technologies (UTX) have reached an agreement that will keep close to 1,000 jobs at Carrier Corp., which is owned by UTX, in Indiana.



Carrier had planned to move production from a key factory in that state to Mexico, taking with it the roughly 1,400 jobs of those who work at the Indiana plant.



But shortly after CNBC revealed that Donald Trump was expected to travel to Indiana on Thursday to announce that a deal had been reached, Carrier itself confirmed the agreement.

We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.



Later still, the President-elect tweeted that it was a "big day on Thursday for Indiana."

I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis. Great deal for workers!



Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier

Under a deal negotiated by Vice President-elect Mike Pence and UTX CEO Greg Hayes, the company will now keep most of those jobs in Indiana, sources close to the matter told CNBC.

While terms of the deal are not yet clear, the sources indicated there were new incentives on offer from the state of Indiana, where Pence is governor, that helped clear a path for the agreement.

While UTX was seeking the savings that would come from moving some production to Mexico, people familiar with the situation indicated that the savings were not worth incurring the wrath of the incoming administration, including the potential threat to the significant business that UTX currently conducts with the U.S. government, largely in the form of orders for jet engines and other defense-related equipment.



Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee and Trump's chief of staff, called it a great deal.

Trump had made the expected departure of the Carrier jobs a key theme in his campaign to capture the White House, using it as an example of the type of trade relationship that hurt U.S. workers.



On Thanksgiving Day, Trump tweeted that he was making progress on negotiating a deal with UTX.



CNBC broke the story of the agreement first on Twitter.

Trump Admin and $UTX reach agreement on keeping close to 1000 factory jobs in Carrier plant in Indiana- sources.



Deal terms to keep Carrier jobs in Indiana include new inducements from state. Deal spear headed by former Indiana Gov Pence.



@realDonaldTrump will visit Indiana on Thursday to announce deal to keep most of Carrier jobs in Indiana.- sources.



The close to 1000 jobs being kept by $UTX at Carrier in Indiana are from the roughly 1400 that were expected to be lost in move to Mexico.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


Vendors sell vegetables, birch bark juice, jam and other preserves on April 9, 2016, in Demydiv, Ukraine. Demydiv is south of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, whose reactor number four exploded on April 26, 1986, in the world's worst civilian nuclear accident.

While many rural towns across Eastern Europe face economic struggle, the Ukrainian region of Polesia, 200 miles east of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site, has become something of a boomtown for foragers seeking mushrooms and berries  nearly all of which are contaminated with radiation.



It has become a good, if unlikely, business, and helped Ukraine become a berry exporter to the European Union, University of Maryland historian Kate Brown writes in the magazine Aeon.

Brown notes that in 2015, Ukraine exported 1,300 tons of fresh berries and 17,251 tons of frozen berries to the European market. That is more than 30 times as much as in 2014.



The berry picking brings in money for locals as well. A picker can earn $20 to $30 a day, whereas a local schoolteacher earns $80 a month.

However, Brown also says there could be some hidden costs  the berries end up in the hands of European customers who often do not know they are ingesting foods containing radioactive isotopes. In addition, Brown notes, the berries can be labeled organic, since radioactivity is not covered under common organic designations.

And the locals who are harvesting the berries may be suffering the effects of accumulated radiation. There is evidence of higher rates of certain birth defects and diseases in some of the areas affected by the disaster.

To be sure, the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said radiation levels in Polesia are too low to cause health problems other than a "slight rise in the chance of cancer," Brown said.

A nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded in 1986, spewing tons of radioactive material into the air, and contaminating an area of thousands of miles around the reactor, spanning parts of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. On Tuesday, engineers placed a 32,000-ton arch over the site in an attempt to contain any other radioactive material that might make its way out.

The arch, known as the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement, is considered a feat of engineering, in part because safety demanded that the massive structure be built away from the site and then moved into place.

It seems more than a bit late to be building a structure around the site 30 years after the accident, but the structure is designed as an improvement over an existing one that was hastily built to contain seeping radiation. The new structure is meant to prevent against extreme weather, withstand earthquakes and seal off remaining sources of radiation, such as contaminated water that could leak out of the site. Further improvements are expected to make the structure airtight.

Some Polesian locals Brown interviewed appeared more concerned with eking out a living than with radiation levels in foraged food. One told her, "'OK, say the mushrooms have Chernobyl, we still pick them and eat them. We don't look. We don't pay attention to where the radiation is. We eat everything without boundaries. You go to a marketplace and hear: 'Oh, Chernobyl, Chernobyl,' but we have no Chernobyl. There is no Chernobyl for us. I work, I live, I carry on.' "

Though more than 100,000 people closest to the accident were resettled by Soviet authorities, villages a bit further out remained, eventually falling into neglect and economic decline as the Soviet Union fell apart. Authorities also discouraged foraging in contaminated forests, and still do. But as the years have worn on, the warnings have been heeded less and less.

CNBC reported in 2015 that some scientists were seeing the return of many animal species to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the area immediately around the nuclear plant entirely devoid of humans.

And two Chinese companies, Golden Concord and China National Complete Engineering, are reportedly making investments in the zone: They are planning to build a solar farm.
Cannabis-based products for pets are becoming a growing trend in Toronto, CBC News reported Wednesday.

Three Vancouver companies told CBC Toronto there is a lot of demand from people looking to move away from traditional medicines.

One dispensary owner told the publication that although the main ingredient is derived from pot, pets won't get high from the products.

"We sell straight CBD tinctures with absolutely zero THC. There are no psychotropic effects, only the medicinal benefits of CBD," the owner said.

He explained that CBD oil can be used to treat ailments such as inflammation, mood disorders, seizures and chronic pain in humans. He said it can help pets with the same problems, but without the intoxicating effects of THC.



Read the CBC News full report here.
President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney dine at Jean Georges restaurant, November 29, 2016 in New York City.

A dinner between President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney turned into a Twitter caption contest late Tuesday night.

Trump met with Romney at the Jean-Georges restaurant in Manhattan amid speculation that the former Massachusetts governor could be selected as secretary of state. The pair was joined by Reince Priebus, Trump's top pick for chief of staff.

Following the dinner Romney praised the president-elect, saying that he has "increasing hope" that Trump can lead the country to a "better future."

Photos of the dinner surfaced on social media sites following the meeting, prompting users to post their own commentary about how the evening went.

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The widow of legendary journalist and hell-raiser Hunter S. Thompson is working on cloning the writer's personal marijuana stash so it can be sold on the mass market.

Anita Thompson, who married Hunter in 2003 two years before his suicide, said in a post on her Facebook page that she had found a legal method to extract the DNA from the author's personal marijuana and hashish stash that she had saved for 12 to 15 years.



"I am in the process of making the strains available to those who would like to enjoy the authentic Gonzo strains in legal states," she said in the post. "I am looking forward to making the authentic strains available in legal states to support the farm and the scholarships."


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Italian citizens will vote on constitutional reform on Sunday in what is seen by many analysts as the most significant European political event of 2016. Yes, even bigger than Brexit.



What are Italian citizens voting on?

Constitutional reform. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is campaigning for a "yes" victory in an effort to make it easier to govern the nation moving forwards.

The reforms would remove power from the Senate and mean that proposed laws would only require the approval of the lower house of parliament, as opposed to the current system which requires approval from both houses.

Renzi has even gambled his political future on the referendum having said he would resign if a "yes" vote is rejected.

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A "no" vote, as championed by populist party Five Star Movement (5SM), would block the reforms to streamline Italy's public administration and would mean the extensive checks currently required stay in place.

Francesco Oggiano, the author of "Beppo Grillo Parlante", told CNBC on November 14 that he believed 5SM's opposition to the proposed reforms boils down to a new electoral system perceived to be attached to the reforms.

"According to the 5SM, people won't be able to choose their own representatives in the parliament and this is the most important point," Oggiano explained.

"The result (of a 'yes' victory) would be a parliament full of bureaucrats chosen from their parties that, once elected, will just get to satisfy their leader instead of people's needs," he added.

Will the reforms be accepted or rejected?

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The latest opinion polls, published before a two-week blackout phase of polling in Italy, indicated a 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent in favor of the "no" camp.

Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, said in a note on Tuesday he believed the likelihood is that Italy's citizens would reject the reforms.

"Some whispers suggest that more than half of the up to 20 percent of undecided voters may back Renzi in the end," Schmieding said.

"Also, many of the rebellious young people who oppose Renzi may not bother to vote. Whereas the outcome is thus no foregone conclusion, I put the probability of a 'no' vote at 60 percent," he added.

What happens after the result is announced?

Whatever happens, Adolfo Laurenti, global economist at J. Safra Sarasin, described the post-referendum scenario in a note as "uninspiring".

"While the reform has some intrinsic merits, the domestic debate is centered on the effort to unseat the prime minister. At the same time, financial markets see the vote as a test of the appetite of reform in the country," he concluded. Analysts from Barclays published a note on Monday to forecast the circumstances in the aftermath of a "yes" or "no" outcome.

If the referendum is approved and the majority of voters opt for "yes" on Sunday, then the U.K. bank expects Renzi to stay on as prime minister, for the voting system to be amended and for an election to take place in the second or third quarter of 2017.

Barclays analysts also anticipated a resilient market reaction on Monday with little movement in Italian spreads.

If the reforms are rejected and the outcome of the referendum is "no" then Barclays analysts anticipate Renzi will resign, the voting system to be modified in order to avoid a hung parliament, early elections to be called in the second or third quarter of 2017 and for Italian spreads to perform poorly in the following day's trading.

Could this spark an early election?

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Definitely a maybe. Larissa Brunner, analyst for Western Europe at think tank Oxford Analytica, argued that the likelihood of a snap election as a consequence of the referendum is totally reliant on the outcome.

"If the outcome is a win for the 'no' camp, which appears the most likely, then it is dependent on the margin of the victory. Any clear victory for the 'no' camp would mean an election is inevitable," Brunner told CNBC in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Should a national election be called in Italy in 2017 then 5SM appear to stand a strong chance of winning the majority of votes.

Opinion polls suggest they are five percentage points behind Renzi's Democratic Party, however, a referendum loss, party infighting and even a potential split could hand the initiative to 5SM.

"(In the context of Europe), if Renzi wins then he may well become more confrontational and stretch EU deficit laws even further while pursuing a more expansionary monetary policy which could be interesting but if he loses  Well, it's anyone's guess," Brunner concluded.

How vulnerable are Italy's banks?
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Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney offered effusive praise for President-elect Donald Trump's "impressive" transition effort and "message of inclusion" following their dinner together Tuesday night  a striking change of heart by a man who once called Donald Trump "a phony, a fraud." The dinner was Romney's second meeting with Trump as part of the president-elect's interview process for deciding who to nominate as Secretary of State. Romney remains a top contender, along with longtime Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Bob Corker and several others. Trump also met with Corker on Tuesday at Trump Tower. Speaking to reporters gathered at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan, Romney gushed about the "wonderful" evening he had with the president-elect, where they were joined by incoming Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus as they dined on steak, frog legs and scallops.





'Enlightening and interesting and engaging'

Romney described the dinner's conversation as "enlightening and interesting and engaging," before going on to praise the president-elect for besting him in the race for the White House.

"It's not easy winning. I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. He won the general election," Romney said. And he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way." More from NBC News:

Will Trump Join GOP's Voter ID Push From the White House?

Steven Mnuchin, Wilbur Ross Expected as Trump's Picks for Treasury, Commerce Heads

Donald Trump Proposes Two Illegal Responses to Flag Burning

Romney said he has been "impressed by what I have seen in the transition effort," praising his selections as "solid, effective, capable people." Romney added that America's "best days are ahead of us," that their meetings, the president-elect's comments during his victory night speech and his Cabinet and adviser picks "give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future."



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Sen. Jeff Merkley slammed Donald Trump's selection of Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary on Wednesday.

"This man is an expert on how to make money in predatory lending and putting him in charge  it is absolutely the opposite of draining the swamp. It is filling the swamp with a swamp monster No. 1 who is an expert on how to take it to low-income families," Merkley said Wednesday on CNBC's "Squawk Alley." "It really is the opposite of what Trump said he was going to do."

The Trump transition team and Mnuchin did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Merkley's remarks.



Mnuchin, who was finance chairman for Trump's presidential campaign, is a Wall Street veteran, having spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs . His impending nomination seems at odds with Trump's populist campaign rhetoric for downtrodden blue-collar workers.

Some are concerned that Mnuchin would roll back regulations that were drafted in the wake of the Great Recession, such as the Dodd-Frank Act. The former banking executive told CNBC on Wednesday morning that stripping parts of Dodd-Frank "will be the No. 1 priority on the regulatory side." Such legislation was passed with the goal of protecting consumers and preventing another collapse of a major financial institution like Lehman Brothers.

"If you want somebody to dismantle the protections for consumers, he's just the guy to do it," said Merkley, D-Ore., who serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
Clue, an app that tracks women's menstrual cycles and predicts when they may be in pain, has raised $20 million, led by the venture capital (VC) arm of Finnish network equipment maker Nokia . Users can input details about their menstrual cycles, then the algorithm will learn and can predict when a woman is most fertile and when they may be in pain. Its website states that it can help if you "want to get pregnant, be prepared for your next period or understand your mood swings." The app was launched in mid-2013 and earlier this year reported about 5 million monthly active users. It hasn't disclosed the latest figures, but Clue founder Ida Tin said the user base is "growing very nicely."



Nokia Growth Partners, the VC arm of Nokia, led the round with existing investors Union Square Ventures, Mosaic Ventures, Brigitte Mohn and Christophe Maire also participating.



Integration with Nokia

Clue could be of strategic importance to Nokia which has been trying to expand into new areas such as virtual reality and health care. Earlier this year, Nokia announced the acquisition of fitness wearable gadget maker Withings for 170 million euros ($181.35 million). Withings Chief Executive Cedric Hutchings became head of Nokia's digital health business with the company citing its strength in "preventive health and patient care". This is where German start-up Clue could feed in. Tin said that initial discussions regarding how Clue could work with Withings has been discussed but nothing has been decided. "A company like Withings is interesting. We need to meet the parents first so we haven't started connecting to other portfolio companies. We have talked about it (working together), I'm sure it will happen but nothing concrete yet," Tin told CNBC in a phone interview.

International expansion

Michael H | Getty Images
Financial markets are on edge Wednesday as the 14-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna wavers on a plan announced nearly two months ago to cut crude oil output, though there are expectations "a deal of some sort" may be pushed through to salvage the situation, said a Sydney-based wealth manager.

"OPEC's message has to arrest the thought process that we are going back into a bear market," Ayers Alliance Securities chief investment officer, Jonathan Barratt, told CNBC's "Street Signs".

Global crude prices trended higher on Wednesday amid conflicting remarks by ministers attending the Vienna talks, that called into question OPEC's ability to come to agreement about a cut in production agreed to in September, with the details for each country to be worked out by Nov. 30.
Like household income in the United States, subtle changes have concentrated economic clout in a much smaller group of companies at the top of the stack. Fewer companies control half of the net income, assets, cash, cash flow, dividends and total payouts than did a few decades ago  for example, 89 companies accounted for half of income in 1995, but in 2015 just 30 made up the same percentage.



"Fewer firms are public," said Ohio State University's Rene Stulz, who co-authored the new paper with Kathleen Kahle of the University of Arizona. "That's a problem for investors because, while they can easily invest in public firms, they can't in nonpublic firms. Few employees have access to investments in private firms through their 401(k)."

The problem isn't simply that fewer companies are opting to make initial public offerings in the first place. There has also been an increase in the number of firms that are delisting, often because the biggest firms have scooped them up in one of the recent waves of merger activity, according to another working paper written by Stulz and others. As smaller companies exit public markets or stay private, the market that's left behind is made up of companies that are on average bigger and older.

The data show that the listings decline is a U.S. phenomenon  most other developed countries haven't had trouble keeping up their number public listings. A likely explanation is that it's much easier today for small companies to get private funding, so there is little need for a small company to expose itself to public scrutiny and the set costs of being listed. While staying private isn't itself a bad thing, the decline of a robust public market in the U.S. is a serious issue.

"It is also bad for transparency, as more firms are hidden," said Stulz. "It is much better for capitalism and democracy if firms want to be public and benefit from being public."

The benefits of listing tend to increase as a company gets bigger. At the same time, the number of public firms has shrunk, the aggregate market capitalization of the market has grown substantially, meaning that each remaining public company is much larger than the equivalent company in 1975 or 1995. A wide variety of indicators also suggest that positive performance is much more concentrated in a smaller number of companies, according to the paper. That means that a few companies account for most of the income, assets, etc., across the entire selection of public companies.
Saudi Arabia's minister of energy told CNBC that he was relatively optimistic that OPEC could agree a deal to curtail oil production at a crucial meeting on Wednesday even though his Iranian counterpart was quick to stress that a deal has not been reached just yet.



Member countries of the oil-producing cartel are meeting in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday to discuss terms of a potential deal to cut oil production in an effort to prop up prices that have fallen by more than half since 2014 due to global oversupply. OPEC is hoping to secure a cut in its oil production from 33.8 million barrels a day (b/d) to between 32.5 million b/d and 33 million b/d.

"I hope that we will have a deal but we will not know until the end of the month," Khalid Al Falih, Saudi Arabian minister of energy, told CNBC ahead of the OPEC meeting on Wednesday.

"We're hoping for 600,000 (barrels per day to be cut) from non-OPEC (countries) so that is going to be a substantial volume that will bring health back into the market," he added.


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The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Wednesday committed its fractious members to their first oil production limits in eight years. Now comes the hard part. OPEC has agreed to cut production by about 1.2 million barrels per day, or about 4.5 percent of current production, to 32.5 million barrels per day. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia faces the unenviable tasks of policing cartel members and keeping crude prices within a range that will relieve pressure on oil-producing countries' economies, but which will dissuade non-OPEC producers from increasing output. Analysts broadly expect an agreement to boost oil prices above $50 a barrel and keep them there. Prices have wavered between about $40 and $54 since the spring. Commodity watchers also believe the deal will set up a long-awaited balance between oil supply and demand in the first half of next year. The market has been oversupplied for more than two years, by as much as 2 million barrels a day.



The OPEC producers are close to being capped out, and the ones that do have significant spare capacity continue to face security problems that will likely imperil any ramp-up plans in the near term. research note RBC Capital Markets

But OPEC now has a difficult needle to thread. Oil rigs began popping up in U.S. oil fields when prices approached $50 a barrel, and analysts believe high-cost producers outside OPEC will further ramp up production if crude prices rise above $55 a barrel. That includes U.S. shale drillers, which have built a backlog of partially completed wells in anticipation of a price recovery. Once prices rise, they could switch on that production-in-waiting. While many see oil prices averaging between $50 and $55 next year, analysts are not united on the path to that level. Goldman Sachs believes the deal will cause crude prices to spike in the first half of 2017, and then moderate in the second half as both OPEC and U.S. shale producers capitalize on the rally. But JPMorgan sees prices rising slowly but steadily quarter after quarter. The bank cautioned that the deal is essentially aimed at preventing an even larger buildup of oil stockpiles. The world's storage facilities are brimming with crude and refined fuels. Accommodations the cartel offered to Iran, Libya and Nigeria would mean that total OPEC production will likely increase next year, even as other members cut output in the first part of 2017, JPMorgan said. Libya and Nigeria were granted exemptions because they have experienced significant supply outages due to internal conflicts. Iran agreed to freeze production near current levels rather than cut as it rebuilds its market share following the lifting of sanctions earlier this year.

Skeptics have long warned that OPEC members are notorious cheaters and may not stick to quotas agreed to on Wednesday in Vienna. But RBC Capital Markets said adherence may not matter so much this time for a simple reason: OPEC members are near full-tilt, and they don't have much more capacity to pump. "The OPEC producers are close to being capped out, and the ones that do have significant spare capacity continue to face security problems that will likely imperil any ramp-up plans in the near term," RBC wrote in a note. "Libya and Nigeria collectively have more than one and a half million barrels that are currently off the market, but neither of these countries is close to resolving the political and security problems that have shut in output."

Little respite from non-OPEC members
Newly designated for Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin told CNBC on Wednesday that Donald Trump's tax plan would contain "no reduction" in taxes for the rich. Yet an independent analysis of the president-elect's plan suggests that most of the benefits would, in fact, go to the top earners.

Shortly after confirming that he had been chosen for the role of Treasury secretary, Mnuchin told CNBC that the president-elect's cap on itemized deductions would offset all the other cuts high earners would receive.

"There will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class," Mnuchin said. "Any tax cuts we have for the upper class will be offset by less deductions that pay for it. "



But the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center said Mnuchin's comments don't square with Trump's plan. In an analysis that included the deduction caps, which include benefits from charitable giving and mortgages, the center found that those changes aren't large enough to offset lower income tax and capital gains rates for the top earners.

Specifically, Trump's plan calls for capping deductions for single filers at $100,000, and at $200,000 for joint filers. It would also cut the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 33 percent; trim the capital gains tax to 20 percent from 23.8 percent; lower the corporate tax and rate for pass-through incomes (partnerships and LLCs used by the weathy); and eliminate the estate tax.


American universities have long been recognized as top institutions to prepare for a career, attracting bright people from all over the world. But the dreams of many young people looking for the chance to study abroad could be dashed if Donald Trump follows through on his "America First" anti-immigration campaign promises.

In the last academic year, the number of international students attending U.S. universities broke new records, increasing 7 percent from the previous year and reaching one million for the first time, according to data released by the Institute of International Education. In total they represented 5 percent of the students in U.S. higher education.

According to Allan Goodman, president of the IIE, "international students are pragmatic and resilient" when choosing their university.

"The only time that the total number of international students coming to the United States actually dropped was for a brief period following 9/11, when there were specific policy shifts that affected student visas," Goodman told CNBC via email.

Remarks by President-elect Donald Trump on controlling immigration could dissuade overseas students and hit university numbers and revenues.

"I am sure that some international students will be hesitant to study in the United States now. They will be concerned about potentially being targeted," Daniel Baack, assistant dean and full-time MBA program director at the University of Denver, told CNBC via email.

Baack recognized that though there are many influencers affecting tuition fees, a "large drop in international students" would have "financial consequences for many universities."
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (C) delivers remarks with his children (L-R) Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump during the grand opening ceremony of the new Trump International Hotel October 26, 2016 in Washington, DC. Getty Images

Should Trump pick his country over his business (and his family)?

This is why, weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal recommended that best way for Trump to eliminate any conflict of interest was to liquidate his business. And here's how conservative opinion writer Peggy Noonan framed the issue. "It would be a painful act, selling the business he loves and around which he has ordered his life. But there would be comfort in this: In doing the right thing, in denying his opponents a sword, in enhancing his stature and demonstrating that, yes, he will sacrifice for his country. That's pretty great comfort. You've made your money. Now go be a patriot." Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also talked about Trump's conflicts of interest. "I don't think people would want me to have a business relationship as a senator, where my business partners can reap the benefit of my position and I one day give the chairman profits. I don't think it would be good for me, I don't think it would be good for my state, I don't think it would be good for the country. But let's give him a chance to figure this out."

Trump's conflict of interest with his new DC hotel

The federal government's General Services Administration owns the lease to the historic Post Office Pavilion, which houses the new Trump hotel. The problem here, as NBC's Ken Dilanian writes: Trump would be his own landlord when he becomes president. More from Government Executive: "The Post Office Lease differs from many of Mr. Trump's other business arrangements. That's because, in writing the contract, the federal and D.C. governments determined, in advance, that elected officials could play no role in this lease arrangement. The contract language is clear: 'No ... elected official of the Government of the United States ... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom...'" Per NBC's Ari Melber, this potential conflict stands out as different from many of the others because: 1) The arrangement could be voided or altered as a matter of contract law - meaning it does NOT matter that Trump is otherwise exempt from federal conflicts laws, because contract law governs here; and 2) The arrangement presents the *prospect* of future self-dealing. Melber adds that it's possible a judge would find a change in the status of one of the parties (i.e., Trump as president), not foreseen at the time of the agreement, did not constitute a material breach.



The Carrier news is a short-term win for Trump, but with long-term caveats

Give them their due: The news that Carrier will keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indiana rather than move them to Mexico looks like a first big win for the incoming administrationat least in the short run. Yes, we'll have to read the fine print about what was promised. (And, yes, we're wondering how much of this was a Mike Pence project versus a Trump one). But the announcement is still a victory that Trump can tout to his supporters, and it's a prime example of how he can effectively use the bully pulpit to follow through on his promises. Here's the long-term problem, though: Targeting individual companies one by one simply isn't a sustainable strategy like actual economic policymaking would be. As the University of Michigan's Justin Wolfers puts it: "Every savvy CEO will now threaten to ship jobs to Mexico, and demand a payment to stay." By the way: Imagine the reaction from Republicans, circa 2009-2010, if Barack Obama were making details to force a business's behavior. We'd be hearing cries of "socialism" and "crony capitalism." What say you, free-market conservatives?



Mitt Romney's 180-degree turn

Yes, plenty of Republicans have changed their tune about the president-elect in the last few weeks, but the turn from Trump's onetime top foe Mitt Romney is particularly stunning. As Alex Jaffe points out, back in March, Romney said this about the man he derisively referred to as "The Donald" : "Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes. He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants. He calls for the use of torture. He calls for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit First Amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss." And here's what Romney said last night, with a possible administration job on the line: "He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in accomplishing. He won the general election. And he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way." Wow.



Nancy Pelosi vs. Tim Ryan

This morning, House Democrats hold their leadership election, and the top-billing race pits House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi versus Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH). It features dividing lines over age, geography (the coasts vs. Middle America), and the party's performance at the ballot box. When Ryan was asked on "Meet the Press" this past Sunday what Pelosi's fireable offense was, he answered, "We're not winning." As NBC's Alex Moe reminds us, Democrats postponed these elections until Thanksgiving after internal unrest in the caucus in the wake of the party's defeat in the Nov. 8 general election. In the face of this challenge, Moe adds, Pelosi announced several lower level leadership spots late last week trying to show she understands there is frustration within her caucus. Pelosi is still the strong bet to win, but it will be interesting to see how many votes Ryan gets in the secret ballot.



Trump expected to name Mnuchin as Treasury secretary, Ross to head Commerce

"President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name his former campaign finance chief Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary and investor Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary as early as tomorrow," NBC's Alex Jaffe writes.

Cabinet Watch
Sarah Palin is interested in becoming Veterans Affairs secretary and may be considered for the position, a source close to the former Alaska governor told NBC News.

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has been in touch with Palin, raising the possibility that it could consider her for the post, the source told NBC.

Palin's son Track served in the Iraq War and pleaded guilty earlier this year to a weapons charge related to a domestic violence arrest. Palin had contended that her son's legal troubles were due to what she characterized as the Obama administration's mistreatment of veterans.



Palin served as Alaska's governor from 2006 to 2009 and was Sen. John McCain's running mate in his 2008 presidential bid. Palin  who like Trump tried to cultivate a conservative outsider brand  endorsed the president-elect earlier this year before voting started in the Republican primary.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has faced accusations of mismanagement and inefficiency, particularly after long wait times were discovered at some veterans' health facilities.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly pledged to take better care of veterans if he won the presidency.

 NBC News contributed to this report
Donald Trump met with U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on Wednesday at Trump Tower, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News.



Bharara, whom many regard as the Justice Department's most powerful prosecutor, told reporters that he agreed to remain the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York after a "good meeting" with the president-elect. He added that Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's attorney general pick, previously reached out to him, asking him to stay as well.

Bharara and his office are known for their successful prosecutions of Wall Street figures, such as securing the guilty plea of Bernie Madoff's brother, Peter, for his role in the infamous Ponzi scheme.

The federal prosecutor also created two units focusing on financial fraud, including the Civil Frauds Unit, which has collected multimillion dollar settlements from financial institutions.

Bharara also successfully prosecuted two top New York state lawmakers (one Democrat, one Republican) on charges related to corruption.

 Reporting by NBC News' Tom Winter and Reuters.
Plus, "he's been in multiple different industries, businesses, has seen the good and bad of a lot of different industries and the difficulties internationally. And he's been a strong advocate for a different trade policy," said Daley, who served as Commerce secretary under President Bill Clinton .

For one, Ross is extremely close to President-elect Donald Trump and that's important for a Cabinet position, he said in an interview with " Closing Bell ."

Billionaire Wilbur Ross is a "really good choice" to head the Commerce department, former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley told CNBC on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Trump tapped Ross for the position. Ross, 78, has been a staunch supporter of Trump and is one of his economic advisors.

Daley said Ross will be an important senior member of the president's economic team and will be listened to when he's part of economic discussions.

Ross, who heads the private equity firm WL Ross & Co, told CNBC on Wednesday he wants to overhaul "dumb trade" deals the United States has with countries around the world.

He also favors bilateral agreements with trade partners, rather than regional pacts.

However, Daley, who is now managing partner at Argentiere Capital, said that is easier said than done.

"If you do one-on-one deals, you go and do a separate deal with China, you do a separate deal with Japan ... that's not only taxing, you've got a lot of similarities when you look at a region like Asia that you'd like to be able to take advantage of on a bigger deal," he noted.

And while he applauds talk about getting more U.S. exports into China, he said that's something the U.S. has been trying to accomplish for years.

"We all want to push an open China, but it's not as easy as some people think."

 CNBC's Matthew Belvedere and Reuters contributed to this report.


Keeping free trade with the European Union must be the priority for the upcoming Brexit negotiations, the chief executive of Ford told CNBC.

"What's really important to us is a stable trade environment between obviously the U.K. and the EU and that's our big priority, because we want to continue to build a profitable business and also secure a stable future for our over 14000 employees that we do have in the U.K," Mark Fields, president and CEO at Ford Motor Company, said.

The U.S. carmaking giant is one of the best examples of how firms based in the U.K. could be impacted from Britain's departure from the EU. Ford's factory in Dagenham supplies diesel engines to the rest of Europe and any hurdles to such supply could affect the business across the member-bloc.

"We are obviously monitoring the environment and the developments so we can factor that in our scenarios and at the same time we're being very forward in going to the various governments in the UK and the EUabout what our priorities are and what the impacts this could mean to the economy," Fields added.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wednesday as traders eyed a sharp jump in oil prices ahead of a potential production cut deal from OPEC.

In oil markets, Brent crude traded at around $49.96 a barrel on Wednesday, up 7.7 percent, while U.S. crude was around $48.43 a barrel, up 6.9 percent.



OPEC began on Wednesday debating a deal to curtail oil production in an effort to prop up the price of crude. On Wednesday morning, the cartel agreed on a plan to cut output based on an outline hammered out in Algiers in September, according to Reuters citing a source.
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Raymond Collazo says starting a business is like war. He'd know  he's been in both. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in March 2012. His platoon was assigned to work with engineers in clearing roads of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). When he returned to civilian life, he decided to make a film of his war experiences. "My cousin and I wrote a screenplay," Collazo said. "If it wasn't for the military, I would've never been inspired to write it.  The protagonist is a veteran returning from combat and entering a civilian life." The challenges of making a film led him to a business idea. He founded a start-up called FilmLinkUp, a social media platform that connects students in film, media and theater. Collazo said to think of it as a mix between Facebook and LinkedIn for those looking to collaborate on television and film projects. "Our pilot program is currently assisting students at the State University of New York Orange and the Digital Film Academy by providing job opportunities submitted by companies and production companies seeking assistance with their media and film projects," Collazo said. Collazo was able to raise about $25,000 for his start-up from friends and family and is looking for another $23,000 from people who want to invest.

The military-entrepreneur complex

To get FilmLinkUp running, Collazo leaned on a program developed to help veterans who specifically want to start their own business, offered through the New York City law firm Cahill, Gordon & Reindel. Brock Bosson, a former military prosecutor who is an associate at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel, is one of the lawyers who provides pro bono legal advice to veterans like Collazo.

"Starting a business is daunting enough, and I think that they [veterans] don't necessarily have the understanding, in many cases, of some the legal complexities and business complexities entering the market," Bosson said. The law firm offers the pro bono services in partnership with the New York State Small Business Development Center, which provides transitional support, personal legal assistance and benefits assistance, depending on the individual veteran's needs. Cahill, Gordon & Reindel has advised more than a dozen veteran entrepreneurs, and Bosson said it's a model more law firms need to adopt.

"This really is a call to action.  Law firms, consulting firms, accountants can bring one-on-one technical advice to veterans who are starting new businesses, and they can accelerate their entire trajectory and make them successful earlier than they otherwise would have been," Bosson said. "We have made efforts to tell other law firms about our pro bono program and how it has been a game changer for veteran entrepreneurs in hopes that those other firms will replicate it," he said.

This really is a call to action. ... Our pro bono program has been a game changer for veteran entrepreneurs. Brock Bosson former military prosecutor who is now an associate at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel

Belief before business
Demand for Apple's new MacBook Pro seems to be strong despite criticisms that the "Pro" moniker overstates the capabilities of the new device. It's a good computer (I'm writing this column on it) though the touch bar is not a game changer.

iPhone 7 sales continue to be strong thanks to a generous gift by Samsung - an iPhone 7 seems like a great alternative to a device that explodes in your pocket. And with rumors of iPhone 8 already percolating from tech journalists (AMOLED display and wireless charging), the next year looks good for Apple.

I continue to be buyer of the stock for our clients as I believe this cash rich company still trades at a cheap valuation. Cash flow is huge and the company will benefit from any tax reduction from a Trump administration on repatriated foreign cash.

I have written several columns about the wisdom of owning Apple; I still believe this to be the case. Even so, I fear Apple is losing some of its shine. Based on what I have observed in the past 2 years, the company is beginning to appear iterative in nature rather than more focused on innovation. Yes, many have uttered this suspicion; now I'm adding my voice to the chorus. I'm not convinced this is the case, but I'm beginning to wonder out loud.

Technology companies certainly should focus on iterative development of products to take advantage of built-in upgrade opportunities from existing users. But the future for technology companies must be to innovate and create products that we don't know we need until the device shows us otherwise.

That's what happened when the iPhone was released and it created a revolution in the cellular business. That's what happened when the iPod was released and changed the way music was consumed. The iPad revolutionized the consumption of media and web content. Bravo on these past successes. Now the question is 'What's next?'

Over the last several years we have seen the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPad Pro all vying for attention as the next big thing. Turns out, as of now, those devices don't seem to be game changers. Over the next several years, Apple needs to produce game-changing products that reflect a spirit of innovation. There is a market hunger for creativity from Apple.

Easier said than done to be sure but that should be the goal. Tim Cook has promised that there are amazing technologies under development and I want to believe. I want to believe that Apple will not slip into being a highly efficient company with mature product categories; in the end that will lead to average results.

Apple users are loyal but they have their limits. As other companies innovate, users may move on. Headlines from the technology press extolling the virtues of other computing products as a substitute for a limited RAM MacBook Pro illustrates that Apple cannot count on loyal users forever if they don't deliver innovation.

It was unthinkable in the past that Microsoft could be mentioned as a competitor to Apple in terms of innovation. However, that certainly appears to be the case as evidenced by its Surface Studio product line. Sure, they won't sell these by the boatload but it's at least relatively bold.

While Apple milks the iPhone cash cow, which I expect to occur for the next couple of years, let's hope that in the dark recesses of Apple laboratories there are innovative products that will see the light of day. Maybe they will include products related to augmented and virtual reality, automotive products, and who knows what else. Maybe there will once again be that "One more thing" surprise and Apple investors will be reassured.

Something bold and game changing would be a welcome injection of optimism for Apple investors. I just wanted to say it out loud as an Apple optimist; Apple can't rest on its laurels and the marketplace will not wait forever for innovation. There are lots of other bright individuals working at hungry companies looking to take market share. I still have faith in Apple to deliver huge profits and still am a buyer for our clients. But around the edges, I'm just a little concerned. Not in panic mode, but just a little restless for something to underscore that Apple is about more than efficiency and iterative products.
Each coin is housed in a classic red and black presentation case and themed shipper, accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.

The?Perth Mint?shows the barnyard bird in stylish high relief on a Proof 2017 Year of the Rooster silver dollar.

Talk about building a nice nest egg  a new high relief Proof silver coin from the Perth Mint shows the strutters of the barnyard in style.

The high relief Proof 2017 Australian Lunar 1-ounce silver coin celebrates the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese Lunar Zodiac calendar.

The birth dates for people ruled by the Chinese Lunar rooster include 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, and 2017. Those born under the influence of this sign are said to be hardworking, loyal, honest, and sociable.

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The coins high relief obverse and reverse are minted on concave surfaces to ensure the optimum flow of metal is achieved by the strike of the die.

The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, the 2017 year-date, the nation, and the monetary denomination are shown on the coins obverse.

The reverse of the coin depicts a rooster, a hen, and three chicks standing amongst bamboo foliage and flowers. The Chinese character for rooster and the inscription YEAR OF THE ROOSTER also appear in the design with the Perth Mints traditional P Mint mark.

Each coin is housed in a classic red and black presentation case and themed shipper, accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.

The Proof .9999 fine silver dollar weighs 31.107 grams and measures 32.6 millimeters in diameter. It has a maximum mintage of 7,500 pieces and retails for $73.88 from distributor Talisman Coins.

Quantity discounts are available, with purchases of three or four coins priced at $71.88 each. Five to nine coins will cost $70.88 each, and 10 or more are priced at $68.88 each.

To order, visit the distributor website.
Foundation adds another $25M to Kinder Institute

The Kinder Foundation is giving the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy another $25 million, bringing its total to $60 million.
Our Bodies, Our Voices: Columbus Women Reflect on Abortion Rights

The fall of Roe v. Wade has created a fury that is personal. These 10 essays and stories reflect how Central Ohio residents are feeling.
A federal court on Tuesday ordered North Carolina lawmakers to redraw the states legislative districts by March and ruled that a special legislative election must be held in 2017. The decision comes after the federal court ruled this summer that lawmakers had unconstitutionally gerrymandered 28 legislative districts along racial lines, but allowed the already scheduled 2016 legislative elections to proceed under those unconstitutional maps.

Earlier this year, a separate court case found that lawmakers had unconstitutionally gerrymandered the states congressional maps and ordered them to be re-drawn, necessitating a special June 2016 primary for North Carolinas congressional races.

The following is a statement from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, in response to todays decision:

Once again, unconstitutional gerrymandering by the legislature has led to litigation and the need to hold a special election. This is a golden opportunity for state lawmakers to put North Carolina voters ahead of partisan politics and establish an independent process for re-drawing the states voting maps free from gerrymandering. Just this past session, a bipartisan majority of NC House members co-sponsored House Bill 92, which would have taken redistricting power out of the hands of partisan legislators and given it to nonpartisan legislative staff. We strongly urge lawmakers to pass that independent redistricting plan when they return for their new session in January, so that North Carolina citizens can finally have confidence that their legislative districts are drawn in a fair, impartial and constitutional way that avoids further confusion and delay.

Independent redistricting reform has been sponsored multiple times by the current legislative leadership, including NC House Speaker Tim Moore, Rep. David Lewis, Senate President Pro-tem Phil Berger and Sen. Bob Rucho.

Over 240 civic leaders across North Carolina have signed a petition calling on the legislature to pass independent redistricting reform. And a dozen towns and cities across the state have passed resolutions in support of independent redistricting. This fall, over 50 North Carolina business leaders launched a coalition calling for an end to gerrymandering. Both Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper are on record opposing gerrymandering, as are former governors Jim Martin and Jim Hunt.

In August, Common Cause filed a potentially landmark lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina.

Common Cause North Carolina is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging citizen participation in democracy, and is part of the national Common Cause grassroots network of over 625,000 members and supporters in 35 states.
If there's one thing worth remembering about Google's Pixel phone, it's that the device itself -- what we see on the surface -- is but one piece of a much larger puzzle.

We've talked before about how the Pixel is more than the sum of its parts. The phone effectively lets Google have its cake and eat it, too -- by leaving Android open to manufacturers while also providing a holistic Google-controlled version of what an Android device ought to be.

Google is giving us an option to enjoy Android at its best, in other words -- the way it intended it to be experienced, from end to end -- while still giving other phone-makers the ability to use the software as a canvas for their creations.

"But wait!" you say. "That's all fine and good, but most normal people are just gonna waltz into their local carrier store and buy the latest (non-exploding) Samsung phone, anyway -- so what does it even matter?"

That's a valid point, Paco; the Pixel phone presently makes up a very small piece of the overall Android pie. But again: big picture.

The real effect of the Pixel is something we're already seeing in reviews around the web. First and foremost, it's setting a new bar for what an Android device can be.

Take, for example, the "best Android phone" recommendation from the folks at The Wirecutter -- who in past years have pointed buyers to Samsung's Galaxy S line:

Samsungs software has improved ... but it still has some redundancy and bugs that make us yearn for the Pixel, and its a couple Android versions behind.

Android Central reaches a similar conclusion in its latest "best phone" recommendation:

While the phone lacks waterproofing and expandable storage, Samsung's Galaxy S7, our former recommendation, is still two major Android revisions behind, and its software can't match the effortless polish of the Pixel.

And then there are everyday reviews of other Android phones, like this one focused on the LG V20 from The Verge:

Ive been using a Pixel XL alongside this, and LGs effort just doesnt match up. Google's first phone reminds us of the wonderful complete package that's possible from a company with unified control over everything. The V20 can't do that.

I could keep going, but you get the point: The Pixel has become a standard of comparison to which other Android devices are now being held -- generally not to their benefit -- and irrespective of any sales success, that's a pretty significant feat for Google to have achieved with its first fully controlled effort. Creating that sort of mainstream-ready gold standard is something the company was never able to accomplish with its less holistic (and generally more compromise-requiring) Nexus phones of yore, despite those devices' immense enthusiast appeal.

And remember: From Google's perspective, Pixel phones have the core benefit of putting Google services front and center in a way that lets them shine (and in a way other Android manufacturers often opt to avoid). If the company can do that while also providing an unmatched user experience for consumers -- one that, from the ecosystem-wide cohesive interface to the league-of-its-own post-sales support, makes other Android devices look like second-rate choices in comparison -- well, you can see how this could become a pretty big deal over time.

For now, early sales estimates actually suggest the Pixel phones are off to a fairly solid start. A new Morgan Stanley report predicts Google will have sold about 3 million of the things by the end of 2016 and 5 to 6 million more throughout next year, generating a total of nearly $6 billion from hardware alone. (The Pixel has also reportedly done relatively well at Verizon, specifically, as well as throughout India.)

But the bright minds at Morgan Stanley echo what we've been discussing all along: the fact that these basic numbers are only one small part of the story. Per Business Insider:

Features unique to the Pixel, such as the Google Assistant, the Pixel camera, and Daydream ... plus the smartphone's deeper app integration [and] increased prominence of Android Pay ... will ultimately lead to users spending more money on Android, according to the research note. Morgan Stanley's analysts also predict that these features could see the Pixel driving higher mobile search monetization for Google as advertisers will spend more to reach the consumers who spend the most on their mobiles.

And there you have it. The Pixel is ultimately a vessel for Google to bring its own mobile vision directly to mainstream users. That benefits Google as a company, and it benefits us as consumers who carry Android phones.

What we're seeing now are just the earliest seeds of change from those efforts. If things continue along this same path, it won't be long before those seeds start to blossom -- and the broader Android ecosystem starts looking a wee bit different, one flower at a time.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise on Wednesday announced several software and hardware products to more securely manage the exploding universe of Internet of Things devices.

October's Mirai botnet attack on unsecured IoT devices, which halted widespread access to dozens of popular internet sites, dramatizes the value of more comprehensive management and control of IoT, HPE executives said in interviews.

Some of HPE's new products are intended for use by virtual cellular network providers, while others are for small and medium-sized enterprises to use in managing their local area network (LAN) operations.

The new HPE Mobile Virtual Network Enabler software will help virtual network operators, which resell IoT connectivity, with their network provisioning, configuration, administration and billing services.

These virtual network operators could work with auto makers and manufacturing plants, for example, that need cellular connectivity to communicate with IoT sensors inside vehicles or connected to robots inside plants.

Pricing for the Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) was not announced. However, HPE's IoT General Manager Nigel Upton said it will help so-called "overlay" network providers of IoT to build out networks at far lower prices.

HPE also announced improvements to its existing carrier-grade Universal IoT platform, including expanded device management for both SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) and non-SIM devices across multiple systems and applications. A SIM is a device used in every smartphone to uniquely identify it over a wide area network (WAN), but many IoT devices operate in local area networks, such as inside a manufacturing or industrial facility, and don't require a SIM to function.

Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at ZK Research, said in a statement that HPE MVNE and related products can help with massive IoT overlay network deployments since these products will "significantly shorten deployment times and simplify the network architecture, which will also improve security."

To help enhance LAN security with IoT, HPE's Aruba business also announced Aruba ClearPass Universal Profiler software and the Aruba 2540 IoT-ready access switch. The two products will help IT shops identify and inventory all IoT devices as they connect to the network, which is designed to drive down the per-port cost of wired IoT connections, HPE said.

The new profiler will help IT managers inventory which IoT devices are on wired and wireless networks installed by multiple vendors and then assign profiles to each device. For example, a profile on a users device might be used to allow only Human Resources workers to access sensitive personell information.

The new 2540 switch will help IT shops extend such role-based access across a wired or wireless LAN. Each switch, available now, starts at $2,589. The profiler is available in the first quarter of 2017, starting at $150 for profiling up to 100 devices, Aruba said.

Scott Brown, advanced network engineer for video game and consumer electronics retailer GameStop, is an early customer of the Aruba 2540 switch. GameStop operates more than 7,000 retail stores from its headquarters in Grapevine, Texas. The company has been converting to Aruba gear at its campus headquarters buildings after working exclusively with Cisco networking gear for years, Brown said.

Aruba's products make it possible to converge information about devices used on both the company's wireless and wireless networks, he said in an interview. Brown uses an earlier version of Clearpass that includes some profile capabilities, but GameStop doesn't use a standalone version of the new profiler product.

"The wired side was always a mystery, but now we can converge that with wireless so the management looks the same for both," he said.

Part of the company's interest in adding Aruba products comes after HPE bought Aruba eight months ago. GameStop already had HP servers in its server farm, so it made sense to work with HPE networking products.

The new switch has only been in place about a month and isn't completely tested but shows promise, Brown said. For instance, he said, it has interoperability with end user devices running over Cisco wireless networks.

Ultimately, Brown said GameStop could buy more of the new switches. "The goal is to have a network that somebody off the street can't plug a device into," he said. The new switch "seems like really good gear and is pretty intuitive, and our engineers have positive attitudes about it," he added.

The new HPE-Aruba products are important because analysts predict a massive increase in installed IoT sensors and other devices in coming years. The past year has seen a temporary lull in enterprise IT interest in IoT, but market research form IDC is projecting an increase to 30 billion IoT installed devices by the end of 2019. The number of installed IoT devices today is less than half of that projected 30 billion and includes sensors used in lighting, water systems, surveillance devices and more.

"Leveraging pre-existing network access mechanisms will be top of mind for many organizations," said Nolan Greene, an analyst at IDC in an email. "Many organizations will use wireless LAN and Ethernet connectivity to enable IoT, and as such, vendors [such as HPE] with features that secure, segment, manage and set policy for IoT may have a competitive advantage."

Green said Aruba will compete head to head with Cisco for IoT connections within wireless and wired LAN networks. "The competitive dynamic will be interesting to watch," he said.
Apple wants us to be in an Apple world, signified by the unification of their technology and the integration of software services, UBS analyst, Steven Milunovich, said today. I argue that connected machine learning is key to Apples future product and services plans. It wants to build smart everything.

Think about it

Apple is working with emerging technologies as it seeks to explore future disruptive opportunities, and data analytics is part of this strategy.

You already use solutions powered by such analytics  if you watch video on your smartphone it is likely your carrier uses analytics to provide consistent quality of service. Apple is using data analytics across multiple products and services, including (but not limited to) Maps, iAds, Siri, iTunes and Internet services, including location-based solutions and News.

Data analytics mines the huge collections of data being created within our increasingly connected world in order to identify patterns and trends about devices, the people using them and more. The open source Hadoop solution is one of the most popular data analytics frameworks around.

Apple also uses analytics to figure out how to improve its products and how to improve the applications you use. There are other examples. Apple uses a technology called long short-term memory (LSTM) to make its Quicktype keyboard able to offer more intelligent options during conversations.

Company executives always say their interest in AI is because they are searching for ways in which such complex technologies can improve their customers lives.

Big data? Big effort

All the same, the company effort behind these technologies is increasing in intensity. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has also confirmed plans to open a new AI R&D research hub in Yokohama, Japan. A search for the term Hadoop on Apples recruitment website reveals positions for over 100 people with Hadoop experience, with vacancies for software engineers, analysts, researchers, application developers and data scientists, among other roles.

Apple is also expanding its Applied Machine Learning team (mostly based in Santa Clara), which seeks over a dozen new members to help it push the envelope of what these technologies can do.

Underlining the seriousness of its attempts Apple continues to invest in companies with good ideas relevant to this space, such as Turi Inc., Emotient, VocalIQ, TupleJump and more. In October the company hired its first ever director of AI, Ruslan Salakhutdinov. Its alliance with IBM opens even more opportunities in the space.

This is a sustained pattern. In May last year Apple began recruiting for staff to help build its proactive machine intelligence solutions.

Whats the point?

Apple understands the value of this data to the other markets in which it hopes to innovate as the next great technology transition emerges into view.

Machine learning is seen as an essential component in a huge range of applications, from AI to AR, to robots and self-driving cars, and more. Network intelligence and proactive maintenance; app behavior; music and media recommendation systems, almost everything that can be digitized will be, and making sense of the information gathered by these systems absolutely fits with the companys stated mission of changing the world for the better.

Apple clearly wants that world to be very smart. From connected devices to devices that complement each other, from wearables to ambient solutions as evidenced by its delayed AirPods, it seems clear that part of the long term ambition here is to create product platforms that weave machine intelligence intelligently (and privately) within daily life. I imagine one of the first implications of this will be in health, where I predict analytics will improve disease control and public health.

Transition time

In combination with Apples focus on services and its continued work to diversify its income base, all these moves also show a company attempting to transition away from being a purely product-based firm.

While Apple denies it there are those who argue competitors have more experience in the sector, but most of them lack Apples experience in hardware and software product design, which Im sure will count for something as the next tech inflection point comes into view.

My opinion? I think the future will become much clearer once Apple Watch Series Three (or perhaps Four) with a built-in SIM hits the streets. AirPods + connected Apple Watch + Siri 3.0 = proactive computing everywhere, and with sensors and data analytics in Health app these solutions will even warn you before you become unwell.

Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?

Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.
A judge in Wisconsin has refused to order a recount by hand of ballots cast in the state for the U.S. presidential elections, shooting down a petition by Green Party candidate Jill Stein that the use of automatic tabulating equipment, identified as potential targets of foreign government agents, risks tainting the recount process.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission decided Friday to recount the votes in the state, after concerns were raised that the voting systems can be hacked. Democratic party candidate Hillary Clinton also backed the recount, including the hand count.

In her petition to the Elections Commission, Stein wrote that Wisconsin uses both the optical scan and direct-recording electronic types of voting machines, which are both susceptible to compromise. In a filing to the Dane County Circuit Court in Wisconsin asking for a statewide hand recount, Stein stated that the Elections Commission had acknowledged that a hand recount is not necessarily more time-consuming than an electronic tabulation.

Under rules for recounts, the state can choose to use either automatic tabulating equipment or hand count the ballots, depending on the wards, unless a court orders otherwise.

The only way to determine whether a cyberattack affected the outcome of the 2016 presidential election is to examine the available physical evidence  that is, to count the paper ballots and paper audit trail records, and review the voting equipment, to ensure that the votes cast by actual voters match the results determined by the computers," according to the court filing spotted by Courthouse News Service.

A group of voting security experts and election lawyers said last week that Clinton should ask for a recount in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan as there were outstanding questions about the voting results in the close contests between Clinton and president-elect Donald Trump. Polls before the election had given Clinton the edge in winning those states. Steins campaign has said the effort to recount votes in the three states is not intended to help Clinton and is unlikely to change the election outcome.

We are standing up for an election system that we can trust, she said in a statement Friday. Stein is aiming for recounts in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

In the decision of Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn late Tuesday, all 72 Wisconsin counties will now be able to proceed with their preferred method of recount, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said it had received nearly $3.5 million from the Stein campaign in payment of the cost of the recount, which will begin Thursday.

In the run-up to the elections, there were significant breaches, including that of emails of the Democratic National Committee and voter registration databases in at least two states. The administration of President Barack Obama blamed Russia for the email compromises.
Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk.

Gentrification becomes a reality when the local High Street is revived by attracting independent retailers and restaurateurs. When estate agents and chain operators start to rub shoulders with the artisan bakers and butchers you know an area has arrived. However, it is the residents who make this happen, those who take a risk by moving into run down areas and pay for the skips to revitalise a neglected property in which to raise a family.

Most towns and cities can learn from London, where visionary councils (Wandsworth was one of the first) encouraged these incomers, raising school standards, and keeping council tax at a realistic level, but providing excellent services. They understood that aspirational homeowners (the JAMs of a decade or so ago) would make a valuable contribution to the local economy. They recognised that good housing alongside High Streets supports entrepreneurs and small businesses; Dickens Yard in Ealing Broadway is another recent example of the stimulus housing provides to create thriving friendly neighbourhoods where people watch out for each other.

GPs and dentists are enabled to take advantage of these changes, sharing facilities, alongside pharmacies, and even opticians, to reduce operational costs, and making them more easily accessible for working people, whilst also reducing demand in A&E.

But we still see too many brownfield sites in town centres, used as temporary car parks and car washes, or simply left barren and overgrown, but with huge potential to meet demand from people of all ages, wanting to be part of a vibrant community with well designed public spaces, tree-planting, good street lighting, restaurants, wine bars and individual shops which not only create a buzz but increase personal safety with lots of activity, especially in the evening.

Yet this is seemingly a challenge for too many councils stuck in a timewarp, which still think that housing and retail should be separate, instead of integrated as they are across much of the Continent. This now means that, due to a lack of footfall, banks are contributing to the decline of the High Street, by closing branches and leaving 1500 bankless communities, inevitably impacting on other businesses. Managing ones money is very personal, so being able to have face to face contact with banking advisers is important to most of us; banks add to the diversity essential to local prosperity, an incentive to visit the town centre, encouraging us to do a bit of shopping nearby, support the local market, or to pop into a cafe.

Online banking is not the solution. Given the recent debacle with Tesco Bank, people are more nervous than ever about the sophisticated hackers which seem able to defy the best (albeit questionable) security. And, in many areas, broadband is either so slow or unavailable that it would be impossible in any event.

Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Lloyds have pledged not to close if they are the last man standing in an area, although this could be described as an empty promise, since recent further closures continue to leave small towns without banking services. HSBC will, by the end of this year, have closed a further 220 branches, citing reduced footfall. This policy not only deprives domestic customers of banking facilities, but also local businesses, which have to travel ever further in order to deposit cheques and cash, leaving them more vulnerable to crime.

However, there is some hope. The Post Office Chief Executive recently announced a reversal of previous closures policy, potentially opening another 2,000 branches, including some mobiles to serve remote communities (is this an opportunity to partner with public Library Services?)

It is also transferring some of the 300 directly-managed Crown Post Offices into WH Smith, and concessions with the Co-op, McColls and Spar, making them more accessible and visible. With 17 million customers a week, the chain already offers frontline banking services for 95 per cent of current accounts on behalf of the banks, although citing difficulties in standardising banking services for a lack of further progress in reaching agreement on a framework deal and financials. Completing these negotiations will no doubt trigger further bank closures unless customers vote with their feet and support whichever decides to stay put and  just as pubs have had to do to survive  reinvent themselves to meet local demand.

Nevertheless, more needs to be done, and local politicians, together with Local Enterprise Partnerships, could be taking the lead. For example, revive the idea of Community Banking Services, with the big banks sharing the running costs  an expansion of the Post Office scheme, perhaps, or utilising redundant BHS stores, with councils relocating services alongside. Councillors could hold surgeries, with a daily rota, including cabinet members, ensuring there is always a councillor on duty to talk to residents. When we are faced with so many people feeling excluded, this would enable them to engage and communicate with those who represent them.

Seating in public areas and within stores needs to be reinstated, according to a campaign group called Standing up 4 Sitting Down, which claims that High Streets are losing about 3.8billion by not being user-friendly for older shoppers and the disabled, who would like somewhere to sit, enabling them to catch their breath and do a bit of people watching. And I recently heard of a special bench being installed in a High Street where people feeling lonely or depressed could sit; someone would always stop to see how they could help. What a lovely idea.

Its clear that radical new thinking is still needed to salvage the High Street, which requires councils, landowners and businesses, including banks, to take the long view with an open mind, learning from what is working elsewhere and adapting it to the local environment by speeding up decision-making.
Nationalist Brexit minister accused of spreading false picture

The Scottish Governments minister for Brexit has been accused of trying to mislead people about Scotlands position, according to the Press and Journal.

In addition to telling a Brussels audience that five million Scots indicated they wanted to keep their EU citizenship (only 1.6 million voted Remain), Mike Russell claimed to have opened talks with the Spanish  only to be shot down by Madrid.

Spain is one of the chief obstacles to the SNPs plan to try and pry Scotland loose from the UK in order to maintain EU membership, as Madrid doesnt want any EU precedent set which might encourage its own separatists.

The leader of Spains EPP MEPs has called Nicola Sturgeons plan for a special deal impossible, forcing the Scottish Government to deny charges that their diplomatic offensive has turned into a shambles.

Jones says SNP plan for staying in the single market cant work

Another blow to the SNPs half-in half-out strategy came from Cardiff when the First Minister of Wales said their plan to remain in both the single market and the UK as could not possibly work, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Whilst Carwyn Jones, who heads a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition with a working arrangement with the Welsh nationalists, agreed that maintaining access to the single market ought to be the Governments priority he argued it could only work on an all-island basis.

Meanwhile the Herald reports that SNPs Stewart Hosie has been called out this week for trying to downplay the importance of the British single market to Scotland by claiming that most Scottish exports went to the EU and including the rest of the UK in that total.

Mundell calls for more devolution within Scotland

The Scottish Secretary has called for Scottish local authorities to be given more powers on issues such as transport and health in order to prevent them falling behind newly-empowered English cities, according to the Scotsman.

Speaking in Glasgow David Mundell said that: True devolution does not mean sucking power down from Westminster only to hoard it at Holyrood.

This came after news that, following the Autumn Statements deal for Stirling, every city in Scotland is now the recipient of a City Deal from Westminster.

By contrast COSLA, the primary Scottish local authority representative, clashed with the Scottish Government over planned council tax rises.

They want the SNP to issue a leaflet making clear that the planned hike in higher-rate rises in the rate are the result of the Scottish Government, not local council decisions.

Also this week Mundell revealed that Westminster wouldnt block a request for a second independence referendum should the Scottish Government seek permission to hold one.

Hammond praises Northern Irish economy

The Chancellor has taken the opportunity after the Autumn Statement to highlight the progress of the Northern Irish economy, and outline how the Government intends to include the province in any post-Brexit successes.

Writing in the News Letter Philip Hammond points out that last year Northern Irish earnings grew faster than those of any other region, whilst Ulsters share of the jobs boom means 60,000 more people are in work than in 2010.

The Autumn Statement also provided the Northern Ireland Executive with an extra 250 million to invest through to 2020-21 as part of the Governments decision to make funds available for areas that are critical to driving up productivity and growth.

Northern Ireland is a crucial area to get right as Brexit goes ahead, with the Government having to negotiate the challenges created by the UKs only land border (including a dispute over territorial waters sparked by James Brokenshire last week) and the possibility of resurgent terrorism.
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There is a new breakthrough drug addiction treatment that involves the use of injectable medication, which is yielding positive results in clinical trials and actual tests on recovering addicts. The injectable Naltrexone carried by the Vivitrol brand is now helping drug addicts continue to be clean and sober with few incidences of going into a relapse.

Drug addiction is a difficult problem to treat because it is not just the mind that needs to be controlled, but also the body's cravings that need to be stopped. Many recovering addicts often fall into a relapse when their body experience withdrawals symptoms that bring not only pain but also a lot of stress both mentally and physically.

It is not surprising then that even the best drug addiction prevention program fail to prevent relapses and the cycle of substance abuse continues. Recent figures compiled from 2003 to 2013, reveal that opioid deaths in the United States have significantly increased to 92 percent while heroin deaths rose by 300 percent across the states, The Washington Post reported.

Evidently, drug addiction has also increased, while prevention and treatment lag behind, but not for long. A breakthrough drug Naltrexone is now made into an injectable medication using the Vivitrol brand name has proven to be effective in treating persons with opioid and heroin abuse.

Vivitrol works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, curbing cravings and even preventing the feeling of getting high even when taking opioids, WTHITV reported. This helps addicts in the recovery stage from going into a relapse with carvings no longer a primary challenge.

The drug is administered monthly, but the patient must be clean of opioid for at least a week before getting the shot. The wonder drug is actually an old one, which was made into pills in the 1970s but never achieved wide patronage.

Medical researchers have recently made an injectable version and tested these in various clinical trials. The results were impressive with patients receiving the shots reporting higher success rates of fully leaving bad habits behind.

However, some doctors warned that the drug needs to be further studied particularly on its long-term effects on its users. There is also the issue of its cost, which is as much as $1,000 dollars per shot, an amount that may be covered by persons with Medicaid or Medicare, but in many cases, they are not.

As of now, Vivitrol is offered by private practice doctors with a few detention centers with a subsidized program for the shot. Drug addiction may have found an effective treatment, but who pays for it remains unresolved.

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Statistics have shown that 89 percent of Americans believe in God. A new study shows that people who have religious thoughts are likely to experience similar effects as love and drugs as a similar reward system is triggered in the brain.

"These are areas of the brain that seem like they should be involved in a religious and spiritual experience. But yet, religious neuroscience is such a young field -- and there are very few studies -- and ours was the first study that showed activation of the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain that processes reward," said Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, a neuroradiologist at the University of Utah and lead author of the study, according to a CNN report.

For the study, researchers from the University of Utah conducted MRI scans to monitor the brain activities of 19 young devout Mormons. This was done while they carried out various daily activities such as watching a church announcement about financial reports, resting, reading quotations from non-Mormon religious leaders, praying and reading the Bible.

The group, consisting of 12 men and 7 women, were asked to press a button if they "felt the spirit". After analyzing the MRI reports, researchers noted that a certain section of the brain lit up whenever the study participants had religious thoughts. The researchers found that these were the same sections of the brain that lit up when participants of previous studies listened to music, felt loved and took drugs.

In an interview, Anderson pointed out that though it is a known fact that millions of people make decisions based on religious thoughts and spiritual experiences, this is one of the few studies that look into how the brain participates in these experiences. He also noted that when religious thoughts are put in the context of the brain's reward system, religious training can induce feelings of reward in response to doctrines or ideals or religious leaders.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates emotion, movement, feelings of pleasure and motivation. When the reward system it triggered, it basically means that the circuit in our brains is flooded with dopamine. If this happens at normal levels, it rewards our natural behaviors. When the reward system is overstimulated, it produces euphoric effects, leading to addiction.

Findings of the current study were published in the journal Social Neuroscience. The research was funded by the Davis Endowed Chair in Radiology, and the National Institute of Mental Health.

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In a report published by Syracuse, Texas state health officials revealed that lab tests have confirmed that a woman in Brownsville was infected with the Zika virus. Officials also noted that the infected woman had not traveled to Mexico or any other region with an ongoing Zika outbreak recently. This confirms that the infection has been locally transmitted.

The virus was detected in her urine and not in her blood, which indicated that the virus can no longer be spread from her. Thankfully, the woman was not pregnant as infection during pregnancy can lead to serious brain defects in fetuses

"We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw a Zika case spread by a mosquito in Texas," Dr. John Hellerstedt, Texas Department of State Health Services commissioner, said in a statement (via Reuters). "We still don't believe the virus will become widespread in Texas, but there could be more cases, so people need to protect themselves from mosquito bites, especially in parts of the state that stay relatively warm in the fall and winter."

Prior to this, Florida was the only state in the US to report a locally transmitted infection of the Zika virus. Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. While the virus causes little harm to adults, it increases the chances of microcephaly or a small brain and head in children.

Though 257 confirmed cases of Zika have been confirmed in Texas, all of them have been associated with travel or contact with someone who had traveled. The first case was reported in January, this year. Earlier in August this year, a baby in Texas was born, and later died, from complications caused by microencephaly. The ailment was caused due to a Zika infection.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4,444 cases of Zika have been reported to CDC in the continental United States and Hawaii and 5 cases of Zika-related birth defects and six infant deaths nationally have been reported.

"Even though it is late in the mosquito season, mosquitoes can spread Zika in some areas of the country," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Texas is doing the right thing by increasing local surveillance and trapping and testing mosquitoes in the Brownsville area."

Currently, there is no cure for a Zika virus infection. However, infected people are being treated by hydration, rest and pain medication to alleviate the pain.

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Having the flu or flu vaccine during pregnancy is not directly linked to Autism in children. Pregnant women are still advised to have a flu vaccine to reduce the risk of birth defects among babies.

A study that scrutinized and collated the medical records of 196,929 children in the Kaiser Permanent facilities in Northern California has yielded no direct link or strong evidence to support an old theory linking flu or flu vaccines to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The study looked at the records from 2000 to 2010 of children aged 2 to 15-year-olds. The findings, which were published in JAMA Pediatrics revealed that only 1.6 percent or 3,101 children have ASD.

Out of the small figure, only 1 percent contracted the flu while pregnant and 23 percent received the flu shot. This alone reveals that there is no correlation between flu or flu vaccines and autism. However, the data also shows that there may be a slight increase in the incidence of autism in children when pregnant mothers received a flu shot during the first trimester of the pregnancy, but this could only be coincidental, Reuters reported.

Nonetheless, Lisa Croen, senior author of Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland, maintains that there is no foolproof evidence to link autism and flu, possibly because the test subjects comprise a small population with several working hypotheses to prove. The theory of flu-causes-autism has been around since 1998 when a British doctor, Andrew Wakefield presented a study indicating that the MMR vaccine causes autism.

Wakefield's theory remains unsubstantiated and the doctor has been banned practicing in the United Kingdom. However, his claims outlive his notoriety and it is now affecting British society when it comes to choosing to have a flu shot especially when pregnant.

The Centers for Control Disease and Prevention (CDC) advises all pregnant women to get a flu shot for the alternative far outweighs the risk. Contracting the flu while pregnant, especially a virulent strain, are linked to premature labor and delivery as well as birth defects, Fox News reported.

Finally putting to rest that flu or the flu vaccines cause autism, doctors are now looking at maternal fever or serious viral infections during pregnancy as possible culprits. However, further studies are needed to corroborate this hypothesis.

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Astronauts in space for long periods of time may suffer from blurry vision and a host of physical changes. Moreover, astronauts preparing for a mission to Mars may be facing back pains as muscles slowly waste away in microgravity.

Space flights and missions take its toll on the human body as more astronauts have complained of having eye problem among many other bodily complaints after staying for long periods in space stations. In the past, the blurry vision was considered an oddity, but more recently, NASA doctors and scientists have expressed alarm as more astronauts have complained of the problem.

Based on medical records, two-thirds of astronauts who spent longer periods in space have complained of having blurry vision or what is known as the Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure (VIIP), as reported in the Daily Mail. Now doctors may have a clue based on the study of the MRI scans of the astronauts' eyes.

Doctors believe that the culprit may be the cerebrospinal fluid, which helps cushion the brain and the spine. In space and in microgravity environments, the spinal fluids could have shifted in the upper body particularly in the eye.

The presence of the spinal fluids also accounts for the flattening of the back of the eyeballs and the inflammation of the head of the optic nerves, BBC reported. Doctors warned that if not treated, the damage to the eye may be irreversible even after returning to earth.

Structural changes in the body of astronauts in space have also been experienced and the spacefarers never fully recovered upon returning home. Noam Alperin of the University of Miami presented the findings at the Radiological Society of America (RSA).

Alperin has just received a grant from NASA in the amount of $600,000 dollars to further study the eye problem experienced by astronauts in space. This kind of study is timely and relevant now that NASA is getting closer to bringing astronauts to Mars.

Concerns over the health of the astronauts during the long-haul flight remain a top priority and evidence suggests that astronauts in space may also suffer from back pains due to weakening muscles in a microgravity environment. NASA hopes that medical researchers and doctors will find a way for astronauts to continue with the agency's space missions without causing damage to their bodies.

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Now, the best way to determine a tree's age is to examine its rings, which is usually done with a screw-like device known as a borer that carefully extracts a small rod-shaped core from the tree. Currey decided that this tree in particular seemed like an asshole, though, so he and a park ranger just cut the tree down to count the rings more easily.

University of Arizona

Sawing a tree down is a lot less boring.

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Once the rings were visible, Currey realized that the tree he'd just killed was more than 5,000 years old. That made it the oldest living organism in recorded history at the time. When that tree first sprouted, mammoths still walked the Earth.

Years later, we actually did find an older tree, but this should in no way take away from the fact that Donald Currey really cored the pooch on this one.
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Don't mock her. She has a terminal case of Stretch Armstrong Syndrome.

The movie wasn't supposed to end that way. Writer/director Wes Craven, foolishly hoping to create standalone horror haute cuisine, and not 114 subsequent horror Twinkies, had always planned on a solid ending. But when Shaye insisted on a "hook" to leave the possibility of a sequel or 10, the crew gave it to him ... by quickly slapping some makeup on a "squishy" stand-in dummy and yanking it through a window in a scene that Freddy Krueger himself gigglingly described as "pretty silly shit."

But still, Shaye got his way. That scene was shot spitefully, but not solely out of spite -- for that, we look at A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Shaye hounded director Jack Sholder relentlessly, because he wanted to play a specific role in the film himself. Sholder denied Shaye, insisting he "needed a real actor" for the part, because they were making a movie, not a producer wankfest. Shaye threatened to fire him for it. Since a paycheck trumps integrity every time, Sholder caved and gave him a part.

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Spoiler: It wasn't the part Shaye wanted.

New Line Cinema

"We used to be able to call people gay as an insult, you see."

Sholder sent Shaye -- with his two young daughters in tow -- to Maynard and Zed's favorite sex shop downtown to pick out his own wardrobe for the big scene. Here is a still from that scene, featuring Shaye as "really gross bondage guy" on the right.
This past week presented 2016 with yet another terrorist attack. Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a student at Ohio State University, rammed a bunch of his fellow students with his car, and then hopped out and started stabbing people. He wounded 11 before he was shot and killed by the police, which is generally what happens to people who go on stabbing rampages.

Whenever someone with a name like "Abdul" commits one of America's major monthly spree attacks, a certain segment of the population is honor-bound to start shouting "ISIS!" In this case, they're right. In his note, Artan demanded the U.S. cease all attacks on the Islamic State in order to stop more "lone wolf" attacks. ISIS has claimed him as their soldier, but they didn't spend any time or money equipping him.

You're going to hear the term "self-radicalized" a lot over the next couple of days. What does that mean, really? It means the Ohio State stabbings weren't a random expression of anger. They were directly inspired, even cultivated, by a novel brand of ISIS propaganda: the terrorist organization's new magazine, Rumiyah.
Government will provide free quality education to students by establishing residential schools

UNI, Hyderabad | Published : 29th November, 2016

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari today said that the government will provide free quality education to students in the state by setting up Residential Schools.

Speaking at the Education conference organized by The Hindu group here, Mr Srihari said that the government aim is to extend free quality education to the six lakh students by establishing 1250-1300 residential schools.

He said that the state government will provide basic infrastructure including toilets, computer labs, compound wall, electrical labs in all government schools by June 2017.

About 3352 digital class rooms were started so far during the first phase, the Deputy Chief Minister said the remaining would be completed by next year.

To provide soft skill to the degree students, the government will establish skill and knowledge centers in every degree college in the state and present soft skill certificates to them, he said.

Mr Srihari said earlier governments had sanctioned junior colleges but they did not provide adequate infrastructure. The state government has decided to construct permanent buildings and provide basic infrastructure. The cabinet also gave nod to regularise all contract lectures. But the delay is due to legal problems.

While appreciating the Hindu Group for conducing such programmes, Mr Srihari asked the industrialists to concentrate on education under their CSR initiatives.

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IIMB ranked top B-School in Central Asia by Eduniversal

UNI, Bengaluru | Published : 29th November, 2016

Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru (IIMB) was ranked as top Business School in Central Asia for the 8thyear in a row by Eduniversal, Paris and has awarded the 5 Palmes of Excellence award on the institute.

Professor Sourav Mukherji, Dean (Programmes), IIMB, received the prestigious award in Perth, Australia, yesterday during the ongoing9th Eduniversal World Convention held at Curtin Business School, Curtin University.

Stating that this award is another feather in the cap, Dr Mukherji observed that "IIM Bangalore's efforts in strengthening research and teaching have paid handsome dividends by enhancing our international reputation," according to a statement here today.

Professor Ishwar Murthy, Dean (Faculty), IIMB, said "We must acknowledge the contributions of our outstanding faculty who are all part of the immense success of IIMB as a management institute. We are at a stage now where we can build upon our strong foundation and attain greater heights of success. We are committed to continuing our investment in faculty and research."

IIM Bangalore is one of the premier institutes for management education and research in Asia and it continues to enhance its global standing among management schools around the world through innovation and strengthening of its research and teaching programmes. The PGP, Executive PGP and executive programmes of the institute are very highly placed in global rankings.

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In July, Mark Langedijk, a middle aged man in Holland, was euthanized at his request due to his addiction to alcohol. The Netherlands is one of nine countries, including Canada and parts of the U.S., which allows assisted suicide for those living their lives with an "unbearable" illness or affliction. Tom Embury-Dennis of the Independent reports that the Netherlands introduced euthanasia 16 years ago, and the current "euthanasia kit" available in pharmacies employs a three drug protocol to induce a painless death. This raises the question "if the same chemicals we use to execute our worst murderers aren't cruel and unusual for an alcoholic in Holland or a cancer patient in Oregon, why are US courts wasting time and money reviewing Eighth Amendment challenges?" The standard argument from the Anti-death penalty lobby is that capital punishment is cruel and unusual, that it's "inhumane". Apparently this is only true for murderers who inhumanly shoot, stab or torture innocent people to death, after a trial and several appeals to confirm their guilt.
Internet of things News

Intel Brings In Former ARM Exec Tom Lantzsch As 'Accelerant' For Internet of Things Group

Lindsey O'Donnell

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Intel has hired Tom Lantzsch as senior vice president and general manager of its IoT Group, as the company continues to strengthen its Internet of Things business.

Lantzsch was most recently the executive vice president of strategy at rival chip company ARM, which specializes in mobile and low-power chips for IoT devices. He will start in his new role in January 2017, according to Intel.

"[Tom] brings deep strategic and operational acumen, and hes grown businesses and fueled innovation," said Murthy Renduchintala, president of the Client and Internet of Things (IoT) Businesses and Systems Architecture Group at Intel Corporation, in a blog post. "Hell be an accelerant leader for Intel and our industry  leading with a pure passion for how smart and connected devices will enrich our daily lives."

[Related: Amazon Web Service Partners Want More IoT Details At AWS Re:Invent]

Lantzch will lead the strategy behind Intel architecture computing solutions across the IoT market segments, including manufacturing, industrial, retail, transportation, smart buildings and homes.

In addition to ARM, the tech veteran's previous posts included operations and sales roles at StarCore, Motorola, and Texas Instruments.

Intel also lifted the curtain on the Automated Driving Group, which the company said will research and develop innovative next-generation autonomous driving solutions and driver-assist connected systems. Earlier in November, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced that the company will invest $250 million in autonomous driving to learn more about next-generation connectivity, context awareness, and security.

Intel executive Doug Davis will lead the charge in the company's Automated Driving Group. Davis, who earlier in the year announced he would retire at the end of 2016, was formerly the general manager of Intel's IoT Group. Davis will jointly run the group with vice president Kathy Winter, who joined Intel earlier in the year from automotive components supplier Delphi Automotive.

"Its interesting, as well as promising, to see Intel looking outside its own walls to bring people onboard that have different experiences, expertise and vision," said Kent Tibbils, vice president of marketing at ASI, a Fremont, Calif.-based Intel system builder. "If they can combine the skillset of these new leaders with Intels core values, particularly those centered on Intels belief in the channel, then I think that would certainly benefit VARs who are also looking to expand into new market segments such as IoT."

The executive changes come as Intel continues to shift its strategy from a PC-focused company to a connected device, cloud and data center company with a tighter emphasis on the Internet of Things. Renduchintala, a former Qualcomm executive who Intel hired last November, has been charged with leading this strategic shift for the company.

"With Tom and Doug at the helm of Intels IoT and automated driving efforts, Im more confident than ever that Intel will uniquely lead the revolution that will create our future smart and connected world," wrote Renduchintala.
Security News

Former CIA Director Says The Private Sector, Not the Government, Will Protect Us From Cyberthreats

Michael Novinson

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The private sector will serve as America's first line of defense against cyberattacks and must focus more on threat intelligence and post-attack remediation, according to former CIA director Michael Hayden.

Hayden said he had assumed that the digital world would replicate the physical world, with the government taking the lead in protecting the nation from cybercrime. But he told the more than 2,000 attendees of Ingram Micro ONE that he's now convinced that the private sector is better equipped to address cybersecurity threats.

"In terms of the day-to-day, somewhat serious attacks, the government is not protecting you," Hayden said Tuesday at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. "You're going to the private sector for the tools, products and services that you need to keep yourself safe."

[RELATED: CRN Exclusive: Ingram Micro Adds Aruba Wireless Equipment Sales and Tech Training For HPE Partners]

Hayden said the United States has not decided what it wants or will allow the government to do to keep citizens safe online. Because of that, the government will permanently be late in addressing cybersecurity needs, said Hayden, who served as CIA director from 2006 to 2009 and National Security Agency (NSA) director from 1999 to 2005.

Conversely, Hayden said the private sector is "with it" and understands cybersecurity threats. He praised American industry for no longer thinking about an as a drag on its bottom line and, instead, seeing it as integral to the creation of top-line growth.

"There is an incredible amount of entrepreneurial and technology energy in the private sector to make you and me safer in the cyber domain," Hayden said. "The private sector in this domain is the prime mover."

The private sector has historically been focused on reducing vulnerability to cyberattacks, Hayden said, with companies such as Symantec and McAfee founded to defend the perimeter and not let cyberattackers get into the network.

But even the most perfectly-executed firewalls, patches and passwords can only keep 80 percent of hackers out of the network, Hayden said. That's why Hayden said most of the current entrepreneurial and technological energy is focused on managing the consequences of a successful breach.

"They're getting in  don't whine, get over it," Hayden said. "Survive while being penetrated. Wrap your more precious data more tightly than your less precious data."

Hayden said the backbone of consequence management are powerful algorithms that watch an end user's network, learn normal traffic patterns, and can, therefore, spot and alert key figures to network abnormalities. Effective consequence management maximizes and extends the time between penetration of a network and the discovery of sensitive data, Hayden said.

The future of cyberdefense, though, is probably about threat intelligence. Hayden said firms such as iSight Partners  which was acquired by FireEye in January, and counts the U.S. government as its biggest customer  provide this intelligence through web crawling, port scanning and assuming personas in chatrooms to better inform clients about what specifically attackers might be most interested in.

Another thriving security-related industry is cyberinsurance, which Hayden said is about sharing harm. Hayden credits the emerging industry for promoting better behavior among consumers.

"Insurance companies, and how they set rates, actually might be more effective in creating a higher level of cybersecurity in this country than anything the government could do," Hayden said.

The fact that cybersecurity will continue to be led by the private sector, rather than the government, was heartening to Eric Nilson, data center manager of Chicago-based SingleHop, No. 374 on the CRN Solution Provider 500.

"It's a wide open market, and that represents a lot of room for growth," said Nilson, an Ingram Micro partner. SingleHop has been engaged in changing client's thinking from focusing on attack prevention to focusing on proactive remediation strategies, Nilson said.

Hayden's discussion about how it's impossible to build a wall around a client's data since it will inevitably be breached resonated with Brett Butler, president and CEO of Culver City, Calif.-based Excel Office Services.

"We could shut down our entire business and just go into security," Butler said.
Security News

FireEye Brings Together Security Portfolio Under New Helix Platform

Sarah Kuranda

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FireEye is bringing together its security products under a single, integrated platform, a move it says will help partners move away from point solutions and provide an overall better security outcome.

The platform, which the Milpitas, Calif.-based company is calling Helix, brings together its network, endpoint, Threat Analytics Platform, Advanced Threat Intelligence and FireEye Security Orchestrator into a single system with a single user interface. From there, customers can also add email, FireEye-as-a-Service, and additional threat intelligence and orchestration capabilities, as well as integrate third-party threat intelligence streams and alerts into a single pane of glass.

FireEye first demonstrated the Helix platform at its FireEye Cyber Defense Summit in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

[Related: FireEye CEO And CFO On Election Cybersecurity, A Renewed Channel Push And Company Restructuring]

While most of the bigger security vendors, including Intel Security, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks, have already moved to or are in the process of moving towards a similar platform-based vision, CTO Grady Summers said FireEye will distinguish itself with a high degree of automation capabilities and threat intelligence from Mandiant and iSight.

"There was a while where we were playing defense at FireEye and I think we're finally pulling all together all these pieces [and getting ahead of competitors]," Summers said.

The transition to a platform approach is especially important as customers look to consolidate the number of security vendors they work with for a lower total cost of ownership, Summers said. While FireEye's software was integrated point-to-point before, Summers said the new platform has a much more comprehensive set of integrations, including APIs, flexible integrations and third-party integrations, under a single subscription price.

Chris Carter, vice president of North American channels, said the new Helix platform will make it easier for FireEye to go to market through partners, both allowing for "building blocks" of different FireEye solutions towards the Helix platform, as well as simpler overall messaging on its value proposition.

"I think thats fantastic strategy, a fantastic product We will focus on selling the building blocks that will lead to full blown Helix orchestrator platform, but it will make it easier for partners to sell to their customers in smaller pieces and easier to consume pieces," Carter said. He said he expected the lead products for partners to be HX, Cloud MVX and ATP.

Albert Mimo, CEO at Glastonbury, Conn.-based Core Networks, said the rollout of the Helix platform moves FireEye from an appliance company to a company with a "complete solution" in his eyes, especially with its ability to incorporate technology from third-party vendors. As a partner that focuses on security services, such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and incident response, Mimo said that shift is especially important as moves away from "box pushing" towards services and solutions sales.

"It's completely changed my view of FireEye from an appliance company to a real cybersecurity company," Mimo said.

Nick Giampietro, partner and director of sales at G-Net Solutions, a Babylon, N.Y.-based FireEye partner, said the launch of Helix is what he has been waiting for as a partner, saying he has been "hearing some sizzle" from FireEye for a while about its product roadmap and now the company "showed us the steak." Giampietro said the platform, as well as other systems such as Cloud MVX that come in at a better price point for customers of all sizes, better matches up with how his customers want to buy.

"It is in lock step with what we're trying to do where it wasnt before," Giampietro said.

The platform is expected to be generally available in late Q1 2017. It is currently in a limited early adopter program.
HPE And Aruba Networks Double Down On IoT

The Internet of Things was front and center at Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Discover 2016 conference today in London, with the company unveiling a slew of new solutions targeting IoT market. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company is taking the giant leap forward in the IoT arena alongside Aruba Networks, which HPE acquired for $3 billion last year. Aruba launched several IoT-focused networking solutions today as part of the conference.

"The economic impact to those [channel] partners who embrace the IoT opportunity I think could be huge," said Jeff Edlund, CTO of Communications & Media Solutions for HPE, in an interview with CRN.

Here are the 10 most significant IoT announcements made at HPE Discover today that channel partners need to know.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit. VIRGINIA PINDER, individually and as representative for decedent Robert Pinder, JJNP RANCHES, a partnership, Plaintiffs - Appellants, v. TRAVIS MITCHELL, Sheriff of Duchesne County, Defendant - Appellee. No. 15-4023 Decided: November 29, 2016

Before KELLY, GORSUCH, and HOLMES, Circuit Judges.**

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Plaintiffs-Appellants Virginia Pinder, as representative for decedent Robert Pinder and for herself, and JJNP Ranches (collectively the Pinders) appeal from the district court's dismissal of their 42 U.S.C.  1983 claim against Travis Mitchell, the sheriff of Duchesne County, Utah. The Pinders sought the return of guns that were seized in 1998 as part of a murder investigation. The district court dismissed their claim for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6). Pinder v. Mitchell, No. 2:11CV508DAK, 2015 WL 461352, at *23 (D. Utah Feb. 3, 2015). Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  1291, we affirm.

Background

In 1998, the Pinders' son John was investigated for and subsequently convicted of murder. As part of that investigation, state authorities seized firearms, gun cases, and ammunition from the Pinders' property. The Pinders now seek the return of their guns and compensation for being deprived of their personal property these last eighteen years.

In July 2005, shortly after their son's direct appeal was denied by the Utah Supreme Court, the Pinders wrote to the Utah Attorney General, the Duchesne County Attorney, and the Duchesne County Sheriff seeking return of the weapons. 3 Aplt. App. 25354. The Pinders were told the guns could not be returned since they still might be needed in case a retrial was ordered as part of any collateral attack on John's conviction. Id. at 256.

Four years later, in September 2009, the Pinders filed a claim in state court against Travis Mitchell, the sheriff of Duchesne County. Id. at 25861. In his motion to dismiss, Sheriff Mitchell argued that (1) the guns did not belong to the Pinders, but to their son John, and they therefore would revert to the state; (2) the guns might still be needed as evidence in case of a retrial, making the claim premature; (3) the statute of limitations had run, making the claim too late; and (4) the Pinders never sent a notice of claim to the county, as required by the state's Governmental Immunity Act. Id. at 26271. The state district court dismissed the case without prejudice for the Pinders' failure to send a notice of claim. 1 Aplt. App. 5960.

In June 2011, the Pinders brought this  1983 claim in federal district court. Id. at 1014. Once again, Sheriff Mitchell argued that the statute of limitations had run, that the guns might still be needed as evidence, that the guns did not belong to the Pinders, and also that the Pinders needed to seek return of the weapons from the prosecuting attorney, not the sheriff. Id. at 1718; 2 Aplt. App. 9296. The district court initially denied Sheriff Mitchell's motion to dismiss and ordered a status report to detail which of the sought-after guns belonged to whom and which ones would actually be needed as evidence. 2 Aplt. App. 10507.

In June 2014, Sheriff Mitchell renewed his motion to dismiss, this time arguing (1) that the court lacked jurisdiction because the Pinders had not adequately exhausted their state-level post-deprivation remedies; (2) that the Pinders failed to state a claim for the same reason; (3) that Sheriff Mitchell is in any event entitled to qualified immunity; and (4) that the Pinders failed to join an indispensable party by not bringing suit against the state of Utah. 3 Aplt. App. 196218. The district court granted the motion, finding the Pinders had not pursued to finality their state-court remedies and that as a result the case was not ripe. Pinder, 2015 WL 461352, at *2. The court also held that even if it did have jurisdiction the Pinders failed to state a claim and Sheriff Mitchell was entitled to qualified immunity. Id. at *3.

Discussion

We review de novo the district court's dismissal of an action for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction or for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Trackwell v. U.S. Gov't, 472 F.3d 1242, 1243 (10th Cir. 2007). Ripeness is a jurisdictional prerequisite, Friends of Marolt Park v. U.S. Dep't of Transp., 382 F.3d 1088, 1093 (10th Cir. 2004) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted), and [w]hether a claim is ripe for judicial review is a question of law which we review de novo, Harvey E. Yates Co. v. Powell, 98 F.3d 1222, 1237 (10th Cir. 1996).

In a civil rights claim against a state official brought under 42 U.S.C.  1983, the general rule is that a plaintiff need not exhaust potential state-level remedies before seeking federal relief. See Zinermon v. Burch, 494 U.S. 113, 12425 (1990). This is because the constitutional violation actionable under  1983 is complete when the wrongful action is taken. Id. at 125. This rule applies to two of the three kinds of  1983 claims that can be brought under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment: (1) deprivations of rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and incorporated by the Due Process Clause, and (2) substantive due process rights. Id.

But the general rule does not always apply to the third kind of due process claim: when a plaintiff complains that his procedural due process rights were violated. This is because the Constitution does not outright prohibit states from ever taking a citizen's life, liberty, or property, but only from doing so without due process of law. U.S. Const. amend. XIV,  1. Therefore, to determine whether a constitutional violation has occurred, it is necessary to ask what process the State provided, and whether it was constitutionally adequate. Zinermon, 484 U.S. at 126. Only if the State provided no remedies, or the remedies were inadequate, could a plaintiff claim a taking of property occurred without due process of law. See Hudson v. Palmer, 468 U.S. 517, 533 (1984) (intentional deprivation of property); Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527, 54244 (1981) (negligent deprivation of property), overruled in part on other grounds by Daniels v. Williams, 474 U.S. 327, 33031 (1986).

The Pinders argue that [t]his case involves a classic, physical taking. Aplt. Br. at 10. Yet they contend that an examination of any post-deprivation procedures provided by the state of Utah is unnecessary because [p]rocedures that are merely remedial are not relevant to ripeness under  1983. Id. at 16. That is, they contend their constitutional injury is separate and distinct from any available state proceedings: Plaintiffs were injured by the Defendant's constitutional violations. But Plaintiffs only failed to obtain remedial relief because of the state court's dismissal. Id.; see also id. at 1213.

As support for this argument, the Pinders invoke the Supreme Court's discussion in a regulatory takings case, Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank, 473 U.S. 172 (1985). There, the plaintiff challenged a city zoning ordinance as prohibiting any economic use of its property. Id. at 18283. In deciding that the challenge was not ripe for review, the Court discussed the difference between exhausting a claim of a constitutional violation in state proceedings, which is not required, and the need for a final agency decision, which is required. Id. at 18694. The Court explained that any state procedures in the former scenario would simply be remedial because the violation complained of had already occurred. Id. at 19394. In such an instance, there is no need to pursue a state remedy before bringing a  1983 claim. Id. But in the second scenario, because the alleged constitutional violation depends on what the agency action actually is, a final agency decision is required for one to challenge it. Id. Using this framework, the Pinders contend that the district court erred by categorizing their claim as falling within the second scenario rather than the first. Aplt. Br. at 1516.

But the Court's analysis in Williamson County did not end there. The Court explained how allegations of a taking violation are similar to those challenging agency action in that both require use of the state procedures for a claim to be ripe. 473 U.S. at 19495. That is, if a plaintiff is claiming a taking violation, the violation has not actually occurred until the state has denied due process. It is that denial that forms the prerequisite for a  1983 challenge, and that necessarily requires the plaintiff to explore what state-level process is available. Id.

The Pinders also claim that the Parratt exception to the norm of requiring a pre-deprivation hearing is not applicable. Aplt. Reply Br. at 1819 (citing 451 U.S. at 54243). The Pinders distinguish Parratt as involving unauthorized and seemingly-random acts of state employees. According to the Pinders, their case involves constitutional violations that were foreseeable and constituted official state procedure. Thus, they contend, even if Utah provided a post-deprivation hearing, they need not pursue it before coming to federal court because such a remedy is necessarily inadequate. Aplt. Reply Br. at 20.

Yet post-deprivation remedies are not per se inadequate simply because Parratt's rogue actor is not present. Rather, they can be constitutional in many other situations where [i]t is difficult to conceive of how the State could provide a meaningful hearing before the deprivation takes place. Parratt, 451 U.S. at 541. For this reason, and as applies here, there need not be an opportunity for a pre-deprivation hearing before a state can take property pursuant to a search warrant. Fuentes v. Shevin, 407 U.S. 67, 93 n.30 (1972); see also City of W. Covina v. Perkins, 525 U.S. 234, 24041 (1999) (nor does due process require the state to give individualized notice of state-law remedies for the reclamation of property seized pursuant to a warrant). Thus, we find the Pinders' argument that they need not take advantage of any state-level processes before challenging their inadequacy unavailing.

Having determined that the procedures offered by the state of Utah are indeed relevant, we turn now to examining what those procedures were and whether the Pinders availed themselves of them. At the time the Pinders pursued their state-court remedies in 2009, the Utah Code of Criminal Procedure governed property which came into the possession of a peace officer through execution of a search warrant, Utah Code Ann.  77-24-1(2)(a) (repealed 2013), or which was received or taken as evidence in connection with any public offense, id.  77-24-1(2)(d) (repealed 2013). It then provided, in relevant part:

(1) Property which is not needed as evidence shall be returned to the owner, if the owner may lawfully possess it, or disposed of in accordance with this chapter.

(2)(a) When the peace officer or the officer's employing agency becomes aware that the property is not needed as evidence, the officer or the agency shall inform the prosecuting attorney that the property is not needed and provide a description and details of ownership.

(b) When the prosecuting attorney is informed or otherwise becomes aware that the property is not needed as evidence, the prosecuting attorney shall authorize release of the property to the owner.

(c) When the peace officer or the officer's employing agency becomes aware that any property is to be returned to its owner, the officer or employing agency shall exercise due diligence in attempting to notify the rightful owner that the property is to be returned.

(d) If the property is a weapon, the peace officer shall dispose of it in accordance with Section 76-10-5251

(3)(a) When property is received in evidence, the clerk of the court last receiving it shall retain the property or the clerk shall return the property to the custody of the peace officer. The property shall be retained by the clerk or the officer until all direct appeals and retrials are final, at which time the property shall be returned to the owner in accordance with this chapter. 

(b) If the prosecuting attorney considers it necessary to retain control over the evidence, in anticipation of possible collateral attacks upon the judgment or for use in a potential prosecution, the prosecuting attorney may decline to authorize return of the property to the owner.

Id.  77-24-2 (repealed 2013).

In addition, the Code included a way to petition for the return of seized property:

(4) A person claiming ownership of property seized as evidence in a criminal matter may petition the court for its return. After sufficient notice is given to the prosecutor, the court may order that the property be:

(a) returned to the rightful owner as determined by the court;

(b) applied toward restitution, fines, or fees in an amount set by the court;

(c) converted to public interest use; or

(d) destroyed.

Id.  77-24-4 (repealed 2013). Though the Utah legislature replaced these Code provisions in 2013, the new standards governing property taken for evidentiary purposes remain similar. See Utah Code Ann.  24-3-102  24-3-104.

Finally, the Governmental Immunity Act of Utah waives the state's sovereign immunity in, among other areas, any action brought to recover, obtain possession of, or quiet title to real or personal property. Utah Code Ann.  63G-7-301(2)(a). However, it also requires that any person bringing such a claim file a written notice of claim with the entity before maintaining an action. Id.  63G-7-401(2).

From this overview, it is clear that Utah had processes available to the Pinders in their quest to have their guns returned. Yet after the state district court dismissed their claim without prejudice for failure to provide a written notice of claim, the Pinders chose not to continue pursuing state-level adjudication. Since the state may erect reasonable procedural requirements for triggering the right to an adjudication, Logan, 455 U.S. at 437, and since the state certainly accords due process when it terminates a claim for failure to comply with a reasonable procedural or evidentiary rule, id. (citation omitted), this dismissal by the state court cannot constitute the underlying due process violation for the Pinders'  1983 claim.

Finally, the Pinders also argue that there simply is no state procedure available to them to seek compensation for being deprived of their property these past eighteen years. Aplt. Br. at 1415. That is, even if the above statutes provide a process for the return of the guns, they do not allow for the just compensation required by the Constitution. Id. But as the Pinders themselves admit, the Utah constitution seems to provide exactly this. Id. at 1617 (citing Utah Const. art. 1,  22 (Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation.)); see also Heughs Land, L.L.C. v. Holladay City, 2005 UT App 202,  78, 113 P.3d 1024 (finding Just Compensation Clause self-executing, such that a claim is not bound by the notice-of-claim requirement of the Governmental Immunity Act).

Because we find the Pinders did not fully pursue available state-court remedies, we agree with the district court that their  1983 claim is not ripe for review and affirm its dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

AFFIRMED.

Entered for the Court

I concur in the judgment. I write separately because I respectfully disagree with the majorityand with the district courtthat the Pinders' claim can be resolved on jurisdictional grounds (i.e., ripeness). I would instead conclude that the Pinders failed to state a claim for relief pursuant to 42 U.S.C.  1983, and that the district court properly dismissed their action on this alternative basis pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6).

The district court assumed that it could have subject-matter jurisdiction over the Pinders'  1983 claim only if the Pinders had exhausted their state-court remedies. For support, the district court cited Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, in which the Supreme Court held that if a State provides an adequate procedure for recovering property, a plaintiff must first try to use[ ] th[at] procedure before filing a federal claim. 473 U.S. 172, 195 (1985). Of course, we have applied Williamson County's state-court-exhaustion rule to dismiss claims on ripeness grounds in the past. In Bateman v. City of West Bountiful, we noted that whether a [property-deprivation] claim is ripe for review bears on the court's subject matter jurisdiction under Article III of the Constitution. 89 F.3d 704, 706 (10th Cir. 1996). And in Rocky Mountain Materials & Asphalt, Inc. v. Board of County Commissioners of El Paso County, we invoked Williamson County in concluding that a claim should have been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction on ripeness grounds. 972 F.2d 309, 311 (10th Cir. 1992).

But whenever we have treated Williamson County's state-court-exhaustion rule as jurisdictional, the alleged property deprivation involved a regulatory takinga deprivation involving an interference with property rights that arises from some public program adjusting the benefits and burdens of economic life to promote the common good. Penn. Cent. Transp. Co. v. City of N.Y., 438 U.S. 104, 124 (1978). The Pinders' claim, on the other hand, involves a classic taking, in which the government directly appropriates private property for its own use. E. Enters. v. Apfel, 524 U.S. 498, 522 (1998).

The Supreme Court has advised us that it [is] inappropriate to treat cases involving physical takings as controlling precedents for the evaluation of a claim that there has been a regulatory taking, and vice versa. Tahoe-Sierra Pres. Council v. Tahoe Reg'l Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302, 323 (2002) (emphasis added). In light of that instruction, I conclude that applying Williamson County's state-court-exhaustion requirement to the Pinders' claims would risk ignoring the longstanding distinction between government acquisitions of property and regulatory restrictions. Id. So, as I see it, the proper question is not whether the district court had jurisdiction to hear the Pinders' suit. Instead, it is whether the Pinders stated a viable claim for relief.

To bring a due-process claim for property deprivation, under certain circumstances, a plaintiff must show that there were no adequate state-law post-deprivation remedies. See, e.g., Freeman v. Dep't of Corr., 949 F.2d 360, 362 (10th Cir. 1991). Specifically, that requirement arises when the claim involves random and unauthorized deprivations of property rather than deprivations according to some established policy, procedure, or custom. Gillihan v. Shillinger, 872 F.2d 935, 939 (10th Cir. 1989) (emphasis added), overruled on other grounds by Clark v. Wilson, 625 F.3d 686, 691 (10th Cir. 2010).

The Pinders' complaint avermentswhich must of course form the basis for our review of the district court's Rule 12(b)(6) determination, see, e.g., Mayfield v. Bethards, 826 F.3d 1252, 1256 (10th Cir. 2016); Petrella v. Brownback, 787 F.3d 1242, 126768 (10th Cir. 2015)never refer to a specific policy, procedure, or official act that guided the seizure, cf. Wolfenbarger v. Williams, 774 F.2d 358, 365 (10th Cir. 1985) (concluding that the alleged seizure was not random when evidence suggested that it was planned and authorized). And nothing in the complaint suggests that Sheriff Mitchell acted pursuant to any directive or order. The complaint states only that the guns are now in possession of Sheriff Mitchell, Aplts.' App. Vol 1, at 12, and that he replied to all [of the Pinders'] requests [by stating] that  the guns were associated with an ongoing criminal case, id. at 10. That, without more, is not enough to show that Sheriff Mitchell's retention of the guns was anything other than a random and unauthorized act.

Because their complaint alleged only random, unauthorized acts, the Pinders had to allege that there were no adequate state-law remedies that would have given them relief. See, e.g., Freeman, 949 F.2d at 362. But, as the majority has pointed out, the Pinders never mention state-law remedies in their complaint. Accordingly, I would conclude that their complaint was properly dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6).

FOOTNOTES

. Section 76-10-525 provided: All police departments and/or sheriff's departments which have in their possession a weapon after it has been used for court purposes shall determine the true owner of the weapon and return it to him; however, if unable to determine the true owner of the weapon, or if the true owner is the person committing the crime for which the weapon was used as evidence, the department shall confiscate it and it shall revert to that agency for their use and/or disposal as the head of the department determines.

. Utah Code Ann.  24-3-104(1) currently governs the petition process for the return of property held as evidence:(a) A person claiming ownership of property held as evidence may file a petition with the court for the return of the property.(b) The petition may be filed in:(i) the court in which criminal proceedings have commenced regarding the conduct for which the property is held as evidence; or(ii) the district court of the jurisdiction where the property was seized, if there are no pending criminal proceedings.(c) A copy of the petition shall be served on the prosecuting attorney and the agency which has possession of the property.

. Indeed, since bringing this  1983 claim, the Pinders have pursued a state constitutional claim in Utah state court. Aplee. Supp. App. 122.

. For this reason, the disputes between the parties as to who owns the guns or whether they were actually admitted into evidence during trial or whether they are needed for possible future trials, see Aplt. Br. at 2227; Aplt. Reply Br. at 37, 16, are all issues we need not decide. Given the outcome, we do not reach the other grounds relied upon by the district court.

. The Pinders essentially concede this point on appeal. They argue that, under Utah law, Sheriff Mitchell was legally obligated to return all property which was not needed as evidence. Aplt.'s Opening Br. at 2526. But Sheriff Mitchell's conduct could not be authorized by the state if he intentionally violated state law in keeping the guns. See Moore v. Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs of Cty. of Leavenworth, 507 F.3d 1257, 1260 (10th Cir. 2007) (concluding that a defendant's conduct was random and unauthorized when the Plaintiffs contend[ed] that [the defendant] intentionally violated Department policy by driving so fast to [an] emergency call).

Paul J. Kelly, Jr. Circuit Judge
The latest strain of Mirai, the malware thats been infecting internet routers from Germanys Deutsche Telekom, has spread to devices in at least 10 other countries, according to security firm Flashpoint.

The company has detected the new Mirai strain infecting internet routers and modems across the globe, including in the U.K., Brazil, Iran and Thailand.

Its still unclear how many devices have been infected, but Flashpoint estimates that as many as five million devices are vulnerable. If even a fraction of these vulnerable devices were compromised, they would add considerable power to an existing botnet, Flashpoint said in a Tuesday blog post.

The malware grabbed headlines on Monday when Deutsche Telekom reported that close to a million customers experienced internet connection problems from the new Mirai strain infecting their routers. Although Deutsche Telekom has offered a software update to stop the malware, security experts worry that the hackers will continue to upgrade Mirais source code to infect additional devices.

The original version of Mirai became notorious for quickly enslaving poorly secured IoT devices, such as DVRs and surveillance cameras. This new strain infects routers from a company called Zyxel, using a known flaw with the products SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to take them over.

The goal of Mirai is to form a botnet, or an army of enslaved computers that can be used to launch massive distributed denial-of-service attacks that can shut down websites. In October, Mirai botnets were blamed for doing just that in a disruption that slowed internet access across the U.S.

Flashpoint said it's already found this new strain of Mirai creating a botnet to launch small-scale DDoS attacks on an IP address in Africa and a cloud hosting provider. The attacks, which lasted between a few minutes and to more than an hour, occurred on Monday and Tuesday.

Hackers have been exploiting the Mirai malware ever since its source code was released on a forum in late September. The developers of this new strain probably wanted to make their Mirai botnet bigger, Flashpoint said.

However, the spread of the new Mirai strain appears to be slowing down, according to Craig Young, a security researcher at Tripwire. On Monday, he estimated the malware was attempting to infect devices at a rate of one every 90 seconds. But as of Tuesday morning, that rate had slowed to about one every six minutes, he said.

Young said the Deutsche Telekom attack was in one sense a failure. The hackers probably never intended to disrupt Deutsche Telekom customers' Internet connections, but simply to secretly infect their routers to grow the botnet, he said.

The way the Mirai strain took over the routers drew too much attention, provoking the German carrier to quickly issue a security patch. The malware may have been too demanding on the routers, and overloaded them, so they wouldnt be able to operate, Young said.

He expects the hackers to keep upgrading Mirai. Someone will fix the bugs in the code, he said. People will also incorporate more exploits related to routers.
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BRIDGEPORT - The nationwide manhunt for a violent home invasion suspect in Alabama ended Wednesday morning outside a rooming house near the University of Bridgeport.

Members of the U.S. Marshal Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force, acting on a tip, surrounded the rooming house at 348 Park Ave., shortly after 10 a.m. preparing for an assault when the target, Stanley Kelvin Young, walked out the front door with another man identified as 34-year-old Fortune Hoppins.

Both men had loaded handguns in book bags they were wearing but were arrested without incident, said task force member Detective Robert Martin.

Young, 28, was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant and was being held in lieu of $500,000 bond pending extradition to Alabama where he faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.

Hoppins, who Martin said also has an outstanding warrant from Alabama, was also being held in lieu of $500,000 bond.

Both men were also expected to face Connecticut gun charges.

On Nov. 23, authorities in Marengo County, Ala., put out a nationwide alert for Young who they called armed and extremely dangerous.

Police said on Nov. 20, Young and another man robbed a West Alabama man in his home, duct-taped his hands, feet and mouth and set his house on fire.

Weve got several different local and federal agents thats looking for him and we not going to stop looking til they be brought to justice, Marengo County Sheriff Ben Bates told local media.

Bates said Young is also wanted for a bank robbery in nearby Perry County.
BRIDGEPORT - The NAACP of Greater Bridgeport is seeking a federal investigation into the policies and practices of the Bridgeport Police Department following the demotions of Lt. Lonnie Blackwell and Capt. Robert Sapiro in connection with a phony racist letter that was distributed in the department.

Calling the demotions of Sapiro and especially Blackwell, the head of the Bridgeport Guardians a minority police organization, a miscarriage of justice, NAACP President George Mintz on Wednesday called for federal authorities to appoint a special master over the Police Department.

The disparate treatment of Lt. Blackwell further distances the opportunity for African-Americans within the ranks of the Bridgeport Police Department to rise to executive levels in the immediate years to come, said Mintz.

Mayor Joseph Ganim had no comment on the NAACPs demand.

It references an internal Bridgeport Police Department matter that should have been handled by the previous administration and is now resolved, said Mayoral Spokesman Av Harris.

The NAACP is a well-respected organization and they are entitled to their opinion, said Police Chief Armando Perez. My investigation was fair and impartial and so was the disciplinary action I imposed on these two officers.

Perez, in a memorandum accompanying his decision on Nov. 22 to demote Blackwell to sergeant and Sapiro to lieutenant, said there is no credible evidence that Blackwell directed the writing of the phony letter, but rather violated department rules for the way the letter was reported to authorities.

Sapiro, Blackwells immediate supervisor in the department, was demoted because of a pattern of improper and inadequate supervision, according to the chief.

Last year Blackwell was placed on administrative duty by former Police Chief Joseph Gaudett. That action followed a report by the city Office of Internal Affairs that Blackwell conspired with former officer Clive Higgins to disseminate a racist hate letter in the Police Department.

On Feb. 9, 2015, Higgins reported finding a racist letter in his mailbox in the police department. The letter, which was also disseminated around the department, was typed on city letterhead and made negative comments about African-American officers and complained that Higgins, who is black, didn't belong on the police force.

The discovery sparked calls for an investigation by the NAACP and national organizations of African-American police officers. The city called in the State Police to investigate.

State police said Higgins admitted he wrote the letter after they presented him with surveillance video that showed him typing the letter in the Police Department.

"Higgins looked at the photographs and began rubbing and shaking his head. Higgins then admitted that it was, in fact, the hate letter he claimed to have found in his mailbox," state police said.

State police said Higgins told them he was ordered to write the letter by Blackwell to "bring attention to the department with respect to ongoing racial complaints."

Higgins was arrested by state police and charged with second-degree falsely reporting an incident for filing a police report regarding the letter, which police said he typed himself in the police department. Higgins was later granted accelerated rehabilitation, a pretrial probation program for nonviolent offenders.

Blackwell has denied giving such an order. No criminal charges have been lodged against him.

Mintz said the punishment meted down to Blackwell and Sapiro is inconsistent with other cases before the Police Department.

He pointed out that earlier this year Perez suspended two white police officers for 30 days after they were caught during a raid moonlighting in a bar that was serving alcohol to over 75 underage drinkers.

Another officer, convicted twice of domestic violence charges and who is still on probation, continues to work a regular duty assignment without department discipline, Mintz said.

He said a city firefighter was suspended without pay for two weeks for forwarding an email with a link to offensive content, which stirred up racial tension and an outcry from black firefighters.

The NAACP has conducted its own inquiry and reviewed the findings of departmental policies and procedures, and has found evidence of disparate treatment within the department relative to the actions against Lt. Blackwell and Capt. Sapiro, he said.
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. (AP)  A New Jersey girl called 911 after she touched her elf on the shelf.

Police say 7-year-old Isabelle LaPeruta of Old Bridge was worried because, according to the popular children's book, the magic of Christmas goes away if the elf is touched.
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STAMFORD - When you turn on your faucet and water flows out, think of the residents of Davenport Ridge Lane.

They are putting up with a pipe that brings 4 million gallons of water a day from Bridgeport to Stamford, where reservoir levels are the lowest they have been in 35 years.

The 18-inch, above-ground pipe now delivers more than a third of the water Stamford uses each day.

The pipe, however, is more than unsightly.

Davenport Ridge Lane resident Merlin Alper said he was a bit horrified when he saw it being installed across the front 10 feet of his lawn the day before Thanksgiving.

Its a big pipe, Alper said. And its ugly.

Alper said he learned it was coming when he received a notice a few weeks ago from Aquarion Water Co.

Its how Stamford is getting through the prolonged drought, which, despite this weeks rain, has depleted the citys water system. Its at 34 percent when it should be twice that amount, said Bruce Silverstone, vice president of corporate communications for Aquarion.

To end the drought, Stamford would need about 10 inches of rain immediately, and then an inch a week for several months, Silverstone said.

Its a water emergency. So, Alper said, I didnt make a fuss.

At least he doesnt have it as bad as his neighbor, whose yard backs up to the Merritt Parkway, which the pipe follows into Stamford on its way from New Canaan.

In most places, the pipe was installed on the citys right of way, but they actually put the pipe across my neighbors property, Alper said.

He had to sign a contract with the water company, Alper said. He went through a lot of discussions with them. He finally decided it wasnt worth making an issue. Its a lose-lose situation.

No one wants a large black pipe snaking through their yard, but no one wants Stamford to go without water.

Dry times

Water supplies havent been this low since the early 1980s, Silverstone said. Everything is so dry that, when it does rain, water is quickly absorbed by the ground and doesnt make it into the streams that feed reservoirs.

Stream flows now are at levels that occur only five times every 100 years, Silverstone said.

Aquarion is about to begin an advertising campaign asking residents to immediately cut indoor water use by 20 percent, Silverstone said.

The utilitys website includes a calculator residents can use to determine how to best conserve water. Most indoor residential water use occurs in the bathroom, Silverstone said.

In an average household, toilets account for about 30 percent of indoor water consumption, and showering accounts for nearly 17 percent.

The greatest use in bathrooms can be attributed to toilet leaks, Silverstone said. The water tank runs and runs. To see whether you have a leak, you can buy toilet-leak detection tablets at the hardware store. You put the tablet in the tank and, if blue water runs into the bowl without flushing, theres a leak.

It usually means the flapper in the water tank is worn and needs to be replaced, according to Aquarions website.

Residents can save a great deal of water by upgrading fixtures, the website explains.

A water-efficient toilet, for example, uses about 1.2 gallons per flush, compared to old toilets, which use 6 gallons.

Water-efficient shower heads use 2 gallons per minute, but standard heads use 2.5 gallons per minute.

Energy Star-rated washing machines use 13 gallons per load, but standard machines use 23 gallons.

Water education

Aquarion will begin in January having educators speak to school and civic groups about conserving water, Silverstone said. People in the Northeast arent used to handling drought, but climate change and increased demand compel different behavior. Members of the Stamford Board of Representatives plan to vote Monday on establishing emergency water regulations.

Stamford is using water from the Bridgeport system, which has much larger reservoirs, but even that is at 64 percent of capacity, Silverstone said.

Aquarion has been moving water between systems for months. The drought in Greenwich has been particularly severe, so water was sent there from Stamford. Now Stamford needs water from Bridgeport. State authorities must approve these transfers to ensure one system isnt depleted for the sake of another, Silverstone said.

An underground pipe originating in Bridgeport was installed years ago but stops at New Canaan, he said. The new above-ground pipe picks up from New Canaan to feed Stamford.

It runs along the parkway, down the length of Davenport Ridge Lane, left onto Davenport Ridge Road and continues on Lakeside Drive, site of the North Stamford Reservoir. The treated water is then distributed to Stamford customers, Silverstone said.

The pipe is above ground  except where it had to be buried beneath driveway entrances on Davenport Ridge Lane and under Davenport Ridge Road  because its temporary, Silverstone said.

We are looking at actually making that line a permanent underground structure, he said. But thats a two-year project.

Alper said his notice from Aquarion stated the company expects to remove the above-ground pipe in May.

Well see how that goes, he said.

Until it rains in earnest, the pipe will deliver 4 million of the 11 million gallons of water Stamford uses each day.

Theres irony in it, Alper said.

I have a well, he said. So I dont get the benefit of the pipe.

angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella
From Black Friday to Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday, three post-Thanksgiving shopping holidays are plenty. But forget your consumerist worries for a minute -- Nov. 29 is Giving Tuesday.

Related: 4 Ways Your Company Benefits From Giving Back

Whether on Giving Tuesday or any other day of the year, giving is a great idea for businesses big and small. From company branding to connection building, there are many ways in which businesses can benefit from giving back.

Check out how these seven businesses are paying it forward.

1. Donate skills.

Marketers often struggle to give others a sense of the value a business has to offer. LinkedIn has found a way to combat this and position itself as an industry expert -- meanwhile giving back to the world.

LinkedIn encourages its members to make a difference in their communities by donating their time and talent. Its free-of-charge Volunteer Marketplace helps members find a nonprofit board or volunteer opportunity that fits their interests and expertise.

2. Leverage your strengths.

Squarespace is using its skills as a leading website platform to create microsites that promote Queens, N.Y.-based coding bootcamp C4Q. By showcasing what it does best -- web design -- while promoting diversity in tech, Squarespace is leveraging its skills to promote its own services as well as showcase the talent of others.

Every Tuesday in December, the company plans to highlight microsites of C4Q alumni on the Squarespace website, sharing their inspiring stories and enhancing their professional profiles. Aside from branding, promotion and giving back, this tactful method might also serve as a pipeline for future hires.

3. Build a movement.

This year, Patagonia joined more than 500 organizations in an initiative to opt outside on Black Friday rather than participate in the shopping frenzy. Initially launched by outdoor retailer R.E.I. in 2015, the #OptOutside campaign took flight this year, thanks in part to Black Friday fatigue.

Patagonia kept all of its brick-and-mortar stores closed on Black Friday, but shoppers could still make purchases on Patagonias website. As a result, the company has promised to donate all of the money it made on Black Friday to grassroots charities.

4. Have fun.

For the seventh consecutive year, Virgin America ran Operation Chihuahua, an initiative that helps animals and promotes the airlines Tiny Dogs, Tiny Fares Cyber Monday sale. In addition to donating $10 to animal shelters in the U.S. for every flight booked that day, the airline also flew dozens of dogs across the country where new adoptive homes awaited them, in partnership with San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SF ACC), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Animal Haven.

The videos of tiny dogs in big airplane seats are as funny as they are adorable and completely on brand for the cheeky airline.

5. Empower your employees.

Since 2013, pharmacy and retailer CVS has asked employees to nominate their favorite charities to receive a #GivingTuesday grant from the CVS Health Foundation. While CVS already recognizes its employees who volunteer and log their hours, it goes beyond that to encourage them to share their stories and celebrate their efforts. By combining giving back with engagement, the company has showed its support for its employees and donated more than $125,000 to 75 charities across the country.

6. Utilize social media.

Today, social media is the best place to go for free publicity, and crowdfunding platform GoFundMe is taking advantage of the opportunity. GoFundMe created the hashtag #GoBeyondGiving and is challenging people to create crowdfunding campaigns for those in need, community improvement projects or a charity. By publicizing the incentive via social media, the company is promoting its own services and encouraging others to do good at the same time.

7. Partner up.

Whether youre in food, retail or media, partnering up with another company in a different industry can double your impact. Television network QVC has partnered with smaller retailer Peace Love World, selling a specialty T-shirt from which 60 percent of the purchase price benefits global nonprofit Nest. Through the partnership, both businesses gain exposure, tap into each others consumer bases and are able to give back even more.

Related:

What Businesses Are Doing on Giving Tuesday

The 5 Ways People Can Build a Thriving Startup World in Their Community

How Entrepreneurs Can Succeed Outside of Silicon Valley



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Palmers brother, James Oler, will go to trial next year on one count of polygamy. But he has not been charged with anything related either to his 2004 marriage to the American teen or the subsequent birth of their child while she was still a minor.
29 Kasm 2016 Sal, 18:46

Demirtas, recounting that they were not unprepared, stated that they were awoken by a phone call from their neighbours at around 01.20 hours in the morning of 4 November and said, One of our neighbours downstairs called and said the police were coming upstairs. We were all asleep, my husband, I and my kids. I woke my husband and told him the police had come. It was not long before the doorbell rang anyway.

Basak Demirtas, speaking to Dicle Muftuoglu from DIHABER, said, These days will pass and this unlawfulness cant continue to this extent. Unlawful methods cant continue much longer. These are bad times and there is disillusionment with this but I have not lost hope. I also have hope that everything will turn out well. In favour of peace and democracy.





If you open the door, well show you."



Demirtas, saying that after the doorbell rang, they asked who was there but the police officers did not identify themselves and said, We have come to serve a notice, recalled, When we asked what kind of notice, they said it was a notice sent by the prosecution. When we asked, Do you know where you have come?, they said, We have come to Selahattin Demirtass house and there is a notice from the prosecution. If you open the door, well show you.



If I was going to run away I wouldnt be waging this struggle



Demirtas spoke of the way, having said they would not open the door until the lawyers came, they called their lawyers, and when her husband went onto social media just then they realised that a coordinated swoop was on, and gave the following account of the atmosphere in their home at that time:



The kids were asleep and we woke them. I had spoken to the kids a few days earlier about the possibility of such an event taking place and tried to prepare them, because we had been in this situation quite a few times of late. The kids had also witnessed this kind of event. I thought I had prepared the kids, but not quite as much as I had supposed. My youngest girl got a bit stressed. She started to cry and I wanted to get them out of the house, but when they didnt want to go, I decided to let them stay. All the while, the police officers kept on ringing the bell and called on us to open the door. They didnt want to wait for the lawyer to come. The Co-Chair said, If I was going to run away I wouldnt be waging this struggle, anyway. Im here and I need to get ready. They kept on harassing us with the bell. There was no threat, but they we constantly pressurising us into opening the door.



Demirtas described how, with her husband wanting to see the notice, they opened the door without waiting for the lawyer to come and it was an arrest warrant issued by Diyarbakr Republic Prosecution.



Demirtas, recounting that only one police officer came inside while her husband was readying himself, explained that he waited at the door and a search was not conducted in the flat.



They pointed guns at neighbours heads



Basak Demirtas, describing how a large number of police officers were stationed on every floor of the apartment including the fire escape, said When neighbours wanted to come out in the realisation that something was going on, they pointed guns at their heads and did not permit them to leave their homes.



Demirtas, saying her husband bid farewell and left home once he had got ready and that parting with the youngest girl was tough, explained, My youngest girl is a child who makes her feelings known. Like every child, shes fond of her father. She didnt want to let him go but her dad said that he had to go and would come back later. While saying goodbye to me, he also told me there was nothing to fear. And I said, Im not afraid, anyhow. Relax.

I went through just such a night in 1982



Demirtas, recalling how she went through a similar experience when she was five and her father was arrested in a night raid in 1982, continued:



At the age of five, I experienced what my kids went through. They took my dad away in 1982. We were in Diyarbakr and the police also came in the middle of the night. Of course, we couldnt make much sense of it at the time. Just that my mum was playing for time so that my dad could get dressed. I remember it. I remember the way my mum stayed calm. Just like I did. (Smiles) This means that people can keep their cool in such situations. Nothing has changed in all the years that have passed.



Demirtas, stating that being in the right keeps her strong, stated, We have done nothing wrong. I know that. My husband has never done anything wrong, either. He has also waged a correct, legitimate fight. So, there is no reason to be afraid and not to be strong.



Surprise at the transfer to Edirne



Demirtas described their surprise at the choice of Edirne when they had been expecting Kandra and how the first thing they did was to work out how to get there.



Asked as to the effect on them as a family of her husbands detention, Basak Demirtas expressed in the following words that they were not going through anything different from other families, Thousands or tens of thousands of children are suffering today. Fathers, children, spouses. We are going through precisely the same thing as them.



Demirtas, saying that she is the only one in the family who has gone to visit him and neither her husbands mother and father nor his children have yet paid a visit, added that she reached this decision feeling it would be better for the kids if the first visit took the form of a contact visit.



Demirtas, noting that they discussed things other than her husbands prison conditions on the visit, summed up her husbands conditions as follows, He is being held on his own. There is ventilation. He uses the ventilation in the daytime. He has applied to share with another remanded MP, Abdullah Zeydan, and is waiting for this. He had had no contact with other political remandees up until then.



Demirtas described how she found it difficult to go on the visit but returned strengthened from having done so.



She sent a blank piece of paper to her dad for him to write back on



Basak Demirtas described the excitement experienced at home prior to the phone calls that take place every 15 days under State of Emergency rules:



Before the phone call, I get together with the kids. Because the times are known, we hold a normal phone call. Of course, we get excited. It hits the kids first the most. In the most recent call  my youngest girl got a letter from her dad, and she said, You wrote a letter, dad, but I cant read your writing. The youngest girl is curious as to the place her dads being held in. She tries to form a clear picture in her mind. She says, Will we be able to see when we go? She sent her dad a letter along with a blank piece of paper and wrote, Will you draw a picture of your room and send it?



Demirtas adds somewhat emotionally that she has not yet written a letter and was not thinking of doing so.

Baglamas flooded into Edirne



Demirtas, asked whether the musical instrument known as the baglama Selahattin Demirtas asked to be sent to him at his first meeting with his lawyer had reached him, said, indicating that the request had been complied with, Quite a few baglamas went to the jail straight away. Alevi associations in particular treated this with a lot of importance. You know, the baglama has a great significance for them. I asked, and they have received one baglama on the inside and play it from time to time. I said I was expecting some good compositions. And he laughed.



Basak Demirtas, explaining that Demirtas was given five newspapers a day, had the opportunity to watch television and was trying to reply to the letters that came to him, went on, He is reading novels and poetry books. I took him an Asl Erdogan novel last time. I took Mehmet Uzuns books in Kurdish. He has asked for Kurdish dictionaries, magazines and books. Hes getting on with language study. Large numbers of letters are coming from inside and outside the country, from different cities and different parts of the world.

A crime is being committed just now



Basak Demirtas, talking about the process that saw Selahattin Demirtas arrested and remanded in custody, said, Preparations were taken to circumvent solidarity. You know, the internet was shut down to prevent the people from showing solidarity, resistance and support. Even so, the people remain firmly on their feet. I think they are keeping the struggle going over others, and their MPs and the other detained people. They are not able to do much to stop them. There has been no comment over the solitary confinement the MPs are being subjected to, nor can there be. This shows clearly that the matter is not in the hands of prison government and cannot be accounted for in legal terms. He cannot be detained because he is an MP. Everything is unlawful, from his being remanded and taken there to his conditions. A crime is being committed just now.

My students are giving me great encouragement



Basak Demirtas, who also works as a teacher, indicates that she has also received support and encouragement from her students since the first day. Demirtas added, My students are giving me great encouragement. They are being incredibly proactive. Even I am surprised at the strength of their reaction. I mean, the support and encouragement theyre giving comes straight out of their child-like imaginary worlds; things like: Well go to Istanbul and rescue him or Miss, Im going to Istanbul in the summer. Working helps me a lot.

Demirtas, pointing out that attacks were taking place on all sections of the opposition, noted:



These days will pass and this unlawfulness cant continue to this extent. Unlawful methods cant continue much longer. These are bad times and there is disillusionment with this but I have not lost hope. I also have hope that everything will turn out well. In favour of peace and democracy.



Demirtas, referring to the duress women and womens organisations have been under of late, interpreted the remanding of the sturdiest champions of the womens struggle Figen Yuksekdag, Ayla Akat Ata, Gultan Ksanak and Sebahat Tuncel as their being taken hostage and stressed that women would not retreat in the face of this.



Solidarity call from Klcdaroglu



Basak Demirtas, stressing that a ring of solidarity had emerged with Selahattin Demirtass arrest, recounted that CHP General Chair, Kemal Klcdaroglu, had conveyed his messages of encouragement by telephone and she had said, The CHP bears greater responsibility going forward, to which Klcdaroglu had replied, Going forward, we will do all we can to bring Turkey out of these dark days and into days of lightness.



Demirtas, noting that the ring of solidarity was growing from day to day, said that CHP MPs, their wives and notables from various countries were calling her and unknown passers-by in the street were passing on messages of solidarity.



Demirtas gave the following description of the most intriguing such event: A family called from Mersin. They asked, Daughter-in-law, how are the grandchildren? This was not a family I knew. Then they got on a bus from Mersin and came to visit us. They said, If you need anything, you just call and ask for it from your mother. They sat for an hour and went back to Mersin. I feel invigorated by this solidarity. My husband is the co-chair of a party that got six million votes. Lots of people like him and hes greatly valued. This is also the source of great strength.



Demirtas, saying that the wives of Cumhuriyet newspapers remanded journalists have called, indicated that the consensus to emerge from their discussions was that everybody was strong and hopeful, and said, Because we are all united in our view that our husbands and relatives were waging a most just and legitimate struggle. We noted that we drew our strength and motivation from this.



Demirtas pointed out that, even if not yet planned, the families would come together and a united campaign may arise out of this.



They wanted to undermine his peaceful nature



Demirtas, indicating that she had not much followed the news as reported by the media close to the ruling party about Demirtas and the HDP following 7 June, but had at least come across such things on social media, said that the reporting for the most part targeted her husbands peaceful nature and was aimed at undermining it.



Demirtas, stating that her husband had never been in favour of death, said, On the contrary, he defended life and peace over death. He defended free and democratic living. Just so that people and youngsters would not die, he put his own life on the line and waged this struggle. In fact, he made a speech addressing young people at the Baskale rally saying, Youngsters, dont die. If anybody is to die, let us die.



We will get through these hard days with solidarity



As to what Demirtas had to say about events on her last visit to her husband, she said, The mining disaster that took place in Siirt Sirvan upset him a lot. He passed on a message about the need for a combining of the grief over Soma, Ermenek and Siirt. Then, the last time I went, Ahmet Turk was under arrest and he was very concerned about the state of his health. Those who stand for peace and democracy will win. We will get through these hard days with solidarity.
Somerset County Treasurer will 'do what it takes' for best returns
Senator Lamar Alexander released the following statement Tuesday after the Senate passed the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Act, which Alexander cosponsored:



"This bill will help provide a way for people who live in rural Tennessee and other rural and under-served areas who are suffering from complex illnesses to get the specialized care they need more quickly and more conveniently  even when there are no medical specialists near where they live. The legislation will instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to study technology that would help connect doctors in rural areas to specialists at institutions such as Vanderbilt University, so the doctors can better serve people in their communities. I commend Senators Hatch and Schatz for their bipartisan work on this bill.



The Senate unanimously passed the ECHO Act, which was introduced by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Senator Alexander was one of 15 cosponsors on the bill.
Julia Dockerill (pictured) was spotted carrying a notebook which went into great detail about how the 'French likely to be most difficult'

Given the delicate state of the Brexit negotiations, the last thing that the Government needed was to have a political aide, Julia Dockerill, wandering around Downing Street brandishing the notes of a top-secret meeting.

But that, of course, is what happened on Monday, leaving Westminster agog at the revelation the Governments model for Brexit is to have cake and eat it.

This was the cue for all sorts of wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Europhiles, although having a cake and eating it sounds pretty much ideal to me. But the words that really jumped out at me were rather less cheerful: French likely to be most difficult.

Although ministers spent yesterday hastily insisting the notes bore no relation to reality, I couldnt help noticing that the difficulty of the French was something of a theme in Julia Dockerills notebook.

Indeed, virtually no other European country was mentioned at all, which surely tells its own story.

Very French negotiating team, she scribbled ominously at one point. And again, discussing the chances of a deal: Manufacturing relatively straightforward. Services harder because French hoping for business.

The remarkable thing about this, of course, is that nobody was at all surprised.

We all knew the French were likely to be the most implacable obstacle to a successful Brexit, and that they would try to use it to steal business from the City of London. The only surprise is that anybody saw the need to write it down.

Striking employees of the My Ferry Link company block the access to Calais harbour after setting tyres on fire. France is a beautiful, but troubled country

Right from the early hours of June 24, when the referendum result became apparent, the French have cast themselves as our chief adversaries. In some ways, it pains me to write those words, because I studied French at university and lived for a time in the south of that beautiful, troubled, unhappy country. But it is true.

Which foreign leader, for example, insisted that the EU must pose a threat to Britain, and that we must pay a price for our effrontery? None other than Frances President Hollande, whose leadership has been such a triumph that he currently basks in an approval rating of four percent.

Similarly, who demanded that the Brexit talks be conducted exclusively in French? Why, who else but the former French foreign minister Michel Barnier, a strident critic of Britains financial sector, who wangled a job as the EUs chief negotiator.And which country placed adverts trying to lure major firms from London, and even promised them financial aid in resettling workers and handling their English files? Well, Ill give you a clue  it wasnt Germany.

But of course, it never would be Germany. For all the wartime stereotypes, most modern Germans are full of admiration for Britain, as they are always keen to tell you.

Julia Dockerill's notebook shows that Britain fears France's age-old cross-Channel enmity

The French are a very different matter, which is why I have not been at all surprised by their shamelessly hypocritical, cynical and self-interested conduct.

It is sometimes said that the French elites jealousy and resentment of all things Anglo-Saxon dates back to their behaviour in the Forties, when they abased themselves before the Nazi war machine and had to be liberated by the British and Americans.

In fact, I think the roots are a bit deeper. Ever since Napoleons bid for world power was ended by the British and the Germans at Waterloo, the French have been the whipping boys of the world powers.

Their culture, once the finest in Europe, has become a sleepy backwater. Their economy has become sclerotic and inflexible. Even their language, once the worlds lingua franca, has become a minority interest.

France never wanted us in the first place: Charles de Gaulle (pictured) twice vetoed Britian's membership

All this helps to explain why, as the Cambridge historian Robert Tombs wrote a few years ago in his brilliant book That Sweet Enemy, envy and hatred of the English is so deeply embedded at the core of French identity.

Many of our Gallic neighbours, if only unconsciously, have never forgiven us for Trafalgar and Waterloo, let alone for saving them in 1944.

Indeed, when a poll was carried out to mark the centenary of the entente cordiale in 2004, it transpired that the words the French most associate with us are snobbish, cold, arrogant and, of course, insular. Nothing very cordiale about that!

It is this festering resentment, I think, that explains why the French were so keen to poison our relations with the newly formed Common Market from the very beginning.

President Hollande can moan all he likes about Britains supposed folly in leaving the EU, our arrogance in not considering ourselves European and all the rest of it. What he seems to forget, though, is that it was his predecessor, Charles de Gaulle, who vetoed our application to join in the Sixties  and not once, but twice.

Most commentators at the time agreed that de Gaulle had never forgiven Britain for bailing him out during World War II, and was itching to get one over on his former patron. He was reported to have said he wanted to see Britain enter the Common Market stripped naked  and although he denied it, most people thought it rang true.

De Gaulle made no secret of his fundamental distrust of all things British. By nature and structure and economic context, he said, Britain was different from the rest of Europe. Hence his famous non!, which delayed our entry for ten years to 1973.

I sometimes wonder how different our history would be if de Gaulle had fallen under a protesting farmers tractor and we had, indeed, joined in 1963.

They have long memories: The French are still licking their wounds after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 (pictured)

Since Britain was then unquestionably the leading power in Europe, we would surely have dominated the Common Market in its crucial early years, and could have helped it to evolve into a leaner, less wasteful, more effective association, shorn of all its bureaucratic nonsense.

The French, of course, would not have liked that at all. Even now, they cling jealously to their privileges, such as the ridiculous gimmick of having a second European Parliament in Strasbourg and the corrupt charade of the Common Agricultural Policy, which accounts for 40 per cent of the EU budget and functions as a gigantic subsidy for French farmers.

In that respect, de Gaulle played his cards perfectly. By the time we joined, the Common Market was well on its way to becoming a French cartel. And with Britains self-confidence then at an all-time low, there was very little we could do about it.

Where de Gaulle led, though, other French leaders have followed. When Margaret Thatcher became our first woman prime minister in 1979, her French counterpart, Valery Giscard dEstaing, treated her with snobbish condescension, to the point of ostentatiously leafing through a newspaper while she was talking at a European summit.

Jacques Chirac revelled in his reputation as the enemy of all things Anglo-Saxon. Nicolas Sarkozy threatened to move Frances migrant camps to the shores of southern England.

Francois Fillon, who could be the next French President, gets into a car in Paris. He may have a Welsh wife and be a fan of Margaret Thatcher but don't expect him to do Britain any favours

And although the current front-runner for the French presidential election in 2017, Francois Fillon, is a self-confessed Anglophile (and is married to a Welsh woman), I wonder whether, under the pressure of the election, he can resist the temptation to bash the British, in order to appeal to the notoriously chauvinistic voters of la France profonde.

So while Tory aide Miss Dockerill was reckless to wave her notes around for all the world to read, I am pleased to see that the Government is taking the French threat seriously.

For the past 1,000 years, our cross-Channel neighbours have been our greatest rivals  not just on the battlefield, but in everything from business and finance to culture and sport.

It was probably only a matter of time before they threw off the flimsy pretence of politeness and took up their battered old Napoleonic swords.

Once again, this is a battle we cannot afford to lose.
The have cake & eat it Brexit note from the aide of Tory vice-chairman Mark Field is a short-term embarrassment for the PM but does the expression have special significance in Fields life?

When the 18-month affair Field, 52, had with Parliamentary colleague Liz Truss, 41, was disclosed it ended his marriage  and his hopes of a seat in cabinet.

But Ms Truss saved her own marriage and became Lord Chancellor. Had her cake & ate it?

The have cake & eat it Brexit note from the aide of Tory vice-chairman Mark Field is a short-term embarrassment for Theresa May, but the expression may have special significance in Fields life

Pilot Chesley Sullenbergers heroic landing of his Airbus 320 jetliner in New Yorks Hudson River in 2009 is the subject of a new film

Pilot Chesley Sullenbergers heroic landing of his stricken Airbus 320 jetliner in New Yorks Hudson River in 2009, saving 155 passengers and crew, is the subject of a film opening here on Friday.

It transpires that Sullenberger (played by Tom Hanks, pictured) had a post-crash ordeal with investigators from Americas National Transportation Safety Board.

They grilled him about his marriage (fine); his drinking habits (modest); and why he hadnt flown back to La Guardia Airport (because the powerless plane couldnt glide that far).

They were railroading him into saying (the ditching) was his fault, says the films director, Clint Eastwood.

French state radio says we think Brexit allows us to have le beurre, et largent du beurre  ie, the butter and the money to buy it.

Other indignant Froggies say: Ils veulent le beurre, largent du beurre, et la cremiere!  They want the butter, the butter money, and the whole dairy! So long as its New Zealand butter, not from an EU-subsidised butter mountain.

Sir Derek Jacobi is delighted by the public response to his TV sit-com with Anne Reid, Last Tango in Halifax

Sir Derek Jacobi is delighted by the public response to his TV sit-com with Anne Reid, Last Tango in Halifax, saying: Its up there with the things Im most proud of in my career.

In America, they show it on the same night as Vicious, in which he and Sir Ian McKellen play old gays.

So at 8pm, Im married to Anne  and at 10pm, Im married to Ian! he says. So modern, my dears.

Jeffrey Archer, 76, promoting his novels in India, rules out an autobiography, telling the media in Mumbai: It is tough to become a writer, get your work published, and have a breakthrough to become the number-one bestselling author.

'I am lucky to be gifted with the art of story-telling. Its the writing that matters  not my personal life. Given Jeffreys lively past, au contraire!

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, 46, refused to admit that 330,000 net migration  the latest figure  is too high

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, 46, son of loquacious ex-leader Neil Kinnock, refused to admit that 330,000 net migration  the latest figure  is too high while being quizzed by Radio 4s Sarah Montague.

Immigration is a vital part of our economy but there needs to be controls in place, he said, adding carefully: I dont think it necessarily has to be cut. What I think people are looking for is a system which they can believe in and trust.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is to be applauded for funding road-building and other infrastructure projects

Endless queues for passport checks at the airport trains disrupted by strikes and overrunning engineering works

Drivers with orders to deliver and appointments to keep, trapped in gridlocked traffic beside unused cycle superhighways (and having to pay hefty congestion charges for the privilege)

What an appalling impression Britains sclerotic transport network must make on foreign visitors. And what an intolerable burden the delays place on firms that can earn nothing while their employees are stuck between A and B.

Take yesterdays scenes at Heathrow. It is hard to imagine a more damaging false economy than understaffing border control at our main international hub  with the chaos made worse by passport-checking machines that never work.

Indeed, while such delays persist, no new runway will stop business leaching away to the Netherlands or Germany, where the airports are efficiently run.

Or take the railways, where the RMT  now joined by the drivers union, Aslef  has disrupted journeys to London for months, seriously harming the economy (not to mention putting huge strain on passengers blood pressure).

As for roads, its no wonder that Britain has a severe productivity problem, when delivery drivers and sales reps waste so much of each day locked in traffic.

So, yes, this paper welcomes Chancellor Philip Hammonds focus on road-building and other infrastructure schemes (though most, like the expansion of Heathrow, are still years from fruition).

But what is so frustrating is that some of the problems could be easily solved  whether by putting more passport inspectors on duty, banging heads together on the railways or scrapping new bicycle-and-pedestrian friendly road layouts that bring cities to a standstill.

Brexit offers wonderful opportunities to business. But well be far better placed to seize them if ministers and transport companies sharpen their act, without a moments further delay.



Gridlocked Britain: It is time for us to bang heads together and get things moving

BT's final warning

Which brings us to broadband, another shockingly neglected part of Britains infrastructure. Though fast and reliable internet connections are vital to any modern economy, BT has failed for years to invest adequately in the technology.

Instead, it has exploited its Openreach offshoot, which runs all the nations broadband lines, to extort excess profits, while offering an appalling service that leaves Britain lagging behind its rivals.

No wonder firms such as Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone say breaking BTs monopoly is long overdue.

The Mail therefore welcomes Ofcoms ruling that BT must give greater independence to Openreach, setting it up as a separate legal entity.

The hope is that under the new arrangement, faults will be fixed more quickly, more people will get access to high speed broadband and BTs rivals will be treated more fairly.

If not, this legal separation should smooth the way to a complete divorce. BT has been warned.

Using expats as pawns

Turning truth on its head, European Council President Donald Tusk accuses Britain of spreading anxiety and uncertainty among EU expatriates.

In fact, Theresa May is offering an immediate guarantee that the 3.3million EU nationals in Britain can remain, in return for a similar promise to the 1.2million British expats in Europe.
Also seeks out self-harming communities who talk about it on the web

She is 'obsessed' with social media and self-harms following rows online

The world of social media tells them they can 'have everything'

The rise of social media has been linked to a disturbing surge in the number of teenage girls being admitted to A&E departments due to self-harming.

One in three British teenage girls are showing symptoms of anxiety or depression, and many of them are cutting themselves as a disturbing coping mechanism.

A psychiatrist who treats vulnerable young people at the Tavistock NHS Trust has said it's no coincidence that the rise in admissions of complex cases of self-harming has occurred in the age of social media.

Demi, one of the girls featured in the show, says that social media is her lifeline - 'it's like my second heart,' she says

She seeks out worrying self-harming sites filled with graphic images posted by young people who have hurt themselves

Demi, 17, has been having treatment at the Tavistock NHS Trust for mental health issues that cause her to self-harm

Dr Alex Sales explains in the Channel 4 documentary Kids On The Edge: 'Young people have the world at their finger tips.

'Social media gives them the impression they can achieve everything and anything and have all they want all the time.

'But we have been in the biggest financial crisis for a long time, the housing issue and university fees, all these things are less affordable for our children than they were for us.

'I think that offers a conflict with reality and what is being sold to them - that would mess me up.'

The psychiatrist believes the impact of social media has been a contributory factor in the declining mental health of one of his patients, Demi, 17, a student from London, who shares her story on screen in the hard-hitting documentary.

The student, who lives in a hostel as she is estranged from her father and lost her mother to cancer when she was just 11, admits she is 'obsessed with social media'.

As she is often lonely, her mobile allows her to connect with both friends and strangers online.

Demi said she is 'obsessed' with social media. There is a dark side to her surfing as she seeks self-harming communities filled with people who encourage her to cut herself

'I love social media, it is like my second heart,' she said. 'You want to feel loved from the internet.'

But there is often a dark side to Demi's internet surfing. As well as leading her to have text arguments with the people she chats to, she is drawn to self-harming communities filled with users who encourage one another to cut themselves and share explicit images of their wounds.

Demi told the Channel 4 programme: 'They have rubbed off on me and I have used their techniques.

'Seeing them do it gives me urges to do it.

'One account has 15,000 followers, people like this stuff.'

They have rubbed off on me and I have used their techniques. Seeing them do it gives me urges to do it Demi on online self-harming communities

On occasion, Demi has cut herself so deeply she has needed hospital treatment.

'At first I just wanted to do something to punish myself.

'The more comfortable you get with it the worse it gets, you just do it to get through the day,' she said.

Her arms are covered in red lacerations which Demi, who hasn't been swimming in years, tries to hide.

She said she wants to stop cutting herself but that it is 'an addiction'.

'Everyone says give it up but it is not that easy,' she said.

Demi said she is 'addicted' to self-harming as it helps her 'get through the day'

Dr Sales agrees: 'Self harm is emotion regulation - if I feel the physical pain, the emotional pain goes away temporarily.

'The trouble is the emotional pain always ends up bouncing back and then they need to cut again.'

He added: 'Sometimes this is a cycle teenagers can get stuck in. There is a risk one day the despair gets too much and they kill themselves.'

Dr Sales said there is no 'definite answer' why more girls are currently developing mental health issues than boys, but he believes it could be due to the fact 'girls are better at expressing it and peer relationships tends to me more conflictive with girls'.

Social media has given her another whole environment. It never sleeps so the risk is enhanced because the likelihood of conflict escalating into something else is always higher Dr Alex Sales

The conflicts between girls - or 'bitchiness', as Demi describes what she has experienced - is now no longer something they might previously have encountered only at school or out socialising.

Thanks to constant online contact, there is always potential for conflict or cyber bullying.

Dr Sales said he is concerned Demi's frequent mobile usage means she can fall victim to this.

Often her bouts of self-harming come after she has argued with a friend online.

He said: 'Most teenagers get into conflict with peers and family. Demi takes it to another level.

Dr Alex Sales said social media exposes more young girls to conflict with their peers, and offers a false impression that they can have 'anything and everything' (photo posed by model)

'Social media has given her another whole environment. It never sleeps so the risk is enhanced because the likelihood of conflict escalating into something else is always higher.'

Demi has been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder and a sense of abandonment, making her more vulnerable when interacting with others online.

Dr Sales and other experts at Tavistock are doing everything they can to help and support her, along with other young people suffering in similar ways.

But he said it isn't easy.

'Unless they fix their underlying problems with relationships, they cannot move on in life,' Dr Sales said. 'But they can't fix them until they experience a positive relationship, so in that sense they are in a Catch 22 situation.'

Maisie is also featured in the documentary, which looks at the mental health of young girls

She has been assessed several times by doctors over the years, who say that she has a list of possible ailments including Asperger's, autism and anxiety

He added: 'When you break your leg, you can get a bandage, when it is your mind that is affected it is more of a challenge to help it mend itself. They have to use an organ that isn't working very well to fix it.'

The psychiatrist said NHS resources are stretched thin and that more needs to be done to help young people - especially those with mental health issues.

'Being a teenager is a time of turmoil, physical change, psychological change, increased pressures... it is not easy for teens and then you add mental health issues, that takes it to another level,' he said.

'The current so-called mental health epidemic is a reality because things are getting harder for teenagers.

'Every generation worries about the next but the stress in society and pressure on society at large has a trickle down effect on young people.'

He warned: 'If it is difficult for teenagers now, what will it be like in five or ten years time? This is the time to intervene.'
Since she exited Downing Street in July, speculation has been rife over what Samantha Cameron will turn her hand to next.

And fans now finally have an answer, as the so-called First Lady of Fashion has just unveiled her latest venture, a clothing line, in a stunning shoot in Vogue magazine.

Mrs Cameron's label, named Cefinn, has been kept closely under wraps until now and the debut collection, which will feature 40 pieces, is to be stocked at Net-a-Porter and Selfridges as well as on its eponymous website.

Samantha Cameron models a top and skirt from her debut fashion line, Cefinn. She just unveiled her latest venture via a shoot in Vogue magazine's new January issue

Modelled by Sam Cam herself, the fashion bible offers a sneak peak of the clothing label in its January issue which hits newsstands on Monday.

In a photograph released by the publication, the former Prime Minister's wife models a chic grey and white top and skirt with a tie waist and red trim.

In October it was revealed that Mrs Cameron - who is mother to Nancy, 12, Arthur, ten, Florence, six and Ivan, who died in 2009 - had registered her own company, a luxury brand called Samantha Cameron Studio Limited.

Yet this is the first glimpse we have seen of what the 45-year-old's debut range will look like.

Mrs Cameron at the Red Women of the year awards in October - the same month she registered her own company, a luxury brand called Samantha Cameron Studio Limited

Sam Cam leaves Downing Street in July wearing a Roksanda dress. She says her new range will be 'designer contemporary with the right price point and the right styling'

Asked whether she designed the collection with herself in mind, Mrs Cameron said: 'Well obviously you're thinking about yourself, but at the same time it can't be all about yourself because that would be pointless.

'I've spent a lot of time trying stuff on my friends.'

The fine art graduate, who has had a long-held career in fashion, worked at Bond Street luxury brand Smythson as creative director for a number of years, a role which won her a British Glamour Magazine Award for Best Accessory Designer in 2009.

She then took a part-time consultancy role with the company when her family moved to Number 10 in 2010, stepping down to two days a week in order to support her husband.

Samantha and David cast their vote in the EU Referendum in June. Mrs Cameron is also an ambassador to the British Fashion Council, supporting labels such as Alexander McQueen

See the full interview in the January issue of British Vogue, on sale Monday 5 December

Samantha is also an ambassador to the British Fashion Council, supporting British labels such as Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Saunders, and last year she topped Vanity Fair's Best Dressed Women list.

In a 2015 interview with the Mail On Sunday, she explained she gets her business acumen from her mother Annabel Astor, who set up her first business aged 17, later co-founded upmarket furniture company Oka, and said she would have died of boredom if she had been a stay-at-home mum, even though her children begged her to give up work.

I remember seeing her in curlers at breakfast before going out to work, said Sam, who spoke of having a very modern relationship with her mother: Shes friends with all my friends. She has so much energy and is such fun.

When quizzed on where her new label sits in the womenswear market, she explained: 'I felt that there were a lot of American and French brands out there that fit that bracket of designer contemporary with the right price point and the right styling.
An Australian fit mum has hit back at Instagram accounts falsely sharing photos of her 'weight loss transformation'.

Cass Hines, a 33-year-old mother from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, found that pictures of her were circulating showing her before and after.

But the 'before' picture being used was actually a snap of Ms Hines when she was nine months pregnant... and the 'after' picture, three years post-partum.

Misleading: Mum Cass Hines has hit out at Instagram accounts claiming that she had a fitness 'transformation' when in the first photo (left) she was nine months pregnant

Fit mum: The 33-year-old has lost weight, but said that comparison photo of her was three years after she had her baby

Ms Hines took to Instagram to slam those labelling it as a transformation and said it was completely inaccurate.

'My pregnancy photo has been doing the rounds again, and quite a few accounts are posting it as results from their weight loss program and it's completely untrue,' the 33-year-old said.

'This is NOT a weight loss transformation, it is 39 weeks pregnant vs three years post baby.'

'It's NOT weight transformation': Ms Hines said that she didn't want to mislead people about her weight loss

Rain, hail or shine: But the mum said that she did feel healthier now than before she had her baby

Ms Hines, who has posted actual before-and-after transformation photos, went on to say that she was proud of the progress she had made over the years, and that it wasn't a quick fix.

'You CAN achieve an even better body and mindset post children... it's not "the end" after feeling like you won't fit through a door,' she said of the photo.

'It's proof that you absolutely can go on to live a fit and healthy lifestyle and be happier than you could ever imagine. With consistency, hard work and dedication anything is possible. It's all up to you.'

Baby belly to flat abs: Ms Hines said she did gain 25 kilograms during her pregnancy, but it took her three years to get where she is today

Fit mum: The 39-year-old used Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guide to get fit and lose weight

Ms Hines gained 25 kilograms during her pregnancy, and constantly worried about her weight.

'If I had of known that I would not only get my pre-pregnancy body back AND be fitter, stronger and healthier (both physically and mentally) than I've ever been, I would have relaxed and enjoyed those nine months so much more,' she wrote.

She said she lost the 25 kilograms by following the popular Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide, and is now healthier and fitter than before she had her baby.
The stack of brightly coloured forms requiring my permission for everything from school trips to extra-curricular classes was quite high by the time I finally got around to signing on the dotted lines a few weeks ago.

In a scene familiar to mothers everywhere, I barely gave them a second glance, dashing them off amid the usual mayhem of family life.

Among them was a form requesting parental permission for my 12-year-old daughter, Evie, to be given a vaccination to protect her from human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. What parent wouldnt want their daughter protected from that? I thought fleetingly, before slipping the signed form into her school bag.

Like her two older brothers, Morgan, 16, and Flynn, 14, Evie had had every inoculation offered when she was a baby: her MMR, polio and TB jabs. Like millions of mothers, I trusted health professionals implicitly  despite controversy over the MMR and its possible links to autism, claims which are still being debated today, though they have been largely discredited.

But the next day, with the form on its way to school, something stopped me in my tracks. A friend emailed me some research shed found on the internet, warning about the dangers of the HPV vaccine  an act Im extremely grateful for.

The report came from the American College of Paediatricians, and brought my attention to a very rare, but very serious, condition called premature ovarian failure (POF), also known as premature menopause, that had been linked to the vaccine in the U.S.

Melinda Messenger (left) with her daughter Evie (right). Melinda has revealed that she withdrew her consent for her daughter to receive the HPV after reading research on it

It reported that there had been 213 cases of premature menopause  or long-term absent periods  reported in girls since 2006. Of those, 88 per cent were in girls who had been inoculated against HPV.

It compared the figures with those from between 1990 and 2005, before the vaccine was widely administered (it has been routinely available to young girls in the UK and the U.S. for the past eight years) and found that, during the previous 15 years, there had been only seven cases reported.

It concluded that, while there is no strong evidence to prove it, a causal relationship between human papillomavirus vaccines and ovarian dysfunction cannot be ruled out at this time.

It also announced that a study is to be carried out in the U.S. exploring a possible link, although it could be years before the results are known.

Could this be coincidence? Or irresponsible, poorly researched faux science?

Believe me, Ive heard all the counter arguments in support of this vaccine  largely from other parents who didnt hesitate in allowing their daughters to have it  over the past few months. But something about this vaccine frightened me, and all my instincts told me to apply the brakes while I still had the chance. Even if the risk was only tiny, could I bear to take any chances with my daughters future health?

Evie was due to have the vaccine just two days later, and I was unable to stop my mind projecting to a sad future in which my little girl might miss out on the chance of motherhood because of something Id blithely given permission for her to do.

Of course, I knew the basics: the vaccine protects against certain strains of the HPV family of viruses, which are sexually transmitted, often have no obvious symptoms, and can, in some cases, lead to the growth of pre-cancerous cells in the cervix. If left untreated, these cells may develop into cancer.

Gardasil, the vaccine used in the UK, is effective against two types of HPV that, together, cause up to 70 per cent of cervical cancers. It also protects against two further strains of the virus that are responsible for 90 per cent of cases of genital warts.

I did some more research and, far from being reassured, came across a new worry  parents who believe that their daughters severe chronic fatigue-type symptoms had been triggered by the jab.

Melinda with her children Flynn, Morgan and Evie, and partner Warren Smith, with his son Kaylum, at a Stomp gala night last year

Some reported difficulty walking, breathlessness, headaches, nausea, dizziness, depression and anxiety. Many also had fits or fevers immediately after having the inoculation. Doctors have said that these symptoms are merely coincidental, as chronic fatigue syndrome typically affects girls in early adolescence.

But in Ireland, a group of parents has been lobbying since 2012 for the Department of Health and Merck, the drug company behind Gardasil, to acknowledge their daughters plight.

The group, named Regret  Reactions and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma  is also working to raise awareness among families. Last year a similar group  the UK Association of HPV Vaccine Injured Daughters (AHVID)  was set up here, and there are others across the world.

These stories are hard to ignore. One 21-year-old woman, Katie Green from Upton-on-Severn in Worcestershire, remains on disability benefits and is unable to work or study due to the brain fog and extreme tiredness she attributes to the HPV vaccine she received at 15.

Then theres 18-year-old Emily Ryall, from Ossett in West Yorkshire, who fell ill five years ago after having the jab at the age of 13.

Her mother, Caron, has described how she was met with rolled eyes, hostility and ridicule by doctors for questioning whether the jab was to blame for her daughters severe chest and abdominal pains and breathing difficulties, which often necessitated visits to A&E.

After reading their accounts, I didnt hesitate a moment longer. I called Evies school  our local comprehensive in Berkshire  and said I was withdrawing my permission for her to receive the vaccination. I also wrote a letter for her to take in, re-iterating that she was not to have it.

Evie could have over-ruled me had she wanted, because, astonishingly, the leaflet sent home with the permission slip explained that it is ultimately the childs decision whether or not to have the injection, one of two administered over a six to 12-month period.

How on earth could a 12-year-old be asked to make a decision about something that I, aged 45, was struggling to make sense of?

But Evie is a strong-willed girl, and its difficult being the odd one out at her age. None of the other mothers, to my knowledge, had refused to sign, so she asked me: What if I want to have it?

Of course, its her body, but I felt that she  we  didnt know enough. So I gently led her through some of the research, and at the end she agreed she wanted to wait until she knew more.

Melinda said that Evie asked her 'What if I want to have the jab?' This led to her 'gently' informing her about some of the research. Evie eventually decided to wait until she knew more

I believe that, in the process, she has learned an important lesson: that its extremely unwise to put any substance in your body without knowing everything you can about it.

Hopefully, this will stand her in good stead for later, if and when illicit drugs start entering her social group.

All medication has side-effects and, even if its just a bottle of Calpol, Ive always checked what those are and questioned whether the benefits outweigh the risks for me or my children.

But these vaccinations, administered at school, are different  although we can seek out information online, parents dont always get to see this data before their child is inoculated, and I think thats wrong.

Of course, I worry that Evie could one day contract cervical cancer  its the second most common cancer for women under 35, and 3,200 cases are diagnosed each year  and I know Id never forgive myself for leaving her vulnerable should she become one of them.

However, since HPV is sexually transmitted, and Evie is still only 12, I believe that we have time on our side in which to make an informed decision. As for the future, Ive spoken to all of my children about the importance of safe sex and feel pretty confident they will remember that when the time comes.

Sometimes, I feel that good, open and rigorous parenting is very much overlooked as a tool for safeguarding your childrens health  sexual or otherwise.

Of course, not everyone agrees with me. One male friend, whose daughter is due to have the vaccine next year, told me he thought I was making a mistake. He felt the arguments against it were not scientifically sound.

The subject certainly has got tempers running high, and I often have to bite my tongue when simply defending my decision as a concerned and diligent parent.

Ive done the pro research, too: the official NHS line is that the benefits far outweigh the dangers of Gardasil for most people.

Melinda at the Urban Music Awards last week, which took place at The Porchester Hall in Bayswater

Ive also spoken to women who contracted cervical cancer in their 20s who believe every girl should have the jab. In their situation, Im sure I would feel the same.

But surely the risk of terrible side-effects, no matter how small, must be considered?

Cervical cancer sufferers make up 1 per cent of female cancer deaths. But what are the risks of my daughter, in particular, getting cervical cancer versus the risks of the vaccine?

No one can tell me, so how can I  or other worried mothers  make an informed decision?

After all, the vast majority of HPV infections  90 per cent of them, in fact  clear up by themselves within two years and do not lead to harm. Meanwhile, the frequency of illnesses suspected of being linked to the HPV vaccine is unknown.

As for the link between HPV vaccines and premature menopause, currently there are no official statistics on this in the UK.

We rely on primary care providers reporting problems with vaccines to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, in order for cases to be counted, but if GPs dont make the connection between premature menopause and HPV, they may be overlooked.

To me, however, the stories from sufferers themselves have been the most compelling.

Still, I havent completely closed the door on giving Evie this troubling vaccine. There is the option for her to have it at our GPs surgery any time between now and when she turns 21.

Theres a well-known adage about acting in haste, and repenting at leisure . . .

I couldnt stand spending the rest of my life knowing that my dashed-off signature had caused my daughter a lifetime of misery, if she  as unlikely as that might be  was one of the unlucky ones.

Interviews by Helen Carroll
They run their fingers through your hair, listen attentively while you talk and shower you with lavish compliments when you leave. Little wonder, then, that many women regard their hairdressers as the perfect men.

And this may go some way to explaining why male hair stylists are triumphing over their female colleagues

For the countrys leading hairdressers are overwhelmingly male, as illustrated by the allmale list of nominees for the top prize at the British Hairdressing Awards this week, known as the hair Oscars.

Theres no escaping the fact that, over the years, the shearing superstars with their own salons and product ranges have been predominantly male  just think of Vidal Sassoon, Nicky Clarke, John Frieda and Charles Worthington, to name a few. But why do women prefer male hairdressers? Here, six female writers reveal whether theyd rather see a man or a woman wielding the scissors...

The countrys leading hairdressers are overwhelmingly male, as illustrated by the allmale list of nominees for the top prize at the British Hairdressing Awards this week (stock photo)

Warren Beatty played lothario hairdresser George Roundy in Seventies film Shampoo (pictured right with his co-star Julie Christie)

WOMEN DON'T WANT YOU TO LOOK BETTER THAN THEM

Jenni Murray, 66, broadcaster

What is it about male hairdressers that I love? Its not about flirtation, although admittedly Olivier, the Frenchman who did my hair for 20 years, oozed Gallic charm. Rather, its that I just dont trust female hairdressers.

Jenni Murray (pictured) just doesn't trust female hairdressers

When I was very young my mother told me women were always jealous of each other, so I should never trust a woman who told me I looked nice. Her theory was that a woman who compliments you may well be lying because, when you get right down to it, women always compete for the attention of men. Even a hairdresser, whose job it is to make you look great, wont want you to appear more attractive than her.

I loathe the idea of having somehow internalised such misogyny. Still, when a man tells me I look gorgeous, I hate to say it, but I believe him; if it comes from a woman, Im never so sure.

For me, hairdressing is also a business transaction. I dont want to talk about my holidays, or have my hairdresser try to be a surrogate best friend. I just want a hairdo. Men, I find, listen and then do what theyre told.

In any case, Ive been lucky enough to have a string of wonderful male hairdressers. First, there was Trevor in Southampton, where I started out on TV. He was quick, efficient and never wavered from what I asked him to do.

Then charming Olivier, whose salon in Manchester was convenient while I was hosting the northern edition of Womans Hour in the city. He simply asked me how I wanted it and did precisely what Id requested. Our 20-year liaison lasted until my show in Manchester came to an end. Knowing I was lost without him, a neighbour pointed me in the direction of Bulent, a middle-aged Turkish man.

Hes perfect: a quick greeting, a lad to do the wash and relaxing head massage, and a no-nonsense chop. Exactly what I want in a chap.

MUM RUINED MY HAIR AND I'M STILL TRAUMATISED

Sam Taylor, editor of The Lady magazine

Sam Taylor (pictured), editor of The Lady magazine, is still traumatised after her mother gave her a bad haircut as a child

The last woman to cut my hair was my mother, and that didnt end well. The result was a fringe that could have challenged Joan of Arcs and a lifelong fear of any woman hovering over my head wielding a pair of scissors.

I wouldnt dream of cutting my daughters hair (shed report me to the authorities), but in the Sixties, very few schoolgirls were taken along to the salon  getting a shampoo and set from a professional was a weekly treat reserved for the likes of my mother and her friends.

I suspect many women prefer male stylists because we are still smarting from the disastrous amateur attempts of mothers to hack our hair into an acceptable shape.

Men are also usually much better at giving relationship advice, too.

Ive been going to Pietro, at Atherton Cox in Marylebone, for over 25 years, and can honestly say that he is one of the most important people in my life; he knows so much about me. Hes given me a bob, a longer look, a blonder look, a Marge Simpson bouffant for my wedding and a string of up-dos for big parties and events.

Ive even changed into a ballgown in his loo before he styled my hair so as not to disturb the delicately balanced strands he was about to construct.

However, I recently had a terrible shock when we became friends on Facebook and I discovered that Pietro wasnt his real name, but a nom des ciseaux.

Hes called Peter, but he gave himself a makeover when he decided to train as a hairdresser.

I was astonished that, after all these years, I didnt even know his name. But after the initial surprise it doesnt seem to matter. Because going to Pietro is like going to see a therapist: its all about me. And thats what makes him so perfect.

WOMEN WASH AND GO - MEN ARE WORTH IT

Jan Moir, 58, columnist

Jan Moir (pictured) has almost exclusively had male hairdressers

Does the sex of your hairdresser matter? Who cares, so long as your chosen crimper can close a pair of scissors in a straight line without slicing into your ear, and generally desist from making you looking like a pineapple with a bad perm?

I never even thought about it until I started thinking about it  and then I realised that, throughout my life, Ive almost exclusively had male hairdressers.

I have tried female hairdressers and loved them dearly; theres such a nice camaraderie.

Yet my female hairdressers have come and gone.

They go and have an adventure in California; they get married and move away; they start a family and dont come back, or they are only there two days a week because of childcare arrangements, so it is hard to get appointments.

Meanwhile, Lino Carbosiero, the lucky, lucky man who has cut my hair for more than 20 years (and possibly nearer 30), just storms on. He is always there for me.

He works at the Daniel Galvin salon in Londons Marylebone, and has also trimmed such leading lights as Sharon Osbourne, Ant and Dec, Madonna, Adele, Samantha and David Cameron and Hillary Clinton.

He likes to pretend that he has been crushed by recent political events, joking that if Mr Cameron had still been in power over here and Mrs Clinton had won the American election, Lino reckons that would have made him the most powerful hairdresser on the planet.

The thing is, I suspect none of us chose Lino for the very reason that he is a man.

It is more likely that all of us appreciate his precision snipping and superfast skills: he can do a brilliant cut and blow-dry in 30 minutes flat while telling you exactly where the Chancellor/ Im A Celebrity contestants/ Ozzy Osbourne have been going wrong.

The fact that he is a bloke is neither here nor there.

TO ME, MALE HAIRDRESSERS ARE SO SEDUCTIVE

Jilly Johnson, 63, model

Model Jilly Johnson always preferred male hairdressers

At the height of my modelling career, in the Seventies and Eighties, I was having my hair done twice a week. I always preferred male hairdressers. It was all about the experience, the flamboyance, the performance: pure theatre.

I went to trendy, showbizzy salons, such as Leonard of Mayfair, where you went to be seen.

John Frieda was a junior there  I recall seeing him flirting with pop star Lulu, before he married her.

There were so many wonderful characters in the salon, but one (who shall remain nameless to protect him as well as his many conquests) stands out.

He modelled himself on Hollywood hunk Warren Beattys lothario hairdresser in the Seventies film Shampoo  indeed, he actually claimed it was written about him  with his shirt unbuttoned to the waist, skintight flared jeans that left nothing to the imagination and his hairdryer posed seductively, like a gun.

He wore his hair in a flick, like a male Farrah Fawcett.

He was pure sex on legs, a walking stud, and he tried it on with every female, myself included.

He even claimed to have slept with several international superstars.

Male hairdressers simply made you feel more attractive than a woman could.

When a handsome man, whatever his sexual preference, says: Oh darling, you look so gorgeous, you walk out of the salon feeling confident and sexy.

What more could any woman ask for?

SORRY GIRLS, BUT MEN ARE BETTER WITH SCISSORS

Hannah Betts, 45, author

Hannah Betts (pictured) tends to be more comfortable in male company

As a good feminist, I harbour a shameful grooming confession: I prefer having my hair cut by a man. Rest assured, I am not one of those females who enjoys male approval, thinking it matters more than a womans compliments. Nor am I a girl who wants to flirt with her coiffeur. I cant think of anything worse.

No, its because Im a tomboy who tends to be more comfortable in male company. For me, having a chap wielding the scissors makes the hairdressers chair more relaxing.

I would tell my stylist  Andreas Wild of Mayfairs John Frieda  anything, with complete honesty. I know hed never judge me.

Once, when I told him about a problem I was having with someone close to me, his reply was: Yes, shes awful. But what must it be like to be her?  a statement that still raises the hackles on the back of my neck, so horrifyingly insightful was it.

I did once have a female hairdresser, but found her so moody I was in a perpetual state of terror. And Im not alone in preferring a chap. The intimacy that Marie Antoinette built up with her friseur, Leonard Autie, paid off (well, almost) come the Revolution when he tried to help her escape from Paris. Andreas would, Im sure, do the same for me.

When Johnny Wright abandoned his LA salon to tend Michelle Obamas locks full time, his manager said: Of course, [women] loved him because hes amazing at doing hair. But there is also a sense about him that makes people open up. They not only love their hair, they love to be around him.

He may be a Svengali, or simply a best friend, but the man who touches a womans hair touches her soul  and that is why we keep going back.

...AND THE ONE DISSENTING VOICE

Bel Mooney, 70, author

Author Bel Mooney's experience of male hairdressers has generally been negative

Famous women may like being tended to by male celebrity crimpers who charge them a fortune, but give me an unpretentious, sympathetic woman running her fingers through my hair.

My experience of male hairdressers has generally been negative: they always seemed to think they knew better than I did what would suit me.

My first experience of this came in about 1970 when my wonderful mother-in-law said she would treat me to my first haircut in a posh salon. So she booked me an appointment at Vidal Sassoon in Bond Street. How scary and exciting!

At the time Id grown out my chinlength bob and sported tumbling, hippie locks that I loved.

Truly intimidated, I whispered that I wanted . . . er . . . about three inches off?

No, no, darling, crooned the male stylist, pulling my hair back. We can do better than that. Leave it to me. So I ended up in the ladies loo in Fenwick department store, sobbing my heart out at the loss of my hair. Who was that in the mirror with the minxy crop? It certainly wasnt me.

A couple of years later I interviewed Vidal Sassoon himself, and he told me confidently that customers rarely understand what their face shape requires in a style.

Oh, rubbish! What we want is gentle suggestions, not diktats from the Lords of Blow-dry.

But I didnt learn, and over the years visited other guys who tried to boss me around; the excruciating perm I had in 1976 was done by a bloke.

Maybe one of my problems is vanity. I hate how I look in the salon (my hairline is as high as that of Elizabeth I) and want only to share that ugliness with a sweet girl who wont judge.

Just now Im sad because my favourite stylist (at Melanie Giles in Bath) has moved to Germany, so I must find a new one.
Fitness instructor Galy O'Connor was in a race for her life after a rare and aggressive cancer attacked her abdomen.

The mother-of-six was told the specialist operation that could save her life had to be performed within six weeks, but she was stuck at the back of a lengthy waiting list.

And so began a mammoth campaign to have the surgery, which ended successfully this week when Mrs O'Connor, 55, went under the knife at Sydney's St George Hospital.

Scroll down for video

Galy O'Connor (pictured) has a shot at life after receiving the potentially-life saving surgery

Mrs O'Connor was a successful athlete when she was diagnosed with the rare cancer aged 50

Mrs O'Connor had dreams of climbing Mount Everest when, aged 50, she discovered a strange lump in her abdomen.

The lump turned out to be peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to harmful asbestos fibres.

Professor David Morris specialises in surgery to remove Mrs O'Connor's form of cancer, but she and others were stuck at the back of a massive waiting list.

Mrs O'Connor started a campaign - signed by more than 100,000 - for the NSW Government to free up spaces at St George Hospital so Professor Morris had the resources to perform the procedure on herself and others.

Galy speaks with her husband Brian before undergoing the procedure

The mother-of-six underwent the surgery after successfully petitioning the NSW Government

Mrs O'Connor was overcome with emotion when she found out her petition had been successful, and could save both her life and dozens more.

'Well it's absolutely amazing. We did it, I'm overwhelmed,' she said in a video posted before the operation.

'Thank you so much everybody. It's only because of you that we have made it.

'I'm off to the theatre in a couple of weeks. At least I've got a chance to live.'

Following Mrs O'Connor's surgery earlier this week, Professor Morris said the early signs were positive.

The diagnosis was completely unexpected for the fitness instructor who one day planned to climb Mount Everest

The mother-of-six (centre) is pictured with various members of her family

Galy is pictured before she entered the operating theatre to have the cancer removed

In October, Mrs O'Connor told Daily Mail Australia she believed the cancer was caused by years of working in a paint-mixing factor as a teenager.

WHAT IS PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA? * Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen and is the second most common type of mesothelioma. * It makes up about 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases. * Just like pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. When someone ingests microscopic asbestos fibers, the tiny sharp particles get embedded in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). * Over a course of 20 to 50 years, the fibers in the peritoneum cause mutations in the surrounding healthy mesothelial cells. Constant genetic damage makes these cells cancerous, forming tumours on the peritoneum. Source: Mesothelioma Group. Advertisement

She had been living a healthy life for more than 30 years with no clue she had been exposed to harmful asbestos fibres.

'I'd never had a cold in my life. I don't do sickness,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I went into shock and total disbelief when I found out; in some ways I still am in shock.'

Despite the shock diagnosis, she still tried to keep up her active lifestyle as she battled the cancer.

'I exercise for an hour every single day, even though it's agony,' she said.

'I also only eat at night because it's so painful.

'After I have done so, I take morphine so I can pass out. I'm aware I need to eat in order to keep my digestive system going and survive.'

Mrs O'Connor said her biggest fear was not being able to watch her grandchildren grow old.

'My whole family has been engulfed by my illness, and my biggest fear is that I won't see my grandchildren,' she said.

'I want to be here, and be a part of their lives.'

She said she also had not given up on her dream of scaling the world's highest peak.
Previously, she said she used to snack on KFC and chips, but has changed

She said she has already booked her first job in order to stay motivated

Once she has had her baby, due in January, she will work six weeks later

The Melbourne-based Instagram star said she is feeling motivated

Bikini photo shoots. Sunlit poses in empty streets. #Tapforoutfitcredits uploads from glamorous events - in 2016, many women are familiar with typical influencers' Instagram uploads.

But what about when you're eight months pregnant and feeling the pressure to look glamorous even though you'd rather kick back at home in tracksuit bottoms?

Melbourne-based fashion blogger, Rozalia Russian, spoke about the difficulties of juggling her social media status with being pregnant in a recent interview.

Instagram star, fashion blogger and influencer, Rozalia Russian (pictured with her daughter, Willow) spoke about being an influencer while pregnant

Ms Russian spoke in a recent interview candidly about trying to convey a perfect life online when you're heavily pregnant (pictured); her baby is due in January

Ms Russian said: 'I'll take a few weeks off after the babies are born, but already have my first job booked six weeks post-baby'

Speaking to Husskie, Ms Russian said: 'I'll take a few weeks off after the babies are born, but already have my first job booked six weeks post-baby'.

According to the social media star, booking something in advance will help 'me get motivated to get my act together and venture back out into the world after delivery'.

Ms Russian already has one child - a daughter, Willow - who she captures regularly in photos on her personal Instagram page.

According to the social media star, booking something in advance will help 'me get motivated to get my act together and venture back out into the world after delivery'

Ms Russian also spoke about the fact that she doesn't feel under pressure to represent a perfect life online

She said that while she'll sometimes post several photos in one day from one event, at other times she'll go quiet for a few days

Ms Russian also spoke about the fact that she doesn't feel under pressure to represent an impossibly perfect life online.

'There are times where I wont post for a few days because I am catching up on work and housework and havent left the house for a couple of days,' she said.

'It's not that exciting to post a photo of me in my trackies [sic] with my vacuum cleaner!'.

'It's not that exciting to post a photo of me in my trackies [sic] with my vacuum cleaner!,' the Melbourne-based blogger said

Ms Russian posted earlier on in the year about the fact that she is approaching this pregnancy differently to her last one; instead of snacking on KFC, she is being healthier

With close to 200,000 Instagram followers, her own online store and personal blog, Rozalia Russian is widely regarded as one of Australia's most influential style bloggers.

She posted earlier in the year about approaching this pregnancy differently to how she did when she was expecting Willow.

While last time, she didn't train, ballooned by 28 kilograms and constantly craved ice cream, 'hot chips' and KFC 'three times a day', this time around Ms Russian has been working out, eating healthier and avoiding junk food.
Cambridge University students are most likely to 'sex up' their lingerie, according to a new survey.

Nine of out ten women (90 per cent) studying there have 'special lingerie' which they save for hot dates.

And half of women at Cambridge (50 per cent) always wear this 'occasion' lingerie when they go on a first date with a new partner.

Cambridge University students are the most likely to 'sex up' their underwear draw according to a new survey. Picture posed by model

Cambridge topped a new 'lingerie lust' table of British universities which looked at which students are most likely to spice up their wardrobe with sexy underwear.

Southampton University came second, followed by Sussex, East Anglia and Manchester.

The results come from a new survey of 3,290 students by lingerie brand Blubella and Digin, which provide welcome boxes for UK students.

Almost two-thirds of Cambridge students (63 per cent) reckon black is by far the sexiest colour for lingerie, followed by red (21 per cent), other colours (7 per cent) and white (5 per cent).

Some 90 per cent of Cambridge students have special occasion underwear and half of those surveyed revealed that they wear a special set on a first date. Picture posed by model

Southampton students came in second place followed by Sussex and East Anglia. Picture posed by model

The average Cambridge female student owns between 16-30 pairs of knickers, picked by more than half of respondents (52 per cent).

Some 10 per cent have 31-45 pairs and just over a third (38 per cent) own under 15 pairs.

Cambridge easily topped the table for the number of students who like to 'sex up' their wardrobe.

Overall, 84 per cent of female students at British universities have special occasion lingerie.

UNIVERSITY LINGERIE LUST TABLE 1 Cambridge University 2 Southampton University 3 Sussex 4 East Anglia 5 Manchester 6 Leeds 7 Imperial College London 8 Bristol 9 King's College London 10 Warwick Advertisement

The survey showed that 29 per cent of students always wear special underwear on a first date, 39 per cent sometimes do it and only 32 per cent make no extra effort with lingerie when they are seeing someone new.

Bluebella chief executive Emily Bendell said: 'It's great that lingerie is an important part of many students' wardrobes and 84 per cent have 'occasion' lingerie that they save for someone special.'

Bendell, 35, got the idea for the company when she was studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, and struggled to find high quality lingerie at affordable prices.

Bendell, a former JCR President of Magdalen College, said: 'I set up Bluebella shortly after leaving Oxford and have never looked back.

'We've always been particularly popular with students. I like to think that this is because I created Bluebella for the younger me. I can remember the struggle to find great lingerie when you were living on a student's income.

'Students want to look great and gain the inner body confidence that great lingerie can give them.
They have been inseparable over the past two days and today Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde looked closer than ever.

Maxima of the Netherlands and Mathilde of Belgium shared a warm embrace as they met up ahead of their engagement in the Dutch city of Utrecht this afternoon.

Mathilde, 43, is now on her second day of her three-day state visit to Amsterdam with her husband King Philippe.

Maxima of the Netherlands and Mathilde of Belgium shared a warm embrace as they met up ahead of their engagement in the Dutch city of Utrecht this afternoon

And while the Queens husbands King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe have been spending time together Mathilde and Maxima have barely left each others sides.

The glamorous royals have been upping it in the style stakes over the past two days with each day proving to be a fashion face off.

However, today it seemed that the two royals may have been swapping fashion tips as they stepped out in very similar ensembles.

It seems that the pair may have been swapping style tips stepping out in very similar outfits

On Wednesday both Mathilde and Maxima opted for for jewel colours as they headed to Amsterdam station to board a train to Utrecht

Both Queens opted for a statement hat and a pair of suede gloves for their engagement

On Wednesday both Mathilde and Maxima opted for for jewel colours as they headed to Amsterdam station to board a train to Utrecht.

Maxima, 45, looked ravishing in an amethyst ensemble pairing a rich purple dress with a plum coloured coat.

Meanwhile Mathilde stunned in a Topaz coloured dress coat with turquoise lace detailing.

Both women opted for a small velvet statement hat that complemented their ensembles and a pair of matching suede gloves.

Proving just a popular as one another both Queens were gifted with a bouquet of flowers from their adoring public

Always in high spirits Maxima good be seen giving their hundreds of well-wishers a royal wave this afternoon

Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde wave to the public as they travel by train from Amsterdam Central Station to Utrecht Central Station

Once they arrived at Utrecht station the pair were given a tour of the vicinity

The pair met with the mayor of Utrecht while exploring the station this afternoon

The two royals also investigated the expansive bike shed located in the station

Always in high spirits Maxima good be seen giving their hundreds of well-wishers a royal wave this afternoon.

Proving just a popular as one another both Queens were gifted with a bouquet of flowers from their adoring public.

Once they arrived at Utrecht station the pair were given a tour of the vicinity pictured investigating the bike shed as well as the ticket hall.

During her engagement this afternoon Queen Mathilde met with chefs at the Sligro Food Group where she looked a little unsure of their creations

There to mark an oficiall opening of a new food lab, the Queen was eventually persuaded to try some of the delicacies

With the help of one of the chefs Mathilde enjoyed sampling the dishes this afternoon

Today marks Mathilde's second day in the Netherlands with tomorrow seeing the King and Queen of Belgium return home.

Last night both the royal couples attended a concert in Amsterdam.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stunned in a strapless emerald green gown, while Queen Mathilde of Belgium sparkled in a glitzy burgundy number on Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, Mathilde and Maxima, 45, were both looking their elegant best as they paid a visit to a welfare organisation in the Dutch capital, before moving onto The Hague.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, second from left, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, left, attended a concert in Amsterdam with King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe

Maxima stunned in a strapless emerald green gown, while Mathilde sparkled in a glitzy burgundy number

Mathilde opted for a bold scarlet ensemble made up of a tailored coat dress and a broad-rimmed hat.

She offset the bold colour palette with neutral accessories, wearing a pair of cream Mary Janes and a matching clutch.

Meanwhile Maxima, 45, went for a preppy look with a purple velvet long-sleeved top and a tartan skirt, throwing on a camel coat to ward off the winter chill.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, left, and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, right, were both looking their elegant best as they paid a visit to a welfare organisation in Amsterdam

After making a typically stylish entrance, the pair spent time talking to youngsters inside and enjoyed a spot of lunch. Staff had laid out a special spread in their national colours

The royal duo were paying a visit to Rooms with Opportunities, part of a welfare organisation called Combiwel.

It prepares young people who have left school early for independent living, by offering them a job or to earn a diploma.

After making a stylish entrance, the pair spent time talking to youngsters inside and enjoyed a spot of lunch.

(L-R) Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, Prime Minister Mark Rutte, King Willem-Alexander The foursome later visited the Hall of Knights in The Hague

Staff had put on an extensive spread including plates of sweets in the national colours of their respective countries.

Once outside, they posed for more photographs alongside their husbands, King Philippe of Belgium, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
Queen Letizia warded off the winter chill on Wednesday in a Carolina Herrera cape and matching dress as she rounded off a three-day visit to Portugal.

The Spanish royal joined her husband King Felipe VI as he visited the National Assembly at the Palacio de Sao Bento in Lisbon, where they were received by the President of the Assembly, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.

She opted for a grey wool cocoon coat with lilac lining, thrown over a matching dress - adding snake-printed heels from Magrit - after wearing a dress by the same designer at a gala dinner the night before.

Letizia warded off the winter chill on Wednesday in a Carolina Herrera cape and matching dress as she rounded off a three-day visit to Portugal with a series of engagements in Lisbon

Letizia kept her makeup simple with just a slick of pale pink lipstick and some subtle purple eyeshadow, adding a touch of glamour with some diamond earrings, as she supported her husband.

In his speech, Felipe spoke of his hopes to 'reaffirm and renew the message of brotherhood among the people of Portugal and Spain'.

Letizia was accompanied by the wife of the Assembly President, Maria Filomena, who watched the session from on the Honor Stage.

For their final day of engagements, she and Felipe VI also visited Lisbon's Spanish Embassy at the Palhava Palace, where the monarch gave a speech to members of the Spanish community which was attended by some 350 guests.

Firm favourite: Letizia wore another Carolina Herrera ensemble on Tuesday night for a gala dinner at the Portugese capital's Palacio de las Necesidades

The royal opted for a grey wool cocoon coat with lilac lining, thrown over a matching dress - adding snake-printed heels from Magrit - as she joined her husband at the National Assembly

Letizia kept her makeup simple for their National Assembly visit, adding just a slick of pale pink lipstick and some subtle purple eyeshadow, adding a touch of glamour with diamond earrings

The pair are applauded as they arrive at the Embassy. In his speech, Felipe spoke of his hopes to 'reaffirm and renew the message of brotherhood among the people of Portugal and Spain'

Supportive wife: Letizia was accompanied by the wife of the Assembly President, Maria Filomena, with the pair watching the session from on the Honor Stage

He conveyed to them 'our gratitude, our admiration and our affection for all those who for decades have moved from Spain to Portugal looking for and finding in this beautiful country a place to settle down.'

Felipe added: 'They, and you, have contributed to create close bonds of affection and friendship with Portugal. The Spaniards who have found your home here serve as a bridge between our two societies; you contribute to the enrichment, the diversity and the better understanding between Portugal and Spain.'

Clearly a fan of the Venezuelan-American label, Letizia wore another Carolina Herrera ensemble on Tuesday night for a gala dinner at the Portugese capital's Palacio de las Necesidades.

Yesterday, Letizia picked a 530 Hugo Boss coat and matching 159 skirt as she stepped out in the coastal city of Porto with her husband.

Guest of honour: Letizia and Felipe were welcomed to the country by the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in a bid to 'reinforce historical ties' between the two nations

Clearly a fan of the Venezuelan-American label, Letizia wore another Carolina Herrera ensemble on Tuesday night for a gala dinner at the Palacio de las Necesidades

Colour coorindation: Letizia kept her makeup simple, adding just a slick of lipstick and some subtle purple eyeshadow, adding a touch of glamour with some diamond earrings

Evidently keen to ward off the cold, she picked the wool blend cashmere ensemble with a grey and red colour block pattern, adding a pair of berry court shoes and hoop earrings.

The pair, who are on a three-day state tour of their neighbouring country in a bid to 'reinforce historical ties' between their two nations, yesterday paid a visit the science and technology division of the University of Porto.

They also met with Porto's mayor and local business leaders for a formal lunch.

Letizia, 44, and Felipe, 48, kicked their tour off in style on Monday night at a glittering state dinner at Paco dos Duques de Braganca (Palace of the Dukes of Braganza) in Guimaraes, after being welcomed to the country by the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Letizia looks on as her husband delivers a speech at the Spanish Embassy, which was attended by some 350 guests, on the final day of their three-day state visit to Portugal

Felipe spoke of 'our gratitude, our admiration and our affection for all those who for decades have moved from Spain to Portugal'. The pair are nearing the end of the tour

Letizia claps following her husband's speech at the Spanish Embassy in Lisbon. Their trip was planned in a bid to 'reinforce historical ties' between the two nations

The queen looks on during Felipe's speech where he thanked Spanish expats for contributing 'the enrichment, the diversity and the better understanding between Portugal and Spain'

In his toast, which he delivered in Spanish and Portuguese, King Felipe VI expressed his enthusiasm for being in Portugal and thanked the kind welcome they have received.

He described the relationship between the two 'sister nations' as 'unique' and 'incomparable', and spoke of the many ties in all areas that unite them.
A combined Christmas concert featuring the choirs of Red Bank United Methodist Church, Brainerd Presbyterian, and Mountain Creek Baptist will be performed on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Red Bank United Methodist Church.The hour-long program begins with three familiar Christmas selections including The First Noel, All Is Well, and I Have Seen the Light. The highlight of the service will be a special arrangement of selections from Handels Messiah, featuring the three combined choirs, area soloists, and the Festival Christmas Orchestra.This concert is free and open to the public.A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall.
The Instagram account features glamorous photos of Ivanka alongside captions that address fears associated with a Trump presidency

The group of artists and curators is also behind the new 'Dear Ivanka' Instagram page

Ivanka Trump is known for her elegant style, but the mother-of-three looked extra glamorous as she left her apartment building early Wednesday morning.

The 35-year-old businesswoman donned a $158 black sheath dress featuring velvet trim and black and plaid heels, both from her eponymous lifestyle collection, as she stepped out of her Park Avenue home and headed to work at Trump Tower.

Ivanka was joined by her 35-year-old husband Jared Kushner, who was also looked much more dressed up than usual.

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Ready for a night on the town! Ivanka Trump was all dressed up as she left her Park Avenue apartment on Wednesday morning

Walking billboard: The 35-year-old businesswoman donned a $158 black sheath dress featuring velvet trim and black and plaid heels, both from her eponymous lifestyle collection

The real estate developer was wearing a slate gray suit and a black tie as he headed off with his wife of seven years.

Jared was all smiles as he chatted on cell phone with his black messenger bag thrown over his shoulders.

With the weather in New York City being unseasonably warm, Ivanka had her blonde hair pulled in a chic bun and she held her black coat over one arm while carrying her black clutch in the other.

However, she wasn't outside for long. Ivanka was flanked by Secret Service agents who escorted her into the silver SUV that was waiting right outside of her building.

Ivanka's younger brother Eric, 32, was also photographed wearing a suit and tie as he arrived at Trump Tower on Wednesday.

Elegant ensemble: Ivanka had her blonde hair pulled in a chic bun and she held her black coat over one arm

On the go: The mother-of-three was flanked by Secret Service agents who escorted her into the silver SUV that was waiting right outside of her building

Donald and his transition team are in the process of filling cabinet members and other high level positions for the new administration, and he announced on Wednesday morning that he is putting a plan in motion to detach from his real estate business when he enters the White House.

'I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' he wrote in a series of tweets.

'While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses.'

Busy as can be: Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who was also dressed up in a suit and tie, were heading off to Trump Tower

Part of it all: The two are helping Donald's transition team, which is in the process of filling numerous high level positions for the new administration

'Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations,' he added. 'The Presidency is a far more important task!'

Donald promised to hold a press conference in 15 days to lay out the details

Meanwhile, Ivanka, who is the executive vice president of the Trump organization, has been busier than ever now that her father is the President-elect.

Since the election, many of Donald's critics have honed in on his eldest daughter.

Over the past week, the new Instagram page, Dear Ivanka, has been targeting her by sharing glamorous pictures of her alongside harrowing captions that address the fears associated with her father's impending presidency.

Taking a stand: More than 150 artists, curators, and gallery workers attended a protest against Ivanka's support of her father Donald on Monday night

Spreading the word: The candlelight vigil was organized by the Halt Action Group and held at the Puck Building, which is owned by the Kushner family

The Instagram page was started by numerous people involved in the art world, including art dealer Bill Powers, artist Jonathan Horowitz, and curator Alison Gingeras.

The Halt Action Group, as they are calling themselves, used the Instagram page and their growing number of followers to organize a protest at the Puck Building in downtown Manhattan, which is owned by the Kushner family.

More than 150 artists, curators, and gallery workers attended the candlelight vigil on Monday evening, including notable artists such as Cecily Brown and Marilyn Minter.

Participants carried signs criticizing Ivanka for her unwavering support for her father while begging her to stand up to the President-elect and denounce his controversial policy positions.

Rise and shine: Ivanka Trump flashed a smile as she stepped out of her apartment on Tuesday morning despite the protest the night before

Doting dad: Jared was also photographed leaving the building with their three-year-old son Joseph and their eight-month-old son Theodore

Despite being the focus of the protest, Ivanka was all smiles when she stepped out of her apartment the next morning.

The businesswoman looked like she didn't have a care in the world as she flashed a grin to the photographers waiting outside her building the next day.

Ivanka dressed for the rainy weather in an elegant navy coat, a cozy grey scarf, and ankle-grazing dress pants, which she paired with a black handbag and gray suede heels from her eponymous collection.

Before she stepped outside, Jared was photographed leaving the building with their three-year-old son Joseph and their eight-month-old baby boy, Theodore.

Jared, who is taking credit for Donald's shocking win, also seemed to be in good spirits as he walked Joseph to the car and carried Theodore out in his car seat.
An Edwardian diamond tiara given to the great aunt of the late Princess of Wales on her wedding day sold today for a staggering 70,000.

The ornamental crown fetched more than double its estimate, over a hundred years after it was given to Lady Delia Spencer (full name Lady Adelaide Margaret Delia) by her father, the sixth Earl Spencer, on her wedding day in 1914.

The breathtaking tiara is set with more than 800 diamonds and held on its frame by tiny and beautifully engineered wing-topped screws, so that it may be removed.

The Edwardian tiara, which sold today for 70,000, is festooned with more than 800 diamonds and was given to Lady Delia on her wedding to the Hon. Sidney Peel as a gift to her father

When divided by the hidden clasps the central three sections become a choker necklace and the two outer sections form a bracelet.

Known for its superb craftsmanship it was given to Lady Delia on her wedding to the Honourable Sir Sidney Peel, who was the younger son of Lord Peel the Prime Minister.

Lady Spencer - who subsequently became Lady Peel - was 19 years younger than her husband and died in January 1981, aged 91.

Lady Delia Spencer wears the tiara on her wedding day (with her father the 6th Earl Spencer)

Lady Delia's father had six children. His son, Albert Spencer died when his granddaughter, Diana was just 14.

Her great-niece Diana went on to marry HRH Prince Charles and her brother, also called Charles, took the Earldom in 1992.

At the time it was heralded by the nation's press including The Times which gave an extensive report of the wedding and mentioned the Earl's gift to his daughter.

The tiara is set with more than 800 diamonds and held on its frame by tiny and beautifully engineered wing-topped screws, so that it may be removed

Lady Delia (18891981) was described by her niece who said: 'There are very few life enhancers in this world and Delia was definitely one.

'Anybody who came into contact with her was the happier.'
Prince Harry came face-to-face with music royalty yesterday when he met Rihanna in Barbados.

And it seems that the pair became fast friends as, following their meet in the afternoon, enjoyed an evening at a concert together.

The songstress joined the royal for a Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert at the Kensington Oval Cricket Ground on Wednesday night.

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Prince Harry and Rihanna appeared to be fast friends as they attended the Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert at the Kensington Oval Cricket Ground

Their visit marked the royal's tenth day of his two week official visit to the Caribbean.

With his visit to Barbados coming to an end Harry looked determined to make the most of his evening with the Diamonds singer.

The royal looked dapper in a pair of wine coloured chinos which he paired with a navy shirt for the event.

Harry and Rihanna smartened up as they joined Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart.

And the singer stunned in a voluminous pleated cream dress as the pair joined the Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart.

The prince had met Rihanna early that same day where he looked delighted to be introduced to the songstress at an event marking 50 years of the country's independence.

A smartly-dressed Harry was attending the Prime Minister's Toast to the Nation at St Ann's Fort where the pair were pictured shaking hands.

Harry looks delighted to be introduced to the songstress at an event marking 50 years of Barbados' independence on Wednesday

A smartly-dressed Harry was attending Prime Minister Freundel Stuart's Toast to the Nation at St Ann's Fort where the pair were pictured shaking hands

Barbadian beauty Rihanna, who is rumoured to be newly-single after splitting with Drake, stunned in a pale blue V-neck dress and gold bangles, with her hair tied back into a ponytail.

Harry subsequently took to the stage to deliver a message from The Queen congratulating Barbados on their anniversary, which read: 'Prince Philip and I send our warmest wishes to the Government and the people of Barbados.

'Our countries have a shared history, shared values and an affection which continues to bind us.'

Keen not to miss out on the festivities, the Queen herself sent out a tweet from the Royal Family's official Twitter account which read: 'On this day of celebration, I send my congratulations to you on your Golden Jubilee of Independence.'

Barbadian beauty Rihanna stunned in a pale blue V-neck dress and gold bangles, with her long hair tied back into a ponytail

The Queen sent out a tweet from the Royal Family's Twitter account which read: 'On this day of celebration, I send my congratulations to you on your Golden Jubilee of Independence'

The meeting comes after a busy morning for the prince, who earlier shared his caring side as he chatted to sick children at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown following a last-minute change of schedule.

As well as chatting to staff and young patients, Harry thanked health workers for working over Independence Day, a national holiday.

He was seen cooing over a newborn baby and also spent time talking to a young girl who was bed-bound and trapped into a nasal cannula.

According to the Kensington Palace Twitter account, he even got a hug from one of the youngsters staying on the Paedriatric Ward.

Harry chats to a youngster at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, after touching down in Barbados yesterday. He first visited the hospital on his last visit to the country in 2010

Harry meets a baby in his mother's arms as he spends time chatting to staff and patients. He also thanked medical staff for working over Independence Day

Harry chats to a youngster in the Paedriatric Ward, which his grandmother the Queen visited 50 years ago. The little boy later gave Harry a hug in front of cameras

The fifth-in-line to the throne visited Barbados in January 2010 when he met with locals and dignitaries, ate spicy food alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and famously danced the calypso on stage during a charity concert.

On his first visit to the hospital he was pictured cooing over seven-week-old Jean-Luc Jordan. His grandmother the Queen also visited the hospital in February 1966, and today a plaque honouring her visit hangs on the wall.

Harry is nearing the end of his 15-day tour of the Caribbean which has so far taken him to St Kitt's and Nevis, Grenada and St Lucia. He will finish in Guyana with a special visit to the country's President David Granger.

Making friends: Harry tries to get a smile out of the little girl as he makes his way around the hospital, as he approaches the final leg of his 15-day tour of the Caribbean

Back again: On Harry's first visit to the hospital six years ago he was pictured cooing over seven-week-old Jean-Luc Jordan, and today he was just as keen to meet the young patients

His trip coincides with Barbados' 50th year of independence as well as the 50th Anniversary of Independence for Guyana, and the 35th Anniversary of Independence for Antigua and Barbuda.

Yesterday the prince was greeted by drizzle that quickly turned to heavy rainfall as he touched down in Barbados.

A line of dignitaries holding umbrellas were there to greet him at the port - but unfortunately there was not one going spare for the prince.

Harry stepped off RFA Wave Knight tanker on Tuesday morning after spending his final night on board.

As well as chatting to staff and young patients, Harry thanked health workers for working over Independence Day, a national holiday

Harry grins as he chats to staff working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown

On arrival, Harry was greeted by Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave and the Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, while Naresa McRwray-Williams, 16, presented the Prince with flowers for his buttonhole.

The rain soon became a torrential downpour and when the Prince held a formal meeting with Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave, he joked Harry had 'brought bad English weather with him to Barbados', adding: 'We have our own bad habits.'

He joked with Sir Elliott, saying: 'I hope there will be tarpaulins later,' in reference to the open-air unveiling of the 50th Anniversary of Independence National Monument.

The evening event was broadcast live from the Garrison Savannah, the site where Barbados independence was born at midnight on November 30 1966.
A handful of British cheeses have been named the best in the world after scooping awards at the industry's version of the Oscars - beating several French and Swiss varieties.

A goat's cheese from Somerset, a 3.50 mass-produced supermarket staple by Arla Foods, a Cornish 'kern', a Caerphilly, and a sheep's milk blue cheese from Yorkshire were among winners at the prestigious World Cheese Awards earlier this month.

The award for best cheese in the world went to a Kaftkar cheese from Norway - but the Cave-Aged Goat's by Ashley Chase Estate near Wookey Hole came 13th, coming above many cheeses from renowned cheese-producing countries France and Switzerland.

Cave-Aged Goat's by Ashley Chase Estate picked up the award for Best British Cheese at the World Cheese Awards this month - one of several British winners

A blue cheese, similar to a Roquefort called Mrs Bell's Blue from Shepherd's Purse in Yorkshire, also picked up a Super Gold at the awards

The mild, firm cheese, which is aged in the famous Wookey Hole caves and costs 2.80 for 190g, also picked up a trophy for Best British Cheese.

It was among six British cheeses named in the world's top 66.

Though it was beaten to the top 10 by two French, one Swiss and several Spanish cheeses, it still ranked above other renowned cheeses from famous cheese-producing regions on the continent, including two Le Gruyere and a Raclette.

Mike Pullin, director of Ashley Chase Estate, told Femail: 'It's really great, it makes us feel as though we're doing the right thing.

Another winner is a Caerphilly called Gorwydd made by Trethowan's Dairy in north Somerset, which picked up a Super Gold award

'Putting it underground into the Wookey Hole really makes it special,' he added. 'It gives it that nutty, moist taste.'

The others include a cheddar cheese that is still made using the same 1899 recipe.

Keen's Cheddar, available at Sainsbury's for 2.50, picked up a Super Gold Award at the ceremony earlier this month.

Diane Keen, of Keen's, told Femail: 'We're elated. We've been making this since 1899 so we would hope we would know what we are doing by now.'

Another winner is a Caerphilly called Gorwydd made by Trethowan's Dairy in north Somerset, which picked up a Super Gold award.

The cheese is available at Waitrose for 1.95 per 100g.

Lucy Menter, of Trethowan's Dairy, told Femail: 'Our cheese is special because it adheres to a century-old recipe that had been passed through three generations of one Somerset family.'

She added: 'The cheese is made entirely by hand - we dont take any shortcuts with machinery at all - which means that we are able to achieve the taste and particularly the texture we want.

Keen's Cheddar, available at Sainsbury's for 2.50, picked up a Super Gold Award at the ceremony earlier this month

'Were really delighted to have won the award. We were one of only a handful of British cheeses to win a Super Gold, which is a real achievement when you consider the 3000+ entries from so many countries around the world.'

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A blue cheese, similar to a Roquefort called Mrs Bell's Blue from Shepherd's Purse in Yorkshire also picked up a Super Gold.

Caroline Bell, director of Shepherd's Purse, said: 'This is testament to the whole team at Shepherds Purse who work everyday to create award-winning cheese. The World Cheese Awards is a great event celebrating the very best cheeses in the world, it is great to be a part of that.'

There were also some British cheeses which though weren't classed among the best in the world, still picked up trophies.

Montgomery's Extra Mature Cheddar from Manor Farm in Somerset picked up a prize for the best Extra Mature Cheddar in the world.

One of the biggest surprises was Arla Food's Extra Mature Cheddar picking up a trophy for Best Welsh Cheese.

It beat Welsh artisan cheeses made by small, independent producers to the top spot.

Meanwhile Paxton and Whitfield cheesemongers in Stratford Upon Avon, picked up an award for Best Cheese Counter in the world.
Women who suffer a miscarriage should try for a baby again within six months, a major study has found.

It challenges guidance from the World Health Organization, which advises couples who have lost a child to wait at least six months before trying to conceive.

The scientific review found that women who try within this time cut their danger of a further miscarriage by almost a fifth. Not only are they more likely to have a baby, but their child is less likely to be born prematurely.

The review also calls into question advice still being given to women by their doctors.

The study challenges guidance from the World Health Organization, which advises couples who have lost a child to wait at least six months before trying to conceive

Dr Sohinee Bhattacharya, lead author from the University of Aberdeen, suggested the findings may be linked to age. She said: We know that older mothers are more likely to have a miscarriage, and so if you delay your pregnancy further you could be more likely to have another miscarriage.

On other possible reasons, she added: One explanation might be that if somebody has had a miscarriage they might take particularly good care of themselves, be more motivated and may even be more fertile  but that is just speculation at this point.

Many women who lose their baby are nervous about trying again too quickly, with medical advice mixed on how long to delay. The review, published in the journal Human Reproduction Update, examined 16 studies taking in 1.04 million women to discover the impact of falling pregnant within six months.

'I FEEL LIKE A HUGE WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS' SAYS REALITY STAR CARA KILBEY Overjoyed: Cara Bilbey with daughter Penelope Blu Harris Reality television star Cara Kilbey gave birth to her first child in February, just 11 months after suffering a miscarriage. Miss Kilbey, 29, was keen to get pregnant soon after she lost the baby she was expecting with partner Daniel Harris. She was five months pregnant when she miscarried. When news of her second pregnancy broke, she told Closer magazine: Daniel and I knew we wanted to get pregnant again straightaway so I was overjoyed when I found out I was expecting two months later. Ill never forget my first baby, itll always be part of our family, but now we cant wait to become parents. The former The Only Way is Essex star announced her pregnancy at 22 weeks after experiencing nerves due to her earlier miscarriage. She said: I was so nervous up until the 20-week scan. Ive been trying to relax and enjoy my pregnancy but theres always been a niggle of worry. Now Ive got past that point and everything is perfectly healthy, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can start getting excited. Their daughter, Penelope Blu Harris, was born a healthy 9lbs 2oz. Advertisement

It found that the chances of having a subsequent miscarriage fell by 18 per cent within this period, with another theory being that women who miscarried still had high levels of folic acid which were used by their baby when they fell pregnant again.

The odds of their child being born prematurely fell by 21 per cent, while rates of underweight babies and stillbirths were no different in those conceived within six months than after that. Women were also no more likely to suffer from pre-eclampsia  high blood pressure in pregnancy which can be dangerous for the child.

Ruth Bender Atik, of the Miscarriage Association, said: This review is very important. It encourages couples who want to try to conceive soon after miscarriage, and also reassures those who worry that they may have miscarried because they conceived too soon after a previous loss.

Many women who lose their baby are nervous about trying again too quickly, with medical advice mixed on how long to delay

Above all, it confirms that couples can choose to try again whenever they feel ready to do so. The scientists were encouraged to review existing studies after their own research in 2010 found that conceptions within six months of a miscarriage were less likely to result in another.

Dr Bhattacharya said: At the time we received many phone calls and emails from women saying, We have been told by our doctor to delay the next conception as long as possible, but I felt in my heart of hearts I was ready to try again.

It is difficult to change practice guidelines and advice very quickly.

The WHO recommends that women should wait at least six months before trying to conceive again, while many doctors suggest women should wait for at least one monthly cycle.

Earlier this month, research found that thousands of women experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after losing a baby.

Experts at Imperial College London found that 45 per cent of women who had suffered a miscarriage showed symptoms of PTSD three months later.

The researchers warned that the symptoms could start weeks, months or even years after a traumatic event.

Women in the study reported re-experiencing feelings associated with their miscarriage.
Another child has been diagnosed with a rare polio-like disease in Washington.

The boy, who is under 10 years old, is the ninth child to contract acute flaccid myelitis in the state this fall.

The syndrome affects the spinal cord, currently being treated for the life-threatening neurological disease at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Acute flaccid myelitis, a fever which can lead to paralysis and death in children, was first detected in 2014.

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One more child has been hospitalized with a rare polio-like disease in Washington state, bringing the total number of patients in the state to nine this fall (file image)

Doctors say they are not sure if there is one root cause of this year's outbreak across the US.

The other children found to have the syndrome this fall range in age from three to 14 and come from King, Pierce, Snohomish, Whatcom and Franklin counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with local health officials to investigate the uncommon cluster of cases in the state.

Scientists at the CDC are working to determine the exact cause of AFM.

The CDC issued a report in September warning that there has been a recent surge in the number of children contracting AFM this year, and that this outbreak may be worse.

'You hate to be an alarmist, but there's reason to have some concern,' Dr Avindra Nath, chief of the section of infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Washington Post.

'What we don't know is where are these cases. Are they clustered? Do they all look alike? Getting more information on these cases would be helpful.'

The term 'myelitis' means inflammation of the spinal cord.

Transverse myelitis is the broad name of the disease, and there are various sub-types.

It is a neurological disorder which inflames the spinal cord across its width ('transverse'), destroying the fatty substance that protects nerve cells.

That can lead to paralysis.

AFM is an unusual sub-type of transverse myelitis.

Patients starts with the same spinal inflammation, but their symptoms are different and the disease develops differently.

Primarily, AFM patients are weak and limp, while patients with general transverse myelitis tend to be rigid.

Most AFM patients start to struggle with movement of the limbs, face, tongue, and eyes.

They then begin to lose control of one limb or sometimes the whole body - though many maintain control of their sensory, bowel and bladder functions.

Unlike transverse myelitis, which has been around for years, doctors are still in the dark about why and how AFM manifests itself.

Last year, Keith Van Haren, a child neurologist at Stanford University School of Medicine, told The Atlantic that doctors don't know how to treat or prevent the illness.

'It actually looks just like polio, but that term really freaks out the public-health people,' he said.

Although officials do not know the specific cause of the illness, the CDC reports that the polio-like illness is most similar to illnesses caused by enteroviruses, West Nile virus, herpesvirus, and the adenovirus.

Rebecca Whitney, of the Transverse Myelitis Association, told Daily Mail Online the organization has seen an uptick in families seeking support this year - particularly for children.

For families seeking support, families can contact the organization for advice via their website.

Whitney, whose child has transverse myelitis, also advised families to consider taking part in the study CAPTURE to help identify causes and treatments.
Ambulances are failing to reach dying patients fast enough as the service creaks under the strain of high demand, a report shows.

Services have a target to reach those in life-threatening situations within just eight minutes.

But just one of the UK's 13 branches, the Welsh Ambulance Service, is meeting the guidelines.

And a leading paramedic has claimed that one region was so busy recently that the nearest free ambulance was 'probably in France'.

Only one of the UK's 13 services - the Welsh Ambulance Service - is meeting the target of reaching those in life-threatening situations within eight minutes

While more than 500,000 hours of ambulance crews' time was wasted waiting at A&E to hand over patients to hospital staff, a BBC investigation found.

The news outlet says this is the equivalent of 286 crews being taken out of the system for an entire year.

Andrew Newton, chair of the Royal College of Paramedics, said the situation was of 'great concern'.

'I was talking to one colleague recently who was explaining to me that the nearest ambulances were probably in France,' he added.

Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the 'significant strain' on the NHS was due to the Government's failure to accept the social care crisis.

He said: 'The Government has continuously failed to acknowledge the scale of the crisis in social care and the record numbers of delayed discharges in our hospitals as a result - a significant factor in the build-up of pressure on our hospitals.

'Having the support and infrastructure in place to discharging medically-fit patients safely is central to releasing pressure on emergency departments, acute medical units and ambulance services.

While more than 500,000 hours of ambulance crews' time was wasted waiting at A&E to hand over patients to hospital staff, a BBC investigation found (stock)

'It is essential that clinical and political leaders ramp up the pressure and hold the Health Secretary and government to account on this issue before it is too late.'

Research earlier this year found patients are routinely being forced to wait in ambulances outside hospitals for more than an hour before being admitted.

Ambulances are unable to move until the patients are discharged from their care.

While some suffering from emergencies are waiting up to four hours for paramedics to get to them in the first place.

THE A&E 999 EMERGENCY Thousands of 999 calls from people in desperate need of an ambulance are being left unanswered by under-pressure control centre staff, an investigation earlier this year found. Shocking figures unearthed by The Mail on Sunday showed the number of calls left to ring out has tripled in just one year, posing a serious risk to life. Experts and politicians said difficulty getting GP appointments, an ageing population and mass immigration were to blame for putting extra strain on over-stretched ambulance services. Official NHS England statistics show the number of 999 ambulance calls 'abandoned before being answered' more than tripled in just one year  jumping from 3,282 in April 2015 to 11,028 this March. Advertisement

Latest NHS figures show that paramedics arrive late to a third of life-threatening calls and response times are the worst on record.

Two weeks ago, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had downgraded some calls, meaning heart attack and stroke victims may wait up to 40 minutes.

The crisis has been blamed on growing pressures from migration, the ageing population and patients dialling 999 as they cannot reach their GP.

To make matters worse, ambulances are then having to queue outside A&E  unable to offload patients because the department is too busy.

NHS England's ambulance lead, Professor Jonathan Benger, said the rising number of calls the service received was a major factor in the delays.

He told the BBC: 'In the face of rising demand it is not surprising we are having difficulty meeting these targets. It is time to look at the system.'

An NHS England spokesman said NHS Improvement is working to reduce delays in A&Es receiving patients in England where some hospitals are ensuring extra nursing staff are available at peak times.

'These delays have many contributory causes and often reflect pressure on beds within the hospital as a whole and a system that is struggling to discharge patients to community settings,' he said.

'We recognise that handover should occur as soon as it is safe to do so, with ambulances released to return to frontline duties in a timely way.
Having the flu in pregnancy doesn't mean your child will be born with autism, scientists have found.

Experts previously thought the virus caused inflammation and impaired the growth of nerve cells in the developing foetus.

But now US researchers have dispelled the previous myth and found there is 'no association' between the two.

US researchers have dispelled the myth that having the flu during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children

They studied 196,929 babies after 24 weeks in the womb - 3,101 of which were born with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Within the group, there were only 1,400 mothers who had suffered from influenza while carrying their child.

A further 45,231 received a flu vaccine during their pregnancy.

They did, however, initially find that having a vaccine during the first trimester showed a slight increase for the risk of children being born with autism. However, this was shown to be insignificant.

While having the protection during the second or third period of pregnancy posed no higher risk.

The Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, researchers are now calling for further research to determine the link between flu vaccines and ASD.

In the study published online in JAMA Pediatrics, they said: 'We found no association between ASD risk and influenza infection during pregnancy or influenza vaccination during the second to third trimester of pregnancy.

In the study published online in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers said: 'We found no association between ASD risk and influenza infection during pregnancy' (stock)

'However, there was a suggestion of increased ASD risk among children whose mothers received influenza vaccinations early in pregnancy, although the association was insignificant after statistical correction for multiple comparisons.

'While we do not advocate changes in vaccine policy or practice, we believe that additional studies are warranted to further evaluate any potential associations between first-trimester maternal influenza vaccination and autism.'

It is estimated that one in every 100 people in the UK suffers from ASD, with boys at higher risk.

There is no known cure, but speech and language therapy are known to help children.

Previous research at the University of Southern California suggested infections disrupted the neurotransmitter serotonin in developing babies.

This messenger chemical that carries signals between nerve cells in the brain is thought to have a positive influence on mood, emotion and sleep.
It is never too late to quit smoking, as people who give up in their sixties still cut their chances of dying.

Scientists have found stopping smoking even in retirement could help someone stay alive for longer.

A study by US researchers discovered smokers aged 70 and over are unsurprisingly three times more likely to die than someone who has never had a cigarette.

But when they tracked people of this age who had smoked, they found just 27.9 per cent of those who quit in their sixties had died  compared to a third of those who never gave up.

Stopping smoking even in retirement could help someone stay alive for longer, experts found

The odds fell to 23.9 per cent for people who gave up cigarettes in their fifties, while fewer than one in five who quit tobacco in their forties died from diseases including lung cancer and heart disease.

It shows that quitting at any age can help save lives from smoking, which kills around 96,000 people in Britain every year.

The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, states: 'This finding is particularly remarkable given that participants who quit smoking in their 60s were as likely as current smokers to report poor/fair health, and were more likely than current smokers to have reported a diagnosis of hypertension, cancer, heart attack, or stroke.

'These results emphasise the benefit of smoking cessation on mortality even later in life, and provide further evidence that all smokers should be encouraged to quit regardless of their age.'

The findings are taken from more than 160,000 people aged 70 and over who took part in a US health study. They completed a questionnaire in 2004 and 2005 on their smoking status, with their deaths tracked until the end of 2011.

Lung cancer killed 6.6 per cent of this age group who did not stop smoking, but only 4.5 per cent of those who gave up in their sixties.

The quitters aged 60 to 69 were less likely to die from both stroke and heart disease, thought to be caused by smoking because it lowers good cholesterol

The quitters aged 60 to 69 were less likely to die from both stroke and heart disease, thought to be caused by smoking because it lowers good cholesterol and makes the blood more sticky and likely to clot.

Smoking causes one in four UK cancer deaths, but the percentage of these deaths in the study fell from 2.1 per cent in current smokers to 1.8 per cent in the quitters in their sixties.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of anti-smoking charity ASH, said: 'This study underlines the extent of the harm caused by cigarette smoking which remains the number one preventable cause of premature death in the UK and many other countries.

WANT TO PREVENT A STROKE? EAT MORE EGGS Consuming just one egg a day reduces the risk of stroke by 12 percent, scientists said earlier this month. A study, led by US researchers, also showed eating egg each day had no association with coronary heart disease - the leading cause of death worldwide. They reached the conclusion by reviewing a host of studies published over a period of 33 years - between 1982 and 2015 - which involved more than 275,000 participants. Advertisement

'The good news is that quitting at any age is always worthwhile and adds years to life even amongst the elderly.'

The research found men are more likely to start smoking and smoke more. Many of those who died in their seventies from smoking-related diseases took up the habit as teenagers, exacerbating the effect on their health.

In total, almost one in six people within the study died, including 12.1 per cent of those who had never smoked.

For those who quit in their thirties, 16.2 per cent died, compared to 19.7 per cent who gave up in their forties, 23.9 per cent for those in their fifties and 27.9 per cent of those who only managed to stop in their sixties.

Current smokers fared the worst, with 33.1 per cent dying, and men more likely to die for every age group.

Lead author Dr Sarah Nash, PhD, from the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, said: 'These data show that age at smoking initiation and cessation, both key components of smoking duration, are important predictors of mortality in US adults aged 70 years and older.'
She was then taken to the nearest hospital and placed in an induced coma

But on holiday at the start of last month she complained of stomach pains

A 48-year-old woman who beat cervical cancer died from the side effects of radiotherapy.

Michelle Leyden, from Burton-upon-Trent, was given the all-clear from the deadly disease two years ago.

But on holiday at the start of last month in Skiathos, Greece, she began to complain of stomach pains.

She was immediately taken to the nearest hospital where doctors were forced to put her in an induced coma because her condition had worsened.

They revealed that her previous radiotherapy treatment had perforated her bowel. She was placed in an induced coma for five-and-a-half weeks.

But after being flown straight back to Britain, she never regained consciousness and tragically passed away.

Michelle Leyden, 48, from Burton-upon-Trent, was given the all-clear from cervical cancer around two years ago

Her partner, Kevin Rowley, 56, said: 'She is not a moaner and she never once complained during her cancer treatment but she did not seem right that last week.

'She only had to last until the next day and then we could take her to the doctors at home, but that opportunity never arose.

'She was diagnosed with a perforated bowel which doctors said was collateral damage from the cancer treatment.

'My eight years with her was very short but so rich. Our years together were absolute heaven and we always knew where each other was coming from.

'It was bliss. She was such a loving, caring, generous person. She had a lot more left to do in her life.'

Ms Leyden had been diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013 and underwent a year of intense radiotherapy.

They revealed that her previous radiotherapy treatment had perforated her bowel and became infected. She was placed in an induced coma for five-and-a-half weeks. But she never regained consciousness and tragically passed away

But on holiday at the start of last month in Greece, she began to complain of stomach pains. She was immediately taken to the nearest hospital where doctors were forced to put her in an induced coma because her condition had worsened (pictured with partner Kevin Rowley, 56)

Doctors at the Royal Derby Hospital then gave her the all-clear after the treatment proved to be successful.

After being cancer-free for two years, the couple decided to go on a two-week holiday to Skiathos towards the end of September.

But after enjoying the first week, Ms Leyden began to feel poorly and her condition deteriorated.

A two-and-a-half hour boat trip to the nearest hospital found she was close to death.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF RADIOTHERAPY Radiation therapy treats many types of cancer effectively. But like other treatments, it often causes side effects. High doses destroy cancer cells but side effects occur because radiation can also damage healthy cells and tissues near the treatment area. Today, major advances in radiation technology have made it more precise, leading to fewer side effects. For some people, radiation therapy causes few or no side effects. For others, the side effects are more severe. Reactions often start during the second or third week of treatment. Also, they may last for several weeks after the final treatment. Common side effects include: Dry mouth

Nausea

Tooth decay.

Shortness of breath

Cough, fever, and fullness of the chest - radiation pneumonitis

Radiation fibrosis - permanent scarring of the lungs

Diarrhoea

Incontinence Source: Cancer.net Advertisement

Doctors were forced to put her into a medically induced coma for nearly six weeks after they found she had suffered a perforated bowel from her radiotherapy.

She was then flew back to Britain at the start of November - but she never regained consciousness and died five days later.

Her mother, Annette Vincent, 70, said: 'We're just glad we had those three years with her.

'If it wasn't for the work of the Royal Derby Hospital we wouldn't have had those wonderfully special years.

'They did say it was a risk of the radiotherapy and unfortunately that's what happened, that's how it goes.

'Michelle was the life and soul of the party. She was just bubbly and funny all of the time.

'After her treatment she bought all the doctors at the hospital presents, that's the sort of person she was.

'She had an infectious personality and people just gravitated to her. Her one-liners were legendary.

'She was a people person and she loved life. She would help anyone who was suffering. She was an ordinary person, but she was extraordinary at it.

'There will be a lot of people who miss Michelle. We miss her terribly and we cannot believe it has happened. We can't believe we won't see her again.

'She took her treatment like a stroll in the park and she wouldn't let it phase her. She kept saying "I'm not that bad, there are people worse off than me".'

Dr Nigel Sturrock, executive medical director for Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: 'We pass on our deepest condolences to Michelles family at this difficult time.
6 STRONG MEDIA, a local video production and motion design studio, was hired by a Paris-based company, the Hikari Netco Group, to film the loading and transport of a large crane that would be used to construct portions of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) dome. According to Time Magazine, the dome will be fully in place on Nov. 29, over 30 years since the original accident.



This dome, measuring at 843 feet wide and 354 feet tall, is a huge, movable structure that will replace the deteriorating sarcophagus that was built to contain radiation after the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. The primary goal of the NSC is to prevent the reactor complex from leaking radioactive material into the environment, and the secondary goal is to allow a future partial demolition of the old structure, officials said.



6 STRONG MEDIA was hired to capture 4K footage of the crane leaving a manufacturing plant in Brunswick, Ga., being transported to Savannah and then loaded onto a huge container ship at the port.

This was an incredible project to work on as the sheer international impact is astounding, said 6 STRONG MEDIA Executive Producer and CEO Kris Simmons. This shoot was particularly challenging as the transportation logistics for such a massive object were extreme. For instance, while in route, we had to stop multiple times so power lines could be lifted high enough for the crane to drive underneath. The shoot was also delayed by over a week due to a massive storm in the Atlantic Ocean which kept the container ship from being able to dock at the port according to the original schedule. Our crews handled this project with ultimate care and professionalism, and we were honored to have the opportunity to work on this historical project.
While a Pune-based NGO says it pitched the demonetisation plan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, nefarious activities of other such organisations threaten to bring the benefits of the currency ban drive to a grinding halt.

An India Today TV investigation has blown the lid off non-governmental charitable organisations that are supposed to focus on public welfare but are helping black money hoarders launder their dirty cash.

Modi announced this month that all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation were no longer legal tender and they were being replaced with new banknotes as part of efforts to catch tax evaders holding undeclared cash.

An India Today TV probe suggests that some charitable organisations are 'helping dirty money hoarders launder their cash'

The economic think tank ArthaKranti, led by mechanical engineer-turned-financial theorist Anil Bokil, says it suggested the move to the PM.

But India Today investigations has thrown up allegations that other NGOs are cashing in themselves on demonetisation.

The investigation team first visited the office of Yuvashakti in Ghaziabad's Pacific Mall and met the man who runs the NGO, Amjad Ansari.

The undercover reporters first asked him if he could help convert black money into white. He replied: 'It's all black. 90 per cent of transactions in India are black. Tell me, what do you want me to do?'

The reporters told him they needed to clean up about Rs 20-25 crore in dirty cash, starting with Rs 1 crore.

Ansari was willing, but the team wanted to know what his plan was.

The NGO chief replied that he would show the black money as donations from members and would return it in white as payment for blankets the organisation was supposed to purchase.

'I have told you already that we have 10-11,000 members. We can show donation of five thousand rupees from each member,' he said.

Modi banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes earlier in November in a bid to clampdown on black money - but it's claimed that NGOs are now cashing in

'You have to give cheque and we will also buy blankets from you.'

Ansari explained that the NGO would pay the team in cheque, in the process laundering the money.

There was another way, he added - black transaction.

'We will take commission on that,' he said. 'The money will go into the NGO's account.'

This money can be spent on welfare programmes, he added, quoting 30-35 per cent as his commission.

Millions have had to stand in long queues outside ATMs and banks since the cash crunch hit

Yuva Shakti was not the only NGO that was willing to convert black money into white.

The India Today TV team next contacted the Akhil Bharatiya Viklang Vidhwa Vridh Seva Samiti, an organisation for the disabled, widowed and elderly.

At a restaurant in Delhi we met Pawan, who runs the NGO's operations.

Our undercover reporters wanted to know if Pawan was willing to launder black money, about Rs 1 crore.

'Tell me, how much return do you want?' he asked. 'If you want your money as white in two to four days, then we can't do that You will have to wait for at least three months.'

Promising to provide the clean cash by February next year, Pawan started negotiating for his fee.

'I want 40 per cent commission, not less than that,' he said.

The Modi government has already asked for a detailed probe based on India Today TV's previous investigation on the cash 'mafia'.
Absence of a legal framework about surrogacy in India led to the end of a trial that hinted at the alleged misuse and commercialisation of the medical procedure.

A Delhi-based gynecologist has been set free by a Delhi court in a case in which he was accused of carrying out surrogacy for a Spain-based gay couple without following due procedure and documentation.

The court observed that due to lack of a legal framework in this regard, the court cannot proceed against anyone even though the surrogacy agreement was 'opaque' in nature.

In 2011, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) discovered that a gay couple was blessed with twin girls through surrogacy.

During investigation, it was found out that the surrogate mother was made to sign the agreement without being informed about the due procedure, and the cheque for amount of Rs 3.50 lakh was not issued by the biological father, but by the doctor.

The commission also mentioned that the paperwork had several anomalies like the surrogate mother's name in the birth certificate issued by the corporation, affidavits without date, submission of two different sets of the same paperwork reflecting alleged malafide and illegality.

The Commission said the surrogacy agreement was contrary to Spanish law and invalid.

In its complaint to the police, the Commission sought registration of the offence for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy under IPC and assault of a juvenile under the Juvenile Justice Act.

However, the police registered the case under kidnapping as, during the investigation, it was revealed that the surrogate mother and her husband willingly entered into the agreement in exchange for Rs 3.50 lakh.

Since there is no law on the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), no offence was made.

While accepting the closure report from the police, metropolitan magistrate Pankaj Sharma observed: 'As of now no law has been enacted by Parliament regarding surrogacy and due to this legal vacuum the misuse of certain guidelines of ICMR cannot be rated out.

'The doctors who are acting as middlemen between the surrogate mother and the intending parents may take advantage of this legal vacuum as in India, due to poverty, women may be exploited by paying less.'

The court also noticed that there was no exploitation of the twins at the hands of the couple and, in the present framework, criminal liability could not be imposed on any person as the guidelines of ICMR are directory in nature.

Pointing at the anomalies in the paperwork, the court observed that the agreement of surrogacy signed between parties is opaque.
The gunmen who stormed a military camp in Jammu this week faced little resistance in entering the base due to a series of security loopholes and lapses.

Despite the Army being on high alert following repeated terrorist attacks and ceasefire violations by Pakistan, seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in the predawn assault.

Highly placed sources told Mail Today that the base in Nagrota cantonment was wanting in security arrangements.

Sources have confirmed that the gunmen who stormed a military camp in Jammu this week faced little resistance in entering the base due to a series of security loopholes and lapses. Pictured - Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti paying tribute to Army men who were killed by militants in Nagrota attack.

The lapses include the the main gate to the army base being left unmanned and unguarded.

Senior Army officers are aware of the loophole in security and are reviewing the situation at all army installations and cantonments.

The sources say not a single sentry was posted at the gate of the campus and there was no evidence that the gunmen encountered any resistance at the entry point which allowed them to have a free run in the base, firing indiscriminately.

Though all three terrorists were gunned down, bodies of two Army jawans were found lying about 30 metres away from the main gate.

An aggressive retaliation at the entrance could have deterred the attackers and alerted officers and other personnel present inside.

The assault came on the same day Pakistan's new army chief, Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa, took charge, and his predecessor, General Raheel Sharif, issued a stern warning to India over 'violence in Kashmir'.

Indian army soldiers patrol on the Jammu-Srinigar National Highway during a combing operation after a gun battle with armed militants at an Indian army base at Nagrota

Quick response

While families of personnel trapped inside the base due to the attack put up a brave front, the Army quick reaction team rescued two majors and a child from the officers' mess in a bulletproof paramilitary vehicle.

Nagrota, located about 20km from Jammu city, is the headquarters of a major battalion of the Indian Army comprising border security forces and counter-terror troops.

The strike came two months after terrorists attacked a base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector and killed 19 soldiers, leading to a spike in cross-border tensions.

In response, India carried out 'surgical strikes' across the border.

Army headquarters sources said the possibility of a unit leaving its main gate unmanned or unguarded in a highly sensitive security zone was remote but the facts would come out clearly in the court of inquiry ordered by the Northern Command.

Security personnel were involved in a gun battle with terrorists at the Army camp in Nagrota in Jammu on Tuesday. Several women and children were also taken hostage

Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the spot where the Nagrota attack took place.

He also attended the wreath-laying ceremony. Sources said the timing of the attack was chosen by the terrorists in such a way that they caught Army personnel by surprise.

The early morning raid could not be stopped along the National Highway 1 flanked by the Nagrota cantonment on either side.

It is now clear that the terrorists had a fair idea of the coordinates of the place.

The point was clearly vulnerable and had been chosen after a comprehensive recce by the attackers.

An injured jawan being treated at the GMC Hospital in Jammu. The attack in a fortifed zone has baffled the security establishment.

It is also suspected that the terrorists had local support, which enabled them to get details about the vulnerability of the base.

The cantonment also has a sizeable civilian population living inside it.

There are private houses, shops, dhabas along the highway. This allows free movement of civilians in one of the most sensitive and largest army installations in north India.

Since the cantonment is situated along the busy Jammu-Srinagar highway, there are no barricades along the route for routine checking.

The checks could slow down fast-moving vehicles.
He also 'admitted' being mastermind of Sunday's jailbreak in Punjab

Sikh separatist Harminder Singh Mintoo is said to have made a string of confessions during police interrogation

Sikh separatist Harminder Singh Mintoo admitted that he had plans to expand the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) with the help of Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), it has been claimed.

During his interrogation, Mintoo also allegedly revealed that days before the jailbreak in Punjab, he had a chat via Skype with his Pakistan handler Harmeet.

Mintoo was arrested at Delhi's main railway station on Monday, a day after his dramatic escape along with five other inmates from the Patiala district's Nabha prison.

The subsequent interrogation report of the KLF militant indicates that Harmeet managed to flee to Pakistan and is living in a safe house in Dera Chall village of Lahore under the protection of ISI.

Officials also say they have also learnt that the ISI of Pakistan has been funding the Khalistani militants.

Police officials investigating after the five inmates of Nabha Jail escaped, including dreaded Khalistan ultra and Khalistan Liberation Force

KLF sympathisers based in Germany were sending money to Mintoo using the Western Union money transfer facility, it is understood.

A police official said: 'On the day of Nabha jail break, lakhs of rupees was deposited in a bank account which was to be handed over to Mintoo by owner of Shagun Sweets.

'The shop owner has now been arrested by the Punjab Police. Mintoo, who fled the jail on November 27, didn't get the money in hand.'

ISI had plans to revive militancy in Punjab using KLF under Mintoo's leadership, it's claimed.

Interrogators also claim to have learnt that KLF sympathiser Sandeep, who is based in England, also sent money using the hawala channel.

He was staying in Malaysia with a fake passport in the name of Bakshish Singh, they said.

Mintoo has allegedly admitted that he was the mastermind of Nabha jailbreak.

Security personnel and media outside Nabha Central Jail, which was stormed by armed men who helped the six terrorists escape on Sunday

Six months ago, he first contacted an inmate identified as Gurpreet Singh Sekhon.

This inmate later contacted one Vickey to arrange local criminals to wait for the day suitable for the attack on the jail precinct.

A gangster, identified as Parminder, who is close to Satnam Kaur (the daughter of the KLF militant), was given the responsibility of arranging the arms.

Raids are being carried out in Punjab to look for Satnam Kaur.

RAF personnel deployed were at the Nabha Jail after the six inmates including Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Mintoo escaped

Punjab Police is also probing the arms trail with the assistance of their Uttar Pradesh counterparts.

Mintoo has also revealed he has a strong base in Goa where his family shifted in 1989. A police team will also go to Goa looking for Mintoo's aide.

A top official of Delhi Police Special Cell said: 'Mintoo wanted to revive the militant organisation and sleeper cells in Punjab with the help of ISI.

'The Pakistani spy agency was completely aware of the Nabha jail break and they want to bring back militancy in Punjab.

'Both ISI and KLF were helping each other through handlers.

'Mintoo has bases in countries like Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

'ISI wanted to use these sleeper cells and Mintoo wanted to control the militant organisation from these countries.'

Police uniforms 'arranged a day before Nabha jailbreak'

Police uniforms in which the armed men stormed the Nabha jail were arranged a day before the sensational jailbreak, police said on Wednesday.

During the interrogation of Palwinder Singh Pinda, who was brought here from Uttar Pradesh, it was revealed that all the accused involved in the incident had assembled fire arms, along with the uniforms a day before the incident in the house of Gurpreet Singh, resident of Moga, police added.

It was here that they finalised and rehearsed the execution of plan to free prisoners from Nabha jail, said a police official.

A group of heavily-armed men breached the three-tier security defenses at Punjab's Nabha Jail on Sunday morning, seeking to free six of Punjab's most notorious convicts

Acting on the input, parties were dispatched to Moga district under the supervision of SP (Investigation the accused Gurpreet was arrested from the area of Patran police station when he was trying to escape to Uttar Pradesh, police said.

During the search of his vehicle, a 9 mm pistol along with ammunition, and another weapon and a car were seized, they said.

The car, which was in his possession, was snatched at gun point from Mohali a few months back, police said.

They said the arrest of Gurpreet was significant as he was providing logistics, funds and a safe house for these gangsters for quite sometime.

Further investigation is on, police added.

Gurpreet was arrested for allegedly harbouring gangsters, a night before they attacked the high-security jail.

Pinda, who facilitated the escape of six prisoners, including two terrorists, from Nabha jail was sent to police custody for 11 days by a Patiala court.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has declared that he will drag Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared on Wednesday that he would drag Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia to jail for his alleged role in a multi-million rupee drug racket in the state.

Addressing a rally in Amritsar, Kejriwal said that Majithia had played with the youth of Punjab by unleashing narco-terrorism in the state, and promised to put the him behind bars.

Majithia, who was probed by the ED in connection with the alleged Rs 6,000 crore money laundering drugs racket case, has often been at the receiving end of Kejriwals ire during the AAP convenors election rallies in Punjab.

The state finance minister has denied the charges against him.

Kejriwal also alleged that Punjabs ruling Badal family and PCC chief Amarinder Singh have plundered the state during the last 15 years and have left it in deep financial crisis.

He claimed they had promoted their family businesses by ignoring the interests of the public.

Indian Punjab state cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia is accused of unleashing narco-terrorism in the state

Accusing the Badal government of patronising drug mafia and criminals, Kejriwal promised to work for the prosperity of Punjab if AAP comes to power in the poll-bound state in 2017.

He alleged that Amarinder Singh had amassed huge wealth during the Congress rule but the Punjab government took no action against him.
Underground bunkers are being built in Pakistani Kashmir for the first time since the 1990s, as residents try to protect themselves amid what they say is the worst cross-border violence for more than a decade.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been boiling over for months, erupting into shellings and gunfire across the Line of Control dividing the two nations.

Dozens of lives have been lost, including civilians, in what residents believe is the worst fighting since before the 2003 ceasefire was agreed.

A Pakistani Kashmiri woman walks out of an underground bunker in Athmuqam village on the Line of Control, the de facto border between Pakistan and India

People in Azad Kashmir's Neelum Valley say the attacks come once or twice a week, and they never know when they might have to dive for cover.

Chand Bibi has concrete and steel rods waiting to be transformed into an underground bunker where her terrified family can take shelter as the monstrous boom of shelling reawakens old nightmares.

'You are talking about fear,' the 62-year-old says. 'We are near to dying at the moment we hear the boom. The voice of the guns is horrible.'

Pakistani Kashmiri men build an underground bunker in the Athmuqam village

When it comes, Bibi and her relatives pile blankets, quilts and clothes on top of their children to muffle the noise and their panic.

Soon the extended family of about 20 people will be able to flee underground to the bunker they have paid 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($3,000) to build - a little less than the cost of constructing a mud house in the valley, where the average worker makes around 800 rupees per day.

Sultan Ahmed is spending even more: up to 500,000 rupees for a three metre by four metre (10 foot by 14 foot) space reinforced by more than 20 centimetres (eight inches) of concrete, fortified with steel rods, and buried under nearly a metre of soil.

Some 25 people will be able to take shelter inside the bunker once it is completed, the 47-year-old teacher says.

The rush to protect their families has prompted an unexpected boom for masons.

Local mason Ghulam Hussain told news agency AFP his business has increased because of the renewed violence, as he packs his tools after finishing a bunker at one house to rush to another and start again.

Around half a million people live within range of Indian fire along the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, the de facto border that has divided the Himalayan region since 2003, according to Farooq Haider Khan, leader of Azad Kashmir.

A protestor holds a Pakistan national flag during clashes with Indian government forces in Srinagar on November 25

He says the government plans to build 'community bunkers'.

Kashmir is one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints, bitterly divided between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 but claimed in full by both.

They have already fought two wars over the mountainous region, but years of relative peace after the 2003 ceasefire were shattered in September, after India blamed Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base that killed 19 soldiers.

India said it had responded by carrying out 'surgical strikes' across the heavily militarised border, sparking a furious reaction from Islamabad, which denied the strikes took place.

A Pakistani Kashmiri girl stands alongside a bullet-riddled wall of her house following cross-border shelling in the village of Peer Klanjer on November 4

On Tuesday armed militants stormed a major Indian army base near the frontier with Pakistan, killing seven soldiers in the most audacious such attack since the September raid.

The fear spiralling on the Pakistani side is not only consuming residents - tourism to the scenic Neelum Valley has plummeted this year, local official Sardar Abdul Waheed told AFP.

'I am nervous that if this situation continues my whole investment will be sunk,' says Zulfiqar Ali, who built a guesthouse in the valley last year.

Security personnel were involved in a gun battle with Pakistani 'terrorists' at the Army camp in Nagrota in Jammu on Tuesday. Several women and children were also taken hostage

Cross-border firing hit a civilian bus there on November 23, killing at least nine people, one of the highest one-day tolls since the latest unrest began.

In response authorities shut down the main road connecting the Azad Kashmir capital of Muzaffarabad with the valley, effectively sealing it off from the rest of Pakistan with no word when it will be reopened.

Before the valley was closed, many residents told AFP they could not afford to leave and had nowhere to go.

An injured jawan being treated at the GMC Hospital in Jammu. An attack on Tuesday in a fortifed zone has baffled the security establishment

Others, however, said they refused to be driven away.

Those who cannot pay the high cost of transporting bunker materials from Kashmir's main cities to the remote valley are fortifying their homes in whatever way they can.

'We are just placing sandbags to reinforce the front walls,' says 65-year-old widow Zarina Bibi, head of a family of 15.
The terror attack in Nagrota calls for a clinical response. Swift retribution from the Indian army will surely follow.

The scale of the response could even exceed that of the 'surgical strike' conducted by special forces after the Uri terror attack. This is necessary, but not sufficient.

Parliament must now rapidly pass Rajeev Chandrasekhar's private member's bill to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (right) shows off the Amir Amanullah Khan Award presented to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Other steps - diplomatic, economic and military - will flow from Parliament's declaration of intent.

Operations

Meanwhile, the government must look inward. Why are our army camps vulnerable to terror attack after terror attack?

Why did combing operations to flush out the remaining terrorists who struck Nagrota not continue through the night of the attack?

The lack of night vision technology underscores the chronic failure of the defence ministry to equip our forces for counter-terrorism operations.

Counter-terrorism, ironically, is the principal theme of the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference that begins in Amritsar on Saturday, December 3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani are co-hosts of the conference.

Forty high-level ministerial delegations from around the world will attend. The HoA initiative, begun in 2011, is Afghanistan-focused.

The HoA is a platform to encourage cooperation on security, economic and political concerns that affect Afghanistan and its neighbours.

Pakistan, as the epicentre of regional terrorism (including its decades-long role in creating and nurturing the Taliban in Afghanistan) will be on the mat in Amritsar following the Nagrota atrocity.

Sartaj Aziz is a close aide to the Pakistani Prime Minister

Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's de facto foreign minister, despite Islamabad's pariah status, will be a keen participant in the conference.

He has two assets: a thick skin and China.

Pakistan has developed a brazen response to critics of its terror factories, claiming 'We too are the victims of terrorism.'

It ignores the obvious fact that Pakistan is the victim of home-grown terrorists nurtured over decades.

Like rattlesnakes, some will inevitably turn on their creator.

Pakistan's other asset is China. In Amritsar, Beijing can be counted on to provide Islamabad cover with sniper fire.

As it did at the BRICS summit in Goa in October, China will find alibis for Pakistan's terror machine.

But Beijing's complicity in jihadi terror is coming under increasing global scrutiny.

The US is a 'supporting' member of the HoA process. So are several other Western countries with a security stake in Afghanistan, including NATO member-nations such as Britain and Germany.

China's obstructionist behaviour to defend Pakistan-origin terror finds no sympathisers among them.

Infrastructure

Afghanistan, which along with India has borne the brunt of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, will be keen not to spare Islamabad in Amritsar.

President Ghani began his term sympathetic to Pakistan. After a year in office, he turned a fierce critic.

Because it is landlocked and poor, Afghanistan is geo-strategically dependent on Pakistan. The HoA process is designed, at least in principle, to reduce that dependency.

President Ghani began his term sympathetic to Pakistan. After a year in office, he turned a fierce critic

India has a crucial role in this. It already spends billions of dollars in building schools, hospitals, roads and infrastructure in Afghanistan.

The Afghan people are as deeply grateful to India as they are deeply resentful of Pakistan.

As one observer said bluntly, 'Send a Pakistani military officer alone to any bazaar in Kabul, Kandahar or Herat and he'll be lynched.'

For India, the HoA conference on December 3-4 is an opportunity to turn the global spotlight on Pakistan's terror machine.

The beheading of two Indian soldiers in the space of a month underscores the fact that the Pakistani army increasingly behaves like a jihadi army.

It has abandoned all pretence of professional soldiering. India's military response then was strong and swift, forcing the Pakistani DGMO to sue for peace last week by calling the Indian DGMO.

This metaphorical white flag was shown after Indian artillery destroyed Pakistani army posts around Macchil where the latest mutilation of an Indian jawan took place.

For India, the HoA conference on December 3-4 is an opportunity to turn the global spotlight on Pakistan's terror machine

Consequences

Beyond retaliatory military strikes, PM Modi has warned Islamabad that India will use its legal rights under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to divert water to Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

Six hydro-electric power projects in J&K have already been fast-tracked. Together, Punjab and J&K will now get the share of Indus water they are entitled to under the IWT - a legal allocation India has for decades inexplicably not fully used.

The consequences of India using its legal quota of IWT water will not be pleasant for Pakistan's Punjab. Under the IWT, India has been allocated water which can potentially generate 18,500 MW of power compared to the current 3,500 MW.

This legally allocated water flow can irrigate 13.4 lakh acres. Today a mere eight lakh acres are being irrigated.

The PM has given the Central Electricity Authority a December 2016 deadline to finalise a techno-economic appraisal of these plans, including completing several hydro-electric projects on the Chenab.

Speaking at a rally in Bathinda, Modi declared last week: 'India has the right to Indus water. It flows into Pakistan. Flowing through Pakistan, the water goes into the sea. That water belongs to Indian farmers. We will do whatever we can to give enough water to our farmers.'

Sartaj Aziz will receive a formal but cold reception when he arrives in India on Sunday, December 4. What will be more chilling is his realisation that Pakistan after Nagrota is about to pay a heavy price for being a state sponsor of terrorism.
Donald Trumps new treasury secretary has promised the biggest tax cuts since Ronald Reagan was in the White House  paving the way for corporate tax cuts in Britain.

Steven Mnuchin, a film producer who earned a fortune working for Goldman Sachs for 17 years, has been chosen by the President-elect to take over at the US Treasury.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross will become commerce secretary.

Happy days: Donald Trumps new treasury secretary has promised the biggest tax cuts since Ronald Reagan

Mnuchin, 53, said his top priority would be to cut corporate taxes from the current level of 35 per cent to 15 per cent, to stimulate huge economic growth.

Our number one priority is tax reform. This will be the largest tax change since Reagan, he said.

Theresa May has said she will match US corporation tax rates under Trump to ensure Britain has the friendliest business tax regime in the G20.
Justin Nojan Sullivan, 20, pleaded guilty in federal court in North Carolina on Tuesday after he plotted to carry out a terrorism attack at a concert or club where he believed as many as 1,000 people would die

A North Carolina man who plotted U.S. terror attacks with a member of the Islamic State group has pleaded guilty to terrorism.

Justin Nojan Sullivan, 20, pleaded guilty in federal court in Asheville on Tuesday to one count of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

He planned an attack at a concert, bar or club where he believed as many as 1,000 people would die, according to federal officials.

'Justin Sullivan planned to kill hundreds of innocent people,' said John A. Strong, a special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Charlotte.

'He pledged his support to ISIL and took calculated steps to commit a murderous rampage to prove his allegiance to the terrorist organization.'

Sullivan said in court that he planned shootings in North Carolina and Virginia that would cause mass casualties, according to U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose.

He also claimed he had 'frequent and direct communications' with Junaid Hussain - an Islamic State member who asked him to make a video of the attack.

Hussain, who was responsible for online recruitment and providing inspiration for attacks in Western countries, began conspiring with Sullivan by June 2015.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries

Authorities say Sullivan had been in contact with ISIS recruiter Junaid Hussain who had asked him to film the attack. Hussain was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Syria in August 2015

Hussain was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Syria in August 2015.

But then Sullivan discussed those plans on social media with an undercover FBI employee, whom Sullivan tried to recruit to participate in the attacks, according to authorities.

He asked the undercover FBI employee to build silencers and told him that he planned to carry out his attack in the next few days.

Federal authorities have said they began investigating Sullivan after his father called 911 in April 2015 saying his son was destroying religious items in their home.

He was arrested at the family's home without incident on June 19, and later told investigators that he planned to carry out an attack in the coming days when his parents were expected to be out of town.

Sullivan was arrested at his family home in June last year after his father called 911 because he was destroying religious items in their house

He also had offered to pay the undercover employee for killing his parents, who he believed would interfere with his terrorism plans.

A sentencing hearing hasn't been scheduled, although both sides agree a life sentence is appropriate.

Sullivan also faces state charges in the death of his neighbor, John Bailey Clark, who was killed in December 2014.

At the hearing Tuesday, he didn't say he had killed Clark; however, prosecutors reserved the right to prove the charge at the sentencing hearing.
A nine-week-old baby whose father allegedly shoved his fingers down his child's throat to stop him from crying has died.

The infant, known as Jax, had endured a string of injuries following the alleged abuse during his short life and had been left with broken bones and bleeding on the brain.

The baby had been in protective custody at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital in St Louis, Missouri following the violence.

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Robert James Burnette, pictured with his son Jax, who has died in hospital after enduring a string of injuries during his short life of abuse

But Wentzville Police confirmed yesterday that Jax died in hospital after a family court judge ruled that he be removed from life support.

The child's father, Robert James Burnette, of Wentzville had been accused of shoving his fingers down his sons throat as well as violently shaking him and picking him up by his neck and throwing him against a wall.

The 19-year-old had originally been charged with felony child abuse or neglect, but the St Charles County prosecutor has now upgraded the charge to child abuse resulting in death.

Meanwhile Jax's mother Megan Hendrix, 20, also faces abuse charges after police say she witnessed the horrific abuse but did not intervene.

Wentzville Police believe the abuse allegedly occurred between October 18 and November 7 at the couple's home.

Police say Burnette violently shook the baby and slammed his face into a bed, holding him there.

Burnette, left, has been charged with child abuse resulting in death while the baby's mother Megan Hendrix, 20, right, also faces abuse charges as she is accused of not stopping the abuse

He also allegedly picked the child up by the back of his neck  while his mother watched and did nothing. A roommate also witnessed the attack.

In a police interview, Burnette reportedly admitted being too rough with the baby and shaking him.

Wentzville police detective Sean Rosner told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that Hendricks told police that she saw Burnette abuse her son three times  including shaking and him sticking his fingers in the babys throat.

Authorities say the child suffered a broken upper arm, had possible liver contusions and bleeding on the brain

She said both she and Burnette knew about the dangers of shaking a baby because theyd both been required to watch a video before leaving the hospital when their son was born.

Hendricks admitted lying to doctors about how her son was injured.

Police said she never showed any emotion while being interrogated by police and only referred to the infant as the kid or the baby instead of by his name.

They also said she had pretended to cry at one point, but stopped as soon as the officer left the room.

Hendricks admitted that she knew her child was in danger.

She said shed taken the child to her parents home  which is nearby  but never asked them for help.

This was because she didnt want to confront Burnette, she claimed.

She also said shed rather stay with Burnette than risk her father harming him.

Authorities say the child suffered a broken upper arm, had possible liver contusions and bleeding on the brain.

He also had new and old fractures on his clavicle and several fractures on his ribs that were in different stages of healing.

Meanwhile authorities added that Burnette has a history of violent behavior.

His parents told police that hed tried to kill his own brother in various ways over the years  including beating and stabbing him as well as trying to drown and smother him.
Trane, a global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, is holding a grand opening on Friday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at 4157 South Creek Road in Chattanooga to welcome existing and new customers to its newly formed Chattanooga one-stop-shop, for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning professionals.Trane Supply  Chattanooga, which has served the region for 17 years, will now be located in the same building as the Trane residential and light commercial dealer sales office for the Kentucky and Tennessee region, which has provided eight years of service to Kentucky and Tennessee."The grand opening will be held to introduce HVAC professionals to the newly colocated Trane Supply store and Trane Dealer Sales Office for residential and light commercial solutions. Lunch will be served," officials said.The Trane Dealer Sales Office provides sales and support to HVAC contractors, residential new construction builders, developers and multi-family property managers with a focus on the greater Chattanooga region, including Cleveland and Dalton, Ga. Offerings include Trane and Ameristar HVAC solutions for residential and light commercial systems, ductless systems, controls, and Nexia. Several systems will be on display during the open house with team members ready to respond to questions.Steve Shumate, area manager for Trane Supply - Chattanooga, Mike Merritt, sales leader for the Dealer Sales Office, and Matt Brizendine, Dealers Sales Office manager, are hosting the open house. HVAC professionals are invited to attend.
A white Oklahoma police officer who shot dead unarmed black man Terence Crutcher will stand trial for first-degree manslaughter.

Betty Jo Shelby was charged after fatally shooting 40-year-old Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 16.

Prosecutors say the 42-year-old officer 'reacted unreasonably' and was 'emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted' when she shot Crutcher.

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Oklahoma police officer Betty Jo Shelby will stand trial for first-degree manslaughter after she was charged with fatally shooting Terence Crutcher on September 16

The victim wasn't armed or combative and was following commands to raise his hands, authorities said.

A judge ruled on Tuesday that there was enough evidence for the Tulsa police officer to be tried for the shooting. She will be arraigned on December 15.

Shelby handed herself in to police and was formally charged back in September.

Shelby's attorneys say she shot Crutcher because she feared for her life, believing Crutcher was reaching into his vehicle for a gun.

Crutcher's family immediately discounted that claim, saying the father of four posed no threat to the officers, and police said Crutcher did not have gun on him or in his vehicle.

A judge ruled on Tuesday that there was enough evidence for the Tulsa police officer (left) to be tried for the shooting of Terence Crutcher (right)

Prosecutors say the 42-year-old officer 'reacted unreasonably' and was 'emotionally involved to the point that she overreacted' when she shot Crutcher on a Tulsa road in September

Shelby, who joined the Tulsa Police Department in December 2011, was en route to a domestic violence call when she encountered Crutcher's broken-down SUV blocking a road.

She claims he did not respond to her questions and did not respond to her commands to stop as he walked to his vehicle with his hands in the air before she shot him.

Police helicopter video and a dashboard camera showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby on the street with his arms in the air.

It doesn't offer a clear view of when Shelby fired the single shot.

If convicted the police officer faces between fours years and the maximum sentence of life in prison.

Police helicopter video showed Crutcher walking away from Shelby on the street with his arms in the air
Hundreds of strangers have packed a Wyoming church to mourn a homeless U.S. Navy veteran they didn't know.

Stephen Carl Reiman, 63, died in a Wyoming hospital on November 17 just weeks after arriving on a bus with his backpack and few possessions.

He arrived in the town of Sheridan in early November after coming from a Southern California community for homeless veterans.

Reiman had traveled with just a backpack that contained Bruce Springsteen CDs, a cellphone, a laptop, an iPod, two identification cards, a copy of his birth certificate and his Navy discharge papers.

He also carried Springsteen's memoir 'Born to Run.'

Hundreds of strangers packed the Evansville chapel in Wyoming on Tuesday for the funeral of Vietnam veteran Stephen Carl Reiman

Natrona County Coroner Connie Jacobson said a few days after he arrived, he fell ill at a motel and was eventually taken to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.

He died on November 17. Nobody visited Reiman in the hospital.

Jacobson initially had difficulty finding any family and after three days said she hoped people from the community would attend Reiman's funeral to mark his passing.

Homeless U.S. Navy veteran Stephen Carl Reiman, 63, died in a Wyoming hospital on November 17

It was standing room only at the chapel in Evansville for Reiman's funeral on Tuesday, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.

'One of the reasons I did this was to raise community awareness that we have homeless vets in our own communities,' Jacobson said. 'They deserve the same recognition and honor that any other vet would get.'

After a week of searching, Jacobson managed to locate Reiman's sister, who said she hadn't heard from her brother in at least two years.

Diane Reiman said she didn't know why he had come to Wyoming, but said he worked as a firefighter in Casper for a few years in the late 1970s or early 1980s and enjoyed his time in the state.

Diane said nurses at the hospital assured her they were with him when he died and he didn't suffer.

'That was so important to me, being a nurse myself. He was remembered even though he was isolated and we had lost touch with him for so long,' Diane told K2 Radio.

'He was cared for in a very special way by a lot of special people.'

Hundreds of mourners gathered to farewell Reiman on Tuesday - even though no one had ever met him. He had only arrived in Wyoming in early November before falling ill

A hearse carrying Vietnam veteran Stephen Carl Reiman makes its way into the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery after a procession Tuesday

Pastor Rob Peterson, who is a chaplain in the Army National Guard, said during the service he was proud that so many people showed up to honor Reiman.

'He was a man who lived a solitary life for many, many years, but at his final goodbye there is a room full of community,' Peterson said.

Reiman was in the Navy from 1971 to 1975 and served with honor in Vietnam.

He told a Veterans Affairs doctor he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and alcoholism exacerbated by the death of his only son in combat in Iraq.
A man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple for $50 so they could have a baby is not legally the child's father and does not need to provide financial support, a judge has ruled.

The ruling was handed down by Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi in Kansas last week, in the case of Topeka man William Marotta.

The Department for Children and Families had been trying to force Marotta to pay child support, after he donated his sperm to Jennifer Schreiner and Angela Bauer in 2009.

William Marotta (pictured), a Kansas man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple for $50 so they could have a baby, is not legally the child's father and does not need to provide financial support, a judge has ruled

The couple had their child in December of the same year when Schreiner was inseminated, but have since separated.

Mattivi last year required Marotta to submit a DNA sample to confirm that he was the girl's biological father and declared he was not 'a mere donor of sperm.'

But the judge's November 22 ruling concluded that Bauer should be considered the child's second parent rather than Marotta, in part because he has had minimal contact with the girl.

The department filed a petition in 2012 to have Marotta declared the child's legal father and require him to pay child support after the women split up.

Marotta donated his sperm to Jennifer Schreiner (right) and Angela Bauer (left) in 2009. They had a baby in December of the same year, when Schreiner gave birth

The department initially sought to reclaim about almost $6,100 in expenses associated with the child's birth. Mattivi ruled in favor of the couple in 2014, however that decision was overturned in this most recent hearing.

The case illustrated how older laws on assisted reproduction in Kansas and others have not been updated.

Charles Baylor, Marotta's attorney, said the Kansas agency's position was 'radical' and discriminated against same-sex couples.

Shawnee County District Judge Mary Mattivi (pictured) ruled in favor of Marotta last week

'If the presumptive parent, in this case the non-biological mother, had been a man, they never would have gone after the sperm donor,' Baylor said.

The agency argued Marotta was legally on the hook for child support - even though he never intended to act as the child's father - because the two women did not use a physician.

In her ruling, Mattivi said Bauer is unable to work and is receiving Social Security disability benefits.

A 1994 Kansas law says a man who provides donated sperm to a doctor for an insemination is not the child's parent, absent a written agreement saying otherwise.

Marotta and the two women signed a contract in which they agreed to pay him $50 for every semen donation. Legal documents say Schreiner was impregnated with a syringe in early 2009.

Secretary Phyllis Gilmore said the department is disappointed with Mattivi's ruling, adding in a statement: 'the law pertaining to sperm donors is clear and was ignored in this ruling.'

Marotta (pictured) was being chased for more than $6,000 in child support payments over his sperm donation

University of California law professor Courtney Joslin said a commission on uniform state laws recommended in 2000 and 2002 that states eliminate a requirement that physicians be involved in assisted reproduction to protect sperm donors.

Eleven states adopted its recommendations, and California independently repealed the requirement as of this year, she said.

Nine states and the District of Columbia have laws that treat an unmarried partner as a legal parent when there is assisted reproduction, Joslin said.

Mattivi's latest ruling noted that Schreiner and Bauer are parenting the girl together and that Kansas courts have long held that the child's best interest is the key issue.

The judge said Bauer's presumption of parenthood is 'superior' to Marotta's.
A German citizen employed by country's domestic intelligence agency arrested on suspicion of being an Islamist was once a gay porn actor, it has been revealed.

The man was arrested after the agency said he was accused of making Islamist declarations on the internet and revealing classified material.

According to reports in the German media, the man had also been planning to blow up the agency's central office in Cologne.

According to the Washington Post, the man is a 51-year-old German national of Spanish descent, who secretly converted to Islam in 2014.

The married father-of-four, whose role at the agency was reportedly to thwart Islamists, had been connecting with militants online in radical chatrooms.

The online alias the man used was the same as his stage name he used when he appeared in gay porn films as recently as 2011.

German press reported that the man had planned to plant at bomb at the country's domestic intelligence agency headquarters in Cologne

Authorities said they had arrested the man on suspicion of engaging in preparations to commit a violent act and for violating state secrecy laws.

Two senior German officials - one in intelligence, the other in law enforcement - have since revealed the shocking details about his double life.

A spokesman for the security service, the Bundesverfassungsschutz (BfV), declined to provide details on the man's position at the agency or say when he joined.

He also declined to comment on the report in Die Welt newspaper that said the 51-year-old had planned to explode a bomb at the agency's central office in Cologne.

'There is no evidence to date that there is a concrete danger to the security of the BfV or its employees.

'The man is accused of making Islamist statements on the Internet using a false name and of revealing internal agency material in internet chatrooms,' he said.

Police in Germany have detained several suspected Islamic State sympathisers in recent weeks. In September they arrested three Syrians suspected of being members of Islamic State

The suspected mole also offered to share sensitive data about the BfV which could have endangered the agency's work, the spokesman said, without elaborating.

Der Spiegel magazine reported on its website that the agency first became aware of the man's activities about four weeks ago.

The spokesman said the suspect had not previously attracted attention, adding: 'The man behaved inconspicuously during his employment process, training and in his area of responsibility.'

In July, a teenage Afghan refugee armed with an axe and knife injured four people on a train in southern Germany before being shot dead by police

German authorities have ramped up their surveillance of potential militant Islamist groups and individuals after two attacks that the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for in July.

The BfV estimates there are about 40,000 Islamists in Germany, including 9,200 ultra-conservative Islamists known as Salafists, Hans-Georg Maassen, who leads the agency, told Reuters in an interview earlier this month.

'We remain a target of Islamic terrorism and we have to assume that Islamic State or other terrorist organisations will carry out an attack in Germany if they can,' he said at the time.
First lady Michelle Obama may never be ready to jump into politics, but  just in case  three political action committees have been formed to potentially throw money at a future White House bid.

The Hill's Megan Wilson unearthed three fresh Federal Election Commission filings from the past month that would jumpstart fundraising efforts for Obama, despite protests from the first lady that she has no interest in holding elected office.

'No, nope, not going to do it,' she said back in March, speaking at the South by Southwest festival.

Her husband, President Barack Obama, repeated that statement in a Rolling Stone interview that dropped today.

'Michelle will never run for office,' POTUS said.

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First lady Michelle Obama already has three political action committees that she could use for fundraising if she were ever to decide she wanted to run for president

Michelle Obama, seen today at an event welcoming military families to a White House decorated for Christmas, has said she has no interest in becoming president

The first lady once described the White House as a 'really nice prison,' so it's doubtful that she'd want to come back after spending several years away

The first, labeled 'Ready for Michelle,' is a super PAC that could raise unlimited dollars for the popular Democrat and was created even before Democrat Hillary Clinton's loss.

Papers for 'Ready for Michelle' were filed with the FEC on Halloween, October 31.

It was founded by Donald Garrett, a federal government employee who lives in Virginia, according to the Hill's reporting.

Garrett told the newspaper that five people, himself included, are participating in the effort, though have raised less than $1,000. They have succeeded in getting more than 1,000 signatures on a petition urging the current first lady to run.

The PAC has also launched a website, ReadyForMichelle.com, which states that the country needs a 'loving healer' after the contentious 2016 cycle.

'The goal of this movement is to get the ball rolling by identifying a network of supporters, volunteers, and donors that would support Michelle in this endeavor,' the website said. 'Then, if she can be convinced to run, we can provide her with an early advantage against any opponents.'

Michelle Obama (left) left her mark on the 2016 campaign, by being one of Hillary Clinton's (right) most potent political surrogates

That's different than ReadyForMichelle.org, which belongs to Ready for Michelle 2020, a PAC that popped up in the past month.

The Cheshire, Connecticut-based group calls itself a 'a progressive communications and fundraising committee' with the aim of 'raising awareness and supporting the issues that are important to progressive candidates and honoring the integrity and ideals of First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and her husband President Barack Obama.'

The group, started by an Erik B. Reich, also plans to extend that commitment by encouraging Michelle Obama to run.

Like the similarly-named super PAC, Ready for Michelle 2020, was formed before the presidential election, filling papers with the FEC on November 3.

A third group, Friends of Michelle 2020, was formed after Clinton's bruising loss to Republican Donald Trump, and will eventually exist at the website FriendsOfMichelle.org, according to filing papers.

It's New York based and the secretary is listed as a Gavin McKee, but beyond that, no description has been listed.

Michelle Obama stayed off the campaign trail during the Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but gave a memorable Democratic National Convention speech

The FLOTUS coined the phrase, 'When they go low, we go high,' which as repeated for the final three months of the presidential campaign

Michelle Obama stayed off the campaign trail through the Democratic primary, but then made a splash at the party's convention.

In her speech on the first night of the four-day affair, the FLOTUS talked a lot about the ideals she and President Barack Obama instilled in their daughters.

'We explain when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level,' she said. 'No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high.'

The phrase turned into an unofficial motto of the Clinton campaign going forward.

The first lady also stepped in when the 'Access Hollywood' video came out, where Trump is heard in 2005 saying that, because of his celebrity, he could grab women 'by the p****.'

'Last week we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexually assaulting women,' Obama said at a Clinton campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.

'And I have to tell you, I can't stop thinking about this,' she said 'It has shaken me to my core in a way that I could not have predicted.'

Obama came out of 2016 looking like Clinton's most powerful surrogate, though even the first lady couldn't do enough to sway a handful of key swing state, which handed an Electoral College victory to Trump.

Looking to 2020, Obama looks like a dream candidate for many Democrats, though has publicly expressed her disdain for politics throughout her husband's administration.

In 2013, speaking alongside former first lady Laura Bush, Obama noted how 'there are prisonlike elements' to her job. 'But its a really nice prison. You cant complain. There are confining elements.'

She also reportedly told former French first lady Carla Bruni in 2010 that being first lady was 'hell' and 'I can't stand it,' according to claims made in a book about Bruni that came out that year.
An explosive road rage row almost ended in a full-blown fight after a confrontational motorist chased after the driver of a horse float that ran a red light.

Dashcam footage filmed by driver Trevor Dunen in Geraldton, Western Australia, shows the towing driver appearing to pass through traffic lights that had just turned red.

Mr Dunen can be heard grunting with rage as he put his foot down and sped after the horse owner yesterday afternoon.

An explosive road rage row almost ended in a full-blown fight after a confrontational motorist chased after the driver of a horse float that ran a red light

The enraged motorist overtakes a number of cars before blasting his horn at the man towing the horse float as he passes by.

'F***ing idiot. F***ing c***. I'm there mate, I'm there,' Mr Dunen - who claims he did not exceed the speed limit - shouts at the driver.

Mr Dunen pulls into his driveway just a few hundred metres up the road, but claims the horse float driver tailgated him the all the way there.

The horse box continues up the road and pulls in around 100 metres from the driveway.

'I fear he is coming to my house, so I decide to confront him as he is very aggressive,' Mr Dunen said.

His dashcam footage shows him reversing back out of his property and driving up to the parked vehicle to confront the man inside.

'You're on f***ing camera mate! F***ing dog. Come on c***,' he shouts as he pulls up next to him.

'You're on camera pal. You're on camera right now and I'm going to the coppers. You went through a red light c*** and everything you say is being recorded.'

Enraged motorist Trevor Dunen overtakes a number of cars before blasting his horn at the man towing the horse float (pictured) as he passes by

The horse box continues up the road and pulls in around 100 metres from Mr Dunen's drive

The driver angrily responds, furiously explaining that he only went through the light because he has a horse float and did not want to injure the animal inside by stopping abruptly.

An expletive-ridden row erupts, with a friend of the horse box driver pulling over in another truck to join the heated argument.

Mr Dunen could be heard grunting with rage as he put his foot down and sped after the horse owner yesterday afternoon

'You can't start preaching to other people when you can't drive yourself,' the third man says as he jumps out of his vehicle.

'Where's your f***ing camera?' one of the men shouts at Mr Dunen, who has threatened to hand the footage over to the police.

'Let's go and take it to the cop shop then c***. It's a f***ing horse float. The lights go from green to orange to f***ing red. get the f*** out of the car c***.

'I'm gonna f***ing belt your head in you little c***sucker,' he adds.

'This is road rage and it's illegal. He's threatening me and you're being an idiot,' Mr Dunen says.

'I'm not threatening you champ, i'll f***ing do it,' one of the men replies.

But Mr Dunen furiously hits back: 'You're going to jail. what you don't think I can fight? Do you know who you're talking to mate? You've threatened me and I'm going to the coppers.'

The third motorist leaves, calling Mr Dunen a 'wimp', before the horse float driver tries one last time to explain why he went through the red light.

An expletive-ridden row erupts, with a friend of the horse box driver (pictured) pulling over in another truck to join the heated argument

The third motorist leaves, calling Mr Dunen a 'wimp', before the horse float driver tries one last time to explain why he went through the red light

'I could not f***ing stop because the lights went from green to orange to red in seconds,' he says.

The video ends as the horse float driver leaves in a huff.

Mr Dunen later gave his version of events, and said: 'I tooted my horn and gesticulated to the bloke to let him know I'd seen him go through the red light

'He tailgated me to my home. I did a U-turn and went back up and pulled up besides him.

'He gets out, abuses me and tells me why it's OK for him to go through a red light and then he threatens to bash me.

'The video's going to the police station and I expect charges.'
Wage increases for teachers capped at 2.5 per cent under Mike Baird

At meeting teachers will vote on offer from Department of

A strike of up to 50,000 teachers from government schools across New South Wales will throw school days into chaos next week as they meet to discuss a new pay deal.

Students at more than 2,000 primary and high schools will face disruptions until mid-morning on Thursday, December 8 as teachers strike for a stop work meeting.

During the meeting there will be no classes and students will be under 'minimal supervision' in the playground.

Up to 50,000 teachers from government schools across New South Wales will walk off the job next week to discuss a new pay deal (teachers striking over pay in Queensland in February pictured)

Students at over 2000 primary and high schools will face disruptions until mid-morning on Thursday December 8, as teachers strike for a stop work meeting (teachers striking over pay in Queensland in February pictured)

It will begin at 8.45 am and teachers will discuss the details of negations for new salaries and conditions and vote on an offer from the Department of Education.

NSW Teachers Federation President Maurie Mulheron said the timing of the meetings was designed to minimise disruption to schools.

'Minimal supervision will be available for students for the duration of the meetings. Normal classes will resume after the meetings,' Mr Mulheron said.

'In keeping with the democratic traditions of our union, these meetings will enable teachers to vote on an offer for a new salaries and conditions award.'

Wage increases for teachers have been capped at 2.5 per cent under Mike Baird.

Kincumber High School on NSW's Central Coast were forced to move the date of their Year 7 Orientation day to accommodate for the meeting.

'Due to a pending "Stop Work" meeting by the NSW Teachers Federation next Thursday, 8 December, we have moved the date of the Year 7 2017 Orientation Day to Wednesday 7 December,' the school posted on Facebook.

Wage increases for teachers have been capped at 2.5 per cent under Mike Baird (pictured)
From James Corden's Sainsbury's festive ditty to Ruth Jones and Ben Miller walking down the aisles for Tesco, retailers often use celebrities to spice up their Christmas adverts.

But Co-op's contribution focuses on everyday British heroes, from lifeboat volunteers to a group of Blackpool open-water swimmers.

Hoping to boost its ethical credentials, the retailer shows off the local community causes that have benefited from its fundraising.

Co-op's contribution focuses on everyday British heroes, from lifeboat volunteers (pictured) to a group of Blackpool open-water swimmers

During the advert, the crew of the Southport Lifeboat can be seen hauling a colleague out of the sea into one of their rescue dinghies

The charity, which was founded in 1988, is independent of the RNLI and relies on donations to keep going

Co-op's 5+1 membership scheme gives shoppers 5% back on their shop and 1% to good causes, some of which appear in the advert.

So far it has raised 1.4 million for more than 4,000 nominated charities.

During the advert, the crew of the Southport Lifeboat can be seen hauling a colleague out of the sea into one of their rescue dinghies.

The charity, which was founded in 1988, is independent of the RNLI and relies on donations to keep going.

Also appearing in the clip are members of Meanwood Valley urban farm in Leeds

This helps inner-city children learn about nature, and benefits from Co-op's 5+1 membership sceheme

Also seen in the clip is the cast of a pantomime. The full advert will be shown first on ITV on December 1

Also appearing in the clip are members of Meanwood Valley urban farm in Leeds, which helps inner-city children learn about nature, and the cast of a pantomime.

To finish off, a group of open-water swimmers sit shivering in their towels on Blackpool beach after a bracing dip.
There has been much said about the death of Fidel Castro.

There was jubilation in the streets of Miami, where exiled Cubans celebrated the passing of a monster - a man who crushed them of any hope, silenced dissent and dictated a lifetime of poverty for its people.

And endless platitudes from liberals and the left, elevating Castro to an icon, a 'legendary orator and revolutionary' (Justin Trudeau), a 'champion of social justice' (Corbyn) who would 'remain forever in the hearts of progressive mankind' (Kim Jung Un).

I came expecting to uncover the truth behind the monster.

Katie Hopkins poses in front of a shrine to Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in Havana, where thousands are mourning the latter's death

To mock the liberal press sat in Islington and Brooklyn, shopping at Whole Foods, cheering a man who even in death still has his people fed from ration books, searching about for milk.

To scorn the commie b*stard mentality where everyone is equal. If you are given equal share of virtually nothing, what exactly is there to celebrate?

To give voice to a people obliged into silence by a regime which has dictated a ten day period of mourning, just as it dictates every aspect of their lives.

But I have not found what I came for. I found something quite different.

It is not all pretty. The legacy of Castro on the daily lives of his people is a ruinous mess. Buildings searching for something to hold them upright, cars limping between one repair and the next, men openly offering their bodies for foreign cash, an exchange mechanism of sorts offered just as willingly by the women too - to earn the money to get by.

People queuing endlessly with their ration books, hoping for meat or milk, filling in the spaces with bread, patiently waiting by empty shelves.

I realise there are no shopping bags here, no people laden down with stuff.

Here the women carry one loaf, one bag of meat, one lime, one piece of fruit. Pieces of a difficult and time-consuming puzzle that is meal-time for a family.

And I wonder how they feel about squirrelling away through crumbling corridors to tiny rooms they share, hanging washing on their balconies barely clinging buildings. Falling, in slow motion over decades. Disconnected from the world - no internet, no cable tv, no power.

It is a country frozen in time. As if it has been hit by a nuclear blast - then repopulated with the hardy and determined. Finding a way to make things work amongst the rubble and ruin, a weird Orwellian nightmare.

But this is not a sad story either.

Katie signs a book of condolences dedicated to Castro. Locals are treating it as an oath to the Revolution in which they pledge to carry on the late dictator's regime

'I found the Cuban people to be strong, and fiercely proud of their way of life': Katie in front of another shrine to the late leader and with locals in Havana after signing the book of condolences

Because I found the Cuban people to be strong, and fiercely proud of their way of life.

Queuing in their thousands at the Revolution Square, I stood with them through the night as they waited in line. Queuing without complaint. Young and very old. Tiny babies in their Sunday best. Politely joining the back of the line, without hint of wanting to put themselves before others.

Many appeared to shed genuine tears.

'I'm devastated because it's as if my own father had died, he was like my second father. Everything we have, my education as a doctor, it's thanks to him,' said Maria del Carmen, 57, who had been standing in line since before dawn.

I went back early the next day. And again they were there. Fresh faces, prepared to stand endlessly in the heat to walk past his memorial in a square that has been central to Cuba's recent history, a place where Castro gave many of his lengthy speeches.

Mourners were bused in to Revolution Square to stand for hours to pay homage to Castro

Among the mourners was Belkis Meireles, a 65-year-old civil engineer who arrived two hours before the start.

'I am very sad. I came to pay homage to our father, friend, commander,' Meireles said. 'He was a man who freed us and sent doctors and teachers everywhere around the world.'

Some quietly confirm there is a pressure to attend the government's many staged events. A elderly man reflects on the buses which used to bring people to this same square to hear Castro speak. Buses which a local representative of the regime was expected to fill. Or be accountable for the consequences.

There are many quiet mutterings like this. Of farmers given cows to tend for milk by Castro's government - but acutely aware of their fate if one should be stolen or die.

Of drivers, who failed to pull over at speed for the Castro cavalcade - gunned down out of the road.

Of the curious disconnect between the ability to access rudimentary healthcare and education but not a toilet roll or milk.

And of a country so dependent on the foreign currency, that tourists remain first class citizens, locals forbidden from crossing the threshold of hotels or tourist spots. A glaring inequality which makes me feel uncomfortable.

It is an awkward take on social justice. A perverse notion of 'progressive mankind', frozen in time, buildings falling to ruin, all equally poor beneath the upper echelon of military, government and foreign cash.

And yet, these people do seem to truly love the leader they lost - however flawed. A father figure, who abandoned their kind ways often, but whose love was constant none-the-less. An unfaithful husband, whose love was true all the same.

And for every chapter of history which proves him to be monster, there is another page which lives on. Enduring values which you can find in the people today;

A woman cries while waiting in line at Revolution Square to pay tribute to Castro

Students of Havana University pay tribute to the late leader with a march. They carried signs to thank him for what he done for the country

Young children were among those who waited through the night in central Havana to pay their respects. Above, a girl in the town of Guanabacoa, on the city's outskirts, leaves a kiss for him at another shrine

Patriotism - manifest in their flag draped around shoulders, and precious currency - young women selling cakes, keen I take the notes home with me, to remind me of their country when I leave.

Pride - in a small island, the David to America's Goliath - who fearlessly prevails, against the odds.

And a strong sense of family, where people stand together, stay together, keep strong for each other to make things better.

A group of young men, appearing out of nowhere to make sure I received the correct change at a food stall, a woman offering me her umbrella as I queue in the sun.

I love what they have built here. I admire the invisible scaffolding in their society which keeps things calm amidst the chaos.

I find the freedom from things of our world to be as welcome as the endless freedom we are indulged with at home.

We have freedom to protest about everything, endless tolerance for multiculturalism which has translated to us living in Ghetto Kingdoms, systems of healthcare so sophisticated they will inevitably bankrupt themselves through our over-indulgence. Education systems so determined to support the stupid at the expense of the brightest, they are left to fail.

I wonder about it all.

We may believe we live in a sophisticated society enjoying more freedom than at any other time in history.
Hundreds of people caught up in a gas explosion that injured 16, including a baby, as they dined in a busy Sydney food court are lucky to be alive, police say.

At least 200 people were inside a five-storey building, many eating dinner at the food court, in Chinatown on Tuesday when a gas main near the loading dock exploded about 7.40pm.

A young boy was rushed to hospital with his mother after the pressure of the blast sent metal debris from a blown out roller door flying throughout the building and street - causing them both to suffer serious lacerations to the head.

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An explosion has rocked Sydney's Chinatown in a gas explosion that blasted a roller door from a the loading dock of a food court

Chaos broke out on the Sydney street which is normally bustling with tourists

A witness said people were wandering the streets with blood on their faces as distressed family members desperately tried to find each other amid the chaos.

'Young baby with a head injury, mum holding him with head injury. Two other people with leg injuries that I saw,' the witness told Daily Mail Australia.

They said there were a number of ambulances and police officers on the scene, with a makeshift triage centre set up to help to tend to the injured crowd.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Brian Lakin said seven people injured inside the building were taken to hospital, while nine others were treated on the scene.

NSW fire brigade inspector Norm Buckley said he was surprised there were no fatalities caused by the 'massive explosion' as hundreds of people were in the area enjoying the warm night.

'We were extremely grateful no one was killed,' he said from the cordoned-off scene on Wednesday morning.

Metal debris from the flying roller door (pictured) struck one child who suffered lacerations to the head

Sixteen people were injured in the blast including two young children who suffered cuts to the face

NSW Fire Brigade inspector Norm Buckley said it was lucky no one was killed in the blast

An explosion has rocked Sydney's Chinatown in a gas explosion that blasted a roller door from a the loading dock of a food court

He said firefighters did not have to extinguish the blaze on Tuesday night as the explosion had consumed the oxygen fueling the inferno, with the damage restricted to the loading dock.

A man caught up in the explosion said he feared a terrorist could have stormed the building and immediately took cover.

'After the blast I ducked and covered myself behind a register stand as the first thing that it came to my head was a terrorist attack,' Samuel Lopez wrote on Facebook.

'So I needed to know if there was something else happening like a shooter; then everybody started screaming and running away.

'I saw no other threats around and I joined the crowd.'

Gloria Pery was visiting Sydney from Townsville when she witnessed the explosion and said children and the elderly were caught up in the blast.

A man injured in the accident was assessed by a paramedic on the street

Paramedics rush to the scene as chaos erupts in Sydney's Chinatown following the blast

Gloria Pery was visiting Sydney from Townsville when she witnessed the explosion

An exclusion zone was set up before the leaking gas main was isolated and repaired

Firefighters did not have to extinguish the blaze on Tuesday night as the explosion had consumed the oxygen fueling the inferno, with the damage restricted to the loading dock

'There was two little children with cuts on their head and their mother had a cut on her head as well,' Ms Pery said.

'Also an old man with cuts on his head,' she added.

It has been confirmed the explosion was caused by gas leaking from a main and the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

An exclusion zone was set up and a gas company technician was able to isolate and turn off the main at about 11pm.

Superintendent Johnstone said there was no damage to the surrounding buildings, but 200 people had to be evacuated from a neighbouring five-storey building.

Investigators remained at the scene on Wednesday morning focusing on the basement of the complex where the leak came from.

Residents are expected to be able to return to the building by Wednesday afternoon.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Paul Johnstone told Daily Mail Australia that 16 people were injured in the blast, including two children

It has been confirmed the explosion was caused by gas leaking from a main and the incident is not being treated as suspicious

Superintendent Johnstone says there was no damage to surrounding buildings, but 200 people were evacuated




The North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr., Suite 102 in Hixson will host the first annual Christmas Senior Dance on Saturday from 6-8 p.m.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments. Live music will begin at 6 p.m. There is no charge for the event.



The event is sponsored by Life Care Center of Hixson and Life Care Center of Red Bank. For more information, call 423-870-8924.
Anthony Weiner has returned to New York from a more than a month-long stint in a Tennessee rehab, spotted at the apartment he still shares with his estranged wife Huma Abedin and their son, four-year-old Jordan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Huma treated herself to a blowout at Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salon before getting her nails manicured at Blooming Nails in New York.

Huma, 40, braved the New York downpour in the name of beauty navigating her way through the rain for her afternoon of grooming before returning to the couple's shared apartment.

Last August she announced that she was splitting with the disgraced former congressman and mayoral candidate.

Anthony Weiner is back at the apartment he shares with estranged wife Huma Abedin in New York City after a over a month in sex rehab

Deep in thought, Huma's on a roll as she gets her hair put up in curlers at the Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Salon in NYC. Since Hillary Clinton's loss, Huma seems to have moved on from the pricey John Barrett hair salon at Bergdorf Goodman and chosen to go closer to home with downtown prices

The hairstylist assesses Huma's long brown locks for after the comb-out

Voila! The hairstylist puts the finishing touches on Huma's do

Huma braved the New York downpour in the name of beauty navigating her way through the rain for her afternoon of grooming

Last August, after Abedin announced that she was leaving Weiner

Hair all done, Huma stops by Blooming Nails for a manicure

The Hillary confidante slips a few dollars out of her purse for a tip

During Weiner's absence son Jordan has been shuttled back and forth to preschool by Huma as well as Weiner's mother Francis Finklestein. Her mother Saleha Mahmood Abedin has also helped care for the boy in the waning days of Hillary Clinton's failed run at the White House.

As DailyMail.com exclusively reported, Weiner checked into the weeks-long program at The Ranch, a 2,000-acre facility an hour west of Nashville, in early October following our expose of his sexting relationship with a 15-year-old girl and ensuing FBI investigation.

The Ranch is recognized as one of the nation's top treatment centers for sex addiction.

There, 800 miles and a whole world removed from his home in Manhattan, the man whose sexting habits placed him at the center of the nation's most contentious presidential election, was learning to wean himself from the obsessions that led to his self-destruction.

Weiner, 52, was living in one of 10 large buildings scattered throughout the property in tiny unincorporated Pinewood and neighboring Nunnelly. He and other male sex addicts are kept far away from women sufferers who are housed in separate buildings.

Serial sexter Weiner tweeted this photos of himself wearing grey underpants showing obvious signs of sexual arousal

In the messages, which were obtained by the Dailymail.com, Weiner repeatedly complimented the girl's body, told her that she made him 'hard'. He also sent the girl a selfie from a hot tub

Weiner and the girl used several anonymous messaging apps, like the one pictured above, where every line of text - and the sender's name - disappear after the message is opened. In one message he told he would 'bust that tight p***y so hard and so often that you would leak and limp for a week.' Weiner began talking to the girl in January, after she messaged him on Twitter

All electronic devices, including cellphones and computers, are banned at The Ranch, where stays cost up to $30,000 a month.

Fishing on the picturesque Piney River, long hikes through the undulating countryside and horseback riding along trails in the leafy woods were among the activities offered to the man who has spent almost his entire life in bustling New York City and Washington, DC.

Weiner sought refuge at The Ranch as he is being investigated by the FBI following DailyMail.com's bombshell revelation that he had sent obscene sexts to a 15-year-old girl.

During the bureau's probe agents discovered that emails from Hillary Clinton were on a laptop computer that Weiner and Abedin shared.

That led to a renewed focus on the FBI investigation into Clinton's email scandal involving the server she set up in the basement of her home in Chappaqua, New York.

News of that development, revealed by FBI director James Comey on October 28, led to Clinton plummeting against rival Donald Trump in opinion polls leading up to Tuesday's presidential election and her ultimate defeat.

Despite knowing the girl's age, Weiner sent shirtless pictures of himself, called her 'baby' and asked her to dress up in schoolgirl outfits.

The relationship had started when the teen contacted Weiner via a Twitter private message. She told DailyMail.com she had become obsessed with him.

Anthony Weiner was in a weeks-long sex-addiction rehab program at The Ranch, a 2,000-acre facility an hour west of Nashville, Tennesee

The rehab facility in in the hills of Nunnelly, Tennessee, is 800 miles and a whole world removed from his home in New York City

But despite all the worrying signs Weiner could not help himself and got caught up in an online relationship.

In one lewd message told her: 'I would bust that tight p***y so hard and so often that you would leak and limp for a week.'

He complained in one sext that he hadn't had sex with Abedin for a year.

Abedin, 40, announced she was ending her six-year marriage to Weiner in August after the New York Post revealed that he had sexted a picture of his crotch as he lay in bed with their four-year-old son to yet another woman.

Even though they are separated, therapists at The Ranch encourage Abedin to get involved in Weiner's treatment.

Huma left the Manhattan apartment she shares with Weiner yesterday morning in rain boots and fishnet stockings to take son Jordan to preschool

The facility regularly holds three-day family programs for wives and partners.

Men in The Ranch's sex addiction program are expected to take part in daily group therapy sessions as well as a weekly trauma group led by a trauma specialist.

In August Huma announced that they had separated in the wake of another sexting controversy.
He is also said to have held Rachel hostage when he learned she was trying to flee south from Indiana

They fear he might have kidnapped her while she was out jogging

Family members of Rachel Madison's say Jarvis knew she was in

A woman who fled from Indiana to Florida from Indiana to escape her abusive husband has vanished while out jogging on Sunday, according to police.

Rachael Madison, 44, moved to Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida, to live with her aunt after leaving husband Jarvis Madison, 50, who police described as 'violent' and 'abusive'.

Reports indicate Jarvis Madison had poured acid on a tattoo of Rachael's, leaving a wound on her back. He had also allegedly cut the back of her neck with a knife.

Before she escaped, Jarvis is said to have taken his wife hostage when he learned of her plan to go to Florida.

Rachael Madison (left), 44, fled, to Florida to live with her aunt after leaving her husband Jarvis Madison (right), 50. On Sunday she vanished while jogging and family members fear Jarvis Madison might have kidnapped her

Before she escaped, Jarvis Madison is said to have taken his wife hostage when he learned of her plan to go to Florida

Reports indicate Jarvis Madison had poured acid on a tattoo of Rachael's, leaving a wound on her back. He had also allegedly cut the back of her neck with a knife

Authorities now consider her an endangered missing person since her disappearance on Sunday.

Family members of Rachael's say they fear Jarvis might have kidnapped her.

'Those past incidents are what has us concerned for her well-being,' Volusia Sheriff's spokesman Andrew Grant told the News-Journal Online.

Rachael Madison's (pictured) aunt drove to Kentucky and planned to meet her in a bookstore, but Jarvis Madison found out about the plan and held her hostage

By Monday afternoon, authorities in Indiana had obtained a warrant for Jarvis's arrest on criminal confinement charges.

He is still at large and is believed to be armed with a .45-caliber handgun.

Police say he is a drifter who visits 24-hour Walmarts, gas stations and state or local parks, according to the News-Journal Online.

Family members say that Rachael called her aunt from Kentucky and begged her to 'take her away from her abusive husband'.

The couple had become homeless and were staying in motels and Jarvis's silver 2011 Honda Pilot, with the tag EN2348, in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, police said.

Rachael's aunt drove to Kentucky and planned to meet her in a bookstore, but Jarvis found out about the plan, according to reports.

The reports then indicate Jarvis held her hostage in his car while driving around with the handgun in the car.

Rachael eventually asked if she could use the bathroom and Jarvis kicked her out on the side of the road, police say.

When she tried to run he fired his handgun at her, but missed, reports said.

Authorities say that eventually, she convinced him to let her use a Walmart bathroom and her aunt told her to contact security and call the police.

Finally, Rachael arrived in Florida on November 16 and was looking for a job.

In January 2014, Rachael was indicted for picking up her sons from school and disappearing. She had the sons from a previous relationship with Gerald Stone. They were subsequently found two weeks later.

After moving, the 44-year-old took up running for long stretches on the beach, but would return home after completing her run each time

Jarvis Madison was last seen driving his silver 2011 Honda Pilot, with the tag EN2348 (pictured)

After moving, the 44-year-old took up running for long stretches on the beach, but would return home after completing her run each time.

She was last seen by family members on Sunday around 1.30pm.

About 30 minutes earlier, Jarvis had called Rachael Madison's aunt asking where his wife was.

Jarvis allegedly made several calls to the aunt's home threatening to kill her for hiding his wife and threatened to kill Rachael if she did not come back, police say.
Family friends said they were stunned such a 'sweet boy' could do anything so ' horrible '

ISIS has claimed responsibility for Monday's slashing spree that left 11 people wounded, claiming Somali refugee Abdul Artan was a 'soldier' of their cause.

But Artan's family have protested their innocence and told friends they had no idea the college student was plotting a terror attack or veering towards extremism.

'He was a sweet boy,' a family friend told DailyMail.com. 'This is not anything that we teach our people. We are just as shocked as everyone else. 'His family are in mourning. They cannot understand how this horrible situation happened. It's just so unexpected.'

Abdul Razak Ali Artan has been identified as the Ohio State student who went on a stabbing rampage at the school on Monday, injuring eleven

Separately, the director of the Ohio Somali Muslim Association told DailyMail.com that the fanatic's mother had spoken to him and said she was 'devastated' by his actions.

Hassan Omar, 54, said: 'She was, as you can imagine, shocked that her son had done such a horrible act.

'She cannot believe her son could kill and she felt that she hardly knew her son at all because of it.'

Omar, who said that he didn't know Abdul or his family before the car-knife attack, urged calm and asked people to see it as an isolated incident.

'This doesn't speak for the Somali people, this is something we absolutely condemn and are shocked that such a awful thing could happen,' Omar said.

'It's something that has rocked our community, especially since we've worked hard to establish ourselves in Columbus, Ohio, which has been very welcoming to us.'

Omar said he was unaware of radicalism in Columbus and feared that the attack may start a trend.

'This was the first case of this here, and we've never had any issues like there's been in Europe or the UK,' he said.

'It's left us very worried, and we just have to be very wary that the internet can be a dangerous tool for people who can be easily influenced.

FBI officers leave Abdul Razak Ali Artan's next door neighbor Luann Carnahan house at Havenwood Townhome Community in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday

Neighbors said Artan and his six siblings lived in squalor crammed into the two-bedroom property (pictured) just two miles from the OSU campus

'This is where it seems everything started for Abdul, and there needs to be some sort of better control of what is available for people that could be persuaded to carry out such threats.'

Artan grew up in Somalia but fled to Pakistan in 2007 with his mother and six siblings before arriving in the US two years ago as refugees.

Their eventual destination was Columbus, Ohio, a city with a sizable Somali community, where Artan attended community college before enrolling at Ohio State in the fall.

He sped on to the bustling campus Monday morning in a relative's car, ramming a group of students and hacking at them with a butcher's knife before he was shot dead by a university police officer.

'The person that we are hearing about now on TV is definitely not the person that we knew,' added the family source, on condition of anonymity.

'He was a good student. He wanted to learn more and work, that's why he went to college. 'We are really sorry about the victims. We apologize and we really hope that they recover.'

Luann Carnahan (pictured) who has been living next door to the Artan family since April, said she was shocked at their 'dirty' living conditions after visiting their home to fix a leak

Artan had protested the alleged mistreatment of Muslims on Facebook prior to the attack, claiming he was 'boiling point' and taunting the inability of US authorities to stop 'lone wolf attacks'.

In another post, Artan - now a naturalized US citizen and apparently aged only 18 - hailed the notorious al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki a 'hero'.

Authorities are yet to unearth any direct links to ISIS but that has not stopped the terror network claiming responsibility via the jihadist-linked Amaq news agency.

'The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State,' the agency quoted an alleged ISIS agent as saying, according to a translation by the SITE monitoring group.

'He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries.' Artan's mother Fatimah, 51, and siblings have not been seen since police raided their $950-a-month townhouse in downtown Columbus.

Director of the Ohio Somali Muslim Association, Hassan Omar, 54, (pictured) told DailyMail.com that the fanatic's mother had spoken to him and said she was 'devastated' by his actions

Artan worshiped at the Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center, though executive director Horsed Noor says he wasn't familiar with him

Neighbors said as many as eight people lived inside the two-bedroom property just two miles from the OSU campus.

Artan is believed to have three sisters and three brothers. Luann Carnahan, who has been living next door to the Artan family since April, said she was shocked at their 'dirty' living conditions after visiting their home to fix a leak.

She said their kitchen was strewn with dirty crockery and recalled seeing an old mattress in the basement, serving as either a bed or prayer mat.

They were funny about letting people into their home, but last month their house got flooded and they needed help, Carnahan told DailyMail.com.

'I went to the basement where the flooding had happened and noticed a mattress which someone was clearly living on. 'There were prayer mats as well as a cut off curtain, where I assume the family would all pray together. I remember thinking it was strange because you really you shouldnt be having a bedroom where theres no smoke alarm or fire exit.

When she left the house Carnahan said she caught a glimpse of the kitchen. It was absolutely gross, she said. That was no way to live and Id never seen anything like that. There were plates everywhere, mess, like food and drink and it was just really unclean.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan (pictured at his graduation) was identified as the Ohio State student who went on a stabbing rampage at the school on Monday, injuring eleven

I continually complained to the housing association about the noise they would make, but that fell on deaf ears. There would be people coming and going after 9:30pm to 10:30pm, and that would interfere with my childrens sleeping.

Doors would be banging and people would be talking loudly, you could hear every word because the walls are quite thin. I couldnt understand what they were saying because they werent speaking English.'

Carnahan said Artan was polite and helpful, helping her with grocery bags and translating for his siblings who spoke less English.

We spoke every day, not too much, but he was the main communicator for the family, she added.

There was no indication he would do something like that, certainly by the way he presented himself, which was in a very dignified manner.

'The FBI came to talk to me, and Im not at liberty to share what we spoke about, but its just so scary to know that someone like that was living just next door.

'I dont know why Abdul did what he did, and I saw what he put on Facebook, but that wasnt the guy I knew and that saddens my heart.'

Artan was killed on Monday after going on a rampage at the Ohio State University, using his car to mow down bystanders and then slashing victims with a butcher knife. Above, his body is seen on the campus after an OSU police officer shot him dead

Surveillance stills show Artan driving into a campus. Another can be seen standing by the roadside waiting to cross

Artan - allegedly drove this car into crowds evacuating Watts Hall after a fire alarm was pulled Monday morning

A video released today by Columbus State Community College shows Artan beaming with pride as he graduated with a two-year associate's degree in May.

But by the time he began classes at Ohio State in August he had become anxious about the prospect of being attacked over his religion.

'I wanted to pray in the open, but I was kind of scared with everything going on in the media,' he told student newspaper, The Lantern. 'I'm a Muslim, it's not what the media portrays me to be. If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think.'

Alan Harujko, 28, (pictured) is the officer that shot Artan dead

Authorities are yet to reveal a definitive motive for Mondays violence or make any further arrests.

Artan worked at Home Depot and was said to have worshiped at the Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center, though staff there could not confirm whether or not he was part of the 2,000-strong congregation.

The center runs 'Meet a Muslim' events aimed at integrating Muslims into the wider community and holds seminars warning about the dangers of radicalization.

'I know all of our youth but I could not place him,' executive director Horsed Noor told DailyMail.com.
More than 100 hardened Polish prisoners avoided being sent home because of an astonishing blunder by officials at the Ministry of Justice.

Ministers were told the dangerous inmates  thought to include killers, rapists, violent thugs and burglars  were exempt from being deported from UK jails under an EU transfer deal.

But they were advised wrongly and at least 130 convicts from Poland should have been made to serve their sentences in their own country. The failure landed the British taxpayer a bill of around 5.2million a year. It costs roughly 40,000 a year to keep a prisoner behind bars  so the total over four years could be almost 21million.

Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, revealed the error

Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, revealed the error  made under Labour in 2008  while giving evidence to MPs yesterday.

Mr Spurr and Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah had been facing questions over why there were almost 10,000 foreign offenders in UK jails.

Critics said the blunder was another example of how the much-heralded prisoner transfer agreement with Brussels  introduced in December 2011  was broken.

Bob Neill, Tory chairman of the Commons Justice Select Committee, said: This is a pretty serious and embarrassing error. It raises huge concern about the quality of advice ministers were getting from officials at the Ministry of Justice.

Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah has been facing questions over why there were 10,000 foreign offenders in UK jails

This undermines the publics faith in the system.

Keith Vaz, a Labour member of the committee, said what had happened was extraordinary and added: It would be helpful to know how this happened and who is ultimately responsible. Under the prisoner transfer agreement, Britain is supposed to be able to deport European nationals jailed by the UK courts.

The idea is that they will serve their sentences back home, saving the UK taxpayer the bill. But the system has only this year been ratified by all 28 EU countries.

When the framework was agreed in 2008, Poland managed to negotiate an exemption while it brought the state of its jails up to scratch.

MoJ officials thought this applied to all Polish prisoners here but, crucially, it did not apply to those who usually resided in the UK and who had been jailed for more than four years  meaning 130 of the worst offenders avoided deportation.

Mr Spurr said: We have been working with them [Poland] because we have discovered we could have transferred more prisoners back earlier.

Since they became aware of the problem officials have set about clearing the backlog and deporting new prisoners who are eligible. The exemption for Poland ends on December 31.
Young professionals are being targeted in a rising tide of attacks by online sextortion blackmail gangs, police warned last night.

Overseas criminals are using honey traps to entice affluent businessmen and promising young male students to commit compromising acts on webcams.

The gangs are then making millions in ransom payments by threatening to share the footage with family, friends and colleagues.

The National Crime Agency said the gangs use bogus accounts (pictured) to target individuals through Facebook, dating sites and even professional networking site LinkedIn

In a sign of the dreadful toll that the crime can take, four men  all aged between 18 and 24  are known to have killed themselves as they faced extortion.

Yesterday, investigators went public with the shocking scale of the criminal activity for the first time in an attempt to stem the tide of victims. Some 864 offences have already been recorded this year, more than double the number reported in 2015.

Five years ago, only a handful took place. Experts suspect thousands more have fallen prey to the gangs without contacting the authorities about their plight.

The sting involves women (pictured) encouraging British men to carry out sex acts on webcams. This is then recorded and the men are blackmailed

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) warned that Britain is being targeted by gangs in Morocco, the Philippines and the Ivory Coast.

They have discovered criminals running factory-style centres, with honey trap actors, blackmailers and financial centres laundering payments.

Investigators said the gangs targeted individuals through Facebook, dating sites and even professional networking site LinkedIn. In most cases they appear to single out potential victims based on their ability to pay and because they have something to lose.

Ransom demands can vary from a few hundred pounds to several thousand, with the money sent by anonymous wire transfer.

Scottish prosecutors are trying to extradite a Filipino man over the death of 17-year-old Daniel Perry in July 2013. The teenager, from Dunfermline in Fife, killed himself after being lured into a webcam chat.

Last year, schoolboy Ronan Hughes, 17, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, also committed suicide after posting pictures of himself online.

The National Crime Agency has released a special video (pictured) to warn people of the dangers of becoming entrapped by online temptresses, working on behalf of gangs

Investigators said the blackmail was a deceptively simple crime, which involved criminals using fake identities to befriend victims online.

They then engage them in online conversations via video messaging software, which quickly turn sexual.

The goal is to persuade the victim to undertake a compromising act on webcam, which is secretly recorded and then used to blackmail them.

We have seen four young men take their own lives because they saw no other way out Martin Hewitt, Scotland Yard

NCA figures showed that the highest proportion of victims are men aged between 21 and 30. The youngest person targeted was just 11.

The agency has released a YouTube film aimed at warning the most vulnerable potential victims of the danger they face.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, the national lead on adult sexual offences, said: This is a deeply worrying emerging threat.
He told The Daily Mail the improvements 'have already been addressed'

Prof Field said in 2015 failing surgeries made him ashamed to be a GP

England's chief inspector of GPs is running a practice which is itself failing patients on safety, an inspection report reveals.

The Bellevue Medical Centre in Birmingham  where Professor Steve Field is a partner - was told it requires improvement on safety standards.

Professor Field, chief inspector of general practice at the Care Quality Commission, last year said poor care in some practices made him ashamed to be a GP.

He infuriated his colleagues at the time by saying weve failed as a profession  with some calling for his resignation in the aftermath.

This evening Professor Field said he accepted improvements had been requested at his surgery, but added: I know they have already been addressed.

Overall, the practice received a good rating, but inspectors raised concerns that patients given high-risk medicines were not properly monitored.

One in four patients prescribed blood pressure and heart failure drugs had not been reviewed for at least 12 months, a CQC inspection in August found.

Professor Steve Field is the chief inspector of general practice at the Care Quality Commission

Inspectors said in their report: We found that some patients who were prescribed high risk medicines had not had their treatment reviewed as required and that improvements were needed to ensure that risks were well managed.

We reviewed a sample of anonymised patient records where particular high risk medicines had been prescribed.

They found 139 of 556 patients who were prescribed heart failure and high blood pressure medications had not been reviewed in 12 months.

They added: The provider had not told us what action they had taken to address these or whether a significant event process had been followed.

In most other areas the practice was given a good rating, and was given an outstanding grade for being responsive to peoples needs.

But Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said she was shocked at the inspection report.

He should be setting a good example for everybody else to follow, she said.

If you are going around criticising others, then you should be above criticism yourself.

Its very worrying indeed if his practice is not doing well at safety, as it a key concern for patients.

Professor Field last night stressed his surgery was subject to the same scrutiny by CQC as other GP practices.

He added: It is a privilege to continue to see patients as a GP at Bellevue in Birmingham.

It keeps me grounded about the issues of practicing as a GP in a deprived inner-city practice, feeling all of the pressures that GPs are under across the country.

I accept that improvements have been requested and I know they already been addressed.

The Bellevue Medical Centre in Birmingham  where Professor Steve Field is a partner - was told it requires improvement on safety standards

I am pleased that the practice has been rated outstanding for the responsive domain.

In an interview with the Daily Mail last December, Professor Field said: I personally believe that weve failed as a profession.

Sometimes we go into a surgery and its so bad we go to court the following day to close it down.

Many of the inadequate practices dont have the patient at the centre of everything theyre doing.

As a practising GP Im quite ashamed that some of my colleagues are providing such poor care.

The British Medical Associations GP committee called for his resignation in the wake of the interview.
EU citizens in post-Brexit Britain will be banned from accessing benefits for five years, under plans published today.

The blueprint  being considered by ministers  would mean migrants from the European Union would have to wait as long as non-EU nationals before being able to receive housing and income benefits.

The plans would also allow a small number of low-skilled EU workers into the UK after Brexit as the economy is weaned off cheap labour.

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Theresa May (centre) and her key advisers on Brexit, including David Davis (far left) and Boris Johnson (second left) are still drawing up a post-Brexit blueprint

The key worker scheme could apply in care homes and other sectors heavily reliant on foreign labour.

The numbers would be tapered off in order to give employers time to train more British workers.

The policy, from think-tank MigrationWatch UK, is similar to the final package ministers are expected to draw up.

It states: There is no reason for government to subsidise cheap labour from abroad.

EUROCRATS: YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT Brussels last night warned Britain will not be allowed to have its cake and eat it in Brexit negotiations. The phrase had been seen on a memo photographed in Downing Street, suggesting it was the Governments strategy  but embarrassed ministers yesterday insisted the plan was not official policy. Brexit Secretary David Davis refused to deny claims the memo had been written during a meeting between him and the Tory Partys vice chairman Mark Field on Monday. But Luxembourgs prime minister Xavier Bettel warned there would be no cherry-picking. They want to have their cake, eat it, and get a smile from the baker, but not the other things, he said. Mr Bettel said the UK would be not allowed to keep EU links on an interim basis if negotiations are not completed within the formal two-year exit process. He said: There is no in-between status. Meanwhile, the EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier yesterday held a meeting with representatives from the 27 other EU member states to draw up their game plan for negotiations. Advertisement

As the Daily Mail revealed earlier this year, the Government is seeking to introduce a work-permit scheme for EU citizens looking to come to Britain.

Low-skilled workers would normally be turned away, reducing the net inflow from the EU by 100,000 a year.

Such a scheme would also help countries in Eastern Europe  the main source of the UKs low-paid labour  as they are currently losing younger workers to Britain.

Skilled EU workers would need a work permit similar to that now required by non-EU citizens.

This requires a job offer, qualifications close to degree level, and a minimum salary of more than 20,000 a year.

There would be no restrictions on the number of students able to arrive from the EU to attend recognised British universities.

Ministers are also understood to have decided there will be no limits or visa requirements for tourists from within the EU or those moving here to marry.

The concessions will make it easier for Britain to strike a deal with Brussels as EU nationals would still have preferential status compared to those from the rest of the world.

In a speech to anti-EU think-tank the Bruges Group last night, MigrationWatch UK chairman Lord Green of Deddington said: As for the immigration chapter of the Brexit negotiations, I submit that the situation had become untenable.

With 100million people in Eastern Europe at a standard of living of a third or a quarter of our own, a continuing substantial inflow was a racing certainty.

In a post-Brexit Britain workers from other EU countries would not be able to come to the UK and claim benefits if they could not find work

Meanwhile, massive levels of youth unemployment in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece are likely to be a push factor for a considerable period.

Our estimate is that net migration from the EU would have continued at about 150,000 a year well into the medium term.

Lord Green added: The general public can now see very clearly that the whole scale and nature of our society is being changed, and without their consent.

All this should have been apparent to the leaders both of our own country and of the EU but it was brushed aside in a manner that has done nothing for the standing of the political class.
Families feeling the squeeze this Christmas will be able to enjoy a turkey feast more cheaply than at any time in eight years.

Despite warnings that a Brexit vote would push up food prices, new research suggests the cost of Christmas dinner has actually come down.

Research by the Good Housekeeping Institute suggests it would be possible to feed eight people for just 19.82 - 2.48 per head  by shopping around.

Families feeling the squeeze this Christmas will be able to enjoy a turkey feast more cheaply than at any time in eight years

Research by the Good Housekeeping Institute suggests it would be possible to feed eight people for just 19.82 - 2.48 per head  by shopping around

That compares to 20.24 last year and is the lowest total since the Institute began surveying the cost of turkey and all the trimmings in 2009.

In fact, the cost of a meal this year is some 10.8per cent lower than the cheapest collection of ingredients eight years ago, which added up to 22.24.

Supermarkets have been locked in a fierce price war that has brought down the cost of putting food on the table over the past two years.

The High Street giants are particularly keen to prove their value for money credentials by being able to offer a cheap Christmas turkey meal.

As a result, the total cost of the Christmas meal at four of the 10 stores involved in the survey is less than a year ago. One is exactly the same.

The 11 items included in the price comparison included a turkey, potatoes, stuffing mix, sprouts, carrots, parsnips, cranberry sauce, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, 12 mince pies and a substantial Christmas cake.

The survey found the cheapest dinner involved buying an 8 turkey from Asda and then a mix and match collection of fresh vegetables and treats from Aldi, Lidl and Iceland (file photo)

The Institute said the cheapest dinner involved buying an 8 turkey from Asda and then a mix and match collection of fresh vegetables and treats from Aldi, Lidl and Iceland.

Aldi came out cheapest in terms of a one-stop-shop for the 11 ingredients at a total of 22.03 - 2.76 a head. Lidl was next at 24.57 and Iceland third at 24.81.

Aldi is much cheaper than last year, when it came in at 31.96. Lidl has come down from 30.31 and the prices at Iceland add up to exactly the same as a year ago.

Among the mainstream stores, Tesco was the cheapest this year at 28.08, ahead of Asda at 29.68, Morrisons at 31.12, the Co-op at 31.26 and Sainsburys at 35.40.

As might be expected, Waitrose was a more expensive 40.02, which is around 7 cheaper than last year, and M&S was 49.40.

The cost of a meal this year is some 10.8per cent lower than the cheapest collection of ingredients eight years ago, which added up to 22.24 (file photo)

The retailers argue that such comparisons are unfair because they do not compare like with like, particularly when the single most expensive item is the turkey.

However, a succession of blind taste test studies by Good Housekeeping, Which? and others regularly find cheap products from budget stores beat more expensive items.

For example, Good Housekeeping recently praised Icelands Luxury Mince Piece, which cost 1.50 for a pack of six  just 25p each.

Despite the budget price they beat the rest of the high street and even the Harrods Classic Mince Pies with Brandy, which are 1.49 each, and Selfridges Selection Speciality Mince Pies, at 1.33 each.

The comparison by Good Housekeeping can only offer a guide to the cheapest deals, rather an absolute guarantee, because prices are constantly changing over the festive season.

The Institutes Consumer Director, Caroline Bloor, said: Supermarket shoppers will be relieved to see Christmas essentials are still so affordable.
A father has recalled the horrifying moment his 10-year-old son suffered a stroke.

Todd Comrie, from Benaraby in central Queensland, thought his son Griffith was either drunk or sleepwalking when he stumbled into his bedroom one morning.

'We thought he was drunk because he had a strange facial expressions on his face,' Mr Comrie told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

Concerned by his complaints of losing vision and feeling pulled to the left, Mr Comrie and his wife Sonya rushed Griffith to nearby Gladstone Hospital for answers.

It was there doctors incorrectly concluded Griffith had suffered a brain infection and would need to be monitored, but was otherwise okay.

Not long after, tragedy struck for a second time.

Griffith Comrie, 10, is pictured in a hospital bed with tests being done on him after suffering two strokes

This time Griffith was noticeably slurring his speech as he came through the front door, asking whether he could stay the night at a friends house.

Mr Comrie asked him to take a lollipop out of his mouth but knew things were bad when his words were still unclear.

'His speech was severely slurred and we just bundled him up and took him to the hospital,' Mr Comrie said.

Again Griffith was rushed to hospital, where he underwent an MRI scan that revealed he had suffered a second stroke.

The strokes were the result of an artery tear running along Griffith's spinal cord, which in turn caused a blood clot that spread to his head.

Doctors are still unsure as to what caused the artery to tear in the first place.

The road to recovery has been a long and slow one for little Griffith, who has had to learn how to walk and talk again and battle with loss of memory.

Mr Comrie estimated his son had slipped backwards two or three years in maturity.

'When he first made noises we told him he sounded like Chewbacca,' he said.

Griffith's father Todd (pictured together) recalled the horrifying moment his son walked into his room with a slurred voice after suffering his first stroke

Everyday activities such as going to the toilet had to be re-taught (with a step-by-step sign placed inside the bathroom) to the energetic kid.

Mr Comrie recalled how in the early stages of Griffith's treatment four nurses were needed to hold him down to deliver needle injections twice a day.

Now the parents are hoping to educate people about the early signs and symptoms of suffering strokes - which roughly 1 in 6 people experience during their lifetime.

The Comrie's took part in a 20 kilometre stroke awareness fun-run on Monday, which was endorsed by local MP Glenn Butcher , and raised almost $1,000.
Two fisherman have rescued four Schoolies they found floating off the coast of a island in Victoria on colourful blow-up animals.

Alex King and his friend Tristen Northmore said they were fishing off Cowes beach on Phillip Island on Tuesday when they spotted the girls floating in the ocean, reported the Herald Sun.

The group of girls had reportedly been planning a leisurely float off the beach, when they ended up further out to sea than expected.

Two fisherman have rescued four female Schoolies (pictured) they found floating off the coast of Phillip Island in Victoria on colourful blow-up animals

In a Facebook post, accompanied by a photo with the girls, Mr King said: 'Whilst squid fishing off Cowes we observed two pink flamingos, a dinosaur and a unicorn floating helplessly into the western entrance current.'

'Pulling in our lines and moving in for a closer inspection we found it to be four young ladies in need of a rescue.

'Be safe on the water. No matter the vessel you are in.'

Mr King told the Herald Sun they regularly caught bronze whalers and gummy sharks in the 30-metre deep water where they found the girls.

In a Facebook post Mr King said: 'Whilst squid fishing off Cowes (on Phillip Island) we observed two pink flamingos, a dinosaur and a unicorn (pictured) floating helplessly into the western entrance current'

'When told them how deep they got, they were a bit stressed,' he said.

'We didnt tell them until they got in the boat.

'We dont even swim here and were locals  we know what we pull out of the water.'

The fishermen tied the blow up animals to the back of the boat and gave the girls a lift back to the jetty on shore.
People across 33 cities in 10 states will participate in the ninth annual Cupids Chase 5K run, presented by Community Options, Inc., on Saturday, Feb. 11.

This year's 5K and 10K in Chattanooga will take place at Tennessee River Park. Day-of registration is at 8 a.m. and the race begins at 10 a.m. Registration fees are as follows: $25 on or before Dec. 31, $30 on or before Feb. 10, and $40 Feb. 11 until event day.

Community Options is a national nonprofit organization that provides housing and employment support to people with disabilities. Every year, Community Options holds their annual 5K to raise money to help support individuals with disabilities in their local communities. The last three years, Community Options raised over $700,000 with nearly 5,000 runners in attendance across the country last year.

Three new locations have been added for this years 5K, including Lubbock, Tx., Wheaton, Md. and Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Participants will receive an Available or Unavailable shirt to wear for the race in hopes of sparking a love connection, as well as a finisher medal, a goody bag and refreshments.

For more information or to register for the event, visit cupidschase.org. Visit Cupids Chase on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cupidschase to join.
Bryant Weasel, 12, was traveling on a PSA flight, which is owned by American Airlines, with his service dog Chug (above) when they were thrown off the plane because a flight attendant said the animal was too large

American Airlines kicked a severely disabled boy off a flight home from his first ever vacation because they said his service dog was too large.

Bryant Weasel, 12, suffers Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy which causes frequent and prolonged seizures.

His 110lb service dog Chug is trained to alert his family when he suffers a seizure and comfort him until they pass.

Chug was given to the family by a service dog charity a year ago when Bryant's previous service dog, which was smaller, died. It was the first time the family had attempted to fly with their son and his service animal.

The pair were on their way home from Bryant's first ever vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when they were kicked off their connection flight form Charlotte, North Carolina alongside Bryant's parents and older sister on Thanksgiving day.

A flight attendant from PSA Airlines, a regional airline owned by American which was operating their flight, argued the animal was too large to travel and even questioned if he was a legitimate service dog, the boy's mother Amy told DailyMail.com.

American Airlines has since apologized for the incident and offered the family discounted flights.

Bryant's parents decided to take the vacation to allow their son to see the beach for the first time.

They chose the week before Thanksgiving to travel because summer temperatures are too hot for Bryant who cannot sweat and therefore becomes overheated in strong sun.

It was his first time on a commercial flight, having only ever gone in the air before in air ambulances.

Chug weighs 110lbs. It was the first time the family, who got him a year ago, attempted to fly with him on a commercial flight

'This was the first time we have ever flown with Bryant. We decided we couldn't keep him in a bubble and we wanted to give him the opportunity to see the beach,' Mrs Weasel, said.

The 40-year-old, who is a trained nurse, contacted American Airlines before the trip to let them know they would be traveling with Chug, who is a golden retriever and black poodle mix.

Despite requirements stating animals must fit on passengers' laps or under their seats, they were told Chug would be able to travel with them and were given bulkhead seats where the dog would have enough room to sit at the boy's feet.

The airlines' website says animals are not allowed in the exit row.

'We flew down on November 20 from Evansville, Indiana, to Charlotte then on to Myrtle Beach without any problems,' Mrs Weasel, 40, continued.

On November 24, the family flew from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte again without hassle. They were allowed to board their last flight and take their seats before the flight attendant approached them.

She suggested they switch rows to one where there was less leg room and demanded Chug squeeze in under Bryant's seat. When he couldn't, she accused him of failing to follow her 'under' command - a requirement of all service dogs - and threw the family off the plane.

'We tried to get him to go under but he couldn't fit,' added Mrs Weasel.

Bryant and his family were on their way home from a pre-Thanksgiving vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Bryant's parents wanted him to experience the beach for the first time. They chose to travel before Thanksgiving when temperatures are lower than in summer because Bryant's condition means he cannot sweat and causes him to overheat in the sun. He is seen above during the break with older sister Chantele

Chug is trained to sense when Bryant is about to have a seizure and try to stop it by calming the child. If he is unable to, he alerts Bryant's parents then lies next to the boy to comfort him until the seizure passes

The family was forced to get off the plane at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (above)

'I told the attendant: "He's 110lbs, I don't think he'll be able to get under there and she said "well, exactly. That's why you're not flying on this plane".

'She then said: "Is he really a service dog, if he was then he would know the command 'under' and be trained to go under the seat."'

WHAT IS DRAVET SYNDROME? Dravet syndrome is a rare form of epilepsy that causes frequent and prolonged seizures. It is also referred to as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy. Other symptoms include behavioral and developmental delays, trouble sleeping, chronic infections and disruptions of the autonomic nervous system. It starts early in life, with most patients receiving diagnosis before they are one. Advertisement

The family was placed on another American Airlines flight to St Louis, Missouri, later that night. After landing there they rented a car to drive the remaining three hours home, having long missed the Thanksgiving dinner they had planned to attend with relatives.

Mrs Weasel complained to the airline and was issued an apology for the way they were treated. She said she would be reluctant to travel with them again after the ordeal which left Bryant 'worn out'.

'I don't know he completely understood what was going on and he's very routine oriented and we'd already been already on number of flights

'He'd already had a seizure that morning, he was pretty worn out,' she said.

An American Airlines spokesman said in a statement: 'We are aware of the incident, and we apologize to the Weasel family.
Labour MPs could still try to block Brexit in the Commons, a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn has suggested.

The partys education spokesman Tulip Siddiq has been secretly recorded admitting Labour still hasnt made a decision on whether to block Article 50, which begins the process of leaving the EU.

She said she was minded to vote against it  and revealed the issue was being widely discussed by her fellow MPs.

Tory MP Dominic Raab (pictured, left) said Labour 'say one thing in public, and then the complete opposite at meetings'. Sir Keir Starmer (right) was appointed by Jeremy Corbyn to lead Labour's position on Brexit

Sir Keir Starmer, the partys shadow Brexit secretary, was recorded at the same event saying Labour should keep its options open on a second EU referendum.

Remain campaigners such as Tony Blair have proposed a second referendum as a way of trying to stop Brexit.

Last night the comments  which were revealed in a secret recording passed to the Daily Mail  sparked fury.

Labours official position is that it will not block Article 50 if it comes to the House of Commons.

Tory MP Dominic Raab, a member of the Exiting the European Union select committee, told the Mail: Labour are shockingly out of touch with the British people  but in plotting to overturn the result of the EU referendum, they have reached a new low.

'They say one thing in public, and then the complete opposite at meetings of the Hampstead Labour Party.

Only the Conservatives can be trusted to make a success of Brexit and deliver the right deal for Britain.

The comments were recorded at a debate hosted by the Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party on Sunday.

Labour MPs launched a coup to unseat Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) in June after he was accused of failing to deliver Labour voters to the Remain camp in the referendum

Ms Siddiq said: Theres two options. One is we vote against Article 50 and the Labour Party I should say hasnt actually made a decision on whats going to happen.

This is whats floating around the tearooms every night. Some of us will vote against Article 50, but not everyone, then it will still get through. The second option is that a lot of us vote against it, it doesnt go through, the next step will be a General Election. Ill be honest and say I have been minded to vote against it.

Sir Keir, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: If youre going to have a second referendum, youve got to identify when youre going to do it. I am clear that as a party we should keep our options open here because this is a process that is going to take us well, I think, into 2020.
A car with stolen number plates has crashed into a preschool before the driver and a passenger fled the scene, police allege.

The red Ford crashed all the way through the preschool on Plumpton Road in Diggers Rest, outer northwest Melbourne, about 12.45 in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

'The vehicle was completely embedded inside the building and extensive damage was caused,' Victoria police said in a statement.

A red Ford with stolen number plates crashed into a preschool at Diggers Rest in the early hours of the morning, police allege

Two unknown alleged offenders fled the scene.

Police are investigating.

The preschool declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

A mother wrote on Twitter her son was 'devastated' he was unable to attend the preschool on Wednesday.
A new report into the Queensland prison system has revealed that in the last 12 years more than 320 prisoners were not released on time, with one freed 963 days too early.

The prisoner who was released 963 days too soon, ended up returning 35 days later after police executed a warrant and returned the prisoner to custody, the Queensland Audit Office report stated.

In the report it was also revealed that 238 prisoners were unlawfully detained and 91 were discharged in error - a total of 329 prisoners not released on time.

A new report into the Queensland prison system has revealed that in the last 12 years more than 320 prisoners were not released on time from their state facilities (stock image)

The average number of days when prisoners were kept in jail too long was 15, and this ranged from one day to 313 days.

In comparison on average prisoners were released too early 51 days sooner than they should have been, and this ranged from one day to 963 days.

More worryingly the report also confirmed that the rate of errors is increasing, and that there may be others not detected by the system.

However Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan defended the system, although he admitted that ensuring that sentences were properly served was critical to maintaining public safety.

Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan

Mr Ryan said: '99.8 per cent of prisoner sentences were served without errors over the past 12 years.

'As minister, I consider any errors to be unacceptable and I will be speaking with the QCS commissioner about reducing this number even further in the future.'

The report said the amonnt of work involved was the biggest factor for the increasing errors by staff and that new staff responsible for calculating complex sentencing information were provided with only limited training.

'Queensland Corrective Services provides initial training to staff by having them read the training manual,' the report reads. 'There is no ongoing training program in place for sentence management staff.'
Social media firms should step in to stop the countrys child sexting epidemic by blocking under-18s from sending explicit messages, Jeremy Hunt has said.

The Health Secretary called for a crackdown on cyberbullying and sexting, which have a detrimental effect on childrens mental health.

He is the latest senior MP to pile pressure on mobile phone companies and social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook, saying they should allow parents to put blocks on their childs account.

The Health Secretary called for a crackdown on cyberbullying and sexting, which have a detrimental effect on childrens mental health

Speaking to the Commons health select committee, Mr Hunt said: I think social media companies need to step up to the plate and show us how they can be the solution to the issue of mental ill health amongst teenagers, and not the cause of the problem.

Social media companies could put options in their software that could reduce the risks associated with social media, and I do think that is something which they should actively pursue in a way that hasnt happened to date. Jeremy Hunt

There is a lot of evidence that the technology industry, if they put their mind to it, can do really smart things. For example, I just ask myself the simple question as to why it is that you cant prevent the texting of sexually explicit images by people under the age of 18, if thats a lock that parents choose to put on a mobile phone contract.

Because there is technology that can identify sexually explicit pictures and prevent them being transmitted. Social media companies could put options in their software that could reduce the risks associated with social media, and I do think that is something which they should actively pursue in a way that hasnt happened to date.

The National Union of Teachers and childrens charity ChildLine have also issued warnings about a rise in sexual bullying and sexting on smartphones. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers said it had found girls as young as 13 being coerced into filming themselves during sexual activity.

Last week it was revealed that under-18s will no longer face prosecution if they are caught sending naked photos as long as they are consensual

Last week it was revealed that under-18s will no longer face prosecution if they are caught sending naked photos as long as they are consensual. Guidelines from the College of Policing said police forces should adopt a common sense approach when told that youngsters are exchanging explicit images. Rules are being relaxed following concerns that the current system is too draconian and risks the life-changing criminalisation of millions of teenagers for innocent and consensual behaviour.

Under the previous system, any child aged under 18 caught sexting could be hauled to court and labelled a sex offender, harming their chances of landing a job because potential employers might learn of the incident if they conducted a criminal record check.

Last year a 14-year-old boy was added to a police intelligence database after he sent a naked picture of himself to a female friend.

Research by the NSPCC has found that 3 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds have taken naked pictures of themselves, and a smaller proportion shared the image with others. Current legislation requires that all cases receive a police response.

In future, officers must still record each case as an offence but will not have to respond with a full criminal investigation.
Russian officials were forced to wait for 27 minutes on a de-confliction hotline before they could warn the RAF they were bombing Syrian regime forces and not Islamic State.

An investigation into airstrikes which killed at least 62 regime soldiers in Deir el-Zor, eastern Syria, found there was a critical delay as Moscow tried to stop the attack.

President Assads troops looked and acted like the barbaric militants and were not wearing recognisable military uniforms, it was said.

A staggering 34 precision-guided weapons were dropped and 380 rounds of ammunition were fired by aircraft including F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets (Stock Picture)

The probe concluded coalition forces, including US jets and a British drone, acted under a good faith belief that the strikes were targeting jihadists, as it blamed human error for the deaths.

It said Coalition forces ceased the strikes immediately upon hearing through the US-Russia safety de-confliction hotline that Syrian regime forces were being hit.

However there was a critical delay of 27 minutes while Russia officials waited for a familiar US counterpart to come on the line before pasisng on that information.

In a pointed statement last night, the Ministry of Defence said the attack was not intentional and the UK worked hard to prevent any unnecessary loss of life - unlike the regime and Russia.

The attack, which happened in September, sparked furore from the Kremlin as multiple strikes wiped out dozens of Assads forces and injured over 100.

A staggering 34 precision-guided weapons were dropped and 380 rounds of ammunition were fired by F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, F-16s, A-10 Thunderbolt jet and a UK Reaper drone.

The outcome of a three-month investigation  in which 70 people were interviewed and 250 pages of testimony gathered - was published yesterday

The outcome of a three-month investigation  in which 70 people were interviewed and 250 pages of testimony gathered - was published yesterday (Tuesday).

It said: The investigation found coalition forces ceased the strikes immediately upon hearing through a US-Russia safety de-confliction hotline that regime forces were being struck.

However, there was a critical delay of 27 minutes while Russian officials waited for a familiar US counterpart to come on the line before passing that information.

According to officials, the US-coalition had called the Russians to warn them they would be conducting airstrikes in the region, but had given co-ordinates a few miles out.

It was said the Russians then called back to alert them to the fact they were targeting regime troops but refused to speak to the colonel commanding the operation.

President Assads troops looked and acted like the barbaric militants and were not wearing recognisable military uniforms, it was said

Instead they wanted to speak to a specific person who they were used to dealing with and therefore had to wait 27 minutes, it was said.

The MoD said in response: Coalition airstrikes are solely aimed at defeating Daesh. We would not and did not intentionally strike known Syrian Regime military units.

It said the UK could not completely eliminate the risk of accidental targeting, but that all airstrikes were conducted under strict targeting procedures.

It added: We work hard to do everything we can to prevent any unnecessary loss of life. This approach contrasts strongly with actions of the Assad Regime and Russia.

The investigation found targets were misidentified based on a reasonable interpretation of the information available.

The evidence showed there was not a deliberate disregard of targeting procedures or the rules of engagement, it said.

Lieutenant General Jeff Harrigian, a commander, said In this instance, we did not rise to the high standard we hold ourselves to, and we must do better than this each and every time.

Brigadier General Richard Coe, the investigation officer, said: In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job.

In many ways, these forces looked and acted like Daesh forces the coalition has been targeting for the last two years.

The decision to strike these targets was made in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement.

But we concluded based upon post-strike analysis that a number of human factors resulted in incorrect identification of forces on the ground.
Lionel Patea, 25, has spent over six months in

Accused murderer Lionel Patea has spent over six months in solitary confinement following allegations of bad behaviour behind bars.

The 25-year-old former Bandidos bikie was admitted to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane on August 18 after a confrontation with prison guards. Patea was allegedly socialising with other inmates,The Daily Telegraph reported.

It is alleged Patea was restrained and taken into an interview room where he was kicked by guards at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

Patea (left) is in custody charged with allegedly murdering his former partner Tara Brown, 24 (right)

It is alleged Patea was restrained and taken into an interview room where he was kicked by guards at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre (pictured)

Patea is in custody charged with allegedly murdering his former partner Tara Brown, 24.

He has been committed to stand trial for the murder of Ms Brown, after allegedly attacking her in September last year on a suburban Gold Coast street.

Patea's lawyer Campbell MacCallum said his client had spent time in solitary confinement.

Mr MacCallum has filed a complaint regarding the incident in August. It is alleged Patea suffered nerve damage to his back and neck during the altercation.

'Despite the horrific allegations against my client, the treatment of prisoners in a civilised society is important,' Mr MacCallum told The Daily Telegraph.

'He has spent seven or eight months of the past 12 months in the detention unit.'

Patea's Supreme Court murder trial is expected to start in February next year.

Patea has been committed to stand trial for the murder of Ms Brown (pictured), after allegedly attacking her in September last year on a suburban Gold Coast street
President Barack Obama is putting his foot down and saying once and for all that First Lady Michelle Obama will not be running for president in 2020.

In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Tuesday, the outgoing president told reporter Jann S Wenner that Mrs Obama is too practical to get into politics.

'Michelle will never run for office,' Obama said.

'She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people.

'But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics,' he said.

Michelle Obama will not be running for president in 2020, according to her husband (Michelle pictured at DNC in July)

Both Michelle and Barack Obama have said repeatedly that the First Lady will not run for president

This isn't the first time Obama has warned that Michelle 2020 is simply a fantasy.

In January, Obama told a crowd in Baton Rouge that his wife was not going to be a candidate in the upcoming 2016 presidential election.

'No, no, no. Let me tell you, there are three things that are certain in life: death, taxes and Michelle is not running for president. That I can tell you,' Obama said.

But in July, when Michelle Obama made an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention espousing her now-famous quote - 'when they go low, we go high' - masses began begging for a 2020 presidential bid from FLOTUS.

Still, in the last month, several Super PACs have thrown their support behind Michelle Obama.

The outgoing president told reporter Jann S Wenner that Mrs Obama is too practical to get into politics in an interview with Rolling Stone (pictured)

Super PAC, Ready For Michelle, which could raise unlimited sums from donors, filed its paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on October 31 - before Donald Trump was even elected president - The Hill reported.

'America needs a loving healer like Michelle in order to bring together factions of our divided nation to produce policy results,' the PAC's website says.

Two other PACs have filed paperwork with the FEC and are called Ready for Michelle 2020 and Friends of Michelle 2020

Ready For Michelle, Ready for Michelle 2020 and Friends of Michelle 2020 do not appear to be in conjunction with one another, The Hill reported.

In March, Michelle herself also broke the news to heartbroken supporters that she would not be running for president.
Results were so remarkable his mum said he was 'like a different person'

His family felt so desperate they flew to France to undergo skin treatment

Cohen Parker suffered so badly he couldn't get out of bed on his birthday

Cohen Parker has lived with crippling flesh-eating eczema his entire life, but has now found salvation in spring water harvested from the south of France.

The eight-year-old boy was just six weeks old when he had his first full body rash and has battled with the devastating effects of eczema ever since.

On his eighth birthday in August this year, Cohen's mother Carlee Parker said his eczema was so bad he could not get out of bed to open his presents.

Cohen (pictured) being treated in hospital during one of the worst of his eczema flares

'He literally couldn't walk, we had to carry him out in bed sheets. There was so much blood and skin off him,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'For us to get to that point, we just felt lost and like we were failing him. We were desperate.'

Desperate for change, Cohen's family reached out for help from her community on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Since reaching out in August, support for the young family flooded in.

Carlee Parker (left) flew with Cohen (right) to France to undergo intense skin treatment

Cohen's treatment was 'intense and emotional', but the results were nothing less than remarkable at the end of the three week period

'I have some amazing people in my life with the fullest of hearts and endless support for not only Cohen but for our entire family. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to change Cohen's life in a way we never thought was possible,' Carlee wrote on her Facebook profile

The Parker family raised enough money to take Cohen to $30,000 skin clinic in France - the Avene Center - where they harvest spring water from mountains in the South of France.

'The water itself is what's unique. It's perfect match mineral content and compatible PH to help relieve skin,' Carlee said.

Patients bath in the water, which is sprayed out through hundreds of fine jets in an attempt to break the itch-scratch infection cycle.

Tentatively, Carlee flew with Cohen to France to undergo three weeks of 'intense and emotional' treatment.

The results were nothing short of remarkable, Carlee told Daily Mail Australia.

Carlee took before (right) and after (left) photos of Cohen's skin and after just eight days his skin breakage was almost invisible

Carlee took before and after photos of Cohen's skin and after just eight days his skin breakage was almost invisible.

'My husband couldn't believe it,' she said.

'He asked me if I had filtered the second photo to remove blemishes, I could hardly believe it either,' she said.

'It's so hard to explain but honestly, he's like a different person.

'Everything is far more amazing than we ever thought.'

She said the treatment involved hydro therapy baths - spa baths filled with the Avene water which helped to ease the itch and seal broken skin back together

Carlee said Cohen's skin fell from being at the most severe end of the dermatology scale, an eight out of 10, down to a two out of 10 after just three weeks

Carlee said Cohen's skin fell from being at the most severe end of the dermatology scale, an eight out of 10, down to a two out of 10 after just three weeks.

She said the treatment involved hydrotherapy baths - spa baths filled with the Avene water which helped to ease the itch and seal broken skin back together.

The young mother-of-two said Cohen's skin wasn't the only thing to benefit from the treatment  he had a new lease on life too.

'It's as if he's had a complete personality transplant almost,' she said.

'He literally ran through the doors at Brisbane airport. I can't even describe it without being a blubbering mess.'

'He's playing with his sister for the first time.'

Cohen (right) with his sister Sofia (left) and father Andrew (centre) - Carlee said Cohen was now playing with his sister for the first time

After so many failed attempts to help their son on his journey to better health, Carlee said she was 'speechless'.

'You get your hopes up so often only to have them dashed so often. So this time for him to have a month of relief and see it continuing now, I'm speechless,' she said.

Since returning to her home on the Gold Coast in November, Carlee said Cohen's condition was again worsening, but was still much better than before the treatment.

'There are a few more marks, but we're okay with that,' she said.

While the treatment worked miracles for Cohen, Carlee said their road to health didn't end there.

Since returning to her home on the Gold Coast in November, Carlee said Cohen's (pictured) condition was again worsening, but was still much better than before the treatment

Carlee said her husband Andrew would travel back to France to undergo the treatment again next year, and again in 2018.

And while it was a huge responsibility for the family, she said it was all worth it to see the change in her young son.

'He's coming home from school smiling for no reason and dancing around the house, she said.
A young woman was caught on camera dumping a newborn baby under a car and walking off without looking back.

The disturbing incident was captured on CCTV around 10pm in the city of Batman in south-east Turkey.

The woman, believed to be the girl's mother, can be seen holding the two-day-old tot in her arms, wrapped in a blanket, while waiting for passers-by to walk away.

The woman, believed to be the girl's mother, can be seen holding the two-day-old tot in her arms, wrapped in a blanket, while waiting for passers-by to walk away

As soon as the coast is clear, she bends down to place the little girl under a parked car and then stands up and walks off

As soon as the coast is clear, she bends down to place the little girl under a parked car and then walks off.

Luckily, the child's cries were heard by local man Ahmet Tas, who phoned the police.

Paramedics gave the baby sweetened water before taking her for a check-up at the Batman Children's Hospital where she was pronounced fit and well.

The little girl was filmed in the back of the ambulance by a witness with a smartphone.

The footage shows that the baby was dressed in a pink sleep suit, featuring an embroidered cartoon duck, with matching hat and mittens.

Paramedics gave the baby sweetened water before taking her for a check-up at the Batman Children's Hospital where she was pronounced fit and well

Footage shows that the baby was dressed in a pink sleep suit, featuring an embroidered cartoon duck, with matching hat and mittens

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, in the Carsi quarter of Batman, and officers are studying the video to try to identify the woman.

Batman lies close to the Bati Raman oil field, the largest oil field in Turkey.
Lisa Wilkes Fran Petree Gary Wilkes and Moravian Love Feast attendees Previous Next

Now in its 38th year, First Christian Church, 650 McCallie Ave., will be offering its annual Moravian Love Feast on Sunday as a Christmas gift to the community. "Everyone is welcome to attend this special event," officials said. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a performance by the University of Tennessee Knoxville Trombone Choir. The Moravian Love Feast begins at 6 p.m.

"The Love Feast is held much like early Christians met as members of the Moravian Church and broke bread together as a token of their fellowship and love. The very first Love Feast occurred in Bertheisdorf, Germany in 1727. It is a symbol of Christians sharing with one another and is not a substitute for the Holy Communion. The Love Feast strengthens the spirit of unity and good will among people and strives to remove, at least for an hour, all social barriers and distinctions," officials said.

Love Feast buns are made from a traditional recipe that includes citron and orange peel for flavoring. It is served with decaffeinated coffee pre-mixed with sugar and cream.



"The lighted candle used toward the end of the service represents the sacrifice of Christ for humanity and the flame of love, which He came to kindle in our hearts. Finally, the Moravian star serves as a symbol of the birth of Jesus and is representative of the star of Bethlehem. The Moravian star is hung for the first Sunday of Advent at First Christian Church," officials said. "All are welcome at First Christian Church, a church of service, working for wholeness in a broken world."

Visit http://firstchristian-chat.com for more information, or call 423-267-4506.
Air conditioning company Carrier Corp. said it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are planning to travel to the state on Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

The President-elect spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas to countries like Mexico.

His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are planning to travel to Indian on Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside Carrier Corp officials

The details of the agreement are unclear.

Carrier tweeted on Tuesday that the company was 'pleased to have reached a deal' with Trump and Pence to keep the jobs in Indianapolis.

A transition official confirmed that the president-elect and Pence, who is ending his tenure as Indiana governor, would appear with Carrier officials Thursday.

The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the trip ahead of an official announcement.

Trump said last week that he was 'making progress' on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana.

He tweeted on Thanksgiving: 'I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana). MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon!'

Air conditioning company Carrier Corp. (pictured) said on Tuesday it had reached a deal with Trump and Pence to keep jobs in Indianapolis

Carrier tweeted on Tuesday that the company was 'pleased to have reached a deal' with Trump and Pence to keep the jobs in Indianapolis

In February, Carrier said it would shutter its Indianapolis plant employing 1,400 workers and move its manufacturing to Mexico. The plant's workers would have been laid off over three years starting in 2017.

United Technologies Electronic Controls also announced then that it planned to move its Huntington manufacturing operations to a new plant in Mexico, costing the northeastern Indiana city 700 jobs by 2018. Those workers make microprocessor-based controls for the HVAC and refrigeration industries.

Carrier and UTEC are both units of Hartford, Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp.

In a September debate against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump railed against Carrier's plans.

'So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this,' Trump said. 'We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States.'

Trump said last week that he was 'making progress' on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana

Trump later praised the decision to keep the jobs in the United States on his Twitter feed

Trump - eating dinner with Mitt Romney (right) and Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (left) on Tuesday - pledged to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas

In February, Carrier said it would shutter its Indianapolis plant employing 1,400 workers and move its manufacturing to Mexico

Carrier wasn't the only company Trump assailed during the campaign.

He pledged to give up Oreos after Nabisco's parent, Mondelez International, said it would replace nine production lines in Chicago with four in Mexico.

He criticized Ford after the company said it planned to invest $2.5 billion in engine and transmission plants in Mexico.

Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999, which represents Carrier workers, said of Tuesday's news: 'I'm optimistic, but I don't know what the situation is. I guess it's a good sign... You would think they would keep us in the loop. But we know nothing.'

The event Thursday in Indiana will be a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisers and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries.
Teenaged trainee nurses will go straight into hospitals to help care for patients under a new apprenticeship scheme.

In a significant policy shift, some 1,000 a year will combine on-the-job training and a degree, Jeremy Hunt will announce today.

Officials expect 18-year-olds fresh out of school to apply for the scheme  which will involve a series of placements in hospital departments  along with healthcare assistants seeking to reach their potential.

Teenage trainee nurses will go straight into hospitals to help care for patients under a new apprenticeship scheme (file photo)

The plan represents a move away from the intellectualisation of nursing and back towards the era when they trained on wards.

It marks a major departure from the current system, introduced five years ago, which requires applicants to complete a full degree qualification before they can practise nursing.

Although the trainees will still spend much of their time at university  and must earn a degree to fully qualify  there will be a new emphasis on work with patients.

This is likely to appease critics of the current system, who believe nursing should be about compassion and practical skills rather than academic achievement.

The system will also serve to quickly provide more staff for hospitals, at a time when thousands of foreign nurses are being recruited to fill rotas.

However, experts warned that ministers must ensure that apprentices training was rigorous enough to ensure patients would not suffer.

Officials expect 18-year-olds fresh out of school to apply for the scheme  which will involve a series of placements in hospital departments (file photo)

The first trainees will start the five-year salaried course in September, funded by NHS trusts. The scheme is designed to encourage applicants put off by the costs of a university degree, as they can now earn money while they train.

The Health Secretary will tell the NHS Providers conference in Birmingham: Nurses are the lifeblood of our NHS, but the routes to a nursing degree currently shut out some of the most caring, compassionate staff in our country.

'Not everyone wants to take time off to study full-time at university so, by creating hundreds of new apprentice nurses, we can help healthcare assistants and others reach their potential as a fully-trained nurse.

However, critics warned that Mr Hunt may create a two-tier system. At present, around 20,000 nursing undergraduates start courses each year  meaning the majority will continue to study for years before they start caring for patients.

Many nursing bodies had questioned whether three-year degrees were required to teach compassion and a good bedside manner. Unions said there was no evidence degrees would improve patient treatment, and warned that grade requirements for applicants would rule out thousands of potential nurses.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the routes to a nursing degree currently shut out some of the most caring, compassionate staff in our country

Criticism intensified last year when the Government scrapped bursaries for student nurses worth up to 20,000, replacing them with loans.

Janet Davies, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, welcomed the new apprenticeships. With almost 24,000 nursing vacancies across the UK, it is very positive that the Government recognises the need to increase the number of nurses, she said.

We know this will improve the quality of patient experience and outcomes as well as relieving pressure on our over-worked staff.

However, she added: We need to be careful that [apprentices] clinical experience is in a learning environment, and they have access to graduate-level education to gain the knowledge and skills required for 21st-century healthcare, which are proved to have a direct effect on patient mortality.

She continued: We must be careful we do not create a two-tier system which reduces equality of opportunity. We need to attract people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds into the profession.

Professor Jane Cummings, Englands Chief Nursing Officer, said: Many staff across our health and care system want to progress in their careers, but the traditional full-time university route doesnt work for everyone.

'The nursing degree apprenticeship offers a new, exciting route into nursing that is open to more people whether they are working within the NHS already or would like to pursue a career in nursing.

Salaries will be set by individual trusts. Gail Adams, head of nursing at the Unison union, said these must be sufficient if the scheme is to work. Nursing degree apprentices need to be properly paid and supported or theyll be unable to balance studying for a degree with the pressures of work, she said.

Mr Hunt will also announce that nursing associates  often criticised as cheap alternatives to trained nurses  would be fully regulated for the first time.
A HIV-positive nurse has been accused of using hook-up app Grindr to have unprotected sex with men, police say.

Johnny Lachlan Benjamin Lumsden, 26, allegedly had sex with three men, aged in their 20s and 30s, without telling them he was infected, NZ herald reported.

Two men have been cleared of the virus while the third man is waiting for his test results to return. The alleged sexual interactions took place around New Zealand, including Christchurch and Canterbury.

Lumsden could be charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm if the third person is found to have contracted the virus.

Johnny Lachlan Benjamin Lumsden, 26, (pictured) has been accused of using hook-up app Grindr to have unprotected sex with men without telling them he is HIV-positive

One of the men only learned of Lumsden's HIV-positive status when he told his doctor about the sexual encounter.

The doctor was 'under an obligation' to tell the man that Lumsden was infected, detective senior sergeant Scott Anderson said.

An investigation into the allegations has been launched as police urged anyone who had contact with Lumsden to get a sexual health check.

The New Zealand man allegedly had sex with three men without telling them he was infected

The 26-year-old Christchurch man allegedly met the men on hook-up app Grindr

Detectives are contacting people who had sexual encounters with Lumsden, who was arrested earlier this month on criminal nuisance offences.

'Some didn't fall into the category of unprotected sex,' Det Sgt Anderson said.

'Some already had the HIV virus, and a number of others didn't want to engage with the police.'
Until yesterday, Id no idea Poles form the single largest group of foreign-born immigrants in Britain: more than 800,000.

Perhaps thats why the visiting Polish prime minister Beata Szydlo suggested her language should be taught in British schools.

In Poland, all children do rigorous academic subjects until the age of 17 and learn to recite poetry by heart, including Shakespeare.

So my first thought was: perhaps its not so much the language we should be importing as the entire Polish education system.

But then I realised shes completely wrong  teaching Polish in British schools would be a terrible mistake because immigrant children thrive so much more if they are obliged to learn the language of their adoptive country. I should know, I used to be one.

When my parents upped sticks to Italy in the Seventies, I was five and they enrolled me in the local state school. I spoke not a world of Italian  not that anyone cared.

Teaching Polish in British schools would be a terrible mistake because immigrant children thrive so much more if they are obliged to learn the language of their adoptive country, says Sarah Vine (stock image)

The Italian approach to migrants is like ours: you are welcome, but do not expect special treatment. Do it our way  or go home.

For weeks, I sat gloomily at the back of the class, struggling to comprehend the babbling coming out of the teachers mouths.

Gradually, I began to recognise certain words. Then phrases, then whole sentences. Within six months, I was practically fluent.

Having to learn the tongue of my adoptive country helped me become part of the community. And it helped my parents, too. Because of me, they werent isolated foreigners, trapped in their own cultural ghetto; they could communicate.

This is the one thing thats always puzzled me about Britains approach to immigration. We seem to do everything we can to prevent newcomers from embracing their new lives and instead positively encourage them to stay in their own little bubbles.

We take the path of least resistance, throwing around taxpayers money and half-baked excuses about multiculturalism instead of encouraging people to embrace the country they have, presumably, come all this way to enjoy and belong to.

Two examples spring to mind. The first occurred when I was pregnant with my daughter, having to wait hours for an antenatal appointment because the woman in front of me  from Somalia  spoke very little English and her translator, provided by the NHS, had called in sick. Instead of proceeding with the appointment and muddling through the language barrier, we had to wait for a replacement translator. The second was after I broke my arm and returned to hospital for physiotherapy. An Arab lady had the same injury and needed help, too.

Sarah says the Italian approach is you are welcome, but do not expect special treatment. Do it our way  or go home (stock picture)

Again, the basics were easily communicable. And yet a translator had been drafted in for her, even though she seemed like a perfectly nice woman who would have been more than willing to do without.

Being unable to speak English is not a contagious disease. Non-English speakers do not have to be corralled into ghettos, forever at the mercy of social workers. They need to get out and learn the lingo.

The quicker that happens, the easier it will be to make friends and vaporise silly prejudices based on a simple lack of understanding.

A failure to insist upon proper integration has allowed some within minority communities to decline to learn English and cling to customs that run counter to British values and remain hidden away behind the language barrier.

Britains success in welcoming people from so many different cultures has always rested on respect for the values that make this country such an attractive prospect in the first place.

That is why we mustnt modify our English curriculum by having special language lessons for Polish families. I know the Polish prime minister wont be happy. But she should have more confidence in her countrymen and women.

In the long term, they will flourish because of all that is so impressive about the Polish character: grit, damn hard work and the iron will to succeed.

Superstar who just longs to be ordinary

Adele pictured doing her food shopping at Bristol Farms, Beverly Hills, California, last weekend

Adele with her two Grammy awards for best new artist and best female pop vocal performance in 2009

Many were surprised to see pictures of pop superstar Adele doing her own food shopping in Beverley Hills at the weekend.

But it's one of those great paradoxes of the modern world that ordinary people seem to want to be famous and the famous long to be ordinary.

Nothing encapsulates that more than a woman worth an estimated 85 million wheeling a laden trolley around the supermarket.

Grow spiky plants round your home to beat the burglars, say the police. There is another option: they could try catching them.

A power lunch - al desko

Now that al desko dining has become the norm, the problem of smelly food is an increasingly contentious issue in offices.

Personally, though, its not the smell of other peoples egg mayonnaise I resent so much as the whiff of self-importance some people bring to their office eating habits. You know the type  the ones who, around 4pm, ostentatiously ask whether anyone wants anything from the canteen because Im just popping down to get some lunch.

Translation: Im far too busy and important to eat at normal mealtimes  unlike you talentless clock watchers.

Even someone as universally adored as Kate Bush is not immune to the wrath of the self-righteous Left. After daring to say Theresa May might be a good thing, scores of former fans denounced her on social media, threatening to burn her records and cast her into the outer darkness. Still, it could be worse: she could have owned up to voting for Leave . . .

THE GREAT IVF RACKET The news that IVF clinics are selling costly add-ons  extra treatments that allegedly increase the chance of conception  which have no proven efficacy sadly doesnt shock me. IVF is a highly inexact science at the best of times. Couples spend thousands of pounds with no guarantee of success  and at a huge emotional and physical cost. Meanwhile, the clinics rake in the cash, profiting from peoples desperation. So why wouldnt they also be selling snake oil? Advertisement



Have your cake and eat it: Ive never understood that expression. What is the point of cake, if not to be eaten? So a cake that you cannot eat is pointless. Rather like a soft Brexit.

Shameful delusion

Jill Meldrum-Jones, was jailed for taking advantage of a 15-year-old boy on a school trip

It seems barely a day goes by without another tale of a female teacher involved in inappropriate behaviour with a pupil.

This week, a married mother-of-two, Jill Meldrum-Jones, was jailed for taking advantage of a 15-year-old boy on a school trip.

Looking at pictures of this 37-year-old teaching assistant, in her bikini and belly button ring, I wonder if she was suffering from some sort of delusion.

That instead of being an authority figure, she imagined herself friends with her pupils, perhaps as part of some desire to recapture her youth, and thats why she allowed herself to overstep the boundaries of the teacher/child relationship.

Is this the true explanation? Its the only one that I can bear to contemplate.

I don't know about seeing your GP over the phone  the latest wheeze to cut waiting times  but if they could just find a way of making the same idea work for dentists . . .

NATIVITY NASTIES As Louise Bury  the Worcester primary school head whose idea to charge 1 for entry to the Nativity play has invoked the fury of parents  knows to her cost, Christmas can be a fraught time for teachers. All those mums selflessly volunteering to stitch costumes in the hope of securing a lead role for their child. All those proud dads knocking everyone else out of the way in their eagerness to film their little darlings on the latest smartphone. If I were a head teacher, Id go one step further than Ms Bury: ban all parents from the audience and make them buy a DVD instead. Proceeds to the staff-room whisky fund. Advertisement

Vegans are up in arms because the new 5 notes have been found to contain small traces of animal fat.

What consideration was given to vegans and their human rights in the making of these? howled one furious meat avoider on Twitter. There is only one sensible answer to that: none whatsoever, you ridiculous person.

Political lapdog

My husband was famously ill-suited to the job of government chief whip  something he cheerfully admits. Now I see why: his choice of pet.

The current chief whip, Gavin Williamson, has a tarantula called Cronus (named after the Greek Titan god who castrated his father and ate his sons), which sits in a glass cage on his desk, terrifying the life out of erring MPs.

Michael, poor fellow, had to make do with our Bichon Frise, Snowy. About as frightening as a feather duster.
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Raul Castro led an emotional rally held in honor of his late brother in Havana on Tuesday night as Cuba continued to reel from the communist leader's death.

Tens of thousands of people packed Revolution Square armed with photographs of the dictator which they waved passionately.

Female army cadets proudly wore the words 'Viva Fidel' on their cheeks in face paint as they listened to his brother and other Central American leaders eulogize the controversial revolutionary who died on Friday aged 90.

The presidents of Venezuela, Bolivia and Mexico lined up to pay tribute to Castro whose death has sent the island nation into a state of mourning. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has faced calls to step down from his own party since Castro's death, was among them.

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Tens of thousands of people packed Revolution Square in Havana on Tuesday night for a rally to honor Fidel Castro

The mourners were led by Castro's younger brother Raul who kicked off proceedings by saluting the crowd before embracing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right)

Raul Castro led mourners in the square on Tuesday. Members of the public were invited to pay their respects before the leader's funeral in Santiago de Cuba on Sunday

Students, army cadets and older generations of residents packed in to the square for the rally on Tuesday night.

Thousands had earlier queued through the night to pay tribute to the dictator and sign an oath pledging their allegiance to the revolution.

Among those to speak at Tuesday's rally was South African President Jacob Zuma. He applauded Castro's education and healthcare system and said he would be remembered as a 'a great fighter for the idea that the poor have a right to live with dignity.'

Raul Castro, who took over his brother's presidency in 2006 amid his ailing health and who was instrumental in the US's improved relations with Cuba, kicked off the event with a salute.

It was followed by a montage of black and white footage in which Castro was seen through history.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also spoke. He declared three days of mourning to be held in his own country following news of Castro's death on Saturday.

In an earlier address, he credited Castro with paving the way for Latin American independence.

Crowds consisted largely of youngsters who gathered alongside older generations to honor the late leader

Mourners, some of whom queued overnight to enter the square to pay their respects, held signs commemorating the late leader

Others also honored his brother, Raul (above, right in sign) who has been instrumental in thawing Cuba's historically icy relationship with the US

A mourner holds a portrait of Castro proudly for the camera as he takes part in the rally in Havana on Tuesday night

Young army cadets from the Interior Ministry proudly wore their uniforms and berets, the words 'viva Fidel' drawn ontheir cheeks

Others came armed with historic photographs of the former leader to wave at the historic rally

Many of those in attendance at Tuesday's event were young. Local cadets held up the same photographs in honor of him

Crowds wait for the rally in Revolution Square to begin on Tuesday. Thousands had earlier arrived in the square to pay their respects

School students take a selfie to mark the occasion as a photograph of Castro hangs behind them

Cuba was sent into a state of mourning when news of Castro's death broke on Saturday. While the international community slammed him as an oppressive dictator, the country's residents honored his commitment to education and healthcare, both of which are free

A woman drapes a flag bearing Castro's portrait from a balcony in Revolution Square where thousands held up photographs

Schoolgirls sport 'Fidel' on their cheeks drawn in red lipstick to show their respect for the leader

A female member of the interior ministry weeps at the rally in Revolution Square while other mourners watch on

Antonio Atencio, 66, holds up photographs which he says Castro gave him

A hospital worker unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a vest bearing the Cuban flag. Right, a female member of the interior ministry, Cuba's police force, holds up a red rose in respect

Soldiers embrace as they listen to speeches delivered by world leaders in Havana

A young boy sits on the ground while a woman holds up a newspaper with his image on the front

Other Latin American leaders including Bolivia's President Evo Morales and Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto were also in attendance. All of them will attend Castro's funeral on December 4.

President Obama will not attend the event. He sent acting US ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis and deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes to Tuesday's rally.

'We believe that this was an appropriate way for the United States to show our commitment to an ongoing, future-oriented relationship with the Cuban people,' said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

Castro's death has divided world leaders as it has Cubans. While those who remain there wept in and retreated on Saturday when news of his death broke, others around the world celebrated.

President-elect Donald Trump reacted in the same celebratory way as thousands of exiled Cubans.

He described him as a 'brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades' and said he hoped his death brought the possibility of 'a free Cuba.'

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto (left) and China's Vice President Li Yuanchao (right) address the crowds

Qatar's Emir Hamad bin Jalifa Al Thani greets other world leaders on Tuesday at the event

Russian politician Vyacheslav Volodin addresses the crowd on as foreign dignitaries listen at the event on Tuesday

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa (left) speaks at the rally. Right, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offers a salute to the crowd

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (center) was also present at the event. The 92-year-old has faced calls from his own party to step down since Castro's death

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (left) and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega (right) give their addresses

US actor Danny Glover also attended the rally. He is a vocal Castro supporter and has spent years visiting Cuba

Obama was less impassioned in his response, saying the dictator's legacy would be determined by history.

'History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him,' he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked controversy with his gushing reaction to Castro's death.

' It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba's longest serving President.

'While a controversial figure, both Mr Castros supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for "el Comandante"' he said.

Hundreds in Little Havana, Miami, took to the streets in their pajamas to clang pots and pans in celebration of his death. Cuban-American celebrities said his death brought 'relief' to the exiled community who fled in the wake of his bloody takeover in 1959.

Within hours of his death on Friday night, Castro's body was cremated. An urn containing his ashes was being held in a room at the Defense Ministry, according to state media.

On Wednesday, it will retrace in reverse the route Castro took in 1959 from Santiago to Havana to greet crowds after overthrowing the government.

Castro's ashes will be buried at Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.

State workers begin clearing the sides of the road ahead of Castro's funeral procession which will begin on Wednesday
The death of Tyrone Unsworth, 13, has sparked a national outcry

Vile trolls have tormented family and friends of the gay teenager who took his own life after being bullied about his sexuality.

Brisbane high school student Tyrone Unsworth, 13, died by suicide about a week ago.

His death sparked an outpouring of support for his family from across the country.

But the tragedy didn't stop cruel trolls from creating fake Facebook profiles under Tyrone's name and continuing the bullying.

'You have no bloody right doing this,' his mother Amanda said in a social media post.

'Our son is dead and you still want to bully him grow up you pathetic little bastards'.

The identity of the person, or persons, behind the troll profiles remains unknown.

But the disgusting behaviour has sparked outrage from gay rights leaders, uproar on social media and is being monitored by the Education Department cyber-experts.

The troll - using a misspelt version of Tyrone Unsworth's name - was confronted by a concerned mother who was concerned about the trolling of Amanda Unsworth

'Im tough' (sic): The troll said he didn't 'giv a f***' when confronted about his sick behaviour

The troll used a homophobic slur to describe the boy when confronted

Another troll was told off by Tyrone's own mother - who suggested the troll 'come and take a look at my sons dead body' (sic)

Condolence messages were being trolled on Thursday - with one user with a mispelling of Tyrone's name posting laughing emoji

When a concerned Queensland mother confronted one of the trolls over Facebook, the troll said its 'issue' with Tyrone was 'he is a f**'.

The troll claimed it was 'tough' and even sent the mother a picture of what appeared a toy handgun, seemingly as proof.

Asked what his parents thought of his behaviour, the troll claimed his parents were 'laughing with him'.

A separate troll account posted laughing emoji under condolence messages on Wednesday.

One of the profiles was shut down after a social media campaign led by concerned friends and acquaintances.

'Bullying is not okay at any time, but doing this to the person who has just lost her son because of that is the most vile and disgusting act I've ever seen,' said one user.

Gay rights leader Rodney Croome told Daily Mail Australia the trolling was outrageous.

An anti-bullying campaigner has led efforts to stop the trolling

'I extend my sympathies to the family of Tyrone Unsworth and share their outrage that he is being bullied beyond the grave,' he said.

'The continued bullying highlights how deep the hatred of LGBTI people still runs in some parts of Australian society.

He said leadership from teachers, principals, parents and politicians was vital to tackling prejudice and bullying.

'Homophobic prejudice is learnt, and it can be unlearnt, beginning in the classroom.'

Ron Van Houwelingen, one of the organisers of a vigil for Tyrone, said: 'Initially my heart also went out to Tyrone's tormentors - imagining that they would have to learn to live with the fact that they drove him to the point of feeling that there was no other option than taking his own life.

'After hearing that the bullies are trolling the family, I am absolutely devastated for them, a family still clearly deep in grief.

'As a society we need to do better. We need to ensure that schools are a safe space for all children.

'We need to combat bullying, particularly for LGBTI and indigenous youth. We need (the) Safe Schools (program) and we need them everywhere.'

Amanda Unsworth (right) hit out at the trolls on social media

A curly-haired Tyrone is pictured here as a little boy - playing with a ladder and a football

Tyrone is pictured here with his mother in a happy snap from the past

The Queensland Education and Training Department spokeswoman said its cybersafety squad was 'monitoring online activity in relation to this issue'.

The Department was also 'liaising with authorities including police where necessary.'

In an interview with the Courier Mail last week, Amanda Unsworth said bullies had pushed her boy 'to the edge'.

'He was a really feminine male, he loved fashion, he loved make-up and the boys always picked on him, calling him gay-boy, f****t, fairy,' she said.

Since the tragedy was revealed, there has been a wave of support for Tyrone's family - with vigils held in Sydney and Melbourne late last week.

Top federal politicians from the Labor and Liberal parties spoke out about the tragedy and friends raised more than $20,000 for the boy's funeral.

Tyrone will be laid to rest at a service on Thursday.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14. Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
Fewer people think it is essential to live in a democracy, according to expert analysis.

Researchers for the Journal of Democracy found that fewer than 50 per cent of Americans aged between 30 and 50 thought it was a necessity.

It was in sharp contrast to older generations of which 75 per cent said voting in free and fair elections was essential.

The figures, which will be released in the journal's January issue, are 'warning signs' of society's waning interest in freedom, the researchers told The New York Times.

Fewer people believe democracy is essential, with younger generations among the least concerned in free and fair elections

There were similar declines in the UK, Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands and New Zealand.

Support for anti-establishment parties and groups is however growing alongside openness to nondemocratic forms of government.

'Remarkably, the trend toward openness to nondemocratic alternatives is especially strong among citizens who are both young and rich.

'Returning to the question of approval for military rule, in 1995 only 6 per cent of rich young Americans (those born since 1970) believed that it would be a good thing for the army to take over; today, this view is held by 35 per cent of rich young Americans,' a report published by the journal in July read.

A Freedom House graph displays how more countries are showing signs of declines in freedom

Another chart shows how the spread of free, partly free and not free countries has changed. In 2015, 44 per cent were free (green), 30 per cent were partly free and 26 per cent were not

According to Freedom House's 2016 report, US citizens had lost faith in the electoral system

Meanwhile America's rating as a free country has slipped.

Freedom House, which assesses how free the world's nations by answering a string of questions drawn from the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, said the US was less free than in previous years.

It blamed the decrease on 'flaws in the electoral system'.

'The United States received a downward trend arrow because of the cumulative impact of flaws in the electoral system, a disturbing increase in the role of private money in election campaigns and the legislative process, legislative gridlock, the failure of the Obama administration to fulfill promises of enhanced government openness, and fresh evidence of racial discrimination and other dysfunctions in the criminal justice system,' it said in its findings.

On the Freedom House scale, America received an aggregated score of 90. The best is 100.

Scandinavian countries and the small state of San Marino in northern Italy were the only nations to receive full marks.

Canada was given a score of 99 while the United Kingdom got 95.
Qantas is being sued for $220,000 over an allegedly faulty seat on a long-haul flight which a passenger claimed left him with chronic back injuries.

Barry Johnston, 43, has claimed his seat, 62K, would not stay upright and the back cushions fell to the cabin floor on his 14-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles in July last year.

Crew denied his requests to be moved to a different seat, the claim lodged to the NSW Federal Court by Shine Lawyers and supplied to Daily Mail Australia alleges.

Qantas has denied the seat was faulty.

An x-ray of Barry Johnston, who claims a faulty Qantas seat on a long-haul flight caused

Mr Johnston and his girlfriend are pictured in Los Angeles during their holiday

Barry Johnston, 43, is suing Qantas for $220,000

Mr Johnston claimed he awoke about three hours into the flight, to find he was sitting on the 'bare metal of the seat frame' and was forced to contort his neck and body unnaturally in the seat.

The design engineer also claims he was unable to remain in an upright position because the seat would 'constantly recline into a backwards position' and 'was not able to remain in an upright position'.

When he arrived at Los Angeles with his girlfriend, the 43-year-old said he noticed pain and stiffness.

In his claim, Mr Johnston says he has suffered lower and upper back injuries, neck injuries and pain and musculoskeletal injuries.

In his claim, Mr Johnston says he has suffered lower and upper back injuries, neck injuries and pain and musculoskeletal injuries (x-rays pictured)

He has lost income, the capacity to earn and enjoyment. And it's alleged the 'permanent' injuries have also caused anxiety and depression.

Qantas has denied the seat was faulty.

'While we sympathise with Mr Johnston's position, a check of our maintenance records show no reports of an issue with that seat,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia in a statement.

'There were almost 70 other spare seats in Economy on Mr Johnston's flight so there were plenty of options for him to swap seats if the seat was malfunctioning.

It's alleged the 'permanent' injuries have also caused anxiety and depression (x-ray pictured)

'In the event of a seating issue onboard, crew will try and resolve the issue. If they cannot, they will move passengers to another seat where available.'

Mr Johnston claimed to have alerted crew, but was ignored.

He also claims to have received an email from Qantas acknowledging 'the unfunctional nature of the seat'.

Mr Johnston also claimed on flying back to Australia from Honolulu five weeks later, his seat again had a faulty recline mechanism, he told Daily Telegraph.

Shine Lawyers are seeking the equivalent to $220,000 plus unlimited damages for pain and suffering, and economic loss.

Qantas has denied the seat was faulty and said there were 70 spare seats on the flight (stock)
Daniel Baldwin is telling Americans who haven't accepted Trump to 'suck it up', as his older brother Alec continues to slam the president-elect on Twitter.

Daniel, 56, was leaving Los Angeles International Airport when he told TMZ that those who were upset needed to now focus on changing the voting system.

'Pull up your big boy panties now, because you lost,' he said.

Actor Daniel Baldwin (pictured at LAX on Tuesday) believes that Americans who haven't accepted Trump as the country's next president need to 'suck it up'

Although Daniel Baldwin didn't name Alec directly as he spoke out against Trump detractors, his older brother has been one of the president-elect's most vocal critics

'This guy won. This is the system you have.'

'The Electoral College, checks and balances that were set up that you could possibly lose the poplar vote but still carry the day Electoral College-Wise.'

Daniel, who is best known for his starring role in the 1990s NBC show Homicide: Life on the Streets, also compared anti-Trump protests to those who opposed the war in Iraq.

'This is the same thing i said to people who didn't believe in the war that was going on. I said, you're going to punk these kids that are fighting over the war now?'

'You can't do that,' he said. 'If you don't like the reasons that we're over there for the war, then fight the system and fight the government.'

'Tell them we don't wanna be in a war anymore. But you don't do that to the kids.'

Daniel is the only one of the four Baldwin brothers who refused to reveal whether or not he was a Trump supporter during the presidential campaign.

But the second eldest of the famous acting clan had some harsh words for Hillary Clinton.

Alec Baldwin has continued to criticize Trump as the president-elect fills his cabinet and continues what have become his infamous Twitter rants.

'This is what we learned about her, she couldn't beat an African American man even in the south,' he said. 'They didn't want her as president and Obama beat her.

'And now a business guy who has no background that people are rioting in the streets, she couldnt beat him either.'

'So obviously America does not want her to be president, a majority of the people with the system we have now.'

Clinton won 2.3million more votes than Trump, easily winning her the national popular vote with more than a million ballots still being counted in California.

Although Daniel didn't name Alec directly as he spoke out against Trump detractors, his older brother has been one of the president-elect's most vocal critics.

Alec, who hilariously portrayed Trump on multiple episodes of Saturday Night Live, said the American system was 'broken' after the billionaire was elected president.

One thing that is changed forever in this country is the meaning of the word Christian as it applies to politics,' Alec added as he tweeted on Election Night.

The 58-year-old has continued to criticize Trump as the president-elect fills his cabinet and continues what have become his infamous Twitter rants.

Alec Baldwin took to Twitter to express his thoughts as the man he's been impersonating on television was elected president

'Trump's appointments look like a supermarket shelf of WonderBread,' Alec wrote on Monday.

'And their names read like credits from the original SNOW WHITE.'

'Bannon and all of the fascists are laughing heartily,' Baldwin wrote of Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon. 'Let Trump's tweets distract from his cabal mortgaging of our future.'

Alec has also spoken out in support of the recounts, petitioned by Jill Stein, in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

'Trump wants to move on, to cover up the possible improprieties in WI. But this isn't a civil trial over ripping off his college students,' the actor tweeted, referencing a lawsuit Trump recently settled with his for-profit Trump University.

Stephen Baldwin (above) criticized his brother Alec's Donald Trump impersonation after Wednesday night's debate in Las Vegas, calling it 'not very funny' and 'a little too nasty'

'This is over the electoral integrity of our country,' Alec continued.

'Hillary Clinton has over 2m more votes than Trump, who won through our outdated, Byzantine system. And now, even that is in doubt.'

'Now Trump cries "Mandate." Nothing could be further from the truth.'

'I wish the country well. And everyone in it. Except Trump, who like a spoiled child has kicked and ranted his way into the WH.'

Unlike his older brother, Stephen Baldwin has been a vocal supporter of Trump.

Before the election, the Usual Suspects star said he found his brother's impression of Trump to be 'not very funny' and 'a little too nasty right now'.
Asian students living in Australia are using their parent's immense wealth to splash out tens of thousands of dollars on high-end designer handbags and clothes.

Chinese-born student Coco, 18, bought a limited edition Hermes bag worth upwards of $20,000 to share with her friend and owns a $2,000 Louis Vuitton backpack.

'If I can buy something I can use for a lifetime, I think it's worth it,' she told news.com.au.

Chinese-born students in Australia are splashing out thousands of dollars on designer brands (pictured, young Chinese woman shopping in Australia)

Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said a lot of the young Chinese shoppers in Australia were coming in with an 'enormous amount of wealth' (woman in Sydney store)

Coco is just one of countless international students in Australia cashing in on their parents' bank balances to trigger a huge increase in luxury shopping sales.

Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said a lot of the young Chinese shoppers visiting designer stores were coming in with 'an enormous amount of wealth'.

'We were hearing stories of students in Australia who were going in and spending $16,000 on a handbag and we had just never seen that before,' she told news.com.au.

'We've never really had a student based population willing to spend that kind of money on luxury before.'

Designer brands are starting to latch onto the trend as well, with Louis Vuitton, Prada (pictured, Sydney store), Gucci, Givenchy and Balenciaga stores popping up across the nation

Designer brands are starting to latch onto the trend as well, with Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Givenchy and Balenciaga stores popping up in capital cities across the nation.

Ms McCann said the majority of the Chinese-born students forking out big dollars in Australian stores were not actually tourists - with many of them having expat parents living in Australia.

The Education Department reported that in 2015 over 170,000 Chinese students were enrolled to study in Australia.

Since 2002, the number of Chinese students coming to Australia to study has grown consistently at a staggering rate of 11 per cent per year.

Social media is plastered with photographs of foreign students posing in designer stores wearing expensive clothes.

In 2015 over 170,000 Chinese students were enrolled to study in Australia (Chinese woman shopping in designer store pictured)
A group of far left activists set the American flag ablaze outside the Trump Tower after President-Elect's tweet saying flag-burners should lose citizenship or even face jail.

'Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!' Donald Trump said Tuesday morning on Twitter.

The tweet provoked a furious response on social media, while the far left NYC Revolution Club took it one step further and began burning several United States flags outside Trump's home, in Trump Tower, New York.

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A group of far left activists set the American flag ablaze outside the Trump Tower after President-Elect's tweet saying flag-burners should lose citizenship or even face jail

NYC Revolution Club began burning several United States flags outside Trump's home, in Trump Tower, New York

Trump's comments suggest that he supports recent efforts to override a series of Supreme Court decisions with an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to make flag-burning illegal.

Hillary Clinton once co-sponsored a bill in the U.S. Senate that would have done much the same thing, making it a crime to burn the U.S. flag in order to 'incite or produce imminent violence or a breach of the peace.'

The law, which languished in Congress, would have provided for a 1-year jail term and a $100,000 fine as penalties.

America's highest court ruled in 1969 that denigrating the U.S. flag with words is protected by the First Amendment, and in 1989  by a slim 5-4 majority  that desecrating it is also a form of free speech.

But the Clinton-sponsored bill argued that 'destruction of the flag of the United States can be intended to incite a violent response rather than make a political statement and such conduct is outside the protections afforded by the first amendment.'

Donald Trump said Tuesday on Twitter that burning the U.S. flag should be a crime

Giving Congress the power to outlaw burning Old Glory would require a Constitutional amendment since the Supreme Court said in 1989 that torching it is protected by the First Amendment  and Trump's tweet hints that he would back such a move

Burning the flag has increasingly become a form of protest by liberal activists, including this instance outside the Republican national Convention in July by members and supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

A long-stalled movement among congressional Republicans to trump the Supreme Court could gather new steam with Trump's support.

The 'Flag Desecration Amendment' has passed several times in the House of Representatives, but has stalled in the Senate, most recently failing to pass in 2006 by a single vote.

Both chambers in the U.S. Capitol are required to pass Constitutional amendments by two-thirds majorities.

The proposed amendment reads simply: 'The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.'

Republicans will have new hope of amending the Constitution in 2017  something that is typically seen as a pipe dream  since a larger majority of state legislatures are now controlled by Republicans.

Constitutional amendments can only be adopted with the support of three-quarters of those lawmaking bodies.

The GOP has outright majorities in 37 state capitols. If a flag-burning amendment were to pass in both houses of Congress and the 2018 elections produced just one more Republican-controlled state legislature, it could become the 34th Amendment.

Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic rival in the Nov. 8 presidential election, sponsored a U.S. Senate bill that would have criminalized flag burning when the action was intended to intimidate people, cause a riot or harm someone

Trump himself has entered flag-burners' crosshairs in protests like this one in new York City the day after his election

Republicans could also try to pass amendments requiring the federal government to balance its budget every year, and establishing term limits for members of Congress.

Less than an hour after Trump posted his tweet about flag-burning, presidential transition spokesman Jason Miller defended his position on CNN.

He said Trump is a strong First Amendment advocate, but burning Old Glory goes too far.

'Flag burning is completely ridiculous ... and I think the vast majority of Americans would agree,' he said.

'It's completely ridiculous, and I don't think there's a big universe of people out there who support flag-burning. It's terrible and it's despicable.'

Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller defended the president-elect's position on flag-burning Tuesday on CNN, and gamely tried to change to subject to the appointment of a new secretary of Health and Human Services

Miller did his best to change the subject to the president-elect's appointment of Rep. Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

But CNN kept the pressure on.

'We've got to listen when he says something should be illegal that's a protected constitutional right. I'm not saying I like it, but that's a big part of the First Amendment in this country,' he said.

'A frustrating, maddening part of it is that you've got to respect people's ability to say what you don't like to hear. The president just said burning the flag is illegal. It's a protected constitutional right. Can we agree on that?'

'No, we would completely disagree on this issue,' Miller replied.

'The president-elect is a very strong supporter of the First Amendment,' he added later, 'but I also think there's a very big difference between that and burning the American flag, which has absolutely no place in our society.'

A co-host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' put House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on the spot an hour later. McCarthy said that in Trump's America, people who burn the U.S. flag could be in danger themselves  but they still have the legal right to do it.

'In my neck of the woods, people don't burn their flags. They actually honor their flags. I don't see why they would want to burn it,' McCarthy said.

'But we have a First Amendment right. ... If someone wanted to show their First Amendment right, I'd be afraid for their own safety.'

'But we'll protect our First Amendment. ... That's what the court upheld,' he said.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday that 'this is not the first thing that he president-elect has said or tweeteed that President Obama disagrees with.'
Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch is expected to lose more than a hundred million dollars due to a dodgy investment  and he is behind the downfall.

The Australian-born billionaire could lose $AUD134 million he invested in Theranos, a California based blood testing company which has been drowning in scandal since 2015.

And while the company rocketed to success, boosting its founder Elizabeth Holmes into fame and fortune, its net worth came crashing down when the integrity of its business was questioned.

Rupert Murdoch (right), pictured with his wife Jerry Hall (left) could lose the $AUD134 million he invested in Theranos

The company claimed to test for disease using just a few drops of blood from a fingertip prick, in record time and at a much lower cost than mainstream practices.

Theranos was expected to revolutionise healthcare, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Its promise to change the diagnostic industry attracted big name investors like Murdoch to inject $US632 million in the business between 2014 and 2015.

The company attracted big name investors to inject $US632 million in the business between 2014 and 2015, Murdoch (right) included, pictured with wife Jerry Hall (left)

This sent the company's value to $US9 billion and rocketed its founder Elizabeth Holmes into celebrity.

But when Theranos was probed into by one of Murdoch's very own newspapers, The Wall Street Journal, the stability of the business along with its value plummeted.

The Journal claimed on October 16 last year, the business was not using its own technology to do its testing.

The company's initial success rocketed its founder Elizabeth Holmes (pictured) into celebrity

The company claimed to test for disease using just a few drops of blood from a fingertip prick, in record time and at much lower cost

And within weeks of the report, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started its own investigation.

By January 2016 the company's technology was proven to be fatally flawed and its claims refuted, leaving its once pristine reputation in pieces.

Since the reports, investors are now suing the company for misleading its investors with false claims about its 'technology's capabilities and claims it would transform diagnostic testing'.

It's unknown if Murdoch is one of the investors taking legal action.

Founder Elizabeth Holmes' stake plummeted from an estimated $US4.5 billion to reportedly nothing by June

Founder Elizabeth Holmes' was also hit hard by the business's downfall.

Her stake, once valued at $US4.5 billion, reportedly plateaued to nothing by June.

Her reputation as a wildly successful entrepreneur was also left in shambles.
Greens MP Adam Bandt has come under fire on Twitter for praising a group of angry asylum speaker protesters who glued their hands to a railing at Parliament House.

Speaker Tony Smith suspended the session after a group of up to 30 protesters disrupted the parliamentary question time in Canberra on Wednesday.

Security officers had to use hand sanitiser to help peel the protester's glued hands off the rails after they struggled to contain or remove them.

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Greens MP Adam Bandt has been slammed online for praising a group of asylum speaker protesters who glued their hands to a railing at Parliament House on Wednesday

Security officers had to use hand sanitiser to help peel the protester's glued hands off the rails

Mr Bandt praised the 'peaceful' protesters for demanding government to close the detention camps on Nauru and Manus Island

'Question Time brought to a halt as peaceful protesters hold MPs to account demanding gov #CloseTheCamps. Brave. Powerful. Proud,' Mr Bandt wrote online.

'So we start #qt a bit later. Fifteen minutes of disruption is nothing compared to lifetimes of misery #CloseTheCamps,' he added.

But his public show of support for the protesters was met with harsh criticism on social media, as people called for him to be 'sacked' and labelled the protesters 'disruptive zealots.'

'You should be sacked for this tweet,' wrote George.

'Thay (sic) aren't peaceful, they are disruptive zealots. However disruptive their cause, they do it little good,' tweeted Scott.

'Ladies & Gentlemen may I present 'The Greens' soon to be a moronic footnote in our political history,' added Carleita.

'You are a joke. Do some time serving in Border Protection on the front lines. Disgusted someone like you has a voice in government,' said another.

But Mr Bandt was lambasted online as social media users called for him to be sacked

A number of Twitter users slammed Mr Bandt for taking a positive stance on the protest

Security guards escorting a protester out of the Parliament House after they glued their hands to the rails in protest over offshore detention of asylum seekers

Protesters, with some glued to the rails, shouted chants from the public gallery in support of asylum seeks on Wednesday

Pro-refugee activist, known only as Sally holds her hand up after she superglued herself to the rail on Wednesday

The protesters said detention on Nauru and Manus Island represented a 'state of emergency', as asylum seekers continued to be abused.

'We are here today because your policies are breaking our hearts, because every day on Manus and Christmas Island is another day in hell,' one of the protesters said.

The protesters linked arms, yelled chants, including 'close the camps now' and 'this is a state of emergency'.

Most government MPs, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, left the chamber during the protest but Labor leader Bill Shorten remained.

Liberal MP Christopher Pyne described the riot as 'the most serious intrusion to the parliament since the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) organized an invasion of parliament in 1996'.

Security guards removed the protester from the House after a group of up to 30 people chanted from the public gallery

Security guards escort a protester out of the Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday

Question time has been suspended angry protesters yelled chants from the public gallery

A protester is held to the ground after a group of up to 30 people disrupted question time

One Nation Senator advisor James Ashby films the dramatic scene as security guards escort protesters out of the House

A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance has claimed credit on Twitter for the protest.

'We've shut down parliament #closethecamps #bringthemhere,' the group tweeted.

Greens MP Adam Bandt praised the actions of the protesters.

'Question Time brought to a halt as peaceful protesters hold MPs to account demanding gov #CloseTheCamps. Brave. Powerful. Proud,' he wrote on Twitter.

Guards escort a protester out of the Parliament House after they disrupted question time

Up to 30 protesters chanted from the public gallery in support of asylum seekers

The session was suspended after protesters disrupted the parliamentary question time

Labor MP Tim Watts said it was 'poor form'.

'Preventing elected Members of Parliament from meeting is a poor form of democratic protest,' he tweeted.

Federal police officers have arrived to deal with the situation.

Nationals MP George Christensen praised the work of security officers.

'Well done to security for dealing so professionally and calmly with these pro-illegal immigrant protesters who have shut down parliament,' he tweeted.

A protester breaks down in tears as she is being escorted out of the Parliament House

Security guards removing protesters after a group chanted from the public gallery

Question time was adjourned due to pro refugee protesters interrupting proceedings

Members of the group earlier this month chained themselves to the roof of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's electorate office in Brisbane.

The same group disrupted a business speech by Malcolm Turnbull in Melbourne in August.

At that time a protester holding a sign reading 'FFS close the bloody camps' made it onto the stage next to Mr Turnbull.

'You ain't getting rid of us that easily,' tweeted one member, referring to the glue.

Mr Turnbull returned to the chamber once the unglued protesters had left.
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It was hard to tell whether it was Canberra or Milan after the angry protest at Parliament House when some protesters posed moodily as if they just walked off a catwalk.

The female protesters, dressed fashionably with a nonchalant look on their faces, stared into the distance in the aftermath of the protest.

They pouted sulkily in the direction of photographers who couldn't get enough of their look, although if they are to have a career in modelling they'll have to put a bit more effort into it.

Some moody protesters were pictured outside Parliament House in Canberra as if they just walked off a catwalk

Angry protesters earlier glued their hands to the rails at Parliament House as they chanted from the public gallery in support of asylum seekers.

Speaker Tony Smith suspended the session after a group of up to 30 protesters disrupted the parliamentary question time in Canberra on Wednesday.

Security officers had to use hand sanitiser in an effort to peel the protester's glued hands off the rails after they struggled to contain or remove them.

Dramatic scenes erupted as protesters claimed detention on Nauru and Manus Island represented a 'state of emergency', as asylum seekers continued to be abused.

They stared darkly off into the middle-distance in the aftermath of the protest

Security guards escort a protester out of the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday

The upset protester struggled to break free of the security guards' grip

Pro-refugee activist Sally (last name not given) holds her hand up, which was super-glued during the protest

'We are here today because your policies are breaking our hearts, because every day on Manus and Christmas Island is another day in hell,' one of the protesters said.

Liberal MP Christopher Pyne has described the riot as the most serious intrusion to the House 'since the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) organized an invasion of parliament in 1996'.

The protesters linked arms, yelled chants, including 'close the camps now' and 'this is a state of emergency'.

Most government MPs, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, left the chamber during the protest but Labor leader Bill Shorten remained.

'This is the exact opposition of democracy', Mr Shorten said.

A group called Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance has claimed credit on Twitter for the protest.
A 'wizard' who lost his Harry Potter wand inside a cinema has called on the police to help recover the beloved toy.

Natdanai Asavaruks was watching the Harry Potter spin-off film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' in Bangkok last week when his magic wand vanished.

He has since taken to Facebook to share the lost property report, as well as a transcribing of the bizarre exchange with the police officer at the station.

Natdanai Asavaruks has called on the police to help recover his beloved magic wand

The police did not seem especially concerned about the loss of the wand, which is regarded as the most powerful in the wizardly world.

'Why didn't you destroy it? What if it fell into the wrong hands?' one of the officers sarcastically told him.

'Sir, I'm serious,' he replied.

The post has drawn 26,000 likes and a litany of comments, with many scolding him for letting the wand fall into the wrong hands.

But others were more supportive, using the hashtag #MissingWand to help hunt down the prized possession.

Other commenters said he should leave things to the hands of fate, arguing the wand chooses the wizard - and not the other way around.

The Thai 'wizard' lost his elder wand in the cinemas in Bangkok last week while watching Harry Potter spin-off film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'
More white people are dying than being born in a third of the states, according to new research.

The death rate among Caucasian Americans outstripped the birth rate in 17 states in 2014, compared to just four in 2004, the University of New Hampshire found.

While Latino, black and Asian populations continue to grow, soaring death rates among white middle-aged Americans - combined with the fact that white families are having less children - mean certain states are seeing falling Caucasian populations.

White Americans are reportedly dying faster thanks to a silent 'epidemic' of deaths from suicides, drug and alcohol poisoning.

More white people are dying than being born in a third of the states, according to new research

The trend, which affects both rural or desert areas, such as Nevada and Arizona, to states with large metropolitan areas, such as California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, has already begin to shake up America's demographics.

'The fact that this was going on in states that contain such a substantial part of the U.S. population stunned even me,' Kenneth Johnson, sociology professor at the university and co-author of the research told the Wall Street Journal.

'We're probably going to see it in several more states' in the years to come.

The research, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, focuses on white births and deaths from 1999 to 2014.

It shows that birth rates among white women fell drastically during the recession, between 2007 and 2009 as families - already strained financially to breaking point - chose to have fewer children or none at all.

Birth rates have slowly been recovering but experts believe that those couples may never have as many children as they were predicted to before the recession.

There were also fewer white women of childbearing age between 2000 and 2014 because of low birth rates during the 1970s.

A shock rise in mortality rates for middle-aged, white Americans has been driven by a rise in suicides, drug and alcohol poisonings and liver disease. In 2011, poisonings overtook lung cancer as a leading cause of death in this group and suicides is poised to do so, Princeton researchers said

Meanwhile, white, middle aged Americans have been bucking the national trend of decreasing death rates as two economists blamed i ncreased competition with China for the rising number of deaths from suicides, drug and alcohol poisoning.

Meanwhile, death rates for black and Hispanic men and women in rural areas have fallen.

Justin Pierce and Peter Schott believe they can trace back the uptick back to 2000, when President Bill Clinton decided to relax the rules on major imports. Until then, the potential remained for U.S. lawmakers to reintroduce the 1930s Smoot-Hawley legislation at any time, the Washington Post reports.

The law placed onerous tariffs on imported goods from China and elsewhere to offer more protection to U.S. industries that would be affected by close competition from the country, such as plastic and textile manufacturers.

The legislation had weakened over time but lawmakers retained the ability to reimpose the sky high tariffs, meaning that potential investors were taking a significant risk as Chinese companies had no assurance they could continue trading with the US.

Death rates: While death rates for all black and Hispanic people in rural areas has fallen in the past 25 years, death rates among white middle aged people have risen

Clinton changed that in 2000 when he wrote the lower tariff into law - something that Pierce and Schott say had a devastating impact on U.S. industry.

American factories, which couldn't compete with China's cheap labor force, shut down in droves, while thousands upon thousands of middle-aged white Americans, without college degrees, were laid off.

Unable to cope, many turned to drugs, alcohol or even took their own lives, according to the research.

Pierce and Schott estimate that increased Chinese imports were responsible for 1.3 overdose or alcohol-related deaths in 100,000 people and 0.4 suicides in the same number, in counties where the economy was based on industries vulnerable to threat from China.

The surge in deaths amidst white, middle aged Americans was so significant that Dr Anne Case and Dr Angus Deaton, of Princeton University, compared the 'silent' epidemic to the Aids epidemic in the US.

They said: 'Poisonings overtook lung cancer as a cause of death in 2011 in (the middle) age group, suicide appears poised to do so.'

Case and Deaton were the first to highlight the worrying increase in mortality rates last year in separate research.

A silent 'epidemic' of deaths from suicides, drug and alcohol poisoning within that faction was first highlighted last year which the economists believe is due to trade with China

Behavioral change, prevention and better treatment has generally brought down mortality rates for those aged 45 to 54, since 1970. These reductions in morbidity have made lives longer and better, the researchers said, adding it is widely assumed these improvements will continue.

However, Dr Case and Dr Deaton revealed that presumption does not extend to Caucasian Americans in midlife. They found 'a marked deterioration' in the morbidity and mortality of middle-aged white non-Hispanics in the US since 1998.

Their research shows this pattern is exclusive to the US, and is not reflected in other rich nations. Nor, they add, is it seen among African Americans or Hispanics within the US.

They estimate that had the white mortality in the US rate held at its 1998 value, 96,000 lives would have been saved between 1998 and 2013.

And had it continued to fall as it had between 1978 and 1998, 488,500 deaths would have been avoided from 1999 to 2013.

This figure is comparable to the number of deaths caused by the Aids epidemic in the US.

While death rates related to drugs, alcohol and suicides have risen for middle-aged whites across the board, the largest surge are seen among those with the least education.

For those with a high school degree or less, deaths caused by drug and alcohol poisoning rose four fold, suicides increased by 81 per cent, and deaths caused by liver disease and cirrhosis jumped 50 per cent. All-cause mortality rose by 22 per cent for this least-educated group.

The graph shows all-cause mortality for those aged 45 to 54 for US white, non-Hispanics (USW) and US Hispanics (USH), compared with six other rich nations, France, Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia and Sweden. It reveals while mortality rates have fallen in every other nation, for USW they have risen

While the sudden turnaround in mortality is only partly understood, the researchers said an increase in the availability of opioids, including heroin, in the late 1990's are a potential reason.

The authors wrote: 'The CDC estimates that for each prescription painkiller death in 2008, there were 10 treatment admissions for abuse, 32 emergency department visits for misuse or abuse, 130 people who were abusers or dependent, and 825 non-medical users.

'In this period (1998-2013), the US saw falling prices and rising quality of heroin, as well as availability in areas where heroin had been previously largely unknown.'

And they said financial stress may have also played a key role.

'Although the epidemic of pain, suicide and drug overdoses preceeded the financial crisis, ties to economic insecurity are possible,' the authors note.

The study is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A woman has been charged in the death of a prominent Florida State University law professor who was mysteriously killed two years ago.

Katherine Magbanua, 31, allegedly helped facilitate the murder-for-hire plot that left Daniel Markel dead in July 2014. She has been charged with first-degree murder.

Magbanua was dating Markel's former brother-in-law when the nationally-renowned criminal justice scholar was found dead with two gunshots to the head in his garage.

Detectives believe Magbanua is the link between Markel's ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and the two men accused of killing him.

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Katherine Magbanua, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of prominent FSU law professor Daniel Markel, 41, was found shot dead in his driveway two years ago

Detectives believe that the close-knit family of Markel's ex-wife plotted to have him killed after a judge refused to let her move their two children to South Florida and away from their father

Video courtesy of WCTV:

Magbanua was not only in a romantic relationship with Charlie Adelson. She also had two children with Sigfredo Garcia, one of the alleged hit men who killed Markel.

Tallahassee police have long alleged that the motive for the murder was the bitter divorce between Markel and Adelson.

Adelson's family were desperate to have their daughter and the couple's two children move closer to them in south Florida, but Markel had successfully fought his ex-wife's attempt to relocate with the children.

Police arrested Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, two south Florida men with criminal histories, and charged them in Markel's murder in May.

Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October and was sentenced to 19 years in prison, which will run concurrently with a 12-year federal sentence he is already serving.

The plea deal will require Rivera to testify against both Magbanua and Garcia, who allegedly was the gunman that killed Markel. Garcia will stand trial in January.

Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman said Rivera provided the gun and drove the men away from the crime scene, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Rivera provided a statement regarding Magbanua's involvement in the alleged murder-for-hire plot, claiming she delivered money the day after Markel was killed.

Cappleman said she would not have been able to move forward with charges against Magbanua if Rivera had not cooperated. Magbanua will not testify.

Magbanua was dating Markel's former brother-in-law Charles Adelson (right) at the time of his death. Sigfredo Garcia (left), one of the alleged hit men, is the father of her two children

An affidavit for Magbanua's arrest alleges she had deposited over $50,000 in cash into her bank account in the 16 months after the murder.

Earlier this month, video footage was aired showing an undercover agent who posed as Rivera's brother confronting Markel's former mother-in-law, Donna Adelson as part of a sting operation.

Louis Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Markel's death and agreed to testify against Magbanua

The agent approached Donna on the street and said that his brother was in need of money, and asked her for $5,000 to help out the man.

'I wanted to let you know that my brother he helped your family with this problem your family had up north,' the man tells Donna.

'Hes going through some rough times and I want to make sure that you take care of what hes going through.'

Donna appears shocked and taken aback in video of the interaction which was revealed for the first time ever on 20/20, but not as shocked as authorities were after they saw what happened next.

Soon after Donna met the agent claiming to be Rivera's brother, her son Charlie called his then-girlfriend Magbanua, according to police documents.

'You better kill him, because hes going to be a big problem,' he allegedly told her. 'If you can't do it, I'll have someone else do it.'

Magbanua also reached out to Garcia after the sting, according to police.

Earlier in September, police released probable cause affidavits that revealed Garcia called Magbanua an astonishing 2,700 times in the three months before Markel's murder.

There were also a number of phones calls on July 1, 2014, 17 days before Markel was killed, between Adelson, Magbanua, Garcia and a phone registered to Harvey Adelson, Markel's former father-in-law, the affidavit states.

A number of phone calls also occured between midnight and 1am among Adelson, his mother Donna, Magbanua and Garcia on July 18, the day Markel was murdered.

The probable cause affidavit also reveals that in the days and months after the murder Garcia purchased a new car and motorcycle, according to WCTV.

Records show Rivera also purchased a motorcycle within 10 days of the murder.

Meanwhile, Magbanua began receiving checks from Adelson and his father's dental practice, the Adelson Institute, from September 2014 to January 2016.

Wendi Adelson (pictured) and her family have continued to maintain their innocence in Markel's death. None of them have yet to be arrested in connection with his murder

In the year prior to Markel's murder, Magbanua was making cash deposits that totaled $15,000.

In the months after the murder she was making deposits totaling $44,000, the affidavit states.

The affidavit also revealed that one of Wendi Adelson's ex-boyfriends told police she had revealed her brother was looking into hiring a hitman that would cost $15,000.

Wendi Adelson and several of her family members said in a statement earlier this month that speculation they had a role in Markel's murder is 'categorically false'.

'To be clear, none of the Adelsons - Wendi, her brother Charlie, or their parents Donna and Harvey - had anything to do with Dan's murder,' said David Markus, the attorney who represents Charlie Adelson, in a statement.

The family has been subjected to an intense investigation over the past two years - including FBI involvement - that went over phone and computer records, emails, financial documents and text messages, the Adelson statement said.

'There is a reason that the police have not arrested any of the Adelsons - they weren't involved in Dan's death,' the statement said.

A Tallahassee Police Department affidavit said Markel's death was the result of the 2013 contentious divorce from Wendi, a lawyer who now lives in Miami Beach and works for a federal judge.

Authorities say Garcia and Rivera traveled from South Florida to Tallahassee in a light green Toyota Prius to kill Markel.

Multiple surveillance videos captured the Prius following Markel as he dropped his sons off at daycare before going to the gym, according to the Miami Herald.

Markel then returned home and was sitting in his car and talking on the phone, the keys still in the ignition, when he was shot dead.

Police say a light-colored Prius was tailing Markel the day he was killed, from the time he dropped his children off at daycare until he left the gym and returned home

A neighbor called police after hearing a gunshot and seeing the Prius back out of the driveway.

The first person Garcia called after the murder, police say, was Magbanua.

Markel and Adelson wed in 2006 and separated six years later.

The professor reportedly returned home from a business trip to find that his wife and children were gone, most of his house was empty, and divorce papers were laying on his bed.

Wendi and Markel's custody battle turned ugly as her parents became desperate to move the couple's children closer to the Adelson family in South Florida.

Markel asked a judge to stop Donna Adelson from having unsupervised contact with his sons, claiming she had been telling them disparaging remarks about him.

A judge refused to allow Wendi to move her sons to South Florida in June 2013.

It states that the family then discussed paying Markel $1million to allow the children to relocate, according to a probable cause affidavit for Charles Adelson.

Wendi Adelson has since changed her children's last names, telling investigators she wanted to protect them.

Cappleman said Magbanua could lead to more arrests in the case in the future, but for now prosecutors are not planning to charge the Adelsons.

'It's hard to present the case without mentioning the Adelson family,' she said.

'But, as I said, we are not asking the grand jury to review the case for any indictments against any Adelsons today.'
Cooper asked if Trump should be reading briefs instead of watching CNN

Anderson Cooper on Tuesday night hit back at Donald Trump for his anti-CNN tweets that were made while AC360 aired.

The cable news host risked opening a feud with the president-elect by making a snide remark about Trump's alleged failure to receive intelligence briefings.

Cooper said he was surprised the president-elect had taken time to watch the show while preparing to lead the country.

'When I first heard that he was tweeting about something that was on this broadcast ... I kept thinking, "Doesn't he have, like, a briefing book on ISIS to be reading last night?"' Cooper said.

Cooper also mentioned that Trump's tweets 'were factually incorrect'.

Anderson Cooper responded to Donald Trump's series of tweets slamming CNN on Tuesday night during his show AC360

'I kept thinking, "Doesn't he have, like, a briefing book on ISIS to be reading last night?"' Cooper said in response to Trump's series of tweets

Panelists reminded Cooper that Trump has been declining his daily intelligence briefings.

Still, Cooper said he was grateful the future president was taking time to tune in to CNN.

'There's a huge amount of information ... for him to be absorbing now.

'I appreciate he is watching the show. ... But what is he doing?' Cooper said to his panel.

Trump lashed out on Twitter, criticizing CNN as he faced questions about his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.

Trump lashed out on Twitter, criticizing CNN as he faced questions about his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud

'I appreciate he is watching the show. ... But what is he doing?' Cooper said to his panel about Trump (pictured, Tuesday evening)

Trump retweeted a string of messages on Monday night from supporters over voter fraud allegations.

The tweets were critical of a CNN reporter who dismissed the accusations calling them 'blatant and baseless'.

'CNN is so embarrassed by their total (100%) support of Hillary Clinton, and yet her loss in a landslide, that they don't know what to do,' he wrote.

Trump was so upset about the report that he continued the Twitter tirade Tuesday morning, writing: 'I thought that CNN would get better after they failed so badly in their support of Hillary Clinton however, since the election, they are worse!'

Trump continued his Twitter tirade Tuesday morning, writing that CNN's reporting has only gotten 'worse' since the election

Trump has responded to a recount effort by arguing that illegal voting happened in the November election, but he has offered no proof.

He has singled out Virginia, California and New Hampshire, but there has been no indication of widespread election tampering or voter fraud in those states or any others.

There has however been no form of official investigation into the allegations.

Trump sent out this tweet without evidence of his claim, which CNN reported on Monday

The President-elect claimed on Twitter on Sunday that he would have won the popular vote if it were not for 'the millions of people who voted illegally.'

'In addition to winning the Electoral College by a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,' he said.

'Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!' he followed up later.
A man died of a heart attack while giving his wife CPR.

Authorities say that Johnny Hatley, 67, of New London, North Carolina, was home Sunday morning when his wife, Teresa Ann Brooks Hatley, 66, collapsed.

Johnny reportedly rushed to his wife and began to administer CPR, however, he had a heart attack in the process and died at the scene, according to Stanly News and Press.

Johnny and Teresa Hatley were a devoted couple right to the end - married 31 years Johnny died while trying to revive her

Authorities believe his wife was already dead.

Their daughters, Shelly Palmer and Lisa Hammill, are devastated but comforted by the fact that they died together.

'Obviously, he could not live without her,' Hammill told the outlet.

The couple, who had been married 31 years, owned Fast Stop Food Stores of New London, but the locals just knew it as 'Johnny's.'

The pair had built up a loyal clientele.

'I dont think Johnny ever turned anybody away,' Hammill said.

Cashier Tabitha Alanis wrote on Facebook: 'I will miss these two so much. I still cant believe they are gone...I'm still waiting on my phone to ring, and hear Johnny say "Well Tabbyloo what days you workin' this week?" So I could say "That's what you get paid the big bucks to figure out!"

'I loved all his silly sayings and quick comebacks.'

They also had a son, David, who has special needs, according to the family.

'It was just what they did. They made it work, whatever the circumstances or obstacle,' Palmer said.
Officer snaps and grabs the phone off of him as he shouts: 'That's assault'

A driver filmed two police officers after he was pulled over for a traffic stop

Shocking video has captured the moment a police officer grabbed a man's phone after growing fed up of him filming during a traffic stop.

Footage filmed on the man's mobile phone shows him refusing to provide two police officers with his details.

The cops, who appear to have moved the man off of the road for his own safety, can be seen to grow increasingly frustrated with the driver's actions as he records them.

Shocking video has captured the moment a police officer grabbed a man's phone after growing fed up of him filming during a traffic stop

The 21-year-old man, believed to be from Western Australia, is heard arguing with and mocking a police officer as she asks for his ID.

Her colleague takes over the conversation, but the motorist continues to interrupt him as he tries to explain why he is being detained.

The officer says: 'What I could be doing right now ... is finding out whether the car is fine to drive off.

'But what I'm doing is I'm arguing with you. Because you're in our face.'

The police officer grows tired of the driver's incessant arguing and walks away, calling him a 'waste of time'.

The edited footage shows the cop trying to explain once more why the man has been stopped, but again finds himself by the man filming.

The 21-year-old man, believed to be from Western Australia, is heard arguing with and mocking a police officer as she asks for his ID

The cop suddenly grabs the driver's phone as the man is heard shouting: 'That's assault!'

'You're obstructing me now by filming me in the course of my duties,' the officer says.

However, the policeman appears to have snapped, and asks: 'In your 21 years what have you done for yourself? I want to know what kind of life experience you have.

In the next clip, the driver demands to know what the officer is doing - which causes him to stride towards him.

The cop suddenly grabs the driver's phone as the man is heard shouting: 'That's assault!'

'It's not assault,' the weary policeman says as the two are heard scuffling over the device.

It is not clear when the incident took place or how it was resolved.
Updated: Trump May Be Visiting Chicago This Week

By aaroncynic in News on Nov 30, 2016 8:11PM



Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist



Update: 5:28 p.m.:

The Tribune now reports that Chicago police have been told the reported Trump visit is a no-go, according to their sources.

"We have been in contact with our partners at the Secret Service," Anthony Guglielmi, CPD spokesman said, according to the Trib. "CPD is not preparing for a visit at this time."

Original:

According to the Chicago Tribune, unnamed sources say that the Chicago Police Department is making security preparations for a visit by Trump, who say he is expected to stay at Trump Tower, a.k.a. the monument to his ego along the Chicago River.

While no sources have confirmed or denied the visit to any at the time of publishing, Trump is expected to be in Cincinnati on Thursday night to kick off his victory thank you tour, according to a report from Bloomberg. Hes also expected to appear in Indiana on Thursday along with his Vice President Mike Pence to celebrate Carrier, a manufacturing company, deciding to not move more than 1,000 jobs to Mexico.





We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.  Carrier (@Carrier) November 30, 2016





As saving the carrier plant was one of a string of promises Trump made along the campaign trail, he will undoubtedly take the majority of the credit, while perhaps allowing the Indiana Governor a momentary pat on the back. The AP reports that the details reached in the companys agreement have yet to be published, and its unclear what role Trump actually played in the bargain. According to Wired , Indiana is allegedly providing economic intensives for the company to stay in the state. Finally, Carriers parent company, United Technologies, scored an $873 million defense contract in July.

At least one protest has already been scheduled. A Facebook event invite created by Answer Chicago is asking for people to hit the streets near Trump Tower from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Christopher Lee has been jailed for life without parole for murdering Erin Corwin in 2014

A marine has been jailed for life for murdering a colleague's pregnant wife with whom he was having an affair.

Christopher Brandon Lee strangled Erin Corwin in June 2014 and dumped her body at the bottom of a mine shaft in Joshua Tree, California.

The 27-year-old had been having an affair with Corwin, 19, who was married to his colleague Jonathan and lived next door.

He sensationally confessed to killing her during his murder trial in November, telling San Bernadino County Superior Court Tuesday he was 'no longer scared' of telling the truth.

On Tuesday Lee was jailed for life without parole but denied lying in wait for the woman, insisting he did not 'want' to kill her.

'I accept punishment for the crime I committed. But I cannot and will not admit to a crime that I did not commit,' Lee told the court.

'I did not want to kill Erin. I did not plan to kill Erin,' he was quoted as saying by local newspaper The Desert Sun.

Erin Corwin vanished on August 16, 2014. She and her husband were neighbors with Lee, his wife and their daughter at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.

Her body was found at the bottom of a mine shaft two months after she vanished.

Corwin was arrested the following day in Alaska and charged with her murder but denied it.

An autopsy revealed the teenager was pregnant when she died, with prosecutors later alleging the baby was Lee's and not her husband's.

Corwin, 19, was married to Lee's colleague Jonathan (left together). They lived in apartments next to each other at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms

Lee, who is married with his own daughter (above) said he flew into a violent rage when Corwin confessed to molesting his six-year-old

Jonathan Corwin told USA Today he knew his wife was having an affair in the months before her death but had been told it was over

On November 1, Lee interrupted his murder trial to admit killing the woman.

He at first claimed the killing was the result of his anger when Corwin admitted to molesting his young daughter.

The marine said he himself was down and contemplating suicide because he had not been deployed as hoped.

He claims he spun in to a violent fit of anger when Corwin confessed to molesting his six-year-old and strangled her, throwing her body down the mine shaft when he realized she was dead.

Lee, 27, interrupted his murder trial to confess to the killing but said it had not been premeditated and rejected the enhanced charge

Prosecutors slapped down the claim, insisting he had been researching how to kill the young woman before she vanished.

They said he had looked up how to dispose of bodies on the internet before taking Corwin to the desert under the pretense of a romantic evening night out.

Jonathan and Erin had been married for two years when she was killed. He discovered she was having an affair with Lee in March, 2014, five months before she vanished, but was told it had been fleeting and was over.

On the day of her disappearance, Erin told her husband she was going to the desert to take photographs, USA Today reports.

Her family provided family statements at Lee's sentencing on Tuesday.
Police say a man stole $1.6million in gold flakes from the back of a truck in the middle in Manhattan.

The man was captured on CCTV walking past the unguarded pail twice before stopping and looking at it thoughtfully.

Footage then shows him grabbing the pail from the van and running away with it down the street.

Scroll down for video

Caught gold-handed: Police are looking for this man, who they say stole $1.6m of gold flakes from the back of a truck in the middle of Manhattan at the end of September

Golden opportunity: Police captured the man on video. In the footage he walks past the truck, loops around to take a better look, and stands for a moment, apparently pondering his crime

The daring crime occurred in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City's busy Midtown area.

Footage from the theft shows a man walking along the treet and then loitering around the truck, which was open at the back.

And when he thinks nobody is watching, he reaches into the vehicle and lifts down the heavy bucket containing the gold flakes.

Afterwards, he is captured on camera hurrying along the sidewalk as he struggles with the stolen goods.

It is believed that the guard briefly stopped watching over the truck and went into its cab to retrieve his cellphone when the theft took place.

Take the flakes: The man then reaches up and grabs the five-gallon bucket of gold flakes, before walking off into the street

Gold fingers: The sticky-fingered gent then walks up the street - visibly struggling with the 86lbs of flakes he's just pilfered. He's now believed to be in Florida

At one point, he even places the five-gallon bucket on the ground, to give his arms a rest from the heavy load.

But after a short rest, he picks up the bucket again and disappears into across the street.

Police say the thief lugged the gold flakes up the street, taking an hour to complete what would normally be considered a ten-minute walk.

He then hopped into a white van and fled. Officers say they believe the thief didn't know what was contained in the bucket.
The matter is now at the centre of a police investigation

A high school teacher has been stood down after he allegedly hypnotised students and asked one to touch himself.

Mazenod College principal Christian Fini removed the teacher from the school on Thursday after being informed of the 'irregular behaviour' by another staff member at the Catholic boys' school.

'These actions are outside the limit of the professional expertise which teachers are employed to perform at Mazenod and outside the legitimate activity of a school,' Father Fini wrote in a letter to parents on Monday night.

A Mazenod College (pictured) teacher has been stood down after he was allegedly caught hypnotising students in Melbourne

' Father Fini wrote in a letter to parents on Monday night following the incident

The teacher in question was relieved from his position on Thursday after allegedly asking one of his students to touch himself inappropriately during a hypnotherapy session, the Herald Sun reports.

Catholic Education Melbourne spokesman Stephen Elder has commended the the actions of the school.

'Any unprofessional conduct by a staff member or inappropriate contact between a staff member and students is totally unacceptable' Mr Elder said in a statement.

A police spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that they: 'received a report of a teacher hypnotising students at a school in Mulgrave.'

'The incident allegedly occurred on November 23 and detectives from the Box Hill Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team are investigating.'

Father Fini says they are speaking with students and families involved in year 10 and 11.

A police spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that they: 'received a report of a teacher hypnotising students at a school in Mulgrave'
Airbnb has been threatened with legal action after four guests were injured when a balcony collapsed at a holiday home booked through the website.

Friends Alexander Browning, Jessica Paterson, Harry Dee and Claire Corfield spent weeks in hospital after they fell two storeys from the property in Brighton, which was advertised as having a 'balcony with a sea view' on Airbnb.

Ms Corfield was buried under rubble and broke her back, shoulder blade and eye socket. Self-employed carpenter Mr Dee was impaled on a railing and was forced to give up his flat because he could not afford the rent after taking time off work, the Guardian reported.

The group, who have also spent thousands on medical bills, are now seeking 'meaningful compensation', their lawyer told MailOnline.

Friends Alexander Browning, Jessica Paterson, Harry Dee and Claire Corfield spent weeks in hospital after they fell two storeys from the property in Brighton, pictured after the accident

Both Airbnb and the owner of the property, which appears to have been removed from the website, have not offered to cover any costs or admitted liability.

Lawyer Jenny Kennedy, at Anthony Gold solicitors, said it was 'shocking' that the San Francisco-based company was able to 'make so much money in our community' but 'when push comes to shove' they do not offer financial support.

She added: 'This is the problem with an unregulated organisation... They say we get cheap accommodation - but at what cost?'

The group had booked the 217-a-night flat for a friend's birthday celebrations in July. Five of the friends were standing on the balcony when it suddenly gave way.

Recruitment consultant Ben Mason, 30, was on the balcony with fiancee Ms Paterson and the three others but was not injured in the accident.

He told the Guardian: 'They just dropped. I looked down and it was just dark and rubble. I thought they were all dead.

The group had booked the 217-a-night flat for a friend's birthday celebrations in July. Five of the friends were standing on the balcony when it suddenly gave way. Pictured, the property

'Harry had landed on the fence and was staggering around. Jess and Alex were tangled among themselves. Claire was beneath a large piece of the balcony.'

Ms Paterson broke her pelvis and suffered a collapsed lung in the accident. Mr Browning broke his wrist in three places and sustained facial injuries.

Airbnb provides all hosts in the UK with 'host protection insurance', which offers liability coverage for up to $1 million (8milllion) for each booking, including bodily injury and property damage.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Kennedy said Airbnb initially referred the matter to insurers but is now consulting lawyers to decide who is liable.

She also said she was trying to contact the owner of the property.

Monika Payne, who was the Airbnb 'host' for the property, told the Guardian she could not comment because 'insurers are still investigating'.

An Airbnb spokesman told MailOnline: 'The safety of our community is our number one priority and problems for guests and hosts are incredibly rare.

'We provide all hosts in the UK with Host Protection Insurance which provides insurance coverage for up to $1 million in the rare event of an injury.
Amnesty: Boris Johnson, pictured yesterday, said he had a 'moral responsibility' to raise the issue of allowing illegal immigrants to stay if they have been here for ten years at a meeting at No 10

Boris Johnson has told the cabinet he backs an amnesty for tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to stay in Britain if they have remained hidden for 10 years, it emerged today.

The Foreign Secretary says he had a 'moral responsibility' to raise the issue at a meeting at No 10 chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, a known opponent of the idea.

Mr Johnson believes that giving residency to illegal immigrants already in Britain would mean they would start paying taxes.

But it caused fury, and one colleague said: 'It's an insane idea and would make ordinary Brits furious. A lot of us round the table couldn't believe Boris is still going on about this'.

The minister told The Sun: 'Privately, Boris is still the most pro-immigration member of the Cabinet.'

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said last night there was no row at the meeting.

He said: 'Boris reiterated what he has said publicly before about amnesties, including during the EU referendum campaign. He feels he has a moral responsibility to raise it, as it is what he believes.

'Any suggestion that there was strong disagreement expressed during the meeting is wrong;'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd was not infuriated, a source said, and asked him for more thoughts after the meeting.

Blunt warning: Prime Minister Theresa May, pictured with ally Philip Hammond, is a known opponent of the idea of any amnesty

But the Prime Minister is known to oppose any amnesty, and Mr Johnson has previously had a swipe at Mrs May, when she was Home Secretary.

In 2015 he said there was an 'inertia on our ability' to deport illegal immigrants and it was impossible for the Home Office to restrain numbers from the EU. Philip Hammond also backed Mrs May at the time.

It came after Mr Johnson, then Mayor of London, said it was a 'shame' for illegal migrants to be able to earn money on the black market but not pay taxes.

I'm the great-grandson of Turkish immigrants  where would my family be if London hadn't given sanctuary to [my great-grandfather]? So I'm totally in favour of people being able to make their lives in another country Boris Johnson in 2015

He told LBC radio: 'I'm the great-grandson of Turkish immigrants  where would my family be if London hadn't given sanctuary to [my great-grandfather]? So I'm totally in favour of people being able to make their lives in another country.'

Mr Johnson said he was in favour of 'controlling the numbers' of migrants as many councils struggled to cope with the costs of providing services to them.

Asked by a caller to the radio show whether he still backed an amnesty for those here illegally for more than 12 years, something he first floated in 2008, he said it was 'not a bad idea'.

He estimated there were up to 750,000 illegal migrants in Britain, 500,000 of those in London alone.
Persico's grandfather, known as Carmine 'the Snake', was sentenced to 100 years in prison in the historic Mafia Commission case

He was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree gang assault

Three of Persico's friends allegedly jumped in and helped with the beating

The namesake grandson of Carmine 'The Snake' Persico (pictured) was arrested after allegedly attacking a stranger at a NY bar

The namesake grandson of a notorious New York mafia boss was arrested after allegedly attacking a complete stranger because he 'looked familiar'.

Carmine Persico, 25, had recently undergone eye surgery and hit the man after borrowing his lighter outside the Kettle Black bar in Brooklyn.

Charles Pickering, 22, was stabbed in the abdomen and suffered a broken jaw. He was hospitalized for three days.

Pickering said he had never met Persico before the attack and only learned of his connection to the notorious Colombo crime family after looking his name up online.

'I got my lighter back already and he was like, "Oh, you look familiar", so I turn around and all of a sudden he just hits me,' Pickering told the New York Post.

Three of Persico's friends allegedly jumped in to help with the brutal beating.

Persico allegedly dropped his keys as the group fled the scene. They were then picked up by a bystander who had tried to stop the assault, sources said.

Police used an electronic key to unlock the abandoned 2015 Chrysler 200 parked near the bar and then traced it back to Persico.

Carmine Persico, 25, allegedly attacked Charles Pickering, 22, because he 'looked familiar'. Persico had recently undergone eye surgery to improve his vision

He has been charged with first-degree assault and second-degree gang assault. His three alleged accomplices remain at large.

Persico was freed on $5,000 bond.

It was revealed during an arraignment that he plans to join the US Navy after he fully recovers from the laser surgery he underwent to improve his vision, sources said.

Although his alleged attacker comes from a family with a long line of crime, Pickering said he wasn't worried because 'it's the 21st century'.

Persico's 83-year-old grandfather, known as Carmine 'the Snake', was sentenced to 100 years in prison after he was convicted in the historic Mafia Commission case, along with bosses of the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.

The younger Persico's uncle Alphonse 'Allie Boy' Persico is currently serving a life sentence for ordering a hit on a mob rival.

His father Lawrence is believed to be delivering pizzas for for Mia's Pizza Shop in Brooklyn.
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Britons are bracing for another chilly week ahead, as Autumn comes to its coldest end for six years with temperatures plummeting as low as -10C.

The coldest November night since 2010 was recorded last night, with the mercury falling to a bitingly cold -9.7C in Sennybridge, Wales.

The country will see a similarly cold night tonight, with temperatures likely to fall to -7C to -8C in the south.

Britons are bracing for another chilly week ahead, as Autumn comes to its coldest end for six years with temperatures plummeting as low as -10C. Walkers pictured taking a stroll in Warminster, Wiltshire, this morning

The coldest November night since 2010 was recorded last night, with the mercury falling to a low of -9.7C. Pictured is the Wiltshire countryside this morning

Forecasters are predicting more cold weather to come as winter officially gets underway. Pictured is a deer in Richmond Park, west London, which was covered in frost this morning

Two swimmers braved the freezing cold temperatures to take a dip this morning in Clevedon, Somerset

Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said that sub-zero temperatures can be expected moving into next week, with the mercury dropping as low as -4C on Sunday night and -6C on Monday night.

There will be some respite from Thursday through to Saturday - although night-time temperatures will remain at around zero degrees.

Daytime temperatures will struggle to reach 3C to 5C in the south on Thursday, although expected to rise slightly on Friday and Saturday.

Large swathes of southern England and Wales woke up shivering on Wednesday as temperatures plunged.There were problems for railway passengers as trains were cancelled or delayed due to equipment faults.

A walker took her dog out early this morning in Greenwich Park, despite the freezing temperatures overnight

A couple were pictured out walking with their dogs in Clayfield Copse, Berkshire, earlier this morning

The sun rise over Warminster Lake Pleasure Grounds, Wiltshire, this morning. Britons will continue to wrap up warm, as daytime temperatures are expected to struggle to reach 3C to 5C in the south on Thursday

Commuters on Greater Anglia services into London faced disruption after a broken down train blocked the line.

Dozens of trains arriving from Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Hertfordshire were cancelled or delayed.

A Greater Anglia spokesman told MailOnline: We'd like to apologise to customers for disruption to some rush hour services this morning due to train faults. The train faults were completely unrelated to the cold weather.

The vast majority of our over 200 trains were working without a hitch. We are spending 5million on improving the reliability of our current trains, some of which are over 30 years old, and also spending 1.4billion on all new trains.

Winter officially starts tomorrow but the cold and frosty weather has already swept in over Surrey, pictured today

That looks chilly! A swimmer from the Serpentine Swimming Club has a bracing dip at Hyde Park in London this morning

The sun rises over frozen water in the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London after an extremely cold night for England

Going for a jog: Cold and frosty weather at Richmond Park in South West London this morning

'We encourage any passenger delayed by 30 minutes or more to make a Delay Repay claim.

Meanwhile Southern passengers in East Sussex were delayed due to a track fault between Seaford and Lewes.

Those travelling on Merseyrail faced problems between Southport and Hunts Cross due to a broken down train.

A signalling problem between Marlow in Buckinghamshire and Maidenhead in Berkshire blocked lines in the area.

And a points failure between Worcester Shrub Hill and Ashchurch-for-Tewkesbury cut off lines in the South West.

Passenger Andy Oakes tweeted a photo from a Greater Anglia train today, complaining of cancellations and 'overcrowding'

Passengers fail to get onto a train at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire following delays on Greater Anglia services this morning

Passengers took to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the combination of the freezing cold and train delays.

Simon Gomez said: 'Surprise, surprise Greater Anglia, the first day of cold weather and your trains stop working.

And Jo Dewberry said: 'Not an enjoyable commute to London today. Freezing cold and train cancelled.'

Meanwhile Stuart McTeer said his driver apologised for delays into London Bridge 'due to the sun's reflection off The Shard which makes it difficult to see signals'.

The coldest place in Britain overnight was Sennybridge, in Powys, Wales, where a reading of -9.7C was recorded.

The coldest place in Britain overnight was Sennybridge, in Powys, Wales, where a reading of -9.7C was recorded, pictured

Passengers took to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the combination of the freezing cold and train delays

Frost in Surrey: Horses walk over the frosted ground after temperatures fell well below freezing overnight in parts of England

The fountains at Trafalgar Square in Central London had frozen over this morning as freezing temperatures hit the capital

An early morning dog walker on a frosty morning in the village of Roade in Northamptonshire this morning

Meteorologists also told of a temperature of -9C at Kinlochewe in the Highlands and -8.5C in Benson, Oxfordshire.

And daylight will bring little respite for some as temperatures struggle to reach highs of 4C in parts of the South.

For England and Wales, it was their coldest November night since 2010.

The Met Office expects slightly less chilly evenings from tonight onwards as clouds move down from Scotland.

But the colder temperatures are likely to return this weekend and some areas could still get a fair amount of frost.

In Scotland there could be bright spells but cloud cover in the west may be thick enough for patches of rain.

The Shetland Islands are expected to receive lengthy but light showers and gales are forecast for the far north.

Early morning frost is seen on cars in Bristol today as temperatures in Britain fell as low as -10C overnight

Frost on cars in Kensington, West London, today. For England and Wales, it was their coldest November night since 2010

Frost on a playground in London this morning is pictured as temperatures dropped to -10C in parts of England

London frost: The Met Office expects slightly less chilly evenings from tonight onwards as clouds move down from Scotland

The middle band of the UK is likely to see fog patches around Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and the Vale of York.

However they will clear after the morning to sunny skies as clouds move down from the North.

The southbound clouds are expected to lift the mercury slightly as they push down towards central and northern regions and elevate overnight temperatures slightly.

Meteorologist Sophie Yeomans said conditions were slightly colder than the average daytime temperatures for this time of year but this could be the result of a temporary cold spell.

On Wednesday, London and Cardiff are expected to peak at 4C (39F), Glasgow to reach 9C (48F) and Edinburgh to head towards 8C (46F).

Frost in Bristol: The colder temperatures are likely to return this weekend and some areas could still get a fair amount of frost

Large swathes of southern England and Wales woke up shivering today as temperatures plummeted. Pictured, East Sussex

Dawn breaks over the fields of Sussex as England and Wales wake up to another day of frost and freezing temperatures

A view of The Shard in London this morning on another cold and frosty day in the capital

The sun rises over Tower Bridge in London today on the second day of sub zero temperatures in southern England

Deer can be seen on a cold frosty morning at Richmond Park in South West London yesterday

The colder conditions come as the Local Government Associations (LGA) annual winter readiness survey shows that councils are well prepared for plummeting temperatures with a substantial stock of grit.

About half are at the limit of storage capacity, and the LGA said gritters will be out treating thousands of miles of roads whenever overnight temperatures drop below zero in the coming days.

LGA transport spokesman Martin Tett said: 'We are well prepared for the cold, with 1.2 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters ready to be deployed.'

Public Health England has warned people to remember that cold does kill even in places that are not experiencing the coldest temperatures.

December 1 marks the beginning of meteorological winter, which lasts until February 1.

SIGNAL FAILURES AND TRAIN FAULTS CAUSE MISERY FOR RAIL & TUBE PASSENGERS Rail and Tube travellers across the country suffered journeys from hell today after a spate of train faults, signal failures, staff shortages and other issues led to delays. Southern was again at the centre of complaints from passengers who have endured months of delays and cancellations because of industrial action, staff shortages and other problems. The company will be hit by a series of strikes by guards and drivers in the coming weeks which will cripple services. London Underground is also facing industrial action in a dispute over the closure of ticket offices. Today's problems included: A signalling problem at Kew Gardens and a train fault at Willesden Junction caused delays of up to 30 minutes on London Overground.

Southeastern services were hit by a train fault between Rainham and Sittingbourne.

Routes through Birmingham were delayed because of a trespasser on the line at Birmingham New Street.

Congestion caused by 'earlier delays' caused cancellations and delays to South West Trains journeys between Wimbledon and London Waterloo.

A number of broken-down services between London Blackfriars and Sutton caused delays to Thameslink services.

A fault with the electric third rail between Seaford and Lewes in Sussex hit Southern services.

A points failure between Barnstaple and Exeter St Davids causing delays of up to 30 minutes to Great Western journeys.

Greater Anglia and Stansted Express services were affected by a broken-down train at Waltham Cross.

A broken-down train at Chelmsford caused delays of up to 20 minutes to Greater Anglia journeys between Shenfield and Colchester.

Merseyrail services were affected by a broken-down train between Bank Hall and Sandhills.

A points failure between Worcester Shrub Hill and Ashchurch-for-Tewkesbury blocked Great Western lines.

Signal failures led to delays on London Underground's Victoria, Northern and District lines, with continuing problems on the Piccadilly Line because of a problem with train wheels. Advertisement

Endangered lion cubs hug like humans in adorable display of sibling love

This is the adorable moment two endangered lion cubs showed their sibling love as they embraced in a big hug as if to keep each other warm as winter approaches.

The two Asiatic lion cubs, Yali and Arya, were originally enjoying a play fight at Paignton Zoo in Devon, but quit playing to enjoy a tender embrace in the chilly November air.

The image shows the duo sat upright on their bottoms, arms wrapped tightly around each others backs, and heads side by side like humans would embrace.

Keeping warm? This is the adorable moment two endangered lion cubs showed their love as they embraced in a big hug

Phil Knowling, a spokesman for Paignton Zoo, said: These cubs are rare and special and represent the global conservation efforts to save their species.

They are also wild animals that are already, at just a few months old, too strong and dangerous for keepers to handle.

Yet this photo captures an instance of some very muscular play that appears to be all about tenderness and sibling affection.

It looks for all the world like a sweet, cute, tender hug, just like our kids might give each other in a special moment.

The two Asiatic lion cubs, Yali and Arya, were originally enjoying a play fight at Paignton Zoo in Devon

Their mother has taught them to keep their distance from the keepers but they love spending quality time together as a family

The cubs were most likely wrestling but our photographer was lucky enough to freeze-frame them in a rather charming hug.

The cubs play together on and off all the time, play-fighting, chasing and sometimes jumping on the adults or biting their tails.

Their mother, Maliya, has taught them to keep their distance from the keepers but they love spending quality time together as a family.

Jim Dicks, senior keeper of mammals at Paignton Zoo, said: They are clearly a contented extended family, with dad Lucifer wonderfully tolerant of his offspring.

These rare Asiatic lion cubs were born on Thursday, June 16 to their mother Maliya and father Lucifer

The species is officially classed as endangered and only 15 have been born in zoos around the world so far this year

At this time of year, they are rolling in the fallen leaves in their paddock and blending in with autumn. They love to climb trees just like their mother did when she was small.

The mum has taught them to be wary of humans, they keep their distance from us keepers. They love climbing all over their dad and annoying him.

These rare Asiatic lion cubs were born on Thursday, June 16 to their mother Maliya and father Lucifer.

The species is officially classed as endangered and only 15 have been born in zoos around the world so far this year.
House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader on Wednesday despite disenchantment among some in the caucus over the party's disappointing performance in elections earlier this month.

The California lawmaker, who has led the party since 2002, turned back a challenge from Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. The secret ballot vote was 134-63.

'We need the very best to lead us,' Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told Democrats in nominating Pelosi. 'No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi.'

The 76-year-old California Democrat was forced to promise changes to the caucus to answer complaints from lawmakers fed up with being shut out of the upper ranks of leadership, especially in the wake of a devastating election that installed a GOP monopoly over Congress and the White House.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was reelected to her position by a vote of 134-63 after facing a challenge from Representative Tim Ryan

A half-dozen Democrats delivered testimonials to Pelosi in nominating speeches, but the disenchantment was evident.

'I think Tim Ryan would be a great leader. He's a new generation and I think he would appeal to a lot of millennials and young people in this country,' Rep. Steve Lynch, D-Mass., said as he headed into the session. 'He brings a certain excitement and also a bit of common sense from Youngstown, Ohio.'

'Our base is working people and we've got to talk about that. We've got to tell working people in this country that we care about them,' Lynch said.

Leadership elections were originally scheduled to be held before Thanksgiving but were delayed to give Democrats more time to discuss and process the election results and consider a path forward. Many are discouraged after losing the White House and making smaller than expected gains in both chambers of Congress.

'I believe we must do more than simply paper over the cracks,' said Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, one of a handful of House Democrats to endorse Ryan. 'We can't just say the right things  we must take concrete steps to move our party in the right direction.'

Nonetheless Pelosi projected confidence heading into the vote. Known for her vote-counting skills, the Californian asserted she had support of two-thirds of Democrats locked up.

Democrats face at least two more years in the minority under Donald Trump. Pelosi and Vice President-elect Mike Pence speak to the media following a meeting at the US Capitol

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, arrives for the House Democratic Caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for the leadership elections. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

'Leader Pelosi is honored to receive the overwhelming support of her colleagues,' said spokesman Drew Hammill. 'That so many members are so enthusiastic and eager to take active roles in the caucus is music to her ears.'

Other top leadership posts are uncontested, with Steny Hoyer of Maryland in the No. 2 job of whip, and Jim Clyburn of South Carolina in the No. 3 position of assistant leader. The position of conference chairman is term-limited, and Xavier Becerra of California was replaced by Joe Crowley of New York.

On the eve of the House leadership elections, 85-year-old Rep. Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said he will not seek re-election to the panel post, clearing the way for a younger lawmaker to move into the spot on the powerful committee. Becerra and Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts told House Democrats they are interested in the position.
A mother who police say was caught three times over the limit with her friend's six-month-old daughter in the back has shown no remorse.

Jodie McCarthy, 28, from New South Wales, was arrested at a Hungry Jack's in Coffs Harbour on Sunday with the girl and her mother in the car after almost crashing into a fence.

But McCarthy has since refused to apologise for her actions and says she didn't put the child in danger, adding that people should blame the girl's mother instead.

Jodie McCarthy, 28, a mother who was allegedly drink driving with her friend and her friend's six-month-old daughter in the car, says she has 'no apologies'

Speaking to 7 News, McCarthy said: 'I've got no apologies, no. Hey, if I kill myself, so be it!'

Asked whether she should be blamed for putting the girl in danger, she added: 'Isn't that the mother's responsibility, to not put their kid in risk of someone else's danger?

McCarthy also seemed to be trying to excuse her alleged behaviour by adding: 'There's heaps of people that drink drive.'

The mother was arrested at around 2am after staff at the Hungry Jack's called police to say she almost had an accident.

McCarthy had been drinking with her friend, the mother of the girl, at her Dorrigo home before getting behind the wheel of her car, 7 News reports.

Police also say McCarthy's husband, 47-year-old Ken Ellwin, was caught drink driving on the same day with three children aged under 10 in his vehicle.

McCarthy's husband, Ken Ellwin, 48 (pictured), was also charged with drink driving on the same day with three children aged under 10 in his vehicle

McCarthy told reporters that people should be blaming her friend for putting her daughter in the car and said: 'If I kill myself, so be it'

Ellwin was stopped around midday near the couple's Dorrigo home and arrested, with police saying he was driving to a nearby park at the time.

Officers say Ellwin also does not have a licence. The couple are due to face court in the coming months.

New South Wales police have launched a crackdown on drunk drivers in the state following a spike in figures in recent months, with a particular focus on those with children in their cars.

Earlier this week a three-year-old was killed and his four-year-old brother injured after their father, 40, crashed into a tree while drunk.
Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan has said it would be the 'height of folly' for President-elect Donald Trump to tear up Washington's deal with Iran, because Tehran would strike nuclear weapons deals with other countries.

'It could lead to a weapons program inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programs,' the top intelligence official told the BBC.

'So I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement.'

Brennan also said that in dealing with the Syrian crisis, Trump should be cautious in trying to work with Russia.

Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan, pictured, has warned Donald Trump against ripping up President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran as it could cause major regional instability. He is pictured testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June

Trump, pictured last night with his chief of staff Reince Preibus, left, and possible Secretary of State Mitt Romney, right, promised during the election campaign to pull out of the deal

'I hope there is going to be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow,' he added.

'President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is that they have pledged.'

During the interview, Brennan made a bleak assessment about the future of Syria.

He said both Russia and Bashar al-Assad were responsible for the 'outrageous' slaughter of civilians, and described Vladimir Putin's aims in Aleppo as 'disingenuous'.

'I do not have confidence that the Russians are going to relent until they are able to achieve as much tactical battlefield successes as possible,' he said.

'I think President Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises.'

However, Trump's nomination for Brennan's replacement, Mike Pompeo, wants to scrap the deal with Iran.

Brennan told the BBC that Trump should be very wary of Russian promises in Syria

Trump will replace Brennan with Mike Pompeo, pictured, who wants to scrap the Iran deal

The 52-year-old former Army officer is a third-term congressman from Kansas.

He currently serves on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee and his a graduate of Harvard Law School.

As well as scrapping the Iran deal, he has supported the mass collection of communications data belonging to American citizens.

On the campaign trail, Trump heavily criticized the deal with Iran describing it as a 'lopsided disgrace'.

However, he failed to outline exactly he wanted to renegotiate the deal, with Reuters describing Trump's policy in the area as 'vague'.

Also, Trump's view of Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad are markedly different to those of the current White House.

President Obama has been supporting anti-government elements in Syria who are also opposed to ISIS.

Trump has indicated he wants to support Russia and Syria in targeting ISIS.
Vic Mensa Protests At Standing Rock, Calls For Fans To Join

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 30, 2016 4:22PM

One of Chicago hip-hops most prominent social consciences, Vic Mena spent Thanksgiving weekend in Standing Rock, joining protesters against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.

Mensa urged fans and supporters on social media to stand against the pipeline, which could threaten the water supply of North Dakotas Standing Rock Sioux. Last week protesters at the site were blasted by authorities with water in below-freezing temperatures, and one demonstrator may lose an arm due to injuries from a police concussion grenade. The 1,1700-mile pipeline will run from North Dakota to Marion County, Illinois, if completed.

As Mensa points out in a Facebook Live video posted on Sunday, indigenous people never actually ceded the sacred land which now stands threatened. Its been a blessing to be out here," he added. As he mentions in the video, Mensa previously visited families in Flint, Michigan, when that citys (still ongoing) water crisis began making headlines. (Mensas track Shades of Blue explicitly addresses the Flint controversy.)

Mensa described his impressions in on Instagram:



I've been at #StandingRock for the last 3 days, and the experience has been amazing. If you're not in tune with what's going on here, Standing Rock is an Indian reservation where a major oil company is trying to drill a pipeline underneath the river that supplies drinking water for millions of people on and off of the reservation. Drilling that oil pipeline could contaminate the livelihood of so many people, primarily indigenous people of this land that have been systematically destroyed since Europeans arrived in America. Thousands of people have come from all over the world to Standing Rock to stop that pipeline from being drilled and protect the water.

He also called on fans to go to join the protest, calling out the Dec. 5 deadline, at which point the Army Corp of Engineers are scheduled to evacuate the protest site:



if you believe in the inalienable rights of people; the right to clean drinking water, the right to food & shelter and the right to freedom then you have to support standing rock. Get on a plane, drive, take a bus do whatever you have to do. December 5th the Army Corps has set an ultimatum for the people camped at standing rock, saying that they will forcibly remove the water protectors. When one of our freedom is on the line all of our freedom is on the line. Fight for freedom.

A photo posted by Vic Mensa (@vicmensa) on Nov 28, 2016 at 1:48pm PST
The Queenslanders were due to speak on Islam to council on December 4

Australia's One Nation party has blamed 'extreme left-wing protesters' and threats of violence for cancelling a planned speech about Islam to a Jewish group.

Party leader Pauline Hanson was due to address the conservative Independent Jewish Council in Melbourne, on December 4, but cited security concerns for cancelling her appearance on Wednesday night.

Her One Nation Senate colleague Malcolm Roberts blamed the extreme left for pulling out of an event he was also due to speak at.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured left) and fellow Queensland senator Malcolm Roberts (pictured right) have blamed threats of violence for cancelling a planned appearance with a Jewish group in Melbourne

Pauline Hanson's tweet said safety concerns and threats of violence saw the event cancelled

'The Jewish community have been intimidated by the horrid and vicious left wing, chased from their communities, and forced to hide by these vile extremists,' Senator Roberts said on Wednesday.

He also blamed Glen Eira Council, in Melbourne's south-east, for caving in to the left.

'Instead of condemning the extreme left-wing protesters political leaders have instead condemned the Jewish community in daring to hear different political perspectives,' Senator Roberts said.

Senator Hanson, a fellow Queenslander, tweeted safety concerns had caused them to cancel.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was due to meet with the Independent Jewish Council on December 4 in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Caulfield

One Nation senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts (pictured centre and right) speak with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann (pictured left) in the Senate chamber

'Sadly my upcoming event with @SenatorMRoberts has been cancelled because of security concerns and threats of violence,' she said.

The Australian Jewish Democratic Society had planned to protest outside the Caulfield gym where the One Nation event was due to be held, and said the security concerns were 'bogus'.

'We were planning in co-operation with the Victoria Police a peaceful and safe protest,' spokeswoman Dr Jordy Silverstein told Australian Associated Press.

'The real reason the event was called off was the extent of Jewish community opposition to the event.'

Victoria Police said they were in the process of 'extensive planning' for the event.

'We respect the right of the community to express their views peacefully and lawfully,' a spokeswoman said in a statement.
One of the four men charged over the murder of crime figure Pasquale Barbaro is accused of imitating a gun firing with his hand at the man being sentenced for killing his friend last year in court.

Abuzar Sultani, 27, allegedly made the killing motion in the Supreme Court, as the murderer of debt collector, Joe Antoun, 50, was receiving his sentence last November.

The allegation surfaced during the unrelated trial of Farhad Qaumi and his brother Mumtaz, who are charged with Mr Antoun's murder, reported The Daily Telegraph.

Abuzar Sultani, 27, arrested over the murder of slain gangland figure Pasquale Barbaro is accused of making threatening gestures towards a man who shot his friend

It is alleged the brothers were contracted to kill Mr Antoun who was shot dead as he answered the door at his Strathfield home in the Inner West of Sydney, on December 16, 2013.

Sultani was arrested on Tuesday night over the murder of Barbaro who was shot dead in Earlwood, Sydney, on November 14.

The man sentenced over the murder of Mr Antoun, known as Witness L, was providing evidence at the trial accusing Farhad and Mumtaz Qaumi of contracting him to kill Mr Antoun.

The allegation surfaced during the unrelated trial of Farhad Qaumi and his brother Mumtaz, who are charged with Joe Antoun's (pictured death)

Defence barrister John Stratton SC asked Witness L about whether he saw Sultani in the public gallery while under cross examination.

'Did you see Mr Sultani sitting in the back of the public gallery during your sentencing hearing?' Mr Stratton asked Witness L, to which he replied, 'yes'.

'Did you say he pointed a finger at you like a gun?' Mr Stratton questioned.

'Yes,' replied Witness L.
Nearly half of Germans have indicated they want to follow Britain in holding a referendum on their EU membership.

A survey found 42 percent of citizens want a similar vote that led to Brexit, while two thirds of the population believe the European Union 'is heading in the wrong direction'.

It will be seen as a blow to German Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been criticised for her open-door policy on immigration which saw one million migrants enter the country last year.

It will be seen as a blow to German Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been criticised for her open-door policy on immigration which saw one million migrants enter the country last year

The survey, carried out by TNS Infratest Politikforschung market research and analysis group, has revealed the extend to which the nation is unhappy with the current ties to Brussels.

After Italy indicating it could follow the UK in wanting to leave the EU, it could be an indication Germany would be next.

Figures show 67 percent of Germans want the EU to change its political course and a massive 96 percent want the bloc to be 'more transparent and closer to the people', according to RT.

Only 39 percent of citizens think country's deal with Europe is a positive thing and a quarter believe it could threaten their national identity with the majority of those asked considering themselves German and not European.

After Italy indicating it could follow the UK in wanting to leave the EU, it could be an indication Germany would be next

Although there is clear unrest with regards the country's relationship with Europe, only one in four welcome the so-called Eurosceptic movements.

Nearly 70 percent believe Brexit weakened the solidarity among EU members and 60 percent say Donald Tusk, president of the European Council and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, should take a tough stance when negotiating the UK's impeding exit from the EU with Theresa May.

Germany's migrant crisis is still considered the biggest modern challenge, according to RT.

Seven in 10 respondents want to see the EU's external borders better protected, a fifth of Germans want to see them completely closed.

Police in Cologne are already putting plans in place to deal with any violence on New Year's Eve after hundreds of women reported being sexually assaulted by groups of migrants in the city last year

After the flood of migrants into the country, Germany has been rocked by terror attacks this year, heaping pressure on chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door immigration policy.

A bloody week of violence that rocked Germany began on July 18 when Pakistani teenager Riaz Khan Ahmadzai, 17, posing as an Afghan refugee, hacked at passengers on a train in Wurzburg with an axe, wounding five.

He was shot dead by police.

Four days later mentally unstable German-Iranian teenager Ali Sonboly shot nine people dead during a rampage through a shopping centre in Munich before taking his own life.

Sonboly claimed he was taking revenge for being bullied at school with no political motive to the murderous rampage.

Police in Cologne are already putting plans in place to deal with any violence on New Year's Eve after hundreds of women reported being sexually assaulted by groups of migrants in the city last year.

In a separate study, f our out of ten Germans fear their country is being subverted by Islam, according to a new study into attitudes towards immigration and religion.

And 34.7 per cent say they feel like a stranger in their own country.
Syed Shah, 30, has been jailed for 12 years after convincing a woman to have sex with him to cure her relationship problems

A spiritual healer who tricked a mother into having sex with him by claiming it would cure her marriage problems has been jailed for 12 years.

Syed Shah, 30, persuaded the woman to hand over 6,000 for help to 'purify' the 28-year-old woman's relationship after she came to him for help.

He ordered her to perform daily readings and sacrifice a goat but when this didn't work, she told her to have sex with him.

Shah, from Stechford, Birmingham, was found guilty of two charges of rape and one of fraud following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Judge Patrick Thomas QC also ordered Shah, who also sexually assaulted another woman while performing a healing ritual, to pay the victim 10,000 compensation.

Judge Thomas told Shah: 'This was a vile set of offences. You abused the high reputation that your family name gave you within the community in order to have your will with a perfectly decent and respectable young woman who had the misfortune to be vulnerable because of her personal circumstances.'

The court heard how the woman, who had been married for three years and had a young son, was having difficulties in her marriage.

She was introduced to Shah by a friend in June last year and he offered to take steps to 'purify' her relationship, ordering the readings and goat sacrifice.

When she visited his Birmingham home and told him that nothing had changed he said there were more rituals to be carried out and part of the process involved having sex with him.

The woman had sex with Shah on two occasions, and also gave him 6,000.

But she began to feel uncomfortable about what was going on and concerned that she was being unfaithful to her husband.

He ordered her to perform daily readings, they sacrificed a goat, and when this didn't work, she told her to have sex with him, Birmingham Crown Court heard

It was when she saw a report from the local press revealing that Shah had sexually assaulted another woman he persuaded to undress, that she went to the police.

Shah was subsequently jailed for two years after admitting the previous offence.

Giving evidence, Shah - who denied being a spiritual healer - claimed he had been contacted by the woman through her brother, and that she had only come to his home once alone when she had asked him to kill her mother-in-law.

You abused the high reputation that your family name gave you within the community Judge Patrick Thomas QC

He denied having sex or taking any money from her.

Gaias Gozem, defending, asked the judge to be lenient and said the message must get through to Shah that this kind of behaviour could not be tolerated.

Shah was jailed for a total of 12 years and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Judge Thomas added: 'You took advantage of her both sexually and financially.

'You have behaved in a manner that any right-thinking person would regard as not just grossly hypocritical but abusive to a very high degree.
An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an 'urgent' end to his country's ban on women driving.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal took to Twitter to announce his stance saying overturning the law was a matter of equal opportunity and economic necessity linking to a four-page manifesto.

He is a longtime advocate of women's rights in the Islamic kingdom, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.

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Prince Alwaleed bin Talal took to Twitter to announce his stance saying overturning the law was a matter of equal opportunity and economic necessity linking to a four-page manifesto.

'Stop the debate: Time for women to drive,' Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his official Twitter account.

Alwaleed is an unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family who holds no political posts but chairs Kingdom Holding Co, which has interests including US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleed's office issued the unusually long statement late Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

'Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity,' Alwaleed said.

'They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion.

'Saudi Arabia should not remain as the odd one out'

He also detailed the 'economic costs' of women having to rely on foreign private drivers or taxis, since public transit is not a viable alternative in the kingdom.

Using foreign drivers drains billions of dollars from the Saudi economy, Alwaleed said.

He calculated that families spend an average of 3,800 riyals ($1,000, 940 euros) a month on a driver, money which otherwise could help household incomes at a time when many are making do with less.

audi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz al Saud, right, and singer Michael Jackson wave as they arrive for a news conference in Paris, in this March 19, 1996 (file photo)

Even if their husbands can take time out to transport the women, that requires temporarily leaving the office and 'undermines the productivity of the workforce,' Alwaleed said.

'Having women drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances.'

The prince said he is making his call on behalf of those with 'limited means'.

A slow expansion of women's rights began under the late king Abdullah, who in 2013 named them to the Shura Council which advises cabinet.

Abdullah also announced that women could for the first time vote and run in municipal elections, which were held last December.

These and other decisions in Saudi history were initially opposed by 'certain elements' but soon became accepted, Alwaleed said, calling for 'a similarly decisive' political act.

In April, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said change cannot be forced, and 'it is up to Saudi society.'
An inmate who sawed his way out of a California jail has been recaptured after a week on the run.

Laron Campbell escaped along with Rogelio Chavez from Santa Clara's main jail last Wednesday. Two other prisoners were caught during their escape attempt.

Campbell, 26, was recaptured in nearby Contra Costa County late on Tuesday. Chavez, 33, however, is still on the run.

A woman accused of helping the pair while on the run was also arrested.

Laron Cambell (left) was recaptured on Tuesday, while Rogelio Chavez (right) is still free after he escaped from Santa Clara's main jail last Wednesday by cutting his way through iron bars

San Jose resident Emily Vaca, 35, was taken into custody on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Glennon toldKTVU.

Vaca allegedly helped the duo flee from law enforcement authorities by driving him around the county, Glennon said.

Both men escaped after cutting through the bars covering a second-story window and then rappelling to the ground on a bedsheet rope.

The pair are facing possible life sentences if convicted of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment and other charges on which they were being held.

Chavez had been held at the jail since August and Campbell since February 2015.

San Jose resident Emily Vaca, 35, (in her mugshot left) was arrested (right) on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime after she allegedly drove the pair around to avoid capture

Santa Clara County sheriff's office is still searching for Rogelio Chavez who is still on the run

The two men were part of a group of four inmates who attempted to break out of the main Santa Clara County Jail (seen above) in San Jose, California

They were part of a group of four inmates that tried to escape from the oldest section of the main jail at around 11pm on Wednesday, deputies said.

The other two inmates, whose names were not released, were re-arrested immediately after their failed attempt.

Chavez was arrested and put in jail on August 17, 2016, on a number of charges, including burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest, and weapons charges.

He is described as a Hispanic male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 190 pounds, and sporting a facial tattoo above his left eye.

The four men attempted their breakout from the oldest part of the jail last Wednesday

Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies were able to immediately apprehend two of the inmates - whose identities have not been released - who attempted to escape

Campbell, who was put in jail on February 12, 2015, faces charges of robbery, false imprisonment, criminal threats, and weapons violations.

The search for Chavez is being conducted by sheriffs in Santa Clara County, the San Jose police, and the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

Authorities advise anyone coming into contact with Chavez to alert the police and to use extreme caution.
Tornado watches remain in effect for SE Louisiana, southern Mississippi and south-west Alabama

At least 22 tornadoes were reported to the Storm Prediction Center in those states, Mississippi & Louisiana

Two people - a husband and wife - were later confirmed dead in the state of Tennessee

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At least five people were killed, and many more injured - including four children - after a system of at least 22 tornadoes passed through Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Louisiana last night, tearing down buildings, uprooting trees and scattering debris in their wake.

Three people were killed when a mobile home near Highway 71 in Rosalie, in north-east Alabama's Jackson County, was flipped over. Others, including kids, were injured when a pre-school in which they were sheltering was knocked down.

Two others were confirmed dead in the neighboring state of Tennessee in the early hours of the morning, officials told Fox News - and the body count is expected to grow as the day wears on.

Killed: Three people were killed and one critically injured when this mobile home in Rosalie, Alabama, was overturned and flung against a house by one of several tornadoes that ripped up the state Tuesday and Wednesday

Surveying: Community members survey damage caused by a tornado in Rosalie. Three other states - Mississippi, Louisiana and Tenessee also suffered damage from tornadoes

Belongings: Bob Wright looks for personal belongings in the rubble of a home in Rosalie, after three of his brother's family members were killed by a tornado

Searching: Wright continues his search through the ruined items

Toppled: The ruins of a car that was toppled by the tornado are seen in a field in Neel, Alabama, Wednesday

Scattered: Two women walk through a field scattered with debris looking for jackets belonging to a motorcycle shop, Sullivan Cycles, near Neel, which was destroyed overnight by storms and high winds

Flattened: Amy Smith talks to her daughter, Kaila Irwin, outside the flattened ruins of Irwin's home in Neel. The house was empty when a storm swept through the area and destroyed the building Tuesday night

Buckled: The Macklin Baptist Church in Rosalie was left twisted and buckled by the strength of the winds

Torn off: Pastor Roger Little walks down a hallway in Rosalie Baptist Church, the roof of which has been completely torn off

Inspecting: Mike Young and Michelle Leone of Tullahoma, Tennesseee, inspecting damage caused to their neighbor's home when a tree was smashed into the building by a suspected tornado in Tullahoma, Tennesseee

Comforted: Young hugs his friend Sharon Harrell after he decided to check on her while inspecting the damage

Sunk: A store is destroyed in Athens, Tennessee, after a tornado swept through the area early on Wednesday morning

Tumbled: Trees are downed by a suspected tornado touchdown in Tullahoma, Tennessee

Volunteer: Larry Griffin, one of many volunteers who offered to help with the devastation in the wake of the tornadoes, makes a phone call as he walks past twisted siding and roofing in Leesburg, Mississippi, on Wednesday

Helping out: Griffin chainsaws through the limb of a tree next to a Leesburg home Wednesday

Downed: A man cuts up a downed tree in Leesburg, a rural community in Scott County

Collapsed: This house in Leesburg was badly damaged after a tornado ripped up its roof - but thankfully it wasn't directly struck by the falling tree

Snapped: Trees across Mississippi were snapped like twigs by the storm (left), while others were chopped down after they were deemed unsafe (right)

Power outage: A Central Electric Power Association employee pulls a new line across a property in Leesburg, Mississippi

Torn apart: This is all that remains of a house in Rosalie, Alabama, after it was hit by a tornado

Ripped up: A gas station in Rosalie Plaza, Alabama, had its entire canopy ripped off and thick steel supports bent over by the powerful tornado on Wednesday

Torn: Winds tore apart metal roofs and left debris high in the few trees left standing in this part of Rosalie

Blocked: Roads were left blocked, and this school bus swept over, by tornadoes in Rosalie

Broken: Trees were broken in half and scattered across lawns in Roaslie, Alabama

Wave of destruction: At least 22 tornadoes were reported Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, most hitting the states of Tennessee and Alabama. This map shows some of the most notable areas, some of which received multiple tornadoes

(Video courtesy Tim Pham WRCB)

None of the names of the injured or dead have yet been released by authorities.

Rocky Harnen, chief deputy in Alabama's Jackson County, said that as well as the three people killed in the Rosalie mobile home, a fourth person in the home was left in critical condition.

Harnen added that a Baptist church and a plaza were among the 15-20 buildings in Rosalie that were destroyed just after midnight local time.

And in the Alabama town of Ider, about six miles east of Rosalie, three children and three adult family members were left injured when a daycare center was flattened by a tornado.

The victims were the school's managers and their relatives, who live in a home behind the pre-school building and sought shelter inside it.

All six were transported to hospital, DeKalb County Emergency Management director Anthony Clifton said, where the three adults were listed in critical condition.

One other adult was reported to have lived in the home, local station WAFF said. Their condition is unknown.

At least 25 homes and six poultry farms were destroyed across DeKalb County, Clifton added, with a total of around 60 damaged to some degree.

Splinters: Thick tree trunks were reduced to splinters by powerful winds in this Rosalie, Alabama, neighborhood

Cleaning: Gregg Jefferey (center) and his son Tyler help a family friend clean up their business at Rosalie Plaza after it was struck by the phenomenal winds

Smashed: Several red-brick buildings in Rosalie Plaza were smashed to pieces by the tornado

Crushed: The Rosalie Plaza was crushed by the fearsome weather - one of 15-20 buildings destroyed

Rubble: This building in Rosalie Plaza was reduced to rubble by the tornado that ripped through the town

Harrowing: The remains of the Ider Christian Daycare Academy, a pre-school in Ider, Alabama, are seen after a tornado ripped through it overnight injuring three children and four adults

Gone: The daycare center was totally destroyed, injuring the seven people sheltering inside; the adults were staff at the center who lived in a home nearby

Scattered: Cars and fences are left scattered by the tornadoes outside the daycare

Tornado watch: The Weather Channel said at around 10:30am CST that tornado watches were in effect through central and south-west Alabama, and in south-east Tennessee and south-east Mississippi

In Polk County, Tennessee - the worst-hit region in the state during last night's twister attack, and located close to Alabama's north-east - a husband and wife were reported killed.

Roads were also blocked with debris from destroyed buildings in the county, officials said.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener added that east seven injuries were reported in nearby McMinn County.

In total, at least nine were injured in the state, and more fatalities are feared

The injuries came as a string of 22 tornadoes was reported to the Storm Prediction Center by Wednesday morning, showing a south-westerly line from Knoxville, Tennessee down to Winnifield, Louisiana.

The National Weather Service, meanwhile, fielded 27 reports of tornadoes as the storm system, packing hail and heavy downpours, moved through eastern Texas, northern Mississippi and Alabama and into south-east Tennessee late on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning.

Northern and central Alabama, north-west Georgia, and a small part of southeast Tennessee remained on tornado wacth until 10am CST, Weather.com reported.

South-east Louisiana, much of southern Mississippi and south-west Alabama will remain on watch until 12pm CST.

Damaged: Storm damage in Polk County - the area of Tennessee worst affected by the tornadoes - resulted in all but one wall of The West Polk Volunteer Fire Hall being pulled down

Twisted: The winds twisted and crumpled this transformer in Benton, Tennessee. The storms came after wildfires had consumed large swathes of the state's wild and inhabited areas

Destroyed: A destroyed home in Winston County, Alabama. Five people - three in Alabama, two in Tennessee - have been confirmed dead so far, but the death toll is expected to rise

Severe: A damaged damaged house is seen in the Underwood Mountain area, Alabama after severe storms caused a string of tornadoes across several states

Killed: A building destroyed by tornado in Rosalie, Alabama, early Wednesday, where at least three were killed

The storms tore through Gatlinburg, Tennessee, just as firefighters began to get raging wildfires that wiped out hundreds of buildings under control.

In Alabama more than two inches of rain was dumped in areas that had been parched by months of drought.

Weather warning: These areas were put on tornado, wind and hail alert from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning

The National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi, said late Tuesday that it had counted six confirmed tornadoes so far in the areas of the state it monitors.

Those states, and Texas, have been warned to brace themselves for extreme weather in the next 24 hours.

A roof was also blown off a motel in Guin, Alabama, and 'multiple areas with damage' have been reported in Colbert County.

'We've had a community member lose their residence,' Colbert Heights Volunteer Fire Chief EJ Lindblom told WAAY.

'But nobody got seriously hurt and nobody has lost any life so we got that to be thankful for.'

In addition to destroying homes and businesses, power lines were downed and trees snapped.

Alabama Power reported that over 4,000 customers were suffering outages, including a small number in the Birmingham area.

Two were reported killed in a mobile home on Stump Street in Polk County, Tennessee, where people were pictured picking through the shattered remains of their homes and belongings.

Chris Graves, left, and Jennifer Jeske sort through items on Wednesday from the remains of a mobile home where two people -reportedly a husband and wife - were killed in Polk County, Tennessee

Rhonda Cooper salvages items Wednesday from the remains of a mobile home where two people were killed on Stump Street in Polk County

Smoke rises from the remains of the Alamo Steak House on Parkway on Wednesday in Gatlinburg, Tennesee after a wildfire swept through the area Monday from an onslaught of drought, food and fire plaguing the South

Damaged aircraft are strewn at the Lamar County Airport north of Vernon, Alabama after what is believed to be multiple tornadoes swept through the area

Huge power poles are snapped off along County Road 77 on Wednesday after tornadoes ravaged homes and property between the Helicon Communities and Arley on County Rd. 77 in Winston County, Alabama

The Relax Inn in Guin, Alabama shows tornado damage in West Alabama left from storms that hit the state Tuesday

Meanwhile in Gatlinburg, Tennesee, a wildfire linked to the storms swept through, destroying the Alamo Steak House.

In neighboring Mississippi people were said to be trapped inside a camp house in Noxubee County as four homes were destroyed by the strong winds.

The Storm Forecast Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued a tornado watch from southeast Louisiana to northwest Georgia as a line of severe storm moved southeast Wednesday morning.

National Weather Service offices in Louisiana and Alabama planned to send personnel out Wednesday to check on multiple tornadoes that occurred the previous morning and night.

Pictures showed damage in West Alabama, including in Guin, Winston County, and Vernon. Planes at Lamar County Airport were damaged or destroyed.

Storm warning: Thunderstorms are expected - and severe thunderstorms possible - across a swathe of the southern US, The Weather Channel said. The red 'severe thunderstorm' area is in-line with the most dangerous areas for tornadoes
The 26-year-old led police on high-speed car chase for around 90 minutes

Damien Keith Hall is accused of abducting his pregnant ex and his two kids

Father shot by police after a car chase was identified during a hearing

The man who was shot by police in Adelaide's CBD after he allegedly abducted his ex-partner and threatened his young child with a gun has been identified as Damien Keith Hall.

Hall, 26, was shot on Hindley St in the middle of the city's nightclub strip on Monday night in front of stunned onlookers to end a dramatic high-speed police pursuit.

The drama began when Hall allegedly detained his 23-year-old pregnant ex-lover and their two daughters in his car at Cumberland Park.

A suppression order on Hall's identity was lifted when he came before the Adelaide Magistrates Court in a bedside hearing from hospital on Wednesday.

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Damien Keith Hall was identified during a bedside hearing after Adelaide Magistrates Court lift a suppression order

The 26-year-old was shot by police after he led them on a high-speed car chase for around 90 minutes

Prosecutors urged the magistrate to keep his name out of the media to protect his daughters, saying they could be embarrassed if identified given the high-profile nature of the case.

But Magistrate David Whittle questioned whether the children, aged three years and seven months, were old enough to face any undue hardship and lifted the suppression.

'Have they reached the age of embarrassment?' he asked.

'I can't see any reason for it to continue.'

Hall did not apply for bail and he remains under police guard at Royal Adelaide Hospital as he recovers from surgery for gunshot wounds to an arm and a leg.

He is charged with aggravated kidnapping, unlawful threats to kill and acts to endanger life.

Numerous photos on his Facebook page show him brandishing a gun

He allegedly detained his 23-year-old pregnant ex-lover and their two daughters in his car at Cumberland Park

The car was tracked to the CBD where it allegedly sped down pedestrian shopping strip Rundle Mall and weaved through a police blockade.

Hall was eventually stopped on Hindley St before midnight when the car was spiked and surrounded by police who opened fire, citing an alleged threat to the child.

Armed special tasks officers swarmed the car to secure the gunman with one scrambling over the bonnet.

The distressed woman was pulled from the car, with police then grabbing the baby and the girl and rushing them to safety.

Witnesses inside a nearby conveniences store were shaken by the shooting.

'It is something which I can never get out from my head,' said 20-year-old Anand Sambasivan.

Hall will return to court on February 7.

Prosecutors had urged the magistrate to keep his name out of the media to protect his daughters, saying they could be embarrassed but the order was lifted
But medics saved her baby daughter Poppy who is fighting for her life

A baby has been saved by doctors after her mother died suddenly while eight months pregnant.

Pamela Ewart was taken ill on Sunday after complaining of severe headaches, and died in hospital hours later.

But the 31-year-old's daughter Poppy was saved by medics and is fighting for her life with her father at her bedside.

Pamela Ewart was taken ill on Sunday after complaining of severe headaches, and died in hospital just one day later

Doctors managed to save Pamela's baby Poppy, who remains in intensive care

Pamela was almost eight months pregnant when she was taken ill at her home in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on Sunday.

The 31-year-old was rushed to Monklands Hospital in Wishaw, but died in the early hours of Monday.

However doctors managed to save her daughter Poppy, who was fighting for her life in intensive care with her father Alastair Robertson at her bedside last night.

Mr Roberton's father, George, said yesterday: 'She is doing fine and the doctors seem to be happy with her. But the next 48 hours will be critical for her.

'We haven't a clue what happened to Pamela yet. Our heads are full of mince just now. We need a few days for this to sink in.'

A post mortem is expected to be held this week.

Friends have paid tribute to the 'thoughtful' and 'caring' general manager of a children's soft play area.

The 31-year-old died just hours after complaining of severe headaches and her heartbroken colleagues have paid tribute

Pamela's boss Alan Stein said: 'We have lost not only a valued colleague but a friend and mentor too.

'There were never any half measures with Pamela, she was totally committed to making this place a success. We closed the business on Monday as a mark of respect.

'It's absolutely tragic that Pamela's gone. She and her fiance were so excited at the prospect of raising their child together. They had the nursery all ready.

'We're all just devastated for Pamela's family.'

One colleague wrote on Facebook: 'She'll be sadly missed. Such an amazing manager', while Julie Dalziel wrote: 'Can't get my head round the sad news I received today about a friend Pamela Ewart passed away, taken so young.

'Thoughts are with Alistair and family and this sad time'.

A JustGiving page set up to pay for Pamela's funeral has already raised more than 3,400.

Pamela passed away in Monklands Hospital, Airdrie (pictured). A JustGiving page set up to pay for her funeral has already raised more than 3,400

It reads: 'Everyone who knew Pamela will agree that she was one of the most caring and thoughtful people who always helped everyone if she could. She will be sadly missed by all.

'Our hearts are broken with the loss of such a wonderful person and we are looking to support Alistair, her family and her beautiful baby girl Poppy who was delivered early and currently in Wishaw in intensive care.

'We know Pamela touched so many people's hearts and would love if we could show support for the family at this time.'

Pamela's friends have been left similarly devastated by her loss.

Jacqueline McGraw wrote on Facebook: 'Life really is a wonder at times, and not a good one.

'A girl I went to school with and knew well passed away earlier today. Thoughts are with her family and friends and her newborn baby. Rest in peace, Pamela Ewart.'

And Niamh Heron posted: 'So so sorry to hear about the terrible news today.

'I still cannot believe what has happened. My thoughts are with Pamela's family and fiancee today, such an amazing woman taken far too soon.

'I hope the little baby is ok. Rest in peace, Pamela Ewart.'

Pamela's neighbours told The Daily Record: 'Pamela was a lovely person who was always smiling. What has happened is heartbreaking, especially under the circumstances.

'Pamela would have been a wonderful mum. We have two wee girls and she was just brilliant with them.
An air traffic controller told a Flybe pilot on a commercial flight 'er, I'm not sure which way to go now' as it narrowly avoided crashing into a private jet on the approach to Exeter Airport.

The near collision between the private plane and Flybe flight carrying passengers occurred on July 15.

The Flybe flight was coming into Exeter from Norwich and it was being navigated by a trainee air traffic controller.

The near miss between a Mooney M20 aircraft and a DHC8 Flybe holiday jet occured on 3.20pm on July 15 as they approached Exeter Airport (pictured)

The Flybe jet (stock image) was at 2,600ft when it was told to 'go around', climb to 3,000ft and turn right by the OTJI, as 'this thing's turning towards you now'

The alarming details of the incident were revealed in an official 'Airprox' report filed by a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) board this week.

The trainee 'had only a little experience' and did not take any action until the two aircraft were 3.2 nautical miles apart.

At that point, he was relieved by an On The Job Training Instructor [OJTI] who had years of experience.

The report explained how the first Flybe approach on July 15 had already been abandoned because of 'conflicting unknown traffic'.

As the Flybe flight went down to 2,600ft, a private plane from Dunkeswell, bound for the Channel Islands, appeared on radar with no information on how high up it was.

However, it became clear the plane - a Mooney M20 aircraft - was just 300ft below, with a distance of one and a quarter miles between them.

The Flybe plane was then told to 'go around', climb to 3,000ft and turn right by the controller.

The controller told the pilot: 'This thing's turning towards you now.'

This picture from the Airprox report shows how close the two flights came to crashing (with the two green dots at the end of the orange tracks representing the two aircraft)

The pilot then asked the controller to repeat the heading.

The controller replied: 'OK, he's er 12 o'clock and now range of 2 miles now talking to me, don't know what it is, indicates er 2,400ft and er, I'm not sure which way to go now, er, probably left, left, if you can accept that now, on to 180 degrees.'

As the distance between the flights remained only 300ft as the Flybe plane reached 3,000ft, the pilot continued to climb to 3,500ft and a collision was averted.

The pilot said there had been a 'high' risk of a crash. Neither plane had seen the other.

The incident happened on the Norwich to Exeter flight's second runway approach, supervised by a trainee air traffic controller

In a later interview the controller admitted that telling the pilot to carry out a 'go-around' was wrong and it should have been an instruction on avoiding action.

The climb instruction to 3,000ft was also deemed insufficient and it had been the pilot's decision to ascend to 3,500ft.

Although safety had been put at risk, the action taken removed the possibility of a collision and so the Airprox was assessed as risk Category C - which means 'no risk of collision' existed or 'risk was averted'.

Commenting on the report, a spokesman for Exeter Airport said: 'The aircraft were well separated and the action taken removed the possibility of a collision.

'This report offers valuable feedback which will be used to further enhance our safety culture.'

Flybe said they welcomed the findings contained in the Airprox report.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has ordered more initiatives to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS to limit prevalence of the disease.

In a written instruction to a meeting on prevention and control of major diseases held in Beijing Tuesday, Li said the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.

While commending "marked progress" made in prevention and control of HIV and AIDS during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), Li ordered more efforts to target challenges in controlling the spread of HIV and AIDS during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020).

Intervention needs to be more efficient, testing and counseling services more accessible, public education more targeted and follow-up services improved, Li said.

The premier also ordered "across-the-board implementation" of testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, medical assistance and other policy measures.

Li guaranteed prevention and control funds, drug research and development, international cooperation and greater roles for social organizations and volunteers.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong said at the meeting that the prevention and treatment capacity of major and communicable disease should be comprehensively enhanced.
A father says he will have to sleep in his car this Christmas because the council flat he was offered is infested with cockroaches and bed bugs.

Oleg Slobodaand and his wife Olga Eizvertinaq were given emergency accommodation after they were evicted from their previous home.

But the pair say the property was uninhabitable because it is riddled with bed bugs, abandoned furniture and bags of rubbish.

Oleg Slobodaand (pictured) says he will have to sleep in his car this Christmas because the council flat he was offered is infested with cockroaches and bed bugs

Mr Slobodaand, 34, (pictured) said the emergency accommodation his family were given is a health risk. While his wife and son are at a friend's, he says there is no room for him, which is why he is sleeping in his car

Ms Eizvertinaq, 43, and their two-year-old son Michael have now moved into a friend's house.

But Mr Slobodaand, 34, says he is forced to sleep in his car - with just a blanket and heater for warmth despite freezing overnight temperatures in London - because there is not enough room at the property.

He said: 'I feel disgusting having to sleep in my car and I have to go to my friend's house to take a shower. It is not comfortable and I cannot sleep.

'All I have is a pillow and blanket and I turn on the heater but it is still very cold.'

The family of three were evicted from their privately rented flat in Leyton, east London, because the landlord wanted the property back.

Mr Slobodaand, who works as a bricklayer in Stratford, east London, added: 'When I saw all the rubbish dumped outside the front door I was disgusted.

Mr Slobodaand his wife Olga Eizvertinaq were given emergency accommodation after they were evicted from their previous home but say the property (pictured from the outside) is uninhabitable

The family claim the property was riddled with bed bugs, abandoned furniture and bags of rubbish. The outside of the property is pictured above

'When we went into the flat we saw cockroaches and bedbugs in the bedroom and the room overlooked a yard full of rubbish and furniture.

'There was no gas, no washing machine and it was so unsanitary that people could not live there.

'The council is a disgrace for doing this to us. I am desperate and this is really urgent.'

Ms Eizvertinaq, who is originally from Latvia, was treated for Hepatitis C last year and fears the dirty conditions could be a threat to her health.

Ms Eizvertinaq, who is originally from Latvia, was treated for Hepatitis C last year and fears the dirty conditions could be a threat to her health. Rubbish is pictured dumped outside the home

The family of three were evicted from their privately rented flat in Leyton, east London, because the landlord wanted the property back. A council spokesman said the rubbish (pictured outside the property) has now been removed

She said: 'When I saw the property I was shocked. Our son said: "Mummy let's go away, I don't want to stay here". Even a baby could see it wasn't good.

'I don't know what we're going to do for Christmas.'

Waltham Forest Council have insisted there were no cockroaches when an agent visited the property.

But officers have offered to organise pest control to help the family.

Waltham Forest Council have insisted there were no cockroaches when an agent visited the property but said they are willing to get pest control to the home

A spokesman said: 'The managing agent met the tenants at the property on the day they moved in, and confirmed that while there was some rubbish in the hallway due to work that had taken place at the properties last week. This has now been removed.

'The agent has confirmed there were no signs of cockroaches during visits to the property over the past two weeks, however a visit from pest control can be arranged if the tenants think there is an infestation issue.

'All of the furniture provided in the property will be either brand new or pre-inspected for any issues prior to the tenants moving in, in this case the beds were brand new with packaging still intact.
Support for Scottish independence has fallen to 44 per cent - falling below the level the Yes vote received in the 2014 referendum for the first time.

It deals a major blow to Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who had hoped June's Brexit vote would boost support for separation after a majority of Scots backed remaining in the EU.

Threats of Scottish independence were also used as part of the Remain's Project Fear campaign in an attempt to deter voters from backing Brexit.

But today's poll - published to coincide with St Andrew's Day - is further evidence of the doom-laden warnings backfiring.

Support for Scottish independence has fallen to 44 per cent - falling below the level it received in the 2014 referendum for the first time

The survey of Scottish voters, conducted by YouGov for The Times over the last five days, found support for independence had fallen from 46 per cent in August to 44 per cent, with 56 per cent saying they would vote for Scotland to remain part of the UK in a referendum.

In the September 2014 referendum 45 per cent backed separation.

The survey also shows that less than a third (31 per cent) want the Scottish government to push for a second referendum in the next couple of years.

More than half (56 per cent) think that it should campaign for another vote, while just six in ten 'Yes' voters in 2014 now want Scottish ministers to demand a second referendum on separation.

Today's poll is embarrassing for the SNP, which launched a three-month 'National Conversation' in September that aimed to contact 2 million voters in an attempt to drum up support for independence.

Today's poll deals a major blow to Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured, who had hoped June's Brexit vote would boost support for separation after a majority of Scots backed remaining in the EU

The three months have passed and yet 82 per cent of respondents in today's poll said they had not been approached to take part in the 'National Conversation' survey.

Polling expert Professor John Curtice said the poll showed the SNP's tactic of linking the EU vote to Scottish independence had backfired.

The SNP is also losing support, the survey shows, with 48 per cent saying they would vote for the party - down from 52 per cent in August.

Labour continues to spiral downwards, with just 15 per cent of respondents saying they would vote for the party, led in Scotland by Kezia Dugdale.

The Tories appear to be picking up support from the two parties, with 25 per cent saying they would vote for Ruth Davidson's party in a Holyrood election - up four points from August.

Voters in Scotland think Theresa May is doing a much better job than Jeremy Corbyn.

Just over a third of respondents said she is doing well as Prime Minister, while six in ten think Mr Corbyn is doing a bad job as Labour leader.

Just one in four voters think Ms Dugdale is doing a good job leading the Labour party, while nearly double (46 per cent) think Ms Davidson is doing well leading the Scottish Tories.

Scottish Labour, led by Kezia Dugdale, pictured left with her partner Louise Riddell, continues to spiral downwards, with just 15 per cent of respondents saying they would vote for the party

Ruth Davidson, pictured, replaced Kezia Dugdale as the official opposition to Ms Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament in May's elections

Ms Davidson replaced Ms Dugdale as the official opposition to Ms Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament in May's elections.

Labour's only Scottish MP Ian Murray told MailOnline: 'As this new poll shows, the last thing Scotland needs or wants is another divisive independence referendum.

'Scotland's economy is already fragile, and yet more uncertainty will only exacerbate this. It is time the SNP stopped obsessing about the constitution and instead focused on governing Scotland, creating jobs and improving life for ordinary working families.

'Not one new law has been introduced in the Scottish parliament since the SNP were re-elected in May. They need to get on with their day job. That is why Scottish Labour will vote against any independence Bill in the Scottish Parliament.'

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: 'The standout finding in this poll is the increasing opposition to another referendum on independence, and the drop in support for independence itself  now lower than at any time since the 2104 referendum.

'On the day the SNP finish their so-called listening exercise on independence, it is now time they finally paid heed to what Scotland is saying  'no' to a second referendum, and 'no' to more division, more uncertainty, and more rancour.'
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More than 50,000 people have fled Aleppo as families scrambled to get out of rebel-held areas of the city that are under a government siege.

The desperate bid for safety came as pictures showed bodies scattered in the streets following an assault by Syrian forces.

It is believed that 45 people were killed in the latest onslaught.

Children and pensioners queued in their droves for over-crowded buses, being piled onto the back of pick-up trucks and being carted around in trolleys.

It is believed that 45 people were killed in the latest onslaught by Syrian forces in Aleppo

Bodies were left strewn in the street following the most recent assault on Aleppo by Syrian forces

Dead bodies and bags lay on the ground after a bombing in the Jibb al-Quebeh neighborhood of Aleppo

The British-based monitor Syrian Observatory For Human Rights said more than 20,000 people had fled the city's east to western neighbourhoods held by the government, with another 30,000 moving to areas held by Kurdish forces.

Syrian troops have seized at least a third of eastern Aleppo since renewing their bid to recapture all of the battered city just over two weeks ago.

The former rebel stronghold has been under a government siege for more than four months, with international aid rations exhausted and other food stocks dwindling.

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Strife: Syrian families, fleeing from various eastern districts of Aleppo, queue to get onto governmental buses

Desperate: A Syrian man is pushed through the streets of Aleppo in a trolley in a desperate bid to flee the fighting

Scramble: More than 50,000 people have fled Aleppo as families scrambled to get out of rebel-held areas of the city that are under a government siege

Fleeing: Families are assisted by members of the Syrian government as they carry their children and belongings out of the city

Packed: The desperate bid for safety saw children and pensioners queuing in their droves for over-crowded buses, being piled onto the back of pick-up trucks and being carted around in trolleys

Desperate: Mothers and fathers with their youngsters lug their belongings along the street to flee eastern Aleppo

Crowd control: Civilians are herded like cattle as government soldiers attempt the control the crowds getting on the buses

Pick-up: Dozens of people are crammed onto a small truck as families flood out of Aleppo to relative safety

Out of town: Enormous queues form as civilians desperately attempt to get on board governmental buses

Direction: Syrian families, fleeing from various eastern districts of Aleppo, get onto a governmental bus in the government-held eastern neighbourhood of Jabal Badro before heading to government-controlled western Aleppo

Exodus: The Syrian government offensive to recapture rebel-held Aleppo has prompted an exodus of civilians

The waiting game: The fighting has prompted an exodus of terrified civilians, many fleeing empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossing into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish districts

Out of town: With their belongings in plastic bags and suitcases, Syrian civilians flee the battered city

Bedlam: The fighting has prompted an exodus of terrified civilians, many fleeing empty-handed into remaining rebel-held territory, or crossing into government-controlled western Aleppo or Kurdish districts

All ages: Older civilians are puched in battered wheelchairs with broken wheels while children are carried to safety

The government has said passages are open for civilians or surrendering rebels to cross into the west of the city, and accuses opposition forces of trying to prevent residents from leaving.

Many have chosen to go from the east to neighbourhoods held by Kurdish forces, which are officially aligned with neither the regime nor rebels, such as Sheikh Maqsud in the city's north.

Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

The rebel-held east, which fell from government control in 2012, has been particularly savaged by the conflict, with widespread destruction caused by repeated regime attacks.

In September, the army announced a bid to retake the city, and it began a new phase of that operation on November 15, making swift progress.

The loss of east Aleppo would be potentially the worst blow for rebel forces since the conflict began.

Ravaged: Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011

Battered: A vehicle of Syrian pro-government forces drives past damaged buildings on November 27, 2016 in the Masaken Hanano district in eastern Aleppo, a day after they resized it from rebel fighters

Remains: Syrian pro-government forces walk past destroyed buildings in the Baadeen district in eastern Aleppo on November 28, 2016, a day after they took control of the area from rebel fighters as part of their assault to retake the city

Re-capture: Syria regime forces seized two new rebel-held districts in Aleppo a day after they retook the largest opposition-controlled neighbourhood in the second city, a monitor said

Inspection: Syrian pro-government forces inspect an area on November 27, 2016 in the Masaken Hanano district in eastern Aleppo, a day after they resized it from rebel fighters

Rubble: The capture of Masaken Hanano -- which had been the biggest rebel-held district of Aleppo -- was a major breakthrough in a 13-day regime offensive to retake the entire city

Damage: A mosque lies in tatters in the Masaken Hanano district in eastern Aleppo after weeks of civil war

Fallen: Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011

Savaged: The rebel-held east, which fell from government control in 2012, has been particularly savaged by the conflict, with widespread destruction caused by repeated regime attacks

Operation: In September, the army announced a bid to retake the city, and it began a new phase of that operation on November 15, making swift progress

Hammer blow: The loss of east Aleppo would be potentially the worst blow for rebel forces since the conflict began.

Meanwhile, Syrian government shelling killed 21 civilians, including two children, in an eastern district of Aleppo early Wednesday, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens more were wounded in the artillery fire on the rebel-held Jubb al-Qubbeh district.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the shelling there was 'fierce,' and many people were stuck under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

According to the White Helmets, a rescue group in opposition-controlled Syrian territory, the artillery fire hit a group of displaced civilians seeking refuge from other eastern districts.

Syrian state news agency SANA on Wednesday said that eight civilians including two children were killed in rebel rocket fire on government-controlled districts in the city.

Another seven people were wounded, the agency said, citing a police source in Aleppo.
Australia's prime minister cut short a TV interview so he could vote in parliament on a bill to reinstate the building industry watchdog.

A division bell started ringing as Malcolm Turnbull was being interviewed in the ABC's Parliament House studio in Canberra.

He cut short a nine minute interview after 7.30 host Leigh Sales asked him if he needed to leave to vote in the House of Representatives.

'Well, if that is the case, I will have to go. Thank you very much,' he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday night.

Leigh Sales, the host of the ABC's 7.30 program, asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull if he needed to leave the studio to vote in parliament on Wednesday night

A short time later, the lower house voted to reinstate the Howard Government's Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), which had passed the Senate earlier on Wednesday.

The prime minister celebrated the legislative victory by hugging Employment Minister Michaelia Cash in the parliamentary chamber.

It was the first time in five years that a sitting prime minister had embraced a cabinet colleague in parliament, when Julia Gillard kissed her bitter Labor predecessor Kevin Rudd, following the passage of the hated carbon tax in October 2011.

Mr Turnbull's coalition government was only narrowly re-elected in July, after he called a double dissolution election of both houses of parliament over the ABCC.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured left) embraces Employment Minister Michaelia Cash after the lower house revived the Australian Building and Construction Commission

Former prime minister Julia Gillard (pictured left) kisses her bitter Labor predecessor Kevin Rudd in October 2011 after parliament passed the hated carbon tax

Before leaving the studio, the prime minister said the building industry watchdog would restore the rule of law to the construction sector.

'I see it as a great win for the economy, Leigh,' he said.

'We've all been shocked by the level of corruption, mismanagement, misappropriation from union officials, from union bosses.'

To revive the ABCC, the government negotiated with One Nation, the Nick Xenophon Team, Derryn Hinch and David Leyonhjelm.

Crossbencher Jacqui Lambie voted against the bill with the Greens and the Labor opposition.

The Howard government set up the ABCC in 2005 to restore the rule of law on construction sites.

The Gillard Labor government axed that body in 2012, arguing it was a star chamber that denied essential legal rights to union members.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said she expected royal assent to the bill on Thursday, to make it law, followed by 'cultural change' across the construction sector.

Labor said the final version of the bill was a 'mere shadow' of its original.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull grins in the House of Representatives after parliament votes to reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash (centre) hugs other coalition MPs on Wednesday

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shakes hands with Foreign Minister Julia Bishop as Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg (centre) and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne look on

The member for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman (pictured right) queues up to congratulate the prime minister

'A number of dirty deals by the government has seen it water down the ABCC so much that it begs the question how it is different to the current building regulator,' the opposition's workplace spokesman Brendan O'Connor said.

Following negotiations with crossbench senators, the Turnbull government added extra oversight for the commission's coercive powers, a requirement for building work to be offered to locals, security of payments for subcontractors, judicial review and a review of the operation of the laws within a year.

The bill is the second double dissolution election trigger to pass parliament, following the passage of the Registered Organisations Commission laws to tackle union misconduct last week.

The left-wing Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union condemned the crossbench senators who bargained to reinstate the ABCC.

'Every issue got traded around this bill except for the civil rights and the industrial rights of over a million Australian workers in the construction industry,' national secretary Dave Noonan told reporters in Canberra.
This is the disturbing moment a massive rat with a doughnut in its mouth jumped across a Krispy Kreme car park.

Mortified customer Emma Higham said it looked 'like something straight out of Ratatouille.'

The 24-year-old hospital worker was so shocked she could no longer eat her snack from the drive-thru in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

Shocking: A massive rat with a doughnut in its mouth jumped across a Krispy Kreme car park in Trafford, Greater Manchester

A video taken on her mobile phone shows the furry pest running under a Krispy Kreme bin and then leaping across the car park with the snack in its jaws.

Ms Higham, who was parked up eating a doughnut and milkshake at the time, said: 'It had to jump because the doughnut was that big.

'It was disgusting - totally disturbing. The rat was massive.

'I gave my partner my doughnut because it was hanging. It put me off my food completely.'

Ms Higham and partner Chad Berrisford, 26, from Oldham, had been through the drive-thru and stopped in the car park to eat when they spotted the rat on Sunday.

They claim the rat jumped in and out of the bin at the side of the store before scurrying under the van to eat the snack.

At one point a seagull swooped down to get in on the action. The rodent scarpered but later returned to finish its meal.

Mortifying: Customer Emma Higham was put off her food after seeing the rodent

Fearless: The rat scurrioed out from under a bin then leapt across the car park with the snack in its jaws

'It was straight in the bin and then trying to find somewhere to eat it,' said Ms Higham.

'The way it did it, it must have done it before. It was like something straight out of Ratatouille. I won't be eating there again.'

The couple have made a formal complaint to Krispy Kreme.

A spokesman said: 'We take our food hygiene very seriously and immediately called in pest control who gave the premises the all clear. In addition, we are also conducting our own investigation into the matter.

Mortified customer Emma Higham said it looked 'like something straight out of Ratatouille'

'Krispy Kreme has an exemplary food safety record and we endeavour to take care at all stages of our food production process to ensure that products are produced in a hygienic and safe manner.'

Resourceful and industrious, rats are known to source human food and smuggle it away to their friends.
Donald Trump weighed in on the Ohio State knife-and-car attack on Wednesday, tweeting that the assailant - Somali refugee Abdul Artan - should never have been let in the country in the first place.

Artan, a student at Ohio State, was born in Somalia but fled to a refugee camp in Pakistan in 2007.

In 2014, Artan, his mother and five other relatives were granted permission to immigrate to the US as legal permanent residents.

On Wednesday, Trump wrote: 'ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country.'

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Donald Trump (left) says Ohio State attacker Abdul Artan (right) should not have been in our country

During the campaign, Trump pledged to institute a temporary ban on all Muslims immigrating to the U.S. But he later deleted that part of his platform from his website

During the campaign, Trump pledged to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the US. But after becoming the president-elect, he took down that part of his platform from his campaign website.

Artan is among tens of thousands of Somalians who have sought refuge in America since civil war broke out in the African nation in the 1990s.

Authorities now believe that Artan may have become radicalized by ISIS propaganda, leading him to go on a rampage on the Ohio State campus earlier this week.

Artan was not known to FBI counterterrorism authorities before Monday's rampage, which ended with him shot to death by police and 11 people injured, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Artan was killed on Monday after going on a rampage at the Ohio State University, using his car to mow down bystanders and then slashing victims with a butcher knife. Above, his body is seen on the campus after an OSU police officer shot him dead

Eleven faculty, staff and students were injured in the Monday morning attack outside Watts Hall. Artan's car is seen crashed above

The United States had a tight cap on the numbers of refugees until President Obama announced he was increasing the numbers incrementally to 100,000 by 2017

FBI agents continued to search Artan's apartment for clues, but California U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had seen no evidence Artan was directed by or was in communication with any overseas terror organization.

The mode of attack - plowing a car into civilians, then slashing victims with a butcher knife - was in keeping with the recommended tactics of jihadist propaganda. And Facebook posts that were apparently written shortly before the attack and came to light afterward show Artan nursed grievances against the U.S.

He railed against U.S. intervention in Muslim lands and warned, 'If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace' with the Islamic State group.

'America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that,' he wrote, using the Arabic term for the world's Muslim community.

Alan Harujko, 28, (pictured) is the officer that shot the knife-wielding attacker dead

He also warned that other Muslims are in sleeper cells, 'waiting for a signal. I am warning you Oh America!'

The posts were recounted by a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, a self-described ISIS news agency called Artan 'a soldier of the Islamic State' who 'carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries.' The Islamic State group has described other attackers around the world as its 'soldiers' without specifically claiming to have organized the acts of violence.

Artan's social media rants seemed at odds with the portrait of the young man painted by neighbors and acquaintances.

Jack Ouham, owner of a market near the home on the outskirts of Columbus where Artan lived with his parents and siblings, saw him almost every day when he stopped in for snacks but never alcohol or cigarettes.

He was never angry, Ouham said.

'Very nice guy,' he said.

Artan graduated with honors from Columbus State Community College last May, earning an associate of arts degree. A video of his graduation ceremony shows him jumping and spinning on stage and smiling broadly, drawing laughs, cheers and smiles from graduates and faculty members.

The school said he had no behavioral or disciplinary problems while he was there from the fall of 2014 until this past summer.

He started at Ohio State in August as a business student studying logistics management.

A law enforcement official said Artan came to the U.S. in 2014 as the child of a refugee. Artan had been living in Pakistan from 2007 to 2014. It's not uncommon for refugees to go to a third-party country before being permanently resettled.

Federal and local authorities have been grappling with the pervasiveness of Islamic State group propaganda. FBI Director James Comey said in May that there were 'north of 1,000' cases in which agents were trying to evaluate a subject's level of radicalization and potential for violence.
A Chinese man insisted on divorcing his wife because her feet are too smelly.

In an interview with a local television station, the frustrated husband, surnamed Su, said he had repeatedly asked his better half to wash her feet more often, but his efforts were of no avail.

Mr Su also said his wife's feet were so smelly that the stink could knock out a busload of people.

The man, surnamed Su from China, said he must divorce his wife because of her smelly feet

The man, who is thought to be from central China's Henan Province, added that despite his repeated request, his wife refused to change her lifestyle.

He also said his wife told him she would rather he 'choked to death' in the smell.

The couple had been married for seven years.

'My wife is really untidy. She threw her clothes everywhere,' Mr Su told reporters from Henan TV as he showed them his home.

He said her wife would leave piles of dirty clothes unwashed for a week to ten days.

Mr Su pulled out some dirty socks belonging to her wife from under a pillow and showed them to the reporters.

The man said he asked his wife to clean up every day in the past seven years. Yet there has not been change in her behaviour.

The couple were seen arguing in front of a shopping mall during the interview by Henan TV

However, the man said his wife's messiness was not the worst part of their marriage.

'Talking about her foot odor, every time when I come back home, the smell is very strong,' Mr Su complained.

'I told her I could not accept it and she should wash her feet. She said she would not do it and would rather I choked to death.'

The man went further and said his wife's foot odor could knock out a busload of people.

During summer time, the woman showered every three to five days and she would only wash her feet during a shower, as the man described.

Mr Su pulled out a dirty sock belonging to his wife while showing his messy home to reporters

'Are you sure you want a divorce?' The reporter asked Su.

'I must divorce her,' he insisted.

Later, the couple can be seen meeting outside a shopping mall.

Seeing the reporter, Mr Su's wife said: 'We are husband and wife. There's nothing serious going on.'

The woman told the reporter they only had 'small conflicts'.

She tried to drag her husband away from the reporter.

The reporter asked the wife: 'He is not happy with your lifestyle habits, is it true?'

'Explain to me, what are small conflicts, what are big conflicts?' The man asked his wife.

The woman, who apparently did not want a divorce, refused to talk about her habits.

However after a while, she told the reporter that she agreed to start the divorce proceedings.

She left the man and refused to answer his calls afterwards.

The man said he had repeatedly asked his wife to wash her feet more often but to no avail

The video has been posted to QQ.com on November 30, attracting over 30 million views so far. It has triggered heated discussion.

One person said: 'A home is owned by both husband and wife. It's not her sole duty to clean the house.'

Another one supported the man's decision for a divorce: 'A wife doesn't have to be pretty, but who can stand a messy wife?'
The men were arrested as part of the police raids on Tuesday

Four men with alleged links to Rebels bikie club are being investigated over other murders after facing courts across Sydney charged over the execution of crime figure Pasquale Barbaro.

Siar Munshizada, 28, Abuzar Sultani, 27, Joshua Baines, 24, and Mirwais Danishyar, 23, are now behind bars two weeks after police launched an operation to clean up Sydney's gang warfare.

Heavily armed police stormed up to 13 properties, including four at Sydney's Olympic Park, on Tuesday before nine men, aged from 18-29, were charged.

Sultani, who was allegedly the brains behind the killing, lived in an upmarket apartment and studied a masters of business administration at Macquarie University while juggling the underworld, reported The Daily Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Abuzar Sultani, 27, a senior Rebels bikie, did not appear in person in Newtown Local Court and his lawyer did not apply for bail

Four men, aged between 23 and 28, have been charged with murder over the execution of crime figure Pasquale Barbaro (pictured)

The 27-year-old also known as 'Afghani Abs', was charged with the murder of underworld figure Pasquale Barbaro is alleged to have been a director of large-scale criminal activities for at least three years.

The senior Rebels bikie did not appear in person in Newtown Local Court and his lawyer did not apply for bail.

Along with the murder charge, the known Rebels member was slapped with 17 charges dating back to 2013 including directing the activities of a criminal group, numerous counts of commercial drug supply, possessing an unregistered gun and conspiracy to murder.

Documents tendered in court allege Sultani plotted to kill fellow Rebels member Ricky Ciano at Wamberal on the NSW Central Coast in August 2015.

Siar Munshizada, 28, appeared before Burwood Local Court accused over the November 14 murder

John Hajje, the lawyer for Siar Munshizada, flagged a possible bail application for the December 21 hearing

He is accused of multiple cases of assault, breaking and entering and robbery and is also allegedly implicated in serious assaults and drug supply matters as part of a 'larger criminal group'.

Court papers allege police have found 'vast amounts of money' in the 27-year-old's possession on numerous occasions, despite his having no legitimate employment or means to support himself.

Other charges involve the alleged supply of almost 5kg of the drug ice and 1.3kg of MDMA since August.

He is also accused of possessing 29 guns and more than 9300 rounds of various kinds of ammunition.

Sultani is due to face Burwood Court on December 21, when he is expected to apply for bail.

Joshua Baines, 24, did not appear in person at Parramatta Local Court before Magistrate Gary Still and did not apply for bail

Mirwais Danishyar, 23, was charged with driving offences and dishonestly possess interfered-with unique identifier along with murder. Pictured Siar Munshizada

Siar Munshizada, 28, appeared before Burwood Local Court accused over the November 14 murder in Earlwood in Sydney's south.

Lawyer John Hajje flagged a possible bail application for Munshizada's scheduled reappearance for hearing on December 21.

'It's always possible,' Mr Hajje told reporters outside court.

Joshua Baines, 24, did not appear in person at Parramatta Local Court before Magistrate Gary Still and did not apply for bail, which was formally refused.

His lawyer, Ljupka Subeska, requested the matters go to Burwood Local Court next month to 'marry up with the various co-accused'.

She said a possible bail application could be made at that time.

Mr Still agreed to adjourn the matters to Burwood Local Court on December 21 and said Baines would be required to enter a plea when he appears via audio-visual link.

Outside court Ms Subeska said Baines is 'certainly not' a killer.

Baines has also been charged with stealing three diamond rings from a commercial diamond trader at Bondi Junction in November 2014, and with intimidating a man in North Sydney in October 2014.

The fourth person, Mirwais Danishyar, 23, was charged with murder, driving offences, dishonestly possess interfered-with unique identifier and participate in a criminal group was also refused bail.

Heavily armed police stormed up to 13 properties, including four at Sydney's Olympic Park, on Tuesday before nine men were arrested

The co-accused will reappear for a hearing on December 21

The co-ordinated sting of arrests comes less than two weeks after NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione launched Strike Force Osprey after a spate of bloody executions of notorious crime figures on Sydney's streets.

The assassination of Barbaro, gunned down on an Earlwood footpath two weeks ago, is the latest in a spate of underworld killings in the city this year.

In April, convicted killer Walid Ahmad, 40, was gunned down on the rooftop car park of Bankstown Central shopping centre.
Britons could have been left 'high and dry' by the EU if she 'gave away' post-Brexit rights to European nationals in Britain without a two way deal, Theresa May claimed today.

The Prime Minister slammed Europe's 'reaction' to her bid for an early agreement on the rights of ex-pat workers on both sides of the Channel.

Mrs May was rebuffed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her efforts to secure an informal reciprocal deal in time for a summit in two weeks.

EU council president Donald Tusk last night infuriated Tory MPs by dismissing a letter urging him to step in and push for a deal as having 'nothing to do with reality'.

Mrs May today claimed at Prime Minister's Questions the reaction made clear she was right to offer a unilateral deal to Europeans in Britain.

Theresa May slammed the EU's reaction to Britain's call for a reciprocal deal on expat citizens after Brexit

The Premier said: 'I would hope this is an issue we could look at an early stage of the negotiations.

'Of course, there will be two years of negotiations. I think it is right we want to give reassurance to British citizens living in the EU and EU citizens living here in the UK.

'But I think the reaction we have seen shows why it was absolutely right for us not to do what the Labour Party wanted us to do which was simply to give away the guarantee for rights for EU citizens in the UK because as we have seen that would have left UK citizens in Europe high and dry.'

Tory Peter Lilley raised the matter and accused the EU of putting its own processes 'ahead of common humanity'.

Mrs May had urged Mrs Merkel to help her secure a deal that could have been announced at the EU Council summit in two weeks time.

More than 80 MPs, led by Tory Michael Tomlinson, wrote to Mr Tusk demanding an early solution.

The issue affects some 1.2 million Britons and their families resident in the other 27 EU countries, and as many as 3.3 million EU citizens resident in the UK.

EU council president Donald Tusk, pictured with Mrs May in Downing Street in September, heightened the row tonight by dismissing a call from 80 MPs for him to push talks along

But in his reply, Mr Tusk said: 'In your letter you state that the European Commission, and in particular Mr Barnier, are attempting to prevent negotiations, thereby creating ''anxiety and uncertainty for the UK and EU citizens living in one another's territories''.

'It is a very interesting argument, the only problem being that it has nothing to do with reality.

'Would you not agree that the only source of anxiety and uncertainty is rather the decision on Brexit?

'And that the only way to dispel the fears and doubts of all the citizens concerned is the quickest possible start of the negotiations based on Art. 50 of the Treaty?'

Former UK Cabinet Minister Owen Paterson said: 'Germany appears to be one of the last European countries to obstruct our Prime Minister's framework agreement on reciprocal rights.

'She must act now to reassure millions of UK and EU resident citizens. Angela Merkel is wrong to be intransigent.'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'EU politicians should stop playing politics with people's lives.

'They should agree to end the speculation and take away the anxiety people feel about their futures.

'The EU yet again puts systems above people.'

Angela Merkel, pictured today in Berlin, has blocked a proposal from Theresa May to be settle early the future status of EU nationals in Britain after Brexit

Senior Tory MP Steve Baker told MailOnline: 'Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel are evidently determined to place dogmatic servitude to EU processes before the wellbeing of EU citizens.

'This dispiriting intransigence will be seen as yet further evidence the EU is run by an elite disconnected from the real concerns of voters.'

Michael Tomlinson, the Tory MP who wrote to Mr Tusk demanding a deal, told MailOnline: 'This needs to be resolved.

'It should not just be on the table at the next European Council meeting, but resolved - Merkel and Tusk are wrong to refuse to talk.

'We are human beings, not structures or process.'

Tory grandees Iain Duncan Smith (left) and Owen Paterson (right) slammed the EU's refusal to cut an early deal on the rights of EU citizens in Britain and UK citizens in Europe after Brexit

Speaking before Mr Tusk's reply, Mr Tomlinson said: 'People are not bargaining chips. Theresa May wants to secure reciprocal rights for our citizens.

'This letter is a call to Donald Tusk to liberate Theresa May to achieve what is in all of our national interests and to end the anxiety and uncertainty for UK and EU citizens.'

Mrs May promised on Wednesday more than 800,000 Poles living in Britain they will be able to stay here after - but only if the EU offers similar rights to British citizens living across Europe.

Mrs May has repeatedly said she wants to guarantee the rights of EU nationals already in Britain to stay after Brexit but insisted she cannot do so without guarantees about expatriate Britons in return.

The delay has prompted fury from EU nationals who have lived and worked in Britain, sometimes for decades, but who under electoral law were not allowed to take part in June's referendum.
Marie Tompkins, 36, died of blood clots on her lungs two weeks after giving birth

A mother who died from blood clots two weeks after giving birth by caesarian could have been saved if she had received hospital treatment, a coroner said today.

Marie Tompkins, 36, visited Haslingden Health Centre, in Lancashire, on March 30 last year, complaining of chest and rib pain and swollen legs.

She was seen by Dr Sally Quinn, who believed Miss Tompkins represented a 'low to medium risk' of developing clots so did not refer her for a hospital check-up.

The following day she was found dead at home in Haslingden, Lanacshire.

Pathologist Dr Steven Mills told Burnley Coroner's Court she had died from blood clots on the lungs, or a pulmonary embolism.

He said clots can develop in the legs of new mothers while they are immobile after caesarians. These can spread to the lungs.

The inquest also heard from two medical experts who stressed Miss Tompkins' chances of survival would have been improved if she had been referred to hospital.

Recording a narrative conclusion, East Lanacshire coroner Richard Taylor said: 'The symptoms and risk factors associated with pulmonary embolism went unrecognised at the consultation on March 30.

'Thus appropriate hospital treatment was not sought, which on balance would have saved Marie's life.'

The inquest heard Miss Tompkins gave birth to daughter Poppy on March 13 last year by an emergency caesarean section at Burnley General Hospital.

Marie Tompkins, 36, visited Haslingden Health Centre, in Lancashire, pictured, on March 30 last year, complaining of chest and rib pain and swollen legs

She later discharged herself as she wanted to be at home to look after her other daughter, Grace.

Hospital staff were told community nurses would visit. She was also under her GP's care and would be monitored when she visited Poppy in the neo-natal unit.

Miss Tompkins' sister Kelly Larkin told the inquest that the new mother had seemed 'breathless and tired' after visiting Dr Quinn but that she had been reassured by the consultation.

Michael Hardman, Miss Tompkins' partner of 14 years, said blood clots had not been mentioned as a possible problem.

Following a three-day hearing, Mr Taylor described local GP Dr Quinn's examination as 'cursory' and her record-keeping as 'poor'.

Speaking outside court, Mr Hardman said: 'We believe her death could have been prevented and the coroner's findings support this.
Cuba mourns its eternal "Comandante." Fidel Castro will be remembered as one of the few world leaders whose life was a synonym of resistance. This resistance is principally related to a strong anti-American stance, the determination to proceed his own way irrespective of U.S. obstacles against him and the passion to implement the ideology of communism. Castro's legacy will remain a symbol for the Left across the world.

The death of a strong personality has naturally been viewed with emotionalism by his political friends and opponents. Contradictory and often exaggerated comments have been published by both sides.

Castro's policies should be analyzed in two periods, before and after the Revolution. Starting with the pre-1958 days, the success of his guerilla movement can be attributed to several factors including the quality of his commanders - Che Guevara, Raul Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos - as well as the poor economic conditions of Cuba in the 1950s and the impact of recession, for example, due to the decline of the price of sugar.

Furthermore, Castro's small group began its operation in an unimportant mountain area of eastern Cuba and soon benefited from the disenchantment of the local population in rural areas with Batista's central government and the disorganization of the armed forces.

After coming to power in 1959, Castro's principal source of inspiration was a type of Cuban nationalism with elements from the country's history such as the 1868 War of Independence and the student rebellions of the 1920s and 1930s. His foreign and economic policy relied on a continuously close cooperation, and the signing of trade agreements with the Soviet Union, countries of Eastern Europe and China. He also did not hesitate to nationalize U.S. companies operating in Cuba and apply a model of collectivization of agriculture.

Moreover, Castro attempted to export his Revolution experience to other Third World countries, for instance to Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia in Africa.

Above all, the "Comandante" attracts the attention of historians for his role during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. In a letter he sent to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on October 26 of that year, he had considered that "the aggression [would have been] imminent within the next 24 or 72 hours." Subsequently, he wrote about two possible variants. Specifically, the first and the likeliest one was an air attack against certain targets and the second and less probable was invasion. For the second scenario, Castro advised Khrushchev that "the Soviet Union must never allow the circumstances in which the imperialists could launch the first nuclear strike against it."

In 2012, Castro was quoted as saying in The Atlantic a somewhat regretful answer: "After I've seen what I've seen, and knowing what I know now, it wasn't worth it all." In any case, it was Moscow and not Havana who would decide.

With reference to social policy a flourishing debate exists. Castro's supporters argue that his achievements are remarkable and provide specific numbers to prove it. By 1970 Cuba reported about 88 percent of its residents were literate and that the number had reached 99 percent in 1986 - while illiteracy had affected approximately 75 percent of the population before the Revolution. In parallel with this, access to free health services guaranteed a gradual rise in life expectancy. The average of 78.45 years in 2015 was one of the highest in the world.

By contrast, critics of Castro compare the progress of Cuba with that of other countries in Latin America, which did not experience a similar political change. Although they acknowledge his achievements, they explain that it was the whole region enjoying an impressive development trend irrespective of the governance model in every state. In parallel with this, critics say that GDP per capita in Cuba was lower in comparison to other countries in Latin America.

Looking towards the future, the death of Fidel Castro will matter more symbolically than substantially. That is because he had already transferred power to his brother Raul, for the first time temporarily in 2006 and then permanently in 2008 due to his poor health.

For several years, partners of Cuba - such as China - have politically and economically approached the country without heavily counting on its "Comandante" apart from demonstrating their unquestionable historical and ideological respect. The recent visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is indicative.

More importantly, Havana is in the progress of opening its doors to the outside world in spite of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's recent rhetoric. The day after will not be worse for Cuban people. It will only be different.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
She swam to shore for treatment and was flown by helicopter to hospital and diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome)

She then got very heavy limbs, had difficulty breathing and a tight chest

She was wearing a full-length stinger suit at the time

Ms White was with her husband when she felt something brush her neck

A woman has miraculously survived after being stung by a deadly Irukandji jellyfish and experiencing heart failure.

Victorian woman Ayllie White, 39, was on holidays and snorkelling off Fitzroy Island, south-east of Cairns in Queensland, with her husband on Friday, reported the Courier Mail.

She said she was wearing a full-length stinger suit at the time, but she said she felt something brush across her neck.

Victorian woman Ayllie White, 39, (pictured) has miraculously survived after being stung by a deadly Irukandji jellyfish and experiencing heart failure

Ms White was on holidays and snorkelling off Fitzroy Island (pictured), south-east of Cairns in Queensland, with her husband on Friday

'All of a sudden, I felt what I thought was sea mites and a tingling sensation,' she told the Courier Mail.

'Five minutes later, I got this searing pain across my neck. And then quite quickly after that, the other symptoms which were much scarier were just really heavy limbs, struggling to breathe and a tightness across my chest.'

She swam to shore where she got first aid treatment, before a helicopter flew her to Cairns Hospital where she had heart failure.

Doctors diagnosed her with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome).

Ms White was wearing a full length stinger suit at the time but felt something brush across her neck. She then felt a searing pain, heavy limbs and tightness across her chest. Pictured is an Irukandji jellyfish

Ms White swam to shore to receive first aid and was flown by helicopter to Cairns Hospital (pictured)

She spent two days in intensive care, but made a quick recovery.

Ms White told the ABC the experience wouldn't put her off snorkelling but urged others to protect themselves while in the water.

'It wouldn't put me off doing it [snorkelling] again, but I probably won't be doing it this afternoon,' she said.

Ms White experienced heart failure and was in intensive care for two days, but has since recovered. Pictured is Fitzroy Island

Ms White's brush with the deadly sea creature comes as two French tourists, aged 76 and 74, died from heart attacks while snorkelling at Michaelmas Cay.

The man and woman were on holiday on the Great Barrier Reef earlier this month,

Sydney cardiologist Dr Ross Walker said he believed it was 'likely' the couple died from Irukandji jellyfish stings.
Trump also tapped billionaire Wilbur Ross to run the Commerce Department and Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts to be his deputy

Steven Mnuchin, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, said Wednesday that tax reform is the incoming administration's 'number one priority' for promoting sustained economic growth.

Mnuchin said Trump will spearhead the 'largest tax change' since Ronald Reagan was president - and their cuts will directly benefit middle-class Americans.

'There would be no absolute tax cut for the upper class,' he said on CNBC. 'There will be a big tax cut for the middle class, but any tax cuts we have for the upper class would be offset by less deductions to pay for it.'

He said the deduction for mortgage interest is one that could be eliminated.

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Steven Mnuchin, president-elect Donald Trump 's nominee for Treasury secretary, said Wednesday that tax reform is the incoming administration's 'number one priority.' He confirmed his appointment in the same interview on CNBC - before Trump announced it

Trump announced the appointment of hedge fund manager Mnuchin to Treasury secretary this morning after his cabinet pick broke the news on CNBC.

Trump said, 'His expertise and pro-growth ideas make him the ideal candidate to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.'

'I did this because I believed in him,' Mnuchin told CNBC's Squawk Box.

Mnuchin spent 17 years working at Goldman Sachs, an investment firm that has produced multiple secretaries of the Treasury, and went on to produce Hollywood blockbusters, before taking the helm of Trump's fundraising operation this year.

His selection is the latest example of Trump tapping an insider as he staffs the government and attempts to keep his pledges to 'drain the swamp' and 'Make America Great Again.'

In another move to fill out his economic team, Trump tapped billionaire Wilbur Ross to serve as the next secretary of Commerce.

The president-elect said in a Wednesday morning statement that Ross 'is a champion of American manufacturing and knows how to help companies succeed.

'Most importantly, he is one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met, and that comes from me, the author of The Art of the Deal. Together, we will take on the special interests and stand up for American jobs.'

Mnuchin told reporters camped out at Trump Tower, 'It's going to be a terrific opportunity, both for myself, Wilbur Ross, who's in Commerce working with the president, making sure we do the right thing for the American workers'

Mnuchin told reporters camped out at Trump Tower 20 minutes before the transition team released a statement formalizing the nominations,'It's going to be a terrific opportunity, both for myself, Wilbur Ross, who's in Commerce working with the president, making sure we do the right thing for the American workers.'

The duo had already confirmed their respective appointments on CNBC's Squawk Box.

'By cutting corporate taxes, we're going to create huge economic growth and we'll have huge personal income,' Mnuchin said on the program.

During the campaign, both Trump and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders blasted rival Hillary Clinton for having delivered paid speeches to Goldman Sachs, a firm that produced past Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson.

Trump's incoming chief of staff said Wednesday that Mnuchin would act in 'lockstep' with the president-elect.

The president-in-waiting has pledged to slash taxes, scrap a Pacific trade deal, remake NAFTA, and impose tariffs on trading partners that take away U.S. jobs.

Ross told CNBC today that he'd rework 'dumb trade' deals as commerce secretary.

'Believe it or not, Mexico has better treaties with the rest of the world than the United States has. We're going to fix that,' he said. 'Mexico has 44 treaties with other countries that make it very advantageous to do international shipping from Mexico rather than from the United States.'

Mnuchin said on Squawk Box Wednesday the Trump administration is aiming to cut the corporate tax rate from 30 to 15 percent and will make sustained GDP of 3 to 4 percent a top priority.

'To get there, our number one priority is tax reform. This will be the largest tax change since Reagan,' he said.

The Trump administration wants to simply the taxing code for average Americans, too, he said.

'Taxes are way too complicated, and people spend way too much time worrying about ways to get them lower.'

Mnuchin is engaged to Scottish-born actress Louise Linton

Investor Wilbur Ross, Jr. speaks to the media at Trump Tower on Tuesday in a hat he says he got at the meeting - a sign that the meeting went well, he said

He told reporters at Trump Tower later in the morning that the administration will make rebuilding America's infrastructure a major priority, as well.

'We're working with congress and the different departments in the administration to make sure we figure out how to fund it in the most effective way, he said.

Mnuchin said they would consider public-private partnerships - 'different types of things...It's all going to be a big priority.'

Cabinet positions require Senate confirmation.

Trump also nominated Todd Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, for deputy secretary of Commerce on Wednesday.

'The incredible job he and the Ricketts family did in the purchase and turnaround of the Chicago Cubs  one perfect step after another, leading to the World Championship, is what I want representing our people,' Trump said. 'I am very proud to have him on our team.'

Ross has suggested that much of America is disgruntled because the economy has left middle-class workers behind

Ross appeared at Trump Tower on Tuesday, and spoke briefly to reporters afterward while wearing a camo 'Make America Great Again' hat.

'It was a good enough meeting that they gave me a proper rain hat,' Ross quipped.

Ross is the head of a lucrative private equity fund that specializes in rescuing failing businesses and turning them around. He'll replace Penny Pritzker - another billionaire - as Commerce secretary if he accepts the job and is confirmed by the Senate.

Pritzker was easily confirmed to the position in 2013, but Ross could face additional scrutiny because of his investments in the steel and natural gas industries, Politico reports.

'He might be the second-most complicated person in the administration to vet, behind the president-elect himself,' Brookings Institution visiting fellow Norman Eisen told the news publication.

The SEC fined him $2.3 million in August for charging his investors management fees he improperly disclosed. Ross voluntarily offered to repay the fees, the SEC said, with interest.

Ross is viewed by industry experts as someone who would be a strong defender of U.S. workers and would push for stricter enforcement of U.S. trade laws.

'If Americas trading partners continue to cheat, a President Trump will use all available means to defend American workers and American manufacturing facilities from such cheating, including tariffs,' he said of the Republican's economic plan in a white paper.

Eli Miller, Chief Operating Officer of the Trump campaign, and Steve Mnuchin, national finance chairman for the Trump campaign,are seen arriving at Trump Tower on Tuesday

Democrats immediately blasted the Mnuchin pick.

'So much for draining the swamp. Nominating Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury Secretary  a billionaire hedge fund manager and Goldman Sachs alumnus who preyed on homeowners struggling during the recession  is a slap in the face to voters who hoped he would shake up Washington,' said Democratic National Committee spokesman Adam Hodge.

'Trump is already heading into office as the most corrupt, conflicted, and unpopular president-elect in history, and now hes breaking his signature promise to the voters who elected him,' Hodge added.

Mnuchin, 53, cut his teeth at one of the world's most powerful investment banks. His appointment collides with some of Trump's populist rhetoric from the campaign, where he vowed to close the 'carried interest' loophole and regularly inveighed against big banks and companies that move jobs overseas.

His father also worked at Goldman Sachs starting in 1957, the Wall Street Journal reported, and spent his career there while specializing in a type of block trading.

Trump also nominated Todd Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, for deputy secretary of Commerce on Wednesday. The two are seen meeting in Nov. 15

Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, left, addresses the crowd as his brother Todd, right, hugs their sister Lori during a rally in Grant Park honoring the World Series baseball champions on Nov. 4, 2016, in Chicago

When he founded Dune Capital, Mnuchin got financial backing from liberal financier George Soros, who was one of multiple capitalists who appeared in a sinister-looking Trump campaign video in the final days of the election.

Trump said during the campaign that 'hedge fund guys are getting away with murder,' and called for doing away with a tax loophole, even as he called for creating a new 15 per cent rate for those who engage in business partnerships.

Although Trump was outraised by Hillary Clinton, his campaign brought in $255 million to Clinton's $513 million, much of it under Mnuchin's tenure, enough to keep the race competitive with assistance from outside groups despite opposition from many prominent members of the establishment.

Ross became a bankruptcy specialist at Rothschild Inc. in the 1970s, according to the Journal. He worked on bankruptcies and corporate restructuring deals involving Texaco, TWA, and Continental Airlines.

Trump's incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus said this morning on MSNBC that all of people Trump is adding to his cabinet will have 'his same mindset and his same goals.'

Mnuchin will act in 'lockstep' with the president-elect and vice president-elect. 'Steve Mnuchin was part of writing that hundred-day plan and that speech that Donald Trump gave a few weeks ago about what the first 100 days would be like,' Priebus said.
A financial manager of a UK-based Korean firm lost her job because she 'refused to bow to her boss', an employment tribunal heard today.

The 43-year-old was demoted after her 'furious' director had confronted her over her failure to bow to him at the start and end of each working day, a panel was told.

Misook McDonald was ordered instead to make coffee but when she challenged Dongbu Daewoo Electronics director Ho Seung Yoo he retorted: 'Isn't that what female workers should do?'

Mrs McDonald is suing the UK headquarters of the top electronics firm for sex discrimination, age discrimination and racial discrimination.

Misook McDonald, pictured, claims she was demoted from her role as finance manager at Dongbu Daewoo Electronics because she 'would not bow to her boss'

The tribunal, in Reading, heard that the British mother said she had to spend hours of her day in the company director's office 'with the door firmly shut' before her job role was suddenly changed.

Mrs McDonald, who has an English father and South Korean mother, also claimed she was stripped of her managerial role because she was not a white British man.

The panel heard she was instead forced to work in human resources and administration at Dongbu Daewoo Electronics UK because of discrimination against her sex, age and race.

The electronic sales company, which is based in Winnersh Triangle, Berkshire, and its chief financial officer, Mr Yoo, denies the claims.

Mrs Mcdonald, from Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire, told the tribunal: 'I asked Mr Yoo why was I being asked to do secretarial duties such as making coffees. He said 'isn't that what female employees should do?'

She returned to work as a part-time assistant finance manager after a career break to have her two children in April 2014.

The tribunal heard problems began after she was promoted to finance manager and became head of Human Resources, reporting directly to Mr Yoo and began working full-time by February 2015.

Her annual pay rose about 10,000 to 35,000 per annum.

She told the panel that she had no experience in HR and added: 'He wanted me to be his eyes and ears, which took up a lot of time.

'I was constantly called into his office and spent several hours of my day in his room with the door firmly shut.'

Mrs McDonald, who lived in South Korea and went to an American school for expatriates' children until she was 12 years old, was the only bi-lingual Korean and English speaker in the company until native Korean June Turner joined her team in February 2015.

Mrs McDonald's work was praised and she was one of three employees who received a 2,000 bonus when other colleagues faced a pay-freeze, the tribunal heard.

'With the additional person in the Accounts Department who is a "pure ethnic native Korean" it became apparent to me that Mr Yoo now wanted me to be more focused on the company administration side of things and less on accounts,' Mrs McDonald told the tribunal.

'I know he was glad to utilise me when I was the only bi-lingual person but when a better speaking Korean employee came along, I was not his preferred choice.

'I am also not considered 'pure' as my father is English.'

She claimed she was forced to take on 'secretarial duties' when Mr Yoo told her to show Mrs Turner 'respect' because she was older than her and take pity on her because she had no children.

The tribunal was told her job role of Assistant Manager was given to Mrs Turner and she was made manager to the Office Administrator/PA before her company's CEO visited her workplace from Korea on June 8 2015.

The company's director Ho Seung Yoo, pictured, denied the accusation and said 'no one in the company was required to bow'

'I expressed that I felt discriminated just because I am viewed as a Korean female and younger, hence lower in status that I can be looked down upon and pushed aside,' she said.

'I know if I had been an older British white Caucasian male, Mr Yoo would have seen me very differently and would not dare to push me around so easily..'

She had a meeting with Mr Yoo, Mrs Turner and the former Finance Manager nine days later.

'They all pressured me to accept the split organisational chart Mr Yoo wanted and I felt uncomfortable with the pressure I as under,' she said.

The claimant said she suffered sexist abuse from Mr Yoo over the grievance letter her solicitor had sent.

'As is usual protocol, I went to Mr Yoo's office to bow goodnight to him. When I opened the door to make my bow, he was in an absolute fury. He was raging with anger,' she said.

Mrs McDonald was signed off work over stress and told the company's Managing Director Chong Park that she was being harassed by Mr Yoo in August.

'He said Mr Yoo was very angry that I had broken protocol by not bowing to him every morning when I get to work and I do not bow to him when I leave the office at night,' she said.

'I replied that it wasn't out of disrespect that I stopped bowing to him, it was because I wanted to avoid him in case he called me into his office whilst I went to say hello or goodbye.

'I didn't want any opportunity for harassment to occur so I was avoiding Mr Yoo.'

A mediator for grievance hearings over her claim found 'no reason to favour one account over another' and did not uphold Mrs McDonald's complaint, the tribunal was told.

Mr Yoo told the panel: 'Mrs McDonald never complained about being called into my office whilst at work until she lodged her grievance.

'The suggestion raised by Mrs McDonald as to me demanding that she bow to me is simply not true,' he claimed.

'Bowing is considered a custom in Korea but nobody in our UK office is required to bow.

'Some of our Korean staff choose to bow but as I say nobody must bow, it is entirely voluntary.

Mrs McDonald, who was representing herself, asked Mr Yoo in cross-examination about when she complained about having to make coffees for him in a meeting she had with him in his office before the CEO's visit.

She said: 'On this particular day I had asked you why are you asking me to do secretarial duties such as serving coffees for you and your guests and your reply was, 'isn't that what female workers should do?'

Mr Yoo was asked: 'Is that because, in your opinion, she was female and junior and Korean in your eyes?'

Mr Yoo, through a translator, said: 'When initially Mrs McDonald joined our company, every morning she brought me a cup of coffee or tea, every single morning.

'Yes I did say it. However, although I asked her to make some coffee for my guests, I was really sorry for asking that of her at the time.'

Mrs McDonald asked Mr Yoo, who had been seconded from the company's Korean headquarters to the UK for a four year term, if he expected his employees to follow 'Korean protocol.'

Mr Yoo said: 'No. Never, not at all. As far as I understood, Mrs McDonald used to live in Korea for some time.

'If Mrs McDonald voluntarily decided to follow some Korean cultural protocol I would not mind.'

Mrs McDonald is suing the Berkshire-based firm, pictured, for ex discrimination, age discrimination and racial discrimination

The claimant asked: 'With regards to bowing at the start and finish of the day?'

Mr Yoo, who had previously worked in the company's Northern Irish office, said: 'Let me explain to you, while I was working for the UK office, I never ever asked any of my employees to bow to me at all, never ever.

'It was quite strange because from the very beginning Mrs McDonald, on arrival, she bowed to me.

'It was quite strange to me also she made coffees and teas and she brought to me it was strange, of course I appreciate it. However I just accepted it.'

Managing director Chong Sik Park revealed changes brought in by Mr Yoo in the workplace led to him asking 'Is he normal or is he mental?'

The director told of his frustration at Mr Yoo's behaviour after it was revealed Mrs McDonald and her manager had not come to an agreement over her job role amicably.

Mr Park, who denied his two dozen employees were required to bow to their manager, told the tribunal Mrs McDonald's job role had not changed despite her name appearing under the HR department in a company chart which was shown to its CEO.

The tribunal heard Mr Yoo was told he needed to reduce his staff numbers and gave her position in the accounts department to Mrs Turner in his presentation.

Mr Park said: 'Mr Yoo did not want to make anybody redundant or to make anybody lose their jobs.

'Mr Yoo designed the presentation which included the job chart to show the CEO and HQ that we had met their request. Nobody's job role actually changed at that stage.'

The tribunal was told her title in the chart had 'with accounts' written next to it in Korean.

The MD said: 'Mrs McDonald told me that things had been sorted and that whilst she was sorry to be leaving the accounts work behind, she hoped we could all moved forward together and in fact said that she and Mr Yoo had made peace.'

Referring to when Mrs McDonald raised concerns over her manager announcing the changes to colleagues, Mr Park added: 'That said, in this situation I did think the timing was a little soon given the recent problems that had emerged between Mrs McDonald and Mr Yoo.

'When I said "is he normal or is he mental" - I was upset and frustrated with Mr Yoo."
Australian high school students have developed a drug to treat malaria and HIV for just $20.

The year 11 students at Sydney Grammar developed anti-parasitic drug daraprim to take on controversial U.S. pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, who last year multiplied by 55 the price of the essential medicine.

The school in Sydney's east, which counts Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as a former student, created 3.7 grams of the active ingredient for just $US20.

Year 11 Sydney Grammar students (pictured) spent a year developing the active ingredient in daraprim for $US20

Former Turing Pharmaceuticals boss Martin Shkreli (pictured) acquired the right to daraprim in August 2015 and hiked the price dramatically

Martin Shkreli's greed deprived malaria and HIV sufferers of an affordable medicine

Student Milan Leonard, 17, described the moment he and his classmates created the drug in the school laboratory to highlight the 'ridiculous' inflated price of the medicine overseas.

'It was ecstatic, it was bliss, it was euphoric,' he told the ABC.

'After all of this time spent working and chemistry being such a high and low, after all the lows, after all the downs, being able to make this drug, it was pure bliss.'

The students spent a year on their breakthrough after Mr Shkreli, as the chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, acquired the exclusive rights to daraprim and hiked the price of a tablet by 55 times, from $13.50 to $US750, in August 2015.

Students at Sydney Grammar wanted to take on Martin Shkreli for massive price gouging

Pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli tweeted he wanted the rights to an HIV cure

Individual tablets of the medicine to treat malaria and HIV soared to $US750

Sydney Grammar students have wheeled out a drug to take on this man's greed

HOW THEY DID IT The Sydney Grammar students took 17 grams of 2,4-chlorophenyl acetonitrile to create 3.7 grams of pyrimethamine, the active ingredient in daraprim. They synthesised the raw material to make the drug used to treat malaria and HIV. The students then tested its purity using a spectrograph. Their sample would be worth up to $US110,000 on the American market but they did it all for $US20 over a year. Advertisement

The 3.7 grams the Sydney Grammar students developed would sell in the United States for between $US35,000 and $US110,000.

They developed pyrimethamine, the active ingredient in daraprim which is used to treat malaria and people with weak immune systems, such as HIV sufferers, pregnant women and chemotherapy patients.

The World Health Organisation lists pyrimethamine as an essential medicine.

Mr Shkreli last week tweeted his fantasy about wanting the rights to an HIV cure.
A 60-year-old Philadelphia man who was seriously hurt when a package he opened last week exploded in his face has spoken for the first time since the blast, revealing the extent of his injuries.

In a statement shared on an online fundraiser started on his behalf by a friend, Jim Alden said on Tuesday his life 'changed a week ago as he stood in the kitchen of his Center City Philadelphia apartment and opened a large padded manila envelope, thinking it contained asthma inhalers he had ordered.

The package, which was said to have been addressed to Alden and carefully designed to look just like the envelopes containing medications that he has been receiving in the mail on a regular basis, was rigged with an explosive device, which went off the moment the man broke the seal.

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Victim revealed: Jim Alden, 60, is pictured in the hospital suffering from severe shrapnel wound after he was injured by a letter-bomb on November 23 in Philadelphia

Targeted: A friend said Alden (right), who is openly gay and lives with his partner (left), might have been the victim of a hate crime

Alden suffered shrapnel wounds to his face, chest and arms, which he said are 'slowly healing.' He also sustained a blister on his ear drum as a result of the explosion, which has impacted his hearing.

Alden, who is left-handed, lost parts of two fingers on his dominant hand and had to undergo surgery to repair some of the damage, including the installation of several rods to stabilize multiple broken bones. He will need to undergo additional surgeries on that hand going forward.

At this point, I only know that I have a long road ahead of me, and I will likely be unable to work for quite some time, he wrote in his statement shared on the YouCaring fundraiser.

Alden is a member of Philadelphias LGBT community and lives with his partner, who was home at the time of the bombing but escaped unharmed.

Talbott Smith, who has launched the campaign to help Alden with his mounting medical expenses, described the incident as a highly personal attack and said that it was being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Alden has not commented on a motive, saying in his statement that he does not want to 'impede or interfere with the local, state and federal investigators who are working hard to solve this crime.'

The 60-year-old man opened a manila envelope that exploded in Philadelphia's Center City. Police said the package was 'target specific' and contained a 'device' meant to harm

The large manila envelope appeared on the steps of Alden's building in the 1800 block of Pine Street on November 22. It was not delivered by the postal service, police said.

The package had a bar code on the exterior, with a power source and loop switch inside, according to CBS.

The blast was activated by the man who opened the envelope, rather than set off remotely, police said. The apartment also smelled of sulfur after the explosion.

Alden, who had just returned from New York City, where he was visiting with friends, opened the booby-trapped package at 4am on November 23.

The 'target specific' package was meant to injure, but police did not consider it an act of terrorism, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.

Alden was rushed to Jefferson Hospital, where he was treated and later released to continue his recovery at home.

'Now, one week later, I'm happy to be resting at home and feeling a little bit better,' Alden stated on Tuesday.

'MY LIFE CHANGED ON THAT DAY': FULL STATEMENT FROM PHILADELPHIA LETTER-BOMB VICTIM JIM ALDEN Alden works as a caterer in Philadelphia and is active in the city's theater community 'There has been substantial news coverage about the letter bomb that seriously injured me on the morning of November 22, 2016. Now, one week later, Im happy to be resting at home and feeling a little bit better. My life changed on that day, and I still face more surgeries to deal with the significant damage to my left hand. The shrapnel damage to my face, chest and arms is slowly healing, and a blister on my ear drum is affecting my hearing, but is supposed to heal. At this point, I only know that I have a long road ahead of me, and I will likely be unable to work for quite some time. Because I would never want to impede or interfere with the local, state and federal investigators who are working hard to solve this crime, Im unable to provide an update on the criminal investigation. I will leave that up to those professionals. What I want to say at this point is how overwhelmed I have been at the outpouring of love and support that Ive received from my partner, family, friends, and coworkers. Through the YouCaring.comweb site, I've received many generous donations along with comments that are beautifully supportive and inspiring. Please know that the donations will be invaluable as I deal with medical expenses and the potential of many months without income. As I go forward in my recovery I know I will continue to rely on the loving care of my partner and friends, and I appreciate everyones concern and compassion. Thank you!' Source: YouCaring.com Advertisement

The package, which was not delivered by the postal service, appeared on Monday evening and the man opened it around 4am Tuesday thinking it contained his medication

In the wake of the explosion, about 10 residents in the surrounding apartments were evacuated and allowed to return to their homes after police inspected other packages.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were working with US Postal Inspectors and the city bomb squad to get to the bottom of the incident.

They have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

Talbott Smith, a retiree living in Sacramento who's been friends with Alden for four decades, has shared some of his personal history on the YouCaring site, revealing that he was born in Modesto, California, graduated from California State University at San Francisco, where he caught the acting bug, and later moved to New York to pursue a career in theater.

He relocated to Philadelphia in the early 1990s, where he became a caterer at the Warwick Rittenhouse Hotel while continuing to perform in community theater and cabaret productions.

The victim was transported to Jefferson Hospital with injuries to his hands and chest, but his condition has since stabilized. An investigation is ongoing

'I've never known anyone who didn't like him,' Smith, 62, told Philly.com. 'It's just a horrible thing to have happen to a really nice person.'

As of Wednesday morning, Smith's online campaign benefiting Alden has drawn more than $18,800 in donations.

In his note shared on the charity site, the 60-year-old victim said he's been 'overwhelmed' at the outpouring of love and support and thanked the public for their generosity.
Most of the planes on board the Admiral Kuznetsov have had to fly to an airbase in Syria after failing to launch from the sea.

A defence source told The Times the lack of catapult system on board Russia's only aircraft carrier last left pilots unable to operate from it.

As a result, they have had to take off using a specially built ramp with fewer weapons and less fuel.

It is the latest catastrophe for the warship on its well documented voyage through the English Channel to the Mediterranean.

In Moscow, the vessel, launched 31 years ago in the Soviet era, is seen as 'the most problematic ship in the Navy'.

After this voyage it is set for major repairs because it cannot hit top speed - leading to serious limitation for the aircraft.

A recent report on the state of the ship highlighted 'violations of discipline' among a crew that rarely go to sea, but emphasised: 'The main problem of the Kuznetsov remains in its power plant.

'It is kept running only with the help of 'cannibalism' - when the necessary parts are taken from 956 class ships which use similar equipment,' said the report on Lenta.ru.

Far from being an icon of Putin's power, Russian observers see the ageing the vessel as a symbol of the lack of naval planning since the end of Soviet times.

'Numerous repairs in 1994-95, 1996-98, 2001-04 and 2008 could not improve the situation, mainly due to lack of financial investment,' one report stated.

The aircraft carriers chequered history is highlighted by the fact it has changed names four times.

Fiercely armed and weighing 55,000 tons, the 31-year-old Kuznetsov may appear formidable, but experts say it is in very poor material condition.

The vessel  which is 1,000ft long and has a top speed of 29 knots  is powered by boilers that are so unreliable it is accompanied by a large ocean-going tug whenever it deploys in case it breaks down.

Embarrassingly for the Kremlin, the ship was in such poor condition during its Mediterranean deployment in 2011 that the US navy kept a close watch on it in case it sank.

One sailor was killed when a fire started on board in 2009.

The Kuznetsovs plumbing is so bad that many of its toilets cannot be used.

Flaws in the piping system mean it freezes during winter. To prevent pipes bursting, the water is turned off to most of the cabins  to the annoyance of its 1,690-man crew.
A police officer had to use pepper spray on an aggressive mob of teenagers after he tried to arrest a 15-year-old girl who allegedly bit him on the arm.

Footage posted on social media showed the policeman trying to pull the girl by her arm towards the back of his van.

She tried to shrug him off while one of her friends attempted to drag her in the opposite direction.

During the tussle, the officer bundled the girl into the bush while one of her friends said 'you're the police, you're supposed to be nice to them'.

Moments later the officer deployed his pepper spray to try and disperse the group.

Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed the officer trying to drag the girl into the van

As the policeman tried to put the girl into the police van, one of her friends tried to drag her off

It is understood most of the group were teenagers under 16 and around four of them were affected by the pepper spray.

The 40-second video will now be analysed as part of an investigation into the incident.

The unidentified male officer had been called to the McDonalds restaurant in Christchurch, Dorset, following reports 15 people had been 'verbally and physically aggressive' towards staff.

The officer who was alone tried to detain the schoolgirl - named by her friends as 'Destiny' - after she allegedly bit him on the arm in the fracas.

He shouted 'that is assault' as she screamed 'get the f*** off me...you're strangling me'.

Another of her friends was overheard saying 'that's police brutality...what are you doing?'

The officer had been called to the McDonald's restaurant following reports 15 people had been verbally and physically aggressive towards staff there

During the tussle, the officer bundled the girl into the bush and he later used pepper spray

A spokesman for Dorset police said: 'Shortly after this incident it is reported that an officer was assaulted while trying to disperse some members of the group who had failed to leave the area. He sustained bite marks to his left arm.

'PAVA irritant spray was used by the lone officer who was dealing with the second incident.'

Inspector Lorna Gallimore added: 'I would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or has any video footage of what occurred to please contact Dorset Police.

'Police officers put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect the public and Dorset Police will thoroughly investigate allegations of assault on police officers.'

A 15-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm to a police officer.

As a result of her age she has been 'de-arrested' while the investigation continues.

The incident happened outside this McDonald's restaurant in Christchurch, Dorset

The video was uploaded to Facebook by Lois Simmons, who claimed her brother, Ryan, was shoved to the ground by the officer.

She said: 'Using force only angers those guys more and their response should have been expected.'

After the video was uploaded to Facebook, her friends rushed to criticise the officer for his conduct.

One described the footage as being 'disgusting', while another said 'absolutely vile, unbelievable'.

Tia Payne commented: 'What a great police force we have maybe they should learn to deal with youths and not get intimidated by people like us just cause we are teenagers.'

Abi Burnett added: 'The police are vile, they only do something when THEY want it to happen.'

He might have a badge on his arm that doesn't mean he's unstoppable', Jack Dodds wrote.

Lauren France wrote: 'My friend and I actually saw this as we were driving towards Sainsbury's...it's disgusting how they think they can treat people.'
A judge ruled on November 14 that having the Duggars as his permenant guardians was in the boy's 'best interest'

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar may have been forced to say goodbye to daughter Jinger after she tied the knot earlier this month, but just one week later the couple welcomed a new child to the family.

The 8-year-old son of Michelle's niece Rachel Hutchins is now officially a member of the Duggar clan, four months after he moved in with the family this past July.

In Touch reports that an Arkansas judge granted a request made by Jim Bob and Michelle to become the permanent guardians of their grand-nephew on November 14, stating in his ruling that it was in the 'best interest' of the child.

The Duggars took in the boy after his 'unemployed and homeless' mother struggled to care for him.

The news comes a little over a year after it was revealed that the Duggars' eldest son Josh had molested four of his minor sisters when he was a teenager, and that Jim Bob did not formally notify members of law enforcement about his son's offenses.

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New baby: Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have become the permanent guardians of the 8-year-old son of Michelle's niece Rachel Hutchins (l to r: Jessa, Joy Anna, Janna, Michelle, Carolyn, Rachel and her son, Jinger and Jill in 2014)

Tough times: Hutchins was arrested and charge with felony breaking and entering this past April (mugshot above)

'Jim Bob and Michelle have made the child feel right at home. They treat him like their own and he looks up to them as parents,' a source told the magazine, adding that the boy's mother is also able to have supervised visits with her son at the Duggar's home.

Hutchins was reportedly among those who supported the Duggars bid to be named the guardian of her son, with her own personal struggles making it difficult to raise the child.

She is on probation for three years after being arrested this past April on felony charges of breaking and entering.

'She's a good person, but she's made some bad decisions,' an insider previously told InTouch.

Her current situation is not known, but according to Facebook she is engaged to a man named Michael Wright. She gave birth to her son as an unwed teenager.

Hutchins first gave up custody in August 2015, months before her arrest, to Michelle's sister Carolyn.

The Duggars then took custody of the young boy after Carolyn suffered a stroke this past July.

Close: Hutchins frequently posted photos of her self with the Duggar family (above with Jinger)

Decision: A judge ruled on November 14 that having the Duggars as his permenant guardians was in the boy's 'best interest'

The family has spent a good amount of time with Rachel and the young boy in the past, with Hutchins frequently posting photographs of them together on her Facebook page.

More details can be found in this week's InTouch, on newsstands Friday

Michelle has also frequently talked about her desire to have another child, having given birth to a stillborn daughter in December 2011 that she named Jubilee Shalom.

And it seems that the family's recent scandal was not an issue for the court when agreeing to grant the request for guardianship.

It was revealed in May that Josh had molested multiple minors when he was a teenager, and in June the family confirmed that four of the five victims were his own sisters.

Then in July, TLC announced they would be cancelling the family's show 19 Kids and Counting, but featuring Jessa and Jill in a sexual abuse special.

Josh was never charged with a crime for the incidents as by the time police learned of the offenses the statue of limitations had passed, and his parents did not notify authorities in an official capacity at any point after learning about their son's actions.
A police sergeant has been found guilty of misconduct after telling colleagues that a job applicant would only be hired if she had 'big t**s'.

West Midlands Police officer Andy Sheldon made a number of sexist comments in front of colleagues about the looks, breast sizes and cleavage of prospective staff.

He also joked that the women - being interviewed for civilian posts in his unit, which helped vulnerable adults - would not be successful if they were 'ugly munters'.

West Midlands Police officer Andy Sheldon (pictured) made a number of sexist comments in front of colleagues about the looks, breast sizes and cleavage of prospective staff

The West-Bromwich-based officer was found guilty of misconduct yesterday after a two-day hearing at the force's Lloyd House HQ.

Panel Chairman Harry Ireland said it had been proven that the officer had made unacceptable sexist remarks amounting to misconduct and ruled that he should receive management advice.

It had been claimed that colleagues had heard him making various remarks about the size of the women's breasts and the length of their skirts in July 2015.

Detective Constable Claire Winchurch, an officer on his vulnerable adult unit, said she had witnessed the officer making the comments but had not been personally offended by them.

She said: 'I remember him asking "is she an ugly munter? yes, she hasn't got the job" and "does she have big t**s? yes, she will get the job".

'There was also a comment about the need for them to show some cleavage. An inspector was also laughing and agreeing with him.

The West-Bromwich-based officer was found guilty of misconduct yesterday after a two-day hearing at the force's Lloyd House HQ (pictured)

'The office was quite full at the time. There was probably about eight people in there. It was banter between them.

'I did not think it was appropriate, but I did not get offended personally. He is very old school, but he is also a lovely man.

'I did 10 years in the Army so it did not offend me. Nobody else came up and said that offended me either.'

The officer had also faced allegations that he had aimed racist remarks towards a colleague, but the case against him was not proven.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: 'West Midlands Police demands the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and conduct from all police staff and police officers at all times.
Wilders facing a storm over remarks he made about Moroccans in Holland

Election now would see it become largest group in parliament, poll claims

A Dutch far-right party led by controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders would win an election if it was held today, a poll has revealed.

The Party for Freedom would seize 33 seats in the Dutch parliament's 150-seat lower chamber, based on data revealed by pollster Maurice de Hond.

It would make Geert Wilders' party the largest group in parliament, pushing the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Mark Rutte into second place with just 25 seats - well down on the 41 it currently has.

A Dutch far-right party led by controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders (pictured) would win an election if it was held today, a poll has revealed

The firebrand leader has been boosted in opinion polls ahead of elections in March amid publicity from his trial on charges of hate speech in a Dutch court over comments he made about Moroccans living in the country.

The new weekly poll comes ahead of March elections as support for populist parties in Europe has been on the rise since Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential race.

'The trial of Wilders has ensured that the positive electoral flow towards the PVV since the election of Trump has been further strengthened,' said De Hond.

Wilders's PVV party took the lead in the polls late last year amid a polarising debate over how to accommodate the wave of migrants arriving in Europe. It had slipped back to run neck-and-neck with the Liberals in recent months.

But amid a wave of publicity since the October 31 start of Wilders's trial, support has been steadily climbing and the PVV moved back ahead of the Liberals two weeks ago. The Freedom Party currently holds just 12 seats in parliament.

The Party for Freedom would seize 33 seats in the Dutch parliament's 150-seat lower chamber, based on data revealed by pollster Maurice de Hond

Rutte's Liberals currently govern in a coalition with their junior partner the Labour Party (PvdA) together holding a 75-seat majority. But Sunday's polls showed Labour only keeping 10 seats in the upcoming vote.

Wilders is now awaiting a December 9 verdict having been charged with inciting racial hatred and insulting a racial group. If found guilty of insulting Moroccans during an election rally in 2014, he faces a likely 5,000 euros fine.

But he remained unapologetic when addressing the court last week as the hearings wrapped up, saying he was 'not a racist'.

The polls come as Austria votes on Sunday in a re-run of disputed presidential elections pitting the leader of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe) against a contender backed by the Greens.
The private weed stash of 'Gonzo journalist' Hunter S Thompson is going to be made available to the public, his widow has announced.

Thompson, whose drug-infused adventures in political and sport reporting were most famously captured in 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', reportedly smoked six particular strains before his suicide in 2005.

Now those strains will live again in marijuana dispensaries around the country thanks to a deal with a marijuana company, Anita Thompson told The Aspen Times.

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Widow: Hunter S Thompson's widow Anita (both pictured) has announced that she will sell the six strains of marijuana her husband used by hybridizing them with other weed plants

Iconic: Thompson's drug-infused writing - most famously 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' - have made him a counter-culture icon. (File photo of unrelated weed strain)

The six strains will be hybridized with other marijuana plants, then grown, cultivated and sold under the official Thompson or Gonzo 'brands.'

Weed was probably the least controversial of the drugs Thompson admitted to using in his acerbically funny, deeply subjective writing, which he termed 'Gonzo journalism.'

But it's also the one that's legal.

As a result companies wanting to promote themselves using the journalist's name and image - made famous by the Johnny Depp-starring 1998 movie - have been flitting around his estate like bats.

'Since it became legal I get approached probably once a month by cannabis growers, dispensaries,' Mrs Thompson said.

'I've had probably ten meetings in the last three years and I always ended up saying "No" because it's the same story every time: somebody wants to slap Hunter's name on their strain.'

She also says she's been holding back because she was worried that Thompson's famously large appetite for mind-bending substances would overshadow his literary writing - something that, to be fair, was also a risk when he was alive.

'I was always steering toward his work and away from his lifestyle, but now I feel like I can talk more openly about his lifestyle,' she said. 'I'm proud to do it now. Before, it was a little too risky.'

'I'm looking forward to being a drug lord,' she added.

In demand: Mrs Thompson says that companies have been trying to use her husband's likeness on their own strains ever since it became legal. Thompson killed himself in 2005

There might also be more practical aspects to the decision to go into the business now.

In June Mrs Thompson bought Owl Farm, which her late husband used to describe as his 'heavily fortified compound' in Aspen, Colorado, from the Gonzo Trust, which is overseen by his attorneys and trustees.

She laid down $500,000, which she borrowed from pal and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay - considerably less than the $3.7million her occupancy rights were appraised at - and agreed to give up rights to his books.

In return, she got not just Owl Farm, but also the rights to Thompson's image and the logo for the Gonzo movement - a six-digit fist closed over a peyote bud.

That gives her the branding needed to make a go of being a high-profile mainstream 'drug lord'.

And the money from sale of the strains will go towards renovating Owl Farm and turning into a writer's retreat, Mrs Thompson said.

Hunter S Thompson committed suicide at Owl Farm on February 20, 2005. He had reportedly been depressed by his increasing age and non-terminal illnesses in his hip and back.

His funeral - in which his ashes were fired out of a cannon atop a tower shaped like the Gonzo fist - was funded by pal Johnny Depp and attended by John Kerry, Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson and John Cusack, among others.
Hundreds of homes and businesses in town were

A Tennessee man is on a desperate search to find his wife and two daughters who went missing while trying to evacuate from the fire-riddled resort town of Gatlinburg.

Michael Reed said that he last spoke to his wife, Constance, and two daughters, Lily, nine, and Chloe, 12, while they were trying to flee their home on Wiley Oakley Drive on Monday.

'I just want to find them,' Reed told the Knoxville News Sentinel on Tuesday. 'They said there were flames across the street.

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Desperate: Micheal Reed (above) is pleading for help in finding his missing wife and two daughters after they went missing in Gatlinburg during wildfires on Monday

Michael (top left) says his wife, Constance (center), and two daughters, Lily (bottom center), nine, and Chloe (second left), 12, were trying to evacuate from the fire-riddled resort town of Gatlinburg

The father-of-three said he last spoke to his wife (pictured together left) and two daughters (pictured together right) while they were trying to flee their home on Wiley Oakley Drive on Monday

'I told them to call 911 and get out, and that was the last I heard from them.'

The worried father-of-three said his 15-year-old son were trying to reach their home but couldn't due to traffic and the inferno closing in around them.

Since they were in a different area of Gatlinburg at the time of the wildfire, they were evacuated to LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge.

Reed is now hoping that his wife and two young daughters were able to make it out alive after discovering that the entire street had been engulfed and all the homes were destroyed in the blaze.

'We are just hoping for a miracle,' Reed told WATE.

He has been waiting at a nearby evacuation center in Pigeon Forge for news about his missing wife and daughters.

He has also called the shelters and other evacuation centers in the area, but he's been told they are not at any of them.

Reed (pictured left) is now hoping that his wife and two daughters (pictured left and right) were able to make it out alive after discovering that the entire street had been engulfed and all the homes were destroyed in the blaze

Over 14,000 residents and visitors in Gatlinburg alone were forced to evacuate due to the wildfire that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in the Great Smoky Mountains

'We were told that they would be busing people here, and I have been here since last night waiting,' he said on Tuesday.

Over 14,000 residents and visitors in Gatlinburg alone were forced to evacuate due to the wildfire that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) says that now many residents and visitors are trying to contact loved ones who evacuated.

Officials warned that the death toll could rise, as seven people have already been confirmed dead in Sevier County as of Wednesday.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that authorities 'have not been able to get in to all of the areas.

'We pray that we don't experience any more fatalities.'
'They were beating on me': Yaya Shabazz claims she was acting in self defense

One of the two women involved in an epic 'demolition derby' fight in South Los Angeles at the weekend claims she was trying to escape the parking lot where the brawl occurred because she feared for her life.

Horrifying video shows Yaya Shabazz being kicked and hit by two women while lying helplessly on the ground.

The casino worker then gets up and starts ramming her white Toyota into a BMW, driven by one of the attackers.

Shabazz claims she slammed into the other vehicle because she wanted to escape the parking lot after the fight.

She also believes people wanted to shoot her.

Initially, Shabazz thought she was pulling into the parking lot to exchange insurance information with the group of women, after a small collision nearby, but the confrontation soon turned violent.

Video of the car-smashing showdown between the two SUVs surfaced on Monday after the fight on Sunday.

Shabazz told KTLA that she was attacked by two women after the BMW ran into a stop sign down the street. The cars then pulled into the parking space in the 8400 block of South Western Avenue, where she claims she was set upon.

Vehicular violence: Incredible footage shows two women smashing into each other with their cars after a fight broke out in a parking lot in Los Angeles. Shabazz is in the car on the right

Smash and run: At the end of the video, the white SUV driven by Shabazz delivers one last blow to the BMW (left) before both cars drive off in opposite directions (right)

'We had a collision before we made it to the parking lot. They hit me from behind. And I though we were going to pull over the exchange insurance information,' she said.

However, according to Shabazz, the women in the BMW were not interested in talking, with a brawl starting straight away.

'She pulled me out of the car and they were beating on me,' she said.

Shabazz, a Las Vegas casino worker, said she was alone at the time and in a neighborhood she was not familiar with. She also claims that one of the women had a hammer.

'I had people yelling at me. I had people saying they were going to shoot me, I had people saying she was going to hit me with a hammer,' she said.

Shabazz mounted the curb and knocked out a fire hydrant as she took off down the street, which she claims was an accident

Geyser: The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was called to the scene to fix the broken fire hydrant

The video shows the woman reverse and then smash into a silver BMW SUV, driven by the woman she was seen fighting moments earlier.

It's not long before the Beamer retaliates, and rams with the white SUV as well.

Shabazz claims she was just trying to get out of the car park.

'The moment I backed up, my back window busted, and I didn't know what it was. I panicked. I freaked,' she said.

The cars collided several more times as they maneuver back and forth in the small parking lot. As soon as they appear to be trying to leave the parking space, they run back into each other, causing more damage to their cars.

Finally the SUVs head into the street, where the white SUV driven by Shabazz is seen delivering one more crunching blow to the silver SUV.

Shabazz then rips past the silver car, severely crushing the passenger door, before knocking out a fire hydrant as the female driver tries to take off down the street.

She told KTLA that hitting the fire hydrant was a mistake.

Brawl: The fight started between a group of women in the parking. The woman on the left is Shabzz, while the woman on the right was the driver of the BMW

This iis Yaya Shabazz on the ground, being kicked by another woman

The fire hydrant is seen spewing water all over the road and sidewalk as the two cars leave the scene, with the person filming heard commenting: 'Stupid b******.'

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said a report of the incident is now being completed after the video surfaced on GrindfaceTV.

Both Shabazz and the other woman who was driving have both filed police reports, claiming assault by a deadly weapon.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was notified about the broken fire hydrant and crews quickly responded to fix the geyser, ABC reported.
A man pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving died after his arrest, according to authorities in North Carolina.

Clarence Junior Young, 35, started having 'medical complications' after he was pulled over and arrested Tuesday afternoon, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

The sheriff's office said Young refused to stop 'and turned onto Sandhill Road. The deputies observed items being discarded from the vehicle as they continued to follow the suspect who continue to drive to Chickenfoot Road where he turned right and stopped'

It said: 'Deputies rendered first aid until emergency medical personnel arrived.

'Young was transported to Cape Fear Valley Health Systems where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.'

The release gave no further details.

Young initially refused to stop for deputies, who saw items being thrown from his car as they followed, according to the release.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said Young started having 'medical complications' after he was pulled over and arrested Tuesday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Health Systems (pictured)

When he did stop, deputies arrested Young for DWI and failure to stop for a blue light and siren.

'A frisk of Youngs car revealed that he illegally possessed a handgun,' the release said.
A judge has banned the wife of an ISIS recruiter from giving evidence after she refused to remove the veil of her burqa despite being offered alternative options.

Moutia Elzahed, one of two women married to convicted Hamdi Alqudsi, is suing the state and federal government for assault following a raid on her Revesby home in Sydney's south-west on September 18, 2014.

Ms Elzahed said it was against her Islamic beliefs to reveal herself to any man who is not related by blood, The Daily Telegraph reported.

NSW District Court Judge, Audrey Balla (left), banned the wife of ISIS recruiter, Hamdi Alqudsi (right) from giving evidence because she refused to remove her veil

NSW District Court Judge, Audrey Balla, offered to close the court as Ms Elzahed gave evidence as well as another room for Ms Elzahed to speak via video link.

But the options were refused by Ms Elzahed lawyer, Clive Evatt, because the male legal counsels would still be able to see his client's face.

Ms Elzahed, joined by her husband and two sons, both aged 17, launched a civil case for compensation over 'assault and battery, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and intimidation,'.

Ms Elzahed noted in her statement that she was 'punched in the ear, eye and head' in and handcuffed in an aggressive manner causing her ear to bleed.

The government has refuted the claim noting that no excessive force was administered during the raid.

Ms Elzahed told The Daily Telegraph it was 'not fair' that she is not allowed to give evidence which would be detrimental to her case.

Alqudsi was convicted for aiding seven men to travel and fight in Syria and was sentenced to a non-parole period of six years.
EU migrants working in coffee shops and similar industries could easily be replaced by modern machinery, a leading economist said.

This is one of a number of ways British businesses will adjust to a reduction in immigration after Brexit, according to Jonathan Portes, a former chief economist at the Cabinet Office and principal research fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

He suggested Britain's vote to leave the EU will make companies more efficient, with firms choosing to invest in labour-saving machinery.

Jonathan Portes said the technology for making coffee has 'evolved quite a bit' and modern technology could replace EU migrants working in professions such as baristas

Mr Portes said it was 'certain' that the economy would adjust to lower levels of migration and dismissed concerns over the impact Brexit will have on the economy.

But he warned that the reduction in cheap labour from eastern Europe could lead to some UK firms going out of business or could lead to higher prices for consumers as employers are forced to employ British workers on higher wages.

This could lead to an increase in our reliance on foreign imports, Mr Portes told a House of Lords committee on the EU today.

He said the impact of ending free movement of people would vary from sector to sector.

Strawberry growers could move abroad when cheap European migrant labour is no longer as available, he suggested because 'there are 'plenty of other countries that can grow strawberries'.

Mr Portes told peers on the EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee that a work permit system would be the most practicable option for controlling migration, but registering an estimated 3.9million EU nationals already resident in Britain would be a 'formidable' task, he warned.

Jonathan Portes, a former chief economist at the Cabinet Office and principal research fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, pictured at the committee today, said it was 'certain' that the economy would adjust to lower levels of migration and dismissed concerns over the impact Brexit will have on the economy

Asked about the consequences of ending freedom of movement on the British workforce, Mr Portes said: 'If you think about how employers could respond to a reduction in the supply of migrant workers, there are lots of different ways and they range from simply shutting down, going out of business  in which case British consumers would either buy different products or products from abroad and in some sectors that might be quite likely.

'My understanding, for example, is that the UK strawberry sector is quite a lot bigger than it used to be before we had the availability of flexible labour from eastern Europe. There are plenty of other countries that can grow strawberries - that's one possible response.

'Another possible response is higher wages, which would presumably in a competitive market probably be passed onto consumers although employers might have to reduce profits if they were making enough.

'I think another possibility is investment in labour saving machinery, so for example in London there are very large numbers of European workers employed in coffee shops.

'Well the technology for making coffee as you know has evolved quite a bit and it's much more touch of a button rather than a barista fiddling around.'

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, pictured sitting next to Jonathan Portes at today's Lords committee, said the number of EU nationals in the UK could be as high as 3.9 million - higher than the 3.3million currently estimated to be living in the UK

He added: 'All one can say for certain is the economy would adjust, we would move to a new equilibrium but on what dimensions it would adjust I think will differ quite a lot from sector to sector and it's quite difficult to know in advance what will be the most important margins of adjustment.'

Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, said the number of EU nationals in the UK could be as high as 3.9 million - higher than the 3.3million currently estimated to be living in the UK.

She said a work permit system could be flexible to take account of the needs of various sectors of the economy, and that an 'emergency brake' would just limit numbers without taking individual skills into account.

But Mr Portes warned that registering EU nationals in the UK after Brexit would be a 'formidable logistical, bureaucratic, administrative and legal task'.

He said it was 'unrealistic' to just include every EU national who was in the UK on referendum day on June 23.
A U.S.-led military strike that killed at least 15 Syrian soldiers has officially been ruled an 'accident'.

An investigation into the September 17 operation near Dayr az Zawr in Syria found 'unintentional human errors' led to the coalition air strike, because defense officials believed they were targeting ISIS fighters.

Brigadier General Richard Coe, the investigating officer, said the errors ranged from misidentification of targets to intelligence issues and communication errors in a hotline with Russia.

A U.S.-led military strike that killed at least 15 Syrian soldiers has officially been ruled an 'accident'. Pictured is a damaged road in Dayr az Zawr in 2014, where the strike took place this September

Coe also explained how the target was selected, and said it was put through a: 'thorough assessment, review and validation process.'

That process led officials to believe the target was an ISIS 'fighting position'. Coe said he believes the personnel involved did their best to ensure they hit the right target.

'In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job,' he said in a a U.S. Central Command statement.

'In many ways, these forces looked and acted like the Daesh forces the Coalition has been targeting for the last two years.

The Syrian fighters were killed because the U.S.-led strike believed them to be ISIS soldiers. Pictured are Syrian forces in Aleppo on November 28, 2016

Brigadier General Richard Coe (pictured), the investigating officer, said the strike was the result of 'unintentional human errors'

'The decision to strike these targets was made in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement.

'But we concluded based upon post-strike analysis that a number of "human factors" resulted in incorrect identification of forces on the ground.'

It was also revealed the call that came in to call off the strike was delayed by 27 minutes, due to a Russian caller waiting for a 'familiar U.S. counterpart to come on the line'.

If the message had been relayed without delay, almost half of the 34 precision-guided munitions that were fired could have been stopped.

'This is unfortunate,' the investigators wrote in an executive summary, referring to the 27-minute delay, 'but it could have been even more so had the Russians not called.'

They also said that in notifying Russian officers in advance of the attack, the U.S.-led air operations center inadvertently provided erroneous information about the target location.

Both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin's (both pictured at the Kremlin in October 2015) governments criticized the U.S. for the strike

'This may have affected the Russian response to the notification and caused considerable confusion in the (targeting) process,' the investigation report said.

The off-target attack was the first direct strike on Syrian President Bashar Assads forces that had been carried out by the U.S.

In the wake of the deaths, Assad's government said the U.S. was guilty of, 'serious and blatant attack on Syria and its military,' CBS reported.

It also accused the U.S. of working with ISIS, a claim that has been denied.

The network reports Russia's government, which backs Assad's regime, issued a similar statement criticizing the U.S.
Traffic police in Ireland have recruited a new crime fighting sidekick - who goes by the name of Steven Seagull.

Cops spotted the seagull this morning perched in front of a motorway traffic camera.

They named the bird Steven Seagull after film star and martial arts expert Steven Seagal.

Seagal himself is no stranger to law and order, as he is a reserve deputy sheriff in Louisiana, and has starred in his own reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman.

Cops spotted 'Steven Seagull' this morning perched in front of a motorway traffic camera

He also played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in film Under Siege and starred as Sergeant Nico Toscani, a detective in the Chicago Police Departments vice squad, in Above The Law.

Police said it was not the first time Seagal's namesake bird had paid a visit to the highway camera.

Steven Seagal starred as Sergeant Nico Toscani, a detective in the Chicago Police Departments vice squad, in Above The Law

As they shared a picture off the gull with followers on Twitter, officers managed to reference two of the actor's films.

They wrote: 'The return of Steven 'Seagull' keeping a birds eye view 'On Deadly Ground'.

'No one is 'Above the Law'. Don't wing it, belt up & drive safe.'

Twitter users responded with their jokes and puns about new police recruit Steven Seagull

On Deadly Ground sees Seagal play Forrest Taft, a specialist who puts out oil fires and runs afoul of a corrupt oil company.

Twitter users were quick to reply with their own puns, with Dave K writing: '@GardaTraffic Poor camera has been Under Siege lately'

While SeldomSeenKid wrote: '@GardaTraffic Bet he's Hard to Kill...', referencing another Seagal film.

Fred Future wrote: '@GardaTraffic You forgot 'beak'areful.'
President Obama won't use his pardon authority to protect millions of immigrants who came here illegally because the action would not confer 'legal status' or protect them from deportation in the new administration.

Domestic policy advisor Cecilia Munoz explained the reasons for Obama's decision in an interview with the Center for Migration Studies.

'I know that people are hoping for use of pardon authority as a way,' Munoz said, when asked whether Obama would use his authority to help part of the population.

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President Obama's domestic policy advisor Cecilia Munoz says Obama won't use his pardon authority to protect a group of illegal immigrants, such as a group of people brought here illegally as children

She noted that because the president's executive action on people brought here illegally as children involved use of executive authority, 'obviously the next executive can make whatever decisions they're going to make about it,'

'I know people are hoping that pardon authority is a way to protect people. It's ultimately not for a couple of reasons. One is that pardon authority is generally designed for criminal violations, not civil,' as the Washington Examiner reported.

'But also it doesn't confer legal status, only Congress can do that, and so ultimately it wouldn't protect a single soul from deportation, so it's not an answer here for this population,' Munoz added,'I know people are hoping for an answer,' she said.

Obama in 2014 issued an executive action that deferred action against immigrants who were brought here illegally as children. He later issued another order providing protections for parents of immigrants who are now U.S. citizens and lawful residents.

Munoz said a pardon won't protect a 'single soul' from deportation

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to undo President Obama's executive actions, and has called his actions on immigration unconstitutional

Trump, who campaigned heavily on a crackdown on illegal immigration, opposed the executive actions and called them 'one of the most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a President.'

Obama has been using his pardon authority with greater frequency as the end of his term nears to deal with criminal violations, focusing on nonviolent drug offenders.

Munoz, who is the director of the president's domestic policy council, also got asked about claims that the U.S. was discriminating against persecuted Christians in how it is admitting immigrants.

'That for our purposes, and this is tremendously important, when the United States receives refugees, we're not applying a religious lens, and the folks who are making determinations about who is in fact in need of protection, the lens that they should be applying is the lens of are people suffering persecution, are people in danger. Sadly the world is a dangerous place for people of pretty much all faiths and our job is to protect them,"

She said the failure to enact a comprehensive immigration bill was her 'greatest frustration.'
Houston boy Johnny Scardasis-Finn is living with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and spends most of his time lying on his back.

His mother, Katherine Scardasis-Finn, decided to get Johnny a rescue dog from Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue in an attempt to inject some happiness into his life.

But no one was prepared for the connection that Johnny and his new dog, Lexi, would almost-immediately have.

Special two: Johnny suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and Lexi, his rescue dog, is helping bring happiness to his life

Inseparable: Johnny and Lexi very quickly formed a bond, Johnny's mother said

Houston boy Johnny Scardasis-Finn is living with severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy and spends most of his time lying on his back

'She put her head on his shoulder within five minutes of being in the house,' Scardasis-Finn told KHOU of the pair's bond.

'He smiles when she's up there with him. He'll crack up and he'll laugh, just because Lexi is licking his hands.'

'It just makes me feel very good that he has a companion now.'

Lexi was awfully thin and covered in fleas when she was brought into the Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue.

Scardasis-Finn decided to post a picture of Johnny and Lexi to the shelter's Facebook page to show them how well Lexi is now doing.

The story of Johnny and Lexi's special friendship has gone viral after a photo of them was posted to Facebook by Johnny's mother

But no one was prepared for the connection that Johnny and his new dog, Lexi, would almost-immediately have

After seeing the photo online, the Petco Foundation awarded Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue $25,000 to help them continue in taking on dogs.

'We'll be able to help a lot more dogs,' said Lauri Neale of the Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue.

Scardasis-Finn said her family has learned a lot from both Johnny and Lexi and their friendship.

'Johnny taught us not to be judgmental because you never know,' she said.

'We took a chance and she ended up being the best thing to ever happen for Johnny.'
Authorities said a 17-year-old girl was late for a class trip when she hit Robbinsville Superintendent Steven Mayer on April 19, killing him and his dog

A New Jersey high school student who prosecutors say was talking on her cellphone while driving has pleaded guilty to hitting and killing her school superintendent while he was jogging.

The student pleaded guilty Monday to leaving the scene of a fatal crash and careless driving.

Prosecutors say the 18-year-old will face three years of probation, lose her license for two years and must serve 200 hours of community service when she's sentenced under terms of a plea agreement in January.

Authorities said she was late for a class trip when she hit Robbinsville Superintendent Steven Mayer on April 19, killing him and his dog.

Mayer, 52, a husband and father of three, was jogging with his dog around 6am in an area where there are no sidewalks.

The teenager did not stop at the scene and instead drove to a nearby school, called the police and her father.

Prosecutors did not release the high school student's name because she was 17 when it happened.

Mayer, 52, was the married father of three sons - Ryan, Shaun, and Kyle.

Mayer, 52, a husband and father of three, was jogging with his dog around 6am on in an area where there are no sidewalks

Ryan, Kyle, Donna and Shaun Mayer are pictured together at an April memorial service

His wife Donna Mayer spoke about her husband at an April 22 memorial service, NJ.com reported.

She was quoted as saying: 'Steve was a light everywhere he went -- his smile, his exuberance, his love, his compassion -- and what I visualize is pieces of my beloved husband all over this world.'

She said at the time: 'I'm still blessed because I have these boys and their dad is alive and well in each of them.'

Robbinsville Mayor David Fried told the outlet in April of the high school student: 'She's a good kid, a good student.

'She's involved in a tremendous number of activities. And this girl adored Steve Mayer. It's just a tragedy.'
A married mother-of-three from New York is lucky to be alive this morning after her house exploded and was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon as she was waiting for her children to return home from school.

Authorities in the Town of Warwick say Denise Kunisch was alone with her dog when the powerful blast brought down her family's three-bedroom home at 91 Walling Road just before 4pm.

The woman was initially trapped in the rubble but was able to scramble to safety. The house then caught fire and burned to the ground.

Close call: The Kunisch family lost their home in Warwick, New York, when it was destroyed by a powerful explosion

A firefighter is seen at the scene of the blast on Walling Road Tuesday afternoon

Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the scene after Denise Kunisch called 911 to summon help

Displaced family: Ms Kunisch was home alone, waiting for her three children and husband (pictured together) when their home was destroyed

Denise Kunisch's two sons and a daughter were on board a school bus on their way home at the time of the explosion, while her husband, Craig, was still at work in New Jersey.

The family's dog, Daisy, had been let out earlier and also survived.

Neighbor Noreen Quackenbush told ABC 7 NY that had the incident occurred 15 minutes later, the whole family likely would have been inside the house.

Describing the moment of the blast, Quackenbush said the force of the impact shook her entire house and even knocked two plaques off her walls.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the explosion.

Warwick police Lt. Tom Maslanka told Record Online that Mrs Kunisch had smelled gas inside the house and headed for the door when the explosion went off.

 Slide me  Before and after: The family of five lived in a three-bedroom, ranch-style home in the Town of Warwick. The blast and fire razed the residence to the ground

Impact: The force of the explosion blew the roof off the Kunisch family's home

Cause: Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blast, but Kunisch said she had smelled gas right before the house blew up

Lucky: Kunisch was briefly trapped after falling through the ceiling but managed to scramble out of the rubble

A neighbor said the blast shook her entire house and caused wall decorations to fall

The force of the blast blew the front door off its hinges and sent the roof flying into the air.

According to reports, Kunisch told officials she fell through a ceiling but was able to climb out of the rubble and call 911, reported MidHudson News.

The woman suffered some minor burns and bruises but was not seriously hurt.

Firefighters from multiples departments responded to the scene of the three-alarm fire sparked by the explosion and were able to extinguish the flames consuming the debris.

As news of the calamity began to spread, a friend of the victims launched aGoFundMe page to help the now-homeless family of five in their hour of need. As of Wednesday morning, nearly $90,000 in donations has been raised, far exceeding the initial goal of $50,000.

Craig Kunisch (left and right) said of his wife that she is fine, except for a few bruises. He credited her strong will with her survival

Mom speaks: Denise Kunisch took to Facebook, telling her friends she was still in shock but doing OK

The family of five are now homeless, but a friend has started a fundraiser for them, which has already drawn more than $86,000 in donations

'Miracle': Mrs Kunisch said her 'guardian angel' was watching over her and saved her from certain death in the explosion and fire

On Tuesday evening, Denise Kunisch took to Facebook, telling her friends she was still in shock but doing OK and thanking them for their support.

'I really don't know what's going on or how I survived but I know for certain I have a guardian angel & beyond thankful to God,' she wrote.

Craig Kunisch echoed his wife's words of gratitude in a status update posted on Facebook Wednesday: 'We are feeling incredibly lucky and incredibly blessed today, more so than most days.'

Kunisch noted that his wife was '100% healthy except for some bruises' and credited her strong will with her survival.
Chief Brexit whinger Bob Geldof has endorsed the Lib Dems in tomorrow's by-election against Zac Goldsmith.

The Lib Dems, who are campaigning for a second EU referendum, boasted about his support today, believing that the arch-Remainer can help the party overturn Brexit supporter Zac Goldsmith's 23,000 majority.

The 65-year-old rock star said victory for Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney in tomorrow's Richmond Park by-election would signal the start of the 'fightback' against Brexit.

But Mr Geldof didn't quite get the party line when he visited the constituency today. He was overheard trying to persuade Labour supporters to vote tactically tomorrow because 'the Lib Dems are tiny, they're not a threat'.

And he was heckled by locals, who told him to his face: 'Bob Geldof, you do not understand'.

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Chief Brexit whinger Bob Geldof, pictured flicking the V sign towards Nigel Farage during a campaign event in the EU referendum campaign, has endorsed the Lib Dems in tomorrow's by-election against Zac Goldsmith

The 65-year-old rock star said victory for Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney, pictured with Bob Geldof in Richmond today, would signal the start of the 'fightback' against Brexit

Mr Goldsmith, who resigned his seat and Tory party membership, is fighting tomorrow's by-election as a protest against plans to expand Heathrow Airport.

But Ms Olney, his main rival, also opposes a third runway at Heathrow and has tried to turn the poll into a referendum on Brexit.

Announcing his endorsement of Tim Farron's party in an amateurish video today, he said: 'The Lib Dems are the only party ballsy enough to outright say we reject it out of hand and will fight it to the bitter end. They need our vote.'

Mr Geldof, who lives in the neighbouring constituency Chelsea, described Mr Goldsmith as a friend but accused him of betraying his pro-Remain Richmond constituents.

The famously foul-mouthed musician ended his two-minute video rant endorsing Ms Olney by saying: 'Zac has to go, Zac is c***'.

It signals the latest move by pro-Remain luvvies to try to block Brexit.

Mr Geldof played a prominent and humiliating role in the EU referendum campaign.

Bob Geldof was condemned for yelling insults and making obscene gestures during the bizarre stand-off with Nigel Farage and other Brexit supporters on the river Thames a week before the vote

Rock star Bob Geldof, pictured with Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney in Richmond today, urged Labour voters to switch their votes tactically because the Lib Dems are 'tiny'

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, pictured left, welcomed the endorsement from the controversial rock star Bob Geldof, pictured right in New York with wife and actress Jeanne Marine last week

He was condemned for yelling insults and making obscene gestures during the bizarre stand-off with Nigel Farage and other Brexit supporters on the river Thames a week before the vote.

He and fellow wealthy mates staged a protest against the Ukip leader's fleet of fishing boats which was campaigning in favour of leaving the EU.

But even pro-Remain activists criticised Mr Geldof after he flicked the V sign and made other rude signs at Mr Farage's crew.

Attacking Mr Goldsmith as the 'poster boy' for Brexit, Mr Geldof said today: 'I know Zac Goldsmith and I like the guy, but the plain fact is that Zac is a political failure.

'Worst of all of is that he's not only failed but betrayed the people of Richmond, who like the rest of London, voted overwhelmingly to stay in Europe.

Bob Geldof visited the Richmond Park constituency today after announcing his endorsement of Lib Dem candidate Sarah Olney, pictured right

'How can Goldsmith represent the opinion of the people of Richmond in Parliament when he is the poster-boy for the Brexiteers and is urging the government daily on its catastrophic course?'

He added: 'The fightback for this country and the right way starts tomorrow. It's exciting, but Zac has to go, Zac is cr**.'

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron welcomed the controversial rock star's endorsement, saying: 'I'm grateful to Bob Geldof for standing up for pro-European voices at a time when our country needs them more than ever.

'We're both backing Sarah Olney to win tomorrow to send a shockwave through Downing Street and turn the tide on a reckless hard Brexit.'

Last night Mr Goldsmith limped into the final hustings of the Richmond Park by-election after being hit by his own car on the campaign trail.

A volunteer driving Mr Goldsmith's car clipped the candidate, leaving his leg missing a 'little bit of skin' and his trousers 'shredded'.

The dramatic incident left Mr Goldsmith an hour late for the Richmond Society's hustings, leaving the independent former MP making grovelling apologies.

The Evening Standard reported he told the audience: 'I wasn't going to come here before you with a trouser leg shredded and not looking very nice.

'I really had to go and present myself. I really do apologise for that.'

He later joked: 'Trousers are troublesome things in politics.'

Zac Goldsmith is favourite to win back Richmond Park as an independent after resigning the Tory seat in protest at Heathrow. If he does win tomorrow, he will have to limp back to the Commons after being clipped by his own car

Bob Geldof, pictured in Richmond today, was heckled by constituents who told him he doesn't understand local issues and was using the by-election to further his opposition to Brexit

The Liberal Democrats have thrown huge resources into the byelection. Former leader Nick Clegg, right, was campaigning alongside candidate Sarah Olney on the eve of poll today

Mr Goldsmith is the favourite to retain the Richmond Park constituency he won with a large majority at the 2015 General Election as a Conservative.

The Liberal Democrats have thrown everything at an attempt to defeat him, believing the strongly pro-Remain constituency is ripe for taking from an MP who backed Brexit.

Ms Olney has bombarded the constituency with Liberal Democrat leaflets and insists the gap is closing or that the party is even slightly ahead.

Mr Goldsmith has admitted in an email to supporters the election is 'extremely close'.

He said: 'The choice is between keeping me as your local MP and building on our progress over the last 6 years, or electing someone else as your MP and putting that progress at risk.
A Swedish festival blighted by sexual assault complaints has faced ridicule after ordering revellers to sign up to a written set of 'values'.

There was outrage in July when music lovers reported five rapes and a series of other sexual assaults at the Bravalla festival in Norrkoping in July.

In an attempt to encourage 'respect, care and courage', underfire organisers have now told anyone buying tickets for next year's event that they 'must endorse' the festival's values.

The Swedish Bravalla festival, which was blighted by sexual assault complaints this year, has faced ridicule after ordering revellers to sign up to a written set of 'values' (file picture)

In an attempt to encourage 'respect, care and courage', underfire organisers have now told anyone buying tickets for next year's event that they 'must endorse' the festival's values

But their demand for revellers to 'promise' to adhere to their values, which include 'treating my fellow human beings with respect and showing kindness toward everyone I meet', has already sparked ridicule on social media.

One critic, Johan Anton Albiin, suggested organisers had forgotten to include a clause saying: 'I promise not to rape someone in the middle of the crowd purely because he or she looked attractive, easy or willing.'

Another, Niclas Steklmacher, said: 'Amazing isn't it good, no groping will happen now that people can write on a piece of paper. What's the punishment?'

He then urged the festival to 'spend more money on guards to keep tabs on people.'

In July police said they were investigating five cases of alleged rape and more than a dozen suspected sexual assaults at the festival, southwest of Stockholm.

Festival organisers said in their Facebook post that 'We... think community is the most important ingredient to a really good festival. Fellowship is based on respect, compassion and courage.

In July police said they were investigating five cases of alleged rape and more than a dozen suspected sexual assaults at the festival, southwest of Stockholm

After playing in Norrkoping this year, British rock band Mumford & Sons posted a note on their Facebook site saying they were 'appalled ... and gutted by these reports' of rape and sexual assault

They then say everyone from ticket holders and staff to photographers and even the artists must get behind its values.

This includes 'treating my fellow human beings with respect and showing kindness toward everyone I meet, showing moral courage by speaking out or calling a security guard / police when I see something that seems to be wrong and making sure that the festival will be as fantastic as possible for both me and everyone around me.'

After playing in Norrkoping this year, British rock band Mumford & Sons posted a note on their Facebook site saying they were 'appalled ... and gutted by these reports' of rape and sexual assault.

The band then said they would not play Bravalla again unless police and organisers could assure them that they are 'doing something to combat what appears to be a disgustingly high rate of reported sexual violence.'

Festival organisers said in their Facebook post that 'We... think community is the most important ingredient to a really good festival. Fellowship is based on respect, compassion and courage

Police at the Bravalla festival gave out bracelets saying 'don't grope,' but some festival goers were skeptical.

'It's a very good thing that shows sexual assault is something we need to deal with, although I feel that a wristband is not something that will help in the long-term,' Amanda Brown said.

It came in the same month that 32 reports of attacks by boys or young men were reported at a three-day festival in the city of Karlstad, 190 miles west of the capital.
A former nuclear site in Washington state is poisoning workers and threatening the health of those who live around it, according to a new investigation.

Some experts have called the former Hanford nuclear plant 'the most toxic place in America' and 'an underground Chernobyl waiting to happen'.

The site, located in a rural area along the Columbia River, was commissioned by the Manhattan Project to produce plutonium for the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

It remained an active nuclear site until the end of the Cold War, when it was decommissioned and the Department of Energy subcontracted Washington River Protection Solutions to start the clean-up.

But current and former workers at the site have told NBC that the underground containers holding the site's nuclear waste are leaking, and that they have been exposed to the toxic fumes because the company has not given them the right safety equipment.

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A former nuclear site in Washington state has been labeled 'the most toxic place in America'

The Hanford site produced plutonium for America's nuclear program from the 1940s through the end of the Cold War

Their health issues include dementia, nerve damage, memory loss and respiratory problems.

Watchdog group Hanford Challenge says that at least three workers' deaths have been linked to exposure at the site, but officials with Washington River Protection Solutions have refused to admit they are putting their workers in danger. Those workers are Gary Sall, Deb Fish and Dan Golden.

But several studies show that's not the case and just this year, 61 workers have allegedly been exposed to toxic materials.

For their story, NBC spoke to DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Whitney, who said that all workers who have been evaluated for possible exposure have been cleared to return to work.

As for the workers who claimed that they have become seriously or terminally ill because of their work at the site, Whitney says they believe these illness were not caused by the job.

'I wish we had a more complete understanding of those circumstances,' Whitney said. 'A lot of effort the last couple years has gone into strengthening our efforts to deal with the potential vapor exposure issue.'

A watchdog group says three workers have died as a result of exposure to toxic fumes while cleaning up the site

Seth Ellingsworth says he started having severe respiratory issues just hours after smelling a strange odor at the site

The above current and former workers say they have had serious health issues after working at the site and they want better safety measures

NBC pushed Whitney on one specific case, involving a worker named Diana Gegg who says she now has dementia because of exposure on the job.

When confronted with Gegg's medical assessment, showing doctors believe her possibly terminal illness is a direct result of her exposure at Hanford, Whitney refused to comment.

'I'm not a medical professional and can't provide a qualified medical opinion,' he said.

The state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is taking action against the situation at Hanford, by suing the federal government for their 'unforgivable' lack of action in protecting workers.

'They've known for decades. It's been going on year after year, report after report,' Ferguson said.

He added: 'And to be candid, they have to live with themselves on that. I ask the question all the time, 'How many more workers have to get sick at Hanford before they do something about it? How many?' Please ask them. I really want to know.'

The DOE issued a statement saying their primary concern is worker's safety.
Peter Elliott, 49, who barricaded himself into his farmhouse for four years in a 6m divorce battle has now been ordered to spend Christmas behind bars

A former helicopter pilot who barricaded himself into his farmhouse for four years in a 6m divorce battle has now been ordered to spend Christmas behind bars.

Peter Elliott, 49, transformed the 500,000 property in Appleby, Cumbria, into a fortress, surrounded with barbed wire, tree branches and CCTV cameras.

It came after his ex-wife Leonie Butler, 45, obtained a court order in 2012 ordering him to leave the 70-acre country pile.

But he ignored the judge's court order and refused to quit the farm, stressing the only way he would leave his home was 'in a body bag'.

Elliott was finally arrested earlier this month after a High Court warrant was executed. He was subsequently jailed for six months for contempt of court.

Last week, remorseful Elliott apologised for his years of stubborn behaviour and asked to be released from HMP Durham early for Christmas.

But a judge has now refused the bid, telling him he must serve his full six month sentence.

Following the hearing at Carlisle Crown Court, The judge said there was a risk that Elliott would return to the fortress again if he were released.

The judge said: 'Peter Elliott deliberately refused to comply with a perfectly clear order of the court over a long period.

He argued he was genuinely sorry for the trouble he had caused and that he was not contemptuous of the law. Thus, he said that he was contrite in respect of his breach of the relevant court order.

'I regret this assertion is not supported by the repeated complaint he had not had justice.

Peter Elliott, 49, transformed the 500,000 property in Appleby, Cumbria, into a fortress, surrounded with barbed wire, tree branches and CCTV cameras. In his attempt to highlight his plight he created an effigy of a man dressed in a suit, representing himself (pictured)

'Given all that has gone on before I consider it likely that he would return to the property if he were released from prison.

'Thus I am bound to conclude that further breach of the order for possession is likely.'

Mr Justice Davis had listened as Elliott made an impassioned 50-minute address from the dock, claiming he had been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

He told the judge: 'I am sorry for all the trouble this has caused. I am not a saint.

'I have tried to be a good person in society. I am not somebody who is contemptuous of the law process. I can guarantee you I am not going near Pinewood.'

Following an acrimonious split, his ex-wife Leonie Butler (pictured), 45, obtained a court order in 2012 ordering him to leave the 70-acre country pile

But after retiring to carefully consider the case, Mr Justice Davis issued a written ruling, refusing Elliott's application to overturn his contempt conviction.

Elliott previously worked as a 96,000-a-year pilot for Andrew Tinkler, the boss of infrastructure business Stobart but later campaigned against redevelopment of Carlisle Airport.

He said he met now ex-wife Leonie in 1991 and married her in 1998 before they ended their relationship in 2010.

She filed for divorce in 2012 and the sale of the house was supposed to be used to pay off their debts.

But a row blew up when he was ordered to leave the property. On one occasion he was evicted but broke back in within days and until this month had been living in the farmhouse ever since.

In August, Appeal Court judges warned him he will be forced to serve a six-month prison sentence unless he leaves.

But instead of moving out of the former matrimonial home, Elliott insisted he was not budging without a fight.

In his attempt to highlight his plight he created an effigy of a man dressed in a suit, representing himself, being hanged on the roof alongside a 'justice' banner.

Elliott said at the time: 'I will never leave under any circumstances whatsoever. My ex-wife has taken literally everything from me.

'She has her job, her career, her pension, her lifestyle and now all my houses.

'This is a death sentence for me. It's an execution. The judge expects me to move onto the streets with nothing.

'An Englishman's home is his castle. No one gets mine while I've a beating heart.

'I am perfectly sane but a very determined fellow and I will not tolerate injustice. Pinewood is 100 per cent mine.'

Admitting that police would seek to arrest him after the August court ruling, Elliott later said: 'I told the police I would keep a careful eye out for them.

'I am determined to take my life before they arrest me, and that it is up to them what they do next.

'I don't want to die but I am content if that's what it's got to be. The farm is my life, it's my safe place.

'They're asking me to go on the streets. I have no home, no money, no family, no wife, no girlfriend and no horses. Nothing.

'I am not going to live in my car and I'm not going to Durham nick either. I am ready for them to try and get me.'
A Canadian police force has warned Christmas revelers they will be forced to listen to Nickelback if they are caught drink driving.

Kensington Police Service on King Edward Island has warned residents about the dangers of driving after a night out in a bar.

Instead of the traditional road safety message, the social media team decided on a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Canadian police have threatened a session of being forced to listen to Nickelback if they are caught drink driving during the Christmas party season in a tongue-in-cheek message

Since posting the message, the anti-drink driving warning has gone viral around the world

Kensington is on Prince Edward Island and can face ferocious weather at this time of year

The police advise taking a cab, or appointing a designated driver at the start of the night, or possibly to stay over with friends to avoid the temptation of drinking and driving.

According to the message: 'So, the Holiday Season is upon us and that means more social events, staff parties and alcohol based libations.

'Now, because of that fact, it logically means more people need to plan their nights driving duties.

'To save any problems at the end of the night, know ahead of time who is the Designated Driver.

'Write down the number to a cab company or plan to stay over at friends. Anything and everything you can do to eliminate the chances of drinking and driving.'

Some have criticized the police department for their light-hearted message while others have claimed that subjecting an offender to a session of Nickelback is 'cruel and unusual'

However, Paul Bagshaw failed to see what was funny about the post.

He replied: 'It's nice to see a Canadian police officer / department feel the need to attack a iconic CANADIAN band.

'It's an absolutely idiotic maneuver that deserves a public apology to Nickelback!! No thought of morality or ethics behind this well intentioned media stunt.

'Tongue in cheek but done in poor taste.'
Two Fort Campbell soldiers have been charged in the disappearance of US Army Private First Class Shadow Branice McClaine.

McClaine, 25, was reported missing on September 6 when she failed to show up for duty at the Kentucky military base.

Her car was later found abandoned in a parking lot in Nashville, Tennessee, more than 60 miles away.

It hasn't been revealed if her body has been located, Clarksville Now reports.

A release said: 'The U.S. Government preferred charges November 18 against Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray and Spc. Charles Robinson.'

The men are both assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and are facing charges of conspiracy, premeditated murder, and kidnapping.

Sergeant Jamal Williams-McCray (left) and Specialist Charles Robinson (right) have been charged in the disappearance of US Army Private First Class Shadow Branice McClaine

McClaine, 25, was reported missing on September 6 when she failed to show up for duty at the Kentucky military base. Her car was later found abandoned in a parking lot in Nashville, Tennessee, more than 60 miles away

They 'are currently in pre-trial confinement, pending a preliminary hearing,' according to the release.

Two Fort Campbell soldiers were earlier being held by police over McClaine's disappearance, DailyMail.com reported in October.

Police would not reveal the identities of those being held at the time.

McClaine was facing court for stalking Williams-McCray, her ex-husband, when she vanished.

The woman, who also called herself Branice Willis and Shadow McClaine, had been arrested for contempt, vandalism and stalking in 2015 and 2016 but insisted she was being framed by her former spouse and his new lover.

Private First Class Shadow Branice McClaine, 25, was facing charges for stalking her ex-husband, contempt and vandalism. She is seen above in mug shots taken in June

Williams-McCray was arrested October 6 for 'out of county warrants', the Leaf-Chronicle reported on Tuesday, citing Montgomery County jail records.

A Facebook account that was being used by McClaine shortly before her disappearance revealed she believed she was under attack.

Calling herself Shadow McClaine, she told friends that her ex-husband and an unnamed woman had lied to police to 'label her crazy'.

In a stream of rants, she accused them of tampering with her car brakes and setting her up for arrest.

Earlier this year, posts on a website which names and shames cheating spouses exposed Shadow McClaine's acrimonious relationship with her ex-husband.

In several public messages on the website Liars Cheaters R Us, it was alleged that Williams-McCray had an affair with a Tennessee police officer before separating from his wife.

McClaine was reported missing when she failed to report for duty at Fort Campbell in Kentucky (above) on September 6

She also claimed that one woman, who she said was romantically involved with her ex-husband, contacted her superiors at Fort Campbell to report her.

McClaine said in one post that she had moved on with a boyfriend.

She said her former spouse was under investigation by the military for alleged sexual offences during their marriage.

A spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division could not immediately confirm her claim when contacted by DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

McClaine enlisted in 2011 and is believed to have served in South Korea and Afghanistan.

She served as a private, first class in the 101st Airborne Division, according to the Leaf-Chronicle.

McClaine's car was found abandoned in a parking lot in Nashville, Tennessee, in September. Right, missing posters appealed for her safe return
Police investigating the disappearance of Sherri Papini are still baffled as to why she was abducted - despite interviewing the mom-of-two for several hours over the past two days.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko says detectives spoke with Papini for a second and third time on Monday and Tuesday but are no closer to establishing a reason or motive behind the kidnapping.

Papini, 34, was badly beaten, tortured and even branded during the ordeal, according to a statement released by her husband.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko says detectives have spoken to Sherri Papini (pictured above with her husband Keith on their wedding day) for several hours over the past two days

Papini, 34, was found on Thanksgiving day after going missing for three weeks. Her husband, Keith, said she was covered in bruises and burns when he saw her in the hospital (couple above with son Tyler and daughter Violet)

And police are hunting two Hispanic females driving a dark colored SUV and armed with a handgun.

But officers have been left stumped by the unusual case that has shocked America.

'Our investigators have spoken to Miss Papini for a number of hours Monday and then several hours again Tuesday,' Sheriff Bosenko told DailyMail.com

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said that detectives are not any closer to establishing a reason or motive behind the kidnapping

'Right now we have no known reason why she was abducted, we do not know if she was specifically targeted or if this was a random abduction.

'It's still an active and ongoing investigation and we're still looking for the reasons or the motive for this abduction.

'Abductions are generally rare, especially in this area, but I mean in general an adult abduction is an unusual occurrence.'

When pressed on whether Papini herself had given detectives any theories as to why she thought was abducted, the Sheriff said: 'The victim may not know the reason why, so we don't know, at this stage of the investigation, the reason or a motive.'

This comes as frightening details of Papini's ordeal begin to emerge.

She was found alive on Thanksgiving day after being missing for three weeks.

Among her injuries Papini had a message branded into her skin, Sheriff Bosenko told ABC News.

'I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and or maybe some type of message that the brand contained,' he said. 'It is not a symbol, but it was a message.'

Papini weighed just 87 pounds when she was found, Keith revealed, and all of her blonde hair had been chopped off

Papini was found chained on the side of the road near Sacramento, California, on Thanksgiving morning (above), 140 miles away from her home

TIMELINE OF SHERRI PAPINI'S KIDNAPPING November 2: Sherri Papini fails to pick up her two children from daycare and is reported missing by her husband Keith November 10: Keith Papini is ruled out as a suspect after passing a lie detector test November 18: The FBI joins the search for Sherri as an anonymous donor offers $50,000 for her return November 22: Christine Everson spots a woman she believes to be Sherri Papini at a rest stop in Redding, just miles away from the missing woman's home. The woman refuses to engage Everson in conversation after she approaches the dark SUV she is sitting in, the same tupe of car police are now looking for in the case. Everson leaves but reports her sighting to police. November 23: Cameron Gamble, a local 'negotiator', appears in a video on behalf of the anonymous donor to inform Sherri's captors the ransom was now 'off the table'. Instead it was turned into a $100,000 reward for information November 24: Sherri flags down a passing motorist at the intersection of I-5 and County Road 17 and is taken to hospital Advertisement

Papini's husband Keith released a statement to the media in which he said his wife endured mental and physical abuse while being held captive.

'Her now emaciated body of 87 pounds was covered in multicolored bruises, severe burns, red rashes and chain markings,' he said.

Keith also revealed the bridge of his wife's nose was broken and her hair had been chopped off.

'Obviously, a very sick person who may have wanted to not only to cut it off to change her physical appearance, but also as to humiliate them, wear her down,' Sheriff Bosenko said.

Police are hunting for the alleged kidnappers, who dumped Papini 150 miles from her California home on Thanksgiving day.

She was able to flag down help even though she was bound with restraints.

Papini described her apparent captors as two Hispanic female adults driving an SUV and armed with a handgun, Sheriff Bosenko said.

Police are looking for the two Hispanic women who released Sherri on Thanksgiving, saying they could be driving a dark-colored SUV (map of Sherri's disappearance and discovery)

The Sheriff added that detectives are also no further forward in establishing the location of where Papini was held.

He told DailyMail.com: 'Right now we don't know where that location is, it is still an active and ongoing investigation, my investigators did talk with her, I don't have the information of whether they have been able to narrow down where she may have been held, but we are still working on this.'

The Sheriff also ruled out the account of witness Christine Everson who claimed to have seen Papini with two men at a Redding truck stop.

Marketing Director Everson claimed to have spoken to a woman who strongly resembled Papini and looked 'scared'.

But the Sheriff added: 'After she was abducted, Miss Papini was driven to an unknown location which would have been not at the truck stop and she would not have been contacted by anybody because this particular reporting person (RP) said that she spoke to the woman and that didn't occur.'
A 34-year-old New York woman has been reunited with her engagement ring and wedding bands after taking them off to cook a Thanksgiving Day meal for her family.

While preparing a duck meatloaf in her Tribeca apartment, Melissa, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, took off her diamond-studded wedding band and engagement ring and placed them on a paper towel near the kitchen sink, the New York Daily News reported.

The paper towel and her cherished rings mistakenly ended up in the trash.

Her buildings' waste joined 13 tons of garbage in a collection truck that picked it up on Friday.

Melissa soon enough embarked on what some would call an impossible mission to find the rings.

Lost and found: Melissa, 34, took off her engagement ring and wedding bands to cook on Thanksgiving and the rings were accidentally thrown away in the New York City trash (file above)

She contacted the city Department of Sanitation on Friday to try and find them.

'Luckily, the sanitation worker didn't dump the truck already that day,' supervisor Louis Guglielmetti, 53, told the Daily News.

Guglielmetti then contacted the sanitation worker on that specific collection route to find that her Chambers Street apartment building was luckily the last stop of the day.

The sanitation workers delayed emptying the truck until the one with Melissa's trash arrived at the New Jersey trash-transfer station.

On Monday, Melissa, who was accompanied by three family members, went to the facility to find the rings.

The group didn't arrive at the facility empty handed, as they wore protective Tyvek suits, gloves and boots.

They also brought along a broom and a tarp to sort out and sift through the trash.

'I have never seen anyone that organized,' said Guglielmetti, who has helped people retrieve dozens of items including money, rings and even luggage.

The 17-year Sanitation Department veteran said they opened roughly 200 bags of trash in an attempt to find ones from Melissa's apartment building.

'We always encourage people to recycle, but there was junk mail in the trash,' Guglielmetti said. 'That's how we found them.'

Melissa and three family members went to the New Jersey trash-transfer station (file above) to sift through 200 bags of waste with workers until she found her rings roughly two hours later

Roughly two hours into sifting through waste from about 40 trash bags, everyone stopped searching when they heard a cry of joy from Melissa, who found the three rings.

'Everybody started jumping and screaming,' Guglielmetti said. 'She had the rings in her hand!'

Melissa reportedly expressed her gratitude for the Sanitation Department for their help.

Guglielmetti shared that 'he was happy to help the woman, who reminded him of his own daughter-in-law, also named Melissa,' the Daily News reported.

'I hope one day someone will do this for my family members  if they need it,' he said.
The businesswoman and former model behind the Article 50 legal battle has blamed Brexiteers for fuelling a wave of violence.

Gina Miller condemned 'irresponsible' Leave supporters for 'emboldening' those who spread abuse and division.

She said she had suffered 'extraordinary' levels of 'sexual and racial' threats - including a bounty of 5,000 being offered to run her over. Police have been informed and are poised to interview or arrest five people, she said.

Gina Miller has condemned 'irresponsible' Leave supporters for 'emboldening' those who spread abuse and division

The comments came as tension builds ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on whether Theresa May needs approval from MPs to trigger Article 50 - the formal two-year mechanism for cutting ties with Brussels.

The government is appealing after being humiliatingly defeated by Ms Miller and other Remain supporters at the High Court.

A separate legal challenge is being threatened over whether leaving the EU automatically means quitting the single market - potentially requiring a distinct approval by parliament.

In an interview with Reuters, Ms Miller - who is British but was born in Guyana - described receiving a slew of abusive and threatening emails.

'The levels of sexual and racial violence have been quite extraordinary, to the level that because I'm a 'coloured woman' I don't have any place outside of a kitchen,' she said.

'This division was always there but Brexit perhaps has been irresponsible: Those who were talking about leaving in particular have emboldened people to think such behaviour is acceptable.'

She added: 'It's revealed a side to society which is extremely worrying.'

Investment fund manager Ms Miller has spent around 60,000 on beefing up security measures amid the court case, and leased a temporary office for security reasons.

Investment fund manager Ms Miller has spent around 60,000 on beefing up security measures amid the court case

But she insisted she is a 'born fighter' and will not be deterred by threats, despite believing she has been abandoned by senior politicians from Labour and other Remain-backing parties.

'They're being silent because everything to do with Brexit is so emotionally charged that they're hiding and they're quite happy for me to take the blame and be in the headlines and take the threats while they sit around and figure out what they do,' she said.

Ms Miller also dismissed the idea that she was part of an out-of-touch elite.

'My principles have been exactly the same from when I slept three weeks in a car because I had no money, to being a single parent doing four jobs to pay for myself through university, having no food, I have had both extremes,' she said.

'What is wrong with me now using my money that I have worked very, very hard for to do what I think is right?' said Miller. She is being represented by London law firm Mishcon de Reya, which agreed not to charge legal fees.
Two men posing as security workers allegedly attempted to take a boy away from a secondary school.

The men turned up outside Wellacre Academy in Flixton, Greater Manchester, close to the end of the school day yesterday.

Two men posing as security workers allegedly attempted to take a boy away from Wellacre Academy in Flixton, Greater Manchester (pictured)

Police say the men were dressed in fake security clothing and were carrying fraudulent ID.

They then stood outside the school and asked for an 11-year-old boy.

Greater Manchester Police arrived to the scene and arrested a 19-year-old man and 21-year-old man on suspicion of attempted abduction.
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These are the wonderful scenes as a bear goes fishing for her three cubs at the Katmai National Park in Alaska.

Christophe Vasselin, 43, from Luxembourg, captured the moment. He said: 'A female with three cubs is quite rare and it was very exciting to take pictures of them.

'The female and the cubs were walking on the bank watching in the water, looking for a bench of salmons. Whenever a bench of fishes pass the female tried to catch them.'

This is the amazing scene as a female bear pounces upon a salmon inside the Katmai National Park in Alaska

Luxembourg photographer Christophe Vasselin captured the amazing images of the large bear hunting for her three cubs

The three cubs looked on as their mother dived on top of the salmon who were returning to their spawning grounds

The bears have developed a special technique for hunting the salmon as they reach the shallow waters in Alaska

After capturing a fish, the mother bear walks back to the shoreline to deliver the freshly caught salmon to her cubs

The mother takes some of the fish and leaves the remainder for her three hungry cubs on the shoreline

After each successful hunt, the mother returns tot he water in the search for more fish while her cubs look on expectantly

The baby cubs appear to enjoy their fish suppers featuring the finest of wild, organic fresh Atlantic salmon

On the odd occasion, the mother rips into her own fish as she has to keep up her strength to provide for her family

After a quick snack, the mother returns to the water where she pounces on yet more unsuspecting fish

Vasselin said the mother was on a constant look out for other bears as males could be a threat to her three cubs

The three cubs remained close together while their mother jumps in the water in the search for more fresh wild salmon

The salmon spend between three and five years at sea before returning to their home river to spawn

However, the returning salmon have to run the gauntlet of hungry bears who are looking to feed their growing families
A council worker died in a Russian city when an overhanging icicle fell 40ft off a block of flats piercing his skull.

The man was working underneath the building clearing the snow as workers cleaned the roof in Krasnoyarsk when the icicle fell and ricocheted into his head.

Just a day earlier journalists had filmed a piece called 'The Last Warning' calling on the authorities to clear the dangerous objects.

A council worker died in a Russian city when an overhanging icicle fell 40ft off a block of flats piercing his skull

Just a day earlier journalists had filmed a piece called 'The Last Warning' calling on the authorities to clear the dangerous objects

The victim's body was left lying in the snow as workmen took down more dangerous ice.

It was unclear why the emergency services in Krasnoyarsk had not taken him away.

An assistant at a woman's clothes shop said the icicle 'ricocheted right into his head as workers cleaned the roof'.

'We all rushed to help him and called an ambulance,' said a witness.

The man is believed to have been a city council worker in the snow clearing team.

'It felt like he still had pulse but when doctors said and checked him, they said he was gone and covered the body,' said the witness, according to The Siberian Times.

'He was 40 or just a bit older. We are so shocked.

'People who walked with their children after it happened were hiding their kids' eyes.

'It was such an upsetting sight.'

The man was working underneath the building clearing the snow as workers cleaned the roof in Krasnoyarsk when the icicle fell and ricocheted into his head

Just a day before journalists from the local TV program called 'The Last Warning' filmed the dangerous site, urging authorities to clean the roof.

TV reporter Ekaterina Kashutchik said: 'We filmed exactly that spot just a day before the tragedy.

'We even had an idea to record me right under that huge icicle, but we didn't dare.

'It looked really scary and wind was really strong.
A British investor who was one of the few to back and predict Brexit now believes the Euro is doomed - saying the currency will collapse within five years.

Jim Mellon says uncertainty in Europe will cause the currency union to fall apart.

Mellon, chairman of the Burnbrae Group, said the rise of populism throughout the world, and the possibility of more political upsets, has brought the currency's future into question.

Mellon has predicted that the euro will collapse within the next five years

He told Bloomberg: 'Brexit is going to be a sideshow to the problems of Europe that are becoming more and more evident.

'The euro as it stands at the moment is just a very inappropriate mechanism - I give the euro between one and five years of life.'

He predicted the currency would fall below parity 'sometime in the next year', with it having hit $1.0518 last week - the lowest since March last year.

He predicted the currency would fall below parity 'sometime in the next year', with it having hit $1.0518 last week - the lowest since March last year

Mellon cited Sunday's referendum in Italy as a possible nail in the coffin.

Voters will decide on constitutional reforms, which will reduce the number of senors and reduce the power of Italy's regions, in a move by prime minister Matteo Renzi to streamline the country's political system.

If the country votes no, he said, Renzi has signalled his intention to resign.
Sligh was arrested by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and charged with child molestation in that case too on October 14

police back in September that Sligh had also molested her between April and September this year

Corey Sligh was arrested late Sunday night by deputies from the Walton County Sheriff's Office in Florida after a young relative told authorities that he molested her during a family vacation over the summer.

The 8-year-old girl claims that she was sleeping in her bed while on a week-long trip to Rosemary Beach with her family at the end of June when Sligh snuck into her room and began to touch her vagina.

She also said that Sligh, 29, grabbed her hand at one point as well and made her touch his penis, giving police enough evidence to book Sligh for the crime of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation by a person 18 years or older on a child under 12.

Sligh turned himself into police Sunday night after learning there was a warrant out for his arrest, and was allowed to walk free soon after on a $99,000 bond.

It was his second arrest for child molestation this year, with Sligh facing a similar charge in Georgia after being arrested on October 14 by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office for allegedly assaulting the same girl.

Because of the fact that multiple charges are now being made against him, Sligh has was ordered by Judge Kevin Wells to wear an ankle monitor while out on bond.

The actor, who landed a role as a featured extra on the soap The Young & the Restless back in 2014, is denying the claims made in both cases.

Legal troubles: Corey Sligh was arrested on Sunday (mugshot left, Octoiber mugshot right) by members of the Walton County Sheriff's Office after being accused of molesting a young girl

The report filed by police in Walton County reveals that authorities were first alerted about the alleged sexual battery back in September.

The mother of the victim told police that she 'asked her daughter if anybody has ever touched her in her "privates" after she detected a shift in her child's behavior, at which point the girl told her about the alleged assault.

The child told her mother, and later police, that she had been trying to sleep when Sligh made his way into her room and got in bed with her.

'She stated to [redacted] that he grabbed her hand and tried to touch his penis with her hand but she snatched her hand away,' claims the report.

'He then pulled her panties down and proceeded to touch her in the vaginal area then started rubbing his penis on her vagina.'

A few days after first speaking to police, the young girl went in for a forensic interview, which was detailed in the arrest warrant affidavit.

In that meeting, the child 'provided a full disclosure of the information relayed by [redacted] to include the incident in Rosemary Beach where Corey made her touch his penis as well as Corey touching her vagina underneath her clothing.'

That is not all either, as the young girl and her mother also told authorities in Georgia that same month that Sligh had also allegedly molested her in that state as well when he touched her last Easter.

The girl said that Sligh touched her other times as well between April 1 and September 24, the day that the family first contacted police.

Horrific: The 8-year-old child, who is related to Sligh, claims that he assaulted her while they were on a family vacation over the summer

Difficult times: Sligh was brutally beaten two years ago by a group of men while at a Los Angeles Rite Aid on Thanksgiving (above in hospital)

Soon after that is when Sligh was first arrested by police, at which time he tried to defend himself against the horrifying claims being made bu his family.

'During the interview Corey stated his penis was "grabbed" by [redacted] but he was not trying to "get off" or do anything sexual,' reads the affidavit.

It goes on to state that Sligh then 'confirmed the specific details of the incident and interaction between himself [and the alleged victim].'

He was released that day on a bond of $22,000, with his interview being both recorded and filmed at the station that day.

Slight is now set to head to trial in both states, where he is facing the possibility of life in prison in both cases.

His first appearance in a Florida courtroom is scheduled for January 17 of next year.

Sligh's latest arrest comes almost two years to the day that he was run down and brutally beaten in a Rite Aid parking lot while out in Los Angeles.

The fight started after Sligh asked the men to be careful while they were in their pulling donuts outside the pharmacy, a comment that resulted in the group driving up to the actor and viciously attacking him as his girlfriend looked on.
A large cache of emails in the FBI's possession that are related to Hillary Clinton's time in the Obama administration still haven't found their way from the FBI to the State Department.

A Justice Department lawyer told a federal court on Tuesday that investigators are still holding on to the messages it retrieved from a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton confidante Human Abedin.

The FBI could give State the emails in the future, but attorneys haven't said when.

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State Department emails on a computer shared by longtime Hillary Clinton confidante Huma Abedin (pictured) and her estranged husband, disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, are still with the FBI and there's no schedule for handing them to State for review and public release

Clinton likely benefited from the lack of full disclosure but her presidential prospects dimmed after 650,000 emails were found on the laptop less than two weeks before the election

'We haven't recovered anything from the FBI,' Justice Department lawyer Lisa Olson told judge James Boasberg, according to The Washington Times.

Boasberg noted that since Clinton went down to defeat in the Nov. 8 presidential election, interest in her classified email scandal has dropped off.

Tuesday's hearing drew just a handful of journalists. A month ago, similar events in the same case packed the courtroom.

'What a shock that we have less interest today than in past hearings,' Boasberg said as he looked around, the Times noted.

The FBI's failure to release the Weiner laptop emails to the State Department or the public frustrated Republican partisans in the weeks preceding the election.

The bureau obtained the laptop from the New York City police department, which a government source said Monday already had possession of it  after DailyMail.com reported that Weiner, a former Democratic congressman, had been carrying on a lurid sexting relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

Weiner resigned from Congress and is losing his marriage as a result of his habit of sexting and exchanging lurid photos of himself with women other than his wife

The computer, which Abedin shared with her disgraced husband, reportedly contained 650,000 messages, including both personal emails and those related to the State Department, where Abedin served as Clinton's deputy chief of staff.

The bombshell revelation fueled Donald Trump's final week of campaign rallies and helped him drive home accusations of corruption against Clinton.

Olson told the judge on Tuesday that some of the files are duplicates of what the State Department has already made public.

State already has a backlog of messages to process, sending each one through a group of intelligence agencies to determine if it contains classified information.

More than 2,000 such messages have been flagged as classified. All of them once resided on an unsecured, home-brew email server that Clinton had installed in her basement.

Clinton told Congress and the FBI that her lawyers had already turned over all her work-related emails in late 2014.

Weiner's laptop could provide new evidence that she wasn't telling the whole truth.
The of widow of comedian Peter Cook has died aged 71.

Lin, who was born as Lin Chong in Malaysia in January 1945 and was of Chinese descent, met her husband in 1982 in Hampstead, London after discovering they were neighbours. They later became friends.

Recently, she worked with television producer, Victor Lewis-Smith, on the BBC Four documentary The Undiscovered Peter Cook, where she gave unprecedented access to Peters private recordings, diaries, letters, photographs, and much more.

The documentary aired on November 16.

Lin Cook, pictured in 1997 in Hampstead Heath, met her husband in 1982 after they discovered they were neighbours in North London

Victor Lewis-Smith announced her death on Twitter earlier today, saying: 'Deeply sad to announce that my dear friend Lin Cook, Peter's widow, has died.'

Peter Cook, who was voted the Comedian's Comedian in 2005 and known for his double act with Dudley Moore, divorced his second wife, Judy Huxtable, in 1989. Peter and Lin shortly got married afterwards.

When Peter died in 1995, aged 57, of a gastrointestinal haemorrhage, Lin suffered severe depression over the loss of her husband and bringing up her daughter Nina, who has severe learning difficulties.

Lin and Peter were married from 1989 until his death in 1995, where he suffered a gastrointestinal haemorrhage

She channeled her grief into setting up a charity, the Peter Cook foundation, in 2000, which aimed to raise 7m to build a music centre and home for her daughter and other disabled adults.

Lin was also a director of Peter Cook (Productions) Ltd, a post which she resigned from last week, and inherited her late husband's 40 per cent stake in satire magazine, Private Eye, which he helped to finance after its launch in 1961.

However false rumours began to circulate that she was to sell the stake to to one of its enemies, Mohammed Al Fayed, which led to her being likened to Yoko Ono.

Peter, who was known as the Comedian's Comedian, was known for his 1960s and 70s double act with Dudley Moore

Victor Lewis-Smith announced her death on Twitter earlier today, saying: 'Deeply sad to announce that my dear friend Lin Cook, Peter's widow, has died.'

James Kettle wrote 'RIP Lin Cook. Her kindness is part of the reason I do what I do today.' While Mark Faulkner wrote to Victor 'Ditto what everyone else has said. Lin Cook came across as a wonderful spirit in your documentary.'

Ken Shabby said: 'That's awful. She seemed lovely in that doc. RIP Lin Cook.'

Lee Thompson wrote: 'So sad to hear Peter Cook's widow Lin has died. She was so wonderful in the recent BBC4 doc, still up on iPlayer.'

She later said, in an interview with The Independent, that at the time they [Private Eye] 'didn't defend me and that was very hurtful'. She added: 'I didn't do a thing. I was just trying to cope with the fact Peter wasn't around.'

In 2003, she released a book titled: Something Like Fire: Peter Cook Remembered.

Twitter users revealed their shock over her death earlier today, with many praising her appearance in the documentary.

Ken Shabby said: 'That's awful. She seemed lovely in that doc. RIP Lin Cook.'

Lee Thompson wrote: 'So sad to hear Peter Cook's widow Lin has died. She was so wonderful in the recent BBC4 doc, still up on iPlayer.'
A Greek bodybuilder was so angry at losing a competition that he slapped a judge and pulled out his penis in protest.

Giannis Magos had already been declared winner of the 100kg competition and looked set to win the 2016 IFBB Diamond Cup title in Athens, Greece.

But when he was not declared champion, he went into a rage, hitting respected judge Armando Marquez in the face, throwing him onto the floor.

Giannis Magos had already been declared winner of the 100kg competition and looked set to win the 2016 IFBB Diamond Cup title in Athens, Greece

But when he was not declared champion, he went into a rage, hitting respected judge Armando Marquez in the face, throwing him onto the floor

Judge Armando Marquez, who was described as a 'true gentleman', is catapulted to the floor after being hit

Onlookers tried to reason with the shirtless muscleman, but continued screaming in protest.

Evolution of Body Building cited reports that he later pulled out his penis, but this was not shown in the video.

Since the incident, bodybuilding news website Evolution Of Bodybuilding called for Magos to be given the 'harshest penalty' after hitting the judge, who it called a 'true gentleman'.

It said in a statement: 'There is no place for the actions that followed in the any sport and especially in bodybuilding.

'The competitor that was involved in the incident should get the harshest penalty that the IFBB can give.'

Onlookers tried to reason with the shirtless muscleman, but continued screaming in protest
were jailed today for their part in the people

Adam Dunning (pictured) pleaded guilty to conspiring to facilitate the breach of UK immigration law. He was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison

Four men involved in smuggling 87 illegal immigrants, including children, into the UK hidden among van loads of second-hand furniture, mattresses and tyres have been jailed for a total of more than 14 years.

The gang showed 'no regard for human life' as they concealed 14 people inside wardrobes in the rear of one van, while 12 adults and three children were found in another, hidden by a pile of mattresses.

Their hiding place was revealed after a border force official at the Channel Tunnel spotted condensation on top of the van roof.

On another occasion, two men were found lying in the boot of an Audi car.

One of the people smuggling gang, Romanian national Nicodin Ardelean ,was at the time wanted on a European arrest warrant in respect of a six-year prison sentence in his home country.

The immigrants came from China, Kurdistan, Vietnam, Iran and Iraq, and were discovered by border control officers at the Channel Tunnel, and Dover Docks in Kent.

Prosecutor Dickon Reid told Maidstone Crown Court there were a totalof seven 'interceptions' of cross-Channel trips between May and December last year in which the 87 illegals were discovered.

The first revealed the two men hiding in the car boot at Dover docks. Thereafter, the people smugglers switched to using hire vans. The vehicles were rented from firms in Rochester and Sittingbourne in Kent.

The drivers would then head across the Channel to stay in hotels on the outskirts of Dunkirk in France before heading back with their illicit 'cargo'.

Mr Reid said the four men in the dock were involved in facilitating unlawful immigration by 'seeking to bypass border controls' to enter the UK.

Marcus Shorter, 32, of Pine Grove, Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent, was jailed for three years and nine months. Former soldier Adam Dunning, 29, of no fixed address, was jailed for four years and nine months.

John Newitt, 35 of Evans Street, Crewe, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, while Ardelean, 36, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and four months.

A fifth man, Mohammed Sangak, was said to have been at the heart ofthe operation and reaping the financial benefits.

He was linked to the other defendants and the organised trips either by mobile phone evidence or car tracking devices.

Mr Reid told the court: 'He was at the height of this conspiracy and the prime organiser of the trips across the Channel.'

The 30-year-old, from Gold Crest Drive, St Mary's Island, Chatham, will be sentenced at a later date.

Shorter organised the hiring of a Mercedes van which was used to smuggle in 11 Vietnamese nationals and three from Iraq.

'The driver was asked about his load, and his answers and general demeanour aroused suspicions,' said the prosecutor.

'He described his load as furniture and the vehicle was directed over to a scanner. It revealed an anomaly and was then searched.

Marcus Shorter (left) admitted conspiring to facilitate the breach of UK immigration law. He was sentenced to four years in prison. Nicodin Ardelean (right) was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months

'The officers began to remove some furniture and came across some wardrobes. The weight was too great to move them so the backs were removed and inside were 14 illegal immigrants.'

Shorter admitted assiting unlawful immigration of non-EU citizens on August 21.

At the time, he was subject to a suspended sentence for common assault and was therefore ordered at today's hearing to serve a further three months consecutive for that breach, making his total sentence one of four years.

Dunning and Newitt both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU citizen between May 1 2015 and December 31 2015.

Dunning was said to have had an 'organisational role' in one van trip in which 21 illegals were intercepted in France.

He was also stopped on November 13 at the wheel of a Citroen van at Dover docks in which seven Vietnamese adults and five children were crouching down behind stacked mattresses.

Again, condensation had been seen by officials on the van roof. Dunning claimed he had collected the mattresses from Belgium for a friend who was setting up a bed business and had no idea how the people had got into the vehicle.

Newitt was the driver of the Mercedes van in which 15 immigrants were hiding in a void.

He was pulled over at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelle, France, and also claimed he had collected mattresses from Belgium to sell in a shop based in Stoke.

Ardelean, 36, of no fixed address but currently in HMP Wandsworth, also admitted assisting the unlawful immigration of 12 people on September 3.

The court heard he recruited the van driver who was caught in France with 12 Vietnamese nationals hiding in his vehicle.

He was also said to be a 'conduit' between the those at the top of the operation and the driver.

Ardelean is already serving eight months'imprisonment for an unrelated offence of possessing false identity documents.

Mr Reid told the court there was also an outstanding European warrant for his arrest in relation to a six-year sentence imposed in Romania in September 2009 for 'participation in a criminal organisation'.

Sangak also admitted conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU citizen between May 1 2015 and December 31 2015.

Passing sentence on the four men, Judge Philip St.John-Stevens said prison was inevitable for such serious offences as they had 'the obvious and compelling potential to compromise national security'.

He added that while there was no evidence that those trafficked were going to be exploited through modern slavery or prostitution, the people were just as vulnerable.

The judge also said that while people smuggling could be used as a means to reunite families, this operation was 'large-scale and commercial', involving significant profit.

'It is quite clear from everything I have read and heard that Mohammed Sangak was not only at the heart of this conspiracy but at the top end of the conspiracy, enjoying no doubt the financial benefits and orchestrating this organisation.

'He developed a system which transported individuals through border controls undetected. I describe these individuals for convenience sake to reflect the nature of the charges as illegal immigrants.

John William Newittwas sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for his part in the people-smuggling plan

'But they are human beings being trafficked to this country for reasons varied and unknown.'

Judge St.John-Stevens continued: 'People who come into this country below the radar of border controls undermine our borders and it has the potential to compromise national security.

'Sadly, in the current climate in which we live, that potential and the risks are obvious to all.'

He added that those at the top, including Sangak, were the 'driving force' of the organisation and reaping the profits.

Details as to how much those involved were paid was not said in court. But Mr Reid said confiscation proceedings would be held in respect of the defendants.

'For each defendant there were fairly substantial cash deposits, the sources of which are largely unidentified,' he added.

Two Romanian women - Mirela Macovei (CORR), 32, and Anca Aioanei (CORR), 26, both of Norfolk Road, Cliftonville, near Margate, Kent - were caught with the two illegal immigrants in their Audi boot at Dover Docks on May 27 last year.

They also admitted assisting unlawful immigration and will be sentenced on Monday, December 5.

Four other men were sentenced at earlier hearings - two of which took place in France where they were arrested - and handed jail terms ranging between 12 months and three years.

Detective Inspector Gary Scarfe of Kent Police said: 'We have successfully dismantled an organised criminal network, which traded in human misery and was motivated solely by financial greed and with no regard for human life.

Those sentenced today were responsible for smuggling people who were sometimes in desperate situations and who would then be transported in overcrowded and dangerous conditions.
Sick allegations: Tyler Ryan Lowis, 22, has been ordered to stand trial for allegedly raping two brothers, ages 12 and 14, and producing child pornography

A 22-year-old Michigan man is facing charges of criminal sexual conduct and producing child pornography after he allegedly admitted to repeatedly raping two young brothers and using a pacifier and diapers in some of the assaults.

Tyler Ryan Lowis, of Sparta, was ordered on Monday to stand trial on three counts each of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, manufacturing child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime.

Court documents released in the case, and obtained by the station WZZM13, paint a sickening picture of Lowis' relationship with one of the siblings, who is now 14 years old.

Lowis called himself 'daddy' and referred to the victim as 'baby boy,' dressed the teen in diapers, forced him to use a sippy cup and baby bottle, and had him put a pacifier in his mouth to muffle his screams of pain during sexual assaults, according to the documents.

The records state that Lowis was living with his wife in a trailer park when he met the boy, then aged 10, and became his 'mentor.' The assaults began last year in the childs Sparta home, which he shared with his parents and younger sibling.

The investigation into Lowis' alleged crimes got under way in August when Michigan State Police got a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a person who was stockpiling child pornography through the online file sharing site Dropbox.

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Some of the alleged assaults took place in Lowis' trailer in a Sparta, Michigan, mobile home community (pictured) beginning last year

Many of the images depicted young boys, including toddlers and infants, in sexual situations with adults, records show. Investigators traced the IP address associated with the pornographic material to Tyler Lowis' home on Schultz Street in Sparta and obtained a search warrant.

When questioned by police on November 14, Lowis reportedly admitted to possessing child pornography and sexually assaulting a boy.

The assaults began at the victim' family home in 2015, and several of the encounters Lowis had allegedly videotaped on his tablet computer.

When police reviewed the contents of the device, they allegedly found three recordings showing the assaults and multiple still photos of the young victim 'wearing only a diaper and having a pacifier in his mouth,' the documents state.

In one video discovered on Lowis' tablet, the married man is allegedly seen raping the child as he lies naked in bed with a pacifier in his mouth.

The 22-year-old suspect repeatedly calls the victim 'baby boy' and refers to himself as 'daddy' in the sexually explicit recording.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Tyler Lowis had the boy put the pacifier in his mouth during the assaults because the child 'would scream because [he] said the sex hurt him.

When police met with the victim, who is now 14, his 12-year-old brother and their parents earlier this month, the older sibling admitted to having sex with Tyler Lowis 'a crap ton' in his home.
An inquiry committee of the Canadian Judicial Council says a judge who asked a sexual assault complainant why she couldn't just keep her knees together should lose his job.

Court transcripts show Robin Camp also called the complainant 'the accused' throughout the trial and told her 'sex and pain sometimes go together  thats not necessarily a bad thing.'

The committee said Wednesday Camp's conduct was 'so manifestly and profoundly destructive of the concept of the impartiality' that he should lose his job.

Canadian Judge Robin Camp, above, should be removed from the bench an inquiry committee of the Canadian Judicial Council decided on Wednesday

It's now up to the Canadian Judicial Council to decide whether the recommendation should be taken to the federal justice minister, who has final say on Camp's fate.

Camp previously apologized for what he called his rude and insulting attitude.

Camp acquitted Alexander Scott Wagar in the 2014 trial, but a new trial was ordered.

The judge was widely criticized during the trial for the way he questioned the alleged victim.

At one point, he insinuated that the alleged victim may have been trying to get the accused into trouble with her accusation when she didn't react differently when the accused locked the door to the bathroom where the rape allegedly occurred.

Camp was widely condemned for what many saw as insensitive and sexist questions during a 2014 rape trial

'If she sees the door being locked, shes not a complete idiot, she knows whats coming next. In our law she doesnt have to say unlock the door Im getting out. She can take her chances, perhaps in the hope of getting him into trouble,' the judge said, according to transcripts quoted by the University of Calgary Faculty of Law.

He also asked her questions that insinuated the blame was on her for not stopping the alleged rape.

'Why couldnt you just keep your knees together?' he asked, along with 'Why didnt you just sink your bottom down into the basin so he couldnt penetrate you?'

He also asked 'why she allowed the sex to happen if she didn't want it?'

At the Provincial court in Calgary (above) Judge Robin Camp acquitted suspect Alexander Wagar in 2014 - he is now having a second trial there

After finding the accused not guilty, he lectured him on how to protect himself.

'The law and the way that people approach sexual activity has changed in the last 30 years. I want you to tell your friends, your male friends, that they have to be far more gentle with women. They have to be far more patient. And they have to be very careful. To protect themselves, they have to be very careful... Please tell your friends so that they dont upset women and so that they dont get into trouble.'

The complainant testified during the original trial that she was at the house party in Calgary in December 2011 when Wagar entered the bathroom, locked the door behind him, ripped off her clothes, then bent her over the sink and sexually assaulted her for 15-20 minutes.

She later said that the judge's line of questioning made her feel 'like a slut.'

In September, Camp apologized for his comments, saying, 'I was not the good judge I thought I was. I struck the wrong tone in counsel submissions. I was rude and facetious.'

Wagar is undergoing a second trial by judge and insists the sexual contact was consensual.
The prime minister of Pakistan heard from president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday that he is 'a terrific guy' and that his nation is a 'fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people.'

That recap of the conversation between the two men, known in government circles as a 'readout,' was unusually candid and reads like a note-taking transcription that captures Trump's informal speech patterns in broken English.

Most readouts are bland documents meant to convey pleasantries and assurances, but press aides usually write them as summaries in their own language.

White House press secretaries often provide their counterparts overseas with suggested language following high-level meetings and phone calls, so both sides can agree on what to tell the public.

But the Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's office appears to have had no such help from the Trump transition team.

President-elect Donald trump (right) spoke Wednesday with Pakistan's prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (left), and Sharif's office released a 'readout' of the call that reads like a verbatim rendering of Trump's unpolished speaking style

Most government press-office readouts are bland documents that capture pleasantries, but not words like 'terrific' and 'amazing'

His staff's official readout, published online, says that Sharif called Trump 'and felicitated him on his victory.'

'President Trump said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon,' it said.

'As I am talking to you Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people.'

'I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems,' Trump continued, according to the readout.

'It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.'

Trump transition communications director Jason Miller didn't say whether he had sent his Pakistani counterparts some recommended language to use in their official readout, something press secretaries often do when there are language barriers to overcome publicly

Sharif also invited Trump to visit Pakistan.

'Mr. Trump said that he would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people,' the readout proclaimed.

It ended by recalling in a paraphrase that Trump said: 'Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people.'
Donald Trump was vilified for his tweet saying 'In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.'

It was dubbed 'false' by CNN, 'bogus' by the Washington Post, and rated as 'pants on fire' by Politifact.

But experts warn today that the rapid media condemnation of the president-elect is itself flawed - and that he was at the very least partially right in his claims.

They said it is certain that - among other things - non-citizens were registered to vote and cast ballots.

It is also certain that there were other instances of illegal voting, including people who vote under false identities, and people who cast ballots in multiple states, which most attacks on Trump's tweet chose to ignore, they warned.

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More right than wrong: Experts say the rush to rubbish Trump's claims about illegal voting obscures that he is correct that it happens and that it is only the scale which is in doubt

Illegal backing? Hillary Clinton, who is ahead in the popular vote - and who appeared with Katy Perry in new York on Tuesday night - may have benefited, experts say

Voting under way: This was the scene in Los Angeles on the day America decided

But the experts spoken to by DailyMail.com questioned Trump's estimate that 'millions of people' cast illegitimate ballots for Clinton, noting that the lack of polling on illegal voting trends makes it difficult to estimate how many people vote illegally in the presidential election.

'We know for certain there are non-citizens registered and voting across the country,' said Hans von Spakovsky, a former Federal Election Commission official and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.

'There's been a great deal of controversy over how big are those numbers.'

Trump has faced widespread media criticism for his comments, with 'fact-checking' websites like Politifact saying that there is 'zero evidence' that millions voted illegally for Clinton.

But the lack of evidence is hardly a surprise or an indication that Trump is wrong: there is a lack of reliable data - and a lack of any investigation so far into this cycle's elections.

Compiling information on the subject can be difficult, since people who have voted illegally can be reluctant to admit it to pollsters.

The most recent serious attempt to measure the number of non-citizen voters found that illegal voting is a widespread problem, although not as prevalent as Trump's comments suggested.

The 2013 study was conducted by Jesse Richman, a professor at Old Dominion University.

The report was based on surveys by the Cooperative Congressional Election Studies in 2008 and 2010, which asked respondents for citizen status and whether they had voted.

Hacked? Jill Stein is claiming the voting machines in Pennsylvania may have been vulnerable to electronic interference

Based on the data, Richman estimated that 6.4 percent of non-citizens voted in the 2008 presidential election, which would translate to around 1.2 million votes. According to Richman, about 80 percent of these non-citizens voted for Barack Obama against John McCain.

But the professor says his findings still wouldn't account for Hillary Clinton's entire 2.2 million lead against Trump in the popular vote.

According to Richman, if the numbers for 2008 also held true for 2016, non-citizen voters 'would add only 834,318 votes to Clinton's popular vote margin. This is little more than a third of the total margin.'

For Trump's claims to be accurate under that scenario, over one million of Clinton's votes would have had to be cast through other illegal means -- such as people voting for her under false names or multiple times.

The study is well-known and has been widely-publicized, which suggests that claims that Trump based his tweet on 'a rumor that initially spread because of one guy on Twitter' - Gregg Phillips, a conservative activist - are themselves baseless.

That allegation was made by the Huffington Post which, in the article making the claim conceded that its assertion was being made without any evidence.

'It doesnt seem far-fetched to think that Trump, an avid Twitter user, might have first encountered the claim somewhere on social media,' it said, presenting no evidence that he had been inspired by the 'one guy'.

The Heritage Foundation's von Spakovsky said that what is clear is that Trump is more right than those calling his claim 'false'.

'Trump is a lot more right than his critics who try to claim there is absolutely no voter fraud and no voting by non-citizens,' said von Spakovsky. 'We know that that is absolutely not true.'

Another 2013 study on Hispanic adults by pollster John McLaughlin found that 13 percent of non-citizens responding to the survey said they were registered to vote in the United States. However, the study did not ask whether these people actually voted in an election.

Although there have been more recent claims about 'millions' of non-citizens voting in the 2016 election, these have yet to be substantiated by published data.

Another election monitoring group called True the Vote says it has been investigating illegal voting and voter fraud as well. The group said it supports Trump's statement about the 'impact' of illegal voting, but stopped short of backing Trump's claim on the specific numbers.

'True the Vote absolutely supports President-elect Trump's recent comment about the impact of illegal voting, as reflected in the national popular vote,' said the group.

Evidence: Richman estimated that 6.4 percent of non-citizens voted in the 2008 presidential election, which would translate to around 1.2 million votes. According to Richman, about 80 percent of these non-citizens voted for Barack Obama against John McCain.

While True the Vote has not yet published a review of the 2016 election, it said it is compiling data and would release a 'comprehensive study' in several months.

Others disagree that voting fraud is a large-scale problem in the United States.

The Brennan Center for Justice released a study in 2007 called 'The Truth About Voter Fraud,' which contended that allegations of illegal voting were 'greatly exaggerated.'

According to the study  which was based on anecdotal media accounts of voter impersonation, not any other sort of fraud  rates of illegal voting in the U.S. were between 0.00004 percent and 0.0009 percent.

And Richman's study itself has been questioned by one of the academics who was involved in producing the data that it used for its analysis.

Brian Schaffner, a a political science professor at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, wrote in Politico that people who self-identified as non-citizens and were recorded in the data as having voted were likely to simply have filled the survey incorrectly, making any conclusions irrelevant.

Richman has published an academic paper refuting that assertion - another layer of claim and counter-claim over the numbers.

Disgrace: DailyMail.com highlighted a series of vote fraudsters, among them Sister Marguerite Kloos, a 55-year-old nun in Delhi Township, Ohio, who voted in a dead nun's name in 2012, and Kent Hallum, the father of a state representative in Marion, Arkansas, who was involved in a vote-buying ring

In fact, due to the lack of polling data, much of the reporting and studies on illegal voting have relied on anecdotal evidence - and it suggests the problem is real.

Dailymail.com has reported on a number of recent voting fraud convictions, including elaborate vote-buying schemes. In some cases, bribery rings and state officials offered cocaine, alcohol and chicken dinners in exchange for votes or bundles of false absentee ballots.

Others voted on behalf of dead or incapacitated friends and relatives, or filled out false ballots in the names of unsuspecting handicapped people and Alzheimer's patients.

Even a nun was convicted of voting in someone else's name - in the swing state of Ohio.

Ironically, Trump and his supporters aren't the only ones who have raised concerns about vote integrity since the election.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein has pushed for recounts of the presidential race in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, alleging that voting machines in the Keystone State may have been susceptible to hacking.

According to an affidavit filed in Pennsylvania on Monday by attorneys for Stein, the state's electronic voting machines have 'serious cybersecurity problems' and could be manipulated by a hacker 'infecting the machines with malware.' They said this could be done by a foreign government or domestic hackers.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's name is being floated to take over the troubled Veterans Affairs administration.

Palin's name surfaced in a report by ABC News after the 'drill, baby, drill' 2008 vice presidential candidate was earlier mentioned as a possible candidate to lead the Interior Department.

Palin endorsed Trump in January before the Iowa caucuses in a rambling speech, then joined him for just a few events on the campaign trail.

'Mr. Trump, you're right, look back there in the press box. Heads are spinning, media heads are spinning. This is going to be so much fun,' Palin said at the time.

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Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is being considered to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, it was reported Wednesday

'No more pussy footin' around! Our troops deserve the best, you deserve the best!' she told an Iowa crowd.

A source close to NBC News said Palin was interested in the job.

Palin drew controversy during the campaign after the arrest of her son Track on domestic abuse charges, when her comments appeared to blame President Obama for his PTSD and the bust.

'My son, a combat veteran  was fighting for you all, America, in the war zone. My son, like so many others, came back a bit different, they come back hardened,' she said at a Trump rally in Oklahoma.

'They come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airman and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country,' Palin continued. 'And that starts from the top.'

'That comes from our own President,' Palin kept going. 'Where they have to look at him and wonder, 'Do you know what we go through? Do you know what we're trying to do to secure America?''

Palin had previously been mentioned as a candidate to run the Interior Department

Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, speaks to members of the media in the spin room after the third U.S. presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada

Trump later told CNN he told Palin to bring up Track's arrest and battle with PTSD.

'I said I think it would be a great forum. And I know she started the dialogue,' he stold the network.

Trump told CNN's Don Lemon, 'I think it's a very important dialogue, because she told me that they're coming back, so many are coming back and they're, you know, they're under tremendous pressure and tremendous strain. There's no question about it.'

Trump railed against the agency on the campaign trail, following longstanding reports of excessive wait times and poor care for veterans.

The called the VA 'the most corrupt agency in the United States.'

Obama brought former Procter & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald in to try to fix the troubled agency after a series of reports of agency failures.

The news brought some immediate derision on Twitter. 'Sarah Palin as VA Secretary seems completely insane until you remember that Donald Trump was just elected President,' said former Obama communications director Dan Pfeiffer.

Trump transition advisor Kellyanne Conway told Fox News last week Palin wasn't likely part of the mix.

'I know that theyre close and that shes been a great, loyal friend and adviser to him throughout the campaign, but I havent seen her as part of the cabinet mix,' she said.
Kathryn Smith (pictured) was left with a two centimetre stab wound on her cheek after being jumped by as many as 10 lags on a prison stairwell in May

A drug addict who stamped her 21-month-old daughter to death is appealing against her conviction for murder.

Smith was jailed for life in April with a minimum of 24 years.

Her ex-partner, Matthew Rigby, 22, was convicted of causing or allowing the child's death, but cleared of murder.

Ayeeshia, who weighed just 20lbs when she died, was killed while she cried 'stop mummy, stop daddy'.

Her mother stamped on her chest with such force that she suffered a fatal heart injury, three broken ribs and bit through her own tongue.

Experts said her injuries were so severe she resembled a high-speed car crash victim.

Smith, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, today challenged her conviction at the Court of Appeal in London.

Ayeeshia Jane Smith (pictured), who weighed just 20lbs when she died, was killed as she cried 'stop mummy, stop daddy'. Her mother stamped on her chest with such force that she suffered a fatal heart injury, three broken ribs and bit through her own tongue

Her barrister, John Butterfield QC, argued her conviction was 'unsafe' because of an interruption by the trial judge during the defence's closing speech.

Mr Butterfield, who represented Smith at the trial, said Mrs Justice Andrews' intervention caused 'prejudice' in the minds of jurors.

He said: 'The judge weighed in and weighed in in a way that was wrong, I say, on a number of different levels, in the middle of defence counsel's closing address.

'It is hard to understate just how devastating this was to the credibility of the defence case.

'To trespass on the closing remarks at all was a risk and was likely to have consequences.'

But Christopher Hotten QC, who prosecuted her, denied the judges interruption rendered the conviction unsafe.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas, sitting with Mr Justice Wyn Williams and Mr Justice Goss, are expected to give a ruling in the New Year.

But Lord Thomas said if her conviction appeal does not succeed they would review the minimum jail term handed to Smith.

Smith was attacked by fellow inmates at the notorious Foston Hall women's prison in Derbyshire in May. The mob claimed they were avenging Ayeeshia's death.
Three young people who died after attending a rave in southern California this summer overdosed on the party drug Ecstasy, autopsy results released Wednesday confirmed.

The official cause of death for Derek Lee, 22; Alyssa Dominquez, 21; and Roxanne Ngo, 22; was 'acute MDMA toxicity' according to the San Bernardino County Coroner.

All three died in separate incidents, and were among nine total hospitalized after the festival, held at the Auto Club Speedway the last weekend in July.

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Alyssa Dominguez, 21 (left), and Roxanne Ngo, 22 (right), were two of the three people who died after taking the party drug Ecstasy at the Hard Summer festival in California this summer

'Each was transported from the event to different hospitals for medical attention,' the coroner's statement read. 'These deaths are being investigated individually and, at this time, are not believed to be related.'

The coroner also released more information on the deaths of Dominguez, a San Diego State University student and Ngo, who was attending UC Riverside.

Dominquez reportedly took two Ecstasy pills on the first night of the festival, one at 5pm and the second at 9pm. Her friends said she appeared fine until they were driving out of the festival around 1:30am at hit traffic. That's when Dominguez, sitting in the back seat of the car, grew agitated and began to ramble incoherently. Half an hour later, she started making gurgling noises and became unresponsive.

A record 145,000 people - many of them under the age of 30 - attended the festival in July. Above, some of the crowds on July 31

Her friends couldn't feel a pulse so they took her out of the car and began CPR while waiting for paramedics. She was transported to Kaiser hospital in Fontana where she was pronounced dead at 2:10am.

Ngo died on the second night of the rave. She suffered a seizure and became unresponsive after consuming Ecstasy. She was in cardiac arrest by the time paramedics reached her at the rave. She was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center around 11:07pm and died shortly after 3am early the next morning.

When she was in the hospital, Ngo's body temperature shot up to 104 degrees, a dangerous side effect of the drug and despite being given fluids, she couldn't cool down and she went back into cardiac arrest before she died.

San Bernardino Police Captain Horace Boatwright posted this picture of some of the drugs confiscated at this year's festival

Roxanne Ngo (left) and Alyssa Dominguez (right) pictured above

Lee died at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center at 12:10am on July 31.

The three were among nine hospitalized after the festival, which had a record turnout of 146,000 people this year.

Among the acts who performed at this year's rave were Ice Cube and Major Lazor.

Locals have been fighting to stop the concert, which is owned by Live Nation, from returning to the race track next year.
Artan also complained about Donald Trump in the interview with the student newspaper, and claimed he feared he would be shot for praying

Student reporter who interviewed fanatic on first day at OSU reveals how he went on about perceived slights against Muslims

The Somali refugee who went on a car and knife frenzy in Columbus, Ohio, made a mystery trip to Washington D.C. days beforehand - and bought a blade there.

The bizarre development was reported by NBC News, who revealed that Abdul Artan went to a Home Depot in the capital and bought a knife there late last week.

'It's a mystery at this point,' an investigative source told the network.

'Was he planning to do something here? Was it something else? We simply don't know.'

Artan launched his attack on Monday, using a car then his knife to hurt innocent people before being shot by a police officer later hailed a hero.

At an press conference in Columbus the FBI said they had increased the official toll of Abdul Artan's victims to 13 after the attack at The Ohio State University.

They also officially confirmed that they believe he was inspired by ISIS - and said he knew none of his victims.

The official confirmation that ISIS is thought to have inspired the student - who had been granted permanent residency in the U.S. - came as it emerged he had spoke out against Donald Trump and listed perceived slights against Muslims in the months before the attack.

Shot dead: A campus cop was hailed a hero for taking out Somali refugee terrorist Andul Artan on Monday morning after he used his car and a knife to bring terror to The Ohio State University

Rantings: Artan is believed to have posted on Facebook about 'Muslim lands'. The FBI are verifying that he made the social media posts

Attack: This was the aftermath of the rampage by the refugee given permanent residence in the U.S. after coming from Pakistan, where he had moved as a child from his native Somalia

A student journalist who interviewed Artan in September told in the Washington Post how the refugee had spoken about 'Islamophobia' and rattled off alleged incidents of it, claimed he feared being shot if he was seen praying in public, and expressed dislike for Donald Trump.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday that the refugee 'should not have been in our country'.

At a press conference in Columbus, FBI Special Agent Angela Byers said it was too early to be sure that Artan was an ISIS follower - but that the investigation was pointing to it.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was not aware of Artan as a potential threat before the rampage.

'At this time we are not aware of anyone else being involved in the planning of this attack, but the investigation continues.

'It appears that Artan may have at least been inspired by Anwar Awlaki and the Islamic State in the Levant [ISIS] and we will continue to pursue this as part of the investigation.'

She said that the FBI are investigating all of Artan's electronic devices, as well as interviewing his family members.

In particular, they want to establish if he left rantings about attacks on Muslim lands on his Facebook page before the attacks.

They are also examining whether he had listened to the hate-filled preaching of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born cleric who took a leadership role in al-Qaeda before being killed in 2011 by a drone strike in Yemen.

Police said none of Artan's victims appears to have known him. The 13 were named as: Anderson Payne, Keria Straughsbaugh, Kaylee Hoffner, Anthony DiCocco, Kristopher Waninger, Marc Coons, Katherine Schultz, Pavel Sergeev, William Clark, Theron Ellinger, Elizabeth Sturges, Linda Rager and Max Wieneke.

None of the victims, who were wounded after being struck by the car or stabbed, have life-threatening injuries and most were released from local hospitals within one day, officials said.

One person was struck in the foot by a bullet shot by the Ohio State police officer who killed Artan, Columbus deputy police chief Richard Bash said.

The other aspect of their investigation is around his last movements before the attack on Monday.

He is said to have dropped his younger siblings at school before going to Walmart to buy a knife.

At home: A selfie from Abdul Artan's social media suggested he was not wearing Western dress at the house he shared with his mother and six siblings

Out and about: The student posted this selfie at some point before his terror attack

American life: Despite reeling off claims of Islamophobia, the refugee was happy to be photographed with symbols of the country which welcomed him and gave him an education

Confirmation: FBI Special Agent Angela Byers said they believed he was inspired by ISIS and were looking at whether Anwar al-Awlaki's online rants were also part of his radicalization

The knife that was used in the attack was confirmed to have been bought at a Walmart in Columbus on Monday morning. It is said to have been a standard kitchen knife.

Michael Woods, Deputy Chief of Columbus Police, said: 'What we do know is that the knife was purchased at a Walmart on the west side of Columbus on the morning of the attack.'

VICTIMS OF TERROR The victims were 11 students and two staff members. William Clark, 68, professor emeritus at the College of Engineering, suffered cuts and bruises after being struck by the car, while Theron Ellinger, 48, a university traffic officer, suffered undisclosed wounds. Kerri Strausbaugh, 27, Anthony DiCocco, 21, and Kristopher L Waninger, 21, all suffered suspected broken bones. Kaylee Hoffner, 22, was hit by the car and suffered torn ligaments in her knee and a fractured foot. Marc Coons, 29, Katie Schultz, 19, Pavel Sergeev, 23, and Anderson Payne, 28, were treated for moderate injuries. Elisabeth Sturges, 20, Linda Rager, 20, and Max Wieneke, 21, all suffered minor injuries. Advertisement

Authorities are trying to piece together a gap of several hours between the time Artan bought the knife and the attack.

What's also unknown is why Artan targeted the campus and an engineering building, said Woods.

Artan was in his first semester on campus and enrolled in the business school. He had been at a community college before that.

The FBI also confirmed publicly that Artan had arrived from Pakistan, having moved there from Somalia.

And they stuck by the assertion that the balding terrorist was just 18 - despite questions over whether that matches his appearance.

Artan's family would have made that claim in papers filed seeking refugee status iun the U.S. which would have been difficult to check as he was born in the failed state of Somalia then lived in Pakistan, where public records are also dubious.

Special Agent Byers said: 'As far as our knowledge goes, Abdul Artan was 18-years-old, according to our records. There's no information at this time that says he was older.'

Fresh evidence of the refugee's obsession with perceived slights against his religion emerged on Tuesday from a student journalist who interviewed him for a campus newspaper in September.

Kevin Stankiewicz, an OSU student who writes for The Lantern, interviewed and photographed Artan for a 'Humans of OSU' feature, based on the internet sensation Humans of New York.

On his way to carnage: Artan was caught on camera driving the car he used in the attack. Police want to trace all his movements before the terror spree

Hero: The Ohio State University Police's Officer Alan Horujko shot and killed Artan before his attack got even worse

He revealed in an article in the Washington Post that Artan had reeled off what he saw as 'Islamophobia' and spoken against then presidential candidate Donald Trump.

'He even told me the possibility of being shot if he prayed had crossed his mind,' Stankiewicz wrote.

'At the time, in the final stretch of a divisive presidential campaign, he spoke of his fears of then-candidate Donald Trumps rhetoric toward Muslims, what it might mean for immigrants and refugees, what it might mean for those, like him, who practice Islam openly.'

Artan had spoke about incidents in which

'I found a thoughtful, engaged guy, a Muslim immigrant who wanted to spread understanding and awareness while expressing muted fears that U.S. society was becoming insular and fostering unfair stereotypes of his people,' the student reporter wrote.

'He was measured and intellectual, not angry or violent.'

But Artan, far from being measured, claimed he feared he would be shot if he prayed in public, and appeared to have memorized alleged 'Islamophobic' incidents, including police being called to a man in Avon, Ohio, apparently speaking in Arabic, and a college student being removed from a plane for saying 'Inshallah'.

The depth of his obsession with slights against his religion was underlined by his social media postings.
The 13-year-old boy was taken to Lady Cilento Childrens Hospital

A teenager was also hit by a falling tree branch in Forest Lodge

injuries but was taken to hospital as a precaution

She had no

A young boy has been freed after he was trapped by a tree during wild storms that battered Queensland on Wednesday.

The 13-year-old was walking home from school when a tree branch snapped and fell on him, trapping the teenager.

Thousands of homes have been left without power, hail stones battered houses and another person was also injured during the wild weather.

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Thousands of people in Queensland have been left without power, hail stones have battered houses and two people have been injured, after a severe storm in the Sunshine State. pictured is the storm over Brisbane

A 13-year-old boy was also hit by a falling tree in Forest Lodge (pictured)

A tree is pictured crushing a small water tank in the backyard of a house in New Beith

Summer is well and truly expected to hit on Thursday, as an extreme heatwave rolls across southern Queensland (Thursday, 5pm temperatures are pictured)

The wild weather will give way to an extreme heatwave, with temperatures expected to soar above 40 degrees in the state's southern region from Thursday until the beginning of next week.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting temperatures above 40C in parts of southern Queensland and a high of 38C in Brisbane on Friday, nine degrees above the December average - with hot weather also tipped to hit Sydney and Melbourne.

Friday is expected to be the hottest December day in 15 years, since the mercury nudged 40C on Christmas Eve in Brisbane in 2001.

On Wednesday afternoon a female traffic controller was struck by lightning in Helensvale about 3.20pm while holding a stop sign, reported theCourier Mail.

She did not have any visible injuries but was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital as a precaution.

The tree (pictured) fell right through the middle of the plastic tank, squashing it and splintering plastic in all directions

Panels on a fence in Browns Plains in Queensland were destroyed. Thousands of people were without power

A tin shed in Browns Plains was blown away and crushed, exposing spare tyres and machinery to the elements

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the state on Wednesdsay afternoon, along with Victoria, NSW and the ACT but later cancelled it. A woman in Healsville, Queensland was hit by lightning and take to hospital as a precaution

A teenager was also injured during the storm after a tree fell on him at Forest Lake, in Brisbane's southwest.

The 13-year-old was pinned underneath a large branch and had to be rescued by Victoria SES.

A girl was also trapped under the branch but only had minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

The boy (pictured) was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital by paramedics. girl was also trapped under the branch but was treated at the scene

Dark clouds are pictured hovering over Brisbane's central business district on Wednesday evening

The east coast of Australia was under threat from severe thunderstorms on Wednesday evening. The warnings were later cancelled. Pictured is Sydney on Wednesday as the storm rolls in

Menacing clouds and a dark sky is seen in the background of this property in Jimboomba in Queensland

The severe weather warning for Queensland was later cancelled at 7.30pm and the one for Victoria, the ACT and New South Wales was cancelled at 8pm AEST, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

As summer hits on Thursday, Sydney should expect 29 degrees with a possible shower. Friday is tipped to reach 31 degrees and be mostly sunny.

The weekend will be marred by possible showers with temperatures sitting in the mid-20s.

Melbourne will be mostly sunny with the temperature reaching 27 on Thursday.

Friday is expected to be 21 and mostly sunny, followed by a mostly sunny weekend.

Emergency services warned people to put away loose items around the house, including in yards and on balconies to prepare for the stormy weather

As the storm approached (pictured), warnings were in place across the majority of Australia's east

A thunderstorm moves in over hills in Queensland near the Sunshine Coast

Lightning strikes during the Wednesday evening storms on the Sunshine Coast

Just after 4pm on Wednesday Energex was reporting almost 5,000 customers were without power in the Logan area, with 877 affected in Brisbane.

By 8pm, 3,000 people in Logan had no power, 4,500 properties were without power in Somerset and 1100 on Sunshine Coast also had no power, according to reports.

The central cell had passed over the city's CBD by 4.15pm but the weather bureau's warning remained for damaging winds, heavy rain and large hailstones for areas around Moreton Bay and Deception Bay by 4.50pm.

Hail fell west of Sydney on Monday afternoon during one of the predicted storms

In Melbourne, residents were warned to brace for a second round of deadly thunderstorm asthma as wild weather is set to batter Victoria.

The state's chief health officer, Professor Charles Guest, has urged people with a history of asthma to remain indoors and keep medication close at hand with storms forecast for Gippsland and the state's north-east.

'People with asthma should always carry their inhaler or reliever,' Professor Guest said in a statement on Wednesday.

FORECAST: WHAT THE WEATHER LOOKS IN AUSTRALIA'S EAST SYDNEY Thursday: Min 19, Max 29. Partly cloudy, chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday: Min 19, Max 31. Partly cloud, chance of showers Saturday: Min 19, Max 35. Cloudy, chance of showers Sunday: Min 20, Max 27. Cloudy, light winds BRISBANE: Thursday : Min 20, Max 33. Showers likely, chance of thunderstorms Friday: Min 21, Max 36. Hot, partly cloudy Saturday: Min 21, Max 34. Hot, possible shower Sunday: Min 22, Max 34. Hot, possible shower MELBOURNE Thursday : Min 13, Max 24. Cloud clearing Friday: Min 13, Max 21. Cloud clearing Saturday: Min 10, Max 21. Mostly sunny Sunday: Min 11, Max 32. Shower or two CANBERRA Thursday : Min 12, Max 29. Partly cloudy Friday: Min 11, Max 31. Possible afternoon shower Saturday: Min 11, Max 28. Partly cloudy Sunday: Min 11, Max 32. Partly cloudy Advertisement

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT

A view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour on Wednesday afternoon
An association of community bankers that lent its support to President-elect Donald Trump is showing its support in another way  by booking conferences at his new luxury hotel in Washington.

The Independent Community Bankers of America has moved upcoming conference events from another D.C. hotel to the recently opened historic Trump National Hotel DC, the site of multiple Trump press conferences during the campaign, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The group's president, Camden Fine, decided in September to move an upcoming 2018 policy conference and a dinner for bankers this coming April to the hotel, which Trump has hailed as one of the world's great properties.

'Like everyone else, we had no idea that Trump would be elected president,' Fine told the paper. The decision 'had nothing to do with his being elected president,' he said, saying the group thought 'we would try it out.'

A group of community bankers has scheduled upcoming meetings and conferences at President-elect Donald Trump's new luxury hotel in Washington, DC

Trump hailed the hotel at an October ribbon-cutting. 'We are going to make this one of the great hotels in the country, and I think this is going to end up being one of the great hotels of the world,' Trump said. 'We have the finest location, we have the finest building.'

The community bankers were one of the few financial interests to support Trump, the paper reported, with the overwhelming majority going to Hillary Clinton.

Now, there are efforts underway to build bridges, with efforts coming from both sides.

The Financial Services Roundtable, which represents large financial institutions, is hosting a fundraising event next week in New York intended to bring in $4 million to support Trump's presidential transition leading up to January 20.

Trump is listed on an invitation as attending the December 7 event.

Camden Fine, president of the Independent Community Bankers of America, says his group has scheduled upcoming events at Trump's new hotel

Steven Mnuchin, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, talks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower

The Trump transition officially announced Wednesday that Trump would nominate Steven Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at investment firm Goldman Sachs, to be his Treasury Secretary.

The chief operating officer of the powerful investment bank, Gary Cohn, met with Trump Tuesday at Trump Tower and is reportedly under consideration to run the Office of Management and Budget.

Trump has named Thomas Barrack, a private equity investor, to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which organizes balls and other festivities for the upcoming inauguration.

Trump's luxury hotel has attracted increased scrutiny since the real estate mogul's stunning election win. The government owns the property, and the federal General Services Administration leased the former Old Post Office building to the Trump organization.

The lease states that ' no ... elected official of the Government of the United States ... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom,' which could pose potential problems for Trump after he takes office.

Trump hailed the new hotel throughout his presidential campaign

STAY TUNED: Trump is planning a news conference in December to reveal his plans to unwind his business

Trump wrote that he is leaving his business 'in total'



Trump wrote in a series of tweets Wednesday that he is planning a press conference next week where he will explain his plans to leave his company 'in total' to his children.
Donald Trump plans to keep President Barack Obama's U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara.

The aggressive prosecutor made a name for himself acting on fraud and public corruption cases.

Bharara visited Trump at the president-elect's request on Wednesday afternoon.

He said afterwards, 'We had a good meeting. I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on.

'I have already spoken to Senator Sessions, who is as you know is the nominee to be the attorney general. He also asked that I stay on, and so I expect that I will be continuing to work at the southern district.'

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Donald Trump plans to keep President Barack Obama's U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara

Bharara visited Trump at the president-elect's request on Wednesday afternoon. He said afterwards, 'We had a good meeting. I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on.

'I have already spoken to Senator Sessions, who is as you know is the nominee to be the attorney general. He also asked that I stay on, and so I expect that I will be continuing to work at the southern district.'

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is Trump's nominee for attorney general. Sessions will be Bharara's boss if he makes it through the Senate confirmation process, which he is not assured to do.

Bharara's pursuit of insider trading cases beginning in 2009 earned him a Time magazine cover and the title of 'top cop' to Wall Street.

His office twice forced Citibank to pay substantial sums in 2012 and 2014 for pushing risky loans. In 2012 it also pursued, and won, a mortgage-fraud case against Bank of America.

Several of Bernie Madoff's associates we convicted as a result of Bharara's office's work. Madoff's bank, JPMorgan, forfeited $1.7 billion in a separate settlement.

His reach has extended beyond the big banks to public officials. State senators, New York city council men and women, even State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, have found themselves in his crosshairs.

Silver was arrested in 2015 and convicted. New York now has its first black State Assembly Speaker, Carl Heastie.

Bharara's case against New York's Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos sent the politician to jail for five years.

He warned New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this spring to stay in line, or he'd come after them, too.

Bharara said Wednesday he believes Trump invited to his office today 'presumably because he's a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years.'

The president-elect asked for a meeting to 'discuss whether or not I'd be prepared to stay on as the United States attorney to do the work as we have done it, independently, without fear or favor for the last seven years.'

The Indian-born prosecutor who is a naturalized U.S. citizen was reportedly considered to replace Eric Holder at the Justice Department when he stepped down. The job was offered to his colleague Loretta Lynch, also of New York, instead.

Bharara formerly served as chief counsel to Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York.

David Ganek, a hedgefunder who says Bharara did irreparable harm to his firm, Level Global, by naming it in a 2010 search warrant. Ganek was never charged, and neither was his firm. He's suing the government to clear his name.

He said Wednesday after Bharara's Trump Tower visit: 'We assume Preet Bharara shared with the president-elect that a federal judge ordered him and his prosecutors to provide email records and sit for depositions explaining evidence of fabrications in a search warrant application.

'Before taking a job in the new administration, the first of order of business should be revealing the truth about what appears to be a culture of misconduct in his own office.'

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is Trump's nominee for attorney general. Sessions will be Bharara's boss if he makes it through the Senate confirmation process, which he is not assured to do

Earlier this year The Daily Caller reported that Bharara's office was chasing a case could spell trouble for Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill.

The Clinton Foundation case was said to e a joint coordination effort between field offices and FBI headquarters. It did not say what crime or crimes prosecutors suspected the foundation and its employees of committing.

Later news reports from the Wall Street Journal and other outlets said the attorney general's office ordered FBI agents looking into the Clinton charity to back down.

The evidence agents had collected wasn't strong enough to warrant prosecution, the reports said. The FBI was discouraged from doing additional digging.

Trump accused Clinton on the campaign of using and abusing her position at State to boost donations to her husband's charity. He said the Clintons were guilty of 'criminal enterprise' and pay for play.

He also threatened to send a special prosecutor after Clinton for deleting 33,000 of her emails and jail her.

Since becoming the president-elect he's backed away from planned actions against the Clintons. His designated White House chief of staff said that if 'some kind of bomb that we dont know about' comes up that he'd look at it, though.

Reince Priebus said Sunday to Fox News' Chris Wallace, 'If the attorney general and the Congress find evidence that would indicate that something needs to happen and our attorney general, Jeff Sessions, at the DOJ says something needs to happen, I would suspect that President-elect Trump is going to be open to listening to what that is.
A rock musician, who died after vowing to cut down on drinking and win back his girlfriend, committed suicide, a coroner has ruled.

Luke Lavelle, 30, was found dead at Branded bar in Hull, East Yorkshire on June 17 this year at around 10.45am.

Mr Lavelle, who was the general manager for the bar, also was the front man for the band Lavellion.

An inquest into his death, at Hull Coroner's Court, heard Luke had tried to kill himself a few months before his death after becoming upset at the breakdown of a relationship in 2015.

Luke Lavelle was found dead by his colleague at his workplace on June 17. He was last seen alive in the early hours of June 16

In a statement read out at Hull Coroner's Court, his mother Carol said he had previously tried to commit suicide and 'seemed sorry' for his actions

A statement read from Luke's mother, Carol, said: 'Luke was influenced greatly by his passion and love for music.

'He had numerous relationships. In 2013, he found out his girlfriend at the time was expecting. He was over the moon.

'But she later told him she didn't want to be with him or have the baby. She broke up with him and had an abortion.

'He was devastated and even marked the day when the baby would have been born.

'He then began seeing a girl and they moved to Cyprus in 2014, where they lived and worked before returning later that year.'

Luke moved back in with his parents following the break up.

Mrs Lavelle added: 'One night, he came home sobbing and said he didn't want to be here in this world anymore. I stayed with him that night, but in the morning he just brushed it off.'

She said that he then tried to hang himself but survived and 'seemed sorry' for his actions and 'shocked at what he had tried to do'.

He was last seen by colleagues on June 15, when he came into the bar for a chat.

Josh Fox, who found Luke's body, said: 'I met Luke 18 months before and I got a job as the bar manager at Branded, where he was general manager.

'On my first day, I was feeling positive and really excited to be working with Luke. In the days leading up to his death, he was the happiest I had seen him for a long time.

'He said he was going on a detox and cutting down on his drinking. He also said he was going to win his girlfriend back.'

Zara Syrett said in a statement she bumped into Mr Lavelle in the early hours of Thursday, June 16.

She said: 'Luke didn't appear to be under the influence of any drink or drugs and he seemed his usual happy self.

'When I heard he had passed away, I was really shocked.'

Coroner Rosemary Baxter told the inquest she was satisfied Luke had planned to take his own life and had left a note.

She said: 'I'm am satisfied Luke meant to take his own life because of the comments he made about suicide in the months before his death and the comments he made in the note confirming his intentions.'

His mother added that he was 'influenced greatly by his passion and love for music'

He was previously the front man for rock band, Lavellion, who broke up in 2012

In a tribute shortly after Luke's death, his family said: 'He was a larger-than-life character and those sorts of people are like a magnet, everyone is attracted to them.

'We, his parents, brothers and sister are very proud of Luke, not by the established standards others set, but because of those that are immeasurable; his gregariousness, his determination when others would have given up, his zest for life.

'Of late, his projections for the future personally and for the world were weighing heavily on him.

'We are not thinking of what ifs, we are thankful for what time we had with our blue-eyed boy.

'We desperately would have wanted more but we are more than grateful for what we have already received. We know he loved us and gave us everything he had to give.'
Golliwog dolls have been spotted for sale under a 'white Christmas' display sign.

Customer George Helon said he felt 'shock and awe' when he saw the display at Terry White Chemists in Toowoomba, in south-east Queensland.

To make matters worse, the dolls were displayed underneath a sign reading: 'Experience a white Christmas.'

Golliwog dolls have been spotted for sale under a 'white Christmas' display sign

Golliwogs were popular up until the 1970s and were widely understood to be a racist caricature of people of colour.

Terry White has not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

A manager for the chemist told Sunshine Coast Daily there was no ill-intent, adding the dolls and sign would be separated.

A Terry White spokesman said the store had not made a connection between the connotation of the dolls and the sign.

Customer George Helon said he felt 'shock and awe' when he saw the display at Terry White Chemists in Toowoomba, south Queensland (pictured)

Aboriginal activist, author and filmmaker Dr Stephen Hagan, said the display was offensive and demanded it be removed.

Mr Helon wrote on Facebook the display was a real 'faux pas' and 'should cause quite a stir'.

But he said he did not believe there was any 'ill intent'.

'It was just inappropriately placed,' Mr Helon told Sunshine Coast Daily.

The dolls have been regularly spotted in gift shops across country Australia over the past year.
A woman has been arrested for allegedly using knives and a chainsaw to stab and cut her boyfriend after tying him up inside his car.

Kayla Martinez Bailey, 30, allegedly attacked her 23-year-old boyfriend in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Monday about 5.30pm.

The boyfriend suffered multiple stab wounds, two bite wounds and two lacerations from being struck with the chainsaw.

Kayla Martinez Bailey, 30, allegedly stabbed and cut her 23-year-old boyfriend using knives and a chainsaw after restraining him inside his car in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Monday

Police were called to the scene after a witness saw the pair struggling inside a car.

The victim told police Bailey had wanted to spend time with him that night and the pair drove to a neighborhood park.

Bailey allegedly climbed into the backseat and tied her boyfriend's hands behind his back with zip ties.

The victim told police Bailey then allegedly drove back to her house and got a chainsaw and threatened him with it.

She then allegedly drove a block from her house where she stabbed the victim repeatedly.

Bailey was arrested on Monday charged with kidnapping, 11 counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of battery against a household member

Bailey remains in jail at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in New Mexico

Police found large amounts of blood inside the car.

Police spokesman Dan Trujillo said a witness saw Bailey running from the scene, but was arrested a short time later where she had blood on her pants and dried blood on her hands.

It is unclear why she allegedly attacked her younger boyfriend.

Trujillo said there was no indication that the chainsaw was running at the time of the attack.

She was charged with kidnapping, 11 counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of battery against a household member.

Bailey remained jailed in lieu of $50,000 cash-only bond on Wednesday.
An angry Boris Johnson, pictured today in Rome, challenged the unnamed diplomats to produce proof he told them at a private lunch that he personally supported open borders

Boris Johnson has strongly denied he told a string of ambassadors he was in favour of free movement of EU workers after Brexit, describing the claims as a 'total lie'.

In an angry rebuttal, the Foreign Secretary challenged the unnamed diplomats to produce proof he told them at a private lunch that he personally supported open borders with the EU.

And he said he has his own records that prove the claims are wrong.

The row is embarrassing for Mr Johnson, who led the Vote Leave campaign that promised to 'take back control' of the UK's borders.

He championed the case for Brexit despite his long-held pro-immigration views.

Today he said he had told four EU member state ambassadors 'very clearly' that immigration had benefited the UK but added that it had got 'out of control' and free movement of people must end after Britain cuts ties with Brussels.

The claims about Mr Johnson's alleged remarks about free movement were made on Sky News, by diplomats who attended a lunch with him. All spoke on condition of anonymity.

One ambassador told Sky: '[Boris Johnson] told us he was personally in favour of it, but he said that Britain had been more affected by free movement of people than other EU member states.'

Another said: 'He [ the Foreign Secretary] did say he was personally in favour of free movement, as it corresponds to his own beliefs. But he said it wasn't government policy.'

An ambassador for a third country said that he was shocked by the Government's shambolic diplomacy.

He said: 'Boris Johnson has been openly telling us that he is personally in favour of free movement.'

And a fourth ambassador said: 'Yes, he told us at an ambassadors' luncheon.'

But sources close to Mr Johnson described the remarks as a 'total lie'.

Boris Johnson, pictured in Rome today, has strongly denied he told a string of ambassadors he was in favour of free movement of EU workers after Brexit, describing the claims as a 'total lie'

The claims about Mr Johnson's alleged remarks about free movement were made on Sky News, by diplomats who attended a lunch with him

Responding to the claims during a visit to Rome today, the Foreign Secretary told Sky News: 'I'm afraid I said absolutely no such thing and as you know perfectly well I've been a long-standing supporter of immigration.

'And what I said very clearly to that group of ambassadors, I think it was at a breakfast, was that immigration had been a good thing for the UK in many respects, but it had got out of control and that we needed to take back control.

'I think you will find the record reflects that.'

The alleged remarks are hugely sensitive for the Government. Theresa May has repeatedly stated that her priority in the Brexit negotiations is ending free movement.

And they came as a tricky time for the Government, which faced further criticism today over immigration after official figures revealed a new record of 650,000 people came to the UK in the year ending June 2016 following a surge in EU migration.

The row is embarrassing for Boris Johnson, pictured at a conference in Rome today. He led the Vote Leave campaign that promised to 'take back control' of UK borders

Theresa May, pictured in Prime Minister's Questions today, has repeatedly stated that her priority in the Brexit negotiations is ending free movement

Asked about Mr Johnson's alleged remarks, the Prime Minister's spokeswoman said: 'I think the Foreign Secretary's office have responded to those suggestions this morning and made clear that the Foreign Secretary was setting out some views that he has made before about the benefits of immigration to this country, while also making clear that he wants to take back control of immigration.

'That is the Government's policy and that is what we will be pursuing in our exit from the EU.'

She added: 'The Prime Minister has been clear that one of the key objectives of our exit from the European Union will be to take back control of immigration from the EU. As part of that, we have been clear that we want to deliver on the Government's aim to reduce migration to sustainable levels.'

A spokesman for the Foreign Secretary said: 'Boris simply said he was pro-immigration but wanted to take back control to limit numbers. He did not say he supported freedom of movement and challenges anyone to show proof that he ever said that.'

Former party leaders Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg attacked Mr Johnson over claims he privately backed freedom of movement, accusing him of treating voters like 'fools' and criticising his 'buffoonery,' while shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said they showed up the Government's 'non-strategy'.

Separately yesterday, Number 10 rejected Mr Johnson's latest call for an illegal immigrant amnesty

Separately yesterday, Number 10 rejected Mr Johnson's latest call for an illegal immigrant amnesty.

At a Cabinet committee meeting, the Foreign Secretary repeated his long-standing view that those who have escaped detection for ten years should be allowed to stay.

The idea was immediately dismissed by other ministers, including the Prime Minister. Downing Street said it had 'no plans' to follow Mr Johnson's advice. Details of the meeting were apparently leaked by a fellow minister in an apparent attempt to undermine Mr Johnson.

Boris Johnson, pictured yesterday with representatives of the Cypriot government, has long-held pro-immigration views

There is concern at the top of Government that Mr Johnson's private comments are making it into the public domain. It was recently claimed  falsely  that he arrived at a Cabinet meeting with the wrong papers.

One Westminster source said: 'This looks like a deliberate attempt to make Boris look isolated and destabilise him  perhaps by somebody who wants the Foreign Secretary job for themselves.'

Mr Johnson first floated the idea of an amnesty during his time as Mayor of London. Mrs May  who was then Home Secretary  said No.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: 'Boris reiterated what he has said publicly before about amnesties, including during the EU referendum campaign.

'He feels he has a moral responsibility to raise it, as it is what he believes. Any suggestion that there was strong disagreement expressed during the meeting is wrong.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are not looking afresh at an amnesty for illegal migrants, and will not be'.

Two weeks ago the Foreign Secretary was quoted in a Czech newspaper as saying it was 'b******s' that freedom of movement was a fundamental principle of the European Union.

'It's something that has been acquired by a series of decisions by the courts,' he added.

German chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council president Donald Tusk have both refused to commit to allowing 1.2million Britons to live abroad

Earlier yesterday Mrs May warned British expats would have been left 'high and dry' had she given ground in the row over post-Brexit residency rights.

The Prime Minister has been under enormous pressure to strike a deal with Brussels allowing the almost four million EU nationals living in Britain to stay here permanently.

But she refused to agree to the move unless the EU grants the same rights to 1.2million Britons living abroad.

German chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council president Donald Tusk have both refused to give such a commitment. Mrs May said that justified her position.

Separately yesterday, Number 10 rejected Mr Johnson's latest call for an illegal immigrant amnesty

'It is right that we want to give reassurance to British citizens living in the EU and to EU citizens living here in the UK,' she said.

'But the reaction we have seen shows why it was absolutely right for us not to simply give away the guarantee for rights of EU citizens here in the UK, because, as we have seen, that would have left UK citizens in Europe high and dry.'

Migration experts pointed to the difficulty in trying to track down EU nationals living in Britain. However the residency clash is resolved, they will need to be contacted and informed of the outcome. A decision will also need to be reached on the cut-off point for granting people residency.

Madeleine Sumption, of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, said the number of EU nationals in the UK could be as high as 3.9 million.

Yesterday Downing Street officials conceded they now hoped to conclude a deal in the early months after Article 50 was triggered. Labour's Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, said Mrs May should grant EU citizens rights to stay here regardless of the position of Britons abroad.

Last night, senior Tory backbencher Steve Baker - who leads a group of Pro-Leave MPs - leapt to Mr Johnson's defence.

He said the claims were 'yet another political attack on a UK cabinet member', apparently by EU diplomats.
Protesters have returned to Parliament House and are standing in the middle of the pond surrounded by Federal Police.

The activists have unfurled a banner from the top of the building in Canberra and had put red dye in the pond fountain to call for better treatment of refugees.

Two people had scaled the front wall on Thursday morning to unfurl the banner, which reads: 'Close the bloody camps now.'

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Protesters have returned to Parliament House and are standing in the middle of the pond dyed red to represent refugee deaths

Two activists scaled the front wall to unfurl a banner from the top of the building in Canberra

About a dozen people have waded out into a pond in the complex's forecourt, holding placards with slogans like 'Justice for refugees'.

Members of Whistleblowers Activists and Citizens Alliance have also turned the water feature into a bloody pool, representing deaths from turnbacks at sea, with signs reading 'Turnbacks Are Murder' and 'Blood On Your Hands'.

The protesters had on Wednesday shut down question time, and say their latest action is a continuation of the campaign.

'We are here today to tell the Australian Parliament they are all complicit in the murder, rape, torture and child abuse of refugees,' WACA spokesperson Kat Moore said.

Australian Federal Police watch on as two activists scale Parliament House

'World leaders in cruelty,' a sign reads on Thursday at the dyed red pond outside Parliament House

'This is a state of emergency and a humanitarian crisis.'

Protester Phil Evans said the group was ramping up their actions.

'We're here because all parliamentarians have become complicit in the torture, rape and abuse of refugees,' he told AAP.

'We're calling for justice for the refugees and we're willing to put ourselves on the line in solidarity with them.'

Another protester Zianna Fuad said Thursday's action had been planned for a while.

Protesters stand in the middle of the red dyed pond with signs as two activists scale a wall to unfurl the banner in the background

'I actually think we've tried all our other avenues of civil debate,' one of the protesters said

'You should be expecting widespread protest until the camps are closed,' she told reporters.

The two protesters who abseiled down the front of the building were experienced climbers.

2GB reported negotiators have arrived and have asked those two activists if they are okay and whether they would like to come down.

If they don't come down by 10.30am, search and rescue police will bring them down, negotiators said.

'I actually think we've tried all our other avenues of civil debate,' Ms Faud said.

The non-toxic dye represented a bloody pool.

Police are pictured escorting two activists off the roof of Parliament House

Two members of the Whistleblowers Activists and Citizens Alliance had scaled the front wall

The pro-refugee protesters are pictured with a banner suspended on the roof

'Turnbacks equal murder and when they say stop the boats this really means "go die somewhere else",' she said.

The group said it wouldn't take responsibility if its protest led to tighter security at Parliament House.

If holding the space for as long as possible meant the group was arrested, that was what they were willing to risk, Ms Faud said.

'But it's not looking likely,' she said.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon offered the protesters chocolates as she congratulated them.

'Turnbacks equal murder and when they say stop the boats this really means "go die somewhere else",' a protester told reporters

'This is a state of emergency and a humanitarian crisis,' one of the protesters said (protester pictured with sign and dyed red pond)

'I'm sure it will go around the world, the message,' she told them.

The senator defended the abseilers describing them as non-violent and courageous.

The protesters say Manus Island, Nauru and Christmas Island are death camps. They are demanding every single person in offshore detention be evacuated immediately and the camps shut down.

Earlier, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he would never be convinced parliament's public galleries should be closed, despite Wednesday's interruption.

Police escort the two climbers from the roof of Parliament House

'#JUSTICE4REFUGEES,' the banner unfurled on Thursday said

A police officer checks the bag of a pro-refugee protester who abseiled from the roof of Parliament House

Police escort an activist after a protest outside Parliament House in Canberra

'Incidents like this are regrettable and they will happen from time to time but people should not feel they are free to interfere with the parliament,' he told Seven Network.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister James McGrath labelled the protesters 'grubs'.

'These people are selfish, they're being sooks and quite frankly they should wake up to themselves and get a job,' he told Sky News.

'They ruined the experience for so many other Australians who came to Parliament House to see their representatives working.'

Federal Police and security personnel were on the forecourt surrounding the protesters on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday the group had linked arms and glued their hands to parliament rails.

Police are seen securing the area on Thursday during the protest

A police officer takes the details of one of the protesters on Thursday morning

The protesters stand in a line in the pond at Parliament House after dying it red

'Turnbacks are murder,' one of the protesters' signs says

The two activists who abseiled the wall can be seen in the background unfurling the banner

'Turnbacks are blood on Liberal and Labor hands,' another sign says

'Close the Camps,' and 'justice for refugees' the signs say

A police officer takes the details of a pro-refugee protester on Thursday

A protester speaks to the media outside Parliament in Canberra on Thursday

'Stop trading lives. Close the camps now,' the banner unfurled by protesters during question time on Wednesday read

Three protesters are pictured at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday

On Wednesday they had linked arms and glued their hands to parliament rails (pictured, glue on protester's hand)

Australian Federal Police and security watched on as the activists scaled the wall

The two activists are experienced climbers, protesters said

'We are here today to tell the Australian Parliament they are all complicit in the murder, rape, torture and child abuse of refugees,' WACA spokesperson Kat Moore said

The protesters were escorted out by security guards on Wednesday
A 67-year-old farmer who was rescued after being trapped inside a hay baler for more than 24 hours has tragically died.

Don Fagg was pinned inside the heavy machine on Monday afternoon while he was baling hay on a Mount Duneed farm, near Geelong, Victoria.

The large farming machinery clamped down on his legs as he lay unconscious with serious injuries until he was discovered on Tuesday evening.

Emergency services took three gruelling hours to take apart the baler and free his mangled legs before he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

He suffered a heart attack after being released - and he was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he fought for his life.

However, Mr Fagg passed away in hospital around midnight on Thursday, a Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia.

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Victorian farmer Don Fagg who was rescued after being trapped inside a hay baler for more than 24 hours has tragically died

Emergency services took three hours to free the 67-year-old farmer on Tuesday evening

Worksafe was notified and police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

His death comes after police were called to the property on Horseshoe Bend Road on Tuesday after the man was trapped in a hay bailer.

The farmer's leg was seen protruding from the heavy machinery and appeared to have turned blue as emergency crews delicately took the machine apart.

Mr Fagg's heart was revived at the scene but he did not regain consciousness.

He was rushed to Barwon Health's Geelong hospital in a critical condition before he was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Mr Fagg was initially taken to Barwon Health's Geelong hospital before being flown by an air ambulance helicopter to the Royal Melbourne Hospital

It is not yet clear how the man became trapped inside the large piece of farming machinery (pictured) but it is believed he may have gotten his leg caught while baling hay

The large piece of machinery had clamped down on Mr Fagg's leg - crushing it

Police, ambulance, SES and fire crews assisted with the rescue on Tuesday night
Standing barefoot in a lush green forest, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders and a provocative pout playing on her lips, Hollywood actress Alicia Silverstone stares into the camera lens.

Shes au naturel, baring her behind in a photo for the animal welfare charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), renowned for its attention-grabbing publicity. So whats prompted the glamorous A-lister to strip off? A new campaign against wearing fur, perhaps? An attack on crocodile skin handbags or leather shoes?

No, this time PETA  and its willing band of celebrity crusaders  has taken on the wool industry. Id rather go naked than wear wool, reads the banner surrounding Ms Silverstones naked form. Underneath, the message urges: Wear your own skin. Let animals keep theirs.

Bizarrely, she clasps the mask of a ewes head. With glassy eyes fixed on something out of shot, it  like many who saw her campaign  looks confused. In a video accompanying the photo, the actress, 40, issued an emotional statement about the alleged cruelty of the wool industry.

Alicia Silverstone in a new advert for PETA, where she states she would 'rather go naked than wear wool'

Pamela Anderson has also starred in a PETA advert, encouraging people to go vegetarian

Sheep, she claimed, are tossed around, roughly shorn, injured with sharp tools, even punched and kicked by stressed workers. They are routinely denied veterinary care for wounds or injuries, and some die from the shock of the experience.

To those of us sheltering from the icy winter chill in cosy cable knits and warm woollen blankets, her words are certainly sobering.

Britain is one of the worlds biggest producers of raw wool, with 90,000 farmers shearing nearly 40 million kilograms of it a year  and, as consumers, we cant get enough. The UK wool clothing market, including knitwear, luxury fashion and suits, is worth 1.25 billion annually.

Unlike fur and exotic skins (industries known to be rife with animal abuses and criminality), wool isnt something most of us will have considered controversial, let alone cruel.

So can it really be true that shearing sheep is tantamount to torture? Are we unwittingly complicit every time we wear the wool from their backs?

On a windswept Lake District hilltop, a world away from the one inhabited by celebrity campaigners, shepherd James Rebanks has some strong views on the matter.

Emma Sjoberg, Tatjana Patitz, Heather Stewart Whyte, Fabienne Terwinghe and Naomi Campbell in an anti-fur campaign poster for Peta in 1994

Joss Stone has stripped off to appear like a crocodile for an advert which discouraged people from purchasing bags made from exotic animals

James, 41, grew up on a sheep farm and started shepherding his fathers and grandfathers flock aged 15.

Today, he, wife Helen and their three children have more than 900 sheep, most of them from the Herdwick breed.

He says his flocks welfare is at the heart of everything he does.

If shearing hurt the sheep, we simply wouldnt do it, James explains. Shearing takes years of practice, and the first lesson you learn is how to hold a sheep properly so it doesnt get stressed or injured. The sheep is worth far more than the wool.

In fact, it can be far more damaging for sheep if they arent regularly shorn, says James.

They get dirty and develop a condition called flystrike, which occurs when flies lay eggs on their wool and these then hatch into maggots.

Several hundred miles away, in Kent, Trevor Richards, a third-generation sheep farmer who has 400 Romney ewes, staunchly agrees.

Sheep need to be sheared annually because they get distressed carrying too much weight, which gets bedraggled and uncomfortable, he says. Its in their best interests, and the majority of shearing is done painlessly and with minimal discomfort.

Shearing, he adds, is a lot like shaving. Occasionally you make a superficial nick on the skin, but its only very rarely a deeper wound.

The majority of shearers in the UK are remarkably skilled and will treat any kind of cut accordingly.

Its in our interests to look after the sheep  theyre our livelihood.

Pamela Wigmore, a shepherds wife who runs a sheep farm in East Sussex with husband Terry, adds: Theyre very hardy  they survive outside in the cold and wind and rain. They dont mind shearing one bit.

The sentiments of these real-life farmers couldnt be more different from the claims on which PETA has based its latest crusade.

Much like its anti-fur campaign back in 1994 (who could forget the nude photos of models Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford declaring they would rather go naked than wear fur), the charity is using powerful imagery and emotive statements to discourage supporters from buying and wearing wool.

Few who read PETAS website could fail to be moved by the plight of sheep who feel pain, fear and loneliness, yet are treated as nothing more than wool-producing machines.

Shearers, it says, are paid by volume, so they work quickly, with no regard for the welfare of the sheep.

Frail lambs, it alleges, have their ears hole-punched, their tails chopped off, and males are castrated without any painkillers, leading to the deaths of hundreds before theyre even eight weeks old. These horrific stories, PETA adds, come from an investigation of more than 30 shearing sheds across the U.S. and Australia  but not in the UK.

Actress Kim Basinger was one of the first people to appear in the naked adverts for PETA

Supermodel Christy Turlington also appeared in a 'I'd rather go naked than wear fur' advert for PETA in 1992

When contacted by the Mail, the charity admitted the investigations were, in fact, carried out in 2013 and 2014, although this is not highlighted anywhere on the recent campaign.

Most of its ire is directed at a practice known as mulesing, which is when folds of skin are removed from around the sheeps tail to prevent infection.

However, there are strict rules against this practice in Britain, and retailers including M&S, Topshop and H&M refuse to stock wool that comes from mulesed sheep abroad.

Globally, as with any industry, there will always be bad apples, especially as shearers are often transient workers, explains Tim Booth of the British Wool Marketing Board.

The textile industry is very aware of its responsibility to ensure animals that deliver the wool are well cared for.

Indeed, UK farmers are horrified by the barbaric practices PETA claims take place in other countries. Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association and a sheep farmer in Gloucestershire, says strict measures are in place to ensure British animals are not hurt. Though experts take as little as one minute to shear a sheep with electric clippers, this is perfectly safe and there is no risk to its health.

Shearers are careful to leave a 3-5mm layer of fleece to protect their skin, Phil explains.

Kelly Brook was painted as a snake and posed for PETA in 2011. This was part of their Whose Skin Are You In? campaign

Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One chief executive Bernie, starred in an advert highlighting the issues with Foie Gras

You have to hold the sheep in such a way that the skin is taut and stretched out, with no wrinkles. This minimises the risk of it getting caught in the shears.

The older wool  furthest from the body  becomes quite loose over time, and it comes away easily, so theres no need for force.

An ancient skill, sheep shearing can be traced as far back as 5000BC. The Romans, who invaded Britain in 55BC, cherished the woollen cloth they found, declaring it so fine that it was comparable with a spiders web.

Today, upmarket fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Ralph Lauren are using it. In 2012, Chanel bought the Scottish Barrie Knitwear cashmere mill and began making high-end garments. The PETA campaign comes as Britains wool sales are soaring, rising by 50 per cent to 270 million in just five years.

Fascinatingly, as our love of wool grows, the sheep themselves have started to adapt.

While some primitive breeds (such as Hebridean and Shetland) shed most of their wool every year, domestic sheep have evolved to grow their wool continually, all the year round.

This is because, for centuries, they have been shorn by humans  and so have come to expect the shearing process as an annual ritual that keeps their wool growth in check.

Its hard to imagine Alicia Silverstone, who lives in sunny LA, has ever set foot in the rain-drenched British countryside, let alone a sheep farm.

But its clear our home-grown farmers, suppliers and wool producers have absolutely nothing to hide.

So dont even think about throwing out all those cosy winter woollies this winter. Instead, wear them with pride, and show your support for this ancient, hard-working industry.
The first suspected case of the Zika virus being transmitted sexually in the UK has been reported by the authorities.

A woman was infected after her male partner travelled to a country hit by Zika, Public Health England said. The woman has fully recovered.

Most cases of Zika, which causes babies to be born with shrunken heads, are transmitted by mosquito. But once infected, the virus can also be transmitted during sexual intercourse because it can survive in semen for months.

Cases of sexual spread of Zika have been reported in other countries such as the US. Experts said the UK case was not unexpected.

Most cases of Zika, which causes babies to be born with shrunken heads, are transmitted by mosquito

There have been 265 cases of Zika in Britain, with one likely to have been spread through sex, according to Public Health England. Seven cases were in pregnant women.

Professor Dilys Morgan, the Zika incident director at Public Health England, said: PHE advises all male travellers regardless of symptoms to avoid conception and use condoms and other barrier methods during sexual activities for six months following return from a Zika high- or moderate-risk country.

The World Health Organisation has said the Zika virus will no longer be treated as an international medical emergency, a warning in place for the past nine months.

Professor Jimmy Whitworth, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC: News that one case of sexual transmission of Zika has occurred in the UK is not unexpected.

About 60 cases of sexual transmission of Zika have been reported worldwide, so we think this is quite rare.

Discovering just how common it is for the virus to be passed during sex by a man or woman is a key focus for Zika researchers.

Public Health Englands updated advice is also welcome. Zika virus survives in semen longer than other body fluids so recommending male travellers returning from Zika transmission countries, with or without symptoms, practise safe sex for six months is sensible.

A health worker carries out fumigation as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at the cemetery of Carabayllo on the outskirts of Lima in Peru

Dr Derek Gatherer, lecturer in biomedical and life sciences at Lancaster University, said: With the number of travel-imported cases of Zika in the UK now topping 250, it was only a matter of time before we had our first case of sexual transmission, as has already happened in several other countries. Weve always known that Zika could be sexually transmitted, but the fears at the beginning of the current outbreak that Zika could sustain epidemics by sexual transmission alone, and therefore spread globally, now seem to be unjustified.

We would by now be seeing large sexual transmission chains in North America and Europe if that were the case, and it simply hasnt happened.

Nevertheless, travellers should not be complacent about the risks to themselves and their sexual partners, and should continue to follow the safe-sex advice when visiting affected areas and after returning.

The main area abroad where Britons have been infected by Zika has been the Caribbean, which has led to 190 cases.

There have been 33 cases from travel to South America, 33 to Central America, two from North America, one from Oceania, one from South-Eastern Asia and five cases from travellers who have been to more than one region.

Last week Miami Beach, a popular area for British tourists, was declared Zika-free.

A previous warning that Zika was a threat was lifted after 45 days passed since the last local case of the mosquito-borne infection was reported.
Disgruntled Chinese passengers took to the tarmac at an airport to protest against their flight delay.

The incident took place on November 28 at Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport in China's Yunnan province, reports the People's Daily Online.

Passengers started to play with a shuttlecock following the news that their flight operated by Lucky Air would not be taking off.

Shuttlecock: The passengers took to the tarmac to protest against their flight delay

The group of passengers refused to get off the tarmac following their delay

Lucky Air flight 8L9917 was due to take off five minutes past midnight on November 28.

The passengers claimed that other flights had been given a higher priority than theirs.

Shortly after the flight was due to take off, some of the passengers got onto the airport's tarmac and started to play with a shuttlecock out of protest.

Soon after the protest began, the captain asked the passengers to return to the cabin.

12 passengers refused to get onboard the plane. They completed formalities on the spot and terminated their trip.

The flight eventually took off at 3am and landed in Kunming at 4am.

People have been discussing the story on social media site Weibo.

One user said: 'Both the pilot and the passengers are irrational and threatening airport safety.'

While another commented: 'How could he let the passengers go to the apron? What if any accident happened to them?'

And one user wrote: 'I would never have booked flights from this airline.'

Apologetic: The captain tried to reason with the passengers and explain the delay
Pluto's icy heart created a massive dent in the dwarf planet's surface.

A new simulation has found that the weight of nitrogen ice in Pluto's iconic feature caused its crust to crack, leaving a large basin.

This basin - resembling frozen mud cracks on Earth - has been informally named 'Sputnik Planum' after the Earth's first artificial satellite.

It has a broken surface of irregularly-shaped segments, roughly 12 miles (20 km) across, bordered by what appear to be shallow trough.

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Pluto's cold heart is layered with nitrogen ice and methane frost, and resembles a polar ice cap (pictured). Now, researchers suggest that this heart dramatically dented the frosted dwarf planet, permanently warping Pluto's shape

GLACIER AT PLUTO'S HEART In July 2015 Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft made a flyby of the dwarf planet, and took close-up images of its surface. It found a glacier, mostly made of nitrogen ice mixed with carbon monoxide and methane, covers the 2.5-mile (4 km) deep, 621 mile (1,000 km) wide basin of Sputnik Planum, found within the heart-shaped region on Pluto's surface. Previous work on Pluto has put forward that its icy heart must have been caused by an asteroid impact. But now, researchers in Maryland suggest that a large accumulation of ice grew to such a weight that it gouged Pluto's terrain to form the heart-shaped basin we see today. Advertisement

The latest model to explain Pluto's evolution comes from the University of Maryland.

'Sputnik Planitia is Pluto's big white heart, the most prominent feature on the dwarf planet,' lead-author Professor Douglas Hamilton told MailOnline.

'More specifically, it is the western half of the heart, which consists of deep deposits of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide ices.'

'As the most prominent feature on Pluto, curiosity compels us to learn its history,' he said.

Some of the troughs on Sputnik Planum have darker material within them, while others are traced by clumps of hills that appear to rise above the surrounding terrain.

Elsewhere, the surface appears to be etched by fields of small pits that may have formed by a process called sublimation, in which ice turns directly from solid to gas, just as dry ice does on Earth.

Now researchers believe they have a better idea of how this strange area formed.

Previous work on Pluto has put forward that its icy heart must have formed from an asteroid impact (pictured). But Professor Hamilton and colleagues were not convinced, and ran complex computer simulations to investigate Pluto's dented basin further

The simulations found that the huge basin on Pluto's heart (pictured right) was formed by the sheer weight of the ice that had built up on the surface over millions of years, eventually causing Pluto's crust to crack under the strain

Pluto has a peculiar and ever-changing climate - covered in nitrogen ice, methane frost and even a giant glacier.

Previous work on Pluto has put forward that its icy heart must have formed from an asteroid impact.

But Professor Hamilton and colleagues were not convinced, and ran complex computer simulations to investigate further.

They found that the swelling ice deposits concentrated into a single, enormous ice cap.

As frosts gathered, more sunlight was reflected, causing temperatures to plummet and more ice to form.

The sheer weight of the ice eventually caused Pluto's crust to crack under the strain, leaving a large basin.

Luckily for Pluto, the author's propose that since the dent's dramatic formation, Sputnik Planitia has remained stable.

Luckily for Pluto, the author's propose that since the dent's dramatic formation, Pluto's ice heart has remained stable. Picture is the interior structure of Pluto's Sputnik Planitia

And the researchers' findings show that Pluto's icy heart actually formed where they least expected.

'Finding that the coldest and most stable spot for ices on Pluto at near 30 degrees latitude - that's Florida on Earth - was initially surprising, but I have gotten used to it now,' Professor Hamilton told MailOnline.

And the researchers' work with Pluto is far from over.

'As a team, we will now look for evidence both for and against what we have found.'

'Ultimately it would be great to send another spacecraft to Pluto.'

The study was published in this week's edition of Nature.
More than half of 48 skeletons discovered in an extremely rare 14th-century Black Death burial pit were those of children, archaeologists have revealed.

Their bones were found at the site of a monastery hospital at Thornton Abbey, near Immingham, North Lincolnshire, by a Sheffield University team.

Such a large burial ground, which included both male and female adults as well as 27 children, suggests the community was all but wiped out by the sheer number of plague victims, they said.

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Researchers have uncovered a 14th century burial pit from the time of the Black Death, more than half of which are thought to be belong to children

The Black Death devastated European populations between 1346 to 1353 CE and wiped out an estimated 75 to 200 million people.

It is documented to have reached Lincolnshire in the spring of 1349 CE.

Teeth samples from the skeletons were sent to McMaster University, Canada, where ancient DNA was extracted.

Tests revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the plague.

Despite the fact it is now estimated that up to half the population of England perished during the Black Death, multiple graves associated with the event are extremely rare' said Dr Hugh Willmott, from Sheffield Universitys Department of Archaeology.

Such a large burial ground suggests the community was overwhelmed by the sheer number of plague victims, said the researchers. Tests revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the plague

The Black Death devastated European populations between 1346 to 1353 CE and wiped out an estimated 75 to 200 million people. It is documented to have reached Lincolnshire in the spring of 1349 CE

YERSINIA PESTIS: THE DEADLIEST BUG IN HISTORY A single strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, may have caused the plagues that devastated Europe in the 14th and 17th centuries. Diseases are often caused by different strains of bacteria as populations can develop immunity against them, forcing the bugs to evolve. But genetic analysis of remains from plague-infected sites in Europe, has suggested the bacterium behind the Black Death in 1348 and the Great Plague of 1665 were the same strain. Researchers focused on three sites of historical outbreak of plague, from two mass graves in Spain and Germany and a single grave in Germany While the disease is widely though tto have arrived in Europe after being transported from Asia, the research was also able to link the bacterium to more recent outbreaks in China and India during the 1900s, suggesting the it spread from Europe to Asia. Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the bubonic plague, may have caused the plagues which devastated Europe in the 14th and 17th centuries. Pictured is the bacterium (pink rod shapes) among white blood cells Advertisement

Dr Willmott said the only two previously identified 14th-century sites where Yersinia pestis has been identified are historically documented cemeteries in London.

There, the civic authorities were forced to open new emergency burial grounds to cope with the very large numbers of the urban dead.

The finding of a previously unknown and completely unexpected mass burial dating to this period in a quiet corner of rural Lincolnshire is thus far unique,' he said.

He added that it 'sheds light into the real difficulties faced by a small community ill-prepared to face such a devastating threat.

The mixed remains were unearthed near Thornton Abbey by researchers from the University of Sheffield (pictured)

Tests of the remains found at the Lincolnshire site have revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the plague

The bones were found at the site of a monastery hospital at Thornton Abbey, near Immingham, North Lincolnshire (pictured)

The archaeologist, who has been working at the site since 2011, said items found at the abbey have also shed light on the lives of those who lived there.

He said one artefact found in the excavated hospital building was a small Tau Cross pendant, which some people thought was a cure for St Anthonys fire, a term used to describe a variety of skin conditions.

Dr Willmott explained: While skeletons are interesting, they just represent the end of somebodys life and actually what we are interested in as archaeologists is the life they led before they died.

One of the ways we can connect with that is through the everyday objects they left behind.

Historians and scientists believe the spread of the plague was facilitated by rodents - presumably rats - which came to Europe aboard ships from Asia (pictured, left). These rats were carriers for fleas (pictured right) infected with the Y. pestis bacteria. The bacteria most likely infected humans through flea bites

DID FAMINE MAKE THINGS WORSE? Life in the 14th century could not have been easy. In addition to the deadly plague spreading like wildfire across Europe (see right), people also had to deal with widespread famine. Historians at Harvard University think that a extended spell of cool, wet weather would have led to crop failures and prolonged food shortages. The lack of food would have meant a more susceptible host, potentially maximising the impact of the disease. Researchers used ice core samples to estimate temperatures in the early 1300s as well as historical records. Their findings suggest a much wider region of Northern Europe may have been affected than previously thought. The group believe that by the time plague hit the shores of Europe, the population may have already been weakened from decades of food shortages. Advertisement

Dr Diana Mahoney Swales, of Sheffield Universitys Department for Lifelong Learning, said: Once the skeletons return to the lab, we start properly learning who these people really are. We do this by identifying whether they are male or female, children or adults.

And then we start to investigate the diseases that they may have lived through, such as metabolic diseases like rickets and scurvy, which are degenerative diseases for the skeleton.

However, for diseases such as plague, which are lethal, we have to use ancient DNA analysis.

The project will feature on the BBCs Digging For Britain programme on 13 December.
The idiom 'don't judge a book by its cover' has only been around since the 1940s, but it is a phrase many aim to live by.

However, a new study reveals many of us fall short, as we form a first impression just from looking at a photograph of a person.

Researchers found that by simply looking at a picture of a person predicts how you will feel about them - and that the first impression can last six months.

A study reveals that we form a first impression just by looking at a photograph of a person. Researchers found that by simply looking at a picture of a person predicts how you will feel about them, which will even stick after you meet the individual months later

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? Researchers believe it is a concept called behavioral confirmation or self-fulfilling prophecy. Participants who said they liked the person in the photograph interacted more while face to face in a friendlier, more engaged way. When someone is warmer, and engaged, people pick up on this. Regarding why participants showed consistency in judgments of personality, a halo effect could have come into play. Participants who gave the photographed person a positive evaluation attributed other positive characteristics to them as well. Advertisement

Although the iconic phrase stresses that we should not decide on something based on outward appearances, a study from Cornell University suggests we tend to do just the opposite.

Researchers found that people continue to be influenced by another person's appearance even after interacting with them face-to-face.

'Facial appearance colors how we feel about someone, and even how we think about who they are,' said Vivian Zayas, professor of psychology at Cornell University.

'These facial cues are very powerful in shaping interactions, even in the presence of other information.'

To come to this conclusion, Zayas and her team instructed 55 participants to view photographs of four different women.

Each women had to pictures shown in the trial  in one they were smiling and the other they had a neutral expression.

When each photo was presented, participants reported whether they would be friends with the woman, indicating likability, and whether or not her personality was extroverted, agreeable, emotionally stable, conscientious and open to new experiences.

Within one to six months after the visual portion of the study, the volunteers meet the women in the pictures  although they did not realize it was them.

To come to this conclusion, researchers instructed 55 participants to view photographs of four different women (pictured). Each women had to pictures shown in the trial  in one they were smiling and the other they had a neutral expression

TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION FROM EXPERTS HANDSHAKE A good handshake is key and the first step up the professional and social ladder. Too firm  perhaps you're compensating for something? Too weak  you're probably a drip. HOW DO YOU DO? So many people inadvertently lie when meeting strangers. Are you *really* pleased to meet them? Is it *actually* nice to meet them? Probably, but how do you know? You've only just been introduced. REMOVE ACCESSORIES There's no need to doff your hat (if you're wearing one), gentlemen, but do remove your right glove if you are wearing one when greeting someone outside. EYE CONTACT Eye contact is so important, which is why we remove sunglasses. But it has to be maintained. BEING TOO FORWARD Off for a job interview? First time meeting the boss? If you're the 'junior' then leave your hand by your side and wait for their hand to extend. COMING ROUND TO THE OTHER SIDE Never shake hands across a desk. If you're welcoming a client, parent or colleague into your office then walk around the desk to shake their hand before returning to your seat. STAND UP Never sit down to shake hands. It is a bit cliched to discuss the weather Regardless of your gender, always stand up to shake someone's hand Advertisement

They played a trivia game for 10 minutes, then instructed to get to know each other for another 10 minutes.

After each interaction, the study participants again evaluated the person's likability and personality traits.

The researchers found a strong consistency between how the participants evaluated the person based on the photograph and on the live interaction.

If participants thought a person in a photograph was likable and had an agreeable, emotionally stable, open-minded and conscientious personality, that impression carried through after the face-to-face meeting.

On the other hand, if subjects believed the woman to be unlikable and had a disagreeable, emotionally unstable and close-minded personality, it also stuck after they met.

If participants thought a person in a photograph was likable and had an agreeable, emotionally stable, open-minded and conscientious personality, that impression carried through after the face-to-face meeting - and vise versa

'What is remarkable is that despite differences in impressions, participants were interacting with the same person, but came away with drastically different impressions of her even after a 20-minute face-to-face interaction,' Zayas said.

Zayas believes this is due to a concept called behavioral confirmation or self-fulfilling prophecy.

The participants who had said they liked the person in the photograph tended to interact with them face to face in a friendlier, more engaged way, she said.

'They're smiling a little bit more, they're leaning forward a little bit more. Their nonverbal cues are warmer,' she said.

'When someone is warmer, when someone is more engaged, people pick up on this.'

EVEN CHILDREN JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER Scientists discovered children's perception of trust is directly linked to how attractive they find someone. And the judgmental characteristics only develop further as they grow older, with girls being deemed more selective than boys, according to the research. Researchers from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, China, assessed 138 people. They were split into groups of children aged, eight, ten and 12 and compared to a group of adults. A software programme was then used to produce 200 images of male faces - all with a neutral expression. Each participant was shown every face and asked to rate how trustworthy they thought that person was. The exercise was then repeated a month later but volunteers were instead asked to rate the attractiveness of each face. Scientists then compared the ratings of trustworthiness and attractiveness for each face. They found the likelihood of someone between judged as unattractive and also untrustworthy increased as the child grew older. This shows that children's ability to judge trust also increases with age - and that they judge people on their looks just like adults. Advertisement

'They respond in kind. And it's reinforcing: The participant likes that person more.'

Regarding why participants showed consistency in judgments of personality, a halo effect could have come into play, she said.

Participants who gave the photographed person a positive evaluation attributed other positive characteristics to them as well.

'We see an attractive person as also socially competent, and assume their marriages are stable and their kids are better off,' Zayas said.

'We go way beyond that initial judgment and make a number of other positive attributions.'

In another study, the team found that people said they would revise their judgment of people in photographs if they had the chance to meet them in person, because they'd have more information on which to base their assessment.

'And people really think they would revise,' she said. 'But in our study, people show a lot more consistency in their judgments, and little evidence of revision.'

The phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' is said to have originated from a 1944 edition of the African journal American Speech: 'You can't judge a book by its binding'.
what it was and he has not heard it since returning

The sound of a 'hammer hitting an iron bucket' left China's first astronaut feeling nervous and worried during his maiden voyage into space.

Astronaut Yang Liwei made the revelations in a recent interview while talking about the strange noises while aboard the Shenzhen 5 spaceship during a 21 hour mission in 2003.

Although Liwei said he didn't hear the mysterious sound after returning to Earth, other astronauts aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a similar, if not the same, banging.

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The sound of a 'hammer hitting an iron bucket' left China's first astronaut feeling nervous and worried during his maiden voyage into space. Yang Liwei (pictured) said he heard strange noises while aboard the Shenzhen 5 spaceship during his 21 hour mission in 2003

Liwei manned the Shenzhou 5 on October 16, 2003 and stepped out of the re-entry module during the a 21-hour mission and into the last frontier  making him the 241st human in space.

And although he should be celebrating this honor, Liwei is still haunted by what he heard aboard the vessel.

'A non-causalsituation I have met in space is a knock that appeared from time to time,' he told Xinhua recalling the experience.

'It neither came from outside nor inside the spaceship, but sounded like someone is knocking the body of the spaceship just as knocking an iron bucket with a wooden hammer'.

CHINA'S PLANS FOR ITS OWN SPACE STATION China could start building its space station starting as early as next year, Xinhua quoted Zhou Jianping, chief engineer of the manned spaceflight program, as saying. 'Once the lab mission comes to an end, China will start building our own space station,' Zhou was quoted as saying. The station would be more economically efficient than the International Space Station and use 'more data', he said. China will launch a 'core module' for the station some time around 2018, a senior official said in April, part of a plan for a permanent manned space station in service around 2022. China was prevented from participating in the International Space Station, mainly due to US concerns over the security risks of involving the increasingly assertive Chinese military in the multinational effort. Advertisement

Liwei (pictured) moved around the ship and closer to the porthole to see if he could find its origin. But nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary inside and outside of the craft. Those aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a strange banging noise

The sound made Liwei very nervous, but he moved around the ship and closer to the porthole to see if he could find its origin.

But nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary inside and outside of the craft.

Following the 21 hour flight, Liwei returned home and tried to mimic the noises he heard with instruments - hoping the space agency's technicians could solve the puzzle.

However, no one has yet to determine what could have caused such a noise and Liwei has not heard it since returning to Earth.

Those aboard the Shenzhou 6 and Shenzhou 7 have also reported hearing a strange banging noise.

Liwei manned the Shenzhou 5 on October 16, 2003 (pictured) and stepped out of the re-entry module during the a 21-hour mission and into the last frontier  making him the 241st human in space

Liwie said,'Before entering space, I have told them that the sound is a normal phenomenon, so there is no need to worry.'

Liwei was born in Liaoning province's Suizhong County in 1965, became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program in 2003.

This year China has been firmly establishing its place in the space race, by unveiling the world's largest radio telescope, launching a space lab in preparation for a space station and unveiling plans to send a mission to Mars.

In October, the Asian country announced that they have plans for a new space plane that could fly up to 20 passengers to the edge of space each day.

China's plane would be a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the magazine reported. The researchers presented two ideas.

The first design weighs in at 10 tonnes and has a wingspan of 19.6 feet (6 meters).

This year, China has been firmly establishing its place in the space race. Now it seems the country also has its eyes on commercial spaceflight. Designs of a new space plane that could fly up to 20 passengers to the edge of space each day, have been revealed (pictured)

This smaller version should be able to fly five people to an altitude of 62 miles (100 km), where space officially begins, letting passengers experience two minutes of weightlessness.

The second design was for a scaled up 100-tonne version, with a 40 foot (12 meter) wingspan, could fly 20 people to 80 miles (130 km), giving four minutes of weightlessness.

A ride in this space plane is expected to
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An airplane powered by the sun could soon graze the edge of space, flying to an altitude of more than 75,000 feet.

SolarStratos has revealed its plans for a five hour mission to space and back, during which the plane and pilot will be subjected to frigid temperatures and extremely low pressures.

The plane and hangar will be launched publicly on December 7th, with the mission set to take place in 2018.

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SolarStratos has revealed its plans for a five hour mission to space and back, during which the plane and pilot will be subjected to frigid temperatures and extremely low pressures

The plane is just 8.5 meters long and runs on a 32-kW electric engine and 20 kWh lithium-ion battery, charged by the crafts 22 square meter solar cells, which cover each wing.

The craft, built by PC-Aero, can seat two people and is capable of more than 24 hours of flight.

According to the firm, SolarStratos is the first commercial two-seater solar plane, and will be the first solar craft to breach the stratosphere.

The firm completed its hangar this month, two years after the project launched, New Atlas reports, and this will serve as the operational base.

The plane and hangar will be launched publicly on December 7th, with the mission set to take place in 2018. From up so high, passengers will be able to see first-hand the curvature of the Earth and witness the stars during the daytime

The plane is just 8.5 meters long and runs on a 32-kW electric engine and 20 kWh lithium-ion battery, charged by the crafts 22 square meter solar cells, which cover each wing

The mission comes just months after Solar Impulse II made the first ever round-the-world flight powered by solar energy.

And before this, pilot Raphael Domjan led the first trip around the world in a solar-power boat, which was completed in May 2012.

After this achievement demonstrated travel with renewable energy would be possible, Domjan says its now necessary to go even further and overtake what has been achieved with fossil fuels.

A stunning video revealed by SolarStratos reveals what a flight on the ground-breaking might look like.

According to the firm, SolarStratos is the first commercial two-seater solar plane, and will be the first solar craft to breach the stratosphere

In the first mission, its expected that the plane will take two hours to ascend to space, 15 minutes to stay up with the stars, and three hours to descend.

From up so high, passengers will be able to see first-hand the curvature of the Earth and witness the stars during the daytime.

Wouldnt it be essential to go higher to show the capacity of renewable energy, here on the surface of our planet? the website explains.

Beyond this adventure, our project is to open a door on a commercial electrical or solar aviation on the edge of space, with the aim of achieving unique travel with private passengers or scientists.

The craft will not be pressurized as a result of weight restrictions, and the pilot will have to wear an astronauts pressurized suit, in another solar energy first.

For a hundred years it was necessary to use large quantities of energy or helium to reach the stratosphere, the team continued.

But, this also means Domjan will not be able to leave the plane to use a parachute.

During the journey, both the plane and pilot will experience temperatures as cold as -70 degrees C, along with pressures around 5 percent those felt on Earth.

According to the SolarStratos team, the mission will be a challenge to both human and technological capabilities, and could pave the way for renewable energy travel.

Now we are going to open the way for manned solar and electric aviation on the edge of space.
20 of the 28 captive born ferrets released there last year

Dozens of slinky, ferocious and rare ferrets are settling in and making babies at their new home in Colorado, one year after they were released at a wildlife refuge outside Denver.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted 47 endangered black-footed ferrets last month at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

That includes 20 out of the original 28 captive-born ferrets that were released there in 2015, a survival rate of 71 percent.

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Dozens of slinky, ferocious and rare ferrets are settling in and making babies at their new home in Colorado, one year after they were released at a wildlife refuge outside Denver. Pictured, a ferret peers out of a crate used to bring it to the site to be released

'Seventy-one percent is phenomenal for survival,' said Kimberly Fraser, an outreach specialist for the federal ferret program.

Searchers also found nearly two dozen ferrets that were born at the refuge  a promising sign for the campaign to bring the animals back from the brink of extinction.

'Just seeing the first one is an amazing thing,' said David Lucas, the refuge manager. 'And to see another, and another, and another.... It was higher than we expected.'

Here's a look at black-footed ferrets and an update on the program to save them:

They are furry, weasel-like critters that grow up to 2 feet long and 2 pounds. They mainly eat prairie dogs.

They're native to the West, from Canada to Mexico, but their numbers plummeted as prairie dogs were exterminated or died from plague, and ferret habitat was reduced by development.

Black-footed ferrets were once thought to be extinct, but a small colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. Researchers have been trying to restore the population since then.

They're protected under the Endangered Species Act.

HOW MANY ARE LEFT?

Black-footed ferrets were once thought to be extinct, but a small colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. Researchers have been trying to restore the population since then. They're protected under the Endangered Species Act

PROTECTING THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS According to the US Geological Survey, black-footed ferrets once thrived across mid-continent North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Over the last century, their numbers have dwindled, causing them to be presumed extinct on more than one occasion. Their last known range has now been limited to a small region in Wyoming. Conservationists have worked hard to reintroduce these populations into the wild, spanning the US, Mexico, and Canada, but the outbreaks of sylvatic plague threaten their survival. This flea-borne plague has wiped out more than 95 percent of the prairie dog population, which ferrets rely on for food and for shelter in their burrows. Advertisement

About 300 live in the wild at 28 reintroduction sites in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, and in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Nine were released last week at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota.

Another 300 captive-born ferrets are being prepared for release at six breeding centers.

Black-footed ferrets have been released twice at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, in October 2015 and September of this year. While the 2015 ferrets are doing well, teams found only five of 15 released this year.

Researchers say they're not worried. The 2016 ferrets were released into the same prairie dog colony as the 2015 group because researchers didn't realize how many survivors were still there.

Some newcomers might have moved to less crowded territory and eluded the counters last month, Lucas said.

HOW DO YOU COUNT FERRETS?

Pictured, a worker checks during a nighttime count of black-footed ferrets placed on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

Teams searched for 10 nights at the Colorado refuge last month, using lights to spot the telltale emerald reflection from the ferrets' night-vision eyes.

Once they located ferrets, searchers placed elongated, burlap-covered traps over their burrows.

Because the traps resembled part of the burrow, the naturally curious ferrets climbed in.

Searchers could distinguish captive-born ferrets from those born at the refuge because ID chips were implanted in captive-born animals before their release.

The wild-born ferrets were vaccinated for plague, canine distemper and rabies, implanted with a chip and turned loose again.

Captive-born ferrets had been vaccinated before they were originally released at the refuge.

The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to release about 20 more ferrets at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge, but no date has been set, Lucas said. The next release will be in a different part of the refuge

PLANS TO DEPLOY DRONES TO SAVE RARE FERRETS Black-footed ferrets rely on prairie dogs for survival, but outbreaks of sylvatic plague have wiped out their prey by the masses. Conservationists have proposed a drone that could shoot M&M-sized peanut-butter flavoured vaccines throughout the prairie. The drones would administer three baits at a time, at intervals of 30 feet. Using a drone with a GPS-controlled trigger could deliver a much greater payload than human efforts alone are capable of. According to the USFWS, 'some 200 acres per hour could be treated by a single operator with the use of drones Advertisement

The Fish and Wildlife Service has a goal of 3,000 breeding adult ferrets in at least 30 populations in at least nine states.

At the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge, the goal is about 77 to 120 ferrets, said Nick Kaczor, assistant manager of the refuge.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to release about 20 more ferrets at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge, but no date has been set, Lucas said.

The next release will be in a different part of the refuge.

If the refuge colony thrives, some ferrets born there could be moved to bolster populations in other states because they've shown they can survive in the wild.

'Those wild-born ones, man, they were feisty, they were aggressive,' Kaczor said. 'You can tell they have that fighting instinct.'
An ancient set of lead tablets showing the earliest portrait of Jesus Christ have proved to be around 2,000 years old, according to experts.

The metal 'pages', held together like a ring binder, were found in Jordan in around 2008 by an Jordanian Bedouin and make reference to Christ and his disciples.

The lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated and experts say the tablets date from within a few years of Jesus' ministry.

An ancient set of lead tablets showing the earliest portrait of Jesus Christ have proved to be around 2,000 years old, according to experts

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ANCIENT LEAD TABLETS The ancient books were found in 2008 in a cave in northern Jordan by a Jordanian Bedouin, after which they are said to have been acquired by an Israeli Bedouin. The lead 'pages' - known as codices - are held together like a ring binder. The pages are thought to be 2,000 years old and are said to contain the earliest mentions of Jesus Christ, including an image. Their discovery was first announced in 2011. They have been branded fakes by a number of scholars. However, authors David and Jennifer Elkington have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices to be recognised and protected. Advertisement

And what they reveal could be enlightening not only for Christians, but also Jews and Muslims.

The tablets suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David.

And the God he worshipped was both male and female.

Central to the books is the idea that Christ promoted worship in Solomon's Temple where the very face of God was believed to be seen - and this is where the episode with the moneylenders in the Bible came from.

One of the books bears resemblance to how the Book of Revelations is described as it has seven seals.

The books are known as codices - types of bound manuscripts distinct from scrolls - and among them is an image of Jesus himself.

Authors David and Jennifer Elkington have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices to be recognised and protected but say evangelical Christians are trying to brand them fakes.

The lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated and experts say the tablets date from within a few years of Jesus' ministry

The metal 'pages', held together like a ring binder, were found in Jordan in around 2008 by an Israeli Bedouin and make reference to Christ and his disciples

WHAT THE TABLETS SAY The lead has been analysed and the words and symbols translated and experts say the tablets date from within a few years of Jesus' ministry. The tablets suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David. And the God he worshipped was both male and female. Central to the books is the idea that Christ promoted worship in Solomon's Temple where the very face of God was believed to be seen - and this is where the episode with the moneylenders in the Bible came from. One of the books bears resemblance to how the Book of Revelations is described as it has seven seals. Advertisement

They were apparently discovered by Hassan Saeda, an Israeli Bedouin, who according to some reports was given them by his grandfather, and by others that he discovered them in a flood.

The artefacts were found in a remote part of Jordan to which Christian refugees are known to have fled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.

David Elkington, 54, of Gloucestershire, says he is now trying to prevent the codices from being sold on the black market.

In 2011 Elkington announced their discovery on BBC News and the world's press followed it up.

But a number of scholars came forward to brand them fakes, most without ever seeing the codices.

Now tests conducted by Professor Roger Webb and Professor Chris Jeynes at the University of Surrey's Nodus Laboratory at the Ion Beam Centre, confirm that the tablet is compatible with a comparative sample of ancient Roman lead unearthed from an excavation site in Dorset.

The experts said that the codex they tested 'does not show the radioactivity arising from polonium that is typically seen in modern lead samples, indicating that the lead of the codex was smelted over one hundred years ago'.

They went onto explain how the testing suggests that the artefacts are indeed 2,000 years old.

'While there may be variations in decay and corrosion that depend upon the environmental conditions in which the objects were stored or hidden, there is a strong underlying theme of decay from within the metal,' said the researchers in a press statement.

'It is oxidising and breaking down at atomic level to revert to its natural state.

'This is not witnessed in lead objects that are several centuries old and is not possible to produce by artificial acceleration (e.g. through heating).

'This provides very strong evidence that the objects are of great age, consistent with the studies of the text and designs that suggest an age of around 2000 years'.

The codex was leant to the Elkingtons by the Department of Antiquities in Amman for testing.

The tablets suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David

The books are known as codices - types of bound manuscripts distinct from scrolls - and among them is an image of Jesus himself

Further crystallisation analysis indicates that the codex is likely to be between 1800-2000 years old.

Although Christ is referred to outside of the Gospels, for example by the Roman writer Tacitus, these would be the earliest and only Hebrew-Christian documents in existence - and linguistic and metallurgical analysis now suggests they are.

The tablets, bound together like ring binders suggest that Christ was not starting his own religion, but restoring a thousand-year-old tradition from the time of King David

Authors David and Jennifer Elkington have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices (pictured) to be recognised and protected but say evangelical Christians are trying to brand them fakes

Analysis of the script by scholars has confirmed that the language of the codices is Paleo-Hebrew.

The codices are covered in eight-pointed stars, symbolic of the coming of the messiah, and they mention the name of Jesus.

They also contain the names of apostles James, Peter and John.

REAL OR FAKE? CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS TABLETS Since their unveiling in 2011, the lead tablets have proved controversial. Academics are divided as to their authenticity but have said that if verified, they could prove as pivotal as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. The prospect that they could contain contemporary accounts of the final years of Jesuss life has excited scholars ever since  although their enthusiasm has been tempered by the fact that experts have previously been fooled by sophisticated fakes. David Elkington, a British scholar of ancient religious history and archaeology, and one of the few to have examined the books, says they could be the major discovery of Christian history. But the mysteries between their ancient pages are not the books only riddle. Previously, their whereabouts were also something of a mystery. After their discovery by a Jordanian Bedouin, the hoard was subsequently acquired by an Israeli Bedouin, who was said to have illegally smuggled them across the border into Israel, where they remained. However, the Jordanian Government later worked to repatriate and safeguard the collection. The are now kept by the Department of Antiquities in the Jordanian capital Amman. Advertisement

According to the Elkingtons the books suggest Christ was part of a Hebrew sect dating back 1,000 years to King David, who worshipped in the Temple of Solomon and believed in a male-female God.

In the Bible Jesus is referred to as a 'tekton' which is usually translated as 'carpenter' but actually means a skilled craftsman and could refer to the skill of producing such works in metal.

The ancient book was first found in 2008 in Jordan (pictured) by an Israeli Bedouin. The find was officially announced in 2011

The ancient book was found in 2008 in a cave in northern Jordan by an Israeli Bedouin

In traditional Christian icons he is often shown carrying a sealed book - a codex.

Mr Elkington said: 'Jesus was seeking to restore the Temple.

'To put back that which had been lost in the reforms that came before his time.

'Dr Hugh Schonfield, one of the most eminent authorities ever to work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, predicted that a metal book would be found: as he recognized that one had been described in a scroll called The Damascus Document - a description that fits precisely one of the codices.

'His conclusion was that Christianity was based within the Hebrew Temple.

'Dr Schonfield, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, also described himself as a Jewish-Christian, a view that he held because of his work on the scrolls.

The ancient book was found in 2008 in a cave in northern Jordan by an Israeli Bedouin. The discovery was first announced in 2011

'A part of the older tradition of the Temple was the Divine Feminine - known to Christians as the Holy Spirit. Jesus had women involved in his ministry.

'At the height of his ministry, the gospels tell us that Jesus challenged the moneychangers in the temple.

'The codices appear to reveal what happened afterwards - a chapter missing from the gospels.

'It would appear that Christianity was founded upon what Jesus did in the temple: a place where many Jews believed God actually resided. Jesus went into the Temple to renew a covenant with God.'

If the codices are genuine, as the metal and writing suggests they are, they provide new insight into the life of Christ.

If the codices are genuine, as the metal and writing suggests they are, they provide new insight into the life of Christ. Authors David and Jennifer Elkington (pictured right) have been campaigning since 2009 for the codices to be recognised and protected

While the codices do not contradict any of the established narrative they place greater emphasis on the physical temple, of the belief in the divine feminine and in Christ's role in protecting a lineage of Hebrews rather than being the founder of his own movement.

Previously, many experts have been wary of confirming the authenticity of the codices.



In 2011, two samples were sent to a laboratory in England where they were examined by Peter Northover, head of the materials science-based archaeology group.

The verdict was inconclusive without more tests, but he said the composition was 'consistent with a range of ancient lead.'

However, Philip Davies, emeritus professor of biblical studies at Sheffield University was convinced the codices were genuine after studying one.
was only made when a technician zoomed in on the mummy

An Egyptian crocodile mummy has been found to contain 50 individually swaddled baby crocodiles.

New high-resolution scans of the ancient three-metre-long relic revealed the bizarre secret, which has been under wraps for 2,000 years.

They also found the so-called 'giant' crocodile mummy is in fact two smaller juveniles wrapped together to resemble a larger individual.

An Egyptian crocodile mummy has been found to contain 50 individually swaddled baby crocodiles

The unusual discovery was made after 3D X-ray scans allowed visitors to the Egyptian Collection at the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (DNMA) in Leiden to conduct a 'virtual autopsy'.

A curator at the museum said: 'What was intended as a tool for museum visitors, has yet produced new scientific insights.

'When we started work on this project, we weren't really expecting any new discoveries. After all, the mummy had already been scanned.

'It was a big surprise that so many baby crocodiles could be detected with high-tech 3D scans and this interactive visualisation.'

Swedish company Interspectral converted the new scans into an interactive 3D application which examines the mummies layer by layer, from all sides.

New high-resolution scans of the ancient three-metre-long relic revealed the bizarre secret, which has been under wraps for 2,000 years

The unusual discovery was made after 3D X-ray scans allowed visitors to the Egyptian Collection at the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (DNMA) to conduct a 'virtual autopsy'

The so-called 'giant' crocodile mummy is in fact two smaller juveniles wrapped together to resemble a larger individual

Egyptologists at the museum suspect that the crocodiles of all different ages were mummified together to represent the ancient belief in rejuvenation and life after death.

But they are also considering a less mystical explanation: that no large crocodiles were available at the time they were due to be offered to the crocodile god Sobek, so the shape of a large crocodile was constructed using many smaller ones with wood, wads of linen, plant stems and rope to stuff and bind them together.

The mummy was first scanned in 1996, which revealed the presence of the two crocodiles within one wrapping.

A curator at the museum said: 'What was intended as a tool for museum visitors, has yet produced new scientific insights'

Swedish company Interspectral converted the new scans into an interactive 3D application which examines the mummies layer by layer, from all sides

Since then, computed x-ray tomography (CT) scans have become far more advanced and provide more detailed data.

Even so, the discovery almost never happened.

The baby skeletons were only accidentally noticed when a technician zoomed in on an unusual detail while processing the data.

'It's a combination of good hardware (the scanner), good software (Inside Explorer), a good pair of eyes and luck,' Interspectral co-founder Claes Ericson told Live Science.

The baby skeletons were only accidentally noticed when a technician zoomed in on an unusual detail while processing the data

Fragile specimens like ancient mummies can only be explored non-invasively, using a variety of scanning technologies including laser scanning, photogrammetry, CT scans and lidar, which works in a similar way to radar, using light from a laser.

But only CT scanning captures the structures in three dimensions, exposing the secrets that mummies took with them to the grave.

The crocodile mummy interactive and the newly renovated DNMA Egyptian galleries opened to the public on 18 November 2016.
People are constantly trying to find new ways to beat the casino in the hope of gambling their way to riches.

While the odds usually remain in the house's favour, there are some schemes that can increase your chance of winning.

In an article for The Conversation, Graham Kendall, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Nottingham, explains how maths can be used to win at roulette.

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People are constantly trying to find new ways to beat the casino in the hopes of gambling their way to riches. While some of these schemes might not be based on solid evidence, others are

ROULETTE WHEEL LAYOUT Like a dartboard, the layout of a roulette wheel did not come about by accident. It was carefully planned and exhibits certain properties. In fact, there are two different layouts - an American wheel and a European wheel. Notice that the American wheel has two zeroes. This is important as it doubles the advantage for the casino. On a European wheel you would expect to lose, in the long run, 2.7 per cent of any money you bet with. On an American wheel you can expect to lose 5.26 per cent. The numbers are arranged in a different order on each wheel but there are some similarities in the patterns. On both wheels, the red and black numbers alternate around the wheel, although if you removed the zeroes, the American wheel would have consecutive reds and blacks. Advertisement

Albert Einstein supposedly once said: 'No one can win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn't looking.'

Although I wouldn't normally question Einstein, this statement isn't true.

In fact, you can use Einstein's specialist subject, physics, to help you win.

Or you can find a biased wheel that makes some numbers more likely to come up.

What Einstein actually meant was that there is no mathematical trick that can help you win at roulette.

Each spin is an independent trial and, in the long run, the casino will win.

This is different to a game such as Blackjack where the probabilities change as cards are dealt.

But some believe that it is possible to exploit the way the roulette wheel, and the betting cloth, is laid out to give themselves an advantage.

The idea is that you can make bets on the layout in a way that you are guaranteed to win. But is this really possible?

On a European wheel (right) you would expect to lose, in the long run, 2.7 per cent of any money you bet with, while on an American wheel (left) you can expect to lose 5.26 per cent

ROULETTE WHEEL LAYOUT

Like a dartboard, the layout of a roulette wheel did not come about by accident. It was carefully planned and exhibits certain properties.

In fact, there are two different layouts - an American wheel and a European wheel.

Notice that the American wheel has two zeroes. This is important as it doubles the advantage for the casino.

On a European wheel you would expect to lose, in the long run, 2.7 per cent of any money you bet with.

On an American wheel you can expect to lose 5.26 per cent.

The numbers are arranged in a different order on each wheel but there are some similarities in the patterns.

On both wheels, the red and black numbers alternate around the wheel, although if you removed the zeroes, the American wheel would have consecutive reds and blacks.

The wheels are also structured so that the low numbers (1-18) and the high numbers (19-36) should alternate as much as possible.

On a European wheel, this is only violated where the 5 sits next to the 10 (both low numbers).

On the American wheel, there are many examples where this rule is violated.

It is for this reason that the American wheel is considered not as balanced as the European wheel.

Both wheels also try to distribute odd and even numbers as evenly as possible.

But again there are a number of violations of this rule on both wheels.

On the European wheel there are two other interesting symmetries.

First, all the low red numbers and black high numbers are on one side of the zero, and the high red numbers and low black numbers are on the other side.

Second, the sequence 29-7-28-12-35-3-26-0-32 contains no numbers between 13 and 24 (the second dozen).

You can place a bet on the whole of the second dozen, with odds of 2-1.

SO, CAN WE BEAT THE MATHS?

A simple search on Google will return many (possibly millions) of systems for playing (and supposedly winning) roulette.

THE MARTINGALE SYSTEM Perhaps the best known money management strategy is the Martingale system. This system is guaranteed to win money as long as you have enough of a bankroll to double your bet after every loss and you do not hit the table limit, which you will quickly do so. Here is a specific example to demonstrate the concept - say you bet one chip on red. If the ball lands on black, you lose your chip. This is the time for the first Martingale progression, you double your bet, so you bet two chips on red. If red actually shows up, you win two chips. This will recover your loss from the first round plus wins you one chip. If instead of red, black would have showed up again, you would have had to double your chips again and bet four chips on red. Advertisement

Some easy, some complicated, some well described, some not so.

A system should really be a combination of a playing strategy and a money management strategy.

Perhaps the best known money management strategy is the Martingale system.

This system is guaranteed to win money as long as you have enough of a bankroll to double your bet after every loss and you do not hit the table limit, which you will quickly do so.

The Martingale system is probably the quickest way to bankruptcy known to man.

Whatever betting strategy, and money management strategy, you choose, they all suffer from the same fate.

Assuming that each number on the wheel has the same probability of being selected  meaning the wheel is not biased  the maths means the casino will always win.

The system may look good, and may work in the short term, but when one of the numbers comes up that you have not bet on you will lose and the casino will move towards its win expectation (2.7 per cent or 5.26 per cent).

Some systems involve betting on many numbers, perhaps 20.

In this case, you will win quite often as you are covering more than half of the numbers.

Any system so far devised, can be analysed to show that there is a win expectation for the casino, so you might as well just have fun, pick random numbers and trust to Lady Luck

But when one of the numbers does not turn up (and it will almost half the time) you lose all of the 20 bets you have made. This will often wipe out any wins to date.

Any system, so far devised, can be analysed to show that there is a win expectation for the casino.

You might as well place a single chip on the same number every time and hope that it appears more than it should during the short time that you are playing.

We can dress up the layout of the wheel, the layout of the betting cloth, our number selection and our money management system however we like, but the maths is always there, quietly working against us.

You might as well just have fun, pick random numbers and trust to Lady Luck.

Either that, or do as Einstein suggested and steal chips (not that we'd recommend it).




In ten years, this property could be used to measure the size and gravity of a neutron star using the next generations of telescopes

Now evidence of this phenomenon has been seen for the first time, proving quantum electrodynamics works in extreme magnetic fields

This effect means extreme magnetic fields will cause light to be polarised

An 80-year-old theory about the way light behaves in an extremely strong magnetic field has been proven for the first time.

The theory, called 'vacuum birefringence', says a magnetic field will cause empty space to behave like a prism, making light polarised when it passes through.

Now astronomers studying light from a distant neutron star have observed this polarisation for the first time.

In ten years, this property could be used to measure the size and gravity of a neutron star using the next generations of telescopes, researchers have said.

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An 80-year-old theory about the way light behaves in an extremely strong magnetic field has been proven for the first time. The theory, called 'vacuum birefringence', says a magnetic field will cause empty space to behave like a prism, making light polarised when it passes through

WHAT THE RESULTS MEAN This study is the first to find evidence of an 80-year-old theory called vacuum birefringence. Vacuum birefringence was first proposed in 1936 as part of quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons. This evidence is the first to show the theory of QED holds in extreme magnetic fields. In ten years, this property could be used to measure the size and gravity of a neutron star using the next generations of telescopes. Advertisement

The researchers, from INAF Milan and the University of Zielona Gora in Poland, used the Very Large Telescope to observe a distant neutron star.

This neutron star formed from the energetic explosion of a star at least ten times the mass of our sun, known as a supernova.

Neutron stars are incredibly dense, so dense that one teaspoon of its material would be 900 times heavier than the Great Pyramid of Giza.

They are also surrounded by extreme magnetic fields, billions of times stronger than that of the sun.

It is the incredibly strong magnetic fields around neutron stars that allowed astronomers to observe the phenomenon of 'vacuum birefringence' for the first time.

'The problem is that the effect is predicted in presence of magnetic fields billion of times stronger that our sun's, that cannot be reproduced on Earth but are found around stars like neutron stars,' Professor Roberto Mignani, lead author of the study, told MailOnline.

The new study has found evidence for polarisation of light from the neutron star named RX J1856.5-3754, about 400 light years away. Colour composite photo of the sky field around the lonely neutron star RX J1856.5-3754 and the related cone-shaped nebula

WHAT IS VACUUM BIREFRINGENCE? Quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons. In this theory, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time. Almost 100 years ago, when this theory was first forming, Werner Heisenberg and Hans Heinrich Euler predicted the effect of vacuum birefringence. It says that magnetic fields can become so strong they affect the properties of the empty space around the star. Very strong magnetic fields can modify empty space so it affects the polarisation of light passing through it. This is the type of plane the light vibrates through. For example, linearly polarised light waves vibrate through a single plane, while the direction of the vibration of circularly polarised waves moves around in a circle. 'The properties of vacuum change quite dramatically when it is permeated by a strong magnetic field,' Roberto Turolla from the University of Padua, Italy, told MailOnline. 'Electromagnetic radiation, and visible light in particular, which travels in a strongly magnetised vacuum is polarised into two normal modes called the ordinary and extraordinary modes.' Very strong magnetic fields can modify empty space so it affects the polarisation of light passing through it, like in a prism (diagram pictured) Advertisement

But the new study has found evidence for polarisation of light from the neutron star named RX J1856.5-3754, about 400 light years away.

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) is the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons.

In this theory, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time.

Almost 100 years ago, when this theory was first forming, Werner Heisenberg and Hans Heinrich Euler predicted the effect of vacuum birefringence.

This wide field image shows the sky around the very faint neutron star RX J1856.5-3754 in the southern constellation of Corona Australis. This part of the sky also contains interesting regions of dark and bright nebulosity surrounding the variable star R Coronae Australis (upper left), as well as the globular star cluster NGC 6723

HOW THE STUDY WORKED The researchers used the Very Large Telescope in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, to observe the polarised light. 'It has an imaging camera that split the incoming light into two beams thanks to a prism,' Professor Roberto Mignani, lead author of the study, told MailOnline. 'The observations are repeated four times for four different angles of the prism. 'The different intensity of the two beams per each rotation angle bring information on the level of polarisation of light. 'By a specific formula you can reconstruct back this value.' Advertisement

It says that magnetic fields can become so strong they affect the properties of the empty space around the star.

Very strong magnetic fields can modify empty space so it affects the polarisation of light passing through it.

Polarisation is the type of plane the light vibrates through.

For example, linearly polarised light waves vibrate through a single plane, while the direction of the vibration of circularly polarised waves moves around in a circle.

'The properties of vacuum change quite dramatically when it is permeated by a strong magnetic field,' Roberto Turolla from the University of Padua, Italy, told MailOnline.

'Electromagnetic radiation, and visible light in particular, which travels in a strongly magnetised vacuum is polarised into two normal modes called the ordinary and extraordinary modes.'

But this is only possible around neutron stars, like the one used in this study.

'Fields so huge cannot be produced in terrestrial laboratories and they are found only close to the surface of neutron stars, the strongest known magnets in the universe,' Roberto Turolla told MailOnline.

'This is the faintest object for which polarisation has ever been measured. It required one of the largest and most efficient telescopes in the world,' said Vincenzo Testa from INAF, Rome.

'What I find indeed exciting is that a prediction of a fundamental physical theory, quantum electrodynamics or QED, which was never been experimentally verified before (despite 80 years elapsed) has finally been proven correct by an astronomical measure involving a neutron star,' Robert Turolla told MailOnline.

'This is an evidence that QED holds also in the strong-field limit.'

The researchers need to test the effects in other wavelengths of light, by looking at other neutron star sources.

When the next generation of space telescopes are launched, that measure x-ray light, these measurements should become possible.

The polarization from the quantum effect should be 100 per cent when measured from space, said Jeremy Heyl, an astrophysicist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Speaking to Science, Heyl said studying the polarization would then enable astrophysicists to infer properties like a neutron star's size and the strength of its gravity at its surface.
Brits are a nation of social media addicts.

The average person in the UK will spend over three years of their lives posting on social media, one year down the pub and 299 days expressing their emotions.

What's more, people will typically spend eight months laughing, five weeks arguing and 30 hours crying during the average adult lifetime.

The average person in the UK will spend over three years of their lives posting on social media, one year down the pub and 299 days expressing their emotions. Samsung commissioned the research, which looked at how UK adults are dividing their precious time (pictured)

SOCIAL MEDIA USE IS GROWING Brits are a social bunch, even moreso when it comes to the online world, it appears. The survey revealed that during their adult years, the typical Brit will spend three years of their life online, using social media. Worryingly, the amount of time is only marginally surpassed by holiday - which itself is dwarfed by work and sleep. Psychologists believe the division of time reflects an 'always-on' culture, in which people are finding it hard to switch off and are adjusting to become better multi-taskers. Advertisement

Those polled will also watch TV for more than eight years, commute for more than a year and a half and spend more than 17 years asleep as a grown-up.

The research of 3,000 UK adults, overseen by statistician Dr Geoff Ellis, was commissioned as part of the Samsung 'Time of our Lives' report to mark the launch of the new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch.

Social Psychologist Dr Becky Spellman said: 'The research suggests we are busier today than at any other time in history.

'The under-40s are working longer hours, have their diaries packed with social activities and are glued to multiple screen devices to stay constantly connected to the world via social media.

'Interestingly as we become a generation of people who find it hard to switch off, our brains are adjusting and making us even better multi-taskers.

'Our ability to juggle, manage and process information is growing at a substantial rate.'

During their adult years, the typical Brit will cry 315 times, take 1,135 days off work to relax and spend 214 hours at 67 parties.

The average Brit will spend one year and three months cleaning compared to just 13 months being affectionate with their partners.

Respondents will have 4,226 arguments, make 3,407 visits to the pub and pull around 39 sickies from work.

Social media is taking up an increasing amount of time. The survey revealed that always being connected through computers and phones means tweeting, updating Facebook and a host of other new media will account for more than three years of a person's life

HOW DO BRITS SPEND THEIR TIME? The research of 3,000 UK adults, overseen by statistician Dr Geoff Ellis, was commissioned as part of the Samsung 'Time of our Lives' report to mark the launch of the new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch. It found that, on average, UK adults will spend: 17 years, 41 days sleeping 13 years, three months working (including one year, three months outside of contracted hours) Eight years, 110 days watching TV Three years, two months on holiday Three years, 10 days on social media One year, seven months commuting One year, three months cleaning 13 months being affectionate with partners One year at pubs and bars Eight months and two weeks laughing Seven months queuing One month arguing One month socialising at parties One day, six hours crying Advertisement

On average, the English spend 368 days down the pub - more than the Welsh (279 days), Northern Irish (299 days) and Scottish (298 days).

As grown-ups, they'll spend a total of 12 years working and put in one year, three months outside contracted hours.

The research also found Brits are at their happiest aged 35 - and three years, two months will be spent on holiday during the average adult lifetime.

Seven in 10 people said they exercise - and on average, those that do will spend one year, three months keeping fit as a grown-up.

Of those aged under 40, 93 per cent exercise - compared to six in 10 people aged 65 and over.

Each week, Brits in their 40s typically spend three hours, 25 minutes keeping fit, while the over 65s spend one hour, 27 minutes getting into shape.

A survey has found people will spend an average of more three years of their life on social media, only dedicating more time to sleep, work, watching TV and holidays

People under 40 spend an average of one hour and 47 minutes a day updating social media - while in comparison, the over-65s spend 40 minutes tweeting and posting on Facebook.

Those aged 65 and over watch four hours, two minutes of TV everyday while the under 40s watch telly for two hours, 40 minutes.
He was one of the most famous Kings of England, known for founding the Tudor dynasty.

But until now, little has been known about the specific location of Henry VII's birth in 1457.

Now, a new geophysical survey suggests that he may have been born in an outer ward in the late-medieval Pembroke Castle in Wales.

A geophysical survey, along with aerial images, suggests that Henry VII may have been born in an outer ward in the late-medieval Pembroke Castle in Wales

PEMBROKE CASTLE Pembroke Castle played a pivotal role through history, dating back to the 11th century when the Normans invaded Wales, through to the Civil War in the 17th century, when it was besieged by Oliver Cromwell. Some of the UK's best known barons were also residents at the castle, including Richard Strongbow, Early of Pembroke and William Marhsal, the royal protector of Henry III. In the 14th century it became a royal residence and in 1456, Henry VII was born at the castle. Henry VII was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle, when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Rose. Advertisement

While Pembroke Castle is one of the largest and most prestigious castles in the UK, its internal arrangements are surprisingly little-known.

In 2013, researchers from the Dyfed Archaeology Trust, funded by the Castle Studies Trust, took aerial photographs that showed possible buildings beneath the surface at the castle.

A geological survey by the same team has now confirmed the outline of a late-medieval building in the outer ward, which could be where Henry VII was born.

The survey also revealed that up to three previously unknown buildings stood in the inner ward, as well as a well in the outer ward  features that are all invisible to the naked eye.

Pembroke Castle played a pivotal role through history, dating back to the 11th century when the Normans invaded Wales, through to the Civil War in the 17th century, when it was besieged by Oliver Cromwell.

In 2013, researchers took aerial photographs that showed possible buildings beneath the surface at the castle. A geological survey by the same team has now confirmed the outline of a late-medieval building in the outer ward, which could be where Henry VII was born

Some of the UK's best known barons were also residents at the castle, including Richard Strongbow, Early of Pembroke and William Marhsal, the royal protector of Henry III.

In the 14th century it became a royal residence, and in 1456, Henry VII was born at the castle.

The survey also revealed that up to three previously unknown buildings stood in the inner ward, as well as a well in the outer ward  features that are all invisible to the naked eye.

Henry was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle, when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Rose.

Speaking to the BBC, Edward Impey, Castle Studies Trust patron, said: 'The survey work carried out by Dyfed Archaeological Trust has greatly advanced our understanding of Pembroke Castle, one of Wales' greatest but also least understood castles.'

Henry (artist's impression) was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle, when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Rose

While Pembroke Castle is one of the largest and most prestigious castles in Wales, its internal arrangements are surprisingly little-known
This makes it the earliest Middle Eastern bitumen ever found in the UK

But new analysis has revealed it in fact came from the Middle East

Bitumen from the Sutton Hoo ship was previously thought to be Swedish

Britain may have traded with the Middle East in the seventh century - much earlier than previously thought.

A new examination of one of Britain's most famous Anglo Saxon ship burials has found bitumen probably from Syria, proving the existence of ancient trade links.

The rare tar-like lumps were found at the foot and head of an Anglo Saxon Viking-era king buried on board the Sutton Hoo ship.

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The black lumps of bitumen were found near the head and foot of the king's coffin by archaeologists in 1939 - but were mistakenly identified as locally-produced Stockholm Tar. New analysis has shown they originated in Syria

HOW THE DISCOVERY WAS MADE The ship was first excavated from a mass grave in Suffolk in 1939 and was discovered full of spectacular treasure including jewellery, silverware, coins and ceremonial armour. The lumps of bitumen have been kept in the British Museum's collection for the last 77 years. But now researchers have been able to properly identify the lumps as bitumen after they were re-analysed using modern microscopes and weighing techniques. Scientists believe the bitumen is likely to be of Syrian origin. Advertisement

But analysis by scientists at the British Museum and the University of Aberdeen, published in PLOS ONE, instead revealed the first Middle Eastern bitumen specimen ever found on an ancient British site.

Previously the substance was thought to be locally produced 'Stockholm tar' used to repair the ship, but new analysis has found it originated in Syria.

Bitumen of this age has only been found once before in the UK and this discovery adds weight to the idea our early medieval ancestors may have traded far and wide.

The ship was first excavated from a mass grave in Suffolk in 1939 and was discovered full of spectacular treasure including jewellery, silverware, coins and ceremonial armour.

The site is still the most richly furnished grave ever discovered in Britain.

It is likely that the bitumen was also included deliberately in the burial chamber, like the jewellery and silverware, either fashioned into an ornamental object or simply presented as a prestigious raw material.

'Whether the bitumen was gifted as diplomatic gesture or acquired through trading links, its presence in the burial attests to the far-reaching network within which the elite of the region operated at this time,' said Dr Pauline Burger, who co-led the new study published in PLOS ONE.

'Archaeological finds of bitumen from this and earlier period in Britain are extremely rare, despite the abundance of natural sources of bitumen in Great Britain.

'This find provides the first material evidence indicating that the extensively exploited Middle Eastern bitumen sources were traded northward beyond the Mediterranean to reach northern Europe and the British Isles.'

This map shows the major trade routes between Syria and Sutton Hoo in the 7th century

The 90 foot (27.3-metre) long ship (drawing pictured) was used as a coffin for an ancient East Anglian King. He was buried along with a priceless collection of treasure

The ship was first excavated from a mass grave in Suffolk in 1939 and was discovered full of spectacular treasure including jewellery, silverware, coins and ceremonial armour. The site of Sutton Hoo is pictured

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUTTON HOO The site of two 6th- and 7th-Century cemeteries, Sutton Hoo's discovery shed light on a period of England's past on the margin between myth, legend and historical documentation. Use of the site culminated at a time when Raedwald, the ruler of the East Angles, held power among the English people and played a dynamic if ambiguous part in the establishment of Christian rulership in England. It is generally thought he is the person found in the undisturbed ship burial, that held a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts. Excavated in 1939, the ship is one of the most magnificent archaeological finds in England. Buried treasure found there includes gold and garnet jewellery, silverware, coins, and ceremonial armour. Advertisement

The 90 foot (27.3-metre) long ship was used as a coffin for an ancient East Anglian King.

He was buried along with a priceless collection of treasure.

Dr Burger said: 'The richly furnished burial is commonly attributed to Raedwald (d. 624/5 AD), King of East Anglia and contains artefacts identified as gift exchange between East Anglian and foreign leaders.'

The black lumps of bitumen were found near the head and foot of the king's coffin by archaeologists in 1939 - but were mistakenly identified as locally-produced Stockholm Tar.

The lumps have been kept in the British Museum's collection for the last 77 years.

Researchers have now been able to properly identify the lumps as bitumen after they were re-analysed using modern microscopes and weighing techniques.

'The possible Syrian origin of the bitumen is particularly interesting given that other items in the burial assemblage have been linked to this region' she said.

The fact the bitumen was buried so close to the king suggests it may have been gifted from a far-away land.

A distant source would constitute an apparently rare import of the material, more likely to be counted as a prestige item, to be grouped with the other luxuries

Dr Rebecca Stacey from the British Museum told MailOnline: 'We don't know whether the pieces are fragments of small bitumen objects or part of a larger composite object combining other materials that did not survive.

'Either way, it rewrites our understanding of the finds and shows that more than 75 years after its first discovery there is still much to be learnt about this remarkable burial assemblage.'

Photo of the Sutton Hoo helmet temporarily located in the British Museum. Excavated in 1939, the ship is one of the most magnificent archaeological finds in England

RAEDWALD OF EAST ANGLIA The 90 foot (27.3-metre) long ship was used as a coffin for an ancient East Anglian King. He was buried along with a priceless collection of treasure. The richly furnished burial is commonly attributed to Raedwald (d. 624/5 AD), King of East Anglia and contains artefacts identified as gift exchange between East Anglian and foreign leaders. It has long been thought that King Raedwald's hall stood in Rendlesham in Suffolk. Advertisement

Dr Burger said archaeological finds of bitumen were rare.

'Two Roman cinerary urns (from Sussex and Kent) have been described as bitumen coated but the only analytically confirmed bitumen is on an Iron Age sword from Yorkshire,' she said.

But Dr Arie Nissenbaum, a geochemist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, was not so surprised by this discovery.

'Dead Sea asphalt (bitumen) was exported to Europe for many centuries until the 19th century at least and probably even later,' she says.

'For example, the first photograph was taken by French inventor Nicephore Niepce in 1825 on a plate covered with bitumen probably from the Dead Sea.

'And the same material was exported to France late in the 19th century as a possible cure against the Phylloxera plague.'




Controversial 'three-parent baby' treatments could be introduced in the UK as early as next spring.

This comes after the treatments have received the green light from an independent panel of experts today.

Scientists cleared away remaining safety hurdles to recommend 'cautious adoption' of mitochondrial replacement therapy for devastating inherited diseases.

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Controversial 'three-parent baby' treatments could be introduced in the UK as early as next spring. This comes after the treatments have received the green light from an independent panel of experts today

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA Mitochondria only hold around 0.1 per cent of a person's DNA. This is always inherited from the mother and has no influence over individual characteristics, such as appearance and personality. It is quite separate from the DNA in the cell nucleus which house the vast majority of an individual's genes. But when mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) goes wrong the results can be catastrophic, leading to a wide range of potentially fatal conditions affecting vital organs, muscles, vision, growth and mental ability. Mitochondrial replacement, conducted by fertility doctors, involves removing faulty mitochondria and substituting healthy versions from a donor. Advertisement

Babies born after the treatment would effectively have three genetic parents.

A tiny proportion of their DNA would come from their mother, father and a third person, an egg donor.

The aim is to replace abnormal genes in the mitochondria, rod-like power plants in cells that generate energy.

Following the fourth and last report from the expert panel it is highly likely Britain's fertility regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) will now give the go-ahead in principle for mitochondrial replacement to enter the clinic.

The HFEA will consider the issue at a pivotal meeting on December 15, when it will decide whether clinics may make applications to offer the treatment.

If it agrees with the scientists, the first few women could undergo mitochondrial replacement therapy as early as March or April next year.

The mothers undergoing the untried procedure would be acting as guinea pigs, whose experiences will be written up in scientific journals.

Scientists at the University of Newcastle, which pioneered mitochondrial replacement, are poised to submit an application to the HFEA, it is understood.

The regulator will look at applications on a patient-by-patient basis.

'We think that the cautious approach to the use of mitochondrial donation in treatment that we recommend strikes the right balance between offering access to this exciting new treatment to couples at real risk of having a genetically-related child with mitochondrial disease, while doing all we can to ensure that the treatment is safe and effective,' Dr Andrew Greenfield, who chaired the expert panel and is an HFEA board member, said.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Scientists cleared away remaining safety hurdles to recommend 'cautious adoption' of mitochondrial replacement therapy for devastating inherited diseases. Following the fourth and last report from the expert panel it is highly likely Britain's fertility regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) will now give the go-ahead in principle for mitochondrial replacement to enter the clinic. The HFEA will consider the issue at a pivotal meeting on December 15, when it will decide whether clinics may make applications to offer the treatment. If it agrees with the scientists, the first women - probably no more than a few - could undergo mitochondrial replacement therapy as early as March or April next year. The trail-blazing mothers undergoing the untried procedure would be acting as guinea pigs whose experiences will be written up in scientific journals. Advertisement

Mitochondria only hold around 0.1 per cent of a person's DNA.

It is always inherited from the mother and has no influence over individual characteristics such as appearance and personality.

It is quite separate from the DNA in the cell nucleus which house the vast majority of an individual's genes.

But when mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) goes wrong the results can be catastrophic, leading to a wide range of potentially fatal conditions affecting vital organs, muscles, vision, growth and mental ability.

Mitochondrial replacement, conducted by fertility doctors, involves removing faulty mitochondria and substituting healthy versions from a donor.

Dr John Zhang, head of the New York City embryonic team, holding the world's first 'three-person' baby after the boy was born in Mexico. The baby boy was born to Jordanian parents earlier this year using the controversial technique

HOW IS THE PROCEDURE DONE? 1. Take eggs from a mother with damaged mitochondria. 2. Take eggs from a donor with healthy mitochondria. 3. Remove and save the nucleus from the mother's egg. This contains the majority of her genetic material. 4. Remove and discard the donor's nucleus. 5. Place the mother's nucleus in the donor's egg with the healthy mitochondria. 6. The egg can then be fertilised by the father's sperm. Another technique follows the same approach, but using two fertilised eggs. The genetic material from the donor embryo is switched for that of the parents' embryo - keeping the parents' genetic material and the donor's mitochondria. Advertisement

A baby boy was born to Jordanian parents earlier this year using the controversial technique.

It is carried out by transferring the genetic material that effectively encodes a baby's identity to a donor egg whose own nuclear DNA has been removed.

Two different techniques may be employed, either before or after fertilisation.

The end result is the same - an embryo containing healthy mitochondria from the donor and nuclear DNA from the baby's mother and father.

In theory mitochondrial replacement can not only prevent a child developing inherited diseases, but also protect future generations.

Last year the UK became the first country in the world to legalise mitochondrial replacement after MPs and peers voted in favour of allowing it.

A key point considered by the expert panel was whether mitochondrial replacement had any advantage over pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

This technique is used to screen IVF embryos for genetic defects so that only healthy ones are selected for transfer into a mother's womb.

But even with PGD a certain amount of abnormal mtDNA can slip through.

For women with high levels of abnormal mtDNA, the procedure was not an option, the panel decided.

THREE-PARENT TECHNIQUE IN OTHER COUNTRIES A baby boy was born to Jordanian parents earlier this year using the controversial technique. By incorporating a small amount of donor DNA into his cells, the parents avoided passing on a debilitating genetic condition to their son. But reports earlier this year suggested this 'three-parent' approach may have already been used by researchers in China, with a child born using the technique. According to reporter Sara Reardon, Nature learned of a scientific paper in review at an unnamed journal which claims a child was conceived using the technique in China. Further use of the three-parent approach has also been reported by New Scientist last month, with two women in Ukraine receiving treatment to overcome recurrent fertility problems. Advertisement

The scientists said PGD might be appropriate for less affected women, but would always be no more than a 'risk reduction strategy'.

They also looked at the chances of disease-causing DNA side-stepping mitochondrial treatment.

Research had shown small amounts of mtDNA, below 2 per cent, could be 'carried over' and end up in the donor egg.

This was too small an amount to cause any problems.

But stem cell experiments showed that in a few cases the carried-over mtDNA multiplied and increased during embryonic development - a phenomenon known as 'reversion'.

The panel concluded that reversion did not pose a serious risk and pointed out that pre-natal screening techniques would be able to pick it up before a woman gave birth.

'This is obviously great news with the report conclusions,' said Professor Doug Turnbull, from the University of Newcastle.

'This gives women who have mitochondrial DNA mutations reproductive choice and I am delighted for them.'

'In proceeding to the next stage of this exciting research, it is still important to remain pragmatic and move cautiously in following the reviews thoughtful recommendations,' added Dr Rob Buckle, Director of Science Programmes at the Medical Research Council.
With the end of the year upon us, many employees are searching for a good strategy that will help them ask for a raise and get a fair amount.

Although a salary increase isn't a laughing matter, researchers say that the best way to start off the discussion is to lead with a joke.

A study found that making wisecracks about wanting an absurd amount is the best technique for getting closer to your desired salary, as the first amount given greatly influences the final offer.

researchers say that the best way to start off the discussion is to lead with a joke. A study found that making wisecracks about wanting an absurd amount is the best technique for getting closer to your desired salary

HOW TO ASK FOR A RAISE Researchers say to make jokes about wanting an implausible salary increase is the best technique for getting closer to your desired salary. This is called setting a high anchor -the idea that the first number brought to the table has the most influence on the outcome. If you give your employer a low number right out the gate, they will probably offer you a much lower increase than they would have otherwise given. Experts also believe this information could be an answer to the pay gap between genders  if women use it to their advantage. Advertisement

This approach, which is called 'anchoring', is a term in psychology that backs the idea that the first number brought to the table has the most influence on the outcome, reports New York Magazine.

Basically, if you give your employer a low number right out the gate, they will probably offer you a much lower increase than they would have otherwise.

'Because what happens to people over time is if in that first negotiation or those first few jobs out of high school or college you are underpaid, then you really get a snowball effect where if each subsequent salary is really benchmarked to that, then what can happen is that type of usually implicit and occasionally explicit discrimination really then follows that person throughout their career,' explained Victoria Budson, the director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in an interview with NPR.

A study from the University of Idaho found that even if the first number is completely ridiculous, such as a million dollars, the idea of 'anchoring' still holds true.

'Incorporating a joking comment about implausible salary expectations may be a relatively easy way for job candidates to establish a high anchor and minimize negative reactions from employers,' Todd J. Thorsteinson, the author of the study, wrote in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

This approach, which is called 'anchoring', is a term in psychology that backs the idea that the first number brought to the table has the most influence on the outcome. Experts say if you want a high raise start the conversation with a high amount of money

Thorsteinson and his team instructed 200 college students to pretend they were interviewing someone to join their company and had just one more topic to cover  salary requirements.

In the control group, researchers told participants that the candidate received $29,000 at their previous job and the other had to ask the interviewee how much they were expecting, reports the Association for Psychological Science.

Half of the time the job candidates made jokes with outlandishly high anchors such as, 'I would like $100,000, but really I am just looking for something that is far'.

And the rest of the time, they responded with a low anchor  'I would work for $1, but really I am just looking for something fair'.

In the end, the control group only offered the candidates previous salary.

YOUR PERSONALITY- RATHER THAN PAST EXPERIENCE- WILL GET YOU THE JOB Experts believes these findings could be an answer to the pay gap between genders  if women use it to their advantage Have you ever applied for a job and wondered why it was offered to someone who appears to be less qualified than you? U.S. researchers claim hiring managers often make poor choices because they tend to make judgements about a person's disposition while ignoring past experience. University of California, Berkeleys Hass School of Business claims that often those evaluating us for a job have a great deal of trouble considering situational factors or context. Associate Professor Don Moore describes this behaviour as an example of the 'correspondence bias'a social psychology term that describes when people have the tendency to draw inferences about a person's personality based on actions. If you are a hiring manager, ask for more information about other people in the applicant's department and how the person you are considering is better or worse than others in the same situation, advised Moore. Moore added that applicants should offer more information about their performance. Advertisement

However, researchers also found the participants did stick with the idea of anchoring.

Volunteers who were given the response of $100,000 made an average offer of $35,385, compared to an offer of $32,463 for the control group.

These numbers suggest that the ridiculously high salary joke was worth an extra $3,000 a year.

Thorsteinson also believes these findings could be an answer to the pay gap between genders  if women use it to their advantage.
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When it comes to trying for a baby, some couples will go to great lengths.

And if that means globetrotting to the world's 'luckiest' spots in which to conceive then so be it.

From the 'miracle chair' in Naples, on which hopeful women sit and get blessed by Italian nuns, to festivals in Thailand and Japan believed to conjure up fertility, here are the most famed places you can go - it is said - to up your chances of conceiving.

The Miracle Chair of Naples, Italy

Located in a small flat in Naples, this chair is the spot where Catholic Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds of Jesus is said to have died in 1791 - a historical figure associated with family

Dubbed the 'Miracle Chair', it's in a residence populated with birth announcements on the wall, where women come to sit and have their stomachs crossed by local nuns as they hold relics in the hopes that they'll be blessed with a child

Could this ancient chair hold the key to fertility?

The women who flock to Italy in order to sit in it certainly hope it might. Located in a small flat in Naples, it's the spot where Catholic Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds of Jesus is said to have died in 1791 - a historical figure associated with family.

Dubbed the 'Miracle Chair', it's in a residence populated with birth announcements on the wall, where women come to sit and have their stomachs crossed by local nuns as they hold relics in the hopes that they'll be blessed with a child.

The Cerne Abbas Giant, England

It is not known when exactly this chalk-filled figure was carved in the fields, but legend has it that any couple who spends the night sleeping between his legs will produce a child within two years

He's got a sizable penis, and as far as magical powers go, this pagan fertility symbol might just have legs.

Figures from the UK's Office of National Statistics reveal that women local to the Dorset region are twice as fertile as the national average. Legend has it that any couple who spends the night sleeping between this 'rude man of Cerne's legs' will produce a child within two years.

It is not known when exactly this figure - formally known as the Cerne Abbas Giant - was carved in the fields, but records suggest it was sometime during the 17th century. Its trenches are filled in with white chalk.

Chao Mae Tuptim shrine, Thailand

This Thai shrine was created by a businessman in the early 20th century to honour the Chao Mae Tuptim tree goddess, who has associations with fertility

Hopeful mothers-to-be from far and wide visit the shrine, which plays host to ten-foot-tall phallic sculptures, and leave offerings including flowers, candles and incense

This Thai shrine was created by a businessman in the early 20th century to honour the Chao Mae Tuptim tree goddess.

A plaque at the site in Bangkok reads: 'Chao Mae Tuptim has received yet another rather less conventional kind of gift, phallic in shape, both small and large, stylized and highly realistic. Over the years, they have been brought by the thousands.'

Hopeful mothers-to-be from far and wide visit the shrine, which plays host to ten-foot-tall phallic sculptures, and leave offerings including flowers, candles and incense.

The Festival of the Steel Phallus, Japan

Size matters at the Shinto Kanamara Matsuri, where every year groups of locals parade heavy phalluses around the Japanese city of Kawasaki in a tribute to the Shinto deities of fertility, childbirth and protection from sexually transmitted infections

Over the centuries, sex workers also made a pilgrimage to the shrine to seek its powers of protection before the festival became a tourist attraction in the 1970s - pictured, revellers in 2015

Size matters at the Shinto Kanamara Matsuri, where every year groups of locals parade heavy phalluses around the Japanese city of Kawasaki.

Known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus - or colloquially as the 'Willy Festival' - legend has it that in the Edo Period (1603-1868) a sharp-toothed demon inhabiting a woman's vagina castrated several unfortunate young men on their wedding nights.

A local blacksmith came to the rescue by forging an iron dildo to break the demon's teeth and today a three-foot black steel phallus sits in the shrine's courtyard to honour the Shinto deities of fertility, childbirth and protection from sexually transmitted infections.

Over the centuries, sex workers also made a pilgrimage to the shrine to seek its powers of protection before the festival became a tourist attraction in the 1970s.

The Watering of the Girls, Hungary

Every year in the World Heritage Hungarian village of Holloko, beautifully dressed women are ceremoniously drenched in buckets of water in the spirit of fertility - pictured in 2012

It's called the Watering of the Girls festival, an Easter ritual rooted in the area's pre-Christian past, during which men in traditional clothing soak their female contemporaries

Every year in the World Heritage Hungarian village of Holloko, beautifully-dressed women are ceremoniously drenched in buckets of water.

Why? In the spirit of fertility, of course, at the annual Watering of the Girls festival during which men in traditional clothing soak their female contemporaries.

It's an Easter ritual rooted in the area's pre-Christian past.

Phra Nang Beach Cave, Thailand

Nestled in the limestone cliffs and looking over Thailand's Phra Nang Beach, pictured, lies a treasure trove of penis-shaped artifacts

The story goes that this cave was the site where an Indian princess once drowned, and to this day, tourists and nationals make the pilgrimage to leave her gifts in the hope that she will grant them fertility favours

Nestled in the limestone cliffs of Thailand's Phra Nang Beach lies a treasure trove of penis-shaped artifacts.

The story goes that this cave was the site when an Indian princess once drowned, and which has since become associated with her fertile spirit.

To this day, tourists and nationals make the pilgrimage to leave her gifts in the hope that she will grant them favours.

The Victor Noir Tomb, France

The statue of Victor Noir - who was shot dead in 1870 by a cousin of Emperor Napoleon III - is believed to hold magical powers in his prominently sculpted genital area

So many visitors to the tomb of this 19th century French scribe have rubbed his nether regions, that the region is now a polished bronze colour while the rest of him is an oxidized green hue

The statue of Victor Noir - who was shot dead in 1870 by a cousin of Emperor Napoleon III - is believed to hold magical powers in his prominently sculpted genital area. It is said to be able to enhance fertility, ensure a blissful sex life, or grant a husband within the year.

So many visitors to the tomb of this 19th century French scribe have rubbed his nether regions, that the region is now a polished bronze colour while the rest of him is an oxidized green hue.

In 2004, officials at the Pere La Chaise Cemetery in Paris put up a fence with a sign prohibiting 'indecent rubbing', but it was later removed again after protests broke out. So if the mood sways you, you can still head to France and partake.

Panagia Tsambika Monastery, Greece

According to legend, childless women who climb the Archangelos mountain barefoot to reach the Panagia Tsambika Monastery, pictured, and pray for a baby have their wishes granted

In the Greek village of Archangelos sits this, the quaint Panagia Tsambika Monastery.

According to the legend, childless women who climb the mountain barefoot to reach the holy site and pray for a baby would have their wishes granted.

Only, however, on the promise that they name their first child after the sacred place - resulting, it's been said, in plenty of local islanders with the moniker Tsambika.

The Khajuraho Temples, India

Assembled during the Chandella dynasty, between the ninth and 13th century, these 20 temples in Madhya Pradesh are believed to bring good luck and encourage procreation, and are otherwise known the Temples of Love

Peer closely at the intricate granite carvings, and you'll find some fairly erotic situations playing out - the best known being sculptures of the Hindu symbols Shakti and Shiva

This collection of Indian temples in Madhya Pradesh is so exquisite and steeped in history, it's a Unesco World Heritage listed site.

Peer closely at its intricate granite carvings, and you'll find some fairly erotic situations playing out - the best known being sculptures of the Hindu symbols Shakti and Shiva.

Assembled during the Chandella dynasty, between the ninth and 13th century, these 20 temples are believed to bring good luck and encourage procreation, and are otherwise known as the Temples of Love.

Osun Sacred Grove, Nigeria

This 400-year-old grove in Nigeria's Osogbo is believed to host a river than can cure infertility

Each year during the Yoruba festival, a young virgin scatters the site with melon seeds and the meat of a sacrificial goat to strengthen the region's union with the divine as locals, pictured, look on

This 400-year-old grove in Nigeria's Osogbo is believed to host a river that can cure infertility.

Each year during the Yoruba festival, a young virgin scatters the site with melon seeds and the meat of a sacrificial goat to strengthen the region's union with the divine.
London's Dorchester Hotel has been making the headlines thanks to a 'downright offensive' list of grooming demands sent to female employees, banning everything from oily skin to un-manicured nails.

But the five-star establishment on Park Lane isn't the only company to have issued strict appearance rules to staff.

Men and women working for the likes of Disney World and Emirates Airlines face daily restrictions on everything from nail length to hair volume.

Many high end hotels and restaurants have strict appearance guidelines for staff (stock image)

Guidelines on hairstyles are of particular concern to many hotels, resorts and upmarket restaurants.

For example, the five-star Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Arizona requires 'the height of the hair above ones head should not exceed two inches, unless an employees hair naturally does so'.

As well as monitoring the height of an employee's hair, the company also restricts the length of male employees' sideburns.

They say in the employee handbook: 'Sideburns must be neatly trimmed, and must not extend beyond mid-ear.

One resort in in Arizona restricts the length of male employees' sideburns (stock image)

'They must [also] be of a conservative style; flares or mutton chops are unacceptable.'

Disney Parks are even stricter with regards to hair management.

Until four years ago, facial hair among male employees was completely banned but since then rules have become relaxed to allow moustaches and beards no longer than a quarter of an inch long, so long as they were present when the person started their employment.

Meanwhile, any woman with ambitions to play a Disney princess in one of the parks will need to be between 5'4in to 5'8in in height.

While hair rules affect both male and female staff, one area that is strictly a women's issue is the use of make-up.

Any woman with ambitions to play a Disney princess in one of the parks will need to be between 5'4in to 5'8in in height (stock image)

Many hotels and restaurants require their female employees to wear a degree of make-up during working hours, which has proved contentious.

One employee of a shop in the UK even revealed that she was made to wear fake tan.

She said: 'I worked for a high street store and we were told to have a spray tan, make sure we shaved and have a manicure.'

Elsewhere at a high end hotel, a female member of staff was forced to extend their summer holiday by two days because their henna tattoo hadn't fully worn off.

A female member of staff at one hotel was forced to extend their holiday by two days because their henna tattoo hadn't fully worn off (stock image)

Airlines have notoriously strict appearance guidelines for cabin crew.

For example, to apply for a much-coveted job with luxury Gulf carrier Qatar Airways, flight attendants must have a minimum arm stretch of 84 inches while on tip-toes, presumably to reach the overhead lockers.

Cabin crew who work for Malaysia Airlines need to have a BMI of between 22 to 25 for women and 25 to 28 for men and anyone who falls outside of this is tested until they keep within the range for two months in a row.

The airline also asks that female attendants wear make-up to match their colouring, with a minimum of three shades of colour on their eyes.

Even women working on the ground can be subjected to stringent regulations.

For example, females working in airport security at Canadian airports have rules that dictate their perfume strength, skirt length and even the colour of their tights - which must be navy blue or natural.

Malaysia Airlines asks that female attendants wear make-up to match their colouring, with a minimum of three shades of colour on their eyes (stock image)

In 2007, a Muslim woman was suspended from her security job at Pearson International Airport because of the length of her skirt, which she wore longer than the standard 'middle of the knee' length required.

She was later offered a full-time administrative job in civilian attire as a compromise.

Another uniform issue that regularly crops up thanks to strict guidelines concerns the height of women's heels.

Many parts of the service industry still forbid their female members of staff from wearing flat shoes.

Many parts of the service industry still forbid their female members of staff from wearing flat shoes (stock image)

One American woman revealed that she was even forced to wear heels while heavily pregnant.

She said: 'I got in trouble for not wearing heels at work when I was nine months pregnant. I was working at a high end hotel at the time.'

Another explained how her boss at a nightclub had reprimanded her for wearing flat shoes, even though she suffers from arthritis.

In May this year, a picture of a waitress's bloody feet following a shift at Canadian diner Joey Restaurants went viral

In May this year, a picture of a waitress's bloody feet went viral after her friend posted the image following a shift at Canadian diner Joey Restaurants, where the woman's manager insisted on female staff wearing high heels.

It later transpired that the chain had changed their policy on high heels a couple of months earlier but the news had not reached the Edmonton branch.

Hair style, heel height and make-up shades aren't the only things under scrutiny though - the way you smell is also heavily regulated in some companies.

For example, staff working at the exclusive Hamilton Island Resort in Australia are asked to monitor their breath regularly.

The staff guidelines say: 'Always check your breath - smokers need to be particularly careful and ensure that smoke cannot be smelt.'
Nothing says you love someone like calling them fat, a little insect or wishing a mouse would eat them.

But these baffling compliments are direct English translations of expressions that in their respective countries are terms of endearment.

A new infographic has revealed some of the quirkier turns of phrases from Europe and Asia for wooing a holiday fling or impressing a foreign friend next time you're overseas.

Hungarian word Bogarkam translates as my little insect or bug. Although mon petit chou means my little cabbage there is also a pastry with a similar name, which could sweeten the comparison somewhat

Spanish term 'gordo' means fat but is also an affectionate pet name for a loved one. The German term 'zaubermaus' is most appropriate when describing your wife or daughter rather than an older person

From Hungary to France, Direct Travel has rounded up some of the world's most unusual terms of affection.

While the origins of some, such as the Chinese expression that translates as 'diving fish, swooping geese' are rooted in ancient stories others are just diminutive objects and creatures and are therefore considered adorable in their home countries.

Diving fish, swooping geese is a way to say that someone is so breathtakingly beautiful that the fish would forget to swim and the birds would forget to fly if they glanced at you. In effect you are a stunning, if not deadly, beauty.

The Japanese expression that translates as 'egg with eyes' is also a reference to an attractive person, notable for their oval-shaped face.

This Chinese expression (left) is a way to call someone beautiful based on ancient stories of beauties so breath-taking that when fish glanced at them they forgot to swim and when birds saw them they forgot to fly. In Poland you'll receive a warm response if you call someone breadcrumb (right)

Calling someone an egg with eyes is remarking on their oval-shaped face, a sign of beauty in Japan (left). The Persian phrase on the right is connected to someone being so cute they look edible

Food and affection come hand in hand in many cultures with compliments including 'breadcrumb' and 'my little cabbage' commonplace in Poland and France respectively.

The Persian expression 'may a mouse eat you' is based on the same sentiment as in English where people say a baby is so cute they could eat them.

Lastly, some attributes considered negative in some cultures were positive in another time and social climate. As such visitors to Spain should not take offence if a local calls them fat.
Brits have well and truly got the travel bug, with the average adult taking a total of 3.1 holidays and short breaks over the course of 2016.

They shelled out a total of 178billion on the trips, with the average cost per person reaching 3,418 over the course of the year.

The news comes despite fears in the tourism industry that people would choose to stay at home following concerns Brexit would destabilise the economy.

The average Brit taking a total of 3.1 holidays and short breaks over the course of 2016 (stock photo)

A survey by the train ticket retailer Trainline examined the travel habits of people from the UK, Germany, Italy and France.

Out of those countries, the UK took the least holidays and Italians took the most, with an average of 5.4 holidays over the course of the year, followed by 3.8 for the Germans and 3.3 for the French.

Spain proved the most popular foreign destination in Europe for Brits on holiday, with almost a third of all age groups saying they visited the country in the past year.

The French and Germans also chose Spain as the number one holiday destination for 2016, but Italians chose the UK.

Spain proved the most popular foreign destination in Europe for Brits on holiday, with almost a third of all age groups saying they visited the country in the past year

It was good news for Britain as Italians were also most likely to spend the big bucks on their trip, averaging 5,974 per head over the year on trips.

The Italians, who appear to be especially keen on a holiday, were also partial to a break in their own country, though.

When quizzed, just one per cent of Italians revealed they hadn't holidayed in Italy over the course of the year, compared to three per cent of French in France, six per cent of Germans in Germany and 10 per cent of Brits in Britain.

In the UK, London is the most visited place by British travellers

In the UK, London is the most visited place by British travellers, followed by Cornwall, Devon and the Lake District.

For a significant number of leisure travellers from the UK, France and Italy, the number one reason for going away was to discover somewhere new.

It seems the French, Germans and Italians were far more interested than Brits in seeing nature and scenery though, with almost half giving this as a reason for travelling, compared to just over a quarter of Brits.
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Ever glanced across the seas horizon and wondered where you'd end up if you travelled out across the horizon?

A fascinating interactive map reveals what countries youd reach if you travelled in a straight line from the UKs shore.

If your eyesight was infinite - and you could see over the curvature of the Earth - from Norfolk you could gaze at Russia, from South Wales you could look longingly out to Brazil or catch a glimpse all the way towards Antarctica, it reveals.

The new visualisation, created by mapping experts Esri UK, plots 37 countries that you would 'see' from almost 2,000 coastal locations in the UK.

Countries on the distant horizon for Britons include Norway, Portugal, the US, Turks and Caicos, the Falkland Islands, Russia, Cuba, Canada and Spain.

Rather than simply drawing a line across a 2D map, the cartographers have taken into account the curvature of the Earth in their calculations to draw a 'geodesic line'.

The map reveals that from a vantage point in Stiffkey, Norfolk, you could enjoy uninterrupted views of Russia, some 8,810miles away.

From Shetland, Scotland, you could gawp 4,886 miles across to the Dominican Republic.

Countries on the distant horizon for Britons include Norway, Portugal, the US, Turks and Caicos, the Falkland Islands, Russia, Cuba, Canada and Spain

In Pembroke, Wales, if you could see 7,898miles into the distance youd spot Antarctica and from Barmouth, North Wales, youd catch sight of Brazil, 4,447 miles away.

Surfers in Bude, Cornwall, could spy on the more tropical Bahamas, 4,642 miles away and beachgoers in Bideford, North Devon, could stare out to Puerto Rico, 4,327 miles away.
London Heathrow has been announced as Europe's most connected airport for the second successive year.

Heathrow's closest challenger for the European 'OAG Megahub' title came from Frankfurt, Germany. And it was Chicago O'Hare International that grabbed the No1 spot globally.

Heathrow was the only UK airport to make it to both the European top ten and the overall top 50 listing. It came 15th globally in a ranking that is calculated by air travel intelligence company OAG by looking at how many inbound and outbound flights are possible within a six-hour window.

London Heathrow - the home of British Airways - has been announced as Europe's most connected airport for the second successive year

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International took the No2 spot globally and Dallas/Fort Worth came third.

The rest of the top ten was made up of - in order of ranking - Denver International, Charlotte, Los Angeles International, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, Seattle  Tacoma International, San Francisco and Phoenix Sky Harbor International.

By international region Europe was the third biggest contender, holding 12 per cent of the global share of megahub airports, followed by Latin America at eight per cent, and Middle East/Africa at just two per cent.

North America had the largest per cent of megahubs in its midst, dominating nearly half (46 per cent) of the share by region. Asia Pacific also ranked ahead of Europe, with 32 per cent.

Chicago O'Hare International (pictured) grabbed the No1 spot globally for connectedness

THE TOP 50 MEGAHUBS 1. Chicago O'Hare 2. Atlanta 3. Dallas/Fort Worth International 4. Denver International 5. Charlotte 6. Los Angeles International 7. Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta 8. Seattle  Tacoma International 9. San Francisco 10. Phoenix Sky Harbour International 11. Tokyo International 12. Minneapolis / St Paul International 13. Houston George Bush 14. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 15. London Heathrow 16. Sydney 17. Boston Edward L Logan 18. Philadelphia International 19. Toronto Lester B Pearson 20. Frankfurt 21. Amsterdam 22. Delhi 23. Sao Paulo Congonhas 24. Las Vegas McCarran International 25. Mexico City Juarez 26. Newark Liberty International 27. Singapore 28. Mumbai 29. Paris Charles de Gaulle 30. Vancouver International 31. New York J F Kennedy International 32. Washington Ronald Reagan National 33. Hong Kong International 34. Melbourne 35. Miami International 36. Kuala Lumpur International 37. Istanbul Ataturk 38. Chicago Midway 39. Bogota 40. Beijing Capital 41. Sao Paulo Guarulhos International 42. Salt Lake City 43. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International 44. Shanghai Pudong International 45. Guangzhou 46. Munich International 47. Baltimore Washington International 48. Dubai International 49. Seoul Incheon 50. Surabaya Juanda Source: OAG Advertisement

John Grant, senior analyst at OAG, commenting on Heathrow's position, said: 'For many years Heathrow has been the number one hub in Europe and that position remains solid despite the increasing competitive range of airports in Europe.

'In the next decade with existing capacity constrained it is inevitable that until the third runway is operational that other airports will close the gap on Heathrow.'

Furious travellers complained of 'monster' queues at Heathrow immigration on Tuesday amid mounting fears of a shortage of border guards.

Weary passengers, many of whom had arrived on long haul flights, claimed they were forced to wait for over an hour in what was branded an 'absolute shambles.'

It is the third instance in recent weeks where people arriving have criticised long lines at passport control in UK airports amid a growing row over crippling cuts.
She revealed on Tuesday that she threw away $500,000 worth of jewellery after her split from ex-fiance James Packer.

And later that evening, former model Kate Fischer - who now goes by the name of T'ziporah Malkah - revealed she signed up to Twitter.

Sharing a very busty throwback snap of herself to Instagram, she called her a 'silly t**t' for joining the social media site.

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'Silly t**t': Former model Kate Fischer - who now goes by the name of T'ziporah Malkah - revealed she signed up for Twitter and shared this flashback image of herself from 1996

'I just joined Twitter. Like the silly tart I am,' Tziporah wrote.

In the image, she is dressed up wearing a white and brown shirt that barely covers her assets and has leaves in her curled hair.

Boasting just 29 followers on Wednesday, she tweeted: 'I swore til (sic) I was blue in the face id (sic) never go on twitter. But then, life is so cheap,' she wrote online.

Speaking up: Boasting just 29 followers on Wednesday, she tweeted: 'I swore til (sic) I was blue in the face id (sic) never go on twitter. But then, life is so cheap,' she wrote online

Spilling the beans: Earlier on Tuesday, the media personality offered new details about her high-profile engagement to James on The Kyle And Jackie O Show (seen recently)

Case of the ex: Seen is James Packer with his most recent ex fiancee Mariah Carey

Earlier on Tuesday, the media personality offered new details about her high-profile engagement to James on The Kyle And Jackie O Show.

The former Vogue model also revealed she threw away 'half a million dollars' worth of jewellery after their 1998 split.

Kate said she 'felt empowered' by her decision - but admits she regrets it today.

'I just chucked everything that I had,' the 42-year-old explained. 'I wanted to start my life again.'

'They come from the earth so back to the earth they shall go. It was a powerful moment and now I'm like, "Oh crap!"



When asked how much she threw into the ocean,' she told KIIS FM: 'Half a million dollars'.

'Now I'm like, "Oh crap!": T'ziporah, a former Vogue model, said she 'felt empowered' by her decision to discard her expensive jewels - but admits she regrets it today

'It was in Sydney near the place where we used to live. I was on a cliff and I just chucked them as hard as a I could.'

T'ziporah claimed she kept the engagement ring James gave her, adding that the billionaire 'didn't want it back'.

'We'd been engaged for two years,' she said. 'It would be tacky (to ask for it back). He does let things like that go.'

Elsewhere in the interview, T'ziporah spoke candidly about life with James during their five-year relationship.

When asked about being part of the Packer family, she admitted it was 'a great experience' but there was 'a lot of ordinary things as well'.

'I was on a cliff and I just chucked them as hard as a I could': The Sirens actress explained she wanted to 'start her life again' after the collapse of her five-year relationship with James

Notably, she claimed Kerry Packer's son found it difficult to relax because of his 'highly stressful' business career.

'Having private time with James when he was relaxed was the best part about (the relationship),' she confessed.

T'ziporah recalled an incident when she demanded they go on holiday in Bali as a couple, instead of with his friends as was planned.

'I said "No, no-one's coming. I'm sorry it's just going to be the two of us". Of course they all hated me after that!

My, how you've changed: Since stepping away from the public eye in the late 2000s, the former model admits she has gained weight

'After two days he was the most relaxed I've ever seen him. We had the most wonderful time, the most romantic dinners.

'He really opened up to me, he told me what his hopes and dreams for his own future was, which we'd never really discussed before.

'And I just thought, "This is the person I've really fallen in love with. Someone who's just gentle and really easy to talk to and really wise".

She also revealed that James' valet used to deliver the morning newspapers to his bedside - while they were sleeping naked.

'Eventually I did say to James, "Would it be okay if he left them outside the door?"'

Following in his footsteps: T'ziporah said James - the son of billionaire media mogul Kerry Packer - found it difficult to relax because of his 'highly stressful' business career

The couple split in 1998, and T'ziporah admitted James' friends were perhaps happy to see her go.

'I think he got under a lot of pressure from his mates,' she said. 'I was the one cutting off their good times.'

The couple had 'already planned kids' names' but she said his work schedule meant they could never be happily married.

Speaking of the break-up, T'ziporah recalled: 'He just said, "My job is too stressful.

'"If I need to be able to go off and do whatever I want, then I need to be able to do that."

' I said that's not the sort of marriage that I want. So it was mutual in a way.'

Following the split, she moved to the USA and embraced Orthodox Judaism but has now returned to live in Melbourne.
She took on the role of a police detective in the critically acclaimed ITV crime thriller Marcella.

And Anna Friel traded in her badge and smart uniform for a sexier ensemble as she attended the star-studded Porter Magazine's Incredible Women Letters Live Special Performance at London's V&A Museum on Tuesday evening.

The 40-year-old actress turned heads as she cheekily flashed a peek of her side-boob in a striking navy and gold embellished number.

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All eyes on her: Anna Friel, 40, showed off her sideboob as she hosted a special performance of Letters Live, in association with Cartier, at The V&A Museum in London on Tuesday

Sneak peek: The British actress turned heads as she cheekily flashed a peek of side-boob in a striking navy and gold embellished number

The statement garment was adorned with eye-catching gold detailing down her front, before cinching her in at the waist.

Working her angles to show off the long gold chains which stylishly hung down her sculpted back, the actress flashed more than she bargained for with the sides of her ample assets.

The floor-skimming garment showcased her trim figure to perfection and she scooped her chocolate brown tresses into a sexy chignon.

A pair of dangling silver earrings framed her stunning features, which were coated in a slick of dewy make-up.

Sexy: Working her angles to show off the gold chains which stylishly hung down her sculpted back, the actress flashed more than she bargained for with the sides of her ample assets

Dazzling: The statement garment was adorned with eye-catching gold detailing down her front, before cinching her in at the waist

Keeping busy during the night, the Manchester born star flaunted her sartorial flair as she made a quick-change at the Boutique 1 flagship store opening in London.

The talented beauty certainly stood out in a frilly olive green bardot top, which she tucked into a pair of cream-coloured flared trousers which ruched at her waist.

Standing tall in a pair of open-toe strappy block heels, Anna looked in high spirits as she mingled with guests at the stylish launch.

Enviable frame: The floor-skimming garment showcased her trim figure to perfection

Beauty: A pair of dangling silver earrings framed her stunning features, which were coated in a slick of dewy make-up

Mane attraction: She scooped her chocolate brown tresses into a sexy chignon

Quick-change! Keeping busy during the night, the Manchester born star flaunted her sartorial flair as she arrived at the Boutique 1 flagship store opening in London

Utility chic: Anna combined a bevvy of materials to create her stunning ensemble

Strutting her stuff: Anna made the most of her stunning physique in the chic getup

Sartorially savvy: The talented beauty certainly stood out in a frilly olive green bardot top

Anna, now aged 40, has been acting on British television since the age of 13.

She's lent her star power to a number of ITV dramas over the years, including 2011's Without You as well as Watermelon.

She returned in 2015 with a drama Marcella which in penned by the acclaimed writer of The Bridge, Hans Rosenfeldt.

The eight part drama series, also starring Downton Abbeys Laura Carmichael, saw Anna take on the role of British Metropolitan Police Detective, Marcella.

Fashionista: She tucked her top into a pair of cream-coloured flared trousers which ruched at her waist

Busy night: Standing tall in a pair of open-toe stappy block heels, Anna looked in high spirits as she mingled with guests at the stylish launch

At the start of the drama, Marcella's husband Jason leaves her unexpectedly, prompting her return to the Mets Murder Squad.

She follows up on a serial killer case she first worked on in 2005 since shes got a hunch she wants to follow up on.

The drama was recommissioned in August after achieving rave reviews and sending social media into meltdown with the dramatic plotlines.

Talented actress: She plays the role of a police detective in the critically acclaimed ITV crime thriller Marcella - which has been renewed for a second series




Their first scripted TV series, Incorporated, is due to debut on Syfy on Wednesday.

So it's little wonder that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were spotted chatting in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The longtime pals talked as they walked back to their cars with Ben, 44, riding in his classic Chevy and Matt, 46, in an SUV.

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A lot to talk about: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were spotted chatting in Los Angeles on Tuesday - the day before the debut of their new Syfy dystopian drama, Incorporated

The pair, who won a best screenplay Oscar and Golden Globe in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, are the creative forces behind the new Dystopian drama.

Syfy greenlit the futuristic thriller, set in 2074, from Matt, Ben and Jennifer Todds Pearl Street Films, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions in January 2015.

It filmed the 10 episodes of season one in Toronto this summer, starring Dennis Haysbert, Julia Ormond and Ben Larson, with Matt and Ben as executive producers.

The dystopian drama explores what the world would be like with depleted resources, rampant global warming, and wealthy corporations in full control of everything after taking over from governments.

Longtime coming: Syfy greenlit the futuristic thriller, set in 2074, from Matt, Ben and Jennifer Todds Pearl Street Films, CBS TV Studios and Universal Cable Productions in January 2015

Old pals: In 1997, Matt, 46, and Ben, 44, won the Oscar and Golden Globe for best screenplay for their Good Will Hunting

Vintage wheels: Ben was riding in his classic Chevy while Matt's SUV was parked beside it

The pals were dressed casually for their meet up with Matt in a black hoodie, black trousers and black cap.

Ben wore a heavy black jacket with a fur collar, black trousers and grey sneakers.

He also sported a bushy beard and moustache while Matt was clean shaven.

Keeping it casual: Ben wore a black jacket with a fur collar, black trousers and grey sneakers

Sharing the load: The couple serve as executive producers on Incorporated

Scary future: Dennis Haysbert stars in the drama, set in 2074, with the world's resources depleted, rampant global warming, and wealthy corporations taking over from governments

Meanwhile, Ben's estranged wife Jennifer Garner was up early for her usual exercise session in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Brentwood on Tuesday.

The 44-year-old showed off her slender figure in a grey hoodie, black joggers and light blue trainers.

She and Ben share children Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven, and Samuel, four.

It's been 16 months since the couple announced their split but they have yet to file for divorce and Ben is still living in their home in Pacific Palisades.
Roxy Jacenko's son Hunter Curtis got a surprise on Tuesday after he returned home to find his bedroom completely empty.

The two-year-old's shock was caught on camera by his mum as he demanded to know 'who took my things away?'.

In a video uploaded to his Instagram page, the adorable toddler walks into the room before storming back out as his PR queen mum prepares to transition from a cot to a children's bed.

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Toddler tantrum: Hunter Curtis reacted with surprise on Tuesday when he came home to find his bedroom had been stripped empty

Roxy, who posts content on the accounts she created for both her son and daughter, captioned the video: ' When you come home from a big day of study and you know who has removed every single item from your room.'

The youngster is heard exclaiming 'the man took my things away' while his older sister Pixie, five, delights in his surprise.

Roxy revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Hunter's new room has been designed by Blainey North, who previously redecorated Nicole Kidman's Milsons Point penthouse.

A custom-made bunk, which has been assembled in America, will be delivered today, ready for when the tot comes home from kindergarten this afternoon.

Bedroom blues: The toddler is seen exclaiming 'the man took my things away' as mum Roxy Jacenko films his reaction

Makeover: The youngster's room is seemingly being prepped for redecoration after a comment on the post revealed they would be helping in giving his room a makeover

Media mum: PR queen Roxy runs social media accounts for both of her children, regularly uploading photos of their exploits

Hunter's profile already has a following of nearly 20,000 while his sister's is followed by 111,000 Instagram users.

And earlier this week, another adorable video of Hunter showed him doing his best to do press-ups - taking after his mum, who has been following a rigorous exercise regime during and after her radiation treatment for cancer.

In the caption, Roxy playfully wrote: 'She's always on about fitness, look what she makes me do before school of a morning. You think a 6 pack comes without dedication?!'

'Look what she makes me do before school of a morning': Hunter joked about his mother Roxy forcing him to exercise before school last week

Dedication! The two-year-old was well-dressed in white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt as he performed the exercises on the floor

The 36-yera-old, who appears to be behind the lens, could be heard asking the adorable toddler: 'What are you doing?'

The always well-dressed tot was performing the exercises while sporting a pair of white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt, along with a pair of Nike trainers.

Meanwhile Pixie, who is famous in her own right with an accessories company, recently celebrated her final day at kindergarten.

The publicist proudly displayed her daughter's last school photos before she starts 'big school' next year!

Social media sensations: Hunter and his sister Pixie are both stars on Instagram with thousands of followers

Milestone: Pixie, five, celebrated her final day at kindergarten last week

'Final Kindy picture pre big school!!!' Roxy captioned a snap of Pixie and Curtis together.

The milestone was celebrated without their father, Oliver Curtis, who was jailed for insider trading in June this year.

The children appear blissfully unaware of his absence, after Roxy revealed to KIIS FM back in August that she told them he is in China for work instead of revealing the truth.
It's been 12 years since they shared the screen together for Napoleon Dynamite.

So fans of the movie will be happy to know that 39-year-old Jon Heder and 43-year-old Efren Ramirez have teamed up again.

The comedic duo are in the latest Burger King advert to promote their Cheesy Tater Tots.

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They're back! Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez from Napoleon Dynamite have teamed up again for the latest Burger King advert to promote their Cheesy Tater Tots

Heder, who played Napoleon Dynamite, and Efren Ramirez, who played Pedro, recreated one of their most memorable scenes from the movie.

Heder is seen asking Ramirez: 'Whoa. Are those cheesy tots?'

In character: Heder, who played Napoleon Dynamite, and Efren Ramirez, who played Pedro, recreated one of their most memorable scenes from the movie

Not amused: Heder is seen asking Ramirez: 'Whoa. Are those cheesy tots?'

To which Efren simply replies: 'Yeah'.

Heder then says: 'Are they good?' and Ramirez says: 'Yeah'.

Heder then interrupts again as he asks: 'Can I have one?' whereby Efren shrugs and says: 'Sure.'

The advert ends with Jon taking the entire handful of tots off the tray, including one right out of Ramirez' hands as he says: 'Dang it, these are good.'

FUnny guys: Heder then interrupts again as he asks: 'Can I have one?' whereby Efren shrugs and says: 'Sure'

Yummy: The advert ends with Jon taking the entire handful of tots off the tray, including one right out of Ramirez' hands as he says: 'Dang it, these are good'

Classic: Their interaction is very much keeping in-character with their 2004 quirky comedy

Their interaction is very much keeping in-character with their 2004 quirky comedy.

The 2004 film followed awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite in small-town Preston, Idaho.

He has trouble fitting in it school and after his grandmother is injured in an accident, his life is made even worse when his uncle, Rico, played by Jon Gries, shows up to oversee him.

The sidekick: Pedro, played by Ramirez, a morose Hispanic boy who speaks very little English in the film

Star of the show: The 2004 film followed awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite, played by Heder

Huge hit: The 2004 movie was made on a $400,000 budget but went on to make more than $46 million worldwide

Back in the day: A still from the 2004 film of Heder

Napoleon then befriends the new kid, Pedro a morose Hispanic boy who speaks very little English.

The duo then two launch a campaign to run for class president.

The 2004 movie was made on a $400,000 budget but went on to make more than $46 million worldwide.

Teen comedy: The film garnered such immense success and is now hailed as a classic
He's set to become a father for the second time.

And Benedict Cumberbatch couldn't help gazing at his stunning wife Sophie Hunter as they attended Porter Magazine's Incredible Women Letters Live Special Performance, held at the V&A Museum in London on Tuesday night.

The Sherlock star, 40, looked suave in a smart, silk lined Giorgio Armani Made To Measure tuxedo jacket and tie as he accompanied his pregnant wife.

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Smitten: Benedict Cumberbatch looked lovingly at his stunning wife Sophie Hunter as they attended Porter Magazine's Incredible Women Letters Live Special Performance, held at the V&A Museum in London on Tuesday night

Glad rags: The Sherlock star, 40, was suave in a smart, silk lined custom made Giorgio Armani tuxedo jacket and tie

Benedict laced a protective arm around Sophie's waist as the pair arrived, before sitting side-by-side at the dinner table.

Sophie was elegant in a loose-fitting, simple black gown that showcased a hint of her baby bump.

The floor-length dress was given a quirky touch thanks to long ribbon detailing trailing behind her.

Mother-to-be: Sophie was elegant in a loose-fitting, simple black gown that showcased a hint of her baby bump

Baby joy: The happy couple, who wed on Valentine's Day 2015, let slip at the Doctor Strange premiere in LA this autumn that they were expecting, telling E! the good news

Simple yet chic: Sophie looked timelessly elegant in her simple dress and natural make-up

Date night: The floor-length dress was given a quirky touch thanks to long ribbon detailing trailing behind her

The happy couple, who wed on Valentine's Day 2015, let slip at the Doctor Strange premiere in LA this autumn that they were expecting, telling E! the good news.

They welcomed their son Christopher in June 2015, just a few months after their wedding.

Benedict has previously said he hoped to add to his brood, joking he might 'go for a (Cumber)batch of boys'.

Devoted parents: They welcomed their son Christopher in June 2015, just a few months after their wedding

Expanding the family: Benedict has previously said he hoped to add to his brood, joking he might 'go for a (Cumber)batch of boys'

Dining in style: The Sherlock star appeared deep in concentration as he sat down to dinner

Taking to the podium: Benedict commanded attention as he delivered a passionate reading

The Imitation Game actor recently discussed his experience of fatherhood when interviewed on This Morning.

'Is being a dad your proudest achievement?', presenter Alison Hammond probed.

He replied: 'It's probably Sophie's. I'm expecting a second child now... I'm still proving myself as a father.'

Dynamic duo: Benedict took to the stage alongside Game Of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie to read out one of the remarkable letters

Statuesque: 6ft3 Gwendoline towered over Benedict during their reading

Literary event: Letters Live is a celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence

Legs for days: The blonde beauty showed off her long legs in her grey silk dress

What a trio: Gwendoline posed alongside hitmakers will.i.am and Aluna Francis

The star may still be working on his parenting style, but he's relishing a new addition to his family.

Letters Live is a celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence.

Benedict took to the stage alongside Game Of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie to read out one of the remarkable letters.

Joining her husband: Sophie also took to the stage to read out one of the moving letters

Star-studded: Elizabeth Debicki, will.i.am, Danny Huston, Tom Hollander, Benedict and Olivia Colman (from L-R) joined forces

Taking it in turns: The Black Eyed Peas frontman was one of the most passionate speakers

In his element: The Voice Coach brought his usual wit and humour to the proceedings

Taking her turn: Peep Show favourite Olivia was a passionate speaker

Model behaviour: Anna Van Ravenstein showed off her statuesque frame in a purple gown

Pretty in pink: Liz Hurley was joined by her BFF Patrick Cox
She's best known for playing Brienne Of Tarth in Game Of Thrones and all eyes were on Gwendoline Christie at the Letters Live black tie gala on Tuesday night.

Taking to the stage alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, the 6ft 3" stunning blonde towered over him in her magnificent heels as they read out letters from incredible women for Porter Magazine.

Held at London's iconic Victoria And Albert museum, the star pulled out all the stops, wearing a beautiful black satin gown.

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Six foot three beauty: Statuesque Gwendoline Christie towered over Benedict Cumberbatch on stage at Letter Live gala at London's V&A on Tuesday night

Those legs! Held at London's iconic Victoria And Albert museum, the star pulled out all the stops, wearing a beautiful black satin gown complete with thigh-split

Making the most of her long and lean legs, the 38-year-old showed them off through an extreme thigh-split which was cut into her gown.

Her short blonde locks were expertly slicked back and she accessorized with a pair of drop earrings.

Celebrating her glorious height, she wore a pair of black high heeled court shoes as she posed for pictures with her hand on her hip.

Her man: Accompanying her on the night was her long-term boyfriend Giles Deacon, who was clad in a velvet suit, silk scarf and Gucci loafers

He's a lucky guy: Gwendoline draped her leg around her man as she showed off her never-ending pins

Accompanying her on the night was her long-term boyfriend Giles Deacon, who was clad in a velvet suit, silk scarf and Gucci loafers.

She draped her leg around him as they posed for a quick snap together outside the historic venue.

The event aims to be a celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence, where remarkable letters are read by a diverse array of outstanding performers.

Doing her thing: Benedict listened to Gwendoline's empowering words at the event as she took centre stage

Leave them laughing: The star cracked a joke as she made her speech

Hand on heart: Gwendoline listened to Benedict as he gave an equally impassioned speech

All in the details: Her short blonde locks were expertly slicked back and she accessorized with a pair of drop earrings

Actors assemble: Benedict was also joined by the likes of (L-R) Elizabeth Debicki, will.i.am, Danny Huston, Tom Hollander, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman

They were in good company on the night as joining Benedict was his pregnant wife, Sophie.

Anna Friel was also present, flashing her sideboob in a very sexy blue and gold backless dress.

And Florence Welch opted for a gorgeous brocade gown as she too, took to the stage.

Smile! Following her stint on stage, the Game of Thrones actress cosied up to Will and Aluna Francis
It was revealed on Monday that Kyle Dixon had parted ways with his transgender girlfriend.

And now the Below Deck star has admitted that a secret lovechild is the reason behind the split.

The 26-year-old told Radar Online that he welcomed daughter Willow with his ex-girlfriend 15 weeks ago.

Confessing: Kyle Dixon has admitted that he split from transgender girlfriend Ashley after secretly fathering a daughter with an ex

Ashley, who appeared in an episode of Below Deck, ended the romance after learning about the child, and Kyle is now hoping to rekindle things with his baby mama.

'I used to work for a pub crawl, and I was working one night and I was like, "Thats my future wife right there!"' he said.

Kyle and his ex are also parents to three-year-old daughter Florence.

And if he gets his wish of reuniting with the mother of his children, the reality star said he would consider having another baby in future, joking that he should 'go for the boy'.

Calling it quits: The Below Deck star said he is 'on good terms' with his ex and will support her when she has gender reassignment surgery

Working aboard a yacht and filming a reality show means that Kyle doesn't get to see much of his daughters, but he said he is used to it.

'It doesn't bother me,' he said. 'I'm not good at connecting.'

The Manchester, England native previously told Radar that he and Ashley have ended things amicably.

Hoping to rekindle their romance: Kyle (shown with his co-stars) now wants to get back together with his baby mama, who he also has a three-year-old with

'Were still on good terms of course,' he said, adding that he will support his ex when she has gender reassignment surgery in future.

'I promised her Id stick by her,' Kyle shared. 'Shes signed off, so Im still gonna stick by her.'

Kyle previously said on the show that he found out he was attracted to transgender women when he 'hooked up with one by accident.'
After 38 weeks of pregnancy, Teresa Palmer is feeling 'sore' and 'older than my years'.

The actress is expecting to give birth to child number two 'any day' now, revealing on her pregnancy blog, Your Zen Mama, that she's packed her hospital bag in anticipation.

Posting on Tuesday, Teresa said she's 'never been so pregnant' as she'd already given birth to first child Bodhi during the same stage of her first pregnancy.

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Baby bump: Teresa Palmer says she expects to give birth 'any day' now after posting week 38 of her pregnancy blog on Tuesday

She said: 'I'm feeling so ready. I can't wait for him to be here - I know it could be any day, any moment.'

The 30-year-old continued: 'I just can't wait. Is he going to be late? Is he coming this week? Is he coming tomorrow? You're just in the waiting game at this point.'

Teresa's latest blog revealed the Hollywood star has been feeling 'sore', leaving her to seek the help of a chiropractor.

Number two: The actress is close to giving birth to her second child after Bodhi arrived in February 2014

Healthy living: Week 38 of her blog included lots of cooking alongside her young son

The back specialist helped to 'straighten' her out, while she also admitted that she's been fighting a cold that husband Mark Webber had passed onto her.

Reflecting on the past seven days, she said: 'Nothing too challenging this week, Ive perfected my very pregnant waddle though!

'I have sore body parts for sure, lower back, feet, groin are all achy and Im feeling much older than my years haha!'

The strain on Teresa's body left her to rest in 'random' places, with the Hacksaw Ridge star seen sprawled out on the floor of her Adelaide home as she cuddles up to two-year-old son Bodhi.

'Random' naps: The mum-of-one found herself taking rest in strange places, including on the floor of her home

Ready to pop: Teresa said she's 'never been so pregnant' on her vlog, saying she'd already given birth to Bodhi at the same stage of her first pregnancy

Family of three: Teresa, husband Mark Webber and Bodhi will soon welcome the fourth member of their clan into the world

Week 38 of her pregnancy also had significance for Teresa after she revealed her and Mark had finished renovating their home.

The actress said she was 'really excited' to reveal the finished product as she gave a tour of her house on her vlog.

Meanwhile, the expectant mum said she had packed her hospital bag and made two separate playlists - 'mellow' and 'upbeat' - for when she goes into labour.

Teresa revealed she'll be listening to a Moby, Enya, Kid Cudi, Sia and Florence & The Machine among others when her second child arrives.
She's always offering her expert fashion knowledge on her well-read blog.

And Ashley James, 29, once again stepped out in style for the Jeans for Genes' Christmas event at JuJu Nightclub in London on Tuesday - despite missing the memo of the charity spectacle.

The former Made in Chelsea star left her denims at home in favour of an edgy shirt dress and racy thigh-high boots as she exited the venue.

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Sexy arrival: Ashley James, 29, stepped out in style for the Jeans for Genes' Christmas event at JuJu Nightclub in London on Tuesday - despite missing the memo of the charity's denim code

The curvaceous beauty sent pulses racing in the short garment, which was emblazoned with the logo: 'UFO Town - Born & Razed'.

Strutting forth in her sexy suede footwear, which served to elongate her frame, the DJ didn't hesitate in working her angles for the photographers.

Her luscious blonde locks were styled in glamorous waves - framing her striking face which sported lashings of mascara, liner and nude gloss.

Ashley looked sensational, despite admitting that she has decided to give herself a break over the last few weeks, indulging in as many carbs as she wants and slobbing on the sofa instead of exercising.

Missing the memo: The former Made in Chelsea star left her denims at home in favour of an edgy shirt dress and racy thigh-high boots as she exited the venue

Edgy: The curvaceous beauty sent pulses racing in the short garment, which was emblazoned with the logo: 'UFO Town - Born & Razed'

Walking the walk: She strutted forth in her sexy suede footwear, which served to elongate her frame

She reflected on her transformation in her blog, explaining that she was surprised to learn that confidence is what makes her feel sexy, not how toned and muscular she is.

The blonde beauty let herself indulge in whatever foods she fancied, saying: 'I have gained a little weight, but I still feel sexy.'

Also foregoing a pair of jeans at the event was Chloe Paige who looked like the ultimate sex-kitten in a plunging, glittery jumpsuit.

Beauty: Her luscious blonde locks were styled in glamorous waves - framing her striking face which sported lashings of mascara, liner and nude gloss

Standout style: The former X Factor star sported a matching choker, while her blonde locks were scraped up into an ultra-high ponytail

Sex appeal: Ex On The Beach's Farrah Sattaur clearly has no issue flaunting her tiny midriff in a crop top

The former X Factor star sported a matching choker, while her blonde locks were scraped up into an ultra-high ponytail.

Joining Ashley and Chloe was another reality star sensation Farrah Sattaur who clearly has no issue flaunting her tiny midriff in a crop top.

The plunging number exhibited her ample assets and she completed the look with a pair of skin-tight leggings.

The former Ex On The Beach star looked immaculately chiselled as she strutted forth in a pair of matching pointed heels.

Figure-hugging: Her plunging number exhibited her ample assets and she completed the look with a pair of skin-tight leggings

Stunner: The reality star looked immaculately chiselled as she strutted forth in a pair of matching pointed heels

Vibrant: She added a splash of colour with a bright coral coloured clutch

Gean-e-tically blessed! Probably the only person who dressed accordingly for the night was Jacqui Ryland who cosied up to a mystery man

Probably the only person who dressed accordingly for the night was Jacqui Ryland who cosied up to a mystery man.

The sizzling brunette - who caused Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks to briefly split after detailing his explicit sexts - donned a distressed denim jacket over a tiny white dress.

Taking things further, she opted for a pair of matching denim thigh high boots which boosted her height.
Fans have praised Tim Roth for his spine-chilling performance as serial killer John Christie in new BBC drama Rillington Place.

But as the programme debuted on Tuesday night, social media was awash with angry rants about 'mumbling' and inaudible dialogue.

Hollywood actor Tim, 54, has been cast as infamous killer Christie in the rebooted retelling about the Notting Hill murders in the 1940s and 50s, with Samantha Morton playing his wife Ethel.

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Subtitles needed? Viewers have praised Tim Roth for his spine-chilling performance as serial killer John Christie in new BBC drama Rillington Place... but many complained about hard to hear dialogue

Viewers took to Twitter to moan about the need for subtitles, with one posting: #rillingtonplace - tense, atmospheric, brilliantly acted. It was useful to have the subtitles on to catch all the dialogue though.'

Another raged, 'Dear @BBC Can you make dramas so we can actually hear what the actors are saying without turning the VOLUME UP AND UP? #rillingtonplace, while a third chimed in, 'Anyone else struggling to make out what's being said on @BBCOne #RillingtonPlace?'

However, the comments were drowned out by an overwhelming influx of praise for Tim's acting, with many insisting that it was an accurate portrayal of the killer's voice.

'Those moaning about #timroth whispering, .it's perfect character acting. Christie got gassed and had damaged lungs #rillingtonplace', one viewer insisted.

Miscarriage of justice: Jodie Comer stars as Beryl Evans while Nico Mirallegro plays Timothy Evans, Christie's neighbour who was hanged in 1950 for a crime he didn't commit

Social media reaction: Viewers took to Twitter to moan about the need for subtitles

Hard to hear: Social media was awash with angry rants about 'mumbling' and inaudible dialogue

Speaking out: The comments were drowned out by an overwhelming influx of praise for Tim's acting, with many insisting that it was an accurate portrayal of the killer's voice=

Tragic: The series begins as Timothy and Beryl Evan move in next door to Christie and his wife (played by Samantha Morton) and fall prey to the killer's evil ways

Viewers raved about the acting, enthusing, 'Tim Roth is getting right under my skin. Bone chillingly disturbing. His mannerisms are terrifying. Not sleeping tonight. #RillingtonPlace'.

Another posted: 'Whoa. #RillingtonPlace was super creepy but another ace drama on @BBCOne. A slow burn and full of tension throughout.'

There was yet more praise as excited viewers claimed it lived up to the original film.

'I didn't think the BBC's adaptation of #RillingtonPlace could ever match the oppressive atmosphere of the 1971 film, but it did. Sleep well', one fan mused.

Hit: Three-part drama Rillington Place proved popular with viewers, who branded it 'terrifying' and 'chilling'

True crimes: The drama is based on the real-life multiple murders undertaken by John Christie in Notting Hill

Gripping: There was yet more praise as excited viewers claimed it lived up to the original film

The drama is based on the real-life multiple murders undertaken by John Christie in Notting Hill.

Christie murdered at least eight women  including his wife Ethel  by strangling them in his flat at 10 Rillington Place in London.

The series begins as Timothy and Beryl Evans, played by Nico Mirallegro and Jodie Comer, move in next door to Christie and his wife (played by Samantha Morton) and fall prey to the killer's evil ways.

Welshman Timothy was falsely charged with the murder of his infant daughter and wife, but only went to trial over the baby's death.

Cold-blooded killer: Christie murdered at least eight women  including his wife Ethel  by strangling them in his flat at 10 Rillington Place in London

Original: Richard Attenborough played Christie in 10 Rillington Place, which was adapted for the big screen in 1971

Famous case: Timothy was hanged in 1950 for a crime he didn't commit, and the miscarriage of justice eventually contributed towards the abolition of capital punishment in Britain in 1965

Despite accusing downstairs resident Christie of the crimes during the trial, Timothy was found guilty of baby Geraldine's murder, while the charge against him regarding Beryl remained 'on file' as was common legal practice at the time.

Christie and his wife Ethel were key witnesses for the prosecution.

Timothy was hanged in 1950 for a crime he didn't commit, and the miscarriage of justice eventually contributed towards the abolition of capital punishment in Britain in 1965.

Three years after Evans's execution, Christie was found to be responsible for the murders of six other women in the same house. He confessed to murdering Mrs. Evans during his trial.

After watching the drama, viewers took to Twitter, writing they would be unable to sleep after the 'terrifyingly creepy' and sinister actor in the programme

An inquiry concluded in 1966 he had also murdered the couple's daughter, and Evans was granted a posthumous pardon.

Show writers Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone commented: 'This is a story you just can't look away from: an unlikely serial killer who orchestrated a devastating miscarriage of justice.

'It has drawn us in at every turn and has attracted an incredibly exciting level of talent who are as committed as we are to bringing it to life.'

The true crime story was previously adapted for the big screen in 10 Rillington Place in 1971, starring the late Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir John Hurt, Pat Heywood and Judy Geeson.
An edited version of a low budget 'crime thriller' starring Meghan Markle is being released to give Prince Harry's girlfriend a more prominent role.

Anti-Social, a 'coming of age' film about gang warfare, was shown at just 40 screens when it was released in the UK last year.

But now, in a move which coincides with Ms Markle's new-found fame, a 'special edition' edited version of the movie is being released.

An edited version of a low budget 'crime thriller' starring Meghan Markle (pictured) is being released to give Prince Harry's girlfriend a more prominent role

Anti-Social, a film about gang warfare, was shown at just 40 screens when it was released in the UK last year but is being released on the back of Ms Markle's current high profile

The trailer for the original film barely involved the actress but the new version - available for digital download and streaming from next Tuesday - features her heavily (pictured)

The trailer for the original film barely involved the actress but the new version - available for digital download and streaming from next Tuesday - features her heavily.

Director Reg Traviss - who had dated Amy Winehouse before she died - said he wanted to 'delve deeper into one of the storylines with.. a shorter, more compact version of the original'.

In the film, Ms Markle, 35 - previously best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US drama Suits - plays fashion model Kirsten, who is dating graffiti-artist Dee, played by Greg Sulkin.

Greg's brother Marcus - played by Josh Myers - is a smash-and-grab diamond thief who is involved in a number of daredevil armed robberies.

Scent of a woman: In the trailer, Mehgan can be seen modelling in a photoshoot for a perfume ad

Ms Markle plays fashion model Kirsten, who is dating graffiti artist Dee, played by Greg Sulkin (with whom she is shown left and right)

The crimes depicted are based on three highly publicised real-life London heists: the Graff's Diamond robbery in 2009, the Selfridges Burka robbery in 2013, and the Brent-Cross smash and grab robbery in 2012.

While Dee and Kirsten have the opportunity of a better life when the art scene begins to notice his work, Marcus heads in the other direction and ignites a deadly gang war.

In the three-minute trailer Ms Markle's character is shown modelling perfume, emerging from a shower and drinking champagne at a number of West End nightclubs.

Apart: 'I'm glad you don't hang out with your brother and those dudes, I don't want them pulling you down,' she says

Guilty look: In one scene they nervously approach airport security passports in hand

Director Reg Traviss said he wanted to 'delve deeper into one of the storylines with.. a shorter, more compact version of the original'

She is heard saying: 'I'm going to go and see my boyfriend, he's an artist. A street artist.'

In a scene which shows shoot-outs in London, depicting Marcus and his cool friends getting pulled into a dangerous gang war, she is heard saying: 'I hate violence... I'm from a sleepy little beach town, I'm just not used to this.'

Harry and Ms Markle have been dating since the summer and confirmed their relationship earlier this month when the prince issued a statement over fears she was being 'harassed'.

Ms Markle, pictured left on Deal or No Deal and right in December 2014, is best known for her role in Skins

In this Instagram post, Ms Markle is pictured with her Thanksgiving turkey dinner

Harry and Ms Markle have been dating since the summer and confirmed their relationship earlier this month when the prince issued a statement over fears she was being 'harassed'

He is currently midway through a 15-day tour that has already taken him to Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Meanwhile, Ms Markle is in her hometown of Los Angeles after returning to the set of US legal drama Suits in Toronto, following a recent trip to London.
Kate Fischer revealed on Tuesday that she threw half a million dollars worth of jewellery out at sea following her split from ex-fiance James Packer.

And on Wednesday, KIIS FM sent their famous Intern Pete Deppeler out to Bondi beach in Sydney's east to search for the valuable goods.

Upon arrival to the coastal destination, the radio star stripped down and slipped into a figure-hugging wet-suit as he prepared to scuba dive the deep seas.

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Search is on: KIIS FM sent Intern Pete Deppeler out to Bondi beach on Wednesday to search for Kate Fischer jewellery after she admitted to throwing $500k worth out to sea

With an oxygen tank placed on his back and a pair of goggles covering his eyes, Peter was ready to take on the task to search for the expensive jewellery.

But despite spending five hours out at sea, and attracting a 'full scale search' , the funnyman found nothing but a P-plate, rubbish and empty beer bottles.

On radio airwaves on Wednesday, Pete explained the recovery mission had lured in many local divers to join in him in the search.

Preparing: Upon arrival at the coastal destination, the radio star stripped down and slipped into a figure-hugging wet-suit as he prepared to scuba dive the deep seas

On a mission: The search comes after Kate told Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O that she threw half a million dollars worth of jewellery out at sea following her split with James Packer

After an unfortunate unsuccessful morning out in the waters, KIIS FM plan to continue the search for the gems until the end of the week.

On Tuesday, Kate - who now goes by the name of Tzipporah Malka - revealed she threw $500,000 worth of jewellery out to sea following her 1998 split with James.

T'ziporah said she 'felt empowered' by her decision - but admits she regrets it today.

'I just chucked everything that I had,' the 42-year-old explained. 'I wanted to start my life again..'

'They come from the earth so back to the earth they shall go. It was a powerful moment and now I'm like, "Oh crap!"

Powerful: On Tuesday she told the KIIS FM hosts, she 'felt empowered' by her decision - but admits she regrets it today

When asked how much she threw into the ocean,' she told KIIS FM: 'Half a million dollars'.

'It was in Sydney near the place where we used to live. I was on a cliff and I just chucked them as hard as a I could.'

T'ziporah claimed she kept the engagement ring James gave her, adding that the billionaire 'didn't want it back'.

'We'd been engaged for two years,' she said. 'It would be tacky (to ask for it back). He does let things like that go.'

Following the split, she moved to the USA and embraced Orthodox Judaism but has now returned to live in Melbourne.

Bling: T'ziporah claimed she kept the engagement ring James gave her, adding that the billionaire 'didn't want it back'
It was reported in The Daily Telegraph just recently, that power couple Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall cancelled their Sesion Tequila party, due to a 'lack of RSVPs.'

However a rep for 32-year-old Jennifer has hit back at the claims, denying that it had anything to do with invitees.

'There was absolutely no issue with RSVPs,' Lauren Cowen revealed in a statement to TheFix.

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'There was absolutely no issue with RSVPs': Jennifer Hawkins' rep Lauren Cowen, revealed to TheFix, that the cancellation of Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall's Sesion Tequila party had nothing to do with RSVPs

The representative was quick to silence the rumours.

'We had nearly reached maximum capacity within a few days of the invites going out,' Lauren revealed to the publication.

'There was booking conflict with the venue so we decided to cancel and look at other dates in 2017,' she continued .

Reports: The Daily Telegraph previously claimed a 'lack of RVSPs' to be the reason behind the party cancellation

A-list: Last year's December bash was attended by celebrities including E! correspondent Ksenija Lukich (right)

The statement comes shortly after The Daily Telegraph reported that the Australian power couple pulled the plug at the last minute on a scheduled party for the burgeoning brand due to a 'lack of RSVPs.'

The publication also mentioned that organisers had blamed booking issues for the cancellation of Wednesday's planned soiree.

This isn't the first Sesion party to get canned.

The tequila's launch was abruptly postponed last year as Mexico's Hurricane Patricia struck the country's coastline and grounded flights, preventing the stock from being able to make it to Sydney on time.

The launch was moved to December of last year, which thankfully went off without a hitch.

No big names? The launch party of Sesion Tequila last year attracted Michael Wipli (left) and Larry Emdur (centre) as well as Guy Sebastian and many more celebrities

A string of A-listers came out to support the entrepreneurial couple's venture, including Guy Sebastian, E! correspondant Ksenija Lukich, radio personality Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli, TV star Larry Emdur, and Instagram queen Antoinette Marie.

Aussie dance duo Yolanda Be Cool spun tunes at the VIP event, which was held at an exclusive yacht club.

Sesion Tequila has been met with a positive response since its launch last year.

Two 'flavours' of the booze picked up a gold and silver medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits competition, which is considered the Academy Awards of spirits.

Success: Sesion Tequila has been acclaimed by spirits critics since its launch last year
Their parents are known for their comedy partnerships, but Beattie and Freya Edmondson are forging a sibling alliance as girls about town.

They are the daughters of Jennifer Saunders, best known for Absolutely Fabulous and French And Saunders, and Adrian Edmondson, who starred with Rick Mayall in the hit sitcoms The Young Ones and Bottom.

Freya, 25, far right, a costume curator, and Beattie, 29, an actress, were at a party at the Connaught in Mayfair.

Beattie and Freya Edmondson (pictured left) are forging a sibling alliance as girls about town. They are the daughters of Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson (pictured right)

Beattie is the only one of Edmondsons three daughters to go into the family business of comedy and says she wasnt aware what her parents did when she was growing up.

I remember asking my mum if she was Jennifer Saunders, because kids at school were asking me, she says.

SPOTTED: FANTASTIC BEAST HOP ON THE TUBE

Eddie Redmayne is clearly trying to stay grounded as his Hollywood career takes off.

The 34-year-old Oscar winner was spotted on London Undergrounds Bakerloo line yesterday, looking stylish in a smart suit and grey and blue scarf while reading a newspaper.

Oscar winner Eddie Redmaynewas spotted on London Undergrounds Bakerloo line yesterday, looking stylish in a smart suit and grey and blue scarf while reading a newspaper

This is not the first time the Old Etonian has used the Tube: he and his wife Hannah Bagshawe were seen on the Circle line this summer.

I take the Tube! Whats the other option in London? Eddie joked earlier this month, while promoting his new film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.

This morning they sent a car and it took an hour to go half a mile to get here. On the Tube, it would have taken ten minutes.

PARTY GIRL PARIS TONES IT DOWN FOR MOSQUE TRIP

Glamorous hotel heiress Paris Hilton proves she knows how to dress for the occasion.

Visiting Abu Dhabi for the Grand Prix last weekend, the 35-year-old veered from modesty at a mosque to immodesty at a glitzy VIP bash.

Visiting Abu Dhabi for the Grand Prix last weekend, Paris Hilton veered from modesty at a mosque to immodesty at a glitzy VIP bash

The socialite, whose younger sister Nicky wed British banking heir James Rothschild last year, was unrecognisable at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on Sunday.

She sported traditional Muslim attire including a maroon abaya  a long robe for women  and a white headscarf to hide her blonde hair. But just a few hours later, party-loving Paris was back to her usual ways and sported a thigh-grazing black and gold dress, with a plunging neckline, before taking to the decks to DJ at a party attended by F1 star Lewis Hamilton and Canadian rapper Drake.

ARTY EMIN'S TRUMP BOYCOTT FIZZLES OUT

Artist Tracey Emin was spotted in the queue at passport control in New York despite saying she would give up her two homes in the U.S. after Donald Trumps election win

Artist Tracey Emin gave Americans cause to cheer earlier this month when she told me she was giving up her two homes in the U.S. after Donald Trumps election. But is she having a re-think?

A passenger at Newark airport in New York claims that Emin, who is best known for her seedy unmade bed, was in the queue at passport control after arriving on a British Airways flight from Heathrow.

She was wearing black cowboy boots, which Trump might have found quite fetching, they tell me.

We were joking about whether she left the bed in first-class in as bad a state as her installation of the bed.

Emin has a flat in New York and a property in Florida.

Her spokesman declined to comment. Perhaps the inimitable Emin has a double?

Sir Kim Darroch, Britains Ambassador to the United States, treasures a gift from Matthew Barzun, the U.S. Ambassador to London. Tweeting a picture of Rod Stewarts Atlantic Crossing album, Barzun said: I gave Kim Darroch my own copy before his crossing to the U.S.
One was locked in a bitter divorce with Millie Mackintosh, while the other rekindled his flame with the reality star this year.

And Hugo Taylor and Professor Green came awkwardly close to a showdown as they both attended the Vype Pebble Pop-Up Launch in London on Tuesday.

However the former Made in Chelsea star, 30, managed to exit the event a swift ten minutes before the rapper, 33, arrived.

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Close call: Millie Mackintosh's beau Hugo Taylor (L) and former flame Professor Green (R) came awkwardly close to a showdown as they both attended the Vype Pebble Pop-Up Launch in London on Tuesday

Back together: Millie and Hugo (pictured in October) went public with their rekindled romance in May - the same week that Millie's divorce from rapper Professor Green, 32, was finalised

Hugo, who reunited with his former flame Millie, 27, earlier this year, was kitted out in a cool leather jacket, black skinny jeans and leopard print shoes.

Pro Green - real name Stephen Paul Manderson - looked equally stylish in an all-black ensemble which he complemented with a shearling lined coat.

The Lullaby hitmaker seemed in high spirits, perhaps potentially unaware of how close he was to the unexpected encounter.

Millie and Hugo went public with their rekindled romance in May when they travelled to the Monaco Grand Prix for Hugo's 30th birthday celebrations - the same week that Millie's divorce from rapper husband Professor Green, 32, was finalised.

Nearly awkward! Pro Green - real name Stephen Paul Manderson - arrived ten minutes after Hugo left the venue

They previously dated back in 2011 when they met on the E4 reality show, Made In Chelsea.

But the union was not to last and ended rather dramatically when Millie discovered Hugo had cheated on her with her friend, Rosie Fortescue.

At the time, Millie claimed she would always love Hugo, saying in an interview: 'I loved him - those feelings dont disappear  but I just always have to remind myself why were not together.

'I do think that, for the rest of my life, every time I see him, Ill get that feeling in my stomach. I dont think I could ever not get that butterfly feeling.'

During their split, Millie moved on with Pro Green in November 2011 after the rapper saw her on the cover of men's magazine FHM.

'Butterfly feeling': At the time of their initial split, Millie claimed she would always love Hugo

Former flame: Millie and rapper Pro Green, 33, (pictured together in February 2015) announced their split in February after just over four years together

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.

However, things turned sour and the once loved-up couple announced their split in February after just over four years together. Their two-and-a-half-year marriage was dissolved in just 30 seconds in May.

Young love: They previously dated back in 2011 when they met on E4 reality show, Made In Chelsea, but called time on their romance when Hugo cheated on Millie

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.'

They were granted a decree nisi at Central London Family Court with Millie citing 'unreasonable behaviour' as the reason for their split.

Pro Green recently lashed out at Millie in his new track Eye On The Door, rapping about their lack of sex life and hinting that cheating was to blame for their split.

But in spite of his very public bashing of his ex-wife, the musician admitted last week that splitting from Millie felt like experiencing 'a death.

Pals: Meanwhile, Hugo mingled with his former co-star Spencer Matthews who looked cool in a denim jacket and fedora hat

Having a good time: Pro Green mingled with former X Factor star Fleur East at the event

Fashionista: The former Made in Chelsea star Lucy Watson showed off her slim figure in a yellow satin bomber jacket and skinny black jeans

He told the Independent newspaper earlier this month: 'Of course whether youre happy somethings finished or not, it doesnt change the fact that it does still feel like theres been a death.

'An energy thats always been in your presence is suddenly no longer there and youre an idiot if you think thats not going to affect you.'

The rapper has since moved on with model Fae Williams.

Meanwhile, the likes of Spencer Matthews, Lucy Watson and AJ Odudu stepped out in style for Tinie Tempah's latest venture with his clothing label, DSTRB LND.

Red hot: AJ Odudu absolutely wowed in a bright red blazer style dress

Patterns: MIC Nicola Huges clashed stripes and leopard print for the event
Nick Gordon tweeted a throwback photo with Whitney Houston on Tuesday.

The post came less than two weeks after he was ordered to pay $36million for the wrongful death of her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown.

'Learned so much from this amazing woman,' he captioned the undated photo. 'Miss you so much!!'

Gordon was taken in by Whitney at the age of 12, and was considered by Bobbi as a 'brother' before they became romantically involved.

'Miss you so much': Nick Gordon tweeted a throwback picture with Whitney Houston... weeks after being ordered to pay $36m for her daughter Bobbi Kristina's death

Bobbi Kristina, whose father is singer Bobby Brown, was found face-down and unresponsive in a bathtub in her suburban Atlanta home in January 2015.

Gordon, who also lived there, and a friend were listed on the police report as being in the home when investigators arrived there.

The wrongful death suit said other people were there when Brown was initially found unresponsive.

She was in a coma for six months before dying in hospice care at the age of 22 on July 26, 2015.

Responsible: A judge in Atlanta ordered Gordon (pictured together in 2012), to pay $36 million in a wrongful death case just 12 days ago

Her death was similar to the way her mother died and drew worldwide headlines and the frenzied attention of the tabloids.

Whitney Houston's body was found face-down in a foot of water in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel just before the 2012 Grammy Awards.

Authorities found prescription drugs in the suite and evidence of heart disease and cocaine in Houston's body and determined her death was an accidental drowning.

Heartbroken: Bobbi Kristina Brown's father Bobby Brown sits in court during a wrongful death case against his daughter's partner

Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford ruled in September that Gordon repeatedly failed to meet court deadlines in the civil suit.

His order said that means the conservator of her estate wins by default.

Bedford on Thursday awarded damages of $36,250,000, the estate's lawyers said in an emailed statement.

In the statement, attorney David Ware said: 'There was an urgent need, in my mind, to get justice for Bobbi Kristina Brown and that's why I took the case.

We intend to pursue, with all vigor, the full collection of the judgment.

'We hope that in some small way this will allow Krissy's family to continue their quest for peace.'

Devastated: LaPrincia Brown, the half-sister of Bobbi Kristina, cries on the witness stand on Thursday

Tough: Bobby held up a picture of his daughter during the hearing

Bobby's attorney Craig Terrett told DailyMail.com they will pursue 'all avenues available' to collect, and will prevent Gordon from ever profiting from the death.

'We intend to enforce the judgment against Gordon. Our first step will be to retain a collections attorney to pursue all available avenues,' he said.

'We understand that collecting the full judgment will be difficult but we want to make sure he never profits from her death. When he finally climbs out from under the rock that he is hiding under, we will be there to greet him.'

Family: LaPrincia , right, was comforted by her step-mother Alicia Etheridge, after taking the witness stand

Eerie: Her death was similar to the way her mother Whitney Houston (pictured together in 2011) died and drew worldwide headlines

The young woman's family blamed Gordon, accusing him in the lawsuit of giving Brown a 'toxic cocktail' before putting her face-down in the water.

Gordon, an orphan three years older whom Houston had raised as her own, has not been charged with a crime. Brown had referred to Gordon as her husband.

Gordon wasn't in court Thursday and did not have an attorney in the civil case, but his criminal defense attorneys, Joe Habachy and Jose Baez, had said in August 2015 that the allegations were baseless.

They also said that Gordon is 'heartbroken' and called the suit a 'fictitious assault.'

Court: LaPrincia met with Bedelia Hargrove, right, the conservator for Bobbi's estate

Tears: She found it difficult to take to the stand

Missed: LaPrincia was comforted by her dad afterwards

Investigators with the medical examiner's office were unable to determine exactly how Brown had died.

An autopsy showed she had morphine, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs in her body.

But the medical examiner couldn't determine if she killed herself, if someone else killed her or if her death was accidental.

Dontaye Carter, a spokesman for Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, said in an email Thursday that Brown's death is still under investigation.

Only child: Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown (above) were married 15 years before their relationship ended in 2007. Bobbi Kristina was their only child together

Brown grew up in the shadow of her famous parents. She appeared with them in 2005 on the Bravo reality show 'Being Bobby Brown' and attended award shows with her mother and father.

Houston and Bobby Brown were married 15 years before their relationship ended in 2007. Bobbi Kristina was their only child together.
She's a Cambridge graduate who is famed for her book-smarts and good looks.

But Carol Vorderman stunned her fellow I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! campmates when she revealed she'd lost out on a job once because of her breast-size.

Speaking to Sam Quek and Scarlett Moffatt on Tuesday night's show, the Countdown star, 55, revealed a prospective employer once said: 'Youre not for me, your t**s arent big enough!'

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He said they weren't big enough!': Carol Vorderman stunned her fellow I'm A Celeb... campmates on Tuesday when she revealed she'd lost out on a job once because of her breast-size

Carol made her revelation after the three women had discussed how female athletes at the Rio Games, including Sam, had been sexualized.

As Scarlett questioned why there weren't more 'strong Northern women' in the spotlight, the Bedfordshire maths whizz shared a past experience with the two younger women.

I went for an interview back in the 80s,' began Carol. 'A guy sat down opposite me and told me to stand up.

She then told her two horrified campmates what happened next, adding: 'He said to me, Youre not for me, your t**s arent big enough!"

Shocked: Speaking to Sam Quek and Scarlett Moffatt, the star, 55, revealed a prospective employer once said: 'Youre not for me, your t**s arent big enough!' (pictured in 2005)

She was careful to add that 'things have changed' since then, but all three female campmates still voiced their concerns about their rights.

However, show hosts Ant and Dec chose to make light of Carol's confession, with Dec joking:

'It happened to me before, the bloke put his feet on the table, he said, "Stand up". I said how rude are you? I am standing up!'

Deep in discussion: Carol made her revelation after the three women had discussed how female athletes at the Rio Games, including Sam, had been sexualized

An injustice: I went for an interview back in the 80s,' began Carol. 'A guy sat down opposite me and told me to stand up

'You're not for me': She then told her two horrified campmates what happened next, adding: 'He said to me, Youre not for me, your t**s arent big enough!"

Tuesday's night show later saw Jordan Banjo become the fourth celebrity to be evicted from the jungle campsite.

The 23-year-old Diversity dancer was left in the bottom two after the public vote, facing off against Martin Roberts.

Ultimately Jordan was sent packing after failing to gain enough votes, following in the footsteps of Ola Jordan, Lisa Snowdon and Danny Baker.

Poor taste? Show hosts Ant and Dec chose to make light of Carol's confession, with Dec joking he'd had the same treatment but with his height being the issue

Dancing out of the jungle: Tuesday's night show later saw Jordan Banjo become the fourth celebrity to be evicted from the jungle campsite

With Ant and Dec declaring that Joel Dommett, Sam, Adam Thomas, Larry Lamb, Scarlett, Carol and Wayne Bridge were safe, Jordan and Martin were left to battle it out.

Moment later Jordan's fate was revealed, with the former Britain's Got Talent star smiling as he said his goodbyes.

Joining Ant and Dec in the jungle studio, he admitted it was a relief to leave the Australian jungle behind him.

Sitting down with the Geordie duo, he explained: 'The whole experience has been so overwhelming. To walk up that bridge is so surreal! Saying bye, I cant believe it they look so depressed without me.'

Not everyone's favourite: The 23-year-old Diversity dancer was left in the bottom two after the public vote, facing off against Martin Roberts

Foruth one out: Ultimately Jordan was sent packing, following in the footsteps of Ola Jordan, Lisa Snowdon and Danny Baker

'The whole experience has been so overwhelming': Joining Ant and Dec in the jungle studio, he admitted it was a relief to leave the Australian jungle behind him

'The other people turned out to best part of it': He said, before joking his biggest fear would have been sharing a camp with Mary Berry instead of the boys he'd grown fond of

Despite his relief at leaving snakes and the jungle behind, he admitted it was the campmates he'd miss the most.

'The other people turned out to best part of it,' He said, before joking his biggest fear would have been sharing a camp with Mary Berry instead of the boys he'd grown fond of.

'Literally that was the best part,' he said of the bromance that has blossomed between the men.'

He cheekily quipped: 'I was worried the closest thing to a boy I'd have in there was Mary Berry.I thought I was going to be in real trouble.'
Keo Woolford who played a detective on Hawaii Five-O died on Monday at age 49.

The Honolulu, Hawaii native suffered a stroke on Friday and died in hospital in Oahu, his publicist Tracy Larrua told The Hollywood Reporter.

Woolford portrayed Detective James Chang in a recurring role on Hawaii Five-O on CBS.

Hawaii native: Keo Woolford, shown earlier this month in Honolulu, Hawaii, died on Monday at age 49 after suffering a stroke

He also had roles in 1999's Happy, Texas, 2006's Falling For Grace and 2014's Godzilla.

Woolford also wrote and directed the award-winning 2013 drama The Haumana.

He also starred in more than 300 performances in a stage production of The King & I that included shows at the London Palladium.

Woolford recently finished a script for a sequel to The Haumana and acting auditions had been scheduled to start in January, Larrua said.

TV reboot: Alex O'Loughlin, Grace Park, Woolford and Scott Caan are shown in a scene from Hawaii Five-O

Stage star: Woolford is shown in May 2001 at a photo call for The King & I at the London Palladium

Woolford's one-man show I LAND won the LA Scenie Outstanding Solo Show Award.

The solo show inspired his feature film The Haumana that closed the 2013 Hawaii International Film Festival.

Woolford won a special jury prize for best first feature at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival for The Haumana.

Multiple talents: The Honolulu native is shown earlier this month at a screening of his short film Song On Canvas in Honolulu

The film centered on a laua show host who reconnects with his culture after taking over a high school hula class for boys after his hula teacher died.

Woolford also directed the 2015 short film Song On Canvas.

Tributes were pouring in on social media as fans and colleagues learned of Woolford's death.

'He is a talent and extraordinary human being that will be missed,' Larrua said.
Khloe Kardashian proved she is a part of the next generation of powerful business women.

The entrepreneur spoke onstage with Emma Grede during the Fortunes 2016 Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit.

The evening took place at Fortune MPW Next Gen on Tuesday in Dana Point, California.

Speaking her mind: Khloe Kardashian and Emma Grede speak onstage during the Fortunes 2016 Most Powerful Women Next Gen Summit

Khloe showed off her famous womanly curves in an all black ensemble.

She wore a pair of black trousers, a black suit jacket and a lace bralette underneath.

Her platinum blonde locks were styled in a centre part and were in a straight fashion.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star went for a full face of make-up, opting for thick black false eye lashes and lots of contouring.

Female power: The evening took place at Fortune MPW Next Gen on Tuesday in Dana Point, California

Still chic: Khloe showed off her famous womanly curves in an all black ensemble

She added a dark matte lipstick to complete her look.

The evening was a chance for rising female leaders to gather and discuss business, government, philanthropy, education, and more.

Sexy but classy: She wore a pair of black trousers, a black suit jacket and a lace bralette underneath

Style icon: Her platinum blonde locks were styled in a centre part and were in a straight fashion

This years attendees include Apple head of Global Consumer Marketing, Bozoma Saint John, Making A Murderer filmmakers Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi and WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon.

Fans can watch the action unfold on Fortune.com livestream, which started Tuesday at 4:05 pm PST.

Camera ready: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star went for a full face of make-up, opting for thick black false eye lashes and lots of contouring

Sassy: She added a dark matte lipstick to complete her look

Emma Grede, who started her career at Quintessentially, was also on the panel with Khloe.

She also went for a demure look in an all black ensemble but opted to wear natural looking make-up for the evenings event.

She styled her raven locks in loose curls.

Woman power: The evening was a chance for rising female leaders to gather and discuss business, government, philanthropy, education, and more
She recently divulged that she has 'no problems with nudity.'

And Heidi Klum poured herself into a skintight black bodysuit that left little to the imagination.

The 43-year-old put her incredible figure on full display in a second skin one-piece for her Ocean Drive magazine cover party in Miami on Tuesday.

Wow factor: Heidi Klum poured herself into a skintight black bodysuit that left little to the imagination

The model is the December cover girl for Ocean Drive Magazine's December issue.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel chose a shimmering ensemble that clung to her curves and revealed a hint of side boob.

The halter-style dress also put her pert derriere and toned stems on display.

The mother of four complemented the showstopping look with strappy black heels.

Flawless: The model is the December cover girl for Ocean Drive Magazine's December issue

Fancy: The 43-year-old put her incredible figure on full display in the second skin one-piece for her Ocean Drive magazine cover party in Miami on Tuesday

Breathtaking: The former Victoria's Secret Angel chose a shimmering ensemble that clung to her curves and revealed a hint of side boob

Heidi kept her look all black with sparkling bracelets, multiple rings and matching hued earrings.

The German-born model pulled back her long blonde tresses back into a tight bun.

She lined her hazel eyes with copper eye shadow and painted her pout a light pink tone.

Gorgeous at every angle: Heidi pulled back her long blonde tresses back into a tight bun

Stunner! She lined her hazel eyes with copper shadow and painted her pout a light pink tone

While at the event, the beauty posed in front of a Roche Bobois desk she designed to help support UNICEF.

In her Ocean Drive magazine cover story, Heidi stated: 'I have no problems with nudity at all. I've very free.'

The star, who has a lingerie label called Heidi Klum Intimates, is not in the least bit shy about wearing sheer looks.

She explained: 'I feel comfortable and don't care if someone sees my nipples necessarily - it's okay to see the nipple.'

Fit form: In her Ocean Drive magazine cover story, Heidi stated: 'I have no problems with nudity at all. I've very free'

Goddess: In the December issue cover story, she said: 'I feel comfortable and don't care if someone sees my nipples necessarily - it's okay to see the nipple'
Is Tiffany Scanlon hoping to double date with Ruby Rose and Jessica Origliasso?

She might well be if her latest Instagram post is anything to go by.

The Bachelor star shared a photo of herself and girlfriend Megan Marx, which also paid tribute to the high-profile couple.

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Support: The Bachelor's Tiffany Scanlon showed her love for girlfriend Megan Marx in a recent Instagram photo, which featured lyrics from The Veronicas' new single On Your Side

Jess and Ruby recently confirmed they were dating after filming the music video The Veronica's new single On Your Side.

And Tiffany's touching photo includes lyrics to the song to show the strength of their relationship.

She wrote: 'Could not imagine my life without you in it @megan.leto.marx.'

In love: While filming the video for On Your Side recently, Jessica Origliasso rekindled her relationship with ex-girlfriend Ruby Rose, who directed and starred in the clip

Ruby doesn't feature on the track, rather appears in the music video which she also directed.

The steamy film clip depicts the turbulent relationship between two women, played by Ruby and Jess.

Meanwhile, Megan and Tiffany began their relationship after meeting on The Bachelor earlier this year.

Loved up: Ruby and Jess dated eight years ago but are now back together - and their proud, public romance has clearly inspired Megan and Tiffany

New love: Megan and Tiffany began dating after meeting on The Bachelor earlier this year

'While we were in the show, it was just a friendship. It probably wasnt until we were in Bali together that it was like "Oh, this is more,"' Tiffany previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'Instantly we knew there was a very strong connection. I was so excited to meet her in Bali.'

Meanwhile, over the weekend the couple attended a music festival in Perth.
She's been working hard to shed the post-baby weight, and new mom Blac Chyna was not at all shy to show off her hard-earned physique as she left a studio in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

The 28-year-old looked absolutely incredible in a clingy, thigh-skimming LBD with long sheer sleeves that highlighted her slimmed down frame to full effect.

Chyna smiled as she stepped outside, parading her exquisite legs in thigh-high black boots.

Hot mama! Blac Chyna looked absolutely incredible in a clingy, thigh-skimming LBD with long sheer sleeves that highlighted her slimmed down frame to full effect in Los Angeles on Tuesday night

Her hair was styled in loose and glossy ringlets, and her stunning complexion was made all the more radiant with earthy eye shadow, dewy cheeks, and light pink lipstick.

She had a Louis Vuitton backpack slung across her shoulders and carried her keys in her hand.

The model must have been stopping people in their tracks as she strolled towards the unmissable purple Lamborghini her fiance, Rob Kardashian, had given her.

Perhaps Chyna was headed back to her home, which she now reportedly shares with Rob.

Curl power: Her hair was styled in loose and glossy ringlets, and her stunning complexion was made all the more radiant with earthy eye shadow, dewy cheeks, and light pink lipstick

Stopping people in their tracks! The model strolled towards the unmissable purple Lamborghini her fiance, Rob Kardashian, had given her

On Tuesday People reported Rob had moved back into his fiancee's Calabasas mansion after leaving the residence in the spring due to constant arguing.

The reason is the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wants to be closer to his daughter Dream, who was born on November 10.

'Rob wants to live with Chyna and spend every day with Dream,' said a Kardashian source.

Roomies again: On Tuesday People reported Rob Kardashian has moved back into his fiancee's home after leaving the residence in the spring

Nice digs: The pinup lives in this Calabasas mansion that has been featured on Rob & Chyna

Dreamy: The reason is the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wants to be closer to his daughter Dream, who was born on November 10. Here is a new image of the child shared on Tuesday

'He is making a big effort to get along with Chyna. She seems very happy with him. They are getting along great and enjoying parenting together.'

And the former recluse has turned out to be an excellent father.

'Rob is super hands-on with Dream,' a source told the site.

A set: The duo shot their show Rob & Chyna in her house. Here they are seen in her bedroom

Happy again: 'Rob wants to live with Chyna and spend every day with Dream,' said a Kardashian source. 'He is making a big effort to get along with Chyna'

'She's changed his life. She makes him want to be better. And hes spending a lot more time with his family.'

It helps that he has a sunnier outlook on life.

'Rob is so much happier now. He is obsessed with his baby girl!' said a source.
Iconic Australian magazine Dolly has been axed after more than four decades of publication.

On Wednesday, Bauer Media confirmed the magazine will shut with its last print issue going on sale December 5, Mumbrella reported.

The magazine launched the careers of supermodels Miranda Kerr and Jess Hart.

The closure comes just seven months after it stopped monthly publication, switching instead to a bi-monthly print cycle.

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Axed: Dolly magazine has been axed after 46 years due to falling circulation. The iconic magazine discovered supermodels Miranda Kerr (pictured) and Jess Hart

The magazine had dropped from a circulation of 92,000 in 2012 to just 30,000 in 2016.

Dolly adopted a digital-first approach after the switch to bi-monthly and will continue to publish content online, Bauer CEO Nick Chan confirmed on Wednesday.

In a statement, Mr Chan blamed a younger audience going increasingly online as the reason why the magazine folded.

'Dolly readers predominantly engage with the brand on digital and social platforms and they do so with greater frequency than is possible with a bi-monthly magazine  this means its no longer feasible to continue publishing the magazine on a regular basis,' he said.

The teen publication will now join the ranks of Cleo magazine, which was closed by Bauer in January.

Dolly magazine was first published in 1970.

Discovered: Miranda was just 13 years old when she won the Dolly Model Search in 1997

Got her break: Actress Abbie Cornish was a finalist in the model search competition in 1997, the same year Miranda Kerr won

During its 46 years of print, the publication discovered an impressive list of Australian media talent.

Today show host Lisa Wilkinson became Dolly's youngest ever editor at 21.

On Wednesday, the now 56-year-old TV presenter told news.com.au the shut down was 'inevitable' and was sure the news would inspire a tinge of sadness in women of all ages.

'Im incredibly sad hearing the news and feel for all the journalists who are losing their jobs but in the ever-changing world  and possibly an industry that was slow to recognise the changes that were happening at warped speed  it looks like it was inevitable'.

Discovered: Victoria's Secret angel Jess Hart also won the magazine's model search in 2000

Earlier: Jess sported a number of different looks on various covers across the years

Lisa added: 'It was certainly the making of my career. I learnt everything from the ground up when I worked at Dolly. I mean, where else could you start as the receptionist at 19 and be the editor at 21?'

Her protege Mia Freedman was editor-in-chief before moving onto Cosmopolitan.

The magazine discovered Miranda Kerr, Jess Hart and Abbie Cornish through their annual model search competitions.

In 1997, a then 13-year-old Miranda graced the publication's cover after winning that year's competition.

One time editor: Lisa Wilkinson was the magazine's youngest ever editor at 21

Starting out: Mia Freedman was also editor of the teenage magazine

The publication was also known for its Dolly Doctor segment, which offered frank advice on sex and relationships often deemed controversial for its young readers.

But the section was this month found to contain highly accurate health advice in an analysis of 160 magazines by the University of Newcastle.

Earlier in November, Dolly's rival Girlfriend was re-launched as a seasonal publication,with a digital-first focus.
She was previously forced to deny reports that she drank in excess at a Logies after-party earlier this year.

But Lee Lin Chin's 'crazy love of beer' appeared to come in handy while writing her new book it's been claimed, with comedian Chris Leben revealing this week that the pair drank over eight hours at a pub in Surry Hills while bringing the project to life.

'Lee Lin does have a crazy love of beer, she's always talking about a different man that she's dating, she's got very hard line with her opinions,' he told Pedestrian TV.

Liquid inspiration? SBS presenter Lee Lin Chin spent eight hours drinking at a pub in Surry Hills while brainstorming for her new book, it was claimed this week

The Gold Logie nominated SBS presenter co-wrote the book, 'Iced Beer and Other Tantalising Tips For Life,' with former head writer of SBS's The Feed, Chris.

The book touches on a range of topics including the Aussie real estate market, dating and politics.

Last week the broadcast journalist encouraged fans to tweet boozy seflies while clutching her book as a means to help promote it.

Teaming up: The Gold Logie-nominated journalist co-wrote the book, 'Iced Beer and Other Tantalising Tips For Life,' with former head writer of The Feed at SBS Chris Leben (pictured)

Conversation starter: The book touches on a range of topics including the Aussie real estate market, dating and politics

Candid: 'Lee Lin does have a crazy love of beer, she's always talking about a different man that she's dating, she's got very hard line with her opinions,' Chris told Pedestrian TV

'If you post a photo of yourself reading 'Iced Beer & Other Tantalising Tips for Life' preferably drinking an iced beer I'll retweet it,' a tweet from her account read.

Chris, who handles Lee Lin's personal Twitter account, said that he often posts humorous tweets on her behalf because she is old school and rejects technology.

'Lee Lin doesn't understand the internet, so basically when she wants to tweet something, she has to call me on her landline  I like to believe that it's a rotary phone  and then tell me what I have to tweet for her,' he said.

Not tech savvy: Chris, who handles Lee Lin's personal Twitter account, said that he often posts humorous tweets on her behalf because she is old school and rejects technology

'[She] has no mobile, no driver's license, doesn't know how to cook,' he continued adding that she does however know 'How to drink a good beer.'

In May, the vibrant TV personality, who has worked in media for over 30 years, denied claims that she was carried out of a Channel Seven Logies bash for being drunk.

'[Her friends] thought it would be funny to carry her around. But Lee was very much upright, and she was not drunk,' an SBS source told The Herald Sun.

'It was a fun night, Lee Lin Chin was a fabulous guest, and she is welcome anytime.'

'Lee Lin doesn't understand the internet, so basically when she wants to tweet something, she has to call me on her landline  I like to believe that it's a rotary phone  and then tell me what I have to tweet for her,' he said




Roxy Jacenko regularly praises her kids in loved-up selfies on social media.

But as the PR queen took to Instagram on Tuesday night, to capture a sweet moment with her youngest curled up in bed, it appeared she snapped a photo while topless in bed.

In the picture, the 36-year-old lay next to her son Hunter Curtis, 2, as he was sound asleep beside her, snug under a fish-print blanket.

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'My world': Roxy Jacenko's shared a seemingly sweet bed-time selfie on Instagram on Tuesday night while son Hunter Curtis, 2, was sound asleep beside her but appeared to be topless in the shot

She captioned the post: 'My [world]@huntercurtis14 [heart]'

Roxy, fully awake beside him, appeared to still have remnants of make-up on in the late-night snap, as she bared flesh for the relaxed photo shoot.

The two-year-old appeared cosy with two blankets over him while he rested his hands up towards his face.

A comfort thing? Roxy has shared snaps in the past of a sleepy Hunter with a thin blanket nearby

Hunter seemed to be bunking with Mum after he was surprised on his return home on Tuesday to a completely empty bedroom.

The two-year-old's shock was caught on camera by his mum as he demanded to know 'who took my things away?'.

In a video uploaded to his Instagram page, the adorable toddler is seen walking into the room before storming back out as his PR queen mum prepares to transition from a cot to a children's bed.

Toddler tantrum: Hunter Curtis reacted with surprise on Tuesday when he came home to find his bedroom had been stripped empty

Roxy, who posts content on the accounts she created for both her son and daughter, Pixie, captioned the video: ' When you come home from a big day of study and you know who has removed every single item from your room.'

The youngster is heard exclaiming 'the man took my things away' while his older sister Pixie, five, delights in his surprise.

Roxy revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Hunter's new room has been designed by Blainey North, who previously redecorated Nicole Kidman's Milsons Point penthouse.

A custom-made bunk, which has been assembled in America, will be delivered on Wednesday, ready for when the tot comes home from kindergarten that afternoon.

Bedroom blues: The toddler is seen exclaiming 'the man took my things away' as mum Roxy Jacenko films his reaction

Makeover: The youngster's room is seemingly being prepped for redecoration after a comment on the post revealed they would be helping in giving his room a makeover

Media mum: PR queen Roxy runs social media accounts for both of her children, regularly uploading photos of their exploits

Hunter's profile already has a following of nearly 20,000 while his sister's is followed by 111,000 Instagram users.

And earlier this week, another adorable video of Hunter showed him doing his best to do press-ups - taking after his mum, who has been following a rigorous exercise regime during and after her radiation treatment for cancer.

In the caption, Roxy playfully wrote: 'She's always on about fitness, look what she makes me do before school of a morning. You think a 6 pack comes without dedication?!'

'Look what she makes me do before school of a morning': Hunter joked about his mother Roxy forcing him to exercise before school last week

Dedication! The two-year-old was well-dressed in white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt as he performed the exercises on the floor

The 36-year-old, who appears to be behind the lens, could be heard asking the adorable toddler: 'What are you doing?'

The always well-dressed tot was performing the exercises while sporting a pair of white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt, along with a pair of Nike trainers.

Meanwhile Pixie, who is famous in her own right with an accessories company, recently celebrated her final day at kindergarten.

The publicist proudly displayed her daughter's last school photos before she starts 'big school' next year!

Social media sensations: Hunter and his sister Pixie are both stars on Instagram with thousands of followers

Milestone: Pixie, five, celebrated her final day at kindergarten last week

'Final Kindy picture pre big school!!!' Roxy captioned a snap of Pixie and Curtis together.

The milestone was celebrated without their father, Oliver Curtis, who was jailed for insider trading in June this year.

The children appear blissfully unaware of his absence, after Roxy revealed to KIIS FM back in August that she told them he is in China for work instead of revealing the truth.
She's sitting out this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

But that doesn't mean Karlie Kloss is taking a break from fashion.

The 24-year-old stunner wore some fashion forward boots on Tuesday to a party in New York.

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Unusual step: Karlie Kloss wore some fashion forward boots on Tuesday to a party in New York

The model sported some waist high boots that looked to be a hybrid between chaps and footwear.

Completing her ensemble was an Adidas shirt, a choker, and a dark jacket.

The stunning 24-year-old supermodel shared news of her absence from the VS annual show in an Instagram snap showing her with the Angels in 2013 that she posted Sunday.

Cowgirl! The model sported some waist high boots that looked to be a hybrid between chaps and footwear

Poser: The model still showed she can wow with some sultry postures

She captioned it: 'Thinking of the Angels and my entire @victoriassecret family as they make their way to Paris today.

'Unfortunately this year I have a work obligation that is keeping me from Paris. I'm sad to miss it but am wishing everyone all the best from afar!

'There is truly no show quite like the VS Fashion Show, and there is no feeling quite like walking on that magnificent runway.

The stunning 24-year-old supermodel shared news of her absence from the VS annual show in an Instagram snap

'To all my girls walking, good luck and enjoy every minute of it!!! I can't wait to see you all shine bright over in Paris  all my love xx kk.'

Karlie didn't reveal what the 'work obligation is' that will keep her away from the fun.

She first appeared on the show in New York in 2011 and became an official Angel in 2013, only to leave the lingerie brand in 2015.

Her last year on the VS catwalk was December 2014 in London. The 2016 show will tape on Wednesday at the Grand Palais in Paris and air on CBS on December 5.
Mel Gibson and his pregnant girlfriend jetted into LAX Airport on Tuesday night.

The 60-year-old actor was joined by younger partner Rosalind Ross, 26, - who is carrying his ninth child - as they arrived at the travel hub in Los Angeles together.

Rosalind made sure to keep her baby belly warm and covered up as she rocked a large black coat featuring leather sleeves and olive green scarf. Mel is expecting his ninth child

Baby on board: Mel Gibson and pregnant girlfriend Rosalind Ross were spotted arriving at LAX Airport in Los Angeles together on Tuesday night

The screenwriter kept the look on-trend as she sported skinny blue jeans ripped at the knees and grey suede booties.

Along with the scarf wrapped around her neck she accessorised with a pair of designer shades.

Rosalind pulled her raven-coloured locks back in a ponytail as she accentuated her porcelain skin with a swipe of pink lip.

Just the two of us: The 60-year-old actor and 26-year-old screenwriter looked happy to be travelling together

Blooming lovely: Rosalind made sure to keep her belly warm and covered up as she rocked a large black coat featuring leather sleeves and olive green scarf

Mel sported a black jacket over a denim button down shirt, baggy blue jeans and a pair of black leather New Balance trainers.

He accessorised with a pair of sunnies as she lugged along a vintage brown bag.

The Braveheart star also wore a black fedora over his grey locks as his bushy beard was in full form.

Fashinable flyer: The screenwriter kept the look on-trend as she sported skinny blue jeans ripped at the knees and grey suede booties

Mel and his ladylove were returning to Los Angeles from Dublin, Ireland as he was spotted on the set of The Professor And The Madman on Friday.

The couple, who've been dating for two years, first debuted their romance in public at the Golden Globe Awards in January this year.

It was announced in September that they were expecting their first child together.

Manly man: Mel - who is expecting his ninth child - ported a black jacket over a denim button down shirt, baggy blue jeans and a pair of black leather New Balance trainers

'Mel and Rose are so excited about the baby,'a friend told People magazine.

'Mel loves being a dad and he and Rose can't wait to be parents together. The last two years have been some of his happiest years he's ever had.'

Mel has already fathered seven children with ex-wife Robyn Moore: Hannah, 36, twin boys Christian and Edward, 34, William, 31, Louis, 28, Milo, 26, and Thomas, 17.

He also has a six-year-old daughter, Lucia, with former partner Oksana Grigorieva.
Earlier this week he denied they were getting married.

But Usain Bolt has admitted he's ready to start a family with his girlfriend Kasi Bennett.

The 30-year-old Olympian has told The Sun that following his retirement he's looking forward to becoming a parent with his long-time beau.

Ready to slow down? Usain Bolt has admitted he's ready to start a family with his girlfriend Kasi Bennett after retiring from his career

The world famous athlete explains: 'After my retirement we will move on to that step.'

But he remained a little coy about just how serious the couple are, casually admitting:

'I am moving steady with my girlfriend. It is getting there, I am getting to know her better and we are working together very well.'

Family on his mind: The 30-year-old Olympian has told The Sun that following his retirement he's looking forward to becoming a parent with his long-time beau

In September, it seemed that the decorated Olympic champ had decided to mark his retirement from sprinting by proposing to his longtime girlfriend.

But, following almost three months of speculation, Usain revealed this week that the Snapchat images purportedly showing him celebrating his engagement to the 26-year-old beauty were, in fact, edited by another user to trick fans.

During an interview on ITV's Lorraine on Tuesday, the Jamaican sportsman said: Im not engaged. Me and my girlfriend went on a trip to Bora Bora. Somebody edited picture on my Snapchat and said "she said yes" with a ring. It was well done though.'

Indeed, Usain took to the social media app to share images of his and Kasi's luxurious break - only for snapshots to be later edited to suggest he'd proposed.

While Usain has yet to pop the big question, his family is impatiently waiting for him to settle down and have children, with the statuesque star revealing: 'My mums pressuring me.'

The night before his interview with Lorraine Kelly, Usain was the star attraction as he attended the glittering world premiere of his new documentary I Am Bolt in London.

Doctored: The rumours came about in September, after a Snapchat image he shared of himself and Kasi from their vacation in Bora Bora was doctored to suggest an engagement

Chat: The sportsman sat down for an interview with Lorraine Kelly on her eponymous show

Oh baby! While clearing up engagement rumours, he admitted that he's under pressure from his mother to settle down and have children

Out and about: On Monday night, he was at London's Odeon Leicester Square for the world premiere of his new documentary I Am Bolt

Following the big unveiling at the Odeon Leicester Square, he swapped his slick navy suit for jeans and a hoodie under a beige jacket as he celebrated at an after-party, held at hotspot Tape.

And he pulled in his fair share of stars for his big night out, with the likes of Salma Hayek, Justin Bieber, and Mo Farah in attendance.

Rumoured dad-to-be Liam Payne also enjoyed an all-night party with the sprinter.

The star sprinter has found himself at the centre of a series of scandals since his stunning 'triple triple' at the Olympics in Rio in the summer.

He racked up a 6,000 bar tab and was spotted grinding with British model Erica Carvalho, 20, who was invited back to his hotel with seven other women and Usain's male friends as the party continued.

Talking family? Usain partied with rumoured dad-to-be Liam Payne at Monday night's bash

Big night out: Following the premiere, he attended an after-party at London hotspot Tape

Images: Usain's Snapchat images came after photos, which were shared on WhatsApp, appeared to show the shirtless sprinter in bed with his Brazilian 'lover'

Tryst? Usain was pictured with student Jady Duarte in August after she shared images on WhatsApp

The photos, which were shared on WhatsApp, appear to show a shirtless Usain in bed with his Brazilian 'lover', who was wearing a white vest top.

The woman, who it has been claimed is a mother-of-two and the widow of a notorious drug lord known as Dina Terror, has since said she is 'dying of shame'.

Brazilian student Jady Duarte, 20, shared pictures which appear to show her kissing and cuddling the sprinting sensation after his 30th birthday bash in Rio.

And further photos of Usain kissing and dancing with a third girl also came to light yesterday morning.

Chilling out: The sprinter and his model belle relaxed on the South Pacific island of Bora Bora

'We're finally here': The duo posted Snapchats of their luxury on social media, keeping their followers updated

Sharing: The sprinter and his girlfriend both took to their Snapchat and Instagram accounts to share photos from their break

Lip service: In August, pictures emerged showing Usain kissing a woman in a Rio nightclub just hours before 'spending the night' with a student who shared pictures of them in bed

Excitement: Social media went into overdrive after it was thought that the gold medal-winning athlete had hinted he might be engaged to his girlfriend

Usain's sister, Christine Bolt-Hylton, 32, has said that the star and his girlfriend Kasi are a solid couple and will stay together because they are so in love.

Speaking from her home parish of St Andrew, which borders Kingston, Jamaica, Christine said: 'I'm sure Kasi will be used to it by now.

'She is used to seeing pictures like this. People ask for pictures with him and he is always willing to have pictures. She is used to him being in the public domain.'

He's a winner! Usian also shared photographs of his gold medal collection following his incredible win at the Olympic games

Strong: Usain's girlfriend Kasi would be hurt by pictures of him in bed with mother-of-two Jady Duarte, according to the star's sister Christine Bolt-Hylton, 32, pictured right

Star athlete: Jamaica's star sprinter has found himself at the centre of a series of scandals since his stunning 'triple triple' in Rio
A former substitute teacher is facing two counts of exposing a child to harmful material in October incidents at Chippewa Falls Senior High School.

A $5,000 signature bond was continued Tuesday for Merlin H. Kardin, 70, of Fall Creek. He is scheduled to next appear before Judge Steven Cray at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.

According to a criminal complaint:

Chi-Hi Principal Rebecca Davis told Chippewa Falls Police on Oct. 20 that several students had seen Kardin view pornographic images and videos on a school computer during a science class and a math class.

A police officer went to a classroom where Kardin was teaching and asked that he open the internet tabs on his school computer. Kardin opened a Facebook page with his profile and news feed visible. It had a thumbnail side profile of a female breastfeeding an infant. Kardin was then taken out of the classroom.

Kardin said he did not view any photos of naked men or women on the school computer. However, a student said Kardins computer monitor was visible to the student while Kardin watched a naked female and male on Oct. 18 and a naked female on Oct. 20.

Kardin was ordered by Cray in October to have no contact with any person under the age of 18 that is unsupervised, and is to have no contact with any school in the state of Wisconsin. He is not to possess or view any pornography.
She may not be walking in the Victoria's Secret lingerie runway show this week.

But Shanina Shaik, 25, was still every bit the angel as she posed 'Charlie's Angels style' the night before the lingerie show made its Paris debut.

Posing shoulder to shoulder with her fiance DJ Rukus, the brunette beauty used her delicate fingers to create a 'hand gun'.

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Charlie's Angels! Shanina Shaik, 25, struck an angelic pose in Miami on Tuesday after she was dropped from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

She completed the cheeky jibe by posing provocatively off camera.

The model made sure to flaunt her lacy bra from Gooseberry Intimates for photos as she attended the L'Eden By Perrier-Jouet opening night in Miami on Tuesday night.

Clad in a quirky velvet blazer, the stunning model flashed a glimpse at her barely-there bra as she posed in front of a grassy backdrop.

Her look was complete with a pair of skin-hugging black jeans, strappy stilettos and a thin black choker necklace.

Victoria's Secret eat your heart out! Shanina Shaik, 25, flashed her lacy Gooseberry Intimates bra for photos as she attended the L'Eden By Perrier-Jouet opening night in Miami on Tuesday

Wearing minimal make-up and leaving her hair to hang in loose curls, Shanina was the epitome of laid-back chic.

DJ Rukus looked eclectic in a grey T-shirt with unusual ribbon applique, distressed jeans and a handful of dramatic necklaces.

Shanina attended the Miami event the night before the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was held in Paris.

Catwalk queen alert! Her look was complete with a pair of skin-hugging black jeans, strappy stilettos and a thin black choker necklace

Her main man! Joining her at the exclusive event was her fiance DJ Rukus, who looked eclectic in a grey T-shirt with unusual ribbon applique, distressed jeans and a handful of dramatic necklaces

The 25-year-old attended the New York City casting call for the catwalk last month, however, was not selected for this year's show.

The leggy beauty had previously walked in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 events.

In October, Shaninas mother Kim also shared a cryptic message on Instagram, moments after Victorias Secret announced this years models.

Former angel: Shanina previously walked in the 2015 show for the American lingerie brand

Her post read:'@shaninamshaik never allow one door closed to discourage you to step outside and seek other opportunities ahead.

'Never allow people to make you feel less cause you're far from less, you're amazing!

'I'm forever proud of the person you are and how far you've come....

I'm always right beside you to guide and support you, to achieve what ever goals you wish to pursue #alwaysgotyourback#alwaysawinnerinmyeyes'.
She's the outspoken Sydneysider, whose known for sharing her funny opinions on TV.

And Gogglebox star Angie Kent took a break from her couch this week, to embark on a fun-filled European getaway.

Despite being seemingly inseparable from her Gogglebox co-star Yvvie Jones, the reality star travelled without the chatty TV personality and was instead joined by two friends.

Holiday mode: Gogglebox favourite Angie Kent took a break from her couch this week, to embark on a fun-filled European getaway

In one Instagram snap taken in London last week, Angie showcases her pout and flashes the peace sign while wearing a white fur coat and evening make-up.

'After I snapped this I thought well shit, It's not even snowing and I'm carrying on like I'm in the damn North Pole,' she joked in the caption.

She is also pictured exploring Spain, while gushing to her followers, captioning: 'Barcelona, you're bloody beautiful.'

Exploring Barcelona: Angie appeared to be having a great time in Spain and she gushed to her followers, captioning: 'Barcelona, you're bloody beautiful'

Poser: She was seen playfully posing while sightseeing with friends

Despite oozing happiness in each holiday snap shared online, the blonde beauty recently admitted it has been a difficult year - while recalling having what felt like 'a nervous breakdown' at the start of 2016.

'So since [breaking down] I have been practicing mindfulness and meditation, journalling, and instead of drowning my problems in one too many wines, I am questioning myself, opening up, learning to be vulnerable and have got back in to yoga and being more active,' she wrote.

'Mental health is a bloody serious subject, and breaking old thought patterns and habits that we are not benefiting from is hard, but it is so doable!'

Fan favourite: Angie is known for her role on Gogglebox, on which she appears alongside her co-star Yvvie Jones

The meditation-enthusiast may need to work on perfecting her patience after reportedly lashing out at a Sydney venue last week for discriminating against her disabled brother.

Angie's 20-year-old brother Josh, who has Aspergers syndrome and a rare chromosome condition, was reportedly rejected from a Double Bay nightspot because of his condition.

Tough times: Despite oozing happiness in each holiday snap shared online, the blonde beauty admitted it has been a difficult year while recalling having what felt like 'a nervous breakdown' earlier this year

'The security guards refused my brother entry because of the way he looked, not the way he was acting,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

'I tried to explain but they kept shutting me down and told us to get out of the line because my brother looked intoxicated.

'I'm truly heartbroken. When a person with a disability is treated less favourably than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances, that's disability discrimination and I won't stand for it.'
Gamble Breaux is known for clashing with her fellow Housewives.

But on Wednesday, the Real Housewives of Melbourne star put the drama aside to enjoy a champagne with comedian Joel Creasey.

'I love @joelcreasey!' gushed the 45-year-old on Instagram as she shared a selfie of their boozy brunch together.

'I love @joelcreasey!' The Real Housewives of Melbourne's Gamble Breaux enjoyed a drink with comedian Joel Creasey on Wednesday

The outspoken blonde has previously expressed an interest in starting a comedy career, which may have something to do with her friendship with Joel.

Joel, who shot to fame on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, is a well known fan of The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

He's previously been spotted spending time with both Gamble and Pettifleur Berenger on multiple occasions.

The next Real Housewife? Joel was also spotted socialising with Pettifleur Berenger recently

Hurry up! The Real Housewives of Melbourne is set to start filming soon for season four

The popular reality series is set to resume filming soon for season four.

In the meantime, filming for the first season of The Real Housewives of Sydney is due to end soon, with the series set to premiere sometime next year.

Over in New Zealand, The Real Housewives of Auckland just finished airing its first season last month.

Meanwhile, one of the franchise's most popular installments, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, will return for its seventh season on December 7.
The sight of her burgeoning bump at a Christmas carol concert on Tuesday night has got everyone talking.

And as Cheryl's fuller form all but confirmed her much speculated about pregnancy, The Sun's Dan Wootton revealed the reasons Cheryl has maintained her silence since the rumour mill went into overdrive months ago.

Speaking on Wednesday's Lorraine, he said: 'Cheryls told close friends and family. I think everyone knows the battles shes gone through in her personal life, the fact she so desperately wanted this for so many years, and it didnt come.

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Glowing: The sight of her burgeoning bump at a Christmas carol concert on Tuesday night has got everyone talking

'Shes totally ecstatic, happy... apparently she's been very open with friends and family.'

He added that there were also other personal issues behind the decision to remain quiet which hadn't been made public.

The images of Cheryl proudly displaying her bump beside boyfriend Liam Payne, 23, have been the talk of morning TV, with Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid congratulating the couple on Good Morning Britain.

Radiant: As Cheryl's fuller form all but confirmed her much speculated about pregnancy, Dan Wootton revealed the reasons Cheryl has maintained her silence since the rumour mill went into overdrive months ago

For a good cause: Cheryl put on a stylish display at the charitable carol concert organised by the Quintessentially Foundation which is a partner of Cheryl's Trust

Sharing with those closest: Cheryl has reportedly told close friends and family about the pregnancy

Piers kicked off the pair's chat as he definitively stated: 'Congratulations to Cheryl', before his co-host went on: 'There's always a point where it's reasonable to ask: "Are you pregnant?" Because it's no longer a food baby.'

He then directed a message to Cheryl herself, saying: 'Cheryl if you're watching, you can't kid a kidder so get on with your announcement. Well done to you. Well done to your 1D man. It's good news among a torrid of despair.'

The outspoken presenter went on: 'I think we can get past the is she or isnt she. Shes about to give birth!'

Big news: The images of Cheryl proudly displaying her bump beside boyfriend Liam Payne, 23, have been the talk of morning TV

Rumours of a pregnancy first started to swirl in September when Cheryl's mother, Joan Callaghan was pictured buying baby goods.

The star divorced her first husband Ashley Cole after four years of marriage in 2010 when he had an affair, and just last month she and her second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini were granted a decree nisi in just 14 seconds.

Cheryl and Liam went public with their romance in February after being spotted together in a supermarket in Guildford, Surrey. The couple's romance came five months after she and Jean-Bernard officially separated.

Happy! Cheryl looked radiant at the event, smiling brightly while stood in a stylish ensemble

Meanwhile, Cheryl put on a stylish display at the charitable carol concert organised by the Quintessentially Foundation which is a partner of Cheryl's Trust.

Opting for a seasonal yet stylish ensemble, Cheryl slipped into a tight-fitting olive mini dress.

The knee-length olive number featured a black striped across the decolletage, though the dress couldn't quite hide Cheryl's tummy.

Looking good: Cheryl slipped into a tight-fitting olive mini dress

On the mic: Cheryl confidently addressed the audience

Wearing her billowing black overcoat open, the star ensured that she'd be well protected from any chills.

She rounded of her wardrobe with a pair of thigh-high leather boots, a billowing checked scarf and a metal studded handbag.

As the couple arrived at the carols, Liam couldn't help but wrap a protective arm around his girlfriend.

Dressed in a black greatcoat, jumper, jeans and boots, the singer cut a handsome figure as he escorted Cheryl into the venue.

The loved-up couple's outing came just hours after Cheryl was urged to confirm her 'pregnant' state by TV favourite Lorraine Kelly.

Speaking on Tuesday, the host asked: 'Have they still not confirmed whether or not shes pregnant?'
Kanye West's hospitalisation last week was the result of a 'nervous breakdown', according to a new report.

The rapper and father of two was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles over a week ago after he reportedly began hallucinating and lashed out at paramedics, and has remained at UCLA Medical Center since.

According to TMZ, Kanye suffered a 'nervous breakdown triggered in large part by the anniversary of his mother's death.'

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In hospital: Kanye West's hospitalisation last week was the result of a 'nervous breakdown', triggered by the anniversary of the death of his mother according to a new report

Sources close to Kim Kardashian's husband have told TMZ that the star was an emotional wreck in the weeks leading up to his hospitalisation, with a severe lack of sleep and round-the-clock work fuelling his problems.

He was allegedly also emotionally exhausted from supporting wife Kim in the aftermath of the terrifying heist at their Paris apartment last month where she was held at gunpoint.

But according to the report the main trigger for Kanye's 'breakdown' was the anniversary of his beloved mother Donda's death back in November 2007.

Loss: Donda died at the age of 58 after suffering complications from elective surgery. Her funeral was November 20 - the same day Kanye cancelled his show at the L.A. Forum

Donda died at the age of 58 after suffering complications from elective surgery. Her funeral was November 20 - the same day Kanye cancelled his show at the L.A. Forum.

The following day Kanye cancelled the rest of his tour and was later taken to hospital.

It's thought the star has never properly grieved for his mother, and has previosuly admitted he blames himself for her death.

Speaking to Q Magazine last year, when asked what in his life he's sacrificed for his success, the Grammy winner said: 'My mom.'

Wants to work: Kanye is desperate to make music in hospital but has been told to 'rest' (The hitmaker is pictured on November 15)

'If I had never moved to L.A. she'd be alive,' he said. 'I don't want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears.'

Meanwhile it's been claimed Kanye is desperate to make music in hospital but has been told to 'rest'.

The 39-year-old rapper - who has always been a slave to his work - has reportedly been asking his wife Kim if he can have music equipment at his bedside and see his Yeezy fashion designs, but the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has told him he must focus on getting better.

A source told Us Weekly: 'Kanye keeps wanting to work. At the hospital, he requested that recording equipment be brought to the hospital so he can record in his bed.'

Dramatic: The 39-year-old star was acting erratically when his personal trainer called emergency services on November 21 who then came and handcuffed Kanye to a gurney to be transported to hospital

'And he has kept asking to see sketches of his fashion lines. He continues to want to work and Kim has to keep telling him to rest.'

The 36-year-old beauty has been spending several hours a day at her husband's side at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angles after he experienced a 'psychotic breakdown' last week.

But she is reportedly determined to keep their kids North, three, and 11-month-old Saint away from the hospital until the Famous hitmaker is on the mend.

However, the little ones are allowed to visit their father at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric ward at UCLA, where Kanye is currently receiving treatment, providing they are accompanied by an adult.

Family man: 'The kids have not visited. Kim has been there,' Children can visit patients at Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, where Kanye is staying, but must be accompanied by an adult

The 'Bound 2' hitmaker was rushed to hospital over a week ago after he reportedly began hallucinating and lashed out at paramedics.

Since his admission, doctors have been keeping a constant eye on the rapper as they're worried for his mental state and his safety.

An insider recently said: 'In the hospital he has been very paranoid and is under constant watch for his safety.

'He's still there because clearly he's not doing well. Kim does spend hours with Kanye every day. She says that Kanye is on many different medications and that his doctors are figuring out proper doses.

'Kim says that not much has changed since he was admitted and that his doctors seem concerned.'
The Bachelor's Noni Janur recently relocated from Queensland to Sydney to be with her co-star and BFF Kiki Morris.

But it looks like the voluptuous swimwear designer has also struck up an extremely close friendship with another star from the reality series.

On Wednesday, Faith Williams took to social media to leave a gushing post about Noni on the brunette's 26th birthday.

'Happy birthday to this gorgeous soul!' The Bachelor's Faith Williams took to wish co-star Noni Janur a happy birthday

'Happy birthday to this gorgeous soul!' wrote Faith.

She continued: 'I haven't even known you for a year but it feels like we are old time friends.'

The cute caption was accompanied by an image of the pair sharing a friendly hug and kiss at a recent event.

'I haven't even known you for a year but it feels like we are old time friends,' she gushed

Stuck in the middle? Despite having a close friendship with Faith, Noni is also BFFs with Bachelor babe Kiki Morris

A look through the twosome's respective Instagram accounts features countless images of them posing together like best friends.

Although Faith is based in Brisbane, The Bachelor beauties appear to catch up whenever they're in the same city.

Noni made it to the ninth episode of The Bachelor season four before being sent home by Richie Strahan.

Catching up! Despite not living in the same city, the pair catch up whenever they can

Four's a crowd! Faith and Kiki recently joined Keira Maguire and Kiki for a girls' day out

Faith fared much better by making it to the final five, only to be sent home in a sea of tears.

Soon after the show wrapped, Noni packed her bags and moved in with Kiki Morris in Sydney.
She had a very public fall out with her ex-husband Johnny Depp earlier this year.

But Amber Heard, 30, looked to have put her love life troubles behind her as she bid a fond farewell to ex boyfriend Mark Wystrach in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

After enjoying an evening with the hunk at the No Name Club, the actress coyly smiled as she hugged him outside.

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Amber Heard, 30, looked to have put her love life troubles behind her as she bid a fond farewell to ex boyfriend Mark Wystrach in Los Angeles on Tuesday night

The Rum Diaries star looked chic in a black jacket with a cream trim, skinny jeans and black heels.

She kept things coordinated with a plain white top and a black over-the-shoulder bag.

Amber injected a splash of colour into her look with a vibrant red manicure and matching rouge on her lips.

Fond farewell: After enjoying an evening with the hunk at the No Name Club, the pair shared a hug outside

Looking good: The Rum Diaries star looked chic in a black jacket with a cream trim, skinny jeans and black heels

Stylish: She kept things coordinated with a plain white top and a black over-the-shoulder bag

Walking away: Her blonde locks were styled in a preppy fashion, and she raised her hand to her head as she sauntered into the night

Retro: The country singer wore a vintage brown leather jacket with blue jeans and a buttoned down yellow shirt

Her blonde locks were styled in a preppy fashion, and she raised her hand to her head as she sauntered into the night.

The country singer wore a vintage brown leather jacket with blue jeans, a buttoned down yellow shirt and brown shoes.

He sported dark mid-length locks and rugged facial hair for a masculine finish.

Amber vowed to donate all of her divorce settlement money to charity after being awarded $7million in her divorce from Johnny in August.

Hanging out: Amber was then pictured with a gal pal outside ABDB clothing store

pLUMP POUT: Amber injected a splash of colour into her look with a vibrant red lipstick

However, according to a recent report, the two organisations that she decided to divide the funds between have still not received the money.

TMZ claims that Johnny wants to pay the amount directly to each of the charities, but Heard wants him to pay the money to her so that she can donate it herself.

The website alleges that Amber does not want Johnny to receive a tax deduction on the donations.

Toned pins: Amber's slender limbs were accentuated in her skinny jeans

Chilled: The friends looked relaxed as they stood chatting outside the store

Amber decided to split the money evenly between the American Civil Liberties Union for their work to stop violence against women, and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, Johnny sent each organisation a first installment of $200,000, but they have not received any more since then.

The American Civil Liberties Union has contacted TMZ to state that Amber also donated $350,000 to their organisation in August, as an advance from the money Johnny is due to pay her.

Tight squeeze: Amber and her friend shared a warm hug

Blonde beauty: Despite the late hour, Amber still looked great

The website reports that the delay is because the former couple are yet to sign their final settlement documents.

Pierce O'Donnell, Amber's lawyer, told TMZ that he expects the documents to be signed this week.

Amber filed for divorce from the Pirates Of The Caribbean star in May after one year of marriage, and obtained a temporary restraining order against him five days later.

She alleged that the actor was 'verbally and physically abusive' throughout their relationship and provided photographs of her battered face as evidence of abuse, along with witness statements.

However Johnny's lawyers alleged that Amber was 'attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse' because on an occasion that police were called to her home, she said there had been a 'verbal dispute only' and officers saw no evidence of a crime at the time.

Deep in conversation: Amber's friend held her arm as the pair passionately spoke

Ring bling: Amber accessorised with plenty of jewellery
The show will see performances from superstars including Lady Gaga, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars, who will take the stage among the models during the

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It is one of the most prestigious modelling gigs around the globe.

So sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid were no doubt fraught with nerves as they prepared for the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris on Wednesday afternoon, in the sensational display which is sponsored by and featuring the designs of the US-based lingerie and sleepwear brand.

The striking beauties, 20, and, 21, respectively, flashed their bras as they were preened and perfected ahead of the show, which sees some of the world's most stunning models, including Kendall Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio and Irina Shayk, strip down to lingerie for the spectacular.

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Getting ready! Bella and Gigi Hadid were no doubt fraught with nerves as they prepared for the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Paris on Wednesday afternoon

The Parisian show marks the Victoria's Secret catwalk's 21st year, having first launched in New York in 1995, with the show growing in size every year and scoring higher profile names with it.

Each year a model is charged with wearing the 'Fantasy Bra' - a brassiere styled by a world renowned jeweller, who will craft the item which is deemed the 'ultimate holiday gift'. This year Californian model Jasmine Tookes will showcase a $2.4million emerald and diamond bra, weighing more than 450 carats.

Leading the pack is novice Angel, Bella, who is all set to make her debut at the show, in which she will strut the catwalk to the tune of her rumoured ex-boyfriend The Weeknd's music. While bringing her love life to the catwalk as well as her modelling skills, the raven haired stunner is no doubt growing more nervous yet she managed to mask her concerns as she playfully posed backstage.

With her powder pink silken robe, a preparation uniform for the Angels, tumbling off her shoulder, she gave a glimpse of her lacy bra underneath. The racy garment acted to give her cleavage a boost, as she exhibited an impressive decolletage atop her slender physique.

Look at me! The striking beauties, 20, and, 21, (left-right) respectively, cheekily flashed their bras as they were preened and perfected ahead of the show, which sees some of the world's most stunning models strip down to lingerie for the spectacular

Getting it done: The preparation room was a mammoth task, with the models being prepped for one of the biggest shows of the year

Lights, camera, action! Bella was preparing herself avidly for her turn at the stunning show

Busty display: Bella is all set to make her debut at the show, in which she will strut the catwalk to the tune of her rumoured ex-boyfriend The Weeknd's music

Fabulous from all angles: Bella preened and pouted as she posed for the cameras in her stunning backstage shots

First time baby! Bella is all set to make her debut at the show, in which she will strut the catwalk to the tune of her rumoured ex-boyfriend The Weeknd's music

All the girls: The Angels were getting along famously as they chatted away in the dressing room

The many faces of Miss Hadid: Bella showed her full model range as she went from moody pouts to a playful gape and onto a plump kiss

Lengthening things up: Bella - known for her solemn pouts and moody glares - flashed a rare smile, which showed off her youthful teen face

As she chatted to vying reporters and photographers, her silken tresses were toyed with and styled - ready for her debut on the world famous runway. Ensuring she was in full comfort ahead of slipping into her heels, she sported Havaianas Slim flip flops in Crystal Rose.

Her flawless skin was pampered and preened as she was given a dewy finish with lashings of highlighter, while a slick of cat-eye liquid eyeliner perfected her sex kitten look to perfection.

Proving their gene pool to be extremely blessed, Gigi also exhibited her stunning good looks - yet as ever they showed the difference in their style.

While Bella favours a gothic style, complete with raven tresses and a ghostly palour, Gigi goes for full on Californian girl - tanned skin, blonde tresses and soft curves.

Preened: As she chatted to vying reporters and photographers, her silken tresses were toyed with and styled - ready for her debut on the world famous runway

Radiant: Bella looked every inch the professional as she balanced getting pampered while dealing with the world's press

All eyes on me: British model Megan Williams proved team work is the dream work as she was descended on by a bevvy of aides to help get her catwalk

That stare: In her pink surroundings, the stunner's gothic beauty stood out even further

Cheeky! The older sister flashed a hint of the same bra as she too dazzled during preparation for the show - pulling a variety of cheeky faces and poses

Hair raising! Gigi's alarming hair styling did not seem to faze her as she tapped away on her phone

Staying focussed: Camera lenses were trained in Gigi's direction as showed just why she's a coveted model

The older sister flashed a hint of the same bra as she too dazzled during preparation for the show - pulling a variety of cheeky faces and poses.

The sibling's turn at the show comes after Bella revealed their mum Yolanda taught her how to pose for the show - as she dubbed her mother an 'emotional angel'.

Speaking to People magazine, the model said: 'My mum is my emotional angel. She always makes me feel so much better. Just like any mother would. Shes just like: "Shoulders back, be confident and walk strong."'

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has revealed she is 'so excited' to see her daughters modelling alongside one another in the lingerie giant's showcase.

All ready! After being pampered by aides, Gigi turned around to unveil the stunning results

Working overtime: Even during preparation time, Gigi was pulling all her best poses and pouts for the camera

Legs eleven! Once Gigi was all ready she showed off a touch more flesh as she posed with her leg jutted at an angle

Always time for a selfie! Between having her picture taken and taking pictures of herself, Gigi proved there is always time to get snap happy

All eyes on me: Gigi looked distracted as she underwent her pamper session

Ready for my close up! Gigi posed with fellow models as they all got ready for the stunning shoot

Sister sister! The siblings both took to SnapChat to document their time in the show

The proud parent shared a picture of Gigi and Bella cuddling up to Lady Gaga, who will be performing at the event, which she captioned: "I'am so excited to see you girls tomorrow night........ #Paris#VictoriaSecret #MyGirls @gigihadid@bellahadid @LadyGaga #Sisterhood (sic)."

And the brunette beauty has revealed she is set to have two costume changes during the fashion extravaganza, which will take place in Paris, France, which will see her adorn an embellished top made of 6000 crystals.

However, Bella believes her sparkly attire makes her look like like a dazzling diamond as she said: 'I look like a disco ball. Its so beautiful and shiny.'

Meanwhile, Bella has revealed she "can't believe" she will be modelling alongside her older sibling and best friend Gigi in her debut catwalk show for the fashion house.

Snap snapping away! Bella glowed in her pink ensemble among the cast and crew in their muted colours

Stunner: Sitting playfully on the seat, Bella gazed into the camera before pulling her very best pout

Perfect pout: Striking close ups showed Bella's beauty in full

Statuesque stunners: The gene pool certainly dazzled with the Hadids

Sister act! The beautiful sisters showed off their modelling prowess as they dazzled on screen

Raven haired beauties: Co-models and BFFs Kendall and Bella looked phenomenal - even in the early stages of prep

Weighing in: Kendall was having animated chats with the admiring staff surrounding her

Having a giggle: Joining the backstage beauties was fellow member of the 'Instagram' supermodels, Kendall Jenner, who looked fresh-faced as she went make-up free

Fresh faced: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians beauty was preparing for her second year on the runway as she laughed and giggled through her pampering session

Mirror image: Bella and Kendall were facing one another during their preening session

On top of the earth: Kendall looked overjoyed to spend her second year in a row prepping for the show

That's how you do it! It seems the kiss blow was the key to the looks of the evening

Naturally gorgeous: Both with and without make-up, Kendall proved herself to be beautiful

Joining the backstage beauties was fellow member of the 'Instagram' elite of supermodels, Kendall Jenner, who looked fresh-faced as she went make-up free.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians beauty was preparing for her second year on the runway as she laughed and giggled through her pampering session.

Her raven tresses were being teased with a styling wand, while she appeared to be booked into make-up for later in the session as she remained cosmetic free.

Some guidance? It seems Kendall had a say in her beauty look as she expressively showed her stylish what she was interested in doing

Fluffing it up: Kendall seemed focused on her hair rather than her make-up

Bored? A glance at the work going into the models' beauty looks made it understandable that Kendall may become a little bored

Give me a moment! Kendall seemed to enjoy a diva moment as she raised a finger to photographers

Kisses! Kendall was posing from every angle to ensure the photographers grabbed the perfect shot

Smouldering: Victoria's Secret debut Irina Shayk showed off her stunning good looks in front of the camera

Legs eleven! Irina flashed her incredibly long legs while posing and pouting on a wooden stall

A classic beauty: Irina looked simply sensational as she showed off her incredibly ample assets in her push-up bra

Sizzling sensation: Irina failed to crack a smile as she plumped her famed pout while having her hair gently tonged

Having a giggle! Irina not only threw her head back in hysterical laughter but also flashed her very generous cleavage

Concentration: Irina was the focus of her make-up artist as she had her eye make-up applied

Lip service: The beauty sat patiently as her lips were painted a perfect deep pink ahead of the big show

Stunning from all angles: Irina pouted and preened in front of the camera as she sizzled ahead of the show

Dolled up to the nines: Celebrating her tenth year as an angel was Alessandra Ambrosio, who looked every inch the seasoned pro as she had her make-up applied

Showing them the ropes: The mother-of-two will no doubt teach the new intake how it's done as they prepared to strip down to their smalls for the show

Pouting it up: Pulling her very best pout for the camera, Alessandra showed odd her flawless bone structure while having her nails done

Kiss, kiss! Alessandra cosied up to members of the production team

Let the strip off begin: Martha Hunt, Stella Maxwell, Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes looked sensational as they clamoured atop the ledge

Kiss, kiss: The stunning model blew kisses to the camera

16 years and still sexy! Having enjoyed a whopping 16 years as an Angel, after joining the group in 2000, Adriana Lima is well-versed in the show - hence her playful ease behind the scenes

I'm so excited! The stunner struggled to contain her excitement after the finishing touches were applied to her makeup

Strike a pose! After her glam squad had completed their work, Adriana struck a few seductive poses for photographers

She's ready for her close-up! Adriana showed off her flawless makeup as she posed for more snapshots

Naturally the show was crammed with superstars from around the globe - all preparing for the evening of glamour. Irina Shayk failed to crack a smile as she plumped her famed pout while having her hair gently tonged.

Having enjoyed a whopping 16 years as an Angel, after joining the group in 2000, Adriana Lima is well-versed in the show - hence her playful ease behind the scenes.

Celebrating her tenth year as an angel was Alessandra Ambrosio, who looked every inch the seasoned pro as she had her make-up applied. The mother-of-two will no doubt teach the new intake how it's done as they prepared to strip down to their smalls for the show.

Peace out! Izabel Goulart, who has been an angel for a whopping decade, flashed a cheeky peace sign to the cameras as she showed off her cleavage while also dripping with jewels

A hairy situation: Clearly feeling playful, the brunette beauty giggled and blew kisses into the camera

Hot mama! Izabel looked phenomenal as she pulled her very best pose for the camera

Intense concentration: English model Megan Williams showed off her incredible natural beauty as she had her damp hair coiffed while going make-up free

Kisses for her fans! Danish beauty Josephine Skriver wowed as she bent over to flash her perky cleavage

She's the Don(aldson)! Lily looked stunning as she allowed her robe to fall open and give a glimpse at her stunning body

VS Fave! Lily Aldridge dazzled for the camera as she larked around in the midst of the preparation

Izabel Goulart, who has been an angel for a whopping decade, flashed a cheeky peace sign to the cameras as she showed off her cleavage while also dripping with jewels.

English model Megan Williams, who was discovered aged 14 and joined VS last year, showed off her incredible natural beauty as she had her damp hair coiffed while going make-up free.

Megan posed alongside fellow stunning models Maria Borges and Luma Grothe as they shared a selfie backstage in their matching bras and robes.

Having first taken the famed stage in 2013, Pilates-fanatic Devon Windsor was back with a vengeance as she dazzled for the camera. She showed off the personalised robes worn by the angels, which read: Victoria's Secret Paris 2016.

Back with a bang! Having first taken the famed stage in 2013, Pilates fanatic Devon Windsor was back with a vengeance as she dazzled for the camera

All eyes on me! She showed off the personalised robes worn by the angels, which read: Victoria's Secret Paris 2016

No secrets here! Lais Oliveira went beyond a hint of bra as she flashed her entire lingerie for the cameras

She's no shrinking violet! Lais showed off her playful side as she peeled off her outer garment for the cameras

Out and a pout: Megan (right) posed alongside fellow stunning models Maria Borges and Luma Grothe (left-centre) as they shared a selfie backstage in their matching bras and robes

Glam girls: The trio looked incredibly glam as they were pampered to perfection

Perfect pins: The ladies showed off their long lean legs as they got comfortable on the couch together

Selfie time! Apparently happy with their glammed up looks, they huddled together to pose for a selfie

Perfect from all angles! Just for measure, they took a number of selfies, while Luma stayed hydrated with a cold beverage

Toe-tally perfect! Maria kept her perfectly-pedicured toes separated as they dried ahead of the big show

Smiley sensation! Romee Strijd leaned against a wall to indulge in a stunning shoot in which she beamed and smiled

Having a laugh! Oblivious to the wonders surrounding her, Romee stole a moment in front of the camera

Chinese model Ming Xi showed off her dewy complexion as she gave an angelic beam over her shoulder with her raven tresses styled into huge bouncy waves over her shoulder.

Sara Sampaio wore her hair in perfectly preened waves while Australian beauty Bridget Malcolm looked like her blonde counterpart with near-identical tresses.

Sizzling beauty Jourdana Elizabeth showed off her funky bleached pixie crop as she beamed into the camera. Romee Strijd leaned against a wall to indulge in a stunning shoot in which she beamed and smiled.

Angolan beauty Maria Borges pulled all her best poses into the camera as she placed a sassy hand on her hip before glancing over her shoulder.

UK viewers can watch the show exclusively on 4Music on Monday 12th December at 8pm

Picture perfect: Kelly Gale looked stunning as she posed seductively backstage ahead of the big show

She's got it in the bag: She clutched her leather designer handbag as a glam squad put the finishing touches to her look

Tress-ed to impress: The Swedish-Australian beauty played with her glossy wavy locks as she posed for photographers

Teaming up: Kelly also posed for a backstage snapshot with fellow Australian model Bridget Malcolm

Blowing kisses: The stunning beauties simultaneously blew kisses at the camera as they waited for the main event

Pretty pink: Chinese model Ming Xi showed off her dewy complexion as she gave an angelic beam over her shoulder with her raven tresses styled into huge bouncy waves over her shoulder

Pink and pinker: Sara Sampaio (left-right) wore her hair in perfectly preened waves while Australian beauty Bridget Malcolm (centre) looked like her blonde counterpart with near-identical tresses

Kiss for the camera! Sizzling beauty Jourdana Elizabeth showed off her funky bleached pixie crop as she beamed into the camera

She's an angel! Angolan beauty Maria Borges pulled all her best poses into the camera as she placed a sassy hand on her hip before glancing over her shoulder

Picture perfect: Brazilian beauty Daniela Braga posed for selfies as her voluminous raven tresses was styled to perfection

Eye eye! Blond beauty Rachel Hilbert sat patiently as a cat eye effect was added to her stunning look

Here come the girls! Alessandra, as one of the longest serving Angels, led the way as the beauties arrived in the city of love

Strutting their stuff: Before transforming into their ensembles, the stunners showed off their very unique flares for fashion

Edgy: Away from sexy lingerie, Gigi, who is dating former One Direction star Zayn Malik, showed off her unique style, when she made even a tracksuit look cutting edge
He threw a temper tantrum when his room was cleared out on Tuesday.

But Roxy Jacenko's two-year-old son Hunter Curtis looked ecstatic the next day, while relaxing in his brand new custom-made bed.

The adorable toddler beamed while laying down on the lavish Blainey North bunk and appeared to be impressed by his new bedroom.

Ecstatic! Roxy Jacenko's two-year-old son Hunter Curtis looked ecstatic after seeing his brand new custom-made designer bed in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday

'I won't lie - she was skating on thin ice when she removed all of my belongings yesterday - today you know who has redeemed herself a new custom made bed via @blaineynorth and linen via @sheridanaustralia - oh how the ladies will be impressed,' an Instagram caption read.

The fair-haired son of Roxy and disgraced banker Oliver Curtis sported a blue striped T-shirt and cream-coloured shorts as he relaxed before bedtime with a stuffed toy.

The snap came a day after he was filmed throwing a tantrum after returning home to find his room completely empty.

Toddler tantrum: Hunter was surprise on Tuesday when he came home to find his bedroom had been stripped empty

In a video uploaded to his Instagram page, the toddler walks into the room before storming back out as his PR queen mum prepares to transition from a cot to a children's bed.

Roxy, who posts content on the accounts she created for both her son and daughter, captioned the video: ' When you come home from a big day of study and you know who has removed every single item from your room.'

The youngster is heard exclaiming 'the man took my things away' while his older sister Pixie, five, delights in his surprise.

Bedroom blues: The toddler is seen exclaiming 'the man took my things away' as mum Roxy Jacenko films his reaction

Makeover: The youngster's room is seemingly being prepped for redecoration after a comment on the post revealed they would be helping in giving his room a makeover

Media mum: PR queen Roxy runs social media accounts for both of her children, regularly uploading photos of their exploits

Roxy revealed to Daily Mail Australia that Hunter's new room has been designed by Blainey North, who previously redecorated Nicole Kidman's Milsons Point penthouse.

Hunter's profile already has a following of nearly 20,000 while his sister's is followed by 111,000 Instagram users.

And earlier this week, another adorable video of Hunter showed him doing his best to do press-ups - taking after his mum, who has been following a rigorous exercise regime during and after her radiation treatment for cancer.

'Look what she makes me do before school of a morning': Hunter joked about his mother Roxy forcing him to exercise before school last week

Dedication! The two-year-old was well-dressed in white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt as he performed the exercises on the floor

In the caption, Roxy playfully wrote: 'She's always on about fitness, look what she makes me do before school of a morning. You think a 6 pack comes without dedication?!'

The 36-yera-old, who appears to be behind the lens, could be heard asking the adorable toddler: 'What are you doing?'

The always well-dressed tot was performing the exercises while sporting a pair of white shorts and a navy blue T-shirt, along with a pair of Nike trainers.

Meanwhile Pixie, who is famous in her own right with an accessories company, recently celebrated her final day at kindergarten.

Social media sensations: Hunter and his sister Pixie are both stars on Instagram with thousands of followers

Milestone: Pixie, five, celebrated her final day at kindergarten last week

The publicist proudly displayed her daughter's last school photos before she starts 'big school' next year!

'Final Kindy picture pre big school!!!' Roxy captioned a snap of Pixie and Curtis together.

The milestone was celebrated without their father, Oliver Curtis, who was jailed for insider trading in June this year.

The children appear blissfully unaware of his absence, after Roxy revealed to KIIS FM back in August that she told them he is in China for work instead of revealing the truth.
It may be over 20 years since she sent temperatures soaring with her saucy Boddington's advert.

But Melanie Sykes proved that time has only made her look more fabulous than ever.

The TV presenter, 46, has stripped off to thrill fans with her new 2017 calendar.

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Hot date: Melanie Sykes proved that time has only made her look more fabulous than ever as she strips down to a racy bikini for her 2017 calendar

Sharing a teaser with fans on Instagram, she uploaded a snap of her posing in a racy black bikini atop of a mountain.

The cut-out two piece made the most of her gym-honed figure which she has achieved through endless gruelling sessions at the gym.

The daring image comes after she shared yet another clip on Instagram where she looked like the ultimate fitness fanatic as she worked on her upper back on Tuesday.

The TV personality, 46, showed off her tanned and sculpted form as she documented herself defining her back and arms as she pulled in two ropes.

Fitness fanatic: The 46-year-old shared a video clip on Instagram showing how she kept her figure in check

Gym bunny: The TV personality showed off her tanned and sculpted form as she documented herself defining her back and arms as she pulled in two ropes

Challenging: Showcasing her pert posterior in a pair of skin-tight leggings, the former Big Breakfast star had the perfect posture as she completed her set of reps

With her hair scraped back on her pretty face, Mel looked in the zone as she concentrated on the gruelling activity.

Showcasing her pert posterior in a pair of skin-tight leggings, the former Big Breakfast star had the perfect posture as she completed her set of reps.

Clearly pleased with her efforts, the clip ended in her turning to the camera and flaunting her mega-watt smile.

Preppy chic: The TV star stepped out at the Fayre of St James's on Tuesday night

Floral: The covered up in a demure print wrap dress, given an edge with a pair of racy thigh high boots

Describing what she had just completed, Mel captioned the clip: 'Face pulls targeting upper back and posterior delts with my fabulous trainer @roarfitnessgirl at @roarfitnessldn #gym #training #instafit #pt #roarfitness @freddyukireland #gympants'.

Becoming something of a fitness guru thanks to the success of her posts with fans, Mel even jetted to Ibiza earlier this month to review luxury fitness retreat Thirty Eight Degrees North for her blog.

A thrill seeker as well as an exercise junkie, the mum-of-two recently filmed BBC Two's A Week in the Wild with ex-politician Stanley Johnson and comedian Henning Wehn - which saw the trio spend seven days trekking through Mexico's Copper Canyon.

Like a pro! With her hair scraped back on her pretty face, Mel looked in the zone as she concentrated on the gruelling activity

Fruits of her labours: The Lancashire-born lass is known for her gruelling fitness regime - often documenting her intense workouts on her Instagram alongside a host of sexy bikini photos

Explaining the gruelling work that went into making the programme, she described the overall experience as both 'horrible' and 'amazing'.

She explained on ITV's Lorraine last month: 'It wasnt glamorous, I havent camped like that ever.

'At first I wanted to share [a tent] with someone, obviously not one of the boys! But I managed to think to myself "get over it" and got over my fears.'
Roxy Jacenko has revealed there is a 15 per cent chance of her cancer returning, as she continues her recovery after breast cancer surgery.

The 36-year-old PR maven told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday that maintaining her health remains a priority and that she is prepared to face whatever comes her way.

'I did a test in the US which gives you a percentage of the cancer coming back and it was a bit higher than the Oncologist would have liked,' she said.

Brave: Roxy Jacenko told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday that there is a 15 per cent chance of her cancer returning, as she continues her recovery after breast cancer surgery

'I have a 10 to 15 per cent chance of it coming back.

She added: 'All is looking good, the radiation for six weeks went fine, everything is looking good. If it comes back down the track I will face it then.'

The Sydney mother-of-two underwent the removal of a cancerous tumour in her breast back in August, weeks after her devastating diagnosis.

And after radiation treatment, will now be on a chemotherapy tablet for the next ten years.

'I did a test in the US which gives you a percentage of the cancer coming back and it was a bit higher than the Oncologist would have liked,' she said. (Pictured back in August, before undergoing a lumpectomy)

The news comes after Roxy opened up about her challenging year during an appearance on Channel Nine's Today Extra this week.

Five months after her husband Oliver Curtis was found guilty of insider trading and sentenced to two years imprisonment, the blonde beauty said she is proud of how he's coping away from his family.



'He is good as good as you can be in that environment,' she said, adding: 'We are proud of him.

Tough times: Roxy has opened up about how her husband Oliver Curtis is coping behind bars as he continues his two-year sentence for insider trading

'He's taken it on the chin and getting on with it.'

Earlier in the interview, Roxy admitted 2016 had been 'a b***h of a year' for herself and her family.

The comment was in relation to her husband's very public court case and her breast cancer diagnosis back in July.

Good spirits: Appearing on Today Extra, the 36-year-old said: 'He is good as good as you can be in that environment. We are proud of him. He's taken it on the chin and getting on with it'

Tough times: Earlier in the interview, the PR queen admitted 2016 had been 'a b***h of a year' for herself and her family of four

'Everyone has challenges, mine were compounded in a period of four months. It's a year I never thought I would face,' she said.

'But at the same time I've got two amazing children, a business that's amazing with great staff. I think I'm very lucky.

'Yes it's been tough but at the same time I'm very lucky. I look at the positives, I think my positives outweigh my negatives,' she concluded.

Difficult: The comment was in relation to her husband's very public court case and her breast cancer diagnosis back in July

Battler: She said: 'Everyone has challenges, mine were compounded in a period of four months. But at the same time I'm very lucky...I think my positives outweigh my negatives'

Shortly after Oliver's sentence in June, Roxy revealed the disgraced investment banker was working as a clerk while behind bars.

'He has a job, he works as a clerk in an administrative role. They go to the gym a lot,' she told KIIS FM's Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson.

'He's said everyone is really nice. He has settled in as well as he can. He likes his job, it's good to have a job.'

Back at work: Shortly after Oliver's sentence in June, Roxy revealed the disgraced investment banker was working as a clerk while behind bars

Away: In August, Roxy revealed she has lied to her two children, Pixie, five and Hunter, two, about their father's whereabouts

In August, Roxy revealed she has lied to her two children, Pixie, five and Hunter, two, about their father's whereabouts.

During her interview with Kyle Sandliands and Jackie O, the businesswoman said she had told the kids Oliver was in China for work.

'It's not unusual for them. When he was working he spent a lot of time there,' she explained, adding: 'So when they first asked. I said back he's in China.'

'I think I was asked on the spot when dad was coming home and I said Christmas. I will have to say he's still in China,' she added.
She's no stranger to turning heads with her eclectic fashion sense.

And Imogen Anthony, 25, didn't disappoint on Wednesday when she shared her latest racy Instagram update, this time posing in a see-through netted dress with a sequinned Rolling Stones logo covering her derriere.

In the caption, the girlfriend of Kyle Sandilands, 45, wrote: 'Taste the magic baby. This is what happens when @sarahjosephcouture leaves me alone in her home for a minute.'

Get a taste of this! Imogen Anthony, 25, didn't disappoint on Wednesday when she shared her latest racy Instagram update, this time posing in a see-through netted dress with a sequinned Rolling Stones logo covering her derriere

'F*%*ing brilliant, and it's not even finished,' she added.

Earlier this week, the budding fashion designer made headlines when Kyle told his radio listeners she had banned him from attending a party hosted by the infamous Candyman on Queensland's Gold Coast.

While explaining the ordeal to his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson, the shock jock explained his younger partner threatened to leave him if he was to go.

Quirky: She's no stranger to turning heads with her eclectic fashion sense

Airing dirty laundry? Earlier this week, the budding fashion designer made headlines when Kyle told his radio listeners she had banned him from attending a party hosted by the infamous Candyman on Queensland's Gold Coast

'I am not allowed,' he said through his emotion, adding: 'It was an instant shut down. Like I mean crash and burn.

'I even said "babe, it's you and me going" and she said, "read my lips, not going" and I was like "okay, you don't have to be such a b***h about it".'

The shock jock went as far as saying on KIIS FM airwaves that Anthony's alleged request made him feel like 'a little p***y'.

'I am not allowed': Candyman on Queensland's Gold Coast. While explaining the ordeal to his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson, the shock jock explained his younger partner threatened to leave him if he was to go

'Okay, you don't have to be such a b***h about it': The shock jock went as far as saying on KIIS FM airwaves that Anthony's alleged request made him feel like 'a little p***y'

Following his comments, Anthony took to Instagram to debunk her colourful beau's claims, posting a picture of herself holding two tickets to the annual affair.

The caption read: 'When your partner says on radio that he isn't allowed to go, but really he said to me, "you better not be wanting to go to this party!" Uhhh f**k yeah I do!! Who's in?'

Candyman - real name Travers Beynon - runs a Tobacco empire on the Gold Coast, is a father to four children, has a wife and five girlfriends.

Last year, his renowned party, which attracts around 500 guests, featured a real life elephant, women strutting around virtually bare-breasted and excessive amounts of heavy petting in the pool.

'Uhhh f**k yeah I do!! Who's in?' Following his comments, Anthony took to Instagram to debunk her colourful beau's claims, posting a picture of herself holding two tickets to the annual affair








Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were fighting in the weeks leading up to his breakdown, a new report is claiming.

In the aftermath of her Paris robbery ordeal the reality star apparently felt like she couldn't lean on the 'workaholic' rapper, who was becoming increasingly 'paranoid' and not sleeping.

'It's just been hell for them,' a source told Us Weekly.

The 39-year-old Famous hitmaker had apparently become 'unbearable' to live with and the duo, who share a 11,000 sq ft Bel Air home together, were fighting a lot.

'It's just been hell for them': Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were reportedly fighting in the weeks leading up to the rapper's nervous breakdown

'He would be up all night ranting about things,' said the insider who added that Kanye 'unraveled' when he realized he can't do it all.

'He'd be up drawing, writing and sketching, or pacing and doing push-ups. he would not calm down and go to bed.'

Things reportedly came to a head when Kanye's on-stage rants became increasingly worrying and controversial, ending one of his concerts after just three songs.

In Sacramento, California the rapper launched into a 15-minute tirade attacking friend Beyonce and begging Jay Z to call him before walking off stage.

Two days later the producer canceled his remaining Saint Pablo tour dates.

'Kanye's so used to getting her constant support and coddling, but it's not always about him,' the source told Us Weekly.

'He would be up all night ranting about things,': The hip-hop star was becoming increasingly unbearable to live with a source told Us Weekly

'She felt like she needed him to be stable and her rock instead of the other way around,' Insiders say Kim felt like Kanye bailed when she wanted to lean on him

'She didn't know if she could take it anymore, and this time she refused to support him.' a source close to Kim revealed.

It all became too much for Kim, 36, who, at the time of Kanye's breakdown was planning her first public appearance since the jewelry heist at the Angel Ball in New York to honour her late father Robert.

But as she left for the east coast, the KUWTK star informed her husband of two years that she needed a break and told him she didn't want to talk to him, according to Us Weekly.

A source said Kim felt like Kanye had bailed on her and that 'she felt like she needed him to be stable and her rock instead of the other way around.'

While Kim, who suffered nightmares and flashbacks, was 'disappointed at the lack of support' from her husband after the October 3 heist, he himself was struggling to deal with the terrifying incident.

'This time she refused to support him': The KUWTK star reportedly wanted a break from her husband when she flew to New York on November 21 - the day of his breakdown - to make her first public appearance after the Paris heist on October 3

The 'near death' experience reportedly left Kanye 'completely freaked out' and the fact that it happened near the nine-year anniversary of the loss of his mother Donda only deepened the rapper's distress.

Dailymail.com has contacted a spokesperson for Kim for comment.

Kim got the emergency call just as she'd landed in New York informing her that Kanye, who reportedly hadn't slept in a week, was acting 'paranoid and psychotic and struggling to identify what was real'.

Kanye was at trainer Harley Pasternak's home who put the call in to his doctor who then called 911 for Kanye, telling the operator the star was suffering a 'temporary psychosis'.

'He was used to her coddling him' It was after Kanye's epic on-stage rants that Kim apparently decided she couldn't support him anymore

Kim's 'near death' experience reportedly left Kanye 'completely freaked out' and the fact it happened near the nine-year anniversary of the loss of his mother Donda reportedly only deepened the rapper's distress

It seems the E! star is now hoping that Kanye's hospitalization and well needed break will save their marriage.

'Kim is relieved he is getting the help he needs.' a source told Us Weekly.

The rapper and father of two was admitted to Resnick Neuropsychiatric ward at UCLA over a week ago.

According to TMZ, Kanye suffered a 'nervous breakdown triggered in large part by the anniversary of his mother's death.'

Donda died at the age of 58 after suffering complications from elective surgery. Her funeral was November 20 - the same day Kanye cancelled his show at the L.A. Forum.

The following day Kanye cancelled the rest of his tour and was later taken to hospital.

Wants to work: Kanye is desperate to make music in hospital but has been told to 'rest' (The hitmaker is pictured on November 15)

'Kim is relieved he is getting the help he needs' Reports say Kim hopes that Kanye's hospitalization will save their marriage

The rapper - who has always been a slave to his work - has reportedly been asking his wife Kim if he can have music equipment at his bedside and see his Yeezy fashion designs, but the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has told him he must focus on getting better.

A source told Us Weekly: 'Kanye keeps wanting to work. At the hospital, he requested that recording equipment be brought to the hospital so he can record in his bed.'

'And he has kept asking to see sketches of his fashion lines. He continues to want to work and Kim has to keep telling him to rest.'

It was reported on Tuesday that Kim has not yet taken their two children North, three and Saint, 11-months to visit their father.

'She is very worried about the kids being around Kanye,' an insider revealed.

Family man: 'The kids have not visited. Kim has been there,' Children can visit patients at Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, where Kanye is staying, but must be accompanied by an adult

Since his admission, doctors have been keeping a constant eye on the rapper as they're worried for his mental state and his safety.

An insider recently said: 'In the hospital he has been very paranoid and is under constant watch for his safety.

'He's still there because clearly he's not doing well. Kim does spend hours with Kanye every day. She says that Kanye is on many different medications and that his doctors are figuring out proper doses.

'Kim says that not much has changed since he was admitted and that his doctors seem concerned.'
He celebrated his first ever Logies win after Gogglebox Australia took home the gong for Best Factual Program earlier this year.

And reality star Symon Lovett has revealed just how he celebrated his win, telling Foxtel Magazine that he and Adam Densten gate-crashed a Logies after-party.

'We both texted our bosses and asked for the next day off, [then] we popped on suits and crashed the Logies after-parties at Crown,' he mused.

Invite got lost in the mail? Symon Lovett (left) has revealed just how he celebrated Gogglebox Australia's recent Logies win, telling Foxtel Magazine that he and Adam Densten (right) gate-crashed a Logies after-party

Other Goggleboxers celebrated the triumphant win at home, with Keith revealing to the magazine that he spent the evening with a celebratory beer, while his wife Lee enjoyed Passion Pop sparkling wine.

The Delpechitra family took to Twitter immediately after the announcement, writing: 'Unbelievable moment for the entire gogglebox family. Congrats & thanks to everyone involved & those who watch!!.'

Meanwhile, Wayne and Tom uploaded a selfie on Twitter with the caption: 'OMG! WT? We won Thank you to everyone that voted for us.'

Happy days! Following their Logie win earlier this year, Wayne and Tom uploaded a selfie on Twitter with the caption: 'OMG! WT? We won Thank you to everyone that voted for us.'

Gogglebox newcomer the Silberys weighed in by Tweeting: 'omg we won!!!'

Earlier this week, news hit that Gogglebox favourite Angie Kent has taken a break from her couch this week to embark on a fun-filled European getaway.

Despite being seemingly inseparable from her Gogglebox co-star Yvvie Jones, the reality star travelled without the chatty TV personality and was instead joined by two friends.

Holiday mode: Gogglebox favourite Angie Kent took a break from her couch this week, to embark on a fun-filled European getaway

In one Instagram snap taken in London last week, Angie showcases her pout and flashes the peace sign while wearing a white fur coat and evening make-up.

'After I snapped this I thought well shit, It's not even snowing and I'm carrying on like I'm in the damn North Pole,' she joked in the caption.

She is also pictured exploring Spain, while gushing to her followers, captioning: 'Barcelona, you're bloody beautiful.'

Exploring Barcelona: Angie appeared to be having a great time in Spain and she gushed to her followers, captioning: 'Barcelona, you're bloody beautiful'

Poser: She was seen playfully posing while sightseeing with friends

Despite oozing happiness in each holiday snap shared online, the blonde beauty recently admitted it has been a difficult year - while recalling having what felt like 'a nervous breakdown' at the start of 2016.

'So since [breaking down] I have been practicing mindfulness and meditation, journalling, and instead of drowning my problems in one too many wines, I am questioning myself, opening up, learning to be vulnerable and have got back in to yoga and being more active,' she wrote.

'Mental health is a bloody serious subject, and breaking old thought patterns and habits that we are not benefiting from is hard, but it is so doable!'

Fan favourite: Angie is known for her role on Gogglebox, on which she appears alongside her co-star Yvvie Jones

The meditation-enthusiast may need to work on perfecting her patience after reportedly lashing out at a Sydney venue last week for discriminating against her disabled brother.

Angie's 20-year-old brother Josh, who has Aspergers syndrome and a rare chromosome condition, was reportedly rejected from a Double Bay nightspot because of his condition.

Tough times: Despite oozing happiness in each holiday snap shared online, the blonde beauty admitted it has been a difficult year while recalling having what felt like 'a nervous breakdown' earlier this year

'The security guards refused my brother entry because of the way he looked, not the way he was acting,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

'I tried to explain but they kept shutting me down and told us to get out of the line because my brother looked intoxicated.

'I'm truly heartbroken. When a person with a disability is treated less favourably than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances, that's disability discrimination and I won't stand for it.'
She's come through a series of family heartaches, losing her beloved sister to cancer and suffering a strained relationship with her late mother.

But Davina McCall, 49, has revealed the key to staying positive is all in her mindset, as she told Best magazine: 'I live by the motto "an attitude of gratitude."'

Her mantra is also helping her deal with the tragic news that her father Andrew is battling Alzheimers, whilst her grandmother, Pippy, is suffering from dementia.

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Grateful: She's come through a series of family heartaches, but Davina McCall, 49, has revealed the key to staying positive is all in her mindset

She explained: 'When I had a heroin habit, I was the lowest I could go emotionally. I hated myself. I couldnt look in a mirror because I disgusted myself.

'The day I got clean was the day I started being grateful wherever I could.'

Davina added that it was her sister Caroline's death that reaffirmed her attitude as it made her made her be thankful for 'even for the little things'.

Sad news: Her mantra, and the lessons she learnt from the death of her half-sister, have been helping her deal with the tragic news that her father Andrew is battling Alzheimers

Family values: Davina's grandmother, Pippy is suffering from dementia, whilst her father - also pictured - is simultaneously battling Alzheimers

The television presenter's half-sister Caroline Baday died in August 2012 after she lost her battle with cancer, and Davina recently spoke out about the experience on This Morning.

She told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: 'We lost Caroline. I'm not scared of dying now. She went through it with such dignity.

'We both spoke about her bravery in dying and her acceptance of death. She decided she was not going to freak out and fight it. I know she was doing it for us. When she died, it was so peaceful.'

Sorely missed: The television presenter's half-sister Caroline Baday died in August 2012 after she lost her battle with cancer, but has made Davina thankful for 'even for the little things'

Dignified: Davina has revealed that she's no longer scared of dying after her 'brave' sister passed away in a 'peaceful and dignified' manner

During her appearance, The Jump host also spoke about her troubled relationship with mother Florence Kock, who passed away in South Africa in 2008.

She said: 'I worshipped her. I had no boundaries. When I was a teenager, it was cool, but half of the time, I wanted a hug or for her to pick me up from the airport.'

In 2012, Davina admitted she felt a sense of relief when her mother died.

She said: When she died I felt a sense of relief that I could stop swinging from side to side. And I also think, Please God, when I die, dont let it be a relief to anybody.'

Strained: The Jump host also experienced a troubled relationship with mother Florence Kock, who passed away in South Africa in 2008 - Davina was not present at the funeral

While she decided not to attend her mothers funeral, she said she forgave her for years of abandonment.

She said: 'I imagined her in the hospital bed, and I imagined these shoots of light going from my palms, all over, across the world, to South Africa, to the hospital where she was at, and going straight into her heart.

'All I kept saying was, I forgive you. I forgive you. I forgive you.'

Davina has also said in the past: 'It was just very sad. She probably shouldn't have had kids because she was still a big kid herself.

'Obviously she drank a lot, and from a really early age - a bit too young. I know she smoked magic cigarettes. She called them magic cigarettes but I kind of knew what they were from about eight. Just not appropriate behaviour.'
She's a queen of the catwalk and never fails to dazzle both on and off the red carpet.

And Suki Waterhouse proved she can nail even the most low-key of looks as she ran errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.

The model, 24, kept cosy as she wrapped up in a stylish fur-lined Moose Knuckles parka in khaki and maroon, which she teamed with casual ripped jeans.

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Furry nice: Suki Waterhouse proved she can nail even the most low-key of looks as she ran errands in Beverly Hills on Wednesday

The British beauty - who is the ex-girlfriend of Hollywood megastar Bradley Cooper, 41 - teamed her denim with an edgy white top with cheeky detailing on the bust.

All wrapped up in her cosy outerwear, Suki looked ready for winter snow, despite the sun shining bright in Los Angeles.

The aspiring actress topped topped off her kooky look with a pair of geek chic glasses and ditched her heels in favour of comfortable black plimsolls.

Suki wore her blonde locks loose around her face and showcased her naturally pretty features by going make-up free.

All snuggled up: The model, 24, kept cosy as she wrapped up in a stylish fur-lined Moose Knuckles parka in khaki and maroon, which she teamed with casual ripped jeans

Cheeky: The British beauty - who is the ex-girlfriend of Hollywood megastar Bradley Cooper, 41 - teamed her denim with an edgy white top with cheeky detailing on the bust

All wrapped up: All wrapped up in her cosy outerwear, Suki looked ready for winter snow, despite the sun shining bright in Los Angeles

Suki recently opened up about her love life and even admitted she is on a dating app in the hope of finding romance following her split from Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper, 41, in March 2015.

While the model has remained largely single since the split, Bradley has gone on to find love with Russian supermodel Irina Shayk, 30, who he has been dating since May 2015 after meeting at the Met Gala in New York City.

Bradley and Suki were said to have split over conflicting opinions on when would be the right time to settle down and start a family.

In an interview which appears in the December issue of Glamour UK, the model and actress said of her love life: 'Im on Raya [a dating app popular with celebrities].

Specs appeal: The aspiring actress topped topped off her kooky look with a pair of geek chic glasses and ditched her heels in favour of comfortable black plimsolls

'Me and my sister [Immy] are on it. We just talk to each other instead of potential dates. I know that in the future I want to be in a committed, loving relationship and have kids.

'Even though Im happy being single, I spend a lot of time dreaming about being in love. But right now, Im building...

'Im doing all these things for me. I dont know if I have the tools to be in a relationship right now.'

Meanwhile Suki has been busy promoting her upcoming film, The Bad Batch, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September.

The film, which is a follow-up to Ana Lily's directorial debut A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, also stars Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves, Jason Momoa and Diego Luna.

Abs-tastic! Suki flaunted her flat abs in a skin-tight crop top and leggings as she captured a sexy snap on Instagram on Tuesday
Famous for her fiery red hair, Jessica Chastain took walk on the dark side Tuesday in Toronto with newly-brunette locks on the set of her upcoming film, Molly's Game.

The change was necessary to play the role of real-life brunette and 'poker princess' Molly Bloom. An accomplished skier and the mastermind behind an international, underground poker ring, Bloom is also the woman whose memoir the film is based on.

For this particular scene, California-native Chastain got into character in a robin's egg blue sweater and taupe skirt, showing off her incredibly-toned legs, with ballet flats to match.

Crossing over to the dark side: Jessica Chastain flaunted her newly-brunette locks Tuesday in Toronto on the set of her upcoming film Molly's Game

Keeping the fire: The actress smiled and laughed it up with the crew between takes, staying warm in a floor-length insulated black jacket with a fur-trimmed hood

Lighter locks: The red carpet darling with her red locks in 2013

Chastain fended off the elements by alternating between a mostly grey cashmere scarf and floor-length insulated black jacket with a fur-trimmed hood, as she laughed it up with the crew.

The 39-year-old was all-business later as she was followed closely by her glam team and others on the set.

Her character was under investigation by the FBI for establishing and running an underground poker ring frequented by the elite and famous, from Hollywood to Wall Street.

All business: The beauty was closely by her glam team on the set of the project

Chastain can next be seen in December's Miss Sloane, where Chastain again plays the title character, this time in all of her usual red-headed glory.

She's become no stranger to roles where women are placed in high-stakes, competitive positions, and have a seat at the table with the boys' club.

Miss Sloane Director John Madden said 'shes become a spokesperson for women in the industry  roles that are serious and not defined by the cliches of mother, lover or girlfriend.'

A seat at the table: Her rendition of lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane in December's Miss Sloane is not afraid of the boys' club in Washington, DC

And now the modern-day renaissance woman is ready for more challenges than just a change in hair color, like taking on directing, resonating with her more recent characters.

'I am over-prepared in my life,' Chastain said.
Blac Chyna is already back at work 20 days after welcoming her baby Dream.

On Tuesday the 28-year-old model revealed she has been shooting more footage for her E! TV Rob & Chyna special with fiance Rob Kardashian at an LA studio.

The show will premiere on December 18.

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All done up for the small screen: Blac Chyna got glammed to go in front of the camera again on Tuesday

Candid couple:On Tuesday the 28-year-old model revealed she has been shooting more footage for her E! TV Rob & Chyna special with fiance Rob Kardashian

Born into stardom: Born on November 10, Dream Kardashian is already a star with over 700k followers on Instagram

In a Snapchat image, Chyna shows how she and Rob are filming in front of a green screen.

Blac appears to be taking a selfie.

Their series Rob & Chyna covered their difficult relationship when she was only about five months pregnant. The special will show her baby shower and the arrival of her little bundle of joy.

She already has son King Cairo with rapper Tyga, who dates Kylie Jenner.

Pretty as a rose: The future Mrs Kardashian poses with a bouquet of white roses on Snapchat

On November 10, Chyna and baby daddy Rob welcomed girl Dream Renee Kardashian into the world..

The star, who's was born Angela Renee White, was already back to sharing her striking looks with the world on social media.

In closeups posted on Snapchat Tuesday Night, Chyna shared pictures of herself besides a bouquet of white roses showing off a gold-glitter eye and bold brows.

Another shot show off her pink lips and perfectly flushed cheekbones alongside a shout-out to her makeup artist Jolisa Jackson.

In the shot you can clearly see the exquisite 7-carat engagement ring given to her by fiancee Rob Kardashian.

Giving thanks: The makeup maven gives a shout-out to her longtime makeup artist and friend Jolisa Jackson

Storm averted? Reports of the reality couples strained relationship ran wild this summer. But the pair seems to be back on track following the birth of their child in November

The Washington DC-born model and her formerly reclusive boyfriend have been together since January of this year.

In May the couple announced they were expecting a child together.

The reality-series seemed to hint at stormy weather for the pair during its six episode run. Intense arguments between the two drove Rob to move out in September.

It looks like their problems may be bridge under the water, though.

Recent reports claim the daddy will be moving back in soon and the pair have settled on a date for their wedding. Their nuptials are planned for July 17, 2017, InTouch Weekly has claimed.
She is becoming one of the biggest stars of her generation, but Sofia Richie was every bit the seventies girl in her latest photo shoot for Galore.

The 18-year-old fledgling catwalk queen channeled her inner flower child as she flashed her toned tum in a hot pink crochet crop top and bell bottoms.

Sofia is quickly making a name for herself in the world of modelling, but it wasn't always that way for the daughter of Lionel Richie.

The cat's meow: Sofia Richie continued to prove she is more than just her father Lionel Richie's daughter as she stars in Galore's latest Art issue

The teen said for a long period, she was known as just being a member of the Lionel family - which started to change once she finally tapped into her own interests.

'I went through it for a really long time, just feeling really in their shadow, but I grew out of it,' she told the publication.

'I tried to separate myself as much as possible, figure out what I liked to do and how to get it done my own way instead of having them consistently helping me out. Its a work in progress, but Im trying.'

Sofia knows that being in the spotlight is just part of the territory of coming from an extremely famous family, and it's something she has learned to shrug off.

Peace and love: Richie worked a hot pink crochet top and trousers

Flower child: Richie gave the camera an intense expression as she clutched a bouquet of fuchsia flowers

Red alert! Sofia spellbound in a red PVC crop top with floral print shorts

'I really just laugh everything off,' she told Galore. 'Everyone's always like, "Are you okay?" and Im like, "I'm okay. Are you okay? You clearly care more than I do."'

Sofia proved she has come a long way from being known as just the daughter of Lionel Richie in her sexy new spread.

The promising model rocks a sexy red PVC crop top that highlights her svelte frame to full effect.

Hello petal: The starlet seductively angled her back as she flashed some skin in her tiny floral print shorts

Popular: The social media star took a glance at her phone as she lounged on a polka dot couch

Giddy up: Richie rocked a bright pink cowboy hat, crop top, and fringe skirt

She lounges seductively on a polka dot sofa, glancing at her phone while displaying her long gym-honed legs.

The star also rocks a shimmering baby pink cowgirl hat, fringe trousers, and a cream crop top.

At just 18, Sofia's modelling career continues to soar.

Smoking hot: The star puffed away at her cigarette

Checkmate! She showed some skin in a checkered top, shorts, while wearing her hair slicked back

Call me: Richie was all glammed up with her hair piled high up into loose ringlets

The starlet has just shot a new ad for Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and also landed the cover of Wonderland's Winter issue.

She also models a new party range for PrettyLittleThing.com, of which she raved to FEMAIL about.

'I'm so excited to be involved and fronting their campaign,' she said. 'It feels awesome that they chose me to be the face.'

Wild, wild west: Richie cast the camera a sultry expression as she flashed her extremely toned tum

Mirror, mirror: The star inspected her transfixing features
"Report: Three Million Votes in Presidential Election Cast by Illegal Aliens; Trump may have won popular vote."  Infowars, website of leading conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Nov. 14

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."  Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States, Nov. 27

We learned last week that President-elect Donald Trump has been turning away his intelligence briefers, leaving the tedious task of learning about national-security threats to his understudy, Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

So where is Trump getting his information? Well, now we know. On Sunday, Trump tweeted out the wild allegations that "millions of people" voted illegally for his opponent. He also tweeted that there was "serious voter fraud" in three states that went for Hillary Clinton, "so why isn't the media reporting on this?"

The media wasn't reporting on this because it's a load of hooey. But one "media" outlet has been "reporting" the groundless allegations, and it's one that Trump relied on frequently during the campaign: Alex Jones' Infowars, the radio and Internet home of the grassy-knoll crowd.

For two weeks before Trump made his allegations, Jones had been alleging this very thing, saying there was a "wall of fraud" and that at least "five states were stolen" by Clinton. Jones alleged that Trump "clearly won the popular vote," asserting that in addition to 3 million illegal immigrants who voted, 4 million dead people voted.

Trump, with his mixture of the incendiary and the fanciful, invented the "Infowars campaign." Now comes the Infowars presidency. Let's see what else is being promoted by the outlet where the next leader of the free world gets his news:

"Pizzagate Is Real: Something Is Going On, But What?" Infowars reports, asserting that "high-level Washington D.C. predatory pedophiles" are communicating via "symbols" on the menu of Comet Ping Pong, a pizza place in Northwest Washington. "Notice the symbol of the ping-pong paddles and its clever resemblance to the FBI documents' symbol for child love," Infowars reports.

Right! The well-informed consumers of Infowars also know that at the moment the "Whereabouts of Julian Assange Remain a Mystery" since the election and WikiLeaks wants people "to stop requesting proof of life."

Infowars listeners and readers know, as well, that requested recounts in three states are an attempt by the Green Party "to push the 2016 election into the hands of Congress." Somewhat contradictorily, this effort also means there's a "Democrat Counter-Coup Against Trump in Progress." Jones warns that this is "a real threat and [George] Soros is behind it," part of a "soft civil war."

Jones' rants would be funny if the soon-to-be most powerful man in the world didn't rely so heavily on them.

Trump, the New York Times reported, called Jones after the election to thank him for his support. Trump has been on the Jones show and praised the host's "amazing reputation"; Trump adviser Roger Stone is an Infowars regular.

Trump has echoed Jones's allegations that climate change is a myth, that President Obama wasn't born in America, that Muslims in New Jersey celebrated on 9/11, that Antonin Scalia was murdered, that Clinton used drugs before a debate, that "globalists" (read: prominent Jews) are trying to take over America, that vaccines cause autism and that Ted Cruz's father was involved in the John F. Kennedy assassination. Jones, who says he advises Trump privately, boasts that Trump repeats his ideas "word for word."

As the Right Wing Watch website has documented, Jones has alleged that the U.S. government was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks (Jones posted an old video Monday in which Trump appeared to suggest that aircraft alone couldn't have brought down the towers), the Oklahoma City bombings and mass shootings such as Sandy Hook. Jones has said that "chemtrails" from airplanes spread a "weaponized flu," that juice boxes are part of a chemical-warfare operation to make children gay, that Justin Bieber is brainwashing children to create an American police state, that Obama murdered publisher Andrew Breitbart, that an "alien force not of this world" is targeting Trump, that intergalactic shape-shifting reptilian humanoids secretly control the world, and, of course, that water fluoridation is mass mind control.

Rest assured, fellow Americans: President Trump will deliver us from fluoride, juice boxes, outer-space reptiles and the 7 million dead people and foreigners who vote in our elections. Less clear is whether he'll protect us from the real threats his intelligence briefers would tell him about  if he'd let them in.
The zombies learned you don't mess with Tara on The Walking Dead.

And trolls learned on Tuesday you don't mess with Alanna Masterson in real life either.

The 28-year-old actress posted an epic shut-down on her Instagram account after being body shamed online following her return to the hit AMC show.

'Grow the f*ck up': Alanna Masterson posted epic troll shut-down on Instagram after being body-shamed on Walking Dead return on Sunday night

Tara gave birth to her first daughter - Marlowe - just over a year ago, yet still managed to keep up with the often grueling Georgia shoot.

But that didn't afford her any mercy from vile internet haters from branding her as 'fat'.

'Dear Instagram trolls, body-shamers, and the men and woman who think it's ok to comment on my weight: I hope that you don't have children,' she began.

'And if you do, I hope you teach them about kindness and acceptance. I hope they learn that it isn't ok to make fun of people or call people names.

New mom: Tara gave birth to her first daughter - Marlowe - just over a year ago, yet still managed to keep up with the often grueling Georgia shoot

Gorgeous: Her post captioned a photo of her impossibly-cute little girl

'I hope one day YOU learn what it takes to be a parent. A kind, selfless parent. A working parent. A parent that puts themselves in someone else's shoes.'

Her post captioned a photo of her impossibly-cute little girl.

'Maybe you can't get it through your thick f*cking skull, but nursing a baby for a year (and pumping in a van between takes, in the dead of summer in Georgia) is a lot of work, determination, and scheduling.

'So before you decide to make a comment about my chest being "too large" or how "fat" I've become, just know that this little girl got the best start to life. I wouldn't have changed it for a second. I would've gladly continued to eat enough calories to produce milk for her little bones to grow.

Taking aim: 'Dear Instagram trolls, body-shamers, and the men and woman who think it's ok to comment on my weight: I hope that you don't have children,' she began. 'And if you do, I hope you teach them about kindness and acceptance. I hope they learn that it isn't ok to make fun of people or call people names

'Also, grow the f*ck up. Your mother should be ashamed for raising such a judgmental bully. I'm sure she knows how "courageous" you must be for trolling and hiding behind your Iphone and computers.'

She added: 'P.s. I would LOVE to see any man or woman give birth to a baby, nurse the baby, and then work 17 hour days and NAIL their own stunts.

However she did conclude on a hopeful note: 'P.s.s. Be kind to each other. We need it now more than ever.'

Tara, who was the first gay character to be introduced on the show, joined in season four as part of The Governor's militia, but is eventually accepted into Rick Grimes' crew.
She got engaged to ex-husband Professor Green in Paris back in 2013.

But Millie Mackintosh was back in the City of Light with her new man, Hugo Taylor, as they attended the star-studded Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the Grand Palais on Wednesday night.

Proving they are sartorially in-sync, the couple - who reunited in May after previously dating in 2011 - were both suited and booted in matching tuxedos as they worked their magic in front of the cameras on the pink carpet.

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Well-suited: Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor were sartorially in-sync as they attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, on Wednesday night

Millie, 27, looked typically glamorous as she flashed a hint of mesh bra underneath a plunging black jacket and matching flares.

Clearly in the mood to let her hair down later on in the evening, the reality star later whipped her tuxedo off to reveal her racy semi-sheer bodysuit at the after-show party.

The former Made In Chelsea star added height to her statuesque frame with towering stiletto heels and accessorised with a delicate gold pendant.

Wearing her light brunette locks in glossy waves, the fashion designer accentuated her pretty features with natural make-up and dramatic smokey eyes as she cosied up to her man.

Not letting the side down in the style stakes, Hugo, 30, was suited and booted to perfection in a tailored two-piece and a crisp white shirt as he prepared to watch the likes of Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Alessandra Ambrosio rock the runway.

Taking the plunge: Millie, 27, looked typically glamorous as she flashed a hint of mesh bra underneath a plunging black jacket and matching flares

Hot mesh! The Made In Chelsea star later whipped off her jacket to reveal her racy semi-sheer mesh bodysuit underneath as she partied the night away after the show

Suits you! The couple were both suited and booted in matching tuxedos as they worked their magic in front of the cameras on the pink carpet

Look away, Millie! Hugo posed alongside stunning Victoria's Secret Angel, Adriana Lima, 35, as he attended the show after-party at the Grand Palais

Millie and Hugo spent the day sight-seeing in Paris and enjoyed a spot of lunch with their former Made In Chelsea co-star and close pal, Rosie Fortescue.

Posting a selfie of the trio on her Instagram page, Rosie wrote: 'It doesn't get better than lunch in Paris with my besties.'

The loved-up couple went public with their rekindled romance in May when they travelled to the Monaco Grand Prix for Hugo's 30th birthday celebrations - the same week that Millie's divorce from rapper husband Professor Green, 32, was finalised.

They previously dated back in 2011 when they met on E4 reality show, Made In Chelsea.

But the union was not to last and ended rather dramatically when Millie discovered Hugo had cheated on her with her friend, Rosie Fortescue.

The lady is a vamp: Wearing her light brunette locks in glossy waves, the fashion designer accentuated her pretty features with natural make-up and dramatic smokey eyes

Squad goals! Millie and Hugo posed with blogger Doina Ciobanu (L) and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby (second left) and model Jack Guinness (R) at the show afterparty

'Ladies who lunch': Millie and Hugo spent the day sight-seeing in Paris and enjoyed a spot of lunch with their former Made In Chelsea co-star and close pal, Rosie Fortescue

Who says three's a crowd? Rosie posed for a selfie with Millie and Hugo from their Parisian lunch date earlier in the day

At the time, Millie claimed she would always love Hugo, saying in an interview: 'I loved him - those feelings dont disappear  but I just always have to remind myself why were not together.

'I do think that, for the rest of my life, every time I see him, Ill get that feeling in my stomach. I dont think I could ever not get that butterfly feeling.'

Millie and Pro Green announced their split in February after just over four years together. Their two-and-a-half-year marriage was dissolved in just 30 seconds in May.

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.'

Pouting up a storm: The fashion designer posted a pouty selfie as she headed off to catch her Eurostar from London to Paris early on Wednesday morning

Exciting times! Millie seemed giddy at the prospect of heading to the event, posting a snap of her invite on social media as she travelled to Paris

They were granted a decree nisi at Central London Family Court with Millie citing 'unreasonable behaviour' as the reason for their split.

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.

Lavish: Hugo seemed equally giddy at the prospect of seeing some of the world's hottest models in their underwear, posting a snap from outside the Grand Palais as they headed in

Ruling the runway! Catwalk queen Kendall Jenner, 21, led the glamorous charge of the world's most beautiful supermodels at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Sister, sister: Supermodel siblings Gigi, 21, (L) and Bella, 20, rocked the runway at the annual star-studded lingerie event

Pro Green recently lashed out at Millie in his new track Eye On The Door, rapping about their lack of sex life, drug use and hinting that cheating was to blame for their split.

But in spite of his very public bashing of his ex-wife, the musician admitted last week that splitting from Millie felt like experiencing 'a death.

He told the i newspaper earlier this month: 'Of course whether youre happy somethings finished or not, it doesnt change the fact that it does still feel like theres been a death.

'An energy thats always been in your presence is suddenly no longer there and youre an idiot if you think thats not going to affect you.'

The rapper has since moved on with model Fae Williams.
Naomi Watts looked like she was full of festive cheer as she arrived on the New York set of Gypsy.

The actress wore a sweet smile while wearing an oversized wool coat to keep warm from the winter chill.

Naomi, 48, looked ready for work as the lead in the new Netflix series, for which she is also executive producer.

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Ready to work! Naomi Watts looks happy as she arrives on the Gypsy set in New York

Fifty Shades Of Grey director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, is directing the first two episodes of the show created by Lisa Rubin.

It follows Naomi's therapist Jean Holloway, 'who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients lives'.

Billy Crudup plays her husband in the show, with Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Lucy Boynton (Sing Street) in supporting roles.

Wrapped up: The actress kept warm in an oversized wool coat

Back on TV: Gypsy is Naomi's first significant TV role since appearing in a nine episodes of Sleepwalkers between 1997 and 1998

Gypsy is Naomi's first significant TV role since appearing in a nine episodes of Sleepwalkers between 1997 and 1998.

It's not the only television show to welcome the Academy Award nominated actress as she is set to be appear in the Twin Peaks revival too.

While she didn't appear in the original 1990s sci-fi series, she had previously worked with the show's creator David Lynch in the critically-acclaimed Mulholland Drive.

Split: Naomi and Liev Schreiber ended their 11-year relationship in September

Kids: She and Liev have two sons Samuel and Sasha

The Showtime series is also scheduled to air in 2017, like Gypsy, and will see the return of original cast members Kyle MachLachlan, Harry Dean Stanton and Catherine E. Coulson - who played the infamous 'Log Lady'.

While Naomi's professional life is going from strength to strength, she's no doubt still coming to terms with her split from longtime partner Liev Schreiber.

The couple called time on their relationship after 11 years but continue to look after their two sons Samuel and Sasha.
It's the most anticipated catwalk show on the calendar.

And models Georgia Fowler, Kelly Gale and Bridget Malcolm, looked sensational as they took to the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris on Wednesday.

The genetically blessed trio flaunted their enviably trim pins in skimpy ensembles from the lingerie brand.

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Putting in the leg work! Georgia Fowler, 24, flaunted her enviably trim pins as she took to the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris on Wednesday

Georgia stunned as she took to the runway in a metallic lace ensemble.

The semi-sheer design offered glimpses of her delicate decolletage, lithe arms and taut torso.

A high-cut pair of briefs highlighted her enviably trim pins, elongated further with a pair of patent pointy-toed heels.

Sultry: Georgia smouldered for the camera as she took to the runway in an embellished leotard with semi-sheer detailing that exposed her khaki lace bra

Sporting delicate silver jewellery, the 24-year-old allowed her luscious tresses to fall in glamorous waves around her face and shoulders.

Finishing off the look was an elegant makeup palette of a flawless complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a nude lip.

Another ensemble saw Georgia sport an embellished leotard, with semi-sheer detailing that exposed a khaki lace bra.

This time accessorising with statement black jewels, the rising model smouldered for the camera.

Show-stopping: Kelly Gale, 21, showed off her flawless physique in a feather and lace number, complete with angel wings

Kelly Gale sported a show-stopping number for the annual fashion event.

A grey lace push-up bra showed off the 21-year-old's generous cleavage, while the semi-sheer briefs drew attention to her endlessly lean legs.

Adorning her shoulders with a beaded and feathered cover-up, the beauty accessorised with gold strappy heels and angel wings.

Cascading brunette curls framed her striking face, that was enhanced with a flawless base, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a nude lip.

Shimmering beauty: Bridget Malcolm, 25, highlighted her leggy figure in a sporty white and metallic themed number

Stunning: Bridget's blonde tresses fell in glamorous waves, while her natural beauty shined through with a dewy complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a glossy pink lip

Bridget Malcolm took to the runway in a white and silver sporty themed number.

A tight-fitting white tank top with the word 'pink' emblazoned on the front skimmed over her petite upper frame.

Love Pink emblazoned knee-high socks accentuated the 25-year-old's leggy frame, enhanced further with a pair of pink and black platform heels.

Svelte: A tight-fitting white tank top with the word 'pink' emblazoned on the front skimmed over her petite upper frame

A silver bomber jacket was tied around the beauty's hips, while a coordinating bronze jacket covered her toned shoulders and lithe arms.

Bridget's blonde tresses fell in glamorous waves, while her natural beauty shined through with a dewy complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a glossy pink lip.

Details: A silver bomber jacket was tied around the beauty's hips, while a coordinating bronze jacket covered her toned shoulders and lithe arms
Karl Stefanovic's mother Jenny has arrived in Sydney, following his split from wife Cassandra Thorburn.

The Today host, 42, made the announcement Thursday, telling viewers: 'Mum got in last night. She hasn't stopped talking yet!'

It is unclear if Jenny Stefanovic is in town to support her son during his separation after 21 years of marriage.

Close bond: Karl Stefanovic's mother Jenny (R) has arrived in Sydney, following his split from wife Cassandra Thorburn

During a discussion on Today with Lisa Wilkinson, Karl described his mother affectionately as 'Jenny from the block'.

He joked about her getting lost in Sydney, telling viewers: 'If you have seen Jenny around, people, don't call me!'

Karl said later in the show he will be 'taking Jenny for a bit of Peking Duck tonight.'

Split: It is unclear if Jenny Stefanovic is in town to support her son during his separation after 21 years of marriage. Pictured with estranged wife Cassandra Thorburn

Jenny has appeared on the Today show several times in the past.

In May last year, Karl asked her live on air if she approved of his brother Peter's girlfriend Sylvia Jeffreys.

'She's lovely, she's gorgeous!' Jenny responded. 'I get along very well with Sylvia, she texts me.'

The TV personality has also spoken candidly about growing up in Cairns, Far North Queensland.

He joined his mother for a tour of his humble childhood home on the Channel Nine breakfast show last year.

At one point he joked: 'There were six of us in the family and we all slept in (one) bed together... We were poor as crows.'
She's used to gracing the catwalk at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

But Doutzen Kroes was watching the action unfold from the audience when she attended the prestigious 2016 event, held at the Grand Palais in Paris on Wednesday evening.

The 31-year-old beauty cuddled up to her husband Sunnery James as they walked the special pink carpet together ahead of the star-studded show.

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Sealed with a kiss: Doutzen Kroes and her husband Sunnery James were watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show unfold at the Grand Palais in Paris on Wednesday evening

Blonde bombshell: The 31-year-old model, who hung up her Angel wings at the end of 2014, was beautiful as ever in a sheer lace top that showcased her black bra underneath

Doutzen, who hung up her Angel wings at the end of 2014, was beautiful as ever in a sheer lace top that showcased her black bra underneath.

The blonde bombshell's seductive top was paired with a PVC miniskirt that made the most of her slender legs.

She completed the look with a pair of simple heels and styled her enviable block locks in perfect curls.

Doutzen and her DJ husband, with whom she shares two young children, couldn't resist packing on the PDA.

Smitten: The 31-year-old beauty cuddled up to Sunnery as they walked the special pink carpet together ahead of the star-studded show

Eye-catching ensemble: The striking star's seductive top was paired with a PVC miniskirt

The blonde ended her contract with Victoria's Secret in late 2014 due to a conflicting schedule.

The news of Doutzen's departure was only confirmed the news following fellow Angel Karlie Kloss exit in February the following year.

There were mixed reports about the reasons for the Dutch beauty's exit, with Page Six claiming the pay 'isnt what it used to be'.

An insider told the website at the time: 'Older contracts like Alessandra Ambrosio were in the millions, now theyre like $100,000.'

However, CMO Ed Razek slammed the speculation on his Instagram account with a heartfelt post.

Cosying up: Doutzen and her DJ husband couldn't resist packing on the PDA

Moving on: The blonde ended her contract with Victoria's Secret in late 2014 due to a conflicting schedule, but was showing her support for the brand

Save all your kisses for me: Doutzen blew a kiss to the cameras

Sheer perfection: Doutzen may not have been on the runway, but she showed she's still every inch a beauty in the audience

Legs for days: The model's slim pins were accentuated in a pair of black heels

Body confident: The stunner worked her magic upon arrival

He shared: 'After I posted the news about @karliekloss leaving VS I got a number of texts asking me why I hadn't said anything about @doutzen leaving at the end of last year. Fair question.

'The simple answer is I should have. Doutzen had a lucrative opportunity in Europe and it would have conflicted with her VS obligations.

'So, at her agencys request, we released her from contract. There was no conflict. No animosity. None of the nonsense I've read on Instagram.

'She had a great business opportunity, and I wanted to be fair to someone I adore and respect. That's all. ]

'I honestly believe Doutzen is one of the most stunningly beautiful people in the world. And I always will. I have told her that many times. Now you know.'

Quiet departure: The news of Doutzen's departure was only confirmed the news following fellow Angel Karlie Kloss exit in February 2015
There's nothing worse for a model than tan lines ruining a good photo shoot.

So it's no surprise to see Andreja Pejic go topless on a beach in Miami, Florida, to ensure her skin gets an even tan all over.

The 25-year-old transgender model kept on the white bikini bottoms of her swimwear as she enjoyed a swim alongside fellow model Alina Baikova.

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That's one way to get rid of tan lines: Andreja Pejic goes topless in Miami

No white bits! The transgender model ditched her bikini top for a swim in the ocean

Andreja looked in high spirits as she headed back to a cabana with her pals.

Her blonde hair was slicked back from the water, and her makeup free face was covered by black wayfarer sunglasses.

Alina was wearing a more colourful piece of swimwear, featuring bottoms made form a red and black floral pattern with multiple string sides.

Fun times: The model looked cheerful after her dip in the ocean

Mates: Andreja was joined by Alina Baikova on the beach

Born in Bosnia, Andreja moved to Melbourne, Australia at eight years of age after her family was granted political asylum.

The blonde beauty was discovered while working at McDonald's aged 16.

Her androgynous look quickly won over the fashion world and she modelled for a string of big names such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs and Vogue.

Who's your mate? It doesn't look like the male beach dweller was with them.

But Andreja faced discrimination in 2011 when FHM magazine referred to her as a 'thing' and 'professional cross-dresser' in an online profile.

The magazine apologised after an outcry of disgust over the article.
UN council sets meeting on Aleppo crisis: diplomats

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.

The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT.

The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operation and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

Syrian families freel from eastern Aleppo November 29, 2016 in Jabal Badro, as they walk towards government-controlled western Aleppo, as the Syrian government offensive to recapture rebel-held Aleppo continues George OURFALIAN (AFP)

In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas.

The UN condemned on Tuesday the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

"France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.

He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

"Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees," Rycroft said.
Report points to Iran arms 'pipeline' to Yemen

International investigators have found a suspected "weapon pipeline" from Iran through Somalia to Yemen where Shiite rebels are battling the government, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of arming the Huthi rebels in Yemen, but Tehran denies the charges.

Since March last year Riyadh has led an Arab coalition fighting the Huthis and their allies in support of Yemen's internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, after the rebels overran much of the country.

Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels are seen September 6, 2016, whom the United States and Saudi Arabia have accused Iran of arming, though Tehran denies the claims MOHAMMED HUWAIS (AFP/File)

The analysis by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) is based on the seizure in February and March this year of weapons from dhows, traditional sailing vessels, in the Arabian Sea.

British-based CAR, which is primarily funded by the European Union, analysed photographs of weapons confiscated from the dhows by the Australian warship HMAS Darwin and the French frigate FS Provence.

The ships were part of a joint international task force that operates separately from the Saudi coalition.

HMAS Darwin seized more than 2,000 weapons, including AK-type assault rifles and 100 Iranian-manufactured rocket launchers, from the dhow bound for Somalia, CAR said.

The seizure by FS Provence included 2,000 assault rifles "characteristic of Iranian manufacture" and 64 Hoshdar-M Iranian-made sniper rifles, all of which were in new condition, CAR said.

There were also nine Russian-made Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, it said.

UAE forces within the Saudi-led coalition reported recovering in Yemen a Kornet which CAR said is part of "the same production run" as those on the dhow.

This "supports allegations that the weapons originated in Iran and that the dhow's cargo was destined for Yemen," CAR said.

French government sources said the dhow was headed to Somalia "for possible transhipment to Yemen," CAR said.

Light machine guns, suspected to be North Korean made, were found with the same serial number sequence on both dhows, "which suggests that the materiel derived from the same original consignment," the report added.

It also referred to the US Navy's seizure from a dhow in March of AK-type assault rifles, rocket launchers and machine guns which the US believed "orginated in Iran and were destined for Yemen."

Two of the dhows were made by Al Mansoor of Iran, CAR said.

Although their findings were "relatively limited," the investigators said their analysis "suggests the existence of a weapon pipeline extending from Iran to Somalia and Yemen".

This involves "significant quantities of Iranian-manufactured weapons and weapons that plausibly derive from Iranian stockpiles," they said.

It said that traffickers offload weapons in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northern Somalia "for local arms markets or as transhipment points for onward supply to Yemen".
Ohio attack puts focus on Somali Americans

The car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University by an immigrant student places a fresh spotlight on the large Somali community in the US, which has seen a number of youth enlist in jihadist causes.

Investigations are ongoing into Monday's attack, in which Somali student Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot and killed by police after driving into a crowd and then slashing several people with a knife.

But a Facebook post Artan apparently made ahead of the attack, as reported by US media, delivered a long threat against "infidels" and urged Muslims to listen to the words of US-born Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who inspired numerous conversions to the jihadist cause.

Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016 Paul Vernon (AFP/File)

On Tuesday, a jihadist-linked news agency called him a "soldier" of the Islamic State group.

Artan's attack came just two months after a 22-year-old Somali man wounded nine people in a knife attack in a mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

And just two weeks ago, nine young Somali men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms following their arrest in 2014 in Minneapolis for planning to travel to Syria to join the IS group.

A handful of others are said to have succeeded in joining the Islamic state, and, in 2007-2009, some 20 Somali Americans returned to their country and enlisted in the jihadist Al-Shabab group.

And in 2013 four Somalis in san Diego were convicted of raising money for Al-Shabab, which the US has designated a terror group.

But experts say the number of incidents remain small, given the size of the US Somali population, and that those involved were largely "self-radicalized" rather than organized by Islamic State or other groups.

There are well over 100,000 Somali Americans, including immigrants and their American-born children.

The largest communities are in Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Lewiston, Maine; and Atlanta, Georgia. Most arrived over the past two decades as civil war swept their country.

Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said the number of radicalization cases remains low.

"I would hesitate to broad-brush the community. You're talking about such a small number of individuals," said Hughes, who spent three and a half years working on Somali community issues at the government's National Counterterrorism Center.

The government launched a pioneering outreach program to the huge Minneapolis Muslim community in 2014, aiming to both woo cooperation from the community and help deter people from joining radical Islamist groups.

Hughes said the city's Muslims remain distrustful, but that the cases of radicalization that have surfaced have encouraged more cooperation, especially from families whose children left for Syria and Somalia.

"I think it's too early to tell" if the program is working, he said.

- Fears of backlash -

But the cases have made the Somali community very sensitive to criticism and concerned over possible backlash.

Speaking at a press conference Monday on Artan's attack, Roula Allouch, the national board chair of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, expressed worry over attacks against Muslims.

"We do know of his Somali heritage and that will be enough for some people to falsely link this tragic incident to the faith of Islam and to the Somali and Muslim communities," she said.

Many Muslim Americans were outraged when now President-elect Donald Trump denounced Somali immigrants at least twice during the presidential election campaign.

In Maine in August, he linked local crime to Somali newcomers in the northeast state.

And just two days before the election, he tied the Minneapolis population to the IS group.

"Here in Minnesota, you've seen first hand the problems caused with faulty refugee-vetting, with very large numbers of Somali refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, your support or approval, and with some of them then joining ISIS and spreading their extremist views over all our country and all over the world," Trump said.

but Horsed Noah, head of the Somali Islamic Centers of Ohio, said that his community did not support attacks such as Artan's.

"It does not represent the beautiful culture and values of the Somali community," he said.

Ohio campus attack Laurence CHU (AFP)
Yahya Jammeh: devout and erratic leader of Gambia

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh seized power in a 1994 coup and has maintained it ever since with a mixture of severity, mysticism and iron-clad self-belief.

"No matter what people say about me, I am not moved... I don't listen to anybody because I know what is important," he said while depositing his candidacy for this week's presidential election.

Governing, he said, "is between me and God Almighty."

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, a devout Muslim, has ruled the country with an iron fist since taking power in a coup in 1994 MARCO LONGARI (AFP)

This deeply devout Muslim grew up in the western village of Kanilai in 1965, the year that The Gambia, a long east-west sliver of land bordered by Senegal, gained independence from Britain.

His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Doctor Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh Naasiru Deen joined the army in 1984 -- his military title is the only one he has lost.

Ten years later, Jammeh mounted a coup with fellow army officers against Dawda Jawara, who had ruled the country since independence, pledging to root out corruption and hold elections.

After giving up his rank of colonel to allow him to contest elections as a civilian, Jammeh swept the vote in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011, following a 2002 constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits.

- Rights abuses -

Now 51, Jammeh has attracted worldwide attention for declaring The Gambia an Islamic nation, withdrawing the country from the International Criminal Court, and claiming he had concocted a herbal cure for HIV/AIDS.

The longtime ruler has woven a shroud of mysticism around himself using religion and rumours of secret powers.

Never seen without his Koran, sceptre and prayer beads, Jammeh's billowing white robes are rumoured to hide a bulletproof vest, the legacy of several coup attempts by his own guards.

In the last few years, a crackdown on journalists, opposition figures and anyone deemed disloyal within the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), has intensified.

He has promised to bury critics "nine feet deep" and told the UN Secretary-General to "go to hell" after Ban Ki-moon called for an investigation into an activist's death in custody.

But in another moment he urged his supporters to restrain themselves from violence and allow Thursday's election to go ahead peacefully.

Rights groups allege that those who defy him end up in the country's notorious Mile Two prison, where the UN in 2014 said it had obtained evidence of torture and executions by the country's National Intelligence Agency, which reports directly to Jammeh.

This was supplemented by "interference with the independence of the judiciary, denial of due process, prolonged pretrial and incommunicado detention," Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns said.

"The security forces are his tools, and he uses them to control Gambia by arresting people who don't share his views," a prominent opposition figure told Human Rights Watch.

- Isolated -

Gambia's diplomatic relations have also been precarious of late. In December 2014, the EU cut off 13 million of funding, and threatened to block another 150 million in response to the country's poor human rights record.

International criticism followed the introduction of an "aggravated homosexuality" law in October 2014 that imposed life sentences for a series of new offences.

And EU and ECOWAS observers are not attending 2016's presidential vote.

Relations with neighbouring Senegal too are at an all-time low.

A huge increase on customs fees for trucks entering Gambian territory was put into place without warning in February, cutting the country off from vital supplies for months.

One Banjul-based diplomat told AFP that the blockade, the effects of a 2013 drought, and tourist fears of Ebola in a country that relies on sunseekers for up to 20 percent of its GDP had made economic conditions unbearable for many Gambians.

Jammeh controls several businesses in the country and has in the past seized them without warning, discouraging foreign investment.

The state of the economy has pushed many young Gambians to take the "Back Way", or migrant route across the Sahara to Libya, where they board boats bound for Italy.

But others remain grateful for investment in education and the health system, which were severely neglected under his predecessor.
Flying Finn eyes favourite Wild Oats in Sydney to Hobart

Australia's blue water Sydney to Hobart classic will this year see the domination of eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats challenged by a Scandinavian dark horse and a Korean debut among more Asian entries.

Four supermaxis will tackle the gruelling 628-nautical-mile race among a field of 93, organisers said Wednesday, with local hero Wild Oats the favourite.

Skipper Mark Richards can't forget last year's shock retirement with a split mast and said improvements had been made.

Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2015 winner Paul Clitheroe stands aboard his yacht Balance at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney PETER PARKS (AFP)

"We've learnt a lot from last year," he said at the official launch for the December 26 race.

"Our preparation this year has been fantastic," including thousands of miles of sailing and some "tweaking".

Richards has removed the yacht's horizontal hydrofoil, explaining that a new 11-metre long forward section of the hull negated the need for it. It also makes the vessel 300 kilograms lighter.

Wild Oats XI, which will be racing in its 12th Sydney to Hobart, "is still a great machine," he added.

Finn Ludde Ingvall took line honours in 2000 and 2004 and he is back for 2016 with Nicorette completely redesigned and renamed CQS.

The 90-foot maxi has grown into a 100-foot supermaxi in a bid to rival the world's fastest yachts, with legendary New Zealand skipper Chris Dixon at the helm.

Ingvall, who lives in Sydney, rates Wild Oats "the best yacht in the world", despite its early retirement last year allowing US supermaxi Comanche to win in two days, eight hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds.

"It's not the same boat," he told reporters about CQS. "From the mast forward, it's new and from the steering backwards it's new. She's a very radical thing, incorporating a lot of ideas.

"We should be good in light airs," he added. "In some conditions we will be up there but we are focusing on taking the boat to the finish line."

That's the ambition of most entrants for the 72nd version of the race from Sydney down Australia's east coast and across the wild Bass Strait to Hobart.

- Arrive in one piece -

Another rebadged supermaxi is Scallywag, now owned by Hong Kong businessman Seng Huang Lee, which came second in line honours last year as Ragamuffin.

Supermaxi Perpetual Loyal is also back for another tilt after pulling out of the previous two races with damage.

Among 12 international entries, the Korea Ocean Sailing Club has chartered a 52-footer and named it Sonic for the nation's first Sydney to Hobart.

Team Korea is mostly from Seoul and Busan with experience from the America's Cup, while skipper Kwangmin 'Andrew' Rho contested last year's race aboard Flying Fish Arctos, the organisers said.

China has two entries for 2016 with Dong Qing back with Ark323 and a new crew after a stormy debut ended in early retirement for the country's first ever entry last year.

"We did not expect 50-knot winds," Qing said of the savage southerlies that blasted the race in 2015, with dozens of boats pulling out.

"This year we are going to be better."

Overall handicap honours went to Australia's Balance last December with the TP52 competing again, hoping for a second successive crown.

"We will be doing our damnedest to get there in one piece," said owner Paul Clitheroe.

Sydney to Hobart yacht race competitor Sean Langman stands aboard his yacht Maluka of Kermandie, the smallest boat in the race at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney PETER PARKS (AFP)
Activists superglue hands in Australia parliament protest

Protestors demanding the closure of offshore detention camps for boatpeople disrupted Australia's parliament Wednesday with some supergluing their hands to railings in the public gallery.

Speaker Tony Smith suspended question time in what cabinet minister Christopher Pyne said was the most serious intrusion into parliament in 20 years.

The group of around 30 activists began chanting loudly soon after the session began, shouting "close the camps" and "where is your moral compass?".

People march in an event organised by Doctors for Refugees to demand humane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, in Sydney on November 5, 2016 PETER PARKS (AFP/File)

Some superglued their hands to the public viewing gallery railings as security tried to remove them, with guards using hand sanitiser to help peel them free, television images showed.

They were eventually pulled from the chamber, some forcibly.

The protesters, from the Whistleblowers Activists and Citizens Alliance, said offshore detention represented a "state of emergency".

"Parliament shutdown by @akaWACA ," the grassroots alliance said on Twitter.

The same group stormed the stage and forced Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to stop speaking during a major economic address in Melbourne in August.

Canberra sends asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia by sea to isolated outposts on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, with the detention camps' conditions widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals.

UN special rapporteur Francois Crepeau this month said Australia's "punitive approach" to boatpeople had tarnished its human rights record following an 18-day mission that took him across the country and to Nauru.

The government has defended its position as necessary to stem waves of migration by people from war-torn Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, with many dying at sea during the treacherous journey.

"I wondered whether we could press on ... we could not," said Smith in explaining why he took the rare step of suspending parliament, which resumed some 40 minutes later when the protestors were taken away.
Let women drive, urges Saudi prince

An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an "urgent" end to his country's ban on women driving, saying overturning the law was a matter of women's rights and economic necessity.

"Stop the debate: Time for women to drive," Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his official Twitter account, @Alwaleed_Talal.

Alwaleed is an unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family who holds no political posts but chairs Kingdom Holding Co., which has interests including US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has Tweeted that Saudi Arabia should end the ban on women driving FAYEZ NURELDINE (AFP/File)

He is a longtime advocate of women's rights in the Islamic kingdom, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.

In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleed's office issued an unusually long statement late Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

"Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity," Alwaleed said.

"They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion."

He also detailed the "economic costs" of women having to rely on foreign private drivers or taxis, since public transit is not a viable alternative in the kingdom.

Using foreign drivers drains billions of dollars from the Saudi economy, Alwaleed said.

He calculated that families spend an average of 3,800 riyals ($1,000, 940 euros) a month on a driver, money which otherwise could help household incomes at a time when many are making do with less.

Even if their husbands can take time out to transport the women, that requires temporarily leaving the office and "undermines the productivity of the workforce," Alwaleed said.

"Having women drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances."

The prince said he is making his call on behalf of those with "limited means".

A slow expansion of women's rights began under the late king Abdullah, who in 2013 named them to the Shura Council which advises cabinet.

Abdullah also announced that women could for the first time vote and run in municipal elections, which were held last December.

These and other decisions in Saudi history were initially opposed by "certain elements" but soon became accepted, Alwaleed said, calling for "a similarly decisive" political act.

In April, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said change cannot be forced, and "it is up to Saudi society."
South Korean lawmakers delay presidential impeachment vote

An impeachment vote against South Korea's scandal-hit president will be postponed by at least a week, lawmakers said Wednesday, after Park Geun-Hye announced she was willing to stand down early.

Lawmakers from Park's own party had backed moves to impeach her this Friday, but now want the issue discussed in parliament before holding a vote, likely to be scheduled a week later.

The presidential Blue House also said Park would cooperate with a new round of investigations into the scandal, submitting herself to face-to-face interrogations by a freshly appointed special prosecutor.

South Korean protesters carry an effigy of President Park Geun-Hye during an anti-government rally in Seoul, on November 30, 2016 Jung Yeon-Je (AFP)

Park said Tuesday she would let parliament decide her fate following accusations that she colluded with Choi Soon-Sil -- a secretive confidante dubbed "Korea's Rasputin" -- to coerce firms to "donate" tens of millions of dollars to foundations which were used for Choi's personal gain.

Park has been named as a suspect in the investigation, making her the first sitting president to be subject to a criminal probe while in office.

"Once lawmakers come up with measures to transfer power in a way that minimises any power vacuum and chaos in governance, I will step down," she said in a live video address.

Critics said the statement was a calculated bid to delay impeachment, by splitting opinion on her fate among her own party and the three opposition parties.

The speech appeared to convince some from Park's Saenuri party, creating a roadblock for the opposition which requires a two-thirds majority in the national assembly to pass an impeachment motion.

About 30 Saenuri lawmakers who had initially backed removing the president from office were wavering following her address, the Moonhwa Ilbo daily reported.

The opposition insists Park must step down immediately and unconditionally, while loyalists call for an "orderly departure".

While she retains the presidency, Park cannot be charged with a criminal offence except insurrection or treason, but she could be charged once she steps down.

Massive weekly protests have been intensifying over the past month, with up to 1.5 million people braving freezing temperatures in Seoul Saturday to demand Park's resignation, according to organisers.

Activists called for a sixth weekly protest on Saturday in central Seoul, despite Park's statement that she would be willing to cede power.

"This weekend protest is crucial in deciding the future direction of the political course of this country", Professor Lee Yeon-Ho of Yonsei University told AFP.

"The ongoing political game over Park's departure will be seriously affected by the size and intensity of this protest," he said.

Park on Wednesday endorsed a lawyer recommended by the opposition-controlled parliament as an independent prosecutor to carry out a new probe into the scandal.

The special prosecutor will interview Park and be given 120 days to develop on the findings of state investigators.

The president had backtracked on earlier promises to make herself available for questioning in a judicial probe.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has been on power since 2013 Jeon Heon-Kyun (AFP/File)
Army plane crash kills three Indian officers: official

Three army officers were killed Wednesday after their five-seater Cheetah helicopter crashed while landing in eastern India, a defence official said.

Another officer was seriously injured in the crash that occurred in a military camp in West Bengal's Sukna district, a spokeswoman of the Indian Army's Eastern Command said.

"The helicopter was on a routine mission. It crashed near the helipad inside the army base as it was trying to land," Dipannita Dhar told AFP by telephone.

The Cheetah helicopters, commissioned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the seventies, are multi-role aircrafts which are used mostly during high-altitude missions Indranil Mukherjee (AFP/File)

The Cheetah helicopters, commissioned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Seventies, are multi-role aircrafts which are used mostly during high-altitude missions.

The IAF, which relies heavily on Russian-made equipment, has been blighted by a poor safety record.

In July, a Russian-built AN-32 military transport plane went missing over the Bay of Bengal with 29 people on board.

And in 2013, all 20 people on board a military helicopter were killed when it crashed in northern India.

India, the world's largest arms importer, has been trying to revamp its ageing and outdated military aircraft, with some of the fleet virtually on its last legs.
At least 10,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh: UN

At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

An estimated 30,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority living mostly in Myanmar, have been forced to leave their homes since a bloody crackdown by the army in the western state of Rakhine.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop them from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

A young Rohingya girl who fled the violemce in Myanmar searches for her relatives at a refugee camp in Bangladesh Munir Uz Zaman (AFP/File)

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

"The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher."

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, but has also banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area to investigate.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday she vowed to work for "peace and national reconciliation", saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.

Rohingya community leaders in Bangladesh said another 3,000 displaced Rohingya were stranded on an island in the Naf river that divides the two countries, attempting to enter Bangladesh.

"They have been stuck in the island for almost a week without sufficient food and clothes," Abu Ghalib told AFP.

But a spokesman for the Bangladesh border guards said the claims could not be verified as the island was not Bangladeshi territory.

Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coast guard ships in an effort to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.

Nevertheless Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh said the number of arrivals had risen this week.

But so far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.

Shinji Kubo, who heads the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh, said the new arrivals needed "urgent" help.

"Obviously these people have come from Myanmar after terrible experiences and without any belongings. The winter is approaching. So everyone is really worried about their wellbeing," he said.

More than 230,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally, although around 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.

Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

"We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said.

Violence in Rakhine -- home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority -- has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area.
Abbas tells Fatah congress still committed to dialogue

President Mahmud Abbas said he remained committed to dialogue with Israel as he addressed his Fatah party's first congress since 2009 on Wednesday while facing grim immediate prospects for advancing his goal of a Palestinian state.

The 81-year-old leader was re-elected head of Fatah as the congress opened on Tuesday, but speculation has mounted over who will eventually succeed him as Palestinian president.

He has contended with personal unpopularity, with polls showing most Palestinians would like him to resign, and internal party dissent.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (centre) attended the opening ceremony of the 7th Fatah Congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on November 29, 2016

Many have lost faith in the so-called peace process spelled out in the Oslo accords of the 1990s that he helped negotiate.

In his speech on Wednesday evening, Abbas said he was committed to negotiating a two-state solution to the conflict, but that it would not come at the expense of Palestinian principles.

"We are saying to the Israeli people that we want peace that conforms to international resolutions, but it is your government who does not," he said.

Israel must "recognise that settlements are illegal", he said, adding "our hand will remain extended for peace".

Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in 2014.

The Israelis have called for direct negotiations, while the Palestinians have pursued international support for their cause, saying years of talks have not ended the occupation.

The speech before some 1,400 delegates came with Palestinians facing continued Jewish settlement building in the West Bank and an incoming Donald Trump administration in the United States seen as far more friendly to Israel.

More than 600,000 Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The United States, European Union and others have warned that continued settlement building is eating away at prospects for a two-state solution to the conflict, the basis of years of negotiations.

A controversial Israeli bill to legalise some 4,000 settler homes in the West Bank had been due to come up for a first reading in parliament on Wednesday, but it was delayed until Monday as behind-the-scenes debate continued.

The international community considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem to be illegal, whether they are authorised by the government or not.

The Israeli government differentiates between those it has approved and those it has not.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current coalition is considered the most right-wing in Israel's history.

- Hamas outreach -

Fatah's five-day congress is expected to discuss whether to seek to introduce a UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements.

Abbas, head of Fatah, the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority following Yasser Arafat's death in 2004, has consistently called for a negotiated solution and opposed another violent uprising.

His achievements include having Palestine recognised as a UN observer state, with its flag raised at United Nations headquarters in 2015.

But the ageing leader has grown unpopular and has not publicly backed a successor.

Some analysts see the congress as an attempt by Abbas to marginalise political opponents, including longtime rival Mohammed Dahlan, currently in exile in the United Arab Emirates.

Observers have seen the reduced number of officials to vote -- down from more than 2,000 in 2009 -- as part of a move to exclude Dahlan supporters.

The election of members of Fatah's parliament and its central committee could signal the direction the oldest Palestinian party will take and possibly provide clues to Abbas's thinking regarding his succession.

The congress also comes with Fatah and its Islamist rival Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, still deeply divided. Fatah dominates the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank.

However, a letter from exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in which he said he was "ready to cooperate with Fatah," was read at the opening of the congress on Tuesday.

Abbas and Meshaal recently met in Qatar for the first time in two years.

With the two movements long divided, Abbas's term as Palestinian president officially ended in 2009 but there has been no election since.

Abbas said Wednesday there was "no other path than reconciliation," though repeated previous attempts have failed.

Palestinians attend the opening ceremony of the 7th Fatah Congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on November 29, 2016 Abbas Momani (AFP)
500,000 in Mosul facing 'catastrophic' water shortages

Up to 500,000 civilians in Mosul are facing a "catastrophic" drinking water shortage, the UN warned on Wednesday, as Iraqi forces advance against the Islamic State group in the city.

Already suffering from a severe lack of food and electricity, civilians in Iraq's second city are now also running out of drinkable water, said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq.

"Nearly half a million civilians, already struggling to feed themselves day to day, are now without access to clean drinking water. The impact on children, women and families will be catastrophic," Grande said.

Iraqis walk as they flee their neighbourhoods to safer locations on November 28, 2016 in an eastern district of the city of Mosul during the ongoing figthing between Islamic State (IS) group jihadists and government forces Thomas Coex (AFP)

Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops and allied forces launched an offensive last month to retake Mosul, which was seized by IS more than two years ago.

Weeks of fighting have seen the Iraqi forces surround the city and break into its eastern neighbourhoods, where there have been heavy street-to-street battles with the jihadists.

Operations to retake the city have damaged water pipes in recent days and residents in east Mosul say they have resorted to pumping water from wells.

"We don't have water or electricity. We are drinking well water but that's not enough," said Mosul resident Mohamed Khalil, 25.

"Water is the most important thing. We aren't washing. We are going to catch lice and our homes are filthy," said Iman Baker, a 34-year-old mother of three who lives in an eastern neighbourhood recently retaken from IS.

Since the launch of the assault on October 17, more than 70,000 people have fled the fighting, but more than a million people are estimated to remain in the city, including around 600,000 in the eastern neighbourhoods.

- Disease warnings -

Abdelkarim al-Obeidi, the secretary general of the local civil society organisation Mosul People Gathering, warned of a "humanitarian disaster" in the making.

"The government as well as aid organisations must step up and offer assistance to the people, especially those families forced to drink water from the wells that is not fit for drinking," he said.

At a hospital in the village of Gogjali on the eastern outskirts of Mosul, a medical source said civilians were starting to arrive with "cases of diarrhoea and intestinal cramps, especially among children".

Abu Ali, a resident of eastern Mosul, said he hoped running water would return before an outbreak of disease.

Some residents "will take water from the Tigris", he said, referring to the river that divides the city.

While it was unclear what had caused the massive water shortage, some residents blamed the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces in the assault, saying its warplanes had damaged the main pipeline bringing water from the western side of the city.

But Basma Basseem, an official with the Mosul municipality, suggested that IS may have intentionally stopped the flow.

"There are efforts to bring water tankers to neighbourhoods that have been retaken," Basseem said.

Residents said that many were also running out of food supplies and relying on aid distributed by Iraqi forces.

"Some people had stocks of dried goods but food is starting to run out, and we have neither water, nor electricity, nor fuel for heating," said 54-year-old Natiq, who was receiving food aid at a distribution centre in the eastern neighbourhood of Khadraa.

Iraqi commanders say around 40 percent of the eastern half of Mosul has been retaken in the offensive.

The forces have told civilians to stay at home in order to avoid massive displacement from the city.

The progress of Iraqi forces -- who vastly outnumber the estimated 3,000 to 5,000 jihadists defending their last major bastion in Iraq -- has been slowed by the presence of a large civilian population often used by IS as human shields.

Internally displaced Iraqis, who fled the ongoing figthing between Islamic State (IS) group jihadists and government forces around Mosul, buy items from local vendors from behind the fence on November 28, 2016 at the al-Khazer refugee camp Thomas Coex (AFP)
Israel delays votes on mosques, settler homes

Israel on Wednesday delayed parliamentary votes on controversial bills that would limit the volume of calls to prayer at mosques and legalise several thousand Jewish settler homes in the West Bank.

The votes were put off until next week following a decision by government ministers, a parliament spokesman told AFP.

Deputies were to take a preliminary vote on a bill to prevent the use of loudspeakers for late night and early morning calls to prayer at mosques, a proposal that has angered Muslims.

An Israeli flag is pictured in front of the minaret of a mosque in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem's Old City on November 14, 2016 Thomas Coex (AFP)

A first reading of a bill to legalise around 4,000 settler homes in the occupied West Bank was also planned, but both were delayed.

The noise bill was put off until December 7, while the settlement bill was to come up on Monday.

Israeli media reported that the votes were put off because a majority could not be assured. Discussions were continuing on both measures.

The noise bill would prohibit the use of loudspeakers between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am. It would officially apply to all religions, but it is widely seen as targeting calls to prayer at mosques.

The bill's backers say it is needed because the loudspeakers are a nuisance and can also be used to broadcast inciting messages.

Government watchdog groups say the measure is an unnecessary provocation that threatens freedom of religion. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is among those against the bill.

The settlement bill has tested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, widely seen as the most right-wing in the country's history.

Netanyahu does not want the bill to pass, warning that it could violate international law and result in repercussions at the International Criminal Court.

Countries including the United States have also strongly criticised the bill and Netanyahu is concerned over an international backlash.

But he is also faced with holding together his coalition and not being seen as acting against the powerful settler movement.

- Defying Netanyahu -

The international community considers all Israeli settlements in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the West Bank to be illegal, whether they are authorised by the government or not.

The Israeli government differentiates between those it has approved and those it has not.

The settlement bill has been pushed by hardline members of Netanyahu's coalition, led by Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who defied his pleas not to move forward.

The country's attorney general says the legislation will never hold up in court.

But those who support it say the move is urgently needed to protect a Jewish outpost in the occupied West Bank called Amona.

The outpost, where some 40 families live, is under a high court order to be demolished by December 25 because it was built on private Palestinian land.

The bill, however, goes far beyond legalising Amona and would allow an estimated 4,000 Jewish homes in the West Bank to be legalised, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, whose centre-right Kulanu party holds 10 seats, has been key and has said he will not support a measure that "harms" the country's high court.

The statement was a reference to Amona and the high court ruling against it -- signalling he would oppose the bill if the outpost is not removed from it.

There has been speculation that the bill could even cause the government to collapse -- though a number of analysts caution that a compromise seems more likely for now.
Moscow demands answers after Erdogan vows to oust 'tyrant' Assad

The Kremlin on Wednesday demanded an explanation after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara intervened in the Syria conflict solely to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkish forces are pressing on with a three-month operation inside Syria in support of anti-Assad forces, while Russia is the chief ally of the Syrian president in the conflict that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011.

At the same time, Turkey and Russia have also been working hard to improve relations after clinching a reconciliation deal in June to repair ties brought to a historic low by Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet in November 2015.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a speech to teachers during a ceremony on November 24, 2016 marking Teachers' Day Adem Altan (AFP)

Erdogan had said at a meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday: "We went in there to put an end to the rule of the tyrant Assad who carries out state terror, not for anything else."

His comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to meet Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Turkish resort of Alanya on Thursday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists he hoped that "clarification will come shortly from our Turkish partners".

Peskov said Erdogan's comment "is not in harmony with previous statements" and "not in harmony with our understanding of the situation".

- 'Flagrant Turkish aggression' -

The Syrian foreign ministry said Erdogan's statement "shows clearly that the flagrant Turkish aggression against the Syrian territory is only the result of the ambitions and the illusions of an extremist despot".

"The leaders, the army and the Syrian people will not allow this arrogant despot to interfere in their affairs," it said in a statement.

Turkey is waging the operation against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and also Kurdish militia to back pro-Ankara rebels, in an unprecedented military incursion.

There has so far been no indication of clashes with Assad's forces or that Turkey plans any offensive against regime-held territory.

Russia has generally steered clear of any sharp criticism of the Turkish offensive.

But the Turkish army accused Damascus last week of launching an air strike that killed four Turkish soldiers in Syria, the first time it has made such a claim during the incursion.

Erdogan has repeatedly pushed for the ouster of Assad as the only solution to end the Syrian war and had, until recently, vehemently criticised Russia's military support for his forces and even accused President Vladimir Putin of war crimes.

But since the deal to normalise ties between Turkey and Russia, Ankara has been muted in its criticism of Russia's actions -- in particular its backing for Assad forces in the devastating battle for Aleppo.

Peskov stressed Wednesday that "Turkey is our partner" and said Putin and Erdogan are "in very intensive and confidential contact".

Erdogan and Putin discussed the Syria conflict by phone on Saturday for the second time in just over 24 hours.

Peskov said Erdogan "did not make such statements (on Assad) during his contacts with our president."

Fyodor Lukyanov, who heads the Russian government-linked Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, told Interfax news agency it was against Turkey's interests to take a categorical position on Assad.

"Since Ankara is highly interested in cooperation with Moscow -- as the Turkish side stresses constantly at various levels -- that would run counter to this."
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is under pressure after the United Nations hit his country with the toughest sanctions ever.

The new security council resolution, which was spearheaded by the US and came after three months of tough negotiations, passed by a 15-0 vote.

It demands that North Korea abandon all its nuclear weapons and nuclear programmes and takes aim at the state's exports of coal - its top external revenue source.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is under pressure after the United Nations hit his country with the toughest sanctions ever. Kim is pictured earlier this week in Pyongyang

Under the resolution, North Korea will be restricted from exporting beyond 7.5 million tons of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 percent from 2015.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700 million in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Ms Power, speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, called the resolution 'the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation.'

She said: 'So long as the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat.

Meanwhile UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.

The sanctions demand that North Korea abandon all its nuclear weapons and nuclear programmes (file picture)

'It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations' said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.

Mr Ban added he was still committed to 'sincere dialogue' to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.

China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Un's regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the neighboring state's defiance.

And China's UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing 'strongly opposes' the North Korean nuclear tests - but also made a veiled criticism of joint exercises between the United States and South Korea.

A test-fire of a large-calibre rocket is seen being conducted from an undisclosed location in North Korea

He said: 'Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation. This situation must be changed as soon as possible.'

The UN Security Council resolution condemns 'in the strongest terms' North Korea's test on September 9 - the communist state's second just this year.

Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturized warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.
Former Mali coup leader Sanogo on trial for murder

Amadou Sanogo, a former army captain who staged a military coup in Mali in 2012, went on trial Wednesday charged with murdering 21 soldiers whose bodies were found in a mass grave.

Sanogo, who faces the death penalty, toppled president Amadou Toumani Toure as the country grappled with a rebellion by Tuareg people that eventually led the way to a jihadist takeover in its vast arid north.

"I'm in fine spirits. I was waiting for this day," Sanogo told AFP at the opening of the trial, which was held in a packed concert hall in Sikasso, 370 kilometres (230 miles) southeast of the capital, Bamako. The trial was adjourned until Friday.

Malian military junta leader Amadou Sanogo (centre) who led the 2012 coup against then president Amadou Toumani Toure stood trial for murder and collusion over the massacre of soldiers who opposed the takeover Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

After the March 2012 coup he proclaimed himself leader, saying the former head of state had failed to restore order. But within days, the military lost control of the cities of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, where jihadists razed ancient shrines.

The trial began hours after a failed suicide attack against Gao airport later claimed by a group led by one-eyed Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who last week was reported by a US official to have been slain in a French air strike.

Sanogo and 16 others, all of them formerly in the military, are accused of the abduction and killing of 21 elite "Red Berets," who were detained and forcibly disappeared between April 30 and May 1, 2012.

The "Red Berets" were accused of involvement in an April 30 counter-coup against Sanogo and his loyalists.

Among those facing the charges of assassination and kidnapping are a former defence minister and a former chief of staff.

The bodies were found in December 2013 in a mass grave near Sanogo's headquarters.
Scorsese and Pope Francis swap 'hidden Christians' stories

Martin Scorsese and Pope Francis swapped stories about Japan's so-called "hidden Christians" on Wednesday after a Vatican viewing of the director's epic new film on the subject.

In a private audience, Scorsese presented the pontiff with two religious Christian paintings from 17th-century Japan which he says helped guide his work on "Silence".

The movie, adapted from Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel of the same name, is about two Jesuit missionaries visiting Japan when Christians faced persecution and torture if their faith was discovered.

Pope Francis (R) meets with US director Martin Scorsese, on November 30, 2016 at the Vatican

"Silence" got its world premiere among the roughly 300 Jesuits at the Vatican's Pontifical Oriental Institute -- though Francis was not among them.

The pope, who met for 15 minutes with the filmmaker, his wife and daughters, did tell them that though he missed the film, he had read the book, according to the Vatican.

As a young priest in Argentina, Jorge Bergoglio had wanted to serve as a missionary in Japan but gave up on the idea due to poor health.

Scorsese, a Hollywood legend who won an Academy Award for "The Departed", was raised as a Roman Catholic and his films often touch on religious themes.

His 1988 work "The Last Temptation of Christ" was condemned as blasphemous by some Christian groups.

Media were kept out of the "Silence" showing on Tuesday, but Jesuit priest Francesco Occetta tweeted afterwards: "A true film, but also a difficult one, which brings up deep questions."
Syria opposition urges UN to protect Aleppo civilians

A leading Syrian opposition body on Wednesday demanded the United Nations act immediately to protect residents of Aleppo, battered by advancing regime forces.

The opposition National Coalition urged the UN Security Council in a letter to "take immediate, definitive steps to protect civilians in Aleppo and stop the barbaric offensive against them."

Syrian regime forces are pressing a major assault in the divided city, seeking to recapture eastern districts that have served as a key rebel stronghold since 2012.

Destruction is seen in Aleppo's Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood on November 28, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP)

Tens of thousands of residents have poured out of the rebel-held east to areas controlled by the government or local Kurdish authorities.

More than 250,000 people had been living in the eastern neighbourhoods under a four-month government siege.

"The regime of (Bashar al-) Assad and its allies have turned the liberated areas of Aleppo into a coffin," National Coalition chief Anas al-Abdeh wrote in the letter.

"This escalation is a war crime and a crime against humanity, another item on the Assad regime's long, bloody, barbaric list," Abdeh said.

Regime forces and allied fighters have seized a third of the rebel-held east of Aleppo since they began an operation to recapture all of the battered second city just over a fortnight ago.

They now fully control the city's northeast and pressed their offensive Wednesday on Aleppo's southeastern edges, advancing in the Sheikh Saeed district, according to state news agency SANA.
UN envoy warns Aleppo risks becoming 'one giant graveyard'

A top UN envoy on Wednesday pleaded with the Security Council to help break the siege of Aleppo, warning that residents of the Syrian city were at risk of extermination.

"For the sake of humanity we call on -- we plead -- with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

O'Brien, speaking to a special Security Council session by video-link from London, said that the clock was ticking on the city as the winter set in.

Syrian residents fleeing the eastern part of Aleppo walk through a street in Masaken Hanano, a former rebel-held district which was retaken by the regime forces last week, on November 30, 2016 George OURFALIAN (AFP)

Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are not functioning after repeated military strikes and an estimated 25,000 people have fled eastern Aleppo since Saturday alone, O'Brien said.

O'Brien said that aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo but that they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians.

"These are neither new nor complicated demands -- those common threads of humanity that we all have a responsibility to rally around," he said.

"Those parties that can't or won't live up to their basic obligations should know that they will one day be held accountable for their actions," he said.

The eastern part of Aleppo has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012, with government forces determined to wrest control.

More than 250,000 people had been living in the eastern neighborhoods when the government laid siege four months ago.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has enjoyed diplomatic support from Russia, which has also intervened militarily to boost the campaign for Aleppo.

O'Brien said he faced the persistent question as he traveled -- "Why on Earth can the Security Council not come together to unite to put a stop to this suffering?"

"The people of Syria have suffered far too much for far too long," he said.

He urged the Security Council not to lose sight of another 700,000 people besieged in other areas, notably around Damascus.
US: Ohio attacker had 'no direct links' to terror group

The Somali student who plowed his car into a crowd and slashed several people with a knife in Ohio had no known ties to terror groups, US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Wednesday.

But authorities said they believe Abdul Razak Ali Artan may have been inspired to carry out Monday's attack at Ohio State University by the Islamic State jihadist group and slain US-born Al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki.

Although Artan professed support for radical Islamists on his Facebook page and an IS-linked news agency claimed he was an IS "soldier," Johnson said the probe had not revealed any direct communications between Artan and such groups.

Officials have not declared the attack at Ohio State University terror attack, but the IS-linked news agency Amaq said the rampage was inspired by IS calls to action Handout (The Lantern/AFP/File)

"At this point we see no direct links to any terrorist organization," Johnson said.

"The indications are right now that this was an act of someone who was self-radicalized."

On Monday, the Somali immigrant, a new student on the massive campus in Ohio's state capital Columbus, injured 11 people before he was shot dead by a university security officer.

Officials have not declared the attack a terror attack, but on Tuesday, the IS-linked news agency Amaq said the rampage was inspired by IS calls to action.

"He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries," Amaq quoted an insider source as saying, according to a translation by the SITE group that monitors extremists.

A Facebook page believed to belong to Artan -- and since taken offline -- included grievances against the United States.

"I can't take it any more. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah," he wrote, according to copies of the Facebook page saved by US media.

"If you want us Muslims to stop carrying (out) lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post reads. "We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims."

Artan also referred to Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda recruiter killed in a US drone strike in Yemen, as a hero in the posting.

- 'Inspired' by Islamic State -

Law enforcement officials investigating the attack cited Artan's social media comments as part of the reason they suspect he was influenced by jihadist ideology.

"It appears that Artan may have at least been inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki and the Islamic State, and we will continue to pursue this as part of this investigation," FBI Special Agent Angela Byers told a news conference Wednesday in Columbus.

She confirmed earlier US media reports that Artan arrived in the United States via Pakistan, but admitted investigators had some blanks to fill in, including Artan's movements immediately before the attack and whether he planned it.

"Right now, there's a lot of holes," said Michael Woods of the Columbus police department.

Authorities do not believe others were involved in the attack.

Investigators revealed that Artan had purchased a knife in the hours prior to the attack, and have traced some of his whereabouts thanks to security camera footage of his car, Woods said.

"It's that time in between the purchase and the arrival on campus that we want to fill in," he said.

Officials asked the public to contact law enforcement with any pertinent information.
Dutch court rejects lawsuit over Ivory Coast spill

A Dutch court rejected Wednesday a class-action lawsuit by a foundation claiming to represent more than 100,000 victims of a 2006 toxic spill in Ivory Coast, saying it was unconvinced by the claim.

The victims last year dragged Dutch-Swiss commodity trader Trafigura to court in a last-ditch bid for compensation after the spill in the west African country's commercial capital a decade ago.

The Netherlands-based foundation, calling itself "Stichting Union des Victims de Dechet Toxiques d'Abidjan et Banlieues", asked judges to rule that Trafigura -- who offloaded the chemicals -- be held responsible for the spill, clean it up and pay compensation to victims.

A barbed wire fence with a warning sign alerting a toxic zone after the discovery of hundreds of tonnes of dumped toxic waste near Abidjan ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)

But the Amsterdam District Court said "it could not be established that the foundation in fact represented the claimants and how many claimants there are".

"It is also established that the foundation's legal action can not be proven to be in the best interest of those affected," the judges said in papers published online.

"Therefore the claim is rejected."

Wednesday's court papers did not mention an amount in the claim.

In mid-2006, toxic residues on board the Panamanian-registered Probo Koala freighter were prevented from being offloaded for treatment in Amsterdam's port.

The ship and waste were sent to Abidjan instead, where it was dumped on the west African city's waste tips.

Over 500 cubic metres (18,000 cubic feet) of spent caustic soda, oil residues and water killed 17 people and poisoned thousands, Ivorian judges said.

Foundation lawyer Yorick Boendermaker told AFP he was "very disappointed" but would first study the judgement before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.

Trafigura, which denies any link between the waste and subsequent deaths, has previously reached out-of-court settlements for 33 million euros (35 million) and 152 million euros in Britain and the Ivory Coast.
Celebrity-backed Palestinian cinema closes

One of the best-known cinemas in the Palestinian territories closed Wednesday after running out of money, organisers said, six years after a grand reopening ceremony backed by international celebrities.

Demolition work had begun on the Cinema Jenin after it failed to attract enough customers in recent years, said Marcus Vetter, one of those behind the 2010 relaunch supported by rock musician Roger Waters and human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger.

The cinema, the last in Jenin in the northern West Bank, was also used as a cultural centre and theatre but is now expected to be replaced by a mall.

Palestinians and foreigners gather at Cinema Jenin in 2010 SAIF DAHLAH (AFP/File)

"It is a very disappointing and sad moment," Vetter, a German director, told AFP, explaining the heirs of the original owners had sold it for about 1.7 million euros ($1.8 million).

Built in 1957, Cinema Jenin was considered to be one of the largest and most impressive cinemas in the Palestinian territories but it shut down after the first intifada, or uprising, against Israel began in 1987.

The 2010 relaunch was the brainchild of Vetter and Ismael Khatib, a Palestinian who donated his 11-year-old son's organs to save Israeli children after the boy was shot dead by an Israeli soldier in 2005.

Khatib had made the gesture in an effort to promote peace efforts, but it was viewed as controversial by some Palestinians.

At the time the 335-seater cinema received celebrity backing, including a state-of-the-art sound system paid for by a 100,000 euro ($106,000) donation from Waters, a long-time pro-Palestinian campaigner.

- Conservative attitudes and fears -

Jagger attended the launch, which was hailed as a major moment for culture in the Palestinian territories.

Jenin, a conservative Muslim city, was a major base for the two Palestinian intifadas against Israel, the most recent of which ran from 2000-2005.

Juliano Mer-Khamis, a well-known actor from a mixed Jewish-Arab Israeli family who himself had been involved in the cinema, was shot dead in the city in 2011 by unknown gunmen.

Asked why the cinema failed to attract clients, Vetter said it was a mixture of conservative attitudes and fears that going to this specific theatre amounted to accepting Israel's nearly 50-year occupation of the West Bank.

"People were not ready to really go there. They were also maybe a little bit scared how it would be perceived if they go."

In 2012, the Israeli left-wing newspaper Haaretz said rumours of a so-called "lack of modesty" at a neighbouring guesthouse where volunteers stayed also damaged the cinema's reputation.

Dina Aseer, a leader at a local arts centre, said they used the cinema to teach young people Dabke, a national dance.

"We have a band of 25 and a Dabke school of 150 students and no place to go," she told AFP. "Cinema Jenin was our home."

Despite the closure, Vetter said he did not regret the project.

"You cannot imagine how much work it was to bring all the equipment there, to find the finance, to fight for it," he told AFP Wednesday.

"It was the story of a dream. And at least it's there, the story happened."
Oil prices surge nearly 10% in New York after OPEC deal

Oil prices soared nearly 10 percent in New York on Wednesday after OPEC reached a deal to cut output for the first time since 2008, putting an end to months of suspense.

In New York, West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for January delivery jumped $4.21, or 9.3 percent, to close at $49.44 a barrel.

Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to specifics of a deal to cut production by around 4.5 percent, or about 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for January delivery finished up $4.21, or 9.3 percent, at $49.44 SPENCER PLATT (Getty/AFP/File)

"It's a solid agreement," said Bob Yawger of Mizuho Securities. "That has the market in a very good mood."

A global supply glut and hopes of an OPEC deal saw oil prices rally and sink over the summer. Prices continued to fluctuate after OPEC members reached a preliminary agreement in September, when the details of the cuts seemed to be in doubt.

Yawger said the deal announced Wednesday had unexpected substance, imposing specific individual quotas. Russia -- a non-OPEC member -- agreed to reduce output by 300,000 bpd, while Iran receiving permission to increase production.
1 miner killed, 7 missing after copper mine tremor in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  One miner has died and seven are missing underground following a strong tremor that caused a cave-in Tuesday at a copper mine in southwestern Poland, a mining company spokeswoman said.

Jolanta Piatek, spokeswoman for the KGHM Polska Miedz, or Polish Copper, mining corporation, said that the tremor occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday some 1,100 meters (3.610 feet) underground in the Rudna mine, in Polkowice. Some 16 miners were in the area, she said. Nine of them were brought to the surface and hospitalized with injuries  one of whom died.

Three of those hurt were brought to a hospital in nearby Glogow with head injuries, but their injuries were not life-threatening, hospital spokeswoman Ewa Todorow said.

Piatek said six teams of rescuers were searching for the missing miners at the cave-in area.

In 2013, 19 miners trapped in the Rudna mine following a local tremor and cave-in were rescued with no major injuries.

KGHM has now lost seven miners this year in accidents in its mines.
Australian government breaks legislative stalemate with bill

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The Australian government won a crucial victory in Parliament on Wednesday by breaking a political stalemate that sent the country to an early election five months ago.

The Senate passed legislation that will create a corruption watchdog for the construction industry, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, by 36 votes to 33.

The vote on Parliament's second last sitting day of the year delivered Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's conservative coalition a rare win in a fractious Senate.

Turnbull called the July 2 election because the previous Senate had repeatedly rejected the legislation. Most senators regarded the watchdog as unnecessary or argued its investigative powers stripped away workers' civil rights.

But the early election tactic backfired on the ruling coalition, weakening its grip on both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The coalition was left with a single-seat majority in the House, where parties form governments. It's minority in the Senate shrunk from 33 to 30 senators among 76 seats. The election also delivered the largest ever number of anti-establishment senators not aligned to either the government or opposition  20.

With the center-left opposition Labor Party's 26 senators steadfastly refusing to create the watchdog, the government negotiated individually with the unaligned senators to gain a majority for the vote.

The watchdog is unpopular with building unions which financially support Labor. The government is accused by opponents of unfairly targeting unions for ideological reasons.

Opinion polls show that Turnbull's popularity has waned since he overthrew Prime Minister Tony Abbott in an internal government revolt in September last year. Recent polls show the government is trailing Labor.
PICTURED: Cubans honor Castro, express sadness, gratitude

HAVANA (AP)  Hundreds of thousands of Cubans have filed solemnly through a memorial to the late leader Fidel Castro.

They come from all walks of life  soldiers, doctors, students, government workers  many of their own accord, and many in groups organized by schools and their government employers.

Among those arriving to pay their respects, two emotions are common: sadness at the passing of a man who profoundly transformed Cuban society, and gratitude for opportunities for which they give him credit.

Junior Cardozo, a 19-year-old soldier assigned to the Interior Ministry, waits in line with colleagues to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro, near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. I feel deep pain over Fidels death, said Cardozo, He is a very good man. We will never forget him. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

"I feel deep pain over Fidel's death," said Junior Cardozo, a 19-year-old soldier assigned to the Interior Ministry. "He is a very good man. We will never forget him."

Cardozo came with colleagues who were also clad in olive-green uniforms. Other islanders arrived in their school uniforms or doctor's smocks. Some clutched Cuban flags or signs with revolutionary slogans and portraits of Castro.

Mixed in with the throngs were a number of people from other countries. Jhoanna Jimenez, 30, graduated from Cuba's Latin American School of Medical Sciences, a Castro initiative that trains doctors from around the world, many of them for free.

"I am sharing with the Cuban people all this pain. As a professional, I owe this country a lot," Jimenez said, adding that in her native El Salvador, getting a university education is a near-impossible dream for poor people. "Here it is possible. That's why I love Cuba and Fidel."

National School of Art students Omar Alayo, 15, and Idemis Hernandez, 17, wait in line to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro, near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. "Because of Fidel's revolution I was able to study in a public school, that's impossible in many Latin American countries. We have to be very proud of this country." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Jhoanna Jimenez, 30, graduated from Cubas Latin American School of Medical Sciences, poses for a photo as she waits in line to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro, near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. I am sharing with the Cuban people all this pain. As a professional I owe this country a lot, Jimenez said, adding that in her native El Salvador, getting a university education is a near-impossible dream for poor people. Here it is possible. Thats why I love Cuba and Fidel. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Railway worker Ernesto Martinez poses for a photo as he waits in line to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. "Fidel taught us to share the few things we have. He evangelizes with good examples. He taught us to think." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Airport employee Margarita Montalvo poses for a photo as she waits in line to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. "I am sad today. All my life, 59 years, I have been with the revolution. The imperialist enemy is not going to enter here, we are organized." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Psychologist Gabriela Lopez, 67, poses for a photo as she waits in line to pay her respects to the late Fidel Castro near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. "Today I feel the same as when I lost my father. We lost him (Fidel) physically, but he is still alive within us." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Transport Department worker Jose Anaya, 66, poses for a photo as he waits in line to pay tribute to the late Fidel Castro near Revolution Plaza, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. "We were born with Fidel. This is a very hard moment for us." (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Treasury nominee Mnuchin was Trump's top fundraiser

WASHINGTON (AP)  Steven Mnuchin, President-elect Donald Trump's expected choice to be the nation's 77th treasury secretary, has had a long history as a successful financial executive and a shorter but significant period in a job that ushered him into Trump's inner circle: head of Trump's campaign finance operation.

When Mnuchin, 53, was chosen by Trump as his national finance director in May, he told The Associated Press that the two men had been friends for 15 years. Through his work as finance chairman, Mnuchin grew close to Trump's children and son-in-law, Jared Kushner  a top adviser to Trump  and worked with them on fundraising events.

The campaign raised at least $169 million, in addition to the $66 million Trump spent out of his own pocket. Though that was far short of what Hillary Clinton raised, it represented an impressive haul given that Trump didn't begin fundraising in earnest until the end of May.

Steven Mnuchin, national finance chairman of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign, walks to lunch at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A person familiar with Trump's decision said Tuesday that the president-elect will nominate Mnuchin to the Treasury position. The person would only discuss the nomination on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to reveal it ahead of the official announcement.

If approved by the Senate, Mnuchin would follow in the tradition of two previous treasury secretaries  Robert Rubin in the Clinton administration and Henry Paulson in George W. Bush's. All had vast Wall Street experience gained from years spent working at powerhouse Goldman Sachs.

Yet unlike Rubin and Paulson and unlike President Barack Obama's two treasury secretaries, Timothy Geithner and Jacob Lew, Mnuchin would bring no government experience to Treasury, something that could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

After graduating from Yale in 1985. Mnuchin worked for Goldman Sachs for 17 years. His father, Robert Mnuchin, had himself worked for Goldman for three decades, becoming a partner in charge of equity trading.

The younger Mnuchin amassed his own fortune at the firm and then left in 2002. He worked briefly for Soros Fund Management, a hedge fund led by George Soros, before starting his own investment firm, Dune Capital Management.

As head of this firm, Mnuchin and other investors participated in the purchase of failed mortgage lender IndyMac in 2009 and renamed it OneWest. The failure of IndyMac in 2008 with $32 billion in assets was one of the biggest casualties of the housing bust.

Mnuchin became chairman of OneWest, which was sold to CIT Group in 2015. Before the sale, OneWest faced a string of lawsuits over its home foreclosure practices.

This month, housing advocates filed a complaint asking the Department of Housing and Urban Development to investigate OneWest for possible violations of the Fair Housing Act. The lender failed to place branches in minority communities, provided few mortgages to black homebuyers and preserved foreclosed properties in white neighborhoods while allowing similar homes in minority communities to fall into disrepair, according to the California Reinvestment Coalition and Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California.

CIT declined to respond directly to the complaint but stressed in a statement that it is "committed to fair lending and works hard to meet the credit needs of all communities and neighborhoods we serve."

Mnuchin also became a major investor in Hollywood, helping finance a number of movies, including the 2009 blockbuster "Avatar."

As treasury secretary, Mnuchin would be the administration's chief economic spokesman, serving as a liaison not only to Wall Street but also to global investors, a critical role given the trillions of dollars in treasury bonds owned by foreigners. In addition, it would be his job to sell the new administration's economic program to Congress.

Mnuchin will also oversee a sprawling bureaucracy that includes the Internal Revenue Service and the agency that issues millions of Social Security and other benefit checks each month. Treasury also runs the agency that wages the financial war on terrorism.

Even before his nomination was announced, he was being attacked for his ties to Wall Street.

"It's difficult to think of a nominee who better embodies the culture of Wall Street greed than the former Goldman Sachs partner," the Communications Workers of America, a labor union, said in a statement. "Naming Mnuchin as treasury secretary would be a slap in the face of millions of working families who will be victimized by this Wall Street-rigged economy."

During the campaign, Trump complained about the Dodd-Frank Act, passed in 2010 in response to the 2008 financial crisis and intended to prevent another crisis by tightening financial regulations. He called the increased regulations on banks a "disaster."

Mnuchin, in an interview with CNBC in July, said he thought Dodd-Frank "needs to be looked at." But he has not spelled out what changes he would like to see. Yet if Trump decides to back Republican attempts to rewrite the law, Mnuchin could be expected to lead the administration's effort.

Analysts said Mnuchin's years of experience on Wall Street and in managing an investment firm gave him real-world skills that likely appealed to Trump, a business executive who also has never served in government.

"Mr. Mnuchin is highly successful, and he's well-known in financial circles here," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands.

Sohn and other economists, however, suggested that Mnuchin's lack of government experience could prove to be a drawback in selling the administration's economic policies to Congress.
Accident leaves 22 coal miners trapped in northeastern China

BEIJING (AP)  Rescuers in northeastern China searched Wednesday for 22 miners trapped underground in the latest accident to befall China's mining industry.

State media reported that Tuesday night's accident occurred at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a coal-mining region bordering Siberia. The cause of the accident was not immediately reported.

The director of the local coal production safety bureau, who gave his name as Liu, told The Associated Press that officials were trying to confirm exactly how many miners were trapped.

China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal. It announced plans earlier this year to shutter more than 1,000 underperforming mines, though hundreds of new coal plants are also under construction.

An Oct. 31 explosion at a mine in the southwestern region of Chongqing killed 33 people, just weeks after a gas explosion in another mine in adjacent Guizhou province killed seven people.

China's work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, down from the thousands of deaths reported annually in previous years, though government figures are often questioned for their accuracy. Official numbers for 2015 or 2016 were not immediately available.
Top Democrat on Ways and Means to step down from post

WASHINGTON (AP)  Rep. Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, will not seek re-election to his panel post, clearing the way for a younger lawmaker to grab the spot on the powerful committee.

In a letter to his colleagues late Tuesday, the 85-year-old Levin informed them of his decision and said he wanted to do his part to ensure that the Democrats are united in stopping President-elect Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as they try to take the country in a different direction and "turn back the clock on progress we have made."

"It is imperative that we support younger members as they seek to fully assume the mantle of leadership in the four years ahead, as we also continue to tap the experience of those who have led so many of these battles," Levin wrote.

Levin's move came ahead of House Democratic leadership elections in which Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi faces a challenge from Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. Dispirited Democrats still reeling from the election results are trying to figure a way forward amid calls from younger members for new leadership. The elections are Wednesday.

Rep. Xavier Becerra of California and Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts have informed Democrats they are interested in the top job on Ways and Means, which plays a crucial role in tax reform and health care.
Vietnam grants amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)  Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners, including one sentenced to five years in jail for a national security-related crime.

Giang Son, deputy chairman of the President's Office, told reporters at a joint press conference Wednesday that 4,384 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Tran Dai Quang.

"The amnesty once again reflects the policy of leniency of our party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the humane tradition of our nation," Son said.

They will be released from their prisons starting Thursday. One of the prisoners is Bui Xuan Kim who was jailed for national security-related crime, according to Senior Lt. Police General Nguyen Van Thanh.

Kim has served three years of his sentence for organizing people to flee to neighboring Cambodia.

International human rights groups, the U.S. government and some other Western governments have urged Vietnamese government to release all prisoners of conscience jailed for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only those who broke the law are locked up.
US auto safety agency wants you to complain more

DETROIT (AP)  The U.S. government wants more people to complain about auto safety problems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing a rule requiring automakers put labels on sun visors of all new vehicles with instructions on how to file safety complaints.

The labels would be glued to passenger visors and tell people that complaints could bring an investigation or a possible recall.

The agency uses consumer complaints to spot safety problems. If NHTSA workers spot a trend in the complaints, the agency investigates and can pressure automakers into doing recalls.

But in 2015, the agency's director said it didn't have enough people to thoroughly analyze the 75,000 complaints that came in, but since then NHTSA has received added funding and hired more personnel.

The labels were required by Congress in 2012. They instruct people to contact NHTSA with safety issues at http://www.safercar.gov , by phone at (888) 327-4236 or by mail at U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, Office of Defects Investigation, NEF-100, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20077-9382.

The agency will take comments on the proposal until Jan. 27. The regulation process can take years to complete, so it likely will be a long time before labels are required.

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Indonesia protests awaken fears for minority Chinese

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor and no group more so than its Chinese minority.

They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry, an unnerving sign in a country with a history of lashing out violently against the ethnic minority that makes up 1 percent of its 250 million people.

The first major protest against Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on Nov. 4 drew more than 100,000 people to Jakarta's streets. Some held up banners calling for Ahok to be killed or decrying Chinese influence. It ended in violence, with one death and dozens injured after hard-liners attacked police. A separate mob tried to invade the apartment complex where Ahok lives in the north of the city and vandalized property in the area, which is home to many Chinese.

In this Monday, Nov. 28, 2016 photo, Indonesian ethnic Chinese Jhony Tan prays at his store at the Chinatown in Jakarta, Indonesia. The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest on Friday by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor and no group more so than its Chinese minority. They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry and has awakened painful memories of deadly anti-Chinese riots in 1998. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Hard-line organizers of the protest, who were unsatisfied by a police decision earlier this month to formally name Ahok as a suspect in the blasphemy case instead of arresting him, are promising another giant rally on Friday. After police pressure, they have agreed to concentrate the rally around a national monument in central Jakarta and insist it will be peaceful.

The furor over Ahok, sparked by his criticism of detractors who argued the Quran prohibits Muslims from having a non-Muslim leader, has highlighted religious and racial fault lines in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, and the growing challenge from proponents of Shariah law to its secular system of government.

For Chinese Indonesians, the controversy has awakened painful memories of the mass protests that ousted late dictator Suharto during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Boiling resentment against immigrant Chinese tycoons who profited from ties to Suharto and his famously corrupt family spilled over into mob attacks on Chinese property and people, killing many. Nearly two decades later, Jakarta's Chinatown is still scarred by the burned out shells of buildings torched in the chaos.

"Certainly as Chinese descendants, we are still traumatized by the riots in 1998," said Clement Alexander, a grocery store owner in a narrow lane of the bustling Petak Sembilan market in Chinatown. "We heard that horrible event may happen again if the government fails to control the protests. It's scared us, but we cannot do anything except pray," he said.

"For rich ethnic Chinese, they could flee to Singapore or to other countries, but for lower-class people like me it is rather difficult, we just survive and depend on the government for protection."

When Ahok in 2012 became the first Chinese to be elected deputy governor of Jakarta, and the first Christian in half a century, it was seen as a sign of the pluralistic tolerance fostered by the moderate form of Islam practiced in Indonesia.

But his rise to governor in 2014 to replace political ally Joko "Jokowi" Widodo after his election as president was unpalatable to hard-liners. With the support of moderates that hope to gain from Ahok's fall, they have elevated their agenda to the national stage, and revealed that intolerant interpretations of Islam adapted from the Middle East have made greater inroads than believed.

Ahok is running for a second term as governor in elections due in February but since the blasphemy accusations erupted in September, his sky-high popularity in opinion polls has melted away. A pro-tolerance rally in Jakarta on Nov. 19 attracted less than 10,000 people. A military-organized event in the city on Wednesday meant to showcase respect for all of Indonesia's six officially recognized religions was mainly populated by soldiers, schoolchildren and police, who had no choice about attending.

For the Nov. 4 protest, the normally clogged streets of Jakarta were nearly emptied of cars, embassies closed, countries such as Australia issued advisories against travel to the city and many businesses shuttered for the day, particularly in Chinatown.

"We are afraid the riots in 1998 would be repeated. But I don't want to talk about that horrible event," said Jhony Tan, owner of a store selling Buddhist worship paraphernalia.

"I hope the government can handle this issue, so there's no negative impact to any other community, especially to ethnic Chinese here. If they fail, Indonesia will be ruined," he said. "I'm sure the majority of Indonesian people are willing to see that this problem has nothing to do with us."

Christianto Wibisono, an ethnic Chinese businessman and former government adviser whose home was burned in the 1998 riots, said that despite communal tensions, he is hopeful the government will maintain calm during Friday's protest and beyond.

The government's approach needs to sap the momentum of a vocal and highly motivated minority but faces challenges: the moderate, silent majority is intimidated by the hard-liners' tactics and months of campaigning for the Jakarta gubernatorial election as well as Ahok's blasphemy trial will keep divisive issues in the spotlight.

"Now is really the crucial test for Indonesia to maintain the country's secular philosophy rather than be run over by Shariah groups. That would affect the whole world, if Indonesia became like the Middle East," he said. "We should not import Middle East extremism. We should export our moderate Islamic philosophy and pluralism."

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.

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Follow Stephen Wright: twitter.com/stephenwrightAP

Indonesian soldiers hold up headbands in the color of the national Red-White flag during a military-sponsored interfaith rally held ahead of the planned Dec. 2 Muslim rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest by conservative Muslims against its Christian ethnic Chinese governor. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Religious leaders perform a prayer during a military-sponsored interfaith rally held ahead of the planned Dec. 2 Muslim rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest by conservative Muslims against its Christian ethnic Chinese governor. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

In this Monday, Nov. 28, 2016 photo, a woman walks past a shop at the Chinatown in Jakarta, Indonesia. The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest on Friday, Dec. 2, by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor and no group more so than its Chinese minority. They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry and has awakened painful memories of deadly anti-Chinese riots in 1998. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

In this Monday, Nov. 28, 2016 photo, Indonesian ethnic Chinese women walk on a street at the Chinatown in Jakarta, Indonesia. The capital of Muslim-majority Indonesia is on edge ahead of what is expected to be a second massive protest on Friday, Dec. 2, by conservative Muslims against its Christian governor and no group more so than its Chinese minority. They have reason to be concerned. The movement against the governor, who is being prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Quran, has overflowed with racial slurs against his Chinese ancestry and has awakened painful memories of deadly anti-Chinese riots in 1998.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Jurors begin deliberating in Michael Slager murder trial

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  A jury of 11 whites and one black man began deliberations Wednesday in the murder trial of Michael Slager, a fired white police officer who was videotaped killing a black motorist after a traffic stop.

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman instructed the jurors on the law and told them they could acquit Slager, convict him of murder or convict him of voluntary manslaughter.

The case then went to the jury early Wednesday evening after a monthlong trial in which 55 witnesses testified. They deliberated for about an hour before going home for the night.

Former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, right, sits in the courtroom during his murder trial at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. The case of a former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist is now before the jury. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool)

Slager was charged with murder, but the judge said Wednesday that the jury could also consider manslaughter in the death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, who died after five of the eight bullets Slager fired hit him in the back as he tried to run away.

Slager was fired from the North Charleston Police Department and charged with murder shortly after the Scott family's lawyer made the bystander's video public. The jurors repeatedly watched the images during the trial, even stopping to analyze them frame by frame.

Solicitor Scarlett Wilson showed it one last time after her closing arguments on Wednesday, then approached the jurors and spoke in a quiet voice as the screens went black.

"Our community, our courtroom can only have one fountain for justice. It's time for Michael Slager to take his drink," Wilson said.

The jury must find Slager acted with malice toward Scott to convict him of murder. Manslaughter requires proof the killing was done in the heat of passion, after being provoked.

Wilson said that even if Slager felt provoked by Scott's resistance despite being repeatedly stunned by a Taser, that didn't justify killing him.

Slager could face 30 years to life if convicted of murder. Manslaughter is punishable by two to 30 years in prison.

Scott ran from his car into a vacant lot after Slager pulled him over for a broken taillight. Slager testified he chased him down, but Scott refused to be subdued and tried to run away again.

Defense attorney Andy Savage argued that the video doesn't tell the whole story.

It doesn't show Slager ordering Scott to stop before shooting him with his Taser. It shows only the very end of their struggle over the stun gun. And Slager had no way to know Scott wasn't armed, Savage said.

"This is about the felonious conduct Mr. Scott engaged in," Savage argued. "Who attacks a policeman for a brake light? Who does that?"

The witnesses included a toxicologist who said cocaine was found in Scott's body.

"Whether he was on cocaine, alcohol or whatever it was, he chose to attack a police officer," Savage told the jurors. Slager, he said, didn't shoot Scott "because of a brake light. He shot him in fear for his life."

Wilson urged jurors to ignore defense attempts to distract them from what they can see with their own eyes on the video. She also pulled up evidence photos showing Slager with his radio and earpiece still in place after the shooting.

"That is not the sign of a violent, throw-down, life-threatening fight," she said.

She accused Slager of inventing a story about fighting for his life, and said his fellow officers at the scene "bought everything he said that day hook, line and sinker."

"Our whole criminal justice system rides on the back of law enforcement. Because of that they have to be held responsible when they mess up," she concluded.

Former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, center, sits in the courtroom during his murder trial at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Closing arguments are underway in a South Carolina courtroom in the trial of a white former police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool)

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson speaks to the jury during the murder trial of North Charleston police officer Michael Slager at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Closing arguments are underway in a South Carolina courtroom in the trial of a white former police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool)

Defense attorney Andy Savage speaks to the jury during the murder trial of North Charleston police officer Michael Slager at the Charleston County court in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Closing arguments are underway in a South Carolina courtroom in the trial of a white former police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool)
Terror in Ohio: How Does a Muslim 'Self-Radicalize?'

Available for Interview: Randall Terry, producer of new Serial Documentary, "What Would Muhammad Do? Islamic Terrorism Explained" is available for interview.



Contact: 904-687-9806



MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 30, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- Mr. Terry holds a Masters Degree in Diplomacy, with a concentration in International Terrorism from Norwich University. He has spent over 10 years studying primary Islamic sources to understand Islamic thought, and Islamic terrorism. After two years of writing and production, his film crew has released a serial documentary on 4 DVDs, entitled "What Would Muhammad Do? Islamic Terrorism Explained." See episode one of serial documentary  "What Would Muhammad Do?" at www.WWMD.tv.



Content to be discussed:

The path to "self-radicalization" by "lone wolves" can be explained and understood if one studies the material that men like Abdul Razak Ali Artan are reading.

Studies have shown  and often the testimony of lone wolves confirms  that they read three main genres of Muslim literature on the path to self-radicalization.

The Quran The Haddith The Siras

The Quran -- Muslims believe that the Quran is the Word of God; an exact duplicate (in Arabic) as the Quran that exists in heaven with Allah. In Arabic, it is taught to be flawless. Islam teaches that the Angel Gabriel gave the Quran to Muhammad over a twenty-year span in Arabia. Islam also teaches that the Jews were given the Torah by Allah through Moses, and that Christians were given the Gospel by Allah through Jesus, but that scribes, priests, and monks altered and corrupted these sacred texts over the centuries. Thus, Allah gave humanity the Quran to "correct the errors of time." Where the Quran and passages of the old or New Testaments disagree with each other, Islam teaches that the Quran is to be believed, and the Bible rejected. While the so-called "sword verses" of the Quran are troubling, it is actually the next two bodies of Islamic literature that play the most dangerous role.



The Haddith -- The Haddith are the written record of Muhammad's words and deeds that are not in the Quran. These multiple Haddith collections that are massive in size and scope; multiple large volumes containing millions of words. The Haddith collections of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered "canonical" (Sahih means "true") i.e., they are above reproach or suspicion, and are to be believed; they are foundational to Islam and Sharia Law, and contain extensive records of Muhammad's battles, those he ordered killed, his treatment of women and girls, etc.



The Siras -- or the biographies of Muhammad. The oldest and most respected biography on Muhammad is "The Life of Muhammad," by Ibn Ishaq, written over 1,200 years ago, translated into English by A. Guillaume. The next two most prominent and respected Muslim biographers of Muhammad are Ibn Kathir, ("The Life of the Prophet Muhammad," 4-Volumes) and al-Tabari ("The History of al-Tabari," 39 volumes.) Kathir and al-Tabari wrote their biographies based heavily on Ishaq's work, as well as various Haddith collections, with frequent references to the Quran as well.



These three bodies of literature  especially the Haddith and the Siras  are the fountains from which lone wolves drink, and self radicalize. Even when they turn to ISIS or al-Qaeda, those groups are quoting the Haddith and the Siras to recruit young men and women to violence.



Randall A. Terry states: "If someone reads the literature sacred to Islam, gets inside the narrative of Islamic thought, and excepts the premise that Muhammad was "the Apostle of God"  the greatest prophet who ever lived  then the path lone wolves are choosing becomes logical. We can only understand them  what motivates them and what they hope to achieve  if we learn the narrative of the life of Muhammad that inspires them. I can tell you what Artan was thinking, because I can tell you the stories of battle and death he was reading."



To schedule a radio or print interview with Mr. Terry, call 904-687-9806 and leave a message.



The documentary has an original music score, as well as voice actors and original art from around the world.



See episode one of the serial documentary -- "What Would Muhammad Do?" at www.WWMD.tv.



"Randall Terry offers this most important enlightening and comprehensive analysis of Islam, with plentiful references  not only the Qu'ran  but also the often ignored Haddith and biographies, which are studied by terrorists. With colorful graphics and extensive historic references, he carefully reveals what Muhammad would do, by showing precisely what Muhammad did." Gerald Nordskog, CEO of Nordskog Publishing
Germany's Lufthansa in new pay offer to end pilots' strike

BERLIN (AP)  German airline Lufthansa said Wednesday it has made a modified pay offer to pilots as it seeks to put an end to a long-running dispute that's seen a succession of strikes over recent days.

Lufthansa said it is now offering a wage increase totaling 4.4 percent this year and next plus an unspecified one-time payment. It said the offer "is not linked to any other terms or conditions" and called for arbitration proceedings.

The new offer is an improvement on one Lufthansa made last Friday. Then, it offered to increase pilots' pay by 4.4 percent by mid-2018, and make a one-time payment equal to 1.8 monthly salaries in lieu of past raises. That offer was presented as part of an "overall solution" that addressed many other issues, and was rejected by the Cockpit union.

A passenger standing in front of the display board for departures at the airport in Munich, Germany, Tuesday Nov. 29, 2016. Pilots at German airline Lufthansa are on strike again after a two-day break in their campaign of walkouts. The company has canceled more than 800 short-haul flights scheduled for Tuesday. The walkout by the Cockpit union is to be followed Wednesday by a strike hitting both short-haul and long-haul services. ( Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

Cockpit is seeking retroactive raises of 3.66 percent a year going back 5 years.

On Wednesday, Lufthansa canceled 890 flights on the second day of Cockpit's latest walkout  which followed four consecutive days of strikes last week.

Lufthansa said some 98,000 passengers on short- and long-haul flights were affected.

Lufthansa said that over six strike days since last Wednesday it has had to cancel 4,461 flights, affecting a total of 525,000 passengers. It said flights on Thursday should almost be running as scheduled, but that it would have to cancel 40. It urged passengers to check with the airline before heading to the airport.

So far the current round of strikes has not affected Lufthansa subsidiaries such as Eurowings, Germanwings, Austrian Air and Swiss.

Cockpit has been staging strikes sporadically since April 2014.
Syria: Israeli jets strike outside Damascus, no casualties

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Israeli jets fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus early Wednesday, the official Syrian news agency said, in a strike on an unknown target that caused loud explosions.

The news agency, SANA, said the missiles struck the Sabboura area, west of Damascus, and did not cause any casualties. Citing an unnamed military source, SANA did not specify what the missiles struck. Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud blasts around 2 a.m.

The Israeli military declined to comment, but Israel is widely believed to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles. The arms are believed to be destined for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group, a close ally of the Syrian government and a fierce enemy of Israel.

The strikes come days after Israeli aircraft hit a machine gun-mounted vehicle inside Syria, killing four Islamic State-affiliated militants inside after they opened fire on a military patrol on the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights. The violence appeared to be a rare case of an intentional shooting ambush by Islamic militants targeting Israeli troops.
Spanish police arrest 2 Moroccans for suspected IS links

MADRID (AP)  Spanish police have arrested two Moroccans for suspected links to the Islamic State group, including one who was allegedly studying intensely on the internet to carry out attacks against civilians, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

A ministry statement said a Moroccan arrested in the central town of Aranjuez spent many hours viewing and spreading IS-related video material and displayed a fanaticism that fit the profile of a dangerous "lone actor" recruited to carry out attacks.

The ministry said much of the material he received and sent concerned late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and four extremists who blew themselves up in Spain in 2004 following the Madrid train attacks.

The ministry later said police had arrested another Moroccan who had traveled to Turkey recently to join IS in Syria but was sent back by Turkish authorities.

The statement said the man, arrested in the northern town of Irun, had been under investigation for spreading propaganda for the IS group by praising its attacks and those who traveled to fight for it.

It said he was linked to two other Moroccans arrested in northern Spain over the past year for similar offences.
2 Philadelphia police officers bitten, suspect arrested

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Authorities have accused a man of biting two Philadelphia police officers.

Police say the officers approached the man suspected of breaking into a car around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Chief Inspector Scott Small says the man punched, kicked and head-butted the officers before biting their hands and arms. Small says the skin was broken so the male and female officers were taken to a hospital so their wounds could be thoroughly cleaned.
US envoy: South Sudan gov't prepares attack in border state

GENEVA (AP)  The United States has "credible information" that South Sudan's government is targeting civilians in Central Equatoria state and preparing for "large-scale" attacks within days and weeks, a top U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.

U.S. ambassador to the Human Rights Council Keith Harper told a special session of the U.N. body in Geneva that the South Sudanese government has mobilized at least 4,000 militia members and "is staging these fighters in Equatoria to begin conducting attacks"  a claim quickly denied by his counterpart from the African country.

"The United States is alarmed by recent reports about the situation in South Sudan," Harper said, noting that over 1,900 homes in Central Equatoria had been destroyed over the last two months. "We have credible information that the South Sudanese government is currently targeting civilians in Central Equatoria and ... preparing for large-scale attacks in the coming days and weeks."

Speaking to The Associated Press after the session of the 47-member council, Harper said that U.S. diplomats were "principally working it through New York because that is where we can do an arms ban, arms embargo, individualized multi-lateral sanctions. So all of these things are on the table."

On her Twitter account, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power late Tuesday called the troop increase a "huge red flag," saying that the Security Council "must halt" the flow of arms to South Sudan.

During Wednesday's session in Geneva, South Sudan ambassador Kuol Alor Kuol Arop didn't directly reject Harper's claims about a new, upcoming offensive, but responded that the country's vice president and other top officials are part of the transitional government. Speaking to the AP, Arop denied any build-up of forces or plans for an offensive.

Adama Dieng, the U.N. secretary-general's adviser on the prevention of genocide, has said that Central Equatoria and the Yei region are at risk of genocide. A recent AP investigation uncovered evidence of ethnic targeting and frequent attacks on civilians by South Sudan's military.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 300,000 South Sudanese have fled into Uganda since fighting erupted in the capital, Juba, in July.

On Monday, South Sudan's government blocked a team of international monitors from traveling to Central Equatoria to investigate violations of the country's peace deal.

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Pope chats with Scorsese, tells director he read 'Silence'

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis has met with director Martin Scorsese, whose new film, "Silence," about Jesuit missionaries in 17th-century Japan, was screened this week in Rome.

The Vatican says that during the pontiff's "very cordial" meeting Wednesday with Scorsese, Francis mentioned he had read the novel on which the film is based. Francis is a Jesuit who joined the order while a young man in Argentina with the idea of becoming a missionary in Japan. But health problems scuttled that dream.

Francis thanked Scorsese for his gift of two paintings. The work of an 18th-century Japanese artist, the paintings served as a reference for some of the details in the film.

US film director Martin Scorsese arrives at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 29 2016. Scorsese is in Rome for the presentation of his film 'Silence', adapted from the 1966 novel of the Japanese writer Shusaku Endo and which recounts the persecution of a group of Jesuits in the seventeenth century Japan. (Giorgio Onorati/ANSA via AP)

Some 300 Jesuits studying or working in Rome attended the screening Tuesday at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Scorsese answered the audience's questions afterward.
At site of 1986 revolt, Filipinos protest Marcos burial

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Thousands of Filipino protesters returned Wednesday to the site of a 1986 revolt that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, this time to condemn his burial at a heroes' cemetery.

Police said at least 3,000 people gathered at the "People Power" monument along the main EDSA highway in metropolitan Manila, chanting "Dig him up." Protesters held up pro-democracy placards, including one that read, "Keep calm and democracy will die."

Millions gathered three decades ago at the site just outside the main military and police camps in a largely peaceful uprising to oust Marcos, ending a presidency marked by massive corruption and human rights violations.

Hundreds of protesters march towards the Presidential Palace to protest the Nov. 18, 2016 burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Protests are mounting since the hasty burial of the long-dead Marcos in a heroes' cemetery, in a growing political storm that's lashing the president who allowed the entombment. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Wednesday's protest was the latest in a growing political storm following the Nov. 18 burial, which was allowed by President Rodrigo Duterte and upheld by the Supreme Court amid protests by anti-Marcos groups.

The rally speakers included Maria Serena Diokno, who resigned Tuesday as head of the government's historical commission to protest the burial.

"We should never forget our history," Diokno said. "We won't allow even a part of the dictatorship to return."

A few thousand activists gathered separately last week in a "Black Friday" protest at Manila's seaside Rizal Park, where they carried Marcos' effigy in a mock coffin.

Duterte, whose father served in Marcos's Cabinet, allowed the burial on grounds that there was no law barring his interment at the Heroes' Cemetery, where presidents, soldiers, statesmen and national artists are buried. It was a political risk in a country where democracy advocates still celebrate Marcos's ouster each year.

Duterte's decision was upheld earlier this month by the Supreme Court. Marcos opponents had 15 days to appeal the decision, but Marcos's family, backed by Duterte's defense and military officials, buried him in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony with military honors at the cemetery.

The stealthy burial enraged democracy advocates and sparked protests in Manila and other cities, including in southern Davao city, the president's hometown.

Protesters display a combo portrait of the country's revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio and the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos labeling him as "No Hero" prior to marching towards the Presidential Palace to protest Marcos' Nov. 18, 2016 burial at the Heroes' Cemetery Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Protests are mounting since the hasty burial of the long-dead Marcos in a heroes' cemetery, in a growing political storm that's lashing the president who allowed the entombment. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters raise their clenched fists after symbolically destroying the mock epitaph of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos during a rally near the Presidential Palace to protest the Nov. 18, 2016 burial of Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Protests are mounting since the hasty burial of the long-dead Marcos in a heroes' cemetery, in a growing political storm that's lashing President Rodrigo Duterte who allowed the entombment. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Protesters dressed as Filipino revolutionaries,symbolically destroy the mock epitaph of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos during a rally near the Presidential Palace to protest the recent burial of Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Protests are mounting since the hasty burial of the long-dead Marcos in a heroes' cemetery, in a growing political storm that's lashing President Rodrigo Duterte who allowed the entombment. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Hundreds of protesters march towards the Presidential Palace to protest the Nov. 18, 2016 burial of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery in a secrecy-shrouded ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Protests are mounting since the hasty burial of the long-dead Marcos in a heroes' cemetery, in a growing political storm that's lashing the president who allowed the entombment. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
UN further tightens North Korea sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to further tighten sanctions on North Korea following months of diplomatic wrangling over how best to respond to North Korea's latest nuclear test in September and their repeated defiance of international sanctions and diplomatic pressure.

The council unanimously approved the sanctions resolution with diplomats hailing it as a major step forward in its efforts to get the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"In March, this council passed what were then the toughest sanctions to date on the DPRK. But the DPRK remained as determined as ever to continue advancing its nuclear technology. The DPRK found ways to continue diverting revenue from exports to fund its research, it tried to cover up its business dealings abroad, and it looked for openings to smuggle illicit materials by land, sea, and air. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said following the vote. "Today's resolution systematically goes after each of these illicit schemes."

In this Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 photo provided by the United Nations, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a Security Council meeting at U.N. headquarters. The council voted Wednesday to further tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to their fifth and largest nuclear test yet. "The Security Council has today taken strong action on one of the most enduring and pressing peace and security challenges of our time: the nuclear and ballistic missile activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. I welcome the unanimous adoption of this new resolution," the Secretary General, who is South Korean, said, referring to North Korea by its full name. (Rick Bajornas/United Nations via AP)

The new sanctions target North Korea's hard currency revenues by placing a cap on coal exports, cutting them by at least 62 percent or by an estimated $800 million.

The new sanctions further clarify that the "livelihood" exemption, which allowed the Chinese imports, is meant only to protect the livelihoods of those currently living inside North Korea, not Chinese people or companies doing business with the country.

The sanctions also slap a ban on North Korea's exports of non-ferrous metals and sanction 11 government officials as well as 10 entities linked to the country's nuclear weapons program.

The sanctions include a host of other measures cracking down on the country's access to the international banking system and on North Korea's export of statues, which have earned the country hard currency mostly through sales to African nations.

The resolution also threatens, for the first time, to suspend some or all of North Korea's U.N. privileges if it does not comply.

North Korea's main ally and largest trade partner, China hailed the sanctions as striking a balance between punishing the rogue nation and protecting its people.

"The resolution adopted by the council today demonstrates the uniform stand of the international community against the development by DPRK of its nuclear missile programs and forward the maintenance of the international non-proliferation regime," China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi said, adding that the measures "are not intended to produce negative consequences on DPRK's humanitarian situation."

But Jieyi also criticized the planned U.S. deployment of a missile shield in South Korea as potentially destabilizing for the region.

Japan's Ambassador Koro Bessho said he hoped the increased pressure would bring North Korea back to the negotiating table.

"We are introducing the sanctions, not for the sake of introducing sanctions but in order to change the course of DPRK policy. If the DPRK shows commitment to denuclearization, serious commitment and concrete actions, we are certainly ready to come into dialogue with them and try to solve the situation," Bessho said.

North Korea's persistent pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons has long been one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for U.S. administrations.

Diplomacy has so far failed. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

In this Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 photo provided by the United Nations, the Security Council votes at U.N. headquarters to further tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to their fifth and largest nuclear test yet. The council unanimously approved the sanctions resolution following months of diplomatic wrangling over how best to respond to North Korea's latest nuclear test in September and their repeated defiance of international sanctions and diplomatic pressure. (Manuel Elias/United Nations via AP)
Spain: Successful Prado director to return to Bilbao museum

MADRID (AP)  Spain's Prado Museum says director Miguel Zugaza will end his 15-year successful run at the renowned gallery next year.

The museum said Wednesday that Zugaza had told the Culture Ministry he felt he has completed his mission and intends to return to his previous post as director of Bilbao's Fine Arts Museum.

Zugaza has overseen a transformation of the Prado in recent years, opening a modernist annex and hosting blockbuster exhibitions that have made the museum in Madrid one of Spain's most visited sites.

The museum is considered to have the world's richest collection of pre-20th century masters, including Bosch, Goya, El Greco and Velazquez.
Bruce Springsteen visits Denver to promote 'Born to Run'

DENVER (AP)  Bruce Springsteen stopped in Denver on Wednesday as part of a nationwide tour promoting his new autobiography "Born to Run."

An estimated 1,100 people who bought advance tickets lined up at the Tattered Cover Book Store to get a pre-autographed copy of the book and a photo with the Boss. The line extended out of the store and down the street.

The store posted a YouTube video earlier this year urging Springsteen to visit during his book tour. The new incoming co-owner, Len Vlahos, is seen playing guitar and singing "Growin' Up" while walking through the store.
Interview Opportunity: Steve Harling, New President of Reach Beyond

Topic: "We Can Fulfill The Great Commission in this Generation" -- "Mobilizing Millennials Key Strategy"



Contact: Darin Campbell,

InChrist Communications,

512-785-8350



MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 30, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- More than two billion people worldwide have never had the chance to hear about Jesus. How can Christians in North America respond to this urgent need? The new president of Reach Beyond, Steve Harling, has vowed to focus closely on bringing the gospel to all unreached people.



"I am looking forward to inspiring and leading a new generation of missionaries," said Harling. "We can fulfill the Great Commission in this generation," referring to Christ's call to bring His message to all people. "And mobilizing millennial is the key to seeing this happen."



"Today, missionary resources are heavily concentrated on the 'reached,'" said Harling. "If we are to fulfill the Great Commission, we will need a fresh unleashing of entrepreneurial pioneers to reach the billions who still have not heard the good news. I want to fulfill Christ's admonition to spread His message throughout the world. We can do it in our lifetime."



On November 16th, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Harling was officially inaugurated as the new president of Reach Beyond and took charge of the evangelical media and medical ministry with operations on five continents. Harling was formerly the senior pastor of Foothills Community Church in Arvada, Colo.



Harling brings a passion for reaching the unreached to his position, and has committed the ministry of Reach Beyond to helping fulfill the Great Commission. Harling said he is looking forward to leading Reach Beyond in the effort to fulfill its enormous potential. "Reach Beyond's unique approach of combining medical care with media ministries has touched the hearts of thousands who had never before heard the Word of the Lord, and I am excited to build upon that tradition."



Steve Harling is available for interviews on the following topics:

How Christians in North America can help fulfill the Great Commission



Practical ways for Christians to begin sharing their faith locally and globally



How the Reach Beyond ministry combines medical missions with media ministries to reach the unreached around the world



His personal testimony of faith

Additionally, Harling is available to discuss his new role and responsibilities at Reach Beyond.



To schedule an interview with Steve Harling, contact Darin Campbell at 512-785-8350 or dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com.



ABOUT STEVE HARLING:

Rev. Harling has spent 36 years as a pastor in churches of up to 4,500 members and has served for the last eight years as lead pastor at Foothills Community Church. He has led staff teams of 90 or more employees and thousands of volunteers. The son and grandson of missionaries, early in his career Rev. Harling served internationally as a missionary with SIM and as pastor of the Khartoum International Church in Sudan. He has more than 25 years of mission board experience with SIM, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Global Refuge and Bethany Home.



Harling is married to Becky Harling, a well-known author and speaker who focuses on helping women overcome obstacles through prayer and God's guidance.



ABOUT REACH BEYOND

Reach Beyond (www.reachbeyond.org) is a media and medical-based evangelical outreach ministry with operations on five continents. It spreads the Gospel of Jesus through modern media including radio broadcast, webcast, social media and solar-powered radio distribution. It also provides medical services to the needy throughout its network. Today, Reach Beyond, with an annual budget of approximately $19 million, has more than 1,000 staff members in 30 countries.



MEDIA CONTACT:

Darin Campbell

InChrist Communications

Phone: 512-785-8350

Email: dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com

Click here to view full press release as background
AP Explains: What's behind persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya

BANGKOK (AP)  Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Somali-born student accused of carrying out a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University this week, reportedly protested on his Facebook page about the killing of minority Muslims in Myanmar. Muslim Rohingya face discrimination and violence from the Buddhist majority in the country, also called Burma. Their plight generally goes unnoticed by the world at large, even though some rights activists say their persecution amounts to ethnic cleansing. Here are several things to know about the group:

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"THE MOST FRIENDLESS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD"

FILE - In this June 24 2014, file photo, Rohingya children gather at the Dar Paing camp for Muslim refugees, north of Sittwe, western Rakhine state, Myanmar. Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Somali-born student who carried out a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University on Monday, reported railed on his Facebook account against U.S. interference in countries with Muslim communities. But he specifically protested the killing of Muslims in Myanmar _ also known as Burma _ where the Rohingya ethnic minority faces discrimination and occasional violence from the Buddhist majority and the army and bureaucracy. The Rohingya draw occasional international attention when the violence against them becomes too large to ignore, or when they seek foreign shores as boatpeople in great numbers, but their plight is generally ignored. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)

Although Rohingya  a Muslim ethnic minority of about 1 million among Myanmar's predominantly Buddhist 52 million people  have lived in Myanmar for generations, most people view them as foreign intruders from neighboring Bangladesh. Bangladesh, which hosts many Rohingya refugees, also refuses to recognize them as citizens. "The Rohingya are probably the most friendless people in the world. They just have no one advocating for them at all," Kitty McKinsey, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in 2009.

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BORDER ATTACKS LED TO LATEST OUTBREAK OF VIOLENCE

Almost all Rohingya live in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, where the military has stepped up operations since November, when nine police officers were killed in attacks on posts along the border with Bangladesh. The identity of the perpetrators remains unclear. Rohingya villagers armed with homemade weapons resisted troops and an unknown number of villagers died, along with a handful of soldiers and officials. Rohingya solidarity groups say several hundred civilians have been killed since October. The New York-based group Human Rights Watch says satellite imagery shows 1,250 houses and other structures have been burned down. In 2012, violence between Rohingya and the Buddhist community killed hundreds and forced about 140,000 people  predominantly Rohingya  to flee their homes to camps for the internally displaced. About 100,000 remain in the squalid camps and dependent on charity.

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DISAPPOINTMENT WITH SUU KYI

There has been great disappointment that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, whose political party took power in Myanmar this year after decades of military rule, has failed to ease the plight of Rohingya despite her reputation as a fighter for human rights. Speaking out for Rohingya rights is an unpopular political position. However, Suu Kyi's government in August appointed former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to head an advisory panel aimed at finding lasting solutions to the conflict in Rakhine state. He is scheduled to visit Rakhine on Friday. The U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, on Tuesday expressed concern about reports of excessive use of force and other serious human rights violations against civilians, particularly Rohingya, including allegations of extrajudicial executions, torture, rape and the destruction of religious property.

FILE - In this May 8, 2014, file photo, Salema Khatu, left wraps her arms around her son Habil, who was suffering from tuberculosis in an area for Rohingya refugees in north of Sittwe, western Rakhine state, Myanmar. Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Somali-born student who carried out a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University on Monday, reportedly railed on his Facebook account against U.S. interference in countries with Muslim communities. But he specifically protested the killing of Muslims in Myanmar _ also known as Burma _ where the Rohingya ethnic minority faces discrimination and occasional violence from the Buddhist majority and the army and bureaucracy. The Rohingya draw occasional international attention when the violence against them becomes too large to ignore, or when they seek foreign shores as boat people in great numbers, but their plight is generally ignored. (AP Photo/Robin McDowell, File)

FILE - In this May 20, 2015, file photo, migrants including Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims sit on their boat as they wait to be rescued by Aceh fishermen on the sea off East Aceh, Indonesia. Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Somali-born student who carried out a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University on Monday, reportedly railed on his Facebook account against U.S. interference in countries with Muslim communities. But he specifically protested the killing of Muslims in Myanmar _ also known as Burma _ where the Rohingya ethnic minority faces discrimination and occasional violence from the Buddhist majority and the army and bureaucracy. The Rohingya draw occasional international attention when the violence against them becomes too large to ignore, or when they seek foreign shores as boat people in great numbers, but their plight is generally ignored. (AP Photo/S. Yulinnas, File)
French president says Czech help vital in anti-terror fight

PRAGUE (AP)  France President Francois Hollande says his country is thankful to the Czech Republic for its help in the fight against terrorism.

Hollande said through a translator after meeting Czech President Milos Zeman on Wednesday that sharing information and coordinating police activities were particularly important because the Czech Republic is a "transit zone."

Hollande didn't elaborate. But Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka says extremists have traveled to Western countries through Czech territory.

Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman, right, welcomes his French counterpart Francois Hollande, left, at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Sobotka also says one of the suspects linked to the terror attacks in Paris last year previously had been in the Czech Republic.

Hollande says he and Zeman agreed to intensify their cooperation on nuclear energy, which both countries rely heavily on. The Czech Republic is planning to build new reactors.

French President Francois Hollande arrives at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman, right, welcomes his French counterpart Francois Hollande, left, at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

French President Francois Hollande speaks to media at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The Latest: Lawyer: Report lacking on fatal police shooting

DURHAM, N.C. (AP)  The Latest on the fatal police shooting of a man at a North Carolina public housing complex (all times local):

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11:30 a.m.

A lawyer representing the siblings of a man fatally shot by police at a North Carolina public housing complex says a preliminary police report leaves important questions unanswered.

Attorney David Hall said Wednesday that the report is far from the last word on what led to last week's fatal shooting of 34-year-old Frank Clark of Durham.

The police report describes officers hearing a gunshot before one fired his weapon. Hall says the description of a gun that may have discharged isn't definitive, and leaves the possibility that another officer fired first before police shot Clark.

The report says officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun next to Clark that was reported stolen in January.

Police say Clark and the three officers involved in his shooting are African-American.

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8:15 a.m.

A police report says three North Carolina officers involved in last week's fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man heard a gunshot before one fired his weapon.

According to a preliminary report released late Tuesday, Frank Clark of Durham reached for his waistband while being questioned Nov. 22 at a public housing complex. Officer M.D. Southerland fell to the ground, and officer C.S. Barkley shot Clark.

Clark died at the scene. Southerland was treated and released from a hospital for a leg injury.

A woman who identified herself as Clark's sister has said he didn't have a gun when he was shot.

The report says officers found a loaded 9mm handgun next to Clark that was reported stolen in January.
Prosecutor clears officer in man's death, says man was armed

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  A prosecutor on Wednesday cleared a Charlotte police officer in the killing of a black man whose death touched off civil unrest, and he presented detailed evidence to rebut assertions that the slain man was unarmed.

Officer Brentley Vinson was justified in opening fire on Keith Scott and won't face charges, Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray said.

In a 40-minute news presentation to news reporters, Murray produced evidence that Keith Scott was armed with a handgun and the officer who killed him feared Scott would shoot.

Rakeyia Scott, widow of Keith Lamont Scott reacts during a news conference after the family met with Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Charlotte. Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

The announcement "profoundly disappointed" Scott's family, but they haven't decided whether to file a lawsuit, their lawyer said.

Scott, 43, was killed Sept. 20 in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Much of Murray's presentation centered on the gun and debunking witnesses who said Scott wasn't armed.

Murray displayed a store's surveillance video taken shortly before the incident, showing the outline of what appeared to be a holstered gun on Scott's ankle. He said Scott's DNA was found on a Colt .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun recovered at the scene.

He shared a Facebook conversation from the man who said he sold the stolen gun to Scott and recognized him from TV coverage after the shooting, and police radio traffic where officers talked about the gun before confronting Scott.

He also released his report online and asked the public to review his findings before protesting again. Two nights of protests after the shooting resulted in looted stores near the scene and in downtown Charlotte, millions of dollars of damage, a fatal shooting and more than two dozen injuries to police officers and others.

"The community should read the report. Digest the report. Please do not act viscerally on news snippets," Murray said.

A group of nearly 100 people gathered at Charlotte police headquarters in the rain Wednesday night before marching around downtown Charlotte for about two hours.

They said they don't believe Scott had a gun. They said a white officer actually shot Scott and Murray and state investigators were using Vinson as a scapegoat despite body and dashboard camera footage only showing Vinson firing his weapon. The protests remained calm. Four people were arrested for refusing to get out of the street and on the sidewalk, police said.

Murray said his team of homicide prosecutors reviewed the evidence, along with other lawyers. He said the investigation relied on 63 State Bureau of Investigation agents working for 2,300 hours. Murray said every one of them agreed with his conclusion.

"All of the credible, available and believable evidence supports the conclusion that Scott was armed with a gun," Murray said.

Immediately after the shooting, a video of Scott's final moments recorded by his wife, Rakeyia, was posted on social media. In it, she shouted to police that her husband "doesn't have a gun." She pleaded with officers not to shoot before a burst of gunfire could be heard. She also told them he was suffering from TBI  a traumatic brain injury suffered in a motorcycle crash in November 2015.

Minutes after Murray spoke to reporters, Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg said at a news conference that there still isn't definitive proof Scott had a gun in his hand when he was shot.

Scott's family is profoundly disappointed at the decision not to charge Vinson, but thanked Murray for meeting with them for an hour to answer their questions, Bamberg said.

Anyone who's upset should not get violent but should work on changing a system that lets officers shoot people without taking more steps to prevent confrontations from becoming deadly, Bamberg said. He added that he understood why prosecutors decided not to file charges.

"That does not mean that this officer's killing of Keith Scott was right. All that means is that under the view of the DA's office, it wasn't criminal. And those are two completely different things," Bamberg said.

Rakeyia Scott stood behind the lawyers with her sister, Rachel Dotch. They didn't speak to reporters.

The shooting happened after plainclothes officers went to the complex looking for a suspect with an outstanding warrant when two undercover officers saw Scott  not the suspect they were looking for  inside a car with a gun and marijuana, Murray said.

The officers said they would have ignored the marijuana, but the gun made the situation dangerous to others. They left to get backup, then returned to arrest Scott, Murray said.

Officers said Scott exited the SUV with a gun, ignored at least 10 orders to drop the weapon and appeared to be in a trance, Murray said.

Scott's wife told investigators her husband took medicine for his brain injury that made him "zone out" at times, the prosecutor said.

As Scott locked eyes with him, Vinson told investigators , "I felt like if I didn't do anything right then, at that point it's like he was going to shoot me or he's going to shoot one of my buddies, and it was going to happen right now," Vinson told investigators the next day.

Scott's wife had told reporters and investigators her husband had no gun. But in August, the couple had argued on text messages about the weapon, with Rakeyia Scott reminding her husband he could get 25 years in prison because he was a felon who wasn't supposed to have one.

The case was among a series across the country since mid-2014 that spurred a national debate over race and policing.

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Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jeffrey-collins

District Attorney Andrew Murray speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Diedra Laird/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

District Attorney Andrew Murray discusses evidence as he speaks at the District Attorney's office during a press conference Wednesday morning, Nov. 30, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C., where he announced that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer Brentley Vinson acted lawfully in the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. (Diedra Laird/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

The family of Keith Lamont Scott including his wife Rakeyia Scott, right, attend a news conference after finding out charges would not be filed against CMPD officer Brentley Vinson in the fatal shooting of her husband. District Attorney Andrew Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

District Attorney Andrew Murray discusses evidence as he speaks at the District Attorney's office during a press conference Wednesday morning, Nov. 30, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C., where he announced that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer Brentley Vinson acted lawfully in the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. (Diedra Laird/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

FILE - This image made from video provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 shows Keith Scott on the ground as police approach him in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 20, 2016. Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray announced Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via AP)

FILE - This combination of photos provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Sept. 24, 2016 shows an ankle holster, top, and gun which police say were in Keith Scott's possession at the time he was fatally shot by police in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 20, 2016. Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray announced Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via AP)

The family of Keith Lamont Scott including his wife Rakeyia Scott, right, attend a news conference after finding out charges would not be filed against CMPD officer Brentley Vinson in the fatal shooting of her husband. District Attorney Andrew Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

The family of Keith Lamont Scott including his wife Rakeyia Scott, right, attend a news conference after finding out charges would not be filed against CMPD officer Brentley Vinson in the fatal shooting of her husband. District Attorney Andrew Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

Attorney Charles Monnett speaks during a news conference with the family of Keith Lamont Scott after their meeting with Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Charlotte. Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Davie Hinshaw/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

Rev. Raymond Johnson of Marion S.C. raises questions as District Attorney Andrew Murray speaks at the District Attorney's office during a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016 in Charlotte. Murray announced that the shooting by officer Brent Vinson was justified. Vinson, who is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20. (Diedra Laird/The Charlotte Observer via AP)

Members of Charlotte Uprising speak to the media during a community press conference at the Belmont Community Center in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in the wake of the Keith Lamont Scott decision . A prosecutor on Wednesday cleared a Charlotte police officer in the killing of Scott, a black man whose death touched off civil unrest, and he presented detailed evidence to rebut assertions that the slain man was unarmed. (David T. Foster III /The Charlotte Observer via AP)
UN panel: WikiLeaks' Assange a victim of arbitrary detention

GENEVA (AP)  A U.N. panel is sticking by its opinion that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention, rejecting a request by Britain to review the case.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Britain had not presented enough new information to merit a new examination. The panel made the decision at a meeting last week, the U.N. human rights office said Wednesday.

In February, the panel found that Britain and Sweden had "arbitrarily detained" Assange, saying he should be freed and entitled to compensation.

FILE - This is a Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 file photo of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a U.N. report as he speaks on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. A U.N. panel is sticking by its opinion that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention, rejecting a request by Britain to review the case. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Britain had not presented enough new information to merit a new examination. The panel made the decision at a meeting last week, the U.N. human rights office said Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid arrest and extradition to Sweden. Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of rape.
Ohio day care worker gets life sentence in sex abuse of kids

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP)  A former Ohio day care worker convicted of sexually assaulting six children has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors say Heather Koon, of Elyria (eh-LEER'-ee-uh), sent videos and photos of her sexually abusing children at two day cares to her boyfriend, a convicted sex offender.

Some parents of the victims called Koon a monster in court Tuesday and said some of the children remain traumatized from what happened in 2013.

Prosecutors said Koon's boyfriend, James Osborne, urged the sexual abuse. Osborne was sentenced in October to life in prison without parole for his role in the abuse.

Koon's attorney also told the judge Koon acted at Osborne's direction.
House Democrats re-elect Pelosi as leader despite discontent

WASHINGTON (AP)  House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader Wednesday, ratifying the status quo in a changing Washington despite widespread frustration over the party's direction.

That disenchantment manifested itself in 63 lawmakers supporting Pelosi's opponent, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, in the secret-ballot vote. That was by far the largest defection Pelosi has suffered since she began leading House Democrats in 2002.

Still, the California lawmaker had declared ahead of time that more than two-thirds of the caucus was supporting her, and she won almost exactly two-thirds with 134 votes. It was a testament to her vote-counting skills and to her ability to hang onto power even in dark days for Democrats, as they confront a capital that will be fully controlled by the GOP next year.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to reporters following the House Democratic Caucus elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for House leadership positions. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, challenged Pelosi, but lost, 134-63. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"I have a special spring in my step today because this opportunity is a special one, to lead the House Democrats, bring everyone together as we go forward," Pelosi said after the vote, appearing elated in her victory.

She disputed the suggestion that she might be concerned about the defections she suffered. "They weren't defections, I had two-thirds of the vote," Pelosi said, repeating "two-thirds, two-thirds" to a group of assembled reporters.

And she insisted Democrats would rebound. "We know how to win elections. We've done it in the past, we will do it again."

Supporters said the 76-year-old Pelosi was their best bet to confront a President Donald Trump from the minority after Democrats picked up only a half-dozen seats in the House, far fewer than anticipated and well below Pelosi's predictions. Republicans are on track to hold at least 240 seats in the House next year, while Democrats will have 194.

"We need someone who is battle-tested," Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan told fellow Democrats in nominating Pelosi. "We need our leader to be seasoned, tough."

For their part, Ryan and his backers insisted that they had won a victory in sending a message to Pelosi about the significant desire for change among House Democrats.

"Somebody had to do something," said Ryan, a seven-term lawmaker who before now had been largely a back-bencher. "Our prospects have improved just because of this conversation."

Yet Democrats' marginalized status was evident as Ryan struggled to answer a question about who would lead the party forward, before concluding: "We're all going to participate in leading the party."

Leadership elections were originally scheduled to be held before Thanksgiving but were delayed to give Democrats more time to consider a path forward. Lawmakers expressed frustration over a range of issues, including stagnant leadership in their caucus, and Democrats' failures to connect with white working class voters.

"I'm very concerned we just signed the Democratic party's death certificate ... unless we change what we are talking about, which is really the working man and woman's agenda," said Rep. Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

Pelosi has earned respect and loyalty from many Democrats over the years, including as a powerhouse fundraiser, raising over $140 million for Democrats in the 2016 cycle, and as a skilled legislative tactician. As speaker in 2009 she steered Obama's health care law through the House and also pushed through a divisive bill to cap carbon emissions, but Democrats suffered massive losses in midterm elections the next year and lost their majority.

Pelosi's victory Wednesday came only after she promised some changes to assuage concerns in her caucus, including adding a member of the freshmen class to her leadership team and creating a handful of other titled positions. But her proposals do little to ensure new blood at the very top or change the seniority system that has key committees led by lawmakers in their 80s at a moment when the party needs to be defending the health care law and other initiatives dear to Democrats.

Some House Democrats did not hide their disappointment at the outcome.

"It is obvious the current strategy doesn't work," said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. "Millions of Americans don't feel that our party represents them anymore and they've said so, loudly, in multiple elections."

Pelosi's top two lieutenants who've served by her side for years were also re-elected Wednesday, both by acclimation. Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, 77, will continue to serve as Democratic whip, and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, 76, will continue in the No. 3 spot as assistant leader.

Rep. Joe Crowley of New York became conference chairman, a term-limited post vacated by Rep. Xavier Becerra of California. The position of conference vice chairman was hotly contested between two Californians, Linda Sanchez and Barbara Lee. Sanchez prevailed narrowly with 98 votes to 96 for Lee, becoming the first minority woman in leadership.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, pauses while speaking to members of the media following the House Democratic Caucus elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for House leadership positions. Ryan challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., but lost, 134-63. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to reporters following the House Democratic Caucus elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for House leadership positions. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, challenged Pelosi, but lost, 134-63. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to reporters following the House Democratic Caucus elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for House leadership positions. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, challenged Pelosi, but lost, 134-63. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, left, speaks to reporters following the House Democratic Caucus elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, for House leadership positions. Ryan challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., but lost, 134-63. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., listens at left. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Prosecutors say they will be seeking the death penalty for Avalos

Ramirez initially survived her April 2015 attack but died two months later

Investigators say the other victims were also killed during sexual assaults

Police believe he is also responsible for the murders of Rosemary Perez, 28, Celia Ann Lopez, 29, and Genevieve Ramirez, 45, in 2015

The 29-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting and

A Texas man has been charged with strangling a 15-year-old girl to death and murder another three women.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for suspected serial killer Johnny Joe Avalos over the multiple murders which took place within a four month period across San Antonio.

The naked body of Natalie Chavez, 15, was discovered dumped under a west side bridge on December 18, 2014. Investigators say she'd been sexually assaulted before she was strangled to death.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for suspected serial killer Johnny Joe Avalos (left and right, on his arrest) over the multiple murders which took place within a four month period across San Antonio

Avalos was arrested and charged with capital murder after detectives say they found his DNA on her body.

He later claimed he'd had sex with the victim for money and had not been aware of her young age.

The 29-year-old also faces capital murder charges for the deaths of Rosemary Perez, 28, Celia Ann Lopez, 29, and Genevieve Ramirez, 45.

Perez was found wrapped in a sheet along a West Side Street, San Antonio on January 12, 2015. Ramirez initially survived her April 2015 attack but died from her injuries two months later.

Lopez's body was found half naked on April 15 in the 4400 block of South Presa Street, San Antonio.

The naked body of Natalie Chavez, 15, (pictured) was discovered dumped under a west side bridge on December 18, 2014

Investigators say Chavez (left and right) had been sexually assaulted before she was strangled to death

Investigators believe her dead body, which showed obvious signs of trauma, had been lying there for several days before she was found.

Relatives of Lopez have called for Avalos to receive life in jail.

Lopez's mother, 55-year-old Maria Avila, who is serving a 15 year sentence for heroin charges, said the death penalty 'is really too good for an individual like that.'

'There's no reason why he should be able to escape his demons when we have to live without our loved one forever,' she told Fox San Antonio in August. 'This place consumes you. It eats you up and you become something that you're not because you have no other choice and he may very well fit in with these monsters.'

Avalos also faces capital murder charges for the death of Celia Ann Lopez, 29

Avalos also faces capital murder charges for the deaths of Rosemary Perez, 28, (left) and Genevieve Ramirez, 45 (right)

Avalos has a lengthy rap sheet which includes charges of making terroristic threats, criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance.

The suspect, of San Antonio, was indicted on Tuesday of two count of capital murder over the four murders. He was remanded in jail until December 19 where he will appear before a judge.

The DA's office said it will seek the death penalty on each charge.
Sheriff: California woman found with message burned on skin

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A California woman abducted while jogging was branded by two female captors who kept their faces covered during the three weeks they held her, a sheriff said Wednesday in seeking the public's help to solve a crime that has riveted and unnerved the community.

The Spanish-speaking suspects also kept the head of 34-year-old victim Sherri Papini covered at times, limiting her ability to provide descriptions so authorities could draw sketches, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said at a news conference.

The abductors may have been trying to humiliate and wear down Papini by branding her and cutting off her long hair, Bosenko told "Good Morning America" (http://abcn.ws/2gx7urR ).

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2016 file photo, a "missing" sign for Mountain Gate, Calif., resident Sherri Papini, 34, is placed along side Sunrise Drive, near the location where the mom of two is believed to have gone missing while on a afternoon jog on Nov. 2. Papini was chained to an object and had been badly beaten when found near an interstate three weeks after she disappeared while jogging, according to a newspaper citing a police-dispatch recording. (Andrew Seng/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File)

"I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message," he said, emphasizing that the brand was a message, not a symbol.

At the news conference later in the day, the sheriff said authorities still lack a motive for the abduction.

"We do not know if she was a specific target or if this was a random abduction," he said.

Bosenko declined comment on where Papini had been branded or where she was held by her captors.

He said he is not sharing all the details of the investigation and asked for the public's help in finding the two women, saying authorities are trying to do a sketch of the suspects based on Papini's limited recollections.

Papini told investigators the younger woman had long curly hair, thin eyebrows and a thick accent. The older suspect had straight black hair with some gray and thick eyebrows.

The sheriff warned residents to remain cautious until the suspects are identified.

Papini, the mother of two small children, disappeared while jogging Nov. 2 near her home in Redding, about 140 miles north of Sacramento. She was released near Interstate 5.

Her husband Keith Papini has said his wife was covered with bruises and burns and was chained at the waist and wrists when she was found.

In a written statement Tuesday to "Good Morning America," he also addressed social media chatter doubting his wife's story of abduction and assault.

"Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting," he wrote.

The sheriff has said the case is puzzling for a number of reasons, including motive. He said no ransom demand was made and the Papinis are of modest means.

Bosenko told the AP on Monday that investigators have no reason to doubt the harrowing tale told by Sherri Papini.

Keith Papini said his wife weighed just 87 pounds and the bridge of her nose was broken when she was tossed from a vehicle along the interstate with her hands restrained and a bag over her head.

Bosenko said Sherri Papini was unable to recall any details about her abduction when first questioned soon after being found.
Number of visitors to Hawaii grows 4.3 percent in October

HONOLULU (AP)  The Hawaii Tourism Authority says the number of travelers to the islands increased 4.3 percent in October compared to the same month last year, setting a record for the month.

The agency said Wednesday more than 700,000 people visited Hawaii in October.

Spending grew 6.8 percent to $1.2 billion.

FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2014 file photo, surfers ride waves off Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, with Diamond Head mountain in the background. The Hawaii Tourism Authority says the number of travelers to the islands increased 4.3 percent in October compared to the same month last year, setting a record for the month. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)

Hawaii's tourism industry has benefited from a growth in flights and airlines' use of larger planes on routes to the islands.

The agency says visitors from the U.S. mainland and Japan increased. Travelers from Canada declined.

Tourism authority CEO George Szigeti says the state is on track to set records for visitor arrivals and spending this year.
The new political climate generated by breakneck globalization, aggressive political correctness, and elite arrogance is so turbulent that pollsters have repeatedly failed to see whats coming. They got last years Israeli elections wrong. Same with the Colombian referendum on peace negotiations with the narcoguerillas. They missed the boat on Brexit and the American presidential elections. In France, they failed to see that former prime minister Francois Fillon would win the race to become the conservative partys candidate in Aprils presidential election. A social conservative with liberal economic views, Fillon scrambles our notions of Left and Right. He represents an alignment unseen since the 1840s.

But its not just the pollsters whove missed the changing tides. The largely unknown Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, who became a figure of fun during the run up to the Brexit vote, is the president of the European Commissionthe bureaucratic body that largely governs Europe on behalf of its elites. Like Nancy Pelosi and the shrinking band of House Democrats, the aptly named Juncker is doubling down on policies that have produced failure. Juncker told an Austrian newspaper that there would be no letup on federalizing Europe; there will be no national opt-outs from the stagnation economics administered from Brussels.

The common thread of all these electoral upsets is that the voters seem to have tilted rightward. But that assumes that the mental geography mapping Left and Right still makes sense. The very terms left and right derive from the early stages of the French Revolution. The seating in the first National Assembly as viewed from the speakers podium placed the proponents of a new, supposedly more rational France to the left of the podium. On the right were thoseoften Catholicswho wanted, it was claimed, to cling to aristocratic tradition. It was a passing moment of political and ideological clarity. By the time the enlightened despot Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself king in 1804, the terms had become, as they continue to be today, hopelessly confused. The great Catholic liberal Chateaubriand was forced to align himself with the Bourbon monarchy because he saw it, compared with Napoleon, as the lesser threat to liberty.

Fillon has had neither predecessor nor precursor in the resolutely etatist France of the last 168 years. The last major figure with Fillons combination of liberal and conservative characteristics was the Anglophile Francois Guizot, who was prime minister when the revolution of 1848 ended the bourgeois monarchy of Louis Phillipe. Until now, Guizot, a great historian whose The History of Civilization in Europe sits a few feet from where I write, has had no heir. Fillon tells the French that he wants to give the country its liberty back. He promises to cut a half-million public-sector jobs, end the 35-hour work week, and reduce Frances corpulent 3,000 pages of labor regulations to a svelte 150. This would be a revolution, of sorts. Modern France has never gone through the free-market reforms that revived the British, Canadian, Swedish, and German economies. Government spending in France now represents 57 percent of the economy, and as in the U.S.only worsethe free market has been strangled by out-of-control statism.

The New York Catholic writer George Marlin has described how Catholic voters of the Rust Belt, infuriated by economic atrophy and politically correct social liberalism, won Novembers presidential election for Donald Trump. Something similar has happened in France. In April 2017, Fillon, an Anglophile and practicing Catholic, could conceivably confront Marine Le Pen, the anti-Islamist leader of the National Front, in the second and conclusive round of the French presidential election. If so, the pundits will find that their old mental maps have been rendered useless in a conflict between two conservative candidates. Thats because the working-class vote, once claimed by the Left, has been abandoned by the French Socialists, who, like their counterparts in America, have run off in pursuit of an incoherent alliance of gay, Muslim, and feminist voters.

Today, Frances Socialist president Francois Hollande has governed so ineptly that he garners just 4 percent approval. By this standard, Hillary Clinton did well among white working-class menshe lost them by 38 percent. The French Socialists have been returned to their nineteenth-century marginality, while in the U.S., the Democrats have been reduced to the regional position they held in the 1920s, when they were the party of saloonkeepers and Southerners.

In 2001, Marine Le Pens father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a supporter of Vichy France, shocked the world by placing second in the first round of the French presidential elections, barely edging out Socialist Lionel Jospin. Jospins 16 percent of the vote was nearly matched by a museum-quality assortment of Communists, Maoists, and Trotskyites. Together, extremist parties of the Left and Right polled roughly a third of the vote. But in the general election, the mainstream parties banded together to support Jacques Chirac, who trounced Le Pen with 82 percent of the vote.

But 2016 is different. France is dispirited. Its shaken by Muslim aggression. It has puttered along for decades with less than 1 percent growth. Its unemployment rate approaches double digits, and its youth unemployment rate of 24 percent has sent scores of young people to London, Berlin, and New York. Fillons Thatcherite economic policy will no doubt push Frances vast array of public-sector trade unionistsand what remains of the industrial working-class votersinto the arms of Marine Le Pen, who could merge as the de facto left-wing candidate (if such terms still have any meaning). The many millions who either work for government or are the recipient of corporatist benefits might quietly support Le Pens nationalism rather than risk losing their privileges.

Whoever is the victor, the ill-begotten European Union will have been handed yet another shock, even as the nations of southern Europe threaten the solvency of the European Central Bank. Like the American Democrats, who, notes Powerlines Scott Johnson, marched lockstep into defeat after defeat, the European elites show no sign of becoming educable. The European elite seem to have developed a death wish. What could be better news for the investment banking community than having all non-fascist voters, left, right and centre, obligated to vote for [Fillon], snarks Paul Mason of the fervently continentalist British newspaper The Guardian, who wants to slash the welfare state, sack workers and extend the working day?

Marine Le Pen running as the candidate of French Leftwho could have seen this coming? No doubt there are more surprises to come.

Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images
Former astronaut pleads not guilty in deadly wreck

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)  A former space shuttle commander has pleaded not guilty in a fatal wreck that killed two girls in Alabama.

Court records show 60-year-old James Halsell Jr. entered the written plea last week. The former astronaut is charged with reckless murder in a crash that killed two girls riding in a car near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in June.

Authorities say they suspect alcohol was a factor. But Halsell's lawyers filed a document in a civil lawsuit blaming the other driver for failing to yield.

Halsell was arrested after the wreck killed 11-year-old Niomi James and 13-year-old Jayla Parler. He was on probation at the time after receiving a DUI ticket in 2014.
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Not even a little rain could keep thousands of New Yorkers away from watching the Rockefeller Christmas tree light up the night sky once again this holiday season.

Thousands of rain-drenched revelers gathered in midtown Manhattan Wednesday night to watch the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

Mayor Bill de Blasio flipped the switch just before 9pm, illuminating the 94-foot tall, 14-ton Norway spruce with 50,000 multicolored LED bulbs on 5 miles of wires.

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Not even a little rain could keep thousands of New Yorkers away from watching the Rockefeller Christmas tree light up the night sky once again on Wednesday night

Thousands of rain-drenched revelers gathered in midtown Manhattan to watch the annual lighting ceremony of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Christmas tree is a 94 ft tall, 14-ton Norway spruce with 50,000 multicolored LED bulbs on 5 miles of wires

The festive scene looked straight out of the classic holiday film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

A Swarvoski star, made up of 25,000 crystals, has sparkled at the very top of the tree since 2014

And sparkling at the very top of the tree is the Swarovski star, which is 550 pounds and is made up of 25,000 glittering crystals.

The 84th annual ceremony aired live on NBC and included performances by Neil Diamond, Sarah McLachlan, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Pentatonix, Tori Kelly and the Radio City Rockettes.

Security at the event was tight. Spectators were urged to use mass transit and umbrellas, backpacks and large bags were prohibited.

This year's tree came from the backyard of Angie and Graig Eichler in the northern foothills of New York's Catskill mountain range.

Mayor Bill de Blasio flipped the switch just before 9pm, illuminating the Rockefeller Center in lights

And the tree wasn't the only thing glittering in the night. There were plenty of gorgeous decorations to delight the spectators

New Yorkers kept dry with umbrellas as they watched the lighting ceremony while rain poured down Manhattan

And the drizzle didn't stop revelers from filling the streets so they could sneak even just a peek of the tree lighting up

The Radio City Rockettes were also there to help bring the holiday cheer despite the chilly weather

The Rockettes perform five shows a day, seven days a week during the Christmas season

Angie Eichler said their family has come almost every year to see the Rockefeller Center tree - but she never dreamed it would be theirs.

The tree will be lit every day from 5.30am to 11.30pm until January 7.

The only exception will be Christmas Day, when the lights will blaze for a full 24 hours.

After the holidays, the tree will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Alec Baldwin, who brought along his daughter Carmen, attended the 84th Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony

Also joining Baldwin was Kate Mcinnon, with whom he shared the SNL stage last month, as well as TODAY Show hosts Hoda Kotb, Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree got its unofficial start all the way back in 1931.

A group of demolition workers together purchased a 20-foot tall tree to stand at the Rockefeller Center construction site.

They put their money together to be able to afford the baslam fir and then decorated it with strings of cranberries, tin cans and handmade garlands.

The first official tree lighting ceremony took place two years later, when 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened in 1933.

Both Tori Kelly and Sarah Mclachlan gave performances for the delighted crowd, wearing their most festive gowns

Neil Diamond also sang during the entertainment-packed ceremony, which was aired live on NBC

This year's tree came from the backyard of Angie and Graig Eichler in the northern foothills of New York's Catskill mountains
Timeline of planned Carrier factory closing in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump is set on Thursday to trumpet a deal with furnace and air conditioner manufacturer Carrier Corp. that would reduce the planned 1,400 job cuts at an Indianapolis factory that became a political cause during the presidential campaign.

Here's a timeline of key events:

Feb. 10: Company officials announce plans to shutter the Indianapolis factory, along with a 700-worker factory in the northeastern Indiana city of Huntington that is also owned by Carrier parent company United Technologies Corp. of Hartford, Connecticut. Production from both plants is to be shifted to Mexico over the next few years.

An employee enters the Carrier Corp. plant parking lot, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Indianapolis. Carrier and President-elect Donald Trump reached an agreement to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Feb. 13: Trump criticizes Carrier's decision on Twitter, saying it wouldn't happen on his watch.

Feb. 15: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence cites increased federal regulations as a factor in the closing decisions. Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly disputes that claim, saying Carrier executives couldn't specify any such regulations and blames the action on the company seeking lower labor costs.

March 2: Pence meets with a United Technologies executive in the governor's office and says afterward he doesn't want to create any false hope of the 2,100 jobs staying in the state. Pence says the company would keep about 400 research-and-development and executive jobs in Indiana. Company executive Robert McDonough won't tell reporters whether the closing decisions might change.

April 20: Trump draws cheers from supporters at an Indianapolis campaign rally when he says he would impose stiff taxes on companies such as Carrier for moving jobs from the country. Trump goes on to essentially clinch the GOP nomination by winning Indiana's May 3 primary and continues to blast Carrier during his campaign.

April 29: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has also picked up the Carrier cause, blames bad international trade policies for the company's decision while speaking at an Indiana Statehouse rally organized by unions protesting the plant closings. Sanders wins Indiana's Democratic presidential primary the following week.

July 12: Trump again attacks the Carrier decision during a campaign rally in suburban Indianapolis, three days before he announces Pence as his running mate.

July 27: Carrier and United Steelworkers Local 1999 reach severance package deal for Indianapolis plant workers, including reimbursement for education and technical training. Job cuts are scheduled over three years beginning in 2017.

Nov. 24: Trump posts on Twitter on Thanksgiving Day that he is working with Carrier to keep jobs in the U.S. The company confirms discussions with the incoming administration but says that it has nothing to announce yet.

Nov. 25: United Steelworkers Local 1999 president Chuck Jones, who represents workers at the Indianapolis factory, says he isn't optimistic of success in changing Carrier's decision and that union leaders had last met with the company three months earlier.

Nov. 29: Carrier says it has reached agreement with Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis. No details of the deal are announced, although Trump promises on Twitter a "Great deal for workers!" No mention is made of the 700-worker factory in Huntington.

Nov. 30: Federal officials briefed on the deal by the company say it would spare 800 union workers whose jobs were going to be outsourced to Mexico. The deal also may cover headquarters and engineering staff that were not going to be outsourced.

FILE - This April 21, 2009, file photo shows the Carrier logo on an air conditioning unit in Omaha, Neb. Carrier and President-elect Donald Trump reached an agreement to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to Indiana on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, to unveil the agreement alongside company officials. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

Employees walk in the Carrier Corp. plant parking lot, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Indianapolis. Carrier and President-elect Donald Trump reached an agreement to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Minneapolis man pleads guilty to mailing threat to mosque

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for writing and mailing a threatening letter to a mosque.

The U.S. Department of Justice says 57-year-old Daniel George Fisher entered his plea Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright accepted Fisher's plea.

According to the guilty plea, in September 2015 Fisher wrote and mailed an anonymous letter threatening to blow up the Tawfiq Islamic Center in Minneapolis. Authorities say Fisher later admitted to the FBI that he wrote the letter to scare and intimidate the mosque's Muslim members.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Luger says threatening to blow up a mosque "is simply un-American."
Judge approves lawsuit settlement for family of Tamir Rice

CLEVELAND (AP)  A judge has approved the settlement of a lawsuit against Cleveland filed by the family of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy fatally shot by a white officer while playing with a pellet gun at a recreation center.

Cleveland agreed in April to settle the lawsuit over Tamir's 2014 death and pay $6 million over two years. Cleveland.com reports (http://bit.ly/2gJBWzo ) a Cuyahoga County Probate Court judge approved the settlement Wednesday.

Judge Anthony Russo said the settlement was fair, calling the death "a truly unfortunate, tragic and disturbing event."

The $6 million also includes the attorneys' share of the settlement and $500,000 paid to Tamir's mother and sister soon after the federal civil rights lawsuit was settled.

A prosecutor recommended the two officers involved in the shooting not be charged criminally.

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Congress sends legislation honoring WWII spies to Obama

WASHINGTON (AP)  Congress on Wednesday sent President Barack Obama legislation to give the Congressional Gold Medal to World War II spies who served behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany and the Pacific theater.

A predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of Strategic Services was formed in 1942 and at one point employed almost 13,000 men and women recruited from all branches of the military. Famous members include actor Sterling Hayden and director John Ford, baseball player Mo Berg, chef Julia Child and future CIA director William Casey.

Estimates of how many OSS members are still alive range from a few dozen to 100.

Legislation to award the spies the medal had passed the Senate and had more than 300 sponsors in the House, but was held up by House Republican rules that required a special waiver to grant the medal to groups of people. Lawmakers were concerned too many of the medals were being given out and the prestige of the award was waning.

After lobbying by some of the spies themselves  many in their 90s  House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., this month secured the waiver, which required sign off from all members of Republican leadership.

The House passed the legislation Wednesday by voice vote, along with two separate bills granting the medal to Filipino veterans and Merchant Marines in World War II. The legislation granting the Filipino veterans' medal will also head to Obama's desk, while the Merchant Marine legislation is awaiting Senate action.

"As we enter into uncharted waters with the incoming administration, I hope that we will all take pause and heed the lessons of the OSS and remember that America is at its best when we work together with our longstanding allies and when we recruit diverse personnel to serve our government," said Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill.

Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the bill's Senate sponsor, urged Obama to sign it quickly.

"From establishing intelligence networks deep behind enemy lines to bolstering resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, these intelligence officers played a critical role in securing the Allied victory," he said.

After years of lobbying, many of the OSS members became frustrated as the bill continued to stall.

Hugh Montgomery, 93, of McLean, Va., served in the OSS during World War II and watched from the House visitor's gallery as the chamber debated the bill. Montgomery jumped into Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne and was among the first Americans to enter the Buchenwald concentration camp.

"Far too long," he said, when asked afterward what he thought about Congress approving the medal.

"It was sorely needed," Montgomery said of the OSS. "We had to fight and win the war."

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Mexico disappointed at Carrier agreement to keep jobs in US

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Officials in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon expressed disappointment Wednesday at Carrier Corp.'s announcement it will keep hundreds of jobs in the United States rather than send them south of the border.

Carrier said it had made a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep the jobs at its plant in Indiana.

Carrier currently operates one plant in Nuevo Leon and has built but not yet occupied another one there as part of a planned $200 million expansion.

An employee enters the Carrier Corp. plant parking lot, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Indianapolis. Carrier and President-elect Donald Trump reached an agreement to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

"The implications are very serious, not only for Nuevo Leon, but for Carrier," Sen. Marcela Guerra said.

"The one who is going to suffer from this is the company ... because their products are going to be more expensive," she added.

Still, Guerra said she could understand Trump's fight to save U.S. jobs. "I understand the fight, because it is the same fight all we politicians carry out."

At a news conference, the mayor of Santa Catarina, the Monterrey suburb where the Carrier plant is, said he had not heard from the company.

"We haven't received any formal notification from the company. In fact, we are working normally with them," Mayor Hector Castillo said, adding that Carrier has already constructed the shell of the new factory building.

Monterrey, Santa Catarina and much of Nuevo Leon was gripped four years ago by a wave of drug cartel violence and killings. But the situation has calmed, in part because of greater law enforcement efforts but also because of increased job availabilities at new businesses, such as a new Kia Motors auto plant, that have opened nearby.

"By offering people working conditions that allow them to look after their families' welfare, they have been kept to some extent busy and on the road to progress" and away from illicit activities, said Jaime Garcia, director for economic development of Santa Catarina.

Like any city, Santa Catarina "would be grateful" for Carrier's jobs, Garcia said.

He declined to comment on Trump's effort, saying: "We are respectful but we keep our distance from the president-elect's policies."

Officials in the union for Carrier's Mexican workers could not be reached for comment. Calls to the union's offices went unanswered.

FILE - This April 21, 2009, file photo shows the Carrier logo on an air conditioning unit in Omaha, Neb. Carrier and President-elect Donald Trump reached an agreement to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to Indiana on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, to unveil the agreement alongside company officials. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
Corbyn mocked by May for confusing IMF and IFS at PMQs

Theresa May mocked Jeremy Corbyn for an economic slip during Prime Minister's Questions, claiming it showed why it is best he is in opposition.

The Prime Minister defended the Government's economic plan and cited positive claims from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following criticism from the Labour leader

But Mr Corbyn accused the PM of selectively quoting the IFS - the Institute for Fiscal Studies - as he said those people who are "just getting by are suffering all the pain for no gain".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions

Mrs May replied: "I think, given that you can't differentiate between the IMF and the IFS, it's probably a good job you're sitting there and I'm standing here."

Mr Corbyn later renewed his attack on the Government over social care funding and questioned why not a " single penny more" had been offered in last week's Autumn Statement.

Speaking during PMQs, Mr Corbyn said the Autumn Statement "revealed the abject failure" of the Government's economic strategy.

He asked Mrs May to accept that her predecessor David Cameron's "long-term economic plan was actually a failure".

The PM replied: "I'll give you some facts - the IMF says this will be the fastest growing advanced economy in the world this year, unemployment is down, we have record numbers of people in employment and we have companies like Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Honda, Arm, Google, Facebook, Apple investing in the UK - securing jobs here in the United Kingdom.

"That's what a good economic plan does."

Mr Corbyn said the Conservatives had claimed the economic deficit would be eradicated by 2015, then 2020 and "now it's been advanced to whenever in the future".

He went on to Mrs May: "Since you quote the Institute for Fiscal Studies, I think you've been a little bit selective, because they also went on to say that the prospects for workers over the next six years was 'dreadful', it went on to say 'creating the worst decade for living standards since the last war and probably since the 1920s'.

"Isn't it fair to say that those just getting by are suffering all the pain for no gain?"

Mrs May replied: "I have to say to you, I think given that you can't differentiate between the IMF and the IFS, it's probably a good job you're sitting there and I'm standing here."

The PM then listed measures - including increasing the minimum wage and the personal tax allowance - which she said are helping people who are struggling to get by.

Mr Corbyn said wages have "stagnated", home ownership is falling, homelessness "has doubled" with queues at food banks "rising every day".

He then raised concerns about welfare cuts, which led Mrs May to claim the Labour leader "believes in a welfare system where people are able to live on benefits".

Mr Corbyn also said the Government has "abandoned" former chancellor George Osborne's pledge for the so-called National Living Wage to pay at least 9 an hour by 2020.

He asked: "What is the new pledge on the living wage?"

Mrs May was heckled by the Opposition as she replied: "The pledge on the living wage is what is set out in the Autumn Statement, as it always has been."

Moving on to social care, Mr Corbyn said: "1.2 million people are lacking the care they need. Why was there not one single penny more for social care in the Autumn Statement?"

Mrs May replied: "There's absolutely no doubt that the social care system is under pressure. We recognise that.

"If you just look at the fact that there are one million more people aged over 65 today than there were in 2010, we see the sort of pressures on the social care system.

"But that's why the Government has already acted to put more money into the social care system ... 3.5 billion extra through the Better Care Fund and more money through the social care precept.

"But it's also important that local authorities and the NHS work together to ensure, for example, that people have the social care they need so they're not ending up blocking beds in hospital.

"There's some very good practice up and down the country and sadly there's some not so good practice.

"What we need to do is make sure everybody is giving the best possible service to people who need it."

Mr Corbyn said there is a "tragic parallel going on between an underfunded NHS and underfunded social care system" across the country.

He suggested Mrs May should listen to Izzi Seccombe, Conservative leader of Warwickshire County Council, who said her authority has been "cut to the bone" with concerns over funding.

Mrs May said 3.8 billion extra cash is being given to the NHS this year, adding: "Under Labour's plans we would have seen 1.3 billion less going into the National Health Service.
Person in UK 'infected with Zika virus through sexual transmission'

A person in the UK is thought to have been infected with the Zika virus through sexual transmission, health officials have said.

Public Health England (PHE) said that one case of "likely sexual transmission" of Zika virus infection has been reported in the UK.

Meanwhile, of the 265 travel-associated cases reported in Britain, seven have been diagnosed in pregnant women, PHE said.

Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of the Zika virus

PHE said the case of sexually transmitted Zika virus was identified in a woman whose partner had recently visited an affected region.

She has since made a full recovery, PHE said.

The mosquito-borne disease has been linked to a birth defect called microcephaly, which results in children with abnormally small heads and brain damage.

The mosquito that transmits the virus is not found in the UK so risk to the wider British public is deemed to be negligible by health leaders.

Of the 265 British travellers identified as being infected with the virus, t he majority of cases - 190 - are associated with travel to the Caribbean, according to the figures from Public Health England.

Cases have been linked to travel to Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago

Meanwhile, 33 cases have been linked to travel to South America and two cases have been associated to travel to Florida in the US.

One case has been reported from South East Asia and another has been linked to travel to Oceania.

Professor Dilys Morgan, Zika incident director at PHE, said: "It is important to remember that the main risk relates to travellers to countries classified as high or moderate risk for Zika infection.

"Zika infection is usually a mild, self-limiting illness, and PHE's advice is based on the fact that our main concern is to avoid infection in pregnancy, in order to avoid risk to the unborn child."

Health officials advise that men who visit affected areas should use condoms for six months following their return.

Women should avoid getting pregnant for at least two months after leaving an area deemed to have "high or moderate" risk of Zika virus transmission.

Dr Dipti Patel, director at the National Travel Health Network and Centre, said: "As we move towards holiday season with increased numbers of people visiting friends and relatives in Zika-affected areas, we recommend that all travellers seek out the latest travel health advice.

"This particularly applies to pregnant women going to an area with active Zika virus transmission who should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip and consult the NaTHNaC website for up-to-date information on current outbreaks and country information."

Commenting on the news, Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "News that one case of sexual transmission of Zika has occurred in the UK is not unexpected.

"Zika is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is not present in the UK but we know it can also be passed on sexually.

"About 60 cases of sexual transmission of Zika have been reported worldwide, so we think this is quite rare."

The current outbreak began in Brazil in 2015.

Earlier this year, the virus' link to microcephaly was deemed a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Air strikes kill at least 10 in district of Syria's east Aleppo - monitor

BEIRUT, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Air strikes on Bab al-Nairab in Syria's rebel-held east Aleppo killed at least 10 people on Tuesday, and left dozens more wounded or missing, a monitor and a rescue service said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said air strikes, including barrel bomb drops, hit several eastern Aleppo districts overnight and into Tuesday.

The Syrian military could not be reached for comment.

The civil defence, a rescue service that operates in rebel-held areas of Syria, said Syrian government planes struck Bab al-Nairab as people were trying to flee the neighbourhood on foot, killing 25.

The Observatory said its death toll of 10 people was expected to rise but that it was unclear if the casualties were displaced people.

Aleppo has for years been divided between the government-held west and rebel-held east, which the Syrian army and allied forces besieged in the summer.

As the Syrian army and its allies made a sweeping advance in recent days, thousands of residents of eastern Aleppo fled shifting frontlines, both within the shrinking rebel-held sector and across to government-held districts.
Britain's Prince Harry visits Barbados for 50th independence anniversary

BRIDGETOWN PORT, Barbados, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry arrived in Barbados on Tuesday to commemorate the 50th independence anniversary of the island, as part of his tour through the Caribbean region.

Stepping off the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, the prince was welcomed by local dignitaries, including Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave, and a military parade at the Bridgetown Port in the southwestern part of the island.

Prince Harry received a boutonniere from a local secondary school student and inspected the Guard.

After the official welcoming ceremony, he was driven away to the Government House for a meeting with the governor general and to present candidates with Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards.

In the evening, Prince Harry is scheduled to attend the reveal of the 50th Anniversary of Independence National Monument at the Garrison Savannah - the site of Barbados' historic independence on Nov. 30, 1966.
Basel Committee head says 'great progress' made in Chile meeting

SANTIAGO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The Basel Committee, which sets the standard for global banking regulation, made "great progress" in meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Chile, said William Coen, the committee's secretary general.

The financial watchdogs are gathered to try to finalize global rules on bank capital, the so-called Basel III.

"We've made really great progress these last couple of days," Coen told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting in Santiago.
U.N. warns Myanmar govt reputation at stake over Rohingya crisis

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi's government in Myanmar is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the country's divided northwest, a senior United Nations official warned on Tuesday.

The conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine State has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh amid allegations of abuses by security forces. The crisis poses a serious challenge to Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

In a statement, Adama Dieng, the U.N.'s special adviser on the prevention of genocide, said the allegations "must be verified as a matter of urgency" and urged the government to allow access to the area.

"If they are true, the lives of thousands of people are at risk. The reputation of Myanmar, its new Government and its military forces is also at stake in this matter," he said.

"Myanmar needs to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to the human rights of all its populations. It cannot expect that such serious allegations are ignored or go unscrutinised," he said.

Soldiers have poured into the area along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh, responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on Oct. 9 that killed nine police officers.

Myanmar's military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine.

The violence, the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012, has renewed international criticism that Suu Kyi has done too little to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya minority, who are denied citizenship and access to basic services.
Callers for dollars: Inside India's scam call centers

By Rajendra Jadhav, Euan Rocha and Rahul Bhatia

MUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - In late September, a woman in National City, California, received a voice message on her phone saying she was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over "tax evasion or tax fraud".

Panicking, she rang the number and told a man who said he was from the IRS: "I can pay $500," half the sum demanded. "I could do a payment plan. I just can't pay all of it at once."

"Ma'am, you can pay $500 today itself. You can do that?" the man asked, adding that lawyers would look at her accounts and work out a monthly payment plan, but she had to pay half now.

In transcripts of the conversation that investigators shared with Reuters, the man told her to keep the phone line open and drive to a nearby grocery store, where she bought $500 worth of iTunes gift cards and gave the 'agent' the redemption codes.

She had just been scammed - one of at least 15,000 people the U.S. Justice Department says lost more than $300 million in an "enormous and complex fraud" running since 2013. The department last month brought grand jury charges against 56 people in India and the United States for "telefraud" scams run from fake call centers in India.

Investigators have arrested 20 people in the United States, and Indian authorities have made 75 arrests following October raids on three premises in the Thane suburb of Mumbai. Charges include conspiracy to commit identity theft, impersonation of an officer of the United States, wire fraud and money laundering.

Indian police say they are looking for Sagar Thakkar, a man in his early 30s also known as Shaggy, who they believe masterminded the scam. Thakkar was also among those named by the U.S. Department of Justice. Reuters was unable to contact Thakkar for comment; he is not known to have a lawyer, and police believe he fled to Dubai last month.

"We are trying to complete the procedure to issue a red corner notice for Thakkar," Parag Manere, a deputy commissioner at Thane police, told Reuters, referring to an Interpol arrest warrant.

Police said Thakkar led a lavish lifestyle, frequenting 5-star hotels and driving expensive cars with proceeds from the scam. He gave one, a 25 million rupee ($365,000) Audi R8, to his girlfriend. "We have seized an Audi car, and are trying to find other assets of Thakkar," Manere said.

The FBI, which is involved in the investigations, declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment for this article. At a news conference last month, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said the U.S. would seek the extradition of suspects in India, and warned others engaged in similar schemes they could face jail terms.

In interviews before the U.S. charges were filed, police, suspects and call center workers in India told Reuters how the scam was run.

Training materials and taped conversations, which investigators believe were made by call center instructors for training purposes, shed some light on an operation aimed to exploit the aged and gullible.

"TAUGHT TO BE TOUGH"

"The revenue was unpredictable. Some days were good, some were bad," Haider Ali Ayub Mansuri, who said he managed operations at one fake call center, told Reuters as he was returned to jail in India last month after a court extended his custody. He is among the 75 arrested by Indian police.

"On a good day, we extracted as much as $20,000 from a single U.S. citizen," he said.

In India, the sheer scale of the operation surprised many.

For months, hundreds of young men and women worked nights at several call centers in Thane. Callers posed as IRS officers and threatened their victims, often newly-arrived immigrants and the elderly, into paying fictitious tax penalties electronically - sometimes by buying gift cards and turning over the redemption codes, Indian investigators said.

"They used to blast out pre-recorded messages to thousands of citizens who were asked to call back. When they called back, there was a center just like this," said Manere at Thane police.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided premises in early October as call center workers settled in for their shift. The buildings housed seven call centers, and over a few days more than 700 people were detained. Most have since been released, but told not to leave the city.

Callers bullied their victims with the threat of arrest, jail, seized homes and confiscated passports.

"There was one instance where an old lady was crying," because she didn't have the money to pay, said a former call center worker who spoke only on condition of anonymity. "But we kept insisting on the money. We were taught to be tough," he told Reuters.

On a follow-up raid in Ahmedabad, 500 kms (310 miles) north of Mumbai, police uncovered what they believe was "a nerve centre for these centers," said Manere. "A lot of money has been transacted. It's been going on for a few years."

The police raids found little in the way of documentation, beyond some training materials. Another former worker said this was likely because call center managers stopped employees from bringing pens and phones to work.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the accounts provided by call center workers.

WEEKLY INCENTIVES

Another former worker, an economics graduate, told Reuters she took a job without knowing what the center did. The 12,000 rupee ($180) monthly salary was well below the going rate for a graduate, she said, but it was a job, and "people aren't hiring."

She said several of her colleagues looked as though they had just left high school.

Her first week was spent in training with floor managers. While callers spoke to their victims, she said dozens of trainees squeezed in around the room, and had to memorise pages of dialogue for use on calls.

Another former employee said his instructors told him his work was illegal, but there was "nothing to worry about."

Callers made "fast money", another former caller told Reuters. In comments confirmed by investigating officer Mukund Hatote, the worker said: "For every dollar you brought in, you were given two rupees (around three U.S. cents)."

People wanted to leave rather than be involved in something they suspected was illegal, he said, but carried on because managers offered weekly incentives, such as cash or gadgets, for meeting their targets.

($1 = 66.7200 Indian rupees)
Beijing untypically quiet on Taiwan drills in South China Sea

By J.R. Wu

ITU ABA, South China Sea, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan held rescue drills on Tuesday off the coast of its sole outpost in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, but the biggest claimant in the disputed waters kept uncharacteristically quiet.

China and self-governed Taiwan seldom see eye to eye, but in responding to Taipei's latest assertion of sovereignty over Itu Aba, Beijing has avoided the harsh language it often directs at other claimants to the busy waterway.

China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts or all of the energy-rich South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually.

Taiwan and China both suffered setbacks to their claims in July, when an international tribunal ruled that China's historic boundary, the so-called nine-dash line, was invalid, and said Itu Aba was a rock, rather than a self-sustaining island entitled to a 200-km economic zone.

Experts say Beijing is largely content for Taipei to push its claims on Itu Aba, the largest natural feature in the Spratlys, because China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, to be taken back by force one day, if necessary.

So, while Chinese ships have confronted Malaysian, Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the area, Taiwan's regular journeys to and from the lonely outcrop have gone unimpeded.

"Our supply transports have never encountered Chinese interference," Lee Chung-wei, minister of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, told reporters visiting Itu Aba for the rescue drills.

In the exercises, coast guard vessels and navy helicopters practised how to retrieve injured crewmen from a burning ship and transport them to Itu Aba's small port and hospital.

PROTECTING SOVEREIGNTY

Vietnam, which also claims Itu Aba, objected to the exercises, saying they violated its sovereignty and threatened peace and stability in the region, the Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Asked about the drills on Itu Aba, and whether Taiwan had an obligation to respect Chinese sovereignty there, China's foreign ministry underscored its desire for a unified approach.

"The Nansha Islands, including Taiping Island, are inseparable parts of China," spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing in Beijing, using China's terms for the Spratlys and Itu Aba.

"Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have an obligation to jointly protect this ancestral property."

China's Taiwan Affairs Office added that it would be paying "close attention" to what Taiwan did related to Itu Aba. It did not elaborate.

Drills such as Tuesday's show Taiwan's determination to become an important player, said Ian Storey, a South China Sea scholar at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, adding that Taiwan officials and experts had told him of frustration at being diplomatically marginalized in the South China Sea.

Taiwan treads a fine line between annoying friendly Southeast Asian neighbours and the United States, its sole political ally and arms supplier, by being a proxy for China's sovereign interests, despite the risk of angering Beijing, he added.

"It is a tricky position that means they are broadly supportive of Beijing," Storey said. "They want to be seen as pushing their own Chinese claims, rather than Beijing's, even though they are essentially the same."

Taiwan officials say President Tsai Ing-wen kicked off plans for the drills in July, a month after Beijing cut official communication channels because Tsai, who leads the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), refuses to commit to the "one China" principle that Taiwan is part of the mainland.

To maintain ties, Tsai must continue arguing that Itu Aba is an island, not a rock, and is not to be used by military forces of other nations, said Wu Shicun, head of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.
Gunshots, celebrations and protests in Haiti after presidential vote results

By Joseph Guyler Delva

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Protests and celebrations rippled through Haiti on Tuesday, as losing candidates rejected preliminary results of an election that indicated banana exporter Jovenel Moise would be the next president.

Moise, who ran for former President Michel Martelly's Bald Heads Party, won with 55.67 percent of votes cast in the Nov. 20 election, the electoral council said on Monday. The result avoids a second round run-off next year.

Police used tear gas on protesters in the La Saline neighborhood, a stronghold of Fanmi Lavalas, the leftist party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. It called the results an "electoral coup."

The United States Embassy issued reports of demonstrations, gunshots and burning tires in downtown Port-au-Prince and Malpasse, a town close to the border with the Dominican Republic.

A spokesman for the Haitian national police said it was responding to protests in La Saline but could not confirm whether protests in Malpasse had taken place.

Moise, the front-runner in a scrapped election last year, received a majority of votes, meaning there is no need for a second round.

"We salute those who voted for me and those who did not vote for me," Moise said. "We are going to use the people, the sun, the land and water to develop the country."

In the upscale Port-au-Prince suburb of Petionville, residents danced and cheered the result.

Elsewhere in the city, in the neighborhood of Pacot, Moise's supporters took to the streets in a small parade, accompanied by celebratory gunshots.

Jude Celestin, a mechanical engineer who had led a government construction firm, came in second. He received just under a fifth of the vote.

Moise Jean-Charles, a leftist senator, netted 11 percent, while Narcisse, running for Aristide's Fanmi Lavalas party, won around 9 percent, the preliminary results showed.

The Organization of American States, which had been among the international observers of the election, said the results corresponded with its data.

However, turnout was low and 10 percent of sheets tallying votes were thrown out because of irregularities. In a country of 10 million people, Jovenel Moise received just 600,000 votes.

Three people on the nine-member electoral council did not sign the report declaring Moise the winner, although the council's president did not say who had abstained.

Those elements fueled a universal condemnation of the results from the losing candidates, who have 72 hours to contest before the final results are released on Dec. 29.

"We reject the results because they are invalid votes that have been counted," said Michel Andre, a lawyer for second-place finisher Celestin. "Jude Celestin will challenge the results."
MEDIA-Indonesia's Adaro consortium secures $409 mln loan for power plant - Investor Daily

-- PT Tanjung Power Indonesia, a consortium owned by subsidiaries of PT Adaro Energy Tbk and Korea East West Power Co, has secured a $409 million syndicated loan from six banks, the Investor Daily reported, citing Adaro's corporate secretary.

-- The loan will be provided by Korea Development Bank, The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, DBS Bank, Mizuho Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and HSBC to finance Tanjung Power's investment in a coal power plant worth $545 million in the southern side of Kalimantan, the newspaper said.
Shanghai metals sour on China regulation, liquidity worries

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Shanghai metals came under heavy selling pressure on Wednesday, with zinc, copper and lead down sharply as worries about a cash crunch in China were compounded by ShFE measures to curb a searing rally in steel.

Yuan borrowing costs in Shanghai surged to a two-month high on tight liquidity in the market after the central bank pulled funds from the financial system, traders said.

That came as regulators have stepped up moves to cool a commodities rally that has seen coking coal, steel and zinc prices surge to multi-year highs this month, amid a wider crackdown by China on outbound investment as it tries to shore up its currency in the wake of the U.S. election.

The Shanghai bourse said on Monday that it would limit the size of positions taken by non-members in some steel rebar futures to 8,000 lots, the latest effort by one of China's top commodities exchanges to tame speculative trading and surging prices.

"Industrial metals slumped as signs that China continues to take steps to rein in speculation in futures markets prompted investors to liquidate positions," said ANZ in a report.

ShFE zinc and lead plunged 7 percent, while ShFE nickel, tin slid more than 4 percent. Copper closed nearly 4 percent down. The rout in Shanghai dragged London Metal Exchange metals lower.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange reversed an early advance to recoil by 0.3 percent to $5,686 a tonne, adding to losses of 3 percent from Tuesday. London copper hit its highest since June 2015 on Monday.

Metals markets are now looking ahead to any fallout from an OPEC meeting later in the session and to China's November factory figures on Thursday.

"The most bullish fundamental combination of outcomes - an OPEC cut and a higher-than-anticipated Chinese PMI ... would further support and/or confirm a global cyclical improvement in growth," said Goldman Sachs in a note.

"In turn, this would ... result in improved fundamentals and likely result in further money flows into commodities, most notably from Chinese investors."

Activity in China's manufacturing sector likely held a modest expansionary trend this month, a Reuters poll showed, as industrial firms continued to benefit from higher producer prices and a recovery in demand.

Other reports suggested improving global manufacturing activity. The U.S. economy grew faster than initially estimated in the third quarter, notching up its best performance in two years, buoyed by strong consumer spending.

Japan's industrial output rose 0.1 percent in October from the previous month and manufacturers say production likely bounced sharply this month, preliminary government data showed on Wednesday.

PRICES

Three month LME copper

Most active ShFE copper

Three month LME aluminium

Most active ShFE aluminium

Three month LME zinc

Most active ShFE zinc

Three month LME lead

Most active ShFE lead

Three month LME nickel

Most active ShFE nickel

Three month LME tin
Federal judges order North Carolina to redraw legislative districts

By Colleen Jenkins

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Nov 29 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court on Tuesday set a March 15 deadline for North Carolina state lawmakers to redraw legislative districts found to be racially "gerrymandered," and ordered a new round of elections by next November for the 28 seats at stake.

In August, the same special three-judge panel ruled that nine state Senate districts and 19 state House districts, as carved out in a plan adopted by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, were unconstitutional.

The panel had told North Carolina's legislature to start revamping its political maps immediately, but left the existing boundaries intact for the Nov. 8 state elections, because of time constraints.

"While special elections have costs, those costs pale in comparison to the injury caused by allowing citizens to continue to be represented by legislators elected pursuant to a racial gerrymander," the panel wrote in its seven-page order on Tuesday.

North Carolina has already appealed the August ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has yet to act. Republicans also vowed to appeal Tuesday's ruling, handed down by two U.S. district judges and one circuit judge.

The ruling is a "politically motivated" abuse of judicial authority, said state Senator Bob Rucho and Representative David Lewis, the Republican chairmen of the House and Senate redistricting committees.

If upheld, the court order "is a gross overreach that blatantly disregards the constitutional guarantee for voters to duly elect their legislators to biennial terms," they said.

Last year, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice challenged North Carolina's latest political maps, saying legislative district lines were drawn in 2011 so as to dilute the state's black vote and give Republicans an advantage.

The three-judge panel that heard the case agreed, and Tuesday's order, essentially an extension of its August opinion, was hailed by the North Carolina Democratic Party.

A separate three-judge U.S. court panel ruled in a similar case a week ago that state assembly districts in Wisconsin, as redrawn by its Republican-led legislature, were unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

Tuesday's North Carolina ruling sets a deadline of March 15 for newly elected legislators to approve a redistricting plan that passes constitutional muster.

It also requires the state to hold special primary and general elections in the late summer and fall of 2017 to fill those 28 House and Senate seats.
After Castro's death, attention turns to Cuba's heir apparent

By Daniel Trotta

HAVANA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - With revolutionary leader Fidel Castro dead and his brother Raul vowing to step down as president in 15 months, it will soon be the hour of heir apparent Miguel Diaz-Canel, an advocate for modernizing Cuba's state-run media and abysmal internet access.

Fidel Castro died last Friday aged 90 and the 85-year-old Raul Castro, who took over as president in 2008, says he will step down in February 2018 at the end of his second five-year term.

Diaz-Canel was elevated to the position of first vice-president in 2013, putting him next in line for the presidency.

At 56, he is a relative youngster in the ruling Communist Party's leadership and will need to appeal to younger generations if Cuban communism is to thrive beyond the Castro brothers.

He has already established press and internet freedom as signature concerns, a potentially disruptive change in a one-party state that has monopolized the media for nearly 58 years.

Otherwise, however, he has a much weaker public profile than the Castros and it is not clear what policy changes he would push through.

Until now, he has held to the party line or avoided public comment on key issues such as economic and political reforms or relations with the United States, which were overhauled by Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama over the past two years.

Still, experts say his position as heir apparent is solid and that he would have to stumble badly for someone else to leapfrog him and become the next president in Cuba's arcane system for choosing its leader.

Born after the Castros took power in 1959, Diaz-Canel is a child of their revolution who rose through the Communist Party by cultivating relationships within the political elite while avoiding the show-boating that ended the careers of other pretenders.

"He has the advantage of having outlived his predecessors (as heir apparent)," Christopher Sabatini, a Cuba expert at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, said on Monday.

Other apparent successors to the Castros have emerged over the years only to fall suddenly.

Among them were Carlos Lage, then 57 and one of Cuba's secondary vice-presidents, and Felipe Perez Roque, then 43 and foreign minister. They were both sacked in 2009 as part of a purge by Raul Castro for appearing too ambitious, unwittingly collaborating with Spanish intelligence agents and for speaking ill of older leaders.

Diaz-Canel has been careful not to eclipse Raul Castro and is so cautious as to come off as dull and gray, his public statements largely unmemorable.

"He's sublimated any ambitions he may have had, so the question is what his role and power will be among the old guard. Most people try to imagine him bridging the new generation and the historic one. That should be challenging," Sabatini said.

That reserved behavior and the government's secretive nature make Diaz-Canel largely a mystery to all but Cuba's political elite.

U.S. officials say they know little about him, and most Cubans outside his hometown of Santa Clara know even less.

If he does take over in 2018, Diaz-Canel will be following 59 years of rule by the Castro brothers, one who was gifted with abundant charisma and the other who commanded the absolute respect of top military and political figures.

"He will be the first civilian president of the revolution and that will require the confidence of the military," said Arturo Lopez Levy, a former political analyst for the Cuban government whose mother taught Diaz-Canel at university.

Raul Castro, who founded Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces and served as his brother's defense minister for 49 years, will remain first secretary of the Communist Party for three years after he steps down as president, retaining significant power.

"Raul Castro will still be around and he will be a big source of legitimacy," Lopez Levy said.

BIKE PATH TO THE TOP

Diaz-Canel's path from young provincial party chief to heir apparent started on a bicycle in the city of Santa Clara, where he was born in his parents' home three blocks from the main square.

Two decades ago, his career was taking off as Cuba suffered a severe economic crisis following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Average Cubans had no choice but to opt for a bicycle, or walk to work, while political leaders commuted in their Soviet-made Ladas.

Diaz-Canel chose to pedal. He would navigate the provincial capital Santa Clara, vying for space on narrow streets clogged with horse-drawn carts, motorcycle taxis and pedestrians.

"Everybody was screwed, and the people saw the first secretary on a bicycle. He didn't do it to look for popularity. He did it because that's how he was. He was very straight-forward," said Jose Antonio Fulgueiras, 62, president of the journalists' union in Villa Clara province who covered Diaz-Canel's rise as a politician and considers him a friend.

Beyond its populist touch, the bicycle gave Diaz-Canel greater stealth as he approached state enterprises for surprise inspections.

The fight against corruption became his trademark, and he would ride that bike, figuratively, to the upper reaches of power.

PARTY MAN

After nine years as leader in Villa Clara, Diaz-Canel took the same job, as first secretary, in Holguin province in 2003. He was also promoted to the 14-member Politburo, the highest leadership of the Communist Party.

In Holguin, he lacked the hometown advantage but did well enough to be summoned to Havana in 2009 to serve as minister for higher education.

Then on February 24, 2013, the National Assembly promoted him to first vice-president, a significant generational shift.

Diaz-Canel was the first Cuban born after the 1959 revolution to ascend to the No. 2 job.

Despite his attempt to remain unexciting, Diaz-Canel has had his provocative moments, especially with regard to Cuba's strict control of the official media.

He has often called for a more dynamic and open media, and has welcomed the internet, still available to only a small minority of Cuba, as a tool to help the people rather than a threat to the government.

Only 5.6 percent of Cuban homes had access to the internet in 2015, according to a 2016 U.N. report. Full-fledged internet access would dilute the disciplined message reported by official media, but Diaz-Canel says trying to stop the internet's spread is a losing proposition.

"Prohibiting it would be an almost impossible delusion that doesn't make sense," he told reporters shortly after becoming first vice-president.

The government would later extend Wi-Fi signals to public places across the country. It is unknown whether or how much Diaz-Canel was responsible for that measure.

To compete with the public's demand for social media, he says Cuba's state-run media needs to change, calling for an end to secrecy, urging more "polemical" coverage of news and telling the Communist Party it should allow more constructive criticism.
PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Nov 30

SOFIA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- There is still hope to create a new government within the current legislature, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said. The first two parties to receive a mandate starting from Friday - the biggest parliamentary forces, centre-right GERB and the Socialists (BSP) - have indicated they will not use it to try to form a government. Nationalist formation Patriotic Front, however, said it is ready "to take up the task" (Trud, Standart, 24 Chasa, Monitor, Sega)

-- Some 68 percent of Bulgarians want an interim government appointed and early parliamentary elections called, according to a poll by Alpha Research. Thirty percent of Bulgarians felt the need for the formation of a government on the basis of the current parliament

-- The parliament's budget commission has rejected a proposal for a minimum pension of 300 levs ($163.18). The lawmakers also rejected a proposal for state employees to pay their health contributions themselves (Trud, Standart, Monitor)
Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Nov 30

PRAGUE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Wednesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview ==========================NEWS================================== CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The Czech lower house on Tuesday approved amendments to a draft bill designed to limit politicians' business interests, moving closer to clipping the wings of the country's billionaire Finance Minister Andrej Babis. Story: Related stories: EPH: Czech energy group EPH, a major player in Slovakia's energy sector, said it may challenge Slovakia's plans to double a special tax on profits in state-regulated industries and to keep the levy in place for longer. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: The forint touched a 3-and-1/2-month low against the euro in mixed and rangebound Central European markets after the central bank reiterated its commitment to loose monetary policy. Story: Related stories: ======================PRESS DIGEST============================== DEFENSE: Spending 2 percent of GDP on defense is realistic around 2025, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said. Hospodarske Noviny, page 2 (Reuters has not verified the stories nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 25.4760 Czech crowns) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
Russia and Belarus close to solving gas price dispute - minister

MINSK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Russia and Belarus are close to solving a dispute over gas prices, Belarussian Energy Minister Vladimir Potupchik told reporters on Wednesday.

The long-term allies have been at odds since the start of the year over how much Minsk should be paying Russia's Gazprom for gas supplies following a slump in global energy prices.

Potupchik said officials from the two countries would hold talks on gas supplies this week.
China will step up monitoring of state-owned assets overseas

BEIJING, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China will step up monitoring of state-owned assets overseas in order to protect the safety and value of state property, China's State Council said on Wednesday after a regular meeting.

Total tax savings for companies from the introduction of value-added tax reform will exceed the government's target of 500 billion yuan ($72.64 billion) in 2016, China's cabinet said.
Armenia's economy contracts by 2.6 pct yr/yr in Q3

YEREVAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Armenia's economy contracted by 2.6 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2016, having grown 3.3 percent in the same period last year, the National Statistics Service said on Wednesday.

The country of 3.2 million people depends heavily on aid and investment from former Soviet overlord Russia, whose economic downturn has hit Armenian exports and remittances from Armenians working there.

The economy expanded 4.4 percent in the first quarter and 1.5 percent in the second. The government expects 2.2 percent growth for the whole of 2016, although the central bank said earlier this month it expected the figure to be in a range of 1.3-1.8 percent.
Philippines ends five-day siege against rebels pledged to Islamic State

MANILA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Troops in the southern Philippines retook a disused building from Muslim militants on Wednesday, ending an intense five-day siege that killed dozens of fighters the authorities say had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

The incident highlights the challenges facing President Rodrigo Duterte in keeping order in the Philippines, particularly in his native south, riven by nationalist rebellions for decades.

The military stepped up its offensive after the weekend, pounding rebels holed up in a disused municipal hall with artillery and bombs dropped from aircraft. The army said 30 security forces were wounded and 61 rebels killed in the operation.

The militants belonged to the Maute group, one of several Islamist groups in the country's restive south.

The siege ended as Duterte visited injured soldiers in Lanao del Sur province, where seven of his advance security party were wounded on Tuesday, when suspected Maute militias set off a bomb under their truck.

"The town is deserted and the Maute is withdrawing towards the mountain," said military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

"They have been decimated. The capability to sustain and get back to the fight is no longer there."

The government suspects the Maute group in a Sept. 2 bombing in Duterte's home city, Davao, which killed 14 people and wounded more than 70.

Last week Duterte appealed to the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf to disarm and start talks. He urged them to halt piracy and kidnapping and not retaliate on civilians for military operations to drive the rebels from their island strongholds.

Duterte has recently warned Islamic State could take root in the Philippines and stressed the need to avoid "contamination", a risk also faced by neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. .

The former mayor, who is overseeing a drugs crackdown that has killed more than 2,500 people, offered an olive branch to Maute, questioning why it wanted to take orders from Islamic State.

"Maute, they are inspired by ISIS," Duterte said in a speech, using an abbreviation that refers to Islamic State. "I did not want to wage a war against my own countrymen. Please do not force my hand."

But he vowed not to relent.

"When the time comes, it's going to be a war against terrorism and drugs and I will tell you now, I will be harsh," Duterte said. "As harsh as I can ever be."
Insurgents behead Somali village elders over Islamic tax

By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar

MOGADISHU, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Islamist militants have beheaded eight Somali village elders and killed at least seven other people during fighting spurred by a dispute over payment of an Islamic tax, a villager and a local official said on Wednesday.

Villagers in the semi-autonomous region of Galmadug in central Somalia also killed 10 militants during three days of fighting, the villager said, adding that Somali authorities had provided no help or support.

The Islamist insurgent group al Shabaab is battling a weak United Nations-backed government in Mogadishu in an effort to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law in areas of the country it controls.

"Al Shabaab ordered us to pay dozens of animals for zakat (Islamic tax) and we rejected this - that is how the fighting started. We killed 10 militants on the first day," local elder Nur Abdullahi told Reuters.

"So al Shabaab came from every region and fiercely attacked us in five villages. They beheaded eight elders and shot dead seven others on Monday and Tuesday."

"They cut off the phones. We ran out of bullets, food and water. We have fled into the jungle and neither (forces from) Galmudug nor the federal government is helping us. They (the militants) took our borehole machine, a herd of camel and burnt two of our villages," he said.

THOUSANDS FLEE

The insurgents could not be immediately reached for comment, but a local official largely confirmed Abdullahi's account of the incident.

"The people are suffering from drought and rejected the zakat imposed by the militants. Some elders were beheaded," Abdi Hussein Mohamed, deputy governor of the Mudug region in Galmudug, told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Shabaab also burnt two villages and thousands of families fled. The area is 300 kilometers away from us and we cannot help them because we are engaged in the election. The federal government has not saved the civilians."

Government troops drawn from clan militias often go unpaid for months at a time and have little equipment or training. Many of them are used as bodyguards by candidates standing in the Horn of Africa nation's complex elections.

In a process likely to last until mid-December, some 14,000 voters - in a country with an estimated population of about 10.5 million - representing Somalia's federal states are choosing 275 lawmakers. The legislators will eventually pick a new president.
How big is Europe's refugee and migrant crisis?

By Emma Batha

LONDON, Nov 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Last year more than 1 million refugees and migrants arrived in Europe, many fleeing wars in Asia and the Middle East.

Trust Women, an annual women's right and trafficking conference organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, will discuss solutions for tackling the crisis on Wednesday.

Below are some facts. GLOBAL DISPLACEMENT CRISIS

- At the end of 2015 there were 65.3 million forcibly displaced people. They included 21.3 million refugees, 40.8 million internally displaced and 3.2 million asylum seekers.

- If they were a country they would be the world's 21st largest.

- More than half of refugees come from just three countries: Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.

- Developing regions host 86 percent of refugees.

- Turkey hosts by far the largest number with more than 3 million refugees and asylum-seekers, including 2.7 million Syrians.

- Lebanon has the highest concentration relative to its own population with nearly one in five people a refugee.

- Globally, nearly one in 200 children is a refugee. The number of child refugees has more than doubled in the last decade.

- Growing numbers of children are crossing borders alone. Last year, more than 100,000 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in 78 countries - triple the number in 2014.

- The U.N. refugee agency estimates more than 1.19 million people will need to be resettled next year.

EUROPEAN REFUGEE AND MIGRANT CRISIS

- Nearly 370,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe this year, most of them by sea.

- More than 173,000 have arrived in Greece and more than 167,000 in Italy.

- The main nationalities are Syrian, Afghan, Nigerian, Pakistani, Iraqi and Eritrean.

- More than 75,500 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece and the Western Balkans after Hungary and other countries shut their borders, closing off routes to central and western Europe.

- Numbers crossing from Turkey to Greece fell sharply after the European Union struck a deal with Ankara in March to stem the flow.

- At least 4,690 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year while trying to reach Europe, compared to 3,777 in 2015. Most have died while crossing from North Africa.
Tunisia tries lining up deals after financial pledges at investment conference

By Tarek Amara

TUNIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Tunisia is seeking to firm up actual investment deals to go along with a series of pledges of financial support it has received at an international conference being held this week to energise it's fragile economy.

Officials say they have been lining up private and public sector deals for investment in infrastructure, renewable energy, new technology and tourism as they seek to reverse a decline in foreign investment since Tunisia's 2011 uprising.

Industry minister Zied Ladhari told Reuters that new deals included investment by U.S. firm General Electric in a health care project, and a vehicle assembly plant planned by French automaker Peugeot.

Qatar's Mejda Group signed a deal to develop a $220 million tourism complex, including a luxury hotel and a shopping centre, just outside Tunis. The project is expected to create 1,500 jobs, with work to start in December, a senior Tunisian official said.

Tunisia has been lauded as the sole success story of the Arab Spring uprisings, winning praise for the democratic transition launched when former leader Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled five years ago.

But economic progress has been hampered by labour unrest, militant attacks, red tape and corruption. Growth is weak and unemployment high, especially among young people.

At least 500 foreign companies left after 2011, and new foreign investment fell to 2 billion dinars ($885 million) in 2015 from 3.5 billion dinars in 2010.

The government is now facing resistance from unions as it tries to pass austerity measures demanded by foreign creditors.

It recently passed a new investment law designed to reduce bureaucracy, taxes on profits and restrictions on transferring funds out of the country.

The Tunis conference, Tunisia 2020, has produced offers of billions of dollars in loans and aid, including major pledges from Qatar, the European Investment Bank and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.

On Wednesday the African Development Bank (AFDB) added the latest pledge, announcing that it would lend Tunisia between 1.5 billion euros and 2 billion euros ($1.6 bln-$2.1 bln) over the next five years.
When and how Italy votes in Sunday's reform referendum

ROME, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Italians will vote on Dec. 4 in a referendum on constitutional reform being pushed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. The fate of his administration is expected to hinge on the outcome.

Here are key facts about how the referendum will work and how and when the results will be announced:

- Around 52 million Italians are eligible to vote, of whom just over 4 million are expats living abroad. - Polls will open at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and close at 11 p.m. - The result of exit polls will be announced on Italian television as soon as polls close. These polls will be conducted by five polling agencies commissioned by four TV stations. - State-owned RAI will announce the result of a joint poll by the Piepoli Institute and IPR Marketing, Mediaset will use the Tecne Institute, Sky Italia will use the Quorum agency and La 7 will use EMG Acqua. - The vote count will begin as soon as polls close. After around 30 minutes, the first projections of the result will be announced on the basis of actual votes counted. The projections will be made by the same agencies that do the exit polls. - The projections will then be updated at regular intervals of around 30 minutes as the count progresses. Each projection should be more accurate than the last. - If the result is not close, the winner is likely to be clear after the second projection, some time between midnight and 1 a.m. (0000 GMT) - If the outcome is extremely close, the winner may not be known until the count is completed, probably between 2:00 and 3:00 am. - The question on the ballot sheet, which has sparked fierce protests from Renzi's opponents who say it does not accurately reflect the contents of the reform and is biased towards 'Yes,' is as follows:
Militants strike north Mali airports with suicide truck, rockets

GAO, Mali, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Militants have struck two airports in northern Mali with an explosives-laden truck and rockets, residents and a security source said on Wednesday, in attacks that caused no victims but pointed to desert jihadists intensifying their insurgency.

In Gao, the offices of the U.N. peacekeeping mission located next to the airport terminal were razed by Tuesday evening's truck-bomb explosion which forced the airport to close.

French soldiers stationed in Gao took forensic evidence from among a tangle of papers, corrugated iron sheets and fragments of the attacker's flesh and bones strewn out next to the runway.

Al Mourabitoun, a group closely linked to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), claimed the attack on social media.

Gao -- seized by Islamist militants in 2012 before French forces drove them out a year later -- is considered the best secured town in northern Mali with multiple U.N., French and Malian army checkpoints along main roads.

A U.N. security source said that the attackers had passed through the regular checkpoints by using vehicles with a U.N. label. A spokesman for the 13,000-strong U.N. mission could not immediately confirm the information.

"Yesterday at about 18:00 (GMT) a vehicle with explosives destroyed our pre-fabricated installations of MINUSMA at the Gao airport," said Olivier Salgado, spokesman for the peacekeeping mission, adding that another vehicle was being examined.

There were no fatalities beyond the attackers whose number has not yet been confirmed. The U.N. security source said two people on site were injured.

In the second incident, residents in Timbuktu said that rockets were fired overnight at the airport there but landed outside the perimeter, without causing damage.

Mali's government signed a peace deal last year with secular armed groups but Islamist militants pledging allegiance to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State have fought on and launched dozens of attacks on Western targets in recent months.

Even the peace deal with secular fighters has been broken many times, adding to difficulties faced by U.N. forces in stabilising the former French colony in West Africa.
Rwanda probes possible role of French officials in genocide -prosecutor

By Clement Uwiringiyimana

KIGALI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Rwanda has launched an inquiry into the possible role of at least 20 French military and other officials in the 1994 genocide, the prosecutor general said on Wednesday, a move that will deepen already strained relations with Paris.

Rwanda has frequently had diplomatic rows with France since the genocide, when about 800,000 mostly ethnic minority Tutsis and moderates from the Hutu majority population were killed.

Rwandan officials have long accused France of supporting the former government of President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu whose death when his plane was shot down in 1994 sparked the bloodbath.

Kigali temporarily broke diplomatic ties in 2006 with France when a French judge called for the trial of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi whose rebels halted the genocide in 1994, over the death of Habyarimana. Kagame denies any role and has accused France of training soldiers who led the massacre.

Rwanda's prosecutor general Richard Muhumuza told Reuters he had been in contact with the French government in the past two or three weeks, but declined to name any of the French officials under investigation.

"Up to now, we cannot say that we already have something sufficient to make charges on those people," Muhumuza said.

"This is why we need to talk to them and hear their version of the story," he said, adding he hoped those named would agree to be questioned.

In a document dated Oct. 31, Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight against Genocide included top advisers to France's then-president, Francois Mitterrand, among the 22 French officials it accused of having a role in the genocide.

"DESPICABLE LIE"

French officials referred to remarks made on Nov. 16 by Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, when he criticised a possible Rwandan probe into French officers.

"To affirm that the French army took part in genocide is a despicable lie that I will not tolerate," the minister said then.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said Rwanda's request had been passed on to the Justice Ministry and that Paris was fully committed to bringing to justice the people that took part in the genocide.

"The seriousness of the crimes carried out in Rwanda means that justice must be handled impartially and calmly," he told reporters in a daily briefing.

The Rwandan commission said cases being pursued by the French judiciary into whether Kagame's rebel force had a role in bringing down Habyarimana's plane in April 1994 were motivated by a desire to mask the role French officials played.

"The refusal to end the judicial investigation (into downing the plane) and pronounce a dismissal against Rwandan leaders who ended the genocide is an attempt (at) concealing their responsibilities," the commission said.

Rwanda, a former German and Belgian colony, had strong ties with France until 1994. Under Kagame, the government has forged close links with the United States and Britain.
Morocco accuses African Union chief of obstructing readmission

RABAT, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Morocco accused African Union Commission head Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of blocking its efforts to rejoin the organisation it left 32 years ago, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Morocco has asked the African Union (AU) to readmit it, as it seeks support for its plan to offer autonomy to the disputed territory of Western Sahara while keeping it under Moroccan sovereignty.

Morocco abandoned its seat in 1984 when the AU recognised Western Sahara, a sparsely populated stretch of desert that was formerly a Spanish protectorate, and admitted it as a member.

The ministry said Dlamini-Zuma had delayed the distribution of the Moroccan request to AU members without any apparent reason, and then invented a new procedural requirement to reject letters from AU members supporting Morocco's demand.

"The kingdom of Morocco denounces vigorously the maneuvers of African Union Commission head, who is trying to thwart Morocco's decision to regain its natural and legitimate place in the pan-African institutional family," the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency MAP.

"The president of the AU commission is dropping her neutrality and failing the rules and standards of the organisation and its members' will," the statement added.

There was no immediate comment from the African organisation on the Moroccan statement.

Morocco says at least 36 of the 54 AU member countries do not acknowledge the territory as a separate state and it is time to withdraw its recognition. None of the Western powers, nor the United Nations, recognise the territory, which calls itself the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

But it is unclear if powerful AU members including Algeria and South Africa, which have expressed support to hold a referendum of the people of Western Sahara on their sovereignty, would accept Morocco's request.

The AU is expected to discuss the Moroccan request in its January 2017 summit in Addis Ababa.

Morocco has controlled most of the territory since 1975. The area has offshore fishing, phosphate reserves and oilfield potential. Morocco's King Mohammed has been touring Africa in the last three months seeking support for its AU demand and autonomy proposal for Western Sahara.
Alpha Bank turns profitable in third quarter as provisions fall

By George Georgiopoulos

ATHENS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Alpha Bank, Greece's fourth-largest lender by assets, turned profitable in the third quarter after booking lower provisions for impaired loans.

Alpha, 11 percent owned by the national bank rescue fund HFSF after its recapitalisation late last year, on Wednesday reported net profit of 41.2 million euros ($44 million) after a loss of 16.8 million euros in the second quarter.

Greek banks are struggling with large problem loan portfolios after a deep, protracted recession pushed unemployment to record highs, making it hard for borrowers to service their debts.

Banks entered the crisis in 2008 with non-performing exposures (NPEs) of 14.5 billion euros or 5.5 percent of their loan books and that rose to 106.9 billion or 50.5 percent at end June this year, excluding off balance sheet items.

Greece's banks are also grappling with funding gaps after a deposit flight last year that prompted capital controls in June 2015. They still depend on central bank funding.

"As far as NPEs are concerned, we made a significant step to articulate our ambition to reduce the stock in the medium term through operational targets agreed with (the ECB's) Single Supervisory Mechanism," CEO Dimitris Mantzounis said in a statement.

The Bank of Greece said on Wednesday that based on targets banks submitted in September, they aim to cut the NPE gross volume to 66.7 billion by 2019 from 106.9 billion euros, meaning their NPE ratio would fall to 34 percent from 51 percent.

Alpha said provisions for bad debt fell 26.5 percent quarter-on-quarter to 257 million euros from 349.7 million in the second quarter.

Non performing credit (NPLs) - loans past due for more than 90 days - rose to 38.3 percent of its book at end-September from 37.8 percent at the end of June, with NPEs at 53.2 percent compared to 52.6 percent in the second quarter.
Nigeria joins African Union campaign to end child marriage

By Kieran Guilbert

DAKAR, Nov 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Women's rights activists on Wednesday urged Nigeria to accelerate efforts to end child marriage after it joined an African Union (AU) campaign to eliminate the practice.

Nigeria launched this week a nationwide drive to end child marriage by pushing for policies that protect girls' rights and help the justice system to punish perpetrators, becoming the 16th country to join the AU's campaign.

The government made child marriage illegal in 2003, but only two-thirds of the country's 36 states have implemented the law.

At least four in 10 girls in Nigeria are married off before they turn 18, while almost a fifth are wed before they reach 15, according to the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF).

Early marriage deprives girls of an education, increases the likelihood of sexual violence and HIV, and puts them at risk of serious injury or death during childbirth, experts say.

"These (childbirth) complications are a leading cause of death among adolescents girls in countries like Nigeria ... this is unnecessary and unacceptable," said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF's representative in Nigeria.

Rates of child marriage vary widely across Nigeria, with figures as high as 76 percent in the northwest, and as low as 10 percent in the southeast, said campaign group Girls not Brides.

Women's rights group Donor Direct Action said the campaign to end child marriage was another positive step after a law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) was passed last year.

The prevalence of child marriage in Nigeria has dropped by nine percent since 2003, according to data from UNICEF.

"However, its decline needs to be dramatically accelerated, particularly in the north of Nigeria," Anber Raz of Donor Direct Action told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by email from London.

"A lot of social and cultural change needs to happen, which may fall on the hands of local groups, who are under-resourced."

Nigerian organisation Women's Rights Advancement And Protection Alternative said the state also needed to address discrimination in access to education to prevent child marriage.
Latin America has most unequal land distribution, Colombia fares worst - charity

By Anastasia Moloney

BOGOTA, Nov 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Land distribution in Latin America is the most unequal in the world where only one percent of the farms and estates control more than half of the region's productive land, aid group Oxfam said on Wednesday.

Colombia, where two thirds of agricultural land is concentrated in just 0.4 percent of farmland holdings, fares the worst, Oxfam said in a report analysing land censuses and policy in 15 countries over the last 50 years.

It said the problem was even worse now than in the 1960s, when anger over a lack of land rights forced many governments to push through major reforms.

"Across the region, there's extreme concentration of land tenure and property and that's one reason why the region is so unequal," said Simon Ticehurst, Oxfam's Latin America and Caribbean director.

"To address inequality, including economic inequality, you need to address land distribution," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.

In Colombia, 84 percent of the smallest farms control less than 4 percent of productive land, while in Chile and Paraguay, one percent of big farms occupy more than 70 percent of the land, the study found.

"As large-scale farming operations take over more and more land, small family farms are being sidelined or are disappearing altogether," the study said.

Unequal land distribution in Latin America has also been exacerbated by the increase in the past 15 years of large-scale cattle ranches, oil, timber and mining projects and agricultural plantations, like soya, palm oil and sugar cane, the study said.

"This expansion has gone hand in hand with conflicts over land and violence," Ticehurst said.

The report said 122 rights activists were killed last year in Latin America, around half of them in cases relating to land and environmental rights, making 2015 the deadliest year for the region's rights campaigners in recent history.

Women are particularly affected by unequal access to land and hold far less land than men, Oxfam said.

In Guatemala, just eight percent of women have land titles, rising up to 30 percent in Peru.

COLOMBIA PEACE ACCORD

The Colombian government hopes to tackle unequal land ownership and bridge the urban-rural divide as part of a new peace accord it signed with the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end 52 years of war.

Unequal land distribution was a key reason why the FARC took up arms back in 1964 as a Marxist-inspired agrarian movement that fought to defend the rights of landless peasants.

Under the accord, landless and displaced farmers, particularly women, will be entitled to credit and farmland through a land bank that aims to redistribute three million hectares of land over the next decade.

"The peace accord is a real opportunity to address unequal land distribution in Colombia," Ticehurst said.

"But we are not blind to the interests of big landowners and the elite and their ability to yield power over decisions about land reform and resist changes to land ownership. The accord will be a real challenge to implement," he said.
Germany's Schaeuble urges G20: work together to fix world's woes

BERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called on the G20 leading economies on Wednesday to work more closely together, resisting a push towards protectionism by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Germany takes over the presidency of the G20 on Thursday, a platform Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to use to safeguard multilateral cooperation that may be under threat following Trump's election victory.

Speaking at an event to open the German presidency, Schaeuble said nationalism and protectionism were not the right response to globalisation and stressed the importance of open markets and global trade.

"We cannot reverse globalisation, nor do we want to," Schaeuble said. "We will only master the problems of this world if we work more closely together."

Trump has said China - a G20 member - is "killing" the United States on trade and that he would take steps to reduce the trade deficit with China, including labelling Beijing as a currency manipulator soon after he takes office on Jan. 20.

German officials acknowledge privately that they will not have an easy ride leading the G20, but say the motto for the presidency, "Shaping an Interconnected World", indicates they want to take globalisation forward rather than unwind it.

Since the global financial crisis took hold in 2008, the G20 has been the leading forum for world leaders to coordinate economic policy.

Schaeuble said: "We have to expect that we will experience financial and economic crises in the future."

Germany faces a pressured timetable for its presidency, however, due to federal elections due next September after which coalition negotiations are likely. That means it must try to get most business done by G20 summit on July 7-8.

"Good luck with that," said one official from another G20 country.

On economic policy, Schaeuble called for the normalisation of monetary policy to go hand in hand with structural reforms to support economic growth.
Turkey needed detente with Russia to pursue Syria operation -minister

ANKARA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Turkey would not so easily have been able to carry out its military offensive in Syria without "positive developments" in its relations with Russia, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Wednesday.

Turkey restored strained ties with Russia in August, the same month in which it sent tanks and special forces into Syria in support of Turkmen and Arab rebels fighting Islamic State, in an operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield".

"We could not have moved so comfortably in the Euphrates Shield operation if it weren't for the positive developments with Russia," Canikli told TGRT television.

But he said Turkey had not strayed from its "core policies" in Syria despite productive talks between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who have held a series of phone calls this week.

Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the rebels fighting to oust him, but the two have been trying to find common ground on Syria since their rapprochement almost four months ago.
GRAINS-U.S. soy falls on position squaring; corn, wheat also weak

By Mark Weinraub

CHICAGO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. soybean futures fell on Wednesday in the second straight day of declines as investors evened out positions and locked in profits from monthly gains, traders said.

Wheat futures also fell, pressured by a firm dollar that further dimmed prospects for U.S. supplies on the export market. Corn was steady to slightly weaker, with bargain buying limiting declines but plentiful supplies following a record harvest continuing to weigh on the market.

Soybeans fell after trading higher during the overnight trading session as speculators unwound some bullish bets they made during the past few months.

"Realistically, it is a little bit of month-end position squaring," said Bill Gentry a broker at Risk Management Commodities. "The funds were pretty long the bean market and there is not much incentive to push them higher just yet."

Chicago Board of Trade January soybean futures settled down 10-1/4 cents at $10.32-1/4 a bushel.

Traders shrugged off fresh signs that export demand for soybeans remained robust.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday morning said that private exporters reported the sale of 123,000 tonnes of soybeans for delivery to China during the 2016-17 marketing year. It was the first spot sale since Nov. 18.

The soybean market also ignored sharp gains in crude oil prices, which typically are supportive to soybeans.

Oil prices rose nearly 9 percent on Wednesday after Saudi Arabia's oil minister said OPEC members meeting in Vienna were close to a deal on a production cut, with non-OPEC members also likely to reduce output.

CBOT March corn futures were down 1/2 cent at $3.48-1/2 a bushel while CBOT March soft red winter wheat was 6 cents lower at $4.02-3/4 a bushel.

Corn also saw support from a forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday that U.S. farmers plan to cut their corn sowings and raise soybean plantings in the upcoming marketing year.

"The background fundamentals in both remain heavy, with both facing large supplies after big crops and only lackluster demand," Rabobank senior commodity analyst Graydon Chong said.

Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), bought 240,000 tonnes of Russian wheat in a tender on Tuesday. There were no U.S. supplies offered.
Trump faces challenges in separating from business - legal experts

By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has several options for disentangling himself from his business empire when he takes office next year, but legal experts say the only way fully to avoid conflicts of interest would be to sell his global holdings.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday that he would unveil on Dec. 15 his plans for taking himself "completely out of business operations" before taking office on Jan. 20.

Trump did not spell out his plans, but several ideas have started to gain prominence.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, is pushing for a resolution requiring Trump to establish a blind trust under independent control to manage his holdings.

However, a blind trust only works if the office holder does not know how the trustee has invested the money, legal experts said. Much of Trump's money is tied up in highly visible, illiquid investments such as luxury hotels and properties branded with his name, so he will still be aware of these holdings even if he puts someone else in charge of daily operations.

Richard Painter, the chief ethics counsel to President George W. Bush, said a blind trust would not protect against some of the most dangerous conflicts from the Trump Organization holdings. Painter has urged Electoral College members to refuse to make Trump the next president unless he sells his business interests.

He said the organization's overseas real estate raises questions about the cost of security and whether that would be paid by U.S. taxpayers, foreign governments or the Trump Organization. The properties could also become a target for violence, potentially ensnaring the United States in a foreign conflict.

"A blind trust is a fairy tale in this context," said Stephen Gillers, a professor who specializes in ethics at New York University School of Law.

CORPORATE MONITOR

New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin has touted the idea of appointing a corporate monitor, and suggested Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw compensation funds for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Judges often appoint monitors to oversee court settlements. If a party violates the deal, the monitor can bring them back to court where they would face potential penalties imposed by the judge.

However, any corporate monitor overseeing Trump's business would not have a judge's backing, only the threat of public embarrassment if Trump refused to cooperate. "That's bad for Trump, but it's not the same as having a judge instruct a party in court that unless you buckle up and do what I say you're back in court and I'll impose more dramatic sanctions," said Gillers.

Painter and Gillers said the best way to reduce potential conflicts would be a sale of the entire Trump Organization. Painter said Trump's children should also end their association with the business.

"What he needs to do is get to the place where Trump's interest in profit of any Trump entity is the same as my interest or your interest or the interest of the person on the street," said Gillers.

That presents a new set of complications.

A portfolio of real estate developments would usually consist of a large number of separate legal entities. "So, each one has to be sold individually. That's a pain," said Brian Quinn, a professor at the Boston College Law School. He said the sale would likely take a long time.

Making matters worse, real estate developments often involve a building owner who contracts with someone like Trump to brand and manage the property. Quinn said those contracts derive their value from the Trump name.
In keeping with its commitment to enabling peoples lifestyles and aspirations, Blue Mountain proudly launches its Yakkala Sinhasana Pura Residential Land Project, a mere 2 kilometres from the Kandy Road. Envisioned as a city within a city concept, the project features commercial and residential plots, which will be further supported by large scale infrastructure development of the area, including spacious roads, concrete drainage systems and other town amenities. Once complete, Sinhasana Pura will be a self-sufficient community, offering residents all the necessary amenities with a small radius.

Commenting on the project launch, Dr. Hiran Hettiarachchi (MBBS-Colombo & MBA-Australia), Group Chairman, Blue Mountain said, Our latest Sinhasana Pura Residential Land Project in Yakkala promises to be the largest residential land project in Sri Lankas real estate history, with 260 residential land plots. As a company committed to catering to all segments of the real estate sector, we realized the absence of quality affordable housing options in the Yakkala area. This new project is an ideal match for the middle income segment such as entrepreneurs and public and private sector middle managers who aspire to a better lifestyle, but at affordable prices. In order to facilitate them to invest in this project, we are offering convenient payment plans to suit their budgetary requirements. As a trusted real estate company, Blue Mountain has pioneered many firsts and is reputed for its innovation and quality project. Furthermore, we believe our strong customer centric approach will ensure this project is a sell-out as our other land development projects have been.

Today, Blue Mountain commands a significantmarket share in the real estate market of land sales in Sri Lanka and is one of the most trusted and reliable real estate companies in the country. The company specializes in land sales and real estate developments, ranging from luxury residential plots, to gated community complexes, commercial properties and apartments. It has deep-rooted community values and is focused on delivering innovative design, exclusive standards of construction and superior standards of customer service.

Blue Mountain has a strong presence across the island, with offices in Colombo, Malabe, Kadawatha, Negombo, Kandy, Galle as well as virtual offices in Kalutara and Ratnapura and global offices in Australia.
Image (Left to Right) :Ranil De Silva - Managing Director, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Trevor Kennedy - Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Murtaza A. Tajbhoy - Head of Brand Planning, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Selonica Nalawansa - Director Client Services, Publicis Solutions Sri Lanka, Arosha Perera - Chief Operating Officer, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Marsh Dodanwela  Director, Digital Strategy, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Athula Kathriarachchi - Senior Creative Director, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Lalindra Nanayakkara - Executive Creative Director, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Mehnaz Ilhamdeen - Head of Operations, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Caryll Van Dort - Director, MSLGROUP Sri Lanka, Wasim Akram - Engagement Planning Manager, Arc Worldwide Sri Lanka.

The agency has secured these highly coveted positions on Campaign Brief Asias Hottest Agencies in Asia list.

Leo Burnett Sri Lanka (LBSL), the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett Worldwide, has once again showcased its creative prowess, by securing the No. 27 ranking on Campaign Brief Asias Hottest Agencies in Asia list. The agencys performance also directly contributed to the Leo Burnett network rising one place in the global rankings. Leo Burnett Sri Lanka was also selected as Campaign Brief Asias Sri Lanka Agency of the Year.

An excerpt from Campaign Brief Asias results summary states: Leo Burnett rises one spot in the Network Ranking, and surprisingly, their best performing office is Leo Burnett Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka at #27. Thailand and Jakarta also both contributed.Leo Burnett Sri Lanka received a steady string of award wins throughout the year and is increasingly being identified as one of the strongest and most high performing creative agencies in Leo Burnetts regional network. The agency also strengthened its position of leadership in the local marketing communications industry, by securing the top spot on Campaign Brief Asias Sri Lanka rankings, scoring an impressive 200% lead in points vs its nearest rival TBWA.

Just like the various sporting rankings, these Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings are based solely on performances over the period of July 2015 to June 2016 award shows in the year. If an agency wins an award at one of the shows, they are included on the list and earn points throughout the year with every win. What sets the Campaign Brief Asia Creative Rankings apart from other rankings around the world is that it is calculated solely on creative performance at the major regional and international award shows. There is no submission or document received from agencies that is then judged. It is based only on the facts - ie. creative award wins.

Commenting on the agencys continued success, Ranil de Silva  Managing Director, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka stated: We are deeply honoured that Campaign Brief Asia has ranked us at no. 27 in the region. This is a highly coveted accomplishment that stands as a testament to our commitment to our clients and creative excellence. These rankings are based on facts as it is tabulated on the actual award wins, which makes the result even more credible and the success very gratifying. From our inception we have always believed in creative excellence, effectiveness and consistency and have strived to deliver global standards of creativity in our work. As an agency we have been a pioneer and innovator within the industry, which has helped to strengthen our leadership position. We are also humbled and immensely proud to have been named the best performing office in the Leo Burnett Worldwide network. We are happy to have contributed to the rise of the networks overall ranking. We hope to maintain our passion for creative excellence as we continue to reach for the stars and lead the way as the countrys foremost advertising and communications agency.

In 2016, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka embarked on a dynamicpursuit for creative excellence and growth. These efforts have been well compensated with our award-winning work, the innovations and our commitment to integration and talent development. The agency continued to achieve strategic growth despite the constraints of the current status of the industry. Leo Burnett Sri Lanka also celebrated several milestones this year which included the annual play shop in Thailand, the Leo Art programme and the pursuit of excellence forums. The agency also created history for the agency and country, by winning the first-ever D&AD Yellow Pencil along with two Wooden Pencils. Leo Burnett Sri Lanka was also the only agency from Sri Lanka to win metals at ADFEST and the Spikes Asia Festival of Creativityin 2016.

Over the years, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka has built many powerful brands and developed meaningful partnerships with its clients, whilst delivering gratifying results and gaining industry recognition in Sri Lanka, the region and globally. The company handles a diverse portfolio of clients; it is one of the worlds largest agency networks and is a member of the Publicis Groupe, the fourth largest communications company.
From left: Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Atul Keshap, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Samantha Ranatunga, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce CEO Dhara Wijayatilake and Sri Lanka-US Business Council Chairman Samantha Rajapaksa

Pic by Pradeep Pathirana

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The Sri Lanka-US Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated this week amidst an all-time high in the relationship between the two countries.

This is a promising new beginning but also a moment of continuity of US-Sri Lanka relations. US-Sri Lanka relations are at an all-time high, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Atul Keshap said, noting the high-level US delegations that have visited Sri Lanka recently and joint military exercises carried out.

He said that the American people believe in the articulation of the will of the Sri Lankan people through the recent elections and the US will continue to support a democratic and pluralistic Sri Lanka.

However, Keshap did not mention whether Donald Trumpwho ran a campaign based on protectionism and bigotryhis transition team or his new cabinet members have communicated their stance towards Sri Lanka or what effects the policies so far announced will have on Sri Lanka.

Now what we need is for businesses to take advantage of the relations, he said, though many US government policies may change next month with Trumps inauguration. Sri Lanka-US Business Council Chairman Samantha Rajapaksa noted that changes in the US policies may occur at a time when Sri Lanka is moving away from a civil war and political uncertainty. There is a possible trade policy change in the US, he said.

Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the Sri Lankan government is hoping to negotiate preferential market access into the US, given the all-time high bilateral relations. This is despite Trumps criticism of the US trade pacts. Recently, Dr. de Silva had noted that the new Sri Lankan government cannot depend on a West-only foreign affairs model and has started giving prominence to Eastern powers as well.

Meanwhile, he said that the government will create a strong platform for exports.

We will be creating the best platform ever for private sector-led growth, he added, noting the world-class regulations and global competitiveness is required to bring prosperity to Sri Lankans across the whole island and move the country up the income levels. He noted that the government is committed to treating every Sri Lankan equally. Keshap meanwhile noted that there is a lot of space for the US businesses to partner with Sri Lankan IT companies, which are of high calibre.

He further added that the US has provided humanitarian and developmental aid totalling US $ 2 billion over the past 60 years and that this years aid would total US $ 60 million.

The US is Sri Lankas largest single market, absorbing 26.7 percent of Sri Lankan exports worth US $ 2.81 billion in 2015, up from US $ 2.73 billion or 24.5 percent of the market share in 2014, with exports mainly being driven through the apparel industry.

The entire European Union accounted for 28.8 percent of Sri Lankan exports last year.

The US was Sri Lankas eighth largest supplier, with imports worth US $ 471 million, with a market share of 2.5 percent in 2015, down from US $ 492 million in 2014.
When the six sub-committees submitted their reports with proposals for constitution-making on different subjects, it was thought that the process would progress. Yet, it has proven otherwise, as the process has hit a snag due to the fundamental differences arising among the major stakeholders, about the contours of the proposed constitution.



The Steering Committee, entrusted with the task of drafting a report for consideration by Parliament in the evolution of the new Constitution based on the sub-committee recommendations, is planning to present an initial draft this month. But, on the issue of power devolution, differences of opinion have surfaced, casting doubts over the possibility of legislating on the Constitution with a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and approval of the people by a referendum.



SLFP sticks to original policy

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), led by President Maithripala Sirisena, has spelled out that it would take its official stand, in line with the provisions outlined in the first Republican Constitution enacted in 1972 under the government of the then Prime Minister, the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike. It accorded the foremost status to Buddhism as the majority religion, and declared Sri Lanka as a unitary state.The status-quo has remained in the second Republican Constitution that came into being in 1978 under a United National Party (UNP) government.



At the Steering Committee meeting held on Tuesday, the SLFP reiterated that the unitary character of the Constitution and the foremost place accorded to Buddhism should remain intact. Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a constituent of the government has also taken a similar line. Therefore, consensus with other major parties such as the UNP and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) looks difficult at the moment.



The principal aim of the constitution-making process is to work out a power devolution arrangement to the Tamil national question. A unitary state is a state governed as a single power in which the central government is ultimately supreme and any administrative division exercises only powers that the central government decides to delegate by way of legislations.



Today, the Provincial Councils of Sri Lanka use powers delegated by the Parliament of the central government. They can be taken over at any time by the Parliament, either with a simple or two-thirds majority.



Federalism, on the other hand, is a political system in which the national government and the provinces have their own powers demarcated by the Constitution.



Today, the word unitary has become politically sensitive. As such, extra attention is being paid on the terminologies in wording the provisions of the new Constitution. It is anticipated that the advocates of Federalism will employ their technocrats to hide behind the label unitary but to have provisions for the devolution of power in the actual context. In other words, it is said, there are attempts to name the proposed Constitution unitary despite having provisions for devolution of power to the periphery, in line with Federal principles.



So, those against Federalism are focussing much on the content of the Constitution, to identify such moves. The current status on the process has led to clear divisions of opinion.



Debate in January

Let alone that, the Steering Committee decided on Monday, to have a debate on the new constitutional proposals in Parliament on January 9, 10 and 11.



The views, to be expressed during the debate, will also be considered in drafting the final report. The government is keen to show some progress in this direction, before the March session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Sri Lanka will be featured during this session. The UNHRC will review the progress of implementing the provisions of its resolution, even co-sponsored by Sri Lanka. A political solution is what Sri Lanka is committed to do, among others in the resolution.



TNA engages MS to speed up Constitution making

Against this backdrop, the TNA, the main party seeking extensive power devolution to the provinces, met with President Sirisena last Friday to discuss the future of the Constitution making exercise.

The President, in fact said, he would ask Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to talk to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mr. Rajapaksas Joint Opposition holds sway in mass mobilization against the constitutional process. So, if Mr. Rajapaksa can be won over, the protest being built in the south, can be neutralized. That might be the reason for the President to make such remarks.

The TNA sounds confident that the President is genuine about the constitution-making process. All the 16 TNA MPs attended this meeting.



Sri Lanka growing in significance for US

Ahead of the March session of the UNHRC, some Sri Lankan analysts believe the United States, under its President elect Donald Trump, will soften its approach to Sri Lanka at the UNHRC. The President also seems to be thinking in that way, as he said he would seek fresh engagement with Mr. Trump and ask him to free Sri Lanka of this problem.



Opinions and counter opinions are still expressed in the political field on the outcome of the US election. Some still find it difficult to cope with the loss of Hilary Clinton whereas others with a nationalist bent are elated over it.



Despite all that, Sri Lanka is growing in significance for the US, as a hub in the Indian Ocean region, as asserted by the visiting Navy Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. In his address to the Galle Dialogue, he summed up this point when he said, The Indian Ocean matters to the United States. Sri Lanka matters to the United States. And I believe that the United States matters to Sri Lanka.



He said, Colombo is a beautiful modern city that reveals the ancient heritage of Sri Lanka around every corner. Im thrilled to have the chance to get to know the people of this country better, as I work to deepen our military-to-military relationship.



And more generally speaking, its great to be here in the Indian Ocean part of the vast Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Im sometimes asked why I use the term Indo-Asia-Pacific instead of the more commonly used term Asia-Pacific when describing this critical region.



My answer is simple. Indo-Asia-Pacific more accurately captures the fact that the Indian and Pacific Oceans are the economic lifeblood linking the Indian Sub-continent, Southeast Asia, Australia, Northeast Asia, Oceania, and the United States together. Oceans that once were physical and psychological barriers that kept us apart are now maritime super-highways that bring us together.

As the first American four-star officer to visit Sri Lanka in almost a decade, Im pleased to see the strengthening of security ties between our countries  making my description of this strategically significant region even more apt.



Ive heard it said that there were three things that one must take into consideration when evaluating strategic significance: location, location, and location. As State Minister of Defence Wijewardene just said, Sri Lanka is a strategically important location  truly the pearl of the Indian Ocean on one of our planets most critical trade routes.



You cant get from Hormuz to Malacca  or from the Red Sea to the South China Sea  without going near Sri Lanka. This east-west trade route links the global economy. Thanks to unimpeded sea lanes, the Strait of Malacca sees over 25 percent of global oil shipments each day, and the South China Sea sees $5.3 trillion in annual global trade. Modern life everywhere depends on this regions stability. But location without stability and security is a hollow place. Thats something to keep in mind as we discuss the theme of this years Galle Dialogue, Fostering Strategic

Maritime Partnerships.



Indeed, I submit that the rules-based international order  or what Ive been calling the global operating system since I stole that phrase from my good friend Danny Russel  has been underwriting prosperity throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific for the last seven decades,

It means that the US will not lose Sri Lanka as a strategic point, and whatever happens here matters to them. That is again in defence co-operation. We have to wait and see what is in store for Sri Lanka in political relationship with the US.



New party pushes for LG Polls

Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP) is elated about its victories at most elections to the co-operative societies. Party politics is totally against the principles of the co-operative movement which are older than 100 years in Sri Lanka. The SLPP, the newly formed political party backed by the Joint Opposition, has bagged most co-operative societies, as of now. At electoral level, the co-operative societies virtually comprise samples of voters. So, their verdict in the election of members to the respective local bodies is interpreted as the possible outcome of the local authorities election.



With this in mind, the SLPP, backed by the Joint Opposition, pushes for the local authorities election as soon as possible. All 335 local bodies now function without

elected representatives.
By Zahara Zuhair

While unfolding the digitisation process which Sri Lanka will experience for next year, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando said that the main challenge they face is unifying the vision for the country in their endeavour to digitise the whole nation, as there is so much diversified in different corners.

Digitisation is not understood by many Sri Lankans. A lot of people criticize that we are giving tabs to the schools, and they say kids still dont understand. Im pretty sure the kids understand what we are going to do more than the elders, he said during a presentation at the launch of CodeCraft competition held in Colombo recently.

As the government intends to create one million jobs, he said that the Prime Minister is looking at creating at least 300,000 jobs from his ministry next 3-5 years. With Rs.25 billion allocated in the budget for next year, he said there is immense potential for the industry.

He said that Sri Lanka now has good space, as they have covered 2/3 of the country with fibre optic.

He said with the two submarine cables launched by Dialog and Sri Lanka Telecom, it gives six times better broadband speed. Sri Lanka has best speeds than India, Pakistan, Bangladesh right now in the region. So we just need to put the infrastructure and the right companies in, he said.

He also confessed that the government has a huge problem in communicating on what they do. Right now we have more than 405 free WiFi sites. We couldnt put up a board and give the publicity, we are trying to fix it. By next year there will be 1000 free WiFi sites up in Sri Lanka, he said.

Another issue highlighted was the current education system, as ICT is being used as a single subject but not as a tool to enhance, as well as the lack of qualified ICT teachers. It was also stressed the need of having a long term vision for ICT. Under the one million tab strategy, he said that they have already started with A/L students, and will be moving on to providing tablets to gramasewakas, midwives and policemen. The midwives is a brilliant concept I saw in Rwanda, where you can show them the visual impact and procedures, he said.

He said that some of the less developed countries who are not doing well are also have implemented this tab strategy and are now very successful.

Another concept imparted was the providing of digital identity, and the minister said that already tenders are closed for this and technical evaluation is done.

This is one of the most highly sophisticated cards, because we will be following Estonian and Swedish models. We will be the third country to implement it. So the worlds best company wanted us to be the sample model, just to take it to other countries. Sri Lanka will become the talking point, he said.

In terms of digital health, it was noted that MRI type of outputs cost the government almost Rs. 1000-1500 per document taken out of these machines, whereas with the electronic system it would be avoided.

Further, it was mentioned that every citizen will be provided with a digital wallet as everyone will be a part of the financial inclusion as well as the digital signature enabling the citizens to electronically-sign documents.

In addition to that, it was also noted that the Data Privacy Act would be implemented soon.
In a troubling news for Indian fishermen, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources development, Sri Lanka has announced a hefty penalty for foreign boats straying into Sri Lankan territory.

Foreign boats straying into Sri Lankan territory without permission will be harshly fined up to 17 crore. Singling out the violation, now becoming a subject of worry, the Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has announced this decision.

Mahinda Amaraweera said that local fishermen have been facing a lot of trouble because of foreign fishermen illegally entering the Sri Lankan territory.

Amaraweera also said that fine on foreign boats will range from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 17 crore. The current law will be amended to incorporate this clause, Mahinda said.

Till date, Sri Lankan Navy has taken trespassers, their boats and their fishing equipments in custody but never fined anyone. However, now the boats seized will be returned when the owner comes to retrieve the boats from Sri Lanka, Mahinda confirmed.

The situation has been tense between the fishermen of both the countries over Katchatheevu issue and their rights to fish in the Indian Ocean.

Indian fishermen who have been constantly facing the threat of arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy have approached the State and Central government for intervention and aide.

The only time the Indian fishermen are allowed to Katchatheevu is during the festival at St Antony's shrine there.(India Today)
Kadireshan Ravishankar, a 34-year-old barber and father of four, alleges he was tortured by the Hatton HQI (Headquarters Inspector) on September 23. He was working at his brother, Kadireshan Simson salon - CS Saloon - when he was called to give a haircut to the Hatton HQI. Grappling with abject poverty, Ravishankar has now been forced to battle against the added burden of social stigma after surviving police torture.



At around 7.00 p.m., two police officers in plain attire came to our salon and asked me to come with them to trim the hair of the Hatton HQI, said Ravishankar. However, he has refused to go on the errand as his employer (brother) was absent and also as there were customers who had been waiting for a longtime.



But I told them I would come once the salon closed for the day. Yet, they threatened that I would not be able to open the salon the next day. They left after intimidating me, he added.



According to Ravishankar, the police officers had returned with back-up officers at 7.30 p.m. and threatened him again. He alleged that the police officers who included two Sub-Inspectors forced him to go to the police station.



As I had no other choice, I asked the two customers left behind to wait for my brother. Then I went with the police officers, he said.



A terrible fate awaited him at the police station. He alleges that he was tortured.



The HQI addressed me derogatorily and yelled at me inhumanly. He asked me very arrogantly as to why I had refused to arrive initially. I explained to him the reason and I apologized. But the HQI grabbed me by my right arm, which he twisted and held on my back. He punched me five times on my back with his elbow. He didnt stop at that. He punched on my face and kicked me as well. It hurt very much and I still suffer in pain, wept Ravishankar. Thereafter, police officers had asked him to contact his brother. He has informed his brother of the plight he had undergone.



Ravishankar had then, taking his equipment, run out of a door that was ajar, to his salon situated half a kilometre from the police station.



My brother and two customers were at the salon. And outside, there were many people looking at me flabbergasted, wondering what had happened, said Ravishankar. He had requested his brother to admit him to the Dikoya Base Hospital as he was injured.



At the hospital, an ASP and another police officer asked me to get discharged. I refused because I was in extreme pain. They tried forcing me to sign the discharge form but I didnt. They also asked my brother to convince me to get discharged. After that, the ASP came again with more than 15 officers. None of them was in uniform, added Ravishankar.



On the 24th, I gave a statement to the Hospital Police. That evening, an ASP from the Nuwara Eliya Police station recorded a statement from me. On the 25th, two Sub-Inspectors from the Hatton Police asked me about the two customers who were in the salon when I returned after being tortured. But I didnt reveal their identities for their safety, he said.



Ravishankar had been discharged from the hospital on September 26. However, as he had not fully recovered, he had been admitted to the Nawalapitiya Hospital for a few days. Ravishankar is still recovering from his injuries. Police officers still follow me. I feel so ashamed when people look at me. My three children who are schooling are questioned in school as to what happened to their father. My youngest child is four and a half years old. My record of being tortured by the police will be a problem when we need to admit the child to school in future, said Ravishankar.



The HQI who tortured me wasnt penalized. He was merely transferred to the Nuwara Eliya Police station, he further said.



Kandy Human Rights Office Director Fr. Nandana Manathunga said a protest was held the very next day after the torture in Hatton, requesting the IGP to take action against the alleged perpetrator. As a result, the HQI had been transferred to the Nuwara Eliya Police station. Thereafter, he had been transferred to the Batticaloa Police station where he currently functions.



A Police officer attached to the Hatton Police station said the inquiry was conducted by the Nuwara Eliya Police station.



Legally, were not allowed to conduct an inquiry as all allegations are against this police station. So the Nuwara Eliya Police station was given the responsibility and they conducted the inquiry which is complete now. But were not aware of the results, the police officer said.



When we contacted the Nuwara Eliya Police station, its officers confirmed that the inquiry was complete and the HQI was transferred to their police station.



The inquiry was conducted by ASP Dasanayake. However, there will be further disciplinary investigation, he said.



District ASP Dasanayake said information pertaining to the inquiry could not be revealed to the media. I conducted the inquiry and statements were collected. But I cant divulge the result of the inquiry because internal officers are involved, he said.



Stigma attached to torture victims

Torture victims are not usually supported by civil society members as police accuse them with fabricated charges to justify torture. As a result, people believe the police, thus condemning the victims of torture, Fr. Nandana Manathunga said.



People are also afraid of associating or assisting torture victims, fearing that police would target them as well. There have been instances where people who assisted torture victims by providing security or giving evidence, were later arrested with fabricated charges such as keeping drugs in their possession. Hence, due to their vulnerability, torture victims give up the fight in seeking justice. Some have even fled the country, he added.
The Joint Opposition (JO) today requested the government to probe into the Presidents statement made in Galle that a whopping Rs. 3,012 million allocated for the Nilwala River Development Project going missing just a day before the last Presidential Election.

Addressing a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) membership drive campaign held in Galle on Saturday, President Maithripala Sirisena said that Rs. 1,000 million had been issued by the Finance Ministry for the project in 2012 and the Treasury had issued a cheque for Rs.3,012 million to the Irrigation Ministry Secretary in January 7, 2015.

The fate of the total amount of Rs. 4,012 million was a mystery, President Sirisena said.

Responding to the remarks of the President, Matara District JO MP Dullas Alahapperuma said all ministers who are responsible for the project were in the current government and as such the government should probe into the statement.

It was President Maithripala Sirisena who was the Mahawali Development Minister when the agreement was signed for the project with a China based Company. Irrigation Minister during the said time was Nimal Siripala de Silva who is the current Transport Minister. Therefore, it is up to the government to probe these remarks and clarify as to what has happened, he told a news conference. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

Video by Buddhi
Leave,of all Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) workers including bus drivers, conductors and technical staff, have been cancelled for a week starting from December 1, the Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry said.

It said this decision was taken to minimize the inconvenience caused to the public because of the sudden token strike in the private transport sector.

Meanwhile, SLTB Chairman Ramal Siriwardene said they would increase the number of buses to 6,000 from the current 5,300 for the convenience of commuters.
At the 16th SAARC Summit held in Thimphu, Bhutan, from April 28 to 29, 2010, the SAARC leaders called for collaborative efforts to achieve greater intra-regional connectivity and endorsed the recommendation to declare 2010-2020 as the Decade of Intra-regional Connectivity

in SAARC.

In line with the mandate given by the SAARC leaders, the fourth meeting of the SAARC Inter-Governmental Group on Transport held in New Delhi, India on November 22, 2010, considered the proposal of the Maldives on operating Indian Ocean cargo and passenger ferry and recommended that a ferry service for passengers and cargo may be launched, initially on a sub-regional basis including India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Eventually, the ferry service would connect points along the South Asian coastline from Karachi to Mongla/Chittagong. The aim of the project is to provide a regular cargo and passenger ferry network promoting the idea of one SAARC, giving opportunity for sharing the rich cultures, trade and development.

Accordingly, Kathmandu SAARC Secretariat conducted a study on Indian Ocean cargo and passenger ferry service with the financial and technical assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila.

In order to move forward in launching the ferry service, on December 1, 2016, Sri Lanka Ports and Shipping Ministry Secretary L.P. Jayampathy will inaugurate the SAARC-ADB meeting of experts from India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka to be held in Colombo from December 1 to 2, 2016 to review the study on SAARC cargo and passenger ferry service.

The meeting will be organised by Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd in coordination with the Sri Lanka External Affairs Ministry and Kathmandu SAARC Secretariat with the support of ADB. The inaugural session of the meeting will also be addressed by Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd Chairman Shashi Dhanatunge and Kathmandu SAARC Secretariat Director Energy, Transport and Science and Technology Ali Haider Altaf.

Representatives of the private sector in Sri Lanka willing to operate a ferry service have been invited to share their experiences in the meeting. SAARC Development Fund (SDF) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sunil Motiwal is also expected to attend the meeting and discuss prospects of co-funding for launching the much-awaited ferry service in the region. An expert from Global Maritime and Ports Services Pte Ltd (GMAPS), Singapore, which conducted the study, will also be attending the meeting to make a presentation on the study and to answer queries of the participants from member states.

It has been proposed that initially the ferry may connect Ports in Male, Cochin, Tuticorin and Colombo. All technical details and routes would be discussed during the above meeting.

The study group intends to handover the finalized report at the end of the session to Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga and SAARC Secretariat Director at a special ceremony on December 2, 2016, at Hilton Colombo Residences.
This is the sixth of the interview series titled Mirror Business S&P SL20 Insights conducted in collaboration with the Colombo Stock Exchange. Following are excerpts of an interview with Hemas Holdings PLC Group CEO Steven Enderby



What key milestones has the company achieved during 2016?

Our personal care and home care brands continue to delight Sri Lankan consumers as shown by our increasing market share in many personal care categories. We are particularly pleased with the continued progress of our market leading baby care brand, Baby Cheramy. Clogard, Velvet and our feminine hygiene brand Fems, has also captivated a new generation of Sri Lankan consumers.

Our FMCG team has excelled in developing a great position in Bangladesh, where Kumarika our hair oil brand is the number one non-coconut value-added hair oil in the Bangladesh market. Sri Lankas unique geographic position and maritime advantage is a source of great advantage in the region, and Hemas Maritime were appointed the General Service Agents for Evergreen Shipping Lines, the fourth largest mainline shipping line globally.

J.L. Morisons our pharmaceutical and OTC manufacturing subsidiary launched a range of new skincare and sun protection products under the Morisons brand.

We launched our 41st Piyawara school, our corporate sustainability initiative to enhance pre-school learning & development of the Sri Lankan child. This initiative is particularly close to the all of our hearts at Hemas.



What is your view/outlook on the industries that Hemas Holdings PLC operates in?

Last year was also a significant year with consumer spending improving, as the various budgetary relief measures provided a lift in incomes. This years recent budget announcements indicate that consumer spending will tighten over the next six months as purchasing power is impacted by increased rates of VAT and income tax.

It is an interesting time to serve the Sri Lankan consumer as they look for more sophisticated products that deliver increasing value and a wider range of benefits in convenient formats. We are working hard to respond to this opportunity.

Hemas is also a significant player in Sri Lankas healthcare space. We see more Sri Lankans are seeking personal wellness, the ability to be in control of their own health and wellbeing, and demanding convenient high quality healthcare services and products. Sri Lankans are also more informed of their options  in medicines, over-the-counter products, diagnostics and services. Group companies such as JL Morison, Hemas Hospitals and Hemas Pharmaceuticals are all ideally positioned to address this increasing need for Wellness.

We also see that our environments are becoming more challenging. We operate in a regulated industry and with new guidelines governing pharmaceuticals and a new VAT imposed on healthcare, we are mindful of how we can continue to serve our customers and deliver value.

Sri Lanka will continue to be a vital point to access South Asia through our great advantage in maritime positioning. We think that new infrastructure and service improvements in this sector will provide a great platform for continue growth.

Sri Lanka is also a wonderful tourism destination and as we are seeing there is a continued growth in tourism arrivals. We believe that this is sector of very significant growth potential where our business interests in hotels, in bound and out bound travel and airline representation will both benefit and must be positioned to delight our visitors through high quality experiences.



Could you elaborate a few growth prospects for the company going forward and how you intend to capitalize on these growth opportunities?

Sri Lankas domestic personal care market is important to us, and we believe that there is good growth through the introduction of new, innovative and premium products, across multiple categories. For example, we have just launched our new range of Velvet skin care products designed specifically for Sri Lankan skin. Internationally, we continue to expand our personal care footprint in Bangladesh both in hair oil and in new personal care categories building on the success we are enjoying there.

Sri Lankans appetite to take their own health and wellness decisions mean that they are seeking products and services that can better help them do that  we will continue meeting this demand through our three healthcare businesses, each of which we are planning on expanding. We will establish new pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and deepen our excellence in key therapeutic areas at our hospitals.

Sri Lankas unique maritime sector advantages will be a strong vector of growth; Hemas Mobility sector is expanding our capabilities to serve more customers and be a strong partner for growth through the establishment of a new logistics park.



In your opinion, what challenges do you anticipate in the industries that you operate in?

We are conscious of making decisions in an environment where there may be regulatory change. Government of Sri Lanka has big and bold plans for growth and driving economic performance. We need to ensure we are well positioned to take full advantage and provide support to these plans.

As new business models and technologies emerge, we also know that we need to continue to innovate and meeting global standards to serve our customers better  be it in healthcare, leisure or mobility. Internationally, we deal with the excitement and the uncertainty of exploring a new terrain  especially in Bangladesh, and our experiences have sharpened us.



What efforts and initiatives are you taking to drive shareholder value?

We invest in high quality leadership as ultimately our competitive advantage lies in our team. We recently launched our Future Leaders Programme in collaboration with Indian Institute of Management preparing 30 of our future leaders for the challenges ahead.

We actively look for sizeable growth opportunities in our core sectors. We take a decisive view of where significant growth comes from, and thats where we focus our thinking and hard work. We seek market leading positions wherever we compete. We believe in industry leadership, and that if we deliver value to our customers that will be rewarded with strong market positions, which in turn drives value in our business.



How has listing on the CSE been beneficial to Hemas Holdings PLC?

A listing on the CSE in itself is a matter of international prestige to Hemas Holdings PLC. We believe it is very positive that all Sri Lankans and international investors have the opportunity not only to buy our great products but also to be owners in the company.

Hemas Holdings has been able to raise capital on the public market for our growth activities. The governance demands of being a listed business is helpful to us in terms of driving a high quality standard of governance across the group.
Despite all the positive sounds being made since the retirement of Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif was announced, the country's policy vis-a-vis India is not going to change anytime soon. The recent Nagrota attacks just confirmed this ominous portent.

I shall not go so far as to term Nagrota as new Pakistan army chief General Qamar Bajwa's introductory gift to India - not today but maybe soon. If the new chief agrees on most issues with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, then it would certainly provide the PM with some breathing space - domestically at least. But to term it as positive for India would be a huge mistake.

When Kargil happened, everybody, including defence experts in India, blamed a supposedly rogue General Parvez Musharraf. Most were convinced somehow that then PM Nawaz Sharif was not part of the decision-making. Years down the line, Musharraf claimed that PM Sharif had all along known about the Kargil ventures.

Who was speaking the truth? Musharraf or Sharif? Decide wisely. My guess is nobody was telling the whole truth - only half truths that suited them. A general who usurped power had a nice excuse, a PM who was toppled and barely escaped with his life had an equally good excuse to peddle.

The largely unnecessary hype over Raheel Sharif is the reason why some experts will be looking forward to better relations along the border. Much of the supposed theory that General Sharif was an India hater and baiter has to do with the martyrdom of two of his close relatives during the 1965 and 1971 wars with India.

Well it may be true to a certain extent, but it cannot be the whole truth. A professional soldier will not hold a nation hostage to his personal angst and General Sharif was no exception. Similarly, the supposed bonhomie that General Bajwa shared with General Vikram Singh is held to be the premise of a better cross-border scenario.

General Qamar Bajwa has taken over as Pakistan army chief from General Raheel Sharif.

Nothing can be further from the truth. Changes occur in every organsation - including the Pakistan army. People with divergent political views and aspirations come to office. That is normal. But no officer - including the army chief - can alter a laid-down policy that has been in place for what? Some 70 years.

Grandstanding apart, no professional soldier or general aspires or plans to fight a war he cannot control. So there is only one way left for the new Pakistan army chief - stick to the mujahideens. They are cost-effective, they do the job, do not ask questions and are expendable.

India is key to the Pakistan army's survival - yes survival. The fear of India nurtures and empowers the nation's army, provides funds, motivation, fan following and clout.

As long as the big bogeyman India stays its neighbour, it will nurture the Pakistan army and hatemongers. Actually a day may come when the army loses control over the militants it funds, as the civilian government already has.
Ice is melting between Pakistan and Russia, two Cold War era foes.

Islamabad is likely to give Moscow access to its deep sea water port, Gwadar, for import and export of goods.

The decision was taken following the secret visit of Alexander Bortnikov, chief of Russian Intelligence Federal Security Services and former chief of KGB, to Islamabad a week ago.

It was the first time in 14 years that any senior official from Russia visited Pakistan.

During his visit, Bortnikov held several meetings with top officials of Pakistan's intelligence and defence, including Pakistan's spy master - ISI chief lieutenant general Rizwan Akhter.

Officials in Islamabad revealed that the Russian had expressed the desire to be part of CPEC and use Gwadar port for import and export.

"Pakistan has welcomed Russia's request to be a part of the multibillion dollar project of CPEC," a senior Pakistani official told Mail Today. He added that a formal announcement will be made in a couple of months.

According to many experts in Pakistan, the latest development shows that Pakistan and Russia are laying foundations of improving bilateral ties after decades of sour ties during and after the Cold War era.

Gwadar port. (Photo credit: Reuters)

It is believed that geostrategic relations are rapidly changing in South Asia. Meanwhile former Cold War rivals - India and the US - are bolstering their defence and trade ties amid concerns about China's assertiveness in the region, particularly in the disputed South China Sea.

Likewise, Islamabad and Washington, which were allies against the erstwhile Soviet Union and collaborated in the 1980s Afghan War, are drifting away.

The development comes in the wake of Pakistan's deteriorating relations with the US following the American forces' raid in Abbottabad that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

The relationship dealt a further blow recently when US lawmakers blocked funds for the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

Interestingly, Islamabad and Moscow are reviving their ties and bolstering cooperation in defence and trade.

Earlier this year, 200 soldiers of the Russian army participated in the first ever Pakistan-Russia military drill held in Pakistan from September 24 to October 10.

The exercise was seen as a demonstration of closer defence ties between Pakistan and Russia after they signed a military cooperation pact in 2014.

This correspondent's background interviews and off-the-record conversation with well-informed officials of the Pakistan government and diplomats revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took personal interest in improving ties with Russia soon after becoming PM for the third time.

"His efforts are yielding fruit," said a close aid of PM Sharif.

During his visit to Turkmenistan, Sharif confirmed to a group of journalists that Pakistan has welcomed Russia to become a part of CPEC.

The revival in the bilateral relationship began in 2014 when the Kremlin removed its arms embargo against Islamabad followed by a series of meeting between top officials of the two countries.

In 2015, Moscow agreed to sell four Mi-35M helicopters to Pakistan and welcomed Islamabad to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

While Russia's desire to be a part of CPEC has surprised many in Pakistan, experts believe the two countries will have to go a long way to remove mistrust.

"Moscow and Islamabad had a proxy conflict during the Cold War. The geopolitical vector did not change after the USSR's collapse," said defence analyst Mohammad Shahbaz.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's forthcoming visit to India (December 18-20) is being viewed with mixed feelings by Indian diplomats and security mandarins. Twenty treaties are set to be inked between the two countries on diverse areas, including nuclear energy, space and satellite technology.

Importantly, in an extraordinary gesture, Hasina will honour 1,688 family members of martyred officers of the Indian armed forces by offering them Rs 5 lakh each, along with a plaque.

This will reinforce the existing warm ties between India and Bangladesh, testifying to India's contribution to the Bangladeshi liberation struggle. The debt and gratitude lingers on despite desperate attempts by anti-India forces and Khaleda Zia machinations to manipulate history by downplaying or erasing India's role in the 1971 War.

Hasina has also decided to erect a war memorial at the Brahmanbaria district exclusively dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Indian Army during the liberation struggle. Again, this is no mean gesture!

Noble overtures apart, the two countries are expected to iron out the longstanding issue of Teesta waters which remains an irritant between the two nations because of what's perceived as Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's obstinacy.

Other issues to be discussed and formalised are being worked out between the two sides. Cooperation on intelligence-sharing and anti-terror measures is seen as high on agenda. Hasina, as always, will hold extensive parleys with President Pranab Mukherjee on whom she has always relied upon, even when out of power. She still depends on his wise counsel on statecraft and related dos and donts.

It remains to be seen if the BJP government in power or the party cadres will raise with Hasina the matter of growing atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh which, inter alia, include grabbing of Hindu property, desecration of Hindu temples, forced conversions and the recent brutal communal excesses in Nasirpur.

The shameful incidents commencing with Kalipuja (end of October this year) continued for a long time, shaking the Hindus' trust in Hasina for their safety and well-being. Alleged connivance of local Awami League goons needs to be explained to allay the concerns of Hindus in India.

Another worrisome factor is Bangladesh gravitating towards China, which already has substantial investments in Dhaka and bilateral ties between the two countries are incremental. Chinese president Xi Jinping's Dhaka visit in October 2016 (the first for a Chinese head of state in 30 years) is worth taking note of. Significantly, his visit was described as "a comprehensive partnership to cooperation", upgrading to "a strategic partnership".

India and Bangladesh are expected to iron out the longstanding issue of Teesta waters. (Photo: India Today)

This novel dynamics needs to be watched by hawks keeping a close eye on Chinese attempts to woo Bangladesh, at a time when China's stance towards India remains hardened - especially in blocking India's move to prevail upon the UN to declare Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar as terrorists.

Post the Uri attack, things are rapidly changing in the Indian neighbourhood and in this light, the Chinese footprint calls for caution.

The China-Bangladesh bonhomie does not end here. Strategists were astounded to note Bangladesh acquiring two Chinese submarines on November 14, costing $203 million. The type 035 G diesel electric submarines, armed with torpedoes and mines, are capable of attacking all kinds of ships.

These deadly acquisitions from China increase Bangladesh's military might. China already provides training facilities to Bangladeshi forces. Sceptics reckon that addition of submarines may complicate maritime security as India and Myanmar are the two naval entities in the region.

Staying on course to the Chinese strategic interest in Bangladesh and vice versa, there is a powerful pro-China lobby active in Bangladesh. It's thought that the Prime Minister's energy adviser, Tawfiq-e-Ilahi, is spearheading the Chinese agenda and his team includes no other than Hasina's son Joy, ex-foreign minister Dipu Moni and IT minister Junaid Ahmad.

Biplob Barua is a ruling party activist lobbying with China. Tawfiq is a Harvard PhD holder and an ex-civil servant with huge administrative and geopolitical experience. This lobby feels emboldened after Xi's successful Dhaka visit.

Submarines apart, Bangladesh seems to be on a spree to make itself a militarily powerful nation. Every sovereign country reserves the right to acquire an arsenal and be strong, but Bangladesh, at this point of time, faces no real threat. Yet, it's building a new airbase close to Myanmar, opening new military cantonments and adding frigates to its naval fleet.

Earlier in 2013, Bangladesh had signed a billion-dollar military deal with Russia essentially to buy fighter training jets, helicopters and anti-tank missiles.

Meanwhile, Indian defence minister Manohar Parikkar is scheduled to visit the nation on November 30. It's expected that he would iron out creases in defence matters, getting a first-hand account of what Bangladesh is up to, becoming a major military power in South Asia.

His assessment is also expected to help the Indian establishment deal with military-linked questions while Hasina is in Delhi next month. What can perhaps be done now is to wean Bangladesh away from China.
Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. The Consumer Banking and Lending segment offers diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses. Its financial products and services include checking and savings accounts, and credit and debit cards, as well as home, auto, personal, and small business lending services. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial solutions to private, family owned, and certain public companies. Its products and services include banking and credit products across various industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management services. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment offers a suite of capital markets, banking, and financial products and services to corporate, commercial real estate, government, and institutional clients. Its products and services comprise corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity, and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities services. The Wealth and Investment Management segment provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, and trust and fiduciary products and services to affluent, high-net worth, and ultra-high-net worth clients. It also operates through financial advisors. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
BP, plc, once known as British Petroleum, is one of the worlds 7 oil & gas supermajors with operations spanning the globe. In terms of revenue, it ranks 4th on the list and the company is vertically integrated as well with operations in all segments of the oil and gas sector. Operations are currently underway in 80 countries around the world, the company can produce 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalents per day, and it lays claim to nearly 20 billion barrels in proven reserves. On the retail end of the business, the company operates more than 18,700 fuel stations and its largest segment is in the US.

The company was founded in 1908 with the purpose of exploring for and producing oil in the middle east. The company expanded into Alaska in 1959 and then accelerated its expansion when it merged with Amoco in 1998. Another merger with Burhman Castrol in 2000 created the company that is traded today.

BP, plc rebranded itself in 2000 giving new meaning to its name. The once British Petroleum is now Beyond Petroleum and focused on a major shift in its business. The company is working hard to move away from non-renewable carbon-based energy and into biofuels, solar, and wind. The company hopes to be net-zero in regard to carbon emissions and production by 2050 or earlier and is well on the way to doing so. Among the many avenues of advance are the build-out of solar and wind farms as well as the expansion of a major EV charging network. The network totaled more than 9,000 stations around the middle of 2022 and expansion was ramping in order to meet the goal of 100,000 EV stations before 2050.

BP p.l.c. currently operates through 4 segments including Gas & Low Carbon Energy, Oil Production & Operations, Customers & Products, and Rosneft segments. The company produces and trades in natural gas and oil liquids, offers biofuels, and operates wind and solar power generating facilities. The company also provides de-carbonization solutions and services, such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, as part of its green agenda.

In addition, it produces and refines oil and gas for its downstream operations as well as invests in upstream, downstream, and alternative energy companies including advanced mobility. Advanced mobility is the future of transportation and includes technologies like EV, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cells. To that end, the company is building 7 hydrogen production and storage hubs in key locations around the world. The company aims to produce blue and green hydrogen for the global transportation industry with production beginning in 2027. Blue hydrogen is hydrogen captured from the companys natural gas deposits using a process that captures the waste carbon.
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. 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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. 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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..

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CarMax, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of used vehicles in the United States. The company operates through two segments, CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance. It offers customers a range of makes and models of used vehicles, including domestic, imported, and luxury vehicles, as well as hybrid and electric vehicles; and extended protection plans to customers at the time of sale, as well as sells vehicles that are approximately 10 years old and has more than 100,000 miles through wholesale auctions. The company also provides reconditioning and vehicle repair services; and financing alternatives for retail customers across a range of credit spectrum through its CarMax Auto Finance and arrangements with various financial institutions. As of February 28, 2022, it operated approximately 230 used car stores. CarMax, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.
BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.
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.
Capita plc provides consulting, digital, and software products and services to clients in the private and public sectors in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Public Service, Experience, and Portfolio divisions. The company offers solutions for finance and accounting, procurement, property and infrastructure, travel and event, and workplace administration. It also provides customer experience transformation, contact management, collection, complaint handling, customer acquisition and retention, customer experience system and software, and data and analytics. In addition, the company offers capita licensing and support, support, digital policing, and engineering practice; education service and local education authority software; various solutions that help businesses create connected experiences that deliver right message across organisations, customers, and suppliers; solutions for central and local government services; corporate learning, fire service college, employability, and capita apprenticeship solutions; and employer branding and marketing, flexible workforce solutions, agile resourcing solutions, executive and specialist recruitment, background checking and vetting, and digital HR management and transformation solutions. Further, it provides pension administration and software, pensions consulting, and data, insights, and remediation solutions; automation, critical communication systems, finance and payment software, local education authority software, management information systems, and workforce management software solutions; cloud, cyber security, digital connectivity, IT services, robotic process automation, and workplace IT; and actuarial, defence, financial, healthcare, housing, legal, public safety, utility, and welfare and employability services. The company was formerly known as The Capita Group plc and changed its name to Capita plc in January 2012. Capita plc was founded in 1984 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
CACI International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation in the intelligence, defense, and federal civilian sectors. It operates in two segments, Domestic Operations and International Operations. The Domestic Operations segment offers information solutions and services to the U.S. federal government agencies and commercial enterprises in the areas, such as digital solutions, C4ISR, cyber and space, engineering services, enterprise IT, and mission support. The International Operations segment provides a range of IT services, proprietary data, and software products to the commercial and government customers in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and internationally. The company designs, implements, protects, and manages secure enterprise IT solutions. It also offers software-defined, full-spectrum cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-unmanned aircraft system solutions; and platform integration and modernization and sustainment, as well as system engineering, naval architecture, training and simulation, and logistics engineering. In addition, the company provides enterprise cloud solutions for classified and unclassified networks; and intelligence support that ensures continuous advances in collection, analysis, and dissemination to optimize decision-making. CACI International Inc was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
Humana Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health and well-being company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, and Healthcare Services. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It also has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. In addition, the company provides commercial fully insured medical and specialty health insurance benefits comprising dental, vision, and other supplemental health benefits; and administrative services only products to individuals and employer groups, as well as military services, such as TRICARE T2017 East Region contract. Further, it offers pharmacy solutions, provider services, and home solutions services, such as home health and other services to its health plan members, as well as to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 17 million members in medical benefit plans, as well as approximately 5 million members in specialty products. Humana Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
During a time when much of the country is analyzing the way president-elect Donald Trump will do his job, he demonstrated his best skill: Deal making.

Trump and Mike Pence the Vice President-elect surprised many skeptics on Tuesday by convincing United Technologies to keep nearly 1,000 jobs at its Carrier, Indiana manufacturing plant rather than move them south of the border into Mexico, according to a tweet sent by the company.

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The companys tweet said it was pleased to have reached a new deal with Trump and Pence and that more details would soon follow.

What UT will receive in return is not known, but a number of news sources reported on Tuesday night that this newly struck deal involved incentives related to state taxes.

Pence is the governor of Indiana until January 20, 2017 and his staff was able to hammer out all the details of the deal.

On Thursday, Trump will join Pence in traveling to Indiana to announce the deal.

This victory largely a symbolic one since the U.S. had lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs annually to competition overseas, shows data from the Economic Policy Institute, which is left leaning.

However, the jobs that were saved by the agreement, account for about half of 2,000 that Carrier was going to move into Mexico.

They help to redeem the pledge that Trump made as a candidate this past February to halt offshore outsourcing at Carrier or to hit it with high tariffs on air conditioners it imports from Mexico into the U.S.

Carrier was a flashpoint during the presidential campaign after a video from a cell phone of the announcement Carrier made to its workers that it was moving work to Mexico went viral.

Trump, Bill Clinton, campaigning for Hillary, and Bernie Sanders all quickly denounced it. However, just Trump said he would keep the jobs in the United States, which seemed an unlikelihood at the time.

The deal with Carrier does not represent that much of a model going forward for the reversal of deindustrialization. Every CEO who is perceptive will now make threats to ship jobs south of the border, said an analyst on Wall Street.

However, the credibility of Trump as a working class tribune should at least for a slight period be a reprieve from the deal made with Carrier.

The plan by Carrier to shift some jobs to Mexico was nearly complete when these negotiations began. The company had handed back tax incentives of 1.2 million to the city of Indianapolis, said a local newspaper and returned more than $382,000 in grants for training to the state.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Corn Board met and elected officers for the 2016-2017 fiscal year at their board meeting on Tuesday, November 22 at The Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. The board met to conduct regular board business and hold election of officers.

David Merrell, District 7 director for St. Edward, Nebraska, was reelected as chairman of the board. Merrell has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2006 and will serve his second year as chairman. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelors degree in Mechanized Agriculture (Biological Systems Management). He and his wife, Cyndee, have three children and have been farming for over 20 years around St. Edward located in Boone County, Nebraska.

Merrell said its an honor to continue to serve as the chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. We are fortunate to have farmer leaders and staff members who are extremely dedicated to an industry that is vitally important to our state. I look forward to working with the board, staff and industry leaders to continue the positive momentum of enhancing demand, adding value and ensuring sustainability of Nebraskas corn industry.

David Bruntz, District 1 director from Friend, Nebraska, was elected as vice-chairman. Bruntz previously served as the secretary/treasurer and currently serves on the boards research and stewardship committee. He has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2013.

Dennis Gengenbach, District 6 director from Smithfield, Nebraska, was elected as secretary/treasurer. Gengenbach previously served as the vice-chair and currently serves on the boards market development committee. He has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2006.

Tim Scheer, District 5 director from St. Paul, Nebraska, will continue to serve as the past-chairman of the board. Scheer has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2007.

Our dedicated farmer-leaders have contributed great time and energy to our industry over the years, said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. Through their passion and leadership in the corn, livestock and ethanol industries, they continue to play a dynamic role in supporting the mission and vision for Nebraskas 23,000 corn farmers that invest in the corn checkoff.

The Nebraska Corn Boards market development, research, promotion and education programs are funded and managed by Nebraska corn farmers. Producers invest at a rate of 1/2 of a cent per bushel of corn sold.
The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Credit Management LLC, AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe Holdings S.a.r.l, AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Operations Inc., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund II GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund III GP LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund IV GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American International Group UK Limited, American International Realty LLC, American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A. en Liquidacion S.A., Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., C.A. de Seguros American International, Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Glatfelter Underwriting Services Inc., Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Illinois National Insurance Co., Inversiones Segucasai C.A., Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Lexington Specialty Insurance Agency Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PCG 2019 Corporate Member Limited, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SAFG Capital LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., and Western World Insurance Company.

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Basic conversations about the importance of going to college and the reason of going is linked to learning skills and knowledge to prepare them for a future career are key ideas to bring up early and often. College may be daunting or intimidating, particularly if no one else in the family has attended.

It is important to explain that college can mean different things for different people. Consider using the word college to be an easy way to explain that some people can go to college for a short term to do a certification program or to a two-year college or a four-year college and beyond. Explaining the general options is a good way to make college seem more achievable to youth unsure if they have what it takes to be successful in higher education.

The conversations with students to consider attending college after high school are changing. As educators and parents, the main focus of encouraging students to go to college needs to shift towards the importance of getting an education in any subject area, including a specific trade or skill is beneficial versus encouraging obtaining the highest amount of education possible. While earning many degrees is admirable, that may not be the goal for every student. Help them learn the benefits of earning a skilled or technical degree and how many jobs are available locally with this kind of training and their earning potential.

Here are some ways to introduce the idea of going to college to your student:

 Simply drive through a college campus both locally and when visiting a larger community. Having a visual idea of what a college looks like is helpful for students of all ages.

 If you went to college, talk about your experiences with your student.

 If you did not attend college, discuss how that decision has impacted your life.

 Encourage your student to sit down with you and research online the different areas they could study in college. Watching videos and looking at pictures will make this experience come to life.

 When your student is old enough, encourage their participation in camps and other activities held on college campuses.

 Dont wait until their senior year of high of high school to visit a college campus as a family. Consider visiting several campuses over the course of their high school career.
Susan Littlefield of Surprise was named the 2016 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting last week during the 73rd NAFB Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Littlefield is well-known within the broadcasters association and its community. She spent 18 years at KZEN in Columbus before recently moving to Lexington-based KVRN Radio and the Rural Radio Network. Her studio is in her home.

Littlefield said the award came as a shock.

This award is the pinnacle for me. To be selected by your peers in farm broadcasting for this award is such an honor," she said. "I was looking around the room trying to figure out who was the winner. Until they said 'her' and 'Nebraska,' I had no clue it was me. It is an honor to be listed among the best broadcasters in the organization."

Reporting on agriculture has always been a thrill for Littlefield.

I love that I have the ability to go out and tell the story of agriculture, not only to the ag community but the consumer so they have a better understanding of what happens in agriculture, she said.

The association said Littlefield, who grew up in Wisconsin, is a trusted voice providing current ag news and in-depth reporting on agricultural-related issues. She is also a friend to many who tune in daily for ag markets and reports, the association said.

As a 20-year NAFB member, Littlefield started reporting while in college, and has not stopped. Over her career, Susan has built strong relationships with ag leaders from around the country, helping deliver the most current and important information to Nebraska farmers and ranchers. She loves the opportunity to get out of the studio chair and head to a country fair, ride along with a local farmer or visit with consumers about agriculture to learn about their operations and share the story of agriculture," the association said in its award announcement.

Littlefield has served the NAFB in numerous roles, serving as committee chairwoman, a regional vice president and most recently as president in 2015. In addition to her on-air work, she is a member of Common Ground, 4-H volunteer, active at her childrens school, volunteer firefighter/EMT for Rising City Volunteer Fire Department and works on her familys sheep operation.

Littlefield and her husband Michael have three children, sons Bryan and Paul and daughter Morgan.
 Blue Ridge Chorale of Culpeper offers holiday performances at 7 p.m. Friday at Prince Michel Winery and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at State Theatre of Culpeper. (540) 948-4587.

 Candlelight Service of Memory and Hope, hosted by the Piedmont Chapter of the Compassionate Friends and Charlottesville Chapter of Survivors of Suicide, is held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the main sanctuary of Church of Our Saviour. (434) 977-8930.

 Charlottesville Grand Illumination is held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday on the Downtown Mall. charlottesville.org/grandillumination. (434) 295-9073.

 Charlottesville Salvation Army hosts a Christmas Concert by the National Capital Band at 6:30 p.m. Friday at 207 Ridge St. (434) 295-4058.

 Charlottesville Waldorf School Christmas Bazaar features gift-making for all ages, childrens activities and crafts and local vendors and artisans from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. (434) 973-4046.

 Congregation Beth Israel hosts a free screening of the film Late Marriage at 7 p.m. Saturday. cbicville.org/content/jewish-film-series. (434) 295-6382.

 Crozet Christmas Parade will travel along Crozet Avenue from Wayland Park beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, turning east on Route 240 at the four-way stop signs and ending at the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department. Santa will meet with children at the firehouse after the parade. (434) 823-4758.

 Dominion Virginia Power holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new solar array at the University of Virginia at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Newcomb Hall Plaza. (804) 771-6115.

 Earlysville Arts & Crafts Show benefits the Earlysville Volunteer Fire Department and features local crafters and artists and a food truck from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Earlysville Fire Department on Reas Ford Road. (434) 978-2058.

 Fluvanna Flutterwheels hosts square dancing to mainstream and plus tips, with callers George Jordan and Dave Terrell, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Fluvanna County High School in Palmyra. (434) 286-2585.

 Fluvanna Holiday Celebrations sponsored by Fluvanna Parks & Recreation include an Open House with caroling, refreshments and arts and crafts from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Pleasant Grove House in Palmyra. Holiday performances, including visits with Santa, holiday crafts, tree lighting and refreshments, will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Carysbrook Performing Arts Center in Fork Union. (434) 589-2016.

 Free Union Artisans Open House is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Free Union Country School. (434) 973-6846.

 Gingerbread Express, an annual holiday light tour on the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, leaves from the Discovery Museum every 30 minutes from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 9, 10, 16 and 17. Mrs. Claus will be serving cookies and cocoa. Tickets are $6 and available at the Downtown Business Association office from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (434) 295-9073.

 Gingerbread House Village is on display from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Omni Charlottesville Hotel. (434) 295-1885.

 Gordonsville Memorial Tree Lighting is held at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in downtown Gordonsville. (540) 832-1735.

 Great Charlottesville Santa Fun Run & Walk is held from 11 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Sprint Pavilion on the Downtown Mall. thecvillesantafunrun2016.eventbrite.com. (434) 977-4002.

 Greene County Historical Society Holiday Open House featuring vendors, book signings and more will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at 360 Main St. in Stanardsville. (434) 985-2382.

 Holiday Heritage Parade, sponsored by Wells Fargo, is held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday along the Charlottesville Downtown Mall. (434) 295-9073.

 Holiday Market, featuring more than 90 local vendors with a variety of unique gifts, decorations, food and crafts, is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 17 in the Water Street parking lot adjacent to the Downtown Mall. (434) 970-3371.

 Innisfree Village Open House features handcrafts made by residents, workshops, childrens activities and tours of the farm from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 5505 Walnut Level Road in Crozet. innisfreevillage.org. (434) 823-5400.

 Ivy Creek Natural Area holds First Friday Under the Stars with the Charlottesville Astronomical Society at 7:30 p.m. Friday, the First Saturday Bird Walk at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, a Winter Natural History Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday and an information session on the Rivanna Master Naturalists training course at 7 p.m. Tuesday. (434) 973-7772.

 James Madisons Highland holds its annual open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission fees are waived for residents of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, Orange and Rockingham. The Silhouettes fundraiser event, benefiting Highlands educational programs, is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Sitting times must be reserved online at highland.org/silhouettes-by-studio-zero. (434) 293-8000.

 Lake Monticello Holiday Home Tour, benefiting the Lake Monticello Beautification Corps and featuring homes decorated in holiday decor, is from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lake Monticello. (434) 589-8263.

 Light House Studio holds a Holiday GIF Party, offering participants the opportunity to create GIFs for family and friends with provided props, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Vinegar Hill Theater. $15. lighthousestudio.org. (434) 293-6992.

 Live and Learn Resource Fair is from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Piedmont Virginia Community College. danama@k12albemarle.org or (434) 975-9400.

 Live Nativity is held at 4:30, 5 and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Covenant School at 1000 Birdwood Road. (434) 220-7309.

 Madison County Friday Night Christmas Lights Celebration and Parade features music, games and refreshments on the War Memorial lawn, a parade along Main Street at 6 p.m. Friday and food and visits with Santa following the parade. madison-va.com. (540) 948-4455.

 McCormick Observatory Public Night is held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the end of McCormick Road. (434) 243-1885.

 Memorial Illumination: A Community Celebration of Life, hosted by Hospice of the Piedmont, will honor and remember the lives of loved ones during a non-denominational candlelit service held at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at First Presbyterian Church. hopva.org. (434) 817-6929.

 Mistletoe Market, hosted by The Junior League of Charlottesville and featuring more than 60 local and regional merchants and artists, is held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena. Details are available at jlcville.org. $8. (757) 335-1951.

 Monticello offers Holiday Evening Tours at 5:15, 5:30, 5:45 and 6 p.m., Dec. 9,10, 16 to 23 and 26 to 30. www.monticello.org. (434) 984-9800.

 Monticello High School hosts a craft and vendors sale, benefiting the MHS Softball Team, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. (434) 973-8617.

 Monticello Holiday Classic 5K and Deck the Halls Kids Dash is held at 8 a.m. Saturday at 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway. monticello.org. (434) 984-9800.

 Montpeliers Christmas Open House is from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. www.montpelier.org. (540) 672-2728.

 Nelson County Christmas Parade is held at from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Oak Ridge Race Track. nelsonchamber.org/events(434) 962-5022.

 Orange Christmas Open House includes numerous events hosted by local businesses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. theoda.org/orange-christmas-open-house. (540) 672-2540.

 Orange Christmas Parade is held at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in downtown Orange. The town Christmas tree will be lit following the parade. (540) 672-2540.

 Potomac Appalachian Trail Club hosts a hike of Hoover Camp on Saturday. Call for time and meeting place. (434) 985-9854.

 Rockfish Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue Toy Lift collects new books and toys for area children in need from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at 11100 Rockfish Valley Highway in Afton. (4340 361-1826.

 Senior Center December Yard Sale is held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday with a $5 entrance fee and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday with no entrance fee. (434) 974-7756.

 Scandinavian Secrets for A Happier Winter, on the Scandinavian concept and practice of hygge, is presented by author Jaime Kurtz from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Speak! Language Center. speaklanguagecenter.com. (434) 245-8255.

 Scottsville Festival of Lights is held from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and again Dec. 10 and 11 at the old ABC Store on Valley Street. (434) 286-2218.

 Scottsville Volunteer Fire Department Christmas Bazaar is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Scottsville Community Center. (434) 286-2769.

 Special Holiday Market with more than 30 local vendors is held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in the City Hall Plaza on the Downtown Mall. (434) 409-8226.

 Sundays with Santa is held Sunday and Dec. 11 at The Exchange Hotel Civil War Museum, 400 S. Main St. in Gordonsville. Call for times. hgiexchange.org. (540) 832-2944.

 Tea with Santa is held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 1:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at 320 Valley St. in Scottsville. Advance reservations are required at svillechamber.org/tea-with-santa. (434) 260-7188.

 Toy Lift is held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Charlottesville Fashion Square mall. Donation drop-off sites are available at toylift.org. (434) 975-8697.

 UVa Lighting of the Lawn with seasonal music and festivities is held from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday. (434) 924-3736.

 Virginia Discovery Museum offers Wegmans Wednesdays, provide free admission to the museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. vadm.org. (434) 977-1025.

 Waltons Mountain Museum Christmas Weekend offers guests the opportunity to tour parts of the museum that usually are roped off from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 6484 Rockfish River Road in Schuyler. (434) 831-2000.

 World War II 75th Anniversary Commemoration, a simulcast of the tribute held at the University of Richmonds Robins Center, will be from 9:30 to noon Dec. 8 in the auditorium of Nelson County High School. Reservations are requested by calling (434) 263-7015.
Did you use the turkey bones to make some turkey soup? With the onset of cold weather, there is nothing like a hearty bowl of hot soup to warm the cockles of your heart, as the Irish would say. Also, soup freezes well for another meal, and it does not take a great effort to make it.

Soups have long been part of the worlds cuisine. No doubt early man and woman filled an animal-skin bag with meat, bones, green plants and water and dropped in hot stones to cook the mixture. Although the result probably was more like a stew, this method of cooking was improved upon through the ages in all parts of the world. The next stage of cooking soups and stews occurred with the invention of metal pots that could be placed directly over the fire.

In Roman times, soups became very complicated and were served in great variety at Roman banquets for the wealthy and the nobility. Soups presented in gold dishes were laced with precious stones. It is imagined that the finders-keepers rule prevailed. For the common folk, more hearty soups provided the sustenance needed for daily existence.

During the Dark and Middle Ages, soups consisted of anything and everything that could be foraged simply to sustain body and soul. It also was during this time that the first soup kitchens came into existence.

At that time, the monasteries fed countless numbers of unfortunate people with soup. Such soup kitchens have been revived many times through the centuries  not only in the monasteries, but also by a variety of charitable organizations and governments  to counteract famine and economic depression.

Catherine de Medici, the young Italian princess who married the future French King Henry II, is reputed to have contributed much to French cooking. It is said that among her accomplishments was popularizing the modern version of soups in France. She drastically altered the dining habits of the French nobility by declaring that all meals should consist of only three courses.

However, she defined the first course as including between four and six soups, in addition to pates and terrines. Louis XIV of France later refined this tradition by decreeing that soups should constitute a separate course and be limited to two  one clear and one thick.

The French chefs of the 18th century enhanced the flavors of soup by devising certain standards for stocks and seasonings. They described a soup to be like an overture to a light opera. It sets the tone for the rest of the meal. To this day, soup has remained a staple dish of rural France. Until the 20th century, soup was served at every French meal, including breakfast.

In America, the Indians prepared soup with local ingredients such as corn, beans, potatoes, squash, wild game, poultry and fish. They also used flowers, roots and leaves.

The early settlers would have been lost without soups. In colonial days, the black kettle hanging in the open hearth invariably was filled with a soup or a soup-like stew.

The Indians taught the settlers how to make a concentrated essence of soup that could be used not only at home, but also while traveling. This colonial version of the bouillon cube was made by boiling meat and local vegetables to a mush-like stew. After the liquid had boiled off, the mixture was allowed to sit until dry, like a hard cake.

Since early colonial times, Americans have created soups that reflect their heritage and are associated with particular regions  New England chowders, Louisiana gumbos and San Franciscos cioppino, to name a few. And lets not forget the hearty Midwest ham chowder.

However, through the years, soups have become lighter in texture and appearance. They have become easier to prepare, and many are made with fresh, quickly cooked ingredients. With the invention of canning in the 19th century, a great variety of soups became readily available.

We are all familiar with Campbell Soups. The company was started in 1869 by a fruit merchant and an icebox manufacturer. The two men, Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson, produced canned tomatoes, vegetables and some soups.

Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell company, invented condensed soups in 1897. He developed a commercially viable method of condensing soup by halving the quantity of its heaviest ingredient  water. Condensing soups made it possible to market them in smaller containers, thus also lowering the price. Dorrance became president of the company in 1914 and eventually bought out the Campbell family. Today, Campbell Soup Company is one of the largest food companies in the world.

Since the 1990s, the canned soup market has burgeoned with soups marketed as ready to eat, which require no additional liquid to prepare. Microwaveable bowls have expanded the ready-to-eat soup market even more, offering convenience (especially in workplaces) and becoming popular lunch items.

The first dried soup was the bouillon cube. The most recent additions to the soup market are dry soup mixes. They are reconstituted with hot water. Quick-cooking fresh ingredients then may be added. Asian-style instant noodle soups include ramen and seasonings and require only water for preparation. Western-style dry soups include vegetable, chicken, potato, pasta, and cheese flavors.

One of my favorite cold-weather soups is Italian Minestrone with Fennel. I like its stick-to-the-ribs flavor of licorice, which is evident in fennel. I like to use the short twisted pasta, but any small shapes, except elbow macaroni, will do. The soup freezes well.

ITALIAN MINESTRONE WITH FENNEL

 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 1 medium onion, chopped

 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

 8 ounces mild Italian sausage, casings removed

  cup chopped parsley leaves

 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

 1 pound fennel bulbs, quartered and cut into -inch slices

 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

  teaspoon salt

 1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

 7 cups chicken broth, or half water and half chicken broth

 3 ounces short pasta

 Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, fennel seeds and sausage. Saute over low heat, breaking up the sausage meat and stirring occasionally until the onion is soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the parsley, carrot, celery and garlic and continue to saute for another 5 minutes.

Then add the fennel, tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook on very low heat for 45 minutes, or until the fennel is tender. Add the beans and chickpeas and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. Add the pasta to the soup and barely bring to a boil to heat through. Serve in soup bowls, sprinkled with the Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8.
LINCOLN  Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts defended a proposal Tuesday that would allow the state to obtain lethal injection drugs without disclosing its supplier, saying it would provide greater flexibility to move forward with executions after voters reinstated the death penalty earlier this month.

The administrative proposal announced Monday would let the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services' director choose which drugs are used in an execution and withhold the name of the supplier. Ricketts said the current administrative rules and three-drug lethal injection protocol were "more restrictive" than what state law allows.

"We're really not changing anything with regard to confidentiality," Ricketts said at a news conference on an unrelated subject. "Claims of secrecy really just aren't founded."

Ricketts argued that the changes are already allowed under a 2009 state law which changed the protocol from electrocution to lethal injection. That law allows the identities of "all members of the execution team" to remain confidential. Ricketts said the proposal would count a pharmacist or a pharmaceutical chemist as a part of the execution team, and thus exempt from public disclosure.

The corrections department would also have to notify condemned inmates which drugs were chosen, the quantities to be used and the order in which they'd be administered at least 60 days before the Nebraska attorney general's office requests an execution warrant. Ricketts said the 60-day window gives inmates "plenty of time" to appeal.

Nebraska's last execution took place in 1997, using the electric chair. The state switched to lethal injection after the Nebraska Supreme Court declared the electric chair unconstitutional, but officials have never used the current three-drug protocol in an execution.

Certain lethal injection drugs have become virtually impossible to obtain in the United States or Europe because companies, fearing a public backlash, have refused to sell them.

Nebraska's death penalty spent more than a year in limbo after lawmakers abolished the punishment in 2015, overriding Ricketts' veto. Voters reinstated capital punishment earlier this month through a ballot measure partially financed by Ricketts.

Death penalty opponents have promised to fight any attempt to shroud the process in secrecy.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said the corrections department should be taking extra steps to maintain transparency and accountability given its history of high-profile missteps. Two inmates escaped from a Lincoln prison earlier this year because staff members failed to follow security procedures. In 2014, under a previous administration, prison officials acknowledged that they had miscalculated hundreds of inmate sentences and failed to follow a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Eric Berger said the proposed protocol raises new legal questions that will likely end up in the courts.

"It violates the Nebraska norm of open and transparent government," said Berger, who worked with death penalty opponents during the recent ballot campaign. "It also creates the risk of a botched execution. When they have that secrecy, (states officials) may feel they don't need to be as careful."

Berger said the decision not to stick with one specific protocol suggests that state officials could try to use different drugs on different inmates, depending on what's available. Doing so would force them to "reinvent the wheel" for every execution and relearn the properties of a particular drug, he said.

Berger said other parts of the proposal are vague. For instance, the drugs would have to be tested at least 60 days before an execution, but Berger said it's not clear who would test them. Additionally, Berger said the proposal could make it impossible to know whether the corrections director is getting advice from qualified medical experts when selecting the drugs.
The Albemarle County School Board met Tuesday to discuss legislative priorities with a handful of state legislators as the next regular General Assembly session approaches.

The meeting focused on a number of education priorities and positions highlighted by the board that were then discussed between its members and the four state legislators who were present: Dels. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave; Rob Bell, R-Albemarle; David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath.

During the meeting, board members asked the legislators to focus on a few issues, such as expanding broadband internet access, rethinking how 21st-century education should look and increasing funding for public education.

Tim Shea, legislative and public affairs officer, said the purpose of this annual meeting is for the School Board to communicate to state legislators some of the initiatives theyre working on and how they can support them. Shea said the meeting also gives the board a chance to communicate any concerns or challenges.

So when session starts, theyre a bit more informed about the sort of real-time situation of their constituents, if you will, he said.

County schools and government have frequently talked about the need to expand opportunities for broadband internet access in parts in the county where factors such as topography make it difficult to lay fiber or set up towers.

Broadband access in any rural part of the state for schools and just the average citizen is a big concern, Landes said after the meeting.

The county schools and the School Board see internet access as a tool for students to use outside the classroom and at home. Efforts have been made locally to expand broadband access to students, and Landes mentioned the Broadband Advisory Council at the state level, which has been working for the past few years to advise the governor on ways to increase broadband access across Virginia.

Landes said after the meeting that Albemarle County has been an example and a leader in how he thinks education should look moving forward.

And thats what were really at the state level trying to come up with, kind of this discussion about a high school redesign, how are we going to have students prepared, whether theyre going out and work or go to college, and hows that going to look, he said.

School Board member Steve Koleszar said after the meeting that the conversations on policy and what can be done to improve schools were productive, but he said he didnt hear much of an indication that there would be an increase in state funding for education at the local level.

State funding is significantly down from 2008, and the state legislature needs to step up, Koleszar said, and if we want to build better schools and better educate kids so that they can succeed and prosper in their future, it takes dollars.

Other positions and policy statements were highlighted during the meeting. A copy of the School Boards legislative agenda for 2017 can be found at esb.k12albemarle.org under Tuesdays meeting.

Shea said that the conversations and communications between the School Board and state legislators dont end with Tuesdays meeting.

During the General Assemblys upcoming regular session in Richmond, which begins in early January, Shea said he will report to the School Board and county schools staff members to keep them up to date on legislation and subcommittees.
A controversy over several tweets Charlottesville City Councilor Wes Bellamy wrote from 2009 to 2014 has led him to resign from his seat on the Virginia Board of Education.

Today, I informed Gov. [Terry] McAuliffe that I have decided to resign from my appointment to the Virginia State Board of Education, Bellamy said in a statement Wednesday. I would like to redirect my attention and focus to my family, the children and young people whom I serve, and to the city of Charlottesville.

Earlier on Wednesday, Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, had called on Bellamy to resign immediately from his position on the education board that McAuliffe appointed him to last spring. Landes is the chairman of the education committee in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Mr. Bellamys racist, sexist and outrageous tweets are repugnant. It is especially disturbing to see these comments come from an individual who serves on Virginias Board of Education, Landes said. The type of language used by Mr. Bellamy is unacceptable, and certainly disqualifies him from serving on the Board of Education.

Our children and the Board of Education deserve better than this.

After author and blogger Jason Kessler last week unearthed a number of tweets showing Bellamy disparaging white men and women, other tweets by Bellamy showing him taking a flippant attitude toward women school teachers and administrators, as well as a graphic description of sexual assault, were shared by various news sources, social media accounts and blogs.

On Tuesday, the Albemarle County School Board announced that Bellamy had agreed to go on administrative leave pending the outcome of a School Board investigation of the posts that were attributed to his Twitter account.

A county school system spokesman said Wednesday that Bellamy is being paid during the leave.

This is consistent with the school divisions practice whenever an employee is the subject of an ongoing investigation, Phil Giaramita said. Due process is the key here  only when an investigation has been completed and all facts are known and confirmed is a final decision made by the School Board about an individual employees status.

Bellamy moved to the Charlottesville area in 2009 to work at the National Ground Intelligence Center. According to his LinkedIn account, he started working for the Albemarle school system in August 2010.

After becoming involved in community activism and establishing a youth mentoring program known as Helping Young People Evolve in 2011, he entered city politics shortly after.

In 2013, he narrowly missed being nominated as a Democratic candidate for the City Council, losing to first-term Councilor Bob Fenwick by just five votes  Fenwick was second to Councilor Kristin Szakos in that election.

Bellamy made a second run for the council last year. He was the top vote-getter in the 2015 election, coming in ahead of incumbent Kathy Galvin and newcomer Mike Signer.

With the exception of Signer, Charlottesvilles mayor, the other three councilors have made statements signaling their desire to forgive Bellamy for his past indiscretions on social media.

Kessler, the blogger who revealed the tweets last week in an apparent attempt to undermine Bellamy because of his Afrocentric and anti-white ideologies, is circulating a petition on StandUnited.org to have Bellamy removed from the council.

Earlier in the week, the petition had been listed under Michelle Jones but was later changed.

Over the phone Wednesday, Kessler said there had been some people questioning the validity of his petition and whether the growing number of signatures was legitimate. He said he was shy about putting his name out there, but later chose to attach his real name to the petition so that he could promote it more publicly.

Angela Morabito, senior campaign organizer for StandUnited, said in an email that Kessler initially had decided to use a different identity on the website.

 I am verifying that Jason Kessler is a real site user and that his petition, and the signatures it has garnered, are legitimate, she said.

As of Wednesday night, the petition had acquired more than 500 signatures.

On Wednesday, Showing Up For Racial Justice Charlottesville, an affiliate of a national organization of white people for racial justice, issued a statement indirectly alleging that Kessler has been using a well-documented and formulaic media strategy of the so-called alt-right, an offshoot of conservatism that mixes white nationalism and populism.

In February, Kessler wrote in a blog post that there will come a time when white people understand that they also need to stick together as a political force.

Were going to be a minority soon and were already treated like one. Dont think we arent going to be oppressed more and more if we cant stand up for ourselves, he wrote. Cultures, tribes and civilizations are meant to clash just as we always have in the past, just like it is with nearly every other beast in the animal kingdom.

The statement from Showing Up For Racial Justice does not name Kessler but alludes to the recent revelation of Bellamys old tweets as an example of a witch hunt to delegitimize black public officials.

In an environment of enduring, and now emboldened and explicit, white supremacy, it is more important than ever to be decisive and bold in our solidarity, the statement says. We will not stand for these acts of targeted racism in the Charlottesville community.

Signer also alluded to Kessler, though indirectly, in a statement Wednesday.

In a time when we so urgently need unity, tolerance and love, these communications, as well as the toxic website that revealed them, have done real harm to our community, Signer said.

I believe Mr. Bellamy must seriously consider how and whether, in his present role, he can best serve the common good of Charlottesville, he said.
With green lights flashing, a fleet of unmanned aerial systems  better known as drones  sat at the ready Tuesday morning as Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam learned about new training for emergency services personnel at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Since May, the community college has offered a variety of programs to teach people how to operate the technology, as well as the regulations surrounding their use. One part of the program teaches police, firefighters and other emergency services personnel how to utilize the technology for public safety.

The program came to life from two separate directions: when Darren Goodbar, director of aerial services at Draper Aden Associates, approached PVCC from a commercial standpoint and when Charles Werner, retired Charlottesville fire chief, approached the school from a public safety standpoint.

We put our heads together to develop the first UAS operator course in the commonwealth, Werner said.

The first class was taught at King Family Vineyards after the vineyards founder, David King, donated a drone to the Albemarle County Sheriffs Office. King, also a reserve sheriffs deputy, wanted to give the department a new search-and-rescue tool and helped bring the new program to PVCC.

Since then, the program (with Goodbar leading the instruction) has reached about 15 to 20 separate agencies across the state. Werner also is working with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to spread the program throughout the state and to utilize the technology in emergency situations.

The program is making great progress, and it continues to evolve, said Werner. The course has proven fantastic to where were probably impacting over 20 departments in the commonwealth.

Werner also stressed their cognizance of civil liberty concerns and said the program and participants will not do anything to infringe the privacy of the public. The drones will only be used in a search-and-rescue or public-safety capacity.

On Tuesday morning, Northam visited PVCC to learn more about the class from a public safety standpoint and how the program has benefited from the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program, which helps pay the $1,500 class tuition for participants. Sixteen people have since completed the course, seven of whom are now certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly the drones in a professional setting.

After completing the class, participants take the FAA Remote Pilot Airman Certification Part 107 test and are vetted by the Transportation Security Administration to receive the Remote Pilot Airman Certification, which is required to legally operate a drone for non-hobby activities, according to Goodbar.

In his demonstration, Goodbar showed Northam different styles of drones that can be utilized for different purposes, including a small, relatively inexpensive model that can help rescue personnel quickly search wide areas. Another, larger model, complete with a parachute, can be flown for longer distances and can even follow a pre-programmed flight path.

That one is from the United Kingdom  the first product from Brexit, Goodbar said, chuckling. In the case of power failure, it can glide, but we can also discharge the parachute for safety reasons. We actually submitted an authorization from the FAA to be able to fly this over people, which is not available for any operator, unless you get that waiver.

The drones can carry a variety of cameras that can be used for photography, search-and-rescue, agriculture, construction and aerial mapping.

Robert Koester, CEO of dbS Productions LLC, is currently part of a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to develop search-and-rescue software. In conjunction with a grant from the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, Koester is working with PVCCs program to do experiments with their aeronautical resources.

Koesters software will be used to tell a UAS where to fly in order to have the best chance of locating a subject during a mission. Koester also looks at the type of technology on the specific drone (optical camera, forward-looking infrared, etc.) to factor in the best place to start a search.

In the forest, it may have a [visibility] sweep with value of 30 [square] meters, but in the open field, it may have a sweep with value of 80 meters, Koester said. That all depends on the camera, view angles and how well you can actually detect thing, so that is why there has to be a whole bunch of experiments.

Once you have these numbers, you can say, Its true theres a better chance theyre in the woods, but there are leaves on the trees and we can only see through the little holes, so its going to be a better use of the resource to actually be checking the field first, he said.

Once the area has been searched and ruled out, rescuers can move on to the more difficult to search area, thus utilizing the drone at a more specific rate, he said.

Its going to be a very important and powerful tool in the toolbox, and anything that can lead to finding a subject faster is obviously good for everybody, Koester said.

Following the demonstration, Northam said he was impressed with the drone program and said the Virginia economy will start to grow as more people get into science, technology, engineering and math-related jobs. He said its important to make an investment in workforce training, particularly in new technologies like drones.

We are in charge of allocating the taxpayers money across the commonwealth, Northam said. We want to make sure its been spent responsibly and that there are results from it, so we like traveling around the commonwealth and coming to community colleges like this one and seeing whats going on.

Northam also spoke about his desire to begin manufacturing drones in Virginia and bring those types of jobs back home.

There are so many things we can use unmanned aerial systems for, and its the future, Northam said. Thats what were going to continue to work on: educating our workforce, manufacturing these in Virginia, and thats what will keep Virginias economy moving forward.

As far as public safety, its a tool in our toolbox, he said. When were on the ground, we cant see but so much, but when youre in the air, it just opens things up for us. Its a great new opportunity that we have.
Wes Bellamy, the Charlottesville city councilor and vice mayor under fire for comments that have been deemed by some as racist and deplorable, has been placed on administrative leave from his teaching position at Albemarle High School.

In addition to serving on the City Council, he is an appointed member of the Virginia Board of Education and a computer science teacher.

On Tuesday, Kate Acuff, chairwoman of the Albemarle County School Board, announced that Bellamy, 30, had agreed to go on administrative leave pending an investigation by the school division into a variety of tweets from 2009 to 2014 that have called into question whether Bellamy is fit to teach children or serve in public office.

We appreciate the concerns of those who have contacted our school division regarding social media postings that have been attributed to Mr. Wes Bellamy, a teacher at Albemarle High School, a statement from Acuff said. Many of these postings contain extremely vulgar and offensive language that directly contradicts the values of our school division. The School Board rejects these statements in their entirety.

Bellamy apologized Sunday for the dozens of tweets that were uncovered and shared online widely last week by a local author and blogger, Jason Kessler.

Despite the apology, Bellamy has been unable to escape the controversy as more racist, misogynistic and sexually predatory messages have been revealed by Kessler and The Cavalier Daily, a University of Virginia student publication.

While the initial batch of tweets seemingly revealed a strain of anti-white sentiment, other tweets showed Bellamy responding to and confirming other tweets that included homophobic slurs and misogynistic rhetoric  one message seemed to show Bellamy condoning sexual assault.

After generating controversy earlier this year when he called for the city to remove its Confederate monuments, numerous people have cast Bellamy as racist for allegedly promoting a mostly race-focused political agenda that disparages white people. While those characterizing Bellamy as such have highlighted the tweets as evidence of an anti-white attitude, others are now saying those select tweets demonstrate an inability to be a public leader.

Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said it is unbecoming of the Board of Education to have a member who has publicized such thoughts.

Conservatives get accused every day of being racist and sexist and homophobic without any proof of that, Gilbert said.But heres a guy who regularly expressed all of those sentiments in his Twitter feed. And I just think that some better vetting could have revealed just what a vulgar individual this is.

I think the governor could find somebody who has never expressed these views about violence and violating women, Gilbert said.

Early Tuesday evening, Brian Coy, a spokesman for Gov. Terry McAuliffe, said the governor is horrified by the reported tweets, adding that he has reached out to Bellamy. Coy said the governor was still waiting to hear back.

Bellamy did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Bellamy, who McAuliffe appointed to the Board of Education last spring, could soon lose his position on the board if the General Assembly chooses to rescind the appointment. When the General Assembly reconvenes in January, state legislators will have an opportunity to consider all of the governors appointments from the prior year, Coy said.

As for his seat on the Charlottesville City Council, there is a petition addressed to the City Council on StandUnited.org. As of Tuesday evening, it had more than 150 electronic signatures.

We will not accept a racist who looks down on little white men, who agrees it aint rape if she moans [and] who hates blacks who talk white, a petition statement referencing some of Bellamys tweets says. He is an unfit representative for our city and the values we uphold. He must step down or be removed immediately.

Unless a Charlottesville Circuit Court judge receives a petition signed exclusively by Charlottesville voters, however, Bellamys position on the City Council may remain intact.

Mr. Bellamy was elected by the citizens of Charlottesville, and its the citizens who should weigh in now, Mayor Mike Signer said.

In a text message, Signer said he was deeply troubled by the tweets. No matter when they were written, they are never okay, he said.

"I can only say I will continue to work with all members of the council to bring tolerance and compassion to our community both inside and outside our chambers, Signer said.

Providing their own statements, the other members of the council rallied around Bellamy and made clear their wishes to continue working with him.

Those past tweets were troubling, but they do not match my experience of the man today, Councilor Kathy Galvin said. We respect each other and work hard for the good of the city. Thats what matters now.

Those of us who have known Mr. Bellamy since he moved to Charlottesville have seen him grow up before our eyes to be a remarkable young man, Councilor Kristin Szakos said. Charlottesville is a city of second chances, and if anyone deserves one, it is Wes Bellamy. He does a lot of good for this community, and I support him wholeheartedly.

Words dont bother me, said Councilor Bob Fenwick, adding that he thinks its a shame that people who seem to want to find fault with someone have to keep digging until they find something.  I think thats an issue we have to deal with nationally, as well as locally.

If for one minute I thought Wes was going to walk out the door, Id block it. Thats what I think of him, Fenwick said. Hes a smart, energetic young man, and Im glad Im working with him on the council.
This story has been edited from its original version.

More than 50 percent of the working population in Culpeper commutes out for work, primarily to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., getting there using car and van pools and their own vehicles.

But what about the rest of the local population that works locally  what are their options for getting work in the mostly rural Piedmont area of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties if they don't have their own vehicle?

That was the topic of discussion at a recent transportation public forum hosted by the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Regional Commission with the consensus being that while local public transportation is available, it is limited, even as local advocates search for means to expand the scope and pinpoint the priorities.

About a dozen attended the public forum at the Culpeper County Library, providing vital information about existing public, private and volunteer transportation options.

Unmet needs were also discussed in preparation for the next round of applications for state funding providing support for various services already in place, including various public transit buses and a One-Call Center for learning about transportation services.

The regional commission contracted with the local community services board to operate the One-Call Center that accepts inquiries from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at 540/829-5300.

Mobility program coordinator Jenny Biche said the call center was developed based on a survey that revealed a need for "one place to go" to find transportation resources.

"Because it's always changing," she said. "Taxi cabs come and go, public transportation is funded and then not and so the hours change."

The hotline provides free information and referrals to folks in the five counties in need of a ride, though again the options are limited.

"Unfortunately, we live in such a rural area that most of it is volunteer transportation," Biche said.

Those in need of a ride should give as much notice as possible when calling because same-day appointments are really difficult to meet, she said, noting that transportation provided by volunteers is usually reserved for medical appointments only and for the elderly and disabled. Occasionally, Biche added, volunteers can provide one-time rides for a job interview or, in a pinch, to work.

"We can't do it regularly, but can fill in the gaps as needed," she said.

Also offered through the call center is "travel training" for those unaccustomed to using public transit.

"We can ride with them until they are comfortable navigating that on their own," said Biche.

Rides can also be arranged through the call center to points beyond Culpeper, in coordination with some 21 mobility program coordinators working statewide.

The local regional commission also oversees the Foothills Express, a handicapped accessible vehicle that picks up at fixed locations in Culpeper (in front of the emergency room at the hospital) and Madison (Food Lion and McDonald's) and makes three round-trips daily to anywhere in Charlottesville.

"Anybody can ride for any reason," Biche said.

The ride costs $3 one way or $5 round-trip with vouchers available for those who cannot afford the fare.

The Foothills Express does not stop in Rappahannock County, Biche said, noting, "We don't have anything that goes north," of Culpeper.

In the past, volunteers have been used to transport people to the fixed bus stops so they can then get to Charlottesville.

What about community services board clients who live in Orange and need to get to appointments at the Culpeper headquarters? A shuttle is available every Thursday at noon to meet that need, picking up at the former behavioral health clinic, according to Doug George with the agency.

A new transportation service for anyone is also available connecting Orange and Culpeper that makes six round-trips daily for 50 cents one way, Biche said, noting that Virginia Regional Transit provides all of the regional commission's transportation options.

Brandi Day, a consultant working with the commission, wondered about public transit options for people who work nontraditional hours, such as retail workers or servers.

"These are our lower income workers who are working later," she said, pointing out the lack of local public transit on weekends and the need to address the issue.

A bit of good news is that the Culpeper Trolley recently expanded its hours and now runs 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays with a north and south bus each repeating its pick-up schedule every 40 minutes at various stops around town whereas it used to only operate until 5 p.m.

A circulating survey asking respondents to rate items of most importance  extra public transit hours, a new service connecting Culpeper, Fauquier and Rappahannock or gas cards to help with fuel expenses, among others  is showing that everything is a need, Day said.

"What we are specifically thinking about is what is going to help people get to work," she said.

Consultant Heather Gilman agreed, saying lack of transportation is often a barrier to work for many of her clients.

"They are perfectly capable of working and very motivated to work. We just physically can't get them there," she said.

One approach is individual car pools advertised on bulletin boards at places of business, and possibly employer-provided transportation, which some local industries are reportedly already offering, Gilman said.

Uber doesn't exist in any real measure in the rural Piedmont, according to Biche, but the regional commission is investigating a rural Uber model being developed in the midwest called Liberty.

"You front $250,000 for three years while the business gets up and running and then it becomes self-sufficient," she said, adding, "There's no grant that would fund something like that."

Existing commuter services in this region to the D.C. Metro area include a commuter bus that departs daily from Culpeper at 5 a.m., stopping in Warrenton at 5:30 a.m. en route to the Rosslyn Metro station in Arlington, according to Sue Hromyak with the Commuter Services division of the regional commission. It costs $290/month, she said, noting that federal government employees receive transportation subsidies.

"When gas prices are really high, everybody wants to know 'what are my options' or you have a couple of really bad days of commuting then we get a flurry of calls of, 'I can't do this anymore,'" Hromyak said.

She said they have attempted to contact local employers about establishing van pools to local businesses, but have garnered very little interest.

Marilyn Dunphy, a Culpeper hospital liaison for local Hispanics, brought up the issue of transportation needs for the undocumented immigrant community not able to get driver's licenses.

"So they are driving illegally, then they get caught and have to stop driving and can't get to work then you get big problems," she said. "Of course I think they should be able to get a license because I'd like to see them get some information before they get in the car and drive. But they are out there and they are driving and they need to not be driving most of the times, and their hours are all over the place."

That's where Uber would provide a valuable service in this area, Dunphy said.

Priorities identified at the recent transportation meeting included the provision of reliable public transit to rural areas and in towns for getting to and from work at all times.

"Our goal is to come up with one idea," said Day of including it in the state grant application due in February. "Something small to get increased opportunities for people getting to work."
WASSILA - USA - Sarah Palin demonstrated her Thanksgiving spirit by having a man demonstrate the making of an Alaskan milkshake recipe while she was being interviewed.

Sarah Palin, the Republican senator who won it for the Dems in the election, demonstrated her prowess of keeping interviewers at ease during a Turkey milkshake blending session.

It is an Alaskan tradition, especially in the Palin household to have turkey milkshakes for thanksgiving with the roast moose.

Reporters who could see the bloody work of an employee at Triple D Farm Hatchery in the background, asked the aspiring president what made the day so important to her and asked how the turkey milkshakes are prepared.

Yes, we use a big blender and put the whole turkey right in there, add a bit of malt, some milk and a squirt of ol Uncle Farleys moonshine and youre there. It tastes divine and im honoured to be here this year during the annual turkey blend, Palin told the interviewer for local Alaskan tv network KTUU from Anchorage.

Alaskan turkey shakes are considered a great delicacy, however moose shakes are in even higher demand in some parts of Alaska, so much so that there are queues round the block when some diners announce them on the menu.

Turkey shakes are very nutritious and the right food for this kind of environment. I mean its goddamn freezing up here so we need all the nutrients we can get. Nothin gets wasted here, we put the whole animal head first in the blender, hmm hmm good eats, Earl Pervis, a worker at the turkey farm told the reporters.

The turkeys are all blended in industrial sized blenders which blend to such a high level that the milkshakes that are produced do not have any offending chunks or bits left.
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Moody's said it does not expect any change in the operating and long-term strategy of the Tata companies.

New Delhi: Moody's Investors Service today said it will be business as usual for listed Tata companies despite the boardroom brawl but cautioned that any change in the group's strategy and Tata Sons' support policy for operating companies could exert pressure on their ratings.

The ratings of four Tata Group operating companies continue to benefit from an uplift from the group's main holding company, Tata Sons, despite the group's ongoing board reshuffle, it said.

"We expect that Tata Sons can continue to extend support to its key operating companies, should the need arise, owing to its substantial cash holdings and the significant value of its listed equity investments, and despite an ongoing boardroom reshuffle," says Kaustubh Chaubal, Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst.

Consequently, the ratings of the group's four operating companies - Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Tata Steel and Tata Power - will continue to include a one notch uplift, based on Moody's assessment of support for the companies from Tata Sons, in times of need.

As for Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Group's flagship subsidiary, the company's rating reflects its intrinsic credit strength.

"In Moody's view, it is business as usual at the rated Tata companies, which are listed entities, in spite of the leadership change," it said.

Moody's said it does not expect any change in the operating and long-term strategy of the Tata companies.

"Nonetheless, any change in group strategy or in the strategy of the operating companies which in our view increases their risk appetite could exert pressure on the Tata companies' ratings," adds Chaubal.

Also a change in Tata Sons' support policy for its group companies could also affect the Tata Group operating companies' ratings.
New Delhi: The Commerce Ministry wants there should be "fair valuation" of rupee keeping in view the global environment as it has a bearing on exports, Parliament was informed on November 30.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that there are many factors that influence exports including demand intensity, market share, price elasticity, valuation of other currencies.

"Department of Commerce had suggested a fair valuation of rupee keeping in view of the global market situation. The government and the RBI are closely monitoring the situation including exchange rate of rupee in nominal and real terms and macroeconomic policies," she said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

She was replying to a question as to what extent strengthening of rupee will impact exports and whether the ministry has asked to devalue rupee to boost exports and reasons behind RBI's refusal to do so.

During the April-October period of current fiscal, exports dipped by 0.17 per cent to USD 154.91 billion. Replying to a separate question, she said it is "true" that India's pharmaceutical exports to Japan are not significant.

It was only USD 143.83 million in 2015-16. She said Japan is a "highly regulated market and product registrations in Japan are time consuming and tedious".

Keeping in view of getting access to Japanese market, the minister said top regulators from India have been visiting there and putting all out efforts to promote generics in that market. Replying to a separate question, Sitharaman said that India has been taking up the visa issue consistently with the UK.

India has urged the UK to address concerns of the domestic industry in the interest of bilateral trade in services between the two countries. Changes in visa regime in the UK "are expected to adversely impact the ease of entry and competitiveness of Indian IT companies in the UK thereby negatively impacting bilateral trade relations," she added.
IT minister K.T. Rama Rao unveils a statue to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of Hysea in the city on Wednes-day as (from left) Cyient chairman B.V.R. Mohan Reddy and IT secretary Jayesh Rajan and HYSEA president Ranga Pothula look on. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: IT minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday outlined his governments priorities to put tier-2 cities in the state on the IT Map in addition to Hyderabad.

He said his department has brought out the Rural Technology Policy was this purpose and it is already paying dividends. Results are being seen in Warangal, Nizamabad, Huzurabad, Jangaon and other places already. And we want more entrepreneurs from districts to make their mark in the IT world, said the minister.

Mr Rama Rao was speaking at an event organised by HYSEA (Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association) to celebrate its silver jubilee year. He was the chief guest.

The minister hoped that HYSEA will also do its bit in taking the IT industry to smaller towns and wished that it will not be too long when Telangana Software Enterprises Association will come up along lines of HYSEA.

The IT minister pointed out that Hyderabad made giant strides in the Information Technology sector in the last 25 years and the growth story was delightful when compared to cities like Lucknow, as was mentioned by IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan.

The big challenge before us today is to make the 80 crore million non-English speakers in the country digital literate so that they could they could connect with latest digital technologies with cashless transactions set to become order of the day. Associations like HYSEA can play a proactive role in assisting governments in this regard, Mr Rama Rao said.

HYSEA felicitated 93-year old F.C. Kohli, who founded Tata Consultancy Services and is considered as the Father of Indian IT industry. In his speech, Mr Kohli called upon the software industry to take up social responsibility initiatives like making adult illiterates and non-English speaking population computer literate.
The matter being of utmost importance for the effective governance of the bank boards and to meet the requirement of Banking Regulation Act had been included in our strike calls dated December 11 and in subsequent strike calls.

New Delhi: All India Bank officers' Confederation (AIBOC) has requested the government to appoint Officer Nominee Directors on the boards of various public sector banks urgently so that the board can discharge its duties efficiently.

"The matter being of utmost importance for the effective governance of the bank boards and to meet the requirement of Banking Regulation Act had been included in our strike calls dated December 11 and in subsequent strike calls," AIBOC General Secretary Harvinder Singh said.

If more than a month is taken in getting the status of the issue, then that is not expected from the government, he said in a statement.

Expressing surprise on the inordinate delay in appointment, he said that instead of resolving the issue, which is related to governance of the banks, only status is being updated.

He wondered if the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) could take over a year for obtaining the approval of Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
Mumbai: Is this what she is getting after so many years of loyalty? asked a heartbroken Kesar Begum, mother of 50-year-old Farzana Sheikh. Sheikh, who has been an Aamir Khan loyalist for 18 long years, is now a frequent visitor to Khar police station.

Police bring in Farzana every day for questioning and grill her for hours. It is Aamir's silence on the alleged harassment that has hurt her family. Not just Farzana, but her mother, brother and even son have worked for the 'Dangal' star.

According to a report in mid-day, Farzana is one of the prime suspects in the missing jewellery case. The dedicated cook, who didn't go home for festivals and accompanied Aamir to local and international shoots, is allegedly paying the price of staying faithful to the superstar.

As part of the investigation, police one day showed up at Farzanas residence and turned her house upside down. They even searched the containers in which we keep daal but found nothing. I am scared because I dont want the police to manhandle or hurt my daughter. I have faith in Farzana, she would never do something like this, Kesar, who had also worked for the Khans for many years, told mid-day.

According to the family, Aamirs cheat meals consisted of kebabs made by Farzana who had been a regular at his place since she was eight. It is she who knows what the superstar likes to eat and what he must eat to keep that fit body to himself.

Be it for Dhoom 3 international schedule or to-be released Dangal Punjab schedule, Sheikh was her employers shadow everywhere.

Is this what she gets for being loyal for so many years? Hamein Aamir se yeh ummeed nahin thi (we did not expect this from Aamir), said Sheikhs sister to mid-day.

Police are also looking at Kirans assistant Suzanna and domestic help Jhumki as suspects.

On November 24, an 80 page FIR was lodged at Khar police station stating that Kirans diamond jewellery worth 80 lacs (approx.) had gone missing from the couples Bandra residence. As per the complaint, Kiran had last worn her diamond necklace and ring on October 24 and kept it in her cupboard. She had planned to wear them on November 23 again.
Mumbai: Seems like time has really healed Rakesh Roshans ladla beta Hrithiks wounds. After a couple of unsuccessful films, things have finally started to fall into place for Roshan Jr. And we are not talking about his career here.

A little birdie tells us that Hrithik has gone for a well-planned holiday with a special someone he doesnt want anyone to know about. In fact, he is so desperate to keep the identity of that person under wraps that he, unlike other international or even domestic outings, has left behind his entire team in India.

Hrithik normally goes out of India with his staff but recently, (on November 28), he went alonethat too for spending quality time with someone. Hrithik has planned something like this after a really long time. He does not want anyone to find out the destination or even the person he has gone out with, revealed the source.

We are curious to find out more!
Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma unveiled the first look of their untitled film on Tuesday with Salman Khan saying that he had decided the release date of the film, scheduled to release on August 11, 2017.

Considering the fact that the date falls on Friday, it would be considered as an Independence Day release.

However, the release date did raise a few eyebrows. Few months ago, Akshay Kumar had announced the release date of his film Crack, directed by Neeraj Pandey, for Independence Day 2017.

Akshay delivered a successful film with Rustom this Independence Day and along with Crack for Independence Day 2017, has also announced his Reeema Kagti directorial Gold for Independence Day 2018 and the actor seems to have developed a fondness for the particular occasion.

Several of Shah Rukhs films have made headlines for its clashes with other films. Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani in 2015 was one of the biggest clashes in recent times and his film Raees was earlier scheduled to clash with Sultan on Eid 2016 but was later pushed to Republic Day 2017. However, even on that day, it is now scheduled to clash with Hrithik Roshans Kaabil.

Lets see if we get to see another clash or if the makers reschedule their release dates.
On the day of Saithans release  the biggest opening in his decade long career  composer-producer-actor Vijay Antony remains calm and composed. Directed by debutant Pradeep Krishnamoorthy, this film is a psychological thriller in which he is paired opposite newcomer Arundhati Nair.

Vijay Antony plays Dinesh, a software developer, while Arundhati Nair plays his wife. Speaking to DC, he says, I listened to the script from the perspective of an audience and I was confident that this project would be interesting. I appear in different get-ups in the film and it wasnt physically taxing. Donning multiple looks is a first for me and the third look is a surprise for the audience.

When asked why he always prefers working with debutant directors, the Pichaikkaran actor explains, I feel comfortable working with them and more importantly , they come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Also, I have an eye for picking the right talent for my projects. I wish to showcase more such talents in the future.

At the audio launch of the movie, eight minutes of footage was released as a promotional strategy  Honestly speaking, I wasnt satisfied with the one-and-a-half-minute trailer cut. It was giving out so much information than the eight-minute clip did. So, I decided to release the long footage to hold the suspense and to arouse curiosity.

The titles, Saithan and Yemen (his next flick) have negative connotations to them and are considered bad omens in the industry. I dont believe in these superstitions. Simply put, these titles have a nice ring to them and are great recall value. Apart from that, they were available easily, he shares.

Vijay Antony has now completed Yemen and is busy with the post-production.
Despite treatment advances that have slashed AIDS deaths, around 1.9 million people still catch HIV each year (Photo: AFP)

London: Scientists are taking the battle to prevent HIV to the next level with large-scale trials set to start using injections to protect vulnerable groups such as gay men and women in Africa for at least two months.

Further down the road, the hope is to produce matchstick-sized implants containing slow-release drugs - similar to existing under-the-skin contraceptive devices - that could offer year-long protection. Companies with drugs involved include GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences and Merck.

The initiatives build on the success of Gilead's once-daily pill Truvada, which has proved remarkably effective at stopping HIV infection during sex.

Clinical studies show such pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can cut the risk of catching the virus by more than 90 percent, as long as people take their pills regularly. The problem is many do not. Some women in trials in Africa, for example, said they were reluctant to have HIV tablets in the house for fear of what partners or neighbors would think.

An injection given in a clinic, experts argue, would add privacy and ensure steady drug levels. An implant in the arm might even combine contraception and HIV protection in one go.

"The more options there are the better and I think for some individuals injections will be great," said Jean-Michel Molina, professor of infectious diseases at Hospital Saint-Louis in Paris. "Now that we know antiretrovirals have great potential to prevent HIV infections, it is time to really assess other ways to deliver these drugs."

The need remains acute. Despite treatment advances that have slashed AIDS deaths, around 1.9 million people still catch HIV each year - a number that hasn't budged since 2010. New infections among gay men are actually increasing.

The United Nations AIDS program warned last week that the problem now threatened progress in ending the global epidemic, while the World Health Organization has recommended PrEP for all groups at substantial risk of HIV infection.

Still No Vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline's majority-owned ViiV Healthcare unit, working with U.S. government agencies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, hopes to add the first injectable PrEP.

It plans to start a four-year trial as soon as next month testing its experimental drug cabotegravir in gay men in the Americas and Thailand, with a second trial next year assessing the medicine in African women. Two separate studies evaluating cabotegravir in combination with another drug for HIV treatment were launched this month.

"The holy grail is a vaccine, but we don't have a vaccine yet," said Myron Cohen of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who is involved in the ViiV prevention study program and believes new options can help rein in HIV. He is also working on another prevention trial giving people antibodies via an intravenous drip.

Gilead, meanwhile, is running a late-stage study assessing its next-generation HIV drug Descovy as an alternative oral PrEP, since it has milder side effects than Truvada.

In the long run, Cohen and other HIV experts are especially excited by slow-release drug implants. Implants have yet to prove themselves in human trials, although an experiment in beagles last year with a Gilead drug produced promising results. Products from GSK and Merck are also seen as implant options.

The size of the HIV prevention market remains uncertain and price will be an issue, especially in Africa, but some industry analysts believe it could be substantial.

Truvada, the only medicine so far approved for HIV prevention, is now being used for PrEP by 80,000-90,000 people in the United States, accounting for 35-45 percent of the drug's revenue in the third quarter.

It is starting to gain traction, too, in Europe, with France offering free supplies, while in Britain and other markets, where it is not paid for by the government, people are turning to online "buyers clubs" to get cut-price generics.

There is resistance, however. A French government campaign this month promoting HIV awareness, including PrEP, was attacked by several French mayors.

Some have also criticized PrEP for diluting the "safe sex" message of condom use, especially as it will not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

But Sheena McCormack of University College London argues this misses the point. "Sometimes people can't see the wood for the trees. The STI that lasts a lifetime and costs governments a lot of money is HIV."
New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough, the World Health Organisation (WHO) promoted the use of self testing, empowering people to know their HIV status in privacy and get treatment.

Ahead of International AIDS conference on December 1, the WHO released new guidelines on HIV self-testing.

Millions of people with HIV are still missing out on life-saving treatment, which can also prevent HIV transmission to others, said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in a news release.

Adding that HIV self-testing should open the door for many more people to know their HIV status and find out how to get treatment and access prevention services".

According to a WHO lack of an HIV diagnosis is a major obstacle to implementing the Organizations recommendation that everyone with HIV should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART).

The report says more than 18 million people with HIV are currently on ART, but an equal number of people are still unable to access treatment, with many being unaware of their HIV positive status. "Today, 40 per cent of all people with HIV (over 14 million) remain unaware of their status," it further added.

As per the international experts, the new guidelines are likely to help countries scale up implementation of HIV self-testing and assisted HIV partner notification services.

HIV self-testing involves the use of oral Fluid or finger pricks to determine an individuals personal HIV status in a private setting.

Importantly, the WHO found evidence that self-testing more than doubles testing uptake among men who have sex with men and male partners of women who are pregnant or postpartum.

Twenty-three countries currently have national regulations that support HIV self-testing, and many others are in the process of developing policies.
Thiruvananthapuram: India is going to be one of the first countries to be affected by climate change, according to Iain Stewart, a Scottish geologist. Known for presenting several BBC series on earth science, he works as Professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth  possibly the only professor in the world with that title. India is one of the frontlines of climate change. The UK might see wetter winters, drier summers, one or two more storms. But the average people might not notice. In India, and sub-Saharan Africa, there will be massive changes in rainfall. That is why climate change is so contentious and political, he says.

While talking about dramatic changes in monsoon, diseases caused by rise in temperature, crop failure and severe water scarcity, he also warns against fatalism. Scientists can scare, but it doesnt help. People go into panic and will not be able to prepare rationally, he says. Iain Stewart was in Thiruvananthapuram to conduct a science communication workshop for participants of the British Councils FameLab Science Communication Competition.

He had come to Kerala earlier too, to compare the Karimeen of Kerala with a kind of fish in Madagascar. It was to prove that India and Madagascar were once together. The geology of India fits with that of Africa. The fish is just an obvious surface example, he says. While he is not a climate change skeptic, he says that a good scientist is always a skeptic.

Scientists are used to thinking possibility and statistics. But the public, not so. Most scientists have learnt to say yes (regarding climate change), as people want binary, yes or no, to make a decision. He hopes that climate change will push the world to make better choices, like renewable energy sources. One should not get too depressed, he says.
He has a crater on the moon named after him (Photo: PTI)

Google has made a tradition of paying homage to prominent personalities or celebrating memorable events through dedicating a doodle, and today it came out with a tribute for noted Indian scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose on the occasion of his 158th birthday.

Born on 30th November 1858, in Mymensingh in present day Bangladesh, Bose was a multi-talented legend and contributed to varying fields including physics, biology and archaeology, while he was a pioneer in the field of telecommunications, globally.

But his most noted invention was the crescograph which measures growth in plants and effect of environment on vegetation, leading scientists to understand more effective cultivation of crops. The doodle shows him in a lab with the instrument placed by his side.

Bose studied physics at Calcutta University, following which he attended Cambridge University, where he got his BSc degree. He also faced racism because he was denied entry to laboratories because of his race.

He was named father of radio science by Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, for his contribution to microwave and radio sciences, and is also called the father of Bengali science fiction, since he was the first to write it.

Jagdish Chandra Bose also has a crater named after him on the far side of the moon called Bose Crater, which is located close to Crater Bhabha with a diameter of 91 km.
His family alleged that the cops took a bribe of Rs 65,000 in two instalments from Khaja (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: A 30-year-old trader committed suicide allegedly after he was harassed by the police over a theft near Charminar. Khaja Hussainullah was grilled by cops regarding a stolen bike he had bought from another person.

His family alleged that the cops took a bribe of Rs 65,000 in two instalments from Khaja, but they continued to harass him and he hanged himself at home. Meanwhile, police said Khaja is an accused in a bike theft case and was questioned as part of the investigation.

Khajas family said one of his acquaintances named Hameed, who is now in Dubai, had given a Hero Passion Plus bike to him before he left India. The police questioned Khaja, who then told them about Hameed. Police contacted Hameed, but he denied it.

The police continued to question him. He tried to get the case closed by agreeing to pay the cops. A middleman struck a deal between Khaja and the investigating SI. He stood in line at various ATMs and paid the SI Rs 65,000. But, even after that the police continued to harass him, said a member of his family.

Khajas relatives said that he had never stolen anything as he is running a shop and has enough money. Meanwhile, sources said that after the death of Khaja, when his brother Akram Ulla Khan gave a petition against the Charminar SI, he was forced to change it.

In an interview with a local TV channel, his brother had explicitly alleged extortion by cops. Senior police officials denied all allegations and said that they had merely questioned Khaja in connection with a theft case.
With the arrest of the two doctors, a total 20 people have been arrested by the CID in the child trafficking racket. (Photo: Rajib Chowdhury/DC)

Kolkata: The CID has arrested two more doctors, alleged to be actively involved in the international child trafficking racket in West Bengal, while three babies were rescued from a bush at Falta in South 24-Parganas district.

Dilip Ghosh, who earlier worked at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and Nityananda Biswas, were arrested by CID sleuths late last night for their alleged involvement in the racket, a senior CID officer said.

Both Ghosh and Biswas, he said, had played crucial roles in the child trafficking racket and had been involved with it for a long time.

Ghosh had contested the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation election on a BJP ticket.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh told reporters, "We have suspended him from all posts till he comes out clean in the probe. What he has done in his professional life is not the lookout of the BJP," he said.

With the arrest of the two doctors, a total 20 people have been arrested by the CID in a span of 10 days since the racket was unearthed at Baduria in North 24 Parganas.

Meanwhile, three babies were rescued from a bush near a canal at Falta in South 24-Parganas district.

"We are looking into whether these babies were part of a trafficking racket and also trying to ascertain the identity of these babies," a senior police officer said.

He said locals, who heard the cry of the babies, informed Falta police station last evening, following which police personnel rushed to the area and rescued them.

"The policemen along with the locals launched a search and found the three babies wrapped in a blanket in a bush on the banks of a canal," he said.

The three babies - two girls and a boy - have been admitted to a government hospital at Diamond Harbour, the officer said.

BJP workers staged demonstration here protesting against child trafficking in the state.

The state government yesterday warned the district child protection officers (DCPOs) of Kolkata, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas districts after the racket was busted in the state last week and asked them to step up surveillance in every state-run home.

State secretariat sources say that the government wants to strengthen rules and procedures for adoption and a directive in this regard is likely to be released soon by the Women, Child and Social Welfare Department to intensify vigil on adoption of children.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the CRDA officials to take care about the quality of works being executed by private agencies from time to time.

Addressing a weekly meeting on the CRDA and other capital-related activities at Velagapudi Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister felt that additional burden will be there on the government in case the private agencies do not perform up to the mark.

The officials have submitted three proposals for Inner Ring Road of 94.5 km length, Outer Ring Road of 150 km and 210 km length Regional Ring Road.

The Chief Minister, who has released Puraseva mobile app on the occasion, said that the roads should be built on the lines of Beijing roads to cater to the future needs of the state.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that 4,73,000 acres of land will be under Outer Ring Road limits and 9 lakh acres of land will be under Regional Ring Road (RRR) limits.

The Inner Ring Road (IRR) will facilitate the smooth journey from capital region to Gannavaram airport via Kachavaram, Vaikunthapuram, Pedaparimi, Tadikonda, China-kakani, Pedavadlapudi, Nutakki, Tadigadapa, Eni-kepadu, Nunna, Gollapudi and Ibrahimpa-tnam.
Hyderabad: A Russian has approached the police requesting help to find his missing son. Police found that the complainant, Alex Ermakov, 31, had married a Hyderabadi woman named Sanam ul Haq, who is now refusing to give custody of their son to her husband.

Alex alleged that his wife tried to extort money from him when he asked for his sons custody. Alex, who came back to India to get his three-year-old son Nestor Ermakovs custody, could not find his wife and her family. He said his wife had been avoiding his calls since five months.

I wanted my sons custody as she had sought divorce. But, now she and her mother have vacated the house we used to live in earlier at Alwal. Since I could not find them, I had to approach the police, Alex said.

He said that he had met Sanam a few months back in Nepal with another person. She had then promised to hand over the kid as soon as she reaches Hyderabad.

Alex said he met Sanam in Goa in 2012. Their son was born in 2013. In 2014 February, they got married in Hyderabad. Later, the couple went to Russia. Since her visa expired she came back to India with the kid. Alwal police said Sanam came back to India after quarrels over money and family matters.
Khammam: Demonetisation of high-value currency is troubling not just the people but even the bankers. With sufficient cash not being supplied by the Reserve Bank of India, the employees in all the banks in the city are facing a tough time answering the questions of the customers.

Some angry customers are even entering into heated arguments with the bankers. The situation is the same in a majority of the banks in Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts. Many banks in the two districts wore a deserted look with a majority of the people desisting from visiting the banks after knowing about the unavailability of cash.

The banks, it is learnt, are being supplied only with 20 per cent of cash actually needed. With the little cash being disbursed, banks are confining only to accept deposits within a couple of hours after opening, everyday.

Irked over the continous trouble they are being put to, some customers are entering into arguments with the staff and giving a vent to their anger.

With the situation not showing any sign of easing, several bankers are getting stressed out and a few , it is known, are even approaching doctors to suggest some medicines to relieve them from the mounting hypertension.

M Sandeep, an officer in a private bank, said: We fear that the first week of December will be a nightmare for us as there will be immense pressure on the banks. We want more cash to meet the requirement of salaried people who come to the banks.

The bankers reportedly approached the district collector, who, in turn, reviewed the availability of cash and asked the RBI to send sufficient cash to the bank branches in 2 districts.

In Khammam, business has also dropped by 30 per cent following the ban on notes. Many people are delaying buying things as they fear running out of valid notes.

Note ban is a poll gimmick: CPI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to implement demonetisation in view of the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, alleged CPI Central Committee secretary K. Narayana.

Speaking at a public meeting at Hanam-konda, as part of the partys annual convention, he said the introduction of Rs 2,000 note will only help in accummulating black money and increase corruption.

CPI national secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy alleged that the BJP is working as an agent of the RSS and the Sangh Parivar. People are suffering due to the immature decision taken by the PM, he added.

Special counters at banks to disburse salaries, pensions

Collector R.V. Karnan on Wednesday instructed the officials concerned to open two special counters at the banks to give salaries in cash to the government employees, pensioners and Singareni employees from December 1.

Reviewing the steps being taken to give salaries to the government employees, Mr Karnan said salaries should be given to the employees from 10.30 am to 8 pm at special counters to be opened at the banks for government employees and drinking water facility will be available at the counters. He instructed the officials to take steps to avoid untoward incidents during employees and pensioners taking their salaries.
New Delhi: Parliament again failed to transact any business as the Opposition parties on Wednesday created uproar demanding obituary references to the soldiers killed in terror attack in Nagrota as well as those who died due to harassment after demonetisation.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government was ready for a discussion on the terror attack along with that on demonetisation issue.

Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the government is ready for a discussion in Parliament on demonetisation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in it.

He said the mood of the country was in favour of the move which is why the calls for strike and protests by the Opposition parties did not succeed.

Talking to the media on the sidelines of an awareness session on digital transactions for officials of his ministries, he said demonetisation is a fact now and there should be discussion on how it can be implemented smoothly.

They (Opposition parties) should come back to Parliament to discuss and debate and give valuable suggestions so that the country can move forward, said Naidu.

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha witnessed a severe exchange between the leader of House and finance minister Arun Jaitley and JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav as they hit out against each other over the demonetisation issue.

Opposition to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

Miffed over the governments tough stance, the leaders of the Opposition parties decided to scale up their protests by meeting President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday over the demonetisation move and the resultant hardship being faced by ordinary people due to it.

The parties will also discuss the hurried passage of the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill without a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Bill, that is basically an amnesty scheme, was passed amid pandemonium.

The decision on meeting the President on Thursday was taken Wednesday evening after another day of complete disorder in Parliament. Trinamul leader Derek OBrien told this newspaper that the march will be joined by all Opposition parties, including JD(U), though JD(U) president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has backed Narendra Modis biggest financial gamble till date.

Sources said the decision to meet President was taken after the government refused to budge on not allowing a discussion on demonetisation under a rule that entails voting.
When the relatives and the neighbours refused to help Meghu, a resident of Tarsuguda village in Odisha burnt his wifes body with five large tyres, dry twigs and leaves.

BHUBANESWAR: A man whose daughter married a boy outside their caste was on Tuesday forced to carry the body of his wife on his shoulders as the neighbours refused to participate in the last rites, according to reports on Wednesday.

Reports from Tarsuguda village under Gudbhela block in Odishas Bolangir district said Meghu Bhois wife Sajana (45) died of illness on Tuesday while undergoing treatment in a local hospital.

When Meghu requested his relatives to help him carry Sajanas body to the burial ground,  his relatives and and neighbours refused to cooperate saying that they had ostracised him after Sajana married outside the caste a couple of years ago. On Tuesday, Meghu had admitted Sajana at the Gudbhela hospital after she complained of stomach disorder.

After medical examination, the doctors prescribed some medicines and asked Meghu to buy them immediately.

Since he had no money with him, Meghu asked his relatives to help him but in vain.

The relatives remained adamant stating that since he was ostracised by the community, they cannot help him. A local medicine store owner finally came to his rescue and gave him the required medicines on credit.

But by the time Meghu reached the hospital with the medicine it was too late. Sajana had breathed her last, minutes before.

As the relatives and neighbours did not agree to be pallbearers, Meghu carried the body on his shoulders and cremated her with five large tyres, dry twigs and leaves.
The airport can be constructed only if it get all the clearances. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The Kothagudem airport is facing hurdles as the proposed airport site falls in the Kinnersani wildlife sanctuary and the Punukuduchelka reserve forest and is unlikely to get clearances as the stringent process involves the Supreme Court, the Central Empowered Committee, the Central Board for Wild Life, the Union forests and environment ministry and the State Wildlife Board.

The sanctuary, which now falls in the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, is a known habitat of leopards, sambars, spotted deer and gaur. It used to have tigers. Though the Union civil aviation ministry in September last week had given site clearance for the Telangana State Indu-strial Infrastructure Cor-poration project, the airport can be constructed only if it get all the clearances.

An environment consultant with Greencindia Consulting Private Limited of Ghaziabad, the project consultant for the TS Industrial Infrastructure Corpo-ration, said, We came to know that the site falls in the sanctuary only a month ago. We have informed the ministry of environment. It is up to the ministry to take a call."

Asked about the chances of getting clearances, the consultant said, Usually no clearances are granted in a wildlife sanctuary. The diversion of any part of a notified protected area may be considered only under the most exceptional circumstances taking full into account all consequences. For the Kothagudem airport project, the chances are bleak. We have informed this to the project proponent TSIIC."

Of the total 63,000 hecta-res of the sanctuary, aro-und 825 acres is proposed for diversion or denotification to build the airport. Kothagudem district forest officer C. Saravanan said, The user agency has to obtain clearances as the airport falls in the sanctuary. Once we receive the proposals we will send our remarks.

He said that the state government can denotify land if it is within five hectares. From 5 to 50 hectares, it has to be cleared by the regional office at Chennai. All projects above 40 hectares have to be cleared by the Union ministry of environment and forests. The Central empowered committee and the Supreme Court have to decide on it as well, Mr Saravanan said.

When asked about the wildlife, he said, Panthers (leopards) are not sighted regularly but show their presence now and then. Small mammals and herbivores and gaur are spotted in the sanctuary,"

The Kothagudem revenue divisional officer in his report on July 22, 2016, had said," The proposed airport at Punu-kudchelaka village of Kothagudem mandal falls under the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary. The area in which the airport is to be set up in Survey No. 13 which consists of 3,387.21 hectares of government land was notified in 1977 and 1999 under the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary under Section 18 of Wild Life Act.

The consutancy agency RITES had surveyed the area initially and gave a feasibility report for setting up a greenfield airport and stated the area required as 825 acres including access roads. Out of the total area, around 30 hectares has been cultivated by tribals for whom RoFR pattas were sanctioned in 2009.

Punukuduchelaka has a population of 671 of the ST-Koya community. The report said that 800 acres of government land had been identified for compensatory afforestation in Gundala, Aswaraopet, Julurupad and Pinapaka mandals.

According to Telangana forest department chief wildlife warden P.K. Jha, We havent received any proposal for the Kothagudem project.

As per the guidance document for taking up non-forestry activities in wildlife habitats, the environment, forest, National Board for Wild Life clearances will all be processed on their merits, and clearance of one aspect will not confer any right upon the project proponent.
Outgoing Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma greets his successor K. Pradeep Chandra as Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao looks on, at a public function in the Secretariat premises in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: It was a rare honour for both the outgoing and new Chief Secretary of the state, with the Chief Minister and his entire Cabinet, IAS officers and Secretariat staff turning up to welcome K. Pradeep Chandra and bid a grand farewell to Rajiv Sharma, the states first CS, who retired on Wednesday.

However, Mr Sharmas association with the TS government is far from over; Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that he would be appointed Chief Adviser to state government.

I asked officials to set up the official chamber for Rajiv Sharma near the CMO so that I can meet him personally any time to seek his advice and guidance on important issues. I also request all ministers and officials to treat him on par with the CS and consult him on all important matters. Rajiv Sharma has vast administrative experience and has deep understanding of issues concerning Telangana. We should utilise his experience for the benefit of the state, Mr Rao said.

The CM added: Earlier, you were only a bureaucrat; now you are a political bureaucrat. An official bureaucrat has certain limitations but as a political bureaucrat, you are a free bird and can take as many initiatives as you can and advise the government.

Recollecting the valuable services rendered by Mr Sharma, Mr Rao said, He played a key role in resolution of contentious bifurcation-related issues with AP. Without him, it would not have been tough for me to run the government of a new state with meagre resources post bifurcation, the CM said.

Thanking the CM, Mr Sharma said, I was successful because you gave me enough freedom and scope to take decisions independently by reposing immense faith in me.

Vivek appointed adviser by KCR

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday appointed former Pedapalli MP Gaddam Vivekananda , as adviser to the government on inter-state matters.

This post was earlier held by Dharmapuri Srinivas who resigned after he was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.

Mr Vivek represented the Congress in the Lok Sabha from Pedapalli constituency in 2009 but switched over to TRS in protest over the delay by the UPA government in granting statehood to Telangana.

However, he rejoined the Congress after the CWC passed a resolution approving Telangana State. After he lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as a Congress candidate, Mr Vivek again switched loyalties to TRS and joined the party recently in the presence of the Chief Minister.

As an advisor to the government, he will be entitled to draw pay and perks on par with a Cabinet Minister of the State.Mr Vivek thanked the CM for the opportunity. He said he would discharge his duties with utmost commitment and dedication.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tonight remained non-committal on whether or not he would head the five-member committee of CMs proposed by the Centre to look into post-demonetisation related issues.

"I told (Union Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley there are constraints. But there is no communication (from the Centre) thereafter," he said in reply to a question at a press conference in Vijayawada.

Chandrababu, however, did not elaborate on what the constraints were and also what exactly transpired between him and Jaitley.

Jaitley called Chandrababu over phone yesterday morning and informed him about the Centre's decision to constitute a five-member committee of chief ministers to address issues arising out of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes announced on November 8.

The Chief Minister's Office immediately announced that Jaitley asked Chandrababu to head the committee.

It, however, did not give any other details on Monday even as there was speculation that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister "declined" to take up the job.

Asked about this, Chandrababu remained non-committal and merely said there has been no further communication (from the Centre) on the issue.

He, sources said, was "unhappy" that the Centre never consulted him on the demonetisation issue though Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally invited Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to New Delhi to address the "concerns" raised by the latter.

In fact, it was Rao who suggested that a Chief Ministers' committee be constituted to look into the problems being faced by people in the aftermath of scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
Appearing for NIA, the special public prosecutor, C.S.S. Pillai sought transit remand of Suleiman as he was accused in bomb blast in Mysuru court.

Chennai: The 23-year old techie, Dawood Suleiman, arrested by National Investigating Agency, had planned to wage jihad against the country, sources in NIA said.

Suleiman, a key leader of Al Qaeda-inspired Base Movement module, was accused in a series of blasts in court complexes in Karnataka and other southern states. He wanted to wage jihad against the country.

Suleiman, who had done B Tech in an engineering college in Erode, was working as a system analysts in a famous IT firm on OMR. He was residing along with a few friends in Thiruvanmiyur in a rented house.

Based on tip-off from three others arrested in Madurai on Monday, Suleiman was nabbed in Chennai by a team led by SP, NIA, L.R. Kumar. Suleiman, a native of Madurai, was the main leader of the terrorist gang. He also allegedly participated in other illegal activities of the group. He was produced by the NIA sleuths amidst tight security before XI Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Saidapet on Tuesday.

Appearing for NIA, the special public prosecutor, C.S.S. Pillai sought transit remand of Suleiman as he was accused in bomb blast in Mysuru court. The court directed the NIA to produce him before Bengaluru court within 24-hours.

The prosecution assured the court that he would be produced before 49th additional city civil and sessions court, Bengaluru, as per court orders and whisked him away in a vehicle.

After obtaining the transit remand, the NIA sleuths whisked him away from the court complex in a van and took him to Bengaluru by a flight at 7.30 pm

Speaking to DC, Pillai said he was booked under several sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. He would be produced before the court along three others arrested in Madurai.
To beat the imminent cash crunch, banks throughout the country are setting internal daily cash withdrawal limits per account. (Photo: R Samuel)

Chennai: Three weeks after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, the cash crunch continues in Chennai as 50 per cent of ATMs in the city are yet to be calibrated to dispense new Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes.

According to a report, Rs 100 notes are in severe short supply in the city as well as in other parts of Tamil Nadu, with working ATMs dispensing Rs 2000 and new Rs 500 notes. So much so, that bankers themselves are queuing up before the currency chest for the Rs 100 currency. Most of it has been hoarded by people who exchanged Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes at banks.

RBI has been disbursing cash only in the mornings from currency chests to most bank branches. As a result people are forced to wait for hours to withdraw cash, said the report.

Our first cash transaction occurred only at noon. We have been given Rs 18 lakh while our branch requires almost Rs 100 lakh. They gave us Rs 2,000 notes worth Rs 12 lakh, Rs 50 rupee notes worth one lakh rupees and the rest in denominations of Rs 10 and Rs 20 notes. They did not give us any Rs 100 notes, a banker was quoted as saying.

The crisis is set to intensify as banks focus on meeting month-end demand of lakhs of salaried employees and pensioners.

To beat the imminent cash crunch, banks throughout the country are setting internal daily cash withdrawal limits per account, while the government has asked private companies to make payments to employees digitally.

However, bank officials said they have yet to get any communication from RBI on how to handle the situation of lack of Rs 100 notes.

With a Rs 2,500 withdrawal cap from ATMs, people will be queuing up at banks where withdrawal limit is Rs 24,000 per week. This could result in large mobs demanding cash, a public sector bank official from Chennai was quoted as saying.

A senior official in the Tamil Nadu government said salary of employees would be credited in the bank accounts as usual and there was no move to disburse salary in cash. The Central government for its part is encouraging private companies to credit salaries to employees accounts digitally.
New Delhi: Extremely upset over the Congress staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha despite the government agreeing to discuss all issues, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said that the grand old party was now indulging in contempt of democracy as they have become intolerant over the growing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The way the Congress has behaved in the House, they have insulted the whole country. It is contempt of democracy. They are trying to insult the mandate of the people because they have become intolerant over the growing popularity of the Prime Minister," he added.

Naidu said it is extremely unfortunate that the grand old party is doing politics over Tuesday's Nagrota terror attack.

"The Congress and its allies wanted the Prime Minister's presence in the House. He came in the House and no one knows why they left. We don't know whether even they know the reason. During the Question Hour, the Congress raised the issue of Nagrota attack. The Speaker said that combing operation is currently going on. She said after getting all the necessary information, obituary will be paid to the slain soldiers," Naidu said.

Naidu said it has become the job of the grand old party to somehow disrupt the proceedings of the House.

"We said we don't have any objection but there must be tradition and discipline in the House. It is very much unfortunate that the Congress Party is doing politics over this. The people of the country hate such politics. It has become their job to somehow disrupt the proceedings of the House," said Naidu.

"Even the Prime Minister is in the House.still I don't know why they are not allowing the proceedings of the House. The nation wants discussion on many problems, but the Congress doesn't want that. Does the Congress fear of getting exposed?" he added.

Stating that the Congress neither wants a debate nor wants the House to function, Naidu further said this is not expected from a matured party, which has ruled the country for these many number of years.

"Now things are out that the Congress do not want a debate, they don't want the House to function, they don't want the House to discuss issues. The Prime Minister was very much present in the House. They have been demanding the presence of the Prime Minister. He was there today in the House also. They have raised an issue. But the Congress Party wanted some excuse or other to disturb the House or create a scene in the House. They have done the same today," said Naidu.
Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's April 2015 Hanover visit appears to have paved way for enhancing the scope of bilateral ties between the two countries. Germany, which is very keen on looking towards the next round of talks early 2017, wants permanent membership for India and Germany in the UN Security Council.

"Germany and India are working successfully on awareness on UN security council permanent membership. India should be included as much as Germany," says Achim Fabig, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Speaking to this correspondent here on Tuesday he said, Germany was also looking at specific areas of interest like technology, environment, business and tourism to be promoted between the two countries when the heads and officials of the two nations meet next year.

Many issues would be discussed during the meeting. "Negotiations take place once in two years and things are taken forward. Issues that are of specific interest would be deliberated in the next meeting in 2017," he said. Pointing out that Germany was eager to play a greater role in the development of India, Mr. Achim said his country was already involved in erecting transmission lines for the green corridor in Tamil Nadu.

"We are expecting 17 billion Euro business per annum between India and Germany South Indian students, in particular, are showing interest in pursuing education in our country. The number of students visiting Germany for studies has doubled in the last five years," he added. Germany wants to combine tourism with business and leisure and market its country in a big way in India. Indicating that his country was becoming a favourite destination for the Indians, Mr. Achim said Germany received six lakh Indians last year.
Additional DG, BSF, Arun Kumar addressing the media regarding the encounter with militants after infiltration at International border in Ramgarh, at BSF headquarters in Jammu. (Photo: PTI)

Jammu: The three heavily-armed militants killed by BSF in Samba district had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives, a top force official said on Wednesday.

A day after the three infiltrators were killed by the BSF, top officials said the trio was carrying five bottles of liquid explosive trinitroglycerin. "Militants had infiltrated to carry out big incidents. Their design was to blow up rail tracks and trains here as we have recovered chained IEDs and liquid explosives", Additional Director General (ADG) BSF and Special DG (Western Command) Arun Kumar said.

They were out to carry out a chain of big impact terror incidents including blowing up of "running trains" and causing fire in trains as chain IEDs and liquid explosive are meant to blow up tracks and cause fire, he said.

"Had our troops not successfully contained and eliminated these heavily armed terrorists with huge stores of explosive material, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland", Kumar said.

"It was only because of BSF's multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted," the force said.

Apart from arms, ammunition and explosive stores, BSF recovered 10 Improvised explosive Devices (IEDS) including five liquid type IEDs and three IED waist belts, five chain IEDs from three slain militants along IB in Chambiliyal belt of Ramgarh sector in Samba district yesterday.

"Chain IEDs are mainly used to blow up rail tracks and hit running trains. The five bottles of liquid explosive contained trinitroglycerin. It is used to cause explosion and trigger fire", IG BSF Jammu Frontier D K Uphadayaya said.

Terrorists are resorting to use of undetectable liquid explosives like nitroglycerin now, the official said.

Nitroglycerin can be used for dynamite, explosive devices and poison. Invented in 1847, it is made by adding acids to glycerin. Viscous and clear, it easy to conceal in lotion or shampoo bottles, an expert said.

Physical shock can start a chain reaction that breaks molecules down into carbon dioxide, water and oxygen. The breaking of the bonds between the atoms creates an explosion, he said.

The Jammu-Pathankote railway line is 20 kms away from the the International Border (IB).

There have been several attacks targeting trains and tracks in Jammu-Samba-Kathua belts in the past. It may be recalled that on 27 July, 2015 three gunmen dressed in army uniforms opened fire on a bus and then attacked the Dina Nagar Police Station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab after planting five chain linked bombs (IEDS) on the Amritsar-Pathankot line near Parmanand railway station, 5 kilometres from the site of the attack.

A railway trackman, while patrolling along the railway track between Dina Nagar and Jhakholari railway stations, spotted five bombs wired to a small bridge on the Amritsar-Pathankot line just before a passenger train was due to cross the bridge.

The train stopped 200 metres from the bombs. The attack resulted in the death of three civilians and four policemen, including a Superintendent of Police. Fifteen others were injured.

All three attackers were killed in the operation, which lasted almost 12 hours. Militants crossed into IB and triggered bomb blasts on Jammu railway station in August 7, 2001 killing 12 people and injuring 29.

Similarly, infiltrating militants blew up a track in Samba on October 26, 2003. On February 10, 2000, infiltrating militants triggered blast in Shalimar Express train in Satwal in Kathua district killing five persons.

The infiltrating militants were also carrying 10 hand cuffs with a design to carry out hostage taking. "We have recovered from them 10 hand cuffs in plastic. I think they were planning to carry out hostage taking as part of engineering terror incidents", the IG said.

Three AK-47 rifles, a pistol, 20 magazines, 514 AK rounds, a pistol magazine, 16 pistol rounds, 31 live grenades, 10 IEDS including 5 IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), one mobile, two wireless sets with chargers, 2 knives, 2 dressing rolls, 2 jackets, 3 bags, one head gear, one lighter, 3 gloves, 5 dry fruit packets and Pakistan made eatables were recovered from the slain terrorists in Ramgarh sector yesterday.
Patna: Stepping up her attack on the Centre over demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dubbed the drive as "super Emergency" and vowed to agitate against it till a rollback of the decision.

"The government has taken away the freedom from the people that they have been enjoying for the past 69 years. The government has snatched 'Roti, Kapda aur Makan' from the people... A people's movement was started during the Emergency days... Today, the situation is even worse than Emergency, it can be termed as super Emergency," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

"People are facing difficulties and inconveniences. They (NDA Government) have sold the country. It is the duty of political parties to raise their voice for the people and we will continue with our agitation till the government takes a decision to roll back the demonetisation move," she said.

Mamata was addressing a gathering here in the course of her party's nationwide campaign against demonetisation. Raising the the issue of funding of PM Modi's public meetings in foreign countries, she asked "From where do they get money to hold such mega public meetings in foreign countries like the US?".

She also raised issue of registration of land by BJP in Bihar for opening offices in districts and displaying deed numbers of land purchased by the BJP, questioned the PM's intentions as to how could BJP buy huge chunks of land in the month of September, a few weeks before the announcement of demonetisation on November 8.

Without naming anyone, Banerjee said, "If someone comes with us, then it is good. But, it certainly pains us if someone is not with us in the struggle for common people. This is people's cause. People will not forgive 'gaddars' (betrayers)."

Mamata, who arrived in the state capital on Tuesday, also met RJD chief Lalu Prasad at the latter's residence. The ruling JD(U) has already made it clear that it would not be present at Banerjee's agitation programme in the light of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's support to demonetisation.
Security personnel move to the encounter site during a gun battle with suspected militants at Army camp at Nagrota near Jammu on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Jammu: Extensive combing operations resumed on Wednesday morning in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists attacked an Army base on Tuesday in which seven defence personnel lost their lives.

Army spokesman, Lt. Col Manish Mehta said that search and combing operation began with first day light.

A group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota in morning hours on Tuesday, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive.

Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the corps headquarters.

In another incident, three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba sector near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops.
Security personnel take positions during a gun battle with suspected militants at Army camp at Nagrota near Jammu on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Jammu: Indian intelligence had warned of an imminent strike on a high-value military target in Jammu just ten days before Tuesdays Nagrota attack which killed 7 soldiers.

According to a report in the Indian Express, intelligence services had been monitoring at least one Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) cell in the Valley which had been plotting an attack on the XVI Corps headquarters in Nagrota for at least two weeks before the Tuesday attack.

Though the Valley-based cell did not carry out Tuesdays attack, it raises the question as to how the attackers succeeded in traversing the route to Nagrota, and what additional security measures were put in place at sensitive installations.

The attackers appeared to have entered the Nagrota complex by scaling its perimeter wall from the rear. The terrorists then headed towards a complex of buildings which houses officers and their families, killing an officer and three soldiers first.

Efforts were made to rescue over a dozen soldiers, two women and at least two children who were trapped inside the building, leading to the deaths of 3 more soldiers.

The operation suggested that the terrorists were familiar with the Nagrota camp layout and perimeter vulnerabilities, a top military officer was quoted as saying. He claimed that sympathetic civilians may have provided them information on the layout.

Another senior military officer was quoted as saying that the terrorists were linked to LeT and infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir inside the last 72 hours through the Line of Control in the Sundarbani sector.

LeT has been known to be gathering information on military targets in the Jammu region since last year.

There has been no thoroughgoing national audit of security at defence installations across the country in spite of the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks this year, said the report.
Majority of black money hoarders are now planning to take refuge under Section 270A of the Income Tax Act to safeguard their money and also escape punitive action. (Representational image)

New Delhi: Terming as "black day" in Lok Sabha the passage of taxation bill amidst din without debate, opposition parties, on Tuesday, accused the government of being "undemocratic and dictatorial" and hinted at approaching the President on the issue.

The government, however, blamed the opposition for not participating in the debate and said it was "tragic" that the Bill had to be passed in the din. It asserted that the measure had to be passed for the "welfare of the poor and country" and cannot wait for those who are unable to "digest" the action against black money and corruption. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We want that Income Tax Amendment Act should come through the rules. The amendments proposed by the Opposition MPs and leaders should also be kept in mind before taking the assent from the President."

Revolutionary Socialist Party said that it is contemplating to take up the issue with President Pranab Mukherjee. "The government has been totally undemocratic, dictatorial, authoritarian in passing such an important bill without discussion amidst din. It has taken advantage of the superior numbers to avoid discussion. It is unfortunate that we did not get any relief from the Chair. "I had written to the Speaker (Lok Sabha) in the morning that this bill should not be allowed to be passed in the din. But what we apprehended happened. Inspite of all of our protest, this bill was passed. The very purpose of the bill was sort of defeated," said Saugata Roy TMC MP.

Amid din, a bill which seeks to tax money deposited in banks post demonetization was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday within minutes without any debate. Amid fierce slogan shouting by the opposition, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2016 was brought after it came to the government's notice that some people were trying to illegally exchange the demonetized Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency note.

Roy said that the government is "stubbornly" sticking to its stand that there will be no discussion but "we (opposition) are all together and we will continue to press for discussion" under a rule which entails voting. CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim said that it is a "black day" in the history of Lok Sabha and an "undeclared emergency". It is not a fight against blackmoney but "rewarding" black money hoarders", he alleged.

"The way the government is treating Parliament and willingly or unwillingly the Chair is allowing this to happen, this will be written in the history as the black day in Parliament," Salim said.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed the opposition's charge. "It is written in the Constitution what is a money bill or not. Those bills which the Speaker certifies are considered money bill.

"As far as my knowledge about law is concerned, amendments in relation to Income Tax is a money bill. Where is the scope for discussion on this?" he asked. He said the money which will come through the amendment in the Income Tax Act will be spend on villages, poor people, irrigation, roads and houses for poor.

"If somebody has problems with that than I will ask them to read Mahatma Gandhi, Deendayal Upadhyay, Ram Manohar Lohia, then you will know what we dream of," he said.

Minister of State Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said that the unaccounted money that is coming into the bank will now be acknowledged in a legal way. "It is off course tragic that it had to be passed in the din. The opposition is not able to digest the fact that these measures against black money and corruption are so wildly popular and have had an impact," he said adding that the government wanted discussions and "since the opposition did not want any discussion, they shouted". He said that a lot of thought process has gone beind the bill.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said that it is "unfortunate" that the Opposition did not participate in it. "It is a very important bill which has been formulated by the Prime Minister and and Finance Minister for the welfare of the poor. I believe this is a historic step where the black money is being utilized for welfare of poor and that too with their agreement. "What else will be a bigger consensus for the country. If opposition had participated, it would have been better. If the government is working for the welfare of the poor and country, then it cannot wait," he said.

N K Premachandran of RSP said that he was dissatisfied with the Speaker's ruling because it is the right of the individual member to move amendments to any bill moved by the government. "The right of the members to move amendment is totally curtailed which is truly undemocratic, which is not heard in the history of parliamentary democratic system. If this is the system we are following, when the House is in big turmoil, we can pass any legislation.

"GST bill can be passed, even Constitutional Amendment bill can be passed. This is an insult to parliamentary democratic system and it is weakening it which is quite unfortunate. This can never be agreed upon. "We are thinking of taking this matter to the President of India because the right of the member cannot be curtailed because of lack of time and that too when considering very important bill like this," he said.
New Delhi: Identifying terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability, India and Afghanistan today said setting up an effective counter-terror framework to deal with the challenge will be a major focus at the two-day Heart of Asia conference beginning Saturday.

Being held in the wake of the brazen Nagrota terror attack, the annual conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, a platform to assist Afghanistan in its transition, will extensively deliberate on threat from terror networks operating from Pakistani soil and may push for some concrete action to deal with it.

The conference will be attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia, Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations on Sunday where Indian delegation will be led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is ill.

"Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability.

"We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on," Joint Secretary in the MEA Gopal Baglay said addressing a joint press conference with Afghan Envoy Shaida M Abdali.

On his part, the Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the "breeding ground" of the menace and its "safe sanctuaries", in obvious reference to Pakistan.

"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," he said, strongly condemning the Nagrota attack.

Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for "binding" clauses in the framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure. He said terrorism is a multifaceted phenomena which requires a "multifaceted approach" and should include dismantling the "terror matrix", tackling drug trafficking and effectively dealing with radicalisation.

Asked what role HoA can play in containing terror, Baglay said specifics on what should be done and how to deal with those who support and glorify terrorists will be discussed. "Threat of Terrorism is the biggest challenge to peace and stability to the region. There is support to it in our region and where the problem lies we all know. It needs to be sqaurely addressed," he said.

A declaration will be issued at the end of the conference and it is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror.

Asked how India was looking at the challenge and what steps it will push for to contain terror in the wake of the Nagrota attack, Baglay said these are matters of detail and under discussion at inter-governmental level.

India is also likely to ask contries in the region to show strong resolve to tackle terrorism.

Abdali said terrorism is "creation of the region and the solution lies in the region. Therefore the upcoming HoA is very well timed".

The Afghan envoy said terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where "terrorism is nurtured."

The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity initiatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project. There may be deliberations on TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan? India) gas pipeline project.

President Ghani is schedule to arrive on Saturday and he and Modi will have a bilateral meeting, possibly on that day itself.

Thanking India for providing the last of the four military helicopters to his country last week, Abdali said bilateral talks between the two leaders will be very important, adding security cooperation will be part of the discussion.

On HoA helping Afghanistan in its transition, Baglay said six baskets of Confidence Building Measures are being considered and India has tried to bring in more consultation in the groupings initiatives.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Swaraj had attended last year's conference in Islamabad. The platform was floated with an aim to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.

The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guests.
No offences were found against the crew members, comprising 10 Iranian nationals and Qadir. (Photo: Representational Image)

Kochi: A Pakistani national, who was set free by an NIA court in Kochi, has been languishing in a Kerala prison for several months due to "lack of assistance" from his country's High Commission in India, a senior Congress MLA said on Wednesday.

Thomas, also a former Lok Sabha MP, said he met Pakistani national Abdul Qadir on Tuesday when he visited the Ernakulam district jail at Kakkanad in Kochi as a local MLA to inspect the basic facilities provided for jail officers and inmates.

He said Qadir (53) was part of 11 crew members of the Iranian vessel 'Barooki', which was intercepted off the Kerala coast in July last year. No offences were found against the crew members, comprising 10 Iranian nationals and Qadir, the lone Pakistani citizen, by the NIA Court in March this year.

Following the court order, the Foreigner Regional Registration Office initiated procedures for deportation.

"I met Qadir who has been lodged in the jail. While his colleagues from Iran left for their country after they received assistance from their embassy in New Delhi, Qadir is still lodged in the jail here due to lack of assistance from the Pakistani High Commission," Thomas told PTI in Kochi.

He hoped that the Pakistani High Commission would intervene and coordinate with Indian authorities to facilitate deportation of their national languishing in the jail.

Thomas said Qadir has provided two addresses to the jail authorities. "According to one document, he belongs to Jeevani Village, Bstivan, Baluchistan."

"Another one says Qadir belongs to Jan Mohammed Kaloi Village under Dalel police station limit in Sanghar district of Sindh province," the MLA said.

Thomas said Qadir is the sole bread winner for his family comprising wife Sareena, ailing mother Bechel and sister Sobha. He has no children.

The court had released them after NIA, which conducted a probe into the case, had stated that the crew had no links either with any terror outfit or international drug mafia.

The Iranian dhow "Barooki" was intercepted by the Coast Guard and state police following intelligence inputs in July last year off the coast of Alappuzha and brought to Vizhinjam.

The crew members were detained by the CG and police which recovered a satellite communication set and a Pakistani identity card from the vessel.

The case was later handed over to the NIA and a team of the agency and scientists of Geological Survey of India had conducted a mission onboard a research vessel 'RV Samudra Ratnakar' off Kerala coast to recover objects allegedly dropped in the deep sea from the dhow.
New Delhi: Chaos prevailed in Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the Opposition blamed lack of adequate safety measures for Tuesday's Nagrota terror attack and raised the note ban issue, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the House.

Modi chaired a meeting with ministers in his chamber in Parliament on Wednesday morning ahead of the start of the session. Those attending included Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar appealed to the Congress and other Opposition parties to allow discussion to take place in the House, as 10-11 days had already been wasted.

We want the discussion to take place. We want to hear the Opposition. PM Modi is ready to intervene in both the Houses, Kumar said.

When the Lok Sabha convened at 11 am, the PM was present in the House. Opposition members raised the issue of the Nagrota terror attack in the Rajya Sabha, and demanded the PM's reply. To this, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the government was ready for a discussion on the issue.

However, pandemonium continued in both Houses. Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were then adjourned till 12 noon. On resumption, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned again till 2 pm.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned again till 12:45 pm after which the ruckus continued.

This is unfortunate. It is disrespect to democratic tradition of India. The Congress party walked out during Question Hour and then came back. The people of this country hate such petty politics, Venkaiah Naidu said.

Congress neither wants any discussion nor wants House to function as they are scared of being exposed. This is an insult to the Nagrota martyrs, Naidu said.

Leader of Congress Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia with TMC's Sudip Bandopadhayay later met Sumitra Mahajan on paying tribute to soldiers.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi earlier said that the government had insulted martyred soldiers by not following the Parliametary tradition of honouring those who had sacrificed their lives for the country. Gandhi claimed this was the reason the Congress had walked out. To this, Naidu responded that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had informed everyone that combing operations were underway in Nagrota and that once these were over, tributes would be paid to the martyrs.

Opposition parties met in Parliament ahead of the start of the session to review the strategy to take on the government over the passage of the Income Tax Amendment Bill and demonetisation.

According to reports in NDTV, the Opposition will appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee against passage of the bill in Parliament on Tuesday. It is reportedly unhappy with the way in which the bill was passed without discussion as a money bill.

Terming as "black day" in Lok Sabha the passage of taxation bill amidst din without debate, opposition parties, on Tuesday, accused the government of being "undemocratic and dictatorial" and hinted at approaching the President on the issue.

The government, however, blamed the opposition for not participating in the debate and said it was "tragic" that the Bill had to be passed in the din. It asserted that the measure had to be passed for the "welfare of the poor and country" and cannot wait for those who are unable to "digest" the action against black money and corruption. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We want that Income Tax Amendment Act should come through the rules. The amendments proposed by the Opposition MPs and leaders should also be kept in mind before taking the assent from the President."

Revolutionary Socialist Party said that it is contemplating to take up the issue with President Pranab Mukherjee. "The government has been totally undemocratic, dictatorial, authoritarian in passing such an important bill without discussion amidst din. It has taken advantage of the superior numbers to avoid discussion. It is unfortunate that we did not get any relief from the Chair. "I had written to the Speaker (Lok Sabha) in the morning that this bill should not be allowed to be passed in the din. But what we apprehended happened. Inspite of all of our protest, this bill was passed. The very purpose of the bill was sort of defeated," said Saugata Roy TMC MP.

Amid din, a bill which seeks to tax money deposited in banks post demonetization was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday within minutes without any debate. Amid fierce slogan shouting by the opposition, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2016 was brought after it came to the government's notice that some people were trying to illegally exchange the demonetized Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency note.

Roy said that the government is "stubbornly" sticking to its stand that there will be no discussion but "we (opposition) are all together and we will continue to press for discussion" under a rule which entails voting. CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim said that it is a "black day" in the history of Lok Sabha and an "undeclared emergency". It is not a fight against blackmoney but "rewarding" black money hoarders", he alleged.

"The way the government is treating Parliament and willingly or unwillingly the Chair is allowing this to happen, this will be written in the history as the black day in Parliament," Salim said.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed the opposition's charge. "It is written in the Constitution what is a money bill or not. Those bills which the Speaker certifies are considered money bill.

"As far as my knowledge about law is concerned, amendments in relation to Income Tax is a money bill. Where is the scope for discussion on this?" he asked. He said the money which will come through the amendment in the Income Tax Act will be spend on villages, poor people, irrigation, roads and houses for poor.

"If somebody has problems with that than I will ask them to read Mahatma Gandhi, Deendayal Upadhyay, Ram Manohar Lohia, then you will know what we dream of," he said.

Minister of State Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said that the unaccounted money that is coming into the bank will now be acknowledged in a legal way. "It is off course tragic that it had to be passed in the din. The opposition is not able to digest the fact that these measures against black money and corruption are so wildly popular and have had an impact," he said adding that the government wanted discussions and "since the opposition did not want any discussion, they shouted". He said that a lot of thought process has gone beind the bill.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said that it is "unfortunate" that the Opposition did not participate in it. "It is a very important bill which has been formulated by the Prime Minister and and Finance Minister for the welfare of the poor. I believe this is a historic step where the black money is being utilized for welfare of poor and that too with their agreement. "What else will be a bigger consensus for the country. If opposition had participated, it would have been better. If the government is working for the welfare of the poor and country, then it cannot wait," he said.

N K Premachandran of RSP said that he was dissatisfied with the Speaker's ruling because it is the right of the individual member to move amendments to any bill moved by the government. "The right of the members to move amendment is totally curtailed which is truly undemocratic, which is not heard in the history of parliamentary democratic system. If this is the system we are following, when the House is in big turmoil, we can pass any legislation.

"GST bill can be passed, even Constitutional Amendment bill can be passed. This is an insult to parliamentary democratic system and it is weakening it which is quite unfortunate. This can never be agreed upon. "We are thinking of taking this matter to the President of India because the right of the member cannot be curtailed because of lack of time and that too when considering very important bill like this," he said.
New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the Supreme Court's direction today that cinema halls across the country must play national anthem before the screening of a film, but wondered if it would help boost the feeling of patriotism.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Owaisi said the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and the Union Home Ministry's advisory regarding the national anthem do not talk about citizens requiring to stand up when the anthem is being rendered, and suggested to the government to amend the law and revise the advisory.

The act prohibits desecration of or insult to the Constitution, national anthem, flag and the country's map. "It (the directive) is alright and it has to be followed. But the question is whether it requires people to stand up when the anthem is being rendered? Will this help see rise in patriotism or nationalism?" Owaisi asked.

Referring to a report about a disabled person being beaten up for allegedly not standing up while the national anthem was being played at a multiplex in Goa last month, Owaisi sought to know "what can be done in this regard".

"What I believe (is that) children should be taught about (respecting anthem) from very young age... The government needs to amend the 1971 act and correct the MHA advisory," the Hyderabad MP said, adding that he was for patriotism.

The Supreme Court today directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.
New Delhi: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today lauded Supreme Court's direction that cinema halls across the country must play national anthem before screening a film, saying it will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people particularly the younger generation.

"It is a very good decision. It will inculcate a sense of patriotism among people particularly the younger generation. I am very happy about it," Naidu who also holds the portfolio of Information and Broadcasting said.

The apex court today directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.

The court also directed that the national flag should be shown on screen when the anthem is played. "People must feel this is my country and this is my motherland," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said while stressing that it is the duty of every citizen of the country to show respect to the national anthem and the flag.

It also said no person should take commercial benefits by playing the anthem and that it should not be dramatised.

The apex court said the anthem should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects, and also barred it from being played on variety shows and its abridged version anywhere.
Agartala (Tripura) : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday refused to be a member of a committee of the Chief Ministers (CMs) proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to suggest cashless transactions following demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to neutralise political turmoil over demonetisation within and outside Parliament had proposed the committee of CMs.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference Sarkar said, "Yesterday afternoon the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over phone informed that the Prime Minister wants to talk to me. The government wants suggestions on the present demonitisation with the aim of cashless transactions, which is good. They want to form a committee of CMs and in the panel want to include the Tripura CM."

"In my initial reaction I said that it is a highly technical matter and I have no personal experience or understand how much I can contribute into it. I wanted to know why all of a sudden I shall be there and he (Finance Minister) informed that there shall be CMs of few other states and most likely they also do not know much on it, however, there shall be representatives from the NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry who shall brief on the matter and after which I can give my advice which will be of great help. To conclude our discussion I said that if the PM wishes it is very tough for the CM of any state to ignore it," he added.

Sarkar said to clear all confusion, he had directly informed Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the phone, about his decision not to take part in the meeting of the committee of Chief Ministers.

He said, "Later I felt that as I said this he (Finance Minister) might have understood that I have given my consent and so I contact him and said Mr Jaitley that I have not yet decided whether shall be part of the committee and so please do not keep my name for the time being and need time to think and shall let you know tomorrow what I have finally decided. He wanted to make me understand the matter and aware me why all of a sudden it was decided. Now after thinking over the issue I have decided not to be part of the committee and everyone is aware about the situation throughout the nation. I told him that I can not be in the committee and not to keep my name but he said that it would be better if I would stay in the committee."

According to the Chief Minister, common people, small traders and daily labourers are the worst sufferers of demonetisation.

"What is going on in the entire country after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have been banned and new Rs 2000 notes introduced? There are crores of daily labourers and small businessman who depend on their daily income for the livelihood and in such a situation when 85 to 87 percent of the currency notes are of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes have been withdrawn, it has created problem," said Sarkar.

He also suggested that for providing relief to the common people the union government should allow the use of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes till coming December 30.

He said, "So at least up to 30 December they should allow to use Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. In such a situation the digitization or cashless transaction is a tough thing for me to comment if it is good."

According to him, introduction of cashless transaction in a big country like India and such a huge population is quite a tough task and the present government's step towards it is total mismanagement.

He added, "I gathered information and came to know that probably in only Sweden it is in practice and it is a very small nation with small population but even America which is the most powerful economy could not do this. How can our nation with a population of 1.25 crores do transaction with plastic money without adequate number of banks throughout the nation and also in Tripura."

Sarkar said that the Left party to which he belongs had protested in rallies and called for strike against the demonetisation step of the centre and now if he takes part in such committee may mislead the common people and would like to keep away from it.

He said, "My participation in the committee means creation of confusion and we are trying to say our views on it from outside the Parliament. All of a sudden five to six CMs heading a committee will lead to confusions among the common people. Moreover, we have call for strike and took part in protest rallies against this, now if we participate it will create confusion."
TMC MP Idris Ali sporting a kurta with the photo of party chief Mamata Banerjee drawn on it. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: A TMC MP on Wednesday compared party chief Mamata Banerjee to national icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and said the West Bengal Chief Minister's photograph should be kept in every household in the country.

TMC MP from West Bengal's Basirhat, Idris Ali, on Wednesday came to Parliament sporting an orange kurta, specially created and designed in College Street in Kolkata, with the face of Banerjee drawn on it.

Ali told the photograph of the West Bengal Chief Minister is kept in almost all the households of the state nowadays.

"Just like people keep the photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, I think, her (Banerjee's) picture should also be hung in every household across the country," he said.

He said she is a very popular leader who has lead from the front to oppose the government's demonetisation decision from the very first day.

He said Banerjee leads a very simple life and she has also taken up the cause of the poor. Many leaders from various parties also greeted him after they saw the kurta in Parliament, he added.
Chennai: Failure to appoint vice chancellors to Madras and Anna Universities  the premier institutions in the state  for months together shows that the AIADMK government is not serious in promoting higher education, DMK treasurer and leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Tuesday said, while asking Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to monitor administrative activities in all universities in Tamil Nadu.

In a statement released here on Tuesday, Stalin also alleged that there have been large-scale irregularities in appointing vice chancellors and in filling of top post in the state-owned institutions.

Rules and regulations set by the Universities Grant Commission are being violated blatantly by the government and those administering the institutes. It is saddening that institutes of higher learning which is supposed to impart high-class education itself indulges in irregularities, the DMK leader said.

The posts of vice chancellor of three premier institutes - Madras University, and Anna University - have been lying since February and May this year respectively, while the Madurai Kamaraj University has been headless for the past 18 months.

Mr Stalin also pointed out that this would be for the first time that degree certificates to be handed over to students of Madras University would not bear the signature of the vice chancellor.

Educationists feel that incidents like the one in the Madras University underline the inherent problems in the way the AIADMK government has been dealing with higher education and the administration of universities.

The fact that world renowned Anna University and Madras University are headless (without a full-time vice chancellor) shows the callousness of the AIADMK government. There are reports of irregularities in appointing the search committee to choose the VC for Anna University. Such incidents do not augur well for the future of the higher education sector, Mr Stalin argued.

Within days after issues of corruption in appointment of teaching faculties surfaced in the Bharathiar University, the registrar (in-charge) of the premier institute had resigned his post leveling serious charges against the vice chancellor.

Quoting media reports, Mr Stalin said P S Mohan, in-charge Registrar of Bharathiyar University in Coimbatore had on Monday alleged that the VC is trying to make him a scapegoat by pulling him up on a vital communication issued by the Higher Education Secretary regarding postponement of a syndicate meeting after keeping it under the wraps.

As the chancellor of all 16 state universities in Tamil Nadu, the Governor should step in immediately and monitor the administration in all these institutions. The Governor should immediately take steps to appoint VCs to Anna University and University of Madras, besides ordering an inquiry into appointments in the higher education institutes, Mr Stalin said.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav on Wednesday exchanged sharp barbs in the Rajya Sabha over the demonetisation issue.

The exchange happened when members of the Congress, TMC, BSP and SP were creating a ruckus over their demand that the House mourn the killing of 25 Army men since surgical strikes and deaths of 82 persons in post-demonetisation hardships.

Yadav said it was unprecedented that there was no obituary reference for the seven Army personnel including two senior officers killed in terrorist attack at Nagrota Army base near Jammu yesterday.

As he also raised death of "nearly 90 persons" in post-demonetisation hardships, Jaitley retorted that he should first discuss demonetisation within his party and find "if it is agreeable" with the ban on 500 and 1000 rupee notes or not.

His remark was apparent reference to JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supporting demonetisation. "We are not against demonetisation. We are against the restrictions that have been placed (on withdrawals from own accounts)," Yadav shot back.

The JD(U) leader then went on to ask if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was with him or not. "Is your Prime Minister with you? Is he listening to you," he asked.
The attack by Pakistani terrorists at the base of the Indian Armys 16 Corps at Nagrota, near Jammu, in which two officers and five soldiers were killed on Tuesday, is evidence, if this were needed, that Indias September 28-29 surgical strikes across the Line of Control at terrorist launchpads were ineffectual and pointless. The attack was in progress even as Pakistans outgoing Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif was handing over the baton to his successor Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa. Until there is sufficient information, it will be debated whether it was the retiring generals last hurrah, his final anti-India act, or the incoming chiefs inaugural fusillade to show that there will be no deviation from the Pakistan Armys core formula of using terrorist proxies against India.

This is a meaningless debate. As it was noted here earlier on Tuesday, no matter who leads the Pakistan Army, the use of low-cost proxies is unlikely to be given up. Among the key elements that will go into how we defend ourselves is to make high-value facilities secure. The Narendra Modi government has shown itself inept in this. From the beginning of this year, there were three dramatic attacks on high-profile military targets, besides several more less high-profile ones, though these remain critical to our security framework. The Pathankot Air Force Station, one of the most important forward airbases of the country, was hit by terrorists just days after Prime Minister Modi paid Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif an impromptu visit at his Lahore home. Then came the brigade headquarters at Uri in the Kashmir Valley in September, and now the HQ of 16 Corps, one of the two corps formations in J&K directly facing Pakistan.

It is evident that the terrorists are trying to cause mayhem at Army installations, yet reports on how security at these encampments were breached and was of a poor order and had to be bolstered, have been permitted to gather dust. What we get instead is chest-thumping public rhetoric on the success of our surgical strikes by a defence minister adept in the use of medieval imagery and false battlefield bravado. Mr Parrikar may enjoy the complete confidence of his Prime Minister, who recently described him as among the shiniest jewels of the present government. But the figures dont lie. In 2015, around 40 military men died at the hands of terrorists, and this year the figure is nearly double. We need to tighten up and have clear-headed military and diplomatic contingencies worked out.
Post-Dec. 30, generation of black money will start again: K.C. Mittal, secretary of the Congress legal and human rights cell

This government has a very scant idea about legal procedures, jurisprudence and principles of natural justice. By imposing demonetisation on the people of this country it has not only not allowed people to take out their own, taxed, hard-earned money, but has shaken the trust of people in banks. We were told by the government that people have stashed black money in cash now that will turn into pieces of paper, counterfeit currency will come to an end, terror funding will stop. Now, after 22 days and about 80 deaths later, as per RBI data 60 per cent of the old high-value currency notes have entered banks, a few thousand crores have been exchanged till the time the exchange scheme was in operation, while some of them were already with banks and ATMs at the time of announcement on November 8. So with almost 30 more days to go there is about 35 per cent of old currency in the hands of people who are waiting for the lines to reduce. The question is  what was the black money estimate of cash that the government had? Terrorists print fake currency and then unleash it in our economy, so until we stop the fake printing process that problem will not be solved. They will print more notes.

As per RBI data there are 400 crores of fake currency in the market. Now only for 400 crores, does it make sense to demonetise about 15 lakh crores? Contrary to popular perception estimates suggest the cash component of black money is about one per cent. We have to understand the difference between black income, black money and black wealth. All the three are different as soon as demonetisation was announced people started settling their cash component of black wealth. Quite a few businessmen gave advance salaries in cash to their employees so that it automatically enters the banking system. Some people till late into the night were at the jewellers buying bullion with back-dated receipts. So the objective of one per cent of the cash component also gets diminished as people find new and inventive ways. There is a misunderstanding, which this government has, that cash means black money.

Post-December 30, once again, the generation of black money will start as before via various means for instance under invoicing in trade, charging capitation fee in colleges, selling drugs, fake medicines, etc. Black money hoarders will now have Rs 2,000 notes so it will be even easier to hoard and transfer large tranches of cash. In the last couple of days, the government is constantly changing the goalposts. First it was black money and now it is all cashless. It should understand that cash does not mean black. The question is  has the government been able to hit out at people who stashed black wealth abroad in bonds, property, bullion and cash in foreign currency? Has there been a tightening of the noose on hawala dealers who are operating brazenly? These are the people who deal in creation and storage of black wealth.

The government has done something unthinkable, it has put restrictions on the common man to withdraw his own money from his own account. The money in the account does not belong to the government. The demonetisation process will only hit the poor and the middle class. The big offenders have already gotten away. The government has only pulled wool over peoples eyes by saying that it has acted against black money. In short, the entire exercise is just the beginning of an unimaginable disaster.

A bloodless coup on the monetary front: R. Balashankar, member, BJP Central Committee on Training, and Committee on Publications, is a former national convenor, BJP Intellectual Cell

Demonetisation has rebranded Narendra Modi as the messiah of the poor. His connect with dalits, shoshit, vanchit and peedith India is now complete. It could be described as his proud socialist moment. The move has brought him closer to the common man as never before is best illustrated from the disarray in the Opposition ranks, the flop show of the Bharat bandh and the series of big election victories the BJP gained in the last three weeks.

The critics failed to respond both politically and with convincing economic arguments. This shows that the Prime Minister has largely been able to manage the biggest-ever monetary reform and sweeping social restructuring with the smoothest possible precision of a surgical genius. Politics will never be the same again. Taxes will come down. Investment and growth will become a reality with job creation. It is expected to unlock as much as Rs 6 lakh crores, which was hoarded by tax evaders. The tax base is going to double, the case of too much cash chasing too few goods will disappear. Already Maoists, terrorists and criminals are on the run. Counterfeit currency will disappear. We are witnessing a bloodless coup on the monetary front.

November 8, 2016 will perhaps go down in history as the day India unleashed the most decisive war against black money, counterfeit notes and corruption. It may not suddenly invert the socio-economic pyramid in the country, but it will for a long time alter the exercise of power and the political practice that we have so far been familiar with. Here Mr Modi played the big leveller and disruptionist of the status quo. That is why the Opposition is sounding unimpressive and hackneyed. Nobody is saying the transition is totally painless. But to call it monumental mismanagement and legalised loot as Manmohan Singh said or that the fear of massive distress that would have caused to the public as P. Chidambaram said in their critique of the measure is only an expression of timidity and ineptitude in the face of a daunting task.

Nobody disputes there was no black money and corruption. No one has openly said there was no need to fight it. All are almost unanimous that they support any attempt to fight the twin evil. But they quarrel on the methodology. They say the move has distressed the poor and rural farmer. But this constituency has rejected their argument. Then they say it will slow down the economy. Another charge is that the PM has not consulted widely and that it infringes on the right of a citizen to withdraw his cash from banks. A fourth criticism is that the banking penetration and the tech-savvy of the masses are not sufficient for a modern money exchange model. No one in the right state of mind will blame 30 months of Mr Modi for any of this malaise.

Mr Modis idea of financial inclusion is comprehensive and real. All doubts regarding the gains of demonetisation have been positively answered in the last 20 days. Tax collections have made most of our civic bodies flush with money, banks have already collected Rs 7 lakh crores, banks are thinking of reducing lending rates and hence in February we are likely to have a balanced dream budget and all are pointing to the opportunities others missed and Mr Modi cashed on.
Three Indian satellites are namely Cartosat-2 series weighing 730 kg as primary payload, INS-IA and INS-1B, total weighing 30 kg.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch 83 satellites, 80 of them being foreign, in one go in January next year, the Lok Sabha was told today. Eighty satellites weighing 500 kg belonged to five foreign countries -- Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland and the US.

"These international customer satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangement between them and Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm and PSU under the ISRO," Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PMO said in a written reply. The Department of Space comes under the PMO. It will be the first of its kind mission in ISRO's space history.

Three Indian satellites are namely Cartosat-2 series weighing 730 kg as primary payload, INS-IA and INS-1B, total weighing 30 kg.

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Samsung Electronics would then return more capital to shareholders, investors say.

Tech giant Samsung Electronics, under pressure from shareholders to improve investor returns, said on Tuesday it will consider creating a holding company in what would be the biggest shake-up in its 47-year history.

The move and a plan to raise dividends come after US hedge fund Elliott Management in October called for the South Korean firm to split itself into a holding vehicle and an operating company.

However, the world's top maker of smartphones, memory chips and televisions, said it was "absolutely neutral" about whether to proceed and provided little detail on the potential restructuring, underwhelming investors.

"The review does not indicate the management or the board's intention one way or another," the company said in a statement, adding it had hired external advisers for a review expected to take at least six months.

Samsung's statement keeps the door open for Elliott to continue its pressure on the company, which includes the hedge fund's ability to nominate board directors at the next annual meeting.

Elliott, through its holding company affiliates, Blake Capital and Potter Capital, called Samsung's plan a "constructive initial step." But the $27 billion hedge fund also signaled it wanted more.

"We anticipate more meaningful changes following the company's corporate structure review," the Elliott affiliates said in a statement on Tuesday.

The shareholder pressure on Samsung comes as the company juggles a leadership succession and a major blow to its brand after issuing an unprecedented recall of at least 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in September.

Shares in Samsung, worth $224 billion combined, finished unchanged on the day at 1.677 million won ($1,434) each. The 2016 dividend boost fell short of some expectations, while uncertainty over the restructuring kept investors at bay, analysts said.

A Samsung Electronics laptop computer is displayed at a shop in Samsung's main office building in central Seoul July 23, 2013.

"There is some disappointment that the dividend wasn't even higher or possibly a special dividend, and this is the reason for a flat share price today," said Sat Duhra, asset manager at Henderson Global Investors.

Samsung did not directly mention Elliott in its statement, but the Korean firm promised to respond to the fund's ideas by the end of November.

Elliott, which launched its Samsung campaign last month, owns 0.62 per cent of Samsung's stock.

Samsung pledged to return 50 per cent of free cash flow to shareholders for 2016 and 2017, falling short of Elliott's call for 75 per cent to be returned and to pay a $26 billion special dividend.

Samsung rejected another Elliott proposal by saying that even if it adopts a holding company, it has no plans at present to merge that with Samsung C&T Corp, the group's current de facto holding company and a firm that Elliott has previously targeted.

"I don't think Samsung said much that was surprising or beyond what investors already had in mind," said HDC Asset Management fund manager Park Jung-hoon.

SUCCESSION

Investors and analysts have long viewed a split for Samsung Electronics as a way for the Lee family scion, Jay Y. Lee, and his two sisters to boost their control of Samsung Group companies.

They have said that Samsung shares trade at steep discounts to global peers due to what they say is a complex ownership structure, poor corporate governance and inefficient cash management. The hope is that a major restructuring would address those concerns and boost the company's value.

Samsung executives did not elaborate on the restructuring in a conference call on Tuesday.

But under a restructuring, investors would expect the Lees and affiliates in the Samsung group of companies to exchange their operating company shares for stock in the holding firm, strengthening their grip.

Samsung Electronics would then return more capital to shareholders, investors say. Such a move would boost earnings for Samsung Group firms and the Lee heirs, who face a multi-billion dollar inheritance tax in the event that 74-year-old Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee dies. The senior Lee has been in hospital since May 2014 following a heart attack.

Henderson's Duhra said the asset manager would be satisfied with a restructuring if it addresses "decades of inefficient structures, poor governance and weak corporate behavior towards minority shareholders."

Samsung said it would increase dividends for 2016 by 36 per cent to 28,500 won ($24.36) per share, and buy back and cancel additional shares in January 2017 with whatever excess free cash remains from 2016.

The company also said it needed to maintain a net cash position of between 65 trillion won and 70 trillion won, suggesting it is not likely to pay the special dividend sought by Elliott.

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Samsung had announced back in September that the main reason for the explosions was the faulty battery unit inside the Note 7.

South Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung is now working towards providing in-depth details on the cause of the Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions by the end of this year.

Sources have stated the company is considering all possibilities to find the real issue behind the Galaxy Note 7 recall.

While the investigation is on, Samsung has decided to ramp up the production of their Galaxy S7/S7 edge so as to make up for the recalled Galaxy Note 7 units that were supposed to be the main flagship on sale in the smartphone space right now.

Samsung had announced back in September that the main reason for the explosions was the faulty battery unit inside the Note 7. However, it turned out that the batteries provided by Samsung werent the only ones to explode, so the South Korean company was forced to recall the Galaxy Note 7 a second time.

It has been more than a month since the final recall was announced and Samsung hasnt yet found the exact cause of the accidents.

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UNESCO noted that Belgium produces some 1,500 types of beer, while in Cuba because the rumba sprang from poor communities the dance is an enduring expression of resistance and self-esteem. (Photo: AP/AFP)

Addis Ababa: Cuba's sensual rumba dance and Belgium's thriving beer culture brought new effervescence to UNESCO's coveted list of "intangible" heritage on Wednesday.

Meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the UN body gave the nod to the rumba, which it said evokes "grace, sensuality and joy", while it said "making and appreciating beer is part of the living heritage throughout Belgium".

The Cuban delegation to the Addis Ababa meeting dedicated the rumba's selection to longtime leader Fidel Castro, who died on Friday aged 90.

UNESCO noted that Belgium produces some 1,500 types of beer, while in Cuba because the rumba sprang from poor communities the dance is an enduring "expression of resistance and self-esteem".

Staying on the festive theme, the World Heritage Committee also enshrined the March 21 new year's celebrations of 12 countries stretching from Turkey to India, as well as Bangladesh's April 14 new year's festival.

The list of "intangible" cultural treasures was created 10 years ago, mainly to increase awareness about them, while UNESCO also sometimes offers financial or technical support to countries struggling to protect them.

On Tuesday, the UN body designated Ugandan traditional music, which is dying out partly because it requires materials from endangered species, as intangible heritage "in urgent need of safeguarding".

The committee winds up its review of nominations to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list on Thursday.
Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday approved one controversial pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast, but rejected another.

He approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline to the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia , but rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, B.C.

These are the first major pipeline decisions for Trudeau, whose Liberal government is trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia with environmentalists' concerns.

"The project will triple our capacity to get Canadian energy resources to international markets beyond the United States," Trudeau said at an Ottawa news conference. "We took this decision today because we believe it is in the best interests of Canada."

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production. Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports. Ninety-seven percent of Canadian oil exports now go to the US

"We are getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said. "And we're getting a chance to reduce our dependence on one market and therefore be more economically independent."

Houston-based Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Vancouver Harbour in Burnaby will increase the capacity of an existing pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day.

But there remains opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia, the birthplace of the Greenpeace environmental movement. There is no guarantee it will get built despite Trudeau's approval as it faces strong opposition from environmentalists and indigenous leaders. Vancouver, B.C. Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was profoundly disappointed by Trudeau's decision and said it would bring seven times the number of oil tankers to Vancouver's waters.

Interim federal opposition Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said she supports the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, but doubts it will be built because of the opposition.

Trudeau rejected the Northern Gateway project to northwest British Columbia which passes through the Great Bear Rainforest. Northern Gateway would have transported 525,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific to deliver oil to Asia, mainly energy-hungry China.

About 220 large oil tankers a year would have visited the Pacific coast town of Kitimat. The fear of oil spills is especially acute in the pristine corner of northwest British Columbia, with its snowcapped mountains and deep ocean inlets. Canadians living there still remember the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off an Alaska export hub. 1989.

Trudeau also promised to introduce legislation for a moratorium on crude oil tanker shipping on B.C.'s north coast.

"The Great Bear Rainforest is no place for a pipeline and the Douglas Channel is no place for oil tanker traffic," Trudeau said.

Northern Gateway was approved by the previous Conservative government but a federal appeals court blocked it, ruling that aboriginal communities had not been adequately consulted. That put the decision on Northern Gateway in Trudeau's hands.

Trudeau also approved a lesser known Enbridge pipeline replacement called Line 3 that will carry oil from Alberta to the US Midwest. That pipeline will carry oil from Alberta, through northern Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. The Line 3 project would nearly double the existing pipeline's volume to 760,000 barrels a day.

Notley said Trans Mountain and Line 3 are critical to the oil-rich province's economic future.

The importance of Trudeau's decisions on pipelines only grew after the Obama administration turned down TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline that would have taken Alberta oil to the US Gulf Coast. President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for Keystone XL.

Trudeau noted that more oil would end up being transported by rail if more pipelines are not built. There have been a number of accidents involving oil trains during the past decade in the US and Canada. The worst occurred in 2013 when a runaway train derailed and set off fires that killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.
Washington: Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan has said it would be the "height of folly" for US President-elect Donald Trump to tear up Washington's deal with Tehran because it would make it more likely that Iran and others would acquire nuclear weapons.

"It could lead to a weapons program inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programs. So I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement," Brennan said in an interview with the BBC aired on Wednesday.

Brennan also said that in dealing with the Syrian crisis, Trump should be cautious in trying to work with Russia.

"I hope there is going to be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow," he said.

"President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is that they have pledged," Brennan said.
The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

United Nations: The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to tighten sanctions against North Korea following its most recent nuclear test, placing a cap on Pyongyang's coal exports to China.

The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution aims to curb North Korea's coal exports, the top external revenue source for the impoverished state by more than 60 percent, a US official said earlier.

The official voiced hope that the resolution would cut $700 million from North Korea's coal earnings, dramatically reducing the money it can use on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

China is North Korea's primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Un's regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the state's defiance.

The UN Security Council resolution condemns "in the strongest terms" North Korea's latest test on September 9.

Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturised warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.
Indian citizen in the US on Tuesday pleaded guilty to conspiring to plot terror strikes in the Punjab, India. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Reno: A citizen of India who received asylum in the US and lived in northern Nevada has pleaded guilty to conspiring to plot a terror strike in the Punjab region of his home country on the border with Pakistan, federal law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Balwinder Singh, 42, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Larry Hicks in Reno to conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, a felony that could get him up to 15 years in federal prison and deported following his release. His sentencing was set for Feb. 27.

Singh's defense attorney, Michael Kennedy, noted the plea deal depends on Hicks' approval and the dismissal of an indictment that could have gotten Singh life in US federal prison.

The indictment accused Singh of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, four counts of falsifying an immigration document, immigration fraud and unlawful production of an identification document.

"Mr. Singh is pleased that the indictment, if this is accepted, will be dismissed and that the lesser charge puts this behind him," Kennedy said.

The defense attorney noted that a clause in the plea agreement would allow Singh to ask to be sent to a third country, not India, under the US Convention Against Torture.

US Attorney Daniel G. Bogden in Nevada, FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Rouse in Las Vegas and top US Justice Department national security prosecutor Mary McCord said in a statement that Singh pleaded guilty to planning to send a terrorist operative to India in the fall of 2013 to commit a terror attack - "likely an assassination or maiming of an Indian governmental official."

The final target was to be determined after the operative arrived in South Asia, the statement said.

Singh, who officials say also uses the names Baljit Singh, Jhajj, Happy and Possi, has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2013 in Reno.

Authorities said at the time that his arrest disrupted a plot by the Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force, two terror groups that want an independent Sikh state in the Khalistan region.

His indictment alleged that the conspiracy began before November 1997; that Singh obtained asylum in San Francisco using a false identity; and that he acquired false identification documents in the US to enable him to elude Indian authorities when traveling to his home country.

Singh also was accused of telephoning and wiring money to co-conspirators in India for the purchase of weapons and of traveling to Pakistan, India and other countries for meetings to plan terrorist acts.

In 1999, Singh applied for and later obtained a permanent resident card in the US, the indictment said.

Singh was accused of providing funding and materials including night-vision goggles that authorities found during the arrest of a would-be attacker boarding a Dec. 9, 2013, flight from San Francisco International Airport to Bangkok.

The indictment said US State Department listed the Babbar Khalsa International as a terrorist organization, and the European Union designated the Khalistan Zindabad Force as a terror group.

It suggested that US authorities were listening to telephone conversations in January 2012 when Singh allegedly talked about delivering ammunition and when Singh told an unidentified man to get him weapons or explosives.

Investigators also apparently listened to telephone conversations in May 2012, when Singh allegedly provided instructions to an unidentified man about making an explosive device.

The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in northern Nevada was credited with investigating the case.
Singapore: Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed today to work for "peace and national reconciliation" amid mounting international condemnation of a bloody army crackdown on her country's Muslim Rohingya minority.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner did not mention the violence in Rakhine state, but told a business forum in Singapore that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment.

Suu Kyi started a three-day visit to wealthy Singapore, the largest foreign investor in Myanmar after China, as international pressure mounted on her government to address the Rohingya crisis.

Crowds of Rohingya have flooded over the border into Bangladesh, making horrifying claims of gangrape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind deadly raids on police border posts last month.

Thousands also fled into China this month after clashes broke out between the army and ethnic rebels in northern Shan state, home to one of the many decades-old insurgencies rumbling in Myanmar's borderlands.

"As you know, we have many challenges. We're a country made of many ethnic communities, and we have to work at achieving stability and rule of law which you in Singapore take pride in," the 71-year-old leader said.

"Businesses do not wish to invest in countries which are not stable. We do not wish to be unstable but we've had a long history of disunity in our nation. So national reconciliation and peace is unavoidably important for us," she said.

Criticism of Buddhist-dominated Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya has been intense in Muslim-majority neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia.

Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, after Singapore but postponed the trip in the face of public protests and a thwarted bomb plot against the Myanmar embassy.

A senior cabinet minister in Malaysia, Khairy Jamaluddin, on Wednesday called for a review of Myanmar's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because of what he called its "large-scale ethnic cleansing" in Rakhine.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally at the weekend to protest the crackdown on Rohingyas, an official from his office said Tuesday, as the

United Nations rights agency reiterated its claim the stateless minority may be victims of crimes against humanity.

An estimated 30,000 people have fled their homes in Rakhine and analysis of satellite images by campaign group Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.
Manila: Human rights campaigners expressed shock and defiance on Wednesday after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill them for hindering his bloody war on drugs.

Duterte issued his warning on Monday as the death toll from his controversial crackdown climbed above 4,800, or roughly an average of 30 deaths a day since it began five months ago.

"The human rights (defenders) say I kill. If I say: 'Okay, I'll stop'. They (drug users) will multiply," Duterte said.

"When harvest time comes, there will be more of them who will die. Then I will include you among them because you let them multiply," he added.

Amnesty International Philippines was among a range of groups to speak out against the comments, saying it was "appalled".

"This pronouncement is... inciting hate towards anyone who expresses dissent on his war against drugs," it said in a statement.

The National Alliance against Killings Philippines, a newly formed coalition of rights groups, said it took the threat very seriously and called on Duterte to revoke it.

"His comment -- that human rights is part of the drug problem and, as such, human rights advocates should be targeted too -- can be interpreted as a declaration of an open season on human rights defenders," it said.

Father Atilano Fajardo of the archdiocese of Manila, who works with urban poor groups, said those seeking to protect the vulnerable would not be intimidated.

"This (threat) is a continuation of his effort to create a culture of fear, a culture of violence. We will not let this come to pass," he told AFP.

Fajardo said the Catholic Church, which counts more than 70 percent of Filipinos as followers and has so far been subdued in its criticism of the drug war, was starting to find its voice on the issue.

"That is why he is more threatening. He cannot just frighten us. The priests and nuns will speak out," he said.

Duterte won presidential elections in May after pledging to kill tens of thousands of drug suspects, warning that otherwise the Philippines would turn into a narco-state.

Since assuming office, he has called on police and even civilians to kill drug users.

Duterte also said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts, and likened his campaign to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews in Europe.

The 71-year-old lawyer later apologised for his Hitler reference, but said he was "emphatic" about wanting to kill drug users.

Nevertheless, Duterte has also repeatedly insisted that nearly all of the people killed were either resisting arrest or murdered by fellow gangsters.
Combined with the more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who have been forced to return to the country from neighbouring Pakistan this year, the mass migration to safer urban areas is draining local resources, UN said. (Photo: AFP/Representational Image)

Kabul: With daily battles between the government forces and Taliban insurgents, the number of people who have fled their homes for safer parts of Afghanistan has hit a record high, the UN said Wednesday.

As of November 30, 2016, more than half a million Afghans, 515,800 people had been internally displaced by fighting, surpassing a previous record of 471,000 set last year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The figure has more than doubled since 2014, pointing to a sharp increase in the number of people leaving their homes due to escalating violence in the war-torn country.

"I am concerned these record figures show not just an alarming number of new IDPs, but a longer term crisis where increasing numbers of families in Afghanistan are facing prolonged displacement," Mark Bowden UN humanitarian coordinator said in a statement, referring to internally displaced people.

Combined with the more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who have been forced to return to the country from neighbouring Pakistan this year, the mass migration to safer urban areas is draining local resources, UNOCHA said.

Massive internal displacement has plagued Afghanistan for years, beginning with the Soviet invasion in 1979. But with the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban launched a bloody insurgency that has since spread to previously safer parts of the country.

The violence has been driven in particular in the past two years, by Taliban's repeated assaults on Afghan cities, which puts more civilians in the crosshairs.

According to UN data, a record 198 out of 399 districts of Afghanistan are now reporting conflict-induced displacement, and for the first time, all 34 provinces are hosting IDPs.

The UNOCHA said it had received 54 percent of the $152 million in emergency funding it needs to address the immediate needs of internally displaced people in Afghanistan.

They said it was crucial to ensure "vulnerable displaced families not just receive lifesaving, emergency humanitarian assistance, but support that delivers a real opportunity for IDPs to rebuild their lives for the long-term," Bowen said.
British Indians are sending their old notes to India through their friends and relatives travelling to India. (Photo: AP)

London: British Indians are calling for an extension to a deadline which could see some of their cash become worthless by the end of December, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock decision earlier this month to abolish 500 ($7) and 1,000 ($14) rupee banknotes.

The looming Dec. 30 deadline has rattled many British Indians, who make up 2.5 percent of the population of England and Wales according to a 2011 government census, because the notes can only be exchanged in India.

"I have been getting hundreds and hundreds of calls," said the president of the National Congress Of Gujarati Organisations UK (NCGO), CJ Rabheru.

"They have no clue what the hell is happening," Rabheru said, adding that many of his members are confused by rumours regarding the status of their cash in a move that he said was likely to affect at least 1 million people in Britain.

Although supportive of Modi's effort to fight counterfeiting, Rabheru said many people are scrambling to find flights to India or asking friends and relatives to carry cash for them.

The notes are being abolished in a move to crack down on forgeries and the shadow economy but the withdrawal of denominations that account for 86 percent of the cash in circulation in India have brought India's cash economy to a virtual standstill.

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz has called on Modi to extend the deadline for foreign nationals until mid-2017.

"The Indian government should be commended on this bold and courageous policy, and I completely understand why they have taken these steps," Vaz was quoted as saying in Indian media.

"However, the rupee recall has inadvertently caused concern and distress to many members of the Indian diaspora community who live abroad who fear they will be unable to exchange their currency by the deadline in December."

Vaz has written to Bank of England Governor Mark Carney asking for a solution to allow British Indians to exchange their bank notes in the UK.

"Why do we have to go to India to exchange our currency? That I dont understand," said Mahendrasinh Jadeja, vice president of the British Organisation of People of Indian Origin.
A woman in the UK allegedly sedated her four-year-old daughter with sedatives like heroin to have sex with her boyfriend without disturbance. (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Yorkshire: A woman in the UK allegedly sedated her four-year-old daughter with sedatives like heroin, methadone and ketamine so that she could have sex with her boyfriend without disturbance, leading to the minors death.

According to a report in Daily Mail, the mother, Michala Pyke, and her boyfriend John Rytting allegedly gave the sedatives to Poppy Widdison for six months before she died of a heart attack at Ryttings home in June 2013.

The Hull Crown Court in Yorkshire , England , was told on Tuesday that text messages shared between Pyke and Rytting revealed that they gave blue smartie to Widdison so that she could sleep.

"She [Pyke] regarded her own child as a nuisance and interfering with the enjoyment in her own relationship with Mr Rytting, Prosecutor David Gordon told the court.

The  blue Smartie, medical examination of the deceased girl revealed, was blue tablets of sedative diazepam.

"In text messages in the last week of Poppy Widdison's life, Mr Rytting and Miss Pyke are referring to getting some diazepam tablets ready to give to Poppy in order to, we say, to sedate her, Gordon said.

Widdison was also allegedly physically and emotionally abused by the duo, according to Mirror report.

It's apparent from the text messages that Miss Pyke viewed Poppy as an inconvenience, who she felt was in the way with regards her relationship with Mr Rytting, he added.
A teacher in the UK has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing four teenage girls. (Representational image)

Peterborough: A boarding school teacher in Cambridgeshire, UK, has been jailed four 12 years for sexually abusing for teenage girls in order to satisfy his fantasies.

According to a report in Mirror, 42-year-old Simon Ball admitted to sexually abusing one girl when he was director at Kimbolton School near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. He was also found guilty of sexually abusing three other girls while he was working at Giggleswick School in Settle, North Yorkshire.

During investigation, police had also recovered 678 indecent images from Balls digital devices.

"These offences were all about satisfying your fantasies. There was never anything in it for the girls," Peterborough Crown Court Judge Sean Enright told Ball.

Ball had proposed to one of his victims and bought a ring for her. He had even asked her to go on pills after a pregnancy scare.

"It's not like he's moved schools and tried a different method. It's almost the same and it bothers me. I want to find out why he was allowed to commit such a similar crime again. He was my teacher. He was meant to protect me," Kimbolton victim saia.

Judge Enright ordered Ball to never work at a school again. The court has also instructed him to never contact his victims. Ball has been barred from working with girls aged 18 or below.
The Britain-based monitor said more than 20,000 people had fled to western neighbourhoods of the city held by the government, with another 30,000 moving to areas held by Kurdish forces. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: More than 50,000 people have fled rebel-held east Aleppo in the last four days as government forces advance, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday.

The Britain-based monitor said more than 20,000 people had fled to western neighbourhoods of the city held by the government, with another 30,000 moving to areas held by Kurdish forces.

Syrian troops have seized at least a third of eastern Aleppo since renewing their bid to recapture all of the battered second city just over two weeks ago.

The former rebel stronghold has been under a government siege for more than four months, with international aid rations exhausted and other food stocks dwindling.

The government has said passages are open for civilians or surrendering rebels to cross into the west of the city, and accuses opposition forces of trying to prevent residents from leaving.

Many have chosen to go from the east to neighbourhoods held by Kurdish forces, which are officially aligned with neither the regime nor rebels, such as Sheikh Maqsud in the city's north.

Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

The rebel-held east, which fell from government control in 2012, has been particularly savaged by the conflict, with widespread destruction caused by repeated regime attacks.

In September, the army announced a bid to retake the city, and it began a new phase of that operation on November 15, making swift progress. The loss of east Aleppo would be potentially the worst blow for rebel forces since the conflict began.
Riyadh: An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an "urgent" end to his country's ban on women driving, saying overturning the law was a matter of women's rights and economic necessity.

"Stop the debate: Time for women to drive," Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on his official Twitter account, @Alwaleed_Talal.

Alwaleed is an unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family who holds no political posts but chairs Kingdom Holding Co., which has interests including US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

He is a longtime advocate of women's rights in the Islamic kingdom, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.

In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleed's office issued an unusually long statement late Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

"Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity," Alwaleed said.

"They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion."

He also detailed the "economic costs" of women having to rely on foreign private drivers or taxis, since public transit is not a viable alternative in the kingdom.

Using foreign drivers drains billions of dollars from the Saudi economy, Alwaleed said.

He calculated that families spend an average of 3,800 riyals ($1,000, 940 euros) a month on a driver, money which otherwise could help household incomes at a time when many are making do with less.

Even if their husbands can take time out to transport the women, that requires temporarily leaving the office and "undermines the productivity of the workforce," Alwaleed said.

"Having women drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances."

The prince said he is making his call on behalf of those with "limited means".

A slow expansion of women's rights began under the late king Abdullah, who in 2013 named them to the Shura Council which advises cabinet.

Abdullah also announced that women could for the first time vote and run in municipal elections, which were held last December.

These and other decisions in Saudi history were initially opposed by "certain elements" but soon became accepted, Alwaleed said, calling for "a similarly decisive" political act.

In April, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said change cannot be forced, and "it is up to Saudi society."

In Alwaleed's view, however, "what cannot be allowed is to have one segment imposing its preferences on the rest of society."
Riot police stopped around 150 protesters from different organisations including left-wing groups and women's rights activists from demonstrating outside the education ministry in Ankara over allegations that negligence led to the blaze. (Photo: AP)

Ankara: Turkish police tear gassed protesters who tried to rally in Ankara Wednesday after 12 people, mostly schoolgirls, were killed in a fire at a dormitory in southern Turkey, an AFP photographer said.

The blaze, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, tore through the wooden interior of a dormitory in the southern region of Adana on Tuesday evening.

Riot police stopped around 150 protesters from different organisations including left-wing groups and women's rights activists from demonstrating outside the education ministry in Ankara over allegations that negligence led to the blaze.

Police later detained an unknown number of demonstrators as they tried to run away, the photographer said.

They called for dormitories run by religious sects to be shut down after it emerged the facility belonged to an influential Sunni Muslim group, the photographer added.

Last month, the Ankara region banned all public gatherings and demonstrations until the end of November after receiving information about potential terror attacks.

Some officials suggested the victims were killed on the top floors after they were unable to open a fire door to flee the flames.

But Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak rejected this, saying that according to initial findings the door had been unlocked.

In Adana, police authorities on Wednesday detained eight people, including the manager of the dormitory in the Aladag district, as part of the investigation into accusations of "causing death by negligence".
Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop the Rohingya from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country. (Photo: AFP/Representational Image)

Dhaka: At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks. The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher," said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

The Myanmar army has carried out a bloody crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, forcing some 30,000 people to flee their homes.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop the Rohingya from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country.

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gangrape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police posts last month. Foreign journalists and independent investigators have been banned from accessing the area to probe the claims.

On Tuesday, the UN rights agency said Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.

Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

"We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said.
Dhaka: India and Bangladesh on Wednesday discussed military and security cooperation as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's security adviser to strengthen bilateral strategic ties.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, held a meeting with Hasina's security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed.

No official statement was issued after the meeting but officials familiar with the talks said they discussed security cooperation between the two countries.

Parrikar, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet.

The vice chiefs of India's army, navy and air force, held talks with Bangladesh's three services' chiefs at their office in Dhaka cantonment, a defence ministry official said.

"During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," an official statement said.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar's trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) near the southeastern port city of Chittagong on Thursday. Alongside India, Bangladesh has strong defence cooperation with China especially in military hardware.

Bangladesh Navy this month acquired its first submarines from China, as Dhaka sought to boost its naval power in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib during his recent visit to India had said Dhaka wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others.
Renowned Indian poet Dr Satyapal Anand at the sixth International Urdu Conference at the Karachi Arts Council in 2013. (Photo: Arts Council of Pakistan)

Islamabad: Indian writers and poets will miss this year's International Urdu Conference in Karachi due to the ongoing tension on the India-Pakistan border, a media report said on Wednesday.

The ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi will be held from December 1 to December 4, council member Ahmed Shah said.

"Every year Indian writers and poets attend the moot, lending it variety. This time round, owing to the tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists," Shah was quoted as saying by 'Dawn' newspaper. Highlighting Indian writers and poets contribution, Shah said he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion.

Though the Indian writers like Gulzar and Gopichand Narang have contributed substantially to Urdu literature, these days they are afraid of visiting Pakistan as they fear they would be treated badly on their return to India, Shah said.

He, however, said he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference via video or audio link.

Urdu scholar from countries like the US, Germany, Denmark, the UK, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference, he said, adding that almost all renowned writers and poets from Pakistan had been invited.

Tension between India and Pakistan has increased after the attack on an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18 and the resultant "surgical strike" on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by the army 10 days later.

Since then, cross-border firings have increased killing soldiers and civilians on both sides.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the money trail of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's flats in London with one of the judges observing that there was no bank record of money being transferred from Pakistan to a foreign country.

Hearing a case pertaining to the alleged offshore wealth of Sharif's family in London, the apex court said the family had not presented documents for companies it had mentioned. In fact, documents had been hidden from the court, it said.

"Why were the documents hidden?" the court asked Akram Sheikh, the lawyer for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children.

"If you say that you are a shareholder, you will have to give evidence," Geo TV quoted Justice Azmat Saeed as saying. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's counsel Naeem Bukhari submitted a two-page summary of a transaction questioning the Sharif family's investment of 12 million dirhams in Qatar in 1980 despite owing the Bank of Commerce and Credit International (BCCI) 14 million dirhams.

Justice Sheikh remarked that the Sharifs had failed to explain how they had cleared the aforementioned dues in 1980.

He also observed that the Sharifs had also failed to explain how they had financed the construction of Jeddah Steel Mills.

The bench also observed that there was no similarity between the signatures of premier Sharif's cousin Tariq Shafi on an affidavit and a contract presented before the court.

Bukhari also contended that the Sharifs had failed to produce a single document showing how money had been transferred from Pakistan to Dubai, Doha, Jeddah and London.

Separately, PTI chief Imran Khan said the apex court had done the right thing by questioning the absence of a money trail as the Sharifs did not have the money they claimed to possess.

"Today's proceedings in the apex court have exposed the discrepancy in the family's documents and statements," Khan told journalists.

"Though the case is ongoing, it technically stands dissolved courtesy the aforementioned discrepancy," he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

Imran Khan's party claims to have come up with fresh evidence this week to press its stance that Sharif's London properties had been purchased in the 1990s rather than the ruling family's claim of buying them in 2006.

On Monday, during the hearing, the PTI contended that the Sharif family owned both Nelson and Nescol companies in 1999.

On November 15, Prime Minister Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz submitted documentary evidence on the legitimacy of their assets before the top court, claiming a Qatari prince paid for their London apartment.

On November 3, the premier denied holding offshore companies in a written response to the Supreme Court on Panamagate petitions. In his reply, Sharif said he had declared all his assets in 2013, hence was not liable for disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

A treasure trove of classified documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca in April claimed that three scions of the Sharif family were among dozens of powerful people who owned offshore businesses across international tax havens.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday asked the UN to play a role for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it is the responsibility of the world body to implement its resolution, despite India deploying over one million troops in the Valley.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that "despite Pakistan's concern, the presence of over one million troops in Kashmir which is the highest concentration of troops in the world is a hurdle in implementation of the United Nations resolution".

He said that the UN should "play its role" for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue as it is the "responsibility" of the world body to implement its resolution.

"Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in Kashmir since past four months," he told Radio Pakistan's Current Affairs Channel.

He asked India to immediately stop "bloodshed" in Kashmir, underlining that Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India.

Zakaria said that Pakistan would participate in Heart of Asia Conference being held in India this week because it was related to Afghanistan. He said that peace in Afghanistan was vital for regional stability. He said Pakistan firmly believes in peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson also condemned India's "ill intentions" to sabotage Indus Water Treaty.
Girls belonging to minority religions are kidnapped in Sindh and forcibly married, mostly to seminary students, and that they have no choice but to adapt to their new lives. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Islamabad: A Hindu lawmaker and civil society members in Pakistan have criticised two religious political parties for opposing the Minorities Bill which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country.

Last week, Pakistan's southern Sindh province passed a law making "forced conversions" punishable with a life sentence and forbidding minors from changing their religion, in a bid to protect minorities.

Dr Ramesh Kumar, Members of the National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, on Tuesday commended the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh for setting the minimum age for religious conversion to 18, Dawn reported.

"People are issued a CNIC (identity card) and driving licence at 18 and are allowed to vote after 18. In Sindh, the age at which someone can be legally married is also 18 because before that, an individual is considered a child. After this law, conversions before the age of 18 will be considered a crime," Kumar said.

He said that girls belonging to minority religions are kidnapped in Sindh and forcibly married, mostly to seminary students, and that they have no choice but to adapt to their new lives.

Ramesh met Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Senator Sirajul Haq outside the parliament building and asked him not to protest unnecessarily against the bill for minority rights.

Members of the civil society said incidences of forced conversions were increasing across the country, particularly in Sindh, and that the bill in question will go a long way in helping the minorities in Pakistan.

"Conversion is a basic right as marriage is, but just like forced marriage, forced conversions are also a violation of human rights and is against the teachings of Islam as well," said Krishan Sharma, chairman of the REAT Network Pakistan.

"There are two kinds of conversions even now, when Hindus convert after they are preached to by Christian or Muslim missionaries or when they are forcibly converted," he said.

All the provinces should adopt similar laws to protect minorities from forced conversions and forced marriages, Sharma said.

The two larger religious political parties, the JI and the Jamiat Ulema Islam-F, are opposing the new law recently enacted in Sindh, claiming the law is part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Talking to the media, JI chief Senator Haq said the law related to religious conversions which was approved by the Sindh Assembly was a violation of the Constitution and was also against the UN Charter.
The theory that China's one-child policy has led to about 30 to 60 million "missing girls" which has created a gender imbalance in the world's most populous country is likely far overblown, a new study claims.





Researchers from University of Kansas (KU) in the US found those numbers are likely overblown and that a large number of those girls are not missing at all.



"People think 30 million girls are missing from the population. That's the population of California, and they think they are just gone," said John Kennedy, a KU associate professor of political science.



"Most people are using a demographic explanation to say that abortion or infanticide are the reasons they do not show up in the census, and that they do not exist. But we find there is a political explanation," said Kennedy.



The 2010 Chinese census found the sex ratio at birth was 118 males for every 100 females. Globally the average is about 105 males to females, researchers said.



In 2015, Chinese state media announced all couples would be allowed to have two children, signalling the end of the controversial 35-year-old policy, but scholars and policymakers are examining how the ban could have lasting social influence in China on everything from elderly care to political stability, they said.



Kennedy and Shi Yaojiang, from Shaanxi Normal University in China, analysed statistics and found that a combination of late registration and unreported births explain a larger portion of the "missing girls" than previously reported in Chinese sex-ratio-at-birth statistics.



The researchers believe local government officials informally worked with farmers and acknowledged that they could not fully enforce the one-child policy.



Instead they made tact agreements in allowing families to have extra children in exchange for social stability in their communities.



The cadres, or local governments, would then under-report "out of plan" births that ultimately influenced the national population statistics, researchers said.



"There is no coordination between cadres saying 'we're all in agreement,'" Kennedy said.

"Actually it's just very local. The people who are implementing these policies work for the government in a sense. They are officials, but they are also villagers, and they have to live in the village where they are implanting policies," he said.



The work by Kennedy and his co-researchers began in 1996 when they interviewed a villager in the northern Shaanxi province and discovered that he had two daughters and a son.



The farmer referred to the middle daughter as "the non-existent one."

Kennedy said since the mid-1980s, villagers could legally have a second child if the firstborn was a girl.



"We noticed that qualitatively when we interviewed villagers and higher and lower level officials everybody had a tacit understanding that yes, millions of girls and some boys, too, were allowed to be unregistered, and then these children appear in the population statistics as older cohorts at junior high school age and marriage age," said Kennedy.
The SIT probing the Govind Pansare murder case has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawde at a court in Kolhapur.





The over 400-page supplementary chargesheet was filed in Kolhapur sessions court yesterday.



Tawde, earlier arrested by CBI in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, was in September taken into custody by Kolhapur police in connection with the murder of CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare.



Tawde is the second accused named in Pansare murder case by the state Special Investigation Team.



The SIT had already filed a charge sheet against Sameer Gaikwad, another member of Sanatan Sanstha, in the Pansare murder case.



"We filed the supplementary charge sheet against Tawde here in Kolhapur sessions court," said Additional Superintendent of Police Suheil Sharma, the investigating officer in the murder case.



However, he refused to divulge any information on the charges levelled against Tawde.

"I can only confirm that the charge sheet of over 430 pages has been submitted in the court," he said.



However, police sources said that charges against Tawde are likely to be similar to the ones under which Sameer Gaikwad has been charged.



Tawde was first arrested by the CBI in the Dabholkar case in June this year from Panvel and later the state SIT arrested him on September 2 this year in the Pansare case.

Gaikwad was arrested in September last year in the Pansare murder case.



Tawde had worked as an organiser for the conservative Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha in Kolhapur for some time, and therefore he came under the scanner of state police SIT probing the Pansare murder case, police had earlier said.



Pansare, known for his rationalist views, was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife too was injured in the attack.



Dabholkar, a noted anti-superstition activist and rationalist, was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013.
In the wake of the brazen Nagrota attack, India and Afghanistan would seek to isolate Pakistan on terror at the two-day Heart of Asia conference beginning Saturday in Amritsar as the two countries today pitched for a regional counter-terror framework to effectively deal with the menace.





Identifying terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability, India and Afghanistan said the Heart of Asia -- Istanbul Process, a platform to assist the war-ravaged country in restoration efforts, provides an opportunity to face the challenge "head on".



Afghanistan has been pushing for finalising an effective counter-terror framework to deal with terror at the conference which will be attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia, Pakistan and Iran.



Pakistan Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference amid heightened tension between the two countries in the wake of the Nagrota army camp attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed.



Asked during a briefing on Pakistan's willingness for a bilateral meeting with India on the sidelines of the conference, Joint Secretary in the MEA Gopal Baglay said,"We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting." There was indication that posibility of an Indo-Pak bilateral meeting was remote.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations on Sunday where the Indian delegation will be led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the absence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is ill.



"Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability.



"We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on," Baglay said, addressing a joint press conference with Afghan ambassador to New Delhi Shaida M Abdali.



On his part, the Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the "breeding ground" of the menace and its "safe sanctuaries", in obvious reference to Pakistan.



"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," he said, strongly condemning the Nagrota attack.



Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for "binding" clauses in the counter-terror framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure. Afghanistan has been facing terror strikes by militant groups based in Pakistan.



Asked what role HoA can play in containing terror, Baglay said specifics on what should be done and how to deal with those who "support and glorify" terrorists will be discussed.



"Threat of terrorism is the biggest challenge to peace and stability to the region. There is support to it in our region and where the problem lies we all know. It needs to be sqaurely addressed," he said.



A declaration will be issued at the conclusion of the conference and is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror.



Asked how India was looking at the challenge and what steps it will push for to tackle terror in the wake of the Nagrota attack, Baglay said these are matters of detail and under discussion at inter-governmental level.



India is also likely to ask contries in the region to show strong resolve to tackle terrorism.



Abdali said terrorism is "creation of the region and the solution lies in the region. Therefore the upcoming HoA is very well timed".



He said terrorism is a multifaceted phenomena which requires a "multifaceted approach" and should include dismantling the "terror matrix", tackling drug trafficking and effectively dealing with radicalisation.



The Afghan envoy said terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where "terrorism is nurtured."



The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity iniatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project. There may be deliberations on TAPI (TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan India) gas pipeline project.



President Ghani is schedule to arrive on Saturday and he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting, possibly on that day itself.



Thanking India for providing the last of the four military helicopters to his country last week, Abdali said bilateral talks between the two leaders will be very important, adding security cooperation will be part of the discussion.



On HoA helping Afghanistan in its transition, Baglay said six baskets of Confidence Building Measures are being considered and India has tried to bring in more consultation in the groupings initiatives.



The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.



Swaraj had attended last year's conference in Islamabad. The platform was floated to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.



The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US.



Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guest nations.
BSF today said it has foiled 23 attacks, including two BAT actions by Pakistan, along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir Valley this year and is alert to deal with any untoward incident.





"BSF has foiled and faced 23 attacks of militants and Pakistan regulars on its posts and personnel along LoC in Kashmir during this year. The guys (BSF jawans) have done well, they have been doing their jobs with utmost dedication.



"They (BSF jawans) have foiled many infiltration bids on the LoC and also foiled two BAT (Border Action Team of Pakistan) attempts and in one of the actions, three of our guys have been killed, but they foiled the action and killed one militant and recovered weapons," Vikas Chandra, Inspector General, BSF Kashmir Frontier, told reporters here.



The frontier chief of the border guarding force said security at various installations of BSF has beefed up in the wake of yesterday's terror attack in Nagrota. "Security arrangements have been made. We are alert 24x7 to deal with any incident during these difficult times," he said.



Chandra said the paramilitary force, along with the Army, was responding to the ceasefire violations "appropriately".



"Ceasefire violations have been taking place and we have responded appropriately to them. There were 32 ceasefire violations in 2016 along the LoC on this side. We have lost some men and some others have been injured as well, but that is part of the life, part of duty," he said.



Responding to a question on whether the ceasefire violations were just that or a cover for infiltration, the BSF officer said, "We can say it is combined." "They are infiltration bids as well and we have foiled many such incidents," he said.



Asked whether the attack on the LoC by Pakistan and mutilation of bodies of soldiers was a BAT action, Chandra said, "Generally BAT actions take place. It would have happened, that is why there has been such action."



He said 14 battalions of BSF were deployed in Kashmir Valley. "Over 14,000 personnel are deployed in the Valley both on the LoC and in the hinterland. We are working with army, guarding the LoC. In the last one year, nine BSF officers have sacrificed their lives and 18 others have been injured while guarding the LoC and also while working in the hinterland," he said.



On a question whether there was an increase in the militant attacks after India conducted surgical strikes, the BSF officer said, "I will not say it is an increase. It is a tactic they have been using earlier as well. On the LoC, we have to be careful and we are being careful. It is not that they have not been trying, they have been, but we have averted those on this side of the LoC."
The terrorist attack on an army camp in Nagrota near Jammu on Tuesday in which two officers and five other soldiers were killed has again exposed the wide security gaps even in the most fortified defence establishments. The fact that the camp is part of a strategic corps headquarters makes the security lapse more serious and worrying. The attack took place more or less in the same manner as the attacks in Pathankot and Uri happened this year. It is only because of lack of vigil and alertness that armed terrorists can gain entry into well-guarded military facilities. The Line of Control is constantly watched and patrolled. If terrorists can infiltrate through the LoC and enter military camps, it speaks very poorly of the countrys ability to protect itself. If the defence forces are so vulnerable, how safe are civilians and their establishments?



The attack shows that no lessons have been learnt from the failures at Pathankot and Uri. After the Pathankot attack, a tri-service committee, which was set up to study the lapses, had recommended a number of measures to improve security. But there has been no follow-up on them. There was even a specific intelligence alert about a possible attack this week. As the LoC is hot with infiltrations, violations and daily exchanges of fire, there should have been greater alertness in all defence establishments. The army has lost 89 security personnel this year in Kashmir and it is a matter of concern. Last week, three army men were killed in the Machil area of north Kashmir in a gunfight with infiltrators and the body of one of them was mutilated. The attacks, killings and the exchanges of fire have created a fraught situation which has grave implications for the relations between India and Pakistan and for the lives of people in the border areas.



The attack in Nagrota took place on the day a new Pakistan army chief assumed office. But it is futile to draw a link between the two. After the Uri attack, India conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the border on September 29 ostensibly to teach Pakistan a lesson. But neither Pakistan nor the terrorists seem to have learnt any lesson. Casualties of security personnel and civilians, border skirmishes, infiltrations, conflict and tension have increased in the last two months. The Nagrota attack is a sign that nothing has changed and the situation has perhaps only worsened. As there is no sign of improvement in the near future too, the minimum requirement is to enhance the security preparedness

and infrastructure in all vulnerable places and areas.


Members of the public, under the aegis of National Highway Jagrathi Committee, Udupi district, staged a protest, blocking the national highway on Wednesday. They demanded cancellation of proposed toll collection at Sasthana toll gate from December 2.





Addressing a gathering at the protest rally, Prathap Shetty, president of National Highway Jagrathi Committee, Udupi district, said that Navyug Company, which is in-charge of the construction of national highway, has decided to initiate the toll gate collection.



He said the decision is unethical as the company has failed to offer appropriate infrastructural facilities in the region. There are no footpaths, adequate drains and telephone connections set up in the area.



Besides, the company, which had destroyed the connective stretches has failed to repair the stretches stating that the roads are not under its jurisdiction of the work. The company has not constructed flyovers in Ambalapadi, Kota Murkai, Basrur junction, he said.



He said that when it rains, water remains inundated on the stretches and the public have to struggle to clear the artificial floods in the area. There are no street lights on the streets in regions like Sasthana, Saligrama, Kota, Brahmavar and Katpady.



He said the exiting bus shelters were destroyed in the process of constructing roads and after the work was completed, the company has not built any bus shelter along the stretch.



District Lorry Owners Association president Rajesh Kaveri said the land losers have been still suffering as they have not been offered compensation. He said the incomplete work at Padubidri Junction has been affecting the traffic in the area.



The company was supposed to hand over the completed stretch in 2013. Due to inappropriate construction and irregularities in the work, accidents have become common phenomena in the area.



He demanded that the vehicles with Udupi registration (KA 20) should be exempted from the toll. Unless the company performs all the works listed out as part of the work deal, the committee would not allow toll collection.



He said local residents have not been employed at the toll gate. The company deserves no right to collect toll owing to the incomplete work, he said. He demanded that there should be service roads built on either sides of the NH-66 at important areas.



The agitators blocked the NH stretch for sometime as part of the agitation.Navyug Company manager Raghavendra said that the proposal to collect toll is yet to be sent to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It can happen only after the approval from NHAI. The process would take one to one and half months. He said almost all works are completed as per the agreement.
The third phase of Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan by Ramakrishna Mission was launched in various pockets of the city on Sunday. The Ramakrishna Mission plans to launch at least 400 such abhiyans, and MRPL and Nitte Education Trust are its patrons.





Students of St Agnes College under Agnes Towards Community banner, took up cleanliness drive near Collectors Gate at Balmatta for at least two hours. The Government Womens PU College on Car Street got a facelift after 150 members of Team Inspiration, cleaned the college premises and painted the building.



Students of S M Kushe High School, lead by Prathim Kumar, cleaned both sides of the stretch that leads to Sri Chakrapani Temple from Attavara Katte. Devotees and residents also did their bit by taking part in the drive around the temple and Attavara Katte. The debris were cleared with a JCB and the bus stand at Attavara was renovated and painted.



Students of Ganapathi High School cleaned V T Road, while Amba Maheshwari Bhajana Mandali cleaned the Tailary Road at Mulihithlu. A green lung space here had become an eyesore due to garbage dumping. Nivedita Balaga tried to educate the residents on the harms of trash dumping.



Shivu Puttur lead the Hindu Warriors Group and spruced up the area between Hampanakatta Circle and the railway station. The drains near Wenlock Hospital were cleared as tippers transported debris and dirt from the area.



Art of Living members launched a cleanliness drive near Mannagudda Gurji. Friends Forever, under Shubhoday Alvas leadership, cleaned the Airport Road at Yeyyadi. Inmates of OBC ladies hostel flagged off the Swachch Mangaluru Abhiyan at Chilimbi, while Silver Fox took up a drive near Jyothi Circle.



Nityananda Sahradaya Balaga cleaned Nireshwalya Road. Students from nearby schools joined hands with Monkeystand friends and made up Yemmekere.



Thokottu bus stand and the surrounding areas were made up as members of Veera Maruthi Gymkhana and Om Sri Paramjyothi Manava Seva Alavya joined hands. Kalladka got a new lease of life as Swacch Bharatha Nirmana Sangha and Srirama Vidya Kendra assisted the cleanliness drive.
Mangalore Port played host to two cruise ships, M V Norwegina Star and M V Nautica, that called on Wednesday.





This is for the first time two big vessels have been handled alongside at the same time. Both the vessels came from Goa and sailed to Kochi in the evening. A majority of the passengers were from USA, UK, Canada and Brazil and had opted for ground tour and enjoyed scenic views and experienced the cultural heritage of Dakshina Kannada.



M V Norwegina Star, a giant cruise vessel 294 metres long with 2,064 cruise passengers and 1,048 crew members and M V Nautica with 590 passengers and 398 crew, called at the port.



As many as 109 passengers rejoined vessel Nautica and 77 joined Norwegina Star at the Port reaching Mangaluru by air from Mumbai.

The vessels were berthed alongside berths 3 and 4. This is for the first time two big vessels have been handled alongside.



The passengers visited Thousand Pillar Jain Basadi, monolithic statue of Gomateshwara, Gokarnanatha temple, St Aloysius Chapel, Kadri temple, cashew processing units, city shopping etc. These tourists were taken around by M/s Lia Travels, the local agents of the main tour operator, M/s Ventours, Mumbai and the agents of the ship are M/s J M Baxi & Co.



The release stated that the cruise traffic at the Port had steadily increased in the last three years. During the financial year 2015-16, the port had handled 23 cruise vessels with 19,160 passengers.



The Port set up all the infrastructure required for cruise traffic like state of the art cruise lounge, neat and tidy berth area, concretised roads, security arrangements, immigration facility, greenery in and around the port, availability of local ground tour operators, proximity to tourist areas, etc.



The next vessel will call at the port on Thursday. In the current year 2016-17, 30 cruise vessels are scheduled to call at the Port, stated the release.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo on the land and properties of Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal on a plea made by Haryana.





A bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy also appointed Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary of Punjab and the Director General of Punjab Police as receivers, directing them to submit within a week a ground report on the works, property and portions of the SYL canal.



The court also issued notice to Punjab on a plea by senior advocate Shyam Divan for implementation of the five-judge bench judgement of November 10, that had nullified the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004, which "unilaterally" terminated the 1981 water-sharing pact with Haryana.



The court, however, did not agree to Haryanas plea for directing the receivers to take possession of the land as was earlier directed in March during the hearing on the Presidents reference to the validity of the Punjabs law of 2004.
Demonetisation has given Mamata Banerjee an opportunity to make inroads into Janata Parivar politics.





The West Bengal chief minister has been able to mobilise the RJD and the SP to her side, at least for now. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's support to demonetisation made it easy for her to reach out to both the parties.



Both RJD and SP have not been on good terms with Kumar. During the past few months, RJD leader Lalu Prasad's old rivalry surfaced more than once. Law and order has been an issue on which they differed hugely.



Nitish Kumar's move to campaign for prohibition across the country is also said to have irked Lalu Prasad.



Mamata's Patna arrival on Wednesday gave Prasad an opportunity to express his displeasure against the Bihar chief minister. She was welcomed by his family. Lalu Prasad's close confidant and former minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who is also a bitter critic of Kumar, attended her event against demonetisation.



Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh and Kumar are not having cordial ties since Bihar elections. The SP also did not approve of his anti-liquor rallies in Uttar Pradesh.



Their relationship further deteriorated when Kumar refused to participate in SP's celebration at Lucknow. So, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh welcomed Mamata very warmly.



This is creating unease among both the CPM and the Congress as Mamata may try to forge a non-BJP and non-Congress alliance in the next the Lok Sabha elections.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all cinema halls in the country to play the national anthem before a movie show with the national flag on the screen. It also directed all those present in theatre to stand up to show respect during the 52-second rendition.





A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said time has come that the citizens of the country must realise that they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to the national anthem, which is the symbol of constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality.



It does not allow any different notion or the perception of individual rights; (rights) that have (been) individually thought of have no space. The idea is constitutionally impermissible, the bench said.



Passing a slew of directions on a PIL, the bench relied upon Article 51A (fundamental duties) of the Constitution, which states that it shall be the duty of every citizen to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the national flag and the national anthem.



Every citizen must realise first he or she is Indian and then he or she enjoys all the liberty and freedom, the bench said.



The court said the entry and exit doors of the cinema halls shall remain closed before the national anthem is played, so that no one can create any kind of disturbance that would amount to disrespect to the national anthem. It also ordered that there should be no commercial exploitation of the national anthem.



There shall not be dramatisation of the National Anthem and it should not be included as a part of any variety show, the bench said, adding that its dramatised exhibition was absolutely inconceivable.



In other directions, the court said the National Anthem or its part should not be printed on any object and neither should it be displayed in such a manner that may be disgraceful to its status. It is because when the National Anthem is sung, the concept of protocol associated with it has its inherent roots in national identity, national integrity and constitutional patriotism, the bench said.



The court also prohibited playing or displaying any abridged version of the National Anthem. The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave 10 days time for the authorities to implement its direction for playing of the National Anthem in all cinema halls of the country, DHNS reports from New Delhi.
Banks with salary and pension accounts are getting 20 to 30% extra cash to deal with the increased demand as December begins.





The government is also making arrangements to fly cash at regular intervals to Tier II and III cities and rural areas. Army helicopters will deliver cash in time, an official said.



More than 1.60 lakh ATMs across the country have been recalibrated and mobile vans with ATMs are being sent to minimise queues in front of banks and ATMs, he told DH.



Salaries are usually disbursed between November 30 and December 7. According to official reports, till Monday evening, IAF planes had transported 210 tonnes of currency from the printing press to Reserve Bank of India centres for disbursal to various bank branches.



Banks are also being provided with more hands to deal with the usual surge in demand for cash in the first week of every month. They have been asked to open additional counters.



Officials said the printing of Rs 500 notes had been stepped up, with Rs 2,000 notes being printed less frequently. The printing of Rs 100 notes has gone up 150% since the demonetisation announcement on November 8, they said.



The government banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes on November 8 in a move to check black money and counterfeit notes.



According to top officials, the Finance Ministry is in constant touch with the RBI to monitor the ground situation. In order to make the cash flow smooth for pay day, the government had also ordered a squeeze of currency supply to banks for the last couple of days.



Meanwhile, the All India Bank Employees Association has said people were locking out bank branches in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and abusing staff as enough cash was not available. The association has also sought police protection at bank branches.
In a close shave, the wing tips of two aircraft brushed each other while taxing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday. The Airbus A320 aircraft of IndiGo came in contact with the wing tip of an Airbus A330 of Kuwait Airways.





The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident that took place at around 5.45 am, sources in the Mumbai International Airport Ltd said.



While the aircraft of this international airline was taxing toward the parking stand, at the same time an IndiGo flight was taxing to depart to Jaipur from taxiway N and W' respectively, IndiGo confirmed.



However, there was no response from the side of Kuwait Airways. As 6E 207 flight from Mumbai to Jaipur was taxing out for departure under Air Traffic Control (ATC) instruction - IndiGo pilot was advised to follow the international operator arrival.



Approximately at 5.45 am, the pilot of this international airline was advised by the ATC to move ahead to make way for IndiGo aircraft.



As per the AIP (India), while an aircraft is on taxiway N, Taxiway W4 must not be permitted to use as standard wingtip clearance is not met. The AIP (India) guidelines manual reads  the aircraft holding on taxiway W4 at holding position runway 14/32 will prohibit aircraft taxing on taxiway N.



Hence, due to the taxing process, the Airbus 320 aircraft of IndiGo came in contact with Airbus A330 aircraft of the international operator. As the wing tip of the two aircraft came in contact, an IndiGo passenger observed this and immediately alerted the crew, who informed the pilots. The pilot-in-command operating IndiGo flight 6E 207 immediately decided to take the precautionary measure and returned the aircraft to the parking bay, an IndoGo official said.
The deadly fidayeen attack on an army base in Nagrota area of Jammu on Tuesday once again exposed the vulnerability of security forces installations to terror attacks in the state.





The Nagrota attack in which seven soldiers, including two officers, lost their lives was the second such attack in the span of three months. Earlier on September 18, in a similar attack, Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists stormed an army installation near the LoC in Uri, killing 19 soldiers and injuring 18 others.



Army sources admit that the attacks occurred due to lapses in both the cases, the fidayeen managed to not only breach the border, but also walk up to the army installation without being noticed.



If proper security protocol would have been followed, terrorists would not have been able to enter Nagrota army base or Uri camp. Both the times, security agencies ignored the repeated alerts of a major terror attack in the state, they said, adding that the latest attack once again exposed the chinks in the Armys security infrastructure.



After the January 2 fidayeen attack on Pathankot air force base, New Delhi had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Philip Campose to suggest measures to strengthen security in various military establishments across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.



The report was submitted to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in May. However, few concrete steps were taken and since then two major attacks have occurred in J&K, which shows the lax approach of authorities in New Delhi, sources said.



Even after the army carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) on September 29, Lashkar-e-Toiba chief and mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack Hafiz Sayeed had warned India of a befitting response.



We will tell you (India) what is a real surgical strike... and you will get the deserved response soon, Sayeed had reportedly said in a public address in Faisalabad.



Earlier, Sayeed and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salah-ud-Din had repeatedly threatened to carry out major terror attacks on security installations in Kashmir and in other states of the country.



Sources said intelligence agencies had warned that terrorists were looking for high-impact targets to drive home their message of relevance.



However, despite the threats before and after the Uri attack, authorities in New Delhi ignored them. The frequency of attacks on the army installations since 2015 points out how security for our personnel seems to have been ignored, a source told DH.



One of the reasons why terrorists managed to enter army installations successfully, he said, is prolonged stress levels among the troops, which often causes fatigue and the consequent lowering of guard.



A top intelligence officer said Nagrota terror attack, like the one in Uri, had been carefully planned in Pakistan and the fidayeen had the complete topography of Nagrota and the army locations in the area.
Many restaurants is the city incinerate excess food, even if it is fit for human consumption. Realising that this food could be used by those in need, Rotary Bangalore Brigades has launched The Rotary Fridge as part of their Campaign Against Hunger.





The club has tied up with restaurants in the city and installed mini-refrigerators right outside eateries. Excess food is packed and stored in them. Anyone is free to take the food -- no cost, no questions asked.



The irony is that on the one hand, food fit for human consumption is disposed of, on the other hand, there are people who cannot afford even one nutritious meal a day. The initiative by Rotary Bangalore Brigades is to bridge this gap between abundance and scarcity, said Vimla Pinto, president of the club.



The first such fridge was installed outside Byblos, a Lebanese restaurant in Indiranagar in October. Fruits and sweets were also kept in the fridge. On learning about the initiative, customers donated meals to be stored and used by anyone in need.



Another such fridge was installed in Hotel Elite Royale, HSR Layout on Wednesday. Inaugurating it, H R Ananth, district governor of Rotary International District 3190, said, Restaurants prepare at least 15% extra food anticipating demand but this is often wasted. This is a great initiative and it should be scaled up to include other Rotary clubs.



This week, fridges will be installed outside restaurants in Indiranagar, AECS Layout, Brookefields and Maruthisevanagar. They will be scaling up the effort to cover 40 locations in three months. Other Rotary clubs in the city as well as those in Hyderabad and Chennai, have shown interest in replicating the initiative.



Rotary Bangalore Brigades has also come up with the concept of The Rotary Shelf to store uncooked rice, dal, condiments, jams and biscuits, provided by donors. Associations in residential complexes have shown interest in setting up the shelf on their premises.
Revenues of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) have taken a beating, post-demonetisation.





The two state-run transport corporations have recorded drastic drop in their ticket-fare revenues. While the daily ticket-fare revenue of the KSRTC has come down by a minimum of Rs 50 lakh, that of the BMTC has dropped by Rs 10 lakh on average.



According to sources in the KSRTC and the BMTC, the number of commuters has come down sharply as people are short of hard cash, particularly the small denomination notes. Besides, the state transport corporations do not have facilities for digital transactions on their buses. It is said that those travelling shorter distances are using their personal vehicles instead of depending on BMTC and KSRTC services.



For the KSRTC, the fall in its daily ticket-fare revenue is in the range of Rs 60 lakh to Rs 70 lakh. Rajender Kumar Kataria, KSRTC managing director said: The corporation had earned a revenue of Rs 123 crore between November 9 and 25 in 2015, while the revenue generated in the corresponding period this year is Rs 115 crore.



Kataria observed that there was a revenue loss of over Rs 8 crore this year. The loss is about Rs 70 lakh every day. The ticket-fare revenue was Rs 5.87 lakh on November 10 this year. Normally, the KSRTC earns at least Rs 7 lakh on weekdays and around Rs 9 lakh during the weekend, he said and added that the long-distance travels had come down. He said it would take another three to four months for the revenue generation to normalise.



The BMTC operates a fleet of 6,203 buses - ordinary and Volvo, in Bengaluru. The BMTC had earned Rs 75.12 crore by way of issuing daily pass and sale of tickets between November 1 and 26 last year. During the corresponding period this year, the ticket-fare revenue stood at Rs 72.84 crore, a drop of Rs 2.28 crore.



The figures show that the BMTCs ordinary buses generated Rs 65.09 crore in the first 25 days of November last year, while the collection was Rs 63.81 crore this year. The corporation from its fleet of around 700 Volvo and Corona buses earned Rs 10.03 crore from November 1-26 in 2015 and Rs 9.03 crore this year. In all, there has been a drop of Rs 1.28 crore in its revenue from ordinary buses and Rs 1 crore from its Volvo and Corona buses since November 1, 2016.



Dr Ekroop Caur, managing director, BMTC said: The passenger demand is getting back to normal now. There was a 50% dip in the beginning and it has reduced to 5% at the present. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd officials said currency ban had a minimal impact on Namma Metro, which sees average of 1.3 lakh ridership daily. We could see a small reduction in the number of commuters. This is varying between 5,000 and 10,000, an official said.
Tomorrow marks 20 years since September 11, 2001one of the most tragic days in our nations history. On that day, America fell victim to unprovoked terrorist attacks which took the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans and injured another 6,000, including firefighters, paramedics, and police officers.

Many of us can vividly remember the events that unfolded at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the heroic story of Flight 93. We watched many brave men and women running into danger in service of others, representing the true American spirit. Across our nation, we pause to remember the impact of 9/11 and how it forever changed our country.

But this years anniversary is even more significant, as it comes just days after the end of Americas longest war. The past two decades have not been an easy chapter, nor have they been without setbacks and sacrifices. While I have strong views about the unraveling that weve seen in the last few weeks, my message today is this: Our country is forever grateful to the nearly 800 thousand Afghanistan war veterans, those who volunteered to wear our nations uniform and fought to defend the freedoms we hold dear. Their mission has not been in vain. We honor the heroism of over 24 hundred service members who made the ultimate sacrifice during this war and we pay special tribute to their families and loved ones who carry on their memory.

On this day, officially known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, my heart is with all of the families, loved ones, friends and allies whose lives were changed on 9/11 and the 20 years that followed. Let us continue to honor and thank all of those who sacrificed so much by coming together as neighbors, as volunteers, to embody that spirit of service and community on this national day of unity. Let us not forget that we area United Statesand in our darkest moments, our common bonds are stronger than any fears. We are friends and neighbors, mothers and fathers, sons and daughtersand our politics ought not divide us.

Fulfilling the promise America provides, not just to its citizens here at home, but to those suffering oppression across the world, requires each and every one of us to be better to each other, for each other. God Bless.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

Washington, D.C.

Im running to create a brighter future, strong rural communities

I want a brighter future for all Alaskans, wither Rural or Urban. Thats why Im running for Governor. We have a state thats been so neglected that people have been leaving for a record four years in a row.

Like many of you, I grew up with hurdles in my way. My father was killed by a robber who broke into his office when I was six. Twelve years in foster care taught me that everyone deserves a fair chance in life.

We can do better than a Governor whos tried to raise high rural power costs by stealing $1 billion from our Power Cost Equalization (PCE) Fund. And we can do better than the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs, threats to our fish, harmed communities, closed small businesses and less opportunity to for people to succeed.

That means an economy with good paying jobs and good wages. It means good schools, real and equal opportunity, and treating elders with dignity  things I always fought for as a legislator.

Governor Dunleavy has taken a wrecking ball to these things.

As a legislator I stood up for all Alaskans. Thats why one angry urban legislator called me the Rural Representative from Anchorage. He meant it as an insult. It was a compliment to me, as I was fighting to get needed help to Rural communities, not his and not mine.

Governor Dunleavy has done the opposite.

Hes violated almost every campaign promise he made. He tried taking $1 billion from our PCE fund his first year in office, and again this year until a court stopped him.

He campaigned on education, then tried to cut a staggering quarter-billion dollars from our public schools. Eliminating 2,500 teachers and educators, and leaving students behind, isnt a plan. Its neglect.

Hes done nothing to improve Rural internet, and its embarrassing that the only help well get will come from the President and Congress.

Lower cost energy matters. The Governor has left this energy state energy poor. We can save money for people in rural and urban communities with needed renewable and other cost-saving energy projects. The cost of diesel is too high and too unpredictable, and we need to act.

We can bring back 6,000 good-paying jobs across Alaska by supporting the state construction budget we had before this budget crisis. Alaska has $2 billion of neglected, ready projects on our state and University deferred maintenance lists. The Governor has let buildings and infrastructure decay. Hes kept thousands of people out of work for three years.

I enjoy fishing like many of you. Commercial, subsistence and sportfishing are bedrocks for our economy. Our common interest in protecting our fish binds us. We should find solutions for communities where king, chum and silver runs have crashed.

Ive supported our responsible oil development and mining jobs, including the mine at Red Dog Mine. But the toxic Pebble Mine threatens the greatest wild salmon runs in the world. Unlike Governor Dunleavy, who still stands with the foreign Pebble Mine owners, Ill stand with you to prevent this toxic catastrophe.

Governor Dunleavy temporarily backed off some of his radical agenda to survive a Recall. But his push for devastating cuts to schools and elders, and his decimation of a University thats also the biggest vocational education provider in the State, will all continue if hes re-elected.

Ill never pit Rural and Urban Alaskans against each other. Im on my way to Igiugig this week, just got back from Nome where Kelly and I visit a lot, and have loved my time travelling Rural Alaska from Dillingham to Bethel to Goodnews Bay to Kobuk to Kotzebue, and many communities in between. Our First Alaskans, and our Rural communities deserve an equal voice.

Then theres the main job he promised to do, and never did. Hes ducked Alaskas seven-year budget deficit, and spent away $16 billion in savings as a legislator since 2013, and now as Governor. Hes tried grabbing our savings, our scholarship and PCE funds because he has no plan.

In December he said he wanted $1.23 Billion in taxes he wouldnt identify. In April he shifted to a $3 billion raid on the Permanent Fund, the biggest raid in Permanent Fund history. Taking an extra $3 billion from the Permanent Fund means lower annual Fund earnings to pay for PFDs, schools, construction, police, and roads.

You never received his promised Statutory PFD because it was a false promise he used to get votes, and has never delivered. The statutory PFD he falsely promised would be $3,860 this year.

Now he says he wants a 40% smaller non-statutory PFD. We need a real PFD you can bank on with revenue to pay for it, not endless fights and empty campaign promises. We can grow the Permanent Fund faster with options like letting people who dont need the PFD know that if they decline it, their share will go to grow the Permanent Fund to help others.

We need fair revenue to solve the deficit. That requires ending unaffordable oil company subsidies Governor Dunleavy voted for in 2013, and that I voted against. His oil tax credits are corporate welfare we cant afford. I support the oil industry, but we should partner with it, but not be junior partners.

Alaska cant afford four more years of this. Ill work for you so we can build a brighter future, together. Please visit www.lesgara.com for more information.

Les Gara is a candidate for Governor, a former Alaska State Legislator and Assistant Attorney General. Hes lived in Alaska with his wife Kelly since 1988.

Les Gara

Juneau, AK

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I always look for your articles for advice. I dont always have that type of advice. Im grateful you share.

Brittany Laraux

Bethel, AK

Vaccine Eligibility Expanded in AK!

Yesterday (March 3rd, 2021), the State of Alaska Vaccine Task Force significantly expanded the criteria for who is eligible for the state-allocated COVID-19 vaccine! The new eligibility group, Phase 1C, includes people 55-64 years old, people 16 and older who are essential workers under the CISA definition, high-risk or might be high-risk according to CDC guidelines, those living in a household that includes three or more generations, or skipped generations (e.g., a grandchild living with an elder), and people living in unserved communities as specifically defined by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

I would encourage everyone to take some time to look through this information and find out if your family or friends are eligible and desire to receive a vaccination. This is a big step forward in the COVID-19 mitigation effort and is very encouraging news!

If you do qualify, visit CovidVax.Alaska.Gov to check the availability of appointments in your area.

Senator Scott Kawasaki

Juneau, AK

I will support the first Native American who would hold this position with the expectation that Representative Haaland will be true to her word

During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today (March 4th, 2021) announced that she will support the nomination of Representative Deb Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior  and thus the Secretary who leads it  both play an outsized role in our state. Alaska has more federal lands, more mineral resources, and more natural hazards than any other state. We are set apart by unique laws and frameworks that Congress enacted and that Presidents signed, whether our Statehood Act or ANCSA or ANILCA. We are an Arctic nation because of Alaska. And we are a diverse state, with many indigenous peoples and cultures who have lived there since, as they say, time immemorial. We are a state that is just different.

I seek to ensure every nominee who comes before us understands that. I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to educate others about Alaska and our unique needs and our unique peoples. And I spent a considerable amount of time with Representative Haaland reiterating what is at stake for us.

Alaskas prosperity is directly linked to decisions made by Interior  whether through their trust responsibilities, their authority over responsible resource development, or their monitoring of hazards and other threats.

Ive had two separate meetings with Representative Haaland that lasted for more than an hour each. I participated in both days of her nomination hearing, asking many questions, and have reviewed the answers she provided to all of our members. Ive also spent considerable time listening to Alaskans views on her nomination. They are paying attention to this nomination.

Ive heard two sentiments over and over again. The first is that many Alaskans  Alaska Natives in particular  are enormously proud to have a Native American nominated to this position. It is truly a historic nomination and they believe Alaska Native issues can be elevated to one of the highest levels of government.

The second concern that Im hearing is that many Alaskans are concerned about the agendas Representative Haaland will seek to implement on her own and on behalf of the White House. They are concerned by her opposition to resource development on public lands, including her opposition to key projects in Alaska and her questioning of the vital role that Alaska Native Corporations serve in our communities.

Weighing on top of that is my experience from the Obama administration, when I voted for a Secretary who promised to be a good partner for Alaska, but proved to be anything but that after confirmation.

So I struggled with this vote. How to reconcile a historic nomination with my concerns about an individuals  and an administrations  conception of what Alaskas future should be.

I believe Representative Haalands heart is there for Native peoples and all who treasure our public lands. I dont believe that is the extent of Interiors mission, but she has also told us that she recognizes that if confirmed, she will be serving in a different capacity. She told me that she knows she will need to represent every Alaskan, including those who know how to responsibly develop our lands. And she committed to me that she will make sure that we are doing all we can to ensure that your constituents have the opportunities that they need.

Given the early days of this administration, I have my doubts about whether that will be the case. But I have decided to support this nomination today, to support the first Native American who would hold this position, and with the expectation that Representative Haaland will be true to her wordnot just on matters relating to Native peoples, but also responsible resource development and every other issue.

I also fully anticipate that she will have a strong management team in place with people who understand the value of resource development from public lands. She needs thiswe need thiswithin the Department of Interior.

I am going to place my trust in Representative Haaland and her team, despite some very real misgivings. And Representative Haaland, if you are listening, know that I intend to work with you because I want you to be successful and need you to be successful, but I am also going to hold you to your commitments to ensure that Alaska is allowed to prosper.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

Washington, D.C.

Clean Water Act protections needed for Bristol Bay

This is a letter to Michael Regan, Administrator- designate and Jane Nishida, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dated March 1, 2021.

Dear EPA Administrator-designate Regan and Acting Administrator Nishida,

We write to you today requesting immediate action to ensure the Bristol Bay salmon fishery and the 14,000 men and women whose livelihoods depend on it are not destroyed by development of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaskas headwaters. Bristol Bays commercial fishermen have been fighting the threat of the proposed Pebble Mine for over a decade now, still with no protections in place which would give our industry the assurances we need and deserve.

Bristol Bays commercial salmon fishery is unlike any other in both its volume of fish and number of renewable jobs. Its a thriving economic engine that supplies over half the worlds wild sockeye salmon and provides over 15,000 renewable jobs. Bristol Bay is a torch-bearer for sustainable fisheries management, boasting record returns over the past decade, following a record 135 years of commercial fishing of this incredible resource.

Its sustained a fishing tradition for generations of families throughout Alaska and the U.S. with Bristol Bay commercial fishing permit holders and crew hailing from nearly every US state. Unmatched in both size and sustainability, action under the Clean Water Act is needed and justified to ensure this $2.2 billion a year commercial fishing industry continues to thrive.

In spite of consistent findings by both the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers that the Pebble Mine would pose unacceptable adverse impacts to the Bristol Bay watershed and fisheries, the Bristol Bay region remains vulnerable to large-scale mining and the door remains open for the Pebble Mine to be developed. Without Clean Water Act 404(c) protections in place, Bristol Bay is not safe and Bristol Bays fishermen cannot rest.

We now have an opportunity to stop the Pebble Mine for good and put an end to the uncertainty that has been hanging over Alaskas fishing industry and the thousands of American fishing families who depend on Bristol Bay. We hope that you listen to the call from Bristol Bay tribes, fishermen, and others to establish Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay without delay. Please help us ensure that we can continue to provide our fellow Americans and the world with nutritious wild seafood and support our families for generations to come.

Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay Advisors; Katherine Carscallen, Hattie Albecker, Erica Madison, Heidi Dunlap, John Fairbanks, Michael Jackson, Michael Friccero, Holly Wysocki, Mark Niver

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by Alaska National Guard Public Affairs

The Alaska Army National Guards Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion will conduct its federal, annual training requirements in western Alaska this year from April 30 to May 12.

The timing coincides with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Managements River Watch which provides aerial surveillance and real-time updates in order to issue on-scene flood advisories and warnings, assist communities with flooding preparations, and support emergency response operations if flooding occurs.

On April 11, 2022, the unit prepositioned two Black Hawk helicopters each in Bethel and Nome in preparation. When training kicks off Bethel will have two HH-60M (Medevac) and two UH-60L helicopters. Guardsmen will train with three UH-60L aircraft out of Nome. Both locations will have hoist capable aircraft in order to support a wide range of emergency rescue scenarios.

Members of the public can expect to see the Army National Guard flying overhead during this time as part of their scheduled training cycle.

Should there be significant flooding or other emergency in the region during this time, the Army National Guard air crews and helicopters are ready to provide support as requested by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.

Conducting annual training in western Alaska gives our air crews valuable experience flying across all types of terrain and conditions, said Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, commissioner for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard. Also, our Guardsmen and their aircraft will be strategically located to provide emergency assistance to communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers that experience a flood disaster.

In addition to the readily available helicopters, the National Guard is prepared to deploy Guardsmen across the state to support communities as needed.

With the elevated risk of flooding this spring, the Alaska National Guard is leaning forward in the event of an emergency, said Saxe. We are ready if rural communities need help.

During a domestic emergency or natural disaster, local authorities may request assistance through the State Emergency Operations Center. State emergency managers assist local emergency managers in a coordinated effort to provide the necessary resources. Through this process, the state may request specific support through the Alaska National Guard Joint Operations Center.

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U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, today (Dec. 7th, 2018) announced a $23.1 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant for Emmonak, Alaska to construct a permanent dock and barge/landing craft ramp and to renovate approximately 3.5 miles of high-use service roads.

The grant is through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program, previously known as TIGER grants, which provides support for capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities.

This grant is going to be instrumental in improving the quality of life, health, and safety of residents in the lower Yukon River Delta region. Emmonaks project addresses a growing demand for durable port infrastructure, including barge landing and road infrastructure in the region as fishing and mining industries grow, said the Alaska Congressional Delegation. Up to now, economic development in the region has been hamstrung by the lack of infrastructure. The delegation has worked hard to advance this project. With the engineering and design complete, construction permits in-hand and construction materials already on-site  this grant is the path forward weve needed to ensure the completion of this necessary infrastructure project.

The City of Emmonak is thrilled at the prospect of building out our connectivity within the region. We are tremendously grateful for the commercial enterprise this tug, boat and freight infrastructure will support between Yukon-River Delta communities, said Martin Moore, the City Manager of Emmonak.

We are extremely pleased for the City of Emmonak as the recipient of the BUILD grant. This grant will allow the construction of a much needed port facility for the City of Emmonak, which is the regional hub of the Lower Yukon River Delta. This new port facility will allow us to much more efficiently conduct our economic development activities for the benefit of our region in Western Alaska, said Ragnar Alstrom, Executive Director of Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Quota Organization.

This port is a boon to Emmonak and the entire region. The area the port will serve is the size of the State of Oregon, and the Yukon is the third longest river in North America. This is much needed infrastructure that will facilitate commerce for a variety of industries throughout, said Andrew Guy, CEO of Calista Corp.

In July 2018, Senators Murkowski, Sullivan and Congressman Youngv all sent letters to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in support of the Emmonak project, asking for the Secretary to give due consideration to the Citys grant application.

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by Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead

The Alaska National Guard has a tradition of serving communities throughout Alaska during the holiday season, delivering Christmas gifts and a variety of delights to the children. In its 61st year, some things have changed over time, but the joy and excitement never does. The island-town of St. Michael was selected for a visit this year, and they expressed joy, gratitude and enthusiasm to their out-of-town guests who showed up to spread holiday cheer.

Op Santa delivered wrapped Christmas gifts for every child, infants through age 18, they provided fruit and served ice cream sundaes, and all of the students received new backpacks. The children and teens walked through a line of tables and filled their backpacks with snacks, stuffed animals, books, socks, toiletries, basketballs, footballs, and beautiful hand-knit hats made with love from a group of volunteers who live in Florida.

Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the town of St. Michael Dec. 5, welcomed by the community, whose population of about 400 is largely Yupik Eskimo. Santa took about 30 elves with him, and they were thrilled to catch a ride on one of the Alaska Air National Guards brand new HC-130J Combat King II aircraft from the 211th Rescue Squadron.

It was an honor to step in for Rudolph and the other reindeer and fly these folks here in one of our rescue aircraft, still shiny and new, said Lt. Col. Eric Budd, Op Santa pilot and commander of the 211th Rescue Squadron.

After the aircraft arrived in St. Michael, a flurry of activity began as elves stepped out onto crunchy snow and large boxes were off-loaded and transferred to vans and pickup trucks driven by community volunteers. The jolly out-of-town guests were welcomed with hospitality and smiles as they arrived at the all-grades school, feverishly unpacked, organized items and finished preparing for the big event.

The faculty and students had eagerly anticipated their guests and the Christmas event, evident by the many colorful decorations, lights, and an impressive display built by the students to house Santa and Mrs. Claus, including a tree, chairs, decor and lighting.

Weve been looking forward to Op Santa for months, said Anthony A. Andrews School principal, Mr. Jon Wehde. Our community is so excited for this visit and we really appreciate the generosity and kindness of everyone involved, he said.

Op Santa began in 1956 as the Anchorage community assisted the village of St. Marys after negative impacts of natural disaster left them with no money to buy Christmas gifts. The Air Guards 144th Airlift Squadron delivered donated goods to the remote village in a C-123J Provider. Since then, Air Guard C-130s, Army Guard C-23 Sherpa, UH-60 Black Hawk, and other aircraft have transported Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves, gifts and other desirable items to tens of thousands of children throughout rural Alaska.

The event is important because it began due to the impact of natural disaster and continued as a way to reach rural Alaska for building community relationships, serving those in remote areas, and providing joy and comfort to Alaskans during the holiday season, said Maj. Gen. Laurie Hummel, adjutant general for the Alaska National Guard.

Many Alaskans in rural communities may go most of their lives without personal interaction with service members in the U.S. military, and Op Santa allows Soldiers and Airmen to build connections in a personal and tangible way.

Engaging Alaskan communities is a priority for the Alaska National Guard and Operation Santa Claus is one way we can show our Alaskan neighbors that we care, said Hummel.

Airmen and Soldiers in the Alaska National Guard worked with The Salvation Army and community volunteers to coordinate and execute the Op Santa mission.

Op Santa really isnt possible without all of the volunteers who pull it together, said Hummel. This community outreach program is a time-honored tradition that we hope to continue for many years to come.

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Is This Contestant The New Captain Of The Bigg Boss 10 House?
MTN Uganda has announced the launch of outbound mobile money transfer services to Rwanda and Kenya.

Last year, MTN launched international mobile money transfer services, but it only supported inbound transfers from Kenya and Rwanda. In this latest development, MTN Mobile Money customers in Uganda will now also be able to send money to MPesa and MTN Mobile Money customers in Kenya and Rwanda respectively.

This MTN Mobile Money solution has an automatic currency converter, which means users will send and receive money in their respective local currencies. The recipient has to be a customer of Safaricoms MPesa in Kenya and in Rwanda one has to be an MTN Mobile Money customer to receive the money directly on their phones.

Customers who intend to send money to Kenya and Rwanda will pay a fee plus a 5% of the amount being sent, with MTN is offering customers a 50% discount on this transaction fee for a limited period of time following the launch.

Technology is helping us eliminate national borders, enabling a unified digital and mobile financial services world. We are delighted to offer a solution that further enhances that agenda and trust that our customers will find it a secure and easy way of transferring funds internationally, said Phrase Lubega, MTN Ugandas General Manager in charge of Mobile Financial Services.

In August this year, MTN launched MoKash, giving millions of Ugandans access to micro loans and making it possible for them to save money on their mobile phones. In the three months since its launch, MoKash has attracted more than 1.2million customers with savings close to 3bn Uganda shillings.
FreeCharge and Mumbai Traffic Police have partnered to allow collection of traffic fines via the digital wallet

Mumbaikars will now have an easier time paying traffic fines. FreeCharge and the Mumbai Traffic Police have partnered to allow collection of traffic fines via the digital wallet. About 500 e-challan devices have been sent to traffic chowkies across the city. When an offender is caught violating a traffic rule, an e-challan will be generated against the vehicle registration number, which would then be sent to the drivers mobile phone. The user can then log on to mumbaipolice.net, enter their challan or vehicle number, and pay via FreeCharge.

Govind Ranajan, CEO, FreeCharge said, We are pleased to partner with Mumbai Traffic Police in their pursuit of making the process of collecting fines cashless. Digital payments make the process faster and more efficient. Such partnerships are in line with our objective to make FreeCharge an everyday, everywhere option for our users.

The Mumbai Police had earlier noted that it expects an annual increase of 8 lakh challans from the existing 22 lakh challans. FreeCharge hopes that the partnership will help identify and take action against repeat offenders. FreeCharge has also noted that it is in discussion with authorities enable the service in other cities in India.
  Star English > + Compare + Compare   13-May-2016

Market Status : DISCONTINUED Expected Date : 25 Mar, 2013 Official Website : Samsung Key Specifications Screen Size 3" (240 x 320)

Camera 2 | No MP

Memory 4 GB/512 MB

Battery 1200 mAh Variant/(s) Color   Star Price in India:  4,990 set price drop alert See All Prices   Star Alternatives

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  Star Full Specifications Basic Information Manufacturer : Samsung Model : Galaxy Star Launch date (global) : 25-03-2013 Operating system : Android OS version : 4.1.2 Type : Smartphone Status : Available Colors : default Product Name : Samsung Galaxy Star Display Screen size (in inches) : 3 Display technology : TFT LCD Capacitive touchscreen Screen resolution (in pixels) : 240 x 320 Pixel Density (PPI) : 133 Scratch Resistant Glass : No Camera Rear Camera Megapixel : 2 Maximum Video Resolution (in pixels) : QCIF @ 15fps Front Camera Megapixel : No Front Facing Camera : No LED Flash : No Video Recording : No Geo-tagging : No Digital Zoom : No Autofocus : No Touch Focus : No Face Detection : No HDR : No Panorama Mode : No Battery Battery capacity (mAh) : 1200 Talk time (in hours) : N/A Removal Battery (Yes/No) : N/A Sensors And Features Multi touch : No Light Sensor : No Proximity Sensor : Yes G (Gravity) Sensor : No Finger print sensor : No Orientation Sensor : No Accelerometer : Yes Compass : No Barometer : No Magnetometer : No Gyroscope : No Dust proof and water resistant : No Connectivity SIM : Dual 3G Capability : No 4G Capability : N/A Wifi Capability : Yes Wifi HotSpot : Yes Bluetooth : N/A NFC : N/A GPS : No DLNA : N/A HDMI : N/A Technical Specifications CPU : Cortex A5 CPU speed : 1 Ghz Processor cores : No RAM : 512 MB GPU : N/A Dimensions (lxbxh- in mm) : 105 x 58 x 11.9 Weight (in grams) : 100.5 Storage : 4 GB removable storage (yes or no) : Yes removable storage (included) : N/A removable storage (maximum) : 32 GB

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  Star Brief Description   Star Smartphone 3 - TFT LCD Capacitive touchscreen    .    240 x 320    133      .   1 Ghz No        512 MB     .   Star Android 4.1.2     .   Star      :   Star Smartphone March 2013    .

    Star Smartphone 3 - TFT LCD Capacitive touchscreen    .    240 x 320    133      .   1 Ghz No        512 MB     .   Star Android 4.1.2     .   Star      :   Star Smartphone March 2013    .   Dual  Smartphone .   Cortex A5   .   512 MB     .     4 GB      .          32 GB    .    1200 mAh       .   Star         : ,Wifi,HotSpot,       2        .

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  Star FAQs What is the starting price of   Star ? The starting price of   Star is 4,990 for the base variant with 512 MB 4 GB. What is the screen size of   Star ? The   Star features a 3 inches TFT LCD Capacitive touchscreen with 240 x 320 resolution. What is the Battery capacity of   Star ? The   Star has a 1200 mAh battery. What is RAM size of   Star ? The   Star is available with 512 MB sizes to choose from. What is Storage capacity of   Star ? The   Star is available with 4 GB sizes to choose from.

Disclaimer: Digit, like all other media houses, gives you links to online stores which contain embedded affiliate information, which allows us to get a tiny percentage of your purchase back from the online store. We urge all our readers to use our Buy button links to make their purchases as a way of supporting our work. If you are a user who already does this, thank you for supporting and keeping unbiased technology journalism alive in India.
Oil and gas miner Greka Drilling has won a second contract with PetroChina Huabei Oilfield to drill five wells, for an undisclosed fee.

The AIM-listed company agreed to a one year contract to drill five horizontal wells in the Fanzhuang Block in Shanxi Province, China.

The company previously drilled 13 wells, or 19,257 meres, for PetroChina from 2013-15 .

Greka Drillings chairman and chief executive, Randeep Grewal said: "The winning of this five horizontal well contract proves once again that PetroChina recognizes Greka Drilling as a quality drilling company with advanced rig technology and experienced crews.

PetroChina is also expected to commence a 100 cluster wells drilling project in Anze Block in 2017, which represents a significant further opportunity for us. Following an expected slow 2016, we are hopeful that 2017 will be a busy and fruitful year for Greka Drilling in China."

Shares in Greka Drilling were up 3.76% to 2.62p at 1052 GMT.
StratMin Global Resources , graphite production and exploration company, has announced that it is currently looking into investment opportunities within the precious metals sector, particularly gold, as part of the condition it must meet for its recent AIM listing.

The company became an AIM Rule 15 cash shell company following the completion of the divestment of its Graphmada subsidiary in September 2016.

Under the AIM rules it is required to make an acquisition, which constitutes a reverse takeover, within six months of listing on AIM.

The company has been focusing on reviewing investment opportunities in the precious metals sector as the board and management have experience in gold projects. The improvement in the gold price over the year has also provided significant opportunities in the sector according to the company.

An agreement has been made with its joint venture partner Tirupati carbons and chemicals to open the syndication of their joint venture company, Tirupati Resources Mauritius (TRM), to new investors.

The new investment will enable Tirupati to accelerate the development of the companys Vatomaina graphite development in Madagascar.

In the interim the companys holding in Bass Metals has performed well with significant volumes traded of the last week up to AUD0.02.

Chief executive Brett Boynton said: "The team is conscious of working to complete a suitable transaction in order to maintain the company's admission to trading on AIM. Nothing has been decided yet, but we can say that we are reviewing some very high quality opportunities. Opening the TMV project to new investment enables StratMin to focus on the RTO requirement and dedicate cash to that effort."

The shares were down 9.93% at 1.35p at the close on Wednesday.
European Council President Donald Tusk has rejected a notion from lawmakers in the United Kingdom about protection being offered to British citizens living in Europe following Brexit .

Tusk has taken a hard-line stance against any concessions espoused by politicians in Britain after the country voted to leave the bloc in June. European leaders want Prime Minister Theresa May to invoke Article 50 as soon as possible to begin formal negotiations for its departure.

Eighty-one MPs urged the EU to act in order to safeguard the interests of British citizens living in other member states, and also those of European citizens currently residing in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It is unclear whether those people who have emigrated to Britain or Europe will have to return to their countries when the UK eventually leaves the bloc.

In a letter addressing the point published on Tuesday, Tusk said that the proposal was "a very interesting argument, the only problem being that it has nothing to do with reality".

Tusk added that the only way to provide any clarity was for the British government to act decisively on the issue.

"Would you not agree that the only source of anxiety and uncertainty is rather the decision on Brexit?" he asked. "And that the only way to dispel the fears and doubts of all the citizens concerned is the quickest possible start of the negotiations."

More than one million British citizens are currently living on the continent, and the leaders of the bloc are keen not to give any information away as to what their situation will be until formal talks start.

"Just like you, I would like to avoid a situation where citizens become bargaining chips in the negotiation process," Tusk said. "In order for this not to happen, we will need precise and comprehensive solutions, which, other than nice-sounding expressions, will provide citizens with genuine guarantees of security."
A meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna has led to an agreement to cut oil production levels to 32.5m barrels per day, reducing output by 1.2m barrels per day.

The figure was at the bottom-end of the range proposed at the group's last meeting in Algiers, and despite some opposition from the likes of Iran, the main players have compromised to allow a deal to be reached.

Nevertheless, oil prices surged 8% on Wednesday to over $50 per barrel, but as the news broke both Brent and WTI are drifting from their best levels.

Tense negotiations involving the likes of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran had threatened to prolong the commodity's record price glut, but early indications are that the Saudi government has allowed Iran a better deal than it was initially prepared to give away.

Iran would be allowed to continue increasing its output to roughly 3.9m b/d so as to allow Tehran to recover its share of the market before international sanctions were placed on it.

Until Wednesday, Saudi had pushed for a cap of 3.7m b/d on Iranian production.

Iraq, on the other hand, agreed to reduce its output.

Initially, some analysts were sceptical despite the boost to prices caused by the emerging news of agreement on Wednesday, saying a number of other factors must be considered.

"We are still sceptical that such a dramatic rise in prices is yet justified for a number of reasons. First, the group had already agreed to reduce production to around 32.5m bpd," said Thomas Pugh, Commodities Economist at Capital Economics.

"Second...A failure to announce individual country quotas would be a signal that divisions within the group are still high and that compliance with the agreement is likely to be low," he added.

"Third, OPEC has a terrible history of complying with its own quotas. Indeed, its previous output quotas have been used more as a floor than a ceiling. A lack of individual quotas would only make it more likely that members would simply continue pumping at current rates."

However, at a press briefing later in the day OPEC said it would publish the individual country quotas.

Furthermore, Russia, the biggest producer outside the bloc, agreed to reduce its output of oil by 300,000 barrels a day, OPEC said.

Non-OPEC members were highly likely to meet the cartel's petition that they reduce their own combined output by approximately 600,000 b/d, OPEC added.

ThinkMarkets' Naeem Aslam has said that prices of the commodity should have a base of between $50-60 in the near future at least.

"This will support the oil price in the longer term, but the element which is going to boost the price of oil even further, in the coming days, is the GDP growth around the globe," Aslam commented.
London stocks gained on Wednesday as oil prices surged after Iran and Saudi Arabia sounded an upbeat note on a potential OPEC deal to curb production.

The FTSE 100 rose 0.87% to 6,831.20 points.

Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said on Wednesday OPEC was close to reaching a deal to limit oil output while his Iran counterpart Bijan Zanganeh said he was optimistic of an agreement.

Riyadh said Saudi was prepared to accept "a big hit" to its own production but Zanganeh said there had been no request for Iran to cut output.

Brent crude jumped 6.7% to $49.76 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate advanced 6.3% to $48.31 per barrel at 1138 GMT.

Should we see an agreement today, it would represent one of the most important days for oil markets in years, with the Saudis essentially abandoning their attempts to push out US producers from the market, said IG analyst Joshua Mahony.

The decision to leave it to the markets has clearly been a disaster for OPEC members who have been long reliant upon oil revenues to prop up their economies. After years of austerity and budget deficits, could today mark the day when OPEC says enough is enough?

Earlier in the session, banks were in focus following the results of the Bank of Englands latest stress tests. State-owned Royal Bank of Scotland performed the worst and has been forced to submit plans to strengthen its balance sheet, while rivals Barclays and Standard Chartered failed requirements but will not require fresh capital.

RBS failed to pass all the hurdles of the stress test and has agreed a revised capital plan with the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority to raise at least 2bn of extra capital.

RBS shares fell 2.9%, while Barclays slid 0.16% and StanChart slipped 0.14%.

Speaking on the risks to UK banking following the BoE stress test results, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned the EU will face major hits to its economy if it does not agree to a transitional period to allow banks and finance firms time to adapt to Brexit. He added the EU needs financing from Britain.

Banks located in the UK supply over half of debt and equity issuance by continental firms, and account for over three-quarters of foreign exchange and derivatives activity in the EU, Carney said.

If these UK-based firms have to adjust their activities in a short time frame, there could be a greater risk of disruption to services provided to the European real economy, some of which could spill back to the UK economy through trade and financial linkages.

Elsewhere, Zoopla gained ground after reporting a rise in full-year profit and revenue and announcing the acquisition of estate agency website design and hosting business Technicweb.

Unilever, which is holding its annual investor event on Wednesday, rallied as traders showed fresh interest in a range of defensive stocks.

IG Group ticked higher after it said trading in the second quarter has continued to be in line with its expectations.

Pub group Greene King edged lower despite posting a jump in interim profit, while gambling software company Playtech slumped after its founder sold a discounted 12% stake for 329m.

Investors were also mulling over the latest survey from market research firm GfK, which showed UK consumer and business confidence fell further in November amid worries about the impact of the Brexit vote.

GfKs long-running consumer confidence index fell five points to -8, missing expectations of a decline to -4.

Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK, said: The slump across the board this month points to continuing uncertainty about the state of the economy among consumers. Although scores for our personal financial situation just about remain positive, the big theme is the reduced confidence in the UK economy looking back and ahead. We are viewing our economy over the past 12 months with increasing despondency. The decreasing score on the economy for the next 12 months also shows we are resolutely gloomy about the outlook despite strong GDP numbers.

Still to come, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi speaks at 1300 GMT, while the US ADP employment report is due at 1315 GMT, while the Chicago PMI is at 1445 GMT and US pending home sales are at 1500 GMT.

Market Movers

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Ashtead Group (AHT) 1,573.00p 4.10%

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Tullow Oil (TLW) 289.50p 10.16%

RPC Group (RPC) 1,078.00p 7.58%

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Zoopla Property Group (ZPLA) 341.60p 7.08%

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Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 429.80p 5.42%

Sports Direct International (SPD) 310.50p 4.72%

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TalkTalk Telecom Group (TALK) 157.30p -2.90%

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FTSE 250-listed investment group LondonMetric Property s interim earnings and dividend increased, but its net asset value slipped as it focuses on the distribution sector.

The company said while the political outcome remains uncertain, investors are being increasingly discerning in their stock selection and more accurately pricing the underlying real estate fundamentals of security, longevity and growth.

For the six months ended 30 September, EPRA earnings increased 8% to 25.3m, or 4p per share, compared to the same period last year, while net rental income also rose 8% to 39.7m.

The dividend per share rose 3% to 3.6p and a second quarterly interim was declared of 1.8p. The dividend cover increased to 112% with further growth expected in the final quarter.

The EPRA net asset value slipped to 143p from 147.7p. Its portfolio is valued at 1.48bn a fall of 1.1%.

The 23m portfolio revaluation deficit contributed to a 13.1m loss during the six months, compared to a 64.3m profit last year.

The company has a property total return of 1.5% compared to 0.2% from the index from the Investment Property Databank.

During the year 78.4m worth of retail assets were sold, which reduced the retail park weighting to 16.8%, while it gained 32.2m of last mile warehouse investments with a further 47.2m acquired after the end of September.

About 4m on new income was secured from completed developments, with 2m coming from 11 lettings and 22 rent reviews.

The companys finances were strengthened by 130m private debt placement. It has net debt of 590.7m, undrawn facilities of 183.8m and a debt maturity of 5.7 years at an average cost of 3.3%.

Chief executive Andrew Jones said: "We continue to focus on compounding our long and strong income and value highly the repetitive, reliable and secure nature of our rents which gives us confidence to deliver dividend progression.

"Our income is structurally supported by our investment in the winning sectors and we continue to draw on our deep occupier relationships to make the correct investment decisions and create value. We have continued to sell down our mature retail parks and have further sharpened our focus on the distribution sector which offers higher growth opportunities. In particular, we have grown our 'last mile' distribution portfolio where we are capitalising on attractive demand/supply dynamics arising from consumer delivery demands for instant gratification."

Shares in LondonMetric Property were down 0.89% to 144.50p at 0836 GMT.
Royal Bank of Scotland has been forced to submit plans to improve its capital position after failing the Bank of England's annual stress tests, while rivals Barclays and Standard Chartered stumbled over some hurdles but not badly enough to require raising new funds.

Despite these failings, Governor Mark Carney assured reporters at a press conference that the Bank's Financial Policy Committee felt the UK banking system had sufficient capital to cope with a potential doomsday scenario that the tests modelled.

State-owned RBS failed to pass all the requirements of what was a tougher 2016 stress test and has agreed a revised capital plan with the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority to raise at least 2bn of extra cash.

The tests, which are carried out annually to ensure banks' balance sheets can cope with hypothetical adverse economic scenarios, found RBS's Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio on 31 December last year would have been below the required level and that its Tier 1 leverage ratio was also short of the mark, even after the impact of management actions.

Carney said RBS had made a lot of improvements to its core business in recent years but still has "legacy issues".

"There's misconduct costs, there's impaired assets, they're still working through the so-called non-core assets on which they have made progress."

He pointed out that RBS's proposal on Wednesday was "not talking about raising capital, they're talking about reducing certain types of assets and increasing capital through other activities as oppose to going out and raising capital."

Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC passed with flying colours, comfortably exceeding the higher capital and leverage thresholds set out for the purpose of the stress test.

"While the PRA board judged that some capital inadequacies were revealed for three banks, these banks now have plans in place to build further resilience," the BoE said on Wednesday.

"The FPC judged that, as a consequence of the stress test, the banking system is in aggregate capitalised to support the real economy in a severe, broad and synchronised stress scenario."

More severe tests

This year's stress test was designed to be more severe than the tests in 2014 and 2015 and was based around a scenario where there was a synchronised UK and global recession with associated shocks to financial market prices, as well as an independent stress of misconduct costs.

The test also judged banks against the Banks new hurdle rate framework, which held systemic banks to a higher standard reflecting the phasing-in of capital buffers for global systemically important banks.

Designed under the Bank's annual cyclical scenario framework, the scenario modelled a hypothetical synchronised global doomsday scenario, with factors such as UK growth and house prices plunging, unemployment spiking, oil prices tanking and growth in Asia and other emerging market economies badly affected.

Barclays had a shortfall in its capital ratio but the PRA said the bank had already announced sufficient strengthening of its capital position and so no further action was demanded.

Similarly, Standard Chartered was not required to raise extra capital as the PRA concluded that while the bank did not meet its full Tier 1 risk-weighted capital requirement, it had subsequently taken steps to strengthen its capital position.

Reaction

Shares in RBS were down 3.3% to 190.4p just after 0900 GMT on Wednesday morning, StanChart fell initially but regained some ground while the other banks were close to parity.

Goldman Sachs analysts said in their view the results "re-affirm the necessity for RBS to settle major outstanding litigation items in order to resume capital return", though it still preferred the state-owned bank and STAN as its sees "scope for re-rating as restructuring and the resolution of legacy issues progresses".

Analyst Neil Wilson at ETX Capital said it was "no surprise" that RBS came last stress tests out this morning and it mustering a fresh 2bn in capital was "going to prove very difficult for a bank that is yet to turn a profit some eight years after being bailed out", and the threat of a $12bn fine from US authorities to settle claims it mis-sold mortgage backed securities in the run up to the financial crisis.

"The bank is still 73% owned by the taxpayer and a return to private ownership looks even further away than ever. Its got to pray that Clydesdale Banks bid for Williams & Glyn goes through  RBS had wanted 1.9bn for the 315 branches but chances are it will be for a good bit less than that."

He added that investors still had to be mindful of risks to financial stability from Brexit and the upcoming Italian referendum, which could send a shockwave through the European and UK banking sector.

Mike van Dulken at Accendo Markets said Barclays shares were the standout performer, despite a capital shortfall and being more exposed to investment banking and international.

"Then again remember this is all based on stress tests started in March, when the world was a very different place. I wonder what things will look like next year when the BoE stresses for a bad Brexit scenario and all the other political risk events we face across Europe," he said.
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Hawaii state law provides paid pregnancy disability leave and unpaid parenting leave.

If you work in Hawaii, you are entitled to a reasonable amount of time off when you can't work due to pregnancy and childbirth. And, Hawaii is one of a small handful of states that provides temporary disability insurance, which pays employees a portion of their wages while they are unable to work due to pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, the Hawaii Family Leave Act requires employers with at least 100 employees to allow employees four weeks off for parenting. These state laws are in addition to the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which gives eligible employees the right to take unpaid leave for pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

Taking Time Off During Pregnancy in Hawaii

There are two types of federal and state laws that might protect you if you need pregnancy leave: laws prohibiting pregnancy discrimination and laws that require pregnancy leave.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Hawaii's Administrative Code prohibits employers from firing an employee because she needs to take time off work due to disability stemming from pregnancy or childbirth. The Code also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees who are temporarily disabled by pregnancy and childbirth.

The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act does not require employers to give pregnant employees time off work. However, it does require employers to treat employees who can't work due to pregnancy just as it treats other employees who are temporarily disabled.

Pregnancy Disability Leave Under the Hawaii Administrative Code

Hawaii's Administrative Code requires all employers, regardless of size, to allow employees to take leave which they are temporarily unable to work due to pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. An employee is entitled to take a "reasonable" period of time off, as determined by her physician.

Family and Medical Leave Under the FMLA

The FMLA gives eligible employees in Hawaii the right to take up to 12 weeks off work in a one-year period for serious health conditions, including pregnancy. The FMLA applies only to employers with at least 50 employees, and employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, for at least 1,250 hours during the past year.

If you qualify, you may use the FMLA to take time off when you are unable to work because of your pregnancy and childbirth. You may also take FMLA leave for prenatal care, including routine check-ups and doctor visits. (The FMLA allows employees to take their leave intermittently, if it's medically necessary. Learn more about the FMLA, including eligibility requirements, in our article on FMLA leave for pregnancy and disability.)

Parenting Leave in Hawaii

Hawaii's Family Leave Act (FLA) gives employees the right to take up to four weeks of parental leave in any calendar year. Although the FLA covers only employers with at least 100 employees, employees are eligible for leave if they have worked only six consecutive months for the employer, with no hours worked requirement.

The FMLA also gives employees the right to take time off to bond with a new child, but they need to have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, for at least 1,250 hours during the past year. The FMLA parenting leave is part of the total 12-week leave entitlement. So, if you use two weeks of FMLA leave during your pregnancy, you will have only ten weeks left to use for parenting leave. If you want to use your parenting leave under the FMLA a little at a time (for example, by working a shorter work day or work week), your employer must agree to it. You aren't automatically entitled to use your parenting leave intermittently.

Parents Who Work for the Same Employer

If you are married to someone who works for the same company, your employer can limit the total amount of FMLA leave for parenting to 12 weeks for both parents. But whatever portion of your own 12 weeks of FMLA leave you don't use for parenting will still be available to you for other reasons, including your own serious health condition or qualifying disability. This restriction doesn't apply to time off under the Hawaii FLA. Hawaii law gives each spouse the right to four weeks off; they do not have to combine their family leave.

Getting Paid During Your Time Off in Hawaii

Hawaii's temporary disability insurance (TDI) program provides some wage replacement to employees while they are temporarily unable to work due to pregnancy and childbirth. Learn more about Hawaii's TDI program, including benefits and eligibility requirements.

FMLA pregnancy and parenting leave is unpaid, but you may ask (or your employer may require you) to use your accrued paid leave (like sick days, vacation, or PTO) to get paid during your time off.

Your employer may also offer maternity, paternity, and/or parenting leave benefits. Talk to your HR representative or manager (and check your employee handbook) to find out what types of leave are available to you.
J.T. Tuimoloau's NIL value surges after win over Penn State

Ohio State defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau could see some very tangible benefits from his performance against Penn State.
DCI Engineers

McDonald

Behroozi

Ahmadi

Brown

Rivzi

In Seattle, DCI Engineers hired Samiah Rizvi as a project engineer, Lisa Brown as an accounts receivable specialist, and Lutfullha Ahmadi, Aidin Behroozi and Megan McDonald as structural designers. Rizvi was a DCI intern and is working on wood modular buildings and multifamily projects. She holds a master in structural engineering from Seattle University and a bachelor's in civil engineering from the University of Washington. Brown has 30 years of accounting experience in architecture, banking, consulting and nonprofits. Ahmadi has 12 years of experience in the A/E/C industry. He studied seismic design in Iran and Afghanistan, and worked with the Corps of Engineers. He is working on Viejas Casino in Alpine, California. Behroozi was a DCI intern. She is working on 1016 Republican, a mixed-use project in Seattle. She holds a master in structural engineering from the UW and a master of structural engineering from Baha'i Institute for Higher Education in Tehran, Iran. McDonald is working on commercial, office and residential projects. She was a sales intern for engineered wood products, and holds a bachelor's in civil engineering from Washington State University. DCI is a civil and structural engineering firm with offices in Washington, Oregon, California, Texas and Alaska.




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SEATTLE  Sound Transit has officially awarded a $152 million contract to Hoffman Construction Co. to build the Roosevelt light rail station.

The contract includes constructing the civil, structural and architectural finishes for the underground station, located on 12th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 65th and 67th streets.





. . .
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Seattle, Portland and Denver reported the largest annual gains in September for the eighth straight month.



By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER

AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON  U.S. home prices have fully recovered from their steep plunge during the housing bust and Great Recession, according to a private measure.

The Standard & Poor's CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index, released Tuesday, is slightly above the peak it set in July 2006, after rising 5.5 percent in September from a year earlier. The milestone comes after more than four years of steady gains.





. . .
Cognizant to buy Dutch digital marketing agency Mirabeau BV

US-based IT consulting company Cognizant today struck a deal to buy privately-held Dutch digital marketing agency Mirabeau BV for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2011 by Adjan Kodde, Erik Hamoen, Godfried Bogaerts and Heini Withagen, Mirabeau designs, builds and manages online platforms and creates additional value by revolutionising the digital customer experience.

The Amsterdam-based company works with leading brands such as KLM, ING, Air France, Maxeda, MoneYou, LeasePlan.com, and Transavia.

Post closing, around 260 employees of Mirabeau will become a part of Cognizant's Digital Business practice.

The acquisition will expand Cognizant's digital business capabilities in the Netherlands and across Europe.

"The most successful companies are the ones that combine marketing, operations, and technology to drive comprehensive digital transformation," said Adjan Kodde, CEO at Mirabeau.

"By joining forces with Cognizant, we are even better positioned to help our clients succeed in this fast-changing, highly competitive marketplace by delivering improved personalized experiences across multiple devices," he added.

"The future of the digital economy will be built on experiences consumers have as they bank, stay healthy, insure their families, and move through the interconnected world. Companies in consumer-facing sectors are increasing their investments in interactive solutions to provide better, more personalized experiences to their customers," said Santosh Thomas, president, Global Growth Markets, Cognizant.


Facebook testing Wi-Fi hotspots across small-town India

Beaten back on its controversial 'Free Basics, 'Facebook is testing Wi-Fi hotspots across villages and small towns in India to provide free internet access under its Express Wifi name, the social networking giant has said, unveiling plans to take the project to other nations as well.

The new experiment comes months after India's telecom regulator blocked Free Basics, a controversial service that Facebook said would bring free access to a limited version of the social network and other sites to the poor.

The ruling was seen as a setback for Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who is keen to expand on the network's 160 million users, the second largest in the world.

''We are working with carriers, internet service providers and local entrepreneurs to help expand connectivity to 'underserved' locations around the world. We're live in India, and are expanding to other regions soon,'' the company said on its website.

Google and Facebook are chasing the next billion internet users - a third of which are expected to come from India - to generate more advertising revenue. Nearly 65 per cent of India is yet to use the internet.

Google has been providing free Wi-Fi in partnership with an Indian Railways subsidiary, RailTel, and plans to offer internet connectivity in 400 railway stations by 2018. The Google programme is already active at 53 stations. Facebook too is talking to RailTel for similar services.

However, the new Express Wifi pilot project, may not be free. The company will charge a small amount for the access. But most of these hotspots will be in small towns and eventually expand in villages, from where most of the new users are expected to come.

The company did not share any details on the number of hotspots that it plans to open.

Sources said Facebook will share setup costs, provide technology and perhaps also share operation costs.

''Currently, we are working with ISP and operator partners to test Express Wi-Fi with public Wifi deployments in multiple pilot sites,'' a Facebook spokesperson said. Express Wifi customers can purchase fast, reliable and affordable data packs, he said. The plan is expected to be available for public soon, he said, adding Facebook would not take payments directly.

Google also plans to extend Google Station to cafes, malls, universities and bus stations  a programme to offer high-speed browsing at any place that has a wired internet connection. However, it may not be a free service, with revenue being split between Google and the space owner.

The company is testing its Project Loon that will use balloons to take internet access to remote locations. It is also learnt to be looking at putting Google Accelerator boxes in cafes and restaurants.

The Mountain View internet giant also has a Wi-Fi plan called Google Fi, which Facebook claims is different from its Express WiFi. A Fi user pays Google directly and accesses the internet riding Google's partnerships with ISPs, public Wi-Fi and network operators.

Redmond-based Microsoft is trailing along as well. The company is also working on TV White Spaces technology which lets the company broadcast internet signals at unused low-frequency spectrum bands.

The company claims that since the frequency is low, the signals can be transmitted over larger areas bringing down the cost of laying optical fibre.


Moller-Maersk, DONG Energy in talks to merge oil and gas business

A P Moller-Maersk and DONG Energy are in talks to merge their oil and gas operations in a deal that would create a company valued at over $8.7 billion, British newspaper CITY AM reported.

Both the Denmark-based companies A P Moller-Maersk and Dong Energy have hired Bank of America and JP Morgan respectively to work on a possible merger of their oil businesses.

The talks comes after Moller-Maersk said in September that it would split its transportation and oil businesses, or sell off its oil business to focus on its core transport operations.

A spokesman for Dong Energy told Reuters "We are in the very early stages of the sales process. There will be no sale before the end of the year and it is far too early to speculate over timing and indeed potential buyers."

Dong Energy, Denmark's largest energy company, had this month said that it would divest its oil and gas assets as part of its plan to shift from fossil fuels toward offshore wind.

Maersk produces over 600,000 barrels of oil a day, while Dong Energy produces about 115,000 barrels a day. Both companies have a majority of their assets in the North Sea.

Earlier Maersk had held inconclusive talks on acquiring some North Sea assets of Royal Dutch Shell.

Dong Energy's oil and gas portfolio includes 14 in Denmark, 19 in the UK (West for Shetland), 23 in Norway, 2 in the Faroe Islands and 1 near Greenland.

Moller-Maersk produces oil from the Danish and UK sections of the North Sea, Qatar, Algeria and Kazakhstan.
Eight American cities will be represented at the Mary from Dungloe Festival this year as it celebrates fifty years in existence, according to Councillor Mary Therese Gallagher.

The Dungloe based councillor, told a meeting of Donegal County Council (DCC) that she felt that the festival was one that reached out to the diaspora across the globe.

She tabled a motion urging the DCC to recognise the International Mary from Dungloe Festival as a county festival as Kerry County Council recognise the Rose of Tralee, and partner with the local committee on this its 50th year in existence.

The Sinn Fein councillor said that the festival is run by a small number of people who work voluntarily. The entire festival can be enjoyed by everyone for free.

Fianna Fail Councillor, Enda Bonner seconded her motion and urged the council to give as much support to the festival as they could.

Director of Services, Liam Ward, said that the council would be happy to work with the local committee and offer any advice they could.
The Director of the Co. Donegal Education Centre has written to schools across the county confirming that an investigation is underway into the alleged misappropriation of funds at the centre.

It is understood that hundreds of thousands of euro may have been misappropriated over an extended period of time from the centre, which is based in Donegal Town.

In a letter sent to school principals this week and seen by the Donegal Democrat, Jacqui O'Reilly Dillon wrote, "Having taken up the position of Director with Co. Donegal Education Centre in June 2015, it became apparent that there were financial irregularities and that funds had been misappropriated.

"The DES [Department of Education and Skills] and the Gardai were immediately notified of this."

Both the Dept. and the Gardai have been carrying out investigations over the last year, Ms Dillon continued, "and these concerns have been confirmed."

Ms Dillon, who is principal of Magh Ene College in Bundoran, is on secondment to the DEC.

She told the Democrat that, on taking up the post, "part of my duties was familiarising myself with the finances for the centre and concerns were raised."

Staff have been working very closely with both agencies to assist their investigations, Ms Dillon continued.

In addition, the DEC's management committee appointed auditors to carry out a forensic audit and the centre also conducted its own internal audit.

It's alleged that fraud was carried out "over recent years," Ms Dillon told the Democrat. She would not comment on the amount of monies involved.

The management committee are satisfied, she added, that any alleged fraud has ceased.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed that an investigation into fraud at the centre is ongoing but would not comment further.

The Dept. of Education and Skills has not yet replied to our query.

See Thursday's Donegal Democrat for more.
A well-known Donegal health campaigner says anyone needing the breakthrough Cystic Fibrosis drug Orkambi should receive it.



Brendan McLaughlin, from Ballybofey, who is Irelands longest-surviving lung transplant patient, says the drug should be made available despite recent reports that that it was likely the drug will not be funded by the HSE due to its cost.



It should be got. It is the same with any disease. It is hard enough to fight disease but it is worse when you have to fight for your drugs as well. That is not a good situation, he told the Donegal Democrat.



The people that need it should get it because in the long run the are saving money. People will need less hospitalisation. Anyone that has worked with it has seen a vast improvement in their condition, he said.



It does not work for everyone. That is understandable as it is designed for a certain genetic code

Reports at the weekend stated that the Government had considered unjustifiably expensive and not sufficiently cost effective by both the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) and the HSE drugs committee.



The Sunday Business Post reported that a formal announcement by the HSE was imminent after its drugs committee recommended against funding Orkambi at a recent meeting after concluded that the drug did not deliver sufficient benefits to patients to justify its annual price tag of 159,000.

On Tuesday Health Minister Simon Harris TD said on Tuesday that he had written to the Health Ministers in England, Scotland, Canada and Australia asking them to collaborate to try and make progress on accessing Orkambi at a cost effective price for cystic fibrosis patients in each of their countries.



No decision has been taken to reimburse the treatment in any of these countries to date.
Ford is throwing a party with the unveiling of its new Fiesta city car.

Revealed in Europe, Ford has shown off four variants for its next-generation urban runabout, all of which feature revised and unique front-end styling treatments.

The regular Fiesta is joined by a performance-inspired ST-Line which is a stepping stone to the fully-fledged ST performance model.

The American brand has also revealed a more upscale Vignale model that includes features such as 18-inch alloy wheels and quilted leather seats, in an attempt to attract sales away from the more premium end of the segment such as the Volkswagen Polo. A high-riding Fiesta Active crossover also broke cover. However, it is unclear whether these variants will make it to Australia.

Ford, like other car makers in the pint-sized space, has made connectivity a big part of its appeal adding its new SYNC3 infotainment system to the facelifted Fiesta range. The new system includes navigation, audio controls and smartphone mirroring through the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems in a simplified layout compared to its previous SYNC2. All of which is accessed through a floating touchscreen in multiple sizes depending on specification.

The Blue Oval brand has also revealed that the new Fiesta will come with some advanced safety technology such as pre-collison assist with pedestrian detection and park assist with an autonomous parking feature. Its suite of safety tech is further highlighted with the addition of auto high beam and traffic sign recognition.

Ford also took the occasion to single-out its updated three-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine - which will power the Fiesta range - for its ability to now deactivate individual cylinders to help increase fuel efficiency.

More information is expected closer to the car's local launch in 2017.
A large crowd gathered at The Square on Saturday evening for the public and civic reception in honour of Dundalk FC who have brought such honour to the town.

The players came out onto the stage as they were announced one-by-one to tremendous cheers and applause.

Dressed immaculately, they are indeed great ambassadors for the town.

Then all the backroom staff at Dundalk FC were introduced, for this was an honour for all the men and women at Dundalk FC.

Then Stephen Kenny appeared with the Airtricity trophy to tremendous applause. And the Christmas lights, the new bigger and brighter Christmas lights, were switched on by the chairman of Dundalk Municipal District Committee, Cllr Mark Dearey and Stephen Kenny.

The new state-of-the-art lights came on in Clanbrassil Street, Earl Street and Park Street and they are just magnificent.

Martin Connolly, general manager Dundalk FC accepted a Business and Community Award from Tom Muckian chairman of Dundalk BIDS.

Tom said the last time he saw such a turnout for a reception at the Square was twenty years ago when President and Hillary Clinton came to Dundalk.

It was an honour for him to be on the stage with this team who had brought such joy to the town.

Tonight is the business community's chance to say thank you.

Martin Connolly thanked the municipal district committee for the civic reception, and Dundalk BIDS and Dundalk Chamber of Commerce for the award and he said the club had come a long way from being on the brink of extinction.

He thanked everyone at the club, who had pulled together, the magnificent players and management team.

He thanked the clubs dedicated group of volunteers.

Chairman of Dundalk Municipal District, Cllr Mark Dearey, said that as public representatives we treasure what you have done to the town.

He recalled going to Oriel Park when he was growing up and the great names and the great European ties against FC Eindhoven, Spurs and Celtic, but he also recalled that things were not always great.

There were dark enough times in Dundalk, he said, but the club was always something we always held dear.

He also paid tribute to the late Sean Bellew, former Dundalk Town Councillor and a great Dundalk FC supporter, a tribute that was met with a warm and dignified applause by the people gathered at The Square and the players and staff of Dundalk FC.

Sean text me there about a week ago, he said, about an encounter he had with some Spurs fans, how he walked away with great pride because they recognised what these men standing behind me had achieved.

Sean felt an intense sense of pride and belonging to what had happened.

I knew him too as a politician. We are going to miss Sean and we are going to do our best for him as well. May he rest in peace.

He then made a presentation of a Cuchulainn statuette to the club from the members of Dundalk Municipal District members.

Then it was the turn of Dundalk FC manager Stephen Kenny who said that since he took over four years ago he, and all the players and all the staff at Dundalk FC, have had nothing but kindness and decency from everyone in Dundalk.

And he thanked the people of Dundalk for that.

People would often ask where exactly is Dundalk, he said. I tell you what, they know now where Dundalk is. They know in Iceland, they know in Belarus, they know in Holland, they know in Israel, and they know in Poland. They know where it is.

They know exactly where it is now. Its a town in its own right.

He pointed out that this team had won one league title, which is something else.

Then two, which had never been done before in Dundalk, and then three, and into the Europa League, and have had to play such a gruelling schedule, they had to put their bodies on the line every two or three days for months and months.

They have carried themselves brilliantly, he said of his players. Lets hear a big cheer for this group of players.

And what a cheer it was.

What this team has done has been incredible. A great inspiration to all the young people of Dundalk for the next generation.

For us, we still have Israel to come next week. Hopefully we can go and do it next week and get through.

Finally Stephen ODonnell came forward and once again lifted the Airtricity League trophy to the delight of all.

A great and proud evening for the Town.

Michael Duffy, the voice of Oriel, was MC, and what a brilliant job he did.

A scroll was presnted to the team in the Town Hall afterwards.
Crash and Burn, which tells the story of Dundalk-born Tommy Byrne, will have a Formula 3 race car present for its Dundalk premiere, at the Omniplex Cinema Dundalk this Thursday 1 December.

The Dundalk premiere of Crash and Burn will take place at 7pm this Thursday 1 December at the Omniplex Cinema Dundalk, with arrivals from 6.30pm.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Tommy Byrne.

The motor racing equivalent of George Best and Muhammad Ali all rolled into one, Tommy Byrne went from driving a Mini Cooper in stock-car racing to the big-time in Formula One in a little over four years and was a serious rival of Ayrton Senna.

Eddie Jordan the former team-owner, who worked with both Senna and Michael Schumacher has said: Forget Schumacher and Senna. Tommy Byrne was the best of them all.

Tommys rise was meteoric and his fall spectacular. He was a cocky, aggressive driver from humble roots and the F1 glitterati simply didn't like the mix.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Sean O Cualain, the documentary shines a light on one of professional racings most dashing and charismatic talents and a glittering career that was doomed before it ever began.

It is the story of the greatest F1 driver never to emerge.

Crash and Burn shines a light on one of professional racings most dashing and charismatic talents and a glittering career that was doomed before it ever began. It is the story of the greatest F1 driver youve probably never heard of.

Crash and Burn (cert 15a), will go full throttle in cinemas on 2 December.

The film was produced by David Burke of Dot TV & Film with funding from the Irish Film Board, RTE and BBC Northern Ireland.
Fine Gael councillor John McGahon has branded Deputy Gerry Adams' visit to Cuba to attend the funeral of Fidel Castro an example of the Sinn Fein president's 'lack of judgement'.

Adams arrived in Havana on Monday evening to participate in some of the funeral ceremonies for Fidel Castro who died at the weekend.

Speaking earlier just before boarding his flight Teachta Adams said;

Fidel Castro was a global leader, and part of the revolution that liberated Cuba. In his lifetime he supported the right of peoples around the world to freedom and independence; spoke out against international debt imposed on developing countries; and called for an end to hunger and poverty.

In more recent years he met Pope Francis and lived long enough to see the vindication of the sacrifices of his people when President Obama commenced the process of normalising relations between the USA and Cuba.

"I have good memories of meeting with Fidel. He was very knowledgeable of the Irish struggle for freedom and was an admirer of the hunger strikers of 1981.

"I am in Havana to extend condolences and solidarity to President Raul Castro, to Fidel Castros family and the Cuban people.

However Cllr McGahon doesn't think the visit was appropriate.

"The fact that Gerry Adams TD is attending his funeral is another clear example of his lack of judgement. Those of use who believe in the democratic rule of law cannot idolise someone who refused to hold free elections for over 50 years, who conducted sham trials that saw hundreds of executions of political opponents.

"The life of this 90-year-old is nothing to celebrate. What matters is that he was a dictator. He persecuted those who dared challenge his will. He was guilty of violent abuses of accepted legal standards and human rights. He was no hero, no revolutionary icon, no shining light for the left. Instead he shares the same platform in 20th century history as Joesph Stalin, Mao Zeadong, Benito Mussolini and Pol Pot.

"Any self-respecting politician who is democratically elected should stand against dictatorship. By attending Castro's funeral, Adams is refusing to decry dictatorship and is instead supporting a series of human rights abuses and restrictive policies that can never be excused."
Investment will improve and strengthen electricity network in the North East of the country

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB)  the EU Bank - are supporting vital developments required for a reliable and efficient operation of the electricity transmission grid in Tunisia.

Both EBRD and EIB will be providing a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to 46.5 million each to Societe Tunisienne de L'electricite et du Gaz (STEG), a state-owned utility company.

The company is the backbone of the Tunisian energy sector, which is in urgent need of investment to improve the security of supply.

The sovereign-guaranteed financing will be used to reinforce and strengthen the electricity transmission network, in order to enhance its efficiency and reliability and prepare the grid for additional generation capacity including renewables.

The investment in the new electricity transmission network will alleviate Tunisias acute energy shortages. Higher efficiency will lead to an increase in energy savings, estimated to be around 170,000MWh, and expected carbon savings of around 85,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

This operation is the first EBRD loan in the Power & Energy sector in Tunisia and is in line with the EBRDs Green Economy Transition approach (GET). Under GET the Bank aims to increase its green financing to around 40 per cent of total EBRD financing by 2020.

Mohamed Fadhel Abdelkefi, Minister of Investment, development and International Cooperation, said: The energy sector is vital for all aspects of people's daily life and for the development of all other sectors of the economy. The EIB and EBRD are providing substantial support for this sector by reinforcing our national transmission grid. Thanks to the loan we will be able to improve our corporate governance, strengthen our capacity planning and improve risk management.

Alain Pilloux, EBRDs Vice President, said: We are pleased to support this important project which will significantly improve the reliability of Tunisias power system and reduce power losses and carbon emissions. It is our first project in the power sector in the country, and we are here to make sure that it will be completed with the best environmental standards and best international practices.

The EIB has first invested alongside STEG in 1995 and has invested to date 1.5 billion in the electricity and gas sectors in Tunisia. The sector of energy is a key priority for the EU Bank EIB, said Vice-President Roman Escolano. Tunisias electricity transmission provisions need to be reinforced and extended for today and in anticipation of increased demand. While virtually all of Tunisias residents are connected to the national grid, this project will improve transmission efficiency, cater for the connection of new generating capacity from renewable sources and increase the possibilities for regional interconnections. Further environmental benefits will be brought to the table through reduced losses and improved reliability and quality of supply.

Tunisia became a member of the EBRD in 2012 and to date the Bank has invested more than 350 million across 25 projects in various sectors of the economy. The EBRDs strategic plan for the period 2016-18 has three priorities: strengthening economic resilience, addressing global challenges and supporting regional integration.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.

EIB Press Contact: presse@bei.org

Tel: +352 4379 21000

Anne-Cecile Auguin, a.auguin@bei.org,

Tel. : +352 43 79 83330 / Gsm: +352 621 36 19 48

EIB Twitter @eib
As the inimitable Ari Berman talked about in detail in our podcast a few weeks ago, one of the chief ways of disenfranchising poor people  particularly minorities  is to make it hard for them to vote. And one of the ways they do that is by passing laws that require a photo ID to vote on Election Day. In that podcast, Ari told the saga of one elderly Wisconsin man who, after jumping through the unnecessary hoops set up by two different states, finally gave up after having been able to vote his entire life.

Now Michigan is poised to enact this same sort of legislation which, if it becomes law, will require those without the financial means to procure a photo ID for voting purposes, to go to absurd lengths in order to obtain a free one. Current law allows voters without ID to sign an affidavit in lieu of presenting the ID.

The series of bills  House Bills 6066, 6067, and 6068  were introduced in the State House yesterday by Republican Lisa Lyons. They were immediately assigned to the House Elections Committee where a single hearing is being held TODAY at 10:30 a.m. This hearing was scheduled by Chair Lisa Lyons at the last minute specifically to hear testimony on these three bills which are expected to be passed out of committee by the end of the week to be voted on by the full House as early as next week. Its worth noting that Rep. Lyons, the author of the three bills as well as the Chair of the Elections Committee, was the Chair of that committee when Republicans rushed through legislation earlier this year to make it harder for citizens to put issues on the ballot or to change the state constitution. They did that just in time for this years election, of course, by passing it with the now legendary immediate effect clause.

House Bill 6066 requires people who do not have photo identification for voting purposes to vote with a provisional ballot. In order for their vote to be counted, they must then return to their clerks office within ten days of the election to show photo ID or to present a document to establish the electors current residence address as provided in section 523a(5) and executing an affidavit, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, affirming under penalty of perjury that the elector is the same individual who cast the provisional ballot on election day and is or has either of the following: (i) Indigent and attempted but was unable to obtain photo identification for voting purposes without payment of a fee. (ii) A bona fide religious objection to being photographed and does not possess a photo identification for voting purposes.

You may be saying to yourself, Thats not too much to ask. But for 5-10% of Americans, obtaining the necessary documentation to obtain a photo ID is, beyond difficult (if not impossible) or unaffordable. Although House Bills 6067 and 6068 allow the state to run records checks for free if the voter is indigent, the records in some cases do not reside in Michigan. In other cases, the voter simply does not have the resources to jump through all the hoops being set up by this legislation.

In the final analysis, putting down barriers to prevent Americans from being able to vote is a blatant and disgusting way to disenfranchise poor people. African Americans and other minority groups are hit particularly hard. As has been proven time and again around the country, they are disparately impacted by this sort of heinous voter suppression. Thanks to Lisa Lyons efforts, Michigan will soon join the ranks of states like Wisconsin, Texas, and North Carolina that have created onerous barriers for poor people to vote to solve the nonexistent problem of voter fraud.

If youre wondering, What can I do? now that the election is over, HERE is something you can do. Call your State Representative and Senator and make sure that he or she votes AGAINST all three of these disgusting pieces of voter suppression legislation. You can find your Senator HERE and your Representative HERE.

UPDATE: I am reminded by Nathan Triplett from Equality Michigan that this attack on voting access also hits the transgender community particularly hard given their difficulties in obtaining a picture ID that matches their gender.

UPDATE 2: Before you fire off an angry comment or tweet at me about why theres no problem asking people to show a photo ID to vote, I ask that you please listen to the interview LOLGOP and I did with Ari Berman from The Nation magazine in our podcast a couple of weeks ago. You can listen to it HERE. The segment with Ari starts at the 35:00 minute mark. Please listen to it. Youll be shocked by how big a deal this is for some folks and how it truly IS voter suppression.

UPDATE 3: As, expected, the Elections Committee, after taking a single day of testimony at an unscheduled hearing on Wednesday, proceeded to pass the bills out of committee on Thursday. It now goes to the full (Republican-led) House.
Chinas parliament earlier this month passed a law aimed at addressing the countrys concerns about hacking and terrorism, which has spiked concerns among foreign businesses and human rights advocates.

One interpretation of the new law is that it only codifies Chinas existing cybersecurity practices. However, 46 global business groups across a variety of industries didnt see it that way. They outlined potential problems in a letter sent to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang this summer, when the measure was pending.

The law would expose foreign companies doing business in China to invasive government security reviews and burdensome requirements for keeping data in the country, the business groups warned.

Their objections appear to have been ignored by Beijing. The new law requires all critical information infrastructure operators to store personal information and important business data in China, as well as to provide technical assistance to security agencies and pass national security reviews.

In terms of the expanded definition of critical information infrastructure and the requirement for vendors to undergo a national security review, foreign companies are concerned about exposing source code, as well as requirements to use domestic encryption standards not vetted by international standards bodies, explained Erin Ennis, senior vice president of the U.S.-China Business Council.

The CII issue also ties directly to data localization and restrictions on cross-border data flow, and impacts a wide variety of industries well beyond the tech sector, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Rising Compliance Costs

China has never had an open Internet, but this codifies existing requirements and expands them, observed Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies

It will raise the costs of compliance for foreign firms significantly, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Foreign companies now are required to assist Chinese authorities in their investigations of cybercrime and other types of misuse of the Internet.

That could involve providing the encryption keys to the encryption you use, Kennedy noted.

Being forced to keep data on Chinese citizens in China and not being allowed to export it also could be burdensome for some companies.

Thats an obstacle to companies that want to analyze all their users data together, Kennedy said. Chinese companies dont face that obstacle. Ali Baba has servers in Seattle, and they can take data on their American customers and send it to their headquarters in China.

Deaf Ear to Rights

Meanwhile, human rights groups knocked provisions in the law that appear to enhance restrictions on Chinas Internet, which already is restricted by the Great Firewall, a monument to online censorship in the 21st century.

Those provisions include making it a crime to use the Internet to damage national unity.

While the Chinese government already imposes strict requirements on online activity, the law takes its stance up a notch.

What this law does differently is it elevates these requirements into national law for the first time, said Cynthia Wong, a senior Internet researcher at Human Rights Watch.

A lot of these requirements were informally enforced, she told the E-Commerce Times. This really signals the Chinese governments seriousness and willingness to really crackdown on these requirements in the future.

When the law was proposed, there was some hope that the government would address the concerns about rights and privacy, but that wasnt the case, Wong noted.

It doesnt seem like a lot of that feedback was heeded by the government, she said. The laws downsides still remain in place from the first draft.

Although the new cybersecurity law may appear onerous to some observers, it doesnt much change the existing repressive policies in place, maintained attorney Dan Harris, coauthor of the China Law Blog.

People who have been dealing in this area for years know its aleady super restrictive, he told the E-Commerce Times. This just puts a fine point on that.
Charter intends to revive the damaged Time Warner Cable image and brand in the minds of the customer and investor, which is both a challenge and an opportunity. Charter and Comcast are two of the companies American consumers hate the most. However, the pay-TV industry has begun a complete transformation. In the coming new world, both Charter and Comcast may have a second chance, if they can get past all the damage they caused to their own brand.

For decades, the cable television industry has hurt itself, time and time again, by engaging in bad behavior and failing to care for the customer. Traditionally, all cable competitors seemed to focus on was the investor  never the consumer. The reason was simple: They had no competition, so why not? They had nothing to lose. Where were their customers going to go? That problem resulted from the way cable television rules originally were set up.

Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable

The cable companies were unable to see the future, or understand the self-inflicted damage they would suffer when that future eventually arrived.

The future is now here, and the cable companies are sorry they treated customers badly. They are sorry because they are losing market share. They are sorry because customers hate them  and they only have themselves to blame.

Competition has been increasing over the last decade. It started with satellite television companies like DirecTV and Dish Network. Then IPTV players like AT&T Uverse, Verizon FiOS and CenturyLink Prism entered the picture and started winning market share. All of their growth came from the cable television companies.

Now AT&T has acquired DirecTV and is offering mobile TV (or wireless TV), ushering in a new era of competition in the pay-TV space. The television experience is changing. Customers no longer have to sit at home to watch live TV. They can watch live TV wirelessly over their smartphones and tablets. This puts extraordinary pressure on traditional cable-TV outlets, large and small.

At the same time, many new competitors  Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and many others  are moving in and winning their own slice of the pay-TV pie.

So pay-TV, which used to be one huge pie, is now being carved up into many smaller slices.

Other Pay-TV Players

I have been briefed by many competitors in the pay-TV space, large and small. One of them is TikiLIVE, which offers television services to non-television providers, such as smaller telephone companies around the U.S. Typically, companies that provide TikiLIVE services to their customers use their own name, which is why you may not have heard of TikiLIVE before, but many customers across the country use it every day.

This is the new and changing world of pay TV that Charter and Comcast face as they lose market share. They are the kings of the shrinking cable television space. They need to update their offerings to customers. They need to repair their relationships with customers. If they do not, they will simply continue to lose market share, year after year.

AT&T DirecTV and Dish Network

Spectrum is the brand name Charter wants to use to build and grow. Spectrum offers services to Charter, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Network customers. This approach is similar to what Comcast is doing with Xfinity. Charter and Comcast realize their own brand names are damaged, so they are creating a new, friendlier brand.

The big question is this: Can the sleepy and old-fashioned cable television industry that never cared for customers in the past somehow wake up and start to compete successfully? Can the frog turn into a prince?

I see something bubbling, but I dont yet know what will surface. As a wireless analyst and telecom analyst, I think about, write about and talk about the changing industry  whos winning, whos losing, why and whats next.

I hope Charter can pull a rabbit out of a hat. That would be good for its customers, workers and investors. The next move is yours, Charter.
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BIELLA  Italian brand Benetton talked of a wool-rich future in which it will move away from fast fashion at the recent Wool Round Table of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO). Lorenzo Dovesi, COO of Benetton Group, was talking at Citta Studi in Biella, Italy where more than than 120 members of the international wool community gathered. Sustainability was an ongoing theme of the event in which IWTO President Peter Ackroyd welcomed Benetton's new business model and the move towards slow sustainable fashion, where he suggested "wool will play a significant role."
What Is the Keystone Pipeline?

The Keystone pipeline is an existing structure that carries oil from Alberta, Canada, down to Cushing, Oklahoma. The major controversy surrounds a proposed 1,200-mile extension, or shortcut, between Alberta and Nebraska. Dubbed the Keystone XL pipeline, this additional route would connect into the existing Keystone pipeline in Nebraska, which extends onward to Texas. Its worth noting that the proposed shortcut shouldnt be confused with an already existing Keystone XL extension between Oklahoma and Texas, called the Gulf Coast pipeline, which has been operating since 2014.

The additional extension has been under consideration since 2008, when Canadian-based TC Energy (known as TransCanada at the time) decided this would be the best way to ramp up oil production as the route would allow 830,000 barrels a day to be transported to Texas. The current pipeline carries around 550,000 barrels a day from Canada. However, the proposed shortcut faced almost immediate objections from a varied contingency concerning the pipelines environmental impact. For more than a decade the project has been caught in a tug of war between political administrations, environmentalists and oil lobbyists, alternating between having permits granted then revoked. The battle continues to this day.

How Much of the Keystone Pipeline Is Completed?

Its estimated that just eight percent of the Keystone XL pipeline has been built so far, although President Joe Biden canceled the project in January 2021.

History

Understanding the fuller picture of the pipelines complicated history involves some patience. The pipeline first underwent environmental review by the U.S. State Department in 2009. Around this time, Nebraskans started raising concerns about the pipelines potential impact on farmland and a major water system. The State Department approved the pipeline moving forward in 2010 after determining it would have a minimal effect on the environment, but this only increased opposition from state legislators and scientists. As a result, the State Department delayed the project for another year pending additional review, yet came to the same conclusion in 2011.

Following increased protest activity that year surrounding environmental concerns in Nebraska, the department revised its decision and ordered the pipeline to be rerouted through the state, and TC Energy agreed. Yet this wasnt the end. Barack Obama, president at the time, blocked the Alberta to Nebraska extension based on insufficient time for officials to properly review the new proposed route.

Meanwhile, TC Energy moved forward with the southern extension from Oklahoma to Texas in 2012 while re-submitting a new reroute application for the first leg. No sooner did Nebraska approve the new route in 2013 before opponents filed a lawsuit against the state government. In 2014 a Nebraska judge ruled in favor of the opposition, and the State Department once again suspended moving forward. After being laddered up to the Nebraska Supreme Court, the previous ruling was overturned in 2015 and the U.S. Senate greenlit Keystone XL to resume yet again. President Obama immediately vetoed the bill; later that year the administration rejected TC Energys reroute application, putting a supposed end to the project.

That is, until Donald Trump took office in 2016. One of President Trumps first orders revived the Keystone XL pipeline in 2017. A federal judge blocked that order in 2018, pending an environmental review. Not to be outdone, President Trump issued a presidential permit in 2019 allowing the pipeline to proceed, and construction began in 2020.

Why Is There So Much Opposition?



Members of the Cowboy and Indian Alliance, including Native Americans, farmers and ranchers from across the United States, begin a demonstration against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in front of the U.S. Capitol April 22, 2014 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The type of oil that TC Energy wants to transport from Alberta via the XL pipeline is known as tar sands, a thick-as-molasses oil due to a hydrocarbon substance called bitumen, which also contains a mixture of clay, sand and water. This type of oil is considered one of the dirtiest fossil fuels on the planet. Extracting it involves clearing large swaths of biodiverse boreal forest and using steam to liquefy the underground bitumen. All of this comes at a great cost to the environment and contributes to climate change, explaining why so many different groups are opposed to the project. Yet just as many groups have political and financial reasons to keep the Keystone XL pipeline alive.

Financial Motivators

For starters, the U.S. oil industry finds tar sands oil attractive because it means less of a reliance on oil from the Middle East, while the XL extension would prove cheaper than using rail transportation. Investors also want to protect their stake in the $8 billion pipeline.

Then there are other industry supporters, including the National Association of Manufacturers and construction unions, who have vested reasons for supporting claims that the pipeline would rely on renewable energy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2023, according to TC Energy. However, fully offsetting pipeline emissions wouldnt help to reduce any of the emissions created by those using the actual tar sands oil.

The Global Energy Institute within the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports Keystone XL because it claims the pipelines construction would provide more than 13,000 jobs to Americans and Canadians and generate $3.4 billion in U.S. GDP growth. That number also encompasses millions from state and local taxes. The Global Energy Institute has recently accused President Biden of making a politically motivated decision to cancel the pipeline, claiming that the pipeline would in fact protect the environment while boosting the domestic economy.

Yet there are valid claims that the refined tar sands oil wouldnt even be sold in the U.S., but instead benefit the global market since Canada is free to sell the oil to anyone, all while the pipeline takes a toll on American land and water.

Not only that, but the State Department estimated that Keystone XL would ultimately create just 35 full-time jobs to operate the pipeline  so the thousands that are touted would be temporary jobs.

Political Motivators

The pipeline became caught in political crosshairs since it crosses the Canadian border, meaning TC Energy cant proceed without a permit from the U.S. State Department.

Keystone XL has become highly politicized since its introduction in 2008, with democrats concerned about climate change (generally) opposing it and republicans who deny climate change (generally) supporting it. As mentioned in the timeline, former President Obama continually rejected the pipeline due to concerns about the rushed nature of environmental considerations. Later, former President Trump sought to immediately restore the Keystone XL project upon taking office: in part because his predecessor rejected it, and in part because of motivators that had more to do with maintaining economic reliance on the fossil fuel trade and less to do with worrying about climate change issues.

Ultimately, the real issue comes down to the environment.

How Does the Pipeline Impact the Environment and Society?



Heavy oil seen mixed with water in a tailings pond in the Alberta Oilsands. dan_prat / iStock / Getty Images

Tar Sands Oil



As previously touched upon, tar sands is not your average oil. Accessing it requires two different methods, neither of which is environmentally friendly. Both require water from the nearby Athabasca River in Alberta, taxing its finite quantities. The first method, involving surface mining, creates gallons of wastewater in the process. This wastewater is stored in tailings ponds, where the toxic water is more likely to leak into the environment. The other method involves pumping steam underground in order to access the needed bitumen through a well. This method also requires burning fossil fuels in the process. In fact, extracting tar sands oil produces more greenhouse gas emissions than extracting other natural resources.

Extraction methods arent the only environmental threat. Oil pipeline leaks and spills are very real dangers too. In 2010, a faulty pipeline carrying tar sands oil leaked 843,000 gallons into Michigans Kalamazoo River. Owned by Canadian-based Enbridge, the companys slow response to stop the spill prompted area evacuations and permanently damaged the Talmadge Creek, the initial site of the spill. The incident is considered the largest inland oil spill to occur in the U.S. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that the oil damaged more than 1,560 acres of streams and rivers and negatively impacted at least 4,000 area animals that needed to be saved. Not only that, but removing bitumen from the environment is a far more costly and involved process than typical crude oil, itself a costly and involved process. Whereas crude oil floats on a surface, bitumen sinks.

Then theres the matter of using tar sands oil itself as a fossil fuel. As it stands, burning the full amount that current technology is able to extract would contribute 22 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere. The worst-case scenario predicts burning the maximum amount of tar sands oil that exists in Alberta would increase global warming by 0.4 degrees Celsius.

Indigenous Tribes

Parts of the proposed Keystone XL extension would run through or close to Indigenous territory, potentially threatening drinking water sources. There have already been oil leaks along existing parts of the Keystone pipeline, and the affected tribes, including the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, have no reason to believe the extension would be any different. Besides the environmental dangers, the initial permits granted by the State Department ignored existing treaties between the government and Tribal Nations.

Farmers and Ranchers

Tribes arent the only ones whose rights and land have been threatened by the pipeline. Farms and ranches along the route have faced eminent domain, which would allow the government to take control of private land for public use; i.e., handing it over to TC Energy regardless of opposition. Nebraska has been a battleground state, with an estimated 92 percent of its land belonging to family-owned farms and ranches. Also at stake would be the Ogallala aquifer, an underwater supply that provides water to most of the state. If thats contaminated by leaks, the ramifications would take a toll on public health, agriculture, livestock and wildlife. One study estimates that even a small leak could contaminate five billion gallons of water. Its not just the tar-like bitumen that poses this danger; transporting sludgy tar sands oil requires carcinogenic chemicals to dilute it enough for pipelines.

Public Health

Tar sands oil poses additional hazards, both to local Alberta residents and those who live along the proposed route. Numerous studies have already linked higher cancer rates from polluted air and water in areas where people live near tar sands oil production or tar sand spills.

Wildlife

Its not just the public who is at risk. For example, Nebraska is home to 20,000 acres of dunes and prairie hills known as Sandhills. Its a popular pitstop for migrating sandhill cranes in particular. TC Energys proposed reroute would still cut straight through this region; a leak of any size could prove disastrous.

When Did the Pipeline Leak and Why?

Despite TC Energy touting an advanced leak detection system, the existing pipeline has leaked dozens of times since its inception in 2010, and locals have often been the first to notice and report many of them.

There were 35 leaks in the pipelines first year alone, including a 21,000-gallon spill impacting North Dakota. In 2016, about 16,800 gallons of oil leaked in South Dakota, but that was small compared to the following year, when 210,000 gallons spilled near the small town of Amherst, South Dakota. TC Energy later revised that number to 407,000 gallons of leaked oil. In 2019, an additional 378,000 gallons spilled in North Dakota.

Tar sands oil is more likely to leak than crude oil due to its corrosive nature and the high temperatures needed to transport it, and leaks are also much harder to detect. Not only that, but cleaning it up has proven to be a Herculean task. An NRDC report found that tar sand leaks are three times more likely than conventional crude oil. On top of that, a 2012 report revealed that leak detection systems missed 19 out of 20 leaks during a 10-year period. TC Energy itself admitted in 2011 that the company could only detect leaks greater than 500,000 gallons of tar sands a day.

As for what specifically caused all of the leaks to date? That depends, although variations of equipment failure is a recurring favorite. Its still unknown what caused the massive 2019 leak in North Dakota.

Whats Being Done About Keystone XL?

After years of back and forth, President Biden, who ran on a more climate-friendly platform than his predecessor President Trump, canceled the pipeline on his first day in office on Jan. 21, 2021. But the case still isnt closed. In response, 21 Republican-led states have since filed a lawsuit against Biden questioning his authority to make such a decision. (Nevermind that Trump overstepped his authority by issuing a 2019 presidential permit allowing the pipeline to proceed, thereby bypassing the required environmental reviews.)

Oil demand has also dropped since the pipelines initial proposal back in 2008, due in part to an economic shift toward clean energy and then decreased oil usage during the 2020 COVID pandemic. Plus early investors, including Shell and the Koch Brothers, have since pulled out of the deal. Though Keystone XL appears to have reached the end of the line, opponents say the final step involves removing the existing pipeline infrastructure.

Takeaway

The canceled Keystone XL pipeline is a promising step toward a less oil-reliant future, but its still a step. There remain other controversial pipelines caught up in legal battles, most notably the Dakota Access pipeline and Enbridges Line 3 replacement project. Resolving the ongoing oil pipeline threat ultimately requires a continued push toward clean energy, thereby eliminating the need for pipelines in the first place.

Meredith Rosenberg is a senior editor at EcoWatch. She holds a Masters from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in NYC and a B.A. from Temple University in Philadelphia.
In 1966, my father held Senate hearings to investigate violent attacks by growers against pickers in the produce fields surrounding Delano, California. A young United Farmworkers organizer, Cesar Chavez, was orchestrating peaceful protests by Filipino and Chicano farmworkers against meager pay and brutal working conditions. My father only reluctantly attended the hearings. While he was sympathetic with the farmworkers plight, he already had a full plate of issues ranging from the Vietnam War, rioting cities to starvation in the Delta and education on Indian reservations. He didnt think he had bandwidth for another cause.

Why do I need to fly all the way to California, he complained to his aid, Peter Edelman, on the airplane out. But then something made him mad; A Kern county sheriff explained to the committee that he had imprisoned the peaceful protestors for their own protection to safeguard them from violent growers and their hired thugs.

The prospect of law enforcement officials deploying the states police power on behalf of lawbreaking corporations against law abiding citizens whose only crime was their poverty and powerlessness made him steam. My father despised bullies and believed in rule of law. He gaveled the morning session to a close. May I suggest that during the luncheon period of time that the sheriff and the district attorney read the Constitution of the United States? That afternoon, he joined the farmworkers on their picket line. Chavez became his closest political and moral ally.

On Sunday, the U.S. Army Corps issued a declaration to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that might have been penned by the Kern county sheriff. The Corps Colonel John Henderson told Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II that the agency was evicting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protesters from their camp for their own protection.

The tribes and their supporters will be moved to a free speech zone a great distance from the pipeline. Hendersons threats would be troubling if addressed to any group of American citizens, but coming from the U.S. Army Corps to the Sioux Nation, it is positively chilling. One wonders whether Colonel Henderson is even peripherally aware of the Corps central role in the Indian genocide, the most shameful stain on Americas national experience, our high ideals and character.

Standing with my son Conor Kennedy and the water protectors.

Anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes has observed that Genocide is a continuum that runs for years, decades or centuries. It begins with marginalization and dehumanization of an identifiable minority, the theft of their lands and property, their slaughter and decimation, and the gradual squeezing of remnant populations. The central organizing principle of the continuum is a narrative that turns others into non-persons or monsters, that normalizes atrocities and rationalizes the every day practice of violence.

Colonel Hendersons letter manages to be both, patronizing and menacing. In that sense, it captures perfectly the tone and content of a hundred letters received by Indians from U.S. Corp colonels and generals over four centuries, all of them repeating genocides persistent refrain: For your own good, move off the land, or else.

Similar letters to the Sioux preceded the evictions that reliably followed their various treaties with the American government in 1825, 1837, 1851 and 1868. Those missives were the milestones that officially declared, justified or ratified the long parade of treaty violations by the U.S. government, enforced by the Army Corps, each of them shrinking the Siouxs rightful treaty lands.

Its worth remembering that the lands and waterways now coveted by Dakota Access, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, are the same lands our government and the U.S. Army Corps deeded the Sioux in the treaties of 1825 and 1851. Those treaties and the Fort Laramie treaty of 1868 each promised the tribe that these deeded lands would remain the Siouxs so long as the grass is green, the eagles fly and the rivers flow, or phrases of similar construction.

Eight years after we signed that last treaty, the Sioux received their most devastating removal letter from the Army Corps; Trespassing prospectors had discovered gold in the Black Hills, the sacred lands and critical hunting grounds where the Sioux wintered away from the frigid, barren plains that are uninhabitable during the cold months. Obviously white people would now need them back! In direct violation of the treaty, Colonel George Custer rode into the Black Hills to evict the justifiably angry Sioux to make way for the illegal mines. When the Sioux rose up to enforce the treaty, resisting Custers military attack, Colonel Hendersons predecessors slaughtered their women and children at Wounded Knee.

Now, once again, illegal white mineral interests need the Siouxs land, and, once again, the Army Corps is insisting the Sioux move.

Colonel Hendersons threats are meant to protect DAPLs promoters, Energy Transfer Partners, an outlaw oil company. Construction of the 1,200 mile Dakota Access Pipeline project clearly violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires a full environmental impact review for any project that might have significant environmental impacts on an area larger than one-half acre. There is no question that the 1,200 mile pipeline meets both criteria.

The pipeline will create more carbon pollution than 27 coal burning power plants, and cross and disrupt 209 waterways, including Lake Oahe, the Siouxs only water source. The Sioux recognize this as the final evictionwithout Lake Oahe, their remnant reservation is uninhabitable. The Corp considers a catastrophic water poisoning pipeline failure, so likely, that following protests by Bismarck residents, Henderson agreed to move the pipeline away from its more direct route across the Bismarck water supply and into Indian country.

Hendersons menacing letter on behalf of yet another law-breaking mineral interest has mobilized 300 American tribes who have assembled to protest the illegal construction, the largest gathering of tribes in a century. Indian Country regards DAPL as an existential threat; for the tribes the outlaw enterprise, forced upon them at gunpoint, represents the extension of their 500 year genocide into a new millennium. But Chief Archambault has consistently stated the Indians are not fighting only for Indian rights but for American democracy and for humanitys survival.

Energy Transfers lawbreaking comes at a critical juncture in human history as governments struggle to choose between oil company profits on the one hand, us people and the planet on the other. The juxtaposition of forces at Standing Rock is Orwellian; on one side are the Sioux and their supporters.

The Sioux have been highly disciplined about maintaining the respectful and non-violent character of their demonstration. Tribal committees train and screen protesters and restrict access to the protest sites to those who can be trusted to maintain prayerful and peaceful protest in the face of ferocious police violence. These demonstrations mainly consist of quiet prayer ceremonies.

Deployed against them is an out of control police force and DAPLs army of private security guards. The unhinged fury of their attacks is reminiscent of the police violence against southern civil rights demonstrators in the 1960s. To make way for an outlaw company, highly militarized police and private security forces have unleashed the awesome military might of state police power against law abiding American citizens. The police and corporate security brigades appear to be testing a suite of high-tech and often savage, crowd control equipment now in the possession of our militarized police forces.

On a recent trip to Standing Rock, I saw truck mounted facial recognition equipment tagging protestors from surrounding hilltops. I experienced the jarring barrage of acoustic cannons. The state and private security forces deployed water cannons against protesters in sub-freezing weather endangering their lives, tear gas bombs, pepper spray, flash bang grenades which might cost one protester her arm, and plastic bullets which felled a Sioux elder the day I left. Largely out of sight of the national press, the police employ terror tactics and behave like savage animals.

Visiting Standing Rock.

The Obama administration has the power to end this conflict, overnight, simply by declaring that the pipeline company comply with existing federal law and complete an environmental impact statement before DAPL is allowed to proceed.

The company dreads this outcome; an EIS would require Energy Transfer Partners to disclose the true cost and benefits of its project. The American people would see, through all the smoke and mirrors, that this project is a 1,200-mile boondoggle designed to allow billionaire investors like Donald Trump to make themselves richer by impoverishing other Americans.

The companys claims to be a job creator will wither in the daylight. Like the Keystone XL pipeline, DAPL is unlikely to produce even 100 long term jobs while jeopardizing the water supply for 18 million people and the breadbasket of American food production.

Despite its contrary denials to the public and regulators, DAPL has admitted privately that its oil will be shipped to Asia where it will lower manufacturing costs for Americas foreign competitors and aggravate climate chaos. If Obama were to order an Environmental Impact Statement, our incoming president, Donald Trump, would be powerless to reverse that determination. The question now is: Will Obama act?

In the meantime, Americans who care about freedom and justice are flocking to Standing Rock to support the Sioux, just as justice loving Americans of an earlier generation went to Selma, to Jackson and to Delano.

Ill see you at Standing Rock has become the battle cry for Americans who still share an idealistic vision for our country.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is president of Waterkeeper Alliance and former editor of Indian Country Todaythe largest newspaper serving the Sioux and Native American communities.
By Emily Saari

Rock legend Neil Young launched a week long concert tour in Canada this week in solidarity with First Nations fighting against oil sands development in their territories.

Neil Youngs latest tour, Honor the Treaties and also featuring Diana Krall, is a music tour with a political message.

[youtube //www.youtube.com/embed/h5wueetIZn0?rel=0 expand=1]

Young is using his spotlight to draw attention to the massive injustice and environmental degradation associated with tar sands development in Alberta. In an interview regarding the message of his tour, Young said:

Canada is trading integrity for money, thats whats happening under the current leadership in Canada Its an embarrassment to any Canadians.

The Honor the Treaties tour began on Jan. 12 in Toronto and ends on Jan. 19 in Calgary. Prior to each concert, Young is taking part in a press conference about oil sands development alongside environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki, Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, and climate scientists.

All the proceeds from the Honor the Treaties tour go to the legal defense fund of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN). ACFN spokesperson Eriel Deranger said:

We are honored that Neil Young and Diana Krall are standing with ACFN during this crucial time. Our struggle to preserve the Athabasca Delta isnt about us but for all Canadians who care about protecting our lands.

The ACFN has been embroiled in a legal battle on several fronts against both the Canadian government and the extractive industry, challenging the encroachment of tar sands development into their land and the violation of their treaty rights.

In Dec. 2013, Shell Oil received approval from the federal government to nearly double the size of its Jackpine Mine in ACFN territory on the Athabasca River.

The Jackpine Mine expansion would devastate the river and its surrounding ecosystem, and severely limit the ability of the AFCN to practice their traditional livelihooda right that is guaranteed to them in treaties between the sovereign leadership of the First Nations and the nation of Canada. To make matters worse, Shell has also proposed a new, additional mine in northern Alberta, the Pierre River Mine. The ACFN are taking legal action against both projects to protect their people, land and way of life.

If the Canadian government goes forward with its plan to fully extract the Alberta oil sands, the consequences of the development have been described as game over for the planet. The mining, refining and combustion of the oil sands would emit dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases that could warm the world past a global climate tipping point.

Because of these global consequences, Young is asking for widespread support of the ACFN legal defense. Early indications show that the public is behind Young, as initial polls suggest Youngs comments are supported by nearly 70 percent of respondents.

I want my grandchildren to grow up and look up and see a blue sky and have dreams that their grandchildren are going to do great things and I dont see that today in Canada. I see a government just completely out of control.

Visit EcoWatchs TAR SANDS page for more related news on this topic.
By Nadia Prupis

Water protectors in North Dakota filed on Monday a class-action lawsuit against Morton County, Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier and other law enforcement agencies for using excessive force the night of Nov. 20, when peaceful demonstrators were trapped on a bridge and assaulted with impact munitions.

Police spray a water cannon at peaceful water protectors on Nov. 20. Dark Sevier / Flickr

The lawsuit seeks to block the Morton County Sheriffs Department and other police agencies from using such weaponsincluding rubber bullets, water cannons, teargas grenades and other weaponsagainst the protectors. The suit, brought by the Water Protector Legal Collective, a project of the National Lawyers Guild, was filed on behalf of people injured on Nov. 20 and the early morning of Nov. 21 as police descended on the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest camps.

Among the plaintiffs is Jade Kalikolehuaokakalani Wool, who was hospitalized after two flash-bang grenades exploded near her, sending shrapnel into her head. Another, David Demo, who was filming the raid, was blasted with a water cannon and shot in the hand with a munition, breaking several bones and sending him to the hospital for reconstructive surgery. Israel HoaglandLynn was shot in the back of the head with a munition and needed 17 staples for the wound. Many others were also sprayed with water cannons, tear gassed, and shot with munitions, and several were hospitalized.

A judge will now decide whether to approve class-action status for the lawsuit.

In a declaration to the court, Vanessa Dundon, a Navajo Nation member from Arizona, described watching protectors removing barricades erected by police to prevent pipeline opponents from reaching other camps and the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in Bismarck and Mandan. As they worked to push the barriers out of the way, the police responded suddenly and aggressively, she said.

I did not have time to move to avoid being hit by the [tear gas] canister, she said. I instinctively closed my eyes and was struck in the right eye by the canister  My eye was bleeding so much that I could not see and I was worried my eyeball was hanging out.

Water Protector Legal Collective lawyer Rachel Lederman said Monday, The civil rights violations that night were deliberate and punitive. The Morton County Sheriffs Departments illegal use of force against the water protectors has been escalating. It is only a matter of luck that no one has been killed. This must stop.

Water protectors have been resisting the construction of the four-state, 1,170-mile-long oil pipeline since April, setting up long-term shelters along the projects route in North Dakota. The lawsuit came the same day Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered the protectors expulsion. On Monday afternoon, Dalrymple called for an emergency evacuation of the DAPL camps, citing cold weather. Standing Rock Sioux chairman David Archambault III called the order a menacing action meant to cause fear.

[T]he most dangerous thing we can do is force well-situated campers from their shelters and into the cold, Archambault said. If the true concern is for public safety than the Governor should clear the blockade and the county law enforcement should cease all use of flash grenades, high-pressure water cannons in freezing temperatures, dog kennels for temporary human jails, and any harmful weaponry against human beings.

Bernie Sanders on the Dakota Access Pipeline and Treaty Rights Violations by U.S. Government



While former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remained silent on the ongoing fight against the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock in North Dakota, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a vocal supporter of the water protectors. As winter sets in and the water protectors continue their struggle to stop the pipeline, Democracy Now!s Amy Goodman asked Sanders about the Dakota Access Pipeline struggle at a sit-down interview at the Free Library of Philadelphia on Monday night.
Sources close to the Trump transition team told Politico that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is the frontrunner for the Interior secretary position. Fallin, who is a climate change denier and was one of the first governors to oppose the Clean Power Plan, met with Trump last week in New York, where their conversation focused on the energy industry and Native tribes.

According to Politico, Fallin is an advocate of oil and gas development, she signed a bill last year that would prevent Oklahoma cites from enacting bans on drilling.

Elaine Chao, former labor secretary under Bush II (left). Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is the frontrunner for the Interior secretary position (right).

Meanwhile, Trump announced Elaine Chao, former labor secretary under Bush II, as his pick for secretary of transportation; Chao, who is married to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, left the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies in early 2015 after the charity announced it would be increasing its donations to the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal campaign.

As secretary of transportation Elaine Chao will spearhead a Trump plan to plunder the government for Trumps friends and familys financial gain, Friends of the Earth climate and energy program director Benjamin Schreiber said.

A massive corporate welfare plan for contractors is not an infrastructure plan, its a travesty and a threat to the planet. Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require a radical reshaping of our transportation system to move us away from fossil fuels. The U.S. urgently needs a secretary of transportation who will lead this transition. As secretary of labor, Chao dismantled critical mine safety regulations and showed that she values fossil fuel profits above all else. She is the wrong choice to lead the transition to a green energy economy that will provide lasting jobs and protect the planet.

For a deeper dive:

USA Today, AP, New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, Guardian, PBS, Christian Science Monitor

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
By Jeremy Symons

As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, he has an opportunity to continue the long, bipartisan tradition of appointing qualified leaders to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who will protect and defend the public health of all Americans.

The outlook took a turn for the worse, however, when Trump met with Kathleen Hartnett White on Monday, Nov. 28, reportedly to discuss cabinet positions, including one as the head of the EPA.

Like Myron Ebell, who is leading Trumps EPA transition team, White is a polluter-funded operative who has harshly attacked the agency.

America needs an EPA administrator who is guided by science, respects our environmental laws and values protecting public health ahead of the lobbying agenda of special interests.

White, a registered lobbyist in Texaswhere she works on behalf of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an advocacy group funded in large part by the energy industryfails all three of these most fundamental qualifications.

She has undermined the work of health scientists on air pollution and climate change. She has taken positions at odds with the Supreme Court regarding the Clean Air Act.

And as a lobbyist for an organization funded by fossil fuel interests, she would most benefit her current patrons if Trump were to choose her as EPA administrator.

Guided by Science? No.

A former chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, White has repeatedly pushed ideas that are flatly contradicted by decades of scientific evidence and all major scientific organizations.

When Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Congress found time at the height of the Civil War to establish the National Academy of Sciences, they recognized that sound science is a cornerstone of good government. Unlike Lincoln, White has a skeptical view of the value of health and science studies.

Were not a democracy if science dictates what our rules are, she recently told Rolling Stone.

In a 2012 report targeting EPAs efforts to reduce the fine particle air pollution that exacerbates lung disease and asthma, she lamented that political appointees must weigh the views of what she called mandarins brandishing their scientific credentials. These are people others would call knowledgeable experts.

Two years later, in the publication The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels, White attacked climate science as a biased indictment of carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

CO2 is the gas that makes life possible on the Earth and naturally fertilizes plant growth, she wrote. Whether emitted from the human use of fossil fuels or as a natural (and necessary) gas in the atmosphere surrounding the Earth, carbon dioxide has none of the attributes of a pollutant.

Of course it does, as a landmark 2016 report on the U.S. health impacts of carbon and climate change points out.

In the same publication, White argued that the planet had stopped warming. She was wrong again: 2014 and 2015 were the hottest years on record and the top 10 hottest years have been since 2008. This year, meanwhile, is on track to be another record-breaking year.

If you want to understand the breadth of scientific voices who disagree with White and others who question climate change, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration offers insights.

White wrote that that science is tarnished because solar activity plays almost no role in current climate modeling when it does. Bloomberg, for example, has an interactive display on the different drivers of global warming.

She also frequently derides cleaner energy sources, calling renewables a false hope that simply wont work, despite the fact that her home state of Texas is generating record-breaking amounts of wind power at low costs.

Respect for Americas Environmental Laws? No.

White has been a critic of the EPAs efforts to reduce air pollution such as soot and toxic emissions of mercury. In a 2016 op-ed for The Hill newspaper she attacked the agency for pursuing standards to reduce air pollution from fossil fuels.

She also lobbied in favor of legislation that would ban the EPA from creating standards to reduce emissions of CO2, methane and other damaging greenhouse gases.

White has argued that greenhouse gas emissions are not a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. What she overlooks is that the Supreme Court affirmed in 2007 that greenhouse gas emissions are in fact pollutants as governed by the law.

The EPA administrator has a responsibility to uphold and implement the law.

Puts Public Health Ahead of Special Interest Lobbyists? No.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, the advocacy group where White works, is funded, among others, by Koch Industries, ExxonMobil and American Coalition for Clean Coal. But White has also lobbied Congress to pass specific legislation aimed at hamstringing the EPA.

The Dallas Morning News had this to say about her:

She has been an apologist for polluters, consistently siding with business interests instead of protecting public health. Ms. White worked to set a low bar as she lobbied for lax ozone standards and pushed through an inadequate anti-pollution plan.

That is not the kind of leader we need in charge of protecting and defending the air we breathe, the water we drink and the planet we will leave future generations.
I imagine top executives at Monsanto are not huge fans right now of Neil Young or Pope Francis. The two might seem to lead very disparate lives. One is a life-long Canadian rocker and the other leads a flock of 1.2 billion Catholics. But lately the two have drawn the ire of corporate giants, particularly Monsanto, all over the world.

The two might seem very different, but they have both taken very public stances against GMOs, pesticides and corporate abuse.

Neil Youngs album, The Monsanto Years, was released June 29 and its already causing quite a stir. Ahead of the albums release, Monsanto issued a statement criticizing Neil Young for perpetuating myths about the company.

According to Pitchfork, the album fixes its crosshairs on the GMO-pimping agribusiness behemoth that has a stranglehold on the worlds seed (and, by extension, food) supply, forcing farmers to comply their strict terms or be litigated into destitution. To be fair, Young doesnt just single out Monsanto. He takes on Wal-Mart, Chevron, Citizens United and Starbucks, just to name a few.

Last fall, Young made a very public boycott of Starbucks over its (and Monsantos) alleged support of the Grocery Manufacturers Associations lawsuit to prevent Vermont from accurately labeling food. In April, a judge upheld Vermonts GMO-labeling law while the case continues.

And unless youve been living in an off-grid community in the middle of nowhere (if so, thats awesome), then you are probably aware that Pope Francis released an encyclical earlier this month. In that encyclical, the religious leader did not mince words when it came to the dire need for immediate action on climate change.
(Photo: Reuters)Former South African President Nelson Mandela lays a wreath in the "Hall of Remembrances" with Chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Azner Shalez (2R) October 18, 1999 as Mandela honoured the six-million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Earlier Mandela toured the Holocaust Museum. Mandela will meet Prime Minister Ehud Barak this evening and tomorrow travels to the Palestinian self-rule area of the Gaza Strip.

South African Jews are worried that anti-Israel sentiment is increasingly degenerating into anti-Semitism that is used to scapegoat them in their country.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies has informed a parliamentary committee in Cape Town informed that due to a growing trend of anti-Semitism in the country Jews are being made to feel unwelcome in their own country.

Mary Kluk, chair of the executive committee of the Jewish board briefed the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation in the South African Parliament Nov. 25

The Jewish body was informing the committee on its views regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, AllAfrica.com reported.

Kluk said, "It has been more than 20 years since democracy but some organizations like the BDS SA [Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions South Africa] are intolerant of Jewish people.

"These protests are issues that are supposed to be about Israel. There are some Jews who associate themselves with the message of the BDS movement.

"We welcome their opinions, but calling for Jews to be fired from universities and be killed is not tolerance," she said.

South Africa's Jewish population has dwindled to less than 70,000, but Jews have paid a prominent life as business leaders. During the apartheid era Jews were prominent in supporting the liberal opposition to the ruling National Party and a number of them were prominent in the African National Congress when it was a liberation movement.

Two day earlier the National Coalition for Palestine came to brief the Committee on a petition it had sent two years ago where it spoke of human rights abuses committed by Israel on Palestinians were raised.

It called for disinvestments to Israel and the cut off of all ties with that country.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

Another representative from Jewish board, told the parliamentary committee that Israel is a place of refuge for Jews around the world and that the board supports a dialogue between Israel and Palestine.

"Israel has a right to exist alongside a future Palestine State. It will be a phenomenal privilege if Israel exported its technology on water to South Africa for, example," he said.

Members of the parliament wanted to know if there were steps being undertaken by the board to promote the two-State solution in the country. They also wondered about the possibility of applying South Africa's approach of dialogue until solutions are found.

The chairperson of the committee from the ruling African National Congress, Siphosezwe Masango, said it did not seem that the board and the pro-Palestine organizations have a common advice that they could provide.

Whatever position one takes on the matter, it will always be viewed with suspicion. Palestine and Israel must settle the land question in a manner satisfactory to both sides. As long as the land question is not settled, it will always give rise to extremism, Masango said.

There was outrage earlier in November following the discovery of anti-Semitic graffiti at one of South Africa's top universities while student riots were continuing across campuses over disatisfaction with education and the government.

Phrases such as, "Kill a Jew" and "F*** the Jews" were found spray-painted on a main building at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg Nov. 1, The Jerusalem Post reported.

It said this was not the first incident of anti-Semitism to take place at Wits (as the university is known) during the recent protests.

Two weeks earlier a student wearing a kippa, a brimless cap often worn by Jews was walking out of a lecture hall, when he encountered a group of protesting students.

When he stepped aside, he was verbally accosted and called a "Mother F****** Jew" by members of the crowd, the Post reported.

Wits University spokeswoman Shirona Patel said it is aware of the offensive graffiti sprayed on two walls on Wits' campuses.

"The graffiti has been removed from our campus walls. The university condemns the offensive messages being propagated, and we deeply regret the insult that it may cause to members of the Wits community," she said. "Should we identify any of the perpetrators, they will be held accountable for their actions."

The South African Union of Jewish Students said in a statement that it "unequivocally condemns the antisemitism being demonstrated on campus.

"There can be no justification for such hateful, ignorant and offensive acts," it said.

Outgoing Wits Student Representative Council spokeswoman Fasiha Hassan condemned this act and referred to it as "deplorable" and "hate speech." She denied that the SRC had any involvement in the graffiti.

However, in 2015, former student council leader Mcebo Dlamini openly expressed his love for Adolph Hitler. Dlamini said he admired the Nazi German dicatator, who sent millions to their death during the Holocaust, for his "charisma" and "organizational skills."

"Dlamini's anti-Semitic utterances are based on the import of a prejudice deeply rooted in European history," Wits faculty member Vashna Jagarnath wrote in South Africa's Daily Maverick Nov. 3.

"The most sophisticated histories of the emergence of racism in Europe show that it developed out of the persecution of Jews and Muslims by Christians. For hundreds of years, when Jews and Muslims had to flee the often severe intolerance of Christian Europe, the more open societies of North Africa and the Middle East provided refuge," said Jagarnath.
(Photo: Reuters)Former South African President Nelson Mandela lays a wreath in the "Hall of Remembrances" with Chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Azner Shalez (2R) October 18, 1999 as Mandela honoured the six-million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. Earlier Mandela toured the Holocaust Museum. Mandela will meet Prime Minister Ehud Barak this evening and tomorrow travels to the Palestinian self-rule area of the Gaza Strip.

A Facebook posting by a woman working for the national ruling party in South Africa has angered the Jewish community by saying Adolph Hitler was right in killing Jews.

The African National Congress has distanced itself from Rene Smit, the woman who the photo on her Facebook page, South Africa's News24 reported Tuesday.

Smit says on her Facebook page that she manages social media for the African National Congress in the Western Cape province.

The ANC is South Africa's ruling party, but it is in opposition in the Western Cape, which is run by the Democratic Alliance.

At the weekend, Smit posted a picture of German Nazi leader Hitler with the caption "yes, man you were right."

Underneath Hitler's photo are the words "I could have killed all the Jews but I left some of them to tell you why I was killing them. SHARE THIS PICTURE TO TELL THE WORLD THE WHOLE TRUTH."

The post was screen grabbed and made headlines in the The Times of Israel newspaper.

Smit has, however, removed the post and told the Times that she did so "immediately once I became aware that it is inappropriate and offensive."

SOUTH AFRICAN JEWISH BOARD OF DEPUTIES

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies asked for a meeting with the secretary-general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, over the incident, reported the Times.

Western Cape ANC spokesperson Cobus Grobler said, however, Smit was not a party employee but helped during its election campaign as a volunteer.

The Jewish board said it is also considering taking ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte to court over her comments in which she likened Israel's attacks on Palestine to Nazism.

The Democratic Alliance strongly condemned "the anti-Semitic hate speech" posted on Facebook.

"The DA calls on the governing party to distance itself from the remarks and take the appropriate disciplinary action.

"The post is not only anti-Semitic and hate speech, but can also be construed as an incitement to violence and is an insensitive insult to victims and survivors of the Holocaust."

Smit has continued pledging support for Palestine.

At the weekend she also posted a photo stating that the same person who was contracted to build Israel's separation wall, dubbed by many as an "apartheid wall," funds the Democratic Alliance, which is the main parliamentary opposition.

Smit said she was responding to the latest Israeli offensive in Palestine that has left almost 200 people dead.

Jews in South Africa have been prominent in both ruling and opposition parties in South Africa, but are have taken a back seat fearing being accused of racism in they oppose the ruling party, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in December.

Jews were prominent opponents of apartheid and played a key role in the ANC' struggle against the racist ideology.
(Photo: Reuters)Palestinian supporters (L) and Israeli delegates argue heatedly outside the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban September 2, 2001. The U.N. anti-racism conference remained mired in Middle East politics on Sunday after thousands of non-governmental organisations endorsed what Israel condemned as an outburst of hatred against Jews with allegations equating Zionism with racism.

The Students Representative Council at the Durban University of Technology in South Africa has evoked outrage and accusations of anti-Semitism and racism for seeking to have the college expel Jewish students who have supported the State of Israel.

The DUT student council said its demand applies also to students at the university in the east coast city who are sponsored by the Israeli government.

The demands, sent to the DUT management, have shocked and angered Jewish organizations, Durban's Daily News reported on February 11.

The vice-chancellor, or head, of the university, Professor Ahmed Bawa, said the demand by the SRC and the Progressive Youth Alliance that the DUT deregister all Jewish students "is totally unacceptable."

"One of the demands on the [student council] memorandum was deregistration of Jewish students at DUT, to which my response was that this was outrageous, preposterous and a deep violation of our National Constitution and every human rights principle.

"No student at DUT will be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, gender, political affiliation or sexual orientation.

"I also need to make this clear, that whilst we acknowledge and respect the constitutional right to peaceful protest, the University will not condone the disruption of classes and the intimidation of non-protesting students and staff," said Bawa in a statement.

The Secretary of the Student Representative Council, Mqondisi Duma, said: "As the SRC, we had a meeting and analysed international politics.

"We took the decision that Jewish students, especially those who do not support the Palestinian struggle, should deregister."

On February 10, Natan Pollack, the national chairman of the South African Union of Jewish Students, said the suggestion is "deplorable."

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"To discriminate against people because of their religious and political standpoint goes against freedom of speech," Pollack said.

The chairwoman of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, Durban-based Mary Kluk, said she is "appalled" and said it is unacceptable that such demands can be made in an academic institution.

The youth league of South Africa's ruling African National Congress and its South African Students Congress are unequivocally opposed to the State of Israel and supports the cause of Palestinians.

Although Jews were at the forefront of the fight against South Africa's racist apartheid policies before 1990, the government during that era had close military ties with Israel.

Jews held key positions in the ANC and its ally the South African Community Party along with the trade union movement during the struggle against apartheid, but as the country's Jewish population has dwindled due to emigration Jewish influence has been eclipsed by Muslims opposed to Israel.

The former leader of South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance party in South Africa's parliament, Tony Leon, is Jewish.

The party now has a black parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane, and it refutes ANC charges it is a party for minority whites who make up some 10 percent of South Africa's population.
Australia has ignominiously fallen behind the likes of Kazakhstan on the latest international leaderboard for education.Conducted every four years, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has found that Australian students are struggling in comparison to their international counterparts.Among the significant results were that since 2011, Australia has plunged from 18to 28for Year 4 mathematics, 12to 17for Year 8 mathematics and 12to 17for Year 8 science. Australia held its 25place for Year 4 science. TIMSS looks at the Year 4 results of 49 nations and Year 8 outcomes of 39 nations.Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia with a population of approximately 18 million, has moved past Australian on the leaderboard for all four of the aforementioned subjects.Responding to the sobering news, Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said that being lower on the report card than Kazakhstan should act as a wake-up call."I don't want to denigrate Kazakhstan, or indeed their artistic skills with movies like Borat," Birmingham said. The satirical movie Borat was actually a British-American production made by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen."I think though Australia should be seeking to be amongst the best in the world and declines like this are unacceptable and that we need to be working hard to turn it around."A number of other countries are outperforming Australia across the TIMSS results, including England, the United States, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Japan.According to the Federal Government, TIMSS results have been on a downward spiral since 2003, despite the fact federal education spending has increased by nearly 50 per cent.Increasing funding is not the answer, says Birmingham, who aims to raise the subject of the poor results in talks with states and territories regarding funding beyond 2017."Some of the things we're doing in our classrooms clearly aren't up to scratch.""What I am urging the Opposition  the Labor Party  and the states and territories to focus on is how we can best use what is a record and growing investment in Australian schools to get the best possible outcomes for the future rather than continuing a debate that pretends that money itself is the solution."Labor education spokesperson Tanya Plibersek said the results prove that the Gonski education-funding model was necessary."They show that kids from poorer families in poorer schools in remote and regional areas are doing worst of all," said Plibersek."It is a wake-up call to Australia because we think of ourselves as a wealthy nation, a nation with a highly developed education system."
Making child care more affordable for working families was one of a handful of education policy positions that President-elect Donald Trump tackled with some specificity on the campaign trail, promising to offer much-needed relief through a combination of tax deductions and credits.

But the incoming administrations views on a number of other early-childhood initiatives championed by the Obama White Houseincluding federal support of state-run preschool programs, home visiting, and Head Startare as yet unknown. The early-childhood-advocacy community is still grappling with what a Trump administration will mean for those policies and many others.

On the one hand, both Trump and his vice president, former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, have made high-profile pitches on early-childhood issues. As governor, for example, Pence in 2014 made a rare appearance before the state Senate to push for a preschool program, and Indiana now has a pilot program operating in five counties.

A wise path for the Trump administration would include continuing programs that already exist, said Kris Perry, the executive director of the First Five Years Fund, citing current federal efforts to support state preschool and to link private child-care providers and Head Start.

Weve enjoyed eight years, if not longer, of increasing national and federal attention to early-childhood education, said Perry. The federal role is one of partner. There is some accountability around quality, but [federal officials are] not in the drivers seat.

Katharine B. Stevens, a resident scholar on early-childhood policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, believes that Trump will be focused on programs that are popular, and that early-childhood policies could be a vehicle.

Its clear that child care is a concern for an enormous number of families, Stevens said. The goal for advocates should be to convince Trump that supporting certain programs, such as home visiting and improving child-care access is going to win him a lot of points with a lot of people, she said.

Heres a look some of the early-childhood programs that have been a part of the federal landscape for the past eight years, as well as an examination of Trumps own proposals related to early childhood:

Trump Proposal

Affordable Child Care: Critics of Trumps initial child-care-affordability proposal said zeroing in on tax deductions would tilt the benefit to more-affluent families who are able to itemize their taxes. Since he first mentioned the topic, the proposal has been changed to add elements that are geared toward lower-income families as well, including:



A child-care rebate for low-income families that dont pay taxes, delivered through an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit;

A dependent-care savings account allowing families to save $2,000 a year pretax, with up to a $1,000 contribution from the federal government for lower-income families;

What it calls a more favorable regulatory environment for family-based and community-based solutions, rather than center-based care; and

Incentives for employers to provide child care and six weeks of paid maternity leave for women who have given birth, paid for through the unemployment-insurance system.

But the provisions related to child care are just a part of Trumps tax proposals, and there is a debate over their overall impact on family resources.

The entire package would end up raising the taxes of low- and middle-income families, including single working parents because of other provisions such as eliminating the head-of-household filing status and reducing the amount that could be taken as a personal exemption, said a report written by Lily Batchelder, a visiting fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

During the campaign, however, Trumps camp disputed the analysis, saying that it didnt take into account the economic growth that could come from the tax cuts that would increase family incomes overall.

Federal Programs

The U.S. Department of Educations Office of Early Learning: In 2011, the Education Department created an office of early learning, and a new administration would have to decide whether to maintain that function. The office counts as achievements the $1 billion invested in Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grants, which helped 20 states establish more high-quality child-care programs and get more vulnerable children into that care. The department has also funded a grant program for kindergarten-entry assessments, which teachers use to help guide their instruction for children just starting school.

The separate Preschool Development Grant program has provided $750 million to 18 states to help them start up or expand their preschool offerings. And the office has also set up an interagency partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate efforts for children. (Head Start, to give one example, is a federal preschool program housed at HHS.)

Home Visiting: The Affordable Care Act of 2010 created the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, funded at $1.5 billion over five years. The federal block grant provided money to states to start or expand programs that allow trained professionals to work directly with vulnerable families in the familys own home, on a voluntary basis. In fiscal 2015, the program served more than 145,000 families in all 50 states.

In 2015, the program received an extra $800 million over two years as an addition to a bill that overhauled the payment system for doctors who see Medicare patients. Congress will determine if federal funding for home visiting continues.

Diedra Henry-Spires, the chief executive officer of an early-childhood-advocacy organization called the Dalton Daley Group, said that home-visiting supporters would like to see home visiting funded for five years, gradually increasing to $800 million annually.

Home visiting has also found bipartisan support, she noted. For example, Kentuckys Health Access Nurturing Development Services, or HANDS, works with first-time parents and has reduced infant-mortality rates and rates of child neglect among the programs participants.

Preschool Development Grants: The Every Student Succeeds Act preserves the Preschool Development Grant program, which has been authorized for $250 million, but funding is at the discretion of Congress.

The new program, rather than being overseen by the Education Department alone, would be jointly administered by HHS and the Education Department. However, the new program limits the federal governments role in making rules that states must follow in order to get the money. For example, the federal government cannot tell states to run full-day programs, to use certain metrics to evaluate effectiveness, or to hire only teachers with at least a bachelors degree.

Head Start: An overhaul of Head Starts performance standards finalized in September says that all classes for 4-year-olds must operate at least 1,020 hours a year by August 2021. That, and other regulatory changes, would require another $1 billion be added to Head Starts $8.6 billion budget. The standards, however, allow HHS to change these requirements if theres no increase in funding.

Laura Bornfreund, the director of early and elementary education policy with New America, a nonpartisan Washington think tank, believes that Head Start wont see more money from the new Congress. She also said that its an open question as to how much attention will be paid to those new standards overall.

Something important to remember is that regulations are only as good as how they are enforced, Bornfreund said. Are programs going to be held accountable to some of the new things in the regulations, or not?
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.
If the approach becomes a verified clinical treatment, patients with phobias or PTSD can avoid the stress associated with exposure therapies and the side effects associated with traditional drug-based treatments.

If you're scared of spiders, frightened of flying, petrified of public speaking, or experience any other sort of phobia, a new solution may be on the horizon. A team of neuroscientists has discovered a way to remove specific fears from the brain using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and brain scanning technology. Their approach, published in the inaugural edition of Nature Human Behavior, could lead to new ways of treating patients who suffer from phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 19 million U.S. adults (or 8.7% of the adult population) suffer from prominent and persistent fears at the sight of specific objects or in specific situations. Meanwhile, PTSD affects about 7.7 million U.S. adults and can develop after a person experiences a trauma such as military combat or sexual assault. A common approach for patients to overcome their anxiety is to undergo aversion therapy, by which they expose themselves to their fear in the hope that they will learn that the thing they fear isnt harmful after all. However, this treatment is unpleasant and many choose not to pursue it.

PTSD affects about 7.7 million U.S. adults, or 3.5% of the U.S. adult population. Of these cases, 36.6% are classified as severe. Image Credit: National Institute of Mental Health.

The authors of this new study, in an effort to develop alternate treatments for anxiety, combined AI and brain scanning technology in a technique called Decoded Neurofeedback. In their experiment, the team created a fear memory in 17 healthy volunteers by administering a brief electric shock when they saw a certain computer image. The brain scanner monitored participants mental activity and identified signs of that specific fear memory. Using AI image recognition, the team could read that fear memory information. They then had to figure out how to remove the fear memory without consciously evoking it.

We realized that even when the volunteers were simply resting, we could see brief moments when the pattern of fluctuating brain activity had partial features of the specific fear memory, even though the volunteers werent consciously aware of it, said Dr. Ben Seymour, a co-author of the study and a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridges Engineering Department. Because we could decode these brain patterns quickly, we decided to give subjects a reward  a small amount of money  every time we picked up these features of the memory.

The amygdalae, highlighted in red, act as the brain's fear center. Image Credit: Life Science Databases/WikiCommons.

The team repeated this procedure over three days. Volunteers were told that the cash rewards they earned depended on their brain activity, but they didnt know how. By continuously connecting subtle patterns of brain activity linked to the electric shock with a small reward, the scientists hoped to gradually and unconsciously override the fear memory.

In effect, the features of the [fear] memory that were previously tuned to predict the painful shock were now being re-programmed to predict something positive instead, said Ai Koizumi, the study's lead author and a researcher at the Center of Information and Neural Networks in Osaka, Japan.

At the end of the study, the team showed the volunteers the same pictures that were previously associated with the electric shocks. The brains fear center, the amygdala, no longer showed any enhanced activity. This meant that we'd been able to reduce the fear memory without the volunteers ever consciously experiencing the fear memory in the process, said Koizumi.

The experiment was a small one and further research is needed, but if the Decoded Neurofeedback approach becomes a verified clinical treatment for people with phobias or PTSD, patients can avoid the stress associated with exposure therapies and the side effects associated with traditional drug-based treatments.

You can read about the study, titled Fear reduction without fear through reinforcement of neural activity that bypasses conscious exposure, at www.nature.com .

Source: EurekAlert, Mashable

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Felix Doolittle has become an EOS holiday staple gift source, which delights me to no end as they are a darling local Newton, MA based company that creates beautiful illustrated paper goods (also, Oprah named them her favorite stationery too so, you know, theres THAT). This year we feature them again, not only because so many of you loved them too, but also because they have new items available this season perfect for gifting (and also, because I love supporting small businesses like this!)

One of the new items they have are larger 16 x 20 art prints of Felixs watercolors. I cant get over how gorgeous they are, and I was so interested to find out about Felix Fus story behind his amazing talent. His passion for drawing began as a youngster growing up in Hong Kong where to be appointed a provincial government official in China, the candidate had to excel in painting, calligraphy, and poetry Felixs grandfather was one such an official. But as generations and the local culture changed, Felixs continued love of drawing and the arts was not encouraged, especially as he often chose to draw instead of concentrating on the lesson at hand in school, or later, drawing instead of doing his homework. He kept his drawings small so they could be easily hidden by a cupped hand. And his love of painting and drawing in small scale grew from there! So now painting on an 8 x 10 sheet of paper feels absolutely HUGE to him!



Here are some of the large prints on a wall!

Felix at work on his large pieces :)

His more standard tiny paintings shown here (this paper is 3.5 x 5 and look at the detail on that fern! Amazing!)

Today I get to give away THREE of the large prints to three lucky winners! Perfect for childrens rooms or powder rooms (or to give someone as a gift this season!) You can see them all here (only the first 10 are available large- the animals are not yet!). To enter please comment on which one you would like and I will pick winners tomorrow!

Also, for gifting we are offering you guys 15% OFF SITE WIDE UNTIL DEC 31st! Use code FDCHEER16. Here are some of the 8 x 10 prints I looooooooove. Like, really love- especially in a grouping in a childs room.



I also love the darling bench and hat prints!

Another new item perfect for gifting is their desk calendar featuring illustrations of scenes across America! Its lovely.

I am giving some gifts this year of books paired with their new bookmark sets! How insanely gorgeous is this Serengeti one???

Classic gifts- their adorable return address labels. Always adored (MOM, I SEE YOU LOOKING AT THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER ONES! DO NOT BUY THEM FOR YOURSELF! SANTA WILL!)

Also, these gifting labels are available with a variety of sentiments and illustrations. Great for gorgeous packaging this year!

Bookplates and medallions also make a great gift for a voracious reader!

Or chef medallions or kitchen labels for someone you know loves to cook, can, bake!

And naturally, stationery. Lovely, personalized stationery will NEVER go out of style, nor will kind handwritten letters and notes!

For those who are local and would like to see the items in person- they opened an adorable shop in West Newton called The Paper Mouse! Stop in to pick up some goodies or perhaps take a calligraphy class!

** This post is sponsored by Felix Doolittle. All opinions, commentary and selections are my own. Thank you for supporting businesses like these who help keep EOS going!
Meghan Markle has wrapped up the shooting of Suits Season 6 while her royal boyfriend Prince Harry heads to the Caribbean.

The actress, 35, is seen alongside co-star Patrick J. Adams and director Roger Kumble who took to Instagram to announce the wrap, as reported by E!Online.

"5:15 am wrap of season 6 @suits_usa finale with @halfadams & @meghanmarkle," Kumble captioned the selfie of himself and two of his show's stars.

As Markle resumed shooting on Friday, she posted a picture on Instagram on Sunday. The picture was of the gourmet morning meal along with the caption, "We wrapped season 6 of #suits at 5:30am today! Congrats to the incredible cast and crew. Thank you for an amazing season," "And now it's time for breakfast! (Let's call this a frittata/scramble/shakshuka hybrid)."

Meghan Markle had resumed shooting for "Suits" in Toronto, Canada after a romantic holiday in London with beau Prince Harry. She also reportedly met with Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry arrived in Antigua to start his two-week visit to the Caribbean on Sunday, reported People. Upon reaching the place, Prince greeted soldiers while wearing a blue suit and blue tie.

His visit marks the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana. He'll visit seven countries - Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Guyana - during his time there. This is 32-year-old Prince Harry's second visit to the Caribbean, first one in 2012.

The two had started dating around the end of October when Prince harry issued a statement confirming his relationship with Markle. In the statement, he requested for privacy as well as defending her from the racist and sexist comments made for her after news of their relationship went public.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are yet to be photographed publicly together.
It is true that Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder, even though one is culturally different from the other, the way they carry themselves well will show how they give importance to inner beauty. In the recent Miss Minnesota USA competition, one teen defies what other thinks of girls like her, a Muslim, and inspires more girls to join despite the clothing limitations of their tradition. This proves that there are still pageant organizers who value the "forefront of the diversity of beauty."

Halima Aden, a Muslim Somali-American teen bravely competes with all the other teens in the recently held Miss Minnesota USA Competition 2016. She became the first woman contestant to wear all her traditional clothes like the Hijab and the Burkini during the pageant.

ABC News tells of her journey as she models around different attires together with her Muslim cover and dress. It also follows her story as she embarked on her first beauty pageant. Her beauty and wit made her reach up to the semi-finals but her purpose on joining the competition was to change how people think of Muslim people and how they can do normal things like others do.

Anything is possible just as Halima Aden went through the swimsuit portion still wearing her Hijab and a Burkini in a report by Mirror. Although she competed fully covered from head-to-toe, the teen from St. Cloud admitted in an interview that she too have misconceptions of being a Muslim, thinking that being different is a "negative thing". But wisdom and age taught her to be brave and to be proud of being different because monotony in life arises if things are all of the same.

In an interview, she urges everyone to break the misconception of Muslims doing bad things and not by being general about it. As others are not perfect, some Muslims can also take part in peace and order and be a relevant tool in the community. Halima Aden wanted to be herself and with that, wearing her Hijab and other traditional Muslim covers, does not decrease who and what she can do more so that "Beauty is within".
Many gaming fans have been eagerly waiting for the release of the new Nintendo Switch. The company has announced that they will organize a private hands-on event in New York before its official release in the market.

According to Polygon, Nintendo announced this week that they will make a hands-on debut at a private event in New York on January 13, 2017. This will be a five-hour event following a streamed presentation on the evening of January 12. This will be referred to as the "Tokyo webcast" and this will offer more details about the new Nintendo Switch.

This presentation is said to be held live for the investors and the media. Nintendo is yet to announce the specific date of the hands-on event.

Game Transfers reported that as of writing, Nintendo has announced that it is a private event. It is still unclear if the event on January 13 will be accessible to the public. It was also unclear if the event will include question and answer portions reserved for the press.

Fans will have to wait for more updates as it is expected that more details regarding Nintendo Switch will be released on January 13. Details like its exact release date, price and line-up games are expected to be announced on the said event.

There is a huge chance that the company's business partners, shareholders and the media will surely attend the special presentation. The location of the presentation is also unclear as of the moment but there is a possibility that it will be held in its New York official store.

The company has also not announced any presentation plans for Europe, but it was said that the press events for other continents will follow in later January or February, just before the official release of Nintendo Switch. It was said that Nintendo Switch is scheduled to be released in the market by March 2017.
The United States president-elect, Donald Trump said he had an open mind over US involvement in the Paris Agreement in an interview with the New York Times, on November 22, 2016.

Trump stated during his presidential campaign that he would "scrap" the existing environmental regulation and bring back the ailing coal industry. He pledged to cancel the Paris deal, saying it put the United States at a competitive economic disadvantage, especially to developing nations like China that are less constrained on carbon emissions.

The international community meeting in Marrakech for the COP 22 has shown concern over this position as the United States is responsible for up to 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could threaten the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to below 2C. Procedurally, withdrawal from the Paris Agreement would be permissible within a four-year period.

Although the American government cannot cancel the Paris Agreement on behalf of all signatory States, it can still withdraw from the Agreement. The U.S. government could do this in any of two ways: Firstly, the Paris agreement only allows the United States to withdraw after a specific period of time.

Article 28 provides that withdrawal is only permissible three years from the date the agreement entered into force, which means, not until November 2019. The withdrawal will also not take effect until after one year from the date of withdrawal. Therefore, at the earliest, the U.S. withdrawal will not be effective until the end of Donald Trump's term in November 2020.

Secondly, the United States government could withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. U.S. withdrawal from the Framework Convention would lead ipso facto to the withdrawal of America from the Paris Agreement which will take effect within a period shorter than one year.

Alternatively, according to Huffington Post, the future Trump administration could simply disregard its commitments under the Paris Agreement as it does not include any sanction in case these objectives are not met. The U.S. government could, therefore, disregard its commitments with impunity.

The United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement also has legal consequences as victims of global warming could initiate lawsuits against the U.S. government. Actions could be brought in American courts or even domestic courts of other countries who have suffered damage. The courts could hold that the Unites State's decision to withdraw from or not to implement the Paris Agreement has caused damage and the victims should be fully compensated.

According to Time, the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could cause it to be isolated on the diplomatic stage as COP 22 put into light the global consensus that emerged from Paris agreement to deal with climate change collectively in Marrakech. The United States will assume the risk of being out of this common path thereby leaving the field open to challengers. China is determined to move forward with climate change, and the European Union could take the lead on developing low-carbon economies.

The United States' compliance with the climate commitments could also be the result of actions of civil society rather than of the federal government. Both local and regional actors have been involved in the development of clean energies for a long time and almost 400 American companies have called on their representatives to pursue the participation of the U.S. in the Paris agreement.
Simona Autolitano and Verena Zoppei (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik)

In recent years, traditional understanding of organized crime has been changing considerably. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Europol and the German investigators emphasize that criminal organizations coexist and connect in new forms in various criminal networks. Those are easier to infiltrate into the legitimate economy but rather difficult to be traced. They are also resistant towards the law enforcement authorities and prosecution. Therefore, the EU considers organized crime as one of the main security threats and it is looking into more effective ways to fight it.

Based on their research of three types of organized crime  human trafficking, cybercrime and money laundering  German investigators have come up with three main problems that need to be addressed. These are in particular a change in investigation methods and prosecution of horizontal criminal structures, revision of implementation strategies for tracking money, which is important but has not proven to be very efficient in recent years, and, above all, the need to intensify and improve international cooperation.

In order to streamline the prosecution of criminal cases, which relate to a large number of actors, investigators must not only focus on high-level players but also on complex and often interconnected networks and various criminal cells. Conviction of only the main suspect does not have a significant effect on the overall activities of criminal organizations and does not undermine their network. Investigation is successful only if the individual cases of unconventional organized crime are linked and one looks for the mutual ties.

Given the fact that organized crime networks transcend national borders, its prosecution must follow this inherent logic. The EUs strategy for fighting organized crime has focused precisely on this aspect and it wants to increase cooperation among national law enforcement authorities at EU level. Therefore, the EU seeks to improve the mutual recognition of evidence in criminal proceedings between individual judicial authorities, harmonize the law on the freezing and confiscation of funds derived from criminal activity, and unify the laws against money laundering.

Contrary to the EUs efforts, the implementation of the above-mentioned measures for a more intensive cooperation is unrealistic due to several reasons. First, Member States are reluctant to restrict the scope of their powers, and second, monitoring and wiretapping are very controversial topics in relation to data protection and privacy rights. In order to effectively combat organized crime, intense international cooperation is indispensable and the EU should solve these issues and set an example to third countries.

(The study can be downloaded here)
According to its most ardent proponents, a widespread embrace of evolutionary theory is a big win-win not only for science but for culture and ethics. Our recent report Darwins Corrosive Idea handily dispels that rosy picture as it pertains to the present day. As for history, Jason Jones and John Zmirak writing at The Stream helpfully remind readers of the link between eugenics, racism, and Darwinism.

Their specific topic is Margaret Sanger and the documentary Maafa 21: Black Genocide. Heres what they say about Darwin and how his arguments were used to justify eugenics:

The eugenicists arrogant certainty that, because they had inherited money and power, they were genetically superior to the rest of the human race, found in Charles Darwins theories an ideal pretext and a program: to take the survival of the fittest and make it happen faster, by stopping the unfit from breeding. The goal, in Margaret Sangers own words, was More Children from the Fit, Fewer from the Unfit. Instead of seeing the poor as victims of injustice or targets for Christian charity, the materialism these elitists took from Darwin assured them that the poor were themselves the problem  that they were inferior, deficient and dangerous down to the marrow of their bones.

The authors note that the eugenics movement itself was undergirded by racism. The video Maafa 21, they note, links the rise of eugenics to white anxiety about the negro problem following the end of the Civil War.

In his book Darwin Day in America, Center for Science & Culture associate director John West has written extensively about the social damage linked to Darwinism.

Jones and Zmirak bring up some harrowing examples, among them the observation that Sangers friend Lothrop Stoddard was a leader in the Massachusetts Ku Klux Klan and wrote a book Hitler called his bible. A speaker Sanger invited to a population conference, Eugen Fisher, had operated a concentration camp in Africa imprisoning natives. Jones and Zimrak note, It was Fischers book on eugenics, which Hitler had read in prison, that convinced Hitler of its central importance. For more historical background, read historian Richard Weikarts books including his most recent, Hitlers Religion.

They say that history is written by the victors. With evolutionary theory holding sway in the media and academia, its little wonder we rarely hear about these connections and events.

Photo: Margaret Sanger, 1917, via Wikipedia.
Where next for the OIL/USD in latest short, medium and long-term commodity predictions and forecasts as OPEC strike a deal in Algiers.

Brent Crude Oil surged after the OPEC production cut deal saw investors pile into the commodity.

"We must allow for this area to try and hold initially. However, with positioning now at more neutral levels and aggregate open interest rising with the rally we look for follow through above it to establish a larger base" say Credit Suiise in a report on Thursday.

"This would then open up further strength to the 38.2% retracement of the entire 2014/16 bear market at $60.95 next. We would expect a cap here initially, but above here can look on to tougher resistance at $69.63/$71.40  the 50% retracement level and the May 2015 peak  which we would expect to provide a ceiling."

"Support moves to $50.47/$49.96, then $46.56 with $45.92/75 needing to hold to keep the immediate risk still higher."

"OPEC yesterday agreed to cut production to 32.5 million barrels a day starting on 1 January and to last six months with a view to roll over the agreement for a full year" note Lloyds in a brief this morning.

"Russia, a non-OPEC member, has also indicated it will be willing to cut production."

"The Brent crude oil price soared higher, rising above $52/barrel."

When the largest oil cartel in the world, which controls approximately 43% of the world's oil supply convenes for a meeting to decide on a production cut, volatility is bound to increase.

Tomorrow, after the meeting, oil is likely to spike or drop more than 5%, depending on the outcome of the meeting. A chart from The Wall Street Journal shows that the options traders expect heightened volatility.

Failure = Sharp Drop in Oil Prices

The OPEC members know that a failure to hammer out a deal will lead to a sharp drop in oil prices, which will throw their fiscal budgets in disarray and dent the image of the cartel.

Hence, it is almost certain that a deal will be reached.

Iran and Iraq, the two main members who had objections to a cut earlier have also agreed to cooperate, after a private meeting on Monday, according to sources, reports the WSJ.

As Libya and Nigeria are exempt from the meeting, it is important to see how OPEC will deal with any production increase in these two nations.

The structure of the deal will be more important because OPEC has continuously increased output in the past few months, hence any cut, amounting to less than 1 million barrels a day is unlikely to support prices for too long.

Russia has also verbally offered to freeze production, but it is unlikely to cut production.

After the meeting, the markets will focus on the compliance by the member nations, considering their poor track record in adhering to quotas.

The bottom line is that OPEC negotiations can be messy, and the outcomes can also be messy, said Michael Wittner, head of oil research at Societe Generale.

The range of outcomes is much more than deal or no dealit is not black and white but rather with many shades of gray. If there is a deal, the question for markets will be whether it is a strong deal or a weak deal and this will be determined by the level of detail announced by OPEC, as quoted by Market Watch.
The British Pound has held onto yesterday's gains with the exchange rate of 1.26 against the US Dollar intact

Ahead of Friday's key Non-Farm Payrolls data release, the British pound has continued to advance against the US dollar.

"GBP has extended higher following the broader USD consolidation in recent sessions" note Lloyds in a brief on Friday 2nd December.

"The breaks of 1.2530 and 1.2595 resistance levels allowed the pair to drive towards Fib resistance at 1.2695, which capped yesterdays move. We still look for further development in a medium term range, with a move above 1.2695 suggesting an expansion towards 1.28-1.30, but the upside should be limited to there. Back through 1.2330-1.23 is needed to open a test of the 1.2080 range lows."

Thursday 1st December: The Pound to Dollar exchange rate extended its advances on Thursday afternoon thanks to comments that seemed to indicate that it was possible for the UK to maintain access to the European Unions single market.

Soft Brexit hopes were bolstered due to comments made by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem and UK Brexit Secretary David Davis, while the US Dollar was weakened by an underwhelming change in US jobless claims report.

The latest advance for Sterling has come despite some disappointing manufacturing PMI results for the UK; a drop in the sector has been recorded from 54.2 points to 53.4.

Looking to this afternoon, the currently soft US Dollar could jump against Sterling if the Markit and ISM manufacturing PMIs match with forecasts and rise in November.

GBP USD Exchange Rate Slides on Strong ADP Data but Recover to Trade Through 1.25

While the pair held its ground earlier in the day, another solid set on US ecostats left the US Dollar strong against currency peers.

Wednesdays American session saw the publication of ADPs November employment change report, which improved from 147k to 216k and beat expectations of 170k.

This bolstered hopes of a strong Non-Farm Payroll result on Friday.

In spite of recent signs of economic positivity the GfK consumer confidence index unexpectedly dropped from -3 to -8 in November, undermining sentiment towards the Pound.

With the tone of the BoE Financial Stability Report not overly upbeat this left the GBP USD exchange rate on a weaker footing, particularly as the afternoons US inflation data is expected to prove positive.

The Pound rallied on Tuesday, recouping much of the losses from the previous day, with a move through 1.25 against the US Dollar (GBP USD). Sterling also hit a high close to 1.18 versus the Euro (GBP EUR) as a sense of renewed optimism over the UK economy encouraged traders to purchase the Pound.

Pound Sterling (GBP) Exchange Rates Resilient as Dire Post-Brexit Predictions Prove False

There were dire warnings of the economic impact of a vote to leave the European Union from everyone from Richard Branson to Mark Carney.

Officials in government and banking couldnt wait to predict the high probability of a recession and a collapse in Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates. Of course, we have seen the latter with Sterling falling more than 20% on a trade-weighted basis and become the worst performing currency of 2016.

However, the UK economy has been hugely resilient due to strong labour growth and buoyant retail sales. Consumer spending has become the bedrock that the economy is built on and unemployment at an 11-year low will only serve to support spending.

Is the Pound US Dollar Currency Pair Trading at a Fair Level?

While the Pound US Dollar (GBP USD) exchange rate did drop beyond a 30-year low as a consequence of the UKs decision to leave the European Union, it has since recovered from its worst levels and some industry experts have stated that the pairing is now trading at a fair level.

Services and manufacturing returned to solid growth within a month of contracting in the immediate aftermath of the referendum and even business investment has held steady. Crisis? What crisis. Of course, it is still early days, the political fallout from Brexit saw David Cameron resign and Theresa May take up the responsibility of organizing the mechanism of how Britain would leave the EU. So far, the market has been unconvinced. Speculation of Hard Brexit will continue to hurt Sterling and in the next week the Supreme Court will decide whether to uphold or overturn the High Court ruling granting parliamentary approval on any Brexit deal. There is pressure from the EU to get on with it and their stance is clear; Any access to the single market will depend upon Britains acceptance of freedom of movement.

GBP USD Remains Vulnerable on Hard Brexit Concerns

Parliamentary approval on any deal is likely to cause delay in the UK formally triggering Article 50, which the government have announced will be done by the end of the first quarter. Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates likely to benefit from any delay or talk of soft Brexit, whereby Britain remains in the single market.

The opposite of course is also true and Sterling remains hopelessly vulnerable. Yesterday, the Pound US Dollar (GBP USD) exchange rate benefited from more positive data, as UK mortgage approvals reached the highest level since March last month, indicating robust growth in the housing market. This helps to stem fears over the longer-term implications of Brexit and stokes optimism that the UK economy will be resilient.

Here is a list of data released 30th November 2016:

EU 10:00 Flash HICP (November)

U.S 13:15 ADP Employment Report (November)

U.S 13:30 Personal Income / Consumption (October)

- Core PCE

U.S 14:45 Chicago PMI (November)

U.S 15:00 Pending Home Sales (October)

U.S 19:00 Fed Beige Book Published
Pound Sterling (GBP) Advances on Indian Rupee as Rising Oil Costs Limit INR's Demand on FX Markets

Some of the strength of the crude oil resurgence started to die back on Friday, with the prospect of increased US production starting to loom.

This set the Pound to Rupee exchange rate on a narrow downtrend, despite the latest UK Construction PMI bettering expectations.

Thursday afternoon saw the British Pound to Indian Rupee exchange rate held near its best levels since September.

Oil prices continued to increase, weakening the emerging market currency INR, while Sterling benefitted from new post-Brexit single market hopes.

UK Brexit Secretary David Davis showed a willingness to fight for access to the EUs single market during negotiations, stating that the government may be willing to pay for access if necessary.

The Pound has managed to post minor gains against the Indian Rupee today, in the wake of a sharp rise in crude oil prices.

The biggest influencer on the GBP/INR exchange rate recently has been crude oil costs, which have risen lately after OPEC members agreed on cutting oil production to boost the price.

This has been detrimental to the value of the Rupee, given that Indian economic growth is reliant on low oil prices for importers.

The Pound to Indian Rupee exchange rate gave up its best levels on Wednesday afternoon and continued to head to its weekly lows despite OPEC setting out its first oil output cap since 2008.

Oil prices continued to surge throughout the day, which would typically weaken the Indian Rupee as higher oil prices means greater difficulty for emerging markets to import the commodity. The Rupee benefitted from the days better-than-expected Indian growth results, hitting 7.3% in Q3 year-on-year.

The Pound has had a bad trading session against the Rupee (GBP INR), falling to 85.19.

While the earlier Bank of England (BoE) stability report pointed to EU nations having to cooperate with the UK or face mutual economic loss, fears have risen that the EU may cut off its nose to spite its face and aim for a UK-punishing Hard Brexit.

In other UK news, the GfK consumer confidence report for November fell from -3 to -8 instead of posting -1 as expected.

Pound Rupee (GBP INR) Losses Forecast if UK PMIs Fall Back to Contraction

While UK data is set to be limited at the end of this week, the figures that are due for release still have a high chance of causing volatility for the GBP INR exchange rate.

Thursday morning will bring the announcement of the manufacturing PMI for November, which is expected to fall from 54.3 to 53.8.

If this decline comes along with an unexpected drop in Fridays UK construction PMI, then the Pound may well close the week down against the Rupee due to two moves closer to PMI contraction.

Indian Rupee Remains Volatile on OPECs Oil Production Debate

Despite the losses in the GBP INR exchange rate, demand for the Rupee has been unstable today with ongoing OPEC talks triggering wild fluctuations in the price of crude oil.

At the time of writing, the cost of crude rose, although confidence in the Indian economy has been boosted elsewhere by earlier national data.

This consisted of a rising October infrastructure output level on the year, as well as a rise in the annual Q3 GDP growth rate.

INR GBP Exchange Rate Gains Expected if OPEC Meeting Fails to Cut Oil Production

One of the greatest influencers on the Rupee, the price of crude oil, may prove highly supportive for INR later.

The OPEC meeting outcome is expected to be known in the afternoon; if attendees fail to agree on any solid productions cuts, then the price of oil is expected to tank, which would push the INR up as a consequence.

Elsewhere, Thursday morning is expected to bring the Nikkei manufacturing PMI for India, which has minor movement from 54.4 to 54 forecast.

India Focus: Optimism for Long Term Industry Work after Cash Crisis

While Indias cash crisis, brought on by Government demonetisation, has alarmed investors and brought the nations citizens rushing to exchange funds, hopes nonetheless remain for the post-changeover period.

Among those expressing optimism about Indias industrial sector has been TV Narendran, Managing Director at Tata Steel. Giving an outlook on the situation, Narendran has said;

Demand has definitely slowed, but its more of a postponement of demand than a vanishing of demand.
It is well known that British, German and Swedish expats flock to the Spanish coast but new research shows that the countrys capital city Madrid is the top place in the country, in Europe and third in the world.The only cities that are more popular than Madrid with expats are Melbourne in Australia and Houston in the United States, according to the latest data to be released by the annual InterNations expat survey.  European cities generally do well in the global ranking with Vienna first for the quality of life, Frankfurt best for working abroad and Munich for job security. On the other end of the scale, the expats in Italian cities struggle with the state of the economy and with their personal happiness in general.Some 93% of expats in Madrid were satisfied with their life abroad, noticeably more than the global average of 78% and the city also got top marks when it comes to making expats feel welcome, ranking first overall.Some 77% of expats in Madrid feel at home in the local culture and 72% agree that it is easy to settle down in the city. Madrid is also first when it comes to finding friends with 71% making new friends in the Spanish capital compared to a global average of 60%. And when it comes to making local friends only 19% found it challenging, significantly lower than the global average of 36%.However, despite being the top city in Europe for the ease of settling in, Madrid struggled in the working abroad category, particularly in the job and career and job security subcategories, ranking 30th and 32nd out of 35 destinations, respectively.The state of the economy is also a concern for those working in Madrid with 43% concerned compared to the global average of 24%. This may also have an impact on how expats in Madrid view their career prospects with 29% rating them negatively.But expats in Madrid rate their travel opportunities very highly with 88% doing so and 795% rating the citys medical care as being high quality and affordable.In the overall global rankings Dusseldorf comes fourth, followed by Singapore, Vienna, Munich, Sydney and Mexico City with Toronto making up the last place in the top 10.Other European cities also rank highly with Barcelona at 11, Basel 12th, Frankfurt 13, Geneva 14, Berlin 15, Zurich at 16, Amsterdam 18th, Hamburg 19th, the Hague at 21, Brussels 25th, London 27th, Paris 28th, Istanbul 29th, Milan 33rd and Rome at 34.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016

While the holiday season brings many people joy, its a stressful time for those mourning the loss of loved ones. But families can keep precious memories alive and celebrate with Christmas Eve luminaria.

Here in the American Southwest, theres a tradition of visiting the graves of loved ones on Christmas Eve. In Catholic cemeteries, the night of December 24 is the busiest time of the year for visitors, rivaling even Memorial Day.

Graves are decorated with lights of varying types. The most simple and beautiful lights are created by lunch sack-sized paper bags with sand weighting the bottom and anchoring a single votive candle. When hundreds of graves are lined with thousands of luminarias, the result is a peaceful, glowing field of love.

After visiting the cemetery and remembering loved ones no longer here on earth, favorite foods to feast upon at home include tamales, posole, biscochitos, and red or green chile (in New Mexico, we spell it chile, not chili). Some people will even bring food to the cemetery to eat and drink while visiting loved ones graves.

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Catholic cemeteries in other parts of the country may not experience the kind of traffic that Southwestern Hispanic families bring on Christmas Eve. If setting up a display in your local cemetery would cause an issue in your area of the country, bring this celebration home. Consider adding a luminaria display in your yard to honor and remember loved ones who have died.

However you celebrate, wishing you and yours a warm and loving holiday.

From an earlier Christmas Eve cemetery visit, heres an example of one family that pulled out all the stops with their decorations  a small tree, an illuminated snowman and recorded music.

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Heres a video that shows the scope of the luminaria display in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Albuquerque, NM. The poem recited is Winter Solstice by Isaac C. Eastvold, copyright 2009, used with permission.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to withdraw a rule that would require seven Texas coal-fired power plants to reduce pollution coming from their stacks, providing at least a short-term reprieve for power companies fearful that the costs of ever stricter regulations would doom their plants.

The rule would have mandated that the Texas plants, as well as eight others in Oklahoma, update scrubbers and other air pollution control devices to preserve air quality near national parks and wilderness areas, including Big Bend National Park on the Texas border with Mexico, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park on the New Mexico border.

Several plant operators went to court to block the rule, arguing that the costly upgrades could force some plants to shut down and could create shortages of electricity in Texas.

The rule was under review by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which over the past few months issued rulings favorable to the power producers, including one that prevented the EPA from enforcing the regulations. In a court filing Monday, the EPA said it plans to soon file a motion to withdraw the rule.

Environmental advocates said they expect the EPA to rework and resubmit the rule, but its future is uncertain as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

Trump has pledged to support the coal industry and undo regulations adopted under President Barack Obama that threaten it. The EPA did not respond to requests for comment. Power companies also declined to comment.

Environmental advocates said the EPAs move represents a setback to efforts to reduce air pollution in Texas. For years, Texas and the EPA have battled over whether the state or federal government should set air standards. Texas developed its own plan to manage air quality, but the EPA in 2014 said it did not go far enough in reducing pollution and imposed a regional power plant rule.

The EPAs pollution plan would have cut 200,000 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emitted into the air in Texas, according to the Sierra Club, a national environmental advocacy group.

The Sierra Club, which supported the tougher power plant rule, said that despite the uncertainty of the incoming Trump administration, it would continue to press for tougher regulations for Texas and Oklahoma.

We are certainly disappointed, said Chrissy Mann, a senior campaign representative for the Sierra Clubs Beyond Coal initiative in Texas. We expect to continue to push the EPA to follow the science and the law. Its just not going to be as rapid as it would have been.

Trump has called for cutting regulations that he says hurt economic growth. During his campaign, he was particularly critical of stricter environmental rules adopted by the Obama administration. Potential candidates to lead the EPA include Myron Ebell, a leading skeptic of climate change, and Kathleen Hartnett White, a former chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, who said in an interview Tuesday that the EPA should be more cognizant of the economic impact of its environmental regulations.

Trump, she said, wants the EPA to run more carefully, to use stronger science and be unabashedly conscientious to the effect of more and more rules on existing employment and job creation.

But analysts say stricter pollution rules have merely hastened, not triggered, the demise of coal, which is increasingly unable to compete with cleaner and cheaper natural gas and wind energy. Even an EPA transformed by the Trump administration could do little to change this shift, said Andrew Bischof, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, a Chicago investment research firm.

When you look at the transition from coal to natural gas, its more of an economic decision now, Bischof said. So while the decision could be a near-time positive for coal, I think you have also to look at the economics of coal.

The EPAs regional pollution regulations, called haze rules, date to 2007. The Clean Air Act requires states to craft plans that protect national parks and federal wildlife preserves from air pollution or be forced to implement rules developed by the EPA. The EPA determined that Texas goals for reducing pollution werent sufficient, according to federal appeals court filings, so the federal agency substituted some of its own regulations, which targeted sulfur dioxide emissions from seven power plants across Texas.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

This summer, amid concerns from Texas power companies that the regulations would put them out of business, a 5th Circuit judge granted the industrys request to stay the rule until the court had a chance to review it. In an opinion submitted on July 15, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod cited concerns from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees 90 percent of the states power grid, that the rule could cut up to 8,400 megawatts of Texas electricity  enough to power nearly 1.7 million homes.

Elrod also mentioned concerns the rule would cause irreparable damage to companies by forcing upgrades and driving up electricity prices for customers.

The rule would apply to Texas power plants that the EPA says affect air quality in Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the two national parks in Texas.

Luminant, a Dallas company, owns four of the plants, Big Brown, Monticello, Martin Lake, all east of Dallas, and Sandow, which is west of Austin.

The other power plants are Coleto Creek, southeast of San Antonio and soon to be owned by the Houston-based energy company Dynegy, and Limestone, which is between Dallas and Houston and is owned by NRG Energy.

One West Texas power plant on the list, Tolk, is south of Amarillo and is owned by Xcel Energy.

Ryan.handy@chron.com

Twitter.com/ryanmhandy
WASHINGTON  Former Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Kathleen Hartnett White and President-elect Donald Trump this week discussed a vision for a very different U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from President Barack Obamas during a 25-minute meeting in Trump Tower.

White, who is on a short list of potential nominees to head the agency, described Trumps desire to consider the economic ramifications of environmental regulation, especially those around the issue of climate change.

He wants the EPA to run more carefully, to use stronger science and be unabashedly conscientious to the effect of more and more rules on existing employment and job creation, she said in an interview Tuesday. I have no desire to put words in his mouth. But as he is in other areas, he likes a good deal.

Since lambasting the Paris climate agreement on the campaign trail, Trump has said in recent weeks that he is keeping an open mind on the accord. Last year, close to 200 world leaders, including Obama, agreed to work together to reduce carbon emissions.

White offered little to suggest whether Trump would pull the U.S. from the agreement when he takes office in January. But White, who headed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from 2001 to 2007 and is now a senior fellow at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, made plain her own distaste for regulations designed to reduce climate change.

Anything related to so-called climate policies, the magnitude of the (economic) impact of any curb on man-made CO2 emissions should be a matter for our elected members in Congress, she said. In my opinion, and Im not a scientist, I would say as a matter of policy, the science is not substantial enough to justify policies of the magnitude of all the climate policy.

Something of an outsider candidate, White is reportedly competing for the EPA post against better-known figures including Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey  both of whom have been leading their states court fight against Obamas plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants.

But White, who keeps a cattle ranch in West Texas and lives outside Austin, said her tenure at TCEQ managing pollution from the states enormous energy and petrochemical interests, would serve her well in running the EPA.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Over my half of my time, for six years, was contending with the EPA, she said. Texas is the EPAs biggest customer in terms of permits and things like that. Its a good training ground for federal positions.

If appointed, White said she would focus on regulating genuine pollutants that can affect public health, something she said the EPA has been distracted from.

After her 25 minutes was up, Trump shook her hand and said she would be hearing from them later, White said. Of course, they always say that, she said with a laugh. I thought it went very well. It was very pleasant.

James.osborne@chron.com

Twitter.com/osborneja
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The first album that theater director Des McAnuff ever bought was Sherry and 11 Others, the first LP released by the Four Seasons.

I wore the grooves off this one, said McAnuff in a telephone interview. I think the real impact it had on me is that I realized that (band member) Bob Gaudio had written the songs, and it wasnt that common for members of bands to write songs before.

Certainly, it happened with people like Buddy Holly, but most of the time, the writers came from Tin Pan Alley or someplace else. That had a profound impact on me and changed the way I thought about pop music.

Even so, when he was first asked if he might be interested in directing a new musical exploring the bands music, he said no.

That was a long, foolish time ago, said McAnuff. Sometimes Im slow on the draw.

The musical in question became the smash hit Jersey Boys. The show, which explores the history and the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, is returning to the Majestic Theatre.

This time around, Aaron De Jesus will play Valli. De Jesus took some inspiration from his dad.

More Information On stage What: "Jersey Boys," presented by the Majestic Broadway series When: Opens Tuesday. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Dec. 9, 2 and 8 p.m. Dec. 10, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Where: Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St. Tickets: $30-$150 box office, 210-226-5700, ticketmaster.com. Info, majesticempire.com. See More Collapse

When we were all hired, we were not asked to do like an impersonation of these guys, he said. I think that for me, I was able to draw from my fathers experiences growing up very near where Frankie and the guys grew up  my dad born and raised in the South Bronx, across the river (from New Jersey). So I kind of draw a lot of my Frankie-isms from my dad and his experiences.

When De Jesus was growing up, his dad talked a lot about what his own youth had been like.

The South Bronx was a really, really rough place, probably worse off than Newark was, he said. I grew up hearing stories about New York and the culture there and the way of life and that kind of thing.

The show is laced with the Four Seasons music, including the hits Sherry, Big Girls Dont Cry, My Eyes Adored You, Dawn (Go Away), Cant Take My Eyes Off of You and Rag Doll.

dlmartin@express-news.net

Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
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Chances are, the food lover in your life has all the gadgets a kitchen could hold, enough exotic ingredients to stock a gift store and a collection of wines that pair beautifully with a variety of occasions and cuisines.

So whats left? Something unexpected. In a time when food magazines, websites and innumerable bloggers offer their suggestions, finding surprising gifts for foodies is a true challenge.

We found some books that havent received the praise they deserve, along with some nice beverages and other goodies.

Here are a few suggestions to thrill those with great taste.

You dont have to be a country legend

What: Codigo 1530 tequila

Why we love it: Products with celebrity tie-ins usually stink, but the four tequilas from the company in which George Strait is a partner actually are pretty good. It had been a private spirit for a wealthy family in Cabo San Lucas and shared among friends, many of them Americans with vacation homes in the Mexican state. The four tequilas  blanco, reposado, anejo and extra anejo  hit the market this year. The reposado may be the best, but the blanco and extra anejo are nice, too.

Where to get it: Bottles are available at many liquor stores, including Twin Liquors, Specs, Alamo City Liquor and K&B Liquor in New Braunfels. Suggested retail prices range from $49 for blanco to $249 for extra anejo.

Ultimate Chinese cookbook

What: China: The Cookbook, by Kei Lum and Diora Fong Chan (Phaidon, 2016)

Why we love it: This is an instant classic, a comprehensive Chinese cookbook that explores the eight regional cuisines and gives a great overview of the many flavors of China. If your food lover already knows that General Tsos Chicken is an American invention and wants to explore the real stuff, this is the book to get started. Maybe youll even get an invitation to come over for some mapo tofu.

Where to get it: It retails for $49.95. Bookstores can order it for you or you can buy it online.

No Cosmos here

What: Drink Like a Woman, by Jeanette Hurt (Seal Press, 2016)

Why we love it: This one is for the cocktail lover with a sense of a humor and an appreciation of history. This book looks at famous and notable women and matches vignettes with cocktail recipes. The ensuing recipes include the Nelly Bly-Tai, Frida Kahlua and the Lean-In Limoncello. The closest recipe to a Cosmopolitan, by the way, is named after 1920s icon Zelda Fitzgerald and called the Zeldapolitan.

Where to get it: It retails for $16. Bookstores can order it for you or you can buy it online.

Stylish recipes

What: GQ Eats, edited by Paul Henderson (Mitchell Beazley, 2016)

Why we love it: This very stylish cookbook may be geared toward men, but its a cookbook for all those who want to elevate their cooking game. Besides, where else are you going to find approachable recipes from celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Daniel Boulud and Heston Blumenthal?

Where to get it: It retails for $20. Bookstores can order it for you or you can buy it online.

Good Texas wines

What: Holiday three-pack from Brennan Vineyards, which includes the winerys dry rose, a select viognier and a tempranillo, with a booklet of recipes for dishes to accompany the wines.

Why we love it: Brennan is one of our favorite Texas wineries, and this selection offers a chance to try some at a manageable price.

Where to get it: The package costs $84, plus shipping. Order at brennanvineyards.com.

Luxurious beef

What: Meat gift box from Bolners Meat Co.

Why we love it: Backyard grill warriors fill this meat market on weekends, and serious beef lovers know about the high quality of the meats here. The store offers a rib-eye gift box of four 10-ounce steaks plus a container of seasoning, or the market will customize a box of meats that also can include cheeses, jerky or brittle. The steaks are vacuum sealed, frozen and kept in a shipping cooler so theyll stay ready for some lucky gift recipient.

Where to get it: Rib-eye gift box costs $38.50. Prices vary on custom gift boxes. Visit the store at 2900 S. Flores St., 210-533-5112.

For the serious cocktail connoisseur

What: Regarding Cocktails, by Sasha Petraske with Georgette Moger-Petraske (Phaidon, 2016)

Why we love it: Sasha Petraske helped shape the current generation of cocktail culture through his New York bar Milk and Honey and consulting work that included The Bar at Bohanans in San Antonio before his unexpected death last year. This book sets out his precepts and recipes for pre-Prohibition-era cocktails. Whether youre a professional who wants to know how to approach the craft of bartending correctly or an amateur who wants to elevate a home bar, this is the definitive resource.

Where to get it: It retails for $29.95. Bookstores can order it for you or you can buy it online.

Sip coffee in style

What: Mugs from Malinalco Home

Why we love them: These cups decorated with designs of Mexican loteria cards, lucha libre fighters or the eyes of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo look like glazed ceramic but are as light as camping mugs. These colorful and fun mugs are made in Mexico City.

Where to get them: Two-mug sets range from $21.95 to $29.95; a four demitasse cup set of brightly painted cartoon skulls costs $32.95, available at Melissa Guerra, 303 Pearl Parkway, Suite 104 in The Pearl, 210-293-3983, melissaguerra.com.

Season your life

What: Salt sampler from SaltWorks

Why we love it: The Classic Collection of salts from around the world offers five different finishing salts and theyre all intriguing and flavorful. A few flakes on top of a steak, fish fillet or salad takes them to a new level. If youre more into smoked salts or flavored salts, check out the collection on the website of this Seattle-based company.

Where to get it: Classic Collection retails for $26.95, seasalt.com

High-class suds

What: A 64-ounce beer growler, two pint glasses and a gift certificate to fill the growler from Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery.

Why we love it: Lets see  Southerleigh offers excellent craft beers in a range of styles, so its a gift of great beer at a great price. Of course we love it.

Where to get it: $25. Visit the restaurant, 136 E. Grayson St., Suite 120, in The Pearl, 210-455-5701, southerleigh.com.

etijerina@express-news.net

Twitter: @etij
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A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a teach-out agreement between defunct Career Point College and National American University, ending a limbo period in which some students were unsure of how they would finish their education.

The teach-out was finalized by Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald King a month and a half after Career Point abruptly closed its doors in mid-October, citing improprieties with student aid transactions by three longtime employees. The two for-profit schools obtained the necessary approvals from state agencies that worked around the clock to sign off on the details of the agreement, said Hal Morris, an assistant attorney general representing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and other state agencies in the proceedings.

Up to 1,900 Career Point nursing students in San Antonio, most of whom are enrolled in the vocational nursing program, can participate in the teach-out. About 900 students have already contacted National American, attorneys said.

The goal is to assist these students in going forward with their education, said William Davis, attorney for Career Point.

According to an addendum to the teach-out filed with the court Monday, the agreement will begin on the first day of National Americans next academic term, Dec. 1, and last for two years. It grants National American the authority to enroll former Career Point students and award credits, diplomas and degrees. The school cannot enroll any other students that were not a part of Career Points vocational nursing or registered nurse programs.

The agreement also allows students that were essentially finished with their coursework at Career Point to sit for the nursing exams, known as the NCLEX, and it frees them from having to take green light exams that gauge whether students can pass licensing exams as part of graduation requirements.

While the teach-out offers a solution for many students, attorneys for dozens of former students pointed out that it would not fix everything.

Aric Garza, an attorney representing about 50 students and in contact with hundreds more, called the teach-out the best route at this particular time for some students. However, he still expressed concerns about how the agreement would be implemented.

He said his chief doubts  how credits and loans would transfer, as well as the green light exams requirement  seemed to be addressed in the addendum. But he wondered what would happen to students who paid parts of their tuition out of pocket or took out loans from third-party lenders.

Eric Pullen, who is representing another 20 students, shared Garzas concerns but acknowledged that students have limited options. Many of his clients were worried about having to borrow more money for a program that already cost around $30,000.

Though students are not obligated to take part in the teach-out, some do not have many other choices. Career Point credits are difficult to transfer to other schools, and doing so will mean students have to pay more tuition on top of what they already paid Career Point to complete remaining credits. Dozens of students have enrolled at Coastal Bend Colleges Pleasanton campus, which is accepting most Career Point academic credits.

I dont want to take away from this teach-out agreement. Its an option that they have, Pullen said. But it doesnt solve all the issues.

lcaruba@express-news.net
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Natalie Chavez, 15, was found naked under a bridge in December of 2014, killed amid signs of a struggle. In the next four months, three women were left dead and dying along a sidewalk, in an alley and in a vacant lot.

Authorities say one man, Johnny Joe Avalos, 29, was responsible for all four deaths and could be considered a serial killer.

Jailed since April, 2015, he was charged with raping Chavez and later, with capital murder in her death and that of Celia Lopez, 29, and Genevieve Ramirez, 46. The list grew Tuesday with an indictment accusing Avalos of killing Rosemary Perez, 28.

Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if Avalos is convicted.

Being a serial killer is not a legal term, said District Attorney Nico LaHood, who declined to spell out a motive or method that tied the crimes together.

But our indictment says the multiple killings were done in the same scheme and course of conduct, so yes, that would qualify him, LaHood said.

Avalos, whose last known address was a South Side home near Hot Wells, admitted to a role in some of the killings in a jailhouse interview with KENS TV and, according to investigators affidavits, to a Bexar County jail inmate and a female acquaintance. LaHood said he had not seen the televised confession but would subpoena it, if needed.

Avalos was arrested by SAPD on April 22, 2015, and was initially charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in connection with Chavez, who had been found under the Vera Cruz Street bridge over Apache Creek on the West Side.

In one affidavit, San Antonio Police Detective L. Carrion said Avalos told investigators the day before he was arrested that he had had sex with Chavez and gave them specific information about the crime scene. Medical examiners found sperm on the victim that was a possible match to Avalos, according to the affidavit.

Because of her age, Chavez was not able to legally consent to sex, so the killing in conjunction with a sexual assault qualified the death as a capital murder case as detectives developed more evidence. A Bexar County jail inmate, Rene Canales, wrote to police asking to speak to detectives about statements he said Avalos made in jail, another affidavit by Carrion stated.

Canales stated the defendant told him he got the victim, raped her and killed her, the affidavit stated. Canales told investigators that Avalos admitted in later conversations that he met the victim in an area where known prostitutes are and had said that prostitutes who get raped do not call police to report it.

A separate affidavit that linked Avalos to the killing of Celia Lopez said her decomposed body was found partially unclothed. She had been reported missing by family members on April 12, 2015, and her body was found in a vacant lot in the 4400 block of South Presa Street three days later. Lopez was last seen alive leaving the Rainbow Hotel at 4740 South Presa, according to the affidavit.

Another witness, Veronica Edwards, told a detective that while driving Avalos to the West Side on April 20, 2015, he told her he had taken money from Lopez and killed her. The affidavit states that Avalos told Edwards he had robbed and assaulted other female victims. Avalos told police he didnt know Lopez.

Ramirez was found alive but unresponsive, with trauma injuries, in an alley along the 100 block of Avondale on April 3, 2015. She died from her injuries two months later, the district attorneys office said in a news release.

Perezs body was found wrapped in a sheet along a sidewalk in the 2100 block of San Fernando Street in January 2015, the release stated.

LaHood said he had met with some family members of the victims. One of them, Maria Avila, the imprisoned mother of Celia Lopez, told a reporter last year that the death penalty is really too good for an individual like that.

LaHood said he was not prepared to say if any of the victims were prostitutes, if Avalos knew any of them or if he is a suspect in any additional unsolved murders.

It is an ongoing investigation, LaHood said.

A preliminary hearing for Avalos is set for Dec. 19.

Staff Writer Kolten Parker contributed to this report.

bselcraig@express-news.net
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The Alamo of the future may have a 120,000-square-foot visitor center and museum overlooking an open plaza with interpretation and displays of historic wall footings, battle trenches and water channels  free of downtown traffic and noise that for decades have detracted from the site.

Those are key concepts, along with an easier, well directed flow of foot traffic, in a proposed draft Alamo master plan presented publicly for the first time at a City Council work session on Wednesday. The plan, set for completion by next June, is being developed by an international team of experts for the city, Texas General Land Office and nonprofit Alamo Endowment, which seeks to raise up to $300 million for the project.

Many elements of the plan, subject to change based on community feedback, seek to undo damage at the historic 1700s mission and 1836 battle site. The Alamo was partly destroyed by Mexican troops two months after the battle, then engulfed by urban development as the frontier village of San Antonio grew to become the nations seventh-largest city.

We really need to do something that will reverse what we see today, and go on the right track to recapture the site, said George Skarmeas, lead master planner and design director with Preservation Design Partnership of Philadelphia.

Under the proposals, the state-owned Crockett, Palace and Woolworths buildings on the west side of Alamo Plaza would retain their late 1800s and early 1900s facades but be gutted to become a 120,000-square-foot visitor center.

The center would feature at least five galleries, each focusing on an era of the Alamo, which served as a U.S. Army depot and a general store in the decades after the famed 1836 siege and battle for Texas independence from Mexico. The Land Office purchased the buildings a year ago for $14.4 million.

The planning team recommends a flow of visitors entering the site from the south, in the area of the historic location of a main gate that served the Mission San Antonio de Valero and 1830s Alamo. Officials envision a hologram production explaining, in about 20 minutes, the sites 300-year recorded history in the entrance of the museum, which would charge admission.

So in a fraction of that time that most people spend reading thousands of books and so on, the visitor can understand what happened over a 300-year span, Skarmeas said.

Removal of traffic, demolition of non-historic walls around the Alamo Gardens on the east end of a state-owned historic complex and relocation of the 1930s Alamo Cenotaph from the city-owned plaza to a linear park by the River Walk about two blocks south would help open up the area as a public space and encourage a more reverent atmosphere, officials said.

Up to 1,000 or more mission inhabitants are thought to have been buried in the area before hundreds died in the early morning battle of March 6, 1836.

Gene Powell, local developer and endowment board member, said the site deserves the dignity afforded other U.S. battlefields such as Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Valley Forge.

When you walk onto those battlefields, you feel the reverence. You lower your voice. Children are asked to quit playing and listen. People feel a chill. There is a sacred moment that you feel, he said.

But traffic and noise from commercial development dominate the area, Powell said. The city is working with amusement attractions that occupy the state-owned buildings under long-term leases to move to a new, nearby entertainment district.

The tourists dont understand where they are, and its not their fault, Powell told the Express-News Editorial Board this week.

Along with $31.5 million allocated by the Legislature for the Alamo plan and resulting projects, the city has programmed $17 million, and is studying allocation of $22 million in a 2017 bond issue. The bond money would pay for improvements to streets, pedestrian walkways and the Paseo del Alamo linkage between the plaza and River Walk.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley, one of two city representatives on a six-member Alamo Management Committee guiding the plan, said the goal is to make the Alamo close to financially self-sustaining, so quality museum programming and preservation of the Alamos iconic 250-year-old church, with its fragile limestone walls, can continue, even amid a downturn in the economy or cuts in state funding.

If something were to happen, the Alamo is going to continue to operate, Sculley told the editorial board. Were going to do right by the Alamo from a preservation and conservation standpoint.

Council members on Wednesday voiced appreciation for the draft plan and spoke of its importance.

This is a once-in-a-century opportunity. Shame on us if we dont do it right, Councilman Joe Krier said.

The public is invited to review the concepts and provide feedback through the master plan website, ReimagineTheAlamo.org, or via email to info@reimaginethealamo.org.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA




AUSTIN  State Sen. Paul Bettencourt filed legislation Tuesday he said would ensure local property tax rates decrease as property values rise, arguing that local taxing entities have exploited the current systems flaws to overburden taxpayers.

The Republican senator from Houston unveiled a five-point plan that would, most notably, reform the rollback process by which local taxing entities, which include schools and cities, can approve annual property tax increases. Bettencourts bill would repeal the current process and replace it with a provision that would trigger a tax ratification election if an entity exceeds a specified rate. The legislation also would cut the growth limit on rollback tax rate calculations from 8 percent to 4 percent.

What happens is tax bills go up faster than Texans pay checks, Bettencourt said. What this means is, that were putting too much pressure on where they live and work to pay property tax bills, and those bills must slow down.

Bettencourt said the proposal could produce varied savings for taxpayers  $30 to $200 per year  depending largely on how many taxing boards are in their communities.

Were dealing with thousands of jurisdictions that can implement a tax, he said. Tax rates will go down as property values go up. It gives relief in the form of property tax rate cuts and slows the growth of your tax bill.

In San Antonio, $317 million, or 27.9 percent of the general fund, comes from property taxes, according to the citys fiscal 2017 budget. In Houston, 47 percent of the citys general fund revenue, or about $1 billion, is derived from property taxes.

Opponents argue that amending the rollback tax rate process as outlined in Bettencourts plan amounts to a revenue cap imposed by state lawmakers that will make it harder for local officials to fund vital government services even as the states population continues to grow. Citing deep budget cuts in recent legislative sessions, they also argue that local tax increases are vital as state lawmakers have reduced the amount of money it sends to local governments.

The Texas Municipal League, one of the bills most vocal critics, called Bettencourts recommendations a direct assault on public safety, economic development, and transportation that will produce no noticeable tax reduction for homeowners.

A Texas Association of Counties spokesman said the group was reviewing the Bettencourt committees report and recommendations.

The association has repeatedly expressed its concern about misguided attempts to weaken the authority of locally-elected officials, spokesman Cary Roberts said in a statement.

Property taxes provide the bulk of funding for Texas counties. Cities also take in sales tax revenues.

Bettencourt dismissed the argument that the proposed rollback changes were designed as a cap on local governments ability to raise revenue.

Under existing law, taxpayers wishing to challenge a property tax increase above the effective tax rate  the calculation that would give the city the same amount of revenue it had the previous fiscal year  would have to collect thousands of signatures on a petition to force an election.

Ahead of the legislative sessions start in January, Bettencourts Senate Bill 2 received a low number from Patrick, indicating it will be a priority for the Republican-controlled Senate. The proposal is the product of a years worth of public hearings held across Texas and 50 hours of testimony about the states property tax system, Bettencourt said.

roberto.cervantes@chron.com

twitter.com/bobbycervantes
WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro said he expects the Trump administration to keep HUDs new no-smoking rule for public housing developments because of the many apparent benefits to residents.

I am convinced that no matter the political persuasion of the administration, the public health benefit to this policy is so tremendous and the resident support for going smoke-free is so tremendous out there that this rule will stick, Castro said.
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Albert Guerra, a father of two separated from his wife, had just ended a relationship with Connie Yanez when her boyfriend, Michael Scott Quinn, beat Guerra to death, chopped off his legs and tried to torch his remains, prosecutors said Tuesday at the opening of Quinns murder trial.

Guerra, 56, lived on Wonder Parkway on the North Side in a home his mother left him after she died, and Yanez had moved in with him, prosecutor Jason Goss told the jury in his opening statement. But things didnt work out, and when she told Quinn that Guerra had hit her, the love triangle turned deadly, Goss said.

Defense attorney Bob M. Hicks did not give an opening statement.

Quinn, now 53, took Yanez to his sisters house and begged her for a ride to get Yanezs things, and his brother-in-law dropped the pair off at Guerras house, Goss said, warning jurors, This is unlike anything youve ever seen.

He said Guerra likely was asleep in his bedroom on May 4, 2013, when he was struck in the back of the head about 20 times with a hammer, but before he died, he took a handful of his assailants hair, which Goss said matched the DNA of the defendant.

Goss said Quinn then used a circular saw and a tree trimming saw  Guerras own tools  to cut his victims legs off at the thigh, likely in the bedroom. But when Quinn realized it would take too long to dismember Guerras body, he went back to the garage, got a flammable liquid, doused Guerras bedroom, body and severed limbs with it and set the place on fire, Goss said.

Firefighters who put out two separate blazes found Guerras remains.

Goss said Quinn had already panicked and called relatives in South Carolina and told them he cut a man, saying, I dont know what to do. Im standing in a pool of blood.

Quinns brother called police to report that his brother had killed somebody. Officers arrested Quinn and Yanez, now 40, and both are charged with murder. Prosecutors havent said which of the two killed Quinn. Yanez is awaiting trial.

State District Judge Lori Valenzuela allowed Hicks to call a defense witness early, Quinns older brother, Eric Quinn, because he and his wife, Arlene, had to return to South Carolina.

Eric Quinn, a Pentecostal pastor, said his brother called on the night of the killing.

He said he cut the man, he cut him up and had to get rid of the body, Eric Quinn said. He said, Hes a big ol boy and its more than I can handle.

Eric Quinn said he refused his brothers request for money for a plane or bus ticket. Michael Quinn then said he would set the house on fire and threatened to kill himself, Eric Quinn testified.

Jurors winced, closed their eyes and shook their heads as they viewed crime scene photographs that showed Guerra in the living room on a plastic sheet, pieces of burned clothing and a singed pillow nearby, his legs severed from the rest of his body. A melted circular saw and the frayed handle of another saw were also burned. Spattered blood could be seen on the walls that led from the bedroom to the living room.

San Antonio Fire Department arson investigator Justin Davis said he could not take his K-9 into the home because every step he took was in frothy blood and he did not want to subject the dog to biohazardous material.

Ive never been at a scene where blood has been bubbling from the floor, he told the jury.

These fires were set intentionally, no doubt, Davis said, adding that the fires smoldered and never fully developed because too much accelerant was used.

Testimony is expected to continue today in the 437th District Court.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
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At the end of a meandering conversation among leaders from local advocacy groups, five panelists said they generally have great hope for the future of San Antonio.

Theyd been convened by Councilman Ron Nirenberg as part of his monthly Cultural Conversations series to discuss how San Antonio could move forward in the wake of a divisive election. Nirenberg told the crowd of some 250 people seated in a theater at the Santikos Bijou Cinema Bistro that the forum wasnt convened to highlight the loss of a particular candidate or how we feel about it.

There wasnt a mention, at least by name, of either Hillary Clinton or President-elect Donald Trump  but there was a clear focus on how their campaigns caused deep divisions from the national to the family level.

The panelists discussed the importance of careful word choice, among other things. Patricia Castillo, executive director of the PEACE Initiative, noted that violence rarely occurs in a vacuum, and that its generally first incited by harmful words.

Heated language is definitely a huge stepping stone to further harm that can be done, she said. We always engage our students, our learners, in a conversation about making sure theyre very aware of their choice of words.

Phyllis Ingram, from the local League of Women Voters, explained that theres a consequence to language.

One of the things we have to do is think about the words we are going to use, she said. Dont just spew things out of your mouth. But actually think about what you want to communicate.

Oliver Hill, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, agreed. He said that words do hurt, and hes seen an uptick in hate calls being made to the NAACP office since the presidential election three weeks ago.

That should not be happening in 2016, he said.

Still, Hill said hes hopeful for the future, regardless of whos in the White House.

As divisive language and actions have continued to spread in recent weeks, Castillo said individuals must take action by shining a light on such injustices, calling attention to the hate that is coming out.

Celina Moreno, a lawyer with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said shes seen energy among young people to galvanize across diverse communities  from those young people known as Dreamers, brought to the U.S. illegally as children, to Muslims, blacks and LGBT youth.

Moreno and others said ensuring strong education for todays youth is a vital component to growing civic engagement.

The more education you have, the more likely you are to be engaged, Moreno said. Thats what the numbers tell us.

The panelists also discussed the vital importance of having individual conversations with others who have different opinions.

You have to stick to your principles. You have to have the difficult conversations, said Jonathan Ryan, the executive director of RAICES, a nonprofit that helps with refugees and immigrants. You cant just nod when someone says something hateful.

As the panel continued to grapple with national issues that have been in the forefront of late, DeAnne Cuellar, the communications director for Equality Texas, said that San Antonio is a unique place. The election brought together hundreds for the community dialogue Tuesday night, but its not the first time San Antonians have faced a divisive issue. But as the city confronts controversies, its residents still come together to hash out their issues.

In some ways, were almost polite to a fault, she said.

For Nirenberg, San Antonio will show the rest of the country how to react.

We have a remarkable opportunity to show America how we deal with issues like this, he said. The intent is not to find places to vent but to get these conversations out in the open.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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Mayor Ivy Taylor appears to have enough support to move forward next week in finalizing regulations for transportation-network companies such as Uber and Lyft, but she leaned heavily on her council colleagues Wednesday who are insisting on mandatory fingerprint background checks, which are currently and would continue to be optional.

Council members Ray Lopez, Rebecca Viagran and Mike Gallagher all insisted that San Antonio ought to require that TNC drivers first submit to fingerprint background checks rather than the checks based on Social Security numbers run by the TNCs when they bring drivers on board.

I dont know if folks, at this point, are open to persuasion or changing their position, Taylor said, but I just want to point out to everyone that we do have the benefit of experience from their trial and error here.

Taylor was pointing to the fact that the TNCs have operated in San Antonio for more than a year under a pilot program instituted shortly after her June 2015 election.

City staff recommended that council approve a one-year contract with the TNCs that would include three optional one-year extensions that could be executed administratively by the city manager. Deputy City Manager Erik Walsh told the council that such flexibility is needed so the city can react to the changing environment in the ride-hailing industry.

It all may be a moot point, however, because the Texas Legislature is expected to take up multiple bills in 2017 that would alter how Texas cities regulate  or dont regulate  vehicles for hire. One senator has proposed a bill that would deregulate all vehicles for hire while another lawmaker has filed a bill that would take away cities right to regulate TNCs. Under that bill, the state would take control of regulations and likely not insist on fingerprint background checks, said Jeff Coyle, the citys director of legislative affairs.

The citys proposal would also restructure fees paid by the TNCs. Under the pilot program, they paid a flat $25,000 fee, which was seen as a barrier for entry for smaller ride-hailing startups, said Steve Baum, an assistant director at the San Antonio Police Department who oversees regulation of vehicles for hire.

Under the proposal expected to go to council on Dec. 8, TNCs would pay a fee of 10 cents per trip with a $10,000 minimum and $50,000 maximum.

The agreement would also require the TNCs to periodically notify their drivers that they can undergo free fingerprint background checks at the police department. That element  consumer choice  is the cornerstone of the citys pilot program, which proponents say strikes a balance with public safety.

Not everyone agrees that its enough, however.

Lopez, who is in his final term as a councilman, said he expects that there will be a major incident involving a TNC driver who didnt pass a fingerprint background check.

The reality of it is it will happen, he said.

But Police Chief William McManus said Wednesday that because of TNC policies, its difficult to change identities in order to beat a background check.

When you sign up to be an Uber driver, your name has to match the registration of your vehicle, he said. So you have to go through a whole heck of a lot of trouble to change your identity.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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WASHINGTON  A skeptical U.S. Supreme Court weighed arguments Tuesday in the case of a Texas death row inmate challenging the states standards for determining whether he is too intellectually disabled to be killed.

Bobby James Moore, 57, remains on death row 36 years after the 1980 shotgun killing of James Jim McCarble, an elderly convenience store clerk in Houston.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected Moores claim of intellectual disability in 2015, saying Moore did not meet Texas Briseno factors, a seven-pronged test which a judge based on the character of Lennie Smalls from John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men.

Attorneys for Moore argued Tuesday that Texas is a conspicuous outlier in rejecting modern medical standards in favor of what they called a subjective test based in part on the views of a consensus of Texas citizens.

A number of justices expressed misgivings Tuesday about Texas system for evaluating borderline cases of mental disability, but others argued for giving the state a certain amount of discretion.

In what could be Moores last chance to avoid execution, the decision of the eight Supreme Court justices could have a lasting impact on how Texas decides whether someone is too intellectually disabled to face execution. Moore is one of the six longest-serving inmates on Texas death row and one of dozens from Harris County, which has issued more death sentences than any other county in the nation.

Two other men received jail sentences in the robbery case, but avoided the death penalty. Moore, who said he pulled the trigger by accident, was convicted for the murder and sentenced to death. He almost was executed in 1986, but was given a stay 10 hours before he was scheduled to die, opening the way for further appeals.

The high court ruled 14 years ago that mentally disabled people could not be put to death. The justices, however, allowed states to decide how to determine whether a person convicted of a death penalty crime was of sound mind.

A psychologist testifying for the state at Moores trial that he likely suffers from borderline intellectual functioning.

Texas officials contend that even if current medical standards suggest Moore is disabled, the Constitution does not prohibit the state from evaluating death-penalty convicts under the Lennie or Briseno Standard that the state codified in 2004.

The seven Briseno factors are all grounded in this Courts precedents, said Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller, who argued the states case before the high court.

Moores Washington, D.C.-based attorney, Clifford Sloan, argued that by rejecting modern clinical standards Texas is relying on outdated science and harmful and inappropriate lay stereotypes.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the courts liberal justices, questioned the scientific basis for the Texas standard.

Was the criminal court of appeals using any clinical standard, any medical clinical standard? she asked.

Justice Samuel Alito, one of the courts conservatives, noted that the Texas standard conforms at least in part to the medical publications that were current as of the time the Briseno legal framework was devised.

Justice Elena Kagan argued that it appeared the Briseno factors are not consistent with the old standards, just as they are not consistent with the new standards.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, a frequent swing vote on the court, said he too saw a conflict between the Briseno test and conventional medical standards. But he questioned whether states should be left some discretion to set their own standards.

What is the rule that you propose for how closely standards must hew to medical practice? Kennedy asked Moores attorney.

The state must be informed by the medical communitys diagnostic framework, Sloan replied. If a state wants to conflict with or disagree with the clinical standard, then there has to be a sound reason for doing so.

Explore a state-by-state database of all executions conducted in the U.S. since 1976.

Sloan also argued that Moores IQ  a borderline measurement of 74  was interpreted incorrectly, pointing out that the defendant, raised in a troubled home, could not tell time or understand the days of the week. Testimony in his case showed he was thrown out of the house at age 14 because he could not read. Moores father concluded he was too dumb to stay at home.

Authorities, however, said Moore was capable of taking care of himself on the streets. They pointed out that after the slaying he fled to Louisiana, where he was arrested.

Alito, on Tuesday, defended Texass use of criteria that measured both Moores functional abilities and intellectual weaknesses, an approach he said has support among some medical experts.

So what, what do you make of that? That these are just  these are  are these quacks? he said.

Justice Stephen Breyer acknowledged the difficulty of setting consistent legal standards in borderline cases such as Moores.

I dont think there is a way to apply this kind of standard uniformly across the country, and therefore, there will be disparities, and uncertainties, and different people treated alike, and ... and people who are alike treated differently, he said.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg weighed in on the other side of the argument: Isnt making it discretionary a huge problem in this area, because if you let one trial court judge apply it and another one ... doesnt have to apply them, then youre opening the door to inconsistent results depending upon who is sitting on the trial court bench, something that we try to prevent from happening in capital cases.

Sloan argued that whatever the court decides about a national standard, Texas has gone its own way by trying to distinguish between mild and severe forms of retardation, when the 2002 landmark Supreme Court decision called for a bright line protecting the mentally disabled.

Keller argued that the Texas standard conforms to a national consensus, though he was questioned sharply by Kagan, who asked whether Texas can choose to execute people whom a complete consensus, a 100 percent consensus of clinicians, would find to be intellectually disabled?

Keller argued that the Briseno formula adopted the clinical standards of its time, which he said were, essentially, the same as the positions of current medical organizations.

Keller also downplayed the influence of the Steinbeck character in devising the state formula.

Lennie, and the character from Of Mice and Men, was never part of the test, he said. It was an aside in the opinion, and the Court said it was not going to address that separate question and instead adopted the clinical standards.

kevin.diaz@chron.com

twitter.com/DiazChron
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The British farming sector needs to 'produce more' and is now more than ever dependent on food imports, Judith Batchelar, Sainsburys brand director has said.

In 2013 the UK was 55 per cent self-sufficient in vegetable production and 10 per cent self-sufficient in fruit production, according to Defra's horticultural statistics. Overall, self-sufficiency in fresh produce has decreased from 46 per cent in 2000 to 34 per cent in 2013.

The latest statistics reveal the UK is around 60 per cent self-sufficient in food, it produces enough food to last for 219 days. In 1991 self-sufficiency was 75 per cent and the figure has also dropped by two per cent since last year.

Speaking to the Sainsbury's farming conference, she said the UK is more exposed than it has ever been to the export trade, "we have to produce more."

"We need to build a much more resilient food system, we are starting to live the new industrial revolution through big data, the internet of things and cloud computing.

"We need to get our fair share of what the government is putting into the new industrial strategy," she said.

Mike Coupe, Sainsbury's chief executive said it was important for government to recognise that the UK food industry is the biggest employer and exporter.

"We're working with the representative groups including the NFU and British Retail Consortium to make sure our views are represented."
Geese thought to be worth up to 100,000 have been stolen by a criminal gang in what has been described as a 'audacious theft'.

The animals, which totalled 1,500, were taken yesterday from land in the Bawburgh, Norfolk area between 3am and 8am. Norfolk Police have appealed to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area.

John Newton, National Farmers' Union county adviser, said the birds were 'clearly stolen to order', adding: "Theyre not the kind of numbers you could sell down your local pub."

A police spokesman said: Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Bawburgh area between the times stated, or in particular from anyone who may have been offered any geese for sale.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact Norfolk police or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Farmer, 20, who took over family farm after tragedy scoops award
By Kyle Dawson

Leaf spot damage seen on a peanut leaf.

Georgia peanut growers are experiencing problematic leaf spot diseases this year due to susceptible varieties and weakening fungicide treatments, according to Albert Culbreath and Tim Brenneman, plant pathologists at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus.

Brenneman said this years dry conditions should have set up an environment thats less favorable for leaf spot.

It displays the magnitude of the problem, Brenneman said. If were having trouble in a dry year, we could really have a serious problem in a wetter year.

According to the 2014 Georgia farm gate report, peanuts are the sixth-highest grossing commodity in Georgia, bringing in nearly $564 million for growers. Nine of the top 10 peanut-producing counties are in the southwest part of the state.

Brenneman said that leaf spot could hurt overall peanut yields in some places this year, but that the dry conditions will be the biggest factor.

The irrigated crop is not bad, Brenneman said. Some dryland areas are horrendous and have been zeroed out for insurance already. The earlier United States Department of Agriculture crop estimate predicted very high yields for Georgia, but as the crop has been coming in, it looks like that projection was optimistic.

Almost all varieties grown in Georgia, Alabama and north Florida are susceptible to leaf spot, including Georgia-06G, Georgias most commonly produced variety, according to the UGA Peanut Team.

Growers must be aware of their cultivar selection, said Brenneman. Some of the high-oleic peanuts are especially susceptible to leaf spot. Certain buyers are willing to pay a premium for growing those cultivars with that oil chemistry since the products made from them have a better shelf life. Growers must realize that if they choose to grow those varieties, they must stay on top of their spray programs and not cut any corners.

Leaf spot produces hormonal changes in the plant, which causes the leaves to wither, turn yellow and fall off the plant. It also causes lesions to appear on the stem and other parts of the plant.

Culbreath and Brenneman are working to combat leaf spot in the short and long terms. Culbreath said that improving fungicide efficacy is his short-term solution for stopping the disease. He said mixing the less effective fungicides has been more effective than spraying them separately.

Were working with experimental fungicides with multiple companies, Culbreath said. Some of the experimental fungicides are much more effective than what we have now and represent a lower risk in terms of applicator and environmental exposure. Theyre still going to be expensive, but fungicides are a very important part of our leaf spot management program.

Culbreath said his long-term goal for leaf spot is to help develop varieties that are resistant to the disease. He has been working with several breeders and geneticists with UGA, the USDA and the University of Florida to help develop the new varieties and improve techniques for selection that should help with that process.

Were helping determine the relative resistance levels in hundreds of peanut lines from multiple mapping populations. In most cases, this is being done with huge field trials. The levels of resistance in those lines are matched with gene sequences from the respective lines to determine which genes or gene groups are responsible for the resistance, Culbreath said. Hopefully, with that information, the geneticists can develop molecular markers for those genes that a breeder can use to screen a lot of lines quickly for resistance. Hopefully, we will find multiple types of resistance and will be able to use the markers to combine multiple types of resistance into one variety.

Culbreath said that part of the challenge in evaluating a peanut field is the large number of plots that must be rated. Sarah Beth Pelham, a masters degree student at UGA, has been using a drone to see whether aerial imagery can evaluate the severity of leaf spot damage.

Without the use of fungicide treatments, Culbreath said peanut varieties must be resistant to leaf spot diseases in order to thrive in south Georgia.

Culbreath has also been working on improving leaf spot control in organic peanut production, which involves no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Brian Jordan, another graduate student in our program, has much of his research focused on organic production. Brian has found that several advanced breeding lines from University of Georgia peanut breeder Bill Branch, as well as Dr. Branchs released cultivar Georgia-12Y, have the potential to do well without fungicides for leaf spot control when used with good rotation and early planting dates to dodge the epidemic, Culbreath said. Resistance or tolerance and crop rotation is essential for that type of production, but I think we can put together an integrated system that will work for organic production.
Lawyer says body cam shows police trying to cover up unlawful stop

The exchange can be heard in body camera footage released Tuesday in the case of Ja'Lana Dunlap-Banks, 22, who says she was wrongly detained Sept. 6.
To mark Butlin's 80th anniversary this year, Butlin's has released a gorgeous new coffee table book, The Nation's Host: Butlin's and the Story of the British Seaside , which shows how the resort has helped shaped British seaside history over the years.

The Nation's Host: Butlin's and the Story of the British Seaside

Seaside historian, and author of 'The Nation's Host: Butlin's and the Story of the British Seaside', Kathryn Ferry said : 'Being one of the nation's best-loved resorts, Butlin's has a long and fascinating history, but many people are likely unaware of some of the lesser known facts about Butlin's. When compiling the book, I discovered a wealth of interesting facts about Butlin's, gleaned from my extensive research of Butlin's archives.'

To highlight some of the weird and wonderful things that have occurred at Butlin's since its inception in 1936, we've compiled a list of interesting facts about Butlin's.

16 Things you didn't know about Butlin's

1. Before Butlin's the only way hard-working families could take a break to the seaside was to visit a seaside boarding house, full of rules and regulations and not at all welcoming to children. The landlady would lock families out after breakfast, and they would not be allowed to return until lunch despite the weather.

2. During a wet holiday to Wales, Billy had an inspired idea, reminiscing about his childhood in Canada and his summers spent at the camps on Lake Ontario. He said to himself 'one day I'll build a camp like that here', that day was the 11th April 1936.

3. The first ever Butlin's guest was a lady named Freda Monk, in her excitement she arrived at Butlin's Skegness a day early, only to find the camp not yet open. In true Butlin's style, Billy opened the gates and welcomed her in.

4. Billy Butlin had a pioneering spirit: he bought Dodgems to the UK in the 1920s, by 1938 Butlin's boasted the largest heated open-air pool in the country. In May 1965 Billy opened the first commercial monorail system in the UK at the Butlin's resort Skegness.

5. The first Butlin's chalets created in the 1930s cost 10 and were meant to create the sense of a mini-home-from-home

6. Billy Butlin was a pioneering rail preservationist and the Butlin's Pwllheli resort featured a decommissioned steam train, The Princess Margaret Rose.

7. Many stars over the years have cut their teeth at Butlin's including Stephen Mulhern Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Des O'Connor, Jimmy Tarbuck, Sir Cliff Richard, Benny Hill, and Darren Day. Catherine Zeta Jones also visited Butlin's resort and won a competition during her stay.

8. The famous Redcoats, whose primary role is still to ensure that visitors have the greatest holiday of their lives at Butlin's, were introduced in 1936, so that they could be easily seen by visitors. The job description was distilled into three words: Friend, Philosopher, Guide.

9. The first Redcoat was Norman Bradford who at the time was working as the senior engineer at Skegness.

10. The Redcoat uniform has been reinvented eight times over the years.

11. During the wartime years (1939-1945), soldiers from The Royal Navy were housed at the Butlin's Pwllheli resort, including Prince Philip who had stayed there during the war. In 1963 Prince Philip returned with The Queen to tour the camp.

12. By the late 1950s, Billy Butlin begin to build 'human aquariums' - indoor pools with plate-glass side windows to give underwater views to turn the swimmers into a novel attraction

13. In 1955 Butlin's launched Butlin's Motor Cycle and Car Club, which offered members assistance from patrolmen who would scout the main roads leading to resorts on arrival and departure days and were equipped to give directions and assist guests with emergency breakdowns

14. In 1958, 10,000 couples flocked to Butlin's Honeymoon Hotels, with each couple receiving a Smith's Alarm Clock as a wedding gift during their stay

15. Butlin's ran the revolving restaurant at the top of the BT Tower from 1966-1980.
Ed Balls doesn't see himself as a sex symbol.

Ed Balls

The 49-year-old politician emerged as an unlikely object of desire during his stint on 'Strictly Come Dancing' - but Ed has downplayed his new-found status.

He said: "I don't think I've taken that [sex symbol] on board at all. I've taken the snake hips though.

"Weddings and family parties of the future, I'll definitely be doing the Charleston or a bit of the Cha-Cha-Cha and we're [me and Yvette are] going to learn a routine together."

Ed lost weight during his time on the programme, but has revealed that his wife, fellow politician Yvette Cooper, is worried how he will sustain his slimline figure.

He explained to 'Loose Women': "She thought I was overweight and she thought go and lose some pounds at dancing. I've lost a stone-and-a-half, which is not bad. Yvette is most worried about now is how I sustain this and keep going."

Ed has surprised the public with his performances on 'Strictly', but he has claimed he's always had an inner flamboyance just waiting to get out.

He said: "Oh definitely [I've always had that showbiz spark inside me]. People who do know me have said 'this is a revelation' but people who have known me for a long time have known I've always had this in me.

"What I didn't think I realised that I had an inner Beyonce. As [dancer partner Katya Jones] flew past me on live television she yelled at me, 'Give them more, give them more'."

Ed also admitted that he would like to do more reality TV but would not be able to mix that flamboyance with a return to politics, like America's 'The Apprentice' winner and President-elect Donald Trump.

He said: "[Being president] is also about people's lives and big decisions and my worry is Donald Trump is going to think he can be a reality TV President and that can be catastrophic.

"I know it's a different thing ... if you get them mixed up it can be dangerous and I'm not going to be foolish like that."
Ghana government has extended support for the establishment of a textile factory in the North Savanna Ecological Zone (NSEZ) of the country . Appreciating the initiative of Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to set up the textile factory, Ghana president John Mahama said that the country has potential to further develop its textile business.

The new textiles factory will be built by SADA, in collaboration with China National Textiles and Apparel Council (CNTAC), in Kumasi city, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana.

Mahama extended his support for the Kumasi based project when a 10-member delegation from CNTAC visited him in Accra after signing two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between SADA and CNTAC. One of the MoUs included development of a framework for the establishment of cotton and textiles project in NSEZ, Ghana news media reported.

Ghana government has extended support for the establishment of a textile factory in the North Savanna Ecological Zone (NSEZ) of the country. Appreciating the initiative of Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to set up the textile factory, Ghana president John Mahama said that the country has potential to further develop its textile business.#

Ghana government had established SADA to develop Savannah Ecological Zone and SADA is authorised to lead the comprehensive development of Ghana's savannah zone and represent government in joint ventures, said Mahama. Identifying the potential of the country in cotton production, Mahama said that CNTAC cotton and textiles project is just the start for big things to happen in the industry.

This project can become a gateway to Economic Community of West African States, said vice president of CNTAC, Xu Yingxin during the delegation's meeting with Mahama.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
DS-Concept, a Germany based global finance company specialising in non-recourse factoring and trade finance, has provided an export factoring facility of $5 million to a Hong Kong based apparel exporter. With the finance company's export facility and support, the apparel exporter predicts close to $18MM to $20MM in annual factored volume.

The client of DS-Concept exports apparel to companies in the US and Europe. It was seeking a flexible, reliable and long-term financing partner to create liquidity and accelerate cash flow without increasing liabilities and hence joined hands with DS-Conecpt.

DS-Concept maintains a network of offices and affiliates all over the world including US, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Spain, UK, China and UAE. Combining credit protection, collections and financing into a single suite of trade finance products, DS-Concept brings streamlined, flexible and best-in-class services to the world's exporters. (KD)

DS-Concept, a Germany based global finance company specialising in non-recourse factoring and trade finance, has provided an export factoring facility of $5 million to a Hong Kong based apparel exporter. With the finance company's export facility and support, the apparel exporter predicts close to $18MM to $20MM in annual factored volume.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Online luxury fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP) Group has signed a joint venture with Symphony Investments, to start a Middle East online luxury retail website. YNAP will hold a 60 per cent in the joint venture, while Symphony Investments will have the remaining stake of 40 per cent, which will draw on the region's enormous online growth potential.The joint venture will operate in various countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, with plans to expand to other Middle East countries and North Africa in the future.

Online luxury fashion retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP) Group has signed a joint venture with Symphony Investments, to start a Middle East online luxury retail website. YNAP will hold a 60 per cent in the joint venture, while Symphony Investments will have the remaining stake of 40 per cent, which will draw on the region's enormous online growth potential.#

The company will establish an office with dedicated sales and marketing and customer care team in Dubai, which will provide Middle Eastern customers with a highly tailored offering.It will also open a new distribution centre in Dubai powered by YNAP's omni-stock techno-logistics platform to guarantee the highest level of service, including same day delivery. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
After reports of Karan Johar's Shuddhi being shelved, there have been several rumours doing the rounds about director Karan Malhotra's next project. Reports suggest that he is planning to make a comedy film now before Shuddhi happens and has already finished writing the script for the same.

We even hear that Karan has approached Hrithik Roshan for this film. An Asian age report quoted a source saying, "The director has met junior Roshan and narrated the story. The actor has quite liked the idea but still hasn't confirmed yet. The film is to be produced by Karan Johar."

When the daily contacted Karan Malhotra he refused to divulge further details and stated, "I don't want to confirm anything as of now. It's too early. Karan Johar will announce it very soon."

Well, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hope things work out as planned for it would be quite amazing to see Hrithik in a new avatar.

Duggu's next release is Kaabil which has him and Yami Gautam playing a blind couple. The film is slated to lock horns with Shahrukh Khan's Raees on 26th January, 2017.
Ever since Zoya Akhtar announced her next film, Gully Boy, a lot of speculations have been doing the rounds. While it was said that Ranveer Singh had almost been finalized to play the male lead, here comes now a shocking development!

If the latest reports are to be believed, then the Padmavati actor is no longer doing this film! As per a DNA report, Ranveer was quite keen to do this film, however the dates of Gully Boy were clashing with his next with Shinmin Amit. Hence, he had to bid goodbye to Zoya's film.

A source was quoted saying, "Ranveer loved the subject, but finally had to let go. He tried his best to work out the dates for Zoya's film for the last three months, but Amin's romantic drama produced by YRF, begins shooting next year and is a romantic drama. The female lead of the film is a newcomer."

We now hear that Zoya has approached Varun Dhawan to play the role of a street rapper from a Mumbai chawl and his rise to fame.

The daily further quoted the source adding, "Ranveer's first loyalty is with YRF, hence when it was obvious he had to choose between Zoya and Shimit, he opted for his mentor Aditya Chopra's production. Varun has liked Zoya's story and is trying to work out his dates for the film, which starts next year."

Reportedly, Gully Boy is inspired by two rappers Divine (Vivian Fernandes) and Naezy (Naved Sheikh) and their rap-to-riches stories.

Currently Ranveer is busy shooting for Padmavati and has Befikre up next for release. On the other hand, Varun's next films are Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2.
Renowned actress Evan Rachel Wood said that she is not afraid anymore to share her haunting experiences with the world. The actress said that, the incident has left a deep scar in her mind.

In a letter posted on her social media profile, the actress said, that she do not want to make it rather a sob story. She is strong enough to let the world know about it.

"Well, since everything is out in the open now, figured I would share the confession letter I wrote to @RollingStone in its entirety. #NotOk (sic)," she captioned the post.

"I started questioning my reasons for staying vague about my experiences as a girl growing up in America. I think, like a lot of women, I had the urge to not make it a sob story, to not make it about me. I didn't have to confirm what happened, what mattered is that it happened." She wrote.

"That still affects me to this day. I think deep down, I also didn't want to be accused of doing it for attention, or told it wasn't a big deal, or 'that's not really rape.' I will not be ashamed. I will also not project some false idea of being completely over it because 'I am so strong," she wrote in the letter.
Police

Although, the police do not find Akshara's dead body, they declare Akshara dead as the experts believe that no one can survive the landslide. They ask Naira to inform her father.

Naira & Naitik

Naira is completely shattered and informs the same to Naitik, who doesn't believe her. Naitik is in shock and believes that Akshara is alive and will come back.

Kartik Runs Away From The Hospital

On the other hand, Kartik is worried and wonders what his family is hiding from him. He hides from his father and runs away from the hospital to meet Naira.

Kartik & Naira

Kartik goes to Singhania house and asks Naira that why didn't she come to meet him even after knowing about his accident. Naira lashes out at him, but Kartik doesn't understand.

Kartik Shocked

Naira then reveals to Kartik that he killed her mother Akshara. Kartik is shocked and tells the family members that he hasn't killed Akshara or done anything wrong.

Kartik

Kartik tries to speak to every family member, but everyone thinks that Kartik has killed Akshara. Even Mishti doesn't speak to him, this shocks Kartik.

Naitik Uncontrollable

Naitik stops the ladies, who were about to put a garland on Akshara's photo. He shouts at them asking, whether they are mad. He holds Akshara's photo and tells them that Akshara is not dead.

Naitik Loses His Cool Seeing Kartik

Naitik loses his cool on seeing Kartik and holds his collar. He chokes Kartik, while Naira and other family members try to control Naitik. Even Kartik's mother Suvarna would have arrived at the Singhania house.

Kartik Gets Arrested

The family members and even Kartik is shocked to see his favourite person hitting him and blaming him for Akshara's death. The police arrive at the place and arrests Kartik.

Kartik's Father

Kartik falls down and his father helps him stand up. Kartik's family members support him, while Singhania and Maheshwari families are totally against him. Is this the end of Naira and Kartik's love story? Has Kartik really killed Akshara? Stay locked to this space for the latest updates of the show...
"As a proportion of the whole market, more buyers with small deposits are getting onto the housing ladder than at the same point a year ago."

A total of 62,522 house purchase mortgages were approved in October. However, this figure is still 11.1% below the 72,409 recorded at the same point last year.

October 2016s figure also remains well below this years peak of 72,512, recorded in February, which was boosted by buyers making house purchases before Aprils stamp duty tax changes.

The e.surv research says that although approvals dropped sharply following Junes EU referendum, they have held strong in subsequent months and show "no signs of falling further".

Despite the number of approvals falling, the proportion of loans made to borrowers with a deposit of less than 15% remains above the level seen a year ago. The survey found 16.7% of all loans were made to this part of the market in October, slightly higher than the 16.5% reported 12 months ago.

Overall, 10,441 approvals were made to small deposit borrowers during the month of October. This was marginally down on Septembers total of 10,741 approvals but considerably lower than the 11,947 recorded last October, reflecting the smaller size of the overall mortgage market this month.

Northern Ireland has overtaken the North West of England to become the best location for smaller deposit borrowers to purchase a home. In October 29.5% of all loans in Northern Ireland went to these borrowers, ahead of the 25.9% found in the North West.

Elsewhere, the market in London and the South East continues to be dominated by those with large deposits. Some 41.4% of borrowers in the South East and 41.2% in London had deposits of more than 60%, well ahead of every other UK region.

Scotland (38.3% of all loans) was another market dominated by large deposit buyers, up from the 37.9% recorded a month ago.

The North West (24.9%) was the market with the smallest proportion of these borrowers, followed by Yorkshire (25.5%) and Northern Ireland (29%).

Richard Sexton, director of e.surv chartered surveyors, commented: It seems safe to say that fears of a post-Brexit collapse in the mortgage market were unfounded. While activity is down compared to earlier in the year, approvals show no signs of falling further. There is however a higher proportion of re-mortgage lending than earlier in the year.

Super low mortgage rates continue to lure new buyers into the market. The good news for first-time buyers is that they are not being disproportionately hit by the drop in approvals. In fact, as a proportion of the whole market, more buyers with small deposits are getting onto the housing ladder than at the same point a year ago.

Northern Ireland and the North West continue to tussle for the top spot for low deposit borrowers. In reality, both areas are great places for young people and first-time buyers to purchase a home. Low house prices and a good variety of housing stock make them an ideal place to buy.
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON -- (Marketwired) -- 11/29/16 -- The Board of Directors of REGI U.S., Inc. (the "Company") (OTCQB: RGUS) announce a RESCHEDULED DATE for the Special Shareholder Meeting to be held on FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 at 10:00a.m. (Pacific Time), at the Corporate office of REGI U.S., Inc., Suite 10 - 7520 N. Market St., Spokane, WA, 99217, USA for the following purposes:

1. to approve an amendment to the Company's Articles of Incorporation to increase the authorized shares of common stock from 100,000,000 shares of common stock, with no par value, to 150,000,000 shares of common stock, with no par value; 2. to elect directors to serve our company for the ensuing year and until their successors are elected; and 3. to transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Friday, November 4, 2016 has been set as the record date for the determination of Shareholders eligible to vote on these matters.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

REGI U.S., Inc.

Paul W Chute, President and CEO

ABOUT REGI U.S., INC.

REGI U.S., Inc.is developing for commercialization an improved axial vane type rotary engine known as the RadMax rotary technology used in the revolutionary design of lightweight and high efficiency engines, compressors and pumps. The RadMax engine has only two unique moving parts, the vanes (up to 12) and the rotor, compared to the 40 moving parts in a simple four-cylinder piston engine. This innovative design makes it possible to produce up to 24 continuous power impulses per one rotation that is vibration-free and extremely quiet. The RadMax engine also has several capabilities allowing it to operate on fuels including gasoline, natural gas, propane and diesel. For more information, please visit http://www.radmaxtech.com

READER ADVISORY

Statements in this press release regarding the business of REGI U.S, Inc. which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove accurate, and actual results and developments are likely to differ, in some case materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Readers of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to: the impact of competitive products and pricing, the Companies' dependence on third parties and licensing/service supply agreements, and the ability of competitors to license the same technologies as the Companies or develop or license other functionally equivalent technologies; financing requirements; changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Companies and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the impact of general economic conditions in the United States, industry conditions, increased competition, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management" stock market volatility and market valuations of companies with respect to announced transactions. The Companies' actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements, including those described in Regi U.S., Inc. financial statements, management discussion and analysis and material change reports, and REGI's Form 10-KSB annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, that the Companies will derive therefrom.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Companies do not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

REGI U.S., Inc.

Paul W. Chute

President and CEO

253-514-6114

pchute@radmaxtech.com

www.radmaxtech.com










Daejeon, KOREA, Nov 30, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Exobrain, a language intelligence software for communicating between human and machine developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), defeated four human champions in a quiz show on EBS Korea. South Korea's Educational Broadcasting System is a children's educational television and radio network.On November 18 Exobrain went "head-to-head" with human competitors on the television quiz show, "Janghak Quiz", which was recorded at the ETRI auditorium. Exobrain outpaced all competitors by scoring 510 out of 600 points, providing correct answers for 25 questions out of 30 (10 multiple-choice and 20 short-answer questions). The Exobrain defeated four human quiz prodigies: Mr. Yun Ju-il (finishing in 2nd place), a freshman of Seoul National University who attained a perfect score in last year's national college entrance exam; Mr. Kim Hyeon-ho and Miss Lee Jeong-min, the champions of the "Janghak Quiz" in the first and second half of 2016, respectively; and Mr. Oh Hyeon-min, who is studying mathematical sciences at KAIST and demonstrated his outstanding intelligence in a televised brain game.Here's how Exobrain works: once a question is given, the system first derives keywords. For instance, in response to the question: "What is the stone tablet found in Egypt and described in Empire of the Ants, a novel written by Bernard Werber, which enabled communication between humans and ants?", the AI system searches such keywords as Werber, ants, communication, stone tablet and Egypt from its database before filtering tens to hundreds of possible answers. Next, it measures each potential answer against the question, assessing the reliability of each answer and finally submitting the most reliable answer. It only takes six to seven seconds to work out an answer.In the quiz contest, Exobrain dominated the human competitors, but the system did not get all the answers right. The research team explained that Exobrain made a few wrong answers because some questions were related to fields the system had not learned about yet and the system did not have sufficient data to infer correct answers. The team added that further research and development would be required to conduct a semantic analysis of languages.According to ETRI, the core artificial intelligence (AI) technologies of Exobrain are: Korean language analysis technology, to analyze the grammar rules applied to sentences as its human counterparts can do; knowledge acquisition and exploration technology, to learn and store linguistic knowledge and unit of knowledge (a subject-predicate-object structure) from vast amount of books, documents, Wikipedia articles, dictionaries, and so on; and natural language QA technology, to understand questions comprising multiple sentences and infer answers.The quiz contest was intended to verify the level of first-stage technology developed over the first four years of the 10-year research period. The second and third stages of research are scheduled to be completed by 2022. For phase two, ETRI plans to focus on developing applied technologies and achieving globally competitive performance of QA solutions for expert knowledge including counseling, legal and patent areas.The last phase of the project will focus on developing QA solutions for expert knowledge in both Korean and English so that the AI system can engage in QA activities regarding expert knowledge described in English. In addition, ETRI researchers are committed to developing QA solutions for AI robots and wearable devices that can be utilized with a range of smart devices.Currently, Exobrain shows a level of performance similar to that of Watson, the AI system developed by IBM. In 2011, Watson appeared on the CBS quiz show "Jeopardy!" and defeated human quiz champions. Through further development, this AI system is now supporting the decision-making processes of medical, financial, and legal professionals.ETRI aims to commercialize Exobrain within the next three years. Exobrain will be used to conduct prior analysis of areas requiring revision of law in partnership with the National Assembly Library, and the AI system is also expected to be used for filtering overlapping technologies in the process of screening patent applications."The correct answer rate of Exobrain is 83% on average, which is higher than Watson's performance (70%) in 2011," says Dr. Dong Won Han, Vice President of ETRI, SW and Contents Research Laboratory. "Considering that Exobrain was originally developed for the Korean language, it will have further potential uses when it is upgraded."About ETRIEstablished in 1976, ETRI is a non-profit Korean government-funded research organization that has been at the forefront of technological excellence for about 40 years. In the 1980s, ETRI developed TDX (Time Division Exchange) and 4M DRAM. In the 1990s, ETRI commercialized CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) for the first time in the world. In the 2000s, ETRI developed Terrestrial DMB, WiBro, and 4G LTE Advanced, which became the foundation of mobile communications. Recently, as a global ICT leader, ETRI has been advancing communication and convergence by developing SAN (Ship Area Network) technology, Genie Talk (world class portable automatic interpretation; Korean-English/Japanese/Chinese), and automated valet parking technology. As of 2016, ETRI has about 2,000 employees where about 1,800 of them are researchers. For more informatoin, please visit https://www.etri.re.kr/eng/main/main.etriFor more information, please contactDr. Hyun-ki KimDirector, Knowledge Mining Research Section, ETRIe-mail: hkk@etri.re.krphone: +82 42 860 5965Press release distributed by ResearchSEA on behalf of ETRI.Source: ETRICopyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
TEMPE, Arizona, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SDCmaterials, Inc. (SDC) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with China's leading automotive catalyst supplier, Wuxi Weifu Lida, to commercialize products incorporating SDC's high performance active ingredients for automotive catalytic converters.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140922/147665

Under the agreement, SDCmaterials will work with Wuxi Weifu Lida to commercialize catalysts for automotive OEMs in China. These catalysts will incorporate SDCs Nano-on-Nano' ingredient formulations which require as little as 40 percent of the platinum-group metals needed in traditional catalysts, essentially doubling the efficiency of the precious-metal composition.

"The dual challenge of rapidly increasing domestic automobile demand and increasingly strict emissions regulations in China, and around the world, creates a major opportunity for Wuxi Weifu Lida to increase our leadership position in China and enter new markets," said Mr. Wang Jiaming, General Manager of Wuxi Weifu Lida. "Working together with SDCmaterials we will deliver the industry's most advanced catalyst solutions - solutions which will meet stringent emission levels at the lowest possible cost and without impacting vehicle performance."

"China is an extremely important market for SDCmaterials and the automotive catalyst industry in general," said SDCmaterials' CEO Maximilian Biberger. "Establishing a close working relationship with Wuxi Weifu Lida, the country's leading automotive catalyst supplier, will provide a tremendous boost to our commercialization activity in the country."

Among the first OEMs that will be pursued under this agreement is SAIC General Motors Co., Ltd. (SGM), a joint venture between GM and SAIC. "As an investor in SDCmaterials, we believe that this agreement between SDC and Wuxi Weifu Lida sets up an excellent partnership that will deliver new, cost-effective solutions for automotive catalysts," said Jon Lauckner, General Motors chief technology officer and president of GM Ventures.

SDC manufactures its Nano-on-NanoTM catalyst ingredients via their patented plasma-synthesis technology, which integrates nano-sized precious metal particles onto nano-oxide support particles. When incorporated into a catalytic converter, the ingredients inhibit catalyst-degrading precious-metal migration and agglomeration, creating more stable and predictable emissions control, and allowing the catalyst manufacturer to use substantially less precious metal.

About Wuxi Weifu Lida Catalytic Co. Ltd

Wuxi Weifu Lida Catalytic Converter Co., Ltd. is a state-owned enterprise held by Wuxi Weifu High-technology Co., Ltd., and is China's largest automotive catalyst provider. The company manufactures over 160 products within three ranges of catalyst, purifier and muffler, covering the fields of petrol vehicles, diesel vehicles, motorcycles, LPG (CNG), GE machinery and industrial catalyzing. For more information, visit: http://wftr.weifu.com.cn/weifu/app/homepage

About SDCmaterials

SDCmaterials develops and commercializes advanced catalyst products based on a novel materials fabrication and integration platform. Founded in 2004, the company's headquarters and R&D center are in Tempe, AZ. It also owns and operates a production facility in Schwarzheide, Germany. Investors include the venture capital arms of General Motors, Volvo Group, and SAIC Motor Corp., China's largest automaker, as well as BASF Venture Capital; Emerald Technology Partners, a leader in clean-tech venture capital; and Invus Financial Advisors. For more information, visit http://www.sdcmaterials.com.

SDCmaterials contact:

info@sdcmaterials.com

Wuxi Weifu Lida Catalytic Converter Co. Ltd. contact:

Mr. Wang Jiaming, General Manager

Email: Jiaming.wang@weifu.com.cn


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Clearwater Paper Corp. (CLW) announced the permanent closure of its Oklahoma City converting facility and permanent shutdown of two tissue machines at the company's Neenah, Wisconsin, tissue facility.



Clearwater Paper said it intends to run its Oklahoma City facility until its permanent closure on March 31, 2017. All of the facility's 131 employees will be impacted. The facility converts large parent rolls of tissue into packaged products.



'Because of significant productivity gains from our cost and optimization programs across the company, we expect Oklahoma City's production to be effectively absorbed and more efficiently supplied by other Clearwater Paper facilities,' said Glenn Taylor, vice president of manufacturing for Clearwater Paper's consumer products division.



Also, as part of an overall facility optimization and restructuring plan, Clearwater Paper's Neenah location will permanently shut down two of the company's highest-cost tissue machines, affecting approximately 85 of the facility's approximate 400 employees and removing a total production capacity of 32,000 tons beginning December 31, 2016. Three remaining tissue machines will continue to manufacture an array of private label and away-from-home tissue products.



The company noted that it will work closely with state employment agencies to assist employees in receiving training, educational benefits and other benefits that enable them to find new employment as quickly as possible. The company will also provide private career assistance services to help employees through this difficult time.



The company expects the total impact of non-recurring exit related costs to be approximately $13 million to $16 million, $4 millionto $6 million of which is expected to be incurred this year with the remainder in 2017. The cost savings benefits resulting from the facility consolidation and optimization are expected to be $10 million on an annual basis, with $7 million to $9 million in 2017, which will contribute to the company meeting its previously announced operational improvement target.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - November 29, 2016) - Cyprium Mining Corporation (TSXV: CUG) ("Cyprium" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into debt settlement agreements (the "Debt Conversions") with various creditors who are not insiders of the Company to settle up to $248,703 of indebtedness by the issuance of up 100,000 units at a price of $0.065 per unit (the "Units for Debt"), up 3,427,273 units at a price of $0.055 per unit (the "Units for Debt"), up to 10,318 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.065 per Common Shares, up to 368,900 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.06 per Common Shares and up to 561,782 Common Shares at a price of $0.055 per Common Shares. Each Unit for Debt will be comprised of one Common Share in the capital of the Company and one share purchase warrant of the Company ("Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10, expiring two years from the date of issuance.

Closing of the Debt Conversions and the issuance of the Common Shares and the Warrants is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. Pursuant to applicable securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the above-mentioned transactions will be subject to a hold period of four months plus one day following the closing of the Debt Conversions.

In addition, as announced on October 29th, 2015, upon closing of the acquisition of a controlling interest in a joint venture with respect to the Potosi silver mine located in the mining district of Santa Eulalia in Mexico and the property adjacent to the south of the Potosi silver mine known as La Chinche, the Company acquired from an arms' length third party (the "Arms' Length Party") certain rights with respect to the Potosi silver mine, including the rights to mine the Potosi silver mine (the "Rights"). The total purchase price for the Rights was US$746,846 (the "Purchase Price") which was payable as to US$400,000 in cash at closing in October 2015 and US$346,846 to be paid in monthly installments starting eight months after the date of the closing (the "Post-Closing Amount"). The Company had recently been negotiating with the Arms' Length Party to extend and/or restructure the repayment of the Post-Closing Amount. Cyprium has been informed by the Arms' Length Party of its intent to end negotiations and demanded the payment of the Post-Closing Amount. Cyprium continues to evaluate financing options to finance the payment of the Post-Closing Amount.

About Cyprium Mining Corporation

For the description of Cyprium Mining's business and the Company's Forward Looking Statement Disclaimer which form an integral part of this news release please visit our website at:

http://www.cypriummining.com/en/investors/disclaimers

For further information, please contact:

Alain Lambert, Chairman and C.E.O.

Email: ir@cypriummining.com

Ronald Keenan, COO

Email: rkeenan@cypriummining.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward -looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Such statements include, among others, those concerning the Company's anticipated plans for developments of the Company and its mining projects.

Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management's expectations regarding future growth, plans for and completion of projects by Company's third party relationships, availability of capital, and the necessity to incur capital and other expenditures. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, operational risks in the completion of Company's anticipated projects, delays or changes in plans with respect to the development of Company's anticipated projects by Company's third party relationships, risks affecting the ability to develop projects, risks inherent in operating in foreign jurisdictions, the ability to attract key personnel, and the inability to raise additional capital. No assurances can be given that the efforts by the Company will be successful. Additional assumptions and risks are set out in detail in the Company's MD&A, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law. Investors should note that, while the mineralized material being processed by the Company is assayed, there is no certainty that the proposed operations will be economically or technically viable. Investors should also note that the Potosi silver mine and La Chinche property have no established mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined by NI 43-101.




Australian technology start-up 4DX has attracted one of the biggest names in global oncology as its latest Board member.

LONDON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert A. Figlin, MD, FACP, joins the 4Dx board on December 1st. Dr Figlin is Deputy Director of the Integrated Oncology Service Line. He also serves as the Deputy Director at theSamuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, part of the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and is Director of the Hematology Oncology Division at the institute, where he is in charge of integrating research and clinical strategies across all the Cedars-Sinai campuses.

Since his arrival at Cedars- Sinai, he established the Experimental Therapeutics Program and successfully recruited clinical research staff in critical specialty areas such as breast cancer, bone marrow transplant, gastrointestinal oncology, genitourinary oncology, survivorship, and cancer biology.

Dr Figlin says, "4Dx has developed some of the most promising and exciting technology I've ever seen in the fight against disease. It will be a privilege to be able to use my medical and business experience to assist the company through this phase of its growth."

Dr Figlin co-founded Agensys - an early stage biotechnology company focussed on developing novel therapies for cancer. The company has since been sold to Astellas Pharmaceuticals as part of a nine-figure deal.

4Dx founder and chair, Andreas Fouras, says, "Bob Figlin brings unparalleled experience and expertise in cancer therapies to 4Dx, where enhanced cancer treatment is among our first priorities. Bob brings a vast medical knowledge and adds enormous capacity to our board's business decision making capacity."

Lung cancer is the biggest killer of all cancers and the current standard treatments of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have devastating effects on the lungs. 4Dx technology is non-invasive and will positively impact the way medical professionals are able to diagnose, and treat their patients.

"4Dx is undergoing significant acceleration and is thrilled to have a clinician, researcher and entrepreneurial thinker in Bob Figlan join our team."

"This revolutionary technology and the development of unique software to generate moving, ultra-high-resolution images of motion and airflow in lung tissue enables clinicians to view and measure abnormal lung function at the earliest stages of disease in a way that has not been possible before now."

As well as their association with Cedars- Sinai, 4Dx has also created partnerships with other leading hospitals such as the Cleveland Clinic and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles in the US, and The Alfred and Peter Mac in Australia.

About 4Dx:

4Dx is a software company aiming to deliver the global gold standard in respiratory diagnostics for all lung disorders, including, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and cancer.

The unique 4Dx technology accurately and quickly scans lung function as the patient breathes, to provide sensitive, early diagnosis and to monitor changes over time. Our Software-as-a-Service scans deliver much more complete results, showing the subtlest variations in lung function down to the finest details, using lower levels of radiation than traditional methods.

Respiratory diagnosis is a $25 billion p.a global industry that 4Dx aims to disrupt and grow through technology that provides clinicians with greater insights into diseases of the lung.

4Dx will bring about a step change in lung health by providing better information to doctors and patients.

Contact:

Sarah Kemter

Monsoon Communications

0407 162 530

sarahk@monsoon.com.au








Asetek Liquid Cooling Provides Energy Efficiency without Sacrificing Performance

Regulatory News:

Asetek  (ASETEK.OL) today announced that RackCDU D2C (Direct-to-Chip ) liquid cooling technology is cooling nine installations in the November 2016 Green500 list of the world's most energy efficient supercomputers.

The Green500 list ranks the top 500 supercomputers in the world by energy efficiency. The focus of performance-at-any-cost computer operations has led to the emergence of supercomputers that consume vast amounts of electrical power and produce so much heat that large cooling facilities must be constructed to ensure proper performance. To address this trend, the Green500 list puts a premium on energy-efficient performance for sustainable supercomputing.

"As seen at installations included on both the Green500 and Top500 lists, Asetek's distributed liquid cooling architecture enables cluster energy efficiency in addition to sustained and un-throttled cluster performance," said John Hamill, Vice President of WW Sales and Marketing. "Around the world, data centers are increasingly using Asetek technology for High Performance Computing while reducing energy costs."

Ranked #5 on the list, The University of Regensburg QPACE3 is a joint research project (SFB/TRR-55) with The University of Wuppertal and Julich Supercomputing Center. Featuring Asetek liquid cooled Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers, it is one of the first Intel Xeon Phi based HPC clusters in Europe. Additionally, the recently announced QPACE3 is ranked #375 on the Top500, bringing the number of Asetek enabled systems on the Top500 to nine.

Ranked #6 on the Green500, Oakforest-PACS is also the highest performance supercomputer system in Japan and ranked #5 on the Top500. The installation features high density Asetek liquid cooled Fujitsu PRIMERGY KNL nodes installed at the Joint Center for Advanced High-Performance Computing (JCAHPC) in conjunction with University of Tokyo and Tsukuba University.

Several Asetek liquid cooled Penguin Computing Tundra clusters under the National Nuclear Security Administration's tri-laboratory Commodity Technology Systems program (CTS-1) are Green500 systems. These clusters are located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). They include SNL Cayenne (#47), SNL Serrano (#48), LANL Grizzly (#49) and LLNL Topaz (#66).

Ranked #251 is the Fujitsu installation at A*STAR Computational Resource Centre (A*CRC) and National Super Computing Centre (NSCC) in Singapore. Located at the equator, this installation demonstrates that Asetek's data center liquid cooling technology can provide benefits in even the warmest climates

At #281 and #61 are installations at Sandia National Laboratory (Sky Bridge) and Mississippi State University (Shadow) utilizing the Cray CS-300LC . Both of these sites have been on the list since 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Asetek liquid cooling is currently available to data centers around the globe through its network of OEM partners .

About the Green500 List

The Green500 list ranks the top 500 supercomputers in the world by energy efficiency. The focus of performance-at-any-cost computer operations has led to the emergence of supercomputers that consume vast amounts of electrical power and produce so much heat that large cooling facilities must be constructed to ensure proper performance. To address this trend, the Green500 list puts a premium on energy-efficient performance for sustainable supercomputing. For more information about the Green500 November 2016 list go to https://www.top500.org/green500/lists/2016/11/

About Asetek

Asetek (ASETEK.OL) is the global leader in liquid cooling solutions for data centers, servers and PCs. Asetek's server products enable OEMs to offer cost effective, high performance liquid cooling data center solutions. Its PC products are targeted at the gaming and high performance desktop PC segments. With over 3.5 million liquid cooling units deployed, Asetek's patented technology is being adopted by a growing portfolio of OEMs and channel partners. Founded in 2000, Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in California, Texas, China and Taiwan. For more information visit http://www.asetek.com .

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006440/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Zack Fanning, 408-256-3118

Asetek Marketing Communications Manager

zack.fanning@asetek.com
SANTA CLARA (dpa-AFX) - The chipmaker Intel Corp. (INTC) has created a new division called Automated Driving Group, headed by Doug Davis, to design the next generation of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous driving solutions. Kathy Winter will assist Doug as vice president and general manager of the Automated Solutions Division. Prior to joining Intel, Kathy was vice president of software and services for automated driving at Delphi. Intel is reportedly joining the previously announced Delphi-Mobileye partnership to develop a self-driving car system. In August, Mobileye (MBLY) and Delphi Automotive PLC (DLPH) announced a partnership to develop a complete SAE Level 4/5 automated driving solution. The partners' CSLP platform will be demonstrated at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and production ready for 2019. Mobileye N.V. is a global leader in the development of computer vision and machine learning, data analysis, localization and mapping for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving. Delphi Automotive PLC is a high-technology company that integrates safer, greener and more connected solutions for the automotive sector. Intel announced it has appointed Tom Lantzsch as new senior vice president and general manager of the IoT Group. Tom has more than 30 years of experience in Fortune 500 and early-stage startup companies. Most recently, he was the executive vice president of strategy at ARM. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Elektrenai, Lithuania, 2016-11-30 08:45 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --IN NINE MONTHS OF 2016, LIETUVOS ENERGIJOS GAMYBA INCREASED ITS PROFITABILITY AND DECREASED THE NEED FOR PSIn nine months of 2016, profitability indicators of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, the company having ensured stability of electricity supply, increased compared to the same period of 2015. EBITDA margin increased by 8.4 percentage points and reached 31 percent, net profit grew by 3.3 percentage point to 18.1%, which came as a result of increasing performance efficiency of the Company and profitable activities of hydro power plants.The Company reduces its operating expenses by optimizing activities and giving up old inefficient facilities, which led to decreased costs of repair and maintenance. In 2016, a relatively greater share of works of dismantling of old electricity production facilities was conducted by the Company's employees deliberately brought together in the arrangement works group. In previous years, contractors were usually hired for this purpose. At the same time, the Company has continuously reduced costs of business servicing (procurement, accounting) services."In September of 2016, we updated our business strategy distinguishing works of arrangement conducted in the Elektrenai complex as a priority along with such priorities as reliable operation of power plant and development of new services. Our aim is to operate at the maximum possible efficiency, produce solely in state of the art facilities using less fuel, ensure that the maintenance of old inefficient facilities did not require consumer funds and the impact of our activities on the environment was minimum" - the Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba defined the guidelines of the key objectives.In nine months of 2016, 0.308 TWh of electricity was produced in Elektrenai. Compared to nine months of 2015, this is a three-times lower scope of production due to revoked quotas for subsidized electricity production, also having led to reduction of the Company's revenues. Sales revenue of the Company in nine months of 2016 total EUR 100.9 million and are by 40 percent lower than revenues in the same period of 2015 (EUR 168.1 million).Nevertheless, producing electricity in the gas combined cycle unit at the time when the price of electricity was the highest in the market, the Company contributed to the assurance of stability of electricity prices and at the same time earned about EUR 3.7 million on the exchange in nine months of 2016. Funds of public services (PS) allocated to the Company for 2016 should be reduced by this amount (EUR 25.1 million) which means direct benefit to each electricity consumer, because PS component is included in the electricity tariff.In nine months of 2016, Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant owned by the Company produced 0.411 TWh of electricity, which is 15.5 percent less than in the same period of 2015, but the power plant operated more profitably. Meanwhile, Kaunas A Brazauskas' Hydro Power Plant produced 0.257 TWh of electricity in nine months of 2016 due to a greater amount of water running in via the Nemunas river, which is by a fifth more than in the same period of 2015. Power plants owned by the Company produced a total of 0.977 TWh of electricity in nine months of 2016, which is by 40.9 percent less than in the same period of 2015.With decreased scope of production, the Company's profit also decreased; moreover, it was negatively affected by decisions of the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices (NCC) due to which a part of the Company's profit (which totalled EUR 10.2 million in nine months of 2016 according to preliminary estimates) was designated for covering fixed costs of the Company incurred in the performance of the regulated activity.EBITDA of nine months of 2016 is EUR 31.6 million (compared to EUR 39.2 million in the same period of 2015). Having excluded the impact of the NCC decisions, according to preliminary estimates, the Company's EBITDA of nine months of 2016 was EUR 13 million greater (the impact of these factors in the same period of 2015 was EUR 10.7 million).Decreased market prices of emissions allowances (EA) and recognized loss of EUR 6.8 million for EA and the change of the value of the accounted right to receive EA significantly affected net profit of the Company, which amounts to EUR 22 million (compared to EUR 26.5 million in nine months of 2015).Valentas Neviera, Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, Head of Corporate Communications Division, tel. +370 670 25997, e-mail: valentas.neviera@le.ltAttachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=606520
Candyking, a leading pick and mix candy supplier in the Nordic countries, UK, Ireland and Poland, will get a new owner. The company's current CEO, Dani Evanoff, will through a new legal entity take over ownership of Candyking from its present owner, the investment fund Accent Equity 2008.

Regulatory News:

Candyking, a leading pick and mix candy supplier in the Nordic countries, UK, Ireland and Poland, will get a new owner. The company's current CEO, Dani Evanoff, will through a new legal entity take over ownership of Candyking from its present owner, the investment fund Accent Equity 2008.

Dani Evanoff started the company Godisprinsen, acquired by Candyking in 2008. Dani was thereafter part of the group management team for several years. He then created his own concepts within the fast-moving consumer goods market and assumed the role of CEO for Candyking in the summer of 2016. Candyking was originally formed by the entrepreneur Christer Forsman in 1984 and will thus again be led by a true entrepreneur.

"It is with the greatest respect and due modesty that I now will take over the responsibility to building Candyking into a company of excellence together with my team. The company shall become a leading player within fast-moving consumer goods," comments Dani Evanoff.

"Dani Evanoff has what it takes to take Candyking to the next level in a tough competitive market," says Jan Ohlsson, chairman of Candyking's board. "We wish Dani and his team all the best in their continued journey together."

The current transaction is conditional on approval under Candyking's bond loan, which is expected in the end of January 2017. Until then, discussions regarding the company's long-term financing will continue with Candyking's bondholders.

Candyking (STO:CANDY) was founded in 1984 and is the leading supplier of pick mix in the Nordic region, the UK and Ireland and Poland. Candyking currently has more than 8,000 retail outlets and offers stores a turnkey concept that includes products, displays and accompanying store and logistic services. Candyking's confectionery concept and brands are Candyking (http://group.candyking.com/en/our-offer/brands/), Karamellkungen (http://group.candyking.com/en/our-offer/brands/) and Candyking Favourites (http://group.candyking.com/en/our-offer/brands/). In addition, Candyking is a leading pick mix supplier of natural snacks in Sweden and Finland under the Parrot's (http://group.candyking.com/en/our-offer/brands/)brand.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161129006454/en/

Contacts:

Candyking

For further information, please contact:

Dani Evanoff +46 73 503 97 97

or

Jan Ohlsson +46 70 515 69 15
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The KOF Swiss Economic Institute releases the Swiss leading indicator for November. The index is expected to fall slightly to 104 from 104.7 in October. Ahead of the data, the franc dropped against its major rivals. The franc was worth 1.0145 against the greenback, 111.08 against the yen, 1.2657 against the pound and 1.0782 against the euro as of 2:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BOURNEMOUTH, England, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Out of Home and Event specialists rebrand and regroup to reflect the future landscape of Advertising and Events

Mobile Out of Home specialist Mobile Media and the UK's largest promotional staff provider and Experiential Agency Hype Live Media have joined forces under the MMedia Group (MMG) banner to become one company.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161115/439459 )



The first company to develop the Advan, Mobile Media has pioneered Mobile Out of Home since its inception in the 1980s and this new move sees the company expand and evolve to join with sister company Hype Live Media to form a new advertising and events organisation in MMG.

MMG offers a comprehensive range of media formats from Mobile Out of Home such as Digivans and Advans to Promotional Staff, Experiential Marketing, Digital Out of Home, LED Screens, Event Production, Content Management and Airport Advertising with LHRLINK - Heathrow's only branded bus network.

Karen Olsen, CEO of MMG, said: "MMG packs a punch when it comes to delivering impactful client messages - whether you are looking for brand ambassadors, mobile formats, airport advertising or full event screens with production, we are able to deliver beyond expectations with over 30 years of experience behind us."

For more information on MMG and its core formats, please visit http://www.mmediagroup.co.uk or email sales@mmediagroup.co.uk

About MMG: MMedia Group is a leading British advertising and events organisation. For more than 30 years, MMG has served some of the largest brands in the world, creating and supporting memorable campaigns and events that have generated outstanding results with real return on investment.

Contact: Lori Foster, Marketing Manager, +44(0)1202-026215
ST HELIER, Jersey, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Acquisition provides SANNE with significant emerging markets platform

SANNE, the specialist provider of outsourced corporate, fund and private client administration, reporting and fiduciary services, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire International Financial Services Limited and IFS Trustees ("The IFS Group") for a total consideration of approximately $127.3m (101.9m[1]).

The IFS Group is a leading Mauritius-based provider of fund and corporate administration services to corporates and alternative asset managers. Founded in 1993, the IFS Group provides services to more than 1,000 global entities, and has assets under administration in excess of $82 billion. The IFS Group has a large existing revenue base across funds and corporate structures for investment into India and Africa. The IFS Group has a largely institutional client base, with a high concentration of assets under administration being funded from the US or Cayman. The IFS Group is highly profitable and cash generative, reporting operating profit of US$18.4m in 2015 at an operating profit margin of c.65% and operating cash conversion of c.100%.

Mauritius is one of the leading international financial centres for foreign investment into Africa and India. This acquisition provides SANNE with a significant platform from which to expand the Group's exposure to the emerging markets and to clients looking for support with their emerging markets structuring requirements. The IFS Group will form the core of a standalone division operating as SANNE's new emerging markets-focused platform.

The consideration for the acquisition will be satisfied through a payment of approximately US$91.1m (72.9m) in cash, which will be financed through the net proceeds of a capital raising, and the issue of approximately 5.8 million consideration shares, representing approximately 4.1 per cent. of the Group's enlarged share capital following completion of the capital raising and completion.

The Acquisition is expected to be immediately earnings enhancing. It is conditional upon, among other things, SANNE shareholder approval, receipt of proceeds from the capital raising and regulatory clearance, and is expected to complete in Q1 2017.

Dean Godwin, Chief Executive Officer of Sanne Group plc, commented:

"This acquisition enables SANNE to further realise its ambition of building a leading, global business. The IFS Group is highly profitable, with a service offering and client base extremely complementary to SANNE's. Mauritius is one of the leading international financial centres for foreign investment into Africa and India and this transaction provides us with a significant platform to both support clients in these attractive regions and grow our emerging markets presence. I am delighted to welcome the IFS Group team to SANNE and we are excited about the opportunities to come."

Couldiplall Lala, Founder Director of the IFS Group commented:

"We are extremely proud of the business that we have established over the past 20 years and, whilst Sanne is a large organisation with global reach, they share many similarities with our business, in particular the value they place on client service. We look forward to being an integral part of the next phase of growth."

For more information about SANNE and the IFS Group, please visit

Sannegroup.com / sannegroupplc.com / ifsmauritius.com

About Sanne Group plc

SANNE is a specialist global provider of outsourced corporate, fund and private client administration, reporting and fiduciary services. Established for over 25 years and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, SANNE employs more than 700 people worldwide and administers structures and funds that have in excess of 100 billion of assets. Key clients include alternative asset managers, financial institutions, family offices, UHNWIs and corporates. SANNE has a presence in established international financial centres spread across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

About the IFS Group

The IFS Group is one of the pioneers of the global business industry in Mauritius. With over 20 years of experience in the sector, IFS has built expertise and excellence in structuring, set-up and administration of Investment Funds, Trusts, Partnerships, Foundations and Special Purpose Vehicles. The IFS Group provides compliant and cost-efficient solutions that deliver investor protection, capital efficiency as well as administrative and compliance ease to our clients. It also provides third-party administration services for funds registered in other jurisdictions.

1. Assumes a GBP:USD exchange rate of 1:$1.2493
Mr. Junji Miyawaki receiving the award from H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell, Swedish Ambassador to Singapore

Suntory Group's Sustainability Report



SINGAPORE, Nov 30, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Suntory Group has clinched the award for 'Asia's Best Online CSR Communication' at Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2016, reiterating their commitment to be a multi-faceted beverage and food company trusted globally. Organized by CSRWorks International and held on 28 November at Eden Hall, official residence of the British High Commissioner to Singapore, the awards celebrate best practices in sustainability reporting and communications, and distinguish the leaders in sustainability reporting in Asia. The event was hosted by the British High Commissioner to Singapore H.E. Mr. Scott Wightman while the Swedish Ambassador to Singapore H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell was present as the Special Guest.Suntory Group has engaged in numerous activities and initiatives to realize their mission, 'In Harmony with People and Nature'. This mission forms the unchanging foundation of the Suntory Group to create products of the highest quality while simultaneously realizing constant harmony with society and the global environment. The company remains steadfast in promoting corporate responsibility and believes in passing down a sustainable society to future generations.Receiving the award on behalf of Suntory Group, Mr. Junji Miyawaki, Executive Vice President of HR & General Affairs, Suntory Beverage & Food Asia, said: "This award reaffirms our persistent efforts to ensure that we are on track to fulfilling our vision of 'Growing for Good'. By constantly connecting with our stakeholders, Suntory is also welcoming them to understand who we are and what we believe in - a company working with communities and our consumers to make a better, brighter future. This encouragement that we are doing the right thing will spur us to work even harder on fulfilling our CSR targets."To retrieve a copy of the report, please visit http://www.suntory.com/csr/data/report/pdf/csr2016_en.pdfAbout Suntory Holdings LimitedSuntory Group was founded in 1899 and has become a multi-national beverage company with a broad range of business including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food, health supplements, restaurants, and flowers. The Suntory Group's corporate philosophy is "In Harmony with People and Nature", through which it promotes corporate activities that promises quality products and services to its customers while also supporting environmental efforts and the fruitful development of culture and lifestyles. The Suntory Group is composed of 337 member companies and more than 42,000 employees globally. For more information, please visit http://www.suntory.com/About Suntory Beverage & Food AsiaSuntory Beverage & Food Asia Pte Ltd (SBFA) is the Asia Pacific headquarters of Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd (SBF). SBF has a diverse portfolio of health supplements, beverages and food products, with many brands in leading positions in their respective national markets. As a unit of SBF, SBFA handles the regional business through 3 Divisions - Health Supplement Division, Food & Coffee Division, and Beverage Division. For more information, please visit http://www.sbfapac.com/For more information / media enquiries, please contact:Sandie SohTel: +65 6212 0290Email: sandie.soh@suntory.comDiana TanTel: +65 6212 0287Email: diana.tan@suntory.comSource: Suntory Holdings LimitedCopyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
PUNE, India, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Butylated Triphenyl Phosphate Market by Application (Lubricants, Hydraulic Fluids, Flame Retardants), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 30.7 Million by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2026

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Browse 42 market data Tables and 38 Figures spread through 113 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Butylated Triphenyl Phosphate Market"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/butylated-triphenyl-phosphate-market-263588078.html

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This growth is mainly attributed to the increasing demand for butylated triphenyl phosphate from the automotive industry worldwide. The increasing number of vehicles around the world has led to an increase in the demand for lubricants, which is in turn is driving the global butylated triphenyl phosphate market.

Download PDF Brochure @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=263588078

Lubricants application segment to lead the butylated triphenyl phosphate market by 2026

Lubricants were the largest application segment of the global butylated triphenyl phosphate market in 2015. The large share is attributed to the growing use of butylated triphenyl phosphate in the automotive industry as a flame retardant additive in lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Butylated triphenyl phosphates are used as lubricant and hydraulic fluids in light automobiles as well as heavy transportation vehicles. The automotive industry is growing globally, and according to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA) correspondents' survey, 90.78 billion vehicles were produced in 2015. Apart from lubricants, another major application for butylated triphenyl phosphate is in flame retardants. Butylated triphenyl phosphate's superior flame retardant capability has led to an increase in its demand from the plastics industry.

Asia-Pacific to lead the global butylated triphenyl phosphate market during the forecast period

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share of the global butylated triphenyl phosphate market in 2015, followed by North America and Europe. China is one of the major consumers of butylated triphenyl phosphate in the Asia-Pacific region. The increasing number of vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region, and the rising demand for butylated triphenyl phosphate from the construction sector, are factors driving the Asia-Pacific butylated triphenyl phosphate market.

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Major market players covered in this report include Chemtura Corporation (U.S.), Israel Chemicals Ltd. (Israel), Lanxess AG (Germany), PCC Rokita S.A. (Poland), ROCOL (Division of ITW Inc.) (U.K.), Mattei Compressors Ltd (U.K.) and Chemwill Asia co., Ltd (China).

Browse Related Reports:

Phosphate Ester Market by Type (Triaryl/Alkyl Aryl Phosphate Esters, Trialkyl Phosphate Esters, Bisphosphates), by Application (Lubricants, Surfactants, Pesticides, Fire Retardants, Hydraulic Fluids, Plasticizers, Paints & Coatings, Others), by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Row) - Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/phosphate-esters-market-9379095.html

Acrylic Ester Market by Type (Methyl Acrylate, Ethyl Acrylate, Butyl Acrylate, 2-EH Acrylate) by Application (Surface Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Plastic additives, Detergents, Textiles) - Trends & Forecasts to 2019

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/acrylic-ester-market-267567475.html

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Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/05/16 -- Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, the Asian subsidiary of Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH, www.equitiesfirst.com) a global securities-based lender and a leader in alternative shareholder financing solutions, has received reconfirmation of its Hong Kong Money Lenders License from the Hong Kong Eastern Magistrates Courts.

This license enables EFH to act as a securities-based lender in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the conduct of its business in Hong Kong.

"Asia is a major piece of EFH's global business plan," said Al Christy, President and CEO of EFH. "This license represents EFH's commitment to not only deliver our products and services to our clients, but to continue to meet our legal and regulatory compliance obligations in the process."

In order to maintain this license, EFH must continue to meet several conditions set forth by the Hong Kong Eastern Magistrates Courts, including data and privacy requirements, reporting and compliance requirements, marketing and advertising provisions, and operational and business practice standards.

EFH's Money Lender License number is 1309/2016, and the license is valid until September 2017.

Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited is also licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, the CE No. is BFJ4067.

In addition to its Hong Kong business operations, EFH maintains locations in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Switzerland, as well as the company headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

About Equities First Holdings

Since 2002, Equities First Holdings, LLC (EFH) has provided clients with alternative financing vehicles, lending capital against publicly traded stock to enable clients to meet their personal and professional financial goals. As a securities based lender, EFH provides capital against shares traded on public exchanges around the world. The company has completed more than 700 transactions worth more than $1.4 billion to date, offering clients high loan-to-value at low fixed interest rates.

EFH is a global company with offices in nine countries, including wholly owned subsidiaries Equities First (London) Limited, Equities First Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Equities First Holdings Singapore Limited, and Equities First Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd. For more information, please visit: www.equitiesfirst.com.

DISCLAIMER

This release is intended for informational use only, and does not constitute an offer, stated or implied, of any type. Equities First Holdings, LLC and all of its subsidiaries work exclusively with professional investors. The Equities First Holdings platform is not intended for retail investors.

Contacts



MEDIA



Brandon Russell

+1-317-429-3500

media@equitiesfirst.com




Change in Directorate





BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc ("the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Andrew Pegge as a non-executive Director of the Company with effect from 29 November 2016. Mr Pegge will also serve as a member of the Company's Audit, Nomination & Management Engagement Committees.

Mr Pegge is an experienced fund manager with a successful track record and a significant background in corporate governance. He started his career with Laurentian Fund Management in London, moving on to Buchanan Partners Limited, one of the first London based hedge funds in London in 1990. In 1995 Mr Pegge was involved in establishing Regent Kingpin Capital Management, then after a consultancy role at the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission, he established Laxey Partners Limited. He has extensive multi-jurisdictional Board experience having served on the boards of investment funds in: Ireland; Cayman; Cyprus; Guernsey; Luxembourg; Malaysia; British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and the UK.

He is currently on the Supervisory Board of a Polish listed real estate development company; several fund management firms, various open-ended investment funds, a private commercial property investment group and a hotel business. Mr Pegge holds a BA in Psychology and Cognitive Studies, an MBA and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Mr Pegge has held the following directorships of publicly quoted companies in the last five years:

CPD S.A. (current appointment) Global Special Opportunities Trust PLC (resigned on 31/05/2011) Sefalana Cash & Carry (resigned on 24/01/2013) ASA Limited (resigned on 14/03/2013) Global Fixed Income Realisation Limited (resigned on 24/04/2013) Sefalana Holding Company (resigned on 31/10/2013) The Value Catalyst Fund Limited (resigned on 02/09/2014)

Mr Pegge does not have any interest in the ordinary shares of the Company at the present time.



There are no further details or disclosures required under Listing Rule 9.6.13R in respect of Mr Pegge.



Mr K Mayger

For and on behalf of

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited

Company Secretary



Date: 30 November 2016
CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against the other major currencies in the European session on Wednesday. The yen fell to more than a 5-month low of 120.48 against the euro, from an early high of 119.46. Against the pound, the Swiss franc and the Australian dollar, the yen dropped to 5-day lows of 141.52, 111.71 and 84.49 from early highs of 140.35, 110.85 and 83.97, respectively. The yen edged down to 113.15 against the U.S. dollar, from an early high of 110.85. Against the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the yen slipped to nearly a 1-year low of 80.98 and nearly a 6-month low of 84.41 fro early highs of 80.06 and 83.46, respectively. If the yen extend its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 126.00 against the euro, 114.00 against the greenback, 143.00 against the pound, 113.00 against the franc, 85.00 against the aussie, 84.00 against the kiwi and 88.00 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Regulatory News:

Skanska (STO:SKAB)

In conjunction with a conversion of shares, the company is obliged, according to the Financial Instruments Trading Act (1991:980), to disclose information concerning the change.

During November 2016, 2,400 Series A shares were converted to Series B shares at the request of shareholders. Accordingly, the total number of votes in the company totals 598,436,702.

The total number of registered shares in the company amounts to 419,903,072, of which 19,837,070 are Series A shares, and 400,066,002 are Series B shares.

Skanska is one of the world's leading project development and construction groups with expertise in construction, development of commercial and residential premises, and public-private partnerships projects. Based on its global green experience, Skanska aims to be the clients' first choice for Green solutions. The Group currently has 43,000 employees in selected home markets in Europe and North America. Skanska's sales in 2015 totaled SEK 155 billion.

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com/media

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005620/en/

Contacts:

Skanska AB

Andre Lofgren

Senior Vice President

Investor Relations

tel +46 (0)10 448 13 63


ROANOKE, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- According to Dr. Enrique Silberblatt, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Roanoke, some of the most common aesthetic issues pertaining to the breasts include volume loss, tissue sagging, and skin laxity. For women seeking to restore lost volume and/or increase breast fullness, a breast augmentation with implants is often an ideal cosmetic solution, he says. For those who wish to eliminate excess skin and correct drooping in the breasts, he continues, a mastopexy (breast lift) is generally an excellent surgical technique. When all of these concerns are present, however, Dr. Silberblatt notes that a combination of breast augmentation and mastopexy can usually be the best approach.

Commonly referred to as breast augmentation with a lift or a breast lift with implants, the augmentation-mastopexy procedure is designed to elevate sagging breasts while simultaneously enhancing both volume and overall shape/symmetry. Candidates for breast augmentation with a lift typically include patients who:

Have breast drooping and volume loss as a result of weight fluctuation, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and/or other circumstances

Desire to both lift and augment their breasts

Are interested in breast lift surgery but want more volume than can be achieved with mastopexy on its own

Are interested in implants but have a moderate to substantial amount of breast sagging present





In addition to relating to one or more of the criteria above, Dr. Silberblatt explains that ideal candidates for augmentation-mastopexy should have enough time available for recovery following the procedure, as resuming a regular and/or strenuous daily routine too quickly can lead to healing complications and unsatisfactory results. Fortunately, the necessary recovery period in not usually extended simply because two treatments are being performed at once. "In fact," he writes in a recent blog post on his website, "the majority of patients have a similar -- if not the same -- recovery experience as those who exclusively underwent breast augmentation or breast lift surgery."

Ultimately, breast augmentation with a lift may not be right for every individual seeking to address multiple aesthetic breast issues, which is why Dr. Silberblatt strongly encourages anyone interested in cosmetic breast surgery to seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. By doing so, he says patients can help to ensure they receive the safest, most beneficial advice and care for their unique needs and goals.

About Enrique A. Silberblatt, MD, FACS

Dr. Silberblatt is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the esteemed American College of Surgeons. After earning his medical degree from New York Medical College, he underwent an Internship in General Surgery at the University of Miami, a Residency in General Surgery at the University of Massachusetts, and a Residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Silberblatt is experienced in all forms of cosmetic breast surgery, and he holds patient care and safety in the highest regard to help make each individual is fully satisfied with their final outcome.

To learn more, visit silberblatt.com and facebook.com/silberblatt. Dr. Silberblatt is available for interview upon request.

To view the original source of this press release, click here:

https://www.silberblatt.com/news-room/virginia-plastic-surgeon-identifies-candidates-for-breast-augmentation-with-a-lift

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3085213



Aesthetic Surgery of Virginia

3505 Brambleton Avenue, S.W.

Roanoke, VA 24018

(540) 994-7408



Rosemont Media

(858) 200-0044

www.rosemontmedia.com




DUBLIN, Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "The Physical Security Business 2016 to 2021: Access Control, Intruder Alarms & Video Surveillance" report to their offering.

This report reviews business models that could help to alleviate the problem of commoditisation in video surveillance. In the short term, we believe that the only solution is merger and acquisition between western-based companies to create sufficient scale to reduce manufacturing cost and thwart the policy of fighting on price alone.



The developed markets of North America and Europe have continued to lose market share to Asia and particularly China and this is set to continue to the end of the decade.

We forecast a CAGR of 5.65% over the 5 year period from 2016 to 2021. Not particularly optimistic considering that the market managed to grow by a CAGR of 7.83% during an unstable period from the end of 2010 to today. But whilst growth in volume terms will be well over 10% there is little chance of sales revenues achieving much more than half of this whilst the major Chinese companies continue reducing their prices in order to boost volume.

Key Highlights



In 2015 M&A spend raised to $5.7 billion but this was still less than the $6.2 billion realized ten years previous. Nevertheless this was an important year for M&A because the world's number 1 manufacturer of IP Network cameras, Axis Communications was acquired for $2.8 billion by Canon and the merger of Kaba Holdings and Dorma Holdings took place. These two mega deals accounted for more than 80% of the total value of acquisitions that year.

but this was still less than the realized ten years previous. Nevertheless this was an important year for M&A because the world's number 1 manufacturer of IP Network cameras, Axis Communications was acquired for by Canon and the merger of Kaba Holdings and Dorma Holdings took place. These two mega deals accounted for more than 80% of the total value of acquisitions that year. In September this year Johnson Control and Tyco International merged and created a $30 billion revenue company. Technically it is a merger with the new stock being proportionally based on the market valuation of each company at the time of the announcement. However in practice it is an acquisition with Johnson Controls taking over Tyco, a registered company in Ireland in what is called an inversion deal. Tyco is one of the world's leading suppliers of Physical Security and Fire Safety equipment and its market valuation at the time of the announcement was $16.5 billion .

revenue company. Technically it is a merger with the new stock being proportionally based on the market valuation of each company at the time of the announcement. However in practice it is an acquisition with Johnson Controls taking over Tyco, a registered company in in what is called an inversion deal. Tyco is one of the world's leading suppliers of Physical Security and Fire Safety equipment and its market valuation at the time of the announcement was . This is the biggest ever deal recorded since our records began in 2000; this has of course distorted the whole picture of M&A in 2016. The total value of deals in 2016 was $19.73 billion making it almost three and a half times larger than 2015. However the number of deals in 2016 was 27 compared with 38 in 2015.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction



2. Structure, Size & Shape of the Physical Security Business



3. The Video Surveillance Market 2016 - 2021



4. The Access Control Market 2016 to 2021



5. Intruder Alarms / Perimeter Protection Market 2016 to 2021



6. Wireless Technology



7. Standards



8. Software Markets in the Physical Security Business



9. Business Opportunities Through Integration, IT Convergence & IoT



10. M&A Performance by Sector - Valuation and Outlook 2000 to 2021



11. Identifying Potential Acquisition Targets & High Growth Sectors



12. Investment & its Impact on the Security Industry



13. The Role that Strategic Alliance Plays in the Security Business

Companies Mentioned



Brickcom

BriefCam

BRS Labs

D-Link

Exacq

Eagle Eye Networks

Eaton

Flir

G4S

Gallagher

Genetec

Gunnebo

Legic

MangoDSP

Mace

Magal

March Networks

Pelco

Qognify

Prism Skylabs

Pivot3

Primion

Risco Group

Safran

Salto Systems

Samsung Techwin

Schneider Electric

Senstar Stellar

UTC

Vanderbilt

Verint

VideoInsight

Vivotek

Xtralis

Zicom

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/dklb85/the_physical

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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A local landmark is back on the market and may find a new purpose once its sold.

Rillos Restaurant, 60 Pine St. in South Middleton Township, is up for sale with an asking price of $635,000.

The property had an asking price of $1.39 million when it closed and transitioned to new ownership in May.

County real estate records show the property sold to NEPREO Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts, in July.

The sale price was listed at $1, according to county records.

It is for sale, and it is listed at $635,000 for the real estate only, said Nikolas Sgagias, of NAICIR, a Lemoyne-based real estate business. The liquor license has been sold.

Sgagias said the liquor license was sold to Cork & Fork located on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township for an undisclosed price.

Liquor licenses can garner a hefty price tag. Giant Food Store in Carlisle recently purchased a license at auction with a sale price of $556,000, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board records.

He said the former Rillos location may not return as a restaurant.

We are marketing to a variety of office, retail and restaurant uses, Sgagias said. It was a restaurant. Thats probably the highest and best use, at this point, but again we are marketing it to a wide variety of users.

A 10,000 square-feet building is pretty big for a restaurant these days, he added.

Sgagias said there have been multiple offers on the former Rillos location and described it as an active listing.

However, he said there currently is no buyer.

This is strictly a sale, Sgagias said. They arent looking to lease.

Rillos originally opened in the 1960s and was sold to Jeff Goss and his business partner Mike Cassidy in 2007.

Goss, who is the former owner of Market Cross Pub in Carlisle, previously told The Sentinel he decided to put the restaurant up for sale following Cassidys death in 2014.

At the time, Goss said he was sad about selling the business but that it was time for someone younger with fresher legs to come in.

He said the business maintained a strong cash flow up until its closing.

This article has been updated to reference Jeff Goss as the former owner of Market Cross Pub.
LTE chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE:SQNS) announced that Baicells Technologies, maker of single-mode LTE broadband wireless access solutions, has selected its Cassiopeia LTE-Advanced platform for two new CPE (customer premises equipment) devices for the global market. The new devices, one providing LTE Cat 4 throughput and the other LTE Cat 6 throughput, will be part of the Baicells Atom product line of indoor and outdoor CPE.

"We tested several Sequans-powered CPE already on the market and became convinced that Sequans provides the best single-mode LTE-Advanced chipset solution available, and one that meets our exacting requirements for Atom-branded products," said Yongfeng Zhong, VP, Baicells Technologies. "Sequans' Cassiopeia platform is powerful, and its dual-carrier aggregation capabilities are uniquely flexible, allowing us to design and build CPE with unique features, including powerful capabilities for streaming and expansion."

The LTE-Advanced chip inside the new Baicells CPEs is Sequans' Cassiopeia LTE-Advanced platform, compliant with 3GPP Release 10 specifications. Cassiopeia supports highly flexible dual-carrier aggregation that allows the combination of any two carriers of any size up to 20 MHz each, contiguous or non-contiguous, inter-band or intra-band. Cassiopeia also supports other Release 10 enhancements such as new MIMO schemes, enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) schemes for heterogeneous networks (HetNets), and improvements to eMBMS (evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service) or LTE broadcast. Cassiopeia features Sequans' advanced receiver technology for improved performance. Cassiopeia can support additional optional features, including envelope tracking and secure boot, at customer request.

"We are pleased to provide Cassiopeia technology to Baicells for these advanced LTE products," said Hugues Waldburger, VP of Sequans' Home and Mobile Router Business Unit. "Baicells has a unique mission to provide LTE solutions for broadband access with less expense and more reliability, and with better coverage than Wi-Fi."

Forward-looking statements

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading provider of single-mode 4G LTE semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and a wide range of broadband data devices. Founded in 2003, Sequans has developed and delivered seven generations of 4G technology and its chips are certified and shipping in 4G networks around the world. Today, Sequans offers two LTE product lines: StreamrichLTE, optimized for feature-rich mobile computing and home/portable router devices, and StreamliteLTE, optimized for M2M devices and other connected devices for the IoT. Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com; www.facebook.com/sequans; www.twitter.com/sequans

About Baicells Technologies

Baicells Technologies is a privately-held maker of wireless broadband access solutions based in Plano, Texas. The company was founded by some of the inventors of LTE technology and main products include indoor and outdoor small cells, CPEs, and antennas. Baicells has been recognized as a manufacturer of breakthrough LTE products in licensed and unlicensed spectrum, such as a solution enabling the migration of a complete LTE system to unlicensed spectrum using IT-based architecture. www.baicells.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005213/en/

Contacts:

Sequans Communications S.A.

Media relations:

Kimberly Tassin (USA), +1-425-736-0569

kimberly@sequans.com

or

Investor relations:

Claudia Gatlin (USA), +1-212-830-9080

claudia@sequans.com
DUBLIN, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Organic Essential Oils Market 2017-2021" report to their offering.

The global organic essential oils market to grow at a CAGR of 11.37% during the period 2017-2021.



The report, Global Organic Essential Oils Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.



One trend in market is growing demand for air fresheners with organic essential oil as active ingredient. Organic essential oils are increasingly used as an active ingredient in air fresheners or air sprays. For instance, Trevarno Skincare, a UK-based beauty care company, offers air sprays/fresheners such as Cinnamon, Sweet Orange & Nutmeg Room Mist and Jasmine, Rose Geranium & Lemon Verbena Room Mist.



According to the report, one driver in market is consumer focus shifting toward organic products. Organic products are usually priced higher than regular products. The premium price is due to the comparatively high production and distribution costs. Consumers are also increasingly willing to pay extra for organic products. The extra cost associated with organic production is passed on through the supply chain and is paid by the end consumer. There are high chances that pesticides will accumulate in a concentrated form in the essential oil if it is not derived from organic sources. Organic farming ensures that the end product is free from residual toxins, which results in purer and more effective oils.

Key vendors



Eden Botanicals

NHR Organic Oils

Organic Infusions

Plant Therapy Essential Oils



Other prominent vendors



Aromantic

Biolandes

Boutique Essential Oils Group (BEOG)

Earthoil

EOAS Organics

NOW Foods

Starwest Botanicals

Sydney Essential Oil



Key Topics Covered:



PART 01: Executive summary



PART 02: Scope of the report



PART 03: Research Methodology



PART 04: Introduction



PART 05: Market landscape



PART 06: Market segmentation by application



PART 07: Market segmentation by distribution channel



PART 08: Geographical segmentation



PART 09: Key leading countries



PART 10: Decision framework



PART 11: Drivers and challenges



PART 12: Market trends



PART 13: Competitor analysis



PART 14: Appendix



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/t9mmw9/global_organic

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/23/17 -- Francois Laurin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Laurentian Bank (TSX: LB), will present at National Bank Financial Markets' 15th Annual Financial Services Conference in Montreal.

DATE: March 30, 2017 TIME: 3:10 p.m. (ET)

A live audio webcast will be available on the Laurentian Bank's website at www.laurentianbank.ca under the Laurentian Bank tab in the Investors section.

About Laurentian Bank

Laurentian Bank of Canada is a financial institution whose activities extend across Canada. Founded in 1846, its mission is to help customers improve their financial health and it is guided by values of proximity, simplicity and honesty.

The Bank serves one and a half million clients throughout the country and employs more than 3,600 individuals, which makes it a major player in numerous market segments. The Bank caters to the needs of retail clients via its branch network based in Quebec. The Bank also stands out for its know-how among small and medium-sized enterprises and real estate developers owing to its specialized teams across Canada. Its subsidiary B2B Bank is, for its part, one of the major Canadian leaders in providing banking products and services and investment accounts through financial advisors and brokers. Laurentian Bank Securities offers integrated brokerage services to a clientele of institutional and retail investors.

The Bank has more than $43 billion in balance sheet assets and more than $32 billion in assets under administration.

Contacts:

Helene Soulard

Assistant Vice President, Communications

Laurentian Bank

514-284-4500, extension 8232

helene.soulard@laurentianbank.ca




DALLAS, TX and REDWOOD SHORES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/23/17 -- Securonix, the market leader in security analytics and predictive cyber threat detection, today announced two key executive hires, Aarij Khan and Mel Shakir, further expanding its team of cybersecurity veterans.

"Securonix is attracting the best in the cybersecurity business," said Securonix CEO Sachin Nayyar. "We're innovating new capabilities that are revolutionizing security, redefining what can be done with big data analytics and inventing new machine learning capabilities that solve critical security problems. People want to join our movement. Frankly, we can't grow fast enough."

Aarij Khan joins Securonix as vice president of marketing, and will focus on accelerating the adoption of Securonix Security Analytics as the new security pane-of-glass in enterprise security operations centers (SOCs), and Securonix UEBA as the de facto standard for user activity monitoring. Khan is a veteran of the security industry, and has held senior marketing management roles that have helped several innovative companies grow to multi-billion dollar valuations, including data security vendor Imperva (IMPV), SIEM vendor ArcSight (ARST, acquired by HP) and Tenable Network Security.

Mel Shakir joins Securonix as vice president of product development with responsibility for engineering, quality assurance and support spanning the Securonix research and development teams. Shakir brings a deep expertise in architecting and developing log management and security monitoring solutions. He has held senior development and product management roles, including serving as CTO of SIEM vendors RippleTech and NitroSecurity (acquired by McAfee) and senior product management roles at RSA NetWitness.

Securonix was an early innovator when in 2008, it focused on the yet-to-be-defined Security Analytics space. It was the first to develop a big data technology infrastructure to analyze machine data and leverage autonomous learning for cybersecurity and threat detection. Securonix is seeing explosive demand for its Security Analytics Platform, and its User and Entity Behavior Analysis solution.

In the last few months alone, Securonix has been recognized by the major analyst firms for its cutting-edge security solutions, industry leadership and maturity in the security analytics space. Gartner gave Securonix its highest ranking for User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA); Forrester named Securonix a "strong performer" in its 2017 Forrester Wave for Security Analytics Report; and KuppingerCole called Securonix "the most advanced implementations of the Real-Time Security Intelligence concept."

"Aarij and Mel are crucial hires that add the precise industry expertise Securonix needs to fulfil its vision of delivering and promoting SNYPR security analytics as the Next-Gen SIEM solution," said Nayyar. "The SIEM space urgently needs disruption. With Mel leading the advancement of cutting-edge technological innovation and Aarij leading the product positioning & go to market execution, Securonix is extremely well equipped to solve our customers' toughest security issues, usher in a new era in security management and realize the wide-spread adoption of next generation SIEM."

About Securonix

Securonix radically transforms enterprise security with actionable intelligence. Our purpose-built security analytics platforms mine, enrich, analyze, score and visualize data into actionable intelligence on the highest risk threats to organizations. Using signature-less anomaly detection techniques, Securonix detects data security, insider threat and fraud attacks automatically and accurately. Visit www.securonix.com.
SHANGHAI, March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

After Miami, Tokyo and London, Shanghai is the latest world city to discover "L'Eden by Perrier-Jouet", the cutting-edge brand experience by Perrier-Jouet Champagne which transforms nature - its enduring source of inspiration - into a world of wonder for the digital age.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8055851-rewilding-eden-perrier-jouet-shanghai/



L'Eden by Perrier-Jouet runs from March7 to 12, 2017 in the context of Design Shanghai, Asia's leading international design event, of which Maison Perrier-Jouet is the official champagne partner. The House is taking over a space within the city with its unique vision of "rewilding" - bringing exotic, luxuriant nature into unexpected urban locations to create a sense of wonder.

Entering L'Eden by Perrier-Jouet through a mesmerizing gate of lights, guests are immersed into an enchanted realm of lush greenery and extravagant blooms, inhabited by surreal creatures who pass them mysterious messages. As they wander through the space, they encounter a series of state-of-the-art installations, including a spectacular photo studio and Extra Natural, an experiential digital artwork by Miguel Chevalier.

At the heart of the space is a reinterpretation of Maison Perrier-Jouet's famous Eden cellar in Epernay, where its rarest and most precious vintages are kept. Cellar Master Herve Deschamps is present in Shanghai to offer exclusive tastings of the prestigious Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque cuvees with their iconic motif of white anemones, created for the House by Art Nouveau master Emile Galle.

L'Eden by Perrier-Jouet Shanghai opened on March 7 with a dazzling party for 188 people, at which the guest of honour was movie star, Shawn Dou. Other personalities in attendance included fashion designer, Ye Mingzi and top model, Zhao Lei.

The space remains open day and night throughout the duration of Design Shanghai, offering an exciting program of events, including champagne masterclasses and design talks. Its extravagant natural decor mysteriously transforms from day to night to create hypnotic ambiances that further enhance this wild and wonderful experience.

Renowned for its long-standing ties with the world of art, Maison Perrier-Jouet is reinterpreting its Art Nouveau heritage for the 21stcentury, fusing art and nature into the extraordinary multi-sensory experience that is L'Eden by Perrier-Jouet.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/474422/Maison_Perrier_Jouet.jpg )



Video:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8055851-rewilding-eden-perrier-jouet-shanghai/


WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/16/16 -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. ("Paramount" or the "Company") (NYSE MKT: PZG) announces the results of the votes from its annual stockholder meeting which was held on December 14, 2016. There were 15,689,954 shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date of October 19, 2016, of which, 10,374,464 shares or 66.12% voted.

The stockholders elected the following six individuals to Paramount's Board of Directors for a one year term expiring at the 2017 Annual General Meeting: David Smith, Glen Van Treek, John Carden, Christopher Reynolds, Eliseo Gonzalez-Urien and Pierre Pelletier.

Detailed voting results of the election of directors were as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percentage Name of Nominee For Withheld Percentage For Withheld ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Smith 5,198,518 185,742 96.55 3.45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glen Van Treek 5,249,354 134,906 97.49 2.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christopher Reynolds 5,290,844 93,416 98.27 1.73 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Carden 5,194,388 189,872 96.47 3.53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eliseo Gonzalez- Urien 5,166,245 218,015 95.95 4.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pierre Pelletier 5,284,813 99,447 98.15 1.85 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were 4,990,204 broker non-votes.

The stockholders ratified MNP LLP as our independent registered public accountants for the year ended June 30, 2017 with 10,000,403 voting 'for' (96.39%), 95,496 (0.92%) voting 'against' and 278,565 (2.69%) abstaining to vote.

The Company's 2016 stock incentive and equity compensation plan was ratified by the stockholders with 5,043,206 voting 'for' (93.66%), 302,494 voting 'against' (5.62%), 38,560 (0.72%) abstaining to vote and 4,990,204 broker non-votes.

About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.Paramount Gold Nevada is a U.S. based precious metals exploration company. Paramount has an unusually high ratio of ounces of gold in mineral inventory to shares outstanding, providing its shareholders with exceptional leverage to the gold price. For our mineral inventory, click here.

Paramount holds a 100% working interest in the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 9,300 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which a PEA has been prepared and key permitting milestones accomplished. For the PEA, click here. Additionally, Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares).

Paramount's strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and realizing value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account.

Contacts:

Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.

Carlo Buffone

CFO

866-481-2233



Chris Theodossiou

Director of Corporate Communications

866-481-2233




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 2, 2017) - Coronet Metals Inc. (TSXV: CRF) (FSE: 2CM) (OTC Pink: CORMF) ("Coronet" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that the Company successfully completed the first round of hydrometallurgical test results on its gold-bearing tailings and dumps at its 100% owned White Caps Gold Mining Project ("White Caps" or "the Project"). This is part of an extensive work program ("the Program" or "Program") that will form the basis to verify and possibly upgrade the historical estimates of the quantity of the gold bearing tailings and mine dumps to a NI 43-101 mineral resource (supported by an independent technical report) or mining reserve (supported by either a preliminary feasibility study or a feasibility study).

The hydrometallurgical test work was performed by EnviroLeach Technologies Inc., a 100% Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Iberian Minerals ("Iberian") (TSXV: IML). Met-Solve Laboratories and ALS Global performed independent verification of the sample solutions and solids.

The patent-pending, environmentally friendly, non-cyanide-based leach formula "EnviroLeach" was used on the gold-bearing tailings and mine dumps to determine and optimize recoveries of gold.

The representative samples were taken from four different locations that collectively makes up the gold-bearing tailings and mine dumps:

 Bill Placer

 White Caps Dumps

 Pink Tails

 Brown Tails

Highlights of the hydrometallurgical test work can be summarized as follows:

 Head grades of 5.43 g/t on the Pink Tails

 Head grades as high as 15.94 g/t on the White Caps Dumps (-35 mesh)

 Recovery % as high as 70.74 % in 6 hours and 87.24% in 24 hours on the Brown Tails

 Recovery % as high as 71.52 % in 24 hours on the White Caps Dumps (-35 mesh)

"These results are very encouraging and far better than we hoped for. Given these results, further test work including bulk sampling and pilot plant testing with EnviroLeach is justified. We plan to demonstrate economic viability by working towards a feasibility study, and that will enable Coronet to unlock the Project's cash flow potential", says says Theo van der Linde, President of Coronet.

Compared to hydrometallurgical test work performed at a lab in Denver in 2012 on similar samples employing cyanide, the x-leach showed significant improvement in recoveries using the EnviroLeach solution vs. cyanide. The x-leach residence time was 3 times shorter (24 hours vs. 72 hours) with 295% better recoveries on the Pink Tails, 278% better on the Brown Tails, 170% better on the Bill Placer and almost identical recoveries on the White Caps Dumps.

Recovery (%) Type of Leach Grind PH Cyanide Strength Leach Enhancer Leach time Pink Tailings Brown Tailings Bill Placer. -50 mesh White Caps Dumps. -35 mesh X leach NO 11 N/A No 24 hours 55.25% 87.24% 73.04% 71.52% Cyanide Yes- P80200 Mesh (75 microns) 11 2.0 g/l

NaCN Yes- 200g/t lead nitrate 72 hours 14.00% 23.10% 27.10% 73.40%

Approximately 5kg each of the Bill Placer, White Caps Dumps, Pink Tails and Brown Tails was provided for testing. Bottle roll tests were done on the samples at different particle size for the Bill Placer and White Caps Dumps samples due to the variety of sizes in the samples. For the Bill Placer, particle size of -50 mesh were tested. The White Caps Dumps were split into -35 mesh and -6 to+35 mesh sizes to implement the test.

The first test was done for 24 hours leach time and intermediate samples were taken in the first, third and sixth hour. 50 grams of the solid samples were leached in 150 ml of the leachant on the bottle rolls which is equal to 25% pulp density. Residue grades and 24h solution grades have been independently certified by ALS and Metsolve lab, respectively. Head grades (Calc. Head) are achieved by the sum of residue grades and effective grades at the end of the leach time (24th hour). Residues assayed by ALS- Brown Tails, WhiteCaps -35 mesh and WhiteCaps -6mesh +35 mesh residues were pulverized by ALS as there were coarse particles in the samples.

Coronet and EnviroLeach Technologies Inc. are very confident that with adjusting the x-leach formula, together with further test work on the Pink Tails, Brown Tails and White Caps Dumps, the recoveries will significantly improve during the second round of test work. The second round of test work, which is presently underway, will include detailed screen analysis and optimizing the x-leach formula.

Upon completion of this round of test work, a decision is anticipated with respect to commencement of work on a pilot plant to treat the tails and begin recovering gold at the White Caps property.

Table 1 shows the test result in 24 hours where intermediate samples were taken in 1st, 3rd and 6th hours.

Time(hrs) Pink Tails Brown Tails Bill Placer -50 mesh WhiteCaps Dumps - 35 mesh WhiteCaps Dumps -6 mesh to + 35 mesh 1 1.19 5.79 2.61 5.23 0.20 3 2.37 8.30 2.76 9.31 0.35 6 2.54 11.58 3.19 11.21 0.47 24 3.00 13.26 3.63 11.40 0.54 Residue 2.43 1.94 1.34 4.54 5.55 Calc. Head 5.43 15.20 4.97 15.94 6.09



Table 1:Effective grades of the samples in 24 hours

Table 2 and figure 1 show the recovery rate of each sample during a 24 hours leach time.

Time(hrs) Pink Tails Brown Tails Bill Placer -50 mesh WhiteCaps Dumps -35 mesh WhiteCaps Dumps -6 mesh +35 mesh 1 21.92 35.37 39.61 17.59 2.98 3 43.65 50.70 41.88 31.30 5.21 6 46.78 70.74 48.41 37.69 6.99 24 55.25 87.24 73.04 71.52 8.87



Table 2: Recovery rate(%) in 24 hours

Mr. Fred Tejada, P.Geo, a Director of the Company, is a Qualified Person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.

About Coronet Metals

Coronet Metals Inc. is engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and developing natural resource properties, with a focus on precious mineral properties/projects which have the potential for both near-term cash flow and significant exploration upside potential. Coronet's White Caps Gold Project is near the town of Manhattan in Northern Nye County. The Project is well in line with its strategy of acquiring precious metals mining projects which have the potential for both near-term cash flow and exploration upside.

The Company has launched a fresh new web site so please visit www.coronetmetals.com for more information on the project, the history of the area and up to date information regarding its near-term plans, execution and strategy.

About Mineworx

Mineworx is a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Iberian Minerals (TSXV: IML) and has developed three unique and patent pending precious metal mining/extraction processes and an innovative new business model that will see Iberian Minerals become a leader in mining technology sector.

Mineworx which has developed a patent-pending, environmentally friendly, non-cyanide-based leach formula for the extraction of precious metals from ores, concentrates, tailings and electronic waste (e-Waste). Independently tested by Met-Solve Laboratories, a respected hydrometallurgical testing facility in British Columbia. There is an increasing interest in finding new alternatives or improving previously tried processes. Numerous other chemicals have been tested to leach gold, and they include thiosulphate, thiocyanate, ammonia, bromine, chlorine, bisulphides and thiourea, but no one has come up with a more cost-effective and productive method than leaching with cyanide until now.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, the Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will only update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ENQUIRIES:

Theo van der Linde

President and CEO

Tel: +1 604-336-3193

Email: tvanderlinde@coronetmetals.com
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. nonfarm payrolls data for May and trade report for April are due at 8:30 am ET Friday. Ahead of these reports, the greenback traded mixed against its major counterparts. While the greenback climbed against the euro, pound and the Swiss franc, it dropped against the yen. The greenback was worth 1.1217 against the euro, 111.41 against the yen, 0.9709 against the franc and 1.2854 against the pound as of 8:25 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Riverbed SteelFusion eliminates remote offices' physical servers and keeps company data safe in the data center, while fully integrated Riverbed SteelHead enables great application performance

Riverbed Technology, the application performance company, today announced that CBP, a European insurance provider, is using Riverbed SteelFusion with integrated Riverbed SteelHead WAN optimization technology to improve application performance, enhance data security, and virtualize servers at its subsidiaries across Europe.

Tweet This: Riverbed allows European insurance provider CBP to take control of branch IT with a software-defined edge: http://rvbd.ly/2fZTOEN

SteelFusion has allowed the company to greatly simplify and consolidate branch office IT data and operations at the edge, with virtual servers running applications and services on SteelFusion, and subsidiaries' data now housed centrally where it is secure, eliminating risk for the company. Data security is especially critical in the insurance industry, with the need to protect sensitive customer information and data.

Case Study: Cbp takes control of branch IT with Riverbed: http://rvbd.ly/2f4NESJ

IT can also be easily scaled up and down without the need for remote IT staff to travel to remote locations, and recovery from outages takes only a few hours. Fully integrated SteelHead WAN optimization ensures that centralized applications perform well across the network even in offices located 1,000 km from CBP's data center.

CBP, an expert in creditor protection insurance, brokerage and loan insurance, consulting and risk products, has been offering its clients a range of bespoke digital solutions for 25 years. With headquarters in the Nantes region of France and operations across Europe in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Poland, CBP has more than 700 employees.

When CBP opened its first European subsidiaries, the company soon noticed that applications installed at its headquarters were not fully operational from the remote offices. "The first application that caused us the most headaches was our file sharing application, which we use constantly to manage the various documents required for insurance dossiers. In addition, there were challenges with the messaging service, which was absolutely vital," explained Olivier Lavry, head of Networks Telecoms at CBP.

To resolve that problem, CBP installed the industry's #1 WAN optimization solution, Riverbed SteelHeadTM, at new sites in Germany and Portugal.

Increased activity and the addition of more subsidiaries a few years later required rethinking its approach to remote IT infrastructure even more broadly.Expanding on the success of SteelHead, CBP deployed SteelFusion at every remote location that formerly had local servers and storage. SteelFusion simplifies remote office IT with a software-defined edge solution that hyper-converges intelligent storage caching, server virtualization, and industry leading WAN optimization technologies, enabling data, storage and backup to be centralized, without any compromise to application performance at remote sites.

"Today, no applications or data are stored locally. Everything is centralized in our data center, with users accessing information in real-time," said Lavry. "The major advantage of using SteelFusion with integrated SteelHead technology is that the data is protected and, in the event of a business continuity plan being triggered in a remote subsidiary, it can be up and running in just a few hours either from its own premises or from an external structure."

IT for new offices can be set up very quickly with SteelFusion, and then managed locally. "We can now outsource a subsidiary's maintenance to a local IT expert or a maintenance company, which can intervene in under four hours," explained Lavry. "Riverbed SteelFusion and SteelHead have given us back control over our branch IT. We can be certain that staff are getting the best possible user experience and if we need to scale a branch up or down, we know we can do it quickly and efficiently."

Riverbed SteelFusion and the Riverbed Application Performance Platform

Riverbed is delivering solutions to help companies transition from legacy hardware to a new software-defined and cloud-centric approach to networking, and improve end user experience, allowing enterprises' digital transformation initiatives to reach their full potential. The Riverbed Application Performance Platform delivers the agility, visibility, and performance businesses need to be successful in a cloud and digital world. By leveraging the Platform, organizations can deliver apps, data, and services from any public, private, or hybrid cloud across any network to any end-point.

A key part of the platform, Riverbed SteelFusion delivers unprecedented simplicity, agility, data security, and business continuity to distributed enterprises. SteelFusion enables a software-defined edge by bringing together best-of-breed virtualization, intelligent storage caching, and industry-leading WAN optimization into a single hyper-converged infrastructure solution that meets both the needs of the enterprise for low operational costs, high security, and fast business agility as well as the needs of branch employees for high-performing applications that simply work so they can do their jobs.

Connect with Riverbed

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About Riverbed

Riverbed, at more than $1 billion in annual revenue, is the leader in Application Performance Infrastructure, delivering the most complete platform for the hybrid enterprise to ensure applications perform as expected, data is always available when needed, and performance issues can be proactively detected and resolved before impacting business performance. Riverbed enables hybrid enterprises to transform application performance into a competitive advantage by maximizing employee productivity and leveraging IT to create new forms of operational agility. Riverbed's 28,000+ customers include 97% of the Fortune 100 and 98% of the Forbes Global 100. Learn more at www.riverbed.com.

Riverbed and any Riverbed product or service name or logo used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005001/en/

Contacts:

Riverbed Technology

Lela Gradman, 415-527-4163

Lela.gradman@riverbed.com
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- K92 (TSX VENTURE: KNT)(OTCQB: KNTNF) is pleased to announce the initial results from the ongoing grade control drilling programme at its high grade Kainantu Gold Mine, that is currently in the start-up phase. The results have significantly increased both the predicted grade and contained gold ounces in the first two planned production stopes.

Highlights include:

-- Grade increase from 5.82 gpt Au in original AMDAD Stope Model to 9.21 gpt Au -- Combined ounces in the two stope designs increase from 1,550 ozs Au to 2,390 oz Au -- Intercepts include 102 gpt Au over 1.1m and 9.21 gpt Au over 0.5m in GCDD 002 and 30.19 gpt Au over 2.5m in GCDD 001

In September 2016, K92 Mining Inc. ("K92") commenced a campaign of close spaced underground diamond drilling as part of a comprehensive grade control strategy. This grade control drilling is designed to bring a significantly higher degree of confidence to the production planning and scheduling by drilling out all scheduled production areas underground ahead of actual development on a closed space pattern of approximately 15 metres by 15 metres. This compares with resource drilling which has been carried out of a 50 metre by 50 metre or greater pattern.

The initial grade control drilling intercepts included high grade gold intercepts including 102 grams per tonne gold ("gpt") over 1.1 metres and 9.21 gpt gold over 0.5 metres in diamond drill hole GCDD 002 and 30.19 gpt gold over 2.5 meters in diamond drill hole GCDD001.

The results from this drilling are then used to finalize the various stope and ore development designs and provide updated information on projected production from the areas in terms of tonnage, grade and contained ozs. Table 1 below provides a comparison between the original AMDAD stope design and the new design based on grade control data, using both cut and uncut data. The stopes are situated at the lowest point in the underground which K92 have planned to mine and are also at the southern edge of the known resource that has only been drilled on a 100 metre by 100 metre pattern.

The updated stope designs based on the grade control drilling indicate the projected grade of the combined stopes has increased from 5.82 g/t Au in the original AMDAD stope model to 9.21 g/t (applying a top cut of 70 g/t Au) in the new stope model using the grade control results. The combined ozs in the two stopes has increased from 1,550 ozs Au to 2,390 ozs Au (applying the top cut of 70 g/t Au).

Table 1 Comparison of Grade Control Stope Design versus AMDAD Stope Design - tonnage, grade and contained ozs Grade Control Model ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elevation Volume Tonnes Au Cut 70 Au Ozs Au Uncut Au Ozs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1205 -greater than 1220 1,358 3,937 4.17 528 4.95 627 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1220 -greater than 1235 1,427 4,138 14.01 1,864 16.89 2,247 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 2,785 8,075 9.21 2,392 11.07 2,874 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1 Comparison of Grade Control Stope Design versus AMDAD Stope Design - tonnage, grade and contained ozs AMDAD stope Design Model ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elevation Volume Tonnes Au Amdad Au Ozs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1205 -greater than 1220 1,625 4,713 6.05 917 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1220 -greater than 1235 1,234 3,580 5.53 637 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 2,859 8,293 5.82 1,553 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table 2 and 3 below provides a summary of the results from the first six diamond grade control holes which have been drilled into the first two stope areas it is planned to be mined underground. Table 1 provides a summary of the significant intercepts from the holes, while Table 2 provides details of collar location and hole orientation.

Table 1 Kainantu Gold Mine - Significant Intercepts from Irumafimpa Grade Control From Interval True width Gold Copper Silver Gold Hole_id (m) To (m) (m) (m) g/t % g/t equivalent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0001 31.7 33.1 1.4 1.02 2.19 0.17 4.2 2.49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0001 44 46.5 2.5 1.85 30.19 0.31 6.24 30.72 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0001 49.1 50.1 1 0.74 6.1 0.08 1.7 6.24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0002 44.9 46 1.1 0.74 102 0.13 13.1 102.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0002 47.4 48.9 1.5 0.8 2.97 0.04 18.4 3.27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0002 50.1 50.6 0.5 0.34 9.21 0.02 1.2 9.26 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0003 5.6 6.5 0.9 0.58 3.21 2.3 33.7 6.95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0003 51.5 51.7 0.2 0.13 4.37 0.24 17.7 4.94 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0003 54 55.1 1.1 0.74 2.76 0.33 6.4 3.31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0004 13 14.2 1.2 0.61 4.39 0.03 5.5 4.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0004 37.1 40.1 3 1.53 3.24 0.18 7.1 3.59 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0005 41.8 43.5 1.7 0.94 2.05 0.14 0.37 2.25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0006 46 47 1 0.9 33.8 0.07 8.4 34.01 Notes Shaded rows are the intersections which are included in the designed stopes Gold Equivalent uses Copper price - US$2.50/lb; Silver price US$16/oz and Gold price of US$1200/oz Table 2 Kainantu Gold Mine - Collar Locations and Orientation for Irumafimpa Grade Control Drilling EOH Collar depth Hole_id Collar location orientation (m) Lode Local Local Local north East RL Dip azimuth ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0001 59561.41 29918.5 1235.22 -0.4 226.38 72 Irumafimpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0002 59560.9 29917.89 1234.63 -13 226.56 69.1 Irumafimpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0003 59560.95 29917.98 1234.01 -26.4 225.45 73.6 Irumafimpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0004 59561.58 29917.28 1235.18 -2.3 239.27 67.1 Irumafimpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0005 59561.57 29917.27 1234.54 -15 239.27 72 Irumafimpa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- GCDD0006 59656.34 29922.65 1247.42 -25.7 292.22 65.7 Irumafimpa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian Stalker, K92 Chief Executive Officer and Director, states, "These results are very positive, as the stopes are located at the southern extremity of the resource where data is limited and significantly lower grades were expected. The results, combined with the results from the recently completed Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on Kora reinforce our belief that this high grade gold system has significant expansion potential. The key focus of the technical team on site is the successful ramp up in our production from the Irumafimpa ore body and these first grade control results certainly indicate we are on track to achieve our targeted design production in the coming quarter."

Recently, K92 Mining announced that initial gold production commenced at the Irumafimpa Gold Deposit and also announced results from a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") completed at the Kora Gold Deposit, which the company is targeting to bring online in Q1 2018 (key results from the PEA include estimates of 108,000 AuEq ounces per annum of annual production at an all-in sustaining cost of $619/ozAuEq, cash flow of USD $558 million over a 9 year period, an NPV5 of USD $415 million and initial capital costs of USD $13.84 million. See K92 News Release dated October 13, 2016 for the full News Release). The ongoing drill program commenced concurrent with these achievements.

Andrew Kohler, BSc, Geo, a qualified person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical content of this news release.

On behalf of the company,

Ian Stalker, Chief Executive Officer and Director

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements that address future plans, activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information, including statements regarding potential ongoing production which may or may not occur and the generation of further production assessment work at deposits, which may or may not occur. The Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the market price of the Company's securities, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, and regulations and other matters. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

K92 Mining Inc.

Ian Stalker

Chief Executive Officer and Director

(604) 687-7130

(604) 608-9110 (FAX)






NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Philip Morris International Inc. (PM), which has launched a new, less harmful alternative to smoke-based cigarettes in the UK, might eventually halt sales of conventional cigarettes. The alternative product, the iQOS smokeless cigarette, heats but does not burn tobacco.



Andre Calantzopoulos, the company's chief executive, told BBC Radio 4's Today program that he saw a future without conventional cigarettes and would like to work with governments towards the phase-out of conventional cigarettes.



'I believe that there will come a moment in time where we have sufficient adoption of this alternative product and sufficient awareness to start envisaging - together with governments - a phase-out period for cigarettes,' Calantzopoulos said.



The iQOS smokeless cigarette is already on sale in more than a dozen markets, including Switzerland, Italy and Japan.



The new product is very different from modern electronic cigarettes in terms of functionality. Miniature cigarettes, called 'HeatSticks', are inserted into the IQOS heating device.



The product uses real tobacco refills, but instead of burning it to produce hazardous smoke and tar, heats it to produce tobacco-flavored vapor. Therefore, fewer toxins are produced. Philip Morris believes that makes it much less harmful than ordinary cigarettes.



Calantzopoulos noted that e-cigarettes, which use an electronic system to deliver nicotine via a water vapor, are not very effective in converting traditional smokers.



Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, has invested $3 billion in the iQOS. The company's total shipment volume of HeatSticks in the third quarter reached 2.1 billion units, up from 278 million units during the year-ago period.



Philip Morris said it was particularly encouraged by the strong performance of iQOS across all of its launch geographies in the third quarter, particularly in Japan where HeatSticks recorded a quarterly share of 3.5 percent.



However, Philip Morris still makes most of its profits from selling conventional cigarettes. The company's cigarette shipment volume in the recent third quarter was 207.1 billion units, down 5.4 percent from the previous year.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG) announces today it has concluded a business trip to Madagascar, Africa, which by invitation specifically and purposefully coincided with the Francophonie Summit 2016 event that was held last week in the island nation's capital city Antananarivo, Madagascar. Neal Allen, Dominovas Energy Chairman and CEO continued discussions with the government for the deployment of a nation-changing 650MW power plant for Madagascar. This announcement, closely follows Dominovas Energy's having recently filed an 8K chronicling the execution of a reciprocal letter of Interest (LOI) with the Government of Madagascar for the deployment of a baseload power supply.

The President of Madagascar has an unequivocal resolve to end the energy deficit of the country and is a primary objective. As such, this 650MWs of base-load power will create a substantial baseload of electricity generation that, heretofore, has not existed for the nation. It is anticipated that Dominovas Energy and the Government of Madagascar will next sign a binding Memorandum of Agreement that defines the deliverables and responsibilities of both parties, as it pertains to the installation, deployment, and operation of the 650MW power plant within Dominovas Energy's BOOTT (Build, Own, Operate, Train, Transfer) construct.

Dominovas Energy officials were also invited to participate in significant events and meetings that took place during the Francophonie Summit 2016 and they were hosted by the newly created agency AMDP (Agence Malagasy de Developpement economique et de Promotion des Entreprises), as headed by the Directeur General Mr. Hugues Ratsiferana. AMDP was envisioned by the President and was created early September of this year to specifically spur and accelerate economic development and investment within Madagascar. One of the first objectives of the agency is to lay a foundation for primary baseload power for the country. Dominovas Energy is working hand-in-hand with government officials and key members of AMDP to provide this baseload power from the proposed 650MW plant which will allow for large scale critical economic development on Madagascar.

In addition to meeting Madagascar's president Hery Rajaonarimampianina at the inauguration of the "Industry Salon of Madagascar," productive meetings were held with the Minister of Energy Lieutenant-General Herilanto Raveloharison, as well as with the Directeur General Delegue of the AMDP Mr. Joana Ravaloson.

Neal Allen, CEO and Chairman of Dominovas Energy, noted, "I applaud the President's leadership, vision and commitment to the future of Madagascar. Several countries were considered by Dominovas Energy as a possible 'ground zero' for this power plant, but Madagascar has exhibited an unyielding commitment to this project from the initial introduction of the opportunity and has put in place exceptionally competent people to shepherd this project. From the beginning, President Rajaonarimampianina recognized the significance of this project and further, if successfully deployed, its paramount importance for Madagascar's short and long term national development. We are quite excited to have converted a well-structured project idea into a material project that will literally light this island nation. After visiting the island earlier this year, and with several subsequent visits prior to last week's visit, Dominovas Energy worked relentlessly to development a sound and comprehensive energy solution for Madagascar. We jointly recognize that a legacy project of this nature and magnitude is clearly a once in a lifetime opportunity."

The power project's spillover effect from a macroeconomic point starts with the significant augmentation of Madagascar's present energy capacity that will serve to not only "electrify" its population, but also this electricity will serve as the ignition for many of the mining, manufacturing, and resort enterprises as necessary for them to act as force-multipliers and major employers that will energize and support Madagascar's economy as a whole. These industries and others, will be natural off-takers for a large portion of the electricity produced. Madagascar is experiencing, first-hand, the effect of suppressed demand of power. Studies have shown that corporations and people will access, use, and pay for power if it is available, sustainable, and reliable. Madagascar's lack of sufficient base-load power has constrained and significantly limited the country's growth potential. Ultimately, the anticipated increase in power production and the revival of the manufacturing and mining sectors will also directly positively affect the service and hospitality industries. Job creation in excess of 3,000 people during the construction period of the plant is expected, along with a significant number of people to be employed as ongoing operation of the plant will be necessary. With an anticipated investment by Dominovas Energy of between US$1.2 billion and US$1.5 billion, Madagascar's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could very well double within the next 3-5 years. Madagascar should anticipate that because of this substantial investment in the plant that subsequent major investments will follow from the manufacturing, hospitality, mining, and agriculture sectors.

Neal Allen, CEO and Chairman of Dominovas Energy, further noted, "This project is of paramount importance for Madagascar's national development. Dominovas Energy's investment will support a multitude of opportunities moving Madagascar from its current modality, to a substantial global economic competitor. We are honored and equally excited to have the privilege to begin this journey with Madagascar."

During the coming months, Dominovas Energy will perfect all feasibility studies as well as execute all documents required for successful financial close during 2017. It will also subsequently structure the project in concert with the Government of Madagascar and a "best in class" EPC. With the requisite funding and financial close anticipated with the next several months, Dominovas Energy will immediately commence the building of the power plant and will support the expansion of the footprint of the present power transmission network throughout the country, all concomitant with the plant installation.

About Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG)

Founded in 2005, Dominovas Energy Corporation (DEC) is a publicly traded company, based in Nevada. With its operating headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Dominovas Energy Corporation is a leading power solutions provider to emerging markets around the world. DEC seeks to deploy its energy solutions for deployment in multi-megawatt power generation worldwide. The worldwide pursuit of ecologically sustainable and efficient production of electricity inspired its founders to create an "energy solutions" company. Recognizing that Emerging markets offer immense potential for growth, Dominovas Energy is aggressively moving to allocate its intellectual and financial capital forthwith, in order to, strategically address energy solutions that are reliable, efficient, and sustainable baseload solutions. By deploying these solutions throughout of the world, Dominovas Energy is committed to creating shareholder value by not only generating guaranteed revenue streams, but also by increasing the value of "human and community capital." Devoted to core values by operating under the utmost of honesty and integrity in all its business transactions, Dominovas Energy is additionally dedicated to respecting the rights of all individuals, while acknowledging and respecting all cultures necessary to support the growth and development of the communities and countries in which it operates. The Company strongly believes that the impact that advanced technologies will make on the world is undeniable and the Company is resolute in its mission to provide electricity where and when economically viable.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com.

About Madagascar

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar (French: Republique de Madagascar), and previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Southeast Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar (the fourth-largest island in the world), and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from the Indian peninsula around 88 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation. Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth.

Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by a fragmented assortment of shifting sociopolitical alliances. Beginning in the early 19th century, most of the island was united and ruled as the Kingdom of Madagascar by a series of Merina nobles. The monarchy collapsed in 1897 when the island was absorbed into the French colonial empire, from which the island gained independence in 1960. The autonomous state of Madagascar has since undergone four major constitutional periods, termed republics. Since 1992, the nation has officially been governed as a constitutional democracy from its capital at Antananarivo. However, in a popular uprising in 2009, president Marc Ravalomanana was made to resign and presidential power was transferred in March 2009 to Andry Rajoelina. Constitutional governance was restored in January 2014, when Hery Rajaonarimampianina was named president following a 2013 election deemed fair and transparent by the international community. Madagascar is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In 2012, the population of Madagascar was estimated at just over 22 million. Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, Christianity, or an amalgamation of both. Ecotourism and agriculture, paired with greater investments in education, health, and private enterprise, are key elements of Madagascar's development strategy.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ma.html and/or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, as well as other statements made by Dominovas Energy Corporation (the "Company"), contain forward-looking statements that reflect, when made, the Company's current views with respect to current events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to the Company's operations and business environment, which may cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from any future results. All statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or the Company's strategies or expectations are forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as is applicable would be discussed under captions as follows: "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's filings as would be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. It should be remembered that the price of the ordinary shares and any income from them can go down as well as up. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Media and Investor Contact:

QualityStocks

Scottsdale, Arizona

www.QualityStocks.com

480.374.1336 Office

Email Contact



Investor Questions:

Email Contact




-AZD4635 (HTL-1071), a novel adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist, reverses adenosine-mediated T-cell suppression and enhances anti-tumour immunity

-New preclinical results presented at AACR Annual Meeting

Sosei Group Corporation ("Sosei"; TSE Mothers Index:4565) reported that its subsidiary, Heptares Therapeutics ("Heptares") has announced that it has achieved an important milestone in its immuno-oncology collaboration with AstraZeneca, which is focused on the development of AZD4635 (HTL-1071) as a potential new treatment for a range of cancers. As a result, Heptares has been notified today that the achievement has triggered a US$12 million payment from AstraZeneca.

AZD4635 is a potent and selective, orally available, small molecule adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist discovered by Heptares and licensed to AstraZeneca in 2015.

The milestone was triggered by the successful completion of a preclinical programme that demonstrated a clear effect of AZD4635 in reversing adenosine-mediated T-cell suppression and enhancing anti-tumour immunity. Blockade of A 2A signalling with AZD4635 was found to reduce tumour growth when used alone and in combination with anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. Results from this programme will be presented by scientists from Heptares and AstraZeneca in a poster (abstract 5580) today at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting (1-5 April, 2017; Washington, DC, USA).

AZD4635 is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial as a single agent and in combination with AstraZeneca's durvalumab (anti-PD-1L antibody) in patients with solid malignancies.

Tumour cells have evolved mechanisms to evade the immune system, including through the production of a natural anti-inflammatory molecule called adenosine. By stimulating A 2A receptors, adenosine prevents T-cells within the immune system from being activated and reduces their ability to destroy cancer cells. Blocking A 2A receptors can therefore promote the anti-cancer response of T-cells within the tumour microenvironment.

"The preclinical study results are very exciting and confirm that inhibition of A 2A signalling offers an attractive mechanism to treat cancers by preventing tumours from evading the immune system and making them susceptible to checkpoint inhibitors," said Fiona Marshall, CSO of Heptares and Sosei. "We now look forward to the results from the first clinical study with AZD4635 around the end of the year."

Notes to Editors

About Heptares Therapeutics

Heptares is a clinical-stage company creating transformative medicines targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of 375 receptors linked to a wide range of human diseases. Heptares' proprietary StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) capabilities enable us to engineer and develop drugs for highly validated, yet historically undruggable or challenging GPCRs. Using this approach, we are building an exciting pipeline of new medicines (small molecules and biologics) with the potential to transform the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, cancer immune-oncology, migraine, addiction, metabolic disease and other indications. We have partnerships for our novel candidates and technologies with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Allergan, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Kymab, MorphoSys, Pfizer and Teva.

Heptares is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation. For more information, please visit www.heptares.com and www.sosei.com.

About Sosei

Sosei is a biopharmaceutical company originating from Japan but with global presence. Sosei's primary business model is based on identifying novel and/or differentiated product assets or technology platforms and, through supporting these in preclinical and clinical development and establishing commercial partnerships, advancing new medicines to patients worldwide.

For further information about Sosei, please visit www.sosei.com/en.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialisation of products. Various risks may cause Sosei's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programmes; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialise products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialisation activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170404006566/en/

Contacts:

Contact for Sosei

Harumi BANSE, +81-(0)3-5210-3399

Investor Relations

hbanse@sosei.com
CHICAGO, IL and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Adding another critical element to its already robust technology platform, JLL (NYSE: JLL) today announced a global co-operation agreement with Leverton. This formalises the relationship between the two companies and enables more effective management of lease documents through the roll out of Leverton's machine learning technology*.

JLL, the leading global financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate, and Leverton, the leading global deep and machine learning company, had an existing relationship to automate and digitise key administrative processes in lease management. As part of the newly signed agreement, Leverton's automated lease abstraction software will be deployed for JLL's clients in North America, Continental Europe and Asia Pacific.

Leverton's machine and deep learning technology enables the identification, extraction and management of key terms and data from corporate documents, such as leases and contracts, in more than 20 languages. JLL will integrate these systems into its own global technology platforms to transform the way lease documents are reviewed, analysed and managed for its clients.

JLL clients will benefit from optimised data management, more efficient processing of documentation, reduced operational risk and a more robust audit trail.

Vincent Lottefier, Global President, Integrated Portfolio Services, JLL, said: "This is a really exciting development for us and for our clients. Technology is transforming the world of real estate and we recognized early on how working with Leverton would make it possible for us stay ahead of the curve and demonstrate best practice. This is a great example of how we are making a real difference in our clients' experience of the entire lease administration life cycle through the smart use of machine learning capabilities. We strongly believe that the combination of mind and machine represents the ultimate frontier in unlocking real estate portfolio insights."

As part of its global digital transformation strategy, JLL was one of the first companies to engage with Leverton. The firm is driving the use of smart technologies and big data to optimise and connect its 280+ offices across the 80 countries in which it operates globally.

Chris Zissis, Chief Information Officer, EMEA, JLL said: "As we expand these optimised services across the business, clients stand to benefit from the more efficient processing of their important documentation and, longer term, from the insights we can provide from better integration of this data with systems used across JLL, such as our real estate analytics platform RED. "

"Leverton has the potential to work seamlessly alongside our existing digital tools and applications to offer increased transparency, and help clients meet regulatory requirements and make more informed decisions about their real estate activities."

About LEVERTON

LEVERTON develops and applies disruptive deep learning / machine learning technology to extract and manage data from corporate documents in several international languages. Our clients optimize their contract management significantly, manage operational teams more efficiently and process transactions faster. LEVERTON brings smart data at corporations' fingertips that is completely ERP consumable.

Know what's inside your corporate documents. Contact us at www.LVN.com.

Berlin, Germany | London, United Kingdom | New York, NY, USA

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with, as of December 31, 2015, revenue of $6.0 billion and fee revenue of $5.2 billion, more than 280 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 60,000. On behalf of its clients, the company provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4.0 billion square feet, or 372 million square meters, and completed $138 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2015. As of September 30, 2016, its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $59.7 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

*About machine learning technology

Machine learning technology is a type of artificial intelligence which, in this case, means that computers can 'learn' to pick out key information amongst pages of lease documents without being explicitly programmed.

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Contact:

Lorena Sanchez

Phone: +44 (0)207 087 5126

Email: Lorena.Sanchez@eu.jll.com



Contact:

Emily Hodson

Phone: +44 (0)20 7087 5481

Email: Emily.Hodson@eu.jll.com




BLAINVILLE, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Maya Gold & Silver Inc. ("Maya" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: MYA) announces the filing of its unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and management discussion & analysis ("MD&A") as at and for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016. The Corporation also announces that it has entered into an amendment agreement (the "Amendment Agreement") to its loan facility with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD") dated September 22, 2015 as amended on March 11, 2016 (the "Loan").

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MD&A

Highlights, outlook and selected financial information for the nine-month period ended September 30th, 2016:

-- In March, 2016, the Corporation closed a $3.65 million non-brokered private placement of units and drew down an initial US$4.5 million of the loan facility of US$6 million from EBRD. -- In July 2016, the Corporation close a $1.339 million non-brokered private placement and drew down a final US$1.5 million of the loan facility of US$6 million from EBRD.

Zgounder Silver Mine 2016 Highlights

-- The Zgounder Silver Mine produced 388,557 ounces of silver during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2016. -- For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2016, the Zgounder Silver Mine realized sales of $8,017,430 and the development cost incurred in the same period amounted to $6,131,700. The net cash flow from the activities at the Zgounder Silver Mine totaled $1,885,730. -- Upgrading of the mill installation continue, resulting in a substantial reduction of cyanide consumption. -- During the nine months, the piloting tests using flotation process resulted in a total silver recovery of 84%.

AMENDMENT AGREEMENT WITH EBRD

On November 24, 2016, the Corporation and EBRD agreed to postpone the principal repayments of the Loan by 18 months. 4,000,000 share purchase warrants (each a "Warrant") will be issued to EBRD as restructuring cost upon acceptation by the regulatory authorities. Each Warrant will entitle its holder to purchase one additional common share of the Corporation at any time for a period of three years at an exercise price of $0.28. The Corporation may accelerate the expiry time of the Warrants if, at any time, the weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Corporation listed on the TSX Venture Exchange is equal to or above $0.60 per share for a period of 20 consecutive trading days.

ABOUT EBRD

EBRD started investing in Morocco in 2012. To date, EBRD has invested EUR1 billion in 28 projects across the country in various sectors of the economy, including trade-facilitation credit lines with local banks. The EBRD has also provided technical assistance support to more than 242 local small and medium enterprises. For further information on EBRD visit EBRD's website at www.ebrd.com.

ABOUT MAYA

Maya Gold & Silver Inc. is a Canadian publicly listed mining corporation focused on the exploration and development of gold and silver deposits in Morocco. Maya is initiating mining and milling operations at its Zgounder Mine owned by Zgounder Millenium Silver Mining ("ZMSM"), a Maya 85% owned joint venture with l'Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ("ONHYM") of the Kingdom of Morocco (15%). For further information on Maya visit www.mayagoldsilver.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains statements about our future business and planned activities. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements including but are not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work and analyses. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, intend, plan, expect, anticipate, and believe or other similar words. We believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business or events that happen after the date of this news release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. As a general policy, we do not update forward-looking statements except as required by securities laws and regulations.

Contacts:

Maya Gold & Silver Inc.

Guy Goulet

Chief Executive Officer

450-435-0700 ext. 204

ggoulet@mayagoldsilver.com



Nathalie Dion

Investor Relations

450-435-0700 ext. 202

ndion@mayagoldsilver.com




Study Results to be Presented at The International Conference on Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) on December 9th

YOQNEAM, Israel, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuronix Ltd. today announces positive results from its pivotal, double-blind placebo-controlled, multi-center clinical study, for the assessment of safety and efficacy of the neuroAD Therapy System, in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (the "Study"). Furthermore, Neuronix announces it has filed a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) de-novo application seeking regulatory clearance to market its neuroAD Therapy System for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. If approved, the neuroAD Therapy System would be the first medical device ever cleared by the FDA for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161128/443192

The Study involved 131 patients at nine medical centers in the United States and one in Israel. The Study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the neuroAD Therapy System in comparison to placebo, following six weeks of treatment and six weeks of follow-up, using the cognitive and behavioral standard scales for the evaluation of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The Study's positive outcomes confirm and extend the results of former studies conducted across the world with the neuroAD Therapy System. The detailed results of the Study will be presented at The International Conference on Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD), by Dr. Marwan N. Sabbagh, M.D., FAAN, (Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ) on Friday, December 9th at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, in the late breaking news section.

Based on the pivotal Study findings, together with the positive results of earlier studies, Neuronix filed an FDA de-novo application seeking regulatory clearance to market its neuroAD Therapy System for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This submission follows earlier communications with the FDA, as a result of which the neuroAD Therapy System was accepted for review under the Expedited Access Pathway (EAP) program, which is reserved exclusively for medical devices that present novel and breakthrough technologies, and target an unmet medical need which is life threatening or irreversibly debilitating.

Alzheimer's disease is considered one of the greatest unmet medical needs in the world today, with only a few available drugs offering partial clinical benefit, frequently limited by side effects. The neuroAD Therapy System is a patent-protected, non-invasive medical device, uniquely combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with cognitive training, to concurrently target brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. The neuroAD Therapy System can be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as drug therapies.

"After years of research and development, and completing several prior successful clinical trials, this recent pivotal multicenter study, which was carried out in some of the most prestigious Alzheimer's research centers in the world, provides additional evidence that the neuroAD Therapy System offers an important additional potential benefit to patients with Alzheimer's disease," said Eyal Baror, CEO of Neuronix. "With these positive findings, we have applied to the FDA for marketing clearance under the EAP program, and expect to have the neuroAD Therapy System cleared in 2017. This will bring new hope for the millions of Alzheimer's patients and their families who find themselves in a race against time searching for an effective treatment to manage the effects of this debilitating and incurable disease."

"After seeing the results for myself in patients who have undergone the treatment, I believe that neuroAD is the most exciting breakthrough in the field of Alzheimer's disease research in more than a decade," said Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "While there is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease, neuroAD is a non-invasive option, with minimal side effects, which has the potential to help patients maintain their cognitive abilities and the independence that so many of us take for granted."

About Neuronix Ltd. and the neuroAD' Therapy System:

Neuronix Ltd. Is a privately-held company, with headquarters in Yoqneam, Israel, and with subsidiaries in USA and UK. Neuronix develops, manufactures and markets novel breakthrough medical-device technologies for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The neuroAD Therapy System is a patent-protected, non-invasive medical device, uniquely combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with cognitive training, to concurrently target brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. This dual-stimulation is designed to improve cognitive performance of patients, following an intervention protocol, which lasts for six weeks, five days per week, with one hour-long session per day.

In multiple clinical studies, performed both in the USA and in other centers around the globe, the neuroAD' Therapy System was repeatedly shown to be safe and effective in improving the cognitive performance and day-to-day activities of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients, as compared with placebo.

The neuroAD' Therapy System is approved for use in Europe (CE Marked 0482), as well as in other territories. It is commercially available in leading Alzheimer's centers in Europe and Asia.

In the United States, the neuroAD' Therapy System is an experimental device and is not available for sale.




In the context of steady growth in the field,the report aims at identifying and analyzing 100 modern and contemporary African artists who can be considered as top investments, both from a historical point of view and from a pure market perspective. For each artist covered, the research describes qualitative and quantitative factors that help to understand how and why to collect art from Africa. With data and in-depth analysis the report features key art players alike: Marc Spiegler (Director Art Basel), Paolo Baratta (Pdt of the Venice Biennale), Okwi Enwezor (curator), Serge Tiroche (Tiroche Deleon art fund), Brett Scott (Scheryn art fund), Barbara Freemantle (Standard Bank art collection), Paul Bayliss (curator, Absa Bank art collection museum) among others.

During the last 10 years, modern and contemporary African art has found an enthusiastic audience both on the Continent and internationally. Significantly, this includes important institutions. Taking an interest in the viewpoint of the market and institutions enables the structural issues and initiated changes to be known and understood, and for the role of African artists and those working in this context to be situated. The vitality of artistic production is judged not just by its quality but also by the importance of its market. Visibility and the market are intertwined with each another. The great institutional (non-commercial and commercial) indicators have demonstrated their willingness to pursue the development of African art. The massive structural investments, both direct and indirect, that continue to flow into this segment can only produce mid and long-term results. These aspects are explored later in this report and that clearly reflect the decline of spontaneity and progress in the implementation of a structured, legible market. These investments have resulted in a vast and palpable enthusiasm that can make this art definitively "normal" in the global network. It still needs to be made ordinary, which seems to be happening.

Download the report here: Africa Art Market Report 2015 or follow us on Twitter at @africartmarket

About Africa Art Market Today

AAMT provide bespoke research, analysis and education in the art industries.

About Africa Art Market Annual Report

Africa Art Market Report is a unique and leading comprehensive tool on modern and contemporary African art market and his echosystem.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005680/en/

Contacts:

Africa Art Market

Europe Global

Jean Philippe Aka, +33698025383

contact@africartmarket.today
ORLANDO, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Flossolution, a breakthrough, patented system designed to make both flossing and brushing easy, fast and painless, has been named a bronze winner in the Best in Biz Awards' Most Innovative Product of the Year in the Healthcare category. The company received the award for Max by Flossolution, the first product on the market to combine both sonic power flossing and brushing in one convenient system. Best in Biz is the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

"Working as a dentist showed me that the real challenge in encouraging patients to floss wasn't convincing them of its benefits, but rather providing a solution that made flossing quick, easy and painless," said Dr. Tim Pruett, CEO of Flossolution. "We invented Max because it wasn't available in either the professional or mass market. Our non-negotiables were that we needed to design a system that made flossing one-handed, eliminated the need to stick your hands in your mouth, controlled the movement of the floss both laterally and vertically, and couldn't be stored away in a drawer and forgotten. We are beyond thrilled that it is not only effective, but has warranted receipt of this award."

Featuring patented Flossguard technology, a cushioning Bite Bumper and Microfloss, Max includes an interchangeable Flossarm and Brusharm to make the switch from flossing to brushing take seconds. The system comes with a rechargeable battery that lasts more than four weeks and provides five sonic power modes, including Smart, Fresh, Bright, Happy and Healthy. These modes are named to make it fun and easy for consumers to find their favorite setting for painless flossing and brushing.

The sixth annual program in North America garnered more than 600 entries, from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2016 honors were presented in 60 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, App of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

"If companies are going to stand out from the crowd and remain competitive in future years, innovation is key. The market is tough and there is no guarantee that today's dominant players will remain so -- unless time and effort are concentrated on research and development," said Charlie Osborne, ZDNet, one of Best in Biz Awards' judges this year. "This year's entries in Best in Biz Awards highlighted not only innovative business practices but the emergence of next-generation technologies which will keep companies current and relevant."

Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2016 were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of 50 judges from widely known newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, TV outlets, and analyst firms. In addition to numerous judges returning from the 2011-2015 judging panels, this year's panel included several worthy additions to the high-profile group. The panel included AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, CNET, Computerworld, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Wired and ZDNet.

Flossolution's full line of products are available for purchase at retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon and Flossolution.com with additional major retail distributions coming soon. For more information about Flossolution, visit www.flossolution.com or follow the company on Facebook and Twitter.

About Flossolution

Flossolution is a breakthrough, patented system designed to make both flossing and brushing easy, fast and painless. Created by Dr. Tim Pruett and tested in his Orlando dentist office, Flossolution is the first dental hygiene product line featuring unique Flossguard and Bite Bumper Technology. The family of products, Max, Lite and Mini, are also combined with Flossolution's all-new Microfloss -- the thinnest floss on the market, making it easier than ever to glide between teeth.

About Best in Biz Awards

Now in its sixth year, Best in Biz Awards recognizes companies for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are currently conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 60 categories, including company, team, executive, product and PR and media. Entries for Best in Biz Awards 2017 International are currently being accepted until the final deadline on April 28, 2017. For more information, visit: www.bestinbizawards.com.

Media Contact:

Raven Brajdic

Uproar PR for Flossolution

Email Contact

321.236.0102 ext. 234




Berlin/Neustadt a. d. Aisch (ots) -- Querverweis: Bildmaterial ist abrufbar unter http://www.presseportal.de/bilder -Nach dem mehrheitlichen Einstieg von Bregal Unternehmerkapital, einer Beteiligungsgesellschaft mit Fokus auf wachstumsstarke mittelstandische Unternehmen, hat auch Project A Ventures in die Onlineprinters GmbH investiert. Der Berliner VC-Investor hat sich mit einem einstelligen Millionenbetrag an Onlineprinters beteiligt. Zudem tritt Project A-Grunder und -Geschaftsfuhrer Dr. Florian Heinemann dem Firmen-Beirat bei. Als eine der fuhrenden Onlinedruckereien Europas hat Onlineprinters im letzten Jahr mehr als 2,1 Milliarden Druckprodukte vom Flyer bis zum kompletten Messestand produziert. Das Unternehmen hat bisher 500.000 Kunden beliefert und beschaftigt uber 600 Mitarbeiter. International tritt der E-Commerce-Player in uber 30 Landern unter der Marke Onlineprinters auf, in Deutschland ist die Firma unter dem Namen diedruckerei.de aktiv.Project A Ventures ist als Venture-Capital-Unternehmen bekannt, welches seine Portfoliounternehmen durch die Einbringung der eigenen operativen Ressourcen noch erfolgreicher macht. Neben diversen Fruhphasen-Invests hat Project A bereits mit der Beteiligung an anderen Branchen-Marktfuhrern groe Erfolge erzielt."Onlineprinters hat in den letzten Jahren durch ein beeindruckendes Wachstum uberzeugt und ist auch international bereits in dutzenden Markten vertreten. Mit unseren Experten konnen wir im Team eine weitere Verbesserung in den Bereichen Performance Marketing, CRM, Business Intelligence und Internationalisierung erreichen", sagt Dr. Florian Heinemann, Grunder und Geschaftsfuhrer von Project A. "Diese erneute, gemeinsame Investition mit einem erfahrenen Private-Equity-Partner sehen wir als Erfolgsrezept unseres operativen VC-Ansatzes."Dr. Michael Fries, Geschaftsfuhrer der Onlineprinters GmbH, zum Einstieg des neuen Partners: "Mit unserem Mehrheitsinvestor Bregal Unternehmerkapital steht Onlineprinters ein Spezialist fur exzellente Mittelstandler zur Seite. Wir freuen uns, zusatzlich die E-Commerce-Experten von Project A als Gesellschafter begruen zu konnen. Damit haben wir alle Weichen fur ein dynamisches Wachstum und die weitere Starkung unserer Position als eines der fuhrenden Unternehmen im europaischen Onlinedruck gestellt."Uber Project AProject A ist ein Berliner Investor und operativer VC im Bereich digitale Technologien. Mit Finanzierung und operativer Kompetenz unterstutzt Project A Unternehmen dabei, eigene Fahigkeiten in zentralen Funktionsbereichen aufzubauen: durch Spezialisten aus Bereichen wie IT/Produkt, Marketing/CRM, Business Intelligence und Organisationsaufbau. Project A hat in den letzten Jahren aktiv zum Aufbau erfolgreicher Unternehmen wie kfzteile24.de, Catawiki, Contorion, Eyeota, Lostmy.name, Nu3, Spryker, Tictail, WorldRemit und ZenMate beigetragen. Mehr uber Project A Ventures auf www.project-a.com sowie auf dem Blog insights.project-a.comUber OnlineprintersDie Onlineprinters GmbH zahlt zu den groten Onlinedruckereien Europas. Unter dem Motto "Drucksachen einfach online bestellen" vertreibt das Unternehmen uber 15 Webshops Druckprodukte an 500.000 Kunden in 30 Landern Europas. International ist das Unternehmen unter dem Markennamen Onlineprinters bekannt, in Deutschland tritt es als diedruckerei.de auf. Das Produktsortiment umfasst 1.400 Drucksachen von Visitenkarten, Briefpapier und Flyern uber Kataloge und Broschuren bis hin zu groformatigen Werbesystemen. Das Erfolgsrezept der Produktion individueller Drucksachen im Sinne der Industrie 4.0 basiert auf drei Saulen: dem Online-Vertrieb, einer vollintegrierten Produktion von Bestellung bis Versand und dem Sammeldruck. In Letzterem werden auf sogenannten Sammelformen mehrere Druckauftrage gemeinsam produziert, was Kosten minimiert und die Umwelt schont. Kunden stehen Optionen wie Blitzdruck (Produktion am selben Werktag), Overnight-Lieferung, klimaneutrale Produktion und freie Formateingabe bei ausgewahlten Produkten zur Verfugung. Die Onlineprinters GmbH beschaftigt 600 Mitarbeiter. Das Unternehmen wurde von den Publikationen DIE WELT, COMPUTER BILD, FOCUS und Handelsblatt fur seinen deutschen Onlineshop ausgezeichnet.Uber Bregal UnternehmerkapitalBregal Unternehmerkapital ist Teil eines uber Generationen aufgebauten Familienunternehmens. Im Fokus stehen Beteiligungen, die frei sind von institutionellen Zwangen, offen fur langfristige Engagements und unabhangig von Entwicklungen an den Finanzmarkten. Bregal Unternehmerkapital identifiziert Unternehmen, die uber starke Management-Teams verfugen und in ihrem jeweiligen Segment als Marktfuhrer oder "Hidden Champions" gelten. Dank flexibler Finanzierungs- und Transaktionsstrukturen werden sowohl Minderheits- als auch Mehrheitsbeteiligungen angestrebt. Dabei ist Bregal Unternehmerkapital in der Lage, auch komplexe Industrieausgrundungen, Management-Buy-outs oder Nachfolgesituationen sensibel und ergebnisorientiert zu gestalten. Bregal Unternehmerkapital strebt danach, die Unternehmen bei der Steigerung ihres Umsatzes und ihrer Ertragskraft nachhaltig zu unterstutzen und begleitet sie mit Kapital, langjahriger Finanzierungsexpertise und einem breiten Netzwerk an Unternehmern und Industrieexperten.OTS: Onlineprinters GmbH newsroom: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/75635 newsroom via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_75635.rss2Pressekontakt Onlineprinters: Patrick Piecha Leitung Presse- und Offentlichkeitsarbeit Tel.: +49 (0) 9161 6209807 Mobil: +49 (0) 174 3077250 E-Mail: p.piecha@diedruckerei.de www.diedruckerei.dePressekontakt Project A Ventures Konstanze Pfluger Corporate Communications Tel.: +49 (0) 30 340 606 321 E-Mail: konstanze.pflueger@project-a.com www.project-a.comPressekontakt Bregal Unternehmerkapital IRA WULFING KOMMUNIKATION GmbH Dr. Reinhard Saller Tel.: +49 (0) 89 2000 30 30 E-Mail: bregal@wuelfing-kommunikation.de www.wuelfing-kommunikation.de
Supporting Donald Trump through a bitterly contentious presidential campaign was a labor of love for Congressman Lou Barletta (R-PA 11th).

It may pay off with a Secretary of Labor position in the president-elects cabinet.

ABC27 has learned that Trump offered Barletta the job in a Tuesday afternoon meeting in Trump Tower in New York City. Barletta told ABC27 that hed like to make a decision in the next day or two whether to accept the position.

Barletta, the former mayor of Hazleton who now represents several counties including parts of Dauphin, Perry and Cumberland, previously owned a line-painting company. That business ownership may make him an attractive pick for Secretary of Labor.

His other main qualification was his early endorsement of Trump. Barletta was one of the first congressman in the country to board the Trump train. He was a strong advocate and surrogate for Trump at rallies across the state, a state that shockingly went red for the first time since 1988.

We were the reason that Donald Trump won, said Representative Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland). We put him over the top. Even if these recounts go through in Michigan and Wisconsin he still wins because of Pennsylvania. The Keystone State delivered for Donald Trump.

And many political insiders think that payback requires Trump to give a key post to a Keystone Stater.

Historically, that happens, Rothman said. You would expect that and I would expect that he will.

Whether Barletta decides to become Secretary of Labor or not, his stock has clearly risen thanks to the Trump victory. For his constituents, it might be best that he keep his current job.

He gets to be one of a handful of congressmen that has president Trump answer his phone when he calls, Rothman said. Hell be able to be a leader in Congress. I think whatever Lou wants to do, he can do, and hell do it well.
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Lotame, the leading independent data management platform and most trusted and comprehensive data exchange, today announced the availability of the first-to-market TV DMP, connecting digital audience data to local broadcast television. The launch follows prototype testing with Pearl TV, a business organization of companies that own and operate more than 200 local broadcast TV stations nationwide. TV DMP connects valuable first-party data to televisions, for powerful behaviorally targeted ads on TV.

"Television ads are a powerful brand medium, but local broadcast stations have not been able to reach their advertisers' specific target audiences with the same ease as their digital competitors," said Lotame Founder & CEO, Andy Monfried. "Lotame's TV DMP solves that challenge, providing access to rich behavioral data for TV stations nationwide so advertisers can more effectively engage consumers."

With Lotame's TV DMP, local stations can leverage online behavioral data to identify when prospective advertisers' key audiences are watching during particular days or times. It also brings data-driven insights to the ads' measurement. After the television ad has run, Lotame provides performance against the target audience so advertisers have more information about household viewing.

"The future for TV broadcasters means the ability to make decisions with clients with more information. We expect advertising to be more addressable and interactive based on viewing audience data," said Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV. "Lotame has come forward with this innovative offering that can provide more relevant advertising to viewers, so that advertisements across screens can be properly targeted to the right consumers."

Lotame maintains relationships with TV manufacturers to ingest anonymous viewership data at scale across all 210 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) from a growing number of almost 15 million connected televisions. Using Lotame's proprietary cross-device technology, consumers' devices -- digital and linear TV -- are viewed together, so audience-targeting data can be applied to all, without the need for expensive, time-consuming third-party matching.

With the full profile and cross-device access to a target audience, TV DMP enables television stations to offer multiple device campaign solutions to their advertisers, an important capability made possible by the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard. With ATSC 3.0, TV transmission itself will be IP-based in the same "language" as the Internet. Mobile device viewing will also be a key part of the package. With TV DMP, a local broadcaster can offer advertisers the ability to extend a television ad campaign to today's desktop computers and mobile devices with ease for better brand awareness and engagement.

For more information about Lotame TV DMP, please visit: www.lotame.com/tv.

About Lotame

Lotame enables companies to use data to build stronger connections with their consumers. Lotame is proud to be the leading independent data management platform (DMP) and offer the most widely used, trusted and comprehensive data exchange in the industry. Committed to innovation, agility and -- above all, customer success -- the Lotame team aims to continuously find new and meaningful ways to help its clients harness the power of data to fuel more relevant and personalized experiences across screens and devices, online and off. Lotame is headquartered in New York City, with resources around the world, including Maryland, San Francisco, London, Singapore, Mumbai and Sydney.

About Pearl TV

Pearl TV is a business organization of U.S. broadcast companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking broadcasting opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local broadcast TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Its membership, comprising more than 200 network-affiliated TV stations, consists of eight of the largest broadcast companies: Cox Media Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, Graham Media Group, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Schurz Communications, Raycom Media, and TEGNA, Inc.

Media Contacts

Lacy Gallagher

Email Contact

PR Director

Blast PR for Lotame



Dave Arland

Email Contact

for Pearl TV




AMSTERDAM, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Approximately 250 leading scientists and medical specialists from all over the world are meeting at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in Amsterdam on December 1st and 2nd to discuss the influence of intestinal bacteria on the brain. The enormous enthusiasm for the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference shows that gut-brain communication is a hot topic.

A human body contains more bacterial than human cells. Thanks to modern technology, we are increasingly able to determine what kinds of bacteria reside in the intestine and what effect they have on the body and brain. During the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference, neuropharmacologist Prof. Dr. John F. Cryan of University College Cork in Ireland will give a lecture on the influence of these intestinal bacteria (also called gut microbiota) on our brain. According to the professor, the composition of the gut microbiota and how they influence the brain via different substances/hormones is determined by different factors, such as; mode of delivery (cesarean section or vaginally), stress, use of antibiotics, and other environmental factors also play an important role.

In the last ten years, there has been an enormous increase in fundamental research in this field. According to Cryan, your brain can't function normally without your gut microbiota.[1] Research with mice, for example, shows that sterile mice (without intestinal bacteria) exhibit abnormal behavior; they are anxious, less social and even show autistic-like behaviour. In addition, they have various structural changes in their brain that indicate the importance of bacteria in the intestines. It teaches us that microorganisms are necessary for the normal development of the brain. A disturbance in the gut microbiota may be connected with certain brain disorders. A lot of research is being conducted on the mechanisms how intestinal bacteria affect brain health and -function. Communication seems to take place via, among other things, neurons and messenger substances.

Recent research shows that the composition of intestinal bacteria in patients with various brain disorders is different than the composition in healthy people.[2],[3] Professor Cryan sees potential in the use of beneficial bacteria (in other words, probiotics) for brain health. Now, clinical research is upcoming, in this way we can further unravel which microbial interventions have the desired effect in which type of patients.

By bridging the gap between fundamental research and clinical practice during the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference, this will potentially lead to new, targeted therapies in the future. So-called 'psychobiotics' could play a role in the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as; depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, aggression, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer's disorders. The first results in humans have been published in anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.[4]-[6] Some of these specific probiotics are already on the market.

The international Mind, Mood & Microbes conference lasts two days and will start on Thursday at 8:30 with lectures by Prof. Dr. Cryan and professor of psychiatry Iris Sommer. There are also other renowed speakers, such as Prof. Dr. Jane Foster (McMaster University, Canada), Prof. Dr. Ted Dinan (Cork, Ireland), Dr. Francisco Quintana (Harvard, America) and many others.

More information about the conference can be found at: http://www.mindmoodmicrobes.org

Reference List:

1. Cryan and T. G. Dinan (2016). "Transferring the blues: Depression-associated gut microbiota induces neurobehavioural changes in the rat." J Psychiatr Res 82: 109-118.

2. Scheperjans, F., V. Aho, P. A. Pereira, K. Koskinen, L. Paulin, E. Pekkonen, E. Haapaniemi, S. Kaakkola, J. Eerola-Rautio, M. Pohja, E. Kinnunen, K. Murros and P. Auvinen (2014). "Gut microbiota are related to Parkinson's disease and clinical phenotype." Mov Disord.

3. Giloteaux, L., J. K. Goodrich, W. A. Walters, S. M. Levine, R. E. Ley and M. R. Hanson (2016). "Reduced diversity and altered composition of the gut microbiome in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome." Microbiome 4(1): 30.

4. Steenbergen, L., Sellaro, R., van Hemert, S., Bosch, J. A. & Colzato, L. S. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain, behavior, and immunity 48, 258-264, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.003 (2015).

5. MessaoudiM1,Violle N,Bisson JF,Desor D,Javelot H &Rougeot C.(2011) Beneficial psychological effects of aprobioticformulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in healthy human volunteers. Gut Microbes. jul-Aug;2(4):256-61. doi: 10.4161/gmic.2.4.16108. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

6. Severance EG1,Gressitt KL2,Stallings CR3,Katsafanas E3,Schweinfurth LA3,L G Savage C3,Adamos MB3,Sweeney KM3,Origoni AE3,Khushalani S3,Dickerson FB3, & Yolken RH2. (2016) Probiotic normalization of Candida albicans in schizophrenia: a randomized, placebo-controlled, longitudinal pilot study. Brain Behav Immun.2016 Nov 18. pii: S0889-1591(16)30521-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.019.

[Epub ahead of print]
MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Mindoro Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: MIO)(FRANKFURT:WKN 906167) ("Mindoro" or the "Company") announces the filing of the Company's Third Quarter 2016 financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Details of the Company's financial results are contained in the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

Agata Mining Ventures Inc. Operations

Agata Mining Ventures Inc. ("AMVI"), is a company held by Mindoro's Philippine subsidiary, MRL Nickel Phils., Inc. and TVI Resource Development Phils. Inc. In the first 9 months of 2016, it has completed 52 shipments totalling 2,792,147 wet metric tonnes ("wmt") of nickel laterite DSO, including 14 shipments in the third quarter alone. Subsequent to the quarter, AMVI has shipped an additional 7 shipments of nickel laterite for gross proceeds of US$5.849M.

Financial

Net loss of $1,249,000 in the third quarter of 2016, includes the Company's proportionate share of the net loss of the Company's equity investment in AMVI, compared to a net income of $526,000 in the same period of 2015.

In the first half of 2016, the company received a bridge loan of $357,000 from TVIRD and was subsequently advanced an additional $113,000 in the 3rd quarter, pursuant to the terms of a secured promissory note. The note was originally due on January 31, 2015, but the term was subsequently extended. The note accrues interest equal to 8% per annum and is secured by Mindoro's interest in its wholly owned subsidiary, MRL Nickel Philippines, Inc. ('MRL Nickel")

At September 30, 2016, the cash balance was $84,000 and has a working capital deficit of $6,150,000, excluding warrants liabilities, compared with a cash balance of $118,000 and working capital deficit of $6,066,000, respectively, at December 31, 2015.

About Mindoro

Mindoro is a Tier 2 issuer trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (MIO) and Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN 906167). Mindoro has a direct and beneficial 40% interest in the Agata Mining Joint Venture and direct and beneficial 75% interest in the Agata Processing Joint Venture with an option to acquire an additional 25% interest in the Agata Processing Joint Venture. Mindoro also holds 75% interest in the Pan de Azucar Sulphur-Copper-Gold Project, Iloilo City. TVIRD has the option to earn up to 60% interest in the Agata Processing and Pan de Azucar projects by meeting the earn-in requirements outlined in the June 24, 2013 press release, which include producing a definitive feasibility study for a nickel processing facility. As of October 16, 2015, a PMRC compliant DFS was completed by Agata Processing Inc., which would result in TVIRD earning a total of 60% interest in API shares. Mindoro also holds 75% interest and an option to acquire additional 25% interest in the Tapian San Francisco Copper-Gold Project, Mindanao.

Reader Advisory

Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intent", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "scheduled", "to be", "will be" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this News Release are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (known and unknown) that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, such things as inherent risks associated with the exploration and development of mining properties, ultimate recoverability of mineral reserves, timing, results and costs of exploration and development activities, availability of financial resources or third-party financing, new laws (domestic or foreign), changes in administrative practices, changes in exploration plans or budgets, and availability of equipment and personnel.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this News Release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future outcomes. Forward-looking information respecting cash flows anticipated from future production of high-iron/low nickel DSO at the Agata Mining Project, is based upon high-iron/low nickel DSO prices in effect as at the date of this News Release, management's forecasts of trends in prices of high-iron/low nickel DSO, current mining rates of high-iron/low-nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, estimates of the size of the high-iron/low nickel DSO reserves at Agata Mining Project, the current development plan for Agata Mining Project, AMVI's current budget and overall strategy for Agata Mining Project, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. Forward-looking information respecting the anticipated timing of future shipments of high-iron/low nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, is based upon current mining rates of high-iron/low nickel DSO from the Agata Mining Project, the terms of the third party offtake agreement for the purchase of high-iron/low nickel DSO produced at the Agata Mining Project, estimates of the size of the high-iron/low nickel DSO reserves at the Agata Mining Project, the current development plan for the Agata Mining Project, AMVI's current budget and overall strategy for the Agata Mining Project, which plans, budget and strategy are all subject to change. The forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this News Release are expressly qualified, in their entirety, by this cautionary statement. Various risks to which the Company is exposed in the conduct of its business (including mining activities) are described in detail in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed on SEDAR on April 29, 2016 and is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly revise the forward-looking statements included in this News Release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Contacts:

Mindoro Resources Ltd.

Mary Anne B. Antazo

Interim CEO

+63 917.322.6975

mbantazo@mrlnickel.com



Mindoro Resources Ltd.

Jeannette V. Gutierrez

CFO

+632 728.8491 loc 441

jvgutierrez@mrlnickel.com




Firm Sees Opportunity to Grow Relationships in Important Region

Putnam Investments today announced that Daniel Melley has joined the firm in a newly created senior position responsible for the firm's efforts serving institutional clients and investors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Based in London, Melley will report directly to Jeffrey L. Gould, Head of Putnam Global Institutional Management.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005954/en/

Putnam Investments Appoints Daniel Melley to Lead Institutional Efforts in Europe, Middle East and Africa (Photo: Business Wire)

"In the coming years, we expect to see an ongoing evolution of the institutional marketplace within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, presenting its own unique set of opportunities," said Gould. "As the region continues to seek an array of innovative strategies, leading investment thought leadership and an unyielding commitment to service, Putnam, under Dan's leadership, is well-positioned to be a partner of choice -- providing tailored, long-term solutions."

In his new role, Melley will be responsible for overseeing institutional sales and consultant relations for Putnam in the EMEA region.

Melley joins Putnam from London-based Winton Capital, a $30 billion hedge fund, where he had served as Global Head of Consultant Relations since 2015. Prior, he spent 17 years at Mercer, where he worked in both the New York and London offices, holding a series of leadership positions. Melley began his career at Bessemer Trust in New York in 1996.

A CFA charterholder, Melley graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1996, with a degree in finance.

About Putnam Global Institutional Management

Through offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Putnam currently has relationships with more than 100 institutional clients worldwide. Putnam offers more than 50 institutional strategies for clients including multi-asset absolute return and alternative fixed income and equity products. Putnam's clients include sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, government pension funds, the defined benefit retirement plans of large corporations and other institutions.

About Putnam Investments

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a leading global money management firm. At the end of October 2016, Putnam had $151 billion in assets under management. Mutual fund assets were $72 billion. Institutional assets were $82 billion. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, visit http://www.putnam.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005954/en/

Contacts:

Putnam Media Contacts:

Jon Goldstein, 617-760-1127 (office)

516-946-5598 (cell)

jon_goldstein@putnam.com

or

Laura McNamara, 617-760-1108 (office)

978-505-0524 (cell)

laura_mcnamara@putnam.com
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/23/17 -- Itafos (TSX VENTURE: IFOS) ("Itafos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Blueshirt Group, LLC ("Blueshirt"), an investor relations firm. Blueshirt has been appointed as an investor relations consultant to Itafos for an initial two year term and will provide investor relations, marketing and communications services for, and on behalf of, the Company.

"We believe The Blueshirt Group is an ideal partner to help us raise our visibility with investors, analysts and the financial media. Our unique position in recommissioning Itafos-Arraias, our world class integrated SSP operation in Brazil, offers attractive near-term financial prospects and positions us favorably to continue the implementation of our business plan including the development of our other attractive phosphate assets," said Brian Zatarain, Chief Executive Officer of Itafos.

Pursuant to the agreement, Blueshirt will receive a monthly retainer of US$10,500, and be reimbursed for approved expenses. The Company will pay for the services of Blueshirt out of immediately available funds. The agreement may be terminated by either party on 30 days' prior written notice to the other party. Blueshirt is based in San Francisco, CA and does not have any direct interest in Itafos or its securities, or any right to acquire such an interest.

The appointment of Blueshirt is subject to the requisite filings with and acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable securities laws.

About Itafos

Itafos (TSX VENTURE: IFOS) is focused on becoming a significant integrated producer of phosphate based fertilizers and related products. Itafos has an experienced team with significant experience in the business of fertilizer operations, management, marketing and finance. Itafos owns and operates the Itafos-Arraias SSP Operations, which consists of an integrated fertilizer producing facility comprised of a phosphate mine, a mill, a beneficiation plant, a sulphuric acid plant, an SSP plant and a granulation plant and related infrastructure located in central Brazil. Itafos' exploration portfolio includes a number of additional projects in Brazil, including the Santana Project, a high-grade phosphate deposit located in close proximity to the largest fertilizer market of Mato Grosso State and animal feed market of Para State, and the Araxa Project, a high-grade rare earth elements, niobium and phosphate deposit located in close proximity to two operating mines, therefore benefiting from existing local infrastructure. In addition, Itafos owns an approximate 31.3% interest in GB Minerals Ltd. which owns the Farim Project, a high-grade phosphate deposit located in Guinea Bissau and an approximate 29.6% interest in Stonegate Agricom Ltd. which owns the Paris Hills Project, a high-grade phosphate deposit located in Idaho, United States and the Mantaro Project, a high-grade phosphate deposit located in Peru.

About The Blueshirt Group

The Blueshirt Group provides capital markets expertise and strategic financial and media relations counsel to growth companies and venture capital firms globally. Founded in 1999, The Blueshirt Group has earned its reputation as a leader in investor relations (IR), financial communications, financial media relations and crisis management.

For more information, please visit http://www.blueshirtgroup.com.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Itafos

Brian Zatarain

Chief Executive Officer

brian.zatarain@itafos.com

www.itafos.com



The Blueshirt Group

Gary Dvorchak, CFA

Managing Director

+1 (323) 240-5796

gary@blueshirtgroup.com




Partners with ACI Worldwide to add to its acquiring bank connections and global mix of payments

Digital River World Payments, a global payments service provider, announced it has partnered with ACI Worldwide. By integrating its online payments platform with the ACI PAY.ON Payment Gateway, Digital River World Payments is extending its reach even further into international geographies, including Latin America and Europe. The partnership has activated additional bank connections, payment features and alternative payment types to expand the mix of regional payment options that Digital River World Payments offers its merchants.

"We have built ecommerce payment gateway connections to more than 350 card acquirers and alternative payment methods in more than 160 countries," said Markus Rinderer, senior vice president, ACI Worldwide. "Working with Digital River World Payments, we provide merchants with an enhanced online payments solution that grants access to new payment types more quickly, speeds time to market and accelerates entry to more geographies."

Research indicates that cross-border ecommerce is expected to reach $300 billion by 2018. The challenge, however, is that many companies are unprepared to meet the needs of the global online shopper, which includes making it easier for them to shop outside their home country by offering an optimal mix of locally preferred payment options at checkout.

"A diverse payments gateway with a varied portfolio of bank connections and payment types can help merchants make deeper inroads into geographic markets across the world as well as ensure that this important step of the customer journey the payment is free of friction," said Hayden Reed, senior vice president and general manager of Digital River World Payments. "Our expanded gateway solution gives merchants more optionality in tailoring their global payment programs to meet their unique business requirements, international growth plans and sales goals."

About Digital River World Payments

Backed by nearly 20 years of experience, Digital River World Payments is a leading provider of global online payment solutions. Powered by a robust ecommerce payments platform, its solutions support payment activities across more than 170 countries and 140 payment methods covering global card schemes along with locally relevant brands and payment networks. Digital River World Payments delivers significant value across the full transaction lifecycle while empowering merchants with a single streamlined user interface. Irrespective of their markets, payment methods, or acquiring bank connections, merchants benefit from consolidated reporting, analytics, and reconciliation as well as complete back-office integration. To learn more about Digital River World Payments, visit https://www.digitalriver.com/solutions/payments/ or email payments@digitalriver.com.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide, the Universal Payments (UP) company, powers electronic payments for more than 5,100 organizations around the world. More than 1,000 of the largest financial institutions and intermediaries as well as thousands of global merchants rely on ACI to execute $14 trillion each day in payments and securities. In addition, myriad organizations utilize our electronic bill presentment and payment services. Through our comprehensive suite of software and SaaS-based solutions, we deliver real-time, immediate payments capabilities and enable the industry's most complete omni-channel payments experience. To learn more about ACI, please visit www.aciworldwide.com. You can also find us on Twitter @ACI_Worldwide.

Digital River World Payments is a trademark and Digital River is a registered trademark of Digital River, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks, registrations or copyrights of their respective owners.

Twitter Tags: DigitalRiverWorldPayments

Tweet This: DigitalRiverWorldPayments announces online payment partnership with @ACI_Worldwide, @DigitalRiverInc

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006055/en/

Contacts:

Digital River, Inc.

Kristin McKenzie, +1 952-225-3718

Associate Director, Corporate Communications

publicrelations@digitalriver.com
Results from PERSEE Study Published in Surgical Endoscopy and European Journal of Gastroenterology Hepatology

Mauna Kea Technologies receives milestone payment of 626,000 from BpiFrance

Regulatory News:

Mauna Kea Technologies (Paris:MKEA) (Euronext: MKEA, OTCQX: MKEAY) inventor of Cellvizio, the multidisciplinary confocal laser endomicroscopy platform, today announced that the first results from the PERSEE Study examining the use of Cellvizio in digestive surgery were published in Surgical Endoscopy and European Journal of Gastroenterology Hepatology.

The two scientific publications report on outcomes of 30 consecutive patients that underwent digestive surgery at the Institut Mutualiste Montsouris (IMM) in Paris, France between 2014 and 2015. During the surgeries, Cellvizio provided ex-vivo images of excised lesions that were analyzed by surgeons, pathologists and physicists and compared to histology standard of care. Diagnosis was complete using both traditional and new remote digital pathology methods.

To distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue, several factors were assessed including completeness of response to chemotherapy in the liver1 and the differentiation of peritoneal nodules2. Both studies demonstrate excellent sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values to detect malignant lesions. Overall, sensitivity ranges from 75% to 100% and specificity ranges from 89% to 100%3

"These results add to the growing evidence that the Cellvizio platform can help surgeons make appropriate real-time decisions and eliminate uncertainties during procedures," said Brice Gayet, Professor of Digestive Surgery at Institut Mutualiste Montsouris. "In addition, for the first time my team used remote collaboration through live streaming techniques, enabling communication from multiple locations and better informed decision making."

Sacha Loiseau, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mauna Kea Technologies, added, "The PERSEE study confirms that Cellvizio can add significant value in cancer surgeries, by bringing the same proven accuracy level in tissue characterization obtained in other indications and helping confirm surgical margins in real-time. As the body of clinical evidence grows in surgical procedures, we hope to see an acceleration of Cellvizio adoption, not only as a stand-alone technology but also integrated into other surgical platforms."

Dr. Loiseau added, "These results represent a key step in the ongoing development of the PERSEE program. The milestone payment from BpiFrance will fund the fourth phase of the program, which will extend the clinical evidence and support technical innovation applied to surgical indications for the Cellvizio platform

About the PERSEE project

The PERSEE project was awarded 7.6 million euros in April 2010 from OSEO (now BpiFrance) in order to develop a robotized, miniature, flexible endomicroscope for the minimally invasive exploration of the abdominal cavity. Mauna Kea Technologies is the leader of this collaborative project along with EndoControl, a developer of robotic solutions to assist surgeons and physicians, the Institut des Systemes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR) at the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, the digestive diseases department of the Institut Mutualiste Montsouris (IMM) and the departments of Cellular Imaging, Gastroenterology and Pathobiology of the Institut de Cancerologie Gustave Roussy (IGR).

1 Angelo Pierangelo, Pierre Validire, Ali Benali, David Fuks and Brice Gayet "Diagnostic accuracy of confocal laser endomicroscopy for the characterization of liver nodules", European Journal of Gastroenterology Hepatology, 2016.

2 Angelo Pierangelo, David Fuks Ali Benali, Pierre Validire and Brice Gayet "Diagnostic accuracy of confocal laser endomicroscopy for the ex vivo characterization of peritoneal nodules during laparoscopic surgery", Surgical Endoscopy, 2016.

3 Full results included overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values to detect malignant peritoneal nodules were 75%, 100%, 100% and 89 %, respectively. For the detection of malignant liver nodules, the diagnostic performance of surgeon and the pathologist, Cellvizio demonstrated, 78% and 100% sensitivity, 100% and 89% specificity, 90% and 100% positive predictive value, and 90% and 100% negative predictive value.

About Mauna Kea Technologies

Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company focused on eliminating uncertainties related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases thanks to real time in vivo microscopic visualization. The Company's flagship product, Cellvizio, has received clearance to sell a wide range of applications in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, China, Canada, Brazil and Mexico.

For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Mauna Kea Technologies and its activities. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Mauna Kea Technologies considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the anticipated events contained in such forward-looking statements will occur. Forward- looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties including the risks set forth in the registration document of Mauna Kea Technologies registered by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers (AMF)) on June 13, 2016 under number R.16-054 and available on the Company's website (www.maunakeatech.com), and to the development of economic situation, financial markets, and the markets in which Mauna Kea Technologies operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to risks unknown to Mauna Kea Technologies or that Mauna Kea Technologies does not consider material at this time. The realization of all or part of these risks could lead to actual results, financial conditions, performances or achievements by Mauna Kea Technologies that differ significantly from the results, financial conditions, performances or achievements expressed in such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or to subscribe for, or a solicitation of an order to purchase or subscribe for, Mauna Kea Technologies shares in any country.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130006073/en/

Contacts:

Mauna Kea Technologies

Benoit Jacheet

CFO

investors@maunakeatech.com

or

United States

The Ruth Group

ZackKubow / Lee Roth, 646-536-7020 7012

zkubow@theruthgroup.com / lroth@theruthgroup.com

or

U.S. Media

The Ruth Group

Christopher Hippolyte, 646-536-7023

chippolyte@theruthgroup.com

or

France and Europe

NewCap Investor Relations

Florent Alba, +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

maunakea@newcap.fr
DUBLIN, Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Murata SAW Thermo-Compensated Band 8 Filter In Low Band Front-End Module" report to their offering.

In Front-End Filter Market, Murata all along with Broadcom Limited, Qorvo and Skyworks share the leadership in RF components. The company has forged its empire on ceramic passive electronic components and ceramic filter. Today, this old but effective technology is still used. The last acquisition of Peregrine Semiconductor specialized in RF CMOS, allows Murata to enter into the smartphone market. The last one to integrate the front-end module from Murata is Samsung in his last Flagship, the Galaxy S7 with the FAJ15. The module features Murata's thermo-compensated technology.

The Front end module is located on the main board of the smartphone. Samsung has proposed different configuration of its LTE front end part. The FAJ15 from Murata was only found in US version of the Galaxy S7. It shared the front end part with Qorvo, and Broadcom.

The FAJ15 is dedicated to LTE Low band. It is made with several filter dies, assembled on a ceramic substrate. The filters are either bare dies or packages molded into FEM molding. As piezoelectric for SAW technology, the substrate dies are either LN (Lithium Nobium oxide) or LT (Lithium Tantalum oxide). The FEM contains two SAW technology: STD-SAW (Standard SAW) and TC-SAW (Thermally Compensated SAW). The report only focused on the duplexer for Band 8 LTE integrated in the FEM. The specification of this band required very low thermal drift. Thus thermo-compensated layers are integrated to provide better performance towards thermal changes.

Complete chip fabrication processes and cost estimation of the Band 8 component are presented in the report and also a quick comparison on substrate packaging with Qorvo's and Broadcom's FEM.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Overview / Introduction

2. Company Profile & Supply Chain

3. Samsung Galaxy S7 Teardown

4. Physical Analysis

- Physical Analysis Methodology

- Front-End Module Package

- Front-End Module Views

- Front-End Module Cross-Section

- Front-End Module Dies

- Power Amplifier Die View & Dimensions

- SPDT Switch Die View & Dimensions

- Band 8 Duplexer - SAW filter Dies View & Dimensions

- Band 8 Duplexer - SAW filter Dies Opening

- Band 8 Duplexer - SAW filter Dies Cross-section

5. Manufacturing Process Flow

- SAW Fabrication unit

- SAW wafer process

- Component Packaging

6. Cost Analysis

- SAW Filter Wafer Front-End Cost

- SAW Filter Wafer Front-End Cost per process

- SAW Filter Front-End Probe Test, Thinning & Dicing Cost

- SAW filter Die Cost

- Package Cost analysis

- Estimated Selling Price

7. Comparison of substrate packaging of Qorvo's and Broadcom's FEM

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/bhxdz7/murata_saw

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
BELLINGHAM, WA --(Marketwired - November 30, 2016) - eXp Realty, LLC, a subsidiary of eXpWorld Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), announced today that the Marsee Wilhems Team, one of the top real estate teams in the United States, has joined its fast growing national real estate brokerage company.

"Our team has been fortunate to achieve market share and great success in Tucson over the years," said Wilhems, who in 2016 was ranked #1 overall in the State of Arizona and 16th overall in the United States by The Wall Street Journal. "We've invested a lot in our business, in our marketing and in our agents so this is a big move for us and we make it knowing that eXp Realty represents the best opportunity for us as a team and as individuals."

Wilhems, who previously was the owner of RE/MAX Majestic and whose team has sold more than 4,000 homes in the Tucson market, generates more than 600 new buyer leads each and every month through its marketing efforts and has become a predominant name within the industry among consumers in Tucson, a high-producing peer group across the country, and throughout the industry in the State of Arizona. Marsee Wilhems is also the only agent in Tucson endorsed by ABC's Shark Tank and New York real estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran.

Wilhems and members of her team made the announcement yesterday in Tucson and anticipate being introduced to the Company on Friday during its weekly company-wide Leadership Meeting at 11am ET/8am PT via live broadcast and subsequent recorded version which can viewed on the eXp Realty Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/exprealty.

"Today's announcement demonstrates the continuing and growing appeal to the very top teams in the United States whose entrepreneurial leaders and members benefit from one low universal cap across all markets, a centralized and collaborative team meeting location that can be accessed from anywhere, and access to some of the top lead generating systems and programs in the industry, while building an ownership interest in the brokerage that they contribute to, own and help build," said eXp Realty President, Vikki Bartholomae. "As agents, peers and fellow shareholders, we are humbled by and excited about the opportunity to work with Marsee and all of the members of the Marsee Wilhems Team."

The addition of the Marsee Wilhems Team is a continuation of eXp Realty's recent trend in attracting major real estate teams across the United States. Within the past six weeks the Company has welcomed the Brent Gove Team, one of the top real estate teams in California; Darren James Real Estate Experts (ranked #51 in the nation by The Wall Street Journal in 2015); and, the Eric Burch Real Estate Team, ranked number 2 in all of Arkansas.

About eXp World Holdings, Inc.

eXp World Holdings, Inc. is the holding company for a number of companies most notably eXp Realty LLC, the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage as a full-service real estate brokerage providing 24/7 access to collaborative tools, training, and socialization for real estate brokers and agents through its 3-D, fully-immersive, cloud office environment. eXp Realty, LLC and eXp Realty of Canada, Inc. also feature an aggressive revenue sharing program that pays agents a percentage of gross commission income earned by fellow real estate professionals who they attract into the Company.

As a publicly-traded company, eXp World Holdings, Inc. uniquely offers real estate professionals within its ranks opportunities to earn equity awards for production and contributions to overall company growth.

For more information you can follow eXp World Holdings, Inc. on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, or visit eXpWorldHoldings.com. For eXp Realty please visit: eXpRealty.com.

The statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update them. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company's expansion, revenue growth, operating results, financial performance and net income changes. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include changes in business or other market conditions; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/11/30/11G123800/Images/eXp_Realty-05085926b991a9aab7c4683e57a5bc7b.jpg

Investor Relations Contact Information:

Glenn Sanford

Chairman & CEO

eXp World Holdings, Inc.

glenn@expworldholdings.com

360-389-2426



Media Contact Information:

Russ Cofano

President

eXp World Holdings, Inc.

russ.cofano@exprealty.com

573-825-0780



Trade Contact Information:

Jason Gesing

CEO

eXp Realty, LLC

jason.gesing@exprealty.com

617-970-8518
Asked/Answered is a weekly feature for reader-submitted questions. Follow the blog online at www.cumberlink.com:

If local, state or federal government enacts a law that violates our rights under the Constitution; do we have to obey it?

While you may eventually be vindicated for violating a law that violates a constitutional right, that may take a lengthy period of time and will likely not stop law enforcement from enforcing the law or punishment being doled out for violating the law.

I would advise them to (follow the law), attorney Jay Abom, of The Law Firm of Abom Kutulakis, said. The reason is because if theyre wrong, it would be a heck of gamble.

Abom said typically someone has to be accused of violating the law before the constitutionality can be challenged.

They may even have to be found guilty of it before they can appeal, Abom said.

It can take years of the law being enforced, and people being punished, before a law is determined to be unconstitutional.

The appeal process alone can be quite lengthy.

For example, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter spent nearly a decade exiled to Washington, D.C., after being found guilty in 1958 of violating a law in their home state of Virginia that banned interracial marriage.

That law was overturned by the United States Supreme Court in 1967.

The final outcome of the Supreme Court deeming the law unconstitutional did not change the fact that the couple was arrested, convicted and forced out of their home for nearly 10 years because of the law.

The couple was originally told not to return to Virginia for 25 years.

This also presumes that courts will agree with the underlying assumption that the law is unconstitutional.

If theyre wrong, theres going to be a heck of a price to pay depending on what the penalties are, Abom said.

Send us your questions

Need an answer? We can help.

The Sentinel wants to know what you have always wanted to know.

Whether its politics, crime, history or just something youve always been curious about, if you have questions, The Sentinel will look for the answer and provide it in our online blog and as a weekly feature in the Sentinel print edition.

Shoot us an email at frontdoor@cumberlink.com, call 240-7125 or stop by the office to submit your questions.

The best questions will be featured in weekly Asked/Answered columns online and in print.
DALLAS, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- VARIDESK, the worldwide leader in office product innovations, was named the number one fastest growing company in the Dallas area last night by the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at SMU Cox School of Business. The annual Dallas 100 honors the ingenuity, commitment and perseverance of the fastest-growing privately held entrepreneurial businesses in the Dallas area.

"This year's No. 1 winning company, VARIDESK, is a great example of the wide variety of entrepreneurial companies that contribute to the area's economy," said Simon Mak, Ph.D., associate director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at SMU Cox.

"It's amazing to think that just four years ago we designed a simple solution to one person's back pain, and now we've grown into a global company with products in more than 130 countries that are trusted by 85% of Fortune 500 companies," said Jason McCann, CEO of VARIDESK. "At VARIDESK we love helping people and companies become happier, healthier and more productive. So, after accepting the award last night, I wanted to give back to the all of the amazing entrepreneurs that were being honored. I decided to give everyone in the room a VARIDESK Pro Plus 36, our most popular height-adjustable desk. With about 1,000 people in attendance, it's an investment of almost $400,000 to the entrepreneurial community in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. One of our company's core values is to reimagine the workspace, so being able to help these companies begin that process is an honor."

With growing public awareness of the need to address health and wellness concerns at the workplace, VARIDESK is poised to continue its growth and success in helping companies across the globe reimagine their own workspace. A strong commitment to product innovation and superior customer service means VARIDESK is more than ready to stand up and lead the business community in creating healthy, happy and more productive work environments.

About VARIDESK

Based in Coppell, TX, VARIDESK designs, develops and manufactures height-adjustable standing desk solutions and accessories that transform the way people work and interact on a daily basis. Since its inception in 2013, VARIDESK has continued to expand its line of products and increased availability across the globe. VARIDESK is designed to be simple to purchase, set up and use, and most products are in-stock and ready-to-ship within 24 hours, making it one of the easiest ways to incorporate standing into the work day. VARIDESK, Work Elevated. Learn more at varidesk.com.
DUBLIN, Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global System-in-Package Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The global SiP market to grow at a CAGR of 10.29% during the period 2016-2020.

Global SiP Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

One trend gaining traction in this market is growth of OSAT vendors. The number of OSATs in APAC, especially China, is growing at a considerable pace, as these companies have strong liquidity and financial backing. This enables OSATs to have adequate funds for R&D and capacity expansion. Moreover, governmental support toward the development of the semiconductor industry from major APAC countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan is propelling the growth of these facilities.

According to the report, the increasing requirement in the semiconductor market to offer cost-effective and efficient semiconductor products is driving the demand for SiP packaging technology. The utilization of copper wires instead of the conventional gold wires for the connections within the chips in 3D semiconductor packaging is allowing vendors to reduce their costs significantly.

Further, the report states that the semiconductor packaging vendors are affected by the fluctuating foreign exchange rates due to the need of importing and exporting raw material across the globe. The instability of the world economy such as the slowdown of the Chinese economy and Britain's exit from the EU has led to volatile and unpredictable exchange rates. As a result, global players in the market are not able to anticipate future conditions and are likely to incur significant monetary losses in international trade.

Key vendors

Amkor Technology

ASE

JCET

SPIL

UTAC

Other prominent vendors

ChipMOS Technology

ChipSiP Technology

NANIUM

Octavo Systems

Samsung Electro-Mechanics

Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary

Part 02: Scope of the report

Part 03: Market research methodology

Part 04: Introduction

Part 05: Technology overview

Part 06: Market landscape

Part 07: Market segmentation by application

Part 08: Market segmentation by interconnect technology

Part 09: Market segmentation by end-user

Part 10: Geographical segmentation

Part 11: Market drivers

Part 12: Impact of drivers

Part 13: Market challenges

Part 14: Impact of drivers and challenges

Part 15: Market trends

Part 16: Vendor landscape

Part 17: Appendix

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zn2m7j/global

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, and Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Oneil Carlier today announced that producers experiencing extraordinary costs due to bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) quarantine measures will be eligible for financial assistance under the AgriRecovery Framework.

The 2016 Bovine Tuberculosis Assistance Initiative will provide assistance to producers to cover the extraordinary costs they are facing as a result of the quarantine measures. This includes feeding and water infrastructure, feed for the animals, transportation, cleaning and disinfection as well as interest costs on loans due to the circumstances. Governments will be working with the industry in the coming days on the program specifics to ensure the program meets producers' needs while being delivered in a simple and timely manner.

In the meantime, producers can continue to access immediate help to address cash flow pressures through the Advance Payments Program. Under APP, producers are eligible for an advance up to $400,000, with the first $100,000 being interest free.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada understands that bovine tuberculosis is a serious challenge for affected producers. Governments will work in tandem with industry and producers to ensure that program details reflect the needs of producers and that the money flows as quickly and simply as possible."

- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"We know that this is a difficult time for producers who are facing financial challenges as a result of the bovine TB situation. The Government of Alberta recognizes the importance of our cattle industry to this province, and this commitment is an important step in providing our producers with the support they need."

- Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Oneil Carlier

For more information, producers should contact AFSC toll free at 1-877-899-2372 or by email at info@AFSC.ca.

Quick Facts

-- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that a case of bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) had been detected in a Canadian cow when it was slaughtered in the USA. The cow was from Alberta. -- The Government of Canada is committed to protecting human and animal health, and has launched a full disease investigation. -- Generally, findings of bovine TB do not pose a threat to public health in the Canadian context. This is due to the extremely low prevalence of the disease in Canada. -- The federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) cost-shared suite of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs can assist producers experiencing severe income declines due to quarantine measures. AgriRecovery was designed as an FPT disaster relief framework intended to work together with the core BRM programs to help agricultural producers recover from natural disasters. -- The 2016 Bovine Tuberculosis Assistance Initiative funding is pending the provincial government finalizing program authorities. -- Producers may also be eligible for compensation through CFIA under the Health of Animals Act for animals ordered destroyed; other things ordered destroyed, such as contaminated feed or animal products; and the disposal costs of animals ordered destroyed. -- Federal and provincial government officials are continuing to monitor the situation in Saskatchewan.

Related Products

Growing Forward 2 - Business Risk Management Programs (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Information on how to request an APP advance is available through an Advance Payment Program Administrator.

For more information concerning bovine TB please visit the CFIA's website at, http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/tuberculosis/eng/1330205978967/1330206128556.

Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture

Contacts:

Guy Gallant

Director of Communications

Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay

613-773-1059



Media Relations

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Ottawa, Ontario

613-773-7972

1-866-345-7972



Renato Gandia

Press Secretary

Agriculture and Forestry

Office: (780) 638-9466

Mobile: (587) 988-9720

Renato.gandia@gov.ab.ca




MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - November 30, 2016) - ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, today announced a pair of key promotions involving members of its corporate executive team. The changes were announced as ServiceMaster continues its pursuit of new growth opportunities and improved service and convenience for the 5 million customers it serves each year.

Marty Wick will assume a new role as chief operating officer of Terminix, the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States. All Terminix operations will now report to Wick, including branch operations; environment, health and safety; and customer call centers. Wick had been serving as president of ServiceMaster's Franchise Services Group, where he led a global network of more than 5,000 franchise locations and licensees supporting the company's five franchise brands.

Replacing Wick as the Franchise Services Group president will be Mary Kay Wegner, who will assume responsibility for the franchise business, which supports independently owned franchise locations employing more than 33,000 people in 15 countries and includes the AmeriSpec, Furniture Medic, Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean and ServiceMaster Restore brands. Wegner had been serving as senior vice president of service and operations for Terminix, which operates in 47 states and 22 countries.

Both executives will remain direct reports to ServiceMaster CEO Rob Gillette and members of the ServiceMaster executive leadership team. Gillette also will continue to lead Terminix, as he's done since August.

"Mary Kay and Marty are terrific leaders with a track record of engaging teams and knowing what it takes to win," said Gillette. "They're committed to putting ServSmart sm to work for our employees and developing technology and tools to make it easier and more convenient for our customers, franchisees and contractors to do business with us."

ServSmart combines digital-mobile technology with ServiceMaster's unmatched service network of trusted professionals -- employees, technicians, contractors and franchisees -- who perform the essential services that protect and maintain 75,000 homes and businesses each day.

Wick joined ServiceMaster in 2009 and was named vice president of operations for American Home Shield in 2012. His team was responsible for delivering all aspects of service to more than 1.5 million customers, delivered via 1,600 call center associates, with home repairs performed by more than 11,000 home-service contractor companies spanning the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and appliance trades. He became president of the Franchise Services Group in 2014. Prior to joining ServiceMaster, Wick held numerous leadership roles in sales, service, product management, process improvement and distribution with telecommunications leaders Sprint and CenturyLink, after beginning his career in management consulting.

Wegner joined ServiceMaster in 2010 and has held a number of executive roles, including senior vice president of supply management. In addition to her role as franchise group president, she will continue to lead ServiceMaster's supply management group, which manages one of the largest commercial fleets in the United States, as well as more than $1 billion in procurement and implementation of products and services annually. Previously, Wegner served as director of North American fleet operations for Coca-Cola Enterprises, and she spent eight years in a variety of leadership positions in fleet, logistics and strategic sourcing at Waste Management, Inc. She began her career as an aviation maintenance officer in the U.S. Navy in an anti-submarine helicopter squadron and spent seven years on active duty.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner's dilemma. Every day, we visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands include American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster, linkedin.com/ServiceMaster, twitter.com/ServiceMaster or servicemaster.com.

Media:

Peter Tosches

901.597.8449 (o)

901.692.2220 (c)

Email contact


TORONTO, ONTARIO and NUCLA, COLORADO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Western Uranium Corporation (CSE: WUC) (OTCQX: WSTRF) ("Western" or the "Company") is pleased to provide highlights of its previously announced activities over the past months as Western moves towards becoming a top-tier uranium and vanadium producer in the USA. This has been a seminal year for Western.

In 2016 Western expanded the operational expertise of its management team by adding Patrick Siglin as Vice President Development and Michael Rutter as Vice President Operations to support the extensive uranium and vanadium permitting, licensing and production expertise of CEO George Glasier.

In the fall of 2016, the Board of Directors promoted Robert Klein from Vice President Finance to full time Chief Financial Officer, replacing Andrew Wilder as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Wilder continues in his role as a director of Western.

In July 2015 the Company began a licensing process for its Ablation Mining Technology. Western has continued to advance through the process in 2016, as the Company has participated in public hearings and provided additional technical data to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ("CDPHE"). Ultimately, a determination of the permitting required will allow the utilization of this new technology. During the same period, Western also completed modifications and upgrades on both the pilot and production ablation units.

In the spring of 2016, Western received and tested ore from Africa using its ablation production unit located in Nucla, Colorado. The favourable results were sent to the mine owner in Africa. Discussions are continuing on how best to deploy the Ablation Mining Technology in Africa with the mine owner.

Recently Western has been contacted by another uranium company based in Southern Africa in order to investigate the use of Ablation Mining Technology on its sandstone hosted deposit. These talks are at a very early stage but this outreach reconfirms the market desire for using Ablation Mining Technology outside of North America because it is environmentally safe and reduces production costs.

During 2016 Western's management has been considering internally the best path to develop a royalty income stream from licensing ablation to several interested parties in Africa. Interest in using the Ablation Mining Technology has also come from Australia and North America where uranium is hosted in sandstone. Discussions with these mining companies are also at an early stage.

Over the course of 2016 Western received several Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from utilities, which the Company has evaluated. Several uranium buyers from global utilities have contacted Western for potential uranium offtake contracts. However, Western will commence production only when the price of uranium and/or vanadium reaches appropriate consistent pricing and will only sign offtake agreements that management believes will be advantageous to Western shareholders. Preparation for production has been a continuous process and is underway in parallel with the ablation licensing determination. Recently the Company has conducted initial discussions with a third party for a vanadium offtake contract. The Western vanadium is in demand in the USA and several companies have enquired about supply.

Western was accepted for trading in the USA on the OTCQX Best Market and began trading under the symbol WSTRF in May 2016.

The Company raised over US$2 million in 2016, which Western used to advance the licensing of the Ablation Mining Technology, while investigating further uranium and vanadium property acquisitions, and hired key personnel to move towards production.

As previously disclosed, Western signed a Letter of Intent with Pinon Ridge Corporation for Western to send its uranium and vanadium ore to the Pinon Ridge Mill for processing.

As widely disseminated in the market, the five- and ten-year term uranium contracts that were written at much higher uranium prices by utilities are beginning to roll off. The market is anticipating that these utilities will need to start negotiations for renewed uranium term supply contracts sometime in 2017. However, Western does not intend to manage production based on global reactor term forecasts but is instead seeking to create a sustainable business that will have multiple avenues of earnings that management believes will offer Western shareholders a more stable and consistent profitability stream.

George Glasier commented: "We believe that investors have a notable opportunity to build an investment position in Western Uranium as it is our belief that uranium and vanadium prices are both poised to trend higher. Although spot uranium prices have dropped considerably in 2016 to less than US$20.00, spot vanadium pentoxide prices are up over 100% year to date. With our successful acquisition of Black Range Minerals in 2015, Western has become the second largest in-situ holder of historic uranium resources in the United States with over 90 million pounds. The Company's Ablation Mining Technology uniquely positions the Company to become a low cost producer of uranium and vanadium through the application and advancement of this new process."

About Western Uranium Corporation

Western Uranium Corporation is a Colorado based uranium and vanadium conventional mining company focused on low cost near-term production of uranium and vanadium in the western United States.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND CAUTIONARY NOTE

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made.

Contacts:

George Glasier

President and CEO

970-864-2125

gglasier@western-uranium.com



Michael Skutezky

Chairman of the Board

416-564-2870

mskutezky@western-uranium.com




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Geomega Resources Inc. ("GeoMegA" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: GMA) announces that shareholders have approved all resolutions put forth at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting") held in Montreal, Quebec, on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. Paul-Henri Couture, Gilles Gingras, Patrick Godin, Denis Hamel, Vicky Lavoie, Kiril Mugerman and Mario Spino were elected to serve as directors of the Corporation (the "Board").

In addition, the Corporation announces the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, as auditors for the ongoing year and the re-approval of the 10% rolling stock option plan.

Subsequent to the Annual Meeting, the directors renewed Patrick Godin as Chairman of the Board, Kiril Mugerman as President and Chief Executive Officer, Alain Cayer as Vice President of Exploration, Pouya Hajiani as Chief Technology Officer, Ingrid Martin as Chief Financial Officer and Sebastien Vezina as Corporate Secretary.

Stock Option Grants

Pursuant to the Corporation's Stock Option Plan, a total of 2,020,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.095 per option have been granted to directors, officers and employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries. These options may be exercised for a period of 5 years after the grant date and they vest gradually over a period of 24 months from the day of grant, at a rate of 1/4 per six-month period, in accordance with the terms of the stock option plan of the Corporation.

New Director Elected for Innord

The Corporation announces that Mr. Jean Demers, P.Geo, was elected to the board of directors of Innord Inc., a private subsidiary of GeoMega. Mr. Demers brings a vast experience in mining, project evaluation, project management, financial analysis and corporate governance. Mr. Demers has been involved in corporate governance for more than 20 years; President of Geodem inc. since 2004, he works in the mining sector, institutional financing and financial evaluation. He is a trainer to members of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (OGQ) in corporate evaluation, ethics, governance and securities. He was a director of this professional association for ten years and contributed to its development during the pivotal period when most of its regulations were put in place. Mr. Demers will represent the Societe de developpement de la Baie-James ("SDBJ) and the Administration regionale Baie-James ("ARBJ"), both shareholders of Innord, on its board of directors.

Mr. Patrick Godin, Chairman of the Board, commented, "I am pleased to welcome Mr. Demers as an independent Director for Innord, noting his technical background in mining, project evaluation and corporate governance."

About GeoMegA (www.geomega.ca)

GeoMegA is a mineral exploration and evaluation company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits of metals in Quebec. GeoMegA is committed to meeting the Canadian mining industry standards and distinguishing itself with innovative engineering, stakeholders' engagement and dedication to local transformation benefits.

77,433,712 common shares of GeoMegA are currently issued and outstanding.

About Innord Inc.

Innord is a private subsidiary of GeoMegA of which GeoMegA owns 96.1%. The goal of Innord Inc. is to develop and optimize the proprietary separation process of rare earth elements based on electrophoresis, for which it holds all the rights. Electrophoresis is the migration of charged species (ions, proteins, particles) in solution in the presence of an electric field. Innord has filed patents in Canada and the United States to protect its novel separation process and is looking to file in other jurisdictions.

About the Societe de developpement de la Baie-James

The mission of the Societe de developpement de la Baie-James is to promote the James Bay territory's economic development and the development and use of its natural resources, other than hydroelectric resources, which are Hydro-Quebec's responsibility, from a sustainable development perspective. It can also generate, support and participate in projects for these purposes.

www.sdbj.gouv.qc.ca

About Administration regionale Baie-James

The ARBJ mission consists of promoting and sustaining economic, social and cultural development of the territory it serves, in the benefit of Jamesiens.

www.arbj.ca

Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding our intentions and plans. The forward-looking statements that are contained in this news release are based on various assumptions and estimates by the Corporation and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from results forecasted or suggested in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We caution you that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as discussed in the Corporation's filings with Canadian securities agencies. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral prices, success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program, and general business, economic, competitive, political and social conditions. The Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward- looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Kiril Mugerman

President and CEO

GeoMegA

450-641-5119 ext.5653

kmugerman@geomega.ca




EASTAMPTON, New Jersey, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Epicore BioNetworks Inc. (TSXV EBN) reported first quarter revenue of $2.5 million and net income of $0.2 million or $0.009 per share for the period ended September 30, 2016.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444112LOGO )



First quarter revenue was 20% higher than last year's Q1.Net income was the same as last year. Shrimp diseases such as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) and a new microsporidian disease called enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) affected several Southeast Asian (SEA) producing regions. In SEA, low prices combined with the risk of disease have resulted in a curtailment in shrimp stocking. Despite this situation, sales resumed to Vietnam and increased in Indonesia and India.Sales were especially strong to newer sales areas like Australia and Singapore and to Africa.

Results versus prior fiscal year quarter one were as follows:

Revenue increased by 20% to $2.5 million

Gross profit increased by 12% to $1.4 million

Operating expenses increased by 5% to $0.9 million

Income before taxes increased 23% to $0.4 million

Net income remained at $0.2 million

EBITDA [ 1 ] increased 15% to $0.5 million

increased 15% to Achieved basic earnings per share of $0.009

Increased shareholders' equity to $9.7 million

Year-over-year cash increased 35% to $3.7 million

Year-to-date cash flow from operations of $0.3 million

Gross profit increased 12% in Q1 due to the increase in revenues.

Operating expense increased by 5%.

Higher revenues with relatively higher COGS expenses and a modest increase in operational expense combined to produce earnings on par with Q1 earnings prior year. Taxes were $0.2 compared to prior year's $0.1 because of the lack of equipment tax credits. The following table summarizes the Q1 results (rounded to thousands of US dollars):

For the Quarter ended September 30 2016 2015 Increase (Decrease) Revenue $2,488 $2,079 $409 20% Gross profit $1,389 $1,235 $154 12% Operating expenses $941 $893 $48 5% Net income $230 $231 $(1) - Earnings per share $0.009 $0.009 - - Shareholders' equity $9,653 $8,407 $1,246 15% Cash balance $3,720 $2,753 $967 35%

Epicore continues to generate positive net income from operating activities. In fiscal 2016, working capital increases and investments in plant and equipment decreased cash balances but by Q1 the majority of planned capital spending is completed. Cash at the end of the quarter was $3.7million versus $3.4 million at the end of fiscal 2016.With these funds, expected sales revenue growth and continued relatively low operating costs, management expects there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements, to fund expansion of aquaculture and environmental remediation marketing efforts and to pursue new strategies for enhancing shareholder value.

Over the last two years, Epicore has invested materially in a second building and automated packaging equipment. This added space is critical to our ability to increase production levels.All automated packaging equipment was in place and operational in Q1.The board has approved an ongoing capital program to enhance efficiencies and ensure redundancies in critical applications of our operations.

The financial statements of the company have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.Epicore BioNetworks Inc. is a public corporation with a registered office in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (symbol EBN).[Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.]

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties.The actual results, performance or achievements of the company might differ materially from the results, performance or achievements of the company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding the future growth of the Company, that investments now in place and planned for new plant and equipment will result in production efficiencies and increased capacities and the expectation by management that there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements.We can provide no assurance that the expected timing or results of such development will be realized or that the company will be able to generate sufficient cash to meet its obligations.We are subject to various risks, including the uncertainties of product development, markets for our products and regulatory review, our need for additional capital to fund our operations, our reliance on collaborative partners, our history of losses, and other risks inherent in the biotechnology industry.

[1]EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.For the Company, It is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Management believes that EBITDA is a better indicator of operational performance than net income because it ignores interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Mr. William P. Long (Chief Executive Officer) USA. Tel: +1-609-267-9118, Email:Investors@EpicoreBioNetworks.com
Toronto, Ontario (November 30, 2016) - Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX:LUN) (OMX:LUMI) ("Lundin Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's Board of Directors has approved a dividend policy providing for the payment of a regular quarterly dividend of C$0.03 per common share (C$0.12 per common share annually) commencing in 2017. The inaugural quarterly dividend of C$0.03 cents per common share is anticipated to be declared with the release of 2016 full year financial results in February 2017 with a record date in March 2017, pending approval by the Board of Directors.Mr. Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented, "With a significant cash balance, strong balance sheet, and ongoing cash flow from our operations, Lundin Mining is well positioned to fund future growth opportunities while providing a dividend return. The Company remains growth oriented with a focused and disciplined approach."The dividend policy of the Company will undergo a periodic review by the Board of Directors and is subject to change at any time depending on the earnings of the Company, its financial requirements and other factors existing at the time.About Lundin MiningLundin Mining is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc. In addition, until its announced sale has been concluded, Lundin Mining holds an indirect 24% equity stake in the world-class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Freeport Cobalt Oy business, which includes a cobalt refinery located in Kokkola, Finland.On Behalf of the Board,Paul Conibear, President and CEOThe information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Mining under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. This information was publicly communicated on November 30, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.For further information, please contact:Mark Turner Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations +1-416-342-5565Sonia Tercas Senior Associate, Investor Relations +1-416-342-5583Robert Eriksson Investor Relations Sweden +46 8 545 015 50Forward Looking StatementsCertain of the statements made and information contained herein is "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation including, without limitation, with respect to the timing and amount of future dividends. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as "plan," "expect", "budget", "target", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: uncertain political and economic environments; foreign currency fluctuations; risks inherent in mining including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, ground control problems and flooding; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; the potential for and effects of labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under Risk Factors Relating to the Company's Business in the Company's Annual Information Form and in each management discussion and analysis. Forward-looking information is in addition based on various assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long term price of copper, nickel, lead and zinc; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour and that the political environment where the Company operates will continue to support the development and operation of mining projects. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=606803
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Lundin Mining Corporation (TSX: LUN)(OMX: LUMI) ("Lundin Mining" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's Board of Directors has approved a dividend policy providing for the payment of a regular quarterly dividend of C$0.03 per common share (C$0.12 per common share annually) commencing in 2017. The inaugural quarterly dividend of C$0.03 cents per common share is anticipated to be declared with the release of 2016 full year financial results in February 2017 with a record date in March 2017, pending approval by the Board of Directors.

Mr. Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented, "With a significant cash balance, strong balance sheet, and ongoing cash flow from our operations, Lundin Mining is well positioned to fund future growth opportunities while providing a dividend return. The Company remains growth oriented with a focused and disciplined approach."

The dividend policy of the Company will undergo a periodic review by the Board of Directors and is subject to change at any time depending on the earnings of the Company, its financial requirements and other factors existing at the time.

About Lundin Mining

Lundin Mining is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc. In addition, until its announced sale has been concluded, Lundin Mining holds an indirect 24% equity stake in the world-class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Freeport Cobalt Oy business, which includes a cobalt refinery located in Kokkola, Finland.

On Behalf of the Board, Paul Conibear, President and CEO

The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Mining under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. This information was publicly communicated on November 30, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation including, without limitation, with respect to the timing and amount of future dividends. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to information with respect to the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements are characterized by words such as "plan," "expect", "budget", "target", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: uncertain political and economic environments; foreign currency fluctuations; risks inherent in mining including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological formations, ground control problems and flooding; risks associated with the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; the potential for and effects of labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or shortages of labour or interruptions in production; actual ore mined varying from estimates of grade, tonnage, dilution and metallurgical and other characteristics; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; changes in laws or policies, foreign taxation, delays or the inability to obtain necessary governmental permits; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described under Risk Factors Relating to the Company's Business in the Company's Annual Information Form and in each management discussion and analysis.

Forward-looking information is in addition based on various assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long term price of copper, nickel, lead and zinc; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour and that the political environment where the Company operates will continue to support the development and operation of mining projects. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Lundin Mining Corporation

Mark Turner

Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5565



Lundin Mining Corporation

Sonia Tercas

Senior Associate, Investor Relations

+1-416-342-5583



Robert Eriksson

Investor Relations Sweden

+46 8 545 015 50




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- Shaw Communications Inc. ("Shaw") (TSX: SJR.B)(NYSE: SJR) announced today that it has given the registered shareholders of its Cumulative Redeemable Floating Rate Class 2 Preferred Shares, Series B (the "Series B Shares") notice of dividend rates.

Effective December 31, 2016, the Floating Quarterly Dividend for the Series B Shares was set for the third Quarterly Floating Rate Period (being the period from and including December 31, 2016 to, but excluding, March 31, 2017) at 2.509%. The Floating Quarterly Dividend Rate will be reset every quarter.

The Series B Shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SJR.PR.B.

For more information on the terms of, and risks associated with an investment in, the Series B Shares, see Shaw's prospectus supplement dated May 20, 2011 which is available on sedar.com

About Shaw Communications Inc.

Shaw is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.

Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE - SJR, and TSXV - SJR.A). For more information, please visit www.shaw.ca.

Contacts:

Shaw Communications Inc.

Investor Relations

investor.relations@sjrb.ca

www.shaw.ca




Fidel Castro died as he lived: to the sound of useful idiots making allowances for his crimes. (Thats not my term: It was Lenin who called liberal apologists for Communism useful idiots.)

The gold medal in the Useful Idiot Olympics should probably go to Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada. In a statement, he expressed his deep sorrow upon learning that Cubas longest serving president had died.

One can only imagine what George Orwell could do with that one word, serving. Castro did not serve; he ruled a nation of servants, often cruelly, while making obscene profits for himself and his family.

Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century, Trudeau continued, repeating that word. While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castros supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for el Comandante.

Again, where is Orwells red pen?

El Comandante: The term drips with affection, doesnt it? Castros detractors? Would those be the families of the thousands he had executed? The survivors of Castros Caribbean gulag? Those who didnt drown trying to escape?

Trudeaus expression of deep sorrow was typical of a whole genre of Castro eulogies. His apologists have tended to romanticize the revolution and parrot dubious Cuban state propaganda  Literacy rates! Free health care!  while dispensing antiseptic euphemisms for the brutal reality of what the revolution wrought.

At least when people note that Hitler built the autobahn and Mussolini made the trains run on time, theyre usually being ironic. To listen to some Castro defenders, youd think the scales of justice can balance out any load of horrors, so long as the substandard health care is free and the schools (allegedly) teach everyone to read.

As much of the American left is openly mooting whether or not the American president-elect is a dictator-in-waiting, one has to wonder whether they would take that bargain: No more elections, no more free speech, no more civil liberties of any kind, but socialized medicine and literacy for everyone! American political dissidents, homosexuals, journalists and the clergy, just like in Cuba, can languish in prison or internal exile, but at least theyll be able to read the charges against them.

Such un-nuanced arguments always make leftist eyes roll. In a blog post titled Castro: Its Complicated! University of Rhode Island professor Eric Loomis cautioned against thinking in terms of simplistic moral judgments. It seems to me that when people want to ban simplistic moral judgments, its usually because simple morality is not on their side.

Heres my Fox News colleague Geraldo Rivera on Twitter: Conservatives mocking nuanced view of #FidelCastro make me gag-What do they say about @realDonaldTrump? #RonaldReagan? RichardNixon? #Elvis?

Lest there is something I dont know about Elvis, none of these figures were brutal unelected despots responsible for the murder of their own people (10 times as many deaths as those credited to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet).

One hint as to why Rivera and so many others were smitten with Castro: He was an international celebrity. Rivera even tweeted a picture of himself grinning broadly in el Comandantes presence along with his condolences. RIP #FidelCastro Yes, a despot who ruthlessly suppressed dissidents. But he defeated a dictator & was the premier revolutionary of his time.

Premier revolutionary of his time. Its as if Rivera thinks this title provides moral cover. This is the thinking that allows vacuous hipsters to unselfconsciously shrug when you tell them that the Che Guevara on their T-shirt was a sadistic murderer. Yeah, but he was cool.

But among serious leftists, Castros radical chic is secondary. For them, Fidels revolution provided the slender hope that America was on the wrong side of history. It was a symbol of resistance  intellectual, political and spiritual  to Western yanqui hegemony. They loved Cuba for many of the reasons they hate Israel (despite its exemplary literacy rate and universal health care system). They think  wrongly  that Israel is an extension of Western colonialism while Cuba was a rejection of it.

Castro understood this better than anyone, which is why he was able to serve his people for so long.
Toronto, Ontario (November 30, 2016) - Lundin Mining Corporation ("Lundin Mining" or the "Company") (TSX: LUN)(OMX: LUMI) provides the following production guidance for the three-year period of 2017 through 2019, 2017 cash costs, capital and exploration expenditure guidance, as well as five-year guidance for our Candelaria operation. Key highlights are as follows:--

Attributable copper production guidance for 2017 and 2018 from mines operated by the Company has increased from last year's three-year guidance on an improved production profile at Candelaria.

--

Zinc production guidance for 2017 and 2018 has been improved from last year's three-year guidance primarily on operational improvements at Neves-Corvo achieved in 2016. The zinc production profile assumes plant capacity continues at current levels and does not yet include potential additional zinc production from the Neves Corvo Zinc Expansion Project (ZEP) pending its formal approval.

--

Cash costs are expected to be lower year-over-year in 2017 at Candelaria and Neves-Corvo, and unchanged at Zinkgruvan. Eagle cash costs will be higher than 2016 but remain low on the cost curve.

--

Estimated costs to complete the Los Diques tailings facility at Candelaria have been further reduced by approximately $25 million. Expenditures to complete are expected to amount to $135 million in 2017 and $30 million in 2018.

Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented, "As we head into 2017, we anticipate building on the strong operating performance achieved during 2016, including the copper production profile which has once again been improved at Candelaria. Each of our mines has a low capital intensity, low risk expansion project either under study, permitting or construction. We have reinvigorated our exploration programs, and between our project and operating initiatives, we believe we are well positioned for excellent cash flows for many years to come."[For the complete release including tables, see attached file.]About Lundin MiningLundin Mining is a diversified Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc. In addition, until its announced sale has been concluded, Lundin Mining holds an indirect 24% equity stake in the world-class Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Freeport Cobalt Oy business, which includes a cobalt refinery located in Kokkola, Finland.On Behalf of the Board,Paul Conibear, President and CEOThe information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Lundin Mining under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and/or the Swedish Securities Market Act. This information was publicly communicated on November 30, 2016 at 5:05 p.m. Eastern Time.For further information, please contact:Mark Turner Director, Business Valuations and Investor Relations +1-416-342-5565Sonia Tercas Senior Associate, Investor Relations +1-416-342-5583Robert Eriksson Investor Relations Sweden +46 8 545 015 50Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=606810
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2016) - Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX: AVL) (OTCQX: AVLNF) ("Avalon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the release of its fifth comprehensive Sustainability Report entitled Minerals for Transitioning Economies (the "2016 Sustainability Report") along with the release of its 2016 annual filings. The 2016 Sustainability Report is available from the Company's website at http://www.avalonadvancedmaterials.com/sustainability/2016_sustainability_report.

The 2016 Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative ("GRI") Version 4 guidelines for core reporting. In accordance with GRI, Avalon conducted a detailed materiality assessment review, identifying the topics that have the highest priority to the Company and its Communities of Interest. This review was aided by feedback received though Avalon's various engagement efforts, previous Avalon sustainability reports and Avalon's risk assessments.

The 2016 Sustainability Report focuses on the social, environmental and economic issues that are most material to the Company. It also incorporates a self-assessment of Avalon's 2016 fiscal year performance and sets targets for 2017 against the applicable Toward Sustainable Mining indicators defined by the Mining Association of Canada.

Don Bubar, President and CEO comments, "Avalon pursues sustainability in all areas of our business and actively promotes improved mineral industry practice with investors, potential partners and government. I remain convinced that sustainability adds value to our business. Avalon is unwavering in our commitment to provide leadership in the junior resource sector toward a more sustainable future in the Canadian mineral industry."

The Company has also completed the filings of its Consolidated Financial Statements, Management's Discussion and Analysis, and Annual Information Form with Canadian security regulators, as well as its Annual Report on Form 20-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2016. Copies of these filings are available on the Company's website at http://www.avalonadvancedmaterials.com/investors/regulatory_filings/, through SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com or through EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov.

Shareholders may request a printed copy of the Consolidated Financial Statements and/or the 2016 Sustainability Report by email to ir@AvalonAM.com or by regular mail to Investor Relations, Avalon Advanced Materials Inc., 130 Adelaide Street West, Suite 1901, Toronto, ON M5H 3P5.

For questions and feedback, please e-mail the Company at ir@AvalonAM.com, or phone Don Bubar, President & CEO at 416-364-4938.

About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in niche market metals and minerals with growing demand in new technology. The Company has three advanced stage projects, all 100%-owned, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, niobium, and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on its Separation Rapids Lithium Project, Kenora, ON and its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the social, environmental and economic issues that are most material to the Company, the Company's targets for 2017 against the applicable Toward Sustainable Mining indicators, that Avalon pursues sustainability in all areas of its business and actively promotes improved mineral industry practice and that Avalon is committed to provide leadership in the junior resource sector toward a more sustainable future in the Canadian mineral industry. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "potential", "scheduled", "anticipates", "continues", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "scheduled", "targeted", "planned", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" or "will not be" taken, reached or result, "will occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Avalon to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. Although Avalon has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to market conditions, and the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses as well as those risk factors set out in the Company's current Annual Information Form, Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements have been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Avalon does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.




Rio, Glastonbury and St. Peter's Square, just some of the global venues to have used, or that are using, CCI's LTE-ready, Six-Beam Antennas to support high mobile data demands of visitors

OTTAWA, Ontario and LONDON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Communication Components Antenna Inc., (CCI) a leading supplier of Multi-Beam Antenna solutions, has recently delivered its new Six-Beam Special Events Antenna to a number of major mobile network operators for deployment at high-profile public venues around the world. The Rio Olympics, Glastonbury Music Festival and the 'Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy' in Rome are just some of the events at which the new antenna has delivered major increases in capacity of up to nine times that of normal cellular base station antennas.

The CCI Special Events Antenna has been developed to address scenarios where very large numbers of people - tens of thousands or more - congregate and place high capacity and high data rate demands on the local network by using their wireless devices and smart phones for mobile social media, the sharing of photos and videos and voice calls. The antenna, housed inside a compact, single, 3ft-high enclosure, supports 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE technologies. The multi-beam system supports six multiple sectors from a single unit.

In Rome, mobile operator TIM has deployed the CCI Six-Beam Special Events Antenna in St. Peter's Square on a permanent basis to help optimize its 4G coverage and support the mobile voice and data demands of millions of visitors flocking to the square throughout this year of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This year-long 'event' - a Roman Catholic period of prayer - has been running since 8 December, 2015 and will come to a close on 20 November. It is estimated that more than 21 million people, a high proportion using smart phones and mobile devices, will have visited the St. Peter's Square during that time.

Earlier this year, in Brazil, mobile operator Oi Movel also deployed the CCI Special Events Antenna at the Rio Olympics, ensuring that the high capacity and high data rate demands of visitors could be supported. With the multiple beams in the antenna able to provide as much as nine times the amount of network capacity as traditional single-sector antennas, they delivered all the services required by the mobile operator without traffic congestion.

Peter Jackson, CCI Chief Marketing Officer, said, "Our deployments at Rio and in St. Peter's Square have been extremely successful and prove that multi-beam antennas now have a permanent place in the macro network planning of the future. Mobile Network Operators (MNO) around the world are fast becoming aware of the network improvements and increases they can introduce by adopting these advanced systems.

"In the UK, one of the country's leading MNOs has deployed CCI Special Events Antennas for gatherings such as the Glastonbury Music Festival, where streaming and sharing video and music can reach potentially network-breaking proportions. Our antenna has been able to meet all capacity demands placed on it at every gathering."

"And while they started out as solutions to fill temporary hotspots at one-off and occasional event locations, they are increasingly being adopted by MNOs for installations that are permanent, as shown in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Deployed by Italian MNO, TIM, that installation supports the data demands of over fifty thousand people on an almost daily basis."

CCI has brought its exceptional skill set to bear on this latest Multi-Beam development, a skill set honed on a number of existing, successful, multi-beam solutions and phased-array technology developments.

Notes for Editors

About CCI and CCI Antenna

Communication Components Inc. (CCI) is a leading provider of innovative, cost-effective, revenue-increasing RF solutions for cellular (mobile) infrastructure, providing network equipment for 3G, UMTS and LTE co-location, coverage enhancement, capacity improvement, interference reduction, spectrum re-farming and new technology introduction. With thousands of field-proven solutions, CCI brings expertise to the demanding needs of today's wireless operators, allowing operators to accelerate deployments whilst lowering costs and improving performance. Low-cost, rapidly-deployable, fit-for-purpose CCI solutions bring increased revenues by maximizing the use of RF spectrum and power. Communication Components Antenna Inc. (CCI Antenna) is CCI's affiliate company based in Ottawa Canada where its antenna products are developed.

For more information, visit: www.cciproducts.com, call +1.201.342.3338, follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/16 -- ("Kirkland Lake Gold" or the "Company") (TSX: KLG), is pleased to announce the appointment of Philip Yee as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (effective December 1, 2016). In addition, the Company announces that Mr. Perry Ing - CFO, Mr Keyvan Salehi - VP Corp Dev and Technical Services and Ms Suzette Ramcharan - Director of Investor Relations are no longer with the Company. The Company thanks all the above personnel for their efforts and wish them continued success in their future roles.

Anthony (Tony) Makuch, President and CEO of the Company, commented: "We are very pleased to be gaining the wealth of experience that Phil Yee brings to his role as CFO at Kirkland Lake Gold. Phil has worked for several years in the mining sector, his most recent role being as Chief Financial Officer for Lake Shore Gold Corp. He brings valued expertise to our existing management team.

Management Appointment

Philip C. Yee is an experienced senior finance executive with an extensive background in financial management and reporting, financial and operational recovery, M&A, international risk management and strategy development. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant with 25+ years of experience and success including 15+ years as a member of high caliber senior management teams leading world-class mining operations. Most recently, Phil was SVP & CFO of Lake Shore Gold Corp. from May 2013 to April 2016 when the business combination with Tahoe Resources was completed. Prior to this role, Phil was CFO of Patagonia Gold Plc from May 2011 to April 2013 and Vice President Finance for Kumtor Operating Co., the flag-ship subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc. and a subsidiary of Cameco Corporation from June 2001 to May 2011. Phil received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan and has served on the Board of Directors for Kumtor Operating Company, the Eurasia Foundation Central Asia and the American Chamber of Commerce Bishkek.

About the Company

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. is a Canadian focused, intermediate gold producer with assets in the historic Kirkland Lake gold camp, and east of the Timmins gold camp along the Porcupine-Destor Fault Zone, both in northeastern Ontario. The Company is currently targeting annual gold production of between 280,000 to 290,000 ounces from its cornerstone asset, the Macassa Mine Complex and the Holt Mine Complex that includes the Holt, Holloway and Taylor mines.

The Company is committed to building a sustainable mining company that is recognized as a safe and responsible gold producer with quality assets in safe mining jurisdictions.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This Press Release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company.

The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made such as, without limitation, opinion, assumptions and estimates of management regarding the Company's business, including but not limited to; the continued exploration programs on the SMC mineralization, the timing and results thereof; the ability to continue to expand the SMC and to increase its level of resources and the timing thereof; and the potential to increase the level of resources and reserves. Such opinions, assumptions and estimates, are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the Company's expectations in connection with the projects and exploration programs being met, the impact of general business and economic conditions, global liquidity and credit availability on the timing of cash flows and the values of assets and liabilities based on projected future conditions, fluctuating gold prices, currency exchange rates (such as the Canadian dollar versus the United States Dollar), possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in accounting policies, changes in the Company's corporate mineral reserves and resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, changes in project development, construction, production and commissioning time frames, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, higher prices for fuel, power, labour and other consumables contributing to higher costs and general risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, unexpected changes in mine life, seasonality and unanticipated weather changes, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, government regulation of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims, and limitations on insurance, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2015, and the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the interim period ended September 30, 2016, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Contacts:

Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Toll Free: 1-866-384-2924

www.klgold.com



Kirkland Lake Gold Inc.

Tony Makuch, P.Eng

Chief Executive Officer

+1 416-840-7884

tmakuch@klgold.com

www.klgold.com




Training and labour services company, Site Group International, has signed a Training Services Agreement in Saudi Arabia worth $6 million.Site Group will deliver technical training programs for a new Vocational Trades Training Colleges in the Jazan province of Saudi Arabia.The company says the College will train Saudi operators to meet the requirements of industry and assist with workforce nationalisation targets.Site Group also says the College and training programs are endorsed by large oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco, and all graduates will be employed in the Jazan Economic City where Aramaco is building a new oil refinery.Site Group posted a net profit of $9.4 million at 30 June 2016.
Civis Analytics, a Chicago, IL-based provider of data science software and services, raised $22m in Series A funding.

The round was led by Drive Capital with participation from Verizon Ventures, WPP, and Eric Schmidt, the Executive Chairman of Alphabet, Inc. As part of this round of funding, Chris Olsen joined Dan Wagner, Eric Schmidt, and Tim OReilly on Civis Analytics Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to hire new people, conduct research and development activities, expand the product offerings, and target new sectors.

Founded in 2013 by Dan Wagner, CEO, Civis Analytics provides both public and private sector organizations with a SaaS-based data science platform and a suite of applications to make data-driven decisions.

The company works with clients including Verizon, Robin Hood Foundation, and the 2020 U.S. Census in partnership with Young & Rubicam.

Born out of President Obamas re-election campaign, Civis launched with seed funding from Eric Schmidt in 2013. Since then, Civis has grown from 15 to 135 employees.

FinSMEs

30/11/2016
Jungle Ventures, a Singapore-based venture capital firm, closed its second fund, at $100m.

Limited partners included International Finance Corporation, National Research Foundation of Singapore, Temasek Holdings, Hubert Burda Media, and family offices such as the Kewalram Chanrai Group and Khoon Hong Kuok.

Founded in 2012 by Founding Partner Amit Anand, Jungle Ventures invests in early stage tech startups targeting Series A and select Series B investments in Australia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries.

The firms operating partners work with portfolio companies on marketing and design, product management, engineering and recruiting to support their growth.

Jungles portfolio includes Commeasure, ZipDial, Klinify, Voyagin, Momoe, Crayon, DocDoc, iFlix, iMoney, Travelmob, Smartkarma, fastacash, Catchthatbus, etc.

FinSMEs

30/11/201
Lt General AK Bhatt appointed as new DGMO

Published: November 30, 2016

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Lt-General A K Bhatt as the new director-general of military operations (DGMO).

He will succeed Lt-General Ranbir Singh who has been promoted and will take over 1 Corps (headquarters at Mathura), command of a strike corps on the Western border.

Lt-General A K Bhatt will be in charge of all army operations including on the LoC which has seen heightened tension.

He belongs to the Gorkha Rifles. Earlier he had served in the military operations directorate as a brigadier. Prior to this appointment he was posted as the additional director general of the complaints and advisory board at the Army HQ. Earlier he had commanded the 21 Division in Assam.

In September 2016, Lt-General Ranbir Singh along with foreign Secretary had declared Army Special Forces had conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads at five separate locations in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) on 29 September 2016.

Note: 1 Corps of Indian Army is one of the three assault forces of the army  which is mandated to cross into Pakistan in a short notice. Other two are 2 Corps (Ambala) and 21 Corps (Bhopal). In all, the Army has 14 Corps under six operational or regional commands. The fourth is the new 17 Mountain Corps being raised as a deterrent against China.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2016

Topics: ACC  AK Bhatt  appointments  DGMO  Indian Army  National

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Snehalata Awasthi, a 35-year-old content writer working in a multinational content providing company in New Delhi, reached Citibank branch at Connaught Place in New Delhi at 8 am on Wednesday, to stand in a long queue. Finally, she managed to get Rs 10,000 against her requisition of Rs 24,000.

Its not just Snehalata Awasthi; there are thousands of customers who have received less cash against their requisitions. Also there are customers, who have failed to withdraw money from smaller neighbourhood branches.

Facing shortage of cash supply vis-a-vis huge demand for withdrawal of cash from customers, the banks have resorted to rationing of cash dispensation. Based on their status of cash in hand, the public sector and private banks have set cash disbursal limits for customers.

Internal rationing system

According to the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines  a customer can withdraw up to Rs 24,000 from a bank branch in a week. However, due short supply of cash from the RBI, the banks have developed individual rationing mechanism.

Though my salary will be deposited in my account on Wednesday evening, but it is going to be difficult tomorrow to withdraw cash. As large number of customers will be there to withdraw salary tomorrow, I came to withdraw money from my account. The bank told me that I can withdraw maximum Rs 10,000, said Awasthi.

Besides, rationing of cash disbursal, the banks have also set limits on withdrawal of cash through cheque and cash withdrawal form. In the case of the latter, withdrawal limit has been set less than the cheque.

Our maximum thrust is to give cash to as many customers as possible. Due to short supply of cash, we cant give Rs 24,000 to all. So, weve set a temporary limit like Rs 10,000 in a day, a Citibank official told Firstpost.

Large number of ATMs in Delhi, especially those of private banks had no cash on Wednesday. It is the account-holders of public sector banks (PSBs) who are the satisfied customers.

I failed to withdraw cash both from my bank branch and ATM. Its a private new generation bank. But my wife, who has an account in a government bank, got money from there, Chattarpur-based businessman Rajesh Sharma said.

Though were not getting the amount that we have requested the RBI, yet were trying our best to manage it by lowering the withdrawal limit and also ensuring that the ATMs are replenished. Weve deployed additional staff to deal with the swelling number of customers. After all, its salary time and everyone should get money, said a Central Bank of India official.

Mad rush

In anticipation of acute cash crunch in banks and ATMs due to the beginning of salary week, a large number of citizens in the national capital pushed off from home quite early on Wednesday to withdraw cash from the respective bank branches.

The branches of PSBs in Delhi have witnessed more rush than the private ones.

The bank branches and ATMs will face immense pressure during the first week of December, which is going to be the real test of the demonetisation move.

Non-availability of Rs 500 notes

Though Rs 500 denomination notes have been released, the banks disbursed only Rs 2,000 and Rs 100 denomination notes.

Surprisingly, many customers have also received Rs 50, Rs 20 and Rs 10 denomination notes. Even customers have complained of having received soiled small denomination notes.

I received cash in Rs 50, Rs 20 and Rs 10 denomination notes. Many of those notes were old and soiled, which will again be difficult for me to use. I was told by my bank branch that they too have received the same from RBI, said Akash Chowdhary, a resident of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

According to banking sources, anticipating mad rush at bank branches from 1 December as salaried-class and pensioners will go to collect their salaries and pensions, 20-30 percent extra cash has been provided to those branches with salary accounts.
LONDON British Prime Minister Theresa May called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss how to build relationships during the U.S. transition and NATO issues, May's Downing Street office said in a statement."They discussed how the President-elects transition plans were progressing and agreed that their teams should continue to build close relationships through this period, including with a meeting of their National Security Advisers in the United States before Christmas," the statement said.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Stephen Addison)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Rajendra Jadhav, Euan Rocha and Rahul Bhatia

| MUMBAI

MUMBAI In late September, a woman in National City, California, received a voice message on her phone saying she was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over "tax evasion or tax fraud".Panicking, she rang the number and told a man who said he was from the IRS: "I can pay $500," half the sum demanded. "I could do a payment plan. I just can't pay all of it at once.""Ma'am, you can pay $500 today itself. You can do that?" the man asked, adding that lawyers would look at her accounts and work out a monthly payment plan, but she had to pay half now.In transcripts of the conversation that investigators shared with Reuters, the man told her to keep the phone line open and drive to a nearby grocery store, where she bought $500 worth of iTunes gift cards and gave the 'agent' the redemption codes.She had just been scammed - one of at least 15,000 people the U.S. Justice Department says lost more than $300 million in an "enormous and complex fraud" running since 2013. The department last month brought grand jury charges against 56 people in India and the United States for "telefraud" scams run from fake call centres in India.Investigators have arrested 20 people in the United States, and Indian authorities have made 75 arrests following October raids on three premises in the Thane suburb of Mumbai. Charges include conspiracy to commit identity theft, impersonation of an officer of the United States, wire fraud and money laundering.Indian police say they are looking for Sagar Thakkar, a man in his early 30s also known as Shaggy, who they believe masterminded the scam. Thakkar was also among those named by the U.S. Department of Justice. Reuters was unable to contact Thakkar for comment; he is not known to have a lawyer, and police believe he fled to Dubai last month."We are trying to complete the procedure to issue a red corner notice for Thakkar," Parag Manere, a deputy commissioner at Thane police, told Reuters, referring to an Interpol arrest warrant.Police said Thakkar led a lavish lifestyle, frequenting 5-star hotels and driving expensive cars with proceeds from the scam. He gave one, a 25 million rupee ($365,000) Audi R8, to his girlfriend. "We have seized an Audi car, and are trying to find other assets of Thakkar," Manere said.The FBI, which is involved in the investigations, declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment for this article. At a news conference last month, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said the U.S. would seek the extradition of suspects in India, and warned others engaged in similar schemes they could face jail terms.In interviews before the U.S. charges were filed, police, suspects and call centre workers in India told Reuters how the scam was run. Training materials and taped conversations, which investigators believe were made by call centre instructors for training purposes, shed some light on an operation aimed to exploit the aged and gullible.

"TAUGHT TO BE TOUGH"

"The revenue was unpredictable. Some days were good, some were bad," Haider Ali Ayub Mansuri, who said he managed operations at one fake call centre, told Reuters as he was returned to jail in India last month after a court extended his custody. He is among the 75 arrested by Indian police."On a good day, we extracted as much as $20,000 from a single U.S. citizen," he said.In India, the sheer scale of the operation surprised many.For months, hundreds of young men and women worked nights at several call centres in Thane. Callers posed as IRS officers and threatened their victims, often newly-arrived immigrants and the elderly, into paying fictitious tax penalties electronically - sometimes by buying gift cards and turning over the redemption codes, Indian investigators said.

"They used to blast out pre-recorded messages to thousands of citizens who were asked to call back. When they called back, there was a centre just like this," said Manere at Thane police.Acting on a tip-off, police raided premises in early October as call centre workers settled in for their shift. The buildings housed seven call centres, and over a few days more than 700 people were detained. Most have since been released, but told not to leave the city.Callers bullied their victims with the threat of arrest, jail, seized homes and confiscated passports."There was one instance where an old lady was crying," because she didn't have the money to pay, said a former call centre worker who spoke only on condition of anonymity. "But we kept insisting on the money. We were taught to be tough," he told Reuters.On a follow-up raid in Ahmedabad, 500 kms (310 miles) north of Mumbai, police uncovered what they believe was "a nerve centre for these centres," said Manere. "A lot of money has been transacted. It's been going on for a few years."The police raids found little in the way of documentation, beyond some training materials. Another former worker said this was likely because call centre managers stopped employees from bringing pens and phones to work.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the accounts provided by call centre workers.WEEKLY INCENTIVES

Another former worker, an economics graduate, told Reuters she took a job without knowing what the centre did. The 12,000 rupee ($180) monthly salary was well below the going rate for a graduate, she said, but it was a job, and "people aren't hiring."She said several of her colleagues looked as though they had just left high school.Her first week was spent in training with floor managers. While callers spoke to their victims, she said dozens of trainees squeezed in around the room, and had to memorise pages of dialogue for use on calls.Another former employee said his instructors told him his work was illegal, but there was "nothing to worry about."Callers made "fast money", another former caller told Reuters. In comments confirmed by investigating officer Mukund Hatote, the worker said: "For every dollar you brought in, you were given 2 rupees (around a third of a U.S. cent)."People wanted to leave rather than be involved in something they suspected was illegal, he said, but carried on because managers offered weekly incentives, such as cash or gadgets, for meeting their targets.($1 = 66.7200 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav, Euan Rocha and Rahul Bhatia; Writing by Rahul Bhatia; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By David Ljunggren and Leah Schnurr

| OTTAWA

OTTAWA Canada on Tuesday approved Kinder Morgan Inc's (KMI.N) hotly contested plan to twin a pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast, setting up a battle with environmentalists who helped elect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The government, under pressure from both green groups and the energy industry, said allowing Kinder Morgan to build a second pipeline next to its existing Trans Mountain line will help ensure oil exports reach Asia and reduce reliance on the U.S. market."Our duty is to permit infrastructure so Canada's resources get to market in a more environmentally responsible way, creating jobs and a thriving economy," Trudeau told a news conference, adding he was "under no illusions" that the Kinder Morgan decision would be bitterly disputed.The government blocked Enbridge Inc's (ENB.TO) Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Coast, as expected. Trudeau had long opposed the project, which would run through the Great Bear Rainforest.Enbridge, however, will be allowed to replace the Canadian segments of its ageing Line 3 from Alberta to Wisconsin. The proposed upgrade had been less controversial than Northern Gateway project. Enbridge said it expected the pipeline to enter service in 2019, pending U.S. regulatory approval.

Canada's energy sector, hit hard by a two-year slump in oil prices, wants more pipelines to help ease bottlenecks in moving crude out of Alberta. Canada, home to the world's third-largest crude reserves, wants to diversify away from its reliance on the United States and into Asian markets. Kinder Morgan's C$6.8 billion ($5.06 billion) project would nearly triple capacity on the artery to 890,000 barrels a day. ""We are getting a chance to break our landlock. We're getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement.

Environmental groups, who say the risk of a spill is too great, were quick to promise resistance to the Trans Mountain project."You will see the movement continue to escalate in the streets as the number of protests and actions continue to grow, in the courts, and at the ballot box here in (British Columbia) and beyond," said Sven Biggs of climate group Stand.Earth. Trudeau, keen to show environmentalists he is not selling out to the energy industry, also said the government would ban tanker traffic along the northern coast of British Columbia.

Earlier this month he said Ottawa would toughen its response to oil spills at sea, which some saw as a signal Trans Mountain would be approved.The Liberals have taken other measures recently to shore up their green credentials, including speeding up plans to virtually eliminate coal-fired electricity, promising to bring in a minimum price on carbon emissions by 2018 and vowing to revamp the national energy regulator. Canada's former Conservative government had approved Northern Gateway in 2014 but a federal court overturned the approval last June. (Editing by Chris Reese and Meredith Mazzilli)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Jessica Resnick-Ault

| New York

New York Oil prices rose more than 8 percent on Wednesday as some of the world's largest oil producers agreed to curb oil output for the first time since 2008 in a last-ditch bid to support prices.OPEC agreed to cut production to 32.5 million barrels per day, Kuwait's oil minister said. The cuts include Iraq reducing output by 200,000 bpd to 4.351 million bpd beginning in January.Kuwait, Venezuela and Algeria have agreed to monitor compliance with the OPEC agreement.

Non-OPEC member Russia has agreed to cut output by 300,000 bpd. OPEC will meet with non-OPEC producers on Dec. 9.
By Rania El Gamal, Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar

| VIENNA

VIENNA OPEC agreed on Wednesday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.Non-OPEC Russia will also join output reductions for the first time in 15 years to help the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries prop up oil prices.Brent crude jumped over 9 percent to more than $50 a barrel as Riyadh reached a compromise with Iran and after fast-growing producer Iraq also agreed to curtail its booming output."OPEC has proved to the sceptics that it is not dead. The move will speed up market rebalancing and erosion of the global oil glut," said OPEC watcher Amrita Sen from consultancy Energy Aspects.Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said ahead of the meeting that the kingdom was prepared to accept "a big hit" on production to get a deal done."I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth," he told reporters after the decision.OPEC produces a third of global oil, or around 33.6 million barrels per day, and under the Wednesday deal it would reduce output by around 1.2 million bpd from January 2017.Saudi Arabia will take the lion's share of cuts by reducing output by almost 0.5 million bpd to 10.06 million bpd. Its Gulf OPEC allies - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar - would cut by a total 0.3 million bpd.Iraq, which had insisted on higher output quotas to fund its fight against Islamic State militants, unexpectedly agreed to reduce production - by 0.2 million bpd.

Iran was allowed to boost production slightly from its October level - a major victory for Tehran, which has long argued it needs to regain market share lost under Western sanctions. Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Iran dominated many previous OPEC meetings."If you get this deal done, it would be huge. You remove a lot of oil from the market and you get the Russian participation," said veteran OPEC watcher and founder of Pira consultancy Gary Ross.He said oil could rise to $55 per barrel.

WILL OPEC COMPLY?

Falih had long insisted OPEC would do an output-limiting deal only if non-OPEC producers contributed.OPEC president Qatar said non-OPEC producers had agreed to reduce output by a further 0.6 million bpd, of which Russia would contribute some 0.3 million.Russia, which had long resisted cutting output, pushed its production to new record highs in recent months.

A combined output reduction of 1.8 million bpd by OPEC and non-OPEC represents almost 2 percent of global output and would help the market clear a stocks overhang, which had sent prices crashing from levels as high as $115 a barrel seen in mid-2014.Non-OPEC Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have said they might also cut.OPEC suspended Indonesia's membership on Wednesday since the country, a net importer, could not cut output, Qatar said. The move will not affect OPEC's overall reduction as Indonesia's share of cuts will be redistributed among other members.Bob McNally, president of Washington-based consultancy Rapidan group, said on Twitter that compliance with cuts would be key: "In deals with Russia, OPEC is like (the late U.S.) President (Ronald) Reagan used to say: 'Trust but verify'."OPEC will hold talks with non-OPEC producers on Dec. 9. The organisation will also have its next meeting on May 25 to monitor the deal and could extend it for six months, Qatar said. (Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Shadia Nasralla and Lisa Barrington; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: Just two days ahead of Pakistan foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz's visit, India on Wednesday clarified that it has not officially received a request for any bilateral meeting from Islamabad.

"Pakistan has not requested for any bilateral meeting so far," Gopal Baglay, who heads the Ministry of External Affairs division dealing with Pakistan, said at a media briefing.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Foreign Policy Advisor Sartaj Aziz is scheduled to visit Amritsar, Punjab, on 3 December to attend the Heart of Asia Conference.

The conference, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, will see the participation of over 40 countries.

This would be the first high-level visit from Pakistan after the announcement of Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue in December last year, which never took off in the wake of terror strikes, including the Pathankot airbase attack, and subsequent incidents which led to intense tensions between the two countries.

Ties between India and Pakistan have soured after the terrorist attack on an army base in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir in September that left 19 soldiers dead and many wounded.

India has blamed Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad for the attack.

India also recently boycotted the Saarc summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November, citing continuous cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.
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Three army officers lost their lives on Wednesday when a Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed near Sukna region in Bengal. One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) has been critically injured in the accident, according to CNN-News 18.

The Cheetah helicopter was reportedly on a routine sortie when, at around 11:45 am, the helicopter crashed while returning to the camp's helipad at Sukna, near Silgirui, Army officials said.

While three officers died on the spot, a JCO was evacuated and admitted to a hospital in a critical condition. The army's 33 Corps is based at Sukna and all aircraft of the Army are run by Army Aviation Corps.

On the fateful day, two Indian Army choppers were sent for forward area survey. While the first helicopter landed safely on coming back, the second chopper crashed killing three officers on-board, including the pilot, ANI reported.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

The army is suspecting a mechanical failure that led to the crash, according to ANI, but, a definite cause behind the crash is not yet clear.

However, there had earlier been reports of army officers' families demanding phasing out of these archaic machines.

According to a report in India Today, the wives of several army personnel had demanded that the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters of the Army's aviation unit be phased out as they have been involved in numerous accidents. The report, published in November 2014, stated that the choppers had been involved in over 190 crashes and had claimed 294 lives till the end of 2014, and were involved in three to four Army aviation crashes every year on an average.

Another report by NDTV from August this year states that the Indian Air Force has already ceased to use these archaic machines in its Siachen Pioneers unit, citing its dated technology.

This is not the first incident when an army aviation unit has crashed. A Cheetah chopper was involved in a similar accident in October 2014 in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, wherein three officers lost their lives, according to a report in News 18.

In Febreuary 2015 too, a Cheetah chopper crashed in Nagaland's Dimapur district. However, the two pilots and an army official on board fortunately escaped unhurt, according to NDTV.

According to another report in The Indian Express, "the Army has for long been pressing for the need to replace these 60s helicopters." The reports further states that in 2007, the then defence minister AK Antony proposed to withdraw Chetak and Cheetah helicopters from the Army, stating that the vintage choppers are "inadequate for the present operational requirement of the Indian Army.

However, as this report in NDTV points out, since then, the army has scrapped tenders to procure new helicopters at least three times. The last effort to procure new choppers was dropped in August 2015, as army again scrapped a tender worth Rs 6,000 crore to procure 197 light utility helicopters from foreign vendors. The army then decided to allow domestic manufacturers to offer a replacement of these helicopters.
Chennai: A depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross the north Tamil Nadu coast early on 2 December, bringing heavy rainfall in its wake, the weather office said on Wednesday.

The cyclonic storm has been named Nada, S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, told reporters.

The weather office said the depression over southeast Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards and intensified into a deep depression and lay centred about 830 km of southeast Chennai, 780 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 490 km east-southeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.

"The system is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm [Nada] during next 12 hours. It is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranyam and Chennai close to Cuddalore by early hours of 2 December," it said.

In its warning, the weather office forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on 1 and 2 December.

"Squally winds would commence to prevail along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from 1 December morning," it said and asked fishermen not to venture into the sea.

Those out in the sea were advised to return immediately.

In the next 24 hours in Tamil Nadu beginning 0830 hrs on Wednesday, rains will commence along coastal parts and gradually move to inner districts, Balachandran said.

In Chennai, rains are expected to start early Thursday morning and intensify gradually, he said, adding, spells of heavy to very heavy rain are likely in the city.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) held a review meeting with Tamil Nadu government officials, including Chief Secretary P Ramamohana Rao on the preparedness to face the impact of the north east monsoon.

NDMA member Lt.Gen. N C Marwah, visited Chennai on 29 and 30 November to "review the preparedness measures undertaken by Government of Tamil Nadu to meet the impact of North East Monsoon," a state government release said.

Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Satyagopal made a detailed presentation on various preventive and mitigation measures undertaken and preparedness measures carried out by the state government, it said.

He also explained new initiatives taken by the state government such as vulnerability mapping and analysis, formation of Inter Departmental Zonal Teams in vulnerable areas, Institutional arrangements, restoration of water bodies and water courses and community participation, it added.

Marwah also held detailed discussions with Rao in a meeting attended by other senior officials including Revenue Secretary B Chandramohan.

He "conveyed his appreciation and satisfaction over the initiatives taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu based on the experience gained during flooding in the state during 2015," the release added.

Chennai and its suburbs in neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallore districts witnessed record rainfalls in the first week of December last year, resulting in a deluge.

Cuddalore District administration said elaborate precautionary measures had been taken to meet any eventuality in view of the cyclone expected to cross the district coast.

Officials of all departments had been put on high alert, District Collector TP Rajesh told reporters in Cuddalore.

The district had been divided into 79 zones and each of it would be assigned to a 21-member team of officials who would oversee relief works.

VHF network based walkie-talkies had been given to 1,728 safety officials and cyclone shelters kept ready in 51 fishing villages to accommodate people, he said.

Protected drinking water mixed with chlorine had been filled in all overhead tanks across the district.

All rivers flowing through and tanks and ponds in the district had already been desilted utilising Rs 179 crore sanctioned by the state government and Rs 30.77 crore contributed by Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) to gear up for meeting this year's monsoon, the Collector said.

Special canals had been dug in the NLC to protect the three lignite mines from possible flooding, he added.
The Reserve Bank of India, on Wednesday, set a limit of Rs 10,000 per month for withdrawals form the Jan Dhan Yojana accounts.

Fully KYC compliant account holders can withdraw up to Rs 10,000 from their account in a month. The bank managers may allow further withdrawal beyond Rs 10,000 within the current applicable limits only after ascertaining the genuineness of such withdrawals and duly documenting the same on the banks records, the directive said.

Non-KYC compliant account holders can withdraw only up to Rs 5,000 from their Jan Dhan Yojana account.

The move is aimed at protecting innocent farmers and rural account holders of the PMJDY from activities of money launderers and legal consequences under the Benami Property and Money Laundering Laws, the RBI release said.

These accounts had witnessed a sudden surge in deposits after the demonetisation, which was announced on 8 November, raising doubts that tax evaders are using the poor to park their ill-gotten money in them.

According to the government, total deposits in these accounts stood at Rs 64,252.15 crore as of 16 November. Bank officials in Odisha had admitted to PTI that they smell foul play in the rapid spurt in the quantum of deposits in several of these zero-balance balance accounts in Kendrapara district.

"There has been impressive growth in cash deposits in Jan dhan accounts. We obviously smell foul-play. Though a ceiling of Rs 50,000 deposit has been fixed in these accounts, we have come across accounts exceeding maximum deposit limits. The accounts with excess deposit would lose PMJDY classification. These would be converted into general savings accounts," an official told the news agency.

Prime minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, had urged people to not make use of these accounts to whiten the black money they have.

With PTI
Cashless transactions? Why not?

Yes, its a big gamble, given the reach and awareness of banking in the country. Mobile connectivity is abysmal in many parts and a vast swathe of rural India remains under-penetrated when it comes to banking. For example, of 6,238 gram panchayats in Odisha, about 4,400 have no branches. About 47 percent of rural population in the state, according to a letter from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, have no proper access to banking facilities. The recent experience with demonetisation revealed the limitations within the banking ecosystem.

But then, sometimes, shock therapy works well to revitalise a system trapped in lethargy. The demonetisation exercise would certainly help the banking system shift to the next level of efficiency. Similarly, the big emphasis on cashless transactions, disruptive in its potential as it might be, would definitely mark a big shift in how Indians transact. Sure, more than 230 million of them remain unbanked, the general confidence in the banking system remains low and theres a massive unorganised sector in the economy that relies heavily on cash. But if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about making India cashless, he has to step on the gas now.

It is difficult for countries to go entirely cashless, but the process has to begin somewhere. The idea coming close on the heels of demonetisation seems to have the timing right. If there was a fear of a public backlash to such bold moves, the results of civic body polls in Maharashtra and Gujarat settles it conclusively. If the overwhelming perception is that something good is in the air, people wont mind small discomfitures. The prime minister has managed to convey to people at large that he means good. And the oppositions argument against demonetisation has been less than convincing.

If the civic polls were projected as a referendum on Modis move to trash high value currency notes, then he has easily won the popular vote. In Gujarat, it was expected that the elections, coming on the heels of the massive Patel agitation and the OBC backlash to it, and the demonetisation now, would aggravate the BJPs electoral woes. With 107 of 126 municipal and district panchayat seats in its kitty, the party remains as strong as ever. In Maharashtra, the party left all competitors far behind.

If the opposition expected frustrated people at ATMs and banks would teach Modi a lesson, that is not how it has turned out. So this should be a signal for Modi to press ahead with the cashless experiment. In the middle of his five-year term at this point, he can afford to take the risk. If it turns out to be a poor effort, he can still undo the damage in the rest of his tenure. Also, it helps that the opposition is unsure how to react to such moves. It has neither been able to capture the moral high ground nor has it been able to make a strong political statement.

Where Modi scores on is his clarity. Being a wonderful orator, he manages to break down otherwise complex economic concepts to simple messages for easy consumption of the masses. The opposition may have a valid point against demonetisation or cashless transactions, but none of its leaders has been able to transmit it in the language that the common people grasp easily. It's possible none of these leaders understand in depth the actions of the government.

With all the advantages on his side, Modi should press with cashless transactions, which would save the country crores. So long as theres no strong, coherent counter-narrative to his moves, he can keep on experimenting. The system needs a good, solid kick to rev up.
The Nagrota attack by Pakistani infiltrators on 29 November  heavily-armed terrorists stormed the premises of the highly-protected 166 medium artillery regiment and held Indians hostage  has belied the claims of our government that we have broken the back of the cross-border militancy with our surgical strike across the Line of Control. This is not the statement of an Opposition leader who wants to take potshots at the Narendra Modi government. This was an argument advanced by Yashwant Sinha, a senior BJP leader and former minister for external affairs (in the Chandra Shekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee governments).

Sinha made this statement on Tuesday night while delivering his presidential address in a lecture organised in the memory of Digvijay Singh, who had served as the junior minister to Sinha in the external affairs ministry in both Chandra Shekhar and Vajpayee governments.

Clearly, Sinha is not a run-of-the-mill politician who shoots from the hip. He knows his stuff when he makes a point.

Sinha made another devastating argument to puncture the claim being made by the relatively uninformed intelligentsia that India has succeeded in isolating Pakistan on the world stage with its astute diplomacy. On the contrary, Pakistani diplomacy has mostly outwitted Indian diplomacy in drawing international support, he said.

The former external affairs minister cited the example of the $46 billion support extended to Pakistan by China, in order to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In fact, it is Chinas biggest investment in the economic development of another country, he said. Chinese support will keep Pakistan at the centre-stage of South Asian politics, instead of marginalising it, Sinha said.

Pakistan has even succeeded in winning over Russia  a traditional supporter of India  to hold joint military exercises in September this year for the first time in the past seven decades of its existence. It only goes to show that Pakistan, instead of being isolated, is being courted by the major powers of the world, Sinha asserted.

This assertion must not be taken at the face value.

Those who were gloating that the demonetisation of high-denomination notes has virtually driven the Pakistani infiltrators out of work must have been squirming after the fidayeen attack at Nagrota took place. It is indeed alarming that Pakistani militants are repeatedly and successfully taking on the hardest of the targets  the military establishment  considering they have not taken the soft option of targeting civilian settlements. After the daring attacks in Patnankot and Uri, Nagrota has exposed the vulnerability of the Indian defence forces.

That a group of heavily armed militants succeeded in infiltrating the local unit of the 16 Corps headquarters  the largest corps in the Indian Army  and managing to kill two officers and five jawans before being killed, highlights a stark fact: Even after being on the receiving end of militant attacks for years, we have not been able to devise fool-proof measures to check Pakistani infiltration and safeguard our soldiers, let alone the civilians.

In Pathankot, Pakistani terrorists infiltrated into an Indian Air Force base and unleashed mayhem at the start of this year. Six Pakistani militants again launched a daring attack on an army brigade headquarters in Uri in September this year and killed 19 of our soldiers.

The fact that we have been repeatedly failing in making our core military establishment attack-proof from stray militants speaks poorly of our professionalism. In the face of it, when we make tall and loud claims about our military and strategic accomplishments, we tend to become a laughing stock.

When we launched the surgical strike in October that supposedly paralysed the military muscle of Pakistan militants and, moreover, when we unleashed the demonetisation drive that purportedly sucked out their financial muscle, Pakistani authorities did not scream from the rooftops that they would take revenge against India. They took revenge in action, as evident in Nagrota yesterday.

It is an age-old lesson of diplomacy, military or otherwise, that it must be conducted away from the limelight.

Strong actions must speak for themselves. They need not, nay, must not, be bandied about or be gloated over. This is because every action invites a reaction. And in todays world, no country, howsoever powerful it may be, can claim unilateral victory over another. That is more so, when two countries, as is the case with India and Pakistan, hold nuclear deterrents.

Will the Indian leadership take the lesson and reflect quietly and take decisive action without whipping up jingoism and hyper-nationalism?

That is the only way to protect our borders, our brave soldiers and our distraught citizens.
St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin addressed the county commission on Tuesday during their regular weekly meeting making complaints against the county auditor's office.

Mahurin said he had a substantial list of items he wanted to address and there were a couple things they needed to know regarding department business in his office.

Going back to the end of the fiscal year of 2015, at that time, just like every year, I was asked to prepare a budget, said Mahurin. That budget which would have been the projection of 2016 was created and submitted to the auditors office and the commission. At that time the auditors office made unilateral decisions to change my budget in different line item areas.

He added at this time he has to tell the commission that unfortunately he is over on certain line items. Mahurin said he has reviewed every state statute that he knows of and every possible case law he is aware of and he is unable to find anywhere that gives an auditor the right to unilaterally change a budget.

Needless to say it was done, said Mahurin. With that being said, this was the first year, I believe, that we have had line item budget issues. I have always been under my projected budget every year that I have been prosecutor and I still believe this year I am going to be under the entire projected budget.

Mahurin emphasized there are line items in the auditor's office's amended budget where he is going to be over. He added he has lost two employees and has only replaced one of them.

So I believe there is money that is available in different categories, said Mahurin. I have had multiple contacts, my office has had multiple contacts with the auditors office. I have been informed on multiple different occasions that the auditors office is going to refuse to pay any further bills from my office.

Mahurin said this imposes a substantial problem for him, not only as the prosecutor, but also as the county attorney.

One, if we are in the position as a county, where any department is refusing to pay bills, we then can face substantial lawsuits from any businesses in the county, we could face problems dealing with any businesses, explained Mahurin. And my office, maybe more than any other, deals with a lot of businesses on last-minute trial prep  all of these businesses are very readily available to us and are willing to work with us.

Mahurin stressed that if they are not having these bills paid, or the threat is being made that the bills arent going to be paid, it poses a substantial problem. He added they could face a liability as a county and they need these businesses and business owners to respect them as county officials and work with them.

The commission needs to be aware that threat has been made to my office, said Mahurin. Im not exactly sure why, but it has been made on multiple occasions. I have also been informed I need to use my discretionary funds. I dont know the appropriate word to use ... I hate to make an allegation of blackmail ... but this fund needs to be used. I dont know how many times I have been told that.

Mahurin explained its a discretionary fund, the prosecuting attorney (PA) handling fee and the passing bad check fund that he has available. He said he has decided to not take a chance the businesses arent going to be paid and he asked the commission to accept a payment out of his bad check fund/PA handling fee fund to account any line items he is over.

I would ask those bills be paid immediately. I dont want to take a chance that any of these businesses are outed or short coming from the county or from my office, said Mahurin. So I have asked my victim advocate who helps me deal with the bills that she cut a check or a warrant request for any of these items. I believe the total amount is somewhere around $18,000.

Mahurin said even though he is still well under his budget, he is asking that the commission accept that from the office of the prosecutor to pay any of these funds that are over on line items.

That will be my first request or motion, said Mahurin. At this time we are doing everything possible to try to not use any of these lines items that are over. A budget is projection. I would love to be able to tell you the exact dollar amount at the beginning or end of each year that I am going to use.

Mahurin added another concern surfaced after talking to Frank Young who works in the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services in the area of mental health. He said Young brought up a discrepancy the commission needs to know about.

I have allocated a payment to Mr. Campbell, of $12,000 a year to cover this and the problem we have is that when Mr. Young from prosecution services investigated/looked into this, there has been a request made by the county, said Mahurin. Im not sure where, but it has been made by the county for $14,000. Now, he asked me to investigate that and (we) tried to go through everything we had and every request that has been made, and we have documentation on that, shows we requested $12,000.

Mahurin added however, Young has said there is a $14,000 request from the county somewhere, so he is making a second motion that the county commission investigate as to where those funds may be located.

If they are in an account somewhere, I need to be aware, because I have to report that back and they have to be returned to the Missouri Office of Prosecuting Services, said Mahurin.

Associate Commissioner Gay Wilkinson asked if those funds go through the auditors office. Mahurin said he thinks it does, but he isnt aware of where the request came from.

He informed me that it would have come from either the treasurer or the auditors office, said Mahurin. So I am just asking the commission find out where those funds are. It does allow my office and staff to be paid for doing this work.

Mahurin said they are growing rapidly and have more mental health cases come across their desks every day and he believes it warranted and he makes a motion the commission accept that as part of the budget that he requested. He added it doesnt affect the account.

Lastly, and I believe this is probably the appropriate time to discuss this, it deals with not only my job as prosecutor, but as county attorney, said Mahurin. There I know has been some issues with dealing with the Tyler (accounting) System and there were some issues dealing with the Honorable Judge Martinez, the fact she did not have training on the Tyler system.

Mahurin said he needs to let the commission know at this time, publicly, there was an issue brought to his attention as prosecutor, that Judge Martinezs signature had been used in a way that was inappropriate.

There were items that had been signed off on and approved that she did not give authorization for and whenever she raised this issue to me, my job was to inform law enforcement: Missouri State Highway Patrol, said Mahurin, and asked that an investigation be conducted and I believe that investigation is complete. I do not have the report on my desk yet, but I expect it within the next 14 to 21 days.

Mahurin said the judge asked his advice as county attorney, and he advised her at that time to have no further contact with the Tyler System, the auditors office from where it originates, or anyone who may have instructed her to use it.

One, because it posed a serious liability to her because someone could have said she stole some kind of funding because it would have (bore) her signature, said Mahurin. The fact that we know that there were signatures approved that were not her own, I think at this point we owe duty of transparency to anywhere this funding came from that we have to admit that there is a system in place that allows for other people to authorize signatures.

Mahurin added he doesnt know the appropriate remedy, but his advice is that they contact the people at Tyler and tell them that they need to amend the system.

Mahurin wanted to let the commission know that Judge Martinez was not trying to be obtuse and she was not trying to be standoffish whenever she was doing any of these things.

I dont have an accurate response to give you as to whether we're going to lose federal funding because of this but I think we have a duty to report that this has in fact happened. Rightly or wrongly with good intentions or bad intentions its inappropriate, said Mahurin. Im not allowed to sign any of your signatures, youre not allowed to sign mine. We all know this, but the fact that its been done poses a serious problem for credibility of the system and liability of the county and possibly the judge herself.

Mahurin said with those things taken into account his recommendation is that they look into how they can solve this problem.

OK, as I understand, the administrator of the system authorizes who can sign on and then that goes through passwords for that person to get on that unit basically, is that it? asked Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher.

Well that Im not aware of, all I know from the legal perspective is that a signature was authorized without permission. Electronic signatures apply just like a written signature, said Mahurin.

St. Francois County Auditor Bret Burgess asked if he could have the chance to respond and was advised he could address his issues during "other business to arise."

Burgess encouraged the commission not to make a motion until they had the chance to hear his response.

Later, Burgess was given a chance to address the commission under "other business that may arise." He said he was going to respond to the prosecuting attorneys remarks in regards to his office and to him personally.

How many times have we met, had a chance to meet this last year over your budget? asked Burgess.

Mahurin responded he hadnt met with him at all regarding his budget. Burgess then said, "only one time." Mahurin cut in and said Sir, if you would let me respond completely, I would appreciate it. I havent met with you because you unilaterally decided to change my budget and apparently youre going to do whatever you want to as auditor so there is absolutely no reason for me to meet with you once I submit my final budget. It is my final budget.

Burgess said he was looking at Mahurins request for 2016s budget, which Mahurin would have made at the end of 2015. He said on the training funds, the notes are that he is going to pull it out of the PA training fund.

Mahurin disagreed and said those are notes that Burgess made.

Sir, do you not recall  Now listen, I dont have the best memory, but I recall quite clearly you sitting down with me talking about your pay increases for your employees and part of what I agreed to was $4 or $5,000 were come out of your PA training fund, said Burgess. You dont recall that?

Sir, I do actually have a good memory, I am actually paid to have one, said Mahurin. I remember 3,000 cases in my office, so the fact you are saying that I agreed to that  No I would never agree to that.

Burgess said Mahurin is making pretty strong allegations that they unilaterally cut his budget. He added Mahurin originally requested $30,000 in office supplies, a second request came in at $25,000 for office supplies and that is what he got.

Secondly, he requested $32,000 for new equipment and we talked about that being an investigator's car, said Burgess.

Burgess turned and asked the sheriff is he pays $32,000 for a new sheriffs car and the sheriff wasnt sure off-hand.

Well I can tell you that you dont, said Burgess. So I suggested $20,000 and you guys (the commission) approved that. I also have two requests he submitted to me, one says $10,000 and he got $20,000 for new equipment. Other than that there were no cuts. He can stand up here and blame me for his management of money.

Addressing the Tyler system, Burgess said his point is there are two officeholders now who have not been trained on the system and both have alleged his office committed forgery.

Its pretty sad, if they would just learn the system, they would understand there is no forgery and that criminal investigation they spent their time creating for my office will soon prove there is no forgery, stressed Burgess. We signed as county auditor, not as county prosecutor or as county judge. We are the chief financial office. They were not trained, and therefore we had to kick it through.

Burgess said if they are going to accuse him of forgery, then they better accuse one of the commissioners who also signed documentation.

Again, I dont think that it was a mistake and I would not blame that commissioner, but the reality is it happened, said Burgess, To me, if you go through training we will get through all this and a five-minute conversation would have saved a lot of time  I think it is a pretty strong statement to stand up here and make a lot of accusations when you yourself have not given me five minutes to visit with you.

Burgess said Mahurin can make all the allegations he wants, but his allegation would be Mahurin doesnt know how to manage money.

Secondly, in regards to the blackmail, I think that is a pretty unfortunate comment, said Burgess. But you can stick to that. I will be very interested when the criminal investigation comes through and proves there was no crime and a five-minute conversation would have solved all of this.

Burgess said his office is always open to discuss budgets and he has met with many officeholders who have had no problems. He added in regards to the investigation, it is approximately $100,000 that Judge Martinezs departments went out and made purchases.

We felt they were legitimate purchases, said Burgess. At the time the system was being implemented, it was brand new. We all made mistakes, you all made mistakes, we made mistakes, this is a new system, but we didnt beat you over the head with it. We have to figure it out, but we never forged anybodys name.

Burgess said that would be a forgery, but they signed as county auditor. He added that Judge Martinez cant be on the system because she hasnt been trained, so there is no authentication process for her to sign.

Judge Martinez did not allow us to take the time to train her and Mr. Mahurin has not taken the time to be trained, said Burgess. So its easy to sit here and make a lot accusations when you dont know the system or the authentication process.

Burgess stressed what troubles him the most is the county is finally starting to follow state statute and the commission is back-treading on policies approved.
Dhaka: India and Bangladesh on Wednesday discussed military and security cooperation as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's security adviser to strengthen bilateral strategic ties.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, held a meeting with Hasina's security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed.

No official statement was issued after the meeting but officials familiar with the talks said they discussed security cooperation between the two countries.

Parrikar, who arrived here Wednesday on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet.

The vice chiefs of India's army, navy and air force, held talks with Bangladesh's three services' chiefs at their office in Dhaka cantonment, a defence ministry official said.

"During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries," an official statement said.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar's trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) near the southeastern port city of Chittagong on Fr iday.

Alongside India, Bangladesh has strong defence cooperation with China especially in military hardware.

Bangladesh Navy this month acquired its first submarines from China, as Dhaka sought to boost its naval power in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib during his recent visit to India had said Dhaka wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others.
It was a dark day for India on Tuesday when a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three km from the 16 Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city on Tuesday morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for several hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in the attack before three terrorists were eliminated in an armed face-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two women and as many children being held captive. All were later rescued, army spokesman said.

The attack has not only raised doubts about whether the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian army against terror launch pads across the Line of Control were actually effective or not but has also raised several questions about the security at military camps and units.

According to The Indian Express, intelligence services had been monitoring a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) cell in Kashmir which had been plotting an attack on the 16 Corps headquarters in Nagrota for at least two weeks. Despite intelligence services warning of such an attack, the fact that attackers were still successful in infiltrating through the route to Nagrota says a lot about the security there.

Another report in The Times of India said that defence sources informed the newspaper that "very little follow-up action" had been taken after the recommendations of the tri-Service committee, led by former Army chief Lt Gen (retd) Philip Campose and constituted after the Pathankot terror attack. "Since the report was submitted to defence minister Manohar Parrikar in mid-May, few concrete steps have been taken. There were some general discussions with the three Service headquarters, which in turn have carried out some security audits of their bases," the report quoted a source as saying.

Even if we ignore the major terror attacks on military installations which have taken place outside Jammu and Kashmir in India (like the Pathankot attack), and instead focus only on the attacks in Jammu and Kashmir (where tension has increased at the borders due to the deteriorating ties with Pakistan), the frequency of attacks on the army since 2015 points out how the security for our security personnel seems to have been ignored.

Here are the major attacks on military and paramilitary installations and units which took place in Jammu and Kashmir since 2015:

Attack on army installation in Samba (March 2015): Two terrorists opened fire at the camp of the 81 Armoured Regiment of the Army on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in Samba near Jammu. The two terrorists were killed but two security personnel and a civilian were also injured.

Attack on brigade headquarters in Kupwara (May 2015): Three terrorists were killed after they attacked the brigade headquarters of the army in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara near the Line of Control.

Terrorists kill army colonel in Kupwara (November 2015): A Colonel of the Army's elite Para Commando force was killed and a policeman injured by militants during an operation near the LoC in Kupwara. The Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles Colonel Santosh, who was leading a search party, was critically injured when militants hiding in a dense forest area of Haji Naka opened fire.

Assault on army camp in Kupwara (November 2015): Three terrorists and a civilian were killed after the terrorists infiltrated a camp of Gorkha Rifles in Tanghdar. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) had claimed responsiblity for the attack.

Attack on CRPF convoy in Anantnag (December 2015): Six CRPF jawans were injured when terrorist opened fired on their convoy on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in south Kashmirs Anantnag district.

Pampore terror attack (June 2016): Eight CRPF personnel were killed and 21 others critically wounded when terrorists rained bullets on a bus carrying them at Pampore, near Srinagar, in what was a fidayeen attack carried out by LeT.

Attack on army convoy near Khawaja Bagh in Baramulla (August 2016): Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists attacked an army convoy on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Khawaja Bagh in Baramulla, killing eight people and injuring 22 others.

Assault on BSF camp in Kupwara (August 2016): An attack by terrorists on a BSF camp in Kupwara left three BSF personnel injured.

Uri attack (September 2016): In the worst attack on the Army in many years, heavily armed militants suspected to be from Pakistan-based JeM stormed an army base in Uri in Kashmir killing 17 jawans. Located barely a few kilometres from the LoC and some 70 km from Srinagar, the base was subjected to the brazen attack by four terrorists at around 5.30 am, causing heavy casualties in the Dogra regiment which lost 17 of its men.

Attack on army, BSF camps in Baramulla (October 2016): Two terrorists a soldier were killed and another soldier was injured after terrorists attacked army and BSF camps in Baramulla four days after India conducted the surgical strikes.

Attack on army camp in Handwara (October 2016): Terrorists attemped to storm a Rashtriya Rifles camp in the Langate area of Handwara. No security personnel were killed and all the three terrorists were killed.

With inputs from agnecies
To flush out any remaining militants, combing operations resumed at the army camp in Nagrota, where seven defence personnel were killed in a terror attack on Tuesday.

The army recovered a huge catchment of arms and ammunition from the site of the encounter, according to ANI.

J&K: Huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered by security forces from #NagrotaAttack site. pic.twitter.com/OfRZBmBAwa  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

The combing operations are yet to conclude and the intelligence agencies are yet to reconstruct the chain of events that led to the major security breach, however, media reports are citing evidence to suggest several similarities between the Nagrota attacks and Uri attacks, the worst in last 26 years on an Indian Army base.

Indian TV channels reported that various incriminating documents were also seized, along with huge cache of firearms, which prove Pakistan's complicity in the attack . Times Now reported that some evidence recovered from the site points towards Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) links of the terrorists. JeM is the same organisation that has allegedly been responsible for a slew of untoward incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, including the 18 September Uri attacks, wherein 20 soldiers lost their lives.

CNN-News 18 states that one of the slain terrorists in the Nagrota attack was complicit in the Uri attacks as well. The TV channel, however, said the precise role that the terrorist played could not be ascertained.

The Economic Times reported another major security breach along the International Border, in the Samba (around 40 km away from Nagrota) attacks, which were staged around the same time as the attack in Nagrota.

The report quotes the Border Security Force (BSF) as saying that a cross-border tunnel along the International Border (IB) in Samba was found, which was probably used by the terrorists to infiltrate into India. The BSF, however, in a prompt response, cornered the three infiltrators and gunned them down after a brief gunbattle. The BSF director general stated, according to the report, that the tunnel was approximately 80 metres long, stating that there is no equipment to detect such tunnels.

Following the attacks, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the Nagrota Corps headquarter on Wednesday to review the situation.

Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks on Tuesday in which seven army personnel, including two major-rank officers, were killed and eight other security men, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two women and two children being held captive. All were rescued, army spokesman said.

In another incident, three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the IB after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.

The two terror incidents in Jammu came on a day General Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as Chief of Pakistan Army from General Raheel Shareef.

(With inputs from agencies)
Casualty in the Nagrota Army Headquarter attack has risen to seven as two officers and five jawans lost their lives.

In two major terror attacks, that rocked Jammu region on Tuesday, seven army personnel, including a Major, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, very close to the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city on Tuesday morning, triggering an intense gunbattle that lasted for hours. Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off

After the initial offensive, a hostage-like situation emerged with almost 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children held captive in a camp in the headquarters. The army successfully freed all the hostages, however, one more officer and two jawans lost their lives during the rescue operation.

However, bravery of the wives of two army officers who were staying in the family quarters helped in averting a major hostage crisis during the encounter. Soon after the heavily armed terrorists disguised in

police uniform entered an army unit located within three kms from the headquarters of the 16 Corps, they wanted to enter the family quarters where they could take the families of the soldiers and officers hostage.

However, due to the bravery of these two women, who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns, the plans of the terrorists could not materialise. "The wives of the two army officers, who were on night

duty when the encounter broke out, displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all the household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses," an army officer privy to the encounter told PTI.

On Tuesday, according to a police officer, an unknown number of militants barged into the field regiment camp in the Nagrota cantonment near the headquarters of the Indian Army's 16 Corps in Jammu and Kashmir around 5.30 am. The militants were carrying automatic weapons and explosives and they started firing indiscriminately at the Officers' Mess inside the camp.

After around eight hours of heavy exchange of fire, security forces managed to kill three terrorists, however, the number of militants who entered the army premises could not be confirmed.

Manish Mehta, Defence PRO, told reporters in Jammu that bodies of three militants were recovered from the premises and combing operations have still not concluded. The combing operations were concluded for the day on nightfall but will resume on Tuesday on daybreak.

Mehta also added that the terrorists entered the premises disguised in police uniforms and launched into indiscriminate firing with heavy war-like ammunition.

#WATCH Defence PRO Manish Mehta briefs about #Nagrota Attack (J&K), says 2 Army officers and 5 jawans lost their lives in the attack pic.twitter.com/ETv9sjmDwW  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

It is instructive to note here that Nagrota is not close to the international border, which raises questions that for how long the terrorists could have been inside the Indian territory.

The field regiment camp is located in the garrison town of Nagrota, around one kilometre from the headquarter of Indian Army's 16 Corps in the state  a military formation that acts as a nerve centre to fight militancy and defend the borders in Jammu region.

The militants were holed up in the army camp since morning as they exchanged fire with the security forces, killing three jawans and injuring three others in the gunfire, one of them being a young army major.

The retaliatory firing by the security forces killed one terrorist in the morning before the terrorists split up and started firing from three ends  the officers' mess, the store and the river front in the camp.

"A group of heavily armed militants, believed to be four-to-five in number, attacked the 166 field army regiment camp in Nagrota area of Jammu today [Tuesday] morning," a police officer told IANS.

"After entering the camp, the militants fired at the Officers Mess inside the camp. Two militants were killed and three soldiers injured. Other militants are still firing inside the camp," the officer added.

According to CNN-News18, the Indian forces killed two other militants in the afternoon after the paramilitary commandoes joined the operations. But it couldn't be confirmed.

#BREAKING 4 terrorists neutralized after 8 hrs gunfight at #Nagrota Army camp. Search ops on,Para Commandos leading ops, reports @islahmufti  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 29, 2016

However, Manish Mehta, Defence PRO refused to confirm the details till the operation was completely over.

We will share info after ops over. Firing is going on but situation under control: Manish Mehta,Defence PRO on Nagrota attack pic.twitter.com/tTkgv5UCbb  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

In the wake of the terror attack on 166 Artillery unit of the army, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for traffic in the area and was reopened on Tuesday evening. The district administration has closed all schools in

Nagorta tehsil as a precautionary measure. "We have ordered closure of all schools and education institutions in Nagrota tehsil in view of the terror attack," Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.

The attack came around the same time when an infiltration bid was undergoing near the Chambliyal border outpost in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, some 40 km away from Nagrota. However, any connection between the two attacks has not been confirmed as yet.

A police officer said security forces engaged a group of infiltrators from Pakistan in a shootout near the International Border.

Three militants were killed in the heavy exchange of fire during which an ammunition dump caught flames and exploded, critically injuring at least six border policemen, including an officer of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank, BS Kasana. The six, including Special Operation Group Inspector Sarabjit Singh, were taken to a hospital here, a police officer said, adding their condition was serious.

BSF said it detected suspicious movement of three persons late last night and a quick reaction team of the force swung into action, laying cordon in the area.

"On realising that they have been trapped, the militants started firing automatic weapons and lobbing grenades on the BSF troops. Unable to move further, the militants got holed up in a nearby tube well hut. Taking advantage of the cover, they kept firing intermittently till the day break. The area was kept under intense surveillance by the troops deployed awaiting day break," the BSF said in a statement.

At daybreak, the BSF personnel "made their move and with precise and stable fire, neutralised the three militants quickly," it said, adding one constable Shyamal Ahirwar sustained bullet injury in his wrist.

Throughout the morning hours, Pakistan kept firing intermittently to provide cover to the militants, it said. In the ensuing events, BSF's Jammu DIG B S Kasana, Inspector Sarabjit Singh of India Reserve Battalion and constable Vaibhav of BSF sustained injuries, it said.

All the injured were immediately evacuated to military hospital and were reported to be stable, the statement said. 18 magazines, 25 live grenades, three IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks) and a

wireless set were recovered from the slain terrorists. "Had BSF not successfully contained and eliminated the terrorists, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland. It was only because of BSF's multi-tier security

cover that this calamity was averted effectively," BSF spokesman said.

The area is being sanitised.

This is the seventh terror attack in the last seven days. The camp is situated close to the headquarters of the Indian Army's 16 Corps  a massive military formation that acts as a nerve centre to fight militancy and defend the borders in the Jammu region. According to reports, it's likely that the army headquarter was the terrorists' main target.

According to ANI, Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said that statistics have shown that the terrorists are targetting mostly military establishments and not civilian areas as they seek support from the locals.

The security forces have cordoned off the area and all schools Nagrota tehsil remained shut on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. "We have ordered the closure of all schools and education institutions in Nagrota tehsil in view of the terror attack", Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.

In view of the attack, the Jammu-Srinagar highway, which runs through Nagrota, has been closed for traffic near the town after the security forces cordoned off the area. An alert has been sounded in Jammu city and security has been beefed up in nearby districts including Uddhampur and Katra which is home to the Vaishnodevi temple.

#NagrotaEncounter We have issued high alert in Katra region including Vaishno Devi shrine & other religious places: Sanjay Rana (SP, Katra) pic.twitter.com/FEebOCCWil  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

Udhampur (J&K): Security beefed up, area on high alert following #Nagrota attack pic.twitter.com/H4KkRTFHtY  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

Meanwhile, the Congress has criticised the Narendra Modi government, asking it to clairfy its stand on Pakistan, and how the government plans to deal with cross-border terrorism.

It's time PM must answer ppl how is he going to crush terrorism emanating from Pak? What is his policy regarding same: RS Surjewala #Nagrotapic.twitter.com/i2I8L6aHhl  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

The two terror incidents in Jammu came on a day Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as Chief of Pakistan Army from Gen Raheel Shareef.

With inputs from agencies
Briefing the media on the Samba incident on Wednesday, BSF DG KK Sharma said that infiltration could have happened through a small tunnel in Chamliyal.

A tunnel spotted in Chamliyal - Samba sector this morning which might have been used for infiltration: BSF-DG KK Sharma #JammuTerrorAttacks  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 30, 2016

He added that as of now there was no technology to detect the tunnel and that the government was working towards border fencing.

#BREAKING Govt working towards border fencing. We need technology to tackle infiltration: BSF-DG KK Sharma on #JammuTerrorAttacks Image: ANI pic.twitter.com/7AphU59SMv  News18 (@CNNnews18) November 30, 2016

Security forces killed three militants on Tuesday morning when a group of militants tried to sneak in from Pakistan through the International Border near a border outpost in Samba district of Jammu. The three militants were then killed after a "heavy firing exchange" with the Border Security Force (BSF).

The firing took place when the BSF noticed some suspicious movement in the general area of the Border Outpost Chamliyal in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir. The area was immediately cordoned off. When challenged, BSF patrol was fired upon by miscreants holed up in a tube well pumphouse, reported ANI.

Sharma said that they will take up the infiltration issue with Pakistan.

We will take up the Samba infiltration bid and tunnel issue with our Pakistani counterparts: BSF DG KK Sharma pic.twitter.com/PaGNJIVpWK  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Sharma also mentioned that since the 29 September surgical strikes that took place across the Line of Control, more than 15 Pakistani Rangers have been killed and more than 10 militants neutralised, along with many Pakistan border outposts destroyed.

In ensuing ceasefire violations after surgical strikes, over 15 Pak rangers killed, over 10 terrorists neutralised: KK Sharma, BSF DG pic.twitter.com/UGCslaWRdT  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

He added that the BSF started an operation known as Operation Rustom, as they "anticipated that problems won't be confined to LoC and will affect the IB too".

Post surgical strikes, we started op called Operation Rustom as we anticipated problems wont be confined to LoC,will affect IB too-BSF DG pic.twitter.com/sSzgaWrJOm  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Apparently, a 45-minute yoga session headed by Baba Ramdev has helped in getting down the "average weight of Jawans", Sharma mentioned.
Vienna: Austrians are choosing between a moderate and a populist for president on Sunday and both candidates are hoping to exploit the Trump effect in the first European Union nation facing such a choice since the US election.

Surveys show most Austrians think that populist Norbert Hofer stands to benefit to the detriment of left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen in the 4 December vote. Whoever wins, the election has significance beyond who will claim the largely ceremonial post.

How the Trump bump plays out here could be a barometer of its resonance in other countries with upcoming national elections that also feature strong populist and euroskeptic contenders inspired by the US billionaire's triumph in the US presidential election.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has welcomed the Trump victory as a "sign of hope," while xenophobe Geert Wilders, who hopes to become prime minister in the Netherlands, has hailed the Trump "revolution."

At his hate-speech trial, Wilders described Trump's victory as the start of a movement "making short shrift of the politically correct doctrines of the elite and their subordinate media." "It's about to be proven in Austria," he added.

Van der Bellen won the vote earlier this year. But it is being re-run by a court order on claims by Hofer's Freedom Party of major irregularities, and with Trump's victory still fresh in the minds of Austria's electorate both candidates hope to benefit.

Van der Bellen says he hopes that Trump's triumph will serve as a "wake-up call" to vote for him and against Hofer. Hofer, whose support ranges from voters disaffected with the political establishment to the neo-Nazi fringe, greeted the US election result as a victory for democracy, blasting opponents who "wildly berate" Trump.

Of 800 Austrian respondents in a Gallup survey with a margin of error of 3.5 percent, 53 percent say the Trump victory will benefit Hofer, with only 9 percent thinking it will help Van der Bellen, and the rest undecided.

Potential voters on the streets of Vienna, however, say the "Trump effect" could cut both ways. "I would think it helps Hofer," said Fanny Holzer, 19, and Van der Bellen supporter. Others said the US election result has not affected whom they will vote for.

"I remain with the choice I made originally," said Leo Ebner, 67. "America is a good distance away from Austria." Anne della Rossa, in her early 40s, said many US voters backed Trump because "people think he will give them something because he is rich." "I don't think he will influence smart Austrians," she added.
DEAR ABBY: I recently started seeing a self-made entrepreneur. He's intelligent, and basically the most amazing man I have ever been with.

Because of his position and stature, many beautiful and sophisticated women throw themselves at him. A friend of his told me that in the months that I've known him, he has had sex with at least five other women, several on the first date.

I'm not angry about it since we never formally agreed to be exclusive, but I'm in love with him and want him all to myself. When I confronted him, he said that because he never had success with women previously, he is prone to seduction. He said they didn't mean anything to him and that he wants to be with me.

I have dropped the matter for now, but I'm still concerned. I have tried to step up my game in the bedroom, and I'm willing to do anything to stop him from looking elsewhere. How do I make him give up his harem? -- WILLING TO DO ANYTHING

DEAR WILLING TO DO ANYTHING: I wish you had more clearly defined what "prone to seduction" means. Was he saying that because years ago he had little success with women he is enjoying the attention?

While you may be willing to "do anything" to have him all to yourself, if this man craves variety and is trying to make up for lost time, there's nothing you can do to dissuade him. The two of you appear to be at very different places in your lives. If you want a man who is willing to have an exclusive relationship, you're going to have to look elsewhere.

DEAR ABBY: I was just offered a HUGE promotion at my company. It will mean more than a 40 percent increase in pay, which is unheard of in my company, which has more than 10,000 employees. People in my department are not taking it well. Even my director did not congratulate me.

Taking on this new endeavor kind of scares me. I have had a tough year in my current position, and this new job is seriously tailored to me. My current manager -- who is new to the department -- feels this job was meant for me. She says I need a fresh start, and she has faith in me.

What's awkward is, the position involves working with some of the same people I worked with previously, although in a different capacity. Am I taking on too much? I know the team I will be working with, and I have a feeling I will love it. I'm just scared of setting myself up for failure. My boss and new manager are giving me a great opportunity, and I don't want to let anyone down. -- UNSURE IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR UNSURE: If your boss and new manager didn't feel you were capable of taking on the new assignment, they could have offered the job to the numerous other people at the company. Your former director may not have congratulated you because he/she was jealous, so do not take the silence to heart.

As to your fear that you won't succeed, all you can do is give it your best and keep moving forward. If you do that, you won't let anybody down -- including yourself.

DEAR ABBY: Child abuse is epidemic in the United States. It occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural levels, within all religions and at all levels of education. Every year, more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the U.S. Without intervention, about 30 percent of those abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children.

With the proper skills, all parents can raise happy, healthy children. Treatment is necessary, but our communities also need to do a better job at prevention.

Please ask your readers to learn about programs and activities in their communities that support parents and promote healthy families.  JOHN E. THORESEN, DIRECTOR, BARBARA SINATRA CHILDRENS CENTER, RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.

DEAR MR. THORESEN: Thank you for your letter. Readers, the first step to curbing child abuse is recognizing it. These are the 10 most common indicators:

1. UNEXPLAINED INJURIES: Visible signs may include burns or bruises in the shape of objects. There may be unconvincing explanations for a childs injuries.

2. CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR: Abused children often appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive.

3. RETURNING TO EARLIER BEHAVIOR: Abused children may display behaviors shown when they were younger, such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers. For some, loss of basic language or memory problems may occur.

4. FEAR OF GOING HOME: Abused children may express fear or anxiety about leaving school or going places with the abuser.

5. CHANGES IN EATING: The stress, fear and anxiety lead to changes in a childs eating behaviors, which may result in weight gain or weight loss.

6. CHANGES IN SLEEP HABITS: The child may have frequent nightmares or have difficulty falling asleep, and appear tired or fatigued.

7. CHANGES IN SCHOOL PERFORMANCE OR ATTENDANCE: Children may demonstrate difficulty concentrating in school or experience excessive absences, sometimes because of adults trying to hide the childrens injuries from authorities.

8. LACK OF PERSONAL CARE OR HYGIENE: The child may appear unkempt, be consistently dirty and have severe body odor, or lack sufficient clothing for the weather.

9. RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS: The child may engage in high-risk activities such as using drugs or alcohol, or carrying a weapon.

10. INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: A sexually abused child may exhibit overly sexualized behavior or use explicit sexual language. We can all support children and parents to reduce the stress that often leads to abuse and neglect. Be a friend to a parent or child you know. Volunteer your time or donate to programs that support child abuse treatment and prevention as well as those that build healthy families. Trust your instincts. Suspected abuse is enough of a reason to contact authorities.

DEAR ABBY: Im a 43-yearold woman who has been in a relationship with a man I dated many years ago, Charles. When we reconnected three years ago, I had a dog, Frosty. One year into the relationship, Charles asked me to get rid of Frosty because he thinks dogs are unsanitary. I loved Frosty and kept him, but it caused all kinds of problems with my boyfriend.

When Charles and I moved in together three months ago, he insisted I get rid of Frosty and I caved. I miss my little friend so much it hurts. Memories of him are everywhere. I am able to get him back, but is it crazy that I would jeopardize my relationship because I want to keep my dog?  IN THE DOGHOUSE

DEAR IN THE DOGHOUSE: I dont think its crazy, and Im sure my animal-loving readers  who number in the millions  would agree with me. People bond with their pets to such an extent that in the event of a natural disaster, some of them refuse to be separated from their companions.

That Charles would insist you get rid of Frosty shows extreme insensitivity for your feelings, in addition to disregard for your beloved pet in whom you had a significant emotional investment. Could Charles be jealous of the affection you have shown Frosty? Not knowing him, I cant guess. But if you are forced to choose between the two of them, you should seriously consider choosing the dog.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been dating for two years. We live together, and his child from another woman lives with us. I love my boyfriend and his child, but one thing prevents me from imagining us being married: He has his childs mothers name tattooed on his body.

The tattoo bothers me for many reasons, and Id like him to have it covered up if we ever do marry. He says he doesnt want to get rid of it. When the topic comes up, we argue. Am I unreasonable for wanting him to get rid of the tattoo? If that woman really is in his past, why does he need a constant reminder of her on his body?  IN A STINK OVER INK

DEAR IN A STINK: Youre asking the wrong person. Only your boyfriend can answer that. He may not want to go to the expense, or to experience the pain of having more artwork done. Or he may not like the idea that you are telling him what to do.

However, if he has been living with you for two years, I doubt its because hes still carrying a torch for someone else. If you love him and the two of you want to get married, my advice is to accept him warts, artwork and all, because regardless of any romance in his past, YOU have habeas corpus. (Thats Latin for you have the body.)

DEAR ABBY: I consider myself a social person and enjoy talking to friends on the phone. My problem is, when I talk to one of them, she will never let me get off the phone. Sometimes well talk for several hours, but eventually I have other obligations and have to go. When I tell her that, she often ignores me and keeps right on talking.

I dont want to be rude, but sometimes I have to say goodbye four and five times before she finally acknowledges that I must end the call. It irritates me. I like talking to her, but I cant go on and on forever. How can I make her let me off the phone without hanging up on her or upsetting her?  MR. NICE GUY

DEAR MR. NICE GUY: The person youre describing obviously has less going on in her life than you do. She may also be a compulsive talker.

The next time you talk to her, make the conversation face-toface and tell her that as much as you like her, you dont have the amount of time to spend on the phone that she does. Explain that when you tell her you must end the conversation, if she doesnt stop talking within five minutes, you will have to hang up. And then do it.

Will she like it? No. But the alternative is that she will continue to take advantage of you  which she has been doing because you have allowed it.

DEAR ABBY: My 21-year-old daughter, Alex, and her 6-year-old moved into an apartment with her 18-year-old boyfriend. We had a tough time accepting this, but I make do because I love Alex and want to be part of her life. My boyfriend of eight years, Niles, cant accept my daughters new boyfriend. We were invited over for dinner and Niles refused to go. How do I handle this? I feel all future events will be strained and Ill be forced to choose between my daughter and Niles. Please advise.  SAD MOTHER IN NEW JERSEY

DEAR SAD MOTHER: Tell Niles that if you must choose between him and your daughter, you will choose your daughter. Her romance may  or may not  last forever, but your relationship with her will. There is nothing to be gained by punishing her and alienating her young man. If Niles has a problem with that, do not let him make it your problem, too. Continue your relationship with your daughter and see Niles separately.

DEAR ABBY: Today is my 50th birthday. Im a person with a few close friends, but Im not widely social. The members of my book club knew it was my birthday when we met a few days ago. I had mentioned it before our meeting. Nothing was said when we met.

My best friend is going on vacation and hasnt remembered. My husband asked me what plans I had made for us to do today. My sister, bless her, has been wonderful and feels responsible to try to make this day special for me. Is it really my job to plan a celebration and remind everyone Im close to? I have talked enough about how important this particular birthday is to me. Im hurt that no one feels Im worth the effort. Am I making too big a deal out of this? VEXED IN VERMONT

DEAR VEXED: I think so. My dear mother used to say, If you want something done right, do it yourself! Thats good advice when those around you are too preoccupied to be as nurturing as you would like them to be.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Mumbai: Soon after the Bharatiya Janta Party's convincing win in the first round of Maharashtra civic polls, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ended the suspense over its alliance with the Shiv Sena saying that the tie-up would be very much on in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls early next year.

"BJP national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given me full freedom to decide on the coalition with the Shiv Sena. The party's national leadership has shown confidence in me. I am honestly doing my responsibility to make the party number one by winning 893 corporators and 51 council president posts. After the victory, we have a lot of responsibility for the people of Maharashtra and we have to deliver the change," Fadnavis told Firstpost.

Talking about the quantum leap in terms of performance of his party, the chief minister said, "In the 2011 election, we didnt have a single corporator in 80 Municipal Councils and in 26 councils we had merely one corporator. So in next 100 days, you would see the lotus everywhere like parliamentary and assembly elections."

"The thought of the country is changing. In the time of demonetisation, both semi-urban and the rural people are standing with Modi. They are facing daily difficulties but still they made BJP number one party. It's not a wave but a tsunami," the chief minister said. "It is all about positive thinking with a systematic planning. It's a win-win situation for the BJP because we have jumped from 210 to more than 890 seats. We joined hands once again with our natural ally Shiv Sena. We both need it to be so," he said.

In 2011, the BJP had won 298 posts in 147 council polls.

"Many media analyses had said that the verdict would be against the BJP due to the Maratha Morcha, drought and demonetisation decision. Bu the results show that the ground reality is different. I am confident that in the next three phase we will maintain number one position. This time in western Maharashtra which are the bastions of Congress and the NCP we won the president post too," Fadnavis said.

Despite the poll glory, it is also a fact that the differences between the two allies that often come out in the media, which the Maharashtra chief minister sought to play it down.

"We both know if we come together no one can beat us. I have a very good rapport with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. There is no rift and no misunderstanding between us. There are some issues at the local level but we can sort this out. I am in regular touch with Uddhav," he said.

Indicating that BJP is firm on retaining the alliance, the Maharashtra chief minister said that it was the Shiv Sena who waited till the last moment to finalise the alliance in these phase of polls.

"This time on the last day of withdrawal of forms we announced the alliance. Sena took much time to join us. But in the next three phases, we are ready to go with Sena without hesitation. Office bearers and workers of both the parties now know that if we want to win in the future Corporation and Zila Parishad elections, we have to fight together. The results also show the benefits of BJP and Shiv Sena alliance," he said. Discussions with Shiv Sena on the tie-up will begin only in January 2017.

The chief minister, however, added a caveat despite the freedom on forming alliances the party would go in for a review with the presidents of the concerned district unit.

With the win in the first round of civic polls, the BJP has already demanded higher stakes in the next BMC polls.

"We want a 50:50 seat distribution arrangement with the Shiv Sena in the BMC poll,"said Mumbai unit BJP president Ashish Shelar.

In the 2012 BMC polls, out of 227 seats Shive Sena had contested in 135, BJP in 72 and the Republican Party of India in 20 seats.
Regardless of its increasing political irrelevance, the Communist Party of India  Marxist (CPM,) continues with its tradition of muddled alliances. Recently, the partys Bengal leadership snubbed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as she urged her political adversaries to join the fight against demonetisation and the Narendra Modi government. Banerjee called the CPM General Secretary, pitching the idea of a joint fight against the BJP. Sitaram Yechury, ever the artful dodger, shunted the responsibility of a decision to the Bengal unit, which snapped at Banerjee, and rebuffed her proposal.

CPM politburo member Mohammed Salim told news agencies that "this is a desperate call and an attempt to save her own party leaders who are allegedly involved in the Saradha and Narada scams. What is the credibility of the TMC? How can they talk about fighting against black money when her [Mamatas] own party leaders are involved in the Saradha scam and have been arrested". According to Salim, Banerjees gesture signified her "desperation" to save her own "corrupt" party leaders.

The magnitude of the Saradha scam and the involvement of a host of Trinamool Congress leaders (some of whom have been jailed,) is, of course, well documented. Equally well documented is the involvement of scores of Congress men  senior and junior  in seemingly endless mega scams. In fact, a primary reason attributed to the low credibility of the Congress is its muddied financial record and its implication in one scam after another. Corruption is the biggest bane facing the Congress party, which ruled the Centre for a decade before the Narendra Modi-led government dislodged it in 2014.

In this context, it's only reasonable to ask why the CPIM  its leadership in Bengal as well as at the Centre  had no compunction in extending support to a party as corrupt as the Congress. Not only that, consider the contradictions at the state-level. The Congress was the CPMs traditional principal adversary in Bengal before its position was usurped by the Trinamool Congress. Notwithstanding these political contradictions, the Congress infamous track record on corruption, and its dilly-dallying with soft Hindutva, the CPM, has time and again, propped up a government led by the party at the Centre. The argument advanced usually has to do with its political objective of stalling the BJP from coming to power.

Banerjees appeal for unity, too, is prompted by that same motive: to checkmate the BJP. Yet, inexplicably, such a challenge no longer interests the CPM. Apparently the party cannot bury the hatchet even temporarily with the Trinamool Congress; the way it had in the past, with the Congress. Even as recently as the Bengal assembly elections earlier this year, the CPM had no hesitation in allying itself with the discredited Congress. Do the charges of corruption against Banerjee equal or outflank the dimensions of corruption engaged in by the Congress, its leaders, and ministers?

The shoe seems to pinch elsewhere. The CPM is both unable and unwilling to reconcile to losing power in a state it ruled unchallenged for over thirty years. But political equations have drastically altered since then. Not only has Banerjee gone from strength to strength between 2011 (when the Trinamool Congress first came to power) and 2016 (when she won a second term), her victory march seems to go on uninterrupted. The entire opposition, including the CPM on the other hand, has allowed itself to be reduced to political ciphers.

Consider the bypoll elections earlier this month, in which Trinamool Congress retained all three seats  two in Lok Sabha and one in Assembly. The party swept the Tamluk and Coochbehar Lok Sabha constituencies by a huge margin of over 4.9 lakh votes, almost doubling the gap from the 2014 polls. In addition, the Trinamool Congress also bagged the Monteswar assembly seat with candidates of all three opposition parties, CPM, Congress and BJP, losing their deposits.

The writing on the wall is clear. But the CPM is refusing to read. This is not the first time that Banerjee has made an overture to the CPM in the hopes of setting aside ideological differences to fight the BJP. Following Modis 2014 electoral triumph and the exodus from the ranks of her party as well as the CPMs to the BJP, Banerjee invited the Bengal leadership of the CPM to Writers Buildings. Over tea, she held out an olive branch to her opponents, urging a joint fight against the BJPs emergence in Bengal. But that offer  like the recent offer  was made in vain. The CPM seems to be working with a different set of calculations where targeting Banerjee seems to be the partys primary political objective. Even to its own detriment.
Queues outside ATMs continued to cause inconvenience as demonetisation of old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 entered 22nd day on Wednesday. However, a lot of new developments came up from the RBI. Here are the top five developments:

RBI limits withdrawal from Jan Dhan accounts on money deposited post demonetisation

In an order to prevent misuse of Jan Dhan accounts by black money hoarders to park unaccounted money, the Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday put a limit on withdrawal of amounts deposited in the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes post 8 November. According to the new notice, all KYC-compliant Jan Dhan accounts will have a limit of Rs 10,000 per month whereas accounts without KYC will come with a monthly limit of Rs 5,000.

Government steps up printing of new Rs 500 notes

According to a CNN-News18 report, the central government has stepped up the printing of the new Rs 500 notes. The news channel also reported that the shortage in Rs 500 notes will be over by the end of December.

More than 39,000 SBI ATMs have been re-calibrated

According to latest reports, the State Bank of India has calibrated 39,000 ATMs across India till 30 November. These ATMs will are now capable of vending new notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, and would bring a lot of change in the SBI has the largest chain of ATMs across India in both rural and urban areas.

Funny social media posts no more a fun in MP

The Madhya Pradesh government has started taking action against those posting controversial comments in social media against demonetisation. Over the past a few days, two persons making adverse comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have even been arrested, IANS reported on Tuesday. In Indore, the authorities went to the extent of imposing Section 144 in view of the controversial posts. So far, the police have taken action against Abhishek Mishra for his controversial posts and Aslam Khan for publishing a morphed image of PM Modi in social media. Indore District Magistrate P Narhari had issued an order banning posting of any adverse comment in social media against the demonetisation on 14 November.
Washington: President-elect Donald Trump is tapping conservatives with deep ties to Washington and Wall Street to fill out key Cabinet roles as he continues to deliberate over his secretary of state.

Trump was moving forward with nominations, including former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury.

Mnuchin's official announcement was expected as early as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the decision who insisted on anonymity in order to confirm the pick ahead of time.

Trump on Tuesday chose Georgia Rep. Tom Price to oversee the nation's health care system, picking a fierce "Obamacare" critic who has championed efforts to privatise Medicare. And he selected another veteran Republican, Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to head the department of transportation.

Mnuchin, 53, led Trump's finance operations during the presidential campaign and became close to the president-elect and his family. But he has no government experience, which could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mnuchin would play a central role in shaping Trump's tax policies and infrastructure plans. He would also lead an agency tasked with implementing international economic sanctions.

Mnuchin is expected to be joined on Trump's senior economic team by another financier, Wilbur Ross. The billionaire investor is considered the "king of bankruptcy" for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits.

Trump dined on frog legs and scallops with 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Manhattan on Tuesday night. After the elegant meal, the former Massachusetts governor  once a vocal critic  praised Trump for succeeding where he had failed, saying the president-elect offers a "message of inclusion and bringing people together."

The meeting  their second in-person session  came as Trump is publicly weighing several options for secretary of state, including Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former CIA director David Petraeus.

Trump said on Twitter that he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will travel to Indiana on Thursday for an event with Carrier, the air-conditioning company.

I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis. Great deal for workers!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly used news of Carrier's plans to move some business to Mexico as criticism of Democratic trade policies. Carrier tweeted, "We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy."

We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.  Carrier (@Carrier) November 30, 2016

Price, picked to lead the department of health and human services after more than a decade in Congress, helped craft House Speaker Paul Ryan's plan to privatise Medicare  a position Trump opposed in the campaign.

Price's selection raised questions about the incoming president's commitment to Medicare, among other popular entitlement programs he repeatedly vowed to preserve before the election. The Georgia congressman led GOP efforts on Capitol Hill to transform Medicare into a voucher-like system, a change that if enacted, would likely dramatically reduce government spending on the health care program that serves an estimated 57 million people.

Trump, in a 2015 interview promoted on his campaign website, pledged not to cut expensive entitlement programs that Republicans have fought for years to cut to help reduce the federal deficit.

He later changed his mind on Medicaid, embracing the GOP concept of turning the program over to the states with a fixed amount of federal "block grant" funding.

Like Price, Chao is well-known in Washington. She was the first Asian-American woman to serve in a president's Cabinet, as labor secretary under George W Bush.

Her record in that post suggests she would bring a light hand to safety enforcement as transportation secretary. Under Chao at Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration didn't issue a single significant new safety regulation for four years. Mine safety inspectors were cut and inspections reduced.

Mnuchin, Price and Chao would require Senate confirmation.

Transition aides said Trump was likely at least a few days away from a decision on secretary of state.
The dispute surrounding the sharing of Mahanadi river water between Odisha and Chhatisgarh has snowballed into a political movement in Odisha with all the three major political outfits stringing in their hopes on the issue to sail through the upcoming panchayat polls. While it has served as a saving grace for the ruling BJD government that has been riddled in controversies, questioning its efficacy in governance in the last 17 years, the two other parties  BJP, surprisingly, and the Congress  are toying with the issue to woo the masses before they cast their votes in early 2017.

Mahanadi is a sensitive issue for the people of 16 districts in Odisha who depend on the river for livelihood. They relate to it emotionally next only to Lord Jagannath and any effort to snatch it from them will have a considerable impact on their lives. So, for the three parties it serves as a major plank to sail through the panchayat polls. The BJD, BJP and Congress, thus, under no circumstance, will let go of the issue before the polls get over and die is cast for 2019 general elections.

The state BJP, which had maintained an unusual silence till now, gained strength under the leadership of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan when he recently went on to support CM Naveen Patnaik for filing a petition with the central government as per the Section 3(c) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. His party's neutral stance (due to BJP-led Chhatisgarh government) on the issue notwithstanding, suddenly found the Mahanadi the right turf to fight the rural poll battle on. So the river also has become an important strategy for the party that had always maintained status quo.

The Congress, almost a loser by now, is busy sorting out intra-party scuffles in all levels and other than meeting Rahul Gandhi at the drop of a hat, the party leaders are just raving and ranting about the 'wrongdoings' of the Naveen Patnaik government in the Mahanadi issue. The Leader of Opposition, Narasingha Mishra, who has been in the midst of handling a party crisis in the state, had stated that the longer the Mahanadi issue persists the better are the dividends for the BJD.

Now, the BJD under Naveen Patnaik's leadership started raising the issue early this year to divert attention from other matters affecting the party's image negatively. Then it started buying time by way of sending delegations, exchanging letters, organising inter-state meetings, all of which yielded no result. Wary of the fact that the party needed the support of the masses, it started a series of agitations in all the districts to earn back their faith. It is also gearing up to form a human chain soon covering all the 16 districts through which the Mahanadi takes its twists and turns. All this knowing well that the agitations in Odisha will have no impact on the neighbouring state or the Centre.

On 22 November, when Patnaik met the prime minister in person in New Delhi to file a petition, it was then that the party made it clear that Mahanadi is of utmost importance, at least in the perspective of the rural polls

The party had sounded the bugle that the river will be a major plank for the polls when it started sending a political delegation to Chhattisgarh. The chief minister met hundreds of people at the state secretariat to receive their suggestions and attended the gala send-off programme by thousands before he left for the crucial tripartite meeting in September. However, despite the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati urging the Chhatisgarh government to stop work forthwith, Raman Singh did not oblige. For the uninitiated, the projects began way back in 2006 and are nearing completion.

After Hirakud Dam project, Mahanadi never got its due attention in the state even though the water resources ministry was directly under the supervision of the chief minister.

Now when much water has already been stalled on the other side of the state boundary, the Naveen Patnaik government, which is struggling with a host of scams and crumbling healthcare system, found the river dispute as the only issue to win over a majority of people. This strategy, they well understand, has the capacity to take the BJD through the panchayat polls besides helping the party in 2019 general elections. Not only for the BJD, the BJP, which of late has been positioning itself as the second largest party in Odisha by pitching Pradhan as the chief ministerial candidate, is also harping on the river issue to target the masses. Congress, though, is embroiled in disentangling the knots that seem to tighten each day.

Water has always been an issue in Odisha  the excess flooding the state and shortage resulting in drought. As long as the state meets its water needs through the flow of Mahanadi, it should not be politicised to win elections rather be a genuine concern for the good of the state. It's time the political parties rise above political vendetta and to keep the larger interest of the country, lest Mahanadi will soon take the Cauvery or Sutlej way. After all rivers in India are the biggest uniting factors, let them not be the dividing barriers.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am 23 years old and learning how to "adult." Recently, my friend's father passed away. The death wasn't unexpected, but it is still tragic. Knowing this information, my friends and I wanted to send over flowers. Do you send flowers to the residence or to the funeral home? I am not sure which is more formal, or if there is a certain size accepted for funerals. -- Somber, Raleigh, North Carolina

DEAR SOMBER: One of the cold realities of adulthood is dealing with death. There is no one rule to follow. As it relates to flowers, you can send flowers to the home. A floral arrangement that is self-contained, meaning in a pot or vase, is preferable, as you do not want to make any extra work for the grieving family. Be sure to include a personalized message to your friend. Include your address. Family members usually like to send thank-you notes, so it is best for you to make it easy for them to be in touch with you.

If you would like to send flowers to the church or funeral site, find out where and when it is. You should send the flowers the day of event with a delivery early enough for the flowers to be placed before the ceremony. It's best to contact the funeral site to get particulars about where and when flowers can be received. In this case, order flowers for display at the funeral. Often, these flowers are white, typically gladiolas or carnations, although other flowers are also used. Again, you should enclose a card of condolence that states who is offering the flowers. There is a standard size and scale for these flowers. The florist can help you sort that out.

More, be in touch with your friend. Reach out and offer your love and blessings during this difficult time. Ask what, if anything, you can do to support your friend.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mother is hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and she is trying to enforce a black-tie dress code. This would be great if it were adults-only, but there will be kids there. I can't dress up my little cousins in formal attire without screaming and crying. They are toddlers who just want to run around. Do children get leniency when there are dress codes enforced? -- Let Them Be Comfortable, Dallas

DEAR LET THEM BE COMFORTABLE: Before you presume what young children will do, make a plan that includes them. It can be fun to dress up, even for little children, for a formal affair. Your attitude and enthusiasm will make all the difference.

Express excitement over the chance for everyone to get fancy for the holiday meals. Pick clothing for the children that is easy to clean, and bring a change of clothes for them as well. Teach them that they should stay clean and tidy through the meal. Afterward, they can change.

When I was growing up, everyone dressed up for holiday meals as well as all special occasions. This taught the children the appropriate attire and behavior for special events. We also learned to dress ourselves. Your cousins can, too! You must lead the way -- with a smile on your face!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I hate my birthday. I try to make it a fun event every year, but it ends in either tears or injury for me. This year, I've decided to not celebrate my birthday and spend it alone. I was planning on getting takeout from my favorite restaurant and spending the day with my dog.

I told my friends about how excited I am, and my friends insist on spending the day with me. I just want to be alone, and I think I will have fun this way. I don't want gifts or attention, and I want to tell my friends to leave me alone because they think how I planned my day is "sad." -- Solo Birthday, Minneapolis

DEAR SOLO BIRTHDAY: Your mistake was telling your friends your plan. Naturally, they want to do a group activity, especially since they do not understand or accept your motivation. In order to ward them off, either schedule another date to get together with them so that they are satisfied and don't stage a surprise intervention, or put your foot down, make your plans, lock your door and don't answer. I suggest you do the former. It will allow you more peace of mind to enjoy your solo celebration. Happy birthday!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I live with roommates in a large suburban house. I have been hearing, for lack of a better descriptor, "intimate" noises practically every day. These are always from the same room while everyone is home. I find this disrespectful and annoying. After work, I shouldn't be coming home to an uncomfortable environment. Is there anything I can say to the disrupters? This is loud enough to be heard on the entire second floor. -- Hush Up, Syracuse, New York

DEAR HUSH UP: Talk about awkward! This is one that needs to be addressed directly enough for your roommates to get the message.

One direct, yet indirect option is to slip a note under the door when you get home and hear the action, saying: PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN! ROOMMATES ARE HOME. You can also say something one-on-one. When you next see your roommate, say that it has become uncomfortable for you when you come home from work because you routinely hear sex noises. You can use a little humor and tell your roommate that you are happy that he or she is getting so much action, but switch immediately to the impact on the house. Suggest that there should be PG time in the house up until a specific hour that everyone votes on. Add that your randy roommate should consider buying a rug and other noise mufflers so that when it's time to get busy, there are some built-in sound absorbers that can help keep the intimacy private.

If your roommate says it's not a big deal or otherwise dismisses your request for lowering the volume, get serious and remind him or her that this is a shared house. If necessary, enlist your other roommates to talk to the offender about being more mindful of the other people in the house.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have found myself spending time traveling whenever I get time off instead of going home to see my family. I feel guilty about this, but I am young and won't have these funds and freedom when I have a family. I haven't seen my parents in over a year, due to jetting off whenever I can. We FaceTime, but my mom has asked me to come home for Christmas this year. Should I cancel my trip (it's been paid for) to surprise my mom? I'm on the fence because I could see her in January. -- Travel Bug, Cincinnati

DEAR TRAVEL BUG: What you need to do is strike a balance between your world exploration and your connection to family. The tricky part is that when you are ready to settle down, your parents may not be around to share that with you. Also, you may have less time to visit your parents when you have children.

For now, get a feel for how your parents are doing. If you think they are healthy, you can potentially tell them of your trip and promise to come home in January. They will surely be happy to see you whenever you can come. But make sure that your January trip is long enough to connect with them in a meaningful way. Pledge to add more trips home to your schedule for next year. That would be a perfect New Year's resolution!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am starting college in the fall, and I am very nervous about it. I have lived in one place for my entire life and have never really experienced this type of change before. All of my friends have found roommates, but I have barely spoken to anyone going to my school next year. I really dont want a random roommate because I would feel more comfortable knowing who I am going to live with. I come off as a shy person, and it is hard for me to open up to new people. I am scared that this transition will be extremely difficult. Do you have any advice for me to feel better about startingthis new chapter in my life?  Shy and Scared, Secaucus, N.J.

DEAR SHY AND SCARED: Contact your college immediately and find out how it goes about assigning roommates. You will end up with a random roommate if you take no action. That doesnt have to be bad, though. You could be lucky and get the perfect match. To avoid randomness, ask your guidance counselor to help you. Open up about who you are. Reveal that it can take some time for you to get to know people. Also ask for suggestions for clubs or groups that share your interests. Joining a small affinity group will make it easier for you to get to know people.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My school reunion is coming up. Its a big year for us, and I am nervous to go back. I used to go to reunions when I first graduated, but I havent gone for about 15 years. I also used to be cute. I was tall and thin and had a great figure. I was one of the so-called popular girls, and I know I thought I was all that. Fast forward to now, and I am divorced twice, seriously overweight and fairly broke. I lost my job about six months ago and havent had steady work since. Talk about eating humble pie! I am definitely not on top of my game. People might not even recognize me if I went back. I feel like I shouldnt go since Im not in the best place. But then I wonder if thats crazy. Maybe they would welcome me as I am. Chances are some of them are having their fair share of problems, too. I dont have time to lose weight or rewrite my story. Should I go anyway?  Afraid of Reunion, Shreveport, La.

DEAR AFRAID OF REUNION: I can guarantee you that you are not the only one who is feeling skittish about attending your class reunion. While there will likely be some who are sitting on top of the world, there will be plenty of others who are simply living their lives and doing the best they can  facing ups and downs like everybody else. Whether good or bad, most Americans gain weight over time, so you will probably see quite a few people who are overweight. My point is that you should go. Do your best to be in the moment. Do not judge yourself or others as you greet one another. Say your name as you see people, not so much because they may not recognize you, but because they may not remember your name. Be humble and kind. Choose to enjoy yourself. You may find that not being the most popular girl will allow you to notice people who could be great connections moving forward.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I always give my children money when they go to hang out with other children for play dates. I tell them to offer to pay for their meals or whatever else costs money when they are out with these children and their families. And they always come home with all of their money. They say that the parents never accept it. My problem with this is if I take a few friends with my kids to hang out, I cant afford to pay for all of them. I need them to help pay for it, but now I dont know how to bring it up. How can I entertain these kids without going broke?  Play Date, Brooklyn, N.Y.

DEAR PLAY DATE: Plan activities that you can afford. This can include at-home fun, or going to the park with a lunch that you pack for them. You can also tell parents in advance if you are planning a special event that has a cost, and be honest: Tell them that you need them to pitch in for a particular amount.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to visit my mother a week ago, and I was shocked to see how much medication she is taking. I know she has some ailments, but I definitely think she is being overmedicated. I bet she had about 15 pills in her daily pill case. I watched her counting them all out and putting them in a weekly container. She seemed organized about it, but I cant imagine that this is good for her body. I asked her about all the pills, and he got defensive. I wasnt trying to upset her, but I am concerned. Do you think I should call her doctor to review her medicines? I live several hours away, so I am not there to monitor or support her, and no other family is, either. How can I help?  Advocating From a Distance, Jackson, Miss.

DEAR ADVOCATING FROM A DISTANCE: First, you should know that many people, particularly older ones, do take a lot of medication. It is fairly common, depending upon what their ailments might be. That does not mean that you should take your mothers medications lightly. It is wise for you to check in with her and with her doctor regularly to ensure that she is being properly medicated and monitored. The best-case scenario would be for you to accompany your mother on her next doctors appointment. Ask her if you can go with her, and schedule yourself so that you can be in town that day. Ask the doctor all of the questions that you have. You may want to write them down in advance so that you dont forget anything. Also, ask if you can stay in touch to help support your mothers progress. Once you have established a rapport with the doctor and it is clear that you are her advocate, you will have a better chance of having the doctor respond to your inquiries.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter, who recently turned 21, sent me a two-word text message: Im pregnant. She has been dating a young man for less than a year, and Im disappointed by this outcome. I do not know if I should lecture her on how she should live her life. I need some words of encouragement before I say something terrible about her pregnancy. Any suggestions?  Incredulous, Bay City, Mich.

DEAR INCREDULOUS: I bet it took a lot of courage for your daughter to write you that two-word text. Chances are she is nervous, afraid, worried and possibly happy too. Rather than scold her, you need to talk to her, preferably in person. If you havent already, start by responding to her text and asking her how she is doing. The best thing you can do right now is to establish a clear line of communication with your daughter so that she feels at ease discussing with you how she is feeling, where her head is around this pregnancy and what the next steps are going to be. You can help her by being a sounding board for all that she is thinking and feeling. Ask her about her vision of her future and how a child can or cannot fit into it. Find out if the father intends to be an integral part of the family should she/they decide to keep the child. Talk about all options, from getting married and having the baby, not getting married and having the baby, being a single mom without his support, giving the baby up for adoption, to having an abortion. As difficult as these conversations may be, they are important so that your daughter can be crystal clear about her choices. If she intends to keep the baby, talk about prenatal care, insurance, work, money, her future, the babys future. Also, establish what you believe you will and will not do as it relates to caring for this child. Many grandmothers like you end up being the principal caregivers when their children have children young. Decide what you are willing to do, and make that clear up front.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mother recently came to visit me at college and took my boyfriend and me out to dinner. After we finished eating, we sat across the table from my mother and had a post-dinner conversation. I put my arm around his neck and began playing with his ear. I did not think anything of it, but my mother stared from across the table shocked. After we dropped off my boyfriend, my mother told me that ear fondling is not appropriate in public. I was surprised because I didnt think it was a big deal. I like public displays of affection, and I do not see why that little gesture would make people around us uncomfortable.  PDAs, Laredo, Tex.

DEAR PDAS: The person who was uncomfortable was your mother, likely because that little gesture suggests intimacy, something that may be difficult for your mother to accept is part of your life. Out of respect for your mother, refrain from touching your boyfriend in front of her. In general, read the room where you are and the people around you to determine what public displays of affection will be welcome and act accordingly.

Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole. com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106
Patna: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday staged a protest against the demonetisation decision of the Narendra Modi-led central government.

Slamming Modi, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said the prime minister has imposed a "super-emergency" in the country by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

"Modi has snatched the freedom of people to live. By demonetisation, he has snatched rights of roti (food), kapda (cloth) and makaan (house) from the people," she said, addressing a rally at Gardanibagh area of Patna.

The West Bengal chief minister was accompanied by her party leaders and leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"Modi has badly hit the age-old savings by women in their house. Women used to save some money for emergency purpose but Modi has ended it by demonetisation. It is an insult to women power also," she said.

While Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United has supported demonetisation, leaders of Rashtriya Janata Dal, its major partner in the ruling alliance, including party senior vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and RJD Bihar unit President Ram Chandra Purve, joined Mamata's protest against the central government's move.

Both Singh and Purve shared stage with her.

She visited RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday night and met his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi as well as her younger son Tejaswi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar.

"Mamta was extended support by Lalu Prasad after she sought endorsement for her protest against Modi's decision," senior party leader Bhola Yadav said.

The TMC president arrived here on Tuesday evening.

Lalu Prasad, who has been unwell for the past few days, could not attend the rally, party leaders said.

However, Mamata neither called on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the president of the ruling Janata Dal-United, nor invited him to the protest rally as he has supported the demontisation move.
By Kanupriya Kapoor and Agustinus Beo Da Costa

| JAKARTA

JAKARTA When Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama had some of the capital's sprawling slums levelled this spring, Muslim groups including the hardline "Islamic Defenders Front" (FPI) moved in quickly to help some of the city's poorest residents.The offer of food, shelter, clothes and money was a lifeline to the struggling families. But religious conservatives, who had long opposed Purnama because he was a Christian, did not stop there.After a video circulated in October of Purnama, also known as "Ahok", making comments that some Muslims said insulted the Koran, the FPI went into overdrive.It called for his arrest, bombarded its social media pages with fiery messages and rallied some 150,000 protesters to the streets of the capital earlier this month.With another mass protest slated for Dec. 2, the FPI has helped trigger a crisis that has engulfed President Joko Widodo, seen as a close ally of Purnama, and damaged the hitherto popular governor's hopes of re-election in a ballot in February.The FPI, which divides opinion in Indonesia, has also seized the political agenda, using the blasphemy scandal to get people on to the streets and pushing a message of intolerance in a Muslim-dominated country where hardline posturing rarely makes waves."Most victims of evictions are Muslim and they're already resisting that, quite apart from the blasphemy," Novel Chaidir Bamukmin, head of the FPI's Jakarta chapter, told Reuters."So on top of that, there's an insult to their religion. That just makes their spirit stronger. We had already been resisting Ahok for years. The blasphemy is the peak of the problem and our resistance."The FPI said it wants Friday's demonstration to be peaceful, but minorities, including Christians and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are fearful of the group.Around 50 FPI members barged into a Jakarta apartment at the weekend to break up what they said was a gay sex party. The group has vowed to continue to target the LGBT community.A worried Widodo has moved to soothe foreign investors, whose money is key to the economy. While seeing no disruption yet to business and suggesting tensions may ease after city elections, they are nonetheless wary."In an overwhelmingly tolerant country ... a small group of hardliners seem to be able to push their agenda, and you have to question what direction the country is headed in," said a foreign business leader in Jakarta who declined to be named.CANCELLED TRIP, SOOTHING WORDS

Widodo postponed a visit to Australia soon after the Nov. 4 demonstrations, the largest in Jakarta in years.Throughout November he has held talks with top political, religious and military officials to quell talk of instability, and announced he would "prevent the growth of radicalism".Last week, helicopters dropped police leaflets over the capital warning residents they faced harsh penalties if new rallies turned violent.The Nov. 4 march was largely peaceful, but sporadic clashes broke out and police fired water cannon and tear gas to control crowds. One person died and over 100 were wounded.Widodo blamed "political actors" for fanning the unrest.

It was an apparent reference to the opposition, which has been accused of using groups like the FPI to hurt not only Purnama's election chances but also Widodo's, by casting doubt over his suitability to lead for a second term.Opposition leaders denied those accusations in local media.But the FPI could turn up pressure further now that the debate is about Islam and the Koran and not just about how Jakarta is run."If a member of my family was insulted, I would be angry, let alone my holy book," said Muhammad Ridla, 31, who travelled with others from Bandung, a city three hours away, to join the anti-Purnama rally on Nov. 4."When that happens, even a person who has a shallow faith like me would be upset."SOCIAL MEDIA "JIHAD"

Purnama has been in the Islamists' sights for years.The FPI believes a Christian, who is also ethnic Chinese, should not hold the powerful position of running the city of 10 million people.The group, which says it has about five million members, has a history of harassing minorities.

In recent years, they have forced the closure of churches and mosques run by non-Sunni Muslims, raided bars, and caused the cancellation of a 2012 Lady Gaga concert to "protect Indonesians from sin".When some Jakarta slums were razed in March and April, the FPI encouraged those evicted to form small "pop-up" groups to demonstrate against clearances, Bamukmin said. Some later joined the Nov. 4 protest.In September, when the case of alleged blasphemy first surfaced, FPI leaders ratcheted up their rhetoric against the governor, calling for his arrest and preaching in mosques that "blasphemy is non-negotiable".The group also began publishing posts hourly, as opposed to two or three times a day, on Facebook, Twitter and in newsletters to express its outrage.Their online feeds are now crammed with anti-Purnama traffic, as well as some against Widodo himself, and many posts are being liked, re-posted or commented on thousands of times.By comparison, the country's biggest moderate Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), barely mentions the blasphemy case on its social media pages."In trying to get 2-3 million people (to protest), the majority of it was based on social media," Bamukmin explained. "We have called it 'jihad on social media'."As anger grew, the FPI joined an umbrella group that included other Muslim organisations like NU. It used extensive networks in towns and villages to swell numbers on Nov. 4.POLL BLOW TO PURNAMA

Purnama has plenty of supporters, especially among the large middle class who liked the way he cut bureaucracy, tried to de-clog gridlocked streets and spoke his mind.He denies blasphemy, but has apologised for comments made during a speech in September about his opponents' use of the Koran in political campaigning.An incorrectly subtitled version of the speech went viral online where Purnama appeared to be criticizing the Koran rather than his rivals.Police have opened an investigation into the allegations and questioned Purnama, while prosecutors are expected to bring a case to court in the coming weeks.Almost without exception, blasphemy cases in Indonesia end with conviction.Purnama, who is running against two Muslim candidates in February's election, has slipped to second place as his popularity ebbs, some recent polls showed.Widodo, who preceded Purnama as the capital's governor, is seen by many Indonesians as an ally and friend, and the ruling party and coalition continue to back Purnama.But the president has publicly distanced himself, saying repeatedly that he would not protect him in the investigation.MINORITIES UNEASY

Widodo has faced criticism from rights activists and his own supporters for allowing hardline Islamists to strongarm the government, and many see the blasphemy probe as an attack on Indonesia's religiously and ethnically diverse society.Chinese-Indonesians, who officially account for just over 1 percent of the country's population, feel a sense of vulnerability reminiscent of 1998, when the fall of strongman Suharto unleashed widespread violence in the capital.Hundreds of people were killed and thousands of ethnic Chinese fled the country, as mobs rampaged through Jakarta targeting Chinese-owned stores and homes.Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population but recognises six religions and is home to dozens of ethnic groups and people who adhere to traditional beliefs.Support for Purnama has been trending on social media, where some, like Twitter user @gunardi, have expressed sympathy."If anything, he will get a lot more sympathy as someone who has been tyrannized," the user said.It remains to be seen if those voices are drowned out in the coming weeks. A rally in Jakarta held after Nov. 4 to "celebrate Indonesia's diversity" drew around 2,000 people. (Additional reporting by Gayatri Suroyo, Eveline Danubrata and John Chalmers; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Andrea Shalal

| BERLIN

BERLIN Turkey will likely hand off responsibility for NATO's counter-migration mission in the Aegean Sea, averting tensions with Greece, when it takes command of a broader maritime mission in the region next year, a top British general said on Wednesday."Because of Turkish-Greek sensitivities ... the likelihood is that the Turkish commander will command a bit of the group, but there'll be a subset that is commanded by one of his deputies to deal with the Aegean," General Gordon Messenger, vice chief of defence staff for Britain, told Reuters."Having a Turkish commander in such sensitive waters is a difficult thing for the Greeks," he said.Diplomats have said that Turkey is unhappy about NATO ships moving about in waters that it and Greece have long contested and remains worried that Greece could gain the upper hand in a dispute about a group of Aegean islands.

An end to the NATO mission, which was agreed in February, may raise concerns in the European Union about a new influx from Turkey of refugees, many of them from Syria's civil war that has displaced some 11 million people.The EU also has a deal with Turkey in which it provides billions of euros to Ankara so long as it keeps migrants on its territory. But Turkey has threatened to scrap the pact if the EU does not follow through soon on its pledges including visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to Europe.

Germany and Britain, with U.S. support, see the presence of NATO ships patrolling the waters between historic rivals Greece and Turkey as a way to uphold the EU agreement with Turkey. NATO ships pass reconnaissance to Turkish and Greek coastguards and to the European Union border agency, Frontex. Messenger declined comment on whether Germany, which currently holds the rotating command of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Aegean, could retain responsibility for just the Aegean mission, or if another country would jump in.

Germany's vice chief of defence, Lieutenant General Markus Kneip, told Reuters that Germany would consider staying on to oversee the Aegean mission if asked to do by its NATO partners.He declined comment on when the issue could be resolved, but it may come up when NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels next week. (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin and Robin Emmott in Brussels; editing by Mark Heinrich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The man who injured 11 people in an attack at Ohio State University may have been inspired by Islamic State and the late al Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, FBI special agent in charge Angela Byers said at a news conference on Wednesday.Islamic State on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack a day earlier at the Columbus campus. Al-Awlaki was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2011.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Alex Dobuzinskis

A Somali immigrant who injured 11 people in a car and knife attack at Ohio State University may have been inspired by Islamic State and the late al Qaeda-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an FBI official said on Wednesday.The Islamic State militant group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack at the Columbus campus. The U.S.-born Awlaki was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2011. The Ohio State attacker, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a 20-year-old Muslim student at the school, ploughed into pedestrians with a car and then exited the vehicle to stab other victims on Monday. A police officer quickly ended the attack by fatally shooting Artan, a Somali-born immigrant and a lawful U.S. permanent resident, officials said. "At this time we are not aware of anyone else being involved in the planning of this attack, but the investigation continues," FBI Special Agent in Charge Angela Byers told reporters.

"It appears that Artan may have at least been inspired by Anwar Awlaki and the Islamic State in the Levant and we will continue to pursue this as part of the investigation, she said.At the time of his death, al-Awlaki was identified by U.S. intelligence as "chief of external operations" for al Qaeda's Yemen branch and a Web-savvy propagandist for the Islamist cause. None of the victims, who were wounded after being struck by the car or stabbed, have life-threatening injuries and most were released from local hospitals within one day, officials said.

One person was struck in the foot by a bullet shot by the Ohio State police officer who killed Artan, Columbus deputy police chief Richard Bash said.The Federal Bureau of Investigation was not aware of Artan as a potential threat before the rampage, Byers said.President-elect Donald Trump, who has called for "extreme vetting" of some Muslim immigrants, criticized Artan's entry into the country on Twitter on Wednesday.

"ISIS is taking credit for the terrible stabbing attack at Ohio State University by a Somali refugee who should not have been in our country," Trump said on Twitter.Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Trump was seeking to exploit the "tragic situation in Ohio.""This kind of statement seems to indicate that President-elect Trump will have government by tweet instead of a government based on well thought out policies," Hooper said. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Jeffrey Benkoe)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Andrey Ostroukh and Olga Popova

| MOSCOW

MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin named deputy finance minister Maxim Oreshkin as Russia's new economy minister on Wednesday, two weeks after the post's previous holder was detained and accused of bribery.Alexei Ulyukayev, the ex-economy minister, was accused of trying to extort a bribe from Russian oil major Rosneft, an allegation he denies. He is currently under house arrest. Oreshkin, his 34-year-old replacement, joined the finance ministry in 2013 as the head of the strategic planning department and became a deputy finance minister in March 2015.He was not on a shortlist of candidates being circulated by Russian state media.Putin, who has fired a raft of officials this year to make way for a new generation, praised Oreshkin as a young and efficient expert.

Oreshkin told Putin his main task for 2017 was to find measures to spur economic growth."Oreshkin is a great expert in macroeconomics. I don't know anyone on the market who would be better than him in macroeconomics," Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said, commenting on his deputy's appointment.Oreshkin belongs to a group of young economists who joined the government in the past few years. He started his career as an economist at the central bank in 2002. In 2006, he joined Rosbank, the Russian branch of Societe Generale, before moving on to Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank.

In 2012, Oreshkin joined VTB Capital, the investment arm of Russia's second largest lender VTB. VTB Capital has served as a recruiting pool for finance ministry experts in recent years. Another deputy finance minister, Alexei Moiseev, and the head of the strategic planning department, Vladimir Kolychev, both worked for the bank before becoming government officials.

Siluanov said on Wednesday he hoped the appointment of his former deputy would help speed up cooperation between the two ministries.The two often clash, with the economy ministry calling for more growth and the finance ministry seeking to keep the budget deficit down. "The key is to have common ideas, plans, policy. There always will be some debates ... But I think that now we will be finding common solutions faster and more easily," Siluanov told reporters. (Writing by Andrew Osborn/Katya Golubkova; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

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WARSAW At least seven miners are missing and one died after an earthquake occurred at the Rudna mine in Polkowice in southwestern Poland, state news agency PAP reported on Tuesday.An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 struck at 9:09 p.m. (2009 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It said the quake was very shallow, only 10 km (6.2 miles) deep, which would have magnified its effect at the mine belonging to state-run copper producer KGHM KGH.WA.According to Polish state authorities, quoted by PAP, the earthquake's epicentre was located 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) underground.

"There were 16 people in the danger zone. Some of them were walked out," a spokeswoman for the company was quoted as saying by private radio RMF FM.The one miner who died was among nine people evacuated, according to media reports.

Three miners who were injured the most are in hospital, their condition is stable, and their life is not threatened, according to RMF FM. They suffered backbone and head injuries.

(Reporting by Wojciech Zurawski; additional reporting by Marcin Goclowski; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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By Michael Georgy

| SHAYYALAH AL-IMAM, Iraq

SHAYYALAH AL-IMAM, Iraq As mortar bombs landed ever closer, Sunni tribal fighters preparing to attack Islamic State seemed more preoccupied by the failures of Iraq's political class than the militants trying to kill them.The men - and one woman - from the Lions of the Tigris unit gathered on Wednesday in Shayyalah al-Imam, a village near Mosul, with some of their leaders expressing deep distrust of the politicians and saying Iraq's governance must change once Islamic State is defeated."Iraq needs serious reforms," said Sheikh Mohammed al-Jibouri, the top commander of the tribesmen. "Only serious reforms will lead to the unity of Iraq."The unit is part of the Popular Mobilisation Committee, or Hashid Shaabi, which was formed to take on Islamic State after the hardline Sunni group swept through northern Iraq in 2014, facing little resistance from the army.Hashid Shaabi is mostly comprised of Shi'ites but there are also Sunnis, such as the 655-strong Lions of the Tigris unit.Their efforts along with government soldiers to capture several villages are part of an offensive to oust Islamic State from its stronghold of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city.On the surface, their participation lends credibility to the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad, accused by Sunnis of marginalising their minority community. It denies the accusation.Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has been struggling to persuade Sunni tribesmen who helped U.S. forces defeat Al Qaeda during the 2003-11 occupation to join the battle against Islamic State. He has declared a war on corruption in government and army but faces resistance. The show of force in Shayyalah al-Imam points to progress, with soldiers and tribesmen standing side-by-side.

But some of the men doubted the politicians have the resolve or desire to unify Iraq, gripped by sectarian bloodshed since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein. Another tribal commander, Abdel Rahman Ali, even saw Islamic State as part of an elaborate plot to weaken Sunnis, underlining the pervasive mistrust in Iraq."Everyone knows Islamic State will be defeated. The conspiracy was designed to hurt Iraq, especially Sunnis, after we liberate Mosul," he told Reuters. "Our own politicians are behind it."UNITY OR PARTITION

Officials have said the Mosul offensive, the biggest ground operation since 2003, could make or break Iraq. If it inflames sectarian tensions in the predominantly Sunni city, the fighting could lead to Iraq's partition, they warn.But if the campaign goes smoothly and a new administration in Mosul is seen as non-sectarian, that could help the country to unite.Ali said federalism modelled on the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq is the best option, even though that has created friction with Baghdad over oil resources. Like many Sunnis, the minority who dominated under Saddam and then watched the majority Shi'ites rise to power, he is disillusioned with a governing system that allocates posts according to sects. Sunnis themselves are divided and lack a strong leadership, adding to Iraq's fragmentation.As the men spoke, Islamic State militants fired more mortar bombs towards their unit. One day earlier, suicide bombers attacked the area, a collection of bland cement houses choked by dust, overlooking the desert.

A few hundred metres away, soldiers stood on a rooftop, focused on two suspected car bombs in the distance.Nashwan Sahn, a Sunni tribesmen who has been fighting Islamist militants in Iraq for 11 years, taking on al Qaeda and then Islamic State, kept warm at a small campfire where freshly-slaughtered chickens had been barbecued. A few raw livers lay scattered on a tray. Beside him was a Shi'ite soldier.Both said they support Iraqi unity but neither had any faith in the politicians to manage the sectarian tensions which provoked a civil war in 2006-2007."Federalism would be good but only if we have good leaders," said Sahn, who criticised all politicians including fellow Sunnis. "We liberate these villages where Sunnis live. Yet Sunni politicians who have constituents here have never visited us at the frontline."Miaad Madaad, the only female member of the Lions of the Tigris, clutched an AK-47 assault rifle and vowed to defeat Islamic State. "The last time they came to my house and threatened me I threw rocks at them and called them dogs," she said proudly.Islamic State militants beheaded her father-in-law and brother-in-law. But her story illustrates the sectarian and ethnic complexities and mistrust facing Iraq.When she and her husband fled to the relatively stable Kurdish region earlier this year, he was arrested by Kurdish fighters who suspected him of being an Islamic State fighter. (editing by David Stamp)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Angus McDowall and Tom Perry

| BEIRUT

BEIRUT The Syrian government said it had recaptured a district of Aleppo on Wednesday, but rebels vowed to fight on despite losing a third of their sector of the city in recent days, bringing them to the brink of a catastrophic defeat. Gains by the Syrian army and its allies since last week have brought whole districts back under government control and led to a massive human exodus as thousands have fled their pulverised neighbourhoods near the rapidly shifting front lines. Rebels are now reduced to an area just kilometres across.A Syrian military source said the army and its allies had taken the Sheikh Saeed district on the southern edge of the rebel zone in eastern Aleppo, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said insurgents still controlled a third of the area. The Observatory, a British-based war monitoring group, reported that the government was detaining and questioning hundreds of those fleeing rebel-held areas for the comparative safety of state-controlled districts. A Syrian military source denied this, saying there had been no arrests, but adding that displaced people whose identities were not known were being moved into "specific places" in the areas of Aleppo where fleeing civilians were found.In their attack on Wednesday, government forces stepped up the use of air strikes, including in Aleppo's Old City, according to a rebel official. Rescue workers in eastern Aleppo said 45 people were killed in the latest bombardment.After a year of gradual advances for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi'ite militias, the taking of Aleppo would represent a huge stride forwards in his efforts to end the rebellion after nearly six years of conflict.For the mostly Sunni rebel groups, the fall of Aleppo would deprive them of their last big foothold in a major Syrian city. Russia, Assad's most powerful international ally whose air force has pounded rebels for more than a year, said it hoped the Aleppo situation could be resolved by the end of the year. But rebels in the city have vowed no surrender.NO WITHDRAWAL

While rebel lines collapsed unexpectedly in parts of eastern Aleppo at the weekend, sources on the government side say the next phase could be more difficult as they try to take more densely populated areas of the city.Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim rebel group, told Reuters that rebel groups in the city had rejected any withdrawal."This is the decision of the factions. I spoke to them about everything that was tabled and they said they would not withdraw, and other things may also happen," he said, without giving further details as he spoke from Turkey.With tens of thousands of people remaining in rebel-held areas of Aleppo, many people say they would rather risk death than surrender to a government they have been trying to overthrow since protests against Assad began in 2011.Thousands of people who have fled the fighting have gone into the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud district rather than hand themselves over to a government which U.N. investigators have accused of secretly detaining activists and civilians.

Salem Abu Mudar, an east Aleppo resident reached by Reuters, said that although he had never taken up arms against the government, "I fear the regime will not let me go and I will end up in one of its many prisons".Damascus says such reports of arbitrary detention and torture are fabricated.The Syrian military source said reports of detentions in Aleppo were intended to scare the people into staying under rebel rule.The source said that the identities of the large numbers of people leaving the area had to be checked to ensure they were not militants.The army has urged Aleppo's rebel factions to accept a surrender under which they would abandon the city. In previous deals between the government and rebels, insurgents have been given safe passage to the opposition-held province of Idlib.

RENEWED ASSAULT

Rescue workers in the rebel zone said renewed artillery bombardment had killed more than 45 people, mostly women and children, on Wednesday and injured dozens more, including some of those who had fled from frontline areas. The Observatory put the toll from that attack at 21."Today there was another massacre, I witnessed it. The displaced people were coming at 6:30 am. There was artillery shelling while they were walking in the streets. Really, it was so, so horrible," said Aref al-Aref, a nurse and photographer in a rebel-held part of the city. Footage of the aftermath sent by the Civil Defence rescue operation in a video that Reuters could not verify showed people lying in the street in pools of blood, including a woman dressed in black who had been carrying a large backpack. Rebel shelling of government-held districts in western Aleppo killed eight people, including two children, and wounded seven, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a source in the city's police force.With diplomatic efforts to resolve the war in deadlock, and uncertainty over the position that the next U.S. administration will take on Syria, Moscow said it had been in contact with President-elect Donald Trump's team on the matter. The fighting has displaced around 50,000 people in the parts of east Aleppo where fighting has occurred, the Observatory said on Wednesday.Speaking in Paris, Brita Hagi Hasan, president of the local council in rebel-held Aleppo districts, said the government should set up a safe corridor for civilians to leave. (Additional reporting by Ellen Francis and Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, Maria Kiselyova in Moscow, John Irish in Paris and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Giles Elgood)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Holland

| NEW YORK

NEW YORK U.S. President-elect Donald Trump named a vociferous critic of Obamacare and a health policy expert to key appointments on Tuesday to help him repeal and replace President Barack Obama's signature healthcare programme.Republican U.S. Representative Tom Price, an orthopaedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Trump's health and human services secretary, and Seema Verma, the founder of a health policy consulting company, will lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of Health and Human Services and oversees government health programs for the poor and the elderly and insurance standards.Trump, a Republican, also announced his choice on Tuesday of Elaine Chao, labour secretary under President George W. Bush, to serve as secretary of transportation, saying in a statement her expertise would be an asset "in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure."The president-elect was expected as early as Wednesday to announce his selection of Goldman Sachs alumnus Steven Mnuchin as Treasury secretary, said a Republican source familiar with the decision.Trump cast Price and Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office on Jan. 20 with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, the health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. Since its enactment in 2010, it has been a target of Republican attacks.Price has characterized Obamacare as "doing real harm to American families" and has co-sponsored legislation to replace it.Verma helped Pence, the Indiana governor, add conservative pieces to Medicaid coverage for the state's poor by requiring beneficiaries to make contributions to health savings accounts. She also worked on Medicaid programs in Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, was among the defenders of Obamacare who criticized Price's selection. "Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Schumer said. The 2010 healthcare overhaul, aimed at expanding insurance coverage to millions more Americans, triggered a long, bitter fight between the White House and congressional Republicans, who said it created unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry.Trump has said he will replace Obamacare with a plan to give states more control over Medicaid and allow insurers to sell plans nationally.

Both Price and Verma will need Senate confirmation. Congressional approval will be needed to repeal and change the health law.TACKLING OBAMACARE

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday that Obamacare expanded coverage to millions of Americans, boosted consumer protections and shored up the finances of the Medicare programme for the elderly. "We'll see if Trump care measures up," he said.Trump said after meeting with Obama following his Nov. 8 election victory that he would consider keeping the provisions of the healthcare law that let parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and that bar insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.Price, an early Trump supporter in the U.S. House of Representatives who leads the budget committee, has proposed a plan that would create age-based tax credits for people who buy insurance coverage on their own.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday the eventual congressional plan to replace Obamacare would likely have much in common with Price's ideas.Price's plan would also roll back the 2010 law's expansion of Medicaid for low-income people, a change that helped Obamacare cut the number of uninsured Americans to 29 million in 2015 from 49 million in 2010. Trump vowed on the campaign trail to "save" Medicare, but Democrats said Price's plans could amount to privatising the government programme for the elderly. Price has endorsed converting Medicare from a programme that covers set benefits to a voucher-style programme to help people buy coverage."We say to Republicans who want to privatise Medicare: Go try it. Make our day," Schumer said on Tuesday, saying the change would be unpopular with the public.Democrats also criticized the pick because Price has supported barring federal funds for Planned Parenthood, which provides some abortions in addition to birth control, health exams and other services.

Any major changes to health laws would have to come from Congress, but the new administration could in the meantime choose how to enforce existing provisions, such as by expanding exemptions for employers who do not want to cover birth control, said Gretchen Borchelt of the National Women's Law Center.MORE CABINET PICKS

Trump's work to fill his administration was accompanied by a series of provocative tweets targeting efforts to recount the presidential vote, and on Tuesday, calling to make burning the U.S. flag a crime. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that flag burning is protected speech under the Constitution's First Amendment.Trump has met with about 70 people as he looks to shape his White House and Cabinet team. Chao, his pick for transportation secretary, was the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position, as labour secretary. She is married to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.Trump saw retired General David Petraeus, a potential candidate for the State Department or the Pentagon, on Monday. On Tuesday, he planned to meet with Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a transition official said. He will have dinner with Mitt Romney.Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, Corker and Giuliani are all in the running for secretary of state.Trump was also set to launch a "thank you tour" to states he won in the election, starting with a rally on Thursday in Cincinnati, aides said. (Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley, David Shepardson, Susan Cornwell and Roberta Rampton in Washington and Jilian Mincer in New York; Writing by Susan Heavey and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Hanoi: Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners, including one sentenced to five years in jail for a national security-related crime.

Giang Son, deputy chairman of the President's Office, told reporters at a joint press conference Wednesday that 4,384 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Tran Dai Quang.

"The amnesty once again reflects the policy of leniency of our party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the humane tradition of our nation," Son said.

They will be released from their prisons starting Thursday. One of the prisoners is Bui Xuan Kim who was jailed for national security-related crime, according to Senior Lt. Police General Nguyen Van Thanh.

Kim has served three years of his sentence for organizing people to flee to neighboring Cambodia.

International human rights groups, the US government and some other Western governments have urged Vietnamese government to release all prisoners of conscience jailed for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only those who broke the law are locked up.

Fourteen foreigners will also be released, according to Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc. They include nine from China, three from Laos and one each from South Korea and Australia.
Marty Baron, executive editor of the Washington Post, was presented with 2016 Hitchens Prize at a dinner in New York. Baron, best known as editor of The Boston Globe in 2002 when the daily exposed a sex-abuse scandal in the city's Catholic Church, warned journalists who would be soon entering the US President-elect Donald Tump's era to "do their job as its supposed to be done".

Baron spoke on Trump's claims of harassing "unfriendly media outlets": "Donald Trump said he wanted to 'open up' libel laws. And he proposed to harass unfriendly media outlets by suing them, driving up their legal expenses with a goal of weakening them financially."

"With respect to The Washington Post, he ordered our press credentials revoked during the campaign, barring us from routine press access to him and his events, because our coverage didn't meet with his approval. Even before we were subjected to his months-long blacklist, Donald Trump falsely alleged that our owner, Jeff Bezos, was orchestrating that coverage. And he openly hinted that if he became president, he would retaliate," Baron said.

Baron further said that Trump's election has not changed anything. "After his election  in the midst of protests against him  Donald Trump resorted to Twitter to accuse the media of inciting violence when, of course, there had been no incitement whatsoever by anyone."

Advising the journalists, who would be wondering the situation in the media for over the next four years, Baron, as quoted in a speech in Vanity Fair, said, "The ultimate defence of press freedom lies in our daily work. Many journalists wonder with considerable weariness what it is going to be like for us during the next four  perhaps eight  years. Will we be incessantly harassed and vilified? Will the new administration seize on opportunities to try intimidating us? Will we face obstruction at every turn? If so, what do we do? The answer, I believe, is pretty simple. Just do our job. Do it as its supposed to be done."

You can read the full text of the speech here.

Watch the video of the speech:

The Hitchens Prize is presented to an author or journalist, who in the spirit of the late Christopher Hitchens, demonstrates a commitment to free expression and to a pursuit of the truth without regard to personal or professional consequence. Baron was not only depicted in the movie Spotlight, but The Boston Globe had also won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for its coverage of the scandal.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America 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
Fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle (CMG -4.72%) is still reeling from a string of health crises that rocked the company last year. Comparable sales have been down by more than 20% for 10 months in a row, forcing the company to go to great lengths to get customers back into its restaurants. Promotions, including its first-ever loyalty program, have been a mainstay of Chipotle's turnaround effort so far.

Chipotle is now starting to lap its awful results over the past year, so its comparable numbers will begin to look better in the coming quarters. The company expects to report high-single-digit comparable sales growth during 2017, a pace that will still leave sales well below pre-crisis levels. I've argued before that Chipotle's turnaround is going to take longer than many are assuming. Next year will be the start, not the end, of Chipotle's comeback.

The good news for long-term investors is that time will eventually heal these wounds. Chipotle's crisis will be history 10 years down the line. The company should be much bigger by then, as it continues to grow its store base at a blistering pace. And one of its concept restaurants may eventually grow to become a major chain in its own right.

Chipotle will recover. But those expecting a return to the company's heyday, when Chipotle truly had no peer, may be disappointed.

More stores

Chipotle operated 2,178 restaurants at the end of the third quarter, and it plans to open an additional 195 to 210 restaurants next year. If Chipotle manages to grow its store count by 10% annually over the next decade, its restaurant count would stand at about 5,600 in 10 years.

Essentially all of Chipotle's restaurants are in the United States; the company operates just 27 Chipotle locations in international markets. There's still plenty of room to grow in the U.S., particularly because Chipotle is more value-oriented than many of its fast-casual peers. There are more than 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. alone. Chipotle's ceiling may be far lower, but the U.S. can likely support thousands of additional locations.

In addition to building more U.S. restaurants, Chipotle will likely attempt ramp up its international expansion efforts over the next decade. It has been slow on that front, and it's unclear exactly how well the concept will translate overseas. But the potential is there for thousands of additional locations in international markets.

Beyond Chipotle's namesake restaurants, the company is incubating two concepts. Tasty Made, a burger chain with a simple menu, just recently launched its first location. The company has also partnered with Pizzeria Locale, a Colorado chain of pizza restaurants. Chipotle currently operates 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, another concept, but the company is backing away from that endeavor after disappointing results. If either Tasty Made or Pizzeria Locale gains traction, hundreds or thousands of additional restaurants could be forthcoming.

Never the same

Prior to Chipotle's food safety crisis, the company enjoyed incredible margins and intense customer loyalty. It didn't need loyalty programs to drive traffic, and marketing was minimal. During the first nine months of 2015, Chipotle spent just 2.1% of revenue on marketing and promotions.

With the company now struggling to increase traffic, promotional spending is soaring. Through the first nine months of 2016, 5.2% of revenue went toward marketing and promotions. Chipotle has given out free food through various initiatives, and it launched a temporary loyalty program during the summer.

My suspicion is that the free ride that Chipotle has enjoyed in the past when it came to marketing is over. It is going to have to be more promotional going forward, and that will eat into profitability. Expansion in international markets and these new concepts will require increased marketing as well. None of this is to say that Chipotle can't return to its previous level of profitability, but it won't be easy.

The Chipotle of the future will be much larger, with thousands of additional locations, potentially spanning the globe. But the effects of its food safety crisis will linger, tarnishing its brand and forcing the company to work harder to get customers into its restaurants.
Most gold investors don't pay too much attention to the underlying valuation of a gold stock, because they're primarily betting on higher gold prices to make the investment pay off. While that philosophy can work in a rising-gold-price environment, it can also fail miserably if gold prices sputter, which has been the case in recent weeks.

One way to mute the downside risk is to buy stocks trading at a cheaper value than their peers, because these stocks theoretically have a larger margin of safety. For gold stocks, the best metric to compare valuations is price-to-cash-flow from operations per share. The reason this metric is better than other approaches is that it measures what matters most to gold producers, which is cash flow.

Here's how 10 of the largest gold producers stack up:

Of that group, four gold stocks stand out as the cheapest: Kinross Gold (NYSE: KCG), Newmont Mining (NEM -5.23%), Barrick Gold (GOLD -5.28%), and IAMGold (IAG -8.72%). All four trade at less than 10 times cash flow from operations per share, which is dirt cheap compared with rival gold producers, especially Franco-Nevada (FNV -4.54%), which trades at a pricey premium to its peers. That said, it's worth noting that both Franco-Nevada and Royal Gold (RGLD -5.21%) are streaming and royalty companies, which is a higher margin business than mining, and a big driver of their premium valuation.

Digging into why these gold stocks are so cheap

One common factor among the cheapest gold stocks is that they're some of the largest gold miners in the world. In fact, Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining currently rank as the first and second largest gold producers by volume, at more than 5 million ounces per year. Because of their larger size, these companies don't have quite the upside as smaller peers because they simply can't grow production at high rates. In fact, Barrick Gold's production is declining because of its focus on increasing value instead of output.

Another commonality among the cheapest gold stocks is their elevated debt levels. As the following chart shows, these gold stocks tend to have more debt on a relative basis than their peers:

Debt makes up more than 30% of the enterprise value of IAMGold, Kinross Gold, and Barrick Gold, which is well above the levels of most other mining stocks. Because of that, those elevated debt levels are acting as a weight and pushing down the value of these companies. That is evident when looking at the debt-free Franco-Nevada, which trades at a rich premium to other gold producers and shows that investors are penalizing companies with substantial debt.

Barrick Gold is working on lifting this weight by selling assets and generating free cash flow to repay debt. For example, earlier this year it sold two non-core assets to Kinross Gold in a $610 million transaction. Meanwhile, it is exploring the sale of its interest in an Australian super-pit joint venture, which it co-owns with Newmont Mining. This combination of asset sales, as well as Barrick's ability to generate free cash flow, enabled the company to take significant steps forward as it marches toward becoming debt-free within a decade.

Kinross Gold, meanwhile, is working to grow its way out of debt. The company has more than $750 million of cash on its balance sheet, which gives it the financial strength and flexibility to invest in its robust pipeline of organic developments. IAMGold, likewise, has roughly $750 million of cash on the balance sheet, thanks in part to a recent equity issuance. That solid cash position enabled the company to pay down more than $200 million in debt last quarter as it works to reduce total leverage. In both cases, these companies are taking the necessary steps to remove debt that's been weighing down their stock prices.

Investor takeaway

More often than not, there's a legitimate reason stocks trade at ridiculously cheap valuations compared with their peers. In the case of these gold stocks, the most inexpensive ones are some of the largest producers, as well as those with elevated debt levels. That said, all four of these miners are working to lift these weights by getting their debt down and focusing their efforts on growing shareholder value. Those efforts could help these companies outperform their more expensive rivals in a modestly rising gold price environment.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Most accounting professionals will tell you to retain a copy of your federal tax return for at least three years, since you never know when you might need it. You might, for example, need a copy of your return when you go to apply for a mortgage or student loan. Furthermore, you might need the information from a previous return to file an upcoming return or respond to an IRS inquiry.

But if you misplaced an old tax return, don't panic -- you can get a tax transcript with all of the relevant information you'll need. A tax transcript contains key information from the federal U.S. tax returns you previously filed. Best of all, you can request one from the IRS online for free.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Types of tax transcripts

You're often required to provide tax information when applying for a loan, whether it's to pursue a degree, purchase a home, or fund a business venture. If you don't have a copy of the relevant tax return(s) on hand, you can still get at the information you need by requesting a transcript. Tax transcripts contain most of the information found on original tax returns, only they're cheaper to come by. You can obtain a free tax transcript for the current year and previous three years; copies of your filed returns, by contrast, will cost money.

There are five different kinds of tax transcripts you can request:

Tax return transcripts , which show most line items from your tax return as it was initially filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules

, which show most line items from your tax return as it was initially filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules Tax account transcripts , which detail any adjustments made to your tax return after it was filed

, which detail any adjustments made to your tax return after it was filed Record of account transcripts , which combine the information from tax return and tax account transcripts

, which combine the information from tax return and tax account transcripts Wage and income transcripts , which contain data from forms such as W-2s and 1099s that are filed with the IRS

, which contain data from forms such as W-2s and 1099s that are filed with the IRS Verification of non-filing letter transcripts, which serve as proof that you did not file a tax return in a given year

How to get a tax transcript

The IRS makes it easy to get your hands on a tax transcript, as you can request one online or by mail. You will, however, need to provide some key information, like your Social Security number, date of birth, filing status, and mailing address from your latest tax return. Best of all, if you use the online platform, you'll be able to view, print, or download your transcript rather than wait for it to arrive by mail.

Keep in mind that if you filed your tax return electronically, it generally takes anywhere from two to four weeks for an associated transcript to become available. If you filed your tax return by mail, expect to wait about six weeks. Furthermore, your transcript may not be available if you've yet to pay whatever taxes you owe.

One more thing: Your tax transcript won't tell you when to expect your refund. Tax transcripts are simply designed to provide key financial information based on the forms you've previously filed. Still, they've been known to come in very handy in the absence of an actual tax return.

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High-yield dividend stocks tend to be a mixed bag. On the one hand, above-average payouts can really boost a portfolio's return on capital. In the same breath, high-yields are often the unwanted by-products of a stock's poor performance over a short period of time.

Keeping these issues in mind, our team of dividend experts think that investors may want to grab some shares of the high-yield dividend stocks Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), andInternational Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) this December. Here's why.

Image Source: Getty Images.

This Big Pharma has a stellar yield

Sean Williams (Novo Nordisk): If you're looking for a high-yield stock that could add some pep to your portoflio's step in December, my suggestion would be to consider Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO).

Novo Nordisk, which is a kingpin in the diabetes space, disappointed Wall Street and investors following the release of its third quarter results in late October. The company essentially cut its long-term profit growth forecast in half to 5% from 10%, and it alluded to tougher insulin pricing practices in the U.S. that's caused it to lower its prices in order to remain on insurer formularies. The result is weaker-than-expected profit projections for 2017. As a result of its falling share price, Novo Nordisk's yield has shot up to an attractive 4.1%.

However, Novo Nordisk'sr recent slump overlooks two key factors. Namely, Novo Nordisk's history of innovation, and that the long-term numbers remain on the company's side.

To start with, Novo Nordisk has demonstrated time and again that it can bring innovative drugs to market, which is the key to winning in a highly competitive diabetes industry. For example, its next-generation insulin product Tresiba totaled $358 million in sales during the third quarter, representing growth of 184%. Tresiba is already extrapolating out to approximately $1.4 billion in annual sales, and Wall Street has this next-gen insulin product pegged at around $3 billion in peak annual sales.

But it's the steady rise in global diabetes trends that could allow Novo Nordisk to succeed simply on account of sheer volume, even if its margins are being pressured in the near-term. Within the U.S., arguably the most important market for Big Pharma, the percentage of the U.S. population with diabetes has grown from 0.87% in 1959 to 7.02% as of 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If this trend continues in the U.S., and to a lesser extent globally, Novo Nordisk should be able to withstand lower margins and increased competition. It's a drug company that income investors should get on their radars.

This top drugmaker's high-yield is too good to pass up

George Budwell(Pfizer): Among major drug manufacturers, Pfizer offers one of the highest yields at 3.8%. Despite this juicy yield, though, the drugmaker's stock has been stuck in neutral over the past year due to the politically charged drug pricing controversy, along with the slowing sales trajectory of its top two growth products: thepneumococcal bacteria vaccinePrevnar 13 and the breast cancer drug Ibrance.

While it's still too early to tell if the drug pricing concern has peaked now that the U.S. Presidential election is history, the fact remains that Pfizer's top line growth is projected to dip from a little over 8% this year to a far less compelling 4.7% as a result of its leading growth products cooling off. In other words, there are some good reasons to steer clear of this particular pharma stock.

The odd part of the story, however, is Pfizer is actually a much better buy now than it has been in years. In short, Trump's corporate tax proposal stands to benefit this pharma giant enormously by allowing it to repatriate its mountain of cash stored overseas. If so, Pfizer could go on a M&A frenzy (even more than it has been of late), pour even more cash into its vast share buy back program, or increase its payout. In fact, the drugmaker could probably take a stab at all three activities simultaneously, if it's indeed able to ship back most or all of its overseas cash.

Although there's no guarantee that Trump's tax proposal will translate into policy, Pfizer's already healthy yield and modest revenue growth make it worth buying on the offhand chance that things do go its way on the hot-button topic of foreign profits.

Big Blue's big dividend

Tim Green (International Business Machines):Historically, IBM hasn't been a great dividend stock. For most of the past two decades the stock sported a lackluster dividend yield, despite a long record of dividend increases. The situation changed a couple of years ago. IBM stock began to decline, driven down by slumping revenue and earnings. The stock has recovered a bit since bottoming out earlier this year, but it still offers a solid 3.4% dividend yield.

IBM's transformation into a cloud and cognitive computing powerhouse is making progress, but the result has been years of revenue declines that have no doubt tested the patience of long-term investors. IBM expects to produce at least $13.50 per share in adjusted earnings this year, well below its previously abandoned goal of generating $20 of EPS by 2015. But even with earnings depressed, the dividend accounts for just 42% of adjusted earnings. Even without much earnings growth, IBM can continue to grow its dividend.

IBM stock is not nearly as cheap as it was earlier this year, when the dividend yield reached 4.25% and the stock was trading for less than 10 times earnings guidance. But it's still a great dividend stock for investors willing to wait out the company's transformation.

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George Budwell owns shares of Pfizer. Sean Williams has no position in any stocks mentioned. Timothy Green owns shares of IBM. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. 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.
Investors looking at Brazilian steel and mining conglomerate Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (NYSE: SID), or CSN for short, need to be well aware of the risks they're taking on. That's why it might make more sense to opt for Canada's Teck Resources Ltd. (NYSE: TCK), which is more focused on mining but still offers ample, and growing, diversification. Here's what you need to know.

Image Source: Companhia Siderurgica Nacional

A lot on the plate

CSN hails from Brazil, which already brings up a big risk. You might look at the contentious and bitter U.S. election and wonder how another country could be in any worse shape, but the United States has nothing on Brazil. The country is in the process of working through corruption scandals that have ensnared the country's last three presidents, including the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

If that weren't enough, there are collusion concerns related to construction companies, too. CSN's steel sales (60% of third-quarter revenues and 40% of adjusted EBITDA) are focused largely on the Brazilian market, and it also makes cement (around 3% and 0.5%, respectively). Since both are key suppliers in the construction sector, you can't ignore the risk that it gets sucked into the trouble in some way.

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Brazil's GDP growth, or lack thereof. Image source: World Bank.

This isn't all the bad news when it comes to the company's home turf, either. Brazil's gross domestic product has, basically, been in trouble since the turn of the decade. It fell from over 7.5% growth in 2010 to shrinking roughly 3.8% in 2015. Put all of this together, and there are a lot of outside risks you need to factor in when looking at Companhia Siderurgica Nacional.

To be fair, the company's performance has been improving lately, along with some of its key products. For example, third-quarter revenues were up 12% year over year. Adjusted EBITDA was up an impressive 45%. A combination of higher prices for steel and iron ore (27% of revenues and 45% of adjusted EBITDA) and increased iron ore sales were the big contributors. But you can get exposure to a recovering company without taking on the political risk.

A solid alternative

That's why you might want to took at Teck. For starters, it's a company based in a foreign country, but one that's known for its stability -- our northern neighbor, Canada. That's clearly not enough to justify a purchase, but it removes a huge set of risks that sit over CSN's shares.

Teck, meanwhile, mines for metallurgical coal, which is a key steelmaking ingredient. At roughly 37% of the top line in the third quarter, that gives investors indirect exposure to the steel industry. The company also mines for copper (20% of revenues) and zinc (about 42%), providing diversification. That diversification is set to get even broader, with the company's Canadian oil sands investment expected to start producing oil in late 2017 or early 2018, which will add a fourth major commodity to the mix.

Teck's fortunes are also solidifying, just like CSN's. For example, adjusted EBITDA more than doubled in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2015. Higher prices and demand for steelmaking coal were the main supports. Copper was relatively weak, with lower prices and demand, and zinc demand was pretty much flat between the two periods, but prices increased.

Teck is getting into fighting shape again. Image source: Teck Resources.

Add to this the company's ongoing efforts to cut costs, trim debt, and yet still grow the business (the investment in the oil space is a big part of that), and there's a lot to like about Teck Resources' future.

Location, location, location

When it comes to investing, there are a huge number of risks you have to take into consideration. Sometimes risks are worth it; other times they aren't necessary. If you want to bet on Brazil, by all means look at Companhia Siderurgica Nacional. But if what you really want is a foreign-based company that has an improving outlook tied to steel, well, look closer to home and put Canada's Teck Resources on your short list.

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Image source: Anadarko Petroleum.

What happened

Crude oil prices spiked today in the wake of a historic agreement among OPEC members to cut their output by 1.2 million barrels per day, wiping out about 1% of global production. News of the deal sent crude prices spiking more than 8% to around $50 per barrel. Those higher prices fueled a massive rally in the oil sector, including double-digit rallies in megacap producers Hess (NYSE: HES), Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN), Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), and EOG Resources (NYSE: EOG):

EOG Price data by YCharts.

So what

For leading shale producer EOG Resources, the rise to $50 a barrel is all it needs to deliver exceptional long-term results. Thanks to a growing inventory of premium shale wells, which are those that can achieve a 30% after-tax rate of return at $40 oil, EOG can grow its production by a 15% compound annual growth rate through 2020 and pay its dividend while living within its cash flow. Meanwhile, if the OPEC deal pushes prices even higher, EOG can accelerate its production growth with the ability to boost output by 25% compounded annually over the same time frame at $60 oil.

We see a similar story at Anadarko Petroleum. The diversified producer expects that it can grow its oil production by a 10% compound annual growth rate while living within cash flow over the next five years at $50 oil, thanks to its enormous shale resources and a strong portfolio of offshore projects. Meanwhile, at $60 oil, Anadarko Petroleum sees its production rising by 12% compounded annually over that same time frame.

ConocoPhillips, likewise, can thrive at just $50 oil going forward. At that price, the megaproducer can pay its current dividend and grow companywide production by up to 2% per year while also buying back stock and repaying debt. Meanwhile, if oil rises to $60 a barrel thanks to the OPEC deal, ConocoPhillips can return more cash to shareholders while also boosting production by up to 4%. Finally, if crude hits $70 a barrel, ConocoPhillips has the flexibility and the asset base to increase production by 8% per year.

Image source: ConocoPhillips.

North America-focused Devon Energy, on the other hand, needs oil a bit higher to fuel its preliminary plans for 2017. Under the company's current assumptions, which it released before the OPEC agreement, Devon had expected crude to average $55 a barrel in 2017. That price point would provide it with enough cash flow to drive double-digit oil growth along with low- to mid-single-digit growth in total production. Furthermore, Devon's preliminary thought was that crude would average $60 a barrel the following year without OPEC's help, providing fuel for "stronger growth in 2018." However, with the OPEC deal now done, oil could rise above those price estimates, enabling Devon to deliver accelerated growth in future years.

Hess has yet to put out a forward growth plan, choosing instead to preserve its balance sheet strength, core operating capabilities, and long-term growth optionality. However, with leading positions in the Bakken and Utica shale plays, as well as substantial offshore discoveries waiting to be unlocked, Hess has plenty of growth ahead of it now that OPEC has likely put a firm floor under oil prices. As a result, Hess will likely boost its capex spending going forward, with the Bakken as perhaps the first place it will add capital.

Now what

None of these producers were banking on OPEC to come to their rescue. Instead, each spent the past few years repositioning to run at much lower oil prices going forward. Because of that, these companies have tremendous upside to higher prices, which could be in the forecast thanks to the OPEC deal.

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Matt DiLallo owns shares of ConocoPhillips. The Motley Fool owns shares of Devon Energy and EOG Resources. 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.
The world's largest oil exporters agreed on Wednesday to cut output for the first time in eight years to erode a global supply overhang that has persisted for two years and halved the value of a barrel of crude.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said it would agree to limit crude oil output to a maximum of 32.5 million barrels per day starting Jan. 1 for six months.

The cut was at the low end of production of a preliminary agreement struck in Algiers in September, and reduces production from a current 33.64 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, has agreed to bear the lion's share of the cuts, but most member countries, including Iraq, which had initially refused to freeze its output, will limit their production.

Iran, Libya and Nigeria were all given special dispensation not to join in with the reduction, as the three are still fighting to boost their exports and regain market share lost to international sanctions, or civil unrest and violence.

Mohammed al-Sada, the energy minister for Qatar, and current president of OPEC, said key non-OPEC members had agreed to cuts of 600,000 bpd, of which Russia had committed to 300,000 bpd.

OPEC will meet its non-cartel counterparts to discuss their contribution to the effort to limit output on Dec. 9.

The price of oil rose by nearly 10 percent at one point during the day to a session peak of $51.84 a barrel, its highest in a month, as investors prepared for the possibility that lower OPEC output would lead to a swifter rebalancing between global crude supply and demand.

Below are analyst comments on the OPEC announcement:

GARETH LEWIS-DAVIES, BNP PARIBAS COMMODITIES STRATEGIST

They've come up with an agreement with which their political credibility has been maintained and they've come up with a number. The question is the degree of compliance.

"The question that was avoided was to what extent is OPEC's commitment to cut dependent on the ... 600,000 bpd (of cuts) from non-OPEC. We remain rather cautious over whether this is a cut from current levels for a cut from proposed levels for 2017 and, as a consequence, would not be real cuts."

PAUL HORSNELL, HEAD OF COMMODITIES RESEARCH, STANDARD CHARTERED:

"If you compare it with the case of if there hadn't been an agreement, quite clearly, it's probably at the upper end of the expectations of what was going to be possible at this particular meeting. And all in all, one of OPEC's better days."

"It doesn't say (the cuts are) continent on non-OPEC. It says it's reached an understanding with key non-OPEC producers, but clearly what's involved in there is non-OPEC is supposed to do its bit. It's in nobody's interest here to be seen as collapsing this ... For what it is at the moment, it looks pretty credible."

HAMZA KHAN, HEAD OF COMMODITIES STRATEGY, ING:

"OPEC says all of the members have taken Indonesia's level upon themselves but they haven't. Does that mean the effective cut is 700,000 bpd? If you look at the numbers, are they adding up? That's what we're trying to figure out."

"We haven't heard from the non-OPEC members and we don't know where the other 300,000 bpd will come from (aside from the 300,000 bpd which OPEC says Russia has committed to). It's a little but strange for us."

"The last two years have been full of atypical meetings but this one was unusual. They basically talked themselves into a corner; everyone started saying OPEC will cease to be a viable organization if they don't say anything, so they had to say something but it's unclear what it means."

CARSTEN FRITSCH, COMMODITY ANALYST, COMMERZBANK:

"It's clear that OPEC is speaking with one voice. Non-OPEC is not very important anymore ... If the OPEC cuts are implemented, it means there will be a deficit in early 2017 as the call on OPEC oil is 33.1 million barrels per day, according to the IEA."

VIKTOR NOSSEK, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, WISDOMTREE:

"The price of oil has surged today as OPEC finally acted to reduce production, implementing its first cut in eight years. However, while prices may climb further in the very near-term, we expect any gains will be short-lived, with US production likely to ramp up to exploit higher prices.

Put simply, OPEC has not solved the supply glut, and indeed this merely shows how much Saudi Arabia's position has weakened when it comes to its role as the price maker in oil markets. With a more stable supply side situation now the norm thanks to US shale production, any further upside for the oil price from current levels is unlikely to be sustainable, but that does not mean there will not be a spike in volatility around the price."

MIHIR KAPADIA, CEO AND FOUNDER OF SUN GLOBAL INVESTMENTS:

"As expected, OPEC is also very keen for non-OPEC members to make a contribution of a 600K barrel reduction for the benefit of the oil industry. This is something that has to be respected and hopefully adhered by the non-members as it is for the largest benefit of all - something which cannot be burdened just on OPEC. We expect oil prices to be on course towards $55 very soon which has been our forecast for end-2016 since February when it was trading at $28 per barrel."

(Reporting by Julia Payne, Sabina Zawadzki, Veronica Brown and Amanda Cooper)
Obamacare might be on its last legs. A new president and a new Congress promise to repeal and replace the healthcare legislation. The potential demise of the Affordable Care Act has caused some stocks of companies that have become dependent on its benefits to suffer. Here's whyCommunity Health Systems(NYSE: CYH),Tenet Healthcare(NYSE: THC), andCentene(NYSE: CNC) stand out as three of the worst Obamacare stocks in 2016.

Image source: Getty Images.

Hospital headwinds

Community Health Systems' stock essentially collapsed this year, plummeting by 75%. Roughly one-third of that drop came after the November U.S. election results appeared to sound the death knell for Obamacare.The hospital chain has struggled throughout 2016, however.

The 2014 acquisition of HMA hasn't gone as well as expected. While many predicted that Obamacare would result in lower write-offs due to patients not paying their hospital bills, Community Health Systems has increased its allowance for doubtful accounts. The company has also had to deal with its heavy debt load.

This last issue resulted in Community Health spinning off 38 of its hospitals in less populated areas and its consulting business into a separate entity, Quorum Health Corporation (NYSE: QHC). The transaction, which was finalized in April, generated around $1.2 billion, much of which Community Health used to pay down debt.The company continued to make other divestitures in subsequent months.

After continuing to disappoint investors throughout the year, Community Health announced in September that it was "exploring a variety of options with financial sponsors, as well as other potential alternatives." These discussions were in a preliminary stage at the time. Since the announcement, no further details have been made public by the company.

Lawsuits, losses, and loads of debt

Another hospital operator, Tenet Healthcare, saw its shares plunge nearly 50% in 2016. The U.S. elections took a big toll, with around half of the stock's decline coming after the surprising outcome that could wind up sealing Obamacare's fate.

Tenet also faced other significant challenges. The company reported second-quarter results that were much worse than what Wall Street expected. It then followed up in the third quarter with yet another big disappointment.

One major issue that impacted Tenet's bottom line stemmed from criminal and civil litigation related to referral source arrangements at three of the company's former hospitals and one current hospital. In August, Tenet announced a settlement agreement in which it agreed to pay $517 million.

Like Community Health Systems, Tenet has amassed a sizable amount of debt. In November, the company added to its debt with a $750 million private offering of senior secured second lien notes.

Medicaid Mayday

Unlike Community Health and Tenet, Centene's stock was actually up a little year to date at the beginning of November. However, the election results caused the managed care provider's shares to sink. Centene's stock is now down around 15% this year.

The primary concern for Centene is that a repeal of Obamacare could roll back the expansion of Medicaid in many states. Nearly 60% of Centene's total membership comes from Medicaid programs.

However, the managed care provider also has a significant presence in the Obamacare individual insurance exchanges. Centene's acquisition of HealthNet in March increased its commercial membership more than tenfold.

The company's expertise with the Medicaid population enabled it to create plans that were more appealing to lower-income customers participating in the Obamacare exchanges. As a result, Centene became one of the more successful insurers under Obamacare.

With Obamacare in jeopardy, Centene faces a double whammy. It stands to lose some of its Medicaid membership as well as potentially lose individual insurance members depending on what happens in Washington, D.C.

Biggest loser in 2017?

Which of these three worst Obamacare stocks of 2016 could be the biggest loser next year? My pick is Centene.

If all federal dollars for the Obamacare Medicaid expansion are eliminated, it could be a nightmare scenario for Centene. Even though the states that have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare pick up part of the costs, the federal government still subsidizes 97% of the expansion costs in 2017, decreasing gradually to 90% in 2020 and afterward. Bad news for Obamacare means bad news for Centene.

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.

Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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.
With President-elect Trump set to take office on January 20, coal miners are hoping to see a resurgence in their businesses.

During his campaign for the Oval Office, Trump promised to help the industry, which has struggled in recent years due partly to energy regulations implemented by the Obama administration.

Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, recommended a series of proposals for the Trump administration designed to alleviate regulations on the American coal industry, ranging from eliminating rule writers at the Environmental Protection Agency to appointing a new Supreme Court justice.

Most importantly, eliminate subsidies for windmills and solar panels and all of the pay-to-play billionaires in California who have been living off of the taxpayer. This was not only a victory for our coal miners, this was a victory for all Americans, said Murray, who added that he is for all [types of] energy as long as there is a level playing field.

The coal executive said he received a call from the President-elect, who wanted to pass along his support to the miners.

He has the courage, the passion and the commitment and we hope he will follow through on every commitment he made on the campaign trail to bring America back, Murray said.

Additionally, Murray called global warming a hoax and stated that Trump must eliminate the Paris Agreement, which was negotiated at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP21.
Seven weeks before his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump is making good on his promise to keep jobs in America.

Trump, who once authored a book titled The Art of the Deal, has already struck two deals to prevent companies from taking their manufacturing jobs to Mexico. Earlier this month, Ford (NYSE:F) Chairman Bill Ford notified Trump that Lincoln scrapped a plan to move production of the MKC crossover south of the border, a decision that Ford acknowledged was influenced by the Republicans victory on Election Day.

On Tuesday evening, another target of criticism during Trumps run to the White House announced that an Indianapolis factory will remain open for business.

Carrier, maker of air conditioners and commercial refrigeration products, revealed on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) that it reached a deal with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indiana.

Reports on Wednesday indicated that Pence, who remains the governor of Indiana until Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, worked with his staff to provide new tax breaks for Carrier in return.

Trump is scheduled to hold a press conference on Thursday at Carriers plant.

We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.  Carrier (@Carrier) November 30, 2016

In February, Carrier said it would close up shop in Indiana, shedding a total of 2,100 manufacturing positions beginning in 2017. The news made headlines across the country when video of a Carrier manager announcing the decision to employees surfaced online.

It remains unclear if Carrier still plans on cutting some jobs after its talks with Trump. Carriers plant in Indianapolis employs roughly 1,400 workers. United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) electronic controls unit has a separate plant in Huntington, Ind., where 700 people work. The Huntington plant was also marked for closure.

Steven Mnuchin, Trumps nominee for Treasury secretary, was quoted in several reports saying Trump and Pence called the CEO of United Technologies, Gregory Hayes, to initiate the negotiations that led to Tuesdays deal. Similarly, Communications Director of the Republican National Committee Sean Spicer told Fox News Fox & Friends that Trump picked up the phone to work out a deal.

United Technologies didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Carrier is a subsidiary of United Technologies, which is also known for its Otis elevators and Pratt & Whitney jet engines.

I will be going to Indiana on Thursday to make a major announcement concerning Carrier A.C. staying in Indianapolis. Great deal for workers!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Trump made supporting American jobs, particularly in manufacturing, a central tenet of his campaign. He frequently criticized the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for encouraging companies to move jobs outside the U.S. As president, Trump has said he would seek to renegotiate NAFTA.

With the Carrier and Ford deals secured, Trump may potentially pressure other companies. He publically targeted Nabisco, the maker of Oreos, after it cut some Chicago-area jobs amid plans to move some of its production to Mexico.

And Trump recently told the New York Times that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook gave him a call, and they discussed the possibility of building a U.S. manufacturing plant.

FOXBusiness.coms emails to Apple and Mondelez (NASDAQ:MDLZ), the parent company of Nabisco, were not returned at the time of publication.

FOXBusiness.coms Suzanne OHalloran contributed to this report.
Leah Remini claims that Tom Cruise asked her to use her influence at CBS to bully the network out of airing a negative story about the Church of Scientology.

I got pressure to call Les Moonves at CBS to try and get a 60 Minutes report squashed, Remini, a former Scientologist, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. I got a call from the church and Tom to call Les Moonves and use my influence to squash the story.

Despite not wanting to, Remini  who starred on the CBS series King of Queens  says she spoke to the networks chairman about the segment, and he made clear that he wasnt going to change anything about it.

So I called Les Moonves, even though I was really uncomfortable with it. And he said, Listen  youre not the only one who has called me about this and I have no right to interject my opinion of what I like or dont like with the news organization of CBS and I will absolutely not engage this conversation. Ill tell you or anyone else who calls me. He said, I dont give a st if its you, if its Tom Cruise, if its Jenna Elfman, youre all going to get the same story from me, she recounted.

Although Cruise and the church werent happy thatd she hadnt been able to sway Moonves, Remini wasnt surprised hed stood firm on the segment.

They just werent happy that I couldnt squash the story. I said, Im just a fing actress on television and I cant demand that my boss take a fing report off the air,  she said.

Remini, who was a Scientologist for 30 years, split very publicly with the church in 2013. Since then shes been an outspoken critic of it and its leaders, in interviews, a memoir and now in her new A&E docu-series. The Church of Scientology has responded in kind, questioning her motives time and time again.

Despite efforts from the church to make it seem that she is simply trying to settle old scores, the actress says that her main focus is sharing what she feels to be the truth about Scientology and its controversial leader, David Miscavige.

Representatives for the Church of Scientology did not respond to a request for comment.

The first episode of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, an eight-part series, premiered on A&E on Tuesday night.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion show is set to film in Paris Wednesday night, and models Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima and Gigi Hadid have already been posting pictures of themselves exploring the City of Lights.

But a recent string of high-profile robberies targeting the uber-wealthy, combined with several horrific terrorist attacks, have many urging caution.

Retired LAPD SWAT supervisor Scott DeFoe said the models -- and anyone else visiting the French capital -- should be careful.

You want to be as inconspicuous as possible, especially now," DeFoe said. "Paris is a high terror threat and elevated with threats... When your police and private military organizations are focusing on a lot of big problems, potential terrorist attacks, they are not focusing on some of the smaller issues  petty crime, robberies, basic street crime  they are dealing with the fact there could be a vehicle with explosives driving downtown Paris."

DeFoe even suggested celebs heading to abroad should have kidnapping insurance.

Jason Porter, vice president of Pinkerton Security, said situational awareness is key when traveling to somewhere with safety concerns.

Knowledge is power, he advised. It all comes down to common sense and watching your surroundings and being aware of what you are walking into.

And Greg Boles, associate managing director with Krolls Security Risk Management, said high-profile stars traveling to Paris should be sure their security team is well prepared.

It requires a lot of advance planning, and, of course, that would be transportation to and from your hotel and any sites you are going to visit and being really aware about how often you are exposed -- meaning walking around on the streets you are more exposed in that arena that in a guarded facility.

Kim Kardashian was robbed and held at gunpoint in her Paris rental in early October. In mid-November, a Bollywood actress was attacked with tear gas in an attempted robbery. And on Nov. 21, two wealthy Qatari sisters were tear gassed and robbed with thieves making off with more than $5 million in jewelry.
A North Carolina man had a heart attack and died while trying to revive his wife of 31 years, the Stanly News & Press reported. Johnny Hatley, 67, had found his wife Teresa Hatley, unresponsive at their home on Sunday.

Authorities believe 66-year-old Teresa had already died when Hatley began administering CPR, Stanly News & Press reported. The family was told he had suffered a heart attack.

Obviously, he could not live without her, Lisa Hammill, the couples daughter, told the news outlet.

The couple owned Fast Stop Food Stores of New London and was well-known in their community. In addition to Hammill, they are survived by son David Hatley and daughter Shelly Palmer.
You made a deal. On my WABC radio show and elsewhere you reaffirmed your commitment to appear this week in Washington for a question and answer session with Javier Palomarez, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who also appeared on the same radio show.

I applauded your agreement to appear at the chambers conference for several obvious reasons. It is Hispanic Heritage Month; your inflammatory view of Mexican immigrants; and your proposal to build the Great Wall of Trump along the southern border have obviously caused consternation in many Latino families.

I wanted and still hold a shred of hope that you will modify your harsh statements on the undocumented. You are not like Iowa Rep. Steve King who suggested all Latinos have big calves from carrying dope across the border. You are not Ann Coulter, a polemicist whose Adios America screed apparently infuses your thinking.  Geraldo Rivera

Because of the respect and affection I have for you and your family, I also wanted you to have the opportunity to explain your stated desire to deport the 11 or more million undocumented immigrants now hiding in plain sight in the United States. Particularly, I was keen on hearing your defense of your proposal to deport the minor children of those immigrants, even if they are American citizens born in the USA. Part of that would necessarily have been an explanation of your stance that the 14th Amendment does not grant birth right citizenship to those born on American soil, even if their parents have been here for decades.

Obviously, as you pointed out when you announced you were canceling the Hispanic Chamber event, your appearance would have been huge (yuuuge!) bringing an attendance and ratings bonanza to the relatively low-profile but nevertheless legitimate and mainstream organization. But more than ratings, the substance of your scary proposals would have been aired in a context where the community most directly affected heard from you directly.

As the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, the fact that, if elected, you intend to disrupt the lives of so many millions of undocumented immigrants and their families needs to be explained to those people. The majority of them are law-abiding, hardworking, faith-based and long-standing residents, however undocumented.

Largely through your candidacy, Immigration/illegal aliens according to Gallup has become a yuuge issue for the nation. Back in June, just 6 percent of Americans said immigration/illegal aliens was the most important problem facing this country today. That number doubled to 12 percent in September, largely because you have made the issue front and center to your candidacy.

Many of the pundits you despise suggest that your candidacy is based on the fact that you are an outsider. I find that your most endearing quality, that, and the fact you are self-funding and promising to disrupt the cancerous grip lobbyists have on government. But given the Gallup survey showing that illegal immigration is the most important issue for so many, isnt that what is fueling your popularity?

I wanted and still hold a shred of hope that you will modify your harsh statements on the undocumented. You are not like Iowa Rep. Steve King who suggested all Latinos have big calves from carrying dope across the border. You are not Ann Coulter, a polemicist whose Adios America screed apparently infuses your thinking.

You are our premier builder and the employer of thousands of Latinos. Ive seen them myself in your various properties. I wanted you to say out loud at the Chamber that you will not go door-to-door to disrupt the lives of families that have made their communities better and stronger. I wanted you to say that you didnt intend to slander a race of people when you made your initial remarks about rapists and drug dealers.

That is why I wanted to take you into the kitchen of a Mexican or Puerto Rican restaurant, so you could tell folks to their faces that you are an open-minded, deep thinking, color-blind creator of jobs and opportunity who was perhaps a bit exuberant in your initial remarks announcing your candidacy for the presidency.

But I fear that you have made a shrewd results-based calculation that Latinos are a vote that you do not need to win the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire or South Carolina primaries.

You may be right.

On the other hand, you may be providing a yuuuge incentive for Latinos to register and vote against you and the GOP in November 2016. You made and broke a deal with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. There is no Art in that Deal.

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When we think of the United States territories most of us picture the white beaches of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well as our military bases in Guam. For those unfamiliar with our unincorporated territories they are very important parts of our country that contribute to the national economy and where millions of American citizens reside. These are not foreign lands, they are firmly part of the United States and their residents, for exception of American Samoa, are natural born citizens, many of them veterans.

Our nation took extraordinary steps to stabilize the economy, preserve homeownership and keep our financial institutions from failing. Congress even approved an unprecedented economic stimulus to help jump a stalled economy. We are all deserving of help during times of crisis. As fellow U.S. citizens, the residents of Puerto Rico deserve that same treatment.  Sen. Catherine Miranda

Our laws relating to these territories have sadly not kept up with the times. Earlier this year in the DC District Court a case was held over American Samoan citizenship where the only precedents came from the famously obsolete and racist Insular Cases from the turn of the century. And, in the case of Puerto Rico, the island is currently caught in a legal limbo on how to restructure its municipal debt. Not being a state, the island is not afforded the opportunity to utilize chapter 9 bankruptcy protections and not being a foreign nation, neither the U.S. Treasury or the International Monetary Fund are able to assist with emergency loans to restructure their debt.

This is sadly a case of Congressional mismanagement of its territories through the kind of benign neglect that you can easily imagine falling upon those that have no legal recourse or significant political influence. Not having Congressional representation and only few federal advocates, Puerto Rico has seen many of the preferential tax treatments that helped build and sustain their economy erode over time. In many cases Congress simply abandoned their role as a benefactor and in preserving the best interests of this territory while it instead sought to administer it on the cheap by cutting assistance and eligibility for federal programs. You cant blame an elected official for focusing on their constituency, but that does not excuse Congress culpability and outright neglect in creating the economic crisis that is now crippling the island of Puerto Rico.

After more than a year of pleading for federal assistance, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced last month a proposal to address Puerto Ricos debt challenge. The proposal hinges on Congressional approval, which seems unlikely with legislative leaders like Sen. Grassley and Sen. Rubio already tripping over each other in racing to the cameras and politicizing any assistance to the island by calling it a bailout. It should come as no surprise that it has been widely reported that Senator Rubio has taken considerable political contributions from vulture hedge funds that are betting against Puerto Rico. I would not be surprised if other opponents in Congress to our nation fulfilling its obligations to Puerto Rico are equally swayed by special interests.

Through this proposal, the Obama Administration is making it clear that additional tools are needed to secure a stronger and more sustainable economic future for the island. The Administrations reform and restructuring proposals are a simple and clear recognition that it is no longer reasonable to expect the residents of Puerto Rico to endure the daily challenges and uncertainty that the islands fiscal challenges pose. It is my sincere hope that Treasury officials that put forward this proposal, like Antonio Weiss, are not punting on a solution by shifting the political onus to Congress. Instead, our hope should be that, much like DACA, DAPA and deferred action, the Administration is exhausting traditional legislative routes towards a solution before implementing some administrative solution of its own.

Puerto Rico doesnt need or want a bailout, and we must demand that the island repay its debts. Nevertheless, we need to be sympathetic to the legal limbo in which they are caught from a debt that was accumulated over many of its administrations and decades upon decades of mismanagement. Vulture funds and predatory investors on Wall Street should not be dictating public policy, not forcing an island of nearly four million residents to its knees demanding that it offer up the funds used to keep police on the streets and teachers in the classroom towards servicing the debt.

Just seven years ago in my home state of Arizona we saw first hand the effects of the Great Recession. Many families lost their homes, their assets and investments were wiped away, and many others found themselves without a job. Our nation took extraordinary steps to stabilize the economy, preserve homeownership and keep our financial institutions from failing. Congress even approved an unprecedented economic stimulus to help jump a stalled economy. We are all deserving of help during times of crisis. As fellow U.S. citizens, the residents of Puerto Rico deserve that same treatment.
Of course we should get rid of the gun show loophole. What are we, stupid? Do we want somebody to be able to sell a gun to a person with a violent criminal record? How about a person with a lifelong history of psychotic episodes? What the hell, how about a terrorist? Really? Who would defend not wanting to come up with a way of getting at least a cursory check on a gun buyer?

We shouldnt care who, what or how the gun violence epidemic in America is brought under control. We'd like it to be part of a bipartisan compromise hammered out by Democrats and Republicans alike, from both chambers and both branches of government.  Rick Sanchez

The answer is pretty simple: Eight percent of all Americans and 13 percent of all Republicans  thats who.

Thats right, according to the latest poll conducted by CBS News and the New York Times, the vast majority of Americans want background checks for anyone buying a gun. Ninety-two percent say yes and 87 percent of Republicans concur.

So when the White House announces that its seeking to expand background checks for all buyers, you would think the reaction would be that "its about time," right? The measure simply clarifies that anyone "in the business of selling firearms" must register as licensed gun dealers, effectively narrowing the so-called "gun show loophole," which exempts most small sellers from keeping formal sales records.

Dont believe the naysayers who maintain that reality isnt real. The gun show loophole  also known as the private sales loophole  is real! In fact, at least one study conducted by Harvard University has found that as many 40 percent of guns sold or transferred in America are conducted without a background check.

Problem? Of course! Should we be looking for a solution? Of course! But today in America, problems dont require solutions. It simply requires political posturing.

Even Republicans  like House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is on the record on many occasions stating that we should find a way to close the gun show loophole  is now doing an about-face. His reaction to President Obamas suggestion to close the loophole sounds, at least on its face, like a complete capitulation of his earlier position. Ryan accuses the president of undermining liberty.

If Ryans suggestion is that both branches of government should make a decision this monumental, then I say hes right. We dont want the president issuing this type of executive action, which smacks of one-sided bullying. But you know what else we dont want? We dont want a congress that agrees we have a gun violence problem in America, but doesnt have the guts to do anything about it.

Frankly, we shouldnt care who, what or how the gun violence epidemic in America is brought under control. We'd like it to be part of a bipartisan compromise hammered out by Democrats and Republicans alike from both chambers and both branches of government. However, short of that  like the Nike campaign says, Just do it.
Immigration raids, middle-of-the-night roundups, and mass deportations. Although these might bring to mind immigration policy under a possible Trump administration, these are happening now under President Obama. Carrying out a policy announced on Christmas Eve, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun targeting undocumented women and children for removal.

Immigration authorities say they are carrying out their enforcement priorities of criminals, security threats, and recent arrivals. So why have we not seen such roundups of gang members and potential terrorists  only women and children?  Raul Reyes

DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said that he recognized the reality of the pain that deportations cause. But, we must enforce the law consistent with our priorities, he said in a statement. At all times, we endeavor to do this consistent with American values, and basic principles of decency, fairness, and humanity.

Johnsons words amount to little more than empty rhetoric. These raids are a serious misstep from a president who has been called the Deporter-in-Chief. Many of the families the administration has targeted deserve protection, not punishment. The Obama administration is conflating a refugee crisis with illegal immigration  and creating a potential political nightmare for Democrats.

The families that DHS is taking into custody are not the typical undocumented immigrants. Unlike most undocumented immigrants, they are not from Mexico and did not come here to work. Instead, they are from Central America and fled here for their lives. These families come from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, three of the most dangerous countries in the world. In 2014, the website Vox noted that Honduras was more violent than Iraq at the height of the insurgency, while the Associated Press just found that homicides are up 70 percent in El Salvador.

Yet the Obama administration is returning these families to their homelands, where they will likely face more violence, even death. The Guardian has already reported on Central American immigrants who were murdered just days after their forced return home.

The administrations actions are especially hypocritical in light of the presidents recent call for the U.S. and the European Union to accept Syrian refugees. Slamming the door in the face of refugees would betray our deepest values, he tweeted in November. Thats not who we are. And its not what were going to do.

Meanwhile, immigration agents are conducting home invasions (at times without the required warrants) and terrifying immigrant communities across the country.

According to The New York Times, many undocumented immigrants have stayed home from work, kept their children out of school, or stayed in relatives homes out of fear. It seems a sad irony that the president is concerned with a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, while preferring to ignore one in our own backyard.

In his statement, DHS Secretary Johnson noted, I know there are many who loudly condemn our enforcement efforts as far too harsh, while there will be others who say these actions dont go far enough. He is right about that. Conservative critics of the administration have already derided this round of removals as window-dressing, while the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has denounced them as inhumane.

Politically, these raids could serve to potentially neutralize the hard-line positions on immigration from the GOP presidential candidates. No wonder that Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin OMalley have all expressed concerns about these raids. They understand that it will be harder for them to appeal to Latino voters with Obama administration taking such a harsh stance on immigrants.

True, immigration authorities say they are carrying out their enforcement priorities of criminals, security threats, and recent arrivals. So why have we not seen such roundups of gang members and potential terrorists  only women and children?

The government also says that the Central Americans slated for deportation ignored orders of removal. However, many of them did not receive adequate legal representation or due process. The governments own data on Central American families in detention shows that the overwhelming majority of them have credible fears of persecution at home  meaning they would likely have a case for asylum.

The fact is that the U.S. has no system in place for the fair and timely processing of these potential asylum seekers. Consider that in 2014, following the summer surge of unaccompanied children at our southern border, the U.S. set up centers in Central American countries so that young people could apply for refugee status from home, without making the dangerous journey north. Thousands of young people applied. But a year later, only 10 had been approved for entry and the number who were actually admitted to the U.S. was zero.

The Obama administration must recognize that deportations will not make a humanitarian crisis go away. Nor should immigration raids be used against potential refugees.
Whenever there is an injustice in a foreign country, the United States government is rarely silent.

We provide monetary aid, issue statements condemning these wrongs and in extreme cases use military force to assist the victims. One might wonder why in the face of yet another injustice, we are not condemning it but condoning it.

Keeping with the values behind executive actions and the understanding that our immigration system is broken, the Obama administration must put an end to these unnecessary raids and the deportation of refugee families.  Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Early in January, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began a series of raids with the ultimate goal of deporting hundreds of people, mostly families with children, to their countries of origin in Central America. These deportations are occurring despite the fact that many of these families face imminent danger, even death, if they are returned to Central American soil.

Children who fled to escape gang-ridden neighborhoods with homicide rates among the highest anywhere in the world will yet again face the choice of either joining a gang or endangering themselves and their families. Either way, their fates are doomed.

In El Salvador, for example, the murder rate jumped 70 percent in 2015, from 3,900 to 6,650 deaths. Honduras faces similar violent death rates, with a slight drop in 2015 from 2014, but still registering slightly over 5,000 violent deaths in one year.

After the President's executive actions many of us hoped that enforcement would be targeted at violent and dangerous criminals, not at families whose only crime is coming to the United States seeking a better life for their families. President Obama said that himself  we should deport felons, not families. Now its time for him to honor those words.

Keeping with the values behind executive actions and the understanding that our immigration system is broken, the Obama administration must put an end to these unnecessary raids and the deportation of refugee families. The consequences for not halting the raids will not only result in bloodshed for innocent victims, but may very well have repercussions on American soil as well.

As we look back at the accomplishments of this President, his legacy will be one of honor and historic consequence. There is no reason to tarnish that image with needless and cruel deportations.

More alarming, many organizations, like the Latino Victory Fund, are working to naturalize Latinos and register them to vote. But these raids are causing great fear, and many immigrants and New Americans may sit out full participation in our democracy.

That would be a shame, with needless loss of life and potentially disastrous implications for our political system.
Folks are furious at actor Sean Penn and Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo because they got chummy with El Chapo, the notorious drug kingpin rearrested last Friday. Why exactly is that? Penn was not "acting" as a journalist, he was one when he and the soap star bravely entered the jungle and risked physical and financial harm to pursue the huge exclusive interview with the fugitive who was the most wanted man in the world.

If the interview came down under the circumstances described, then it took major balls, and Im not just referring to the precarious small plane flights and hairy jungle drives and hinky situations endured.  Geraldo Rivera

I would have done it. And I would have kept my mouth shut if I promised the source that I would keep my mouth shut about the vital logistic details. There was no immediate crime to be prevented, no urgency other than the embarrassment being suffered by the corrupt and incompetent Mexican government.

Were they brave? Yes. If the interview came down under the circumstances described, then it took major balls, and Im not just referring to the precarious small plane flights and hairy jungle drives and hinky situations endured. Try it sometime, going beyond the reach of the civilized world to get a story.

And look at the rage they are both incurring. It is as if they are the ruthless criminal who terrorizes and poisons the world with his violence and toxic product.

They are not co-conspirators with the worlds most wanted man. They wanted to talk to him the way others have talked to a rogue's gallery of bad guys ranging from Pol Pot to Stalin to Hitler to Castro to Mark Chapman to John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy. This is what enterprise journalists do. They take newsworthy information from sources however distasteful, and they convey it from point A to point B.

So, honestly, were you interested in what El Chapo had to say? Or are you only interested in hearing from people you consider appropriately socialized and nice?

The fact that Sean Penn admitted he gave El Chapo final say on the published product is distressing, but I am heartened by the fact Penn gave us full disclosure of that condition and further, that Penn claims no changes were requested or made.

As far as I know, neither Penn nor del Castillo are drug dealers or ruthless murderers, although Ms. del Castillo did play one on TV in her long-running soap "La Reina del Sur," (The Queen of the South).

Because Ms. del Castillo had a more intimate and complicated relationship with El Chapo, becoming a pen pal of sorts, let me deal with the Sean Penn situation since his role is closer to what reporters do.

Presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio has called his interview with El Chapo grotesque. Why exactly is that? Because the fugitive is a scumbag drug dealer? So what? I interviewed mass murderer Charles Manson and a long string of other miscreants.

Why do journalists interview these lowlifes? We do it because their stories are newsworthy, and politicians looking to condemn their efforts are just looking for cheap shot morality plays.

If you want to be outraged about something be outraged about the insatiable appetite of Americans for every kind of narcotic and dangerous drug that can be grown or synthesized. Like John Miller, the former federal official, journalist and current commissioner of the NYPD who interviewed the then (1999) world's most wanted fugitive and dangerous man Osama bin Laden, Sean Penn is protected by the First Amendment and by custom.

We don't prosecute the messengers in this country. And we dont blame them for the bad news.

This was a gritty example of enterprise journalism.

If you personally don't like Penn because he's an a**hole or a quasi-Commie or because he was friends with Venezuela's late crazy man president Hugo Chavez  it doesn't matter.

What matters is that he performed a public service in nabbing this important interview. If, as the Mexicans claim, the interview provided authorities with vital information leading to El Chapos capture, well sometimes thats the price bad guys pay when going public. Pay back is a bitch. As a general rule, it is a bad idea for notorious wanted men to give interviews to high-profile celebrities.

Now, I want El Chapo extradited to the United States to stand trial in Brooklyn's Eastern District Federal Court on charges that will lead to multiple convictions that will put him out of sight of the sun, six stories underground in ADX Florence Colorado Super Max forever.

The self-confessed (thanks to Penn) biggest supplier in the world of heroin, meth and coke, El Chapo, aka Shorty, deserves no less. If youre mad at Sean Penn youre mad at the wrong guy.
Even if both of Senator Ted Cruzs parents were American born, it still wouldnt matter. He was born in Canada. Period. His parents werent there because they needed to be. They were there because they wanted to be. Ted Cruz, by the letter and spirit of the law, cannot be president!

Its pretty simple, if Eleanor and Rafael Cruz were eligible to vote according to the Canadian election board, that means they were Canadian citizens.  Rick Sanchez

Heres why this matters to me. Ive always wanted to be president of the United States. Its not an ego thing; its a respect thing. You see, because I arrived in this country as an immigrant and because I felt as if Id been rescued, like Id found the most welcoming place in the world, the place that would provide opportunities not only for me, but for my entire family and everyone I love  then it follows that I would want to protect it, love it and even lead it.

Now, Im probably the least qualified guy to be president, but it doesnt matter. Whats important is that I want it  that we all want it. Not because of what it would do for us, but rather because of what we all should be willing to do for America.

Unfortunately, the law says I, Rick Sanchez, cannot be President of the United States. I know that because its one of those things Ive thought about my whole life. Most immigrants realize that when the moment they become naturalized  that its the one thing you simply cant achieve.

Becoming an American is a dream come true. It bequeaths on us non natural born Americans everything that natural born Americans have  except for one! We dont get to be president ever.

Now along comes Senator Ted Cruz who seems to be saying, I know I wasnt born here, but guess what  I want to change the rules, I want it all.

The problem for Ted Cruz is that we know what the spirit and letter of the law says. It says if you want to be an American president, you have to be born on United States territory just like every other man whos ever held the office was born in the contiguous United States and Hawaii. Common sense says being born in the United States means just what it says.

That doesnt mean Americans are unreasonable. Most of us could understand exceptions we would gladly consider. For example, lets say you were born overseas in an embassy because your parent is a diplomat. Got it, check  youre good. Or lets say you are born to parents who are stationed overseas? Check, youre good. Heres another one, your mom and dad happen to be vacationing and you arrive early while youre in some foreign country. OK, I got it. Youre good there as well  you should be permitted to be president.

But in the case of Cruz, none of those scenarios come into play. In fact, its the opposite. His dad wasnt even born in the U.S., he was born in Cuba, while his mom was born in America, but was living in Canada. She wasnt there because of extenuating circumstances, which mandated her to be there on behalf of the U.S. government. She was there because she wanted to be there  her choice!

Candidate Cruz was not born in the United States, he was born in Canada. And guess what? Common sense says his situation is not what the founding fathers envisioned when they described who should or should not be allowed to be president.

But theres more! This may put to rest any chance Ted Cruz has to somehow convince us hes not really Canadian, and should be allowed to be president. Some have tried to argue that although Cruzs parents were in Canada when he was born, they were still U.S. citizens. I guess they want us to see it as an extended work vacation of some sort.

Unfortunately, heres the problem. According to a new report released by Canadian authorities, Cruzs mother not only lived in Canada, but she was enrolled as a voter.

In a document uncovered by Talking Points Memo and published by Breitbart News, Ted Cruzs parents were officially named on a Calgary list of electors for Canadas federal election in July 8, 1974. They are listed as residents of 920 Riverdale Avenue, Calgary, Alberta who are eligible to vote. And heres the clincher, only Canadian Citizens are allowed to vote in Canada. Thats right, Canadian law restricts federal voting rights to only Canadian citizens. Its pretty simple, if Eleanor and Rafael Cruz were eligible to vote according to the Canadian election board, that means they were Canadian citizens.

Did you hear that? They were Canadian citizens, not American citizens. And that makes Ted Cruzs argument about being a natural American citizen at the very least arguable. After all, he was likely born to Canadian citizens.

Thats a problem  a serious one at that for a man wanting to be president. Sorry Ted, as a fellow Cuban American, I feel your pain. But Im reminded of one of your favorite songs. You cant always get want you want, but if you try sometimes, you find you might get what you need.

Good luck Ted!
The discussion on raising the federal minimum wage, one of the most polarizing in the political field, has recently been highly featured during forums and debates. However, the issue  apart from being used erroneously as a judge of moral character  is often one-sided.

Supporters of a Washington-mandated wage levels have it backwards: its those who support a federal minimum wage increase who want to sacrifice those looking to enter the job market  and those most at risk of losing their jobs  for those already in it.

Wages will not rise if the cost of regulations are forcing companies to shift profits away from workers wages and toward government mandates.  Josh Rivera

As the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) explains, while some workers would receive higher pay, jobs for many low-wage workers would probably be eliminated. The impact of a minimum wage increase would be particularly severe for Hispanic immigrants, who tend to be concentrated in low-wage occupations.

There are 519,000 Hispanics living on federal minimum wage, thats 17.3 percent of the working population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, raising the minimum wage would not do anything to help the workers who need the most assistance. As appealing as a federal wage mandate sounds, it's minority groups like this one who face the backlash that will inevitably follow.

U.S. Hispanics who desperately want full-time employment are already disproportionately forced into part-time jobs, according to the most recent study from The LIBRE Institute. This is a community that has first-hand experience on job loss due to federal regulation, such as the Affordable Care Act. Under the healthcare law, an estimated 2.5 million people have lost their full-time jobs, and there has been a significant cut in work hours from many employers nationwide.

The truth is, Washington cant deliver high wages  or wealth in general  just by the stroke of a pen. As the CBO makes clear, Washington can create winners and losers, leading some workers to get raises, while others get pink slips.

Wage increases come with real, private-sector led economic growth  something too many in Washington have given up on. The headlines have recently focused on several major national companies that have raised wages across the board. Some companies adjusted due to profits, other from workers claims. Thats great news. In a free market, change comes naturally to satisfy needs.

The power to increase wages should rely on individuals, not government.

Nevertheless, under President Obamas administration, new regulations imposed by the White House are costing our economy over $80 billion every year  an extremely heavy burden at a time when new business startups have dropped to a historic low. Wages will not rise if the cost of regulations are forcing companies to shift profits away from workers wages and toward government mandates.

When Washington seeks to boost take-home pay, policymakers should look at proposals that limit the negative impact on small businesses. A recent report by the Manhattan Institute, The Wage SubsidyA Better Way To Help The Poor, explains why a wage-subsidy program would be a better tool to help the working poor than a higher minimum wage or even the popular Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable tax credit for low-to moderate-income working individuals.

The report explains that unlike raising the minimum wage, which puts an unfair burden on the shoulders of employers and harms low-income consumers through higher prices, a wage-subsidy program would avoid these problems because it would be paid collectively by society through its tax base, not only by employers. Making all proponents of having government make a mandate, put their money where their mouth is.

The discussion on minimum wage may be polarizing but its one that needs to take place. Failing to see either side of the debate or demonizing those who dont agree with your views will just drag out a consensus on the issue. Decisions on government regulations should be supported by research and analysis. On the case for a federal mandate on a minimum wage increase, change is best when it comes by freedom of choice.
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President Obamas State of the Union address leaves no doubt that he is an impressive speaker. He would have made a great preacher, provided of course that they would have allowed him to use a teleprompter. The teleprompter, combined with his pearly whites, his folksy (and sarcastic) humor, and his perfectly cadenced voice, make Barack Obama a formidable stage presence.

Despite the fact that he squashed the Keystone pipeline, crushed the coal industry, and unleashed EPA regulators to further decimate the energy industry, [President Obama] takes credit for $2 gas. Yeah, right.  Raul Mas Canosa

Unfortunately, the Presidents eloquence  and the facts behind them  dont stand up to serious scrutiny. Even worse, hes lied so long and so often, that he now seems to believe his own exaggerations and falsehoods.

Where to begin? Lets start by scrutinizing the Presidents claim that his administration has led a masterful economic recovery. The President said "We're in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history. More than 14 million new jobs; the strongest two years of job growth since the 90s; an unemployment rate cut in half."

The Washington Post, hardly a bastion of conservative thought, has noted quite correctly that both Clinton and Reagan had much stronger job growth numbers during their terms in office. Back in September, the same newspaper quoted Wall Street Journal reporter Matt Stiles analysis that the average monthly gain during this period is in the bottom half of the 17 jobs recoveries lasting 12 months or more in the past 75 years, with an average of 186,000 jobs created every month. By comparison, the periods in the Reagan and Clinton eras generated at least 240,000 private-sector jobs a month.

The lesson here is that numbers presented in a vacuum might sound good but when placed in historical context theyre not nearly as compelling. Throughout most of the Obama administration, the U.S. economy has seen uninspiring GDP growth in the 2 percent range with month after month of see-sawing job creation numbers. Boom times? Hardly.

The same scrutiny can be applied to Obamas unemployment percentages. Reducing unemployment to 5.4 percent from the 10 percent peak of his administration may seem impressive but it looks a lot less positive when you consider that millions of Americans have simply given up looking for work. Their numbers dont count when calculating the unemployment rate. The labor force participation rate is currently at 62.6 percent, the lowest it has been in almost four decades. While some of that decline is structural (i.e. baby boomers retiring), a big chunk of it is frustrated Americans who have thrown in the towel and are no longer looking for work.

Almost immediately after patting himself on the back for supposedly saving the economy, President Obama moved to address the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious. Here I was hoping he would propose a solution, or at least rally Republicans to help him restore some semblance of income security to American households.

Instead we were treated to a fatalistic lecture on how the world has changed fundamentally because technology and global integration has altered the workplace and displaced millions of jobs. Obamas humdrum solution is more education, this time including free college tuition. Somehow, the idea of taking on more debt, or raising taxes, so that government can provide more free stuff just doesnt make sense to meespecially while we are still clawing out of the recession. Call me crazy but I thought we elected leaders to solve difficult problems, not to punt and squeeze more out of already overburdened taxpayers.

Speaking of government growth, the President tried to reassure us that The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. Its not even close. What he fails to mention is that the U.S. military today is a shadow of its former self, incapable of fighting more than one major conflict in the world. This is in stark contrast to our historic ability to fight multiple engagements in different geographic regions. Budget battles with Congress have led to sequestration cuts and major declines in the size and readiness of our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Training, equipment, manpower, and maintenance have all suffered enormously. It is a hollowed out force. The Presidents lack of leadership, his inability to build consensus, is largely to blame for this deterioration.

Our slick-talking President also took credit for many things he has clearly opposed. Despite the fact that he squashed the Keystone pipeline, crushed the coal industry, and unleashed EPA regulators to further decimate the energy industry, he takes credit for $2 gas. Yeah, right.

Finally, strangely missing from the Presidents speech was the subject of immigration. Absent one call for fixing a broken immigration system and a brief mention of DREAMers he pretty much ignored the subject. The President who promised to reform immigration, and then became the deporter-in-chief, ends his term with nothing more than some shaky executive actions that will likely be overturned.

I could go on and on pointing out the hypocrisy, the half-truths, the failed promises and the exaggerations foisted upon us in the Presidents State of the Union. Brevity however, compels me to only highlight the most egregious.

The reality is that seven years ago President Obama swept into office with wonderful oratorical flourishes and the promise of hope and change. Those who questioned his leadership experience have been proven correct. Obama has been unable to govern effectively. Compromise has been in his vocabulary  but not in his actions. In foreign affairs he has projected weakness and stumbled badly. Radical Islamic terrorists have again killed innocent Americans at home. We are not safer than when Obama took office. The economy is better, but hardly on sound footing.

As I write this, the President has 371 days left in office. I am counting the days until he leaves.
The American voter is much savvier than politicos on both sides of the aisle give us credit for; we just need some straight talk to clear the air.

At the 2016 GOP debate in South Carolina, the top seven candidates squared off and tried to leave it all on the fieldand what was left was in many cases just hollow rhetoric. The morning after, every journalist is picking the low-hanging fruit of fact checking the debate. A more important exercise is deciphering who was offering real substance and who was just spinning in a maelstrom of cleverly crafted attacks.

The Schumer-Rubio Amnesty Bill was a flop on all points, and the authors need to own it. The fact is, you cannot fight for something as long as Rubio did and then decide to be against it. Bottom line: Rubio stands for amnesty.  Nelson Balido

Lets take a few of last nights talking points and see who is still standing when the facts are down.

How does one become an American?

There are only two ways to become a U.S. citizen: 1. You are natural born, or 2. You are naturalized. The naturalization process begins with a resident visa and then evolves into an application for citizenship. (Its a process my own parents went through). At the debate, Donald Trump threw some mud by suggesting that, if nominated, Sen. Cruz would be sued for ineligibility for the highest office in the land.

We know that Sen. Ted Cruz did not go through a naturalization process, because he didnt need to. His mother is an American, and so he is an American, natural born. Sec. 1, Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution lays out the requirements for eligibility, and the notion of natural born was designed to prevent someone from another country immigrating to the United States, becoming president and then re-directing American power in support of the immigrants mother country. When born American, the Founding Fathers wisely knew, ones allegiance is purely to the United States.

The more fundamental question here is: does anyone really believe the natural-born Constitutional scholar from Texas has an allegiance to any country other than the United States? The Founding Fathers would be just fine with a Cruz presidency, by both the letter and the spirit of the law.

The birther issue is simply a non-issue. The only reason Trump brings it up is because he is starting to lag in the pollsa fact he admitted himself during the debate. He has to do better than this!

How does an illegal immigrant become an American?

They dont, although Sen. Marco Rubio has tried to change that. The 2013 Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill, crafted by Sen. Rubio and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, included a path to citizenship for more than 11 million people living in the United States illegally. This opportunity for amnesty was disguised within the almost indecipherable legalese of congressional law, but it didnt make it off the Senate floor because you cant kid a kidder, as they say. Other Senators fought it and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives didnt touch it.

But Sen. Rubio keeps on spinning, claiming hes not the only one who supports a path to citizenshipexcept he is the only Senator on the GOP stage who supports amnesty. Its the best he can muster because he cant walk this one back in the face of changing poll numbers and voter priorities. Other candidates (Sen. Cruz is a good example) have a strong, clear perspective: the United States will enforce its laws, not change them just to suit the political persuasions of the left.

The Schumer-Rubio Amnesty Bill was a flop on all points, and the authors need to own it. The fact is, you cannot fight for something as long as Rubio did and then decide to be against it. Bottom line: Rubio stands for amnesty.

How did a New York Times reporter sneak onto the stage?

There was an eighth political force at Thursdays debateit was the liberal left, which came in the form of The New York Times Mike McIntire and his truly underhanded jab at Sen. Cruz over campaign funding disclosure during his 2012 run for the U.S. Senate. The Times reporting on campaign disclosures is worth calling out, not in defense of Sen. Cruz but in criticism of the reporter and his employer (as well as whoever put him up to the political hit job).

The truth of it is that The Times was telling half-truths. The article says a loan to Sen. Cruz from Goldman Sachs (obtained by leveraging the net worth of the Cruz family) was not reported on the appropriate FEC form. On the face of it, one might think the Texas Senator was somehow hiding his financial situation. But the other half of the story (which McIntire barely mentions) is that Cruz did disclose the loan on his arguably more important financial disclosures to the U.S. Senate.

In other words, this loan has been on the public record for years, and Cruz is already rectifying the clerical error that became moot after he won the election. That article does not serve the public interest; it only boosts the ego of the reporter and the ongoing attacks of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

I wonder which campaign researched and dropped this one? I suspect Rubio or Trump. Trying to make something from nothing in an effort to cloud realities is a sure sign of desperation.

The greatest truth of Thursday night

The one thing on which everyone agreed is that a Hillary Clinton Administration would be an unmitigated disaster for the United States. The list of reasons for this is too long to explain here, but there are a couple key points worth stating.

First, the FBI will almost certainly recommend a criminal indictment against Mrs. Clinton. The FBI does not dedicate 100 agents full-time to an investigation unless there is fire as well as smoke, and in this case, it is a raging forest fire. Many indisputable facts have already emerged showing distinctly un-presidential and likely criminal actions by the former Secretary of State. Whether Attorney General Loretta Lynch will shirk her legal obligations and kowtow to the political winds will dictate if a criminal indictment follows. To be sure, however, if the FBI recommends an indictment and the Obama administration rejects it, there will be an enormous backlash that will shake the very foundations of the Executive Office.

Second, Mrs. Clintons proposed platforms are a carbon copy of President Obamas. The middle class has been absolutely hammered by this administration. U.S. businesses are barely surviving beneath the mountain of regulations bureaucrats are meting out at a breakneck pace. And the White House, by way of Secretary of State John Kerry, is actually thanking Iran for putting our sailors on their knees at gunpoint; this while also doing the bare minimum to combat ISIS. We cannot afford another four years of this.

The time has come to choose a fighter that is honest, talks straight and follows through. There is more debating and mud-slinging coming. This isnt over by a long shot. But the voting public is starting to see through the fog, and talking points can only go so far. This has turned into a two-man race, and the GOP candidate who sticks to the issues and speaks with consistent credibility may well be the only one left standing on solid ground. So far, I have to give it to Ted Cruz.
Puerto Rico is a ticking time bomb. With two debt defaults already in the can (its first in history), the semi-autonomous territorys administrators have guaranteed there will be more. However, with a lame duck governor unable to bring consensus to his government, lenders reluctant to accept cuts in their investments, and a U.S. Congress disinclined, or unable, to throw the island the bailout it wants, will anyone be able to save Puerto Rico from the inevitable?

The current governors departure may prove to be beneficial in the end, especially given the existing pool of candidates who seem more willing to take a chance at this leap of faith.  Justin Velez Hagan

Having served only one of the two terms he is eligible for as governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro Garcia Padilla recently decided it wasnt worth his time to try to convince voters that he deserves a round two. Given approval ratings less than half of those of the least liked governor in the rest of the country, the real reason is that he didnt really have a chance. Lame duck status, combined with strong disapprovals, often create an atmosphere for elected leaders to shift policies, which may be especially true in Puerto Rico since one of the biggest complaints from legislators has been that voters wont re-elect representatives who make the more difficult, necessary decisions today.

Garcia Padilla seemed to understand this dilemma, even offering the idea of an independent fiscal control board  theoretically free from the pressures of politics  as a potential solution. But knowing what needs to be done and doing it are two different things. The Governor may have instead taken a more ideological turn, promising not to put fiscal austerity measures into place that creditors, independent economists, ratings agencies, and stateside legislators have been asking for. According to one report, for example, government expenditures on education have increased by 39 percent over the last decade, while the number of students has fallen by 20 percent.

Obstinately maintaining an ideology can be problematic, even for a lame duck, when simultaneously begging for assistance from federal legislators and administrators who want Puerto Rico to show some sign that it is willing to change. Raul Labrador, one of a very few U.S. congressmen born on the island and the only Puerto Rican from the party that currently controls Congress, summed his colleagues concerns in this weeks House Committee on Natural Resources hearing when he asked to see some initiative from the island. He suggested that approving a restructuring deal for its debt-laden and publicly-owned energy utility (known as PREPA) would be a step in the right direction that Congress would like to see before members will consider an offer of financial assistance.

Even if the PREPA restructuring deal passes, it will be but a Band-Aid for a bullet wound. The existing deal would only apply to approximately 10 percent of total government debt, while also enabling the utility to raise energy rates as well as an opportunity to seek financing from the credit markets again (yes, a debt deal that allows more debt).

Congress sincerely wants to help, as they should. Republicans and Democrats around the country are beginning to understand that Puerto Ricos fiscal problems dont stay on the island. We are either going to help them now (federal transfers already equate to more than one third of the islands economy), or once they come to mainland states as its economy continues to worsen.

But U.S. legislators have constituents to report to in an important election year and few are willing to give away the countrys resources, or do anything that might be described as a bailout, without something in return. To that end, Congress is going to demand a thorough and independently audited financial review of the islands accounts. Because the current Governor hasnt produced a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)  what every other municipality in the country produces yearly  since he took office in 2013, no one really knows how much money Puerto Rico has, where it is, how its being used, and where revenues are coming from that are paying the bills it does find a way to pay.

As there are few points of transparency more vigorously defended that the lack of independently audited financials, it is unlikely that Garcia Padilla will produce one, or get anything he wants from Congress. Congress will provide only menial financial patchwork until an even more severe crisis impels action, or a new, more amenable administration takes office in Puerto Rico in early 2017. The two-sided standoff will also ensure that the highly coveted Chapter 9 bankruptcy solution that many are advocating for is unlikely to gain approval by Congress anytime soon.

A recalcitrant attitude toward the will of Congress, combined with the decision to not run for reelection has ensured that Garcia Padilla will be ineffectual for the remainder of his term, which leaves all of us but to dream of what the next leader will bring. What the island desperately needs is a strong reform candidate, who understands the politics of D.C. and the feasibility of his promises, with a madmans willingness to sacrifice his own political career in order to provide a long-term economic solution. The irony is that Puerto Ricans are desperate enough for something different that it might reward the policies that have been staunchly rejected in the past.

The current governors departure may prove to be beneficial in the end, especially given the existing pool of candidates who seem more willing to take a chance at this leap of faith. Then again, I cant think of a recent gubernatorial candidate who wasnt thought of this way.
There are thousands of children on the move from Central American countries.

They are traveling alone, under often-horrific conditions, and they are headed to the United States. This is a substantial problem, for many reasons, but its not a new one.

In October and November, about 10,500 unaccompanied children (UAC) crossed the U.S. southern border, a 106 percent increase from the same time frame a year before.

There are rising fears that we could see a repeat of the 2014 massive influx of unaccompanied children. That year, 68,500 were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Part of the U.S. challenge in stopping illegal immigration across the southern border comes down to a matter of incentive.

Remittances are one of Mexicos primary sources of foreign income. In 2014, Mexico received $23.6 billion sent from Mexicans living abroad, and the vast majority of this was earned and sent by those living in the United States. Even as Mexico recognizes that the United States sees illegal immigration as a priority, the country has not been sufficiently incentivized to share our sense of urgency. Indeed, they have been making billions of dollars off the status quo.

Meanwhile, Central American parents are incentivized to send their children on a perilous journey to the United States because they believe their children will find sanctuary here. And they arent wrong. By last August, the Department of Health and Human Services had already released 43,000 of these children and resettled them with sponsors, many of them family members.

We often hear about how Americas illegal immigration problems can be resolved with border security tactics, like infrastructure and more officers on the front lines.

We do need to make big strides in how we protect our border, but when it comes to unaccompanied minors, it is really more of a border processing challenge.

Once any illegal immigrant sets foot on U.S. soil, they enter the U.S. legal system for processing, detention, and deportation, which takes time -- sometimes years -- courts, and money.

If we are to effectively deal with the flow of these minors into the United States, as well as address the larger volume of illegal immigrants generally, Mexico must be incentivized to stop migrants before they reach the U.S. border.

In July 2015, Counselor of the U.S. Department of State Thomas Shannon told the Senate Appropriations Committee that one of the methods the United States would pursue for stopping the flood of unaccompanied minors is to help Mexico halt migrants before they cross into Mexico.

This was a shocking instance of forethought and political will for an administration that seems more focused on amnesty (and seldom-mentioned mass deportations) than law enforcement and border security. Yet, heavy doses of hypocrisy remain, as President Barack Obama condemns stricter immigration laws in Arizona, even as he called for far stricter immigration tactics in Mexico.

Indeed, at the administrations urging, Mexico has launched an aggressive Southern Border Program.

From October 2014 to April 2015, Mexico apprehended nearly 100,000 Central American illegal immigrants, about twice as many from the same time period a year before. To help accelerate and support Mexicos efforts, the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that Congress passed at the end of last year provides nearly $1 billion in funding to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador for a variety of programs in those countries designed to address illegal immigration.

And there are plans for the United States to spend $150 million on programs for and used by Mexico, which include a biometric tracking system and communications infrastructure for their southern border.

This is a decent start, but big questions remain.

Namely, who on this side of the border will be keeping track of how Mexico spends the hundreds of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars? Even as the administration loathes talking about immigration enforcement, this must not be a set-it-and-forget-it initiative.

To that point, U.S. citizens are tired of seeing their tax dollars funding this fight on both sides of the border. U.S. monies, as well as demands for Mexico to step up, seem to be having some impact, but perhaps its time we heap some more fuel on the incentive fire.

With billions of dollars flowing to Mexico in remittances, and as Mexicos largest trading partner, the United States holds significant leverage.

But do we have the political leadership to exercise that leverage and expand efforts to stop the flow of unaccompanied minors? Maybe Washington needs some further incentives, too. To be sure, the American electorate is about to deliver somein the voting booth.
We often hear the phrase education is the key to success. Its time to be more intentional and demand that a quality education is the key to success. As a father of two, I want my children to have bigger and better opportunities than I did. I think nearly every parent can agree on that.

Yet today, one too many students find themselves at a disadvantage, wasting their prime learning years at low-performing schools because of their zip code or their last name. They deserve better. They deserve to have a choice.

Republicans are proud to stand up for school choice. School choice is simply about empowering parents to choose for their family the best education options for their children.

These options can be in the form of traditional public schools, public charter schools, school vouchers, magnet schools, online learning, education savings accounts and home schooling. In other words, school choice puts the most important decisions back into the hands of parents who dont have the options of moving to a better school district or paying private-school tuition out of pocket.

As we observe National School Choice Week, hundreds of thousands of parents and educators will rally in support of school choice at more than 16,000 events. Americas growing enthusiasm and appetite for this common sense reform is clear.

Education is a high priority for all Americans, particularly minorities; about one in five Latinos name education as the countrys most important issue right now. Additionally, more than 70 percent of Hispanics support school choice initiatives like charter schools, vouchers, tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts. According to a recent survey, 72 percent of black families favor charter schools and 79 percent of black families support vouchers or education scholarships  programs that enable them to send their children to charter, private or parochial schools.

Throughout this election cycle, one candidate in particular has turned her back on these results-driven school choice initiatives. That, of course, is Hillary Clinton. In November, Clinton told journalist Roland Martin, I want parents to be able to exercise choice within the public school system  not outside of it.

As First Lady, Clinton had the resources and the choice to send her daughter to one of the best and most elite private schools in Washington, D.C. I do not criticize her for having that opportunity. But what about giving low-income families the same opportunity to choose a school that is right for their kids, just like she did?

Thats exactly what school choice is all about.

In fact, Clinton once agreed on school choice, expressing support in her 1996 book, "It Takes a Village." She wrote, Some critics of public schools urge greater competition among schools as a way of returning control from bureaucrats to parents and teachers. I find their argument persuasive, and I favor promoting choice among public schools.

Now that Hillary hopes to be the Democratic presidential nominee, shes flip-flopped in order to snag key endorsements and keep campaign contributions coming from teachers' unions.

School choice shouldnt be a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. Its a civil rights issue that should unite us as Americans to do whats right for tomorrows leaders. It shouldnt matter whether the schools children attend are within or outside the public system. It only matters that they attend good schools.

Republicans spearhead school choice because we are fighting for fairness. In Arizona, the Republican-led House is introducing a bill that will allow every public school student to use state funds to attend a private school. In Nevada, Attorney General Adam Laxalt is fighting in court to keep the ACLU from killing the states new school choice law.

Three years ago, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal fought an Obama administration lawsuit in federal court to keep charter schools open in some of the most poverty-stricken areas of New Orleans. In the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott has sponsored the CHOICE Act, which would expand educational options for students with disabilities, military families and low-income families.

Access to a quality education shouldnt be a right reserved for the rich and well-connected. Lets lift up all children by giving them the options that will help unleash their greatest potential and achieve their dreams.

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The real conversation on immigration is not always what presidential candidates would have us believe.



In this, the most drawn out campaign cycle in history, too many presidential hopefuls are addressing immigrants and immigration with proclamations designed to grab headlines and fire up the base. Theyre succeeding on both counts, and climbing poll numbers, whether by coincidence or correlation, provide them no disincentive.



But in the long run, that kind of rhetoric does not bring us to the consensus we need to reach bipartisan solutions on immigration.



You dont have to take my word for it. Wednesday evening in Davenport, Iowa, a panel of seven faith, law enforcement and business leaders from across the political spectrum pleaded for a more constructive conversation, just a day before the GOP debate in Des Moines and five days before the Iowa Caucuses.



The panelists led by example, engaging one another, and an audience that packed the house at St. Ambrose University, in respectful dialogue that focused on people over politics. They talked about the value of immigrants and immigration and how immigrants are improving Iowas churches, communities and economy.



The Bible is not silent on immigration, noted the outreach pastor from Harvest Bible Chapel. Im thankful theres nothing in the law that says as a pastor or as a church we cant love an undocumented immigrant, the pastor, Doug Rowland, added.



We must have the trust of everyone in the community in order to keep everyone safe, reasoned the Story County sheriff, Paul Fitzgerald: Were dealing with human beings here. And we must be in a position where we enforce the law, but we also have to be compassionate.



Immigration brings in talent that helps fill our nations critical skills gaps and creates jobs, said Greg Aguilar, director of talent attraction and retention at the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. A talented and educated workforce is the most important resource to a growing economy.



In the dialogue onstage and in questions from the audience, frustration emerged that our political leaders cant seem to come together to address an immigration system that is so clearly broken.



Candidates on both sides of the spectrum may try to use immigrants and immigration for political gain, but among these panelists from different sectors, there was consensus that we need a better conversation  and real policy change.



Listen to voters and not just to candidates and youll see that consensus emerge more and more.



Ken Vinson, an Iowa Republican, told the Los Angeles Times last week, I dont care how they got here, they got here, and they have a family. Now all of a sudden you want to rip those people out and send them back? I wouldnt want my family torn apart like that.

And, on the same day as the panel in Davenport, 32 Iowa and five national evangelical leaders sent a letter to all of the presidential campaigns, Democrat and Republican. Scripture guides us toward a just and compassionate response to immigrants in our country, they wrote. We encourage you to heed its words and get to know our communities. Come meet us and our immigrant neighbors, friends and fellow church members.



The conservative movements immigration debate will continue beyond Iowa and beyond primary season. Forums such as Wednesdays should light the path forward.



Will candidates listen to the vocal few who would choose mass deportation, at enormous cost to our churches and our businesses, not to mention our governments balance sheet  and our values? Or will they listen to voters in Iowa who demand security, yes, but seek a more compassionate option that respects the human dignity of each person, brings people out of the shadows, and helps our nation thrive economically and morally?



In Davenport Wednesday night, voices rang out clean and clear for the compassionate approach. The Republican police chief on the panel received applause when he said, We need to bring this discussion back to the middle."



Although the chief is not running for president (yet), he certainly has a better grasp on reality than some of the candidates.

More On This... Best pix of the week
In the wake of the 2012 election defeat, the Republican establishment commissioned a report to determine what the Republican Party needs to do to win national elections in the future. According to this autopsy report, the Washington Cartel wants us to believe that in order for Republicans to be competitive in national elections, we ought to act like Democrats and support amnesty. Their rationale is that only by supporting amnesty and a pathway to citizenship, will the growing Hispanic electorate support Republicans.

Marco Rubio was to be the face of this new approach, and in the process the final nail in the coffin of grassroots conservatives who obstruct the Republican Establishments donor class oriented agenda. In Rubio, they found a tea-party darling who went to Washington only to surround himself with lobbyists and insiders as his advisors; so much so that even Rubios slogan of a New American Century was taken from the Project for a New American Century, a neoconservative think tank of Washington insiders pushing for Wilsonian big government domestic policy and unprovoked large-scale military intervention abroad.

When Marco Rubio was campaigning for his senate position, he repeatedly promised that he would never support amnesty. In 2013, Rubio broke that promise and coauthored a bill that would not only grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, but also provide them a pathway to citizenship. Rubio had been convinced by the insiders that he surrounded himself with that the grassroots conservatives influence in the Republican Party was over. He was wrong, and once he saw his error, he cut and ran from the legislation he authored and promoted.

We deserve a consistent conservative

Ted Cruz has consistently stood with the millions of conservatives who passionately defend the rule of law and understand that a weak immigration system that rewards rule-breakers, does not only threaten our national security, but runs counter to American values. His principled position AGAINST amnesty, unlike that of my home-town senator  Rubio, has not only earned Cruz the respect of millions of Americans, but will also lead to him dominating the Hispanic vote in 2016.

The assumption behind the push for amnesty and a pathway to citizenship that rewards the breaking of our laws is that Hispanic Americans (voters) are not normal Americans and cannot be conservatives like millions of other Americans. It is an insult to Hispanic American voters.

Cruz, Rubio, and I are all sons of immigrants that came to this country to be part of a unique experiment in democracy  one that our founders always knew that, if not vigilantly protected, was one generation away from extinction. We are just a few of the millions of Americans with roots from countries like Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and others, whose governments have overthrown the rule of law and whose people do not have the freedoms to pursue their dreams of a better future. The vast majority of Hispanic Americans are here legally  working hard and benefiting greatly from a country that is supposed to respect the rule of law.

Many serve proudly in the armed forces; some even become leading presidential candidates. What we value most is not pandering and big-government policies that our people fled from in their countries. What we value is liberty. Usurping the American Constitutional system that ensures liberty is a slap in the face to the millions whove followed the rules, waited in lines, and bore the costs of legally immigrating.

At the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses, Rubio complained that Cruz goes around calling other Republicans RINOs (short for Republican in Name Only). However, what he doesnt seem to understand yet is that its not Cruz calling him that, its the millions of grassroots conservatives, including many from his hometown of Miami, who feel betrayed by his push for amnesty.

Only in Washington can a career politician like Rubio get away with baselessly accusing Cruz of flip-flopping on immigration.

Our time

Ronald Reagan famously said there comes a time for choosing. When that defining moment came in 2013, Rubio turned his back on conservatives by joining liberal Chuck Schumer as a sponsor of the Gang of Eight amnesty bill.

Cruz, on the other hand, showed principled leadership and respect for the rule of law. The millions of Hispanics who became citizens without a blanket amnesty law will respect and support someone who stands for his principles while steadfastly promoting constitutional government and the rule of law.

Cruz will re-establish the American Constitutional system that grants millions of Hispanic Americans the liberty and freedom to pursue their dreams, not recreate the poverty and lawlessness that many of our parents fled.

This is why Ted Cruz will win the Hispanic vote in 2016.
Last week, the Puerto Rican Government walked away from a consensual deal with the bondholders of its electric power authority, PREPA, in hopes that this will further its aim to attain unprecedented bankruptcy powers. This walkout followed press reports of the Commonwealths cancellations of meetings with its other creditors.

Puerto Ricos leaders claim that they need Washington, D.C., to force bondholders to the table, but their actions dont reflect this. Instead, theyre engaging in a campaign of disinformation about the level of debt and recrimination of bondholders that seems aimed at pressuring Washington to give them bankruptcy authority that would be without precedent.

When Congress rejected the Obama Administrations push to include its Super Chapter 9 plan for Puerto Rico in last Decembers omnibus bill, it rightly took a stand for seniors, retirees and other municipal bondholders across the country.

As has been established by members of Congress and admitted by the islands own governor, Puerto Ricos bondholders are largely ordinary American citizens (on and off the island) who invested their retirement savings in Puerto Rican bonds.

In fact, according to Sen. Charles Grassley, nearly 60 percent of Puerto Ricos debt is held by ordinary Americans. There is no doubt that some made this decision after consulting with investment advisers. Many others, like myself, made this careful and calculated decision on our own. All of us, I suspect, did it for similar reasons.

Puerto Ricos debt has long been considered one of the nations best retirement investments due to its tax-exempt status and, importantly, because, like state debt, some of it comes with constitutionally-backed full faith and credit guarantees of payment.

For their part, Puerto Ricos leaders have long encouraged this investment. Even when things began looking bleak for Puerto Ricos economy in 2013, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla pledged, We will do everything  and I repeat, everything  that is necessary for Puerto Rico to honor all its commitments. It's not only a constitutional but also a moral obligation."

For the governor especially, talk is cheap. Instead of following through on his pledge, Garcia Padilla has waged a two-year campaign pitting the Puerto Rican people against greedy bondholders, despite the fact that so many of the bondholders are Puerto Rican residents themselves.

The governor has neglected to make any fundamental changes to Puerto Ricos broken economic model, failed to create any new revenue for the island outside of tax increases and refused to cut spending or balance the budget  all while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbyists and lawyers to push for a bailout on the backs of bondholders.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, despite aiding the governor in his quest to wipe out bondholders, last week made clear to the leadership in San Juan that there will be no taxpayer bailout for Puerto Rico. As it deliberates in accordance with Speaker Paul Ryans pledge for congressional action by the end of March, Congress should extend Lews promise and reinforce bondholder protections, as well.

Those of us who invested our retirement and savings in Puerto Ricos constitutional debt played no part in the Commonwealths fiscal impropriety. We bought the islands highest-priority bonds in accordance with long-respected and legally-backed protections, following the urging of Puerto Ricos own government.

Undoubtedly, Congress has and will continue to consider a great many options on how best to act on Puerto Rico. Ideally, a solution will see the Commonwealth curtail its wild and out-of-control spending practices and, most importantly, finally negotiate in good faith with its bondholders.

But Congress must not, under any circumstances, pass legislation that allows Puerto Rico to declare bankruptcy  which is something that no other state has the authority to do.

Allowing Puerto Rico to declare bankruptcy sends a clear message to retirees and savers like me who have invested in full faith and credit bonds: None of your investments are safe, and you can no longer count on the rule of law to protect you.
Three weeks ago, my familys world was turned upside down. My 16-month-old child, Jeffrey, woke up crying that morning. My partner Julio warmed up some milk and gave it to him before he left our Long Island, N.Y. home to go to work. Jeffrey waved him goodbye as he saw his father leaving.

When I think about our case, I cant make sense of why ICE would want to tear Julio away from us. In recent years, the Obama administration has said it was taking steps to make immigration enforcement more humane  and that it would focus on not separating families. But how, then, can they justify separating ours?  Deysi Aldana

Soon after Julio left, there was loud pounding on the door. The people outside yelled: Open the door, its ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). I was terrified. Our eldest son, Julio Jr., was trembling. I turned on the camera outside our front door to see what was happening outside. ICE was arresting Julio. They were tearing my family apart.

Our third child was due one week later. I was so distraught, however, that I ended up giving birth that same day. I was very relieved that our new baby, Cristopher, was born healthy. But I am very worried that my stress is having a negative impact on his health.

Now, were fighting for the future of our family. It makes no sense that ICE would try to separate a family like ours, and were begging for them to return Julio to us.

Julio and I first met when I moved to New York in 2005. My uncles knew him and they found me work in one of the stores Julio supervised. He had arrived in the U.S. decades earlier, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador in 1986, and lived here ever since.

Julio and I had an instant connection, and we exchanged numbers the day we met. Working together allowed us to spend a lot of time together and get to know each other. A year after we met, we started living together and we have been together ever since.

Julio used to work both days and nights, sometimes sleeping only two hours a night. When I gave birth to our first child, he asked his employer to allow him to work only during the day so he could help with the childcare. He would work during the day and take care of our baby at night; I would take care of our baby during the day and work at night.

Julio and I shared caretaking responsibilities since the beginning. Whenever Julio Jr. was sick and needed to see a doctor, we would take him together.

While Jeffrey was still a baby, the cleaning company Julio worked for went bankrupt. But Julio found a way to get enough work elsewhere so our children would have enough to eat. He also ensured we had enough money to pay rent and our bills.

Julio works so hard for his family. For a while, he worked for a delivery company where he woke up at 3:30 am and got back home midnight. I was worried about him, but Julio simply said he needed to do what was necessary to take care of our family.

Since Julio was taken away, Ive seen my world crumbling around me. Our children have been beside themselves. Julio Jr. did not want to go to school that first day, and he has hardly been able to eat or sleep since. He tells me, It hurts here inside that the police took daddy, as he gestures to his heart. He is frequently crying under the covers. I also frequently find him praying, asking God to let his father stay with us. He even asked his teacher to call the police and ask them not to send his father to El Salvador.

Taking Julio away from our children would mean our children losing part of themselves. Julio would give his life for his children, and they need him desperately.

When I think about our case, I cant make sense of why ICE would want to tear Julio away from us. In recent years, the Obama administration has said it was taking steps to make immigration enforcement more humane  and that it would focus on not separating families. But how, then, can they justify separating ours? While Julio was arrested in the past for minor offenses, he has had no problems with law enforcement for a dozen years. ICE has the discretion to look at the particular factors in his case and stop his deportation, because he should not be an enforcement priority.

After Julio was taken, I called a hotline and was connected to a community organization called Make the Road New York. The lawyers and organizers there have been working since that day to help me bring Julio home and support my family during this time. But I know so many people are going through this on their own. I can't bear to think about what that would be like.

Julio is my right hand. I dont currently have a job, and Julio pays for everything and helps with the childcare. I do not want to have to live on the streets with my children, but, if ICE does not let Julio come back to us, Im not sure what we will do.

Im praying, like my son, for a miracle for our family. Im praying that ICE will see that the best place for Julio is back with his children.
As candidates continue a fierce race to win the nomination, analysts and campaign staffers spend sleepless nights crunching numbers that hopefully reveal an edge for their candidate of choice. From Fox News polls, NBC polls, ABC polls, ARG polls, and many other XYZ polls, it seems both media and campaigns selectively report on the data that tells a better story for their camp.

In a new world of digital democratization and information, isnt there a better way to draw political intelligence that could mine the unbiased and unfiltered digital opinions of the people? The answer is a big YES.

While over 90 percent of the population in New Hampshire is Non-Hispanic White, the demographic breakdown will play an important role when the campaigns get to highly diverse battle-ground states like Florida, Colorado, Nevada, among others.  Lili Gil Valletta

While powerhouses like Google, Twitter and Facebook have already put their digital engines at the center of various debates, there is still a greater opportunity to use big-data to draw insights that could make a strategic difference for those in the race. After all, how can you draw meaningful conclusions with sample sizes that range from 100 to 900 from telephone interviews? How could these polls accurately capture the sentiment of Millennials  who I doubt are at home with a landline being interviewed  and be representative of the 30 percent plus of minorities who make up Americas voting population? Bottom line, there must be a better way.

My company and I work as business strategists guiding some of Americas largest Fortune 500 companies in their quest to become more relevant and successfully reach todays diverse consumers. Like politicians, corporations also are looking for ways to be relevant, win in key states and stay ahead of Americas shifting demographics. So, why couldnt we use the same tools used for market cultural intelligence to draw political intelligence?

Using a proprietary methodology typically used for brands and corporations seeking marketing insights, we have run a preliminary CulturIntel report. This data shows share of voice and sentiment for each GOP candidate; including a breakdown by ethnic segment. Instead of hundreds of data points, it reports on thousands of unbiased inputs among adults 18+. This never-seen-before information reveals differences and affinity of candidates at the national and local levels across ethnic groups.

The data was extracted from unstructured big-data that comes from discussions about each candidate across various digital and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, message boards, forums, content sharing, etc.), anywhere there was an opted in digital dialogue. Data was analyzed using an arsenal of tools such as key word Boolean, topical text analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and human oversight to understand sentiment, topics and opinions. Cultural segments are identified through profile scanning and language identifiers.

This is what the big data analysis reveals about the New Hampshire GOP Race based on analysis conducted 24 hours after the debate among adults 18+ in New Hampshire and nationally, regardless of political affiliation.

1. Cruz is in the lead reporting the highest percentage of positive sentiment at 43 percent, followed by Rubio at 35 percent and Trump at 32 percent among Non-Hispanic Whites in New Hampshire. This based on a total Non-Hispanic White sample size of 3,093 adults 18+ in New Hampshire and analysis conducted 24 hours after the 2/6/16 GOP debate.

2. Christie reports the highest percentage of negative sentiment at 49 percent, followed by Rubio at 45 percent among adults 18+ in New Hampshire. This may be indicative of some of the avid attacks witnessed by voters during the debate.

3. Trump leads in Share of Voice (SOV) at 34 percent, followed by Cruz at 27 percent and Rubio at 18 percent. While this may not represent a direct correlation to positive intent to support and vote, it validates that Trump continues to garnish the buzz and PR even by voters digitally. SOV represents the relative portion of digital/ online discussions available to a single candidate over a specified time period (24 hours post debate) in New Hampshire.

4. Contrary to the polls, analysis of national conversations among adults 18+ report a surprising Bush in the lead across all ethnic groups capturing the highest scores in positive sentiment at 44 percent among Non-Hispanic whites, 44 percent among Hispanics and 45 percent among African Americans. This may be indicative of his positive cross-cultural and more moderate appeal and a good performance during the NH debate.

5. Based on positive sentiment across all adults 18+, Cruz leads nationally with 44 percent, followed by Trump at 42. Bush rises to the #3 spot followed by Rubio.

While over 90 percent of the population in New Hampshire is Non-Hispanic White, the demographic breakdown will play an important role when the campaigns get to highly diverse battle-ground states like Florida, Colorado, Nevada, among others. In those states, developing relevant grass roots initiatives, in-language campaigns, messaging that address key issues and gaining support from minorities will be a critical winning factor.

For the skeptics, this methodology has already been used by major corporations in guiding their strategies and also validated by the Harvard Medical School, saying it presents powerful, real world data using [a] new modality for qualitative research. Future research should further focus on how to employ and learn from this type of social intelligence research. It was also recognized as a Top Innovation of 2015 by PM360.

Further analysis can be completed to identify the key drivers and topics correlating to positive, negative and neutral sentiment across segments as well as specific messaging opportunities by candidate by state.

More information can be found at www.culturintel.com and more reports can be downloaded at the CulturIntel blog at culturintel.tumblr.com/.
Turnout matters. The NH Secretary of State had predicted that primary voters would turnout in record numbers, and reports of traffic jams, long lines, ballot shortages and extended voting hours proved him correct. But in this election cycle that has thus far defied all political and electoral common knowledge that is one of the few things that we know for sure. At every step of the process for months now pundits and prognosticators have speculated aloud about what factors might determine this election. Now, with the casting of actual votes in Iowa and NH behind us, here is what we have learned:



Spending didnt matter.

Jeb Bush burned through an incredible $36M in combined campaign and SuperPAC spending in the tiny state of NH  more than approximately double the next closest expenditure. He came in 4th place, solidly behind the clear winner Donald Trump who spent $3.7M and closely behind the 3rd place finisher, Ted Cruz, who spent the least -- only $580K.

Debates didnt matter.

Well, maybe the last debate mattered, at least to the candidate named Marco Rubio. Rubios eloquence and charisma in all past debates and public speeches set the bar stratospherically high for himself, and when he stumbled oddly in the NH debate he was mercilessly torn apart for it. Though the reaction seemed overblown, it is quite possible that late-breaking voters were influenced to take their votes elsewhere because of it. The dark irony is that Chris Christie, the one responsible for Rubios excoriation and a consistently solid debater failed to even crack double digits in NH. Thus, pundits have termed the episode a murder-suicide. Otherwise, there has been no clear correlation between debate performance and electoral results.

Ground game didnt matter.

John Kasich was considered to have a good ground game and fared well with a strong 2nd place finish. But based on polling up until a few days ago, his results were more likely a factor of undecideds coalescing around an alternative to Trump who was widely noted to have no ground game at all. Ted Cruz was polling well with conservatives all along, long before ground operations were up and running.

Experience didnt matter

Be it measured by years in elected office or policy chops, this election seemed to put those with experience at a strong disadvantage. In fact, according to exit polls by ABC News, more than half of voters specifically wanted a candidate that was from outside of politics and Donald Trump benefitted from 57 percent of their votes. The polished policy lingo of budgets and legislation that would seemingly be a mark of viability and gravitas was also widely rejected in favor of Trumps brand of verbal belligerence and policy vagary. The candidate whose answer to every policy challenge, both domestic and foreign, is along the lines of Were going to win. Were going to be happy and make American great again! won 45 percent of the voters who havent gone beyond high school, with support dwindling as education level rises.



Ideology didnt matter.

Bringing the Democrat ballot results into the mix, it becomes apparent that Bernie Sanders consistent brand of socialist populism was far more appealing than Hillary Clintons wild swaying from moderate to progressive policy positions. On the Republican side however, Donald Trump has remained unmoored from any consistent ideology in speech or personal activism through the years. Yet, he registered solid support from conservatives and first-time independent voters alike. He consolidated votes among all groups across gender, income, partisanship, ideology, and all age groups except for senior citizens.



Anger mattered and perceived trustworthiness mattered.

When the polls closed on Feb. 9th in NH, these two factors undeniably mattered the most. Republicans and Independents were angry about pretty much everything they perceive as being foisted upon them by the political class and political establishment on both sides of the aisle. They voted for the candidate that, to them and regardless of all other considerations, best gave voice and bravado to their discontent. And that person was Donald Trump. On the liberal side, authenticity and trustworthiness had a premium. Hillary Clinton who widely reeks of the opposite, her record plagued with scandals, evolving positions and blatant lies, was electorally obliterated by Bernie Sanders, 38.3 percent to 60 percent.

A unique election cycle by all accounts, there is still much to come to enlighten us as to what matters most in other states at this point in American history.
Media attention is like a spotlight. It illuminates the present with a blinding light and then proceeds to view both past and future in the reflected glow of the current moment. If the moment is one of triumph, like today is for Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, the media likes to jump forward to map their winning routes to the nomination, or back to discover the seeds of their inevitable success. If the moment is one of disappointment, like today is for Marco Rubio and Hillary Clinton, this exaltation of the present leads to a sort of piling on, a sort of unseemly eagerness to get on with the post-mortem before the subject is dead.

Rubios fall from media grace, his glitch, is, ironically, a chance to show that he is much more than a quick study and promising pol. It is a chance to show the sort of personal resilience and capacity for growth that sets a candidate apart from their highly stage-managed media image.  Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush

Marco Rubios campaign fortunes are a particularly dramatic example of the reinterpretation of electoral reality based on the changing vicissitudes of the primary season. Last week, based on a third place finish in the Iowa caucus, Rubio was seen as a world-beater, capable of uniting the anti-Trump, anti-Cruz, majority of the Republican Party. Today, after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire, Rubio is all but written off as a dead man running. The man has not changed. His record and positions have not changed. And yet, for the pundits, it is all irrevocably altered.

The moment that the commentators have seized on to explain the turn-about is Rubios performance in the last GOP debate  the hilariously nicknamed Rubio glitch, in which he repeatedly fell back on formulaic campaign wording after being accused of being an empty suit with nothing to offer beside formulaic campaign-speak. The glitch hurt Rubios image, no doubt. It is the kind of funny, superficially telling moment, that lends itself to replaying on TV talk shows and Youtube.

But such tells form part of every successful politicians career  they are part of the white noise of politics, the sound and fury, that must be survived, left behind, if not transcended, in the course of a political life. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are two politicians who have surmounted such moments. Remember when Ronald Reagan referred to military uniforms as costumes on a televised debate, prompting hoots about Hollywood actors running for President? Or when Bill Clintons keynote address at the Democratic convention was described as a career-killing, wonk snooze-fest by TV pundits?

But, Reagan and Clinton, survived the moment by learning from it, by understanding that they needed to deepen their connection with the electorate. Both, of course, were master politicians in the sense that they could turn a mis-step into a moment of humility and authenticity. They could jujitsu their mistakes into a reason to like and vote for them.

Rubio is a good politician, and good politicians find a way to turn adversity into opportunity. The qualities that lead him to succeed in Florida politics and to stand-out in a crowded field of Republican hopefuls have not changed overnight. Rubios fall from media grace, his glitch, is, ironically, a chance to show that he is much more than a quick study and promising pol. It is a chance to show the sort of personal resilience and capacity for growth that sets a candidate apart from their highly stage-managed media image. In a matrix media world, it is learning from, and overcoming, the glitch that is the true test.

Eventually, the media frenzy moves on  always from present tense to present tense. And if there is something that the media finds more compelling than the tale of the fall, it is a tale of redemption. Everybody loves a comeback kid. If Marco Rubio can earn himself another moment in the spotlight, he will be a much stronger candidate for it.
Pope Francis will visit Mexico this week and, as always, his flock will be waiting for him to address their concerns and fears. While there is always lots to be concerned about in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, high on the list these days is the Zika virus. It has spread fear around the otherwise joyful topics of pregnancy and growing families, with the nightly newscasts filled with sad images of babies born with microcephaly.

The search for a vaccine has properly accelerated as the crisis unfolds and economic and social support for the affected is a pressing necessity. These things are costly and poorer countries ought to be assisted by global health organizations and richer neighbors.  Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie

Pro-child cultures in Mexico and Latin America result in laws that protect the unborn, with abortion banned outright in the Dominican Republic, Chile, Suriname, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Five other countriesPanama, Paraguay, Mexico, Guatemala, and Venezuela allow the procedure only to save the life of the mother. This is in sharp contrast to the advocates model: the United States, where the procedure is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

Abortion enthusiasts deplore this pro-child state of affairs in Latin America, and see in the Zika virus a crisis that is too good to waste. The U.N. has weighed in, referring to abortion as a reproductive health service and a human right. Along with the Pan American Health Organization and many pro-choice activists they are calling for greater access to the procedure, as a proper response to the virus.

Many Latin Americans--rightfully proud of their culture that protects a coming life, even when unexpected and materially challenging--think its a shame that a public health emergency like the Zika virus should be hijacked and politicized in this way. The natural and human response to a health epidemic is eradicating the cause and finding a cure or vaccine. Mosquito control--spraying of insecticide and eliminating stagnant wateris an effective means of controlling mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and encephalitis. The search for a vaccine has properly accelerated as the crisis unfolds and economic and social support for the affected is a pressing necessity. These things are costly and poorer countries ought to be assisted by global health organizations and richer neighbors.

Instead, international organizations are pushing for the elimination of the victims through abortion. This is cost freealthough neither humane nor rational.

In Honduras, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga has spoken out against the concept of therapeutic abortion as the proper response to the epidemic. In a recent homily he said, Therapeutic abortion does not exist. Therapeutic means curing, and abortion cures nothing. It takes innocent lives. Pope Francis is famously outspoken on the issue, saying Among the vulnerable for whom the church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn childrenIt is not progressive to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.

There is a vast gulf between this way of thinking and that of international abortion activists, who see in the Zika virus a convenient opportunity to further their aims in Latin America.

The Catholics who will come in the hundreds of thousands to see and hear Pope Francis, and who make up 85 percent of the population, have been taught by the Church that all human beings, even the handicapped and those that are not yet born, are equal in dignity and deserving of care and respect. This is reflected in the laws which prohibit the taking of innocent human lives in abortion, and resistance to the idea that a termination of pregnancy is an act without moral significance.

The Pope, unceasing in his outspoken solidarity with the underprivileged who bear the worlds ills and enjoy little of its bounty, surely finds these abortion advocates disgraceful. Disgraceful in trying to turn the publics attention toward their favorite hobbyhorse, when instead it should be focused on ways of really helping women who are worried about being infected while pregnant. Global attentiveness and international resources should be directed toward eradicating the source of the epidemic and searching for a cure. Latin American women and children deserve no less.
Immediately following the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, the airwaves teemed with partisan pundits, from both sides, who highlighted the ideological implications for the balance of the court. Though the rapid posturing seemed cold, it was also apparent how much was at stake, as each session of our nations highest court addresses disputes of significant consequence for Americans, beyond those listed on the case docket. One such case is the ongoing smartphone war between Samsung and Apple, which is currently under consideration for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A decision to let the ruling stand will further incentivize patent trolls to go after small businesses, a devastating blow to small and minority businesses that are instrumental to U.S. economic growth.  Mario H. Lopez

On the surface, this case appears to be a fight between two giant multinational corporations. The reality is that the issues at stakedesign patent infringement damagescould have wide-ranging implications for small businesses of all stripes.

Small business is not only the engine of our countrys economic growth, it is a key factor in the economic progress of underserved communities. While it is a tremendous sign of the strength and vitality of our community that Hispanics start small businesses at a rate three times higher than the general population, there are multitudes of hazards for businesses, particularly for smaller companies like many minority-owned ones. The Apple-Samsung case is indeed such a threat.

In December, Samsung filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling and remedies imposed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit over design patent infringement. Under the ruling, the ornamental features covered by design patents are elevated above functional elements covered by utility patents.

The designs in question are not for the entire device, but rather small elements like the rounded rectangular edges of the smartphone. But if Apple can patent a vertical rectangle for phones, can Sony patent the horizontal rectangle for televisions or cameras?

To make matters worse, the current legal interpretation allows for total product profits awards for design patent infringement, as opposed to infringement on utility patents, where remedies are dictated by the individual patent value.

Awarding damages that cover total product profit incentivizes patent trolls to use design patents because they offer much higher potential payouts and settlements. Unfortunately for small businesses, these awards can force smaller enterprises to close up shop. For businesses only bringing one product to market, total product profit is total profit, period. Simply put, trolls armed with design patents pose a threat to job creation and economic growth.

But the Supreme Court can fix this, even while the partisan dispute over Scalias seat continues.

The Hispanic Leadership Fund, along with the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the National Grange, filed an amicus brief last month in support of Samsungs position. Without reasonable limits on damages for design patent claims, small businesses and consumers alike could end up bearing the biggest burdens of a design patent infringement. Companies will be less inclined to innovate and develop products because theyre at risk of paying total profits if they infringe a design patent. And if sued, their resources will be allocated to the patent dispute rather than research and development or other areas of growth. Excessive damages could force businesses to close or raise prices in the rather than face of surmounting costs.

The most prevalent form of Internet access among Hispanics is through smartphones. These devices enable connectivity for those who might not be able to afford it otherwise. Smartphones open doors to innumerable sources for education, communication, and employment. If the current ruling in the Apple-Samsung case stands, consumers may face higher prices and fewer innovative products. This case foreshadows the impact on other industries and the consumers of those products should this total profits interpretation prevail and set the legal precedent for future cases.

The Apple-Samsung case is a prime opportunity for the Court to provide clarity to the outdated interpretation of design patent infringement damages.

A decision to let the ruling stand will further incentivize patent trolls to go after small businesses, a devastating blow to small and minority businesses that are instrumental to U.S. economic growth. Letting the ruling stand will solidify legal precedent that will hinder entrepreneurship and create significant barriers for Hispanic and other minority owned businesses.

A recent report from the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative found a $1.4 trillion disparity in average annual sales between Hispanic and non-Hispanic owned businesses.

One way to look at that is to say that there is a potential for the American economy to benefit massively with growth from Hispanic-owned businesses alone. As an organization that is invested in the future of minority businesses, especially by supporting constructive public policies and contesting threats, the last thing we want to see is a business climate that inhibits the ability of these businesses to succeed, grow, and thrive.
It is a truly sad day in America when the representative of the prince of peace on earth is lectured by the likes of Donald Trump. But so it is during this 2016 election year  that will likely go down as the year when America lost it mind.

In this media/election environment we are presently experiencing, hate beats love, up is down and screaming idiots are portrayed as voices of reason.  Rick Sanchez

Pope Francis, a man guided by a personal faith and intellectual curiosity, qualities once revered in America, had to compete this week with candidate Trump, a man guided by ego, personal radicalism and a craving for angry confrontation. The winner, as chosen by the media  seemingly completely enamored of the latter  Trump!

In fact, the popes message of compassion while addressing the issue of immigration during his visit to Mexico was barely covered until the village idiot himself could properly vet it. Then and only then, after the Trump had proclaimed the Pope as essentially stupid, easily manipulated and politically motivated, did the media choose to cover Pope Francis comments on immigration.

I think that the pope is a very political person, Trump said on Fox Business. I think he doesnt understand the problems our country has, Trump repeated dismissively.

I think Mexico got him to do it because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is because theyre making a fortune, he also said.

What was it that caused this type of reaction from Trump? Prayer and a gesture of peace and goodwill! Thats right. The pope, in between masses, walked the banks of the Rio Grande and prayed for the estimated 6,000 migrants who have died crossing the border since 2000.

Even the Vatican was perplexed by Trumps attack calling his comments very strange.

The pope always talks about migration problems all around the world, of the duties we have to solve these problems in a humane manner, of hosting those who come from other countries in search of a life of dignity and peace, said the Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi.

Translation: Duh!

Many of us who make up the largest religious body in the United States are also dumbfounded. Seventy million Catholics in the U.S. comprise 22 percent of the population and we will be voting in large numbers in the general election.

Never mind that Trumps braggadocios position on immigration is not only untenable, but also economically catastrophic for America. Never mind his complete and utter ignorance of the most basic economic principles, which prove that without a young vibrant workforce  which Americas aging population no longer delivers  we are doomed to stagnation. Never mind that forcing millions of good people of faith to live in the shadows creates unhealthy communities and increases our own security risks. Never mind the long-term damage hes doing to the GOP brand by making the party seem unfairly anti-Latino.

What matters this week is that Donald Trump  who has gotten away with insulting women, African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Muslims, the disabled and prisoners of war  has now insulted Pope Francis himself and also apparently gotten away with it. Why? Because in this media/election environment we are presently experiencing hate beats love, up is down and screaming idiots are portrayed as voices of reason.
With the White Houses announcement that President Obama will be visiting Cuba in March, President Obama will become the second sitting American president after Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba in nine decades. This historic announcement provides the opportunity not only to help define President Obamas legacy, but to also prove that two countries once divided by generations of strife can come together through diplomacy to support the American and Cuban people.

There is ample room for American businesses across all sectors to gain a foothold in the Cuban market, especially in agriculture. Cuba imports 80 percent of its food from far away countries such as Brazil and Argentina.  James Williams

President Obamas visit comes at a pivotal moment for our country. At a time of heightened political divisiveness in and out of Washington on nearly every issue, support for a new Cuba policy cuts through tired party politics. Seventy-two percent of Americans from both parties agree that its time for Congress to end the embargo and open the U.S. up for business and travel with our Cuban neighbors. The Cuban people overwhelmingly support this as well, as 97 percent of them favor ending the embargo.

This agreement among Americans on both sides of the aisle, and in rural areas and cities alike, is why we launched Engage Cuba, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to ending the Cuban travel and trade embargo. We work with local community leaders and business people from across the country who can envision a future with renewed U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations and can see the increased economic activity that comes with it. It is amazing to see bipartisan leaders across diverse sectors in states such as Tennessee and Ohio come together through Engage Cuba State Councils to stand united in their support for ending the Cuban embargo, and because of the possibilities ahead, that support will only continue to grow.

Renewed U.S.-Cuba relations is appealing to Americans because at the center of this burgeoning relationship is the core American principle of opportunity. Engagement with Cuba presents numerous prospects for U.S. businesses and the Cuban people. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, trade with Cuba could generate $4.3 billion in American exports.

There is ample room for American businesses across all sectors to gain a foothold in the Cuban market, especially in agriculture. Cuba imports 80 percent of its food from far away countries such as Brazil and Argentina. But if the embargo were to be lifted, Cubans could instead import fresh and nutritious food from its close neighbor, the United States, and American farmers could bring their products to a largely untapped market while delivering quality, affordable food to the Cuban people.

This is just one of the many economic opportunities President Obama will witness when he visits Cuba. With the need for infrastructure investment, telecommunications expansion and so much more, each day the U.S. cannot trade with Cuba is a missed opportunity. The current embargo halts job growth and economic development in places that need it most  both in Cuba and here in America. But these changes are not solely the responsibility of the U.S. In order to build on this diplomatic moment, Cuba has to do its part to continue to open its economy and support greater economic ties with the United States.

As the President embarks on his first visit to Cuba, and opens up additional possibilities to engage with Cuba in the future, he is continuing the significant progress made over the last year. Just recently, the U.S. and Cuba reached an agreement to commence commercial flights for the first time in 50 years. In a short time, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to visit Cuba and soak in its rich and vibrant culture. And just this week, U.S. and Cuban trade officials met to discuss additional regulatory changes that can be made to support trade and commerce.

So we should celebrate President Obamas trip to Cuba as a historic moment, one that seeks to put an end to the conflict and tension that defined the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba for decades. After years of a failed policy, it is time for our country to engage with Cuba and ensure our foreign policy encourages opportunity that is good for both Americans and Cubans.
Donald J. Trump, presidential candidate, refused to condemn the Ku Klux Klan when one of its former leaders, David Duke, told America that if a white person didnt vote for Trump it would be treason against our White Heritage.

When he was asked by CNNs Jake Tapper if he rejected Dukes endorsement, Trump refused to reject the former KKK leaders endorsement and refused to reject the KKK altogether by stating that he did not know anything about Duke or the KKK.

Clear discrimination against blacks and Hispanics plus two Ku Klux Klan episodes and the hiring of illegal aliens from Poland and hiring thousands of foreigners instead of Americans is Donald J. Trumps life experience before his candidacy of president.  Raoul Lowery Contreras

Here is David Duke discussing Trump on his radio program on August 25, 2015: He has really said some incredibly great things recently. So whatever his motivation, I dont give a damn. I really like the fact that hes speaking out on this greatest immediate threat to the American people.

The next day, during an interview with Bloombergs Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Trump responded: I dont need [Dukes] endorsement; I certainly wouldnt want his endorsement.

I dont need anyones endorsement, he added.

Asked whether he would repudiate the endorsement, Trump said Sure, I would if that would make you feel better.

And then the following day, August 27, 2015, the issue was brought up again during a press conference:

National Review Online reporter: How do you feel about your recent endorsement from David Duke?

Trump: I didnt even know he endorsed me. David Duke endorsed me? OK. Alright. I disavow it, OK? (turning to another reporter) Yes, go ahead.

And lastly this past week, on CNN Sunday, February 28th:

Tapper: Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you dont want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?

Trump: Well, just so you understand, I dont know anything about David Duke. OK? I dont know anything about what youre even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I dont know.

"I dont know, did he endorse me or whats going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so youre asking me a question that Im supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about."

Trump lies.

We know Donalds father, Fred, was arrested at least once for a KKK incident June 1927 (New York Times). We also know that Trumps father and Donald were charged by the Richard Nixon Department of Justice (DOJ) with massive housing discrimination against blacks and Puerto Ricans.

The entire investigation and charges by the Nixon DOJ are outlined in a Washington Post article of January 23, 2016, by Michael Kranish and Robert OHarrow Jr. In it they outlined how undercover federal government testers filled applications to rent apartments in some of the 14,000 Trump managed. Black testers were encouraged to go elsewhere and their applications were coded with a C or coded with No. 9 to indicate they were colored or Puerto Ricans. White applicants were shown apartments while black applicants were not.

In October 1973, the Nixon DOJ landed on Donald Trump and his father with the entire weight of the federal government for violation of civil rights. Fred Trump called a news conference and charged the federal government with outrageous lies. Trump Jr., who clubbed in private New York disco clubs with infamous lawyer Roy Cohn of Senator Joe McCarthy days, hired Cohn to represent the Trumps. Cohn, a champion of sleaze, attacked potential witnesses and even the government lawyers themselves.

Nonetheless, the case was so legally strong that after a two-year fight the Trumps surrendered and signed a consent decree that, while secret, cost the Trumps a lot of money. They had to pay for advertising of every apartment vacancy and in those ads had to state that they were an Equal Opportunity landlord. The National Urban League handled all apartment applications.

Clear discrimination against blacks and Hispanics plus two Ku Klux Klan episodes and the hiring of illegal immigrants from Poland and hiring thousands of foreigners instead of Americans is Donald J. Trumps life experience before his candidacy of president.

Candidate Trump has raised many objections to current immigration and proposed a total cutoff of any Muslim entry into the country. He has accused all Mexicans (except some) of being criminals and rapists. He cannot decide whether or not to reject White Supremacists and a former KKK leaders support. One must wonder if we Americans have entered a political Twilight Zone.
Every election cycle Latinos are asked to prove ourselves. We must justify to political operatives why we matter. We must remind candidates that we can make the difference in their elections and explain why they should speak to us. We argue our case to donors who dont want to give money for the outreach and mobilization needed to get Latinos out to vote.

The last two weeks in the presidential race should have put all of that to bed for good, both for this cycle and those to come.

The reality is that when there is investment early on in Latino outreach, and when long-lasting relationships are created with the Latino community, Latinos come out to vote (...) We come out to vote when we see ourselves and our priorities reflected on the ballot.  Cristobal Alex

Latinos, once again, proved that we provide decisive winning margins for victorious candidates and turn out where and when it matters. Late last month, in a must-win for her campaign, Hillary Clinton notched a decisive victory in Nevada propelled by the burgeoning Latino community in Clark County, home of thousands of Latino casino workers. And, just yesterday, on Super Tuesday, Clinton, once again, blew the competition out of the water in Texas, the day's largest electoral prize of all, by turning Latinos out and winning the Latino vote by a mind-boggling 42 percent margin.

Texas displayed the largest Latino electorate to date, with 31 percent of the state's voters, and she received 72 percent support from Latinas and 69 percent from Hispanic men. This portends equally strong results in Florida, Arizona, California and New Mexico.

In just under two weeks the nation's attention will be on Florida Latinos. Senators Cruz and Rubio will be focused on turning out older Miami Cubans, and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will focus on their kids and grandkids, and on the million-plus Puerto Rican population along the I-4 corridor and around Orlando. I expect Trump will continue to demagogue our community as he has since the first day of his campaign, and we will remind Latino voters of that over and over again until Election Day.

Which brings us to the general election. What matters most to the Latino community and delivers our votes are how the campaigns and candidates address our concerns. Latinos, and especially Latinas, delivered President Obama his winning margins and the stakes are even higher this year, as Latino populations have surged just as anti-Latino rhetoric has grown.

It's time for some self-searching too.

Politicians and many others dont realize that were deliberate about our vote and it's up to us to hold them accountable. We vote when you earn our vote; when you ignore us and take us for granted, we stay home. That does not mean our power is diminishing; it means we dont believe you have our best interest at heart, you didnt talk to us, you didnt invest in us, and you didnt inspire us to come out to the polls.

At the same time, we sit back and wait to our own detriment. By now, it's obvious that we have to self-advocate and that we have to insist and build our own power. In that regard, Latinos are not unlike any other voting group in the United States. Yet people expect Latinos to come out to vote in large numbers, and to be politically engaged just because. It doesn't work that way. Candidates and most funders invest less money for Latino get-out-the-vote efforts than they do for any other group, and they spend less money in advertising to Latinos, but they expect and need a bigger Latino turnout.

The reality is that when there is investment early on in Latino outreach, and when long-lasting relationships are created with the Latino community, Latinos come out to vote. We vote because we want immigration reform; we want good jobs, higher minimum wages, access to higher education, and environmental protections that guarantee that we leave a healthy world and environment for the generations after us. In other words, we come out to vote when we see ourselves and our priorities reflected on the ballot.

Latinos have achieved many victories in the past decade, and we are on the heels of achieving even more  like electing the first Latino-strong ticket from, hopefully, the vice president on down to the first Latina to the U.S. Senate, and a new wave of Latino House Members and state legislators.

No candidate can get to the White House without the Latino vote. And weve made it clear to candidates that Latinos are listening, and come November we will vote for whoever has our best interest at heart. Latino political power is alive and strong. Doubt us or discount us at your own risk: something contemporary winning campaigns know full well.
A couple of years ago, honored as keynote speaker at a gala hosted by the stunning Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago, I asked those assembled a question that I never stopped asking myself upon receiving this nations highest honor, the Medal of Honor: Why me?

For, over the course of my service in Iwo Jima during World War II, there were men around me whom I had always thought gave so much more to the war effortto our fight for freedom--and of those men, too many among them who never returned home, never got to experience once again the country that led the world living the values for which they sacrificed themselves.

What the United States saw in my wartime actions as being worthy of this great recognition, I chose to take a step further in seeing myself as but the envoy to and embodiment of the memory of those true Marines I knew so well and miss so much.

Since then it has been my most cherished hope that new generations of Americans will learn to appreciate what is really, ultimately, involved in appreciating a country such as ours; what values have gone into creating out of this magnificent experiment in democratic ideals born from a revolution, the greatest global power in human history.

When anyone, or anything, threatens the erosion of those fundamental values, it is then time, once again, to fight.

Often, at those times, this fight does not consist of physical battlegrounds and artillery, but, instead, of a war of ideas--one in which the best weaponry is intellectual integrity, reasoned principles, and the wisdom of history.

When hearing of the legislation known as JASTAthe Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or 9/11 Bill as it is called--enacted into law by Congress this past September, my first thought went to the Gold Star families in this country, some of whom I have had the honor to meet.

It is very difficult for me to fathom what our members of Congress were thinking in creating a law that will have as its ultimate outcome the placing of our servicemen and womenand all of the civilian diplomatic and intelligence-gathering support that military personnel will needat litigious risk around the world. These individuals will henceforth be subject to the legal whims of countries who will want to extract God knows what sums from us by conveniently accusing us of acts of terror.

For those unfamiliar with this law, JASTA allows private, individual litigation against foreign governments in U.S. courts based on allegations that such countries actions abroad made them responsible for terrorism-related injuries on U.S soil.

It was written with the events of 9/11 in mind, and was intendedif not explicitlyas an action against Saudi Arabia. But the implications of the law are far broader and universal. Above all, it sets in motion the erosion of the traditional idea of sovereign immunitythe internationally recognized principle of diplomatic protection against the legal jurisdiction of other states.

What will now happen is that other countries will enact similar legislation in response, and much of that will be directed against the United Statesin fact, its already happening. What will begin to happen is that the United States will be put on trial before the whole world.

As powerful as we are, there is no stopping the immense international legal chaos brought about by such a law, with trial lawyers everywheremany of them here--ready to take advantage of lawsuits that will easily hover in the billions of dollars, in each and every case.

We have been in three wars since 1991. We are currently fighting a complex war against terrorism. We are dealing with new threats every day.

The United States funds and equips numerous counterterrorism and intelligence-gathering units around the world. These are complex situations, and they are not without their controversies and difficulties. But we pursue such operations because we must; because our own future depends on it.

When I think back at my own experience, it is difficult for me to conceive of the idea of being told that my military engagements at Iwo Jima would one day be used against me, used against my country.

It is inconceivable that I, as an American, would be told that my acts were motivated by a terrorist inclination. It is unthinkable that as an American Marine crossing a network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, that my intention was not to fight a hostile nation that had declared war on us, but to terrify a population.

When I and my fellow Marines were subject to hours under fire at a time and we prepared demolitions with flame throwers to stop the bayonets thrust at us by destroying them with bursts of flamewhen I think back on those events, and consider what would it be like to have to be hauled in before the global court of public opinion to explain my actions, I have to ask myself if our Congress members have any historical awareness of what a war for freedom is about.

I must ask if they realize what it means to position our military and civilian apparatus in engagements the world over for the very sake of that freedom.

It is universally accepted by all who call themselves human that the civilian carnage that comes with war should be avoided as much as possible, and at all costs.

We also know that war is ugly, devastating, and takes a toll on life in a way that is, at times, as spiritually annihilating as it is physically destructive. U.S. counterterrorism strikes have been a successful component of our own counterterrorism efforts, but these strikes do occasionally cause civilian casualties.

Yet to expose the United States to lawsuits in foreign courts because of these actions, or the actions of those local groups on whom we must often rely, will only open the door to intrusive lawyers seeking billions of dollars of claims against the U.S. government.

This is not a path we want to go down. Furthermore, we should ask members of Congress to pass laws that would exempt our service members from lawsuits for actions taken while following orders during time of war.

No sane person can possibly detach his- or herself from the anguish on the part of victims of terror and their families. But to pass a law that, in essence, tells the world that they may drain from us the very resources that we have put into fighting for freedom on the worlds behalf, is not the America I know.

Nor is it that of those fellow Marines of mine in whose memory I have always worn my Medal, but in whose honor we as a country remember Freedom.
On January 19, 1961, under the threat of a storm that would dump eight inches of snow on Washington D.C., President Dwight Eisenhower held a final transition meeting with his young successor, John F. Kennedy. One day before the inauguration, Eisenhowers mind was on the looming threats to American security, and Cuba was high on that list.

Writing about this critical moment in U.S.-Cuban relations in my new book, Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhowers Final Mission (out from William Morrow on January 10, 2017), I was struck by the parallels between then and now, especially as we grapple with the implications of the death of Fidel Castro.

Then, at the height of the Cold War, the threat posed by a Soviet-backed dictator off our southern coast was grave, and the need to formulate the right response in a nuclear age was a grave concern for Eisenhower.

On the campaign trail during the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy had been bullish about dealing with and confronting Castro. Now Ike wanted to give him a more measured perspective.

If Eisenhower were advising President-elect Trump today, he would likely suggest, as he did with Kennedy, that the best way to approach such a complex matter as Cubas was to proceed cautiously, to hold his cards close to his vest, and to strategize in private.

In a cabinet meeting following their private discussion, Kennedy learned the details of a plan in development under the auspices of the CIA to train Cuban exiles for a potential invasion of Cuba. The aim was to overthrow Castros brutal regime. But, Ike stressed, the plan was only in the early stages, and certain conditions would have to occur if it had any chance of successincluding the creation of a government in exile and a strong leader who was capable of replacing Castro. Kennedy listened respectfully, but he mostly ignored Ikes caveats. Kennedy was impatient with the process Ike favored, which involved extensive debates from national security advisers. He preferred a looser, more shoot-from-the-hip style, and relied on a couple of key men who had his ear. In the case of Cuba, the absence of sound advice had disastrous consequences.

Within three months of becoming president, Kennedy approved a poorly planned invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs by a disorganized group of exiles. When he withdrew critical air support, Castros forces easily swept in and killed or captured the exiles. It was a complete failureand Kennedy knew it. How could I have been so stupid? he raged.

In desperation he turned to Eisenhower. On April 22 he sent a helicopter to bring Ike from his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a private consult at Camp David. As the two men strolled along the wooded paths, Kennedy lamented, No one knows how tough this job is until hes been in it a few months.

Eisenhower smiled wryly. Mr. President, he replied softly, if you will forgive me, I think I mentioned that to you three months ago. And indeed he had. But Kennedy, bursting with confidence, hadnt taken him seriously.

Kennedys Bay of Pigs fiasco unleashed the rage of Castro and emboldened the Soviet Union to begin erecting missile sites in Cuba pointed at the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis, over half a century ago, remains Americas most chilling encounter with an immediate nuclear threat.

Once again, Kennedy turned to Ike. In a tape recording of their conversation on file at the JFK Library, one can hear the nervous uncertainty in Kennedys voiceand the unruffled calm in Eisenhowers. Kennedy knew he had to act, even if it meant attacking Cuba and removing the missile sites by force. But he was worried about making a fatal mistake. What about if the Soviet Union, Khrushchev, announces tomorrow, which I think he will, that if we attack Cuba, that its going to be nuclear war, and whats your judgment as to the chances theyll fire these things off if we invade Cuba? he asked Eisenhower.

Ike, the old warrior who had stared down Hitler as commander of the allied forces in World War II, saw through the bluster of our enemies. Something may make these people shoot em off, he said. I just don't believe this will. Reassured, Kennedy went on to negotiate the removal of the missile sites, and did it without having to attack Cuba. But it was a very close call.

Today, the wounds from the conflicts of the early 1960s remain exposed and painful. When President Obama opened relations with Cuba in May of this year, six in ten Americans supported normalization. But for many others, especially in South Florida, the atrocities of Castros regime cannot so easily be forgotten, and its future commitment to freedom for its people is not so clear.

In conversations during the transition, Eisenhower told Kennedy that the easy decisions a president faces are handled by staff. Only the impossible ones fall on the president himself.

President-elect Trump will likely find that to be true as well, and Cuba is a good example. As president he will oversee the beginning of the post-Fidel Castro era, with all the complexity that entails. The decisions he makes early in his term could shape our relationship with the island nation for decades to come. He has already signaled his intention to renegotiate President Obamas deal and perhaps even terminate it, but no matter what his strategy it will have significant consequences.

If Eisenhower were advising President-elect Trump today, he would likely suggest, as he did with Kennedy, that the best way to approach such a complex matter was to proceed cautiously, to hold his cards close to his vest, and to strategize in private.

In particular, Ike would have advised bringing voices from all sides into the room--those who agreed with the president and those who did not--and letting them engage in a rigorous debate.

We dont know what could have changed if President Kennedy had listened to Ikes same advice at the time.

More than five decades later, without the looming Soviet nuclear threat, a President Trump has an opportunity to steer a new course in U.S. Cuba relations.

Tuesday, the Obama administration sent Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and U.S. Ambassador to Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis to attend a memorial service for Fidel Castro in Havana. The administration insisted it was not honoring the dictator, who executed thousands of Cuban citizens and persecuted many more, because they didnt send an official delegation to the ceremony.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters about the move, We believe that this was an appropriate way for the United States to show our commitment to an ongoing future-oriented relationship with the Cuban people.

No matter which path the 45th president chooses when it comes to Cuba, one can be assured, it will be different in some way to the path the 44th president has pursued.
Donald Trump is already Making America Great Again. True to his campaign theme, this consummate deal maker and now president-elect has now put his negotiating savvy to work for the American people.

Along with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, he has persuaded the Carrier Corporation to keep 1,000 manufacturing jobs  those good-paying jobs that have been disappearing faster than ice cream in July  in Indianapolis instead of moving them to Mexico.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S THREE GREATEST CHALLENGES

How did they convince Carrier to change its plan, which was already underway? It appears that Pence, governor of Indiana, worked with local officials to provide tax benefits or other sweeteners.

It is also possible that Trump hinted that Carriers parent company United Technologies, which derives some 10 percent of its $56 billion in revenues from the federal government, would do well to play ball with the incoming administration.

The Carrier decision, and the resulting 1,000 jobs, is a drop in the bucket, but it is a powerful symbol at a time when working people in our country are just regaining their optimism.

Bottom line: We dont know and we dont care. This unexpected win is why the stock market has been soaring since the election, and why consumer confidence jumped to its highest level in over nine years in the past month, in spite of the incessant gloom broadcast by the liberal media. This is why voters elected Trump, upending politics as usual. And, its just the beginning.

Trump and his team have signaled that the U.S. is going to become a friendlier host to businesses big and small. They are promising to lower taxes on companies, encourage the repatriation of foreign-held cash and roll back regulations that have stifled innovation and entrepreneurship. Instead of driving companies offshore, the Trump White House will do everything in its power to keep businesses in the U.S. Business investment has been the weak link during the Obama years  a major reason the economy has sputtered along in near-stall mode. Managers rattled by a bewildering flood of rules and regulations have been reluctant to spend, which in turn has dampened productivity and wage growth.

The Carrier decision, and the resulting 1,000 jobs, is a drop in the bucket, but it is a powerful symbol at a time when working people in our country are just regaining their optimism. Carrier had long broadcast its intention to shift the manufacturing of its gas furnaces and fan coils from Indiana to Monterrey. The move was expected to save Carrier some $65 million per year, but became a rallying cry on the campaign trail. The planned move became the poster child for the seeming indifference of U.S. companies to its workers, as well as the negligence of the Obama White House, which did nothing to prevent the devastating seepage of manufacturing jobs from our land.

A recent poll from Harvards Center for American Political Studies showed that voters expect results from Trump. The survey of registered voters showed that 78 percent approve of his promise to invest in infrastructure, and 53 percent think hell get it done. Similarly, a majority expect the president-elect to cut taxes on corporations and 54 percent are confident his administration will repeal and replace ObamaCare.

Trumps picks for key cabinet spots confirms that he means business and should bolster those expectations. Choosing Tom Price, a doctor and member of Congress who has spent years crafting alternatives to ObamaCare, shows Trumps readiness to replace the dysfunctional health program. In selecting Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary Trump has served notice to the teachers unions: theres a new sheriff in town, and hes will demand changes in our failing public schools. Ditto Elaine Chao, who if confirmed will be Trumps Secretary of Transportation. Chao, wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, knows her way around the capitol, and will be an excellent shepard for Trumps infrastructure initiative.

On the campaign trail, Trump derided Hillary Clinton and President Obama for talking about change but accomplishing little despite their many combined years of public service. The message was clear: Trump is a doer and will get results. Americans weary of inaction on infrastructure, on our porous borders, on tax reform, on our poor schools and mounting student debt, and especially tired of sluggish wage gains, are ready for action.

The liberal press will minimize the Carrier deal, pointing out that 1,000 jobs will not of itself lift economic growth, and that structural cost problems remain for U.S. manufacturers. Paying Mexican laborers three dollars an hour is a powerful enticement; workers in Indianapolis are making more than $20.

All that is true, and Trump will not be able to jawbone every corporation into playing ball. But the Carrier deal is a strong signal that Trump will stand by his promises. It is also a powerful reminder that for eight years President Obama has failed to make job growth a priority of his administration. From the beginning, passing ObamaCare was his top goal, even though the healthcare bill arguably dampened hiring by managers put off by the programs increased costs. Environmental regulations, stiff new rules for banks which discouraged lending, rules on overtime and benefits which boosted the cost of labor  all have been well intentioned but have depressed business hiring.

The Carrier reversal also shows our billionaire president-elect ready to use the power of the Oval Office to negotiate a better deal for our country  from corporations as well as from foreign countries. Underlying that premise is Trumps recognition that the U.S. is the exceptional nation, and that our prestige and clout can be leveraged on behalf of American workers. What a welcome change.
Now that President-elect Trump is beginning to form his Cabinet, there are many questions about how his administration will affect health care.

Mr. Trump has made it very clear that he intends to dismantle ObamaCare. Recently he has hinted at keeping certain provisions of the ACA in place. This week, with the appointment of Rep Tim Price to head the Health and Human Services (HHS), many Americans are left wondering what will happen to Medicare.

Mr Price has been outspoken in his support for the privatization of Medicare thru the use of vouchers. For the last several years, Paul Ryan and other Republican leaders have been touting a change to Medicare in order to safe money and increase benefits to Americans.

Democrats have rigidly opposed ANY modifications to the Medicare system.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S THREE GREATEST CHALLENGES

Republicans now support the idea of premium support. Rep Price has been an ardent supporter of this movement. In this model, Medicare beneficiaries would purchase insurance from a group of selected plans.

These plans would compete directly with traditional insurers such as Humana, United, BCBC and others.

The government would contribute the same basic amount to all Medicare eligible beneficiaries. Patients would be given a choiceremain in the traditional Medicare program or shop around for a private option.

If an individual selects a more expensive plan or a plan with a lower deductible in the private market, they would pay the difference between the premium they choose and the amount that Medicare provides via a voucher.

If a beneficiary chooses a less expensive option, they would receive a rebate or extra benefits from the government. Interestingly, Trump has stated in the past that he does not support a voucher like program.

What Would This Mean for Medicare?

Competition and free market forces are likely to lower prices overall and improve the services that insurers providemany private insurers will be competing to insure Medicare beneficiaries. Due to the sheer volume of customers, many private insurers would likely offer cheaper options and work to cash in on a by volume business.

By providing vouchers for Medicare, Republicans argue that they are providing more choice. Medicare, as you might expect, is burdened with lots of rules and regulationsmany of which defy logic.

Currently, many physicians will not accept Medicare patients due to very poor rates of reimbursement and complex filing requirements. In addition, Medicare can refuse to pay claims for months at a time if they decide to make a rate change or computer system upgrade, for example. Physicians with are left with lags in reimbursement, which can affect their ability to meet monthly payroll for their employees.

I believe that if there is competition among insurers, more physicians may be likely to accept Medicare patients. Services to physicians and the process of filing claims would become less cumbersome when insurers compete for physician business. For health care consumers, more physician choices will improve access to care for older Americans.

In many regions across the U.S., patients now have very limited choice. By expanding the pool of available and accessible doctors, patients will be able to find the right doctor for them. I firmly believe that when patients are able to connect and engage with their physician, outcomes improve.

What Are Democrats Saying?

Democrats are adamantly opposed to these changes. They argue that by effectively privatizing Medicare that individual costs for beneficiaries will rise. They worry that those with multiple chronic medical conditions will be given a fixed amount of health care money to work with that they will incur significant overage expenses.

In addition, those opposed to the privatization model also argue that those who are more affluent and those that have fewer medical problems will be more likely to purchase a private insurance plan with a voucherleaving those who remain in traditional Medicare plans older, sicker and more expensive. Medicare has long been a traditional Democratic Party campaign issueoften using fear of loss of benefits as a way to sway older voters.

Many Democrats have already come out strongly opposed to Rep Prices appointment only hours after it was announced. However, due to changes in the filibuster rules made by Harry Reid and his colleagues a few years ago, it is unlikely that they will be able to mount a meaningful opposition to his confirmation.

Whats Next?

Nearly one third of the 57 million Americans on Medicare are already on private Medicare Advantage plans. However, current Federal law limits the competition among more traditional insurers and there is no bidding against private plans.

The pieces are already in place for a voucher based systembut we must amend the law to move it forward and allow free market competition to evolve to a level where prices will be lowered.

In the next Congress, I expect we will see more debate on this issue. At the current rate of spending and under its current structure, Medicare is not going to be a viable way to care for Americans.

We must do something to modify the plan and provide CHOICE, ACCESS and HIGH QUALITY care to all Medicare eligible Americans.

The current system provides physicians with very poor reimbursement and ultimately, many doctors will no longer be able to care for Medicare patientssimply from an economic viability standpoint.

Medicare is brokenCongress must address it early in the sessionwe can no longer afford to stick our heads in the ground and allow Democrats to use the saving Medicare mantra as a rallying cry for every single election cycle.

As a physician I am fortunateI have been given the privilege to care for another human beings life.

To that end I say to Congressboth Democrat and Republican-- lets FIX a broken system and allow doctors to do their jobsHEAL THE SICK.
It's time to drain the media swamp.

The abusively biased mainstream media continues to prove it is fundamentally incapable of covering President-elect Donald Trump fairly. CNN -- the Clinton News Network -- continually goes after President-elect Trump, and it seems to get worse with each passing day.

Donald Trump is showing signs tonight of being a sore winner, correspondent Jeff Zeleny said recently. The president-elect is suggesting, with zero evidence to back up his claim, that he won the popular vote and he's a victim of widespread election fraud.

Is that fair and balanced? Trump can handle himself, and responded by tweeting that "CNN is so embarrassed by their total 100 percent support of Hillary Clinton and yet her loss and a landslide, they don't know what to do."

The liberal mainstream media is not interested in the truth or facts. They're all about pushing their radical alt-left agenda. They want to damage President-elect Donald Trump.

Zeleny, a former New York Times reporter, has covered presidents before, but never the way he seems to cover Trump. Consider this probing question he lobbed to President Obama early in his first term.

During these first 100 days, what has surprised you the most about this office, enchanted you the most about serving in this office, humbled you the most and troubled you the most? Zeleny fawned, prompting even the president to laugh at him.

Enchanted? Really? He had the chance to ask the president a real question, and that's the one he picked? Zeleny is not alone at CNN, where Trump-bashing goes on 24/7.

This really speaks to incompetence, CNN host Chris Cuomo said after Trump complained about voter fraud. They can't keep the president-elect from making a fool of himself on Twitter by saying that millions of people voted illegally. He looks foolish saying something like that.

And CNN personality Van Jones called Trumps election a whitelash, using a made-up word intended to brand Trump voters as bigots.

I've been saying since 2008, journalism is dead, and those were only a few of the countless examples that prove it.

The liberal mainstream media is not interested in the truth or facts. They're all about pushing their radical alt-left agenda. They want to damage President-elect Donald Trump.

So my question is, why should Donald Trump grant equal access to all of them? In this day and age of social media, he doesn't need the press to connect with you, the American people.

It's time to reevaluate the press and maybe change the traditional relationship with the press and the White House.

My message to the press is simple: You guys are done. You've been exposed as fake, as having an agenda, as colluding. You're one big fake news organization.

Adapted from Sean Hannity's monologue on "Hannity," Nov. 29, 2016
Assuming that Hillary Clinton will not find some last-ditch bit of Clintonesque chicanery that will put her in the White House after all, Donald Trump will likely be inaugurated President come January 20, and he will have an ultimatum waiting for him. The Ayatollah Khamenei warned the day before Thanksgiving that if the U.S. dared to extend sanctions on Iran, the Islamic Republic would retaliate. President-elect Trump, meanwhile, has vowed to cancel the deal altogether, which would almost certainly include restored and new sanctions. Who will blink first?

The House of Representatives already set the confrontation on course last week, when it re-authorized the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for ten years. This was an almost entirely symbolic move, however, as the ISA will expire at the end of this year unless the Senate approves it and Barack Obama signs it, and Obama is about as likely to do that as he is to put on a Make America Great Again cap.

Indeed, Obama continues to be notoriously protective of the Iran deal. The known elements of the deal are bad enough, as I explain in my book "The Complete Infidels Guide to Iran." But the secret codicils just keep making things worse, and administration officials continue to appear determined that they not leak out to the public.

Investigative journalist Adam Kredo reported last Tuesday that senior Obama administration officials in their final days in office are seeking to cover up key details of the Iran nuclear deal from Congress, according to documents and sources who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about continued efforts by the White House to block formal investigations into secret diplomacy with Tehran that resulted in a $1.7 billion cash payment by the United States.

As far as Khamenei was concerned, Obamas obvious anxiousness to keep the mullahs happy was all for show. He proclaimed: The current U.S. government has breached the nuclear deal in many occasions.

In reality, Iran is the one breaching the agreement: recently, according to Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran had exceeded a soft limit on sensitive material set under its nuclear deal with major powers.

This was the second time Tehran has surpassed the 130 metric tonne threshold for heavy water, a material used as a moderator in reactors like Irans unfinished one at Arak, since the deal was put in place in January.

The Obama State Departments response was feeble: it was all just an accident, you see. State spokesman Mark Toner put the best face on things that he could, confusing impunity with good faith and insisting: Its important to note that Iran made no effort to hide this, hide what it was doing from the IAEA.

This ongoing Obama administration solicitude for Iran may have fostered complacency in Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who boasted right after the election that there was no chance of Trump rolling back the deal. Irans understanding in the nuclear deal, Rouhani explained, was that the accord was not concluded with one country or government but was approved by a resolution of the UN Security Council and there is no possibility that it can be changed by a single government.The United States no longer has the capacity to create Iranophobia and to create a consensus against Iran. The constructive engagement policies of Iran towards the world, and the fact that international sanctions have been lifted, have placed the Iranian economy on a road where there is no possibility of going backwards.

Khamenei was apparently a bit less certain that it would be all smooth sailing from here on out, as he felt compelled to add a threat: The latest is extension of sanctions for 10 years, that if it happens, would surely be against JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the Iran nuclear deal], and the Islamic Republic would definitely react to it.

It remains to be seen whether President-elect Trump will take such threats seriously enough to back off on his pledge to rip up the Iranian nuclear deal.

It is certain, however, that if he is serious about restoring Americas national security and standing in the world, he will not be able to afford to continue Obamas policies of ignoring Iranian breaches of the agreement and showering upon them all manner of largesse.

It will either be no deal with Iran and a secure America, or a deal with Iran and continued appeasement and weakness in response to enemies who have vowed to destroy us. This is one swamp in dire need of draining.
United States Marine Joseph DAugustine was the kind of guy who always looked out for the underdog. When somebody got bullied, he was there to stand up to the bully. When someone needed a helping hand, he was there to lend a hand.

Click here for a free subscription to Todds newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives!

Staff Sgt. DAugustine was killed in 2012 during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was a brave son of New Jersey who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that others might live free.

My brother had always been for the underdog, Nicole DAugustine DeLaura told me. When he passed away, I knew I wanted to help his Brothers  I wanted to help veterans.

Secret Santa for Vets is a great way for families across the fruited plain to show their love and appreciation for the men and women who defend our freedom.

So last year, the Staff Sergeant Joseph DAugustine Memorial Fund launched a new project to honor the Armed Forces  Secret Santa for Vets.

Click here for a Christmas discount on Todds latest book, God Less America.

My brother would have really loved this, Nicole said.

Secret Santa for Vets is a great way for families across the fruited plain to show their love and appreciation for the men and women who defend our freedom.

None of these military veterans know they are receiving gifts, she said. They have no idea until the doorbell rings.

Heres how it works:

If theres a veteran in your church or neighborhood  you can secretly nominate that individual for the program by clicking here. Donors then receive that information and go shopping for the veteran.

We are trying to re-create the concept of the care package, Nicole said. A lot of veterans when they come back home they feel forgotten  so we wanted to do something about that.

The project also involves local school children who put together handmade Christmas cards for their military heroes.

Last year, they were able to send out 90 packages to veterans. This year, theyve already sent out almost 200 packages.

People like it because its personal. Its not just writing a check. You know the name of the person you are shopping for. You know what they like, what kind of restaurants they enjoy going to.

One of last years recipients was a veteran with two children. His wife had recently passed away. The veterans Secret Santa gave him tickets to a San Diego Chargers game and gave the children tickets to see Disney on Ice.

Another military family was struggling financially after the premature birth of their second child. Both mom and dad were veterans.

We literally were Santa for their family, Nicole told me. We sent them clothes for the baby, toys, a gift card to Walmart, diapers.

Folks, this is an absolutely amazing Christmas project and its one that we need to support. We need Secret Santas willing to lend a helping hand and spread Christmas cheer across the fruited plain. Click here to get more information.


Air conditioning company Carrier said Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with President-elect Donald Trump that would keep 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Indiana's outgoing governor, planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

Details of the agreement were not immediately available. A Trump transition source told Fox News that Carrier executives went to Trump Tower Tuesday to hash out the deal.

Trump spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas. His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

In a September debate against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, he railed against Carrier's decision to move hundreds of air-conditioner manufacturing jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico.



"So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this," Trump said. "We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States."



In February, Carrier said it would shutter its Indianapolis plant employing 1,400 workers and move its manufacturing to Mexico.

The plant's workers would have been laid off over three years starting in 2017.



United Technologies Electronic Controls also announced then that it planned to move its Huntington manufacturing operations to a new plant in Mexico, costing the northeastern Indiana city 700 jobs by 2018. Those workers make microprocessor-based controls for the HVAC and refrigeration industries.



Carrier and UTEC are both units of Hartford, Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. -- which also owns Pratt & Whitney, a big supplier of fighter jet engines that relies in part on U.S. military contracts.



Carrier wasn't the only company Trump assailed. He pledged to give up Oreos after Nabisco's parent, Mondelez International, said it would replace nine production lines in Chicago with four in Mexico. He criticized Ford after the company said it planned to invest $2.5 billion in engine and transmission plants in Mexico.

Trump tweeted on Thanksgiving Day that he was "making progress" on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana.

Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999, which represents Carrier workers, said of Tuesday's news: "I'm optimistic, but I don't know what the situation is. I guess it's a good sign. ... You would think they would keep us in the loop. But we know nothing."

Thursday's event will mark a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisers and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries. He plans to make other stops later this week as part of what advisers have billed as a "thank you" tour for voters who backed him in the presidential campaign.

Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
A Cuban graffiti artist whose flamboyant expressions of opposition to the communist regime have landed him in trouble remains in jail in Cuba days after he posted signs and drawings about former leader Fidel Castros death.

The artist, Danilo Maldonado, also chanted in the streets about Castro and his brother, Raul, Cubas president, according to his girlfriend, Alexandra Martinez.

Martinez, who spoke with Maldonado from her home in Miami before he was taken by police, said to FoxNews.com the artist had chanted Abajo Fidel, abajo Raul (Down with Fidel, down with Raul).

"I said 'I love you, I'm telling everyone,'" Martinez said. Martinez, a Cuban-American, said that Maldonado had been trying to get permission from the Cuban government to visit Miami this week to participate in an art event there.

"The topic of the session he was going to participate in was artistic freedom," Martinez said."



Maldonado, who is known as El Sexto and is active on social media, spent 10 months in jail about a year ago after he posted a photo of two pigs with Fidel written on one and Raul on the other.

The Human Rights Foundation said on its Facebook page that the Cuban government had charged Maldonado in 2015 with criminal defamation for linking the Castro brothers with the pigs, which the artist had prepared for a performance of George Orwells Animal Farm.

Martinez, 24, said his mother has tried to visit Maldonado, 33, who was moved to a notorious jail known to hold political prisoners, but has been denied the opportunity by Cuban government officials.

The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), based in Miami, told FoxNews.com that Maldonado continues in jail and has not been charged.

Martinez said that his mother, Maria Victoria Machado Gonzalez, said she saw security forces beat and drag her son as they took him to the police station.

El Sexto has become a prominent target of the Cuban regime because his graffiti art is one of the elites most feared methods of protest as it exposes their true nature, said Thor Halvorssen, president of Human Rights Foundation, in a statement on the group's Facebook page.

El Sextos art unmasks the tyranny in ways white papers and press accounts cannot. Now that Castro will receive a pompous farewell, the regime will take measures to silence all voices for democracy and to drown out calls for reform.

Remberto Perez, vice president of CANF, told FoxNews.com that he saw Maldonados Facebook postings celebrating Castros death and predicted hed pay the consequences.

Hes one of a kind, Perez said. The Cuban government is very worried right now that Fidels death may provoke something, they lashing out against everyone they see as a threat.

Amnesty International declared Maldonado a prisoner of conscience, and Human Rights Foundation awarded him the Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent after he used pigs to portray the Castro brothers.


Beltway insiders with babies on the way could soon benefit from the most generous family leave requirements in the nation.

City lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are expected to vote on a bill next week that would give everyone who works in the nations capital up to 11 weeks paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. The law would cover locals who work in the nations capital, as well as hundreds of thousands of suburbanites who commute in every day.

This legislation offers the most expansive paid leave benefit in the country, City Councilman and bill co-sponsor David Grosso said in a statement. It puts workers in a better position to care for their families while providing a benefit that is not available anywhere else that is something we should be very proud to vote for.

Only four states guarantee paid family leave: California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York. Those states offer from four to eight weeks, funded through employee-paid payroll taxes and administered through state disability programs.

Washingtons plan would be the first in the nation to be funded entirely by a payroll tax on businesses. The 0.62 percent levy would bring in an estimated $250 million per year.

The bill is no sure thing. Mayor Muriel Bowser is concerned that the bill would tax city businesses while benefiting non-residents. Some 531,999 people work in the private sector in Washington, and only about 36 percent live in the city, according to Harris.

This is about fairness, and if we are going to raise a quarter of a billion dollars in new taxes each year, then D.C. families should be the primary beneficiaries, read a statement released by Bowsers spokesman, Kevin Harris.

Despite her stated skepticism, Bowser is not taking a position on the bill until it reaches her desk, Harris said.

The legislation was first introduced over a year ago by Grosso and co-sponsor Elissa Silverman as Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson on Monday released details of a revised version.

In addition to 11 weeks leave for employees who have a child through birth, adoption, foster care or other legal placement, the new version provides eight weeks paid leave to workers to care for a family member experiencing serious health conditions.

Silverman said there is no way to make the law apply only to residents, or to tax commuters.

We are a dynamic employment center with workers from various states, and just like with the $15 minimum wage, we must not discriminate by home residence when it comes to wages and benefits, Silverman told FoxNews.com. We are not a state, and Congress unfairly prohibits us from taxing commutersthose who work in D.C., but live outside out city this means we can only provide this benefit through employers.

The topic of paid family leave was one that sparked national attention during the general election, with both Secretary Hillary Clinton and President-Elect Donald Trumps campaigns putting forth policy plans. Trump rolled out a proposal that would lower the cost of childcare and include six weeks of paid maternity leave. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, is said to have helped shape the proposal.

National polling shows that paid family leave programs are supported by a majority of both Republican and Democratic voters, Silverman said. We are the only industrialized country in the world without a national paid leave policy, and I think Ivanka Trumps vocal supportas well as the vocal support or almost every elected Democratic leader in the country clearly shows that the time to implement paid leave in the United States has come.

The D.C. Council is set to vote on this legislation Dec. 6.
California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday was appointed to an eighth term as House minority leader, surviving a challenge from a Midwestern Democrat backed by caucus members frustrated over repeated election loses and an aging leadership team.

Pelosi was challenged by Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan in a secret-ballot vote among House Democrats. She won by a 134-to-63 vote.

Pelosi said afterward that she was exhilarated by the strong support and reminded reporters that she had accurately predicted winning two-thirds of the vote.

She has winning brought a special spring in my step because it gives her the opportunity to differentiate between us and the administration coming in January."

Ryan, after a disappointing 2016 election cycle for Democrats, argued that newer lawmakers in the party need a bigger, fresher voice to represent them, instead of the same slate of leaders and committee chairmen.

He represents northeast Ohio, a region full of the type of disaffected union workers and former Democrats who helped Republican Donald Trump win that battleground state and the White House.

Clearly, this didnt turn out the way we wanted, Ryan said after the vote. We knew it was going to be an uphill battle.  We needed to get out the economic message. Im disappointed, but I think the partys better off because of this.

Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, among the handful of House Democrats who backed Ryan's bid, said the effort to unseat Pelosi was not a failure.

We didnt lose today, she said, interrupting reporters at the post-vote press conference. We now have a leadership team that listens to us.  Today, we made our caucus more representative of our members.

Another criticism among rank-and-file House Democrats was that the top posts are largely filled by East and West coast members, not those from the heartland.

Pelosi has led House Democrats since 2002. Democrats lost the House majority in the 2010 Tea Party-inspired wave election. And Republican-led redistricting has made chances of a Democratic comeback increasingly difficult.

The 76-year-old Pelosi, in the months prior to the Nov. 8 elections, repeatedly vowed that her party would retake control of the lower chamber, despite needing to gain roughly 35 seats.

We know how to win elections, she said Wednesday. Weve done it in the past and well do it again. This is so much bigger that politics.

Pelosi also described her upcoming role of contrasting Democrats to Republican President-elect Donald Trumps incoming administration as a historic challenge that goes beyond politics.

Leadership elections were originally scheduled to be held before Thanksgiving but were delayed to give Democrats more time to discuss and process the election results and consider a path forward. Many are discouraged after losing the White House and making smaller than expected gains in both chambers of Congress.

"I believe we must do more than simply paper over the cracks," said Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, one of a handful of House Democrats to endorse Ryan. "We can't just say the right things -- we must take concrete steps to move our party in the right direction."

In the days before Wednesdays vote, Pelosi, a prolific fundraiser, promised some changes to assuage concerns in her caucus, including adding a member of the freshmen class to her leadership team.

She won despite her proposals doing little to ensure new blood at the very top or changing the seniority system that has key committees led by lawmakers in their 80s at a moment when the party needs to be defending ObamaCare and other initiatives by President Obama.

Republicans are on track to hold at least 240 seats in the House next year. Democrats, who had high hopes of significant gains in the election, picked up just six seats on Election Day earlier this month and remain in the minority with 194 seats.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez won the competition for vice Democratic Caucus chairman, defeating fellow California congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Lee is a former Congressional Black Caucus chairman. Sanchez formerly led the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Democrats until Wednesday had never had a female minority in their leadership ranks.

Im really honored and emotional to be standing here among a group of such great leaders, Sanchez said in second, late-afternoon press conference led by Pelosi.

Other top leadership posts were uncontested.

Reps. Steny Hoyer, Maryland, kept the No. 2 job of House minority whip, and Jim Clyburn, South Carolina, remained in No. 3 position of assistant leader.

Fox News Chad Pergram and Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Tuesday that repealing and replacing ObamaCare would be the first item on President-elect Donald Trump's agenda after Trump takes office early next year.

"Itll be the first thing out of the gate," Pence told Fox News' Sean Hannity on "Hannity." "The President-elects made it very clear. He wants the Congress when they convene in early January to take up the task of repealing and replacing ObamaCare first."

Pence called the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., to be secretary of health and human services, "very exciting and [it] should be a source of great encouragement to millions of Americans who know weve got to repeal ObamaCare, but weve [also] got to replace it with real solutions."

"We dont want any American to be anxious about a transition," Pence said, "it will be an orderly transition ... but well be working toward a solution thats grounded in the principles of free market economics and respect for the doctor-patient relationship."

Pence also said that Trump would restate the case for his agenda to the American people in a series of events beginning Thursday.

President Donald Trump is not just goning to be talking to Congress," Pence said, "hes gonna be talking to the American people. Hes going to be taking his case consistently to the American people and encouraging them to ... call your congressman and call your senator."

"Im very confident were gonna see the Trump agenda move forward and were going to get this country working again."
The number of unaccompanied children crossing into the U.S. from Mexico nearly doubled this year, a key lawmaker said Wednesday, citing Border Patrol figures that could drive swift action by the incoming Trump administration and even prompted a Democrat to acknowledge the need for strong borders.

Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said the 96 percent increase in arrests of unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras attempting to cross over the border this year compared to last has come with little fanfare, but is causing big problems.

We havent seen any publicity about the unaccompanied children coming in from Central America and we want to highlight that, Johnson said at a late-morning Capitol Hill hearing. Its a real problem, but its not the only problem.

Minors from non-contiguous nations who make it into the U.S. unaccompanied are entitled to immigration hearings before they can be deported under federal law as interpreted by the Obama administration. The policy has prompted a wave of children from impoverished Central American nations coming to the U.S. through Mexico.

It was the Homeland Security Committee's 19th hearing on border security, and included testimony from U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan and Carla Provost, the first-female deputy chief at CBP.

The U.S. Border Patrol also saw a 179 percent increase in arrests of family units, consisting of at least one parent and one child, in the same time period.

U.S. Border Patrol uses the term apprehension when referring to the arrest of a removable alien by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and according to the definition, each apprehension of the same alien in a fiscal year is counted separately. Some may have been counted multiple times, officials acknowledge.

In October, alone, almost 50,000 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry, compared to almost 40,000 the previous month.

If we dont have strong borders, we have a real problem, Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del., said during the hearing. But we need to remain clear-eyed on the real solutions.

Much of Trumps campaign was focused on border security, with a promise to build a wall on the southern border.

During the hearing, Morgan said there is a need for fencing along the border, to provide a persistent method to impede illegal cross-border activity, which according to the CBP Chiefs testimony, would offer Border Patrol agents additional time to respond to and resolve threats.

Based on the results of the election, I am encouraged by the fact that we have an incoming Administration that is dedicated to securing the border, Johnson said at the hearing.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Dan Hetlage said the agency is responding to the influx in unaccompanied children and family units by temporarily deploying 150 border patrol agents to the Rio Grande Valley to assist with processing.

The agency also has opened a temporary facility in Tornillo, Texas, that will provide additional capacity for unaccompanied children and family units. Hetlage told FoxNews.com that CBP is prepared to open more facilities, each holding up to 500 people, along the southern border should they be needed.

The Border Patrol does more than provide accommodations, though, Hetlage said.

In support of [a] layered approach to security, CBP deploys air, land and marine assets to patrol and safeguard U.S. border areas, as well as sophisticated systems to effectively detect and interdict potential threats beyond our borders, he said.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Tuesday that he had "increasing hope" that President-elect Donald Trump would lead America to a "better future" after the two met for dinner in Manhattan.

Romney, who is rumored to be on the shortlist for the secretary of state position in Trump's cabinet, praised the real estate mogul for his victory in this month's presidential election, a feat Romney failed to accomplish as the GOP nominee in 2012.

"He won the general election," Romney told reporters following the meal, which was also attended by Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus. "And he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together and his vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way."

Romney also said Trump had selected "solid, effective, capable people" to hold positions in his administration. He singled out for particular praise South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump's choice for U.N. ambassador; Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.; and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Trump's pick for attorney general.

The statement was a marked contrast in tone for Romney, who viruently opposed Trump's candidacy during the Republican primaries and called him a "phony" and a "fraud" who was "playing ... the American people for suckers." In a March speech, Romney also rebuked Trump for what he called "bullying" and "misogyny."

FLASHBACK: ROMNEY CALLS TRUMP 'A PHONY, A FRAUD'; TRUMP CALLS ROMNEY 'FAILED CANDIDATE'

The dinner was Romney's second meeting with Trump to discuss the secretary of state job. The president-elect also met with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, having met with former CIA director David Petraeus the day before.

After his meeting, Corker told reporters, "The world needs to know that the secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president," a possible jab at Romney.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump didn't wait to be sworn in to stop an air conditioner manufacturer from pulling out of America, and his top aides say he'll turn up the heat on other companies planning to send jobs outside the U.S.



Carrier's announcement Tuesday that, after negotiations with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, it is reversing plans to close an Indiana factory shows the "Trump effect" is real, according to his backers. They say Trump can stop America from bleeding manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China and other places where labor is cheaper, taxes are lower and regulations are lax.

"So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this," Trump said. "We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States."

The air conditioning company will keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis after telling workers earlier in the year that it would be closing its plant and moving production to Mexico at the cost of 1,400 jobs.

Video of company officials telling workers about the move to Mexico in February surfaced online and became a high-profile example for Trump of manufacturing jobs being shipped abroad to Mexico due to what he called bad trade deals that hurt American workers. In a presidential debate against Hillary Clinton in September, he blasted Carriers decision and pledged to do something about it if elected.

A Trump transition source told Fox News that Carrier executives went to Trump Tower on Tuesday to work out the deal, after Trump had tweeted on Thanksgiving Day that he was working on a deal with the company.

Trump and Pence, Indiana's outgoing governor, will travel to the state Thursday to formally announce the agreement alongside company officials.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Pence had taken the lead in negotiating with parent company United Technologies officials, and had discussed priorities for the upcoming Republican Congress, including a tax reform package that could benefit manufacturers.

CNBC, which first broke the news, reported the company decided the savings that would result from moving to Mexico was not worth the fallout of incurring the wrath of the new administration, including the threat to the business it currently does with the government, such as orders for defense equipment.

Carrier workers reacted with delight at the news.

I would like to tell [Trump] 'Thank you for going out of your way and taking your holiday away from your family and working on Carrier employees and sticking to your word and going to bat for all of us and keeping our jobs here,' Robin Maynard, a Carrier employee for 24 years, told "Fox & Friends" Wednesday.

Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller said the move showed the power of an administration focused on jobs.

This is the power of the presidency, this is the power of a team coming in that is so focused on our economy and helping to create and save American jobs, to protect American jobs that are here, this saves 1,000 jobs, this is huge, Miller told Fox News Channel.

He also hinted that there could be a number of similar announcements in the pipeline.

Its not just here with Carrier, were going to see some future announcements as well, with some other companies that are already working behind the scenes, he said. This is fundamentally going to help our manufacturing industry and so many other industries.

The Carrier announcement comes after Ford Chairman Bill Ford told Trump earlier this month that the automaker will not be moving production of Lincolns out of Kentucky to Mexico, in what is seen as a sign that the company aims to work with the new administration on keeping jobs in America.

Trump made keeping jobs from being shipped abroad a cornerstone of his campaign, and his focus on manufacturing jobs and trade is seen as being a key factor in his victory in states such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Trump, in an interview with The New York Times last week, said he has spoken to Apple CEO Tim Cook about building a new plant in the U.S. instead of in places such as Vietnam or China. He said in the same interview he had also received a call from Microsoft CEO Bill Gates but did not go into detail about what was discussed.

Steven Mnuchin, Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary, also hinted at more deals coming down the line, telling CNBC's "Squawk Box" Wednesday that Trump and his administration are "going to have open communications with business leaders."

The Associated Press and Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
New technology could use X-rays to transmit data at high rates over vast distances in outer space, as well as enable communications with hypersonic vehicles during re-entry, when radio communications are impossible, NASA scientists say.

The technology would combine multiple NASA projects currently in progress to demonstrate the feasibility of X-ray communications from outside the International Space Station.

The radio waves used by mobile phones, Wi-Fi and, of course, radios, are one kind of light. Other forms of light can carry data as well; for instance, fiber-optic telecommunications rely on pulses of visible and near-infrared light.

The effort to use another type of light, X-rays, for communication started with research on NASA's proposed Black Hole Imager. That mission is designed to analyze the edges of the supermassive black holes that previous research suggested exist at the centers of most, if not all, large galaxies.

One potential strategy to enable the Black Hole Imager was to develop a constellation of precisely aligned spacecraft to collect X-rays emitted from the edges of those black holes. Keith Gendreau, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, thought of developing X-ray emitters that these spacecraft could use as navigational beacons to make sure they stayed in position relative to one another. The system would keep them aligned down to a precision of just 1 micron, or about one-hundredth the average width of a human hair.

Gendreau then reasoned that by modulating or varying the strength or frequency of these X-ray transmissions on and off many times per second, these navigational beacons could also serve as a communication system. Such X-ray communication, or XCOM, might, in theory, permit gigabit-per-second data rates throughout the solar system, he said. (For comparison, the fastest current Wi-Fi standard also theoretically offers up to 1-gigabit per-second data rates.)

"As mankind moves further out into the universe, being able to communicate with home will require new technologies," Gendreau said. "XCOM will play in that."

One advantage that XCOM has compared to laser communication in deep space is that X-rays have shorter wavelengths than the visible or infrared light typically used in laser communication. This means that, in principle, XCOM can transmit more data for the same amount of power that laser communication requires, Gendreau said. Moreover, because X-rays have shorter wavelengths, they can be transmitted in tighter beams than visible or infrared light, so less energy is wasted in trying to communicate over vast distances, he added.

Moreover, X-rays can penetrate obstacles that impede radio communication. "Remember the radio-frequency blackout in the Apollo days, when the capsules were entering the atmosphere?" Gendreau said. "Well, high-energy X-rays can make it through the hot plasma that blocks the radio waves."

To experiment with XCOM, the researchers developed a device called the Modulated X-ray Source, or MXS, which generates rapid-fire X-ray pulses. MXS is slated to get installed on an experimental pallet that will be deployed outside the International Space Station in 2018.

MXS will transmit data via X-rays about 165 feet (50 meters) to the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), which is designed to study neutron stars and their rapidly spinning relatives, pulsars, and will launch to the International Space Station in early 2017. MXS' data transmissions will be run by NavCube, a NASA computing and navigation platform.

Although most of the technology for MXS is ready, the researchers are still seeking additional funding to complete a space-ready version of the XCOM device, including its housing and high-voltage power supply.

"We have most of the hardware but need a little more support to complete the XCOM package," Jenny Donaldson who is leading the development of the NavCube payload, said in a statement. "This is a great opportunity to demonstrate NavCube and, if all things go as planned, X-ray communications."

X-ray modulation could enable more than deep-space communications. "For example, there is a real possibility we could significantly reduce the radiation doses in medical X-ray imaging using this technology," Gendreau said. "I like how a black hole imaging mission can enable real down-to-earth medical applications that can make a difference."

Original article on Space.com.
Hackers attempted to hold computers at one Canadian university hostage for $28,500 on Tuesday, the Register reports. According to the CBC, Carleton University was hit with a ransomware attack from an unknown source.

"Any system accessible from the main network, that is Windows based, may have been compromised," the university stated on its website. Ransomware is a virus that keeps people from accessing their files unless they pay up.

A graduate student at Carleton says the hackers were asking for 39 bitcoin (about $28,500) to stop the attack. The university advised students to turn off their computers, stay off the university's Wi-Fi network, and not send any money to the hackers.

Last June, the University of Calgary paid hackers $15,000 to get out of a ransomware attack, the Ottawa Citizen reports. Ransomware has also been used against hospitals and public transportation in the US and Europe.

Despite Carleton students having a hard time registering for things and getting their email, it doesn't appear the university is prepared to pay the ransom, with the Register reporting the school may be turning to its backups to restore things.

Public Safety Canada says that's a good thing, as ransom payment doesn't guarantee you'll get your files back and encourages further attacks. A spokesperson for Carleton University tells the Register "it's hard to say at this point when the problem will be sorted out." ("Creepy" search engine taps into private webcams.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Hackers Holding College's Computers for Ransom
Since early November, a growing number of iPhone 6s owners around the world have been complaining about their phones shutting down unexpectedly, even when there was significant charge left according to the phones battery indicator. Apple admitted that some of the phones needed to have their batteries replaced, and offered to do the work for free.

The company also said that anyone who had already paid to have the problem repaired could apply for a refund.

But a week after Apple announced the repair program, a number of questions remain. And the company hasn't made it easy for consumers to find out whether their phone is eligible for the fix.

Only a "small number" of iPhone 6s units are affected, according to the company: those manufactured in September and October 2015, with a precise range of serial numbers. The companys website invites iPhone 6s customers to bring their phones to an Apple Store or an authorized Apple service provider, or to call Apples tech support, for details. (Cellular carriers aren't participating in the repair program.)

However, Apple hasn't told consumers which serial numbers to look for, or provided any other method for determining whether a particular iPhone 6s is affected. And if you're hoping to get the information by phone to avoid your local Apple store during the holiday-season crush, you're likely to be disappointed.



We called tech support at about a half-dozen Apple stores in the New York City metropolitan area, including the region's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, posing as a customer seeking information.

In most cases, a recording told us to try again later due to high caller volumeand then it hung up.

But even when we did get through to a live person, the exercise proved to be fruitless. For instance, a tech specialist at Apples Fifth Avenue store asked us to go into the phone's General Settings menu, then open the About section and read her the serial and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbersbut then refused to say whether the phone came from one of the affected batches. She insisted that we bring it in for an evaluation.

We had similar experiences with other salespeople and technicians, who told us they'd been instructed not to provide the information to consumers over the phone.

Earlier this week, the website 9to5mac.com published a list of what it says are telltale digits in affected phones' serial numbers, but Apple declined a Consumer Reports request to comment on whether that information is accurate.

The company also declined to tell us whether there is an adequate supply of replacement batteries available, how many phones were affected, what caused the problem, or whether the same batteries were used in other iPhone models.

By the way, this isn't the only iPhone battery problem in the news. Owners of several iPhone models have been complaining that batteries were draining rapidly on phones that were updated to the most recent version of the operating system, iOS 10.1.1. Apple hasn't said when that problem might be fixed.

If your iPhone 6s is giving you trouble, here is our advice for minimizing the hassles involved in getting it fixed.



If you want to get on the phone with an Apple store in your area, tell the robotic voice that answers that you want to speak to a human, and when it prompts you for more details, say buy an iPhone. Apple is more likely to connect you with a real person if it thinks you're looking to spend money.

If youre confident that your iPhone qualifies for service, try to make sure the store has the parts available before you bring the phone in. But dont be surprised if the salespeople or technicians wont provide that answer. One Apple support person said that if she told us a battery was available, and someone who came in before you took the last part, youd think we lied to you.

Since you can bring the phone to any Apple store, not just the one where you bought it, consider going to a store in a less populated area since this is such a busy shopping season.

Copyright  2005-2016 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this site.
As emergency crews in Tennessee continue to evacuate residents and tourists affected by wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountain area, hospitality officials say it may be too early to assess the long term damage to the Southern town's thriving tourism industry.

The main concern now, says Greg Adkins, CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association, is the welfare of all in the Gatlinburg area.

"We are doing several things for our Gatlinburg friends including our Together We Prepare program," Adkins told FoxNews.com. Together We Prepapre is an American Red Cross natural distaser relief initiative. Adkins would not specify details on the association's involvement in the program.

What travelers need to know now:

Downtown Gatlinburg

According to the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city sees over 11 million visitors annually. In addition to dozens of shops and restaurants, the family friendly tourist mecca boasts a water park, ropes courses, ziplines and museums. Over 14,000 have been evacuated as of Tuesday morning and the immediate future of some of those attractions remains uncertain as the wildfires continues.

Officials are reporting more then a dozen structures are on fire, including one of the largest hotels in #Gatlinburg #PrayForRain pic.twitter.com/nJKNzKa88y  Jen (@TN_SmartGirl) November 29, 2016

3 DEAD AS WILDFIRES SCORCH 250 BUILDINGS IN TENNESSEE

On Monday, employees at Ripleys Aquarium of the Smokies were evacuated. They were forced to behind over 10,5000 animals housed in the facility. Ryan DeSears, general manager of Ripley's, told WBIR-TV the building was still standing and all workers had been evacuated late Monday. However, he said workers were anxious to return to check on the well-being of all the animals and fish inside.

The wildfires have affected at least 250 structures in Tennessee, including the 16-story Park Vista Hotel. Guests trapped inside posted videos and photos online of flames engulfing the parking lot.

Other popular tourist destinations under evacuation orders are the city of Gatlinburg, where tennessean.com reported at least 150 homes and businesses have been destroyed, and large parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"This is one for the history books," Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said at a morning news conference. "The likes of this has never been seen. But the worst is definitely over with."

Miller said there were 14 buildings still on fire in Gatlinburg Tuesday afternoon. He said there were no reports of missing persons, but firefighters were going door-to-door to make sure everyone in the city had a safe evacuation plan.

Local officials also ordered mandatory evacuations for Mynatt Park, Park Vista and Ski Mountain, tennessean.com reported.

Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge, Tenn.about 20 minutes north of Gatlinburgis home to Dolly Partons eponymous Dollywood theme park. On Monday night, guest cabins were evacuated and the park was cleared. As of Tuesday, the wildfires had not yet reached any property inside the popular theme park but a representative for the park told FoxNews.com that no injuries have been reported.

In a statement released to FoxNews.com, the country music superstar expressed that she was praying all affected by the ongoing wildfires.

"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe," Parton said. "It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, the DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared."

Parton recently appeared in a 30-second PSA with Smokey the Bear released Sunday by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She warns visitors to avoid burning leaves and parking vehicles on dry grass, and warns that even a campfire can spark a wildfire.

DOLLYWOOD TO OPEN WORLD'S FASTEST WOODEN COASTER

Dollywood has suspended park operations through Wednesday. Its nearby DreamMore resort will be open on a limited basis as a shelter for registered guests.

Great Smoky Mountains

On Tuesday, the National Park Service issued an alert, notifying visitors that all park facilities had closed.

Park officials have closed all facilities in the park due to the extensive fire activity, and downed trees. Park Headquarters is currently without power and phone services. Park service officials had already closed many trails Monday due to the wildfires.

The National Park Service said the fire was expected to worsen and that it had closed several roads, including U.S. Highway 441 from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, N.C. The highway runs through the center of the park, near Clingmans Dome, the 6,643-foot mountain that is the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi River.

Parts of the 469-mile-long Blue Ridge Parkway, which extends from the southern end of Shenandoah National Parks Skyline Drive in Virginia to Cherokee, were also closed.

Rain had begun to fall in some areas, but experts predicted it would not be enough to end the relentless drought that has spread across several Southern states and provided fuel for fires now burning for weeks in states including Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hiking the Incan Trail to the ancient stronghold of Machu Picchu sits at the top of many travelers wish lists. The sacred citadelwhich sits perched high up in the Andes Mountainswas discovered (as much as an outsider can discover a local historic site) in 1911 by an Indiana Jones-type Yale professor named Hiram Bingham. He was lead to the ancient city, which was built around the 1450s, by a local boy and was understandably stunned by the beauty and grandeur of the abandoned site.

Bingham shared the existence of Machu Picchu to the modern world in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic and since then the spectacular archaeological site has attracted visitors, researchers, and explorers from around the world determined to unravel the mystery of the siteor simply to bask in its ancient splendor.

Despite the fact that the city is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site and scientists have been studying the sacred mountain retreat for decades, there are still many secrets about Machu Picchu and the people who built it.

Before you head out on your own Peruvian adventure, here are a few secrets of the sacred site. If anything, these make for great hiking buddy banter.

It was never supposed to be discovered.

The Incans were worried (for good reason) that the Spanish would discover and loot Machu Picchu. To prevent that probable ransacking, less than a hundred years after they built the city in 1532, the Incans abandoned it, burning the forest on the way out so the re-growth would hide the trails up the mountain. The plan worked and the Spanish never discovered Machu Picchu and it was hidden to outsiders until Hiram Bingham visited in 1911.

Bingham actually discovered the wrong city.

According to National Geographic, who funded some of Binghams later explorations, when the explorer was brought to Machu Picchu, he thought he had discovered a different city altogether. Bingham believed that his local guides had led him to the so-called Lost City of the Incas, Vilcabamba, the Inca stronghold where the rulers waged a years-long battle against Spanish conquistadors. It took 50 years of arguing until Bingham was proved wrong, by an explorer named Gene Savoy, who in 1964, proved that the real lost city of the Inca was Espiritu Pampa, west of Machu Picchu.

Bingham thought Machu Picchu was home to a bunch of woman called the Virgins of the Sun.

The explorer may have been good at paying off trail guides, but he had no idea what he discovered. Bingham not only believed that he had discovered Vilcabama, but he also believed that Machu Picchu was the mythical Tampu-tocco, the birthplace of the Inca forefathers. His fallback theory was that Machu Picchu was a sacred convent filled with chosen women known as the ''virgins of the sun,'' and presided over by priests who worshiped the sun god. This delightful theory turned out, sadly, not to be true.

Machu Picchu may have been the original resort town.

According to a group of archaeologists, Machu Picchu was built as a retreat for the royal family. Research conducted by John Rowe, Richard Burger, and Lucy Salazar reveals that Incan ruler Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, who it is believe built Machu Picchu, may have envisioned the city as a peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city in Cuzco. Machu Picchu was basically an ancient hilltop getaway that most likely would have topped T + Ls Worlds Best list in 1457.

Theres a good chance it was an incredibly diverse city.

Andean civilization expert Brian Bauer told National Geographic, that there is a great deal of archaeological evidence that the Inca weren't the only people to live at Machu Picchu. While the village didnt have a marketplace, archaeologists have uncovered ceramics from people across the region indicating that people from a variety of backgrounds lived inor at least passed throughthe city.

The Inca were master stonemasons.

The massive structure of Machu Picchu was built without using wheels, iron tools, or even mortar. Instead, according to National Geographic, the rocks were cut to fit together perfectly, using a method called ashlar masonry. It was a clever move, too. Peru is prone to earthquakes and the lack of mortar has helped the structures remain standing despite the fact that Machu Picchu was built on two fault lines.

Much of the citys infrastructure is hidden.

While the majestic mountain city towers over the surrounding valley, much of the citys architectural wonders are underground. According to Australias News, as much as 60 percent of the Inca construction is veiled under the terraced hills as part of the network of foundation walls and drainage systems that wind beneath the city.

There are at least two hidden temples.

The Temple of the Moon and the Cave of the Sun are easy to miss. Visiting the Temple of the Moon requires climbing a ladder for an hour up the side of the Huayna Picchu mountain, according to the News. At the top is a small, but stunning temple built into the cliff wall. Intimachay, or the Cave of the Sun, is tucked below Machu Picchus main site, which causes many tourists to miss it. The cave was a sacred space, which may have been designed to make the most of the rising sun during the December solstice as part of the Incan wintertime ritual, Capac Raymi.

It may have been part of a pilgrimage route.

While early explorers thought that Machu Picchu was a secluded citadel, modern archaeologists believe that the site was part of an ancient pilgrimage route. Unfortunately, due to the arrival of the Spanish, the pilgrimage trail was never finished, according to National Geographic. While the reasons for the route are lost to the past, archaeo-astronomer Giulio Magli believes the journey to Machu Picchu may have been related to the first Incas who traveled from Lake Titicaca.

There are still archeological discoveries being made at Machu Picchu.

In 2014, French explorer Thierry Jamin found a previously undiscovered door at Machu Picchu, which he believes holds the royal burial chamber of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the Inca ruler that built Machu Picchu. The Peruvian government, though, wont let him open the chamber as it could cause irreparable damage to the site (also, perhaps, theyve seen The Mummy).
Edward Hammond remembers the Dec. 7, 1941, sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. It hurled the U.S. into World War II.

I knew we were at war, Hammond, one of a dwindling number of Pearl Harbor survivors who are still alive, said in a telephone interview from his home in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Hell turn 93 on Dec. 10, three days after the 75th anniversary of the attack.

He said he remembers watching Japanese planes drop bombs from 30 feet as they flew through the Southeast Loch channel. The airplanes were coming right through, he said. Torpedo planes came in first. Slow-flying planes. They could have been fighter planes.

DISPLAY OF RARE ITEMS MARKS 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEARL HARBOR

I just had to get out of there, and I had to get to my battle station. I went to the place where the rifles were stored.

The next thing he knew, he and three others were shooting at the planes. Shrapnel was all around us, he said. It just didnt hit us.

As officers shouted, Take cover! he and the others kept fighting. We were 17 or 18 years old, he said. We knew no fear. They crippled our fleet.

When the smoke had cleared, 2,335 American servicemen were dead: 2,008 navy personnel, 109 marines and 218 army. Sixty-eight civilians were also killed. Another 1,143 servicemen and civilians were wounded.

Hammond, a chief machinists mate in the Navy, was based in the Pacific until the end of the war. After a year at Pearl Harbor and 18 months on Midway Island, he went back to the States, where he boarded a ship that transported troops around the Pacific for invasions of Saipan, Okinawa, Japan and the Philippines.

We went into the ports to invade the island, Hammond said. We were going to fight to the bitter end.

After the war, Hammond returned to his native Cleveland, where he met Peggy, the woman he married. They had three children.

He worked as a machinist repairing printing presses. If youre a good machinist, you know how things are put together and made, he said. But he said the happiest times of his life were when he was a volunteer at the Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he delivered interoffice mail until he was 82.

Peggy died in 2012. Their daughter, Colleen Harris, visits him, and he meets regularly with friends at the American Legion Post 162, where everybody knows him as Pearl Harbor Eddie, part of the Greatest Generation.

If it werent for them we wouldnt have the type of country we have today, said Eddie Cruz, 66, a Vietnam War veteran. We would have lost everything. Everything our Founding Fathers did would have been for nothing.

HEROIC KOREAN WAR HORSE HONORED BY MARINES WITH BRONZE STATUE

A number of events are planned at the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center on Oahu to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Day of Infamy, beginning Thursday, Dec. 1. Others are scheduled on Waikiki Beach and at the Hawaii Convention Center, also on Oahu.

Take a Trip: The 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Symposium and Tour, sponsored by the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, is scheduled for Dec. 1-8. The tour will return to the sites of the attack and will feature historians from the museum, Hawaii Pacific University and experts on Hawaiian and Asia-Pacific history. At this writing, there were 10 spots (out of 100) still available. The cost is $8,995 per person, double occupancy; $10,990 single occupancy. http://www.pearl75.org/symposium-tour/

Veterans honored: Four units comprised primarily of Japanese-Americans will be honored on Monday, Dec. 5, at an 11 oclock luncheon at the Hawaii Convention Center. For tickets, visit www.PearlHarbor75thAnniversary.com. World War II veterans and one companion can attend for free; Three more family members cost $75 each, and additional family members cost $125 each. General public tickets cost $200.

Strike up the band: From Dec. 1-11, there will be numerous performances by the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific Jazz Combo, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, The Swingin Blue Stars and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band, among others.

NEW STATUE OF LIBERTY MUSEUM DESIGN REVEALS DRAMATIC GLASS ROOF

Watch a film: Head to Waikiki Beachs Outdoor Theater at the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue to watch five famous films: Dec. 2, "Twelve O'Clock High; Dec. 4, Run Silent, Run Deep; Dec. 5, From Here to Eternity; Dec. 8, Sands of Iwo Jima; and Dec. 9, The Finest Hours." Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., film at 7:30.

Join an electronic field trip: Students can participate in a live webcast, Remember Pearl Harbor  How Students Like YOU Experienced the Day of Infamy, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET. Its sponsored by The National WWII Museum and PBS member station WYES-TV/New Orleans. pearl75.org/electronic-field-trip; send questions in advance to fieldtrips@wyes.org.
Two New York men have been charged with forcing people in the country illegally to work at their Halal chicken slaughterhouse in New Jersey.

Mohammad Abdul Wahid and Mohammed Iqbal Kabir were charged Tuesday by federal prosecutors in Newark.

Prosecutors say they paid workers $290 for 70 to 100 hours of work per week at their slaughterhouse in Perth Amboy from July 2011 until it was shut down by health regulators in January.

Wahid's attorney says his client is a reputable businessman who is wrongly accused. An attorney for Kabir wasn't immediately available to comment.

Authorities say they also deducted $40 a week for the immigrants to stay in an insect-infested boardinghouse without heat or hot water.

When two victims complained, authorities say the men threatened to call the police.
Heavily armed deputies in Northern California on Tuesday surrounded a mobile home in which they believed was one of two escaped inmates  but came up empty-handed.

Fugitive inmates Rogelio Chavez and Laron Campbell escaped last Wednesday from Santa Clara County's main jail by cutting through the bars covering a second-story window and then rappelling to the ground on a bedsheet.

Deputies on Tuesday placed nearby schools on lockdown and searched several places throughout the county after receiving tips of the possible location of Chavez, said Santa Clara County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Rich Glennon.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's SWAT team was dispatched to a mobile home parked on an east San Jose street.

"He was not discovered at that location but we continue to search and our investigators remain in the area processing information and interviewing witnesses," Glennon said.

A woman who helped Chavez after he escaped was arrested Monday on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime, Glennon said.

Police say Emily Vaca, 35, of San Jose, helped Chavez evade authorities by driving him around the county. She was arrested after authorities raided a motel in Gilroy, where Chavez was believed to be hiding, Glennon said.

Chavez and Campbell are facing possible life sentences if convicted of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment and other charges on which they were being held. Chavez had been held at the jail since August and Campbell since February 2015.
For the first time, immigration violations now make up more than half of all federal prosecutions, easily outpacing drugs, fraud, organized crime, weapons charges and other crimes.



In the last fiscal year, 52 percent of all federal prosecutions - 69,636 cases - involved an immigration violation, compared to 63,405 prosecutions for all other federal crimes, according to a new study by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Clearinghouse, which sued the Justice Department to obtain the information.



"Imagine the other crimes that are not being prosecuted because immigration is such a priority," study co-author Susan Long told Fox News.



The two most common charges pursued by prosecutors relate to illegal entry or re-entry to the U.S. The penalty for a conviction on either charge can range from a few months to typically two years in federal prison for a person who re-enters the U.S. after being deported.



However, a more serious outcome from a conviction isn't jail, but a 10-year prohibition from entering the U.S.



"The worst consequence isn't that you go to jail for six months, but you are legallly barred from entering the U.S. for a decade," said Peter Nunez, a former U.S. Attorney for San Diego. "It really screws up immigration status. If word got out, from the White House on down, that the goal is to prosecute every single person who enters the U.S. illegally, and we don't care if you go to jail for an hour or a month, we want the conviction on the record - because that is the greatest deterrent you can achieve to prevent further illegal entries not only by those people but other people."



A study by the Congressional Research Service found that criminal prosecution was the number one factor in reducing recidivism, or illegal immigrant re-entry. The Border Patrol calls it "consequence delivery" and it was first rolled out in 2005 on a pilot basis called Operation Streamline.

Since the operation requires the cooperation of Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the courts, its use was not widespread and immigrants quickly moved to other sectors to re-enter.

The Syracuse study found that Texas saw the most prosecutions, with almost 44,000, compared to just under 3,000 in California.



"When they say half of all criminal prosecutions are immigration related, I say 'so what'," said Jessica Vaughn, a policy analyst with the Center for Immigration Studies. "These are bread and butter, slam-dunk cases. It is not a big deal to prosecute an illegal alien when you catch them in the act. To me, it is a dog-bites-man story. Most immigration cases are handled on an administrative basis."



While Long questioned the expense of prosecuting so many low -level offenders, Nunez said the cases are not complicated and do not represent say '50 percent' of a prosecutor's office budget. Under Operation Streamline guidelines, up to 40 defendants can be tried simultaneously before a judge in a trial lasting as little as an hour because typically the facts are not in dispute.



"If you are a previously deported immigrant and return to the U.S., it's a pretty easy prosecution," said Nunez. "The role of the prosecutor is to convict people as quickly and easily as possible. There is nothing wrong that."
One of the two inmates who sawed their way out of a California jail and disappeared last week was recaptured last Tuesday, authorities said.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said Laron Campbell was taken back into custody and was being transported back to Santa Clara County.

Officials are continuing their search for the other escaped inmate, Rogelio Chavez.

Chavez and Campbell escaped last Wednesday with two other prisoners from the jail after cutting through the bars covering a second-story window, descending to the ground on a bedsheet rope. The others were quickly apprehended.

Earlier Tuesday, officials believed Chavez was hiding in a mobile home in San Jose before coming up empty-handed.

Nearby schools were placed on lock-down and several places were searched near the area. Santa Clara County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Rich Glennon said officials received tips of Chavezs potential location.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's SWAT team was dispatched to a mobile home parked on a street in San Jose.

"He was not discovered at that location but we continue to search and our investigators remain in the area processing information and interviewing witnesses," Glennon said.

Emily Vaca, the woman who drove Chavez around the county in order to escape authorities was arrested on Monday of suspicion of being an accessory to a crime.

Chavez and Campbell are facing possible life sentences if convicted of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment and other charges on which they were being held. Chavez had been held at the jail since August and Campbell since February 2015.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities say one of two inmates who sawed their way out of a California jail and vanished last week has been recaptured. The search continues for the other one.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office says Laron Campbell was taken back into custody in nearby Contra Costa County late Tuesday and was being transported back to Santa Clara County. It gave no other details.

It says deputies continue searching for Rogelio Chavez.

Chavez and Campbell escaped with two other prisoners last Wednesday night from Santa Clara County's main jail by cutting through the bars covering a second-story window and then rappelling to the ground on a bedsheet rope. The others were quickly apprehended.

The pair are facing possible life sentences if convicted of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment and other charges on which they were being held. Chavez had been held at the jail since August and Campbell since February 2015.
Two Fort Campbell soldiers were charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in the disappearance of Pfc. Shadow McClaine, federal authorities announced Tuesday.

Jamal Williams-McCray and Charles Robinson of the 101st Airborne Division were charged two months after McClaine disappeared and her car was found abandoned in a Nashville parking lot, according to The Leaf-Chronicle.

2 soldiers being held in disappearance of fellow Fort Campbell soldier Pfc. Shadow McClaine https://t.co/X9Ia6QtkpN pic.twitter.com/QoA43XysMb  Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 27, 2016

Williams-McCray is McClaines ex-husband.

The 25-year-old was last heard from in texts to her mother London Wegrzyn on Sept. 2. McClaine was dog sitting for a friend in Clarksville, Tennessee that weekend and gave no indication anything was wrong, Wegrzyn said.

McClaines mother told the paper that her daughter and Williams-McCray had been divorced for more than a year. Williams-McCray was arrested on Oct. 6 on out of county warrants and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

McClaine failed to report back for duty as an air traffic control tower operator at Fort Campbell after Labor Day, the Army said. Her car was found several days later.

McClaine joined the Army in 2011 and served stints in Afghanistan and South Korea, her mother said. She was preparing to leave the military on Oct. 11, and looking forward to returning to civilian life, with plans to return to California and go to school to build on her interest in photography.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The Leaf-Chronicle.
At least five people were killed while three children at a daycare center were injured after powerful thunderstorms and possible tornadoes swept through the South overnight and into Wednesday morning, officials said.

Jackson County Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen said early Wednesday that three people living in a mobile home in the northeastern community of Rosalie, Alabama were killed. Another person in the home was critically injured, he added.

Emergency officials said at least a dozen more people were injured early Wednesday in the severe weather that hit the South.

The National Weather Service was assessing damage from multiple possible tornadoes across the region. At least five hit Alabama, and three more struck southern Tennessee, and one confirmed in Louisiana and at least four in Mississippi, forecasters said.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener says a husband and wife died and two others were injured in Polk County. He said at least seven injuries were reported in nearby McMinn County. He didn't have further details on what happened.

Officials in DeKalb County, Alabama said the possible tornado hit a closed day care center in the Ider community, injuring seven people, including three children.

"Those that were injured at the day care center had left their mobile home to seek shelter in the building," said Anthony Clifton, DeKalb County Emergency Management Director.

Clifton said 50 to 60 homes in the county had been damaged with about half of them destroyed.

Harnen said there were a number of other injuries and estimated that 16 to 20 structures in the county have been destroyed. He could not give an exact number of injuries. The suspected tornado affected an area of homes and businesses that covered nearly half a mile, Harnen said.

Harnen and Clifton said authorities were searching door to door before dawn Wednesday for any other damage and injuries.

Tornadoes and hail were also reported Tuesday in Louisiana and Mississippi. In Mississippi, the National Weather Service in Jackson said late Tuesday that it had counted six confirmed tornadoes so far in the areas of the state it monitors.

Despite dozens of tornado warnings, authorities said no one was injured in Mississippi, but six homes were reported destroyed in one southeastern county. Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said he came upon a UPS truck that was blown onto its side and hit a pickup truck.

"I've never driven through something like this in my life," Presley said.

Rain provided some relief for Tennessee which has been dealing with wildfires. Firefighters were still checking for hotspots, officials said.

Some people had to deal with more than one problem.

One crew that spent all Tuesday night fighting fires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee left the fire scene only to help respond to a tornado in McMinn County, Tennessee, said Fire Chief Bill Roach of Englewood, Tennessee.

"They're wore out," Roach said. "They've had very little sleep, and I know I've had two hours since Monday morning. We're to our limits."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Advocates say the weekend death of a 36-year-old woman who became ill at a detention facility in Arizona with the most in-custody immigrant deaths in the U.S. is another example of inadequate care and poor practices at the privately run site.

The woman died at a hospital near the Eloy Detention Center as an influx of immigrants from Haiti and Central America has nearly maxed out federal resources.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Monday that Guatemala national Raquel Calderon de Hildago died after a series of seizures.

Hildago died Sunday, becoming the third nationwide in-custody death for the immigration agency since Oct. 1.

Advocates say 15 migrants have died at the Eloy Detention Center since 2004, making it the deadliest in the nation.

ICE says it is committed to detainee safety and provides a permanent physician at the Eloy center.
Attorneys for the Albuquerque man charged in a road rage shooting that killed a 4-year-old girl say they have reached a plea deal with prosecutors a day before the trial in the case was expected to begin.

Defense attorneys Todd Farkas and Stephen Taylor say their client Tony Torrez will plead guilty to second-degree murder under the plea agreement that calls for him to serve a 16-year sentence.

His sentencing hearing is set for tomorrow.

Torrez who was arrested a day after the Oct. 20, 2015, shooting had been charged with first-degree murder and assault.

The shooting on Interstate 40 that killed preschooler Lilly Garcia sent shockwaves through the state last year. She had been riding in the backseat of her father's pickup truck when she was shot.
A California sheriff confirmed Wednesday that the abductors of a woman who was held captive for three weeks branded her with a "message" before she was released and said he had no reason to doubt her story.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that Sherri Papini was branded by her captors, but did not disclose where she was branded or with what "for integrity of the investigation."

In an earlier interview, Bosenko told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the suspects may have been trying to humiliate Papini by cutting off her long blonde hair and branding her.

Bosenko declined to elaborate on the branding, saying only that it was a message, not a symbol.

Papini's husband has said his 34-year-old wife was covered with bruises and burns and was chained at the waist and wrists when she was found along Interstate 5 near Sacramento on Thanksgiving.

The mother of two small children disappeared while jogging Nov. 2 near her home in Redding.

Dispatch audio from the Yolo County Sheriff's Department reveals Papini was found battered and chained to something along northbound Interstate 5, near County Road 17 in Yolo County, on Thanksgiving morning. The location is 140 miles from the Shasta County community where she vanished while jogging, Fox 40 reported.

One woman, who claims she saw Papini on Thanksgiving morning on the side of the road, posted a message to Facebook, saying: "I couldn't stop in time to help you this morning but I did pull over and report to police that I saw you by the road and was certain you needed help."

Questions continued to swirl Wednesday around the identities of the abductors and the motive for the kidnapping. The woman reportedly told police that she was dropped off along the highway by two Hispanic women armed with a handgun.

Bosenko described the one of the suspects as a young Hispanic woman with long, curly hair with a thick accent, pierced ears, and thin eyebrows. The second suspect, who was the older of the two, was described by Bosenko as having straight, black hair with greying color and thick eyebrows.

The sheriff told reporters Wednesday that Papini "did the best she could" at giving a description, but was not able to make a detailed one because the suspects had their faces covered while she also had part of her face covered.

The woman's husband, Keith Papini, released a statement to "Good Morning America" saying his wife suffered severe abuse at the hands of her captors, including a broken nose. She was found starved and covered in scabs and bruises, and her long, blond hair was "chopped off."

Papini also sought to dispel rumors that his wife's abduction was a hoax.

"My Sherri suffered tremendously, and all the visions swirling in your heads of her appearance, I assure you, are not as graphic and gruesome as the reality," he said Tuesday in a written statement to ABCs Good Morning America."

Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting, said Papini. Those people should be ashamed of their malicious, sub human behavior. We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love, or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs."

Bosenko said he and his detectives have no reason to doubt Papini's story.

All the information that we have right now we have no reason to believe that she is making this up, Bosenko told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday.

Investigators have also issued 20 search warrants in the case, and are looking at the woman's computer records for any clues. They're also searching for any surveillance video showing Papini or her abductors, according to Fox 40.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A car shot off the side of a Los Angeles freeway and rolled down an embankment where it landed on a homeless encampment, killing a man, authorities said.

Two other men in the encampment suffered major injuries and the driver of the car received minor injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Ramberto Salcido said.

The Honda sedan veered off the right shoulder of southbound Interstate 405 in Van Nuys on Tuesday evening, a CHP crash report said.

The scene at the encampment, a dirt area surrounded by trees and brush, was littered with clothing, water bottles and trash.

The Fire Department had to bring in heavy rescue equipment including a crane to lift the vehicle.

The name of the man who was killed was being withheld pending notification of next of kin, coroner's spokesman Ed Winter said Wednesday.

Initial reports said the fatality was a woman and that all three of the injured were in the car.

The investigation remained underway into why the car went off the freeway.
A judge has found a mother incompetent to stand trial in the death of her 3-year-old son whose decomposing body was found in their Detroit apartment while she was in psychiatric care.

The Detroit News reports (http://detne.ws/2gGgg9O ) that 28-year-old Deanna Minor's competency was reviewed at a hearing Wednesday.

A maintenance worker who had noticed a strong odor at the apartment found the body of her son, Aaron Minor, in late May. Neighbors had wondered whether the mother and child had moved. She was charged in August with second-degree murder, murder during child abuse and other crimes.

This fall, prosecutors took the rare step of charging a social worker and her boss with manslaughter and child abuse, saying they neglected to do everything required to protect Aaron. Their cases are pending.

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
A Muslim civil rights official says a Michigan mosque has received a hate-filled letter sent to Islamic centers nationwide.

Dawud Walid, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter, says the letter arrived Wednesday at the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor and Vicinity. It warns President-elect Donald Trump is "going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews."

Walid says it's the first mosque to receive the letter in Michigan, which has one of the nation's largest Muslim populations. It's postmarked Los Angeles and signed "Americans for a Better Way"  as were those received in Indiana, California, Rhode Island and Georgia.

Trump has told "60 Minutes" if his supporters were harassing others, they should "stop it." The FBI has said it's monitoring the situation.
A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for writing and mailing a threatening letter to a mosque.

The U.S. Department of Justice says 57-year-old Daniel George Fisher entered his plea Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright accepted Fisher's plea.

According to the guilty plea, in September 2015 Fisher wrote and mailed an anonymous letter threatening to blow up the Tawfiq Islamic Center in Minneapolis. Authorities say Fisher later admitted to the FBI that he wrote the letter to scare and intimidate the mosque's Muslim members.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Luger says threatening to blow up a mosque "is simply un-American."

Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he's sentenced.
Authorities in Los Angeles launched a murder investigation after a mans body was discovered in a parking garage at an apartment complex Tuesday.

According to the Los Angeles Times, police spokesman officer Tony Im said the body was found at around 1:30 p.m. near the Cahuenga Pass in the Hollywood Hills. He added that the man was believed to be between the age of 30 and 35.

Im said that the man had gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Suicide has been ruled out. He said that there was enough evidence to determine that a murder took place.

The man wasnt identified beyond his gender.

The paper reported that at least two people have bene killed in the Hollywood Hills over the last 12 months.

Click for more from the Los Angeles Times.
The North Carolina cop whose shooting of a black man in September touched off riots and helped fan fanned racial flames around the nation will not face charges, a prosecutor said Wednesday as he painstakingly laid out evidence the dead man brandished an illegal gun at police and ignored repeated commands to drop it.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray determined that Officer Brentley Vinson's actions in killing Keith Lamont Scott were justified.

We cannot know what Scotts intention was that day, Murray said.

Scott's family has said he was not armed.

Murray held an extensive news conference and displayed a nearby store's surveillance video showing the outline of what appeared to be a holstered gun on Scott's ankle, and he gave extensive details about other evidence that Scott was armed.

Prior to any confrontation, Vinson informed another officer that he saw Scott with a gun, Murray said. Officers at the scene said after Scott was shot, the gun fell to the floor.

"Mr. Scott's DNA was found on the slide of the gun and the grip of the gun," Murray said. The Charlotte police crime lab found Scott's fingerprints on the gun, but the state crime lab "did not find that print to be of value."

Murray said a Colt .380 semi-automatic was recovered at the scene with one live round in the chamber with the safety off. The gun was cocked.

"Mr. Scott illegally purchased the gun on Sept. 2," Murray said. The seller admitted to selling the gun to a third party on Facebook.

"Basically the seller saw, what we all saw, the video of the incident and said, 'I know that guy and I know that gun," Murray said.

Plainclothes officers had gone to the complex about 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 looking for a suspect with an outstanding warrant when they saw Scott -- not the suspect they were looking for -- inside a car with a gun and marijuana, department spokesman Keith Trietley has said in a statement.

Officers saw Scott get out of the car with a gun and then get back in, police said. When officers approached, they said, Scott exited the car with the gun again. At that point, officers deemed Scott a threat and Vinson fired his weapon.

Scott, 43, was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center. An autopsy report from Mecklenburg County authorities says Scott died of gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen.

Vinson, who is also black, had been with the department for two years at the time of the shooting. He has been on administrative leave which is standard in police shootings.

At a Wednesday news conference, Murray said an expert determined that all four shell cases that were fired were from Vinson's gun.

Body camera and dashcam recordings released earlier by the police department did not conclusively show that and city officials were criticized for the length of time it took to release police video of the shooting.

Scott's final moments also were recorded by his wife, Rakeyia, in a video shared widely on social media. She can be heard shouting to police that her husband "doesn't have a gun." She pleads with the officers not to shoot before a burst of gunfire can be heard.

The shooting led to two nights of violent protests, including a fatal shooting in downtown Charlotte the next night. The unrest gave way to several more days of largely peaceful demonstrations, and the city instituted a curfew for multiple nights.

FoxNews.com's Edmund DeMarche and The Associated Press contributed to this report
There were no reported injuries after a pipeline exploded into a bright fireball Tuesday night in Missouri.

The explosion occurred in the middle of a rural field in Platte County at around 6:30 p.m. The flames shot up into the sky creating a bright spectacle. The flames were seen as far as a mile away.

Rick Rainey, vice president of public relations for Enterprise Products Partners, told Fox 4 KC that the explosion was isolated and workers responded to the scene and initiated emergency protocol. The area in Platte County where the explosion occurred didnt have any homes or structures around it.

"We are just trying to keep the area contained, we are trying to have a perimeter set up, directing traffic to allow the fire crews to do what they need to do, have the gas company get in and get the pipeline shut down and access for damages and repairs," Platte County Sergeant Jeffrey Shanks said.

Residents who saw the flames shoot up into the sky wondered what was happening. Jennifer Hill told the station that the flames were huge, but she was relieved to know that no evacuation order had been given.

Maj. Erik Holland said no one was in any real danger and the pipeline crews got the situation under control quickly.

Click for more from Fox 4 KC.
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Ohio State University students are continuing to offer messages of support following an attack on campus that injured nearly a dozen people.

All four panels of a two-sided board in the student union were filled with messages Wednesday, two days after 11 people were hurt in a car-and-knife attack carried out by OSU student Abdul Razak Ali Artan.

Writers using markers have contributed Bible verses, famous quotations and well-wishes to both the victims and police.

A number of students stopped by Wednesday to check out the board. Around them, a tour guide led prospective students and their parents out into the drizzling morning.

Artan was fatally shot Monday morning by a police officer shortly after the attack began.

Columbus police planned an update on the investigation later Wednesday.
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A North Carolina prosecutor says a Charlotte police officer acted lawfully when he shot and killed a black man in a case that touched off several nights of unrest in the city.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray made the announcement Wednesday in the shooting by officer Brent Vinson.

Vinson, who also is black, shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott on Sept. 20.

Scott was sitting in his vehicle at an apartment complex when he was confronted by police. Police video showed officers shouting for Scott to drop a gun numerous times. Scott's family has said he was not armed.

However, Murray displayed a nearby store's surveillance video showing the outline of what appeared to be a holstered gun on Scott's ankle, and he discussed other evidence that Scott was armed.
An Australian theme park plans to reopen six weeks after four people died in a ride malfunction.

Park owner Ardent Leisure Group told the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday that Dreamworld on Queensland state's Gold Coast will reopen to the public with several of its rides operating on Dec. 10.

The Thunder River Rapids ride, in which four people died when a raft overturned on Oct. 25, will never reopen.
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Thousands of Filipino protesters have returned to the site of a 1986 revolt that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, this time to condemn his burial at a heroes' cemetery.

Police said at least 3,000 people gathered Wednesday at a "people power" monument along the main EDSA highway in metropolitan Manila, chanting "Dig him up." Millions gathered there three decades ago in a largely peaceful uprising to oust Marcos.

Wednesday's protest is the latest in a growing political storm following the Nov. 18 burial, which was allowed by President Rodrigo Duterte and upheld by the Supreme Court amid protests by anti-Marcos groups.

Speakers at the rally included Maria Serena Diokno, who resigned Tuesday as head of the government's historical commission to protest the burial.
Italians vote Sunday on a series of sweeping reforms, the outcome of which could determine the future of Prime Minister Matteo Renzis rule - but also serve as a gauge for the rising populist movement throughout Europe.

If Italians reject the reforms  which are basically an unofficial plebiscite on the prime minister  Renzi has vowed to step down, setting up a caretaker government and the chance for the populist comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement to take power in the next election.

Italys situation is a microcosm of what is happening across Europe, where the political establishment is being challenged by a slew of populist  and mostly conservative  politicians who are riding the same anti-establishment anger that earlier this year saw the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union and the United States elect Donald Trump as president.

Mainland Europes populist leaders are up in the polls in large part because of their promises to restore flagging economies, reverse the continuing trend of unemployment, stem the flow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa and, in some cases, even leave the EU.

Many of these countries are looking at a series of complex questions, but they want an easy answer, Michael Geary, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center, told FoxNews.com. People are looking for answers and these politicians can take advantage of this because of the political unrest.

Here are some European nations that are experiencing populist uprisings:

Italy

Despite Renzi and his center-left government enjoying widespread approval when he came into office in 2014, Italians quickly soured to him as the country continued to struggle economically and unemployment rates remained high.

Adding to the fiscal woes, Italy has also been one of the main landing points for migrants from North Africa and many Italians are upset with Renzis handling of the crisis, which some see as an open door policy.

Mirroring both the campaigns of Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders in the U.S., Grillo and his Five Star Movement have gained a large number of followers by harnessing Italian anger at political elites and frustration over slow economic growth. Unlike his fellow populists throughout Europe, however, the ideologically-elusive Grillo has not played into national identity politics the way that more right-wing leaders in places such as France, the Netherlands and Austria have.

Grillo and his movement is a bit more of a response to the economic crisis hitting Italy, Kimberly Morgan, a political science professor at George Washington University, told FoxNews.com. Its much more of an economic issue and less to do with identity.

With Italians voting on Sunday, most experts predict that Renzis reforms will not pass, but it is difficult to tell as before a blackout was imposed ahead of the vote, about a quarter of Italians were still undecided.

France

Francois Fillon, a socially conservative former prime minister and an adherent of Margaret Thatchers economics, looks poised to face the leader of the far-right National Front party, Marine Le Pen, in a run-off election next year.

While the two share similar ideologies when it comes to Europes migrant crisis  Fillon has shifted farther right by promising to crack down on immigration and to destroy what he has called totalitarian Islamists  they differ on how to solve Frances unemployment and economic issues. Unlike Le Pen, Fillon has given no indication that he would push for France to leave the EU and has instead been an ardent advocate of free market capitalism.

Fillon picked up a lot of Le Pens line on immigration, but he is much more neoliberal when it comes to his economic policies, Morgan said.

With the memory of the Paris and Nice terror attacks still fresh in the minds of many in France, Fillon has also promised to reduce immigration and invest 12 billion euros in security, defense and justice. He has also called for closer ties with Russia in the fight against terrorism and recently penned a book, entitled Beating Islamic Totalitarianism."

Germany

As Chancellor Angela Merkel runs for a fourth term, the popular leader may face her toughest test yet from a resurgent right-wing led by populist politician Frauke Petry of the Alternative for Germany party.

Merkel, who has been described by many as the last defender of the liberal West, has come under fire from opponents who disagree with her insistence on accepting large numbers of Syrian refugees and on Germanys continued financial support for its faltering southern European neighbors.

Petry has really mobilized a lot Germans with her stance on asylum for refugees, Morgan said. She added that since World War II, the country has maintained a very open policy toward refugees as a sort of atonement for their past, but those attitudes appear to be shifting.

Despite the popularity of Petry and the Alternative for Germany party, experts say that Merkel still looks poised to maintain her chancellorship.

Germanys economy is in very good shape under Merkel and that bodes well for her chances of winning reelection, Morgan said.

The Netherlands

If there is one European politician who earns comparison to President-elect Trump, it may be Geert Wilders.

From his unsparing rhetoric on immigrants to his infamous coif, Wilders and his bid to become prime minster have polarized the Netherlands in much the same way that Trump did during his presidential run.

Hes been described as a populist and right-winger, but Wilders has refused to align himself with European far-right leaders and instead considers himself a right-wing liberal even though he worked alongside Le Pen in a failed 2015 attempt to form a far-right parliamentary group in the European Parliament.

Wilders biggest issue is immigration, but his focus is less on the migrant crisis and more on immigrants  particularly those from North Africa - currently living in the Netherlands. The Dutch politician is strongly opposed to what he calls the Islamization of Europe (he once called the Koran a "fascist book" and said it should be outlawed in the Netherlands, like Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf). He is currently on trial for hate speech.

Prosecutors say Wilders crossed a line when he asked supporters if they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans" in the Netherlands.

After supporters chanted back "fewer," Wilders replied, "We'll organize that."

While Wilders and his Party for Freedom currently top the polls in the run up to the March 15 general election, experts say that the Dutch political system would make it difficult for him to pass a number of items on his agenda if elected.

Hes popular, but the Dutch system has a lot of coalitions and not many other parties appear willing to work with Wilders, Morgan said.

Elsewhere

While the big four European nations and the UK are seeing populist uprisings, a number of countries on both sides of the continent have already elected leaders with these ideologies.

Angered at the numbers of migrants from the Middle East coming through his country, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already completed one of Trumps campaign proposals in his own country by building a border fence around his country.

In Austria, voters appear poised on Sunday to elect Western Europes first far-right head of state since 1945 in Norbert Hofer. The Austrian Freedom Party candidate campaigned on a platform of clamping down on unchecked immigration and less interference from EU leaders in Brussels.

Its not just Europe, however, that is experiencing a shift to the right.

Argentines rejected the populist government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in favor of the conservative, business-minded Mauricio Macri and Brazils Dilma Rousseff was impeached earlier this year before being replaced by her conservative vice president, Michel Temer.

Left-wing populist leaders through the region are also struggling to maintain power as Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro deals with widespread unrest against his rule, Bolivias Evo Morales' efforts to nationalize more of its natural resource-based industries are met with resistance and Ecuadors Rafael Correa deals with anger over accusations that he will destabilize the country like Venezuela.

Whats unique about what is going on in certain countries is the rise of populist leaders on both the extreme-right and the extreme-left, Geary said.
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is promising to reopen discussions with Russia and to make the fight against the Islamic State group a priority.

The former French economy minister, who is leading a centrist campaign, told journalists on Wednesday that Russia must play a decisive role in ending the conflict in Syria.

But he says ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad cannot be a prior condition before taking action to end the war. Macron criticized his former mentor, President Francois Hollande, saying that Hollande pushed Russia to isolate itself from Europe and to look toward Asia.

Macron also favors renewed peace talks to stabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine in order to be able to gradually diminish sanctions against Russia.

The 38-year-old is considered an outsider in France's April-May presidential election.
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Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi says national reconciliation is "unavoidably important" for the country to attract investment, but gave no specifics on how her government intends to resolve violence and discrimination against the country's minority Rohingya Muslim community.

Addressing senior business representatives at a Singapore dialogue on Wednesday, Suu Kyi said that national reconciliation is not "a matter of choice. It's unavoidable."

Accounts of military attacks against the Rohingya community caused thousands of people to march in protest in Bangladesh last week. Smaller protests occurred in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Suu Kyi is on an official visit to Singapore that lasts three days, ending Friday. On her schedule is a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman has mocked the Syrian Civil Defense for posting a Mannequin Challenge video  a viral Internet meme in which participants remain frozen as mannequins while the video is recorded  and accused them of staging scenes of destruction in the rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, posted the video online last month, showing two rescue workers striking a pose next to an injured man to participate in the trending hashtag.

Maria Zakharova said Wednesday the White Helmets, recently touted to win the Nobel Peace Prize, deserved an Academy Award for their performance.

The White Helmets have dealt with the aftermath of Russian and Syrian government strikes while Moscow has vehemently denied it has ever targeted civilian areas.

Zakharova said the video confirms Moscow's "worst fears" that the White Helmets film forged videos and "could easily imitate a tragedy."
Spain's Interior Ministry says police have arrested a Moroccan man they believe was studying intensely on the internet to carry out attacks against civilians for the Islamic State armed group.

A ministry statement Wednesday said the man spent many hours viewing and spreading IS-related video material and displayed a fanaticism that fitted the profile of a dangerous "lone actor" recruited to carry out attacks.

He was arrested in the town of Aranjuez, just south of Madrid, where he lived.

The ministry said much of the material he received and sent concerned late al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden and four extremists who blew themselves up in Spain in 2004 following the Madrid train attacks.

Spanish police have arrested 169 individuals suspected of forming part of Islamic extremist groups since 2015.
Syria says Israeli jets have fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of Damascus.

The official Syrian news agency, SANA, says the missiles struck the Sabboura area, west of Damascus, early Wednesday and did not cause any casualties. Citing an unnamed military source, it did not specify what the missiles struck.

Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud explosions around 2 a.m.

The Israeli military had no comment.

Israel is widely thought to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles, believed to be destined for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group.
A U.N. panel is sticking by its opinion that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention, rejecting a request by Britain to review the case.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Britain had not presented enough new information to merit a new examination. The panel made the decision at a meeting last week, the U.N. human rights office said Wednesday.

In February, the panel found that Britain and Sweden had "arbitrarily detained" Assange, saying he should be freed and entitled to compensation.

Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012 to avoid arrest and extradition to Sweden. Swedish prosecutors want to question him over allegations of rape.

Assange fears he could be sent to the United States over secret-spilling by WikiLeaks.
Emerald Advance Is Here - You Could Get A Line Of Credit Up To $1000 Today

KANSAS CITY, MO - (Marketwired) - November 29, 2016 - Since 2007, the H&R Block Emerald Advance line of credit has helped hundreds of thousands of consumers borrow and pay back millions of dollars to improve their financial situations. Continuing this tradition, the Emerald Advance application launched nationally on November 21 for consumers to apply at any participating H&R Block tax office. Approved applicants are eligible for an unsecured credit limit between $350 and $1,000 through the paydown date of February 15th. Borrowers who pay their line balance down to zero, retain their account in good standing and meet other applicable approval conditions (i.e. secure the line via deposit to their Emerald Savings account) may maintain their line of credit year-round.

"H&R Block saw an opportunity nine years ago to provide consumers with access to a year-round line of credit to improve their financial situation," said Greg Steinlicht, Vice President of H&R Block Financial Services. "We're happy to continue to provide this valuable credit option to consumers and assist further by loading the draws on their H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard."

The Emerald Advance is originated by BofI Federal Bank. Upon application, the bank will determine approval based on standard underwriting criteria. Since draws from the Emerald Advance are loaded to the consumer's Emerald Card, approved applicants typically leave the office with the first draw already on their Emerald Card and ready to spend as they see fit.

To apply for the Emerald Advance, clients must bring a current earnings statement, a valid, unexpired government-issued photo identification card (e.g., a driver's license) and their H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard if they have one, to a participating H&R Block tax office.

Monthly payments of $25 or 4 percent of the outstanding balance, whichever is greater, are required. In addition, the balance must be paid down to zero by February 15 each year. Payments to the Emerald Advance can be made by check, debit card or their Emerald Card. Cash payments are also accepted at various merchants though the merchants may assess a fee for such services. Though not available for monthly payments, clients who return to H&R Block for tax preparation may choose to direct a portion of their tax refund to pay their balance down to zero on or by February 15.

"As consumers begin to plan for end-of-year expenses, holidays and other financial needs, the Emerald Advance provides consumers with a valuable option for achieving greater financial freedom," says Steinlicht.

For additional details, visit the Emerald Advance website. Consumers wishing to make an appointment to apply or just locate a participating office can find an H&R Block location near them online or by calling 800-HRBLOCK.

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is a global consumer tax services provider. Tax return preparation services are provided by professional tax preparers in approximately 12,000 company-owned and franchise retail tax offices worldwide, and through H&R Block tax software products for the DIY consumer. H&R Block also offers adjacent Tax Plus products and services. In fiscal 2016, H&R Block had annual revenues of over $3 billion with 23.2 million tax returns prepared worldwide. For more information, visit the H&R Block Newsroom at http://newsroom.hrblock.com/.

H&R Block Emerald Advance line of credit and H&R Block Emerald Savings offered through BofI Federal Bank, Member FDIC. H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard issued by BofI Federal Bank pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. All products subject to ID verification. Line of credit subject to credit and underwriting approval. Fees apply. Products offered at participating offices. Promotional period 11/17/2016 - 12/30/2016. Emerald Financial Services, LLC is a registered agent of BofI Federal Bank. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. Emerald Advance is a tax refund-related credit product and Emerald Card is a tax refund-related deposit product. OBTP# B13696 2016 HRB Tax Group, Inc.

SOURCE H&R Block

Contact:

Gene King

816-854-4287

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Grand Opening Of Just Cuts Devonport, Tasmania In The Historic Bank Building

November 30, 2016 // Franchising.com // Australia - Just Cuts is set to open in the Historic Commercial Bank Building on Rooke Street in Devonport! And to celebrate its Grand Opening on Thursday 1st December, the salon will be offering $19.95 Style Cuts cuts to all Clients, normally priced at $31. Mayor Steve Martin J.P. will attend the Grand Opening festivities to officially cut the ribbon from 9am.

This is the seventh salon to be opened in Tasmania by successful Just Cuts Owners, Cassandra and Damian Colefax.

Showcasing the latest Just Cuts look with a modern, open plan layout, Just Cuts Devonport will open as a JUSTICE Professional exclusive salon, offering Clients a range of professional haircare, styling and scalp care products to help maintain and complement their Style Cuts cuts. The JUSTICE Professional range is available to purchase only from Just Cut salons Australia and New Zealand-wide.

For further information and to organise a photo or interview with Denis McFadden, CEO and founder of Just Cuts, or Damian & Cassandra Colefax, Franchise Owners of Just Cuts Devonport, please contact:

Just Cuts Franchising:

Kelly Gaunt

+61(2) 9527 5444

kelly@justcuts.com

http://justcuts.com.au

More About Just Cuts

Just Cuts is a hairdressing salon that bridges the gap between the old style barber shop and the high end hair salon. Our fixed price, no appointment system is a convenient and practical solution for our Clients, offering them convenient, quality Style Cuts cuts from fully qualified Stylists at an affordable price.

Just Cuts was the brainchild of Denis McFadden, who, back in 1982 turned a simple idea into a business concept that would change the hairdressing industry forever. Always one to make the most of every situation, McFadden decided to run a promotion at his humble Sydney salon to boost business and offered all clients a no appointment, $6 Style Cut.

The response was outstanding and the idea of Just Cuts was born.

The following year, the inaugural Just Cuts salon opened its door to the public. And in 1990, the first Just Cuts franchise opened in the suburb of Engadine, in the south of Sydney. Our brand has continued to expand ever since, with over 180 locations in Australia and New Zealand now open. Thats an average of one new salon every six weeks!

And in 2013, we answered the calls of our Clients and Stylists and launched JUSTICE Professional  a range of salon quality, paraben free haircare and styling products available exclusively in all our salons at a competitive, affordable price. The JUSTICE Professional line has something for everyone, including everyday shampoos and conditioners, anti-dandruff and dry scalp treatments, toning products, nourishing leave-in treatments and a range of hair styling waxes and sprays. We now offer our Clients 20 salon quality products to choose from.

SOURCE Just Cuts

Contact:

Kelly Gaunt

Just Cuts Brand and Communications Manager

+61(2) 9527 5444

kelly@justcuts.com

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Holiday Inn Express Debuts in Krabi at Ao Nang Beach

218-room Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach offers comfortable and refreshing stay to smart travellers in popular beachside town.

November 30, 2016 // Franchising.com // InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, has opened the doors to Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach on the popular Ao Nang Beach in Krabi, Thailand.

Offering a refreshing, hassle-free and affordable stay for guests, the 218-room hotel marks the much anticipated debut of Holiday Inn Express, one of the largest and fastest growing hotel brands in the world, into Krabi.

A scenic 30-minute drive from Krabi International Airport or two-hour drive from Phuket International Airport will bring travellers to the breath-taking coastline of Ao Nang Beach, where Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach is situated, adjacent to the existing Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach.

Amadeo Zarzosa, Vice President, Operations Resorts & Hotel Openings AMEA, IHG, commented: Krabi is one of the most popular beachside destinations in Thailand, for both domestic and international travellers. Tourism growth in Thailand has shown a healthy increase year on year and we are glad to be able to introduce a new brand and property to a new destination in the country. Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach offers the growing segment of smart leisure travellers everything they need and nothing they dont, in a great location at a great price.

Conveniently nestled amongst a plethora of restaurants, bars and streetfood options, guests are spoilt for choice with a wide selection of international and local cuisine, including some of the areas most renowned seafood establishments that dish up exciting Thai flavours to delight curious palates. Guests seeking beach essentials and souvenirs are steps away from Holiday Beach Walk Shopping Plaza, while those looking to indulge in retail therapy can take a 10-minute walk to Ao Nang Centre.

Morgan Layberry, General Manager, Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach, agrees saying, Combined with its close proximity to the beach, nearby food and retail options, our new modern accommodation, tastefully characterised by Sino Portuguese influence, provides guests with all the modern convenience, services and facilities expected of a Holiday Inn Express hotel. We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome and our friendly services to guests to Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach.

Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach features the brand's signature Great Room where guests can dine and interact with each other during their stay. Other amenities that offer guests a smart and convenient stay include:

Free and fast Wi-Fi available in guest rooms and throughout the hotel so they stay connected all day, every day

Free Express Start Breakfast or a Grab & Go option for a smart start to the day

A comfortable and restful sleep with high quality bedding and a choice of firm or soft pillows

Self-service business centre and laundry room for their everyday needs

24-hour access to the fitness centre to indulge in their fitness regime any time

Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang Beach is the latest addition to one of the worlds largest hotel companies where guests can earn and redeem points at over 5,000 hotels and major airlines globally through the IHG Rewards Club loyalty programme.

Thailand is home to IHG's largest number of hotels in South East Asia with 20 hotels and resorts (over 5,700 rooms) open across five brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road, with a further 14 properties in the development pipeline. The company currently has five Holiday Inn Express hotels open in Thailand and has a further five hotels due to open in Thailand over the next three to five years.

About IHG

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,100 hotels and more than 750,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,500 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, the worlds first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with nearly 99 million members worldwide.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Groups holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHGs hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

SOURCE IHG

Contact:

Anne-Lise Berthon

annelise.berthon@ihg.com

+65 6395 6147

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New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
Urgent Action, November 28, 2016





Himan Uraminejad has been warned by prison officials that he is at risk of execution as Iran's Head of Judiciary has approved the implementation of his death sentence.





He has been on death row since 2012 for a crime committed when he was 17 years old.





Amnesty International has learnt on 21 November that Himan Uraminejad, aged 22, was informed by prison officials on 6 October that the Head of Judiciary had approved the implementation of his death sentence and his family should intensify their efforts to seek a pardon from the family of the deceased because his execution could be carried out at any moment.





He was sentenced to death in August 2012 after a criminal court in Kurdistan Province convicted him of murder over the fatal stabbing of a boy during a group fight. He was 17 years old at the time of the crime.





In September 2014, the Supreme Court quashed his death sentence and granted him a retrial, based on new juvenile sentencing provisions in Iran's 2013 Islamic Penal Code.





In June 2015, however, he was sentenced to death again. The criminal court presiding over his retrial referred to an official medical opinion that found "no evidence of a disorder at the time of the crime that would remove criminal liability".





The court also referred to Himan Uraminejad's statements that he had no "mental illness or history of hospitalization" and understood killing someone was "religiously forbidden" (haram).





The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in November 2015 and rejected a subsequent request for retrial.





Himan Uraminejad was sentenced after a grossly unfair trial that relied on evidence obtained through torture. He was arrested on 22 April 2012 when he was 17 years old.





He was subsequently transferred to an undisclosed detention centre where he was held for 20 days, without access to his family and lawyer. He has said that during this period, he was tortured, including by repeated beatings that left scars and bruises all over his face and body, and suspension from the ceiling by a rope tied to his feet. He has said that police also raped him with an object shaped like an egg, threatened to cut off his testicles and walked over his body with boots.





Himan Uraminejad's trial was held before an adult court, without special juvenile justice protections. The court ordered no investigation into his allegations of torture.





TAKE ACTION





Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:





- Urging the Iranian authorities to halt any plans to execute Himan Uraminejad, and commute his death sentence without delay;





- Urging them to ensure that his conviction is quashed and that he is granted a fair retrial in accordance with the principles of juvenile justice, in particular ensuring that no statements obtained through torture and other ill-treatment are admitted as evidence;





- Urging them to ensure his allegations of torture are investigated and those responsible are brought to justice;





- Immediately establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.





Contact below official by 6 January, 2017:





Office of the Supreme Leader

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations

622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Fax: (212) 867-7086 // Phone: (212) 687-2020





Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei

Salutation: Your Excellency





Source: Amnesty International USA, November 29, 2016

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A Henrico County man pleaded guilty in Stafford Circuit Courty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the shooting death of the husband of his daughter's mother.

Corey Anthony Terry, 27, entered an Alford plea, which means he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.

Terry shot Austen Tyler Agnor, 20, seven times on May 20 while the victim was sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Exxon station on Courthouse Road, not far from the Stafford Sheriffs Office.

Agnor and his wife, Crystal, who lived in Maryland, were meeting Terry for a court-ordered child-custody exchange involving their 2-year-old daughter.

Crystal Agnor was to turn the little girl over to Terry for a weekend visit.

Terry will be back in court March 27 where he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

This story will be updated.
Thirteen protesters have been sentenced to five days in jail for illegally blocking traffic on Interstate 95 in Richmond during a Black Lives Matter protest in July.

All 13 demonstrators pleaded guilty Monday afternoon in Richmond General District Court as part of a plea agreement.

While the judge allowed some to report to jail in Decemberat least one woman was granted a delay because she has upcoming college examsothers were immediately escorted off by sheriffs deputies to begin serving jail time.

It was rush hour. They put themselves in danger, and they put other people potentially in danger, so we thought that five days in jail was an appropriate punishment, said Richmond Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Davis Powell, the prosecutor in the cases.

Powell said in an interview afterward that the defendants behavior was rather irresponsible, adding that while demonstrators have the right to protest peacefully, stopping rush-hour traffic is an entirely different thing.  We thought that warranted punishment.

After activists started a demonstration shortly before 6 p.m. on July 18, about 30 protesters made their way to the southbound lanes of I-95 near the Belvidere Street exit. Protesters held signs and chanted Black lives matter! and No justice, no peace, no racist police! Nearby, a banner hung from an overpass stating that black lives matter, along with a message of support for queer, undocumented and other people.

Some protesters stood side by side in the roadway and blocked vehicles from passing, causing a major backup on the interstate during rush hour.

By 6:20 p.m., Richmond police were on the scene and, after two warnings to move from the road to the grass, several protesters were handcuffed, according to police.

Those who refused to exit the interstate were charged with being pedestrians on a highway and with impeding the flow of traffic. On Monday, the 13 defendants, all represented by the same attorney, were convicted of obstructing free passage of others, punishable by up to a year in jail plus a $2,500 fine.

One by one, the 13 defendants went before Judge Jacqueline S. McClenney and pleaded guilty to obstructing free passage of others. The plea agreement, accepted by all of the defendants, stipulated that each of them would be sentenced to five days in jail and that the count of being pedestrians on a highway would be nolle prossed, or not pursued.

We were ready to prosecute them to the fullest extent had they not accepted the (plea) offer, and it was a Class 1 misdemeanor they were charged with, said Powell, noting that he thought five days in jail was a fair resolution, considering that the defendants generally had few prior run-ins with the law.

Three uniformed Virginia State Police troopers sat in the front of the courtroom Monday, but they did not need to testify because all of the defendants pleaded guilty.

For those allowed to serve their jail time next month, McClenney warned that if theyre late reporting to jail on the agreed-upon dates, they could face additional criminal charges.

Those convicted and sentenced to five days in jail are:

Anthony D. Beck, 24, of Weed, Calif.;

Nina B. Cohen, 49, of State College, Pa.;

Donna L. Gasapo, 42, of Charlottesville;

Julia Griffin, 21, of Sparks Glencoe, Md.;

Angelica S. Demarco Jaffe, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y.;

Katherine M. Martin, 30, of Alpharetta, Ga.;

Sapphyre K. Miria, 37, of Buchanan;

Luis A. Oyola, 26, of Charlottesville;

Frances Richards, 61, of Charlottesville;

Brandon J. Taylor, 21, of Hampton, N.J.;

Evan S. Viglietta, 39, of Charlottesville;

Ryan L. Whitcomb, 27, of Charlottesville; and

Whitney Renee Whiting, 32, of Richmond.
Oppose Trumps rhetoric, support inclusiveness

Donald Trumps campaign continuously targeted the others in our country as he encouraged his frenzied fans to turn against those who were not their color, religion or sexual orientation.

After all, these others were responsible for the personal and financial failures of real Americans. As a result, homes and churches have been smeared with white nationalist graffiti. At the University of Michigan, a man threatened to set a Muslim woman on fire if she did not remove her hijab. AfricanAmericans are told to go back to Africa. Teachers across American report a 200 percent rise in bullying since the election, and according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there have been over 700 incidents of hate crimes in recent weeks, adding that two-thirds of hate crimes go unreported.

President-elect Trump has chosen Steve Bannon of Breitbart News (a platform for the alt-right) to serve as his senior counselor and chief strategist. Trumps choice for national security adviser is Michael Flynn, who was forced out of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Flynn shares Trumps close ties with Russia and has often stated, Fear of Muslims is rational. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions is Trumps nominee for attorney general. Sessions was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 because of his racist activities, including voter intimidation.

One Trump enthusiast writes, He is appointing men who are going to start the process of taking our country back. Our side is empowered, our side is excited, our side is hopeful. But more than hopeful, we are becoming confident. Were on the way, folks, of taking America back. These are the words of David Duke, a former Louisiana representative, who is a self-avowed white nationalist, antisemite, Holocaust denier and Ku Klux Klan leader.

Please be vigilant. We must shake off our post-election blues and pay attention. We will fight against hate through our actions and our words. We will continue to speak out for love and inclusiveness. Our children, our country and our world deserve no less from us.

Pat Ivey

Orange County
Let the recounts go, focus on the future

What is the purpose of the recounts? Hillary Clinton conceded.

Is it to continue to waste money to benefit selfish people who care only about themselves and their egos?

It is regrettable that they do not have the guts to use their talents in making America a respected, strong, caring nation.

Margaret Meskunas

Locust Grove
Real Estate Lead Generation How-To Guide Released By XSELL For Realtors

XSELL Magazine has released a new how-to guide on generating leads from LinkedIn. Real Estate Agents and other interested parties can find the guide online at http://xsell.today/how-to-turn-linkedin-into-an-automated-lead-machine/

--

XSELL Magazine, a division of Salesachievers, Inc., has published a new real estate marketing how-to guide dedicated to helping real estate agents build a digital farm to generate leads from LinkedIn for the cost of peanuts. This guide will also have information useful to anybody facing the challenge of not getting leads from their LinkedIn network.

Interested parties are invited to review the how-to guide in full on their website: http://xsell.today/how-to-turn-linkedin-into-an-automated-lead-machine/

This most recent XSELL how-to guide contains precise and detailed steps and instructions, designed to be used by Realtors and real estate agents who want to close more sales and others who need it, helping them build a digital farm to generate leads for the cost of peanuts, as quickly, easily and with as little stress as possible.

XSELL Magazine states that this accessible, easy to follow guide provides all of the information necessary to fully understand how to automate LinkedIn to get the results they want.

The Full How-To Guide Covers: building the right connections by getting targeted prospects sending invitations to connect on autopilot, how to optimize a LinkedIn profile so it's attractive and how to network after connecting - writing messages that engage prospects.

When asked for more information about the guide, the reasons behind creating a guide on real estate lead generation and what they hope to accomplish with it, Jeffrey Nelson, President at Salesachievers, Inc. said: "Learning how to turn LinkedIn into a digital farm so you get more leads can be more valuable to Realtors over other networks, including Facebook. Within an hour of reviewing the guide they can optimize their profile and learn how the magic happens so they can build a farm within weeks that could be producing more leads."

Real estate agents and anybody interested in using LinkedIn for lead generation are invited to review the how-to guide online: http://xsell.today/how-to-turn-linkedin-into-an-automated-lead-machine/

More information about XSELL Magazine can be found at http://xsell.today/

LinkedIn is a registered trademark of LinkedIn Corporation. LinkedIn does not endorse any of the material contained in this press release.

For more information, please visit http://xsell.today

Contact Info:

Name: Jeffrey Nelson

Email: jeffrey@xsell.today

Organization: XSELL Magazine (Division of Salesachievers, Inc)

Address: 4848 E Cactus Road Suite 505-509

Phone: +18888101390

Release ID: 150628

For more information visit r



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Luxury European Vacation Travel Packages Launched With Flights Tours & More

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Unique Voyages, a luxury travel agency, announces a diverse range of European and international vacation packages.

More information is available at http://unique-voyages.com.

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"Wide-ranging effects on Turkey's economy and its relations with Europe."

Turkey's government is pressing on with its plans to bring back the death penalty despite the risk of dashing EU accession hopes. Tom Stevenson reports from Istanbul.





When Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) abolished capital punishment in 2004, the move was widely praised as evidence of the pragmatism and political maturity of the country's religious conservatives.





Turkey had not carried out a death penalty since 1984 but its legal abolition was hailed as a symbol of a break from the days of military rule under which figures such as former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was hanged in 1960, and prominent left-wing activist Deniz Gezmis in 1971.





Just 12 years later, the same ruling party is in the final stages of preparing to reinstate capital punishment as part of a radical set of changes to Turkey's constitution that supporters and critics alike say will be a blueprint for the country's future.





The government's volte face on reinstating capital punishment has come directly out of the shifting grounds of Turkish politics that followed the attempted military coup against the state in July. Immediately after the coup attempt was thwarted, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim publicly raised the idea of reinstating the death penalty in law.





President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since raised the issue on several occasions and used others as an example. "The US has it, Japan has it, China has it, most of the world has it. So they are allowed to have it... Sovereignty belongs to the people, so if the people make this decision I am sure the political parties will comply," he said at a post-coup rally this summer.





Yet despite the timing of the move, Prime Minister Yildirim has repeatedly made clear that if the bill is passed, it would not be possible to mete out a death sentence retroactively and therefore that it could not be applied to the suspected coup plotters.





'Part of Islam'





Getting people on the street to comment is far from easy these days, but those that are willing to talk don't mince their words. "Capital punishment is part of Islam, it is religion. If someone kills another man then he deserves to be killed too - for me it is that simple," 59-year-old Huseyin Akturan told DW, outside a traditional cafe in Istanbul's generally conservative Tophane neighborhood.





The government's main purpose in reintroducing the death penalty debate may be to whip up popular support among the country's most conservative elements, according to one academic expert on justice and democracy at a leading Turkish university who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons.





"It looks like the consolidation of one-man rule is the immediate goal of the new regime that is being established and the ultra-nationalists have always wanted this; it's playing to their interests as a kind of political mobilization," the academic told DW.





A national referendum on a new constitution that would expand president Erdogan's constitutional power is expected to be held as early as this coming spring and the argument posits that recent, highly conservative government policies on the reinstatement of capital punishment and the liberalization of child marriage are fodder for the far-right in advance of the referendum.





"Ahead of that time they would like to foment and politically mobilize all sectors of society that are happy to see blood: nationalists, racists, lumpen elements within the society because their votes are going to be needed again," the academic said.





Should the plans to reintroduce the death penalty make it into law, there will be wide-ranging effects on Turkey's economy and its relations with Europe, particularly on the stymied EU accession process.





Anti EU-sentiment





However European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's pledge that "if Turkey should bring back the death penalty, we will immediately stop the negotiation process" currently carries little weight in Ankara, where anti-EU sentiment has been growing rapidly since the failed coup attempt.





More pressing for Turkish officials is the concern that reintroducing the death penalty now would damage the extradition request that the government has filed in the United States for Pennsylvania-based Turkish preacher Fetullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government believes was the prime suspect behind the July coup attempt.





"The government would like to get rid of the political constraints implied in the EU accession process and international law, it cares less and less about these things and I think the death penalty will be reintroduced, because the AKP also has an ideological commitment to it," said the academic expert on justice and democracy.





Emel Kurma, the general coordinator of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly human rights group in Turkey, says all the talk about the death penalty is a useful distraction for Erdogan and his party.





"Stirring up a debate to re-install capital punishment serves Erdogan and the government in diverting public attention from the actual political/economic challenges as concretely experienced in practical daily life," she told DW.





Kurma also argues that the AKP is using capital punishment in order to further cement its alliance with the MHP nationalist party and thereby increase its influence in parliament.





"On a much more practical basis, the capital punishment card provides good leverage to attain the support of MHP, the nationalist conservatives. Thus, it is aimed to weld their support to that of the traditional AKP electorate: the religious conservatives," she said. "The stirring up of capital punishment is a symptom of increasing adoption of authoritarian policies and practices, as the world at large is shifting into populist or authoritarian regimes and illiberal democracies."

Different voices from inside Turkey's ruling party

Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes is known to be against the death penalty. In the cabinet meeting presided by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct. 31, he expressed his views outright.





"Even if the capital punishment is reintroduced, you cannot hang Ocalan and Gulen," Turkes said, referring to the Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July 15 coup. When Erdogan looked at him with questioning eyes, Turkes went on, "This is because, since Magna Carta, penalties are not retroactive." While the entire cabinet and the president were listening with heightened interest, he said, "In this case, we would bring back the death penalty but we would not be able to practice it. Reinstalling death penalty would disrupt our image. They would immediately expel us from the Council of Europe and NATO.?





Upon these words of Turkes, Erdogan said, "How can they remove us from NATO? There is capital punishment in the U.S." Turkes elaborated, "This has been like this from the beginning in the U.S. There was capital punishment before NATO was formed; they did not change it afterward. They have a separate law. But we have been subject to the continental Europe law from the beginning."





On the other hand, a cabinet minister known for his notable proclamations on the EU, in his meeting with the deputy chair of the AK Party, bluntly said, "If capital punishment is brought in, I will vote negatively."





We have seen during the sexual abuse criminalization debates that the public in Turkey, since opposition remains inadequate, expects the members of the ruling AK Party to warn the government.





In this process, there are certain people the president and the prime minister have consulted in the struggle against FETO, capital punishment and the presidential system. For this reason, I would like to reflect the shared thoughts of President Erdogan and PM Binali Yildirim. These names which are only a handful but have huge respectability, I think, and represent certain sensitivity within the AK Party.





At the top of the matters is the capital punishment. "Death sentence cannot be retroactive. For this reason, it is not possible to execute Fethullah Gulen and Ocalan. It can only be practiced as of the date it is processed. It is also questionable what deterrence this would have for future acts."





There are wrongs and rights in the fight against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO). Here is a broader analysis:





"Our president categorized the FETO structuring to 3 levels as the top being betrayal, the middle commerce and the bottom worship. The betrayal attempted a coup in July 15. This has military and civilian connections. They have connections in military, police, the national intelligence organization. They have brothers, sisters and imams in civilian life. We should fight these.





"The commercial middle class, though, is a structure financially supporting them. In fighting these, we should determine a commercial capacity. We should target those that have a certain commercial capacity; however, we should not spread it to the street grocery store level.





"There is also the believer, the worshipper dimension. We should make them see the truth.





"Out of those who have been caught in July 15, 90 % are in the betrayal group. The judgement should start from there. Each institute should not have its own measures. There should be penalty criteria of 4 or 5 clauses. The process should function accordingly. But this is not being done. The fight is conducted irregularly. Social wounds are opened. The civilian leg has reached hundreds of thousands but the military leg has not yet reached 10,000. The fight against FETO business should not be considered as a score."





On the subject of conducting the presidential system together with the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), there is a "be careful" warning. "As a result of the presidential system, there will be a bi-party system. The MHP will erode. Why should MHP leader Devlet Baheli want a system where the MHP will lose? Where does this appetite for the presidential system come from for Bahceli? Will the MHP crash us to the wall?"





We are walking step by step to the "President of the Republic" system. It looks as if the constitutional amendment will pass in the parliament and it will be acknowledged with a significant vote rate in the referendum. Nevertheless, I still wanted to reflect different evaluations within the AK Party.

 | 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



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Source: Deutsche Welle , November 29, 2016Source: Hurriyet Daily News , November 30, 2016
London Digital Marketing Agency, celebrates 2 year anniversary with new website.

Digitalhound, the London digital marketing agency has just launched a new and more user focused website to celebrate the agency's 2nd year anniversary of successful growth. Renowned for providing a 'No B.S.' ROI driven service, the company has grown rapidly over the last 2 years

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Digitalhound, the London digital marketing agency is marking its' 2nd year anniversary with the launch of a completely new website that has been designed from the ground up to focus more on providing the site visitor with lots of useful advice and content on how to set up and maintain successful digital marketing campaigns.

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Call 020 7692 8761 for expert help or please visit the website for more information on the full range of digital marketing services.

For more information, please visit http://www.digitalhound.co.uk

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A Utah window glass repair and replacement company offering a wide range of residential and commercial glass repair and window replacement services to SLC, Utah home and business owners has been announced by Window Repair Salt Lake City (385)355-4849

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Window Repair Salt Lake City has announced a wide range of residential and commercial glass repair and window replacement services to Utah home and business owners. Whether there's a need to replace or fix broken or cracked window glass, a team of residential and commercial glass installers are ready to help any home or property owner get the most out of their properties with professional window repair and replacement installation.

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The company is on a mission to provide solutions for a wide range of residential and commercial glass needs, including small office glass repairs to large commercial window glass replacement projects. Its goal is to design custom glass projects for Utah homes and businesses that will meet not only client glass requirements, but suit budgets as well.

Window Repair Salt Lake City wants to provide the best glass repair and replacement services in Utah. Whether for a home or commercial property, a team of glass installers are ready to repair or replace any type of window or storefront unit. The business understands exactly how crucial good window design can be, so likewise offers 24 hour emergency glass repair and year round replacement and maintenance service.

A free, no obligation estimate can be can be requested and scheduled for any window or glass repair job on the website link above.

Window Repair Salt Lake City explains that "We aim to produce the window designs of your dreams and will match any price in the area from other Utah window replacement companies because we are confident that you will be thrilled with how your window installation project will turn out."

The Business further adds "Whether you need to fix or repair a broken or cracked window pane, insulated or tempered glass, our expert glass contractors service all areas of Salt Lake City, Utah and are prepared to address any questions or concerns about any window project you may be contemplating."

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The Free Times sat down with Publico owner, Mike Duganier, to talk about what he sees for the future of his restaurants and why he chose to settle down in Columbia. Read moreColumbia's Mike Duganier presses forward with Boku, Publico
If you like roaring, full-throttle hardcore punk, the new album by Columbias Longshot Odds has plenty of that. Stress Marks, is the album in question and the bands first in two years. Read moreColumbia's Longshot Odds offer roaring, full-throttle punk on latest album
If you dont see a lot of new development walking Five Points proper, just head a few blocks up Devine Street. Read moreMuch New Development Coming to Devine Street
First-term Irmo Mayor Barry Walker announced Sept. 26 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. The mayors wife, Susan, also got COVD-19, Walker said on social media. As you know Im a kidney patient and require weekly dialysis, Walker wrote. This virus compromises my immune syste Read moreWhat You Missed: Irmo Mayor Barry Walker gets COVID-19
In Latvia, 65 percent of the people believe it is impossible to become wealthy by working honestly, and 5 percent of the most affluent citizens left the country in one year because the nation was heading in the wrong direction.

Enter Velta Krivmane, the executive director of The Way to Happiness (TWTH) Baltic Foundation and Ilze Apsa, the executive director of TWTH Latvia. These two and others distributed 200,000 The Way to Happiness booklets, including 60,000 copies to 350 schools31 percent of the nations schools.

Apsa says, Through this project I am returning to school so I can help kids, teachers, parents and even the Ministry of Science and Education.
When Tropical Cyclone Winston lashed the Pacific island nation of Fiji in February 2016, Alfred Waqa knew exactly how to respond to the crisis. Among other things, he had hundreds of trained volunteers ready to spring into action.

Waqa, a trained and experienced member of the Scientology Volunteer Minister Disaster Response program, led some 250 Fijians who fanned out in 20 villages to help victims of the cyclone, the most powerful storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere. Each one of them was a Volunteer Minister (VM) trained to expertly address peoples most critical needswhether physical, mental or spiritualnot just during disasters but in everyday life.

The VMs distributed donated materials to the afflicted, cleared storm debris, rebuilt houses and schools, and delivered assist technologytechniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to provide spiritual relief from physical and emotional trauma. Dressed in distinctive bright yellow T-shirts, the Volunteer Ministers helped some 24,200 victims and trained as many as 2,340 people to deliver assists to others.

Waqa, popularly known by his nickname Alfy, became a leading VM in 2012 when a group of Volunteer Ministers helped victims in the aftermath of severe floods in Fiji. In March the following year, when a tropical cyclone ripped through the neighboring island nation of Vanuatu, Alfy was on hand along with other Volunteer Ministers to provide disaster relief.

But it wasnt until Alfy traveled to Nepal in April 2015 to assist victims of a devastating magnitude-7.8 earthquake that he realized how important it is to have a well-oiled VM organization prepared not only to respond to disasters but to help Fijians deal with lifes daily struggles. By all accounts, working with VMs in Nepal, who were supported by the International Association of Scientologists, changed Alfys life like nothing else had before.

One of the first things that Alfy did after returning from Nepal was to form three groups of Volunteer Ministers in and around his village, Nalalawa, located some three hours by road from the capital city of Suva. Recruiting people wasnt a problem. Many villagers in the area were already impressed with the disaster relief work Alfy and his VM team had done in 2012. Whats more, they were also aware of social media reports of the tremendous impact that VMs had made in Nepal.

To evoke further public interest in Volunteer Ministers, Alfy delivered a string of public seminars on the numerous skills and techniques that VMs acquire in their trainingeverything from assists to dealing with dangerous environments to improving interpersonal relationships. His first seminar attracted more than 60 attendees, including five chiefs of neighboring villages. Police personnel, schoolteachers, clergy and village elders were also in attendance.

In addition, Alfy has taken the VM tools to some 45 youth clubs, each with 30 to 50 members. At a government-organized forum, he trained some 100 youths on assist technology. Plans for expanding such training to other youth clubs are underway.

In June 2015, Alfy registered the Scientology Volunteer Minister Disaster Response program with the office of the public administrator in Rakiraki, a town about 100 miles from Suva. Since then, requests to the government for VM help are forwarded directly to local Volunteer Ministers.
The execution of King Louis XVI on Revolution Square, on January 21, 1793

In 2016 90 countries and 2 territories retain the death penalty for certain crimes, with retentionist countries spread across the globe in Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia.





Amnesty International claims that roughly 2/3 of the world's countries have abolished capital punishment, stating that in the course of the last decade an average of 3 countries a year "abolished the death penalty in law or, having done so for ordinary offences, have gone on to abolish it for all offences."





Undoubtedly the trend seems to be that capital punishment is in decline. Exactly when and where this trend started however, is perhaps a surprise.





Since ancient times the death penalty has been a punishment for certain crimes. In the 18th century BCE the Code of Babylonian king Hammurabi listed the death penalty as punishment for 25 different offences, although not for murder. Capital punishment was used in Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, and by the medieval period it was well established in European, African and Asian societies. The execution methods themselves took on a variety of ghastly forms, from drowning to being hanged, drawn and quartered.





30th November 1786 marked the 1st time in European history that a country permanently abolished the death penalty. At a time just a few years before Europe was changed irrevocably by the explosion of the French Revolution and other popular uprisings in the name of progress, it is perhaps surprising that this groundbreaking reform actually came from a member of the Habsburg Dynasty.





Leopold II served as Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790, before inheriting the title of Holy Roman Emperor following the death of his brother: Joseph II. His time as ruler of Tuscany saw him implement a host of changes, removing restrictions on personal freedoms that had been put in place by his predecessors: the Medici, and lowering the rates of taxation to a fairer, rational system. Most shocking of his reforms however, was the abolition of capital punishment.





Prior to 1786, Leopold had blocked any executions in Tuscany, meaning the death penalty hadn't been exercised there since 1769, the year before he took power. In 1786 he moved to make the change permanent, reforming the penal code to see capital punishment abolished and having all equipment that could be used for execution destroyed. Torture was also outlawed in one of the most striking examples of enlightened absolutism - a period in European history when rulers from Charles III of Spain to Catherine the Great of Russia attempted to govern with the inspiration of the Enlightenment.





Tuscany proved to be the exception rather than the rule. The French Revolution and its aftermath saw a massive upsurge in executions as the Guillotine went to work. In Britain meanwhile, some 220 crimes were punishable by death by the late 1700s, although the severity of the punishment meant juries would often acquit if they felt it excessive for the crime. In 1823, 5 laws were passed to exempt roughly a hundred crimes from the death penalty. Between 1832 and 1837 further reforms saw capital punishment removed as the punishment from more crimes, though in 1840 an attempt to completely abolish the death penalty was blocked.





Throughout Europe campaigns continued for the abolition of capital punishment, yet change was slow to come about. Britain, France and Germany all retained the death sentence until long after the 2nd World War.





In the case of Britain, although 1965 legislation saw capital punishment no longer applied in murder trials, one could officially be executed for treason as late as 1998.





West Germany officially abolished capital punishment in 1987 (although the last execution had taken place in 1949). [DPN follower Markus W. from Germany emailed us the following comment: "West Germany removed by constitution article 102 in 1949. A confusion is made in this article with East Germany, which indeed repealed the death penalty in 1987, after having carried out executions in the early 1980s." Wikipedia states: "The current Constitution of Germany ("Grundgesetz fur die Bundesrepublik Deutschland"), which came into effect on 23 May 1949, forbids capital punishment. The Penal Code was formally amended in 1951 to conform to the abolition. Previous death sentences were replaced by life imprisonment. East Germany abolished the death penalty in 1987. The last execution in East Germany is believed to have been the shooting of Werner Teske, convicted for treason, in 1981."]





In France, the last execution took place in 1977, the death penalty itself was abolished in 1981.





Capital punishment is now exceedingly rare in Europe.





In Russia the death penalty has been indefinitely suspended, meaning the country is abolitionist in practice. As such, Belarus is the only country on the continent that still practices it.

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Source: newhistorian.com, November 30, 2016
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While there is much discussion in Guam about the economic benefits of increasing the islands military presence, the damages/dangers that they represent are rarely mentioned. This blog, a supplement to the Peace and Justice for Guam Petition, is meant to counter that by providing information about the US military in Guam, with the hopes of steering policy away from a dangerous unilateralist course to more sustainable notions of regional development and a strengthening international solidarity.
Need to find a campsite or hotel room in the mid-valley for next August?

Good luck with that: The mid-valley sits right in the heart of the path of Aug. 21's "Great American Eclipse," the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in North America since 1918. If you miss the eclipse next August, you'll have to wait until April 8, 2024, for the next solar eclipse that hits the Americas, but that one will enter the United States at Texas and work its way up to Maine.

The Aug. 21 eclipse, on the other hand, will enter the United States between Lincoln City and Newport at 10:15 a.m. and then will head east; it will exit the state about 12 minutes later and then head toward the southeastern part of the United States.

The path of totality  in other words, the area on Earth where the moon's shadow will block out the sun, leaving only its corona visible  will pass right through Albany and Corvallis on its way east; mid-valley eclipse watchers will experience close to two minutes of totality.

Although, in theory, it would be cool to be on the Oregon beach for the start of the eclipse, seasoned eclipse watchers are voicing a note of caution because of the possibility of ocean fog or cloud cover along the coast.

The story is different elsewhere in Oregon: Even in the mid-valley, August typically offers sunny skies and potentially outstanding eclipse viewing. (A couple of notes need to be made here: Don't be planning to watch the eclipse with your naked eyes, unless that's the last thing you want to see. You'll need to take precautions to protect your eyesight, and you'll hear a lot more about those in the months to come. And second: Even though the weather forecast for the mid-valley in August is promising, eclipse experts believe that the Madras area offers even better prospects.)

So it's no wonder that mid-valley campgrounds and hotel rooms have been booked for this event; in some cases, hotel rooms have been reserved for years by "umbraphiles"  basically, people who chase eclipses for a hobby.

Part of the reason why mid-valley campsites and hotel rooms will be at a premium is that the eclipse falls within a few days of one of the region's biggest summer events, the Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival; the festival, which attracts tens of thousands of fans each year, falls on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the eclipse, which occurs on a Monday. You can be sure that plenty of people who come to see the stars at the music festival will plan to stay an extra day to watch the sun.

And expect thousands of people from nearby Washington and California to make the pilgrimage to Oregon in search of an ideal eclipse watching location. It almost makes you wish Oregon had a sales tax; perhaps the Legislature can figure out some way to impose a separate eclipse tax just for August 2017. Seems a shame to waste an opportunity like that.

So not only is this eclipse going to be one of those things you'll tell the grandkids about in years to come, it's shaping up as a windfall for the mid-valley, a gift, as it were, from the heavens above. We expect to see a burst of creative entrepreneurship  or, at the very least, a full slate of microbrews inspired by the eclipse. Not bad at all for a two-minute show. (mm)
Investigation of SpaceX Falcon 9 Explosion Coming to Light as Elon Musks Company Faces Deadline

Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is expected to report their initial findings on the case of the Falcon 9 that exploded in one of Florida's launch pads. SpaceX has previously reported that, the fuelling procedure of the Falcon 9 was the main cause of the accident. This time around, the company will support this claim by providing a report that will make their claims valid.

The report is needed in order for Elon Musk's SpaceX to proceed with their newly acquired NASA deal that lets them survey Earth's bodies of water. While the project will not launch until the year 2021, the investigation is needed in order to proclaim SpaceX rocket falcon 9 safe and quality standard for such projects.

A SpaceX spokesperson has since confirmed that, the company is currently finalizing the investigation, alongside their report in order for them to return to their operation by December. According to the WSJ, Musk admitted that, this latest catastrophe on the fate of the Falcon 9 rocket has been by far, the hardest and most complicated investigation in the 14-year history of Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

NASA is confident that SpaceX will be able to complete and deliver their latest project; hence the awarding of the $112 million contract to Elon Musk's company. Despite the company targeting November as their launch month, further investigation revealed that, the month of December is a more viable date of launching.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket exploded in September, causing its commercial satellite payload to suffer in the accident. SpaceX has since addressed the issue saying "SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today's static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear, and there were no injuries."

For more news and update about the Elon Musk's SpaceX project, read us here on GameNGuide.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: 3 GHz Octa-Core Chip On Board? Specs, Features To Beat iPhone 8?

There's been a rumor that the possible release date for Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would likely occur towards the end of 2017, just before the release of apple's iPhone 8. Reports also have it that the specs will be impressive it will beat Apple's next flagship.



With these thoughts in mind, Samsung is likely to supply some amazing technology with the Galaxy Note 8 release to try to get customers to trust on the brand once again. And one of the most interesting suggestions for the Galaxy Note 8 is that Samsung could sooner or later include the foldable display technology, which was confirmed at a trade show quite a few years ago.

According to Value Walk, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 launch will be coupled with the introduction of 4k resolution for the first time in a Samsung handset. This would especially facilitate virtual reality, which Samsung is pushing with its Gear technology.

It's been further reported that Samsung will get rid of the home button, which has been a known feature of the Note series, in the Galaxy Note 8. Rumors also suggest that Samsung will retain the metallic and glass design of the doomed Galaxy Note 7 and bezels may be slimmed down extensively.

It is widely predicted as well that the Galaxy Note 8 will consist of a dual-lens digital camera. It is cautioned that Samsung will include a 30-megapixel lens inside the Galaxy Note 8 cameras, and this will absolutely make the device great for photography. As for what's under the hood, the phablet is likely going to have a 3GHz Exynos 8895 chip. The phablet will also be packed with a 6 GB of RAM, according to Trusted Reviews.

There could be pressure on Samsung to release the Galaxy Note 8 at a lower and more competitive price, particularly after the unmitigated failure of the Galaxy Note 7. But 2017 is seen to be an aggressive smartphone market and Samsung ought to pay heed to this and deliver a Galaxy Note 8 at a price that matches the pockets of current purchasers.
Microsoft Surface Phone Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: 2017 Release Confirmed? Snapdragon 835, 6 GB RAM & More Details!

This year has been Microsoft's year as the company released several Surface products into the tech world. There is no best time to introduce the next Surface Phone but now.

Microsoft's yet to be confirmed Surface Phone could be packing some serious specs. If the leaked information online is accurate, this device would run on a 6GB RAM and a detachable keyboard. Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, recently confirmed in an interview that they are indeed working on a new mobile device.

According to other sources, the Surface Phone is currently in development using a different configuration. So it is safe to say that the device may come in a 4GB or 6GB of RAM variant when it arrives in the market. Microsoft could also release several variants with different levels of RAM or other varying specifications.

Microsoft's next Surface Phone will undoubtedly run on a Windows 10 operating system -- the same as other up-to-date Surface devices. Both variants will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. Though only the higher end model is expected to run on X68 apps in Microsoft's Continuum Mode.

Other chatters circulating Microsoft's next Surface Phone claim that it will have a 5.5 inch Quad HD display. It is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner, an 8-megapixel front facing camera and a 21-megapixel rear camera. Other sources stated that the mobile device will have amazing accessories that are true to the Surface branding. It might also come with a stylus pen and a potential keyboard cover.

Tech enthusiasts may need to wait longer for the release of Microsoft Surface Phone. The mobile device is said to debut not earlier than the last quarter of 2017, which could mean another whole year of waiting. This may pose as a double-edged sword because the company's momentum that time may not be as strong as now.
Moly X1 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Lumia's New Competitor with Windows 10 OS; More Impressive Specifications, Price Details

The story behind the Moly X1 smartphone from the unknown company Coship is somewhat confusing as the handset was announced late last year. It is started to be sold a few months later and is now available on the Indiegogo collective financing website. Generally, this method of sales is chosen to promote devices that will still be launched, but it can also be a way to market those that have already been revealed.

The Moly X1 arrived in Europe for an incredible  260 ($ 1,105, in direct conversion), but it was cut in price and more advantageous. Now it is also being sold through Indiegogo, where it is possible to purchase the device for $ 180

The problem is that for some users can buy a Lumia 650 at $99. Despite having lower configurations, it can run Windows 10 Mobile in a fluid way. In addition, Moly X1 to being a Brand already consolidated in the market, while Coship is quite unknown. Here are the details of Moly X1 Specs:

Moly X1 has 5.5-inch screen display with HD resolution (1280 x 720 pixels) or Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels). The phone is empowered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit chipset with max clock in 1.2Ghz together with Adreno GPU 306 and 2 GB of RAM.

In terms of storage, Moly X1 has 16 GB of internal storage space, expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. It also sues 13 megapixel main camera with LED flash and 5 megapixel front camera IP5 8 certification of resistance against water and dust.

The smartphone supports 4G LTE network. Using 2.600mAh battery, Moly X1 has 300 hours standby and 7 hours talk time. Finally, all that features packed with Windows 10 Mobile.

Interested users can browse to the Moly X1 page in Indiegogo. However, be aware that the device can only be shipped to Canada, the United States, Australia and the European Union. So far, there is no information regarding your arrival in Brazil or any other country in Latin America.
Luke Evans and Daniel Bruhl Star In TNTs Crime-Thriller The Alienist

TNT's much-anticipated crime-thriller "The Alienist" just cast its two leads. Luke Evans, who is set to play Gaston in the upcoming live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast", and Daniel Bruhl, who appeared as Colonel Zemo in "Captain America: Civil War", will both star in the long-gestating period series.

Here's the official synopsis:

"Based on the international best-selling novel by Caleb Carr, The Alienist is a psychological thriller set in the Gilded Age of New York City in 1896, a city of vast wealth, extreme poverty, and technological innovation. When a series of haunting, gruesome murders of boy prostitutes grips the city, newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt calls upon criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Bruhl) and newspaper reporter John Moore (Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are aided by a makeshift crew of singular characters, among them the intrepid Sara Howard, a young secretary on Roosevelt's staff who is determined to become the first female police detective in New York City. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and early forensic investigation techniques, this band of social outsiders tracks down one of New York City's first serial killers."

The series will be helmed by Jakob Verbruggen (director of the "Men Against Fire" episode of Series Three of "Black Mirror"). Cary Fukunaga, who originally was set to direct, remains on board to executive produce the series, along with Eli Roth, Hossein Amini, Steve Golin, and Rosalie Sweden.

Evans is set to play John Moore, a reporter at the New York Times described as "handsome, easy going, easily distracted, and prone to melancholy," and is currently weathering the loss of a former lover. He is brought in by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, played by Bruhl, to investigate a series of grisly murders.

No official premiere date has been announced.

Source: Collider
'Once Upon A Time' Season 6 Winter Finale Air Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Robin Hood Will Be Back? Predictions, Plot Details

Fans of "Once Upon A Time" Season 6 are eagerly awaiting for news and spoilers on the winter finale of the fairy tale series. Based on some news and the official synopsis, it seems the tide is turning for the villain of "OUAT" Season 6, The Evil Queen.

"Once Upon A Time" Season 6 episode 10 with the title "Wish You Were Here", Lana Parilla, in her character the Evil Queen will be stealing the magic lamp of the former Savior Aladdin (Deniz Akdeniz). Regina's evil half has apparently learned that the other side possesses something that would destroy her so she sought the lamp to aid her.

It seems that in "Once Upon A Time" Season 6 episode 10, the Queen would be targeting the Savior. Movie News Guide reports that the present Savior Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) would wish that she never became a savior, which would cause her to disappear. Regina will try to save Emma but since wishes can't be undone according to the Queen, there is no telling if Emma would want to be brought back to Storybrooke.

True to its fairy tale basis, "Once Upon A Time" Season 6 has always been considered a story of hope, as insisted by the screenwriters. In fact, they say that despite all that has happened in Storybrooke, from the Evil Queen to dire prophecies, hope will be coming back to the town through a magical wish.

The writers do not say who will be making the wish in "Once Upon A Time" Season 6 that will bring hope back to Storybrooke. However, they do say that it will come to pass in the winter finale.

Some are hoping that the "hope" mentioned by the screenwriters will mean the return of Robin Hood, who was killed previously. But this hope does not come free, and though it may mean new adventures for the characters in "Once Upon A Time" Season 6, it can also mean new villains and new dangers in the new worlds that they will encounter.

What do you think will happen in the winter finale of "Once Upon A Time" Season 6? Share your thoughts and comments below.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Release Date, News & Update: Is This Plate Worth It? More Features & Specs Details Revealed

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is an NVIDIA video card launched in 2010 and has for many years been quite successful among users because of its good performance and price appropriate to our reality. But six years later, is it still worth buying the hardware? PC gamer: check out the best video cards available in Brazil The most common version of the GTX 460 has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 1700 Mhz and a 256-bit interface, something rare even on the boards Modern. And it is precisely this characteristic that made her so attractive.

In addition, it supports some unique features of NVIDIA, such as SLI technology, which connects two video cards at the same time. The hardware also supports PhsyX, Microsoft DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.0 technology. However, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 connects to the computer through a PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, that is, a previous generation and slower than the current one (PCI-E 3.0). It can even support monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Currently, it is no longer available for sale in retail stores. So the only way to get NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is by buying it second hand, which is always a risk. It is never known with certainty the time of use of the plate and nor if the former owner had the necessary care, like periodic cleaning.

By being a 2010 board, the chances of her having too much road are very high. Consequently, the chances of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 giving fair problem in your hands is also great. In addition, NVIDIA has already released models that are more powerful and still spend less power. This is the case of the GTX 650.

The GTX 650 Ti has 768 CUDA cores with a clock rate of 928 MHz. The memory interface is 128-bit and the most common models offer 1 GB GDDR5. In several tests, the GTX 650 Ti proved to be more powerful and more economical. Some games she can still run on Ultra, with just over 30 FPS.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is no longer as powerful and can run the AAA games in average quality, at the most. So, for anyone who wants to play on the PC, it is not a good investment.
Criminal Minds Season 12 Latest News & Update: Aaron Hotchner Alive Under Witness Protection Program? Thomas Gibson Reprising Role In Season 13?

For more than a decade, Thomas Gibson has portrayed the role of Aaron Hotcher but fans are disheartened to know that the character will only appear for a few episodes in "Criminal Minds" Season 12. Thomas Gibson was kicked out of the show when he allegedly got into a physical fight with the show's producer and writer Virgil Williams.

Thomas Gibson and Virgil Williams have been together since the first series, and fans would like to think that the two has already formed a bond that could not easily be broken with just a small misunderstanding. During the filming of "Criminal Minds" Season 12, the two were reported to have an argument about a particular line in the script for Aaron Hotchner.

The script writer was known as a boxer and martial artist. Some reports say that it was Virgil Williams who got aggressive at first, and Aaron Hotchner actor just acted on reflex or on self-defence. However, being the script writer and producer that Virgil Williams is, it was Thomas Gibson who was kicked out from "Criminal Minds" Season 12.

Fans were not happy with the decision to remove Aaron Hotchner in "Criminal Minds" Season 12. They launched a campaign to bring back Thomas Gibson back into the show. They even launched a petition and a hashtag #NoHotchNoWatch was making waves in Twitter, with fans hoping that ABC and CBS Studios will listen to their cry. In addition, there were also hashtags like #SupportThomasGibson and #MissingHotch.

When fans saw that Aaron Hotchner was alive in "Criminal Minds" Season 12, and is under the witness protection program, they were given hope that Thomas Gibson could reprise his role in season 13. After all, news of low rating surrounding the television show has not been making anyone happy; except maybe for Thomas Gibson.
Huawei Mate 9 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Evan Blass Revealed New Details; Smartphone Better than iPhone 7, Galaxy S7?

Huawei Mate 9 has recently become a hot topic following a social media post from the popular tech tipster Evan Blass. The Twitter post included an image of an alleged Huawei smartphone called GR5; however, several tech observers believe that the photo belongs to the new Huawei Mate 9.

Although the Twitter post has since been deleted by Blass, there are speculations suggesting that the device may not have been a Huawei phone. However, in a report by 9 to 5 Google, many fans have suggested that the image belongs to the Huawei Mate 9 light or Honor 6X, which has recently been announced by the Chinese tech manufacturer.

In another report, it has been rumored that the new Huawei Mate 9 is going to be a worthy challenger for the mighty Apple iPhone 7 in several smartphone markets. According to the report, the new Huawei flagship has all the potential to beat Apple's flagship as well as Samsung's popular Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge,

According to GSM Arena, the new Huawei Mate 9 will run on an Octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 960 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB internal storage capacity, which is expandable to 256 GB via micro SD. The device will also be shipped with the new Google mobile operating system, Android Nougat

Other features of the Huawei Mate 9 include a 20 MP Dual camera with phase detection & laser autofocus on its back coupled with a selfie snapper at 8 MP. The new smartphone will also come with a non-removable 4000 mAh battery and the traditional 3.5mm audio port. In terms of display features, the new smartphone will arrive with a 5.9-inch screen with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolutions.

Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate 9 will soon be released in China and Europe before making its way into the North American market. Stay tuned for more news and updates about the new Huawei smartphone.
Inn key to room where Marilyn Monroe stayed sells for $131

The key to a room at the Connecticut inn where Marilyn Monroe stayed in 1956 while dating playwright Arthur Miller has sold for $131, today. The key was sold on Friday to a woman who lives in the town, reported antiques dealer Loretta Kretchko. This was the time in 1956 when Monroe dating playwright Arthur Miller.

Two years ago, Kretchko, who runs Bob Kretchko Antiques with her husband bought the inn's keys when the property changed hands. There were different keys for various other rooms however, only one for Monroe's favourite - No. 22, Loretta Kretchko said. But after they saw interest generated by the recent auction of a dress Monroe wore, as she famously sang "Happy Birthday" to President John Kennedy. The dress sold for $4.8 million, this month. "I did think the key would have gone for a little more money to a Marilyn Monroe collector," Loretta Kretchko said. "It went to a local person for nostalgia." The world knows the American actress' story, the once famous figure became a cult in the history of Hollywood. During the 1950s she became one of the most popular sex symbols, emblematic of the era's attitudes towards sexuality. Although she was a top-billed actress for only a decade, her films grossed $200 million by the time of her unexpected death in 1962. She continues to be remembered as a major popular culture icon. She spent most of her childhood in an orphanage and married at the age of sixteen. She later became a successful model and actress.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Release Date, News & Update: Chipset Reveals Most Extravagant Feature For Samsung Galaxy S8, Xiaomi Mi 6

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is expected to come to Samsung Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6. Being the first smartphones to get the latest processor, both are set to launch in March 2017.

The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 was official revealed a week ago, with its current powerhouse built in the 10-nanometer process of Samsung. This new chipset is reported to allow greater performance as well as faster charging. Given such, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6 are confirmed to have the features of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 as the two mobile handsets hit the market in March.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processors are believed to be meant for the elite, built to power the greatest and the latest smartphone flagships. Given the fact that the chipset is developed on Samsung's 10-nanometer process and that the company releases high-end flagship smartphones every year, it is no surprising that Galaxy S8 will be the first handset to come in Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi also had a number of high-end devices and more affordable flagships that are expected to receive premium specs as well. Based on reports, Mi Mix smartphones were sold out in just 10 seconds, while Mi Note 2 was sold out in less than a minute. On the other hand, Mi 6 is believed to be even bigger in terms of sales, as it comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor, Phone Arena reported.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 provides 30 percent more parts into the 10-nanometer process, which means 27 percent added performance, yet taking 40 percent less power. With such features, the device's battery life is expected to significantly improve. In addition, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 is packed with a Quick Charge 4 that enables the smartphone user to have up to five hours of additional battery life and five minutes of charging.

According to experts, smartphones that run Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 is expected to have batteries full in just 15 minutes, according to report. Watch Qualcomm unveils 10nm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Processor with Quick Charge 4.0
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Divorce Update: Will Brad Use Angelina's Mental Record To Win Custody Battle? Kate Hudson Waiting In Line?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are currently fighting over the custody of their six children. The Allied actor is being divorced by his wife of 13 years due to irreconcilable difference, following an alleged physical altercation with the couple's son, Maddox Pitt. However, the result of the investigation has reportedly cleared the actor from child abuse. Now, reports suggest that Marion Cotillard's leading man plans to retaliate.

Using the mental health records of Jolie, Pitt believes that the data will grant him the sole custody of their children. According to the records, Jolie had a dark past, who lived a different person, and was alcoholic, suicidal with a tendency to inflict harm onto herself. The records also indicate that Jolie changed after her eldest son was adopted.

Based on these, some observers believe that Pitt can win the custody battle once he tells the court about Jolie's mental status. Given that, it appears that the mental medical record now holds the key to this plan. Once the court finds Jolie to be incapable of rearing the children in their best interest, Pitt's wife may likely lose the children to him. In the meantime, the couple's six children are living with Jolie as allowed by the child welfare office, according to report.

Meanwhile, Pitt seems to be moving on by dating the stunning actress Kate Hudson. This was confirmed by Kris Herzog, a bodyguard to the stars, who revealed that Pitt and Hudson have been extremely close for the past few weeks after a series of secret meet-ups. The celebrity security guard, who has worked with both Pitt and Jolie, believes that the 57-year old actor and the 37-year old Hudson would make a perfect Hollywood couple.

The Hollywood bodyguard also claims to have known both Pitt and Hudson for years, and that it would not surprise him at all if the two are already dating, Womans Day reported. Watch Update: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Divorce
Samsung Galaxy S8 Release Date, News & Update: 3 Revolutionary Features That Company Is Willing To Risk?

Samsung Galaxy 8 is expected to bring some new features that will others believe are definitely found in the upcoming iPhone 8 in 2017. This could be due to the fact that the Korean company is giving much attention to Apple when directing the course of its smartphone lineup.

According to reports, the Samsung Galaxy S8 will come in an all-screen design, along with buttons and sensors built into the display. Additional features that are also found in the iPhone 7 this year include a dual-lens camera, a personal voice assistant and a 3D Touch support. Despite similarities in a number of features, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is still believed to come as a great smartphone, considering its one special feature that everyone seems to be excited about - the personal voice assistant.

Reports indicate that Samsung Galaxy S8's AI assistant comes with two personalities, including Kestra with a female voice and Bixby for male voice, providing support for mobile payments through voice. According to GalaxyClub, the new AI-related trademark app, Viv, filed in the European Union and South Korea was, discovered, mentioning the two names and variations.

It should be noted that Bixby Pay was also spotted. It could mean that the tech giant might allow their Samsung Galaxy S8 users to pay for goods by just voicing the correct instruction to either Kestra or Bixby, Yahoo reported.

Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S8 is also rumored to have 6GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Other reports suggest that the next S8 may still be available in two variants. In addition, other rumored features of the Samsung Galaxy S8 handset include an under-the-display fingerprint scanner, a force-touch enabled display and an iris scanner. Aside from these, there are also speculations that the Samsung Galaxy S8 series will feature two curved screen models.

Samsung Galaxy S8 fans doubt if the tech giant will allow the risk of losing their customers who prefer their flat-screened Samsung S handsets, according to report. Watch Samsung Galaxy S8 EDGE - THE FUTURE IS HERE!!
Google Pixel Phone Review Latest News & Update: In Spite Of Its Uninteresting Model,Still the Most Excellent Smartphone ? ; Google Works With Another Pixel Telephones In 2017?

One month after its most discussed propelling, Google Pixel and Pixel XL telephones still remain the best cell phone to date, outperforming all the adversary telephones of 2016 in spite of its exhausting plan. Hence, netizens began to estimate that the search giant may work with another Pixel telephones in 2017.

Regardless of Google Pixel telephones reported shortcomings, for example, exhausting plan, high cost and non-water resistance, the hunt goliath's gadget still stays one of the best cell phones in 2016, as indicated by Techno Buffalo. The fame and positive inputs evoked from its clients have in the end prompted to the cessation of Nexus 6P.

So what makes Google Pixel telephones extremely attractive in the midst of its flatness, exhausting looks and absences of remote charging? As included in a similar production, besides the connection that will develop between the telephone and its clients, Google Pixel telephone's battery life and great camera specs will make the advanced experience more amazing and worth the cost.

Beside the telephone's extraordinary camera with boundless distributed storage to Google Photos, Google Assistant is one of the components of Google Pixel telephones that some way or another turned into its offering preference over adversary gadgets. Despite the fact that standard audit would state that Google Assistant is unsuitable programming, a few clients would consider the AI as valuable on everyday errands.

Google Pixel Phones are offered by Verizon at an exceptionally moderate cost amid the Black Friday season. As indicated by Android Police, Google Pixel cost lessened to $239.99 and Google Pixel XL has a marked down sticker price of $359.99.

Because of the exceedingly fruitful propelling and profits for offers of Google Pixel Phones, the web crawler is relied upon to convey its successors in the last quarter of 2017. These telephones are expected to address the present issues on Google Pixel telephones, for example, programming and equipment mix in which as indicated by Gadgets NDTV is an aggregate disappointment.
Research: Coconut Crab Claw Strength Can Beat Those of Major Land Predators; The Truth Behind The Mystery Revealed

It is never a good idea to get into a scrap with a coconut crab as it has an incredibly strong claw that serves as its weapon. According to scientists, they were able to measure the pinch strength of a coconut crab that inhabits the islands in both Southern Pacific and Indian oceans. The scientists calculated that the claw can exert up to unbelievable 742 pounds or 336.5 kg of force.

The pinch strength of a coconut crab even beats the bite strength of majority of land predators. According to Shin-ichiro Oka, a marine biologist of Japan's Okinawa Churashima Foundation, the pinching force of the largest coconut crab is almost the same with the adult lion's bite force, Science Mag reported.

As the name implies, a coconut crab consumes coconuts. It uses its claw to scrape the fibrous part and break it open. Apart from coconuts, a coconut crab also eats crabs, nuts, carrion, and other fruits. And after molting, it consumes its own exoskeleton. In a nutshell, a coconut crab is the king of crabs and the rest of the crustaceans.

The force of a coconut crab is undeniably remarkable. It is very strong that they can generate approximately 90 times its body weight, according to Oka. The powerful claw of this crab is very useful for self-defense and accessing hard food sources that a lot of rivals may not be able to handle, according to report.

Meanwhile, researchers were able to capture a total of 20 coconut crabs in the island of Okinawa Japan and had them clamp down on steel force sensors. The pinching forces calculated ranged from 29.4 to 1765.2 newtons. Since the pinching force of a coconut crab is essentially correlated to its body weight, the researchers concluded that a 4kg coconut crab should be able to exert a force of 3300 newtons.

Moreover, the claw of a coconut crab is an additional evidence that this type of crab diverged from humble hermit crab for about 4 million years ago. The claw, which is the mighty weapon of coconut crabs are of great help when they shed the need for a protective shell, access hard food sources, and defend themselves against other predators. Watch video about Crushed by Giant COCONUT CRAB
The Truth Behind Malware On Facebook, LinkedIn; Google's New Policy On Malware Sites Freaking Scary

Malware is said to be a plague on social media as well. Apparently, there have been reports of maliciously coded image files that can potentially infect the PC system once downloaded. However, experts have noted that it may just be a bad Chrome extension glitch while Google is reportedly set on eliminating repeat offenders with a new policy.

Facebook and LinkedIn, among other popular social media sites are said to be the target of Malware sites these days. Researchers at Check Point have allegedly discovered a variant of known ransomware, Locky trying to infect PCs with images on social media. Apparently, the malware trick reportedly forces the PC browser to download a malware image file that can hijack the PC system upon opening, Engadget reported.

Apparently, once infected with the malware, PC files will be encrypted until the user pays up. It should be noted that the Locky code is said to be easily avoided just by not opening the malware file. Check Point is said to have reported the malware issue to both social media sites in September. However, it is yet to be clear what fixes are in place.

Furthermore, latest reports from a Facebook spokesperson has reportedly debunked the malware issue. The spokesperson allegedly noted that the issue revolved bad Chrome extensions that propagate a scam via messages to others. This reportedly lead to getting blocked.

Meanwhile, Google has reportedly instituted a new policy on Malware sites. It should be noted that, Google already has a Safe Browsing system set in place since 2005, CIO-Today reported. However, the search engine will now place warning messages on repeat malware distributor sites.

Malware, Phishing, Unwanted Software and Social Engineering policies from Google are expected to ensure the safety of online users. The decision is said to be irrevocable for 30 days. Moreover, after the 30-day period expires, webmasters may then request Google to review the status of their sites. However, malware sites have reportedly been used to cleaning up. Watch a Facebook malware fix here:
Cybersecurity News & Updates: Weekend Hack On San Francisco Railways, Possibly By Russians, Should Cause Worry For Trump Administration

Ransomware is a computer virus or malware that infects a user's computer, usually encrypting files or causing software malfunctions. The malware is only removed if the files are decrypted and if the victim pays off the hacker. It is a growing problem in cybersecurity.

Over the weekend hackers held 2,000 of San Francisco's Lightrail System for ransom, with a demand of 100 Bitcoins, that is approximately $70,000. Another public service sector affected with a ransomware was added to the list of victims of global extortionists.

This ransomware attack should be a reminder of how vulnerable American computer systems are. Earlier this year, president-elect Donald Trump refused to accept the US intelligence conclusion that the hackers behind the invasion of the Democratic National Committee computers.

Both private and public institutions across the globe have experienced a surge of attacks with ransomwares. Hackers linked to Russia and Eastern Europe has attacked nearly two-dozen hospitals in the US and a few medical device companies. This could be a concern in the cyber security under Trump's administration.

In March this year, hackers froze the computers of a police department in Melrose, Mass. Later, it was reported that the police department paid one Bitcoin or $70 to free its system from the ransomware.

The latest victim, San Francisco's Lightrail System, had their fare machines, email and payroll systems were under ransomware attack. MUNI deactivated the fare machines as a precaution to protect customer's information; as a result, San Francisco trains rides were free last Friday and Saturday.

SFMTA spokesperson Paul Rose said that once they found out that the customer's information was safe from the ransomware attack, fare machines were back on. No news on their other systems was revealed.

MUNI did not pay the ransom. They believe that the ransomware attack was not a work of the world's most professional hackers. The Bitcoin wallet that the hackers gave for their 100 Bitcoin ($70,000) ransom had a balance of less than $2.

Still, the number of attacks and the spike of usage in ransomware should be alarming. American cybersecurity should be ready to prevent or reverse these attacks.
Kate Middleton Scandal: Duchess Embarassed By Mom Carole Middleton

It seems that the rumors hounding Kate Middleton and the rest of the royals will never leave. Rumors of divorce, pregnancies, and now it's Kate's mom, Carole Middleton who is being accused of using Kate and her connection to the British Royalty for her own personal gains.

Apparently, there are rumors that in the recent People article featuring the mother of the Duchess of Cambridge, Carole kept mentioning her connection to the royals and went on and on about how much the reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth is fond of the whole Middleton clan. Celeb Dirty Laundry reports that Kate Middleton feels ashamed to be associated with the article and her mother, and that Prince William and his grandmother the Queen are not happy about Carole Middleton's effort to promote herself.

The web tabloid takes a dig at the Middleton matriarch, commenting on how in the article she kept pushing that she was such a good parent to her children, James, Kate, and Pippa, and that she was the one who instilled in them the good work ethic that people are praising their family for.

Because of the public antics of Carole Middleton, Headlines and Global News reports that Queen Elizabeth is now considering Prince Harry and his future wife as the next in line for the throne instead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This means that if Prince Harry and his current girlfriend "Suits" actress Meghan Markle become more serious, a Hollywood celebrity might just become the future Queen of England.

But Gossip Cop has again refuted such claims saying there was no way that Carole Middleton tried to use her royal connections to shamelessly promote herself in the People article, and there is no truth that Kate Middleton is ashamed of her family, and is furious about the article since the People feature waxes nothing but praise for both the Middletons and the royals.

What do you think of the news that Carole Middleton is using the royals for her own benefit? Share your thoughts and comments below.
'Jackie' Trailer Review: Captivating Performance From Natalie Portman

Academy Award winner Natalie Portman captured the hearts of viewers for her portrayal of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in a semi-biopic film, "Jackie." The film's official trailer, released recently, received various positive feedbacks from media.

"Jackie" is unlike any other biopic film as it rather shows never-before-seen moments before and after the assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. It is based partly on the interview that the former First Lady gave journalist Theodore White, played by Billy Crudup, a week after the assassination. On the interview, Jackie, as Mrs. Kennedy is known, preferred to talk about the rationale behind the grand honor she gave for her assassinated husband.

Although the film features some flashbacks to Jackie's life at the White House before the assassination and before her tour video of the White House, it is more of the days after the former U.S. president was assassinated. "Jackie's" scriptwriter Noah Oppenheim and director Pablo Larrain rather show viewers "the assassination with care and understanding," as reported by IGN.

The "Jackie" biopic film has been conveyed with the objective that viewers would "understand the full emotional effects" of the assassination of the former President John F. Kennedy (JFK)," IGN continued on its review.

Meanwhile, Portman's performance has been described as "ambitious" by USA Today. According to its trailer review, the film is "less a biopic than an experimental character study" as it provides a window into Jackie's behind-the-camera life, after JFK's assassination. Portman's "silent performances" in the film are its best moments which would qualify the actress for another Oscar.

"The actress has done her research well, with her breathless vocals resembling Jackie's own, yet Portman giver her a distinctive spark, too, especially in the way she handles her young children and Bobby," USA Today wrote. "Jackie" has been scheduled for initial release on December 2, 2016.
'The Young and the Restless' Nov. 30 Spoilers: Travis Admits to Cheating on Victoria, Hillary Made a Major Decision! Plot Details

There are a lot of things happening on "The Young and the Restless" this Wednesday, November 30 based on the spoilers provided and teasers provided. So, what should fans expect in "The Young and the Restless"?



First up for the next episode of "The Young and the Restless" spoilers is all about Travis (Michael Roark) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle). Billy (Jason Thompson) convinces Victoria to find out the truth from Travis. Once they get home, Victoria badgers Travis who finally admitted that due to stress and pressure, with Victor (Eric Braeden) and Billy, he let himself get too drunk and had sex with Michelle (Kelly Frye).

Victoria will lash out at Travis once she realizes that his proposal was done out of guilt for what happened. She dumps Travis and demands that he pack his things and leave, when he doesn't , she throws not only his clothes but her engagement ring as well.

Other events that will happen in "The Young and the Restless" is that Nick will get mad at Chelsea for not telling him sooner about Sharon visiting Christian. Even though Chloe tries to apologize, and says she tried to help, Nick will not be very forgiving. And Nick is not the only one angry at Chelsea on "The Young and the Restless", apparently Sharon is also holding a grudge against her for hurting Dylan's chances to visit Christian.

Aside from that, it seems that Chloe and Chelsea will no longer be living under the same roof as indicated by more news about "Y&R". One good thing that fans of the daytime soap opera "The Young and The Restless" could look forward too is the seemingly wise choices that Hillary is making recently. In the new episode,on she will opt not to air an interview with a former babysitter of Sharon who claims to know all about Sully. Once realizing that the woman just wanted fame, Hillary opted not to air the interview.

Do you think that Hillary will keep making good choices, what about her determination regarding Mariah's part in the cover up? Share your thoughts and comments below.
'Mr. Robot' News & Updates: What Mental Disorder Is Elliot Alderson Actually Suffering From?

"Mr. Robot" of USA Network is a surprise award-winning television hit. The cyber-thriller and drama that incorporates hacking and technology is shown in mind-blowing plots. Rami Malek plays the main character of "Mr. Robot," Elliot Alderson, who works for a cybersecurity company who is also a vigilante hacker on his free time. He and his "FSociety" team are hell bent to bring down the world's largest companies and create financial equality for all.

Elliot is a complex character in "Mr. Robot." His heroic vigilante actions no matter how good the intent has often backlashed on others. For someone who is obsessed of being in control, he has a morphine and Suboxone addiction. He also suffers from mental illnesses.

"Mr. Robot" TV series creator Sam Esmail draws a lot of inspiration for Elliot's character from his personal experiences. Esmail suffers from social anxiety and compulsive disorder and he describes that most people hide it through seclusion and drug abuse.

Esmail also drew anecdotally from friends who had suffered schizophrenia, extreme social anxiety or mild dissociative identity disorder. "Mr. Robot" also has a psychologist as a consultant on board.

Based on what has been revealed in the "Mr. Robot" series, Elliot has a split personality, therefore suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder not schizophrenia. Elliot have diagnosed himself at the start of the series.

"Mr. Robot" has the same case between Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt who was the split personality of The Narrator played by Edward Norton in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. Elliot has his dad, which he initially called "Mr. Robot."

Less than 200,000 cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder diagnosed in the US per year. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation stated that the patients with this disorder are encouraged to keep their condition private to avoid being exploited. The disorder is put into the limelight with shows like "Mr. Robot," making more audiences aware of the mental condition.
Apple iOS 10 Jailbreak Tool Release Hopes Fading; Users Trying Out Other Alternatives

More and more reports are suggesting that Pangu is going to release its iOS 10 jailbreak tool in December though there is no confirmation from the Chinese hacking team regarding the same. It's been two months since the release of iOS 10 and users have not yet been treated to its jailbreak tool.

Apple is going to release another iOS update in the next few weeks and it is now believed that Pangu will release the jailbreak tool right after that. The iOS 10.2 is already in the works and Pangu should have a solid reason to back its claim in case it fails to release the iOS 10 jailbreak tool. Else, people will accept the fact that Apple has beaten the group with its unbreakable security system.

Apple, on the other hand, is absolutely confident about its security system implemented in its iOS 10 operating system. The last time Pangu released a jailbreak tool was for iOS 9.3.3 though Apple claimed it had fixed the bugs that made the jailbreak tool possible. There is still plenty of expectation among users regarding the iOS 10 jailbreak tool and Pangu is definitely answerable to them, writes iTech Post.

Even if Pangu fails to penetrate Apple's security system this time, it must at least issue a statement stating the same rather than keep fans waiting. Apple has stated that its latest operating system is impenetrable and though there have been claims of Apple iOS 10 jailbreak made here and there by some jailbreaking groups, nothing of matter have come out up to now.

While many are still eagerly waiting for Pangu to break its silence, many are looking for iOS 10 jailbreak tool alternatives. They are now trying out Tweakbox that is compatible with any iOS version up to the latest 10.0.2 It allows users to download premium apps for free and has a host of content not available on App Store or iTunes.
HTC 11 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Company No Longer Producing Smartphones? Flagship Better Than iPhone 7, Samsung Note 7?

HTC 11 has been a subject of numerous rumors and speculations all over the Internet for a few months now, and fans could no longer wait to know more about its development and release date. Although fans have been waiting for the Taiwanese tech giant to provide the official details of the new handset, industry observers are more interested about the recent report that the company will soon sell its smartphone division.

According to the report, HTC 11 will be the last smartphone from the company as it has already decided to stop producing handsets due to major drop in sales in the last couple of years. However, the company has already denied the rumors and stated that HTC 11 will be its answer to Apple's new iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7. Nonetheless, HTC fans are worried that the company might no longer build high-end smartphones and focus more on the other divisions in the tech industry.

There are reports suggesting that HTC 11 will be released in 2017 with impressive specs and features. Its advanced specs under the hood will be headed by Snapdragon 835 chipset from Qualcomm paired with 8GB RAM. The device will also carry an amazing 2K Curved OLED Display that is expected to become one of the highlights of the upcoming smartphone.

In a report by PhoneArena, HTC 11 is expected to sport a 12 MP primary camera paired with an 8MP front-facing snapper. The device will also carry a 4000 mAh battery, which is going to provide more hours of usage.

As of the moment, HTC has yet to provide solid information about the HTC 11; however, fans are pretty positive that it is only a matter of time before the company decides to release an official statement. Nonetheless, all rumors and speculations must be taken with a grain of salt until the tech giant releases an official statement.
Android 7.0 Nougat Beta 3 Is Now Available for Both S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung recently announced that both Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge now has the beta program that can be used for developing Android 7.0 Nougat in certain parts of the world this early November. Now, the company is about to release the latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat beta specially built for the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7.

Android Nougat is Google's most recent mobile operating system which was released in August. The latest Google operating system is only available to a few number of Android mobile devices. However, the Nougat is expected to be compatible with more smartphones in the next couple of months. According to Sammobile, Android 7.0 Nougat Beta 3 has been released in the UK and is expected to be rolled out in other parts of the world.

The latest updates offer some bug fixes and enhancements. Most of its new features are not yet available for beta testers as previous betas have already presented various novel feature and enhancements.

Android 7.0 Nougat Beta 3 for Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 also has an improved Quick Panel response. It offers a 4x3 button layout, button grid menu, brightness color settings and a whole lot more. It also has improved spacing between the status bar icon and the clock. Beta testers also saw some improvements in its multi-window, notifications and its lock screen feature. The update also improves the overall stability of the smartphone by removing the Edge feeds, Tech Times reported.

However, there are still several issues that aren't fixed yet. Some of it is Wi-Fi disconnection and screen turning on issues. It is highly unlikely that the Android 7.0 Nougat Beta 3 that will be released exclusively for the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy S7 may be able to resolve these issues.
'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them' News & Updates: The Best Kept Secrets of The Movie. Find Them Out Here.

JK Rowling has proven herself to be the most powerful in the world of "Harry Potter," "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" and its upcoming spinoffs. For fans who still have Newt Scamander hangover here is a list of secrets you probably did not know about the movie.

After reading the script for "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" for the first time, Eddie Redmayne ended up crying. Christmas was approaching when Redmayne supposedly met up with Yates in a little club in Soho. Upon reading the script, he sought zoologists, met up with animal experts and visited safari parks to prepare for his role.

Speaking of that tear evoking script, "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" was JK Rowling's debut screenplay. She enjoys it more than writing novels where one has often to be in seclusion. With screenplays she would take two sleepless day ay a time to write, rewrite or completely create a new draft for the movie.

Screenplay allowed her to involve other people. When writing for the screenplay of "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," She is constantly in touch with Yates, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. Kloves and Wigram have produced several of the "Harry Potter" series and gave JK Rowling the idea to make a film adaptation of the book "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them."

No animal was harmed in making Newt Scamander's wand in "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them." Eddie Redmayne made sure of that. Pierre Bohanna, set props maker, intended Newt's wand to incorporate an animal component. Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter's wands have Fawke's phoenix features. Redmayne insisted the wand be leather and horn-free.

The 1920s New York City set is 800 feet by 500 feet big that took 16 weeks to create and was in a studio one hour north of London, Leavesdon Studios. A battalion of designers managed the upkeep of the set within the 5 months they were filming there.

There was an amazing attention to detail, especially in the MACUSA building where Tina and Queenie Goldstein work. They had to construct specially designed 80 bespoke desks and import chairs from the US for the movie "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" set.

JK Rowling wrote in her script that Queenie Goldstein is the most beautiful girl to wear witch's robes. This makes this "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" character the most attractive female JK Rowling ever created.

The "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" setting was a cold December but it was shot in warm August 2015. The casts and extras were baked in their heavy coats and scarves. They also needed to make sure none of the extras wore anything modern, from eyeglasses to watches.

Harry and Credence have a lot of similarities. Both are orphaned, and left in the hands of family who do not treat them with love like a family actually does. Both are walking the path where there is a great battle between the dark and the light.

During the 1920s flapper dress age, Tina wore trousers. This is to symbolize her being a straightforward modern girl as costume designer Colleen Atwood explained.

The Demiguise, Dougal did not escape. He actually went out to look for the young Occamy and to take care of it. Dougal was babysitting as Newt describes him in the movie. JK Rowing did not just create a relationship between Newt an his beasts but between these beasts as well.

The MACUSA execution pool was believed to be inspired by artist Richard Wilson's installation art at Saatchi Gallaery. The installation art is called 20:50, a piece where an entire room is filled with smooth black engine oil.
Xiaomi Mi6 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: Smartphone Expected to Compete With Samsung Galaxy S8 in 2017; More Details Revealed

Xiaomi Mi6 is one of the most anticipated tech releases that are going to be available in early 2017, and reports are circulating that the device will carry impressive specs and features making it a worthy challenger for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8. There are speculations that Xiaomi's upcoming handset has all the tools to come out on top once it becomes available in the tight smartphone market.

New report has surfaced suggesting that the Xiaomi Mi6 smartphone will run on a Snapdragon 835 from Qualcomm paired with a sizable amount of RAM. The report also says that most of its competition will be powered by the same mobile CPU including LG G6, HTC 11, LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8.

The powerful processor of Xiaomi Mi6 will allow the device to have a fast charging ability, which is 20 percent faster than the normal charging time. However, many fans are concern about the safety feature of the smartphone. Apparently, consumers are pretty wary about safety features nowadays following the whole Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, which resulted to multiple exploding incidents.

Meanwhile, despite the lack of information regarding the release date of Xiaomi Mi6, several publications have already revealed its possible release date. According to the report, the new Xiaomi smartphone is expected to arrive between January and February 2017. The publication added that the device will be launched in US, UK and Canada at the same time, which is a month earlier than the rumored Samsung Galaxy S8 release in March.

The new Xiaomi Mi6 is also expected to have full 4K video support as its processor is made to have that ability. Apart from its amazing display feature, the device will also be perfect for VR technology. As of the moment, all rumors and speculations about Xiaomi Mi6 must be taken with a grain of salt until the company decides to confirm them. Stay tuned for more news and update about Xiaomi's upcoming high-end smartphone.
The new rules would apply to employees, and elected and appointed officials.
A handful of new liquor stores could be coming to the mid-valley.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has received 10 applications for potential new outlets in Linn, Benton and Lane counties, including one in Corvallis, two in Albany and one in Scio.

There are also four applications for new alcohol retailers in Eugene, one for Springfield and one for Florence.

Kings Liquor LLC, a limited liability company headed by Joseph Robert Biben and Gregory Scott Biben of Silverton, is proposing to open a liquor store at 932 N.W. Kings Blvd., in the space formerly occupied by Pizza Pipeline.

If their application is approved, it would bring the number of liquor stores in Corvallis to three.

The number of retail outlets selling distilled spirits in Albany could double, from two to four.

Scott ODonnell has filed an application to open a liquor store at 617 Hickory St. N.W., Suite 180, and Saleem Noorani has applied to open one at 828 Pacific Blvd. S.E.

Harsukh Inc., headed by Harjinderjit Singh of Salem, has filed an application to open what would be Scios first liquor store, at 38777 N. Main St.

The applications come in response to a recruitment effort in the three-county area launched this summer by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The state agency, which approved 14 new contracts with distilled spirits retailers in the Portland area earlier in the year, said it wanted to add roughly 10 new outlets in this part of the state to meet the needs of an expanding customer base.

Oregon had approximately one liquor store for every 12,000 customers in the 1980s. Now its more like one for every 16,000 customers, said Christie Scott, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Were not trying to get back to that one per 12,000 customers, but we are trying to get closer to that one per 12,000 customers, she added. Its a moderate approach to expansion.

Scott said the state liquor commissioners will hear presentations from the applicants and make a decision on their proposals Dec. 15 and 16 at OLCC headquarters, 9079 S.E. McLoughlin Blvd. in Portland. The meetings are open to the public.

Potentially they could award contracts to all of those applicants or none of those applicants, she said.

The applications will be evaluated based on a number of factors, including the applicants retail experience, management abilities and financial solvency. The commissioners will also consider the proposed location and its potential impact on current liquor agents.

The tri-county area currently has 27 state-licensed liquor stores, including 18 in Lane County, six in Linn and three in Benton. Six of the outlets are in Eugene, three in Springfield, two each in Albany and Corvallis, and one apiece in Philomath, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Brownsville, Harrisburg, Junction City, Florence, Oakridge, Cottage Grove, Creswell, Blue River, Mapleton, Veneta and Dexter.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

MONDAY, NOV. 28

GOOD SAMARITAN: 11:55 p.m., 900 block of Northwest Hobart Avenue. Police and medics with the Corvallis Fire Department responded for a report of an overdose on a 27-year-old woman. Upon arrival, the woman was reportedly unresponsive but had a pulse and was breathing. Medics administered Naloxone, which had an immediate effect. The woman was transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. The woman later denied any drug use. Based on the newly enacted "Good Samaritan" drug law, there was no probable cause to investigate and the case was discontinued.

HEROIN: 4:19 a.m., Northwest Ninth Street and Walnut Boulevard. An officer arrested Dion Lee Anderson, 49, of Lebanon and charged him with possession of heroin following a traffic stop. The officer reported finding a metal spoon with brown residue that tested positive for heroin during a consent search.

Benton County Sheriff's Office

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: 3:49 p.m., 310 N.W. 53rd St. A deputy responded to the Country Market for a report of a subject destroying property. The deputy later arrested and charged Evan Jay Seits, 32, no address listed, with harassment, second-degree trespass and criminal mischief. Seits was booked into the Benton County Jail.

Fire calls are now online at gazettetimes.com.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Interview with British Ambassador to Germany : This is the political reality

BONN General Anzeiger reporter Jasmin Fischer sat down to talk with the British Ambassador Sebastian Wood in Berlin. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

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Will we really see a Brexit?

Sebastian Wood: Yes. The House of Commons promised voters that they would carry out their decision regarding membership of the EU. The government must act accordingly, otherwise we undermine democracy in Great Britain. We will leave the EU.

Former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major speak of a tyranny of the majority. 48 percent of the British people were against the Brexit. Isnt that a good reason to put the details of an exit into a second referendum?

Wood: Those who voted for the Brexit won by more than a million votes; it was quite a lead. This is the political reality.

What kind of EU do the British people want to see?

Wood: Because we have made the decision to leave, this question is not our primary responsibility anymore. But it is of course in our interest that the EU remains successful and strong and is not weakened by our exit. In our remaining time as a member, we will try to push for a more open and competitively viable EU.

Where do you see the necessity for reforms in Brussels?

Wood: The dominant theme in the Brexit campaign was immigration or free movement of people. Our message is that we need more control in this area. At the same time, it is important to respect the interests of our partners. We should view the negotiations as a cooperation.

Are you worried about the possible financial consequences after a Brexit?
Crime : 16 cars broken into since Sunday

BONN A rash of car break-ins has hit Bonn in the past several days. Culprits are smashing in side windows and taking anything of value.

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Thieves are apparently active targeting vehicles in Bonn. In Castell, just north of the city center, culprits broke into eleven cars overnight from Saturday to Sunday, smashing in the side windows of the cars. Police said the cars had been parked on Augustusring, Romerstrae, Nordstrae, Graurheindorfer Strae, Bataverweg and Gallierweg. Stolen from the vehicles were a backpack, small electronics and documents.

In the night from Sunday to Monday, they were at it again, smashing in side windows of five vehicles in the Sudstadt (south Bonn). A wallet was stolen from one car. In the others, things had been searched through but nothing taken. The cars had been parked on Kaiserstrae, Heinrich-von-Kleist Strae, Nasse Strae, Riesstrae and Venusbergweg.

Police are asking for anyone who observed anything suspicious to please contact them at (0228) 150.
Bonn city center : Christmas concert in English

BONN Longing to hear some Christmas carols in English? On Thursday evening, there will be an annual Christmas concert at the Munster church, open to the public.

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The International Voices Choir will present its annual Christmas Carol Concert on Thursday, 1 December, 19:00 at Bonns famed Munster Kirche (Munster Church) in the bonn city center. 80 choir members including students, teachers, parents and friends of Bonn International School come from dozens of nations across the globe.
Mole in intelligence agency : German intelligence officer arrested over Islamist comments

COLOGNE/BERLIN An employee of the German intelligence agency (BfV) has been uncovered as a supporter of radical Islam. He is suspected of planning an attack in Cologne.

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The suspected Islamist was working in the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which is Germanys domestic intelligence agency. A spokesperson there told Spiegel and Welt news publications that the man made Islamic statements on the internet and leaked internal agency information. He was hired in April of 2016 to observe the radical Islam scene in Germany, according to reports from Spiegel.

Welt reported that the man was planning a bomb attack on the intelligence headquarters in Cologne. Spiegel reported that he had already delivered a partial confession. According to the reports, his goal was to infiltrate the intelligence agency and collect information to plan a bomb attack on the agency in Chorweiler (northern Cologne). State prosecutors in Dusseldorf are preparing a case against the employee and indicated on Tuesday evening that up until now, they have no concrete evidence of an actual planned attack.

A spokesperson from the intelligence agency confirmed that the man had been arrested but would not confirm any plans for a bomb attack. The suspect had offered in internet chat rooms to give out sensitive information about the BfV, which could have endangered the agency. During his application process and training period, he had not appeared in any way conspicuous.

Welt reported that in questioning, the 51-year-old man had said it was in accordance with the wishes of Allah to plan such an attack. But he had apparently not planned anything concrete. Reports from Spiegel say he had come to the attention of authorities around four weeks ago.

In the internet chat, according to Spiegel, he identified himself as an intelligence agency employee and offered to bring other like-minded persons into the agency for an attack against the unbelievers. He didnt realize that his chat partner was actually a member of the intelligence agency. The report from the publication says his family was not aware of his conversion to Islam, which took place in 2014. He apparently gave his oath to Salafist preacher Mohamed Mahmoud, who was involved in the radical scene in Berlin and is now fighting for ISIS in Syria.
Dutch School in Plittersdorf : The Dutch Sinterklaas comes early

Sinterklaas and his helper Zwarte Piet. Foto: Grantl

BAD GODESBERG In under a week, Dutch families will be exchanging holiday gifts. Sinterklaas paid a visit to the Dutch school in Plittersdorf.

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In the tradition of the Netherlands, December 5 is the festive day when holiday gifts are exchanged. 24 students from the Dutch school in Plittersdorf were already visited by the Dutch Sinterklaas and his helper Zwarte Piet. Sinterklaas has been coming already for years to our school, says Louise Mastenbroek from Board of the BibeleBonnseBerg School. She adds, We are a school for language and cultural instruction, and Sinterklaas is a part of our culture.

Students from the ages of four to twelve welcomed the holiday figures with traditional songs and dance from the Netherlands, common at Sinterklaas time. The children wore colorful hats they had made from paper.

The tradition is that Sinterklaas already comes with a steamship in mid-November to the Netherlands, explains Mastenbroek. While Sinterklaas resembles the German Nikolaus, Zwarte Piet has his skin painted black, a tradition that has received some criticism in the past years.

The Dutch school is in the basement of the American church in Plittersdorf. It was founded by the Embassy of the Netherlands, which had received many requests from parents. Instruction takes place once a week. It is officially recognized by the Netherlands but does not receive financial support. A second location for instruction can also be found in Cologne, and they have 15 students.
Transcription

1 REGISTERING AS A PHARMACIST IN SOUTH AFRICA GUIDELINES FOR PERSONS WHO HOLD QUALIFICATIONS IN PHARMACY OBTAINED OUTSIDE THE REPUBLIC Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 1 EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS... 1 PHARMACY IN SOUTH AFRICA... 2 APPLICATION FORMS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICES OF COUNCIL (CONTACT DETAILS) DOCUMENTATION TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS A PHARMACIST:... 3 DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL... 4 INFORMATION REGARDING THE REGISTRATION PROCESSES... 5 OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION... 6 PHARMACEUTICAL ORGANISATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA... 7 INTRODUCTION The South African Pharmacy Council has prepared this brochure for the information and guidance of overseas-trained pharmacists who wish to obtain recognition of their qualifications in South Africa. The brochure is intended as a guide only, and is not legally binding on any of the bodies listed. Although the information contained in this brochure is believed to have been accurate at the time of printing, registration requirements may vary from time to time. The South African Pharmacy Council may be contacted as follows: Physical Address Postal Address 591 Belvedere Street Private Bag X Arcadia Arcadia Tel: 0861 SAPC 00/ Fax: /92 Web: EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATIONS If you live outside the Republic of South Africa and are a pharmacist with a qualification gained outside South Africa and you intend to migrate and work in this profession in South Africa, you should contact the nearest South African Embassy, High Commission or Consulate for information regarding immigration requirements. All qualifications obtained must first be evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). They may be contacted at: South African Qualifications Authority Physical Address SAQA House 1067 Arcadia Street, Hatfield Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications call centre: Helpdesk: Postal Address: Postnet Suite 248 Private Bag X06 Waterkloof, 0145 Page 1

2 PHARMACY IN SOUTH AFRICA As in most countries, the practice of a profession in South Africa requires evidence of an appropriate level of education and practical experience. The recognition of qualifications in most health-related professions is the responsibility of a registration authority established by government statute. To be able to work as a pharmacist in South Africa, registration with the South African Pharmacy Council is needed. The practice of pharmacy by unregistered persons is punishable by law. The procedure to be followed to obtain registration as a pharmacist in South Africa is explained in this brochure. Pharmacists in South Africa are expected to: organise the manufacturing, compounding and packaging of pharmaceutical products; organise the procurement, storage and distribution of pharmaceutical products; dispense and ensure the optimum use of medicine prescribed to the patient; provide pharmacist initiated care to the patient and ensure the optimum use of medicine; provide education and information on health care and medicine; promote community health and provide related information and advice; participate in research to ensure the optimal use of medicine. Most pharmacists practise in community pharmacies and in hospital pharmacies in the public and private sector. A smaller number of pharmacists work in manufacturing pharmacies, wholesale pharmacies, academic and government institutions or the armed services. Community and hospital pharmacists have a wide range of responsibilities. These include: (1) the provision of pharmaceutical care by taking responsibility for the patient's medicine related needs and being accountable for meeting these needs, which include the following functions: (a) (b) (d) (e) evaluation of a patient's medicine related needs by determining the indication, safety and effectiveness of the therapy; dispensing of any medicine or scheduled substance on the prescription of an authorised prescriber; furnishing information and advice to any person with regard to medicine; determining patient compliance with the therapy and follow up to ensure that the patient's needs are being met; and provision of pharmacist initiated therapy; (2) compounding, manipulation or preparation of medicines and scheduled substances; (3) purchasing, acquiring, keeping, possessing, using, supplying or selling of medicine or scheduled substance; (4) applications for the registration of medicines or medical devices; (5) re-packaging of medicine; (6) promotion of public health in accordance with guidelines and standards including: (a) (b) the provision of information and education regarding the promotion of human health; the provision of immunisation, mother and childcare, blood pressure monitoring; health education; blood-glucose monitoring; screening tests for pregnancy; family planning; cholesterol screening tests; HIV screening tests; urine analysis; and visiometric and audiometric screening tests; the provision of animal health care services including: (i) the compounding and dispensing of prescriptions written by veterinarians and ensuring the optimal use of veterinary medicines; (ii) the immunisation of animals; (iii) the handling of minor and/or self-limiting ailments in animals; and (iv) the provision of information and education regarding the promotion of animal health. (7) conducting of pharmaceutical research and development; (8) provision of primary care drug therapy with prior authorisation from council; and (9) any other health service as may be approved by council from time to time. Pharmacists in manufacturing pharmacies are involved in: (1) manufacturing of medicine and scheduled substances; (2) purchasing, acquiring, keeping, possessing, using, supplying or selling of any medicine or scheduled substance; Page 2

3 (3) furnishing of information and advice to any person with regard to medicine manufactured; (4) applications for the registration of medicines or medical devices; (5) formulation of medicine for the purposes of registration as a medicine; (6) distribution of medicine or scheduled substances; (7) repackaging of medicine in accordance with the Medicines Act; (8) initiation and conducting of pharmaceutical research and development; and (9) any other health service as may be approved by council from time to time. APPLICATION FORMS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICES OF COUNCIL (CONTACT DETAILS) - Telephone, using the following number: and asking for the customer care; or Fax, using the following number: (012) /92) Requesting the appropriate forms in writing from: The Registrar, P O Box 40040, Arcadia, 0007; or Downloading the appropriate forms from the Council's website at DOCUMENTATION TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS A PHARMACIST: In terms of the Regulations relating to the registration of persons and the maintenance of registers, any person who has a qualification in pharmacy obtained outside the Republic and who applies for registration as a pharmacist must (1) submit to the registrar: (a) (b) a duly completed application on a form as approved and provided by council; a certified copy of his or her identity document or passport; acceptable documentary evidence of (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) the qualification in pharmacy obtained outside the Republic which entitles him or her to practise as a pharmacist in the country in which the institution or examining body that awarded such qualification is situated; the fact that he or she is registered as a pharmacist in the country in which the institution or examining body that awarded such qualification is situated; the fact that he or she is a fit and proper person and in good standing as a pharmacist with the relevant registration authority; the practical training which he or she has undertaken and completed, if any; and the fact that he or she has passed an examination(s) or other evaluation as approved by council, if applicable; documentary evidence of proficiency in the English language where applicable and; (2) pay the registration fee as determined by the council. All applications are considered by the Education Committee of Council. Each application is considered on merit. After an application has been evaluated, Council may decide, that if the applicant complies with all the requirements and has passed the necessary examinations he/she may be registered either as a pharmacists assistant, pharmacist intern for purposes of undergoing practical training or register the applicant as a pharmacist for purpose of performing pharmaceutical community service. If the applicant is eligible for registration as a pharmacist he/she must provide evidence of the public health facility or complex of health facilities where he/she will perform community service in South Africa. All persons who wish to register as pharmacists in South Africa must pass the full professional examinations. In order to qualify to enter the Professional examinations candidates must be in possession of: a Bachelor s degree, or its equivalent, in pharmacy (evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority as being equivalent to a South African Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree), which is prescribed in terms of the Pharmacy Act, 1974 for purposes of registration as a pharmacist. proof of having completed at least twelve months of practical training; a working knowledge of the English language which is essential for the practice of pharmacy in South Africa; Page 3

4 for applicants who obtained their qualification in any other language except English, a certificate from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) demonstrating their English proficiency at overall Band Score 6. The IELTS contact details are: Physical Address Postal Address British Council Dunkeld Corner P O Box Jan Smuts Avenue Parklands Dunkeld West 2121 Johannesburg 2196 Tel: Fax: Web: britishcouncil.org/africa Applicants must also have permanent residence in South Africa or have permission to work in South Africa. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL The following documents must be submitted to the Office of Council for consideration by the Education Committee of Council: (a) a certified letter of confirmation from the institution or examining body where the above qualification was obtained stating that the above applicant was enrolled as a student and qualified at that institution (submitted directly to Council by the institution); (b) an original Letter of Good Standing issued by the registering authority of the country in which the above qualification was awarded (submitted directly to Council by the institution); a certified copy of your identity document or passport; (d) a recent colour photograph of yourself; (e) a certified copy of your qualification in pharmacy (degree/diploma); (f) an original certificate of an evaluation of the qualification from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in (g) information regarding the syllabus and curriculum of the qualification obtained from the institution where training was undertaken; (h) documentary proof of having completed at least 12 months of practical training prior to registration as a pharmacist; (i) (j) a certified copy of proof of current registration as a pharmacist in the country in which the above qualification was awarded; an original letter of support from the Foreign Workforce Management Program, obtained from the Department of Health (SA) It is also important to note that you need endorsement by the Foreign Workforce Management Programme prior to registration with the SAPC. For further information regarding the endorsement letter, please contact the Department of Health at Tel: ; or at the following address: The Director-General Department of Health Private Bag X828 PRETORIA 0001 (k) a certified copy from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Band 6 A fee to the amount of R (including VAT) is required for the evaluation of credentials upon submission of all required documents. The fee is reviewed annually. A certified copy of permission to reside and take up employment in South Africa issued by the Department of Home Affairs is also required. Page 4

5 INFORMATION REGARDING THE REGISTRATION PROCESSES There are two processes that could be followed by candidates who wish to register for the first time with the SAPC: 1. Option 1 Submit all documents mentioned above to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation by the Education Committee of Council. The Committee will then make a recommendation to Council. The recommendation will first be approved by Council or the Executive Committee of Council. 2. Option: 2 Submit all documents mentioned above to the Office of the Registrar. Candidates may opt to be interviewed by the subject matter specialist at a cost that will be determined by Council. After being successful in the interviews the candidate will then be allowed to register as an intern whilst he/she undertakes the professional examinations and the pre-registration evaluation. The purpose of the interview is to enable the candidate to enter the workforce as an intern whilst awaiting to successfully completing Council s examinations. Once the application is approved, the candidate will be allowed to write the applicable examination and will be informed accordingly. The Professional Examination takes place in June and October each year. Venues are determined by the South African Pharmacy Council. Dates and examination centres for examinations/evaluations are announced at least two months prior to the holding of an examination/evaluation. Council reserves the right to cancel any examination/evaluation at an announced venue in the event of an insufficient number of candidates applying to write the examination/evaluation. Any such cancellation will be announced at least one month before the examination/evaluation is to be written. All applications for admission to the professional examinations must be submitted to the Registrar of the South African Pharmacy Council at least two months in advance of the examination date. The examination fee payable for each examination must be paid to Council in full at least one month prior to the examination. All fees are subject to annual revision and therefore subject to change without prior notice. Format of the Examination The examination papers are in the form of open book examinations with the exception of the Test in the Laws pertaining to Pharmacy Practice. The Test in the Laws pertaining to Pharmacy Practice is a written closed book examination, consisting of one three-hour paper. The full Professional Examination consists of the following four examination papers: Pharmaceutical Sciences The examination in this study area consists of two three-hour papers and is based on the broad field of pharmaceutical sciences. Two examination papers are written - Paper 1: Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry; and Paper 2: Pharmacology and Toxicology Professional Pharmacy Practice The examination in this field of study consists of two three-hour papers. Emphasis is placed on assessing the candidate s ability to apply knowledge and to exercise judgment in specific situations, problems and patient medication regiments. Two examination papers are written - Paper 3: Test in the Laws pertaining to Pharmacy Practice; and Paper 4: Professional Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy Administration After examination papers have been marked by Council s examiner(s), they are forwarded to the moderator(s) for moderation. The Education Committee of Council has to approve the results before they can be made public. Letters are sent to candidates Page 5

6 with the results of the examination. examination. Council endeavours to have the results available within 2 months of the date of the The following rules apply to examination results: in order to pass, a candidate must obtain NOT less than 50% in each paper; candidates who fail to obtain a pass mark, may repeat the examination as many times as necessary after having paid the applicable examination fee; any application for special consideration on account of illness or other special circumstance(s) which occur immediately preceding or during the examination session, must be filed with the Registrar, or invigilator as applicable before the examination has been completed. Appeals by a candidate against the results or any other matter relating to an examination/evaluation conducted by Council must be in writing and addressed to the Registrar. Such an appeal must be received within one month of the release of the results of an examination/evaluation. Examination Fees The prescribed examination fee should be forwarded to Council after approval to sit for the examination has been granted by the Education Committee. The fees must be paid in full at least one month prior to the examination date. The prescribed fee may be paid in cash, by cheque or money order. The applicable fee is: R per paper (excluding VAT) All fees are subject to annual revision and therefore, subject to change without prior notice. Examination fees for applicants residing in the Republic of South Africa should include an additional 14% Value Added Tax (VAT). All examination/evaluation fees include a non-refundable portion of R50-00 per paper. Refund of the balance will be made only when a candidate gives notice of the intention to cancel his/her entry to the examination/evaluation at least two weeks prior to the date of the examination/evaluation, or if he/she is unable to write the examination/evaluation because of illness or for compassionate reasons. Applications for refunds must be accompanied by appropriate documentary proof of the reason(s) why the scheduled examination/evaluation was not written. Previous examination papers can be obtained at the Office of Council at a cost of R50.45 (including VAT) per paper. OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION The South African Pharmacy Council is the statutory body which regulates pharmacy in South Africa. It is thus advisable to contact the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa at the address below for further information regarding the working conditions (salary) benefits etc. of the pharmacy profession in the country. In preparation for the examination in the legislation relating to pharmacy in South Africa, the Compendium of Laws and Regulations relating to Pharmacy may also be purchased from the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa at the following address: The Executive Director Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa P O Box ARCADIA 0007 Tel: /4/5 The following pharmacy organisations can be contacted for further information regarding pharmacy as a career, membership or services offered. Page 6

7 PHARMACEUTICAL ORGANISATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA A list of pharmaceutical organisations has been compiled to acquaint candidates with the various professional bodies serving the pharmacy profession in South Africa. The information has been provided by the various organisations and is by no means an exhaustive list. The following organisations may be contacted for further information regarding membership or services offered: NAPM - National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers PO Box 32361, KYALAMI, 1684 Tel: (011) Fax: (011) Web: NAPW - National Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers PO Box 3069, HOUGHTON, 2041 Tel: (011) PIASA- Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa P O Box 12123, VORNA VALLEY, 1686 Tel: (011) Fax: (011) /9 Web: PSSA - Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa P O Box 26039, ARCADIA, 0007 Tel: (012) Fax: (012) Website: SAAHIP - South African Association of Hospital & Institutional Pharmacists P O Box 26039, ARCADIA, 0007 Tel: (012) Fax: (012) SAAHIP Executive: SAAPI - South African Association of Pharmacists in Industry P O Box 26039, Arcadia, 0007 Tel: (012) Fax: (012) SAPSF - South African Pharmacy Students' Federation SACP - Community Pharmacists Sector of the PSSA P O Box 26039, ARCADIA, 0007 Tel: (012) Fax: (012) Website: SMASA - Self Medication Association of South Africa P O Box 71351, The Willows, 0041, South Africa Tel: +27 (0) Fax: +27 (0) Web: Department of Health Private Bag X828,, 0001 Tel: (012) Fax: (012) / Website: Page 7
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
bayonel3 at 30-11-2016 11:19 AM (5 years ago) (m)

This open letter was written to the Federal Government by rapper Olanrewaju Ogunmefun, Vector, in protest of the planned data rate hike enforced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) .

This open letter was written to the Federal Government by rapper Olanrewaju Ogunmefun, Vector, in protest of the planned data rate hike enforced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) . Quote

You have come a long way with your policies and rule. You have concerned yourself with nothing but the present hence making it look like the constitution has to be remixed and renamed Your WILL before your demise. You have ignored the children you saw grow and focused on the ones from your sperm cells and ovulation that you arent seeing grow because they have been shipped off to better grounds for education. You have put your wives in other rooms BUT that of importance forgetting (if you married a good woman) they balance you when you go astray. You have failed to embrace the spirit and letter of the Almighty you worship be it any religion. You have failed the man you see in d mirror because he isn't a beast or metaphysical being you dont understand. No, He is the posterboy/girl for greed. You have forgotten how you felt when you were coming up but remember this you will not forget how you fall. Your money my bad our money you take will shame you when you need it the most. The hustling are finding ways to be better but you just want to take from them without giving back. You focus on chasing thieves but never focus on securing the vault they steal from. In the history of our existence as a generation, we have never gotten levelled platforms to play as we have gotten with the internet. The people have become more exposed to business ideas, global news, information sharing from continent to continent between seconds. Industry has gotten global awareness because of this.

Music has started to look better just because with data you can put up your craft be it music or painting or write ups or poems or comedy or pets or life to make people happy in a steady sinking world of frustrating conflicting governance and hustle.

You concern yourself with your perceived negatives over the objective positives. You are killing the future of Nigeria. You are killing the future of Nigeria. Internet is almost free in a lot of advanced countries too. Be careful Nigeria dont ruin yourself. DONT!!! Dear Federal Government,You have come a long way with your policies and rule. You have concerned yourself with nothing but the present hence making it look like the constitution has to be remixed and renamed Your WILL before your demise. You have ignored the children you saw grow and focused on the ones from your sperm cells and ovulation that you arent seeing grow because they have been shipped off to better grounds for education. You have put your wives in other rooms BUT that of importance forgetting (if you married a good woman) they balance you when you go astray. You have failed to embrace the spirit and letter of the Almighty you worship be it any religion. You have failed the man you see in d mirror because he isn't a beast or metaphysical being you dont understand. No, He is the posterboy/girl for greed. You have forgotten how you felt when you were coming up but remember this you will not forget how you fall. Your money my bad our money you take will shame you when you need it the most. The hustling are finding ways to be better but you just want to take from them without giving back. You focus on chasing thieves but never focus on securing the vault they steal from. In the history of our existence as a generation, we have never gotten levelled platforms to play as we have gotten with the internet. The people have become more exposed to business ideas, global news, information sharing from continent to continent between seconds. Industry has gotten global awareness because of this.Music has started to look better just because with data you can put up your craft be it music or painting or write ups or poems or comedy or pets or life to make people happy in a steady sinking world of frustrating conflicting governance and hustle.You concern yourself with your perceived negatives over the objective positives. You are killing the future of Nigeria. You are killing the future of Nigeria. Internet is almost free in a lot of advanced countries too. Be careful Nigeria dont ruin yourself. DONT!!!

Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. +2348055557203 Posted: at 30-11-2016 11:19 AM (5 years ago) | Hero
Aircel Offers Unlimited Call and Data with its Latest Combo Packs Features oi -Samden Sherpa The recent trend of customers becoming multi-service users has now pushed Aircel to introduce fully loaded combo packs to offer unlimited calls and data usage.

Well, it has become very common to see all the telecom service providers slashing their tariff plans and introducing very attractive and enticing offers. Evidently, they are making such moves to counter the effect that Reliance Jio has had on many people.

SEE ALSO: Aircel Launches FRC149 Plan Offering FREE Calling Benefits and 3G data in Kolkata

With the tariff war growing strong and intensifying among the operators, Aircel has launched a series of attractive and best value combo packs namely FRC297, FRC197 and FRC127 in order to meet the data, voice and SMS needs of the existing as well as the new customers.

Voice and data users in Karnataka will be benefitted more from the offers unmatched value proposition.

As such, FRC297 comes loaded with unlimited Aircel to Aircel calling (local and STD), 108000 seconds on Aircel to others (local and STD), 100 SMS per day, 2GB of 3G data and unlimited 2G.

With FRC197, Aircel customers can enjoy unlimited Aircel to Aircel calling (local and STD), 54000 seconds on Aircel to others (local and STD), 100 SMS per day, 1GB of 3G data and unlimited 2G.

FRC127 is specially created for new customers, who want to enjoy the best of calling rates and stay online at a nominal cost. FRC127 comes with unlimited Aircel to Aircel calling (local and STD), 30000 seconds on Aircel to others (local and STD), 100 SMS per day and 300MB of 3G data.

SEE ALSO: Reliance Jio Effect: Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL will Now Offer Combo Plans

Furthermore, all the three packs have been devised keeping in mind the wide spectrum of smartphone users and they all come with a validity of 28 days and unlimited 2G usage. Alternatively, existing customers can avail the same benefits with RC197 and RC297.

Kanwarbir Singh, Circle Business Head, Karnataka, Aircel, while praising the company stated that Aircel will be redefining the value proposition with a whole range of exciting Data and Voice products.

He further added that Aircel recognized the trend of customers becoming multi-service users, hence, the company was now introducing fully loaded combo packs to satisfy the customer's evolving communication needs.

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Overall, Double XL is a well-made film that might be liked by gentry in all shapes, sizes, and age too. By the way, do not miss the interval!!
According to a Nov. 10th poll conducted by Pollfish, 23% of Trump supporters would have voted for Democratic hopeful, Bernie Sanders, based on his commitment to fight for the middle class and against large corporations. The same poll shows some regret already. 32% of Trump voters thought he wouldn't actually win and now 11% say if they had it to do over again, they wouldn't vote for him! When asked to describe the reason they chose to cast a vote for so flawed a candidate, "better of two evil," "America needs change" and "I voted against Hillary" were some of the most popular sentiments. Many Trump supporters were tired of the establishment, and just wanted CHANGE, perhaps forgetting that change can also be for the worse.





That said-- and remembering that Hillary has a growing 2.32 million raw vote lead over Trump now-- there were just 2 states-- Oklahoma and West Virginia-- where Trump won every single county. Hillary managed to win one county (Teton) in Wyoming, 2 counties in Utah (Salt Lake and Summit), 2 in North Dakota (Rolette and Sioux), 2 in Idaho (Latah and Blaine), 2 in Kansas (Douglas and Wyandotte), 2 in Kentucky (Jefferson and Fayette-- in other words, Louisville and Lexington) and 2 in Nebraska (Douglas and Lancaster, which hold, respectively Omaha and Lincoln, the state's only two actual cities).





And in Missouri, where Clinton only took 3 of Missouri's 114 counties, there were the 3 counties that are responsible for much of the state's prosperity: St Louis (county and city), Boone (Columbia) and Jackson (Kansas City). Am I saying that the parts of Missouri that gave Trump his mammoth 57-38% win in that state are all a bunch of unproductive freeloaders? Well... it's not that straight-forward. Richard Florida has done some research on the idea and has written a bit about it, pointing out that Large metros voted for Clinton where everywhere else went for Trump and that the large metro areas generate 90% of the nation's economic output. Hillary won 51% of the metros to Trump's 44%. In fact, when you look at metropolitan areas with over a million population, Trump just got 40% of the vote.





"Clinton," he wrote, "captured the largest metros. She bested Trump with 55 percent compared to 40 percent of the vote in metros with more than one million people, and won eight of the ten largest metros. These metros accounted for more than half the vote and generate two-thirds of Americas economic output... Rather than being a significant break with the past, the 2016 election reinforces Americas deepest divides: between the countrys larger, denser, more affluent, more highly educated, more knowledge-based and more diverse metro areas; and its smaller, less advantaged, less educated, and less diverse."





Back in 2012 he wrote that "America is divided between cities of knowledge and skill and the rest. The residents of these knowledge cities not only do better economically, they are better-traveled, better-connected to the global economy, and more open to diversity. Perhaps because the work of the knowledge-based metros centers turns on knowledge, creativity, and abstract thinking, their residents tend to be more open to the notion that government can help improve the economy, better the environment, provide essential services (like healthcare), and protect the fundamental rights of disadvantaged or discriminated-against groups... Those who live outside these places see knowledge-based centers as elitist and coddled by government. They are well aware of the growing gap between the metro haves and have-nots, and know they are losing ground. They'd like to somehow stop the forces of change that are leaving them behind and bring back the good old days when they, and their more traditional vision of, America was on top."





Other factors in the results, according to Professor Florida:

 Clinton support was concentrated in metros with higher incomes and wages, while Trump support was concentrated metros with lower incomes and wages.



 Clinton support came from metros with higher shares of college grads, while Trump support came from metros with smaller shares of college grads. These correlations are substantially higher than in 2012.



 Clinton support was concentrated in metros where knowledge, professional and creative class workers make up a larger share of the workforce, while Trump support was negatively associated with this. Conversely, Trump support was much greater in metros with a larger share of the working class, with Clinton support negatively associated with it.



 Clinton support was also much greater in metros with larger concentrations of startups, venture capital investment, and high-tech industry, while Trump votes were negatively correlated with each.



 Clinton support was positively associated with both the size of metros and even more so with their density, while Trump support was negatively associated with both... Trump support was positively associated with the share of people who drive to work alone, a proxy indicator for sprawl... Clinton support was also higher in metros where a greater share of the workforce uses public transit, while Trump support was negatively associated with public transit use.



 Trump support was positively associated with the share of residents who own their own homes... Clinton support was higher in metros with more expensive housing, while Trumps was negative.



 Trump support was highly concentrated among whites. Metros with higher shares of whites went for Trump... Clinton support was higher in metros with greater shares of Hispanic and Latino residents... Clinton support was even more closely correlated with the share of metro residents who are foreign born, while Trumps support was even more negatively correlated with the foreign-born population.

 Clinton support was positively associated with income inequality and even more so with wage inequality. America has not only become more unequal, it has become increasingly sorted and segregated by socio-economic class. Clinton not only did better in more unequal metros, she did better in more economically segregated ones as well.

really big. But what about gerrymandering, you might ask. Yeah, that's a problem-- a big one. But... just a few hours ago a federal court ordered North Carolina "to hold a special legislative election next year after 28 state House and Senate districts are redrawn to comply with a gerrymandering ruling." That's big--big.

U.S. District Court judges earlier this year threw out the current legislative district map, ruling that 28 of them were unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. They allowed the 2016 election to continue under the old maps, but ordered legislators to draw new districts in 2017.



...While special elections have costs, those costs pale in comparison to the injury caused by allowing citizens to continue to be represented by legislators elected pursuant to a racial gerrymander, the three-judge panel wrote in the order.



...The order gives legislators a March 15 deadline to draw new district maps. Every legislator whose district is altered will have their current term shortened.



A primary would be held in late August or early September-- the legislature is responsible for setting the exact date-- with the general election in November, the order says.



Republican legislators who oversee redistricting blasted the decision in a news release Tuesday evening.



This politically-motivated decision, which would effectively undo the will of millions of North Carolinians just days after they cast their ballots, is a gross overreach that blatantly disregards the constitutional guarantee for voters to duly elect their legislators to biennial terms, Rep. David Lewis and Sen. Bob Rucho said in the release, adding that they have already appealed the original U.S. District Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.



The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, which represented plaintiffs in the redistricting lawsuit, praised Tuesdays order.



North Carolinians deserve fair representation in the state legislature, and that is impossible to achieve with racially gerrymandered districts, executive director Anita Earls said in a news release. A special election in the affected districts in 2017 is the best way to protect the rights of all North Carolinians.

Hopefully this ruling will be a precedent that other courts in other jurisdictions will also follow-- and in time for the 2020 congressional redistricting. Just a few weeks ago, 49.9% of voters cast their ballots for Republican candidates-- resulting in a House that is now 51.2% Republican. That's because of hyper-partisan gerrymandering. Hopefully that won't keep happening into eternity.








Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 29, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Syria:

-- Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units and destroyed two vehicles.

-- Near Raqqah, two strikes destroyed three oil wellheads, two oil pumpjacks, two oil refinement equipment pieces, an oil tank and construction equipment.

-- Near Ayn Isa, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions and a mortar system.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle, construction equipment and an oil rig.

-- Near Manbij, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and a vehicle.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft, and rocket artillery conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed a vehicle bomb-making facility.

-- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building.

-- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units, destroying five mortar systems, three ISIL-held buildings, three vehicles, three vehicle bombs, two front-end loaders, a vehicle bomb factory and a command-and-control node. Three tactical units were suppressed, and five supply routes and two pieces of road construction equipment were damaged.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed a bunker.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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Pacom Chief Praises Stronger Indo-Asia-Pacific Maritime Partnerships

By Amaani Lyle DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2016  As U.S. forces strengthen ties in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the island nation of Sri Lanka has emerged as a significant contributor to regional stability and security, U.S. Pacific Command's commander said yesterday at the Galle Dialogue 2016 conference in Sri Lanka's capital city of Colombo.

The first American four-star officer to visit Sri Lanka in almost a decade, Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said at the two-day international maritime conference that he was pleased to see a deepened military-to-military relationship between Sri Lanka and the United States.

"To continue along a prosperous path, we must expand partnerships among like-minded nations to uphold the rules-based global operating system," Harris said. "This helps build what [Defense Secretary Ash] Carter calls a 'principled security network.'"

The network, Harris explained, ensures nations of all sizes have not only maritime access, but equal access to the other shared domains, including air, space, and cyber, within a system that has been underwriting prosperity throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific for the last seven decades.

"The global operating system is a rising tide that can lift all nations who choose to enter it and to maintain it," the admiral said.

Primed to become the hub of Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has adopted maritime models from the U.S. Marine Corps, while the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived on the USS Somerset to train newly-minted Sri Lankan marines, Harris noted.

These developments illustrate Harris's use of the term "Indo-Asia-Pacific" vice "Asia-Pacific" in describing the region.

"Indo-Asia-Pacific more accurately captures the fact that the Indian and Pacific Oceans are the economic lifeblood linking the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, Northeast Asia, Oceania, and the United States together," the admiral said. "Oceans that once were physical and psychological barriers that kept us apart are now maritime superhighways that bring us together."

Need for Regional Stability, Security

But, Harris said, a region without stability and security is hollow. "Peace and prosperity," he said, "are made possible through adherence to the principles that are the foundation of the global operating system -- freedom of navigation and overflight for all civilian and military vessels, unimpeded lawful commerce, and the peaceful resolution of disputes."

Harris characterized the long-standing success of those principles as free from abstraction or the whims of any singular nation. "They are not privileges to be granted or withdrawn," he said.

The admiral cited U.N. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, Mali, the Central African Republic and South Sudan as examples of promoting navigational freedom, which is especially important in light of the U.S. Navy ships' first port visits to Sri Lanka since 2011.

"This validates the strengthening of military ties -- a benchmark event in the Sri Lanka-U.S. bilateral relationship," he said.

Harris also recounted the USS Somerset and embarked Marines' theater security cooperation exchange with the Sri Lankan navy, which he said focused on honing basic military skills and small-boat operations that could support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

"These engagements are clear demonstrations of our commitment to Sri Lanka and to this region," the admiral said.

Ultimately, he said, expanded cooperation between the United States and Sri Lanka will benefit both countries in important and meaningful ways.

Maritime Security

Sri Lanka and the United States, as well as India and Australia, rightfully take maritime security in the Indian Ocean seriously as a result of grave regional challenges such as piracy, terrorism, illegal trafficking, and other threats to stability, Harris said.

"I'm particularly concerned about [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's] influence in this region," the admiral said. "We must also be ready to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and ensure unencumbered and safe navigation in the region's vital shipping lanes."

To gain maritime domain awareness requires an accurate operating picture and interoperable, shared information between navies and law enforcement, at both the national and regional levels, Harris said.

"This common operating picture will help us understand what those many vessels at sea are doing -- whether they are military or merchant ships lawfully operating in the exclusive economic zones, or commercial vessels potentially engaged in drug smuggling, illegal fishing or trafficking in persons," the admiral said.

Harris acknowledged that building maritime domain awareness in the region will be a difficult -- but worthy -- task. And, as Pacom turns 70 years old Jan. 1, the admiral reflected on the command's storied history.

"Since the end of World War II, we've represented America by fostering strategic partnerships with like-minded countries to enhance collective security, and we are strongly committed to doing this with Sri Lanka," Harris said. "The Indian Ocean matters to the United States, Sri Lanka matters to the United States, and I believe that the United States matters to Sri Lanka."

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Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Pavel Filip

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

29 Nov. 2016

(As delivered)

Good afternoon Prime Minister Pavel Filip,

You are really warmly welcome to NATO Headquarters and it's good to see you here and it's good also to have had this opportunity to meet with you and to address the strong partnership between the Republic of Moldova and NATO.

The Republic of Moldova has been a close partner to NATO for several years and NATO Allies continue to support the independence, the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova. And I would like to personally thank you for the strong contribution of the Republic of Moldova to NATO's operation, NATO's peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. This promotes peace and stability in Europe. That's important for NATO and it's important for the Republic of Moldova. So we are very grateful for your contribution to KFOR and NATO's presence in Kosovo. We will continue to involve you closely in the decisions shaping our mission and we look forward to continue to work with you in Kosovo.

We have just had an excellent discussion on how to strengthen our partnership, how to strengthen it even more. In the past years, we have stepped up dialogue and practical cooperation with the Republic of Moldova. NATO Allies are supporting your defence reforms and helping to strengthen your armed forces. We are also providing practical support in the area of cyber defences. And we are destroying dangerous chemicals that threaten the lives and livelihoods of Moldovans.

Today, we took an important step forward. We just signed an agreement that will pave the way for the establishment of a NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau. This office will help promote practical cooperation, practical cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and NATO. It will allow us to better support your reforms. And it will allow us to communicate more clearly what NATO is, and the support we can provide. So the new NATO Liaison Office will be important for our political support but also for our practical support for the Republic of Moldova. This is a small, civilian office - not a military base. It is about cooperation, not about imposing NATO priorities or membership on Moldova. We stand by the right of all countries to make their own foreign and security policy choices. NATO fully respects Moldova's neutrality. In fact, many of our closest partners are neutral countries. Sweden and Finland are two close partners of NATO, they are neutral. The Republic of Moldova is a close partner of NATO, you are also neutral and of course we respect that neutrality. Through cooperation with NATO, the Republic of Moldova can make its armed forces even more professional, and make a stronger contribution to peace in Europe.

Prime Minister,

NATO fully supports a stable, secure and prosperous Moldova. It is important that Moldova remains committed to the implementation of reforms that benefit all its citizens. And that it remains committed to the values shared by European democracies.

So Prime Minister, once again thank you for coming here and thank you for signing the letters together with me today and thank you for being so committed to strengthening the partnership we have developed over so many years. So welcome. Please, you have the floor.

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Mason, Charles De Gaulle Strike Group Leaders Meet in Eastern Mediterranean

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS161129-14

Release Date: 11/29/2016 1:07:00 PM

By Petty Officer 3rd Class Janweb Lagazo, USS Mason (DDG 87) Public Affairs

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (NNS) -- Leadership from guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) and French officials from the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group (CDGSG) met while operating together in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 25.

Cmdr. Christopher J. Gilbertson, Mason's commanding officer, of Minneapolis, met Rear Adm. Olivier Lebas, commander of the CDGSG, and other French officials to solidify strategies and tactics in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

"It is a privilege and a wonderful opportunity to provide support to CDGSG and OIR," Gilbertson said. "We have worked with many of our multinational partners over the past six months, and the crew has performed admirably every time. We enjoyed a very successful joint operation with the destroyer FS Forbin (D620) earlier this deployment, and look forward to working with our friends and partners again."

Mason is deployed to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. Mason replaced USS Ross (DDG 71), which provided multi-warfare defense support to CDGSG from September to October. The ship's operations are an example of the commitment the U.S. and its NATO allies have to maintaining a safe, secure, and prosperous Europe and Middle East.

CDGSG operations from the Mediterranean Sea work in tandem with OIR efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations by supporting the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), while demonstrating a carrier strike group's ability to perform integrated multinational air strikes.

"The mission of the [CDGSG] is to reinforce and strengthen the French's involvement against [ISIL] in Iraq and Syria," Lebas said. "We are here to participate as a coalition, and while doing so, help build a strong picture of the freedom of maneuvering in this area."

Lebas went on to comment the freedom to maneuver is especially important for an aircraft carrier, as it allows for the "maximum amount" of safety for all ships in the area. He believes securing the maritime environment in this region of the Mediterranean Sea can promote "regional and global economic security."

"No nation is able to fight [ISIL] alone," Lebas said. "It is a worldwide problem, and we need to be together."

French and U.S. naval forces continue to forge a global network of navies, along with other NATO allies, by collectively working together to share information, experiences, and resources in an effort to foster regional security.

"We coordinate with the actions of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG) to optimize our scheduling to offer the best support for the coalition," Lebas remarked. "We use this time together to develop our relationship. It's good to have Mason to fuel this relationship for the two navies."

Lebas mentioned the CDGSG as an important factor in supporting Iraqi and Kurdish security forces involved in the battle for Mosul, in Northern Iraq, while engaging in a strong, concerted push towards Raqqa, the Islamic State's self-proclaimed capital in Syria.

"We can bring significant additional force to be able to conduct the battles in both theatres, mostly in Mosul, but also in Raqqa," said Lebas. "We have the sufficient amount of aircraft to support actions in both theatres."

Mason hopes to demonstrate the United States' commitment to the French by providing multi-mission capabilities in key warfare areas, especially missile defense and anti-submarine warfare. As one of the U.S. Navy's two "Bloodhound Award" winners for the best anti-submarine warfare ship for 2015, Mason is a proven expert.

"It's very important for me to have the opportunity to integrate Mason, because it is strong and full of capabilities," Lebas said. "That is also a sign of the strong relationship between the French and U.S. navies, because we have a common enemy and common objective in maintaining freedom of navigation in the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic. We have relied on each other for many years. We have a strong and vital history together through the difficult and challenging times."

Along with Mason, Ike CSG includes CSG 10 staff, aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), squadrons and staff of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 staff, guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61), and DESRON 26 guided-missile destroyers USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).

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USS Hopper, USS Monterey Aid Distressed Iranian Mariners

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS161129-13

Release Date: 11/29/2016 12:59:00 PM

By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

ARABIAN GULF (NNS) -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) and guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61), currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of maritime security operations, aided five Iranian mariners in distress, Nov. 29.

Hopper and Monterey received a distress call from a small Iranian fishing dhow via bridge-to-bridge radio. Monterey sent its helicopter to locate the vessel, while Hopper prepped its boarding team to render immediate assistance.

After Hopper's Sailors boarded the vessel, they found the five mariners aboard were ill. Hopper's Sailors provided the Iranian crew with medicine and departed after ensuring the crew was safe.

"Today demonstrated one of our many mission areas our Sailors are entrusted to execute," said Cmdr. J. D. Gainey, commanding officer of Hopper. "Under customary international law, we continue the time-honored tradition of assisting mariners in distress and are proud to have rendered aid to our fellow mariners."

U.S. naval forces have a long tradition of helping mariners in distress by providing medical assistance, engineering assistance as well as search and rescue. Ships deployed to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command assisted mariners on more than 30 occasions since 2012, 13 of which involved Iranian mariners.

Hopper and Monterey are part of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's U.K.-led Commander, Task Force 50 under Royal Navy Fleet Flagship, HMS Ocean. Ocean and its Task Force, including Hopper and Monterey, are deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

U.S. 5th Fleet operates in approximately 2.5 million square miles including the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea and conducts persistent maritime operations to help set the conditions for security and stability, to deter and disrupt trans-national terrorist organizations, and strengthen partner nations' maritime capabilities in order to promote a secure maritime environment.

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Senior Afghan army general killed in helicopter crash

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 5:50PM

A helicopter crash in western Afghanistan has left a top army general killed and at least ten other people injured.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that General Mohiuddin Ghori, the army corps' commander in Badghis province, was killed in the crash, which was due to the military helicopter's malfunction.

Ghori was one of the six regional commanders of the Afghan army. He had a good reputation for repelling attacks by the Taliban militant group.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a letter of condolence, calling the death of Ghori a "big loss" for Afghanistan's armed forces and people.

At least 10 officials accompanying Ghori, including the head of the provincial council and the chief of the provincial intelligence, were injured in the crash.

Mohammad Radmanish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, denied speculations that the incident was the result of an insurgent attack, saying the Russian-made Mi-17 aircraft went down in the Murichan area of Bala Murghab district over a "technical fault."

Radmanish said the commander and other officials were on a visit to a newly-established army base in the area when the incident occurred.

The Taliban claimed its militants had carried out an attack on the military helicopter, but there was no indication members of the militant group had been operating in the area.

Taliban recently launched an offensive to seize control of Bala Murghab but the militants were pushed back by Ghori's forces.

Decades of war have affected the Afghan air force. Reports say the air force, which once enjoyed significant support from the Soviet Union, currently has a fleet of about 100 aircraft and 50 Russian Mi-17 transport helicopters.

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Taliban pledges to protect infrastructural projects in Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 5:21PM

The Taliban militant group has pledged to protect Afghanistan's infrastructural projects worth billions of dollars that have been stalled for years due to the ongoing militancy across the war-ravaged country.

The group said in a surprise statement on Tuesday that it "backs all national projects which are in the interest of the people and result in the development and prosperity of the nation."

The Taliban are "also committed to safeguarding" the projects, the statement added.

The group said a gas pipeline project and a multi-billion dollar copper mine known as Mes Aynak south of the capital Kabul are among projects that Taliban would protect. The militant group said it was also ready to protect highways and railways.

The Taliban militants have been repeatedly accused of launching violent attacks against aid workers and infrastructural projects.

Shahhussain Murtazawi, a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has expressed skepticism about the pledge.

"They inflicted more than two billion dollars worth of damage to public and private properties and infrastructure during two months of their violent campaign in Afghanistan," Murtazawi said, referring to the Taliban's fall offensive in 2016.

"How could we trust them now? They have to prove their promises in action," the spokesman added.

Decades of war have destroyed much of Afghanistan's basic infrastructure and fostered a climate of insecurity. The violence has also forced millions of Afghans to become refugees.

The administration of President Ghani has pledged to carry out an ambitious series of reforms to revive the economy and attract investment. However, insecurity and violence remain a serious challenge.

Afghanistan has been gripped by insecurity since the United States and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror in 2001. Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops. The Taliban militants were removed from power after the invasion, but they continue their militant activities and have attempted to overrun several provinces over the past months.

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President Abbas re-elected as head of Palestine's Fatah movement

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:25PM

The Palestinian Fatah movement has re-appointed President Mahmoud Abbas as the head of the political party during a congress in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Fatah spokesman Mahmud Abu al-Hija said the participants in Tuesday's event re-elected Abbas in a vote "by consensus" for a new five-year term as the movement's chairman.

Abbas said that the delegates' presence at the conference proves their "decision to hold on to Fatah and its national program because Fatah is here to stay until it achieves its goals of liberation, independence and the establishment of the sovereign independent state."

Tuesday's event was the first Fatah conference in seven years and is planned to run for at least five days.

Some 1,411 delegates were expected to attend the congress, but approximately 1,322 took part in the gathering.

Abu al-Hija said Israel had prevented dozens of Fatah members in the besieged Gaza Strip from attending the conference.

Many journalists from Gaza were also denied permission to enter the West Bank to cover the event, with the union of Palestinian journalists in Gaza saying the move was "in line with the occupation's systematic violation of their rights."

The conference comes at a time that Fatah and the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, are deeply divided. Hamas has ruled Gaza while Fatah has set up headquarters in the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank over the past few years.

The rivals agreed to set aside their differences and formed a unity government in April 2014.

Despite having signed the unity deal, the two sides have failed to work efficiently toward the goal of the agreement, namely the formation of a technocratic government.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu al-Hija said that an objective of the congress was to determine how to act amid the collapse of the last round of the so-called Middle East peace talks in 2014.

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South African President Zuma survives attempt to oust him

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 2:50PM

South African President Jacob Zuma has reportedly survived an attempt for a no-confidence vote within his own African National Congress (ANC) party.

The president survived the vote following an extended and tense debate within the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday.

Zuma is on a visit to Cuba to attend funeral ceremonies for former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, local press reports said.

"The NEC resolved it was more urgent to direct the energies of the ANC in its entirety to working towards the unity of the movement," the local News24 reported.

According to the report, a motion of no confidence in President Zuma was first rejected by NEC member and Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom on November 26, resulting in an extended meeting that continued well past Monday night.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi are the main proponents of Zuma's ouster. International Relations Minister Maite Nkoane Mashabane, State Security Minister David Mahlobo and Agricultural Minister Senzeni Zokwana support Zuma to stay on as president.

Zuma has been under fire for a series of scandals but the strong effort to press him to step down took many by surprise within the ANC, which has held power since 1994.

The president, however, headed off the most serious threat to his grip on power since he came to office in 2009.

"The president told us that he will never step down, as it would be like handing himself over to the enemy, and that there are people who want to see him in jail," said an unidentified source at the closed-door debate as quoted by News24.

The president has been weakened by multiple corruption allegations and damaging court rulings this year. The ANC suffered a serious setback in local elections in August. In addition, unemployment has hit a 13-year high under Zuma.

The South African president has come under renewed pressure since a corruption probe earlier this month revealed new allegations of misconduct.

The investigation by the country's top watchdog uncovered evidence of possible criminal activity in his relationship with the Guptas, a business family accused of wielding undue political influence.

Zuma, however, continues to retain strong loyalty among many rank-and-file ANC party members, as well as its lawmakers.

He easily survived a vote of no confidence in parliament on November 10. He is due to stand down in 2019 after serving the maximum two terms.

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UN chief urges immediate halt to Central Africa violence

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 11:22AM

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has denounced recent bloodshed in the Central African Republic (CAR) where clashes between members of the former Seleka rebellion killed scores of people.

The clashes between rival armed groups from ex-Seleka in Bria northeast of the capital Bangui killed 85 people and displaced nearly 11,000 people, according to the UN.

In a statement on Monday, the UN chief urged the armed groups to "immediately stop the violence and genuinely commit to ongoing efforts to address the root causes of the conflict."

The fighting was said to have broken out between the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) and the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC).

The two factions have been engaged in sporadic fighting over control of taxes levied on nomadic Fulani herdsman during the current seasonal migration.

In March 2013, the Central African Republic plunged into chaos when then-president Francois Bozize was toppled and replaced by Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia, the first Muslim to hold the presidency in the country.

Djotodia's opponents then formed "anti-Balaka" vigilante units, drawn from the Christian majority, which began to target Muslims and commit widespread atrocities.

In 2014, some 11,000 peacekeepers were deployed by the UN to the country as part of MINUSCA or the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.

Seleka and anti-Balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement later that year but the country has not yet fully emerged from its bloody past.

The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Central African Republic, Fabrizio Hochschild, said in a statement on Monday that almost half of the country's population of over four million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), hundreds of people have been killed and many more displaced since a deadly series of clashes broke out in the country in September.

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Haitians elect businessman Moise as president

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:35AM

People in Haiti have chosen businessman Jovenel Moise as their next president in the first round of the presidential election avoiding the runoff, official early results reveal.

Political novice Moise of the PHTK political party came ahead of Jude Celestin, candidate of the opposition LAPEH political party, garnering 55.67 percent against 19.52 percent in the November 20 elections.

The final results are due to be announced on December 29 and candidates can challenge the early results released from the presidential and parliament election in electoral courts until then.

The presidential election was originally scheduled for October 2015, however, the island nation plunged into severe turmoil after the vote and authorities were forced to cancel the results amid protests and allegations of massive fraud.

The government then planned the polls for October 9 although the devastating Hurricane Matthew which swept through the country on October 4 forced it to cancel the elections.

Former President Michel Martelly's mandate expired in February and senate chief Jocelerme Privert was chosen as the interim head of state, serving as provisional president.

According to official figures, some 6.2 million people were eligible to cast their ballots for 27 candidates, although voters had shown little enthusiasm in the elections because of the electoral chaos which has gripped the country for more than a year.

Figures show a very low turnout, with critics claiming there had been instances of fraud. Electoral observers, however, said the vote had been acceptable.

The 48-year-old Moise, owner of a successful banana export company, will have a bumpy road ahead as president of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

He has to undertake the daunting task of reviving Haiti's depressed economy and bring back calm and tranquility to the nation.

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Philippine president dismisses Western threats of ICC indictment

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:0AM

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed threats by Western countries to indict him in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his crackdown on drugs.

"You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullsh*t," said Duterte said during a Monday speech.

According to official police figures, during Duterte's drug crackdown, which began when he took office in June, over 2,500 have been killed.

Last month, the ICC announced that it may have jurisdiction to prosecute those implicated in the killings.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that her office was currently investigating instances of state officials "ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing" to crimes related to the crackdown.

Duterte claimed that the US is responsible for the ICC wishing to jail him, noting that Washington itself is not even part of the court.

"America itself is threatening to jail me in the International Criminal Court. It is not a signatory of that body. Why? Because at that time, they were afraid [former President George W.] Bush would face it," he said.

Since coming to power, Duterte has been ridiculing the United States, European Union, and United Nations over their concerns that extrajudicial killings may be taking place during his crackdown.

Noting that lawyers in Europe were "rotten" and "stupid," and had a "brain like a pea," he stressed that there was nothing wrong with killing bad elements.

"I will never allow my country to be thrown to the dogsI said, when I was a mayor, 'If you destroy my city with drugs I will kill you,'" he added. "Simple as that... When was it a crime to say, 'I will kill you,' in protecting my country?"

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A Painful Reminder That U.S. Fighting A War In Syria

David Patrikarakos November 29, 2016

On the afternoon of August 31, 2013, French Rafale fighter jets bristled on their runways, readied for war. As far as French President Francois Hollande was concerned, D-Day had arrived; at 3 a.m. his planes would begin air strikes against missile batteries and command centers of the Syrian Army's 4th Armored Division -- the Syrian military's most trusted military unit, and the one in charge of chemical weapons.

The reason: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had crossed U.S. President Barack Obama's "red line" when, just 10 days earlier, he had apparently used chemical weapons in Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, against the rebels battling him and the civilians who, as usual, bore the brunt of Assad's fury. According to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, it was the regime's third -- and deadliest -- use of sarin gas to date. Now it was time to for the United States and its allies to make good on the president's word.

But at the last minute, Obama called Hollande to tell him the strikes were off; he would instead seek the backing of Congress before any military action was taken. It was support he most likely knew he would not get; at nearly the last possible moment, he had changed course.

This development was perhaps not entirely unsurprising. A key tenet of Obama's first presidential campaign was to withdraw the United States from its costly and bloody adventurism in the Middle East, a promise that was well received by an American public that had been at war since the 2001 intervention in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Since then, Obama has largely managed to keep his country out of the Middle East despite the region's descent into sanguinary chaos as Libya, Iraq, and Syria have steadily disintegrated while the militant group Islamic State (IS) has murdered its way into global headlines.

The United States has conducted air strikes against IS targets in Syria and Iraq, while it has "advisers" on the ground supporting the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and various groups battling IS in Syria. But, despite the White House's seeming refusal to be drawn into battle on the ground, U.S. involvement may go deeper than many Americans believe. This month an improvised explosive device (IED) killed a U.S. Navy bomb-disposal technician in the town of Ain Issa, less than 60 kilometers from the de facto capital of IS's self-proclaimed caliphate -- making Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott C. Dayton the first U.S. serviceman to die in Syria and the fifth to be killed while fighting IS since 2015.

Many Americans -- especially those of an isolationist bent -- fear IS as a global terrorist threat and support an air campaign against the extremist group but discount its direct threat in Syria as of little concern. This is wrong. U.S. soldiers are indeed involved in the fight on the ground. America's sons and daughters in Syria are personally at risk from IS -- a fact that has so far been downplayed in the public discussion.

As Michael Weiss, senior editor at the Daily Beast and author of The New York Times bestseller ISIS: Inside The Army Of Terror, puts it: "U.S. Special Forces have been recorded embedded with Pentagon-backed rebel forces, such as Liwa al Mutasim, in northern Aleppo, where they were shouted at by Islamist rivals. Their remit may be to 'advise' or to help call in air strikes but it's naive to think that they won't, or don't, engage in combat."

He continues: "Their counterparts in Syria have traded direct fire with [IS] militants who have ambushed Kurdish Peshmerga (one incident previously resulted in the death of another U.S. soldier). The Pentagon likes to fudge this with terminology but the fact is: American boots are on the ground, and American servicemen are in an active state of war against [IS] -- and potentially any other hostile parties they come in contact with."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter echoed Weiss's point, albeit more obliquely, with a public statement on Dayton's death: "I am deeply saddened by the news on this Thanksgiving Day that one of our brave service members has been killed in Syria while protecting us from the evil of ISIL," he said, using another shorthand term for IS. "It is a painful reminder of the dangers that men and women in uniform face around the world to keep us safe."

War By Any Other Name

There are around 500 U.S. troops in Syria -- in April, President Obama sent 250 to add to the 50 that were already in the country. The number since then has, accordingly, almost doubled. Earlier in November, Carter announced that the U.S.-supported coalition of Kurdish and Arab forces fighting IS known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had begun the task of retaking Raqqa. As Iraqi forces meanwhile close in on the city of Mosul, in Iraq, the dual IS losses could signal the end of the last pretenses of its purported caliphate.

The numbers may be small, but evidence of "mission creep" is clear. Again, Weiss is unequivocal: "We are involved on the ground," he says. "We have CIA operatives in Iraq and Syria and U.S. soldiers. About 300 in Syria, close to 5/6K in Iraq. It's just not an occupation or 'major combat role,' but this is where 'war' is given to sort of Orwellian euphemisms that U.S. bureaucracy loves to use to deny it is doing exactly what you think it is doing."

The United States is fighting IS in Syria and Iraq in all but name. And as IS becomes increasingly besieged in both countries, it will become more desperate -- and more violent. Traditional warfare will be forsaken in favor of greater use of insurgency tactics. More booby traps and IEDs will lie in wait for both the SDF and ISF; and more U.S. servicemen may die.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to bomb IS heavily and has talked about "extreme vetting" of Muslims traveling or potentially immigrating to the United States for fear of terrorist infiltration. But these views do little to address the reality on the ground that IS poses a threat not just as a worldwide militant group that can inspire atrocities on U.S. soil but also as a military threat to U.S. soldiers already fighting in Syria.

As much as some may deny it, the United States is once again fighting a war in the Middle East.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/painful-reminder-us- fighting-war-in-syria/28146554.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.

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Top Afghan Army General Killed In Helicopter Crash

RFE/RL's Afghan Service November 29, 2016

A top general in the Afghan National Army has been killed, and at least seven other officials have been injured in a military helicopter crash, in Afghanistan's northwestern province of Badghis.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's Defense Ministry told RFE/RL that General Mohayedin Ghori, the army corps commander for western Afghanistan, was killed when the helicopter attempted an emergency landing on November 29 in the Muri Chaq area of the Badghis Province's Bala Murghab district.

The spokesman, Mohammad Radmanish, said the crash of the Russian-built Mi-17 helicopter was the result of a "technical malfunction" and was not caused by militants or any hostile attack.

However, the Taliban issued a statement on November 29 claiming responsibility for the crash -- saying Taliban militants had shot the helicopter down.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a statement describing the death of General Ghori as a "big loss" for the Afghan security forces and the Afghan people.

The U.S.-led international coalition in Afghanistan also issued a statement expressing condolences over the death of the Afghan general.

Ghori commanded the 207th Corps and was one of the six regional commanders of the Afghan National Army.

He had just completed a visit to a newly established Afghan army base in Badghis Province's Bala Murghab district when the crash occurred.

That base is near the Murghab River close to the border with Turkmenistan -- a volatile area where Afghan security forces had recently pushed back a major Taliban offensive.

Radmanish said seven others injured in the crash were Afghan military officers and officials who had accompanied General Ghori on the visit.

He said the head of Badghis's provincial council and the chief of provincial intelligence were among those hurt.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ afghanistan-general-ghori-killed- helicopter-crash/28146414.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.

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This World Politics in a Time of Populist Nationalism (WPTPN) guest post is written by Gizem Zencirci, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College. Her research interests include political Islam, neoliberalism and social policy, and Middle East politics.

The rise of the AK Party in Turkey and its consolidation of power is a case with generalizable lessons about the rise of populist nationalism elsewhere.

Before and after the U.S. election, many commentators noted potential similarities between Recep Tayyip Erdogans administration and a potential presidency of Donald Trump: both have a strongman personality, both deeply dislike being criticized by the opposition and the press, and both present themselves as the real saviors of their people.

Less discussed than Erdogans style of leadership are some key authoritarian characteristics of populist nationalism in Turkey. When the AKP (Justice and Development Party) came to power in 2002, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the AKP and president of Turkey since 2014, presented himself as a moderate politician who sought to combine economic liberalism with Islamic populism. However, despite AKPs initial pro-democracy and pro-globalization outlook, politics in Turkeya country once considered as the model of Muslim democracytook an increasingly authoritarian turn. This has been punctuated in recent years with violent crackdowns towards the Gezi park protestors, Kurdish groups, and most recently against political opponents following last summers failed coup.

Looking back, we can see that Erdogans brand of populist nationalism has paved the way for authoritarianism in a number of ways.

First, Islamic populism reconfigured the boundaries of national identity, and played a crucial role in the political movement. Since its inception, the AKP has advocated for reinvigorating Turkeys Ottoman-Islamic roots and constructed a vision of indigenous cultural identity based on Muslim nationalism, thereby departing from earlier articulations of Turkish national identity as secular and Western. During early to mid 2000s, the AKP even portrayed the Ottoman Empire as a model of multicultural tolerance that, if revived, would foster national unity in present day Turkey. Such pluralist articulations of Ottoman multiculturalism, however, have recently been replaced with a form of Islamic nationalism that excludes and even prosecutes anyone who does not fit into a narrow understanding of Turkishness. For example, the Turkish state has knowingly exacerbated the Kurdish conflict and turned a blind eye to violent attacks committed by far-right activists.

These exclusionary characteristics of populist nationalism in Turkey resemble similar developments elsewhere. The rise of nativism (or white nationalism) across Europe and the USA has been accompanied by public displays of xenophobic racism and a proliferation of anti-immigrant sentiments. What distinguishes the Turkish case, however, is the fact that the AKP has generally welcomed Syrian refugees with open arms. Yet pro-immigrant government policy has not translated into recognizing the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of the population. The lack of recognition towards minority rights is related to the fact that populist nationalism rarely endorses a civic notion of cultural identity, thereby creating a tendency towards authoritarianism.

Another way in which the Turkish case resembles populist nationalism elsewhere has to do with AKPs anti-establishment and anti-elitist stance. Since 2002, the AKP has represented voters from the Anatolian heartland including agricultural masses, religious groups, and the urban poor who felt excluded and repressed by Westernized urban elites. But, although the AKP uses the language of the people to legitimize its political rule, actually the party is largely supported by the Islamic bourgeoisie who, when compared to the rest of the population, enjoy certain class-based, ethnic and religious privileges. The strict boundaries drawn between the people and the elite create and exacerbate a polarized political climate. As a result, Turkish citizens increasingly feel like they must pick a side. Such polarization is troublesome because it leads to the erosion of societal trust, a key component of any democratic polity.

A distinguishing feature of the rise of Trump and the Brexit vote is the emphasis upon nationalist, inward-looking economic policies that appear to reject global free trade in the name of protecting low-wage laborers. The Turkish case seems to belong to an earlier kind of neoliberal populism that embraces economic globalization instead of rejecting it. But, all of these movements still have something in common: they are able to simultaneously appeal to winners and losers of globalization who, at least theoretically, are supposed to have opposing economic interests. The future of these populist movements, thus, will largely depend on whether they are able to sustain these cross-class coalitions. For example, in the case of Turkey, public-private partnerships fund a variety of social services that play a crucial role in maintaining cross-class coalitions. Whether similar post-neoliberal social programs will develop elsewhere remains to be seen, but it is certain that new populist movements have to find an innovative method of redistributing economic favors if they want to remain in power.

But, what is most concerning about the Turkish case is that it demonstrates the slow erosion of democracy as a result of electoral winning. For Erdogan, winning in free elections entitles him to redesign the political system and the Constitution without being accountable to other political groups. The ability of Erdogan to redesign Turkeys political institutions, especially his quest to adopt a presidential system, is made possible by his electoral popularity. Such a majoritarian notion of democracy has led to a political climate where the government disregards criticism and dismisses the demands of protestors as irrelevant. Especially since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the AKP has turned against liberals, Kurds, and has most recently accused members of the Gulen movement for organizing the July 2016 failed coup attempt. Such incapacity to engage with the opposition stems from a dichotomous perception of the world as if it is divided into winners and losers. In this view, anyone who criticizes the government is considered an enemy of the state.

Whether or not populist nationalism will have a similar de-democratizing effect in other countries remains to be seen. The Turkish case shows that such a turn towards authoritarianism is indeed possible, and invites us to consider the worldwide democratic implications of the current wave of populist nationalism.

The Duck of Minervas WPTPN group is still seeking guest contributions. If you are interested in writing a post and have research expertise in international relations, international political economy, foreign policy, comparative politics, or cognate fields please see this post for more information.
Eyes in the Sky: Singapore Launches Enormous Military Spy Aerostat

Sputnik News

23:47 29.11.2016(updated 00:21 30.11.2016)

Singapore has begun test-launching a 55 m tethered aerostat radar system, a move the nation thinks will strengthen its maritime and aerial surveillance capacities.

At the Choa Chu Kang Camp on the western part of the island, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will deploy a ground crew of eight officers to operate the airborne vehicle. The radar system provided by the aerostat allows the RSAF to detect naval and airborne threats within a 200 km range around the clock, IHS Jane's 360 reports.

"The very fact that we have [the aerostat system] adds another layer of defence, and confidence in terms of what we are able to detect with regards to aerial and maritime threats," Ng Eng Hen, Singapore Defence Minister, said. "I call itthe RSAF biggie," he added, TodayOnline reports.

Ng Eng Hen pointed to New York City's 9/11 aerial attacks and more recent Mumbai attackswhere terrorists arrived by boatas precedents for bolstering the nation's surveillance techniques.

Ng Eng Hen added that deployment of the aerostat isn't urgent, and that authorities want to double check that it will be safe before it becomes operational.

The deployment of the recently acquired aircraft is intended to give Singapore additional resources to detect threats from high altitudes. The island-nation has already established a slew of unmanned aerial vehicles and surveillance plans in addition to air- and ground-based radar sensors to help detect foreign invaders.

 Sputnik

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US F-35 Fighter Jets Face off Against Older F-16 Aircraft in Mock Dog Fights

Sputnik News

19:33 29.11.2016(updated 19:35 29.11.2016)

The fifth generation US F-35 joint strike fighter and older fourth generation F-16 aircraft have begun integrated for training missions that likely include mock dog-fights, the US Air Force announced in a press release on Tuesday.

WASHINTGON (Sputnik)  Although the F-35 will eventually replace the F-16 and other fourth generation US fighter jets, the two will be flying joint combat missions for the foreseeable future.

"The integrated training accomplishes two major training goals, first in exposing F-35 pilots to air-to-air combat scenarios against fourth-generation aircraft capable of mimicking adversaries that pilots would realistically face on today's battlefields," the release explained.

The second purpose of the integrated training is to prepare pilots for future combat missions in which the two aircraft will fly together, according to the release.

The exercises, which begun at Luke Air Force Base in the US state of Arizona in October, are continuing on a daily basis, the release noted.

Military analysts claim that the fourth generation F-16's lighter weight and greater maneuverability gives the F-16 an edge in classic close quarter dog fights.

However, the stealthier F-35 is designed to locate and destroy an enemy fighter jet long before the two aircraft meet.

 Sputnik

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NATO Drills in Georgia Negatively Affect Regional Safety - Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

19:08 29.11.2016

NATO military exercises in Georgia destabilize safety in the region and prevent ensuring peace, Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin met co-chairs on Geneva discussions on security and stability in Transcaucasia, Designated European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus Herbert Salber and United Nations Representative in Georgia Antti Turunen.

"Russian side has drawn the attention of the co-chairs to the destructive influence of NATO drills held in Georgia on the safety in the region," the ministry's statement said.

The members of the meeting discussed the preparation for the next round of Geneva discussion, scheduled for December 13-14.

The November 10-20 NATO-Georgia Exercise at the Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) near Tbilisi involved more than 250 troops from 13 NATO member states and two partner countries.

 Sputnik

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Strike on Syrian Army Result of 'Unintentional, Regrettable Error' - Pentagon

Sputnik News

18:20 29.11.2016(updated 22:00 29.11.2016)

The Pentagon said that the US-led coalition's forces struck the Syrian army in Deir ez-Zor as a result of an "unintentional, regrettable error."

US Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Coe who is investigating the incident said that the mistake was mostly based on "human factors."

"In this incident, ultimately, we made an unintentional regrettable error primarily based on human factors in several areas in the targeting process," Coe told reporters during a press briefing.

"We can't say that for certain because there were no uniforms, no insignia and no flags observed," Coe stated. "We believe that the forces that were struck were aligned with the Syrian regime, and we cannot with certainty tell whether they were regime military or some kind of militia or aligned [force]."

"We've got the F-16s, A-10s, FA-18s and also remotely piloted aircraft as well," Coe told reporters when asked what type of aircraft got involved in the attack.

The Pentagon also said that the US-led coalition's strikes on Syrian army positions would have continued if Russian military officials did not call their colleagues via a deconfliction channel. The deconfliction channel is part of a memorandum of understanding on safety of flights in Syria's airspace signed by the US Defense Department and Russian Ministry of Defense in October 2015.

Coe explained the coalition had given Russia prior notice about the airstrike, but provided inaccurate information, erroneously identifying the target as being 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) south of the Deir ez-Zor airfield instead of 9 kilometers south of the city.

"We would not have stopped the strikes but for the phone call from the Russians," Coe told reporters. "Without that call from the Russians the strikes would have continued for longer than they did, so we're certainly grateful for that phone call."

Had the US-led coalition given the correct information, Russia would have had the opportunity to warn the coalition that Syrian forces were operating in the area, Coe added.

The United States will discuss compensation for victims of the September airstrike on government forces in Deir ez-Zor upon a request from Syrian authorities, US Central Command spokesman Col. John Thomas said.

"Should the government of Syria make a formal claim for compensation against the United States, such a claim will be addressed through appropriate diplomatic channel," Thomas told reporters.

Russian officials waited for almost half an hour to pass information on US-led coalition strike mistake in Syria's Deir ez-Zor through the deconfliction channel, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed.

"There was a critical delay of 27 minutes while Russian officials waited for a familiar US counterpart to come on the line before passing that information," the release stated.

Brig. Gen. Richard Coe, who led the probe into the incident, recommended enhanced use of the deconfliction channel with Russia "to ensure that critical information is communicated more quickly to available personnel," according to the release. Coe has told reporters in a conference call that the United States had asked Russia to convey messages immediately regardless of who is on the line.

The full Pentagon's report into the deadly strike remains classified, the spokesman said.

On September 17, US-led coalition aircraft carried out four strikes against the Syrian army near the Deir ez-Zor airport, leaving 62 soldiers killed and some 100 wounded. The Pentagon said that the airstrike was a mistake and was intended to target Daesh militants, while a number of Syrian officials stated that the attack was intentional.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the US-led coalition for striking civilians instead of terrorists.

"Weddings, funerals, hospitals, police departments, humanitarian convoys and even Syrian troops, fighting against Daesh terrorists near Deir ez-Zor, become targets for coalition airstrikes," spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said, commenting on an alleged US-led coalition's member's strike on a Syrian village in north Aleppo that claimed at least six lives.

 Sputnik

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Italy to Respond to Russia's Presence in the Mediterranean With Naval Reform

Sputnik News

13:28 29.11.2016(updated 15:23 29.11.2016)

In response to tensions in the Mediterranean Sea and the mounting presence of the Russian Navy in the region, Italy will spend in the coming years 5.4 billion ($5.7 billion) to upgrade its naval forces.

The Italian Navy will receive a new aircraft carrier capable of carrying US-made fifth-generation jet fighters. In addition, advanced module frigates will also join the country's naval force.

Previously, the Italian Defense Ministry said that the new warships would be used only for humanitarian operations.

In 2015, the Defense Ministry and Fincantieri shipyard signed a contract to build an amphibious assault ship equipped with a helicopter deck.

According to the ministry, the ship would be used for humanitarian operations, including to aid in the evacuation of refugees. This is why the ship was dubbed a "humanitarian aircraft carrier." In addition, recently laid down patrol ships were also planned for humanitarian missions.

Last week, Italian analytical center L'Osservatorio issued a report on the country's large-scale naval modernization program. The document read that by 2026 as a result of the plan, Italy will receive dozens of new units, which will make its naval force capable of competing with, for the example, the British or French fleet.

In particular, the modernized naval forces will be used in humanitarian operations and counterterrorism missions as well as to deter Russia's growing maritime presence in the region.

Meanwhile, the Italian media has reported that the large-scale modernization program was partially initiated by the navy command and personally by Admiral Guiseppe De Giorgi. He insisted on the reform, citing rising tensions in the Mediterranean as the main reason. Recently, the admiral was under investigation over corruption allegations.

According to media reports, De Giorgi managed to convince the parliament to build an entire fleet for humanitarian operations. It will include a versatile amphibious ship with a length of 190 meters and a displacement of 20,000 tons as well as 10 patrol ships with a length of 132 meters and a displacement of 4,500 tons.

However, according to media reports, after the contract was agreed De Giorgi made several changes to the document.

As a result, the initial amphibious ship turned into a light aircraft carrier carrying newest F-35B jets. The new flattop will be able to compete with the current Italian naval flagship Cavour.

Moreover, the specifications of the patrol ships were also changed making them close to frigates (a length of 143 meters and a displacement of 6,200 tons). They have a module design and can carry guided anti-ship missiles and a missile defense system.

Despite cutting spending on the army and the air force, Italy's naval modernization program is the most ambitious in Europe, except for Britain's plan to build two full-scale aircraft carriers, said Mikhail Barabanov, an expert at the Analytical Center for Strategy and Technologies.

"The plan is to build warships and vessels worth 5.4 billion ($5.7 billion). The program includes a versatile amphibious ship which in fact will be an aircraft carrier worth 1.5 billion ($1.6 billion). In addition, it includes a large supply ship, three patrol ships and two motor boats for Special Operations Forces," Barabanov told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Recently, the Italian Navy requested to build another four non-nuclear submarines of project 212A, in addition to four already in service.

Barabanov noted that Italy is successfully building 10 FREMM-class large frigates while the French Navy has decreased the number of projected FREMM warship from 17 to 6.

According to the expert, Italy wants to play the key role in NATO and Europe's efforts in the Mediterranean.

"It's no surprise that Italy is focused on naval modernization. There are no serious military threats to Italy in Europe but there are some visible threat coming from Africa and the Middle East. An additional stimulus is Russia's growing presence in the Mediterranean," Barabanov said.

 Sputnik

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India Considers More Active Military Role in Afghanistan

Sputnik News

12:41 29.11.2016

India has assessed requirement of spare parts to restore dozens of Russian made military helicopters and transport aircraft. India remains non-committal to supply military spare parts to Afghanistan despite having unique agreement with Russia since year 2014.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India may be willing to play a more active military role in Afpak theatre as New Delhi might seek support from Moscow to restore Afghan Government's Soviet-era idle helicopters and military equipment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could discuss the issue with leaders of Afghanistan and Russia during the sixth 'Heart of Asia' conference to be held this week-end in the border town of Amritsar.

Afghanistan had presented a wish list of spare parts for refurbishing over four dozen helicopters and some An-32 medium lift aircraft. Afghanistan has also requested brand new T-72 tanks, 105 mm howitzers and AN 32 transport planes.

Under a 2014 agreement, India will pay Russia to supply arms and ammunition to Afghanistan. India has plans to source Russian-made light artillery and mortars, air support helicopters and armored vehicles. But, India has not implemented the agreement for fear it may get passed on to militant groups trying to bring down the Kabul Government.

"Post-2014, as the Afghan National Army leads the offensive against the well-armed Haqqani-Taliban network and various pro-Daesh local and foreign militant Islamist groups, it is important to further build its capabilities in a planned and sustained manner," says Vishal Chandra, specialist in Afghan affairs at New Delhi based Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses and the author of The Unfinished War in Afghanistan: 2001-2014.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the military hardware supply issue in September this year but nothing was finalized. However, India had sent a special team of military officers to Afghanistan to assess the requirement for more equipment.

The assessment report may be presented to Russia on the sidelines of an upcoming international meeting next month in Amritsar.

"Russia being a responsible and a major power, and also a permanent member in the UN Security Council, has a critical role in shaping the regional security and economic architecture. Russian support and cooperation is certainly the most crucial missing link in the US-led Western mission in the 'AfPak' theatre," Chandra added.

For the last 15 years, India has mainly focused on civil construction and development work in Afghanistan. During this period, India committed more than $2 billion for such work.

 Sputnik

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US-led Coalition Blames Human Error in Strike on Syria-aligned Forces

By Carla Babb November 29, 2016

A U.S. military general blamed human error for the deadly coalition airstrike in September that killed Syrian government-aligned forces near Deir Ezzor.

Investigating officer Brigadier General Richard Coe said the coalition forces in the strike, which included the U.S., Britain, Australia and Denmark, thought they were striking Islamic State forces.

"We made an unintentional, regrettable error primarily based on human factors," he said.

Coe said the strike killed at least 15 people, but the investigation was unable to determine an exact number because they were unable to visit the bombing site. Russia claimed the strike killed 62 Syrian troops.

Reasons for error

According to the U.S. investigation, several factors contributed to the misidentification and subsequent strike.

The forces on the ground were not wearing uniforms, flags or insignias, and they acted like IS fighters, Coe said.

The coalition had initially misidentified a vehicle as containing IS forces, and when that vehicle met up with the friendly camp of Syrian-aligned fighters, the entire group was misidentified.

One intelligence analyst expressed doubt the forces on the ground were IS fighters when he saw a Syrian tank in the camp, Coe said, but that skepticism was ruled out because of the fact that IS had commandeered a Syrian military tank just days prior to the strike.

Finally, the United States had used a safety hotline, which was set up to avoid midair collisions, to inform the Russians that the coalition would be striking near Deir Ezzor, but the informer had incorrectly given the Russians a strike location that was off by three kilometers.

27-minute gap

Once the strike began, a critical communication failure caused more casualties.

When the Russians called the United States back on the hotline to inform the coalition that it was striking Syrian-aligned forces, Coe said the usual point of contact was unavailable.

He said the colonel who answered the phone asked whether the Russians would like to pass on the information, but the Russians declined and hung up. When the Russians called back, he said, they asked to hold until their point of contact was on the line.

The United States then took 27 minutes to get the point of contact to the Russian hotline. Fifteen of the 22 strikes on Deir Ezzor camp happened during that time.

Colonel John Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said the Russians have been asked to immediately convey lifesaving information on the hotline, regardless of who is on the line.

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Air Force Not Able to Fly Enough Flights to Train Pilots

By Carla Babb November 29, 2016

As the U.S. military continues to rely heavily on air power in its combat missions abroad, a shortage of maintainers needed to keep Air Force planes flying is preventing the force from completing its training mission.

"We're not able to produce the sorties at home for training for our pilots," Lt. General John Cooper said in an exclusive interview with VOA.

Cooper, who is in charge of managing maintenance manpower, said the Air Force had been "living on the edge" with its maintainer numbers and hit a 3,800 maintainer shortage in 2015 due to a series of shrinking budgets from Congress.

"We were driven to the force structure that we were at last year and growing from sequestration. There's no doubt about it. That's in the history books," he said.

A training increase was approved this year that added about 500 maintainers, but there's still a shortage of about 3,300.

Cooper told VOA that even if the Air Force consistently maximizes the training pipeline, the force won't be out of the maintainer manpower hole until 2021.

More with less

Despite the lack of manpower, many maintainers at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia say they have kept a can-do attitude.

"We all understand that (having to do) more with less is happening, but I mean, regardless, jets have to fly," said a Senior Airman named Nick, who wished to be identified only by his first name because of his commander's concern of potential retaliation from terrorist enemies.

Major General Scott Vander Hamm, who's in charge of fixing the fighter pilot shortage, admitted the Air Force's hardworking ethos has led to little relief, and it will soon have to start doing "less with less" if it's unable to get out of the manning deficit.

"We owe them capacity, more people, and we owe that now, as soon as we can," Vander Hamm told VOA.

The Air Force is paying out bonuses to its seasoned technicians to try to keep them in the force during a time where they're expected to keep the ongoing missions running while training a massive influx of airmen.

Creating another problem

However, while new recruits are slowly pulling the force out of the manpower hole, Colonel Pete Fesler, the commander of the First Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, said they are compounding another maintenance issue.

"A bigger problem for me is not pure numbers, but the skill levels within the maintainers that I have," Fesler told VOA. "I've got a very high number of inexperienced maintainers and a relatively small number of experienced maintainers to help teach those guys."

Many at the base say that not only is there a decreasing quantity of Air Force sorties, or flights, the decreasing quality of training is creating a less-prepared future force.

"With the mission, just how fast-paced it is, they don't get to properly train (and) show us step by step how to do things. A lot of times they'll take over and finish themselves just to keep within the time constraints," a young maintainer who asked to be identified only by his first name, Donovan, said.

Older maintainers told VOA that they remembered feeling like they were "carted around by the hand" during training and admitted that they were taught more effectively than they are now able to teach the new maintainers.

Lt. General Cooper said the Air Force is aware of this experience issue, which he said will likely take an additional five to seven years to fully correct. He's hoping the retention rate for maintainers will continue to remain slightly higher than the rest of the force as it struggles through these tough years to come.

"Just everybody hang in there," he said. "It's going to take a little time."

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Refugees, Migrants from Horn of Africa Flee to War-Torn Yemen

By Lisa Schlein November 29, 2016

The U.N. refugee agency reports thousands of refugees from the Horn of Africa, desperate to escape difficult conditions at home, continue to make the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden to war-torn Yemen, despite the risks. At least 79 people have been reported dead or missing at sea this year.

The U.N. refugee agency reports nearly 106,000 people, mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia, have risked their lives on the high seas to reach Yemen so far this year. This is 13,000 more than all of 2015.

The UNHCR says many of them embark from coastal towns in Somalia and Djibouti and that they are ill-informed about the worsening conflict and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Yemen. The agency says it plans to launch a regional information campaign in December to try to prevent the refugees and migrants from attempting the treacherous crossing.

UNHCR spokesman William Spindler told VOA such campaigns have limited success, but are useful in informing people about the dangers they can expect to encounter both at sea and after arriving in Yemen.

"At the same time, they cannot be expected to simply discourage people who are fleeing very difficult conditions at home - whether it is war, persecution, famine, or whatever. So, these campaigns are useful and necessary; but, they have to go hand in hand with improving conditions in the countries of origin, otherwise they will fail," he said.

Spindler said those who survive the risky journey face conflict, abuse and exploitation on arrival in Yemen.

"UNHCR has received reports of physical and sexual abuse, deprivation of food and water, abduction, extortion, torture and forced labor by smugglers and criminal networks as well as arbitrary arrest, detention and deportation. Prolonged conflict and insecurity have also facilitated the proliferation of trafficking and extortion networks targeting new arrivals," he said.

The UNHCR reports many of the migrants go to Yemen hoping to move on to Saudi Arabia in search of work. A few people, it says, reportedly have set their sights on reaching Europe, thereby compounding their risks. It says those people depart Yemen for Sudan and go by road to Libya or Egypt, where they make the dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossing to Europe.

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Attack on Indian Army Camp in Jammu and Kashmir Kills 7 Soldiers, 3 Militants

By Anjana Pasricha November 29, 2016

Seven Indian soldiers and three attackers were killed when armed militants stormed an army base in the northern Jammu and Kashmir state early Tuesday.

The latest incident is likely to further heighten tensions between India and Pakistan, whose ties hit a low point following a September attack on an Indian army camp in the disputed Kashmir region.

The soldiers and militants were killed in a gunbattle that raged for hours after the assailants lobbed grenades and opened fire while trying to enter the Nagrota base, a major army camp that is one of the four command centers in Kashmir.

Nagrota lies about 20 kilometers from Jammu on the main highway that connects the city with Srinagar. Jammu and Srinagar are Kashmir's two main cities.

Authorities said the militants took hostages, including two women and children, when they entered the building used by families of the army officers. They said three of the seven soldiers were killed in a rescue operation.

Defense Ministry spokesman Manish Mehta said, "Early morning the encounter took place. The situation is under control."

The militants apparently managed to take positions inside the complex near an artillery unit.

No group has claimed responsibility.

A separate firefight also took place when Indian forces said they killed three militants trying to cross into India from Pakistan.

There has been growing anger in India over terror attacks that have targeted installations of the armed forces in recent months.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting and financing the terrorists who mount the assaults, a charge Islamabad has strongly denied.

Nirmal Singh, the deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, called the latest attack a signal of Pakistan's frustration. "India is not a weak country. It will not be weakened and we will answer them in whatever language they understand," he said.

The attack on the army camp comes after a five-day lull in intense cross-border firing along the Kashmir 'Line of Control' raised hopes that the two sides were trying to lower tensions.

The Kashmir border has seen heavy artillery and mortar firing since the Indian army said it mounted surgical strikes in Pakistan to take out militant camps after an attack on an army base in Uri that killed 20 soldiers.

Divided between the two countries, the Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both.

Diplomatic relations have also turned frosty, with both countries mounting charges of spying on diplomats and expelling them.

Sartaj Aziz, the foreign affairs adviser to Pakistan's prime minister, is due to visit India next week for an Asian regional conference, but political observers say there are no signals that the two sides will use the opportunity to start a dialogue to lower tensions.

So far, no bilateral talks have been scheduled, according to Indian Foreign Ministry officials.

"Our position has been very, very clear. We are for a dialogue with Pakistan, but talks and terror cannot go together. It is incumbent upon Pakistan to create the necessary environment for a conducive bilateral dialogue to happen," the Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vikas Swarup, told reporters recently.

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The day will consist of a series of 6 high-level conferences addressing issues relating to renewable energy and just transition.
At Least 7 Indian Servicemen Killed in Attack on Military Camp in Jammu

Sputnik News

00:04 30.11.2016

At least two officers and five soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces were killed on Tuesday in a militant attack on an army unit in the town of Nagrota in the northern country's state of Jammu and Kashmir, a statement of the Northern Command of India's army.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, media reported that the attack had claimed lifes of three India's servicemen.

"In the early hours of 29 November 2016, a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniform targeted an Army unit located three kilometers [1.8 miles] from the Corps Headquarters at Nagrota. The terrorist forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries. In the initial counter action, one officer and three soldiers of the Army were martyred," the statement published on the Northern Command's Facebook account.

The statement added that after the terrorists had taken hostages, India's servicemen had carried out an operation to free them. Within the framework of the operation one more officer and two more servicemen, as well as three terrorists had been killed in a rescue operation.

The Indian Border Security Force also intercepted on Tuesday morning a group of militants, attempting to cross the border at Ramgarh in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba sector, 70 kilometers from Nagrota. Three militants were killed and seven members of the Border Security Force were injured in the accident.

India and Pakistan have been engulfed into a dispute over the Jammu and Kashmir region for decades. Tensions between them escalated in July after Indian security forces killed Burhan Wani, a renowned separatist commander.

 Sputnik

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IS Calls Ohio State Attack Suspect 'Soldier of Caliphate'

By VOA News November 29, 2016

Islamic State has claimed that Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the man who police say carried out a car-and-knife attack Monday at Ohio State University, was a "soldier of the caliphate" who was responding to calls to "target citizens of international coalition countries."

The statement was posted Tuesday on the militant group's Amaq news agency. IS has used similar, ambiguous wording after other attacks. U.S. authorities did not immediately comment on the claim.

Artan published a post on Facebook minutes before the attack in which he blamed America for killing Muslims abroad and praised al-Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a hero, law enforcement officials told U.S. media outlets.

Authorities were still investigating Artan's motive in the attack at the campus in Columbus, but in his post he said he was willing to kill "a billion infidels" to stop America from "interfering with other countries."

"If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post read. "By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims. You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday."

Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said terrorism was a possibility in the attack that saw Artan ram his car into a group of pedestrians and then get out and start stabbing people before being shot and killed by a police officer. Eleven people were injured during the attack, though no one was killed but Artan.

"Obviously with the purposeful intent that was noticed  driving on the sidewalk  we're going to look at it from the potential that it was planned," she said.

Artan, a Somali-born refugee, was living as a legal permanent resident in the U.S. and was a freshman business student at Ohio State.

Leaders from within the Columbus-area Muslim and Somali communities denounced the attack and said they were "heartbroken" by it.

Hassan Ali Omar, chairman of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, told VOA the Somalis he talked to were devastated to learn Artan was a Somali refugee.

"Some women told me they felt sick, they were heartbroken, they were shocked because they feel they have had enough troubles already," he said.

Omar was one of the community elders who last night visited the family of Artan. He said he met his mother and siblings and they told him they were feeling "at a loss and a lot of pain."

"They said he was hardworking person who loved education. They said their son had good culture and that they were not expecting that he would do this kind of act," he said.

There are nearly 60,000 students at Ohio State's main campus in Columbus. Those injured in the attack included both employees and students of the university.

During Monday's news conference, Jacobs referenced a previous terrorism case tied to Columbus  that of Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, who was arrested in 2015 after returning from Syria. Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Somalia, was charged with providing material support to terrorists.

In September, a Somali-American man stabbed 10 people at a mall in the northern state of Minnesota, before he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. Officials said the suspect asked some of his victims whether they were Muslim.

Columbus and Minneapolis host the largest Somali communities in the United States.

VOA Somali service's Harun Maruf and VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

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Expert: Chinese Air Force capable of simultaneous combat on different fronts

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 15:04, November 29, 2016

Aircraft from the Chinese Air Force flew over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait on Nov. 25 during a West Pacific drill. The drill indicates that the remote sea combat capability of the Chinese Air Force has significantly improved, and that forces can simultaneously meet combat requirements in two different directions, said military expert Yin Zhuo in an interview with People's Daily Online.

The drill involved "multiple types of warplanes," meeting the set target, said Shen Jinke, an Air Force spokesperson, responding to media inquiries on Nov. 26.

The Chinese Air Force is a strategic military force, and its strategic power should match national interests, said Shen. The Air Force will continue to conduct regular remote sea drills to further its capabilities in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and peaceful development.

Some media pointed out that, although the Chinese Air Force has conducted seven remote sea drills, this is the first time warplanes flew over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait at the same time.

"It is indeed a big challenge for Chinese Air Force warplanes to fly over different straits at the same time," said Yin. The warplanes had to fly almost 1,000 kilometers to reach the Bashi Channel, even from the nearest airport. What's more, the climate and sea conditions were complicated.

According to Yin, China's armed forces will gradually develop an integrated joint operational system in which all elements, including command, control, information, communication and security, are seamlessly linked. Under this system, all operational platforms will perform independently but in coordination with one another. This is in line with requirements for responding to potential future wars.

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As Cuba Mourns, Castro's Ashes Set to Begin Final Journey

By VOA News November 29, 2016

Cubans have been paying their respects to their late former autocratic leader, Fidel Castro, at Revolution Square in Havana.

Beginning Wednesday, his ashes will be transported eastward across the country, in a three-day procession that follows in reverse the route taken by the young revolutionary and his rebel fighters as they advanced on Havana from the Sierra Maestra mountains before taking power in January 1959.

"It's a kind of symbolic closure to his rule.  The Castro era began with the triumph of the revolution and Fidel's march across the country. Now he's gone and they retrace that route, and the Cubans of this era have a chance to say goodbye," William LeoGrande, an American University professor of Latin American politics, told AP.

Memorial services began Monday in the capital and in the eastern city of Santiago, where Castro started the Cuban revolution in 1953.

Mourners, voluntary and otherwise

Although many mourners visited tribute sites on their own, thousands were sent by the communist government that employees 80 percent of the Cuba population.

Leftist leaders from around the world have traveled to Cuba to pay respects and show support to the Cuban people.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao arrived Tuesday in Havana for a mass rally commemorating Castro's life.

African leaders including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and South Africa's Jacob Zuma are also expected to arrive in Cuba.

But reports say that few major world head of states are traveling to the Caribbean island. Many countries are sending second-tier senior officials to pay homage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called Castro a "true friend of Russia," said he needed to focus on preparing a major speech and was not traveling to the island.

White House officials said President Barack Obama asked Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes and Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the president's nominee to be ambassador to Havana, to represent the United States at the late Cuban leader's funeral.

The 90-year-old Castro died Friday after a long illness. A cause of death has not been announced.

Castro was cremated Saturday, and a nine-day period of mourning was declared. His ashes will be buried Sunday in Santiago de Cuba.

Castro, raised near Santiago de Cuba, launched his revolt against the rule of Fulgencio Batista in 1953 from the southeastern city, finally toppling the U.S.-backed leader and seizing power in 1959. He set up a one-party socialist government, which constantly defied Washington and allied itself with the former Soviet Union.

Castro handed power to his brother Raul in 2006, although he still exercised some power behind the scenes until recent years.

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US' unprofessional presence main problem in Persian Gulf: IRGC

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:48PM

The presence of US forces is the main problem currently facing the Persian Gulf, an informed source at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says.

"Today, it is no secret to anyone that the main problem in the Persian Gulf is the presence of Americans, who try to show that conditions [in that region] are abnormal through [their] inappropriate and unprofessional conduct," the IRGC source said on Tuesday after Washington falsely claimed that an Iranian vessel had pointed its weapon at a US helicopter in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Two US defense officials told Reuters on Monday that a small IRGC vessel had trained its weapon on a US Navy MH-60 helicopter on Saturday as it flew within half a mile (0.8 km) of two Iranian vessels.

The IRGC source referred to the US claims, stressing that Washington must stop spreading false propaganda against Iran.

He added that US officials occasionally level such allegations against Iran, an issue which shows that they "are after certain goals."

The IRGC official emphasized that international vessels from different countries sail through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz everyday without any problems, because they observe international regulations; however, it is "only the Americans who seek to make hue and cry and want to create problems with unreal justifications."

He emphasized that the IRGC Navy is fully prepared and equipped with state-of-the-art technology and monitors all movements in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to maintain lasting security in this sensitive and strategic region.

The IRGC Navy forces will pay no heed to the US false propaganda and continue to carry out their missions with precision and seriousness, the source pointed out.

Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, the commander of the IRGC Navy, had also on September 13 dismissed as "sheer lies and untrue" another US claim that an American warship patrolling the Persian Gulf was harassed by Iranian boats.

Pentagon spokesman, Captain Jeff Davis, said on September 6 that seven fast-attack IRGC boats approached the USS Firebolt on September 4 with their machine guns uncovered, though not trained on the Americans.

In January, Iran's Navy arrested the crews of two US patrol boats that had trespassed on Iranian territorial waters. Iran released them after establishing that they had done so by mistake.

Iran has invariably asserted that it only uses its naval might for defensive purposes and to send across the Islamic Republic's message of peace and security to other nations.

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Iran Navy unveils new achievements

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:16AM

Iran's Navy has unveiled new technological achievements in the areas of naval defense, including advanced radar systems and defensive weapons.

The inauguration took place during an official ceremony with Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari in attendance on Tuesday.

The achievements comprised a Towing Tank Project aimed at building a model basin for the hydrodynamnical testing of vessels, the Saamen Project, which focuses on designing and building a system for controlling the Jamaran-class missile destroyers' naval surface and aerial fire, and the LPIR (low probability of intercept radar) project.

The ceremony further witnessed the unveiling of a project for the enhancement of the country's Sea Shield Radar system, which integrates various radars, and the Mersad Project, which features the manufacturing of a digital component for Mark 46 lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes.

The curtain was also lifted off a storm simulation project, a project involving the building of a damage control simulator serving naval units, the Damavand Project, which oversees the designing of a passive decoy for misleading radars through passive electromagnetic defense, and the inauguration of a system used to discover enemy X band radars.

Rear Admiral Sayyari said during the ceremony that the Iranian Navy's presence in international waters follows international rules and serves to protect Iranian commercial vessels and oil tankers.

"Our presence in international waters does not constitute a violation of other countries' rights," he said.

The Navy chief announced that the force will also be inaugurating a semi-heavy Fateh-class submarine, which can operate more than 200 meters below the sea surface for nearly five weeks, as well as a Moudge-class destroyer, dubbed Sahand, in the near future.

He also said the Navy had now gained the capabilities to perform basic repair on the world's most advanced submarines.

Iran has asserted that it only uses its naval might for defensive purposes and to signal a message of peace and security to other nations.

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Prosecutor Tells Iran Lawmaker To Turn Himself In After Flubbed Arrest

RFE/RL November 29, 2016

The chief prosecutor in Tehran says an arrest warrant against a reformist lawmaker who publicly questioned the financial dealings of Iran's chief justice remains legal and valid.

The warning, by Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, came hours after an unsuccessful attempt to detain parliamentarian Mahmud Sadeghi.

"Sadeghi is expected to respect judiciary officials and present himself to authorities," Dolatabadi was quoted by state media as saying on November 28. "Otherwise, officers are required to detain the accused and bring him to court."

Sadeghi this month called on the head of Iran's powerful judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, to provide bank-account details following claims on social media that Larijani had transferred public funds to dozens of personal accounts.

Larijani denied the allegations as "100 percent lies," saying they were leveled by "seditionists" and "exiled antirevolutionaries" who he said are in contact with "a corrupt section of the reformist movement."

Security officers reportedly arrived to arrest Sadeghi at his home in the capital on November 27, but they were said to have backed down after Sadeghi defied the officers and colleagues and activists came to his defense and gathered outside his home.

Dolatabadi said the case against Sadeghi includes eight private complaints, adding that the lawmaker has been officially summoned.

The semiofficial Fars news agency quoted an "informed source" as saying that the warrant against Sadeghi was issued after private complaints by students who accused the lawmaker of "spreading lies" several months ago.

On Twitter, Sadeghi called the abortive arrest "illegal" and challenged Dolatabadi's claim that Sadeghi had been summoned by the court.

"Despite the comments by the honorable Tehran prosecutor, so far I have received no summons," Sadeghi tweeted on November 29.

A day earlier, Sadeghi vowed via Twitter that "pressure" would not prevent him and other lawmakers from "seeking transparency and fighting corruption in all [Iran's state] institutions."

In a November 29 letter to the Tehran prosecutor, the deputy speaker of parliament, Ali Motahari, criticized the attempt to detain Sadeghi and warned that such moves risked turning parliament into a "useless" body.

Motahari questioned the timing of the effort to arrest Sadeghi, questioning why, if the plaintiffs were serious, authorities responded only "immediately" after the lawmaker's implied criticism of Larijani.

Candidates to Iran's parliament, the Majlis, and many other offices are ruthlessly vetted by the clerically dominated Guardians Council, and ultimate political and religious power lies in the hands of the unelected supreme leader, currently the 77-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran's hard-line judiciary is one of the country's most powerful bodies and its head is appointed directly by the supreme leader.

Larijani's brother Ali is currently speaker of the parliament.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mahmud-sadeghi-flubbed- arrest-warrant/28146153.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.

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Iran Calls US Military in Persian Gulf 'Main Problem' After Helicopter Incident

Sputnik News

23:02 29.11.2016(updated 23:30 29.11.2016)

The Iranian military contends the US military presence in the Persian Gulf is opening up the potential for conflict in the region, after an Iranian vessel pointed a weapon at a Navy helicopter over the weekend.

On Monday, US Defense officials announced that an Iranian vessel, operated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, had pointed a weapon at the helicopter as it flew over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington called the incident "unsafe and unprofessional," as well as "provocative," but Iran has a different take on the situation.

"Everybody knows that the main problem in the Persian Gulf is the U.S. presence," an unidentified official in the Revolutionary Guards told the Tasnim news agency.

The official further accused the US of making false allegations against Iran, calling the behavior "improper and unprofessional." He did not directly address the issue of the vessel pointing a weapon at the helicopter, however.

The unnamed US officials who spoke to Reuters on Monday stated that those on the aircraft did not feel threatened by being in the line of fire. The officials noted that if they had felt threatened, they could have been lead to retaliate, making the actions by those aboard the Iranian vessel extremely dangerous.

Iran has previously threatened to block access to the the Strait of Hormuz in times of conflict, but has never acted on it. The strait is the home to approximately 40% of the world's oil tanker traffic.

During his campaign, president-elect Donald Trump vowed that Iranian vessels would be "shot out of the water" if they harassed the US Navy in the Gulf.

 Sputnik

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Iran Ready to Allow Russian Jets to Use Hamadan Base for 'Takeoff and Refueling'

Sputnik News

17:13 29.11.2016(updated 19:19 29.11.2016)

Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said that Tehran could allow Russia's use of the Noje Airbase in Hamadan for the aerial campaign against terrorists in Syria if the situation demanded it.

If the situation and conditions [in Syria] demand to provide the support, we will do this job," Dehghan said.

In an interview with Sputnik Persian, Hossein Sheikholeslam, an adviser to the Iranian foreign minister, commented on the possible option for the Russian Aerospace Forces at the Hamadan airfield.

"I'd like to emphasize that Iran never gave to Russia full control over the Noje base in Hamadan. This airbase belongs to Iran and all activities at the base are controlled by Tehran," Sheikholeslam said.

In mid-August, Iran already allowed Russian jets to operate from a base in the Hamadan province. The jets returned to Russia a week later, after completing their counterterrorism mission, which targeted jihadists in Syria.

According to Sheikholeslam, all operations by Russian aviation in Hamadan were controlled by Tehran.

"Tehran never gave full control over the airfield to any foreign country. This would contradict the country's constitution," the adviser added.

The use of the Hamadan airfield by the Russian aviation in August was the first time when Iranian territory had been used by foreign military forces since 1946.

As for the possible use of the Hamadan airbase by Russia again, Sheikholeslam underscored that "if needed the issue will be agreed with Moscow."

"If the situation demands it, like it was in August, we're ready to allow Russian warplanes to take off and refuel at this airfield," he pointed out.

The Russian Aerospace Forces may need to use the Hamadan airbase if the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying cruiser deployed to the Mediterranean is far from the Syrian coast and cannot be used for airstrikes, said Viktor Ozerov, head of the Defense and Security Committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament.

 Sputnik

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Daesh is collapsing: Iraqi PM Abadi

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:54AM

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, whose country is engaged in war with Daesh, says the terrorist group is seeing its organization collapse around it.

Iraqi security forces have been fighting Daesh since 2014, when the terrorist group launched a large-scale offensive and overran chunks of territory in Iraq. Security operations by the Iraqi military and volunteer forces have since then led to the recapture of many of the areas that Daesh had seized, including rural areas as well as major towns and cities.

"We have seen the whole organization collapsing in terms of standing in the face of our own armed forces," al-Abadi said in an interview with the Associated Press. "The success of liberating a huge area indicates that Daesh does not have the gut now or the motivation to fight as they were doing before."

The Iraqi forces are currently involved in a crucial operation to retake the only urban area under Daesh control, namely the city of Mosul, which the terrorist group has declared its so-called headquarters in Iraq.

In the interview, Abadi said Mosul is of utmost importance.

Referring to Daesh, he said, "This is like a snake, if you hit it in the middle or the tail, it's no use. I have to hit it on the head. And the head of this terrorist organization is Mosul. If I remove Mosul from them, this is a huge blow... to its efforts to recruit young people from different countries of the world."

The Iraqi prime minister said that the operation to retake Mosul is a "difficult" one even as he said it has been going on more quickly than expected.

"This is the first time where we are liberating a city or a place where civilians are staying at home," he said. "It's tough, it's difficult because the security forces tell me they are being fired at from places where there are civilians and they cannot reply in kind. So, this is a very tough thing."

Iraqi forces have besieged Mosul, which is located some 400 kilometers north of the capital, Baghdad, and are gradually advancing into it. They launched the operation on October 17.

The Iraqi prime minister said the decision to call on Mosul's residents to stay in the city during the operation was meant to avoid a humanitarian disaster as an influx of displaced people could have arrived at camps outside of the city at freezing temperatures during the winter had they been urged to leave their homes.

Abadi had previously vowed that Mosul would be fully recaptured by year-end. In the interview, he stuck to that timeline.

The Trump threat

Elsewhere in his remarks, Abadi said he had been assured by US President-elect Donald Trump that his incoming administration would offer greater logistical support to Baghdad in the campaign against terror.

On the campaign trail, Trump had implied he would seek Iraqi oil in return for US support.

"In my telephone call with President-elect Trump," Abadi said, "he assured me that the US support will not only continue, but it is going to be increased. So, I think I am going to be looking forward to more US support."

Referring to the oil-for-military support threat, Abadi said, "The Iraqi people will not allow any country to take possession of their own resources."

Commenting on the Popular Mobilization Units, forces that are assisting the Iraqi army and are commonly known by their Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, the Iraqi prime minister said that they "are mainly volunteers, Iraqi nationalists who rise up to defend their own country. They are prepared to sacrifice their own lives, their own families for the defense of Iraq."

On Saturday, the Iraqi parliament approved a law to give full legal status to the fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units and recognize the group as part of the national armed forces.

Daesh killing uncooperative civilians: UN

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) has announced that the Daesh terrorists in Mosul have been killing those civilians who refuse to allow rockets and snipers to be positioned in their houses or whom they suspect of leaking information or trying to flee.

"On November 11, ISIL reportedly shot and killed 12 civilians in Bakir neighborhood of eastern Mosul for allegedly refusing to let it install rockets on the rooftops of their houses," Ravina Shamdasani, a UN human rights spokeswoman, told a regular UN briefing on Tuesday.

Information received by the UN also showed that the terrorists publicly shot to death 27 civilians in the Muhandiseen Park in northern Mosul on November 25.

On November 22 a Daesh sniper killed a seven-year-old running toward the Iraqi Security Forces in the Adan neighborhood in eastern Mosul, according to UN data.

Battleground advances

Meanwhile, Iraqi government forces have established full control over a village to the south of Mosul.

A security source, speaking anonymously, told Arabic-language al-Forat news agency that Iraqi Special Operation Forces liberated the village of al-Lazakah south of Mosul following fierce clashes with Daesh extremists there.

He added that an unspecified number of the terrorists were killed during the fighting.

Iraqi Air Force fighter jets also struck Daesh positions inside Mosul, leaving a number of the militants dead and their military equipment destroyed.

Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said at least 15 Daesh terrorists were killed as Iraqi military craft bombarded the village of Tal Abtah southwest of Mosul. Two vehicles rigged with explosives and belonging to the militants were destroyed as well.

Fighters from the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units also retook the villages of Southern Maflakah, Northern Turkmaniyah and Southern Turkmaniyah.

There are also reports that Federal Police forces are busy clearing buildings and roads in the southwestern quarter of Mosul of booby traps and hidden ordnance.

Soldiers from the 9th Armored Division and the 3rd Brigade of the Iraqi army are making headway in the western suburbs of Mosul as well.

Meanwhile, Iraqi army soldiers, backed by security personnel and volunteer fighters, have laid siege to the town of Tal Afar, 63 kilometers west of Mosul, from three sides. Soldiers from the 15th Battalion of the Army have launched an offensive to open their way into the town.

Elsewhere, in the northern province of Salahuddin, volunteer fighters and the 60th Brigade of the army carried out a joint operation and recaptured the village of Kan'ous.

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Really? This is a thing? Thats the reaction I typically get when I tell people about certificate-of-need (CON) laws that limit the provision of health care services. These little-noticed state regulations ought to get at least a sliver of the attention afforded to the Affordable Care Act. And unlike that hopelessly politicized legislation, repeal of CON may appeal to those on both the left and the right.

Found in 35 states and the District of Columbia, CON laws require medical providers hoping to purchase equipment, open a new practice, or expand an existing practice to first obtain permission from a state regulator.

Are you interested in opening a burn care center in Alabama? Youll need to get permission from the CON board. Want to buy a CT scanner in Iowa so your patients can have a less-invasive alternative to a colonoscopy? Youll need a CON for that. Want to open a neonatal intensive care unit in rural Virginiaand hopefully avoid more tragic deaths of babies born too far from such a unit? Sorry, youll need to ask for a CON (and dont count on it being granted).

As a general rule, CON regulators do not assess quality or competence. Those things are already regulated through other means such as licensing and certification boards. Instead, as the name suggests, the CON process aims to determine whether a community needs a service in question. In almost every other industry in the country, entrepreneurs themselves assess the viability of a service before they risk their own money. But in states with CON laws, health entrepreneurs can spend years and tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars proving to regulators that their community needs the service they hope to offer. In the process, other providers often go before these boards and try to persuade them that, all things considered, theyd really rather not have any competition.

If you think this sounds like a blatantly protectionist measure designed to protect incumbent providers from competition, you are in good company. Antitrust officials at the federal Department of Justice and at the Federal Trade Commission have long taken this view, arguing before state legislatures that CON laws undermine competition to the detriment of patient care.

So why do CON laws exist? Over the years, those who benefit from these regulations have offered a number of rationales. Theyve claimed that CON laws ensure an adequate supply of health care. They dont. Theyve argued that these rules promote the use of cheaper alternatives to care such as ambulatory surgery centers. They dont. Theyve said that these rules encourage rural health care (they dont) and charitable care (they dont).

An alarming link between CON and hospital quality

Two recent studies puncture two of the most common claims of CON proponents. The first is coauthored by Professor Thomas Stratmann of George Mason University, who has done a great deal of CON research in recent years. Working with GMU PhD student David Wille, Stratmann assesses the effect of CON on hospital quality.

Thoughas I have notedthe CON process typically does not assess a providers quality or safety record, advocates have recently claimed that CON can nevertheless promote better care. By restricting the supply of providers and channeling more procedures through fewer facilities, the argument goes, CON laws may make these facilities more proficient at certain procedures. As far as theory goes, the argument is so-so. After all, other well-supported economic theories suggest that quality tends to go down, not up, whenever competition is restricted. But what do the data say?

Stratmann and Wille assess this question using Hospital Compare, a database maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Previous researchers have tried to test the effect of CON laws on quality by looking at a single dimensionsay mortality following coronary artery bypass graft. But the advantage of Hospital Compare is that it uses multiple dimensionseverything from patient satisfaction surveys to heart attack readmission rates to pneumonia mortality rates.

In order to get a clean estimate of the effect of CON, they assess the regulation in health care markets that happen to span across CON and non-CON states. This allows them to control for other, unobservable, factors that might affect health outcomes such as culture and socio-economic conditions. They also control for several observable demographic and hospital characteristics that might confound the estimate.

Stratmann and Willes findings suggest that not only does CON fail to promote quality care, but it appears to be doing some real harm. Controlling for other factors, they found that hospitals in CON states have statistically significantly higher mortality rates for pneumonia, heart failure, and heart attack. They also found higher mortality rates among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications. When they narrowed their focus to only those states that regulate four or more services through CON, they found that hospitals there have higher readmission rates for heart failure and heart attack, and that patients in these states are less likely to rate their hospital experience highly.

The authors run a series of robustness checks using different sample sizes and alternative measures. No matter how they looked at it, hospitals in CON states were no betterand in many cases seemed quite a bit worsethan those in non-CON states.

CON and spending: No, less supply does not mean lower cost

The second recent paper to deflate a common claim of CON proponents concerns the effect of CON laws on health care spending. I authored this paper, and compared with Stratmann and Wille, my task was relatively simple. Since researchers have assessed this question many times and in many ways, I didnt need to reinvent the wheel. All I needed to do was read and summarize four decades of research on CON and spending.

Before I get to the findings, however, I should clarify what we really mean when we talk about spending. Most of the time, when people talk about the price or the cost of something, they speak in per unit terms. The price of gasoline is only meaningful if we talk about it as the price per gallon or per barrel. The cost of a pizza is only informative if we talk about it as the cost per slice or per pie. These per unit measures are helpful because they relate financial sacrifice to some tangible measure of the good or service enjoyed as a result of that sacrifice.

When we refer to health care costs in per unit terms, we mean the cost of a medical procedure such as a colonoscopy, or of a service such as a checkup, or of a device such as a stent. And basic economic theory is clear about what should happen to these per unit costs if supply is limited through something like a CON: All else being equal, a supply restriction will tend to raise per unit costs so long as demand is not perfectly elastic (i.e., flat). And even if demand is perfectly elastic, there is no reason to expect a supply restriction to reduce costs.

That is why it is no surprise that, in my survey of the literature, I find no evidence that CON laws decrease per unit costs or prices. In fact, the balance of evidence suggests that these laws are associated with higher per unit costs.

The more interesting question, perhaps, is why anyone would think that a supply restriction would lower per unit costs. Near as I can tell in talking with state policy makers over the past several years, few of them actually think that a supply restriction could do this. Instead, they prefer to think about health care spending in a way that anyone who spends any time budgeting would find unhelpful. Instead of focusing on per unit costs, they focus on how much is spent per patient or per person in a given time period.

This is the medical equivalent of a familys annual pizza or gasoline budget. It isnt a particularly useful measure since it tells us nothing about the value obtained as a result of that sacrifice. State A may have lower per capita medical expenditures than State B. But if this is simply because As residents have access to fewer convenient, health-improving, life-saving services, it may not be a good thing.

In any case, unlike the effect of a supply restriction on per unit measures, the effect of a supply restriction on total expenditures is ambiguous. If there were a Certificate of Pizza Convenience limiting the supply of pizza shops, families might end up spending more or less on pizza depending on whether the price-increasing effect or the quantity-reducing effect of the supply restriction dominates.

So we have to turn to the data. I looked at four decades of research, comprising about 20 peer-reviewed, academic studies. None of the published studies I reviewed found any evidence that CON was directly associated with lower patient expenditures, while a majority found CON to be associated with higher expenditures.

Since CON proponents also claim that it leads to lower investment expenditures (which, again, may or may not be a good thing, depending on whether those investments are worthwhile), I also looked at studies that examine this question. Here again, I found no evidence that CON reduced aggregate investment.

Finally, I looked at studies that assess hospital efficiencyessentially, how well they transform inputs into outputs. Here the evidence is mixed, with some studies suggesting CON hospitals are more efficient than non-CON hospitals and others finding them less so. But even if CON hospitals do transform inputs into outputs better than non-CON hospitals, this may not be a good thing if it means needy patients in places where CONs are denied are stuck without proper care.

The bottom line: Neither economic theory nor empirical evidence suggest that CON laws reduce cost in the way that most people think of it. In theory, they might reduce per capita or per patient health expenditures. But the evidence suggests that they dont do this either.

Another way

These studies and others on the effect of CON rely on the fact that policy makers in 15 states have chosen not to restrict the supply of health care services in this way. Instead, caregivers and health entrepreneurs in these places may decide for themselves whether their communities need a particular service. In making these calls, they are guided by the signals of prices, profit and loss which guide all investments in a market economy.

They dont need to ask permission to provide care. They dont need to wait years for that permission to be granted. And they dont need to spend thousands of dollars countering the arguments of their would-be competitors. Instead, they can focus on what caregivers do best: providing care. Patients would be better served if policy makers paid closer attention to patient outcomes in CON and non-CON states.

Matthew Mitchell is a senior research fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and author of the study Do Certificate-of-Need Laws Limit Spending?

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Pakistan's New Army Chief Takes Over Amid Challenges

By Ayesha Tanzeem November 29, 2016

In a ceremony full of pomp and show, with military drummers banging away in their multi-colored uniforms and heavily starched turbans, Pakistan's army chief handed over the command of the world's sixth largest army to his successor, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Passing the baton to a man he called "a thorough professional" and "a strong decision maker," outgoing chief General Raheel Sharif acknowledged he was faced with a complicated security situation.

Extremist violence a major problem

Extremist violence in the country during the past decade has killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis. A military clearing operation launched in 2014 is credited with vastly improving the security situation, but attacks that continue are a stark reminder work remains.

Bajwa is also taking over at a time when tensions with Pakistan's arch-rival India have led to the two sides regularly trading fire across the Line of Control, the de-facto border in the disputed Kashmir region in the north of the country.

Analysts say Bajwa has extensive experience of that region and its issues due to his time as commander of the army's largest 10th Corp, which is responsible for areas around the LOC.

The other challenge he is bound to face is on the western border, with Pakistan's other neighbor Afghanistan. Relations between the two countries have been on the decline since a temporary span of cordiality last year.

Tension with Afghanistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wanted Pakistan to help mediate a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban waging an insurgency in his country. Pakistan said it tried, but could not force the Taliban against their will.

"We have played an honest role in trying to bring peace to Afghanistan," General Sharif said during his address in the hand over ceremony.

Afghanistan claims Pakistan has continued its policy of supporting the Afghan Taliban and providing them sanctuaries to keep its influence in Afghanistan and to keep Indian influence out.

Internal friction as well

The most important challenge for the new military chief though, might be to ease the tension between Pakistan's civilian and military leadership.

While in public all sides claim the leadership is "on the same page" and the military leadership claims it believes in the constitution and harmony between institutions, rumors and fears of a military takeover have hung over Pakistan's capital for months before the name of the new chief was announced.

One of the reasons General Bajwa was selected, according to local media reports, was his non-attention seeking, apolitical personality. In selecting him, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has no relation to the outgoing chief Raheel Sharif, bypassed several senior generals. The practice is not uncommon in Pakistan's army and in the past has been used to appoint someone considered "safe" by various prime ministers, but that has not always worked in their favor.

General Zia ul Haq, appointed against the seniority list by former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, led a coup against him and sent him to the gallows.More recently, General Pervez Musharraf, similarly appointed by Nawaz Sharif, ousted the prime minister in 1999 and sent him into exile.

The new head of the army is replacing a chief who has achieved a cult like following in the country, with billboards requesting him to stay on and a social media campaign with #ThankyouRaheelSharif.

Outgoing general had a following

Much of this support is due to the military's successes against militants and extremists under his command. Many in the country credit him with improved security and reduced violence.

However, critics argue he has expanded the military's role and interfered in civilian domains without directly snatching power. He has, at least once, publicly chided the civilian government for not playing its part in implementing the National Action Plan, Pakistan's official response to terrorist violence.

In his last public address as chief, General Sharif repeated that to deal with its internal weaknesses, including criminality and corruption, Pakistan had to implement the NAP in letter and spirit.

Tensions between civilian and military leadership reached their peak in October when a story in Pakistan's English daily The Dawn described a heated exchange between the two sides in a national security meeting.

The controversial article, that Pakistani officials later described as fabricated, but the newspaper stood by, described the civilians as warning the military that if it did not stop supporting India-centric or Afghan-centric militant groups the country would face international isolation.

The military leadership was reportedly furious about the story and believed someone from the civilian side leaked it to the newspaper. An investigation is ongoing.Whether General Bajwa follows it up with the same vigor as the last chief may be one sign of how he wants to move forward with the country's civilian leadership.

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S.Korean president to follow parliamentary decision including shortened presidency

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:49, November 29, 2016

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that she will follow any parliamentary decision on her fate, including a shortened presidency.

She made the comments during her third televised address to the nation since a scandal involving herself and her longtime confidante emerged in October.

"If ruling and opposition parties find a way through discussion to minimize confusion and vacuum in state affairs and to stably transfer power, (I) will step down from the presidency in accordance with the schedules and legal proceedings (determined by the parliament)," said Park.

Park didn't mention voluntary resignation, demanded by opposition parties and the general public and even by some members of her ruling Saenuri Party.

The third national address came ahead of the scheduled parliamentary vote on a bill to impeach the embattled president as early as Dec. 2 and no later than Dec. 9.

Park said it was all her "big" fault to mismanage personal relationships around her, stressing she hadn't pursued any personal gains "for a flash" as she believed that things would contribute to public interests.

Prosecutors have said Park conspired with Choi Soon-sil, her decades-long friend who has been indicted on charges including abuse of power and extortion. Park became the first South Korean president to be investigated as a criminal suspect.

Large conglomerates had allegedly been pressured by Choi into donating tens of millions of U.S. dollars to two nonprofit foundations Choi actually controls.

Choi has also been accused of having illegal access to secret presidential documents under the connivance or protection of the first South Korean female leader.

The scandal-plagued president made her renewed apology to the public, saying it shattered her heart to be unable to appease people's anger and big disappointment.

It marks Park's third public apology, following the second on Nov. 4 and the first on Oct. 25.

Park added she will elaborate on what's the truth behind the biggest political scandal she ever faced since her inauguration in February 2013, indicating her news conference on the scandal in the near future.

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Russia Naval Aviation to Receive 8 Modernized Ka-27M Helicopters in December

Sputnik News

20:37 29.11.2016(updated 20:44 29.11.2016)

The Russian Naval Aviation will receive first eight modernized Ka-27M anti-submarine helicopters in December, navy spokesman Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  He stressed that in accordance with the technical requirements of Russia's Navy General Command a new search system, radio acoustic system and modernized aviation electronics were installed on the helicopters.

"The Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy plans to receive first eight modernized Ka-27M helicopters in December 2016," Dygalo said.

The modernization works were conducted by Russia's Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise.

The Ka-27 is a ship-based anti-submarine helicopter. The helicopter can be also used for search and rescue operations and evacuation.

 Sputnik

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Russian Defense Ministry Receives 5 Regimental Sets of S-400 Systems in 2016

Sputnik News

13:43 29.11.2016(updated 13:45 29.11.2016)

The Russian Defense Ministry has received five regimental sets of long-range S-400 Triumf air defense system over the past year under a state defense contract, Russia's Almaz-Antey concern said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  As part of the transfer of the systems, the equipment was brought to a testing range at the ministry's request for initial live fire exercises. The tests included an air defense exercise involving target missiles that imitated an attack during day and night time, as well as in adverse weather conditions and amid active radioelectronic countermeasures of a simulated enemy.

"Concern Almaz-Antey has completed the transfer of the weapons, the military and special equipment from the main nomenclature to the Russian Defense Ministry within the state defense contract. In particular, five regimental sets of the advanced S-400 Triumf air defense system have been supplied," the concern said in a press release.

The S-400 is Russia's next-generation air defense system, carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at short-to-extremely long range. It is capable of tracking and destroying all existing aerial targets, including ballistics and cruise missiles.

 Sputnik

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Hundreds of militants leave besieged Damascus suburb of Khan al-Shih

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 7:3PM

Hundreds of militants have left a besieged suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, under a deal with government forces.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of buses transported the militants and their relatives out of Khan al-Shih, located about 25 kilometers southwest of the capital, to the northwestern city of Idlib.

"Vehicles holding at least 1,200 people, as well as about 30 ambulances carrying wounded people, reached Idlib on Tuesday morning," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the observatory.

Fateh Awwad, who heads a local charity, said as many as 1,700 people from Khan al-Shih had arrived in a camp for the displaced in Idlib on Tuesday.

"Today, we're welcoming people coming from Khan al-Shih... We've prepared the camp with everything, but as the number (of displaced people) is growing, we're missing some goods."

Khan al-Shih was the town from where foreignbacked militants provided reinforcements for Damascus suburbs. It is the fifth town held by militants to be evacuated over the past three months.

Syrian forces have struck a series of "local reconciliation" deals as a way of bringing an end to the conflict across the country. Under such deals, militants hand over their medium-caliber and heavy weapons to the Syrian army.

The Syrian army has recently advanced deep inside the eastern part of the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo, taking control of key neighborhoods. The advance has provided the besieged people an opportunity to flee into government-held areas.

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16,000 people flee militant-held eastern Aleppo, UN says

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:6PM

Up to 16,000 civilians have fled the militant-held parts of eastern Aleppo amid the Syrian army's recent advances, the United Nations says.

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said in a statement in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday that thousands more were likely to flee if the fighting continued to intensify in the coming days.

"The intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighborhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the city," the statement read, adding, "It is likely that thousands more will have no choice but to flee should fighting continue to spread and intensify over the coming days."

Elsewhere in his remarks, O'Brien voiced concern about the "deeply alarming and chilling situation unfolding" in Aleppo.

Meanwhile, Jens Laerke, the spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said in Geneva on Tuesday that 10,000 of those fleeing the intense battles in eastern Aleppo had gone to districts held by the government in the west of the city. He also added that as many as 6,000 others had headed to the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood.

The Syrian army has recently advanced deep inside the longtime militant stronghold of eastern Aleppo, taking control of key neighborhoods.

The army's advance has provided the besieged civilians an opportunity to flee into the government-held areas.

Russia says more than 80,000 civilians are now able to access humanitarian aid in eastern Aleppo.

Russia's Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the Syrian army's advances in Aleppo had dramatically altered the situation on the ground. He said half of the militant-held territory in the city had been completely liberated.

Russia has been offering military support to the Syrian government.

On Monday alone, Syrian troops seized full control of al-Sakhour district in eastern Aleppo in what has been billed as "the biggest defeat" for the terrorists in the city since 2012.

Amid recent victories for the Syrian army, France has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting toward mandating a "ceasefire" in Aleppo.

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Syria retakes half of militant-held areas in Aleppo: Russia

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:16AM

Russia says the Syrian army has recently reestablished control over half of the areas that had been under the control of militants in the east of the city of Aleppo.

The government holds and defends the city's western side and has been purging its east of militants. Over the weakened, the army managed to retake a third of the city's eastern side, and on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Syrian army had extended the gains to half of those areas.

"During the last 24 hours, thanks to very well-prepared and careful actions, Syrian soldiers were able to radically change the situation," said Major-General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, according to the Interfax news agency.

"Practically, half of the territory occupied by rebels in recent years in the eastern part of Aleppo has been completely liberated," he said.

On Monday alone, the troops seized full control over the al-Sakhour district in eastern Aleppo in what has been billed as "the biggest defeat" for the terrorists in the city since 2012. Earlier, Syrian forces had retaken Masaken Hanano, the biggest district in eastern Aleppo, among other advances.

Russia has been offering military support to the Syrian government.

Amid the victories, which have reversed the balance in favor of Damascus on the battlefield, France has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting toward mandating a "ceasefire" in Aleppo.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for the meeting, claiming, "More than ever before, we need to urgently put in place means to end the hostilities and to allow humanitarian aid to get through unhindered."

A French diplomatic source, meanwhile, added that Ayrault and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier would discuss the situation in the city together with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, later in the day.

Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, which entitles it to a veto power.

France is also due to convene a meeting of countries opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, in December.

Paris has been both backing anti-Damascus militants since 2011, when they unleashed their campaign of violence against the Arab country. The spiraling militancy has so far claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions in Syria.

Also on Tuesday, the UK-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, and other Takfiri terror groups had engaged government-allied fighters in the Jamiat al-Zahra town in western Aleppo.

Terrorist mortar attacks against various residential neighborhoods in the city also killed seven Syrian civilians and injured 72 others.

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Russia Not to Support UK-French Draft Resolution on Chemical Weapons Sanctions

Sputnik News

23:39 29.11.2016

Russian Envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that Moscow will not support the draft resolution on chemical weapons sanctions that the United Kingdom and France plan to introduce at the UN Security Council because of the lack of evidence.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  Moscow will not support the draft resolution on chemical weapons sanctions that the United Kingdom and France plan to introduce at the UN Security Council because of the lack of evidence, Russian Envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin told reporters on Tuesday.

"We wouldn't support any action of it," Churkin said after Security Council consultations. "At this point, there's not enough material proof to do anything about it."

Earlier on Tuesday, French and UK Envoys to the UN said they were planning to introduce a draft resolution to sanction those responsible for the use of chemical weapons, building on the conclusions of UN-OPCW Joint Investigation Mission (JIM) and the recent renewal of its mandate.

Churkin commended JIM on its work but said, in the given circumstances, the mission was not able to "produce a credible evidence" that could serve as a base for possible sanctions.

On October 27, the JIM expert panel released its latest report claiming that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons at least three times in the country throughout 2014-2015. An earlier report said Daesh terrorist group was also responsible for several attacks.

 Sputnik

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Pentagon Says No Plans to Identify Daesh Targets With Russia

Sputnik News

22:43 29.11.2016(updated 23:59 29.11.2016)

US Department of Defense spokesman Peter Cook said that the United States has no plans to work with Russia to identify Daesh targets.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States has no plans to work with Russia to identify Daesh targets but recognizes the importance of the deconfliction mechanism to prevent a repeat of the September 17 airstrike that killed Syrian military forces, US Department of Defense spokesman Peter Cook said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"We have no plans at this point to cooperate with Russia in that way," Cook stated when asked if Washington would cooperate with Moscow to validate Daesh targets in Syria.

However, he noted the United States recognizes the significance of the deconfliction channel as an important line of communication to ensure the safety US and Russian air crews operating over Syria.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Central Command released the results of an investigation into the September airstrike that killed 62 Syrian military personnel and injured more than 100.

The investigation concluded that human error was a major factor in US and coalition analysts mistakenly identifying the Syrian personnel as Islamic State fighters, and recommended enhancing deconfliction efforts with Russia to prevent future incidents.

 Sputnik

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Erdogan Says Turkey's Op in Syria Aimed to 'Put an End to the Rule' of Assad

Sputnik News

20:46 29.11.2016(updated 21:49 29.11.2016)

The Turkish armed forces' military operation in Syria is aimed to put an end to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  On August 24, Turkish forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed the Euphrates Shield to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area of the Islamic State terrorist organization. As Jarabulus was recaptured, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian opposition groups continued the offensive southwest.

"They say that 600,000 people have been killed in Syria, but I think about a million have died. Where is the UN, what is it doing? We were tolerating it for a long time, but finally were forced to enter Syria jointly with the Free Syrian Army," Erdogan said at a symposium in Istanbul.

"What for? We do not lay claims to the Syrian lands We are there to restore justice and put an end to the rule of cruel tyrant Assad," he said.

The Turkish operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus, who have accused Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.

 Sputnik

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Putin Orders Sending Mobile Hospitals to Assist Residents of Syria's Aleppo

Sputnik News

16:24 29.11.2016(updated 16:35 29.11.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered sending mobile field hospitals to Aleppo in order to provide immediate medical assistance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered sending mobile field hospitals to provide immediate medical assistance to residents of Syria's embattled city of Aleppo and its neighborhoods, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"The president has ordered the Defense ministry and the Emergencies Ministry to send mobile hospitals to provide medical assistance to residents of Aleppo and nearby settlements," Peskov told reporters.

According to Peskov, the Defense Ministry will send a special medical unit equipped with a multipurpose hospital for 100 patients, which has a children ward, while the Emergencies Ministry will send a mobile field hospital for 50 patients, which can also provide ambulatory treatment for some 200 people per day.

 Sputnik

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East Aleppo Populated by 90,000 Fully Liberated From Terrorists - Russian MoD

Sputnik News

13:26 29.11.2016(updated 14:14 29.11.2016)

The territory of east Aleppo where 90,000 residents live was liberated from terrorists on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Some 90,000 residents live in east Aleppo freed from militants, the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation said.

"By noon on November 29, the territory of the city where 90,000 residents of Aleppo live, has been fully freed from terrorists."

Over the past 24 hours, 507 terrorists have left Aleppo and laid down arms, the center said, adding that 484 fighters among local residents have been immediately granted amnesty.

The ministry said that the residents of the area received humanitarian aid and medical assistance.

On Tuesday, Syrian Army's General Command called on militants to lay down arms in accordance with an amnesty decree, to stop the bloodshed, bombing of residential areas as well attacks on civilians.

Over the recent months, Aleppo has been a major battleground in Syria, engaging government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Eastern Aleppo is held by militants, encircled by government forces, and the fighting has affected thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.

Between 200,000 and 300,000 civilians are still held by terrorists in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, according to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien.

 Sputnik

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Syria: Amid 'chilling' situation in Aleppo, 16,000 flee intense fighting, UN aid chief warns

29 November 2016  Citing preliminary reports that that up to 16,000 people have fled fighting in the eastern neighbourhoods of Syria's Aleppo city, the United Nations humanitarian chief today warned that thousands more will have no choice but to flee should the attacks spread and escalate over the coming days.

"I am extremely concerned about the fate of civilians as a result of the deeply alarming and chilling situation unfolding in Aleppo city," the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, said in a statement.

Intensified ground fighting and indiscriminate aerial bombardment over the past few days in eastern Aleppo has reportedly killed and injured scores of civilians, he said.

"There are no functioning hospitals left, and official food stocks are practically finished in eastern Aleppo," added Mr. O'Brien, who is also the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

At the same time, indiscriminate shelling continues on civilian-populated areas and civilian infrastructure in western Aleppo, killing and injuring civilians, and displacing over 20,000 people in recent weeks.

According to initial reports, up to 16,000 people have been displaced from eastern Aleppo, many into uncertain and precarious situations. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and local non-governmental organization (NGO) partners have initiated a response to those displaced.

There are also hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped inside eastern Aleppo. The UN is present on the ground with prepositioned supplies to complement the ongoing response and ready to provide immediate assistance and medical evacuations for them.

"The parties to the conflict in Syria have shown time and again that they are willing to take any action to secure military advantage even if it means killing, maiming or starving civilians into submission in the process," Mr. O'Brien said.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), another 700,000 people are in other besieged areas across the country, mostly in rural Damascus surrounded by Government forces.

"I ask all parties to the conflict to restore basic humanity in Syria. I call on them to lift sieges, ensure that they do not target civilians and civilian infrastructure, and that they allow humanitarian organizations safe and unimpeded access to bring life-saving help to those displaced or under siege," he said, expressing hope that a path towards a political solution can be found soon for the many millions of Syrian families who tonight are hungry, sick, and fearing for their lives.

Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on all parties to the conflict to adhere to and respect international humanitarian law.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva that the Office had received reports that opposition groups are preventing civilians from leaving areas under their control.

"We call on armed opposition groups to adhere to their obligation to allow civilians who wish to flee areas under their control to do so. Any measures taken to prevent them from doing so  unless justified by a need to protect the safety of civilians  are prohibited under international law," she said.

She also expressed concerns that upon reaching Government-controlled or Kurdish-controlled areas, civilians perceived to have links or connections with armed opposition groups may be detained. "Pro-Government and Kurdish Forces must ensure that civilians fleeing the fighting are afforded every protection and are not subjected to acts of retribution due to their perceived support or affiliation to opposition groups," she stressed.

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Why Hasn't Raqqa Been Attacked Yet?

By Jamie Dettmer, Jeff Seldin November 29, 2016

The offensive to re-take Raqqa was heralded as the final nail in Islamic State's coffin.

But a month after U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the pending operation, Washington's ally on the ground, a Kurdish-dominated militia alliance, remains bogged down in the first phase, seeking only to isolate the Syrian de-facto capital of Islamic State.

U.S. airstrikes still appear focused on the surrounding province, hitting oil well-heads controlled by the militants, and tankers and other facilities used by the terror group to store and smuggle oil to Turkey. IS defense positions in Raqqa's surrounding villages have remained largely undamaged by U.S. and Western warplanes.

On Monday, the U.S.-led coalition mounted a dozen airstrikes in Syria. Only two were in Raqqa province and those sorties destroyed three oil well heads, two oil pump jacks, two oil refinement equipment pieces, an oil tank, and construction equipment, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The previous day, there were also a dozen coalition airstrikes in Syria. Two of them were in Raqqa province, and the terror group's oil trade was the primary target.

The slowness in taking on the IS militants in Raqqa is prompting some to question whether the assault on the city was ever as close at hand as Carter and Pentagon officials indicated last month. In an interview with NBC on October 28, the U.S. defense secretary said the assault on the militants' 'capital' would get underway soon.

"It starts in the next few weeks," he said adding that the plan was always to attack the Syrian city soon after the offensive on Mosul in neighboring Iraq unfolded.

"That has long been our plan, and we will be capable of resourcing both."

A ploy?

Some analysts suspect that talking up an impending full-scale offensive on the city was as much designed to spook IS as anything else  aimed at preventing the terror group from dispatching reinforcements to Mosul and bolstering defenses there in the face of the Iraqi assault.

"I was suspicious of the announcement from the start, to be honest," Charles Lister, an analyst at the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank, told VOA in an email exchange.

"Everything I'd been told by coalition members suggested we were in no position to initiate anything close to a full scale assault on Raqqa. I think shaping operations in the surrounding countryside will prolong for some time," advised Lister, author of the book The Syrian Jihad.

But he cautioned: "We shouldn't underestimate, though, the extent to which the White House is exerting pressure on the Pentagon folks to 'sustain momentum' and 'accelerate' the fight against ISIS. That was behind the premature announcement, in my opinion."

A Washington-based diplomat insisted most U.S. allies are in agreement that a move on Raqqa should come sooner rather than later in order to crush the self-declared caliphate and sever any lines of escape.

"We want to be able to avoid seeing the most dangerous of them [IS] fleeing the region," the official said. He suspects the coalition's plans to oust IS from Raqqa hit an unexpected stumbling block when Republican Donald Trump unexpectedly won the U.S. presidential election. His argument is that the Pentagon is waiting to see what the incoming President wants and with President Obama leaving, "There's no mandate" for attacking now.

No united force

Some former military officials wonder whether some of the players on the ground are using the U.S. election as a smokescreen.

"There has to be political agreement before you can start the military operation," cautioned retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, who once led the Pentagon efforts against IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in Iraq.

"I don't see a common interest or a common game plan," Barbero said, pointing to forces loyal to the Syrian regime as well as those under control of Russia, Iran, Turkey and the various Kurdish factions. "I am surprised the Pentagon is talking it up so much."

In addition, there are doubts coalition-backed forces, even if they had the political will, could realistically pull-off simultaneous offensives to retake Raqqa and Mosul.

"Those resources focused on Mosul and that current fight are the same capabilities and the same resources that the U.S.-led coalition is going to need for the eventual assault on Raqqa," said retired Lt. Gen. Mick Bednarek, the former chief of the Office of Security Cooperation for the U.S. Army in Baghdad. "One has to happen before the other."

A Turkey-based Western diplomat, who asked not to be named for this article, said part of the delay concerns what force is available to Washington to mount the assault: "To have the Kurds be the main force is a recipe for disaster  local Arabs are scared of the Kurds and fear what they will do once they enter the city. ISIS has been highly successful in fanning those fears."

Another Western diplomat noted that the Arab and Turkmen militias in the Kurd-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces are not up to the task alone of subduing IS in Raqqa.

"The only force capable are the People's Protection Units," the diplomat said, referring to the Kurdish militia known by its abbreviation, YPG.

"Let's be frank, at best the Arab and Turkmen militias are just self-protection forces for the defense of towns; at worst some of the militias consist of thugs with criminal backgrounds or they're rejects from Free Syrian Army," he said.

Growing confusion

The picture on the ground has become more confused since Carter's October announcement. The YPG has become increasingly distracted with the drive by Turkish units and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels in northern Syria in operation Euphrates Shield, which is aimed at driving both ISIS militants and the Kurds back from Turkey's border.

"I doubt the YPG will prioritize the capture of Raqqa, when two far more important cities in northern Syria, namely al-Bab and Manbij, are threatened by Turkish-backed forces," said Michael Horowitz, with the Middle-East-based geopolitical consultancy Prime Source.

Infuriated by Turkish airstrikes on them, YPG commanders last week issued an ultimatum to Washington  either Turkey's bombing raids on them stop or they will play no further role in assisting to encircle Raqqa.

Jamie Dettmer reported from Turkey and Jeff Seldin from Washington.

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UN Syria Envoy Sees Dire Future for Aleppo

By Margaret Besheer November 29, 2016

The United Nations envoy for Syria offered a dire prediction for the future of Aleppo on Tuesday, as fighting in the city continued to intensify and more civilians tried to escape.

"Clearly, I cannot deny  this is a military acceleration and I can't tell you how long eastern Aleppo will last," Staffan de Mistura said during remarks to the European Parliament. "There is a constant increase of movement on the military side."

The warning came on the heels of a Syrian government offensive that has forced nearly 16,000 people to flee their homes, and thousands more could follow, according to the U.N.

The increase in fighting intensity forced many civilians to flee their homes empty-handed, a situation U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien called "alarming and chilling."

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said scores of civilians reportedly had been killed or injured and that civilian infrastructure had been deliberately destroyed. "It is likely that thousands more will have no choice but to flee, should fighting continue to spread and intensify over the coming days," he said.

The World Food Program distributed its last stock of food rations to the people of eastern Aleppo on November 13. WFP spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said once the agency got the go-ahead, it wanted to send in food to eastern Aleppo from its warehouses in the western part of the city.

"We have 30,000 family food rations in west Aleppo, 20,000 ready-to-eat food rations in Qamishli," Luescher said.

The U.N. refugee agency said it had emergency stocks on hand for 45,000 people in western Aleppo and was ready to move more supplies, such as blankets, tents and sheets to help the displaced people in western Aleppo keep warm during the winter months.

Call for council meeting

Britain and France have called for an immediate U.N. Security Council meeting on the recent increase in hostilities. A meeting was possible Tuesday but seen as more likely Wednesday.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin criticized the Western call for a meeting as a "propaganda campaign."

"The regime and their supporters have decided to accelerate their barbaric military strategy against their own population to retake eastern Aleppo, whatever the cost in terms of human lives," French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters. "In these tragic circumstances, France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian populations since WWII."

British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said that diplomatic solutions were needed to end the crisis in the Syrian city.

"The only way Aleppo can be saved and the conflict in Syria can end is if the regime and backers  by which I mean Russia and Iran above all  change their policy," he said. "The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the [Syrian] regime and Russia. We urge regime and Russia to stop the bombing, let aid through, call a cease-fire and eventually to get political talks back on track."

While east Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, the army began heavily bombarding the city two weeks ago and on Monday night took control of a key district.

"It's a fight to take the city back," Russia's Churkin told reporters.

"It was an untenable situation which could not exist indefinitely," he said of shelling from eastern Aleppo into the western side of the city. "It was impossible to maintain the situation indefinitely. Now, I suppose, it is leaning in the direction of the government taking back the control of the whole of the city."

Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 10 civilians had been killed in an airstrike in Bab al-Nairab, one of the eastern districts still held by rebel forces.

Activists and Syrian state media said Monday that government forces had scored a series of victories over opposition fighters in the eastern part of Aleppo, as part of an apparent strategy to split the rebel-held section of the city in two.

Aleppo has been a major focus of Syrian military efforts with the backing of Russian airstrikes. The situation there has also raised international concerns, with an estimated 250,000 civilians trapped in a government siege and in need of food and medical aid.

U.S. 'outrage'

In Washington, the State Department expressed its "deep outrage" at the latest bombing of Aleppo, holding Moscow responsible.

"What we've continued to assert is that Russia bears the ultimate responsibility here for what the Syria regime is doing and being permitted to do in terms of the devastating civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure to include hospitals in and around Aleppo," spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

Kirby said a multilateral diplomatic effort was still going on in Geneva to discuss ways to get at "a framework for a cessation of hostilities."

The state-run SANA news agency cited a military source saying the army had recaptured the al-Sakhour district and dismantled mines left there by "terrorists," a term the government uses to refer to anyone opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that the military was fully in control of al-Sakhour and several other districts.

Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman called the defeat the worst for the rebels since they seized half of Aleppo in 2012, and said the opposition has now lost one-third of the territory it once held in the city.

'Aleppo is going to die'

Khaled Khatib, who works for the volunteer rescue group known as the White Helmets, described the situation in eastern Aleppo as "very, very bad."

"Thousands of eastern residents are moving to the western side of the city," he wrote on Twitter. "Aleppo is going to die."

U.N Ambassador Samantha Power of the United States held up the airstrikes as proof "that the [Syrian] regime and Russia are continuing their 'starve, get bombed or surrender' strategy in eastern Aleppo.

Her comments to the General Assembly last week were part of a stinging critique of Russian and Syrian actions in eastern Aleppo, which intensified in September when Russian warplanes joined the bombing campaign.

Moscow and Damascus have routinely described the fight against rebels in eastern Aleppo as a battle against terrorists, despite the sector's vast civilian population. Both governments have used the "terrorist" characterization to justify the deadly and apparently indiscriminate bombings in the sector.

On Sunday, Russia's Tass news agency bolstered that claim with a statement saying "more and more [of eastern Aleppo] locals demonstrate they are against the crimes committed by terrorists" by fleeing to government-controlled neighborhoods.

VOA's Lisa Schlein, Nike Ching and Chris Hannas contributed to this report.

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Taiwan holds rescue drill off Taiping Island in South China Sea

ROC Central News Agency

2016/11/29 13:02:58

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) Taiwan staged a cross-agency humanitarian rescue drill in waters around Taiping Island in the South China Sea Tuesday, the first of its kind since President Tsai Ing-wen () spoke of her government's intention to turn the island into a base for humanitarian assistance.

Three aircraft and eight vessels took part in the exercise code-named "Nanyuan (Southern Aid) No. 1 ()", according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

CGA Minister Lee Chung-wei () was there to inspect the drill, in which reporters from several international wire services and Japanese media outlets were invited to cover, said CGA.

The drill simulated a fire on the deck of a foreign cargo ship, which caused some of the injured crew members to jump ship near Taiping Island.

The National Search and Rescue Center dispatched Navy and CGA vessels to the scene, where they picked up survivors and transported the wounded to the island. Once in the hospital, the injured are treated by medical staff with assistance from their colleagues in Taiwan proper via a video link.

The injured crew members were then transported to a hospital in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, on an Air Force C-130.

The ships that participated in the drill included the Kaohsiung (), a 3,000-ton Coast Guard vessel and the Panshi (), a Navy fast combat support ship that can provide medical service on a par with an Army field hospital.

The drill took place following an interview in October in which the president spoke of her government's plans for Taiping Island.

Tsai told Yomiuri Shimbun, a major Japanese daily, that Taiwan had begun to improve facilities on the island with the hope of building it into a base for humanitarian assistance and scientific research. Other countries are welcome to cooperate with Taiwan in this endeavor, she said.

Since CGA took over responsibilty for the Spratly and the Pratas Islands, also known as the Dongsha Islands, to the north from the Marines in 2000, it has assisted 100 people in 70 emergencies in South China Sea waters, the CGA said.

Also known as Itu Aba, Taiping is the largest of the naturally occurring island in the Spratly island chain.

The CGA said that it will continue to step up rescue cooperation with peripheral countries, so as to implement the policy of turning Taiping Island into a humanitarian rescue center and supply and logistics base.

Six countries, including Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, claim sovereignty over parts or all of South China Sea.

Foreign reporters were invited to Taiping Island for the first time in March during the previous Ma Ying-jeou () administration to buttress Taiwan's case that it is an "island" and not just a reef under international law.

(By Lu Hsin-hui, Chu Tze-wei and Lilian Wu)

Enditem/jc

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Turkey has many options to replace EU: Erdogan

Iran Press TV

Tue Nov 29, 2016 2:6PM

The Turkish president says his country is still hopeful about joining the European Union (EU) despite a recent freeze on its accession talks, stressing, however, that Ankara has many other options at its disposal other than joining the bloc.

"We have not yet closed the European Union book right now," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told an international conference in Istanbul on Tuesday, adding, "But nobody should forget that Turkey always has many other alternatives."

If the EU path is blocked, "we'll continue our road by evaluating one of those alternatives," Erdogan emphasized.

"I don't find it right to say it here but we are of course continuing our talks with those alternatives," the Turkish leader further pointed out.

The remarks came less than one week after Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) approved a motion urging the European Commission and member states' governments to halt Turkey's EU membership negotiations in response to Ankara's "disproportionate repressive measures" after an abortive military coup in July.

Erdogan reacted angrily to the non-binding vote, threatening to open his country's gates for refugees to stream into Europe.

The accession talks were part of a deal struck between Turkey and the EU in March to limit the flow of refugees to Europe.

Under the agreement, Turkey vowed to back rejected asylum seekers and patrol borders. In return, the EU pledged financial aid, visa-free travel for Turkish nationals and progress in Turkey's long-stalled EU membership talks.

Earlier this month, Erdogan also suggested that instead of the EU, Turkey may join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an economic bloc which includes Russia and China.

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Latest Minsk Talks Fail To Reach Breakthrough On Ukraine Conflict

RFE/RL November 29, 2016

Talks in Minsk on resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine have ended with the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany all saying no new breakthroughs were made.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the November 29 meeting in the Belarusian capital concluded with negotiators far from reaching a political agreement that includes local elections -- one of the key points of the February 2015 Minsk Agreement.

But Steinmeier said he still hopes for progress on implementing the Minsk accords in order to bring an end to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Steinmeier also held out the prospect that full implementation of the measures agreed in Minsk in September 2014 and February 2015 could lead to the lifting of international sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in Ukraine's conflict.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin blamed Russia for the standstill at the November 29 meeting, saying Moscow would not agree to any of the key priorities set out in the talks.

Klimkin also said Kyiv and Moscow have a fundamental difference of opinion on how a path to peace would look.

Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying 5,000 to 7,500 regular army units in eastern Ukraine and gathering a force of 55,000 troops near Russia's borders with Ukraine.

Russia denies it has any troops in eastern Ukraine.

'Unacceptable' Status Quo

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was not possible to agree to further steps at the November 29 meeting. But he said "work will continue."

Lavrov also rejected the idea of setting up a militarized monitoring mission in southeastern Ukraine under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Russian foreign minister said: "There will be no militarized missions either of the OSCE or any other organization, contrary to what Kyiv has been saying from time to time."

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said "all the elements of the Minsk accords must be put in place" and that there is still "an enormous amount of work to be done."

Ayrault described the November 29 talks as "difficult," but said the dialogue has not broken down altogether.

However, he said that the status quo in eastern Ukraine is unacceptable and likely will lead to more violence.

At the completion of the meeting of the four foreign ministers in Minsk, Lavrov and Steinmeier went into a separate bilateral meeting in the Belarusian capital on November 29.

Steinmeier had said before arriving in Minsk that he planned to speak to Lavrov about Russia's military role in Syria's war.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, Interfax, and TASS

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-minsk- talks-no-breakthrough/28146693.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.

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Kyiv Says Russia Has At Least 5,000 Troops In Eastern Ukraine

November 29, 2016

Ukraine's Defense Ministry has said Russia has between 5,000 and 7,500 regular military troops inside Ukrainian territory, not counting the annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea.

Deputy Defense Minister Ihor Dolhov told journalists in Kyiv on November 29 that Russia has 23,000 troops in Crimea, including about 9,000 along the administrative line between Crimea and mainland Ukraine.

In addition, he said, Russia has some 55,000 troops stationed very near its border with Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly denied having a military presence in Ukraine, other than Crimea, which Russia forcibly annexed in 2014.

Kyiv and Western governments assert that Moscow is providing military, economic, and political support to separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court ruled that the conflict in eastern Ukraine is an "international armed conflict" between Russia and Ukraine.

The conflict there has left some 9,600 people dead since it broke out in early 2014, according to the UN.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- troops-crimea/28146059.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.

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Massive Chernobyl Containment Shield Moved Into Final Position

November 29, 2016

The huge structure that will prevent further leaks of radiation from Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been moved into its final position.

On November 29, the world's largest movable metal structure was placed over the stricken fourth reactor to replace the decaying concrete structure that rescuers put into place in the wake of the April 1986 disaster that sent radiation spewing across Europe.

The 108-meter-high structure -- which took two weeks to slide into place -- is taller than the Statue of Liberty and cost some $1.6 billion, with funding coming from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The new arch is designed to withstand earthquakes and extreme weather conditions and should contain the reactor's radiation for a century.

Inside, it contains monitoring equipment and automated fire-suppression systems.

Eventually, officials plan to dismantle the old concrete sarcophagus and remove the remaining nuclear fuel from the plant.

The United Nations estimates around 4,000 people either died directly from the 1986 accident or later from cancer and other radiation-related causes.

Environmental activists such as Greenpeace put the overall death toll as high as 100,000.

Based on reporting by AFP, Interfax, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl- containment-shield-final-position- ukraine/28145550.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.

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Alan Burkitt-Gray speaks to Don MacNeil, chief operating officer of GTT, about its company restructuring after coming out of Chapter 11 and its strategic roadmap for the next 12 months.
In less than one year, the global community has made tremendous progress in addressing the numerous issues that negatively affect our climate. Last December, nearly 200 countries concluded negotiations of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius; the agreement entered into force in November 2016.

Around the same time, the International Civil Aviation Organization adopted an unprecedented global market-based measure that puts the international aviation industry on a path toward sustainable, carbon-neutral growth. And finally, 200 Parties of the Montreal Protocol agreed to the Kigali Amendment that will gradually reduce the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases that are commonly used in refrigeration.

And as the world moves toward sustainable energy production, the clean energy market is booming. This trend will only become more pronounced, said Secretary of State John Kerry at the recently-held 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Last year alone, investment in renewable energy was at an all-time high  nearly 350 billion dollars, he said, That 350 billion is the first time that weve been able to see that money outpacing what is being put into fossil fuels. An average of half a million new solar panels were installed every single day last year. And for the first time since the pre-industrial era, despite the fact that you have global prices of oil and gas and coal that are lower than ever, still more of the worlds money was invested in renewable energy technologies than in new fossil fuel plants.

Today our emissions are being driven down because market-based forces are taking hold all over the world, said Secretary of State Kerry. Most businesspeople have come to understand: investing in clean energy simply makes good economic sense. You can make money. You can do good and do well at the same time, he said.

Ultimately, clean energy is expected to be a multitrillion dollar market  the largest market the world has ever known. And no nation will do well if it sits on the sidelines, handicapping its new businesses from reaping the benefits of the clean-tech explosion.
Vancouver, November 30, 2016 - Vendetta Mining Corp. (TSXV: VTT) (the "Company") is pleased to announce further high grade drill results from the 2016 program at the Pegmont Lead-Zinc Project in Queensland, Australia. The last holes in the 2016 resource development program continued the previous work in Zone 5 and on the Zone 2-3 "Z" fold.

Zone 5 Highlights:

PVRD052A: 14.77 metres of 11.91% Pb+Zn (5.46% Pb, 6.45% Zn);

and 4.35 metres of 11.85% Pb+Zn (5.01% Pb, 6.84% Zn); and

and 5.05 metres of 10.32% Pb+Zn (4.52% Pb, 5.80% Zn)

Zone 2 - 3 Highlights:

PVRD035B: 14.73 metres of 12.41% Pb+Zn (9.02% Pb, 3.39% Zn);

and 10.32 metres of 11.94% Pb+Zn (9.64% Pb, 2.31% Zn); and

PVRD053: 7.49 metres of 11.51% Pb+Zn (8.10% Pb, 3.41% Zn)

A full summary of the lead-zinc assay results including true widths is provided in Table 1 on page 3.

Michael Williams, Vendettas President and CEO commented "The progress at the Pegmont project has been significant. We have successfully confirmed the shallow potential of the Burke Hinge Zone, discovered a high grade fold between Zones 2 & 3, we are able to successfully target mineralization in Zone 5 and in doing so have validated the geological model of zinc grade increasing to the west. We look forward to receipt of the metallurgical test work, updating the NI 43-101 resource which we intend to release early next year and the commencement of the 2017 program in Q1."

Zone 5 Drilling

The Company continued resource development drilling in Zone 5, an underground target, comprising 3 known stacked Lenses; A, B and C. Lens B is the most significant, with Lens C becoming increasingly valuable as drilling moves to the South-West. Mineralization in Lens A is sporadic, however grades also appear to be improving to the South-West.

Drill hole PVRD052A was drilled 40 m along strike of the high-grade step-out hole PVRD017 (4.56 m @ 5.45% Pb, 10.15% Zn), it successfully intersected Lens B and C. PVRD052A, was the most southwestern hole drilled during the 2016 program and importantly zinc grades continued to exceeded lead.

Drill hole PVRD051 targeted Anticline C but didnt intersect the host lithology, interpretation in this area is ongoing.

In drill hole PVRD050 excessive deviation caused drilling difficulties and resulted in the hole being terminated before target depth; it did however, intersect low grade mineralization which is interpreted to be Lens A.

Drill hole PVRD054 was drilled to intersect the steep northern limb of Syncline C, however, the hole path didnt flatten as expected. The hole did intersect two mineralized horizons, interpreted to be Lenses C and possibly a new fourth Lens.

Zone 2  3 Drilling

The Company continued to test the newly identified high-grade "Z" fold between Zones 2 and 3, drilling a second section located 350 m along strike to the north east of the previously announced hole PVRD046 (11.0 m @ 7.84% Pb, 3.18% Zn) which intersected the lower fold in Zone 3.

The Zone 2 -3 "Z" fold is a site of structural thickening and elevated grades. Up dip from the "Z" fold the mineralized host is structurally thinned over a distance of about 50 to 75 m, before mineralization of greater than 5 m thickens returns in the Zone 2 open pit target area. The Zone 2 "Z" fold hinge is interpreted to be a flat lying shoot, approximately 50 to 60 m wide, with a total strike potential of over 700 m.

Drill hole PVRD053 successfully targeted the upper fold in Zone 2. Only one historic drill hole is interpreted to be in this structural position, PMR091 (6 m @ 10.19% Pb, 2.81% Zn). PVRD053 will be extended during the next program to test the over turned limb of the "Z and on into the flat dipping portion of Zone 3.

Drill hole PVRD035B successfully targeted the lower Zone 3 portion of the fold. It is now understood that historic holes PGD023 (18.8 m at 9.48% Pb, 3.53% Zn) and PMRD124 (9.54 m at 9.25% Pb, 3.07% Zn) intersected the lower portion of the "Z" fold in Zone 3.

Drill holes PVRD048 and PVRD049 tested the limits of Zone 3, near the position where Zone 3 is intersected by the Amphibolite Dyke. PVRD049 intersected thin mineralization interpreted to be on a fold limb. PVRD048 failed to intersect significant mineralization however it may be extended in the future.

Other Activities

As part of the 2016 drilling program a total of 17 historic drill holes were down hole surveyed using a true north seeking gyroscope, improving the confidence in the positon of this data. To date a total of 30 historic holes have been re-logged.

Metallurgical test work at ALS Metallurgy in Burnie, Tasmania is ongoing. Results are expected early in 2017 and will be released when they are finalized.

Other ongoing activities include the interpretation of the recent drill data at Pegmont. The Company expects to deliver an updated NI 43-101 resource estimate, including for the first time Zone 5 and the Burke Hinge Zone early in 2017. Planning of the 2017 program is progressing and will include continued resource development drilling in Zone 5 and on the Zone 2  3 "Z" fold as well as performing a surface EM survey over the recently discovered copper target, see Vendetta news release 19th October 2016.

Table 1. Summary of the Final Assay Results from the 2016 Program.

Grade# Bore Dip / From Hole Azimuth (m) To (m) Lens Pb+Zn Pb Zn Ag Interval (m) True Thickness* (m) % % % g/t Zone 5  Underground Target PVRD050 -66/350 288.31 291.81 3.50 2.6 A ? 1.96 0.77 1.19 0.00 PVRD051 -70/355 No Significant Result PVRD052A -51/138 207.63 233.40 25.77 11 B 9.49 4.21 5.28 4.01 including 215.63 230.40 14.77 6.8 B 11.91 5.46 6.45 5.56 and 274.20 305.30 31.10 10 C 4.92 2.20 2.72 1.80 including 278.20 282.55 4.35 2.0 C 11.85 5.01 6.84 4.87 including 288.50 293.55 5.05 2.5 C 10.32 4.52 5.80 5.63 PVRD054 -75/179 289.25 292.25 3.00 Est. 2.0 C 4.96 3.35 1.61 1.20 and 294.90 309.60 14.70 Est. 8.0 C 1.05 0.45 0.60 0.07 and 330.00 332.78 2.78 Est. 1.5 D ? 3.79 2.27 1.52 0.98 Zone 2  "Z" Fold  Underground Target PVRD035B -67/129 112.44 116.00 3.56 3.0 B 5.46 3.18 2.28 3.28 PVRD036 -56/333 143.00 152.54 9.54 7.5 B 5.29 2.99 2.30 2.90 including 145.00 147.54 2.54 2.1 B 8.55 4.94 3.61 9.73 PVRD053 -56/128 113.00 128.54 15.54 12.0 B 7.28 5.20 2.08 5.31 including 118.05 125.54 7.49 5.5 B 11.51 8.10 3.41 9.50 Zone 3  "Z" Fold  Underground Target PVRD035B -67/129 179.83 214.92 35.09 20.0 B 9.59 7.22 2.37 9.78 including 181.83 196.56 14.73 10.0 B 12.41 9.02 3.39 13.52 including 201.60 211.92 10.32 8.0 B 11.94 9.64 2.31 13.75 Zone 3 - Underground Target PVRD048 -75/328 No Significant Result PVRD049 -77/145 108.74 110.74 2.00 2.0 B 8.28 6.17 2.11 3.93

*True thickness estimate is based on three dimensional geological modeling, except where indicated as an estimate.

#Drill intersections are summarized using a combined 1% lead plus zinc grade, over a 1 m minimum down hole intersection length, higher grade intervals included are reported at a 5% lead plus zinc grade.

Notes on Drilling and Assay QA/QC

The drilling at Zone 5 involved drilling RC pre-collars using a 5.75 inch diameter face sampling bit to depth prior to casing and continuing the hole in HQ2 diamond core. Diamond core samples were taken on nominal 1 m lengths but varied to match geological contacts. Samples of the core are obtained using a diamond saw to half cut the core, if the hole is to be included in metallurgical test work it is then halved again. This was performed to provide sufficient sample for metallurgical test work while retaining a permanent core record.

Field duplicate samples were taken and blanks and commercially prepared certified reference materials (standards) were added into the sample sequence for every hole submitted. These were analyzed by the Company and no issues were noted with analytical accuracy or precision.

Samples used for the results described herein were prepared and analyzed at ALS Laboratory Group in Townsville, Queensland. Analysis was undertaken using a four acid digest and ICP (ALS method: ME-ICP61 for Pb, Zn, Ag, Fe, Mn, Cd and S) with over limit (>10,000 ppm lead and zinc and >100 ppm silver) high grade samples being read with an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS), (ALS methods: Pb-OG62, Zn-OG62 and Ag-OG62).

Drill hole collar positions have been surveyed by a licensed surveyor. Down hole surveys were undertaken using a true north seeking gyroscope with stations every 6 or 10 m.

All HQ2 diamond core is orientated using digital core orientation systems and this data is incorporated into the 3D interpretations. Assay intervals shown in Table 1 are down hole intervals, and the true thickness noted are based on 3D interpretations of the host lithology, structure, and mineralization.

About The Pegmont Lead Zinc Project

Pegmont is a stratiform, Broken Hill-Type deposit that outcrops with an overall shallow dip to the south east and is hosted in a magnetite-rich banded iron formation within high grade metamorphic rocks. The project consists of three granted mining leases and two exploration permits that cover an area of approximately 3,468 ha. The current NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate is given in Table 2. Over 13,500 m of drilling will be incorporated into an updated resource estimate.

Table 2. Pegmont Deposit 2014 Mineral Resource Estimate*

Mineral Grade Oxidation

State Resource

Category Tonnes

kt Pb % Zn %

Ag

g/t Indicated 757 6.66 2.69 11.87 Sulphide Inferred 4,417 6.51 2.80 10.56 Indicated 797 4.50 2.17 6.88 Transition Inferred 1,066 5.01 2.23 6.77 Indicated 512 4.56 1.58 6.37 Oxide Inferred 614 5.76 1.23 5.18



*Reference: "Technical Report Pegmont Property Mineral Resource Estimate" AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd, effective date of 28 February 2014. The Technical Report is available on SEDAR.

Notes on Table 2:

1. CIM definitions were used for the Mineral Resources. 2. The cut-off grade applied to the oxide and transition Mineral Resources is 3% Pb + Zn, the sulphide cut-off grade is 5% Pb + Zn. 3. Cut off is based on $0.90 /lb for Pb and Zn, a $0.90 A$:US$ exchange rate, and 90% recovery for both metals. 4. Specific gravity used by oxidation state: 3.2 t/m3 oxide, 3.4 t/m3 transition and 3.9 t/m3 sulphide. 5. Using drilling results to 12 December 2013.

About Vendetta Mining Corp.

Vendetta Mining Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company engaged in acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral properties with an emphasis on lead and zinc. It is currently focused on advanced stage exploration projects in Australia, the first of which is the recently optioned Pegmont Lead Zinc project. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.vendettaminingcorp.com

Qualified Person

Peter Voulgaris, MAusIMM, MAIG, a Director of Vendetta, is a non-independent qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Voulgaris has reviewed the technical content of this press release, and consents to the information provided in the form and context in which it appears.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Williams



Michael Williams

President & CEO

T: 1.604.484.7855

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact relating to Vendetta Mining Corp., are to be considered forward-looking statements with respect to the Companys intentions for its Pegmont project in Queensland, Australia. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, are reliant on future events or conditions, or include words such as expects, anticipates, plans, believes, considers, significant, intends, targets, estimates, seeks, attempts, assumes, and other similar expressions.

The forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which, while considered reasonable by Vendetta Mining Corp., are, by their nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: the interpretation of current results from the 2016 drilling program mentioned in this news release, further results from the 2016 drilling program, the accuracy of exploration results, the accuracy of Mineral Resource Estimates, the anticipated results of future exploration, the forgoing ability to finance further exploration, delays in the completion of exploration, delays in the completion of the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, the future prices of lead, zinc, and other metals, and general economic, market and/or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements and assumptions will prove accurate and, therefore, readers of this news release are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the information contained within. In addition to the assumptions herein, these assumptions include the assumptions described in Vendetta Mining Corp.s Managements Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ended, February 29th, 2016.

Although Vendetta Mining Corp. has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual performance, achievements, actions, events, results or conditions to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, there may be other risks, uncertainties and other factors that cause future performance to differ from what is anticipated, estimated or intended. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements contained herein are as of the date hereof and Vendetta Mining Corp. does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date on which such statements were made, except as required by applicable law.


Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. (Solitario; NYSE MKT:XPL; TSX:SLR) today announced that it will be initiating a NI-43-101 Preliminary Economic Study (PEA) on its Bongara zinc project in northern Peru. This will be the first evaluation to estimate the potential economics of the Bongara project. The project hosts a significant high-grade zinc resource that is open to expansion in all directions. Previously reported (June 23, 2014) NI-43-101 resources are:

Table 1: Mineral Resource Statement for the Bongara Zn-Pb-Ag Deposit, Peru* Category Metric

Tons Grade Contained Metal (millions) Zn Pb Ag ZnEq Zn Pb Ag ZnEq Mt % % g/t % (lbs) (lbs) (oz) tonnes (lbs) Measured 1.43 13.02 1.85 19.3 15.45 410.0 58.3 0.884 0.221 486.5 Indicated 1.35 12.51 1.71 17.1 14.74 372.6 50.9 0.744 0.199 438.8 Measured + Indicated 2.78 12.77 1.78 18.2 15.10 782.5 109.2 1.628 0.420 925.3 Inferred 9.07 10.87 1.21 12.2 12.44 2,173.0 241.5 3.554 1.130 2,487.6

*SRK Consulting (U.S.), Inc., June 5, 2014  Please see Table 1 Notes at the end of this news release

The project is 39%-owned by Solitario and 61%-owned by Compania Minera Milpo S.A.A. (Milpo). A total of 486 core holes totaling 117,280 meters have been drilled on the project. Included in this drilling are 95 underground core holes totaling 15,144 meters that were drilled from a 700-meter long tunnel that Votorantim Metais (Milpos 80% owner) completed in 2013. Work to date has demonstrated that Bongara is a high-grade zinc deposit with an average resource grade in excess of 12% zinc equivalent, has a relatively large resource base with excellent expansion potential, and produces a clean high-grade concentrate.

Chris Herald, President and CEO of Solitario, stated, We are excited to initiate this study as it will bring together a broad array of technical components to provide the first real look at project economics. We are now in the process of selecting an independent consulting engineering firm to initiate and complete the PEA on this high-grade zinc deposit. We hope to complete the PEA before the end of the second quarter of 2017.

This release has been reviewed for accuracy by Walter Hunt, Chief Operating Officer of Solitario, a qualified person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

Terms of the Bongara Joint Venture

Currently, Solitario owns 39% of the Bongara project and Milpo owns 61%. Since inception of the joint venture in 2006, Votorantim and its 80%-owned subsidiary, Milpo, have funded 100% of project expenditures. Milpo can earn a 70% interest in the project by continuing to fund all project expenditures (except this PEA which is funded by Solitario and does not alter any of the terms of the joint venture) and committing to place the project into production based upon a positive feasibility study. After earning 70%, at the request of Solitario, Milpo has further agreed to finance Solitario's 30% participating interest for construction. Solitario will repay the loan facility through 50% of its net cash flow distributions.

About Solitario

Solitario is an exploration and royalty company traded on the NYSE MKT (XPL) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (SLR). Solitario has a joint venture with Minera Milpo (a Peruvian zinc miner) on its high-grade Bongara zinc project in Peru and a 9.97% equity interest in Vendetta Mining. Solitarios Management and Directors hold approximately 7.6% (excluding options) of the Companys 38.7 million shares outstanding. Solitarios cash balance at end of the third quarter of 2016 was approximately US$16 million. Additional information about Solitario is available online at www.solitarioxr.com

Notes to Table 1 extracted from NI 43-101 Report: Mineral Resources Bongara Zinc Project Amazonas Department, Peru

1. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into Mineral Reserves;

2. Mineral resources are reported to a Net Smelter Return zinc-equivalent (ZnEq%) cut-off grade based on metal price assumptions*, metallurgical recovery assumptions**, mining costs, processing costs, general and administrative (G&A) costs, and NSR factors***. Mining costs, processing, G&A, and transportation costs total US$51.30/t.

i. *Metal price assumptions considered for the calculation of metal equivalent grades are: Zinc (US$/lb 0.95), Lead (US$/lb 0.95) and Silver (US$/oz 20.00),

ii. **Cut-off grade calculations assume variable metallurgical recoveries as a function of grade and relative metal distribution. Average metallurgical recoveries for sulfide and oxide respectively are: Zinc (93.1%, 73%), Lead (84.8, 0%) and Silver (55.6%, 0%)

iii. *** NSR factors for calculating cutoff grades were: ZnEq% = Zn% * 1 + Pb% * 0.74 + Ag g/t * 0.02

3. Resulting cutoff grades used in this resource statement were 4.1% ZnEq for sulfide, 5.0% ZnEq for oxide, and 4.5% ZnEq for mixed material types.

4. Zinc equivalency for reporting in situ contained metal resources above was calculated using: ZnEq (%) = Zn (%) + 1.0 * PB (%) + 0.03 * Ag (g/t).

5. Density was calculated based on material types and metal grades. The average density in the mineralized zone was 2.91 g/cm3 as a function of the zinc and lead sulfide mineral content.

6. Mineral Resources as reported are undiluted.

7. Mineral resource tonnage and contained metal have been rounded to reflect the precision of the estimate, and numbers may not add due to rounding.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (and the equivalent under Canadian securities laws), that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical fact. They are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and address activities, events or developments that Solitario expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, and are based on current expectations and assumptions. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys expectation of the projected timing and outcome of engineering studies; expectations regarding the receipt of all necessary permits and approvals to implement a mining plan, if any, at Bongara; the potential for confirming, upgrading and expanding zinc, lead and silver mineralized material at Bongara; future operating and capital cost estimates may indicate that the stated resources may not be economic; estimates of zinc, lead and silver grades provided are not diluted mining grades and the predicted or actual mining grade could be substantially lower; estimates of recovery rates for the three types of mineralization, sulfide, oxide and mixed could be lower than estimated for establishing the cutoff grade; and other statements that are not historical facts; risks associated with our funding partners (Votorantim Metais and/or Milpo) ability to finance continued development and potential construction of the Bongara project. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, risks relating to fluctuations in the price of zinc; the inherently hazardous nature of mining-related activities; uncertainties concerning reserve and resource estimates; uncertainties relating to obtaining approvals and permits from governmental regulatory authorities and country risks of operations outside of the United States; the possibility that environmental laws and regulations will change over time and become even more restrictive; and availability and timing of capital for financing the Companys exploration and development activities, including uncertainty of being able to raise capital on favorable terms or at all; as well as those factors discussed in Solitarios filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) including Solitarios latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and its other SEC filings (and Canadian filings) including, without limitation, its latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The Company does not intend to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of Resources: This news release uses the terms Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources. The Company advises U.S. investors that while these terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize the terms. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Reserves. Inferred Resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of a measured, indicated or inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally minable.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161130005847/en/

Contact

Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp.

Debbie Mino-Austin, 800-229-6827

Director  Investor Relations

or

Christopher E. Herald, 303-534-1030, Ext. 14

President & CEO
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. has opened its 2017 photo contest to all interested photo enthusiasts.

The contest is sponsored by the Coal & Energy Division of SME, which is a professional society whose more than 15,000 members represent all professions serving the mining, minerals and underground construction industries in more than 100 countries. SME members include engineers, geologists, metallurgists, educators, students and researchers. SME advances the worldwide minerals community through information exchange and professional development.

The theme for the photo contest is Innovations in Technology, and judges will be looking for images of innovation within the mining, minerals and related industries. Be creative with your entry; photos of drone usage, autonomous vehicles, radar and lidar control, unique safety gear and new technical improvements in the industry are all excellent subjects.

Winning entries will be showcased at the 2017 SME Annual Conference & Expo and 119th CMA National Western Mining Conference, Feb. 19-22 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. More than 6,500 attendees will see the winning entries displayed onsite at the conference, and the images will be published on the SME website and Facebook pages.

Each participant may submit up to three images for consideration. The contest is open to all industry members; no conference registration is required. First, second and third place prizes include cash and a one-year SME membership. Entries will be accepted via an online portal through Jan. 13.

For more information, visit www.smeannualconference.com/index.cfm/blog/sme-photo-contest-2017/.
What does a Donald Trump presidency forebode for Nevada?

It is hard to say, because Trump has never kept a firm grip on any political position for more than a few hours, seemingly changing stances depending on with whom he has spoken most recently.

On the topic of who should control the public lands in Nevada  where currently 87 percent of the states land mass is controlled by the various federal land agencies  President-elect Trump has straddled the fence so much he must have saddle sores.

In January during an interview with Field & Stream magazine in Las Vegas, candidate Trump was asked about the prospect of the federal government transferring some of those lands to the states if he were to be elected president.

Trump unequivocally replied, I dont like the idea because I want to keep the lands great, and you dont know what the state is going to do. I mean, are they going to sell if they get into a little bit of trouble?

And I dont think its something that should be sold. We have to be great stewards of this land. This is magnificent land. And we have to be great stewards of this land.

Merely a week later in an op-ed piece printed in the Reno Gazette-Journal Trump did a 180-degree turn: The BLM controls over 85 percent of the land in Nevada. In the rural areas, those who for decades have had access to public lands for ranching, mining, logging and energy development are forced to deal with arbitrary and capricious rules that are influenced by special interests that profit from the D.C. rule-making and who fill the campaign coffers of Washington politicians. Far removed from the beautiful wide open spaces of Nevada, bureaucrats bend to the influence that is closest to them. Honest, hardworking citizens who seek freedom and economic independence must beg for deference from a federal government that is more intent on power and control than it is in serving the citizens of the nation.

He went on to bemoan the fact local governments have to beg the Washington bureaucracy for land for schools, roads, parks and other public uses and pay a premium price for it. During the Republican convention this past summer the party platform included a call for the federal government to divest itself of a certain portion of public lands.

Congress shall immediately pass universal legislation providing for a timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey certain federally controlled public lands to states  the platform reads. The residents of state and local communities know best how to protect the land where they work and live.

But at the same time an aide to Trump told the Huffington Post that Trump did not oppose the platform plank, but did not really embrace it, saying, Trump lives in Manhattan and he views the West as this giant federal wonderful ownership property. The aide said Trump would prefer a middle ground, such as a federal-state management partnership.

In August, according to High Country News, Elko County Commissioner and Nevada Land Management Task Force Chairman Demar Dahl met privately with Trump at a fundraiser at Lake Tahoe and broached the subject of public lands being transferred to the states.

He said, Im with you, recalls Dahl, an avowed advocate of granting Nevada greater control over public land. He spoke recently before a House subcommittee in favor of a bill that would do so.

Given Trumps apparent fluidity on this matter, one might be advised to look to who Trump appoints to various cabinet posts in the coming weeks for hints for how Nevada and the West may fare. One good sign for Nevadans who would like to see federal land put to productive use is that Trump reportedly is seriously considering two oil company executives to be secretaries of Interior and/or Energy.

He also has the self-styled environmentalists in a tither over the possibility that he might appoint a so-called climate denier to head the Environmental Protection Agency, which has been pressing forward with its jobs strangling Clean Power Plan to restrict air emissions and its Waters of the U.S. proposal that would usurp control of every mud puddle west of the Rockies. The views of Trumps appointees may be more important than the rhetoric out of the future president.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein paid $3.5 million Tuesday to clear the way for Wisconsin's presidential vote recount but had a judge reject her lawsuit to require all Wisconsin counties to do the recount by hand.Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said the effort to force the hand recount _ which was backed by Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign _ did not meet the state's legal standard for prohibiting the use of machines in the recount, saying that the two campaigns did not show a hand recount, though more thorough, was necessary or show there was a clear and convincing evidence of fraud or other problems.Bailey-Rihn said there were good reasons to do a hand recount but no legal basis for her to mandate it."I follow the law. That's who I am despite my personal opinions," said Bailey-Rihn, who was elected to the bench last spring.Also Tuesday, Clinton's lawyers backed Stein's effort in Dane County Circuit Court to force the hand recount in all counties. The Clinton camp, which has already acknowledged a recount is unlikely to change the outcome in Wisconsin, said in a court filing Tuesday that a hand recount would provide greater confidence in the final result of the election and might catch more mistakes than a machine count.State officials said there was no legal basis for forcing counties to use a hand recount since there was no evidence it was better than electronic tallies in this case and would delay the process for the counties that weren't already planning to count ballots by hand."Asking (counties) to retool their plans fewer than two days before the recount is set to begin would (create) additional burdens and could delay the recount's end date _ putting at risk whether Congress will honor Wisconsin's slate of presidential electors," the state Department of Justice argued in a motion.The Stein campaign brought forward a series of experts in statistics and computer science who argued for a hand recount by describing a series of hypothetical ways that computer hackers might reprogram voting machines."I am strongly of the opinion that a hand recount is going to provide a more accurate result," University of Michigan computer scientist J. Alex Halderman said.In all but one case, the experts called by Stein acknowledged that they had no evidence that any hacking had happened. The one exception was testimony by University of California, Berkeley Philip Stark about a statistical analysis that found unusual patterns in the digits of vote totals reported in certain smaller election wards in Wisconsin. Those patterns are not proof of any problem with the election, however.State officials initially estimated the cost of the recall at $1 million but increased the amount after counties gave the state their own more detailed estimates of what it would cost in their jurisdictions. As the cost increased this week, independent candidate Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente said Tuesday he would not be paying part of its cost and participating in it.An analysis by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found wide variance in those county cost figures, which averaged $1.31 to recount each vote cast around the state.Tiny Northwoods Iron County is estimating it can do the recount for 20 cents a vote, while neighboring Oneida County is estimating it will cost $8.46 per vote cast there to do the recount."We tried not to inflate our cost," said Milwaukee County Clerk Joe Czarnezki, who estimated per vote costs in his area at almost exactly the statewide average. "But it wouldn't surprise me if people erred on the side of overestimating costs rather than underestimating them."Under Wisconsin law, the Stein camp will get a refund if the recount costs less than expected and will have to pay more if it costs more. But that money might be difficult to raise once the recount is done.Stein, who drew more votes in Wisconsin than Clinton's losing margin in this state to Donald Trump, criticized the cost of the recall Tuesday but paid it, ensuring the statewide recount would begin on Thursday."We stand by our commitment to verify that the vote in Wisconsin was accurate and secure and this exorbitant cost will not deter us," Stein said in a statement. "While this excessive fee places an undue burden on our efforts, we are committed to paying this cost in order to ensure that the voting in Wisconsin was accurate."There can be good reasons for at least some of the variance in costs from county to county. In Iron County, clerk Mike Saari said it will be cheaper to recount the presidential vote there because his staff just conducted a recount of a local district attorney race and did some checks for that effort that won't have to be repeated."I've done all the preliminary work," Saari said.The state elections commission said it would only charge $3.5 million initially to Stein, leaving off an additional $400,000 in county costs that should have been added to the statewide estimate but were dropped because of a spreadsheet error.The Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed Monday to conduct the recall if the money is paid but was sued by Stein after the agency declined to require the hand recount in all counties.It will be a race to finish the recount in time to meet a daunting federal deadline, and the lawsuit could delay the process.Stein filed a lawsuit Monday in Pennsylvania to force a recount there and her supporters began filing recount requests at the precinct level in the Keystone State. Stein _ who received just a tiny piece of the national vote _ also plans to ask for a recount in Michigan on Wednesday.
Selection process

'Passionate public service'

Richard B. Teitelman, Missouri's first legally blind Supreme Court judge, has died.Judge Teitelman, known as "Rick," began his service on the state's high court in March 2002 and served as its chief justice from July 2011 through June 2013.He was 69. Details of his death were not immediately available, but his longtime colleague and friend, former Supreme Court Justice Michael Wolff, said Teitelman had been ailing for several years."He's had some serious health problems," said Wolff, who is dean of the St. Louis University Law School.In honor of Teitelman, the court canceled oral arguments scheduled for Tuesday, but will hear arguments as scheduled on Wednesday."It is with great sadness that the Supreme Court of Missouri acknowledges the passing of its beloved colleague," the court said in a statement issued Tuesday morning.Teitelman -- the first Jewish judge to serve on the state's high court -- was born in Philadelphia. At a Missouri Bar Association event earlier this year, Teitelman said his mother had wanted him to become a doctor.At age 13, however, he was declared legally blind. He graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 1969 with a degree in math and moved to Missouri where he attended law school at Washington University.He worked at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri in St. Louis for nearly a quarter-century before being appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals in 1998. He was elevated to the state Supreme Court by former Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, in 2002.On Tuesday, Dana Tippin Cutler, president of the Missouri Bar, offered condolences to Teitelman's family and friends."We join with the Court in recognizing his 18 years of service to the people of Missouri as an appellate judge and his career-long dedication to making sure all Missourians, regardless of their income, have equal access to justice in Missouri," Tippin Cutler noted in a statement.House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty said the court benefited from Teitelman's dedication to equal justice for all."During his decades representing poor clients as a legal aid attorney and later as a jurist, Judge Richard Teitelman's commitment to protecting the less fortunate from injustice was unwavering," McCann Beatty said.Thomas G. Glick, president of the board of directors of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri offered praise for Teitelman."He gave voice to those without representation and was tireless in his work to protect the vulnerable," Glick said.Teitelman's death sets up a process that likely will give Gov.-elect Eric Greitens, a Republican, the opportunity to select a replacement for the seven-member high court.The selection of Supreme Court judges is governed by Missouri's nonpartisan court plan. Under that process, a committee headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge will set out a schedule for attorneys to apply for the position. That panel interviews the applicants and submits three names to the governor, who has 60 days to choose a finalist.Typically, however, the application, interview and selection process takes longer than the 41 days left in Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's term.The selection committee comprises the chief justice, three attorneys chosen by their fellow lawyers and three Missouri residents appointed by the governor. Of the citizen members, the term of Cheryl Darrough of Columbia ends Dec. 31, giving Nixon the ability to keep his fingerprints on the panel before he leaves on Jan. 9.In a statement, Nixon said, "Judge Teitelman will be remembered not only for his breaking new ground as the first legally blind judge to sit on Missouri's highest court, but also for his legal skills and his passion for justice. He truly listened to, and never forgot, those who needed justice the most."During the recent election, Greitens signaled that he wants to alter the state's court plan, which is viewed as a national model for removing partisanship from the judiciary."Eric is opposed to our current system of judicial selection that gives trial lawyers too much control over the appointment of the very judges they argue their cases in front of," Greitens policy director Will Scharf said in October.In a statement issued Tuesday, Greitens said Teitelman's "life serves as a reminder to every Missourian that nothing should stand in the way of passionate public service."Teitelman was known for his humor and kindness.After a speech to the Legislature in 2012, the Missouri Bar served members of the House and Senate a lunch featuring knishes -- a meat or potato-filled dumpling that is a staple of Jewish cooking.Teitelman said his vision problem stemmed from a congenital anomaly of the optic nerve. He could read large type, but he did not drive.He never described himself as handicapped or disabled.Rather, he said in 2007, "It's a challenge. These challenges are things that are character building."He used a magnifying glass to read and relied on his law clerks for other reading duties.Longtime friend Stuart Berkowitz, former regional advisory board chairman for the Missouri-Southern Illinois office of the Anti-Defamation League, called Teitelman "one-of-a-kind.""His uniqueness as an individual, an attorney, an advocate and as a judge was unmatched," Berkowitz said.On days when the court was hearing arguments, Teitelman would often walk through the courtroom before proceedings began to shake hands and chat with people in the audience."It was just so disarming. In part, he really made human connections extraordinarily well," Wolff said. "He was one of the most extraordinary people I've ever known."A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Graham Memorial Chapel on the campus of Washington University.Among the survivors is his brother, Gilbert E. Teitelman of Philadelphia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nathan and May, and his brother Louis.Memorial contributions may be sent to Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, 4232 Lindell Boulevard.
On Tuesday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted a morning tea in support of Legacy Brisbane where the Governor presented brooches to new Legacy Torch Society members and addressed guests.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor received Mr Richard Court AC, Australias Ambassador-designate to Japan.

In the evening, at Old Government House, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey attended the Lady Bowen Trust 10th Anniversary Celebration where His Excellency presented 2016 Lady Bowen Trust grants to recipient organisations and addressed guests.
Description

GIS - 30 November, 2016: A letter will be addressed to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, requesting that debates on the agenda item be held at the earliest possible, before June 2017, should the United Kingdom (UK) continue to insist that the talks between the officials from Mauritius and the UK be held under a sovereignty umbrella, as they did during the meeting on 9 November in Mauritius. The appropriate letter will be issued in consultation with our legal advisers. A letter will be addressed to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, requesting that debates on the agenda item be held at the earliest possible, before June 2017, should the United Kingdom (UK) continue to insist that the talks between the officials from Mauritius and the UK be held under a sovereignty umbrella, as they did during the meeting on 9 November in Mauritius. The appropriate letter will be issued in consultation with our legal advisers.

This reply was given yesterday in the National Assembly by the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, to a Private Notice Question in regard to the Chagos Archipelago regarding if a letter has been sent to the President of the United Nations General Assembly concerning the resolution of Mauritius.

The Prime Minister recalled that at its meeting held on 14 September 2016, the General Committee of the UN General Assembly agreed to recommend the inclusion of this item in the agenda of the General Assembly on the understanding that there would be no consideration of the item before June 2017 and that thereafter it may be considered upon notification by a Member State.

He underlined that the UK was initially opposed to the inclusion of this item in the agenda of the General Assembly. However, in view of the wide support which Mauritius had obtained on the matter, the UK asked, as a compromise, that consideration of this item be deferred to June 2017 to give time to Mauritius and the UK to engage in discussions with a view to arriving at a satisfactory resolution of the matter, he added.

Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that at the meeting of the General Committee held on 14 September 2016, the President of the UN General Assembly encouraged Mauritius and the UK to engage meaningfully and constructively to reach a solution on this matter and to keep him updated on progress on a regular basis. He added that his Office would remain at the disposal of Mauritius and the UK for any assistance.

He underscored that subsequently, the UN General Assembly decided, at its meeting held on 16 September 2016, to include the item relating to the request for an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice in respect of the Chagos Archipelago on its agenda on the understanding that the item would not be considered by the General Assembly before June 2017 and that thereafter it may be considered upon notification by a Member State. The Prime Minister stressed that it was also agreed that this item would be considered by the plenary of the General Assembly, as requested by Mauritius, and not by any Committee or Sub-Committee of the General Assembly

The Prime Minister also referred to the statement made on 16 November 2016 by the UK Government in the House of Commons to the effect that the 1966 US-UK agreement concerning the availability for defence purposes of the Chagos Archipelago will continue as it stands for another term of 20 years, that is, until 30 December 2036.

Following this statement, he added, that the Prime Ministers Office issued a Communique issued by my Office on 17 November 2016, stating that the UK had acted in blatant breach of the letter and spirit of the Award delivered on 18 March 2015 in the case broughtby Mauritius against the UK under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, inasmuch as the UK failed to fully involve Mauritius, as required by the Award, in the renewed use, until 2036, of the Chagos Archipelago for the purposes for which it is currently being used.
Description

GIS  30 November 2016: We have for long been gearing to make of Mauritius a strong ICT hub and to do that we need to have the right infrastructure for our cyberspace and this is what cybersecurity is about, said the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation (MTCI), Mr Etienne Sinatambou, this morning in Ebene Cyber Tower 1.

The Minister was speaking during a conference on IoT (Internet of Things) security organised in the context of Computer Security Day 2016. IoT is referred to as a global infrastructure for the information society enabling advanced services based on interconnection and latest technologies and regulating things for use in everyday life.

The aim is to provide insight into the privacy and security issues surrounding electronically stored information. On that occasion, the IT Security Unit of the MTCI issued a factsheet on Information Security Management Systems within the Civil Service which is expected to act as an additional barrier against cyberattacks.

In his address, Mr Sinatambou stated that it is important to observe the evolution of IoT in the world today. There are 5.5 million new things which are getting connected every single day this year and there are many cybersecurity risks which are associated with the development of IoT, he pointed out.

The Minister dwelt on the need to make sure that the cyberspace environment is actually safe and secured since it is expected that the IoT will connect 20 billion objects by the year 2020. He also appealed to IT and security professionals attending the cybersecurity conference to forward the lessons being learnt since it is important to educate young people who are going to be the main users of IoT.

The conference

Organised by CERT-MU (Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius), a division of the National Computer Board, the event aims to enable the sharing of experiences amongst participants as well as keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies in the field of Information Security.

The full day cybersecurity conference will be led by both local and foreign resource persons from the Information Technology industry who will be discussing with participants the current challenges and future opportunities in the field of IoT security.

Two sessions are scheduled with presentations focusing on the following: IoT security  ongoing challenges; Privacy and IoT  the right equilibrium; and, IoT  Privacy and data governance; IoT  the Achilles Heel of cybersecurity.

Computer Security Day

Computer Security Day is an annual event that is observed worldwide since 1988 to help raise awareness of computer related security issues. It is designed to raise awareness and to promote best practices in Information Security.
Download the Guide The updated guide outlines and explains the changes needed for more flexible and agile procurement processes.



cdg16-xaas-procurement-guide-i.jpg





Facilitating Procurement in Utah



Adjustments and Fine-Tuning



Ask your local IT shop to explain exactly what cloud services are, and youll be met with more information than you had ever hoped to get. Ask the same shop to explain how they purchased it, and youll likely be met with a blank, slightly terrified stare.While the technology itself may be relatively simple to explain, the means to procure it has been a thorn in the sides of public organizations from the outset. Where some government entities have chosen to brave the process on their own, others banded together and paved the way for streamlined purchasing and adoption.That collaboration resulted in the Best Practices Guide for Cloud and As-a-Service Procurements released in 2014 by the Center for Digital Government (CDG)* to close the understanding gap and better arm the public sector to procure the services they needed in a more standardized and effective way.The first iteration of this guide gathered input from a wide range of public and private partners through facilitated working groups, and laid the groundwork for multistate contracting vehicles. It also has offered guidance to smaller jurisdictions without the resources and purchasing power of state government.Now, nearly two years later, the guide has been instrumental in discussions around a multistate procurement vehicle and is being re-released with some minor improvements.For more than two years, Utah has been at the helm of a multistate procurement vehicle through NASPO Value Point , and just recently wrapped up the final stages of awarding contracts to the 38 participating vendors.As of late November, 34 states are involved and Utah contracting officials are moving ahead with trying to negotiate master agreements with their vendors. And the CDG guide established a jumping off point that the state and vendors could use to start more focused discussions, said Christopher Hughes, assistant director of operations and contracts for the state of Utahs Division of Purchasing, who spearheaded the Utah-NASPO initiative.So what we did was collaborate with quite a few people in the initial part of the RFP to better understand this industry, and part of that was working with somebody who had worked with the Center for Digital Government, he explained. The Center for Digital Government had established what they believed were good, or adequate terms for cloud contracts, and  we looked at using those terms and incorporated them into the RFP.During discussions around data security, Hughes said the CDG document language represented a firm foundation to build on from the public-sector perspective. As the vendors weighed in, adjustments were made to the language to better suit the requirements of their particular business solutions.As we worked with some of these vendors, they needed to clarify some of these terms in accordance with their business solutions so that we werent requiring them to rewrite their business process in order to handle data that was processed as a result of the contract, Hughes said.As for changes to the 2016 iteration of the best practices guide, CDG Director Todd Sander explained that it was more of a fine-tuning exercise than a complete rework of the center's 2014 guide.Despite a two-year gap between the documents and technological advances in the cloud space, he said public and private partners focused their collective energy on better defining certain sections of the guide and clarifying wherever possible.I think all of us in both public and private sectors were pleasantly surprised how well the 2014 document held up," Sander said. "We substantially got it right the first time."Among the more notable adjustments that working groups focused on were the issues of security and encryption, better distinguishing between data at rest and data in motion, and systems audits. The topics of hybrid cloud and service level agreements were also points of discussion, while areas like terms and conditions remained largely untouched.Former New Jersey CIO Stephen Emanuel, now with cloud service provider Alliant Technologies, led the hybrid cloud working group and participated in the working group. He agreed that many of the changes were based more on adjusting for evolving nuances than anything else.I think it was refreshing that we spent better than nine months on the first pass, and after almost 18 months to put it in play, we really didnt have a whole lot of significant issues, said Emanuel, who also was the main catalyst for the 2014 guide. At the time, his role in the public arena sent him in search of a better way to buy the tools he needed. Now working in private industry, he said he relishes the opportunity to collaborate and work through the procurement barriers with a new perspective.The cloud environment will continue to change, he said, and stakeholders on both ends should remain open to discussing what is happening in the space.Given the fact that cloud is going to morph as things move on, I have a totally different view now that I am in the private sector providing hybrid cloud services, Emanuel said. I think part of the clarity that we brought to this was at least if we start with terms and conditions being somewhat standardized, the next step is lets talk about some of the ways we ask for things
(TNS)  WASHINGTON  The FBI, National Security Agency and CIA are likely to gain expanded surveillance powers under President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress, a prospect that has privacy advocates and some lawmakers trying to mobilize opposition.Trumps first two choices to head law enforcement and intelligence agencies  Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo for director of the Central Intelligence Agency  are leading advocates for domestic government spying at levels not seen since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.The fights expected to play out in the coming months  in Senate confirmation hearings and through executive action, legislation and litigation  also will set up an early test of Trumps relationship with Silicon Valley giants including Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. Trump signaled as much during his presidential campaign, when he urged a consumer boycott of Apple for refusing to help the FBI hack into a terrorists encrypted iPhone.An already over-powerful surveillance state is about to be let loose on the American people, said Daniel Schuman, policy director for Demand Progress, an internet and privacy advocacy organization.In a reversal of curbs imposed after Edward Snowdens revelations in 2013 about mass data-gathering by the NSA, Trump and Congress may move to reinstate the collection of bulk telephone records, renew powers to collect the content of e-mails and other internet activity, ease restrictions on hacking into computers and let the FBI keep preliminary investigations open longer.A first challenge for privacy advocates comes this week: A new rule is set to go into effect on Dec. 1 letting the FBI get permission from a judge in a single jurisdiction to hack into multiple computers whose locations arent known.Under the proposed rules, the government would now be able to obtain a single warrant to access and search thousands or millions of computers at once; and the vast majority of the affected computers would belong to the victims, not the perpetrators, of a cybercrime, Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who serves on the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.Wyden is one of seven senators, including libertarian Republican Rand Paul, who have introduced a bill to delay the new policy until July to give Congress time to debate its merits and consider amendments.Sessions, Pompeo and officials with national security and law enforcement agencies have argued that expanded surveillance powers are needed, especially because of the threat of small, deadly terrorist plots that are hard to detect, like the killing of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in June and 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., last year.The FBI had at one point opened a preliminary investigation into the Orlando killer, Omar Mateen, but didnt have the authority to keep it going for lack of evidence of wrongdoing.Whats needed is a fundamental upgrade to Americas surveillance capabilities, Pompeo and a co-author wrote in a Wall Street Journal commentary in January. Legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed.Pompeo and Sessions want to repeal a 2015 law that prohibits the FBI and NSA from collecting bulk phone records  metadata such as numbers called and dates and times  on Americans who arent suspected of wrongdoing.Congress should pass a law re-establishing collection of all metadata, and combining it with publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database, Pompeo wrote.Press aides for Sessions and Pompeo declined to comment.Sessions has opposed restraints on NSA surveillance and said in June that he supported legislation to expand the types of internet data the FBI can intercept without warrants.Congress is also expected to consider legislation early next year that would renew the governments ability to collect the content of email and other internet activity from companies such as Google and Facebook Inc.Under the Prism program, investigators pursuing suspected terrorists can intercept the content of electronic communications believed to come from outside the U.S. without specific warrants even if one end of the communications is inside the country or involves an American.Prism came under criticism when it was exposed by Snowden, the former NSA contractor who stole hundreds of thousands of documents on agency surveillance programs. Section 702 of the USA Patriot Act, under which Prism and other spy programs are conducted, is set to expire at the end of 2017 if it isnt reauthorized by Congress.James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has said he also wants to renew a debate early next year about whether Apple and other companies can resist court warrants seeking to unlock encrypted communications. The agency went to court trying to force Apple to create new software to crack password protection on a phone used by the shooter in San Bernardino.Boycott Apple until they give up the information, Trump said at a rally in South Carolina in February. He said Tim Cook, Apples chief executive officer, is looking to do a big number, probably to show how liberal he is. Apple should give up.While the FBI dropped that case against Apple after buying a tool to hack into the phone, the increasing use of encryption on mobile devices and messaging services remains a challenge to national security and law enforcement agencies.Republicans led by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina are expected to re-introduce legislation requiring companies to give investigators access to encrypted communications.The FBI is also seeking legislation that would allow it to obtain non-content electronic communication transactional records, such as browsing histories and computer Internet Protocol addresses, without court oversight or a warrant.Sessions and Burr supported the legislation earlier this year, while it was opposed by major technology groups as well as Google and Facebook.
Just over a week after reported that Illinois established a multiagency working group to investigate the full potential of blockchain technology within the state, state officials announced strategic initiatives meant to bolster the industry surrounding the technology and deploy it wherever they could.During the Chicago Blockchain Conference Nov. 30, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Secretary Bryan Schneider announced the Illinois Blockchain Initiative, which he said is aimed at not only better understanding the true potential of blockchain, but also solidifying the state as an innovation center for industry.The purpose in pulling this initiative together and giving it a name was threefold. We would like to educate ourselves on the technology as well as its societal, economic and legal implications, Schneider said. We think its important to learn about this technology before we start figuring out how to regulate it.The coalition of state partners includes the likes of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Department of Insurance, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Department of Innovation and Technology, and the Cooks County Recorder of Deeds.In line with the multiagency effort, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity named Assistant Deputy Director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Jennifer ORourke as the department's business liaison.In addition to kicking off the larger blockchain initiative, the department head also requested public comment on a proposed state guidance document for the tools. The so-called Digital Currency Regulatory Guidance would act as a clarifying document to the states Transmitters of Money Act.Schneider said he hopes Illinois will become a valuable resource in the national space, adding that officials are looking closely at the examples put forward by states like Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. He also said he would like to see as uniform regulation as possible.While we are all sovereign states, we have an obligation to try to be as uniform as possible to the greatest extent possible," he said. "We kept that in mind as we developed this guidance."Officials also discussed how blockchain would be used by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office. Schneider said the move makes it the first county land office in the country to deploy the technology to monitor land titles.This is, in my view, a much better way to prevent fraud because there are some bad actors out there, doing some things that affect your lives," said Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen Yarbrough, "and the bad thing is you dont even know it."Despite state legislation to tighten the grip on fraudulent title activity, Yarbrough said the unalterable technology poses a greater opportunity for the department.When asked how pervasive the technology it is likely to become in the public sector, Cook Countys Deputy Recorder of Deeds John Mirkovic said he fully expects the technology to be the new normal in both state and county government within the next decade.
Friends and family members of John Carpenter turned out Saturday to pay their respects to the longtime public servant during a service at the Elko Convention Center. His work as a county commissioner and state assemblyman will be long remembered, as he injected a rare dose of common sense into the workings of government. His pet projects spanned the political spectrum, covering everything from stricter law enforcement to improving education by decreasing the number of students in classrooms.

Perhaps the cause he will be most remembered for on a wide scale is the South Canyon Road dispute at Jarbidge. The lawsuit titled United States of America vs. John C. Carpenter, et al. was filed in 1999. It originally included Grant Gerber and O.Q. Chris Johnson, who were younger than Carpenter but died before him.

The lawsuit sought to prevent the Citizens United for the South Canyon Road from trespassing on U.S. Forest Service property to repair the road in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

As with many other conflicts, Carpenter put his own common sense above the letter of the law when it came to issues affecting peoples livelihoods and well-being.

This is the biggest bunch of bull trout Ive ever heard, he said after visiting the site in the summer of 1998, three years after a major flood wiped out large portions of the road next to the West Fork of the Jarbidge River.

The Forest Service had been planning to rebuild the road but reconsidered after Trout Unlimited sued the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over listing of the bull trout as a threatened species. Carpenter criticized a Forest Service supervisor who blocked Elko Countys efforts to repair the road without visiting the site himself to see what had already been done.

The bull trout survived that 1995 flood, they can certainly survive what the county did, Carpenter said.

A year later, he vowed to assemble a work party to reopen the road.

The people of this county own the road and its time we go up there and do it, he declared.

That promise was fulfilled the following year, on the Fourth of July, 2000, when a crowd of at least 100 road rebels used ropes and shovels to dislodge Liberty Rock, a large boulder the Forest Service had placed to block travel up the road.

It was the shovel-scoop heard round the West. Hundreds of supporters came from far and wide to support the act of civil disobedience.

This is a precedent-setting, grassroots movement, Carpenter said. The Feds have to start paying attention to the people.

The opening of South Canyon Road was a monumental undertaking, for which Carpenter might have been arrested had he not been a state assemblyman at the time.

After the dust settled and time began healing the wounded feelings between local residents and federal land managers, an agreement was reached between the county and Forest Service to leave the road open  despite it still being such a mess that even rugged vehicles can barely inch their way up the rocky path.

It was a victory for freedom. Then, less than three months before Carpenter died, a federal judge declared Elko County did not hold the right of way on South Canyon Road after all.

The lawsuit remains open today, and so does the road, as Elko County and environmental groups wrangle over implications of the latest ruling. We expect the final chapter will be a compromise that reflects the pragmatic, down to earth perspective of Elkos John C. Carpenter, a man whose humble life will be remembered as a David who took on Goliath  and became a legend in the fight for local control of Nevadas vast outback.
Felipe Massa has revealed that he should still be a familiar face in the F1 paddock next year.

Brazil's UOL Esporte claims the Brazilian is set to sign up as a regular commentator or pundit, but not for the country's own broadcaster TV Globo.

"I will not work with Globo because they are not coming to the races," said the former Williams and Ferrari driver.

UOL said Massa is therefore negotiating with Sky Italia, whose current broadcasting team includes Jean Alesi and Jacques Villeneuve, and former GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi.

"If I do some work on television, I will be at the track, so I'm talking to other people outside of Brazil," Massa admitted.

"My idea is that I would come to five or six races a year. And for now, this is not what is happening with Globo."

Massa said he thinks former drivers do a good job working on television after their full-time careers end.

"I don't know if they ask the best questions, but they often ask interesting questions. They know what they are talking about because it's something they lived," he said.

(GMM)
Spanish police have arrested two men and a woman over the alleged sale of a baby for 10,000. The Civil Guard says it was alerted after the woman, who has not been named, told social workers in the small community of Villamartin, in Cadiz province, that her daughter had died during birth and that the body had been donated to science.

A Civil Guard officer with the rescued baby. GUARDIA CIVIL

Police then launched Operation Princesita, or Operation Little Princess. When officers checked at the clinic where the woman  whom they described as of limited means  had given birth they discovered from the records that the child had been born alive, but that the mother had not registered the birth.

When questioned, the woman admitted she had been contacted by a same-sex couple, who have not been named, from the neighboring province of Almeria. That couple had offered to pay her 10,000 to undergo artificial insemination in a private clinic in Malaga and then hand over her child to them. Police said it had taken two attempts for the woman to become pregnant, and that the clinic had become suspicious, given her precarious economic situation.

Spains same-sex marriage laws allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt

The couple had arranged with the woman to take her and the new-born infant to the registry office in Almeria where the birth would be recorded. The mother was then due to sign a document before a notary public ceding the couple guardianship of the infant.

Police said the couple had contacted a number of other young women throughout Andalusia, all of them from deprived backgrounds, in a bid to find a surrogate mother.

The arrests came three days after the birth of the baby, reportedly in good health, which was with the couple at their home.

The two men and the woman have now been released on bail and are awaiting trial. The child is now in the care of social services.

Spain passed legislation in 2005 making same-sex marriage legal  laws which also enshrined the right for gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. However, same-sex couples have faced obstacles trying to adopt, particularly outside Europe.

The mother told social workers her daughter had died during birth and the body had been donated to science

Surrogate pregnancy is not legal in Spain, as the biological mothers renouncement contract is not legally valid. The 2006 Assisted Reproduction Law declared void any contract signed with a woman who agrees to see a pregnancy to term on behalf of another party, regardless of whether she is paid to do so or not. Even so, demand has grown in recent years as couples circumvent the law by traveling to countries where surrogacy is legal.

Around 800 Spanish couples resort to surrogate mothers in the US every year, according to advocacy group Son Nuestros Hijos (They are our kids).

However, in recent years Spanish couples have faced difficulties in registering the birth of children born outside the country to surrogate mothers.

In July, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of two French couples that had taken the French state to court after authorities in France refused to register their children, born to Indian mothers.

English version by Nick Lyne.
The Spanish Congress on Tuesday asked the government to repeal a controversial public safety law that was passed when the Popular Party (PP) still enjoyed an absolute majority. Known popularly as the Gag Law because of its crackdown on public protest, the Citizen Safety Law was widely criticized both before and after it came into effect, in July 2015.

Mariano Rajoy and his Popular Party oppose a repeal of the Citizen Safety Law. Ballesteros (EFE)

But now that the PP heads a minority government, the opposition is moving to undo the conservatives legacy.

For now, the resolution approved on Tuesday has symbolic and political value only. Introduced by the Socialist Party (PSOE), it is a statement of purpose that would require cross-party agreement in order to become a bill.

The PP said it rejects the resolution because of the terrorist threat in Spain

The Socialist-sponsored document states that the law should be rolled back because of its direct and negative impact on the exercise and development of fundamental rights.

The document asks instead for a new law that will ensure that sanctions against conduct that is detrimental to citizen safety will be proportional.

Only the PP voted against the non-binding resolution, while Ciudadanos abstained on the specific point relating to a repeal of the law after the PSOE refused to accept an amendment to the text.

The PP spokesman in Congress, Jose Alberto Martin Toledano, said his party was rejecting the resolution because of the terrorist threat in Spain, and added that the existing law already guarantees peoples fundamental rights.

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias in Congress, where his group successfully introduced a motion on energy poverty. Ballesteros (EFE)

The Citizen Safety Law was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation passed by the first Mariano Rajoy administration (2011-2015). Its new penalties for activities like protesting outside Congress or taking photographs of police officers led critics to claim that it seemed tailor-made for specific forms of peaceful protest in Spain, such as those staged by anti-eviction activists, labor unions and victims of preferred share schemes.

Energy poverty

Also on Tuesday, the leftist coalition Unidos Podemos obtained a majority in Congress to approve a motion of its own, asking the government to prohibit utilities from cutting off electricity from vulnerable clients without first reporting such cases to social services.

While this resolution also lacks any legal power, it confirms Podemos commitment to addressing energy poverty in Spain. The move comes shortly after a well-publicized case of an elderly woman who died inside her home in Catalonia after her bed caught fire: she had been using candles after her electricity was cut off.

In a third symbolic show of force from the opposition, Ciudadanos secured enough support to pass a motion against a tax amnesty introduced by the previous PP administration.

English version by Susana Urra.
Someone wanted to kill Renato Lopez. Thats the conclusion that prosecutors in the state of Mexico have reached after a week-long investigation into the brutal shooting of the Mexican actor, songwriter and television host inside his car.

Mexican actor Renato Lopez was shot 13 times. Instagram

More information Trece balazos para matar a Renato

Why the 33-year-old celebrity was killed is still unclear. What is obvious, however, is that even though he was traveling with his representative Omar Giron  who also died in the shooting  the criminals were going specifically after Renato.

There was no robbery and no kidnapping, just a direct attack, authorities told this newspaper. Renato Lopez was shot 13 times, much more than was necessary to kill him.

His death has shaken Mexicos arts scene. Lopez was in the middle of a promotional campaign for his new movie, Macho (or, Male), which premiered on November 11. In it, Lopez plays a homosexual man. Soy macho, pero no soy machista, (I am a male, but I am not sexist) he said in the last interview before his death.

The problem we have now is that organized crime is permeating in from nearby municipalities

Naucalpan city official

On the day of his murder, he had been scheduled to appear on a television program. But he never made it to the station.

The bodies were found on Thursday night. The authorities are sure that the victims did not put up a fight  their seat belts were still buckled.

The killing took place in Jilotzingo, a municipality of around 14,000 residents located 60 kilometers from the capital, in the state of Mexico. This is an area that is teeming with regional drug cartels, and investigators are considering the possibility that the attackers were members of local narcotics gangs.

Relatives who filed the missing persons report said that Lopez had arranged to meet a man on Wednesday afternoon in Atizapan de Zaragoza  located 16 kilometers from the spot where the bodies were found  for work-related issues.

When they got to the arranged meeting point, Giron told the client that the area seemed depopulated and unsafe. We are at the agreed point in the Esmeralda area, this is very empty and we are afraid that the people will not get here in time, reads the police report, as cited by some local media.

The unsolved crime adds to the concerns of Mexico City residents, especially in the western portion of the greater metropolitan area, where extreme violence has been hitting hard.

The place where the bodies were found is just a 20-minute drive away from the spot where a Spanish woman, Maria Villar, was found dead after being kidnapped outside her workplace in mid-September.

A similar distance to the south, the bodies of two women turned up inside some suitcases. And in early November, in a nearby municipality, the body of a 10-year-old girl was found inside a plastic bag.

Horacio Jimenez, the city secretary in Naucalpan, west of the capital, has admitted to EL PAIS that the area has serious security problems and that these appear to be spreading from town to town.

Naucalpan is part of an entity that includes eight of the 50 most dangerous municipalities in the country, he noted. The problem we have now is that organized crime is permeating in from nearby municipalities. We already have street patrols from every force: the police, the army and the marines.

One of the eight municipalities mentioned by Jimenez is Jilotzingo, the same one where Renato Lopez was killed.

English version by Susana Urra.
Two years after states around the country passed an unprecedented number of police reforms after the killing of George Floyd, some are struggling to make the new policies stick. The momentum for change has slowed from its earlier frenetic pace. Some of the reforms have been rolled back or at least tweaked after police complained that the new policies were hindering their ability to catch criminals. Legal experts say police killings of Black people over the last decade  epitomized by Floyds killing  have altered the trajectory of policing. But change has come about unevenly in thousands of police departments across the U.S.
Spanish police have arrested a man they suspect of being a lone wolf terrorist who was preparing to carry out acts of terrorism against the general public. The man, who is of Moroccan origin, was arrested in the town of Aranjuez where he lived. He had become radicalized in recent months, modeling himself on the four terrorists who killed themselves in a Madrid apartment after they carried out the 2004 terror attacks in the Spanish capital , police said in a statement.

Police arrest a suspected terrorist in Ceuta on October 16. EFE

According to investigators, the suspect, who had studied up on terrorist tactics online, had no fear of legal reprisals for any attacks he might have carried out  a sign both of the threat he posed and of his membership of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) terror group.

The man had converted to the jihadist cause after constantly viewing audiovisual material on the internet and hoped to recruit people with a range of skills to help him carry out terrorist attacks, police said.

Investigators added that the suspect had all the hallmarks of a lone wolf terrorist, including constant online activity using numerous profiles, a limited social life and the viewing and sharing of videos and publications with references to suicide missions carried out by jihadists. He had also accepted an ISIS call to take part in individual jihad and wage war in the homes of the West.

Police said the suspect had all the hallmarks of a lone wolf operative including constant online activity and no social life

The arrest came in the wake of three other similar operations of in recent days, including the detention of four suspects with possible links to the Paris terror attacks of 2015.

In related news, authorities in Germany have detained a Spanish-born German citizen who worked for German intelligence services after he allegedly made pro-jihadist statements and handed over classified information during online chats carried out using a false name.

The 51-year-old suspect, who had worked for German security forces since April, had planned to carry out attacks in the city of Cologne, according to reports in the Der Spiegel and Die Welt newspapers.

Spain has been at terror alert level four  the second-highest level  since the jihadist attacks against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 2014.

Up to 450 citizens or residents of Spain have traveled to Syria and Iraq over the last two years to join ISIS, according to figures released recently by the Moroccan Center for Strategic Studies. That figure more than doubles the official number of Spain-based recruits estimated by the Interior Ministry, which talks about 190 individuals.

English version by George Mills.
US President-elect Donald Trump says he and Vice-President Mike Pence will travel to the state of Indiana on Thursday to announce a deal that will save around 1,000 jobs by keeping open an Indianapolis air conditioning factory owned by Carrier, and which was due to close and relocate to Mexico .

Vice-President Mike Pence speaking in New York on Tuesday. BRYAN R. SMITH (AFP)

More information Trump salva la mitad del empleo de una fabrica que habia anunciado su traslado a Mexico

Few details have yet emerged, apart from Carrier sending out a tweet on Tuesday that it was pleased to have reached a deal with Trump.

Throughout his election campaign, Trump promised to prevent US manufacturers from moving US jobs overseas, particularly to Mexico. His emphasis on industrial jobs in part explains his appeal with working-class voters in states throughout the country's rust belt that have traditionally voted Democrat in presidential elections.

Last week, Trump said he was making progress on making sure Carrier would remain in Indiana.

The President-elect plans to provide US industry with state aid

The company had announced in February that it was closing its Indianapolis plant and moving its manufacturing to Mexico. This would have seen the factorys workers laid off over three years from 2017.

In a September debate against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump picked out Carrier for criticism.

So many hundreds and hundreds of companies are doing this, he said, adding: We have to stop our jobs from being stolen from us. We have to stop our companies from leaving the United States.

Trump seems to be living up to his campaign pledge to be friendlier to businesses by easing regulations and overhauling the corporate tax code.

The state of Indiana also plans to give economic incentives to Carrier as part of the deal to stay, according to local officials.

Trump had also criticized Ford after the company said it planned to invest $2.5 billion in engine and transmission plants in Mexico. The company has since announced it will continue to produce its upscale Lincoln model at its Kentucky plant.

Trump promised during his campaign to keep jobs in the United States

The decline of US industry has hit the countrys middle and working classes hard; men and women who have spent their adult lives working in factories now find themselves flipping burgers or working in other low-skilled, low-wage service sectors. Globalization has forced many companies to relocate to countries with lower wage bills in a bid to maintain competitiveness. In the last 15 years, 60,000 factories have closed, with the disappearance of 4.8 million jobs, as Bernie Sanders, who lost the Democratic Partys presidential nomination race to Hillary Clinton, pointed out repeatedly on the campaign trail.

As The New York Times, which broke the Carrier story, has argued, only a businessman like Trump could take on corporate America without being called a Bernie Sanders-style socialist. If Barack Obama had tried the same maneuver, hed probably have drawn criticism for intervening in the free market, said the paper on Monday.

English version by Nick Lyne.
GREENWICH  On Thursday, the towns Registrar of Voters Office will oversee a hand recount for District 2s results in last months presidential, vice presidential and congressional race.

The recount is a state-mandated audit to check on the performance of optical scan voting machines. It is one of several recounts taking place throughout Connecticut.

We want to insure the vote tabulations are as accurate as possible, Patrick Gallahue, communications director for the Secretary of the States Office, said Wednesday. This is about the integrity of the vote and to insure that every vote is counted.

Statewide, there are 747 polling places that use optical scan machines. The Secretary of States Office has chosen 38 primary and 31 alternate polling locations to make its test. Greenwich will look at a single districts votes.

The recount is open to the public. It starts at 2 p.m. Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro III said he expects it to take three hours.

DeCaro said the first step was to make sure that all 1,688 ballots received from District 2 are there.

Once the number of actual ballots is confirmed, they will be separated into packs of 25. Two teams of five people each will look at them. The first team will check the results and then hand it off to the second team to confirm those numbers.

Once both numbers are confirmed to match, DeCaro and Democratic Registrar of Voters Sharon Vecchiolla will do the final check.

Its an important process, DeCaro said. I think 10 years ago, when they started this, there was a lot more attention to it because people were concerned about whether votes were being counted with the optical scan machines. Theyve been doing these recounts every year and theres a lot more confidence in the process now. Weve never had an issue.

According to the registrars office, Democrat Hillary Clinton won 839 votes in the presidential race in District 2 with Republican Donald Trump getting 689. Additionally Libertarian Garry Johnson won 81 and Green Party candidate Jill Stein got 22.

In the congressional race, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th) got 198 votes and his Republican challenger, John Shaban, received 153 votes as a Republican, three as an independent and one on the unknown line, which meant Shaban was voted for twice on one ballot.

The United States Senate, State Senate and State Representative races in District 2 are not being recounted.

Nationally, questions have persisted about the vote before and after the election. Trump secured the required Electoral College votes; Clinton apparently won the popular vote by more than 2 million votes.

Political science experts have also questioned the vote results in key swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all of which were won by Trump. Stein has pushed for recounts in those states.

Connecticut has reported no such issues.

Connecticut should be proud to have some of the most stringent audit laws in the country, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said. In an election that saw various entities attempt to sow the seeds of doubt in the process, this state can be assured that all possible safeguards are in place to count every vote.

Gallahue said that all of the recounts done have found the optical scanners have performed admirably.

kborsuk@scni.com
The big question on Cubans mind on Tuesday  halfway through the nine days of funeral solemnities over the death of Fidel Castro last Friday  was whether his brother Raul would speak at the mass event scheduled for that evening at Revolution Square in Havana.

Raul Castro during his address on Tuesday. C. G. R. (REUTERS)

More information Raul Castro, varios lideres amigos y miles de cubanos despiden a Fidel en La Habana

The matter was cleared up when the Cuban president took the stage after Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. And he opened his own speech with a joke: Everyone can rest easy, I am the last speaker.

The rest of his address, however, was imbued with gravity and dedicated fundamentally to celebrating the legacy left behind by his brother Fidel.

He devoted his life to solidarity, and led a Revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble, he said.

The Cuban president, who announced Fidels death on Friday night, had not spoken in public since then. A leading presence on the island ever since his older brother retired from politics due to illness in 2006, Raul Castro is now a more relevant figure than ever.

He is the last surviving member on the list of great names linked to the history of the Cuban revolution, and at age 85, he faces the challenge of reforming the system or at least putting it on the right track before leaving the presidency in 2018, as he has promised to do.

On Tuesday, Raul Castro peppered his tribute to Fidel with historical references.

Military cadets hold up pictures of Fidel Castro at the Tuesday tribute. Getty Images

In the face of aggressions backed by the Organization of American States, Fidel proclaimed that behind the homeland, behind the free flag, behind the redeeming revolution, there is a nation full of dignity that stands ready to defend its independence and the common destiny of a freed Latin America, he asserted.

Another time, he stated that with him standing right here, Cuba was declared an illiteracy-free territory in December 1961.

He devoted his life to solidarity, and led a Revolution of the humble, by the humble and for the humble

Cuban President Raul Castro

The presidents address ended with an emotional tribute to Fidels memory: Standing precisely here, where we celebrate our victories, we say to you, together with our self-sacrificing, combative and heroic people: ever onward to victory!

The crowd broke out in applause, chanting Yo soy Fidel, yo soy Fidel (or, I am Fidel, I am Fidel) and Raul, amigo, el pueblo esta contigo. (Raul, friend, the people are with you).

The coming months will pose a challenge to the Cuban president. In January, Donald Trump will take office as the next US president, and the Republican has already expressed opposition to the thaw initiated by Barack Obama.

Additionally, the Cuban system will have to get accustomed to the symbolic void left behind by Fidel in a country that was built around him.

Ideological allies

Raul Castro was joined in his tribute by the leaders of other countries with ideological affinities: Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, Daniel Ortega from Nicaragua, Evo Morales from Bolivia, and Rafael Correa from Ecuador.

As he gave the stage over to Castro, Maduro told him: You can count on Venezuela, today more than ever.

Ecuadors Correa said: Fidel, most of the nation loved you with a passion, a minority hated you, but nobody was able to ignore you.

The most notable absentee from an event attended by hundreds of thousands of Cubans was Russian president Vladimir Putin. Neither did Chinas Xi Jinping show up.

But perhaps even more surprising was the absence of a high-ranking US representative at the ceremony. Even though Obama initiated the normalization of relations with Havana, his lame duck status and Trumps haughty stance towards Cuba have meant that no official delegation traveled to the island for the tribute.

Instead, the de facto US ambassador to Havana, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, and Ben Rhodes, who helped Obama initiate the thaw, were the sole Washington representatives in Havana.

Spain sent honorary King Juan Carlos, father to Felipe VI.

On Wednesday, a hearse will take Fidels ashes from Havana to Santiago de Cuba for burial on Saturday.

English version by Susana Urra.
The real deal. Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Americans convinced the USDAs long-standing ban on haggis  essentially, a large sack of savory pudding made from sheep lungs and other organ meat  is a gross injustice may soon have more to celebrate than just Robert Burnss birthday. The feds are wrapping up years of negotiations with Scotland over the dish, and it looks like they plan to ease import restrictions for the first time since 1971.

Thats the year when haggis became officially frowned upon after the government ruled livestock lungs  necessary for the dish  arent for use as human food. This hurdle got higher in 1997, when the ban on lungs was extended to the whole animal after the U.K.s mad-cow outbreak. But Scottish officials tell CNN the U.S. may lift the 1997 ban during the first half of next year. Its a development that could be colossal, according to reps for haggis giant Macsween, adding the company is already prepping an American version.



This means that for better or worse, haggiss time may happen. For those who are still squeamish, please remember that no less an authority than Anthony Bourdain has previously opined: There is no more unfavorably reviled food on Earth than haggis. [But] its ingredients are in fact no more unusual, or bizarre, or unappetizing, than any hot dog you ever ate. How many anal glands are there in a chicken nugget? Eat up!


For those in the UK who are eagerly waiting for Samsung to release its Samsung Pay mobile payments service in the country, there's bad news: the service's launch has been pushed back to next year.

"Following successful launches of Samsung Pay around the world, we are planning to launch the service in the UK in 2017," the South Korean tech giant said.

Samsung had earlier said that the service will be launched in the UK this year. As for the reason behind the delay, while there's no official word on it, reports say it's due to negotiations with banks, which is taking longer than expected.

It's worth mentioning that similar offerings by Google and Apple have already made it to the UK - Apple Pay in July 2015 and Android Pay in May 2015.

Via
Samsung will reveal why the Note7 went up in flames by the end of the year

Remember the Samsung Galaxy Note7? It was launched a few months ago and it quickly blew up, seeing tremendous success across the world, selling 4.3 million units. Then it literally started blowing up. So why did it have this not so cute tendency to go all up in flames?

First, Samsung said a specific battery supplier was to blame - its own battery-making subsidiary, in fact. So the company issued a recall and then restarted sales of units using batteries from other sources. That didn't work out, the Note7s were still catching fire left and right. And that's when the device got discontinued.

Ever since, Samsung has been working on an internal investigation, vowing to find out the exact cause for the Note7 fires. According to a report out of the company's home country of South Korea, the conclusions of this investigation will be made public before the end of the year. Thus, within a month or so we should have a definitive cause for the Galaxy Note7 debacle. This should neatly tie up the Note7 story before the Galaxy S8 is announced at MWC in February.

Source | Via
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The largest and most important percentage to emerge from Haitis Nov. 20, 2016 election is that 78.31% of the countrys 6.2 million eligible voters did not vote. * Some could not obtain their National Identification Card (CIN) or find their name on the long voter lists posted on the gates of huge voting centers. Others could not get to their assigned center because they live or work too far away, perhaps in another part of the country. In fact, the whole voting center system, which is different from that used in the 1990s when participation was much higher, has objectively suppressed the votes of many poor, itinerant Haitians. Nonetheless, it appears that the vast majority of Haitians remain disenchanted with or unmoved by the candidates offered in the last four presidential contests in 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016, or have lost faith in elections as a means to change their miserable lot. Participation in all those contests lurked at about one quarter of the electorate. The November 2016 polling is one of the lowest turnouts for a presidential election in Haiti and the Western Hemisphere. Of the 21.69% of voters who did turn out, preliminary results of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) gave: 55.67% to Jovenel Moise of former president Michel Martellys Haitian Bald Headed Party (PHTK); 19.52% to Jude Celestin of the Alternative League for Progress and Haitian Emancipation (LAPEH), an affiliate of former president Rene Preval; 11.04% to Moise Jean-Charles of the Dessalines Children (Pitit Desalin) party, a Lavalas break-away; and 8.99% to Maryse Narcisse of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristides Lavalas Family Political Organization (FL). Final results are scheduled to be announced on Dec. 29, 2016. The FL has charged that the preliminary results reflect an electoral coup detat, and LAPEH and seven senators claim that many ballots lacked the necessary voter signatures or fingerprints to make them valid. Indeed, the results announcement, originally scheduled for Sun., Nov. 27, was postponed until the next day at 1:00 p.m., and then for another nine hours after that. Radio stations excitedly buzzed with accounts of fraud and struggle within the CEP. In one Radio Kiskeya interview greatly debated on social media, Harold Desinor, a supposed specialist is cyber-crime, claimed that over 60% of the voter tallies (proces verbal) were fraudulent or irregular, that the results were being changed from 46% for Jovenel and 26% for Jude to 58% and 18% respectively, and that four of the nine CEP members were refusing to sign off on the preliminary results. Indeed, three CEP members did not sign the paper listing the results, which were released after 10 p.m. on Nov. 28, but, at press time, they had not publicly given their reasons why. The FL, for one, has vowed to take their objections to the National Electoral Complaints and Challenges Bureau (BCEN). Since the days right after the Nov. 20 election, the party has been holding spirited street demonstrations in Port-au-Prince denouncing the contest as fraudulent. While some cases of fraud are likely to be discovered, they probably will not change the final outcome enough to stop a PHTK first-round victory, which comes with a 50% plus one vote result or a 25% spread between first and second place. Already, of 11,870 tally sheets, 1,252 have been set aside by the CEP, and 118 have not yet been received. Jovenel Moises likely win seems to fit a pattern of electoral victories by right-wing businessmen across the hemisphere: Juan Orlando Hernandez in Honduras (2013), Mauricio Macri in Argentina (2015), and Donald Trump in the U.S. (2016). Jovenel, 48, crisscrossed Haiti promising jobs, holding up his successful business of exporting bananas to Europe. Clearly, the PHTK candidate, known as Neg Bannann, also outspent all his rivals. While the source of his campaigns extensive funding remains unclear, it is certain that he benefitted from the millions of dollars which the Martelly clique skimmed from the PetroCaribe fund, a multibillion dollar pot of petroleum sales receipts made possible by Venezuela for public welfare projects. Without hiding its brazen political patronage, the Martelly regime used these projects  like Ede Pep (Help the People), Aba Grangou (Down with Hunger), et Ti Manman Cheri (Dear Little Mother)  to give away free meals, vehicles, and houses to win over Haitis poor, the traditional Lavalas base. The PetroCaribe fund also allowed the PHTK machine to have the most posters, the largest billboards, the best produced radio spots, ads on Digicel 50 gourdes cellphone recharge cards, and sound-boats blasting the coast with their propaganda. Their candidate had the money to distribute the most aid after Hurricane Matthew ravaged the south in October and to campaign more widely and impressively deep in the countryside, not just the cities. Jovenel also hired the only professional election consulting firm, the Madrid-based Ostos & Sola, which had ensured Martellys 2011 victory, with a little help from then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The same firm, linked to Republican Senator John McCain and the National Endowment for Democracys International Republican Institute (IRI), also helped elect other right-wing presidents like Mexico's Felipe Calderon (2006) and Guatemalas Otto Perez Molina (2011). Finally, one has to look at what has weakened Haitis progressive parties. In 1990 and 2000, Jean-Bertrand Aristide won the presidency with 1.6 and 2.2 million votes, versus the 595,000 who apparently voted for Jovenel this year. Immediately after both of Aristides victories, the U.S. government immediately began to sabotage his government, resulting in the coups detat of 1991 and 2004. In the words of lawyer Brian Concannon, Jr., his governments were never allowed the opportunity of demonstrating how democracy can work. Therefore, many young Haitians, who dont remember the brutal Duvalier dictatorship which ended in 1986, associate the Lavalas reigns under which they grew up with instability, deprivation, and crisis. While Aristides reputation can still turn out a large crowd, as the 2016 campaign showed, the FL candidate he stumped for, Dr. Maryse Narcisse, was not a public speaker and did not generate great passion in the Lavalas base. The FL had been excluded from elections since the 2004 coup. Meanwhile, the charismatic former Sen. Moise Jean-Charles, who had been in the forefront of denouncing the Martelly regimes corruption and repression, gained national recognition for his courage and leadership but was expelled from the FL for various ideological and tactical differences. He proposed a more Dessalinien (i.e. anti-imperialist) path to Aristides reliance on the bluff-based political triangulation tactics (mawonaj) of Toussaint Louverture. After launching the Pitit Desalin split-off in 2015, Moise Jean-Charles was unable to build it into an effective, disciplined party based on principles and a program, relying heavily on dubious alliances with political opportunists and even enemies. As a result, Moises party suffered almost regular defections and betrayals. His partisans also began to clash with those of the FL, confrontations which helped neither campaign. In short, divisions in the progressive camp helped Jovenel Moise, around whom Haitis right wing and neo-Duvalierists rallied. Despite his likely (but compromised) victory with only 12% of the electorate, Jovenel is sure to face a difficult five year term. Venezuela, to which the Haitian government still owes over nine months of back gas payments, is now in dire economic straits. A PHTK government will no longer have the deep PetroCaribe pot to dip into, if indeed the PetroCaribe program even continues. Furthermore, the Haitian governments anti-corruption unit UCREF put out a scathing report on the malfeasance of Jovenels company Agritrans under the Martelly regime. Although the reports revelations were not enough to sink his campaign, they will certainly return with a vengeance if the jobs and prosperity Jovenel promised fail to materialize. It is inevitable too, if the apparent losers dont coalesce into a single coalition to fight and scuttle these election results like those of Oct. 25, 2015, that the progressive currents, including the FL and Pitit Desalin, will reflect on their defeat, and this may also lead to some future unity.



_______________



* If we accept the CEPs figure of votes nuls). That leaves a discripancy of 214,683 votes unaccounted for. Are these votes contained in the 1,252 voter tallies quarantined and the 118 not yet received (as of Nov. 28)? Furthermore, authorities have said that, after Hurricane Matthew, some 600,000 people applied for new voter cards (Carte didentification nationale or CIN) but were unable to get them. This makes over 800,000 eligible voters whose votes have not been counted. The legal challenges of fraud may further increase this figure. Since Jovenel Moises lead over Jude Celestin is only 386,593, the final results, to be announced Dec. 29, are far from certain. Again, the figure to remember is the 5.2 million disenfranchised and discouraged Haitians who did not vote, not the one million who did. They will be the tinder in a box which is already surrounded by many burning matches._______________* If we accept the CEPs figure of 6,189,253 eligible voters participating at 21.69% (according to the Haitian Coalition of Electoral Observation), then 1,342,449 voted. However the CEPs preliminary figures only cite 1,069,646 valid votes (along with 58,120 voided votes or). That leaves a discripancy of 214,683 votes unaccounted for. Are these votes contained in the 1,252 voter tallies quarantined and the 118 not yet received (as of Nov. 28)? Furthermore, authorities have said that, after Hurricane Matthew, some 600,000 people applied for new voter cards (or CIN) but were unable to get them. This makes over 800,000 eligible voters whose votes have not been counted. The legal challenges of fraud may further increase this figure. Since Jovenel Moises lead over Jude Celestin is only 386,593, the final results, to be announced Dec. 29, are far from certain.




Haiti - FLASH : The 3 main losers contest the victory of Jovenel Moise





Following the preliminary results of the first round of the presidential election of 20 November published Monday night https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19370-haiti-flash-preliminary-results-1st-round-elections-20-november-2016.html the main 3 losing candidates challenged as of Tuesday the victory of Jovenel Moise of the "Parti Haitien Tet Kale" (PHTK) who won the majority in the first round, with 595,430 votes (55.67% of the votes).



Jude Celestin candidate for the presidency under the banner of the "Alternative League for the Progress and the Haitian Emancipation" (LAPEH) arrived 2nd with 208,837 votes (19.52% of the votes), rejects the results of the presidential and declared that he will go into the legal battle to get the truth out. Me Andre Michel the lawyer of LAPEH, announces of challenges and mobilization against "the electoral coup" by Jovenel Moise [...] We reject the results of the votes with a backhand."



Moise Jean-Charles candidate for the presidency under the banner of "Pitit Dessalines", arrives 3rd with 118,142 votes (11.04% of the votes), which affirms that no candidate can win the presidential election in the 1st turn according to his calculations realized from the Copies of PV that he holds, rejects the results of the presidential election. He announced that he would contest without violence the results of the elections of November 20 using all the legal means to bring the CEP to respect the popular vote.



Maryse Narcisse presidential candidate under the banner "Fanmi Lavalas" arrives 4th with 96,121 votes (8.99% of votes) which rejects with a backhand the election of a candidate from the first round, affirms that the results of the Presidential election are "an electoral coup" against which his party had warned since the beginning of the Tabulation. She announces that Famni Lavalas will contest and calls on citizens to remain mobilized to demand respect for the verdict of the ballot boxes.



Exception among the main losers, Jean Henri Ceant presidential candidate under the banner "Renmen Ayiti" arrived 5th on Tuesday declared on a radio of the capital that he had phoned Jovenel Moise to congratulate him of his victory "I am not interested in the candidacy for the presidency".



Edmonde Supplice Bauzile, candidate to the presidency under the banner of the party "fusion of the Haitian Social-Democrats" (FUSION), arrived 6th also congratulated Jovenel Moise and affirmed not wanting to contest this result.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19370-haiti-flash-preliminary-results-1st-round-elections-20-november-2016.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Prime Cuts: Hope of All Hopes, There's a Song in the Air and Above All Else

You can't judge a book by its cover. This adage is particularly true when it comes to New Hope Oahu's debut Christmas release for the enterprising DREAM Records. With a silvery words typeset against a black background, "Hope of All Hopes" looks more like one of those "20 of the Latest Pop Songs" compilations than a festive offering. There are no decorative mistletoes or flashy angels or illustrative manger scenes. Other than the star with its laser beam glow, there's not much in terms of the album's cover that screams, "Christmas." But, looks are deceiving. This is, in fact, one of this year's better Christmas releases.

"Hope of All Hopes" is judiciously balanced in terms of offering both originals as well as the more familiar carols. And unlike many other efforts, the originals actually are in par or even better in terms of the songs' quality relative to the covers. Though often marketed as a worship band (and there are definitely some tunes geared towards corporate worship), on this record, the band actually branches out to incorporate some more jazzy instrumentals as well as more devotional (and personal) pieces.

Before we delve into an exposition of the individual tracks, it's apropos to say a word of introduction about the team. New Hope Oahu is listed as one of the top ten most innovative churches in America with Outreach Magazine listing them as one of the "top five churches to learn from." New Hope Oahu's previous 3 albums have each charted on The Billboard Overall Christian Music Chart, with their last release, "Greater Together", debuting at #1. The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts has also recognized New Hope Oahu's albums as "Religious Album of the Year" for the past 3 years.

Fans who have loved the combustible sounds of New Hope Oahu's powerhouse worship would love the title cut "Hope of All Hopes." Sizzling with lots of hot electric guitar riffs and layered keyboard sounds, "Hope of All Hopes" is a great worship opener to chase away all the winter blues as God's firey presence is ignited. But not all is loud and busy. "There's a Song in the Air" and "Above All Else" are gorgeous reflective piano-led pieces, both of which are perfect soundtracks for our personal worship and reflection. While the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel" often can be performed at a dirge-like pace, the team does livens the carol up with a Pentatonix touch meshing it with the modern classic "Mary, Did You Know?"

Senior pastor Wayne Cordeiro makes a surprising appearance by offering his Wayne Newton-esque to "Silent Night." The team breaks away from predictability by offering instrumental takes of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Greensleeves." Of interest is with the former, DeShannon Higa offers a jazzy Dave Koz-saxophone-led version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" that is particularly soothing. "Hope of All Hopes," in short, is atypical of New Hope Oahu's repertoire and of the average worship Christmas album. It brims with ingenuity, creativity, and passion.

Tags : dream records new hope oahu new hope oahu new album new hope oahu hope of all hopes album review christmas albums 2016 new hope oahu news
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

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The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh
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Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

16:31, 2 NOV 2022
Levon Zurabyan tried hard to understand Galust Sahakyan but he could not (video)

Levon Zurabyan, who heads the parliamentary faction of the Armenian National Congress (HAK), was perplexed by the November 29 statement of Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan. The latter said yesterday that the Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) wanted to hand over territories when it became the ruling party in the 90s. Galust Sahakyan also said that Levon Ter-Petrosyan was not only loved by the HAK, he was within our national understandings. I do not think it's possible to understand and comprehend him. I tried to figure out his words but to no avail. I am used to respecting my opponents. I am trying my best to understand the seriousness of these words. I tried to decipher his words several times, but all my efforts failed. At least, I understand that Galust Sahakyan has no place in our national perceptions as it is impossible to understand what he says in general, Zurabyan said. The HAK lawmaker is in two minds about whether to take Shakyans words seriously or not in view of the Karabakh conflict. We have seen the policy of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), we have seen how they have worsened the positions of Armenia and Karabak. I do not know what we are fighting for but I can see that the negotiation process has reached a deadlock and is in much worse condition than it was in the 1990s. In these years, Azerbaijan was ready and even agreed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict because Armenia was in a better position. Today, the rules are dictated by Azerbaijan. I hope Galust Sahakyan will understand me, he continued. Levon Zurabyan finds the opinion that Levon Ter-Petrosyan was going to surrender territories as absurd. If you look back into the history of Armenia, you will see that it was probably the first time in the last millennium that Armenians took over territories instead of ceding them. Skillful politicians use peaceful vocabulary; they speak about peace, regulation of the conflict, taking more territories in process, the HAK lawmaker said.
STATE CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION CALLS ON HAWAII TO OPPOSE NATIONAL TREND OF DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT

News Release from DLIR, Nov 29, 2016 (With clarifying text added in parenthesis.)

HONOLULU  The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC) today announced that Chair Linda Hamilton Krieger called on the people of Hawaii to stand against the reported (Key word: reported. Hey do you think the media is manipulating these so-called reports?) rise in the incidence of discriminatory harassment and intimidation. National reports (That word again.) of a spike in anti-immigrant, anti-Black, anti-LGBT, anti-Muslim, and anti-woman harassment in the wake of the Presidential election raise serious concerns, said Krieger. But our values are different here in Hawaii, and we must be vigilant in protecting them. In our diversity, we must continue to embrace the value of human dignity expressed in the Native Hawaiian saying, aloha aku, aloha mai  to respect and to receive respect. When things get tough, we must resist the temptation to turn on the most vulnerable among us and instead live the value, malama kekahi i kekahi  to care for one another.

In these trying times, minorities face attacks not seen since post-9/11 attacks on Muslims and Arab Americans. added HCRC Executive Director William Hoshijo. Those who share a commitment to civil rights must stand up for those who cannot stand alone. (Will they hire a lawyer for that Muslim refugee in Ohio? Too late, hes dead. Maybe they will sue the police officer who shot him?)

It is offensive that proponents of a Muslim registration system cite the World War II internment of Japanese Americans as precedent to justify government targeting of an unpopular minority, in this case based on religion rather than race or ancestry, said HCRC Commissioner Liann Ebesugawa. Our Constitution guarantees equal protection of the laws to all. Never again should we make exceptions on the basis of race, national origin, or religion. (Heres how Hawaii dealt with enemy aliens during WW2. LINK Read it is you dare.)

The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing, and will enforce, state civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded services. The HCRC stands in opposition to discriminatory harassment, whether in schools, workplaces, places of business, or in our communities. (But it is OK to discriminate against real or perceived Trump voters. In fact, well help you.)

If you feel you have been subjected to discrimination or harassment because of your race, ancestry, sexual orientation, religion, sex, including gender identity, or other prohibited bases, contact the HCRC at: telephone (808) 586-8636, or email DLIR.HCRC.INFOR@hawaii.gov.

(If you feel you have been subjected to discrimination or harassment because you voted for Trump, call us so we can fine you and give your harasser a medal and some cash.)

For more information, go to the HCRC webpage at: http://labor.hawaii.gov/hcrc/.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

TDD/TTY Dial 711 then ask for (808) 586-8866

# # #

SPLC 'Reported': Ten Days After: Harassment and Intimidation in the Aftermath of the Election

RELATED: University of Hawaii: Report Trump Voters to Campus Police

Flashback: Forgotten Honouliuli: Jack Burns, Police Spy

Fun Idea: Report Tulsi Gabbard to Civil Rights Commission
The Bungled Star Advertiser Opinion

by Joni Kamiya, Hawaii Farmers Daughter, November 29, 2016

Dear Editorial Board of the Honolulu Star Advertiser,

I have to say that when I read your op-ed on the issue of GMOs and pesticides, I was totally disheartened by your ill informed stance. Im not sure if youve ever been out to the large farm or even visited a small farm to ask some questions to learn about the issue, but it doesnt seem like it to me.

One key point that stood out to me was the comment that the, Anti-GMO have national standing. Im simply floored by that statement.

Who exactly are the anti-GMO activists with national standing? Lets take a look.

Zen Honeycutt-mom, professional paid activist, with zero science background, and talks a lot of non-science or nonsense if you ask me.

Watch her video in the link below and see if you can figure out whats wrong with what shes saying. Note that this woman was recently here in Hawaii on the SHAKA Movements dime too. Shes also moved on from protesting Monsanto and went on the the Dakota Pipeline protests right now.

Vani Hari-Ms. If-You-Cant-Pronounce-It-Dont-Eat-It and be afraid of chemicals entrepreneur who gets paid by food companies after she sends her Food Babe Army after them.

This woman is a computer scientist who takes advantage of peoples ignorance and uses it to her own advantage. Fear is how she operates and she promotes the muddling of science and even attacks scientists who speaks out against her. Its a business venture for her and its apparently very profitable because shes always traveling to luxurious locales.

Vandana Shiva-Another big time money maker and highly inflammatory character of the anti-GMO movement.

Every speech she gives, she takes in at least $40K and in Hawaii, on one of her tours, she made some $109,000 from Hawaii Seed! As with other anti-GMO activists, as soon as you question their facts, youre banned. Theres no discussion with these folks and if thats the case, how is one to ever work with their demands?

There are so many other anti-GMO activists backed with lots of money and media power to get to their national standing. From Jeffrey Smith, Gary Null, Stephanie Seneff, Andrew Kimbrell, to UHs own Hector Valenzuela, its a very well coordinated movement that isnt based on facts and thrives on fear and misinformation. The Star Advertisers editorial board did the papaya farms no favors with what they wrote and nor did they bother to check into the facts around pesticides in our state. Instead, they continue to give the public a slanted view that only farmers are users and arent responsible about it when they state that the State of Hawaii must ensure the public. The fear mongering message they allude to in their editorial will continue the harassment of the farmers, as Farm Bureau President, Randy Cabral, stated this past weekend.

Let me remind the editorial board what the GMO farmer had to face earlier this year because they, as the main media source in our state, continues to give the facade of legitimacy to the anti-GMO activists.

My dad, a lifetime farmer, and food grower in Hawaii had to face the consequence of fear mongering around GMOs and pesticides. He got yelled at by a very fearful woman so beleaguered by the likes of the Center for Food Safety, Earthjustice, and Hawaii Seed. He has grown millions of pounds of papayas and worked tirelessly for over 5 decades had to face a woman who had been taken advantage of by fear profiteers. Gone are the days where neighbors and come and talk to each other about what they are doing. Instead, hot tempered emotion clouds peoples thinking and turns them into ugly, mean people. Thats simply not sustainable in Hawaii, where everyone knows everyone.

So Star Advertisers editorial board, Id really appreciate it if a bit more investigative reporting is done and going to the source of the issue would take place. Tomorrow, I get to process some 7000 lbs of papaya that so many people depend upon and thats hard work enough. Our family and workers deserve respect and our voices heard above those of well paid activists like Ashley Lukens, attention seeker Nomi Carmona, and the protest everything Walter Rittes. They arent the ones in the fields or on the farms growing Hawaii. We are the ones striving to preserve agriculture in our state and provide locally grown foods that everyone wants but arent stepping up to do.

Id love to see the board really go through and crosscheck their stances and the groups with national standing. We need more critical thinking and well informed stances, not ones based on fake news. Fake news has too many unintended consequences and we will all pay the price whether we like it or not.

Aloha,

Joni aka The Hawaii Farmers Daughter

* * * * *

Nov 22: Star-Adv: Ag Dept Must Take Anti-GMO Idiots Seriously Because some of them are Rich
Political analyst: Criminal groups and political parties do not differ under new law (video)

Political analyst Manvel Sargsyan says the bill on amending the Armenian Law on Political Parties which passed its first reading in the Armenian National Assembly on Wednesday, paves way for parties to be irresponsible. It does not contain elementary things, for example it does not differentiate between a political party and a criminal grouping. People will understand later how dangerous it is to allow at least one person to be irresponsible in the political domain, he said. Manvel Sargsyan does not accept the provision which allows the new party to be registered without mentioning the ideology it professed. Any group which says that it is not going to overthrow the constitutional order with its activity is recognized as a party. That is to say, the authorities want everyone to announce that they are not going to overthrow them and then allow them to do whatever they want. A political party is not obliged to promise citizens that it will convene a congress twice a year and specify its plans, whereas developed legal countries are moving in the opposite direction. Political discourse and ideological discussions between the parties are encouraged in such societies, the political analyst said in conclusion.
(HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that the Commission voted to renew the Equity Market Structure Advisory Committees charter until August 2017 with the current membership. The committees charter was originally scheduled to expire in February 2017.

The committee provides a formal mechanism through which the Commission can receive advice and recommendations specifically related to equity market structure issues. The committee has met seven times since it was established in February 2015.

The Equity Market Structure Advisory Committees renewal enables the next Chair and the next Commission to benefit seamlessly from this vital resource for our ongoing assessment of equity market structure issues and potential enhancements, said SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

Since its inception, the committee has considered a range of issues, including Regulation NMS and a structure for an access fee pilot, the governance framework for national market system plans, transparency for investors of broker-dealer order handling practices, and market-wide volatility moderators. The Commission-approved committee members come from different sectors of the financial services industry, academia, and from public interest groups.
The country may only be the 137th largest in the world by land area and have a population equivalent to a modest 0.07 per cent of the world population. Yet, it consistently ranks among the top of the world in various cross-country comparisons of equality, safety, stability and well-being indicators, indicates a list of 41 comparisons, surveys and studies compiled by the public statistics authority to commemorate the upcoming one-hundredth year of independence in Finland.

Finland is living proof that even small nations can rise to the top of the world, views Statistics Finland.

Safety, society

Finland is the most stable country in the world, according to the Fragile States Index published by the Fund for Peace, and the safest travel destination in the world, according to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum.

The country leads the world in governance and has the lowest level of organised crime and the most independent judicial system in the world.

Finns have the privilege to vote in one of the freest and most reliable elections in the world, indicates the Electoral Integrity Project, an independent academic study conducted at Harvard University and the University of Sydney.

Finland has the second lowest perceived level of corruption, according to Transparency International, and the greatest degree of press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Equality, human capital

Finland has been ranked as the second most equal country in the world by the World Economic Forum.

The country has the narrowest gender employment gap in the European Union, according to Eurostat, the provider of official statistics on the EU. It leads the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in terms of the number of women appointed to ministerial positions.

Finland has the most human capital and provides the best primary education in the world, estimates the World Economic Forum. Finns can also expect to go through almost 20 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, a factor that has helped them outperform their peers almost anywhere else in the OECD, according to the OECD.

Health, child well-being

Finland is the second fairest country in the world for children and the home to the fourth-most satisfied 1115-year-old children, according to UNICEF. Save the Children, meanwhile, has ranked the country as the world's second best both for girls and in terms of child well-being and maternal health.

Satisfaction, trust

The above may explain why Finland is the fifth happiest country in the world, according to the World Economic Forum, and why Finns are the second most satisfied with their lives in Europe, according to Eurostat.

Finland boasts not only the most trusted police, the second most trusted political system and the third most trusted judicial system in Europe, but also citizens with the second highest degree of trust in one another, the EU's statistics authority has also reported.

The comparisons speak for themselves: Finland is a good country, concludes Statistics Finland.

A complete list of the cross-country comparisons, surveys and studies is available on the website of Statistics Finland.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva
Union of Informed Citizens: EU-Armenia Relations and Their Prospects

Relations between the EU and Armenia and negotiations over the new agreement continue to give rise to numerous discussions. Recently, in his interview to Mediamax, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn noted that the process of negotiating a comprehensive agreement is coming to an end. So, let us try to understand what the envisaged agreement may include. Carrot and Stick Approach In academic literature, the most common definition of the European Unions relations with neighborhood countries is the carrot and stick approach, where trade and economic relations are the carrot, and the numerous reforms in neighborhood countries pushed forward by the EU is the democracy-instilling stick against anti-democratic forces. Usually the more economically dependent the country is on the EU, the more it is inclined to make changes in trade and economy, as well as democracy and human rights sectors. For instance, Moldova, 60% of whose products were exported to EU countries in 2014, occupied the first place among Eastern Partnership countries in its willingness to make legislative changes during the same year. In other words, EU Neighborhood countries aspiration to make legislative changes are directly linked to the extent of their economic relations with the European Union since legislative changes first of all facilitate economic cooperation and ensure new economic interests for the neighbor country. Unfortunately, in Armenias case, the legislation facilitation procedure cannot be a priority anymore because Armenia is now an EAEU member country. Hence, it is not surprising that during the aforementioned interview, Hahn mentioned and we quote here, Good progress has been achieved already in the negotiations but we should not underestimate the remaining challenges notably in the area of trade. Is This the End? So, do the obstacles in the trade and economy sector caused by Armenias membership in the EAEU mean that the envisaged agreement will merely have a formal and technical nature, rather than create really beneficial opportunities for Armenia? A number of agreements signed between the EU and Armenia during last year show that the EU wants to give carrots to Armenia, offering the latter really beneficial cooperation opportunities which are outside the scope of EAEU control. It is not surprising that Armenia joined or was offered to join a number of EU projects in 2016. For instance, Armenia became member of the project Horizon 2020, which promises huge benefits to Armenia in the field of science. In November 2016, it was announced that negotiations are to start between Yerevan and Brussels regarding Armenias membership in the Common Aviation Area Agreement. This will significantly reduce the cost of air transportation. This year Armenia also entered the process of joining Creative Europe initiative, which will give the opportunity to expand the scope of cultural exchanges. The successful implementation of the carrot approach will give the EU the opportunity to push forward the package of political reforms in Armenia. Hence, we can expect that the envisaged comprehensive agreement will also include cooperation possibilities. For instance, if trade liberalization is impossible due to Armenias membership in the EAEU, Armenia can and should make reforms in the investments sector in order to facilitate the flow of European investments to Armenia. Thus, the new agreement will surely contain paragraphs on cooperation in the investments sector. The agreements reached between Armenia and the EU in 2016 show that, if desired, one can find a lot of possibilities to make Armenia closer to Europe. Anna Pambukhchyan Union of Informed Citizens
A man has admitted to possession of explosives just days before the visit of Prince Charles to Ireland last year.

John Burke (29), from St Mary's, Singland Cross, Limerick, pleaded guilty to the charge at Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court and was further remanded in custody until he is sentenced next year.

Burke, who is understood to be a drug addict, has been in custody since he was arrested with a suspected Continuity IRA member on the morning of May 13 last year, after their car was stopped at a garda traffic checkpoint at Glenfarne, Co Leitrim, on the N16 road.

Local traffic corps gardai seized two "viable and well-made" pipe bombs in the operation, as well as a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition.

Burke was originally charged with possession of the firearm as well as explosives but the gun charges have since been dropped.

Targeted

The bust happened at a time when gardai were on red alert because of fears the visit of the prince and his wife, Camilla, would be targeted by terrorists, the court heard.

Separately, on the day of the Co Leitrim arrests, gardai carried out 20 searches and arrested four suspected members of the Real IRA, including Maynooth University employee Donal O'Coisdealbha, from Killester, who is due to be sentenced for IRA membership next week.

Sources say that gardai are satisfied that Burke is not a dissident republican and that is why he was not dealt with in the Special Criminal Court.

A 23-year-old man who was arrested with Burke is due to go on trial at a later date in the Special Criminal Court and has been out on bail since July 2015.

Dylan Cahill, of Lower Irishtown, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army on May 13, 2015.

Mr Cahill was also charged with possession of a .380 calibre Colt semi-automatic pistol and with possession of four rounds of .380 calibre ammunition, in circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got the items in his possession for a lawful purpose.

He was also charged with possession of two pipe bombs.
Jobs minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor has boasted that the country is creating 1,000 jobs a week, in contrast to a time when the government was "wringing their hands in despair".

Ms Mitchell O'Connor made the remarks as 700 new jobs were announced across three companies in the capital.

She was addressing executives and employees of West Pharmaceutical Services at their expanded facility in Mulhuddart, west Dublin where the US firm will employ 100 more people over five years.

Despair

She said there are now more than two-million people in work in Ireland, 1,000 jobs a week are being created and the unemployment rate is down to 7.8pc.

Ms Mitchell O'Connor asked the audience to consider that "four short years ago" unemployment was more than 15pc and that this had the government and the public "wringing their hands in despair".

She said the Government "put our heads down" and put in the policies that were needed to turn the situation around. She also thanked IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland saying "they've rolled up their sleeves and they've made sure to attract in companies just like West".

Ms Mitchell O'Connor told the Herald that the Government continues to monitor the impact of Brexit but that she's "confident" there are more jobs in the pipeline in the coming months.

Social protection minister Leo Varadkar also attended the opening which was in his constituency. He said that the international uncertainty has not led to a slowdown in job creation or the falling Live Register but that the government is "not complacent".

Mr Varadkar also used the occasion to make a pitch for the creation of an "American-style medical centre" in Blanchardstown. He noted that Dublin West is close to the airport and is already home to several multinational firms.

"We also have Connolly Hospital, an expanding adult hospital with a children's centre about to go to construction next door to it and the Rotunda Maternity Hospital is moving there in a few years time," he said.

Potential

"So I think potentially on that campus you have the possibility to develop an American-style medical centre with a very big healthcare campus but also right beside it life-science companies and others really using the synergies that exist between healthcare and business.

"That completes my pitch for further investment in my own constituency," he added.

The jobs at West came as Voxpro announced it is recruiting 400 people for a new office at the Point Village and social networking service LinkedIn also announced 200 more jobs for its Dublin office.
Gardai are investigating the alleged serious sexual assault of a young woman at UCD's Belfield campus.

A student made a report to officers after claiming she had been the victim of sexual assault at the campus last Thursday.

The case is being investigated by Donnybrook gardai, who were due to get a full statement from the woman last night.

No arrests have been made and no suspect has yet been identified.

"Gardai are investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred at UCD on Thursday 24 November between 10am and 11.30pm," a garda spokesman told the Herald.

It is believed the student who has made a complaint to gardai had been out socialising with friends on the day the alleged assault took place on the campus of the Dublin 4 university.

Specialist officers will now determine what course the investigation will take.

UCD Registrar and Deputy President, Professor Mark Rogers, issued an email to students last night urging them to use the college's 'walk safe' service if they are "alone or feel uneasy".

Beaten

Details of the alleged serious sexual assault come just days after Maynooth University student Kym Owens (18) was savagely beaten in an unrelated incident in the Co Kildare college town, where she suffered life-changing injuries.

News of the alleged sexual assault has raised safety concerns among students at the Dublin campus, who were already wary following Kym's assault near her university.

"I was absolutely shocked when I heard about the attack, my sympathies go out to the girl. There is 24-hour security on the campus and you would generally feel safe, so it was definitely a shock when I heard that an attack happened on the grounds," said UCD student Katie Baldwin (18), from Foxrock.

Parents have also become concerned about their children's safety in the wake of the attack, according to Roisin Rooney (19) and Leah Harte (18), from Co Wexford.

"My parents have been ringing more each day now since the attack last week. We used to feel comfortable walking alone but now we would go in pairs, we wouldn't feel safe walking alone. It's just such a shock that it happened," Leah said.

Alison Sweeney (20), from Co Leitrim, said that the attack has left students feeling more vulnerable on what is generally regarded as a safe campus.

"You wouldn't think that something like this could happen on a college campus. There is a lot of security and the students' union has also organised 'walk-safe', where students can be accompanied if they don't want to talk home alone," she said.

The "walk safe" service on the campus allows students to contact security staff and request an escort on campus.
CIVIC GROUPS

ABINGDON CIVITAN: Abingdon, Va., Harbor House, first and third Monday, 6 p.m. New members welcome. Roger Edwards, 276-698-1349.

ABINGDON LIONS CLUB: Abingdon, Va., Shoneys, 480 Cummings Street, meets first and third Thursdays. Bob Trent, 276-628-6195.

ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL: Abingdon, Va., first Monday, 7:30 p.m., Municipal Building on Main Street. Visit www.abingdon.com.

ABINGDON KIWANIS: Abingdon, Va., 200 Clubhouse Drive, Glenrochie Country Club, First three Tuesdays on each month, noon to 1 p.m. Visitors welcome. Lee Saunders III, 276-356-8201.

ABINGDON ROTARY: Abingdon, Va., 200 Clubhouse Drive, Glenrochie Country Club, Fridays, 12:00 p.m. Janice Rice Reeves, President, 276-676-0210.

COMMUNITY CENTER OF ABINGDON: Abingdon, Va. 300 Senior Drive, every Monday afternoon 2 p. m.: Movie, every Monday night 6 p. m.: Music jam, every Wednesday night: Ballroom dance class 7:15 p. m.: every Friday afternoon 1  4 p. m.: Game day, 276-628-3911.

AMERICAN LEGION HACKLER-WOOD POST 145: Bristol, Tenn., 515 Marion Ave., Veterans from all branches of service, come place your membership with Post 145; youll make new friends and get reacquainted with your fellow veterans, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Questions, 423-968-9973.

AMERICAN LEGION POST 145 RIDERS: Bristol, Tenn., 515 Marion Ave., Interested in growth and membership, 423-368-9973.

BRISTOL EVENING LIONS: Bristol Va. Exit 7, Golden Corral, second and fourth Thursday, 6 p.m. Membership open to men and women, Charles Coulthard, 276-466-5357. Joe Wall, 423-764-8545.

BRISTOL GOODSON LIONS CLUB: Bristol, Va., Bordwine Road, 1st and 3rd Mondays, 6 p.m. visitors welcome. 423-534-9313.

BRISTOL HOST LIONS: Bristol, Va., Exit 5, Euclid Avenue Food City, Fridays, noon. New members welcome. David Hoelscher, president. 423-646-2923.

BRISTOL MORNING ROTARY: Bristol, Va., Euclid Ave., Food City, every Tuesday, 7:30 a.m., Club President: Glenn Myers, 423-968-5351.

BRISTOL SHRINE CLUB: Bristol, Tenn., King Lodge, 35 5th St., third Friday, 7 p.m.; Ron Schoenhardt, president; 423-968-4531.

BUFFALO RURITAN: Bluff City, Tenn., Beaver Creek Road and Buffalo Road, Ruritan building, fourth Monday, dinner at 6:30 p.m., meeting follows. Visitors welcome. 423-967-1651.

GLADE SPRING CIVIC CLUB: Glade Spring, Va., old Glade School on the hill, second Thursday, 6:45 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting.

JERICHO SHRINE TEMPLE: Kingsport, Tenn., 1100 Jericho Dr.; second Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Elbert (Smiley) Bridwell, potentate, 423-323-1982.

KING MASONIC LODGE NO. 461: Bristol, Tenn., 35 5th St., 2nd Monday, 7:30 p.m. WM Bill Caffey, 423-360-0543, www.kinglodge.org.

KIWANIS CLUB OF BRISTOL, TN/VA: Bristol Public Library (Kegley room upstairs), Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. Treasurer, Richard Ball, rpball@BVU.net. Visitors welcome. Memberships open to men and women, call Richard Ball 276-466-4009.

KIWANIS CLUB OF ELIZABETHTON: Downtown Elizabethton, Dinos, every Tuesday, noon. President: Jared Tetrick (jaredtetrick@yahoo.com)

KIWANIS CLUB OF MARION: Marion, Va., 861 Goolsby St., VFW Post Home 4667, every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Kiwanis Office, 276-783-2316.

MEADOWVIEW CIVIC CLUB: Meadowview, Va., Exit 24, I-81, Community Center on the Square. 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Pot luck meal before meeting.

OPTIMIST CLUB OF BRISTOL: Bristol, Va., Euclid Ave., Food City, Thursdays, noon. Ron McCready, 423-968-7181.

ROTARY CLUB OF BRISTOL VA./TN.: Bristol, Va., Bristol Train Station. Tuesdays, noon. Secretary/treasurer, Joyce Crockett. www.rotary7570.org/BRSTLVATN.

ROTARY CLUB OF TRI-CITIES AREA TN/VA: Bristol, Tenn., Northeast State Community College, Pierce Building, noon. Mike Parker, 423-575-5534.

ROTARY CLUB OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA.: Abingdon, Va., Cummins St., Shoneys, Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. Visitors welcome. George Whitley.

SHELBY LODGE NO. 162: Bristol, Va., 251 Old Airport Road meets first Monday, 6:30 p.m., food and fellowship; 7:30 p.m. dispatch of business. Robert A. Bruce, WM., 276-466-8591.

SOUTH HOLSTON RURITAN: Bristol, Tenn., Meadow Creek Road near South Holston Dam, Club House, fourth Thursday.

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: Bristol, Va., 1601 Euclid Ave., Bristol Life Saving Crew, monthly meeting will be the third Monday of each month. New members welcome. renegade24201@yahoo.com, 276-591-6732.

TWIN CITY CIVITAN: Bristol, Tenn., 3332 Seventh St., Weaver Family Care Center, second and fourth Tuesday, 6 p.m. Stanley Mann, 423-968-2579. Visitors welcome.

VALLEY LODGE #93: Bristol, Va., 7707 Rich Valley Road. Meets every third Thursday, 423-742-0786.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Abingdon, Va., Senior Drive, Virginia Ball-room, third Thursday, doors open at 7 a.m., breakfast at 7:15 a.m. Networking and business breakfast. Free to chamber members. 276-628-8141.

WYTHEVILLE RURITAN CLUB: Wytheville, Va., Hedgefield meeting room, first Monday 6 p.m.

YORK MASONIC LODGE NO. 12: Abingdon, Va., 14411 Black Hollow Road, every 4th Monday, 7:30 p.m.; Work and instruction each Tuesday, 7 p.m., WM Fred Bowers, 276-466-4466.

MEETINGS

ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL: Abingdon, Va., first Monday, 7:30 p.m., Municipal Building on Main Street; visit www.abingdon.com.

BRISTOL GOODSON LIONS: Bristol Va., Lions Clubhouse on Bordwine Rd., First and third Mondays, 6 p.m. at Visitors welcome. 423-534-9313; 276-791-9650

BRISTOL TN TREE CITY USA BOARD: Bristol, Tenn., 325 McDowell St, Slater Center, third Monday, 5 p.m. Public welcome. 423-654-4023.

BRISTOL REPUBLICAN WOMENS CLUB: Bristol, Va. Food City, Euclid Avenue. Noon: Last Monday of every month. 423-361-1774.

MARION DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ASSOCIATION BOARD: Marion, Va., Municipal Building second Thursday, 5:30 p.m. visitors welcome. To be added to agenda, 276-783-4190.

SULLIVAN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION: Blountville, Tenn., 3411 Highway 126, Suite 206.: County Commission.: Nov. 28, 5:30 p.m. Library Board location Sullivan County Library, 423-323-6417.

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER: Abingdon, Va., One Partnership Circle. Dec. 8, 3 p.m.: Biannual meeting, Board of Trustees, 276-619-4346.

SULLIVAN COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICT 911 BOARD: Blountville, Tenn., 1570 Hwy. 394, SCECD 911 building, second Monday, every other month at 10 a.m. Due to conflict in schedules meetings can change at any time, public welcome. 423-279-7606.

SULLIVAN COUNTY ANTI-DRUG COALITION: Blountville, Tenn. 154 Blountville Bypass, Regional Health Department, second Thursday, odd number month 10 a. m.  noon. Speakers on various prevention topics, snacks will be provided, for more information call 423-742-2991 or visit www.scadcoalition.org.

TRI CITIES AIRPORT AUTHORITY: Blountville, Tenn., 2525 Highway 75, Suite 301. Nov. 29, 8 a.m.: Nominating Committee meeting, 423-325-6001.

HOW TO SUBMIT INFO

Submission deadline is Monday noon for the items scheduled during the upcoming week. Email fea-tures@bristolnews.com or fax 276-669-3696. Put Monday Calendar in the email subject line. For information, call Dorothy Hurt, 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.  The Sullivan County Commissions Administrative Committee didnt make a recommendation Tuesday for or against a resolution that would fund the first phase of a proposed school facilities plan.

The committee met to hear a presentation about the progress of the plan by Sullivan County Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski. Committee members then agreed there wasnt enough information available about bond costs to make a recommendation to the full commission. The resolution will go before the commission Dec. 12.

The plan is designed to improve the school systems buildings. The first phase alone will cost $140 million. It would build a high school with a career academy focus in the central, western area of the county and an 800-student middle school in the east zone. The plan is the boards solution to excess space because of declining enrollment and many outdated buildings.

Rafalowski said Tuesday that the plan as it is written now would cost $200.5 million over 15 years, but that number would have to be revisited in the future.

The newest development has been site options for the new schools. Interstate Realty provided six possible sites for the new middle school and nine for the new high school to the board at a work session last week. The board plans to discuss the options during another session Thursday and narrow the options at its meeting on Monday.

Commissioner and committee member Patrick Shull, of Kingsport, said he cant vote for the plan if its the only option available.

This commission has an obligation to make sure that any plan that we approve is not only educationally sound but is fiscally responsible, he said. The magnitude of the expense here is so great that I believe the commission ought to see some options. ... If the choice is vote for this or nothing, I cant vote for this until I see the other possibilities.

Rafalowski said the Board of Education adopted the plan 18 months ago. The other four options considered are on the school systems website, www.sullivank12.net, she said.

This is my third visit to the commission, Rafalowski said. This is the first time that Ive been asked to present other options. This is the Board of Educations option after many months of study and evaluation that they have elected to endorse and support.

Commissioner and committee member Baxter Hood, of Kingsport, said he doesnt believe that constituents have been given enough information about the proposed plan.

Rafalowski said approving the resolution would basically build the new schools.

Our children need it, our businesses want it and our countys own economic growth depends on it, she said, referring to the facilities plan. I ask you to please help us create the kind of future our children in Sullivan County truly need and deserve.

Rafalowski will make similar presentations to the commissions Executive Committee at 6:30 tonight and the Budget Committee at 7 p.m. Thursday. Both will be in Commission Room of the Sullivan County Courthouse.
It's been 125 years since Dracula was published. And it's still scary.
As demonetisation slowly marginalises the parallel economy, there is concern about black money lying abroad. The 90-day compliance window for holders of undeclared foreign assets ended on September 30, with a perception that more could be done to bring that money back. Heres where we can draw some lessons from the US treasury and their handling of public debt.

The US debt is more than $19 trillion. There are also reports of over $2.4 trillion in earnings of US companies lying un-repatriated abroad. But soaring public debt notwithstanding, the US has chosen to maintain its calm and also defer taxes on the earnings of US companies lying abroad.

Is there a lesson in this for India?

Read: Govt ready for demonetisation debate in Parliament, PM will take part : Naidu

In an article in the New York Times, Paul Krugman explained that America doesnt worry unduly because although foreigners hold large claims on the US, including government debt, they put their US investments in safe, low-yield assets, and America actually earns more from its assets abroad than it pays to foreign investors.

American assets take the form of foreign subsidiaries of US corporations, which earn a higher rate of return than US liabilities since foreign investments are mostly in low-yield treasury bills or securities. Due to the provisions of deferral, the US taxes its multinationals on profits earned abroad only after these are repatriated. A lesser-known fact is that this untaxed money is largely held in US banks and accounts through the simple provision of allowing this to be invested in US sovereign debt and securities. Witness the latest quarterly report of Microsoft, which reports $102.8 billion in untaxed profits controlled by its offshore subsidiaries, 81% of which is held in US government securities.

Read: Fierce dogs, trapdoors, low manpower: What the taxman faces in black money war

Taking a cue from the US and, making the money offshore work for the Indian economy, are possible if the government permits money lying abroad to be invested in low-cost, long-term, sovereign government debt. How would this work? Fairly simply actually, and would require that those with cash offshore be permitted to purchase zero-return bonds with a minimum lock-in period (say, five years) for funds repatriated from abroad, no questions asked. The upside  we get money back to India, at zero interest, and the taxpayer gets an opportunity to bring back his money without resorting to hawala, tax havens and other avoidance structures and can use it as an asset in the interim to raise loans, etc. To the taxpayer its simply the equivalent of buying zero-return bonds with a lock-in of five years and getting his Rs 100 tax-free. The government gets Rs 100, at zero interest, for five years yielding a built-in tax rate thats much higher than any income declaration scheme so far.

Read: Meat exporter Moin Qureshi returns to India, quizzed by ED

More importantly, the government wants to ease monetary policy and the central bank could only have done this by selling securities on the open market and pulling money out of the private banking sector. This way, the money supply is not reduced, since the investment in debt is coming from overseas, thus providing the government the facility for easing monetary policy and pump priming. To invest in treasury bills currently a special scheme will have to be devised by the RBI requiring the issuance of a Master Circular. These are inward remittances through banking channels, and normal regulatory oversight through reporting by commercial banks to the FIU only need apply. Without wasting any more time, lets consider bring our offshore money home.

Poonam Khaira Sidhu is a specialist in international taxation .

The views expressed are personal
If you are under the impression that children of politicians and bureaucrats do not go to government schools because of poor quality of education and infrastructure there, think again.

MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday claimed the children did not attend the government institutions to avoid overburdening these schools.

He was talking to journalists at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Central Press Club, Bhopal on his completing 11 years in office.

Chouhan, however, skirted another query on why politicians and government officers avoid going to government hospitals for treatment.

He said conditions of government schools and the government hospitals had improved a lot, though there was further room for improvement.

On alcoholism menace in the state, he said heavy drinkers could not be prevented from drinking by making prohibition laws. It was imperative to create awareness among such people, he added.

When asked if he had stopped inviting the BJP patriarch LK Advani to the state after Narendra Modis elevation to the post of Prime Minister or the former party president himself stopped coming to the state, CM said both Modi and he had a high regard for Advani and their relations didnt depend on his visit to the state.

On the high and low points of his tenure so far as the chief minister, he said, Launching of Ladli Laxmi scheme for empowering women and improving skewed sex ratio in MP has been my most significant achievement. The Petlawad blast that killed several people was the lowest point of my tenure.

Both in case of Vyapam and Petlawad there was no mistake on his part, he said replying to another question. He claimed to have done his best to bring to book those responsible for the multi-crore cash for seat scam.

On Petlawad blast, he said it was difficult to prevent illegal storing of gelatin sticks that caused the explosion by some people as the explosives were also used in construction of wells under Kapildhara scheme.

On dubbing under-trial SIMI men, who were killed in an alleged encounter with the police recently, terrorists, he said it was his duty to safeguard peoples lives in the state.

He also refuted the charges that the bureaucracy in the state was uncontrolled. He said bureaucrats executed whatever responsibility was given to them.

On demonetization of high-value currency by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, he said the move might have caused some inconveniences to the people, but in the long-run the country would benefit from it.

On his ambitious Namami Devi Narmade scheme, he said preservation of the Narmada river was always in his mind. Under the scheme a carpet of trees would be planted on one-kilometre wide stretch along both the banks of the river. The farmers who would plant saplings of fruit-bearing trees on their land would be given Rs 30000 per hectare for initial 3-4 years.

The chief minister also dismissed the allegation that he did not allow the second rung of leadership to grow in the government and the party.
Charges were framed against dismissed bureaucrat couple Arvind Joshi and Tinoo Joshi in the Bhopal district court on Tuesday in connection with charges of allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to their sources of income.

The charges were framed under Sections 13 (1), 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 467, 468 and 120B of IPC.Others involved in the crime, against whom the charges were framed, include Arvind Joshis father HM Joshi, mother Namrata Joshi and several others.

Tinoo Joshi had surrendered before a special court in January last year from where she was sent to Bhopal Central Jail. Arvind Joshi surrendered before a court six months after his wifes surrender. He was also sent to Bhopal central jail. In March, Arvind got a conditional bail of one month from the high court for a bone-marrow transplant. Huge assets in possession of the two 1979 batch IAS officers were discovered during an Income Tax department (I-T) raid in February 2010. The properties were said to be worth about 315% of their known sources of income.

The couple was suspended from services by the state government immediately after the raid. In the first raid, IT sleuths reportedly found about Rs 3 crore cash besides documents relating to their investments. In another raid after a few months, the sleuths discovered properties worth about `43 crore in their possession.

When the raid was conducted, Arvind Joshi was principal secretary (jails), while Tinoo Joshi held the post of principal secretary of Woman and Child Development with the MP government.

In January 2011, Enforcement Directorate had issued notices to the couple for violation of Forex law while it registered a complaint against them in January 2013 under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In March 2014, Lokayukta police filed a charge-sheet in a special court against the couple and 16 others including four of their family members.

The couple was dismissed from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on July 21, 2014 by the state government after the Centres nod.

On August 29, 2014, the special court issued an arrest warrant against the couple after they failed to appear before the court even for a single hearing. In September 2014, Lokayukta police started proceedings to attach Joshis properties as the couple went underground.
The BJP organised thousands of conventions for beneficiaries of schemes across its 56 organisational districts in the state to mark completion of Shivraj Singh Chouhans 11 years as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

The party celebrated the event as deepotsav, the festival of lights, by lighting earthen lamps at public venues. Lighting one lamp for development was the BJPs way of celebrating the event.

State BJP chief spokesperson Deepak Vijayvargiya said the party celebrated the 11 years of Chouhan as the festival of lights and development in 756 party units (mandals) in 56 organisational districts of the state. Our cadre is taking the celebrations and discussions on beneficiary schemes to 62,926 polling booths in the state. The celebrations will continue till December 15, he said.

Congratulating the people, state State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan said, It is not 11 years of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the chief minister, but his 11 years as a public servant.

Chouhans 11 years are dedicated to public service and welfare, and the state has developed in all sectors -- agriculture, power, employment generation, or tribal development, Nandkumar Singh said, adding the party would celebrate the event for a fortnight.

Between November 30 and December 15, the cadre and morchas of the party -- Youth Morcha, Mahila Morcha, Scheduled Tribes Morcha, and minority cell -- will organise beneficiary conventions, he said.

In the evening, the chief minister attended a celebration organised at Subash Chowk, where he was felicitated by the elderly men of the area. Later, he went to New Market to attend a Bhartiya Yuva Morcha-organised programme, where he with BJYM activists and leaders lit lamps.

In the party office, BJP Mahila Morcha president Lata Elkar with other members lit lamps, sang bhajans and made a rangoli.

In Bhopal, scores of functions were also held at ward level. BJP leaders addressed the conventions and interacted with the beneficiaries.

The BJP celebrated the CMs 11 years in a decentralised way, with cadre organising celebrations at panchayat and ward levels. The main objective of the conventions is to provide a platform to the people to share their views and feedback on how they have benefitted by the BJP governments schemes and projects over the last 11 years and what are the issues they faced while availing of the benefits.
It was meant to ensure swift police response to distress calls. But it is turning out to be something else the police hadnt bargained for.

The Madhya Pradesh government had launched Dial 100 emergency police service about a year ago to take swift actions. But some people in Morena district are dialing 100 to hitch a ride after lodging false complaints.

The complainants usually call the Dial 100 service at night. They inform the police officials about an incident involving a firing incident or accident at a place where they are present. The police personnel of the police station concerned after receiving information about the location reach swiftly only to find that no such incident has happened, a police official from Morena district told HT on condition of anonymity.

The official said that majority of such calls are from people late at night from interior places.

The police after finding no such incidents at the location calls back to the number from which the complaint was received but finds it switched off. After few minutes a couple of men approach the Dial 100 vehicle and ask the police personnel to drop them at their place or somewhere near it citing non- availability of conveyance, said the police official, adding that the policemen in the Dial 100 vehicle agree to drop them on humanitarian ground. He also said most of the people they give lifts are found mostly in the middle of the night near wedding venues.

Apart from the wedding venues, the Dial 100 party also receives calls from complainants who inform about an accident on the highways at night. In such complaints too, when the police reach the location, they find no such incidents but few people with a broken car who approach the police for help in fixing their car or giving them a lift to their places, said the official adding that the police generally could not track the complainant after reaching the location as they switch off their phones immediately after lodging their complainant.

There are at least five to six such false complaints per month

There are at least five to six such false complaints per month in the district especially from Mata Basaiya, Civil Lines and Banmore localities. The complainants deliberately mentions about a firing incident because they know that police would respond swiftly if they mention firing considering the crime scenario in the district. The police later forget to take action against the complainant making false complaint because of their busy schedule. The people are misusing the service and at the same time wasting our time, said the official.

Action against false complainants doesnt seem to have had a deterrent effect

It is not that such callers have an absolutely free run. There have been action against some of them in the past, but it doesnt seem to have had a deterrent effect.

Speaking to HT on the issue, superintendent of police (Dial 100), Amit Saxena said that police reserves the right to take action against such complainants.

The police have many times taken action against such complainants. There are provisions under IPC under which the police can take action against such people for giving wrong information, said Saxena adding that the service should not be misused by the people.
Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor and Neha Sharma are going crazy with all the fun on the sets of their upcoming film Mubarakan.

The Ki & Ka actor took to Instagram to share a video of him greeting Neha. He captioned it as Guess whos joined us & just see how happy she is !!! Welcome to the crew @nehasharmaofficial #Mubarakan #setmadness.

The brief video shows the Youngistan actress screaming with excitement, while Arjun is heard saying Arey itni khushi.

The 29-year-old actress also posted a quirky selfie of herself along with the 31-year-old actor and captioned it as Are my teeth brighter than yours? going nuts with the mad,fun and brilliant @arjunkapoor#setlife.

Guess who's joined us & just see how happy she is !!! Welcome to the crew @nehasharmaofficial #mubarakan #setmadness A video posted by Arjun Kapoor (@arjunkapoor) on Nov 28, 2016 at 3:15am PST

Are my teeth brighter than yours? going nuts with the mad,fun and brilliant @arjunkapoor #setlife #mubarakan #fun #madness A photo posted by Neha Sharma (@nehasharmaofficial) on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:26am PST

Interestingly, the actress will play a cameo in the film that revolves around a big Punjabi family attending a destination wedding in Europe.

Along with Arjun and Neha, actor Anil Kapoor will also be seen playing an important role in this Anees Bazmees directorial.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor Richa Chadha will reprise her role of Bholi Punjaban in the sequel of Fukrey (2013) and she credits the time spent in Delhi for the mannerism of her role.

The actor, who hails from East Delhi moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting, but she says the memories of Delhi stayed with her. During my college days, I had a lot of female friends who were street smart and had strong personalities. The way they would talk and carry themselves was so cool that I knew that Bholi Punjaban had to be like those girls. My diction, how I carried my character and style of delivering my dialogues have been inspired by the women of Delhi. They are smart and classic at the same time and that is what my character is all about, says Chadha.

Her character in Fukrey was appreciated by the audience and she admits it was all because of Delhi. When I lived in Delhi, I picked up the language, the mannerism from people and since it is the place where I have grown up, Bholi Punjaban came naturally to me, she adds.

A source says, When Richa decided to take up the role again, she knew that her experience in Delhi would come handy once again and she was thrilled about it.

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Pilots protesting against a recent draft proposal by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that threatens cancellation of license of those feigning illness have found an unlikely supporter in Air India chief, Ashwani Lohani.

Sources said Lohani, in a letter to the regulator, has argued that dealing with pilot issues was the airlines job and if there was a violation, it should be left to the airline to take disciplinary action.

If there is a safety violation the regulator is always informed but disciplinary action should be left to the airline, said an AI official.

The DGCA had said in the draft issued on November 7 that it had been observed that pilots at times do not adhere to assigned flight duties that have a bearing on flight safety or public interest. Patterns have been observed wherein pilots rostered for flights report sick especially during times of festivals, weekends or at times during periods of disagreement with the management over issues of work terms and conditions. In some cases, groups of pilots report sick without notice and as a result airlines are forced to delay or cancel their flights at the last minute.

According to the draft, airlines shall ensure that pilots who often report sick are examined by company doctors immediately and airlines forward their names to DGCA.

Any act on the part of pilots, wherein they pretend to be sick to escape flight duty would be treated as an act against the public interest, the DGCA has said.

The draft has been strongly opposed by pilot unions of Air India and Jet Airways, which together represent over 3000 pilots. With the national carrier throwing its weight behind the pilots, it is highly unlikely that the draft goes on to become a civil aviation rule, said officials.

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The government clamped temporary restrictions on withdrawals from Jan Dhan accounts on Wednesday in a bid to stop people from parking illegal incomes in these accounts.

In a notification, the Reserve Bank of India announced that Jan Dhan account holders fully compliant with bank transaction data norms will be allowed to withdraw Rs 10000 monthly.

Further withdrawals may be allowed only after the genuineness of such needs was recorded by the bank.

Any Jan Dhan account holder who isnt complaint with the know your customer norms will be allowed to withdraw  5,000 per month from the amount deposited through the old notes after November 9 within the overall ceiling of  10,000.

This comes after the government revealed the total deposits in the Jan Dhan accounts suddenly increased to Rs 64,252.15 crore between November 10 and 16  after the government announced the scrapping of high-value banknotes.

With a view to protect innocent farmers and rural account holders of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana from activities of money launders and legal consequences under the Benami Property Transaction & Money Laundering laws, it has been decided to place certain limits, as a matter of precaution, the RBI notification read.

Last Friday, the RBI had announced a weekly withdrawal ceiling of Rs 24,000 for all bank accounts.

Read| Govt not considering December 30 cut-off extension for cash deposits

The government abruptly recalled all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes  which made up 86% of the currency in circulation by value  three weeks ago in a bid to stamp out black money. But a bumpy roll-out of the move has seen millions of people lined up outside banks and ATMs amid fears that thousands of jobs may be lost in Indias large informal economy.

Two weeks ago, the government announced it will monitor bank accounts, especially those of artisans, workers, housewives and the poor, and prosecute anyone allowing the parking of illegal wealth of others.

The finance ministry decision came after numerous reports that unscrupulous elements were using such accounts to stash black money.

The ministry would also monitor zero-balance accounts opened under the Jan Dhan scheme after a surge in the deposits of many of such accounts.

The government had informed last week that among the deposits in PMJDY accounts, Uttar Pradesh led the chart with Rs 10,670.62 crore deposits followed by West Bengal and Rajasthan.

Read| Lok Sabha passes bill to facilitate 60% tax on undisclosed income after Nov 8
The Central Industrial Security Force has seized 29.13 crore cash and 135.12kg gold from airports across the country after demonetisation.

The central force, which guards the airports and other vital economic installations, had raised the guard against illicit cash and gold after the Prime Minister announced scrapping of 500 and 1,000 notes.

At Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), security personnel seized 6.20 crore cash in old currency and 15.15 kg gold. Officials said each day since November 8, at least two passengers who were carrying cash or gold were stopped and checked.

12.56 crore and 67.5 kg gold was seized at Mumbai airport.

What is interesting that in most of the cases, passengers were not trying to hide the cash. It so happened probably because carrying cash is not a crime and on domestic routes, no one usually checks even if someone is carrying cash or gold, said a senior CISF officer.

We had asked the staff posted at the baggage scanners to remain vigilant and that is how we have managed to check over 100 passengers, the officer said.

Besides passenger jets, the CISF is checking passengers travelling by helicopters. The guards have been extra vigilant since 3.5 crore were seized from a chopper in Dimapur. Sources said choppers usually fly from smaller airfields where CISF does not provide security.

We will continue the drive in order to stop the illegal dealings in old currency, CISF DG OP Singh said.

Hindustan Times had reported about a circular that was issued to CISF personnel, asking them to keep an eye on cash in baggage.

At airport, CISF scans hand baggage while registered baggage is scanned by the airport developer. Both have been asked to report to Income Tax if they notice a passenger carrying large amount of cash, an official said.

However, the amount has not been specified in the circular. Because, we usually dont look for cash while scanning baggage for security, we have specifically asked the staff to look for hidden cash, the official said.

The CISF are not taking any action against such passengers and not even stopping them to board the plane. But they are taking down their details such as name and address and an identity card so that if needed, the flier can be located easily.

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It is 3 pm. The queue at a Corporation Bank branch in Mayur Vihars Samachar Apartment market, which extended to at least 200 metres after the ban on 500 and 1,000, has almost vanished.

This is not because the cash crisis is over. Rather the bank ran out of cash. Over the past week, most banks in Delhi have complained about not getting enough currency from the chest.

Sources in the government-run State Bank of India said currency at the Janakpuri, Jhilmil and Okhla chests was fast dwindling. If RBI doesnt refill them in a day, they may dry up, he added.

Each currency chest caters to around 50 branches.

An official at a State Bank of India in Central Delhi said they require around 50 lakh a day at this time, but are getting only half the amount. Another official in a SBI branch in Central Delhi too said they were not getting cash as required. An Indian Bank branch in the walled city too got cash in the afternoon on Tuesday.

Sources said there were reports of cash getting exhausted at several branches of Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank etc.

If there is a problem at SBI which has the maximum number of chests, it means other banks chests are worse, he added.

SBI has nine chests in the city, while other banks have two or three each.

PEOPLE BEAR THE BRUNT

Garment trader Karn Singh, who stood in a queue outside a Punjab National bank ATM in Mayur Vihar, said, Cash arrived here at 3 pm and they will close the bank at 4:30 pm. Even if my number comes, they will not give me more than 4,000, despite the governments guideline to give 24,000.

Most banks have set their own cap on cash disbursal so that they can cater to a maximum number of customers. For instance, an SBI branch in central Delhi gave a maximum of 4,000 per customer, while a Punjab National Bank in east Delhi gave 8,000 and Indian Bank in Anand Vihar gave 6,000.

Singh said it has become his daily routine to stand in queue, get some cash and go about business. My business is suffering due to the cash crunch, he said.

Read: Limited cash, limitless ideas: Delhiites innovative ways to pay lifelines

A Central Bank of India branch manager said he got 300,000 from the chest a couple of days ago after making repeated phone calls. Had a customer asked 250,000 for a wedding, I would have been left with just 50,000, which will get over if five people withdraw money.

Life Corporation of India agent Surender Kumar said, Most people are paying me in old currency saying they have no other option. I too have no option but to take it as it so that I get commission.

It has become an everyday routine for the Punjabi Bagh resident to hop around five or six branches of Corporation Bank to find one that gives cash. Earlier, ATMs were not giving cash. Now, even banks are not giving cash. So where should we go?

An SBI official, however, said they are in regular touch with the Reserve Bank of India and they will get the cash on Wednesday. We have no such problems in our currency chest, but we have huge demands to meet as we are not just giving currency to people but also at petrol pumps and post offices. We are also thinking of transferring money from one currency chest to another so that banks get cash.

Residents are hoarding cash, a senior RBI official. They need to spend money so that banks can get cash, he said.

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Taking cue from Amritsars heritage corridor project, the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) has agreed to beautify part of Netaji Subhash Marg from Daryaganj signal to Lothian Bridge in Old Delhi.

The pavements on both sides of this about 1-km stretch in front of Red Fort will be spruced up with display panels showcasing the history of Shahjahanabad and with food plazas, street furniture, walkways, space for vendors and dedicated lanes for non-motorised vehicles.

Non-destined vehicles will not be allowed to use the road. At a later stage, the authorities plan to convert the stretch into a vehicle-free zone.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, deputy chief minister of Punjab, had last month inaugurated an 800-metre stretch from Amritsars Town Hall to the Golden Temple after a similar revamp.

Back home, SRDC officials said they held consultations with Delhi traffic police and drew an integrated traffic management plan for compulsory diversions.

A senior official of the Delhi government said no heavy vehicles and buses will be allowed beyond Delhi Gate or Lothian Bridge traffic signal. Only private vehicles will be permitted to use that stretch.

The official said initially the restrictions will be applicable only on heavy commercial vehicles, but later the corporation intends to ban private vehicles also. After deliberation at appropriate level, congestion charges may be introduced for private cars coming to the area to deter motorists, he said.

One-way traffic management plan

People, coming from Mathura Road and heading towards Old Delhi Railway Station, Fatehpuri Masjid or Kashmere Gate, will be diverted towards Rajghat-Ring Road and from Hanuman Mandir crossing they can use Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg to reach their destinations.

One-way traffic arrangement will be put in place for vehicles going to Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk area. Traffic from Lothian Bridge will be allowed southwards up to Jama Masjid-Darya Ganj signal and will move in one direction towards the same point from Delhi Gate crossing.

People will be able to use Nishad Raj Marg for exit towards Ring Road.

A proposal for making Netaji Subhash Marg (in front of Lal Quila) completely vehicle-free by diverting traffic has been approved. The traffic police, after seeking approval from the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (planning & engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), will place the plan before Delhis chief secretary for final approval, the official said.

Earlier, the SRDC had prepared a one-way traffic plan to decongest entire Shahjahanabad, which has been put on hold. Before its implementation, a trial was to be conducted.

All stakeholders were brought on board. A detail plan was submitted by the then Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic). However, the Corporation could not carry out its trial as the government did not give a go ahead after local traders raised objections, said a source in the government.

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After a short-lived respite from hazy days, residents of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) woke up to a dense fog on Wednesday morning that reduced visibility on the streets.

I am not able to see the cars right ahead of me. India Gate is still far off, said Uber driver Anil, while trying to navigate through the traffic in the fog-covered city.

Domestic flights from Delhi airport are being delayed because of the dense fog. Air India officials, however, reassured that there is no reason to panic.

Due to the fog, air service is still not affected, they said.

However, with visibility dropping to around 300m at Safdarjung and 125m at Palam, some flights may be diverted, they added.

Official at the India Meteorological Department said that though the runway visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport had hit 200 m earlier on Wednesday, it has improved considerably since then. The reading in the next hour will be much better, he said.

Weather experts from the Regional Meteorological Centre had predicted that dense fog may be experienced over parts of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR over the next few days owing to change in the speed and direction of the winds.

Wind speeds have reduced drastically over the last few days, with the highest wind speed recorded at 6kmph on Tuesday. The wind is now more likely to blow from east and northeast directions starting November 30 to December 3.

The changing winds are expected to bring more moisture in, thereby reducing visibility in the region, according to a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre.

The dispersion of aerosols will also reduce and consequently shallow to moderate fog is likely to occur at many places over UP (and Delhi NCR), with isolated dense fog episodes over the next four days, the scientist said on Tuesday.

Experts have also predicted that pollution levels are also expected to rise over the next few days and could turn the fog into the deadlier smog.

The Air Quality Index in areas like Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Shadipur, Mandir Marg, Shantipath, Lodi Colony and RK Puram all crossed 400 this morning according to Hindustan Times real-time air quality tracking app. The level of air pollution in these areas have been called severe, and the air is deemed too dangerous to even breathe in.

The scientist said that after December 4 the winds from the east are expected to cease, and visibility will probably improve once again. However, mist/shallow fog will continue to occur in the mornings as the wind will remain calm, he added.

Delhi residents can expect the minimum temperature to be around 8-10 degrees Celsius in the next few days, with no significant change in the maximum temperature. The maximum temperature will continue to be around 28-30 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday is expected to be 29 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature will be 10 degrees Celsius, according to the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC).
The Ghaziabad district magistrate (DM) has ordered holding of November salary of 11 top district officials on alleged laxity shown in redressal of public complaints. The DM has said that the salaries would be released once the pending public complaints are attended to.

The officials who have figured in the midst of the issue are Ghaziabad municipal commissioner, who is a promoted IAS officer, additional district magistrate (city) and three subdivisional magistrates  all PCS officers  chief medical officer, regional manager, UP pollution control board; project officer, district urban development authority; executive engineer, public works department and project manager, UP state highways authority.

There are 11 officials identified whose salary will be on hold till they complete the disposal of pending public complaints which are received through various modes. Since municipal corporation is an autonomous department, we have written to their bank about the issue, said Nidhi Kesarwani, district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

Municipal commissioner Abdul Samad did not respond to calls. The district receives various public complaints through different modes like chief ministers office, Tehsil Diwas, Janata Darshan, online mode and even from government of India level. The complaints are also reflected on states Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) portal, the UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs initiative.

Officials from pollution board and the chief medical officer said that there are no pending complaints. Acting after directions, the official machinery at municipal corporation was seen disposing of complaints on a war footing. By Wednesday evening, the corporation also held up the November salary of a number of their officials.

We have acted in case of 42 officials and they will be able to withdraw salaries only when they give written certificate that they dont have any pending reference of IGRS. Their salaries will not be credited till then, said DK Sinha, additional municipal commissioner.

According to IGRS figures, a total of nearly 141 online complaints, 173 from public grievance portal, 147 at district headquarters and another 139 received through CM office level were pending till the morning of November 30.

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A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, 23-year-old Khushi a transgender  went to the nearest bank in her neighbourhood to deposit her months savings.

She stood in the bank queue for 15 minutes, before deciding to return home, not because of the length of the line but because of the giggles, comments and ridicule she faced while standing there.

I regularly go to the bank to deposit/withdraw money from my account. But, I try and visit the bank when there arent many people inside. I have never felt so humiliated. Men were passing loud comments at me and women were secretly giggling. There was a bunch of people who actually asked me to stand in a separate queue, she said.

The demonetisation aftermath has been stressful for many in the city but it has been a nightmare for people belonging to the third gender. Social exclusion and lack of bank accounts and identity proofs have made their ordeal worse.

Narrating a similar incident, Ritika said that when she was standing outside an ATM to withdraw cash, some men standing behind her touched her inappropriately and started clicking her pictures. When she complained to the security guard, he pleaded helplessness.

Madam hum kya kar sakte hain, aap bane hi aise ho (What can I do if you are like this), he said. I was almost in tears and left the place, she remembers.

Rudrani Chettri, a Delhi-based transgender activist and the head of Mitr Trust, said that most of the transgender or kinar are uneducated and do not have bank accounts.

Most of them carry out their dealings only in cash. They do not have much expenditure as most of them do not go to movies or to malls. They save almost everything that they earn. Now with the note ban, what will they do with all the money they have, she said.

Another transgender, who works as a sex worker, said she didnt have a bank account because the banks kept turning her away every time she tried opening one.

The bank officials do not cooperate. They either mock us or become uncomfortable. In such hostile circumstances why will I want to get an account? But after the demonetization I am scared that I will lose all my savings, she said.

Names changed to protect privacy

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Popular Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, was appointed as the president of the Delhi BJP unit on Wednesday. He has replaced Satish Upadhyay who was given the charge in July 2014.

BJP president Amit Shah made the announcement on Wednesday which came into effect immediately.

The appointment of Tiwari, who represents Northeast Delhi constituency, is being seen as an attempt to woo poorvanchali voters in Delhi ahead of municipal elections scheduled early next year. These people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar jointly make for 35 % of the electorate in the Capital and have influence in over 20-25 assembly seats. They had traditionally been Congress voters but later favoured the BJP. But in Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the poorvanchalis voted en masse for the AAP.

BJP insiders say Tiwari, a popular poorvanchali face, will help the party get back their support.

AAP had realised the influential position of people from UP and Bihar in Delhi hence given tickets to substantial number of candidates from that region. The party at present has 4-5 poorvanchali MLA in the assembly, said a party leader on the condition of anonymity.

Apart from the mammoth responsibility of bringing traditional poorvanchali voters to the partys fold, Tiwari will also have the uphill task of ending factionalism within the party.

Sources in the party said one of the reasons for Upadhyays removal as a party president was his inability to bring all factions on the same platform. Poor performance of the party in municipal bypolls came as a shock. He apparently failed to neutralise groupism, which has now been an issue in the party for long, a source said.

Another senior state leader also said, It is true that Tiwari has always been a crowd-puller. But the question is whether he will be able to convert his popularity into votes or to contain the divide among party leaders. He is a permanent resident of Mumbai, his influence at present is confined to a constituency only. How his appointment will work in favour of the party, time will tell. It is too early to reach a conclusion, he said.

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A 17-year-old school dropout in MP has made her parents proud, her neighbours and the upper-caste Yadavs jealous about the zeal for excellence, as shell take the flight to Britain to study English at a school near the University of Oxford in January.

Asha has become the first person in her village to acquire a passport

Asha Gond, a resident of Janwaar village of Panna district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first person in Janwaar village to acquire a passport and travel to another country to study. Ulrike Reinhard, a German woman, who helped set up the skatepark in Janwaar, discovered a keen learner in Asha, who used to help her father in the farmland and support her mother with household chores after dropping out of Class 11.

At Janwaar Castle, we had English sessions by Teach for India fellow Vivek and got the most enthusiastic response from Asha. She came every day to learn, was quick to grasp lessons and was eager to understand fundamentals of English. At the end of the summer, we asked her if she was interested in studying English further. She simply smiled and said yes, said Reinhard.

It took us eight months to convince Ashas parents

It took us eight months to convince Ashas parents to let her take up this opportunity. Then we got things rolling with a visit to Bhopal for her passport. It was the first time Asha and her mother rode on a train, she added.

The flights for Asha and volunteer Alisha, who will accompany the tribal girl, will be paid from sponsors abroad. She will stay with teacher Sylwia and her family at Wantage, Oxfordshire for eight weeks and will study at The Butler Centre for Education in Wantage, about 24 kms away from Oxford, famous for teaching basics of English language to children. The family has also secured a local English teacher specialising in supporting students who dont speak English.

Meanwhile, Ashas mother Kamala Gond says, Asha is a very positive girl. I dont understand much about what she is going to study but she will do it whole-heartedly. She has always been supportive but now she makes me proud.

When asked about fellow villagers reactions, Ashas father Dharmraj says, Most people are jealous. But children are happy and excited as they know they can be the next in line.

One of our board members has already met the family with whom Asha is to stay in England, said Reinhard.

I cant explain how I feel right now. Wherever I go in the village, people, even the upper-caste Yadavs, want to talk to me. I will make the best of this time and will prepare other children to go abroad for studies, said a jubilant Asha.

The entire cost of Ashas tour is crowdfunded

The entire cost of Ashas tour is crowdfunded. People have read about Janwaar Castle and about Asha on several news websites, social media, and have come forward to fund her tour. She has also received several proposals for stay in Oxford. But since we have known Sylwia for long, she will stay with her family near Oxford. She will have private lessons in the morning and spend afternoons at the school. Sylwia herself is a teacher, says Alisha.
Chaos and serpentine queues are expected to prevail on Thursday, as the salaries of those in the organised and unorganised sectors will be credited on December 1.

Bank officials reported on Wednesday that they have not been able to get the requisite stock of currency notes from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

If there is no change in the scenario, they said, most people will have to return empty-handed.

Cash flow remained significantly low on Wednesday. In many banks and ATMs, the cash supply was exhausted within hours of opening, despite them being stocked in the morning. Several ATMs did not function.

Many ATMs and bank branches put up no cash notices or told people to withdraw limited cash, owing to low supply.

Some of them were the ATM and branches of the HDFC bank in Sector 23 , Sector 21, 46 and 29, South City 2 branch of SBI, Punjab & Sind bank at Sector 5, Kotak Mahindra and Axis Bank at sector 14, and ICICI branch at Sector 30.

At the Andhra Bank branch in Sushant Lok Phase 2, notices were put outside requesting cash seekers to not withdraw above Rs10,000. Those who lined up for cash said that if by chance a person failed to get the cash at that time, it would be available only after Thursday evening, or in days after.

I came to the bank in the morning and stood in line for two hours. But when my turn got near, the officials said that they had run of cash and requested us to return after Thursday, said Harjeet Munjal, a customer at Andhra Bank, Sushant Lok Phase 2.

They were also not able to assure us about money being credited on Friday or therafter. Procuring cash for daily essentials remains in limbo. Munjal added.

Many bank officials also stated concerns over the low supply of cash, to Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu Singh at a press conference on Wednesday.

Bank officials said the situation was unlikely to improve until Thursday evening, when the RBI headquarters in Chandigarh would issue more currency.

Many regional bank managers said on condition of annonymity that the supply of cash was low because of the Haryana governments recent order that Group C and D employees could withdraw up to Rs10,000 in cash against their advance salary for November.

The incentive amount for government employees (of group C and D) is being adjusted in their November salary that will be paid on Thursday (December 1), said the bank manager of a regional bank. The cumulative sum reserved for the employees has significantly reduced cash supply for banks and hence, shortages are expected in the coming days,  the manager added.

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Home in on the biographical film Jackie and find out how it relates to the life of fashion icon and First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy.

Whos in it and whats it about?

Natalie Portman stars as Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the USA and wife to President John F. Kennedy.

Based on a lengthy interview for Life Magazine, the film maintains a particular focus on the period following JFKs 1963 assassination and the turmoil that Jackie dealt with both in public and in private.

Also featuring are Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha) as Nancy Tuckerman, the White Houses Social Secretary, Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead) as JFKs younger brother Robert Kennedy, Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park) as painter, journalist and close friend William Walton, and Billy Crudup (Princess Mononoke, Public Enemies) as journalist Theodore White, whose Jackie Kennedy interview becomes a centerpiece of the drama.

Whos behind it?

Chilean director Pablo Larrain helmed No, a political biopic starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Berlin International Film Festival prize winner The Club, and a crime drama about a Saturday Night Fever obsessive, Tony Manero.

He steers Jackie from a script by Noah Oppenheim, a television producer who adapted young adult novels The Maze Runner and The Divergent Series: Allegiant for the screen.

Is it any good?

Since an international premiere at the Venice International Film Festival this September, where its scriptwriter won Best Screenplay and the festivals Golden Osella accolade, Jackie has also seen Natalie Portman win Actress of the Year at the Hollywood Film Awards and director Pablo Larrain win the Toronto International Film Festivals Platform Prize.

Expert enthusiasm has extended to Rotten Tomatoes, where Jackie holds a 97% approval rating (average review score 8.2/10) and Metacritic with a 93/100 aggregated score. Weighted user reviews on IMDb have led to a pre-release average of 7.7/10.

Whens it out?

A theatrical street date of December 2, 2016, means that Jackie arrives over a month earlier in the USA than it does everywhere else.

Openings in early 2017 include those in the homeland of Jackies second husband, Greece (January 5), the UK (January 20), France (February 1), Hong Kong and the Netherlands (February 16.)

Follow @htshowbiz for more.
Hollywood actor Amber Heard has reportedly paid $350,000 to two charities.

The 30-year-old has reportedly donated a fraction of the $7 million divorce settlement deal with her ex-husband and actor Johnny Depp to Childrens Hospital and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) domestic violence unit, reports tmz.com.

This news comes after reports the actress had failed to pass on the full amount of money to both organisations.

A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union said the non-profit organisation received a payment of 20 times less than what was expected from the Magic Mike XXL star on August 19 this year.

In this Nov. 3, 2011 file photo, U.S. actors Johnny Depp, left, and Amber Heard arrive for the European premiere of their film, "The Rum Diary," in London. (AP)

And it has been reported the delay in sending the full amount was due to the former couple being unable to settle the deal between themselves, as Heard wanted to transfer over the money to the Childrens Hospital and the ACLU but Depp hadnt given her the money yet.

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Prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez was released from prison in Jammu on Wednesday after spending 76 days in detention following the Jammu and Kashmir high court quashing his imprisonment under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA).

On Friday, Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar in his order said Parvezs detention was illegal.

Shortly after his release, Parvez took to social media to update his status.

He is in good health and spirits. He expresses his overwhelming gratitude to the local and international solidarity campaign for his release, Parvezs organisation the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) said in a statement.

The activist is scheduled to reach Srinagar tomorrow

Despite the court order on Friday, Parvez continued to be in jail as the order had a minor clerical error regarding a date for which a corrigendum had to be submitted to the court and a correction made.

On Tuesday, the corrected copy of the order of the high court was served to the jail authorities at Kot Bhalwal prison in Jammu.

Highlights Khurram Parvez , a prominent human-rights activist, was released after J&K high court ruled that his detention under a controversial security law was illegal. He was released last Friday but was freed on Wednesday as the jail order had a minor clerical error. His arrest attracted both national and international condemnation. Parvezs arrest came during the recent unrest in Kashmir which was sparked by the July 8 killing of Burhan Wani.

But, the JKCCS had said in a statement, he was not released and was taken to the joint interrogation centre at Meeran Sahib, Jammu.

Parvez has been the most prominent face of human rights movement in Kashmir in recent times and his arrest under the controversial PSA has attracted both national and international condemnation and raised questions on the states procedures to tackle unrest.

Parvez and his organisation the JKCCS, have played a key role in documenting and reporting the violations of human rights in troubled Kashmir.

He was picked up by the police on September 15 in Srinagar, a day after he was stopped from travelling to Geneva to participate in a UN Human Rights Council session.

On September 20, principal district and sessions judge, Srinagar, Rashid Ali Dar, had ordered Parvezs release from a sub-jail in Kupwara and said that the earlier order for his detention was not in accordance with the law.

But the state had, instead, charged him under the PSA and shifted him to Kot Bhalwal prison.

Read | Rights activist Khurram Parvezs arrest opens up can of worms

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Army chief General Dalbir Singh visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters on Wednesday and was briefed about the terror attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed.

The army chief spent around 25 minutes at the site of the encounter before heading back to Delhi. Earlier, he laid wreaths before the mortal remains of the seven soldiers at the technical airport in Jammu.

The Nagrota attack is considered the second biggest attack on an army cantonment after the Uri strike on September 18.

Read: Nagrota army camp attack: Officers wives show courage, avert hostage crisis

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) detected a narrow tunnel in Chamliyal area of Jammu on Wednesday, which it suspects may have been used by Pakistani infiltrators who were killed by the force a day before.

The channel, which is extremely narrow and seems to be man-made, is the fourth tunnel detected in the Jammu area since 2012.

The BSF suspects the three heavily-armed infiltrators the force killed a day before may have crawled inside India using the tunnel to attack security installations in the area.

After the operation ended at the Chamliyal border outpost, the BSF started checking the fence in order to see where it was breached.

Today (Wednesday) morning, we detected a small tunnel of the size of 2x2 metres. We had deployed depth nakas across the fence and hence, we could detect and neutralise the three militants. The tunnel was found in a field where farming is done and has soft soil, said BSF chief KK Sharma during the annual press conference of the force on the eve of its 51st Raising Day.

Sharma added that the tunnel was about 75-80 metres from the International Border and about 35-40 metres from the fence.

We will take up the matter with our counterparts, the Pakistani Rangers, but they are avoiding us. They are not even taking our protest notes, said Sharma.

He said it was a matter of investigation if the attack on the army installation in Nagrota and the Chamliyal encounter were connected, adding that it was extremely difficult to detect existing underground tunnels.
A junior commissioned officer suffered a gunshot injury near the Line in Control in Poonch district on Wednesday morning.

The army claimed the officer was injured in shooting practice in Gulpur area, but sources claimed he was injured in sniper fire from across the border.

The injured officer was identified as subedar Dewan Singh.

More details about the incident were awaited.

Read | Seven soldiers, including 2 officers, killed in militant attack on Nagrota army camp

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A brazen militant attack on an army base in Nagrota near Jammu had exposed major security and intelligence failures, a top defence source admitted on Wednesday, a day after the strike killed seven soldiers.

The source said the militants  who were dressed as policemen  were well trained in guerilla warfare and caused major damage at the base, which houses several important units including those patrolling the Line of Control.

The damage has been done. We lost seven soldiers. Those at the helm of affairs seriously need to look into lapses that led to this attack and immediately take reconciliatory measures, the source added.The responsibility of the Nagrota attack also needs to be fixed and followed by stern action under rules.

The attack was the second in as many months since the siege of another army base at Uri left 19 Indian soldiers dead, spiking tensions between India and Pakistan. The deaths of Indian security personnel also have mounted  60 have been killed this year, almost double the number last year.

Just at the mouth of Jammu city, an attack on Nagrota Cantonment that houses headquarters of 16 Corps, ammunition depots, artillery units and several other army utilities is certainly a serious security and intelligence failure, said the source.

The route taken by the militants isnt known yet.

It seems they might have had come from Kashmir, deliberately avoided the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur and travelled all the way to Nagrota and chose 166 medium regiment at the fag end of Nagrota Cantonment, he said.

The source , however, said that the possibility of attackers crossing the International Border from Samba and Jammu-Pathankot highway and then covering all the distance till Nagrota army camp looked remote.

Read | Nagrota attack: Army launches combing operations, chief likely to visit Jammu

Read | Nagrota army camp attack: Officers wives show courage, avert hostage crisis

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They were rocking little Akansha on a cradle made of a discarded sari in the middle of the room. She kept moving her arms and feet playfully, staring at the mother who applied a small round black patch on her daughters forehead to save her from ominous gaze. The father and grandmother sat nearby indulgently. The mother sat beside the cradle, gently rocking it. The gaze of all three was fixed on the baby.

The picture of happiness in the Kalindi house changed as four CID officers entered on Tuesday evening and wanted to know whether the baby belonged to the couple.

The mother begged them to not take the baby away while the father stood at a corner. The only unperturbed soul in the room was two-month-old Akansha.

The couple was worried as they didnt have the babys birth certificate whom they bought for Rs 2 lakh.

This family in Kalindi near Dumdum was the first to buy a baby from the inter-state child-trafficking racket that the police busted earlier this month.

According to CID sources, it was a case of duping.

Read | Boys for Rs 2 lakh, girls Rs 1.5 lakh: How Bengals baby traffickers operated

The Kalindi case is a perfect example of how gullible couples were taken for a ride. This couple bought a baby but didnt even have a basic document like a birth certificate, a source told HT.

The couple were married in 2012 but remained without a child for the next four years, when it struck them that they could buy one from the market.

The family could ill afford Rs 2 lakh, but the fierce desire of parenthood led them to pawn whatever little gold ornaments they had and raise loans to pay the racketeers.

They brought the baby home when she was only a few days old. The couple named her Akansha (desire) to mark her arrival as a fulfilment of their desire.

They handed over the cash to Utpala Byapari alias Poly, who was attached with Sohan Nursing Home and Sujit Dutta Memorial Trust, an NGO, both in North 24 Parganas. Poly was arrested on November 21, when the racket was busted, along with seven others.

The couple begged the sleuths to let them keep the baby. The CID didnt intend to bring back the baby as it has no infrastructure to keep the babies.

ESI Medical College and Hospital in Joka, where the 10 newborns rescued from Purbasha old-age home near Thakurpukur, were kept, has already asked the CID to take away the babies as they were blocking beds in the hospital.

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A Rs 2,000-crore development package for displaced people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in the country was approved by the government on Wednesday.

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the home ministrys proposal to provide enhanced financial aid to 36,384 families, many of whom are living in Jammu region after their displacement from PoK post Independence.

Each of these families will get around Rs 5.5 lakh aid, a senior official said.

The refugees from West Pakistan -- mostly from PoK -- settled in different areas of Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts. However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.

Some of the families were displaced during Partition in 1947, and others during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.

The displaced people can cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls but not in the elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

Jammu and Kashmir Sharanarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), an organisation representing the displaced people of the PoK has been maintaining that the package should not be seen as final settlement as Rs 9,200 crore was required to settle all of them.

The Modi government had in January 2015 approved certain concessions for the refugees from West Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir after considering the problems being faced by them.

The concessions include special recruitment drives for induction into paramilitary forces, equal employment opportunities in the state, admission for the children of refugees in Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.
The fears of payday chaos began to come true on Wednesday. Queues at banks and ATMs became longer, cash ran out quicker, and banks sought police protection and put their own limits on withdrawals.

The government has put a cap of Rs 24,000 on what a person can take out in a week and all of it can be done in one go. However, on Wednesday banks in major cities were giving out no more than Rs 10,000 per person, and shrinking the amount to Rs. 4,000 at some branches.

Still, several bank branches ran out of cash within hours of opening on Wednesday morning. Banks have already started seeing more crowd. Since old people are not familiar with net banking, they prefer coming to the branch, said a bank official. This at a time when most banks are getting less than half the cash they need.

The results are inevitable in an economy where an overwhelming 78% of consumer payments are made in cash.

Angry customers, who did not get cash, locked up bank staff at a few branches in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The situation is getting out of hand. We have sought police protection, said CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association.

Read | On salary day, MPs dash to the SBI branch in Parliament to encash pay

The bulk of the salaries get credited to bank accounts. But most of them have a cash component. In the case of some, such as domestic help, the entire payment is in cash. And those who get salaries electronically usually line up at ATMs to withdraw money for expenses, such as school and medical fees, newspaper bills, and other sundry purchases.

So the good old Indian jugaad has come into play.

Sunita Srivastata, a 36-year-old housewife living in Lajpat Nagar, has offered to buy her maid groceries instead of paying the Rs 500 salary.

Read | RBI restricts withdrawal limit on Jan Dhan accounts to Rs 10,000

Companies have devised their own methods. Some are offering a day off to employees to queue up at the bank. Some, such as software giant Infosys, are deploying mini ATMs in offices. Many real estate and construction companies, a sector that employs many casual workers and pays the bulk of the salaries in cash, is helping their people open bank accounts.

We spoke to our banking partners to open accounts for the labourers working on our construction site. We do not want to hold on to peoples salaries, said Amit Modi, director at real estate developer, ABA Corp.

They have no alternative, because there just isnt enough cash going around. The State Bank of India, which has the largest number of currency chests in Delhi, capped withdrawals at Rs 4,000 in some branches and at Rs 10,000 in some others.

An official with the bank said its Daryaganj branch received only Rs 10 lakh on Wednesday, down from Rs 30 lakh on each of the preceding three days. Several banks in Daryaganj ran out of cash within three hours.

People get agitated because they cannot withdraw their own money, said an ICICI bank branch manager in Mumbai. HT visited branches of HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Yes Bank in Mumbais Fort, Nariman Point, and Charni Road to find them limiting their daily cash withdrawal to Rs 4,000 per person on Wednesday.

Read | Govt not considering December 30 cut-off extension for cash deposits

Directed by the government, the Reserve Bank of India increased the printing of Rs. 500 notes by 25%. The printing of Rs. 2,000 notes is over and the presses can now switch lines to the Rs. 500 note, said a finance ministry official. The presses cannot print the two notes simultaneously. Still, said the official, it will take another three weeks to have enough Rs. 500 notes in banks and ATMs.

The RBI governor has assured finance minister Arun Jaitley that the situation was under control, said an official of the central bank, adding that Rs. 64,000 crore has been pumped into the system since November 21.

However, the biggest challenge the banks face a shortage of Rs. 500 and Rs. 100 notes.

(With inputs from Beena Parmar, Himani Chandna, and Vandana Ramnani)
Chennai and Tamil Nadu are bracing for cyclone Nada, expected to land at Cuddalore on December 2 early morning.

What this cyclone brings for Chennai is plenty of rain but not in the quantity of rain that caused floods last year around the same time.

However, there could be some destruction in the areas the cyclone passes through with wind speeds of 45kmph to 55kmph. State government has readied two NDRF teams and one SDRF team have been stationed at Cuddalore and relief centres readied for evacuation in case of need. One team each of the NDRF and SDRF are being positioned at Nagapattinam and Chennai.

Said Cuddalore collector said 49 coastal villages have been identified that could bear the brunt of the cyclone now estimated to be 730km south west away from the Tamil Nadu coast. It is expected to make a landfall between Vedaranyam and Puducherry near Cuddalore on Friday.

Wind speeds of upto 45kmph to 55kmph could lash through Cuddalore, Karaikal and Puduchery when it hits the land, S Balachandran, director, Met office in Chennai told Hindustan Times.

Strong winds and heavy to very heavy rain is expected in coastal Tamil Nadu and Chennai will start receiving rain from Thursday morning, he said.

We have advised the fishermen against going into deep sea for fishing, he said. All the concerned government departments are gearing up to handle the situation.

There could be some damage to thatched houses, power lines, transmission towers and cellphone towers during the cyclone Nada, Balachandran said.

State government has directed all district collectors to take all precautionary steps to make preparations to evacuate people from low lying areas to relief centres.

Fishermen are advised not to venture in to sea and to keep their boats tied up in safe places. The public are also advised to move to the relief centres as and when advised by the District Collector, the state government said in a press statement issued on Wednesday evening.

All schools in five districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore have been closed for two days. Anna University has postponed all engineering colleges examinations scheduled to be held over the two days and fresh dates would be announced later.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking relaxation of the Rs 2.5 lakh withdrawal limit for marriages.

The writ petition is dismissed, a bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said on the plea which had also termed as arbitrary the guidelines which seek detailed list of persons to whom the cash withdrawn will be paid for marriage and declaration from them that they do not have a bank account.

The high court had on November 28 reserved its verdict on the plea saying, government has given relaxation wherever necessary on the demonetisation issue.

Earlier, the Centre had opposed the plea saying the government has already given certain exemptions but some conditions were needed so that nobody can misuse it.

We cannot have an unmeasured and uncanalised situation. We have given exemptions. For weddings, if we will not put conditions, anybody can get a marriage card printed and go to the bank to withdraw Rs 2.5 lakh, additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for Centre, had told the bench.

In his plea, petitioner Birender Sangwan had said the cap of Rs 2.5 lakh withdrawal for marriages should be relaxed as there were various customary donations which one gives during the wedding ceremony.

Liberty must be given for marriages so that one can pay as per the customs. How can somebody give such an undertaking? As per the guidelines, even the priest who performs marriages has to give undertaking of not having a bank account. The parents of the bride and groom should be allowed to withdraw money from their accounts without such arbitrary conditions, it had said.

The petitioners counsel had also told the bench that some kind of liberty should be given to the parents of the bride and the groom to withdraw money as per their requirements and the Rs 2.5 lakh cap should be relaxed.

The Supreme Court is also hearing a batch of petitions against the demonetisation move announced on November 8. It is hearing the Centres plea seeking transfer of all petitions pending before various courts across the country to either the apex court or one high court. The hearing is scheduled on December 2.

Last week, the Delhi High Court had made it clear that it will not go into the correctness of the demonetisation policy as the apex court is already seized of it. The observation had come while the high court was hearing a plea against the weekly withdrawal cap of Rs 24,000.
An assistant executive engineer of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board in Coonoor near Udhagamandalam was on Wednesday sentenced to one year imprisonment by a court for taking a bribe of Rs 1,000 in 2003.

Sub-court judge M Thangavelu found Rajendraprasad guilty of taking the bribe to give power connection to a new building while he was working as an assistant engineer 13 years ago.

According to the prosecution, on a complaint from the building contractor, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption had laid a trap and arrested the official while accepting the bribe.
The union cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the central list of other backward classes (OBCs) to include 28 communities in eight states including Uttarakhand which goes to the polls early next year.

The other seven states are Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand. A total of 28 changes were recommended by the national commission for backward class (NCBC) in these states.

Of the 28 communities that have been included in the central list, 15 are new entries while nine were sub-castes and 4 were corrections.

The changes will enable the people belonging to these castes/communities to avail the benefits of reservation in government services and posts as well as in central educational institutions according to the existing policy. They will also become eligible for benefits under various welfare schemes, scholarships etc. that are administered by the Centre and is presently available to the persons belonging to OBCs.

So far, on the recommendation of the NCBC, a total of 2479 entries for inclusion, including its synonyms, sub-castes, etc. in the central list of OBC have been notified in 25 states and six union territories. The last such notification was issued till September, 2016.

The NCBC scrutinizes appeals for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hears complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists.

The commissions advice is binding upon the government.
The government is ready for a discussion in Parliament on the issue of demonetisation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in it, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday as he appealed to the opposition parties not to disrupt proceedings.

He said the mood of the country was in favour of the move which is why the calls for strike and protests by opposition parties did not succeed.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an awareness session on digital transactions for officials of his ministries, he said demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes is a fact now and there should be discussion on how it can be implemented smoothly.

They (opposition parties) should come back to Parliament to discuss and debate and give valuable suggestions so that the country can move forward, said Naidu, who holds information and broadcasting, urban development, and housing and urban poverty alleviation ministries.

He said that many opposition leaders were now trying to clarify that they were not against the war on black money and demonetisation.

They are all saying this because the mood of the nation is dominantly in favour of the step taken by the Prime Minister, he said.

Read| PM will speak in parliament on demonetisation if theres proper debate: Naidu

The call for a bandh was a total flop and the nationwide protest programmes also failed, he said.

They (opposition parties) tried to come together but there is now division as some people wanted rollback (of the move)...I just saw in newspapers that (RJD supremo) Laluji was saying that in principle he is not opposed to the move but he has issues with implementation, Naidu said.

The issues should be discussed in Parliament for which the government is ready. The Prime Minister will also definitely and the finance minister will also reply in the end, he said.

Naidu said there are other issues and key legislations that should be discussed in Parliament.

Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore was also present at the event.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi accused the government on Wednesday of helping black money hoarders with an amendment to the income tax law, saying half of the unaccounted cash would now be returned to them.

The government has given 50% of the black money back to hoarders again, he said outside Parliament.

The Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, providing a window to legalise black money after paying tax on the amount post-demonetisation. As per the bill, those who disclose black money to banks will have to pay 50% tax, including surcharge and penalty.

Asked about the walkout by the opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha, Rahul said: There is a practice in Parliament that whenever someone dies we respect them. This is for the first time that there was no such obituary offered for those soldiers who had died (in Nagrota attack). So the Opposition walked out.

Highlights The Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, providing a window to legalise black money after paying tax on the amount post-demonetisation. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi alleged the government is giving 50% of the black money back to hoarders under the amendment.

Opposition members walked out of the Lok Sabha as their demand for an obituary reference on the soldiers who died in the terror attack on army camp in Jammu was rejected by the Speaker on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.

Countering Rahuls charges, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, It is unfortunate that Congress is doing politics over the issue involving defence of the country.

The Speaker informed that combing operations are underway in Nagrota. Once operations are over, tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers, he said.

Taking on Congress, Naidu said, People of the nation hate such small politics. Congress party walked out during question hour and then came back. Congress neither wants any discussion nor wants House to function as they are scared of being exposed. Its an insult to Nagrota martyrs.
A day after the BJP registered an emphatic victory in the Gujarat local body polls, Patidar leader Hardik Patel said the outcome will have no bearing on the assembly elections due next year. In a telephonic interview to Deep Mukherjee, the leader also spoke about how one did not see the son of Adani standing in queues after demonetisation and his plans post-exile.

Despite speculation that BJP has lost a large chunk of its vote bank, they dominated the local polls. Are you surprised?

Not at all. The places where the BJP has won are the partys traditional strongholds. The BJP has got ample money and muscle power and its obvious that they have won the elections with the same dictatorial attitude.

What do you mean by dictatorial attitude? Do you think the poll results are indicative that the BJP is still strong in the state?

By dictatorial attitude, I mean the divide-and-rule policy adopted by the BJP. I see the election results as a perfect example of how money and muscle power helps the BJP garner votes. I dont think these results will have an impact on the assembly elections.

You criticised the note ban move. Why do you think its a bad move?

Have you seen Adanis son standing in bank queues? We are against graft but the way the step was executed left the common men in jeopardy.

Do you think demonetisation will also have an impact on the spending of parties such as the BJP in Gujarat?

The people of Gujarat are unhappy with the BJP. Their party fund comes only from big companies. Often the party funds are collected by threatening people and even their national president has faced such allegations in the past.

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Less than a year after Patidar protests played the catalyst to throw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of local bodies in Gujarats countryside, the party seems back on track in the same pockets ahead of the assembly elections due next year.

The BJP on Tuesday won 109 of the total 126 seats across district and taluka panchayats and municipalities in 16 districts.

After a remarkable performance last year in local body elections, the Congress could bag only 17 seats this time.

Overall, in the polls held on Sunday, the BJP gained 45 seats while the Congress lost 39.

The results in BJPs favour came even as people continued to queue up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw cash following the Centres demonetisation decision.

The BJP asserted the win was beyond urban-rural lines and it was elected by farmers as well as the middle class to fight corruption through demonetisation.

The BJP has won in urban as well as rural areas. This proves people are in favour of development and corruption-free governance, said chief minister Vijay Rupani.

The Congress, however, maintained this did not represent the larger picture.

By-election results cannot be a precursor for the assembly elections, said party spokesperson Manish Doshi.

Last year, following the debacle in the countryside for the first time in 30 years, when it lost 60% of taluka panchayat seats and 75% of district panchayat seats to the Congress in the heat of the Patidar agitation, the BJP was quick to make amends.

While Rupani replaced Anandiben Patel, the new government also came up with a series of measures, including support price for groundnut and new electricity connections, for farmers.

Read | Have you seen Adanis son stand in bank queues: Hardik Patel on note ban

The government also offered an olive branch to Patidars agitating for OBC reservation benefits in college admissions and government jobs.

Following an invitation, 11 aides of the exiled quota leader Hardik Patel are slated to hold talks with the Rupani government on Thursday.

The BJP made a comeback in Gondal taluka panchayat, a hub of Patidars. Gondal and nearby Jetpur had seen widespread protests by Dalits following the Una flogging incident in July.

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Illegal funds are being sent through hawala and other channels to inimical forces in Kashmir Valley to incite protests, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said the practice of sending illegal money through hawala and other channels to inimical elements in the Valley to incite protests have been going on.

Rijijus colleague, minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said separatists and militants were receiving funds from foreign countries through hawala and inward remittances.

Referring to the tension along the Indo-Pak border, Rijiju said 24 suspected militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, were killed, while 78 attempts of infiltrations were foiled till October-end this year.

Till October this year, there were 201 incidents of infiltration from across the border into Jammu and Kashmir and 30 cases of infiltration into Punjab.

He said five BSF personnel killed were and nine others injured due to cross-border firing between September and October this year.

Replying to another question, Ahir said there was no information about espionage being carried out by Pakistan using pigeons.

However, some pigeons with rubber tag with Pakistani telephone no/name of persons have been found in border areas, he said.
The government has decided to construct strategic rail lines along the borders with neighbouring countries, including China and Pakistan, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

The proposal for construction of railway lines along China, Nepal and Pakistan borders has been initiated by the defence ministry as a strategic line, minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.

A total of 14 strategic lines have been identified, out of which four strategic lines -- the 378km Missamari-Tenga- Tawang line, the 498km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line, the 227km Pasighat -Tezu-Rupai line, and the 249km North Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar line -- have been decided to be taken up in the first phase.

However, he said, none of these projects have been sanctioned.

Since all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of the Himalayas, stability, geology, construction, maintenance and safety issues are to be examined, he said.

Accordingly, the Final Location Survey (FLS) has been taken at a cost of Rs 345 crore. For the year 2016-17, the Ministry of Defence has provided Rs 87.18 crore.
An Indian citizen living in Nevada, the US, as a permanent resident pleaded guilty on Tuesday to involvement in a foiled terrorist strike in India in late 2013. He has been in detention since his arrest and faces up to 15 years in jail.

Balwinder Singh, 42, purchased two sets of night-vision goggles for a co-conspirator who was to carry out the attack in India as part of a movement to create an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region, the US justice department said in a statement.

The plan was to assassinate or maim an Indian governmental official, the department said.The final target would be determined after the co-conspirator arrived in South Asia.

Acting assistant attorney general for national security Mary B McCord said, Singh attempted to provide material support and resources to terrorists to create violence and disruption abroad...Identifying, thwarting and holding accountable individuals who pursue international terrorism is a top priority of the Department of Justice.

The co-conspirator, who was not identified in the statement, was arrested at San Francisco airport from where he had planned to board a flight for Bangkok, Thailand en route to India. The justice department said he was to travel to South Asia and then India, and not directly. It was not clear where in South Asia. Pakistan has been a staging ground for most such attackers.

Singh, also known as Jhaji, Happy, Possi and Baljit Singh, pleaded guilty before US district judge Larry R Hicks to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. He had been in detention since his arrest on December 17, 2013.

He was charged on December 18, 2013.

According to the justice department, Singh discussed the attack with several co-conspirators, who remained unidentified, over phone between September and December 2013. They agreed to provide material support by facilitating a co-conspirators travel to and within South Asia and providing funding and materials necessary to carry out an overseas attack.

Singh continued discussing the plans with his co-conspirators even after the arrest of the man who was to carry out the strike, till he himself was arrested.
Infiltration of trained terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir is up by more than one hundred per cent in 2016.

According to the multi agency center (MAC)which collates inputs from the army, paramilitary forces and the intelligence agencies at least 75 terrorists have entered the state as compared to 30 militants in 2015.

Even according to the figures tabled by MoS (Home) Hansraj Ahir in the Rajya Sabha, there were 90 such attempts in the first six months of 2016, of which 54 were successful. Since July 15, the Army has foiled at least 14 such attempts. In comparison, 2015 saw 31 successful attempts.

The infiltration attempt at the Samba sector on Tuesday is a confirmation of the Armys assessment that the snows are not likely to deter terrorists from making their way into Jammu and Kashmir.

Read| Seven soldiers, including 2 officers, killed in militant attack on Nagrota army camp

Heavy snowfall makes for a formidable trek across the LoC but Lt Gen Satish Dua, Corps Commander, 15 Corps, told HT, just before demitting office, We expect a more difficult winter because of the heightened state of alert after the surgical strikes and are prepared for any misadventure from Pakistan.

The increase in infiltration numbers is only a part of the problem the security forces are gearing up for. Pakistan is sending in trained militants not only to exploit the ground situation in Kashmir, which is still locked down after four months of protests, but is also consistently targeting the forces along the Line of Control and in the hinterland, a senior intelligence officer said. Apart from ceasefire violations, the state has also seen terror attacks, including the one at Uri in September that killed 19 soldiers and another at the Nagrota camp in Jammu on Tuesday.

As indicated by defence minister Manohar Parrikar, terrorists are training their guns, not on civilians, but on security forces. The army, deployed along the line of control, has been particularly targeted since the surgical strikes on September 29.
A gangster who was also a member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was shot dead inside a court in an audacious attack by three gunmen on Wednesday that has raised fears of a return of gang wars of the 1990s.

The shooters allegedly fired 14 rounds at Upendra Singh on the busy second floor of the Bar Association building in the court.

One of the three shooters has been identified as Vinod Kumar, a resident of Golmuri area of the city. Upendra, who was shot in the head and chest, was rushed to Tata Main Hospital (TMH) where doctors pronounced him brought dead.

Police have arrested two shooters including Vinod Kumar and seized three automatic 9 mm pistols and six live bullets. The lawyers present in the court managed to catch one of the shooters and handed him over to the police after beating him black and blue. His condition is said to be serious.

Chief minister Raghubar Das taking note of the murder, directed the states police chief D K Pandey to beef up security in and around courts across the state.

The Jharkhand high court also took cognizance of the murder and sought a comprehensive report from the director general of police following which additional DGP (CID) Ajay Kumar Singh rushed to Jamshedpur from Ranchi.

Inspector general (operations) and spokesman of Jharkhand police, MS Bhatia said that a general alert has been sounded in all districts after shooting incident. He described the incident as the fallout of rivalry between two groups of criminals.

The police have been asked to be watchful in the court campuses, he said.

Upendra Singh who owned a travel agency and real estate business was in the court in connection with the hearing on the sensational murder of railway contractor and his one-time partner Ram Sakal Yadav last year.

According to the chargesheet, Upendra and another person named Vicky Taparia had struck a deal with Patna-based gangster Manoj Singh for contract killing of Yadav for Rs7 5 lakh out of which Rs 25 lakh was paid to Manoj as advance before murder.

Yadav was shot dead by motorcycle borne unknown assailants near Jubilee Park here on August 1 when he was out for his morning walk. Wednesdays murder is being viewed as retaliation for Yadavs killing where Upendra was the main accused.

Upendra who was in jail for over six months following his arrest after Yadavs murder, had come out on bail two months ago. He had fought the last state assembly election in 2014 as a JMM candidate from Jamshedpur (West) constituency but lost. According to his election affidavit, he had assets worth Rs 3.27 crore and liabilities of Rs 60 lakh at that time.

Rajesh Shukla, vice-Chairman of Jharkhand state bar council, demanded foolproof security arrangements in court premises across the state so that lawyers fearlessly dispense their duties.

Frequent incidents of firing inside court premises have exposed security lapses which need to be strengthened, he said

On Wednesday evening. East Singhbhum district bar association announced iyt would go on a pen-down strike from Thursday. Weve told SSP Anoopt T Matthew that if appropriate action and security measures are not taken at the court premises, the strike will continue, said Shukla.

Wednesdays shooting was the second major incident in Jharkhand in a just over a year. In June 2015, a gunman shot dead three undertrial gangsters - Sushil Srivastava and two others  in the Hazaribag court premises with an AK-47 rifle.

Upendras daylight murder has revived memories of the late 90s when two rival gangs led by Saheb Singh and Hedayat Khan clashed frequently on the city streets with automatic weapons. The gangland shootings left over a dozen members dead on either side. The rivalry was mainly over control on extortion money and commission worth crores of rupees extracted from iron dealers from various states participating in auction of scrap iron of Tata Steel.

The spate of bloody street fights came to an end with the death of Saheb Singh in an encounter with the police in Sasaram (Bihar). The then Jamshedpur SP Dr AjayKumar, who is now the Congress national spokesperson, also led a crackdown on the gangs in Jamsehdpur. Interestingly, Hedayat Khan is now a member of the JMM.

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Interrogation of Sikh militant leader Harminder Singh Mintoo has revealed that during his stay in Punjabs Nabha Jail he frequently received funds through Hawala from Englands Lancaster, Canada and Germany to revive Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) in Punjab before the states upcoming assembly elections, police said.

Mintoo told interrogators that the funding was done on the instructions of Ranjeet Singh Neeta, chief of terrorist organisation Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). A native of Jammu and Kashmir, Neeta is presently operating from Pakistan. His KZF has close links with Pakistan spy agency ISI, and is committed to joint action with Jammu and Kashmir terrorist groups, notably the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Another Sikh separatist group leader Harpreet Singh aka Happy is also based in Pakistan, and is working in close co-ordination with the ISI. Mintoo had met him in Malaysia in 2009 on directives of Neeta. Like Neeta, Mintoo received funds through the ISIs Hawala network in India and other countries.

During the interrogation, a senior police officer said, Mintoo claimed that he was frequently having video chats with Neeta and Harpreet through Skype and WhatsApp from the prison. He was also using a cell phone in the jail to contact them and his other KLFs members based in other countries such as Thiland, Malaysia, Germany.

According to Mintoos claims, the funding from Lancaster was done by Neetas close confidant, a former member of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) who is now associated with KZF. The police refused to disclose his name. They, however, said that Mintoo was introduced to the Lancaster resident in Malaysia in 2008 by Neeta.

One Baljinder whom Mintoo had met in Canada was the latters source of funding in Canada. Another BKI member, Jasvinder, was sending funds to Mintoo from Germany, said the officer.

Police said that the funds from the three countries were sent to a common contact in Khanna, a city in Ludhiana district in Punjab, through a famous money transfer service. This common contact that was introduced to all fund raisers by Jasvinder was taking help from Tejinder Sharma, owner of a sweetshop located just outside the Nabha jail, to send cash money and other communication gadgets to Mintoo in the jail, said police.

Mintoo (49) was arrested in Delhi on Monday after fleeing from a Punjab prison a day before. The central intelligence agencies and Delhi Police officials are interrogating Mintoo to bust the entire network between ISI, KLF and KZF, and to unearth the conspiracy that the Pakistani spy agency had been planning through Mintoo.
Indian Army launched fresh searches early on Wednesday inside a military camp in Jammu and Kashmirs Nagrota, which was attacked by militants on Tuesday, to flush out any remaining attackers.

Seven soldiers, including two majors, were killed when militants dressed as policemen attacked the camp triggering a fierce gun battle that raged for more than 12 hours.

The brazen attack was the second in as many months since the siege of another army base in September at Uri left 19 Indian soldiers dead, spiking tensions between India and Pakistan.

At the first light, the troops started combing operations. They are moving cautiously. There is no contact and no exchange of fire, an intelligence official said.

It was believed that one or two more militants could possibly be hiding in the officers mess. The army placed the area under tight cordon and did not call off the search operation on Tuesday but suspended it to ensure that it was completely sanitised.

Army chief General Dalbir Singh may visit the 16 Corps headquarters to take stock of the situation. He is likely to attend the wreath laying ceremony of the seven soldiers, who died on Tuesday.

The army said the group of heavily armed militants  believed to five-six in number  arrived at the base in a Maruti car before opening fire and lobbing grenades at soldiers on the main gate.

Here is a list of soldiers who died:

1. Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir, 33, hailed from Pandharpur village in Maharashtras Solapur district. He is survived by his wife, Uma K Gosavi.

2. Major Akshay Girish Kumar, 31, belonged to Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is survived by his wife Sangeeta Ravinderan.

3. Havildar Sukhraj Singh, 32, hailed from Maan Nagar village in Punjabs Gurdaspur district. He is survived by his wife Harmeet Kaur.

4. Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro, 32, hailed from Janapuri village of Nanded district in Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife Sheetal.

5. Grenadier Raghvendra Singh belonged to Gadijatar village of Dholpur district in Rajasthan. The 28-year-old is survived by his wife, Anjana Sikaewal.

6. Rifleman Asim Rai, 32 , hailed from Nepals Ratanchha village. He is survived by his wife, Madhu Kala Rai.

7. Naik Chittaranjan Debbarma hailed from Garingpara village in West Tripura, Tripura. He is survived by his wife Namita Debbarma and two children aged 11 and 7 years.

Read| Nagrota army camp attack: Officers wives show courage, avert hostage crisis
The Border Security Force said on Wednesday the exact area from where terrorists who attacked the Pathankot air force base infiltrated is still a matter of conjecture and there was no direct evidence of a breach in the security system along the Indo-Pakistan border.

Minister of state for home, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, had said on Tuesday in a written reply in the Lok Sabha: Four Pakistan-based terrorists entered Punjab via Janial road, Dhusi turn, near Ravi river bridge, Gulpur Simli village- Akalgarh and attacked airforce station in Pathankot.

BSF chief KK Sharma said there are many variables on the border, marked by riverine gaps and other unguarded patches, and Pathankot could be one of those.

That is still a matter of conjecture. It is suspected they came from this area (as mentioned in the ministers reply)... But there is no direct evidence of a breach (of the border fence), he said.

The DG added that due to riverine areas and other gaps in the undulating terrain on the border, it is not possible to erect a fence everywhere.

Putting an end to speculation about the number of terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, Ahirs statement made it clear that only four militants had entered the airforce station to carry out the strike.

The response is contrary to home minister Rajnath Singhs statement on March 4, which said that charred remains, apart from four bodies of terrorists, were found after security forces searched the Pathankot IAF station when the operation ended.

Talking about the Indo-Bangladesh border, the DG said non-lethal weapons given to BSF troops will stay as both the sides are determined to reduce the number of deaths on the frontier.

He said the incidents of smuggling of fake Indian currency notes along the border, especially in the notorious Malda area, has drastically gone down post demonetisation.

Asked if hostilities could increase in the wake of new Pakistan Army chief taking over, he said it was a million dollar question to him too.

Sharma added that the 2.5-lakh personnel strong force is running a special financial literacy programme for its troops so that they can save and invest for their future.
This payday could become Judgement Day for the demonetisation drive, with banks running out of notes and people scrambling already for cash to pay salaries and bills.

The cash crunch-hit people and banks are bracing for more pain on December 1 when the government, companies, and domestic employers pay salaries to their staff.

Banks and ATMs are running on nearly 40% less cash than they would need. Already banks are refusing withdrawal of Rs 24,000 and ATMs dispensing only Rs 2,000 notes.

This payday will turn into pain-day as banks will not be able to meet the demand simply because the system does not have enough cash. This will restrict people in withdrawing their salaries and even pensions, said CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association.

Read | Massive support for demonetisation but implementation patchy: Central team

Such is the cash shortage that officials at a Bank of India branch in Ghaziabad came forward to arrange the funeral of 74-year-old Munna Lal Sharma, who died of cancer Tuesday morning.

Sure, the bulk of the salaries get credited to bank accounts. But most of them have a cash component. In the case of some, such as domestic help, the entire payment is in cash. And those who get salaries electronically usually line up at ATMs to withdraw money for expenses, such as greengrocers bills, and sundry purchases.

Read | India is far away from being a cashless economy. Heres why

Sources said the Reserve Bank of India is monitoring the situation, but bankers do not expect much improvement in the next couple of days. The RBI did not respond to an email from HT.

Most people want to withdraw Rs 24,000, the cap set by the government for withdrawal in a week, as they have to pay their drivers and domestic helps. But we exhaust the cash in a few hours as we are not getting enough supply, said an official at the Corporation Banks branch in Delhis Mayur Vihar.

Most bank branches give out much less than the limit of Rs 24,000. They dont have a choice. A State Bank of India official said the banks central Delhi branch gets only half of the Rs 50 lakh it needs every day.

The cash chest at the banks branches in Janakpuri, Jhilmil, and Okhla will be dry in a day if they do not get more from the RBI. Each chest caters to 50 branches.

A Central Bank of India branch manager said he got Rs 300,000 from the chest a couple of days ago after repeated requested. Had a customer wanted Rs 250,000 for a wedding, I would have been left with Rs 50,000, which will get over if five people withdraw money.

Read | Govt not considering December 30 cut-off extension for cash deposits

Consider the maths. Each of the 200,000 ATMs in the country could hold Rs 6.5 lakh before the demonetisation from November 9 made 500- and 1,000-rupee notes illegal.

Half of them needed to be filled twice a day in the first fortnight, when salaries come in and go out. Now each ATM gets no more than Rs 2.5 lakh a day.

Kerala finance minister Thomas Issac said the state government will not able to disburse salaries and pensions. We need Rs 1,200 crore to give salary and pension. If the RBI doesnt give enough cash to state treasuries, we will not be able to disburse salaries properly, he said.

Banks in Tamil Nadu are dreading payday. The state employees requested the government to disburse salaries in cash. But our demand was rejected, said R Shanmugarajan, president, Tamil Nadu Government Officers Union.

In Gurgaon, banks are said to be running short by a combined Rs 2,000 crore a day. At a meeting with the district administration on Saturday, the topic was the anticipated rush once salaries come into accounts.

Banks have to make additional arrangement, including security deployment, said a senior Canara Bank official. Some banks are contemplating setting up additional counters for withdrawal to meet the rush.

Sources said funds are being made available in rural and semi-urban pockets so that farmers get adequate cash for sowing the Rabi crop. Reports suggest major metros are getting less cash, leading to chaos at banks.

The government says sufficient cash is available with the RBI and banks, and so there is no need to extend the December 30 deadline for depositing demonetised notes.

Circulation of Rs 100 notes has already been increased, minister of state for finance Arun Ram Meghwal informed Parliament on Tuesday.

(With inputs from Abhinav Rajput, Beena Parmar, Suchetana Ray, Peeyush Khandelwal, Rashpal Singh Bhardwaj and agencies)

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There was heavy rush at the State Bank of India branch in the Parliament building on Wednesday. It was pay day in Parliament and many MPs didnt want to wait to get some hard cash in their pockets.

Like other people, we also have to run our house and pay our domestic help and others, said a senior member.

Sources said more than 300 MPs went to the SBI branch  that exclusively serves the lawmakers  to withdraw money. Most of them withdrew the entire weekly limit in one day, said a bank official.

After the Rajya Sabha was adjourned in the morning, some MPs from the Upper House immediately rushed to the bank. The salaries were credited in their accounts early in the morning.

Even as the SBI branch worked non-stop to hand over cash to the lawmakers and their representatives, the four ATMs in the Parliament complex often went dry, forcing hundreds of workers and staff to wait patiently before the ATM machines with the hope that they will be refilled.

Some MPs had even tried to find out if they can get their salaries in cash from the Lok Sabha secretariat on Tuesday. Sources said BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab had asked Lok Sabha officials to give him his salary in cash instead of a cheque. The Parliament staff were clueless about any such provision.
Pakistan said on Wednesday that India has deployed one million troops in Jammu and Kashmir, which is the highest concentration of soldiers in the world at one place.

Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said the presence of Indian troops in such a large scale was a hurdle in implementing the UN resolution on Kashmir.

The spokesman alleged that since the last four months, Indian troops have killed innocent Kashmiris and violated basic human rights.

He urged India to stop bloodshed in occupied Kashmir, emphasising Pakistans desire to resolve outstanding issues with India peacefully.

The spokesman also called on the UN to play its role in resolving the Kashmir issue and implement its resolution.

Zakaria condemned Indias ill intention to sabotage the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty.
Parliament failed to do any major work again on Wednesday as disruptions over demonetisation and Tuesdays Nagrota attack continued, coupled by the Oppositions demand to debate on the currency switch only in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House.

While the Lok Sabha speaker tried to broker peace between the government and the Opposition, but sloganeering continued. She also encouraged the House to hear issues of urgent public importance from other lawmakers to get some work done for a while, the persistent uproar forced adjournment of the Lower House until 11 am on Thursday.

The Opposition also raised in the Rajya Sabha Tuesdays Nagrota attack in which five jawans and two officers were killed. But the proceedings in the Upper House were no different, leading to adjournment till 11am on Thursday.

Live updates from Parliament:

2.14pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day. Next session on Thursday at 11am.

2.07pm: Congress MP Rajiv Shukla says the government is answerable for the security lapse and the killing of seven Indian securitymen in Nagrota and Chamliyal attacks on Tuesday. Shukla also moves Rajya Sabha for condolence to the jawans killed on Tuesday.

BJPs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi replies We will never forget the sacrifice of the slain soldiers. We will avenge. We will give strong and befitting reply.

This sparks another round of chants Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and all the leaders walk up to the deputy chairman, stalling the proceedings.

Lawmakers give Jai jawan, Jai Kisan slogans in the Well before deputy chairman. (Rajya Sabha TV)

2.00pm: Rajya Sabha opens post adjournment. Opposition leaders tries to corner the government over Nagrota army base attack on Tuesday.

12.58pm: Uproar in the House refuses to mellow down. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan laughs at the shouting lawmakers and adjourns the Lok Sabha till 11am on Thursday.

12.45pm: Lok Sabha opens to continuous sloganeering from the opposition leaders. Speaker takes up issues from other lawmakers.

12.32pm: Lok Sabha speaker listens to matters of importance from lawmakers from Rajasthan and Karnataka.

Opposition refuses to let go of their protests against the government, forcing speaker Mahajan to adjourn Lok Sabha till 12.45pm.

12.20pm: Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan tries to calm the outraged opposition leaders. Let us all start from scratch and discuss what is the issue. Why is so much annoyance? Let us at least try to discuss the issue (of demonetisation), the speaker tells Lok Sabha.

But Opposition refuses to calm down. Speaker directs the House to discuss other issues, inviting other MPs to raise their issues.

If Opposition agrees for a discussion, government is ready for a debate on all aspects, says BJP MP Ananth Kumar in Lok Sabha.

12:05pm: Both the Houses resume uproar as the chair open sessions. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm.

11.15am: Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12pm after ruckus over demonetisation, Nagrota attack.

11.08am: Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party demands compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for those who died in bank and ATM chaos since the demonetisation announcement.

11.00am: Both the Houses open to ruckus over demonetisation.

Opposition raises Tuesdays Nagrota attack issue in the Rajya Sabha. BSPs Mayawati and Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United) slam Centre.

You claimed the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes will curb terrorism. Yet yesterday, so many people were killed in Nagrota, says Sharad Yadav.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley replies to Yadav: Weve always been open to debate the demonetisation. Do you even have a consensus within your party over the move?

Sharad Yadav hits back, saying, Youre talking about JD(U) , do you even have PM by your side? Is someone even listening to you?

My appeal to political parties in Parl-lets debate, discuss &move forward;Govt has nothing to hide &will definitely share with house: Naidu pic.twitter.com/oMrD277dBG  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit to Bangladesh during which he will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to Bangladesh in the last 45 years, was greeted by Bangladesh Defence Forces Principal staff officer Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and other government officials.

The defence minister is leading an 11-member high-powered delegation.

According to an army press release, Parrikar will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his stay in the country.

He is also scheduled to meet with the prime ministers defence and security advisor Maj Gen Tarique Ahmed Siddique (retd) for bilateral talks.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, is scheduled to visit the military academy in Chittagong tomorrow.

The Indian military officials will also meet with the heads of Bangladeshs Army, Navy and Air Forces to discuss ways to improve military cooperation.

Top defence ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of the trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Prime Minister Hasina visits India next month.
In the pre-demonetisation days, as the month draws to a close, employees avidly wait for that one message from their bank - your salary has been successfully credited.

But as salaries got credited for the first time after the demonetisation move, on Wednesday, chaos ensued outside banks as people queued up to withdraw their money.

The message from the bank was no more a welcome relief but a sign of further hardship.

The situation has worsened as people have to pay their domestic helps, drivers and grocers, as many of them refuse to accept card payments.

An IANS correspondent who hopped from one bank to another in New Delhi and Noida found massive crowd outside most of the banks. He also witnessed resentment about the banks setting their own arbitrary limits and rules for withdrawals.

I have been standing in the queue for past two hours as I have to pay my maid and grocery bills in cash. I somehow managed to convince my landlord to accept the rent in cheque but I am bound to visit the bank for other payments, said Vishakha Sharma, a resident of Janakpuri in southwest Delhi.

It is so humiliating that we have to stand in long queues and beg for our own money. I am sure, tomorrow (December 1) will be even worse as maximum number of people will receive salaries in their accounts, the 27-year-old said.

Highlights November 30 was the first payday since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation move. Serpentine queues witnessed outside banks as people came to withdraw money to pay domestic helps, drivers, grocers. Low withdrawal limit , long queues, mandatory ID cards for deposits, out of cash banks angered people on their salary day.

An MNC employee complained about banks not conforming to the rules about the withdrawal limit.

Its the end of the month and I am supposed to pay bills. I came to withdraw Rs 24,000 but was allowed only Rs 10,000. How will I manage all the bills and expenses with just Rs 10,000 in hand? Yogesh Yadav said.

Bankers felt that if they go by the RBI upper limit, they will be able to serve only some of their customers -- while the queues outside keep getting longer.

A resident of Mayur Vihar, Chirag, was not allowed to deposit as he didnt carry his identity card to the bank.

He had a heated exchange with the bank manager as according to Chirag the RBI said no identity proof was needed for deposits less than Rs 50,000.

I cant deposit the cash as they are asking for a copy of the identity card, which I am not carrying. I also came to withdraw but they have run out of cash, the 36-year old Chirag said. This is obnoxious on part of the bank to be not entertaining its customers by going against the set norms.

A resident of Krishna Nagar, Rahul Chauhan, got his salary on November 29, but was unable to withdraw. I stood in the queue at 3 am in the morning (on Thursday). By the time, my chance to enter the bank came, the bank ran out of cash.

It is annoying that bankers were telling others to go back but entertaining the people that they know.

Surinder Kaur, who is in her 50s, also alleged that bankers are helping their friends and relatives and also complained about the abuse of the token system in banks.

I have been coming to the bank for past three days. Turn-wise tokens are distributed to lady customers. They are told to come around 1 p.m. When we reach, they send us back saying that there is no cash left, she said.

I am feeling frustrated with the mismanagement on part of the banks and also the government.
November 30 would be the first payday since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced scrapping the old 1000 and 500-rupee currency notes. Though the government has repeatedly assured of enough cash in supply, banks and ATMs are running dry sooner than expected, causing hysteria and panic among the masses.

With the cash crunch refusing to ease on even after three weeks of the demonetisation announcement, Wednesday is expected to be chaotic as millions will queue outside the money dispensers to get their hard-earned salaries back home.

Here are the live updates from across the country:

Telangana

The Telangana government has issued an order providing Rs 10,000 in cash to all its employees, irrespective of their official status, while remitting the balance amount to their respective salary accounts. It has requested the banks to provide special counters for the employees to draw Rs 10,000 from their account.

Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government, too, is making a similar arrangement to disburse Rs 10,000 in cash to its employees in their respective offices itself.

Uttar Pradesh

In Allahabad the banks are gearing up to deal with an onset of rush at ATMs and bank counters on Thursday. As a result most of the banks have decided to press their entire staff and increased number of counters for withdrawals.

In Bareilly crowds at ATMs have remained thin throughout the day. Banks are confident of limiting the rush as half of the cities ATMs (230 ATMs) have been made functional and are filled with cash.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis Twitter account was hacked on Wednesday, with about a dozen offensive tweets being posted within a few minutes.

The first six tweets were deleted shortly after being posted around 8.45pm. More offensive tweets, however, kept showing up on the Twitter account  @OfficeOfRG -- every few minutes and were being deleted immediately after being posted.

The hackers also removed Gandhis profile picture and the account description was altered to read This is the official account of the Office of Retard Gandhi.

Confirming the development, Gandhis office said efforts were being made to rectify the problem, according to PTI. The Congress raised questions on the digital safety of all Indians and said it reflects disturbing insecurities of the prevalent fascist culture in the country.

Confirming that Gandhis account was hacked, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: Such lowly tactics will never drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Sh. Rahul Gandhi from raising.

Such unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls to hack Rahul Gandhis Twitter handle reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture, he added.

Surjewala targeted the government for the lack of digital safety saying if it could not protect a private platform for conversation of crores of the people of India, how it could ever protect them from being hacked in terms of their financial money.

The Congress party has taken the issue very seriously. We will be lodging a formal complaint with the Cyber Police and we sincerely hope that the government will show sincerity of purpose in investigating those who are perpetuating this crime and will punish them within a time-bound frame, Surjewala told ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)
A trained police rope team will escort chief minister Akhilesh Yadav during public events, meetings and election campaign to check crowd getting too close to him.

The decision has been taken in view of the upcoming assembly elections when the CMs public interaction and his visits to various districts in the state will increase.

Hundreds of people, especially party workers, gather at public events of the CM. Some of the supporters try to get too close to the chief minister and it becomes difficult for the armed commandoes to control the crowd, an officer said .

Highlights As a form of security measure, a police team equipped with a rope will escort the UP chief minister during public events, meeting and elections. The move comes in view of the assembly elections in UP that are slated early in 2017. The policemen will hold the rope and form a ring around the chief minister to check people getting closure to him. Akhilesh Yadav already enjoys Z plus security of the NSG.

Its a security threat to the VIP. On several occasions, heated exchange between security personnel and party supporters take place. To avoid such unpleasant situations, it has been decided to send a police team equipped with a rope to the spot, the officer added.

The policemen will hold the rope and form a ring around the chief minister to check people getting closure to him.

A meeting of the senior police officers was held under director general of police Javeed Ahmed on Tuesday to review the security of the CM. Additional director general of police (ADG law and order) Daljit Singh Chaudhary and ADG (security) Bhavesh Kumar Singh were also present at the meeting.

It was also decided that before the visit of the chief minister to any district, officers of inspector general of police, deputy inspector general of police and superintendent of police rank posted in the headquarters will hold advance security liasoning (ASL) meetings with the district police chiefs to make it foolproof.

The state police also decided to make amendments in the green book (security guideline) of the CM to make his security invincible.

The chief minister enjoys round the clock Z plus security of the National Security Guard (NSG).
RJD strongman Mohammed Shahabuddin on Wednesday opposed the plea seeking his transfer from Siwan district jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi and the transfer of trials in 45 cases he faces.

Opposing the plea, Shahabuddin told the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy that such a transfer from Siwan district jail to Tihar was unwarranted and unjustified as same was contrary to the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950.

Telling the court that it could not issue a mandamus that was contrary to the law, senior counsel Shekhar Naphade said: The plea for mandamus is contrary to law. What is illegal cant be a mandamus.

He said no order can be passed that is contrary to Section 3 of the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950 as prisons and the prisoners are in the exclusive domain of the State governments.

As bench observed that the plea was seeking the transfer of Shahabuddin from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail invoking top courts powers under Article 142, Naphade said: You cant exercise powers under Article 142 of the constitution which may infringe my fundamental rights.

Article 142 says the Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India...

The top court was told this as it is hearing the plea by Chandrakeshwar Prasad and Asha Ranjan, widow of a journalist allegedly killed on Shahabuddins orders, seeking his transfer from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi and holding of his trial through video-conferencing.

Chandrakeshwar Prasads three sons were killed allegedly by Shahabuddins henchmen.

Reversing the Patna High Courts September 7 order granting him bail, the top court had on September 30 had ordered Shahabuddin back to jail in the Rajiv Roshan murder case as it pointed to the need for balancing the consideration of individual liberty of the accused with that of societal interest.

As Naphades arguments had not concluded, the hearing will continue on Thursday.
A TMC parliamentarian compared party chief Mamata Banerjee to national icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and said on Wednesday the West Bengal chief ministers photograph should be kept in every household in the country.

TMC MP from Bengals Basirhat, Idris Ali, came to Parliament on Wednesday sporting an orange kurta created and designed in Kolkatas College Street, with the face of Banerjee drawn on it.

Ali said Mamata Banerjees photograph is kept in nearly all the households in the state.

TMC MP Idris Ali wore a kurta with the photo of party chief Mamata Banerjee drawn on it, at Parliament House in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

Just like people keep the photograph of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, I think, her (Banerjees) picture should also be hung in every household across the country, he said.

He said she is a very popular leader who has led the Opposition attack against the governments decision ti demonetise Rs 500/1000 notes.

He said Banerjee leads a very simple life and she has also taken up the cause of the poor. Many leaders from various parties also greeted him after they saw the kurta in Parliament, he added.
The US on Wednesday said it wanted India and Pakistan to improve cooperation and communication between them to ease tensions and fight against the common threat of extremism.

We continue to want to see dialogue and discussion between India and Pakistan to improve cooperation, to improve communication, and improve shared efforts against a common threat, state department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference.

We have talked about the threat of extremism there in the region. It affects everybody on both sides, he said in response to a question.

Read | Seven soldiers, including 2 officers, killed in militant attack on Nagrota army camp

There has been increased volatility along the Line of Control  the de facto border  since a terror attack on an Indian Army base at Uri. India subsequently responded with what the government termed surgical strikes, which Pakistan denied ever took place.

According to the multi agency centre (MAC)  which collates inputs from the army, paramilitary forces and the intelligence agencies  at least 75 militants have entered the state as compared to 30 in 2015.

Even according to the figures tabled by MoS (Home) Hansraj Ahir in the Rajya Sabha, there were 90 such attempts in the first six months of 2016, of which 54 were successful. Since July 15, the Army has foiled at least 14 such attempts. In comparison, 2015 saw 31 successful attempts.

Read | Infiltration into Kashmir rises 100% over last year
The US Congress is about to pass a legislation that will declare India a major defence partner and mandate a set of measures for the administration, whoever be in charge, to enhance defence and security ties between the two countries.

Though the Obama administration has already named India a major defence partner for the purpose of fast-tracking sale and transfer of sensitive defence technology, the legislation will lock it in for all future governments, until repealed.

The legislation will also send a strong political message of Congresss support for enhanced US-India defence ties, according to multiple people familiar with its framing and the negotiations that went into finalising it.

The National Defense Authorization Act 2017, which is the US militarys budget for next year and which contains the section on ties with India, is slated for filing any day now, for voting in the House of Representatives first and then in the Senate.

Both chambers of Congress have already approved the final legislation, with all differences reconciled during a legislative process called conference, and, notwithstanding last minute objections, it is expected to go through in the next few days.

The final draft may disappoint those who were expecting the language to be stronger, a phrase widely used in these circles for slotting relations higher on the totem pole, matching those the US has with Israel or with its Nato-plus allies.

But India will be content with the current language and provisions, considering the higher categories both tricky and unnecessary for now, according to those who know but spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Titled Enhancing defense and security cooperation with India, Section 1292 of the NDAA directs the secretaries of state and defence to recognise India as a major defence partner, which it currently is, and the only country with that designation.

It also seeks the appointment of a designated individual within the executive branch who has experience in defence manufacturing and technology to oversee and facilitate the sale, transfer and production of defence equipment.

The legislation lists steps that Congress expects the administration to take to enhance and deepen defence ties, including supporting the development of Indias export control and procurement regime.

The attempt is to define major defence partner designation, it was said, that had been left a little unclear and vague by the administration. And to commit coming presidents to it.

If there was legislative backing for President Barack Obamas initiative resuming ties with Cuba, it was pointed out, the incoming Trump administration would find it difficult to roll the move back, as it has threatened.

The legislation doesnt do very much else, some experts have said. Its a make-work effort, said Ashley Tellis, South Asia expert at Carnegie, a leading think tank. A lot of energy has been put into it but with very little reward.

Tellis argued the India section of the NDAA is more in the nature of a sense-of-the-Congress resolution, and does not change anything  that it did not enjoin the executive branch to do anything the executive branch wasnt already doing.
Five youngsters, who went missing from tourist hotspot Kajligarh Fort on Monday evening, were rescued unhurt by a police team around 2.30 am on Tuesday.

They lost their way and were scared when police spotted them near a dry nullah - five kilometres inside a jungle.

Kajligarh fort is around 25 km from Indore. The area around the fort is frequented by wild boars and leopards. There was real concern about their safety for nearly 10 hours.

The five students, including a girl, had entered into a 300-meter deep gorge clicking photographs and selfies. As night descended, they lost their way.

Simrol town inspector Hukum Singh Pawar said Hemant Dahigunde (25), a resident of Bank Colony; Rahul Nawaskar (15), a resident of Vishwakarma Nagar; Laksha Sahu (19), a resident of Bank Colony, Annapurna Road; Dipesh Bundela (18), a resident of Sudama Nagar and Shrishti Chouhan (19), a resident of Dwarkapuri had gone to Kajligarh in the afternoon for picnic.

After staying there for some time, they started going down the gorge into the valley. They went past the Kajligarh temple and a gaushala along the tract and started descending down the hill in a bid to take better pictures.

Apparently, the temple priest saw and warned them not to go down, but they did not listen to him.

Students mobiles were not working so they could not call anyone

Hemant said their mobiles were not working so they could not call or inform anyone and were struck in a place where no sound from the top reached them. When they could not find their way out, they decided to wait till dawn and then find their way.

Temple priest informed Simrol police about the students going down the track

It was the temple priest who first informed the Simrol police about the students going down the track and not returning. There is a police chowki near the fort and the police has asked tourists to leave the place before 5 pm, but by that time the group had left the area.

The initial search party started at around 7 pm. They threw light from the police vehicle down the valley, shouted their names and honked the vehicles horn, but gave up after some time.

At around 1 am, family members of the students reached the Simrol police station. By this time, DIG Santosh Singh had received information about the incident and asked the Simrol TI Pawar to personally handle the rescue operation.

Armed with torches and a hand-held loudspeaker, a police team led by Pawar along with family members started the search.

The temple priest acted as their guide. At around 2.30 am, they spotted them sitting by the side of a dry nullah, exhausted and scared.
Alleged exaggeration of scores by officials of the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) during counselling procedures has ruined dreams of many medical aspirants, whose fate depends on the Supreme Court order on Wednesday over a petition filed in this regard.

Barkha Jain, 19, of Jaipur had cleared her medical entrance exam with an impressive rank of 435 early this year. She is among the 37 students whose admissions were cancelled by the DME as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines that bar admission of more than 150 students per college for MBBS courses in MP.

Narrating her problem, Jain said, At first, I got admission in the Government dental college, Indore, but it got cancelled after the court notified that non-domicile students cannot take admission. Then the SC allowed us to sit for the counselling of MBBS courses till October 7. After attending college for a week, my admission has been cancelled.

Rohan Garg Garg, 21, of New Delhi said, I have three years drop to my credit. I was so happy when I made it to a decent medical college. I had settled in the hostel, attended over a weeks college and they called me one day to the deans office, notifying me that the admission has been cancelled.

If the DME had done its math correctly, it could have saved us from inconvenience. There were six more colleges wherein we could have applied, he added.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed 13 petitions challenging some provisions of Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act 1956, which empowers civic bodies in the state to acquire private land for road widening.

A division bench of Justices JS Khehar and Arun Kumar Mishra ruled that power of acquiring private land for road widening purpose for execution of a citys master plan is vested with the civic body.

The petitions were moved before the apex court challenged provisions 305, 306 and 387 of the Act as ultra vires (beyond ones legal power or authority). Nine petitions were moved from Bhopal, while the rest from Indore.

The petitions were moved against acquisition of land by municipal corporations for road widening in Bhopal and Indore.

One of the petitions from Indore was filed by Ravindra Waghmare, the husband of late Justice Shubhada Waghmare, who refused to give away their land on AB Road in Indore for construction of BRTS corridor. Similar petitions were filed by people in Hathipala area and private properties obstructing construction of BRTS corridor in Bhopal.

The bench observed that the municipal body can acquire private property for execution of master plan/road widening by providing reasonable compensation to the property owner, said advocate Manoj Munshi, who represented Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in the apex court.

However, the apex court did not talk about the reasonableness in awarding compensation.

The apex court, according to advocate Munshi, said if property owners have any objections related to compensation provided by municipal body, they can go for arbitration before district court.

Munshi said, The IMC can issue notice to property owners to remove their constructions from the land in question, or can demolish structures if the notice is not complied within 15 days.

With the orders, the municipal corporations can now proceed with road widening at many places, which were pending for a long time, both in Bhopal and Indore.

Indore Municipal Commissioner Manish Singh expressed relief over the decision, saying the civic body can now proceed to remove road bottlenecks in the city.
In many government-run schools in Indore, students are forced to relieve themselves in the open due to lack of clean toilets. At some schools, boys and girls are also forced to share lavatories.

These deplorable conditions came to light when HT visited various government schools across the city on Tuesday to find condition of their toilets. The findings not only exposed lacunae in the governments effort to prevent open defecation in the country, but also raised serious question about protecting privacy of the students.

At the Government Primary and Middle School in Indores Gautampura area, all staff and students  both male and female--are forced to use the same toilets. To ensure privacy, the staff on their own have segregated the toilet into two sections for males and females.

The toilet at the two-storied building is clean and washed regularly. There is also no dearth of water. But the only issue here is of privacy.

A student of Class 6 Sonu Rathore said, Toilets are cleaned daily. There is also never a problem with the availability of water. The only problem is that boys and girls have to use the same washroom.

A teacher attributed the situation to space crunch. On the condition of anonymity he said, The school is run on the first floor, while Indore divisions boys hostel for primary and middle schools occupies the ground floor. So, we have access to only one set of washroom with six water cabinets. We all use them.

Some other schools have separate toilets for males and females but they are mostly unusable.

Government Naveen Urdu Middle School, Government Hindi Middle School, Government Urdu Primary School and Government Hindi Primary School are all housed in one campus in four separate buildings spread over the area of more than 10,000 square feet. The schools have separate sets of toilets for males and females.

However, only three out of four set of toilets are currently in use in the complex. Students say even the functional toilets are unusable.

We (boys) defecate in the open behind the toilet because the toilets are not clean. Girls use the washroom meant for madams, said a student.

A teacher of the Government Naveen Urdu Middle School refused to accept the students claim. We have a water tank built for all the toilets and face shortage of water only during summers, said Atul Kotwala, one of the teachers at the school.

The condition of toilet at the Government Hindi Middle School 24, behind Devlalikar Art Gallery is no better. The toilets are out of bound for staff and teachers. They are forced to go to the adjacent school to use the washroom.

The district education department expressed helplessness in maintaining clean toilets in the government-run schools as it is not getting any fund from the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).

Indore District Education Officer (DEO) Anurag Jaiswal says, Government schools have not received any fund from the IMC for cleaning toilets. In most of the schools there are no cleaners.

Akshay Singh Rathore, District Project Coordinator (DPC), said adding to the problem, some locals use toilets meant for students and staff of the schools.

We have asked schools to lock washrooms after school hours so that locals cannot use them. But even that does not help as the locals often break the locks.
Bengals publishing industry has fallen victim to the ongoing cash crunch as sales, which usually peaks during winter, showing a downward slide. And if the situation doesnt improve in the next one month, demonetisation is likely to hit the series of book fairs held in Kolkata and the districts hard.

We are going through a very difficult period. With the exception of a few publishers, most are struggling to stay afloat as most of the trade is cash-dependent, said Tridib Chatterjee, secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which organises the mega Kolkata Book Fair.

The International Kolkata Book Fair is the biggest in the world in terms of footfalls, having recorded more than 2 million visitors this year. Sales exceeded Rs 20 crore.

The showpiece event will be held between January 25 and February 5, 2017. The fair was first organised in 1976 and has subsequently become a landmark event in the state.

While the Uttarbanga Book Fair --- the biggest in the state after the one in Kolkata ---began in Siliguri on November 25 is already feeling the pinch of cash shortage, organisers of the Burdwan Book Fair, the oldest such event in the districts, are already talking about poor returns.

Sales have gone down. Most of the buyers are offering Rs 2,000 currency notes against purchase of books worth Rs 300 or Rs 400. It becomes difficult for booksellers to return the change. The total sales last year crossed Rs 5 crore but this year it will be a fraction of that amount, Madhusudan Sen, associated with the Siliguri Book Fair, told HT. The fair ends on December 4.

The number of booksellers has come down sharply since most of them fear poor sales, said Nirupam Chowdhury, assistant general-secretary of Bardhaman Book Fair that will begin on December 2.

Sudhangshu Sekhar De, director of the Kolkata Book Fair, have advised all those participating in the event to apply for card swipe machines. Demonetisation has also hampered preparations for the fair as most of the committee members, who are all publishers, are busy handling their own business in these trying times, he told HT.

Demonetisation has also hampered preparations for Kolkata book fair, as most of the committee members, who are all publishers, are busy handling their own business in these trying times, De told HT.

The Bengali book publishing industry is overwhelmingly dependent on cash transactions.

Read| Patients suffer as chemists reject scrapped notes

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Jatin Pals wedding was just days away and his family were finalising plans for an extravagant multi-day celebration  then Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned high denomination notes overnight, casting a dark shadow over the festivities.

Within hours of Modis surprise November 8 announcement, 500 and 1,000 rupee notes  some 85% of all cash in circulation  were withdrawn, leaving millions across the vast country out of pocket.

The move described by the PM as a surgical strike against corruption and tax evasion  coincided with the start of the wedding season, when thousands marry during a three-month period deemed auspicious in the Hindu faith.

We marry once and you try to make it memorable in every possible way. But the cash crunch is proving otherwise, said Pal. This has soured the happiness and left a bad feeling.

Life savings are ploughed into weddings in India, with a typical urban family spending up to $75,000 on celebrations, according to an estimate by Goldman Sachs.

Traders say almost all wedding-related purchases are traditionally made in cash from savings put aside over years  even decades  but that the currency ban means many families are being forced to cut back.

Almost all wedding-related purchases are made in cash from savings put aside over years. The currency ban, however, has forced many families to cut back. (Shutterstock)

Indian parents start planning and saving for the wedding as soon as a child is born, Priyanka Gupta, owner of a bridal store said, adding that she had seen a significant drop in business since the demonetisation.

Delhi-based wedding planner Shrawan Kumar said most of his clients spend between 1.5 million and 2 million rupees, but that some had scaled back plans by as much as 40 percent. Others have simply decided to postpone or even cancel.

I cant pay the waiter, photographer, transport, florist, vegetable seller through cheques. We are at a loss, Kumar said.

Another casualty has been one of Delhis oldest gold markets, which has temporarily closed after tax officers raided jewellers across the country on reports of a gold buying spree following the currency ban as people tried to turned their cash into gold.

Almost 50 percent of gold sales in India are linked to weddings, according to the World Gold Council, with most purchases made in cash.

No black money

Stubbornly long queues outside banks have become a ubiquitous sight across the country as the new rupee bills have been slow to get into circulation.

The government has put temporary restrictions on the amount of cash people can exchange or withdraw in an attempt to wean the country off cash and bring more into the formal  and taxable  banking sector.

Following outrage from families planning weddings, the government allowed a special one-time withdrawal of 250,000 rupees per wedding party to help cover costs  small fry for an Indian wedding.

But Pals father Ranbir said they had twice tried and failed to get the extra money under the scheme  which requires paperwork proving a wedding is in the works  and instead borrowed around 450,000 rupees from friends.

It is frustrating when you have saved money for the wedding but cant use it, said Ranbir.

We should be making arrangements for over 700 guests who will come to the wedding. Look what we are doing.

Short of cash, the family has had to scale back the celebrations.

Madhur Jain, who runs a wedding card shop in Old Delhi, said he had received just three orders a week since the demonetisation, down from an average of 30.

The old notes are out and new notes are nowhere to be seen, Jain said.

But despite most customers paying in cash, bridal shop owner Gupta was quick to dismiss suggestions that so-called black money  unaccounted money  was involved in the industry.

There is no black money involved in weddings, she said.

More than anything this means shattered dreams of families (hoping) to celebrate an ideal wedding.

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Civic chief Ajoy Mehta, announced on Wednesday in a standing committee meeting, that 10 contractors, who are likely to be named in a detailed inquiry report for their shoddy road work, will be blacklisted.

He also said the BMC has introduced 17 new road contractors, who have bagged works worth Rs1,000 crore, since May last year.

The civic chief also identified 455 locations where potholes are formed every monsoon and has directed the deputy municipal commissioners and ward officers to fix them.

After the first phase of the road scam inquiry report was out in May, in which 34 repaired roads were inspected, Mehta had ordered the the six contractors who did the work be blacklisted. An FIR was also filed against these six contractors. Despite this, the six contractors are currently overseeing 150 road works worth around Rs1500 crore. There are 10 other contractors against whom action is now likely after the second inquiry report of 200 roads is out.

Currently, 326 road works are in progress and we have managed to get traffic permissions for almost all these roads. However, the traffic police have requested not to carry out work on more than 300 roads at a time. The contractors involved in irregularities will not be spared and strict action will be taken against them, Mehta said.

Mehta said Rs908 crore has been withheld from the payment meant for the 16 contractors implicated in the road scam. While breaking this amount down he said the roads crust layer, worth Rs572 crore, was not laid out as per the tender conditions. The BMC has also withheld Rs117 crore as transportation charge and Rs62 crore worth of excavation was found to be irregular. The remaining Rs156 crore has been held for security measures so that no malpractices are carried out in the ongoing road works.

Corporators, however, said the road works have not begun on all city roads and the contractors are still holding the city to ransom. Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party group leader, said, Why is the civic body delaying the roads report? And the road works at a majority of the places has not even started. Another standing committee member and Congress corporator, said, The roads department has given false information to the civic chief and there is no traffic permission for all the roads.

Meanwhile, the civic chief also stated tenders worth Rs64 crore are likely to be placed in front of standing committee before the code of conduct kicks in, to repair bad road patches at 455 locations.
When warring allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena decided to contest the municipal council polls together  to test the waters before the corporation polls in Mumbai and Thane  it was perceived as an attempt to call a truce. However, the municipal council polls seem to have done the exact opposite, by exposing the fractured ties between the two parties on the ground  the alliance ultimately worked out in less than 10 places.

Arvind Sawant, a Shiv Sena MP, said, Although the top leadership of the two parties had called for an alliance, any sort of partnership between the two parties for the municipal council polls was almost absent, except for a few stray councils. Firstly, the decision to form an alliance was made very late because it didnt leave any time for seat-sharing and campaign strategies. Secondly, in many councils, the local leadership did not want an alliance.

Of the 147 municipal councils, the BJP and Shiv Sena actually fought in an alliance only in places such as Rahta in the Ahmednagar district, Dhamangaon in the Amravati district, Yevala in Nashik, Deulgaon Raja in Buldhana and Parli in Beed district, among others, party sources said. In all other places, there was a negligible attempt to contest together.

In Uran, for instance, the Shiv Sena and the BJP had decided to fight the council polls separately even though the state leadership for both parties had decided to form an alliance.

Shiv Senas Manohar Bhoir, the local legislator, said, Come what may, hammering out an alliance was impossible in Uran. The two parties have had many differences ever since the legislative assembly polls, which we fought independently.

Bhoir said the decision to form an alliance was made on October 27, while the last date to file nomination papers was October 30. By then, candidates for both parties were ready, he said.

Another Shiv Sena leader said, Be it in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, large areas of Dhule, Ahmednagar, Osmanabad, Hingoli, most of the Vidarbha region, and so on, the alliance did not work out. Our candidates fought against BJP candidates. The only one thing that was probably different with the state leadership of the two parties deciding to forge an alliance was that the mudslinging between the Sena and BJP was tempered.

Moreover, the BJPs tying up with rival parties to clinch seats further angered the Shiv Sena, which resumed its onslaughts against the BJP.

Our success is pure and clean. The number of our elected council presidents would have also swelled if we had forged secret alliances with parties such as Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and AIMIM. Those who are attributing the BJPs success to peoples support of the demonetisation decision are stupid, the Shiv Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece, Saamana, on Wednesday.

The party also said the BJP used the entire state machinery to lobby for it, with the chief minister himself addressing 55 public gatherings, while the Sena fought on the strength of its cadre, without leaders Uddhav Thackeray or Aaditya Thackeray campaigning.

While leaders of both parties admit their cadre on the ground prefers not to forge any electoral alliances between the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the near future, given their acrimonious relations, they maintain that any such decision will be taken by the top leadership. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP will be willing to tie up with the Shiv Sena for the upcoming Mumbai and Thane civic polls.

A senior BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said, Even for the municipal council polls, BJP workers on the ground did not want to tie up with the Shiv Sena given the way the party has been behaving, criticising the prime minister, and not respecting the alliance. An alliance has some rules and both parties are expected to follow it. It has its pros and cons, and a party cannot say it wants to only enjoy the advantages. The party will, however, take an appropriate stand on the alliance in corporation elections.

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Tickets for domestic flights are set to cost more from December 1 but how much it is going to hurt fliers is not certain yet.

On November 29, the civil aviation ministry sent out a notification introducing a levy of Rs7,500 to Rs8,500 on all domestic flights. The ministry had earlier announced that the fee was introduced to subsidise short air shuttle services across the country.

The directive states that the levy will depend on the travel distance but it is not clear how airlines will split the additional cost, said a Colaba-based travel agent. The biggest packed domestic flight in India, for instance has a maximum of 190-odd seats. So if the new burden on the longest flight had to be split would come about Rs50 to Rs60, added experts. The ministrys regional connectivity scheme also known as Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), capped airfares at Rs1,420 for flights up to 175km. For flights up to 800km the fare was capped at Rs3,500, the order stated.

For instance, travellers from Mumbai to Pune could buy a ticket for Rs2,500 while on a shared cab, they have to shell out about Rs1,250, said travel operators.

While the ministry said that at least six airlines had written to them proposing participation in operations under the scheme, it did not reveal their identity. Officials from Jet Airways said that they were evaluating the scheme. We are evaluating the deployment of our ATR fleet under the scheme but it is too early to comment on it, said Garang Shetty, whole time director, Jet Airways.

Read:

Domestic airlines accept banned currency, see spike in ticket sales

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The Centres move to scrap Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes more than two weeks ago has given the cashless economy a sudden boost, with many across India moving even daily purchases online.

On Wednesday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asked all district administrations to prepare a road map to make smooth transition to a cashless economy  this includes training and awareness programmes for government employees and citizens, and a monitoring mechanism at banks.

The move comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for a cashless society, saying it would help the poor, and pushed for electronic transactions to end black money. Labourers were not paid their wages in full, Modi said. They signed on a different amount but receive a lesser sum. When your wages are deposited in your bank accounts, this exploitation will end, Modi had said. The government and Opposition are locked in a fierce battle amid a cash crunch as the banned notes accounted for 86% of the money in circulation in a cash-driven economy.

During the video-conference review meeting with district collectors and chief executive officers of district councils, Fadnavis was also told of how the cash crunch is severely affected the rural economy. The collectors told the CM banks have only 20% of cash stock required and this is causing a problem for farmers who want to buy seeds for the Rabi sowing season. Many farmers also reported issues in getting paid for the sugarcane they gave to factories, the CM was told.

The collectors also requested the government to arrange for more cash in the district central banks.

For relief, Fadnavis has asked the collectors and CEOs to hold meetings with banks and seed merchants to maximise the use of online services such as Rupay and debit and credit cards payment modes. He has also directed them to get NGOs and students from local colleges involved in popularising cashless transactions.

During the review meet, the CM said he was not happy with the poor implementation of his pet programmes  open defecation-free villages, farm land on demand and housing for poor in rural areas. Fadnavis said CEOs with poor implementation records will not be considered for promotion. The government has announced to make the state free of open defecation by 2018, by constructing 37 lakh toilets.

Read more: Those opposing demonetisation anti-national: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Demonetisation: Queues at banks start getting longer

Pay day for people may turn into a nightmare for bankers. People have formed long queues outside banks and automated teller machines (ATMs) for their monthly withdrawals and deposits. Read

Sambhaji Brigade: Maratha protest organisers turn political party

Riding the popular wave of Maratha morchas, Sambhaji Brigade  one of the organisers of the Maratha protests  is set to become a political party on Wednesday. The party plans to contest the zilla parishad and Brihanmumbai Municipal Council (BMC) elections. Read

National anthem in theatres: Maharashtra govt made it mandatory in 2003

The Supreme Court order mandating that the national anthem be played at cinemas across India is not the first such rule; a similar one was first initiated in Maharashtra more than a decade ago. Read

Maharashtra govt will not pay employees salary in cash

The Maharashtra government has turned down its employees demand to pay their salaries in cash. However, the state will request the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax restrictions and permit government employees to withdraw their entire salary in one go. Read

Two cops injured after tempo hits their bike on Vakola flyover

Two on-duty policemen from Andheri were injured after a tempo hit their bike on the Vakola flyover in Santacruz (East) around 4 am on Wednesday. Read
The Maharashtra government has turned down its employees demand to pay their salaries in cash. However, the state will request the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to relax restrictions and permit government employees to withdraw their entire salary in one go.

We are requesting the RBI to allow government employees to withdraw their entire salary in one go, said Sudhir Mungantiwar, finance minister.

The finance department told its employees that paying their salaries in cash is not feasible owing to the huge volume of cash needed, security measures for the chests at district and taluka levels, and the political repercussions of the decision.

When the state government is adopting ways to promote a cashless economy, how can it disburse the salary of its own employees in cash?

The state government disburses Rs7,500 crore a month towards the salary of its 17.5 lakh employees. It will have to disburse the cash through 12,000 treasuries in various offices in the state. However obtaining such a huge amount of cash is impossible, said officers.

Why do they need their salaries in cash when they can withdraw Rs24,000 a week from the bank? When the state government is adopting ways to promote a cashless economy, how can it disburse the salary of its own employees in cash? Most importantly, extending privileges to government employees will send a wrong message to society, particularly the lower middle class, said an official from the finance department.

Employees unions had demanded that the salaries of two months be given to them in cash. They had also demanded an advance of certain amounts in cash.

The finance department conveyed its inability to disburse cash. If government employees are paid in cash, this will reduce queues at banks. The common man could have gotten respite.The employees attending the winter session in Nagpur have, however, been given an advance in cash by the government, said Subhash Gangurde, general secretary, Maharashtra State Employees Central Federation.

Read

After demonetisation, Mumbai civic body takes steps to go cashless

Protest against demonetisation in Mumbai: Congress leader calls Centre anti-poor
The Mumbai versus Delhi battle resumed this week. It was not the usual whinge about which city wields more clout or boasts of an exciting social life. This time, it was about hard numbers. Delhi dislodged Mumbai as the countrys economic capital based on their gross domestic product (GDP) figures in 2015, according to the international global advisory firm, Oxford Economics.

Delhi ranked 30th and Mumbai 31st in a list of top 50 world cities ranked by their GDP. Delhis GDP in terms of purchasing power parity last year was USD 368 billion; Mumbais USD 370 billion. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was quick to counter that data from the Reserve Bank of India, Economic Survey of India and Economic Survey of Maharashtra showed Mumbai ahead of Delhi on several economic parameters.

Indeed, the Oxford Economics report is only one of many and Mumbai was behind by only USD 2 billion. But it is also about how we read the report. Some points to ponder: The approach and urban footprint used by the firm, the perception of the two cities, and the unique challenges which lie at the heart of developing the Mumbai megacity which is the entire metropolitan region.

Mumbai and Delhi were both measured on the basis of extended urban agglomeration (EUA). For Mumbais GDP, the firm included Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Panvel. The citys urban agglomeration or the Mumbai Metropolitan Region has eight  not six as used in this report  municipal corporations, nine municipal councils and more than 1,000 villages with a total population of nearly 23 million. This, by the way, is the population of Australia.

Not including Mira-Bhayander and Ulhasnagar cities may have depressed Mumbais income by a shade. Also, as economists pointed out, GDP per capita rather than total GDP would have made for a fairer analysis.

In terms of perception, both the cities have their committed admirers and critics. The idea of being close to the seat of political power excites many a mega-investor and global company. Delhis fans cite its space, wide roads and the metro network as its other advantages but do these collectively negate drawbacks such as extreme weather, filthy air thats now an emergency, rude people, and dominant patriarchal-misogynist attitudes?

Mumbai has been historically a commercial centre and an economic hub; it carries advantages such as multiple commercial business districts, efficient transport systems, and a professional work ethic. These are being cancelled out by over-crowding, routine traffic congestions, irrationally high land prices, multiple agencies and chauvinistic politics. Neither city is a shoo-in for investors and capital.

That said, there are other reports using different benchmarks. For example, the Global Cities Mumbai Initiative report of December 2014 which stated that Mumbai remains the most globalised city economy in South Asia, is the 12th most interconnected economy, and is still Indias economic nerve centre with headquarters of banks and 21 of 54 largest companies (Delhi has 12).

Mumbai suffers from a perception deficit where its drawbacks seem to trump its natural, historical and contemporary advantages. It is the reverse for Delhi. This is a perception battle. And Fadnavis has some work to do here.

Beyond this lies the genuine gargantuan challenge of ensuring the integrated, holistic and inclusive development of the MMR. The focus has been on major infra-structure projects in some cities; others are neglected. Development cannot be selective. Besides, project-led development has its limitations. Any number of urban planners will tell Fadnavis that people-centric urban plans score over project-centric ones. Given the vast size and the complex urban-rural mix of the MMR, a broad-brush approach to development is unlikely to work.

A solitary international report does not out-weigh all others including official ones but it is a wake-up call, especially when it projects Mumbai three places behind Delhi in 2030. Fadnavis is best placed to embrace bold, new and inclusive ideas to ensure that Mumbai stands tall as the economic capital of the country. Will he, is the big question.

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Uddhav Thackerays with you but against you model of politics on demonetisation

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The Supreme Court order mandating that the national anthem be played at cinemas across India is not the first such rule; a similar one was first initiated in Maharashtra more than a decade ago.

The state government had mandated playing the national anthem in theatres on Republic Day in 2003. The then deputy chief minister and home minister Chhagan Bhujbal had issued such orders after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader in Mumbai, Narendra Verma, requested the state to do so.

Verma  who was president of the NCPs youth wing in Mumbai  had also obtained a master copy of the Naval bands rendition of the tune, with visuals of film stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan holding the tricolour.

Bhujbal liked the idea and approved Vermas demand to play the national anthem in 150 theatres after the movie was screened. The move was appreciated by many and garnered praise for Bhujbal, Verma and ultimately, the NCP.

A year later, the Karnataka government also adopted the practice and started playing the national anthem in theatres in Bangalore.

Speaking to HT, Verma said theatres in Maharashtra would play national anthem in the 80s but only after late-night shows. The practice was discontinued by theatre owners after observing that people did not wait for the anthem, thus disrespecting it.

Read

Good, bad, funny: Twitter reacts to national anthem must in theatres before movies

Supreme Court says yes to national anthem at the cinemas. Where next?

Supreme Court says playing national anthem mandatory in cinema halls

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) party spokesperson Nawab Malik said he was attacked by armed men allegedly sent by the partys former member of parliament (MP) Sanjay Dina Patil at a public meeting organised at Deonar in Chembur on Tuesday evening.

Malik said the attackers also fired a few shots at the event. Refuting the allegations, Patil, who was present at the meet, said it was Malik who had sent armed men to attack him. He added that his bodyguard took out a revolver in defence.

The allegations made by the two NCP leaders forced the police to register a case for attempt to murder and rioting. Nine people were booked and four held. Two people were injured in the scuffle. The accused are supporters of Patil, said police.

There are allegations that the accused arrived at the venue and stepped on the stage. They brandished sharp weapons and also fired in the air, said a police officer. The accused kicked over chairs and attacked Imran Kariyar, 42, and Latif Shaikh,30, with sharp weapons, he added.

According to party sources, Deonar, a predominantly Muslim area, falls under Patils constituency  Mumbai North East. Patil was unhappy with Maliks interference and him holding a public meeting there, they added.

Malik was an MLA from the Anushakti Nagar assembly constituency. Both leaders share boundaries of their respective constituencies at some places.

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The opposition parties have alleged that BJP, who bagged maximum seats in Vidarbha, rigged the recent municipal council elections.

According to sources, supporters of Raju Zhode, the opposition candidate for the post of president of Ballarpur municipality, stormed the municipal council office and created ruckus on the issue, on Monday. They damaged several private and government run-buses and pelted stones on vehicles to protest against the alleged rigging.

The police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse Zhodes supporters who shouted anti-BJP slogans and accused state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar of rigging the elections. They also demanded re-poll with a neutral returning officer. Harish Sharma of BJP had won the election by defeating Zhode, a common candidate of opposition parties.

Ballarpur falls under the assembly constituency of Mungantiwar.

A tense atmosphere prevailed in Ballarpur city after the lathi charge. The situation is now under control. There has been no untoward incident since Tuesday morning in the area, said Sandip Diwan, superintendent of police (SP), Chandrapur district. Three persons had been arrested for their involvement in violent activities on Monday.

Also in the neighbouring Wani municipality in Yavatmal district, opposition parties accused the BJP of using unfair means to win the elections. All opposition leaders of the city, including those of the state BJP ally Shiv Sena gheraoed the election officer of Wani municipality Shivanand Mishra on Tuesday and demanded an immediate re-poll. They alleged that the electronic voting machines were deliberately tampered with to give a safe passage to BJP candidates in the elections.

Of the 26 candidates, 22 BJP candidates emerged winners in Wani municipality  a first in the history of the city. Besides, the BJP nominee for the chairman of the municipality, Tarendra Borde, also won the elections by a handsome margin.

Many major political parties, like the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and MNS were not able to open their accounts in this election and this made the opposition parties suspicious that BJP had rigged the elections.

Read

After poll wins, BJP says ready to go with Shiv Sena for BMC, Thane
Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials have started visiting daycare centers under their jurisdiction and inquiring what measures are in place to take care of the children.

Once the information is collected, the officials will proceed with the guidelines given by the state, said a senior officer.

New rules for citys creches Following the incident in which a nine-month-old girl was assaulted by the help of a daycare centre, the Navi Mumbai police have issued a notification to all daycare centres in the city under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, stating that four rules must be complied with to ensure the safety of children at such places. The owners must conduct background checks and verify the helps and other employees at the time of hiring them. They must install CCTV cameras when the centre is set up. The owner will have to review footage of the CCTV cameras every 24 hours to check if any untoward incidents have taken place on the premises. The CCTV cameras must be IP (internet protocol)-based so parents can see what is happening in the centres from their workplace or from any part of the world.

The survey has started. It will be completed within a few days. We will see if the government comes up with rules and regulations for daycare centres by then. We would like to follow rules formulated by the state instead of making our own. It is better to have common rules for the entire state, instead of different rules for different corporations, said municipal commissioner, Sudhakar Shinde.

According to Shinde, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has not handed over several nodes to the PCMC yet. Areas such Kharghar, Kalamboli and Kamothe are still under CIDCOs jurisdiction. So we will meet CIDCO officials and discuss what measures can be taken for daycare centres in those nodes, he said.

There are 15 to 20 daycare centres under our jurisdiction. However, a problem has arisen as several schools have been combined with such playschools and nurseries. We first have to distinguish daycare centers from schools. We can give them guidelines only after that, Shinde said.

Read

Cops give Navi Mumbai daycare centres 90 days to implement guidelines

Accused in Mumbais daycare assault case had planned to open another centre

Nine-month-old girl assaulted at Mumbai daycare centre, 2 arrested

Daycare centre assault: Cops record statements of other parents

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The Jogeshwari police have booked a 26-year-old man for fleeing after allegedly getting the marriage of a 22-year-old woman called off by sending their photos to the fiances family.

According to the police, the woman and the accused reside in the same neighbourhood and knew each other for a year. They were in a relationship. She broke up with him for unknown reasons and was to get married on November 23.

A few days before the wedding, the accused allegedly sent some pictures he had clicked with the woman to the fiances mother and relatives through WhatsApp. We are trying to find out how he managed to get their contact numbers, said an officer.

Another officer said, Her fiances family was unaware of their relationship and called off the wedding on the same day.

The womans father is in a state of shock as he had already spent Rs15 lakh on the wedding, said the police.

Soon after, the woman and her family approached the Jogeshwari police station and filed an FIR under sections 354 and 500 for sexual harassment and defamation. The police have also applied appropriate sections of the Information Technology Act.

The accused has fled from the city. A police team has been formed to find him. The team is questioning his relatives and friends, said the police.

Read

Breaking off marriage promise not cheating, rape: Bombay HC

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The states school education department has informed parents of Islamic International School, Mazgaon, which is run by Dr Zakir Naik, who is under investigation, and that it will be shut down as it is being run illegally. The department has given parents two options-a new management will take over or students will shifted to other schools.

As of now, there are 160 students on its rolls from nursery to Class 10. Vinod Tawde, education minister said that the school doesnt have the necessary permits  a no-objection certificate and registration  to run in Maharashtra. The school is illegal, it doesnt even have any affiliation from Maharashtra state or any other board, said Tawde.

On Monday morning, a couple of officials held an impromptu meeting with the school parents. Our officials told the parents the facts. Zakir Naik didnt take any permission from the department before starting the school, said Tawde.

Tawde said that parents will have to choose one of the two options presented to them. He said that they will try to get an institute like Anjuman-i-Islam to take over the management of the school and if that doesnt happen students will be shifted to age-appropriate classrooms in other schools under the Right to Education quota. The parents were opposed to moving students to other schools. But if we dont find a new management for the school, we will have to do that, said Tawde.

But school authorities said that they will continue to run the school unless they get a written notice from the department. You cant just communicate such an important decision orally. This is clearly being done to spread panic among parents, said a legal assistant to the school.

Parents are not keen on changing schools. Right now exams are going on. We cant just find another school in the middle of the academic year, said Adil Patanwala, whose two daughters are studying in nursery and Class 8.

He added that the quality of education in the school will get affected under a different management. This is the only school that offers international education along with quran lessons, said Patanwala.

The school offers the Cambridge International curriculum but it is not affiliated to the board. Students appear for Class 10 exams as private candidates from other schools.

Last week, a group of parents had met Tawde, who had assured them that the school wont be shut down in the middle of the academic year. Before that, the NIA put a freeze on the schools bank accounts.

Read more: How controversial preacher Zakir Naik became a polarising figure in Mumbai

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Your city is among the 16 most polluted in India, choked with smog and smoke from vehicles, industries and burning garbage. You run home to safety, wear masks and try to keep your children away from the all the bad air.

Now, imagine a Mumbai with green roads and clear air, where streets are lined with trees and people cycle to work, where you dont have to protect yourself from thick, dark plumes of smoke while sitting in an autorickshaw.

The good news is we have not gone too far down on the path of destruction, and even better, our government has a plan to clear the air we breathe  an air pollution mitigation action plan where short-term and long-term measures have been charted out by the state environment department and pollution control board.

The plan was submitted, discussed and approved by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) officials in New Delhi on November 24 for immediate implementation across Maharashtra. Satish Gavai, the principal secretary of the state environment department exclusively spoke to Hindustan Times about the short-term measures, likely to be implemented by the end of 2017, and then some long-term goals for the next few years.

In the long term

A priority on the states plan  stricter emission norms for vehicles. The state environment department has been stressing on the need for stricter emission norms for vehicles, but the decision depends on the central government to regulate emission standards from Bharat Stage (BS) IV to BS VI before 2020. Bharat Stage emission standards are norms established by the Centre to regulate output of air pollutants from engines. For the past three years, India has been following European emission norms. BS-IV norms are currently applicable in 33 cities in which the required grade of fuel is available. In a city like Mumbai, most of the pollution comes from traffic. Government intervention is needed to make sure traffic is reduced, said Gavai. If the Centre speeds up the process even before the timeline of 2020, the BS VI filter system will help the whole country.

Another way to bring down pollution is to build workspaces close to where workers live to reduce commuting. Twenty years ago, this may not have been possible. But we are in the digital era, we can very well have satellite offices, and one need not travel more than five kilometres to work. Such an idea, however, needs more thought and legislation, Gavai said. But one quick step is to not allow anymore road transport projects in the city, as this will only lead to more traffic and more pollution.

To get citizens involved in cleaning up the air, the environment department is mulling the idea of bicycle banks and has discussed it with civic chief Ajoy Mehta. The idea is to promote the use of public transport. Cycles will be parked in enclosures near stations, with citizens swiping their plastic cards, getting a bicycle and using it for an allotted time-frame, said Gavai. The commissioner whole-heartedly agreed. Among the most toxic pollutants that enter the environment are from industries. We have introduced flue gas emission desulphurization (FGD) to remove sulphur dioxide (SO2) from power station emissions, said Gavai. While the equipment is expensive, CPCB has given enough time to industries.

Air pollution is not only affecting our respiratory system but also causing diseases. Citizens need to get involved, they must carpool, walk or use bicycles, said V Ranganathan, former civic chief.

And the quick-fixes

To begin with, the state will set up 11 new real-time mobile air quality monitoring stations across Mumbai by April 2017. There are two stations at Sion and Bandra. These monitoring stations will be mobile and shifted on the basis of where they will be required. Tenders for the equipment have been issued and orders are being placed with vendors. The project completion is likely by April end, said Gavai. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board will also begin checking emissions from industries through an online emission monitoring system, which has been installed at Tarapur industrial area, in Palghar district. The MPCB is in a position to monitor real-time air quality from major polluting industries in the state on a real-time basis. According to our assessment, about 90% polluters are concentrated in one area that accounts for a major source of pollution in the state, said Gavai.

The state will also crack down on the use of wood for cooking in slums, which the department identified as a major source of particulate pollution. We are looking at providing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to these areas, said Gavai.

The MPCB has also issued a list of guidelines for sites where construction is taking place.

To stop one of the most common causes of pollution  fires at dump yards  MPCB has issued a list of directives to the municipal corporation to use enzyme-based products to curb the methane emission from city dumping grounds. We have been told tenders have already been floated for scientific waste management solutions along with organic waste segregation and composting to reduce the burden at all three city landfills, said Gavai

The need for action

While there is plan, experts said it must jump off the paper. It is important the action plan is linked with departments of the government. If they are not interrelated, it will lead to action only on paper and hardly on ground, said Rakesh Kumar, director, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.

Departments should unite in fight against pollution: Australian scientist and climate strategist, Dr Anthony Horton

What can people do to protect themselves from air pollution?

The most effective way people can reduce exposure to construction and roadside dust is to stay away from these sources. People should try to limit time they spend outdoors near construction sites and roadsides, avoid peak-hour traffic and wear a mask with a filter.

Large quantities of pollutants are generated from vehicles, at traffic jams and crowded parking spaces. What can be done to reduce this problem?

Three main strategies. First, limiting age of vehicles licenced to use the roads. Compared to older vehicles, more recently manufactured ones are generally made in accordance to a more stringent design standard. Second, improving quality of fuel with stringent fuel quality standards. These standards can target pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. Third, introducing alternative fuels, such as liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas.

Give us an example

A good example is Seoul, South Korea, which adopted a range of strategies to improve air quality after the special act on the Improvement of Air Quality in Seoul Metropolitan Area enforced in 2005. This Act led to recognition that action needed to be taken.

What according to you is lacking in the endeavours of local governing bodies that calculate RSPM, NOx and SO2?

Different departments within the government, from transport, industries, textile to science and technology, should have the courage and willingness to reach out and share data with each other, and to discuss initiatives they have implemented that have been successful as well as acknowledge those that perhaps havent been so successful. With adequate financial resources, the government should be able to purchase, operate and maintain air quality monitoring equipment that is in accordance with international standards.

READ:

The air we breathe: Caught in a tight chokehold

Act now or forever hold your breath

Mumbais toxic road junctions can stop traffic, your heart

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A city-based startup has found a unique way to increase its business in times of demonetisation  by delivering currency notes along with each order.

The startup tailmil.com is offering free home delivery of valid currency notes up to Rs1,000 on purchase of their products online.

The startup has a collaboration with TWF Flours, which sells premium quality floors, dal, grains, rice and other kitchen items online.

Co-owner of the startup, Arjun Rungta, said consumers can order products of TWF online and they will get an option to get free delivery of cash along with the order. The orders can be placed on www.tailmill.com.

It is a simple formula, whatever cash we have collected in the last 15-20 days after demonetisation, we are offering it to our customers. They just have to buy any TWF product online and from there they can click on delivery of cash. Currently, we have a cap of Rs1,000 per day per customer, Rungta said.

He said the company is delivering notes in denomination of Rs100.

In the last 15 days, we have collected new currency through various cash-on-delivery options. Now, we have enough cash to go with the formula. It is completely legitimate. The consumers have to pay Rs1,000 plus the product cost and we will give them currency without any charges, Rungta said.

Minimum order is Rs140 for a returning customer and Rs160 for a first-time customer in order to avail of the cash delivery.

The website also gives an option to select the preferred denomination of notes while making payment. One has to register on our website to order. This facility is limited to Noida only, Rungta said.

People can also get our products delivered to their friends, office or relatives address in Noida to get the note delivery. This service is activated from Wednesday, he said.

He said the Rs1,000 option is only for selected regular customers who have referred the website to six or more people. However, any new consumer can get cash worth Rs500 on a minimum order, he added.

We fully support the move towards a cashless economy. We believe that this facility by tailmill will be of great use to our customers, K Dutt, Head Consumer Insights, TWF Flours

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Before the battle for the ballot, political parties in Punjab are fighting a war for your data. While the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has captured voter details through its various sops and welfare schemes, including the vote-catching atta-dal scheme which covers half of states population, an intense data war is now on between the two main opposition parties, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Every campaign designed by Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor around state party chief Captain Amarinder Singh is aimed at data compilation. Not to forget, the mandatory requirement for each ticket aspirant of the Congress to furnish details of two voters per booth.

The intent behind the data war -- capturing names, phone numbers, email IDs -- is to bombard voters with messages, calls and social media posts on poll promises, memes and spoofs on other parties, besides surveys and feedback.

MAPPING YOUTH VOTERS

All the parties need to honey-trap voters is to throw a bait -- it is debt waiver for farmers and jobs and smart phones for youth. Consider this: Just within a week of Amarinder launching Captain Smart Connect, the scheme which promises 50 lakh smart phones with free data and calling to youth within 100 days of Congress government, the online registration has crossed 15-lakh mark.

On Tuesday, Amarinder launched yet another campaign Har Ghar Ton Ikk Captain that promises one job, per family to map youth voters. The berozgari bhatta card can be activated by dialling a number and entering the card details for completion of registration.

The Congress door-to-door campaign on debt waiver, Karza Kurki Khatam, Fasal ki Poori Rakm, has got data forms filled from 34 lakh people, of which unique debt waiver forms (mangpatra) have been collected from 28 lakh farmers. An average of 3.25 lakh households have been tapped in each of Punjabs 117 assembly seats covering over 9,000 villages.

The Jago Punjab campaign -- which is running from Amarinders residence in Chandigarh -- has captured details of nearly 6 lakh youth by asking them to give a missed call to get enrolled as social media volunteers. The Halke Vich Captain programme which took Amarinder on a whirlwind tour of assembly constituencies has been abruptly discontinued for road shows. The data collection did not match the paraphernalia involved of tents, seats, caterers and marriage halls. The party could muster just 2.5 lakh total attendees, of which 1.7 lakh were petitioners who submitted their complaints to Amarinder at the gala shows and got mobile stickers and a key chain in return along with promise of grievances being redressed within 100 days of Congress government coming to power.

The Punjab Congress Express -- leaders touring states 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tempo Travellers -- is no more on a roll but it has helped the party collect data of over 11 lakh people through 857 nukkad meetings so far.

AAP STARTED NUMBERS GAME

The AAP started the numbers game with its Punjab Jodo campaign, which gave the Congress the jitters. Now both the parties are accusing each other of stealing ideas and poll promises. According to information obtained from AAP, its Parivar Jodo programme has covered 30.8 lakh families and its signature campaign with women, Dalits, traders and ex-servicemen has crossed 32 lakh-mark. Another nine lakh families have been covered under the debt waiver campaign. How does the data translate into votes? Much of it is through calls, messages and publicity on social media. Kishors Indian Political Action Committe (IPAC) and Jago Punjab use the database to call and message content on WhatsApp groups.

CONTENT IS THE KING

The Jago Punjab campaign of the Congress has a creative team to make spoofs, memes, mash-ups and cartoons which are posted on its official Facebook page by the same name and at least 30 unofficial ones.

Its 700 social media warriors spread this content across 30,000 people through various WhatsApp groups. When these 30,000 share the content with others, a news item, picture or video goes viral as a chain reaction. A video of Amarinder beating Kejriwal in a game of wrestling has clocked 1.5 lakh views and that of Amarinder as superman, more than two lakh views.

Since sharing content to lakhs of people involves high costs, we distribute only important news such as launch of a new campaign in our entire database and across all social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp along with IPAC. The Jago Punjab team alone has 1.3 lakh followers on Facebook and a database of 6 lakh voters through missed calls. We are creating content for college students in the age-group of 18 to 22 years who like fun stuff, says Gobind Khatra, the former president of Punjab NSUI, who is handling the campaign.

So next time tweets of the AAP, Congress or SAD are trending on Twitter, you know where are they getting the numbers.

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal continued his attack against the ruling Badals, Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh and revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia as he held a rally in Amritsar on Wednesday as part of his 11-day campaign trip to Punjab. But he remained pointed and brief when asked about Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who has recently joined the Congress after singing AAPs praises for months, terming the AAP hopeless.

Let them say whatever they want to say. People will give the answer, the Delhi chief minister said, purportedly referring collectively to the Awaaz-e-Punjab group of Dr Sidhu, her husband and BJPs former Amritsar MP Navjot Sindh Sidhu, and former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Pargat Singh.

Kejriwal after a public rally at Saketri Bagh in Amritsar on Wednesday, November 30 (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Earlier, addressing a rally in the Amritsar-south constituency, Kejriwal accused the Badals and Amarinder of shielding each other: They have a setting.

He also challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act against Amarinder over his reported Swiss bank accounts, if he is serious about the black money issue.

I have been raising the issue of his Swiss bank accounts since long but Amarinder is not responding. This means what I am saying is right. If I am wrong, then he can file a case against me.

On the drug menace, he alleged that Majithia is behind it: He will be put behind bars when an AAP government comes in Punjab.

Claiming that the AAP will win all 117 seats in the coming assembly polls, he said the party has already made a blueprint for governance.

Meanwhile, a protest was held by Congress workers even before Kejriwal had arrived. The AAP workers confronted them and the protest stopped.

The same day, at Sri Hargobindpur in Batala, he said, I have learnt that the SAD-BJP is spreading rumours that if AAP is voted to power the Centre will not give even a single penny to Punjab. I am ready to bow to the feet of PM Modi to demand rights of Punjab and, if denied even then, we also known how to snatch our rights.

In all these years, Badal crossed all heights of sycophancy for Modi-ji, but failed to get anything for Punjab. We know sycophancy as well as how to snatch rights.
For the last 19 years, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has been treating the incinerable bio-medical waste of almost all health centres in the city. But the decades-long practice will come to an end soon, as the worn-out incinerators need replacement, but the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has not given the consent.

The two incinerators were installed in 1997 with a shelf-life of ten years, but even now the old machines continue to be used after repeated refurbishments. As per officials, they require immediate replacement, but the CPCC did not give permission.

As per the new rules of environment ministry, no incinerator is allowed within the periphery of 75km of Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF), an official from CPCC said, We have already given permission to a company to set up CBMWTF in the industrial area, he added.

PGIMER has already spent crores on its maintenance. The incinerators have undergone four major renovations. Each time, we spent `40-50 lakh. Apart from this, every year, minor renovations are done twice or thrice, said an official from PGIMER.

Two incinerators were installed in 1997 with a shelf-life of ten years, but even now old machines continue to be used

In 1996, CPCC gave consent to PGIMER to run the two incinerators for 15 years. From the last four years, PGIMER officials have been getting approval per year from CPCC to run the incinerators.

CPCC had given us permission for one year but environment department denied the permission. In 2016, PGI again applied for consent, but this time, CPCC did not give the permission.

The officials are saying that the permission was denied because a common bio-medical waste treatment facility is coming. But we are hearing this from the last several years. What if it does not come in the next one year?  he asked.

How is the waste managed now Daily, more than 1,200 kg incinerable waste is burnt at PGI Each of the two incinerators at the PGI has the capacity to burn 170 kg incinerable waste per hour PGI produces more than 1300 kg biomedical waste daily, out of which above 800 kg incinerable Apart from this, PGI gets incinerable waste from Government Medical College and Hospital-Sector 32 which is around 300 kg, all private health care centres which contribute more than 150 kg, Panjab University sends around 5 kg, for which PGI charges incineration cost of Rs 62 per kg. At times, GMSH-16 also sends its waste to PGI.

Private firm gets nod to establish waste incinerators

After the failure of UT administration to construct their own Common Biomedical Waste treatment facility, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has given clearance to a private company. Few administrators have accused the CPCC of favouring the company.

Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee has given the permission to Alliance Envirocare Company Private Limited for establishment of incinerator, which will treat the extinguishable biomedical waste of the city.

The file is now with the environment department for clearance. Once the company gets clearance; the owner will install the incinerators and then will apply for consent to operate, said an official from CPCC.

To begin with the company has been given the permission to install one incinerator with the capacity of 200 kg per hour, said the official.

After the facility becomes functional, the current incinerators functional at the PGIMER and GMSH-16 will be closed.

Years of planning of some officials of the UT administration came to naught, as the authorities failed to construct the facility in Chandigarh.

There are guidelines of the Union ministry of environment and forests, as per which states should have a common biomedical waste treatment facility.

More than five years ago, UT administration had decided to set up the common plant. Detailed plan was made, tenders were issued and one-acre land in Daddumajra was also allotted, but at the last moment, Shivraj Patil, then UT administrator denied to give land to a private party, said an official.

Nothing was finalised by the administration, so far.

Decision a personal favour: UT Officials

They should have either called for the E-tender or expression of interest to have wide publicity for the stakeholders who could set up common biomedical waste facility. But no such method has been adopted, said a member of the high committee, constituted in the past for setting up the biomedical waste plant, under the chairmanship of former home secretary Ram Niwas.

When environment clearance is not there, what is the hurry to give permission? he asked. It is a personal favour to the company. Earlier, only this company was promoted to pick up the bio-medical waste from private centres, alleged the official.

When contacted, the owner of Alliance Envirocare company was not available for comment.

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Based on interrogation of arrested mastermind Palwinder Singh Pinda, the Patiala police on Wednesday arrested a man for aiding last Sundays Nabha jailbreak in which six criminals had escaped. Gurpreet Singh of Mangewal village in Moga, arrested from Patran, provided logistical and monetary support besides shelter to the men who attacked the jail, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan.

Gurpreet was held when he was trying to escape eventually to Uttar Pradesh, said the police. A pistol, some other ammunition, and a car were seized from him. Meanwhile, Pinda was sent to police remand for 11 days after he was presented before a judge on Tuesday night. The police also got remand till December 9 of the jails then assistant superintendent Bhim Singh, warder Jagmeet Singh and sweetshop owner Tejinder Sharma on Wednesday evening.

In another development, Punjab police detained two persons in connection with the jailbreak, one of whom is a friend of an escapee, from Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan adjoining Punjab. Gurpreet Brar and his brother-in-law Angrej Singh were traced to Kishanpura village last night. Brar, a resident of Ferozepur in Punjab, is a friend of Gurpreet Sekhon who is among those that escaped from the high-security jail in Punjab on Sunday.

Police said they were traced on the basis of their mobile phones location and taken to Punjab for questioning.

Action in Haryana

The Haryana police on Wednesday sent in-charges of three posts in Karnal to police lines for dereliction of duty after Palwinder Singh Pinda, who facilitated the escape of six prisoners from Nabha jail, managed to pass through Karnal in an SUV. Chowki incharges of Sitamai, Ramnagar and Munak have been sent to police lines, Karnal SP Pankaj Nain said.

Pinda escaped in his SUV to Uttar Pradesh after passing through Kaithal and Karnal in Haryana after assisting in a sensational jailbreak in Patiala in Punjab on Sunday. He was arrested on November 27 in Shamli district of UP, few hours after the jailbreak.

Nain said that the vigil has been increased in the district in the wake of Nabha jailbreak. However, he said, that there is no likelihood of escapees hiding in Karnal. (PTI inputs)
Actor Priyanka Chopras upcoming Punjabi film, Sarvann, which was earlier scheduled to hit screens on December 9, has now been pushed to January 13 following the demonetisation of high currency notes.

Due to the economic challenges faced by cine-goers, the makers had a joint meeting recently after which they unanimously decided to shift the release date of the movie by a month, also to coincide with Lohri, which is a very auspicious day.

Considering the short term economic challenges faced by the people, we decided to shift the release date of the movie on the auspicious day of Lohri on 13th January, Madhu Chopra, Priyankas mother said in a statement here.

Produced by Priyankas production house Purple Pebble Pictures, Dr Madhu Chopra, Deepshikha Deshmukh (Pooja Films), co-produced by Siddharth Chopra and directed by Karaan Guliani, Sarvann is a heart-warming narrative of a young NRI returning to India to find his roots.

Priyanka Chopra at a promotion event for her first Punjabi production Sarvann in Toronto.

The subject has got a universal appeal and caters to a large section of the potential audience who likes family entertainers with a strong message, Madhu said.

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Actor Amy Jackson, who has teamed up with superstar Rajinikanth 2.0, says he gets nervous with the media and attention.

He is very quiet, humble and soulful person. We were shooting a scene that involved me and Rajinikant. I was very excited and I told him this, he said I am nervous. I was like ok. He said he gets nervous about the media and the attention. I told him he is a superstar but he said he gets nervous, said Amy at an event here.

As a person he has sustained for many years and he is still at top, he is humble and focused on his work. That is important, said the actor.

Amy Jackson is the female lead in 2.0. (Dave Benett)

In director S Shankars 2.0 Rajinikanth will reprise the role of Dr Vaseegaran and Chitti while Akshay Kumar, who is the new addition to the movie plays a villain in the second instalment of Robot.

I havent started filming with Akshay yet. I have had all my sequences with Rajinikant. He is very quiet. While Akshay is opposite, he is lively and cracking jokes. I am excited to start shooting with Akshay again, said Amy, a British model and actress, who has acted in Tamil and few Hindi and Telugu films.

Talking about her journey from the United Kingdom to Bollywood, she said, It has been crazy and amazing. I had never thought I would work with Akshay and Rajinikant and would get to associate with these talented people.

Considering she has acted in south Indian and Hindi films, Amy says she is good with Tamil language.

My Hindi is ok. I think I am better with Tamil. I remember the Tamil words, she added.

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Its a season of change and winter is finally here. While the majority of the people flock to cafes for a hot cuppa, theres a different breed of consumers queuing up on a chilly night to get their hands on the latest smartphone.

They are the fans affectionately called the community for OnePlus, a plucky global smartphone startup who are evoking a response from consumers reminiscent of Apple, known to create similar euphoria at the launch of their new products.

If youve ever met a Finn, chances are theyve mentioned the reserved nature of their countrymen. Finns are talkative and hospitable, but the myth of the withdrawn Finn is still alive and well inside Finland. On November 22, a horde of people started amassing outside the Elisa Pop-up Store in Helsinki, Finlands leading telecom operator to take a sneak-peek at the latest smartphone from OnePlus, the OnePlus 3T, and be the first people globally to purchase it. So much for the myth - the Finnish fans are fanatical, and their presence made the event truly memorable with Elisa even stating that the smartphone launch was the most successful they had ever experienced.

Across the English Channel, the Brits geared up for the same. The onset of the English chill across London did not blunt the fans enthusiasm as they gathered outside the O2 Store on Oxford Street, Europes favourite shopping area. Social media was abuzz with photos and videos shot by fans showing spectacular queues winding around several blocks.

The long queue outside British Operator O2s store, Nov 2016. (OnePlus)

In the current world market scenario, queuing up to obtain new products are rare. The interesting thing is that theyre not waiting for limited-edition Air Jordans or a Louis Vuitton bag, but the launch of the OnePlus 3T, a smartphone brand that has taken off amongst European and American users alike in recent years. A few of the journalists even jokingly remarked that besides Apple, OnePlus is the only other technology brand that people are willing to queue up for.

This isnt the first time that OnePlus has stirred up so much commotion amongst the community globally. The release of almost every generation of the brands products, including the OnePlus 3 in June a few months ago and the OnePlus 2 last year, have seen massive queues all around the world. The pop-up shop for the OnePlus 3 in Bangalore, India this year saw nearly 2,000 fans queuing up that drew parallels to people lining up outside banks and teller machines to obtain new currency in the aftermath of demonetisation in the country.

The long queue outside OnePlus 3 Popup store in Bangalore, June 2016. (OnePlus)

A New Technology Darling among Global Media

OnePlus was established at the end of 2013 and has been operating for almost three years. CEO Pete Lau recently said, Its easy to become a well-known global brand, but its very hard to be a respectable global brand, but thats exactly what OnePlus vision is to become - a respected global brand. What makes him most proud is the Never Settle brand philosophy which has attracted a like-minded team to OnePlus who share the same values as their consumers.

Meanwhile, OnePlus philosophy of letting great products speak for themselves have earned it commendable praise around the world and particularly in mainstream media. An article in Time magazine even goes on to say the following: Phone of Dreams. Its hard to imagine a better phone for Android geeks.

Time magazines review of the OnePlus One. (OnePlus)

Many popular domestic and foreign media including Internet news blogs like Mashable hold the OnePlus 3 in extremely high regard. Praise for the flagship OnePlus 3 this year has been nothing short of amazing with several global media outlets describing the smartphone as an Android smartphone thats damn near perfect.

A few of the memorable press the product has received are as follows:

A true flagship phone with style and power.- WIRED

OnePlus 3 is practically the perfect Android smartphone. - Mashable

The OnePlus 3 is the rare kind of phone I can recommend without reservations.-The Verge

The lifestyle technology publication, Stuff, ranked the OnePlus 3 numero uno, out-performing the likes of the Samsung S7.

Stuff Magazine ranked the OnePlus 3 as the best smartphone of its time. (OnePlus)

The OnePlus 3 also enjoys a solid reputation amongst its consumers. The OnePlus 3 out-scored established international brands such as Apple and Samsung on Amazon India, with a score of 4.4 out of 5, making it the highest-rated consumer smartphone amongst users. Its reputation as the best flagship Android phone of the year is much deserved.

The OnePlus 3 is now the highest customer-rated smartphone available on Amazon (OnePlus)

Product is King  Recreating a Classic

The most noticeable improvement in the OnePlus 3T is an upgrade of the near perfect performance of the previous generations core configuration: the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Processor (up to 2.35 GHz) has about 10% performance improvement while including a 128GB storage variant along with 6GB of RAM. Also, the front-facing camera has been upgraded from 8 to 16 million megapixels, the phone runs on a newer version of OxygenOS (Android Marshmallow) and comes with an even cooler Gunmetal colour. Meanwhile, the Dash Charge quick-charging technology along with a slightly upgraded 3,400 mAH battery means a mere 30-minute charge replenishes the charge to deliver enough power for the remainder of the day.

The Verges review of the OnePlus 3T proclaimed the company in making its best phone even better, giving it an incredible score of 8.8 (higher than the 8.6 for the OnePlus 3) and ranking it alongside Samsung and Apple as one of the best phones presently available.

The Verges 8.8 rating of the OnePlus 3T (OnePlus)

When rumours surfaced that the OnePlus 3T might not be launched in India, there was a massive uproar among fans and those in the media industry. Some even went as far as to create a petition on change.org, hoping to convince the company and guarantee the phones launch at the earliest. Finally, on November 25, OnePlus India officially declared that the OnePlus 3T would be launched in India on December 2, with pop-up stores following the launch in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore respectively.

Partnered Feature

This content was created by HT Brand Studio and not the editorial team
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his picks for two crucial cabinet posts, treasury and commerce, and said he would soon unveil a plan to remove himself from his great business in total and focus on running the US.

Hollywood financier Steven Mnuchin, who wrote Trumps tax plan and ran his campaigns finance wing, was named as secretary of treasury, and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross was tapped for the position of secretary of commerce.

The other big cabinet berths  secretaries of state and defence  remain in play, with Trump meeting Mitt Romney, a leading contender for state, for the second time over a widely publicised dinner at a tony New York restaurant.

The race for secretary of state has become embroiled in recent days in a highly public spat between leading Trump advisers and surrogates, with some of them vehemently opposed to Romney, who had tried everything he could to defeat the real estate mogul.

As he picks his cabinet, Trump has come under mounting pressure to distance himself from his sprawling business operations in the US and abroad  including 16 entities in India  over concerns about conflict of interest.

After sending mixed signals about his intentions earlier  from saying he would hand over his businesses to his children, who are already running them, to stating the president cant have a conflict of interest  he seems ready to remove himself.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving mygreat business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated todo this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businessesHence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations, Trump said in three tweets.

The Presidency is a far more important task! he added in the last.

Neither he nor his campaign gave any details.

Concerns about the impact of his business on his presidency have spiked in recent days, with his children, specially daughter Ivanka Trump, sitting in on his meetings with foreign leaders, and Trump himself receiving business partners from the Philippines and India.

While there are several separation plans under speculation, one suggested by The Economist has received some attention. Its a three-part plan whereby Trump is expected to bundle all the hundreds of his entities into one holding company, get a board of independent directors to name a CEO, who will have the power to sell assets but not buy any, and, finally, distribute all profits as dividends and refrain from new foreign investments.

The effect would be to turn the Trump Organisation into a mature portfolio of domestic property assets which generate rental payments for the Trumps, the publication said.
Twelve people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed on Tuesday when fire ravaged a dormitory for pupils in the southern Turkish region of Adana, local officials said.

The fire, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, raced through the buildings wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.

Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.

Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck and whose roof collapsed.

We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured, Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.

According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault, he said.

The Dogan news agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under.

The disaster took place in the town of Aladag north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.

Jumped from window in panic

Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.

The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 19:25 (1625 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.

Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.

But Adana city Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said: It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there, he said.

He told NTV of course children would have survived if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs.

From tomorrow the governors office will start an investigation.

He said the children were aged between 11-14.

Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not flee outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan news agency said.

The fire spread rapidly because of the buildings wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.

Aladag districts mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan news agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden.

With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.

In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, Dogan added.

The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.

Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual.

In a sign of the seriousness of the incident, several ministers were heading to the region, including Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz.

Demirtas meanwhile informed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed his sadness over the catastrophe, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Rescuers in southwestern Poland have recovered a body after a massive cave-in at a copper mine following an earthquake, bringing the confirmed death toll to two, with six people still missing, a spokeswoman for the mining company said Wednesday.

The tremor occurred shortly after 9 p.m. (GMT) Tuesday some 1,100 meters (3,610 feet) underground in the Rudna mine, in Polkowice.

Jolanta Piatek, spokeswoman for the KGHM Polska Miedz, or Polish Copper, mining corporation, said that the body was found underground. Earlier, one of nine miners brought to the surface shortly after the cave-in had also died. Five others have been hospitalized, while nine rescue teams continue the search for those still missing.

The rescuers are receiving signals from the locators of the missing miners, but have had no direct contact with them, Piatek told The Associated Press.

The German Research Center for Geosciences in Potsdam, near Berlin, reported a magnitude-4.5 shallow earthquake in the Polkowice region at the time of the cave-in.

Work continues as usual in other areas of the mine, Piatek said.

Known as the Polish State Mining and Metallurgical Combine under communism, KGHM went through restructuring and partial privatisation in 1991 as Poland shifted to a market economy. It has grown to be one of the worlds major copper and silver producers. It also has mines in Chile, Canada and the United States.
Beijing

At least 22 workers are trapped in a coal mine in Chinas northeastern Heilongjiang Province, the latest accident to hit the countrys mining industry.

The accident took place around 9:00 pm on Tuesday in Qitaihe city and 22 workers are trapped in the mine, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescue operations are underway and the cause of the mishap is being investigated, it said.

Chinas mining industry has long been among the worlds deadliest with frequent mine accidents.

China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of coal.

An explosion at a mine in the southwestern region of Chongqing on October 31 killed 33 people, just weeks after a gas explosion in another mine in Guizhou province had killed seven people.
Two pro-independence Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday lost their appeal against a ban preventing them from taking up their seats in parliament as Beijing faces accusations of stepping up interference in the citys politics.

Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching deliberately misread their oaths of office, inserted expletives and draped themselves with Hong Kong is not China flags during a swearing-in ceremony in October.

They are part of a new movement advocating a complete split from Beijing for semi-autonomous Hong Kong, as young pro-democracy campaigners grow frustrated with a lack of political reform.

Beijing hit out at the publicly elected pair in a special interpretation of the citys constitution earlier in November which effectively prevented them from taking up their seats because of the way they took the oath.

Following Beijings protest, Hong Kongs High Court ruled the two lawmakers should be disqualified from the legislature because their oaths were invalid, in an unprecedented judicial review brought by the citys leader and justice secretary.

Yau and Leung appealed, but lost out Wednesday in a judgement that took Beijings ruling into account, amid criticism that the separation of powers in Hong Kong has been compromised.

The court of appeals judgement referred to Beijings ruling as giving the true meaning to the part of the constitution that requires lawmakers to take an oath of allegiance to Hong Kong as a special administrative region of China.

The judgement said the courts duty to apply the citys constitution, known as the Basic Law, outweighed the doctrine of separation of powers and non-intervention.

Yau and Baggio were originally offered a second chance at taking the oath by the president of the legislature, but Beijing stepped in to prevent that.

Its special interpretation of the Basic Law ruled that any oath-taker who does not follow the prescribed wording of the oath, or takes the oath in a manner which is not sincere or not solemn, should be disqualified.

Wednesdays appeal judgement said there could be no dispute that Yau and Leung had declined to take the oath.

They are now expected to take their case to the court of final appeal.

The judgement came as the government announced plans to take a third democratically-elected lawmaker to court over her oath-taking.

The department of justice said it will initiate proceedings against teacher Lau Siu-lai, a prominent activist who made her name during the citys mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014. It gave no further detail on the grounds for the case.

Laus oath was rejected during her swearing-in as she read the pledge at a snails pace, leaving long gaps between every word. She was later given a second chance to read it and was able to take up her seat.
At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

An estimated 30,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority living mostly in Myanmar, have been forced to leave their homes since a bloody crackdown by the army in the western state of Rakhine.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stop them from entering, but last week it said thousands had flooded into the country, many with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks, said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Bangkok.

The situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher.

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmars security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, but has also banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area to investigate.

Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday, she vowed to work for peace and national reconciliation, saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.

Rohingya community leaders in Bangladesh said another 3,000 displaced Rohingya were stranded on an island in the Naf river that divides the two countries, attempting to enter Bangladesh.

They have been stuck in the island for almost a week without sufficient food and clothes, Abu Ghalib told AFP.

A Myanmar Rohingya refugee carries the body of six-month-old Alam for his burial in a refugee camp in Teknaf, in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district. (AFP Photo)

But a spokesperson for the Bangladesh border guards said the claims could not be verified as the island was not Bangladeshi territory.

Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coast guard ships in an effort to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.

In the past two weeks, Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.

Nevertheless Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh said the number of arrivals had risen this week.

But so far little or no aid has been provided for the new arrivals, with Bangladeshi authorities fearing food, medicine and shelter will encourage more to cross the border.

Shinji Kubo, who heads the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh, said the new arrivals needed urgent help.

Obviously these people have come from Myanmar after terrible experiences and without any belongings. The winter is approaching. So everyone is really worried about their well being, he said.

More than 2,30,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally. Among them, 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.

Tan said the UN was urging the Bangladesh government to allow the Rohingya safe haven.

An effigy of Myanmar's foreign minister and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is held high before being burnt during a protest rally by several Islamic groups in Myanmar. (AP Photo)

We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection, she said.

Violence in Rakhine -- home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmars Buddhist majority -- has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area.

It followed a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local militants.
At least five people were killed and dozens more were injured after tornadoes tore through Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi overnight and into Wednesday morning, forecasters and local media reported.

Three people were killed in the night in Rosalie, a small community in northeastern Alabama, where at least one tornado was reported by a weather spotter, the National Weather Service said on its website.

Nighttime tornadoes can be particularly dangerous since they are difficult to see and can be quick-moving, all while many people are asleep, the National Weather Service said in a statement.

A couple was killed in Tennessees Polk County, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported, citing a law enforcement official. Several dozen others were injured in the state, including at least 20 people in McMinn County, ABC affiliate WATE reported.

In Ider, Alabama, four children and several adults were injured when a tornado flattened a daycare center, the National Weather Service said. It said the group was seeking refuge inside the daycare center, which was closed at the time.

The National Weather Service fielded more than two dozen reports of tornados as the storm system, packing hail and heavy downpours, moved through eastern Texas, northern Mississippi and Alabama and into southeast Tennessee late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday morning.

The system also destroyed homes and businesses, downed power lines and snapped trees, according to the weather service and local media.
China said on Wednesday it wanted to develop smooth military-to-military ties with the new US administration of Donald Trump.

While the worlds two largest economies are frequently at odds over issues like the disputed South China Sea, both have been trying to improve trust between their armed forces to reduce the risk of misunderstanding in any encounters.

This month, China and the United States staged a three-day humanitarian relief military drill as part of that trust-building exercise.

New concern looms with Trumps election as US president. He lambasted China on the campaign trail and has suggested Japan and South Korea be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Asked about Trumps election, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said it went without saying there were tensions in the military relationship and China hoped the United States would respect its core interests and concerns.

China is willing to work hard together with the defence department of the next US government to promote the healthy and stable development of military-to-military relations, Yang told a monthly news briefing.

Trump will take over as president in January.
Hillary Clintons aides and supporters are urging dispirited Democrats to channel their frustrations about the election results into political causes just not into efforts to recount ballots in three battleground states.

The former Democratic presidential candidate and her close aides see the recount drive largely as a waste of resources, according to people close to Clinton.

The effort is being fueled by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, whos formed an organization to try to force recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Believe me if there was anything I could do to make Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States I would, said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a longtime Clinton supporter. But this is a big waste of time.

Aides say Clinton is focused on moving past her unexpected defeat and has devoted little attention to the recount or thinking about her political future. Shes been spending time with her grandchildren and going for walks near her Westchester home.

Sightings of Clinton hiking with her dogs and shopping at a Rhode Island bookstore went viral on social media.

Read| Day after US election, woman bumps into Hillary Clinton hiking in the woods

There have been a few times this past week where all I wanted to do was curl up with a good book and our dogs and never leave the house again, Clinton said in an emotional speech at a gala for the Childrens Defense Fund, her one public appearance since her loss.

Former President Bill Clinton, meanwhile, has been poring over the election results, second-guessing decisions by top campaign aides and intensely trying to figure out how his wife lost the white working-class voters who were the base of his electoral coalition, say people familiar with the campaign.

Clintons team was aware of possible discrepancies soon after the election, telling top donors on a conference call four days after the election that they were looking into potential problems in the three states.

But while many campaign staffers believe Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the election, blaming foreign actors for incursions into campaign and Democratic National Committee emails, theyve found no evidence of the kind of widespread ballot box tampering that would change the results of the race or even flip a single state.

Still, some dejected Clinton supporters have been unwilling to accept the results. Stein has raised $ 6.5 million for her recount campaign, according to a count posted on her campaign website on Tuesday. Thats nearly double the roughly $ 3.5 million she raised during her entire presidential bid.
President-elect Donald Trump is tapping conservatives with deep ties to Washington and Wall Street to fill out key cabinet roles as he continues to deliberate over his secretary of state.

Trump was moving forward with nominations, including former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the Treasury.

Mnuchins official announcement was expected as early as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the decision who insisted on anonymity in order to confirm the pick ahead of time.

Trump on Tuesday chose Georgia Rep. Tom Price to oversee the nations health care system, picking a fierce Obamacare critic who has championed efforts to privatize Medicare. And he selected another veteran republican, Elaine Chao, a former labour secretary and the wife of senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, to head the department of transportation.

Mnuchin, 53, led Trumps finance operations during the presidential campaign and became close to the president-elect and his family. But he has no government experience, which could prove a hurdle in navigating the tricky politics of Washington.

If confirmed by the senate, Mnuchin would play a central role in shaping Trumps tax policies and infrastructure plans. He would also lead an agency tasked with implementing international economic sanctions.

Mnuchin is expected to be joined on Trumps senior economic team by another financier, Wilbur Ross. The billionaire investor is considered the king of bankruptcy for buying beaten-down companies with the potential to deliver profits.

Trump dined on frog legs and scallops with 2012 republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Manhattan Tuesday night. After the elegant meal, the former Massachusetts governor  once a vocal critic  praised Trump for succeeding where he had failed, saying the president-elect offers a message of inclusion and bringing people together.

The meeting  their second in-person session  came as Trump is publicly weighing several options for secretary of state, including Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former CIA director David Petraeus.

Trump said on Twitter that he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence will travel to Indiana on Thursday for an event with Carrier, the air-conditioning company. During the campaign, Trump repeatedly used news of Carriers plans to move some business to Mexico as criticism of Democratic trade policies. Carrier tweeted, We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy.

Price, picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after more than a decade in Congress, helped craft House Speaker Paul Ryans plan to privatize Medicare  a position Trump opposed in the campaign.

Prices selection raised questions about the incoming presidents commitment to Medicare, among other popular entitlement programs he repeatedly vowed to preserve before the election. The Georgia congressman led GOP efforts on Capitol Hill to transform Medicare into a voucher-like system, a change that if enacted, would likely dramatically reduce government spending on the health care program that serves an estimated 57 million people.

Trump, in a 2015 interview promoted on his campaign website, pledged not to cut expensive entitlement programs that Republicans have fought for years to cut to help reduce the federal deficit.

He later changed his mind on Medicaid, embracing the GOP concept of turning the program over to the states with a fixed amount of federal block grant funding.

Like Price, Chao is well-known in Washington. She was the first Asian-American woman to serve in a presidents Cabinet, as labor secretary under George W. Bush.

Her record in that post suggests she would bring a light hand to safety enforcement as transportation secretary. Under Chao at Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration didnt issue a single significant new safety regulation for four years. Mine safety inspectors were cut and inspections reduced.

Mnuchin, Price and Chao would require Senate confirmation.

Transition aides said Trump was likely at least a few days away from a decision on secretary of state.
In the successful first relay test of a NASA radio aboard Europes new Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), data from NASA rovers Opportunity and Curiosity reached Earth last week, the US space agency said on Wednesday.

The transmissions from the two active NASA rovers on Mars received by one of the twin Electra radios on the orbiter, mark a strengthening of the international telecommunications network supporting Mars exploration, NASA said.

The orbiters main radio for communications with Earth subsequently relayed onward to Earth the data received by Electra.

The arrival of ESAs Trace Gas Orbiter at Mars, with its NASA-provided Electra relay payload on board, represents a significant step forward in our Mars relay capabilities, said Chad Edwards from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

The European Space Agencys (ESAs) ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter reached Mars on October 19, 2016.

We now have a truly international Mars relay network that will greatly increase the amount of data that future Mars landers and rovers can return from the surface of the Red Planet, Edwards said.

NASA is on an ambitious journey to Mars that will include sending humans to the Red Planet. Current and future robotic spacecraft are leading the way and will prepare an infrastructure in advance for human missions.

The JPL-designed Electra radios include special features for relaying data from a rover or stationary lander to an orbiter passing overhead.

Relay of information from Mars-surface craft to Mars orbiters, then from the Mars orbiters to Earth, enables receiving much more data from the surface missions than would be possible with a direct-to-Earth radio link from the rovers or landers, NASA said.
The ashes of Fidel Castro begin a four-day journey across Cuba Wednesday to his final resting place, retracing the late communist leaders revolution victory tour of 1959.

The caravan of freedom will leave from Havana, making symbolic stops along the 950-kilometer (590-mile) trek that will end in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba over the weekend.

The trip follows two days of tributes in Havana where hundreds of thousands were encouraged by the government to view a picture memorial to Castro at the Revolution Square.

The commemorations in the capital ended with a massive rally Tuesday night at the square attended by Latin American, African and Caribbean leaders, along with the Greek prime minister -- the only European leader at the event.

Read | People turn up in large numbers to pay tribute to Comrade Fidel

Raul Castro, 85, thanked the countless gestures of solidarity and affection from around the world and ending with the revolutionary battle cry, Until victory, always!

I am Fidel

But the presidents of Western powers, and even friendly nations including Russia, China and Iran, sent deputies in their place.

The absences underscored the divisive legacy of a leader who defied the United States, backed guerrilla movements in Latin America and deployed his army to conflicts in Africa during the Cold War.

Leftist Latin American leaders vowed to carry the torch of Castros revolution as they addressed the rally on Tuesday night and the crowd chanted I am Fidel!

Today it is up to us to raise the flags of independence of the great fatherland, today it is up to us to hold the flag of dignity and freedom of the people, said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose late mentor, Hugo Chavez, had a special bond with Castro.

Allies praised Castro in almost religious tones, with Bolivian President Evo Morales saying, Fidel is not dead. ...Fidel is more alive than ever, more necessary than ever.

Castros death, however, comes as Latin Americas left is losing ground.

Read | Cuba bids farewell to Fidel Castro, ruler for half-century

Maduro is facing a deep economic crisis and fighting opposition attempts to hold a recall referendum, while Brazils Dilma Rousseff was impeached in August and a conservative took over in Argentina last year.

Castro -- who ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to his brother Raul in 2006 -- died Friday at age 90.

US President Barack Obama, who along with Raul Castro ended decades of enmity to restore diplomatic relations, did not attend the rally, sending an advisor and a diplomat without the status of a presidential delegation.

We continue to have some significant concerns about the way the Cuban government currently operates, particularly with regard to protecting the basic human rights of the Cuban people, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Reunion with Che

Castros ashes were placed in a rectangular, dark wood urn that was kept at the armed forces ministry and only shown once on state television.

The urn will be laid to rest on Sunday at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, next to the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti.

Before that, Castros ashes will travel across the country, taking the reverse route that his band of guerrilla fighters took after defeating dictator Fulgencio Batista.

From January 2 to January 8, 1959, the bearded rebels traveled from Santiago to Havana, stopping in Castros home region, Holguin, as well as the cities of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara and Matanzas.

One of the most symbol-filled stops of this last trip will be in Santa Clara, where the ashes of his Argentine comrade-in-arms, Ernesto Che Guevara, rest.

Read | From milk to lightbulbs, Fidel Castro reshaped life in Cuba
Greek authorities picked up about 70 migrants, including children, in a snowy forest near the northern city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday, as smugglers turned to previously popular routes into the European Union rather than the sea crossing from Turkey.

Members of the group, who said they were from Syria, told Greek police they had crossed the Evros River on the Greek-Turkish border in dinghies and were then brought to Thessaloniki hidden in a truck.

The truck driver left them in the forest late Tuesday, and they spent the night there in the snow, authorities said. Police are searching for the driver.

Temperatures have plunged below freezing in the past two days across many parts of the country, with nighttime snowfall in the mountains and northern areas.

We stayed all night in the forest. It was very cold and it was snowing, 22-year-old Syrian Omar Abdi Aziz told The Associated Press by telephone.

We are very tired, he said, adding they had been walking for more than three days as part of their journey out of Turkey. Aziz was trying to get to Sweden, where other members of his family are living.

Under a European Union-Turkey deal reached in March, migrants and refugees arriving on Greek islands from Turkey face deportation back to Turkey. However, the deal doesnt extend to those crossing the two countries land border.

The Evros region has seen a significant increase in people crossing illegally in recent months. Police figures show 11 smugglers and 291 migrants were detained in the area in September, while 22 smugglers and 655 migrants were caught in October.

More than 62,000 migrants and refugees are stranded in Greece, many living in overcrowded refugee camps set up across the country. Aid groups have long complained of the conditions in the camps  some of which still consist of tents, set up out in the open or inside warehouses and buildings.

Last week a woman and a child died and several others were injured in a fire that swept through a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. The fire apparently was started accidentally by a cooking gas canister being used in one of the tents.
Katy Perry was the nights big honoree, but Hillary Clinton got the biggest ovation as the former presidential candidate presented the pop star with an award from UNICEF at Snowflake Ball.

Clinton, who lost the recent election to Donald Trump, gave Perry the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts with the organisation. Her appearance at the event was a surprise, and Clinton got a sustained standing ovation from the cheering crowd.

She described Perry as someone who has the spirit and the energy and the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brought to her work from UNICEF.

She added that Perry had the most Twitter followers, then jokingly added that she might have some competition an apparent reference to the ever-tweeting president-elect. Clinton also said Perrys lyrics remind us when you get knocked down to get back up causing more cheers to erupt in the audience.

Perry was a big supporter of the Democrat, who won the popular vote, and even campaigned for her. She broke into tears when Clinton surprised her with her appearance at the event.

In her acceptance speech, Perry credited Clinton for helping use her voice for more than just her hits.

Hillary has lit that voice inside of me, and that light will never go out! she shouted.

It will get brighter and brighter and brighter. Thank you, Hillary. You motivate me and so many millions of people who appreciate you for your incredible work, Perry said as the crowd gave Clinton another ovation.

Clinton has made only one other public appearance at an event since conceding the race to Trump.
A Hindu lawmaker and civil society members in Pakistan have criticised two religious political parties for opposing the Minorities Bill, which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country.

Last week, Pakistans southern Sindh province passed a law making forced conversions punishable with a life sentence and forbidding minors from changing their religion, in a bid to protect minorities.

Dr Ramesh Kumar, members of the National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, commended on Tuesday the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh for setting the minimum age for religious conversion to 18, Dawn reported.

People are issued a CNIC (identity card) and driving licence at 18 and are allowed to vote after 18. In Sindh, the age at which someone can be legally married is also 18 because before that, an individual is considered a child. After this law, conversions before the age of 18 will be considered a crime, Kumar said.

He said that girls belonging to minority religions are kidnapped in Sindh and forcibly married, mostly to seminary students, and that they have no choice but to adapt to their new lives.

Ramesh met Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief senator Sirajul Haq outside the parliament building and asked him not to protest unnecessarily against the bill for minority rights.

Members of the civil society said incidences of forced conversions were reportedly increasing across the country, particularly in Sindh, and that the bill in question will go a long way in helping the minorities in Pakistan.

Conversion is a basic right as marriage is, but just like forced marriage, forced conversions are also a violation of human rights and is against the teachings of Islam as well, said Krishan Sharma, chairman of the REAT Network Pakistan.

There are two kinds of conversions even now, when Hindus convert after they are preached to by Christian or Muslim missionaries or when they are forcibly converted, he said.

All the provinces should adopt similar laws to protect minorities from forced conversions and forced marriages, Sharma said.

The two larger religious political parties, the JI and the Jamiat Ulema Islam-F, are opposing the new law recently-enacted in Sindh, claiming the law is part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Talking to the media, JI chief senator Haq said the law related to religious conversions that was approved by the Sindh Assembly was a violation of the Constitution and was also against the UN Charter.
You too may soon be able to feel what it was like to hit an iceberg on the Titanic.

Construction of a life-size replica of the doomed passenger ship began in Chinas southwestern Sichuan province on Wednesday, with a keel-laying ceremony and fireworks to mark the occasion.

It is part of Star Energy Investment Groups plans for a tourist resort along the Qijiang River in Sichuans Daying County.

And it will eventually come with a simulation of the iceberg collision that sank the original ship in the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912.

An image taken of a photograph provided by Henry Aldridge & Son, purports to be the iceberg involved in the collision with the Titanic. (AP File Photo)

Backers say the project will also play on the 1997 blockbuster Titanic movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Steven Star chief executive Su Shaojun said it should not be strange that it is in China.

Its not like a certain country owns this thing. Just like the US can make (animation film) Kung Fu Panda and thats very common. Same with Mulan. For China, the Titanic represents something of universal value.

Su said the project, which is above its original slated cost of 1 billion yuan ($145.31 million), may finish by the end of 2017.

Hollywood production designer and producer Curtis Schnell, who is working on the project as its Titanic design expert, said despite criticism online that a tragedy in which some 1,500 people died was being resurrected for tourism purposes, Seven Star has recognised the venture in a very respectful way.

Were trying to get as close as we can, he said. We are not building every room in the ship, by any means, but the shell of the ship and the exteriors will be quite accurate, there will be interior rooms to be able to tour and see from the standpoint of historical accuracy.

The new resort will also feature a man-made beach, a 6D movie theatre and replicas of a Venetian church and European castles.
A citizen of India who received asylum in the US and lived in northern Nevada has pleaded guilty to conspiring to plot a terror strike in the Punjab region of his home country on the border with Pakistan, federal law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Balwinder Singh, 42, pleaded guilty before US district judge Larry Hicks in Reno to conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, a felony that could get him up to 15 years in federal prison and deported following his release. His sentencing was set for February 27.

Singhs defence attorney, Michael Kennedy, noted the plea deal depends on Hicks approval and the dismissal of an indictment that could have gotten Singh life in US federal prison.

The indictment accused Singh of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, four counts of falsifying an immigration document, immigration fraud and unlawful production of an identification document.

Mr. Singh is pleased that the indictment, if this is accepted, will be dismissed and that the lesser charge puts this behind him, Kennedy said.

The defence attorney noted that a clause in the plea agreement would allow Singh to ask to be sent to a third country, not India, under the US Convention Against Torture.

US attorney Daniel G Bogden in Nevada, FBI special agent in-charge Aaron Rouse in Las Vegas and top US justice department national security prosecutor Mary McCord said in a statement that Singh pleaded guilty to planning to send a terrorist operative to India in the fall of 2013 to commit a terror attack  likely an assassination or maiming of an Indian governmental official.

The final target was to be determined after the operative arrived in South Asia, the statement said.

Singh, who officials say also uses the names Baljit Singh, Jhajj, Happy and Possi, has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2013 in Reno.

Authorities said at the time that his arrest disrupted a plot by the Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force, two terror groups that want an independent Sikh state in the Khalistan region.

His indictment alleged that the conspiracy began before November 1997; that Singh obtained asylum in San Francisco using a false identity; and that he acquired false identification documents in the US to enable him to elude Indian authorities when travelling to his home country.

Singh also was accused of telephoning and wiring money to co-conspirators in India for the purchase of weapons and of traveling to Pakistan, India and other countries for meetings to plan terrorist acts.

In 1999, Singh applied for and later obtained a permanent resident card in the US, the indictment said.

Singh was accused of providing funding and materials including night-vision goggles that authorities found during the arrest of a would-be attacker boarding a December 9, 2013, flight from San Francisco International Airport to Bangkok.

The indictment said US state department listed the Babbar Khalsa International as a terrorist organisation, and the European Union designated the Khalistan Zindabad Force as a terror group.

It suggested that US authorities were listening to telephone conversations in January 2012 when Singh allegedly talked about delivering ammunition and when Singh told an unidentified man to get him weapons or explosives.

Investigators also apparently listened to telephone conversations in May 2012, when Singh allegedly provided instructions to an unidentified man about making an explosive device.

The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in northern Nevada was credited with investigating the case.
US secretary of state John Kerry warned on Tuesday that he will not go quietly into the night as President-elect Donald Trumps incoming administration prepares to shake up US foreign policy.

Addressing an association of women diplomats, Kerry said he would help ensure a smooth handover of power in his department but would continue to argue for environmental protection, foreign aid and strong alliances.

Were going to have one hell of a debate over the next few years, I can assure you, and I can promise you this... I am not going to go quietly into the night, he said, to warm applause.

The 72-year-old Democrat did not mention Trump by name, but his speech was a wide-ranging defence of policies the incoming Republican and his conservative and nationalist supporters have threatened to overturn.

He insisted the Iran deal had made the world safer by blocking Tehrans path to a nuclear weapon and the Paris climate accord would help stave off a dire threat to our security and the future prosperity of our planet.

On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to tear up or renegotiate both these accords and called into question the future of US military alliances, accusing European and Asian partners of not pulling their weight.

We cannot survive as a fact-free nation, Kerry declared, urging leaders to heed the warnings of climate science and to invest in green technology rather than a return to coal that Trump advocated on the stump.

My friends, election outcomes matter, but the democratic process matters much, much more, Kerry said, acknowledging that fear of a changing world had motivated many voters but decrying the tone of debate.

After the turmoil of the past few months, it is essential that we restore civility, honesty, and reasonableness -- common sense -- to the policy debates we have in this country.

Its also essential that we not turn our back on the alliances, friendships and principles that have enabled the United States to lead in the world so productively and for so long.

Trump has yet to decide who will replace Kerry as Washingtons top diplomat when he takes office on January 20 next year.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former general and CIA chief David Petraeus are reported to be the frontrunners for the post.
An outspoken billionaire Saudi prince wants an urgent end to his countrys ban on women driving, saying overturning the law was a matter of womens rights and economic necessity.

 :



    https://t.co/BBgyF8i1Gs



Stop the debate:



Time for women to drivehttps://t.co/6KAniFa4BT     (@Alwaleed_Talal) November 29, 2016

Alwaleed is an unusually outspoken member of the Saudi royal family who holds no political posts but chairs Kingdom Holding Co., which has interests including US banking giant Citigroup and the Euro Disney theme park.

He is a long time advocate of womens rights in the Islamic kingdom, which has some of the worlds tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.

In conjunction with his short tweet, Alwaleeds office issued an unusually long statement late Tuesday outlining his reasons for supporting an end to the ban.

Preventing a woman from driving a car is today an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity, Alwaleed said.

They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion.

He also detailed the economic costs of women having to rely on foreign private drivers or taxis, since public transit is not a viable alternative in the kingdom.

Using foreign drivers drains billions of dollars from the Saudi economy, Alwaleed said.

He calculated that families spend an average of 3,800 riyals ($1,000, 940 euros) a month on a driver, money which otherwise could help household incomes at a time when many are making do with less.

Even if their husbands can take time out to transport the women, that requires temporarily leaving the office and undermines the productivity of the workforce, Alwaleed said.

Having women drive has become an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances.

The prince said he is making his call on behalf of those with limited means.

A slow expansion of womens rights began under the late king Abdullah, who in 2013 named them to the Shura Council which advises cabinet.

Abdullah also announced that women could for the first time vote and run in municipal elections, which were held last December.

These and other decisions in Saudi history were initially opposed by certain elements but soon became accepted, Alwaleed said, calling for a similarly decisive political act.

In April, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said change cannot be forced, and it is up to Saudi society.

In Alwaleeds view, however, what cannot be allowed is to have one segment imposing its preferences on the rest of society.
A prominent group of Madhesis on Wednesday rejected Nepal governments proposal to amend the constitution, which was partially aimed at addressing the demands of the agitating group.

Parts of the country saw protests and strikes on Wednesday against some proposals, which was tabled on Parliament by the government on Tuesday.

Upendra Yadav, a Madhesi leader and chairman of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum (Federal Socialist Alliance) rejected the proposed bill, saying the government made a serious mistake while registering the proposal in parliament without consulting them.

The government tabled the amendment in parliament after the cabinet endorsed the four-point proposal to address the row over federal boundaries, citizenship, language, and inclusive representation of marginalised communities in state entities such as upper house of parliament based on population ratio.

But Yadav said the proposal does not hold any relevancy without consensus and approval from Madhesis.

Support from Madesh-based parties is crucial for the government to implement the constitution and hold elections at local, provincial and central levels by another 15 months.

A meeting of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) where Yadav is a member, has been called on Wednesday to make their position clear.

If his party does not support the proposal, chances of securing a two-third majority votes to approve the bill will be minimal.

Yadav said the demands put forward by Madeshi Morcha and the forum were not addressed in the proposal. Our demand is to federate Nepal in 10 provinces where government has not prescribed about any kind of remedies over settling the row over federal boundaries, he said in a statement.

The proposal is also not clear about language, he added.

Issues like provincial autonomy, ensuring representation of various ethnic communities in state entities have not been made.

If representation is not made on the basis of population ratio, Madhesis in Nepal...will not get majority Upper House, he said claiming that such proposal will further escalate tension in the country, instigate conflict among the communities.

We will continue our protest and agitation and will give continuity until our demands are met, he added.

The main opposition CPN-UML has already opposed and rejected the proposal and there is sharp division and discontent over the proposal within the ruling alliance, Nepali Congress and CPN( Maoist Centre).

People from Province 5 have taken to the streets since early Wednesday protesting against splitting the province and swapping some districts in Provinces numbers 4 and 5.

In order to woo the Madhesh-based parties, the government has decided to create two provinces in Nepals southern plain. With this new proposal, southern plains will have two provinces - 2 and 6 - exclusively dominated by Madeshi population.

Six districts of Lumbini Zone of Nepal are tense as hundreds of people have taken to the streets. These rallies in the districts are supported by CPN-UML and even ruling NC and Maoist party cardres.

Defying the partys decision and instructions, some ruling party members have taken street and formed alliance against the spilt of province no 5.

Vehicular movements in these six districts are either totally halted or affected, markets have been closed as top leaders of ruling and opposition alliance also joined in the movement.
A man who was accidentally locked up in a Chicago jail for more than a day has been awarded a $600,000 settlement.

Farad Polk was visiting his son at the Cook County Jail in July 2014 when he was directed to go down the hallway and turn to the right. He passed through a heavy steel door that slammed shut behind him. Authorities say the 8-foot-by-8-foot cell was a super-maximum security prisoners visiting room.

Guards could not hear his cries for help. Polk was rescued by Chicago Fire Department personnel after he broke a sprinkler head. He was trapped in the room for 32 hours without food, water, bedding or a toilet.

He sued for emotional trauma.

Sheriffs Department spokesperson Sophia Ansari announced the countys settlement with Polk on Monday.
For anyone who might like to see Michelle Obama run for president as a Democrat, its time to rein in that early enthusiasm. Or so says her husband, President Barack Obama.

Michelle will never run for office, the president said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine done the day after Donald Trumps surprise win, and amid some social media swirl urging the first lady to consider throwing her hat in the ring.

She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that shes too sensible to want to be in politics, Obama said.

Read | Michelle Obama emerges as surrogate most valuable player of Campaign 2016

Her confidence and style struck a strong chord on the campaign trail, where she supported Hillary Clinton. The first lady slammed Trumps attitude toward and treatment of women.

Obama, who will be 53 when she leaves the White House, is the first black first lady in American history. Her husband is 55.

A Harvard-educated lawyer, she will leave the White House on January 20 enjoying sky-high ratings -- approved by 79 percent of the American public, according to a recent Gallup survey. That makes her more popular than her husband, the first African American president of the United States.

Asked about her ambitions in the past, Michelle Obama has repeatedly said that she would not follow in the footsteps of Hillary Clinton, who ran for the presidency her husband Bill held from 1993-2001.

Read | Clinton, Michelles first joint campaign appearance a bid for womens support
Republican Mitt Romney made an impassioned statement in support of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to try to erase doubts about him among Trumps supporters and remain in contention for US secretary of state.

Romney, a fierce critic of Trump during the Republican presidential primary battle, stopped short of an outright apology but his intention to wipe the slate clean was clear.

The former Massachusetts governor, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost, praised Trump for a message of inclusion and bringing people together since his Nov. 8 victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Noting the appointments Trump has made to fill key cabinet positions for his administration and his desire for greater unity among Americans, Romney said that all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to a better future.

Romney made his remarks after a lengthy meal with Trump and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus at a French restaurant at a Trump hotel in Manhattan. They dined on garlic soup with frog legs, scallops, steak and lamb chop.

Since Trump began to seriously consider Romney as a potential secretary of state, some on Trumps team have voiced doubts about bringing in a former critic and rallied around their preferred candidate, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a long-time Trump friend and loyalist.

Leading this effort in an unusually public way has been senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who told a round of television interviews on Sunday that Trump supporters would feel betrayed if Romney was picked.

Trump, however, has kept Romney in contention for the secretary of state position, and a Republican source close to the transition effort said Priebus has been pushing for Romney behind the scenes.

I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump, Romney said in remarks to reporters after the dinner. We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions Ive had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging. Ive enjoyed them very, very much.

A senior Trump aide described Romneys remarks as solid.

Trump is to meet on Friday for the second time with retired Marine Corps General John Kelly as part of his secretary of state search, the aide said.

Trump is also considering US Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Corker met Trump at Trump Tower earlier on Tuesday and told reporters afterward that Trump needs to choose someone that hes very comfortable with and he knows theres going be no daylight between him and them.

The world needs to know that the secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president and again, thats a decision hes going to have to make, Corker said.
South Korean opposition parties on Wednesday vowed to push ahead to try to impeach President Park Geun-hye amid a growing influence-peddling scandal, rejecting her offer to resign, and called on members of her Saenuri Party to join them.

In a dramatic move that shifted the burden of resolving the crisis engulfing her presidency, Park on Tuesday asked the parliament to decide how and when she should quit, which opposition lawmakers dismissed as a ploy to buy time and avoid impeachment.

The leaders of the three opposition parties, which together hold 165 of the single-chamber parliaments 300 seats and can initiate an impeachment motion, said they will not negotiate with Parks party on her proposal to step down.

The only way left to go is impeachment under the constitution, head of the Democratic Party Choo Mi-ae said at a meeting with the leaders of two other opposition parties.

The leader of the opposition Peoples Party Park Jie-won said a motion will be put to a vote on Friday, or on Friday week, if necessary. Impeachment is the only way, he said.

Park, who has immunity from prosecution in the case as long as she remains in office, is alleged by prosecutors to have colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to enable her to wield improper influence in government affairs and in fundraising by two foundations set up to back Parks initiatives.

She has denied wrongdoing but acknowledged carelessness in her ties with Choi.

Park on Wednesday appointed a special prosecutor who will take over the probe by state prosecutors that was widening to include former government officials and conglomerate heads and also tried to question the president herself.

Park has said she will cooperate with the work of the special prosecutor, whom she appointed from two candidates nominated by the opposition under a bill passed two weeks ago.

SAENURI IN DISARRAY

Park Young-soo, who is not related to the president, will lead a team of more than 100 investigators.

Our focus will be strictly on finding the truth and will not limit the scope of our investigation or have consideration for whether the people being questioned are high ranking or not, Park said.

The opposition needs a minimum of 28 votes from Saenuri to pass the impeachment bill, which will immediately suspend the presidents powers while the constitutional court takes up to six months to decide the validity of the motion.

The court could take as little as two months, most legal experts said. If Park is unseated, a new election must be held in 60 days to pick a successor for a full five-year term.

The prime minister, normally a figurehead post, will serve as acting head of state in the interim.

Saenuri has been in disarray over the crisis.

Party floor leader Chung Jin-suk said it will be best to set a deadline of April 30 for Park to step down, but a breakaway faction of more than 40 members demanded she leave sooner.

Hwang Young-cheul, a member of the breakaway group, said on Tuesday it was willing to negotiate for an exit plan for Park but if all sides failed to reach an agreement by Friday week, it will join the oppositions impeachment motion.

The crisis has started to weigh on consumer confidence and has dealt a blow to the reputation of the chaebol conglomerates, accused of kowtowing to Park.

Finance minister Yoo Il-ho on Wednesday said the economy faced greater downside risks due to the crisis and a recovery was showing signs of slowing because of uncertainties in South Korea and abroad.
US president-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he was ready to play any role desired by Pakistan to resolve the countrys outstanding problems.

Trump made the remarks when Sharif telephoned the president-elect and congratulated him on his victory in the US election.

I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honour and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time, even before 20th January, that is before I assume my office, Trump was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Prime Ministers Office.

The president-elect did not say what outstanding problems he was referring to.

Trump told Sharif that he has a very good reputation, is a terrific guy and is doing amazing work which is visible in every way. Trump also said he looked forward to meeting Sharif soon.

Pakistan, the real estate mogul said, is amazing with tremendous opportunities and Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people.

When Sharif invited him to visit Pakistan, Trump reportedly said he would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people. Trump asked him to tell the Pakistani people that they are amazing.

Trumps remarks marked a departure from the stand he had taken on Pakistan while on the campaign trail.

In September, he told a US radio show that Pakistan was probably the most dangerous country in the world and that only India could check Pakistan. Pakistan is a serious problem because it has nuclear weapons and a lot of them, just like North Korea, he had said. India is the check to Pakistan, he said. You have to get India involved...They have their own nukes and have a very powerful army. They seem to be the real check...I think we have to deal very closely with India to deal with it (Pakistan).

The following month, while addressing an event organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition, Trump had described India-Pakistan tensions as a very, very hot tinderbox and said he would love to be the mediator or arbitrator if the two countries wanted him to.

Well, I would love to see Pakistan and India get along, because thats a very, very hot tinderbox... That would be a very great thing. I hope they can do it, he said.

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Turkey is seeking multiple life sentences for nearly 70 suspects, including the leader of the main Syrian Kurdish political party, over a deadly bombing in Ankara this year blamed on Kurdish militants, state media said Wednesday.

Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) leader Salih Muslim and several prominent Kurdish militants have been indicted over the February 17 attack on military vehicles that killed 29 people, the official news agency Anadolu said.

Ankara said the PYD and its military wing, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), were responsible for the bombing.

However a radical splinter group of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- claimed the attack.

It said the suicide bombing was revenge for Turkish military operations in the Turkeys southeast where violence has renewed since the collapse of a ceasefire last year.

The indictment says that TAK is a unit established to undertake sensational actions by the PKK, Hurriyet daily reported.

Ankara prosecutors are seeking 30 aggravated life sentences for each of 68 suspects in the attack, with one life term stemming from each victim killed and one additional for acting against the states security, Anadolu said.

According to Anadolu, prosecutors divided the accused between the alleged organisation leaders -- including Muslim -- and suspects who participated in the attack.

They charged that PKK senior leaders gave instructions for the attack that was then carried out by members and some non-members.

Fugitive PKK leaders Cemil Bayik, Murat Karayilan and Fehman Huseyin were also named in the indictment, Anadolu said.

Turkey views the PYD and YPG as terrorist organisations linked to the PKK, which has waged an insurgency inside the country since 1984.

The PKK is proscribed as a terror group by the United States and the European Union.

But Washington sees the PYD and YPG as the main allies on the ground in northern Syria fighting against the Islamic State group, causing friction with its NATO ally Turkey.

The indictment comes a week after Ankara issued an arrest warrant for Muslim and the other suspects.

The PYD leader, who last visited Turkey in 2015, had rubbished the warrant and said it should not be taken seriously.
Civil rights groups called for President-elect Donald Trump to forcefully and publicly denounce racism and bigotry, pointing to more than 860 bias-related incidents recorded in the 10 days following his Nov. 8 victory.

After running a divisive campaign, Trump promised  after winning  to be a president for all Americans, said representatives of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Council of La Raza and the American Federation of Teachers.

Trump needs to follow through on that pledge and publicly denounce the bias- and hate-related incidents that popped up around the country, said Richard Cohen, SPLCs president.

One of our great, great hopes at the Southern Poverty Law Center is that Mr. Trump mightily disappoints the white supremacists, the white nationalists who are celebrating his victory now, Cohen said.

In an interview on 60 Minutes, Trump  when told about some of the harassment  said if it was his supporters for them to stop it. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump denounced the white supremacist movement when asked. But he needs to do more, the groups said.

A president-elect has to create a climate that keeps all Americans safe, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

In the 10 days following the November election, SPLC said it collected 867 hate-related incidents on its website and through the media from almost every state, with Hawaii, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota the only exceptions. Their numbers exclude reports of online harassment. The group has not independently verified each claim but said it has weeded out any reported hoaxes.

Anti-immigrant hate incidents targeting Latinos, Asians and Africans made up the largest number of claims, even though many Latinos and Asians in the US are second- or third-generation American citizens. Those incidents were followed by anti-black and anti-Semitic incidents.

Schools and universities were the most common places for incidents to happen. Most often the incidents were through graffiti and verbal harassment, according to SPLCs information.

For example, SPLC said a Colorado mother reported that her 12-year-old African-American daughter was approached by a boy who said, Now Trump is president, Im going to shoot you and all the blacks I can find. A Washington state teacher reported that Build a wall was chanted in their lunchroom the day after the election.

A Louisiana woman said she was getting ready to cross the street when a truck with three white men pulled up and shouted vulgar words at her. One began to chant Trump as they drove away, the black woman said. And a lesbian couple in Austin, Texas, reported that DYKE, Trump and a swastika were painted on their door.

In a separate survey, more than 10,000 teachers told SPLC they knew of more than 2,500 fights, threats and other incidents related to election rhetoric, and reported an increase in slurs and derogatory language, swastikas, Confederate flags and Nazi salutes.

This polarized and divisive election has left its mark on all of us, but most tragically on our children, said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza. We have heard countless stories of harassment, intimidation and bullying of Latino and other students in schools around this country. This cannot stand.

The number of incidents has slowed in the days following the election but anyone expecting the hate to just vanish is being naive, Cohen said. Its not just going to go away, he said.

In fact, the groups expect more hate-related incidents around Inauguration Day, said Brenda Abdelall, charities program director of Muslim Advocates. To bring us together as a nation, (Trump) will need to disavow dangerous proposals and ideas that single out and demonize Muslims and other communities, she said.

Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said it is clear that not all Trump supporters are racist. But Trump needs to lead by example in both words and in deed, Henderson said. The nation  and the world  are watching.
A Saudi prince has issued a public call for women to be allowed to drive in the conservative kingdom.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal made the call on Twitter, tweeting in Arabic and English: Stop the debate: Time for women to drive. His tweet late Tuesday included links to an opinion article arguing for the change that cited economic, social and religious considerations.

Alwaleed does not hold a formal position in the Saudi government. The billionaire leads the Riyadh-based investment firm Kingdom Holding Company, which holds stakes in several Western companies, including Twitter.

Saudi Arabia follows an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam. It is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive, and womens rights activists have been detained for defying the ban.
Buying Time for Britain

Im glad to see from Robert M. Citinos article (Sympathy for the Neville, January/February 2015) that Im not the only one who appreciates Neville Chamberlains appeasement at Munich in September 1938; that was the only action he could have taken.

When he spoke of peace for our time he was aware that RAF Fighter Command was composed mainly of biplanes like the Hawker Hart and Gloster Gladiator, slower than German bombers. The first Spitfire was only delivered to the RAF in June of that year, and just two Hurricane squadrons had been formed by September. German frontline strength was around 2,500 aircraft. The Chain Home radar system and integrated fighter control that would be vital in 1940 were not yet fully operational.

Had Britain declared war in 1938, the Battle of Britain would have been lost in less than a week and the Germans would have invaded and occupied Britain soon after. There would have been no D-Day because there would have been nowhere to launch it from. And I, an English kid, would have been speaking German. Tank you, Neville.

Nicholas ODell

Phoenixville, Pa.

Gathering Intel

Enjoyed your piece on Poltava (Blowout at Poltava, January/February 2015) but it needs some correction. A downed P-51 had nothing to do with Luftwaffe aware ness of what was going on.

In May, photo recce of Mirgorod and Poltava identified construction of run ways longer than the Soviets needed. On June 2, 1944, Fifteenth Air Force B-17s few to Poltava from Italy. On June 6, they few a mission to Romania, returning to Poltava. The Luftwaffe photographed them the next day. By the time Luftwaffe bombers mounted a mission, the B-17s had flown back to Italy. Two weeks later, when Eighth Air Force bombers bombed in Ruhland and kept heading east, Luftwaffe intel knew exactly where they were going. On June 21, Luftwaffe recon photographed planes on Poltava parked in the same locations as the June 7 imagery. Tis time they werent about to let the targets get away and a laid on a strike for that night.

Roy M. Stanley II

Fredericksburg, Va.

Author Richard R. Muller responds: Everything in the letter is correct except the assertion that the downed P-51 played no role in the Luftwaffes decision making. It was the combination of the reports from the contact planes, papers found in the downed P-51 (the war diary of the Luftwaffe Operations Staff for June 21, 1944, specifically mentions Beutepapierencaptured documents), and finally the recon photos that led to the quick scheduling of the nights raid. A 1945 interrogation of one of the German bomber commanders also referred to the downed P-51 and its valuable trove of maps and papers.

First and Foremost

In his article A Bridge In Time on the Ludendorf Bridge (January/February 2015), Gavin Mortimer states that Sergeant Drabik, while the first American across the Ludendorf Bridge, was not the first Allied soldier in Germany. Allied troops were on German soil west of the Rhine before the Battle of the Bulge. The city of Aachen surrendered to American forces in October 1944.

David Morse

Frankfort, Ky.

From the Deck of the Laffey

You have no idea how much I appreciate having received the World War II periodicals. David Sears did an excellent job of describing the ordeal to which our ship [the USS Laffey] was subjected (Battered Beyond Belief, January/February 2015). It was a never-to-be-forgotten day in the lives of all who served on board.

Aristides Ari Phoutrides

Portland, Ore.

[Ari Phoutrides, featured in our story, was the Laffeys bridge quartermaster during the April 16, 1945, attack.]

The Patton Rumors Past

As a World War II veteran of the 35th Division, I read with interest in the January/February review of Bill OReillys book Killing Patton. I saw the general once in early January 1945 when his jeep passed a truck convoy I was riding in. Our division was part of the Third Army driving the Germans out of Belgium and Luxembourg. In December 1945 I was back in the states and in the regular army. Even then, the rumor was that they had murdered Patton. In addition, I enjoyed the article on the crossing of the Rhine by the Ninth Army. The 35th Division relieved the 79th Division on D+1 across the Rhine. We crossed on a large pontoon bridge code named Love. The 30th Division was on our left on the Elbe River when the war was over. Good magazine,

James Graff

Middletown, Ill.

Gas UpOr Dont

In the story Blasted into the Shadows (January/February 2015), author Gene Santoro writes that the Higgins assault boats ran more smoothly on a high-octane blend of aviation fuel. I was a motor mechanic during my three years in the navy with the amphibious forces. I operated landing barges at Little Creek, Virginia, Fort Pierce, Florida, all the ports of southern England, Omaha Beach, France, on D-Day, on the Rhine River in Germany, and in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. I never heard of using aviation fuel in the Gray Marine diesel engines, the power plants for the LCVP.

Joseph Doyon

Tigard, Ore.

Correction

In January/February 2015s Picture Imperfect Portfolio, the caption on page 45 should refer to a Sturmgewehr, a hand held assault rifle, not a Sturmgeschutz, which belongs on armored vehicles.

Originally published in the June 2015 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here.
On Saturday, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, had released an unprecedented statement through the Kensington Palace, which showed his support for his brother, Prince William and girlfriend, Meghan Markle, slamming previous reports that claimed he was unhappy for them.

According to Independent, there has been reports earlier this month that claimed Prince William was "deeply unhappy" about Prince Harry's highly publicized relationship with the American actress. It can be recalled that the actress reportedly experienced media scrutiny which made the younger Prince release a plea condoning the action.

As Telegraph UK reported, Prince William had released a statement, announced by the Palace, which was another unprecedented moment, next to Prince Harry's announcement just weeks before. The statement said, "The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him."

It was a bold move for the Prince and the Kensington Palace as the Prince had never issued a statement before regarding his personal life except the time when he had to deny that he was in a relationship with Jena Craig before he began dating Kate Middleton.

Moreover, as reported by Vanity Fair, Prince William had reportedly given his blessing to his brother when the relationship was publicized. The source said that the Royal brothers had a heart-to-heart talk where they thoroughly decide whether it was right to make a public plea for the people, especially the paparazzi, to stop harassing the actress.

Markle had been reported to experience harassment from trolls and media when her relationship with the Prince was announced.The conversation with his brother had reportedly made Prince Harry's decision to release a public plea. Additionally, the elder Prince agreed to his brother's sentiment that the situation had gone too far, thus a need for the plea.

With the statements released by the Palace, the royal princes, Prince Willliam and Prince Harry as well as the other royal members are hoping that the media men are going to control their actions and leave Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan Markle, alone.

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There are UFOs that are probably using the energy of the sun, says a hunter who is known as Streetcap1 in YouTube.

This theory was put out after Streetcap1 saw an eccentric object with a line of "plasma" running from the Sun. These images were seen through NASA telescopic images of the solar surface.

One video was uploaded on YouTube, with the title: 'Is this a massive UFO feeding off sun energy?'

In a promotional blurb for the video, he wrote: "The fact that the UFO is a different color and shape to the rest of the connected line is what convinced me to upload this. I was not a great believer in this plasma sun energy theory, but this has got me thinking."

It has been suggested by a number of experts that life can live off just the sun's cosmic rays. Says pc-tablet: "Cosmic rays can penetrate deep into the earth and bacteria living deep in the bowels of Earth where there is water could be munching on cosmic rays to survive. Such a situation can occur in Mars also deep underground where there is the presence of water. Life could be possible on other planets also. One such place where there is water below the surface is Europa where there is a possibility of life."

The idea sounds bizarre but has promise. The Streetcap1 video was picked up the UFO blogger Scott C Waring. He wrote: "This UFO shot out of the sun yesterday but was seen by Streetcap1 of Youtube. The UFO may have been using the suns energy to fuel itself or to recharge in some way, but it's leaving at high speed. Notice that the UFO is a glowing white, but the sun's plasma is yellow. This tells us the craft is made from a different material than the sun's surface."

Another Nasa image, shot by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a spacecraft with a telescopic camera, sent out an image to the sun and beamed back high detail images. It showed shots of giant UFOs that were rotating around the sun.

The blogger said on his website ufosightingsdaily.com that some of the UFOs were almost as big as our earth. His blog was titled 'Hundreds of Giant UFOs Orbiting Our Sun, NASA/SOHO Images Confirm'.

He wrote: "While looking over some SOHO images I decided to enlarge some of the UFOs in the photo. I was not a great believer in this plasma sun energy theory, but this has got me thinking. Now please know, the UFOs in each photo are different because the sun is rotating, and there are a lot of moon size and earth size UFOs around our sun.

"Back about 10 years ago, two Russian scientists announced that they have found hundreds of UFOs orbiting Earth's sun at any given moment in time. And that these UFOs can increase and decrease speeds for no reason, and that they can make sudden right turns at speeds that should be impossible, especially for a moon size UFO.

"Now, are these unmanned giant drones sent to get energy for planets far away? I would say yes, but they don't have to be unmanned if their technology can protect them from the incredible heat."

The theory is shared by a number of UFOlogists. However, the sceptics too have a lot to say. As the telescope is so huge, they are just "out-of-focus anomalies appearing to give such shapes in the final image," said one critic.

The critics also say that the objects around the sun are merely "coronal mass ejections from the sun." These are strange and unusual releases of plasma and magnetic fields from the solar corona and tend to follow solar flares.

YouTube/Streetcap1

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While the reunion rumors of Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder in 'The Vampire Diaries' final season do the rounds, it might be that the sexy actress has found a new man in her life.

Dobrev is said to be secretly dating Mark Kassen, reports The Bitbag. The American actor, producer, and director seems to have a romantic connection with Dobrev as they have spent a lot of good time together in the past months. He can be seen in almost all her Thanksgiving holiday photos that she has shared on Instagram and the two look very happy together. The closeness is difficult to miss and they make for a pretty picture together.

Both of them celebrated the past weekend with their friends in Cabo San Lucas in the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. Dobrev definitely had a great time as the snaps and posts speak a lot about her adventure and daredevilry. In one clip, she is seen coming out from the sea water on water-jet fly boards. She has captioned her mini adventure with the words 'found my sea legs,' reports International Business Times.

Well, it seems the Bulgarian-Canadian actress is least bothered about rumors surrounding herself and her ex Ian Somerhalder. She had an awesome trip and with the much-awaited 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' all set to release in some time, her career is also going great guns. As for Somerhalder, it is said that wife Nikki Reed is insecure about their reunion.

She does not want Dobrev to reunite with her husband in the last season of 'The Vampire Diaries.' It is also rumored that Reed is pregnant and the baby is an attempt to save her marriage. Though Somerhalder has not said anything about Dobrev's return, fans of Elena and Damon earnestly wish for their comeback on screen.

Till now the show has covered five episodes and hints do seem to be coming out about Dobrev making a comeback. However, it might not be with Somerhalder. Showrunner Julie Plec has said that the similarity between deaths of Georgie and Katherine are not accidental and therefore, fans are of the belief that Dobrev would return as Katherine.

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While a number of world leaders declared that they will not be joining the funeral of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, some of the closest allies of the late dictator confirmed their attendance for his burial rites on Dec. 4.

Considering the impending opinions and criticisms associated with the communist strongman, government officials are carefully assessing whether to attend or to send an official representative during the ceremony.

Moscow will be sending Parliament's Lower House Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin in behalf of President Vladimir Putin. Russia's move may indicate that Cuba is no longer being heralded as its high priority as the nation directs its attention to Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

After drawing flak for declaring Castro as a remarkable leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will instead be replaced by Queen of Canada representative Governor-General David Johnston during the ceremonies.

French President Francois Hollande, who has called for the nixing of US trade embargo against Cuba, will be sending Ecology Minister Segolene Royal to represent him.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will not be going to Cuba, but Deputy Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan will be attending in their behalf. In addition, shadow Foreign Secretary will stand in for Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn.

In the U.S., it is still uncertain as to who will be joining the rites considering that American leaders have been cautious about their approach.

Republicans have warned Democrats including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, State Secretary John Kerry and Hillary Clinton from attending. Both former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Ted Cruz have called Castro a tyrant that doesn't need to be glorified.

Former King Juan Carlos will be leading a Spanish delegation that will be paying their last respects in Havana.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will head an Indian group that comprises of politicians with different affiliations.

On the other hand, some of Latin America's left-leaning leaders like Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Evo Morales of Bolivia, Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela will be in Cuba to join the ceremonies.

Joining them are Mexico's President Enrique Nieto and South Africa's leader Jacob Zuma.

Argentina's conservative head of state Mauricio Macri will be sending Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra in his stead.

It is still unclear if North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un will be attending although he has earlier declared three days of mourning for the Cuban leader.

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There is a new and interesting statement issued by Prince William, the future King of England. He has issued a statement asking the media to lay off his brother's love life.

It said: "The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him."

Rumors were afloat that Prince William didn't like his brother Prince Harry's earlier statement, asking the media and public to "stop harassing" his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle.

But now, the statement issued by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge from Kensington Palace, contradicts what is thought. He said he "absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him."

Till now, the 34-year-old Prince has not issued public statements about his love life. It was only once, before he began to date the Duchess of Cambridge, that his staff put out a statement denying that he was going around with his friend Jecca Craig.

Before coming out to the Press with it, the brothers had discussed whether they should or shouldn't issue the declaration. "They don't issue statements like that without talking to each other, and they talked about the Meghan Markle statement extensively in advance of it being put out," a royal source explained. "No one wanted to have to put that statement out, including Prince Harry, and there was concern about confirming the relationship," the source says. "But over the course of one weekend things escalated to the extent that Prince Harry felt he had to act."

*-

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Samsung was radically pulled down in the tech market with the falling sales of Galaxy Note 7. The company is trying hard to secure its position back by introducing amazing flagships next year. One amongst them is Samsung Galaxy S8, which will unbox with amazing features like never before.

Interestingly the Galaxy S8 is expected to launch with advanced front facing camera. Samsung is planning to incorporate automatic focus (AF) function in its upcoming flagship - Galaxy S8, a South Korean publication ET News reported.

Samsung is trying to bring innovation in cameras of smartphones by instilling this new function, which can ensure quality photographs. Samsung is said to add an encoder-type AP actuator on the front snapper's module, which will control the location of lenses and adjusting the focus of lenses when the front-facing shooter is used. AF actuators locate subjects for good selfie photos.

"People are starting to take more selfies and number of demands for cameras that take selfies with higher qualities is increasing," an industry representative was quoted as saying. "It is heard that Samsung Electronics has decided to install front actuators for Galaxy S8 in order to differentiate its flagship Smartphone."

According to Express UK, Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to arrive in two models; one with a 5.1-inch dual-curved display, the other with 5.5 inches - the same screen sizes as the Galaxy S7s.

It is reported that the display of the new expected flagship will be included with a pressure sensitive feature with 3D touch functionality. This 3D functionality was first seen in the ruling tech giant's smartphone iPhone 6, in which the device will be able to sense varying levels of pressure applied on the screen. The other feature with the 3D touch includes quick previews in a number of apps and number of hidden functions.

Samsung is reported to have hired a team of developers who created the Apple's iconic digital assistant Siri. Vivi Labs, a start-up company created by developers of Siri are likely to bring the new voice assistant from Samsung called as Vivi. The new development is expected to be a feature in Samsung Galaxy S8.

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Up to 16,000 people were displaced in Syria's Aleppo by intense attacks on the rebel-held eastern part of the city, UN humanitarian chief and relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said on Tuesday.

The area had no functioning hospitals, food stocks were nearly exhausted and it was likely that thousands of more people would flee from their homes if the fighting keeps on going in the coming days.

"The situation is very bad. There's intense fear of collective annihilation," said Abu al-Abbas, a medic who lives in the area.

"This week I've changed locations three times," he added, speaking on Monday using a social networking site.

"In the shelter, we had dead people that we couldn't take out because the bombardment was so intense."

Aleppo hosted the most pressing battle in Syria's war, pitting President Bashar Al-Assad. The Syrian government was backed by countries such as Russia, Iran, etc against mostly Sunni groups including some supported by the US, and Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered mobile field hospitals be sent to Aleppo to provide medical assistance to residents. In addition, Russia has been the Syrian regime's closest and most powerful ally. Its support has been widely blamed by the destruction of hospitals and schools across the country.

The fighting escalated after the army began a new offensive last week, bringing more eastern Aleppo districts close to the front line as rescue and ambulance workers said their vehicles and equipment are running out of fuel.

According to Syrian national newspaper SANA, eight people were killed on Wednesday and seven others were injured in rocket shells fired by the terrorist organizations on a number of residential neighborhoods in Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said warplanes pounded eastern Aleppo districts overnight, killing at least 18 people, including 12 in al-Shaar district near the new front line.

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NASA's satellite images and observations from space helped archaeologists around the planet to make some stunning discoveries. Recently, NASA helped discover remains of mysterious ancient lost city hidden beneath a dense forest.

The ancient city is believed to have been inhabited by ancient native Americans. The "remote-sensing equipment" was used by scientists as they were able to zoom onto ancient site located in Oklahoma. What they found is a 10,500-year-old settlement hidden deep inside a dense forest.

Experts believed that this ancient city was inhabited by hunter-gatherers who lived in the area. The ruins of the ancient city were found in the vicinity of the Beaver River in western Oklahoma through NASA's LIDAR technology.

Dubbed as Teledyne Optech Lidar, the device recreated a 3-D model of the surface including glass, bushes and trees. It also has the ability to create a "bare-earth" version.

Consequently, this allows scientists to "see structures or features that were so overgrown that they wouldn't be obvious at all to someone on the ground," says Paul LaRoque, vice president of special projects at Teledyne Optech.

This groundbreaking laser-based remote sensing equipment has allowed experts to peer through thick layers of forest offering a clear view of the fossils and bones hidden below the surface.

Archaeologist Lee Bement said that NASA's sophisticated tools have "been useful in delineating where we need to concentrate our efforts."

"It saved us a lot of time and effort."

"You'll never find bison bones with airborne LIDAR, but you can find the geological features that suggest a place to look," said Meg Watters, a remote sensing expert.

Interestingly, the LIDAR Technology has helped make many stunning discoveries.

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News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
As a former university professor, I figured out a while ago that a common classroom question my colleagues and I had been asking for years is pretty much worthless. Go ahead - guess what the question is.

Sorry, your time is up. The most worthless question we ask in the classroom is, "Are there any questions?" It's worthless because it almost never gets a response, maybe because the students are embarrassed to ask (or think asking will lengthen the class). Even worse, when I would get no response, I assumed that meant there actually were no questions - that everything I had said had been understood. Later when I got exam results, it was clear this assumption was incorrect. I had been given the wrong impression.

Similarly, for your business, there are common questions you probably ask when interacting with your customers that can result in bad information. Perhaps you ask, "Do you have any questions?" or, "How was everything?" or, "How was our service (layout, Internet site, etc.)?" Even though these questions will generate responses, the responses may not be honest and can leave you with a wrong impression that can hurt your business.

What's Going On Here?

Why don't customers respond truthfully to these questions? There are three reasons:

1) The questions are too common. Your customers hear these questions so often during the day or week that they assume those who ask them don't really want an honest response. It's like when you pass acquaintances in the hallway at work, and they ask, "How are you?" You know they really don't want to hear about your cold or the fact you had a bad night's sleep. They are just being polite. So you provide what I call an automatic response of, "Fine," even if you are not. Similarly, your customers have a whole set of automatic responses that are triggered by common questions:

"How was our service?" - Fine

"How was your visit (room, meal)?" - Fine

"Did you find everything you needed?" - Yes

"Do you need any help?" - No, just looking around.

2) The questions are too broadly stated. Broadly stated questions don't stimulate thinking. Again, this leads to automatic responses. For example, when paying my bill at a restaurant counter, I'm almost always asked, "How was everything?" Really? This person wants to know how everything was? I mean, I've got the time, but someone better tell the people in the line behind me to go sit down, because this could take a while. (Please excuse my cynicism.)

Broadly stated questions give the impression that you are not looking for a meaningful response. So, again, your customers will give you an automatic response like, "Fine," even if something is bothering them. It's just easier to give the automatic response and move on than to give much thought to a question that is so broadly stated.

3) Customers don't expect anything of value to result from an honest appraisal. Given such an expectation, why should the customer waste his/her time giving an honest response?

Once as I was checking out at a local restaurant, the young lady behind the counter asked me the familiar, "How was everything?" The meal had been a total disaster. So I said, "Well since you asked, the burger was way overdone, the fries were cold, and the service was so slow, I didn't even have time to finish my meal." She looked up at me and started to cry (I'm not kidding) and asked, "What do you want me to do about it?" Clearly, she had been trained to ask the question but had not been trained on how to handle a resulting complaint. Since I hate to see people cry, I now routinely answer, "Fine," to this question and just don't go back if I didn't like my experience.

Note, again, that not only are such questions likely to be ineffective for gathering useful information (except, perhaps, when the customer has had an extremely bad experience), they can actually leave you with the incorrect impression that there are no problems, and this can be disastrous for your business.

Make It Worthwhile

So, what should you do - stop asking questions? No. You need to ask different questions:

1) Rephrase your questions to be different from the norm. For example, instead of asking, "Do you have any questions?" ask, "Is there anything I can further clarify?" Instead of asking, "How was everything?" at the end of a customer interaction (such as at a restaurant), ask, "Is there anything we could have done today to make your visit better?" Questions that are phrased to be different from the norm get the customer's attention and, thus, are less likely to trigger automatic responses.

2) Make the questions specific. Questions that are specific help communicate that you are truly interested in hearing a response, even if it is not positive and, therefore, are likely to generate more thoughtful and honest feedback. For example, instead of asking, "How was our service?" ask, "What three things could we have done better in our service today?" Or ask about a specific aspect of the service interaction.

3) Train your team to respond correctly. If you want an honest response, your team needs to respond appropriately when the feedback is less than positive. Customers want to know that their information will truly have an effect.

Change your questioning style, and you can feel more secure that the responses you are getting from your customers are of real value to your business. Now...is there anything I can further clarify?

 2014, Dr. Dennis Rosen. All rights reserved. Reprints welcomed so long as article and by-line are kept intact and all links made live.
During the Cold War, there was a story (true or not) about a defector from Russia who was accustomed there to standing in line in the cold for hours to buy a loaf of bread. When he went to his first US supermarket, he collapsed at the overwhelming abundance and choices to be made.

My uncle from Europe would often lament when he visited the US that there just are too many choices at restaurants. Not only does he have pages of options to consider, but then he has to decide which dressing he wants on his salad, which preparation of potato he would like, what side dishes he wants and whether he wants his meat selection grilled, sauteed, roasted, etc.

While there isn't anything wrong with having choices, when does it become too much?

Alvin Toffler introduced us to this concept in 1970 with his novel FUTURESHOCK. He noted that as "choice turns to 'over-choice', freedom of more choices ironically becomes the oppositethe 'unfreedom' ".

Research proves that when we're faced with an abundance of choices, it's much more difficult to make a decision. Scientists have set out to prove the theory behind an idea called "choice overload." According to author Barry Schwartz, the "choice overload" hypothesis posits that too many options results in one of two outcomes:

Either we fail to make any choice at all because we get overwhelmed or

We end up unhappy with our decision because we suspect we could have made a better one

In the hospitality sector, we offer a lot of choices with each product or service but sometimes I wonder,

is too much choice actually hurting our sales?

Not to disparage pricing variation or differentiating room types. The science of revenue management has clearly increased our sales results in a very positive way and we all agree that guests select specific room types based on perceived value. But, while we've been able to manage inventories and maximize revenues in ways we couldn't even imagine a generation ago, I wonder whether our distribution to an ever increasing number of channels combined with their approach of controlling pricing and availability hasn't actually created an environment that confuses our customers and ultimately hurts hotel sales.

In "The Art of Choosing", by Sheena Iyengar, the author describes an experiment she did as a PhD candidate at Stanford in an upscale grocery store. "We put out either six different flavors of jam or 24 flavors and we looked at two very simple things. The first was whether shoppers would stop, look and sample the jam; second was how likely people were to buy a jar of jam."

The results of this experiment made me think immediately of the hotel distribution environment. When there were 24 flavors of jam presented 60% of the people stopped and tasted the samples; only 40% did so when there were six. But when it came to buying only 3% bought a jar of jam when 24 options were presented as opposed to 30% when choosing between six.

I correlate this in the hotel environment to the look-to-book problems we have and wonder whether this increase in choices that we offer our clients is the reason the ratios have skyrocketed in a way that makes us cringe. Are we ourselves creating the shopping monster? After all, more shopping means more likelihood of bringing some systems to their knees.

We're talking about the difference between 1.8% vs. 12% conversion. This is not insignificant!

I'm certainly not advocating going back to the old way of pricing or offering several room typesbut I do think there is a lot of value in heeding the advice of an old phrase, commonly quoted in my younger years.

K I S S

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

While this terminology may not longer be politically correct, perhaps we should simplifying our rate structures Would that help or hurt?

About Hospitality eResources

With more than 30 years of specialization in growing hospitality and travel businesses, Hospitality eResources (HeR Consulting), offers a comprehensive array of services and solutions as well as focused industry expertise to help hotels, resorts, lodging chains, hospitality and travel companies increase performance, profit, and return on investment. The company is led by a core group of experienced professionals who have proven to be effective at bridging the gaps between Management, Operations, Technology and Marketing. HeR also has deep DNA in motivating teams and improve company-wide performance. For each project, HeR assembles the ideal team with qualified backgrounds best suited to achieve the project"s goals on time and on budget.

The company"s blog, HeR Perspective is a valuable resource to help industry professionals keep up with trends and enhanced their skills in the areas of marketing, social media, technology, distribution and client relationship management. For more information, visit www.her-consulting.com

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"Second place is the first loser." -Dale Earnhardt, American Racing Legend (1951-2001)

This is a bold prediction I am about to make, and so I've channeled one of the boldest (and wealthiest) sportstars of our time. We all admire Google. While much is made of their self-driving car, Google Glass and other audacious new devices or applications, Google is also hard at work refining its core business  internet search. And this refinement has but one primary goal. However much the company espouses its noble goal of helping people find just about anything on the web, it is accountable to its shareholders and they want to see revenues which in Google's case means Adwords.

Ever get unsolicited email guaranteeing your website to rank first or on the first page in a Google search? I am sure that we all have seen these and that we know the value of having our brand's site appear 'above the fold' (that is, what's visible without scrolling down) for the critical search terms our guests are utilizing. Somehow, through a magic genie or other programming wizardry, these companies claim that you will appear at the top. I am sceptical.

Never fear. Google is brilliant. They are well aware of these charlatan offers along with the other innumerable approaches taken by website owners to improve their SEO. As little as 24 months ago, Google's search engine format supported two columns of information  the right-hand side was what they called sponsored links, leaving the left-hand side for organic search results. About 16-18 months ago, Google abbreviated the naming of their sponsored links to 'Ads', and inserting them to the uppermost positions on the previously organic (left) side of the page.

Roughly six months ago, Google eliminated its right-hand side entries. Ads now form the first positions of the 'only' column of results, that being on the left with other Google services occupying the right. A quick look on almost any monitor will reveal that pretty much the entire first half of page results on any Google search is taken up by advertisement positions. That's not surprising, given that Google makes no money from organic, unpaid search, and accordingly has little interest from a stockholder's perspective in prioritizing these free listings over paid participants.

In many ways, organic SEO has been given its two weeks notice.

Search for your property with your own brand name and you'll quickly see that the first positions are taken up by OTAs with a variety of other paid ad spots targeting your customers. Your site? Even though technically it should be first, it's likely way down the page, following Expedia, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor and many other heavy bidding Google Adwords contributors. As a result, even when a potential guest is searching for you, they might not be able to find your site. A sad state of affairs indeed!

While we are still talking about only the first page of Google results, the title of this article implies something a tad more existential. When it comes to travel research and using Google for hotel reservations, does any customer even bother navigating to the second page of a search query? Why would they? If a property's vanity site can't be found on the first page and near the top, Google's algorithm is insinuating that this hotel probably isn't what this particular guest is looking for. Moreover, if the branded website can't be found on the first page, then a user can click through to an OTA listing page to quickly get what they want.

First page, second or even third, corrective action is essential in all cases. Even if you have a limited budget for Adwords, your immediate responsibility is to ensure that your site ranks at the top every single time that someone enters your property's name into Google. Even if that means sinking tens of thousands of dollars per month into Google, you have no choice but to fork over the funds to your marketing team to accomplish this objective because it's your title at stake. The OTAs and review sites may have the resources to outbid you on regional or citywide keyword searches, but you must not allow them to dominate your own brand name.

I started this article with a short quote by my favorite race car driver. Listen to him, as this is a fear I now have. When it comes to user search behavior, until someone is conducting research for a college thesis paper, there is no second page. People want the quickest result possible  no scrolling, no additional load times. Discuss this issue with your website team, your SEO expert, your revenue manager and your Adwords controller  get them all together as a unified effort is necessary to ensure that your website is safe and secure above the fold.

Larry Mogelonsky

Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited
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Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur Hotel Opens in Indonesia

The 278-room hotel, which previously operated as the Aston Primera Pasteur Bandung, joins the IHG family of hotels in Indonesia following the signing of a management agreement with PT Wisma Resortama Propertinda earlier this year.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur in the capital city of Indonesia's West Java province.

The 278-room hotel, which previously operated as the Aston Primera Pasteur Bandung, joins the IHG family of hotels in Indonesia following the signing of a management agreement with PT Wisma Resortama Propertinda earlier this year.

Situated a short 10-minute drive from Husein Sastranegara International Airport and 15 minutes from the central railway station, Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur is ideal for travellers seeking convenient access to the city. Guests arriving from Jakarta will also appreciate the hotel's close proximity to the Cipularang-Purbaleunyi toll gate on Jalan Pasteur.

Leanne Harwood, Vice President, Operations, IHG, South East Asia and Korea said: "In recent years, Bandung has emerged as one of Indonesia's most popular tourist destinations. With a number of government-led initiatives to boost the city's tourism industry and the recent expansion of its airport, visitor arrival numbers have almost doubled year on year and this is encouraging news for the industry all around. It's a great time to be expanding our footprint in Bandung and we are delighted to be working with PT. Wisma Resortama Propertinda to welcome guests into Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur."

A short distance from renowned shopping malls including Paris van Java and Istana Plaza, the hotel serves as a convenient base for travellers looking to indulge in retail therapy during their holiday. Guests can take a leisurely stroll to the nearby factory outlets to hunt for a good bargain, and sample the variety of local and international cuisines available at restaurants and local eateries in the vibrant Pastuer area as they take a break.

Event planners will appreciate the variety of modern and versatile meeting facilities offered at Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur, including the Modern Grand Ballroom, designed to host up to 1,000 attendees, 12 multipurpose mid-sized meeting rooms which can cater for 100 attendees each, as well as an executive board room for intimate business meetings.

Whether they're visiting on leisure or business, after a fruitful day of sight-seeing or a productive day of business meetings, guests can unwind by taking a dip in the hotel's scenic outdoor pool or modern indoor heated pool, or re-energise with an invigorating workout at the well-equipped fitness centre. Those who prefer a soothing experience can choose from a selection of relaxing spa treatments at the hotel's Orchidea Spa, which comes with private or couple treatment rooms.

The hotel also offers a variety of dining experiences, including the all-day dining Ambassador Coffee Shop that serves delicious cuisine in a contemporary setting. Guests can also sip a refreshing beverage at the Magenta Coffee and Wine lounge, which features live music in a relaxing ambience.

For those travelling with children, the Holiday Inn signature 'Kids Eat & Stay Free' programme provides young travellers with all-inclusive meals during their stay, including dishes from the new and improved nutritious Kids Menu developed in partnership with Nutrition Australia.

Commenting on the opening, Anil Pathak, Regional General Manager, IHG, Indonesia said: "Our guest rooms, suites and facilities are well appointed to ensure our guests enjoy a delightful and comfortable stay whilst visiting Bandung. As one of the largest cities in Indonesia, we're seeing an increase in both domestic and international travellers to Bandung, and we are confident the Holiday Inn brand which is widely recognised and loved by people all around the world will be a draw to them as they visit the city. We look forward to welcoming our first guests through our doors here at Holiday Inn Bandung Pasteur."
21 shut the club down this past Saturday (Nov. 26), and not in a good way. His lethargic energy angered the crowd at a club in Tempe, AZ, causing bottles, chairs, and other hazardous objects to be thrown at the stage. There were reports that 21 and his bodyguard got knocked out during the chaos, though the Slaughter King has vehemently denied those rumors.

The Savage Mode rapper had been the opener at a YG concert at the Marquee Theatre earlier that night, and his scheduled appearance at the School of Rock club was a hosting job and not a performance. Still, those in the club thought he wasnt doing a worthy job of hosting the party. In two videos that can be found below, 21 can be seen bobbing along to his hit single, X, with very little enthusiasm. He stands silently and doesnt seem to be concerned with interacting with the crowd.

These next two videos provide a glimpse at what the scene looked like when the crowd became disorderly and objects began flying. A man can be seen lying down on the stage, though its unknown if hes affiliated with 21.

There have been reports of 21 sustaining an injury amid the turmoil, though there has been no concrete visual evidence to confirm such claims. According to MediaTakeOut, both he and his security guard were knocked out by glass bottles thrown from nearby the stage. The gossip site reports that both men were rushed backstage immediately.

However, 21 is having none of the rumors that he was taken out by the local goons. Cmon man, if you believe that shit, you a fuckin idiot, he said on Snapchat, in a clip thats been shared by DJ Akademiks. He continued, We do all the knockin outs around this motherfucker. Nobody over here gettin knocked out. Never in life.
Chance The Rapper is a hero in his city of Chicago, as well as a great writer, so it only makes sense for the Coloring Book emcee to pen the foreword to Kevin Covals book A Peoples History Of Chicago. As Reddits HHH points out, the book has popped up as a preorder on Haymarket. Chancellor Bennett, who most know more commonly as Chance is listed as the author of the foreword, though theres no further reference to him in the description.



Find an excerpt from the summary below.

Chicago is the city of Gwendolyn Brooks and Chief Keef, Al Capone and Richard Wright, Lucy Parsons and Nelson Algren, Harold Washington and Studs Terkel. It is the city of Fred Hampton, House Music, and the Haymarket Martyrs. Writing in the tradition of Howard Zinn, Kevin Covals A Peoples History of Chicago celebrates the history of this great American city from the perspective of those on the margins, whose stories often go untold. These seventy-seven poems (for the citys seventy-seven neighborhoods) honor the everyday lives and enduring resistance of the citys workers, poor people, and people of color, whose cultural and political revolutions continue to shape the social landscape.

Kevin Coval has been named Best Chicago Poet by the Chicago Reader, as well as being the author of seven books. He teaches a class on hip-hop aesthetics at the university of Illinois, which explains his choice to recruit Chance for the project.



The book is set to be released April 11th 2017. It is available for preorder here.

Tha last we heard, Chance was working on his first studio album after releasing 3 critically acclaimed mixtapes.

Chance The Rapper
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive with recent speculation that the First Lady Michelle Obama was planning to run for the presidency in the future. But outgoing US President Barack Obama has now debunked the notion of his wife making history by becoming the first woman elected to the White House

Michelle will never run for office. She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics, President Obama has revealed in one of his last in-depth interviews before stepping down.

He said that one of his most treasured memories of his two-term presidency was the day Usama bin Laden was finally hunted down and killed.

There have been well-known moments like me walking across the colonnade and hearing the chants of 'USA' after we had gotten bin Laden, or being up on the Truman Balcony with my young staff after we got the Affordable Care Act passed, he revealed.

Reflecting on other standout moments in the White House, he said: There have been times just sitting in the Treaty Room reading letters from people who have a story to tell, a veteran who's not getting services they need [and] a young DREAM Act kid who describes how he's now gotten a degree and has gone back and is teaching in the school where he went, that move you deeply.

In the interview conducted with Rolling Stones magazine, President Obama  who candidly describes himself as now being very much in lame-duck status when it comes to policy making decisions, as he counts down his final days in the White House  also said he believes its inevitable that marijuana will eventually be legalized in every US State.

It is untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something that's legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another," he stated.

"So, this is a debate that is now ripe, much in the same way that we ended up making progress on same-sex marriage. There's something to this whole states-being-laboratories-of-democracy and an evolutionary approach. You now have about a fifth of the country where this is legal."

Asked if he had any advise for his successor Donald Trump, President Obama said: The President needs to recognize that this is not about you. This is not about your power, your position or the perks, the Marine band.

"This is about this precious thing that weve inherited and that we want to pass on. And for me at least, that means you surround yourself with really good people, that you spend time learning and understanding what these issues are because they really actually have an impact on people.

They're not games that we're playing. And that to the best of your ability, you're making the decisions that you think are right for the American people  even when they're not popular, even when they're not expedient.

"And the satisfaction you get from that is that when you leave this place, you can feel like you've been true to this immense privilege and responsibility thats been given to you."
This horror/sci-fi coming-of-age black comedy gets its own special screening before hitting the big screens across Ireland.

On December 5, thriller film lovers can get a sneak peak at the film I Am Not a Serial Killer. In addition to a preview four days before everyone else in Ireland can watch the film, attendees are able to join Director Billy O'Brien (Isolation) and lead actor Max Records (Where The Wild Things Are) for a question and answer session after the screening.

You may recognise Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) and Max Records who star in this 2016 Irish-British film. Or, you may also recall the Dan Wells book trilogy that the film is adapted from. Following the main character John Wayne Cleaver, the 2009 thriller novel revolves around a serial killer obsessed 16-year-old boy. In the film adaptation, Max Records plays Cleaver as he tries to uncover who has been slaughtering residents in his small mid-west town.

The film originally premiered at SXSW film festival back in March, where it received its first batch of review. The Hollywood Reporter commented, "The special effects are consistently satisfying for a low-budget feature, reaching a surprising level of accomplishment in the final scenes."

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I Am Not A Serial Killer screens in Irish cinemas on Friday, December 9.

Tickets and more information for the screening can be found here: http://bit.ly/2fKSox3
The Fab Vinny Hanley favourites are over next July.

ZZ Top return to Dublin on July 28, 2017 when they bring their Tonnage Tour to the 3Arena.

Tickets go on sale on Monday December 5, price to be confirmed.

The name of the trek derives from the Texans' Jeff Beck-assisted cover of seminal Tennessee Ernie Ford number, 'Sixteen Tons'.

Its gonna be a good time, guitarist Billy Gibbons enthuses. Weve been at this long enough that were starting to get good. Come and see us; its gonna be loud and live.

With Fab Vinny Hanley and MT-USA acting as cheerleaders, the hirsute rockers became household names here in the 80s courtesy of their Eliminator album, and its trio of hits  Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin and Legs.

Theyll also be dipping into their bluesier 70s output with Tush and La Grange both promised.
The Canadian government on Tuesday approved a $5.4 billion Kinder Morgan pipeline that would ship heavy crude from oil sands in Alberta to Vancouver-area ports in British Columbia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed off on the Houston company's 715-mile Trans Mountain pipeline, which represents nearly 40 percent of Kinder Morgan's $14 billion project backlog.

"If I thought this project was unsafe for the BC coast - I would reject it. Period," Trudeau said in a prepared statement. "This decision was based on debate, science and evidence."

The project, which has been pending for more than three years, is opposed by environmentalists, indigenous tribes and many landowners. The controversy, to some extent, became Canada's version of the Keystone XL pipeline expansion that was ultimately rejected last year by President Barack Obama.

The Trans Mountain expansion would almost triple its existing capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The pipeline project extends near Vancouver ports, where the oil can be shipped to Asian markets that typically pay steeper prices. The expansion would lay another pipeline next to the company's existing one, which began operations in 1953.

"This is a defining moment for our project and Canada's energy industry," Ian Anderson, president of Kinder Morgan Canada, said in a statement. "This decision follows many years of engagement and the presentation of the very best scientific, technical and economic information."

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson reiterated his continued opposition on Tuesday, arguing the project "could bring seven times the number of oil tankers to our waters."

Kinder Morgan originally hoped to have the pipeline in operation next year, but the strong opposition and lengthy review pushed the start date back to the end of 2019. Construction is expected to begin in September.

Tuesday's ruling allows Kinder Morgan to move ahead with its biggest project, said Brandon Blossman, energy analyst for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. in Houston. Since Kinder Morgan has already signed contracts with oil producers that will use the pipeline, the company should make money despite the project's high costs and low oil prices.

"This is a project that's essentially fully contracted," Blossman said. "It's not speculative at all."

Blossman, however, said Kinder Morgan would likely need to take on a partner to finance the project, since it can't afford to both fund Trans Mountain and increase its dividend payments to investors. Kinder Morgan in December cut its dividend by nearly 75 percent to pay down debt.

In October, however, Kinder Morgan's co-founder and executive chairman, Richard Kinder, said the company's tentative plan was to "substantially" increase the dividend again, but he did not provide a timetable.

The Trudeau government, meanwhile, rejected the competing Northern Gateway pipeline project proposed by Calgary-based Enbridge. Enbridge, however, won approval of its Line 3 project, which would transport oil from Alberta to Wisconsin, where it would connect to a pipeline network that extends to Freeport, Texas.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to withdraw a rule that would require seven Texas coal-fired power plants to reduce pollution coming from their stacks, providing at least a short-term reprieve for power companies fearful that the costs of ever stricter regulations would doom their plants.

The rule would mandate that the Texas plants, as well as eight others in Oklahoma, update scrubbers and other air pollution control devices to preserve air quality near national parks and wilderness areas, including Big Bend National Park, on the Texas border with Mexico, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park on the New Mexico border. Several plant operators, including Houston's NRG Energy, went to court to block the rule, arguing that the costly upgrades could force some plants to shut down and create shortages of electricity in Texas.

The rule was under review by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which over the past few months issued rulings favorable to the power producers, including one that prevented the EPA from enforcing the regulations. In a court filing Monday, the EPA said it plans to soon file a motion to withdraw the rule.

Environmental advocates said they expect EPA to rework and resubmit the rule, but its future is uncertain as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

More Information Uncertain future The U.S. Environmental said it plans to withdraw an air pollution rule that would require 7 power plants in Texas to Cut 200,000 tons per year of sulfur dioxide to Improve air quality in 2 national parks in Texas and 1 wildlife refuge in Oklahoma See More Collapse

Trump has pledged to support the coal industry and undo regulations adopted under President Barack Obama that threaten it. The EPA did not respond to requests for comment; power companies also declined to comment.

Environmental advocates said the EPA's move represents a setback to efforts to reduce air pollution in Texas. For years, Texas and the EPA have battled over whether the state or federal government should set clean air standards here. Texas developed its own plan to manage air quality, but the EPA in 2014 said it did not go far enough in reducing pollution and imposed a regional power plant rule.

The EPA's pollution plan would have cut 200,000 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere in Texas, according to the Sierra Club, a national environmental advocacy group.

The Sierra Club, which supported the tougher power plant rule, said that despite the uncertainty of the incoming Trump administration, it would continue to press the EPA to adopt tougher air pollution regulations for Texas and Oklahoma.

"We are certainly disappointed," said Chrissy Mann, a senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal initiative in Texas. "We expect to continue to push the EPA to follow the science and the law. It's just not going to be as rapid as it would have been."

Trump has called for cutting regulations that he says hurt economic growth, and during his campaign was particularly critical of stricter environmental rules adopted by the Obama administration. Potential candidates to lead the EPA include Myron Ebell, a leading skeptic of climate change, and Kathleen Hartnett White, a former chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, who said in an interview Tuesday that EPA should be more cognizant of the economic impact of its environmental regulations.

Trump, she said, "wants the EPA to run more carefully, to use stronger science and be unabashedly conscientious to the effect of more and more rules on existing employment and job creation."

But analysts say that stricter pollution rules have merely hastened, not triggered, the demise of coal, which is increasingly unable to compete with cleaner and cheaper natural gas and wind energy. Even an EPA transformed by the Trump administration could do little to change this shift, said Andrew Bischof, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, a Chicago investment research firm.

"When you look at the transition from coal to natural gas, it's more of an economic decision now," Bischof said. "So while the decision could be a near-time positive for coal, I think you have also to look at the economics of coal."

The EPA's regional pollution regulations, called haze rules, date to 2007. The Clean Air Act requires states to craft plans that protect national parks and federal wildlife preserves from air pollution, or be forced to implement rules developed by the EPA. The EPA determined that Texas's goals for reducing pollution weren't sufficient, according to federal appeals court filings, so the federal agency substituted some of its own regulations, which targeted sulfur dioxide emissions from seven power plants across Texas.

This summer, amid concerns from Texas power companies that the regulations would put them out of business, a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge granted the industry's request to stay the rule until the court had a chance to review it. In an opinion submitted on July 15, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod cited concerns from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees 90 percent of the state's power grid, that the rule could cut up to 8,400 megawatts of Texas's electricity - enough to power nearly 1.7 million homes.

Elrod also mentioned concerns that the rule would cause "irreparable damage" to companies by forcing expensive upgrades and driving up electricity prices for customers.

The rule would apply to Texas power plants that the EPA claims affect air quality in Big Bend National Park and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the only two national parks in Texas.

Luminant, a Dallas power company, owns four of the plants, Big Brown, Monticello, Martin Lake, all located east of Dallas, and Sandow, which is east of Austin. The other power plants are Coleto Creek, southeast of San Antonio and soon to be owned by the Houston-based energy company Dynegy, and Limestone, which is between Dallas and Houston and owned by NRG Energy. One West Texas power plant on the list, Tolk, is located south of Amarillo near the New Mexico border and is owned by Xcel Energy.
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If you've managed people for a substantial length of time, you have likely encountered an employee who suffers from addiction.

About one in seven Americans will become addicted to a drug in their lifetimes, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who released a ground-breaking study on addiction earlier this month. And for many, the first sign of the disease will come in the workplace, when performance begins to decline.

Alcoholism is the most common addiction, but some eras have a defining substance, such as cocaine in the 1980s or crack in the 1990s.

Today, 2.1 million Americans are struggling with opioids, which range from heroin to prescription pharmaceuticals such as morphine to a home-made version of an elephant tranquilizer called carfentanil.

Seventy-eight Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, federal data shows. That's almost as many people who die in car accidents. The financial toll from avoidable health care costs, accidental asset losses and missed work total $442 billion a year.

Most of the blame, though, does not fall on the individual who got hooked on oxycodone after oral surgery or a back injury. The opioid crisis was created by U.S. drug companies, which spent millions to convince regulators and doctors to over-prescribe highly addictive opiate-based drugs in search of easy profits.

Purdue Pharmaceutical, the maker of OxyContin, is the most infamous. In 1996, Purdue claimed it had developed a non-addictive formulation of oxycodone - an opiate so dangerous that the Drug Enforcement Agency limited production in 1993 to 3,250 kilograms a year, according to investigative journalist John Temple's book "American Pain."

Purdue successfully lobbied the DEA to raise the quota so it could sell huge quantities of OxyContin, and by 2007, American drug companies were making 70,000 kilograms of oxycodone a year. Production peaked in 2013, at more than 150,000 kilograms, when U.S. doctors wrote 207 million prescriptions for narcotic painkillers, up from around 76 million in 1991, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Turned out, though, that Purdue had lied about OxyContin not being addictive. The company pleaded guilty in 2007 to misleading the public, paid a $634.5 million fine and reformulated the drug to make it more difficult to abuse. Unfortunately, we're still paying the price in widespread oxycodone abuse.

Now the Wall Street Journal reports that federal and state prosecutors and regulators in 15 jurisdictions are investigating Insys, a maker of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin that was involved in rock star Prince's death.

Like Purdue, Insys aggressively marketed its fentanyl drug to doctors under the brand name Subsys and paid lucrative consulting fees to the doctors who prescribed the largest quantities, according to the Wall Street Journal investigation. Insys has deniedany wrongdoing, but several of the doctors who received consulting fees are under federal indictment.

The DEA announced last month it was reducing authorized opioid production by 25 percent next year. But lawmakers complain that's not enough.

"Fourteen billion opioid pills are now dispensed annually in the United States - enough for every adult American to have a bottle of pills," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote recently to the DEA. "Certainly, the pharmaceutical industry is at fault for decades of misleading information about their products, and the medical community bears responsibility for its role in over-prescribing these dangerous and addictive drugs, but we remain deeply troubled by the sheer volume of opioids available."

As usual, that leaves employers absorbing the costs in the workplace. But the surgeon general's new research tells us that addiction is a physical issue, not a behavioral one.

"It's time to change how we view addiction," Murthy said. "Not as a moral failing, but as a chronic illness that must be treated with skill, urgency and compassion. The way we address this crisis is a test for America."

Roughly 7 percent of the population is genetically predisposed to addiction. Opioids are far more dangerous to those not prone because they fit perfectly into the pain receptors in our brains, and then physically change how the brain works.

The damage from addiction is reversible, but only as long as patients get help quickly. Only one in 10 U.S. addicts, though, will get any help, Murthy said. And that's where employers can make a difference by making insurance cover treatment.

If you are the kind of boss who would do everything possible for an employee diagnosed with cancer, then you should treat the addict the same way. Addicts are not weak or morally flawed, they are simply suffering a chronic illness that requires treatment.

There are plenty of places to direct your anger and frustration over the current drug crisis. Drug companies, doctors and the federal government are among them. Your suffering employee should not be.
Forget the several dozen familiar dishes that have come to define Thai food during its 37-year history in Houston. Chef P.J. Stoops and his Thai wife, Apple, have broken new ground at their trim and colorful Heights spot. Regional Thai dishes focused on high-quality ingredients are the order of the day here, with a particular slant toward Isaan cooking from Thailand's northeast quadrant.

Stoops' history as fishmonger and Gulf bycatch pioneer come through in a Makrut Lime curry of yellowedge grouper, its broth held in subtle tension between coconut and hot chile. Its lacing of water spinach stems and leaves come from Rosharon, where Cambodian farmer Sameth Nget raises hard-to get vegetables, fruits, herbs and more specifically for the restaurant.
Eight years ago, cookbook author Fuchsia Dunlop visited the celebrated Dragon Well Manor restaurant on a farm on the outskirts of Hangzhou, an ancient capital of China whose culinary traditions date back centuries.

The restaurant's purveyors scoured the small farms in the countryside of the Lower Yangtze region - known as Jiangnan, "south of the river" - for the freshest produce, pork and chicken. They harvested wild foods, fermented greens and tubers, and made rich broths to add depth and umami flavor rather than rely on MSG. And they studiously avoided the industrially produced foods that were feeding a burgeoning urban population and sparking a series of food safety scares and a consumer backlash for "green" foods.

But Dragon Well Manor, which she first described in an article for the New Yorker, was doing something else that caught Dunlop's attention. It was restoring Chinese cuisine to its "rightful dignity," she says, by celebrating food traditions that were losing ground in the face of modernity, by balancing pleasure with health and by emphasizing foods' ben wei, "the essential taste of things."

Now, that trip to the region - and others so numerous the British writer has lost count - bear fruit in her latest cookbook, "Land of Fish and Rice." An exquisite and marvelously detailed work, the book is named for the Chinese term for the region that reflects its abundant water and fertile farmland. It encompasses Shanghai as well as Nanjing, Shaoxing (where the famous cooking wine comes from) and Zhenjiang (home of the rich black vinegar found in so many sauces), as well as bygone capitals such as Hangzhou and Yangzhou, each of which has a storied culinary past.

More Information "Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China" By Fucshia Dunlop W.W. Norton, 368 pp., $35 See More Collapse

"While every Chinese cuisine has its charms," Dunlop writes in the book, "from the dazzling technicolor of spices of the Sichuanese to the belly-warming noodle dishes of the north, I know of no other that can put one's heart so much at ease as the food of the Jiangnan."

This is Dunlop's fourth cookbook on Chinese cuisine. Her first, "Land of Plenty," on Sichuan cooking, caused a stir when it appeared in the United States in 2003. Published in the United Kingdom two years earlier - after having been rejected by six publishers - it revealed the cooking methods of this southwest province in China just as Western palates were waking up to the mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, hot bean sauces, chili oil, ginger, garlic and scallions that make up the basic grammar of the cuisine.

"I first heard about 'Land of Plenty' when I visited a friend and fellow China historian in Utah who had lived in Sichuan," says Tobie Meyer-Fong, a professor of East Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins University. "The dishes in the book reminded me of the Sichuan food I ate in Beijing in the 1990s. It was transformative because Fuchsia showed how simple these dishes were to make."

Luckily, the Meyer-Fongs are family friends, so we have often sat around the dining room table enjoying steaming Sichuan hot pots, dipping bits of meat and Asian greens into spicy red beef broth. Together we made vast piles of Chinese dumplings by hand and had a roast duck smackdown - my tea-smoked duck vs. Beijing duck made by Tobie's husband, Ming-Yuen - that ended in a draw. Many of those recipes arrived thanks to Fuchsia Dunlop.

Her works have been groundbreaking because most of them focus on the food of one region. From Sichuan, she went north into Hunan to explore the fiery foods of Mao Zedong's birthplace and wrote "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook." She then stressed seasonal vegetables and simplicity in "Every Grain of Rice." That last, which is especially stained and dog-eared in our house, is a favorite of my wife, Ellen, who doesn't cook very much, except when it comes to these recipes.

Along the way, Dunlop also wrote a delightful memoir, "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper," of her carefree days as a student in Sichuan's capital of Chengdu in the mid-1990s, after escaping a "dry, academic" job at the BBC. She studied Chinese but found herself drawn to the food of region, befriending chefs, home cooks and restaurateurs, and eventually becoming the first Westerner to attend the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu. The memoir ends just as she's beginning her foray into the foods of Jiangnan. Now, we can see what that culinary journey yielded.

These dishes are far more subtle and restrained than those from Sichuan; one almost wants to say they're more elegant and mature. And when I bring that up in a recent interview with Dunlop, she agrees that the Sichuan food she encountered more than two decades ago might be thought of as the fiery food of youth, while Jiangnan dishes reflect a more refined palate. "But that said, I still often make Sichuan food at home," she laughs.

With many of these dishes, their brilliance lies in their minimalism. So far, every recipe I've tried consists of relatively few ingredients, which, when combined, sparkle with flavor. There are a few highly challenging recipes, such as a boned and stuffed calabash duck (it's on my list to cook) and the famous Shanghainese soup-filled dumplings (xiao long man tou) that are cooked more often in restaurants than at home, but the emphasis generally is on food without fuss.

Although Dunlop gleaned some of the book's techniques and recipes from chefs, many of the dishes are suited for a quick lunch or dinner. That isn't surprising, Tobie Meyer-Fong explains, because "the boundary between home cooking and restaurant cooking is permeable, which is why jiachang cai, or 'home-style-cooking restaurants,' are so prevalent and popular in China, and why these recipes transition so well to the home kitchen."

The dishes, much like those at Dragon Well Manor restaurant, often originate in the rural areas and back alleys of Jiangnan. They rely on highly seasonal ingredients and a spectrum of preserved foods and sauces that add unusual but addictive flavors. (When shopping for those specialty ingredients at places like H Mart inHouston, my advice is to take the book, find a manager, show him or her the glossary at the back that lists them in English and Chinese, and ask where to find them.)

Take Spicy Chinese Cabbage, a Shanghainese appetizer that requires combining thinly sliced napa cabbage with salt and Sichuan peppercorns, then letting the cabbage cure for a bit. Cooking consists of briefly frying dried red peppers in hot oil, then stirring in the cabbage. That takes all of two minutes - and the dish, in my family's experience, is delicious.

"Some of the best food I've had in China has been in little countryside places, with just radiantly fresh ingredients made in just the local style with whatever seasonings they use," Dunlop says. The older generation has continued this way of cooking, but "China is in the midst of very rapid, dramatic social change, and one thing I find very sad is that a lot of my contemporaries haven't learned to cook like their parents. So I think we're at the stage of seeing this great loss of skills," she said.

Luckily, I've had the chance to travel to China, to eat this simple, honest food in the rural southern province of Guizhou, and also to visit Sichuan's capital of Chengdu, where Dunlop was a student many years before. When I was there, I messaged Dunlop on the fly and asked her to suggest a restaurant that served tea-smoked duck, which is traditionally made in a clay oven. Though I didn't know her, she replied right away, and, guided by my smartphone, I walked over to a restaurant near Sichuan University that's known for the dish.

Marveling at the dark, crispy duck, fragrant with tea smoke, I thought about the way I had made that dish at home, following Dunlop's recipe. I had come full circle, back to its source, thanks to her. And now, with "The Land of Fish and Rice," I expect that circle to widen farther, into the lower Yangtze region.

Silken Tofu with Soy Sauce (Xiao Cong Ban Dou Fu)

Adapted from "Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking" by Fuchsia Dunlop (W.W. Norton, 2013)

4 servings

This tastes almost like a tender, savory creme caramel, and it takes minutes to make. It is meant to be served as one of a number of dishes, and it also makes a nice afternoon snack for kids.

One 8-ounce block silken tofu

2 scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 tablespoons light soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions: Place the tofu on a heatproof serving dish, then cut it into 1/8-inch slices and push them down gently, so the slices lean toward one side. Scatter the scallions over the tofu.

Stir together the soy sauce or tamari and the water.

Heat the vegetable or peanut oil in a wok or small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, pour a little of it over the scallions; if they don't sizzle right away, the oil needs to be heated further.

Pour the rest of the very hot oil over the scallions (which will become quite fragrant), then the diluted soy sauce or tamari, and then the toasted sesame oil. Serve right away.

Spicy Chinese Cabbage (La Bai Cai)

Adapted from "Land of Fish and Rice" by Fuchsia Dunlop

4 servings

Even though the cabbage is salted, it retains a little bite and gets its nice heat from a chili infusion. Serve as one of many dishes or for a light lunch.

Make ahead: The cabbage needs to be salted and refrigerated or left in a cool place for at least several hours and up to overnight.

1 head Chinese cabbage (about 1 1/3 pounds total; also called napa cabbage)

2 teaspoons salt

 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

3 small dried red chili peppers, seeded and cut into small pieces

Instructions: Rinse the cabbage, then place it on a cutting board and slice it crosswise into very thin strips, placing them in a large mixing bowl as you work. Add the salt and Sichuan peppercorns, then use your clean hands to scrunch them into the cabbage. Cover with a plate that fits inside the bowl, then weight the plate with a 28-ounce can. Refrigerate or set in a cool place for several hours (or up to overnight).

Remove the weight and plate. Drain the cabbage, squeezing out as much moisture as you can; there should be much less volume. Pick out and discard the Sichuan peppercorns.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, turn off the heat. Add the chilies and stir-fry for a few seconds, until they have darkened and become fragrant but not burned. Add the drained cabbage and stir-fry just until it is evenly coated with oil and the chilies are evenly distributed.

Serve at room temperature.

Cool Steamed Eggplant with a Garlicky Dressing (Liang Ban Qie Zi)

Adapted from "Land of Fish and Rice" by Fuchsia Dunlop

4 servings

Steaming brings out eggplant's tender side, and the simple seasoning here is terrific.

You'll need a large steamer basket.

This is designed to be served as one of a number of dishes, but it can also be a light lunch, over rice.

1 large eggplant (1 pound; may substitute the same total weight of slender Asian eggplants)

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinkiang (black) vinegar

 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger root

1 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion (green parts only)

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

Instructions: Fill a wok or saute pan with several inches of water, then place your steamer basket inside and heat over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplant lengthwise into -inch slices, then cut the slices into -inch-wide strips. Cut the strips into bite-size pieces and place them in a heatproof bowl, then seat that bowl in the steamer basket once the water has just begun boiling. Cover tightly and steam for 20 minutes, monitoring the water level as needed, until the eggplant is tender.

Whisk together the light soy sauce, black vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

Just before serving, pile the steamed eggplant in a serving dish. Top with the garlic, ginger and scallion.

Heat the oil in a wok or saute pan over high heat. Once the oil is very hot (shimmering for a few minutes), remove it from the heat and carefully pour it over the dish, which should produce a dramatic sizzle.

Pour the soy sauce mixture over the top. Gently stir it in, then serve.
Compared to the previous month, things calmed down a bit in the Bayou City in 1986. Here's a look at what happened here 30 years ago, in words and in pictures.

* Mere days before the latest adventures of the Starship Enterprise would hit movie screens, "Star Trek" actor James Doohan, aka Scotty, appeared at Town & Country Mall.

You'd think he was in town to promote "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," but nope. He was there to herald the opening of, strangely enough, a glass elevator.

Doohan didn't seem to mind. True to his reputation as being friendly to his fans, the actor enjoyed the time greeting Houston's biggest Trekkers.

From Louis B. Parks' Nov. 27 article:

One compensation for the lack of other roles is the worldwide adulation all the "Star Trek" cast enjoys from millions of fans. On his Houston visit, as everywhere, Doohan spent a lot of time signing autographs for devotees of all ages, including members of Enterprise II, a Houston "Star Trek" club, who came dressed in full Star Fleet uniforms.

"I know them, and I see the love in their eyes, and it's just fabulous," Doohan said. "I see it walking down the street, or in the airport or the supermarket. People don't say anything, just smile, say hello. You just have to accept that. I can't understand people who don't do autographs. They must be afraid."

Funny enough, Doohan wasn't too pleased about the upcoming TV series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Doohan isn't happy about one "Star Trek" project: the new TV series, produced by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, which Paramount will offer stations next fall.

"They're creating the series now, and unfortunately, they're calling it "Star Trek,"" he said, annoyed. "It's a hundred years beyond where we are now (the 23rd century). I think it's a crime to call it "Star Trek.""

It's been rumored that some original cast members might make guest appearances on the series, despite the time difference. But don't count on seeing Doohan.

"They'd have to pay a hell of a lot of money before I'd go back and jazz up some other television show about space."

Oh really?

* With Houston in the grips of economic doldrums, entrepreneur Gary Somberg decided to lighten the mood.

Patterned ever-so-slightly on the Houston Proud campaign, Somberg came up with Houston Poor, a package of T-shirts and bumper stickers that targeted the city's nouveau riche.

Here's how he described it to reporter Brian Levinson:

As the oil and real estate industries collapsed and Houstonians financial woes mounted, Somberg decided it was time to laugh. And who better to laugh at then ourselves.

"I used to lie awake at night worrying about my zero coupon bonds. Now that I have zero balance banking, that's not a problem any longer," jokes Somberg, who owns a small telephone equipment company on the city's west side.

His campaign slogan for Houston Poor is "Oh, thank heaven for Chapter 11," the bankruptcy reorganization measure that has become as common in Houston as stretch limousines were in the city's heyday.

Somberg, a Houstonian for 16 years, says he got the idea for the campaign while talking with some fellow small business owners about the problems they all faced and the sacrifices they were making to stay in business. His company, Vitel, was founded in 1983 and began experiencing steady sales decreases during the summer.

"Reality is enough to laugh at," Somberg says. "I was fortunate to make a lot of money in the past couple of years and now I have to sit back and laugh at the situation."

* On the northern edge of downtown, Power Tools was fast becoming the place to be for those who are just getting started when the clock hits midnight.

From Parks' Nov. 22 article:

Yes, Virginia - you bop-till-it-hurts-so-good dudette - there really is a Power Tools for dancing fools. It's a down (as in underground) and dirty hole for people like you who say cut the talk and let's dance, dance, dance.

But hey, keep it quiet. Too many "tourists" already know about this downtown party where the non-stop rock blasts too loud for chitchat and the dress code reads: anything you don't mind getting funky.

Fortunately, most of the suburbanites, as the regulars dub them, make the scene early. They snap their mental Polaroids, get a good story for Sunday brunch, then shove off.

"The tourists hear about Power Tools, and they want to see what it's about," said Jeannie Linam, 24, one of the club's owners. "They stay about an hour and a half. They're the one-time-only people. Then the hard-core Power Tools people come in."

The hard-core is anybody and everybody who wants to party hard.

People who don't care that the plaster peels off the brick walls, don't mind that they can't hear their friends talk, don't notice there are no veggie appetizers or cute drinks or triple chocolate desserts.

Power Tools stays busy from opening at 10 p.m. every Saturday until it shuts down at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. At 1 a.m., expect to find the line out front snaking from the underground entrance halfway down the block. For a club that shuns publicity, depending on word of mouth, Power Tools has become known, and notorious, since it opened in July.

The wild rumors which fire interest in the club probably come from its motif. Every two weeks the club changes theme; and the props, security people and go-go dancers reflect it. Last week the theme was bigotry, and employees dressed as Nazi SS troopers or KKK members in white sheets (including some black employees). An Archie Bunker type sat in a "living room" and watched television, while slide projectors flashed scenes of Hitler and other bigots on the walls.

Recent themes have included religion (dancers dressed as nuns), the dawn of man and power tools (the kind carpenters use). The theme for tonight and next Saturday will be National Enquirer, and plenty of inquiring minds already want to know what the club plans for the occasion. But they aren't telling.

I can only image what would happen if a club tried that today.

* Galveston's Sea-Arama Marineworld wasn't sunk, but it was entering some rough seas 30 years ago this month. The tourist attraction temporarily closed after a notice of foreclosure was filed against the park's general partners for default on payment of a promissory note held by the park's original owners.

The original owners soon ended up buying back Sea-Arama, which opened in 1965. However, the park would close for good in 1990.

You can read more about the park's past here.
It starts with a phone conversation between a little girl and her mother.

We hear a squeaky-voiced, nearly 5-year-old Emma asking what her mother would like for Christmas. A Christmas card, she responds, then asks what Emma would like.

"Um," she says. "I want.  my family."

"Your family?" the mother says. "That's so sweet. Do you want any presents?"

"I just told you one," the girl insists.

"Your family. But what else?"

"Um," the girl says. And then we see her soft brown eyes, her long ponytail, and a big cordless phone pressed to her small cheek.

"I also want  you to come out of jail," she says.

It's moments like these that brother-and-sister documentary filmmakers Jenna and Anthony Jackson use to remind us that the tragedy of wrongful convictions doesn't just harm the innocent people sent to prison, but their families - parents, husbands, wives and curly-haired girls.

In Hannah Overton's case, she left five children behind, and a husband, Larry, who was forced to raise them on his own while trying to make a living with a small lighting business. The youngest, Emma, was born while Hannah was awaiting trial for capital murder in the death of a 4-year-old foster child they hoped to adopt.

Andrew died in 2006 after ingesting a lethal amount of salt at the family's Corpus Christi home. Doctors observed bruises on his body and suspected abuse. At trial, prosecutors claimed Hannah poisoned the boy by forcing him to drink a salty seasoning mix out of his sippy cup, because she was overwhelmed with caring for so many children.

The argument made no sense. The Overtons hadn't adopted Andrew and could have returned him to foster care at any time.

The jurors didn't buy it, either. But they did convict Hannah of capital murder by omission, for taking too long to seek medical care. Of course, there was much the jury didn't know.

One physician was never allowed to tell the jury that he had treated Andrew and knew he wasn't normal: the child had developmental delays, was hyperactive, impulsive, and most importantly, he often ate odd things, such as pet food, mattress foam and cigarette butts off the ground. It was possible he had consumed a large amount of salt when Hannah mother wasn't looking.

Another witness, an expert on salt poisoning, explained in videotaped testimony that salt makes victims bruise easily, that severe symptoms can take at least an hour to manifest, and that earlier treatment likely would not have saved Andrew's life. But Hannah's defense lawyer tearfully admitted later that he never watched the video or showed it to the jury because he had relied on someone else's opinion that it was too garbled and too skewed by prosecutors' constant interruptions.

The documentary, narrated by Texas Monthly's Pamela Colloff, gains even more credibility from the presence of Anna Jimenez, the assistant prosecutor at Hannah's trial. We see her testifying years later, saying she believed the lead prosecutor, Sandra Eastwood, was "not truthful," withheld evidence and had told her "this was going to be the case that made her famous."

Eastwood, for her part, seems disjointed and confused in the hearing footage. Hannah's attorneys say she claimed 72 times not to remember different facts and events. Eastwood, still practicing in Corpus, didn't return my call and email this week.

Slow appellate grind

The film follows Hannah and the rest of the Overtons as they try to get by, while pinning their hopes on the slow grind of the Texas appellate process. With them the whole way are veteran attorneys Cynthia Orr and Gerry Goldstein of San Antonio and Houston civil attorney John Raley, all working pro bono.

Before trial, Hannah was allowed only three days with Emma in the hospital.

One day, many months later, as Hannah looked out a window at the Nueces County Jail at a gathering of family, friends and church members who had come to support her, she watched as her youngest took some of her first steps.

Imagine. Missing it all. The firsts. The hugs. The birthdays. The Christmases. Simply because a detective jumped to a hasty conclusion. A prosecutor hid evidence to make a name for herself in a high-profile case. An elected district court judge refused to acknowledge a botched trial.

That's the horrifying narrative in "Until Proven Innocent: the Hannah Overton Story." I encourage you to tune in Thursday for its premiere at 8 p.m., on the Investigation Discovery or "ID" Channel. (That's channel 260 on At&T U-Verse, 213 on Comcast Xfinity and 285 on DirecTV.)

I attended a recent screening at the Houston Film Festival and was blown away by the years of dedication it took to follow the family, build rapport with even the youngest children, and tell what happened in a fresh and intimate way that stands out from what's become a sadly incessant stream of exoneration stories.

It's another level of horror to see wrongful conviction through the children's eyes. Their pain as they yearn for their mother is palpable, but, amazingly, so is their hope. Perhaps that's a testament to their mother's sunny reassurance.

"I really believe that God's going to do this for me. And I trust that he's going to bring me home," she says in a 2012 interview behind bars in her prison whites, tearing up. "I also trust that every day that He's going to keep me here, He's going to provide the grace for that day."

Her husband apparently got by on the same grace as he managed the nearly superhuman feat of keeping his family and his marriage together. After Hannah's conviction, Larry traveled hundreds of miles from Corpus on his motorcycle to see her in prison in Gatesville.

"One of the first things the guards told her is 'he'll be here this week, and he'll be here the next week," Larry says in the film. "But within a month or two, he'll stop writing you, and then he'll only come once in a while, and then eventually you'll get papers.' "

Never happened. Larry made the journey every Saturday. For seven years. And once a month, he packed up all the kids, so Hannah could at least see and talk to the children she was not allowed to touch.

Still work to do

In 2014, the highest criminal court granted her a new trial, finding her lawyers had been ineffective. The district attorney kept her in jail for months, aggressively maintaining he would retry her for capital murder. He eventually dropped all charges.

It's impossible to watch Hannah's reunion with her family without sharing their tears.

"It felt magical," says 12-year-old Alisia. "I've been waiting for it all my life, basically."

The family has since relocated to East Texas and begun a ministry for female inmates at the very prison where Hannah served time. Raley, the Houston attorney, said this week he's "very hopeful" that a newly elected Nueces County district attorney will agree to a formal declaration of actual innocence, which would pave the way for state compensation.

But no money, and no amount of grace, can make this beautiful family whole after all they've suffered.

Texas has come a long way on criminal justice reform. Hannah's story shows there's still work to do, including making it easier to hold accountable prosecutors and law enforcement who intentionally suppress evidence.

In the meantime, watch this film. Learn from it. And the next time lawmakers debate a reform bill, remember Hannah's daughter and the simple thing she wanted for Christmas.
Seven Houston protesters rallying in support of a $15 minimum wage were arrested early Tuesday when they tried to block a Loop 610 access road.

The local arrests were among dozens across the country Tuesday as fast food, home and child-care workers rallied in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and New York.

The Houston event - backed by the Texas branch of Service Employees International Union - brought out members of the Fight for $15 supporters to push for better pay. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, although some states - but not Texas - have set higher minimum wages within their boundaries.

"We long for a society where it takes only one job to support your family," said one speaker at the Houston event. "We long for a society where all work is valued with a living wage."

Activists in Houston also picketed outside of George Bush Intercontinental Airport near the corner of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Greens Road.

A group of protesters gathered at Meyerland Plaza before 6 a.m. and marched over to a fast-food chain on the other side of the freeway, according to an SEIU spokesperson.

"It's dark outside, but we are bringing the light to the world," one fiery speaker shouted into a megaphone during the pre-dawn protest. "Moses and Aaron may have led the people through the wilderness, but it was the people who built the Tabernacle."

Workers demanding action waved "Black Lives Matter" and "Fight for 15" signs and sported matching shirts with slogans in Spanish and English.

When some demonstrators tried to block the freeway entrance, police intervened and charged them with blocking a roadway, a Class B misdemeanor, according to Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva.

Those charged were Alfreda Lacy, Tomas Diaz-Deleon, Tanzie Dorough, Madaline Rodriguiz, Jessica Morales, Elizabeth Molina and Beverly Ortiz. They were still in the Houston city jail by late Tuesday afternoon.

"We're willing to risk arrest for our families and a better life!" SEIU Texas wrote on the group's Facebook page.

Fast-food workers across the country took to the streets Tuesday morning as part of a nationwide rally. Protesters were also arrested in Massachusetts, while San Francisco workers shut down an Oakland intersection.

Outside Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, hundreds of protesters chanted and planned a strike.

"What do we want? $15! When do we want it? Now," workers shouted outside the airport terminals.

This article contains material from The Associated Press. Andrea C. Rumbaugh contributed to this report.
A state district court judge this week upheld Waller County's decision to prohibit guns in its courthouse, delivering a legal victory to the county as it continues to fight over the matter with the state attorney general.

Judge Albert McCaig Jr. found the county justified in banning firearms in the entire building, which also houses administrative offices, rather than only in rooms related specifically to court duties, according to a court document signed Monday.

The ruling comes more than a year after a new state law went into effect allowing for the penalization of government entities for posting unlawful signs prohibiting firearms - an issue made especially murky in cases dealing with multi-purpose courthouses.

State law generally prohibits firearms in "the premises of any government court or offices utilized by the court." Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote an opinion last year, finding that phrasing to mean "a government courtroom or those offices essential to the operation of the government court." McCaig disagreed, stating the law "prohibits all firearms and other weapons in the entire government building that houses a court."

In the Waller County case, gun rights advocate Terry Holcomb Sr., who founded the group Texas Carry, wrote to the county in May to request that it remove signs stating that firearms are not allowed in the courthouse in the county seat of Hempstead.

If the county declined to take down the signs, Holcomb wrote in his letter, he planned to notify the attorney general through provisions made available under the new rules. An online form is easily accessible through the attorney general's website, and the agency has issued letters regarding such complaints in more than 20 entities across the state.

Rather than remove the signs, Waller County filed suit against Holcomb in July in the 506th District Court, which covers Waller and Grimes counties. Holcomb counter-sued, he said. Paxton then sent a final warning in early August, and brought suit against Waller County later that month in Travis County.

McCaig's ruling resolves the local suit between the county and Holcomb - for now.

Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis and County Judge Trey Duhon found justification in the ruling, while Holcomb and Paxton condemned it.

As Mathis saw it, the ruling defends the county's decision not to allow guns in the courthouse, one that county commissioners wrestled with as they prepared for the open-carry law to take effect this year."This was not, and still is not, a matter of Waller County, or any member of Waller County's Commissioners Court, being anti-gun or anti-carry in any way," Duhon wrote in a prepared statement. "Waller County's decision in this matter was simply to enforce the law exactly as it was intended by the Texas Legislature."

Holcomb said an appeal is already in the works. He called the outcome an attack on the First Amendment and the right to participate in government. "It wasn't surprising but it should alarm us all," he said.

Still, the county plans to file a motion in Travis County to get Paxton's suit dismissed, Mathis said. He noted that the two judges were on equal footing. "We hope that we're assigned a district judge in Travis County that will respect the ruling of the district court here," Mathis said.

In a prepared statement, Paxton accused the Waller County district court of making "a mockery of legislative democracy" in its interpretation of the statue, as well as responding to Texans who exercised their rights with "retaliatory lawsuits."

He continued: "I have no doubt that the Court of Appeals will reject the trial judge's usurpation of law and apply the statutes as written."
A man has been charged in a robbery Monday at a fast-foot restaurant that led to gunfire in southeast Houston.

Brandon Ortez, 22, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in the heist about 8:30 p.m. at a Wendy's at 10235 Almeda Genoa, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said officers were sent to the eatery about a suspicious person with a weapon. When they arrived and questioned the person, later identified as Ortez, he pulled out a gun and put it to his own neck. Officers took cover and told Ortez to drop the gun but he refused.

Moments later, police said, officers heard a single gunshot from inside the restaurant, which is when they believe Ortez grabbed money from one of the cash registers. He then dashed out of the eatery and ran to a nearby abandoned building. Officers heard two gunshots as Ortez shot out a window to get into the building.

Police said officers set up a perimeter at the scene and called for K-9 units. As they were taking up positions, two officers bumped into each and one of their guns fell onto the ground and accidentally fired. No one was wounded, but one of the officers was injured by shrapnel after the discharge. Startled by the gunfire, a K-9 bit the officers.

The injured officers were taken to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. Their conditions were not released but police said they had non-life-threatening injuries.

Ortez was later taken into custody. He was treated at the scene for injuries after a police dog had encountered him during the incident. Police said officers found a pistol and cash on Ortez.

As is customary in incidents in which an HPD officer discharges a weapon causing injury, the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions as well as the Harris County District Attorney's Office will investigate the case.

Charges have been filed against a suspect arrested in an incident that occurred at 10235 Almeda Genoa at about 8:30 p.m. on Monday (November 28).

The suspect, Brandon Ortez (b/m, 22), is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in the 228th State District Court.

A photo of suspect Ortez is attached to this news release.

HPD Homicide Division Sergeant T. Ruland and Officers R. Ridel and K. Ferguson reported:

HPD patrol officers responded to a suspicious person with a weapon call at the Wendy's restaurant at the above address. As officers attempted to question the suspect (Ortez), he suddenly pulled out a gun and put it to his own neck. Officers immediately took cover and gave the suspect verbal commands to drop the weapon, which he ignored. Officers then exited the restaurant along with employees, sought cover and requested additional officer to respond to the location.

Moments later, at least one gunshot was heard from inside the restaurant. At that time Ortez is believed to have robbed one of the cash registers. He then exited the restaurant with the gun and ran to an abandoned building next door. At least two more shots were heard near the abandoned building as Ortez shot out a window in an attempt to enter the building. Additional officers and an HPD K-9 arrived, immediately sought cover and set up a perimeter.

At some point, as officers were taking position for tactical purposes, two officers bumped into each other and one officer's weapon was accidentally dropped and discharged. An officer was struck by shrapnel resulting from the accidental discharge and bitten by the K-9, who was startled by the gunfire. The second officer also sustained a bite wound from the K-9. Both officers were transported to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ortez was eventually taken into custody and treated at the scene for injuries from sustained from contact with the K-9. Officers recovered Ortez's pistol and cash in his possession.

As is customary in incidents in which an HPD officer discharges his weapon causing injury, this case is being investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs Divisions, as well as the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
When counter-protesters ripped up an American flag at a White Lives Matter rally last month in southwest Houston, their actions - though repugnant to many - were protected by the First Amendment, thanks to a landmark Supreme Court case out of Texas decided in 1989.

With an early-morning tweet on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump reignited the debate over whether to punish those who burn, rip or otherwise desecrate the flag. However, constitutional scholars said his suggestion of imprisoning flag-burners or stripping their citizenship was outside the mainstream of contemporary legal thought.

When Dallas hosted Texas' first-ever Republican National Convention in the summer of 1984, a protester opposed to U.S. foreign policy stopped in front of Dallas City Hall. He unfurled a stolen American flag, splashed it with kerosene and set it on fire amid chants of "America, the red, white and blue - we spit on you."

A military veteran who saw the event reportedly scooped up the flag's ashes with tears in his eyes and buried them in his back yard. The protester, Gregory Lee Johnson, was convicted of desecrating the flag, sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine under a Texas "desecration" statute that had parallels in most states.

Five years later, Johnson's case came before the U.S. Supreme Court. A few weeks before the Fourth of July, a narrow majority of five justices sided with Johnson and said burning the flag was protected speech that the government could not forbid.

Last month, Black Lives Matter supporters gathered outside the Anti-Defamation League's Houston office to oppose the White Lives Matter gathering there. Protesters said they searched for a lighter to light an American flag on fire but settled on ripping it up when police officers threatened to arrest them, possibly for starting a fire in a public place.

"When we desecrate the flag it shows there's something wrong with this country, there's something that really needs to be looked into," said Gregory Chatman, a 25-year-old Black Lives Matter organizer.

Then on Tuesday, Trump threw fuel on the fire with a Twitter post: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"

Could decision be reversed?

While Trump's comment was embraced in some quarters, including veterans groups, it was condemned by First Amendment scholars, especially for the idea of stripping citizenship.

The lawyer who wrote Johnson's arguments for the Supreme Court said freedom of speech depends on allowing political expression even if it is offensive to a majority of Americans. David D. Cole, who now teaches at Georgetown Law, also said citizenship is an inalienable right.

"Donald Trump woke up this morning and recommended not one but two unconstitutional acts - punishing dissent and stripping American citizens of their citizenship," Cole said.

"I think it's deeply troubling that the person who's about to assume the most powerful office in the country has so little understanding of or respect for our most fundamental constitutional values," he added.

Meanwhile, the leader of the American Legion, a veterans organization that claims 2.2 million members, backed Trump's idea.

"Our brothers and sisters in arms have shed blood, even paid the ultimate sacrifice, in defense of our nation," national commander Charles E. Schmidt said in a statement. "The American flag represents their sacrifice and our nation's way of freedom. ... We are not against civil protest or demonstrations. However, these protesters are not burning a piece of cloth. They are desecrating the sacrifice and honor of all ... who have given so much to this great nation."

However, a constitutional law scholar in the city where Johnson was arrested said flag-burning is now widely accepted as a form of speech that should be protected from government regulation.

"These really are not difficult constitutional questions, including for conservative scholars," said Dale Carpenter, a professor at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.

But Trump likely will get to name a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. The president-elect often praises Scalia, who voted with the majority to legalize flag-burning, but could seek a nominee who shares his views.

If Trump got to pick another justice or two after Scalia's replacement, then the 1989 decision might face a reversal, said Richard D. Parker, a criminal justice professor at Harvard Law School.

Not so fast, Carpenter said.

"I doubt it very much, because it is really such a mainstream position now among constitutional scholars," Carpenter said. Legal experts now generally agree that handling the flag - respectfully or not - is a form of symbolic speech and the government would be discriminating between viewpoints if it outlawed flag-burning.

Popular will vs. legal opinion

But, as Carpenter conceded, the consensus of constitutional scholars might not agree with popular opinion.

National polls taken by Gallup, CNN and others since the 1989 ruling show a majority of Americans favor a constitutional amendment to overrule the decision. Gallup polls found support just over 60 percent in the late 1990s, sliding to about 55 percent in the mid-2000s.

State legislatures across the country have expressed their interest in ratifying such an amendment, but the proposal has never made it out of Congress. In 2006, it missed passage by just one senator's vote.

Parker, the Harvard Law professor, leads the Citizens' Flag Coalition, which advocates for a constitutional amendment to let governments outlaw flag-burning. He said popular will should overrule the Supreme Court justices.

While some worry a ban on flag-burning could lead to a "slippery slope" of majority-rule censorship, Parker said the United States avoided tyranny before 1989 despite having punishments for flag-burning.

Most constitutional law scholars, however, say the Supreme Court was not meant to merely reflect the majority's opinion but also to protect the rights of the minority.

The scholars agreed that Trump's comment on revoking citizenship was much further from the legal mainstream. When asked about it, Carpenter exhaled sharply.

"The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship. It cannot be stripped of a person by the government," he said. The Supreme Court ruled people can hold on to their U.S. citizenship even if they join a foreign military, he said.

Citizens stay citizens, Carpenter added, "no matter how heinously they act or speak - even if they tweet that you should ban flag-burning."
A Texas inmate gets his day in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to argue that he's too mentally disabled to be executed.

The case of Bobby James Moore, which could be decided by early spring, turns on how the state defines "mentally disabled" for death row inmates.

Texas has brought all manner of cases before the high court, dating back to 1869 and the decision in Texas v. White, which concerned the constitutionality of state secession (sound familiar?).

SHORT LIST: Texas Justice Don Willett on Donald Trump's Supreme Court short list

More modern high-profile cases have involved abortion (Roe v. Wade), immigration (U.S. v. Texas) and even anti-sodomy laws (Lawrence v. Texas). The state even threw itself into the middle of (a losing) fight over the Affordable Care Act, aka. Obamacare.

No matter the result, Moore's case is just the latest in a long, colorful and litigious history between the Lone Star State and the justices.

Click through the gallery to see highlights of some of the ongoing battles Texas has waged with the federal government that landed before the high court.
BEIRUT - The ferocious ground assault and aerial bombardment in eastern Aleppo has forced some 16,000 people to flee for their lives in the last few days, according to Stephen O'Brien, the U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs.

"The parties to the conflict have shown time and again they are willing to take any action to secure military advantage even if it means killing, maiming or starving civilians into submission in the process," O'Brien warned on Tuesday, calling the siege of the city a "deeply alarming and chilling situation."

Last week, forces loyal to President Bashar Assad captured the Hanano neighborhood from rebels who had held it since 2012. Planes have dropped leaflets over the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of city. "If you don't leave these areas quickly you will be annihilated," the leaflets warn. "Save yourselves. You know that everyone has left you alone to face your doom and have offered you no help."

Hisham al-Skeif, a member of a council of rebels and civilians in eastern Aleppo, said by telephone on Tuesday that warplanes had hovered closely over the area, steadily dropping barrel bombs, as a delegation of civic activists explored the idea of using so-called safe routes to leave the city - though many were not confident that they could escape with their lives. "For the civilians, they have the choice whether they want to leave or stay, but for those of us who don't trust the regime, we have no choice," he said through tears, adding that he did not want to leave his home. "I can't turn my back on my city."

More Information 'Human errors' cited in deaths A U.S. military investigation has found that "unintentional human errors" led to a coalition airstrike that mistakenly killed dozens of Syrian-backed troops this fall, but it did not recommend disciplining anyone for the deadly attack. The Sept. 17 air raid on a garrison in the eastern Syrian town of Dair Alzour is one of the worst coalition errors to emerge since the U.S. began an air war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria in mid-2014. Russian attempts to use a communications hotline to stop the attack were not answered for nearly half an hour. Russia's defense ministry has said the attack killed 62 Syrian troops and wounded 100 more. Tribune Washington Bureau See More Collapse

Around 10,000 civilians have escaped from the city's rebel-held east into government-controlled western Aleppo, Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. emergency relief coordination office, told reporters in Geneva. Another 4,000 to 6,000 have managed to flee to the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood on the northern edge of the city, he said.

Bassem Ayoub, an activist in eastern Aleppo, said that even those sympathetic to the rebels were on the brink of despair. "I'm ready to agree to the regime's terms - whatever they are - for the sake of stopping the killing," he said. "People are dying by the hundreds. Everybody is ready to leave. Stop the killing."
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City Council unanimously confirmed Art Acevedo and Samuel Pena as Houston's new police and fire chiefs Wednesday, clearing the way for the mayoral appointees to take office.

Acevedo, Austin's former police chief, is poised to take the helm of the city's police department Thursday, while El Paso Fire Chief Samuel Pena is set to assume local duties in mid-December.

Acevedo said he intends to adopt a model he calls "relational policing."

"Every person that we contact as members of the Houston Police Department  whether it's a 911 operator, crime scene tech, police officer on the front line, the detectives  is an opportunity to create a relationship," Acevedo said. "It's about the way you treat people. I think you start with transparency. You respect people. ... You engage the community. Because the police is not us or them. We are the community."

Acevedo, 52, fielded questions from Council Member Mike Knox about the Second Amendment, Acevedo's handling of officer discipline and his recent attendance at an Austin protest against President-elect Donald Trump.

Acevedo said he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, but did not support allowing the concealed carry of guns on college campuses.

"Having said that, the law has passed and we are soldiers of the law," Acevedo said. "Unless ... the Texas Supreme Court changes it, we are going to enforce the law as passed by the policymakers."

He clarified that he attended the anti-Trump protest three weeks ago to monitor it rather than to participate, and defended his decision to fire an officer involved in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, apparently annoyed by the questioning, stressed that he sought to appoint a "cop's cop" who favors community policing and is sensitive to Houston's diversity, rather than picking a candidate based on politics.

Acevedo's salary is $280,000 per year, $105,000 more than former Police Chief Charles McClelland's compensation.

Pena, 47, said he looks forward to working with the Houston Fire Department to "make this community the great community that it should be."

"It's not lost on me the trust and responsibility that you guys have placed on me," Pena told Turner and the council. "I pledge my whole loyalty to the Houston Fire Department and the city of Houston. And what I ask from the Houston firefighters is that they pledge their loyalty to this community, as well."

Pena will make $180,000 per year, the same as former Fire Chief Terry Garrison.
For the second time in two weekends, President-elect Donald Trump stirred controversy, bigly, using only his thumbs.

With a trio of tweets Sunday alleging millions of fraudulent votes and "serious" fraud in three states, Trump effectively hijacked the news cycle for the next 24 hours with baseless conspiracy theories. A week prior, it was Trump's tweets demanding an apology from the cast of "Hamilton" for disrespecting Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was in the audience the previous night.

It can all feel pretty small and sideshow-y at times. Some have a prescription: The media should resist the urge to cover Trump's tweets as big news. Others even say we should ignore them altogether.

But both of those are fantasies. And we'd be doing readers a disservice if we tried either.

Undergirding the idea that Trump's tweets shouldn't be big news is the theory that he's manipulating the media into focusing on small things to cover up less sexy but more important things - conflicts of interests and possible corruption, in particular.

I'm skeptical any such plan exists, given that Trump's thin-skinned tweeting is pretty indiscriminate. But this idea has returned with a vengeance given the latest tweetstorm, and it's likely to perk up again after Trump on Tuesday morning suggested revoking the citizenship or jailing of people who burn the American flag.

Here's how Politico's Jack Shafer, whose piece last weekend titled "Stop Being Trump's Twitter Fool" has become a rallying point for the ignore-Trump's-tweets crowd, reacted to the voter fraud tweets:

"Here's the breaking news investigation that Trump is trying to distract you from reading/discussing/retweeting: https://t.co/ULqq3VFTuj"

The voter fraud flap has led to some Shafer converts and even more support for toning down coverage of or ignoring Trump's tweets. Here's a sampling:

"Okay, media twitter, Trump's tweets are nothing new. Lets turn the discussion to policy and legislation. Ready, go!"

"Attempting to start a movement here: Ignore Trump's Tweets! It just encourages him. He has the powers of POTUS. Why does his Twitter matter?"

"Focus on Trump's business. Follow the money. Ignore the tweets. Focus on Trump's business. Follow the money. Ignore the tweets."

"I'm almost beginning to believe theory that Trump's tweets are subterfuge to distract us from real scandals. It's time to ignore his tweets."

Shafer responded to the last one:

"I'm winning the Twitter intelligentsia one person at a time. https://t.co/YOnNDmJEny"

What we're basically talking about here is treating Trump like a social media troll with an egg for an avatar who can be blocked or ignored and hopefully loses the will to keep harassing us.

But this is the president-elect of the United States. The job comes with the so-called bully pulpit, and what he says matters and will be the subject of debate no matter what the mainstream media does. Everything he says reverberates. It doesn't matter if he says it on Twitter or at a news conference; either way it's going to be consumed by tens of millions of people, and the media has an important role to play when it comes to fact-checking and providing context.

ProPublica senior reporting fellow Jessica Huseman nailed it in an interview with The Washington Posts Callum Borchers on Monday.

"If he had said something similar in a press conference, no one would be concerned that journalists are getting distracted by his absurd language," Huseman said. "But because it was a tweet, that's somehow different? Unfortunately, this president-elect has decided to make Twitter his main means of communicating with the American public, and the American public listens deeply to things that he says on Twitter."

Let's play it out a little further. The alternative here is that Trump makes a claim to his 16 million Twitter followers about large-scale voter fraud, and the press either says nothing about it or reports it while perhaps adding that there's no proof of such claims.

If we did that, we'd probably be (rightly) accused of giving Trump a pass on a controversial thing he said. And you don't have to look far for this type of media criticism; during the GOP primary, the media was often accusing of failing to call Trump out for saying untrue things and/or for giving him an unprecedented platform to get his message out by airing his rallies live and without any additional context.

It's ultimately a no-win situation for journalists. If we don't cover the statements enough, we're abrogating our responsibility to be a check on the powerful and to promote the truth; if we cover them in-depth and point out just how baseless Trump's conspiracy theory is, we're focusing too much on a distraction and giving Trump what he wants. And the coverage has been highly, highly skeptical, with notable exceptions.

There seems to be a sense - particularly on the left but also among some in the media - that because Trump won the 2016 election, the media failed at its job as a watchdog. That's not fair -- or true. The media in large part presented Trump just as he was, with very skeptical coverage of the many controversial things he said. This led the majority of people to think Trump lacked the right temperament to be president, that he said racist things and that he was biased against women and minorities.

Trump won in spite of all of that -- not because the media covered up his vulnerabilities, but because people decided they weren't deal-breakers.

And as we move forward in the Trump administration, the soon-to-be president will apparently keep spouting off on Twitter just like he did in the campaign. Every last bit of it will likely be covered as any presidential statement would be.

And if past is prologue, it will do nothing to endear Trump to the American people.
From the earliest days of his campaign, Donald Trump made keeping manufacturing jobs in the United States his signature economic issue, and the decision by Carrier, the big air-conditioner company, to move more than 2,000 of them from Indiana to Mexico was a tailor-made talking point for him on the stump.

On Thursday, Trump and Mike Pence, Indiana's governor and the vice president-elect, plan to appear at Carrier's Indianapolis factory to announce a deal with the company to keep roughly 1,000 jobs in the state, according to officials with the transition team as well as Carrier.

Trump will be hard-pressed to alter the economic forces that have hammered the Rust Belt for decades, but forcing Carrier and its parent company, United Technologies, to reverse course is a powerful tactical strike that will hearten his followers even before he takes office.

"I'm ready for him to come," said Robin Maynard, a 24-year veteran of Carrier who builds high-efficiency furnaces and earns almost $24 an hour. "Now I can put my daughter through college without having to look for another job."

It also signals that Trump is a different kind of Republican, willing to take on big business, at least in individual cases.

And just as only a confirmed anti-communist like Richard Nixon could go to China, so only a businessman like Trump could take on corporate America without being called a Bernie Sanders-style socialist. If Barack Obama had tried the same maneuver, he'd probably have drawn criticism for intervening in the free market.

In exchange for keeping the factory running in Indianapolis, Trump and Pence are expected to reiterate their campaign pledges to be friendlier to businesses by easing regulations and overhauling the corporate tax code, according to a Trump spokeswoman.

The state of Indiana also plans to give economic incentives to Carrier as part of the deal to stay, according to local officials.

The message from Trump that captivated the Carrier workers  keeping manufacturing jobs in the United States after decades of losses to overseas factories and automation  resonated throughout the Rust Belt. That promise, plus his opposition to pacts like the North American Free Trade Agreement, were key reasons he was able to edge out Hillary Clinton in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Political symbolism aside, saving 1,000 Carrier jobs doesn't loom so large in an economy that has created an average of 181,000 jobs a month this year, noted Jared Bernstein, a liberal economist who served as adviser in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011.

Still, he confessed a grudging admiration for Trump's political jujitsu.

"If I weren't so scared of the damage a Trump administration might do, I'd find it refreshing to see an administration fighting for factory jobs like this," he said. "That said, no one should confuse what Trump is doing here with sustainable economic policy."

Over the long term, and for less prominent firms, the temptation to move to cheaper locales for manufacturing will stay great, said Robert Reich, a prominent liberal Democrat who served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration.

"Memories are short but the economic fundamentals remain the same," he said. "Wall Street is breathing down companies' necks to cut costs, and the labor savings in Mexico is too great."

Trump first announced in a tweet on Thanksgiving Day that he was talking to Carrier, something the company quickly confirmed. The discussions have continued this week, and with a tentative deal in hand Tuesday, transition officials scheduled Trump's and Pence's visit to Indianapolis.

"I didn't think it would be this quick," Maynard added.

While the standoff loomed large in the lives of its employees in Indiana, for United Technologies the forgone savings is tiny  equivalent to about 2 cents per share in earnings.

"Every penny counts, but if we step back and I'm looking at earnings of $6.60 per share this year, 2 cents is an easy concession if the president-elect listens to some of the company's bigger concerns," said Howard Rubel, a senior equity analyst with Jefferies, an investment banking firm in New York.

When Carrier announced in February that the two Indiana factories would be closing, it did offer benefits to employees facing layoffs, including paying for them to go back to school and retrain for other careers. Even with that, however, once the layoffs were to begin in mid-2017, most of the workers would have had a hard time finding jobs that paid near the $20 to $25 an hour that veteran line workers earn.

Carrier is best known for its air-conditioners, but it also sells a variety of other heating and cooling equipment for homes and businesses, like the gas furnaces and fan coils for electric furnaces made at the Indianapolis factory. The jobs in Indiana that Trump has referred to are in two plants  the Carrier facility in Indianapolis, with 1,400 employees, and a United Technologies factory in Huntington, with 700.

While Carrier will forfeit some $65 million a year in savings the move was supposed to generate, that's a small price to pay to avoid the public relations damage from moving the jobs as well as a possible threat to United Technologies' far-larger military contracting business.

Roughly 10 percent of United Technologies' $56 billion in revenue comes from the federal government; the Pentagon is its single largest customer. With $4 billion in profit last year, the company has the flexibility to find the savings elsewhere.

Members of Congress have been pressing to punish big military contractors if they move jobs outside the United States.



Many industrial companies face intense pressure from Wall Street to increase profits, even when the economy grows slowly  a major reason United Technologies decided to move.

That won't change after Trump takes office  especially when hourly pay in the Indianapolis plant is equivalent to what workers in Mexico make in a day.



"This is a spot solution," said Mohan Tatikonda, a professor at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. "If it goes through, it helps some Carrier employees for a period of time, but it doesn't address the loss of manufacturing jobs to technological change, which will continue."
The longer the fuse, the bigger the boom.

Dallas lit its pension fuse back in 1993, and the inevitable crash made national news.

"Dallas Stares Down a Texas-Size Threat of Bankruptcy," announced a headline in the New York Times earlier this month.

As for the Wall Street Journal: "Dallas Police and Fire Pension Fund Beset by Withdrawals."

Watching the troubles unfold in the Metroplex, you might consider thanking your lucky stars that you live in Houston. Unlike Big D, our city is fortunate enough to have a mayor and pension boards working to fix our pension problems before they grow out of control.

But how lucky are we?

Dallas' pension problems should have Houstonians asking if we're just lighting another fuse of our own.

Houston pension structures are controlled by the state, so we won't know exactly what the deal looks like until lawmakers put pen to paper in the next legislative session - if they decide to do anything at all. All of our interested parties agree to a framework with something called a "corridor and thermostat." This is a financial mechanism that is supposed to cap the amount the city owes pensions as a percentage of payroll.

Ideally, that cap will be the big fix that protects taxpayers from spiraling pension costs. But that's not what happened in Dallas.

Back in 1993, state lawmakers remade Dallas' pension system with high payouts for retiring police and firefighters - similar to Houston's 2001 pension blunder. The Dallas deal set the city's annual pension contributions at 36 percent of the police and firefighters' payroll. The rest of the pension system would balance as long as payroll grew at 5 percent and the pension fund earned 9 percent annually on its investments.

That didn't happen.

A cap on property taxes - similar to Houston's - limited growth in the city budget. On the pension side, managers made risky bets on nontraditional assets. Property investments in Hawaii and Napa County, Calif., didn't yield the necessary sky-high returns. But junket-happy managers and employees did get lavish, fact-finding trips. A gaping hole grew in Dallas' pension funds, even while the budget cap numbed the city budget to fiscal pressure.

Now retiring police and firefighters risk withdrawing more money than exists in their pension fund, and Dallas Mayor Michael S. Rawlings is ringing the alarm of municipal bankruptcy unless the state steps in.

No one was burned by the long fuse, but now the boom threatens the whole Metroplex.

As Mayor Sylvester Turner and legislative leaders craft a pension fix for our city, there are two key lessons to be learned from the looming Dallas disaster.

First, assuming overly optimistic returns encourages pension funds to chase risky deals. Globe-trotting real estate investments might be the only way to make 9 percent returns. More realistic numbers allow safer bets and eliminate excuses for ridiculous travel expenses. Houston's framework would lower all three city pensions to 7 percent returns. That's an improvement, but a more conservative assumption would give pensions more breathing room. In the last fiscal year, Houston's police pension portfolio missed its investment goal by $475 million. We don't have room for that kind of error.

Second, any sort of pension cap should automatically trigger instant reforms. The Dallas cap only hid the city's problems. Turner has hinted that Houston's version of a cap would merely trigger negotiations. If the city is serious about fixing our pensions, then we should be ready to pause certain expenditures - such as cost-of-living increases for retirees - when pensions fail to meet their budgetary benchmarks. The Dallas cap numbed their city to pension pain - Houston needs one that prompts us to action.

Turner is working hard to douse Houston's pension fuse, and he's making better progress than any of his predecessors. But if he doesn't get it right, some future mayor will be left with just another ticking time bomb.
In 2008, the news agency Reuters sent me to Cuba to be its Havana correspondent with the full expectation that the increasingly frail Fidel Castro would die during my five-year stint there and that his death might bring the communist system he had created crashing down.

Some of my first priorities upon arrival were to update the Castro obituary and related stories we would quickly send out upon his demise and to make sure such things as our communications gear and power generator were in working order in case all hell broke loose on that fateful day.

But it quickly became apparent to me that the collapse scenario was just wishful thinking by Castro opponents because it was clear that after 50-plus years in place, the communist government had become institutionalized and, while there was a lot of public grumbling about the ruinous state of the economy, the state security apparatus had dissent well under control.

Shortly before my wife, Elena Vega, and I arrived in Havana, there had been a smooth official transition of power from Fidel, who had been laid low since 2006 by a nearly fatal intestinal problem, to (slightly) younger brother Raul Castro, who brought a more pragmatic approach to governing the tropical island of 11 million people just 90 miles from Florida.

Because of that, Fidel Castro's death on Friday was significant and certainly historical, but not the epochal event it would have been a decade earlier - unless one subscribes to the belief that Raul, out of deference to Fidel, has moved more slowly on reform than he would have liked and now will speed things up. I doubt that, but time will tell.

It is more likely that the pace of change will be pick up after Raul, 85, leaves office in 2018 and a younger generation takes power. But even then changes should be incremental, not dramatic, because Castro's heir apparent, Miguel Diaz-Canel, 56, has been carefully vetted to make sure he will hew hard to the communist path.

I wish I could say that I met Fidel Castro and give some interesting insights into him, but he rarely came out in public while we were in Cuba and, unlike earlier times, did not talk to the Havana-based foreign press corps.

The closest I got was watching him make a live speech on television praising the founding 50 years before of the neighborhood spy network known as the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.

Elena saw Fidel in the flesh when he visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican embassy across the street from our apartment in 2012. She said he had to be helped from the car and supported by his two sons as he walked, very stooped, into the building.

While Fidel was seldom seen, his voice was often heard through columns he wrote for the government newspapers, in which he usually vented his spleen against the United States, or "the empire," as he called it.

His animus was under-standable because the U.S. had tried to assassinate him and topple his government for years. But its longstanding trade embargo aimed at bringing Castro's government down was in some ways his best ally. Public relations master that he was, he played the David vs. Goliath card at every opportunity, blamed the embargo for all the island's ills and used it to win global sympathy for Cuba.

The truth is that the embargo hurt the economy, but probably not as much as the system Fidel imposed on the country.

Before the revolution, Cuba, due in part to a large American presence (not all of it savory) had the second-highest per capita income in Latin America, trailing only oil-rich Venezuela. Conversely, the government led by strongman Fulgencio Batista was corrupt; education and health care were not available to all; and there were plenty of poor, particularly in rural areas.

Castro's revolution ended or at least tempered some of the social ills, but it also chased out the American businesses and led to a mass exodus of Cubans; a struggling economy; the loss of property and personal freedoms; and a one-party state in which average citizens have little or no say.

In my experience, Fidel had more support among elderly Cubans and less among the young, who chafed at the lack of economic opportunity and the inability to improve the general shabbiness of their lives on the average salary of $20 a month.

Some lamented the lack of democracy, but for most that was low priority because a transition to a democratic government was considered so unlikely. Many yearned to go to the U.S. or Spain, and many of them did.

Watching a diminished Castro from afar, I was impressed with his political and public relations skills and the iron will that enabled him to launch a revolution out of thin air, topple an American-backed strongman and stand up to half a century of ceaseless U.S. efforts to get rid of him.

But I could never forget that in his rise to power, he never disclosed his full intentions to the Cuban people.

During the revolution, he spoke of helping the poor, getting rid of corrupt politicians and restoring Cuban sovereignty. But he did not tell them, as he admitted many years later, that by 1953 he was a committed Marxist-Leninist. Only in 1961, just ahead of the Bay of Pigs invasion, did he finally say publicly that the revolution was "socialist" in nature.

He no doubt viewed it as wise public relations not to reveal all his plans, but nearly 58 years later Cubans are still paying the price for his deception. For that, I suspect history will not judge him kindly.

Franks is a Houston resident.
St. Gabriel council 12650 of the Knights of Columbus hosted a Thanksgiving food drive for the Texas County Food Pantry in Houston and United Community Help Center at Licking.

St. Marks Catholic Church collected 361 pounds of assorted food items, $100 cash and $150 from Knights of Columbus. Tanya Pacheco, director of the Texas County Food Pantry, said the money will be used to purchase food from Ozarks Food Harvest. It costs 14 cents per pound, which generates about a ton of food.

St. John Church at Licking collected 500 pounds of food, $100 cash and a check from the Knights of Columbus for $150 to donate to the United Community Help Center.
An ever-growing and ever-aging inmate population means more Missouri prisoners are likely to die behind bars in the coming years.

Against that backdrop, the Missouri Department of Corrections is seeking bids from funeral homes across the state in a search for the best deal on burial and cremation services for prisoners.

According to bidding documents, the state wants the cheapest wood box and the most inexpensive grave liners, to cut down on an expense that cost taxpayers $62,000 last year.

While the department typically notifies inmate families when a prisoner dies, not all want the body nor can afford the expense of burial or cremation.

In such cases, and when a prisoner has no family, the state pays for disposing of the remains.

Under the current set-up, arranging a burial is left to local prison officials, who work with a local funeral home.

Now the state wants to formalize that process in hopes of reducing the overall cost.

With more than 32,000 inmates, Missouris prison population has more than doubled since 1990, when it was 14,074. Much of that increase comes from the rise of long, mandatory sentences.

With more prisoners serving more time, states such as Missouri are grappling with more inmate deaths.

Nationally, the U.S. Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 88 percent of the 3,351 inmate deaths in 2012 were from illnesses. The age category with the most deaths was over 55.

As the states bidding documents note, As the offender population ages, the expense associated with offender deaths increases.

In 2015, Missouri officials say, 104 inmates died behind bars. Of those, the remains of 55 were not claimed by family.

That number could increase. There are 1,415 incarcerated offenders over age 60. The oldest is James Alexander, 92, a Bonne Terre man serving a 20-year term for a rape he committed at age 88.

Under terms of the bid, the state will have 19 pickup points at facilities throughout the state.

Whoever is hired will provide transportation, storage and cremation or burial preparation services for one or more of the prisons.

The contractor shall store the deceased offenders remains in a refrigeration unit 40 degrees or below as required by the state prior to cremation or burial, the documents state.

The state also doesnt want anything fancy. According to the request, funeral homes are asked to provide the lowest-priced casket available and, if necessary, the lowest-priced grave liner available.

But Corrections officials will listen to family members if they express a preference on what they want done with their relatives.

The department typically takes into account the wishes of family members, offenders and their religious beliefs when making the determination of cremation or burial. This will not change when a contract is in place, agency spokesman David Owen said.

As for a headstone, Owen said, it depends on how much a prisoner had in his or her personal prison bank account.

The department does pay for a marker if it chooses burial, and funds from the inmates account can be used for that purpose, as well, he said.

Other states have dealt with the issue in various ways. Texas operates a cemetery for inmates. In Louisiana, inmates make coffins in which to bury fellow prisoners who have died.

Missouri used to have a cemetery for inmates at the now-shuttered state penitentiary in Jefferson City. But the department no longer maintains any cemeteries.

In Illinois, remains that are not claimed by a family member are buried in local cemeteries at the departments expense, Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson said.

The cost of burying inmates in Illinois last year was $75,000 and was an estimated $74,000 the previous year.

Illinois does not pay for gravestones or markers, Wilson said.

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Two Texas County residents were sentenced this week in federal court for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy, according to Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

She said Michael D. Strong, 41 of Cabool, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Carl H. Amburn Jr., 41, of Raymondville, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

Strong and Amburn each pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene and Texas counties from July 22, 2014, to April 1, 2015. Co-defendant Angela C. Howell, 39, of Cabool, has also pleaded guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 7.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Amburns residence on April 1, 2015. They seized several small plastic bags containing methamphetamine, some or all of which Amburn admitted he intended to distribute to other persons. The plastic bags contained a total of 7.61 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Strong and Howell admitted that they distributed approximately 34.03 grams of methamphetamine (which contained 8.94 grams of pure methamphetamine) to another person in Greene County on July 22, 2014.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Garrison. It was investigated by the South Central Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Texas County Sheriffs Department and the Dent County Sheriffs Department.
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Marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in five states this November. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have already legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational use (and in a few cases both). Changing laws cloud the issue of how or whether to consider past marijuana convictions in hiring. Ill explain some of the most common questions employers have about marijuana testing policies. 1. How do states generally differentiate between recreational and medical marijuana? Recreational marijuana refers to the use of marijuana without a medical justification. Medical marijuana is a physician recommended treatment for healthcare patients suffering from severe or chronic medical conditions. It may be recommended when a patient suffers from medical conditions such as persistent muscle spasms, anxiety, glaucoma, cancer, HIV, or other conditions. 2. Am I legally allowed to test job candidates and employees for marijuana use, even if marijuana is legal in my state? Yes, in general, employers are allowed to perform drug tests on their workforce (and some are obligated to by industry regulations). Keep in mind, though, several states and municipalities maintain laws that place a host of restrictions on those who drug test. These laws often cover written policies, the types of testing available, and procedures for taking adverse action based on positive test results. Im...
Although its disappointed that the federal Liberals rejected the Northern Gateway pipelines project, Canadas oil industry celebrated the approval of the Trans Mountain expansion and Line 3 pipelines Tuesday.

Opponents, however, said the decision will make it difficult for Canada to meet the emissions reductions it pledged as part of the Paris climate accord that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed earlier this year.

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Canadas reputation as a place where projects can go ahead took a step forward today, Tim Mcmillan, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), said.

Trudeau announced the government would reject Enbridges Northern Gateway pipeline on Tuesday afternoon, while approving the companys Line 3 pipeline to the U.S. midwest. Liberals also gave the green light to Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline, which will carry oil from Alberta to a port in the Vancouver area, for transport to Asia.

McMillan said most of the increase in oil demand in the coming years will be in China and India.

Canada can and should play an increasingly important role being a supplier of choice for oil in these countries, he told reporters on a conference call.

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But climate groups and native leaders condemned the pipeline approvals and vowed the fight is not over.

The approvals "create herculean challenges for Canada as it seeks to meet its Paris climate commitments."  Patrick DeRochie, Environmental Defence

Trudeaus decision is in part reason for celebration, but more so cause for concern, said Patrick DeRochie, the climate and energy program director at Environmental Defence.

The approvals create herculean challenges for Canada as it seeks to meet its Paris climate commitments, DeRochie said in a statement, and they facilitate production growth that approaches or exceeds the Alberta 100 megatonnes emission cap.

Much bigger cuts in other emission sources must be made to compensate for more oil-based emissions, like making all buildings in Ontario emissions neutral.

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Some indigenous leaders say Trudeau has a fight on his hands with the new pipeline approvals.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, of the Union of British Columbia Chiefs, says the Kinder Morgan project is unacceptable because of the environmental risk from a higher number of tanker ships.

According to Environmental Defence, the number of tankers in the Vancouver area will grow sevenfold once the Trans Mountain pipeline has been refitted to carry oil to the west coast.

Phillip said a few hours before Trudeaus announcement that the battle against the project will ramp up in the courts and elsewhere.

Trudeau a serial liar

Derek Nepinak, head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said governments and businesses must realize they cannot undertake projects in indigenous territory without full consent.

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Phillip called Trudeau a serial liar'' and accused him of breaking a promise to respect indigenous concerns.

He's been absolutely consistent in reneging and breaking the promises he made to us,'' Phillip said.

The struggle will simply intensify. It will become more litigious. It will become more political and the battle will continue.''

With a file from The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost
Federal Conservatives are urging the Liberal government not to give the CBC/Radio Canada more than $400 million in additional annual funding so that the public broadcaster can go ad-free.

Interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose rose in question period Wednesday to bemoan the request CBC made this week to Canadian Heritage.

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The public broadcaster said in its submission to the government that the change would boost its per-person funding to $46 a year from $34, noting that the BBC in the United Kingdom receives $114 per person.

Ambrose told the House that is money Canadians cannot afford in light of the governments $30-billion deficit.

Will the prime minister assure Canadian families they wont be on the hook for this? Ambrose asked. Do the right thing and just say no.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shot back that Conservatives fail to grasp the importance of cultural industries to both the economy and national identity.

Investing in the stories that bind us together as a nation, in both official languages, ensuring that Canadians understand each others lives and experiences is at the heart of the mandate of the CBC, he said.

And listening to Canadians is exactly why we are on this side of the House and they are stuck in opposition.

A little later, Tory heritage critic Peter Van Loan noted that Liberals already provided a boost of $675 million to CBC over the next five years in the last federal budget. Thats on top of more than $1 billion taxpayers already contribute to the broadcaster.

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When it comes to CBC, it seems its just never enough, Van Loan said.

Will someone over there finally take the side of the taxpayers and halt the convoy of Brinks trucks to the CBC?

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly told Van Loan that Liberals made those investments because of years of cuts by the last Tory government.

Joly then called out Tories for not participating in her departments public consultations on homegrown content in a digital world. If they did, she suggested, they would have heard how much Canadians love the CBC.

"Will someone over there finally take the side of the taxpayers and halt the convoy of Brinks trucks to the CBC?"  Tory heritage critic Peter Van Loan

The future of the broadcaster has become a hot topic in the Tory leadership race.

Quebec MP Maxime Bernier announced last week that he wanted to refocus the broadcasters mandate to focus resources on its regional stations across the country and public affairs programming outside of Montreal and Toronto. Bernier pledged to scrap the additional funding the Liberals have promised, but did not call for CBCs privatization.

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Ontario MP Kellie Leitch tried to one-up Bernier with a promise to dismantle the CBC, saying Canadians shouldnt have to subsidize the broadcaster to keep it afloat. That position is shared by Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost.

Fellow Ontario contender Michael Chong, however, told iPolitics that the issue was a distraction from more important economic matters. Chong told the outlet he would, if elected prime minister, review the CBCs mandate but not seek to see it abolished.

With files from The Canadian Press

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The data isn't in yet on whether Americans are packing for Canada in droves following Donald Trump's electoral win, but a digital copy of the history of the Internet is going to make the move north.

Archive.org, a digital library that caches and indexes older versions of websites for the historical record, says its creating a backup copy of its collection that it will keep on servers in Canada.

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We are building the Internet Archive of Canada because, to quote our friends at LOCKSS, lots of copies keep stuff safe, Archive.org said in a blog post published Tuesday.

But the rest of Archive.orgs statement suggests theres more going on than just a desire to have a backup copy of the Internets entire history.

On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change.  For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions, the blog stated.

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It means serving patrons in a world in which government surveillance is not going away; indeed it looks like it will increase.

During his campaign, Donald Trump said his administration would look into restricting the Internet so that groups like ISIS cant use it to recruit and promote.

Trump said he "would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody," and said his administration would try to get our brilliant people from Silicon Valley and other places and figure out a way that Isis cannot do what they're doing.

Trumps picks for national security-related jobs  incl. Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general and Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo for director of the CIA  suggest that digital surveillance will be expanded in the U.S. in coming years, observers say.

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An already over-powerful surveillance state is about to be let loose on the American people, Daniel Schuman, policy director for Demand Progress, told Bloomberg News.

Archive.org already has a Toronto chapter, operated at the University of Toronto, where staffers scan books to add to its digital archive. That chapter was forced to make large job cuts in 2011 due to a lack of funding.

The organization depends heavily on donations for its operations, and called on supporters to support its efforts to back up the digital library in Canada. Its a gargantuan effort, requiring copying over more than 15 petabytes, or 15,000 terabytes, of data, International Business Times reports.

The history of libraries is one of loss, Archive.org wrote.  The Library of Alexandria is best known for its disappearance.
OTTAWA  Federal Liberal MPs in the Greater Vancouver area are gearing up for the potential backlash from electors angry that Justin Trudeaus government agreed to approve the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Vancouver Quadra MP Joyce Murray sent an email to 11,000 of her constituents Tuesday night after Trudeau announced that he was greenlighting the $6.8 billion project, which twins an existing pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C., and almost triples the current volume of crude oil by 890,000 barrels per day.

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Murray celebrated the decision to nix the Northern Gateway pipeline project that would have travelled through B.C.s Great Bear rainforest and noted that her seven years fighting to end crude oil tanker traffic on B.C.s north coast had borne fruit with the prime ministers pledge to legislate a ban next year.

Yet Murray also wrote that cabinets decision to approve the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion project is very disappointing for me and for many in Vancouver Quadra and British Columbia.

Murray, a former Liberal leadership candidate who ran on environmental sustainability, working cooperatively with centre-left parties, and for a stronger B.C. voice, said she worked hard to represent the views of her riding.

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I would have loved to see this project turned down, she told The Huffington Post Canada Tuesday evening.

Greater Vancouver seats in jeopardy?

The Grits won 15 seats in the Greater Vancouver area  up from the two they held in 2011  during last years election. Their governments majority could be attributed to the Liberals new strength in the region.

But now, that popularity may stake steep tumble.

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan decried what he called Trudeaus hypocrisy.

Our citizens believe this will have a serious impact on their future and their childrens future, Corrigan told the CBC. His residents worry about potential accidents at the tank farm on Burnaby Mountain. The tripling of that tank farm is something that our fire departments cannot control.

The NDP was quick to pounce on Trudeaus decision. New Westminster-Burnaby NDP MP Peter Julian, the partys former House leader and a potential leadership contender, tweeted:

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Burnaby South NDP MP Kennedy Stewart showed up at Kinder Morgan protests near the CBC building Tuesday evening.

Murray said that she, like many of her colleagues, shares her constituents concerns.

Im concerned about the potential for an oil spill in our harbour or in the Georgia Straight and the impact that might have on southern resident killer whales, she said.

I know that in making this decision the government thought long and hard about what could be done to prevent that and what could be done to respond better and so there are quite a lot of measures in place to mitigate that risk. However, that is still something that is a concern for people and I share that.

"I would have loved to see this project turned down."

Murray declined to say whether she had been forewarned about the decision  some MPs were told, others were not. She thanked Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr for being open and willing to listen. She also praised what she called the governments genuine willingness to consider a greater diversity of viewpoints than the previous Conservative government and to consult more widely with indigenous and non-indigenous peoples alike.

Ultimately, the government had to make a difficult decision and they made the decision that they believed, on balance, was the best one for Canada, she said.

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Trudeau announced a $1.5 billion ocean protection plan earlier this month that includes a spill response centre at Port Hardy, six new lifeboat stations on B.C.s coast, as well as $340 million to protect southern resident orcas.

Despite the investments to protect the marine ecosystem, Murray said she would have preferred to see Albertas oilsands piped eastward to the Atlantic Coast and so would people in her riding. More than 80 per cent of her constituents are adamantly opposed to the Kinder Morgan expansion, she said.

People are naturally disappointed when their elected representative is not able to prevail, she said.

Burnaby NorthSeymour MP Terry Beech, a rookie Grit and a vocal critic of the project, declined an interview request Tuesday. He posted on Facebook that he had just received the full details of the Trans Mountain Expansion announcement and was going to reserve comment until he had fully reviewed all the information.

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He plans an open house on Saturday for any constituents who would like to discuss the decision and offers one-on-one meetings to those who wish to meet privately.

In the comment section of his post, some people thanked him for speaking up for his region. Others urged him to join the protests.

Well, if I don't see you at the constituency office, maybe we'll meet in front of an excavator, wrote someone identified as Charles Robichaud.

Still others suggested  as some Liberal MPs believe  that the pipeline will never get built, either because of likely court battles or simply the low price of crude that makes market conditions much less favourable than when the project was first proposed in 2013.

MP released open letter ahead of decision

Another critic, newbie Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon, was noticeably silent following Trudeaus announcement. McKinnon had written to Carr and shared his letter to the natural resources minister with the media.

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In it, he urged the minister to listen to the collective wisdom of British Columbians.

From my constituents perspective, it is undeniable that our government lacks social license to proceed with this project, McKinnon wrote, according to a Vancouver Sun report.

While in opposition, Trudeau said the previous Conservative government had been unsuccessful in building pipelines because they dont have the social license from Canadians.

In the Liberals campaign platform, the party stated: While governments grant permits for resource development, only communities can grant permission.

Trudeau made no mention of the words social license in his announcement Tuesday.

When asked what he would tell critics who feel his government doesnt have the social license to grant Kinder Morgan an approval, the prime minister said he respects enormously the diverse voices of people who are preoccupied with pipeline matters.

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It is very clear that in the big decisions that a government must take it would be very rare if not impossible to have unanimity no matter what the decision is, he said. We have to take good decisions that are in the interest of the country, of all Canadians, and accept that there will be people do not agree with us.

Parliamentary secretary concedes there are 'significant concerns'

Jonathan Wilkinson, the MP for Vancouver North and the parliamentary secretary to the environment minister, said his riding is split three ways: people adamantly opposed, people adamantly in favour, and a majority who have significant concerns.

Wilkinson said he spent the past several months working to ensure that their concerns about how tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet will be managed, how potential spills will be cleaned up and whether the resources are adequate to do the job, how the impact on the ecosystem  especially the whale population  will be managed, and how the government can marry their decision to approve the pipeline with its international commitments to battle climate change.

I think that in the context of the governments decision making, those [concerns] have been addressed, he told HuffPost, referring to the ocean protection plan and the federal governments plan to count upstream greenhouse gas emissions.

Wilkinson declined to say if he thought he would pay a political price for the governments decision.

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I cant speculate on the future. What I can tell you is that I feel I represented my constituents concerns, he said. I got involved in politics only one year ago. I left the business community because I was interested in making good public policy and at the end of the day, I feel the process we followed made good public policy.

Still, the rookie MP said it is now incumbent on the government to try to figure out a way to communicate their decision in an effective way so people understand the consideration that went into the decision.

Hedy Fry, the longtime MP for Vancouver Centre, agreed.

"I'm not necessarily happy with the decision but I think it's time to move on now and start looking at the 150 conditions that are being placed and see how we can work together to make sure those are being done," she said.

Trudeau approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain Expansion project subject to 157 binding conditions that the government says addresses indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts.

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With a file from Catherine Levesque

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As a law-abiding news organization, we can't advise you to stock up on illegal weed before it goes legal.

But.

Canadas system for licensing marijuana producers is so tough that there likely wont be enough producers to meet demand when the federal Liberals legalize the herb, say analysts at Canaccord Genuity.

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We believe the rigorous process of becoming a licensed producer of cannabis in Canada imposes significant barriers to entry, analysts Matt Bottomley and Neil Maruoka wrote in a research note this week.

To date, Health Canada has approved 2 per cent of applications from growers seeking approval to supply the medical market."

Lack of production will result in a shortfall of supply in the near term, the analysts said, but that would help give the bud a floor price of $8 per gram. Thats similar in scale to what marijuana sells for on the black market today.

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However, a shortage of legal supply could push some buyers back into the illegal drug trade.

Its widely expected that Canadas medical marijuana growers will become major players in the recreational marijuana market, which the Liberals plan to legalize in legislation to be tabled in the spring.

An investigation by HuffPost Canada last year found that Health Canada had approved just 23 producers, from 1,200 who had applied.

Health Canadas current process for licensing medical marijuana was set up by the previous Conservative government, and has taken criticism from some in the weed industry for being slow-moving.

Its unknown how the program will change under the Liberals planned legislation.

The Canaccord report also predicted that legal marijuana sales would reach $6 billion in Canada by 2021, assuming sales begin in 2018.

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Thats a similar estimate to one put out by auditing house Deloitte last month, which saw initial sales between $5 billion and $8.7 billion annually.

That would make the legal marijuana market similar in size to hard liquor sales or wine sales.

Canaccord sees the number of marijuana users rising steadily in the first years of legal weed, to nearly 4 million.

In all, the economic boost to Canada from a legal pot market will be as much as $22.7 billion annually, Deloitte said, when including things such as growing and distribution, pot paraphernalia sales, and increased tourism and business taxes.

A survey from Forum Research last year estimated the marijuana market in Canada would have eight million customers. But Canaccord sees far fewer marijuana consumers, estimating there will be just short of 4 million after four years of legal marijuana sales.

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Medical Marijuana Users Share Secrets See Gallery
An Edmonton inmate claims he was intentionally shot in the testicles with a rubber bullet over the weekend as payback for a multi-million dollar lawsuit he filed against the Attorney General of Canada.

Shawn Keepness, 31, is one of three inmates who claim to have been kept in segregation for more than six weeks over the summer. The inmates filed a $5.6-million lawsuit; each seeking $1.873 million, plus damages.

Keepness's lawyer, Avnish Nanda, told Postmedia that when a fight broke out Sunday, forcing the prison into lockdown, a guard told Keepness to get on the ground and then shot him in the testicles from close range.

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Nanda said his client's hands were in the air and the guard was standing about five feet away when the rubber bullet was fired.

An emergency surgery to save his testicles was successful, said Nanda, but he told Global News he's concerned about "significant intimidation" Keepness and the other inmates have experienced since filing the lawsuit.

According to the Globe and Mail, Keepness, Matthew Hamm and Taylor Tobin were placed in solitary confinement on June 28, after prison officials were told by a confidential informant that the three men were planning to attack a group of guards.

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After a review, an Alberta judge freed them, concluding the prison ignored issues around aboriginal identity, procedural fairness and mental-health history.

The trio claim they were kept segregated for a total of 43 days. According to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the longest an inmate can be in involuntary administrative segregation is 30 days.

Investigation ongoing

The Correctional Service Canada declined to comment on Keepness' claims, citing an active investigation.

However, spokesman Jeff Campbell said two inmates were sent to hospital after an incident at the prison.

"Ensuring the safety and security of institutions, staff, inmates and the public is CSCs priority," he said in a statement sent to Huffington Post Alberta. "Correctional Officers are trained to handle difficult situations to safely resolve them in a timely manner."

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Keepness is currently serving a lengthy sentence at the Edmonton Institution for manslaughter and other crimes.

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A giant sinkhole in Japan that was repaired in a matter of days is showing signs of sinking again.

A road in the city of Fukuoka (about 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo) was briefly closed on the weekend after the road was seen sinking about seven centimetres, according to CNN.

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Policemen stand guard on a street in Fukuoka Nov. 26, 2016. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, a sinkhole measuring about 30 metres wide and 15 metres deep swallowed the road. No injuries were reported, but some residents were evacuated from nearby buildings as a precaution.

City workers filled the hole and repaired damaged utilities in a matter of days, and re-opened the road within a week.

Municipal officials said the special mix of soil and cement used to fill the original hole might have compressed the layer of soil underneath, causing the road to re-sink, according to The Japan Times.

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A huge sinkhole is seen at an intersection near Hakata station in Fukuoka, Nov. 8, 2016. (Photo: Kyodo via Reuters)

The road re-opened later on Saturday after experts confirmed it was safe, according to CTV News.

Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima apologized in a Facebook post Saturday for not warning residents that the repaired road could sink again.

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OTTAWA  Canada is accepting too many young temporary workers, shortchanging home-grown talent, and contributing to the high youth unemployment rate, says an independent Liberal senator.

With the youth unemployment rate almost double the national average, P.E.I. Sen. Percy Downe told The Huffington Post Canada he is concerned the federal government is admitting too many foreign youth through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program and suppressing wages and opportunities at home.

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Last year, approximately 31,000 more foreign young workers arrived in Canada to work than the number of Canadian youth who went abroad for employment opportunities with the program. Despite this, Statistics Canada reports 13 per cent of young people or 365,000 young Canadians  aged 15 to 24  cant find a job.

Are we too much of a boy scout? Downe asked rhetorically. IEC would be a wonderful program if Canada had low youth unemployment, the senator told HuffPost.

But Im concerned that we are at an unacceptably high rate of unemployment among young people, too many people living in their parents basements cant find the opportunities at all and we are offering 30,000 additional jobs to people from around the world Thats a problem for me.

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"Too many people living in their parents basements cant find the opportunities at all and we are offering 30,000 additional jobs to people from around the world."

Downes concerns are echoed by opposition MPs who also feel the Liberal government should be cracking down on the program.

Documents tabled in the Senate this fall, showed 47,340 young people entered Canada in 2015, down slightly from 49,995 in 2014 and 53,575 in 2013. Comparatively, 15,978 young Canadians went to work abroad in 2015, though the number may increase as figures from six of the 32 countries who participate in the program were unavailable. In 2014, 18,890 young Canadians left and in 2013, the number was 17,122.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, which administers the program, said quotas are negotiated yearly and are reciprocal, meaning that if there are 14,000 spots open for French citizens to come work and live in Canada for a year, there are 14,000 spots open for Canadians to work in France for a year.

France, which has a youth unemployment rate of more than 24 per cent, saw 10,310 of its citizens come to Canada last year, while only 1,548 Canadians went to France.

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Nearly every partner country  with the noticeable exception of the United Kingdom and Australia  saw more foreigners use the program. In 2015, 3,800 South Korean youth came to Canada while only 24 young Canadians went to South Korea. Four Canadians went to work in Poland while 560 Polish youth came to Canada. Only 382 Canadians went to work in Japan, while 5,385 Japanese youth sought work experience in Canada.

NDP employment critic Niki Ashton calls the numbers troubling.

There has been concern for some time about the way in which more and more people are coming to Canada through avenues that do not require a labour market opinion, she wrote in an email to HuffPost.

A labour market opinion helps employers justify to government officials why they are placing a foreigner on the payroll by stating few if any Canadians could be found to do the job.

Liberals flagged same concerns

These concerns were, ironically, first raised by the Liberals two years ago when they were in opposition.

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Back in 2014, the Liberals argued the IEC, whose original purpose was to be a cultural exchange with a neutral effect on the Canadian labour market, had shifted to become a temporary foreign worker program for those 18 to 35 years of age.

The IEC had expanded to allow young workers to stay in Canada for two years rather than one and young foreign workers were given the ability to reapply after their holiday visas had expired, the Grits complained.

They also noted how the then-Conservative government was promoting the program to employers as a way of hiring young people from abroad without having to prove that no Canadians could be be found to do the job.

Tory youth critic sounds off

Ashton said that while the program is supposed to benefit young people, but its clear that young Canadians arent seeing much from it.

Conservative youth critic Rachael Harder said the IEC could be a backdoor for foreign workers to come in and unintentionally be a contributing factor to the high youth unemployment rate in Canada.

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We know that employers don't have to go through the hoop of conducting a labour market analysis before hiring from the pool of eager young applicants. This means the likelihood of young people from other countries being given jobs that could (and should) be granted to Canadian residents is high, she wrote in an email.

The federal government should put the well-being of Canadian young people as a priority, she added.

Bottom line  Canadian young people need jobs, she said, and the Liberals should follow through on their promise to create more employment opportunities for the youth of our nation.

Immigration Minister John McCallums office chose not to respond to a request for a comment. Questions were punted to the department, which confirmed in an email that the majority of IEC participants have open work permits.

Their employers have no contact with the Government of Canada and the employer compliance process does not apply to them, wrote Immigration spokesperson Lisa Filipps.

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Filipps provided a powerpoint presentation that trumpeted the benefit of the exchange for young Canadians.

Major student groups not worried

The mandate of the program is to support the internationalization of Canadian youth and to further bilateral relationships with now 32 partner countries, the deck of slides stated.

Anecdotal evidence that the internationalization of Canadian youth has a positive impact on their labour market outcomes, another slide noted, specifying that young people benefit from having international market experience and a global network of contacts that provide them with a competitive advantage.

Two student groups told HuffPost they are unconcerned by the possible effects of IEC program.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Association's executive director Michael McDonald said his group strongly favours exchanges. The Association is focused on making tuition more affordable, not on limiting the access of young people from abroad to the Canadian job market, he said.

The Canadian Federation of Students national chairperson Bilan Arte said her group is more concerned about the explosion of short-term contracts and unpaid internships.

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Is "Closing Time" by American band Semisonic a good song? Or is it actually a lullaby that garbage bags sing to their rubbish offspring every night?

We might never know, but one thing is for sure: whistling the song repeatedly can apparently drive people crazy.

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Take the case of a woman in Oregon, who called the cops earlier this month to report a man "obnoxiously" whistling the '90s hit near her driveway.

The woman told the whistler to "shut up" after he repeatedly pushed the sounds of "Closing Time" through his mouth hole, according to a Forest Grove police log sent to The Oregonian.

Its not clear if the caller would have been more or less upset if it was a different genre or whether it was just the talent lacking in the whistling, police captain Mike Herb told TIME.

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The whistling continues

When officers arrived on the scene  yes, they responded to this  the serial whistler was nowhere to be found, according to the magazine.

He was eventually located  and he was still whistling the song.

This isn't even the only weird report that Forest Grove police received that day.

In the same log that contained the whistling complaint, police said a man reported someone tried to steal his lawnmower.

"He found the lawnmower in the middle of the street with a bag of Fritos left on it," the log said.
Chris Wattie / Reuters Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Back in 2011, Canada made history by being the first country to formally pull out of the Kyoto Protocol. It was a bold move, but yesterday, Justin Trudeau actually managed to one up the feat, albeit in different style. On Tuesday, he approved the Kinder Morgan and Line 3 tar sands pipelines making Canada the first country on the planet to, in effect, promise to break the commitments they made to under the Paris Climate Agreement.

According to the commitment Canada made under the Paris Agreement, called an "intended nationally determined contribution" or INDC, Canada has to reduce our national emissions 200 megatonnes by 2030. The decision to approve the Kinder Morgan and Line 3 pipelines not only make meeting this promise virtually impossible, they render other progress Canada has made on climate, essentially irrelevant.

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It's enough to guarantee that 1.5C limit that Canada championed, and the global south demanded for survival, will be laughably out of reach.

Like many things with climate change, it's the math that is terrifyingly simple. On the good news side, Canada recently announced plans to implement a national carbon tax and phase out coal fired power, two moves that would mean an 18 megatonne and 5 megatonne, respectively, reduction in our emissions by 2030. On the other side of the ledger, Kinder Morgan would add well over 100 megatonnes and Line 3 would add somewhere in the range of 90 megatonnes.

In other words, these two pipelines alone have blown our commitment, and Justin Trudeau has found a way to break the Paris Agreement before Donald Trump even had a chance to.

When he was approving these pipelines, Justin Trudeau told the media that "there isn't a country in the world that would find billions of barrels of oil and leave it in the ground." But that's exactly what we need to do. We have to leave those billions of barrels in the ground.

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According to a report by Oil Change International, all the oil, coal and gas already in operation is enough to ensure that the world will not meet the 2C limit in the Paris Agreement. It's enough to guarantee that 1.5C limit that Canada championed, and the global south demanded for survival, will be laughably out of reach.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signs the Paris Agreement on climate change at United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

For Trudeau and his compatriots, the decision to approve these pipelines was political. It was a choice to stand with the fossil fuel industry, the same people responsible not just for creating the climate crisis, but some of whom are under investigation for lying to the public about it. But more than this, it was a choice to ignore the cries of those people most impacted by climate change.

It was a choice to look at small island states, like the ones Catherine McKenna joined in calling for a 1.5C climate target in Paris, and decide that their survival mattered less than political expediency. It was a choice to ignore the voices of the millennial generation, who played a decisive role in putting the Liberals in office in 2015. It was a choice that will haunt this government.

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Climate leaders don't build pipelines. It's more than a slogan, it's a fact. And by approving these two tar sands pipelines, Justin Trudeau has made it abundantly clear, this government is only interested in looking like they care about climate change, not in actually doing what it takes to stop it.

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Free speech is under fire on Canadian campuses.

At the University of Toronto, professor Jordan Peterson has caused an uproar on campus because of his refusal to use gender neutral pronouns like "ze" and "hir." Some people claim that professor Jordan Peterson is under attack because his speech is very controversial and wrong.

But the reality is that every single person who wants to engage in free expression on university must deal with the campus thought police, first.

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The Canadian Taxpayer Federation's (CTF) student initiative, Generation Screwed, which deals with government debt and fiscal issues, has had its own share of challenges.

What's so controversial and wrong about talking about government debt? Nothing much. Yet Generation Screwed has similarly faced censorship and rules dreamed up by busy-body student organizers.

The CTF debt clock was taken across Canada this summer and fall, but the only place the debt clock has ever encountered problems is on campuses. Within five minutes of bringing the clock onto campus at Laval in Quebec, for example, Generation Screwed and the debt clock were successfully kicked off campus for engaging in "unsanctioned activism."

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Generation Screwed has also had issues when it comes to language. When the club sought approval from the student union at Guelph, it was told that it may have to change its name, because the word "screwed" might be considered "oppressive." The club didn't end up having to change the name, but the idea that a club coordinator can reject groups simply because of their name is worrisome.

The very idea of "sanctioned" and "unsanctioned" activism -- or policing potentially "offensive" language on behalf of some imagined victim -- is the stuff of an Orwellian nightmare.

And it's happening on campuses all over Canada.

At Mount Royal University in Calgary, there was a video published of one student berating another student for wearing a Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hat. She called the hat "hate language" and said "you've gotta take the hat off." She told the other student that if he didn't remove his hat, she would have the president of the university come and speak with him.

She gave a statement after the video went viral, saying "I have diverse friends (culturally and sexually) who would drop a class if the person wearing the hat was sitting in the room with them, because they would feel unsafe."

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Again -- standing up for imagined victims by shutting down the speech of others.

A more recent example is from Bishop's University in Quebec.

The prominent criminal trial lawyer Marie Henein is scheduled to speak on campus. Ms. Henein represented Jian Ghomeshi in his trial for sexual assault and choking. She is considered to be one of the best criminal lawyers in Toronto, indeed, in Canada. And as a lawyer with her own firm she's also an entrepreneur. Hers should be an inspiring story of success, exactly the kind that should be told on university campuses.

But the student newspaper at St. Francis Xavier, where the event was scheduled to be livestreamed, published a commentary saying that Henein shouldn't have been invited because she has represented rapists (like pretty much all experienced criminal defence lawyers). Her presence on campus may make victims of sexual violence feel unsafe, and it would be a "disservice" to students to have her on campus.

Apparently, students interested in criminal law at Bishop's and St. FX should only aspire to be crown attorneys and not defence counsel.

This is a truly sad development.

It's a disservice to coddle students and treat them as if they are too delicate to hear a message with which they disagree.

The real the disservice here is when institutions make it impossible to hear diverse viewpoints when the very purpose of the institutions is to educate.

It's a disservice to coddle students and treat them as if they are too delicate to hear a message with which they disagree.

And it's a disservice to send away prominent, accomplished guest speakers because you think others shouldn't hear what they have to say. Because of course, if you don't want to hear it, you can choose not to attend.

And to those who say this only applies to people who are really doing something very controversial, shocking or wrong, the fact is that no matter how benign your topic -- government debt, for example -- there's almost always going to be someone who doesn't agree. If we allow them to silence the Jordan Petersons of the world, soon they will try to silence you.

As professor Peterson said, "I've been denounced, and you're next."

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David S. Allee via Getty Images USA, California, Los Angeles

"Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

As a caring Canadian, I'm asking you folks to hand over your keys. I don't know if you're drunk or high or just scared but you're definitely out of control and in no condition to be driving.

I'm not sure when your problem started. I think it was around the time Ronald Reagan ascended to the presidency and most of you forgot what being a great nation meant. Rather than focus on government programs designed to give a helping hand to those in need, all of a sudden you started handing out money to those who needed it least.

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And after a decade of "Morning in America," massive deregulation and countless savings and loan scandals, you'd managed to triple the national debt and widen the gap between rich and poor.

It used to be that the United States had a national purpose and a sense of community. For years, America had a commitment to common social goals as evidenced by Roosevelt's New Deal, Kennedy's New Frontier and Johnson's Great Society.

That now seems a distant memory. After the Reagan-Bush years came Bill Clinton and another decade of selfishness and corporate greed. Although the books were eventually balanced, it was at the expense of the neediest as the gap between the haves and the have-nots widened into a chasm.

More recently, we watched as things seemed to spin out of control. Like a drunk on a bender, you folks just kept drinking and drinking without regard to the harm you were doing to yourselves and your neighbors.

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George W. Bush appealed to your historical yearnings to be a community with his call to compassionate conservatism. But the truth was soon revealed as he quickly dismantled what was left of the social safety net and handed out billions and billions of dollars more in tax cuts to those who didn't need them.

"You appear to have gone on a bender that promises to hurt not only you but the whole world as well."

Then came 9/11 and the national tragedy that should have rekindled the great American spirit of community and sacrifice. For a brief time it seemed to do just that among the ordinary citizenry. But rather than use that tragedy to galvanize the American people into positive action, your political leaders brazenly exploited it to pursue their own ideological agenda.

With the election of Barack Obama, it seemed that you were taking the tentative first steps towards recovery. There was a growing acceptance of the error of your foreign policy and the damage that had been done.

You also seemed to be reverting to a more caring America, a nation that looked to provide the basics of health, education and welfare to all of its citizens. A nation that reached out to other countries around the world. A nation that favored the average citizen over the Wall Street banker. A nation that seemed to care about the environment.

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It was as if there was now a true "Morning in America", not the phony one announced by Ronald Reagan but rather the legitimate dawning of a new era of caring, a kind of morning after the night before. There seemed to be a new spirit in the land that wished to disavow the old simplistic "hair of the dog" cure and seek a new sober American way.

There was talk of pursuing universal health care, revamping social welfare and restoring funding to the public education system. But now all that has changed as you appear to have gone on a bender that promises to hurt not only you but the whole world as well.

Despite the gloomy outlook, here's hoping things will change. Given your size and power, we have no choice but to give you back your keys. We'd have to do that anyway because the ultimate decision to act responsibly is yours. But if you want to turn over a new leaf and sober up -- remember, you've always got a friend in Canada.

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Todd Korol / Reuters Pipelines run at the McKay River Suncor oil sands in-situ operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, September 17, 2014. In 1967 Suncor helped pioneer the commercial development of Canada's oil sands, one of the largest petroleum resource basins in the world. Picture taken September 17, 2014. REUTERS/Todd Korol (CANADA - Tags: ENERGY ENVIRONMENT)

Over the years, you've heard us say time and again that environmental assessment (EA) law in Canada is broken and needs some big changes. When we heard the Expert Panel reviewing the law was seeking public input, we jumped at the opportunity.

Ecojustice has a long history of working with EA law in its various forms and know that it must shift its focus to long-term sustainable policies, plans and projects that promote the strongest possible contributions to lasting wellbeing for communities and the environment.

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You've heard from several of my colleagues so far about their submissions. We've covered topics like addressing uncertainty about a project's adverse effects and the need for better accountability and clarity in EAs.

Last week, I spoke to the Expert Panel in Calgary about decision making in the EA process.

What is the issue?

EA is a two-step process. First an unbiased, expert body evaluates evidence and determines whether a project has the potential to create adverse environmental effects. Then, in determining whether a project's environmental impacts are acceptable, a decision-maker considers a wide range of environmental, social and economic factors.

The Expert Panel has asked, "What does fair, transparent and trustworthy decision making look like?"

Our short answer is that it doesn't look anything like what has transpired since 2012 under the new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012).

What needs to change?

Decision making requires a lawfully prepared report.

CEAA 2012, and its predecessor established in 1992, require that EA reports consider certain issues, including:

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1. Impacts on fish, aquatic species and migratory birds.

2. Effects of accidents and malfunctions.

3. Cumulative effects of the proposed project alongside other existing or planned projects.

4. Technical and economic feasibility of mitigation measures.

5. Whether, under the Species at Risk Act, the mitigation measures identified in the environmental assessment are consistent with recovery strategies for any threatened or endangered species.

But what happens if an environmental assessment fails to meet these mandatory requirements?

For more than 20 years, if the environmental assessment report failed to meet these requirements, interested parties have been able to bring this question before a court -- and we've done this on more than one occasion.

However, earlier this year, the Federal Court of Appeal, in considering the Government's Northern Gateway pipeline approval, stated that under the new CEAA 2012 and the amended National Energy Board Act, the federal cabinet has sole responsibility to decide whether an EA report met the legal requirements.

The Federal Court of Appeal decision turned an important legal question that belongs in the courts, into a political question to be determined by the federal cabinet. We think this is wrong -- and have applied to the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal the Court's unfortunate, precedent setting ruling.

To address the troubling Northern Gateway decision, we asked the Expert Panel to consider recommending an explicit provision that would allow a court review of an EA report when it is not prepared in accordance with the law.

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The decision makers in the EA process should not be permitted to base their decision on a flawed report. It puts too much at risk.

Decision making requires transparent reasons for the trade-offs that are made.

CEAA 2012 took decision making powers from the agency conducting environmental assessment, and gave them to the federal cabinet. There is nothing inherently wrong in that move. We elect our politicians to make tough decisions and that includes balancing environmental, social and economic interests.

However, that change erased all transparency from the decision-making process - especially concerning in matters of whether significant adverse environmental effects of a project are justified. The federal cabinet routinely invokes cabinet confidence over any and all documents that may have been in front of cabinet when considering its decision.

Case studies: Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline and Pacific Northwest LNG

In the Northern Gateway EA process, cabinet claimed confidence over all documents before it. Therefore we don't know if the cabinet received a copy of the joint review panel report, a summary of that report, a cabinet briefing note, a report on the results of Aboriginal consultation, or had any other documents before them when approving the project. The decision may as well have been made in a vacuum, particularly when you consider that the former Minister of Natural Resources declared the project was in the public interest before the joint review panel hearings started. That sort of process is neither fair, nor transparent, nor trustworthy.

Unfortunately, the orders issued by the federal cabinet in response to the environmental assessment report provide no further enlightenment as to whether cabinet has the right documents, the issues that were considered, or the trade-offs that were made in deciding whether the significant adverse effects were justified.

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If you look at the cabinet decisions on the Northern Gateway project or the Pacific Northwest LNG project, all you see is a list of "whereas" clauses followed by the conclusion that the significant adverse environmental effects are justified in the circumstances.

There is no identification of the significant adverse environmental effects that were considered, no weighing of those effects against other factors, and no articulation of the trade-offs or balancing that led to the conclusion. Just a conclusion that the adverse effects are justified in the circumstances.

The Supreme Court of Canada has said that "whereas" clauses followed by conclusions are not reasons. Yet that is exactly what we get from cabinet under CEAA 2012 - the very antithesis of transparency and trustworthiness. This is a black box leaving the public in the dark about what factors and trade-offs were considered.

What we want to see happen

We have asked the Expert Panel to consider recommending that:

1. All documents and information considered by cabinet be identified and available to the public. This means that new environmental assessment legislation must contain an explicit override of claims of cabinet confidence.

2. Cabinet must provide robust reasons that clearly identify and justify the trade-offs that are made in deciding that significant adverse effects are justified in the circumstances.

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These recommendations are the only way political decision makers can be held accountable during the environmental assessment process.

Stay tuned for more

We're heading to Vancouver to hear from Ecojustice lawyer, Karen Campbell. Our next blog will examine climate issues in regional and cumulative assessments.

The independent panel appointed to review Canada's environmental assessment processes wants to hear from you. Please submit your comments online and tell the federal government what you think matters most in strengthening environmental assessments - such as meaningful public participation, a climate test and nation-to-nation dialogue with Indigenous peoples.

This piece was written by Ecojustice lawyer Barry Robinson. As Canada's only national environmental law charity, Ecojustice is building the case for a better earth. Learn more at ecojustice.ca, or subscribe to receive updates from us via email.
Robert Mullan via Getty Images Trump Tower, New York City, New York State, USA

I read last weekend that Donald Trump owns shares in the company building the highly controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Compared to his other holdings, it's a small stake, but nonetheless, if it goes through he'll make plenty of money.

The pipeline's a hot potato because the Standing Rock Sioux oppose its construction near their reservation, on the grounds that "it threatens their public health and welfare, water supply and cultural resources." Even President Obama has now weighed in, saying he's re-considering the route.

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Considering Barack Obama has less than two months left as president of the United States, I think it's reasonable to assume that this issue won't be resolved until Donald Trump takes office in January.

Do you really think he'll put Native American rights before his own self-interest?

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, there are a truly alarming number of potential conflicts of interest between president Trump and businessman Trump around the world.

Donald Trump is a control freak with an enormous ego who doesn't think rules apply to him.

He (Trump) was asked, during a presidential-primary debate last January, if he'd put his assets in a blind trust if he became president. At the time he said "yes," and then went on to add that he "wasn't sure it would be considered a blind trust if his children Ivanka, Don and Eric (along with corporate executives) were to run his company."

Fact is, it is not a blind trust unless the executive(s) chosen to run the company have no financial relationship with the company owner, an independent trustee, in other words.

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Fat chance of that happening. And even if it did, is he suddenly going to get amnesia and forget what assets he's got? Is he suddenly going to become a boy scout and make executive office decisions that don't favour his own best interests?

Right.

So we should all get used to the fact that the kids will be in charge (sort of), and he'll continue to be involved in each and every decision that's made or not made. Donald Trump is a control freak with an enormous ego who doesn't think rules apply to him.

Which brings up a very sad fact: In the U.S., conflict of interest laws do not include the president.

He is well within his legal rights to run both the country and his company. There is not a damn thing anyone can do about it.

You could argue that it's corrupt, or that it's unethical, but we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for either Donald Trump or Congress to embrace the notion of ethics, let alone behave ethically. That would be laughable if it wasn't so sad.

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Let's face it -- it looks like the billionaire/businessman/wheeler-dealer and now president-elect who commissioned the book, "The Art of the Deal," has outdone himself this time. He may just have hit pay dirt. How long before we see the Trump logo on the American flag?

If you enjoyed this story click on "become a fan" at the top of the article, right next to my name. You'll be notified every time I post.

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"The hope of a new politics does not lie in formulating a left-wing reply to the right-it lies in rejecting conventional political categories." -- Christopher Lasch

Politics remains the art of managing hypocrisy.

Fidel Castro is dead, but his legacy is just as controversial as ever. Just ask Justin Trudeau.

The young prime minister gave the following statement, ending with:

"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and many, many supporters of Mr. Castro. We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader."

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Please read my statement on the passing of former Cuban President Fidel Castro: https://t.co/vIYCZrJGfg  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 26, 2016

It was all very generous, and it was as if Trudeau had no foresight in how the statement would be received. Either that or he didn't care. Or, perhaps, his statement intended to elicit the avalanche of criticism that followed.

That Castro is a polarizing figure is obvious, so why would Trudeau invite all of this controversy when he could have easily released an ambiguous statement that focused on the Cuban people instead?

Upon the passing of Fidel Castro let us think of the lives impacted by his actions and be hopeful for the future of the Cuban people.  Tom Mulcair (@ThomasMulcair) November 26, 2016

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Trudeau's strategists are very calculating. They have to be. To them, Castro's death provided an opportunity to flex their strategic muscles.

While Castro's death was obviously unexpected, I believe Trudeau and his advisers wanted the negative attention from Canadian conservatives, especially when you consider the special kind of hypocrisy it takes to hammer Trudeau for such a statement.

Most clear-thinking people were immediately reminded of how former prime minister Stephen Harper praised King Abdullah, the Saudi king who died in 2015. Harper called the late theocratic monarch a "strong proponent of peace in the Middle East."

This was a man whose government has been implicated in funding terror groups for decades, beheading and stoning women for crimes like "sorcery" and adultery, as well as a systemic and deliberate oppression of civilians, especially women, who are still not allowed to drive or leave the house without being fully covered from head to toe. They are what ISIS would look like if ISIS had an actual state of their own.

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Now, imagine if Saudi Arabia had no oil, no friction with Iran -- and then imagine what the statement would have sounded like after Abdullah's passing. That's the crux of this hypocrisy -- that governments are slaves to their interests at the detriment of their principles. World leaders would rather coddle despotic regimes, claiming too much criticism would be disastrous for their citizens, when in reality nothing would likely change.

Saudi Arabia would not cancel a $15-billion weapons deal if the Harper government released a watered down statement that did not tell lies about Abdullah being a peacemaker. Nonetheless, the Canadian right took Trudeau to the woodshed, just as he anticipated that they would.

But he also wanted the left to defend him. Castro was a thumb in the eye of American imperialism, and cheering a revolutionary like him is one of the more rewarding facets of being a left-winger.

The polarizing effect was felt immediately as lefties and righties traded barbs on social media, with one side eviscerating the fallen dictator and the other canonizing him. And then it happened.

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Justin -- the environmentalist, the champion of indigenous affairs, the pro-Castro liberal, the preeminent supporter of evidence-based policies -- went ahead and approved two major oil pipelines, flushing away his progressive bona fides in the process.

His tap dancing this week was off beat, and instead of ingratiating himself to both sides he polarized Canadians twice, resulting in ridicule from the right and protests from the left. Sure, conservatives support the idea of additional pipelines to get oil and gas to new markets, but Trudeau's brand is so weak among most conservatives -- and his statement on Castro only solidifies their impression of his ability to govern like an adult.

Instead of ingratiating himself to both sides he polarized Canadians twice, resulting in ridicule from the right and protests from the left.

The polarizing effect Trudeau has initiated will be hard to escape, and in a strange twist of intentional ironies, there are now protesters marching against an American oil pipeline project with Fidel Castro's face emblazoned on a few of their hoodies.

Trudeau miscalculated, weighing a eulogy that would fade within days against a policy that would impact generations to come.

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Celebrated world traveler, Robin Esrock encourages you to explore your backyard, whether it is in Canada or anywhere in the world. In his new book, The Great Global Bucket List, Robin lists One-Of-A-Kind Travel experiences that anyone can do.

If you live in British Columbia, or just anywhere in Canada, you don't have to go very far from home to take in some of the greatest natural sights the world as to offer.

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Canada is a natural theme park. It hosts endless mountaintop vistas, dark skies perfect for stargazing, and beautiful waterfalls. Canada's natural wonders are scattered across each province and are usually just a couple of hours away.

Living in BC is just proof that Canada hosts some of the most spectacular views. One of my favorite day trips is going to Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. The Sea-to-Sky is a ribbon of road between Vancouver and Whistler. All along the way are long ocean views with jagged mountains floating above the water's surface. You'll drive through thick forest, evocative historic sites, and some of the best outdoor adventures waiting for you to explore.

One of my favorite stops is the Sea-to-Sky Gondola in Squamish. The gondola whisks you up high into the alpine to see a whole new landscape of BC's mountains views and endless ocean. The gondola is almost 3,999 feet from sea level and offers sweeping views of Howe Sound, Shannon Falls, Stawamus Chief and the other surrounding peaks. Once on the top, you can go on a deck which goes over a sheer drop and try walking on the 100 meter-long Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.

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The Sea-to-Sky highway is littered with incredible hiking trails and majestic waterfalls. The trails to Shannon Falls and Brandywine Falls are relatively easy and can take anywhere between 5 to 25 minutes.

The Sea-to-Sky is also rich with history that comes alive at the Britannia Mine Museum, a National Historic Site south of Squamish. Here you can step back in time to see what life was like when Britannia was a mining town.

A trip to Whistler is just one of the many things you explore. The key to an adventure though is to find a Bucket List approved experience.

Ten years ago, Robin Esrock left his career to travel the globe in search of one-of-a-kind, bucket list worthy experiences. He documented his findings by creating a travel blog. This blog soon became a travel column and grew into popular travel shows and multiple book deals. Flash forward to the present and Robin has visited over 100 countries and seven continents. Robin's newest book The Great Global Bucket List has 400 pages that are filled with unique experiences that you won't find in any other travel book. Each one of these experiences deserves to be on a bucket list.

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The amount of things Robin Esrock has seen is mind-blowing and eye-opening. The Global Bucket List book covers everywhere from far-flung places as Nicaragua and Mongolia to more common locations like Paris and Thailand. Robin has seen it all.

Robin Esrock has proved that modern travel is more than over-trafficked tourist attractions by sharing unique adventures, fascinating histories, cultural spectacles and unforgettable in his new book.

According to Robin Esrock, a Bucket List experience is something that you will never forget. If you can answer 'yes' to these four questions, then you have a Bucket List experience on your hands.

 Is it unique in the world?

 Will you remember it the rest of your life?

 Is it something everyone can actually do?

 Will it make a great story?

If you wish to talk bucket lists, Robin Esrock is your man. There are very few countries in our vast world that Robin has not set foot in.

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With the weather getting colder, the author kept thinking about children who don't have warm winter clothing. To draw attention to their needs, Megan Radford challenged herself to wear the same little black dress every day for a month. Here's what it taught her.

Minimalism is a growing trend these days. Basically, it's the idea that to focus on what's important, we need to get rid of the unnecessary objects, activities and baggage that clutter our lives.

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In fashion, it's characterized by owning less clothes, but of better quality. It's an idea I've been fascinated with since I moved back to Canada from three years overseas with just a few suitcases to my name.

Working at World Vision, the idea of minimalism takes on added significance for me. Every day I am faced with the contrast between my lifestyle and that of people in the communities we partner with.

This fall, I decided to challenge myself. I set out to wear one black dress the whole month of November, and, in the process, create awareness about how important having the right clothes for inclement weather truly is.

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Every day I have posted a photo of myself wearing the dress a different way on Instagram and Facebook, and directed people to where they could support my project by donating warm clothes to children through World Vision Canada.

I may be managing to go a whole month without a full wardrobe, but I always have my warm coat and boots if I need them. I want kids to have that same assurance.

I really, truly, do not need more than I already have.

Here are five things I've learned from this experiment:

Daily fashion blogging is exhausting.

I have so much respect for the women who run fashion blogs. I have never minded having my photo taken. But being in front of the camera every single day, even for the short time I needed to take one decent picture, was a bit much for this introvert. Putting yourself out there, no matter what form that takes, leaves feeling you a bit raw and vulnerable. I'll be hiding from photos at least until Christmas when this is over.

A little black dress suits every occasion.

From biking to Whole Foods, to going to the ballet, to sitting at a desk, this dress has worked for every situation I've thrown at it. Other than doing CrossFit, sleeping and cleaning, this dress has been with me through the entire month. As Karl Lagerfeld, legendary Chanel designer said, "One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a little black dress."

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I really, truly, do not need more than I already have.

I love the self-expression of fashion, and I always have. However, despite mostly shopping at thrift stores and trying my best to live a minimal lifestyle, I seem to have an overflowing closet situation. So far, I've managed to wear the same dress for 20-something days without repeating a look. That was surprising to me. And, after seeing how versatile my clothes can really be, I have a new respect for the idea of smaller collections of mix-and-match clothing items, also known as capsule wardrobes. I may be cleaning out my shelves very soon. Please help, Mary Kondo!

Our clothes are not as important as we think.

Except for the people who follow me on social media, no one noticed that I was wearing the same black dress from the day (and week) before. Even my mostly female coworkers, who knew about the experiment, frequently forgot until I mentioned something about it. This taught me that most people only notice if you look appropriate and put-together, not specific details of your ensemble.

And secondly, accessories make all the difference when you are working with a limited wardrobe. Mixing up my sweaters, tights, boots, jewellery, makeup and even the way I did my hair made me feel put-together and refreshed every day -- even if my dress didn't change.

Coats, scarves, hats and gloves make a BIG difference when the temperature drops.

In the chilly autumn and winter, what you wear under your layers is not nearly as important as what you wear on top. There have been many warm days this month, but when the November wind started to bite at my nose, I have been grateful for my bundled-up Canadian uniform.

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I am so excited about all the Canadians so far who have helped to provide those kinds of warm clothing items for kids, and supported my #1dress1month project in the process. There are so many children who will be fighting the chill this year, in countries like Romania. Economic hardship may mean that their family just can't afford to equip them this winter.

Worn out hand-me-downs and clothes they've grown out of are hard to make work when the temperature is in the negative digits. So, I encourage everyone who can to make a donation of $35.00 through the World Vision Gift Catalogue to provide sturdy footwear and winter clothing that protects children from the lethal cold.

Most of us really do have more than we need -- why not use some of that Canadian generosity and share the warmth this winter?

If you would like to see all of my little black dress outfits, you can follow me on Instagram!

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GEORGE OURFALIAN via Getty Images Syrian pro-government forces walk amidst heavy destruction in Aleppo's Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood on November 28, 2016, during their assault to retake the entire northern city from rebel fighters.In a major breakthrough in the push to retake the whole city, regime forces captured six rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo over the weekend, including Masaken Hanano, the biggest of those in eastern Aleppo. / AFP / GEORGE OURFALIAN (Photo credit should read GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Recently I muttered something -- to a British television correspondent -- that I've never said before: 'There's a temptation to say that we are screwed as humanity.'

We'd just attended a session at the annual Halifax International Security Forum on Syria that included as speakers Sen. John McCain, retired General John Allen and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Defence. Their prognosis was as bad as it gets -- news just came in that all hospitals in eastern Aleppo had been knocked out of action by air strikes.

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Hours earlier Medecins Sans Frontieres, reacting with outrage that East Aleppo's only specialized paediatric hospital had been bombed out of service, declared "a dark day for East Aleppo." During just a five-day period this month, 300 people had been killed and 950 injured.

I'd also told the assembled that late last month the UNICEF executive director, Anthony Lake, used unprecedentedly strong language that the Syrian regime may be guilty of war crimes for targeting schools. No UNICEF chief has ever used such words against a UN member state.

Despite the outrage, there is no end in sight to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria. As the war grinds on, very few people have any workable solutions. Even a temporary ceasefire, for which the UN is begging all sides to adhere to in order to allow humanitarian aid in, is almost impossible to achieve -- and looks more distant after Syrian Government forces began closing in on rebel-held territory in East Aleppo over the weekend.

Whether it is Syria, Yemen or eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels have occupied large swaths of Luhansk and Donetsk, it is a fact that crises are lasting far longer, and are becoming more immune to convention diplomatic intervention. Case in point is that despite an agreement signed by all sides called the Minsk Accords, the conflict in eastern Ukraine rages on into its third year.

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Extensive diplomatic engagement by Germany and France, coupled with pressure on the Russian Federation, has failed to stop the violence which has claimed almost 10,000 lives. Indeed, the diplomatic toolbox looks very empty at the moment.

Sen. John McCain at the Halifax International Security Forum. Credit: HISF

What is striking is that, no matter how gruesome the images -- whether from the rubble of east Aleppo or the shores of the Mediterranean -- and no matter how egregious the violations of international law, today's political leaders are failing to end the bloodshed.

In Halifax, ashen-faced, McCain recounted a conversation in 2013 with President Barack Obama around the time Syrian President Assad had used chemical weapons on his own people. According to McCain, Obama said a "red line" had been crossed and that action needed to be taken.

Still none of his demands -- a no-fly zone, safe haven areas or the provision of weapons to the opposition -- had been met by the administration. "We will never know how the destiny of Syria would have been had Barack Obama not abandoned the idea of punishing Damascus when it crossed the 'red line' on chemical weapons in August 2013," writes Isabelle Lasserre, deputy editor of Le Figaro.

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This raises the question, what is humanity's 'red line?' How many images of dead children will it take before men and women of high morale values intervene? How many school teachers need to be murdered before we say 'enough is enough?'

In Halifax there was plenty of discussion and hand-wringing of how the incoming Trump Administration will deal with hotspots, including Syria and Ukraine. Plenty of talk too among spies and diplomats alike on whether we can expect Russia to be more heavily involved in flash-points around the globe -- and whether a 'red line' exists where the West counters Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The big fear? Eager to execute a 'reset' in relations with Russia, Trump, the ultimate deal-maker, will, with the apparatus of the state at his disposal, rush a through a flawed deal that will grant Putin a guaranteed sphere of influence in exchange for a peace deal with Syria. Remember it is Trump that said a few days ago that if the US attacks Assad, "We end up fighting Russia".

Internally displaced people crossing the frontline in eastern Ukraine. Credit: Evgeniy Maloletka/OSCE SMM

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There are indications that the president-elect is contemplating a solution to bring peace to Syria. According to the Wall Street Journal, his son has already met with a Syrian politician with strong ties to Moscow. Could this signal that a peace deal that Russia would find palatable is in the making?

I don't know if the younger Donald Trump discussed the renewal of sanctions against Russia during his visit to Paris. What I do know is that support for such punitive actions is weakening among some prominent politicians in Rome and Paris. Even the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is sounding more weak-kneed these days on sanctions.

But not all is doom and gloom. There's some evidence now that the bright American minds that had openly opposed Trump during the campaign agree that sitting out the next four years on the sidelines would be the wrong thing to do. That staying actively engaged with the new administration could bring about positive change.

As CNN's Christiane Amanpour said earlier this week: "Bad things do happen when good people do nothing."

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shironosov via Getty Images Group of senior friends chatting

Health inequalities are "deeply embedded" across Britain, a charity has said after new figures showed a wide variation in the number of years people can expect to live healthy lives.

New Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show a two-decade gap between "healthy life expediencies".

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Male residents of Rutland in the East Midlands can expect to live 71.8 years of their lives in good health.

But men who live in Tower Hamlets in London have a healthy life expectancy of just 54 years, the ONS said.

Women in the Orkney Islands have a healthy life expectancy of 74.6 years.

And the lowest healthy life expediencies for women are in Antrim and Newtown Abbey, Northern Ireland, where women can expect just 51.4 years in good health.

Commenting on the figures, Janet Morrison, chief executive of the charity Independent Age, said: "Health inequalities are deeply embedded in the UK.

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"It should not be acceptable that people in an area like Rutland can expect nearly 72 years of good health while those in Tower Hamlets can expect only 54 years.

"At a time when funding for the NHS and social care is extremely stretched, improving healthy life expectancy in all areas of the UK is essential if we want to reduce the costs of an ageing population.

"If we have a public health and care system that helps people to live longer lives in better health, it is better for them, but also better for everyone."

The new ONS figures show that newborn baby boys can expect to live for 79.2 years and a newborn baby girl 82.9 years if mortality rates remain the same as they were in the UK in 20132015.

The figures also highlight regional differences between life expediencies, with men in Kensington and Chelsea expected to live 83.4 years while those in Glasgow are expected to live 73.4 years.

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Women in Hart in the south east of England have a life expectancy of 86.7 years while those in West Dunbartonshire can expect to live to 78.7.

The ONS said that women continue to have higher life expectancy estimates than men, but males live a higher proportion of their lives in good health and disability-free.

Sarah Caul, senior health researcher at the ONS, said: "Improvements to healthcare and living healthier lives means that as a nation we are living longer and newborn boys and girls can expect to live for 79 and 83 years respectively.
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A prime time newsreader has told how he feared for his daughter's life after she became "dangerously ill" with anorexia.

Mark Austin said his family had struggled to find the care the teenager needed and she was close to organ failure.

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The ITV Evening News presenter revealed the illness struck one of his daughters when she was studying for her A-levels and she entered a "bleak, dark world of depression".

"She was basically shrinking away before our eyes," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

"She was there, but she was gone and it all happened very quickly.

"We thought we were losing her so we tried to get help, but there wasn't really the help there."

Mr Austin said his daughter had needed "quick, significant" intervention, "but we couldn't find it".

"Within a period of four or five months she was very dangerously ill," he said.

The newsreader's daughter dropped to five and a half stone in weight, so the family turned to private health care but "that didn't work".

"It wasn't the kind of care we wanted for her," he told the programme. "There was force-feeding going on. There was all sorts of stuff that was making her even more depressed.

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"We pulled her out and basically looked after her ourselves. Had it not been for the fact that my wife is an A&E doctor I'm not sure what would have happened.

"She was getting close to organ failure."

Mr Austin said that the situation became more complicated when his daughter hit 18 because he was no longer able to see her medical notes.

"Things were getting pretty bleak," he said.

The presenter said the NHS offered the best emergency health care in the world for physical problems but warned that help for mental health is underfunded.

"We are heading towards an epidemic in mental health and there are not the resources there to deal with it."

Mr Austin told the programme, a mental health special, that his daughter is now "doing fine".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has two young daughters, said that any father listening to Mr Austin's interview would be "incredibly worried".

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While the Government was investing 1.4 billion in the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (Cams) over the course of the parliament, he acknowledged that more needed to be done.

"Obviously in Mark's case it is wonderful that his daughter made a full recovery, but I've spoken to a dad whose daughter committed suicide in Cumbria the day after she had a Cams appointment  I'm sure, not the fault of the Cams therapist she was seeing - but we didn't spot the seriousness of the problem and we weren't able to prevent that suicide. So I do think it is an area we need to do a lot better," he told The World at One.
The five things you need to know on Wednesday, November 30

1) DONALD, DUCK!

At PMQs a fortnight ago, Jeremy Corbyn exploited Tory discomfort over Theresa Mays refusal to say what Brexit really means. Boris Johnsons riffs to a Czech paper about the customs union were the focus, proof that Corbyn has realised that simply quoting Tory MPs can be more effective than asking his Peoples Questions.

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At PMQs today, the Labour leader may or may not choose to target Brexit chaos again (benefits may be more his thing, see below). But the fate of EU citizens in the UK and Brit ex-pats in Europe is a live issue, with The Other Donald, EU Council President Donald Tusk, in the firing line for Eurosceptics.

Tusk yesterday revelled in ridiculing a letter from Tory backbencher Michael Tomlinson, which had urged him to end the anxiety and uncertainty for those awaiting their fate. Tusk responded: It is a very interesting argument, the only problem being that it has nothing to do with reality. Iain Duncan Smith tells the Telegraph: "Donald Tusk is only interested in his own power and authority, he has no interest in the needs of ordinary people.

But the reality is the EUs firm line that - as its Brexit chief Michel Barnier told David Davis recently - there will be no negotiation without notification [ie the triggering of Article 50]. Angela Merkel stuck rigidly to this too line it seems, as Politico revealed that she had told Theresa May in Berlin recently that no deal on ex-pats could be reached early. No.10 is very frustrated as it has 20 countries lined up with reciprocal deals, but Merkel realises such a plan would hand the UK a negotiating advantage.

Theres more Boris news to trouble the PM, though. The Sun reveals that Bojo shocked colleages at a recent meeting of the PMs Immigration Implementation Taskforce, a committee of 12 Cabinet ministers chaired by May, by reviving his call for an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Amber Rudd asked him for details of his thinking after the session broke up. I wonder if May will today quote Shadow Home Sec Diane Abbotts thoughts on immigration in PMQs?

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2) SANCTIONS REGIME

Older MPs have a saying that if you want something kept secret, say it in the House of Commons. In Treasury Questions yesterday, Philip Hammond confirmed that the pensions triple-lock would be under review as the Government must decide which policies it can afford to renew.

The Chancellors line seemed more explicit than his Autumn Statement hint last week that longevity and financial sustainability had to be grappled. Whats notable is the way Jeremy Corbyn has come out firmly against any axeing of the pensions lock - so he could use that in PMQs today.

Yet Corbyn may prefer as his theme todays NAO report showing that the DWPs benefits sanctions cost more to administer than they save. It also found big delays, in August 2016, 42% of decisions about Universal Credit sanctions had taken longer than 28 working days.

Labour has piled in, with Debbie Abrahams condemning the human cost and Frank Field again asking for the Scottish yellow card system of benefit punishments to be brought to England (this idea is the kind of thing Damian Green may go for). But expect the Tory response (crafted by George Osborne) to be targeted at floating voters in marginals: Labour is the party of welfare, not work.

Still, if Corbyn wants another topic for PMQs, he could pick the NHS again (it worked last week, but got little play because Hammond came straight after). The BBC reports of ambulances backing up in A&Es is a gift. And we reported yesterday that 1bn NHS cash was quietly shifted from capital to current spending in the Autumn Statement. More Tories are uneasy about social care too.

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3) ABSENT WITH LEAVE

The SNP like to think of themselves as the real official Opposition and today they have the opposition day motion on The Chilcot Inquiry and Parliamentary Accountability. But this is all about Tony Blair and attemps to strip him of his Privy Council membership over Iraq. As well as Alex Salmond, the motion is signed by Tory Sir David Amess, Green Caroline Lucas and Labours Kate Hoey.

As I reported yesterday, this has caused a few problems for Labour. The PLP called on Monday night for a three-line whip to force all its MPs to turn up and defend Blair against the charge of knowingly misleading Parliament. The Shadow Cabinet bluntly rejected that request, preferring a softer one-line whip. This means attendance is not essential. But Nick Brown has sent an instruction with the whip that any MP who is present should vote against the motion.

But whats this? Jeremy Corbyn himself will be absent. The Indy says he is committed elsewhere and I understand he may have a constituency-related event to attend. Caroline Lucas says: To now back away from taking the action to match their words would be deeply disappointing. Of course, this is the point of the SNP trap: if Corbyn turns up and defies his whip, he causes a Labour MP backlash; if he doesnt, hes not true to his principles on Blair and Iraq. Expect some passionate defences of Blair from Labour MPs. But will Hoey turn up, and will other Iraq critics such as Paul Flynn? And how will the Tory party whip it?

As for other foreign policy controversies, Sir Alan Duncan and Emily Thornberry have attended a memorial service for Fidel Castro in Havana. At the PLP, some Labour MPs questioned why Thornberry was going at all and wanted to know who was footing her flight and accommodation bill. I have an answer: the Government is not paying, the Labour party is.

Oh, and Tom Watson made a speech yesterday attacking the boycott, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. Corbyn himself a year ago backed the campaign. And only a few weeks ago in the Jewish News leadership hustings said that while he opposed a blanket ban, I do support targeted boycotts aimed at undermining the existence of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

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Theresa May could pick up on any or all of that foreign policy discomfort in PMQs today. Tory MPs could mention their 16-point lead in the latest ICM opinion poll, with the Tories ahead among working class Ds and Es (in that awful Brave New World terminology that pollsters have). UKIP are on the prowl too, with Douglas Carswell telling constituents: Let us leave Labour to its lobbyists, while we lead an anti-oligarch insurgency. It is Ukip that must become the heirs to the Levellers.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch John Bercow complain about a sea of men as he calls for questions from MPs in the Commons

4) SEXT BOMB

Jeremy Hunts appearance before the Health Select Committee has given the Times a nice front page splash, as he warned that tech and phone giants should block children from sharing explicit images to help to curb Britains sexting crisis. I ask myself the simple question as to why . . . you cant prevent the texting of sexually explicit images by people under the age of 18, if thats a lock that parents choose to put on a mobile phone contract.

Yet things arent always simple when it comes to the balance between security and privacy on online. The Investigatory Powers Bill last night received Royal Assent, and world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee told the BBC: This snoopers charter has no place in a modern democracy. It undermines our fundamental rights online.

Labour did some patient work in the Commons and Lords to improve safeguards in the bill, thanks to Keir Starmer and Labour Lords (whose leader Angela Smith last night won PSAS Parliamentarian of the Year Award, shes blogged on it HERE). But many civil liberties groups still worry not enough was done.

And with just as little fanfare, the Digital Economy bill had its third reading in the Commons on Monday night. Labours Kevin Brennan was not happy at the lateness of the stealth amendment that will force UK ISPs to block porn sites that fail to provide age checks. We think theres a lot more scrutiny that will be required when theres more time available in the other place [ie the Lords, again], he said.

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But what caught my eye was John Whittingdale warning the move was a dangerous road to go down. "I personally was not persuaded about the necessity of introducing ISP blocking. It does represent a considerable infringement of civil liberties of individuals who are wanting to access material.. He said much porn was legal content "Like it or not, the sites we are discussing are visited by millions and millions of people every day."

5) MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

The director of the CIA John Brennan has given a fascinating interview to the BBCs excellent security correspondent Gordon Corera. He has warned Trump that ending the Iran nuclear deal would be "disastrous" and "the height of folly, and also to be wary of Russia's promises, blaming Moscow for much of the suffering in Syria.

Brennan, it has to be pointed out, will step down in January. But his words have power. And so do those of the Twitter-happy President Elect, thats his point. On Islamist extremism, Brennan said Trumps new team needed to be "disciplined in the language that they use (and) the messages that they send. Because if they are not disciplined, their language will be exploited by the terrorist and extremist organisations as a way to portray the United States and the government as being anti-Islamic and we are not."

Meanwhile, No10 told us last night that Theresa May had had her second phone call with Trump (she rang him, but we dont know if she got more this time than the 15 mins he gave Piers Morgan). The call was "part of establishing a regular dialogue between both of them.

They "discussed NATO, agreeing on the importance of the Alliance, we were told - which sounded like diplo-speak for the PM trying to persuade Donald to perhaps make a strong statement underlining Article 5 (the requirement to respond to attacks on fellow members) pretty soon. Their National Security Advisers will meet before Christmas. Whitehall expects May to make a trip to Washington soon in the New Year.

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Donald Trump's red wave changes everything. His rise to power upended the establishments of both parties, dispatching dynastic establishment candidates. His right-wing populist movement mobilized voters against the elites, reminding us it could no longer be dismissed as just a glitch. His surprising victory could herald the end of the global political and economic structures as we know them.

But when we look at what's been going on for the last year, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Trump won the nomination of the Republican Party, after all. In the Democratic primary, Clinton had been challenged by self-described socialist Bernie Sanders, who was an independent. In those primaries, despite the Clinton juggernaut, Sanders went on to win 22 states and 47% of the votes.

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A Reuters/Ipsos poll of more than 10,000 people conducted on election day found that 72% of Americans believe "the American economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful." Bernie Sanders's theme was a "political revolution" against the "billionaires and oligarchs" with the aim of creating a nation of social and economic justice, yet he was written off by the Democratic Party's elite as a single-issue candidate.

The unemployment rate may be dropping, but positive trends don't reflect the pain Americans continue to feel. New data indicate that median family income is lower now than it was in January 2000. Put bluntly, the gains of the economic recovery have been beneficial to those at the top; for everybody else, it practically stood still.

The truth is that America has become a country of deepening inequality. Today, 45 million Americans live in poverty. For many disillusioned Americans, the sense of a corporate takeover of American democracy is real, and they blame both parties for it. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, only 29% of Americans identify as Democrats, while 42% consider themselves to be independents.

In the year of anger, Donald Trump managed to shapeshift into the candidate of change, the one who would finally "drain the swamp." He attacked the rigged economic system, super trade deals favored by multinationals, the SuperPacs, and Hillary Clinton's cozy ties to Wall Street.

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This isn't to say the prospect of a right-wing authoritarian populist is the answer. We should have no illusions. Donald Trump's victory is a calamity for the systemic ills of American society. But, as Democrats start the autopsy of their crushing defeat, it's imperative not to overstate the impact of ethnic nationalism.

The economic anxiety has fueled racial resentment, and yes, in some Trump voters, it has trickled down to open racism. But, to write off deindustrialized rust-belt anger as a "whitelash" is intellectual laziness, and it is negligent. Early evidence suggests Trump's whopping 16-point swing came from the income demographics earning less than $30,000 a year. The last time they voted, they were considered the Obama coalition. As The New York Times's Nate Cohn acknowledged, "Clinton suffered her biggest losses in the places where Obama was strongest among white voters. It's not a simple racism story." However seductive it may be to write off blue-collar resentment as racism, the facts simply don't bear it out.

From the start of the 2016 election cycle, Clinton's campaign refused to acknowledge the plight of the American working class. To them, "America never stopped being great." But, it's not great -- far from it. Vast rural areas are withering away, leaving behind trails of economic wastelands. A few people, like Chris Arnade, closely tracked the urban-rural divide and how the loss of dignity was fueling a wave of despair in the form of the opioid epidemic.

To be fair, Hillary Clinton embodied the consensus of the modern Democratic Party. Unlike Reagan's presidency, Bill Clinton's was never a transformative one, but his legacy lingers to this day. It's hard not to notice endless concessions on economic issues. Take, for example, the steady erosion of labor laws, NAFTA, cuts, and deregulations, among other things. Obama's promising presidency was, at best, refurbishment. We saw voters not just vote for Trump but for a resounding rejection of Clintonism and neoliberalism.

The Republicans were always the party of big business and corporate power. In contrast, as Thomas Frank puts it in his book,What's the Matter with Kansas?: "Now it was the Democrat whose aristocratic lifestyle was always coming into question, who couldn't seem to take a step without detonating some explosive reminder of his exalted position." Now, the dislocated working-class has rebelled against the complacency that has been rotting the Democratic Party for decades.

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The problems go much deeper, of course.

Centrism is in crisis across the Western world. Multiple factors are responsible, from the financial crash to automation and the changing nature of the workforce to its cultural and political disconnect with the lives of rural communities. Donald Trump speaks directly to that sense of resentment in the United States. Brexit speaks directly to people living in British communities who feel ignored. The Guardian columnist George Monbiot wrote of how political paralysis and lack of agency led to "the disenfranchised turn instead to a virulent anti-politics in which facts and arguments are replaced by slogans, symbols and sensation."

On the face of it, there should be an open space for a new political story. In times of crises, social movements create opportunity. Political earthquakes like Brexit and the election of Trump leave a vacuum for a new political narrative; it reinforces the urgent call for grassroots mobilization and the reconfiguration of the system's decaying mechanics.
There's a story I would like to share with you. It's entirely true and it's certainly no fairy-tale. The story tells a tale about the bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, otherwise known as TB. In our 21st Century, you could perhaps imagine that this disease had been eradicated, wiped out for good. TB claimed the lives of the Bronte sisters, poet John Keats and George Orwell. Can you imagine then that this disease still lives on, still affects people today? Known in the Victorian era as 'Consumption', it is still alive and very present now. How do I know this? I've personally been treated for TB and I work with it.

TB Facts

The common conception is that TB was eradicated decades ago after antibiotics were found to kill the disease. The rates did hugely drop with the introduction of the BCG vaccination. Since the 1980's the rates of TB have increased until recently. The Tuberculosis in England Report 2016 from Public Health England (PHE) states that "a total of 5,758 TB cases were notified in England in 2015, a rate of 10.5 per 100,000 population, a further reduction since the peak of 8,280 cases in 2011 (15.6 per 100,000). There has since been a year-on-year decline in the incidence of TB in England over the past four years, down to 10.5 per 100,000 (5,758 cases) in 2015, a reduction of one-third since the peak of 15.6 per 100,000 (8,280 cases) in 2011 (Reference: Tuberculosis in England Report 2016, PHE).

Between 1st July 2015 and 30th June 2016, there were 2247 cases of TB notified in London alone" (Reference: Tuberculosis in London, Quarterly Report, PHE).

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The report goes on to say that "despite the reduction in overall TB cases the number of

cases with social risk factors, such as homelessness, drug or alcohol misuse and imprisonment hasn't declined. In fact, the proportion of cases with at least one of these risk factors has increased from 9.8% in 2014 to 11.8% in 2015. Furthermore, the TB cases with these social risk factors are more likely to have pulmonary disease and drug resistance, and the outcomes for them is worse in that they are more than twice as likely to have died or be lost to follow up at 12 months post starting on treatment, compared with patients with no risk factors". (Reference: Tuberculosis in England Report 2016, PHE)

TB is a fully curable disease and can affect any part of the body (excluding hair). It is only ever infectious when it is found in the lungs (Pulmonary TB). When someone is diagnosed with TB they get started on a regime of four antibiotics. These have to be taken every day for six months. In a straightforward case of TB this will be enough to kill the disease. In more complicated strains of TB such as Multi Drug Resistance (MDR) and Extensive Drug Resistance (XDR), it all becomes much more complicated as other drugs have to be used; the treatment regime is longer - up to two years longer. Not an easy feat. The side effects from these drugs they can be quite severe and long lasting. People can die from these types of TB - but this should not be happening. First line antibiotics work really well, when they are taken properly.

The TB Nursing role is vital. We see patients get better from their TB by taking antibiotics regularly. I've witnessed sick patients with what seemed like a death sentence over their lives, walk out of hospital cured. I have seen people from all walks of life - rich, poor, homeless, people with addictions, adults, children, from most ethnic backgrounds suffer from TB and get through treatment. I have also seen the patient with every hope of getting better; fail their treatment as their challenging life issues overpowered them. In the majority, the role of the TB nurse is a positive one, as the majority of patients do get better. The TB nurse will always seek to reduce the stigma of the disease. Unfortunately it is still perceived as a 'dirty' disease linked with poverty and in many cultures seen as curse. Contrary to popular belief it is good to have a diagnosis of TB as we know it can be treated. I am living proof that resistant pulmonary TB can be treated and cured and that anyone can catch this disease (I'd had very little contact with TB when I fell ill). There are barriers to helping people overcome stigma, but conversation is one way of helping this. Let's get the TB conversations going and beat the stigma forever.

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The Office for National Statistics reported that 75% of the 6122 suicides in the UK in 2014 were undertaken by men. That's roughly 12 men every day. Shockingly, many of those will not have been in contact with any mental health professional. Only 53% of men who have felt depressed have actually spoken to anyone about it.

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Throughout the history of mankind, the male persona has been the epitome of stoicism, strength and courage. The male heroes from childhood stories instil in us the (perhaps dangerous) notion that the best kind of man is all of these things, and therefore dependable in the face of great adversity. Maybe the need to be strong, physically and mentally, goes some way to explain why men often only seek help when the mental condition has become extreme, making it all the harder to treat.

Threatening Masculinity

I believe a mental health crisis is one of the greatest adversities a modern man will face. It transforms your own mind into an enemy that knows you better than anyone else. One that endlessly undermines your thoughts and actions, leaving you exhausted before you're even out of bed. From the moment you wake until you fall asleep, you're faced with the worst part of yourself. And it seems to threaten your masculinity; the very notions of stoicism and strength. It's the most personal war a man can face, forcing us into ourselves and away from the world; inaudible and unseen by the world around us, hardly the setting for a hero's triumph.

Courage and Strength

Turning the tide on this battle takes courage and strength, and the greatest weapon you have is your voice. Talking challenges the worthless, self deprecating mind set that accompanies mental health conditions, forcing these internal battles into the real world.

More often, talking takes place shoulder to shoulder with our friends and family. It's easy to dismiss talking about feelings because it won't change the way you feel, how you act or what you believe overnight. It does give you the chance to hear things from another person's perspective. We may not believe our friends or family when they tell us we are loved, that they care, and that there is the possibility we can find our way back to happiness. In our darkest moments however, when we stare into the depths of our condition and seek an end to life, those loving words may be the solitary light that guides us back from the edge.

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Speaking Out

Men with depression or any other mental health conditions are not alone. There is a huge percentage of men out there like them, but who aren't talking about it! If you are amongst the huge number of men suffering a mental health problem, having the strength to confide in someone and acknowledge the problem may actually be the most courageous thing you can ever do. And saving a life- your life- really is heroic.

Cammeron is a Digital Writer with YoungMinds. YoungMinds is the UK's leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people

HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around men to highlight the pressures they face around identity and to raise awareness of the epidemic of suicide. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, the difficulty in expressing emotion, the challenges of speaking out, as well as kick starting conversations around male body image, LGBT identity, male friendship and mental health.
For the past 18 months, I've been leading a global campaign to help end violence against girls and young women. The catch is that I am a man.

Why - as a man - did I join a girls' rights campaign? It's funny because over the years I've worked with numerous organisations on campaigns that have addressed and benefited a whole range of groups and minorities - from indigenous people, victims of torture, and rural communities in Africa. Yet never before have I been asked so often why was I working on a specific issue until I got involved with girls' rights.

Girls around the world face violence, exclusion and discrimination every day, just because of their gender. That didn't sit well with me, and I wanted to change it. That's why I now work with Plan International UK, which is working to advance equality for girls globally. Our Because I am a Girl campaign aims to tackle violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes.

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We are all aware, in different ways, of the different expectations of men and women, boys and girls - expectations of what girls and boys should or shouldn't do, expectations surrounding their domestic behaviours, occupation, physical appearance and personality.

Though they can seem trivial at times, these stereotypes can be harmful, and create an environment that enables discrimination and violence against women and girls. For instance, the view that women are better suited to or made for caring duties and domestic chores exposes young girls to the risk being forced into marriage.

If we assume certain roles for a girl or woman, we are making judgements on her worth. In doing so, depending on where in the world she lives, we put her at greater risk of not completing school, not having the career options she might crave, being married early, and being subjected to abuse.

But it is not just stereotyped expectations of women and girls that can be harmful. 'Masculinity' means many different things to different people, but there are age-old notions that linger in media, pop-culture and in our homes.

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The idea that 'manliness' should be measured by a man's strength, earning power, 'banter' or even sexual performance is dangerous - it can create an inevitable power imbalance, and an environment where sexual violence against women is perpetrated, even implicitly condoned.

The gender stereotypes that men are expected to subscribe to create an inevitable power dynamic that often leaves women at the receiving end of discrimination.

So in order to challenge violence, it is not enough to empower girls and women - we must also look at the role of men and boys. In a sense, that's why my gender is important in my work.

At Plan International's recent Youth Action Festival in London, I ran a workshop on positive masculinity, helping boys understand how they can become everyday allies against sexism and gender discrimination.

During the discussion, a group of boys and girls talked about acceptable behaviour and language. It was amazing to see the 'light-bulb moment' when some of the boys realised that some of the things that they did or said might cause offence. That, for example, shouting "hey, gorgeous" to a girl they barely knew might not actually be received as a compliment.

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It's not always easy for men and boys to be an ally for gender equality. Some men face backlash by not conforming to traditional 'masculine' behaviour. When Plan International set up an education centre in a Pakistani village home to a young man called Ahmed, he saw an opportunity for his wife, who had studied only until primary school, to continue her education.

Ahmed took on a share of the domestic chores to help her, but this was met with derision: "When I saw her overburdened with both household and school work I decided to help her by taking all her household responsibilities on my shoulders but my relatives and neighbours made fun of me and criticized me," he says.

"Despite this, I kept it up and just ignored what others are saying", he adds.

In my work, I meet more and more boys and young men like Ahmed, who, through changing their own behaviour, become powerful advocates for girls and women. Hearing their stories, I'm reminded that being a man managing a campaign for girls' rights shouldn't be exceptional at all. We need to empower girls to understand and claim their rights, but we must also recognise that the responsibility cannot and should not be on girls and women individually.
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On December 16, Kazakhstan will mark 25 years of independence. This is a momentous occasion which will be marked by celebrations across the country. But along with the festivities, this is also a time for us all to reflect on the significant progress we have made at home and the role we have played to help develop our common global community.

Under the wise leadership of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, our young country has developed into the economic powerhouse of Eurasia and a leading diplomatic voice on the world stage. The future of Kazakhstan is bright and the ambitious plans our Government has put forward position us well to enjoy further growth and continue to contribute to world development in the decades to come.

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Born in a period of global turbulence, our country has weathered many storms and emerged as a strong and united nation. Not everyone believed this would be the case. In 1991, some observers doubted our ability to survive as a sovereign nation, given our multi-ethnic population, our diversity of religions, and a challenging legacy of nuclear weapons and infrastructure. But we have turned this challenge into an opportunity - and over a quarter of a century have made the journey from a country with no footprint on the political map to a stable nation and a respected member of the international community.

Our progress is, perhaps, best signified by our recent election to join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for 2017-2018. Kazakhstan, the first country from Central Asia to sit on the UN Security Council, will use its experience to promote fighting terrorism and extremism, stabilising our regional neighbour Afghanistan, as well as strengthening nuclear non-proliferation and security. Our election is an important sign of the trust the international community places in Kazakhstan to be a firm advocate for peace, stability and justice in the world.

This is borne out by the role our country has played in resolving global disputes. For many years Kazakhstan has acted as a force for good, not only in our own region but across the world. Whether it's the role our President played in mending relations between Russia and Turkey last summer, the efforts we continue to make to help bring lasting peace to Ukraine or our leadership in the global campaign to remove nuclear weapons from the world, we can be proud of the contribution we have made to the global pursuit of peace and security. However, the world faces many crises, including conflicts in the Middle East, terrorism, extremism and climate change which require the international community to come together to find solutions. Kazakhstan is determined to continue acting as a bridge between nations to promote the widest possible co-operation and as a contributor of concrete and tangible deeds for the common good.

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It is not only in diplomacy that Kazakhstan is swiftly becoming a worthy citizen of the world. We are now the most developed country in Central Asia - and just recently Kazakhstan was ranked 35th out of 190 countries in the World Bank's Doing Business rankings. Over the last two decades, more than $230 billion in foreign direct investment has flowed into Kazakhstan and, as we make progress on reviving the ancient Silk Road, our country is well placed to become a vital trading link between China in the East and Europe in the West.

While we are proud of what we have achieved in our short history, Kazakhstan has fiercely ambitious plans for our future. Our country is aiming, by 2050, to become one of the top 30 most developed countries in the world. The Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, put forward by President Nazarbayev to diversify the economy, increase support for small and medium sized businesses and consolidate our country as a key location for inward investment, is an important step towards this goal. Kazakhstan is also aiming to implement a number of domestic measures that should provide an additional economic boost and further integrate us in the economic development in Eurasia, particularly the Nurly Zhol (Bright Path) New Economic Policy, which includes a $9 billion investment package.

We will start the next year with true optimism. 2017 will be an exciting 12 months for Kazakhstan. In January our representatives will formally take up their seats at the UNSC, with all the responsibilities for promoting global peace and security this brings. In June-September, our beautiful capital Astana, another Kazakh contribution to global development, will host EXPO 2017 on Future Energy, which will attract delegates from more than 100 nations and 17 international organisations. It will also see the opening of the new Astana International Financial Centre to support the growth of our financial services industry and accelerate our comprehensive privatisation programme. This will bring fresh ideas and investment to these businesses and new resources for the government to further invest in infrastructure and human development. Next January and February will also see our largest city of Almaty host the world's largest ever Winter Universiade, bringing together athletes from almost 60 countries.
If you or a loved one have just received news that breast cancer is now part of your lives, you might find yourself looking for answers while dealing with big emotions. You might also find that breast cancer jargon feels like a foreign language course you didn't sign up for.

You're not alone. Below, I offer a summary, perhaps easier to digest than a full glossary -- of common breast cancer terminology and definitions to help you.

1.Aromatase inhibitors - Drugs that block production of oestrogen by the adrenal gland - used to treat hormone-sensitive breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

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2.Axillary Lymph Nodes - The lymph nodes in the underarm, which are sometimes affected by breast cancer (see Lymphatic System, below).

3.Biopsy - A biopsy is the diagnostic procedure used to evaluate living tissue. You can have either an incisional surgical biopsy, involving part of a tumor or an excisional biopsy, involving the entire tumor or abnormal area.

4.BRCA1/BRCA2 Genes (Breast Cancer Genes) - Alone, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are just human genes which help repair DNA. However, if your BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a harmful mutation (it's inherited), you're at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Genetic testing can help determine if you have this mutation.

5.Calcifications - As we age, women often develop tiny deposits of calcium in the breast tissue. They appear as white dots on a mammogram and are very common. If clustered up in certain noticeable patterns, they could be early signs of cancer and your doctor might want to investigate with additional screening or biopsy.

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6.Ductal Carcinoma - Ductal Carcinoma (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive cancer, and consists of abnormal cells found in the milk ducts, the tubes that carry milk to the nipples. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) has spread from the lining of the ducts into the fatty tissue of the breast.

7.HER2 status - HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is the gene that creates HER2 proteins (receptors) on breast cells. In normal breasts, HER2 receptors help control how a healthy breast cell grows, divides, and repairs itself.

8.Hormone Receptors - Proteins on cells, to which hormones attach. If a cell has a lot of hormone receptors, it needs that hormone to grow. Breast cancer cells are tested for their hormone receptors, and their status is used to help choose effective hormone-targeted therapies.

9.Inflammatory Breast Cancer - A rare but aggressive type of breast cancer that spreads quickly and is characterised not by a lump, but by warm, tender or itchy skin, skin that appears "thick" or pitted like the skin of an orange, nipple discharge, discoloration or unexplained swelling.

10.Lobular Carcinoma - Abnormal cells found in the lobules, where milk is produced in the breast. Lobular Carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is confined to the lobules and therefore not immediately life-threatening.

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11.Lymphatic System/Lymphoedema - The lymphatic system carries fluid from tissues to lymph nodes via a network of its own vessels. When the lymphatic system has been compromised by surgery and/or radiation, this lymph fluid cannot travel unimpeded, and instead spreads to surrounding tissues. The result is Lymphoedema, a swelling of the limbs or extremities.

12.Margins - When a tumor is removed, the margin is the normal tissue that surrounded it.

13.Metastatic Breast Cancer - Breast cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. Also referred to as "advanced" breast cancer.

14.Neoadjuvant Therapy (Preoperative therapy) - Chemotherapy or hormone therapy used as a first treatment, usually with larger tumours.

15.Oophrectomy - Removal of the ovaries. Sometimes both oophorectomy and mastectomy are part of the risk-reduction plan for women with harmful BRCA gene mutations.

16.Prophylactic Mastectomy (Preventive Mastectomy) - Mastectomy is surgical removal of the breast, and prophylactic or preventive mastectomy does so before cancer has been detected. Many women who learn they have a very high risk for breast cancer choose preventive mastectomy to reduce that risk significantly.

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17.Prosthetic (Breast Prosthetic, Prosthesis) - An artificial breast, made of silicone, soft foam or other material, that can be worn under clothing after a mastectomy. Amoena is the originator of the silicone breast prosthesis.

18.Radiation Therapy - The use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation can be delivered by external-beam radiation therapy or internally, known as brachytherapy.

19.Tamoxifen - A drug which blocks oestrogen action, and is used as a treatment after breast surgery.

20.Triple-Negative Breast Cancer - Breast cancer that is ER-negative, PR-negative and HER2-negative is known as Triple-Negative. About 20% of breast cancers are triple-negative.

Your local support group and your medical team are the best resource for learning more about breast cancer -- and getting support from people who've been there.

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2016 has been a strange year. We've lost some of the world's most brilliant minds and we've also seen two of the biggest upsets in modern politics - the latter having led to a feeling of uncertainty across both the consumer and business worlds. In the advertising industry in which I work, this feeling has presented brands with two equally good but strikingly opposed strategies.

On the one hand, advertisers can connect with people by offering authenticity and realism - a Marketing Week article last week said more and more companies are turning towards using real people in real situations for their ad campaigns. But on the other, as illustrated by the recent string of Christmas ads featuring the likes of Buster the Boxer and Kevin the Carrot, brands also have the opportunity to help people escape real life, to be transported into fantasy or entertained by CGI animals.

At this time of year we see the greatest surge in advertising narrative and storytelling. Household brands see themselves as the self-proclaimed authority in getting everybody into the Christmas spirit, and fight for the crown of best Christmas ad. The lead-up and excitement has become so great that Christmas adverts, like Hollywood movies, now have their own teaser adverts that drive conversation andbuild anticipation around a specific social media hashtag.

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But there are companies moving away from gimmicky advertising at Christmas - brands like TalkTalk showing a focus on the customer with its 'This Stuff Matters' campaign, and Iceland's 'Power of Frozen' spot which shows real people consuming the supermarket's products at home. Driven by the rise of the 'Gogglebox' TV format, there's a strong trend of brands using real people and families in their ads, moving away from celebrity endorsement in a bid to better connect with potential customers. Sainsbury's Christmas ad does a good job of combining an animated style with something familiar, cleverly ticking both the fantasy and realism boxes.

Realism is of course a strategy that has worked for many years for charities, but the tried and tested formula is in need of a shake-up. We live in a world where it is much easier to engage emotionally with an audience by detaching them from real world issues and connecting them with the things that make them happy. The UK has become desensitised to causes and appeals - they no longer want to see the horrible things going on in the world, and having it shown to them in an ad break is no longer an effective approach.

WaterAid launched its winter campaign 'Rain for Good' around the same time the big Christmas ads were coming out. The charity faced another challenge in getting an appeal noticed by audiences apparently more receptive to escapism and fantasy over reality at this time of year. Our approach at Atomic London, as WaterAid's ad agency, was to turn the traditional appeal format on its head. Rather than highlight the ongoing problem, we flipped it around to make the charity's amazing progress to date the core focus.

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(Credit: MOD)

We featured a real girl called Claudia from a village in Zambia that has been helped tremendously by WaterAid's charity work and has transformed the lives of those living there. We picked an upbeat song with poignant lyrics ("Sunshine on a Rainy Day" by 90s pop icon Zoe) to drive a powerful message and leave viewers feeling happy and uplifted. We juxtaposed images of the cold, dark, rainy UK with the vibrancy of the Zambian village - a healthy, happy community that now has access to a water tap. The ad is raw, real and - above all else - positive. We've been pleased to hear that it's had a great response so far.

(Credit: MOD)
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It's December 29th 1890. The defeated Sioux, decimated by battle, forced marches and woeful poverty on tiny reservations, finally capitulate after the massacre at Wounded Knee. From here on resistance on the American plains is quashed. History tells us many reasons why conflict emerged in the American West between the Native Americans and the oncoming Western settlers, but one seems eerily important in the current circumstances, and that is the U.S. governments defence of big business.

As of writing this, it is November 29th 2016. In the Standing Rock Indian reservation, one of the homes to the last remnants of the Sioux tribe, located both in North and South Dakota, a coalition of local tribes people and environmental activists have been protesting the construction of the Dakota access pipeline. The fortune 500 company Energy Transfer Partners, L.P, came up with the plan for the transportation of massive amounts of crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois, across a 1,172-mile-long stretch. This Stretch Crosses Lake Oahe, not only a sacred river of the local Sioux, but a crucial one, being only 10 miles downstream of the water system providing for the major settlement of Fort Yates. It is here in Standing Rock that once again; Sioux resistance has been revived.

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The land the Dakota access pipeline is being constructed on is not part of the tribal reservation, despite being exceptionally close. It was in fact ceded by the Sioux in 1851, in a treaty symptomatic of the U.S. governments failure to deal with Native tribes, namely that few Sioux chiefs were involved, and many Sioux were not even aware, let alone in agreement, that their land was being signed away. This however is the legacy of America's past, what is crucial is the continuation of failures like these in Current America.

The incentive to colonise the West, in part, was due to its mass of resources. In the 19th century this was its gold and other valuable metals, which lured many entrepreneurs from the East, but they quickly ran into an unfortunate problem. People were already living above these precious metals, and even worse, they didn't want to move. The vast wealth under the land, however, was well worth the effort, and through fear and cajoling, the United States government was more than willing to help solve the issue. Firstly, by treaty, they would slowly take away slithers of native land, but if the tribe proved difficult to move, like the Nez Perce or the Utes discovered, military force would push them out. It was by these methods that the American government supported enterprise and big business over native peoples and the rights to their ancestral lands.

What is it then that we today can take from this story in the past?

Clearly that little has changed.

When now the Sioux peacefully protest the disruption of sacred lands, (much like the problems the Sioux of the 19th century faced) not to mention the practical issues the Department of the Interior itself has referred to, namely the massive catastrophe that would occur if an oil spill took place so close to the source of water for a major settlement, what does the American government do? It supports big business yet again. Armed, military style police and the national guard have fired water cannons, shot rubber bullets, seriously injuring one woman, and deployed tear gas to clear protesters from camps impeding the pipelines construction.

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Whats most shocking, is that this is not the action of a crazed, right wing Republican government. It is taking place under Obama's Democratic one. The man who pledged to rekindle hope, to bring about true change, is letting the past relive itself. Is it any wonder so many Americans are angry at the establishment? They all should be, because both the parties serve only one master.

Standing Rock shows us this. At the basic level, that big business has been and still is more important than native people's rights and safety in the United States. At its furthest extent, it shows us the astonishing influence money has within the American political system. It is this that history illuminates like nothing else can.
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A report from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) indicated that 4,614 men underwent cosmetic procedures in 2015. Though they accounted for a minority of cosmetic surgery operations in the UK (51,000), the number of men choosing to go under the knife has nearly doubled since 2005.

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As so-called 'daddy makeovers' continue to rise, the word from surgeons suggests this may be nudged by the decline of the hipster. The once popular bushy-bearded 'hyper-masculine' (or 'lumbersexual') aesthetic is falling out of favour, replaced by the more sleek and sculpted adonis that graces the covers of men's fashion magazines.

The age of unapologetic male beauty

There's no doubt that in 2016, men of all ages are taking care of their physical appearance more than ever before. Just a few years ago, the tabloids revelled in the sensation of a number of high-profile male celebs undergoing hair transplant procedures, condemning the 'metrosexual male' for splashing out on expensive beauty products. Now, as terms like 'manscaping', 'Bro-tox' and the 'Menaissance' come into the mainstream, what changes can we see in the landscape of male cosmetic surgery?

Male grooming businesses are now promoting a whole range of clinic-based procedures from wrinkle reduction and dermal fillers to teeth grinding. Leading men's mag GQ also checked in with a piece on how to cheat age in the age of bro-tox. Quoting Dr Michael Edelman, a leading Manhattan dermatologist, the article suggests we might now be in the Age of Unapologetic Male Beauty, and the once outlandish procedure or feminising frivolity is now becoming more of a routine upkeep.

Plastic vs cosmetic surgery

The procedures, techniques, and principles of cosmetic surgery are entirely focused on enhancing a patient's appearance - improving aesthetic appeal, symmetry, and proportion are the key goals. Plastic surgery, by contrast, is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is more reconstructive in nature. These procedures range anywhere from septoplasty - the procedure to repair a deviated septum - to skin tightening procedures that follow weight loss surgery (up an estimated 20% in males this year so far).

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Orthopedic surgeries can serve both a cosmetic and medical function too. Dr Guichet is the pioneer of a leg-lengthening technology known as the Guichet Nail. By surgically implanting a metal rod, patients are able to increase their height and relieve disabilities associated with congenital short stature and malalignments. Thanks to the association of height with masculinity, such surgeries have been popular with men all around the world.

So what type of surgeries are men having?

Despite a boom in male surgery over the past decade, the men of 2014 largely eschewed cosmetic enhancements - possibly influenced by the preference for the more rugged, facial hair-sporting look - with male figures decreasing by 15% overall. Nose jobs, which were previously the most popular procedure for men, plummeted by as much as 30% and all male procedures, in fact, took a tumble.

Now, theory goes that as men ditched the facial hair and oversized checked shirts, they may have uncovered forgotten-about double chins and 'dad bod' bellies. That's fueled an epic 20% rise in male liposuction and a 13% jump in 'man boob' reductions in a single year. In 2016, men also underwent substantially more facial procedures, with face/neck lifts and rhinoplasty climbing 14%, and brow lifts surging by 15.5%. Among ageing men, reports show blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is the most common procedure, as well as removing the turkey neck (loose skin under the chin) - two procedures intended to make us look younger.

So there's a new advent in the landscape of male cosmetic surgery, but will the pursuit of perfection stop there? Perhaps not. As the New York Post reports, male cosmetic surgery may be moving further south, as men are being drawn to a new form of cosmetic surgery that truly takes balls: botoxing scrotums.

HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around men to highlight the pressures they face around identity and to raise awareness of the epidemic of suicide. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, the difficulty in expressing emotion, the challenges of speaking out, as well as kick starting conversations around male body image, LGBT identity, male friendship and mental health.

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It was at my aunt's home in Paris that I woke up to the news that Hillary Clinton had failed to smash the hardest of all ceilings, allowing Donald Trump to become the President-elect. We thought of our American Muslim relatives, pocketed in the San Francisco bay area and New York State and wondered if they really would have to add their names to a national Muslim registry. I explained to my mother and aunt the last time a people had been forced to register their presence in a country they called home. The mention of historical Europe soon led to nervous conversation about the possibility of a win by Marine Le Pen and her National Front in the Presidential election which is only six months away in France. The anxiousness on the subject of Le Pen, however, soon gave way to pure astonishment at the news coming from India about the ban on the 1000 (12) and 500 (6) rupee.

On the 8th of November, the Indian government under the premiership of Mr Modi withdrew the two bank notes as part of their anti-corruption measures to target 'black money' and tax evasion. Indian news channels, however, reveal that it's the low income Indians, the traders and savers who have been hit as India is mainly a cash economy.

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Seeing the images of the poor and low income class struggle under the effects of the ban brought back memories for my mum of a generation of relatives who had, under the rule of the British Empire which encouraged travel between the colonies, left India to set up home and successful businesses in Burma (now Myanmar). Decades later they lost their entire livelihoods after the Burmese coup d'etat on the 2nd of March 1962. The military replaced the civilian government in Burma and in 1963 issued a decree that 50 and 100 Kyat notes would cease to be legal tender, alleging that they were subject to hoarding by black marketers. Though limited compensation was offered, people's life savings were wiped out overnight leaving these relatives with no choice but to return destitute to India, a place which was no longer home. It's not the first time I've heard stories of 50 and 100 Kyat notes being used to light cooking fires.

It seems half a century on, much like those relatives, I too will be able to burn bank notes which were hard earned in pounds and are now worthless as rupees. Back in the UK and in possession of 10,000 rupees (about 100) I visited two Indian banks in the City of London with the hope of exchanging the rupees for pounds. The currency was the amount left unspent from the last India holiday, considered pocket change and saved for future trips for the airport taxi, food and tips.

Standing with a dripping umbrella, I found the State Bank of India's employee not impressive at all; she turned away from me as if I was some sort of beggar pleading for a few pence. The Punjab National Bank employee was a little more sympathetic, advising that I should travel to India to change my money.

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He was met with bewilderment on my part. 'An airline ticket costs 500 at least. I only want to exchange 100. And anyway, even if I had more to exchange, I have a life, commitments here. I can't just get on a plane and travel to India to change money!'

'There's nothing we can do Maam. I'm sorry. I am in the same boat. I too have a few hundred pounds worth in rupees that are now worthless.'

'So people are just going to take this? Lose money because Mr Modi decided to ban the most commonly used bank notes without instruction to foreign based banks to exchange the rupees?'

'It is just the way it is. What can we do, Maam?'

In a world now dominated by the likes of Trump and Modi, what can we do indeed?
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The energy and commitment shown by the Liberal Democrats in the Richmond Park by-election demonstrate just how much is riding on it.

Tomorrow's vote is our chance to send a strong message to the Government that the Liberal Democrats will not back down. We will not stay silent as the Conservatives pursue their 'hard' Brexit agenda, a third runway at Heathrow and damaging cuts to the NHS.

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It has been inspiring to see members and activists come from all over the UK to pitch in to help. I have even heard of volunteers coming from as far as Europe and Canada! The campaign offices in Mortlake and Kingston have been bolstered by wave after wave of helpers, devoting their spare time to knocking on doors whether rain or shine.

I recently had the pleasure of joining our candidate Sarah Olney at Downing Street to present a petition against Heathrow expansion, signed by 3,500 local residents. Zac Goldsmith couldn't stop the runway as a Conservative MP, and would be even more powerless to stop it as an independent.

Sarah Olney would be a highly valuable addition to our team in Parliament. She has real life experience, and has worked hard to forge a successful career as an accountant. Sarah is one of thousands of new members who have re-energised the party, and whose voice - now, more than ever - is needed in Parliament.

She is committed to fighting against a 'hard' Brexit. The Government seems to think they have a clear run in conducting Brexit negotiations in whichever way they like, regardless of Parliament or the British people. Thousands of jobs and livelihoods are at stake, but the Conservatives refuse to give the public 'a say' in their futures. "Brexit means Brexit" means absolutely nothing.

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Over the next 24 hours, the Liberal Democrats will continue to make the case to the undecided residents of Richmond Park and North Kingston. Many Conservative voters feel let down by their party's blind stumble into Brexit, and the Lib Dems provide the best challenge. A vote for anyone except Sarah means a vote for Zac. The Green Party have recognised the strength of her candidacy and withdrawn their candidate. Meanwhile, Zac has been backed by UKIP and campaigns alongside hard-Brexiteers like Jacob Rees-Mogg MP.

The gap is closing. From a deficit of 38.9% to a single-figure gap in the polls, more and more people are backing Sarah. On the doorstep, Richmond and Kingston residents have been expressing their deep concerns about the direction of the country under Theresa May and her Government, and the complete lack of opposition provided by Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.

The Liberal Democrats have a winning argument, we just need to make sure people get out and vote.

The Witney by-election showed what can happen when people take action. To slash the Conservative majority in David Cameron's former seat by more than 20,000 votes was staggering. This time, the Liberal Democrats can go one better.
The last few years have seen a number of fascinating case studies that have used machine learning to produce medical diagnoses. There are a couple of new examples from both a corporate giant and a nimbler startup.

On the giant side of the fence is a traditional player in this space. Researchers at Google have developed an algorithm for scanning our eyes in order to better spot a particularly common form of blindness.

The project follows a familiar path, feeding the algorithm a bunch of medical images of the retina to train it to look for diabetic retinopathy, which is a condition believed to affect around 1/3 of diabetes patients.

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The condition is caused by blood vessels in the eye becoming damaged, which sees the vision of the sufferer deteriorate. As with so many conditions, early detection can see it successfully treated.

Early detection

The team hope that by deploying machine learning, they can improve both the accuracy and objectivity of diagnoses, and therefore the quality of eye care.

Google have form in this area, as they are already working with the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to utilize AI in the detection of various eye diseases.

The approach is interesting because it deviates from traditional machine learning whereby algorithms are trained on specifically labelled images that tell it what is good and what is bad. Instead, the Google based algorithm figured this out for itself.

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When the algorithm was put through its paces on over 12,000 images, it performed admirably against leading experts, both in identifying the condition, and correctly grading the severity of it.

The researchers are now using the algorithm in a clinical setting in partnership with the famous Aravind Eye Hospital in India, although the results from this trial are not yet known.

Understanding bone density

The second project, from a startup in Israel, looks at the use of machine learning to support patients with Osteoporosis. They utilize CT data to better identify patients for bone density screening, thus providing an earlier identification of possible issues.

Estimates suggest that around 1/3 of women, and 1/5 of men over the age of 50 will suffer some form of osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime, with hip fractures the most common instance of this. The impact can be severe for both quality and length of life, with less than a 1/3 of patients successfully able to rehabilitate.

As such, it's a significant burden on the healthcare system, with estimates suggesting it costs $18 billion in the United States alone. In a bid to improve the diagnosis of the condition, a team from Zebra Medical Vision and the Clalit Research Institute set out to develop an algorithm capable of calculating bone density simply from looking at CT scans that are often produced for other purposes. In other words, patients can be tested for osteoporosis risk without having to undergo a specific procedure for it.

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"Since it is common to find existing CT scans for the relevant age groups inside the provider's system, it is a more efficient screening process, enabling the identification of patients at risk without additional expenditures and time investment," the researchers say. "Combining the data obtained from this tool together with demographic and medical data at the institute, will enable the efficient prediction of high fracture risk. This is an excellent example of harnessing analytic capabilities and big-data techniques for the advancement of public health."

They believe that their solution will be increasingly crucial as the population ages and healthcare systems struggle to cope with the rising demands of this ageing population.

The service currently allows patients to upload a couple of CT scans to the site for free, with plans afoot to cater for a broader range of scans in due course.
The following presentation is one I have just made in front of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs as part of a hearing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The two other speakers who joined me are French Special Envoy Pierre Vimont and Fernando Gentilini, EU Special Representative to the Middle East Peace Process.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been with us for over seven decades. I wish I could be more optimistic in offering some kind of solution that could in fact be implemented and lead to the ultimate goal of reaching an agreement based on a two-state solution. Unfortunately, given the political environment in the region and the reality on the ground in Israel and Palestine, a solution that could answer the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians seems ever more difficult, and every day that passes, the conflict is becoming more intractable while new facts created on the ground are becoming extremely difficult to reverse. I'd like to first point out six elements that have and will continue to hinder finding a solution, what measures can be taken to improve the peace process, and what role the EU can play in the context of the French initiative:

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1) Trump and the US roleI want to begin with the changing of the guard in the United States. Although President-elect Trump has recently stated that he would like to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, which he considers to be a major achievement, his incoming administration has no plan (that we know of) to resume the negotiations and on what basis at any time in the near future. President-elect Trump will largely be occupied with the many issues, both domestic and foreign, that he raised during the campaign (such as defeating ISIS and resolving the Syrian conflict). Based on what I know, he does not see an urgency to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at this particular juncture. It seems to me that Mr. Trump would not want to delve into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unless he feels that his chance of success is rather promising, as he certainly does not want to attach his name to another failed negotiation.

In the interim, we can expect President Trump to follow the policy of his predecessors by fully supporting Israel. No one should expect that the Trump administration will exert any pressure on the Netanyahu government in the foreseeable future to change its direction.

2) The Israeli governmentThe Netanyahu government is simply not committed to negotiate a peace agreement based on a two-state solution. Although Netanyahu repeatedly states that he is in favor of a two-state solution, I do not believe that he would take any significant measures that would lead to the emergence of a Palestinian state under his watch.

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Moreover, several members of his coalition government do not see eye-to-eye on any particular solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and opinions range from those who demand an immediate annexation of the West Bank(specifically Area C) like Education Minister Naftali Bennett, to those like Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who wants to redraw the map completely to ensure a greater concentration of Jews within the eventual Israeli borders.

Anyone who attended the most recent Jerusalem Post conference and listened to the speeches of various top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and those mentioned above, will realize how deep the gap is between the positions of the various members of the coalition. The only thing they agree upon is that the time is not ripe for any serious negotiations, as none believe that the Palestinian Authority is in a position to negotiate in earnest.

3) The Israeli oppositionThere is no political opposition in Israel that can in fact galvanize its forces to provide an alternative to the current government's policy regarding the Palestinians. The various political parties, especially the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid, and others, are disorganized, do not see eye-to-eye with one another, and lack the fundamental consensus about the need to reach a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians based on a two-state solution.

As they stand today, they present no threat to the Netanyahu government, which is expected to serve its full term ending in 2019 and will most likely win the next election because of the growing shift of the Israeli public to the right-of-center.

4) The Arab StatesThe Arab States, specifically the Sunni states (led by Saudi Arabia) and the Gulf states, are focused largely on the Iranian threat and their own national security concerns, given the turmoil in the region. They have put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the back burner, and in fact, they see Israel as the front line that would defend the region from Iranian encroachment. Over the last few years, the Arab states (in addition to Egypt and Jordan, who are at peace with Israel) have developed extensive security and intelligence cooperation with Israel, and for them, such cooperation assumes top priority.

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However, given the opportunity, they will certainly support a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as long as the framework for the peace negotiations is based on the Arab Peace Initiative (API).

5) The Palestinian AuthorityPresident Abbas, though he occasionally says and demonstrates his willingness to negotiate a peace agreement with Israel based on a two-state solution, is politically weak and will not be able to deliver any significant concessions that will receive public support. Unfortunately, there is not one single strong successor to Abbas, and should new elections be held, it remains a serious question as to who might succeed him, and what policy he or she might follow.

Hamas, on the other hand, continues to call publicly for the destruction of Israel, and does not see eye-to-eye with the Palestinian Authority. It is not likely that both sides could come to terms with one another and join hands in the search for a permanent solution to their conflict with Israel.

6) Psychological impedimentsPerhaps the most important obstacle to a peace agreement is the deep psychological impediments from historical, religious, ideological, and national identity perspectives that exist between Israelis and Palestinians. For all intents and purposes, the gap between the two societies is now deeper than ever before, as the psychological impediments impact every conflicting issue, making it nearly impossible to resolve without a significant process of reconciliation that must precede any formal negotiations between the two sides.

None of the above, however, suggests that an Israeli-Palestinian peace based on a two-state solution is no longer viable, but the framework under which a solution can be found is constantly changing. What I am suggesting here is that reaching an agreement on a two-state solution is simply untenable under the present circumstances. In this regard, I deeply believe that the French initiative, with the full support of the EU, has a special role to play (given the preoccupation of the Trump administration with other more urgent issues) in an effort to mitigate many of the issues that separate the two sides, through three simultaneous tracks.

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People-to-peopleThe first track is a people-to-people approach, the purpose of which is to mitigate three major concerns that have and continue to hamper any significant progress in negotiations between the two sides. The first critically important step is to build trust, which is completely lacking, through the two sides engaging in people-to-people activities. Such measures include mutual tourism, academic exchanges, art exhibitions, joint sport activities, and women's activism (programs that will involve women on both sides). These efforts can be supported and aided financially and otherwise by the EU in order to expand them to a much larger scale than is currently being done.

The second is to allay the concerns of mutual insecurity felt on both sides. Both sides have reason to feel a deep sense of insecurity. Some of that will be mitigated through the people-to-people measures discussed above. Further ones can be mitigated from the Israeli perspective through sharing intelligence to prevent terrorist activities and increasing security cooperation to prevent outbreak of violence. On the Palestinian side, for example, Israelis should stop night raids and arbitrary administrative detention.

The third concern is to disabuse the strong Israeli as well as Palestinian constituencies of the illusion that either side can have it all. That is, the process of reconciliation will bring both sides to the conclusion that neither can rid itself from the other and that coexistence is not one of many options, but the only viable option.

Measures taken by the Israeli government and the Palestinian AuthorityThe second track is making certain political steps are taken by the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority that would create a conducive environment for a solution. Such measures are consistent with their public claims that they are seeking a solution based on a two-state solution; for example, releasing some prisoners, increasing mobility of Palestinians between various Palestinian cities and towns, easing some of the blockades over Gaza, ending mutual acrimonious public narratives by both sides, modifying textbooks to reflect the existence of Israel and Palestine, and further expanding the security cooperation between the two sides.

Political environmentsThe third track is for the EU to push Israel and Hamas to embrace the API. The API must replace the Quartet and provide the general framework for peace negotiations. Turkey and Qatar can play a significant role in persuading Hamas to embrace the API, and the EU can exert similar pressure on Israel as well, specifically since Netanyahu himself said there are certain positive elements in the API that he is willing to accept. This process should be initiated immediately, and the EU must take the lead.

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In addition, given that Hamas will have to be part and parcel of any lasting peace agreement, the EU should put some pressure on Hamas to accept what Defense Minister Lieberman recently proposed - Hamas must stop building tunnels, put aside their weapons, and end the purchase of rockets, and Israel will then be prepared to begin the systematic easing of the blockade and even build housing and an airport and seaport, all of which are critical for the development of a Palestinian infrastructure on which to establish a functioning state. The EU can also encourage the Palestinian Authority to focus on building such infrastructure, as creating the foundation for a state can only advance the cause of Palestinian statehood under any circumstances.

The EU should discourage the Palestinians from going to the United Nations Security Council to seek recognition of a Palestinian state, or even to push for a resolution to stop the expansion and building of settlements, as this will be counterproductive and would only further harden the position of the Israeli government. Israel has and will continue to defy such resolutions, knowing full well that the Security Council lacks any serious enforcement mechanism, even if the Obama administration supports a resolution, which is not likely.

This kind of reconciliation process, which should last at least two years, will allow the Israeli political opposition to regroup and develop themselves into a political force that can truly challenge the right-of-center parties in the future.

Essentially, what I am suggesting is a process that will gradually chip away resistance by either side, and instead build bridges between them to create the psychological, emotional, and practical environment that will be supportive of a comprehensive peace.

Should such a process take place, one can almost count on all the Arab states to support it, because even though they do not view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a top priority, they would like to end the conflict--regardless of its intensity, it continues to feed into radicalism throughout the region.

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This piece will be appearing in newspapers in my conservative congressional district (VA-06).

Liberals are debating how to understand the millions of Americans who voted for Trump. Since many of us see Trump - putting aside the usual liberal/conservative issues - as having demonstrated clearly that he is a dangerously defective person, it seems important to understand what his supporters did or didn't see about him, or did or didn't care about.

So while one concern is whether a Trump presidency will be as disastrous for America as we fear, the other big worry concerns the millions of our fellow citizens who supported Trump. What do their votes tell us about them?

One question centers on bigotry. Clearly, Trump expressed bigotry in a way we haven't heard at center stage of American politics in more than half a century.

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People are debating: for how many was Trump's expression of bigotry part of his appeal? And how many supported him in spite of the bigotry?

My biggest concern lies elsewhere. I'm wondering: Is truthfulness something Trump voters care about?

A propos of which, let me ask you: Was the election rigged against Trump? On those many occasions that Mr. Trump made that accusation, did you believe him? Did it concern you that Trump never adduced a bit of evidence to substantiate that accusation?

It's no wonder he didn't, because there was no evidence. (It was evidence, by contrast, that experts thought looked troubling, that prompted the current recount.)

The fact is, the whole specter of a "rigged" system was something Trump just made up. At the time, with it looking like Trump would lose, it served his purpose to delegitimize the coming election.

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Did you know he was just making it up?

I would hate to think you knew but just didn't care. Lying about the election being rigged, and laying a foundation for delegitimizing the results, as Trump did, is an attack on the American political system.

Now that he's been elected, we hear no more from him about the system being rigged. But he's still making things up.

As anti-Trump rallies sprang up around the country in the aftermath of the election, Trump tweeted out that the protesters had been hired by the media. Again, he offered no evidence because there was none. It just served his purpose to discredit the protesters (while smearing the media at the same time.) More recently, Trump has declared he lost the popular vote because "millions voted illegally," a statement the press has called "baseless."

In fact, we've all seen him make things up right and left. The fact-checkers found that 61% of his statements were completely false--the biggest liar among all the candidates. (The rate for Hillary was 14%.) Historians have said he's the most shameless liar ever to run for president.

Did he fool you? Or did you recognize his consistent lying, but not think it matters much whether we Americans can believe what our president tells us?

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It would be a stunning illustration of the decline of American political standards if the American people don't care whether or not their president lies to them.

I remember when Dwight Eisenhower, near the end of his presidency, told a single lie to the American people. The Soviet Union had shot down an American spy plane, and Eisenhower at first denied the U.S. was conducting any such spying operations. But the Soviets captured both the plane and the American pilot, and Eisenhower's lie was soon exposed.

Here's the thing. The American people were quite upset to discover that their president had lied to them. Even though this was the kind of lie that might well be justified as serving the national security interests of the United States, the people found it unthinkable that an American president - even an essentially honest man like Eisenhower -- would lie to the nation.

From Eisenhower telling that one lie after eight years in the White House, to electing a man to the presidency who continually makes stuff up, America has tracked quite a course.

The American democracy can only work if the citizens are told the truth on which to base their judgments.

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Two fears arise:

First, that the man you helped make president will make a wreck of things - not because he's "conservative," but because of his character. And second, that you'll never hold him accountable for any of it, because you'll buy the lies he tells blaming this group or that for his failures.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
How to react. The election was such a surprise to all the people I know, all the Blue People. I am having a real problem adjusting. Everyone is bombarding me with articles. In bed the other night I received two sent by different friends dealing with the same issue but coming to the opposite conclusions. The first said that the "Liberal Elite" are to blame for being completely out of touch with the Christian right in the middle of the country who are just as much the victims of the economic situation as any minority or immigrant and that somehow hating bigotry and loving inclusion and then demonizing these rust belt well-meaning people is hypocrisy. The second article said that all this blaming the "elite liberals" for not trying to understand the plight of the white Christian is total bullshit. Because these people are brain washed by a religion and they can't listen to reason about anything. They are anti-education and anti-inclusion. Their religion tells them that white people are superior because God branded people with colored skin so you could spot them as inferior.



I can't take it. I can't socialize. I don't want to have the conversations anymore but to not talk about it feels like sticking your head in the sand a la Nazi Germany. I'm getting the message we must be ever vigilant. I don't have the energy for that.



We have no idea who is really pulling the strings. Is it one mega evil corporation of rich people or is it just things doing what they've always done historically, laws of nature kind of thing? Or is it really one clueless clown who unwittingly captured the hearts and minds of all the angry disenfranchised people in this country? Or is he just a puppet of whatever the mega power is.



There are always awful things going on. There's Isis. And poverty. And hunger. And Syria. And earthquakes which brings me to the one overriding threat -- GLOBAL WARMING. I'm spinning out with a sense of dread that I haven't felt since the 8o's when every other one of my friends was dying of AIDS. Only now it's GLOBAL WARMING and we have to act fast to slow down its devastating effects and we've just elected a man who doesn't believe in it.



I'm meditating twice a day for 20 minutes.
The ongoing revelations around the "fake news" that seems to have worked its way into the election cycle and may or may not have affected its outcome is the source of a good deal of well-deserved hand wringing, upset, and even paranoia for those concerned about our electoral process. It surely is disturbing, but it should hardly be unexpected. It is an obvious end point of our crowd-sourced media-saturated environment. Even before the Internet, print publications - including the New York Times - were increasingly selling space for advertisements and supplements masquerading as real news. Reality TV played a part in eroding the line between real and staged events. Fast forward to today and professional-looking websites can easily be published and search engines and social media platforms can be gamed so that you no longer need to be a billionaire to create an influential "news" organ. In fact, it seems you only need to be a savvy computer science graduate student from a former Soviet Republic.

But fake news has two sides to it. On the one hand there are the actual fake facts and/or fake framings of real facts that the sources set forth. However, fake news still needs real readers to ingest, regurgitate, and disseminate their misinfomation, either whole cloth or with amplified distortion. Even if all readers actually paid attention to the meta-news of a new industry of fact-checking, they are surely on the losing side of what is now an information and resource arms race. Evolved "reading habits" (skimming, power browsing, etc.) of our perpetually plugged in populace have further enabled a rise of shallow and fake news. All of this is amplified by our online filter bubbles, where fake stories from "trusted" confidants and the alignment of a catchy headline or video with our own preconceptions can help to relax any innate skepticism.

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Thomas Jefferson is generally credited with being the first to say "eternal vigilance is the price we pay for liberty". It is also the price we need to pay for honest information and with that, informed debate. Fake news is a natural artifact of the relaxation of such vigilance, which generally falls under the title of "critical thinking".

Critical thinking is perhaps difficult to define, but I like to think of it as multi-stage process wherein first the facts of an issue or phenomenon are determined and then the issue of interest is subjected to a reasoned examination from multiple points of view. Underlying hypotheses and assumptions are continuously examined and re-examined, thrown out or reformed, contradictions are discovered or not. The hallmarks of critical thinking are debate and examination - perhaps with yourself, but often with others - and the construction of an argument, supported by facts, logic, and in the best case, great writing or oratory.

Critical thinkers don't shy away from the complexity found in most issues or phenomena. As such, the debates running up to the election and the election itself were essentially a repudiation of the importance of this skill. Complicated issues crucial to the survival of our democratic and diverse country were raised and continue to be front and center in the national consciousness. But in a world that expects or wants simple answers or only has time for simple answers, maybe simple answers generally win - even if they are largely unsupported by facts or reality. Immigration is a problem? Build a wall! Terrorists coming from Syria - Nuke them! Industries leaving for other countries or irrelevant? Force them to stay! Slogans make for great tweets and memes, but they hide the underlying complexity. Their truth or viability depend on a working out of the details. It's up to us to unpack them and to force their originators and forwarders to explain them and support them - to help us think critically about them.

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Almost half the country voted for a candidate who did his best in every public venue to squash or make fun of critical thinking (why is someone who articulates the complexity of a political challenge caricatured as a "wonk" rather than a diligent student?). We see now that one-by-one, many of the simplistic and tweeted promises responses of Donald Trump to many of the complex challenges of a twenty-first century "flat world" have been walked (or flung) back to square zero. There they rest, poised anew (we hope) for a long and ugly and complicated process of due diligence, revealed once again for all of their complexity. Critical thought that considers all the many dimensions of these issues - economic, moral, emotional, and otherwise - has never been more important.

This seeming large scale erosion of critical thinking has left many of us in the academy - that is, the universities and colleges -walking about in a fog. We place a high premium on critical thinking, practicing it in our work, valuing it in others, and trying convince others (most importantly our students) that they should do the same. Given the centrality of critical thinking to our personal and professional lives, it is distressing to many academics to see it devalued in the broader media and political landscape.

Some of us may think that merely by engaging in critical thought ourselves, in our jobs as researchers, in the classroom, or more broadly as citizens, we thus do our part to help to raise the general level of critical thinking in the world. Unfortunately, this "trickle-down theory" for critical thinking is not enough - we must do more to ensure that critical thinking tools are widely available and used across society.

First and foremost, those of us lucky enough to have tenure need to remember this foundation of academic freedom and use that privilege to speak out when and where we can. Sure, op-ed pieces are fine (here I am writing another...), but perhaps the greatest effects are to be engendered by more direct communications. Some of us have research and teaching that is directly linked to larger social events and trends. Even for those of us whose traditional academic milieu may seem more on the periphery of "the real world", with a little bit of thought ties can sometimes be found. I'm not suggesting a kind of Cultural Revolution wherein our work is now only valued to the extent that it is socially relevant, but where it can be, I do believe that should be a part of it. Relevance is an important on-ramp to the discussion of all ideas, abstract or applied. A good example is the relatively recent appearance on the academic landscape of programs in "public humanities". Social action may very well provide new energy to the embattled humanities.

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I also think that the academy needs to be more engaged in a grass roots way. When we work with the schools and our local communities, we build environments of critical thinking that extend beyond our university hallways and auditoriums. Examples of this already exist: "Let's Talk About It!" is a joint National Endowment for the Humanities and American Libraries Association program that brings local experts (often academics) into for book discussion groups. On the science (STEM) side of things, for the past several years I have run two large National Science Foundation (NSF) programs inspired by the success of "Let's Talk About It!" to bring informal science events to small and rural libraries around the country - venues often woefully underserved by informal science programming - focused on generating community conversations around science via related human interest stories and popular literature.
We're gathered in the historic city of Malmo, Sweden this week with six innovators and some of the world's leading experts on sustainability to harness the power of collective solutions.

"It's amazing to be here in Malmo with this years innovators," says Sofus Midtgaard the Nordic lead on LAUNCH. Midtgaard says creating real impact means "changing business as usual, scaling innovative solutions and preparing the system to adopt them."



Toke Sabroe of LAUNCH helping May Al-Karooni, CEO of Globechain prepare her presentation.

To help these innovators succeed and scale, LAUNCH partners IKEA Group, Nike Inc., Novozymes, Kvadrat, as well as leading scientists, investors, and Nordic government representatives will team up with the innovators tomorrow for interactive ideation and mentorship sessions.

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"It is this coming together of unusual partners from across industry and government where the power of LAUNCH lies to truly change the world," says Jeff Hamaoui Director of LAUNCH and Partner at SecondMuse. "Innovation pushes us to think about the future we want and what could be, rather than the future that is coming to us," Hamaoui adds.

The 6 LAUNCH Nordic innovators share how their ideas can disrupt the system:

BioCellection: a biotech solution that uses bacteria to upcycle plastic. Cofounders Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao are based in the US: BioCellection's mission is to turn plastic pollution into value and to make this technology globally accessible. We are building a platform technology that will convert mixed plastic waste that is currently going to landfills, incinerators, and oceans into new materials and chemicals that can be used in the value chain of a variety of industries, ranging from construction, textiles, to biotechnology. We are upcycling a currently uncaptured material and closing the plastic economy by bridging previously disparate industries and rethinking the question 'plastics to X?'

Globechain: a platform to connect businesses, charities and people to reuse unwanted items. Founder and CEO May Al-Karooni is based in the UK: Globechain is a reuse platform that connects businesses to charities and smes to give and take unwanted items within a supply chain network creating a social impact waste audit for its members. To date, it has helped divert over 1,000,000 kilos from landfill, contributed to over 800,000 in savings/revenue to charitable causes and indirectly helped increase employment and up skilling by around 37%.

Infinited Fibre Company: a closed loop solution for the textile industry. Founder Petri Alava is based in Finland: We have sustainable chemical technology to produce new natural and affordable textile fibers equal to cotton from textile and cardboard waste normally ending up to landfills. The fashion industry is excited about this unique technology and many major brands are committed to working with us and helping scale us to markets. The potential impact, if we get this to large markets and people all over the world, could be annually savings of 6.5 billion litres of oil and 65 billion litres of fresh water.

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Kabadiwalla Connect: a system to help cities manage recyclable waste, by leveraging the informal waste ecosystem. Founder Siddhartha Hande is based in India: Urban India's waste management system is in crisis. Every year our cities generate over 68 million tons of waste and currently over 90% is sent to open landfills. Eventually, our company hopes to help divert 70% of this waste by engaging the informal sector -- helping avoid the emissions of 30 million tons of CO2 and resulting in the savings of at least 3.5 billion USD in expenditures for local municipalities every year.

Shrilk: a biodegradable alternative to plastic that is inspired by the insect cuticle. Founder Javier Fernandez is based in Singapore: We believe the age of plastic is coming to its end and a new era based on the integration of biology in manufacturing is coming. Similar to how plastic transformed society and the way we consume and produce, biomaterials will do the same in bringing new methods of production addressing the current societal and sustainability needs.

Queen of Raw: an online sustainable materials marketplace for suppliers and designers. CEO and Co-Founder Stephanie Benedetto is based in the US: Brands across industries struggle to find sustainable raw materials and factories around the world struggle to sell their excess stock that sits in a warehouse or eventually ends up in a landfill. Queen of Raw provides the bridge and by 2025 can save over 4 billion gallons of water and 2 million pounds of chemicals while keeping over 2 million tons of textiles out of landfills.



BioCellection cofounders Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao honing their pitch ahead of the Nordic Forum December 1.

"We want to have a positive impact on people and the planet and that includes playing an active role in the transition to a circular economy. We are looking forward to meeting this year innovators with disruptive ideas and fresh mindsets who can help us on this journey. I'm looking forward to help and interact with this years six selected innovators."

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Hakan Nordkvist, Head of Sustainability Innovation, IKEA Group



You'll be able to meet all six innovators online today via Twitter at 10:30am EST. Using the hashtag #LAUNCHNordic, the innovators will share insights on their work and innovative ways to give products and materials a second life!

Also joining them on Twitter will be NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman, a chemist and former United States Air Force officer, Coleman has been on three space missions and spent 180 days in space. She's eager to learn more about the innovations and says "a sustainable earth" will help inform our future journey to Mars. "While living up on our International Space Station for 6 months, I had a special vantage point," Coleman says. "We are all on a journey and whether we have our feet right here on earth, or we are traveling thru space, we have some problem solving to do. We need to be able to recycle our water, take care of our air, and grow food in places that it is not easy to do that. You can see that space exploration and sustainable earth have a lot in common," she adds.



NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman

It is especially poignant to have Coleman join on Twitter today on the eve of her retirement from NASA! After 33 years, Cady Coleman is beginning her next journey so be sure to join us on #LAUNCHNordic as we congratulate her on a remarkable career.

"Being partners in LAUNCH Nordic has been highly inspirational for us. We are looking forward to helping this year's innovators, but we learn a lot from them as well. We look forward to share knowledge and hopefully find meaningful and relevant technologies and innovation suitable for co-investment."

Anders Byriel, CEO, Kvadrat



LAUNCH's Sofus Midtgaard and Jeff Hamaoui at High Court in Malmo, Sweden.

Following the LAUNCH Nordic Forum, innovators will take part in an accelerator program to help them bring their innovations to scale. The LAUNCH Nordic Council participants include: Hakan Nordkvist, Head of Sustainability Innovation, IKEA Group; Anders Byriel, CEO, Kvadrat; Morten Elkjr, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mikkel Stenbk, Deputy Head of Division, Danish EPA; Carin Daal, Head of Department, Region Skane; and Mike van der Zanden, Sustainability Director, Supply Chain Innovation Europe, Nike. They will provide access to capital, credibility and capacity to help the six innovators take their innovations to scale.

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Malmo, Sweden where old red brick factories and historic canals take you back to the city's origins in the 16th century.
Lessons from Kirkuk can inform plans to stabilize Mosul and Nineveh province after Mosul is liberated from the Islamic State.

Kirkuk and Nineveh have similar characteristics. Both are made up of diverse ethnic and sectarian groups. Nineveh has four major regions: Mosul City, Tal Afar, Shengal, and the Nineveh Plains.

Mosul is almost entirely Arab with some Chaldean and Assyrian Christians. Tal Afar, just west of Mosul, is Nineveh's second city. Both Sunni and Shiite Turkmen reside in Tal Afar. Adjoining the Turkish and Syrian borders, Shengal is mostly Kurdish with a large population of Yazidis in Sinjar, as well as Sunni and Shiite Shabaks. The Nineveh Plains are sparsely populated by Sunni Arab tribes, dotted with Christian villages such as Tall Kayf, Qaraqosh, and Shikhan.

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The battle for Mosul will cause extensive physical damage from improvised explosive devices, booby traps, and street-to-street combat. Mosul's residents are traumatized by occupation and the imposition of brutal sharia law.

Plans for Mosul must be part of a larger plan for Nineveh Province. Delivering services are at the core of post-conflict stabilization. Decentralized government is also critical. Decentralization includes local security and community control over the economy and natural resources.

Mosul requires an urgent infusion of humanitarian assistance, including food, water, and shelter. Temporary camps can accommodate people displaced by the conflict, while local officials work with international agencies to create conditions for the return of those displaced. Even with emergency preparedness, it will be some time until Mosul's inhabitants can return home.

Reconciliation must be a part of the post-conflict plan. To break the cycle of violence, it will be important to prevent reprisals against Sunnis who may have collaborated with ISIS. Actions by the Iraqi Armed Forces and Shiite militias called Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi must be monitored to prevent revenge-taking. Transitional justice incorporates reconciliation as the basis for social reconstruction.

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Services will require money. The UN and donor countries can contribute to emergency relief. However, the Government of Iraq (GOI) will be responsible for ongoing costs of water, electricity, and other energy supplies.

The Iraqi constitution requires the central government to distribute funds to every province based on its population. However, Baghdad has been notoriously slow to disburse funds. Iraq is experiencing a financial crisis. Restarting distributions in territories liberated from ISIS will take time and vetting. Delays risk polarizing Nineveh's Sunnis from the Shiite-dominated central government.

Local councils have a critical role, making decisions about how funds will be spent. Nineveh has districts and sub-districts whose local leaders know what communities require. Financing decisions should be made at the local level, avoiding bureaucratic delays imposed by the provincial council and the Governor.

Transparency will be essential to make sure that funds flowing to local councils are spent in ways they are intended. Audit committees could be established in each community to mitigate corruption and ensure efficiency.

Article 1 of the constitution defines Iraq as "a federal state." Article 122 of the Iraqi constitution provides for power and resource sharing at the local level. In addition, the Iraq Parliament passed the "Decentralization Law" (Law 21 of 2008) further enshrining power-sharing arrangements. Practical steps decentralizing power in Nineveh could be a model for devolving powers in other parts of Iraq.

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Decentralization must first and foremost affect the security sector. Local police should be drawn from the communities they serve, reflecting their ethnic and sectarian make-up.

Local governance must have resources to provide basic services such as health care. Supporting local schools is critical to preventing a "lost generation" of youth in Nineveh. Health care and education have been priorities for Kirkuk.

Funds are also needed to stimulate jobs through reconstruction and development. The best way to reduce local tensions is through an economic stimulus that creates jobs at the grass-roots. The Kirkuk authorities regularly consult with directly affected groups to ensure their participation in investment decisions.

The Governor has a critical role to play. The Nineveh Governor should meet regularly with the provincial council and local councils so there is a routine dialogue on conditions and best practices, guiding decisions. As in Kirkuk, dialogue can help diffuse tensions.

Kirkuk is a complex environment with many competing interests. For sure, Kirkuk could have done better, but Kirkuk has done well to promote peace and progress through services for the people and giving local leaders a real voice in decision-making.

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The problem with Iraq has always been too much power exercised by the central government. In response, Kirkuk has established informal ties to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Aggregating interests has proven useful in dealing with regional challenges, such as populations flows.

Similarly, Nineveh may want to form a region comprised of other provinces in western Iraq that have a Sunni majority, such as al-Anbar. Forming regions is sanctioned under Article 119 of Iraq's constitution.

Iraq's political reconciliation rests on a commitment to power-sharing and decentralization. Kirkuk's leaders and residents can advise their brothers and sisters from Nineveh, who face the daunting challenge of stabilization in wake of ISIS occupation. US and international experts are also ready to provide useful expertise, in coordination with local partners.


Since a moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in 1976, the United States of America has executed 1,440 death row inmates. The majority of these executions have been carried out using 1, 2 or 3-drug lethal injection protocols. In 2016 alone, 18 prisoners in America have been executed in this way.

Lethal injection, as a means to carry out such state-sanctioned executions, was first proposed nearly 40 years ago by Jay Chapman, Oklahoma's state medical examiner. Following public pressure to abandon the use of electrocution in capital punishment, Chapman's idea spread across the country and capital punishment, through its new association with medicine, once again became respectable.

Following its adoption, the standard lethal injection protocol included the use of three fast acting drugs administered intravenously in the inmate's arm. The first, sodium thiopental, acts as a sedative and relaxes the prisoner. Next, a paralytic agent is administered to inhibit skeletal muscle contraction, paralyzing the inmate. Finally, an injection of potassium chloride is administered to induce cardiac arrest, killing the inmate.

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Of these drugs, the most controversial remains the paralytic agent, which effectively serves as a behavioral mask during the execution protocol. The use of this drug has led some medical professionals to refer to the lethal injection process as a sort of theatre: "the curtain goes up, the curtain goes down". With the employment of a paralyzing agent, onlookers are saved the trouble of witnessing an untidy execution in which inmates may convulse or twitch. But as has been noted elsewhere, the use of the paralytic, from the perspective of the inmate, is indeed bizarre as it offers a more human-seeming execution but allows for the possibility, quite literally in this case, of unspeakable pain and suffering.

Recently, controversy related to access to lethal injection drugs in America has gained much attention. The European Union, in addition to drug manufacturers, has blocked American access to their products for use in the execution of inmates. In response to these shortages, some states have begun to discard the 3-drug protocol described above in place of a 1-drug protocol whereby a massive dose of a powerful barbiturate is administered to kill the inmate. In other instances the use of midazolam as the first drug in the 3-drug protocol has sparked debate and controversy. These haphazard approaches, along with a number of cruel and unusual executions, have thrust the constitutionality of lethal injection practices back into the spotlight. In the wake of these horrendous cases, one is left to wonder to what length such states will go to in order to carry out the backward and unethical laws related to lethal injection.
So my friends, we are in the midst of the holiday season, which means that we are looking for special gifts for our family and friends. My favorite places to search are definitely museum gift shops with their spirited atmospheres and surprising variety of artistic objects. And, of course, plenty of books...

And speaking of books: Yesterday, I went to a reception at the TASCHEN Gallery celebrating the publication of David Hockney's SUMO-sized monograph. If you haven't been to TASCHEN Gallery on the corner of Beverly and Crescent Heights, now is a good time. The facade and roof of the gallery are plastered with huge signage and colorful banners, grabbing the attention of passersby. Walls inside the gallery are covered with hundreds of pages from the book -- turning the pages into a fabulous wallpaper.

This gorgeous oversized book comes with a specially designed stand. And considering it's hefty price tag, it's understandable that during the opening, white gloves were offered to those who wished to look through the book. It was a privilege to encounter David Hockney himself during the reception. Here he was, surrounded by admirers and friends and -- more to the point -- by thousands of reproductions of paintings, drawings, photographs all made during his 50-year-long career.



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The exhibition at TASCHEN (running through January 5, 2017) with its larger-than-life, theatrical flair brings to mind Hockney's set designs for major opera productions around the world. One thing at the exhibition that you might be particularly taken by is an original painting by Hockney that belongs to the artist himself. Sorry, it's not for sale. And here's a suggestion: if you're planning to get down on one knee and propose to your art-loving beloved, why don't you surprise them not with a diamond ring, but with this amazing book, costing nearly as much as an engagement ring?

Yesterday, by pure coincidence, I went to another book signing, this one celebrating the publication of Overspilling World: The Photographs of Janet Sternburg by Distanz Verlag. In this book, L.A.-based artist Janet Sternburg presents nearly two decades of her work done with the help of iPhones and disposable cameras. Most of her images capture reflections of light and scenes shot through storefront windows. Her camera captures fleeting impressions of perfectly imperfect moments, and the resulting mysterious images captivate and hold your attention.

The monograph includes texts and essays by German filmmaker Wim Wenders and artist Catherine Opie, among others. This small and exquisitely designed book could be another smart holiday gift choice for your friends, and maybe for yourself as well. On Saturday, December 10, at 11:30am, Janet Sternburg will be having another signing for the book, this time at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel in Downtown L.A.

Currently, my coffee table is being crushed under the weight of the new monograph by Robert Storr, Intimate Geometries, dedicated to the great artist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) who worked until the very end of her life at the advanced age of 98. It's amazing to learn that she didn't receive international recognition until she was in her 80s. After all, her genius is so obvious, even in her much earlier works. The question is why it took such a long time for the smart art world to catch on. This is another surprise gift you might want for yourself...

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To learn about Edward's Fine Art of Art Collecting Classes, please visit his website. You can also read The New York Times article about his classes here, or an Artillery Magazine article about Edward and his classes here.

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Exposing corruption has always been a dangerous job. It's about to become even more dangerous, especially for those of us targeting one of the most corrupt industries - oil, gas and mining. A high-stakes sector, it is prone to opaqueness, vested economic interests and unscrupulous activities. At the same time, it's an industry that can - when well managed - be an engine for growth and poverty eradication in many poor nations.

Citizens working to foster transparency of the extractive sector are under attack. As liberal and democratic values recede worldwide and the unbridled hunger for natural resources continues, those calling out corrupt practices are facing harassment, legal and extralegal obstacles and, in worst case scenarios, death. Fighting for a more equitable and sustainable management of natural resources has never been as treacherous, as testified by Publish What You Pay (PWYP) members on the ground in a new publication documenting cases of repression around the world.

In Niger, Ali Idrissa, a transparency activist and member of the PWYP Board of Directors, has weathered several discretionary arrests in 2014, surveillance and, most recently, attempts to discredit his call for an accountable management of Niger's uranium reserves in the form of vicious smear campaigns. In the context of a heightened political and economic crisis, transparency fighters like Ali are the first in line when the government is looking to silence its critics. Meanwhile, Niger stands at the very bottom of the Human Development Index while being the world's fourth largest producer of uranium - enough to power every third light bulb in France.

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Ali's story is one of many. In fact, the numbers surfacing are terrifying. In 2015, 185 environmental/land defenders were killed, 42 of which were opposing mining and other extractive projects, according to Global Witness. That's an increase from 116 killings in 2014 and 92 in 2013. There is strong evidence that these represent only the tip of the iceberg: for every reported, high-level case of murder, many more go unreported. Authoritarian and corrupt government officials and corporate executives are attempting to silence those questioning the unscrupulous exploitation of natural resources around the world. When people legitimately want a say in the stewardship of their collective natural endowment, they often experience pushback from political and corporate entities seeking to defend their own interests.

As we celebrate the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, let us remember that transparency often comes at great personal cost to anti-corruption campaigners like Ali. The global anti-corruption movement owes respect and protection to him and his colleagues. As transparency activists from around the world gather in Panama City this week to participate in the International Anti-Corruption Conference, securing civic space and fundamental civil liberties will feature high on the agenda. As long as civil society isn't able to freely organise, speak out and ask uncomfortable questions of governments, transparency and accountability will remain distant dreams and those who exploit natural resources for their own private gain will continue to be able to operate with impunity.
The process by which the media continue to normalize President-elect Donald Trump and the extreme elements that now define his pending administration is achieved story-by-story, headline-by-headline, and even adjective-by-adjective.

Language, and the way journalists deploy words during the Trump transition, are a central avenue for downplaying and whitewashing what's now taking place.

Just look at some of the recent in-depth, page-one newspaper profiles of Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart.com executive who Trump has tapped to be his chief strategist and senior counselor. I'm sure much to Bannon's delight he's been awarded the "populist" label. But that description is wildly misguided, completely inadequate, and continues a long-running problem of the press mislabeling extreme right-wing movements and politicians as populist. (See: The Tea Party.)

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Populism is supposed to represent a running struggle on behalf of regular people against powerful and elite economic forces. Bannon and Trump's pro-corporate, anti-worker politics pretty much represent the opposite of that.

Plus, "populist" badly downplays the fact Bannon helped run a race-baiting cesspool, while underplaying Bannon's own alleged history of anti-Semitism.

How best to accurately describe Bannon? Vox did a pretty good job of it: "He's a leading light of America's white nationalist movement accused of using misogynistic, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, and barely hidden racist language throughout his professional life."

How far is that from feel-good "populism"? Very, very far. "Far from populism, this is Revolutionary-era elitism drawn along racist lines," noted Laurel Raymond at Think Progress.

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Yet the problem persists.

New York Times headline, November 27: "Combative, Populist Steve Bannon Found His Man in Donald Trump."



Washington Post headline, November 19: "For Trump Adviser Stephen Bannon, Fiery Populism Followed Life In Elite Circles."

It's true that both the Times and Post articles did explore in detail Bannon's controversial past and the fringe nature of his unseemly politics. The Times even detailed how Bannon once discussed "genetic superiority" with a business colleague and suggested that maybe only property owners be allowed to vote.

But "populist"? No. Reactionary white nationalist? Yes.

Note that Bannon himself this summer called Breitbart "the platform of the alt-right." And what is "alt-right" synonymous with? White nationalism. "In the past we have called such beliefs racist, neo-Nazi or white supremacist," wrote John Daniszewski, the Associated Press's Vice President for Standards, as he outlined to writers how to employ "alt-right" in AP coverage.

The weird part is that this week the Times published an article looking at how news organizations, including the Times, are using the phrase "alt-right" to describe the radical movement Trump and Bannon have become the face of, and whether the relatively new moniker sufficiently captures the movement's rough and often offensive edges. "The term has attracted widespread criticism among those, particularly on the left, who say it euphemizes and legitimizes the ideologies of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and white supremacy," the newspaper reported.

So, "alt-right" might not properly convey the outlier politics of people like Bannon, but the Times itself this week published a headline labeling Bannon a "populist."

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Meanwhile, when you thumb through Bannon's resume it's nearly impossible to see any threads of "populism" running through it. He is a Harvard Business School graduate who became a Goldman Sachs banker before opening up a boutique investment bank in Beverly Hills, CA, Bannon & Co., which he eventually sold to the French bank, Societe Generale. Last decade, Bannon also operated some dubious penny stock ventures, which attracted a number of lawsuits. He has also been a Hollywood movie producer.

After he exited the world of finance, Bannon became the chairman of Breitbart. Under his leadership, the white nationalist echo chamber called for the hoisting of the Confederate flag ("high and proud"), weeks after shootings at a black Charleston, South Carolina, church. It claimed that political correctness "protects Muslim rape culture." It has referred to conservative writer Bill Kristol as a "renegade Jew." It ran a piece last year encouraging male readers to tell women that "this isn't going to suck itself."

None of that garbage remotely fits under a breezy umbrella of "populism."

Of course, the Bannon "populist" coverage flows from the media's long-running Trump "populist" campaign coverage, which has been ill-advised for more than year. And it continues to this day.

Here are highlights of the likely Trump and Republican Party agenda for next year. Good luck finding lots of "populist" proposals aimed at boosting quality of life for regular Americans:

*Repeal health care for 20 million Americans who are insured through Obamacare.

*Pass massive new tax cuts for the wealthy.

*Drastically cut Medicare.

*Defund Planned Parenthood.

*Defund public broadcasting.

*Vastly expand the Pentagon's budget.

*Block overtime pay for workers making less than $47,000 a year.

*Deport millions of undocumented workers.

This is all part of the larger Beltway media failure of playing nice with radical right-wing politics under the auspices of populism.

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Especially during President Obama's first term, reporters and pundits spent way too much time portraying the Obama-hating Tea Party movement has a "populist" one, when it most certainly was not. Most "populist" movements, as a rule, don't passionately defend oil companies, insurance conglomerates, and AIG banking executives. And most "populist" movements don't compare the president to Adolf Hitler and parade around with swastika posters. They don't claim the president's a "racist" who wants to put a spike in the heads of babies. And they usually don't call for a military coup to overthrow the White House.

But the Tea Party did, and the media rewarded them with the honorary titles of populism.

And now they're doing it again with Trump and his white nationalist appointments.
By Brigit Helms



Brigit Helms, the general manager of the Multilateral Investment Fund, also has served as the director of SPEED, a USAID-funded program in Mozambique, and a senior expert for financial inclusion at McKinsey & Company. She has a PhD in agriculture and development economics from Stanford University.



Brigit Helms

This is Paloma. Paloma is an 11-year-old Guatemalan girl. And she is my daughter. Honestly, I'm afraid for her future.

Michelle Obama told us, "No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens."

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Social and economic exclusion is something that women face every day, in every corner of the world. And it's just not acceptable.

First, women business owners still lack access to finance. 73% of women-owned small businesses in emerging markets are underserved by the formal financial system.

Second, there are not enough women serial entrepreneurs--only 36% relative to 64% for men.

Third--and perhaps most important--women are vastly underrepresented in higher-value knowledge economy or STEM enterprises (STEM = science, technology, engineering, and math). Only 6% of women become STEMpreneurs, as opposed to 40% of men. This is critical because these are the kinds of enterprises that will most likely engender the breakthroughs necessary to truly address social and economic exclusion.

Now more than ever, we cannot afford to leave our girls behind. We simply must find solutions to social and economic exclusion.

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For women to fulfill our destinies, we must be bold. We must be innovative. And we must pave the way for future generations. We cannot simply rely on existing institutions and corporations to solve our most intractable problems. We know that truly disruptive, transformational change comes not from incumbents, but rather from upstarts, newcomers. We need new players, we need new thinking. We need more women entrepreneurs.

Why do I think that women are particularly well suited to fix society's problems? I can think of three reasons:

Women already invest in society. From 2000 to 2010, increases in women's income led directly to a 30% decrease in extreme poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. We know that women invest their income in their children's education, better nutrition, and improvements in the home. We also know that women are more likely than men to invest in social and environmental enterprises.

Women are great customers. Women save more than men, are better borrowers, and are fiercely loyal. And they often control the purse strings of the household budget. So, initiatives that target women are likely to make a difference.

Women make businesses more profitable. McKinsey & Company studies show that companies with women in positions of leadership are 15% more profitable than those without. In Silicon Valley, startups with at least one woman founder enjoy 63% more returns on investment than startups led by all-male teams.

Despite the obvious benefits to society and the economy of women-led entrepreneurship, we still have a long way to go.

However, several promising initiatives are tackling the critical issue of including women in knowledge economy entrepreneurship:

Nurturing the next generation labor force. In the United States, girlswhocode and blackgirlscode are aiming to close the huge gender gap in technology. In Latin America, Laboratoria has partnered with the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) to teach girls to code in Peru, Chile, and Mexico. Also in Chile, Jump is working to make the math curriculum more inclusive.

In the United States, girlswhocode and blackgirlscode are aiming to close the huge gender gap in technology. In Latin America, Laboratoria has partnered with the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) to teach girls to code in Peru, Chile, and Mexico. Also in Chile, Jump is working to make the math curriculum more inclusive. Helping to build the ecosystem required for STEMpreneurship. Business incubators and accelerators like accelerators such as NXTP Labs and Wayra are laying the groundwork. NXTP Labs is an early-stage fund for tech companies in Latin America, with investments in more than 160 companies in 5 countries there. It is actively engaged in incorporating and fostering women entrepreneurs; 25% of its portfolio companies are led by women. Wayra is the digital start-up accelerator for Spain's telecommunications giant Telefonica. Wayra selects 10 projects in each country where it operates, then provides mentoring and other resources to the projects at one of several Wayra spaces where entrepreneurs can work. Initially launched in seven Latin American countries, Wayra is expanding to Europe.

Business incubators and accelerators like accelerators such as NXTP Labs and Wayra are laying the groundwork. NXTP Labs is an early-stage fund for tech companies in Latin America, with investments in more than 160 companies in 5 countries there. It is actively engaged in incorporating and fostering women entrepreneurs; 25% of its portfolio companies are led by women. Wayra is the digital start-up accelerator for Spain's telecommunications giant Telefonica. Wayra selects 10 projects in each country where it operates, then provides mentoring and other resources to the projects at one of several Wayra spaces where entrepreneurs can work. Initially launched in seven Latin American countries, Wayra is expanding to Europe. Supporting startups. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the MIF is working with 15 banks to develop and deliver appropriate financial services for women entrepreneurs.

I feel the urgency of addressing social and economic exclusion now, and I hope you do as well. To quote another great woman, my mom: "This life is not a dress rehearsal. It's the performance and it's happening right now." We need to take action immediately to ensure a better future for Paloma and for all our daughters and sons.

If not now, when?

And if not us, who?

This post was adapted from the keynote speech delivered at the WeXchange 2016 #womenSTEMpreneurs forum held in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 14-15.

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Fidel Castro's passing this month was felt not only in Cuba, but in certain pockets of the United States and all over the world.

Castro's Cuba was indeed, for most Americans, a mysterious land - a place where few could visit and explore.

Unnoticed because of this sense of mystery is how progressive Cuba is in many ways (healthcare, for example).

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Indeed, we can borrow much from Cuba's playbook - and vice versa.

The learning is really just getting started.

Disclosure: Rutgers University, where I serve as a distinguished professor, recently re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Havana.

There will be formal research and exchange opportunities for students and faculty. We will be visiting Cuba in the years ahead (and Cubans will be paying visits here, too).

So, the lanes of information exchange are now open between Cuba and parts of the U.S. Cuba is not such a mystery anymore - to our benefit.

How We Can Learn From Cuba: Healthcare

Cuba's healthcare model, unlike ours, is focused on access and primary care. Doctors really get to know their patients and, when someone has a problem, they can see their doctor in the clinic, usually the same day.



If you can't imagine that happening in the United States, you are not alone.

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The United States is the only developed country without universal access to a nationalized health care system.

Countries such as Cuba see healthcare as a basic right and insure everybody. Everyone gets primary care. That would be a first step.

Starting in the mid-1960s, Cubans have encouraged all medical school graduates to do at least two years of service in a rural area. That program became so popular that by the mid-1970s, almost all new physicians were doing rural service.

Almost all Cuban medical residents do family medicine. They focus on primary care for all ages before they would go on and specialize. Meanwhile, only 35 percent of Cuban residents choose to practice a specialty - most stick to primary care.

Cuban doctors have a more altruistic mindset - they go into medicine to treat people in their communities and are making a fraction of what we make in the U.S., but most Cubans aren't going into medicine to earn money. They're going into it to treat people in their communities.

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It's quite the opposite of what we have in the U.S., where slightly less than one-third of doctors practice primary care. Maybe our system would be different if we generalized more and specialized less.

Medicine has a different economic system, too, in Cuba. This is an important factor.

In the Cuba system, education is paid by the government, so students don't have debt. In the United States, medical students come out $200,000 or $300,000 in the hole, which deters them from going into primary care.

In 1999, Cuba created a school of medicine for Latin America. They bring students in, train them for six years, give them room and board and a stipend.

Afterward, the students are required to go home and practice in poorer areas. It's a remarkable program, with 10,000 students now from 33 countries. Maybe we can think of developing health care workers the same way.

We can also learn how to institutionalize universal health care from Cuba. They understand it in ways that we do not, in the U.S.

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When you compare United States against most developed countries, we're near the bottom in most health indicators. Our life expectancy isn't as good, our infant mortality rates are higher, and we spending twice as much money.

If Cuba's system isn't perfect, it is stunningly different than what we have. We can certainly learn much from them.

What They Can Learn From Us: Urban Education

While visiting the U.S., the University of Havana cohort spent time at the LEAP Academy University Charter School, which is known for having a Cradle-to-College learning model designed specifically for a low-income student population.

Camden is a small city where we see some of the worst aspects of America -- violence, crime, drugs, high unemployment, poverty, dangerous under-performing schools and fragile families struggling to make ends meet.

LEAP is more than just a school; it is a community that is dedicated to using education to lift its population from generations of poverty.

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The formula for LEAP Academy includes a longer school day and year. It involves offering teachers pay for performance incentives, and features getting parents engaged in the educational process. Parents and guardians are active in the school, volunteering at least 40 hours during the school year.

A health center at LEAP, staffed by a full-time pediatrician, provides access to quality healthcare in a comfortable setting (not unlike the Cuban healthcare model).

Furthermore, LEAP's Parents Academy helps low-income adults earn admission to college programs themselves - allowing the adult to grow academically, just as their children are doing the same.

A Look Ahead

Camden is a small city of about 77,000 residents, where we witness the worse America has to offer -- violence, crime, drugs, high unemployment, poverty, forgotten children, dangerous nonperforming schools and fragile families struggling to make ends meet. If a change agent can work in Camden, it may be able to work anywhere.

If we can use this city to show Cubans how institutions of higher education are making a difference in transforming the life of children and families, then there is hope for making Cuba a better place as they are transitioning into a new society and mainstream system.

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On September 27th, Zymere Perkins was murdered. Zymere was only six years old when he was beaten and his lifeless body hung off a bathroom door. In the hours following his death, we learned that Zymere's abuse was reported on at least five occasions. However, in each instance, the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), the City Agency tasked with child abuse investigations, found no reason to remove Zymere from his mother. In the days following Zymere's death, the chorus demanding accountability and reform has grown. We know of at least 5 investigations launched by Governor Cuomo, NYC's Department of Investigations (DOI), NYC's Comptroller, Scott Stringer, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and the internal investigation promised by ACS. As of today, a number of ACS employees, probably as many as seven, have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, and Mayor de Blasio announced that these suspensions are "only the first step."

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Zymere Perkins' death is heartbreaking. The loss of any child is painful; a loss that could have been prevented is almost too much to bear. As CEO's of three of the oldest and largest charities serving New York City's children, we are determined to learn any lesson we can to protect children from harm. We stand with all New Yorkers in demanding accountability, and we want to see pragmatic and meaningful reform that truly protects children.

Working alongside ACS, we will muster our collective professional experience, call upon the best and brightest in our profession, and take a hard look at practices. We know that there is no margin for error - we know that a bad day, a missed sign, an unreturned phone call, a delayed visit, could potentially result in the loss of a child's life.

It is not unusual for our staff members to walk into dangerous situations, as do the caseworkers at ACS, armed only with a cell phone and a notebook. Our foster families care for many children who are in great pain. Together, we wade through the most complex of family circumstances, exacerbated by poverty, social isolation, racial segregation and, sometimes, serious mental illness. Around the clock, we engage parents and help them improve their own lives, as well as the lives of their children. We do so, always, with a close eye on the safety of children and our work has profound intergenerational implications.

While ACS should be held accountable for any mistakes and misjudgments made, the City must commit - as it is already doing - to additional investments that build on the lesson learned. We must also recognize that today's child welfare system overall is far different and much improved from the child welfare system of 20 years ago, when ACS was created.

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New York City has made smart investments over two prior Mayoral administrations, and these investments have moved us forward significantly. Now, Mayor de Blasio has made a $100 million investment in the child welfare system, which will enable ACS and Commissioner Carrion to continue to invest in our work and to improve care of our children. Some examples of successes include:

The foster care population is the lowest it's been in decades as more children are being adopted and fewer are growing up without family.

Our preventive services system is helping families stay together, overcoming a historical gulf of distrust between families and the system by providing them with tools to succeed and closely monitoring their progress. This model is the envy of other cities around the country.

New York City is a national leader in implementing evidence based practices - programs based on measurable results - that are keeping more children out of harm's way.

We will surely learn more about the Perkins case in the days ahead. Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Carrion have already announced thoughtful reforms, especially the guidance to schools, where signs of abuse can often be spotted early. We are eager to apply any additional lessons learned over the course of this investigation.

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Last week an organization called Turning Point USA published a website called Professor Watchlist that claims its mission is "to expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom." The website actually is simply an aggregated list generated from pre-existing websites, although they also allow people to submit "tips" to perceived acts against conservatives or conservative ideals perpetrated by professors in the classroom.

A quick look at the website shows that it doesn't actually do what it claims. For example, my entry on the list indicates that I support gun control, which I do, and that I encourage confiscation of guns, which I don't. Their claims are based on a single op ed piece I wrote over a year ago and which I have actually rethought since that time based upon comments I received on the article. That's what critical thinking is about--being open to alternative viewpoints and willing to listen and change when it makes sense.

No one from Turning Point USA contacted me to find out what my current views on the topic might be and I am unaware of anyone from their organization having ever stepped foot in one of my classrooms. Clearly they have not read other articles I've written in which I strongly voice my position supporting the need to ensure all viewpoints can be expressed openly in universities. This includes a HuffPost blog objecting to the attempt of my own academic society to boycott Israeli universities for political reasons. If my entry is an example, the list is likely filled with factual errors and misleading representations.

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Turning Point USA states on the site that it, "will continue to fight for free speech and the right for professors to say whatever they wish; however students, parents, and alumni deserve to know the specific incidents and names of professors that advance a radical agenda in lecture halls." I entirely agree with this statement and would also point out that those people have a right to know about anything that professors discuss in the classroom, including the statements of professors who advance radical conservative agendas.

Radical politics is not exclusively a "leftist" domain.

Interestingly, their website completely fails to accomplish its stated goal, because many of the entries lack facts about anything said in the classroom and the website creators seem to have no awareness that what a professor writes does not necessarily reflect how she runs class discussion or lectures.

When it comes to the classroom, there is little question that learning happens best when the right of persons from all political perspectives to voice their opinions peacefully and openly is encouraged and protected. But with freedom of speech also comes responsibility for what one says. Those who make claims that professors, or anyone else, discriminate against particular groups must be held accountable to provide factual evidence that these claims are true.

Despite its factual appearance, much of what I've read in Professorwatchlist.org lacks evidence supporting their claims that the professors listed have in the classroom engaged in the types of activities presented on the website as being Turning Point USA's goal to make public. The simple fact that a professor writes an opinion piece taking a position does not mean he also espouses that viewpoint in the classroom or that he discriminates against conservatives.

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From my perspective working with college students on a daily basis, what disturbs me most is that lists like Professor Watchlist devalue the intelligence and abilities of young people to assess and understand what they learn from their professors and to thoughtfully respond to the ideas that professors present.

My students are smart. Very smart. They are fully capable of deciding which things I say in class make sense and which ones don't; and I encourage them to challenge me on those that don't, as do most of my colleagues. When I was in college, my professors challenged students to think critically and I learned a great deal debating my peers and my professors, who clearly had their own political ideas and taught classes built around those ideas. I am deeply thankful for the abilities of those scholars to create contexts in which all viewpoints were heard, logical flaws in reasoning were pointed out, and everyone was valued equally as a person. This is what makes good teaching and a good learning environment and allows people to grow intellectually in whatever direction they deem right.
Blade and Bow's 24 Year Old Bourbon

Blade and Bow is a recent addition to Diageo's bourbon portfolio. Launched in 2015, the brand is unusual in that its two primary expressions, a no-age statement (NAS) offering and a 22-year-old bourbon, are both produced by methods that are rare in the bourbon industry. Both bourbons consist of a blend of whiskeys that were produced at different distilleries. The 22 YO consists of a blend from three different distilleries: the legendary Stitzel-Weller, a distillery identified by Diageo as "the distillery located at 17th and Breckinridge in Louisville, Kentucky" (Bernheim) and "the distillery located at 1001 Wilkerson Boulevard in Frankfort Kentucky" (George T. Stagg/Buffalo Trace).

The NAS expression is produced via a solera. This blend is a little harder to pin down as Diageo has been rather vague about the origin of its components. It's possible that it includes whiskey originally distilled at Stitzel-Weller -- if so, probably a relatively small part of the blend. It's likely it includes whiskeys that were originally distilled at Bernheim and Stagg, the same whiskeys that go into the 22 YO blend, but it's also possible that it may include other whiskeys as well. Using a solera method is a good way of achieving a consistent taste profile from what might be a disparate set of whiskey stocks. In this case, it also allows the brand to maintain a link to Stitzel-Weller, even though the amount of Stitzel-Weller stock in the blend is likely to be very small.

The NAS bourbon employs a five-tier solera. Half the contents of the final fifth tier of barrels are removed at each bottling cycle and the barrels refilled from stock in the fourth tier. Each tier, in turn, draws stock from the previous tier. The first or top tier is replenished from new stocks. The final blend consists of stock that made its way through all five tiers. Multi-tier, fractional blending methods are widely employed in the production of sherry and nonvintage port. They are relatively rare in the production of spirits, however, apart from Central American and South American rums. Glenfiddich bottles a 15 YO Scotch whisky that is produced via a fractional blending system. Hillrock Estate Distillery in Ancram, New York, produces bourbon that they describe as "solera aged." Steward's, a Colorado craft distillery, blends eight different bourbons from four states, which it then ages in a solera system to produce its Steward's Solera Bourbon.

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Blending whiskeys from different distilleries is unusual in bourbon country, although not unheard of. Typically, distilleries create varied whiskey expressions by using different mash bills and by varying distilling and aging regimes rather than by blending whiskeys produced at different facilities. The choice of whiskeys from these three distilleries is not surprising, as all three facilities were either owned by Diageo's predecessor companies (Stitzel-Weller, Bernheim) or produced whiskey for them on a contract basis (George T. Stagg). I explored the history of these three distilleries and their association with Diageo is an earlier feature on the Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company.

While Diageo has been reticent about fully disclosing the actual whiskeys, their proportions in the Blade and Bow blends, or when these whiskeys were blended, it has not been shy, however, of playing up the Stitzel-Weller connection for marketing purposes. The name Blade and Bow is a not so subtle association with the symbol of five keys that was the motto of the Stitzel-Weller distillery. The five keys represented the five steps in the production of bourbon (grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging). The terms blade and bow refer to the shaft of a key (the blade), which slides into the keyway of a lock, and the portion of the key that sticks out of the lock (the bow), which is used to turn the key. The 22 YO expression comes complete with one of five different keys. If you collect all five keys you can get a free, probably VIP, tour of the Stitzel-Weller distillery.

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It's likely that all three whiskeys in the 22 YO blend were matured at Stitzel-Weller for all or a significant portion of their aging, as all the stocks produced at Bernheim and Stagg that were retained by Diageo after Bernheim was sold ended up there. It's unlikely the actual blending occurred when the whiskeys were first produced and that the maturing whiskey was then ignored for the next two decades. What would seem more plausible is that Diageo ended up with a hodgepodge of different whiskeys with varying maturities aging at the Stitzel-Weller warehouse, as is widely known, and that at some point a master blender (Doug Kragel perhaps, the Master of Whiskey for Blade and Bow) fashioned a saleable blend from these disparate stocks. The bourbon has been well received, garnering numerous awards, including a gold medal and recognition as "Best Straight Bourbon" at the 2015 San Francisco Spirits Competition.

Diageo is not doing itself or its customers any favors, however, by its lack of transparency. The language used to describe the components of the blend and their origins seems deliberately vague; the syntax tortured; as if it was the product of an ongoing compromise between a marketing department obsessed with playing up the Stitzel-Weller connection and a legal department determined to keep them out of trouble. It's unfortunate really, since the lack of transparency detracts from what are otherwise pretty good whiskeys, even if consumers are asked to pay a premium for the exalted pedigrees. Besides, in the age of the Internet there are no secrets. The whole story will come out eventually, so why not disclose it at the outset?

Blade and Bow's newest offering is an ultra-rare 24 YO expression that was produced exclusively from Stitzel-Weller stock. Per Diageo's press release, the stock was drawn from one of the last barrels of whiskey distilled at Stitzel-Weller before it was shut down. I assume that this is part of the same whiskey, although possibly slighter older, that goes into the 22 YO Blade and Bow blend. Presumably this is a wheated whiskey, although Diageo has not disclosed the mash bill. Only one barrel of the 24 YO was available and only 38 bottles were produced. Two bottles were used at a dinner hosted by Blade and Bow to celebrate the brand's first anniversary on the Friday before the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Two more bottles were divided up for tasting samples.

To its credit, Diageo has donated the entire remaining bottling to the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City's largest poverty-fighting organization. All 34 bottles will be auctioned off in a single lot by Christie's Auction House, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY, in a live auction of Finest and Rarest Wines and Spirits (Auction 12270) on December 9, 2016. The lot number is 219. Christie's has an estimate of between $24,000 and $35,000 for the lot, roughly $700 to $1,000 per bottle. To bid on the lot you will need to go to Christies and open an account. You can see the catalog for this auction here. Bids can be placed in person, online, by telephone or by absentee ballot.

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The tasting notes below are from a sample generously provided by Diageo. In case you are wondering; no they didn't send a whole bottle, just a generous sample. I am nonetheless grateful for their hospitality.

Blade and Bow, 24 YO Single Barrel, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 46.7% ABV, 750 ml, barreling date November 22, 1991, bottled April 2016

The bourbon has a deep, dark amber color. On the nose, there is a distinct caramel sweetness with aromas of maple syrup, nougat and vanilla. There is a hint of some dried fruit notes, like old raisins, and a bit of new saddle leather. There is a bit of a spirit note in the background, like faded furniture wax.

On the palate, it is initially dry, with a little sweetness emerging mid-palate. There are notes of vanilla, pepper, old, seasoned cedar wood and hints of spice. The wood is distinct but nicely integrated, and much less assertive than you would expect from a 24 YO bourbon kept in an unheated warehouse. Toward the end, there are some very slight burnt sugar and cotton candy notes.

The bourbon is smooth, subtle, well integrated but, as is typical of ultra-aged bourbons, lacks the intensity of flavor one finds in younger whiskeys. The finish is about medium length. It is not particularly complex or nuanced, featuring pronounced pepper notes that rapidly give way to some indistinct dried fruit notes. This is a whiskey to drink straight up, to savor unadorned by ice or mixers.

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There are whiskeys that are meant for drinking and whiskeys that are meant for talking. Blade and Bow's 24 YO expression falls into the latter category. It's an excellent whiskey. At its likely price, however, there are better value bourbons out there. As a piece of bourbon history, however, to borrow a line from the MasterCard commercial -- it's priceless. The fact that the proceeds go to a good cause doesn't hurt either.
A couple of weeks ago the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, approved the Government's new long-term defense plan. Based on the plan, Norway will increase defense spending and strengthen both our own national defense and our contribution to NATO's collective security.

How is this in the interest of the United States?

Since the creation of NATO in 1949, Norway has been a committed partner within the transatlantic security community. The alliance has provided us with vitally important security guarantees.



At the same time, we are fully aware of the need to maintain the capacity to respond unilaterally to a crisis or conflict -- during the early phases in particular. This ability will now be strengthened.

The Government's defense plan outlines short-term measures as well as long-term investments, such as the purchase of American F-35 fighter jets. The aim is to increase Norway's readiness to respond to - and prevent - threats, aggression and attacks.

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Under the plan, we will also increase our contributions to the NATO partnership. These include increased capacity to guard NATO's northern flank, maintaining the Arctic as a peaceful region, and monitoring activity in Norway's close vicinity - including areas of vital importance to Russia's nuclear deterrence.

That being said, it should be clear that Russia is not seen as a military threat to Norway. But we are concerned about the combination of military modernization and a proven will to exert influence through military power.

The Government is planning to maintain a high level of defense spending over the next few years, with a 4.2 percent increase in spending slated for 2017. Norway spends more on security per capita than any other NATO country except the United States.

The United States cannot, and should not, bear sole responsibility for the security of all NATO member states. The Atlantic Treaty is a joint project, where everyone contributes. Security challenges must be met with firmness and predictability, through cooperation between all 28 members.

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Norway has a long history of contributing to international security.

We took part in NATO's operations in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and early 2000s by deploying thousands of men and women in uniform to the NATO Implementation force (IFOR), the subsequent Stabilization Force (SFOR) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR). Norwegian fighter jets also took part in the Kosovo war in 1998-99.

Norway quickly joined Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001, and since 2002 has contributed more than 8,300 uniformed personnel to the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) there.

A Norwegian contingent was also part of the multinational forces in Iraq from 2003 to 2005, and Norwegian soldiers are part of the Combined Joint Task Force operating in Syria and Iraq today. In addition, we maintain our contribution to the NATO-led Resolute Support in Afghanistan. And through the UN-led anti-terrorism operations in Mali, Norway contributes a C-130 transport aircraft with crew and support staff.

In the Mediterranean, we take part in Operation Triton, aimed at strengthening border security in Europe and rescuing refugees crossing the open seas in dangerously overcrowded small vessels. And let me also mention that in the Indian Ocean outside of Somalia, Norwegian armed forces took part in the anti-piracy operation a few years ago.

With regard to Syria, Norway has played a key role in transporting chemical weapons safely out of the country.

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In spite of the effects of the Government's long-term plan, the United States is and will continue to be an important guarantor for Norway's security. By increasing our own contributions for both our own security and that of our allies, we want to give something back. It is important to Norway that our security cooperation with the U.S. be mutually beneficial.

As I am writing these lines, I am awaiting separate visits to the United States by Foreign Minister Brge Brende and Minister of Defense Ine Sreide Eriksen. In their meetings, they will underline the importance of continuing a strong and friendly relationship between Norway and the United States.

Global security is faced with a complex set of threats, which need to be taken seriously. Norway is ready to shoulder its part of the responsibility for NATO's collective security.
A world expert on horseshoe crabs is worried about their extinction after 455 million years of life on Earth--largely because of the crab having become a delicacy in nations in Asia.

Dr. John T. Tanacredi first became familiar with horseshoe crabs as a boy from Brooklyn coming to Babylon, Long Island in summers and learning to swim off a beach along the Great South Bay. In that period, the early 1960s, the beach was "filled" with horseshoe crabs. The shores of the New York Metropolitan Area especially Long Island and the wetlands they embrace have been an active habitat for horseshoe crabs.

Back in Brooklyn, as a young man volunteering as a docent at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, he began studying what he speaks of as this "alien-looking, strange-looking creature."

The aquarium had an exhibit featuring horseshoe crabs and Dr. Tanacredi speaks of the impact on him of the writings of the aquarium's director, the Dr. George Ruggieri, a marine biologist and a Catholic priest, he noted. Dr. Ruggieri's writings told of how horseshoe crabs, beyond being an extraordinary life form in themselves--"living fossils," said Dr. Tanacredi--have provided "pharmaceuticals from the sea."

The blue blood of the horseshoe crab has been and remains indispensable in the detection of bacterial endotoxins in medical applications. Horseshoe crabs are widely harvested for this medical purpose. It's a $300 million industry globally, he said. The animals are bled, the blue blood collected and used for this medical purpose. Most of the crabs survive upon being returned to the sea.

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But horseshoe crabs were killed on a massive scale for years to become fertilizer. And they are still taken to be used as bait, especially to catch eels and whelk or conch. Some states forbid or restrict the taking of horseshoe crabs. In New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation has been setting yearly quotas--allowing 150,000 to be taken this year. Can that number be appreciably lowered?

"Habitat loss and habitat degradation," says Dr. Tanacredi, have been impacting on horseshoe crabs. Shoreline development has had a major effect. "They go to the same beach every year to mate," he notes.

And now horseshoe crabs have become "an exotic food" in parts of Asia--eating them has become especially popular in Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia--and this is exacerbating the survival of the horseshoe crab as never before.

"In a decade, they could be extinct," says Dr. Tanacredi.

The number of horseshoe crabs in the world--there are four species of them--has been "dramatically decreasing," he relates. "The next decade will be critically important."

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"Extinction," he said, can "happen all of a sudden." He speaks of the passenger pigeon of which there were an estimated three billion in the world in the 19th Century. They were heavily hunted, and in 1914, the last one, named Martha, died in her cage at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Horseshoe crabs "survived the five mass extinction events" that have occurred on the Earth through their 455 million years of existence, said Dr. Tanacredi. "They are a wonderful organism. They are so important to human health--and this would be lost forever, too. It is sad testimony to how we treat other species on this planet."

Dr. Tanacredi, a Melville, Long Island resident, has since 2013 been director of the Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) of Rockville Centre-based Molloy College. The center is located at what had been the Blue Point Oyster Hatchery in West Sayville on Long Island. At CERCOM, "about 10,000 juvenile horseshoe crabs" are produced each year.

Dr. Tanacredi is a full professor at Molloy, teaching courses that include Ecology and Marine Biology. Before that, for 13 years, he was a professor and chairman of the Earth Marine Sciences Department at Dowling College in Oakdale, Long Island--which this year closed. Dowling underwent extinction itself.

Earlier, for 24 years Dr. Tanacredi was a coastal research supervisory ecologist for the National Park Service. He also worked for the U.S. Coast Guard. And he served as a "hurricane hunter" for the U.S. Navy and in that job "cut my teeth on the impacts of hurricanes on coastal environments." For 12 years he was deputy director of the Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center at Brooklyn College. And he has been chairman of the New York Marine Sciences Consortium and also the Suffolk County Wetlands Management Work Group.

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He holds a doctorate in environmental health engineering from NYU-Polytechnic Institute. He has had 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers published and has authored five books.
This article was originally published on Voices of Aging.

The concepts behind the age-friendliness and livability movement are taking hold in communities across the country and I am delighted! Where I live in Newton, Massachusetts, a lot of work has been going on for the past five years to create a foundation, raise awareness, and develop plans to benefit our aging population. Close to 87,000 people live in Newton and our projections show that by 2030 30% of residents will be 60 and over; currently we seniors represented more than 23% of our population. Look at the census data for your own community and you will likely see a similar pattern. Of course, some communities have greater percentages of older people - especially in places where the weather is warmer than it is here in the northeast.

In response to these undeniable facts, the Newton Department of Senior Services and the Newton Council on Aging created their mission and vision using age-friendly/livable ideas, which guide their planning for now and into the future. We have initiatives throughout the city on housing and transportation which are critical pieces of what makes a community friendly to diverse people of all ages. For my own part, I have been writing about age-friendliness and livability for six years to bring the ideas to all of you. Our work has paid off.

In February 2016 Newton applied and was designated as a member of the World Health Organization and AARP Age Friendly Livable Community Network. In order to qualify as a member of this important world-wide movement, the city had to show its dedication by submitting with the application a letter of commitment signed by the chief elected official - our Mayor.

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On September 20, 2016 Newton's WHO/AARP certificate of designation was presented at the Newton Free Library by the Director of Massachusetts AARP. It was accepted by the President and Vice President of our City Council, along with a representative from the Mayor's office. Our state Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs talked to the packed auditorium about how our efforts align with goals for Massachusetts. In the audience there were residents, City Council members, Newton Department of Senior Services, Council on Aging members, city staff, and guests from other communities. It was exciting and momentous. These kinds of events are happening all over the country because the time is ripe for creative thinking and planning about aging, and helping communities serve their older residents.

Why are age-friendliness, livability and this designation important and what does it all mean?

The driving force behind this phenomenon comes down to demographics. The world is getting older. The number of elders will continue to increase over time and the number of younger people will decline. There are two main reasons for this: people are living longer because of improved health care and fewer children are being born. This shift is huge and permanent. It is happening internationally, in the U.S., in most states, and in almost every city or town.

Back in 2000, AARP recognized this trend and produced the Livable Communities Evaluation Guide to help communities plan for their aging population. The World Health Organization, in 2005, developed the concept of age-friendly cities at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2007, WHO produced the Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. WHO works with nations through whatever the AARP equivalent is in different countries.

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In the U.S., WHO and AARP are approaching this endeavor by establishing networks of communities that can learn from each other about what age-friendliness and livability means to them uniquely, and to figure out how to implement meaningful improvements that are appropriate for each individual place. There is no one-size fits all.

The movement strives to engage cities to tap the potential that older people represent and to adapt structures and services to be accessible, and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities. The overriding theme is that what is good for older people is good for everyone. Communities all over the world are signing up including Brussels and Lyon. The entire country of Ireland has made the commitment. In the U.S. there are 117 communities including Portland, OR, and New York City. In Massachusetts we have Boston, Dartmouth, Martha's Vineyard, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Salem, and now Newton.

An age-friendly/livable community involves improving the many different and complex arenas with which people interact every day. This includes appropriate, accessible, and affordable housing. It means good and safe ways for people to get around in cars, on public transit, with transportation services, on bikes, and walking. It means helping people to stay involved with friends, neighbors, and the community in ways that are significant for them. Housing, transportation, and community engagement are three of WHO/AARP's eight overarching domains of livability."

With all of this in mind, Newton has started its own home-grown initiative called PLAAN (Planning for a Livable All Age-friendly Newton). We now have the platform for age-friendliness/livability, basic planning has begun, and we are set to engage everyone who wants to be involved to join this historic undertaking. Our efforts are not distinctive to our community. Any location with a small group of dedicated people, the support of elected officials and community employees, access to good data and information, and a willingness to collaborate for an inclusive future can do it and join with the groundswell of age-friendliness.
When investing, it may initially seem logical to focus only on the companies that offer the highest returns. However, in a rapidly evolving world, economics is about far more than crunching numbers. After all, while an organization's balance sheet may tell a lot about its solvency, it often fails to take into account the potential value that can be created by a company or region through social initiatives such as bringing more women to the workforce.

These factors are often neglected by common metrics used to gauge a company or region's value, but for individuals who are interested in investing for positive change as well as financial returns, these factors are invaluable. They're also precisely what "The Angelica Fuentes Foundation is focusing on with their Gender Equality Fund - or "GEF".

"The Angelica Fuentes Foundation was launched a little over two years ago," says Angelica Fuentes, founder of the organization. Fuentes explains that since its founding, the foundation has had "direct impact in four million girls' lives." She explains that they've "learned a great deal about what financial independence does to women. How the benefits are not just for them, but for their families, and their communities."

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In order to ensure their efforts are successful in the long term, Fuentes explains that her team strives for financial sustainability in their work. Along those lines, The Angelica Fuentes Foundation "is currently finalizing a project that will link the top of the corporate community with the women at the base of the pyramid, to come together and further gender equality and women's economic empowerment," Fuentes says. "That project is GEF, and that's the Gender Equality Fund."

GEF allows people to invest in a fund consisting of bundled up publicly traded US companies "who have better or improving practices on gender equality and women's economic empowerment," says Fuentes. "We're going to have a bias toward capital preservation, and that's what our investments are going to be focused on."

Higher Returns Through Gender Equality

Fuentes believes that "by focusing on the performance of the fund, it will create infrastructure - or will subsidize the infrastructure - to allow the women at the base of the pyramid...whether they be here in the United States, or abroad, the possibility to be micro-investors, doing away with the transaction costs that would make it almost impossible for them to do so, and having the possibility for the first time in their lives, of capital market returns."

While any investor would be more than happy to see dramatic economic growth, Fuentes hopes that GEF will also lead to positive social change. "When women come, through an opportunity, to the workforce, it creates economic growth, but it also fosters social development," Fuentes says. She goes on to explain that "women tend to invest a lot more in their children's education and health, versus their male counterparts. There's a study that Mckinsey Global Institute put out, that says 'by advancing women's equality, we can add up to $12 trillion dollars to global growth.' That's how important women's equality, women's advancement is for the global economy."

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A Proven Record of Gender Progress

Of course, there are still many people in economics who are skeptical of mixing finance with philanthropy. However, Fuentes has a proven track record in business as well as social awareness, having served at the executive level at a number of major companies in Mexico. "Coming on board as CEO of Omnilife, which is a nutritional supplements company, and Angelissima, which is a cosmetics line...it was very important for me to advance women," Fuentes says. "When I took over the administration, there was somewhere around 40% women, 60% men, because it was a direct sales company. When I ended up being the CEO, it was more 70% to 30%, women to men, doing the business of direct sales."

To make this shift, Fuentes explains that she was focused on creating "policy within the company that could be family friendly. Because, anything you do for a woman is not just for a woman, it's for society, it's for the family, it's for everybody. So we instated flex time, home office. I even created breastfeeding infrastructure for women."

Paving the Way for Greater Social Change

Fuentes explains that in many cases, the efforts of private companies with regard to gender issues can actually serve as a template for greater societal change. "We actually gave two weeks paternity leave two years before Mexico made it law to have one week of paternity leave. I allowed women to take the 90 days - in Mexico, there's maternity leave, 45 days before you have a baby, 45 days later - so I allowed women to take the 90 days. Women are not sick when they're pregnant and give birth. So, those 90 days allow women who were pregnant and had their babies to come back to the workforce. There's incredible talent out there - female talent. We just need to give them the opportunities."

"When we finally finalize the project that is GEF, The Gender Equality Fund, I think companies will actually start seeing the benefits of having invested funds in their companies, by us really keeping track of what they're doing, as far as gender equality, and women's economic empowerment, internally and externally, is concerned. And I am sure that a lot of the companies will follow through, and by that, they will allow other women, and it will be more diverse, and they will, I'm sure, have more possibilities of having better performance in their companies."

To stay up to date on the United Nations SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Gender Equality and social businesses initiatives that impact growth in our economy be sure to follow Matthew Bird on Huffington Post and check back for weekly updates. Matthew Bird is the active Director of Public Relations of the United Nations SDG Media Zone. Matthew Bird is the CEO at 1-800-PublicRelations "1800pr".

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A healthy intimate relationship can seem very elusive to the woman who suffers from vaginismus.

There are many psychological problems which interfere with sexual functioning, but one of the most devastating and detrimental issues, which can also have damaging effects on dating and relationships, not to mention self esteem, confidence, body image and so much more, is having painful intercourse- a condition which is also known as vaginismus.

Vaginismus is most typically a psychological problem with actual physical symptoms of pain, vaginal tightness, burning, or discomfort experienced by a woman when she engages in intercourse. Because the pain is real, and feels very real, many women may seek the consult of a medical doctor, hoping to find a medical solution, which may yield some results, but without addressing the emotional and mental components, and thus simply treating the physical symptoms can fall flat, and can be extremely frustrating leaving the woman to feel that there is no cure, and that she is inherently flawed.

Along with pain, the other symptom of vaginismus is fear, fear of pain which leads to a fear of intercourse.

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It is hard to fathom and often believe that the mind is a powerful muscle enough to create a physical pain from a painful thought or uncomfortable belief, but vaginismus is evidence that is can, and the fact that many women have overcome vaginismus is evidence that it is possible to treat and overcome fear and pain simultaneously.

When a woman experiences vaginismus or pain during intercourse she will go into avoidance mode. She will avoid going on dates, she will avoid talking to men, even making eye contact with men because every interlude leads to the inevitable pain. In a long term relationship this can have dire effects. She will avoid her partner in most intimate scenarios, will dismiss all of her partner's advances which can lead to the partner feeling rejected, which fosters and spreads the feelings of inadequacy back and forth between partners. While feeling embarrassment, humiliation and shame because of her fear and pain which leads to an inability to share intimacy with her partner, the partners in turn often end up feeling dejected all of which have profound effects on the relationship. The woman who suffers from painful intercourse will avoid talking about sex at all. The stakes are too high. The cost is her womanhood, her health, and her happiness. A healthy sexuality is at the core of having healthy, fulfilling and successful relationships and this is something that can feel very elusive when one is suffering from vaginismus.

Treatment

It is important to look at the root causes of what may be causing the painful intercourse. First of all, be sure to fist visit with a medical professional to rule out illness or other biological or organic causes. In the event that it is deemed a psychological issue, some of the causes of vaginismus could include past traumas, which can be mental, physical, and/or sexual. Commonly associated with these traumas are long term belief systems which perpetuate a fear or intercourse and thereby is also associated with pain. Vaginismus is a multi-faceted condition which needs to be addressed from many fronts. The woman not only needs a safe space to uncover, explore and process the past messages, pains and fears, but also needs to expand, grow and develop interpersonal skills, relational skills and develop more knowledge about female and male sexuality to deal with present more recent and recurrent themes.

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The physical pain can be addressed in many ways. If the woman has a partner already, it can be greatly beneficial to include that partner in the treatment process. Starting at the basics of the relationship such as building trust from the very bottom is the best place to start to simultaneously address fear and pain. If the woman does not have a partner, the use of dilators and numbing cream to deal with the pain, coupled with intensive psychotherapy, sex education and some form of body work to address fear and develop new coping skills is the best way to seek results.

It is important to know that painful intercourse is not necessarily a medical condition, but is better seen as a self-induced, somatic symptom, a coping skill rather which the mind developed over time as a protective mechanism to keep one safe from harm. The skill may have worked when the woman was younger, but with time and with age, the coping skills need to be revisited and revised to suit her present needs.


The Green Party's Jill Stein is seeking a recount of votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. (Sipa via AP Images)

BY: ASHLEY BALCERZAK

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein is picking up the fundraising pace...a month after the actual election. Stein's team says it has brought in $6.4 million in less than a week to recount votes in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. That's $3 million more -- or almost double -- what she raised for her presidential campaign through Oct. 19.

We won't know until Dec. 8 exactly who contributed and how much, but Stein's campaign manager David Cobb told OpenSecrets Blog more than 140,000 donations have come in so far, averaging $46 each. Only 414 donors gave more than $1,000, he said.

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General election data is through Oct. 19. Recount data is through Nov. 30.

So how does this new stream of fundraising work? There are handbooks filled with rules about political fundraising to help win an election, but what about to confirm that results are accurate?

There are a couple of ways to go about this, says Bob Biersack, senior fellow at the Center for Responsive Politics. What Stein has done is set up a separate recount account, which follows the same rules and contribution limits as a campaign committee. No corporations, unions or foreign nationals may donate to it. But this recount round resets the limits: Even if you maxed out to Stein, this counts as a separate "election," so you can give as much as $2,700 once again. Also, Stein needn't worry about the fundraising restrictions that came with her acceptance of public matching funds earlier on.

On the spending side, according to the Federal Election Commission, the funds can only go toward expenses directly related to the recount, such as paying the state staff that counts the votes or any other administrative or overhead payments, as well as post-election litigation (which, as with anything involving lawyers, can be pricey).

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In the past, national or state Republican and Democratic party committees have generally paid, or helped pay, for recounts. The 2014 Cromnibus spending bill let national party committees set up recount accounts with contribution limits that are higher than those that apply to regular party gifts. The Green Party, though, hasn't exactly been stuffing its coffers with funds to use for this sort of situation.

In one famous recount that occurred pre-Cromnibus, Sen. Al Franken (D) and former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and their respective parties raised more than $13 million total to re-examine ballots in their 2008 Senate faceoff in Minnesota. Coleman, who led Franken on election night by 206 votes, ultimately conceded the following June when a court ruled Franken the winner by 312 votes.

For the Florida recount that left the results of the 2000 presidential election up in the air for weeks, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore raised more than $10.6 million collectively via separate accounts they set up as 527 organizations, labeled for their section of the tax code.; they could take unlimited contributions. In addition, at the time, there were no limits to how much could be donated to the parties, and the parties weren't required to identify their contributors in the recount. (This loophole was closed after the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act passed in 2002.) The Bush campaign limited donations to its 527 to a maximum of $5,000 each and posted its donors online. Gore's campaign didn't cap donations, but also posted donors online.

So where do Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party come into play? Clinton's campaign lawyer Marc Elias wrote on Medium that they "intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides."

But it's a bit unclear what that means. In terms of a financial help, Clinton's campaign could give $2,000 to Stein's committee, but that's the limit one candidate committee can give to another. Technically, the Democratic Party recount account would also be available, Biersack said; it held close to $2.8 million this cycle.
Outspeak's news roundup for your eyeholes.

1. Justin Trudeau approves Kinder Morgan and the Enfield Line 3 pipelines. Canada's golden boy loses sheen, although he's still undeniably beautiful. More here.

2. Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected as leader of the Democratic Party. Why change anything after that trainwreck of an election? More here.

3. Trump promises to hand over businesses completely. Sounds like bullshit to us but then again Trump never lies. More here.

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4. The navy is testing a new app, LiveSafe, which could help prevent sexual assaults to sailors on duty. Finally someone can hear you scream on international waters. But seriously, this could be pretty awesome. More here.
Written with Paul T. Kraly

"You've got to keep dancing. Never look backwards."

This is the hard learned wisdom that motivates Linda Langton each day as she manages Langton's International Agency into a highly successful boutique literary consultancy and agency. It seems to be working. Linda ran an incredibly successful greeting card and calendar publishing business in Australia, New Zealand, The United States and United Kingdom, and was named Australian Businesswoman of the Year. After selling The Ink Group, she moved to New York and embarked on her second and exciting career as a literary consultant and agent, together with a book packaging service company, and as a successful business owner.

She is thriving and proving that you can work, and still have time to live a well-rounded, active, and interesting life without burning out. She attends film openings, theater and other musical events, meets friends and clients, and still manages her growing agency.

"I only read books for work these days," she laughs, "Or when I am traveling. I love political thrillers!"

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We caught up with Linda, after several weeks of phone tag -- she is really busy -- because we wanted to see what's been going on with her since our first profile . In addition to the literary agency, Linda also oversees Book Marketing International, and Langton's International Memoir, a ghostwriting service.

She's still dancing -- and having a wonderful time as well. "I can't wait to get to work and meet all the wonderful writers that send their works to us. We've been able to connect with film and television, as well as major publishers for some of our clients. I'm always looking for talent and commercial properties to represent."

When we talked about Linda's journey to where she is today, she reminded us of the kind of positive and motivated person she is. She said that if she could talk to her younger self, she'd advise her, "Fulfill your dreams. Be able to say 'I did it all". Help as many people as you can along the way still making sure you do what you want to do with your own life and don't let anyone stop you, and always, always be true to yourself."

These life lessons have obviously been well learned, as Linda has built her reputation in Australia, The UK and now in the United States.

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Recently, Linda's hard work landed her clients Carolina Sarassa and Diane Montane's book Dancing on Her Grave: Death of A Las Vegas Showgirl, which she helped sell to Lifetime Movies which became a prime time movie, and has received very positive reviews and feedback. This experience, plus the tie-in book sale for Bruce Cook's Trumbo, which also became a movie, has opened her up to working with the film industry and accepting film script writers, and books that can be turned into a series or feature film.

"I seem to have an eye for projects that will make a good film. Right now, I have a client with a 8-part sci-f/horror series under offer, other film writers have films in festivals. I am keeping a close eye out for material that will be excellent for film, reality television shows, scripted series, you name it."

When we asked her about how she saw the advent of e-books and how it affected her agency and publishing services, Linda's response was typically positive. "People are reading more now than ever before. We can thank ebooks for this, as gateways to reading. People are looking for fast reads, and this area of publishing gives writers a chance for writing quicker books and getting their points of view out there. Fiction is a particularly good genre for e-books and self- published books.

"What concerns me though is with so many self-published authors, there is a lot of, well, books that shouldn't be being published yet. That's how my division, Book Marketing International, can help with editing, design and production of an exceptional ebook, or even for print on demand books.

"It has taken a long time for traditional publishers to embrace the idea of the ebook, but times change and in order to survive we have to move with the times. You'll notice now that the traditional publishers are releasing ebook editions as well as their printed formats at the same time.

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Although Linda provides an outlet for memoirs and an advisory service for self-publication, Langtons International Agency is coming off an exceptional year with the number of books and authors it represents as well. Thus far in 2016 alone, the agency has sold more than 14 books in all genres to publishers. "We're moving from strength to strength, and we anticipate a stellar 2017. Our established and new authors are exceptional, and I can't wait to see what the future will bring."

Langtons International Agency also stresses a firm social media presence for their authors -- whether self-published, unpublished or traditional -- no matter what their genre. "In today's environment, it's important that writers use Social Media to get themselves, particularly but not only, if in non-fiction, established as an expert, or with fiction introducing themselves to their prospective readers even before the book is ready to send out to the publishers by her Agency. Linda plans to promote social media solutions for her writers, and encourages them to establish themselves. "It's an excellent way to build an audience, clamoring for your book," she says with a smile.

In the next five years, Linda would like to see her businesses continue growing and expanding through her literary consulting and agency, developing books, memoir, books to film and reality television as well as the agenting side of the company. Memoirs and ghostwriting are gaining momentum and her current forays into film and television is also gaining traction.

The marketing side of her company is also increasing, helping writers to get exposure through social media marketing targeted specifically for the author. And of course, she is excited about the possibilities of representing works that can be turned into films and television series and checks all prospects for these qualities.



"You never know where the next hot property is going to come from. Whether reality based, or fiction, we are always on the look out for what is commercial in today's market which will make it easy for us to want to take on a book.

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What are we looking for?

We are looking for a book which will sell well in today's market. It must be well written and edited.

The publishing industry, like most others follow a pattern and a fashion.

Do a good selling job on us. Our criteria for authors differs between fiction and non-fiction. For fiction we are seeking a good pitch or letter, 5 pages sent that are well written sent together with a synopsis and the bio of the author, and write these to make us inspired to want more. Then we'll request 50 pages to get a feel for the writing style and the competence of the author, the pace of the storyline, the characterization and dialogue. Once these have been read by our readers and myself, and if they have been well written, we ask for the complete book, We look for an excellent beginning, great middle, and well rounded ending. Fiction must have great characters, and great story line.

We specialize in thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction and all sorts of commercial fiction. But we will look at sci-fi and fantasy and if the author has an interesting and commercial book.

For non-fiction, we need to make sure that the author has expertise in his or her field or has an inspirational story or memoir, or if the subject matter is interesting and has something new and different to say. Non-fiction authors need to have a good platform, be an expert in their field, so that they can get the word out about their books once they have been published.

All books need editing, and we urge our authors or authors to be, to use commercial editors, professionals, before sending their books to us. Even best selling authors edit or have their books edited numerous times. It is very hard to get it right. We started Book Marketing International to help authors find the right editor for their particular book. We specialize in matching authors with professional editors.

We also insist that authors have a social media platform. They must have a website, Twitter, Facebook, and we can help them in this area also."

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Linda's virtues include her self-motivation and her dedication to her authors. She is always seeking ways to provide them with a safety net, where they can concentrate on the writing process while she concentrates on the business angles -- from connecting them to professional editors, selling their books to publishers, connecting them to social media mavens and encouraging them to write their books. Her testimonials show how much her authors to love her. http://www.langtonsinternational.com/testimonials.html
Dear Students,

I am back again with more wake-up news about the state of the society you will soon inherit. I don't know if you've heard about yet another incident of hateful violence on one our college campuses--Ohio State. the site of a car ramming and a series of stabbings. As of this writing nine people had been injured all of whom are expected to make full recoveries--thank goodness.

Here are some other incidents that reflect the state of our contemporary social relations.

1. Supermarket Hate. Maybe you heard the story spreading about on social media about a man standing in a checkout line at a New York City supermarket. As the man looked at a news magazine photo of Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama, he shouted out sexist and racist epithets--the "c" word, the "b" word, and, of course, the "n" word. In response, the people in line looked down and said nothing, until a second man in the line had had enough. He looked up at the bigot and called him out--in a low key kind of way--for his ignorant hate.

The bigot began to reply, but the stares of the other people, who now looked directly at him, silenced his hate.

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"Why don't you just keep quiet and leave?" the man suggested to the bigot.

As the bigot left, people applauded.

2. Hamilton and Hate in a New York City Diner. Did you hear about what happened in a New York City diner? A man, Frank Camino, loudly complained to the staff about minorities and the disgusting racism exhibited by the cast of Hamilton. At the conclusion of a recent performance the cast implored Vice-President-Elect Mike Pence to try to be more inclusive-an inclusiveness that would reflect not the vitriol of the Trump campaign but the demographics of contemporary America. An Asian American woman, Sally Wen Mao, asked Mr. Camino to speak more quietly. Mr. Camino reacted with ethnic slurs. Ms. Mao documented the incident in a series of tweets.

Inevitably the Trump supporter got aggressive and told us to go back to Tokyo (!), then called us cunts and whores. At which point I wasn't having it with his racism and misogyny -- I splashed my water across his face.

He just kept spewing, kept calling us whores and cunts. And I'm just like, 'Do you expect me to not react to that?' And water's not going to hurt anyone, so I just made him feel as uncomfortable as I felt.

Mr. Camino continued his racist slurs, called the police and blocked the door, effectively trapping the patrons in inside. Ms. Mao threw water at him again

The police eventually arrived, took statements and inspected IDs. No one was arrested. As Ms. Mao left, a Latino man asked if she was okay. She left but some of the other women in the diner told Ms. Mao what happened in the wake of her exit. In a Facebook post, Ms. Mao wrote:

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What happened next was also extremely upsetting...the man who asked us if we were okay told the Trump supporter that he would not tolerate racism. Then the Trump guy took out pepper spray and sprayed it directly into the man's face. That man had to go to the emergency room....

According to Max Chang' reporting in NextShark Mr. Camino was arrested and charged with... "assault with intent to cause physical injury, attempted assault, and recklessly causing injury (all misdemeanors) as well as a violation for harassment in the second degree. He was released from police custody on his own recognizance and will appear in court on December 19."

3. Gold Star Booing. On a delayed American Airlines flights first class passengers apparently booed a Gold Star Family. The captain asked if the passengers could remain seated so a special military family might depart first so they could make a connecting flight to Philadelphia and eventually make their way to Dover Air Force Base (Delaware) to be present for the arrival of their son's remains. Days before he had been killed in action in Afghanistan. In response to this development, first class passengers booed. They had paid top dollar to sit up front. Why should they be "inconvenienced?"

4. Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony. Last week The White House live streamed the ceremony during which President Obama awarded to 21 exemplary Americans the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. As the ceremony unfolded on-line, there appeared at the bottom of the screen a disturbing live tweet feed--an incessant stream of racist, misogynist invective about liberals, Hollywood, gays, lesbians, and President Obama. Occasionally, a number of people tweeted: "Please stop the hate," protestations that had little impact on the on-line vitriol.

Who are we? What have we become? What can you expect in the future?

If you are taking an anthropology course, you'll know that small-scaled interactions reflect larger social patterns. They present an ethnographic portrait of the general state of our social relations, which seems to have devolved into the dysfunction of selfish entitlement. Why should the pressing needs of a Gold Star family inconvenience first class passengers? Why should people like Frank Camino respect the sensibilities of people who are different--women, gays, Latinos, Asians, Muslims or Jews.

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For many peoples in the world the aforementioned expressions of hate would be incomprehensible. Consider the Songhay people of Niger, who over the years have shared their wisdom with me, Like people all over the world, Songhay people can be stingy and selfish. Sometimes they say hateful things. And yet, considering the difficult conditions they routinely experience--especially in rural areas--they long ago realized that they have to share resources and extend themselves to others to remain viable. They understand this fundamental principle of the social contract.

As students of anthropology what can you do to help to restore the bedrock American values of looking out for your neighbor, of respecting difference in a multicultural and multilingual society in which the so-called minority population will soon become the majority population? In support of American diversity, you can contribute to organizations that support advocate for social justice. You can attend rallies and protest against racism, misogyny, homophobia and religious intolerance. But will that stop that hate that threatens to poison our social relations?

Not likely.

Combating hate is a slow process that requires vigilance and perseverance. As students of anthropology you can be an important part of his healing process. You can take your knowledge and transform it into practice. You can observe small-scaled interactions and ethnographically describe incidents of hate as well as examples of social tolerance. You can post these descriptions on social media to create an ethnographic record of both intolerance and tolerance that will spread far and wide on the Internet--an anthropology of us..

Information is power. If hate is well documented it can be eventually be pushed back into the hole from which it emerged, enabling you to soon enjoy the fruits of a more peaceful, vibrant and tolerant society.
THE MEN WHO LOST AMERICA

Andrew O'Shaunnessy

Reading and studying history as a life's avocation is not much different than watching one of those men who walk down a beach with large headphones on their heads that are connected to a metal finder. A huge percentage of their time is filled with the familiar noise of the machine and the waves but then it is all worth it when the ping of metal is heard and the unexpected awaits. That ping for the student of history is so often the rush that comes with an insight or a series of insights that alters his historical construct of the world that has been fashioned through years of study. O'Shaughnessy's book will leave any student of American History furiously editing his take on the War of American Independence and how we have sculpted its narrative over the years. By introducing the British perspective on the war through the eyes and lives of the ten men most responsible for prosecuting and thus "losing" the war for Britain, O'Shaughnessy not only rewrites the American story but provides us with a vivid analogy of the cost and trade-offs that come with empire - an analogy that provides a non-partisan, detached insight into post World War II America in a way only history can produce.

The title suggests a lot. The British never got over "losing" America as evidenced by Parliamentary inquiries, court-martials and a never-ending battle of memoirs all contributing to this "hot potato" of imperial shame. The fact that they could not get over "losing" America suggests that they could have won it to begin with. This is not very different from America's wars after World War II - a war won so thoroughly by the United States that all wars are measured against its success. This is not entirely unlike Britain's predicament at the time of the American Revolution. She had just won the world's first "world war", the Seven Years War, against France and had dominion over Canada, India, the Caribbean and much more. Her huge empire of the 19th century where the sun never set and one out six of the world's citizens woke up to the Union Jack had just begun to take shape. Though the Seven Years War barely marked the midpoint of her great eighty-year struggle with France, by 1763 her empire had begun to rapidly fall into place. An empire secured by a vast fleet, a modest but lethal army, rapacious and highly leveraged independent trading companies and an emerging but often precarious financial powerhouse in the City of London. To lose her American colonies, settled and populated by English citizens, operating under the rule of law grafted from England and prospering mightily within the benevolent system of imperial mercantilism seemed unimaginable for a whole host of reasons. These reasons are the stuff of misguided wars and imperial delusion. These reasons are the stuff of imperial hubris and overreach. These reasons should be all too familiar for any American old enough to have lived through Vietnam and Iraq.

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Today there exists the feeling that America has lost her grip, that America needs to be "made great again." From a military perspective, many see a nation unable to "win" a real war, starting with Korea, most viscerally embodied in Vietnam and reawakened in Iraq and its on-going legacy of violence. There is little solace in the almost pathetic patriotic outburst when we ran over the island of Grenada, or when we bombed the Balkan War to its still uncertain conclusion or, in the first Gulf War, when we turned our one week torching of Saddam's paper tiger of an army into a post modern Normandy. None of those Top Gun moments could alleviate the doubts, stop the finger wagging and the huge social divide begun by Vietnam and renewed by Iraq. We forget that after Vietnam we won the Cold War. We forget that despite the horrors of the Middle East and the determination of a few to strike down the American Satan, our country's democratic model and her devotion to capitalism in all its forms, good and bad, have reshaped the world in less than two generations. We may have "lost" Vietnam but we "won" the world. Similarly, after losing the war of American Independence, the British would throw out their government and spin into years of self-incrimination only to defeat Napoleon, resist the revolutions of the 19th century and create an empire under Victoria that in scope and grandeur only ancient Rome could match. Vietnam remains a terrible mental block on the American imagination and our ability to see our true position in the world and in history. The mistakes of Vietnam were repeated in Iraq and now that war contributes to this terrible distortion of our place in the world. The true success, power and influence of modern America, of her very real but informal empire, have been falsely diminished by these "lost" wars. Though alleviated by her titanic struggle with Napoleon, Britain herself struggled to see the reality of her situation in the War of Independence sharing insecurity and confusion not dissimilar to that experienced by the United States almost two hundred years later and, in fact, to this very day. Delving into the lives and times of these 18th century British white males provides not only valuable historical perspective but also the warmth of insight that can give one comfort amidst the dire warnings and gloomy evaluations of the present.

Just as the United States fought a war in Vietnam within the greater context of a Cold War the British tried to win the war in America within an imperial context much greater than her colonies alone. All the while the British fought the colonists, they had two international priorities that singly, let alone together, trumped the importance of winning the war in America. Firstly, our revolution took place in the midst of a century long war with France and, to a lesser extent, Spain. From 1735 to 1815 there would be four wars with France, including the epic twenty-year struggle with Napoleon. Like the World Wars and the Cold War in the 20th century, these were world wars within the historical context of their times. Just as world order was at stake for the United States in World War I, World War II and the Cold War, imperial success or failure was at stake for 18th century Britain. The shots fired in Lexington were heard round a world that had quite suddenly become English. Canada, India, the West Indies, Ireland and innumerable ports and islands throughout the world were being stitched into the vast British Empire, all held intact by a large, vigilant but sorely extended and very expensive Royal Navy. The fortunes derived from the mother country's investments in her rapidly growing web of colonial labor and resources were only as secure as the sea-lanes through which this mercantile empire coursed. Her long war with France was over this very concrete reality. The Royal Navy and the British military always had her empire as a first priority and France, not the colonies, was the greatest threat to that. As such, despite enormous effort and expenditure, she, like the United States in Vietnam and later Iraq, always had a one military arm tied behind her back while waging a frighteningly unfamiliar guerilla war. The United States refused to "invade the North" in Vietnam for fear of igniting a greater Cold War threat and, as such, committed herself to a "limited" war that played into every strategic and tactical strength of her foe. While Iraq had no Cold War to prevent a full-scale invasion, the critics are unanimous that our "limited war" strategy guaranteed the chaos and terror that would shortly follow. Among the many competing contextual restraints of that "limited war" was the international priority placed on America as the world's only superpower, an enlightened superpower that may "liberate" a country but certainly would not "occupy" one.

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To make things even more problematic, the priorities of empire didn't end with the wars with France. There was the issue of money. Our revolution was fought just north of the single greatest source of British wealth - the sugar producing islands of the West Indies and the enormous capital investment of slavery that made it all happen. What oil was to the United States in the 20th century, the profits from the West Indies were to Britain at the time of our revolution. London was never going to commit the naval resources, in particular, and military resources, in general, required to defeat the Americans if it meant leaving her West Indian possessions vulnerable to the French. It can be summed up most succinctly when France offered to withdraw her all-important support of the American colonists in return for just one of the sugar producing islands owned and operated by the British. London flatly refused the offer. Like LBJ balancing the ideals of his Great Society and the demands of a war on the other side of the globe, the British could only commit so much treasure to winning what seemed to be an increasingly unwinnable war.

The British commitment to the war was further handicapped by domestic discord. Though the pro-war faction, led most enthusiastically by the King and his party of political appointees and Tory "hawks", never lost control of Parliament until after the events of Yorktown sealed the British fate, there was a steady opposition to the war from its very beginning. Elements of both parties spoke openly against the war, consistently doubting whether it could be won on any of its fronts ranging from the military reality of controlling a continent thousands of miles away to the political reality of subduing fellow Englishmen with a set of very familiar and very English gripes. This political discord was reflected in the British public who, while never abandoning wholesale the King's efforts, never got comfortable with the idea of fighting fellow Englishmen. The King's ministers would send tens of thousands of Hessians to fight this war not just because of an overstretched imperial army but because the average British citizen was not keen on fighting this battle. The fact that such reluctance never surfaced in that terrible long war with Napoleon only underscores the depth of the doubts. An unpopular war was a dangerous thing to meddle with in late 18th century England. The social and economic strains that would tear France apart only five years after this war were evident in England itself. The Gordon Riots of 1780 required thousands of British troops to quell as angry mobs surrounded Parliament and torched parts of the city. England was not such a paragon of social stability that she could afford the strain of fully committing to a less than popular war. Clearly the same can be said for both Vietnam and Iraq. The first war was fought with a scandalous college deferment "out" for the affluent while the latter was prosecuted by a professional army mostly recruited from America's working and rural classes. Neither war would have survived the "all-in" reality of World War II. America, like England fighting her colonists while keeping an eye on the French and a restive domestic citizenry, tried to win each of these terrible wars on "the cheap", so to speak.

O'Shaunnessy's book then becomes a gripping study on how a nation convinces itself that it can win a war it is not prepared to commit itself wholly to. Much of what follows should sound all too familiar for any American born after World War II. Led by a dogged George III, his cabal of ministers and a decent majority of House Members and Lords, the British public and Parliament would be reassured of eventual victory because of each of the following arguments:

the British soldier is the finest fighting machine on the globe and is the equal to half a dozen of the colonials in any 'organized" flight. This assumption colored the British strategy from day one and it was from day one that many in the military knew it to be so much "hogwash". That day one, of course, was the terrible Battle of Bunker Hill where they embraced a pyrrhic victory at the cost of thousands of men - all of whom died because these untrained, weak willed, ineffective colonials shot and killed with an accuracy that would haunt the British throughout the war. They also held up against the vaunted bayonet charge the British infantry were famous for, waiting, in fact, to see the "white" of the British eyes before inflicting the greatest one day loss of infantry the British Empire had yet to experience. While there would be days and battles that more than underscored British contempt for the colonial soldier, her leading officers soon realized that this was nothing if not an even fight. Over time, this comforting but lethal bias would withstand bloody first-hand evidence of numerous American victories and constant British frustration. Even the arrival of French arms, a French fleet, European officers and discipline and massive loans from France and the Dutch wasn't persuasive enough to prevent Cornwallis' fateful and fatal march through Virginia and into the British Dien Bien Phu of the war, Yorktown.

the British would win the "hearts and minds" of the Americans based on the assumption that the majority of colonists were loyal to the Crown and considered it a privilege to be an English "subject". This is, of course, the true elixir of Western expansion in all its forms ranging from the civilizing influences of Victorian England to the idealism of Pax Americana. The British "hawks" were always waiting for the Americans to return to the fold, to stop being intimidated by the rebellious mob and come home to comfort and security of the Mother Country. They underestimated American disgust and anger from the first march to Lexington to the lethal but failed effort to secure the South. At the outbreak of the war, only one in ten Americans had ever had any contact with a British official or soldier. Americans had been self-governed for well over 100 years. The British were as dispensable and troublesome in most American eyes as they were indispensable and appreciated in their own. It was the fatal delusion that kept on persuading. Being nothing more than an article of faith, it like any such article, can be waved in the face of reality. Its shelf life would extend into the War of 1812 and would even suffer a brief renaissance in the Civil War as the Anglophile Confederacy courted her aid in her fight to defend her vision of a civilized world. , Just like in Vietnam and Iraq, this latent support among the native population had no real basis in truth to begin with. By most measurements, Tory sympathizers never approached more than a quarter of the population with any future conversions being dissuaded daily by the horrendous behavior of occupying British soldiers to a citizenry that was quickly dehumanized by a frustrated, frightened and increasingly cynical occupier. Like the Americans in Vietnam, the potent fallacy of a "hearts and minds" delusion quickly curdles into violent resentment for those, the soldiers, who have to experience the more frightening and disconcerting reality.
How do you know if you've discovered your passion? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

How do you know if you've discovered your passion? You talk as if there is one passion in your life, one that you have to uncover to lead to fulfillment. I think that approach is fundamentally flawed. I believe that the great life is full of many passions.

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You use the word "discover." Right! Keep on learning. Don't expect to settle down when you find one passion; keep looking for more. Passion after passion after passion.

As you get older, you will become exposed to many new things, things you never realized existed. Even when you are 50 years old, you have touched only a tiny fraction of the world. Don't focus too early on one.

I've said this before, but it is an example worth repeating: My daughter Elizabeth majored in math. When she was filling out the forms for graduation, she discovered that she had inadvertently fulfilled all the requirements for a major in literature; that wasn't her intention, she had just been exploring. She took a job in Europe working for the OECD, something that was neither math or literature. Later she became involved in a start-up company in the UK, and finally, she returned to the US where we set up the non-profit Berkeley Earth to study environmental problems. Was she following her passion? No. How could such a career have been conceived of by a youngster? She was exploring. She loves her work.

Exploring is an adventure. It is full of uncertainty. It is much more challenging to explore than it is to follow your passion; there is much more uncertainty. If you feel that you must avoid all anxiety, then it is a very uncomfortable way to go. You live with doubt. It is not easy; in fact, it is full of wrong directions, and when you find yourself on a path that is not going where you want, you have to be ready to get off. (As my wife did when she quit IBM to go back to school to study architecture.) But exploration is the only good way to learn enough about the world that you can discover many passions that you never knew you had.

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This question originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Diversity was a serious theme at Monday's Gotham Awards, during a night of fun and celebration. Cipriani Wall Street was chockablock with film devotees: some filmmakers and new actors, discoveries, such as Anya Taylor-Joy who was awarded Breakthrough Actor for her work in The Witch. Moonlight, A24's critical and popular hit, was awarded for Best Ensemble and Best Feature. Natalie Portman, whose performance as Jackie will surely garner nominations as the award season progresses, presented the statue. Pregnant with her second child, the Academy Award winning actress quipped, her baby is not due soon enough.

Other presenters: Katie Holmes, Kate Beckinsale, J. C. Chandor, Judith Light, with maybe the best speech about being New Jersey bred but a New Yorker in heart and spirit, Gen X co-star Winona Ryder sending a love letter to Ethan Hawke, and Cate Blanchett professing an actor crush for Amy Adams. No one was more stunned than Isabelle Huppert, her edgy sang froid turn in Elle awarded Best Actress. Sony Pictures Classics' Michael Barker told the French actress she'd better attend the Gotham Awards, and she did, flying in that afternoon from Paris.

At the Explorer's Club the next day Moonlight director and screenwriter Barry Jenkins spoke about the surprise of finding his film so well received, viewers attending night after night. A coming of age movie about a young black gay boy growing up in the Miami projects, Moonlight features three actors in the role of Chiron at different life stages, his mother a crack addict, her dealer a father figure to him. Look for supporting Oscar nods for Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali. The writing is so nuanced, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney's story so fresh, Jenkins had no problem interesting A24, the people who brought us Ten Years a Slave, in this work. As Jenkins marveled at the film's success, NBR announced its accolades for Moonlight, and named Manchester by the Sea their choice for Best Film. Its star, Casey Affleck was Gotham's Best Actor. And so it goes at awards time, with well deserving films vying for top honors!

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Chairman of the House Budget Committee Tom Price (R-GA) announces the House Budget during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 17, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS)

Donald Trump's latest cabinet pick endangers the health and well-being of millions of Americans. From tax cuts to surgeons' income, Rep. Tom Price of Georgia -- Trump's choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services -- has repeatedly fought for the wealthy and privileged at the expense of ordinary Americans.

As a trained physician, Price is supposedly bound by the Hippocratic oath: "First, do no harm." Unfortunately, he'll soon be in a position to do a great deal of harm -- and his widely publicized desire to gut Medicare is only part of the problem.

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Self-Serving Hard-Right Rhetoric

The New York Times, along with other news outlets, reported that Price's policy positions are "often aligned with the positions of the American Medical Association and the Medical Association of Georgia."

That places him in an old, if hardly illustrious, tradition.

In 1939 the AMA's executive director wrote an editorial declaring that "all forms of security, compulsory security, even against old age and unemployment ... represent a taking away of individual responsibility, a weakening of national caliber, a definite step toward either communism or totalitarianism."

The editorial's floridly self-serving language used phrases like "peasant medicine" and "medical Soviets" to describe programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Nor did the AMA's far-right proselytizing end with the New Deal. In the early 1960s it hired a fading actor named Ronald Reagan to cut a record entitled "Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine," which was sent to AMA "ladies' auxiliaries" (assumed to be doctors' wives, rather than doctors themselves).

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The "ladies" were instructed to "put on the coffeepot," play the record, and then bring out stationery so their friends could pen anti-Medicare letters to Congress.

The recorded Reagan warned that Medicare was "socialized medicine" and intoned that, should it pass, "one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free."

That campaign, "Operation Coffee Cup," was an early example of the viral marketing -- and fake news -- that brought us President Trump. The record failed to derail Medicare, but launched Reagan's political career.

When it comes to extremist AMA rhetoric, Tom Price is partying like it's 1939. He argued that the Affordable Care Act "removes the very freedom and liberty that our founders fought for at its very core," said that its treatment of doctors represents the "subjugation of ... a formerly free citizen," and claimed that it creates "a system where Washington decides what you can get, what kind of treatment you can get for yourself and for your family."

Added Price, in words that would not have seemed out of place in that Depression-era editorial:

"That's not America, that's not the America that you and I love, that's not the America our founders fought for, that's not the America that recognizes that our liberty and our freedom comes from God almighty and not from the federal government."

Remember, Price isn't talking about the NSA. He's describing a program that relies on for-profit health insurance and physicians in private practice.

Making Providers Richer

As a Tea Partier, Price wants to cut all rich people's taxes. But he seems especially dedicated to enriching his professional colleagues. As business magazine Forbes reports, Price is an "outspoken critic of the shift by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to pay doctors based on quality and outcomes."

Studies at the Dartmouth Medical School have shown wide geographical differences in the number of surgical procedures performed -- differences that can't be explained by patient need. Dartmouth researchers examined rates of knee replacement and back surgery, for example, and found "marked variation in procedure rates."

Under the current system, orthopedic surgeons like Price make more money by performing more surgeries. That gives them an enormous financial incentive to place personal gain above patient health. But Price is adamantly opposed to the Affordable Care Act's modest efforts to change those incentives. As the New York Times reported,

"(Price) complained this year that Obama administration officials were trying to 'commandeer clinical decision-making' by forcing doctors to participate in experiments that test new ways of paying for prescription drugs, hip and knee replacement operations, and heart surgery for Medicare patients."

"Stop these mandatory demonstration projects," Price has demanded.

Unsurprisingly, Price also wants to make it harder to sue doctors. And as physicians are enriched, millions will suffer from Price's proposed ACA 'replacement,' a hodge-podge of failed conservative ideas -- including a tax break that neglects lower-income Americans.

Trump and Price: Two Against Medicare

It is now crystal-clear that Donald Trump was lying when he promised not to cut Medicare. Price has been fighting to gut the program for years, promoting Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to dismantle it and replace it with vouchers for the purchase of private insurance.

If Price and Trump succeed, Medicare will no longer need to (or be able to) slow the rate of health care cost growth. That will hurt all ordinary Americans, regardless of age, by making their medical care more expensive.

But it will be great for surgeons like Tom Price.

Under Price's plan, vouchers will cover less and less of health care's cost each year, until seniors' insurance premiums finally exceed older Americans' total Social Security income.

That's why retiree and disability advocates are shocked and dismayed by this nomination. The Alliance for Retired Americans described it as "a declaration of war on seniors, retirees and anyone who is counting on having guaranteed health care benefits when they retire after a lifetime of hard work."

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Nancy Altman, co-director of Social Security Works, called it "classic bait and switch," adding: "Trump ran on a promise, repeatedly made, not to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Price has spent years working to destroy all of these vital programs. This nomination is a betrayal of the American people."

To be fair, Price also voted against protecting SCHIP health insurance coverage for 6 million children. That shows that his lack of empathy knows no age limit.

Hazardous to Your Health

Other Tom Price policies endanger your health, too, although he won't be directly responsible for them in his new position.

Price voted to cut funds for women's preventive health and opposes women's reproductive rights. He's voted to block reasonable gun control measures, despite our nation's high rates of gun injury and death. He voted against regulating tobacco as a drug.

Price's opposition to environmental regulation and support for fossil fuel exploitation harms public health both in the US and worldwide. His opposition to marijuana legalization limits patients' treatment options.

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Trump's opposition to Medicare cuts distinguished him from other Republican contenders and helped him win the presidency. With this choice, he's made it clear that his campaign was a lie. Tom Price's nomination will have an adverse impact on Americans' health.
Now that Donald Trump is President and is assured a compliant Supreme Court, here are some of the changes we can expect to already existing Constitutional amendments.

1. Petitioning government for the rights of redress. Fagitaboutit. Freedom of expression and rights to free speech? How about freedom of oppression with no rights to impeach.

2. Right to bear arms. Yeah, and full freedom to use them, too.

3. No quartering of soldiers in private homes. How about no quartering of European businessmen in Trump Hotels?

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8. Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. That's why we're going back to waterboarding at Guantanamo.

10. Federal only has powers delegated to it by the States. You can reverse that formula now.

11. Makes the States immune from suits from foreigners. Not when Trump is continuing to do business with foreign capital and foreign government.

12. Makes States immune from suits by foreigners. Not when Trump is doing business with them.

15. Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Tell that to Trump's Mexican "rapists" and the prisoners in the criminal system.

16. Permits Congress to levy an income tax. Not if Trump keeps his promises to shield the one percent from higher taxes.

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United States Constitution

The results of the 2016 presidential election in which the electoral vote did not match the so-called popular vote has predictably resulted in demands for the abolition of the Electoral College and calls to aid and abet the duly elected electors into committing the criminal act of violating their pledge to the people who elected them.

In the aftermath of the 1960 election in which the democrat John Kennedy overwhelmingly won the electoral vote, but lost the popular vote, outraged and disgruntled Republicans pushed hard for abolishing the Electoral College. Likewise, it was outraged Democrats who supported the electoral loser and who demanded abolition of the Electoral College in 2000. Indeed, in the three elections in American history in which the electoral vote did not match the popular vote - 1888, 1960, and 2000  support or opposition to our federal system of election enshrined in the U.S. Constitution has been based not on principle, but on partisan election outcomes. Over 700 aborted attempts over the last 200 years to undermine our federal system have failed abysmally once the disastrous consequences have been fully explained and appreciated.

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Perhaps the most notorious myth is that the Founding Fathers envisioned electors as independent representatives free to cast their votes in any way they wish. Nothing could be further from the truth. As Madison explained to the Virginia ratifying convention, the president was to be chosen by "the people at large", and later explained to the First Congress that the president was to be appointed "by the suffrages of three million people". As Lucius Wilmerding's massive study of the Electoral College noted in 1958, "it is the fashion nowadays (to assert that electors were to make the election according to their own will)... The Founding Fathers would have answered them, indeed did answer them, otherwise."

Proponents for the view that electors were intended to exercise independent judgment often resort to citing Alexander Hamilton's view in Federalist 68 that the Electors "should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the nation". But even Hamilton clarified that statement by noting that "the people should operate in the choice of the (Electors)". It should also be recalled that virtually all of Hamilton's views on the presidency were rejected, including that the president should be elected for life, and that the states should be abolished in favor of arbitrarily drawn national districts.

In any case, this question of elector independence has been mooted by the decision of every state legislature since 1865 to delegate the responsibility of appointing electors to the people of the state. It is true that electors can violate both their oath and pledge by committing the criminal offense of failing to cast their vote in accordance with the pledge upon which they were elected, and while it has happened in a relative handful of instances (17 times out of 17,000 electoral votes case in the past 150 years) it is most rare and has never in the history of the U.S. ever affected an election outcome. When Lloyd Bailey cast his electoral vote for George Wallace rather than Richard Nixon in 1968, Congress challenged his vote as "not regularly given" in accordance with 3 United States Code 15. This is because the procedure for casting ballots has always been primarily ceremonial and mechanical. Thus when an appointed elector fails to appear at the appointed place time in December, due to sickness, in capacity, or death, it is not unusual to find someone in the hallway, even a passing janitor in one instance, to enter the voting room and cast the electoral vote in accordance with the slate elected by the people.

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The system has worked like clockwork, every four years, since George Washington was elected President. And yet, in the aftermath of the 2016 November election, when an elector on the Democratic slate in Washington declared that he would never cast a vote for Hillary Clinton, it opened a Pandora's Box, giving other Democrats the idea of trying to abet electors in states where the Republican slate was elected to commit the criminal act of violating their oath and pledge to the people.

But although electors are generally party stalwarts appointed on the basis of their loyalty to their party, and a faithless elector has never in the history of the Republic ever affected the outcome of an election, the time may have come for a responsible reform to the Electoral College - namely to dispense with human electors, and simply to automatically allocate the electoral votes based on the popular vote in each individual state. Unfortunately, populists determined to abolish the Electoral College have been resistant to such responsible reforms in hoping to set the stage for outright abolition.

As every eighth-grade civics student is aware, the Founding Fathers created both the Electoral College and the U.S. Senate as the basis for the Grand Compromise that served as the foundation for the Constitution and the union which guaranteed the reticent small states equal representation in the Senate and commensurate representation in the Electoral College. As Senator John F. Kennedy observed in fending off yet another Republican attempt to undermine federalism by tampering with the Electoral College prong of the Grand Compromise, such an attempt cannot be made without also tampering with or abolishing the other prong, namely the U.S. Senate - which would probably require a Constitutional Convention where all bets would be off.

One of the great puzzles is why opponents to the Electoral College focus on the fact that the Electoral College gives citizens of the small states a greater voice in the presidential election than citizens of the larger states (since small states are guaranteed two electors based on their representation in the Senate), when that argument would carry far greater weight in opposing the existence of the U.S. Senate where legislation is annually passed based on the votes of senators from the small states regardless of their population. Election of Presidents in the Electoral College without the popular vote, however, only occurs an average of once every 75 years, or about the same average as in parliamentary democracies such as the UK (where in 1974 Labor lost the popular vote but elected three more MP's to parliament and formed the government). Those who remember the 2000 election may remember that many supporters of Ralph Nader did indeed call for the abolition of the U.S. Senate, on the same grounds as those who oppose the Electoral College today.

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For the past 200 years, as our election system has become the envy of the world for its stability and peaceful transfer of power, both Congress and state legislatures have steadfastly defended the federalist basis of our Constitution, recognizing the true horrors of a so-called "popular vote election" in which recounts in most or all the states would be required in every close election (or about one-third of past American presidential elections). For those who remember the national trauma of Florida in 2000, one needs only imagine what a recount in all fifty states would entail, complete with lengthy court hearings and appeals in each state. One can also envision an election campaign in which candidates focus only on states and cities with massive populations (such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago) ignoring the sparsely populated hinterland. Perhaps the greatest protection provided by the Electoral College is to insure that no candidate can be elected without broad support across the country. (Imagine that in the 1950s an overwhelming popular vote in the deep south for a segregationist candidate managed to trump the rest of the country in popular votes despite the rest of the country being opposed.) With a popular vote election attracting a multitude of small parties, a candidate could win with a small percentage of the vote (as did Hitler in 1933 despite being opposed by a majority of voters).

Nor should the racial factor be ignored. As Vernon Jordan, President of the urban league, testified as the 1979 congressional Hearings initiated by Republicans to abolish the Electoral College, "(T)ake away the Electoral College and the importance of being black melts away. Blacks, instead of being crucial to victory in major states, simply become 10% of the total electorate with reduced impact. "

Of course, Republicans changed their tune after the 2000 election, just as Democrats who felt secure behind their "blue wall" of big states with a huge number of electors will doubtless change their tune in the aftermath of the 2016 election and support Donald Trump's call to undermine federalism by abolishing the Electoral College.

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Probably the most dangerous course for opponents of federalism is to support a scheme (called NPV) by a California millionaire to do an end run around the Constitution by enticing states to enter into a conspiracy with other states totaling 270 electoral votes to ignore the will of the people of their own state and vote for the "popular" vote winner. Aside from being in violation of the compact clause of the constitution, such a scheme simply assumes that a popular vote winner can simply be calculated by adding up the vote totals of each individual state. Hardly. It may be recalled that in 1960, the newspapers calculated the popular vote winner by simply tallying the popular votes for the electoral slate in each state, thereby concluding that Kennedy won the popular vote. The Congressional Quarterly, on the other hand, determined that that only 5/16 of the popular votes for the Democratic electoral slate in Alabama should be allocated to Kennedy since five of the sixteen electors on the Democratic slate were pledged to Senator Byrd, thereby concluding that included Nixon won the popular vote by over 58,000 votes. So which tally was correct? The NPV answer is simply along the lines of "the courts will decide".
So this is what the world has come to. Some in the global media are apparently anticipating the death of a seven-year-old Syrian girl, Bana Alabed, who has been trapped in eastern Aleppo practically all of her life. While they could not say it out-loud, there is a palpable sense of excitement in some media quarters. There is a need to save Bana, instead of salivating over a potentially big cover story. But who is Bana? What's her story?

Good afternoon from #Aleppo I'm reading to forget the war. pic.twitter.com/Uwsdn0lNGm  Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) September 26, 2016

Bana took the Twitter by storm early this year by posting about her daily trials and tribulations. By using the good offices of her mother, Fatemah, she talked about things that other seven-year-old children talk about: the pressures of meeting their homework deadlines; whining about siblings or classmates; and sharing their fears and dreams. Except for Bana, the fears are not some far-fetched imaginations of the untrained mind. She is living under the constant barrage of bombs, dropped by Russian fighter jets and the Syrian-Iranian nexus of barrel-bombing helicopters. Earlier, she lived in a constant fear of getting incinerated if she dared venture outside her home. Now the home is gone and she is running for her life. And this has apparently sparked a not-so-subtle yearning for a meaty headline among some quarters in the news media.

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Bana's tragedy was taken up by the global media as a perfect analogy for the Syrian crisis. A sweet little girl with a bright mind who was eager to tell the world about her troubles -- and that of her fellow Syrians. She got her fifteen minutes of fame and then was relegated to a fixture that could be paraded around occasionally to highlight the plight of Syrians. Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times was one of the few high-profile opinion-makers who actually tried to reach out to her. He pleaded with the Obama administration to follow up on its long-forgotten promise of protecting the Syrian people. President Obama's red line, which later became more of a sinister joke, has been crossed numerous times and, lately, with his tacit approval. Kristof's pleas fell on deaf ears. His approaching the Al-Abed family, however, discredited those who were even questioning her existence.

We have no home now. I got minor injury. I didn't sleep since yesterday, I am hungry. I want to live, I don't want to die. - Bana #Aleppo  Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) November 28, 2016

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Bana is homeless now and running for the ever-elusive shelter. She may be able to get to safety. She might also become another number in the ever mounting death toll, already nearing a half million casualties. Even if she survives -- and thus ripping the global media of a great cover story -- many others like her will perish. Thousands of children have already lost their lives during the last five years, overwhelmingly at the hands of the Syrian-Iranian nexus, and, lately by the ruthless Russian bombers.

The European Union, which became a direct victim of the Syrian crisis, could have been a savior. Brexit and internal fissures have doomed its capabilities. In other words, the EU has the military means to protect civilians in Syria but lacks the political will. The irony lies in the fact that more refugees are expected to pour into the continent once the evil nexus gets full control of Aleppo in the coming weeks.

The responsibility to protect the civilians has now fallen on ordinary citizens of a globally connected planet. They can play their part by bringing the perpetrators to task, who have committed some of the gravest atrocities in recent history. There should be a public opposition to the Iran deal, as the blood-thirsty regime has been allowed to get a free pass. One should not overlook the continuing atrocities in Iraq either as the Iran-backed Shiite militias are ramping up their time-tested brutality game. It's the return of the vicious circle in which a new ISIS-like outfit could emerge, riding on the wave of pervasive discrimination, legitimization of reprisals and a continued sense of deep disenfranchisement. There is a need to address these grim realities before expecting a victory against ISIS.

In the meanwhile, the ratings-hungry media should leave Bana alone. Why not taking the higher ups to task for a change? Especially those who have broken many promises. The Obama administration, for one, has been let off the hook on the Syrian crisis. The man received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and the global peace has been in a perpetual disarray ever since. It is about time to rescind that honor as the Obama doctrine has only engendered violence and has empowered some of the biggest violators of human rights.

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WASHINGTON, DC -- NOVEMBER 16: Hillary Clinton is honored at a Children's Defense Fund event for her contributions and dedication to child advocacy at the Newseum in in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. It's Secretary Clinton's first public event since conceding the presidential election to Donald Trump. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Name an elected office in America, other than the president, where the candidate who wins the most votes can still lose the election.

You can't.

The presidency is the only office in the land where the winner is decided not by the popular vote, but by the Electoral College -- an outdated system that does not reflect our democracy or the principle of "one person, one vote."

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Every American, regardless of what state they live in, should be guaranteed that their vote matters. That's why it is long past time that we abolished the Electoral College. It is time for the winners to actually win the election.

Throughout our great nation's history, there have been five elections where the winner of the general election did not win the popular vote. In my lifetime, it has happened twice -- both times in the last 16 years -- and it needs to be addressed.

Right now, Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote stands at 2.3 million votes, and her lead is expected to grow. By the time all the votes are counted, it looks like she may win by 2.7 million votes. That would be more than the votes cast in Alaska, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Vermont and the Dakotas combined.

Clinton will have won the popular vote by a wider percentage margin than not only Al Gore in 2000, but also Richard Nixon in 1968 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.

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Donald Trump tweeted in 2012: "The Electoral College is a disaster for a democracy." I couldn't agree more.

Then during an interview on "60 Minutes" right after the 2016 election, Trump said his views on the Electoral College had not changed: "...I'm not going to change my mind just because I won. But I would rather see it where you went with simple votes. You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win."



Those comments must have driven his advisers crazy, because by the next morning, he was tweeting that the Electoral College system was "actually genius."

He also tweeted that "If the election were based on the total popular vote I would have campaigned in NY, Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily."

Well, he may be right about one thing: if we didn't have the Electoral College, candidates would actually have to campaign in every state because the votes of every American would matter.

According to nationalpopularvote.com, 94 percent of the campaigning by the presidential candidates in 2016 took place in just 12 states, and two-thirds of these general election campaign events took place in just six states.



That's why Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said this in 2015: "The nation as a whole is not going to elect the next president. Twelve states are."

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What message does that send to the 39 million Americans who live in California? What message does that send to the 27 million Americans who live in Texas? What message does it send to voters in smaller states like North Dakota and Rhode Island where the candidates don't even bother to campaign for their votes?

No wonder voter turnout was just 58 percent in this election. Too many Americans feel that their vote doesn't count!

Political science experts agree.

Doug McAdam, professor of sociology at Stanford University, asked, "What about all those citizens who reside in non-competitive states? Consider the loyal Republican who lives in California or the stalwart Mississippi Democrat? Every four years, voting for them is an exercise in political powerlessness, at least when it comes to the presidential race."

William Crotty, professor emeritus of political science at Northeastern University, said the Electoral College "...has never worked well. The fact is that it is a terrible system that has no place in an age where democracy is ascendant. It continues to exist from sheer inertia and the protection of entrenched power. It has little to do with democracy."

John Feerick, professor of law at Fordham University, said, "Not only have reasons for the Electoral College long since vanished but the institution has not fulfilled the design of the framers. Today it represents little more than an archaic and undemocratic counting device. There is no good reason for retaining such a formula of electing the president of the United States."

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That's why I recently introduced legislation to abolish the Electoral College, though a Constitutional amendment is no easy task. It would need to be enacted by Congress and would take effect only after being ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years after its passage.

There is another way to address this, called the National Popular Vote plan, which would guarantee that the presidential candidate who wins the most votes would be elected our next President.

All it requires is for enough states to act. It is essentially an interstate compact where the states would agree to award all of their electoral votes collectively to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. The agreement takes effect only once the participating states together hold a majority of electoral votes - that is, enough to elect a President.

So far, this National Popular Vote bill has been enacted into law by 10 states and the District of Columbia, resulting in a total 165 electoral votes, and it has been introduced in every state in the country.

This approach also has support on both sides of the aisle. In fact, Trump supporter Newt Gingrich wrote a letter in 2014 endorsing the idea: "No one should become president of the United States without speaking to the needs and hopes of Americans in all 50 states... America would be better served with a presidential election process that treated citizens across the country equally."

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And former Republican Congressman Bob Barr has said, "Only when the election process is given back to all the people of all the states, will we be able to choose a President based on what is best for all 50 states and not just a select few."

I'll be honest: My legislation faces an uphill battle, but it is time to change how we elect presidents in this country.

I have heard from so many people after this election that they feel like their vote doesn't count. Well, there is a way to make your voice heard: Write and call your Senators and Members of Congress. Tell them about this bill and ask them to sign onto it.

But don't stop there. Write and call your representatives in the statehouse and push for your state to take up the National Popular Vote plan.

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. Generations of Americans of every gender, race, religion and ideology have marched and struggled and died to secure this fundamental right.

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We owe it to them and to future generations to ensure that every vote matters and every vote counts. We owe it to them to ensure that the vote of a citizen in my state is worth the same as the vote of someone in a "swing" state. We owe to them to fight for the principle of "one person, one vote."
It appears that Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lanka's president, has reached out to America's president-elect Donald Trump. It's not clear precisely what language was used, though it looks like Sirisena wants Trump to help him sweep allegations of abuses that occurred during the nation's civil war under the carpet. Alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, which could include war crimes, have plagued the Sri Lankan armed forces since the war ended in May 2009.

There has been no accountability and Colombo had promised to address these allegations. After all, that was an important component of the October 2015 UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka which the coalition government co-sponsored.

We frankly don't know what Trump's Sri Lanka policy is going to look like, although the next several months -- including the Council's 34th session in March -- will be telling. What we do know is that Sri Lanka's president had committed to a credible accountability process with meaningful international participation last year. It subsequently looked like international involvement would be, at best, minimal. Now it looks like Sirisena isn't even keen on a purely domestic accountability process and that he'd like Washington's support on that front. According to the Associated Press, Sirisena will convey a similar message to newly elected UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

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The best gift of all is a good education. So before you start shopping for holiday gifts for your children or grandchildren, consider opening a 529 College Savings plan account. These tax-sheltered college savings incentives are easy to open, require no major investment decisions, and this gift will be appreciated far into the future.

Here are five things you should know about 529 plans.

1. Any plan, any state, no taxes, no minimums. The law was written to allow each state to open a 529 plan, but all follow the same basic federal rules. Money invested in any state's plan can be used for any child in the family, at any college or university in any state, for approved educational costs, such as tuition, room and board, and books.

The money invested within the plan grows tax-free. And when it is withdrawn in the future to pay for college education expenses, there is no tax on the money withdrawn. Investment choices are few and easy; most choose age-based plans that move into more conservative investments as college draws closer.

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There is no federal tax deduction for contributions, but some states do offer a limited deduction from state income taxes for those making contributions.

2.How to Choose a Plan. There are two great websites that will give you performance comparisons: www.SavingforCollege.com and www.Morningstar.com. Each has recently posted performance ratings for the past year, and previous 3 and 5-year periods. The results consider costs as well as gains. You can easily choose a plan and click the link to the plan website to open an account online, or using the toll-free number. A financial advisor may help you choose a plan without incurring additional costs.



Note: If you have several children in the family, you might want to open separate accounts for each since there are no additional costs -- or all children in the family can "share" a plan.

3.Who can contribute, and how much? Most plans allow you to open an account with a very low minimum - some as low as $50. Then you can set up a regular plan of automatic monthly contributions from your checking account. Other family members or family friends can also contribute to the same plan.

Special note: some 529 plans are linked to spending rebate offers, such as UPromise. Ask relatives to link up their credit cards so their spending will generate automatic contributions.

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4.Generous Estate Planning Deal! Most parents and grandparents will contribute far less than the allowable $14,000 a year gift (above this amount a federal gift tax return must be filed). But there is a special exception for 529 plans. Givers can contribute up to 5 times the allowable annual gift tax amount in one year. That means a wealthy grandparent could give $70,000 to each grandchild, getting the money out of his or her taxable estate! (And if the grandchild doesn't attend college, or the grandparent needs the money at a future date, the gift can be rescinded by paying accumulated taxes and a 10 percent penalty).

5. Impact on Financial Aid. Assets held in the 529 plan are considered parental assets in the financial aid formula, and therefore have far less impact on the aid process than assets held directly in by a student or in a custodial account. And when money is withdrawn to pay for college, it is not considered parental income, so does not impact the next year's financial aid.

Assets held in a plan "owned" by a grandparent are not considered in the aid formula, but when money is withdrawn to pay for college it is considered "student income" - and has a far greater impact on the next year's aid. One strategy is to use these assets only in the last two years of college. (Note: 529 plan assets cannot be used tax-free to pay down student loans!)
This year to mark World AIDS Day I travelled to Swaziland in southern Africa. I saw and heard first hand stories from a country that has made huge inroads in its efforts to curtail the HIV epidemic but it also led me take stock.

It made me think about the 78 million people who have become infected with HIV and remember the 35 million who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

Great progress has been made in dealing with the HIV epidemic, especially with the increasing number of people living with HIV on treatment but we cannot become complacent as the decline in new HIV infections among adults has stalled. Globally, critical attention needs to be paid to reinvigorate HIV prevention efforts, with young people at the front and centre of the response.

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World AIDS Day is a good day for us to reflect and re-state our commitments to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) we remain committed to an integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) response.

Of particular importance are young women and adolescent girls. According to UNAIDS nearly 7500 young women aged 15-24 years acquired HIV every week in 2015, the vast majority in southern Africa.

In Swaziland, the HIV prevalence among young women aged 15-19 years is 10 per cent compared with 2 per cent among young men of the same age. The transition to adulthood is a particularly challenging time for girls in sub-Saharan Africa, who face a high risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and violence. This heightened vulnerability is intricately linked to deeply entrenched gender inequalities, harmful gender norms, and structures that limit women and girls from reaching their full potential.

Young people within key populations also face particular HIV risks, including young men who have sex with men, young people who sell sex, young transgender people, and young people who inject drugs. This is often due to lower knowledge of risks or lower ability to mitigate those risks compared with their older, more experienced counterparts. These young people are often more vulnerable to discrimination, bullying, harassment, family disapproval, social isolation and violence. Also, young key populations often represent overlapping vulnerabilities and cannot be seen in discrete boxes, requiring a response that recognizes young people in all their diversity.

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This time last year, IPPF signed a memorandum of understanding with UNAIDS to 'Fast-Track' access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment options and SRH services by 2020. Under this partnership, IPPF is committed to deliver concrete actions to reach the most underserved people and ensure young people have the knowledge and means to protect themselves from HIV. Within IPPF's Strategic Framework 2016-2022, we have committed to deliver 1.5 billion rights-based SRH services, including HIV, and reach 500 million young people with quality comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programmes.
More than ever before, the humanitarian aid system as we know it is being stretched, questioned and tested. Among those bearing this strain are the individual aid workers.

Humanitarian aid workers around the world provide vital material and medical support to millions of people displaced by violent conflict. These women and men are the link between donor organizations and people in need.

But in places like Iraq, for example, there is a major strain on the humanitarian aid system. The number of internally displaced persons who stand to benefit from humanitarian support is growing as an Iraqi-led military coalition attempts to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State. Nearly 3 million Iraqis were displaced in the past 18 months.

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According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are over 50 million war refugees worldwide, the most since WWII. This number is likely to swell in the coming weeks as combined forces continue moving into northern Iraq and the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East gets worse. More funding is needed so that aid workers can do their job safely, efficiently and effectively, according to an official from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs now on the ground in Iraq. In July, the U.N. requested US$284 million, and as of Nov. 19, only 65 percent of this total had been secured. Preparing to care for the displaced as the onset of colder weather approaches has become a high priority.

AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File

The need for humanitarian support globally is rising at a much higher rate than can be met by currently available material and human resources. In our imperfect world there will always be a need for humanitarian efforts, and those tasked with directly addressing these needs feel both a personal and professional responsibility to deliver.

My research and book, "Aid Worker Voices," focus on aid workers. I've surveyed and interviewed more than 1,000 worldwide, many with multiple years of service and numerous long-term deployments across the globe. Their responses provide insights on the challenges of their day-to-day work to save and restore people's lives.

Here's some of what they shared with me.

Shifting sands

Many veteran aid workers observed that the core aspects of the work have slowly become more complex in the last several decades. A lack of safety is an increasingly palpable fact of life. They report seeing friends and colleagues get raped, kidnapped and, yes, even beheaded.

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Here's what one respondent said about the difficulties inherent in her profession:

"There are issues facing workers in this job that are so serious and so important that it needs the whole industry to stand up and shout about it."

She went on to say that she just wants to "get back to the work that I am fiercely proud of," instead of fearing for her safety.

But that walk forward tends to happen on shifting sands.

Humanitarian principles like neutrality and impartiality that once seemed so self-evident have been drawn into question, especially on the politically and ethnically complex battlefields of Iraq and Syria. Humanitarian safety protocol that seemed straightforward in places like Aceh, Malaysia or even Port-au-Prince, Haiti appear almost quaint now on the battlefields in the Middle East where even aid convoys have become targets.

On the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, delivering aid and support has deep political implications. The idea that "the friend of my enemy is also my enemy" takes on dizzying levels of complexity here, as everyone tries to make sense of the scorecard listing who is supporting or fighting whom in these theaters.

Tufts University researcher Antonio Donini put it this way: "Humanitarianism started off as a powerful discourse; now it is a discourse of power, both at the international and at the community level." Aid workers are caught in power squabbles as they try to deliver needed supplies, medical care and support for those in need.

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AP Photo/Karim Kadim

Aid workers know the world differently than most others from less cosmopolitan professions. Doing their job effectively demands they understand cultural and political dynamics.

Tough, complicated jobs

One survey respondent observed, "Humanitarian aid work is more and more like firefighting. We are not the ones in charge of pursuing those causing the fires to stop them, we just jump from one emergency to the other, and that will not change things for good."

Though an overwhelming majority - 90 percent - of survey respondents were at least moderately optimistic about the positive impact of humanitarian aid work, many had sobering thoughts.

A female worker currently working in an African nation said:

"Humanitarian aid work operates within a system that is built on inequality - we won't see large-scale change happen in the lives of people, in terms of long term development, until we start to challenge the structures and systems that result in this inequity in the first place. And the heart of those institutions is within North America and Europe - until we recognize how dependent we are on the oppression and marginalization of others for our own betterment and benefit ... humanitarian aid work is just another cog in this bullshit machinery."

The confines of the system within which aid workers struggle to work includes the humanitarian aid industry, and the larger economic and political forces that shape our world.

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By Jim Smith

UCF Forum columnist

What comes to mind when you hear the term "obstacle course"? Most of us might think of a rope wall, water pit or monkey bars that must be conquered.

If you are competing against someone else or even yourself, this obstacle-course navigation would be timed. Fastest time to the finish line with the fewest penalties wins.

But my daily obstacle course is not a fixed set of obstructions; instead, mine are all different sizes and shapes and move at different speeds.

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I'm talking about my 52-mile daily commute to work on four major highways in Central Florida. Traveling from Rockledge to Kissimmee via Interstate 95, State Roads 528 and 417, and Florida's Turnpike there are a myriad of obstacles ranging from tractor trailers to small motorcycles and everything in between weaving in and out of traffic.

On any given morning, I could come across a school bus stopping to pick up children, large trucks delivering products to stores, dump trucks that have just picked up a load of gravel from a Cocoa plant, or construction crews working on the highway for the day. Then there are other delays to watch out for, such as traffic accidents, heavy traffic volume or maybe bad weather. All these things can slow your drive to a crawl, turning your morning or evening reflection time into a tense time. Instead of a relaxing drive home to unwind after work, you might feel like Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway trying to stay with the leaders at 200 miles per hour.

Do you ever wonder what some of the root causes are for the heavy traffic we face each day in Central Florida? Is it because our local economy is flourishing with more jobs, new homeowners moving in, and more students attending our schools? I would say yes to all of the above.

Are there solutions to the daily obstacle course?

There are fixes in the works as we speak. Key roads are being expanded and the I-4 Ultimate project is a prime example of that. What about new-home construction of all kind, new businesses moving to the area and new schools being built or on the drawing board.

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These are all positive signs for our area but will they make the traffic problems go away? Not in the near future, but a guy can dream can't he?

There are a lot of days in my travels when I ask myself: Where did all these people move from? Where are they all going to work and shop? What new roads will be popping up and what existing roads are going to be widened?

On the other hand, if the roads were empty, no new homes or schools were being built, or no new companies were moving to Central Florida, what would our future hold?

So, it is with reluctance that I tip my cap to my daily obstacle course and relish the challenges of driving to work on busy highways and byways. Without this hustle and bustle, our daily routines would not be as challenging and we would not witness the reminders of the growth in Central Florida.

I have been fortunate in my travels over the past 3 years to be in only one minor incident involving some road debris. Just after I started commuting in 2013, I hit a 2x4 board in the middle of SR 528 that another driver ran over and threw into my lane. It happened so fast, all I could do was run over the board doing about 60, the board went under my truck and blew out my tires on the back, damaging one rear quarter panel. Minor damage and only a minor inconvenience.

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My wish for you as we begin another holiday season is safe travels from point A to B and not too many obstacles in your path.

Be accepting of a traffic jam every now and then that might slow down your day's hectic pace. And maybe an obstacle or two on your drive will make things interesting.

Just try to face these daily obstacles with a smile and your day will be brighter.
The rise of brief trends over classic style and shoddy workmanship at cheap prices in the fashion industry is damaging both our planet and its people. I'm a 25 year old designer and I wanted to share with you the story of how a t-shirt could be what's needed to engage the mass market with sustainable fashion.

Thanks to fast fashion our industry is currently the world's most polluting after oil. 25% of the world's chemicals are used for textile production and 10% of the world's carbon emissions result from the apparel industry. As a result, more toxic chemicals are released into our air, water and soil, and greenhouse gases are created that deplete our water and fossil fuel energy resources.

The Rana Plaza disaster of 2013 also illustrates the grave social and economic problems with the fast fashion model. Over 1,100 people were killed when the building they were working in, making cheap clothing for fast fashion retailers, collapsed. Corners had been cut in terms of cost of production and, tragically, health and safety had not been considered a priority.

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People have so many responsibilities and commitments in their lives -- professional, financial, emotional, social and even charitable -- and it is, therefore, tough to expect customers to shop for clothing with sustainability in mind and to consider the ethics of a brand over, say, the simple RRP of the clothing that they are selling

I believe we can engage the mainstream customer in sustainable fashion through The 30 Year T-Shirt. I designed this t-shirt as a wardrobe staple to be made so durably that we could guarantee it for 30 years. My manufacturing team in Serra da Estrela, Portugal have been making beautiful clothing since 1964 and we based the design of The 30 Year T-Shirt on some t-shirts they made in the 1970s that were still in perfect condition. We double reinforce all seams, use 360 grams per metre Italian cotton and treat the t-shirts against shrinking.

The "30 Year" concept is immediately eye-catching but has far reaching and crucial benefits:

The 30 Year T-Shirt at 50 is cheaper in terms cost per wear than its fast fashion equivalent of a plain coloured tee. It is also a garment that is made to a world class standard, delivered online direct-to-customer at a value price point. The customer, therefore, looks better and saves money at the same time.

The 30 Year T-Shirt is a sustainable fashion campaign fighting fast fashion, aiming to encourage people to shop sustainably and to lead an industry trend into protecting our natural resources by producing truly durable clothing.

Some people argue that fashions come and go, and that the 30 Year concept doesn't work. I consider that to be very narrow minded. Other than it terms of sizing, how could you improve upon a well cut white t-shirt? I am not suggesting for one second that we stop designing innovative and interesting new garments with new prints, materials or other features. I am just suggesting that we stop allowing fast fashion retailers to systematically make wardrobe staples to fall apart so that we're forced into replacing them. And before you turn around and tell me that you'll be too fat to fit into the same t-shirt in three decades time, stop being so defeatist and lay off the Domino's (even I'm trying to).

If we could cut down on unnecessary garment manufacturing and distribution, we would be making some important strides towards making the fashion industry more sustainable. What better way to achieve this then by guaranteeing that the cornerstones of your wardrobe, which you'll most likely never change, will actually last? Fashion production requires machinery which uses valuable energy, it wastes fabric (15% of fabric is wasted during the manufacturing process, on average) and then there is the carbon footprint, caused by transporting the goods, to consider. The rise of globalisation has meant that cotton is grown in one place, woven in another and then clothing can be put together somewhere else entirely. Almost all clothing sold in the Western world is imported and this contributes hugely to emissions. On top of production and delivery, there is also huge energy consumption involved with bricks and mortar fashion retail, packaging and marketing. I am not implying that we should not have any more shops but, in an age of globalisation, the efficiency of the direct to customer vertically integrated e-commerce fashion business model for brand owners, consumers and our environment must not be overlooked.

The 30 Year concept also aims to encourage a different attitude to fashion ownership and disposal. Many people, in this era of readily available cheap fast fashion, buy items that they do not even wear once. The energy consumed to create, market and deliver the garment is wasted as a result and further energy is then used up in the disposal process. It is, therefore, important that we think carefully before buying something. A good rule of thumb is that championed by Eco Age and Livia Firth: when shopping for clothing, think "am I going to wear this at least 30 times?". Based on a figure of 400 loads per year, the average washing machine consumes 75,000 litres of water every year and leaves behind chemicals from washing powder and liquids that are resistant to water treatment. Washing machines and tumble dryers also consume a huge amount of electricity from fossil fuels. The mere process, therefore, of owning and washing clothing has a huge effect on the environment, so choosing a 30 Year garment or something that is going to last longer, be cheaper in terms of cost per wear and actually look better makes sense on many levels.

Now is the time when we must encourage a more sensible and sustainable attitude towards fashion consumption. In Britain, a supposedly forward thinking nation, 85% of the clothing that we throw away ends up in landfill. Why is such idiotically narrow minded behaviour so prevalent? Charity shops are a wonderful thing. I recently bought a beautiful Italian cotton Gucci overcoat from Oxfam in Notting Hill for just 20. Imagine if that had been thrown away!
"And yet it moves" is a phrase attributed to Galileo Galilei in 1633.In his book " On the Shoulders of Giants; the Great Works of Physics and Astronomy" Stephen Hawking proposes that the statement was uttered when Galileo was being transferred from house arrest to another home in the hills above Florence. These words were found on a Spanish painting by the Spanish painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo that had been completed within a year or two of Galileo's death in 1642. The painting depicts Galileo in the dungeon gazing at the wall of his prison cell on which are scratched the words "and yet it moves."

Galileo is commonly considered to be the father of modern science. He made major contributions to physics, astronomy, cosmology, mathematics, and philosophy. He invented an improved the telescope that let him to observe the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, the phases of Venus, sunspots, and the rugged surface of the moon.

Pope Urban,VIII, had confronted Galileo asking him to give arguments for and against Copernicus and his espousal of heliocentrism. The Pope took offense, and Galileo was summoned to Rome where he was placed on trial in September 1632. Under the threat of torture he was pressured eventually to admit that he had been a defender of Copernicus he was forced to recant. The Inquisition delivered its verdict on June 22, and Galileo was found to be "vehemently suspect of heresy, holding the opinion that the sun lies motionless where i the earth was not the center and moves contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to "abjure, curse, and detest" those opinions. He was sentenced to formal imprisonment at the pleasure of the Inquisition. He was committed to house arrest where he remained for the rest of his life. Galileo was ordered to read seven penitential psalms once a week for the next three years.

On October 30, 1992, more than 350 years after the church condemned Galileo Pope John Paul II rectified one of the churches most infamous wrongs and persecution of the Italian astronomer Galileo with a formal statement at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The Pope closed a 13 year investigation into the Churchs condemnation the dispute between the Church and Galileo has long stood as one of history's great emblems of conflict between reason and dogma, between science and faith.The Vatican's formal acknowledgment that it does not serve as the final arbiter of faith as a supreme mea culpa. John Paul II said that the scientist was "imprudently opposed". The head of the current investigation said " we know today that Galileo was right in adopting the Copernican astronomical theory.

Yes, and yet it does move.
Is it really far too late to hope that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton join hands and merrily take that proverbial long walk off a short pier?

Trump's trademark overreaction to a big Clinton flip flop may mask a deeper seated anxiety over not just his big and oddly meandering decision about the new U.S. secretary of State but also the office of the Presidency itself.

First Clinton, in ever so lawyerly fashion, "joined" Green candidate Jill Stein's silly push for recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, crucial states Trump snatched from the Democrats (as I warned the Friday before the election) to win the White House. Then Trump, in a fit of pique over Hillary's effectively reneging on her election night concession phone call and day after speech urging America to accept Trump's election, fell into his all too familiar habit of Twittering on about not only his understandable outrage but also his preposterous claim that he really did not lose the national popular vote, as I wrote he would the morning after the election, because millions of illegal immigrants voted for Hillary.

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Here we have in a nutshell why these two are the most unpopular presidential nominees in American history. For Clinton, there is sheer hypocrisy and heavily-financed sneakiness. Note how quickly the impoverished Greens came up with millions of dollars to challenge results in which their candidate, who shortly before the election said Clinton was much more dangerous for world peace than Trump, got only 1 percent of the the vote. For Trump, we got the far too frequent intemperate bluster and know-nothing nonsense.

I'll let the New Yorker, with all its hyper-partisan anti-Trump/pro-Clinton glory, explain why the recount is based on ludicrous gibberish.

As for Trump, let's look at his own angry gibberish in more detail. It's more important, after all, because he will be the president going forward while the Clintons recede into history, their ongoing presence in our political lives what will now be a thoroughly reassessed policy and cultural legacy. Assuming, that is, that Trump keeps his own kumbayah promise to Hillary that, like outgoing President Obama, who so thoroughly prejudged the affair, he will block an indictment for her incredibly slipshod manner of securing her sensitive e-mails as secretary of state. (Yes, as longtime readers know, I did consistently defend Hillary on the e-mail scandal. Up until Labor Day, when new information convinced me of the error of my ways. This is not the time for that discussion.)

As predicted, Hillary's national popular vote lead has only grown since early the morning of November 9th. Secretary Clinton had a slight national popular vote lead then over Trump, thanks to a huge California vote lead of 2.5 million votes.

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Now Clinton has a national vote lead of over 2 million votes. Over 4 million votes of that lead come from the Golden State.

Before the president-elect went bonkers again and claimed he really won the national popular vote when you subtract the utterly non-existent vote of 3 million illegal immigrants, he argued he would have won the popular vote had that been the route to the presidency.

Well, I don't think that is impossible. But he would have to have been a different version of Donald Trump in order to do that.

Would Trump, a vivid though often foggy celebrity, have won a lot more votes in California if he had campaigned here without changing his tune?

Some, sure. After all, I've seen the effect of vivid celebrity campaigning up close and personal with my old friend Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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But Schwarzenegger did not win two landslide elections as governor of California running as an anti-tolerance, anti-diversity, anti-environment know-nothing. Quite the contrary.

That Trump actually did worse in California than any other Republican presidential nominee in 80 years -- since Alf Landon was crushed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first re-election -- is not because Hillary had anything remotely like FDR's appeal in California. It is because Californians, voting 62 percent to 32 percent against Trump, were utterly repelled by the distant caricature of Trump and Trumpism. That caricature is what we actually see much of the time, especially in these id-driven pre-dawn tweets of his.

Had Trump campaigned here as he did most of the time, he would have gotten a few hundred thousand more votes, not nearly enough to turn around the national popular vote. Now, if he ran on an Arnold-like platform, coupled with the more positive, non-hateful aspects of his populism, well, that's another thing. And another campaign. And, if he won, perhaps a very different presidency.

As for Trump's claim of millions of illegal immigrant votes for Clinton, that's every bit as idiotic as the thinly-veiled Clinton bid to overturn the results in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. (Her move would only make sense as a gambit to delegitimize Trump's presidency by forcing the Republican Congress to choose him with the Electoral College in disarray from vote count delays. Which I'm told is not at all likely to take place.)

No one serious in California, and I mean no one, thinks that there is significant voting by illegal immigrants. It's never used as an excuse by Republicans for their defeats here. If Trump wasn't so anti-intellectual, he might look into the sociology of illegal immigrants, among whom there is remarkably little interest in voting. Indeed, the sort of enclavism that is a part of brings its own set of very different concerns. But let's not get distracted by social reality.

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Since it no longer really matters what triggered Hillary's behavior here, what concerns me is Trump's behavior. Perhaps the enormity of what he's taken on is getting to him.

Assuming the accuracy of the reports, Trump spent much of Thanksgiving asking his guests who he should appoint as secretary of state.

Despite early press reports, Trump actually was off to a fairly quick start at putting together his administration. Faster, for example, than Bill Clinton.

But after core Trump backer ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani gave a speech and some interviews about his hoped-for tenure as secretary of state and was ripped by much of the media, Trump countered with what looked like a clever distraction. Maybe he'd appoint Mitt Romney. Heh. As if.

Now Trump seems taken with the idea. As does Romney.

Perhaps Trump relishes the idea of having someone who savaged him personally throughout the campaign dependent upon him for the greatest honor of his life. Maybe he thinks it will buy peace with what there is of the Republican establishment he so thoroughly exposed in the primaries. But doesn't he want a believable chief diplomat?

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How can Romney take himself seriously if he now goes to work for Trump? I've been ripping Trump since I realized more than a year ago that he was the coming thing in American politics. I despise his decided tendencies to know-nothingism and neo-fascism. But I've barely met the man, immediately disliking him as a blowhard, and that decades ago. Plus I'm obviously not a Republican.

Romney has known Trump for decades. His very personal attacks on the president-elect were predicated on his purported knowledge and insight of the man.

If Romney becomes Trump's secretary of state, the subtext of everything that comes out of his mouth is that it is not to be taken seriously. Why should it be? It's all situational ethics. There is no bedrock core, just morphing opportunism.

At least Giuliani, whom I've interviewed a few times and rather like, especially since he does not shrink from going round and round on controversial matters, is a true-blue Trump supporter. He is a proven figure in dramatic crisis and much better traveled than Romney, whose poor grasp of geography stunned me during his debates with Obama.

Of course, there are other prospects. Milquetoast establishment Senator Bob Corker, for example. Yawn. Mad man ex-UN Ambassador John Bolton. Let me stick needles in my eyes.

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And there is General, excuse me, Doctor David Petraeus. As longtime readers know, I am not a Petraeus fan. His much touted COIN (counterinsurgency doctrine) was mostly recycled blather from the Vietnam War, all too familiar, gussied up for the credulous as some sort of faux "new idea" in warfare.

Take one of those old Vietnam War papers, delete "strategic hamlets" and "Vietnamization," and you've got COIN.

The Iraq War "surge" was essentially a scam. Move large numbers of heavily armed US troops into an area, pay a lot of bribes, give a largely free hand to pro-Iranian Shiite militias, and you get "success." For awhile.

But COIN provided a rationale for an approach that was smarter than what had gone before, and the surge created a space. A space, that is, for the US to execute the Bravo Oscar maneuver (i.e., bug out) and get the tattered Bush administration the hell out of Dodge with a modicum of dignity.

Mission accomplished. Heh.

That Petraeus couldn't replicate the "success" of the Iraq surge in Afghanistan was anything but a surprise to anyone who had spent time on the ground in Afghanistan away from the vips. Like, say, backpacking around on foot and by bus.

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Sure, Petraeus and his sorta running mate, General Stanley McChrystal, pressured Obama to do the big dumb escalation in Afghanistan, which I wrote about extensively at the time. Big generals generally get bigger with big missions.

Petraeus and especially McChrystal (once new National Security Advisor Mike Flynn's boss at Joint Special Operations Command), jammed Obama, who simply didn't know how to handle them. More about that another time.

Petraeus was off to a decent start as Obama's CIA director when his sex scandal and little problem with classified material came to light. That barely compares, by the way, to Clinton's problems. Or do we think that Dwight Eisenhower didn't confide in Kay Summersby?

It was wrong and all that, of course, but Petraeus biographer/girlfriend Paula Broadwell was actually Major Paula Broadwell, a fellow West Pointer, a Harvard postgrad and Army intelligence officer. It's not like losing your entire e-mail archive as secretary of state by idiotically sending it through the mail. (Might as well just Fedex it to the Kremlin.) Or being unable to account for all but a few of the 13 handheld devices you used. Or having your e-mails turn up on Anthony Weiner's laptop. Or ... you get the gist.

Petraeus is a courtier, something of a "smack" in the parlance. But he is brilliant and very knowledgeable. West Point summa cum laude, top of the Army Command and General Staff College, a Princeton PhD in international relations, with all the top soldier stuff, too, tops at the special ops Ranger School, combat command of the legendary 101st Airborne Division, and so on. And he does engage with folks who don't always agree with him.

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There is even an off chance that, like Stanley McChrystal, he actually opposed the invasion of Iraq. Recall that if we do not invade Iraq, the world looks very, very different.

In any event, I now think that Trump himself probably opposed the invasion of Iraq. He just couldn't quite spit that out with Howard Stern, with whom he usually put on a macho attitude, so we got that halting "I guess" endorsement that the Clintons -- who very much did back the Iraq invasion -- tried to ram down Trump's throat.

Not to say these are the best options, of course. We are now in a highly imperfect world, at best. And don't worry, Trump may just find a way to screw it up and all will be well, right?
In the story Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara experiences the food shortages caused by America's Civil War. Hunger is a horrible fate that no one should endure.

Scarlett knows this. In the famous scene from the movie she vows, "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

The American Civil War, the bloodiest the country has ever seen, was more than a fight between the Northern Union and the Southern Confederacy. It was also a struggle against hunger.

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The starving people of New Orleans fed by the United States military authorities, 1862. (Library of Congress)

In that sense, our own Civil War is no different than the one taking place today in Syria. Millions of Syrian civilians are starving.

We should make our own vow today that Syria's innocent war victims must never go hungry again.

Where there is war, there is hunger. That has been the tragedy within the tragedy of Syria's civil war. Civilians have been prevented from getting deliveries of food and other basics. The warring sides routinely block humanitarian convoys.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian military forces, has no regard for the wellbeing of civilians. Their current blockade of Eastern Aleppo city has left around 275,000 civilians trapped and without food supplies.

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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has trucks loaded with food ready to go into Aleppo, but they are not being granted safe passage.

Trucks from the World Food Programme are routinely are blocked by military forces from entering cities in Syria like Aleppo. (World Food Programme photo)

The combatants of Syria's civil war could do the right thing. They could let the innocent civilians have food like Union forces did when they took control of the southern city of New Orleans in 1862. Upon arrival they found a population on the brink of starvation.

General Benjamin Butler of the Union stated, "This hunger does not pinch the wealthy and influential, the leaders of the rebellion, who have gotten up this war, and are now endeavoring to prosecute it, without regard to the starving poor, the working man, his wife and child."

Captain John Clark was ordered to set up distribution of this food right away, which included rations diverted away from the Confederate army.

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General Butler and his forces were determined "to feed the hungry and relieve the distressed with provisions. But to the extent possible within the power of the Commanding General it shall be done."

General Butler also got an idea. They could feed the hungry but also help the city at the same time. He came up with a Food for Work plan where extra rations would be provided to those clearing the city streets of debris and other projects.

Food for Work initiatives are being used by the World Food Programme in Syria and other countries today.

General George Foster Shepley of the Union Army appointed a celebrity of sorts to carry out the Food for Work distributions in New Orleans that summer of 1862. Colonel T. B. Thorpe, the author of the antislavery novel, The Master's House, took on this task.

The New York Times said the colonel "so well managed his plans that the food is being given out with all the quietness of a popular grocery."

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Thorpe was smart too by giving the food to the women of the household first. This would guarantee the food would reach all the family members and not get traded for rum.

Butler's food plan was a hit. When it was time for him to leave, hundreds of residents gathered to show their appreciation for what he did for the hungry.

After the American Civil War heroes like Laura Reed of Mississippi advocated for children's rights. The war, and a subsequent drought, left many children and mothers in need. Reed started a home where the Civil War victims could be fed, and the children could receive an education.

An appeal in the Baltimore Sun read that women and children "with gaunt famine staring them in the face, are begging in their tears for admission, Mothers sick and faint from want and suffering, plead upon their knees that their loved child may be received and saved from death by starvation."

That is the same cry being heard in Syria as we speak. There are thousands of Syrian infants who need a nutritious peanut paste called Plumpy'Nut to save them from deadly malnutrition.

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The World Food Programme, UNICEF brought plumpy to children recently in four towns that had been previously blockaded. But in Aleppo and other areas the life-saving food cannot get through. That is the lowest form of humanity for those who are preventing this food from reaching small children.

Syrians desperately need food. And they need peace. They need someone to emerge as a leader in unifying their country in peace and respecting the human rights of all. President Abraham Lincoln's words on the America's Civil War could just as well be proclaimed in Syria.

Lincoln said, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Here's when Dunkin' and Atwoods plan to open in Hutchinson

Developers of two business blame shipment delays of equipment and materials in pushing back openings for new Hutchinson retail locations.
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David Hoose, the attorney for Alexander Ciccolo of Adams, talks to reporters on Tuesday outside federal court in Springfield.

Ciccolo Adds Attorney With Experience Defending Terror Suspects

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  The Adams man facing federal terrorism charges has a new member of his legal team.

Alexander Ciccolo was back before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson on Tuesday for a procedural hearing in the case of U.S. v Ciccolo.

Northampton defense attorney David Hoose earlier informed the court that Ramzi Kassem , a professor at the City University of New York, has joined as co-counsel for Ciccolo, who was arrested on July 4, 2015, on a federal weapons charge. In August, a superseding indictment was handed down charging Ciccolo with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to use of weapons of mass destruction.

Kassem joins the case with experience representing defendants of various nationalities "at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, at so-called 'Black Sites,' and at other detention sites worldwide," according to his biography on the CUNY Law School website.

After a 10-minute hearing in Robertson's court room, Hoose explained that Kassem's involvement in the case was important to his 23-year-old client.

"[Kassem] has a lot of experience in consulting on these cases, these prosecutions," Hoose said. "He has been very active in volunteer work and in civil rights work with the Muslim community, and that's very important to my client, to have someone of that stature on his defense team. That was a big factor."

Hoose said he first contacted Kassem about a month ago, and that the New York attorney has had a chance to meet with Ciccolo. He also later clarified that while Kassem has done volunteer work, he is not volunteering on this case.

Kassem, who joined the CUNY faculty in 2009, directs the Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic and "supervises the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) project, which primarily aims to address the legal needs of Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and other communities in the New York City area that are particularly affected by national security and counterterrorism policies and practices," according to the school's website.

Kassem did not appear in court on Tuesday.

Ciccolo appeared actively engaged with Hoose at the defense table on Tuesday. He arrived just after Robertson took the bench at 2:14 for the hearing, which focused on the discovery process.

Hoose told the judge that he only was able to begin reviewing the discovery material provided by federal prosecutors after Columbus Day because of other trial commitments. Both parties agreed to set a deadline of Jan. 6 for Hoose to deliver the government a letter seeking additional materials.

"You have together proposed an interim conference on Jan. 31," Robertson said. "You should, I would hope, by Jan. 31, be able to say, Mr. [Kevin] O'Regan, whether you will be providing [additional materials] or whether there will be disputes.

"That will be my primary interest on Jan. 31. Do you think you'll be able to make that assessment from Jan. 6 to the 31st?"

O'Regan, assistant U.S. attorney, told the judge he would be able to assess what, if any, of the additional discovery requests the government would want to contest. But he added that he would like the full 30 days allowed to respond to the Jan. 6 letter.

Robertson set the interim status conference for Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. with a potential date of Feb. 6 for a discovery hearing.

Ciccolo is facing up to life in prison on the top count of the indictment, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

Hoose on Tuesday declined to speculate how long it might take to resolve the case.

"It's really hard to say," Hoose said. "The defendant faces very substantial penalties, and my view of it is however long it takes to get the case ready for trial is however long it takes. We're 17 months in, but we didn't get a superseding indictment until August, so in that sense, we're only about three or four months into the serious charges.

"We're not trying to delay this for any reason, but there's a lot of work to be done and a lot of information to analyze. It takes time."
The School Committee and the Board of Selectmen held the first of what is envisioned to be a series of regular meetings between the two elected bodies.

Tuition Costs Highlight Meeting With Lanesborough School, Town Officials

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  Selectmen Chairman John Goerlach said he is "thoroughly disgusted" that New Ashford is paying half the cost per pupil than Lanesborough is for the same education.

The town has a tuition agreement with New Ashford, which does not have an elementary school, to send its students to Lanesborough Elementary. The tuition is set at $8,730, which is about half of the per-pupil spending of the entire school. Goerlach has been pushing for an increased tuition rate for years, calling for it to equal the per-pupil spending rate the town is paying.

"Why are we still 50 percent? I don't get it. How many times we do we have to ask? I am thoroughly disgusted when I look at the numbers," Goerlach told the School Committee on Monday.

There are only a few towns in the state that tuition children into neighboring schools, which is done through tuition agreements. Lanesborough School Committee Chairwoman Regina DiLego says the tuition rate has been increasing over the years.

There are only 11 total students tuitioning into the school, most of them coming from New Ashford. DiLego says the numbers are so small per class that it doesn't trigger any additional services, so all of the income from tuition students helps with the inherent overhead of running the school. The School Committee wants to set a price point that brings in income without being so costly that parents send their children elsewhere.

"If they don't want to pay more, then you lose all of that," DiLego said, pointing out that the tuition money doesn't go to the elementary school's budget but instead to the town's coffers.

The same is the case when it comes to school-choice students, which the School Committee sets every year. The goal is to fill classrooms with additional out-of-town students but not to the point that it requires more teachers. For example, if the town is paying for enough overhead to have a class of 15 students but there are only 12 from town enrolled, then a few additional spots could be filled with school choice or tuition, bringing additional income to the town.

Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Grady said the majority of a school budget is overhead costs such as teachers' salaries and benefits, utility costs, and the like. All of which will have to be paid for regardless. DiLego added that the town's per-pupil cost is also somewhat inflated comparatively because transportation isn't factored in. The town provides busing for students in town but tuition students are expected to provide their own transportation.

Attorney Russell Dupere said, "it is a very fine line to make it work" when it comes to filling the spots that bring additional income without causing additional costs.

But that fine line is one Town Manager Paul Sieloff wants to avoid. Sieloff said costs get "exponentially greater" if the tipping point is reached. If students are accepted via school choice or tuition and ultimately those additional bodies in the room cause the need to hire another teacher, then the town is on the hook for salaries, benefits, and retirement for years to come. The costs for even one teacher, Sieloff says, exceeds whatever $5,000 per school-choice student or $8,000 per tuition student would bring in.

Sieloff calls for just educating children who live in town. That way, the costs are more known and townspeople can rest assured that taxpayer money is being spent on education the students from town. Selectman Henry Sayers said the perception is that the town is "subsidizing" students from elsewhere because those towns are paying less per student to attend the same school.

Grady countered, however, saying there are 18 elementary children from the town who choice out to other districts. The town pays for those students to attend elsewhere, and allowing children to school choice in fills that gap.

DiLego added that the School Committee hasn't ignored the Selectmen's request to monitor school choice closely. Town officials have previously expressed fear that even if accepting choice students may not raise the elementary school budget, in a few years when the students join their classmates from Williamstown at Mount Greylock Regional School, it could trigger the need for a new teacher there.

DiLego said since that discussion a few years ago, the School Committee now has enrollment and choice numbers for Williamstown Elementary School and that future possibility is carefully explored when setting choice numbers at the elementary school level.

Regarding residency of students, Sayers said he has heard that a number of children were getting off the bus at the Lanesborough border and parents were picking them up and driving them back to Pittsfield. He wondered if the school was actually ensuring residency of those enrolled. Grady responded that there is a strict protocol for residency and the administration does have police verify addresses if there are questions. The buses are open to school choice students to take to a stop in Lanesborough if there is enough room, she said, so that may answer the question.

"If there is room on a bus, I don't think anybody is going to argue about it. It is not like a child from Lanesborough is getting kicked off the bus so a choice kid can ride it," School Committee member PJ Pannesco said.

The tuition and choice discussion was the most heated, with Goerlach becoming frustrated at the tuition rate, but it wasn't the only topic of Monday's meeting. After a few years of discord between the two boards, both elected bodies are taking a proactive approach to communication. In what is envisioned as one of a series of meeting between the two boards, a handful of topics regarding the school were hashed out.

One such discord occurred last year when Sieloff, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, sent a letter to the tri-district administration asking for the central office to be relocated to the elementary school. Central office is not included in the new Mount Greyock school project because it wouldn't be reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Lanesborough threw out the idea that the office could relocate to there.

"We still think it is reasonable. There should be some space or we can make space," Sieloff said.

However, that move wasn't taken lightly by School Committee members because it bypassed them completely. The committee said it wasn't in the town's purview to offer up the use of the building  that managing and running that building was their responsibility and therefore they should have been included.

"In the configuration, we have at the elementary school, is that possible? No," DiLego said.

On Monday, the two sides got over their differences on that issue, with the Selectmen and Sieloff saying there was an assumption that the letter included the School Committee as well and that it wasn't so much as an offer but starting a conversation.

"We're just shooting ideas off to save money," Goerlach said.

School Budget Talks

The budget has always been a point of contention between the two boards. But both seem to be in agreement with the starting point this year.

"We're hoping the guidance you give to the administration is to be extremely frugal to the degree of coming in as flat as possible," Sieloff said. "If we could come in flat in the next couple of years, that would be a big help."

DiLego said she has already voiced that desire as well in the planning meetings. From the town's perspective, the finances are in the middle of a three-year transition as the cost of the Mount Greylock project starts hitting the books at the same time the assessment value of the Berkshire Mall decreases with the loss of recent stores. Sieloff said that after this period, when both of those costs level out, the town will have a more clear understanding of the financial picture.

Pannesco, however, added that while the focus of the committee can be to come in close to level, that does put the long-term maintenance plans on a back burner. The School Committee has been discussing creating an account to start saving for capital projects for the school, including a new roof. Former interim Superintendent Gordon Noseworthy even crafted a multi-year capital plan.

"That's going to be difficult to do in light of the increases," Pannesco said.

While that discussion didn't evolve much, Sayers did say that in the town's capital plan items like the school roof is already included. While the two sides hadn't come to an agreement about how exactly the planning and saving will be done, both sides were on the same page when recognizing capital repairs as a priority.

"We are thinking about it. It is not like we are not thinking about improvements to the school," Sayers said.

The 45-minute discussion hit a few other topics as well, but none with much sustenance. It ended with an invitation from DiLego for Sieloff and the Board of Selectmen to take an active role in the collective bargaining sessions set to begin soon.
BCC President Ellen Kennedy and Robert Vaughn of the Lenox School Committee update Adams-Cheshire officials Monday on the results of the education task force's report.

Education Task Force Briefs Cheshire, ACRSD Officials



The Cheshire Selectmen asked how long it would be before the county saw educational changes.

CHESHIRE, Mass.  Town and school officials were told this week by members of the Berkshire Education Task Force that with a dipping population and shrinking resources, challenges facing Berkshire County schools are more likely to worsen than improve.



"What we think is clear, just the way the county is numbers, student and financially wise, things are not going to get better," task force member Robert Vaughn, a longtime educator and chairman of the Lenox School Committee, told the Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee on Monday night. "We assume they are likely to get worse."



Douglas McNally, former Taconic High principal, was a little more forceful at the Selectmen's meeting on Tuesday.



"I don't mean to use alarmist language but countywide, we are facing a fiscal cliff," he said. "We are finding out there is almost no solution long term that an individual community or an individual district can adopt that will solve the problem. The sense is the only way we can move forward is as a large entity."



The task force was formed to look at the challenges facing local school districts, particularly regarding enrollment and funding. It commissioned the report on the challenges facing county education by the University of Massachusetts' Donahue Institute.



Its members are now updating some 40 different boards on the findings and what's next.



Enrollment is down countywide 22 percent from 2003 and is expected tank another 11 percent. These lower enrollment numbers are not helped by increasing expenses and stagnant revenue.



The situation has worsened because of challenges in state education funding, rising salaries, rising health insurance, and community budgets nearing their levy limits. Five communities are expected to hit their levy ceilings in the next five years.



This includes Adams.



"As you can see, Adams is nearing the ceiling ... it is not a good direction to be going in," Vaughn said on Monday.



He also noted that because of school districts' shrinking resources, students are hit the hardest with cuts to staffing and programming. He said language, explorative courses and art programs are the first to go.



"I think Hoosac valley would be a prime example of this because you had to make cuts and some tough decisions needed to be made," Vaughn said. "I think you know that more than anybody."



That was reinforced on Tuesday by McNally.



"When any one community in a regional school district hit their levy ceiling it caps anything you can do as a district," he said. "You in Cheshire can't do an override to take care of the fact Adams can't afford your agreement."



McNally said the rest of the state is not seeing an enrollment decreases like Berkshire County. Only Cape Cod and some communities in Franklin County have similar challenges.



"The rest of the state is not experiencing this and we need to get Boston to understand that even though enrollment is increasing around Boston, it is not here," he said. "Also, the state funding formula really does not protect us."
Letter: Condemn Trump/Bannon

To the Editor:



My statement to the North Adams City Council: Nov. 22, 2016



I stood before this City Council in 2003 to ask the council to stand with other communities, to pass a resolution requesting the federal government to revise the hastily written and adopted so-called Patriot Act, an act that eroded many of our civil liberties and paved the way for further erosion of them. The good members of that council sat by and did nothing.

I stood before this City Council in 2006 to ask the council to impeach Bush and Cheney for acts of treason; for purposefully and willfully lying to the American people to take us into an illegal and ongoing failed war of aggression. A war that continues to kill untold thousands, foment terrorism and is bankrupting our country. The good members of that council sat by and did nothing.

Our country has elected a dangerously incompetent demagogue as our as next president.

I stand before you today as an American and I salute you: Seig Heil!

And, I ask you how did that make you feel? That is the hateful salute of a growing Neo-Nazi movement within our country as unleashed by Trump.

If that salute offended you, then you, as a council must condemn the appointment of Steven Bannon, an avowed white supremacist neo-Nazi, as trump's chief strategic adviser. There is no place for neo-Nazis in our government, period.

This condemnation must happen at every level of government, in every house of worship and in every community. Failure to condemn this appointment, normalizes it and allows the evil reach of the Neo-nazis to expand.

As civic leaders you act as a moral compass for our community and our children. If we tacitly accept racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and Islamaphobia in the White House, we are teaching them to our children.

To say that it is not within your purview as city councilors to condemn a presidential appointment is cowardly. It is every citizen's responsibility to condemn racism, bigotry and hate. It has been said: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Today, on the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy I quote: "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." As in no other time in my lifetime, has our country needed us more.

Peter May

North Adams, Mass.
Great Barrington Police Gains Accreditation

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.  The Great Barrington Police Department has met all necessary requirements for full state accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission and will be the first department in Berkshire County to receive the award.



The department will receive its award at a ceremony, the date of which has not yet been determined.



"We are honored to be the first department in Berkshire County that will be recognized by the accreditation commission," Chief Police Chief William Walsh said. "I commend all of the officers and staff, as it is their day-to-day professionalism and hard work that made this achievement possible. This was a departmentwide commitment that has been several years in the making. The Town can be very proud of our police officers and our staff. In particular, Executive Administrative Assistant Cara Becker and Sgt. Paul Storti served on our Assessment Team and were paramount in this success. I want to thank both of them for their work on the 246 mandatory and 83 optional standards that we had to meet."



Accreditation is a long and self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain the highest standards of law enforcement practice. It is considered the best measure of a police department against the established best practices around the country and region, and involves both an internal self-review and an external assessment by the commission's team of experts.



Under the leadership of Walsh, the department was assessed earlier this year by a team of commission-appointed assessors. The assessment team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for accreditation.
Page Content

MONTREAL, 30 NOVEMBER 2016  The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expressed its deep condolences today after the loss of Lamia Airlines Flight 2933.



"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of this tragic accident, the UN agencys Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu remarked.



Any accident or incident resulting in loss of life is always of great concern to ICAO and the entire air transport community," added ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu.

Resources for Editors



About ICAO

A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.

Background: International Accident Investigations



This Fact Sheet explains how accident investigation participating States are determined, as well as the process leading to the issuance of an accident investigation Preliminary Report (within 30 days of the event) and Final Report (asap or within 12 months of the event) following completion of the investigation.

Final Reports ultimately provide as much official information as possible on an accidents contributing causes and factors, as well as any official recommendations on how applicable aviation safety frameworks should be amended in the future.

ICAO does not normally participate in aircraft accident investigations, except when the State or States with due authority under Annex 13Accident Investigation request its assistance directly. In those exceptional circumstances, said assistance normally involves ICAO acting as an official observer and/or clarifying various Annex 13 technical requirements when requested.

The ICAO Aviation Safety website

Contacts

Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO

William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

wraillantclark@icao.int

+1 514-954-6705

+1 514-409-0705 (mobile)

Twitter: @wraillantclark
Email IC Arizona at azpoliticalintel-at-yahoo.comIC Arizona is a subsidiary of IntellectualConservative.com
We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
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Imperial Valley News Center

Meeting of the U.S. Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking

Washington, DC - Yesterday, the Department of State hosted the seventh meeting of the Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. The Task Force is co-chaired by Department of State Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli, the Department of the Interior Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service Dan Ashe, and the Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division John Cruden, and brings together 17 government agencies for a whole-of-government approach to fighting wildlife trafficking.

In 2016, the U.S. government made significant progress both internationally and domestically in our efforts to protect our planets precious wildlife.

In July, the United States implemented a near-total domestic ban on the trade in African elephant ivory. Building on that effort, through the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue process, we secured a commitment from China to announce by the end of this year a timeline for the closure of its domestic market for African elephant ivory.

With U.S. leadership at the 2016 World Conservation Congress and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) COP 17, the international community called on all governments to close their domestic markets for African elephant ivory and to protect 120 additional animal species.

In September, the United States held its first burn of illegal rhino horn. This followed successful elephant ivory crushes in 2015 and 2013. More than 20 countries worldwide have joined us in publically destroying ivory, rhino horn, and/or other illegal wildlife products to send a message to traffickers and their customers that we will not tolerate this illegal trade.

In October, the State Department held the first Zoohackathon at zoos and conservation centers across the globe, seeking new applications and tools to combat wildlife trafficking. At the Task Force meeting, the Department of State announced the global winner, the WildTrack application, which came from the Zoohackathon in San Diego.

The Task Force also welcomed the bipartisan Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disruptor E.N.D.Wildlife Trafficking Act, which the U.S. Congress passed by consensus, and President Obama signed in October. This act gives the United States and partner countries additional tools to combat todays unprecedented levels of poaching and wildlife trafficking.

The Task Force looks forward to continuing its work in 2017 and to further worldwide developments to end wildlife trafficking.
Imperial Valley News Center

Stay on budget by avoiding emotional holiday purchases

West Lafayette, Indiana - A Purdue University professor suggests controlling holiday expenses by controlling emotions. He also says thinking of year-round expenses might prevent costly splurges on unneeded items.

Lalatendu Acharya, an assistant professor in the Department of Consumer Science, believes financial literacy and human emotions don't always go well together.

"We tend to pride ourselves on being rational human beings and we're not," he said. "We get influenced by emotions, which is not a mistake but if we make a decision based on emotions that is when mistakes occur."

Acharya says there are many ways of being happy or expressing love, but emotions must be managed as we really cannot remove the layer of emotions. We have to improve our emotional intelligence when making holiday purchases.

"Emotions have a significant influence on increased purchases of food and increased shopping. I look at the necessity of items," he said. "We all have a lot of junk in our houses. I have to look at alternative options and derive the same pleasure or sense of attainment to create a connection with my family. Just a moment of reflection is important."

He cites the example of interest-free deals or long-term credit payments. "Nothing in life is free, and if we spend we have to pay that back," Acharya said. "Take, for example, people who buy new houses. They have to fill it up with a washer, dryer and maybe a juicer. Every finance company makes it worthwhile during the holidays by offering a discount. Say the payment is $100 a month for 18 months, but that money is now out of my budget. It turns out I only have $50 in my wallet for the rest of each month for the term of the free financing."

Acharya studies consumer behavior and focuses his research on health issues. He says consumer behaviors related to personal finance and health are intimately related. "If I slip on ice and fall down it hurts my wallet," he said. "Health expenses generally have a big impact on your disposable income for the year."

He said health expenses must be considered around the holidays, which may mean "you really can't buy that $250 juicer."

He said consumers need to focus more on what they spend. "If you can have a holiday budget, have a budget. It's difficult because financial literacy is not a huge thing in the U.S. If I buy a new smart phone for $1 per day on a two-year contract, do I realize I'm paying $750 over the next two years? These are things we must be aware of during the holidays."
Special Envoy for Climate Change Travel to Mexico City

Washington, DC - U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing will travel December 1-2 to Mexico City, Mexico to participate in the sixth biennial C40 Mayors Summit.

C40 is a network of the worlds largest cities committed to addressing climate change. The network supports cities to collaborate and share knowledge effectively, and drive meaningful, measurable, and sustainable action on climate change. The Summit brings together government, business, and civil society leaders to highlight the progress that cities are making to combat climate change through local action and global collaboration.

Special Envoy Pershing will be participating in discussions on the importance of building coalitions between nations, states, and cities, and the role of local governments in helping to implement the historic Paris Agreement.




This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
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Donald Trumps road to the White House has been punctuated by as series of naked protests, ranging from topless women at Trumps polling station to Spencer Tunicks nude installation of 130 naked protesters outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. These protesters continue a long history of naked demonstration  and nakedness has long been employed as a gesture of defiance, highlighting the plight of the oppressed.

In a time when media is saturated with nudity, the naked body might seem to have lost its power. But amid fears that Trumps administration will set back womens rights by decades, naked protest may have regained relevance.

When 100 semi-naked protesters marched to Trump Tower on 19 November, some presented their bodies as metaphors for the human planet, sensitive to climate change. Others used their bodies to express a fear that women, under Trump, would become a marginalised group. These protesters nudity is a defiant response to revelations during Trumps campaign about his attitudes towards imperfect bodies, confronting Trumps man of the people act by showing him what real America looks like. If Trump is to represent ordinary Americans, he must learn to accept them in all shapes and sizes.

Topless protesters participate in an anti-Trump rally outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel where republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was speaking in Burlingame, California on April 29, 2016 (Getty)

But these were more than just naked bodies. Protesters had decorated their bodies with fake wounds and scars, representing the damage that Trumps administration may cause. This is a warning that if the administration wields too much power, the powerless will suffer.

Trumps election has left many Americans feeling overwhelmingly powerless. It would make sense, then, for them to resort to a method of protest that has long been associated with oppressed and minority groups. Undressing is a tool that is at almost any protesters disposal: a last line of defence that is almost universally accessible. It is an act of defiance that is still available even to those who are disempowered by low status, by lack of funds, or simply by ordinariness. So Mexican farmers protesting government appropriation of their land in 1992 turned to naked protest as a last resort, explaining their action by saying we are stripping because  we dont have money to buy an ad in the news  we have no other arms, all we have are our bodies. This movement, which became known as the 400 Pueblos, continues sporadically to this day.

Members of the social group 400 Pueblos (400 towns) protest in 2005 (Getty)

Human conflict is predicated upon the relational power of opposing parties. Power often stems from control of tangible resources, but is also exercised symbolically, through bodily gestures. Foucaults writing on subjugation equates power to control of the body. In times of conflict, dominance is asserted through actions that demonstrate control over the docile bodies of others. Conversely, to evidence control over ones own body in the face of an enemy is to maintain control over ones dignity and identity.

Perhaps the most recognisable example of protest undressing is captured in Ladislav Bieliks photograph of a man peacefully protesting the Soviet occupation on Czechoslovakian streets in 1968. The image shows him ripping open his shirt to reveal his bare chest, presenting it defiantly to an oncoming tank. His shirt rending is equivalent to the gesture of a raised fist, expressing a pent-up anger so overwhelming that it can no longer be contained internally, and is forced out of the body in the form of a visible gesture. When a bare chest is pressed against a canon, as in Bieliks photograph, the stark inequality seems unfair. The conflict is revealed as unjust, with the opponents clearly presented as victim and oppressor.

Such gestures appear to transform the sight of a fragile, exposed body into a show of raw force, with the power to overcome the might of opposing forces.

By undressing in public, protesters assert what little power they still have. Undressing is not just a means of removing clothes, but a meaningful gesture that expresses a shift in attitude from compliance to defiance. At the same time, it is a direct challenge to those, like Trump, who are prone to objectifying the female body.

Nakedness has been employed for similar purposes by Femen, in protests against objectification, specifically the feeling that women have been stripped of ownership of their own bodies. Femen exploit the power of nudity to counteract ornamental meanings of female nakedness, though not because they feel that nudity has innate power; they achieve power via, not through, naked flesh. These protesters present the body not as a passive, erotic object, but as an unpredictable, intimidating Other.

The otherness of the female form is dependent on its unfamiliarity. Historically, the female body has been strange and mysterious, and as a result have been the subject of numerous myths and misconceptions, some of which persist in the US today.

Women of past centuries have been able to exploit the perception of their bodies as peculiar or even monstrous. The Irish legend of Cu Chulainn, for example, describes how, when he turns against his uncle King Conchobor during a bout of youthful revolt, the king sends out a company of women to expose  their boldness to him. The young warrior is so intimidated by what he sees that he retreats. Similarly, in Jean de La Fontaines The Devil of Pope Fig Island (1674), a woman is able to ward of the devil by flashing her gash. Believing the womans gash to be a wound inflicted by terrible violence, the demon imagines that the womans husband must be even more monstrous than he, and retreats in fear.

In Jean de La Fontaine's 'The Devil of Pope Fig Island' (1674), a woman is able to ward off the devil by flashign her 'gash' (Creative Commons)

When their male suppressors are ignorant of the female body and what it can do, women like these can exploit rumour and misinformation to de-eroticise their bodies.

That is not to say that a body must be de-eroticised in order to become powerful. Indeed, there is tremendous power in the erotic presentation of the body, as any burlesque performer will attest. The upcoming World Burlesque Games will demonstrate how empowering it can be to invite objectification in the right setting. Audiences and performers of neo-burlesque locate striptease in a post-feminist world, in which bodies of all shapes, sizes and genders deserve to be the subject of an erotic gaze.

Two protestors outside Parliament demanding the right to be naked in public (Getty)

Anti-Trump protesters reveal that this post-feminist ideal is still a distant dream for mainstream America. The mere fact that their nudity attracts press attention is evidence that the US still lags behind more liberated parts of the world in their approach to female nakedness. If the Trump administration does set back feminism, as so many fear it will, naked protest will continue to be an appropriate and effective tool for America women over the course of his presidency. So long as the administration objectifies the female body, protesters will be able to use their own bodies to confront the status quo.

Barbara Brownie is senior lecturer in visual communication at the University of Hertfordshire. This article was originally published on The Conversation
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Mike Leigh is one of the most consistently intriguing British auteurs of the past few decades. His unusual working methods, involving eschewing Hollywood stars and focusing on lengthy rehearsals and improvisation, has produced modern classics like Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake and Abigail's Party. In 1999, in an uncharacteristic break from kitchen-sink realism, Leigh directed Topsy-Turvy.

The musical drama, a lavish depiction of Victorian England, concerns the 15-month period commencing in 1884 leading up to the premiere of Gilbert and Sullivans The Mikado. A costume picture might not seem a natural fit for a filmmaker renowned for his skillful evocation of contemporary working-class life, but his passion for the subject shines through in every frame. Indeed, Leigh is the president of both the Gilbert Society and the Sullivan Society and his acclaimed production of The Pirates of Penzance will return to the London stage early next year.

Cinema, at its best, ought to evoke a time and place that we feel immersed in, however far removed it is from our own experience. On that score, Topsy-Turvy is a triumph. The film is a love letter to the theatre that simultaneously functions as a warts and all analysis of the Victorian era. When working on the operetta, the cast and creative team are shielded from the grim reality of the outside world but the bleaker aspects of 1880s London are all touched on at points; prostitution, abortion and poverty are all juxtaposed with the glamour of the stage.

Leigh regulars Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville are all superb and this reliance on a kind of repertory company reminds us just how similar the filmmakers working practices are to those of his idols, even if the work is markedly different in tone. At the time of release, the director was so frustrated by his films failure to receive a wide release that he joked that he would have cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as both Gilbert and Sullivan if his budget had permitted it.

Art about art is notoriously difficult to get right, not least films about the creative process. Topsy-Turvy observes Gilbert and Sullivan at the point where they are recovering from their first real flop (Princess Ida) and Sullivan (Allan Corduner) has decided he wishes to work on something more substantial than the Savoy operas. In a sense, Leigh is using this backdrop to comment on his own working habits and the intense, collaborative work that goes into any artistic endeavour. The film, like the comic opera it depicts, is nothing less than a masterpiece.
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Martin Scorseses last cinematic exploration of religion, 1988s The Last Temptation of Christ, did not go down well with conservative Christians, being attacked for its departures from the Bible and in particular a scene in which Christ has sex with Mary Magdalene. It was banned for several years in Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Chile and Argentina, and remains banned in the Philippines and Singapore.

In creating a conflicted Jesus, Scorsese was trying to, as the New York Times put it, make a film that was at once an act of doubt and an act of faith, but this was lost on many devout viewers who saw it simply as sacrilege.

His new faith-centric film Silence, however, which he has been trying to get made for years and for which he didnt take a fee and the A-list cast got paid a pittance, looks to have the Catholic churchs stamp of approval.

We recently learned the movie, about Jesuits in 15th century Japan, will premiere at the Vatican and this week it emerged that Scorsese will host a private screening for the Pope.

 Silence - Trailer

Recommended Adam Driver spent 7 days being silent in Wales for Silence

Pope Francis may be more progressive than his predecessors, but its hard to imagine the Vatican agreeing to premiere a film that is anything less than reverential of faith; look at the two Hollywood films it has screened previously, Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ and the similarly critically-panned 2006 biblical film The Nativity Story starring Oscar Isaac.

Im sure Scorsese, one of the very finest directors, with deeply philosophical preoccupations, will be aiming for something a little more artful than these PSA movies, but the backing of the Vatican means it must ultimately side with ennobling religion, and this may be hard to stomach for viewers who know Scorsese for irreverent, profane works The Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas.

Pro-faith films aren't always bad, but they often tend to be, and 'passion projects' have a checkered history too (lest we forget Darren Aronofsky's Noah).

Like The Revenant before it, I fear this could be a beautifully shot, well-acted film about survival and devotion above all else, that is so one-note you probably wont be interested in seeing it a second time.
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It's been a good year for Ryan Reynolds, the actor who was also a producing force behind the success of Deadpool, which ranks as one of 2016s biggest films.

Still, its handy to remember that it's not continually the life of Riley for Hollywood actors however much it seems like it might be. Reynolds, for example, still has to audition for film roles and he's detailed how one such experience saw him turned down by the Coen brothers.

Speaking as part of Variety's Actors on Actors interview series, Reynolds recounted his most recent audition to Taraji P Henson.

It wasnt the right fit, mostly because theyre very high-class. They were just quietly shaking their heads, like, What are you doing here? Do you have a SAG card?

While the actor didn't go into specifics about which film he was trying out for, it's a fair bet to assume it was for the directing duo's most recent film Hail, Caesar! which was released earlier this year.

It's not even too much of a stretch to imagine it being for the all-singing-all-dancing role that eventually went to Channing Tatum (who, in fairness, did a memorable job).

 Hail Caesar! Channing Tatum performs No Dames

Henson - who has picked up numerous awards for her role of matriarch Loretha "Cookie" Lyon in TV series Empire - revealed that she auditioned to play Olivia Pope in Shonda Rhimes' Scandal, a role that eventually went to Kerry Washington.

The best films of 2016 (so far) Show all 22 1 /22 The best films of 2016 (so far) The best films of 2016 (so far) Creed This empowering spin-off sequel to the Rocky franchise sees Sylvester Stallone return as the personal trainer to Odonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his old rival-turned-compadre Apollo (Carl Weathers). Barry Wetcher The best films of 2016 (so far) Room A grandstanding adaptation of the Emma Donoghue novel. At Room's heart is two towering performances from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay as a mother and son who find freedom after being locked away by in a boxed building for years. The best films of 2016 (so far) The Big Short Plenty of The Big Short's charm is manifested in the way that it takes a clunky story (the 2007-8 financial crisis) and transforms it into a cinematic experience. The best films of 2016 (so far) Spotlight The facts speak for themselves in this Oscar-winning biographical film about four investigative journalists who uncover a scandal of child molestation in the Catholic church. Strong performances and a firm directorial presence in Tom McCarthy make Spotlight a worthy recipient of this year's Best Picture Oscar. The best films of 2016 (so far) Bone Tomahawk The best films of 2016 (so far) Anomalisa Paramount Pictures The best films of 2016 (so far) The Witch Take any shot from Robert Eggers' assured debut - based on a New England folktale - and your spine will tingle. A masterclass in understatedness. The best films of 2016 (so far) 10 Cloverfield Lane If you're going to unveil a secret sequel-of-sorts to 2008 hit Cloverfield, this is how you do it. Essentially a chamber piece set in the same world of Matt Reeves' original, 10 Cloverfield Lane will hold you in a vicelike grip until its closing frame. The best films of 2016 (so far) High-Rise Ben Wheatley's fifth feature as director may not be to everyone's tastes but, should you be up to it, there's a lot to take away from this adaptation of J.G. Ballard's dystopian tale. The best films of 2016 (so far) Zootropolis Despite strong competition in the form of Finding Dory and Kubo and the Two Strings, Zootropolis - named Zootopia in the US - takes the trophy of 2016's greatest animated film. The best films of 2016 (so far) Victoria The best films of 2016 (so far) Captain America: Civil War Even those who aren't invested in superhero films will have a hard time keeping their breath in several of Civil War's action sequences. The best films of 2016 (so far) Son of Saul The haunting winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar, Son of Saul's technical mastery (courtesy of first-time director Laszlo Nemes) is backed up by a harrowingly real portrayal of life within a Nazi concentration camp. Sony Pictures Entertainment The best films of 2016 (so far) Everybody Wants Some!! Richard Linklater followed Boyhood with this charming coming-of-age story that bears similarity with 1993's Dazed and Confused. This time, our ensemble are a group of baseball-playing college freshmen. In the upper echelons of the year's best. The best films of 2016 (so far) Green Room The best films of 2016 (so far) Sing Street The best films of 2016 (so far) Love and Friendship The best films of 2016 (so far) Suburra The best films of 2016 (so far) The Neon Demon The best films of 2016 (so far) Hell or High Water The best films of 2016 (so far) Kubo and the Two Strings The best films of 2016 (so far) Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Reynolds will star in Deadpool 2, a sequel which saw controversy when original director Tim Miller dropped out due to creative differences. John Wick's David Leitch was announced as his replacement last week.
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I guess it wouldnt have served the plot very well if, after a days learning, Harry Potter had had to catch a bus back to Privet Drive, but the implicit message that a boarding school like Hogwarts is good for children is something Tilda Swinton is not a fan of.

Recounting her time at West Heath Girls School in Kent during an interview with Scots magazine, Swinton said of boarding schools: "I think they are a very cruel setting in which to grow up and I don't feel children benefit from that type of education.

"Children need their parents. That's why I dislike films like Harry Potter, which tend to romanticise such places."

Several pupils fates are also somewhat pre-ordained at Hogwarts, which is fine if your destiny is to slay dragons, but not so great in the more prosaic real world.

"I grew up under privileged circumstances and was expected to marry a duke," Swinton explained.

"I spent a lot of time and energy making certain that I would not find myself living a life that had been pre-ordained for me."

The actress is passionate about education, even setting up her own independent school in 2013 with an emphasis on art based practical learning.
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For better or worse, Pixies are largely indirectly responsible for the influx of reformations in music that weve seen over the past 12 years. When they returned in 2004, they seemed as surprised as anyone to see they were suddenly able to sell out venues that wouldve been completely beyond their remit during their original tenure between 1986 and 1993. A wealth of musicians, managers and agents woke up to the fact that nostalgia sells and jumped aboard the bandwagon with dollar signs in their eyes and wild thoughts of reliving their youth, but this time bigger, brasher and louder.

To call Pixies a nostalgia act, however, would be unfair, particularly now that theyve (finally) released new music, 2014s lukewarmly received Indie Cindy and the infinitely superior Head Carrier from earlier this year, probably their best collection of songs since 1989s Doolittle. The fact is that Pixies remain utterly unique, despite thousands of bands copying wholesale the extreme loud-quiet-loud dynamic theyre so commonly credited with proliferating. None, however, have managed to pull off the sheer sense of unorthodox ease with which Pixies manage to effortlessly serenade and seduce an audience one moment, whilst batter and bludgeon them the next.

Brixton Academy has become a sort of spiritual home for the band, with tonight being their 14th appearance at the near-5,000 capacity venue. Its also the place they chose to first unveil Pixies post-reformation to the UK, playing four legendary back-to-back sold out shows at the venue in the summer of 2004. Their reputation as a hit-and-miss live act is well-known, but tonight theyre on very fine form indeed. Any band that has the sheer cojones to stroll on-stage and open with the biggest song of their career has to be commended and when a 5,000 strong chorus sing the woo-ooo refrain in response to the four chords that open Where is My Mind?, its akin to a bolt of electricity surging through the venue. From here, the band hardly pauses for breath, steamrolling straight into riotous renditions of Nimrods Son, Break My Body and Brick is Red.

Pixies bassist Paz Lenchantin has slotted into the band's musical dynamic with ease (Richard Isaac/Rex) (Richard Isaac/REX)

Their habit of wildly changing the set-list each evening is to be applauded; so many bands stagnate over the course of a tour very quickly due to playing the same songs, in the same order night after night after night. When Pixies do play rare songs, as they do tonight with Blown Away and Havalina, it really does feel as if one is witnessing something special, seldom to be repeated. The songs from Head Carrier slip into the set with effortless ease alongside old favourites, which is a testament to their quality, with the likes of Tenement Song, Baals Back and Oona all providing highlights. Those concerned that the absence of Kim Deal will upset the chemistry so vital to the band need not worry; Paz Lenchantin, she of A Perfect Circle and Zwan fame, fits perfectly into the Pixies dynamic and when she takes the lead on new song All I Think About Now, her vocals are simply enchanting.

The main set ends with a frankly breathtaking four-song run of Hey, Gouge Away, Debaser and Tame, before the entire room is flooded with fog and the band encore, somewhat appropriately, with B-side Into the White. As the song ends and the fog begins to clear, it becomes apparent that the band have completely disappeared, leaving a completely astounded and thrilled audience. In a little under two hours, Pixies have raced through 33 songs with no fuss or fanfare, yet theyve still managed to captivate the entire room from front to back.

Pixies are on tour through the UK now. The band play as special guests to Kings of Leon next year at British Summer Time in Hyde Park
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So far this series, there have been reptile races, golden eagles and lion-kicking giraffes but the next episode of Planet Earth II will head to Kazakhstan as the microscope is placed on Saiga antelope.

Members of the TV crew filming the Grasslands episode, which airs this Sunday at 8pm, were left heartbroken, however, after they witnessed the mass death of 150,000 antelope over three days.

The crew was filming on the calving grounds in the Central Asia location, witnessing thousands of antelope give birth when disease swept and wiped out an overwhelming number of the animal.

 Lion gets taken out by giraffe in Planet Earth II

Mirror Online reports that so drastic were the scenes that the episode's producer Chadden Hunter believed he was witnessing the extinction of the species.

When we were out there in the calving grounds, with hundreds of thousands of females all giving birth at the same time, a very virulent disease swept through the population and killed around 150,000 of them in a matter of three days," he said.

At the time we thought we were watching the greatest natural catastrophe that Id ever heard of. We watched 150,000 of these magnificent animals die in front of us."

Hunter continued: "At the time we didnt know if it was the final extinction of the species, which was devastating, emotionally, for the crew.

Weve since heard that the last few mothers and babies we filmed have survived. It was a potent reminder of how fragile yet resilient nature can be.

Planet Earth II, narrated by David Attenborough, has been an immense hit for BBC1, racking up views of well over 9 million.
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Politicians have exempted themselves from Britain's new wide-ranging spying laws.

The Investigatory Powers Act, which has just passed into law, brings some of the most extreme and invasive surveillance powers ever given to spies in a democratic state. But protections against those spying powers have been given to MPs.

Most of the strongest powers in the new law require that those using them must be given a warrant. That applies to people wanting to see someone's full internet browsing history, for instance, which is one of the things that will be collected under the new law.

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

For most people, that warrant can be issued by a secretary of state. Applications are sent to senior ministers who can then approve either a targeted interception warrant or a targeted examination warrant, depending on what information the agency applying for the warrant  which could be anyone from a huge range of organisations  wants to see.

Recommended New surveillance powers officially pass into law

But for members of parliament and other politicians, extra rules have been introduced. Those warrants must also be approved by the prime minister.

That rule applies not only to members of the Westminster parliament but alos politicians in the devolved assembly and members of the European Parliament.

The protections afforded to politicians are actually less than they had hoped to be given. Earlier in the process, the only amendment that MPs had submitted was one that would allow extra safeguards for politicians  forcing any request to monitor MP's communications to go through the speaker of the House of Commons as well as the prime minister.

Whether intelligence agencies should be allowed to spy on politicians has been a contentious part of recent surveillance legislation. For many years, discussions between politicians and their constituents had been treated as off-limits  and they are still seen as "sensitive" under the new legislation  but those protections have been gradually rolled back.

Internet connection records  a history of every website that someone has visited, but not every page  will still be collected for MPs, since they will be done en masse by internet providers for all of their customers. But they won't be able to be accessed without a warrant.
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Bosses should consider providing nap rooms for employees and not expect them to answer emails after hours, according to a new report into the effects of sleep deprivation on productivity.

Workers who dont turn up because they are exhausted or ill through lack of sleep  or those who do come to work but are tired and sluggish  cost the UK $50 billion (40 billion) a year, found the study.

Researches at global policy think tank Rand analysed recent survey data from 62,000 people in five countries: the US, Japan, the UK, Germany and Canada.

They found employees who sleep less than six hours a night lose around six more working days through absenteeism or presenteeism each year than those who sleep seven to nine hours a night.

Marco Hafner, the lead author of the study, told The Independent while some companies, especially newer ones, provide their employees with support and advice on how to get a good nights sleep, most did not do enough.

The average company is probably not aware of the issues [around sleep deprivation]. It should become a normal part of the office, for instance having a nap room, he said.

Small companies might not have the facilities, but there are other things employers can do, like getting sleep into the culture of the company.

Mr Hafner said employers should encourage workers to switch off electronic devices when they are not at work, so they can take some sleep instead of looking at emails at 11pm.

More than one third of the UK population regularly gets less than six hours of sleep a night, according to the British Sleep Council.

Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, and raises the risk of an early death by 12 per cent, Sleep Council researchers warned last year.

And scientists at Surrey University found more than 700 of the bodys genes, including those that govern the immune system, are altered if someone sleeps less than six hours a night.

Rand calculated that relative to the size of each country's economies, Japan had the greatest drop in productivity due to sleep deprivation, with an annual loss of $138 billion (110 billion)  2.9 per cent of its GDP.

The US, where lack of sleep has been declared a public health problem by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, came second, with an estimated loss of 2.3 per cent of its GDP, or $411 billion (329 billion).

People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong Show all 10 1 /10 People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong People sleeping in McDonald's in Hong Kong McDonald's, Hong Kong

And the UK was deemed worse than Germany and Canada for the amount lost through sleep deprivation, which was estimated at 1.9 per cent of GDP compared to 1.6 per cent in Germany and 1.4 per cent in Canada.

Mr Hafner said he and his team had observed a cultural issue in the UK and other countries of boasting over lack of sleep.

Sometimes the company leader, the CEO, says: Im getting four hours of sleep and Im fine, he said. But Im sure if that CEO slept more than four hours, hed be more productive.

There is evidence which suggests some people might get by on four hours, but if you take the long-term perspective, it really has a detrimental effect on your health and well-being, increases the risk of cancer, stroke and so on.
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Major household brands are selling everyday grocery staples containing palm oil produced using child labour, Amnesty International has claimed.

Amnesty said children as young as eight were working in hazardous conditions for Singapore-based company Wilmar, whose palm oil was traced to nine global firms including Colgate-Palmolive, Kellogg's, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever.

A report by the human rights organisation contains details of children aged between eight and 14 working without safety equipment at Wilmar's Indonesian plantations, where toxic pesticides are used. Children were carrying sacks of palm fruit that can weigh 25kg, according to the report.

Some had dropped out of school to work with parents for all or most of the day, while others worked in the afternoon after school, at weekends and during holidays, Amnesty claimed.

The organisation asked the companies named in its report to confirm whether the palm oil in a list of their consumer products came from Wilmar's Indonesian operations.

Only two of the companies, Kellogg's and Reckitt Benckiser, provided any detail about which of their products were affected but both cited traceability in the supply chain as a factor explaining why they had not acted to investigate or identify abuses.

Colgate and Nestle told Amnesty that none of the products listed by the organisation contained palm oil from Wilmar's Indonesian operations, but did not say if others did.

Two others, Unilever and Procter & Gamble, did not correct the list, while the others offered vague or no responses.

World Day Against Child Labour - picture story Show all 6 1 /6 World Day Against Child Labour - picture story World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613764.bin  Chloe Hall/EveryChild World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613768.bin  Chloe Hall/EveryChild World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613770.bin  Chloe Hall/EveryChild World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613777.bin  Chloe Hall/EveryChild World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613778.bin  Matt Writtle/EveryChild World Day Against Child Labour - picture story 613779.bin  Matt Writtle/EveryChild

Amnesty is calling on firms to tell customers whether palm oil in popular products such as Magnum ice cream, Colgate toothpaste, Dove cosmetics, Knorr soup, Pantene shampoo, Aero and KitKat chocolate bars, Ariel and Pot Noodle comes from Wilmar's Indonesian operation.

Amnesty International senior investigator Meghna Abraham said: These findings will shock any consumer who thinks they are making ethical choices in the supermarket when they buy products that claim to use sustainable palm oil.

Something is wrong when nine companies turning over a combined revenue of 260bn in 2015 are unable to do anything about the atrocious treatment of palm oil workers earning a pittance.

Peter Frankental, Amnesty's business and human rights programme director, said: You can be sure that if one of these companies' products were contaminated and had to be taken off the shelves of supermarkets, they would ensure that they could trace the source to specific plantations.

The brutal truth is that human rights abuse in the supply chain is not viewed as a quality control issue, but it should be. Products containing human rights abuses should be viewed as defective.

In a letter to Amnesty regarding the report, Wilmar said: In August 2016, we have been made aware of labour issues in the same plantations cited in your letter, and we immediately initiated an internal review process which is still ongoing. Wilmar will report on the actions that we have already started to take and the progress of the action plan.

Whilst we have already started our own internal procedures to resolve these issues, we are also open for any further collaboration or ideas on how best to address these. We would be happy and willing to discuss any potential suggestions or solutions that Amnesty International would like to share with us.

Child labour rife in India's coal mines

We recognise that these issues, including the ones raised in your letters, are systemic challenges shared by the industry. We are committed to addressing these labour issues in our own operations and the industry, both independently and collaboratively.

Kellogg's said in a statement: Kellogg's is committed to working with our global palm oil suppliers to source fully traceable palm oil to known and certified sources that are environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable.

If we find, or are made aware of, any supply chain violations of our global palm oil principles, we work with the supplier to understand corrective actions and ensure they understand our commitments. If the concerns are not adequately addressed, we take action to remove them from our supply chain.

A Nestle spokesman said: Practices such as those identified in Amnesty International's report have no place in our supply chain. Nestle engaged extensively with Amnesty during the drafting report, including supplying detailed information on our relationship with palm oil supplier Wilmar and on our actions to address human rights and labour rights issues in the sector.

We will investigate allegations related to our purchasing of palm oil, along with our suppliers.

Wilmar supplies around 10 per cent of the total palm oil that we use in our products. We are working closely with the company to improve traceability. Now, 83 per cent of the volume that we purchase is traceable back to the mill of origin and 11 per cent is traceable to plantation. This traceability does not yet extend to the plantations at the centre of the allegations in Amnesty International's report.

The spokesman added: Given the complexity of the palm oil industry and the estimated four million people that it employs in South East Asia, progress in addressing labour and human rights issues relies on cross-industry efforts. We will continue to play an active role, alongside others.

PA
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Bob Dylan will not go to the White House to celebrate his recent Nobel Prize win.

Dylan, a US folk music icon, won the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature, although he did not immediately welcome the idea. He did not initially respond to the organisations calls upon announcement of the prize. Dylan later said he was honoured to receive the award, he will not be attending the ceremony in Stockholm.

Unfortunately, Bob Dylan will not be at the White House today, Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday. So everyone can relax.

Mr Earnest did not elaborate further.

Mr Obama had previously expressed his congratulations to Dylan.

Congratulations to one of my favourite poets, Bob Dylan, on a well-deserved Nobel, he tweeted last month.

Dylan finally accepted the award more than two weeks after the Nobel committee made their announcement.

When he broke his silence, he barely seemed bothered in an interview with the Telegraph, calling it amazing, incredible.

Whoever dreams about something like that?"
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Donald Trumps latest tweet is a blend of fact and fiction, presenting misinformation that must be clarified.

A day after suggesting anyone who burns the US flag should be imprisoned or have their citizenship revoked, the President-elect claimed the Somali immigrant who attacked 11 people at Ohio State University before being killed should never have been in the country, implying he was in the US illegally.

Fact check: Isis has taken credit for the killing. But Abdul Razak Ali Artan was a lawful permanent resident of the US and a student at Ohio University.

Mr Trump has more than 16 million Twitter followers and a loyal, engaged audience, a combination which has transformed his page into a powerful echo chamber. Concerns that his feed is being used to propagate unsubstantiated and/or untrue claims is growing.

After declaring himself the winner of the popular vote, which was actually won by Hillary Clinton by two million votes, he claimed serious voter fraud had taken place in states during the election without providing evidence to support this claim.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

On Tuesday, The New York Times publicly accused Mr Trump of lying in a strongly worded editorial.

This is a lie, part of Mr Trumps pattern, stretching back many years, of disregard for indisputable facts.

There is no evidence of illegal voting on even a small scale anywhere in the country, let alone a systematic conspiracy involving millions'.
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Donald Trump has never met Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

But he knows he has a very good reputation, and understands he is a terrific guy. In fact, Mr Trump feels such a connection with the Pakistani leader, whom he hopes to visit soon, that he feels like he is talking to a person I have known for a long time.

Mr Trump has never, apparently, visited Pakistan either, and he spoke out during this campaign about the threat of Muslims. Yet he knows the country is rich with tremendous opportunities. Furthermore, said Mr Trump: Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people(s).

It cannot be easy for any US president-elect, receiving calls of congratulations from leaders from around the world. Some of the people and places you may know, others you may not.

Some of the conversations are no doubt warm. Others may be more cool.

 CNN vs Donald Trump round 3: Anderson Cooper asks 'doesn't he have an Isis briefing to be reading?'

Yet the transcript of a telephone conversation between Mr Trump and fellow businessman Mr Sharif, released by the Pakistan leader's office on Wednesday, suggested a conversation nothing less than remarkable. Indeed, if the transcript is true, it maybe the starting of a beautiful new bromance.

The official press release said the conversation between Mr Sharif and the next US president, was initiated the head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N. It said that he felicitated Mr Trump on his victory and invited the New York tycoon to visit the overwhelmingly Muslim South Asian country.

On being invited to Pakistan by the prime minister, Mr Trump said he would love to to come to a fantastic countryfantastic place of fantastic people, it 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

It said that Mr Trump added: Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people.
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Unlike Donald Trump who is famed for off-the-cuff remarks and bitter insults, Ivanka Trump is a PR machine's dream. The President-elect's third child, who is said to be his favourite child, was regularly wheeled in during the campaign to make her father more palatable to female voters.

But this is exactly what her critics fear about her - that her personable smile is acting as a disguise for Mr Trumps divisive rhetoric and she herself is turning a blind eye to his views. As such the Halt Action Group has launched an Instagram account called Dear Ivanka which strives to make his dutiful daughter, who is one of the vice executives of the Trump Organisation, wake up and listen to her fathers words.

To make the message really hit home, the group has accompanied glamourous posed photos of the soon-to-be First Daughter from her own Instagram account with captions seeking to highlight Mr Trumps rhetoric. The site includes messages from voices which her fathers election campaign marginalised or alienated - such as American Muslims and women seeking abortions.

President Donald Trump life in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 President Donald Trump life in pictures President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump poses in a rocking chair once used by President John F. Kennedy at his New York City residence Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump with his new bride Marla Maples after their wedding at the Plaza hotel in New York Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Celina Midelfart watch the match between Conchita Martinez and Amanda Coetzer during U.S. Open. She was the date whom Donald Trump was with when he met his current wife Melania at a party in 1996 Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas serving as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500, speaks to Donald Trump and Melania Knauss on the starting grid at the Daytona International Speedwa Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump talks with his former wife Ivana Trump during the men's final at the U.S. Open Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and his friend Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive at the New York premiere of Star Wars Episode : 'The Phantom Menace,' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump talks with host Larry King. Trump told King that he was moving toward a possible bid for the United States presidency with the formation of a presidential exploratory committee Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump answers questions as Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura looks on in Brooklyn Park. Trump said on Friday he 'very well might' make a run for president under the Reform Party banner but had not made a final decision Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump makes a face at a friend as he sits next to Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso before the start of the 2003 Miss Universe pageant in Panama City Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Entrepreneur Donald Trump is greeted by a Marilyn Monroe character look-a-alike, as he arrives at Universal Studios Hollywood to attend the an open casting call for his NBC television network reality series 'The Apprentice.' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Simon Cowell present an Emmy during the 56th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Megan Mullally perform at the 57th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump, poses with his children, son Donald Trump, Jr., and daughters Tiffany and Ivanka Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump told Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner on Tuesday she would be given a second chance after reported misbehavior Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump holds a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his wife Melania holds their son Barron in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. property mogul Donald Trump stands next to a bagpiper during a media event on the sand dunes of the Menie estate, the site for Trump's proposed golf resort, near Aberdeen, north east Scotland Reuters

But Halt Action Group has done more than build their Instagram account, they have also taken their anger to Ms Trumps very doorstep. On Monday night, they held a candlelight vigil outside the Puck Building in Manhattan, which is owned by the family of her husband, the developer and investor Jared Kushner.

The quiet, calm protest attracted renowned artists such as Cecily Brown, Ryan McNamara, Rob Pruitt, Jonah Freeman and Marilyn Minter. Protesters held signs and candles.

Im afraid Mike Pence will make conversion therapy legal to do LGBT youth, one placard read.

Dear Ivanka, can you tell your father that dozens of species going extinct every day is NOT A HOAX, read another.

Mr Trump previously called climate change a hoax which he claimed was invented by the Chinese, although he later insisted the comment was intended as a joke.

In a similar vein, posts on the Instagram account include messages for Ms Trump.

Dear Ivanka, I've been raped and I need to have an abortion, reads one image.

Recommended Ivanka Trump responds to women boycotting her clothing brand

Can you ask your step mum and adorable half brother to please join your father in Washington and relieve all of us here in New York of the security and traffic nightmare surrounding Trump Tower like a malignant, cursed fog, says another.

The Dear Ivanka account links to a website, dearivanka.info, whose front page has a picture of Ms Trump and Mr Kushner - who are both advisers to Mr Trumps transition team. Under the headline Ivanka, Its not okay, the following letter appears.

Dear Ivanka, racism, anti-semitism, misogyny, and homophobia are not acceptable anywhere - least of all in the White House. Steve Bannon has no place in the White House. Jeff Sessions has no place in the White House. Talk of a Muslim registry has no place in the White House. Hate has no place in the White House. We refuse to 'wait and see'. We look to you as the voice of reason.

This is by no means the first Ms Trump has come under fire. There has been a growing online campaign urging consumers to boycott Ms Trumps clothing and accessories line. She recently responded to the boycott on Good Morning America, saying: The beauty of America is that people can do what they like, but I prefer to talk to the millions, tens of millions of American women, who are inspired by the brand and the message that Ive created".

A representative for Ms Trump declined to comment and Halt Action Group did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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Calls for Michelle Obama to run for the White House have been bolstered by fundraising efforts from political campaign groups.

Three Political Action Committees (PACs) have been formed over the last month all with the aim of kickstarting a campaign for the outgoing First Lady to run for president in 2020. PACs are organisations in the US that are launched with the aim of raising money for and supporting a candidate they wish to see elected.

One PAC called Ready for Michelle identifies themselves as a grassroots movement to encourage Michelle Obama to run for public office.

America needs a loving healer like Michelle in order to bring together factions of our divided nation to produce policy results, they say on their website. The goal of this movement is to get the ball rolling by identifying a network of supporters, volunteers and donors that would support Michelle in this endeavour. Then, if she can be convinced to run, we can provide her with an early advantage against any opponents."

Michelle Obama over the years Show all 12 1 /12 Michelle Obama over the years Michelle Obama over the years Appearing at a 'Let's Move' event in 2014 Getty Michelle Obama over the years Speaking at a Clinton campaign rally Getty Michelle Obama over the years August 2016 State Dinner Getty Michelle Obama over the years The Obamas waiting for the 2004 Senate election results Getty Michelle Obama over the years Michelle Obama hula-hooping at a health fair at the White House Getty Michelle Obama over the years Michelle Obama speaks at the 2016 DNC Getty Michelle Obama over the years Barack Obama being sworn in to the 109th Congress Getty Michelle Obama over the years Getty Michelle Obama over the years Getty Michelle Obama over the years Getty Michelle Obama over the years In London at a Let Girls Learn event Getty Michelle Obama over the years State Dinner October 2016 Getty

The group has raised less than $1,000 so far but garnered over 1,000 signatures on their petition urging Ms Obama to run, according to The Hill.

Recommended Michelle Obama urged to run for president in 2020

Two other PACs called Ready for Michelle 2020 and Friends of Michelle 2020 have also reportedly filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, as is required for all PACs, over the past fortnight

Ms Obama has been hugely popular throughout her husbands two-term presidency. Last month she was voted the most-liked public figure in the US with 59 per cent of voters holding a positive opinion of the 52-year-old.

She was also a repeated hit on the campaign trail and after Donald Trump was elected into the White House, and some peoples dreams of having their first female president were dashed, the calls for Ms Obama to run gained momentum.

Unfortunately for the PACs, she has previously denied suggestions she would want the job. In a new Rolling Stone interview released on Tuesday, President Barack Obama said his wife will never run for office.

She is as talented a person as I know, he said. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that shes too sensible to want to be in politics.
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It cannot have been easy for Mitt Romney to walk out of that dinner with Donald Trump on Tuesday evening.

For Mr Trump is the celebrity business mogul who knows just how to whip up a media storm. He made sure press were available to document a convivial Mr Romney chowing down on sauteed frog's legs and enjoying his dinner with the devil in Manhattan.

The former Massachusetts governor was once one of the billionaire business magnate's most vociferous and dismissive critics. That was until Mr Trump became the President-elect, Mr Romney was lined up for Secretary of State in his cabinet and his focus rapidly moved from derision to courting the approval of his former foe. What a difference a few weeks makes.

Mr Romneys conversation with journalists teetered on the edge of a Chris Christie eye-screaming moment as he began his humiliating back peddling with a strained smile stretched across his face. It was inevitable that he would become a meme. Caption competitions are still going strong on Wednesday morning.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

Glaring irony appears to be the theme of this election. The feeling that something was a bit... off that Melania Trumps speech on social media bullying delivered was brought about once again as Mr Romney gave an effusive, laudatory summary of Mr Trump's leadership.

Perhaps it was the contrast between this speech and an address Mr Romney gave in March that he was no doubt hoping had slipped to the back of minds now the election is over. Unfortunately, it hadnt.

 Donald Trump: Mitt Romney performs U-turn

I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump. We had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and these discussions I've had with him have been enlightening, and interesting, and engaging. I've enjoyed them very, very much.

Let me turn to national security and the safety of our homes and loved ones. Mr Trumps bombast is already alarming the allies and fuelling the enmity of our enemies. Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from fully engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS, and for what purpose? Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country.

Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. Im afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.

I was also very impressed by the remarks he made on his victory night. By the way, it's not easy winning. I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in. He won the general election and he continues with a message of inclusion and bringing people together."

Im far from the first to conclude that Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be president. After all, this is an individual who mocked a disabled reporter, who attributed a reporters questions to her menstrual cycle, who mocked a brilliant rival who happened to be a woman due to her appearance, who bragged about his marital affairs, and who laces his public speeches with vulgarity.

His vision is something which obviously connected with the American people in a very powerful way. The last few weeks he's been carrying out a transition effort and I have to tell you I've been impressed by what I've seen in the transition effort.

I think you're going to see America continue to lead the world in this century. And what I've seen through these discussions I've had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he's selected as part of his transition, all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future.

If we make improvident choices, the bright horizon Ive described will not materialise. And let me put it very plainly. If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.

If Donald Trumps plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into prolonged recession. Even though Donald Trump has offered very few specific economic plans, what little he has said is enough to know that he would be very bad for American workers and for American families.

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. Hes playing the members of the American public for suckers. He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.
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Stephen Hawking has delivered a speech addressing the seriousness of obesity in an ad campaign to promote the work of the Swedish nonprofit company GEN-PEP, Adweek first reported Monday.

The most powerful part of the speech (which you can watch in full below) is perhaps when Hawking says: "For what it's worth, how being sedentary has been a major health problem is beyond my understanding."

The professor relates his work as a cosmologist, in which he sees the world "as a whole," to what he describes as "the most serious public health problems of the 21st century."

"Today too many people die from complications related to overweight and obesity," Hawking says in the ad. "We eat too much and move too little."

When talking of the solution, he says, "It's not rocket science," and recommends simply that people eat less and take up more physical activity.

After playing the video of Hawking delivering his speech, the low-budget ad ends with three written statements: "Physical inactivity is now the world's fourth leading cause of death," "Required physical activity per day: Adults 30 minutes," and "Required physical activity per day: Children 60 minutes."

Watch the ad in full here:

Read more:

 This chart is easy to interpret: It says we're screwed

 How Uber became the world's most valuable startup

 These 4 things could trigger the next crisis in Europe

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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Zac Goldsmith has reportedly been hit by his own car as he made his way to the final hustings of his by-election campaign.

The former Tory MP, who is standing as an independent candidate in the Richmond Park by-election, was "clipped" by a volunteer on his campaign who was driving his car, reports the Evening Standard.

Mr Goldsmith, who claimed he was not run over, is believed to have been mostly physically unharmed by the incident but ripped his trousers and a little bit of skin.

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.

The collision meant the former London Mayor candidate was an hour late to the Richmond Societys hustings in New Malden, south west London as he had to go home and change his trousers.

Apologising for his tardiness, Mr Goldsmith said: I wasnt going to come here before you with a trouser leg shredded and not looking very nice. I really had to go and present myself. I really do apologise for that.

Mr Goldsmith triggered the by-election by stepping down as the Conservative MP for the area in October over his opposition to government plans for an expansion of Heathrow airport.

Residents of the area will head to the polls on Thursday.

A representative for Mr Goldsmith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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A farmer who beat two swans to death with a shepherds crook has been fined 7,500.

David Thompson pleaded guilty to killing two birds and wounding another at Canterbury Magistrates Court after he was caught on camera during a Coastguard helicopter training exercise in April.

The 80-year-old attacked the swans after seeing them eating his rape seed crop on his farm in Snargate, Kent.

Footage captured by the Coastguard pilots was shown in court which captured Thompson tossing one of the swans into a ditch at the edge of the field.

Kent Police searched the farm at around 11pm that evening after the Coastguard reported the incident and found the swans.

One was already dead and two others were critically injured. A second later died on the way to a veterinary practice for emergency treatment, Kent Online reported.

The surviving swan was taken to Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings where it was cared for before being released back into the wild.

Thompsons brother was originally arrested for the offence but was dearrested when he handed himself into police a month later.

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Defencing Oliver Saxby QC said the farmer regrets his actions and had simply lost his temper.

Mr Saxby said: "It's upsetting to him and his family but he does regret what he did.

He's been in the countryside since he was born and respects the laws of nature.

He said it was two months into lambing season and earlier that day he had found a ewe and a lamb which had been injured by some form of predator.

Thompson had had problems with swans in the past and had previously asked a local bird reserve to plant rape seed on their land to stop the birds coming onto to his.

During the incident, Mr Saxby said Thompson had initially tried to chase the birds off which in doing that he was totally within his rights".

Having said that it wasn't a very sensible thing because they reacted by coming to him or refusing and staying put. He was upset at what happened earlier in the day", he explained.

He accepts it was an appalling ugly scene that developed but his intention was to chase them off.

Swans are a protected species and killing carries a potential prison sentence (AFP/Getty Images)

Magistrate Christine Lunn called the case disturbing but took into account Thompson lack of prior convictions, good character and early guilty plea.

Swans are a protected species under an ancient charter and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The maximum penalty for killing the bird is six months in prison.
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A man reportedly seen carrying a "double-edged" axe in Hull has died in hospital after being shot by police.

Humberside Police confirmed they shot a 31-year-old man at 9:37am on Tuesday after he was spotted carrying the weapon near a Post Office in the city centre.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed the unnamed man died in hospital.

IPCC associate commissioner, Tom Milson, said: "Our thoughts are with the man's friends and family, and all those affected at this very difficult time."

One witness, Andre Foster, said he was in a nearby building and saw the man after he had been shot by police.

He said: "We heard two big, loud bangs, gun sounds, we looked out the window, we saw this fella on the floor, blood was gushing out of him.

"There were around six police around him, trying to stop him bleeding.

"I never saw an axe or anything, never saw a weapon."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty

Mr Foster added: "It looked like he'd been Tasered. He had a big cut at the bottom, near his liver, and one at the top I think, and blood was just gushing out of him."

He continued: "He was moving around, wriggling his body around like he was in agony."

Another witness, who only gave her name as Rachel, said: "We heard two loud bangs and a man screaming, which made us all get up and see what was going on, and there was a man laid on the floor with quite a lot of blood loss and obviously it was all running down the path."

She added that the man had what she believed to be four Taser marks - or "prongs" - in his back.

Other witnesses later reported a huge police presence in the Charles Street area of the city with several streets cordoned off and firefighters at the scene.

Large screens were put up around a car park in Francis Street and local residents were asked to stay indoors.

An investigation into the shooting is now underway.

Additional reporting by PA
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The Polish foreign minister has warned that the process of Britain leaving the European Union could take two to three years, or possibly never happen at all.

Witold Waszczykowski also said it was in Polands interest for Britain to remain in the European Union and to pay contributions into the bloc as long as possible, in an interview with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita daily.

His comments came following a meeting between Polands Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and Theresa May in London on Monday, in which they discussed how the rights of Poles living in the UK would be affected after Brexit.

It is in our interest that Britain remain an EU state as long as possible and pay contributions as long as possible," he said.

"Brexit will not take place earlier than in two to three years, if it takes place at all.

Mr Waszczykowski also addressed concerns that the UK may be offered a tougher deal to deter other countries from leaving the bloc, saying there is: "no need to treat Britain as a child with special needs, which is stigmatised and marginalised".

He made the comments after European Council president Donald Tusk told British MPs that discussions over the status of reciprocal rights of UK and EU citizens would be held after the country triggers Article 50.

Responding to a letter from 81 MPs, which sought to secure rights of expat citizens abroad, Mr Tusk said: "Would you not agree that the only source of anxiety and uncertainty is rather the decision on Brexit?

"And that the only way to dispel the fears and doubts of all the citizens concerned is the quickest possible start of the negotiations based on Article 50 of the Treaty?"

Ahead of Mondays meeting, Ms May stressed Britains special relationship with Poland and said it would never forget the Polish pilots who braved the skies alongside us during World War Two.

She said: Our ties with Poland are rooted deeply in our shared history.

"I am determined that Brexit will not weaken our relationship with Poland, rather it will serve as a catalyst to strengthen it. That's why I am hosting the first-ever summit of this kind between our countries today.

It marks the start of a new chapter in our relations and we will work even more closely together to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.

She also confirmed the UK would send 150 troops to Poland in April 2017 to "deter Russian aggression" in Europe. They will be deployed close to the Polish border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
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A decision to allow members of a private club free reign to shoot deer in an area of ancient woodland in London has sparked outrage.

The Capreolus Club says it has exclusive rights from the City of London to hunt deer in 2,000 acres of Epping Forest.

It means hunters will be able to shoot rifles in areas open to the public.

Anyone looking to kill large Fallow and Muntjac deer will be assessed by the clubs head stalker before being handed a gun and sent to a suitable area.

A specialist is provided year round who can help members retrieve, disembowel and move dead deer to the clubs chiller facility.

People living nearby reacted with outrage. On an online forum, local Robert Rust said: What worries me are people hunting in Epping Forest ,which is public land, and someone getting hurt.

Jo Stapleton wrote: Have I missed something here? Am I right in saying there will be people with loaded guns in the forest??

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty

It costs 800-a-year to join the Capreolus Club, as well as a one-off 300 joining fee, according to its website.

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said: Deer within Epping Forest are not subject to a cull.

The private contractor only has a license to carry out deer population control on the Buffer Lands, 1700 acres of farmland and woodland around the Forest.

This takes place across strictly controlled areas of the Buffer Land at very specific periods prescribed by law.
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Tobacco companies have lost a legal battle over the Government's new rules on plain packaging for cigarettes.

The firms were defeated at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday morning.

Since May, all tobacco products produced for sale in the UK are required to have dull green packaging, without attractive logos or visual details.

British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International filed lawsuits against Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over the rules last year.

They argued that the regulations were "disproportionate" and violated a number of UK and EU laws as well as destroying valuable property rights.

But the tobacco giants' challenge was overturned the day before the branded packaging ban was implemented.

Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Show all 4 1 /4 Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke5-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke1-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke2-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke3-reu.jpg Reuters

A High Court judge declared the regulations "valid and lawful in all respects" and ruled there were no grounds for compensation for tobacco firms.

The companies then took their case on to the Court of Appeal in London, where this morning three judges rejected their challenge against the High Court's decision.

Dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Lewison, Lord Justice Beatson and Sir Stephen Richards ruled that the Health Secretary had lawfully exercised his powers.

A one-year transitional period is currently under way for old stock to be sold  but from May 2017, all tobacco products on sale must comply with these regulations.

France and Ireland have also adopted the decision to end attractively-branded cigarette packets, which was pioneered by Australia in 2012.

One in five adults smokes in the UK and according to the British Medical Association, smoking costs the NHS 2.7 billion each year.
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A Ukip politician has asked if Ireland could use EU funds to pay for a motorway in Wales.

David Rowlands, one of seven Ukip MPs in the Welsh National Assembly, asked the Welsh first minister to "explore the possibility" part of the costs of improving the M4 could be paid by the Irish government.

He said "three quarters of all Irish exports to the EU and the UK pass along that road".

His question was met with jeers, TheJournal.ie reports.

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

Mr Rowlands went on to suggest improvements to the M4 motorway, which runs between the main cities of Wales and the rest of the UK, could be paid for with cash from the EU's Trans-European highways fund.

First Minister Carwin Jones said it was for the Welsh government to maintain the country's main roads and motorways.

Mr Jones said Mr Rowlands could not ask another EU member state "to make up the shortfall that he himself campaigned to engineer in the first place".

Mr Rowlands and Ukip fought a successful campaign to encourage Britain to leave the EU in the run up to June's referendum.

 Paul Nuttall: Who is Ukip's new leader?

On Tuesday, Ukip announced Paul Nuttalll would take over as leader from Nigel Farage.

The MEP for North-West England won 62.6 per cent of votes cast by members, an overwhelming margin over rivals Suzanne Evans and John Rees-Evans.

Mr Nuttall has strong right-wing views on crime, opposes abortion and suggested a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty for child killers.
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The first case of a person with sexually transmitted Zika virus has been recorded in the UK.

Public Health England (PHE) said they believe the woman contracted the virus through sexual contact as her partner had recently travelled from one of the affected regions.

She was not pregnant at the time of her infection and has since made a full recovery.

Of the 265 British travellers identified as being infected with the virus, the majority of cases - 190 - are associated with travel to the Caribbean, according to the figures from PHE.

Cases have been linked to travel to Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, 33 cases have been linked to travel to South America and two patients have visited the heavily infected Miami-Dade region in Florida.

One case has been reported from South East Asia and another has been linked to travel to Oceania.

The mosquito-borne disease has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly, which means babies are born with abnormally small heads. It has been endemic in Latin America over the past few years with over 4,000 Zika-linked microcephaly cases reported in Brazil in 2015 alone.

The Zika virus - in pictures Show all 5 1 /5 The Zika virus - in pictures The Zika virus - in pictures A three-month-old, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil. A rise in microcephaly cases is thought to have been caused by the spread of the Zika virus in affected countries Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A mother holds her baby who has microcephaly Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A five-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A pediatric infectologist examines a two-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A baby affected with microcephaly

Earlier this year, the virus link to microcephaly was deemed a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

But the mosquito which carries the virus, Aedes aegypti, is not found in the UK, lessening the risk of transmission.

Professor Dilys Morgan, Zika incident director at PHE, said: It is important to remember that the main risk relates to travellers to countries classified as high or moderate risk for Zika infection.

Zika infection is usually a mild, self-limiting illness, and PHE's advice is based on the fact that our main concern is to avoid infection in pregnancy, in order to avoid risk to the unborn child.

Official guidelines warn men to use condoms for at least six months after travelling back from an infected area.

Women should try to avoid getting pregnant for at least two months after they leave an area deemed to have a high or moderate risk of Zika virus transmission.

WHO officials lifted the public health emergency declaration earlier this month but warned that the virus link to microcephaly was still a significant and enduring public health challenge.
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Downing Street has dismissed Boris Johnsons plan to let illegal immigrants who have lived in the UK for longer than 10 years stay in the country.

Asked about the amnesty proposal which Mr Johnson raised at a Cabinet meeting, a No 10 spokesperson said ministers would not be looking at the idea.

The Foreign Secretary believes the plan to give illegal immigrants legal status in the UK, would mean they can start working lawfully and contribute tax income.

It comes after the UKs official forecaster predicted the Government will have to borrow an extra 122bn in the next five years in the light of weaker tax revenues and extra costs due to falling immigration in the run up to Brexit.

Asked whether Theresa May would consider the idea, the Downing Street spokesperson said: Its not something well be looking at.

Mr Johnson had originally proposed the amnesty during the referendum campaign, but at a Cabinet committee meeting chaired by the Prime Minister he restated the plan.

 Amber Rudd launches immigration crackdown

A source told The Independent Mr Johnson had a clear and strong view on the policy and that he felt he had a responsibility to raise it given he had backed the plan during the referendum campaign.

In June he told a Vote Leave rally: I'm not only pro-immigration, Im pro-immigrants. And I am in favour of an amnesty of illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society.

The Office for Budget Responsibility predicted that the UK would suffer a 122bn budget black-hole over the next five years, with 58bn of that directly linked to Brexit. Of that figure, the OBR said 16bn of the shortfall will be a result of falling immigration, while the Treasury is set to suffer weaker than expected tax revenues.
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Labour has been accused of plotting to halt Brexit after a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn was heard saying the party "hasn't yet made a decision" on whether or not to stage a vote against blocking Article 50 in the House of Commons, despite previously saying it would not.

Conservative MPs described Labour as being "shockingly out of touch" for "plotting to overturn the result of the EU referendum" after Tulip Siddiq, Labours education spokesperson, was recorded saying the party was still undecided on whether to block Brexit, adding that she was "minded to vote against it" herself, according to the Daily Mail.

Speaking at a debate hosted by the Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party on Sunday, Ms Siddiq reportedly said: "Theres two options. One is we vote against Article 50 and the Labour Party I should say hasnt actually made a decision on whats going to happen.

"This is whats floating around the tearooms every night. Some of us will vote against Article 50, but not everyone, then it will still get through. The second option is that a lot of us vote against it, it doesnt go through, the next step will be a General Election. Ill be honest and say I have been minded to vote against it."

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer was recorded at the same event saying Labour should keep its options open on a second EU referendum  despite previously pledging that the party would not to black Article 50.

Sir Keir, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "If youre going to have a second referendum, youve got to identify when youre going to do it. I am clear that as a party we should keep our options open here because this is a process that is going to take us well, I think, into 2020."

In response to the comments, Conservative MP Dominic Raab, a member of the Exiting the European Union select committee, told the Daily Mail: "Labour are shockingly out of touch with the British people  but in plotting to overturn the result of the EU referendum, they have reached a new low.

"They say one thing in public, and then the complete opposite at meetings of the Hampstead Labour Party. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to make a success of Brexit and deliver the right deal for Britain."

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

Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted she will invoke Article 50 by the end of March, beginning two years of formal exit talks expected to conclude with Britain leaving the EU in spring 2019.

Despite Labours official position being that it will not block Article 50 if it comes to the House of Commons, the views among MPs appear to be mixed.

Labour, in alliance with up to 30 Tory MPs and the other parties, has a potential Commons majority in favour of staying as close as possible to the single market, to protect trade and jobs  a so-called soft Brexit.

In addition, more than 80 MPs, including a number of Mr Corbyns backbenchers, are said to be plotting to stage a vote calling for another referendum of the terms of Brexit, led by Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell recently faced a backlash from senior Labour MPs after he urged the party to embrace the enormous opportunities of a withdrawal from the EU and accused pro-Europe MPs of siding with corporate elites  a charge normally levelled by Ukip.

While the Labour MPs who criticised Mr McDonnell insisted they accepted the referendum result, they said their party should avoid giving the Prime Minister a free hand to end free movement of people at whatever cost.
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The European Court of Justice has ultimate authority on Brexit, its most senior British member has warned.

Advocate general Eleanor Sharpston QC told Sky News judges hearing the Government's upcoming Supreme Court appeal against a ruling that Article 50 cannot be triggered without a Parliamentary vote could refer the matter to Luxembourg.

She said the 28-member ECJ was fully aware of the sensitivity and delicacy and constitutional importance of the issue, adding that a European ruling could take between four and eight months in the event of a referral.

 Pro-Brexit protest in Parliament Square

Any input from Strasbourg would be certain to inflame hardline Brexit supporters, after the Prime Minister vowed to end its jurisdiction in the UK.

If you join the club and you wish to leave the club, you leave in accordance with the rules when you joined the club," Ms Sharpston added. "The rules of this club are the ones contained in Article 50, and the interpretation of those rules is a matter for this Court (the ECJ).

A law professor has already warned that Theresa May is heading for an 11-0 defeat when Supreme Court justices rule on whether Parliament must approve starting the formal process for leaving the European Union.

Professor Michael Zander QC said the High Court judges who ruled the Prime Minister could not act alone when triggering the Article 50 notice had given a unanimous and very strong decision.

The ECJ's president predicted the matter may end up before his judges earlier this month.

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

Koen Lenaerts, Europes most senior judge, said there are many, many ways Britains departure from the EU could end up before the EUs highest court.

I cant even start, intellectually, imagining how and where and from which angle it might come, he added.

Mr Lenaerts suggested there were numerous unforeseen legal consequences of the exit process that the EUs top court may yet be called on to resolve.

They included the treatment of Article 50 and possible constraints on the sort of post-Brexit agreement that the EUs other countries might seek.
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The head of the Treasurys watchdog says he could be retired before anyone knows the economic impact of leaving the EU.

Robert Chote, the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), dismissed Conservative claims that its forecasts are too gloomy, because they ignore post-Brexit trade deals.

At a meeting of the Commons Treasury Select Committee, one Tory backbencher, Jacob Rees-Mogg, urged the OBR to recognise the likely economic bounce to come.

But Mr Chote told him: The thing to be wary about there is that negotiation is a two-way street  and indeed, possibly, a multiple-way street.

My suspicion is that, if we are in a negotiation in which pretty much nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, I could be retired and you could be in the Lords  and much could have passed  before we know where we are.

Since last weeks Autumn Statement, the OBR  and its warning of a hefty economic blow from Brexit  has faced a barrage of criticism from pro-Brexit MPs and newspapers.

The OBRs controversial forecast said Britain will have to borrow an extra 122bn by 2022  of which almost 58.7bn is a black hole opened up because of the uncertainty created by EU withdrawal.

The annual budget deficit is forecast to be 30bn in 2019-20, instead of the 10bn projected in March, a staggering 40bn swing into the red.

The OBR also downgraded its forecasts for GDP growth from 2.2 per cent to 1.4 per cent for 2017 and from 2.1 per cent to 1.7 per cent for 2018.

And it said Chancellor Philip Hammond will even struggle with his fresh target to wipe out the Budget deficit in the next Parliament  which could mean as late as 2025.

Giving evidence to the committee, Mr Chote confirmed the OBRs view that Brexit will cost Britain around 12bn a year, or about 0.5 per cent of its annual GDP.

In contrast, the Chancellors plans to increase capital investment would add just 0.1 per cent to annual output at most.

There was already evidence that businesses are already delaying or cancelling investment decisions because of the vote to leave the EU, he said.

Sir Stephen Nickell, an OBR committee member, said its experience was that even replacing the trade deals the EU currently has will take an awful long time.

He told the MPs: Thats why we have this period of reduced trade which lasts until 2025 and then it gets back to something more like normal.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor has responded to criticism that he kept the OBR in the dark about promises made to persuade Nissan to carry on making cars in Sunderland.

In a confusing letter to Andrew Tyrie, the committees Conservative chairman, Mr Hammond wrote that no new contingent liabilities have been created by the so-called sweetheart deal.

But he also said: In any case, we expect any commitments incurring costs to be managed within existing overall DEL [Departmental Expenditure Limits] totals.

Mr Chote added: I look forward to hearing what the Treasury tells you when you ask them about it.
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Food suppliers and manufacturers should be given a French-style tax break by the Government to reduce the level of food waste in Britain, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Giving evidence to MPs on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee in Westminster Lindsay Bowell, the chief executive of FairShare, said such a move would cost the Treasury 10m but would save charities millions and bring down food waste to levels experienced across the Channel.

This tax break, he claims, would not only reduce food waste but would also result in charities  such as domestic violence refuges, drug rehabilitation centres and homeless shelters  saving millions each year because the suppliers would provide them with food.

Mr Bowells charity FairShare aims to save food that would otherwise go to waste and pass to vulnerable people across the country through other charities.

He was giving evidence after MPs on the Committee established an inquiry into food waste in the summer to probe the economic, social and environmental impact of food waste in England.

Asked by MPs on the panel why the UK was not redistributing more food, Mr Bowell said there was the need for a cultural shift in the UK food industry. He also identified a big game changer that could enable Britain to operate more like France in regards to food waste.

He continued: Where the majority food is  at manufacturing and suppliers, the profit margins at that level are minute. But it costs money to keep that food fit for consumption and get it redistributed to charity. Our calculations are that it is around approximately 100 a tonne  management time, storage and transport for redistribution.

Therefore, somewhere in the order of 10m a year it is what it would cost the food industry to divert that food. If youre a French food business you can do that and offset those additional costs against your tax bill.

He also told The Independent that most of the food wasted is inthe supply chain before it gets to the stores and supermarkets but consumers dont get that because they dont see it.

The UK Government currently uses voluntary initiatives  rather than a regulatory approach introduced in France earlier this year  to deliver food waste reductions. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which is supported by Defra, at least 270,000 tonnes of surplus food from the UK food and drink industry could be redistributed each year.
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Huge tax cuts for big business must be scrapped to tackle Britains social care crisis, Jeremy Corbyn told Theresa May today.

The Labour leader attacked the Prime Minister for planning to hand over 7.5bn in corporation tax cuts by 2020  while care for the elderly and disabled crumbles.

During Prime Ministers Questions, he demanded to know why Ms May was handing back 605m in corporation tax cuts, rising to 1.6bn the year after that  and 7.5bn over the next five years.

Mr Corbyn pointed out the cut would come while there were one million elderly people not getting the care they need and four million on NHS waiting lists.

And he said: Why is there not one penny extra for the NHS or social care? Just what is this governments real sense of priorities?

The attack came amid mounting pressure on the government to rethink its refusal to put more money into social care  including from, significantly, worried Conservative MPs and council leaders.

Some Tory backbenchers have spoken of an impending financial crisis, suggesting the triple-lock on pensions should be abandoned to ease the strain on local councils.

They are privately warning that the government could face a revolt similar to the successful tax credit rebellion, if more cash is not brought forward.

And last week, Izzie Secombe, the Conservative leader of Warwickshire County Council warned of the tragic human cost on elderly and vulnerable people.

However, Ms May hit back, insisting social care funding is going up, while Labour had pledged to freeze cash for local councils at the last election.

She told MPs, to loud Tory cheers: Conservatives putting money into the NHS and social care  Labour would deny it.

The Treasury has insisted councils will gain an extra 3.5bn of social care funding by 2020, money diverted from the NHS under the Better Care Fund.

It has also pointed to the ability of town halls to levy a two per cent precept on council tax bills, ring-fenced for social care.

But critics say the injection barely covers the extra cost of the higher minimum wage - and that the precept will bring in far less in poorer areas, with weaker council tax bases.

Later, the Prime Ministers spokeswoman suggested no extra cash was coming, telling journalists: We've set out funding that we're providing over the course of this Parliament.

Last week, Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, confirmed his predecessor George Osborne's plan to take corporation tax down to just 17 per cent, the lowest in the worlds 20 biggest economies.

And, in a speech, Ms May hinted the ambition was to match or beat the 15 per cent promise made for the US by President-elect Donald Trump.

The Conservatives believe such cuts prove to be a revenue-raiser  by attracting extra business investment  but this is fiercely disputed by critics.
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It just gets earlier and earlier every year doesnt it? Still not even December and already everyones talking about being too scared to talk about Christmas.

Dont laugh. This is, as Fiona Bruce MP (Congleton) pointed out at Prime Minister's Questions, an important issue. So important that the Equalities Commissioner has bravely intervened and told people not to be worried about talking about Christmas at work. And these comments, raised directly after a question on the atrocities in Aleppo were duly correctly described as important.

The Prime Minister agreed with her. She raises an important issue that matters to her and to me, she said. It is important that people at work do feel able to speak quite freely about Christmas.

Recommended Jeremy Corbyn debates Theresa May in PMQs showdown

On a personal note, I must say I am delighted someone has had the courage finally to raise this at the very highest level. As someone who has organised the office Christmas meal for almost half a decade, I spend most of December urging colleagues to speak more freely about Christmas, specifically to be more free with emailing me their choices from the set menu. And many, it cannot be denied, feel so unfree to talk about it they have to be emailed six or seven times. I mean I could name names, but that will only make the intimidation worse.

Keen to know more about this brutal suppression of Christmas-based discussion in the workplace, I put a request out on the usual social media channels just over an hour ago and have already received the following responses:

Thank you Fiona Bruce for drawing attention to this important issue. Last week while standing on the production line, I merely observed that it is only a month til Christmas and immediately eight of my colleagues set about me with wooden hammers. If they just put the graft in in January and February, like I always tell them, it wouldnt come to this.

Eddie the Elf, Lapland.

Laugh if you like but talking about Christmas at work is a risky business. Only this morning, closing in on the sale of a Samsung Galaxy S7 on a 24-month contract, I told the hesitant customer, Go on, its nearly Christmas, only for him to sprint for the exit in floods of tears. If only I had known it was X-Factor winner Joe McElderry, who cruelly lost out on the 2009 Christmas number one spot courtesy of a frankly cynical campaign for Killing In The Name by Rage Against the Machine? The wounds are still raw. I will think twice before mentioning Christmas in the workplace again.

Stan Smith, Carphone Warehouse, South Shields."

Its not a joke, this. If you want to bring up Christmas in my office youd better get in quick. Were already on Christmas 2031 and I don't think the ethereal blonde breathy pop nymph we will need to churn out the requisite Britpop cover in over accentuated estuary English has even been born yet. I've been scouring instagram for 18 months straight and I'll be honest, it's panic stations.

Tiggy Azalia-Walden, Digital Marketing, John Lewis.

"I wouldn't say I'm scared to mention it exactly, but for the sake of an easy life, is it worth it?

Jihadi Jesus, Equalities Commissioner, Isis. Raqqa."

An important issue, then. Almost as important as Jeremy Corbyn not knowing the difference between the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (the IFS), but unfortunately Ive run out of time for that one.
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Here are the latest updates:

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Theresa May is facing questions from MPs at the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions, which will likely be dominated by discussions on Brexit.

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

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told his Cabinet colleagues illegal immigrants who have lived in the UK for more than 10 years should be allowed to stay in the country.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan has accused Tory ministers of ignoring concerns businesses will be blocked from employing the most skilled EU workers after Brexit.

The most senior Britihs member of the European Court of Justice has also warned the court has "ultimate authority" on Brexit.
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Sadiq Khan will warn on Wednesday that ministers appear to be ignoring concerns that businesses will be blocked from employing the most skilled EU workers after Brexit.

He will say that if the Government does not do more to allay fears of a skills shortage, he will form a "London specific" solution to the potential problem with the capitals business community.

The Labour mayors speech comes after he announced plans for a summit with business leaders and other experts in the new year, to put pressure on ministers to develop an immigration system ensuring firms retain access to skilled workers.

 Amber Rudd launches immigration crackdown

At Conservative conference Theresa May and Home Secretary Amber Rudd drew attacks from the private sector over plans for an immigration crackdown in the wake of the Brexit vote.

In his speech at the Institute of Directors, Mr Khan will say: "Londons businesses must retain access to the skilled workforce they need in order to grow  its absolutely essential to protecting jobs, growth and tax revenues across Britain over the next decade.

"I will keep pushing the Government to recognise this vital need in their negotiating position  but it doesnt look like they are listening.

"If the Government ignores the needs of business and pushes ahead with a new system that cuts off access to skilled workers then we will have no choice but to look at a London-specific solution."

In October the Government U-turned on controversial plans to force companies to draw up lists of foreign-born employees after they were unveiled at Tory conference.

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

The policy, trailed after a speech by Ms Rudd in Birmingham, originally appeared to push firms to "be clear about the proportion of their workforce which is international".

After a week of criticism ministers said any data collected under the policy would not be made public and would be for internal policymaking purposes only.
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It was only a political gimmick, but it was a clever one. Eurosceptic MP Peter Bone tabled a provisional bill that would legally compel the government to stick to its promise to trigger Article 50 by the end of March.

That date has been cast into some doubt by the decision of the High Court that it must be via parliamentary vote, and not Prime Ministerial decree, that the UK must notify the EU of its intention to leave the European Union, setting in motion the two year exit process.

Mr Bones Withdrawal From The European Union (Article 50) Bill has been scheduled for a second reading on Friday 16 December.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: Weve been clear on what our position is, which is its for the Government to trigger Article 50, thats why we are taking an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Our focus is on the fact that the Government already has that power and that's the case weve set out very clearly in court and will set out once again in the Supreme Court hearing.

Mr Bones legislation would legally mandate the Government to notify the European Council by 31 March of its intention to withdraw from the EU.
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Theresa May has denied the National Living Wage will be lower by the end of the decade than originally intended, appearing to contradict her own Budget book.

Speaking at Prime Ministers Questions, Jeremy Corbyn  who branded the Governments economic plan an abject failure  accused Ms May of abandoning George Osbornes pledge for their so-called national living wage paying at least 9 an hour by 2020.

Asked what is the new pledge on the living wage, Ms May said: The pledge on living wage is what is set out in the Autumn Statement and is at what it has always been.

But the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicted last week that earnings are no longer expected to reach the level pledged by Philip Hammonds predecessor at the Treasury. Last week it emerged the National Living Wage is now estimated to reach 8.80 in 2020.

According to Labour, the reduction in the National Living Wage could see 2.7 million people now directly face a cut in their incomes of up to 1,324.96 by 2020. On Sunday the Shadow chief secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, said Philip Hammond had betrayed working people.

Ms Long-Bailey added: Philip Hammond has betrayed working people on low incomes, or those who he refers to as JAMs, as they will now be 1,300 worse off.

There was a real opportunity to use last weeks Autumn Statement to stand up for working people, but yet again the Tories are carrying on with billions of pounds worth in giveaways to a rich few, while hitting many working families on the National Living Wage with cuts to their incomes.

It further proves that only a Labour government can make an economic success of Brexit, to ensure no one and no community is left behind.

The Governments National Living Wage, introduced in April this year for those over 25, is currently set at 7.20 and will go up by 30p next year.

But campaigners have claimed the Treasury has simply rebranded the National Minimum Wage. According to the Living Wage Foundation the current nationwide recommendation is 8.45 and 9.75 in London  considerably above the Governments target.
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Hostilities between Theresa May and Mark Carney have reignited after Downing Street rejected the Bank of England Governors call for greater "clarity" over the UKs approach to Brexit.

Number 10 dismissed Mr Carneys call on Wednesday to give Britains businesses greater certainty on Ms Mays negotiating position, as akin to "showing all the cards at the outset" of Brexit talks.

Downing Street has already fallen out with Mr Carney over the effectiveness of monetary policy, while it was recently claimed the Bank chief is working on a secret plan for a transitional deal which would see Britain stay in the EUs single market until 2021, contrary to the goals of many Brexiteers.

After hearing about Mr Carneys comments, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "What matters most for British business is that we get the best possible outcome in negotiations as we leave the European Union."

They spokesperson added: "That doesnt mean showing all the cards at the outset."

Asked about relations between No 10 and the Governor, the spokesperson said they were "as good as they have ever been".

Mr Carney said earlier in the day that it would be preferable for business to know as much as possible about the "desired endpoint" of Ms Mays plans. He added: "Having a degree of clarity, when appropriate, will help promote a smooth and orderly transition."

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

It follows reports that the Governor has held private meetings and dinners in the past two weeks, appealing to business leaders to focus on a common goal for Britains EU exit.

His reported plan, dubbed the "Brexit buffer", would mean companies operating under the current trading rules, almost certainly including freedom of movement for EU citizens, until 2021 when they have properly prepared for a transition.

Mr Carney set himself on a collision course with Ms May after rebuffing economic claims made in her keynote Conservative conference speech.

He argued that the monetary policy pursued by the Bank in recent years has had a positive impact that is "without parallel", despite the Prime Minister using her speech to claim it had led to "bad side effects".
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Theresa May has defended her refusal to guarantee the rights of three million EU citizens after Brexit, insisting British ex-pats would have been left high and dry.

The Prime Minister came out fighting amid growing criticism of her stance that the guarantee can only be given if other EU countries also promise to act.

This week, it was reported that German chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed Ms Mays plea for an early agreement on reciprocal rights when they met in Berlin on 18 November.

And European Council president Donald Tusk scornfully rejected a plea from 80 British MPs to intervene to end the deadlock  dismissing their call as having nothing to do with reality.

In a letter, Mr Tusk insisted that the issue could only be addressed once withdrawal talks begin, after the Article 50 notice period is triggered next year.

In the Commons, the Prime Minister hit back, telling MPs the response proved she was correct to resist the pressure to give a unilateral guarantee.

She told MPs: I think it is right that we want to give reassurance to British citizens living in the EU and to EU citizens living here in the UK.

But I think the reaction that we have seen shows why it was absolutely right for us not to do what the Labour Party wanted us to do, which was to simply give away the guarantee for rights of EU citizens here in the UK, because, as we have seen, that would have left UK citizens in Europe high and dry.

The comments  in response to Tory MPs who accused EU figures of standing in the way of a deal  mark a further ratcheting up of tensions with Brussels over the issue.

Even some pro-Brexit supporters fear the tough stance of EU leaders bodes ill for Britains hopes of getting what it wants in the wider negotiations to follow.

However, a senior MEP indicated that the question of reciprocal rights could be dealt with early in the two-year process triggered by Article 50.

Paulo Rangel, the Portuguese vice-president of the European Peoples Party grouping in the European Parliament, told the BBCs Daily Politics programme: I believe some chapters  including probably this one, which is probably not so difficult as the others  can be decided before the final agreement or even before a transitional agreement.

The letter, from 81 mostly Conservative MPs and peers, called for a speedy resolution and pointed the finger at EU Brexit negotiators for holding up a deal.

It said members of the European Commission appeared worryingly indifferent to the needs of British and EU citizens and called for discussions to move forward quickly.

People are not bargaining chips, it said. Human beings are not cards to be traded tit for tat in a political playground.

In response, Mr Tusk said it was the Brexit vote  not the stance taken by EU negotiators  that had created anxiety and uncertainty.

The best way to dispel the fears and doubts of all the citizens concerned was to trigger Article 50, which begins a two-year negotiation process.
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British security officials are set to discuss the Iran nuclear deal with Donald Trumps advisors after the President-elect signalled he would tear up the agreement.

Downing Street said the UK placed a great deal of importance on the pact and had put substantial diplomatic effort into securing it.

It comes after the director of the CIA issued a stark warning against dumping the deal, something Mr Trump has pledged, claiming it would be the height of folly and disastrous.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: Most Americans know what our position is on the Iran deal given that weve played such a part securing that agreement.

Obviously at the moment the President-elect is very focused on a transition, establishing his team.

As we set out yesterday, the plan is for the two national security advisors to meet in America before the end of the year, so Im sure that would provide a good opportunity to talk about a range of foreign policy issues.

During a controversial US election campaign Mr Trump made a series of outlandish claims, including one that he would rip up the deal brokered with Iran by Barack Obama, which aims to prevent the country developing nuclear weapons in return for easing sanctions and opening trade.

 CIA director warns Donald Trump over the worst mistakes he could make with Iran, Syria and Russia

The Downing Street spokesperson added: The UK has been very clear on the importance of that agreement. There was substantial diplomatic effort that went into securing it and we firmly support the agreement that was reached.

We aim to make sure that it is properly implemented and we continue to work with partners on that.

Director of the CIA John Brennan said in a BBC interview that it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement, adding that it would also be an unprecedented move.

But Mike Pompeo, the Republican Mr Trump has chosen to succeed Mr Brennan, wrote on Twitter earlier this month that he looks forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism.
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The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to impose a new sanctions on North Korea, including strict new limits exports of coal, in response to its latest nculear test in Sepetember.

The latest sanctions, trigged by a nuclear test conducted by the regime on 9 September, which was the fifth and largest controlled detonation of a nuclear device ever undertaken by the pariah state, are unprecedented in scope. If properly enforced, they would reduce its overall export revenues by 25 per cent in a year. That is a potentially significant blow to the country's already skeletal economy, which, the UN nations hope, will severely damage any flow of cash that could be used to fund its nuclear activities.

Most significantly, the sanctions would slash exports of coal to China. Past resolutions from the UN included a significant loophole that allowed China to import coal from North Korea if it could be shown it was necessary to assist in sustaining the most impoverished of the Chinese population.

The text, which took several weeks of negotiation that notably involved the US and China sparring over its details, also includes provisions to ban the export of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. It would also prohibit the export of statues by North Korea, also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK.

No resolution in New York will likely, tomorrow, persuade Pyongyang to cease its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, the US Ambassador to the Security Council, Samantha Power, said after the unanimous vote. But this resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the DPRK regime for defying this Council's demands.

The stand-off with Pyongyang will be at the top of the President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda upon taking office. Washington and its allies remain deeply concerned that North Korea may be making progress towards weaponising its ballistic missiles, which have also been at the centre of recent tests.

In total, this resolution will slash by at least $800 million per year the hard currency that the DPRK has to fund its prohibited weapons programs, which constitutes a full 25 percent of the DPRK's entire export revenues, Ms Power added.

China has long been resistant to calls for stronger sanctions on the DPRK, in part out of fear that a collapse of its economy would unleash a stream of refugees into its territory and lead to a destablisation of the whole region. Beijing has also remained highly critical of the US and of South Korea, accusing both countries of provoking the regime with stepped-up military exercises to its south.

China is believed to be the only country buying North Korean coal. But it is now, under the terms of the resolution, compelled to slash its imports by some $700 million compared with 2015.

Over the first 10 months of this year, Beijing imported 18.6 million tonnes of coal from North Korea, up almost 13 percent from a year earlier. North Korean exports to the end of 2016 will now be capped at $53.5 million, or 1 million tonnes.

The resolution will also have the affect of blackballing 11 more regime-level individuals in Pyongyang believed to have some involvement in the countrys nuclear programme, including former ambassadors to Egypt and Myanmar, and 10 entities, subjecting them to a global travel ban and asset freeze.
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Sudans long-serving and authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir has praised the US President-elect Donald Trump, celebrating his election victory and saying he will be much easier to work with than previous American leaders.

Mr Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court, and his country is subject to international sanctions for the governments role in violence in western Darfur.

In an interview with the Emirati daily al-Khaleej, he accused Mr Trumps predecessors of being double-faced people.

Mr Trump was a forthright person by comparison, Mr Bashir said, who focuses on the interests of the American citizen, as opposed to those who talk about democracy, human rights and transparency.

He added: I am convinced that it will be much easier to deal with Trump than with others because he is a straightforward person and a businessman who considers the interests of those who deal with him.

Sudan has become increasingly isolated and financially squeezed in the past year, as greater enforcement of sanctions by Western powers has made foreign banks wary of having any connection to the Bashir regime.

Mr Bashir was himself accused of being complicit in crimes against humanity and war crimes in charges brought by the ICC in 2009. In 2010 they added genocide to the charges as a result of the alleged state-sponsored persecution of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups.

The President is subject to an arrest warrant and an international travel ban, but in recent years has been allowed passage abroad by the states of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. The controversy over the latter led South Africa to withdraw from the ICC altogether.

Clashes continue to this day in Darfur, and in September Amnesty International issued a report accusing the government of deploying chemical weapons.

There is also a separate civil disobedience campaign going on in Sudan against recent cuts to fuel subsidies and resulting price hikes. In the same al-Khaleej interview, Mr Bashir described the protests as a complete failure.
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President-elect Donald Trump has long insisted he is a supporter of LGBT rights and argued he is a "friend to the gays".

He once alleged that if Hillary Clinton won the White House, Islamist terrorists could enter the US who would "murder gays", while claiming that if he were elected he would "do everything in [his] power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.

Yet critics have pointed out his cabinet appointments so far  which include staunch conservatives who have fiercely opposed gay marriage  indicate otherwise.

Early in his career, vice President-elect Mike Pence advocated siphoning off government funding for HIV treatment and instead putting it towards gay conversion therapy.

More recently, he signed into law a controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, giving businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.

Meanwhile, the appointment of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General has sparked alarm in the LGBT community. Mr Sessions has previously opposed lifting a ban on openly gay people serving in the military, voted in support of banning same-sex marriage and voted against a bill providing workplace discrimination protections for LGBT people.

 Donald Trump's controversial cabinet

The senator  who will become responsible for law enforcement  has also opposed expanding the definition of hate crimes to include attacks on people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, twice.

Appointing doctor-turned-politician Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services has also prompted concern.

Recommended Trump picks charter school advocate Betsy DeVos as education secretary

Mr Price  a longstanding critic of Obama's healthcare reform legislation  has also criticised the administration's guidelines allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, declaring them absurd.

The orthopedic surgeon has previously co-sponsored a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

And when gay marriage eventually became legal, he said: This is not only a sad day for marriage, but a further judicial destruction of our entire system of checks and balances.

Newly appointed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has spent heavily in opposition to same-sex-marriage laws in several states. According to the Michigan LGBT publication PrideSource.com, Ms Devos and her husband spearheaded a campaign to pass an anti-gay-marriage ballot referendum in the state in 2004, contributing more than $200,000 dollars to the drive.

Mr Trump's latest appointment of Transport Secretary, Elaine Chao, used to serve as George W Bushs Labour Secretary. In that position, Ms Chao oversaw a Department of Labour which opposed LGBT anti-discrimination protections.

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP

Gregory Angelo, president of Log Cabin Republicans  a group pro-LGBT Republican group  has expressed concern about Mr Trump's appointments.

There is a reason that Log Cabin Republicans withheld endorsement from Mr Trump. That is because there are many unknowns surrounding his presidency, he told The Intercept.

"What I can say with certainty is that marriage equality in the United States is here, and here to stay.

When you look big picture, what you see is someone who is surrounding themself with, in many cases, just as many pro-gay individuals as there are people who are not historical allies of the LGBT community.

"What that seems indicative of is Mr Trump trying to unify what have been historically polarized and historically oppositional forces not just within the GOP, but within American culture.

LGBT charity Stonewall responded to the five appointments saying: During this period of increased change in the US, it is imperative that the incoming government continues to build upon recent legislation which has strengthened equality for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people  such as equal marriage.

Equality cannot be allowed to recede, either in the US or globally and we hope UK and US governments will continue to work together to support international LGBT communities.

This election campaign has also revealed that there are some deep divisions in the US, making it essential that the new president and his cabinet are proactive in unifying communities and fighting discrimination.
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The director of the CIA has warned Donald Trump it would be disastrous to tear up the USs nuclear deal with Iran, after the President-elect pledged to do so during his successful election campaign.

John Brennan said abandoning the deal, which was signed by President Barack Obama in 2015 after years of negotiations, would make nuclear proliferation in the Middle East more likely.

Speaking to the BBC in the first foreign media interview by a CIA director, Mr Brennan said: It would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement.

It could lead to a weapons programme inside of Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programmes.

Mr Brennan will step down after four years as CIA director in January, just as Mr Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President.

And after repeated accusations that Russia was involved in influencing the course of the election, Mr Brennan warned Mr Trump to be wary of promises coming from Moscow.

He said he could not comment on the impact of Russian state-sponsored hacking and releasing of information during the race for the White House, when Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party were repeatedly targeted by cyberattacks.

But he did confirm that Russia tried to carry out such activity, and that he had spoken with his Russian counterparts to challenge them over the matter, warning them such attacks would backfire.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said he will seek a better working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing greater ties between the two superpowers as being only a good thing.

"I hope there is going to be an improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow," Mr Brennan said.

But he warned: "President-elect Trump and the new administration need to be wary of Russian promises. Russian promises in my mind have not given us what it is that they have pledged.

Russia, the CIA chief said, was responsible alongside the Syrian government for the outrageous slaughter of civilians in Aleppo. He accused Moscow of being disingenuous in its efforts to drag out Syria peace talks in an effort to choke the besieged city.

Russia is a country that will pursue its national interests, frequently to the detriment of the interests of the people in the countries wherein it operates, he said.

And Mr Brennan cautioned the Trump transition team on the need to be more disciplined in their public statements about the USs role in the world.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

It comes after Mr Trumps new national security adviser, General Michael Flynn, said the US needed to recognise it was in a world war with Islamist militants.

Asked if such language was helpful, Mr Brennan said the President-elect and his team needed to be "disciplined in the language that they use (and) the messages that they send.

Because if they are not disciplined, their language will be exploited by the terrorist and extremist organisations as a way to portray the United States and the government as being anti-Islamic - and we are not.
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Donald Trump is set to host his first post-election fundraiser in December, where tickets to the breakfast event cost $5,000 (4,000) each.

The fundraiser, set for 7 December, is being held to benefit the President-elects transition effort and features a list of more than 60 hosts, according to invitations seen by a number of news organisations.

Alongside Mr Trump, those listed as hosts are transition team officials including Ray Washburne, who is leading the Commerce teams efforts and Bill Hagerty, who is leading the presidential appointments team, Politico reported. Top fundraiser Brian Ballard, who has lobbied for Mr Trump in Tallahassee, Florida, is also on the list.

Others listed are billionaire Wilbur Ross, who is expected to be named as Mr Trumps Com

merce secretary, casino owner Phil Ruffin, and Steven Mnuchin, who is a potential choice for Treasury Secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that a person familiar with the event said it is expected to raise $4m (3.2m).

The American federal government covers around $6m (4.8m) in transition costs, which are funded by the taxpayer, and incoming presidents often supplement that money with outside fundraising. The law states that to main access to the federal money, the President-elect cannot accept more than $5,000 per donor.

Funding efforts for Mr Trumps private transition reportedly started days before the election. The Washington Post reports that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ed Feulner, the former president of Heritage Foundation, a Conservative think tank, hosted a fundraiser that doubled up as a transition information session, which cost attendees $5,000 a head.

President Obama reportedly used around $5.2m (4.2m) from the allocated federal money during his transition period following the 2008 election, with around $4m (3.2m) in private donations.

Mr Trump's team is already raising funds for his inauguration festivites and promises that donors of $1m (800,000) or more will have access to a slew of benefits, including a "candle-lit dinner" that will feature appearances by Mr Trump and his wife Melania, and by Mike Pence and his wife Karen.
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Mitt Romneys awkward expression in a photograph taken during his latest meeting with Donald Trump has inspired of a wave of internet parodies, with people offering their own interpretation as to what it might mean.

The two former political foes had dinner together last night, joined by Mr Trumps new Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, in their second meeting in over a week.

Mr Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is in the running for Secretary of State, told reporters after the meal he was very impressed with Mr Trump and he thought Americas best days are ahead of us.

He said his discussions with Mr Trump, combined with the President-elects victory speech and the people he had selected for his transition team, gave him increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future.

 Donald Trump: Mitt Romney performs U-turn

But some pointed out that Mr Romneys expression in one of the photographs taken during the dinner, widely shared on social media, appeared less than thrilled to be sharing a table with a man he once called a fraud and a con-man.

Donald Trump looks like a cat that caught a mouse and is now batting it around with its paws until it dies. Romney is the mouse, wrote Taegan Goddard on Twitter.

Mitt probably feels like his dog Seamus that was strapped to the top of the family station wagon, he added.

Whats for dinner, Donald? Your dignity, wrote Marc Caputo, while Olivia Nuzzi said: This is how I feel all the time.

Haley Byrd chose to turn the photo into a short video clip, which zooms in on Mr Romneys face as the opening to Simon & Garfunkels Sound of Silence plays, with the lyric hello darkness my old friend.

Some had a more puerile take on the situation, with Dave Rubin tweeting: In which Trump farted and made Romney sit there as it enveloped him.

Mr Romney, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost to Barack Obama, was a fierce critic of Trump during the Republican presidential primary battle.

If Trump had said four years ago the things he says today about the KKK, Muslims, Mexicans, disabled, I would NOT have accepted his endorsement, he wrote on twitter in March.

After the meal, he stopped short of an outright apology but his intention to wipe the slate clean was clear as he made an impassioned statement in support of the President-elect to try to erase doubts about him among Trump's supporters and remain in contention for US secretary of state.

During the lengthy meal, the trio dined on garlic soup with frog legs, scallops, steak and lamb chop.

Since Mr Trump began to seriously consider Romney as a potential secretary of state, some on his team have voiced doubts about bringing in a former critic and rallied around their preferred candidate, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a long-time Trump friend and loyalist.

Leading this effort in an unusually public way has been senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who told a round of television interviews on Sunday that Trump supporters would feel betrayed if Mr Romney was picked.

Mr Trump, however, has kept Mr Romney in contention for the secretary of state position, and a Republican source close to the transition effort told Reuters Mr Priebus has been pushing for Mr Romney behind the scenes.

The choice of Jean-Georges, a three-starred Michelin restaurant in Trump Tower overlooking Central Park popular with New York high society, was the clearest indication yet that Mr Trump may select Mr Romney as his chief diplomat.

Mr Trump's Secretary of State will be America's public face to the world who could face the delicate task of reassuring foreign allies alarmed by the president-elect's rhetoric on the campaign trail.

Other key posts yet to be announced are the secretaries of defence and treasury  for which US media reported Mr Trump was expected to name former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin.

But the search for the right diplomat has proved contentious with some of Trump's inner circle horrified at the prospect of rewarding such a prominent critic with such a plum job.

World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Show all 29 1 /29 World reaction to President Trump: In pictures World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures London, England Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty Images World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mosul , Iraq Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Manila, Philippines AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures New Delhi, India Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Karachi, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kabul, Afghanistan AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem. Israel Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Moscow, Russia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Seoul, South Korea AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Lagos, Nigeria AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Peshawar, Pakistan EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Hyderabad, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Kolkata, India AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia Getty World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Sydney, Australia AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Aleppo, Syria Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico AP World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Reuters World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Jerusalem, Israel EPA World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Baghdad, Iraq Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Tokyo, Japan Rex World reaction to President Trump: In pictures Mexico City, Mexico Getty

Mr Romney's distrust of Russia  at odds with a President-elect who has spoken admiringly of Vladimir Putin  and the respect he generally commands have been touted as qualities by establishment Americans.

It remains unclear how influential the secretary of state would be on crafting foreign policy with Mr Trump loyalist and retired general Michael Flynn already nominated as national security adviser.
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Donald Trump has announced that he will "leave his business in total".

The President-elect will give up his interests to focus on leading the US, he said. He didn't give any further detail about what would happen to the Trump Organization, though it is expected that it will pass on t his children in an arrangement that is still likely to draw criticism.

The billionaire businessman has received sustained criticism for holding onto his business interests even as he worked on becoming President. Doing so even threatened to make his administration in breach of the constitution from its first day, lawyers have suggested.

But Mr Trump said that he wasn't being forced to give up the business, and was instead doing it because it is "visually important".

Mr Trump didn't say how he would give up the businesses, though it is likely that he will hand them over to his children. He said that he would explain more at a press conference in mid-December.

The announcement comes after several warnings from officials about potential conflicts of interests.

The former ethics lawyers for president Barack Obama and George W Bush last week asked the electoral college to not appoint Donald Trump as the next president due to his potential conflicts of interest. Richard Painter, former chief ethics counsel for Mr Bush, and Norman Eisen, former chief ethics counsel for Mr Obama, said that the president-elect must sell out from his real estate and business holdings before 19 December, when the electoral college officially appoints the next president.

Separately Steven Schooner, a law professor at George Washington University, said the President-elect's business in various countries could lead to an impeachment issue" because "foreign states basically paying money to the Trump Organisation by using their hotels.

 Donald Trump's four biggest U-turns

The law professor added: The unequivocal message so far from the Trump Organisation is that ethics, conflicts of interest  in terms of ethical behaviour just dont matter.

Earlier this week a US senator pledged to introduce a resolution to ask Donald Trump to convert his billions into conflict-free holdings and adopt blind trusts.

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Democrat Ben Cardin also says the proposal will mean any companies owned by the President-elect that share an entity with a foreign government will be potential violations of the constitution.

Mr Trumps wealth is estimated at $3.7bn by Forbes, and his primary assets include Trump Tower in Manhattan and the Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
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A group of activists in the US has burned the American flag outside the Trump International Hotel in New York in response to a tweet by Donald Trump.

The President-elect said yesterday that those who burn the American flag should face legal consequences or lose their citizenship.

The protest in New York involved seven members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, whose members participated in flag-burning at the Republican National Convention.

Flag-burning is not a crime and the US Supreme Court ruled in 1989 it was a form of protest protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Those who support Mr Trump took to social media to point out that many other politicians had proposed making flag-burning illegal in the past.

Hilary Clinton, while a US senator, co-sponsored a bill in 2005, which ultimately did not pass, that would have made it a crime to incite violence by burning a flag - although she did not suggest people should have their citizenship removed.

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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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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. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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It also proposed that threatening another person with a burning flag or destroy or damage a flag belonging to someone else should be made illegal.

The protests come as Mr Trump announced he will leave his business to concentrate on being President-elect.

Mr Trump did not provide any further detail about what would happen to the Trump Organization, but it is expected he will pass it on to his children in an arrangement that is still likely to draw criticism
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The normal clatter and music of its streets quieted, Havana came together on Wednesday morning to give Fidel Castro a final send-off as his ashes began their long, symbolic journey eastwards across the island nation back to Santiago de Cuba, the cradle if his revolution.

Thier last chance to see the departed comrade, residents of the delapidated capital formed a solid and hushed line along both sides of the seafront Malecon  a curving boulevard of once-gracious, now mostly crumbling homes facing the Caribbean sea  as his cedar-wood coffin passed slowly by, borne by a simple flat-bed trailer fringed with white flowers, drawn by a green, military jeep.

Recommended Donald Trump threatens to terminate Cuba deal

Earlier, after sunrise, the simple caravan had emerged from the Ministry of Defence, to start the symbolic journey that will take the remains of Cubas legendary leader for five decades almost the full length of the island nation from the capital to its eastern tip.

Set to cover 550 miles and take three days, it will be the reverse of the same journey Mr Castro and his bearded band of fellow revolutionaries took when they marched in victory to Havana in 1959. It will not be lonely with Cubans expected to turn out to line the route for all of its length, many from rural parts, newly impoverished by the collapse of its once mighty sugar industry.

After his death late on Friday at 90 years of age, Mr Castro, known simply as El Commandante, was cremated on Saturday. Following nine days of official mourning during which everything from loud music to the sale of alcohol has been banned, his ashes will be interred on Sunday.

Crowds on the Malecon wait for a glimpse of Castro's coffin beneath the iconic National Hotel (AP)

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening the people of Havana had their moment to pay tribute to a figure who still divides emotions on the island and around the world. He was an icon of the left who stood up to the United States for fifty years, withstanding economic bullying and even assassination attempts, and a dictator who trampled human rights and freedoms.

At Revolution Square, hundreds of thousands joined long lines to lay flowers and hear foreign allies of the left pay tribute to Mr Castro and watch grainy, black-and-white film clips dating from the birth of his reign. Those were the first days when Che Guevara was at his side and they had seized the Havana Hilton as their makeshift headquarters, a hotel once again, filling its rooms with the new surge of foreign tourists unleashed in part by the new thaw with the United States.

He more than fulfilled his mission on this earth, declared Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose government supports Cuba's ailing economy with oil sold at a steep discount, a policy of socialist solidarity introduced by the late Hugo Chavez and a crutch for Cuba that was all the more vital as it struggled to survive the loss of patronage from the collapsed Soviet Union. Few lives have been so complete, so bright, President Maduro added. He has left unconquered.

The simple cortege on the Malecon, the flatbed trailer fringed with flowers (AP)

Left behind is a Cuba where the average wage is $25 a month and where even basic internet connections are mostly unavailable to its still isolated population. But standing on the main dais, President Jacob Zuma of South African praised the other legacy Mr Castro left behind: a record on education and healthcare mostly unmatched in many of the hemispheres other poorer nations.

Fidel Castro, President Zuma told the massive crowd, will be remembered as a great fighter for the idea that the poor have a right to live with dignity.

While the world is invited to attend a final memorial service on 4 December in Havana, few other leaders will attend, a reflection of the ambiguity felt for Mr Castros mixed record of benign populism and unbending authoritarianism. The United States  which under President Barack Obama this year began a slow process of diplomatic and economic normalisation that may or may not be continued by President-elect Donald Trump  is to be represented only by a top foreign policy aide in the White House, Ben Rhodes. Neither Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain nor Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are expected to attend.

Fidel Castro funeral procession Show all 20 1 /20 Fidel Castro funeral procession Fidel Castro funeral procession The funeral procession carrying the ashes of Fidel Castro departs after a ceremony in Santa Clara, Cuba AP Fidel Castro funeral procession People line a road to watch as the caravan carrying Cuba's late President Fidel Castro's ashes passes by in Camaguey, Cuba Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession People line a road to watch as the caravan carrying Cuba's late President Fidel Castro's ashes enters Camaguey, Cuba Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession People line a road to watch as the caravan carrying Cuba's late President Fidel Castro's ashes goes past Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession Daniel Hernandez, 4, salutes while awaiting the caravan carrying the late Cuban President Fidel Castro's ashes in Camaguey, Cuba Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession A military jeep is taking the ashes of Fidel Castro on a four-day journey across Cuba, with islanders lining the roads to bid farewell to the late communist icon Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession A military jeep is taking the ashes of Fidel Castro on a four-day journey across Cuba, with islanders lining the roads to bid farewell to the late communist icon Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession A boy and a girl in their special position waiting for the arrival of the convoy carrying the remains of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in Cienfuegos, 240 km southeast from Havana Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession A military jeep is taking the ashes of Fidel Castro on a four-day journey across Cuba, with islanders lining the roads to bid farewell to the late communist icon Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession People wait along the Carretera Central to see the convoy carrying the urn with the ashes of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro AFP/Getty Images Fidel Castro funeral procession People watch the funeral procession carrying Fidel Castro's ashes through Santa Spiritus province in Cuba AP Fidel Castro funeral procession Cubans wait for the passage of the convoy carrying the remains of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession A woman holds an image of Cuba's late President Fidel Castro while awaiting the caravan carrying Castro's ashes Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession Yenia Coutinio poses for a picture while waiting for the funeral procession carrying Fidel Castro's ashes AP Fidel Castro funeral procession A military jeep is taking the ashes of Fidel Castro on a four-day journey across Cuba, with islanders lining the roads to bid farewell to the late communist icon Getty Fidel Castro funeral procession A man waits for the caravan carrying the ashes of Cuba's leader Fidel Castro at a sugar cane plantation in Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Cuba AP Fidel Castro funeral procession A student holds an image of Cuba's late President Fidel Castro while awaiting the caravan carrying Castro's ashes in Camaguey, Cuba Reuters Fidel Castro funeral procession A child reacts to the camera as he stands next to a truck used to carry people to a spot where they could watch the convoy carrying Fidel Castro's ashes in Gaspar, Cuba AP Fidel Castro funeral procession Wearing signs that read in Spanish 'I am Fidel', men sit on their horses as they wait to see the convoy carrying the ashes of Cuba's leader Fidel Castro on its way to the east of the country in Florida, Cuba AP Fidel Castro funeral procession People paint stones laid out as a tribute to Cuba's late President Fidel Castro in Las Tunas, Cuba Reuters

When the interment has taken place, Cuba finally will be without a figure whose stature has not been matched by the brother who took over the reins in 2008, Raul Castro, or by the man who is expected to succeed him in just 15 months time, Miguel Diaz-Canel, who has been first Vice President since 2013. What will remain, at least for the foreseeable future, is the Communist apparatus that has kept Cuba apart from its neighbours, including the US, for so long.

That, at least, was the promise the government made with giant banners strung up in Revolution Square on Tuedsay night. They read: The Cuban Communist Party is the only legitimate heir of the legacy and authority of the commander in chief of the Cuban Revolution, comrade Fidel Castro.
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Hillary Clinton has a lead of 2.36 million over Donald Trump in the popular count and the number is likely to grow, according to analysts.

The former secretary of state lost the electoral college and conceded her 232 electoral votes, distributed in different numbers per state, to Donald Trumps final tally of 306 votes.

Yet her lead in the popular count is on track to smash 2.5 million, a wider margin than any of the past five candidates who won the presidential election.

Recommended Hillary Clinton backs calls to recount ballots by hand in Wisconsin

If she reaches 65 million votes - currently on 64.9 million - she would be on par with Barack Obamas 2012 victory and George W Bushs win in 2004.

The popularity casts further doubt on the electoral college system, which has been in place since the Founding Fathers in the 18th century.

Her lead, tallied by Cook Political Report US House editor David Wasserman, is growing thanks to late counting of mail-in and absentee ballots in states like California, New York and Washington.

Michigan was the last state to announce its final result, and it went to the 70-year-old billionaire tycoon on Monday. He was swept to victory on 8 November after winning key battleground states of Florida, with 29 electors, Pennsylvania, with 20, and North Carolina, with 15 votes.

The 538 electors are convening on 19 December to rubber stamp Mr Trumps presidency.

One elector in Texas, Art Sisneros, said he would resign his position rather than vote for the Republican, saying that he did not want to bring dishonour to God.

So-called faithless electors are usually in the minority and unlikely to overturn an election. A petition to urge them to change their vote for the Democrat has nonetheless reached 4.6 million signatures.
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The lawyer for the Hillary Clinton campaign has said they are not seeking a recount of the vote, but the campaign supports Jill Steins recount efforts as a matter of transparency and to make sure voters interests are protected.

Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias whipped up a firestorm after stating that the campaign would "participate" in Green party candidate Ms Steins move to audit the vote in certain swing states.

His Medium post prompted critics to call the campaign hypocritical, as Ms Clinton said during a debate that it was "horrifying" that Donald Trump might not accept the election result.

But Mr Elias insisted in an interview with the Washington Post that his words - and the actions of the campaign - had been misinterpreted. Ms Stein's recount concerned an election that "necessarily involved" the Clinton campaign, as Ms Clinton was a candidate in the 2016 race. They would "observe the process", he said, with the aim of ensuring that every vote had been counted.

Recommended Jill Stein supporters file challenges in 100 Pennsylvania precincts

Let me be clear: We have not asked for a recount. We have not sought a recount. We have not pushed for a recount. What we have done is say that if there is going to be a recount, we will participate in the ways I have described," he said.

He added that he had been part of many vote recounts during his career and that a basic vote audit - which does not happen in many states - should be a routine matter.

Mr Trump, he said, also had the legal right to file for recounts in states, and the Clinton campaign would participate in those, too.

 Hillary's first speech since presidential defeat

Mr Elias said in the Medium blog post that the campaign had taken several "quiet" steps after the election to ensure every voter had been accounted for.

These steps included a group of data scientists and electoral lawyers looking for data anomalies to suggest the results had been hacked, and the campaign held calls with data experts to discuss their findings.

One such call was leaked to New York Magazine, where a group of data experts said they had found evidence that election manipulation had been possible in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - three states that helped clinch the election for Mr Trump.

Shortly after this discovery, Ms Stein raised more than $5 million to request a voter recount in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania before the deadline.

Mr Elias said that evidence showed that hacking was "possible", but they had not received evidence that hacking or widespread voter fraud had taken place.

"Obviously, we know that the Russian state entities hacked into the Democratic Party," he added.

"And we know that they hacked into several prominent Democrats' emails, including the Clinton campaign chairmans.

"We also know that there were pre-election efforts to break into various state voter files. Thus, we believe it was a prudent and necessary step for us to take to see whether they could have also hacked into the voting systems."

 What to expect from the Trump transition

Ms Clinton has a lead of 2.36 million votes in the popular count, as tallied by the Cook Political Report, but the unique, winner-takes-all electoral college system swept Mr Trump to victory.

Ms Stein has distanced herself from the Clinton campaigns involvement.

She wrote on twitter last week: "Election integrity cannot be led by a party w/o integrity, just as a revolution cannot happen in a counterrevolutionary party."

Mr Trump said Ms Stein's efforts were a "scam" designed to raise money for the Green Party. He said the election was "over" and people should look to the future.
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Hillary Clinton has backed calls for the presidential election recount in Wisconsin to be counted by hand.

Former Green Party candidate Jill Steins campaign has raised concerns about statistical anomalies in the votes in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Her campaign requested the audit in Wisconsin and raised the $3.5m (2.8m) filing fee for the recount of its 25 million votes, state election officials said. The recount is due to start on Thursday.

Ms Steins campaign requested in a lawsuit for hand counting to be used over ballot machines for the recount, with her lawyer calling it the gold standard.

Ms Clinton filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit, but still backed the request for a hand count. Her attorney, Joshua Kaul, said the former Secretary of State respectfully supports the issuance of an order requiring a manual recount of all ballots cast in the presidential election in Wisconsin.

The lawsuit from Ms Steins campaign alleged there had been irregularities in Wisconsins vote totals that indicate potential tampering with electronic voting systems, Madison.com reports.

Wisconsin state judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn has rebuffed these calls however, ruling on Tuesday that local officials will not be required to count ballots by hand and will be able to decide for themselves how to carry out the recount. She said the lawsuit brought by Ms Stein failed to show enough evidence of fraud or other issues in its fight to ban ballot machines in the recount.

I follow the law. Thats who I am, despite my personal opinions, said Judge Bailey-Rihn. Its [the counties] decision. Its their discretion. I may disagree with it but I must follow the law.

 Trump ally says recount ups prosecution odds for Clinton

Ms Steins campaign has not stated whether it will appeal the decision or not, but a lawyer for the group, Matthew Brinkerhoff, showed it was undeterred: We are calling on all counties to respect the will of Americans across the country and across the political spectrum, and follow the recommendation of the judge, and conduct a hand recount to ensure the accuracy, security, and integrity of this election.

The former Secretary of State is now more than two million votes ahead of Donald Trump in the popular vote, but Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are states where the President-elect won Electoral College votes by a narrow margin.

Mr Trump has since weighed in on the debate, sending an inflammatory tweet claiming that: In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally. He also made claims of serious voter fraud in California, New Hampshire and Virginia, which Ms Clinton won. He has not provided any evidence to back these claims.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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When cartographer Carl Sack tried to visit the protest site at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, he all but got lost.

The official maps of the area were inadequate - both to show the route, and to reveal the pressing threat to the tribes water source that the North Dakota Access Pipeline presented. He decided to create his own.

I felt called upon to do something, but I was not sure what to do, Mr Sack, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The Independent. I have the cartography skills, so I decided on the map.

(Reuters)

The map the 32-year-old created reveals in stark detail how the proposed route for the pipeline, which stretches for 1,134 miles and transfers oil from the Bakken fields in northwest North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois, was switched after complaints from residents in the overwhelmingly white town of Bismarck, the state capital.

It shows too, how the underground pipeline, which was supposed to be completed by January 2017, passes under the Missouri River at a point very close to the Standing Rock Reservation. Indigenous Americans and activists are concerned that a breach in the pipe could irreversibly pollute the river and harm sacred cultural lands and tribal burial grounds.

I hope the map gives a good sense of what is at stake here for the Sioux and how they are being discriminated against in favour of the white community, he said.

Mr Sack wrote a blogpost about the inadequacy of the maps that were available and the false picture they created. The post was republished by Huffington Post.

 Hollywood Stars Join Standing Rock Sioux Members to Protest North Dakota Pipeline

It doesnt tell you that all of Turtle Island (North America) is Indian Country, or that the project runs headlong into international treaties signed between the US and various tribes and then unilaterally violated by Congress, he wrote.

It doesnt show you where the frontline communities have set up camp to fight back.or where the pipeline company, spurred on by the internal pressure of their $3.8bn investment, has bulldozed sacred ground, or where exactly a pipeline break would endanger the drinking water of millions downstream.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the pipeline beneath the lake near the reservation. Reuters said that on Tuesday, North Dakota officials moved to block supplies from reaching the protesters by threatening to use hefty fines to keep demonstrators from receiving food, building materials and even portable bathrooms.

State officials said they would fine anyone bringing prohibited items into the main protest camp following Governor Jack Dalrymples emergency evacuation order on Monday. Earlier, officials had warned of a physical blockade, but the governors office backed away.

The pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly completed except for the segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on US Army Corps of Engineers land, north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball. The main protest camp near Cannon Ball is called Oceti Sakowin, the original name of the Sioux, meaning Seven Council Fires.

The 32-year-old said he struggled to find his way to the protest site (Carl Sack)

Protest leaders said state officials and local law enforcement officers were bullying demonstrators with the threat of fines.

Its bogus and I don't know about the legality of it, Kandi Mossett, an organiser with the Indigenous Environmental Network, told Reuters.

Were not afraid. Were moving in and out of the camp at will. So people shouldnt be afraid of coming and supporting the water protectors. Theyve been bullying us since day one.

Mr Sack, the graduate student, said he was inspired to use maps as a vehicle for justice by other cartographers, including William Bunge and Zoltan Grossman. Mr Bunge believed maps could help push social change in inner city America.

Both he and Mr Grossman taught at the University of Madison-Wisconsin. In his blog post, about his visit to the site, he quoted Mr Grossman, who once wrote: The side with the best maps wins."
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Officials have blocked supplies reaching oil pipeline protesters in North Dakota.

Demonstrators have been voicing their concerns over plans to route a $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation and claim the proposals pose a threat to water resources and Native American sites.

State officials have threatened to use fines and a physical blockade to keep protesters from receiving portable bathrooms, food and building materials.

Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said the primary concern was public safety.

"The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away," Ms Herr said.

Officers said they will stop vehicles they believe are headed to the camp and inform drivers they could be fined up to $1,000.

Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Show all 15 1 /15 Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A person pours a pepper spray antidote into a protester's eyes during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People swim across a river to where the police officers are standing guard during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A man holds up a ceremonial object while police officers look down from a hill during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota November Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Two people stand in the water of a river while police officers guard the shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota A man stands on a makeshift bridge over a river while police officers stand on the opposite shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Tonya Stands recovers after being pepper sprayed by police after swimming across a creek with other protesters hoping to build a new camp to block construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, near Cannon Ball, Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Dakota Access Pipeline protesters stand in the foreground and in the waist-deep water of the Cantapeta Creek, northeast of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, near Cannon Ball, N.D., Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Officers in riot gear clashed again Wednesday with protesters near the Dakota Access pipeline, hitting dozens with pepper spray as they waded through waist-deep water in an attempt to reach property owned by the pipeline's developer. Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Dakota Access Pipeline protesters stand in the foreground and in the waist-deep water of the Cantapeta Creek, northeast of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, near Cannon Ball, N.D., Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Officers in riot gear clashed again Wednesday with protesters near the Dakota Access pipeline, hitting dozens with pepper spray as they waded through waist-deep water in an attempt to reach property owned by the pipeline's developer. Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People who were tear gassed return to the shore during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota People yell at police officers standing on the opposite shore of a river during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters Protesters occupy Standing Rock reservation, North Dakota Police use pepper spray against protesters in a boat during a protest against the building of a pipeline on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Cannonball, North Dakota, U.S Reuters

The activists, who have been protesting for months, said state officials were bullying demonstrators and questioned the legality of the fines.

"It's bogus and I don't know about the legality of it," said Kandi Mossett, an organiser for Indigenous Environmental Network.

"We're not afraid. We're moving in and out of the camp at will. So people shouldn't be afraid of coming and supporting the water protectors. They've been bullying us since day one."

The demonstrators also claimed law enforcement have used excessive force and suggested local police have used water cannons and tear gas on the protesters.
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A British professor who was injured in a suspected terror attack at Ohio State University says he will reserve judgement on the perpetrator, despite Isis claiming responsibility for the attack.

William Clark, an Oxford-educated emeritus professor at the university, was one of 11 people injured in the attack when Abdul Razak Ali Artan ran him and one other victim over before stabbing several others.

Prof Clark had evacuated the engineering building after a fire alarm due to an unrelated gas leak and was standing outside when Artan struck.

In a press conference at Ohio State medical centre on Tuesday, Prof Clark said the car had clipped the back of my right leg and flipped me up in the air.

He had initially thought it was a car accident but as he lay on the ground he could see Artan get out of the car with a butchers knife and begin to stab students as they walked between classes, he said.

"There was a lot of noise and a lot of shouting. However, I got up and with a number of students started to make progress toward the building," he explained.

The 18-year-old student was then shot three times by Officer Alan Horujko. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking about Officer Horujko, Prof Clark said the wanted to put his arm around him as he would be living with the decision to shoot for the rest of his life, but he did the right thing.

Ohio State University shooting Show all 16 1 /16 Ohio State University shooting Ohio State University shooting Crime scene investigators collect evidence from the pavement as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Ohio State students duck under police tape after a shelter-in-place notification was lifted following an attack Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. (Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch via AP) AP Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting AP Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. / AFP / Paul Vernon (Photo credit should read PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Images) PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting A law enforcement official motions for people to leave the area outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Members of the Columbus SWAT team work the scene around a parking garage on the campus of The Ohio State University Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. ) AP Photo/Jay LaPrete Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting SWAT teams and police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings surrounding Watts Hall as police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty

But as for his attacker, Prof Clark said he would reserve judgment until more facts come to light.

He said: Until I know all the facts, I am going to hold judgement. Having been a faculty member for 35 years I'm only too aware of the things that drive students sometimes to do things that they wouldn't ordinarily do.

At the end of the day, I'm sore but I'm going home this afternoon. He's dead. So I think my sense is out of respect just for the living and the dead that we should wait until we know what exactly the situation is.

Artan, who was a permanent US resident of Somali origin, allegedly left behind a note saying he was sick of hate crimes against Muslims in the country and reportedly referred to al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki as a hero.

Isis has since claimed responsibility for the attack in a propaganda statement calling Artan a "soldier". As Isis continues to lose swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, its propaganda has been increasingly focusing on inciting attacks by supporters in the West.

A video entitled Slaughter the Disbelievers was released over the weekend with instructions on how to carry out knife and bomb attacks, while an Isis English language propaganda magazine urged followers to use car rammings a fortnight before.

Ohio police told US media the attack was Isis-inspired and the FBI are continuing to search Artans home. All the victims are expected to make a full recovery.
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Planned Parenthood has filed "the first wave" of lawsuits in three states to defend abortion services across the US, just two months before pro-life Donald Trump becomes president.

The lawsuits were filed in Missouri, Alaska and North Carolina, in association with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Center for Reproductive Rights.

There are different laws and challenges in each state. In North Carolina, abortion has been long banned after 20 weeks, but the regulation was tightened up this year. Women can only get an abortion at the point when they are facing a medical emergency. There is no exception for rape or incest.

In Alaska, there is a virtual ban on second trimester abortion and most women have to fly to another state if they want to get the procedure.

In Missouri, there is only one clinic left in St Louis that is fitted up to the level required by state government to carry out abortions. There used to be 29 clinics in 1982, as reported by St Louis Post Dispatch. If these requirements were lifted, further clinics could be built in Joplin, Springfield, Columbia and Kansas City.

The restrictions have created a situation where for 1.2 million women in Missouri who could be impacted with a pregnancy, where they might make a decision about an abortion, there is only one facility for them to go to, said Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St Louis and southwest Missouri region.

The three lawsuits come after a landmark ruling in June struck down cumbersome restrictions placed on clinics in Texas, mandating them to be fitted out like surgical centers and staffed with doctors who had hospital admittance privileges, all in order to give most women with a pill and cup of water.

Even though the restrictions were deemed medically unnecessary and unconstitutional by the supreme court in Texas, they were not invalidated elsewhere.

Jennifer Dalven, director of the reproductive freedom project at the ACLU, told The Independent that the lawsuits were "just the first wave" in their fight for women's health care.

"You need real facts, not junk science, to prove these anti-abortion laws are necessary. All of these laws fail this test," she said.

"There certainly are states that have better, or fewer unnecessary restrictions, and do what they can to protect abortion rights. But we think it's important to ensure women can get the care they need, including insurance. Most states dont cover insurance in their public medicaid programme."

Congressional Republicans are planning to cut off the $550 million funding for Planned Parenthood as early as 2017, as part of a fast-tracked budget procedure wrapped up in the repealing of Obamacare.

The move comes despite the fact that a bill in 2015 already eliminated using federal money for Planned Parenthood abortions.

The clinics use the federal money to provide other health care services for men and women including cancer screenings.

Pro-life activists plan to ban abortion at 20 weeks of pregnant and make the Hyde amendment, which bans federal money for abortions, permanent.

The president-elect said he would prefer abortion laws to be determined at a state level, and said if abortion was banned in a state where a woman needed the procedure, she would have to travel to another state.
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Two former political foes, Donald Trump and Mitt Romney, joined each other for dinner in their second meeting in just over a week. The former Massachusetts governor is in the running for Secretary of State.

The President-elect met with Mr Romney, joined by incoming Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, at the Jean Georges restaurant in Trump International Hotel Tuesday night.

Following the dinner, Mr Romney said he was very "impressed" with Mr Trump and praised him for his transition. He did not indicate whether or not he was offered or will accept a role in the Cabinet.

"I happen to think that America's best days are ahead of us. I think you're going to see America continue to lead the world in this century," he told reporters outside the hotel. "And what I've seen through these discussions ... as well as what we've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he selected as part of his transition  all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future."

During the presidential campaign, Mr Romney was one of the New York businessmans fiercest critics, calling him a phony and a fraud in a public address in March.

Following their first meeting, Mr Trumps top aide, Kellyanne Conway, criticised speculation that Mr Romney was in the running to run the State Department. She told CNN on Sunday that Trump supporters felt betrayed by the possibility.

Im all for a party of unity, but Im not sure we have to pay for that with the Secretary of State position, she said.

She claimed that she received a huge deluge of comments against Mr Romney.

MSNBC reported that Mr Trumps top aides were baffled by her comments.

Ms Conway denied the report and dismissed it as false and sexist.
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Donald Trump is expected to name a man with ties to Wall Street and no government experience to the post of Treasury Secretary.

Steven Terner Mnuchin, 53, is an ex-banker for Goldman Sachs who has spent recent years as a Hollywood producer. He joined the Trump campaign as finance chairman in May.

Mr Trump campaigned repeatedly accused his opponent Hillary Clinton of being in the pocket of Wall Street executives who robbed working class Americans. And the appointment of Mr Mnuchin  who spent years as a Goldman chief executive  signifies yet another shift from the President-elects major campaign promises.

In fact, in 2009, Mr Mnuchin benefitted directly from the housing meltdown. He led the group that bought IndyMac, a lender that offered high risk subprime loans, for an incredibly low price, according to CNN.

President Donald Trump life in pictures Show all 16 1 /16 President Donald Trump life in pictures President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump poses in a rocking chair once used by President John F. Kennedy at his New York City residence Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump with his new bride Marla Maples after their wedding at the Plaza hotel in New York Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Celina Midelfart watch the match between Conchita Martinez and Amanda Coetzer during U.S. Open. She was the date whom Donald Trump was with when he met his current wife Melania at a party in 1996 Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas serving as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500, speaks to Donald Trump and Melania Knauss on the starting grid at the Daytona International Speedwa Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Developer Donald Trump talks with his former wife Ivana Trump during the men's final at the U.S. Open Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and his friend Melania Knauss pose for photographers as they arrive at the New York premiere of Star Wars Episode : 'The Phantom Menace,' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump talks with host Larry King. Trump told King that he was moving toward a possible bid for the United States presidency with the formation of a presidential exploratory committee Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump answers questions as Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura looks on in Brooklyn Park. Trump said on Friday he 'very well might' make a run for president under the Reform Party banner but had not made a final decision Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump makes a face at a friend as he sits next to Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso before the start of the 2003 Miss Universe pageant in Panama City Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Entrepreneur Donald Trump is greeted by a Marilyn Monroe character look-a-alike, as he arrives at Universal Studios Hollywood to attend the an open casting call for his NBC television network reality series 'The Apprentice.' Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Simon Cowell present an Emmy during the 56th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump and Megan Mullally perform at the 57th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump, poses with his children, son Donald Trump, Jr., and daughters Tiffany and Ivanka Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Billionaire Donald Trump told Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner on Tuesday she would be given a second chance after reported misbehavior Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures Donald Trump holds a replica of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as his wife Melania holds their son Barron in Los Angeles Reuters President Donald Trump life in pictures U.S. property mogul Donald Trump stands next to a bagpiper during a media event on the sand dunes of the Menie estate, the site for Trump's proposed golf resort, near Aberdeen, north east Scotland Reuters

As chairman of the company, now called OneWest, Mr Mnuchin sold it to the small business lender in 2015 for twice the price paid.

Mr Mnuchin  who bankrolled such movies as Mad Max: Fury Road, Suicide Squad, The Lego Movie, and American Sniper  would help carry out many of Mr Trumps economic policies, including tax cuts and infrastructure spending. But he would also manage federal government debt, oversee banking regulations, and the Internal Revenue Service.

He joined Goldman Sachs when he was 22, where he served as a partner until leaving 17 years later in 2002. For a brief period of time, he worked for liberal financier George Soros. He then started his own hedge fund, Dune Capital Management in 2004.

According to Bloomberg, close friends of Mr Mnuchin found his position in the Trump campaign as a bit of a shock.

This was a unique moment in time where theres a unique role for me, he said of helping his long time friend, Mr Trump, in August. Its a unique moment in time. A unique opportunity to help.

He added: Nobodys going to be like, Well, why did he do this? if I end up in the administration.
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Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and one-time Governor of Alaska, is reported to be under consideration to join the cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The notion that Ms Palin might lead one of the most politically sensitive departments in Washington, first reported by ABC News, unleashed a fury of political chatter, pitting her many conservative admirers against critics who long ago dismissed her as populist pantomime act.

There was no comment from the Trump Transition team or from Mr Trump himself.

Ms Palin was the surprise pick as Senator John McCains running mate when he became the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Some in the party blamed his subsequent defeat at the hands of then Senator Barack Obama on that choice.

Until Wednesday there had been scant mention of Ms Palin as a possible candidate for a position in the incoming cabinet. She has not been spotted at Trump Tower in New York where Mr Trump and the transition team have been holding most of the cabinet auditions.

However, she was one of the first national conservative figures to show support for Mr Trump for the campaign. He first introduced her to supporters on the stage of a rally in Indiana last April, when he was in an urgent struggle to win the states primary, which he eventually did.

Ms Palin had a higher approval rating than any other sitting governor when Mr McCain tapped her in 2008, popular for her folksy style and no-nonsense way of speaking.

However her performance as a candidate at times veered into disaster territory. She suffered an excrutiating prime-time TV interview with the TV journalist Katie Couric, when she famously ventured she was qualified in world affairs because Alaska is close to Russia and seemed unable to say which newspapers she preferred to read.

But still, she struck a chord with Tea Party Republicans and evangelicals with a strong commitment against abortion and for limiting the power of the federal government. After the debacle of 2008, she carved out a new career in broadcast, including on Fox News, though she is no longer on its payroll.

The Veterans Affairs Department has long been one of the trouble spots in Washington as successive scandals have broken about shortfalls in care offered to Americans who have served in overseas wars, including at its flagship Walter Reed hospital in the capital.

Ms Palin may be popular with military voters, not least because of outdoor-adventure reality shows she has taken part in, but she has no first-hand experience of conflict of the American military.
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Eleven days prior to the presidential election, FBI director James Comey made a surprise announcement that his department would launch a new investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. Democrats and Republican alike accused him of influencing the election, much to Donald Trumps benefit, and new evidence seems to drive that point home.

According to a Freedom of Information Request and sources within the apartment who spoke with Vice News, its likely that the FBI could have been investigating the now presidential elect. While campaigning in Florida over the summer, he called upon Russia to find the 30,000 missing emails from Clintons private server. And in September, he suggested, for the first time, that someone should assassinate Clinton.

The nature of your request implicates investigative records the FBI may or may not compile pursuant to its broad criminal and national security investigative missions and functions, the department said in its response. Accordingly, the FBI cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such records about your subject as the mere acknowledgment of such records existence or nonexistence would in and of itself trigger foreseeable harm to agency interests.

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP

This can be interpreted as a Glamor response, an especially rare statement in which the department refuses to confirm or deny information that would interfere with investigations. Vice reports that while a full-scale investigation is unlikely, its newsworthy even if one agent opened a file in response to Trumps comments. Now, lawyers plan on challenging the departments response in court but will wait to hear from an identical request from the Secret Service.
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Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has vowed to work towards "peace and national reconciliation" but has refused to address accusations Rohingya Muslims in her country may be the victims of crimes against humanity.

Ms Suu Kyi gave no specific details on how her government intends to resolve the violence and discrimination the long-persecuted Muslim minority face.

"We do not want our country to be unstable. But we've had a long history of disunity within our nation," she said, addressing senior business representatives in Singapore.

"So national reconciliation is unavoidably important for us. It's not a matter of choice. It's unavoidable."

Rohingya Muslims demonstrate outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur (Getty)

She added: "We have to achieve peace and national reconciliation that our country may be able to progress, and that those who wish to invest in our country may find the right amount of confidence."

Accounts of the military having gang raped, tortured and murdered members of the Rohingya community caused thousands of angry Muslims take to the streets across Asia in protest.

Around 30,000 have fled their home in Rakhines and analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been burned.

The Burmese government has denied allegations of abuse. Officials say the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police last month.

In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Hard-line Buddhist monks lead a demonstration against Rohingya migrants who were resettled in Rakhine state after being found at sea while fleeing Burma following anti-Muslim violence EPA In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist monks demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees

Despite having lived in Burma for generations, Rohingya Muslims are barred from citizenship in the nation of 50 million, and instead live as some of the most oppressed people in the world.

Since communal violence broke out in 2012, more than 120,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes and crammed into squalid camps guarded by police. There, they are denied healthcare and education, and their movements are heavily restricted.

Ms Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, after Singapore, but postponed the trip in the face of public protests and a thwarted bomb plot against the Burmese embassy.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally at the weekend to protest the crackdown on Rohingyas, an official from his office said Tuesday.

Myanmars Rohingya find work to rebuild lives

Ms Suu Kyi led her party to victory in elections last year but, barred from becoming president by a junta-era constitution, instead holds a specially created post of state counsellor.

She appointed fellow Nobel laureate former UN chief Kofi Annan to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides in impoverished Rakhine.

Mr Annan began a week-long trip to Burma on Tuesday.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Rohingya Muslims in Burma may be the victims of crimes against humanity, the UN's rights agency has said.

The army has been accused of carrying out a bloody crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, leading thousands of the long-persecuted Muslim minority to cross the border into Bangladesh this month.

They have made horrifying claims of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of security forces.

Around 30,000 have fled their homes and analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been burned.

Burmese police officers patrol along the border fence between Burma and Bangladesh in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, Friday, 14 October, 2016 (AP)

Burmese government officials have denied allegations of abuse, and said the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police last month.

The government has attacked media reports of rapes and killings, and lodged a protest over a UN official in Bangladesh who said the state was carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims.

Foreign journalists and independent investigators have been banned from accessing the area to investigate the claims.

In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Hard-line Buddhist monks lead a demonstration against Rohingya migrants who were resettled in Rakhine state after being found at sea while fleeing Burma following anti-Muslim violence EPA In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist monks demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees

The UN OHCHR said Burma's treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report, as former UN chief Kofi Annan began a week-long visit that will include a trip to northern Rakhine.

"The government has largely failed to act on the recommendations made in a report by the UN Human Rights Office... [that] raised the possibility that the pattern of violations against the Rohingya may amount to crimes against humanity," the OHCHR said in a statement.

Myanmars Rohingya losing faith in new government

Although they have lived in Burma for generations, Rohingya Muslims are barred from citizenship in the nation of 50 million, and instead live as some of the most oppressed people in the world.

Since communal violence broke out in 2012, more than 120,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes and crammed into squalid camps guarded by police. There, they are denied healthcare and education, and their movements are heavily restricted.

Some have tried to flee by boat, but many ended up becoming victims of human trafficking or were held for ransom.

In August, Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi appointed Mr Annan to head a special commission to investigate how to mend bitter religious and ethnic divides that split the impoverished state.

Mr Annan has expressed "deep concern" over the violence in Rakhine, which has seen thousands of angry Muslims take to the streets across Asia in protest.

Additional reporting by AFP
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The family of a 13-year-old boy who killed himself after he was bullied for being gay has been subjected to online abuse.

Tyrone Unsworth, from Brisbane in Australia, killed himself last week after he was routinely victimised.

But despite his death, bullies have pursued the Unsworth family, posting offensive messages on social media sites.

Abusive messages have appeared on fake Facebook profiles under Tyrones name.

You have no bloody right doing this, wrote his mother Amanda in response to the messages.

Our son is dead and you still want to bully him, grow up you pathetic little bastards.

When confronted by a concerned woman on Facebook, the unknown abuser replied that their issue with Tyrone was that he is a f**.

Another abusive Facebook profile was shut down after concerned friends led a social media campaign. However, the abuse has continued.

In another exchange a Facebook user replied to an abusive message from a fake account saying they had reported the users IP address to Australian federal police.

Im tough, they responded. I dont give a f***.

They also posted a picture in which they are seen holding a toy gun.

Ms Unsworth also replied to one message, saying how about you come and have a look at my sons dead body and other kids that take their lives.

To which the fake account responded: Ive already seen dead bodies before I dont care.

Ron Van Houwelingen, one of the organisers of vigil which will be held for Tyrone in Melbourne tomorrow, told Mail Online: Initially my heart also went out to Tyrone's tormentors - imagining that they would have to learn to live with the fact that they drove him to the point of feeling that there was no other option than taking his own life.

After hearing that the bullies are trolling the family, I am absolutely devastated for them, a family still clearly deep in grief.

As a society we need to do better. We need to ensure that schools are a safe space for all children.

'e need to combat bullying, particularly for LGBTI and indigenous youth. We need (the) Safe Schools (program) and we need there everywhere.

Speaking to Australias Courier Mail last week, Ms Unsworth said her son had killed himself after bullies had driven Tyrone to the edge.

She said: He was a really feminine male, he loved fashion, he loved make-up and the boys always picked on him, calling him gay-boy, f****t, fairy.

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. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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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. 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Friends have raised over $20,000 for the funeral which will go ahead on Thursday.
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The Norwegian Catholic Church has been fined for overstating the number of its members in an attempt to receive more state funding.

The church is accused of looking for immigrants with names that would suggest they were of Catholic origin and adding them to the list of members without their knowledge.

Prosecutors have given the Diocese of Oslo, responsible for keeping records of Catholics living in the country, a one million kroner (95,000) fine.

If the church refuses to pay the fine it will face trial and the chief administrative officer of the diocese has already been charged with aggravated fraud, prosecutors have said.

"We've never done anything illegal or received too much money," the Catholic Church said in a statement, AFP reported.

"We have always recognised that we have made mistakes and had an unfortunate practise in parts of our registration. This was cleaned up a long (time) ago."

In Norway the state finances religious groups in accordance with the number of members.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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 church claimed from 2004 there was an increase in immigration from Catholic countries such as Poland and these members were not registered, leading to an increase in spending without the corresponding increase in state funding.

Separately from the fine, the Norwegian state is demanding the church repay the 40.6 million kroner (3.8 million), which was overpaid.
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When Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for a referendum on the future of the two-house system in Italys parliament, he was confident of victory.

Italian legislative decisions are notoriously slow, bills have to be ratified by both chambers to become law, and Mr Renzi said the move would streamline governmental processes.

But a few days ahead of the vote his job is on the line.

Instead of seeing the referendum merely as a public vote on the mechanics of government, most Italians feel the prime ministers involvement has made it into a vote of confidence in the prime minister himself.

If Italy votes against the reforms, Mr Renzi is expected to resign, or at least forced out.

The result is highly uncertain, with final polls ahead of Sundays vote showing about a quarter of Italians remain undecided. Nonetheless, the No vote against Mr Renzis reforms has consistently held a small but convincing lead.

However, a glimmer of hope exists for Mr Renzi, and it exists in the shape of Donald Trump.

Since Mr Trumps shock US election win, many Italians have reportedly become increasingly concerned about a shift to the far-right.

In Italy, two populist parties have opposed the Prime Ministers proposed reforms.

These are the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Northern League.

Both oppose the Euro, and since the Brexit vote in the UK, Euroscepticism in Italy has surged.

A convincing win for the No vote could be enough to prompt an election, in which M5S would be expected to do well.

But since Mr Trumps victory, Italians are rethinking whether they want to vote in line with these parties.

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Dr Paola Subacchi, the director of the International Economics Department at Chatham House, told The Independent: People want to avoid the Trump effect in Italy. They are very concerned that the No voters include people like Five Stars Movement and the Northern league - lots of populists. They are both anti- Euro.

They are both doing well at the moment, but there are people who were thinking of voting No at the referendum, who might change [their minds], because they do not like the groups and do not want to somehow legitimise these groups.

She added: People are not being asked whether to leave the EU or whether or not to leave the Euro or whether or not to have a far-right president with a lot of unpleasant features.

In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Fractures on a road in Norcia after the strong earthquake in central Italy EPA/Matteo Crocchioni In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy The bell tower of St. Augustine's church destroyed after the strong earthquake in central Italy, Amatrice EPA/Massimo Percossi In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Nuns rest on a bench after been evacuated from their monastery following an earthquake in Norcia, Italy REUTERS/Remo Casilli In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy The church of the Madonna of the Angels is seen partially collapsed following an earthquake along the road to Norcia, Italy Reuters In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A powerful earthquake rocked the same area of central and southern Italy in August and a pair of aftershocks last week, sending already quake-damaged buildings crumbling after a week of tremors that have left thousands homeless Vigili Del Fuoco/Italian Firefighters via AP In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 6km north of Norcia, Italy, EPA In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 6km north of Norcia, Italy EPA/Alberto Orsini In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy People are evacuated from an hospital following an earthquake in Rieti, Italy REUTERS/Emiliano Grillotti In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente speaks on his mobile telephone as he checks the damage after the strong earthquake in L'Aquila, central Italy EPA/Alberto Orsini In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Italian firefighters escort a frightened woman out of a building just as an aftershock rattled Norcia, central Italy AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A view of Amatrice village completely destroyed after the strong earthquake in central Italy EPA/Massimo Percossi In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A firefighter and an alpine soldier look at rubble in the hilltop town of Amatrice as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 struck central Italy Massimo Percossi/ANSA via AP In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A handout map released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of the earthquake striking around 68km east-southeast of Perugia, Italy EPA

The mistake was made at the beginning of the year by the prime minister by thinking that he could actually win this referendum and he made it into a sort of personal thing  its become like a referendum on his government and his policies, and that was a big mistake. He has realised hes made a big mistake and now hes trying to back-pedal.
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The air is sweltering as Americo Mosquera trudges through a shallow river in his black rubber boots. The 62-year-old knows these muddy waters well. Like many here in Colombias western Choco province, Mosquera spent years searching the riverbanks for precious metals. But not anymore. Today, he is the legal representative of a local governing council that owns a swath of land in the Colombian rainforest. The problem: large tracts of it are controlled by armed groups who extort the locals and pollute the water in an effort to dominate the $2.4bn (1.9bn) illegal gold trade.

Colombias 52-year-old civil war has devastated the countrys Pacific coast, so close to 80 per cent of the people who voted in the recent referendum supported a peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The referendum failed to approve the deal, thanks in part to a strong no campaign whose organisers proved far more savvy than their opponents in manipulating public opinion.

Many expect a subsequent peace deal to happen, but few in Choco believe it will liberate them from the leftist militants and right-wing paramilitaries who keep the illegal gold mining industry humming. It will be the same old paramilitary and[leftist] guerrillas that remain in the region, Mosquera says about who will dominate the trade if a peace deal passes. Were not sure if the FARC members will demobilise or sign up to another armed group.

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Choco is mostly home to the descendants of African slaves, whom the Spanish colonialists brought to the New World at the beginning of the 16th century. The area is one of Colombias most resource-rich provinces, but 79 per cent of people lack access to adequate housing, clean water and basic education, according to the latest census, and more than 60 per cent of locals live under the poverty line.

More than half of the locals in Choco live below the poverty line (Getty)

The people here have always been among the poorest in Colombia, but decades ago the land was fertile and the rivers provided plenty of fish. Locals mined gold the same way they had for centuries  by dipping a big wooden pan into the bottom of a stream and sifting out the precious metal.

But in the late 2000s, when gold prices soared, paramilitaries and rebel groups, which have long been involved in the drug trade, turned to gold mining too. The armed groups have forced locals to use big dredging machines to dig up the riverbanks. Not only have they destroyed 19, 000 hectares of rainforest in Choco, but theyve polluted the water with massive amounts mercury, which is used to separate gold from other minerals.

Today, Colombia ranks second only to China in mercury pollution, according to Colombias National Planning Department. And locals have reported a variety of health problems, from tremors to memory loss. Theres little residents can do about it. The armed groups often intimidate and forcibly recruit them to search for gold, or subject them to extortion. Sometimes, locals have to pay a war tax to mine, one they can scarcely afford.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. 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Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. 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Mining is the only opportunity I have to survive in Choco, says Didier Valencia, 28, who has been working in the gold trade for a decade. Otherwise, there is nothing. Mining land that isnt controlled by the armed groups isnt an option either. In the late 2000s, the government gave away most of the concessions to multinational corporations, such as South Africa-based AngloGold Ashanti, without consent from local residents.

Recently, President Juan Manuel Santos has cracked down on illegal mining. We cannot allow them to destroy our environment, he said of the armed groups after a visit to Choco earlier this year. He assigned a new 500-man unit, which combines members of the army and National Police, to combat the illegal miners. One of the units core strategies: bombing their equipment. Local miners say the crackdown has hurt them but left the armed groups practically untouched. We are no criminals, says Elpidio Palacios, a local miner and community leader. But the state generalizes us and makes no difference between criminal and traditional mining.

We buy gold and platinum, one of many shop signs reads in downtown Tado Choco, Colombia (Getty)

Luis Pardo, director of the think tank Colombia Punto Medio and a former employee of the Colombian state mining authority, agrees. The fight against illegal mining makes no sense, he says. First of all, you bomb an excavator. They will throw the guy that operates the machine in jail  a poor guy who lives in the region and tries to make ends meet.

Then [the National Police and the army] will communicate to the press how they are dealing with illegal mining, Pardo continues. The real owner of the machines is a person who lives in one of the big cities. He will make enough money to buy a new excavator within three weeks. He will die of laughter. So the day the government really wants to end illegal mining, they have to go after the ones who invest in illegal mining.

Mosquera fears that day will never come, whether a peace referendum passes or not. Stepping out of the river water, he enters the jungle, using his machete to hack his way through the thick brush. The authorities, he says, turn a blind eye.

Bram Ebuss reporting was supported by a grant from GRID-Arendal, a Norwegian foundation, and SKUP, the Norwegian Foundation for a Free and Investigative Press.

 Newsweek
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Activists fear Israel is becoming a safe haven for paedophiles thanks to the countrys unique Law of Return for the worlds Jewish people.

A Jewish person from anywhere across the globe can be fast-tracked for citizenship in Israel, as well as their spouse, children and grandchildren.

An 1954 amendment to the law bans "a person with a criminal past, likely to endanger public welfare but campaigners say sex abusers are slipping through the net.

Israel is becoming a safe haven for paedophiles due to the unique opportunity available to all Jews from anywhere in the world to immigrate there, said child abuse survivor Manny Waks, founder of child sex abuse advocacy group Kol V'Oz, speaking to The Independent.

This provides a relatively efficient and effective way to evade justice from other countries. It also provides a sanctuary to those who have already been convicted.

It's important to note that while there are some criminal background checks as part of the immigration process, there are multiple ways to overcome this requirement."

Jewish Community Watch says that 32 paedophiles in their database have moved from countries around the world to Israel over the past decade.

It says 12 Jewish paedophiles, from across the globe, have moved to countries other than Israel.

Education of this issue in the Haredi world is lacking. There are serious shortfalls, Mr Waks, from Melbourne, told the Times of Israel. They bring teachers in and out of yeshivas without doing checks.

The Israeli government needs to look at this issue to address it, because it is an injustice to the victims and a danger to Israeli children.

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. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

A text message was reportedly circulated throughout Ramot (a settlement regarded as illegal by the international community since it is built partly in East Jerusalem), reporting that a Level 2 sex offender was moving to the area in November.

The convict escaped arrest by New York police to Israel via Canada in 2007 and was charged in his absence with eight counts of sexual intercourse with two 13-year-old children.

He was reportedly extradited and convicted in 2009 but released in February 2012.

People have a right, after they serve their time, to live their life, said Jewish Community Watch Israel operations coordinator Shana Aronson.

But the community has a right to know who they are. They shouldnt be vilified any more than is necessary to protect the community.

But nothing is more devastating than a repeat offender. Its infuriating. It could have been prevented.

But the methods employed by activists has caused controversy, with the Jerusalem District Court hearing, on Thursday, 17 November, of Yona Weinbergs libel lawsuit against activist Yakov Horowitz.

Mr Weinberg, from Brooklyn, New York, who moved to Israel after sex offence convictions, is accusing Mr Horowitz of slander and libel for a tweet he published last year following Mr Weinberg's move to Israel.

The Law of Return allows Jews living outside the country, other than those with a criminal past, likely to endanger public welfare, to live in Israel

I really genuinely understand and respect that there is great reluctance to tinker with the Law of Return, said Mr Horowitz.

The Law of Return is a beautiful concept, its really part of the DNA of the Jewish state. Theres a feeling that if you amend it for sex offenders, what about someone who did domestic violence? Or a Ponzi scheme? Where do you draw the line?

But he added that in his opinion at the very least, the [sex offenders] should be supervised if youre letting them in.

Avi Mayer, spokesman for the Jewish Agency, which brings Jews into Israel, reportedly said that approval for a convicted criminal's visa depends on the nature of the crime, when it was committed, and what has transpired in the interim".

Mr Mayer also told The Independent: "A convicted sex offender would certainly be [barred from the Law of Return] and would thus be prevented from immigrating to the country.

"In the rare event that a person ineligible to immigrate under the above provision is nevertheless granted citizenship on an irregular basis, the law enables any individual who considers him, or herself, adversely affected by such a decision to appeal it before the relevant authorities."

* Update. This article originally included a suggestion that paedophihles could potentially enter Israel as tourists, then "stay indefinitely". This is not the case. If a person wishes to remain in Israel indefinitely they must apply for residency status or citizenship and would therefore have to submit to background criminal checks. 2/12/16
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At least 45 Syrian refugees, including many children, have been killed in Aleppo after a regime artillery attack hit a group of displaced families trying to flee from rebel-held eastern areas of the city, according to the Syrian Civil Defence rescue organisation.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, claimed it was the second time the Jub al-Quba neighborhood in eastern Aleppo was struck in as many days. An air strike killed 25 civilians on Tuesday. Thousands of east Aleppo residents have moved to Jub al-Quba and other such neighborhoods fleeing a government advance on the rebel-held east.

Also on Wednesday, Syrian state media said two children were among the eight killed in shelling on the city's governement western neighborhoods, which it blamed on the rebels.

The assault by Syrian forces comes amid warnings the city could witness one of the biggest massacres since the Second World War as President Assad's troops continue their offensive to re-take the city.

A sweeping advance by the Russian-backed Syrian army and allied militias has displaced thousands of people, leaving residents unsure where to turn to for safety as the frontline fighting rapidly moves and rebels struggle to maintain control of key neighbourhoods, the UN said on Tuesday.

Syrian Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said he predicts death tolls will spiral in east Aleppo as the internal displacement creates more residential density.

Since mid-November, more than 739 civilians have been killed and hundreds more injured in regime attacks on eastern Aleppo, according to figures released by local civil defense officials.

The Observatory said more than 50,000 out of an estimated quarter-million inhabitants have been displaced by attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo over the past four days. Many of them fled to safer ground in areas under government or Kurdish control. The International Committee of the Red Cross says around 20,000 people have fled.

The Observatory also claimed that the Syrian government had detained hundreds of people forced to flee the fighting. The Observatory said the government was detaining and questioning displaced people who have fled towards northeastern parts of the city. Some of the young men may be taken to join the army, while others may be investigated, it claimed, with more than 300 people missing.

A Syrian military source, talking to Reuters, denied anyone had been arrested but said the identities of people leaving rebel-held areas were being checked and that anyone who was unknown was being put in specific places in areas where civilians were gathered. The source said this was in case militants had left with them.

A large amount of people came out, the source said. There are enormous numbers that need checking and follow-up. That's the situation.

The Lebanese Al-Manar TV channel reported from the Aleppo countryside that pro-government forces were advancing in the southern portion of the city's rebel enclave. The government has seized much of the northern half of the enclave in the past few days.
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On August 3 2014, Isis attacked the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, as part of their campaign to eradicate the Yazidi people and purify the region of non-Islamic influences.

That same day, Prince Tahseen Said, leader of the Yazidi people, issued an urgent distress call to the international community to to assume their humanitarian and nationalistic responsibilities and help the 40,000 Yazidis who had fled their homes in the district.

But it was already too late for Nadia Murad. Aged 19, she lived in the quiet farming village of Kocho, within the area around Sinjar ISIS had selected for purification. Before the Isis militants arrived, she lived with her large family of brothers and sisters and was studying at high school, harbouring dreams of becoming a history teacher and perhaps a make-up artist.

But Nadia's dreams were shattered as war ravaged Sinjar. Now she was simply an Isis sex slave.

 Isis 'teaching children how to kill and make bombs'

Isis offered the Yazidi villagers a choice: convert to Islam or be executed on the spot. To young girls and women a third path was presented: slavery. Nadia's mother was considered too old to be enslaved, and so was executed. Nadia and her two sisters joined thousands of other women to become chattels of Isis.

Last month, Nadia and another young Yazidi woman, Lamiya Aji Bashar, were jointly named recipients of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for speaking out at the ordeal they suffered.

Three months after her capture and sexual enslavement, Nadia managed to escape her captors thanks to a neighbouring family who smuggled her out of the area. She had by this point lost 18 members of her family.

Lamiya tried to escape several times before finally managing to flee with the help of people smugglers who were paid by her family, but not before a landmine exploded leaving her injured and almost blind.

A Yazidi woman takes shelter in a school in Iraqs Kurdish region after fleeing when Isis attacked the town of Sinjar in 2014, enslaving and killing hundreds (Getty)

Before they escaped and were brought to the West, both women had suffered unspeakable brutality at the hands of their captors, who routinely kidnap women and children to give to the faithful Isis soldiers and trade in modern slavery markets in Isis-controlled territories.

Indeed, the phrase Isis sex slaves has passed into common currency... and therein lies something of a problem in the way we, the West, perceive this abhorrent situation in the Middle East.

Could it be there's something of an unseemly salaciousness with which we devour stories of sexual enslavement in far off lands? Sex slave has an almost exotic ring to it, as though we are talking about harems of perfumed and ultimately compliant women wrapped in bright silks in the desert tent of some brooding nomadic chieftain. It has a 1970s News of the World vibe, edging into almost Carry On-esque imagery.

The terminology reduces the trauma that these women have gone through, says Dr Katherine E Brown, lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. It oversexualises what they are going through.

Iraqi Yazidi women and children rescued from Isis by Kurdish Peshmerga forces (Getty) (AFP/Getty)

Because while the Yazidi women seized by Isis are indeed slaves, bartered and sold in markets to the highest bidder, and while they are the victims of relentless sexual violence, the impact is even more wide-ranging than that.

It is not only the fact that they are being raped, says Dr Brown. She has to choose her words carefully so as not to lessen the impact of this brutality while at the same time bringing in the bigger picture. The women have had all their human rights removed, and the rape is a big part of that. They have been removed from their communities and their communities have effectively been destroyed. Whole ethnic groups are being eradicated.

In other words, it is genocide  as US Secretary of State John Kerry asserted at a press conference in March, saying in unvarnished terms that Isis is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control including Yazidis, Christians and Shiia Muslims.

It is a stated aim of Isis to ethnically cleanse the region of non-Muslims, and the Yazidi  whose religion is an amalgamation of aspects of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam, thought to have been founded in the 11th Century  are in the group's sights. And it isnt the first time they have suffered. Under Ottoman rule in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Yazidi were subjected to no fewer than 72 individual massacres, killing thousands.

Is there a difference between ethnic cleansing and genocide? The Encyclopaedia Britannica suggests there is, in that ethnic cleansing aims to create an ethnically homogenous territory, while genocide goes a step further and achieves that aim by the systematic destruction of a particular group of people.

Yet, even in the face of an ethnic group facing proposed extinction, we still focus on one aspect: the fact the women are becoming sex slaves. Perhaps part of this is due to Isis going out of its way to make a point of publicising their campaign of sexual violence against Yazidi women.

Rape as a weapon of war is nothing new, and was widely utilised in the Balkan conflicts, especially in Bosnia, in the 1990s. But the Serb forces who (predominantly) used it seemed to do so as part of the overall assault on other ethnic groups, a side effect, perhaps, of the conflict, merely one weapon in their arsenal.

These escapees avoided the fate of those left behind: to convert to Islam, be enslaved or die (Rex)

With Isis, rape is part of their propaganda campaign in their bid to wipe out the Yazidi. And perhaps there is a method in their brutality above control, subjugation and violence for its own sake; the Yazidi culture dictates that women who form relationships with non-Yazidis automatically take on the religion of their partner. Isis is effectively raping the Yazidis out of existence, one horrific assault at a time.

Dr Brown says, The women are enslaved partly as a reward for Isis soldiers, partly as a weapon against non-Muslim groups. With Bosnia it seemed that rape was a byproduct of genocide; for Isis it is something to be publicly celebrated.

It is perhaps by focusing on the rapes we are imposing a narrative of our own on the situation  that of the rapacious, brutal enemy  that is supported by the Iraqi Peshmerga Kurds who are also fighting Isis and whose interest it is in to be seen by the West as the polar opposite of the Isis terror brigade.

The presentation of the Sakharov Prize to Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar does focus attention on the plight of the Yazidi, perhaps going some way to cutting through the fog of war that obscures fact and truth. But still, says Dr Brown, ultimately one of the biggest problems is that women's voices are still not considered legitimate. The propaganda comes from men fighting the war, on all sides, and womens experience is reduced to their sexual treatment.

It's a similar story on the flip-side of the Isis sex slaves narrative  that of the Jihadi Brides. Whereas the Yazidi are forced into subjugation, Western women are freely going to join Isis... but with the same outcome.

Dr Brown says, The language is related, everything is reduced down to sex. Why would women give up what could be considered a relatively amazing life in the West to go to a horrific life with Isis? Using terminology such as Jihadi Bride suggests it is because they are naive, emotional and want sex. But its much more complex than that.

With the estimate of women captured by Isis in the thousands, what will happen when  or if  the war is won against the terror group? Dr Brown takes as a reference point the situation in Afghanistan, when there was a lot of talk of prioritising women's rights in the aftermath of Western intervention.

She says, In the instance of the Iraqi state defeating Isis well probably see a lot of nice words about women's rights, but they will probably be just that: nice words. Even with the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 insisting that women are included in peace building, the international communities track record isn't exactly stunning.

What we see is that in the aftermath, a lot of the concerns about the communities directly affected and what can be done for them end up being bargained away.
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Turkish forces intervened in Syria's civil war to "end the rule of the cruel Assad," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Mr Erdogan condemned what he described as the failure of the United Nations in Syria and defended sending tanks, special forces units and fighter jets across the border in August.

"Close to one million people died in Syria, and they continue dying," he said in a speech on Tuesday. "Where is the UN? What are they doing?

"We kept saying 'patience, patience, patience' but could not take it any more and entered Syria."

In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish tanks driving to the Syrian-Turkish border town of Jarabulus yesterday AFP/Getty In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish-backed gather on the outskirts of Jarabulus, Syria, ahead of an offensive on 24 August 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish army tanks make their way towards the Syrian border town of Jarabulus, Syria August 24, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish soldiers return from Syria to Turkey with tanks after a military operation at the Syrian border as part of their offensive against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria, Karkamis district of Gaziantep, Turkey, 25 August 2016 EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish army tanks and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces move toward the Syrian border as pictured from Karkamis, Turkey, AP In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish tanks on their way to the Turkish-Syria border during an operation against Isis on 24 August 2016 EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Syrian opposition fighters being transported during preparations to enter Jarabulus in Karkamis, Turkey, on 24 August 2016. EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria An air strike hitting Isis-controlled territory near Jarabulus, near the Turkish border, on 24 August 2016. EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria A Turkish army tank and an armoured vehicle stationed near the border with Syria. Turkish media reports say Turkish artillery has launched new strikes at Isis targets across the border AP

He said Turkey had "no interest in Syrian territory" and added: "We are there to bring justice. We are there to end the rule of the cruel Assad, who has been spreading state terror."

However, rather than engaging soldiers loyal to the Assad regime, Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield has mainly sought to dislodge Isis from the border between the two countries and prevent the expansion of Syrian Kurdish militias.

Mr Erdogan's speech made no mention of the besieged city of Aleppo, which the UN has warned is experiencing a "descent into hell" as Syrian regime forces backed by Russian air strikes continue their brutal assault.

 Aftermath of airstrike in Aleppo

A senior official from one of the Turkmen rebel brigades backed by Turkey told Reuters around 60 per cent of Turkmen fighters pulled out of Aleppo to take part in Euphrates Shield, withdrawing from the front line against regime forces.

He said "perhaps Aleppo could have resisted more" had the rebels not withdrawn, but added they "did not have much of a chance" with their limited weapons against the regime and the Russians, who "have used everything from barrel bombs to warplanes".

The Kremlin said Mr Erdogan's statement came as a surprise and it expected an explanation from Ankara.

"It is a very serious statement and one which differs from previous ones and with our understanding of the situation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We hope that our Turkish partners will provide us with some kind of explanation about this."

Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Free Syrian Army since the start of the country's five-and-a-half year civil war, which has killed thousands of people and displaced 11 million others.
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Saudi Arabia is in the only country in the world where women are forbidden to drive  but this should be changed, a member of the Saudi royal family has said.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal published a four-page open letter titled "It is high time that Saudi women started driving their cars" in which he argued for the financial, social and religious benefits of allowing women to drive.

Stop the debate. Time for women to drive, the billionaire Prince tweeted in Arabic and English on Tuesday evening with a link to the letter on his website.

Preventing a woman from driving was an issue of rights similar to the one that forbade her from receiving an education or having an independent identity, he wrote.

They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion.

Women's rights activists have been detained for defying the ban on women driving in the conservative kingdom.

 Thousands of people share cartoon showing how ridiculous Saudi laws are for women

In 1990, dozens of women took to the wheel in the Saudi capital Riyadh in a protest against the ban. They were imprisoned for one day and had their passports confiscated.

More recent action has been hindered by the government, which in 2013 reacted to a planned protest with a heavy police presence, setting up checkpoints to watch for female drivers and individually warning campaign leaders not to drive.

But activists continued to post photographs or films of themselves driving in public online in defiance of the ban.

Mr bin Talal  the 41st richest man in the world  leads the Riyadh-based investment firm Kingdom Holding Company, which holds stakes in several Western companies, including Twitter.

However, he does not hold a formal position in the Saudi government.

The outspoken 61-year-old said that around 1.6 million women who work in Saudi Arabia have to rely on costly private chauffeurs or taxis.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Men often have to leave work to take their wives and children to everyday destinations such as clinics, he added, which takes its toll on the national economy for it undermines the productivity of the work force.

He said allowing women to drive was an urgent social demand predicated upon current economic circumstances.

In April, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said it was up to Saudi society to decide whether to allow women to drive, but so far the society is not persuaded.
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Its like that poem: First they came for the Jews and I did nothing, then they came for me, and there was no one to speak for me. Mums at home crying and its like, first they came for the burqas, and whats next? Any woman wearing a headscarf? Any woman with brown skin? Nada, a 21-year-old Dutch Muslim university student, is talking about the Dutch governments decision to partially ban the burqa in public spaces. The ban still needs to be approved by the Dutch Senate before it will become law but, with 132 out of 150 MPs voting in favour of the bill, it is expected to pass easily.

The Netherlands is not the only European country to place restrictions on Islamic veils: France, Belgium and some parts of Switzerland all impose fines on women who wear full-face veils in public spaces. 2016 saw the Bulgarian government bring in a similar ban and threaten women who wore the burqa or nijab with benefit sanctions and a recent YouGov poll found that 57 per cent of the British public wants a similar ban in the UK.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists that the bill does not have any religious background. Rutte pointed out that helmets and ski masks will also be banned and claimed that the ban will only apply in specific situations where it is essential for people to be seen [and] for security reasons.

Despite Ruttes claims, the bills campaigners have focused on the apparent dangers of women wearing veils. Supporters of the bill include Geert Wilders, a high-profile Dutch politician who is currently on trial for hate speech against Dutch Moroccans, has claimed to hate Islam and said publicly that not all Muslims are terrorists, but almost all terrorists are Muslims.

 Dutch Right Wing Politician Geert Wilders Rails Against Islam and Endorses Trump

This is the kind of stunted logic that fuels burqa bans. Politicians like Wilders present the public with a very limited view of what constitutes terrorism (ignoring all the terrorists acts committed by radicalised Christians) while disregarding attempts by Muslim communities to protect their children from radicalisation and distance themselves from terrorist groups.

Nada and Hind, her cousin and fellow university student, do not wear burqas or niqabs, but they do wear hijabs  headscarves that cover their hair and necks. Both girls choose to wear the hijab for religious reasons and Hind says that if they were banned she would feel unable to go out in public: Its a sign of respect. If I had to go out without my scarf Id feel exposed and like I wasnt being respectful. Weve got family in France and the mum of the family is scared to go out. She only feels comfortable in her burqa and now she feels like a prisoner in her own home.

Research into the impact of burqa bans confirms Hinds fear: Muslim women report feeling increasingly isolated and the bans have been linked by French Muslims to radicalisation within their communities. Of course, there is a distinct irony in this, considering these bans are supposedly intended to halt the spread of radicalisation and terrorism.

The belief that public officials have the right to control womens appearances is becoming more popular, from victim-blaming dress codes in public schools through to French police forcing a woman to undress in public for wearing the wrong kind of swimming costume.

Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Show all 8 1 /8 Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features

Meanwhile, politicians ignore Muslim voices like Nada, who says: I feel attacked  theyll find a reason to ban burqas and then headscarfs until they dont even need to justify attacking Muslims rights.

Although Muslims are clearly the target of these bans, there is something deeply unsettling about living in a country where the government will legislate about what women  any women  wear. As Nada waves goodbye she points to my high-necked woollen hood (its cooler than it sounds) and calls: Youre wearing a woolly hijab! Better watch out!

Nada and Hinds names have been changed
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If you watched Prime Ministers Questions today you would be forgiven for wondering what planet Theresa May is on. Since last week her economic platform has been lambasted as a failure, her Brexit plans have been exposed as pathetic and the Chancellor looks set to abandon the typically Tory-friendly older generation. Despite all of this, May suggested to public and politicians this afternoon that people have never had it so good.

The Prime Minister got away with it this week because most political commentators have been more concerned about the death of Fidel Castro than the dismal lack of planning surrounding our exit from the European Union. Coverage of the backlash to the Autumn Statement slipped away as discussion turned to the guest list for Castros wake. Publications jumped to accuse Jeremy Corbyn of having his bags pre-packed for the flight to Cuba without even attempting to check whether this was true or not.

It is a serious indictment of the British media that such great energy was used debating this non-story at a time that the country slips into ruin.

Corbyn was at his strongest in PMQs when pushing on the NHS and social care. Given that the statement last week didnt make a single reference to either, this was fertile ground for the Labour leader. In identifying the area as a weakness for the Prime Minister, Corbyn has demonstrated a new ability to follow up on areas of strength from previous weeks. The NHS continues to be an area of main concern for the wider public and it is encouraging to see Labour leading strongly on the Tory neglect of the health service. In questioning the Prime Ministers priorities, Corbyn clearly touched a nerve.

The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers.

As Theresa May brushed off the economic criticism, however, she moved to an apparently more important issue: the suffering of Christian believers during the Christmas period. Conservative MP Fiona Bruce noted that many are fearful when it comes to talking about Christmas at work  and anyone whos experienced an office in London will surely know the terror that strikes in their hearts when they consider making an offhand remark about tinsel or when to put up the tree, only to be slapped down by  who exactly? Who was this aside supposed to subtly imply was responsible for overturning Britain as a Christian country and making Christians feel like theyre in the minority? Muslims, perhaps? This felt like dog-whistle politics if ever weve seen them.

After telling the media that it was God who was guiding her plans for Brexit during the weekend, it was perhaps unsurprising that the Prime Minister spoke passionately on the issue of religious  or, to put it more specifically, Christian  freedoms. But rather than paying lip service to her dedication to Jesus, perhaps she should step out into the country and consult the people being hurt by her Governments economic incompetence and tragic mismanagement of the NHS. Perhaps, after all, thats the more Christian thing to do.
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It is more than eight years since its near-death experience but the Royal Bank of Scotland remains in the convalescence ward. Alone among British banks it failed the so-called stress test imposed by the Bank of England, and will be required to find some way of bolstering its capital. So it will have to shrink its business in some way, or maybe raise new funds from shareholders. If it were to go down that route, this would not be a straightforward task, for the Government, aka the British taxpayer, owns 74 per cent of the bank.

But in reality this is not as grave a situation as it might appear. The test is a severe one: what would happen were there to be a UK house price crash and a severe global recession at the same time? I suppose that could happen and these are the right questions to ask. But global crashes as bad the 2008-09 one only happen about every 70 years, so poor old RBS should be OK for a while yet.

Indeed British banks as a whole look pretty solid by world standards. If you take a real measure of pressure on banks  whether borrowers are paying interest on their loans  as opposed to the hypothetical one of a stress test, we come out near the top of the pack.

Earlier this year the Bank of England published a study on this. The expression is non-performing loans, and for the UK banking system as a whole the proportion of these as a total of all loans was 2.7 per cent. That was at the end of 2014, and since then there will have been some improvement. The US was even better, at 2.0 per cent, but Italy was 17.3 per cent and Greece 34.3 per cent.

More recent data suggest that the Italian position has not improved and that of Greece has become much worse. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was Italy's third largest bank until this year and is currently the hardest hit. Its non-performing loan ratio is 43.6 per cent. Think about it. On nearly half its loans, the borrowers cannot even pay the interest, let alone be able to repay the loan itself. In Greece it is worse. The non-performing loan ratio of its banking system at the end of September was 51 per cent.

The upshot of all this is that both Italys and Greeces banks may need to be rescued.

German banks, in particular the countrys largest, Deutsche Bank, are weak for a somewhat different reason: in the case of Deutsche, the principal problem is the scale of fines the US authorities may impose on it. These may be larger than the banks capital. We dont yet know the outcome but it may well be that it too needs a state rescue. The difference, however, is that the German state can afford to recapitalise its banking system but neither the Greeks nor the Italians can afford to rescue theirs.

Whenever there is a problem with banks, the issue is whether confidence is maintained. While people have faith that the banks will survive they keep their money in them. When they worry that they wont they take their money out. We saw what happened to Northern Rock, and RBS actually ran out of money over the weekend before it was rescued. What might trigger a run on Italian banks?

Well, the fear is that the loss of the referendum this Sunday by the Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, would lead to just such a run. The referendum is about constitutional reform rather than economic policy, but the sub-text is that the Italian economy has not grown since 2000, and that radical economic reforms are needed. Just what those might be is up in the air, but membership of the eurozone is clearly an issue in question.

Now it may be that Italy will scramble through as it always has in the past. But it may not. As we have learnt this year, both markets and voters are unpredictable creatures. A rumbling discontent can burst into a huge explosion. Set in this context the need of RBS for a bit more capital is rather a sideshow.
A member of the Assembly of Wales yesterday suggested that the Irish government could provide EU funding to improve a Welsh motorway after Brexit.

David Rowlands, UKIP Assembly Member for South Wales East, made the suggestion in a parliamentary question to First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones yesterday.

First Minister, given that a large proportion of all Irish exports, both to the UK and the EU, pass along the M4 motorway, will the First Minister explore the possibility of part of the costs for the M4 improvement scheme being borne by the Irish government, given that three quarters of all Irish exports to the EU and the UK pass along that road?

Carwyn Jones had a brief response: No, its for the Welsh government to maintain the trunk roads and motorways of Wales.

Well I thank the First Minister for the answer, but this is a serious proposition, as I understand Ireland may be able to access European funds from the trans-European highway funds, Mr Rowlands pressed on while members of the parliament jeered and shouted.

I trust that they know what theyre saying, and that we can now get funds from the EU. Post-Brexit, of course.

UKIP, Mr Rowlands party, was one of the main backers for the UKs recent exit from the European Union; the irony of this statement was not lost on the First Minister.

The member seems to be urging on me that I should urge the Irish government to apply for European funding to pay for Welsh roads. He has been a member of a party and indeed campaigned in June to end European funding for Welsh roads, Minister Jones said.

He cannot, I suggest, go to another EU member state and ask them to make up the shortfall that he himself campaigned to engineer in the first place.
The Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, has claimed that his department would be 'overwhelmed' if it tried to sort out farmers' allegations of tax abuses by processors.

His comments follow a request by Senator Ronan Mullen for the Minister to intervene in a case raised by Cavan poultry farmer Alo Mohan about alleged tax abuses in his sector.

Minister Creed went on to say that the Competition Authority also restricted the role that the department of agriculture could play.

"The Competition Authority has made it abundantly clear to us that we have no role to play, with regard to the arrangements that exist between farmers who are constantly in difficulties with the meat processing plants," he said.

The poultry sector has been rocked by a complaint to the EU Commission from Cavan poultry farmer and former IFA poultry chairman Alo Mohan and Irish MEP Marian Harkin about VAT arrangements.

"Right now, the Irish Revenue are carrying out an examination and review of the flat rate scheme for farmers and other players in the poultry sector," Marian Harkin told the European Parliament last week.

"The European Commission is also investigating the matter on foot of a complaint I and a colleague submitted, particularly in respect to Sicin Co-op and the processors, Carton Brothers.

"The Irish Revenue has said in a response to the Commission that Ireland is aware that there is a risk that manipulation of the price of feed sold by the processor to the co-op and then onto the members of the co-op could artificially increase the consideration charged by the member to the co-op for his rearing services...thereby increasing the amount of the flat-rate addition in respect of the rearing services.

"In my view, when the price of feed is artificially increased, it increases the price of flesh and artificially increases the amount of flat rate VAT that can be claimed back.

"This basically means that it is taken out of the amount of VAT paid by ordinary citizens on their purchases and by businesses who do not have specific arrangements- we are all the poorer for it," added Ms Harkin.

Speaking in the senate, Mr Mullen said there was a "need for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to be extremely vigilant about whether there is any unfolding scandal here of an abuse of power in the poultry industry."

"A processor, such as Carton Brothers Manor Farm, is entitled to source produce from whomever it likes, but if there is a question of a supplier getting penalised because he took the route of good citizenship, then an important public issue arises.

"That is the issue I want the Minister to address. We cannot stand back and say it is a private arrangement between a processor and a supplier," he said.
You can't manage what you don't measure is an old but very true saying.

It is very common on beef farms in Ireland that from the day animals are bought/born to the day they are sold or slaughtered the owner has no idea of the exact weight or performance of the animals.

As part of the Teagasc Green Acres programme all the participating farmers are weighing their cattle a minimum of three times throughout the year.

These weighings are targeted at turn out, mid-season and around housing. Last week I caught up with Michael Flynn, one of the participating farmers, to discuss how weighing has benefited him.

Having slaughtered the first batch of his Hereford steers two weeks ago at 21 months of age we looked back at the weight gains and performance of these animals.

The first weighing since joining the programme took place on August 3, 2015 and calves at that time weighed an average of 203kgs. The calves were grazing in groups of around 50 at the time.

By doing this weighing and knowing the exact weight of his calves Michael could rest at ease that these animals were performing well and on course to be slaughtered before their second winter.

Knowing this allowed Michael to carry more animals, as he was confident that enough steers would be slaughtered before housing and he would have adequate accommodation for the remaining animals.

The animals were weighed again on November 2 around housing and came in at an excellent weight of 300kgs. Michael could now design a winter feeding programme based on this information.

The steers were fed good quality silage and 1.5kgs of meal over the winter.

They were weighed again on March 16 at turn out and having done an average daily gain of 0.75kgs they weighed an average 400kgs.

From the weights Michael knew that his animals were well on target for a November slaughter date and they were rotationally grazed on good quality grass with no meals for the second grazing season.

Michael weighted his cattle again on July 25, 2016 where they averaged 556kgs and it was from this weighing that he was able to select out the heaviest 30 to be pushed for finish. Being able to do this meant that he was feeding the most advanced animals and wasn't feeding animals high levels of meal that were quite a bit away from finishing.

The 30 steers were introduced to concentrates on August 20 and having been on concentrates for 50 days, Michael decided to weigh them again on October 12, at this stage they averaged 687kgs.

They were slaughtered on November 11 at an average carcass weight of 376kgs.

The importance of weighing at key stages over the lifetime of the animal was emphasised by Michael in that it allowed him to make better informed decisions about the management of his stock at a number of critical times during the year, thereby maximising performance.
FORMER Permanent TSB chief executive David Guinane claims he is entitled to a severance payment of over 866,000 following his departure from the bank in 2012.

In a High Court action, Mr Guinane, who worked for PTSB for more than 25 years, made several claims against the bank, including that it is in breach of contract, and that it denied him fair procedures during his departure. He also claims he has a contractual right to a payment under the bank's severance scheme known as Voluntary Severance Scheme (VSS).

He further claims his reputation was damaged by his former employer, that the bank was in breach of its duty towards him, and was negligent.

State-owned PTSB denies the claims and said Mr Guinane received what he was entitled to when he was made redundant.

Opening the case yesterday, Paul Anthony McDermot SC, for Mr Guinane, said his client was chief executive of PTSB when it was part of Irish Life & Permanent Group.

After the group was recapitalised by the State with 4bn (3.7bn) in 2011 the banking section was separated from Irish Life as part of the restructuring of the organisation.

As part of the restructuring, all senior positions in the banking entity were advertised.

Counsel said this was a process where Mr Guinane, who had always been highly professional and a dedicated employee, had been left humiliated.

Many others in the organisation knew the position had been advertised before Mr Guinane did, counsel said.

Mr Guinane applied for the role of chief executive in the new bank, and went through two interviews, the second of which counsel said was "an illusion".

The position was given to English banker Jeremy Masding in January 2012. Counsel said Guinane "found out by accident" he had not got the job.

Due to his departure from the bank, Mr Guinane said he was entitled, like other senior employees at PTSB, to a payment under the VSS. This entitlement was "the key issue" in the case, counsel said.

Counsel said payments under the VSS were based on the person's salary and the number of years they worked at the bank.

In Mr Guinane's case the payment he said he is due has been estimated at 866,000.

However, his client was offered a payment of 175,000 plus 11.5 months salary by the bank, which he refused.

Counsel said he was told that due to re-capitalisation the Finance Minister had capped severance payments to senior staff. Counsel said that while Mr Guinane was told that any severance payment would have to be approved by the Minister it had appeared from the discovery of documents that the Minister was never asked about any payment to his client.

The bank denies Mr Guinane is entitled to a payment under the VSS after he was made redundant.

The case before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds continues.
The unemployment rate has fallen to 7.3pc, with the number of people out of work nationwide now standing at 166,700.

Unemployment in Ireland is now at its lowest level in almost eight years, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The latest data shows that the number of those on the live register has now more than halved since the peak of the crisis back in 2012, when unemployment hit a high of over 15pc.

The unemployment rate has fallen to 7.3pc, with the number of people out of work nationwide now standing at 166,700.

The latest figures will come as a significant boost for the Government.

With continuing growth in the number of jobs being created in the economy, the data appears to indicate that the short-term impact of Brexit on jobs has not been as pronounced as first feared.

The rate of 7.3pc is also a substantial decrease on the same month for 2015, when unemployment was at 9.3pc.

There are now 36,200 fewer people on the live register than there were this time last year.

The figures reveal that the unemployment rate for males was 8.3pc, while the female jobless rate came in at 6.1pc.

Youth unemployment is still quite high however, standing at 15.5pc.

While jobs are being added consistently to the Irish workforce, skills shortages are starting to emerge in some sectors.

Skills shortage

Ireland's inability to develop enough tech talent has caused intense competition among employers, it has been claimed.

Hays Ireland managing director Richard Eardley said the lack of available talent isn't an exclusively Irish problem, but that Ireland's educational system is lagging behind.

"Technology develops at a phenomenal rate and the educational system can't produce enough people to keep up with the pace of the change," Mr Eardley told the Irish Independent. The recruitment boss ruled out emigration as a reason for the lack of available tech workers and criticised the Government's educational response to changing technologies.

"Back in 2014 the UK was revamping all of its ICT education so that kids as young as five were learning to do coding. Why is it that we have to wait until 2019 to get computer science onto the Leaving Cert curriculum?

"Why haven't we got it in primary education?" he said.

Mr Eardley was speaking ahead of the publication of a new salary survey from Hays that showed more than three-quarters of employers here expect hiring challenges in 2017.

In a direct response to the skills shortage a quarter of Irish firms are increasing their training and recruitment budgets, with 20pc pumping up their marketing spend.

In the construction industry many companies are looking abroad to fill vacancies in areas such as engineering and architecture, the survey found.

"The demand for labour, particularly in technical fields, is so high that candidates can essentially pick and choose who they work for and push for higher salaries," Mr Eardley said.

"This is in stark contrast to just four years ago where for many it was a matter of taking what was offered. Employers need to adapt to this changing landscape."

Almost half of employees are unhappy with their salaries despite recent increases.

Meanwhile 44pc of employers said unrealistic salary expectations is becoming a major issue when hiring. Just under half of those surveyed said they planned a job change in the next year.
Charges imposed on people with health insurance using public hospitals have been blamed for more medical cover premium rises.

Some families will be charged an extra 700 a year after Irish Life said it was increasing prices from January.

Irish Life Health boss Jim Dowdall said people using public hospitals were having charges imposed on their insurers, even when they do not get private treatment.

His comments came as it emerged that Irish Life Health is to increase prices by an average of 6pc from the start of next year, with some going up by 25pc.

The plans going up are old Aviva ones as Irish Life took over Aviva Health and GloHealth this year.

The increases would mean the popular Level 2 Hospital plan would be 700 more expensive for a family with two adults and two children from next year, said Dermot Goode of TotalHealthCover.ie.

A family renewing on the Select Plus plan will pay only an extra 6 a year. There is a price reduction for children on four more plans.

Mr Dowdall said the price increases were unavoidable given the 11pc increase in the number of claims in the past year.
The house belonging to Barry O'Sullivan which is being sold off to aid Focus Ireland

Dragon's Den star Barry O'Sullivan has generously offered to donate his holiday home on the Aran Islands to help 15 homeless families.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has offered the proceeds from the upcoming sale of a six-bedroom house overlooking Inis Mor's Kilmurvey beach as part of a new campaign by Focus Ireland and COPE Galway to get "high net-worth individuals" to help with the homelessness crisis.

The 'Home from Home' initiative will allow both homeless charities to buy and refurbish homes for the homeless.

Barry's generous donation, expected to fetch at least 300,000 at auction on December 6, will provide the charities with deposits to buy at least 15 homes for homeless families or individuals, according to Focus Ireland founder Sister Stanislaus Kennedy.

"I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Barry and his family for this lovely gift. I thank him on behalf of Focus Ireland and the families who will have a place to call home because of this great act," she said.

COPE chief executive Jacquie Horan said the homeless crisis wasn't confined to the capital but had spread to other cities, including Galway, which faced an unprecedented number of homeless this year.

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"I know from my work with COPE Galway the terrible trauma families who are homeless go through. I also know charities like Focus Ireland and COPE Galway help many families and individuals to secure a home and escape from being homeless," said Mr O'Sullivan.
Its that time of year again.

The temperatures plunge, the present shopping begins and the tree in the attic is dusted off. And, perhaps most importantly, you go on the hunt for this years Christmas jumper.

At least one of those traditions should only occur perhaps twice in every persons lifetime, according to one young entrepreneur who sees success in sustainability.

Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world after oil, Tom Cridland told independent.ie.

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Elon Musk makes great business sense as well as being sustainable  so I thought, why cant I?

The forward-thinking 26-year-old is not wrong. The apparel industry accounts for around 10pc of global carbon emissions; more than 150 billion garments being produced annually, enough to provide 20 new garments to every person on the planet, every year.

You might be thinking  but we only wear the Christmas jumper over the holiday season, once a year  how impressive is that durability? Ah, but that is just the tip of the Cridland iceberg.

Stock at the company ranges from trousers to t-shirts to jackets to sweatshirts, all well tailored and designed  and all with the 30-year guarantee.

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A self confessed lazy language student at college, Tom made the initial decision to crack the fashion industry after graduation by making trousers. Shortly afterwards, the ideology of buy less, buy better occurred to him to be a potential breadwinner and the business as it is now was born.

I teamed up with my girlfriend of seven year s  and now business partner  Deborah Marx, securing a 6,000 start up loan. Just three years on, we have grown the business to a 2m turnover , with customers on six continents, said Tom.

The UK-based firm operated a pop-up shop on Kings Road in Chelsea early this year but have been keeping costs down thus far with no front office, selling online direct to their consumer.

But their plans for the future are large (a possible collaboration with a big name retail store) and their innovative funding and marketing tactics have worked well for the dynamic duo.

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We essentially created a wishlist of people that we wanted to wear our clothing and reached out to their PRs to see if we could get those celebrities to wear our brands, said the firms founder.

Elton Johns drummer Nigel Olsson was one such success. We now see him at several shows a year and he owns every single design we have.

Although he might not have cultivated similar friendships with all the top names who have been spotted in his clothing, Tom says his apparel has been donned by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Stiller, Rod Stewart, Hugh Grant, Robbie Williams, Daniel Craig, Neil Young, Danny McBride, Clint Eastwood and Kendrick Lamar. To name but a few.

Weve also created a sister PR company to help start ups and more established brands target their market better. We use the funds derived from that and pump it back into the clothing design.

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With the manufacturing team based in Portugal and Italy and such a wide network of consumers globally, have Irish consumers shown any interest?

When we were first starting out, the majority of our online purchases actually came from either Australia or Ireland. 

Irish consumers were one of the first to actively show an interest in our products.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has discussed the possibilities of applying modern technologies during the reform process in Ukraine with Microsoft Corporate Vice President for Central and Eastern Europe Don Grantham, the information and public communications department of Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has reported.

Groysman said that Ukraine needs technological solutions. The government is ready to step up cooperation with Microsoft.

"The introduction of the full-featured e-government and other systems is important. We want to be effective. We need to enhance all services we are providing and make them easy of access, clear and convenient," the prime minister said at the meeting.

The sides discussed the possibilities of cooperation in e-government, fight against corruption, tax system, customs services and healthcare.

After the meeting Groysman instructed Head of the State Agency for E-Government Oleksandr Ryzhenko jointly with representatives of Microsoft to draw up a cooperation plan and submit it to the government for approval.

"We see Ukraine's success in economic reforms from the point of view of Microsoft when technology is at its very heart," Grantham said.
The academic said that last year North American airlines recorded profits of $22.48 (21.14) per passenger compared to European carriers generating profits of $7.55 (7.10) per passenger

THE commercial airline industry across the world last year enjoyed its most lucrative year "since the Wright Brothers" to record revenues of $751bn (706bn).

However, aviation expert, Dr Frankie O'Connell said the airlines managed net profits of only $35bn (32.9bn) on the revenues.

Addressing the 7th Annual Tourism Policy Workshop at Dromoland in Co Clare, the Cranfield University academic said the level of profits enjoyed by the airlines "is shocking to be quite honest. The margins are way, way, way too tight".

Dr O'Connell attributed the record year to the low price of oil, but told his audience that there is "too much competition" in the airline industry.

"Airlines are under phenomenal pressure," he said.

Dr O'Connell said the most profitable airlines were based in the US where they account for 58pc or $19.4bn (18.2bn) of total profits.

He said European airlines generated $6.9bn (6.4bn) in profits followed by Asia Pacific airlines accounting for $5.8bn (5.4bn) of overall profits.

The academic said that last year North American airlines recorded profits of $22.48 (21.14) per passenger compared to European carriers generating profits of $7.55 (7.10) per passenger.

"Why are the American carriers making so much money? Well, you have four carriers - United, American Airlines, Delta and Southwest - controlling 80pc of the domestic market," he said.

Dr O'Connell said the US carriers were controlling capacity and increasing capacity by only 1pc per year.

He said there was protectionism taking place on the North Atlantic routes and "that is why they don't like Norwegian Airlines going in there".

He said Norwegian Airlines has 2pc market share on the North Atlantic but has had to wait three years to be allowed to fly to the US from Ireland and one year for its UK licence. He said such applications are usually concluded within two months. However, looking at the global picture, Dr O'Connell said air travel has doubled every 15 years.

"By 2030 it will double again and tourism will be the main sector to benefit," he said.

Dr O'Connell said the global fleet totals 19,580 and this is expected to increase to 39,820 by 2035 - that includes the need for a "whopping" 33,070 new aircraft.

The academic said the new planes will be worth around $5trn (4.7trn) over the next 20 years.

He said this presents a huge opportunity for Ireland's aircraft-leasing sector.

"This sector has been a huge success story for Ireland," he said, adding that companies based here account for 50pc of all leased aircraft across the world.

Dr O'Connell said 40pc of all aircraft operated by airlines is leased.

"By 2021, this will be 50pc, which is very good news for the aircraft-leasing firms," he said.

He said a large part of the growth in commercial air travel will come from Asia and emerging markets.

Dr O'Connell said the ambitions of the Gulf carriers, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways will ensure more established carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific "are in the fight of their lives".

He said the three Gulf carriers have 195,852 "wide-body seats" on order compared to 43,596 for British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France.
Oil slid below $46 (43.3m) a barrel as OPEC members failed to bridge differences on production cuts, while a rally in metals fizzled.

US stocks were little changed, with major indexes hovering near all-time highs. Crude slid as Iraq and Iran raised objections over the distribution of output reductions and Russia said it was not planning to attend crucial talks with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries today.

"The oil price is shaky as well as oil-related companies," said Herbert Perus, head of equities at Raiffeisen Capital Management in Vienna, which manages 30bn.

"We have a very important OPEC meeting and there's a flow of expectations in front of this meeting."

For decades, Saudi Arabia has had its way at OPEC.

As OPEC ministers gathered for today's meeting, Saudi Arabia was trying to reassert its authority by hinting it was prepared to walk away from the negotiations.

Genuine warning or bluff, Tehran and Baghdad may be willing to take the risk. Both have seen the Saudis gain market share and neither is as dependent on oil prices as Riyadh.

"Iran and Iraq have assumed that Saudi Arabia will cut unilaterally because it wanted higher prices and thought they could put the Saudis into a corner," Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects, said.

"Riyadh has effectively said it isn't in a corner and will not do a deal unless everyone else contributes."

On Monday an OPEC committee charged with determining where production cuts should fall made little progress as the Saudis demanded Iran was barred from raising output further. (Bloomberg)
Black 47 is based on PJ Dillion and Pierce Ryan's award-winning short An Ranger. Pictured: A scene from An Ranger

Budding actors looking for their chance to shine will be happy to hear extras are wanted for upcoming Famine drama Black 47 - but they must be "gaunt and thin".

Casting bosses have put a very specific call-out, requesting "Irish men, women and children with gaunt faces and thin bodies to play specific background roles" for the film.

Black 47 is set in 1847, the worst year of the Irish famine. Filming is already underway in Luxembourg and the production is set to move to Ireland in January, with filming taking place in Dublin, Wicklow and Connemara.

The film features Moe Dunford (inset) of Vikings fame and Hugo Weaving, who has starred in The Matrix and The Hobbit.

Extras co-ordinator Liz Quinn is hoping to find as many people as possible for the period drama.

"It's an ongoing search. It's such a specific look but as many people as we can find would be great. It's set at the height of the famine so the scenes that we are going to be shooting would be crowd scenes with very thin people affected by the famine. They would be dressed in rags," she told the Herald.
She was the show's best- known actor when she joined the cast of RTE'S Can't Cope Won't Cope, but Amy Huberman isn't so sure she'll be asked back for a second series.

The popular comedy followed the trials and tribulations of Aisling and Danielle, two girls living in Dublin played by Seana Kerslake and Nika McGuigan.

Amy played Aisling's boss, who sacked the leading lady in the final episode.

"I don't know if the show's coming back. I don't know if a decision has been made on that. I fired Aisling at the end so I don't even know if she'd be coming back" she told the Herald.

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Even if she's not involved, mum-of-two Amy would love to see the show return.

"I hope that it comes back but I don't know where it would go because of the way the last series ended. But it did so well for them, so it would be great to see it back."

Amy (37) has also weighed in on today's reality TV craze and admitted she could never follow the Kardashian family's lead and invite cameras into her home.

"I like the home to be safe and a refuge. Each to their own. The stress of having people following you, it's too exposing."

However, she doesn't think there's anything wrong with the reality genre.

"I think there's something for everyone. In my head, they're not really the same.

"I know if I'm really tired at the end of the day I couldn't watch a heavy drama. It depends what people want. But I don't watch the Kardashians. I'm really bad for watching TV," she said.

Amy is mum to Billy (two) and Sadie (three) and wife to Brian O'Driscoll.

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While she wouldn't mind if her children followed her into showbusiness, she hopes they try as many different things as possible when they grow up.

"With everything, there are pros and cons. I hope I would be the type of parent that would guide them and maybe get them to try a few different things. Even if they did something for a few years and then went and tried something else.

While she has had much success in the acting world, there are still things left on Amy's to-do list.

"The time when you're not working, you appreciate how hard it is to get a job sometimes and I would never take that for granted," she said.

"I don't see myself as 'this is it now', I still have ambitions for different things.

"You do live for the now, because you don't know what's coming up. I never trained either so I still fluked it a little bit."

For the third year, Amy is judging the Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards, which are open to primary school pupils from class three to six and all secondary school students.

Shortlisted schools will be invited to a special awards ceremony at the theatre on May 17.

"It brings me back to school days. We did plays but nothing of this scale. It's great there's a platform for schoolkids," she said.
Tuesday night's second part of Paul Williams: State of Fear on TV3 continued the examination of Irish organised crime, from the shocking 1996 killings of Veronica Guerin and Jerry McCabe, to the current turf war between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs.

Here are eight key moments from the second show:

1. The film opened with a chilling premonition of the future, as Veronica explained to Pat Kenny in an interview that I did consider getting out of (crime journalism), but then I realised that would probably be more of a strain than staying in. And its my job, its what I do and somebody has to do it. Im not the only crime reporter  and the regrettable thing is that were probably all targets.

2. Tom OLoughlin was one of the main investigators on Veronicas murder. He said that their big challenge was to identify how to get information from the core of this group. A number of them werent hard-core criminals  we hoped they would be weak links. It turned out that Charlie Bowden and Russell were just that, eventually cracking after questioning and becoming, as Williams put it, Irelands first supergrasses. They were also the first Irish people placed in witness protection.

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3. Amazingly, we discovered, while four men were convicted of the Jerry McCabe killing, the case is officially still open  as two IRA suspects remain at large.

4. The technology involved in fighting crime has changed significantly in the last 20 years. For instance, during investigations into the murders in Limerick of Shane Geoghegan and Roy Collins, CCTV footage which had been captured and stored could later be retrieved and re-examined, in order to corroborate later witness evidence.

5. The Limerick gang feud, which bedevilled the southern city throughout the Noughties, was described by one local as urban warfare using paramilitary weaponry.

6. The most significant development in the last 20 years, Paul said, was the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau within two months of Veronicas murder. It was the first agency of its kind in Europe  and their first target was John and Geraldine Gilligan and their equestrian centre at Jessbrook, bought and paid for with blood money.

7. Herald crime journalist Ken Foy said, worryingly, that the whole gang scene nowadays is a lot more violent than it would have been in 1996. And a big reason for this is cocaine, which became a lot more prevalent during the Celtic Tiger. Massive profits means a lot more gangs intent on protecting their turf. The Christy Kinahan cartel is the main supplier of illegal drugs to other Irish gangs.

8. Possibly the most damaging development in recent years has been the 2008 Garda recruitment ban and slashing of overtime. Crucially, Williams said, This led to a reduction of more than 1500 experienced officers  and when they left, all of that corporate memory went with them, resulting in a massive deficit of intelligence. That in turn contributed to what we saw in the Regency Hotel. The problem, he concluded, is that criminals dont do recession. Theyve got wealthier, more confidentand more dangerous.

(Pat Kenny Tonight will follow up this two-part documentary with a debate on organised crime in Ireland on Wednesday evening.)
A woman, who developed permanent facial skin damage after using a high-end cosmetic product on the recommendation of a beauty therapist, has been awarded 37,500 damages against the salon in the Circuit Civil Court.

Margaret McLaughlin, a 45-year-old marketing manager, told the court that in March 2013 after receiving a bonus payment from work, decided to treat herself to a facial at Revive, Milltown Road, Dublin.

McLaughlin told her barrister, Blaithin Gallagher, that after the treatment the beauty therapist advised her she had sensitive skin and recommended that she twice weekly use Image Total Resurfacing Masque, a chemical peel on sale at Revive.

Mc Laughlin, of Hazelbrook, Kilmacud Road Upper, Stillorgan, Dublin, said she bought the product and used it once but washed it off after five minutes because she felt a burning sensation on her face.

She said it then settled and she thought it was a normal reaction.

She had later used it a second time as she had been instructed but the burning sensation became worse. She had also developed swelling of her nose and redness on her forehead and chin.

She had gone back to Revive which, the court heard, is now out of business, and had been advised by the manager to apply a hydrocortisone cream.

McLaughlin told Ms Gallagher, who appeared with Cosgrove Gaynard Solicitors, that she had felt no improvement of her skin which was red, blotchy and itchy, and she had later gone to her GP.

The court heard she had developed acne rosacea, a skin disease which causes redness of the face. She said she had ongoing issues with her skin although it has been more than three years since the incident.

I had a perfect skin before, she said. I went from having a facial as a treat to having permanent skin damage, McLaughlin told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke.

She sued Revive Experience Limited with an address at Herbert Street, Dublin, and also product supplier Renaissance Products Limited, Renaissance House, Church Street, Howth, Co Dublin, for negligence. Both defendants denied liability.

Renaissance Products Limited alleged the Image Total Resurfacing Masque was a high end product sold only by professionals who had been trained. The court heard that an analysis of the product had not revealed any issue.

Mc Laughlin claimed the product had been too harsh for her skin. She had been distressed and her confidence and her life had been affected. The court heard she needs to be careful not to expose her skin to the sun.

Judge Groarke said Revive Experience Ltd had failed to carry out a skin analysis or a patch test on Ms McLaughlins skin before recommending the product and had therefore failed in its duty of care.

The judge told barrister Eamon Marray, who appeared with Donal M. Gahan, Ritchie & Co solicitors for Renaissance, that he was satisfied no case had been made against them.

Judge Groarke awarded McLaughlin 37,500 damages along with her legal costs.
A woman who claims she was sexually abused by a school chaplain over a three year period has launched a High Court action for damages.

The 28-year-old woman alleges the abuse began when she was a Transition Year student.

"He exploited her continually and regularly", Jack Fitzgerald SC, for the woman, said.

"His attitude to the claim and what she says happened is that none of it ever happened," counsel said.

The woman has sued the priest as well as the school in the South East and the local bishop.

They have denied the claims.

Mr Justice Robert Eagar was told the school claims it is not vicariously liable for any alleged actions of the priest.

She claims that between 2004 and 2007 she was repeatedly and wrongfully physically and sexually assaulted, falsely imprisoned and sexually abused.

She says she was subjected to sexualised behaviour by the Catholic chaplain and teacher in her secondary school.

She has alleged that on a school trip to Gambia, when she was 16 years of age, he invited her and another student to sleep in his bed with him.

The three of them spent the night together in his bed, she claims.

The priest she has further claimed was very attentive to her on the trip and after that sent her private text messages.

She has also claimed the priest continued to send private text messages to her and they became increasingly personal and sexual in nature.

She has alleged the priest bought a mobile phone for the specific purpose of texting her and that the priest allegedly advised her they would wait until she was seventeen before they could take the relationship further.

A few days after she turned 17, the priest brought the girl and some friends to the cinema. She claims when he took her home he kissed her.

It is claimed intimate physical contact would occur in his office in the school, after school, in the school chapel and he priest's house.

It is claimed the physical contact developed and progressed from kissing and cuddling to oral sex.

She has claimed the priest was held in high regard by everyone and she was unable to discuss the relationship with anyone.

She felt pressurised by the priest to have sexual intercourse with him.

It is alleged that by the time she was in Leaving Cert year she was having sexual contact with the priest about once a week.

The priest ended the relationship with the girl in February of sixth year and stopped talking to her.

Opening the case, her counsel said the woman first made her allegations in 2011 and the school board of management conducted an inquiry and found there had been no sexual contact between the two.

A later assessment found the priest to be a low risk.

The case continues.
UBRD sold to buyer from China at starting price of UAH 82.827 mln

A state-owned stake of 99.9945% of the Ukrainian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (UBRD, Kyiv) has been sold at the starting price of UAH 82.827 million, Ukraine's State Property Fund (SPF) has said.

The fund received a bid only from one buyer and the shares can be sold at the price proposed to the buyer, but no lower than the starting price.

The name of the buyer is not disclosed.

Earlier SPF Head Ihor Bilous said that investors from China and Iran showed their interest in the bank.

The UBRD was founded in 2004 to develop corporate, small and medium-sized businesses via crediting. Its owner was first the State Innovation Financial and Credit Agency, then the State Investment Company. In 2013, it was transferred to the Finance Ministry, and Mykola Azarov's government planned to create a development bank on its basis.

The bank ranked 100th among 100 operating banks as of October 1, 2016, in terms of total assets worth UAH 118.721 million, according to the National Bank of Ukraine.
A leading imam has said he is "disappointed" at the Catholic Church's rejection of a world religions curriculum for primary schools - a move he feared could encourage radicalism among young Muslims.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, made his comments after it was reported by the Irish Independent that plans by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to introduce a new curriculum on religion had been blocked by figures in the Church concerned about children receiving mixed messages.

Dr Al-Qadri warned that integration of Ireland's Muslims was vital to avoid their potential radicalisation, and suggested visits to mosques, temples and churches as well as school visits from rabbis, imams and priests during which children could put questions to them.

He said that in "a handful" of places in Ireland, Muslims espoused the intolerant views that would, for example, instruct Muslims not to befriend non-Muslims. "That is the beginning of radicalisation," he told the Irish Independent.

Dr Al-Qadri was critical of the current educational provision, where pupils in Muslim schools are not regularly taught about other faiths, and Muslim children in State schools are separated from others for religious education, because he said these practices led to their "isolation from a young age".

Explaining his disagreement with the bishops' position, he said that while denominational schools had a right to teach their faith from their perspective, he believed there would be many benefits to adding "a standard curriculum taught in all schools that reflected the diversity" of contemporary Ireland, and that this "should try to develop acceptance, tolerance and understanding of other faiths in the child".

"I don't know what the bishops were thinking," he said.

Dr Al-Qadri said it was vital that children and young people saw how the Bible and Islamic scriptures promote respect and understanding to one another.

"We're not trying to convert anybody, we're just trying to create understanding . . . I want non-Muslim children to learn that Islamic scriptures teach tolerance; there's so much misconception about Islam," he said.
The Vartry Reservoir in Co Wicklow: Irish Water has been granted permission to upgrade the 150-year-old drinking water treatment plant which provides for 200,000 people in south Dublin and north Wicklow. The project is expected to cost up to 100m, with the three-year construction expected to begin late next year.

Families face being hit with fresh taxes to cover the 1bn annual cost of providing water services as the hated charging system faces abolition.

A report from an expert group established to determine the best way to fund day-to-day operations and upgrades says that normal domestic consumption should be funded from general taxation.

But it opens the door to a new water tax or increases in income taxes to fund the works.

And the Report on Funding of Domestic Public Water Services in Ireland also says the Government should hold a referendum on public ownership of the network to allay fears of eventual privatisation.

It also says that all new homes should be fitted with low-flow taps, cisterns and rainwater harvesting systems to reduce consumption.

Asked about the prospect of income tax hikes to bridge the funding gap, a spokesman for Housing Minister Simon Coveney said the issue will have to be thrashed out at the committee stage.

The Expert Commission, chaired by former Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy, says that although households which use excessive amounts of water should face a charge, the water regulator and Public Water Forum should conduct an investigation to determine what average consumption is.

It also says that measures outlined around charging for excessive use could form a cogent argument to the European Commission that Ireland is in compliance with the Water Framework Directive. This requires member states to implement the polluter pays principle and recover the cost of treating water and wastewater.

Read more: Varadkar: 'Water controversy won't be put to bed easily'

Read more: Paul Melia: Whatever happens - 5.5bn upgrade is a must

Mr Duffy told RTEs Drivetime the recommendations of the report were fair, balanced and practical.

He said the proposal to make any attempt to privatise Irish Water unconstitutional was a response to one of the biggest concerns surrounding the utility, and that you would have to live on the dark side of the moon not to understand the context in which the work of the committee took place.

Ireland was among the only countries in the OECD not to charge for water, until Fianna Fail and the Green Party agreed to the imposition of charges as part of the 2010 bailout from the troika.

Examining how other countries fund investment in water services, the committee said that suggesting a best practice model would not be useful here due to public opposition.

The Expert Commission... believes that making recommendations that meet the standard criteria and that may theoretically align with best practice but do not take account of the relevant background and context in Ireland  including the criterion of acceptability  would not be useful, it found.

It also says that charging did not enjoy popular support which was evident from various changes to the tariffs, allowances and introduction of a water conservation grant as the previous government of Fine Gael and Labour desperately attempted to make them palatable. The group was not convinced that the water conservation grant was well-targeted to help address affordability concerns.

It is also clear that the charging framework... has not been able to deliver enduring political support nor did it attract a sufficient degree of popular acceptance, it added.

The decision to recommend that services be funded from general taxation will impact on the ability of future governments to deliver tax cuts and improvements in local services. This is because domestic users were expected to pay some 270m a year towards the cost of water treatment.

The report also notes that a much more proactive

approach was needed to promote conservation.

It comes after consumption increased by 5pc in May after charges were suspended. This equates to an increase in daily use of 85 million litres.
Cystic fibrosis sufferers have been given new hope of access to miracle drug Orkambi after a move by Health Minister Simon Harris to form an international collective bid to secure it at an affordable price.

Mr Harris has written to his counterparts in England, Scotland, Canada and Australia asking "other health ministers to collaborate to try and make progress on accessing Orkambi at a cost-effective price for cystic fibrosis patients in each of their countries".

Around 500 Irish cystic fibrosis patients are desperate to try the blockbuster drug but the price quoted by pharmaceutical firm Vertex has been deemed too high.

The minister said health services in Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada and Australia had all been considering access to Orkambi for people with the condition and had been engaging with Vertex.

"No decision has been taken to reimburse the treatment in any of these countries to date and the Department has yet to receive the formal decision of the HSE directorate in relation to Orkambi," Mr Harris said.

"Our country has a great track record of making new and innovative treatment available to patients.

"I am determined that this continues.

"Securing access to treatments for patients at an affordable price remains the key priority.

"However, we cannot have a situation whereby exorbitant prices make it effectively impossible to access a new treatment like Orkambi."
The study found that consuming dairy and yoghurt in particular makes a significant contribution to the vitamin B and vitamin D status of the older adults. Stock Image

Nearly all Irish adults over 60 are not getting the recommended three or more servings of dairy products a day, a new study reveals today.

The study led by Trinity College Dublin, which involved over 4,300 people, found that consuming dairy and yoghurt in particular makes a significant contribution to the vitamin B and vitamin D status of the older adults.

Dairy products can include milk, yogurt and cheese.

On average, men and women had a little over one portion of dairy a day with men consuming fewer.

Those who ate the most dairy, including cheese, also had the lowest BMI.

Men and women consumed more cheese than milk and continued to do so even as they aged.

As few as 3.5pc of those studied were getting the three or more servings of dairy a day, according to the research.

Lead author of the study and research fellow at the Centre for Medical Gerontology at Trinity, Dr Eamon Laird, said: "We found it significant that intakes of dairy rich foods were generally inadequate, and particularly so in men.

"Increased intakes of dairy foods were linked with better micronutrient status.

"And those with the highest intakes of dairy (including milk, yogurt and cheese) had the lowest, (within the normal range), of BMI, a proxy for body fatness.

"The data suggests that older adults appear to be missing out on a relatively healthy and easily available source of vitamins and micro-nutrients."

Professor Anne Molloy, of the Department of Clinical Medicine at Trinity, said: "We are concerned that older Irish people are foregoing an opportunity to boost their intake of specific nutrients including B-vitamins, which can play an important role in healthy ageing."
Irishman Ibrahim Halawa, who has been in an Egyptian prison for three years, has penned a heart-breaking letter to the people of Ireland.

In his letter, he spoke about longing to walk on the sand of Bray beach and asked that if he should die in prison, that Ireland take him back to be buried in your soil and feel your goodbye tears.

Mr Halawa, from Firhouse in Dublin, was arrested in August 2014 after participating in a protest against the ousting of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

He is now 20-years-old and has recently had his trial adjourned for a 16th time.

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His next trial date is set for December 13th - the day of his 21st birthday.

He has claimed to have been beaten, tortured and placed in solitary confinement on multiple occasions.

The Egyptian authorities deny these claims.

If convicted, Mr Halawa could face the death penalty.

The letter in full reads:

Dear Ireland

I really don't know what to say, I have been taken away from you for so long. But I miss you dearly. It's really out of my hands. I can't understand, I just can't understand why they have kidnapped me away from you. So young I was while you were teaching me how to live, laugh, love and care. But they have taken me away before you had the time to teach me how to struggle, how to deal with evil and hatred.

When I was young I used to run to you whenever I was sad and needed to complain about my humongous kiddie problems. The time my mum delayed getting me the latest PlayStation game when all the other friends had it. Or when I wasn't allowed stay out late at night And when I entered secondary school and exams were much tougher than before. Or that time I came to complain about my first teenage love.

Do you remember when I came running to you crying about the kid who screamed at me saying "go back to your country" and as usual you were crying rain and I was relieved because you were sharing my crying.

But now that I'm growing up away from you and banned from talking to you, who am I supposed to complain to now that my kiddie worldly problems turned out to be just a drop in the ocean.

Ireland, I really need to complain to you about how one human enjoys torturing another human, the continues injustice, the oppression and the killing of the innocent.

Ireland I'm lusting to walk on the sand of bray beach, scramming freedom from the top of Cliffs Moher, your rainforest trees to hug me tight and make me feel safe again and that kind bus driver on the daily commute, smiling at me even though he does not know me.

Ireland I really wanna complain to you about the people my parents voted for, to protect me in any land and under any sky, and have failed to bring me back to you.

Now I understand that you were not crying this rain with me but you were crying because of what the world holds for me

One final wish, I beg from if I die away from you take me back from them to be buried in your soil and feel your goodbye tears."
A ban on fracking should remain in place after a series of reports found there were major risks to the environment including water contamination and escape of gas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that although fracking is possible, there is a widespread risk and that further study is required before it is allowed.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Denis Naughten said the reports finding justified the continued ban on fracking in Ireland, which is in place since 2013. The Dail has recently agreed to a permanent ban in principle.

I believe the report's findings justify the continuing prohibition on the licensing of hydraulic fracturing, he said. I am on record as having raised concerns with regard to the use of hydraulic fracturing. I am pleased that these matters of concern have been addressed in the report.

Fracking involves drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure mixture of water and chemicals is used to shatter shale rock to release natural gas. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure, which allows gas to flow to the surface.

Deposits of shale gas are believed to be available in Leitrim, Clare and Fermanagh, but no exploration was allowing until the research programme from the EPA was complete.

The Joint Research Programme on Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration & Extraction (UGEE) involved five research projects which looked at the impacts of fracking on water, seismicity and air quality, as well as a review of operational practices around the world.

The work was commissioned and funded by the governments in Northern Ireland and in the Republic.

The EPA noted that the work was being carried out in the context that Ireland had committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating oil and gas over time.

It found that fracking had the potential to impact both human health and the environment, and there was a lack of data or international experience which did not permit a reliable assessment of consequences.

They included concern about groundwater aquifers being polluted if wells failed, with cracking in rocks potentially allowing pollutants and gas to flow into water.

There was also a concern about gas escaping, even after wells were capped.

Methane is an important greenhouse gas and therefore this is an issue of concern, the EPA noted.

It found that these issues needed to be resolved prior to any fracking being allowed.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is facing an angry showdown with party figures after he dramatically tied three of his own politicians to the brutal murder of prison officer Brian Stack.

Mr Adams's leadership has been plunged into a fresh crisis after the Irish Independent revealed how he included the names of the three serving politicians in an email to Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan.

One of the politicians, who is a household name, told the Irish Independent last night that he had no role in the murder of Brian Stack and that Mr Adams never consulted him prior to naming him in the email.

The politician said he would be seeking answers from Mr Adams as soon as he returned from Cuba, where he is attending the funeral of the late dictator Fidel Castro.

A fourth man, also named in the email, is an alleged senior former boss of the Provisional IRA. The Irish Independent can reveal that he was in the senior echelons of the terror group when Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was murdered, and has been investigated for alleged crimes by Spanish police.

Read more: Micheal Martin asks Taoiseach to meet Gerry Adams over IRA murder suspects letter

Read more: Adams names Sinn Fein figures in email to Garda chief on murder

The revelation that Mr Adams sent the names of the politicians to the commissioner three days before the General Election has stunned the Dail.

During 'Leaders' Questions', Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin described the killing of Mr Stack as "a cold-blooded murder" of "a loyal, diligent and committed officer of this State".

He asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny to meet Mr Adams "to put to him the need to co-operate fully with any investigation".

Responding to Mr Martin, Mr Kenny demanded that Sinn Fein come clean on the murder of Brian Stack, saying the family of the late prison officer "deserve to know the truth".

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan went much further, saying that he now expected the Garda investigation into the Stack murder to be "stepped up" following the decision by Mr Adams to provide the names to Ms O'Sullivan.

Describing the murder as "brutal and heinous", Mr Flanagan called on any member of the Dail with information to come forward.

He said the murder in March 1983 has left scars on the community of Portlaoise, where Mr Stack worked.

Mr Stack's son, Austin, has insisted that he never gave any of the names of the four individuals to Mr Adams during their several meetings in 2013.

Insisted

However, in a statement last night, Mr Adams insisted the names passed on to the commissioner were provided to him by Austin Stack.

"I passed the names on to the Garda commissioner while making clear that I have no information on the death of Brian Stack," Mr Adams said in Havana.

"Gardai are the only body that can investigate this matter. I am prepared to co-operate with them on this."

Last night, Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin described the killing as "wrong", but accused Mr Martin of trying to "score political points".

He said Mr Adams was "more than happy" to engage with gardai on the matter.
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers at a meeting on Wednesday approved a concept for reforming the healthcare system proposed by the profile ministry.

The government approved several draft documents, including amendments to the provisions on the public register of medicines, amendments to the procedure for creating, considering and approving the key requirements to the implementation of the budget-funded institutions' cost sheets and a decision to distribute the reserve of medical subvention funds from the national budget to local budgets in 2016.

"It is not a secret that the healthcare system is in a comatose condition. Recent attempts to reform it were a step to destroy the healthcare system. Today healthcare reform is a top priority," Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said.

He said that reform should be conducted jointly with parliament and local self-government agencies.

"Our task is to support the initiative of the Health Ministry's team. It is hard to work in the conditions of total pressure from all sides. The decisions passed are a first step," he said.

In turn, Head of the health committee of the Verkhovna Rada Olha Bohomolets said that the committee backs the vector presented by the government and Health Ministry, but the committee has doubts in success of the reform without approving bills Nos. 4456 and 4457 drawn up by the committee.

She said that for reforming the healthcare system at the primary level European treatment standards should be introduced, as it is impossible to calculate the cost of medical services without them. Bohomolets also said that personal licensing of doctors synchronously with making clinics autonomous should be carried out.
Fine Gael TDs have demanded refunds for those who have paid their water bills.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan told his party that tax revenues for November are 280m ahead of target - raising the prospect that refunds could be paid.

The issue of water dominated Wednesday's meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party, which saw several TDs make impassioned pleas for refunds.

At one point, junior minister Catherine Byrne was said to have become close to tears as she demanded that refunds be paid.

Her Fine Gael colleague, Dublin Fingal Alan Farrell, warned the party will lose votes if it does not issue refunds.

He said the exchequer returns are 280m ahead of target and that the economy is going well.

But Mr Noonan warned that he does not want to see the issue of water become an election issue.

Cork South West TD Jim Daly said the report was like an "aeroplane" and had "exit routes" for everyone.

TDs leaned heavily towards issuing refunds in a move could force Fine Gael to review its policy entirely.

Senator Jerry Buttimer told the meeting that pursuing those who haven't paid won't work.
President Michael D. Higgins attends the Scholars At Risk Ireland Event 'Ideas Are Not Crimes' at the Trinity Long Room Hub at Trinity College. Photo: Steve Humphreys

President Michael D Higgins has warned of the growing global threat to academic freedom and democracy, just days after he controversially paid tribute to Fidel Castro.

He faced widespread criticism for calling the late Cuban leader "a giant among global leaders" in spite of Castro's record of killing and torturing political opponents.

The President has since insisted that he had consistently raised Castro's record of human rights abuses.

He refused to discuss the issue further after signing a book of condolence on behalf of the people of Ireland at the Cuban embassy on Monday, which also generated some controversy.

Trinity College Provost Patrick Prendergast referred to the President as a "noted campaigner" for human rights when he welcomed him as guest speaker at a conference on the threats to academic freedom yesterday.

Read more: Ian O'Doherty: None of us should be surprised at El Presidente's fawning over West's last socially acceptable despot

Meanwhile, the President warned of "the sheer scale and gravity of the contemporary attacks on academic freedom globally" as he praised the work of Scholars At Risk, (SAR), a global network of academics at 450 universities in 40 countries fighting the persecution of students and professors of higher learning.

"The most extreme form of this alarming trend is the repeated occurrence of extreme violence by armed groups who do not hesitate to storm university premises to kill and injure, as well as the many cases of killings of individual scholars and students," he said.

SAR recorded 158 attacks on academics and students in 35 countries over the past 16 months, including 40 reported killings, disappearances and acts of violence.
In a statement, Mr Ross said he agreed to the move after assurances on a timeline for new judicial appointments laws. Photo: Naoise Culhane

Transport Minister Shane Ross has backed down in the row over judicial appointments, with the Cabinet agreeing to recruit four new judges to fill vacancies in the District Court.

There is also set to be a re-allocation of three judges currently dealing with insolvency cases to help plug gaps that have emerged in the Circuit Court.

The move came as a surprise as Mr Ross had been steadfast in vetoing the appointment of any new judges until the selection process is reformed.

He insisted that a round of appointments agreed during the summer were the last ones under the current system and that there was "no clog-up" in the courts at present.

However, the minister performed a U-turn yesterday, just days after the president of the Circuit Court, Judge Raymond Groarke, said he could not uphold the law as he did not have enough judges.

A lack of available judges meant an application for an interim injunction in a case involving a protected disclosure could not be dealt with, even though legislation prohibits the postponement of such proceedings.

Now the process will begin to recruit four new District Court judges, to fill two current vacancies and two which will arise in the near future.

Three specialist judges dealing with insolvency issues, and considered to be underutilised at present, will become general judges of the Circuit Court.

Read more: 'No evidence that I'm floundering' - Shane Ross refuses to take questions on judiciary

In a statement, Mr Ross said he agreed to the move after assurances on a timeline for new judicial appointments laws. "On the basis that I received an absolute timeline on the forthcoming Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, I agreed that this re-assignment should proceed and that the District Court appointments be made," he said.

The Cabinet agreed to publish a scheme for the bill in the next 10 days. It also committed to expediting the drafting of the legislation, with a view to having it published in January.

Sources said the Cabinet remained committed to introducing a new commission to advise the Government on appointments and that it would have a majority of members from a non-legal background.

Mr Ross has claimed the current selection process is an outlet for political patronage and has also railed against judges "controlling" appointments.

The proposed system has raised concerns among senior judges, who wrote to Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald expressing a preference for a commission with a majority made up of judges and legal professionals.

The judges also voiced concerns over plans to appoint a lay chairperson, instead of giving the position to the Chief Justice.

"The commitments in the programme for government remain and a decision was taken that the process of putting these in place needs to be speeded up," said an informed source.

It is also thought the acceleration of the process is a move to "head off" a private members bill on judicial appointments by Fianna Fail.
Decision: Penny Gray (40), who was adopted, chose not to meet her birth mother when the woman got in contact when Penny was 16. Photo: Colin O'Riordan

For those on any prong of the triangle, the adoption process can often be a mix of conflicting emotions: pain, secrecy, confusion and, ultimately, love. Figures from 2014 suggest that around 60,000 Irish people are now searching for their birth parents. And given the breadth of experiences that many of them have faced when they go, it comes as no surprise to find a mixed reaction to a new bill on adoption tracing.

Late last week, Minister for Children Katherine Zappone secured Cabinet approval to publish the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill; after draft bills were first published in 2015 by senator Averil Power. Many adoptees are currently unable to access birth certificates listing their birth parents' names due to legal obstacles, including a constitutional right to privacy on the part of the parents.

Yet via a new Tusla (the Child & family Agency) operation, adoptees and birth parents will be asked to register, but parents will be able to avoid registration or declare a "no contact" preference.

This is intended as a way of striking a balance between the right to privacy of birth parents and the identity rights of adopted persons. While it is expected that the Bill will be published shortly, reactions from adoptees, adopters and birth parents have been understandably varied.

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Says Ruth Kelly, author of 'Motherhood Silenced: The Experiences Of Natural Mothers on Adoption Reunion', of the legislation: "It's been a long time coming. It's a human right for an adoptive person to have information about themselves, and while there's the mother's right to privacy guaranteed in the Constitution, the human side of this must be considered: that when these mothers had their babies, they were treated so badly by everyone. Not just the Church, but the State, too.

"There's that retrospective element, and we need to be as gentle and kind to these women as we possibly can. They're a cohort of people who are very vulnerable."

Caitriona Palmer, 44, is a Washington-based writer/journalist who wrote the stirring memoir 'An Affair With My Mother'. The book charts her complex and emotional journey towards meeting, and forging a bond with, her birth mother. The new legislation, she posits, isn't without its flaws.

"I cautiously welcome this new legislation as a baby step in the right direction, particularly the provision that adoptees will, for the first time, have a statutory entitlement to their birth certificates," she says.

"But a lot more needs to be done. I am deeply concerned about the requirement, in some cases, for adoptees to give an 'undertaking' agreement not to contact their natural parent. This requirement infantilises Irish adoptees.

"It also amplifies the great painful dilemma of adoption that successive Irish governments have failed to solve - how to balance the privacy of the birth parent against the right of the adopted person to their biological identity. Whose needs are greater? The need to know, versus the need to preserve the shape of a life publicly lived?"

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The changes to legislation throw into focus the tenet that, despite growing up in loving, enriching homes, many adoptees harbour a deep-seated longing to know their biological parents.

"Not all adoptees feel the same about their birthright and I can only talk about my own experience," says Palmer. "Despite my own happy childhood and the loving buffer of a supportive family, I still needed to know where I came from.

"My reunion story has been fraught with both happiness and deep sorrow, but do I regret ever venturing on this difficult path? Absolutely not. In the end, I couldn't not know."

Much like Palmer, 33-year-old Lisa Connell grew up in Donegal in a loving and open home. "I always knew I was adopted. When I was 18 or 19 I became curious about my birth parents. I had this fantasy that Mel Gibson was my dad, or my parents might be millionaires."

Amid the current legislation, Connell went through a "long and drawn-out" process, initially contacting the adoption agency that oversaw her adoption (previously, a religiously run agency) and waited for her birth mother to approve initial contact.

"The system right now is set up for the parent, and their rights and responsibilities are paramount," explains Connell. "This, on some level, has the last vestiges of shame and stigma attached to adoption.

"When I initially made contact (through the agency), my birth mother didn't want to talk for a few years," she recalls. "And when we met, just the once, it was sort of an odd experience. There was a definite fascination as we did look alike, but there wasn't a big emotional pull.

"My expectation was one of friendship, but I didn't need another mother figure. I feel very strongly that my parents are my parents."

Kelly acknowledges that shame is a significant emotion for many birth mothers: "There are mothers out there who wouldn't consider looking for their child as it's so shame-based," she says. "They say, 'how could I face my child when I gave him away?' Another said to me, 'if as many people assisted me to keep the child as assisted me to part with it, things would be very different now.'

"The responses by mothers who are contacted are so varied," she adds. "Sometimes there is no response. For the vast majority of them, they haven't told their husbands or other children," says Kelly.

Kathy McMahon, founder of Irish First Mothers, reconnected with her first daughter in 2001 after both of them registered on the Adopted Persons Association database. It was, in the main, a positive experience.

"We spent two years emailing and exchanging photographs before we met in person," she says. "My first daughter has received any information she asked for from me and met my youngest son three years ago when she and I met for the second time.

"I also met my grandchildren for the first time. There is no animosity between us. I would like more contact with her but understand that she has a busy life working and with young children. We exchange gifts on birthdays and Christmas and keep in touch by email and Facebook, although less frequently than at first."

As to her thoughts on the changes in legislation: "We don't agree with vetos," she says. "We don't agree with mothers and children being pitted against each other like this, which is happening with this bill."

For every adoptee or birth parent that has made a connection, there are several others now facing the prospect of a search. Magazine editor Penny Gray, 40, was given the option of contacting her birth mother when she was 16 after hearing from her agency that "there was interest from the other side".

"I didn't want to meet her then, but I did write her a letter telling her that she did the best thing possible by giving me up for adoption"

After the death of her mother two years ago, Gray found a letter amid her adoption papers: "I knew the facts surrounding my adoption, but the letter was balder and more personal. I found out that my birth mother was 19 and was sent to Dublin to have her child, and was told to get rid of the baby or she couldn't come home.

"I was born on December 22, and she chose to stay with me on Christmas Day, alone. Meeting with her has been mulling in my head for the last while.

"I don't want to cause upset, and if she has moved on and has a family, I don't want to throw myself into the middle of that for her. But I do think of a woman who might have a small think about that one lonely Christmas all those years ago."

Changes to the legislation hasn't hastened Gray's decision: "I already have quite a lot of information to go on", but she welcomes the development: "I'm delighted for people who do feel that hole in their lives. I know there are people who didn't have quite as wonderful an upbringing as I did."
The number of used imports registered this month is nearly double that for November 2015 as thousands more opt to shop for their latest car in the UK.

So far this month, 7,231 second-hand imports have been registered, making it the busiest month this year on that front.

It translates into a near-91pc hike on the 3,787 imported last November.

The total for the year to date is now around 66,000.

If current buying trends continue it looks like overall numbers could reach, if not surpass, 70,000 by year's end.

Based on the fact that 2,944 were registered in December last, and allowing, in the current climate, that an extra 1,000/1,500 are likely to be bought in addition to that next month, then the total would be in the region of 70,000.

If so, it would represent an increase of around 22,000 imports in one year - or nearly 2,000 more a month all year.

The really big increases have come since the summer's Brexit vote. This is the third successive month of 7,000+. Who is to say we won't have a fourth in December?

Ford chief Ciaran McMahon (pictured) reckons the surge of imports has driven down the value of good trade-ins here by 2,000 because dealers have to protect themselves against falling values.

 Meanwhile the battle to become 'Ireland's best-selling brand' is entering the closing stages with Hyundai and Volkswagen fighting it out with only a handful of registrations between them.
Martin Scorsese met the Pope to talk about his new film Silence

Pope Francis has met director Martin Scorsese - whose new film Silence, about Jesuit missionaries in 17th-century Japan, was screened this week in Rome.

The Vatican said that during the pontiff's "very cordial" meeting with Mr Scorsese, Francis mentioned he had read the novel on which the film is based.

Pope Francis is a Jesuit who joined the order while a young man in Argentina with the idea of becoming a missionary in Japan. But health problems scuttled that dream.

Pope Francis thanked Mr Scorsese for his gift of two paintings.

The work of an 18th-century Japanese artist, the paintings served as a reference for some of the details in the film.

Some 300 Jesuits studying or working in Rome attended the screening on Tuesday at the Pontifical Oriental Institute.

Mr Scorsese answered the audience's questions afterwards.

AP
It's that time of year again.

The world's biggest models have gathered together in one spot to prance around in their smalls as they kickstart the arrival of the festive season. No, not the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (that's tonight), but the LOVE magazine advent calendar.

Since its inception, the British lifestyle magazine's annual advent calendar - which runs a new video every day for the month of December featuring a model in a different state of undress - has become a cult obsession for the social media supermodels and their fans.

This year, Emily Ratajkowski can be seen dancing topless in the NSFW preview clip, while Irish model Stella Maxwell also features. They join an impressive roster of international beauties including Nina Agdal, Doutzen Kroes, Joan Smalls and Kendall Jenner in the 'X Rated Edit'.

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2016 'it' girl Sofia Richie appears for the first time, while Elsa Hosk and Shanina Shaik also star in the seriously sexy campaign.

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No one in this crowd is adverse to posing in their smalls - Ratajkowski regularly divides critics for her barely there red carpet outfit choices and semi-nude Instagram posts, while nearly all the others have worked as Victoria's Secret Angels at one time or another.

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The team is looking into the remarkable ability of zebra fish to repair the sort of spinal damage that in humans causes irreversible loss of movement

A pre-Brexit 1 million European research grant is to help British scientists investigate a fishy secret that could lead to new treatments for spinal cord injuries.

The team is looking into the remarkable ability of zebra fish to repair the sort of spinal damage that in humans causes irreversible loss of movement.

It is hoped the findings will lead to new therapies for spinal injury paralysis, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.

Specialised microscope techniques will be used to watch the mechanisms of nerve cell repair in action in the fish.

At the end of the three-year study the researchers hope to have potential treatments that can be taken forward in clinical trials.

Lead researcher Professor Catherina Becker, director of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Neuroregeneration, said: "This exciting project brings together leading experts from across Europe to explore the intrinsic capacity of the spinal cord to repair itself.

"We hope this will eventually lead to urgently needed therapies for people who have damage to their spinal cord, either from disease or injury."

Brain experts from France, Germany, Belgium, and Poland will be taking part in the work.

The three-year study is supported by a 1.3 million Euro (1.1 million) grant from the European Commission and co-funded through national agencies.

Prof Becker did not want to comment on the implications for research funding of the UK leaving the European Union.
South Korea has created the conditions for joint existence and development of both large corporations and small companies. Ukraine should adopt this practice, MP (not a member of any parliamentary faction) Serhiy Taruta has said.

He said at the Ukrainian-South Korean economic forum devoted to Ukraine-South Korea economic cooperation in the Eurasian integration context in Kyiv that one of the directions Ukraine should learn from Koreans is e-government and e-procurement.

"Today we have taken the ProZorro e-procurement system as a basis. We believe that it ensures transparency of tenders. We need to learn from South Korea where each small settlement can join the general procurement system. Any company passing the prequalification can participate in the tenders," he said.

This is the third Ukrainian-South Korean forum held in 2016. It was organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, Embassy of South Korea in Ukraine, South Korean Kookmin National University, Hanyang South Korean University and Gorshenin Institute.
At least seven children were said to have been killed

At least 26 civilians, including seven children, have been killed by artillery rounds in eastern Aleppo as they fled a government ground offensive.

The incident marks the second time the Jub al-Quba area, in the historic district of the rebel-held eastern side of the Syrian city, has been struck in as many days. An air strike blamed on the government killed 25 civilians in the same area.

The dead were also believed to have been newly displaced from the government onslaught on the northern parts of eastern Aleppo.

Meanwhile, eight civilians, including two children, were killed in shelling on the government-held western side of the city, according to state media. The government blamed rebels for the attack.

Embattled opposition fighters clashed with government-allied troops on the southern edge of the enclave amid an offensive which has cleaved the rebel-held part of the city.

The Syrian government pushed its way into the 17 square mile rebel-held zone over the weekend, making its first territorial gains in the area since 2012.

Government officials say they want to liberate the area, calling the opposition fighters terrorists and accusing them of holding civilians hostage.

Despite opening a number of passageways to allow civilians to leave before the offensive, none of the residents took advantage of it, citing fears of being arrested or forcibly conscripted. The passageways were not UN-supervised.

The bodies of the victims of the Jub al-Quba attack were pictured lining the streets on Wednesday, with their few belongings lying close by their sides.

Jawad al-Rifai, who took the pictures for the Aleppo Media Centre, said they were civilians, mostly women and children, fleeing shelling and air strikes on other parts of the city.

The area and others around it in Aleppo's centrally-located old city have absorbed thousands of residents displaced by the advance of government troops in the east.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria through a network of local contacts, said tens more were wounded in Jub al-Quba.

Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said he predicts death tolls will rise in east Aleppo as the internal displacement creates more residential density.

The SCD in eastern Aleppo, also known as the White Helmets, put the toll at 45 killed. It blamed the government for the strikes.

Rescue efforts by the group were hampered by the lack of functioning machinery, said Mr Rifai.

"Most of their equipment is out of service because of the targeting against their quarters," he added.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Aleppo as pro-government Syrian forces press on with their campaign to reclaim the divided city.

AP
A view of the entrance to the Rudna copper mine with a miners flag at half-staff , in Polkowice, Poland, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. The mine was hit by a tremor and cave-in, killing four miners and four are missing. Photo: AP Photo

Eight workers have been killed after a cave-in at a Polish copper mine.

The director of the mine said rescue teams have now recovered the bodies of the last three workers from the Rudna pit in the south-west town of Polkowice.

Pawel Markowski said the deaths marked the greatest tragedy for the copper mining company KGHM in 55 years.

Five other miners have been taken to hospital, but they are not thought to be in a life-threatening condition. Several other workers escaped unscathed.

The tremor occurred shortly after 9pm local time on Tuesday some 1,100 metres (3,608ft) underground.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a magnitude-4.5 shallow earthquake in the region at the time of the cave-in.
General view of the cordoned-off scene around Charles Street, in Hull, where a 31-year-old man was shot and injured by police Photo : Amy Murphy/PA Wire

A 31-year-old man who was shot and injured by police amid reports he was "running around with an axe" has died, the police watchdog has said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed the man, who has not been named, died in hospital after he was shot by officers from Humberside Police close to Hull city centre on Tuesday morning.

IPCC associate commissioner Tom Milsom said: "Our thoughts are with the man's friends and family, and all those affected at this very difficult time."

Witnesses at the scene of the shooting said they heard loud gunshots and then saw a man on the floor, surrounded by police, with "blood gushing out of him".

The IPCC, which was called in by Humberside Police following the incident, said in a statement issued before the man died: "Initial information indicates that armed police officers were deployed to the Holderness Road area of the city centre just after 9am this morning in response to calls from members of the public reporting a man carrying an axe."

But the shooting took place nearer to the city centre.

The statement continued: "At this stage, the IPCC understands that officers fired more than one shot at the man, at around 9.35am, on Francis Street. During the incident Taser was also discharged by police."

An area around Francis Street was cordoned off on Tuesday.

Firefighters could be seen erecting large screens in a car park in the street and there appeared to be a red and white screen in place outside a building.

Office workers stood outside the building watching as police stood guard at the cordons.

Andre Foster said he was in a nearby building and saw the man after he had been shot by police.

He said: "We heard two big, loud bangs, gun sounds, we looked out the window, we saw this fella on the floor, blood was gushing out of him.

"There were around six police around him, trying to stop him bleeding.

"I never saw an axe or anything, never saw a weapon."

Mr Foster added: "It looked like he'd been tasered. He had a big cut at the bottom, near his liver, and one at the top I think, and blood was just gushing out of him."

He continued: "He was moving around, wriggling his body around like he was in agony."

Another witness, who only gave her name as Rachel, said: "We heard two loud bangs and a man screaming, which made us all get up and see what was going on, and there was a man laid on the floor with quite a lot of blood loss and obviously it was all running down the path."

She added that the man had what she believed to be four Taser marks - or "prongs" - in his back.

Another woman described the incident as "traumatic".

A man near the scene, who did not want to be named, said he believed the injured man was his cousin.

He said his cousin suffers from mental health issues and has problems with drugs.

He said: "All I've heard is one of my friends rang me and said 'Your cousin's been running around with an axe and he's been tasered and they've shot him'. That's all I know.

"I'm going to go and find out how he is now."

In a statement issued before the man died, a Humberside Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that a 31-year-old man was injured at 9.37am today after shots were fired by officers.

"We deployed armed officers to the Holderness Road area shortly after 9.20am, following reports of concerns for the safety of the public in relation to a man seen near the Post Office in Holderness Road, Hull.

"The man, who cannot be named, is now receiving medical attention.

"An investigation is under way and the incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is standard practice in such incidents.

"We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident at this time."

Mr Milsom said: "We have an independent investigation under way into this serious incident and will be examining the full circumstances. We would be grateful if anyone who witnessed the events in Hull city centre would contact us."

:: Witnesses can contact the IPCC on 0800 096 9071 or email witness@ipcc.gsi.go
Joe Esposito, left, pictured in 1998 with Bremerhaven mayor Manfred Richter at the point Elvis Presley stepped on German soil during his army service (AP)

Joe Esposito, a former road manager for Elvis Presley and a long-time member of the Presley inner circle known as The Memphis Mafia, has died at 78.

His daughter Cindy Bahr said Esposito, who had dementia, died on November 23 of natural causes in Calabasas, California.

Esposito met Presley in 1959 while both were serving in the US Army in Germany and remained close until Presley's death in 1977.

He became Presley's assistant in professional matters, from keeping his calendar to functioning as road manager when the King was on tour. He was also part of The Memphis Mafia, a Southern entourage of Presley pals and hangers-on, which included Red West, Marty Lacker and numerous others.

Esposito appeared in some of Presley's movies, including It Happened At The World's Fair, and was one of two best men at Presley's 1967 wedding to Priscilla Ann Beaulieu.

A decade later, he was among the first to find Presley's body after Elvis collapsed and died at his Graceland mansion in Memphis. Esposito broke the news to Priscilla and Presley's manager Tom Parker, and was a pallbearer at his funeral.

After Presley's death, Esposito worked as a road manager for the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson and other artists. His books included Good Rockin' Tonight: Twenty Years On The Road And On The Town With Elvis, and was a frequent guest at Presley conventions.

Along with Ms Bahr, Esposito is survived by another daughter Debbie, son Anthony, a brother, sister and three grandchildren.

AP
AMERICAN president-elect Donald Trump has named a staunch critic of Obamacare and a health policy expert to help him overhaul the healthcare system that Republicans have targeted since Democrats enacted sweeping reforms in 2010.

Republican representative Tom Price, an orthopaedic surgeon from Georgia, will be Mr Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, and consultant Seema Verma will lead the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a powerful agency that oversees government health programmes and insurance standards.

Mr Trump cast Mr Price and Ms Verma as a "dream team" to help him once he takes office with his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare, President Barack Obama's signature health law formally known as the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer denounced the choice of Mr Price, calling him "far out of the mainstream" in his stance on government efforts such as Obamacare and Medicare, the insurance programme for the elderly and disabled, and on Planned Parenthood, a women's health organisation.

"Nominating Congressman Price to be the HHS secretary is akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house," Mr Schumer said.

Mr Trump called Mr Price "exceptionally qualified" to help replace Obamacare. Mr Price said there was much work to be done "to ensure we have a healthcare system that works for patients, families and doctors".

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The 2010 healthcare overhaul, aimed at expanding insurance coverage to millions more Americans, triggered a long, bitter fight between the White House and congressional Republicans, who said it created unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and private industry.

Mr Trump has said he will replace Obamacare with a plan to give states more control over the Medicaid health plan for the poor and allow insurers to sell plans nationally.

Both Mr Price and Ms Verma will need Senate confirmation in their positions, and the Trump administration will need congressional approval to repeal and change the health law.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal leads a Saudi investment firm which holds stakes in several Western companies including Twitter (AP)

A Saudi prince has issued a public call for women to be allowed to drive in the conservative kingdom.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal tweeted in Arabic and English: "Stop the debate: Time for women to drive."

His tweet included links to an opinion article arguing for the change which cited economic, social and religious considerations.

The billionaire does not hold a formal position in the Saudi government, but he leads the Riyadh-based investment firm Kingdom Holding Company, which holds stakes in several Western companies including Twitter.

Saudi Arabia follows an ultraconservative interpretation of Islam, and is the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive. Women's rights activists have been detained for defying the ban.
Adana Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said the dormitory was probably locked

Six people have been arrested by authorities in Turkey in connection with a fire that broke out in a dormitory for schoolgirls, killing 12 people.

The blaze tore through the three-storey dormitory housing middle school students in the town of Aladag, in Adana province, late on Tuesday. The fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, killed 11 students and a teacher. Twenty-two other people were injured.

Adana's chief prosecutor, Ali Yeldan, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the dormitory's director, three teachers and two other employees had been detained for questioning as part of an investigation into possible negligence.

The move came after Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, the minister for family affairs, promised a thorough inquiry and said anyone guilty of negligence would be punished.

Adana Mayor Huseyin Sozlu told Anadolu that either the fire exit at the privately-run dormitory was locked or the panicked students were unable to open it.

He added: "Most probably it was locked."

The US Embassy posted a message of sympathy on Twitter that read: "We are deeply saddened by news of the tragic fire in Adana and send our condolences to the families of those killed."

Authorities, meanwhile, imposed a temporary media blackout which restricts coverage of the fire, citing public order concerns and possible impediments to the investigation.

AP
A view of the entrance to the Rudna copper mine in Poland (AP)

Rescue workers are using bare hands in a desperate attempt to save four missing miners at a Polish copper mine that was hit by a tremor and a cave-in.

Four other miners were killed in the tragedy, the mine's director said.

The tremor occurred shortly after 9pm local time on Tuesday some 1,100 metres underground in the Rudna mine in the south west town of Polkowice.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences reported a magnitude-4.5 shallow earthquake in the region at the time of the cave-in.

The mine's director, Pawel Markowski, confirmed the death of a fourth miner, a 24-year-old, and said four other miners remain missing.

Five other miners have been taken to hospital, but their lives are not in danger and a few others escaped unscathed.

Nine rescue teams searching for those still missing were about a dozen metres from where they expect to find them, Mr Markowski said.

He said the cave-in area is filled with rock, "which does not mean we will not find empty spaces" where miners could have been saved, in the mine's heavy equipment zone.

He gave the ages of the other victims as 23, 33 and 47.

Mining authorities have opened an investigation into the cave-in and Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and Health Minister Konstanty Radziwill were heading to the mine later.

Polish politicians observed a minute of silence and prayed for the victims. President Andrzej Duda extended his condolences to the families of the victims and pledged state support for them.

Spokeswoman Jolanta Piatek said work continues in other areas of the mine, which is operated by the KGHM Polska Miedz, or Polish Copper Company.

In 2013, 19 miners trapped in the Rudna mine following a local tremor and a cave-in were rescued with no major injuries - but this year alone more than 10 miners have been killed at KGHM mines.

Known as the Polish State Mining and Metallurgical Combine under communism, KGHM went through restructuring and partial privatisation in 1991 as Poland shifted to a market economy.

It has grown to be one of the world's major copper and silver producers. It also has mines in Chile, Canada and the United States.

AP
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein claimed the Wisconsin voting equipment may have been hacked (AP)

A Wisconsin judge has refused to order a recount of the state's presidential vote by hand.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein requested the recount last week, claiming - without evidence - that the state's voting equipment may have been hacked.

The state Elections Commission ordered the recount to begin on Thursday but rejected Ms Stein's request that county clerks conduct the recount entirely by hand. Ms Stein then filed a lawsuit seeking an order for a state-wide hand recount.

During a hearing on Tuesday, Ms Stein's lawyers argued that the best way to determine if a cyber-attack occurred was to check ballots by hand against electronic tabulations from election day. But state lawyers said there was no evidence to suggest any attack took place.

Dane County circuit judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn refused to issue the order, saying Ms Stein's team failed to show any mistakes or irregularities that would bring a machine recount into question.

AP
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed the law on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on elimination of administrative barriers to exports of services, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on November 3.

According to the official website of the president, the document will minimize administrative barriers during signing international contracts, as well as accounting and financial reporting.

"We pass from e-procurement to electronic contracting. Finally it took place... This is a very important step," Poroshenko said during the signing of the document.

According to him, the signing of this law is a huge step in the creation of investment climate in Ukraine.

"Today this is the first step to empower everyone, starting with businessmen and ending with the prime minister, the arguments why investors should come here, why fantastic conditions for doing business will be created here," Poroshenko said.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada on November 3 with 270 votes approved relevant bill No. 4496.
EAST SPENCER  Deputies are looking for a suspect who shot and robbed a Rowan County man, according to the Rowan County Sheriffs Office.

The Rowan County 911 Center dispatched Law Enforcement units from the Rowan County Sheriffs Office and Spencer PD to the area of 1887 Old Union Church Rd., East Spencer, NC, at about 8:20 this morning to check a report of a white male, who appeared to be bloody & without pants walking down the road.

Units from the Rowan County Sheriffs Office arrived to find the victim, a Johnny Leonard, 52, of West Franklin St., Salisbury. The victim was in fact walking near the 1887 Old Union Ch. Rd. address, and was able to communicate with Sheriffs Deputies and Rowan County EMS personnel. The victim was transported from the scene and is receiving treatment for multiple gunshots at a medical center in this region.

Investigators were able to gather facts and evidence at the scene, but the investigation continues to be very active at the present time. Information gained from the victim revealed that the victim met with the suspect at a location near the Food Lion in Spencer, sometime earlier in the evening, Monday.

The suspect, at some point after meeting the victim, robbed the victim of his wallet and his 2006 green Subaru, which has damage to the back bumper and displays a NC tag of DJV2253. The vehicle has been entered into national crime data base as a stolen vehicle, and has not been located at present.

Rowan County Sheriffs Office Investigators have a person of interest in this investigation, and Investigators continue to work to uncover more information and evidence to enable the suspect to be brought to justice.

Anyone with information in this case should call for 1st. Lt. Chad Moose at 704-216-8687, or Detective Carl Dangerfield at 704-216-8683. If you fear retribution, want to remain anonymous and possibly collect an award of up to $1,000, information can be submitted 24/7 via the web http://tips. salisburyrowancrimestoppers.org/ or by calling the Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.
Swarda Thigale to join Fahmaan Khan for Colors next by Balaji ...
Kyiv tears up agreement with Moscow on broadcasting, information cooperation

The Ukrainian cabinet has terminated its agreement with the Russian government regarding cooperation in the field of television and radio broadcasting and information cooperation.

The decision was made by the Ukrainian government on Wednesday.

Drafts of the decisions were submitted by Minister of information Policy Yuriy Stets.
Markets see a day in red Indian equity markets saw a day in red today. Nifty 50 ended the day, down by 62.55 points. Sensex ended the day, down by 215.26 points. Top Gainers today were Hindalco, Sun Pharma, ITC. Top Lo... November 02, 2022 | 02-11-2022 4:08 pm

Pudumjee Paper PBT rises 57% during Q2FY23 Pudumjee Paper Products Limited (PPPL), has reported impressive results for the six-month period ended September 30, 2022. During the six-month period ended September 30, 2022, the C... November 02, 2022 | 02-11-2022 3:23 pm

Airtel crosses 1 million customers on it 5G network Bharti Airtel on Wednesday has announced that it has crossed the 1 million unique 5G user mark on its network. The company achieved this milestone in less than 30 days of its commercial la... November 02, 2022 | 02-11-2022 2:50 pm

Rupee declines 12 paise against the dollar In morning trade on Wednesday, the rupee lost 12 paise to 82.71 against the US dollar due to a flat trend in domestic stocks. Forex traders reported that the rupee started the day flat before t... November 02, 2022 | 02-11-2022 2:45 pm

Markets near day's low with Nifty below 18,100 Domestic benchmark indices trading in the red after a gap-down opening on Wednesday. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks are marginally lower in the afternoon market session. Moreover, globall... November 02, 2022 | 02-11-2022 2:00 pm
The foreign ministers of the Normandy format member-states (France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine) have spoken in favor of the soonest possible resumption of the economic subgroup's work within the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"It was our common decision today that this economic group should immediately resume its work so as to address issues that are on its agenda," Lavrov told journalists in Minsk following a meeting between the Normandy format foreign ministers on Tuesday.

The ministers attached special significance to the matter at the meeting, he said.

The participants also agreed to continue working in the Normandy format at the level of military experts, lawyers, and diplomats, and also within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.

"Without this format, it's impossible to make any final decisions. Final agreements can be concluded only where all parties to the conflict are represented, namely the Kyiv government and representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk," Lavrov said in talking about the Trilateral Contact Group.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said Tuesday's talks of the foreign ministers in the "Normandy format" have not yielded any tangible results.

"Sadly, we cannot talk about any promising results," he said at a briefing after the meeting of foreign ministers of the "Normandy Four" countries in Minsk, Belarus, on Tuesday evening.

Klimkin also said Russia does not want to transfer control over the occupied Donbas to the international community, make steps to ensure the security and improve the humanitarian situation, in particular free hostages.
There's nothing better than having plenty of time to do the things you like. For instance, planning an entire year's travel ahead of time so all that's left in the end is deciding what to pack. Luckily for us, the list of long weekends in 2017 is out and we're all set with markers and calendars. The universe wants you to take that long overdue vacation and you should listen.

JANUARY

Compare India

Thu, 26 Jan: Republic Day

Fri, 27 Jan: Take leave

Sat, 28 Jan

Sun, 29 Jan

Where to go: Kalimpong, West Bengal. There's plenty to see here like Galinka and Crockety bungalows (built during the British rule); the vast expanse of snow-laden mountains. It is said that the view of the Teesta river valley is one to behold, especially during January.

This month is also a good time for a visit to Ranthambore National Park near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. This sanctuary for India's tigers is split up into 10 zones and each of these are home to different species of animals like tigers, leopards, hyenas, black buck, chital, nilgai, the Indian wild boar and various other types of birds.

FEBRUARY

blogs.timesofindia

Fri, 24 Feb: Mahashivratri

Sat, 25 Feb

Sun, 26 Feb

Where to go: Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir is ideal for honeymooners, city dwellers who miss the snow or any traveller looking to indulge in some snow sports. The biggest plus is this place is almost untouched compared to its cousins, Manali and Shimla, and perhaps has more to offer with expansive views of valleys and mountains. Yet another option is to head to Bir in Joginder Nagar Valley in Himachal Pradesh. There's something for everyone here - from the annual World Paragliding Chamionship, to peaceful Buddhist monasteries and even a tea factory where you can trace your favourite cuppa to its roots.

MARCH

British Journal of Photography

Sat, 11 Mar

Sun, 12 Mar

Mon, 13 Mar: Holi

-

Sat, 25 Mar

Sun, 26 Mar

Mon, 27 Mar: Take leave

Tue, 28 Mar: Gudi Padva

Where to go: March is the perfect month to indulge in some soul-stirring activities. And what better way to break out of winter's clutches than with a colourful holi in Braj? Braj, around Mathura-Vrindavan, in Uttar Pradesh, is known for the way it celebrates this important festival; Mathura is known to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna while Vrindavan is where he spent his childhood. Alternatively, you can dive into the pristine waters surrounding Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. You can also visit Elephant Beach or go scuba diving.

APRIL-MAY

Bout

Sat, 1 Apr

Sun, 2 Apr

Mon, 3 Apr: Take leave

Tue, 4 Apr: Ram Navami

-

Thu, 13 Apr: Vaisakhi

Fri, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti, Good Friday

Sat, 15 Apr

Sun, 16 Apr: Easter

-

Sat, 29 Apr

Sun, 30 Apr

Mon, 1 May: May Day

Where to go: Auli in Uttarakhand lies off the beaten piste and April is the best month to visit here when temperatures are anywhere between 10 and 17 degrees. You can either hole yourself in a small cottage or plan easy-to-take day treks. Or head to the south - more like, Wayanad in Kerala. A walk though the lush, green tea plantations, picturesque views and refreshing walks is enough to kickstart the senses currently reeling under unwanted city smells.

JUNE

Kalaahut

Sat, 24 Jun

Sun, 25 Jun

Mon, 26 Jun: Ramzan Eid

Where to go: Gangtok is easily Sikkim's most beautiful town. A bountiful selection of pleasing valley views and peaceful air that has to do with its Buddhist centres. June is also when monsoon stirs up this little town enough to give the tourist some saturated and generous views. In case you'd like to see Eid celebrations, no better place than Hyderabad to do so. The local markets and the area around Charminar is usually brimming twice as much with life.

AUGUST

Photokatha.in

Sat, 12 Aug

Sun, 13 Aug

Mon, 14 Aug: Janmashtami

Tue, 15 Aug: Independence Day

Wed, 16 Aug: Take leave

Thu, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year

Fri, 18 Aug: Take leave

Sat, 19 Aug

Sun, 20 Aug

-

Fri, 25 Aug: Ganesh Chaturthi

Sat, 26 Aug

Sun, 27 Aug

Where to go: Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya. This is when monsoon is at its peak and being the second most wet place on earth and seeing it in all its glory makes sense. You can almost imagine those raintime treks, can't you? When in Meghalaya, do also try the local tea which is quite different from tea grown anywhere else in India. And you haven't lived if you haven't been to Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi. After all, Maharashtra is known for it grander than grand Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

IndianRoots

Sat, 30 Sep

Sun, 1 Oct

Mon, 2 Oct: Gandhi Jayanti

-

Sat, 14 Oct

Sun, 15 Oct

Mon, 16 Oct: Dhanteras

Tue, 17 Oct: Naraka Chaturdashi

Wed, 18 Oct: Diwali

Thu, 19 Oct: Balipratipada

Fri, 20 Oct: Bhaiduj

Sat, 21 Oct

Sun, 22 Oct

Where to go: Bundi, Rajasthan. The cool weather in Rajasthan during this time along with the slow pace at which the place moves, makes it an ideal combination to go exploring the countless palaces and forts in the region. Bundi is one such place packed with enough rich history to make those late morning explorations something to remember. Similar to Bundi in what it has to offer is Hampi in Karnataka. Once a celebrated capital of Vijayanagar Empire in the 13th century, all that remains now are ruins but don't let that fool you. It's also a perfect getaway from Bengaluru and 24 hours are more than enough to explore.

DECEMBER

Festivals of India

Fri, 1 Dec: Eid-e-Milad

Sat, 2 Dec

Sun, 3 Dec

-

Sat, 23 Dec

Sun, 24 Dec

Mon, 25 Dec: Christmas

Where to go: Spend this Christmas in Puducherry whose streets belie a French invasion. The French exited but left behind some truly amazing architecture. Much like Goa, it also had its fair share of a Roman Catholic population which means there's plenty of Christmas spirit to catch up on. Alternatively, Mylapore, Chennai, makes for a perfect beach getaway - more so because of the weather that's all too pleasing.
If on a dull dead day, you're looking for inspiration, there can't be anything better than a speech by Shah Rukh Khan. Be it addressing the students at a school function or giving his pearls of wisdom on chat shows, Shah Rukh Khan has this unique power of making a great connect with his audience.

Digital Spy

From heartbreaks to how to deal with failures in life, Shah Rukh Khan has time and again given the best pieces of advice to his fans.

Twitter

His greatness is spread all over the world and just to jog your memory a little, this man boasts of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) by the French government, the honorary doctorate in arts and culture by the University of Bedfordshire (he was the first Indian actor to be honoured with the prestigious Chubb fellowship at Yale University). He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.

His character in Dear Zindagi reflected a lot of his real traits that include giving great advice to people. After inspiring millions of his fans to take their mental health seriously, SRK has a new set of fans it seems.

Dharma and Red Chillies

The principal of Oxford University is totally impressed by King Khan and he took to Twitter to invite him as a speaker to inspire his students. In his tweet, he wrote:
SRK's brief yet meaningful cameo in Karan Johar's ADHM was one of the highlights of the film. And now, Ranbir might do a small cameo in Imtiaz Ali's next starring SRK and Anushka Sharma. A Mid-day report claims that Ranbir Kapoor might be appearing in a cameo for Imtiaz Ali's yet-to-be-titled film with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma.

Dharma Productions

A source close to the film was quoted saying,

"There was a small role which Imtiaz wanted a strong actor to play. Between him and Ranbir, it is never an 'ask situation'. Imtiaz mentioned it to him and RK gave his nod. Ranbir can't say no to him."

The film reportedly revolves around Anushka Sharma who will play the role of a tourist, traveling across Europe. During her Europe trip, she meets SRK and falls in love. The report claims that Ranbir would play the role of Anushka's fiance in the movie.

The source added,

"Imtiaz was mighty impressed with Anushka and Ranbir's chemistry in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. He wanted a similar friendship and camaraderie to flow between Anushka's character and her fiance in the movie. Since Ranbir is busy shooting for Jagga Jasoos, he is yet to shoot for the part but he has given his nod to Imtiaz. He intends to squeeze in time for this after he wraps up Jagga Jasoos and before he starts shooting for the Sanjay Dutt-biopic with Rajkumar Hirani that will need him to look the part - long hair and more muscular."
This digital world we exist in wouldnt have been without the contributions of master inventors. One of whom is Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, and its his 158th birthday today. Hes a forgotten genius from the turn of the 20th century - someone whos efforts and contribution to science should never be forgotten.

Google commemorated Sir JC Bose's 158th birthday with a doodle

Master of Radio Communications

At first the subject of some dispute but its now a fairly common scientific fact that Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose made indelible contributions towards the advancement of wireless communications leading to the development of modern day radio. Without the radio, there would be no wireless communications, and no -- GASP! -- Wi-Fi to latch onto on your smartphones and laptops.

Wikimedia

Guglielmo Marconi is widely regarded as the inventor of modern day radio, since he successfully demonstrated transatlantic radio communications for the very first time in 1901, but Bose had demonstrated electromagnetic wave communications a few years earlier.

Bose invented the crystal radio detector, waveguide, horn antenna, and other apparatus used at microwave frequencies.

Bose never really expressed any interest in commercial telegraphy, encouraging others to use his research work. In fact, in 1896, he met Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who had been developing a radio wave wireless telegraphy system for over a year and was trying to market it to the British post service. To his credit, Marconi has actually acknowledged the significance of Boses work in his writing.

Bose holds several accolades

Despite his personal dislike of patents, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose actually holds the patent for the first solid-state diode to receive electromagnetic waves, and created a number of now common microwave components.

wikimedia

Apart from being a physicist, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was also a polymath, biologist, biophysicist, botanist and archaeologist. He made some significant contributions to the world of plant biology and his invention, a crescograph, helped agricultural scientists devise better ways of effective crop cultivation.

Born on 30 November, 1858, at Mymensingh -- which is now in modern day Bangladesh -- Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose attended Cambridge after studying physics at Calcutta University.

Here's a little fun fact - Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose even has a crater on the far side of the moon named after him.
Three army officers were killed while one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was critically injured after Amry's Cheetah helicopter crashed in Sukna in West Bengal on Wednesday. According to police sources, the incident took place around 10:30 a m. Soon after the incident, army officials along with local rescue team rushed to the spot.

It is an unfortunate incident. One Junior Commissioned Officer is critical and rushed to a nearby hospital, police said.

The area has been cordoned off. More details awaited.
The family of Munnelal Sharma, who died of cancer on Tuesday morning, had no money at home to pay for his cremation. When his granddaughter reached Bank of India's Navyug Market branch in Ghaziabad, there was no money in the bank.

But the bank manager, AK Jain, went out of his way to lend the family money so that they could perform the last rites.

nbt

Munnelal, 65, had gone to the same bank branch on Monday morning with his granddaughter Neha to withdraw money to buy medicines. But he couldn't; the bank had run out of cash.

On Tuesday morning, Sharma passed away and when his granddaughter again went to the same bank to get some money for his cremation, she was told there was still no money in the bank. That's when the bank manager came to her rescue.

"My grandfather was suffering from cancer and in the last few days he was not keeping well. On Monday he had asked me to escort him to the bank so that he could withdraw money he needed for his medicines," said Munnelal's 17-year-old granddaughter Neha.

BCCL/representational image

"There was a long queue outside the bank but still I managed to enter the branch. However, I was told that there was no cash. My grandfather then requested the bank manager to do something, and the manager then asked us to come back on Tuesday," she said.

But early on Tuesday morning, Munnelal died. "We had no cash at home and needed money to conduct his last rites. So I rushed to the bank. And again I was told there was no cash. I did not give up. I met the bank manager and explained to him the situation," Neha said.

"There was no cash in the bank. But the bank manager spoke with one of his customers and asked him to lend Rs 10,000. And then he gave another Rs 7,000 from his own pocket for the cremation," Neha said.

AFP/representational image

Branch manger A K Jain said the bank did not get any cash on Monday and Tuesday. "On Tuesday, Neha came to me and informed me of Munnelal's demise and asked me to help her withdraw cash as his cremation was held up for want of money. But I was helpless because the bank still did not have cash," he said.

"But given the situation, I requested one my customers to lend me some money, which he did, and I also contributed Rs 7,000 from my own pocket and handed over Rs 17,000 to Munnelal's granddaughter," he added.

"Last week we received cash for just two days and that was also so little that many of our customers had to return without money. This week, too, we have not received any cash till now," said Jain.
Making a fighter jets is difficult, while making a jet engine is even more so. India learnt that when we started making a home-grown fighter, with a home-grown engine. While the planes development progressed, the powerplant's development was marred with technical challenges that have still not been ironed out.

India lacked the metallurgical expertise to make alloys that can withstand high temperatures and advanced nations arent willing to part with the technology. Take the case of China. While it has two fifth-generation jets under development, it too has lagged behind in jet engine technology. The J-20 that was shown in public recently is powered by Russian engines.

defencetalk.net

So, the DRDO had to opt for the GE F404 engine as a replacement. The Tejas was inducted with this engine and will get its FOC (Final Operational Clearance) with the same power plant. Since the Kaveri failed to produce sufficient thrust to power a fighter, DRDO contemplated developing a marine turbine based on it and even use it for the under-development AURA UAV. And now, theres more.

According to reports, a consultancy agreement with Safran of France has been signed to revive the Kaveri.

Safran (formerly Snecma) also makes the engines for the Rafale fighter and according to the offset clause in the purchase agreement, will have to invest 50 per cent of the deal amount back into India.

Therefore, India may not have to spend any more money on the Kaveri engine.

Kaveri on the IL-76 flying test bed in Russia/Indiandefence.com

Safran has reportedly proposed to make the Kaveri engine flight worthy in 18 months time. This means that the Tejas may fly with the Kaveri engine by 2020! This will also make it easier for India to export the Tejas in the future, since a separate agreement may not have to be signed with the engine suppliers.
The Reserve Bank of India will take over a year to destroy the recently demonetised five-hundred and thousand rupee notes . The sorting, verification and shredding of the notes is already underway at three centres in Maharashtra - Fort in Mumbai, Belapur and Nagpur.

BCCL

A senior employee of the currency management department of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), who did not wish to be identified, said Mumbai alone is likely to send to the shredding centres 70,000 to 80,000 gunny bags full of demonetised notes.

The RBI this year is likely to delay or keep aside the shredding of damaged notes of smaller denominations since all its shredding units will be taken up by the demonetised high denomination notes. "We don't expect to get back each and every note that was in circulation, but assuming we get even 70% of the demonetisation notes for shredding, we will have to deal with over 15,000 million notes," the employee said.

The process of acquiring the notes that are no longer legal tender and RBI official said, was underway by November 14, six days after the demonetisation announcement. And, the process of shredding these notes began almost immediately.

BCCL

According to a RBI report, last fiscal (2015-2016), 625 million pieces of soiled thousand-rupee notes and 2,800 million pieces of 500-rupee notes were shredded. Up till March 2016, the number of 1000-rupee and 500-rupee notes in circulation were 6326 million and 15707 million, respectively. "We don't expect to get back each and every note that was in circulation, but assuming we get even 70 per cent of the demonetised notes for shredding, we will have to deal with over 15,000 million notes, and that means thousands and thousands of gunny bags filled with notes," the employee said.

The RBI has around 40 verifying and shredding machines at 19 locations across the country. Every time it receives a delivery of soiled notes, the same is sorted to check for counterfeit currency before being shredded. The shredding machines, imported from either Japan or Germany, can destroy 2,50,000 notes in an hour. "But we will have to work in two shifts to complete the process, as there is a possibility that some machines might not function properly, or will be too stressed," said the employee.

BCCL

Another officer said that this was the first time the RBI was faced with such a challenge. "We had a demonetisation in 1978, but in those days the number of high denomination notes in circulation was very less compared to today."

Much thinking is also going around on what use could the mounds and mounds of shredded notes could be put to. In the past, the apex bank has used the shredded notes to make paperweights, files, briquettes and as landfill. But now, the officer said, a call will be taken as to how to handle the waste in an eco-friendly manner.

BCCL

Until 2001, soiled and torn currency notes were subjected to a manual system of verification by the RBI staff. Non-issuable notes were often burnt. In 2003, the then RBI governor Bimal Jalan introduced a system of mechanised sorting and subsequent destruction of notes. The soiled notes are examined, sorted and disposed of under the currency verification and processing system (CVPS). Of the segregated notes, those considered to be worth reissuing are introduced back into circulation.
Currency notes of the new Rs 500 denomination continues to be in short supply. Much of the new cash that banks are getting are in notes of Rs 2,000.

AFP/representational image

The continued cash shortage has led to rumours that the government has stalled printing because of glitches, but the Reserve Bank of India has assured that the supply of Rs 500 notes is on. In fact, printing has been more than doubled.

"The absence of the Rs 500 note in the system is reducing the acceptability of the higher value Rs 2,000 note. Without the Rs 500 note, not to mention Rs 100, customers are not able to get change for the highest denomination note.

But lower value notes are not circulating," said an official with a private bank. More notes of Rs 500 would also ease the pressure on ATMs.

BCCL/representational image

Last week, there were several instances where the new Rs 500 notes were found to vary from one another. The difference in printing led to fears that some of them might be fakes. But the RBI clarified that some notes may have been released with printing defects, but they continue to be legal tender.

Prior to demonetisation, over 1,660 crore pieces of Rs 500 notes were in circulation, representing nearly Rs 8.3 lakh crore of total currency in circulation. Bankers say that now, less than Rs 2,000 crore in new Rs 500 notes has come in.

AP/representational image

The currency presses owned by the government at Nashik and Dewas are printing Rs 500 while the RBI's currency presses in Salboni (West Bengal) and Mysuru are printing Rs 2,000 and Rs 100 notes. At the Currency Note Press at Nashik, the capacity has been more than doubled to this week 80 lakh pieces (Rs 400 crore) a day.
Ukraine is ready to cooperate with NATO countries in joint patrols in the Black Sea, considering Russia's behavior in that region, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said.

"We are ready and we are discussing this option. The thing is that the Russian Armed Forces are dominating the Black Sea following occupation of Crimea. There is no real alternative to them at the moment; there is no strong NATO fleet in the Black Sea. It was not necessary in the past, but now there is such necessity," he told Interfax-Ukraine in an interview.

According to Turchynov, Russia is bolstering its presence in the Baltic region, is rapidly militarizing the Kaliningrad region and is creating major bases in the Mediterranean, in Syria. "All this requires an appropriate response, primarily, on the part of NATO. So, I am positive that NATO should be actively present in the Black Sea, and Ukraine is prepared to render full support, from offering our ports as hosts to starting joint activity of our Navy and NATO units," he said.

For instance, Ukrainian ships may be involved, Turchynov said. "We do not have many of them but we are ready to participate in joint projects, such as joint patrols. Both our allies and we are interested in stopping the spread of Russia's aggression," he said.
India's defence establishment seems to have learnt few lessons from the repeated suicide attacks on its camps in Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere. The terrorist attack on an artillery unit compound at Nagrota, the third such big strike after Pathankot and Uri this year, has once again exposed the chinks in security infrastructure around military bases and installations.

AFP/representational image

But the defence ministry and the armed forces continue to waffle over the wide-ranging measures required to thwart or minimise such attacks, ranging from proper perimeter security-cum-intrusion detection systems and well-equipped sentries to a total revamp of the standard operating procedures and response systems to intelligence alerts.

Defence sources said there was "very little follow-up action" to the comprehensive recommendations of the tri-Service committee, led by former Army chief Lt-General Philip Campose (retd), which was constituted after the January 2 terror strike on the Pathankot airbase left seven defence personnel dead and 25 injured.

Even the terror attack on an Army administrative camp at Uri on September 18, in which 19 soldiers were killed and over 20 injured, does not seem to have galvanised the authorities into upgrading security infrastructure around bases on a war footing.

AP/representational image

The Army itself cannot escape blame, coming as the Nagrota attack did at a time when cross-border tensions with Pakistan are at a new high and terrorists are looking for high-impact targets to drive home their message of relevance.

AP/representational image

"But the laxity in perimeter security is obvious. The alertness levels should have been all the more higher since the artillery unit's compound is bang on the main road, around three km from the well-guarded 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota," said the source.

AP/representational image

It's certainly difficult to thwart well-trained, heavily-armed terrorists ready to lay down their lives. But the aim should be to contain the damage. With over 3 lakh Army soldiers deployed in J&K, along the borders as well as for counter-insurgency operations in the hinterland, many military camps have only basic perimeter defences.
A day after three Pakistani terrorists were gunned down by the Border Security Force (BSF) near the international border in Samba, the forces have discovered a small tunnel, which they believe was used by the militants to infiltrate.

The tunnel is close to 80 metres long.

ANI

DG BSF, KK Sharma on Wednesday said that on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, in the general area of BSF Border Outpost Chamliyal in Samba, Jammu, some suspicious movement was noticed by thermal imagers. A BSF patrol was fired upon by the terrorists. The BSF retaliated and killed the three terrorists.

Also read: Why India Needs To Be Concerned About The Discovery Of The 30-Foot Tunnel In J&K

BSF had also recovered 517 rounds, a pistol, an AK-47 rifle, radio sets, mobile power banks, bottles containing liquids and 7 Improvised Explosive Devices from the killed terrorists.

AP/ Representative Image

There are also unconfirmed reports that the trio were tasked with carrying out another Uri-like attack in the valley.

Sharma also said that "Since surgical strikes, more than 15 Pakistan Rangers have been killed and more than 10 militants neutralised. Also many Pakistani border outposts have been destroyed."
The Indian Army has confirmed that seven of its personnel including two officials were killed during the terror attack on an army base in Nagrota in the early hours of Tuesday.

PTI

An officer and three soldiers were killed while fighting the terrorists, while another officer and two soldiers were killed trying to rescue the hostages taken by the terrorists.

The seven soldier who lost their lives in the ambush are Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir, Major Akshay Girish Kumar, Havildar Sukhraj Singh, Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshowanttro, Grenadier Raghvendra Singh and Rifleman Asim Rai. The name of the seventh soldier was not released as the army is yet to inform his family.

PTI

According to reports the heavily armed gunmen entered the army camp dressed up in police uniform and threw grenades and targeted the mess area.

The Nagrota base is one of four command centres in Jammu & Kashmir and home to over 1,000 officers. It is the headquarters of the army's 16 Corps.

The number of terrorists involved in the attack is not clear yet, even though the army said the bodies of three militants were recovered and operations are in progress to sanitise the complete area.

AFP

Tuesday's attack seems to follow the same pattern of the Uri terror attack, in September in which 19 indian soldiers lost their lives.

The two have striking similarities, including the targets, timing and how both were carried out. It was also the biggest since Uri in terms of military casualties.

On Tuesday in a separate incident three terrorists were killed in Samba sector while trying to infiltrate from PoK. The attack also came on the same day General Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as the new Pakistan Army chief.

The outgoing chief, General Sharif had warned India against aggression saying that the country's patience should not be taken as a sign of weakness. Kashmir, especially the regions along the LoC and the international border have been tense for months now with an unprecedented spike in ceasefire violations.

AP

There have been over a dozen terror attacks, in the valley including in one which an Indian soldier was beheaded.
The gunmen who had stormed into the Nagrota Army camp on Tuesday morning wanted to take as many people as possible as hostages. Their plans, which would have multiplied the magnitude of the attack, were averted due to the quick thinking and bravery shown by the wives of two army officials.

AFP

The terrorists tried to storm the family quarters where they could take the families of the soldiers and officers hostage.

But the two women who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns acted swiftly using household items to prevent the terrorists from entering the residential area.

"The wives of the two army officers, who were on night duty when the encounter broke out, displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all the household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses," an army officer told PTI.

PTI

Had the women not shown this alertness, the terrorists would have been able to take them hostage and would have succeeded in causing huge damage to the army and the families, he said.

"The terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by officers, their families. This led to a hostage-like situation. The situation was very quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two women and two babies," Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

The two babies rescued are 18 months and two months old, the officer said.
A Tamil mimicry artist was arrested by police in Salem district for mimicking the voice of Tamil Nadu electricity minister P Thangamani to transfer officials from one place to another in a Thermal power unit. Police suspect a larger group to be involved in the case.

BCCL

Police initiated an inquiry a few days ago. One month ago, assistant engineer Jayakumar was transferred from the power production unit to the coal handling section. The state electricity minister had apparently contacted higher officials in the thermal unit to execute the transfer.

Meanwhile, Jayakumar was placed under suspension a week ago for not performing his duties properly. "He was advised by higher officials to approach the minister to cancel the suspension order," the police said. When Jayakumar approached the minister on Sunday, he found out that the minister had not made any calls to the thermal plant in connection with his transfer.

Realising that something was amiss, Thangamani ordered officials of the thermal power plant unit to probe the issue. The officials in turn sought the help of the Mettur police to nab the culprits.

BCCL

Based on their complaint, the police started examining the call details from the mobile phones of officials. They soon found that mimicry artist Savari Muthu from Dindigul had contacted one of the officials in the unit.

"He mimicked the minister's voice and ordered the transfer of Jayakumar. He had also ordered the transfer of 28 other employees working in the unit over the last few months," the police said.
Unaccompanied minors from the middle East, desperate for shelter and some kind of employment, are being forced into the sex trade.

Their goal: "To find money to go illegally to central Europe", social workers told CNN.

This is often the promise that smugglers make to refugees, promising them safe passageway to Europe.

Clients are solicited in local parks, with as low as 5 (360 Rupees) - sometimes the park is also the venue.

Many migrants have been seduced by drug addiction into the trade. There is a 5-year waiting list for the country's drug treatment program.

"For the last five years or more, the park became a place where we hide everything that we don't want the world to see," social worker Tassos Smetopoulos told the Huffington Post. "The state and the municipality didn't want all these people on the street and in the tourist areas. They don't want the dark side of Athens and the collapse of social services to be visible."

reuters

"We know that unaccompanied minors coming to Greece are detained by police until they're placed in a shelter," says Eva Cosse, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. "So, many of the kids want to avoid detention and try to not get registered."
An Indian expatriate in Dubai walked a total of over 1,000 km for over two years to attend court proceedings in a bid to return home, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Khaleej Times

Jagannathan Selvaraj, 48, who hails from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, told the Khaleej Times that he braved traffic, heat, sandstorm and exhaustion to attend the labour court proceedings.

Mr Selvaraj began his court journeys after his mother died in Tamil Nadu and he was denied permission to go and attend her funeral.

His case went on for almost two years. Mr Selvaraj said he must have walked at least 20 times to Karama district in Dubai from Sonapur and back, every time covering a distance of over 50 km in four hours.

migrant-rights/representational image

He said he could not afford a bus journey from his Sonapur accommodation on the outskirts of Dubai to the labour court. Selvaraj told the Khaleej Times that he had been living in a public park for several months and was desperate to return to India.
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal posted a link to a letter titled "It is High Time that Saudi Women Started Driving their Cars," on his Twitter account.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Despite protests, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world banning women from driving. In 2013, a prominent Saudi cleric said that driving can damage a woman's ovaries.

    https://t.co/BBgyF8i1Gs

Stop the debate:

Time for women to drivehttps://t.co/6KAniFa4BT     (@Alwaleed_Talal) November 29, 2016

The letter explained how preventing women from driving was at par with preventing them from an education, before explaining that it would generate job growth, and it was a "necessity".

"They are all unjust acts by a traditional society, far more restrictive than what is lawfully allowed by the precepts of religion."

5 Things Women In Saudi Arabia Still Cannot Do

A family will spend roughly SAR3,800 per month on a foreign driver, he said, costing the Saudi economy "billions of riyal every year" in remittances. This move he said, will help the kingdom deport over 1 million foreign drivers, while creating employment for women. He also insisted that Islam does not ban women from driving.

However, Alwaleed stand contrary to the Saudi deputy crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who had said he's "not convinced about women driving".

Image Credit: cbc.com

Now Saudi Women Are Being Referred To Terrorism Courts For Driving
Ukrainian army positions in Donbas came under 31 attacks in the past 24 hours, the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) press center said on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

Militants fired 120mm and 82mm mortars and grenade launchers on Avdiyivka and various types of grenade launchers on Opytne and Kamyanka in the Donetsk sector, it said.

Mortars shelled Krymske, Kosharna Balka and Novozvanivka in Luhansk sector, and Stanytsia Luhanska came under grenade launcher and heavy machine gun attack, it said.

Mortars bombarded Shyrokyne and Krasnohorivka in Mariupol sector, while infantry combat vehicles attacked Novohryhorivka, Vodiane and Talakivka, grenade launchers were employed in Novotroitske, a tank attacked Shyrokyne, and a sniper was operating in Mariinka and Novotroitske, the report said.
New Sanctuary Cities in Texas Vow to Resist Donald Trumps Deportations By Jordan Smith November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " The Intercept " - A decidedly despondent contingent of city and county elected officials gathered at city hall in Austin, Texas, on November 17 for a press conference designed to address residents safety concerns following the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. In particular, the officials  including the citys mayor, several city council members, and the newly elected district attorney and sheriff  sought to quell the concerns of the citys sizable immigrant population, given the nasty, xenophobic rhetoric espoused by Trump and his surrogates. My message, said council member Greg Casar, to the people who fear, justifiably, in their hearts what is to come, is that before they come for you, they have to come through me. The countys Democratic sheriff-elect, Sally Hernandez, was resolute: The sheriffs office will not be part of a deportation force that sacrifices hundreds and thousands of people, our neighbors, to a broken federal immigration system. Hernandez ran on a platform that included ending the countys commitment to honor detainer requests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Such requests ask that the county hold for ICE pick-up anyone booked into the county jail that the feds suspect might be in the country illegally. Hernandezs campaign promise put Austin on a trajectory to become the states first official so-called sanctuary city, a move praised by residents, activists, and city officials alike  that has also put the city, along with hundreds of other jurisdictions like it across the country, on a collision course with the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to undertake mass deportation of immigrants and to withhold millions in federal funds from jurisdictions that would try to stand in his way. Cities that refuse to cooperate with federal authorities, he said, will not receive taxpayer dollars. Although there is no legal definition of what a sanctuary city is, the term is colloquially bestowed on cities or counties that have policies limiting or refusing local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement authorities. In practice, that has generally meant refusing to cooperate with ICE detainer requests made under an Obama-era program called Secure Communities, or S-Comm, and its progeny, the newly named but largely unchanged Priority Enforcement Program. Under S-Comm, fingerprints collected by local jailers are shared via the FBI database with immigration authorities. If ICE gets a hit on a person thought to be in the country illegally, it issues a detainer request to the local jail, asking that the city or county hold the individual  even beyond the persons term of incarceration or after a person has made bail  until ICE can come to pick them up. Under S-Comm, ICE regularly asked for detainers on immigrants regardless of how minor their alleged crime, a problem that the Department of Homeland Security sought to improve upon by saying that those considered a threat to national security should be the priority. Otherwise, under PEP, the extraction program has remained the same; ICE has merely added the option of having the jail inform the agency when a person will be released instead of continuing to hold them in the jail. Participation in S-Comm, which Trump has vowed to re-up in its original form, was instrumental in securing the record-setting 2.5 million deportations carried out during the first six years of Obamas tenure, leading some advocates to dub the president Deporter in Chief. Under Greg Hamilton, the outgoing Democratic sheriff of Travis County, Texas, where Austin is located, the city ranked third in the nation for the rate of deportations initiated under S-Comm, a fact that enraged advocates, residents, and some local officials. In 2014, the city, which has no control over the sheriff or operations at the county jail, passed a resolution denouncing the program and imploring the sheriff to discontinue his offices participation in it. Hamilton refused  repeatedly saying he had no choice but to participate  and his recalcitrance almost certainly influenced voters choice of Hernandez from a wide field of primary candidates aiming to replace him. Hamilton was not the only veteran sheriff ousted from office this month by Texas voters frustrated in part by hardline positions on immigration and a too cozy relationship with ICE. In San Antonio, police Sgt. Javier Salazar, who boasted of his role in crafting a department policy that forbids officers from inquiring about immigration status, defeated Republican incumbent Sheriff Susan Pamerleau, whose position was that current immigration enforcement isnt punitive enough. My issue is, when they commit a crime, theres not a law today that requires that they be removed from the United States, she said. (Notably, however, Salazar has said he would follow PEP.) And in Harris County, where Houston is located, Sheriff-elect Ed Gonzalez campaigned in part on ending his countys participation in an even more insidious ICE program known as 287(g). Under that strategy, local law enforcement officers are actually deputized by the federal agency, and instead of merely granting a detainer request are tasked with ferreting out the immigration status of those in their custody. I hope that we could move away from regressive type of policies that are impactful, especially to one large segment of the community, which is the Latino community in this case, he said. Gonzalez said that he has concerns about the program violating due process rights, putting a strain on community relations, and encouraging racial profiling. Indeed, its not only S-Comm that Trump wants to bring back to life, but he is also a fan of the 287(g) program, which he has called a popular program that he would like to expand and revitalize. At it appears that is among the proposals that Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach took with him to his meeting with Trump, who has tagged Kobach as a potential head of DHS. In a photo of Kobach taken November 20, the anti-immigrant zealot had in his hand a paper titled as his strategic plan for Trumps first year in office, which includes deporting a record number of criminal aliens  in part, it seems, by increasing the reach of the 287(g) program to include at least 70 cities and counties. At present, there are just 32 jurisdictions involved in 287(g) partnerships with ICE  all of them based in jail operations. But theres no reason to think that a revitalized 287(g) program would be limited to operations behind bars. Instead, it would likely make it back out onto the streets  as a task force partnership  where beat cops are imbued with immigration enforcement power. Those partnerships were scrapped in 2012, following allegations that they encouraged racial profiling and inflamed distrust between police and the communities they serve. The misuse of the 287(g) is one of the legacies of the infamous and recently ousted sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Joe Arpaio. In all, advocates and experts are concerned by Trumps apparent dedication to amplifying immigration programs that have been fraught with abuse. Outsourcing federal immigration enforcement to localities is expensive in terms of costs to local communities, but also in terms of community safety and trust, Michele Waslin, senior research and policy analyst for the American Immigration Council wrote in an email to The Intercept. Given the evidence of racial profiling and civil rights violations, and the harm to community relations and community safety that 287(g) can create, we feel that going back to [that] program and [to] Secure Communities would be incredibly harmful to local communities and would invite civil rights abuses. Not only are the programs abusive, but in the case of S-Comm, unconstitutional  according to a string of recent court cases in which judges have found that the unlawful detention of a person absent probable cause is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. That fact, in turn, may make it difficult for a Trump administration to attack so-called sanctuary cities by threatening to withhold federal funding. You cant coerce [someone] through federal funding to do something that is unconstitutional, said Lena Graber, special projects attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. That defect may also impact states that align themselves with Trumps thinking and pass  or attempt to pass  laws that would punish cities or counties that uphold their community values by adopting sanctuary city policies. Texas lawmakers, for example, have tried multiple times to pass just such a law. This year, the governor and lieutenant governor have made its passage a priority, and activists are gearing up for what they believe will be a tough legislative session. I think were in for a real fight this year, said Bob Libal, executive director of the activist group Grassroots Leadership. If theres anything this election shows us its that you can get elected by appealing to the worst in people when it comes to immigration  the worst. But simply endorsing the flawed federal program at the state level does not cure its constitutional defects, says Jonathan Blazer, advocacy and policy counsel for the ACLU. If there are Fourth Amendment constitutional problems with ICEs use of detainers, or the actions that localities take in response to detainers, it does nothing to fix those constitutional problems for [states like Texas] to mandate that localities honor all detainers, constitutional or not, he wrote in an email to The Intercept. In fact, it serves to exacerbate the incidence of constitutional violation, and make the state susceptible itself to challenges that had previously been focused on ICE and localities. But even if the program did pass constitutional muster, it still might be tough for a Trump administration to use money to punish cities like Austin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Santa Fe, New Mexico, New York City, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Seattle  among others  by threatening to withhold funding. In general, the concept of federalism (or states rights as many a Republican politician reiterated ad nauseam during Obamas two terms) bars the feds from commandeering local governments to carry out federal policies. The current threats, to defund jurisdictions for not wanting to expend local law enforcement resources to carry out federal immigration enforcement, run directly into the core constitutional value of federalism, Cody Wofsy, Immigrants Rights Project attorney at the ACLU, wrote in an email. Even if Trumps plan didnt violate the principle of federalism, it still might be a tough legal pull. Though federal programs often come with strings attached, the Supreme Court has said that those strings cant be so onerous that they could be considered coercive. And where the government seeks uniformity in policy among the states and threatens to withhold funding as a means to achieve it, it must also demonstrate that the funding it chooses to withhold is reasonably related to the problematic policy. So the federal government could potentially seek to withhold policing-related funds from a sanctuary city, for example, but restricting access to broader pots of money, say Community Development Block Grants, likely would not work. Trump cant with the stroke of a pen end sanctuary cities or cut off funding to cities and states that he believes have sanctuary policies, the ACLUs Blazer said in an email. There are a number of programs that fund cities and states and each of these programs has their own rules, regulations, contracts. Trump cant just decide to flip a funding switch off, to penalize cities and states that are doing nothing wrong and for which no authority to penalize exists. Indeed, even the National Fraternal Order of Police, which endorsed Trump, has said that threatening to withhold law enforcement-related funds from cities that refuse to retreat from their sanctuary policies is ill-advised. We do not support the withholding of public safety funds as a hammer, said James Pasco, the police unions executive director. You cant hold peoples safety over their heads to get them to come to your point of view. Obamas Use of Unreliable Gang Databases for Deportations Could Be a Model for Trump : California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon called Trumps plan catastrophic and vowed that the state would aggressively avail ourselves of any and all tools to protect the rights of undocumented residents.
Tears, Hugs and Smiles, the Relief of Escaping Imprisonment in East Aleppo By Vanessa Beeley November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " 21st Century Wire " - These images and videos will never see the light of day in the corporate media editing rooms because they expose their almost six year narrative on Syria as one of the most criminal propaganda projects ever deployed against a sovereign nation, its people, its state and its national army. The prolonged dehumanization of the majority of the Syrian people, the exploitation of their children as cynical props to further the NATO & Gulf state geo-political objectives in the region, the overt and covert endorsement of NATO State-proxy terrorism, the tacit endorsement of economic terrorism via the illegal US/EU sanctions against Syria, all amount to crimes against Humanity and the Syrian people. The #FakeNews regime change cohorts are seeing their pyramid of lies being dismantled stone by stone, by the very people they have been claiming to protect for almost six years. This video shows the reactions of civilians, fleeing their four year imprisonment in East Aleppo, subjugated by various militant factions, funded by NATO states and led by Nusra Front aka Al Qaeda. The first woman, collapses into tears, as she reaches the journalist. These touching moments will be sullied by the corporate media reporting and accounting of events, as they desperately try to resuscitate their expiring Aleppo chronicles. Translation of what is being said by Suleiman Milad The following images were taken of the fleeing civilians in the last 24 hours. Today, more civilians exited terrorists held areas, and reached to Hanano & Al-Sakhour which are under the control of the SAA in Aleppo. Sarah Abdallah , analyst and commentator, notes the following: Syrian Arab Armys remarkable east Aleppo advancement continues: Four more districts freed today, including the pivotal region of Sakhour. In the last 48 hours alone, 12 east Aleppo districts have been liberated. From one area to the next, the moderate terrorists are melting down. Most important news today though is the SAAs recapture of the Suleiman al-Halabi Water Pumping Station. The Aleppo water crisis is over! Since 2012, Turkish-backed jihadists have withheld water from Aleppos residents as a means of blackmailing them into supporting the revolution. This has led to unprecedented levels of sickness and malnourishment. But now, the SAA has restored water to more than one million people as it moves ever-closer to freeing Aleppo entirely. 21st Century Wire will continue to post brief but informative updates as we receive them
Trumps Call to Ban Flag-burning Isnt About Patriotism. Its about Silencing Dissent.

By Tara Golshan



November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " VOX " - Flag-burning is free speech. Even the late Justice Antonin Scalia would tell you that

Donald Trump is laying out his agenda: He wants flag-burning to be a crime, possibly resulting in a loss of citizenship or even a year in jail, he tweeted Tuesday morning.

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

He was likely referring to an anti-Trump protest at the liberal Hampshire College in western Massachusetts, at which an alleged flag-burning took place.

His statement can easily be interpreted as yet another inflammatory and distracting Trump tweet  there have been many, after all. But Trumps calls for punishing flag-burners hinges on more substantial themes behind his political rise: an intolerance for dissenting voices and critique, and a willingness to turn a blind eye to certain inalienable rights afforded by the US Constitution.

Flag-burning, however unpatriotic, at its core is a form of expression that has repeatedly been upheld in the Supreme Court as such.

Trump just doesnt seem to care  and thats not new.

Trump is not the only politician to call for a criminalization of flag-burning. Hillary Clinton co-sponsored a bill banning flag-burning in 2005 while in the Senate. It was an attempt to equate the act to cross burning, which can be prosecuted as a violation of civil rights. The bill failed to pass the Senate by one vote.

Flag-burning has been a right upheld by the Supreme Court as a protection of free speech and expression as recently as 1989 in the 5-4 Texas v. Johnson decision. The late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia sided with the protester, holding that flag-burning is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

If it were up to me, I would put in jail every sandal-wearing, scruffy-bearded weirdo who burns the American flag. But I am not king. Scalia said in 2015, maintaining his position more than a decade later.

Not to mention that Trumps suggestion for punishment goes against a 1958 Supreme Court decision that claimed stripping citizenship was a form of "cruel and unusual punishment," Politico notes.

As the Washington Posts Philip Bump notes, it's absolutely the sort of fight that Trump would relish, mind you, pitting egghead supporters of free speech and the First Amendment against the patriotism of people who find flag-burning unacceptable.

Trumps interest in the debate cements his long-documented willingness to disregard certain freedoms afforded by the Constitution, fueled by a temperament seemingly less rooted in a need to protect American patriotism, but rather in a desire to silence critical voices.

Last week, in an interview with the New York Times, Trump was asked if he was committed to the First Amendment  something that has been concerning to journalists as hes threatened to open up our libel laws.

I think youll be happy, he told the room of reporters and editors. Actually, somebody said to me on that, they said, You know, its a great idea, softening up those laws, but you may get sued a lot more. I said, You know, youre right, I never thought about that. I said, You know, I have to start thinking about that. So, I, I think youll be O.K. I think youre going to be fine.

That the Times Mark Thompson felt the need to ask about a presidents commitment to a core tenet of the Constitution is a commentary on months of hostility between Trump and the press  and more broadly critical voices.

On the campaign trail, Trump has also repeatedly called for protesters at his rallies to be thrown in jail, and had demonstrators and journalists escorted out of his rallies and press conferences. During the campaign, he revoked press credentials to Washington Post, BuzzFeed, and other news outlets. As my colleague Dylan Matthews explained, its a mannerism similar to that of Richard Nixons:

This kind of targeting of the press is classic Nixon. His initial 20-member "enemies' list" contained three journalists: columnist Mary McGrory, CBS's Dan Schorr, and LA Times national editor Edwin Guthman. Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, were recorded discussing how to "go after" Schorr; Haldeman mentions that he'd already gotten the FBI to look into him and had the IRS investigating Schorr and McGrory. "FBI agents around the country did twenty-five interviews on Schorr in less than six hours," Nixon biographer Richard Reeves writes.

Trump even blasted the audience of the musical Hamilton for booing Vice President-elect Mike Pence (who called the booing what freedom sounds like).

All of this suggests that Trump is not a big fan of people expressing their displeasure with him. One glance at his Twitter feed will demonstrate his animus toward dissenting or critical voices.
Hasta Siempre, Dear Comandante Fidel! By Peter Koenig November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - The Revolutionary of all Revolutionaries, El Comandante Fidel Castro, died on 25 November 2016, at the age of 90 (1926-2016). But the spirit of his Revolution will live on forever. Fidel, the Leader of the Cuban Revolution, is an icon not only for Cuban history, but for the world. He has for almost 60 years defied the power of the United States, of 11 US Presidents. He has resisted a brutal, illegal and criminal international blockade against his small Caribbean island of 11 million people. As one of his devotees exclaimed, before Fidel, Cuba was apebble in the Caribbean; today, Cuba is known in the entire world. Fidel survived more than 600 assassination attempts by US secret services, their mercenaries and proxies. In 2008 he stepped down for health reasons, appointing his brother Raul, who was his co-revolutionary in 1959 and throughout the last six decades, to continue leading the Revolution forward with the socialist values that brought Cubans universal health care, education and other social indicators, unmatched anywhere in the Americas and in most of the rest of the world. Rauls brief statement on Friday morning, 26 November, announcing Fidels passing, touched the world far beyond Latin America https://www.bluewin.ch/de/news/ausland/2016/11/26/kubanischer-revolutionsfuehrer-fidel-castro-ist-tot.html . The Bloqueo One of Fidels and his teams most important achievements  and example to the world  is Cubas resistance to the US imposed total bloqueo, as the Cubans call it. It has become a work in progress of an Economy of Resistance and may become an example for many countries unwilling to bend to the neoliberal dictate of the Occident. After the 1959 overthrow of the US backed dictator, Fulgencio Batista, the US blockade was first imposed by President Eisenhower in October 1960, covering all US exports except for food and medicine. In its eternal spirit of manipulating the truth, Washington likes to use the softer term embargo, instead of what it was and is: a blockade. In 1961 just before leaving office, Eisenhower broke off all diplomatic relations with Cuba, in an effort of total isolation of the island nation. In 1962 JFK expanded the blockade covering all trade. He also banned all travel by US citizens to Cuba. Despite President Obamas recent ouverture of reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, the blockade remains practically unchanged. In his famous speech at the White House Cabinet Room on December 17, 2014, announcing Washingtons new approach to Cuba, Obama said, After all, these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. Its time for a new approach  essentially meaning, we will try another method to bring about regime change. The blockade is as of this day governed by six US statutes, most prominently the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Referring to these laws, Obama said on 17 December The embargo thats been imposed for decades is now codified in legislation. As these changes unfold, I look forward to engaging Congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo. And later in his speech, In that spirit, we should not allow U.S. sanctions to add to the burden of Cuban citizens that we seek to help. What a hypocrisy! With this US special legislation, and totally illegal, Washington has pressured the international community under threat of sanctions, to adhere to the US blockade and refrain from trading with Cuba. Obama also stated though this policy [of isolation] has been rooted in the best of intentions, no other nation joins us in imposing these sanctions, and it has had little effect beyond providing the Cuban government with a rationale for restrictions on its people. What a blatant lie!  Just witness on how Cubas economy has been down-beaten and curtailed as a direct and purposeful result of the blockade. But the Comandante and his people defied the worst: Cuba did not fall. Cuba stands tall as of this day  and will not fall to the pressures of the empire and its neo-fascist vassals around the world. Obama was also inferring that Washington would not engage in illegal interference in other countries sovereignty by asking them to follow the same scheme of blockade (full speech https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/17/statement-president-cuba-policy-changes). This is in direct contradiction to what is actually happening; another universal lie. Just look at US sanctions around the globe and how Washington forces friends and foes alike to follow the same regime of sanctions. Internet abounds with lists of countries subject to US sanctions, and many of them are sanctions for not following sanctions. For example, Reuters reports that BNP Paribas SA was sentenced to five years probation by a U.S. judge on Friday [April 17, 2015] in connection with a record $8.9 billion settlement [fine] resolving claims that it violated sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bnp-paribas-settlement-sentencing-idUSKBN0NM41K20150501). Already in school Fidel learned about social injustice and was determined to fight against it, by becoming a lawyer. With the intention to overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, he created a guerilla organization, The Movement, renamed in 1955, The 26th of July Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario del 26 de Julio  MR-26-7), with which he carried out the liberation of Cuba that lasted from 1953 to 1959. In July 1953, Fidel and his comrades attacked the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba at eastern tip of the island. The assault failed. Many of Fidels Comrades lost their lives. Fidel was condemned to 15 years in prison. On 16 October 1953, in a 4-hour speech of self-defense to the court he spoke the by now legendary words, History will absolve me (La historia me absolvera). And absolve him it did. In 1955, Batista declared an amnesty and Fidel was freed. He fled to Mexico, where he met with Argentine Marxist Revolutionary, Ernesto (Che) Guevara  El Che. Together and with his brother Raul, and another 79 revolutionaries they embarked in November 1956 with the yacht Granma on a 7-day journey to Cuba. They aimed for the mountainous Sierra Maestra, in Oriente Province. Under attack from Batistas troops, only 16 comrades survived. They were able to recruit for the MR-26-7 a small guerilla army of 200 to 300 likeminded rebels. It grew as the Revolution grew and gradually took over the country. During two years, they battled the Batista military. On 8 January 1959, Fidel and his victorious guerilla Revolutionaries entered Havana. Revolution knows no rest, as Fidel said on several occasions. On 17 April 1961, Comandante Castros Revolutionary Armed Forces successfully defeated in a three-day battle the CIA sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by the infamous Brigade 2506  la invasion de la Playa Giron. This perhaps best known attempt to overthrow the Castro regime was followed by many more. Fidel defied 637 assassination attempts. He developed one of the worlds best and most effective secret and protective services. Fidel and Che Guevara remained close friends and brothers-in-arms. El Che held various government positions, including Minister of Industry. As traveling diplomat, he went before the United Nations in New York, attempting to reach a peaceful settlement with the United States; it failed. As a military strategist, he was instrumental in training Cubas Revolutionary Army that beat the Bay of Pigs invasion. He also played a major role in bringing the Soviet ballistic nuclear missiles to Cuba, prompting the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1965, Ernesto Che Guevara decided that he had accomplished his revolutionary deed in Cuba. It was time to move on to other battle grounds, where revolutions were needed to overthrow despots, like in Congo-Kinshasa and in Bolivia. He was unsuccessful in Congo and was captured and executed by firing squad on 9 October 1967 in La Higuera, Bolivia. His remains rest now in the Che Guevara Mausoleum in Santa Clara, Cuba. Before leaving Cuba, Che wrote a dramatically emotional and revolutioonary farewell letter to his friend and comrade, Fidel, in which he expresses his admiration for the Comandante and gratitude for the role he was able to play side by side with Fidel (full letter https://www.marxists.org/archive/guevara/1965/04/01.htm ). Fidel led a Revolution that freed Cuba from 500 years of abject colonialism, first by Spain, then by the United States. But the Revolution didnt end with the many victorious battles. Fidel and his comrades, and eventually the entire country became a living Revolution. In fact, Revolution became one of Cubas key export products. Revolution as a new way of thinking, Revolution as opposition to the all-destructive capitalism, Revolution as in Solidarity with people in need. When Hugo Chavez became President of Venezuela in 1999, Fidel and Hugo became friends and established a close relationship between the two socialist countries. In December 2004, Chavez and Castro founded the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), an economically sustainable alternative to the neoliberal, all-privatizing free trade imposed by Washington throughout the 1990s on Latin America. It is an approach to trade where partners benefit equally, trading according to their necessities and maintaining their sovereignty. Cubas solidarity with nations in distress is unparalleled throughout the globe. Cubas medical doctors and workers are found in over 40 countries in the world, fighting epidemics, tropical diseases and helping with natural disasters wherever the need occurs. Cuban doctors were among the first ones in 2013 to fight the deadly Ebola disease in West Africa. When the devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Cuban doctors and emergency workers were the first ones to come to rescue. The Cuban Revolution travels by spirit, in the form of new mindsets. It had a huge influence on Latin American nations turning gradually away from the northern imposed military dictators, freeing themselves from the fangs of the Northern Bald Eagle, alias, the ruthless all-devouring vulture. The Cuban Revolution was and is alive, a true sign for achieving the impossible with a revolutionary spirit. Fidel was a Don Quijote, always fighting for the oppressed, the dispossessed, those aggressed by the domineering forces of the west for their resources, for their strategically placed territories  or for sheer hegemony. Fidel never was a patsy to anyone. And this is maybe one of the most valuable lessons and messages he sends to the growing generation of young people who are unwilling to follow the path of the hegemon: Stand up for yourself, for the values you believe in, and in solidarity with the people who need your help. Your soul and conscience will reward you. Fidels legacy is larger than life, and larger than words can tell. Fidel is revered throughout the world, by statesman from the Americas, to Africa, to Asia. On 29 November, Havanas Revolution Square will be replete with millions of mourners, including heads of states from all over the globe who come to bid farewell to Fidel, but foremost to celebrate his Revolution that will reverberate throughout the world in a life-force that can never be erased. Viva Fidel!

Viva Cuba!

Hasta la Victoria Siempre! Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He writes regularly for Global Research, ICH, RT, Sputnik, PressTV, The 4th Media, TeleSUR, TruePublica, The Vineyard of The Saker Blog, and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion  An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed  fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution!  Essays from the Resistance .
Two Ukrainian soldiers wounded, one shell-shocked during attack in Luhansk region

Two Ukrainian soldiers were injured and another one was shell-shocked during an attack on Ukrainian army positions near the villages of Novozvanivka and Novooleksandrivka in Luhansk region, Luhansk Regional State Administration said on Wednesday.

The attacks employed 82mm mortars, anti-tank grenade launchers and anti-tank missile systems, it said.

In addition, the village of Krymske in the Novoaidar district twice came under attack of 120mm and 82mm mortars, the report said.

The administration reported two attacks on Ukrainian positions near Stanytsia Luhanska using automatic and anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machineguns and small arms.
Jimmy Carter: America Must Recognize Palestine By Jimmy Carter November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " NYT " - ATLANTA  We do not yet know the policy of the next administration toward Israel and Palestine, but we do know the policy of this administration. It has been President Obamas aim to support a negotiated end to the conflict based on two states, living side by side in peace. That prospect is now in grave doubt. I am convinced that the United States can still shape the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before a change in presidents, but time is very short. The simple but vital step this administration must take before its term expires on Jan. 20 is to grant American diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine, as 137 countries have already done, and help it achieve full United Nations membership. Back in 1978, during my administration, Israels prime minister, Menachem Begin, and Egypts president, Anwar Sadat, signed the Camp David Accords. That agreement was based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which was passed in the aftermath of the 1967 war. The key words of that resolution were the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in which every state in the area can live in security, and the withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict. The agreement was ratified overwhelmingly by the Parliaments of Egypt and Israel. And those two foundational concepts have been the basis for the policy of the United States government and the international community ever since. This was why, in 2009, at the beginning of his first administration, Mr. Obama reaffirmed the crucial elements of the Camp David agreement and Resolution 242 by calling for a complete freeze on the building of settlements, constructed illegally by Israel on Palestinian territory. Later, in 2011, the president made clear that the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines, and added, negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. Today, however, 38 years after Camp David, the commitment to peace is in danger of abrogation. Israel is building more and more settlements, displacing Palestinians and entrenching its occupation of Palestinian lands. Over 4.5 million Palestinians live in these occupied territories, but are not citizens of Israel. Most live largely under Israeli military rule, and do not vote in Israels national elections. Meanwhile, about 600,000 Israeli settlers in Palestine enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship and laws. This process is hastening a one-state reality that could destroy Israeli democracy and will result in intensifying international condemnation of Israel. The Carter Center has continued to support a two-state solution by hosting discussions this month with Israeli and Palestinian representatives, searching for an avenue toward peace. Based on the positive feedback from those talks, I am certain that United States recognition of a Palestinian state would make it easier for other countries that have not recognized Palestine to do so, and would clear the way for a Security Council resolution on the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Security Council should pass a resolution laying out the parameters for resolving the conflict. It should reaffirm the illegality of all Israeli settlements beyond the 1967 borders, while leaving open the possibility that the parties could negotiate modifications. Security guarantees for both Israel and Palestine are imperative, and the resolution must acknowledge the right of both the states of Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Further measures should include the demilitarization of the Palestinian state, and a possible peacekeeping force under the auspices of the United Nations. A strong Security Council resolution would underscore that the Geneva Conventions and other human rights protections apply to all parties at all times. It would also support any agreement reached by the parties regarding Palestinian refugees. The combined weight of United States recognition, United Nations membership and a Security Council resolution solidly grounded in international law would lay the foundation for future diplomacy. These steps would bolster moderate Palestinian leadership, while sending a clear assurance to the Israeli public of the worldwide recognition of Israel and its security. This is the best  now, perhaps, the only  means of countering the one-state reality that Israel is imposing on itself and the Palestinian people. Recognition of Palestine and a new Security Council resolution are not radical new measures, but a natural outgrowth of Americas support for a two-state solution. The primary foreign policy goal of my life has been to help bring peace to Israel and its neighbors. That September in 1978, I was proud to say to a joint session of Congress, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. As Mr. Begin and Mr. Sadat sat in the balcony above us, the members of Congress stood and applauded the two heroic peacemakers. I fear for the spirit of Camp David. We must not squander this chance.
How a Syrian White Helmets Leader Played Western Media



Reporters who rely on the White Helmets' leader in Aleppo ignore his record of deception and risk manipulation.



By Gareth Porter November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Alternet " - The White Helmets, founded to rescue victims trapped under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Syrian and Russian bombing, have become a favorite source for Western news media covering a story on Russian-Syrian bombing. Portrayed as humanitarian heroes for over the past year and even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize last summer, the White Helmets have been accorded unquestioned credibility by journalists covering the Syrian crisis. Yet the White Helmets are hardly a non-political organization. Funded heavily by the U.S. State Department and the British Foreign Office, the group operates only in areas in northern Syria controlled by an al Qaeda affiliate and their extremist alliesareas to which Western journalists have not had access. Given that the White Helmets work under the authority of those who hold the real power in east Aleppo and other opposition-controlled zones, the Western medias reliance on this organization for information comes with serious risks of being manipulated. The highly political role played by the White Helmets in relation to foreign press coverage was dramatically demonstrated after the attack on a Syrian Red Crescent truck convoy in the rebel held area of Urum al-Kubra, just west of Aleppo on September 19. The assault took place immediately after a ceasefire agreed to by Russia, the U.S. and the Syrian government was shattered by a deadly U.S. air attack on Syrian army forces battling ISIS around the city of Deir Ezzor on September 17. The Obama administration assumed the attack was an airstrike and immediately blamed it on Russian or Syrian aircraft. An unidentified U.S. official told the New York Times that there was a very high probability that a Russian plane was near the area just before the attack, but the administration did not make public any evidence in support of that claim. In the days following the attack, news media coverage relied heavily on accounts provided by the White Helmets. The head of the organization in Aleppo, Ammar Al-Selmo, was offering them a personal on-the-scene account. Selmos version of the story turned out to be riddled with falsehoods; however, many journalists approached it without an ounce of skepticism, and have continued to rely on him for information on the ongoing battles in and around Aleppo. Changing stories while the press plays along The first detail on which Selmos testimony revealed itself as dishonest is his claim about where he was located at the moment the attack began. Selmo told Time Magazine the day after the attack that he was a kilometer or more away from the warehouse where the aid convoy trucks were parked at that pointpresumably at the local White Helmet center in Urm al-Kubra. But Selmo changed his story in an interview with the Washington Post published September 24, stating he was making tea in a building across the street at that moment. Even more dramatically, Selmo claimed at first that he saw the beginning of the attack. According to the story published by Time on September 21, Selmo said he was drinking tea on the balcony when the bombing began, and he could see the first barrel bombs falling from what he identified as a Syrian regime helicopter. But Selmo could not have seen a barrel bomb falling from a helicopter or anything else at that moment. In a video shot early the next morning, Selmo declared that the bombing had started at about 7:30pm. In later statements, the White Helmets put the time at 7:12pm. But sunset on September 19 was at 6:31pm, and by roughly 7pm, Aleppo was shrouded in complete darkness. Someone evidently called Selmos attention to that problem after the Time story was published, because by the time he gave his account to the Washington Post, he had changed that part of the story as well. The Post reported his amended account as follows: Stepping onto a balcony just after 7pm, when it was already past dusk, he said he listened to a helicopter swoop in and drop two barrel bombs on the convoy. In videos the White Helmets made the night of the attack, Selmo went even further, asserting on one segment of the video that four barrel bombs had been dropped and in another, that eight barrel bombs had been dropped. The idea that barrel bombs were used in the attack was immediately picked up by self-styled media activists on behalf of the opposition authorities in Aleppo the following morning, as the BBC reported. That theme was in line with an effort by opposition sources going back to 2012 to identify barrel bombs as uniquely destructive weapons, more reprehensible than conventional missiles. Questionable evidence from partisan sources In a video the White Helmets produced the night of the attack, Selmo addresses viewers by pointing at the indentation of the supposed bomb blast. You see the box of the barrel bomb? he asks. But what is shown in the video is a rectangular indentation in the gravel or rubble that appears to be about a foot deep two feet wide and a little more than three feet long. He reaches under the surface and pulls out what look like a damaged shovel blade, based on its shape. That scene clearly proves Selmos claim to have been completely false. Barrel bombs make very large round craters at least 25 feet wide and more than 10 feet deep, so the box-like indentation in the video bore no resemblance whatever to a barrel bomb crater. Hussein Badawi, who is the local White Helmets director of Urum al-Kubra, is clearly lower than Selmo in the organizations hierarchy. Badawi appeared briefly next to Selmo in one segment of the video made that night but remains silent, then disappeared. Nevertheless, Badawi directly contradicted Selmos claim that the first explosions that night were from barrel bombs. In a White Helmets video that was translated from Arabic into English, Badawi described those first explosions not as airstrikes but as four consecutive rockets near the center of the Red Crescent compound at Urum al-Kubra. No other visual evidence of a crater such as would have been created by a barrel bomb has come to light. In support of Selmos assertion, The Russian-based Conflict Intelligence Team, which is dedicated to refuting Russian government claims, could only cite the video frame of Selmo holding up that single piece of metal. The Bellingcat website, whose founder Eliot Higgins is a non-resident fellow of the militantly anti-Russian, State Department-funded Atlantic Council, and has no technical expertise on munitions, pointed to the same frame. Higgins claimed that the piece of metal came from a crater. He also cited a second photograph that he said showed a repaired crater in the road next to a burnt-out truck. But the area in the photograph that appeared to be covered with fresh dirt is clearly no more than three feet long and a bit more two feet wideagain far too small to be evidence of a barrel bomb explosion. Selmos White Helmet team also distributed to Bellingcat and media outlets what appeared at first glance to be visual evidence of Syrian and Russian air attacks: the crumpled tailfin of a Russian OFAB-250 bomb, which can be seen under the boxes in a photograph taken inside a warehouse at the site. Bellingcat cited those photographs as clinching evidence of Russian use of that bomb in the attack on the aid convoy. But that photographs of the OFAB tailfin is extremely problematic as evidence of an airstrike. If an OFAB-250 bomb had actually exploded at that point it would have left a crater that was much larger than the one shown is that photograph. The standard rule of thumb is that an OFAB-250, like other any other conventional bomb weighing 250kg would make a crater 24 to 36 feet wide and 10 or 12 feet deep. The magnitude of its crater is shown in a video of a Russian journalist standing in one after the battle for the Syrian city of Palmyra, which had been held by ISIS. Furthermore, the wall in the photograph only a few feet from the supposed point of impact was clearly not affected by the bomb. That indicates that either no OFAB-250 was dropped in that spot or it was a dud. But the picture of the boxes surrounding the OFAB tailfin also reveals other evidence that there was an explosion. As one observer discovered from a close examination, the boxes display evidence of shrapnel tears. A closeup of one package shows a pattern of fine shrapnel holes. Only something much less powerful than an OFAB-250 bomb or a barrel bomb would account for those observable facts. One weapon whose shrapnel could cause the pattern seen in the photograph is the Russian S-5 rocket, two variants of which throw out either 220 or 360 small shrapnel fragments. In the video he made the night of the attack, Selmo had already claimed that Russian aircraft fired S-5s at the site, although he mistakenly called them C-5s. And a photograph of two S-5 missiles was also distributed to Bellingcat and to news organizations, including the Washington Post. Selmo insisted to Time magazine that the airstrikes were divided between barrel bombs and missiles fired by Russian jets. But again Badawi, the White Helmets chief for Urum al Kubra, contradicted Selmo in a separate video, stating that the initial barrage of missiles were launched from the ground. Badawis admission was very significant, because the Syrian opposition forces have had supplies of Russian S-5s ever since the weapons were smuggled out of Libya to the rebels in large numbers in 2012. They have been using S-5s as ground-launched rockets like the Libyan rebels did, and have designed their own improvised launchers for them. Badawi claimed the initial four missiles had been fired by Syrian government forces from the defense factories in southern Aleppo governorate. But the government defense plants in southern Aleppo governorate are in al-Safiramore than 25 kilometers away, whereas the S-5s have a range of only 3 to 4 kilometers. Even more telling is that fact that, despite Selmos insistence that airstrikes continued for hours and included as many as 20 to 25 distinct attacks, none of the members of the White Helmet team captured a single airstrike in a video, which would have provided clear audio-visual evidence of his claim. The Atlantic Councils Bellingcat site pointed to a video posted online by opposition sources in Aleppo as providing such audio evidence of jet planes just before the nighttime explosions. But despite a voice on the video declaring that it was a Russian airstrike, the sound stops immediately after the fiery explosion, indicating that it was caused by a ground launched missile, not a missile fired from a jet plane. Thus the confirming evidence of an airstrike claimed by Bellingcat did not actually confirm it at all. Despite a record of distortions, Selmo remains the go-to source Whoever was responsible for the attack on the Syrian Red Crescent aid convoy, it is clear that Ammar al-Selmo, the top White Helmet official in Aleppo, lied about where he was when the attack on the aid convoy began and, at least initially, misled his audience when he said he witnessed the first stages of the attack with his own eyes. Whats more, he made claims of Syrian barrel bombs and Russian OFAB-250 bombs dropped on the convoy that are not supported by any credible evidence. In light of Selmos readiness to embellish his account and to support the narrative of a Russian-Syrian attack, Western media should have been far more careful about relying on it as confirming the U.S. charge about the aid convoy attack. But during the weeks of heavy Russian and Syrian bombing in eastern Aleppo that followed the breakdown of the ceasefire, Selmo was frequently quoted by the news media as a source on the bombing campaign. And Selmo exploited the new situation to push the rebels political agenda. On September 23, the White Helmets told the news media that three of their four operating centers in east Aleppo had been hit and two of them were out of commission. National Public Radio quoted Selmo as saying he believed the group had been deliberately targeted, because he had intercepted pilots communications and heard them getting orders to bomb his colleagues. Curiously, NPR failed to identify Selmo as the head of the White Helmets in east Aleppo, identifying him only as a White Helmets member. Five days later the Washington Post reported a similar claim by Ismail Abdullah, another White Helmets official working directly under Selmo. Sometimes we hear the pilot tell his base, We see a market for the terrorists, there is a bakery for the terrorists, said Abdullah. Is it okay to hit them? They say, Okay, hit them. He further claimed that on September 21, the White Helmets had heard an enemy pilot refer to the terrorist civil defense centers. The organization sent a message to U.S. officials in New York for the U.N. General Assembly that they were being targeted, Abdullah added. These dramatic stories helped propel the White Helmets campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was announced days later but which they ultimately did not win. The claim that the White Helmets had overheard pilots asking for and receiving permission to hit targets while in the air is a fabrication, according to Pierre Sprey, a former Pentagon analyst on combat aircraft who played a central role in designing the F-16. Its inconceivable that this could have been an authentic communication between an attack pilot and a controller, Sprey told AlterNet, referring to Selmos accounts. The only time a pilot might initiate a request to hit a target is if he sees gunfire from it. Otherwise it makes no sense. The day after the Russian and Syrian bombing campaign on rebel-held eastern Aleppo began on September 22, Reuters turned to Selmo for an overall assessment of the bombings impact on Aleppo. Selmo bluntly declared, Whats happening now is annihilation. Following this dramatic statement, Western media continued to cite Selmo as though he were a neutral source. On September 26, Reuters went back to the White Helmets working under him again, citing an estimate by unnamed civil defense workers in Aleppo -- which could only mean members of the White Helmets -- that 400 people had already been killed in less than five days of bombing in and around Aleppo. But after three full weeks of bombing the United Nations and other agencies estimated that 360 people had been killed in the bombing, suggesting that the White Helmets figure had been was several times higher than could be documented by non-partisan sources. It is obviously difficult for the news media to cover events such as the attack on the Syrian Red Crescent aid convoy and the bombing in Aleppo from Istanbul or Beirut. But the hunger for information from the ground should not outweigh the obligation to vet sources. Selmo and his White Helmets should have been recognized for what they are: a partisan source with an agenda reflecting the power to which the organization is accountable: the armed extremists who have controlled east Aleppo, Idlib, and other areas of northern Syria. The uncritical reliance on claims by the White Helmets without any effort to investigate their credibility is yet another telling example of journalistic malpractice by media outlets with a long record of skewing coverage of conflicts toward an interventionist narrative. Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist specializing in U.S. national security policy. His latest book is Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare (Just World Books, 2014).
Obama Extends Global Reach of US Special Operations Death Squads By Patrick Martin November 29, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " WSWS " - In major actions reported only briefly by the establishment press, President Obama has given vast new scope to the Pentagons Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), authorizing it to carry out assassinations across the globe. The units of JSOC have long been employed by the chiefs of the six major regional military commands, such as Centcom, which covers the Middle East and Central Asia, to conduct counter-terrorism operations. One such unit, Seal Team Six, carried out the assassination of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Obama has approved a proposal to give JSOC independent authority to operate outside the regional commands, essentially as a globalized assassination force. JSOC units will bypass the regional commanders and report directly to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in the Pentagon. According to the Washington Post, The missions could occur well beyond the battlefields of places like Iraq, Syria and Libya, where Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) has carried out clandestine operations in the past. When finalized, it will elevate JSOC from being a highly-valued strike tool used by regional military commands to leading a new multi-agency intelligence and action force. The mandate of the new formation, to be called the Counter-External Operations Task Force, or Ex-Ops in Pentagon jargon, will embrace the entire planet. This means US military death squads could be sent to virtually any location, from European cities to South American jungles, including the United States itself. According to the Post, a reorganization making counter-terrorism an independent, global command has been discussed in the Pentagon for 15 years, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but it was always rejected on the grounds that it would cause friction with the regional commanders and create duplication in command structures. The newspaper did not address the question of why now, a decade-and-a-half later, the Obama administration has decided to press forward with the new global counter-terrorism initiative. The decision is likely, at least in part, a response to the debacle of the US war on terror from the standpoint of the global aims of American imperialism. The US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria and repeated drone strikes in other countries, including Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, have inflicted catastrophic levels of death and destruction, but they have not achieved the hoped-for hegemonic control of the region and its vast energy resources. Obamas decision represents a determination to escalate US military violence in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Another likely consideration is the possibility that the ongoing military offensives against Islamic State territories in Syria and Iraq, and particularly the siege of Mosul, could lead to thousands of ISIS militants turning to terrorist attacks outside the Middle East. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter traveled to Paris last month with SOCOM Commander Raymond Thomas for talks with security officials from several European countries. A major topic was the impact on Europe of a sudden weakening in the military position of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Carter told his European counterparts that JSOC has been put in the lead of countering ISIS external operations, the first mention of the impending Pentagon reorganization. The Post report sought to present the Obama-approved reorganization as an effort to set limits on the operations of special forces under the incoming Trump administration, including approval by several agencies before a drone strike and near certainty that no civilians will be killed guidelines. But these restrictions are for cosmetic purposes only and have not stopped the mass slaughter of civilians by drone missile warfare. Moreover, Trump is not bound in any way by executive orders issued by Obama. The fascistic president-elect has already made his intentions clear, as far as US Special Forces operations are concerned. He has vowed to order the killing of the wives and children of suspected ISIS fighters, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The latest White House orders serve to facilitate these homicidal intentions. Less than a month ago, Obama was campaigning against the election of Trump, denouncing him as unfit to be commander-in-chief and as a menace to the world. Now, as Foreign Policy magazine reported, Obama is handing the incoming Trump team tools to wage war that no president has held before. In one particular theater of US counter-terrorism operations, Somalia, Obama has taken additional action to escalate the carnage by declaring the Islamist group al-Shabab to be part of the armed conflict authorized by the US Congress in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The legal maneuver, reported Monday by the New York Times, demonstrates the infinitely expandable scope of the US-declared war on terror. The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed by Congress on September 14, 2001, approved military action against Al Qaeda and associated forces, including the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The 2001 AUMF has been interpreted by the Bush and Obama administrations as a blanket authorization for military action wherever the president claims to find a connection to Al Qaeda, no matter how tenuous. Al-Shabab was not founded until 2007, six years after the 9/11 attacks, in response to the US-backed invasion of Somalia by Ethiopian troops. It has never conducted operations outside of East Africa. The Times noted that the Somalia decision was one of a series of Obama actions expanding the militarys authority, including broadening the scope of air strikes in Afghanistan and approving air strikes against Sirte, the Libyan city held by supporters of ISIS. More than 400 air strikes followed, pounding into rubble a city already devastated by five years of civil war following the 2011 US-NATO bombing campaign. The preparations to reinforce the pseudo-legal basis of the war in Somalia no doubt began well before the election, when Obama expected to hand off authority to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But it has continued uninterrupted after Trumps victory, and as the Times reported, it is a move that will strengthen President-elect Donald J. Trumps authority to combat thousands of Islamist fighters in the chaotic Horn of Africa nation. Earlier this month, the British-based Guardian reported that Barack Obama will not tighten the rules governing US drone strikes ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration. An Amnesty International USA official, Naureen Shah, told the newspaper, Obama has normalized the idea that presidents get to have secret large-scale killing programs at their disposal. These events shed a new and sinister light over the reports of frequent closed-door discussions between Obama and Trump during the three weeks since the November 8 election. Theyve been talking regularly on any number of issues, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on CNNs State of the Union program Sunday. Obama was at pains, in his first post-election statement, to dismiss the bitter vituperation of the election campaign, declaring that the electoral struggle between the Democrats and Republicans was merely an intramural scrimmage. This is profoundly true: both parties represent the same class, the American financial aristocracy, and its global interests, defended in the final analysis by death and destruction inflicted by the American military machine . Copyright  1998-2016 World Socialist Web Site - All rights reserved
The authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, has suspended 23 workers of the institution for insubordination to the Governing Council of the institution.

Members of the three labour unions of the university  the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists  have been at loggerheads with the the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, over alleged financial mismanagement.

Following a petition, the VC was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and was released, but members of the unions on the campus were not pleased. They consequently embarked on a series of protests, calling for the sacking of the VC.

However, on Thursday, the institution in a letter signed by the Registrar, Mrs. Modupe Ajayi, alleged that the sacked members of staff had been disturbing academic activities on the campus.

The letter gave the names of the affected workers as Dele Durojaye, Mike Opirijit, Remi Egunjobi, Bunmi Ayo -Alafe, Felix Adunbi, Obe Rotimi, Aladesuyi Ajoke, Philip Jayeoba, Akanji Justinah, Bayo Aladerotohun, Adefolarin Adesida and Ruth Bakare.

Other names on the letter included M.P. Faola, S. Arokoyu, J.S. Asante, Thomas Aina, Nelson Njoku, A.E. Omoraka, O.R. Bello, O.M. Fagbamiye-Akinwale and Mathew Fayiwole.

The letter read in part, Your action amounts to wilful disobedience and act of insubordination to the Governing Council, which is tantamount to misconduct. In this regard, the portion of the letter under reference which states that, Council will therefore take appropriate action to restore normalcy if the unions fail to comply with its directive, is hereby being effected.

Consequent upon that, and in consonance with the universitys enabling law, I have been directed that you be put on suspension (on half pay) with effect from Monday, 28th November, 2016, pending the resolution of the matter.

Accordingly, you are hereby suspended from the services of the university and placed on half pay with effect from 28th November, 2016. You are to hand over all university property in your custody to your Head of Department/Unit.

In view of the foregoing, you are to stay away from the university campus until further notiA Tinubu Magistrates Court sitting on Lagos Island has ordered the remand of a 62-year-old man, Shafideen Bakare, and 13 other suspects in prison for allegedly invading an agro-allied firm in Ogombo town, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The police identified Bakares accomplices as Tajudeen Bakare, Kolawole Amide, Lawal Olatunji, Kabiru Salami, Biodun Sanni, Saheed Quadri and Adeniyi Lamini.

Others are Femi Adeturinmo, Olaitan Adebayo, Abideen Olatunji, Olawole Goodluck, Azeez Jamiu and Saheed Azeez.

They were arraigned on three counts of trespass and engaging in conduct likely to cause breach of the peace before the court.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects on November stormed the firm, wielding cutlasses and knives. They allegedly wanted to claim the ownership of the land.

It was gathered that the firm alerted the police to the invasion and they were apprehended.

A police prosecutor, Inspector Philip Osijale, who brought them before the court on Tuesday, said the offences contravened sections 56 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, as well as no C47 (7) of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016.

The charges read in part, That you, Shafideen Bakare, Tajudeen Bakare, Kolawole Amide, Lawal Olatunji, Kabiru Salami, Biodun Sanni, Saheed Quadri, Adeniyi Lamini, Femi Adeturinmo, Olaitan Adebayo, Abideen Olatunji, Olawole Goodluck, Azeez Jamiu and Saheed Azeez, on November 14, 2016, at about 2pm, in Ogombo town, in the Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did commit felony to wit; forcible entry.

That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did arm yourselves with cutlasses and other weapons, and cause fear and terror to members of Kasmal International Service Limited.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

Their counsel, Mr. Ebun- Olu Adegboruwa, prayed the court to grant them bail in liberal terms, noting that they were still presumed innocent under Section 36(5) of the Nigeria Constitution, 1999.

Osijale, who admitted that the offences were bailable, objected to the counsels plea on the grounds that the defendants conduct constituted a threat to the community.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, held that the defendants be remanded till December 29, 2016  the next adjourned date.

The court, hereby, grants the application of the prosecution and as such, bail for all the 14 defendants are hereby denied pending the next adjourned date when the court will allow same application to be made by the defence counsel, Folami said.

However, one of the affected members and SSANU Chairman, Mr. Dele Durojaye, who is also the chairman of the universitys Joint Action Committee, said the three labour unions were not aware of any letter suspending any member of staff of the institution.

He said, I just left the university after 4pm; there was no letter to such effect. What we noticed when we were leaving was the presence of policemen at the gates of the university. We are not aware of any letter.

Source: Punch
A Federal High Court in Calabar on Tuesday sentenced 16 persons to life imprisonment for adulterating about 100 tons of petroleum product suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel.

The suspects were arrested on July 7, 2016 by the operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps along the Brass River in Bayelsa State while heading towards the sea on a vessel, MV ALEZZA LILAH.

In a four-count amended charge made available to the Southern City News on Tuesday, the offence which dwelt on conspiracy and adulteration, ran contrary to sections 1 (17) and (18) (a) and (i) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap, M17 LFN 2004 and punishable under the sections.

The case was instituted by the Bayelsa State Command of the NSCDC on behalf of the Federal Government against the 16 convicts in the charge number FHC/PH/129c/2014.

Those convicted were Egbayo Charles, Lawrence Sosoo, Iboho Allen, Obiora Sunday, Akpan Wisdom, Isaac Essien, Kingsley Anighoro, Simeon Ohinomado, Ime Ubong, Joseph Thomas, Nseh Obot, Second Philip, Unubiri Prebai, Emmanuel Abel, Edmund Okoye and the Captain of the vessel, Baba Mathew.

They had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

But in his ruling, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court in Calabar, Justice Inyang Ekwo, said the 16 suspects were convicted on all the four-count charge and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Justice Ekwo said, The 1 to 16 convicts are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine. They are also sentenced to eight and 10 years respectively for the first two counts. All the sentences are to run concurrently, while the vessel and all there are is forfeited to the Federal Government.

The counsel to the defendants, Mr. Richard Oyiwona, said that he would appeal against the judgment at the appropriate time.

Oyiwona, who had earlier pleaded that the accused were first time convicts, expressed hope that the judgment would be set aside at the appellate court.

He said, His Lordship has spoken, this is not the final court. I will go on appeal and I believe that the judgment will be set aside in the Court of Appeal.

But the prosecution counsel, Mr. Kingsley Nwachukwu, said the law had taken its course, adding that judgment will send signal to pipeline vandals and those who get involved in the adulteration of petroleum products.

For me, a prosecution counsel is an officer of the law. This is to ensure that the law takes its course and that is what we have experienced today. We hope that the judgment will send signal to those involved in pipeline vandalism, adulteration of petroleum products, among others that they should understand that NSCDC is fully empowered to confront the challenges, he said.

Source: Punch
Gunmen on Monday ambushed and killed four workers of a mining company, including a Chinese at Alongani village in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The State Police Spokesperson, Kennedy Idirisu, who confirmed the killings while speaking with journalists in Lafia on Tuesday said the victims were returning from their mining site in a company truck at about 4p.m. when the assailants shot them from different directions.

Mr. Idirisu said a Chinese, a police escort and two others, were killed during the ambush while another Chinese survived with bullet wound and was rushed to a hospital where he is receiving treatment.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Sadiq-Bello, had deployed officers to the area to work in collaboration with other security agencies as well as the vigilantes to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The commissioner called on the people of the state to encourage foreigners willing to do business in the state rather than attacking them.

He reiterated the commitment of the police to safeguard the lives and properties of all residents and assured that the command would not relent in its effort to rid the state of crime and criminality.
Nigerian newspaper headlines November 30, 2016.

Punch

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday charged the leadership of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering to talk to their members working with multinationals or government on the need to safeguard the nations oil pipelines.

Vanguard

Nigerias Super Falcons last night silenced a boastful Banyana Banyana of South Africa with a 1-0 win to set up a date with hosts, Cameroon in the final of the Africa Women Cup of Nations.

Guardian

The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Eze Duruiheoma, says the 2018 national population census is to cost N222 billion.

Thisday

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has disclosed that he authorised the raid on the homes of judges and their subsequent arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS), following the refusal of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to act on the petitions sent to it on allegations of corrupt practices by the affected judges.

Leadership

The leadership tussle in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new dimension yesterday as the Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff-led camps threatened each other with jail terms over the lingering national chairmanship tussle of the party.

Premium Times

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said that troops have commenced advancing into Sambisa Forest, one of the major enclaves of Boko Haram terrorists.

The Sun

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the sophistication involved in the blowing up of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta, suggests that those involved are not ordinary Nigerians.

The Nation

The Federal Government is to revisit high-profile anti-corruption cases, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) said yesterday.
THREE suspected armed robbers were on Monday shot dead by the police during a shootout at the UTC Junction in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

One of the hoodlums, who escaped being shot by a special intelligence team from the Inspector-General of Police, said they had planned to attack a plane belonging to Arik Air.

It was gathered that the shootout, which occurred at about 10am, caused confusion in the area.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that some motorists scampered for safety as police and armed robbers engaged one another in a gun battle.

It was also learnt that the suspects, who were in one vehicle, were forced to stop by the traffic light as they queued behind other vehicles waiting for the green light.

One of the suspects, according to the eyewitness, came out of the car and opened fire at some policemen around the place.

The policemen were said to have recognised where the gunshot came from and directed their attention to the place.

It was gathered that efforts made by the armed robbers to escape proved futile as three of them were gunned down, while the last of the four-man gang sustained injuries.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, adding that the IGP Intelligence Team had intercepted the armed robbers after a tip-off.

Omoni stated that while three of the hoodlums were killed in the shootout, one was severely injured.

He stated that the arrested suspect would assist the police in their investigation.

On interrogation, the suspects said they were on a mission to attack an Arik Air plane, the state police spokesman added.

Identifying the injured suspect as Peter James, Omoni said he had confessed to being one of the members of a gang that killed a police corporal during the All Progressives Congress rally in Okrika in 2015.

Today, November 28, 2016, the IGP Intelligence Response Team, working on credible intelligence, intercepted a four-man armed robbery gang, which had a mission to attack an Arik Air plane .

They had made plans to attack the passengers and anybody who would repel them. The IGP team intercepted them and on sighting the police, the suspects opened fire on them.

Then there was an exchange of fire at the end of which three of them were killed and one was arrested.

The arrested suspect, who gave his name as Peter James, 30 years old, and a native of Bayelsa State, confessed to have killed a police officer, one Corporal Ifeanyi, at an APC rally in Okirika sometime last year.

He is currently helping us with our investigation, Omoni said.

He listed items recovered from the suspects as one GPMG rifle with 1000 rounds of ammunition, one AK-47 rifle and two loaded magazines.

Omoni assured members of the public that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Odesanya, would not renege on his promise to chase criminals out of the state.

Source: Punch
The Nigerian Senate has asked the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to immediately suspend any planned increase in data price.

A directive had been issued by NCC on Tuesday to increased the floor price of data to N0.90k/MB, although Nigerias Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, denied knowledge of this.

SEE ALSO: Why NCC Increased Data Prices

This directive was to take effect December 1, forcing mobile telecommunications operators to drive up the price of data.

The Senate also invited NCC and service providers to investigate unsolicited messages as well as an increase in the cost of data.

Vice chairman of Senate Committee on Communications Senator Solomon Adeola on behalf of the Committee promised to get back to Senate next Tuesday on their finding.
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said that troops have commenced advancing into Sambisa Forest, one of the major enclaves of Boko Haram terrorists.

Mr. Buratai said this on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling packs of bottle water provided through private initiative in appreciation of troops fighting the terrorists in the region.

According to the Army Chief, the advancement is an onslaught to finally flush out remnants of insurgents from the forest and rescue all those abducted in that area.

He added: This year (2016), the whole Army Headquarters will be moving into the North East to celebrate Christmas and New Year with our troops.

Mr. Buratai described the bottle water initiative for free distribution to troops as quite historic and the first of its kind.

He said: The scheme involves branding 50cl bottle water with the image of the Nigerian soldier.

It has the Nigerian army logo and that of stakeholders and partners from the private sector with the words: Thank you for your service.

According to him, the initiative seeks to appreciate the efforts of Nigerian troops actively engaged in the defence of our dear nation.

This will no doubt go a long way in boosting the morale of the troops to show that their labour is being recognized and applauded by Nigerians.

This initiative is quite timely, coming at a critical stage of the operations, when the troops have embarked on `Operation Rescue Finale.

It will surely add vigour, impetus and stimulate the troops in this phase of the operation, Mr. Buratai said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several corporate and public sector organisations, as well as state governments graced the unveiling of the troops bottle water.

NAN also reports that the troops bottle water initiative was supported by Enugu State Government (N10 million), Ebonyi Government (N5 million) and the Nigeria Customs Service (N1.5 million), among others.

Source: NAN
Tuberculosis (TB) has changed its face. Today rick and educated people have TB, including politicians and businessmen, Advisor to Director General of Public Health Center Yana Terleyeva has said.

"If we earlier said that mainly poor people had TB, today the situation has changed. Among people with TB there are many rich and educated people, politicians, businessmen, teachers and doctors. No one is protected from TB," she said at a briefing organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kyiv on Tuesday.

She said that almost all adults are infected with TB mycobacteria and around 10% of them are taken ill with TB due to different circumstances.

"A businessman could have stress, the immune system would fail and he would get ill," she said.

Terleyeva said that TB vaccination for adults is low-effective.

She said that primary care doctors do not diagnose TB.

She said that the TB medical assistance in Ukraine is inefficient, particularly due to practice of treating it in in-patient facilities.

"Today all patients have medicines, but the medical care provision system in Ukraine is not effective today. Ukraine has practice of putting patients with TB to in-patient facilities. Global practice says that patients with TB could be treated in out-patient centers in some conditions if infection monitoring is conducted. If patients get right treatment, in several days he brings no danger to the public," she said.

The expert said that in in-patient facilities people get re-infected. Only half of Ukrainian TB institutions meet the infection control requirements.

She said that one day of in-patient treatment for patients with TB costs some $32 in Ukraine. The major part of the money is sent to maintain buildings and pay salaries, and only 10-15% is provided for the treatment services.

"This practice should be changed," Terleyeva said.

She said that every year around 5,000 people die from TB in Ukraine. As a rule these are who were too late to come for medical care and have many other diseases.
According to Police in the US, a 19-year-old woman from Missouri allowed her intoxicated boyfriend to drink her blood before stabbing him during a subsequent argument.

Victoria Vanatter of Springfield pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action in the November 23 incident.

Police say Vanatter told them she agreed her boyfriend could slice her arm with a box cutter and drink her blood. But then the two argued and Vanetter stabbed her boyfriend in the shoulder.

When police arrived at their home, they discovered the bloodied couple and Im sorry inside a heart scrawled in blood on the wall.

Vanetter also warned an investigator that she has the potential to become a serial killer.

Both were treated at a hospital. Vanetter is jailed on $150,000 bond.
The latest strain of Mirai, the malware thats been infecting internet routers from Germanys Deutsche Telekom, has spread to devices in at least 10 other countries, according to security firm Flashpoint.

The company has detected the new Mirai strain infecting internet routers and modems across the globe, including in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Iran, and Thailand.

Its still unclear how many devices have been infected, but Flashpoint estimates that as many as five million devices are vulnerable. If even a fraction of these vulnerable devices were compromised, they would add considerable power to an existing botnet, Flashpoint said in a Tuesday blog post.

The malware grabbed headlines on Monday when Deutsche Telekom reported that close to a million customers experienced internet connection problems from the new Mirai strain infecting their routers. Although Deutsche Telekom has offered a software update to stop the malware, security experts worry that the hackers will continue to upgrade Mirais source code to infect additional devices.

The original version of Mirai became notorious for quickly enslaving poorly secured IoT devices, such as DVRs and surveillance cameras. This new strain infects routers from a company called Zyxel, using a known flaw with the products SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to take them over.

The goal of Mirai is to form a botnet, or an army of enslaved computers that can be used to launch massive distributed denial-of-service attacks that can shut down websites. In October, Mirai botnets were blamed for doing just that in a disruption that slowed internet access across the United States.

Flashpoint said it's already found this new strain of Mirai creating a botnet to launch small-scale DDoS attacks on an IP address in Africa and a cloud hosting provider. The attacks, which lasted between a few minutes and to more than an hour, occurred on Monday and Tuesday.

Hackers have been exploiting the Mirai malware ever since its source code was released on a forum in late September. The developers of this new strain probably wanted to make their Mirai botnet bigger, Flashpoint said.

However, the spread of the new Mirai strain appears to be slowing down, according to Craig Young, a security researcher at Tripwire. On Monday, he estimated the malware was attempting to infect devices at a rate of one every 90 seconds. But as of Tuesday morning, that rate had slowed to about one every six minutes, he said.

Young said the Deutsche Telekom attack was in one sense a failure. The hackers probably never intended to disrupt Deutsche Telekom customers' Internet connections, but simply to secretly infect their routers to grow the botnet, he said.

The way the Mirai strain took over the routers drew too much attention, provoking the German carrier to quickly issue a security patch. The malware may have been too demanding on the routers, and overloaded them, so they wouldnt be able to operate, Young said.

He expects the hackers to keep upgrading Mirai. Someone will fix the bugs in the code, he said. People will also incorporate more exploits related to routers.
Expanded Limit Bounce for Midweek Cotton Barchart - 25 minutes ago Front month cotton futures extended their bounce on Wednesday, with 4 cent gains through the May 23 contract. December gapped higher to start the day, and failed to close the gap. The online cotton... CTZ22 : 79.00s (+5.33%) CTH23 : 78.64s (+5.36%) CTK23 : 78.85s (+5.34%)

Cattle Close Mixed on Feeder Strength Barchart - 25 minutes ago Feeder cattle futures ended the day with triple digit gains capturing some of the weakness in the corn market. Fats bled 7 to 55 cents weaker on Wednesday, though August 23 ended the day up by 12 cents.... LEZ22 : 151.400s (-0.36%) LEG23 : 154.900s (-0.23%) LEJ23 : 158.500s (-0.24%) GFX22 : 178.925s (+1.13%) GFF23 : 180.000s (+1.01%)

Hog Futures Fall on Wednesday Barchart - 25 minutes ago Lean hog futures closed the midweek session with $0.42 to $1.90 losses on the day. December was down the most on the day with a 2.2% loss to the lowest since 10/17. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price... HEZ22 : 83.300s (-2.23%) HEJ23 : 92.650s (-1.01%) KMZ22 : 93.850s (-1.60%)

Soy Futures Close Mixed Barchart - 25 minutes ago Soymeal futures ended the session off the lows but still down by $0.30 to $1.20/ton. Soy oil was the leader on the day, having rallied +3% on the crude oil strength. Beans themselves found balance from... ZSX22 : 1440-0s (+0.30%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.1311 (+0.60%) ZSF23 : 1454-0s (+0.43%) ZSH23 : 1461-4s (+0.50%)

Hard Losses for Midweek Wheat Barchart - 25 minutes ago Russia re-entering participation for the Black Sea grain export corridors dropped the market back to last weeks levels. CBT SRW gave back 4.5% to 6.2% on the day and mostly erased the gains to start... ZWZ22 : 846-0s (-6.26%) ZWH23 : 865-0s (-5.88%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.7768 (-6.65%) KEZ22 : 940-2s (-5.03%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.9804 (-5.26%) MWZ22 : 949-2s (-4.09%)

Corn Markets Close Red Barchart - 25 minutes ago Corn futures ended the day off their lows, but still gave back 5 3/4 to 10 1/4 cents on the day. December printed a wide 17 1/4 cent range. Analysts project corn bookings were between 250k MT and 600k... ZCZ22 : 687-4s (-1.47%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.8342 (-1.34%) ZCH23 : 692-6s (-1.39%) ZCK23 : 692-4s (-1.32%)

Did You Pivot? Fed, the need to know. Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago Our daily video . . .
Ukraine's armed forces will conduct military exercises on the territory of Ukraine in accordance with its plan, despite any threat, spokesman for the Defense Ministry for anti-terrorist operation matters Andriy Lysenko has said.

"With regard to some threats and the like, they cannot interfere with the plans of the armed forces of Ukraine and the designers of military weapons which will be carried out on the territory of a sovereign Ukraine," Lysenko said at a briefing on Wednesday commenting on media reports about the threats by the Russian Defense Ministry to launch a missile strike if Ukraine holds exercises near Crimea.

According to him, Ukraine is an independent state, and all the military exercises and tests will be held according to the plan.

"We have a national territory of Ukraine, where we will carry out all the tests and drills and no one will tell to us what to do here," the Defense Ministry's spokesman said.

Lysenko said Ukraine is acting in compliance with all the international agreements.

As reported, last week the Russian Defense Ministry invited an attache for defense affairs at the Ukrainian embassy to Russia to hand a military and diplomatic note to him due to Ukraine's plans to hold missile drills near Crimea. According to by the Russian Federal Agency of Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya), on November 24, Kyiv issued a NOTAM (a notice to airmen) regarding increased-danger zones in the airspace due to the missile drills planned on December 1 and December 2.

Later, when asked whether Moscow could possibly carry out a missile strike on Ukraine if the country launches missiles in airspace over Crimea, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not expect any Ukrainian actions that could prompt creation of dangerous conditions for international air traffic in Russian airspace.
Commercial real estate company Colliers International Group Inc. has hired James Ashley Compton to serve as the firms national director of self-storage investment sales through its Nashville, Tenn., office. Compton most recently served as a first vice president in the Nashville office of CBRE Group Inc., a commercial real estate services and investment firm.

During his 10 years at CBRE, Compton sold or listed more than 9.9 million square feet of self-storage property across the United States, which was valued at more than $632 million, the source reported. He was chosen as the firms top national self-storage broker in 2014 and 2015. During his tenure, he represented Bank of America, GE Capital, Regions Bank and U-Haul International Inc., among others.

Ashley has established himself as a key national leader in self-storage investment, and we are delighted he will be joining our team at Colliers, Janet Miller, CEO and market leader for Colliers Nashville, told the source. He will be a great addition to our team, taking on a national leadership role for Colliers International.

At Colliers Nashville, Compton will join a team of about 40 brokers working on industrial, investment, multi-family, office and retail property sales. The firm leases and manages more than 12 million square feet of commercial space in Middle Tennessee, according to the source.

Compton earned a masters degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi and holds a bachelors degree in finance and real estate from the University of Memphis.

Colliers International is a global commercial real estate services firm employing more than 16,000 professionals who operate out of 554 offices in 66 countries. The company offers a variety of services for investors, business owners and developers. These include consulting, market research, real estate intermediation for sale and rent, project management, property management, and valuation.
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Inflation remains the primary concern for the worlds central banks, which have engaged in the broadest and fastest tightening regime in history, according to Alejandra Grindal, chief economist at Ned Davis Research.
A corporate accountant in New York admitted Monday to stealing at least $3.1 million from agribusiness giant Cargill, Inc., and causing $25 million in losses to the privately held companys grain shipping operations at the Port of Albany.

Diane Backis, of Athens, New York, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Albany to mail fraud and filing a false income tax return. U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said Backis not only diverted customer payments to her own accounts over a 10-year period, but also caused at least $25 million in losses to the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company.

Backis, 50, was an accounting department manager at Cargills Albany grain elevators at the port whose duties included creating customer contracts, generating invoices and processing payments. In court, Backis admitted she sent customers invoices for animal feed at prices far below what her employer had paid, causing the company millions in losses. She had the customers send payments to her, bypassing Cargills corporate controls.

The tax fraud charge refers to Backis 2015 individual tax return, on which she declared $61,208 in income, omitting more than $450,000 she received that year by stealing Cargill customer payments, prosecutors said.

As part of her guilty plea, she agreed to pay at least $3.5 million in restitution to Cargill and to forfeit her house, an investment brokerage account and her Cargill pension benefits.

Cargill spokesman Pete Stoddart said the company has audited its controls and trading systems and confirmed this was an isolated incident by one employee at a single Cargill location. He said Cargill customers were not adversely affected.

Backis was released without bail and faces up to 20 years in prison when shes sentenced on March 28.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Fraud New York
A national study conducted by The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services shows Pennsylvania has improved its standing among states under Governor Tom Wolfs administration in workers compensation insurance costs, Governor Wolf announced.

The study ranks Pennsylvania 26th highest among all states, down from 17th highest in the previous study conducted in 2014.

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services conducts the study comparing workers comp insurance rates for 50 selected employment classes based on methods that put states workers comp rates on a comparable basis with a constant set of state-specific risk classifications.

This is good news for businesses in Pennsylvania and those considering coming to our state, Governor Wolf said in a press release issued by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. As we become more competitive in the cost of doing business, we are encouraging companies to create jobs that pay.

Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller said in the release that the department under Governor Wolfs leadership is working to maintain a vibrant and competitive workers compensation insurance market.

More than 325 companies offer workers compensation insurance coverage in Pennsylvania, Commissioner Miller said in the release. This means employers are able to find attractive, cost-efficient options for this vital insurance.

In addition to lower workers comp insurance costs noted in the study, the Department of Labor & Industry, which oversees workers compensation in the state, offers discounts through certified workplace safety committees.

Certified workplace safety committees help employers and workers keep safety top-of-mind at all times, Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino said in the release. And those companies with a committee receive a five percent discount on their workers comp insurance premiums.

Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department

Topics Workers' Compensation Pennsylvania
No company is fully secure from cyber breaches, no matter how sophisticated its cyber defense mechanisms, which is why every company should develop a cyber risk management strategy, according Marsh & McLennans Cyber Risk Handbook 2016.

Research reveals that that few companies have made the concerted organizational effort to identify the range of cyber scenarios that could affect them, assess the cyber risk of their suppliers and customers, and build fully operational cyber risk prevention and response plans, said the forward to the report, which was authored by John Drzik, president, Global Risk & Specialties, Marsh. He also is chairman of MMCs Cyber Risk Working Group.

Cyber is a risk issue, not an IT issue and managing it effectively requires broad crossfunctional engagement, said Drzik in the forward of the handbook, which consists of a series of articles by Marsh & McLennan experts.

The report cautions that companies ignore cyber risks at their peril. Consider that just last year 500 million personal records were stolen or lost. Ransomware attacks grew by 35 percent and spear-phishing incidents by 55 percent, said an article in the handbook, titled Go to Cyber Extremes  What to Do When Digitalization Goes Wrong. (This article was authored by Claus Herbolzheimer, a Berlin-based partner in Oliver Wymans Digital practice.)

These types of attacks are no longer just harming desktop computing. They are starting to cause the malfunctioning of critical medical equipment, emergency services, and fundamental communications, said the article, which cautioned that few organizations cyber defenses are keeping pace.

We estimate that only a third of companies are sufficiently prepared to prevent a worst-case attack. Based on a recent survey by Marsh, Oliver Wymans sister company, a quarter of companies do not even treat cyber risks as significant corporate risks. Nearly 80 percent do not assess their customers and suppliers for cyber risk, the article continued.

Cyber Insurance

An article titled The Evolving Cyber Risk Landscape, discussed the growing purchase of cyber insurance.

Total annual cyber premiums have reached an estimated $2 billion and may reach $20 billion by 2025, said the article authored by San Francisco-based Alex Wittenberg, executive director of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Global Risk Center.

The U.S. remains the largest cyber insurance market, where nearly 20 percent of all organizations have cyber insurance and there are yearly increases in the number of companies purchasing cyber insurance and increases in the limits, he said, noting, however, that interest is also growing elsewhere in the world as well.

The article quotes a recent Marsh survey of European Risk Managers that found that nearly 25 percent planned to explore cyber insurance options over the next 24 months.

In addition, a survey of UK risk managers shows that 20.6 percent of companies are buying insurance, but the same survey shows few companies are quantifying their risk exposures, Wittenbergs article continues.

Without a complete understanding of their companys exposure to cyber risk (75 percent) and/or a calculation of the financial impact should an event occur (64.6 percent), these organizations are in a poor position to approach the insurance market and place a value on transferring the risk, the article continued.

Quantifying Cyber Risk

While cyber breaches are one of the most likely and expensive threats to corporations, few companies can quantify how great their cyber risk exposure is, which prevents them from protecting themselves, according to an article in the handbook titled, Can You Put a Dollar Amount on Your Companys Cyber Risk?

Most managers rely on qualitative guidance from heat maps that describe their vulnerability as low or high based on vague estimates that lump together frequent small losses and rare large losses, adds the article.

But this approach doesnt help managers understand if they have a $10 million problem or a $100 million one, let alone whether they should invest in malware defenses or email protection. As a result, companies continue to misjudge which cyber security capabilities they should prioritize and often obtain insufficient cyber security insurance protection, wrote authors Leslie Chacko, San Francisco-based principal in Oliver Wymans Digital and Strategic IT practices; Evan Sekeris, Washington D.C.-based partner in Oliver Wymans Financial Services practice, and Claus Herbolzheimer, a Berlin-based partner in Oliver Wymans Digital and Strategic IT practices.

The article notes that no institution has the resources to completely eliminate cyber risks. As a result, businesses need to make the right strategic choices regarding which threats to mitigate.

Its essential that companies develop the capability to quantify their cyber risk exposure in order to form strategies to mitigate that risk. The question is, is it really possible to put a dollar sign on fast-changing cyber risks with data that is difficult to find and often even harder to interpret? the article confirms.

Companies come much closer to properly weighing how much they should spend to reduce their cyber risk and curb cyber crime when they consider these risks from three perspectives: foregone revenue and ancillary payments, liability losses, and reputational damage.

The direct revenue losses for the companies involved in a cyber attack can be nearly negligible compared to the reputational damage incurred, which in turn can lead to future revenue losses, the handbook article adds. That is why it is essential for managers to quantify cyber risks more broadly. It can be done, and can potentially save companies hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

The article recommends that the first step in putting a dollar figure on cyber risks is to identify a companys most important assets and its greatest vulnerabilities.

Cyber risks generally fall into two categories: 1) those involving services shutting down, and 2) those that compromise information, ranging from sensitive data, to corporate secrets, to bank accounts.

The challenge is to build a smart, well-designed, cyber risk model thats able to analyze potential direct revenue, liability, and brand loss scenarios. For when a cyber attack happens, companies are hit not just with losses resulting from customers who stop buying products and services; they also face ancillary costs related to fixing their problem, such as regulatory fines, forensics, and consulting costs, according to the handbook.

When critical data is accessed by hackers, liability losses also become a factor. A company may need to provide customers years of remediation, such as offering credit monitoring services, along with legal fees and penalties to settle multiple class action lawsuits, Marsh & McLennan advises.

Finally, companies must quantify how much their future revenues will fall if a cyber attack damages their brand.

Companies are advised to gather general business, operational, and technical data that can be modeled against expected and worst case scenarios.

Using both internal and external data related to the health of their business and operations, managers should be able to predict their expected and maximum cyber losses over a one- to three-year period, just as they can forecast their future revenues, Marsh says.

Companies also should estimate what percentage of their customers will leave if an outage results from a cyber breach  or how much their stock valuation and margins could suffer if a cyber attack causes damage to their reputation, the article said, adding that past incidents will help determine the applications that are at the highest risk. Armed with this information, its much easier for managers to judge if their companies have the right level of cyber risk protection and to budget for potential additional spending.

Articles in Marsh & McLennans Cyber Risk Handbook 2016 cover Strategy, Risks and People topics. (The People section includes a discussion of the people factor in cyber threat management as well as staffing and organizing a cyber risk management team.)

Source: Marsh & McLennan Cos.

Topics Cyber Profit Loss Risk Management
Fifteen judges at the European Unions top court are trying to decide, once and for all, whether Uber Technologies Inc. is an app or a transport company. The question has long vexed regulators and lawmakers across the region.

Defeat for Uber, which sees itself as an app, would expose the company to stricter licensing rules, additional operative costs and the risk of a reduced availability of drivers. The case has been closely watched as it could set the rules of the road for others with similar business models.

Ubers activities cannot be reduced to a mere transport activity, Cani Fernandez, a lawyer for the U.S. company, told the highest panel of judges at the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

The car-hailing application accessed via smartphones and tablets has faced roadblocks, real and regulatory, across Europe, amid complaints brought by taxi drivers who say the company tries to unfairly avoid regulations that bind established competitors.

Clearly, the EU courts decision will have a great impact, said Georgios Petropoulos, a research fellow at the Brussels-based policy group Bruegel. We are talking about one of the most popular platforms of the collaborative economy.

Uber insists that it should remain exempt from the obligations normal transportation operators face under EU rules. While a final ruling by the EU court in Luxembourg could still be months away, the decision will be binding and could affect national disputes the company is facing in Europe.

Advocate General Maciej Szpunar of the EU court said he will publish his non-binding opinion in the case on April 6. The courts ruling would follow in late 2017.

Electronic inter-mediation is a service in itself and its separate from the final service for which the user and the provider are being connected, Fernandez told the court Tuesday. This counts for transport or the home delivery of food, or any other type of service imaginable which can be provided by means of an Uber platform.

French Executives

The companys local executives were hauled to court in Paris over UberPop, its most controversial service, which lets unlicensed drivers use their own car to pick up riders for low fees. Legal challenges have forced the company to halt UberPop in several European nations, including France, the Netherlands and Sweden.

UberPop is also at the center of a dispute in Barcelona, Spain, where a court decided last year to seek the EU judges guidance. The fight there was brought by the Asociacion Profesional Elite Taxi, a Barcelona group of taxi drivers, which argued Tuesday that Uber is misleading the courts and the public from the fact that its activity is clearly a transport activity.

Lets look at things as they really are. If theres a transport service being provided, a company should not be able to hide behind the thin veil of describing it as a different kind of activity, Montse Balague Farre, a lawyer representing the group, told the EU court. We cannot allow a business model to develop in Europe which could allow for any undermining or detriment to the rights and protection of consumers.

By not meeting legal transport requirements in Spain, Uber has a competitive advantage over companies offering similar services there, she said. Others have to obtain an administrative authorization and in Spain they have to pay about 150,000 euros to do this, she said.

Ubers services meet the requirements of EU law as an intermediary electronic service that is provided from a distance by electronic means at the individual request of a recipient of services, said Ubers lawyer Fernandez.

Some EU nations have recognized this and France and Hungary adopted rules which clarify that Ubers activities are separate from the provision of transport, using the term intermediary in France and an independent booking center in Hungary, she said.

The San Francisco-based company has faced complaints around the globe about its drivers working conditions. A $100 million-settlement in a U.S. lawsuit with 385,000 current and former drivers in California and Massachusetts was rejected as too low by a federal judge in August. Uber last month lost a suit over how it treats its U.K. drivers in the first ruling to come out of a London tribunal examining whether theyre entitled to the minimum wage or holiday pay.

Damien Geradin, a lawyer at Brussels law firm EDGE Legal, said there is little doubt that Uber provides information society services as there is no such thing as an Uber taxi or an Uber driver.

A negative ruling for Uber would essentially affect the Uber Pop service, i.e. the service provided by non-professional drivers, he said. Uber products, including UberX and Uber Black, that use licensed drivers, are used in a number of EU nations and are not at stake here.

The EU court has already shown its teeth in other cases involving U.S. tech giants. In May 2014, the court forced unexpected changes on Google by creating a right to be forgotten in a ruling that allows people to seek the deletion of links on search engines if the information was outdated or irrelevant. The judgment created a furor, with Mountain View, California-based Google appointing a panel to advise it on implementing the law.

Last year, the same court struck down a 15-year-old trans-Atlantic data sharing pact, after Austrian law student Max Schrems complained about how U.S. security services can gain unfettered access to Facebook Inc. customer information sent to the U.S.

The case is: C-434/15, Asociacion Profesional Elite Taxi.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics USA Legislation Europe France
A medical appointment that lasts hours might be an annoyance, but its not false imprisonment in Michigan.

A federal appeals court last week ruled in favor of an insurance company in a dispute over an exam for a man seeking to collect benefits for a workplace injury.

Craig Sheehan fell and injured his head while working for a trucking company. He sued an insurance company, claiming he was the victim of false imprisonment because he was told he could lose benefits if he wasnt examined by a psychologist.

But the appeals court says Sheehan doesnt have the law on his side. The court says he wasnt manually seized by Star Insurance and was warned that he could lose benefits if he didnt get the exam  not threatened.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Michigan
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. may pay close to $100 million after settling a copyright lawsuit brought by founding members of the 1960s band The Turtles over the satellite radio companys broadcast of songs made before 1972.

Terms of the proposed class-action settlement were disclosed in a Monday filing with the Los Angeles federal court, two weeks after Sirius resolved its differences with The Turtles Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman on the eve of a damages trial.

Sirius agreed to pay between $25 million and $40 million for past royalties, depending on the outcomes of related litigation, and enter a 10-year license agreement that could be worth between $45.5 million and $59.2 million.

The settlement would cover Kaylans and Volmans company Flo & Eddie Inc. and other owners of pre-1972 songs that New York-based Sirius has played since August 2009. It requires approval by U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez in Los Angeles.

Sirius denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. It did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment.

Henry Gradstein, a lawyer for Kaylan and Volman, in a statement said his clients had the tenacity to stay the course over three grueling years of litigation on behalf of all members of the class, because they believed in what was right.

Digital radio services such as Sirius and Pandora Media Inc have resisted paying royalties for songs recorded before Feb. 15, 1972 because they lacked federal copyright protection.

But some recording artists and labels have persuaded courts to award copyright protection under individual state laws for older songs, such as The Turtles hit Happy Together.

In September 2014, Gutierrez found Sirius liable to Flo & Eddie under California law. A damages trial had been scheduled for November 15.

Flo & Eddie also sued Sirius in New York and Florida under those states copyright laws, prevailing in New York but losing in Florida.

Both decisions were appealed, and the respective federal appeals courts asked New Yorks and Floridas highest courts for guidance on what their states copyright laws cover.

In June 2015, Sirius agreed to pay five major record companies $210 million to settle a lawsuit over its broadcast of pre-1972 songs by the likes of the Beatles, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones.

The case is Flo & Eddie Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio Inc. et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 13-05693.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Tom Brown)

Topics Lawsuits Florida New York
A former Citigroup Inc. financial adviser on Monday filed a lawsuit accusing the bank of running a boys club that favored men over women, treating her as a glorified secretary, and firing her in retaliation for whistleblowing activity.

Erin Daly is seeking double back pay, unpaid bonuses and punitive damages over the banks alleged harassment, hostile work environment and unlawful retaliation, according to her lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court.

The resident of Manhattans Upper West side said Citigroup let her go less than two weeks after she complained that her manager demanded inside information from her work on restricted stock offerings, so that he could pass it to favored clients.

Daly said she also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and plans to add federal discrimination claims against the fourth-largest U.S. bank.

We believe the claims alleged are without merit and intend to vigorously defend against them, Citigroup spokeswoman Danielle Romero-Apsilos said.

The lawsuit is one of many over the years accusing U.S. banks of favoring male bankers, traders and financial advisers over their female counterparts, and permitting improper conduct.

Bank of America Corp. in September settled one such case, in which former co-head of global structured products Megan Messina accused it of running a bros club.

Daly said she graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2005, and according to brokerage industry records worked for Citigroup from 2007 to 2014.

She claimed that even though she performed well, Citigroup took away many of her responsibilities, and even once forced her to apologize in writing for requesting equal treatment.

Daly also said Citigroup sometimes routed stock allocations from hot deals, such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s $25 billion initial public offering in 2014, to a male colleague, advancing his career at her expense.

Citis boys club policies and practices reflect a culture of gender discrimination, the complaint said. The boys were in charge. The men were doing business. Erin was just a glorified secretary.

A lawyer for Daly declined additional comment.

The case is Daly v. Citigroup Inc. et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-09183.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Diane Craft)

Related:

Topics Lawsuits USA
The driver in a Chattanooga, Tenn., school bus crash last week that killed six children will likely plead not guilty to related charges, according to his lawyer.

Defense attorney Amanda Dunn said she anticipates 24-year-old Johnthony Walker will plead not guilty if a grand jury indicts him.

Walker is charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. Police say another count will be added for a child who died two days after the Nov. 21 crash.

Dunn said the accident has been devastating for Walker and his family.

Although he stands accused of wrongdoing, Mr. Walker is an innocent man in the eyes of the law until proven otherwise, Dunn said in an email. We are hopeful that the investigation of this matter will conclude quickly, and that his familys privacy will be respected as this case progresses.

Federal investigators said Walker had left the designated bus route when he wrecked on a curvy road while carrying 37 students, from kindergarten through fifth grade. Chattanooga police suspect Walker was speeding. Police said a toxicology test showed Walker had no drugs or alcohol in his system.

The defense and prosecution said Walker will appear briefly in court Tuesday in Hamilton County to delay a preliminary hearing until Dec. 15.

Students and administrators had raised concerns about Walkers behavior behind the wheel in the weeks before the crash.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, grieving families began holding funerals for their lost children.

The funeral for 9-year-old CorDayja Jones was held Saturday. Ten-year-old Zyanna Janal Harris services followed Sunday.

The funeral for Zoie Nash, 9, is scheduled for Thursday.

In a Facebook post, Woodmore Elementary School said funeral arrangements havent been finalized for DMyunn Brown, 6; Zyaira Mateen, 6; and Keonte Wilson, 8.

On Monday afternoon, a school bus run by the same company, Durham School Services, struck a pedestrian in his 50s who stepped into traffic, police said. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Chattanooga police spokeswoman Elisa Myzal said the person walked out in front of the bus and an ambulance that were coming and was hit by the bus. There were no students on the bus and the driver wasnt injured, Myzal said. She said the incident happened in the same part of town as the fatal wreck last week.

___

Elizabeth Campbell contributed from Louisville, Kentucky.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement Personal Auto Tennessee
National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov has said he hopes that the new U.S. administration will make a decision on granting lethal weapons to Ukraine.

"I do think that Ukraine has a chance to get lethal weapons. I recall Donald Trump was nominated by the Republican Party. The position of the Republican Party towards Ukraine is sufficiently clear and consistent. All their votes in the Congress and in the Senate prove this. Hopefully, President Trump will consistently pursue the Republican Party policy," Turchynov said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Turchynov said he expects the new U.S. president to act in the interests of his country and that of the world.

"Hopefully, Russia's expectations that the U.S. will turn a blind eye to their terrorist activities won't come true, and their bravado will be replaced more hysterics. I also hope that the new president will be working in the interests of his country and in the interests of the civilized world. And the whole civilized world is interested in putting an end to settlement of political issues through military means, in stopping the redrawing of borders and military conflicts. And this, in turn, is possible if the aggression is not discussed or negotiated about, but stopped," he said.

He also expressed hope that the U.S. will provide tangible assistance to Ukraine in the defense and security sector reform.

"You know, I want to remind you that Ukraine has given up its nuclear weapons, which was among the five most powerful nuclear arms facilities in the world, in exchange for security guarantees and I believe that these guarantees were not met. I repeat: the obligations were not met! Russia has occupied part of our sovereign territory. The assistance we receive does not match the guarantees given to us by our partners," Turchynov said.

The NSDC secretary said serious assistance means powerful weapons, financing of strategic defense enterprises, formation of joint ventures, etc.

"This is the assistance that will ensure the full de-occupation of Ukraine," Turchynov said.
Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. has hired Stephanie Greene as a senior claim representative in the DeKalb County office in Stone Mountain, Ga., according to Jeff Pettus, president and chief executive officer of BSA.

As senior claim representative, Greene is responsible for reviewing, processing and handling medical workers compensation claims as assigned by Lizzie Simmons, claims supervisor in the BSA DeKalb County office. Greene will determine the compensability of the claim and extent of liability, as well as communicate directly with clients, employers, injured workers, physicians and attorneys, and manages claims.

Previously, Greene was a senior claim examiner with Broadspire, in Atlanta. She holds adjusters licensing in many states.

Greene attended Hartford Secretarial School in West Hartford, Conn., and received a certification from their medical assistant program.

Brentwood Services Inc. is an independent employee-owned company headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn.

BSA provides claims management and loss control services to employers and employer associations with self-insured and large deductible programs for workers compensation and other casualty lines throughout the contiguous 48 states.

Topics Workers' Compensation Georgia
Storms roaring across the South appeared to be taking aim at some of the largest wildfires burning across the region, which could finally help firefighters in their efforts to subdue the blazes, authorities said Monday.

The storm system passed over Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee late Monday and headed toward some of largest wildfires in Georgia and North Carolina.

Storms roaring across the South appeared to be taking aim at some of the largest wildfires burning across the region, which could finally help firefighters in their efforts to subdue the blazes, authorities said Monday.

As the storm system passed over Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee late Monday, it was heading toward some of largest wildfires in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

In Gatlinburg, Tenn., smoke and fire caused the mandatory evacuation of downtown and surrounding areas, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The wildfire set 30 buildings ablaze and was at the edge of Dollywood, Dolly Partons theme park, TEMA spokesman Dean Flener said in a news release. TV news broadcasts showed residents streaming out of town just as rain started to wet roads.

The rain forecast puts the bulls-eye of the greatest amounts right at the bulls-eye of where weve been having our greatest activity, said Dave Martin, deputy director of operations for fire and aviation management with the southern region of the U.S. Forest Service.

The projected rainfall amounts really lines up with where we need it, Martin said Monday. Were all knocking on wood.

Yet after weeks of punishing drought, any rain that falls should be soaked up quickly, forecasters said. It will provide some relief but wont end the drought  or the fire threat, they say.

Drought conditions will likely persist, authorities said. The problem is that rainfall amounts have been 10 to 15 inches below normal during the past three months in many parts of the South, authorities said.

I think we racked up deficits that are going to be too much to overcome with just one storm system, said Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

I would say its way too early to say `Yes, this drought is over, Svoboda said. Does it put a dent in it? Yes, but we have a long ways to go.

The rain also brings danger because strong winds at the leading edge of the storms can topple trees and limbs that can kill and injure firefighters, he said.

In Mississippi, trees were reported downed in nearly 20 counties across the state. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts of more than 50 mph were reported and more than 2 inches of rain fell in some areas.

Power outages peaked at more than 23,000 statewide in Mississippi. Powerlines downed by winds sparked grass fires in four counties, said Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

The storms were moving across Alabama on Monday night and into Georgia during the overnight hours. High wind warnings were issued for mountainous areas in northern parts of Georgia.

In South Carolina, the stormy forecast was giving hope to firefighters battling a blaze in the northwest corner of the state. The South Carolina Forestry Commission hopes to contain the Pinnacle Mountain fire by the middle of next week.

More rain was expected Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Wildfire Georgia Mississippi Tennessee Alabama
Lovitt & Touche in Arizona recently hired Will Spong as senior vice president of employee benefits.

The firm also recently hired Scott Muzzy as sales executive.

Spong will oversee business development, with a focus on self-funding and employee communication platforms.

He was previously a market leader at CBIZ, a vice president of employee benefits at Brown and Brown Insurance and a sales consultant at The Hartford.

Muzzy will help his clients create a sound insurance program by implementing risk and claims management, cost containment and detailed structuring of policy form.

He was previously a producer at Reseco Insurance Advisors LLC, and Alliant Insurance Services.

Lovitt & Touche is an Arizona-based independent insurance brokerage and benefits solutions provider.

Topics Arizona
Atlanta, GA, November 30, 2016- Breckenridge Insurance Services announced the promotions of several key team members in its wholesale brokerage and contract binding division.

Alex Rinehart has been promoted from vice president, broker to senior vice president, broker and business processes. In his new role, Rinehart will continue to further his agent relationships while providing his operational insights to support the needs of the entire organization from the Altanta-area offices. Rinehart has been an integral part of the company since mid-2010 and can be reached at arinehart@breckis.com or 678.460.3224.

Kerri Senger, formerly vice president, underwriter is now a senior vice president, underwriter within the Elevation Authorities contract binding division. Senger has continually led efforts to strengthen carrier relationships to deliver diverse facilities to proactively address agents needs. She has been a valued part of the company since May of 2011 and prior to that from 2002 to 2008. Senger can be reached at ksenger@breckis.com or 314.748.4133

Caprece Berent is now an associate vice president, broker having demonstrated her skills as an associate underwriter since joining the company in early 2013. Berent works in the Chicago office on a variety of risks from environmental and professional to umbrella and auto. In her new role, she will continue to build her agent business by her knowledge of the marketplace, contract binding expertise and service excellence. Berent can be reached at cberent@breckis.com or 866.901.5309.

Its always a great thing to recognize the hard work and efforts of dedicated team members such as Alex, Kerri and Caprece, stated Pete Feeney, president of Breckenridge Insurance Services. Their commitment to our agents, carriers and fellow team members is clearly garnering results for the company and a direct reason for their continued professional success.



Pictured from left to right: Alex Rinehart, Kerri Senger and Caprece Berent

About Breckenridge Insurance Services:Breckenridge Insurance Services is a national wholesale commercial insurance brokerage firm with more than three decades of experience in supporting agents and their clients. Focused on building long-term partnerships, the experienced brokerage group and its Breckenridge Elevation Authorities contract binding team offers competitive coverage and consultation for a variety of standard and hard-to-place specialty risks. Breckenridge Insurance Services has eleven offices across the United States and continues to strategically expand its team and presence with more than 100 top-rated domestic and international carrier partners.

About Breckenridge Insurance Group:Breckenridge Insurance Group, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is an international specialty wholesale insurance broker, program manager, managing general agent (MGA) and insurance services provider. The company offers access to a diverse range of commercial insurance and financial services products to businesses and professional services firms in a variety of industries. The company serves independent insurance agents, brokers and legal and financial institutions throughout North America by way of Blue River Underwriters, OSC, Breckenridge Insurance Services, Breckenridge Elevation Authorities contract binding group and InSpecialty innovative insurance solutions. For more information, please visit www.breckgrp.com or call 855-728-8822. CA Insurance License #0G13592

Media Contact

Caren Henry

chenry@breckgrp.com

267.961.8252

Topics Agencies
Fleming will take on the position of principal at Ryan's commercial property tax practice based in San Antonio, Texas. He specialises in the valuation, assessment, taxation and exemption of real property on a state and local level. Fleming joined Ryan in 2013.

Based in Atlanta, in the Georgia office, Markley has been appointed to principal of the firm's property tax practice. She will primarily focus on the taxation of real property, as well as on income-producing properties across a broad range of property types and industries. Markley joined the firm in 2012.

With 14 years of experience working in transactional tax, Payerle will take on the position of principal of the transaction tax practice in the Cleveland office in Ohio. He specialises in providing multi-jurisdictional transaction tax services covering a broad range of commercial and industrial sectors. Payerle joined the firm in 2003.
San Diego, California and Point Roberts, WA - November 30, 2016 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a global news source covering tech stocks interviews management of Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB:GOPH) to gain insight on the rollout of the company's leading edge tracking technology under development and how they are funding its future.

Mr. Michael D. Murray Chairman, CEO and President discusses recent developments, news and the planned funding, while Danny Rittman, CTO of Gopher Protocol Inc. explains the technology platform and portfolio.

Interview

Q: Investorideas.com

For investors that are hearing about your Company for the first time can you give a brief summary of the technology platform and the list of current products in development based on the technology?

A: Mr. Michael D. Murray Chairman, CEO and President

I can talk all day about itGopher Protocol Inc. is a development-stage company developing a real-time, heuristic-based mobile technology. Upon full development, the technology will consist of a smart microchip, mobile application and supporting software that will run on a server. The system contemplates the creation of a global network; we name it GopherInsight.

While we are currently developing the hardware, software and a variety of products you can find a full description of our products in our our last 10-Q filing under Item 2. In short, on the software side we have developed and are continuing to develop: PUZPIX, GuardianPack as operating products, Epsilon EDA (Reliability-Aware Design Environment software), Sigma (System and method for Automatic Generation of Integrated Circuits Layout IP Blocks). On the hardware/software products we developing the Sphere (pre-launching) and the GuardianPatch.

Q: Investorideas.com

Michael, your company is currently raising capital in a PPM for accredited investors for commercialization, marketing and product rollout. Can you talk about the specific products you are allocating the funds to proportionately?

As the filing disclose  Under Use of Proceeds: The net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used to implement its business plan and for other general working capital purposes but will NOT be used under ANY circumstances to pay off EXISTING debt or any pending payable balance, other than payable that been accrued from the date of this offering and forward.

Our first campaign will be the commercialization, marketing and releasing the Sphere. The Guardian Sphere (the "Sphere") system is a derivative technology of the Company's Guardian Patch technology. The Sphere is both hardware and software designed to provide its users with local tracking capability using a re-chargeable/replaceable battery source.

Q: Investorideas.com

Can you discuss the terms of the placement and explain how accredited investors can subscribe if interested and also where investors can get more details on the opportunity and also the associated risk?

A: Mr. Michael D. Murray Chairman, CEO and President

We are conducting a private offering under Rule 506(c) which allows for general solicitation. However, we will only be selling to accredited investors. The PPM includes a questionnaire to the investor which simply walks the investor through the relevant laws. The Company, as of this time, has not engaged any broker dealer or any third party for soliciting or distribution. We will create a landing page and website with the various packages that will be available to all, which we will announce. Any accredited investor may directly approach the Company.

Q: Investorideas.com

Danny as the CTO can you explain what differentiates your product line currently under development from existing technology in the marketplace?

A: Danny Rittman, CTO of Gopher Protocol Inc.

Most products rely on GPS technology and need a carrier to transmit signals. Our technology uses GPS if it is available, but it does not rely solely on GPS. When GPS is not available, our propitiatory GopherInsight technology kicks in and tracks or locates objects without GPS. Our GEOposition system calculates the object's geographical location and transmits the signal through its own private, secured network, via its proprietary protocol. In a way, one can say that GopherInsight mobile technology allows to retire the needs of a conventional carrier.

Q: Investorideas.com

Danny can you give us a short update on the status of the development of the product pipeline in terms of recent testing ?

A: Danny Rittman, CTO of Gopher Protocol Inc.

Presently we are testing the Guardian Sphere prototype in urban areas, mostly Los Angeles. We issued, via Guardian Patch, LLC, a Statement of Work for the development of the Guardian Sphere and its Base System  Proto Sample  prior to mass production. From here we are going for mass production of our Guardian Sphere system.

Q: Investorideas.com

Danny can you let investors and consumers know where they can download apps and what is available to view and participate in currently so they can have first-hand understanding of the technology ?

A: Danny Rittman, CTO of Gopher Protocol Inc.

PUZPIX, GuardianPatch and GuardianPack are available to all, for free on both Apple store and Google Play.

About Guardian Patch http://www.guardianpatch.com/

The Guardian Patch (the "Patch"), potentially arriving in consumer markets in 2017, is a unique location technology that works with or without GPS. The Patch is a "stick-on" device that provides its users with the capability to protect and track objects, loved-ones or even pets, through a mobile application. Download the Patch app, register your patch, and track anything that you own on your mobile device or on our designated website. Register the Patches of your family members and friends to receive alerts in the event of an emergency. Peel the Patch off and the Patch acts as a beacon, sending out a signal and notifying anyone who has registered the user's Patch.

About Gopher Protocol Inc. http://gopherprotocol.com

Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) ("Gopher" and the "Company") (http://gopherprotocol.com) is a development-stage company developing a real-time, heuristic-based mobile technology. Upon development, the technology will consist of a smart microchip, mobile application software and supporting software that will run on a server. The system contemplates the creation of a global network. Gopher believes this will be the first system that is developed using a human, heuristic-based analysis engine. Since the core of the system will be its advanced microchip technology that will be capable of being installed in any mobile device worldwide, Gopher expects that this will result in an internal, private network between all mobile devices utilizing the microchip by providing mobile technology for computing power enhancement, advanced mobile database management/sharing and other additional mobile features.

Corporate Site: http://gopherprotocol.com

Press page/ press kit - http://gopherprotocol.com/?page_id=228

Consumer and product website for Guardian Patch: http://www.guardianpatch.com/

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: GOPH is a PR , social media and publishing client and compensates Investorideas.com ( effective April 4, 2016 - three thousand five hundred per month )More disclaimer info: http://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country.

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A Boat-full of Potential - Renewed Interest in the Cruise Industry Bolsters Luxury Markets (OTC: MASN) (NYSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) (NYSE: RCL) (NYSE: NCLH)

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents.

Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea

Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures $3.8M Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA from Italy

CAVE CREEK, Az. - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-based, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured a new $3.8 million USD order for its newly acquired, non-nicotine based vape product, HYLA from customers in Italy.

Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking EV Stock News: Overwhelmingly Positive Reactions Pour in From First Leg of Mullen Automotive's (NASDAQ: MULN) 'Strikingly Different' FIVE EV Crossover Tour

BREA, Calif. - October 31, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today that the Mullen FIVE has received overwhelmingly positive reactions from members of the public, reservation holders and Mullen investors who were able to ride in the vehicle for the very first time on the "Strikingly Different" tour which kicked off last week in Pasadena, California.

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Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov has said Ukraine should introduce a visa regime with Russia for security reasons.

"My opinion - yes [it is necessary to introduce a visa regime]. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not support this position. They want to protect of the interests of our citizens. We do have a lot of migrant workers in Russia. They were forced to leave and work there because of difficult circumstances here. But I want to state one obvious fact: we are at war with Russia and we should strictly control any movement across the Ukrainian-Russian border," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax -Ukraine.

According to Turchynov, Russian special services are actively working with all groups of Ukrainian citizens on their territory.

"And if a person is of some interest for them, they start recruiting work. If he has the courage to refuse, he is just thrown into jail, calling him a criminal or a saboteur of Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. I think such a provocation was attempted against Ukrainian journalist Sushchenko and many others," Turchynov said.

Turchynov said many Russian agents are working against Ukraine, having the right to move freely across the border.

"Today, our country isnt divided by the border, but the disengagement line with the aggressor, which they could turn into a frontline at any moment. Therefore, we must strictly control any border crossing. And the visa is one of the monitoring tools. We need not only a visa, but clear rules for crossing the Ukrainian-Russian border, documenting and checking everyone who crosses it," the NSDC secretary said.

He said at present foreign passports are used for entry and exit.

"But, I will reiterate once again: we need a very rigid visa policy with Russia. First we should take into consideration the countrys interests, despite the problems of Ukrainian [migrant workers in Russia]. We should have a visa free regime with Europe, but a visa regime, without any exceptions, with Russia," Turchynov said.
Ukraine has initiated that the release of Donbas hostages should be considered as a top priority at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) in Minsk on December 7, Ukraine's representative in the TCG's humanitarian subgroup Iryna Gerashchenko said, citing Ukraine's envoy to the TCG Leonid Kuchma.

Kuchma announced about this initiative at a meeting with Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin and Gerashchenko when they were discussing the outcome of a Normandy Four ministerial meeting and preparations for December 7 meetings of the TCG and all of its four subgroups, Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, November 30.

"We think freeing hostages before New Year holidays should be a key task for the Minsk groups. Kuchma reiterated that the release of hostages had been included in the TCG's agenda on December 7 as a priority issue on the Ukrainian side's initiative. The process of the release must be unblocked. The foreign ministers of Germany and France stated this very clearly yesterday [November 29 at the Normandy meeting]," she said.

According to her, the Ukrainian side will also raise the issue of demilitarization of the city of Debaltseve, Donetsk region, at the forthcoming meeting in Minsk. "This was an important subject at the ministerial meeting too," Gerashchenko said.

In her words, there is no explanation why the de-facto authorities in the occupied areas in Luhansk region are blocking the Zolote checkpoint's work. "Militants promised at the latest meeting that it would re-open on December 10. Yesterday their Moscow-based supervisors failed to provide any reasonable explanation why the Zolote checkpoint is being blocked," Gerashchenko wrote.

She also added that the blocking of the Zolote checkpoint along with other humanitarian issues, such as the denial of ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] access to prisons in the occupied areas in Donbas and Russia were on the radar screen of the German and French ministers.
I dont know about you, but Ive been desperately in need of a solid email client on my Mac for years. The Mail app that comes preinstalled with macOS Sierra or earlier just doesnt do it for me, and Ive been using Airmail for a couple years too. Its an improvement over the stock offering, but for the price it never felt like it reached its potential. At long last, my favorite mail app for iPhone and iPad has arrived on the Mac: Spark.

Spark by Readdle (the makers of PDF Expert 5 and Scanner Pro) calls itself the smart email client that solves a problem of an overwhelmed inbox. In my one week of beta testing the Mac app plus about a year using the iOS app, I can declare it lives up to the mantra.

Sparks Smart Inbox Tidies Up the Mess

Sparks signature feature is its Smart Inbox. While traditional email clients just present all your new emails at once, Spark sorts through the new stuff and organizes them into cards. New, personal emails are at the top, followed by notifications, newsletters, your pinned read emails and the rest of your inbox. This alone dramatically saves me time as I can quickly click and swipe through emails this way. Plus, the emails come from all linked accounts.

Spark has quick action gestures that are completely customizable in the Preferences. By default, a left swipe lets you mark an item as unread or archive it (long left swipe) and a right swipe lets you delete or pin it (long right swipe.) So in just a few gestures I can clear through all my newsletters without even thinking about it.

Like the now defunct Mailbox, Spark also has a snooze feature. It lets you deal with emails later on so that they reappear in your inbox when the timing is more appropriate. By default you can snooze an email for later today (in three hours), tomorrow morning, next week or pick any date. Choose Someday and the email wont have an assigned date, itll just stay in the Snoozed folder. Again, all of these time and date options are customizable.

Other Key Features

While Smart Inbox plus gestures and snooze are highlights, they arent the only features Spark has going for it. Smart notifications cleverly omit strangers and automated messages from your notifications, leaving only the important senders. These are enabled on a per-account basis, so some accounts can have smart notifications, some can have all notifications and others can have none. Its up to you.

Another useful feature though limited in its functionality is quick replies. These are basically quick actions you can take on an email to essentially respond without, well, responding. Click the Quick Reply button at the bottom of an email to send a small message with a relevant emoticon. Examples are Thank you! with a check mark or George liked this email! with a thumbs up. Theyre like Facebook reactions. People who dont use Spark dont get the full effect including the nice UI and image though. Luckily, with the release of the Mac version in addition to the iPhone and iPad apps, the number of users should be growing.

Speaking of the iOS version, arguably my favorite feature of all is iCloud sync. Not only does Spark sync your accounts across all your devices, but it syncs your settings too. That means all of your swiping customizations, smart notification settings, even snoozes and quick replies show up instantly wherever you have Spark installed. It worked beautifully when the iPad app debuted, automatically importing all my accounts and settings, so Im sure itll be an even greater delight here.

Email Support

The cherry on top of the cake is that Spark works with just about any email address. You can sign in with your Microsoft Exchange account, Google Gmail, Yahoo, Microsoft Outlook or iCloud. Otherwise, with your server settings on hand, you can also use Spark with any IMAP email server.

Spark Delivers on Its Promise

In pretty much every way, Spark has helped ease the stress over checking and responding to emails. Best of all, it comes packaged in a fantastic design  the best design ever in a Mac email app, Id argue. Its lightweight yet powerful. The UI fits in nicely with macOS Sierra while still adding some personality of its own.

You cant beat the price either. Spark is zero dollars and zero cents  free  on iPhone, iPad, and now Mac starting today. Apple and Airmail really have a lot of catching up to do.

 Download Spark in Mac App Store (free)
In a recent interview with, Phaedra Parks dishes on this week's episode of. Phaedra Parks dishes on her Flint benefit and the ladies' disagreements. Check it out!Phaedra Parks: Since learning about the Flint water crisis, I have visited the city numerous times to advocate for them regarding the water issue. During one of my visits to Flint I had the opportunity to visit several schools and interact with the students. After speaking and marching with numerous parents and listening to their concerns for their childrens health and welfare, I wanted to do something special for the children affected the most by the water crisis. After speaking about my desires, YMCA Camp Copneconic and I began a collaborative effort to make my dream a reality, Camp Impact.PP: Given our history, there was some initial trepidation. However, since Michigan is Kenyas home state, I knew she would want to help Flint children. I was focused more on making a beneficial impact on the community and less on the history of our relationship.PP: In the words of the late Rodney King, Can't we all just get along? I know disagreements are inevitable, but the nonstop bickering can be exhausting. I am just glad they agreed to coexist for the benefit of the Flint children.What do you think about Phaedras blog?airs Sunday nights at 8/7c only on Bravo. For International TV ListingsSource/Photo Credit: Bravo
Unemployment has more than halved from the crisis peak to 7.3%; huge levels of emigration are no longer inflicting ever deeper scars; and the Irish 10-year bond is no longer flashing red for default, helped in no small part by the belated grip the ECB has taken to keep the euro bloc from falling apart.

In his swansong, Prof McHale nonetheless had to admonish the Governments spending plans.
In his action, Mr Guinane, who worked for PTSB for more than 25 years, makes several claims against the bank, including that it is in breach of contract, and that it denied him fair procedures during his departure.

He also claims that he has a contractual right to a payment under the banks severance scheme, known as a voluntary severance scheme.
However, she said it was most unlikely the UK-wide referendum in June to exit the EU would be overturned, and that the Scottish government wanted to push London to secure the best possible deal that ensured it maintained as many of the benefits of the current customs union as possible.

Talking to the business group Ibec, she said Scotland shared the concerns of Irish business about the lack of information from London on its plans for negotiations with Brussels.

A hard Brexit was the worst outcome for Scotland, while the least worst option for Scotland and Ireland would be the UK staying in the customs union after the divorce, she said.

Ms Sturgeon said she was attracted by the idea of forging closer ties to create some sort of Celtic corridor involving Belfast, Edinburgh, and Dublin.

With the City of London exploring the idea of financial visas, Ms Sturgeon said her government was preparing imaginative ideas to help it maintain as many of the current benefits of EU membership as possible.

Scotland wanted to remain in the customs union because the UK-wide vote was narrowly won and because, she said, leading campaigners such as Boris Johnson, now the UK foreign minister, had argued before the vote that Brexit would not necessarily lead to Britain leaving the customs union.

Scottish voters chose 62% to 38% to stay in the EU, compared with a 52% Leave vote recorded across the whole of the UK.

Ms Sturgeons government understands the unique position of Ireland, saying that Brexit campaigners had not considered the North and the essential requirement to keep an open border. She said she detected a hardening in positions in Europe because the UK government has yet to state what sort of relationship it wants with Europe.

Her comments came on the same day that UK chancellor Philip Hammond said the best way to protect the British economy was to support the UK governments plans to have the most open possible trading relationship with the EU after the country leaves.

Meanwhile, sterling bounced back against both the dollar and the euro, keeping the currency firmly in the $1.23 to $1.26 range it has held for the past two weeks in the absence of new concerns over how Britain will leave the EU.

Against a broadly weaker euro, sterling climbed by as much as 1% to trade back below 85 pence, having just recorded its longest run of weekly gains since early 2015.

Sterling is still almost 10% weaker against the euro compared with before Britains vote to exit the EU. But it has climbed 5% since the start of November as the euro has weakened on uncertainty over an Italian constitutional referendum on Sunday and French and German elections next year.

There remains concern about the Italian referendum and I think thats likely to continue to dominate activity in Europe for the next few days  thats probably why sterling is stronger against the euro, said Societe Generale currency strategist Alvin Tan.

Additional reporting: Reuters
Futures tumbled up to 4.8% after Iranian oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Vienna his nation will not reduce production.

A 10-hour technical meeting focusing on how to share the burden of cuts failed to resolve differences. Saudi Arabia is ready to reject an agreement unless all Opec members, excluding Libya and Nigeria, participate, said people familiar with the kingdoms current position at the talks.

This is going to go right down to the wire, said Mike Wittner, head of oil market research at Societe Generale in New York. The Saudis have been remarkably consistent in what they expect from the Iranians over the last two months.

Goldman Sachs said the market is pricing in a 30% chance of a deal. While Morgan Stanley says an accord could push prices up about $5 a barrel, a failure could drive it down to the $20s, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects.

Saudi Arabia energy minister Khalid Al-Falih, who has led the push for Opec to cut production for the first time in eight years, changed his tone on Sunday, saying a deal might not be needed.

West Texas Intermediate for January delivery dropped $1.76, or 3.7%, to $45.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures hit $44.82, the lowest since November 18. Prices rose 2.2% yesterday. Total volume traded was about 20% over the 100-day average.

Brent Crude fell $1.75, or 3.6%, to $46.49 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Unless theres a material concession from Iran theres no way Saudi Arabia is going to agree to reduce production, said Stephen Schork, president of the Schork Group, a consulting company in Pennsylvania.

If prices jumped above $50, US barrels would come back to the market. They would also lose market share to the Iranians and Russians in the Far East.

A pact proposed yesterday would trim output by 1.2m barrels a day from October levels, though it remains unclear whether the idea has the support needed for approval, a delegate said.

Iran, Opecs third-biggest producer, proposed that it freeze production at 3.975 million barrels a day.

That is 7.2% higher than Saudi Arabias counter-proposal of 3.707m barrels a day.
A document setting out the outcome of discussions so far at the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) was circulated yesterday to unions and the two departments represented since the process began in early November.

The conciliation talks were agreed following the closure of over 500 secondary schools. ASTI staff staged two one-day strikes either side of the Halloween mid-term break, part of the unions campaign for equal pay for those who started teaching since 2011.

As well as those strikes, the union had also deferred the more disruptive withdrawal of members from supervision and substitution duties. This had led to over 400 schools closing for one day, but with the prospect of indefinite closures, until the intervention of TCC chairwoman Anna Perry, who invited all sides into talks.

However, it is believed that few gains, if any, have been made by the ASTI over and above arrangements previously agreed with two other teacher unions, who have also been represented at the TCC talks. If that is the case, ASTIs negotiators may have difficulty convincing the 23-member standing committee whether there is anything worth putting to a ballot of its 17,500 members.

However, it is also understood that teachers on the ground may be anxious to settle the matter. ASTI members at more than 500 second-level schools have already lost two or three days pay in a dispute that many feel they were led to understand would be resolved before their industrial actions began at the end of October.

For now, those two industrial actions remain deferred rather than cancelled and it will be up to the ASTI standing committee to decide the next stage in the process at todays meeting.

Education Minister Richard Bruton declined yesterday to comment on the outcome of talks so far, but said he did not believe there was an end in sight to the dispute.

The ASTI also declined to comment, except to confirm that the details being circulated by Ms Perry would be discussed by the standing committee today. It is unclear if the union has agreed to put the contents of the document to ballot, or whether such a development would be for the standing committee or ASTIs larger central executive committee to decide.

In a deal finalised in September with the Irish National Teachers Organisation and Teachers Union of Ireland, some pay increases were agreed by the Department of Education and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for post-2011 appointees.

However, they still left them well behind the salary scales of colleagues. There were also concessions on the flexibility of how schools use the 33 extra Croke Park hours teachers must work each year, work the ASTI had insisted they were no longer obliged to do from this school year since the lapse of a previous pay deal.
Patrick Maughan, aged 29, unemployed, of Mourne View Park, Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland, and Terry Maughan, also unemployed, from Balbriggan, Co Dublin, sued Michael Kavanagh and also their brother and driver of the car in which they were passengers, John Maughan.

Patrick and Terry Maughan alleged they were close to Dublin Airport, on November 4, 2010, stationary at traffic lights, when Mr Kavanagh rear-ended their vehicle, a van they were using, the court heard, to transport scrap for sale. They claimed they suffered whiplash injuries.
On Thursday, December 1, at 12.30, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference "Ukraine's Classic Insurance Market. Reality, Trends, Forecast." The performance of the companies participating in the PRIMA project on information disclosure, monitoring and analysis over 9 months of 2016, as well as the indicators of the development of the classic insurance market in 2016 and forecast for 2017 will be presented. The participant will include Director General of the Ukrainian Insurance Federation Halyna Tretiakova, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Insurance Federation Viacheslav Perepelytsia, and representatives of insurance companies (8/5a Reitarska Street). Admission requires press accreditation. Additional information by phone: +380 (44) 520 1891, +380 (67) 234 2377; zmi@ufu.org.ua (the Ukrainian Insurance Federation press service, Yevhen Shumakov, www.ufu.org.ua).
This follows the Employment Appeals Tribunal awarding Neil OMalley 12,000 after finding his employer, Comconsult Technologies Limited, trading as Fleet Connect, unfairly dismissed him.

Fleet Connect installs wifi for public transport companies and Mr OMalley was employed to install the wifi and used a company van during his work.

However, Mr OMalley was sacked for gross misconduct after the companys insurer said it could no longer insure Mr OMalley after he pleaded guilty to a careless driving offence in court.

The managing director told the tribunal hearing there were several road rage incidents involving Mr OMalley and despite warnings and advice the incidents continued. Mr OMalley did not accept responsibility for any of the incidents. The managing director told the hearing he was particularly upset by an incident involving an elderly man near Drogheda, Co Louth.

The company brought in a human resources consultant to facilitate Mr OMalley in managing his driving while the operations manager gave Mr OMalley a verbal warning. In November 2014, Mr OMalley was involved in an road traffic accident while driving his company van. When the operations manager spoke to him, he blamed the other person. At all times Mr OMalley maintained his innocence.

However, the tribunal report states Mr OMalley was convicted arising from his involvement in the incident. The managing director took the decision to dismiss Mr OMalley when he was taken off the companys insurance policy. The premium required to put back on the policy was uneconomic.

In its ruling after hearing evidence over two days at a hearing in Dublin, the tribunal stated it was satisfied gross misconduct did not arise in this case: There were a number of past incidents where the claimants driving gave cause for concern, some of a serious nature and the respondents response might be seen to have been lenient. However, these incidents were not relied on to justify the claimants dismissal and therefore the tribunal disregards them.

The tribunal found that Mr OMalley was unfairly dismissed on the grounds that the issue of insuring him was not fully explored.

In making the 12,000 award, it said it took into account the substantial contribution Mr OMalleys behaviour made to his circumstances.
Mr Adams made the claim despite Mr Stacks son Austin stating he and his family never gave any names to him and demanded answers on where the information emerged. Reports yesterday said that in a recent email to Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan, Mr Adams provided the names of four senior IRA members who may have information about the 1983 murder of Mr Stack.

Mr Stack  the only prison officer to have been murdered in the Republic during the Troubles  was shot in 1983 while working at Portlaoise prison, before dying from his injuries the following year. While the IRA denied its involvement for 30 years, senior members admitted responsibility during a meeting with Austin Stack in 2003 which was organised by Mr Adams.
The Central Criminal Court jury was hearing the opening speech in the trial of 58-year-old Bernadette Scully.

Ms Scully is charged with unlawfully killing Emily Barut at their home at Emvale, Bachelors Walk, Tullamore. It is alleged that she killed her by an act of gross negligence involving the administration of an excessive quantity of chloral hydrate on September 15, 2012. She has pleaded not guilty and went on trial yesterday morning.

Tara Burns SC opened the case for the State, telling the jury that the prosecution had to prove that Ms Scully had a duty of care to the deceased on the basis of being both her mother and GP, and that she was in breach of that duty.

She said the prosecutions case is that there was gross negligence. She said that Ms Scully would have realised, if she thought about it at all, that there was a risk of harm. She explained that Emily was born with profound physical and learning disabilities, including microcephaly and epilepsy, and that her mother had acted as her GP throughout her life.

Emily was very well cared for at home, she said.

She said that two weeks before her death Emily had a surgical procedure to replace a peg in her stomach, through which she was fed and given her medication. She was in a lot of pain and sleeping poorly following this. She said Ms Scully was in an exhausted state as a result.

She said that on September 15, Ms Scully sent her partner to the pharmacy for anti-depressants and sedatives. He hadnt seen Emily before going. When he returned, she sent him out for food. He still hadnt seen Emily when Ms Scully went to have a sleep that afternoon.

He found Ms Scully in a deep sleep around 7pm, but didnt wake her. He checked on Emily two hours later and found her cold. He called an ambulance and both mother and daughter were taken to hospital, where Emily was pronounced dead.

Ms Scully had taken an overdose, explained the barrister.

A post-mortem exam was carried out on Emily and a metabolite of her prescribed sedative, chloral hydrate, was found in her blood at a level of 200 micrograms per ml. Ms Burns said that, if given at the correct dose, a level of between 10 and 20 micrograms would be expected.

But 200 was found. Youll hear that level is beyond the therapeutic level and within the toxic range, she said.

Ms Burns said that Ms Scully went to a garda station a few days later and gave an account of what had happened in the early hours of that Saturday. She said that Emily was upset, crying in pain and woke at 2am and 6am. She administered chloral hydrate both times. She said Emily had a significant fit at 11am and that she gave her chloral hydrate again.

She accepted she gave her too much, said Ms Burns.

State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy testified that she carried out the post-mortem exam. She knew that Emily was severely disabled from birth, that she was cared for at home by her mother and attended a special needs school daily.

She had been told that she was on a number of medications and that chloral hydrate was one of the medicines found at the scene. She examined the childs body and found that her brain showed maldevelopment. She also found that her lungs were water-logged.

Another expert examined her brain and found damage resulting from multiple seizures, along with evidence of a hypoxic episode in the six to eight hours before her death. Toxicology tests showed that she had 220 micrograms of trichloroethanol in her blood. She said that deaths had occurred with levels of 20 to 240 micrograms.

She said there was no evidence of pressure sores or contractions of the limbs, which could occur when a patient had limited movement: She appears to have been very well cared for and was developing normally despite her disabilities.

She said that death was due to chloral hydrate intoxication. She explained that this was a sedative used for the treatment of epilepsy. She said that children may be given a maximum single dose and that the half life in children was 10 hours.

She said that Emily was at risk of a potentially fatal seizure at any time and that epilepsy was not excluded as a possible cause of death. However, the level of chloral hydrate in her blood was such that she gave the cause of death as chloral hydrate intoxication. Contributory factors were microcephaly, abnormality of her brain, epilepsy and acute inflammation of the lungs.

Under cross examination by Kenneth Fogarty SC, defending, she agreed that her expert colleague had found evidence of a hypoxic episode at least six hours before her death.

He noted that his client had told gardai that her daughter had three seizures, at 2am, 6am and 11am.

Any one of those seizures could have resulted in the damage to the brain. The seizure didnt cause her death, but was a very significant seizure that caused this hypoxic change That would be a major seizure, said the professor.

He asked if she could have passed away from the seizure, notwithstanding the chloral hydrate levels.

Yes, she could have had a terminal seizure, she replied.

She said that a seizure could cause death at the time or some time later. She said that the waterlogging in her lungs could be due to heart failure, which could be due to the chloral hydrate but could also be due to hypoxic changes in the brain. She was asked if chloral hydrate was taken out of the equation, was there still sufficient there to cause her death.

Yes, she replied.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven women and five men.
The stark warning, from UCC Prof John Higgins, consultant obstetrician gynaecologist, is contained in the Maternity Services Annual Report 2015, just published.

There were calls in the Seanad yesterday for Health Minister Simon Harris to participate in a debate in the upper house on the crisis that has beset gynaecology services at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), where almost 4,200 women are awaiting outpatient appointments. Close to 800 women are waiting more than a year and a half.

Independent senator Colette Kelleher, who raised the matter in the Seanad, said the situation had moved beyond acceptable to dangerous. She said the minister needed to answer how this life and death matter for women in Cork and surrounding areas is to be addressed.

Earlier this week, the Irish Examiner revealed that up to 20 consultants at CUMH had taken the unprecedented step of writing to the hospitals CEO, Tony McNamara, warning they would no longer take responsibility for women who suffered adverse outcomes as a result of excessive time on gynaecological waiting lists.

The consultants have repeatedly warned hospital management of the need to invest in the service and have called for the opening of a second theatre to tackle surgery lists and for the appointment of four additional consultant gynaecologists.

Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer said that if progress was not made at hospital level in tackling the crisis, there was a case for outside intervention.

There is a need for all sides to come together to build a safe service for women, he said. If we need an independent facilitator, so be it.

Peter Boylan, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has called for CUMH to have its own governance framework and ring-fenced budget along the lines of the Mastership system that operates in the three Dublin maternity hospitals, where the master is a doctor responsible for running the hospital.

In todays Irish Examiner, Dr Boylan says a CEO of a maternity hospital who is not a doctor can never have as good an understanding of the core business.

The advantage of having a doctor as captain of the ship is that they are at the coal-face of obstetrics and gynaecology, he writes.

They understand the core business of the hospital and can respond effectively to the clinical needs of pregnant women and women with gynaecological problems.

A CEO who is not a doctor, no matter how well-intentioned, can never have as good an understanding of the core business.

Dr Boylan also warns that failures at management level now pose potentially very serious risks to the health of the women served by the hospital.

There is a real possibility of cancers going undiagnosed as a result, he writes. This is unacceptable in 2016.

The SSW Maternity Services report says a new regional directorate for maternity services is due to commence in February 2017. This it says will accelerate the strengthening of clinical governance, resource management and risk reduction.

Last night, a spokesman for the department said Mr Harris had asked the HSE to update him on the situation at CUMH.

He said the National Maternity Strategy provides that one individual in the maternity network be identified as charged with responsibility for a safe, quality service... that person may or may not be a clinician.

Analysis: 13
Last year three prisoners serving life sentences were denied early release because vital community supports were not available. All three have been in prison for over 17 years.

The Parole Board believed the three prisoners should be recommended to the minister for justice as meeting the criteria for release. However, the recommendations were not made because two of them had serious psychiatric difficulties and one had an intellectual disability.

It was not possible to recommend them for temporary release because the essential community supports were not available, said the chairman of the Parole Board, John Costello.

As hundreds of prisoners have serious psychiatric or intellectual disability problems, this is going to become a more regular occurrence., he wrote in the boards 2015 annual report.

Mr Costello cited Trinity College professor of psychiatry, Brendan Kelly, who called prisons toxic for the mentally ill.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) suggested Ireland could be in breach of the UNs standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. Rule 110 states that steps should be taken, by arrangement with the appropriate agencies to ensure, if necessary, the continuation of psychiatric treatment after release and the provision of social-psychiatric after-care.

Imprisonment should not be used as respite, nor as a means of providing an individual with access to services, such as counselling, the IPRT stated. Individuals should not be imprisoned or further punished because of their mental health issues.

The Parole Board deals with prisoners serving life sentences or sentences over eight years. Last year it heard 76 new cases, the highest number since it was established in 2001. It interviews prisoners and can recommend to the minister for justice that they be released on supervised temporary release which can be revoked if the offender fails to fulfil specified conditions. Victims can make written submissions to the board before a recommendation is made.

On many occasions these letters reveal enormous pain and suffering caused to victims, said Mr Costello. These letters are seriously considered by the board members before deciding on a recommendation.

The board mainly deals with prisoners serving sentences for murder (45%) and sexual offences (19%). The minister for justice can reject a recommendation for early release but rarely does so in practice. In 2015, the minister accepted 88 of the boards 89 recommendations.

Of the 76 new prisoners invited to seek parole in 2015, 34 declined. The vast majority of those who refused were eligible for 25% remission from their sentences which is almost always a much simpler and quicker path to early release than seeking parole.
Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe has agreed to begin negotiations with public sector representatives over the repercussions of the garda Labour Court recommendation. Siptu is deferring its planned industrial action ballot which was due to begin tomorrow after the talks were announced by Mr Donohoe.

Although the Government still maintains it will stand by the time-frame set out under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, it has now brokered a new two-stage process of talks.

Public sector workers have been venting increasing frustration over the Labour Court recommendation which would see around 3,000 paid to gardai from January. They have been demanding early renegotiations of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which is not due to be discussed until the middle of next year, and want pay restoration to be accelerated.

Mr Donohoe said his department will invite groups to talks which will seek to address anomalies arising from the recent recommendations issued by the Labour Court in relation to the Industrial Relations disputes with members of An Garda Siochana.

However, he was adamant that the Government would wait until after the Public Pay Commission comes back with its recommendations in the middle of next year before re-entering talks on a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

I am also making clear that other matters in relation to the future of public pay more generally will be dealt with in another way by Government, and that other way is by allowing the Public Services Pay Commission to do their work, Mr Donohoe said.

Welcoming the talks, the Impact trade union said it had been calling for early negotiations to address the fallout from the Labour Court recommendations in the Garda dispute, and for clarity about the process and timetable for addressing the need for accelerated pay restoration. The Civil Public and Services Union said tangible benefits must flow from the talks.
Chairman of the trustees of the Cork Hebrew Congregation, Fred Rosehill, a father of two, died at Marymount Hospice yesterday. Mr Rosehill will be buried at Curraghkippane, the Jewish Cemetery, today.

Last January, Mr Rosehill, 88, attended the final prayer service at the South Terrace synagogue.

I feel very sad, very alone and very worried about the future. I want to say my prayers but I have nowhere to say them, he said.

At its height, the Jewish Community in Cork consisted of 65 families with as many as 400 members.

The community first arrived in the city in 1880 as migrants fleeing persecution in Russia.

It is believed that they thought they were heading to America, but were won over by the welcome of Cork people.

The synagogue on South Terrace had been in use since 1905.

The dwindling numbers of recent years was blamed for the closure, as there had been difficulty maintaining the minimum number of male adults needed for regular services.

Corks Jewish community settled largely in the Hibernian Buildings area near the south inner city, which became known locally as Jewtown.
Speaking to the Seanad yesterday, she thanked the Irish people for their support for Scotlands efforts to stay in the EU.

She said the option for another Scottish referendum must not be ruled out but refused to give a date on when she would seek one.

Members of the upper house gave her sustained applause before and after her speech, the first by a foreign sitting government leader to the Seanad.

She said that if Brexit was a danger to cultural or economic interests of Scotland, that its people must have a right to set their own future.

Ms Sturgeon also said that the first preference for Scotland with Brexit was for the UK to still be given access to the single market and free trade. She said the outcome of the Brexit referendum did not give London permission to take it out of the single market.

Scotland also supported the issue of open borders, she said, in reference to her own country and the North, once Brexit goes ahead.

Ms Sturgeons reflection that there were special and unbreakable bonds between Ireland and Scotland were seconded by senators in contributions during the morning.

While there were some empty seats in the chamber, the visitors gallery was full for this special moment for the Seanad.

Ireland had faced many challenges, she added. However, the one ahead with Brexit could affect generations to come, warned the first minister.

More than 1m citizens in Scotland had voted to remain, she reminded senators at the end of her two-day visit to Ireland.

A series of issues were raised by the senators during the exchanges including the shared position on same-sex marriage, efforts to reduce excessive drinking, and climate change.

Deputy Fine Gael leader James Reilly said he hoped Scotlands voices are heard in the [Brexit] negotiations.

Only harm can come from a hard border, warned the former health minister. We are Celts, he said.

Sinn Feins Rose Conway-Walsh reiterated that her party was strongly opposed to the North being forced out of the EU through Brexit.

Under Brexit, existing human rights laws might be unwound and the North needed to be given a special status, the senator warned. The risk otherwise is to unravel the peace and progress of the last 20 years, she said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said last week he believes that Brexit will take more than two years, the timeframe allowed once Britain triggers its exit. Mr Kenny said it would be impossible for Brexit to happen in any shorter timeframe.

Earlier yesterday, Ms Sturgeon told RTEs Morning Ireland

that Mr Kenny had been supportive of Scotland but she understood that when it came to Brexit that his top priorities would be all-Ireland issues.

She also said she does not think there will be a second referendum on Brexit. She also said the North needed to be regarded as a special case with Brexit.
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) said it estimates the State will likely spend 200m more than is justified under the Brussels key expenditure rule. It also found the Government provided little room for spending increases in the coming years, should the economy face further economic blows.

IFAC chairman John McHale  who is to step down in the coming weeks  said the breach was disappointing, as the EU rules aimed to stop conditions that led to the crash.
THERE were gasps of surprise when the first model exited at the Burberry AW16 show.

Is that... glitter? we wondered collectively, shocked that the storied house would unleash such a frivolous look on the catwalk.

And it didnt stop there.

There was dazzle-dust on the Paris and Milan runways too, as even brands like Vetements, known for the cool restraint of its models make-up, caught the glitter bug.

And with festive fun-times on the horizon, nows the perfect time to get in on the sparkly action.

Here are five ways to shine with the grown-up glitter trend...

PRETTY IN PUNK

Falling like golden tears onto models razor-sharp cheekbones, Burberrys take on glitter is more punky than princessy.

Recreate the look by patting a smoky matte shadow above and below the eyes, then use a liquid highlighter pen to create a dewy surface for Burberry Shimmer Dust to cling to, see main picture.

Dont worry if the two sides dont match exactly  thats all part of the appeal.

Fresh Glow Highlighting Luminous Pen in Nude Radiance 01, 32 (www.burberry.com, free p&p)

Burberry Shimmer Dust in Gold Glitter 01, 24 (www.burberry.com, free p&p)

CATCH THE RED EYE

Inspired in part by The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the fierce eye make-up look at Charlotte Olympia combined bleached brows, masses of black liner and a flurry of red glitter.

To make it more wearable, just stick with the glitter, using MAC Mixing Medium Eyeliner across your eyelids to stick the ruby red particles in place.

Finish with a pale shimmery lip gloss to really let your eyes do the talking.

MAC Mixing Medium Eyeliner, 15.30 (www.mac.com)

MAC Nutcracker Sweet Bronze Pigments and Glitter Kit, 35 (www. brownthomas.com)

DISCO HOPPER

A girl who has been out dancing all night in LA is how make-up legend Val Garland described the Fausto Puglisi look, which explains the smudged black eyeliner and artfully scattered glitter.

Use a black kohl pencil and start the line in the middle underneath your eye, extending into a rough V at the corner, then use some face glue to blend the pencil out slightly then pat on your silver glitter  if you struggle with fingers, a small, clean eyeshadow brush will help position the dust.

Smashbox Photo Finish 24-Hour Shadow Primer, 25 (boots.ie)

NYX Face & Body Glitter in Silver, 7.

And if you want to take things a step further try, NYX Face & Body Glitter primer, available in 12 shades, 10 (www.boots.ie)

VIOLET TENDENCIES

Matte skin and clean lips were contrasted with a flash of glistening purple eyeliner at Vetements, which was created using mixing medium (a liquid, gel or cream solvent) and loose glitter.

There is a cheats way, however, which wont leave you covered in shining specks for days (or weeks) after.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner is easy to paint on precisely and comes in seven beautifully bright shades.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in ACDC, 17.19 (www.debenhams.ie)

GREEN-EYED GIRL

To create the rock n roll eyes at Emanuel Ungaro, Garland added yellow-gold glitter to a base of dark green eyeshadow, creating a shimmering lime green effect.

Sounds a bit out-there, but its actually really flattering, especially on dark eyes, and can easily be achieved with just a finger-smudge of shadow, a slick of glitter glue and golden flecks encrusted close to the inner-eye then dabbed outwards.

MAC Eye Shadow in Humid, 17 (www.brownthomas.com)

Barry M Fine Glitter Dust in Yellow Gold, 5.40 (www.superdrug.com)
THE best Irish language poet since the Famine is how poet Sean O Riordain is described by his biographer, Sean O Coileain.

O Coileain will give the keynote speech on Saturday as part of a three-day commemoration event, starting this Thursday, marking the centenary of O Riordains birth in Ballyvourney, Co Cork on December 3, 1916.

Generations of Irish school children are familiar with O Riordains poem, Cul an Ti. O Coileain points out that while the poem seems light-hearted, its actually quite dark. It represents O Riordain being out at the back of the house with the rubbish tip. He has been to the sanatorium [having been diagnosed with TB as a young man and suffering poor health until his death at the age of 60]. An addition to the house has been made for him so that he can live, as it were, apart from healthy folk.

While he describes the world he lives in humorously, he very much resented the isolation he felt and much of his work is about this. It is a world that is very much to the fore in his prose writing and later in the Irish Times, and indeed in his diary which he kept from 1940 until a few days before his death.

SYMPATHETIC OUTLOOK

O Riordain felt cast aside and labelled diseased. He wasnt treated properly for TB as there were no proper drugs at the time. So his hostility shows.

But, as O Coileain points out, the sickly poets hostile attitude isnt the only mindset that emerges in his writing. He comes across as sympathetic for the person who is broken down and has lost everything. He was an extraordinarily sympathetic person who recognised other human beings in the same straits that he was in.

The eldest of three children whose father died from TB, O Riordain struggled with the Catholic faith that he was born into. There are times when he seems to have totally abandoned it. I know for a matter of fact that even though he was dying and knew it, it rankled very much with him that he was virtually forced, on his death bed, to confess and receive communion and extreme unction.

President Cearbhall O Dalaigh at the funeral of Sean O Riordain at Reilig Ghobnatan.

O Riordain didnt like authority or pontificating. That final act of authority, reclaiming him, is something he wrote about across a page of his diary (when he was dying.) He wrote in Irish that (being administered the last rites) doesnt mean Im a Catholic.

With O Riordain, there was the uncertainty of a person who has been very much brought up in a tradition and has tried to reject it. He had rejected so many other things, such as traditional modes of writing in Irish. But it was as if he was being forced back to the Church.

O Coileain says that paradoxically, O Riordains isolation made him more central in the sense that he spoke directly of his own condition.

That was immediately recognised as the human condition. He wrote out of despair, sickness and sometimes hopelessness.

He was talking basically about existentialism, what it is to be a human being. In that way, he related to an audience much more personally and immediately than those who were writing using a more traditional model, the Daniel Corkery tradition, says O Coileain.

While O Riordain read widely, it was almost by accident that he was part of the European tradition.

He was universal rather than writing in more formal modes with the traditional themes that other poets were using.

He was certainly a modernist and his poetry translates and resonates in a way that much other poetry does not.

IRISH CONFLICT

O Riordain, who published four books, was criticised by traditionalists, with the poet Maire Mhac an tSaoi, in particular, drawing attention to his standard of Irish. He was not a native speaker of the language in the strict sense.

He was born in the breac (speckled) Gaeltacht in Ballyvourney. The Irish language was yielding to English in that area in O Riordains time. His father was a native Irish speaker, as was his grandmother who lived close to him. He had uncles in the neighbourhood who were all native speakers. His mother, on the other hand, came from Carrigadrohid and was an English speaker. So English would have been the normal language of the home.

Again, this was a dilemma that he grew up with. He had to choose his medium. Over a period of time, he came to realise that for his purposes at least, writing in Irish was more meaningful and accessible to him than writing in English.

O Riordain, who at the age of 15 moved with his family to Inniscarra and attended the North Monastery on Corks northside, saw his youth in Ballyvourney as giving him the credentials for writing in Irish.

Of course, he went on to develop his credentials in Irish in later years. He spent periods in the Gaeltacht in Dunquin, west Kerry.

O Riordain never married and worked as a clerk in Cork City Hall from 1936-1965 and was given a part-time position in UCCs Irish department from 1969-1976. He died in 1977 and is buried at Reilig Ghobnatan near Ballyvourney.

While illness blighted his life and influenced his writing, his work transcends the misery of TB.

As Patrick Crotty writes in his anthology of modern Irish poetry: Startling imagery and an undercurrent of anarchic, self-deprecating humour play against the grimness of O Riordains themes.
TODAY, the United Kingdom is united in name only. With different regions and industries desperately trying to opt out of a hard Brexit from the EU, and Scotland even considering independence, whatever ties bind the UK together are being severely strained.

This is no temporary or passing phenomenon. The vote to leave the EU was fuelled by deep-seated public anger about the huge structural inequalities between the UKs north and the south  inequalities that, as UK chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond acknowledged this week, are the worst in Europe.

Yet Brexit will only exacerbate Britains regional divide: As the more export-dependent north loses jobs faster than the south, post-referendum optimism will be cut short.

Since 2010, the northeast has comprised 4% of the UK population, contributed just 3% of the countrys gross value added (GVA), and accounted for only 2% of the economys new jobs.

Those figures are 11%, 9%, and 7%, respectively, in the northwest; and 8%, 6.5%, and 6%, respectively, in Yorkshire and Humberside. By contrast, London and the southeast have accounted for 26.8% of population, 37.7% of GVA, and 39% of new jobs. In fact, since 2010, half of all new jobs were created in London, the southeast, and the east.

A 2016 study by University of Groningen economist Philip McCann found that the UKs regional income gaps rival the worst in Europe. Average disposable household income in the Greater London area is 60% higher than in most other regions of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Moreover, according to the latest Eurostat data, average per capita GDP (in terms of purchasing power parity) in the Welsh and Tees Valleys is, respectively, 69% and 74% lower than the EU average, placing them below Lithuania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Overall, North England, Wales, and Northern Irelands per capita GDP levels are lower than Mississippi and West Virginias.

Regional economic policy used to be the tool for narrowing the divide. But the Northern Powerhouse initiative to revive cities in the UKs north has obscured a reduction in regional aid, which over the last six years has fallen to just 2bn (2.3bn) ) annually. That is one-third lower than the average annual installment during the first decade of this century.

Today, as much as three-quarters of public funding for research and development is spent in the southern third of the UK, while only 7% is spent in the north. And historic infrastructure-spending gaps continue to widen: By 2020 or 2021, annual per capita transportation-infrastructure spending will reach 1,900 in London, but will be less than 300 in the northeast.

McCann argues that London is decoupling from the rest of the country, because few benefits  such as new jobs, industries, or technologies  ever flow out of the capital to other regions. This means that policies that enhance Londons economy do little for the rest of the UKs regional economies.

All of this points to a powerful conclusion: The UKs centralist, Whitehall-dominated constitution  which evolved during the first Industrial Revolution, when Londons political power was matched by the north and Midlands greater economic power  is not suited to todays world.

The UKs peripheral regions, with their high levels of long-term unemployment, are losing workers. A London-centric approach is no longer of benefit even to London, which struggles with congestion, economic overheating, and a housing crisis.

If the UK continues to centralise its decision-making, regional disparities will only deepen. The UK must adopt a more balanced approach that gives each region the power to develop its economic potential and bridges the divide between the core and periphery.

To this end, it is critical to reframe the constitution to incorporate regional interests and recognise that the UK is a multinational state.

Such radical change  and, to match the scale of the crisis, it must be radical  will require a nationwide discussion, which could be conducted via a peoples constitutional convention. That convention should start by examining Brexits impact on regions.

We should ask, for example, whether it makes sense to repatriate powers and financial transfers from Brussels to Westminster, or if some powers and financing should instead be devolved to the regions and nations.

Where possible, regional funds and policymaking powers  including environmental regulation and oversight of agriculture, fisheries, and local social programmes  should be delegated to the appropriate regional authorities, such as the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies, city mayors, and local authorities.

The convention should also look at the broader case for building a more federal UK, for codifying a new division of powers between London and the regions, and for replacing the unelected House of Lords with an elected Senate of the Nations and Regions.

As a next step, the Labour opposition should ask Prime Minister Theresa Mays government to sponsor a convention. If the government does not respond  as happened with the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989  Labour should lead the convention itself, and invite other political parties to participate. Constitutional reform is critical to develop institutions that meet the needs and aspirations of all parts of the UK. They cannot be delayed.

The UKs north-south divide raises issues common to all Western economies where movements promising to take back control for the people are forming, and a new identity politics is challenging moderate forces. We now must ask what surging nationalism and protectionism in an increasingly interdependent world mean for the way governments are structured.

The intellectual challenge that Britain has consistently sidestepped is how to balance autonomy with cooperation. With too much integration and centralisation, calls for local control will only grow louder.

If there is too little cooperation, we cannot solve economic and social challenges that require a collective approach.

Only by getting the balance right can we begin to build a fairer, more united UK.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer, is the United Nations special envoy for global education.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016.
There were heaps of praise for the Scottish National Party leader. The giddy senators gave Ms Sturgeon sustained rounds of applause  a rare sight in the sleepy chamber.

It was the first ever visit to the Seanad by a sitting foreign government leader, we were told.

Ms Sturgeon quietly listened to the humbled senators talk about bonds between the two nations; challenges over Brexit; and their admiration for Scotland.

She spoke about the special and unbreakable bonds between the Irish and Scottish: both share more than 1,000 years of history and there are cultural and historic links between the two. Senators faced the Cathaoirleachs bell more than once for speaking over time. And the praise and pledges of support for Scotland went on and on.

In the wings of the press gallery, Scottish reporters privately said it was amazing, watching these Irish politicians falling over themselves and pledging to do what they could for a sister-Celt nation.

But realistically, what can the senators do? It will be up to Taoiseach Enda Kenny what he does when he enters the room with the other 27 EU heads of state when negotiations on Brexit finally begin, though he has already faced criticism before for seeking to represent Scotlands position.

But there was little that could stop the Braveheart-esque feeling in the Upper House yesterday.

Nicola Sturgeon tells Seanad Scotland may consider its independence again https://t.co/gb9cCvgVxj pic.twitter.com/gZjXCZ2TlC  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 29, 2016

Cathaoirleach Denis ODonovan noted there was just 20 miles of water between the two countries. We are Celts, declared Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly.

Female senators were proud Ms Sturgeon was there, with Fianna Fails Catherine Ardagh saying she is a role model for elected women.

Half of Ms Sturgeons cabinet is made up of women  a point likely not lost on Government chief whip Regina Doherty who sat in the gallery looking on.

Scotlands day [of independence] will come, added Senator Ardagh.

The SNPs drive for independence is not the bloody one witnessed here. This was a key point cited by senators, including Labours Aodhan ORiordain. He was inspired, he said, by her. It is deeply moving, he added, as is her nationalism. This contrasted to the worrying support for Brexit in Britain.

Those who pretend to care about services but really have a xenophobic heart, said Mr ORiordain.

Fianna Fails Mark Daly said the SNPs nationalism is not corrosive, like that of Vladimir Putins.

What can we do, asked senator after senator, to help Scotland stay in the EU? Unfortunately, this is just the problem. We dont know yet, they dont and either do the citizens in the North who, like Scotland, voted to remain in the EU.

It all felt a little too much, but Ms Sturgeon said she was touched by the warm expressions: I will draw great strength in the years ahead, stressed the first minister.

But she needed that strength immediately afterwards in the room next to the chamber as senators bombarded her with requests for photos. That wasnt enough; several jumped in and took selfies. It was like a pop concert. Then the ushers reminded everyone where we were: The Oireachtas. We can expect a return invitation for Ms Sturgeon to the Upper House again. Lets hope the seats are full next time though.
Bertie Aherns timing was always spot on. He was elected Taoiseach in 1997, just as the country was taking off to join the wealthy nations of the world. He stepped down in 2008, just as the world as we knew it was coming apart at the seams. He governed through the halcyon, albeit illusory, days.

And then reversed gingerly into the shadows as the foul stuff collided with the air conditioning. Nothing to do with me, guv, sure, none of this would have happened if I was still in charge, was the refrain he tried out a few times before realising he might be inciting violence against himself.

Yesterday, the country awoke to the news that he could be on the way back. His old Dublin Central constituency passed a motion calling for his restoration to the party. They want his expertise, his know-how, his magic, his Bertie-ness.

Fianna Fail to ask Bertie Ahern to rejoin party https://t.co/hzBomJWHzM pic.twitter.com/O0SnNnDxcO  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 29, 2016

The timing of his possible return is excellent. There is a cacophony to restore public pay to its 2008 levels, a time when all was well and true and good with the world. The debate over water charges appears to be also be heading back to the future, to the days when the country was awash with money, and cryptosporidium was thought to be an app for the newly minted I-Pad. So who better lead us out of perdition all the way back the days of wine and roses than the man who was in charge the first time around.

The Berts timing for a return would also chime with the times we live in. Since the election of Donald Trump we have been officially consigned to a post-truth world, where facts dont matter and telling the truth is for losers.

Invitation to Bertie Ahern made for 'electoral reasons' https://t.co/OTnmNlhzCt pic.twitter.com/tdVatkHKBi  Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 30, 2016

As most people will by now have forgotten, Mr Ahern was deemed to have conducted himself in a manner unbecoming Fianna Fail when it was ruled in 2012 that he hadnt told the truth at the Mahon Tribunal. Now, in the current dispensation, that oul business of telling the truth is no longer obligatory in politics. Whats sauce for the leader of the free world is sauce for The Bert.

Besides, the hullabaloo that accompanied the fall out from the Mahon Tribunal surrounded a mere 215,000 that Bertie had somehow got his hands on in an unexplained manner. Since those days, the country only sits up and pays attention when the amount at issue is north of a billion or two.

The country certainly missed him during the banking crisis. After all, this was a man who didnt trust the banks back when the rest of us mugs thought they knew what they were doing. Bertie Ahern, as Mahon found out, didnt even have a bank account when he was the Minister for Finance. No banker would have run rings around him as they did his successors in government.

He has, of late, been making some tentative forays back into the public square. Following both the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump, the Bert showed up in radio studios to interpret this scary new world for us.

He brought his experience, his Bertie-ness to the table, setting out how he would, if he were running the show, deal with the twin catastrophes. In fact, he sounded like a man who was bulling to be given one more shot at it. Now that a door has opened, lets see if he barrels back onto the stage. Who could begrudge him one more spin on the merry-go-round? Apart from poor Michael Martin.
At this remove, it all too often looks like some of the other mass-participation rallies held across Europe in that darkening decade. The congress celebrated the unquestioning belief and absolute obedience that supported an Irish theocracy. That festival was a moment when the power of Catholicism in Ireland was impervious and imperial.

Some 22 years later, in 1954, Irish Catholicism celebrated a Marian Year. The grottoes dotted across this Republic are a legacy of the expressions of faith so freely made that year. A quarter of a century later  1979  the wonderfully charismatic Pope John Paul II got an ecstatic reception when he visited. Irish Catholicism celebrated with abandon and imagined John Pauls inspiring visit would silence dissent, recall backsliders to the fold, secure its place at the epicentre of our society and copperfasten its authority for at least another generation. How unimaginably wrong that hope was.
Business Government Eases Trade Restrictions

Shipping containers at the Asia World Port in Rangoon on Sept. 16, 2016. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  Burmas government has announced a plan to ease trade restrictions on joint ventures between local business people and foreign investors, U Yan Naing Tun, director general of the Ministry of Commerce, told The Irrawaddy.

Seven months after the National League for Democracy government came to power, the commerce ministry made two trade announcements on Nov. 22. The first, effective the same month, said that foreign companies may operate joint ventures with local companies to trade fertilizer, seeds, pesticides and hospital equipment. As of July, building materials may be traded in the same manner.

With a view to facilitate and boost trade, the ministry also revoked regulations which had limited spending by foreign investors beyond the amount of foreign currency brought into the country.

Weve been preparing to ease some trade restrictions [put in place] under the previous government, after suggestions by the World Trade Organization and World Bank, U Yan Naing Tun said.

Joint venture companies can now work more easily with their money, without limitations like before, he said.

In past, investment by foreign businesses in these sectors was limited to the amount of money that they had brought legally to Burma.

Dr. Soe Tun, chairman of the Automobile Dealers Association and the vice chairman of the Myanmar Rice Federation, said that he welcomes the announcement.

For joint venture companies, there were problems for foreign investors, as they were always trying to work indirectly, due to the governments former restrictions on accepting a limited amount of money. Now its more transparent, he said.

On Nov. 22 the ministry released a notification saying that it would no longer set the prices for commodities when issuing licenses for exports and imports, but instead would approve licenses according to prices and values quoted in invoices and sale contracts.

The notification said that the ministry would take legal action against the counterfeiting of these documents if business entities attempted to evade taxes.

Concerned departments will carry out these checks in line with international procedures on prices quoted in the licenses they have approved.

The customs department will check whether these are accurate, and then they will levy the taxes, too, U Yan Naing Tun said of company invoices.
Asia China Blasts Singapores Military Cooperation with Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. / Damir Sagolj / Reuters

BEIJING  A Chinese state newspaper on Tuesday criticized Singapore over the Southeast Asian city-states military training with self-governing Taiwan, following the impounding of nine Singaporean infantry fighting vehicles transiting through Hong Kong.

The Communist Party-run Global Times said in an editorial Tuesday that Singapore was responsible for the incident, but gave no details about what laws or regulations have been broken by the shipping of the armored vehicles from Taiwan. The vehicles were being sent to Singapore from Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, after a military exercise there, when they were seized on Wednesday by Hong Kong.

The editorial said China has long opposed all forms of military cooperation between other countries and Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a breakaway province to be reunited with by force if necessary.

China opposes the outside world having any form of military cooperation or exchange with Taiwan, the paper said. Singapore, a state that has diplomatic relations with China, should be cautious in this regard.

Singapores defense minister, Ng Eng Hen, said Tuesday that the city-state supports the one-China principleBeijings view that the mainland and Taiwan are part of a single Chinese nationand that Singapore is open about its overseas training arrangements.

Any training matters between us and other countries are bilateral, and we should not unnecessarily, until the facts come out, muddle the picture and impute various motives, he said.

Ng said Singapore plays a positive role in cross-strait relations, and we will continue to do so, citing as an example the city-states hosting of a historic meeting last year between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwans then-president, Ma Ying-jeou.

On Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that Beijing has lodged a complaint with Singapore following the seizure of the vehicles. Geng Shuang reiterated Chinas opposition to military and other exchanges between Taiwan and the countries China has ties with.

We urge the Singaporean government to stay committed to the one-China principle, Geng said at a regular briefing.

Last week, Singapores defense ministry sent a team to Hong Kong to ensure the security of the eight-wheeled Singapore-made Terrex infantry carrier vehicles that were held by Hong Kong customs on Wednesday. It said the vehicles were not carrying ammunition or sensitive equipment and that the team would assess the situation.

Singapores army chief, Maj. Gen. Melvyn Ong, said Tuesday that the vehicles had been shipped commercially and the military was still attempting to ascertain the reason for the detainment.

Hong Kongs South China Morning Post newspaper has said Singaporean authorities would need to contact Chinas foreign ministry to get the vehicles back. The militaries of Taiwan and Singapore have long trained together, much to the irritation of Beijing.

The seizure also comes amid Chinese displeasure over Singapores calls for China to heed international rulings over territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Beijing says belongs to it almost in its entirety. China says international law has no jurisdiction over the matter.

Some experts have speculated that China would use the seized military shipment to pressure Singapore to adopt a friendlier stance toward China on the dispute.
Asia China Offers Burma Support to End Ethnic Unrest Near Border

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi looks on in Riga, Latvia, November 4, 2016. / Ints Kalnins / Reuters

BEIJING  China told Burma on Wednesday that they should work together to stabilize their shared border, in the wake of a series of attacks by ethnic armed groups on Burmese security forces and thousands of people crossing into China to escape the violence.

The attacks this month dealt a major blow to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis top goal of reaching peace with ethnic minorities, while China is worried about the risk of violence in northern Burma spilling onto its side of the border, as it did last year, when five Chinese people were killed.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a visiting Burmese delegation, led by peace commission chair Tin Myo Win, that Beijing was worried by the deteriorating situation and repeated a call for an end to military action and for talks to resolve disputes.

Both sides should properly use the China-Burma high-level diplomatic and military mechanism to jointly maintain the peace and stability of the China-Burma border region, a Foreign Ministry statement paraphrasing Wang said on Wednesday.

The sudden escalation in fighting comes as the Burmese government grapples with a conflict in northwestern Arakan State that has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, posing a new challenge to Nobel peace prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

Previous fighting along the border pushed thousands of people into China. And Wang expressed support for Burmas internal peace process and Chinas readiness to help.

China is willing, in accordance with Burmas wishes and on the precondition of not interfering in Burmas internal affairs, to play a constructive role in this regard, Wang said.

The ministry said Tin Myo Win explained the peace process and that Burma understood Chinas concerns and hoped to get Chinese support for ameliorating the situation.
File photo of Lei Yang

Prosecutors in Beijing said on Tuesday, November 29 that they have completed the investigation into five police officers in connection to the death of a man in custody.

The municipal prosecutor's office said the case has been handed over to the related department for a review ahead of prosecution.

The five officers are facing charges of dereliction of duty. Four of them have been released on bail pending the trial.

The incident took place in May.

29-year-old Lei Yang was caught on May 7 during an anti-prostitution raid at a massage parlor in Beijing's Changping District.

Police said he had violently resisted officers, at which point he felt sick, and later died despite emergency treatment in hospital.

An autopsy showed that the man died of asphyxia due to "inhalation of content from stomach into the respiratory system," meaning he had been suffocated by his vomit.
Asia UN Security Council Set to Approve New N. Korea Sanctions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance during his visit to Samjiyon County in this undated photo. / Korean Central News Agenc / Reuters

UNITED NATIONS  After months of wrangling, the UN Security Council is prepared to impose new, tougher sanctions on North Korea over its fifth and largest nuclear test yet, diplomats said Monday.

US officials who declined to be identified because the Security Council resolution has not yet been made public said that if the text is adopted and fully implemented it would mark a significant step forward in the sanctions regime against North Korea over its nuclear program.

The US and other veto-wielding permanent council membersRussia, China, Britain and Francehave been negotiating the new sanctions for months in response to North Koreas Sept. 9 nuclear test.

Officials said they expect the council to vote on the resolution, which for the first time places a hard cap on North Korean coal exports, on Wednesday morning.

The new sanctions target North Koreas hard currency revenues by placing a hard, binding cap on coal exports, cutting them by at least 62 percent, capping them at around US$400 million or 7.5 million tons, diplomats said. According to the Global Trade Atlas, China is on track to import nearly $1 billion worth of coal from North Korea in 2016 despite a previous sanctions regime.

Diplomats said the new sanctions further clarify that the livelihood exemption, which allowed the Chinese imports, is meant only to protect the livelihoods of those currently living inside North Korea, not Chinese people or companies doing business with the country.

The sanctions would also slap a ban on North Koreas exports of non-ferrous metals and sanction 11 government officials as well as 10 entities linked to the countrys nuclear weapons program.

North Korea conducted its fifth atomic test, boasting of a technologically game-changing nuclear technology, in defiance of both tough international sanctions and long-standing diplomatic pressure to curb its nuclear ambitions.

North Koreas persistent pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons has long been one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for US administrations.

Diplomacy has so far failed. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Koreas nuclear program in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
News Bagan Charity Single Released

The cover design for Bagan: First Myanmar Empire. / Myo Swe Than / Facebook

RANGOON  One of Burmas most celebrated rock stars, Lay Phyu, will release a single in the first week of December to fund the renovation of quake-hit temples in the countrys famous ancient city of Bagan.

Bagan: First Myanmar Empire will be sold online at Myanmar Music Store early next month.

The song is about both the grandeur of Burmas first kingdom from 11th to the 13th century and the recent damages to Bagans temples hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Aug 24.

All the proceeds will be donated to the archaeology department in Bagan, UNESCO, and the Bagan Heritage Trust, which has been lobbying to enlist the ancient city as a World Heritage Site, according to Myo Swe Than, the lyricist of the song who also designs the rock stars album covers.

We have also allowed [the organizations] to use the song as they want, he said.

Situated in central Burma, Bagans temples date back to between the 9th and 13th centuries when the Kingdom of Bagan ruled over much of lower Burma. They are considered Burmas biggest tourist attraction.

Myo Swe Than wrote of the inspiration behind the song on his Facebook:

Bagan has been damaged in the past. No matter how it was damaged, Bagan survived. There was Bagan before our existence and it will be there without us. It will be there as proof of our culture, race and country as long as the world exists. We dont want you guys to cry for Bagan, but to be united, lyricist Myo Swe Than wrote on his Facebook page, explaining the inspiration behind the song.

The single will be sold for 300 kyats online and will be followed by music video and documentary releases in January.
Burma Bail Denied for Journalists Charged Under Controversial Defamation Law

Eleven Media Group CEO U Than Htut Aung appears at a Rangoon court for a hearing on November 11. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  A Rangoon court dismissed bail requests from Eleven Media Groups CEO and chief editor on Wednesday, after both were charged under the controversial Article 66(d) of Burmas Telecommunications Law.

At the hearing, Tamwe Townships court rejected the appeal for bailput forward for health reasonsfor CEO U Than Htut Aung and chief editor U Wai Phyo.

The two were sued by the Rangoon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein on. Nov. 9 over an editorial headlined A Year After the Nov. 8 Poll written by U Than Htut Aung.

It claimed that a chief minister whose monthly salary is only around US$2,500 wears a Patek Philippe watch worth an estimated US$100,000 and claimed the watch was presented by a wealthy benefactor. The article was featured in the Nov. 6 issue of Eleven Medias daily newspaper and was reposted to U Than Htut Aungs Facebook account.

The two defendants are being held in Rangoons notorious Insein Prison, with their next court hearing scheduled for Dec. 9.

Meanwhile, a Naypyidaw-based reporter has also been arrested under the same charge of defamation, under Article 66(d).

Journalist U Maung Maung Tun from News Watch journal was arrested on Tuesday night, after being sued by freelancer U Zaw Min Aung, who has written for The Mirror, a state-run daily newspaper.

U Maung Maung Tun wrote a response to one of U Zaw Min Aungs interviews, which had covered the swift set-up of Naypyidaws Myo Ma market within 100 days of the new government taking office. U Maung Maung Tun referred to this article in his own story, citing it as having cheated readers and proliferating misinformation.

Article 66(d) dates back to the administration of former President Thein Sein, yet the law continues to be used particularly by security forces to punish those critical of them.
Burma Defense Lawyers Expect Ruling Soon in Koh Tao Murder Appeal

A Thai court accepted an appeal filed by defense lawyers for two Burmese migrants sentenced to death for the murder of two British backpackers in 2014.

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  Defense lawyers for two Burmese migrant workerswho were sentenced to death last December, after convictions in the murder of two British backpackers on Thailands Koh Tao Islandsay they expect a ruling from the Thai Court of Appeals by January.

The Burmese defendants, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, also known as Wai Phyo, were arrested in October 2014. The pair were tried on seven charges, including rape and murder, in the deaths of British nationals Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24.

During the highly controversial investigation, Thai police allegedly beat the two suspects and forced them to falsely confess. They were found guilty by the Koh Samui Court in 2015.

In May, Thailands Regional Court of Appeal 8 agreed to consider a 198-page appeal argument from the defense team. Much of that document disputes the acceptability of DNA evidence that was presented at trial. The court has also heard arguments from Thai prosecutors.

We expect the judgment from the Court of Appeals might come at the end of December or early January, said Burmese lawyer U Aung Myo Thant, who represents the defendants.

The court will deliver a ruling to the defendants by letter, in accordance with Thai legal procedure, the lawyer said, so he maintains regular contact with the two young men while they are held at Bangkoks Bang Kwang central prison. He added that the defendants are in good health.

We are working in accordance with the Thai laws, and we believe our appeal evidence will be sufficient to prove that Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun are actually innocent, he said.

The Burmese embassy in Bangkok continues to support the defendants in their legal proceeding, and the defense team is prepared to exhaust its appeal options.

Depending on the appeals court verdict, if it is not what we are expecting, then we will take this case to the Supreme Court of Thailand, said U Aung Myo Thant.
Burma Two Police Officers Missing in Northern Shan State

The car used by the two police officers who have gone missing. / State Counselors Office Information Committee / Facebook

Two police officers in northern Shan States Kutkai Township went missing on Monday in an area that has seen fierce clashes between the Burma Army and an alliance of four ethnic armed groups since Nov. 20.

Police staff Sgt Myint Htay and police Cpl Lin Htet failed to return to the Nang Pha Kar village police outpost on Monday after escorting a detainee charged under the Unlawful Association Act from Kutkai Township police station to the township court for trial, according to the Muse District administration office.

When the two officers had not returned by 7 p.m., local security forces searched the area and at around 10:25 p.m. discovered the car used to transport the detainee near Kaung Lein village, according to a State Counselors Office Information Committee report.

Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act sets out prison terms of between two and three years for being a member of an unlawful association, making contributions to one, or assisting its operations.

It was used during decades of military junta rule to detain those linked to rebel groups and is still used against those associated with ethnic armed groups.

It is not clear whether the accused had any affiliation with the armed ethnic groups fighting in the areathe Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Arakan Army (AA), the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. The KIA and AA are listed as unlawful associations.

The four armed groupscollectively named the Northern Allianceattacked Burma Army posts on Nov. 20 in Muse Townships 105th Mile as well as in the townships of Mong Ko, Pang Sai, Namkham and Kutkai, all in northern Shan State.
Burma UNFC to Elect New Leader in December

Leaders and representatives of the United Nationalities Federal Council attend a three-day meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. / UNFC

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  Burmas ethnic armed group alliance the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) will elect new leaders at its next conference in mid-December.

The leaders of the seven ethnic armed groups confirmed the elections after a three-day meeting in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand that concluded Wednesday.

At Decembers conference a new chairman will be elected to replace current chairman Gen N Ban La who has been elected twice. The UNFC holds its congress every two years.

Our current chairman said he wants changes in leadership, so new leaders will be elected, general secretary of the UNFC Khu Oo Reh told The Irrawaddy.

He said the blocs leaders and representatives also discussed progress in peace negotiations made under the current leaderships two-year term and the escalating conflict in northern Shan State.

The UNFCs Delegation for Political Negotiation had expressed concern over conflicts in northern Shan State to government peace negotiators when they met in Rangoon in October and November, according to Khu Oo Reh.

They [government peace negotiators] said they would submit our concerns to higher leaders, but we havent heard any official response, said Khu Oo Reh. We are sad that they are taking their time to respond to us while human rights violations are happening.

He said higher leaders referred to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing who are in a position to respond.

He said UNFC leaders had also proposed a meeting with the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in early December before the conference, but they had not confirmed with the NRPC.

The UNFC leaders will also discuss how to join national-level political dialogue and the next Union Peace Conferencealso known as the 21st Century Panglong Conference.

UNFC members are not allowed to officially take part in national-level political dialogue or the second peace conference as they are not signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA). There is, however, the possibility that they will be invited to attend as observers.

According to Khu Oo Reh, the UNFC also contacted former member the Karen National Union (KNU) to ask if they would rejoin the bloc. The KNU reportedly responded that they would hold a meeting to discuss their cooperation with the UNFC.

Sources close to the bloc said that the UNFC believes that the KNU will rejoin the bloc if new KNU leadership comes into power. The KNU has postponed its next congress and leadership elections until March.

The UNFC currently has seven members including the powerful ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). All UNFC members failed to sign the NCA with the previous government.
News UN Warns Burma Govt Reputation at Stake Over Rohingya Crisis

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends an event marking the 69th anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Rangoon on July 19, 2016. / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters

UNITED NATIONS  The reputation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government in Burma is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the countrys divided northwest, a senior United Nations official warned on Tuesday.

The conflict in Burmas Arakan State has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the border to Bangladesh amid allegations of abuses by security forces. The crisis

poses a serious challenge to Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

In a statement, Adama Dieng, the UNs special adviser on the prevention of genocide, said the allegations must be verified as a matter of urgency and urged the government to allow access to the area.

If they are true, the lives of thousands of people are at risk. The reputation of Burma, its new government and its military forces are also at stake in this matter, he said.

Burma needs to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law and to the human rights of all its populations. It cannot expect that such serious allegations are ignored or go

unscrutinized, he said.

Soldiers have poured into the area along Burmas frontier with Bangladesh, responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on Oct. 9 that killed nine police officers.

Burmas military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burned houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Arakan State.

The violence, the most serious bloodshed in Arakan since hundreds were killed in

communal clashes in 2012, has renewed international criticism that Suu Kyi has done too

little to alleviate the plight of the Rohingya minority, who are denied citizenship and

access to basic services.

The government needs, for once and for all, to find a sustainable solution to the situation

of the Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in Burma, a solution

that is in full compliance with the international human rights standards that the

government has pledged to respect, Dieng said.
Commentary Does the KNU Seek Support from Naypyidaw?

Retired Senior-General Than Shwe. / The Irrawaddy

As conflict builds in Burmas north, ethnic Karen leader Gen Saw Mutu Say Poes meetings with big shots in Naypyidaw suggests that the Burmese hope to strengthen the countrys fragile peace process with the Karen National Union (KNU)a once powerful ethnic organization in the southeast.

Elusive former regime leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe reportedly met the top Karen leader in his residence in mid-November but, according to sources who witnessed the meeting, they did not discuss politics.

Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe, now in his early 80s, was taken to meet Than Shwe in Naypyidaw, where he held series of meetings with current Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and ex-Speaker of the Lower House U Shwe Mann.

In September, Than Shwe also met a high-level Chinese delegation in his homea move that surprised manybut political pundits say that after nearly 20 years as Burmas military chief, his influence on the armed forces should not be underestimated.

The Karen delegation came to Naypyidaw as infighting reached a climax between Karen leaders within the movement. One faction, led by Naw Zipporah Seinthe vice chairwoman of the KNUand another, by chairman Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe, are at loggerheads.

Due to internal conflict, the KNU postponed its annual Congress until March 2017. Sources believe that the KNU chairman and his followers are afraid that Naw Zipporah Sein and her faction will come into power in the organizations next election.

The divisions between leaders of the organizationwhich is engaged in Burmas longest-running ethnic strugglehave long been an open secret. They were magnified when top leaders decided to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the previous military-backed government in January 2012.

Afterward, cracks in the unity of the leadership became visible. In October 2012, a faction led by Naw Zipporah Sein declared that they had dismissed KNU leaders such as Gen Saw Mutu Say Poe, the late Padoh Saw David Taw, and Maj Saw Roger Khin for repeatedly violating the organizations protocol. But, the attempted purge was unsuccessful.

In November and December 2012, the KNU held its 15th Congress and those leaders who had been dismissed came to power. Saw Mutu Say Poe was elected chairman of the organization and Gen Saw Johnny became the chief of the KNUs military wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

After Saw Mutu Say Poe came to power, it is believed that his colleagues in the upper echelons of the KNU had little respect for or contact with the faction led by Naw Zipporah Sein.

Meanwhile, Saw Mutu Say Poes faction repeatedly visited Naypyidaw, meeting with ex-President Thein Sein and Burma Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, as recently as mid-November. Little information was reportedly shared about those visits with Naw Zipporah Seins allies within the KNU.

Sources in Naypyidaw speculate that Min Aung Hlaing wants the KNU leaders to act as a go-between in talks with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Relations between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing have reportedly grown strained. No meeting has taken place between the State Counselor and the Karen leaders in recent days, but in the past, they met on several occasions.

According to a Facebook post by Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the KNU leaders and the Burma Army representatives talked about holding another peace conference, about national-level political dialogue, and potential troop repositioning in KNU territories. No further elaboration was reported.

Ethnic observers believe that the Burma Army will support and legitimize the role of the KNU leaders in the peace process and showcase the KNU as a positive example of participation when holding a future peace conference. As other major ethnic armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), engage in war with the Burmese forces in northern Shan State, the KNU will serve as a trophy fish that the military can show off, said the observers.

There has been intermittent tension over the years between ethnic Karen and Kachin leaders. When the Kachin opted to sign a ceasefire with the Burma Army in 1994, the Karen and other ethnic groups remained engaged in armed struggle. The Kachin ceasefire broke down in 2011, and fighting resumed between the KIA and Burmese forces. Ironically, from 2011 onward, the KNU then moved closer to the government and military in Burma.

Reliable sources within the KNU said that the organizations top leaders are against the idea of releasing a statement on the ongoing fighting in northern Shan State, which has displaced thousands. Other KNU figures are reportedly unhappy with the top leaders silence on the issue, and with seemingly closer ties being fostered with the Burma Army while fighting between the ethnic Northern Allianceof Taang, Kokang, Kachin and Arakanese forcesflares up in Shan State.

The same sources also say that the Burma Army also might have concerns about the rise of Naw Zipporah Seins faction within the KNU, fearing that under her leadership, the organization would approach the peace process much more skeptically and with greater caution, making future negotiations more challenging from the Tatmadaws perspective.

Thus, the Burma Army has deepened its relationship with current KNU leaders by allowing them to visit retired general Than Shwe who likely still holds some sort of power in military matters.

Saw Mutu Say Poes meeting with Than Shwe is arguably the second most significant event in Karen-Burma relations since the late KNU chairman Gen Saw Bo Mya met Gen Khin Nyunt in 2004.
(Xinhua) 08:19, November 30, 2016

Pupils show a huge red ribbon, the HIV/AIDS awareness symbol, formed by red scarves to mark the World AIDS Day in Dexing City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Dec. 1, 2015. The World AIDS Day, which was started in 1988, is observed each year on Dec. 1 to raise the awareness of AIDS. [Photo: Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has ordered more initiatives to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS to limit prevalence of the disease.

In a written instruction to a meeting on prevention and control of major diseases held in Beijing Tuesday, Li said the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS.

While commending "marked progress" made in prevention and control of HIV and AIDS during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), Li ordered more efforts to target challenges in controlling the spread of HIV and AIDS during the 13th Five-Year Plan(2016-2020).

Intervention needs to be more efficient, testing and counseling services more accessible, public education more targeted and follow-up services improved, Li said.

The premier also ordered "across-the-board implementation" of testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, medical assistance and other policy measures.

Li guaranteed prevention and control funds, drug research and development, international cooperation and greater roles for social organizations and volunteers.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong said at the meeting that the prevention and treatment capacity of major and communicable disease should be comprehensively enhanced.
From the previous news, we know that the astronauts on the International Space Station get to feast on turkey and candied yams this Thanksgiving. While deep-space travelers on NASA's future Orion mission may chow down on retro food bars. Because there is limited space inside the Orion capsule, NASA food scientists at the Human Research Program (HRP) are working to reduce the amount of food and supplies astronauts need for longer trips. As a result, the scientists have developed high-calorie food bars that astronauts can substitute for breakfast. The researchers described this work in a new video.

The Orion Spacecraft

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is an American spacecraft intended to carry a crew of four astronauts to destinations at or beyond lw Earth orbit (LEO). Currently, under development by NASA for launch on the Space Launch System, Orion is intended to facilitate human exploration of asteroids and of Mars and to retrieve crew or supplies from the ISS if needed. NASAs Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than theyve ever gone before. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel.

NASA Scientists Are Developing Tasty Bars For People In Space

According to NASA, unlike the ISS, Orion spacecraft has limited room inside it to accommodate the supplies and food astronauts will need during their missions. Because flights to deep space will not rely on resupply spacecraft to deliver what astronauts need and dispose of trash, the Orion crew will have to take everything they need with them and bring it all back home. Given the distances Orion will travel, teams also must limit Orions mass, since a heavier spacecraft requires more fuel and energy to propel it to its ultimate destination.

When you have 700 to 900 calories of something, its going to have some mass regardless of what shape its in, so weve taken a look at how to get some mass savings by reducing how were packaging and stowing what the crew would eat for breakfast for early Orion flights with crew, said Jessica Vos, deputy health and medical technical authority for Orion. When you think about multi-week missions in Orion, having just one package for breakfast items for crew will help us limit the space we need to store them.

As reported by Space, so far, scientists have created a variety of flavors, including banana nut, orange cranberry, ginger vanilla and barbecue nut. Each bar is approximately 700 to 800 calories, thus ensuring the astronauts maintain a healthy weight as they eat the tasty snack. What's more, creating this single-meal replacement could help Orion engineers meet mass reduction requirements for the spacecraft.
Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano unexpectedly erupted on Friday, November 25, in a powerful show of smoke and ash. Reports state that the volcano has been active since Friday when it was seen spewing out a huge column of ash nearly 3.1 miles up in the sky. All the residence located around the volcano, in the southeast region of Mexico City, have been warned of the seismic activity that can follow the eruption. However, the said eruption has caused mass panic after sending plumes of ash an incredible three miles into the sky.

Mexico's Popocatepetl Volcano Erupts, Nearby City Covered With Ashes

According to Science World Report, the Mexican National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) has published an online warning that the Popocatepetl volcano has had 160 exhalations, which include gas and steam emissions, since Friday, Nov. 25. Three explosions also reportedly occurred on Saturday morning, and during the night the crater showed incandescence with some exhalations. The national authorities have declared a Yellow Alert of Mexico's Volcanic Traffic Light warning system due to the volcanic activity.

Daily Star reported that local villages and towns have been smothered in ash after the eruption began this weekend, with more expected to be hit if the wind changes direction. The volcanic eruption also triggered a small earthquake measuring less than two on the Richter Scale. Civilians have been warned to stay at least seven miles away from the site for their own safety. Jose Cortes Agustin, one of the citizens who is near the area during the eruption said on his social media, People in the city get afraid."

The city government released a statement, saying: "In case of ashfall, address the following recommendations: Cover nose and mouth with a wet handkerchief or face mask, clean eyes and throat with pure water, avoid contact lenses to reduce eye irritation, close windows or cover them up and stay indoors as much as possible." The eruption occurred just days after a scientist warned a volcano in the Canary Islands could send a huge tsunami racing towards the U.K.

Volcanic Eruption

A volcanic eruption occurs when hot materials are thrown out of a volcano. Lava, rocks, dust, ash and gas compounds are some of the materials. Eruptions can come from side branches or from the top of the volcano. Some eruptions are terrible explosions that throw out huge amounts of rock and ash and kill many people. Some are quiet outflows of hot lava. Several more complex types of volcanic eruptions have been described by volcanologists.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) holds a seminar commemorating the 130th anniversary of the birth of veteran revolutionary Zhu De in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 29, 2016. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and other senior leaders Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli attended the seminar in Beijing on Tuesday. [Photo: Xinhua]

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday held a seminar to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the birth of veteran revolutionary Zhu De.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, who spoke at the event, urged the Party, the military and the nation to learn from Zhu and contribute to the cause pioneered by veteran revolutionaries.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, including Li Keqiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, attended the seminar, which was chaired by Zhang Dejiang.

Zhu De (1886 - 1976) was one of the major founders of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Republic of China. He was awarded the rank of marshal in 1955.

Zhu served as commander-in-chief of the PLA, vice chairman of the People's Central Government, Chinese vice president and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that in Zhu's almost 70-year revolutionary career, he contributed greatly to the Chinese revolution, the liberation of the people and the socialist cause.

Zhu's spirit and morality are greatly valued by the Party and the people, according to Xi.

Xi said people should learn from Zhu's steadfast belief in pursuing truth. His faith in Marxism and communism is the political soul and spiritual pillar of communist party members.

Xi also lauded Zhu's absolute loyalty and being open and aboveboard, urging all comrades to remember that they are first and foremost Party members, and, with this in mind, they should fulfil the duties and missions designated by the Party.

He urged people to learn from Zhu's "seeking truth from facts" and his being realistic and pragmatic, adding that "seeking truth from facts" is the essence of Marxism.

"All the achievements we have made rely on 'seeking truth from facts' and we must rely on this concept to push forward socialism with Chinese characteristics," Xi noted.

Xi asked Party members to continue with activities that are beneficiary to the Party and the people, and to rectify anything that hinders such causes.

"We must value the interests of the people first in our work and policies, and strive to meet people's expectations," Xi said, while urging Party members to learn from Zhu's readiness to be a public servant.

Xi also spoke about Zhu's pursuit of lifelong learning, and asked the whole Party to realize and properly deal with new situations and problems arising from the country's development process.

"It is learning that brought us to where we are today, and we must rely on it when we step into the future," Xi said, adding that "we should put our knowledge into practice and improve our ability to solve problems in practice."

Also at Tuesday's seminar, top legislator Zhang Dejiang urged the people to study Xi's remarks, which will guide the CPC as it continues the cause of the country's revolutionaries.

Zhang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, called on the people to unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, to build an all-round moderately prosperous society and realize the nation's rejuvenation.

Officials from central agencies, the military, Beijing and Sichuan province, as well as Zhu's relatives, friends and co-workers, among others, attended the event.
Culling of about 310,000 birds began Tuesday at the Niigata farm in Japan and will continue through Friday. Workers wearing hazardous material suits dug holes and dumped dead birds in them to contain the spread of the virus. About 165,000 ducks in Aomori were also being culled. The bird flu outbreaks are the first in nearly two years in Japan and news of the cullings boosted shares in some infection-control product makers.

Bird Flu Outbreak In Japan Started, Culling Also Started

According to Reuters, in Niigata prefecture north of Tokyo, authorities on Tuesday started culling about 310,000 chickens at a farm in the village of Sekikawa after 40 birds were found dead from H5 bird flu. An official said that the cull will continue until December. 2. Further north in the prefecture of Aomori, about 16,500 ducks were being culled in after some tested positive for bird flu.

This is the first time that highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in Aomori prefecture and first for nearly two years in Japan. As reported by The New York Times, officials restricted the movements of poultry and eggs within 3 kilometers (5 miles) of the infected farms. About 60 chicken farms operate in the neighborhood of the affected farm in Niigata, where about half a million chickens are raised. The farm in Aomori and two other neighborhood operators are specializing in French duck known as "Barbarie."

The suspected bird flu cases have been found in wild birds in those areas since early November. Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto told reporters that his ministry is sending experts to the areas for investigation, while raising the caution level to the highest level. The Agricultural Ministry has also dispatched an investigative team to both prefectures.

The Bird Flu

Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds. In rare cases, it can affect humans. There are many different strains of bird flu virus, most of which don't infect humans. However, two particular strains have caused serious concern in recent years: H5N1 (since 1997) and H7N9 (since 2013). Other bird flu viruses  particularly H7N7 and H9N2, and more recently H6N1, H10N8 and H5N6  have also infected people, but these have been very rare or only rarely caused severe illness.
When novelist George R.R. Martin speaks his mind, the universe listens. His penned thoughts bear the innate capability of exciting his avid followers with his big reveals.

His latest blog post titled South of the Border shared his trip today as he heads to Mexico to attend the Guadalajara International Book Fair. Martin is one of the special guests in the important event and his appearance is expected to gather a huge crowd.

I'm one of the guests at the conference. I'll be doing interviews, a press conference, a live streaming event, and a signing. I expect I will be doing some tequila tasting as well. I am informed that Guadalajara is the tequila capital of Mexico, Martin wrote.

Hopefully, when tequila kicked in, the phenomenal author will release the highly-anticipated book, The Winds of Winter sooner than expected.

He also emphasized on his journal that the Mexican occasion is his last for this year as 2017 is allotted mainly to the sixth novel in the hit fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire.

This is my last scheduled event for 2016. My appearance schedule for 2017 is very limited, and will remain so until WINDS is completed. So if you want to meet me or get a book signed, this will be the last chance for a good few months...

There it is, the official updates on The Winds of Winter straight from its genius writer. It sounds like a new year promises the launch of the latest science fiction novel.

To recall, the book had been the subject of various speculations, particularly its release date. A January 2017 published date made rounds in the web. However, the rumors were proven false as slammed by Martins publisher

"As his publisher, we support George R.R. Martin as he works hard to finish The Winds of Winter. Any on-sale dates currently listed online for the novel are incorrect. Once we have a publication date for The Winds of Winter, the world will know," Random House said.

Martins slow progress in writing has been confirmed by his former assistant, Ty Franck.

Well, he doesnt actually write on an old DOS computer. He did write on an old DOS computer, and then it died. Actually, I built him the computer he writes on now, which is a state-of-the-art machine running DOS and WordStar 4.0, Francks description of Martins writing style.

[H]e is much more of a sit down at the keyboard, wait for the muse to strike, and bang out whatever chapter is sort of banging around in your head at that time. That works for him; hes able to produce work, so more power to him, but that just seems like a really inefficient way to get a story out, from my perspective. Hes much more comfortable rewriting chapters over and over and over and over again than I am, Franck added.

Indeed, Martin strictly follows the conventional approach in creating his masterpieces from day 1 to its completion phase. He refused to get involved in the cyber world as his internet views equate risks and threats to his best-selling works.

The last published book from the series is A Dance with Dragons (2011) which took 6 long years to release as the fourth installment A Feast of Crows was published in 2005.

Should Jon Snow and the rest of the GOT major characters get killed in the sixth novel, does Rickon Stark deserve to survive and rule?
As everyone knows, hackers are one of the greatest concerns in the world, considering that they have the abilities to get into the system of every people, every institution, every company, and even every government. Giving their skills and potential damage, some hackers groups are state-sponsored by governments who uses them as their digital muscle, in order to make some illegal operations that only they could do. Here the most dangerous teams of this kind.

The Ajax Security Team (Iran)

This is a dangerous group of hackers that are believed to work with the Iranian government, giving the fact that there have been some operations in which they have outing many political dissidents and carried missions that satisfy the ruling coalitions interests. Of course, Ajax has always denied any kind of involvement.

This group started out 6 years ago, and the firm FireEye believes that Ajax could have been the group behind the "Operation Saffron Rose", which was a series of constant phishing attacks and attempts to deceive Microsoft Outlook web access and VPN pages, with the goal of gaining data and credentials within the U.S. defense industry.

Ajax is the best exemplification of cyber criminals who do some important operations in order to gain the attention of any government through its activities and get secretly hired to become the digital muscle of it. Apparently, this group is led by Ali Ali Pur (aka Cair3x), and carry out a little part of its operations in the framework of a powerful security company in Iran.

The Most Famous State-Sponsored Hacker Group: Bureau 121 (North Korea)

This is the hackers group known for the attacks on Sony Pictures because of the film The Interview, in which actors James Franco and Seth Rogen killed North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un. It is a very dangerous state-sponsored hackers team that allegedly belong to the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, which is the countrys military spy agency.

Apparently Bureau 121 develops and execute effective cyber strikes on behalf of the Pyongyang government against South Korean. In fact, a major attack on more than 25,000 PCs inside several broadcasting companies and South Korean banks were attributed to the hackers team. This operation was made in 2013 and was one of the first times this group was showed on the media.

One of the most particular details about this state-sponsored hackers is that the group apparently has 1,800 members who are treated almost as a minister in North Korea, to the point in which each of them is provided incentive as rich salaries and the chance of bringing their families with then in Pyongyang.

The Most Dangerous State-Sponsored Hacker Grouo: Axiom (China)

This is one of the most dangerous groups that exists today, thanks to the member's ability to develop the most effective cyber strikes to any target. Axioms main specialty is corporate espionage and the targeting of any political dissidents, which clearly shows its skills, giving the fact that these kind of operations are some of the most delicates for hackers.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Axiom uses advanced techniques that range from generic malware attacks to well-crafted hacking exploits that could take years to manifest. Apparently, the group tends to target private companies that are extremely important in the Chinese economic sphere, but also other objectives that are adverse to the governments interests, as many western governments, political dissidents inside and outside China, and any pro-Democracy institution.

The FBI report explained that Axiom could be a subgroup of a larger unnamed hacker group within the Chinese intelligence agencies. Although it hasn't been revealed in which part of mainland China Axiom works, it has been revealed that the hackers operate within an area of responsibility that has been attributed the intelligence agencies.
A far-reaching new law has plunged the UK deep into debate whether the country is on its way to becoming a surveillance state.

UK 'Snooper's Charter'

According to BBC, the new UK internet surveillance law called the Investigatory Powers Bill got royal approval on Tuesday, Nov. 29. After being passed by the House of Lords last month, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 now officially becomes law.

According to the new law, the communications companies will retain records of every messaging service and website UK-based citizens visit from any device. The new legislation often referred to as the Snooper's Charter offers unprecedented new powers to spy agency and police in the UK for keeping tabs on citizens.

The legislation that has been already a year in the making is published on British Parliament's website. The law was designed in the name of counter-terrorism, as is common for surveillance proposals in Western democracies including the Patriot Act in the U.S. However, according to the Internet rights groups, the bill signs the dead sentence for the privacy of internet users in the UK.

According to CNET, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said in a statement the internet presents new opportunities for terrorists and, therefore, the government must ensure "the capabilities to confront this challenge." He added that it is essential that British law enforcement, security and intelligence services get all the powers needed in order to keep citizens safe.

The global surveillance activities that the UK has conducted in secret for years are now legalized and made official. Among these surveillance activities are included bulk data collection and hacking. The new law also requires internet and phone companies to store communications data generated by internet, apps and email use for 12 months. All this information is also made accessible to police and security services.

What Do Supporters Say?

There are people supporting the bill, arguing that it is essential to keep the UK secure. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that the law will help the work of law enforcement and the security and intelligence agencies. According to her, is their license to operate to protect the public's safety and the country's national security. In fact, even long before she became prime minister, Theresa May started pushing for harsher surveillance laws.

A report conducted in August by Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation found that there was no reasonable alternative to the Investigatory Powers Bill. The report came to the conclusion that the Snooper's Charter is necessary because the government had to pass legislation to replace the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 (DRIPA), before it expires on Dec. 31.

What Do Critics Say?

Critics say that the new law goes too far and too deep. The UN special adviser on privacy, Joseph A. Cannataci, asked the government earlier this year to rethink the law's privacy-intrusive measures and called the bill "worse than scary." According to ZDNet, American tech companies, including Google, Apple, Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft urged the British government not to push it through. In a joint statement made by Google, Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft in December 2015, they said that this law would set a very dangerous precedent.

Privacy advocates issued statements under the banner Don't Spy On Us, expressing their disapproval of the decision. Executive director of Open Rights Group, Jim Killock, called the Snooper's Charter "a surveillance law that is more suited to a dictatorship than a democracy." The new bill creates a "security nightmare," according to Tim Berners-Lee. According to Edward Snowden, this is the most extreme surveillance in the history of Western democracy. More than 130,000 UK citizens have signed a petition calling for the law to be canceled.
Many marine mammals are affected by the environment. As man continues with development, it is inevitable that those activities would affect others in many ways. One of those affected are the Everglades dolphins. Everglades dolphins have been found being poisoned by mercury contamination.

The bottlenose dolphins in the Everglades are showing signs of mercury poisoning. This has been revealed by a study made by FIU scientists who have been examining them. The dolphins come from the lower Florida Keys, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.

The dolphins have been found to have high mercury concentration on their skin and blubber. To sources of mercury are said to be found both naturally and from man-made sources. Mercury is toxic, and can hinder the immune system and reproduction of dolphins. This makes them vulnerable to many diseases.

One of the natural sources of mercury is mangroves, according to FIU News. Mangroves have leaves that drop into the water. Once those leaves come into contact with bacteria, it is converted into a very toxic form of mercury. Man-made contaminants would include pesticides.

Mercury has been found throughout the southern tip of Florida. However, concentration has been high in the Everglades, Phys Org reports. This has alarmed environmentalists and scientists. Other species would be examined as well for mercury contamination because of this.

"Understanding the impact of pollutants on marine ecosystems, including from natural sources, is critical for conservation and management," declared FIU marine scientist and study co-author Jeremy Kiszka. Other species that would be looked into are sharks, alligators and fishes. They will try to find out the extent of mercury poisoning in the Everglades.

As progress continues, many marine creatures are being affected. Many waste products are being thrown into seas, lakes and other bodies of water yearly. Much of those products are harmful to marine life. Just recently Greenpeace has proposed to have microbeads banned in the UK. This shows that the marine ecosystem needs to be protected as much as other ecosystems.
Oxygen is vital to life. Without it, life on Earth would not be possible. Yet there was time then there wasn't much oxygen on Earth. Many scientists speculate that there wasn't life during that time. Early life forms survived without oxygen, as evidence shows.

Much of the Earth's early existence has been dominated by simple life forms. Bacteria have been one of the first to thrive during that time. Finding evidence of early bacteria has been hard, as they do not leave much evidence. Research done by the University of Cincinnati has found that there could be evidence of these early bacteria. Two separate locations are said to have this evidence.

Two locations in Northern Cape Province in South Africa have been studied for possible evidence of early bacteria. Andrew Czaja, an assistant professor of Geology at the University of Cincinnati said that the sites have the oldest fossil sulfur bacteria so far found. The bacteria are said to be much larger than modern bacteria. They are quite similar though to single-celled organisms found deep in the sea, where there is still little oxygen.

The fossilized bacteria found are very old. Czarja said that they have been around 2 billion years ago, before other plants and trees. The microfossils are preserved in hard silica-rich rocks called chert, according to UC Magazine. These rocks have been found within the Kaapvaal craton in South Africa.

Finding such rocks that old is rare. That is why many samples that have been taken earlier only come from few areas, as Science Daily notes. These rocks could be found in South Africa and Western Australia, leading scientists to speculate that the two areas have once been connected together.

The two areas are said to have been part of a large continent called Vaalbara, before the earlier continent broke apart. These bacteria have been living just before an event called the Great Oxidation Event, when oxygen increased due to photosynthesis. There is still much debate though when these bacteria actually first came out. While that is ongoing, there is no doubt that early life form survived without oxygen, as evidence shows. An earlier research has determined that life on land has come out much earlier than expected.
The San Francisco rail system was "hijacked" last Saturday by a hacker who demanded ransom in exchange for not releasing important data of the agency. Now, the tables have turned.

After holding the Muni hostage, the hacker is now the one victimized by hacking.

The lone hacker demanded 100 Bitcoins, equivalent to $73,000, to be paid by first contacting a certain email address. The hacker told the agency to "Contact For Descryption Key (cryptom27@tandex.com)", a message posted all over the computer terminals across Muni stations. It proved to be his undoing.

Brian Krebs of KebsOnSecurity announced that a security researcher, who will remain anonymous, was able to hack the Muni hacker. The unnamed researcher figured out the answer to the security question of the Yandex account. The researcher reset the passwords of the said account and that of cryptom2016@yandex.com which had the same security question protecting it.

The data gathered from the hackers account revealed that the MUNI attack as not his or her first. The hacker, in fact, already has $140,000 worth in their Bitcoin account presumably gathered through extortion. According to the hackers emails, he or she was successful in extorting $45,000 from a manufacturing company based in the United States.

"Emails from the attacker's inbox indicate some victims managed to negotiate a lesser ransom. China Construction of America, Inc., for example, paid 24 Bitcoins on Sunday, Nov. 27 to decrypt some 60 servers infected with the same ransomware - after successfully haggling the attacker down from his original demand of 40 Bitcoins," Krebs said.

"Other construction firms apparently infected by ransomware attacks from this criminal include King of Prussia, Pa. Based Irwin & Leighton, CDM Smith Inc. in Boston; Indianapolis-based Skillman; and the Rudolph Libbe group, a construction firm based in Walbridge, Ohio," he added.

Krebs thinks there are other victims by this particular hacker since there were other email addresses attributed to the individual. He added that the criminal may be from Iran.

Krebs advises companies to create data backups frequently to avoid being hijacked by such acts.

Muni was forced to let passengers ride for free while the company was being held hostage by the hacker.
Apple is currently building an amazing smartphone with amazing features. The rumors and speculations say that next year's iPhone will come packed with some new design changes and hardware improvements. There will also be some radical changes which would including an edge-to-edge front display with no top and bottom bezels, an OLED screen, long-range wireless charging capability, and a cool 3D camera to top it all off.

Features of the iPhone 8

The next year's iPhone is said to be called (as everyone expects) the iPhone 8. Reports have confirmed that Apple will be skipping the S phase in 2017 in terms of marking the iPhone's 10th anniversary. The Phone is said to be currently designed in Israel, while the official manufacturing will take place in China. With that being said, here are some of the things that we know so far about the upcoming iPhone.

Curved OLED Display

Apple is rumored to be using an OLED display in the next year's iPhone. Reports say that the Cupertino-based company is planning to halt with the former LCD display and will now be using an OLED screen which is better in color contrasts.

iPhone 8 is just the beginning

Reports have already confirmed that Apple has ordered its suppliers to boost production of OLED displays and submit prototype screens with resolution that is better than the ones from Samsung. The publication, citing people with deep knowledge of the matter, reported that Apple could be introducing an iPhone with an OLED screen as being just one of several other models to be unveiled.

Edge-To-Edge Screen with No featured Home Button

Rumors have been suggesting that Apple is currently planning to release the upcoming iPhone 8 with an all-display front surface. This means that the up and coming device will feature no bezels or borders, as per Business Insider, citing John Gruber, who is a famous Apple blogger and podcaster.

Goodbye, home button

Apple is reported to be making some major design changes to the next iPhone. The company is said to be removing the iPhone's iconic home button, according to a recent online report. This had suggested that the home button will be replaced with the rumored Touch ID fingerprint sensor that would be built and incorporated into the screen.

All-glass for the iPhone 8

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo confirmed that the iPhone 8 would be featuring a glass front and back design much like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. Kuo also hinted that the Phone will also be using either a stainless steel or aluminum metal casing.

Wireless charging capability

The iPhone 8 may also be coming with a long-range wireless charging ability. Apple is reportedly developing a technology that will charge the device from a very long distance. This feature could end the constant worry of fast battery drainage if the iPhone has the ability to be wirelessly tethered to a charger. The company has already hired engineers to work on the wireless charging system, as well as holding discussions with suppliers for wireless charging chips.
"The Blacklist" season 4, episode 9 preview revealed already that someone in Red's elite team is hiding a secret identity being a mole. Latest spoilers hint that the mole's identity could be Samar. Why could he be the undercover agent?

Samar Could Be The Mole

"The Blacklist" season 4's fall finale ended with a cliffhanger that a mole has been working inside Red's (James Spader) team. A string of reports has persistently pinned down the name of Samar (Mozhan Marno) to be the undercover agent.

Why Samar Could Be The Mole

What are the chances that Samar could be the mole? "The Blacklist" season 4, episode 9 promo teaser reveals that Red discovers that someone from the FBI task force is hiding as a secret agent. Apparently, this puts the entire country in danger. Red informs Harold (Henry Lennix) about this imminent threat and immediately conducts a probe about the matter. After Red tells Harold, four faces appear on screen that include Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), Liz (Megan Boone), Aram (Amir Arison) and Samar. One of them should be the spy. Later on, their faces come out one by one and Samar is the last to be seen.

Samar's Past

Before the clip comes to an end, Harold talks to someone ambiguously shown about his/her allegiance. Based on the hair shown, Samar is the perfect fit to the description. However, it remains a complete puzzle as to how Samar became involved with the terrorist group. To recall though back in season 2, Harold introduced Samar to the FBI task force following her successful extraction of Red from hotel in an attack helicopter. So far, the only thing revealed about Samar's background is that she is an Iranian-born Baloch who entered the Mossad after her parents were maltreated and killed by the Iranian government.

Could Samar be the mole? Should there be more screen time delving deeper into Samar's backstory? What do you think? Comment down below you thoughts!

"The Blacklist" season 4, episode 9 returns Jan. 5, 2017 on NBC.
The EU recently drew global attention for its reluctance to fulfill its obligations under Article 15 of the Protocol on China's Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). It reveals that the EUs insincere attitude toward international treaties and the WTO rules, but it must keep in mind that observing international obligations without attached strings is the only right choice.

Earlier this month, the European Commission officially presented a long-waited proposal to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to amend its legislation on anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures.

But in the proposed new model, the EU, instead of fundamentally ending the surrogate country system, uses "market distortion" as a substitute for "non-market economy." Such a proposal appears to indicate that the EU wants to fulfill its obligations, but is actually extending the surrogate country system it previously adopted.

However, it cannot muddle through by obscuring facts of international rules. After China joined the WTO in 2001, some WTO members considered China as a non-market economy, insisting that Chinese exports had an unfair price advantage against other market economies. As a result, they have been adopting a surrogate country system allowing the use of "international" prices as a cost reference in their anti-dumping investigations against China.

But according to the Article 15 of the Protocol on China's accession to the WTO in 2001, China will automatically gain market economy status when the surrogate country approach expires on December 11, which means that WTO members should stop using the surrogate country system in their anti-dumping investigations against China.

In other words, a timely implementation of this article is the obligation of the EU and other WTO members, rather than a favorable policy for China.

However, since the beginning of this year, the EU has been taking China's steel overcapacity and market economy status as an excuse to dodge the obligations written in the protocol. If it does that, it will run counter to the requirements of the treaty.

As a sunset provision, Article 15 of Chinas WTO accession protocol automatically comes to an end on December 11, 2016 no matter what happens. It cannot be subjected to decisions of each EU member, or influenced by any other agendas. But someone from the EU is still bargaining about the implementation. So does it suggest that China's accession to the WTO needs another round of negotiation?

The EU is hesitant to fulfill its obligation because it needs to satisfy the demands of a small number of interest groups by leaving the door open for trade protectionism.

In the new proposal, the European Commission not only takes "market distortion" as a premise of whether to take the costs and prices of the products from investigated countries as the benchmark for anti-dumping comparison, but also cites national policy, proportion of State-owned enterprises, discrimination caused by the support to domestic enterprises, and the independence of financial institutions as indicators to measure "market distortion".

Without any legal basis in the WTO rules, these new concepts may turn into a new tool of trade protectionism. Such tendency has been proved after the WTO ruled in favor of Argentina in a dispute concerning the anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU on biodiesel imported from the South American country.

The UK-based newspaper Financial Times also commented previously that the new proposals of the EU are an indication of another step toward protectionism.

As one of the largest economies in the world and an important WTO member, the EU should be a forerunner in obeying the WTO rules, fulfilling international obligations, and taking trade remedy measures in accordance with standards.

In addition, an effective implementation of Article 15 not only serves the long-term interests of the EU, but will also bring China-EU economic and trade cooperation to a stable track by sending a positive signal to the market, enterprises and society.

Currently, the main theme of China-EU win-win cooperation has not changed, nor have the fundamentals of mutual economic complementarities. However, if the EU use such an issue to undermine the bigger economic and trade cooperation with China, its losses will certainly outweigh the gains.
s xel is no doubt a hit, with some models still out of stock a couple of months after launch. An analysis by Morgan Stanley gives us an even more detailed picture about just how well the phone is doing what it may mean for s place in the smartphone market.

According to the report, s on track to sell three million phones with revenues around $2 billion. The biggest moneymaker is of course the 128GB xel X with a gross profit margin of 25 percent. The cheapest phone, the 32GB xel, comes in at 22 percent.

Its good news for , though it still pales in comparison to Apples $28 billion in revenue it made from selling 45.5 million iones in the last quarter of this year alone. so, Samsungs Galaxy S7 ge has spent most of the year as the top-selling Android phone. No doubt well soon see a Galaxy S8 in a few months as Samsung tries to rebound from the Note7 disaster.

Morgan Stanley also notes that s profit estimate of $3.8 billion for the xel in 2017 is also derived from continuing to make money off the phone itself. The ay Store deep integration of services will lead to additional opportunities to rake in the cash.

As for getting your hs on one now, some xel models are still hard to come by. The xel Xis currently sold on on the Store, while some Verizon customers are continuing to have shipping delays with their Xpreorders.

y this matters: s initiative to compete directly in the smartphone business is definitely paying off. The Apple-like integration of hardware software is the right approach for a company that is betting heavily on its services being a critical component of your digital life. Further success for the xel, however, hinge upon getting the phone into other carrier stores. Currently Verizon is the only carrier to directly sell the xel.
Three senators' efforts to stop a major expansion of U.S. law enforcement agencies' hacking powers has failed for now.

Proposed changes to Rule 41, the search-and-seizure provision in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, will go into effect Thursday barring any last-minute action in Congress.

The rules change will give U.S. law enforcement agencies the authority to cross jurisdictional lines and hack computers anywhere in the world during criminal investigations. Until now, the rules, in most cases, prohibited federal judges from issuing a search warrant outside their jurisdictions.

The Department of Justice has called for the changes as a way to track criminal using anonymizer technology to shield the location of their computers or smartphones.

The rules change, approved by the Supreme Court in April at the request of the DOJ, would give law enforcement agencies broad authority to hack into devices owned by U.S. residents, said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.

Yet, there's been virtually no debate in Congress about the proposal, Wyden said. Congress should vote "so that the American people can actually determine if their senators support authorizing unprecedented, sweeping government hacking without even a single hearing," he said.

On Wednesday morning, Wyden and two other senators attempted to pass one of three bills to stop or delay the rules change, approved by the Supreme Court in April at the request of the Department of Justice.

Wyden, along with Senators Christopher Coons, a Delaware Democrat, and Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, tried to get the Senate to pass each one of the bills by unanimous consent. But Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, objected to their motions, stopping the bills from moving forward.

The rules change was the result of a lengthy discussion in the U.S. court system, Cornyn said. U.S. residents' privacy will be protected because law enforcement agencies still need to get a search warrant before hacking into computers, he said.

"You still have to go before a judge," Cornyn added. "You still have to show probable cause" of a crime.

FBI Director James Comey has supported the rules change, saying it would give law enforcement agencies a valuable tool to fight crime.

"In complex computer crime cases, [the inability to search remote computers] is problematic for some of our most important investigations," he said in May. FBI investigations can be hampered "if we have to go to dozens of different magistrate judges in a botnet case, or if were unable to go to a magistrate judge because we cant say for sure where the computer is."

Wyden predicted that U.S. residents will demand that Congress roll back the changes when they realize how sweeping the new powers are. Congress can still act to kill the new authority after it goes into effect.

The rules change taking effect Thursday should "send a shiver down the spine of all Americans," Daines added. "Our civil liberties ... can be chipped away little by little until we barely recognize them anymore. We simply can't give unlimited power for unlimited hacking."
Today

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 77F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Windy. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny skies. High 68F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Liu Miaomiao, a Shenzhen Airlines' stewardess, was named the world's most beautiful stewardess in a competition held in Shenzhen city, South China's Guangdong province, in June 2016.

Liu, born in Xi'an city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, decided to be a stewardess six years ago.

The three-month orientation training made Liu more aware about her duties. "Besides etiquette training, such as practicing smile by biting the chopsticks, I had to master the dos and don'ts of emergency rescue in case of cabin fire or evacuation, since small mistakes could cause big disasters," said Liu.

After being promoted to chief attendant in 2014, she began to focus more on challenges and difficulties the daily flying presented.

Once a flight from Beijing got delayed as it did not get clearance for takeoff from the air traffic control due to the heavy traffic rush. When Liu and her colleagues tried to explain the reasons to the passengers, who were already angry at the delay, they lost their temper. But Liu calmed them down with her smile. What made Liu happy was that some passengers apologized to her at the end of the flight.

Liu said this job makes her feel proud whenever she thinks that someday she might inspire some boys or girls to become flight attendants when they see her professional look in uniform.
[File photo]

Chinese experts have taken exception to the speculation of Russian media that Chinese-made chips are responsible for two recent malfunctions of Western navy vessels.

The U.S. missile destroyer Zumwalt and high-tech destroyer of the British Royal Navy HMS Ducan have turned into useless tin cans due to ChinaThe killer chips are present in almost all the military equipment and communication systems which have been recently built by the U.S. and Great Britain, Pravda.ru, a Russian news website, reported on Nov. 28.

The report comes after USS Zumwalt, the most cutting-edge U.S. destroyer, broke down in the Panama Canal on Nov. 21, and British warship HMS Duncan had to be towed back to port on Nov. 23 due to a malfunction.

According to the report, microchips made in China are to be blamed for both incidents, as they were allegedly installed in both vessels.

Generally speaking, the U.S. rarely imports foreign-made components for its core equipment. Even if they did introduce Chinese microchips, strict scrutiny would be applied to ensure national security, Zhang Junshe, a research fellow at the Peoples Liberation Army Navy Military Academic Research Institute, told the Global Times.

It would be ridiculous to assume that China sold fake chips to other nations, as this would ruin Chinas reputation and development, Zhang added.

Neither the U.K. nor U.S. have released detailed reports on the malfunctions. However, this is not the first time such an incident has befallen the British vessel. In 2014, HMS Ducan suffered a power outage during a naval exercise, according to the Telegraph.
Experts said at a recent seminar that China has become the biggest textile exporter in the world, and will likely maintain this position for at least the next decade.

Joseph Wozniak, head of Trade for Sustainable Development at the International Trade Centre (ITC), said at a high-level forum about sustainable China-EU supply chains that Chinas exportation of textile products to global markets has increased eight-fold since it joined the WTO. Jiang Hui, chairman of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textile and Apparel (CCCT), added that China would likely remain the worlds biggest textile exporter in the next decade.

China has the largest textile industry in the world, with the most complete industrial chain and the most diverse categories. Textiles constitute an important part of bilateral trade between China and the EU.

In 2015, the export volume of textile exported from China to the EU reached $53.132 billion, and the export volume from the EU to China was over $4 billion. Both figures doubled since 2005.

Jiang used data to prove that Chinas textile and apparel trade is increasing in quantity but decreasing in terms of price. He also mentioned that although external demand is robust at this moment, the market share lacks momentum. He added that the industry also faces challenges posed by slow transformation and overlapping production capacity. Moreover, the products are mainly in the middle to lower ranges of the value chain.

Jiang believes that momentum for the textile industry lies in improved quality, industrial innovation and an Internet-based mindset.
UK's Low Pay Commission found "no clear evidence" that the UK's April National Living Wage increase had any negative effects in employment or work hours in the United Kingdom. The LPC claims that the maintenance and retail sectors -- direly affected by the higher wages -- saw an increase in employment numbers. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development warns the UK government to proceed with caution upon increasing the National Living Wage.

By 2017, the minimum wage would increase by 4% to 7.50 ($9.30) an hour for all minimum wage earners in the United Kingdom. According to CNN Money, UK Chancellor Philip Hammond will outline the spending priorities on employment for the following year.

Despite the mentioned increase of 4%, Chancellor Philip Hammond's "Autumn Statement" fail to make clear that the minimum wage could be lower than 7.60 ($9.90) based on estimates -- an amount former Chancellor George Osborne estimated in his Budget before leaving office for this year. The Office for Budget Responsibility said the UK's minimum wage should increase to 7.60 hourly by 2017 to meet the target 9 ($11.23) minimum wage in the United Kingdom by 2020.

According to BBC.com, the Low Pay Commission warned that employers could unfairly reduce staff wages in other areas such as perks, bonuses or commissions to meet the standard employment time -- avoiding any adjustment for higher levels of overtime or special weekend working rates. About 1.3% of UK employees are paid less than minimum wage forcing the government to spend about 4.3 million ($5.3 million) a year to find employers paying unfair amounts to employees.

A survey revealed that CBI's employers have looked into price hikes, recruitment freezes and an apprenticeship levy -- pay your employer for experience -- to offset the higher labor costs. Clearly, recruitment freezes did not come to pass with the higher numbers of employed. Employers may likely have used price hikes and possibly unfair perk and commission reductions -- a hypothesis yet to be proven.
Avid users of social media expose themselves not only to possible addiction but also to long-term mental consequences due to prolonged stress and possible depression. A study from the University of Missouri reveals that Facebook and social network use -- now a daily activity among students and tech-savvy workers and businesses -- potentially introduces feelings of envy and stress when viewing posts that trigger these emotions at a prolonged pace.

According to the University's News Bureau, Professor and Chair of Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Margaret Duffy said Facebook is a "fun and healthy activity" if users want only to stay connected with family and old friends. Duffy stresses that envy is triggered each time people see photos of old friends happy with relationships or financial achievements.

According to The Star, Georgetown University Associated Professor of Computer Science Cal Newport said it may be time to break away from social networks because it introduces "corrosion of civic life to its cultural shallowness." He pointed out that it could cause career damages in the future. The report also cited Dallas Clinical Psychologist Anne Miller Morris who encouraged the "right balance" in using social media, echoing Duffy's idea that social media has people "stuck up on the social comparison" of themselves to others.

Social media is truly useful for anyone looking for a job -- it can be easy to stand out with the proper credentials attached to your name on LinkedIn. Facebook allows potential employer "friends" to see potential individuals' "attitude and outlook towards life" and create proper judgements on hiring the individual.

When used efficiently, social media is a great way to connect with people and share our ideas and thoughts. But the image-centralized social media networks of today makes it easy for people to see our "fat" or unfashionable photos -- creating stress that we must always look our best as it can trigger self-esteem troubles. It would be wise to lay off from social media from time to time and detach from the culture into our own world.
On Sunday, President-elect Donald J. Trump pointed the blame of losing from popular vote during the recently concluded presidential election to 2 million Americans who illegally voted as alleged by Trump. With this statement of Trump, several celebrities has posted their reactions on Twitter.

Trump was declared as the victor of the 2016 US Presidential election after he won the Electoral College. However, his opponent, Hillary Clinton, won the popular vote with over two million votes ahead of Trump. Even though Trump's administration will govern the richest country in the world for the next four years (or more), Donald Trump is still hard-hearted to accept the results of the popular vote, Gossip Cop reported.

On Sunday, the President-elect tweeted that in addition to his landslide victory in the Electoral College, he would also dominate the election's popular vote if the millions of people who illegally voted will be deducted. "Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!" Trump added - all while dubbing Clinton "sad", Just Jared says.

Billy Eichner (@billyeichner) said that Donald Trump is absolutely insane. Deepak Chopra also tweeted and asked if the Trump realizes that by claiming that the votes from millions were illegal, he is in fact delegitimizing the election that he won.

Andy Cohen (@Andy), on the other hand, sarcastically begged Trump to stay away from Twitter. Kumail Nanjinani (@kumailn) enticed his followers to imagine President Barack Obama tweeting the one posted by Trump. In that case, people will be surprised and horrified and that, if there will be an instance that the bar is lower, it will be in the core of the earth.

Joshua Malina (@JoshMalina) said that the tweet is super crazy. Meanwhile, Ari Berman (@AriBerman) recalled in his tweet that the only incident of voter fraud during the 2016 US Presidential election was in Iowa wherein a supporter of Trump was caught for voting twice.

'Superman' actor Chris Evans also tweeted that the allegations of Trump is not supported with any evidence and reminded the Republican that he is the President-elect now, therefore, he must stop motivating lies. Evans furthered that the tactics for the campaign has ended and that, a leader must do better.

For more updates on Donald Trump, check out Jobs & Hire.
Local governments have recently been stepping up their supervision over liquor bans applied to civil servants. From banning any drinking during work hours to prohibiting alcohol at official receptions, China is increasingly cracking down on alcohol consumption among government employees. A total of 30 alcohol violations have so far been reported by disciplinary inspection departments across the country this year.

In 2005, eastern China's Anhui province issued a regulation banning civil servants from consuming alcohol while discharging their official duties. Events involving foreign affairs or those intended to attract investment were exempted.

In September 2016, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region implemented an alcohol ban for civil servants at official receptions. According to the ban, civil servants in the region are banned from drinking alcohol at all official events, including dinners, no matter what individual or institution offers the drink.

Civil servants face fines and can be even dismissed from their positions if they consume alcoholic beverages during work hours, according to relevant regulations.

Most civil servants support the regulations. A town party chief in Jilin province said he feels relieved by the ban, which not only saves a lot of time spent dining, but also protects him from alcohol-related harm.

However, violations still exist. Some civil servants choose to drink alcohol in private places such as rural inns, and some drink after work or buy liquor with their own money.
Shailene Woodley got emotional in an interview explaining about the federal holiday, Thanksgiving. She said it is a day "kids in elementary schools in America are taught false narratives about the Native Americans."

Originally, the First Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. The feast lasted for three days and was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims.

On Thanksgiving Day she did not leave the protest lines for the Dakota Access Pipeline project as per Morning News USA. The "Divergent" actress was bravely fighting with the Native Americans. They want to stop the massive project that will eventually destroy the water supply and the land of the Native Americans.

Shailene Woodley was arrested for trespassing and joining a riot last month while protesting the project. She was charged and was out on bail.

Her arrest fired her desire to continue supporting the Native Americans to preserve their heritage - their land. Her fight has already caught the attention of many Hollywood celebrities and they also showed their support.

Some of those famous protest supporters are Ben Affleck, Jason Mamoa, Ray Fisher, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller as a team from "Justice League." Riley Keough, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and a lot more are also actively supporting the protesters.

The Dakota Access Pipeline is a "1,172-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline that will connect the rapidly expanding Bakken and Three Forks production areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois," as per DAPL. It will channel light sweet crude oil from North Dakota to refining markets.

However, residents are protesting the project because of the danger of their water supply in case the pipes break. It will leak the chemicals into their water supply underground. For this reason, alone, concerned people gathered at the project area to stop it.

Shailene Woodley is one with the thousands of protesters that will fight till the end. Stay tuned for updates on the project and for more celebrity news.
The newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump had made a deal with the air conditioning company Carrier to retain its operations in the country. It means 1,000 jobs for the ordinary Americans.

Manufacturing companies are Trumps source of jobs for the jobless. This has been his promise to the average-income groups during his campaign. The people gave him a chance and the new Head of State has started working on his promise.

New York Times reported that Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence will visit Carrier's Indianapolis factory to announce the deal he has made with the company. It means 1,000 jobs to be retained in the state.

Robin Maynard, a long time employee of Carrier, said that he is ready to meet the President when he comes. He added that the move of the Trump administration will surely put her daughter to college.

In exchange for the continuing trust of the company, Donald Trump, and Mr. Pence promises to be friendlier with businesses by simplifying regulations and revising tax codes. This means lesser operating expenses for the whole business sector.

Aside from this, Indianapolis will also give incentives to Carrier to honor their decision to continue operations in the country.

Now a Liberal has cited Trump's attention to the factory jobs that will promote economic sustainability. Jared Bernstein an economist and adviser to former President Barack Obama, said that the jobs from Carrier are just a small chunk. The state created jobs counts to 181,000 jobs per year but it is still commendable.

Staying in the U.S. would mean forfeiting $65 million yearly savings if it operates in Mexico, but the advantage is the public relations damage that will be prevented from occurring if Carrier will move jobs overseas.

Carrier finds the deal was so fast. Donald Trump has already plugged-on the dynamo towards economic growth. Can he make America great again? Only time will tell.
While people all over the United States are always worried about the prospect of career opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities, a nonprofit organization based in Dane County (Wisconsin) has been doing something different. ArtWorking has done its best to support artists suffering from such frailties.

This group is one of the many civil alliances that effectively confront the contentious issue of equal opportunity in the United States. Curiously, however, ArtWorking represents one of the several groups under the umbrella of Work Opportunity in Rural Communities Inc.

A report by The Badger Herald underscores the facts and figures behind cognitive disabilities and how they affect the country's overall labor demographics. Based on the data presented by the 2014 Disability Statistics Annual Report, 4.4 percent of people in the United States between ages 18 and 64 suffer from frailties such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other learning disabilities.

Furthermore, ArtWorking director Lance Owens reveals that his inspiration for establishing the group is spurred by the harsh reality of unequal opportunity in America. Throughout his long exposure, he realized that persons with cognitive disabilities do not have access to sustainable long-term careers. Fortunately, art is one of the most viable avenues for people with cognitive disabilities to excel.

American society is not entirely apathetic to their plight regardless of the obvious shortage of opportunities. An article published by Jobs & Hire illustrates specific ways employers must interview applicants with cognitive disabilities - especially considering the legal precedence emphasizing anti-discriminatory practices and protocols.

While groups like ArtWorking are making huge strides in championing equal opportunity, Americans are currently concerned how such efforts might be opposed by the current Trump administration. An article published by Forbes Magazine hints on how the appointment of Jeff Sessions as US Attorney General might endanger special education rights.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 20 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Nov. 30.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in Gizilhajili village of Gazakh district, Kohnegishlag village of Agstafa district of Azerbaijan underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in Berkaber, Paravakar villages of the Ijevan district of Armenia.

The Azerbaijani army positions located in Munjuglu village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located on nameless heights of the Berd district of Armenia.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions were fired at from the Armenian positions located near the Armenian-occupied Chilaburt village of the Tartar district, Shikhlar village of the Agdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz village of the Fuzuli district, as well as on nameless heights of the Tartar and Fuzuli districts.

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.
Snyders-Lance plans $38M Charlotte expansion

Snyders-Lance Inc. said Monday it plans to create 70 jobs over three years as part of a $38 million expansion at its Charlotte headquarters and production operations.

The company has more than 1,200 employees in North Carolina. The expansion will add more than $4.3 million in annual company payroll.

The company said it plans to add a production line at its South Boulevard manufacturing plant, along with 30 jobs at its Ballantyne headquarters. Positions will range from machine operators and warehouse personnel to engineers and management.

Snyders-Lance has been made eligible for up to $100,000 in performance-based incentives from the One North Carolina Fund, as well as matching local incentives.

In a separate development, the company said it has entered into an agreement to sell its Diamond of California culinary nut business to Blue Road Capital at an undisclosed price. Snyders-Lance entered the culinary nuts business through buying Diamond Foods Inc. in February.

Richard Craver

Hooker Furniture board declares dividend

The board of directors of Hooker Furniture Corp. declared Tuesday a quarterly cash dividend of 12 cents a share.

The dividend is payable Dec. 30 to shareholders registered as of Dec. 15.

Richard Craver

U.S. economy grew at 3.2 percent in third quarter

WASHINGTON  The U.S. economy in the third quarter grew at the fastest pace in two years, with a revised report showing stronger consumer spending than first estimated.

The gross domestic product, the countrys total output of goods and services, expanded 3.2 percent in the July-September period, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The 3.2 percent increase was expected to be the best showing for the year.

Economists believe growth has slowed to around 2 percent in the current quarter. At the moment, they forecast growth of around 2 percent to 2.5 percent for 2017.

The Associated Press

U.S. consumer confidence at highest level in 9 years

WASHINGTON  U.S. consumer confidence rebounded this month to the highest level in more than nine years.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index registered 107.1 in November, highest since 2007.

The survey was mostly taken before the Nov. 8 election. Conference Board economist Lynn Franco says that it appears from the small sample of postelection responses that consumers optimism was not impacted by the outcome.

The index had fallen in October and was expected to rise this month, but the strength of the rebound took economists by surprise.

The Associated Press

First Data: Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales up

NEW YORK  Holiday spending rose 9 percent Thursday and Friday combined, compared with the same two-day period last year, according to First Data. The bump was fueled by shoppers turning to online deals.

E-commerce sales rose 10.8 percent for the two-day period, while sales at physical stores grew 8.6 percent, according to First Data, which analyzed online and in-store payments across different forms of payment cards from nearly one million merchants Thanksgiving and Friday. The data captures about 40 percent of all card transactions in the U.S. but excludes cash.

The Associated Press
The Triads jobless rate took a slight dip during October, with some analysts suggesting the state economy may have hit a floor in how much further the rate can drop.

The rate declined by 0.1 percentage point to 4.6 percent, the N.C. Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The rate was 5.4 percent a year ago.

Still, the Triad rate is at its lowest rate since December 2007  about eight months before the full effect of the 2008-10 economic downturn began to be felt locally.

The Winston-Salem metropolitan statistical area rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent.

Economists traditionally have considered a jobless rate of 5 percent as full employment, meaning that everyone who wants a job has a job.

Yet, most economists say the October rate doesnt fully reflect job-market realities, particularly for those lacking technology and other specialized skills, and those without post-secondary education.

Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi, a political science professor at Winston-Salem State University, said he doesnt expect the state jobless rate to go much lower.

Were seeing more employers struggling to find qualified workers, raising wages to keep the employees they have rather than hiring individuals where they may be a skills mismatch, Madjd-Sadjadi said. Were likely to see a greater disparity in income.

Mark Vitner, a senior economist with Wells Fargo Securities, said the employment data indicates that the economic recovery appears to have broadened somewhat over the past year in other urban areas of the state.

I think the unemployment rate will decline further in 2017 but only slightly. We are seeing job seekers come back into the labor market, and that is making it harder to bring the unemployment rate down.

When individuals stop looking for work, they are no longer considered unemployed for the purpose of calculating the jobless rate.

Some economists say much of North Carolinas recovery has come from piggybacking on the U.S. recovery, and that the bulk of the rebound has been felt in Charlotte and the Triangle.

According to Commerce data, 40 percent of all job creation since Gov. Pat McCrorys term began in January 2013 has been gained in Charlotte and the Triangle.

Commerce Secretary John Skvarla wrote in a Sept. 23 letter to the editor in the Winston-Salem Journal that the context of that job creation should include Charlotte and the Triangle are home to 46 percent of the state labor force.

There has been a net gain of 10,200 jobs in the Triad since October 2015, led by a net gain of 3,700 in trade, transportation and utilities, which tends to feature low-wage positions. Theres also been a net gain of 3,400 jobs in education and health services, and 2,300 in manufacturing.

For the 14-county region of the Triad and Northwest North Carolina, since October 2015 there has been a net gain of 7,626 listed as employed to 887,731, as well as a 6,472 decline in those listed as unemployed to 40,970.

Charlotte and Raleigh still account for the bulk of the states job gains, but the unemployment rate actually fell more in the Triad than it did in any of the states other metropolitan areas, Vitner said. Unfortunately, growth has continued to lag in Winston-Salem.

Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University, said that Charlotte and the Triangle are in a class by themselves in economic growth. I refer to them as the states racehorse regions.

The economic forces in the nation (and world) are growing metropolitan areas at the expense of non-metro areas. Barring dramatic changes, this trend will continue.

The labor-force data does not specify how many workers are full time, temporary or part time, how many jobs people are working or if they are underemployed for their job skills.
Board of Education to swear in members

Two new members of the Davie County Board of Education will be sworn into office on Tuesday.

Terry Hales and W.G. Dub Potts will take their seats on the seven-person board. Each were elected earlier this month.

They will join incumbents Wendy Horne and Paul Drechsler, who were re-elected to their seats.

The four candidates faced no challengers.

Hales and Potts replace Carol Livengood and Steve Ridenhour, who decided not to run for re-election.

Potts was the superintendent of Davie County Schools from 2001-06. Hales is a 30-year veteran of the military and formerly taught JROTC programs at various high schools including Davie County High School.

The board of educations meeting will be 6 p.m. in the Central Davie High School Education Center, 220 Campbell Road, Mocksville.

Lottery to be held for inauguration tickets

Congressman-Elect Ted Budd of Advance will be making a limited number of tickets available to the public for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.

These tickets are standing-room only tickets on the west lawn of the United States Capitol, according to Budds office.

The tickets will be for the swearing-ceremony and will not include admission to the inaugural parade or inaugural balls.

Constituents of the 13th district who would like tickets should submit the following information to buddticketrequests@gmail.com: name, number of tickets requested (limit five) and phone number.

A random lottery drawing will determine the winners. Tickets will need to be picked on Capitol Hill on Jan. 19. Winners will be contacted and given specific instructions.

New sheriff likely to be approved in January

Davie County commissioners are expected to approve a replacement for retiring Sheriff Andy Stokes at their meeting on Jan. 3, Interim Manager Mike Ruffin said last week.

Stokes announced earlier this month that he will retire on Dec. 31.

An executive committee of the Davie County Republican Party will recommend a replacement for Stokes, a Republican. Commissioners must approve the partys choice, as long as it is made within 30 days of the jobs vacancy, according to state statute.

The commissioners meeting will be on a Tuesday rather than the usual Monday meeting day because of the New Year holiday.

Stokes was first elected sheriff in 2006.
Federal prosecutors say a North Carolina man is accused of setting two wildfires.

The U.S. Department of Justice says 49-year-old Keith Eugene Mann of Franklin was arrested Wednesday on one count of destroying property by means of fire.

According to an affidavit, a wildfire was reported on Oct. 27 inside the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County. Court documents say an investigation showed the fire was intentionally set, as were five other fires nearby.

A second wildfire was reported on Nov. 22, and investigators say when they went back to the site the next day, they found a cardboard box with burned wooden matches next to it.

Those wildfires are among dozens that have burned in the South over the past several weeks as the region has been parched by drought.

Authorities say Mann admitted setting both fires. The charges against him carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has offered condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over casualties and injuries as a result of fire at a student dormitory in Turkeys Adana province.

We were deeply saddened by the news of casualties and injuries as a fire broke out at a student dormitory in the Aladag district, Adana province, said President Aliyev in his letter.

We share your grief over this tragedy, he noted. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend deep condolences to you, families and the loved ones of those who died, and the brotherly people of Turkey, and wish the injured swiftest possible recovery.

May Allah rest the souls of the dead in peace, added President Ilham Aliyev.
The recount of Durham County ballots in the contested governors race has been ordered by the State Board of Elections to be completed by 7 p.m. Monday.

Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for the state elections board, said Wednesday the state board would issue a written order to the Durham board to conduct the recount. The order was sent Thursday afternoon.

The order requires the Durham board to submit its recount plan to the state board by noon Friday.

"The Durham board shall take all steps necessary to expedite and ensure timely compliance with this order, holding any emergency meeting necessary to amend canvass to reflect the recount," according to the order.

Bill Brian, chairman of the Durham elections board, told The News & Observer earlier Thursday that "I see no reason why it can't be done next week."

The timing of the Durham recount is the latest development in the governor's race.

The state board's website shows Democratic candidate Roy Cooper with a 10,257-vote lead over Gov. Pat McCrory, the Republican incumbent. It is the first time since the Nov. 8 election that Cooper's lead has surpassed 10,000 votes.

That lead, if it stands, is enough to take away McCrory's recount option. In statewide races, election results must show a difference of no more than 10,000 votes before the trailing candidate can request a recount. McCrory announced Nov. 22 his plans to call for a statewide recount.

On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled state board voted 3-2 along party lines to approve a machine recount of about 94,000 Durham County ballots that were reported late on Election Day.

Gannon said certification of the vote in the governors race may not take place until Wednesday. State law requires completing the certification of ballots by Dec. 9.

Coopers expanded lead spurred calls again by his campaign and other state and national Democratic officials for McCrory to concede. The Cooper-McCrory election was considered the marquee governors race nationwide.

Game over, said Trey Nix, Coopers campaign manager. Its clear there is no path to victory for Gov. McCrory.

What harm would it do

The GOP-appointed members of the state board took the approach during Wednesdays hearing that there may have been enough irregularities with Durhams ballot tabulations to make people wonder, board member James Baker said.

The state board order included that "due to the highly specialized knowledge necessary to analyze the tabulation errors encountered on Nov. 8, there exists a perception that irregularities in Durham County might have affected the outcome of the gubernatorial contest."

Before the Durham ballots were uploaded to the state board website, McCrory was ahead in the vote with about 99 percent of the 2,704 precincts reporting.

What harm would it do to scan these votes and count them? Baker asked, the Raleigh newspaper reported. Its not likely to change anything.

The McCrory campaign has offered to withdraw its request for a statewide recount if the Durham recount produces the same results as earlier posted.

Cooper won Durham by a 78.6 percent (121,824 votes) to 19.8 percent (30,645) margin, by far the widest margin of the eight urban counties he swept. About 77 percent of the ballots cast in Durham were by early voting and officially tabulated on Election Day.

This decision will likely bring an end to the unusually long governors race, said Mitch Kokai, a policy analyst with John Locke Foundation, a conservative research group. If Durham Countys election night vote totals remain unchanged during the recount, then the McCrory campaign will have little, if any reason, to maintain the challenge.

The Durham appeal was filed by Thomas Stark, the N.C. Republican Party attorney who was representing himself as a registered Durham County voter.

Stark has accused the Republican-controlled Durham board of ballot malfeasance related to memory card issues at five early voting and one Election Day precinct. The issue was the number of ballots being counted on the memory cards exceeding their tabulation capacity. Stark wanted the state board to conduct a total ballot recount by hand.

The Durham board said at its Nov. 18 hearing on Starks protest that no evidence has been presented that the memory card issue affected votes in the governors race. The board voted 3-0 to deny Starks request for a total ballot recount.

Josh Lawson, the state boards staff attorney, said its decision required findings of fact and conclusions of law to approve the protest. Baker said his perspective is that the perception by the public is that it was a mammoth problem in Durham.

Russell Pack, McCrorys campaign manager, said,We are pleased that the state board has recognized the irregularities in Durham County, and we will respect whatever the results show.

Nix said after the state boards decision was announced that we are confident that this recount will confirm Roy Coopers election as governor.

Forsyth canvass

Part of Coopers expanded lead came, as expected, from Forsyth County.

The Forsyth elections board completed its canvass Wednesday, which showed Coopers margin in the county grew by 622 votes from Nov. 9, when preliminary results were reported to the state board.

The final Forsyth vote tally was 99,663 votes for Cooper, 73,560 for McCrory and 3,989 for Libertarian candidate Lon Cecil.

The Forsyth board accepted 901 provisional ballots in all. Cooper picked up 510 votes from them, while McCrory collected 324.

McCrory did better among Forsyth absentee voters, with 5,576 votes to 5,398 for Cooper.

Tim Tsujii, Forsyth Countys elections director, said the great majority of rejected provisional ballots were filled out by voters giving a Forsyth address but found to be registered to vote elsewhere.

I have heard that people think that when you move from one county to another, if you are registered in a previous county your registration carries over, Tsujii said, but that isnt true.

The elections board added back to the county tally three provisional ballots that had been rejected last week because the same voters were listed as casting ballots during early voting. The provisional ballots had initially been rejected because election officials decided the voter signatures did not match the ones on record.

The votes were restored because the state elections board ruled Monday that county boards could not reject ballots unless they were challenged in a timely manner. Tsujii said the three votes were likely illegitimate.
RALEIGH  A state oversight meeting on Medicaid reform was hijacked Tuesday by a lengthy legislative public airing of concerns about how Cardinal Innovations Healthcare operates.

Legislators targeted the potential $1.2 million annual compensation of Richard Topping, Cardinals executive director, and the likelihood that North Carolinas largest managed-care organization, or MCO, is moving its headquarters from Kannapolis to a more expensive setting in the NASCAR Hall of Fame building in Charlotte.

Cardinal oversees behavioral health providers who serve more than 812,000 enrollees in 20 counties, including Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham and Stokes in the Triad.

Cardinal took over CenterPoint Human Services of Winston-Salem on June 1 as part of a state effort to reduce the number of MCOs to three or four.

There has been a frictional relationship over the years between Cardinal and legislators that crosses party lines  Republicans concerned about the agencys discretionary spending patterns as a publicly funded agency, and Democrats concerned about cost cuts affecting services to its most vulnerable clients.

State Sen. Tommy Tucker, R-Union, who asked several of the most pointed questions during a 2-hour part of the meeting, said he did so because getting an audience with Topping has proven difficult.

Topping, under Tuckers questioning, acknowledged that his compensation is $635,000 in salary. Tucker cited that Topping qualifies for a bonus of up to 40 percent of his salary, depending on performance, and annuity compensation that could be worth more than $400,000. Were supposed to be serving the poor and the least of these with our MCOs, Tucker said.

How do I as a legislator, we as legislators, explain to our constituents why their loved ones are on a five-year waiting list for (developmental disability) services, yet your board has given you that kind of compensation? he asked, noting that a typical MCO chief executive is paid $160,000 to $200,000.

There are 11,000 North Carolinians on the waiting list for state development disability services, a sore point with legislators and advocates alike.

Cardinal tends to act like they are a cut above the other MCOs, Tucker said.

Topping did not appear flustered during the questioning. He defended the compensation as justified in part because Cardinal represents the consolidation of six entities.

We have gone from 2,000 mostly government employees to 800 non-government employees, so the cost to the state has been less over time, he said.

For example, Topping said Cardinal employees do not receive retirement benefits of the level received by state government employees. Topping ruffled some legislators with his observation that many government employees are more motivated by their retirement benefits than constituent services.

Topping said that with 1 million members, half on Medicaid and half uninsured, Cardinal is performing in a cost-efficient way  as well as, if not better, than the other MCOs.

As such, Topping said, Cardinal should have more flexibility with funding and innovative services than the other MCOs. He stressed that Cardinal is performing in accord with what legislators have asked it to do, which Tucker acknowledged is the case in some service areas.

After the heated give-and-take between Topping and legislators, Rick Brajer, the states health secretary, chimed in, saying he believes it is unconscionable that the Cardinal board and Topping believe his compensation is warranted at the level of a chief executive of a nonprofit health-care system.

Brajer took a cautious approach during the Cardinal and CenterPoint merger process, in part because it expanded Cardinal to represent 20 percent of the states 100 counties.

Brajer expressed concern that Topping and the Cardinal board tend to not refer to the agency as an MCO, and dont seem to use the term MCO proudly.

Although Cardinal does live up to its name, it basically does what every other MCO does, doing some things better than others, but nothing unique, he said. Some MCOs do some services better than Cardinal.

Local advocates and community officials responded to the Cardinal-CenterPoint merger by saying their fingers are crossed and eyes open to Cardinals overall performance.

Topping said Cardinal is getting out of the real-estate business as part of plans to consolidate from six to two offices statewide.

Besides its Kannapolis headquarters, the other five, including former CenterPoint offices with 170 employees, serve as satellite facilities. Topping did not say which satellite offices may be closed.

State Medicaid update

State health officials said Tuesday that Medicaid enrollment has tracked roughly in line with expectations to date at 1.9 million with a slight uptick between August and October to more than 2.05 million.

Officials said there is a decline in the use of auto-extension of Medicaid enrollment in most counties, including ending them in 14 counties in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina .

While auto-extension does present a modest additional cost to the state, federal guidelines require that individuals covered by Medicaid remain eligible for services until they are deemed to be ineligible, said Dave Richard, deputy secretary for the N.C. Division of Medical Assistance.

In terms of funding, the Medicaid program is operating $22.3 million under budget for the first four months of fiscal 2016-17. State officials said the program is benefiting from more enrollees requiring less costly services, and negotiated rate decreases for the states MCOs.

While it is early in the year, and negative issues can still arise, current trends indicate that (the program) will finish this state fiscal year within budget, said Dave Richard, deputy secretary for the N.C. Division of Medical Assistance.
A State Bureau of Investigation official confirmed Tuesday that agents do not expect to complete an investigation into the district attorneys offices in Rockingham and Caswell/Person counties in 2016.

Due to the growing complexity of this case, we dont anticipate finishing before the end of the year, SBI spokesman Shannon OToole said.

OToole said the investigators with the Special Investigations Unit continued last week to interview witnesses.

A response by the SBI to a public records request confirmed in late October that Superior Court Judge Joe Crosswhite ordered the agency, on July 25, to investigate both offices on allegations of the theft of state money.

SBI officials have not commented about the specifics of that allegation or named specific persons under investigation.

Caswell/Person County District Attorney Wallace Bradsher said the investigation centers on the timesheets of a former employee shared by both his office and that of Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer.

Employment records obtained from the Administrative Office of the Courts show three employees have worked for both offices at separate times since Blitzer took office in January 2015: Tyler Henderson; Cindy Blitzer, the wife of Craig Blitzer; and Pamela Bradsher, the wife of Wallace Bradsher.

Pamela Bradsher began working for her husband in January 2011, just seven days after he took his oath of office, as a legal assistant in Person County, making $36,000 a year. On Jan. 1, 2015, she was promoted to an investigator, making $48,000.

On Jan. 1, 2015, the day Craig Blitzer took office, Cindy Blitzer began working for her husband as a legal assistant, making $46,900.

On Jan. 13, 2015, the two women swapped positions and salaries, AOC records show.

Pamela Bradsher resigned her position in Craig Blitzers office in August 2015. Cindy Blitzer left Bradshers office in October.

Henderson was hired as legal assistant by Bradsher in January 2011. In August 2015, when Pamela Bradsher resigned from Blitzers staff, Henderson filled her position as a legal assistant with the Rockingham County DAs office, where he remains employed.

Shared employment is not necessarily a violation of state law, but the hiring of spouses might violate the North Carolina State Government Ethics Act, which specifically prohibits state employees, such as district attorneys, from hiring their spouses.

A violation is subject to disciplinary action, including a possible dismissal from office.

Anything deemed an allegation or violation of ethical or criminal law will be fully researched and presented to the judge, OToole said Tuesday, when asked about the potential ethics violation of the hires.

He would not say whether the ethics act was a specific element of the investigation.

No agency has said Blitzer, Bradsher, their wives or Henderson is being investigated.

Blitzer spoke with the News & Record in early November and said he personally was not under investigation.

He said he had not spoken with members of his staff to know if the investigation centered on any of them.

Any allegations that have been brought to our attention has been followed up on, OToole said.

Once the investigation is complete, agents from the SBIs Special Investigations Unit plan to present their findings to Judge Crosswhite.

OToole said Crosswhite has several options if he finds any ethical or criminal violations.

If he were to believe there is an ethical violation, the judge could send the findings to several different boards for review, depending on the specifics.

If Crosswhite were to believe there is a criminal violation, he could refer the case to the attorney generals office or to a prosecutor from another county.

That agency would meet with SBI investigators to determine whether to move forward or to end the investigation.

Crosswhite is the senior resident superior court judge in Iredell County. He took the case from an unidentified Caswell County judge who serves in Bradshers district.
KEVIN FIELDS, Winston-Salem

Cry all you want

You folks at the Journal had better get on point and stop it with all these anti-Trump headlines (Trump claims millions voted illegally, Nov. 28). You can cry all you want, but hes our president-elect and things are going to change around here.

******

BARNEY HARPER, Winston-Salem

Must trust the vote

Im part of the populace who wants to know, more than anything, that the vote can be trusted. I dont care if Im on the losing side, as long as I can be confident of the results.

Unfortunately, Republicans have had a great deal of success in casting doubt on the results.

It doesnt help to learn that Russians have hacked  not manipulated, but hacked  election databases.

Because of the wrangling over our presidential election, we look like fools and buffoons to the rest of the world and Im not sure the perception is wrong. We all need to come together to demand of our leaders that this problem be fixed before 2020. Our elections must be transparent and secure. If it takes casting paper ballots in every election and counting each one, for days, in front of witnesses, then we need to do that.

Voter ID is nothing but an attempt to suppress votes, but even so, if thats the concession it takes to shut up the right and move ahead, I say lets do it  as long as they also make adequate provisions to allow all American citizens  even the ones they dont want to vote  to get the necessary IDs.

Now we have Trump claims millions voted illegally (Nov. 28), and even though theres no evidence to support the president-elects conspiracy theory, some will believe him and never let it go.

This needs to be fixed.

******

GLORI FITZGIBBON, Winston-Salem

Reprised witch trials

Feminists are in a state of shock not because Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election, but because theyre beginning to realize that we are witnessing a reprise of the Salem witchcraft trials.

The underlying cause is the same: A more competitive marketplace is undermining the social and economic bases of inland communities.

Hillary Clinton is an obvious scapegoat, because her achievements and power are, in the context of our misogynist culture, irrefutable evidence of foul play, of being in league with the devil, a male figure invariably characterized as lecherous. The Trump administration will have difficulty resisting the pressure to put her on trial.

If former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose demagogic and litigious bent is clear from his unsuccessful 1999 attempt to sue the Brooklyn Museum of Art for displaying art he considered offensive to the Virgin Mary, becomes our next attorney general, the informal witch trial carried on during the campaign will move into a court of law.

******

REBECCA MINOR, Winston-Salem

A bulwark

You forgot falsely. Your Nov. 28 front-page headline should have read, Trump falsely claims millions voted illegally.

We count on the media to serve as a bulwark against the threat of an oppressive regime. You cant try to be even-handed with a threat to democracy like President-elect Donald Trump.

Of course, the real question is, What is Trump trying to distract us from?

******

HIL CASSELL, Lewisville

The path to change

Extra, extra, read all about it. Washington is losing touch and, more importantly, power. Brexit showed us the path to change and President-elect Donald Trump shows us that big politics, big media and big government are no longer capable of hope and change. Not only was the big prize red, contrary to most prognosticators, many lesser offices were added down-ticket.

The process does work. Now let us figure out how to support the changes we all know need to succeed. Hold your elected representative accountable. Please go beyond the rhetoric and see how they vote, the bills they sponsor and if they attend.

To paraphrase Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3 percent of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election forever.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Samir Ali  Trend:

Azerbaijani and Russian defense ministries have signed a cooperation plan for 2017, Azerbaijani ministry said in a message Nov. 30.

Azerbaijans Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, who is participating in a regular meeting of the Council of the CIS Defense Ministers in Moscow, met with the Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, according to the message.

The parties discussed the current state and prospects of the military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries, as well as the issues of regional security.

Sergei Shoigu said that the defense ministries of both countries conduct joint activities in the fight against international terrorism.

Colonel General Zakir Hasanov noted that the Azerbaijan-Russia military and military-technical cooperation is developing and this meeting will be helpful for both countries.

The defense ministries signed the 2017 cooperation plan following the meeting.
Michael Che isnt known to shy away from controversy behind the desk of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. His Netflix comedy special, which started streaming Friday, is no different.

Michael Che Matters, predictably, confronts discussions around the Black Lives Matter movement  including its opponents.

They dont tell you black lives dont matter, the comedian and former Daily Show correspondent tells his audience at Brooklyns Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse. Thats not what they say  thats not the argument. They hit you with that slick (stuff). Like, well, All lives matter. Really, semantics? That would be like if your wife came up to you and was like Do you love me? And youre like, Baby, I love everybody, what are you talking about?

The one-hour special also finds Che sharing his opinion on President-elect Donald Trump. I actually like Donald Trump, to be honest with you, he says, leading to a few audible boos. Ches response? Shut up.

I dont think he should be president, Che clarifies. But I do think hes . . . hilarious and he should be my best friend.

The special was filmed in August, and Che tells the audience he expects Hillary Clinton to be elected president. But just for kicks, he suggests that maybe  when the country isnt so divided, Trump should get a year in the White House.

When were doing really good, when its safe  like when you let a baby drive a little bit, Che jokes.

In an interview with Uproxx, Che noted that the special was taped before nearly a dozen women accused the then-Republican presidential nominee of touching them inappropriately or kissing them without their consent. So much has come out about him, which makes him seem like much worse of a dude, Che told the site, adding that all the bits I do are basically just honest, gut reactions to what I feel hearing this news.

Che said that aspect of comedy was much like some of the statements Trump made during his campaign, and even before he was a candidate.

The stuff that he says about Obama? He didnt know hed be in this same exact position eight years later and now he has to face it, Che told Uproxx. And now hes like, Well, I think everybody should just be fair and stop protesting the president. Im the president of everybody. And go back eight years ago and hes like, Everybody protest Obama.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Indonesian delegation led by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Azerbaijan Republic Husnan Bey Fananie visited Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and met with BHOS teachers and students. The delegation included senior managers of a number of Indonesian state agencies and higher education institutions.

On behalf of the Rector Elmar Gasimov, BHOS Vice-rector for Training, Science and International Relations Ramiz Humbatov welcomed the Indonesian delegation members visiting Azerbaijan and Baku Higher Oil School.

He informed the guests about BHOS history, academic activity and international relations. Humbatov emphasized that appeal of President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev We shall Transform Oil Capital into Human Capital has been successfully implemented at Baku Higher Oil School established upon a decree by the president.

Fananie expressed his gratitude for warm reception and informed that the delegation members visited Azerbaijan in order to participate in the Indonesian Culture Festival in Baku. The ambassador showed keen interest to development of cooperation between two countries in the field of science and education, and expressed readiness to provide strong support to such cooperation.

The guests emphasized that such meetings serve to strengthen bilateral relations. Prospects of cooperation between universities of the two countries in various fields including science and education and other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
As part of a concerted effort to mitigate the opioid crisis on a local level, the Summerville Medical Center and Summerville PD coalesced on Oct. 29 to collect opiate varieties that are either expired and/or no longer needed by individuals they were originally prescribed to. Read moreCrushing the opioid crisis
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Maan News Agnecy |

JERUSALEM (Maan)  A recent master plan presented by right-wing Jewish activists envisions a greater Jerusalem extending far beyond the current municipal boundaries, and a future for the city which sees Palestinians as virtually nonexistent, according to a Monday report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The plan, dubbed Jerusalem 5800, was privately contracted by right-wing Jewish-Australian businessman Kevin Bermeister, who last year supported an effort to prevent Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem from purchasing a building from Jewish homeowners.

Along with other planners, Bermeister emphasized that the plan was, in their opinion, apolitical, and instead only aimed to turn Jerusalem into a bustling city of the world that would boast five million residents, 12 million annual tourists, and borders extending all the way to Jericho in the occupied West Bank.

Haaretz highlighted, however, that the plan  which is destined for the year 2040 and encompasses the Palestinian cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jericho  makes no mention of the needs of Palestinian residents, or the development of Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem.

The plan does not entertain the possibility that Jerusalem would include any form of Palestinian government institutions, that Palestinians would be partners in the citys planning, and does not even mention the word Palestinians in the brochure at all.

The word Muslim appears 11 times in the brochure, but only in the chapter entitled The demographic problem.

The chapter on the demographic threat calls on the Israeli government to adopt a policy to ensure the ratio of Arab residents does not exceed 40 percent, Haaretz said.

Otherwise, the brochure says, the increase in the Muslims rate compared to the Jews is likely to continue in the future as well.

The theme of demography is pervasive and pronounced throughout the plan, which emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a Jewish majority in the holy city, which will not be based merely on natural growth but on increased migration to the city.

Israel is the Jewish nations core and Jerusalem is Israel and the Jewish nations core, according to the first of the six principles stated in the plan. Another principle says the plans goal was to create a process to increase the chance of Israel and the Jewish nation to prosper.

According to Haaretz, critics of the plan have slammed the future vision of the city as a right-wing plan to draft an alternative to dividing Jerusalem into two separate capitals in the event of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The brochure itself says the Jerusalem metropolis will not be divisible, so we see it as a territorial continuity enabling free traffic of people and merchandise, boasting plans for an airport near Jericho that would have one entrance for Israelis and another for Palestinian citizens of the West Bank, and a railway connecting Jerusalem to Ramallah in the north and Hebron in the south.

The proposal  which was initially launched five years ago  also presented plans to build huge hotels, owned by Bermeister, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir of East Jerusalem.

One of the critics of the plan was architect Yehuda Greenfield, who drafted the highly detailed partition plan of Jerusalem for the Geneva Accord.

Haaretz quoted Greenfield as saying the plan completely ignored reality.

Its completely cut off from the urban Jerusalem reality. It creates a totally fictitious situation that theres one Jewish narrative here  but there are other narratives that must be addressed, he said.

Earlier this year, Al-Shabaka, an NGO whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law, spoke of the dangerous connection between tourism and demography specifically in the Jerusalem 5800 plan.

Al-Shabaka highlighted that $120 billion of total added value from the implementation of the plan, together with the 75,000 to 85,000 additional full-time jobs in hotels and 300,000 additional jobs in related industries would attract more Jews to Jerusalem, increasing the number of Jews living in Jerusalem and further tilting the Jewish-Palestinian demographic balance in their favor.

Palestinian communities in occupied East Jerusalem  within the municipal boundaries and also beyond the wall in the occupied West Bank  have long been targeted by Israeli authorities in what has been denounced as a policy of Judaization of the holy city at the expense of other religious communities.

This Judaization has been characterized by the continuous expansion of illegal Jewish-only settlements and a large-scale policy of demolition of Palestinian homes.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has also been the stage of numerous tensions over the years, with Israeli forces imposing tight restrictions on Palestinian worshipers at the site.

Many Palestinians fear that right-wing Israelis are attempting to reclaim the holy site, as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.

Despite the 5800 plan being presented by a private institution and not by the Israeli government itself, it was received with congratulations by Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin.

Additionally, Haaretz noted that Bermeister was personally close to right-wing Israeli officials in Jerusalem, specifically right-wing activist and Jerusalem city council member Aryeh King, who was one of the projects initiators, making the plans execution not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Via Maan News Agency

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

The Real News: Wilkerson: If Trump Moves U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, War Against Iran Could Come Next
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By Andrew J. Bacevich | ( Tomdispatch.com |  

President-elect Donald Trumps message for the nations senior military leadership is ambiguously unambiguous. Here is he on 60 Minutes just days after winning the election.

Trump: We have some great generals. We have great generals.

Lesley Stahl: You said you knew more than the generals about ISIS.

Trump: Well, Ill be honest with you, I probably do because look at the job theyve done. OK, look at the job theyve done. They havent done the job.

In reality, Trump, the former reality show host, knows next to nothing about ISIS, one of many gaps in his education that his impending encounter with actual reality is likely to fill. Yet when it comes to Americas generals, our president-to-be is onto something. No doubt our three- and four-star officers qualify as great in the sense that they mean well, work hard, and are altogether fine men and women. That they have not done the job, however, is indisputable  at least if their job is to bring Americas wars to a timely and successful conclusion.

Trumps unhappy verdict  that the senior U.S. military leadership doesnt know how to win  applies in spades to the two principal conflicts of the post-9/11 era: the Afghanistan War, now in its 16th year, and the Iraq War, launched in 2003 and (after a brief hiatus) once more grinding on. Yet the verdict applies equally to lesser theaters of conflict, largely overlooked by the American public, that in recent years have engaged the attention of U.S. forces, a list that would include conflicts in Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Granted, our generals have demonstrated an impressive aptitude for moving pieces around on a dauntingly complex military chessboard. Brigades, battle groups, and squadrons shuttle in and out of various war zones, responding to the needs of the moment. The sheer immensity of the enterprise across the Greater Middle East and northern Africa  the sorties flown, munitions expended, the seamless deployment and redeployment of thousands of troops over thousands of miles, the vast stockpiles of material positioned, expended, and continuously resupplied  represents a staggering achievement. Measured by these or similar quantifiable outputs, Americas military has excelled. No other military establishment in history could have come close to duplicating the logistical feats being performed year in, year out by the armed forces of the United States.

Nor should we overlook the resulting body count. Since the autumn of 2001, something like 370,000 combatants and noncombatants have been killed in the various theaters of operations where U.S. forces have been active. Although modest by twentieth century standards, this post-9/11 harvest of death is hardly trivial.

Yet in evaluating military operations, its a mistake to confuse how much with how well. Only rarely do the outcomes of armed conflicts turn on comparative statistics. Ultimately, the one measure of success that really matters involves achieving wars political purposes. By that standard, victory requires not simply the defeat of the enemy, but accomplishing the nations stated war aims, and not just in part or temporarily but definitively. Anything less constitutes failure, not to mention utter waste for taxpayers, and for those called upon to fight, it constitutes cause for mourning.

By that standard, having been at war for virtually the entire twenty-first century, the United States military is still looking for its first win. And however strong the disinclination to concede that Donald Trump could be right about anything, his verdict on American generalship qualifies as apt.

A Never-Ending Parade of Commanders for Wars That Never End

That verdict brings to mind three questions. First, with Trump a rare exception, why have the recurring shortcomings of Americas military leadership largely escaped notice? Second, to what degree does faulty generalship suffice to explain why actual victory has proven so elusive? Third, to the extent that deficiencies at the top of the military hierarchy bear directly on the outcome of our wars, how might the generals improve their game?

As to the first question, the explanation is quite simple: During protracted wars, traditional standards for measuring generalship lose their salience. Without pertinent standards, there can be no accountability. Absent accountability, failings and weaknesses escape notice. Eventually, what youve become accustomed to seems tolerable. Twenty-first century Americans inured to wars that never end have long since forgotten that bringing such conflicts to a prompt and successful conclusion once defined the very essence of what generals were expected to do.

Senior military officers were presumed to possess unique expertise in designing campaigns and directing engagements. Not found among mere civilians or even among soldiers of lesser rank, this expertise provided the rationale for conferring status and authority on generals.

In earlier eras, the very structure of wars provided a relatively straightforward mechanism for testing such claims to expertise. Events on the battlefield rendered harsh judgments, creating or destroying reputations with brutal efficiency.

Back then, standards employed in evaluating generalship were clear-cut and uncompromising. Those who won battles earned fame, glory, and the gratitude of their countrymen. Those who lost battles got fired or were put out to pasture.

During the Civil War, for example, Abraham Lincoln did not need an advanced degree in strategic studies to conclude that Union generals like John Pope, Ambrose Burnside, and Joseph Hooker didnt have what it took to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia. Humiliating defeats sustained by the Army of the Potomac at the Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville made that obvious enough. Similarly, the victories Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman gained at Shiloh, at Vicksburg, and in the Chattanooga campaign strongly suggested that here was the team to which the president could entrust the task of bringing the Confederacy to its knees.

Today, public drunkenness, petty corruption, or sexual shenanigans with a subordinate might land generals in hot water. But as long as they avoid egregious misbehavior, senior officers charged with prosecuting Americas wars are largely spared judgments of any sort. Trying hard is enough to get a passing grade.

With the countrys political leaders and public conditioned to conflicts seemingly destined to drag on for years, if not decades, no one expects the current general-in-chief in Iraq or Afghanistan to bring things to a successful conclusion. His job is merely to manage the situation until he passes it along to a successor, while duly adding to his collection of personal decorations and perhaps advancing his career.

Today, for example, Army General John Nicholson commands U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan. Hes only the latest in a long line of senior officers to preside over that war, beginning with General Tommy Franks in 2001 and continuing with Generals Mikolashek, Barno, Eikenberry, McNeill, McKiernan, McChrystal, Petraeus, Allen, Dunford, and Campbell. The title carried by these officers changed over time. So, too, did the specifics of their mission as Operation Enduring Freedom evolved into Operation Freedoms Sentinel. Yet even as expectations slipped lower and lower, none of the commanders rotating through Kabul delivered. Not a single one has, in our president-elects concise formulation, done the job. Indeed, its increasingly difficult to know what that job is, apart from preventing the Taliban from quite literally toppling the government.

In Iraq, meanwhile, Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend currently serves as the  count em  ninth American to command U.S. and coalition forces in that country since the George W. Bush administration ordered the invasion of 2003. The first in that line, (once again) General Tommy Franks, overthrew the Saddam Hussein regime and thereby broke Iraq. The next five, Generals Sanchez, Casey, Petraeus, Odierno, and Austin, labored for eight years to put it back together again.

At the end of 2011, President Obama declared that they had done just that and terminated the U.S. military occupation. The Islamic State soon exposed Obamas claim as specious when its militants put a U.S.-trained Iraqi army to flight and annexed large swathes of that countrys territory. Following in the footsteps of his immediate predecessors Generals James Terry and Sean MacFarland, General Townsend now shoulders the task of trying to restore Iraqs status as a more or less genuinely sovereign state. He directs what the Pentagon calls Operation Inherent Resolve, dating from June 2014, the follow-on to Operation New Dawn (September 2010-December 2011), which was itself the successor to Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 2003-August 2010).

When and how Inherent Resolve will conclude is difficult to forecast. This much we can, however, say with some confidence: with the end nowhere in sight, General Townsend wont be its last commander. Other generals are waiting in the wings with their own careers to polish. As in Kabul, the parade of U.S. military commanders through Baghdad will continue.

For some readers, this listing of mostly forgotten names and dates may have a soporific effect. Yet it should also drive home Trumps point. The United States may today have the worlds most powerful and capable military  so at least we are constantly told. Yet the record shows that it does not have a corps of senior officers who know how to translate capability into successful outcomes.

Draining Which Swamp?

That brings us to the second question: Even if commander-in-chief Trump were somehow able to identify modern day equivalents of Grant and Sherman to implement his war plans, secret or otherwise, would they deliver victory?

On that score, we would do well to entertain doubts. Although senior officers charged with running recent American wars have not exactly covered themselves in glory, it doesnt follow that their shortcomings offer the sole or even a principal explanation for why those wars have yielded such disappointing results. The truth is that some wars arent winnable and shouldnt be fought.

So, yes, Trumps critique of American generalship possesses merit, but whether he knows it or not, the question truly demanding his attention as the incoming commander-in-chief isnt: Who should I hire (or fire) to fight my wars? Instead, far more urgent is: Does further war promise to solve any of my problems?

One mark of a successful business executive is knowing when to cut your losses. Its also the mark of a successful statesman. Trump claims to be the former. Whether his putative business savvy will translate into the world of statecraft remains to be seen. Early signs are not promising.

As a candidate, Trump vowed to defeat radical Islamic terrorism, destroy ISIS, decimate al-Qaeda, and starve funding for Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. Those promises imply a significant escalation of what Americans used to call the Global War on Terrorism.

Toward that end, the incoming administration may well revive some aspects of the George W. Bush playbook, including repopulating the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and if its so important to the American people, reinstituting torture. The Trump administration will at least consider re-imposing sanctions on countries like Iran. It may aggressively exploit the offensive potential of cyber-weapons, betting that Americas cyber-defenses will hold.

Yet President Trump is also likely to double down on the use of conventional military force. In that regard, his promise to quickly and decisively bomb the hell out of ISIS offers a hint of what is to come. His appointment of the uber-hawkish Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as his national security adviser and his rumored selection of retired Marine Corps General James (Mad Dog) Mattis as defense secretary suggest that he means what he says. In sum, a Trump administration seems unlikely to reexamine the conviction that the problems roiling the Greater Middle East will someday, somehow yield to a U.S.-imposed military solution. Indeed, in the face of massive evidence to the contrary, that conviction will deepen, with genuinely ironic implications for the Trump presidency.

In the immediate wake of 9/11, George W. Bush concocted a fantasy of American soldiers liberating oppressed Afghans and Iraqis and thereby draining the swamp that served to incubate anti-Western terrorism. The results achieved proved beyond disappointing, while the costs exacted in terms of lives and dollars squandered were painful indeed. Incrementally, with the passage of time, many Americans concluded that perhaps the swamp most in need of attention was not on the far side of the planet but much closer at hand  right in the imperial city nestled alongside the Potomac River.

To a very considerable extent, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, preferred candidate of the establishment, because he advertised himself as just the guy disgruntled Americans could count on to drain that swamp.

Yet heres what too few of those Americans appreciate, even today: war created that swamp in the first place. War empowers Washington. It centralizes. It provides a rationale for federal authorities to accumulate and exercise new powers. It makes government bigger and more intrusive. It lubricates the machinery of waste, fraud, and abuse that causes tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to vanish every year. When it comes to sustaining the swamp, nothing works better than war.

Were Trump really intent on draining that swamp  if he genuinely seeks to Make America Great Again  then he would extricate the United States from war. His liquidation of Trump University, which was to higher education what Freedoms Sentinel and Inherent Resolve are to modern warfare, provides a potentially instructive precedent for how to proceed.

But dont hold your breath on that one. All signs indicate that, in one fashion or another, our combative next president will perpetuate the wars hes inheriting. Trump may fancy that, as a veteran of Celebrity Apprentice (but not of military service), he possesses a special knack for spotting the next Grant or Sherman. But acting on that impulse will merely replenish the swamp in the Greater Middle East along with the one in Washington. And soon enough, those who elected him with expectations of seeing the much-despised establishment dismantled will realize that theyve been had.

Which brings us, finally, to that third question: To the extent that deficiencies at the top of the military hierarchy do affect the outcome of wars, what can be done to fix the problem?

The most expeditious approach: purge all currently serving three- and four-star officers; then, make a precondition for promotion to those ranks confinement in a reeducation camp run by Iraq and Afghanistan war amputees, with a curriculum designed by Veterans for Peace. Graduation should require each student to submit an essay reflecting on these words of wisdom from U.S. Grant himself: There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword.

True, such an approach may seem a bit draconian. But this is no time for half-measures  as even Donald Trump may eventually recognize.

Andrew J. Bacevich, a TomDispatch regular, is professor emeritus of history and international relations at Boston University. His most recent book is Americas War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History.

Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts latest book, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World.

Copyright 2016 Andrew J. Bacevich

Via Tomdispatch.com
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

In the past two days, the Syrian Arab Army and its Shiite militia allies (Hizbullah from Lebanon and others from Iraq) has taken a third to forty percent of the Eastern Aleppo pocket. The northeast zone of the pocket has collapsed, with rebel fights apparently declining any longer to stand and fight. They are taking massive fire from Russian and regime aircraft.

The Russian source Interfax alleges, Full control has been established over 12 neighbourhoods of eastern Aleppo . . . as Baeidin, Sheikh Fares, Qadisiya, Haidaria, Al-Ghani, Sheikh Hasser , Sheikh Khudr, Jabal Badro, Tareeq Sheikh Najjar, Turab al-Hollok, Bustan al-Basha and Sakhour.

On the order of 80,000 out of the 250,000 who lived in the pocket have fled. The press now has to say there are about 170,000 civilians trapped there, since so many appear to have departed for regime-held West Aleppo and for the Kurdish-held region.

President-Elect Donald J. Trump has made it clear that he favors a victory of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, and is willing to let Russia do the heavily lifting to finish off Muslim radicals such as Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) and the Levantine Conquest Front (Jabhat Fateh al-Sham), the al-Qaeda affiliate formerly known as the Support (Nusra) Front.

Al-Assad did not disguise his glee when Trump was elected.

But Russia and al-Assad are not willing to risk Trump changing his mind, what with all the hawks milling around him and on his new cabinet. For many hard line Republicans like Michael Pompeo (CIA) and Michael Flynn (NSA), Iran is the next war over the horizon, and al-Assad is seen as a strategic asset to Iran.

Maxim Yusin and Georgy Stepanov quote Vladimir Sotnikov, director of the Russia-East-West Strategic Research Center in Kommersant.ru, (trans by BBC Monitoring) that Bashar Al-Assad, as well as Russia and Iran who are backing him, aim to take the maximum advantage of the two months of doldrums in the USA after the presidential election was over, but a new administration has not started its work yet. . .

Sotnikov says that taking all of Aleppo before Trumps inauguration makes it less likely that any demand will be made that he step down. Since there at some point will likely be negotiations over Syria, al-Assad will be able to deal from strength.

Another point, which the Russian press doesnt seem to make, is that the Aleppo pocket was the last big concentration of relatively moderate fundamentalist militias. If the rest of it falls, the fighters will have to try to escape to Idlib, a rural northern province still in the hands of the opposition. Unfortunately for them, the leading group in Idlib is the Levantine Conquest Front, which has al-Qaeda links. So reducing the rebellion to Idlib and al-Qaeda will be a huge propaganda coup for al-Assad.

In other news, the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi supports the al-Assad regime because of its enmity with the Muslim Brotherhood (most of the rebels that arent Salafi Jihadis are MB). Former Mubarak-era cabinet member Ahmad Abou l-Gheit, now Secretary-General of the Arab League, launched an attack on the government of Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, saying that it was the one who let all those European and other Western radical youth transit to Syria and Iraq.



Related video:

AFP: At least 1,200 rebels, civilians flee bastion of Aleppo
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TeleSur |  

Trumps picks for important security positions look intent on rolling back civil liberties.

While there are many questions about what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will change once he officially takes office on Jan. 20, one of the biggest questions, and indeed concerns, is what a Trump administration will bring in terms of surveillance, privacy and interrogation.

Trumps appointments for key security positions may very well push for increased government powers that could override citizen privacy and civil liberties.

Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo is set to become the head of the CIA and is known for defending harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding. Pompeo has also been a vocal supporter of keeping the Guantanamo Bay open, arguing the U.S. prison in Cuba is critical to national security.

Pompeo said that inmates in the prison are treated well by staff and said that the prison has been a goldmine of intelligence about radical Islamic terrorism. Trumps national security advisor, Mike Flynn, has said that the fear of Muslims is rational, and is believed to have used so-called enhanced interrogation practices to squeeze information out of prisoners.

Pompeo has continually pushed for more intelligence surveillance under the justification that the U.S. currently is under a high risk of a terrorist attack. We ought not to take that tool away from our intelligence community while the threats are as great as they are today, Pompeo told McClatchy in January. He also told the Washington Post that same month that legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed.

After leaked information by former NSA employee Edward Snowden in 2013, contradicted claims by authorities that the data of U.S. citizens was not being collected by intelligence agencies, Pompeo labeled Snowden a traitor, arguing that he should be extradited from Russia to the U.S. and following due process, I think the proper outcome would be that he would be given a death sentence, he told C-Span.

Trump in 2013 also hinted at execution for Snowden, calling him a terrible guy who has really set our country back.

Ultra-conservative attorney general pick, Jeff Sessions, as well as being criticized for past racist incidents, seems to share Pompeos sentiments and has opposed banning the cruel treatment of prisoners. Both Session and Pompeo want to repeal laws that prevent the FBI and the NSA from collecting metadata of citizens, such as collecting phone numbers and financial information of citizens not under investigation.

Sessions also supported increasing the amount of data the FBI can obtain without the need for a search warrant. Additionally, sessions pushed for laws that require organizations such as Google and Facebook, to give government investigators information such as IP addresses and browsing histories in their investigations.

Even before Trump takes office, Rule 41 has been touted as a major change that will give the FBI increasing powers to carry out surveillance an even hacking across computer networks.

The law allows the FBI to spy on an unlimited amount of computers suspected to be involved in criminal activities, through the use of only one search warrant from a federal. It is set to be enacted on December 1, unless Congress decides to stop it.

Via TeleSur

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JURIST Guest Columnist Dr. Leonard Cutler and Shelby Davis of Siena College discuss the failed attempts by President Obama to close the Guantanamo prison

As Barack Obamas presidency comes to a close, the fate of Guantanamo prison remains unclear. Despite achieving measurable success in reducing the number of detainees held there, he has struggled to achieve his goal to permanently shut down the facility because of missed opportunities, faulty decision making, internal administration opposition and ultimately partisan political division that has resulted in an unnecessary presidential legacy.

Obamas First Term Attempt to Close Guantanamo

After nearly seven years Guantanamo had become a legal black hole of minimal protections, minimal law, questionable legitimacy, and a negative symbol for the United States reflecting the abandonment of the rule of law and what we stand for as a democratic nation. The images of torture and the orange jumpsuits were the basis for propaganda for terrorist jihadists around the globe.

On his second day in office, President Obama issued Executive Order 13492 directing that the Guantanamo Bay military prison shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than 1 year from the date of the order. The new administration had to determine the appropriate disposition of the 240 remaining detainees who were held there. The president stressed that the closure would be consistent with national security and foreign policy interests as well as international concerns.

At a major national security speech given at the National Archives in May 2009, President Obama focused on closing the Guantanamo Bay facility and what to do about the detainees still held there. Relying on his Executive Order, the president stated that some would be tried in federal courts for violations of federal law; a second category would be tried by reconstituted military commissions for violations of the laws of war; a third category had been ordered released by the courts; a fourth category included those who could be safely transferred to other nations; and the fifth category were those who could not be tried in the federal courts or by military commission but were believed too dangerous for release or transfer. This small group would be subject to what the president called prolonged detention accompanied by procedural safeguards and oversight by both the judicial and legislative branches of government.

The Thompson Correctional Center Defeat

About five weeks prior to the originally anticipated closing date, President Obama ordered the federal government to acquire an Illinois prison to house certain detainees held at Guantanamo. The Thomson Correctional Center, a near-vacant, super-maximum-security prison was selected by the president and the Department of Defense to house a limited number of prisoners for prolonged detention. The president worked closely with the Governor and Democratic Senators from Illinois, Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Roland Burris, who strongly supported this proposal.

The administration mistakenly expected Congress to approve the requested funding as part of its military spending bill for the 2010 fiscal year, but Democratic leaders who controlled both houses of Congress refused to do so. There was considerable volatility concerning moving detainees to American soil and marginal Democrats, as well as the Republicans  who were hopeful of picking up congressional seats  resisted the administrations request for funding and the transfer of the remaining detainees.

The administration miscalculated the opposition which coalesced among Democrats and Republicans alike in both houses, and from the presidents strongest allies in the human rights community. It is also important to remember that 2012 would be the next national election cycle for the president, all members of the House and one-third of the Senate.

Trial by Military Commission and NDAA

Since President Obamas second term, and after Republicans seized control of both the Senate and the House, Congress has used its appropriations authority in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which controls all spending and programs for the Department of Defense to: (1) prevent the use of any civil courts to prosecute and try alleged terrorists. The only avenue available to detainees were military commissions; (2) refuse to permit any detainee held at Guantanamo to be transferred to any jurisdiction within the borders of the United States; (3) and to deny President Obama the opportunity to close the Guantanamo Bay prison facility (NDAA, section 1027).

Why didnt President Obama veto the NDAA if he was so adamantly opposed to the restrictive language in this Act? In fact, the president did use his veto authority on one occasion. He miscalculated and it backfired on him. He faced heavy attacks that he was holding brave US troops hostage to his pledge to close Guantanamo.

After the election, there developed internal division between the White House and the new Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, and the Pentagons joint military staff to release and transfer detainees cleared by the military parole board to foreign host nations willing to take them. Hagel jeopardized Obamas goal to shut down Guantanamo, which eventually resulted in Hagels firing in 2014, but valuable time had been lost in reducing Guantanamos population.

Under current Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, the process has been expedited and by the fall of 2016 the administration had 60 detainees left from the original 242 prisoners when Barack Obama took office in January 2009. Secretary Carter, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have insisted that current language in the NDAA does not permit the remaining prisoners to be transferred to the United States, and that its against the law to establish another detention facility on United States soil. The NDAA markup for 2017 retained these restrictions and also prohibited DOD from using any funds to transfer the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba.

President Obama proposed working with Congress to find a secure location in the United States to hold all remaining detainees. Although no specific facility was identified, 13 potential sites on US soil were being considered, including existing facilities in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas.

Vulnerable Republican incumbents in 2016 weighed in on Guantanamo, including Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin who declared that every remaining detainee was the worst of the worst and should be locked up forever, and Pennsylvanias Patrick Toomey and Ohios Rob Portman, the other targeted Senators in purple states who vowed to keep Guantanamo open indefinitely. They were all reelected.

President Obama could have, and should have, worked directly with Senator John McCain, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to develop a workable plan for permanently closing the prison. McCain was on public record advocating for seeing the place closed, provided an acceptable approach was agreed to.

2016 Presidential Candidate Donald Trump on Guantanamo

In the presidential campaign of 2016, Candidate Donald Trump expressed his views on the future of Guantanamo Bay:

This morning I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo, right? Guantanamo Bay which by the way we are keeping open. And were going to load it up with some bad dudes. Believe me; were going to load it up. But heres the thing I didnt understand. I heard this but I didnt understand it. We spend 40 million dollars a month on maintaining this place. Now think of it; 40 million dollars a month. What do we have left in there a hundred people or something? So were spending 40 million dollars. I would guarantee you that I could do it for a tiny fraction, I dont mean like 39 I mean like maybe 5, maybe 3, maybe like peanuts. Maybe in our deal with Cuba well get them to take it over and reimburse us because were probably paying rent.

Trump wished to keep Guantanamo Bay open, and he was explicit regarding resumption of enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. At a presidential rally, he claimed, Would I approve waterboarding? You bet your ass I would in a heartbeat.And I would approve more than that. Dont kid yourself, folks. It works, okay? It works. Only a stupid person would say it doesnt workbelieve me, it works. And you know what? If it doesnt work, they deserve it anyway, for what theyre doing. It works.

A Wasted Opportunity

To further exacerbate matters for President Obama was opposition from his Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, on a White House-sponsored proposal to allow Guantanamo prisoners to plead guilty to terrorism charges in federal court by videoconference. Lynch maintained that criminal procedure laws entitle defendants to plead guilty or face a trial by jury. In the case of the Guantanamo detainees, their only option is to plead guilty or remain in indefinite detention. Even if Congress were to support such a law, the federal courts might rule that such plans were in reality involuntary, and detainees would not have the option of standing trial in a US courtroom.

The Obama proposal would permit the terrorism suspects to serve their sentences in a third country prison, without ever setting foot on US soil, which would circumvent the existing congressional ban on transferring detainees to the United States and would reduce the remaining number to 10 to 20 maximum. There appeared to be broad based backing from the Departments of Defense and State for this approach.

Despite objections from the Attorney General, administration officials spent two months in the spring of 2016 drafting the new law. It was sent to all involved agencies for final review before it was formally submitted to Congress. Lynch intervened directly with the president to oppose the bill and despite his support for the approach, Obama decided not to overrule his Attorney General. The bill was scrapped.

One final option surfaced for President Obama when a supportive member of Congress inserted language in the 2017 NDAA markup that allows detainees to plead guilty to criminal charges in Article III courts via teleconference and authorizes the government to transfer such detainees to third countries to serve out their sentences.

The White House prepared a Statement of Administrative Policy (SAP) supporting the proposal, which is then considered by House/Senate Conference members and the congressional leadership as the administrations public position on the bill. Lynch intervened again and Obama once again capitulated to his Attorney General and declined to approve the issuance of the SAP despite his support for this initiative.

Conclusion

For the past eight years of his presidency, Barack Obama has struggled to come up with a cohesive and acceptable plan that addresses the concerns of Congress, and the American people in permanently shutting down Guantanamo Prison. The politics of Guantanamo are tough because the American public is worried about terrorism and having terrorists held in the United States rather than somewhere outside of our country can be scary. Granted, the presidents options were limited, but the fact remains he failed to act decisively even when they were available to him. Early in his first term, he could have issued a military order as commander-in-chief to close the facility, but it appears that he was more concerned about an inevitable court challenge from his opponents that may have labored on for most of his presidency.

He could have worked more effectively with congressional allies from both parties as well as human rights groups to forge a viable coalition in developing a workable acceptable closure plan. President Obama could have, and should have exercised his executive leadership in overruling dissenting cabinet officials who effectively disrupted his detainee policies, but he failed to do so.

Finally, President Obama mistakenly believed that he had the political capital to shut down Guantanamo in the last year of his presidency because Guantanamo could rise above politics. As he said  I dont want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is. The sad reality is that is exactly what he has accomplished.

It will be up to our next president, Donald Trump, and Congress to repair our reputation as a nation committed to the rule of law, and to reestablish the moral authority necessary to restore the United States as a world leader in upholding human rights. That will require bold action  including finally closing Guantanamo permanently and demonstrating in deed, that we practice what we preach. It is highly improbable that a Trump administration will move in this direction.

Dr. Leonard Cutler is a professor of political science at Siena College. He has provided testimony to House and Senate committees and the Obama Administration on Guantanamo-related issues. Shelby Davis, a political science/honors/pre-law student, assisted in researching this article.

Suggested citation: Leonard Cutler, Guantanamo, Fifteen Years After 9/11: An Unnecessary Presidential Legacy, JURIST  Academic Commentary, Nov. 30, 2016, Leonard_Cutler_guantanamo_legacy
JURIST Guest Columnist Roger Byron, Esq. Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute discusses how Felix v. City of Bloomfield illustrates inherent flaws in the Lemon v. Kurtzman Establishment Clause test 

The late Justice Antonin Scalia once described the infamous Lemon v. Kurtzman test for analyzing Establishment Clause matters as a ghoul from a late-night horror movie that simply will not die. Felix v. City of Bloomfield, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuits most recent application of the Establishment Clause, shows that the monster is alive and well. Felix is, moreover, a study in the arbitrary and subjective analysis mandated by Lemon that has haunted Establishment Clause jurisprudence for decades.

The matter began during an April 2007 Bloomfield, New Mexico, city council meeting. City councilman Kevin Mauzy proposed the City allow him to erect privately funded monuments on the city hall lawn. He described a display comprised of a series of monuments such as the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Magna Carta. It was Mauzys understanding that the nation was founded on the principles outlined in the Ten Commandments, and he sought and was granted approval to erect a monument honoring the Decalogue. He considered it the start of a series.

Shortly thereafter, the City passed a resolution that formalized its policy for permanent monuments on the city hall lawn, requiring that they be granite or marble and relate to the history and heritage of the Citys law and government. The resolution also opened a limited public forum for display of permanent monuments on the city hall lawn but required any monument displayed to include a disclaimer that its message was not that of the City.

The initial fundraising efforts fell short. When Mauzy left office in 2008 he had abandoned the project. Two years later, however, Mauzy revived the effort. This time, his fundraising efforts were successful. Mauzy met with the city manager in June 2011 to decide on a location for the Ten Commandments monument. A front corner of the city hall lawn was chosen, which Mauzy believed would allow room for the construction of additional monuments on the lawn.

The monument was erected that July  along with a free-standing sign that described the public forum and disclaimed city endorsement of the monuments message, in addition to the disclaimer inscribed on the monument itself  and then dedicated in a privately sponsored event on the Fourth of July. The dedication included an invocation, the singing of the national anthem, recital of the pledge of allegiance, and a traditional patriotic flag folding ceremony performed by the local VFW. That ceremony contained some traditional religious references, and Mauzy provided comments on limited government and the role of God and his Ten Commandments in the nations history and heritage. The monument  60 inches tall, 30 inches wide, weighing over 3,400 pounds, and inscribed with Ten Commandments text from the King James Bible  was the second display on the city hall lawn, the first being a tree memorializing a past mayor of the City.

That same year the City approved and Mauzy erected the next in the series of monuments  a three part monument to the Declaration of Independence, which was dedicated on Veterans Day. Shortly afterward plaintiffs-appellees, two Wiccans represented by the ACLU, filed suit against the City, alleging the Ten Commandments monument violated the Establishment Clause. But the erection of monuments continued. In 2012 or 2013, the City approved and Mauzy erected a monument depicting the Gettysburg Address, which was dedicated on the Fourth of July. Similarly, in 2014, the City approved and Mauzy erected a monument to the Bill of Rights, which was also dedicated on the Fourth of July. The Ten Commandments monument was neither the most nor least prominent monument on the lawn.

The district court, with analysis substantially similar to that of the Tenth Circuit, found the Ten Commandments monument unlawfully endorsed religion. The City appealed.

Applying Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, the Tenth Circuit rightly concluded that the monuments on the city hall lawn were government speech, not private speech as the City intended. Thereafter, applying Lemon, as modified by Justice OConnors endorsement test from Lynch v. Donnelly, the Tenth Circuit found the Ten Commandments monument impermissibly gave the impression to reasonable observers that the City was endorsing religion. The primary justifications provided for this conclusion were unconvincing. Those highlighted below illustrate the damage Lemon has inflicted on the Establishment Clause and its unsustainability as a vehicle for the objective rule of law.

With no supporting precedent, the Tenth Circuit first concluded that the religious language of the Ten Commandments inscribed on the monument unquestionably excluded the beliefs of nonadherents and thereby unlawfully endorsed religion. This contradicted US Supreme Court precedent directly on point. In Van Orden v. Perry, the Supreme Court upheld the display of a similar Ten Commandments monument on the Texas state Capitol grounds. Citing decades of Establishment Clause jurisprudence, the court found that [s]imply having religious content or promoting a message consistent with a religious doctrine does not run afoul of the Establishment Clause. The court observed [s]uch acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our Nations heritage are common throughout America and that the historical role of the Decalogue in the nations history has been recognized by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our government. Notwithstanding Van Orden, the Tenth Circuit, applying Lemon, effectively created a per se rule that the very text of the Ten Commandments is an Establishment Clause violation.

With this rule as a springboard, the Tenth Circuit next found the monuments location resulted in unlawful endorsement. Specifically, the monument was not hidden or obscured but clearly visible to any onlooker standing at the right place in front of city hall. According to the Tenth Circuit, this unobscured presence of the monument would cause the endorsement tests objective observer to associate the Monument with the government, which association was, according to the Tenth Circuit, unlawful religious endorsement. Such reasoning is difficult to square with Van Orden and other Supreme Court guidance to the contrary, such as the courts acknowledgment in School Dist. Of Abington Township v. Schempp that religion has been closely identified with our history and government, and its recognition in Lynch of the unbroken history of official acknowledgment by all three branches of government of the role of religion in American life. If opening sessions of governmental bodies with sectarian religious prayer comports with the Establishment Clause, as the Supreme Court recently held in Town of Greece v. Galloway, it is hard to imagine that same Clause excludes the Ten Commandments from a history of law and government display.

The Tenth Circuit also took issue with the monuments Fourth of July dedication ceremony, specifically the invocation, the VFWs flag folding ceremony, and Mauzys comments. By the Tenth Circuits reasoning, the private statements and actions of private actors and donors during a private dedication ceremony for what was intended as a private display, all devoid of City involvement or ratification, helped dispel any remaining doubt of the Citys unlawful religious endorsement. Unsurprisingly, Supreme Court precedent holds otherwise. In Summum, which involved a similar Ten Commandments monument, the Supreme Court unanimously held that by accepting a donated monument a government entity does not necessarily endorse the specific meaning that any particular donor sees in the monument. As the Supreme Court explained, it frequently is not possible to identify a single message that is conveyed by an object or structure, and consequently, the thoughts or sentiments expressed by a government entity that accepts and displays such an object may be quite different from those of either its creator or its donor. Under Lemon, however, the Tenth Circuit reached a contrary conclusion.

Finally, the Tenth Circuit found that the short time-frame between the monuments erection and the lawsuit further demonstrated the monuments religious endorsement. It relied on Green v. Haskell County, in which the Tenth Circuit, applying Lemon, ruled against another Ten Commandments monument in part due to the prompt litigation response to that display. It also relied on Justice Breyers concurrence in Van Orden, specifically Justice Breyers partial reliance on the years of tranquility enjoyed by the Van Orden monument to demonstrate a lack of perceived religious endorsement. Justice Breyer did not, however, establish or even mention the converse, i.e., that a presence of litigation soon after a monuments erection implicates endorsement.

This was nothing more than the Tenth Circuit applying a hecklers veto, another per se rule empowered by Lemon specially designed for Ten Commandments monuments: a new Ten Commandments monument is unlawful, or is at least highly suspect, if it is subject to a lawsuit soon after its erection. Again the Supreme Court has provided guidance to the contrary, explaining in Good News Club v. Milford Central School that a hecklers veto has no place in an Establishment Clause context.

In sum, by applying Lemon, the Tenth Circuit implemented a per se rule against the language of the Ten Commandments and against the clear, unobscured display of the Ten Commandments in front of a government building; attributed to the government the unsponsored, unratified statements and actions of private parties; and applied a hecklers veto against Ten Commandments monuments targeted by litigation soon after erection. By any measure this falls short of the objective rule of law.

Lemon is unsustainable. Each application of Lemons framework is a cry to the Supreme Court to replace it with a bright line rule for Establishment Clause matters. Felix adds another voice to the chorus.

Roger Byron, Esq. is Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute, a national non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Mr. Byron covered a broad range of issues in private practice. Before practicing law, Mr. Bryon served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy. Read more at FirstLiberty.

Suggested citation: Roger Byron, Lemons Latest Victim: Felix Shows Why Lemon Must Go, JURIST  Hotline, Dec. 1, 2016, http://jurist.org/hotline/2016/12/roger-byron-lemonslatestvictim.php.
Council of Europe [website] Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muizniek [official profile], expressed concern [materials] Tuesday over three counter-terrorism measures proposed in the Netherlands, which the Ccommissioner believes have the potential to violate human rights. In a letter by the commissioner to Dutch officials, Muizniek acknowledged [press release] the threat presented by potential terrorism. He went on to communicate his concerns over the three bills and urged officials to alter the legislation to better support human rights while still aiming to prevent violence. The Temporary Administrative Measures, which would curtail a suspected terrorists movement in daily activities, may create restrictions broader than what European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) [text, PDF] allows. The Nationality Act, the Commissioner noted, has the potential to unduly burden minority groups. Muizniek pointed to a third measure, the Intelligence Services Bill, as problematic in terms of limiting surveillance and information gathering in a targeted fashion.

The reconciliation of counter-terrorism measures with human rights concerns has been a rising international issue. In October the UN criticized governments that implement bills which restrict freedom of speech and expression [JURIST report] under the guise of counter-terrorism legislation. In July the Prime Minister of Australia proposed new counter-terrorism legislation that would allow for indefinite detention. In June Russias lower house of Parliament passed a number of counter-terrorism amendments which ban proselytizing, preaching and praying [JURIST report] outside officially recognized religious institutions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Anakhanum Hidayativa  Trend:

Baku hosted an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of cooperation between the United Kingdom (UK) and Azerbaijan on Nov. 30

The UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan Carole Crofts welcomed the guests of the event.

The diplomat spoke about the visit of the British Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy for Azerbaijan Baroness Emma Nicholson to Azerbaijan.

Crofts said that the bilateral relations between the two countries cover all areas of cooperation.

She also noted that the relations between Azerbaijan and the UK have solid basis.

She further noted that the two countries share experience and carry on mutual dialogue.

She said that the people of Great Britain appreciate the decision of British government to recognize Azerbaijan's independence twenty five years ago. According to her, this created the basis for development of mutual cooperation.

Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev also delivered speech during the event.

He said that the Azerbaijani government and people praise the decision adopted by the British government 25 years ago to recognize Azerbaijans independence.

It created a basis for the development and expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, noted the deputy foreign minister.

Mammad-Guliyev also noted that over the past years, Azerbaijan has been developing its oil sector and hundreds of companies entered the Azerbaijani market.

The situation is changing, he said, adding that Azerbaijan plans to hold economic reforms in order to diversify its economy.

He expressed hope that the UK will support Azerbaijan in this issue.

The two sides need to meet regularly and discuss the expansion of relations, added the deputy foreign minister.

Baroness Nicholson, for her part, recalled that the UK is the fifth country, which recognized Azerbaijans independence.

Emma Nicholson added that she is happy of being the UKs trade envoy for Azerbaijan.

There are many spheres, in which Azerbaijan and the UK cooperates, she noted.

Baroness Nicholson went on to say that it is great honor for her to take part in building more stable relations between the UK and Azerbaijan.

The trade envoy added that she has spent three very positive and fruitful days in Baku and had many meetings.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum
The Hong Kong Court of Appeal [website] ruled [text] against two elected, pro-independence politicians from taking local office Wednesday. Yau Wai-ching [TIME profile] and Sixtus Leung [NYT profile] were barred as a result of a political protest launched during their inaugural oaths. The oaths were deemed unfulfilled when the pair pledged their allegiance to the Hong Kong Nation as opposed to the Peoples Republic of China. The politicians were found to have willfully omitted their duty to take the oath when requested to do so and has their positions automatically invalidated as a result. The decision affirmed [NYT report] the earlier order [JURIST report] of a Hong Kong court.

Chinas human rights record has garnered international attention for the governments treatment of the growing civil rights movement [JURIST op-ed] in the country, led by a number of prominent rights activists and lawyers. Last week more than 1,000 Hong Kong lawyers dressed in black marched [JURIST report] through the city in silence in opposition of the National Peoples Congresss decision to bar Yau and Leung from office. A Hong Kong court in August sentenced three leaders of the 2014 pro-democracy protests [JURIST report] who were convicted on charges related to their occupation of a government building. In January Chinese authorities brought charges [JURIST report] against seven lawyers from the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm related to events that have allegedly disrupted the public order, including a police shooting.
[JURIST] The Indonesian Central Jakarta District Court rejected a lawsuit brought by Acehnese community leaders to protect the valuable Leuser tropical forest from exploitation by mining companies. The court rejected the case because it found that the Aceh provinces bylaw permitting this type of land use caused no material losses [WP report] to the plaintiffs, even though the bylaw does conflict with the forests protection under national law. Conservation groups such as Haka [advocacy website] say the forest is home two four endangered species of orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers.

Environmental issues have been controversial for many years. In November a judge for the US District Court for the District of Oregon [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that a lawsuit against the US federal government over failure to limit the emission of greenhouse gasses can proceed. Also this month the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [official website] affirmed [JURIST report] a lower court ruling that a class action lawsuit regarding the Flint, Michigan, water crisis should be decided in state court. In August the Navajo Nation filed suit [JURIST report] against the EPA alleging that water flowing from the punctured Gold King Mine in Colorado was toxic and damaged the Nations environment, people, and economy.
The Dutch House of Representatives [official website, in Dutch] voted [voting results, in Dutch] in favor of a proposed partial ban on facial covers [text, PDF, in Dutch] on Tuesday, including niqabs and burkas worn by many Muslim women. Of the 12 political parties represented in the Netherlands, nine have endorsed [Tagesschau report, in German] the ban, which could be signed into law as early as this week. The ban would apply in public places such as buses, hospitals and schools, and would also include items such as ski masks and motorcycle helmets. Violations would result in a fine up to 400 euros. Opponents of the bill say it targets Muslim women and religious freedom [Independent report]. It is estimated that between 100 and 400 Muslim women wear niqabs and burkas in the Netherlands.

Face veils and other symbols of religion have been a controversial subject around the world. In July, the European Unions [official website] highest court ruled in favor [JURIST report] of a French woman who was fired for wearing a head scarf. Last year the US Supreme Court [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] in favor of a Muslim woman who was denied a job [JURIST report] at Abercrombie & Fitch [corporate website] because of her headscarf. In September 2015 a Canadian court ruled that women may be allowed to wear [JURIST report] face-covering veils while swearing the oath of citizenship after an individual sued the country because she was not allowed to take part in the ceremony. Also in 2015, after suicide bombings in Fotokol by two women wearing burkas, Northern Cameroon banned [JURIST report] women from wearing burkas and face-covering veils as the bombs had been smuggled into public under veils.
[JURIST] The Ontario legislature [official website] on Tuesday passed the All Families are Equal Act [text], recognizing same-sex couples as parents when they utilize assisted reproduction. The prior parentage laws, untouched since 1978, only recognized the birth parent when assisted reproduction is utilized. The new act recognizes both members of a couple, including same-sex couples, as parents when a child is born.

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons remains a controversial topic throughout the world. Earlier this month a UN human rights expert stated [JURIST report] that members of the LGBTI community are experiencing a vortex of violence and discrimination on a global level, including hate speech and rampant social media attacks. A group of UN human rights experts expressed concern [JURIST report] earlier last week over countries attempting to retroactively block a mandate of an independent expert to investigate sexual orientation and gender identity-based rights abuses. The Human Rights Council voted in July in favor of appointing [JURIST report] an independent expert to report on and investigate worldwide violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community. The resolution was approved by the member states of the Human Rights Council in June. Last Month France removed a sterilization requirement [JURIST report] for transgender individuals.
[JURIST] The Rwandan government [official website] on Wednesday announced that it has launched an investigation into the possible involvement of 20 French military officials in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Richard Muhumuza, Rwandas Prosecutor General, said [Africa News report] that the inquiry is focused on 20 individuals and that more information is required from them. There have long existed tensions between Rwanda and France concerning the genocide and many believe this move will simply deepen the divide.

Earlier this year two former Rwandan mayors went on trial in the Assize Court of Paris [JURIST report] on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The two men, Tito Barahira and Octavien Ngenzi, are accused of supervis[ing] and participat[ing] in the attack on [Tutsis], even going as far as killing wounded survivors in a clinic. In January the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda formally closed [JURIST report] after issuing 45 judgments. In September 2015 a court in Toulouse, France, refused extradition requests [JURIST report] for Joseph Habyarimana, a Rwandan man, facing charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] heard arguments [transcript, PDF] Tuesday in Moore v. Texas [SCOTUSblog backgrounder], a case challenging Texas standard for determining whether a person is intellectually disabled and therefore cannot be subject to capital punishment. In 2002 the Supreme Court held in Atkins v. Virginia that the Eighth Amendments proscription on cruel and unusual punishment makes the execution of individuals with intellectual disability unconstitutional. Then, in 2014, the court ruled in Hall v. Florida [Oyez backgrounders] that intellectual disability should be informed by the medical communitys diagnostic framework. At heart in the Moore case is whether, in light of the Supreme Courts prior decisions, Texas is in violation of the Eighth Amendment [text] by relying upon a definition of intellectual disability from 1992. A decision on this case is expected this summer.

Capital punishment [JURIST op-ed] remains a controversial issue in the US and worldwide. Earlier this month the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a case involving the 2014 botched execution [JURIST reports] of Clayton Lockett, a death row inmate in Oklahoma. Earlier in November the legal status of the death penalty was upheld [JURIST report] by state referendum in Oklahoma, Nebraska and California. In May the Supreme Court upheld a stay [JURIST report] of execution for Alabama inmate Vernon Madison. A few days before that a Miami judge ruled [JURIST report] that Floridas revamped death penalty law is unconstitutional because it does not require a unanimous agreement among jurors to approve executions. In April Virginias General Assembly voted [JURIST report] to keep secret the identities of suppliers of lethal injection drugs.
[JURIST] Three justices on the Israeli Supreme Court [official website] have been sued for voting in favor of authorizing the construction of Israels wall around the West Bank, which the International Court of Justice [official website] found illegal [advisory opinion, PDF] in 2004. The lawsuit [Jewish Business News report] alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity based on the Nuremberg trials precedent that allows judges to be convicted for their role in cooperating with such crimes. Six Palestinian landowners from Beit Jala, a town near Bethlehem, filed the suit in Santiago, Chile, because Chile ascribes to the concept of universal jurisdiction. Five of the plaintiffs live in Chile, and the sixth lives in Beit Jala.

Recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine [HRW backgrounder] over settlements in the occupied West Bank have raised concerns over possible human rights violations. In March the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said [JURIST report] that the office is concerned about the apparent extra-judicial execution of a Palestinian man in the West Bank. In January Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] urged [JURIST report] businesses to cease operations in Israel settlements. In August 2015 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged both sides of the conflict [JURIST report] to reconcile and move towards peace after an attack occurred in the West Bank village of Duma, where Jewish extremists allegedly set fire to a Palestinian home while the family slept. Last year HRW alleged [HRW report] that Israeli settlement farmers in the occupied West Bank are using Palestinian child laborers in dangerous conditions in violation of international laws.
[JURIST] A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] expressed concern [press release] Tuesday about possible crimes against humanity committed against Myanmars Rohingya Muslim minority. The UN has found, a wide range of human rights violations and abuses against the Rohingya, including arbitrary deprivation of nationality, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, threats to life and security, denial of rights to health and education, forced labour, sexual violence, and limitations to their political rights, among others. According to the UN, the pattern of violations may amount to crimes against humanity. The spokesperson stated that the Myanmar government had done very little to adhere to the recommendations the UN made last June. Last week it was reported that hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fled [Reuters report] to Bangladesh. The Myanmar government has denied [Al Jazeera report] any human rights abuses, but the government has also prohibited journalists and investigators from entering the areas where the crimes have allegedly taken place. Former UN Chief Kofi Annan [profile] arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday to visit the conflict areas, among other areas of the country.

Human rights violations have been on the forefront of Myanmars new democratic government since ending a decades-old military rule. Last week a member of the UN High Commission for Refugees said [JURIST report] that the violence is an attempt at ethnic cleansing from the government. In May Human Rights Watch urged [JURIST report] the Myanmar Parliament to reconsider a proposed law that the advocacy organization says has the potential to limit free expression and peaceful assembly. Also in May US Secretary of State John Kerry offered support to Myanmars newly democratic government and urged [JURIST report] the country to push more democratic reform and address human rights issues.
A UN human rights expert provided a report [official report] to an international conference in Thailand on Wednesday regarding discrimination of the lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community. In that report, the expert from the UN Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) [official website] provided five key steps to end discrimination and violence against the global LGBTI community during the world conference of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. The expert, Vitit Muntarbhorn, declared five linchpins: decriminalization, depathologization, status recognition, gender-diverse cultural inclusion and empathization. The expert said [UN press release] it was necessary to lift any criminal laws which could affect the LGBTI community and to ensure that such individuals are no longer seen as suffering from a disorder. He also stated the importance of recognizing each individuals gender identity, ensuring various cultures and religions include the community, and empathizing with those of a different sexual or gender association. Muntarbhorn stated the necessity of taking these steps at a global level if violence and discrimination can be ended by the UNs 2030 Sustainable Development Goal.

The rights of LGBTI persons remains a controversial topic throughout the world. A group of UN human rights experts expressed concern [JURIST report] last week over countries attempting to retroactively block a mandate of an independent expert to investigate sexual orientation and gender identity-based rights abuses. The Human Rights Council voted in July in favor of appointing [JURIST report] an independent expert to report on and investigate worldwide violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community. The resolution [text] was approved by the member states of the Human Rights Council in June. Last Month France removed a sterilization requirement [JURIST report] for transgender individuals. Not all movements towards LGBTI rights are being met happily, as shown in September when thousands marched [JURIST report] in Mexico against same-sex marriage. In August the Belize Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] an anti-gay law.
[JURIST] US Central Command [official website] concluded [press release] on Wednesday that airstrikes carried out by the US-led coalition near Dayr az Zawr, Syria, in September did not violate international law. According to Russian sources [JURIST report], the strike killed 60 soldiers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [CNN profile]. The soldiers were misidentified as Islamic State (IS) fighters by the Combined Air Operations Center . The investigation concluded that the targets of the attack underwent the proper assessment, review and validation process. However, several factors impeded proper identification. According to the investigation, at the time of the strike the Syrian troops were not wearing recognizable military uniforms, identifying flags or unit markers. The investigation also identified several human errors such as confirmation bias, improper labeling and invalid assumptions arising from an initial inaccurate identification of the troops as IS fighters. Coalition forces ceased their attacks on the Syrian troops immediately following reports through a US-Russia safety de-confliction hotline that the soldiers had been misidentified.

The conflict in Syria [JURIST backgrounder] has continued for five years in a civil war surrounding the legitimacy of Assad. On Monday a group of German lawyers announced [JURIST report] the filing of charges against Assad that allege he committed war crimes in the city of Aleppo. In October the UN called [JURSIT report] the bombing of Aleppo a crime of historic proportions. In September a UN commission on Syria urged [JURIST report] parties in the Syrian conflict to return to the negotiation table after a new report highlighted an increase of violence suffered by civilians. In August a top UN official submitted a report detailing an in-depth investigation into chemical warfare [JURIST report] used by the Islamic State and Assad in Syria. That same month Amnesty International said that a suspected chlorine gas attack in Aleppo could amount to a war crime [JURIST report]. In July Human Rights Watch reported [JURIST report] cluster bombs have been targeted at civilians and rebels in Northern Syria. In June UN human rights experts called for the immediate protection [JURIST report] of thousands of Syrian civilians.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijan's GDP amounted to 49.2 billion manats in January-October 2016, which is 3.7 percent less than in the same period last year, the countrys finance minister, Samir Sharifov said.

He made the remarks Nov. 30 during a discussion on the draft state budget and the concept of social and economic development for 2017 and the next three years.

The discussions on the draft state budget began Nov. 30 at a joint session of Azerbaijans parliamentary committees on defense, security and fight against corruption, economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship, agricultural policy, public unions and religious structures, as well as natural resources, energy and ecology.

Azerbaijans non-oil GDP in the reporting period decreased by 6.1 percent, Sharifov said. A 27.4-percent decrease in the construction sector, a high level dollarization in the country, decrease in the trade turnover, as well as the difficulties faced by Azerbaijans banking sector and deterioration of the quality of loan portfolio are the main reasons of the reduction of Azerbaijans GDP.
Oil slumped by roughly 4 percent on Tuesday as OPEC's leading oil exporters struggled to agree on a deal to cut production to reduce global oversupply and boost prices, with Iran and Iraq at loggerheads with Saudi Arabia a day ahead of meeting, Reuters reported.

Brent futures LCOc1 fell $1.86, or 3.9 percent, to settle at $46.38 a barrel, while U.S. crude CLc1 lost $1.85, or 3.9 percent, to $45.23. That was the biggest daily percentage decline for Brent since September.

Those declines put both global benchmarks on track to fall for a second month in a row, with U.S. crude down around 3 percent and Brent down almost 4 percent.

Most analysts believe the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will cobble together a deal to cut some production at its meeting on Wednesday in Vienna, which starts at 1000 GMT (5 a.m. ET).

But Iran and Iraq, OPEC's second- and third-largest producers, have resisted pressure from the group's de facto leader Saudi Arabia to curtail their oil output, making an agreement difficult.

"Iran and Iraq are refusing to cut...simply reaching the high end of the Algiers range will require greater cuts from other members, namely Saudi Arabia, which may be difficult politically," Morgan Stanley analysts said in a report, noting the bank was still biased towards OPEC reaching a deal.

Documents prepared for the meeting propose OPEC cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day from October levels, a source familiar with the talks said, slightly more than the 1 million bpd the group discussed at a meeting in September. OPEC produced around 33.82 million bpd in October. [OPEC/O]

Macquarie Capital analysts said that they believe OPEC will come to a "last minute" deal, adding that failure to come to an agreement could push prices below $40 a barrel, while a successful deal would cause oil to rally into the low $50s.

In Asia, OPEC's biggest customer region, oil importers made clear they would not be happy with an artificial supply cut that hikes prices, and that in case of a cut they would seek more supplies from outside OPEC.

In the United States, crude inventories fell by 717,000 barrels last week, data from the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday, compared with expectations for a 636,000 barrel increase. Cushing, Oklahoma, stocks rose by 2.4 million barrels. [API/S]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is set to release inventory data on Wednesday.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

The International Rating Agency S&P Global Ratings affirmed its 'BB' long-term corporate credit ratings on Kazakhstan-government-controlled vertically integrated oil company KazMunaiGas (KMG) and its core subsidiary KazMunaiGas Exploration Production (KMG EP). The outlook is negative. The agency also affirmed 'kzA' Kazakhstan national scale rating on KMG.

The affirmation primarily reflects our view that KMG will maintain funds from operations (FFO) to debt of about 20 percent on average and solid liquidity over 2017-2018, despite its weak operating performance, S&P said.

The agency note that the company sold its 50 percent stake in Kashagan, Kazakhstan's largest offshore oilfield, to its shareholder, and paid down bonds with a nominal value of $3.7 billion. Together with other measures, this transaction helped KMG materially reduce debt and improve its liquidity. However, the rating incorporates the high likelihood that KMG buys back the stake in Kashagan.

Also, S&P expects that KMG will continue to receive ongoing and extraordinary support from the government, if needed, as the company is undergoing a transformation and strategic review.

S&P believes that KMG's operating performance will remain weak given the low oil price environment. Notably, the agency forecasts that its largest majority-owned exploration and production company, KMG EP, will generate EBITDA of about $200 million in 2017-2018 versus more than $1 billion in 2014, given its assets are mature and have high break-evens. Furthermore, given the low oil prices, the rating agency thinks that KMG's largest associate Tengizchevroil (where it holds 20 percent stake) will not distribute any dividends in 2017-2018, which further limits KMG's cash flow generation. That said, S&P believes that KMG's subsidiaries KazTransOil and KazTransGas will post robust results, with expected combined EBITDA of about $600 million in 2017-2018. In S&Ps view, these utilities have limited exposure to oil prices.

The negative outlook mirrors that on the sovereign, indicating that a downgrade of Kazakhstan would translate into a similar rating action on KMG, all other factors remaining unchanged. S&P could also lower the rating on KMG if it reassesses the likelihood of government support KMG could receive. This currently appears unlikely.

Downside scenarios beyond factors related to the sovereign appear unlikely. S&P could lower the rating on KMG if its FFO to debt falls below 12 percent due to lower oil prices or if the company takes a more aggressive stance on capital expenditures than the agency currently assumes. S&P expects that KMG will not buy back the 50 percent stake in Kashagan, which it sold to its shareholder Samruk-Kazyna in 2015, earlier than in 2018. The rating on KMG already factors in the impact this buyback might have on the company's leverage. However, if the company were to do so without securing long-term financing, such a transaction could result in a downgrade. Deterioration in the company's liquidity could generally be a risk to its credit quality, although absent this acquisition, the rating agency does not anticipate any liquidity pressure in its base-case scenario.

S&P could revise the outlook on KMG to stable in the event of a similar action on the sovereign.

In the long term, ratings upside will likely hinge on materially higher oil prices than the rating agency currently assumes in its base case. Notably, a positive rating action could materialize if KMG EP starts generating substantial positive cash flows and Tengizchevroil resumes its dividend distributions, which have historically been an important source of KMG's operating cash flow. S&P sees this scenario as unlikely in the next 12-18 months.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

An energy security expert believes that it will be tricky for OPEC to reach a deal in Vienna today.

It will be tricky. But given the amount of political capital invested, if they do not have a deal, oil prices will almost certainly plummet. That will be a disaster for OPEC, Sijbren de Jong, an analyst at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies and an expert in energy security, told Trend Nov. 30.

He pointed out that basically, OPEC members have to get some kind of deal but Saudi Arabia has been playing hardball, and Iran and Iraq are not giving way.

If they cut, it will have to be Saudi Arabia that does the cut, said Sijbren de Jong, adding, Other countries either cannot afford (think Venezuela, Algeria) or do not really want to (Iran, Iraq).

As for Russia's position regarding the deal, the expert noted that Moscows cooperation history with OPEC has been abysmal.

Russia always says it supports an OPEC decision, but at the end of the day they rarely do anything, he said, adding that the country wants to do a freeze and sell this as a cut.

In September, OPEC producers agreed during an informal meeting in Algiers to cut down the oil output to 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd) from current production of 33.24 million bpd.

How much each country will produce is to be decided at the next formal meeting of OPEC on Nov. 30 in Vienna.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

SOCAR Trading SA, the marketing arm of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR, has hired three new crude traders who will be based in London with a view to targeting the Chinese market, SOCAR Trading Chief Executive Arzu Azimov said in an interview with Reuters Nov. 30.

Wang Zheng, the former head of crude at UNIPEC [China's largest international trade company], in London, and Xun Dong, a former crude trader at Shell [an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company] joined SOCAR this month and a third trader is due to join in the new year, he said.

Of course we will exercise their (traders') network in China and access to refineries in China, Azimov said.

Our strategy is global crude trading and the missing point so far was coverage of Asia because Asia was mostly concentrated around marketing/supply with national oil companies and government-to-government deals, he added.

SOCAR Trading plans to sell directly to Chinese refiners, the so-called "teapots", which were given import licenses in 2015, he noted. Asian refiners prefer heavier crude.

Headquartered in Geneva, SOCAR Trading was incorporated in December 2007 as the marketing arm of SOCAR with a mandate to market Azerbaijani barrels produced from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field and other surrounding fields in Azerbaijan.

While the company continues to market the bulk of SOCAR crude oil export volumes from Ceyhan port in Turkey, it has also been able to develop significant third party volumes through both leveraging its system barrels, as well as its experienced traders developing new business.

SOCAR Tradings activities cover the US, and countries in Europe and Asia.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The prices for Brent crude oil rose by 8.26 percent Nov.30 after the positive remarks made by OPEC members regarding the possible results of Vienna meeting.

This is while the prices for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil increased by 7.85 percent.

Iran's oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said that OPEC output is expected to decrease by 1-1.2 million barrels per day.

Zanganeh also said that Russias position has changed after the recent phone talk between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Russia is ready to decrease its output and cooperate with OPEC, he added.

Moreover, Iraqs Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi noted that his country is ready to cut the oil output in accordance with its interests.

The meeting of OPEC to reach a deal on oil production kicked off in Vienna Nov.30.

The 14-country group, which accounts for a third of global oil production, made a preliminary agreement in Algiers in September to cap output at around 32.5-33 million bpd versus the current 33.64 million bpd to prop up oil prices, which have halved since mid-2014.

How much each country will produce is to be decided at the ongoing OPEC meeting in Vienna.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

During the Vienna meeting held Nov.30, OPEC members decided to implement a new OPEC-14 production target of 32.5mb/d, said the cartels website.

The decision was made in order to accelerate the ongoing drawdown of the stock overhang and bring the oil market rebalancing forward.

The agreement will be effective from January 1, 2017.

It was also decided to establish a High-level Monitoring Committee, consisting of oil ministers, and assisted by the OPEC Secretariat, to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

Member countries, in agreeing to this decision, confirmed their commitment to a stable and balanced oil market, with prices at levels that are suitable for both producers and consumers.

In line with recommendations from the High-level Committee of the Algiers Accord, the meeting participants also agreed to institutionalize a framework for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries on a regular and sustainable basis.

The importance of other producing countries joining the agreement was underscored during the meeting.

The duration of this agreement is six months, extendable for another six months to take into account prevailing market conditions and prospects.

Meanwhile, Indonesia decided to suspend its OPEC membership. OPEC spokesmen said Indonesia could return to the cartel in the future.

It was decided to hold the next Ordinary Meeting in Vienna, Austria, May 25, 2017.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistan has appointed Ata Serdarov as its ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Luxembourg, according to the Turkmen presidents decree published Nov. 30.

At the same time, the diplomat will continue to lead the Turkmen diplomatic mission in Belgium.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Luxembourgs Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn in Ashgabat in early September.

The parties exchanged views on cooperation in such areas as transport, industry, agriculture, as well as in the banking and financial sector.
KEARNEY  For the second time in three weeks firefighters responded to a structure fire at the Shofstall Alfalfa Mill in Odessa.

At 7:30 a.m. today, firefighters were called to the hay mill in Odessa because of a structure fire in a pellet-making machine. Fire Chief Terry Eirich said there was a small fire in the machine, which isnt uncommon.

A small amount of fire is needed to make the pellets, he said.

Its pretty common for them to have fires because of the dust and the fine materials, he said. Weve been out there several times for calls because of fire.

No injuries were reported

Three weeks ago, firefighters responded to a fire in a hay grinder at the mill. The fire was in a separate area of the hay mill from todays fire.

The cause of the Sept. 17 fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshals Office.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald Trumps call for serious penalties against those burning an American flag drew varied reactions Tuesday from the U.S. senators who represent Nebraska and Iowa.

Trump said flag burning must come with consequences  he suggested loss of citizenship or jail time  despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that flag burning represents protected free speech.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, said she would not go as far as Trump.

As a soldier, Im sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, and right now that is protected under the First Amendment, Ernst said.

Asked about Trumps comments, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., noted that she supports a constitutional amendment to make flag desecration a crime.

Its free speech right now  theres no argument on how the Supreme Court ruled on that, Fischer said. But I think most Nebraskans find it offensive.

In a statement, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., denounced the act of flag burning, but seemed to reject Trumps suggestion that those holding the matches should be locked up.

Burning our flag is a shameful act and a despicable insult to everyone who has sacrificed for our country, Sasse said in the statement. And heres the beauty of the First Amendment: America is stronger when we condemn flag burning through debate, persuasion and shunning, instead of the physical powers of the state.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he disagrees with the courts ruling that flag burning is protected speech. But he said its the law of the land and has to be accepted. He noted that the issue has not come up in many years.

When the Senate voted in 2006 on a constitutional amendment to allow a flag burning ban, that proposal fell just one vote short of the two-thirds required to advance. Grassley supported it, as did both of Nebraskas senators: Democrat Ben Nelson and Republican Chuck Hagel.

Reporters peppered Grassley and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., with questions about flag burning as they held a courtesy call meeting Tuesday to discuss Sessions nomination as attorney general.

As chairman, Grassley will oversee Sessions confirmation hearing. He hopes to hold that hearing after the new Congress meets in early January but before Trump is sworn into office. That way, the Senate can move on the nomination quickly following Trumps inauguration.

Sessions is hoping for a better outcome than his ill-fated 1986 nomination to the federal bench, which was derailed by allegations of past racially insensitive remarks.

As a member of the committee at that time, Grassley supported Sessions nomination to be a judge.

In an interview Tuesday with The World-Herald, Grassley said he wasnt going to claim to remember all the details of a 30-year-old nomination fight, but that he believes this time will be different because senators know that Sessions is an honorable person.

They know that from actually working with him, Grassley said. They didnt know him in 1986.

Democrats have raised concerns about Sessions past comments, his hardline approach to immigration and other areas.

The Iowa Democratic Party issued a statement casting Sessions as too radical to lead and urged Grassley and Ernst to carefully review his record.

It is Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ernsts responsibility as Iowas senators to be prudent in their decisions to confirm Cabinet nominees and keep radical extremism out of our governments highest-ranking offices, according to the statement.

Grassley acknowledged doubts voiced by those on the left and particularly by civil rights groups, but he stood by his support of Sessions and said the nominee is clearly committed to the law.

Fischer praised Sessions nomination and Ernst said all of Trumps appointments are going to be good ones.

Sasse spokesman James Wegmann said the senator is looking forward to reviewing each nominees written testimony and committee hearings.

Grassley praised Sessions on Tuesday as an honorable man and person of integrity. In their meeting, Grassley said they discussed his own longstanding emphasis on congressional oversight.

I would think that I would have an attorney general thats sympathetic to how aggressively I pursue oversight, and get full cooperation, Grassley said.

Grassley has been part of a bipartisan effort to ease sentencing guidelines for nonviolent offenders  an initiative Sessions has opposed as a senator. But Grassley rejected the suggestion that having Sessions as attorney general would make that effort more difficult. He said hes sure Sessions will have respect for the legislative process.

It might make it easier, Grassley said. He wont be in the Senate.
ELWOOD  Merle M. Pfeiffer, 83, of Arapahoe died Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016, at Elwood Care Center.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Arapahoe with the Rev. James Moshier officiating. Burial will be at Arapahoe Cemetery with military honors by American Legion Post 96 of Arapahoe and the U.S. Army Funeral Honor Guard.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Wenburg Funeral Chapel in Arapahoe and before services Saturday at the church. The family will be present from 4-6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.



He was born on Sept. 10, 1933, on the family farm in Frontier County to Oswald and Dorothy (Niedeberger) Pfeiffer.

Merle was baptized and later confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church in Frontier County. He attended Grammar School in first through fifth grades at District 16 School and sixth through eighth grades at Salem Parochial School, both in Gosper County. He attended Arapahoe High School and graduated from there in 1951.

After graduation, Merle farmed with his father on the family farm until November 1954 when he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army. While in the service, Merle attended Guided Missile School in El Paso, Texas, and was later deployed to Chicago to be with the AAA Missile Battalion. In November 1956, he was honorably discharged.

During his years in the service, Merle met his wife, Barbara Binder, and they were married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Chicago in April 1957. Following their marriage, they returned to Nebraska, where Merle started his own farming career. For the first five years, they rented a farm northeast of Arapahoe until Merle purchased his parents farm and later other land in the area. Through the years, Merle developed their dryland farm into what he called my irrigated paradise.

Merle and Barbara were blessed with two children: son Jon and daughter Leesa; and three grandsons, Michael Pfeiffer, Jackson Pfeiffer and Maxwell Anderson, who were his love and delight.

In later years when Merle and Barbara retired, they leased their land and pasture to neighboring farmers. After a few years, they purchased a home and moved into Arapahoe.

For 30 years, Merle served as a director on the board of Twin Valleys Public Power District. In spring 1966, Merle was named Outstanding Young Farmer in recognition of exceptional progress in agriculture and contributions to the community. He was president of the Gosper County 4-H Council, served on church boards at Immanuel Lutheran Church and later on the Finance Board of Trinity Lutheran Church. He also was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and American Legion Post 96 of Arapahoe.

In 1984, Merle received two National Corn Growers Association Awards in recognition of outstanding yield per acre, and in 1988 he received another award from the National Corn Growers Association in a corn yield contest.

Merle was an exceptionally loving husband, father and grandfather. He leaves behind his wife, Barbara of Arapahoe; son, Jon and wife Julie Clark Pfeiffer and their two sons, Michael and Jackson, of Malibu, Calif.; daughter, Leesa and husband Michael Marion and their son, Maxwell Anderson, of Omaha; two sisters, Mildred Post of Kearney and Gladys Shaffer of Lincoln; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Joan and Luther Bergstrom of Unionville, Va.; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Oswald Pfeiffer; and a sister, Ilene Koch.

Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church for a scholarship in his name and to the St. Germanus Our Lady of Fatima Shrine.

Visit wenburgfuneralhome.com to leave condolences and personal reflections.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 30

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

A ceremony was held Nov. 30 in the International Hotel Tashkent in Uzbekistans capital to open Press Club: Elections.Uz 2016.

This multimedia platform was created by the National Association of Electronic Mass Media (NAEMM) of Uzbekistan with technical assistance of the Ministry of Development of Information Technologies and Communications.

The multimedia platform brings together advanced technologies and solutions: more than 80 PCs with high-speed internet connection, Wi-Fi access, and an online connection with the press center of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Uzbekistan, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, head of the Press Club, chairman of the Board of the NAEMM, said.

Over 1,300 journalists, including more than 300 foreign journalists, have been accredited to cover the presidential election in Uzbekistan, according to the CEC.

Uzbekistan will hold an early presidential election December 4 due to the death of President Islam Karimov, who passed away after suffering a stroke at the age of 79 on Sept. 2.

Candidates from four political parties of Uzbekistan participate in the presidential election - Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party (UzLiDeP), People's Democratic Party (PDPU), Milly Tiklanish (National Revival) Party, and Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party.

Among the presidential candidates are the countrys Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev from UzLiDeP, Sarvar Otamuratov from Milly Tiklanish Party, Nariman Umarov from Adolat Party, and Hotamzhon Ketmonov from PDPU.
A passenger standing in front of the display board for departures at the airport in Munich, Germany, Tuesday Nov. 29, 2016. Pilots at German airline Lufthansa are on strike again after a two-day break in their campaign of walkouts. The company has canceled more than 800 short-haul flights scheduled for Tuesday. The walkout by the Cockpit union is to be followed Wednesday by a strike hitting both short-haul and long-haul services. ( Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iran's oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said Nov. 30 that OPEC output is expected to decrease by 1-1.2 million barrels per day (mbpd), SHANA news agency reported.



Zanganeh made the remarks on Nov. 30, just hours before OPEC ministers meet to discuss production cuts.

Zanganeh also said that Russias position has changed after the recent phone talk between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Russia is ready to decrease its output and cooperate with OPEC, he added.

He further said that Irans crude oil and condensate export currently stands at 2.8 mbpd.

Zanganeh said after a breakfast with OPEC ministers ahead of the producer group's formal meeting, that there are very few differences and the parties are close to a deal.



Earlier the Iranian minister told reporters that he had received "acceptable proposals," but dismissed the idea of cutting Iranian output under any deal.



OPEC is in its extraordinary session in Algerian on September 28, decided to fix its production at the level of 32.5 million barrels per day (mbpd).



The Cartel's current output stands at 33.6 million barrels per day.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



A senior Iranian financial official has rejected rumors, accusing the government of intentionally pushing up the prices of US dollar against Iranian national currency, rial.



The governor of the central bank of Iran, Valiollah Seif, has said that there are a group of individuals who accuse the government of devaluating the national currency against the US dollar in order to cover the budget deficit, ISNA news agency reported.



The remarks came following a sharp surge in the value of US dollar against Irans rial as the value of the dollar in the Iranian free market has surpassed 38,000 rials which used to float near 35,000 rials just about one month ago.



The Iranian official further forecasted that the increasing trend of the US dollar in Iranian market would not last for a long period.



He also pledged that the countrys central bank will take the required measures in order to control the currency fluctuations in Iran.


Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



Iranian and Russian deputy foreign ministers have urged for implementing earlier agreed projects between the two countries including a deal for launching new units at Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.



Visiting Iranian deputy foreign minister, Ebrahim Rahimpour, has met his Russian counterpart Igor Margulov to discuss the expansion of bilateral ties, Mehr news agency reported.



According to the report, Ebrahim Rahimpour has said that bilateral ties between the two countries has improved over the last several years adding that Tehran and Moscow need to take new measures aimed at strengthening the ties in future.



Igor Margulov said that the volume of trade turnover between the two countries has increased by 80 percent over the first nine months of the current year.



The Russian official described the prospect of cooperation between the two countries as positive expressing Russias strong will in implementing joint projects with Iran including the second and third phases of Bushehr nuclear power plant.



In the meantime, the sides discussed the issue of easing visa requirements between the two countries as well as regional issues including the ways for dealing with terrorism.


Tehran, Iran, Nov. 30

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Irans sovereignty over three islands in the Persian Gulf is not negotiable, said member of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), Ali Kazemi.

Kazemi made the statement on the sidelines of the APA General Assembly in Cambodia in response to recent claims by UAE officials, ICANA news agency reported November 30.

He rejected as false claims the recent statements by a member of the UAE Federal National Council, but noted that Tehran is ready to hold talks with the UAE to resolve misunderstandings.

He went on to condiment the Emirati lawmakers claim as against international law, the UN charter, and good neighborhood manners.

In the last decades, there has been tension over three islands in the Persian Gulf: Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb.

UAE challenges Iran's sovereignty over three islands in the Persian Gulf, while Iran considers them as its inseparable parts.

The islands have been in Iran's control since 1971 following the departure of British forces from the Persian Gulf and few days before UAE's declaration of independence.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

A senior Iranian official has called on the outgoing President of the US Barack Obama to exercise veto power to prevent a recent legislation passed by the House of Representatives against Iran.

Hesameddin Ashena, a senior aide to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, has said the US officials must prevent the violation of the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/nuclear deal), Young Journalists Club reported.

Saying that the Islamic Republic considers imposition of new sanctions against it as a breach of the last years nuclear deal, he added that Tehran has all options on the desk to confront the US possible failure to observe its commitments regarding the nuclear deal.

He vowed that the Islamic Republic will take retaliatory measures, if the US breaches the nuclear deal.

Ashena further expressed hope that the US officials would take necessary steps in order to prevent any possible violations of the nuclear deal.

The House of Representatives has recently reauthorized the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), which was first introduced in 1996 to punish investments in Iran's energy industry based on accusations that Tehran was pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

While the US Senate this week is expected to discuss the legislation on the renewal of sanctions against Iran for the next 10 years, Iranian leaders have sharply criticized the motion describing it as a breach of the last years landmark deal.
Almost two-dozen residents in Zapata are being asked to move their properties, but many say complying is not a possibility.

A meeting was held to discuss the situation between the residents of Zapata and government officials.

Some of questions residents had were discussed directly with members of the International Boundary and Water Commission at the Zapata Community Center.

Residents were frustrated with the possible outcome that they could lose their homes.

Most of the residents were told that they had to move but there were seven properties that might be handled differently because they were included in a 1980 amendment to the mobile park license.

The agency also explained that they only found out about the encroachment of properties on their land in 2010 due to staffing issues.

IBWC has been renewing the license for the owner of Four Seasons, also known as Shady Haven LLC but sent them a letter notifying them they were in violation by having some of the plots on US owned property.

Residents who were not made aware of the division are thinking about countering.

IBWC had given them 180 days to comply, but are willing to grant more time to people who are making active efforts to comply.

Some resident told is flat out they are not moving.

IBWC legal representative explained they are not an enforcement agency, and would have to resort these cases to the department of justice if they do not reach a cooperative agreement.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30



By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:



The Muslim world will retaliate against a recent terrorist attack carried out by the IS terrorist group (ISIS,ISIL, Daesh) on a group of Shia pilgrims in Iraq, a commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said.



Brigadier General Ahmad Khadem has said that the ISIS will get an iron fist on the head in the coming days, Tasnim news agency reported.



Speaking on the sidelines of a funeral ceremony held for those Iranians killed in the past weeks truck bomb attack near Iraqs Hilla City, the commander said that the Muslim world condemns the terrorist attack.



The terrorist group will receive a tooth-breaking response, he added.



Media reports on Nov. 24 said that about 77 people, most of them Shia pilgrims from Iran and Afghanistan, were killed in the truck bomb attack near Hilla, some 100 kilometers south of Baghdad.
Distribution of the atmospheric ammonia concentration in June, July, and August 2008 at 15 km height as observed by MIPAS. Bright areas are measurement gaps due to high cloud cover. (Figure: Michael Hopfner/KIT)

Population is growing, climate is warming  hence, emission of ammonia (NH3) trace gas from e.g. agriculture will increase worldwide. Recently, scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for the first time detected NH3 in the upper troposphere. Together with researchers from Colorado/USA and Mexico, they analyzed satellite measurements by the MIPAS infrared spectrometer and found increased amounts of NH3 between 12 and 15 km height in the area of the Asian monsoon. This suggests that the gas is responsible for the formation of aerosols, smallest particles that might contribute to cloud formation. The researchers present their work in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics journal. (DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-14357-2016)

Ammonia, a chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, mainly originates from agricultural processes, in particular from lifestock farming and fertilization. Wide application of ammonia as a basic substance of fertilizers became possible by the development of artificial ammonia synthesis in Karlsruhe more than 100 years ago. Today, highest ammonia emissions are encountered in North India and Southeast China. Due to population growth and global warming, global ammonia emissions are expected to increase strongly in the future. Gaseous ammonia reacts with acids, such as sulfuric acid or nitric acid, to the corresponding ammonium salts. However, ammonia does not only pollute the ecosystems. Particles of ammonium salts can attach to each other and form aerosol particles acting as condensation nuclei in cloud formation. Such aerosols of anthropogenic origin have a cooling effect in the atmosphere and might compensate part of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect.

In this connection, it is important to determine vertical distribution of atmospheric ammonia. Concentrations of ammonia in the middle and upper troposphere, the bottom layer of the atmosphere, have hardly been studied so far. Now, researchers of the Atmospheric Trace Gases and Remote Sensing Division of KITs Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-ASF) as well as of the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico for the first time detected ammonia in the upper troposphere. They evaluated measurements made by the MIPAS infrared spectrometer on the European environmental satellite ENVISAT from 2002 to 2012. MIPAS, an instrument designed by KIT, recorded highly resolved spectra in the middle infrared range, from which gases can be identified clearly. Every gas emits specific infrared radiation.

The scientists calculated the average of three-month measurements in areas of ten degrees longitude and ten degrees latitude each. At 12 to 15 km height, in the area of the Asian monsoon, they found an increased concentration of ammonia of up to 33 pptv (33 NH3 molecules per trillion air molecules). Similarly high concentrations were measured in no other season and no other region. Observations show that ammonia is not washed out completely when air ascends in monsoon circulation. Hence, it enters the upper troposphere from the boundary layer close to the ground, where the gas occurs at relatively high concentrations, Dr. Michael Hopfner, Head of the Remote Sensing Using Aircraft and Balloons Group of IMK-ASF. It is therefore assumed that part of the Asian tropopause aerosol layer consists of ammonium salts.

Outside of the area of the Asian monsoon, concentrations of ammonia in the upper troposphere were found to be below the detection limit of a few pptv. This finding can contribute to refining global models. As far as the Asian monsoon is concerned, a large measurement campaign with the GLORIA instrument is planned in 2017. GLORIA is a novel type of infrared camera that decomposes the thermal radiation emitted by atmospheric gases into its spectral colors and, hence, yields ammonia concentration results near the tropopause, the boundary layer between the troposphere and the above stratosphere, of higher temporal and spatial - horizontal and vertical - resolution.

Michael Hopfner, Rainer Volkamer, Udo Grabowski, Michel Grutter, Johannes Orphal, Gabriele Stiller, Thomas von Clarmann, and Gerald Wetzel: First detection of ammonia (NH3) in the Asian summer monsoon upper troposphere. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2016. DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-14357-2016

More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.kit.edu/english.

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
HANOI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0050 GMT.

Nov 30 Nov 29 USD/VND mid-point 22,118 22,121

USD/VND interbank 22,670/22,680 22,708/22,710 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.59/35.81 35.60/35.82

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank quotes are indicative bid/ask prices.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co, the gold manufacturer.

Interbank offered rates are indicative, quoted from market sources.

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
HANOI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0431 GMT.

Nov 30 Nov 29 USD/VND mid-point 22,118 22,121 USD/VND interbank 22,670/22,680 22,708/22,710 USD/VND unofficial 22,800/22,830 22,820/22,840 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.62/35.84 35.60/35.82

Interbank offered rates Overnight 2.2-3.0 2.4-3.3

1 week 2.8-3.4 3.0-3.4

1 month 3.5-4.0 3.6-3.9

3 months 4.4-5.0 4.7-5.0

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
By Fabian Cambero

SANTIAGO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Anglo American Plc's Los Bronces copper mine in Chile remains closed because of an illegal occupation by protesting contract workers, the company said on Wednesday.

The protestors seized the installations on Saturday, the second such occupation at the mine this month, and demanded better contract terms and benefits similar to those of staff workers. Los Bronces "remains suspended, and will continue to be suspended while not in condition to operate safely," Anglo said. "The company is ready to assume the implied costs."

Miners in Chile, the world's No. 1 copper exporter, have traditionally saved money by using outsourced labor for some work. But increasing disputes with contract workers mean many are looking to bring more jobs in-house. Last year, state copper company Codelco was hit by a series of strikes by contract workers that forced it to halt operations at a number of mines temporarily. Los Bronces is Anglo's main copper operation in Chile. Codelco, Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp also own stakes in the mine.

Last year, the Anglo American Sur complex, which includes Los Bronces and the smaller El Soldado mine, produced 437,800 tonnes of copper out of Chile's total 5.76 million.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero, Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S President-elect Donald Trump could aggravate a slowdown in world trade which would hurt Britain's economy, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday.

"There is this possibility that the slowdown in the growth in world trade, which we have seen over the past few years, accelerates because of discrete policy initiatives potentially from the world's largest economy," Carney told a news conference to explain the BoE's latest report on Britain's banking sector.

"While that might not directly affect the United Kingdom, if it slows the pace of global growth - and we're an open trading nation, one of the most open nations in the world - it's going to have a knock-on effect through this economy."

"This is more of a slow-burn issue, sand in the gears, headwind for the global economy as opposed to a sharper shock, if any of it were to actually materialise."

Ahead of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential elections, Trump said China was "killing us" on trade and threatened to hit its exports with high tariffs. Since the election, he has said he will withdraw the United States from a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

(Reporting by David Milliken, Huw Jones and Adela Suliman; Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Andy Bruce)
Brazil finmin says economy in worse shape than believed



BRASILIA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Brazilian economy is in worse shape than initially believed due to the policies of the past administration, the finance ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry said it maintained its 2017 economic growth estimate of 1 percent even after data released earlier on Wednesday showed the country's recession deepening after a sharp contraction in the third quarter.

(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Writing by Alonso Soto; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

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BERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Germany is confident that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will remain involved in Greece's bailout package, a finance ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday, declining to speculate on the outcome of a Eurogroup meeting on Monday.

"I don't want to preempt the result of the meeting," a spokeswoman for the German finance ministry told reporters at a regular news conference, adding Greece would be on the agenda.

"We are confident that the IMF will stay on board," she added.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Joseph Nasr, Sabine Siebold; Editing by Caroline Copley)
MILAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Italian regional lender Banca Popolare di Vicenza, which had to be rescued this year by bank bailout fund Atlante, plans to cut 700 jobs by the end of the year, three union sources said.

A first meeting to discuss the proposed layoffs, which would be carried out through early retirements and cutting working days, is scheduled for Monday with three more due to take place before Christmas, one of the sources said.

Popolare di Vicenza Chairman Gianni Mion said in October the bank would need to cut between 1,300 and 1,500 jobs, out of a total workforce of 5,400 employees as of mid-2016. Popolare di Vicenza and nearby Veneto Banca, a local rival which was also rescued by Atlante earlier this year after failing to list, are seen as weak links in Italy's battered banking system which is struggling under a pile of bad loans left behind by a deep recession. Like other large "popolari" banks, Popolare di Vicenza has been forced to shed its cooperative status following a government reform in 2015 aimed at improving governance and paving the way for potential mergers.

The bank's 119,000 shareholders, mostly retail clients, saw their savings wiped out as Popolare Vicenza wrote down the value of its shares by nearly 100 percent when it became a joint-stock company and attempted to list.

Atlante has said Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca have unsustainable costs, which eat up virtually all their income, and has told them to examine a possible tie-up and present a plan by year end to ensure their survival. The source said some union representatives would like to see the business plan before agreeing to the cuts, but added that it may not be ready in time. Popolare di Vicenza had no comment.

(Reporting by Valentina Za and Andrea Mandala; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Commissioners weigh banning gun shows at Fairgrounds

The city of Bremerton earlier this year made an agreement with the operator of its conference center to discontinue shows there as well.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

Turkey expects the first branch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway to be commissioned in early 2017, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of Turkey Ahmet Arslan said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

He said that the second branch of the BTK railway will be commissioned during 2017.

"The BTK project is on the last stage of its implementation," the minister said.

Arslan added that the BTK is a very important project for both Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"The BTK will connect Azerbaijan and Turkey with a continuous railway," he noted. "This project is also important because it will contribute to the development of the economy and trade of Azerbaijan and Turkey with the countries of the region. Cargo from Azerbaijan will be delivered via Turkey to Europe thanks to this project."

"Also, the cargo from European countries will be delivered to the countries of Central Asia and China through the Baku International Sea Trade Port, which is under construction," the Turkish minister said. "This project will also positively affect the development of relations of our countries with other countries of the region."

"Other countries, such as China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia also need this project, as well as Europe does," Arslan said.

The BTK railway is being constructed on the basis of the Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.

The peak capacity of the railway will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At the initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Stuff reports:

A politician who believes in stigmata and thinks Donald Trump was anointed by God could have the most to gain from the Mt Roskill by-election on Saturday.

Labours Michael Wood and Nationals Parmjeet Parmar will vie for the seat recently vacated by new Auckland mayor and Labour stalwart Phil Goff.

If Wood wins the seat, party numbers will remain unchanged in Parliament.

However, Parmar is already a list MP  so a win for her as an electorate MP means the next National list MP also enters Parliament. She is Mangeres Misa Fia Turner.

National Party president Peter Goodfellow backed Turner and her beliefs as being suitable for Parliament.

In a statement, he said: While Labour likes to attack people based on Chinese sounding names or exclude people with proud religious beliefs, like a lot of our friends in the Pacific community, National welcomes people of all ethnicities and cultures.
Richard Harman writes at Politik:

The Maori Party  Mana Party pact announced yesterday looks set to pave the way for Hone Harawira to return to Parliament.

At the same time the deal may threaten two of Labours brightest Maori stars  Kelvin Davis and Peeni Henare. 

Talking to POLITIK, Morgan said the aim of the two parties was to wrest all of the Maori seats off Labour.

That would involve each standing aside for the other in some seats.

He named Tamaki Makaurau and Te Tai Hauauru as two seats he believed the deal would bring to the Maori party while att he same time it is probable the Maori Party would not oppose Harawira in Te Tai Tokerau.

If that had been he case at the last election, and everybody who voted for the Maori Party instead votes for Harawira, he would have beaten Labour front bencher, Kelvin Davis, with an 1836 majority.

Similarly, if Man stood aside in Tamaki Makaurau where Peeni Henare is the MP and Te Tai Hauauru, then the Maori Party would have won both seats.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

Four servicemen of the Turkish Armed Forces were wounded during an operation aimed to liberate the Syrian city Al-Bab from the militants of the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group, Haber 7 newspaper reported Nov. 30.

The wounded have been evacuated from Syria and hospitalized in Turkey.

On Aug. 24 morning, the Turkish Air Force, with the support of the coalition aircraft, launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus from the IS militants in northern Syria, near Aleppo.

The operation was dubbed the Shield of the Euphrates.

More than 20 Turkish servicemen were killed during the Shield of the Euphrates operation in northern Syria.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
US and NATO actions on the so-called "eastern front" produce the strongest impression that the United States and the alliance deliberately fan tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera in an interview, TASS reported.

"We are witnesses to a build-up of the military potential, growing military presence and NATO infrastructures on the so-called eastern front of the alliance  unprecedented ever since the end of the Cold War  aimed at putting military and political pressures on our country," Lavrov said.

"Near Russian borders the member-countries of the alliance conduct combat exercises, which are quite often provocative. On the pretext of a mythical threat from the East US troops and heavy armaments are deployed in Central and East European countries and new elements of the alliances command and staff infrastructures emerge," Lavrov said.

"All these actions by the alliance received approval at last Julys NATO summit in Warsaw, which in fact reaffirmed a long-term policy of building up the alliances military component," Lavrov said. "One has a strong impression the United States and NATO intentionally fan tensions."

Lavrov said "these steps are part of the North Atlantic Alliances years-long destructive policy aimed at achieving military and political domineering in European and world affairs and containing Russia." "Even in better days NATO never stopped advancing its military infrastructure towards Russian borders, including by means of the three waves of expansion, maintained intensive activity in the East European region, and plugged itself into US missile defense programs. The real aims of these programs had aroused no special doubts even before the settlement over the Iranian nuclear program," Lavrov said.

"Not to mention the attempts made by the alliance and some of its members to attain their own selfish geopolitical aims in defiance of the norms and principles of international law," Lavrov said. "Suffice it to recall the bombings of former Yugoslavia, the invasion of Iraq and the aggression against Libya.
Speaking at a press conference with Maltas Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in Berlin, Merkel reaffirmed her support for the March 18 deal which aims to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of nearly three million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Anadolu reported.

The agreement also allows for the acceleration of Turkeys EU membership bid and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals within the Schengen area.

"I believe that the European Union must fulfill its commitments under the agreement. We assume that Turkey will also meet its obligations," Merkel said.

The chancellor's remarks came amid heavy criticism of the EU by Turkish leaders for not showing solidarity and sharing Turkey's burden in refugee crisis, despite promises made under the agreement.

Merkel acknowledged slow progress in the implementation of the agreement; however, she expressed readiness to address such concerns.

"I believe that Europe is a reliable contractual partner, and so is Turkey. We still have some more work to do together," Merkel said.

Turkey is currently hosting some 3 million refugees, mostly from the neighboring Syria.

While the EU has promised to provide funds for improving the living conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Turkish officials are criticizing Brussels for delays in the mobilization of these funds.

The EU has failed to deliver a promised 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in aid that has been pledged for the refugees.

Turkey will also receive an additional 3 billion euros, agreed upon in a refugee deal with the EU, throughout the next two years until 2018, the then PM Ahmet Davutoglu said in March.

However, Turkey has so far received only 677 million euros ($716 million).

Turkey is hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world, and has so far spent more than $12 billion on the refugees.

Ankara is also criticizing the EU for not honoring its promises to relocate some of the Syrian refugees from Turkey.

So far, only 1,614 Syrian refugees have been resettled from Turkey to Europe while 578 irregular migrants have been returned from the Greek islands to Turkey, according to the European Commission.

Europe had agreed to take 72,000.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had championed the refugee deal, with the hope of stopping irregular migration through the Aegean Sea.

There has been a significant drop in illegal crossings since the agreement came into force.

Germany also has seen a sharp decline in refugee numbers, helping Merkel to address the increasing domestic pressure over the migrant crisis.

Last year, Merkel pursued an open door policy for refugees despite widespread criticism and the country received a record 890,000 refugees.
Ford Sales and Service Korea CEO Jung Jae-hee, right, poses with Lincoln Motor Company President Kumar Galhotra, during the introduction for the all-new Lincoln Continental luxury sedan, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Ford Korea



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Ford Korea, the U.S.-based automaker's local sales unit in Korea, has introduced its flagship sedan, the new Lincoln Continental, aiming to expand its presence in the nation's luxury sedan market.

Lincoln Motor Company President Kumar Galhotra said during the unveiling at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Wednesday, that the new Lincoln Continental sedan is an "essence of Lincoln's brand philosophy."

"Now, customers look for not just a car but true experiences to make their life pleasant and affluent. The new Lincoln Continental will offer all new experiences a car could possibly deliver for our customers," he added.

The Lincoln Continental obtained its fame as the President's car' and often starred in a number of Hollywood movies. Famous American architect and interior designer Frank Lloyd Wright once praised the sedan as the "World's most beautiful car."

The all-new Lincoln Continental inherits its beauty and combines it with modern sentiments in design.

It features the Lincoln's signature grille under the company's emblem with the premium LED headlamp in the front. The headlamp uses the Adaptive Lamp System to enhance a wider range of visibility.

The sedan's sleek bodyline reaches the straight-line LED tail lamps in the rear to complete the Continental's elegant modern design.

The new Continental also comes with new technologies applied for the driver's convenience.

The Lincoln's Welcome Technology detects the driver's smart key and lightens the welcome mat underneath the door. The model's doors also feature classic chrome handles concealing a pressure-sensitive E-latch door release so that the driver can grasp the handle and effortlessly open the door.

The new Continental is also equipped with "Perfect Position Seats" in accordance with the optional 30-way adjustable front seats.

It features high-end audio maker Revel's quality audio system that has 19 speakers installed in optimal positions inside the cabin so that passengers can enjoy the best sound quality.

The model mounts a 3.0-liter V6 GTDI engine that produces a maximum of 393 horsepower with a 55.3 kg.m torque.

It comes with two different trim levels  the Reserve and the Presidential. The Reserve trim is 82.5 million won while the Presidential costs 89.4 million won.
Hyundai Motor is considering suspending the sales of the Grandeur sedan, exported under the name Azera, in the United States, industry sources said Sunday, due to its sluggish sales there.

While Hyundai announced the launch of the sixth-generation Grandeur earlier in November, sources said the company would not introduce the model in the U.S. If South Korea's top automaker makes that decision, it would mark the first time in 16 years for the Azera to leave the U.S. market.

Industry watchers said although the Grandeur stands as a major high-end sedan in the South Korean market, it failed to grab enough attention in the North American market, losing out to the popular Sonata and the premium Genesis models.

Hyundai sold 4,134 units of the Grandeur in the U.S. through October this year, which translates into roughly 400 units per month. Over the cited period, shipments of the Sonata and the Genesis G80 came to 170,243 units and 21,635 units, respectively.

The company, however, plans to continue sales of the model in other markets, including the Middle East.

"Nothing is decided yet," a Hyundai official said, adding the company is open to "various possibilities."

Reflecting such factors, Hyundai did not announce a global sales goal for the 2017 Hyundai Grandeur introduced last week. (Yonhap)
By Jhoo Dong-chan



The Korean branches of Nissan, BMW and Porsche allegedly obtained sales approval for their vehicles by submitting "false reports" to the government.



The Ministry of Environment (MOE) said in a press release Tuesday that a total of 10 models  one from BMW, two from Nissan and seven from Porsche Korea models  were involved.



"However, we can't say at this point whether their reports were intentionally fabricated," a ministry official said.



The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), a ministerial agency in charge of vehicle inspections, said it will hold a hearing on the cases in mid-December. The MOE will then decide on whether to impose punitive measures, including levying fines or a sales ban on the affected models, based on the degree of any wrongdoing.



Of the three brands, Porsche Korea voluntarily spoke of its false reports to the prosecution and the ministry during a NIER inspection. Porsche is one of the Volkswagen Group's affiliates, and has been long suspected of possible emissions cheating similar to its parent company.



Its seven models  the Macan S Diesel, Cayenne SE Hybrid, Cayenne Turbo, Cayenne GTS, 918 Spider, 911 GT3 and Panamera SE Hybrid  were found to have defects in their certification documents.



Nissan Korea's affected models are the Infiniti Q50 and Qashqai.



A NIER official said Nissan Korea is most likely to have "cheated" on emissions tests.



"Nissan Korea said in documents that it carried out emissions test for the Infiniti Q50 in Japan. Based on our investigation, the model has never undergone such a test in Japan," he said.



"We will hear from them soon, but the evidence is quite solid."



For BMW Korea, it allegedly used data of the X6 M SUV model for the X5 M certification process.



BMW Korea said they used the same data because the two models share the same engine and emissions reduction device. The German automaker's local unit said they will explain further at the hearing.



The two models do share the same engine and emissions reduction device, but the design and weight are different.



Finding that Volkswagen obtained sales approvals for its vehicle by using faked reports on noise levels, fuel efficiency and emissions results, the MOE banned sales of the German carmaker's 80 models and revoked their certifications in August. It also carried out inspections on 23 foreign carmakers to check whether they obtained sales approvals in a similar manner.




Fornasetti Exhibition / Courtesy of Artmon



By Kim Jae-heun

"Fornasetti: Practical Madness," an exhibition featuring artwork by the late Italian artist Piero Fornasetti, is currently on display at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul. This is its first time being showcased in Asia following dates in Milan and Paris.

The Fornasetti exhibition first came to the Triennale Design Museum in Milan in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fornasetti's birth. It was successful enough to become a traveling exhibition that landed in Paris last year and in Seoul this month.

Barnaba Fornasetti, the son of Piero Fornasetti, organized the special exhibition in Korea himself and brought 1,300 pieces from the Fornasetti archive in Milan. The show divides vast subjects of the Italian's art collection into 15 sections in chronological order.

The Fornasetti exhibition displays Piero's work from the 1940s to his collaboration with Gio Ponti in the 1960s and his works up to his death in the 1980s. The exhibition also displays his son Barnaba's modern collection.

"The main reason to hold the Fornasetti exhibition is to shed new light on my father's inspiration on arts and share it with the people," said Barnaba Fornasetti during a press conference at the DDP, Nov. 21. "I am ashamed that after the brand Fornasetti was introduced to the world, only its commodity is being discussed and no one talks about the art itself. Not even people in Milan working with the Fornasetti exhibition asked a single question about the artistic value."





Fornasetti Exhibition / Courtesy of Artmon

Arturo Dell'Acqua Bellavitis, the president of Fondazione Museo del Design who helped Barnaba bring the exhibition to Korea, said Seoul became the Fornasetti exhibition's doorway to Asia, as he believes many creative elements in Chinese fashion and art come from Korea.

"I had a chance to introduce Korean art at Milano Design Week last year and I was very impressed by Korean traditional art. When we first meet Asian arts, most of them emphasize minimalism, but Korean art was quite abstruse," said Bellavitis.

"I was confused whether they were just decorations or one design, but the Korean exhibition hall developed every year and I started to understand the art in terms of its decoration concept. Then I found Barnaba Fornasetti, an adequate artist to represent decorative art, and suggested he hold the exhibition in Korea."

Barnaba said he agreed to hold the exhibition in Seoul because of Koreans' passion and support not only of art but also education and he wanted to share his art with them.

He stressed that his father's body of work in the exhibition contains special messages that he wants the audience to think about.

Piero Fornasetti was an Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver who saw the world differently and expressed it in ironic and humorous ways through art. Many of his art pieces are surreal and imaginative.

Barnaba plays a role in bridging the classic Fornasetti works with the modern art scene as well as reviving the old Fornasetti art collection and designing new pieces.

The exhibition will be held until March 19.
By Bang Moon-kyu





Bang Moon-kyu

The seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ended after six days of heated discussion in Delhi, India, from Nov. 7 to 12.

The FCTC, which was unanimously adopted at the World Health Assembly in 2003, is the first international health treaty. It was developed on the spirit that all states need to cooperate to counteract the global tobacco epidemic and to protect people from the harm of smoking.

The COP regularly reviews the implementation of the convention and discusses key tobacco-related issues, holding the session every two years. Korea ratified the convention right after its entry into force in 2005, and has exerted its efforts in full to implement the FCTC especially as the host of the fifth session in Seoul in 2012 and as the chair of the following session in Moscow, 2014.

With about 1,000 delegations from 180 governments as well as intergovernmental organizations, including the WHO, and non-governmental organizations, this year's COP7 assessed the impacts of the FCTC on tobacco control policies of individual nations, and discussed ways to tackle the tobacco industry's interference with government tobacco control measures  one of today's key issues in implementing the FCTC, and to prevent and regulate globally emerging tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and hookahs.

First of all, the COP noted that the FCTC has been making significant progress in many ways: offering a global instrument for tobacco control; providing protection from exposure to tobacco smoking; regulating tobacco packaging and labeling; and encouraging tobacco price hikes. On the other hand, it pointed to some obstacles to tobacco control efforts  the tobacco industry's aggressive activities, lack of consideration for vulnerable groups, and insufficient responses to emerging tobacco products.

Specifically pointing out that the tobacco industry has incessantly interfered with the government tobacco policies, the COP recommended that the parties actively comply with Article 5.3 of the FCTC and the guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3. The guidelines recommend its parties establish measures to limit interactions with the tobacco industry, to reject partnerships with the tobacco industry and to regulate activities described as "socially responsible" by the tobacco industry.

The COP argued that emerging tobacco products, such as electronic nicotine delivery systems, should be regulated, especially with regard to the marketing claim on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.

At the seventh session in India, the Korean delegation shared with the other parties its latest progress including tobacco price increases, pictorial health warning, smoke-free restaurants, smoking prevention program at every primary and secondary schools, and tobacco addiction treatments for smokers, all of which have been positively assessed. The Korean government's strenuous and enthusiastic efforts for tobacco control not only have made globally notable progress in its fight against smoking, but also are making a positive influence on surrounding countries including China, Japan and the Philippines.

Moreover, Korea suggested an agenda on the importance of developing gender-specific tobacco control policies  Korea has a gender gap in tobacco consumption and therefore provides customized cessation programs for the female population. Other parties and the WHO have showed great interest in the agenda. Being the leading country for healthcare, Korea is expected to show a further performance in global tobacco control.
Turkish and Russian presidents on Wednesday had a phone conversation on Syrian city of Aleppo, according to a presidential source, Anadolu reported.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin agreed to step up efforts to stop clashes in the Syrian city of Aleppo and delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilians in the conflict-hit city, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations and stressed on importance of the normalizations of relations between the two countries.

Wednesday's phone call is third since Friday.

Located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Turkish border, Aleppo is Syrias second-largest city that used to be home to around three million people, mainly Arabs, including 400,000 Turkmens and 200,000 Kurds.

A year after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, opposition forces took control of the citys eastern districts.

In 2013, the Assad regime began a campaign of indiscriminate bombardment on the city that has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the war-battered city.
A weeping woman shows a picture of her late son at a press conference in front of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul, Aug. 6. She and other bereaved families called on the ministry to help restore the honor of soldiers who died from hazing while serving their mandatory military service. / Yonhap



Activists urge military to uphold human rights



By Park Ji-won, Chung Hyun-chae, Nam Hyun-woo



Koreans are outraged over the death of an Army private first class, surnamed Yoon, who suffered brutal abuse and violence at the hands of his superiors.



Yoon, who belonged to the Army's 28th Division, was brutally beaten by five senior soldiers, then put on an IV drip to recover  only to be beaten again and endure more torture before his death in April.



Ranking military officials and politicians have vowed to uphold soldiers' rights and prevent future tragedies by establishing a human rights council within the armed forces.



For some men who have already completed their mandatory military service, however, Yoon's story came as no surprise. They have experienced, witnessed, or at least heard of similar cases.



An office worker in Seoul, surnamed Lee, 32, finished his military service in 2007. His superiors subjected him to abuse too, he recalls.



"I still don't understand why I was beaten," he said.



Lee, then a private, was responsible for managing an ammunition depot. He worked with a sergeant, who was younger than him and constantly picked fights to remind Lee of his inferior rank.



"I'm younger than you," the sergeant repeatedly pointed out to Lee. "Is that a problem for you?"



The sergeant often kicked Lee in the stomach and punched him in the neck when

they were alone in the depot.



"I never said anything about his age, but he picked fights with me and repeatedly attacked me," Lee said.



Lee required medical treatment for his injuries, but the sergeant bullied him into remaining silent about how he got his bruises and why he was bleeding. The assaults continued until the sergeant was discharged.



"If I ever met him again, I would definitely have him killed," Lee said.





A soldier holds a rifle while attending a special lecture on human rights at an Army camp in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, Aug. 8. All soldiers are required to attend such lectures amid mounting criticism over hazing in the barracks following the death of an army private first class, surnamed Yoon, who suffered from brutal abuse from his colleagues. / Yonhap



"I still suffer trauma, but there is no one I can complain to about this and get redress," he added. "The government should also come up with measures to help victims like me."



Kim, 28, who was discharged from the Army two years ago, said he had witnessed hazing.



"Many say there is no violence in the military anymore, but I don't believe that," Kim said.



"Some people are slow to understand or do something. And one of my colleagues was like that. Superiors always used foul language when talking to him, and often they even cursed his parents and attacked him."



The victim was bullied for absurd reasons, Kim recalls.



"Verbal abuse and assaults happened because the victim did not follow stupid customs, which obviously had nothing to do with improving combat readiness," he said.



For example, Kim said his colleague was forced to lick shoe polish because his boots were not shiny enough. Another colleague reported the violence to a ranking officer, and the victim was transferred to another barracks. The attackers were sent to the guardhouse.



"It was a rare case, given that other units' officers tend to cover things up to evade close investigation, because officers don't want a mess," he said. "I heard from one of my friends that his colleague committed suicide because of hazing, but the death was recorded as an accident."



Kim declined to elaborate.



An office worker, surnamed Gil, 28, said one of his colleagues served time in the guardhouse for beating an underling.



"While on night duty, he ordered a private first class not to move off a small tile on the floor.



A single move outside of the tile's borders would be followed by assaults," Gil recalled.



Noh, 24, a college senior who completed his service last year, witnessed sexual violence. The victim was a private first class and the perpetrator was a corporal.



"The private first class reported the corporal's deed to the authorities, and the offender was given a military prison term and transferred to a different unit," he said.



These stories are a source of anxiety for young men who still face conscription, and for their parents.



College student Oh, 21, finished his four weeks of basic military training on Aug. 1. Now he works at a food company as part of an alternative civilian service program.



Though he braved the training without any problem, his parents were not as brave.



"Even though the training lasted only a month, I couldn't help worrying about my son," said his mother, surnamed Yoo. "Who knows if something bad will happen within that short time?



"In the photo my son sent, some of his colleagues had tattoos on their arms. After I saw that, I started to worry. What if they bully my son?" she said.



"Other parents [whose sons don't qualify for alternative programs] must have bigger worries, but I also worry about my son's safety."



According to data from the Ministry of National Defense, between 2003 and last year, 874 servicemen died either as a result of suicide or accidents. An average of 80 men died every year.



Human rights activists have long urged the government to take action on violence and bullying in the military. But the response remains tepid, consisting only of vague orders.



In 2012, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) suggested guidelines to safeguard servicemen's human rights. Those were the strongest measures the agency believed it was capable of taking, but apparently they were insufficient.



The NHRC's role is limited  it can only make suggestions, not binding regulations. However, critics say the watchdog should have been more active in carrying out its duties  at the very least, it could have disclosed problems to the public.



It was the Center for Military Human Rights that revealed the details of Yoon's case

to the media.



"We have repeatedly urged the military to open itself to the public, allowing civilian human rights experts to visit the barracks and meet with soldiers," said Lim Tae-hoon, a representative of the center. "However, the military kept saying no to civilian experts  that it would handle intra-military matters by itself."
A woman pushes a stroller away from a cafe after being asked to leave. More restaurants and cafes are refusing patrons with children for etiquette and safety reasons. / Korea Times file



Restaurants' ban on children stirs pro-and-con debate



By Baek Byung-yeul, Kwon Ji-youn

A local court recently ruled that two restaurants should pay 10 million won and 47 million won to two children, respectively, who were scalded while dining. One child ran into a restaurant employee carrying hot water and another was burned by charcoal fire.

Once the verdict was announced, some restaurant owners started to refuse customers with children as they didn't want to be held responsible for any accidents their child could cause. This issue has emerged as a hotbed for online debate ever since.

Korea isn't the first to join the movement. In two U.S. states, Texas and Pennsylvania, restaurants have banned kids, while cafes in Berlin have created child-free zones for their patrons. Some have even barred strollers, which are considered safety hazards in densely populated areas such as malls or restaurants.

Even some airlines are following suit. Malaysia Air banned children under two from flying first class, while AsiaAir created a "quiet zone" for fliers above the age of 12.

Restaurant owners blame children for reckless behaviors in a potentially dangerous environment involving fire and other cooking equipment, as well as disturbing other patrons' dining experience.

The question is this: Do parents have the right to bring their children to cafes and restaurants, where they are at risk of getting burned, where they may be bothersome to fellow patrons? Or do restaurants have the right to refuse patrons with children for safety and etiquette reasons?

Many parents with children protested, saying that this is a violation of equal rights.

Choi Jung-soon, who raised two children, aged six and eight, said this is a clear example of an equal rights violation.

"My kids have the right to enter any cafe or restaurant," the 33-year-old Seoulite said.





A sign posted on the door of a restaurant located in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, bars children who are elementary-school age or younger.

/ Korea Times



"People who say parents bringing their toddlers to restaurants do not discipline children inside and let their kids run loose, but this is completely wrong.

"I definitely do try to pay attention to my kids, making sure they don't go on a rampage inside a restaurant, but they should understand that kids aren't able to completely control themselves," she said.

Heo Eun-mi, a 32-year-old mom, hadn't heard about the movement to ban kids until recently.

"When I heard that a group of restaurants were banning kids, I thought to myself, no way,' because my kid loves to eat out" she said. "Before such a policy takes effect across the city, restaurants should designate child-friendly zones, where families with children can dine free from the glares of childless patrons and the narrow confines of a restaurant."

She stressed that this should be the first step restaurant owners take before implementing a no kids' policy.

"Then, at least they've made an effort to satisfy all customers. We're customers, too," she said. "If that still didn't work, then sure, ban kids. Also, where else will kids learn proper restaurant etiquette?"

She emphasized that with a little caution, restaurant owners and parents will definitely be able to find a way to coexist.

"I think the responsibility falls with both parties. Parents should be a little more attentive, and restaurant employees should be a little more careful," she said. "That's as simple as it gets."

Another mother, with a seven-year-old daughter, said she had to order take-out at a coffee shop because her daughter wasn't allowed in, but she didn't mind.

"When I saw the news, the first thought that came to my mind was, aren't the parents responsible for the safety of their children?'" she said on condition of anonymity. "How are restaurant owners supposed to control children while working?"

Jeong Soon-ok, a college student, does admit that her experience at a restaurant in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, wasn't all that enjoyable because of a child who walked from table to table stealing peoples' salt and pepper shakers.

"At first it was cute, but when the meals were served, we needed the salt shaker. So we took it from him and he just fell on his bottom and started screaming," she said. "The mother then came and started telling us off for forcibly taking the child's toy' away. I didn't know what to say in response."

Jeong recalled another incident in where a child slipped while running in a dining room.

"I remember the mother started yelling at the employees for wiping the floor down with a wet mop," she said. "I thought to myself, should they have used a dry mop?'"

Ryu Seung-min, who runs a Korean-style barbeque restaurant in Seoul, agrees with ban, adding that "parents sometimes just cannot control their children."

"I don't implement that kind of policy in my restaurant as my customers are mostly office workers, but I definitely agree with the food establishments that do ban kids," said the restaurant owner.

"I think parents who bring their children to restaurants and don't pay attention to them seem to not understand how dangerous this place actually is. They should know that we are dealing with hot food that could burn someone if dropped.

"In addition, parents who don't even try to control their careless kids are unaware they are disturbing those around them. They may have gotten used to their loud kids but this doesn't apply to the customers around them," he said.

Ryu also pointed out the necessity of campaigns urging parents to better observe public etiquette while in restaurants.

"I guess we need to find common ground between owners and parents. I think educating parents the virtue of paying more attention to their kids while dining is a good, first step," he said.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC) states that it is illegal for a business to ban children from entering restaurants, adding that it is against the rights of equality.

However, this presents a catch-22. If restaurants ban children, then these establishments are breaking the existing laws. But if a restaurant has put forth clear grounds as to why it restricts access to kids, then there is no way to impose sanctions on the offending restaurant.

To illustrate this point, NHRC dismissed a case in 2010 filed by an anonymous informant that a restaurant implements a "no kids" policy in their judgment that the restaurant had clear reason to do so.

"As long as we, restaurant owners, are responsible for any accidents involving children, it is crystal-clear that more and more restaurants and cafes will adopt the no kids' policy," Ryu added.
By Lee Kyung-min



Pressure is mounting for professors who returned to the teaching profession after quitting high-ranking government positions to resign because of their suspected involvement in the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.



The figures include former presidential secretary of education and culture Kim Sang-ryul, who started teaching at Sookmyung Women's University after stepping down in September, and former Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok, who returned to Hongik University.



The two allegedly secured the posts at the recommendation of Choi's close friend Cha Eun-taek, a visual art director who was appointed as a member of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment in August 2014. Kim Sang-ryul is Cha's uncle and Kim Jong-deok was his graduate school professor.



On Monday, a student representative at Sookmyung handed Kim Sang-ryul a petition signed by 1,695 students demanding his resignation over the allegation he and his nephew sought to benefit themselves by attempting to obtain business rights for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.



Earlier this month, the prosecution questioned him over the allegation, as well as his suspected intervention in school policy at Ewha Womans University to help Choi's daughter Chung Yoo-ra get better grades.



"Professor, you are at the center of numerous corruption allegations involving Choi," the students said in the statement. "We wonder why you are implicated in this massive scandal. We believe you are responsible for causing the allegations to surface, therefore we demand your resignation."



Similarly, Hongik students discussed measures to demand the university dismiss or suspend Kim Jong-deok.



Kim was questioned over the allegation he facilitated approval for establishing the controversial Mir and K-Sports foundations controlled by Choi, and helped Choi's associates win bidding or financial support for other culture- or sports-related state projects.



Former Vice Minister of Culture Kim Chong, who was arrested on Nov. 22 over his alleged involvement in the scandal, is now a professor at Hanyang University. Kim Hyung-su, who was the inaugural head of Mir Foundation, returned to Yonsei University. Students there also criticize them for disgracing the schools.




Citizens denounce President Park's memory loss'



By Kim Bo-eun



"I was in the hospital waiting to be called in, and saw the breaking news on the TV there. I remembered that my parents said they were going to visit Jeju Island from Wando, South Jeolla Province, around that time so I called them as I watched the ferry capsizing and sinking on TV."



This is among over 18,000 posts on a website, werecall.org, which opened last week, to collect people's memories of the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014.



Seven Seoul National University (SNU) graduates opened the website in response to Cheong Wa Dae's failure to provide a reliable account of what President Park Geun-hye was doing during the seven critical hours on the day of the incident, even two years later.



The capsizing killed over 300 passengers, mostly students from Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, who were on an excursion to Jeju Island.



The SNU graduates said while they vividly remember what they were doing on that day, President Park and other government officials involved, such as former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon, claim they do not recall. So they opened the site to collect people's memories of the day and to denounce the President and the government.



Another post read: "I took a pathology test in university. I was waiting for my afternoon class to start when a classmate showed me an article on the Sewol sinking. The classmate, who was from Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, said he had many friends in Ansan and that a high school student he had tutored attended Danwon High School."



A high school teacher said, "There was a nationwide test for third-year students on that day. I was extremely busy but another teacher told me about the news. I vividly remember what I was doing and what my students asked me, but I cannot understand why the people at Cheong Wa Dae say they do not remember."



The President is suspected of being absent from official duty for seven hours following the start of the incident. Cheong Wa Dae said Park only received updates on the sinking via phone and documents, and did not convene any emergency meetings. Suspicions have arisen that Park was receiving a cosmetic procedure during the period, following evidence and testimonies she received medication prescriptions under false names and her medical adviser at an anti-aging clinic often visited Cheong Wa Dae to give her shots.



The medical adviser, Kim Sang-man, also said he does not recall whether he had performed a procedure on the President that day.




By Jun Ji-hye



The U.S. Defense Department said Tuesday that the planned deployment of a U.S. advanced anti-missile system to South Korea will move forward regardless of President Park Geun-hye's possible resignation or impeachment over the corruption scandal.



"Our Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment continues," said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook at a briefing. "Those remain ongoing, and the alliance continues to move forward with that plan."



The remark was a response to a question whether Park's impeachment or resignation would affect the deployment.



While opposition parties are speeding up their efforts to pass a motion to impeach Park, possibly this week, over the high profile political scandal involving Park and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, the President said Tuesday that she will leave the decision on the timing and method of her resignation up to the National Assembly.



In July, Seoul and Washington announced a decision to deploy a THAAD battery here by next year to better deter evolving threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.



But since the scandal erupted in late October, which has considerably diluted Park's power as a top decision maker, concerns have been raised that the deployment may be derailed.



The concerns come as opposition lawmakers have called into question the government's bungled management of the decision-making process as well as its official announcement, which caused severe criticism from local residents living in the area selected as the location for THAAD.



Rep. An Min-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has recently raised suspicions that Choi may have intervened in the government decision to allow the U.S. Forces Korea to deploy THAAD.



China has called for scrapping the decision, seeing THAAD, especially its powerful radar, as a threat to its nuclear deterrent and other security interests, despite repeated assurances from Washington that the system is designed only to defend against the North.




Rep. Kim Sung-tae, left, of the ruling Saenuri Party, who chairs the parliamentary panel investigating the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, talks with Rep. Park Beom-kye of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly, Wednesday. / Yonhap



Lawmakers vow to look into Park's 7 missing hours'

By Jun Ji-hye

The National Assembly launched its own investigation into the corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, Wednesday.

An 18-member Assembly panel in charge of the probe received reports from the culture, justice and health ministries as well as the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the National Pension Service (NPS).

The Assembly probe will be conducted separately from an investigation by an independent counsel, which is expected to start next week.

Lawmakers vowed to look into what Park did for seven hours while the Sewol ferry was sinking on April 16, 2014  the country's largest maritime disaster that claimed 304 lives.

"Cheong Wa Dae has refused to disclose related documents, citing the confidentiality of presidential records," said Rep. Hwang Young-chul of the ruling Saenuri Party. "However, we should have access to the records because there is huge public attention on the matter. Under the law, the top office must make public confidential presidential records if two-thirds of lawmakers demand their release. We must take action, if necessary."

Vice Justice Minister Lee Chang-jae told lawmakers he believes the independent counsel will look into the allegations surrounding the "seven missing hours."

"The prosecution could not investigate Park's whereabouts on that day as well," Lee said. "I believe the independent counsel will be able to unveil the truth."

Park has been embroiled in controversy, as she only appeared at an emergency countermeasures headquarters seven hours after the tragic incident began. Owing to the lack of explanation about Park's whereabouts during those seven critical hours, rumors have abounded that she might have been undergoing plastic surgery or other medical procedures on the day.

During the Assembly probe that will continue until Jan. 15, lawmakers will also hear testimonies from relevant officials about allegations that the President pressured local conglomerates to pay nearly $68 million to two foundations run by Choi.

Park is also suspected of having shared confidential state documents with Choi, even though the latter held no official role.

Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun said there were no flaws in the establishment of the two foundations.

"The Mir Foundation and K-Sports Foundation were established upon the request of Cheong Wa Dae, but there were no flaws in the establishment permission issued by the ministry," she said.

The committee plans to carry out nationally televised hearings on Dec. 5, 6, 13 and 14.

Those who will be questioned at the first hearing include Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho and CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik.

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) chairman and vice chairman are also on the list of those to be questioned over their role in raising funds for the two foundations.

Choi is on a list for the hearing scheduled for Dec. 6, but her lawyer told reporters, Wednesday, "Whether to appear before the hearings will be a matter of her choice," adding she is already busy cooperating with the prosecution's investigation.

Opposition lawmakers are also calling on the President to appear before the Assembly as a witness, but skepticism abounds. Park has refused to comply with the prosecutors' request for face-to-face questioning.
Street artists put on costumes and use props to pretend as President Park Geun-hye (left) and her longtime friend and influence-peddler Choi Soon-sil. / Courtesy of Twitter



By Ko Dong-hwan

The ever-increasing public engagement over scandal-plagued President Park Geun-hye has ushered in a new era of civilian protests.

Violence has been rampant as recently as during the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' massive protest against the government at Seoul Station late last year, when police fired water cannon at people trying to overturn police buses.

The clash, and those in earlier times when citizens protested against the government, had often required tough initiatives and survival instincts from protesters as well as law enforcers.

But such scenes have disappeared in these latest ongoing national protests demanding that the President resign or be kicked out.

At Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, which drew a record 1.5 million protesters on Nov. 26, there has been no violence since the candlelit congregation started to show up in late October.

Instead, the people brought something else: their ideas.

The ideas are various. There were satirical flags that protesters designed using names and logos of fake civic groups parodying the keywords of the scandal.





Anti-president protesters brought to demonstration sites satirical flags they designed using names and logos of fake civic groups parodying the keywords of the scandal. (From top) Flags held by members purportedly from Beetle Research Lab, Hamnesty International and Joint Association for Cat-lovers / Courtesy of online communities



There was also a fake newspaper, the Daily Prophet, that reported "The President finally resigns" or "Controversial naval base in Gangjeong Village on Jeju Island to be scuttled" or "K-pop idol stars to form their first union."

Some protesters placed stickers of flowers on police buses site to express their affection for the public workers.





A police bus studded with flower stickers put on by protesters as part of their "peaceful rally" is parked on the streets near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. / Yonhap



Others brought cows, tractors or cultivators from farms to the capital's core to make it clear that farmers have had enough, too.





Protesters brought cows to Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where a massive anti-president rally by some 1.5 million protesters took place, on Nov. 26. / Courtesy of Facebook



Protests were not held just at the square where giant bronze statues of the King Sejong and General Yi Soon-shin gaze down on passers-by.

The rage is expressed in people's daily lives from T-shirts with "Resignation" printed in Chinese or yellow ribbon accessories  the symbol commemorating victims of state-level disasters, particularly the Sewol ferry in 2014.





A bar owner in the city of Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, wears a T-shirt with Chinese letters that read "resignation." Clothing items including hoodies and masks with the prints, also dubbed "resignation fashion items," have hit the shelves. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo



"I produced the newspaper in the hope that the type of demonstration in Korea can be changed," said Daily Prophet editor-in-chief Lee Ji-min, according to Hankyoreh online.

"The President's resignation should not be the end, but we must keep thinking about further democracy coming our way.

"Demonstrations should be fun, so that people are more willing to come out and oversome the 'Soon-sil-phobia'."
By Kim Se-jeong

President Park Geun-hye leaves the briefing room at Cheong Wa Dae after delivering a speech about the influence-peddling scandal involving her aides, while a journalist raises a hand to ask the President to take questions, Tuesday. Park, as usual, refused to do so.

/ Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

Reporters covering the presidential office have often been the target of criticism for failing to ask President Park Geun-hye questions.

On Tuesday when President Park was leaving the briefing room after finishing her third address to the nation regarding the corruption scandal involving her and her friend Choi Soon-sil, several reporters desperately raised their hands to ask questions.

One reporter shouted: "Do you admit the prosecution's allegation that you are a conspirator in the scandal?"

Without answering the question, she only said, "I am sure there will be another occasion soon to speak about it." Then she hurried out of the room.

Over the last four years in office, Park, notorious for her lack of communication, has rarely held press conferences. She has only held them at New Year.

In the one in January this year that lasted for over an hour, Park held a rare question and answer (Q&A) session, taking questions from 12 reporters.

However, Cheong Wa Dae collected the questions from journalists in advance and scripted her answers. The order of questions and which journalists would ask them was also preset.

She has never allowed a free Q&A session.

Reuters correspondent James Pearson tweeted: "Every time it is a carefully scripted staged event, sadly."

Some local news outlets refused to attend Tuesday's nationally televised press conference as they knew she wouldn't answer any questions.

Park has not seemed confident without a script at many public events including discussions, often failing to complete unscripted sentences. When dealing with unexpected questions on some occasions, she kept missing the point. The number of press conferences she has held is also much lower than those of her predecessors.

Former presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun held 150 press conferences each, and Lee Myung-bak, 20. But Park has held less than 10.

At the end of the conference Tuesday, presidential secretaries assured journalists the President would hold another one soon  as early as next week.

People are already urging journalists covering Cheong Wa Dae to boycott any press event if there is no Q&A session.
Leaders of the three opposition parties  from left, Rep. Park Jie-won of the People's Party, Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and Rep. Sim Sang-jeung of the Justice Party  hold a meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday, to discuss a joint motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyo-jin



The opposition parties agreed Wednesday to push for a vote on an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye, Friday, rejecting some ruling party lawmakers' proposal for talks on shortening her term.



They vowed to proceed with the impeachment move as planned, while still calling on Park to resign immediately and unconditionally.



"The three opposition parties agreed to hold no negotiations with the ruling party regarding shortening the presidential term," Rep. Youn Kwan-suk, chief spokesman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said in a joint press briefing. "We are undeterred in our plan to push through an impeachment motion against Park. Conscientious Saenuri Party lawmakers should join us."



The agreement was made in a meeting between leaders of the main opposition DPK, and the minor opposition People's Party and Justice Party. It was arranged after the President made a sudden announcement Tuesday that she was willing to step down before her term ends according to a schedule and legal procedures presented by the National Assembly.



The opposition parties denounced the proposal, calling it a "sly trick" to avoid impeachment and buy time. They were also wary of giving the ruling bloc a chance to turn the tables, which could be possible if it sought to revise the Constitution with the excuse of adjusting the incumbent President's term, and could also keep Park in power.



Once an impeachment motion is endorsed at the Assembly, Park will be suspended immediately from all her duties, but this could be unlikely if the rival parties enter into talks for a constitutional revision.



Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk triggered such concerns, saying, "Revising the Constitution might not be a cure-all but it can be the first step to respond to the people's call to normalize the situation."



The opposition's move to speed up the impeachment vote was propelled by the confidence they could secure enough votes from the ruling bloc.



Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, the spokesman of a faction in the ruling party opposed to the President, confirmed earlier in the day that the number of lawmakers supporting impeachment was enough to ensure passage of the motion.



"It is not true at all that we have an issue in maintaining enough votes for the motion," he said after a lawmakers' meeting, dispersing worries among the opposition that they may waver following Park's speech.



The opposition needs at least 28 votes from Saenuri Party lawmakers for the motion to get the support of two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly.



Hwang said the rival parties should try to discuss Park's path by Dec. 8, and if they fail to see eye-to-eye, they should vote on the motion, Dec. 9.



The opposition leaders vowed to persuade dissenting factions within the ruling party to join them Friday, adding that they will gather again if this falls through. Some analysts view that they are open to the possibility of delaying the vote.
The logo of the ride-sharing service Uber is seen in front of its headquarters on Aug. 26, 2016, in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)

Ride-sharing company Uber's China brand has reportedly discontinued the operation of its mobile app as part of its merger with rival Did Chuxing.



The company commenced with the shutdown of its mobile app on Nov. 27, Shanghai Daily reported.



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The termination of the app was earlier announced the termination of the app a day earlier as part of Uber China's continuing shift towards using Didi's platform.



With the shutdown of the old app, current Uber China users have been advised to download the new app the company unveiled early in November.



While the new app retains the layout of the old one, it integrates the functions that can be found on Didi's native app, as well as giving it access to the latter's driver pool.



The new app has also removed the Uber Black category, which lets users choose more luxurious vehicle options. Instead, it will reportedly focus more on the People's Uber and Uber X services, which are both targeted towards medium-level costumers.



However, there have been several complaints about the new app discarding the English language interface and the option to link to a foreign credit card. The complaints said that the changes would make it harder for foreigners in China to use the service.



Uber China was acquired by major rival Didi in August after a long competition between the two companies. The merger established Did as the largest ride-sharing company in the country, with over 15 million registered drivers and around 100 million users.



Under the deal, Uber China would still retain its branding and will operate as an independent business unit. However, its driver pool is reportedly expected to be fully transferred to Didi's wing by the end of the month.



Meanwhile, Did has also entered a partnership with United States-based car rental service Avis Budget Group, China Daily reported. Under the new deal, Didi users will be able to rent cars from Avis' 10,000 outlets in 170 countries and regions around the world.


Chris Baumann

By Chung Hyun-chae



Companies can create a competitive edge by positioning themselves in relation to their competitors, Chris Baumann, an associate professor at Macquarie University in Australia, said.



"We need to do this because our customers don't look at our brand in isolation: they judge us, our prestige, quality and prices, relative to other brands that are available," Baumann, who is also a visiting professor at Seoul National University (SNU), said.



He therefore believed that customers' satisfaction levels with certain products or services are mainly determined by alternatives offered by other providers.



"A change in one brand's features, such as price or service provision, affects perceptions of that brand, but it also affects perceptions of other brands," Baumann added.



He pointed out that traditional marketing research and strategies have been too focused on one firm or brand perspective, neglecting market situations in which various companies are competing with each other in order to dominate the market.



"Customer satisfaction of hotels, restaurants, banks and airlines is often evaluated solely for that one hotel, restaurant, bank and airline, not factoring in how customers feel about the service or product in relation to other providers, or in short, in relation to competitive forces."



With this idea, Baumann came up with a new business marketing strategy called Einstein Marketing together with Wujin Chu, a professor at Seoul National University, and Hume Winzar, an associate professor at Macquarie University.



Albert Einstein, the German-born theoretical physicist, is most famous for his work of developing the general theory of relativity. This argues that we can only know the location and velocity of an object relative to other objects.



"In fact human behavior often depends on relative factors such as the circumstances," Baumann said. "Einstein Marketing is about designing products and services to beat the competition based on the relative competitive situation in each market."



He cited an example of a premium travel market in Korea to which many wealthy Chinese tourists come for weekend shopping and plastic surgery.



"Competitiveness in this case is characterized by very demanding customers, frequent premium business travelers, high volume of flights and flights offered by award-winning Korean airlines," Baumann said. "In order to remain in such a market, any airline must offer higher-than-usual levels of service, food beverages and operational handling."



According to Baumann, this shows how the Einstein Marketing could apply.



He cited another example of Australia where even business class lounges provide moderate services compared to lounges at new, award-winning Asian or Middle Eastern airports.



"Offering the same modest Sydney level in East Asia or modern Middle Eastern hubs would, however, be unacceptable and Einstein Marketing dictates the market offering has to be enhanced in order to be competitive," Baumann said.
Chung U-tak, director of the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), lectures on global citizenship education to Yonsei University students who visited the center in Guro-gu, southern Seoul, Oct. 28.

/ Courtesy of APCEIU



APCEIU expanding global citizenship courses to universities



By Chung Hyun-chae



Having more foreign students and sending more Korean students overseas will not be enough for local universities to achieve their dream of cultivating global talent.



Another effort they are making is spreading global citizenship education, which has been promoted by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) under the auspices of UNESCO.



Global citizenship education refers to the education that aims to equip students of all ages with knowledge, skills and universal values such as world peace, human rights and environmental sustainability, which are key elements for becoming global citizens.



Since the Global Education First Initiative was put forward by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2012, the international community has developed global citizenship education.



"Not only children but also adults including college students need global citizenship education which could inspire them to tackle world problems," said Chung Kyung-hwa, head of the APCEIU's office of external relations.



The APCEIU has been focusing on global citizenship education mainly to elementary and secondary schools. This year, however, the organization initiated a project to expand education to university level with support from the Ministry of Education.



Nine universities nationwide, including Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea and Hanshin are now providing their students with lectures about global citizenship. The ministry provided 80 million won ($68,000) to those universities.



Becoming interested in global issues



Yonsei University started lectures about global citizenship at its Department of Education this fall semester.



"This is the right time to strengthen global citizenship education for students amid a new era of isolationism that resulted in Brexit and U.S. President-elect Trump," said Park Soon-yong, chair professor at the department.



"The purpose of my class is to inspire my students to acknowledge that global issues are closely connected with local issues as well as our daily lives," Park said.



With financial support from the ministry, the professor said he was able to invite several experts including a refugee specialist, a foreign professor and NGO leaders to give special lectures in his class.



"By hearing their stories, I believe that students could broaden their horizons."

Lee Han, 25, an education major, said he became interested in global issues while attending Park's class, citing a story about Yiombi Thona, a professor at Gwangju University who was once a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo.



Prof. Thona, who is an educated man, had no choice but to work as day laborer and wasted his talent for a while after coming to Korea because he was a refugee.



"Thona's story made me think about problems caused by identifying refugees as a group of people, not individual people, as well as by failing to recognize the gravity of the issue," Lee said. "I believe a global citizenship education gives us a chance to think about these kinds of problems and take further actions."





Students from the Department of Education at Yonsei University talk with scholars from developing countries during a global citizenship education class on the school's campus in western Seoul, Oct. 26. / Courtesy of Yonsei University



Understanding each other's countries



Kang Soon-won, a professor of the Division of Psychology and Children at Hanshin University, is providing lectures on global citizenship education mainly for foreign students this semester.



Students from China, Japan, the Czech Republic, Russia and Uzbekistan are taking her class.



"While we had lectures to help foreign students understand Korean culture, there was no lecture to help them learn cultures and pending issues of other countries," Kang said.



As foreign students of different backgrounds learn issues of each other's countries, they are able to take an objective view, she said.



On Nov. 15, the students learned about the Chinese education system and discussed differences among countries.



"Japanese students told me that they became able to view the dispute over the name of the water between Korea and Japan, called the East Sea or Sea of Japan, in a more detached way," Kang said.



Developing students' thinking skills



Han Kyung-koo, dean of the College of Liberal Studies at Seoul National University, said his lectures aim to strengthen students' abilities to raise questions related to global issues and to tackle problems as responsible global citizens.



"First, I try to make my students realize the world is connected, by giving familiar topics as examples," Han said. "For example, coffee is popular in Korea but growing coffee beans causes environmental pollution."



Han had students make video clips on any global issue that they thought was important.



"While selecting topics for their video clips, students are able to ponder over global issues," Han said. "Using images and videos effectively is as important as writing effectively in expressing one's ideas," he added.



Park Gyu-bin, 20, a student taking Han's classes, said she acknowledges that all the countries are influenced by issues taking place outside their borders.



"Now I feel that I am no longer a tourist in foreign countries, but a global citizen," Park said.




EDINBURGH By Gordon BrownEDINBURGH  Today, the United Kingdom is united in name only. With different regions and industries desperately trying to opt out of a "hard Brexit" from the European Union, and Scotland even considering independence, whatever ties bind the UK together are being severely strained.

This is no temporary or passing phenomenon. The vote to leave the European Union was fueled by deep-seated public anger about the huge structural inequalities between the UK's north and the south  inequalities that, as UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond acknowledged this week, are the worst in Europe. Yet Brexit will only exacerbate Britain's regional divide: as the more export-dependent north loses jobs faster than the south, post-referendum optimism will be cut short.

Since 2010, the northeast has comprised 4% of the UK population, contributed just 3% of the country's gross value added (GVA), and accounted for only 2% of the economy's new jobs. Those figures are 11%, 9%, and 7%, respectively, in the northwest; and 8%, 6.5%, and 6%, respectively, in Yorkshire and Humberside. By contrast, London and the southeast have accounted for 26.8% of population, 37.7% of GVA, and 39% of new jobs. In fact, since 2010, half of all new jobs were created in London, the southeast, and the east.

A 2016 study by University of Groningen economist Philip McCann found that the UK's regional income gaps rival the worst in Europe. Average disposable household income in the Greater London area is 60% higher than in most other regions of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Moreover, according to the latest Eurostat data, average per capita GDP (in terms of purchasing power parity) in the Welsh and Tees Valleys is, respectively, 69% and 74% lower than the EU average, placing them below Lithuania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Overall, North England, Wales, and Northern Ireland's per capita GDP levels are lower than Mississippi and West Virginia's.

Regional economic policy used to be the tool for narrowing the divide. But the "Northern Powerhouse" initiative to revive cities in the UK's north has obscured a reduction in regional aid, which over the last six years has fallen to just 2 billion ($2.5 billion) annually. That is one-third lower than the average annual installment during the first decade of this century.

Today, as much as three-quarters of public funding for research and development is spent in the southern third of the UK, while only 7% is spent in the north. And historic infrastructure-spending gaps continue to widen: by 2020 or 2021, annual per capita transportation-infrastructure spending will reach 1,900 in London, but will be less than 300 in the northeast.

McCann argues that London is decoupling from the rest of the country, because few benefits  such as new jobs, industries, or technologies  ever flow out of the capital to other regions. This means that policies that enhance London's economy do little for the rest of the UK's regional economies.

All of this points to a powerful conclusion: the UK's centralist, Whitehall-dominated constitution  which evolved during the First Industrial Revolution, when London's political power was matched by the north and Midlands' greater economic power  is not suited to today's world. The UK's peripheral regions, with their high levels of long-term unemployment, are losing workers. A London-centric approach is no longer of benefit even to London, which struggles with congestion, economic overheating, and a housing crisis.

If the UK continues to centralize its decision-making, regional disparities will only deepen. The UK must adopt a more balanced approach that gives each region the power to develop its economic potential and bridges the divide between the core and periphery. To this end, it is critical to reframe the constitution to incorporate regional interests and recognize that the UK is a multinational state.

Such radical change  and, to match the scale of the crisis, it must be radical  will require a nationwide discussion, which could be conducted via a people's constitutional convention. That convention should start by examining Brexit's impact on regions.

We should ask, for example, whether it makes sense to repatriate powers and financial transfers from Brussels to Westminster, or if some powers and financing should instead be devolved to the regions and nations. Where possible, regional funds and policymaking powers  including environmental regulation and oversight of agriculture, fisheries, and local social programs  should be delegated to the appropriate regional authorities, such as the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies, city mayors, and local authorities.

The convention should also look at the broader case for building a more federal UK, for codifying a new division of powers between London and the regions, and for replacing the unelected House of Lords with an elected Senate of the Nations and Regions.

As a next step, the Labour opposition should ask Prime Minister Theresa May's government to sponsor a convention. If the government does not respond  as happened with the Scottish Constitutional Convention in 1989  Labour should lead the convention itself, and invite other political parties to participate. Constitutional reform is critical to develop institutions that meet the needs and aspirations of all parts of the UK. They cannot be delayed.

The UK's north-south divide raises issues common to all Western economies where movements promising to "take back control" for the people are forming, and a new identity politics is challenging moderate forces. We now must ask what surging nationalism and protectionism in an increasingly interdependent world mean for the way governments are structured.

The intellectual challenge that Britain has consistently sidestepped is how to balance autonomy with cooperation. With too much integration and centralization, calls for local control will only grow louder. If there is too little cooperation, we cannot solve economic and social challenges that require a collective approach. Only by getting the balance right can we begin to build a fairer, more united UK.

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, is United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education.
The opposition needs to step up their game



Again, the opposition parties have failed to show they are up to handling the national challenge of winding down the Park Geun-hye presidency. If this is the best they can do, it is obvious a great deal of chaos will follow Park's ouster.



Following the President's conditional offer to resign Monday, the opposition appeared unsure, showing signs of insecurity that their fragile coalition to impeach Park might crumble anytime.



They did maintain their united stance, for now. The leaders, including presidential hopefuls, kept their distance from Park's offer, dubbing it as a political ploy to throw off their hard-won agreement on the impeachment schedule.



First, they looked timid and lacked the semblance of an alternative leadership. Regretfully, they have not improved much in the month after Park admitted delegating power to her friend of 40 years.



They have come this far on the coattails of "people power" illustrated by weeks of remarkably peaceful candlelit protests.



Now is the time for the opposition parties to stop being faint-hearted and prove they are mature enough to accommodate the people's collective wish and provide a political solution in the name of an "orderly exit" for Park who has completely lost the people's trust.



The opposition parties should start to talk with the ruling party about Park's proposal to add flesh and bones to their wishes and lay out a concrete plan for her resignation.



There are risks, or so they think. The opposition may fear a popular backlash for deviating from the current course of action, potentially upsetting the pecking order of contenders for Park's job. Or the President's implausible political resurrection may keep them from taking a bold move.



But bear in the mind that they may take a bigger risk by insisting on the status quo. It would be like repeating the same answer to a different question and they will certainly flunk the test. The people will ultimately be the judge, come the presidential election.



If the opposition parties feel insecure, they may go on two tracks  setting out a bipartisan plan for Park's departure, while continuing to proceed with the impeachment plan. But we remind the opposition that impeachment is not the best political solution only because it will further hurt the integrity of the highest office of the nation, and set an undesirable and repeatable precedent. Rather, it could be better to have Park step down so she, as an ordinary person, can be investigated and punished for her wrongdoing. Legislators should step up their game.




Youn Yuh-jung was named the Woman in Film of the Year at the 2016 Women in Film Korea Festival, Monday.

/ Courtesy of organizing committee of the Women in Film Korea Festival

By Baek Byung-yeul

Veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung has been honored with the Woman in Film of the Year award at the 2016 Women in Film Korea Festival, Monday, for her role in 2016 film "The Bacchus Lady."

The organizing committee said it chose Youn, 69, as the recipient of the award, recognizing her "passion to acting as she is still active in playing such dignified and sophisticated roles."

Directed by E J-yong, well known for directing "An Affair" (1998), "Untold Scandal" (2003) and "My Brilliant Life" (2014), "The Bacchus Lady" revolves around 65-year-old prostitute So-young, played by Youn, who sells her body to old men at a park in downtown Seoul. In Korea, old prostitutes are often referred as "Bacchus ladies" because they sell small bottles of the popular energy drink Bacchus while selling sex. Since its release in October, the film earned strong reviews in a society where prostitution is banned.

With the film, Youn also recently won the Jury Grand Prize at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Nov. 24. Kim Dong-ho, chairman of the Busan International Film Festival and a jury member of the awards, said "the role was very difficult, and her performance was outstanding."

Youn made her acting debut in 1966 and was recognized as one of the leading actresses in Korea for her role in director Kim Ki-young's 1971 film "Woman of Fire." With the film, she won the best actress award at the Blue Dragon Awards, one of Korea's top film honors that year.

The Women in Film Festival has recognized notable female filmmakers and actresses who have contributed enormously to the country's film industry since 2000.

Emceed by Yoona, actress and a member of popular K-pop girl band Girl's Generation, this year's award ceremony will take place at Megabox Artnine Theater in Seoul, on Dec. 7.
Japanese writer Naoki Hyakuta suggested that suspects in a gang rape are foreigners. / Yonhap



By Lee Jin-a

Best-selling Japanese writer Naoki Hyakuta is embroiled in controversy after claiming that three Chiba University students arrested for alleged gang rape are "foreigners."

The author of the war novel "The Eternal Zero" is well known for inflammatory remarks.

These include his public denial of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre  the mass murder and rape committed by Japanese troops after the fall of the Chinese city in 1937  and issues of Korean and other girls forced into sexual slavery during World War II.

According to Sankei Shimbum, the novelist wrote a post on his social network account on Nov. 24 saying, "As police refuse to identify the suspects of a gang rape at Chiba University, suspicions are growing that the suspects are children of powerful political figures or business tycoons.

"But I think they are foreigners in Japan."

This groundless remark stirred controversy among Japanese netizens.

Journalist Daisuke Tsuda criticized Hyakuta on Twitter on Friday, saying, "Hyakuta keeps making these irrational remarks without getting tired of it. Twitter needs to suspend his account.

Another netizen posted on Twitter: "His post is not about criticizing police who refuse to reveal the identity of the criminals, but about falsely accusing foreigners as suspects, without evidence."

But Hyakuta said he did not discriminate against people based on their nationality.

"I never mentioned any specific race and I only speculated why police do not disclose the identities of the suspects," he wrote on his Twitter. "Is this a hate speech?"

In Japan, police commonly reveal the identities and photos of suspects.

But this time, they refused to identify the suspects, saying police needed to protect the victim.

On Nov. 21, three males from Chiba University, Japan, were arrested for the alleged gang rape of a female acquaintance.

The three students from the Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, in their 20s, allegedly gang-raped the woman inside a restaurant toilet in September.
The Migrant Workers' Human Rights group holds a rally in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square in March last year to celebrate International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. / Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Han-soo

Xenophobia is the Word of the Year, according to one of the world's biggest English dictionary websites, Dictionary.com, Tuesday.

This reflects tense racial conflicts as a result of Brexit, the Syrian refugee crisis, U.S. police shootings of African-Americans, and most recently, the U.S. presidential election.

"Xenophobia and other words tied to global news and political rhetoric reflected the worldwide interest in the unfortunate rise of fear of otherness in 2016, making it the clear choice for Word of the Year," said Dictionary.com CEO Liz McMillan.

"While we can never know the exact reasons why xenophobia trended in our lookups this year, this reflects a desire in our users to understand the significant discourse surrounding global events."

The largest search spike for the term "xenophobia" was on June 24, the day after the Brexit was announced.

The search rate spiked 938 percent to previous dates.

South Korea and Xenophobia

Unfortunately, South Korea has also been regularly associated with xenophobia.

This year alone, aspects of xenophobia have been apparent in Korea with various criminal cases involving Chinese nationals on Jeju Island, mistreatment of migrant workers and discomfort about Islam and halal food.

In a study published by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2012, Korea hit a record low of 36.2 percent of people in favor multicultural families.

The figure is particularly low compared to 73.8 percent in 18 European countries.

The research also showed that 86.5 percent of survey respondents viewed being of "genuine Korean" descent as important.

Experts say such feelings against foreigners in Korea can have a negative impact on the nation's economy and public atmosphere.

"Expressing hatred against a specific can cause serious mental suffering to those targeted," Dr. Lee Joo-young, an adviser at the Seoul National University Human Rights Center told The Korea Times.

"Korea has to break away from the concept that it is a homogenous country and stop persecuting people based on nationality, race and skin color."

Lee said Korea had a duty to act against such discrimination under the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) which Korea ratified on Dec. 5 1978.

"As a member nation of CERD, the Korean government should clearly state that xenophobia goes against human rights standards," Lee said.

"A regular convention or discussion should be held to talk about such issues and relevant laws.

"The National Assembly and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea should consider and pass laws banning such acts."

Xenophobia has long affected many foreigners in Korea.

On Oct. 24, 2014, Amnesty International published a report on South Korea's farming industry's exploitation of migrant labor.

The report exposed alleged violence, squalid housing, excessive working hours, no regular rest days and mandatory unpaid overtime.

The report also shed light on the discrimination and xenophobia to which migrant workers were exposed in Korea.

"If South Koreans were trapped in a similar cycle of abuse, there would rightly be outrage," a migrant worker told Amnesty International.
Yoon Su-yeon stands on the street in Osaka, Japan, on Monday to offer hugs to Japanese passersby. / Captured from YouTube



By Hong Dam-young

A Korean woman dressed in traditional attire has held her arms wide open for a hug in the middle of a busy street in Osaka, Japan, where anti-Korea sentiment has been running high recently.

A wooden sign in front of her read in Japanese: "I am Korean. Anti-Korea rally is taking place across the street. But I trust you. Would you like a hug?"

Her eyes were covered and nervousness was etched on her face.

Yoon Su-yeon stood on the street Monday to offer hugs to Japanese passersby.

A group of anti-Korea protesters marched behind her waving "Rising Sun" flags, a reminder of Japanese war crimes and imperial aggression during the Second World War. The use of the flag is considered heavily offensive in Korea, a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945.





The video that captured the hugs  released on YouTube on Monday  showed curious Japanese people flocking around her. Nobody approached at first, but a young woman made the first move. Then, one after another, smiling people of all ages hugged her.



Her bold move got the attention of many, following long-running anti-Korea sentiment that has been increasing in Osaka in response to "wasabi terror."

The incident unfolded in October when some Korean visitors accused a sushi restaurant in central Osaka of intentionally serving them excessive wasabi "to make fun of them." The report sparked controversy on social media over whether the extra wasabi was a discriminatory and ill-intended act by the Japanese restaurant against Korean customers.

Other incidents followed in which Japanese allegedly attacked Koreans and damaged a Korean national flag by drawing cockroaches on it.

The Korean consulate general in Osaka even warned Korean visitors to be careful.





A passerby hugs Yoon while curious Japanese people flocked around her. / Captured from the Internet



Meanwhile, the free-hug campaign to dispel such enmity was started by a Japanese man who also filmed Monday's free hug. Koichi Kuwabara, 31, has been repeating the campaign across major cities of the two countries, including Busan in Korea and Kyoto in Japan, for the past five years. As the campaign grew, volunteers from both countries joined in. On his first outing in Korea in 2011, he reportedly hugged 100 people in three days.

The 2:30 minute YouTube video went viral on social media, with netizens commenting: "This is so touching," "Love wins hatred" and "I feel grateful for their effort to bring the two countries together."

The clip signs off with narration that resonates with both sides.

"Hatred doesn't bring peace. We can stay together with smiling faces.

"Won't you build our future together?"
An establishment in Ireland that uses Bitcoin for payment displays a signage for customers. (Photo : Getty Images)

The demand for Bitcoin is expected to surge as a result of China's new capital control regulations that restrict overseas investment by Chinese firms, similar to the one that the Chinese government had imposed on wealth management products (WMPs) in October, analysts said.



A report by cointelegraph.com said that the series of regulatory measures were introduced by government in October, which was aimed at managing the country's S13 trillion worth of WMPs.



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According to the report, the price of Bitcoin immediately increased, surging by three percent, after the People's Bank of China announced the policy last month.



But this month, the State Council is set to implement stricter regulations on overseas investment with the aim to support the economy and prevent local companies from taking funds out of the country.



Based on documents submitted by the State Council, the Chinese government will pass a set of regulatory policies in the coming weeks.



According to sources, multi-billion dollar deals that were formed and established overseas are the main concern of government, as some Chinese firms have rising debt to EBITDA ratio (earnings before interest depreciation and amortization). EBITDA is the rating used by credit agencies to evaluate the probability that a company may default on issued debt.



In addition, the government believes that limiting the companies' funds or capital within the country is important to a strong economy.



Official data showed that the total overseas direct investment rose more than 50 percent to $145.9 billion in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period from last year, The Wall Street Journal reported.



Once the new regulations take effect on overseas investment, companies will be prevented from close investments and acquisitions that are worth more than $1 billion, the report said.



The new capital control, which will be released before the end of 2016, will also apply to companies that already have invested overseas which exceeded $1 billion.



Analysts and financial media sources said that as soon as the new regulations are passed, the demand for Bitcoin will surge significantly, and the impact on the price of the digital currently could be the same as the effect that the WMP crackdown had on Bitcoin.



The price of Bitcoin is also expected to surge three to five percent and its price will likely increased by another $20, based on current average market price.


This file photo taken on May 25, 2002 shows Cuban President Fidel Castro speaking to a crowd, holding a Cuban flag, in Sancti-Spiritus, some 340 kilometers east of Havana. / AFP



By Park Si-soo



Cuba's former President Fidel Castro, who led a rebel army to improbable victory, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half century rule, has died at age 90.

"The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 10:29 p.m. (Friday)," President Raul Castro said in an urgent TV speech. The President ended his announcement by shouting the revolutionary slogan: "Toward victory, always!"

Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul, his younger brother, took over in 2008. The senior Castro will be cremated on Dec. 4.

In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress.

He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious."

"I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined."

"Soon I'll be like all the others, "to all our turn must come," Fidel Castro said.

Castro -- who had survived many assassination plots -- was the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century.







A file picture dated 03 January 2004 shows Cuban President Fidel Castro addressing the nation on occasion of the 45th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution in the Karl Marx Theater in La Havana. / EPA-Yonhap



His legacy



Castro's reign over the island-nation 145 kilometers from Florida was marked by the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The bearded revolutionary, who survived a crippling U.S. trade embargo as well as dozens, possibly hundreds, of assassination plots, died 10 years after ill health forced him to hand power over to Raul.

Castro overcame imprisonment at the hands of dictator Fulgencio Batista, exile in Mexico and a disastrous start to his rebellion before triumphantly riding into Havana in January 1959 to become, at age 32, the youngest leader in Latin America. For decades, he served as an inspiration and source of support to revolutionaries from Latin America to Africa.



His commitment to socialism was unwavering, though his power finally began to fade in mid-2006 when a gastrointestinal ailment forced him to hand over the presidency to Raul in 2008, provisionally at first and then permanently. His defiant image lingered long after he gave up his trademark Cohiba cigars for health reasons and his tall frame grew stooped.

''Socialism or death'' remained Castro's rallying cry even as Western-style democracy swept the globe and other communist regimes in China and Vietnam embraced capitalism, leaving this island of 11 million people an economically crippled Marxist curiosity.

In this March 14, 1957 file photo, Fidel Castro, the young anti-Batista guerrilla leader, center, is seen with his brother Raul Castro, left, and Camilo Cienfuegos, right, while operating in the Mountains of Eastern Cuba. / AP-Yonhap



He survived long enough to see Raul Castro negotiate an opening with U.S. President Barack Obama on Dec. 17, 2014, when Washington and Havana announced they would move to restore diplomatic ties for the first time since they were severed in 1961.

He cautiously blessed the historic deal with his lifelong enemy in a letter published after a month-long silence. Obama made a historic visit to Havana in March 2016.

Fidel Castro Ruz was born Aug. 13, 1926, in eastern Cuba's sugar country, where his Spanish immigrant father worked first recruiting labor for U.S. sugar companies and later built up a prosperous plantation of his own.

Castro attended Jesuit schools, then the University of Havana, where he received law and social science degrees. His life as a rebel began in 1953 with a reckless attack on the Moncada military barracks in the eastern city of Santiago. Most of his comrades were killed and Fidel and his brother Raul went to prison.

Fidel turned his trial defense into a manifesto that he smuggled out of jail, famously declaring, ''History will absolve me.''

Freed under a pardon, Castro fled to Mexico and organized a rebel band that returned in 1956, sailing across the Gulf of Mexico to Cuba on a yacht named Granma. After losing most of his group in a bungled landing, he rallied support in Cuba's eastern Sierra Maestra mountains.

Three years later, tens of thousands spilled into the streets of Havana to celebrate Batista's downfall and catch a glimpse of Castro as his rebel caravan arrived in the capital on Jan. 8, 1959.

The U.S. was among the first to formally recognize his government, cautiously trusting Castro's early assurances he merely wanted to restore democracy, not install socialism.







This Sept. 25, 2016 file photo shows Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro talking with China's Premier Li Keqiang, in one of the last pictures taken of Castro before he died, in Havana, Cuba. / AP-Yonhap



Within months, Castro was imposing radical economic reforms. Members of the old government went before summary courts, and at least 582 were shot by firing squads over two years. Independent newspapers were closed and in the early years, homosexuals were herded into camps for ''re-education.''

In 1964, Castro acknowledged holding 15,000 political prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled, including Castro's daughter Alina Fernandez Revuelta and his younger sister Juana.

Still, the revolution thrilled millions in Cuba and across Latin America who saw it as an example of how the seemingly arrogant Yankees could be defied. And many on the island were happy to see the seizure of property of the landed class, the expulsion of American gangsters and the closure of their casinos.
Three Pine Ridge Reservation family members are facing federal charges relating to two children found extremely malnourished earlier this month.

Darshan Lace Featherman, Roberta Featherman and Tressa Featherman were arrested Nov. 21.

Darshan and Roberta Featherman are charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. They are being held, without bond, in the Pennington County Jail.

Tressa Featherman was charged with knowing of the alleged felony. She has been released on condition, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The 2- and 3-year-old girls were discovered when police went to a home for a reported dispute. According to the Associated Press, the children were found lying on the floor hidden with blankets. They each weighed about 13 pounds. They were so severely malnourished that a pediatrician later compared them to prisoners of World War II concentration camps.

The U.S. Attorneys Office did not release the specific relationship the three Feathermans have with the children.

A blog called the Oglala Spotlight says the children were living with family in the Potato Creek community between Kyle and Wamblee.

At this time we do not know the condition of the children.
JTBC cable channel has prepared the remake of a crime novel "Solomon's Perjury" to replace the nearly-ending "My Wife is Having an Affair" in the Friday and Saturday drama slots. The drama follows the murder case in a prestigious high school.

"Solomon's Perjury" is an adaptation of a long-running mystery crime novel of the same name written by Japanese novelist Miyuki Miyabe. The novel was published in the magazine Shosetsu Shincho novel magazine from 2002 to 2011, and was adapted into two sequel movies released in Japan in 2015 and directed by Izuru Narushima.

"Solomon's Perjury" will solve the case a murder of a school boy in a prestigious high school in Seoul. The two lead roles are students at the school. One is a female student who has good martial skills she uses to defend the bullied students, and a male student who is a classical music prodigy and son of a prosecutor.

The investigation will find several suspects for the murderer. But neither one of them has a solid alibi nor a strong motive to kill the boy, whose body was found in the schoolyard.

The Korean version of the drama was made into a short 12-episode drama written by Kim Ho-Soo. Young actress Kim Hyun-Soo will take the leading female role while Jang Dong-Yeon will be the lead male role according to official release from JTBC.

The other casts is Seo Ji-Hoon who will play the suspected murderer. The production studio iWill Media and JTBC are actively promoting the drama "Solomon's Perjury." Including showcasing Seo as the charming suspected murderer as reported by Seoul Daily News.

Prior to the filming, the entire cast and crew gathered at the JTBC building in Sangam, Seoul for a script reading on November 2. Susequently, JTBC released the image taken from the script reading below:
FDA Lifts Ban On Silicone Breast Implants (Photo : Getty Images)

Unscrupulous doctors used an illegal substance called Amazingel as an implant on the breast of a Chinese woman named Wang. A decade after the procedure was done, the woman went to a hospital for a check-up with a bloated stomach.



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However, her breasts  which were injected with the banned substance  had shrunk. Now middle-aged, Wang discovered, after doctors examined her that the Amazingel dropped to her stomach. Surgeons removed the illegal substance by surgery, Shanghaiist reported.



The reason Amazingel is banned is because the substance causes cancer. And because it is not compatible when implanted in human body, it travels throughout the human body by migrating to the stomach and underarms when injected in the breasts.



According to Healthfrom, a medical website, Amazingel is polyacrylamide hydrogel. It is commonly known as artificial fats made up of colorless, transparent liquid like a jelly, polymerized from acrylamide monomer.



After injecting Amazingel, it cause inflammation, infection, induration, lump, deformation, displacement and other complications. In April 2006, state Food and Drug Administration ordered the stop of its production and use.



According to Researchgate, Amazingel is widely used in China for mammoplasty because the procedure is easy to perform and non-invasive. Similar to the middle-aged woman who wondered where her implant went while wondering why her stomach is bloated, there have been numerous similar cases in China in which patients complained of deformity and breast discomfort.



In some cases, such as that of a 37-year-old Chinese woman studied in the Researchgate report, doctors successfully removed the Amazingel and reconstructed her breasts with the use of silicone implants that resulted in aesthetically tolerable results.






UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is open to talks with the WWE though Dana White is likely to step in. (Photo : Getty Images/Michael Reaves)

Conor McGregor proved to everyone once again why he is the UFCs cash cow following his victory over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the lightweight champion. He has been often linked to the WWE and the Royal Rumble could be the perfect stage to see him in the ring.



Appearance is one thing but seeing 29 other men likely wanting a piece of him is another. Everyone knows his celebrated jab at the WWE stars, one that drew violent reactions. Then again, he could use his skill and avoid the mayhem and do what he does best  entertain.



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All that is a fantasy for now but with Conor McGregors agent (Audi Attar) welcoming talks of a possible WWE stint, seeing the Irishman in the WWE ring could be possible. That is unless Dana White comes forward to nix such from happening.



Conor McGregor will certainly be welcome. WWE COO Triple H witnessed his UFC 205 performance plus the antics he has been doing. That said, McGregor is someone who could easily fit in with the WWE even if he is at a distinct weight disadvantage.



Nevertheless, Triple H believes that weight will not be a problem, the Daily Mail reported. He adds that the WWE has stars who weigh only 200 lbs. and are certified stars.



But how does this fit in with the fact that McGregor may have made a lot of enemies following the pansies remarks directed to the WWE? From the looks of it, McGregors beef with other stars will not be much of a problem with the company standing by him for racking in revenue.



As far as settling the heat, on-screen manager Paul Heyman believes that unless current WWE stars can prove they are better draws and money-makers, most will be left with no recourse but to get used to the brash-talking Irishman in the event he does sign up, Yahoo reported.



For now, seeing Conor McGregor in the WWE remains a fantasy. But with the right contract and money on the table, the fantasy could become a reality soon.



Check out the video below covering the possibility of Conor McGregor ending up in the WWE.






Jawans at Nagarota. (Photo : Indian Army)

The Indian Army received another black eye -- the worst since the infamous Uri attack on Sept. 18 -- when three Muslim Kashmiri terrorists broke into an army base in Nagarota town in Jammu and Kashmir and killed seven soldiers in a brazen early morning attack on Nov. 29.



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It was the second worst loss of life in a single action inflicted by Muslims on the army since the Uri attack by four Muslim militants that killed 19 jawans.



The army said the Muslim terrorists infiltrated the based disguised as police officers. Once inside the gates of the base at Nagrota some two miles from the army's regional headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir, the militants stormed the officer's dining hall while throwing grenades, killing four Indian soldiers.



The militants then took hostage 16 soldiers, women and children before being all killed in a subsequent gun battle. An Indian officer and two jawans were also killed in this firefight. Total army dead included two officers and five soldiers.



Analysts believe this latest in a string of attacks is unlikely to provoke the type "surgical strikes" conducted by India after the Uri assault. They believe, however, that India must respond in kind or risk more humiliation.



Nov. 29, incidentally, was the day General Qamar Javed Bajwa became the 16th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army succeeding General Raheel Sharif who retired from service the previous day.



In his farewell speech, Gen. Sharif warned India it "should know that mistaking our policy of patience for weakness would be dangerous."



The Indian Army's Northern Command said it recovered the bodies of three terrorists. Operations are underway to ensure no terrorists are lurking in the vicinity of the base.



Indian media said the Nagarota attack on is the latest major attack in an escalating string of attacks by Muslim terrorists from the other side of the Line of Control allegedly either abetted or directly supported by the Pakistan Army.


The king of a region in Uganda has been charged with murder after clashes with security forces over the weekend in which at least 87 people were killed.

Charles Mumbere was detained after government forces raided his palace in the Rwenzururu region on Saturday.

The authorities accuse him of launching a secessionist movement to create a new state, to be called Yiira.



King Charles has denied any involvement in the violence.

At least 16 police officers and 46 royal guards were killed in the clashes in Kasese district, according to official figures.

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JASSM-ER launches from an F-16 (illustration). (Photo : Lockheed Martin)

Poland, militarily the most powerful NATO member-state along the western border of the Russian Federation, has clinched a deal to buy 70 AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER), a low observable standoff air-launched cruise missile made by the United States.



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Both the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of State have approved the sale of this weapon made by Lockheed Martin Corporation. The State Department has approved the $200 million foreign military sale to Poland.



The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland has said it wants this stealth weapon with a range of 1,000 km to arm its fleet of U.S.-made its General Dynamics F-16C/D fighter jets. JASSM-ER is capable of striking targets in western Russia with its 910 kg penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead when fired from Polish Air Force jets flying over eastern Poland.



In addition to buying 80 of the JASSM-ERs, the Polish Air Force will also receive flight test vehicles, simulators, spare parts and other equipment.



It operates a fleet of 48 General Dynamics F-16C/D multirole jets used mainly for ground attack. It also has some 50 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29A/UB air superiority fighters and Sukhoi Su-22M4 fighter bombers in its inventory.



"The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and the national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally," said a State Department statement.



"Poland continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in Central Europe."



The State Department also believes the deal "will improve Poland's capability to meet current and future threats of enemy air and ground weapons systems. Poland will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.



"These weapon and capabilities upgrades will allow Poland to strengthen its air-to-ground strike capabilities and increase its contribution to future NATO operations."



Poland is one of four frontline NATO member states directly in the path of a Russian invasion of Europe. The other three countries are the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.


Lapo Elkann, the brother of Fiat Chairman John Elkann and an heir to Italys biggest industrial dynasty, was arrested in New York City on Saturday after claiming he had been kidnapped.

Elkann, 39  who also is internationally known as a fashion icon and entrepreneur  filed a false police report claiming somebody was holding him against his will, said New York Police Sergeant Lee Jones.

New York police arrested Elkann, the grandson of late Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli, at 10:30 p.m. Saturday inside an apartment with a 29-year-old man. The man was initially charged with grand larceny but those charges were dropped.



Elkann allegedly faked his own kidnapping after he ran out of cash after spending two days with an escort and allegedly claimed a woman threatened to hurt him unless a $10,000 ransom was paid, according to the New York Post.

Jones declined to comment on those details. The police have released Elkann but ordered him to appear in court on Jan. 25.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

Customers dont just shop at Nelson Photo. They stop, browse, talk shop, talk shop some more, and then buy what they came to buy or drop off film for developing. Yes, film. Its still alive and well at Nelson Photo.

If youve been around San Diego any length of time, you remember the Nelson Photo store and warehouse on India Street in Little Italy. It was a fixture in that neighborhood for 55 years. After a brief move to La Jolla, Nelson Photo can now be found in Point Lomas Midway District, where, co-owner (with wife Nancy) Larry Kuntz emphasizes theres plenty of parking and the old-fashioned Classics Malt Shop next door.

This building, Kuntz said is obvious enthusiasm, is perfect for us.

The Kuntzes bought the camera store from the Nelson family in 2001. Nancy had been the longtime manager at the Little Italy location. Nelson Photo actually was a much bigger entity than it is today, Larry Kuntz explained. It was a retailer, yes, but also a wholesaler and a distributor of products going back to the 50s. (Nelson Photo supplied clients such as Convair and General Dynamics.) They sold part of it to us and sold the much larger part to Fuji.

The Nelson Photo location may have changed a couple of times since that Little Italy heyday, but its services and products have not. Cameras are still our bread and butter, Kuntz said, and accessories for any kind of camera system. We still offer classes, too  thats a big part of our business.

What Kuntz calls the legacy of our business is a very strong photo lab. We still print pictures, we still develop film, we still sell film.

According to Kuntz, while the so-called digital revolution of 2001-2007 seemed to foretell the end of film, that has not been the case. In the last five or six years films kind of had a resurgence, he said. People have realized how good film is.

Theres also the fact that People love good pictures and good cameras. One of our challenges, Kuntz added, is to get people to get their images off their phones and on to something  either print or some kind of digital CD or DVD or jump drive of cloud. We do a lot of that now.

Nelson Photo has about 16 employees on site. Most everybody here is some type of photographer, Kuntz said, which is surprisingly unusual for a lot of camera stores, where people there are retail. Here, most everybody shoots. That adds up to a lot of in-store conversations and consultations, and some sharing of memories, too.

This is a nice business, Kuntz said. Its Hey, Im taking pictures of my baby, or Im getting married or Im going to Africa. Its a fun place to be.

 Nelson Photo, 3625 Midway Drive, Suite J, San Diego. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. (619) 234-6621. nelsonphotosupplies.com

The Business Spotlight features commercial enterprises that support the La Jolla Light.
Google Pixel smartphone introduced at a press conference (Photo : Getty images/GLENN CHAPMAN / Staff)

Google must have a good reason when it killed the Nexus brand in favor of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. A new report indicates that profit is the chief motivating factor as the tech giant is projected to make more than $5 billion in revenues until the end of 2017 or around nine million of Pixels sold.



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By yearend, Google is said to clear no less than three million Pixel devices or realized revenues of up to $2 billion, 9to5Google said, pointing to the report issued by Morgan Stanley. In the same estimation, the Pixel maker is seen push out nearly six million units of the flagship handsets that will lead to revenues of $3.8 billion.



In leaving behind the Nexus era, Google stands to make close to $6 billion in total sales with up to 25 percent in expected profit margins. And it is the 128GB Pixel XL that will prove as the biggest revenue generator for the latest smartphone line from Google while the cheapest of the bunch, the 32GB Pixel, will deliver 22 percent of profit margin.



The basic Pixel starts at $649 while the XL version with 128GB of memory sells for $869.



The Morgan Stanley estimate somehow justifies the decision by Google to retire the Nexus brand, which caused an uproar among hardcore Android fans. In the years of the Nexus circulation, the line is thought to be a commercial failure - unable to deliver profit to its maker.



Yet Google has always maintained that Nexus was designed to showcase the new features of each of Android OS iteration and the devices were sold nearly at cost.



That business model was apparently ditched with the Pixel thrust in which Google partnered with HTC. With the new flagships, the tech giant dumped the subsidy on handsets and marked the new phones with competitive pricing, nearly at the same level with that of Apple's iPhones and Samsung Galaxy models.



Additionally, the Morgan Stanley report indicated that with the Pixel phones picking up steam Google will also register marked increased in related services like mobile search and the redesigned Android Pay. Of note is that the same forecast was an aim that the tech giant had hoped to achieve with the Nexus line.



An aside, 9to5Google noted that the gains projected for the Pixel and Pixel XL are likely to the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, which suffered recurring battery explosion that forced Samsung to pull the device model out of the market. In short, Samsung's loss translated to Google's benefits as will be seen in upcoming sales performance of the Pixel smartphone line.


China's Sunway TaihuLight, the world's fastest supercomputer. (Photo : National Supercomputing Center )

Japan will start building the world's fastest supercomputer by 2017 with generous funding by a Japanese government eager for Japan to regain its place at the pinnacle of world computing and electronics it enjoyed in the late 20th century, and plans to dominate Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and development.



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Drawing on government funding amounting to $173 million (Yen 19.5 billion), Japanese engineers will build a supercomputer with a speed of 130 petaFLOPS (or 130 quadrillion calculations) per second. This machine, which will be called "AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure (ABCI)," will be developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tokyo.



AIST said ABCI will be an open innovation platform for very advanced research and development into AI. ABCI is expected to rapidly accelerate the deployment of AI into Japanese businesses and society and will be suitable for AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning projects.



ABCI's 130 petaFLOPS speed will easily eclipse the current holder of the world's fastest supercomputer crown: China's Sunway TaihuLight capable of 93 petaFLOPS. Sunway Taihulight is being used for weather forecasting, pharmaceutical research and industrial design, among others.



The United States, which owned the world's fastest supercomputer before TaihuLight displaced it in 2015, is planning to build an even more powerful supercomputer capable of 250 petaFLOPS. This American monster will be dedicated to advancing research into AI.



Administered by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, AIST integrates scientific and engineering knowledge to address socio-economic needs.



"As far as we know, there is nothing out there that is as fast," said Satoshi Sekiguchi, AIST director general.



He said ABCI will help tap medical records to develop new services and applications. Bidding for the project has begun and will close on Dec. 8.



News that China now owns the world's fastest supercomputer also ignited a race to build the world's first exascale supercomputer.



When it's built, an exascale supercomputer will automatically become the world's fastest since one exaFLOPS is equivalent to 1018 or 1,000 petaFLOPS. China plans to have its first exaFLOPS machine up and running by 2020 while the United States sees 2023 as its deadline.


Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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Screen grab: Martin Baron with Sarah Ellison of Vanity Fair.



Martin Baron, the editor of the Washington Post who is possibly better known as the editor who pushed the Catholic Church abuse investigation depicted in the movie "Spotlight," accepted an award Monday that is named for the late journalist Christopher Hitchens. In his speech, Baron talks about Donald Trump's year of ugly threats and vile verbal attacks on the Post and on all reporters who cover him, and says the best response journalists can make is to keep telling the truth.

Sounds like Marty, a former colleague at the Los Angeles Times, expects a rough four or eight years. As a privileged child of wealth and an obsessed seeker of approval, Trump has never accepted the right of the press to tell the truth about him and his business practices. Now as a politician he will have more power to go even uglier in his dishonest crusade to weaken the media oversight of his administration. His assault on the core American value of a free press is, for me, the most threatening and anti-American inner demon of Donald Trump. By running for president, he signed up for 24/7/365 coverage. His words and actions since the election have only proven he needs more scrutiny than any previous incoming president. I'm with Baron: good honest truthful journalism and journalists are needed in the face of Trump's war on the tradition of a strong, independent press.

Here's the part of his speech that is about the media and Trump. Read the entire speech at Vanity Fair.



We will have a new president soon. He was elected after waging an outright assault on the press. Animosity toward the media was a centerpiece of his campaign. He described the press as disgusting, scum, lowlifes. He called journalists the lowest form of humanity. That apparently wasnt enough. So he called us the lowest form of life. In the final weeks of the campaign he labeled us the enemies.

It is no wonder that some members of our staff at The Washington Post and at other news organizations received vile insults and threats of personal harm so worrisome that extra security was required. It is no wonder that one Internet venue known for hate and misogyny and white nationalism posted the home addresses of media executives, clearly inviting vandalism or worse. Thankfully, nothing that I know of happened to anyone. Then there was the yearlong anti-Semitic targeting of journalists on Twitter.

Donald Trump said he wanted to open up libel laws. And he proposed to harass unfriendly media outlets by suing them, driving up their legal expenses with a goal of weakening them financially.

With respect to The Washington Post, he ordered our press credentials revoked during the campaign, barring us from routine press access to him and his events, because our coverage didnt meet with his approval. Even before we were subjected to his months-long blacklist, Donald Trump falsely alleged that our owner, Jeff Bezos, was orchestrating that coverage. And he openly hinted that, if he became president, he would retaliate.

Jeff Bezos himself addressed this perfectly at one pointon several occasions actually.

We want a society, he said, where any of us, any individual in this country, any institution in this country, if they choose to, can scrutinize, examine, and criticize an elected official, especially a candidate for the highest office in the most powerful country on earth. . . .

We have fundamental laws and . . . we have Constitutional rights in this country to free speech. But thats not the whole reason that it works here. We also have cultural norms that support that, where you dont have to be afraid of retaliation. And those cultural norms are at least as important as the Constitution.

Getting elected didnt change anything. After his electionin the midst of protests against himDonald Trump resorted to Twitter to accuse the media of inciting violence when, of course, there had been no incitement whatsoever by anyone.

The other night, CNNs Christiane Amanpour eloquently explained the gravity of such deliberately false accusations emanating from a future head of state. She was speaking when she was honored by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Postcard from the world, she said, This is how it goes with authoritarians like Sisi, Erdogan, Putin, the Ayatollahs, Duterte, et al . . . First the media is accused of inciting, then sympathizing, then associatinguntil they suddenly find themselves accused of being full-fledged terrorists and subversives. Then they end up in handcuffs, in cages, in kangaroo courts, in prisonand then who knows?

When the press is under attack, we cannot always count on our nations institutions to safeguard our freedomsnot even the courts.

At times throughout our history, they have shamefully failed to do sowhether it was the Sedition Act of 1798 under President John Adams, harshly repressive Sedition and Espionage Acts under Woodrow Wilson in the context of World War I, or the McCarthy Era that still serves to remind us of what comes of a dishonest and reckless search for enemies.

The ultimate defense of press freedom lies in our daily work.

Many journalists wonder with considerable weariness what it is going to be like for us during the next fourperhaps eightyears. Will we be incessantly harassed and vilified? Will the new administration seize on opportunities to try intimidating us? Will we face obstruction at every turn?

If so, what do we do?

The answer, I believe, is pretty simple. Just do our job. Do it as its supposed to be done.

The principles begin like this: The first mission of a newspaper is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained.

The public expects that of us. If we fail to pursue the truth and to tell it unflinchinglybecause were fearful that well be unpopular, or because powerful interests (including the White House and the Congress) will assail us, or because we worry about financial repercussions to advertising or subscriptionsthe public will not forgive us.

Nor, in my view, should they.


NISCSS sponsored conference on the South China Sea. (Photo : NISCSS )

A Chinese state-owned think tank focused on the South China Sea said the United States continues to increase its military presence in this disputed sea with incessant air, sea and submarine patrols whose numbers will exceed 1,000 this year and might probably reach 2,000.



The National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) located in Haikou City on the island province of Hainan, reported over 700 U.S. reconnaissance patrols of the South China Sea in 2015, a far more "quieter" year than 2016 when tensions between the U.S. and China rose to its most dangerous levels so far.



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NISCSS specializes in research on issues of the South China Sea. It claims to have formed a systematic scope of research into the South China Sea, including the strategy; the geopolitics and policies employed by China and neighboring countries with claims to this sea.



China is now the "No. 1 targeted country" of close reconnaissance by the U.S., said NISCSS in its "Report on the Military of the United States of America in the Asia-Pacific Region."



Included in these patrols are U.S. Navy Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) where its warships sail as close to China's string of man-made militarized islands in the South China Sea to assert these waters are international waters. Navy air reconnaissance has also increased in frequency.



The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague last July 12 ruled in favor or the Philippines by ruling as illegal China's claim to own most of the South China Sea. The ruling also affirmed the sea as international waters.



The report said the U.S. launched more than 1,200 close reconnaissance sorties against China in 2014 compared to over 260 in 2009. There was an "obvious increase" in the number of US close reconnaissance activities in the South China Sea in 2015, said the report.



The U.S. has also raised the "frequency, scale and complexity" of joint military exercises and aerial military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2014, US Pacific Command initiated 160 bilateral and multilateral military exercises, but the number of drills rose to 175 in 2015, according to the report.



"In recent years, the contents of exercises expand to such subjects as ground warfare, aerial warfare, maritime warfare, anti-missile warfare, special operations, electronic and cyber warfare."



"Such (U.S.) activities have not only threatened China's national security, damaged China's relevant maritime rights and interests and undermined Sino-US strategic mutual trust, but is also very likely to lead to accidental collisions at sea or in the air, making it an important negative factor affecting Sino-US relations and also peace and stability in the region," said the NISCSS report.



"China could possibly set up an Air Defense Identification Zone in the South China Sea if the US continues to intensify patrols and low-altitude spying in the region," said NISCSS president Dr. Wu Shicun.



Dr. Wu is also president of the Institute for China-American Studies (ICAS), the only Chinese think tank with an office in Washington D.C.



"It's very possible for President-elect Donald Trump to deploy more vessels in the South China Sea," he added.


P-45 last year. National Park Service photo.



In response to the news that a state permit was granted to hunt and kill one of the Santa Monica Mountains pumas it studies, the National Park Service put out a statement of condolence on Tuesday "to those who have lost a pet or animal as a result of being preyed upon by native wildlife. This is extremely unfortunate for everyone."

The statement says, however, that killing P-45 will not solve the problem of domestic animals being preyed upon by mountain lions in the Santa Monicas. At least four of the local lions have killed livestock in the past year, the park service letter says.

P-45 has been blamed for the weekend deaths of at least 11 alpacas in the western Santa Monica Mountains. Ten of those animals were killed at one ranch.

I had wondered in yesterday's post and on Twitter why a puma would kill 10 alpacas in one spree  much more prey than is necessary for feeding. When one of the local lions kills a deer, for instance, I gather that the feeding on a single deer takes place over more than one day. Today's statement from the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area addresses the issue  basically it's because the lion is a predator and the alpacas are trapped in an enclosure and can't run away.

The solution is keeping ranch animals and pets in lion-proof enclosures, says park service spokesranger Kate Kuykendall.

@LAObserved Natural mountain lion response to kill animals that do not flee and are stuck in a pen. Thx for your question!  Santa Monica Mtns (@SantaMonicaMtns) November 29, 2016



Here is the entire statement.

We extend our condolences to those who have lost a pet or animal as a result of being preyed upon by native wildlife. This is extremely unfortunate for everyone.

Our partners at the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) have issued a permit, as they are required under state law, for the mountain lion known as P-45 to be killed within 10 days. Although we conduct research on the local mountain lion population, CDFW is responsible for managing the state's wildlife. We respect the legal process that is currently underway, but also suggest that we all need to work together in the future to ensure that pets and livestock are safe and that mountain lions can continue to roam in the Santa Monica Mountains, as they have done for millennia. To that end, we are co-hosting a workshop tomorrow night with CDFW (http://bit.ly/2faU2sF) that will offer simple and affordable solutions to protect animals in safe enclosures. We have worked with a number of landowners in the past to develop solutions that have successfully protected goats and alpacas. The only long-term solution to keeping mountain lions in these mountains is mountain-lion proof enclosures for otherwise defenseless animals. Eliminating P-45 does not solve the problem, especially given there are at least four mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains that have killed livestock over the past year. Nor is P-45's behavior abnormal or aberrant in any way, even if the number of animals killed is large. In a typical natural setting, animals flee from a mountain lion attack, but if animals are stuck in an unsecured pen, a mountain lion's natural response can be to prey upon all available animals. We look forward to working with local residents and our partners to keep pets and livestock safe and also to keep these mountains wild. Kate Kuykendall

Spokesperson

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

National Park Service



P-45 was first tagged by researchers in late 2015 as a fully grown male  only the third adult male that was recognized in the western Santa Monicas. P-12 no longer wears a working collar but park service researchers believe he is still alive and fathering new cub litters. P-27 is a male who inhabits territory further east and keeps his distance from P-12. The park service also monitors P-22, the often-photographed male who lives off by himself in the canyons of LA's municipal Griffith Park.

The park service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Mountain Lion Foundation are meeting with residents on Wednesday night at Paramount Ranch above Agoura Hills in hopes of avoiding any more lion conflicts.
PRESS RELEASE

MEP Zanni Asks EU Commission, Mogherini To Investigate Ukrainian, Azov Closure of Vitrenkos Party Office

Nov. 29, 2016 (EIRNS)The following written Query to the Vice President of the European Commission and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, was filed on Nov. 28 by Member of the European Parliament Marco Zanni (M5S, Italy):

"On Oct. 28, the security forces of the Ukrainian government, together with the Azov Battalion, illegally seized the offices of Siver Ukraina LLC. This building has hosted the office of the Ukrainian Socialist Progressive Party (PSPU) since 2005, together with other associations such as the Union of Eurasian Peoples, the Assembly of the Orthodox Women of Ukraine, and the PSPU newspaper. The Ukrainian police seized the building, leaving it eventually in the hands of the SBU [Ukrainian Security Service] for a search. "Are the VP/HR aware of this development? "Since the PSPU is the main opposition party, do the VP/HR not think that this act represents a serious attack against the freedom of thought and of political expression?"

[signed] Marco Zanni, Member of the European Parliament Group Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy

The Schiller Institute was informed of the attack on the PSPU, headed by Dr. Natalia Vitrenko, on Nov. 1. Dr. Vitrenko, who ran for President in 1999, is the economist who leads the PSPU, and has warned since the early 1990s that the brutal economic policies demanded by the International Monetary Fund would set the stage for political chaos and a fascist movement in Ukraine. The Azov Battalion is an armed formation rooted in the fascist Right Sector movement, which was instrumental in the violent coup of February 2014, in which Ukraines elected President Victor Yanukovych was overthrown. This year, Azov registered itself as a political party, called the National Corps.

Dr. Vitrenkos party this year has been physically attacked by Right Sector toughs, and is facing government attempts to deregister it.
PRESS RELEASE

Putin Orders Field Hospitals to Syria

Nov. 29, 2016 (EIRNS)Russian President Vladimir Putin issued orders today to the Defense and Emergencies Ministries to immediately deploy airmobile hospitals to Syria "with a view to providing medical assistance to the residents of Aleppo and nearby territories," according to the Kremlin statement. "This task is to be implemented within the shortest possible time frame as per the decision of the President."

The Defense Ministry is to provide a field hospital with 100 beds and capable of handling 420 outpatient visits per day, while the Emergencies Ministry is to provide another 50 beds and 200 outpatient-per-day capacity.

The Emergencies Ministry issued a press release reporting that its airmobile hospital and doctors will fly to Syria in the morning on Nov. 30.

"The hospital will be deployed in the vicinity of Aleppo to provide highly-qualified, high-tech medical assistance to residents of that Syrian city hit by artillery bombardments by terrorist groups gunmen,"

the press service said. Among those who need emergency medical assistance are children, women, and senior citizens who cannot get it to the full extent in Aleppo whose infrastructure has been destroyed and hospitals damaged, reports TASS. The Defense Ministry hospital includes admission and out-patient rooms, childrens care, surgery, anesthesiology, and intensive care departments, an X-ray room, and a diagnostics laboratory. The medical team includes pediatricians and obstetricians.
PRESS RELEASE

Russia Will Talk Arms Control If NATO Stops Its Military Buildup

Nov. 29, 2016 (EIRNS)Alexander Grushko, Russias ambassador to NATO, said, yesterday, that if NATO wants to resume arms control discussions with Russia, it must stop its military buildup in the east.

"The situation in the arms control sphere has been rather complicated lately," he noted.

"The main difficulty is that it is unreasonable to urge Russia to advance the use of the relevant tools and at the same time continue military buildup based on the Cold War era plans." "If NATO countries are actually ready to invest in the mechanisms of arms control, then they should first and foremost abandon their plans to strengthen the alliances eastern flank as well as their attempts to achieve military superiority in order to restrain Russia,"

Grushko said. The Russian diplomat pointed out that this was the only way to "start a meaningful dialogue on ensuring military security."

Grushko was responding to the statement initiated by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Nov. 25, and signed by 13 European foreign ministers, calling for calling for the re-opening of arms control talks with Russia and warning that the existing arms control regimes with Russia are crumbling.
PRESS RELEASE

Russian Trade Relations with Norway and Finland Are Shifting, in Attempt To Return to Pre-Sanctions Levels and Better

Nov. 29, 2016 (EIRNS)Despite NATO-related tensions, Russia and Norway plan to sign several new economic and political agreements at the session of their inter-governmental commission on economic, industrial, and scientific and technical cooperation in the spring of 2017. Russia's ecology and natural resources minister and Norway's trade and industry minister had agreed to resume sessions of the commission which had been suspended since June 2013, after Norway joined the sanctions regime of the European Union, although it is not a member of the EU.

"In the second half of April [2017], the session of the commission should take place with participation of the Norwegian minister. I hope that we will prepare all necessary proposals by that time. We plan to sign several agreementsin the spheres of scientific and technical cooperation, regional cooperation, energy,"

Russia's Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Sergey Donskoy told TASS after meeting with Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Monica Maeland.

Maeland said,

"I had a constructive and good meeting with Minister Donskoy; we are positive towards a resumption of a political dialogue on trade and economic cooperation. We want a good neighborly relationship with Russia, and not the least in the north, where we have a common border and common interests."

At the meeting with Maeland, Donskoy said,

"we discussed what has been done since 2014 at the level of [the] commission's working groups. We also continue to cooperate with Norway in the sphere of oil and gas. Lukoil and Rosneft, which are working on the shelf here, have continued their operations throughout all this time. Other Russian companies are also considering the potential of the Norwegian shelf."

"Norway remains a strategic partner for Russia in northern Europe," Donskoy is quoted sayin in the Barents Observer.

Prior to the imposition of EU sanctions and Russian counter-sanctions, Russian-Norwegian trade turnover was 3 billion, including more than 1 billion in Norwegian fish exports to Russia. Now trade is less than 1 billion, which the two countries hope to increase.

In another sign of a shift in European-Russian relations, the Finnish-Russian trade commission met in Moscow last week for the first time in three and a half years. Finnish Minister for Foreign and Development Kai Mykkanen told the Barents Observer that a renewal of cooperation at the state level will open new trade opportunities. Finland is a member of the European Union and has been also toeing the anti-Russia line, although not as stubbornly as some of the other Baltic states. The week before, Finnish Interior Minister Paula Risikko had been in Moscow for meetings with FSB leader Aleksandr Bortnikov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, and Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Pushkov.
The Breitbart News Network is seeing some of its advertisers head for the exit doors and is responding in typical Breitbart fashion: by going on the counteroffensive, labeling one of them as un-American and calling it a war on conservatism.

Since Donald Trumps victory in the presidential election, Los Angeles-based Breitbart has experienced a backlash from some advertisers who say that the online site conflicts with their corporate values.

Breitbart took a pro-Trump stance during the campaign, supporting the Republican candidates views on immigration and national security. The companys executive chairman, Steve Bannon, who is on a leave of absence, was Trumps campaign manager and has been named chief White House strategist.

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Although Bannon was quoted in Mother Jones as saying Breitbart is a platform for the alt-right  the ultraconservative movement associated with white nationalism  the news site has denied accusations that it engages in racist rhetoric. The company has stated that it isnt affiliated with the alt-right and that the brand of nationalism it espouses is political, not racial.

Breitbart is fighting back at one of the advertisers  the breakfast cereal maker Kellogg Co.  by launching a Twitter campaign #DumpKelloggs that encourages its readers to sign a petition and boycott the maker of such favorites as Froot Loops and Apple Jacks.

On Wednesday, Breitbart placed an article about its #DumpKellogs campaign in the top slot of its homepage. By early afternoon, the article had drawn more than 6,000 reader comments, many in support of the boycott.

Kelloggs decision to blacklist one of the largest conservative media outlets in America is economic censorship of mainstream conservative political discourse. That is as un-American as it gets, Breitbart said in a statement.

The site said it has a community of 45 million loyal readers who are also a powerful consumer group that reflects the values of mainstreet America. In October, the site drew 19.2 million unique visitors, up nearly 50% from 12.9 million visitors in the same month last year, according to data from ComScore.

The Kellogg Co. said in a statement that it regularly works with media buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that arent aligned with our values as set forth in our advertising guidelines.

Kelloggs guidelines state that it wont place ads in media that encourages offensive behavior to others, or where the media is not consistent with our product or corporate image.

The cereal company said that it advertises on a large number of websites, so occasionally something is inadvertently missed. In this case, we learned from consumers that ads were placed on Breitbart.com and decided to discontinue advertising there.

It is common for companies to buy online ads through third-party networks or ad exchanges that place the ads on numerous sites. As a result, many companies may not be aware of which sites on which their ads ultimately appear.

Other companies that have pulled their ads from Breitbart in recent weeks include the insurance giant Allstate and the ad exchange AppNexus.

We determined that the site violates our hate speech prohibition, said Josh Zeitz, a spokesman for AppNexus. He said that Breitbart was never a direct client, but that some of AppNexus technology partners made Breitbarts inventory available on its exchange.

A spokeswoman for Allstate declined to comment.

It remains unclear how much the loss in ad revenue will hurt Breitbart. The media company is privately held and doesnt discuss its business operations. But Chief Executive Larry Solov recently told the Los Angeles Times that the company relies on advertising for the majority its revenue and that it uses multiple ad networks.

The company said Wednesday that Kelloggs decision will make virtually no revenue impact. It said the move by Kellogg and other companies represents an escalation in the war against conservative customers whose values propelled Donald Trump into the White House.

Breitbart is rumored to receive significant backing from the hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer, who has been a key supporter of Trump. The site was founded a decade ago by journalist Andrew Breitbart, who died in 2012, and has an editorial staff of about 100 worldwide.

The site has seen a surge in popularity in the months leading up to the election and is planning to expand its footprint into France and Germany to capitalize on the nationalist movements gaining steam in Europe as a result of the continents refugee crisis.

On Wednesday, some of Breitbarts top brass took to social media to take aim at the advertising defectors, describing Kellogg as bigotry for breakfast.

Far, far, far more bigotry comes from the left than the right, said Alex Marlow, Breitbarts editor in chief, on Twitter.

david.ng@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT

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Air conditioning company Carrier said Tuesday that it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

Trump spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas. His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

The details of the agreement were unclear; the company had said it would move some 2,000 jobs to Mexico.

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Carrier tweeted Tuesday that the company was pleased to have reached a deal with Trump and Pence to keep jobs in Indianapolis.

The president-elect had leverage in any discussion with Carrier. Its parent company, United Technologies, says that 12% of its $56.5 billion in annual revenue comes from military and aerospace sales.

A transition official confirmed that the president-elect and Pence, who is ending his tenure as Indiana governor, would appear with Carrier officials Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the trip ahead of an official announcement.

Trump said last week that he was making progress on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana.

The event in Indiana will mark a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisors and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries. He plans to make other stops later this week as part of what advisors have billed as a thank you tour for voters who backed him in the presidential campaign.

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A fighter jet is soaring through unfriendly skies when its sensors detect a hurtling, incoming missile.

Within seconds, a pod on the fighter activates and shoots out a high-energy laser that destroys the threat.

This isnt the stuff of science fiction. Its the U.S. military trying once again to turn a 50-year-old vision into reality.

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Spurred by advances in laser technology, as well as the evolving capabilities of potential adversaries, defense firms are developing laser weapons systems, ranging from aircraft armed with a high-energy laser to attack ground targets to countermeasures to protect future fighter jets from missiles.

In August, Northrop Grumman Corp. won a $39-million contract to build the beam control system for a laser countermeasure project called Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator, or SHiELD, spearheaded by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The advanced technology demonstration will determine whether high-energy lasers can disable or destroy missiles shot from the ground or the air more effectively than current countermeasures, which use lower-powered lasers, electronics and decoys to fool the missile, said Richard Bagnell, SHiELD program manager.

In addition to the beam control system, which will be partly developed at Northrop Grummans Redondo Beach campus, the demonstration system will include a laser and its housing structure.

We believe that lasers have matured ... to the point where we can package those lasers in a system that can fly on an aircraft and survive the environment and operate as needed for us to defeat the threat, Bagnell said.

But similar hopes have been repeatedly thwarted by the limits of physics, since the first working laser was built at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu in 1960.

So far, no one has perfected a system that produces a beam powerful enough to burn through atmospheric disturbance, and then through metal, at great distances, without requiring huge machinery and vast amounts of energy.

That was the case with the last high-profile attempt to put an offensive laser on an aircraft, the so-called YAL-1, which was supposed to shoot down ballistic missiles during their ascent using a large laser mounted in the nose of a modified Boeing 747.

The YAL-1s chemical oxygen iodine laser created energy through reactions caused by mixing chemicals. That technology can create powerful beams, but the chemicals were caustic and the system required huge storage, cooling and power systems.

The YAL-1 destroyed a ballistic missile in a 2010 test off the coast of Southern California, but the program was canceled a year later.

Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who had already cut off plans for a second aircraft, succinctly summarized the programs shortcomings in a congressional hearing:

I dont know anybody at the Department of Defense  who thinks that this program should, or would, ever be operationally deployed. The reality is that you would need a laser something like 20 to 30 times more powerful than the chemical laser in the plane right now to be able to get any distance from the launch site to fire, he said.

The lasers useful range was so short it would need to orbit inside the border of Iran to shoot down a missile, Gates pointed out.

But advances in solid-state lasers have once again raised the Pentagons hopes. In a solid-state laser, electrons in a solid material, such as a crystal  rather than a gas or liquid  are energized to emit photons, which are amplified to produce the beam.

The Air Force is looking to develop an offensive laser weapon system for its AC-130 gunship aircraft to be test-fired by the end of the decade on ground targets, such as vehicles or buildings. San Diego-based General Atomics is one of the companies interested in working on a laser for the system, and has been developing a prototype.

And the Missile Defense Agency is looking into a long-endurance drone prototype that could be armed with a laser and fly at high altitudes to minimize the atmospheres effect on the beam.

If you look across these technology efforts, it looks like within the next four to five years, there will actually be prototypes, said Mark Gunzinger, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense research institute.

The Northrop Grumman program would use lasers to defend an aircraft from enemy missiles.

Interest in laser countermeasures dates back at least to the Vietnam War, when U.S. helicopters were being shot down by shoulder-launched missiles, said Dave Rockwell, senior analyst at the Teal Group.

In response, helicopters were equipped with infrared countermeasures, such as wide-angle heat lamps, to distract heat-seeking missiles from the aircraft. Over the years, fighter jets have countered heat-seeking missiles with flares, though those became less effective as missile technology improved to work on two different wavelengths.

Analysts say lasers have a number of advantages as a countermeasure system. They can be more precise than traditional methods and are less expensive to use.

You dont have to spend money on some sort of defensive weapon, said Loren Thompson, military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a think-tank based in Arlington, Va. Its just a beam of light.

Todays solid-state lasers use materials like a thin disk or fiber optic cable and mirrors to produce a coherent beam of light. That allows for a more compact weapons system that can fit on smaller surfaces, like fighter aircraft, said Gunzinger.

But there are still a number of challenges.

Lasers lose power the farther their beam has to travel through the atmosphere. Their efficiency decreases when they have to beam through rain, smoke or dust.

A laser countermeasure system also needs to be compact and aerodynamic.

Thats an issue Lockheed Martin Corp. tackled recently in creating a prototype laser turret that could fire a laser in all directions. The defense company first started working on the idea in 2008 and developed the project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The turret utilizes mirrors to ensure the laser beam can get through the atmosphere and hit its target. When its not in use, the structure can be stored in one of the planes weapons bays, making it flush to the aircraft and minimizing air turbulence, said Paul Shattuck, director of Lockheed Martins directed energy programs in the space systems division.

The turret, installed on a business jet for test purposes, went through more than 60 flight tests in 2014 and 2015.

Were going to be operating in an environment where there are substantially more threats than there have been in the past, Shattuck said. The need for self-defense systems  is going to become more and more important.

The beam control system Northrop Grumman is developing for SHiELD will monitor atmospheric disturbances, find and track incoming missiles and then shape and focus the beam on the target  all while the aircraft flies as fast as supersonic, said W. Mark Skinner, vice president of directed energy at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, in a statement.

The SHiELD system will go through ground and flight tests with a lower-powered stand-in laser around 2019, Bagnell said. Once the actual laser is developed, it will be united with the rest of the system for ground and flight tests in 2021.

Whether the system actually makes it into future fighters depends on whether it overcomes the familiar hurdles of cost and effectiveness.

There are plenty of challenges to go around, all of which we believe we have a pretty good handle on at the moment, said SHiELDs Bagnell.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more business news, follow me @smasunaga

MORE BUSINESS NEWS

Trump names billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary

California-based electric car maker Lucid will build its 1,000-horsepower car in Arizona

Labor prepares to defend its victories on higher wages and worker rights
OPEC ministers have agreed to cut production of crude oil for the first time in eight years, a move that may produce ripple effects from global financial markets to the U.S. economy and trickling all the way down to the corner gas station.

I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters Wednesday after the announcement was made at the Vienna headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth.

Under the plan, the cartel will cut production by roughly 1.2 million barrels a day. OPECs dominant member, Saudi Arabia, will absorb the biggest hit by cutting about 500,000 barrels a day.

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The deal also extends to some non-OPEC countries, such as Russia, which is slated to reduce production by 300,000 barrels a day.

OPEC controls about one-third of the worlds oil supply, and a number of energy analysts on Wednesday said they expect prices to reach the $55 to $60 dollar a barrel range in fairly short order.

Gasoline prices generally move with oil prices, so an uptick in crude almost certainly will mean that motorists will pay more at the pump. But the increase may be muted, said Bernard Weinstein, associate director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University.

Right now, weve got huge inventories of gasoline and diesel, Weinstein said. And youre going into the winter season where people tend to drive less.  We may see a 5- to 10-cent increase over the next week or so, but I think gasoline and diesel will remain relatively inexpensive, at least until next spring.

The longstanding rivalry between the Saudis and Iran, a country looking to boost its revenue from oil after years of international sanctions, nearly derailed Wednesdays meeting, and the agreement with non-OPEC countries wont be formally addressed until a meeting on Dec. 9.

Analysts at Barclays expressed skepticism about the deal, calling it too good to be true.

Nonetheless, oil prices surged within moments of initial reports of the deal being struck. The price of the U.S. benchmark West Texas intermediate crude jumped $4.21, or 9.3%, to close at $49.44 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose $4.09, or 8.8%, to $50.47 a barrel in London.

The last time OPEC countries cut production was in December 2008 when Brent crude was trading at $40 a barrel.

The projected cut is intended to stem a two-year slide in oil prices. In November 2014, OPEC surprised energy analysts by keeping production levels high, instead of cutting supplies to bolster prices.

Prices plunged from more than $100 a barrel in the summer of 2014 to as low as $26 a barrel in February of this year.

The price drop proved disastrous for many OPEC countries that depend on oil revenue to keep their economies afloat.

North American producers also suffered, reversing many of the gains they made in shale oil formations in recent years and resulting in an estimated 200,000 layoffs and dozens of bankruptcies that affected the larger U.S. economy.

I would argue one of the reasons we have reported very sluggish economic growth over the last two years is because of the drop in the investment in oil and gas companies, Weinstein said.

In California, for example, the number of active oil rigs plummeted from 44 in the fall of 2014 to just four earlier this year, according to the oilfield services company Baker Hughes. Thats the lowest number for the state since Baker Hughes began compiling figures in 1992. The November rig count for the state stands at six.

Nikolewski writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with staff reporting, including closing prices for oil and a discussion of the potential impact on gasoline prices.

This article was originally published at 8:55 a.m.
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen billionaire financier Wilbur Ross, known as the king of bankruptcy for his investments in distressed properties, to serve as Commerce secretary.

Although there was no official announcement, Ross confirmed the appointment during an interview Wednesday morning with CNBC.

If confirmed, Ross would become the Trump administrations chief liaison with the business community and a leading advocate for U.S. trade abroad.

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Ross said he wanted to fix dumb trade deals made by the U.S. and would work to improve the quality of U.S. jobs.

Its the quality of jobs as well as the quantity, Ross told CNBC, adding that its not the same for a former steelworker to be flipping hamburgers for a living.

Ross, 80, who was a senior policy advisor to Trumps campaign, is worth $2.9 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Like Trump, Ross has been critical of U.S. trade deals. He sharply criticized trade negotiators and called for the U.S. to withdraw from the yet-to-be-ratified Trans-Pacific Partnership and to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has pledged to do both upon taking office.

I think theres a big difference between the impact of trade agreements on corporate America and the impact on Mr. and Mrs. America, Ross said in an August interview with CNBC. What were doing is were exporting jobs and importing products, instead of exporting products and keeping jobs.

He headed the bankruptcy practice at investment bank Rothschild Inc. for a quarter-century before starting his own investment firm, WL Ross & Co., in 2000.

Ross sold his firm in 2006 to mutual fund company Amvescap in a deal that was valued at that time at as much as $375 million. Ross is the investment firms chairman and chief strategist.

In August, WL Ross & Co. agreed to a $2.3-million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve an investigation into charges the company failed to properly disclose fees to some investors.

Ross would take the helm of a department that shares trade responsibilities with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, whose head also is a Cabinet member.

The Commerce secretary oversees a disparate group of agencies, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the International Trade Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Census Bureau and and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Republicans and Democrats both have targeted the Commerce Department for elimination in recent years.

In 2012, President Obama proposed to close Commerce and combine its business and trade functions with those of other agencies, such as the Export-Import Bank and Office of U.S. Trade Representative, in a new department.

Presidents often have used the job, which is viewed as a second-tier Cabinet position, as a reward for top political supporters with business ties.

For example, the current Commerce secretary is Penny Pritzker, a Chicago business executive who was a longtime Obama supporter and top campaign fundraiser.

Ross had reportedly been under consideration to be Treasury secretary, a much more powerful and influential Cabinet job.

Ross is a Yale graduate and art collector. He has a home in Palm Beach, Fla., where Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate is located.

Ross is not a stranger to politics and, like Trump, was a Democrat for much of his life.

In 1995, Ross, then a Democratic fundraiser, married New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey, who was a rising Republican star.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki dropped McCaughey Ross from his ticket when he ran for reelection in 1998.

She switched parties and unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for governor, a campaign Ross promised to fund. But shortly before the Democratic primary, Ross cut off her funding and the couple divorced in 2000.

In 2004, Ross married for the third time, to Hilary Geary, a society writer for Quest magazine.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Follow @JimPuzzanghera on Twitter

UPDATES:

4:50 a.m. Nov. 30: This article was updated with Ross confirming his selection as Commerce secretary and comments on trade in a CNBC interview.

This article originally was published at 6:05 p.m. Nov. 29.
A former home of film noir director Otto Preminger, known for the movie mysteries Laura (1944) and Fallen Angel (1945), is for sale in Sherman Oaks for $2.195 million.

Preminger isnt the only Hollywood tie to the property. Previous residents of the Spanish-style house include Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, actor David Leisure and filmmaker Michael Cooney.

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Built in 1925, the 4,095 square feet of living space contains formal living and dining rooms, a den/office, five bedrooms and 4.25 bathrooms. The updated English country-style kitchen opens to a family room with a wet bar.

French doors open to tiered grounds filled with various patios, a built-in bar/kitchen and a swimming pool. Elsewhere is a one-bedroom guest house with a lofted bonus room.

The house last changed hands two years ago for $1.75 million, records show.

Steve Shrager of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage holds the listing.

Preminger, who died in 1986 at 80, was known as much for his mystery thrillers as he was his turbulent personality, and he often clashed with the stars of his films. Among his motion pictures successes was Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and The Cardinal (1963), both of which were nominated for Academy Awards.

neal.leitereg@latimes.com

Twitter: @NJLeitereg

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Over the last month, Ive logged some serious mileage across California for a story about race and the national parks that was published on Sunday. It explores the ways in which the National Park Service, a federal agency originally charged with protecting wilderness, has come to conserve places that have been the site of both contentious and inspiring incidents related to race in American history.

As part of the assignment, I toured the Port Chicago Naval Magazine outside of San Francisco and sat next to the graves of labor activists Cesar and Helen Chavez in the bucolic Tehachapi Mountains outside Bakersfield. I visited the sites of the former Japanese American internment camps at Tulelake and Manzanar.

On one of those journeys, I casually posted a photograph of an old theater on Tulelakes main street on social media. My pal Nate Chinen, a New York-based jazz writer whose father was Japanese American, left me a comment: This is the town where my father spent his first four years, in internment.

When I saw it, my heart sank.

RELATED: Our national parks can also be reminders of Americas history of race and civil rights 

The Tule Lake Segregation Center was the most punitive of the Japanese American internment camps. Seen here: The old jail. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

A foundation from one of the old barracks buildings at the Tule Lake Segregation Center. The camp held almost 19,000 people at its peak. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

If you read about the histories of the National Park Service sites dealing with issues of race and ethnicity you will see a lot of numbers: Almost 120,000 Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. The average lifespan of a farmworker in the mid-1960s was 49 years, and the hourly wage was 90 cents.

At Port Chicago, 320 men, mostly African Americans working in a segregated unit during World War II, lost their lives in a fiery munitions explosion  an accident borne out of the carelessness and disregard of naval commanders. The death toll represented 15% of the African American dead from World War II.

A view of what remains of the World War II-era pier at Port Chicago, where 320 men, mostly African American, lost their lives in an explosion. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

At Port Chicago, ranger Stephanie Meckler supplied us with historic photos that revealed the extent of the damage. Remains for most victims were never found. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

But taking the time to go to these sites makes these abstract figures come to life  connecting them to very real human stories.

At the Manzanar gravesite monument, where my only soundtrack was the wind and the gentle rustling of paper cranes left as tokens, I learned about the Japanese American woman who was buried there after dying in childbirth.

At Port Chicago, I found out about an African American man who was so traumatized by the magnitude of the explosion that incinerated his colleagues that he couldnt stop shaking.

It is those individual stories that makes a visit to these sites so incredibly visceral. And given the political moment, so incredibly relevant.

Ill never be able to look at my photos of Tule Lake without thinking of Nates dad  a toddler in a prison camp, his only crime to be born to Japanese parents.

Please read the story and check out the stellar images by Times photographers Francine Orr and Gary Coronado.

Herewith, a few images I wanted to share from my own journey:

Multiple families were squeezed into a single barrack at internment camps. Seen here: A reconstructed dwelling at Manzanar. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The entrance to Camp Tulelake, a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp that held Japanese American incarcerees early on during World War II. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The mess hall at Camp Tulelake, which first held Japanese American incarcerees, and later, European prisoners of war. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

A reconstructed guard tower marks the entrance to Manzanar, the former Japanese American internment site in the Owens Valley. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

The reconstructed mess hall in a World War II-era building at Manzanar. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

Entering the galleries at the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument  which documents the 1965 Delano grape strike. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

At the gravesite of labor activists Cesar Chavez and Helen Chavez in Keene. (Carolina A. Miranda / Los Angeles Times)

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Our national parks can also be reminders of Americas history of race and civil rights

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Kanye West reportedly isnt stable enough to leave the hospital By Christie DZurilla (Kamil Zihnioglu / Associated Press) A week after Kanye West was reluctantly hospitalized, the rapper reportedly doesnt appear ready to head home anytime soon. Despite rumors that West would check out after the holiday weekend under the care of his personal physician, people with direct knowledge of the situation told TMZ on Monday that West still wasnt stable enough leave Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. A West rep had no official update on the rappers status early Monday, but insiders clues have been filling in some of the blanks. One major topic of discussion has been Kim Kardashian Wests role as a stabilizing factor in her husbands life. Sources involved with the situation told The Times last week that it had taken two hours to persuade Yeezy to agree to hospitalization  ostensibly for dehydration and sleep deprivation. Read More Facebook

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Food Network is rebooting Iron Chef America franchise By Tracy Brown Culinary titans will clash once again in Kitchen Stadium. The Food Network is planning a new Iron Chef America series called Iron Chef Gauntlet. According to Variety, Iron Chef Gauntlet is expected to start production early next year. While details about the new show are sparse, the series will bring back longtime Food Network host Alton Brown. Brown, who was the host and commentator of both Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef, confirmed his involvement with a photo teasing his new role for Gauntlet. For the uninitiated, Iron Chef America (based on the Japanese Iron Chef TV show) saw chefs from around the world challenge various Iron Chefs to a 60-minute showdown involving a secret ingredient. The two teams present judges with five courses that were scored based on taste, plating and originality. Finally. #IronChefGauntlet pic.twitter.com/92lrDF8uW7  Alton Brown (@altonbrown) November 28, 2016 Facebook

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H&M wishes you a very Wes Anderson Christmas By Tracy Brown Wes Anderson fans are in for a Christmas treat. The filmmaker has brought his distinct flair -- and recurring collaborator Adrien Brody -- to a holiday ad for the clothing company H&M. And its basically exactly what you think a Wes Anderson H&M commercial would be. Set on a train, the short film stars Brody as Conductor Ralph, who has the unfortunate task of informing passengers that, due to circumstances beyond his control, the train will be arriving 11 hours late. As the delay will likely ruin most holiday plans, Conductor Ralph invites all the passengers to a brunch complete with seasonal decorations and chocolate-flavored hot beverage with whipped topping. The short, titled Come Together, definitely bears Andersons quirky hallmarks, with the train and Brody conjuring a Darjeeling Limited feel. You almost forget that its an H&M ad until you realize the passengers wardrobe doesnt quite match the rest of the Anderson aesthetic. Watch the full short above. Facebook

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Black film critics predict the end of #OscarsSoWhite By Trevell Anderson The African American Film Critics Assn. released a statement Monday naming 2016 the best year ever for black people in cinema. The national organization also predicted an end, albeit potentially temporary, to #OscarsSoWhite. The studios and major film distributors really gave it to us this year, said Gil Robertson, AAFCAs co-founder and president. By any measurement, its been an exceptional year for blacks in film. From comedies to high-quality dramas and documentaries, 2016 will forever represent a bonanza year for black cinema, and all cinema really. Black films in 2016 have ran the gamut from comedies and romantic thrillers to dramas and documentaries. Read More Facebook

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Tom Ford crafts a layered thriller-within-a-thriller with Nocturnal Animals By Mark Olsen Filmmaker and fashion designer Tom Ford talks about his new film, Nocturnal Animals. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Tom Fords day job as one of the worlds best-known and most successful fashion designers puts him in an unusual position regarding his filmmaking. While audiences and critics may bring expectations that his movies occupy the same precise world as his fashion work, Ford sees them as very different endeavors with very different purposes for him. Well, Im not doing it to make money. I make my money doing other things, he said. Fashion is where I make my living, and so consequently, when I design a fragrance, I think, Is this going to sell? I love it, OK, but is it going to sell? And thats not the way I think when I approach film. Its What do I want to say?  In the coolly unnerving Nocturnal Animals, Ford takes on the empty consumerism and lack of personal connection in modern life, which might also be seen as something of a rebuke of his other career. Amy Adams plays Susan Morrow, a Los Angeles fine-art dealer weary of her high-end world, who receives a package from her ex Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) containing a novel dedicated to her.  Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Armie Hammer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Tom Fords Nocturnal Animals. Fashion, Im just making surface... Whereas film can be about what you are deeply inside.  Tom Ford Read More Facebook

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Grace VanderWaal performs I Dont Know My Name, shares her age-related angst on Today By Christie DZurilla Forget not knowing her name: Now Americas Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal doesnt know her age, either. And its pretty stinkin cute. The 12-year-old is stuck in sixth grade, she said Monday on the Today show, where she performed her original tune I Dont Know My Name as a palate cleanser after the long holiday weekend. I never went into seventh grade. I am now home-schooled. Im stuck in sixth grade. I cant get it out of my mind, Grace told the hosts with a frustrated demeanor typically reserved for people going through retirement, menopause or the end of grad school. You know when you have a birthday, and youre like, Im 9  10! she said. I dont correct myself. Im just like, Hi, Im a sixth-grader! So set an alarm and someone give her a heads-up on Jan. 15, OK? Thats when Grace turns 13. Meanwhile, Her EP Perfectly Imperfect comes out Friday. Facebook

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Moana bests Fantastic Beasts with $81-million five-day Thanksgiving box office haul By Mikael Wood Disneys Moana sailed to No. 1 at the box office over the long holiday weekend, with estimated ticket sales of $81.1 million  more than enough to bump last weeks chart-topper, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, to No. 2 on the U.S. tally. Even more encouraging for Disney, though, might be that Moana  an animated musical about a Polynesian princess on a mission to save her island  now holds the record for the second-biggest five-day Thanksgiving opening. Its haul from Wednesday to Sunday beat that of Pixars Toy Story 2, which raked in $80.1 million in 1999. Early box-office returns for Moana came close to matching figures for 2013s Frozen, which leads the five-day Thanksgiving list. But in the end, Disneys summery adventure fell short of the wintry crown holders unsurpassed $93.5-million opening. Read More Facebook

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Anne Rice looks to bring Vampire Chronicles to TV, Game of Thrones'-style By Jevon Phillips Anne Rice at her home in Palm Desert. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Anne Rice is once again in control of the vampire Lestat and her other creations from the Vampire Chronicles, and shes looking to expand on the legend through an epic television series. Posting on her Facebook page, Rice talked openly about how Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment had optioned the series, but the deal did not work out. Now, she and her son Christopher plan to develop a detailed outline for an open ended series, and they already have a good idea where their story will be heading. We will likely begin with The Vampire Lestat and move on from there. ----- When we sit down finally to talk to producers, we will have a fully realized vision of this project with Christopher as the executive producer at the helm. I will also be an executive producer all the way, said Rice on Facebook. The Vampire Chronicles book series centers on Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century, and it has made onscreen appearances. The 1994 film Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, focused on Lestat (Cruise) himself, while a 2002 film presented a loose adaptation of the third novel of series, The Queen of the Damned. Facebook

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Why Steve Harvey left stand-up to become the hardest working man in showbiz By Greg Braxton Comedian and game show host Steve Harvey is like Elvis these days: Hes everywhere. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The taping for Steve Harveys Funderdome, an upcoming Shark Tank-style ABC competition series in which two entrepreneurs vie for the approval of a live audience, was just ending. But as the crowd started to leave the Television City studio in Hollywood, Harvey, the host who has unofficially inherited the late James Browns title of the hardest working man in show business, made it clear he was not done with them yet. Read More Facebook

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Florence Henderson, TVs Brady Bunch mom, dies at 82 By Anh Do Florence Henderson, whose portrayal of Carol Brady on the iconic television show The Brady Bunch created an idealized mother figure for an entire generation, died Thursday. She was 82. Henderson died from heart failure about 7:30 p.m. while surrounded by her four children, her longtime manager and publicist, Kayla Pressman, said. As Pressmans telephone continued ringing, the woman who has worked with Henderson for 43 years  starting as her personal assistant  said the actress was the most vibrant, beautiful inside and out person Ive ever known in my entire life. We just never left each other. She was so wonderful to be with, and she was most loyal. READ MORE > Maybe I should thank that terrible makeup man because in a way, his botch job helped me get the part.  Florence Henderson on her Star Trek makeup job before her Brady Bunch audition Facebook

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The Alien: Covenant poster has a warning for viewers By Dave Lewis Weve slowly been getting small glimpses of Ridley Scotts Alien: Covenant over the last year or so, and now the films title beast gets its closeup. Twentieth Century Fox today tweeted the films minimalist -- but maximally creepy -- poster with one word of advice: Run. May 2017 pic.twitter.com/kseBXC8Ecv  20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) November 23, 2016 Although shrouded in shadows, the xenomorph in question appears to be very similar to the one seen in the very first Alien. The latest installment in the long-running franchise, Covenant acts as a follow-up to the 2012 Alien prequel Prometheus and will presumably provide a bridge between that film and 1979s Alien. It reunites the films stars Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce, and adds newcomers Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir and Billy Crudup. Facebook

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Lady Gaga sees bravery & courage in Kanye Wests decision to stop his tour By Christie DZurilla Lady Gaga reached out to Kanye West on Wednesday, offering her support in his decision to cancel the rest of his Saint Pablo Tour and urging others not to joke about him right now. I see in you bravery & courage to stop this tour & take care of YOU, she said in a series of tweets. You are a GREAT artist. It's not funny to joke about anyone's possible or not possible mental illness, this is a sensitive time for many. Let's be kind & loving.   Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 23, 2016 While I don't agree with everything he does I hope the public shows compassion and for @kanyewest and each other. One love. One Race.  Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 23, 2016 . @kanyewest i support & love u brother, I see in you bravery & courage to stop this tour & take care of YOU. You are a GREAT artist   Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 23, 2016 In September, the Born This Way singer -- whose new album, Joanne, was released last month -- revealed via the Mirror that she has battled depression and anxiety and takes medication daily. I needed a moment to stabilize after releasing her 2013 album, Artpop, she told the publication. When my career took off, I dont remember anything at all. Its like Im traumatized. I needed time to recalibrate my soul. Facebook

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Doctor indicted in overdose death of founding 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts By Christie DZurilla Founding 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts in 2005. He died in August 2016 of an apparent overdose. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press) An Alabama doctor has been indicted in the August overdose death of original 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts, who helped found the Kryptonite band in 1996. Dr. Richard Snellgrove was charged in October with prescribing opioid drugs illegally to Roberts, according to a federal indictment unsealed last week and obtained by the Associated Press. Snellgroves attorney told the AP that the doctor had done nothing wrong, saying any possible connection between drugs and the musicians death was due to improper use. Police found Roberts dead in the hallway of a West Bend, Wis., hotel the morning of Aug. 15. The 38-year-old had been in town to perform at a benefit concert for veterans. According to a sworn statement by a Drug Enforcement

Administration agent, the musician was wearing a Fentanyl patch like one prescribed by Snellgrove two days earlier, and he also had pills matching ones the doctor prescribed, the AP reported. (The synthetic opioid was the same drug found in Princes home in pill form after the singers overdose death.) The guitarist, who launched 3 Doors Down with vocalist Brad Arnold and bassist Todd Harrell, left the group amicably in 2012 to take care of health and circulation issues. I know he had prescription drug addiction. He suffered greatly from anxiety, the guitarists father, Darrell Roberts Sr., told CNN in August. I thought he had beaten it all. Facebook

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Mystery Science Theater 3000 returns with new blood for Turkey Day marathon By Meredith Woerner Twenty-eight years ago the little science fiction show that could, Mystery Science Theater 3000, premiered on Thanksgiving Day. It all started with one Earthling, series creator Joel Hodgson, and his gang of lovable robot puppets. It was an odd show whose shoe-string budget and screwball tone often mimicked the very movies it skewered. The misfit humor struck a note with fans and despite multiple cancellations and resurrections (including a recasting of Hodgson with Mike Nelson), the series endured for 197 episodes. And now, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, MST3K will rise again -- this time on Netflix with Hodgson once again steering the ship and new host Jonah Ray (the Nerdist Podcast). They will be joined on their new adventures by Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt. But before the new episodes premiere in 2017, Ray and Hodgson will engage in the time-honored tradition of hosting the MST3K Thanksgiving marathon, featuring six fan-selected classic episodes (beginning at 9 a.m. PT at ShoutFactoryTV.com). The two recently reunited by phone to talk turkey. Read More Facebook

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Review: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is a welcome slice of smart holiday escapism By Meredith Blake From Bedford Falls of Its a Wonderful Life to Mayberry of The Andy Griffith Show, the idyllic small town has always held a special place in American pop culture, providing fictional refuge in times of real-life turmoil. On Friday, anyone exhausted by the effort of avoiding political conversations with that one uncle should consider a visit to Stars Hollow, Conn., the impossibly quaint and harmonious community at the center of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Nearly a decade after Gilmore Girls concluded its seven-season network run, the whimsical dramedy about quick-witted single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), her overachieving daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) and WASPy mother Emily (Kelly Bishop) returns in a much-anticipated Netflix revival. Read More Facebook

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Another Olympian wins on Dancing With The Stars as Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy are crowned champions By Jevon Phillips An Olympian has taken home the Mirrorball Trophy once again as Laurie Hernandez joins Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristi Yamaguchi, Shawn Johnson and Meryl Davis as champion of ABCs 23rd season of Dancing With the Stars. The Final Five member is the youngest competitor (16) ever to win the reality dance competition. This the second time that professional dancer Valentin Val Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy grabs the trophy. The teams of James Hinchcliffe and dancer Sharna Burgess, and Calvin Johnson Jr. with dancer Lindsay Arnold, came in second and third. ----------------------------------------------------- FOR THE RECORD, 4:13 p.m.: It was incorrectly stated that Laurie Hernandez was part of the Fierce Five. Shes a member of the Final Five. ------------------------------------------------------ Facebook

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Hear the unreleased Prince song Moonbeam Levels from 1982 By Dave Lewis Prince in 1985. (Liu Heung Shing / Associated Press) The vault is opening. Very slowly. When Prince passed away on April 21, he reportedly left hundreds of unreleased songs in a vault at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn. The very tip of that musical iceberg is now visible, as NPG and Warner Bros. today released Moonbeam Levels, a song originally recorded in 1982 during the same recording sessions for his smash album 1999. While it was later considered for inclusion on the 1999 album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic and has been bootlegged in the past, the song never officially saw the light of day until now. The mid-tempo tune is largely piano-driven but features some vintage Prince guitar flourishes and subtle synth. Overall, it would fit comfortably on either 1999" or 1984s Purple Rain, although itd be a sin to break up the already well-established flow of those beloved records. ABC News premiered the song for fans at a listening session at New Yorks Cutting Room Recording Studios. Moonbeam can be found on the new collection titled Prince 4Ever, which was released today, and features 40 songs including Kiss, When Doves Cry and Purple Rain. A deluxe reissue of Purple Rain will be released next year and will include a second album of previously unreleased material. Facebook

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Chance the Rapper extends a special prayer to Kanye By Tracy Brown During a U.K. radio appearance, Chicago artist Chance the Rapper extended a special prayer to Kanye West, who was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Monday. On Tuesday, Chance stopped by Trevor Nelsons BBC Radio 1Xtra and performed two songs with the Social Experiment. During the performance of All We Got from his mixtape Coloring Book, which opens with the lines: This aint no intro, this the entree/ Hit that intro with Kanye/ And sound like Andre, Chance took a moment to offer some words to his mentor. I want to extend a very special prayer to my big brother, Kanye West, he said. I know theres a lot of weird folks out there. But you already know that Im a hundred grand. I want to just extend this prayer and extend this love from all the way in Britain. We might come home early to see this man. Happy Thanksgiving. Chance also spoke about his friendship with and appreciation of West. When asked what he thinks West is going through, Chance said, I think everybody goes through it. And I think right now, probably what he needs more than anything is his real, close friends and family around. Listen to Chances prayer for West here or listen to the full segment and performance here. Chance the Rappers appearance kicks off at around the 2:16 mark. What a performance from @chancetherapper in the Live Lounge  pic.twitter.com/vlKlmOK3Hu  BBC Radio 1Xtra (@1Xtra) November 22, 2016 Facebook

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James Corden will replace LL Cool J as host of next years Grammys By Randall Roberts James Corden (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) CBS has announced its host for the 59th Grammy Awards, and for the first time in five years its not LL Cool J. Instead, James Corden, The Late, Late Show host and star of the wildly successful Carpool Karaoke videos, will lead musics biggest award ceremony when it airs on Feb. 12, 2017. The British comedic actor, who took over his late-night slot from Craig Ferguson in 2015, has become a breakout success, and part of the reason is his unabashed enthusiasm for pop music. I am truly honored to be hosting the Grammys next year. Its the biggest, most prestigious award show in music and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such an incredible night.  James Corden Read More Facebook

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Kanye West exhausted, Kris Jenner says; rapper hospitalized after LAPD visit By Richard Winton Kanye West hovers above the crowd at the Forum on Oct. 25. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Police Department visited Kanye West as part of a disturbance call Monday, according to law enforcement sources, a day after the rapper abruptly canceled the rest of his tour. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not provide details about the incident but confirmed that police were called about 1:20 p.m. The case turned into a medical emergency and was handed off from the LAPD to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the sources said. West agreed to seek medical treatment, according to a law enforcement source, and he was treated for stress and exhaustion at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Realty TV star Kris Jenner, who is Wests mother-in-law, told Vanity Fair on Monday night that West as exhausted but doing good. Read More Facebook

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Cars 3 teaser trailer looks like Lightning McQueens worst nightmare By Christie DZurilla  Teaser trailer for Disney/Pixars Cars 3. If youre still recovering emotionally from the incinerator scene in Toy Story 3, please look away from the teaser trailer for Cars 3, which was released Monday. Pixar meets NASCAR meets nightmare in the summer 2017 release as Lightning McQueen hits the track as the leader of the pack and then, after a shifty move by another car, hits the track wall. Ominous smoke and sparks and slow-mo are involved as our hero launches sideways into the air doing barrel roll after out-of-control barrel roll. Draaaaaaaama. From this moment, everything will change, reads the tagline. Our inner child is sobbing already. Pass the popcorn, please, and dont text and drive. Facebook

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Angela Bassett joins the cast of Marvels Black Panther By Tracy Brown Angela Bassett will play Ramonda in the upcoming film Black Panther. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Black Panther has added Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett to its cast. Marvel Studios has announced that Bassett will be playing Ramonda, mother of TChalla (a.k.a. Black Panther). In the comics, Ramonda was TChakas second wife and one-time queen of Wakanda. Originally from South Africa, TChaka married Ramonda after his previous wife, NYami, died giving birth to TChalla. She was abducted and held captive by a man named Anton Prestorius until TChalla rescued her and welcomed her back to Wakanda. Bassett was most recently seen in the latest season of American Horror Story as Monet Tumusiime. Black Panther will see Chadwick Boseman reprise his role as the titular superhero. The film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyongo, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke and Florence Kasumba. Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther is scheduled to hit theaters Feb, 16, 2018. Facebook

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The spice must flow: New Dune adaptations might be in the works By Libby Hill Legendary Entertainment has reached an agreement with the estate of Frank Herbert for the television and film adaptation rights to Herberts Dune, the iconic sci-fi book released in 1965. Herberts tale centers around Paul Atreides and the politics of controlling the desert planet Arrakis and its resources. Adapted into a 1984 film by David Lynch -- as well as a 2014 documentary about cult director Alejandro Jodorowskys failed attempt to bring it to the screen in the 70s (Jodorowskys Dune) -- Dune has been an obvious influence on Star Wars and The Matrix. The projects, whatever they might eventually be, would be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers. Facebook

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Green Day gets political at the AMAs: No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A. By Mikael Wood Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Green Day is at its best when a widely divisive president ascends to power. That was true in 2004 for American Idiot, and its maybe even more true in 2016 for Revolution Radio. At Sundays American Music Awards, where Green Day played the double-time barnstormer Bang Bang, the band had the one truly political moment of the night when its members led a chant of No Trump, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A. It wasnt quite a real risk for the band, which enjoyed a mid-career renaissance for saying similar things about George W. Bush. Nor were too many in the audience inclined to disagree with the group. Read More Facebook

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Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, Ciara and more hit the red carpet at the American Music Awards By Jevon Phillips This years American Music Awards are being held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, and the stars -- musical or otherwise -- showed up in style. Check below for a few of the celebrities hitting the red carpet, and view our entire gallery of arrivals. Facebook

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Patriots Day closes the 2016 AFI Fest in moving fashion By Josh Rottenberg Mark Wahlberg and his wife, Rhea Durham, attend the AFI Fest premiere of Patriots Day. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) One of this holiday seasons most anticipated  and most timely  films, director Peter Bergs Boston Marathon bombing drama Patriots Day, had its unveiling Thursday evening, drawing a warm reception from the audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood that could portend a potent run at the box office and perhaps in this years awards race as well. The special closing-night presentation of this years AFI Fest, the debut of Patriots Day came just 3 years after the events the movie dramatizes  and barely more than a week after a bitterly divisive presidential election in which thorny questions of the proper response to terrorism loomed large. Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg, far left, and director Peter Berg, far right, introduce some of the real people from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)  Patriots Day is an account of the Boston Marathon bombing. Read MorePHOTOS: AFI Fest red carpet Facebook

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Cellphone included directions for reaching family in suspected suicide death of actress Lisa Masters By Christie DZurilla Actress Lisa Masters, shown in 2003, was found dead this week in Lima, Peru. (Evan Agostini / Associated Press) Lisa Masters, an actress who appeared in shows including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Law & Order: SVU, was found dead earlier this week in her hotel room in Peru, her manager confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Friday. She was 52. Police in Lima told the Associated Press that they are investigating the case as a possible suicide. Her cellphone included directions on how to reach her family in the United States, the AP said Thursday. In these darkening days, we hope those who have had the pleasure of knowing her will see how brightly she shined and will find that light within themselves and continue to share it with others  just as she would have, manager Christopher Silveri said via email from New York. Read More Facebook

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Trump outcry was missing from Latin Grammys. It was all J. Lo and Marc Anthony By Carolina A. Miranda Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez perform at the Latin Grammy Awards. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for LARAS) For two years running, the Latin Grammy Awards show has offered high moments of political drama. In 2014, the telecast was delayed by 20 minutes to show President Obama delivering a speech on immigration. Once the show got rolling, the politically minded Puerto Rican band Calle 13 sang a rousing political anthem that ended with a show of support for the 43 disappeared Mexican students from Ayotzinapa. Last year, the gala featured a lively performance of Somos Mas Americanos (We Are More American)  a defiant song about immigrant life  by the Mexican bands Los Tigres del Norte and Mana. At the end of the tune, the two bands held up a sign that read Latinos Unidos No Voten Por Racistas (Latinos United, Dont Vote for Racists), a reference to Donald Trumps declarations about Mexican immigrants being criminals and rapists. So expectations were high that this years awards, held Thursday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would offer an impassioned outcry over Trumps election to the presidency  which has already spurred talk of mass deportations and the construction of a border wall. Not so much. .... The 17th Latin Grammys are more likely to be remembered for the dramatic laser-light-filled duet between former couple Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Read More Facebook

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Kanye West didnt vote, but would have gone Trump -- and thinks people should stop focusing on racism By Christie DZurilla (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press) You thought Kanye West would stay quiet about the election? You thought wrong. (Seriously, if you did take that bet? Lousy odds, kids. Bad move.) Yeezy cut loose at the San Jose stop of his Saint Pablo Tour on Thursday night, revealing he would have gone against his wifes endorsement of Hillary Clinton and picked the president-elect -- if hed voted at all. I told you I didnt vote ... but if I wouldve voted, I wouldve voted on Trump, he said, earning a chorus of boos and a wee smattering of support. According to the San Jose Mercury News, folks threw things at him -- hats, shoes, T-shirts -- and complained that he talked too much during the show. Video clips and quotes can be seen on social media and in roundups like the ones from Quartz and the Boom Box, though its not possible to string the snippets together in order with certainty. But even as stand-alones, theyre little bundles of dynamite as he warms up toward supposedly running for prez himself in 2020. I hate the fact that because Im a celebrity, everybody told me not to say that I loved the debates. I loved his approach, the rapper said. West reportedly orated for 25 minutes and included a comment specifically to black people: Stop focusing on racism, he urged. This world is racist, OK? Lets stop being distracted to focus on that so much. Its just a ... fact. We are a racist country, period. Do not allow people to make us talk about that so ... long. ... Its a racist ... country. And not one or the other candidate was going to instantly be able to change that because of their views. Kanye also seemed a little frustrated by the continuing protests in the wake of the vote. Sometimes things you might think are bad have to happen in order for change to ... happen, he said. Sometimes you might have to not get your way to really understand what to do in the future to be able to get your way. READ MORE: Kanye West, a Trump supporter? As always, its complicated Facebook

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Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling to be honored for La La Land performances at Santa Barbara International Film Festival By Christie DZurilla La La Land stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival in September. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone better get their La Las out -- theyre going to be honored for their work in La La Land at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February. Stone and Gosling, who won the festivals first Cinema Vanguard Award in 2008, will be given the 2017 Outstanding Performers of the Year award for their work in writer-director Damien Chazelles film, the festival announced Friday. Ryan and Emmas luminous performances in La La Land remind us of the transformative and magical role of cinema, said film festival executive director Roger Durling, who will moderate the Feb. 3 tribute. We are so proud to celebrate them and this incredible film and its nod to the classic love stories of old Hollywood with a contemporary twist. Recent winners include Brie Larson for Room and Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, Steve Carell for Foxcatcher, Jennifer Lawrence for The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook, Viola Davis for The Help, Angelina Jolie for A Mighty Heart and Helen Mirren for The Queen. The 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place at multiple theaters in the beach city from Feb. 1-11, 2017. Facebook

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Jennifer Lopez, Juanes and more stroll the red carpet in Las Vegas for the Latin Grammys By Jevon Phillips The 17th Latin Grammy Awards, held this year at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is a good bet to bring a fashion-forward crowd to the red carpet. Here are a few images, including another Jennifer Lopez statement outfit, and a gallery with more beyond that. Read More Facebook

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First Lemony Snicket trailer has all the Neil Patrick Harris you could want ... and more By Libby Hill Netflix released the first full trailer for its upcoming series Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events on Thursday morning, giving fans their first real look at whats to come. Based on the series of childrens novels by Daniel Handler, whose pen name character of Lemony Snicket is the narrator of the books, Netflixs new series centers around the newly orphaned Baudelaire children and their mysterious, nefarious relative, Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris. Read More Facebook

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Megyn Kellys Year of Trump: Armed guards at Disney World and violent feedback from Trump supporters By Lorraine Ali Megyn Kelly poses for a portrait in New York. In Settle for More, released Tuesday, the Fox News anchor talks about her childhood and her high-profile career. (Victoria Will / Associated Press) Fox News anchor Megyn Kellys new book, Settle for More, gives a behind-the-scenes look at her dealings with two of the most influential men in media and politics  Roger Ailes and Donald Trump. Kellys book, released Tuesday, is meant to be an uplifting memoir about her impressive rise from middle-class Syracuse, N.Y., girl to one of Americas most successful news anchors. But its her painful and disturbing account of what it means to be a high-profile female journalist in the age of Fox News, Twitter and Trump that resonates. Kelly writes that she became the target of Trumps relentless personal attacks in 2015 after she reported that his second wife, Ivana, had testified in divorce proceedings that he raped her (an accusation later retracted). She explains that his fury was further stoked during a heated exchange in the August 2015 Republican primary debate in which Kelly, as moderator, asked Trump about the derogatory way in which hed referred to women as fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Like many before and after her, Kelly became the target of Trumps now infamous social media assaults. She figured it would blow over. It did not. When Trumps attorney, Michael Cohen, retweeted a supporter who wanted to gut her, she writes, things turned dangerous. Most disturbing were the overwhelming and violent nature of the messages [I] was receiving  and the way Trumps anger was evidently seen by some as a call to action.  Megyn Kelly By the time the mother of three flew to Disney World for vacation, it was with her family  and our security guard, she writes. Yes, we took an armed guard to the Magic Kingdom. More guns, more guards. My year of Trump.  Megyn Kelly Read More Facebook

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You can own a Haunted Mansion stretching portrait from Disneyland  for a price By Deborah Vankin The portrait is tall and stately, its subject a distinguished gentleman who stands with chest puffed out, proudly. But heres the thing: He wears no pants. The man, it turns out, stands atop a barrel of lighted dynamite, in striped boxers. If this image stirs childlike glee in the depths of your soul, you are not alone. Disneylands famous stretching portraits inside its Haunted Mansion elevator are among the most beloved of the parks images. And now one of them is up for grabs. Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks will hold on Saturday the Souvenirs of Disneyland sale, the largest auction to date dedicated to Disneyland memorabilia, it says. Among more than 1,000 rare artifacts, from about 30 collectors nationwide, is an original, hand-painted stretching portrait  our man, sans his pants. Theyre pretty rare. If I had to guess, Id say there are only 15 or 20, total, of the hand-painted ones out there.  Mike Van Eaton, gallery co-founder Read More Facebook

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Get a better look at Kong: Skull Island in new trailer By Libby Hill The new trailer for Kong: Skull Island premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night and gave viewers a much more expansive look at Skull Island. The film is beginning to look like a pastiche between Jurassic Park and Platoon, which, though it seems unlikely, may actually be a combination that pays off. With John Goodman channeling Richard Attenborough in Jurassic Park realness and John C. Reilly bringing his quirky comedic sensibilities, the films cast of characters is shaping up to be pretty interesting. That said, its worth noting that its still pretty unclear what Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are doing in the film, beyond looking pretty while sweaty. But the trailers reveal that Skull Island is home to enormous creatures beyond just Kong was a great one, particularly if it means were heading to a Godzilla vs. Mothra-type blood feud. Kong: Skull Island lands in theaters March 10, 2017. Facebook

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Archie and the gang will get dark on CWs Riverdale on Jan. 26 By Dave Lewis The new year will bring a new TV take on the Archie Comics gang, now that CWs Riverdale has a premiere date. Riverdale, inspired by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasas recent comic book revamp of the storyline, is set to premiere Jan. 26 at 9 p.m. EST/PST, and will continue to air Thursday nights thereafter. Riverdale has been described by the shows creators and cast members as a dark, noir and subversive version of the colorful and kid-friendly Archie Comics saga, initially launched in 1941. The series stars K.J. Apa as Archie, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Camila Mendes as Veronica and Lil Reinhart as Betty. This is a historic moment for Archie Comics -- and its been a long time coming, Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater said in news release. Partnering with Roberto, Greg Berlanti, Warner Bros. and the CW has been a wonderful experience, and its been stunning to see the show bring our iconic characters to life, adding to the mythos and legend of Archie and his gang. You will be hooked from the first scene, I promise you. The show will be written by Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Bros. Studios and Berlanti Productions. A special one-shot comic book tie-in will follow one week later on Feb. 1 and will fill in some backstory. Heres a sneak peek at the issues cover: Watch the cast discuss the show and the new versions of the classic characters here:  The cast of Riverdale talk about the new look for the Archie. Facebook

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Rae Sremmurd on embracing the Mannequin Challenge By Mikael Wood Slim Jimmy and Swae Lee, of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, visit ESPN SportsCenter to film a bit about the Mannequin Challenge. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) In the 2 years since Rae Sremmurd broke out with the rowdy hit single No Flex Zone, this Southern hip-hop duo has established itself as a reliable source of renewable energy. Its two studio albums  2015s SremmLife and Augusts SremmLife 2  are full of boisterous thrills, with brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy shouting sticky catchphrases over lurching beats. And the twentysomething rappers are even livelier in concert: Bouncing across the stage like each had inhaled a bag of Halloween candy, the two use those catchphrases to encourage their young fans to go wild (or turn up, as the saying goes). Yet Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy had a different goal in mind Monday afternoon on the set of ESPNs SportsCenter, and that was to go as un-wild as possible  to stand completely still while a guy with a camera weaved between them. SCLA is joined by @RaeSremmurd and do their best #MannequinChallenge. pic.twitter.com/YSqz9faXAx  SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 16, 2016 Read More Facebook

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Taking risks and not playing it safe are what draw Jonah Hill to those non-'bro roles By Amy Reiter Jonah Hill starred in the summer release War Dogs as a brash, duplicitous and greedy arms dealer. (Michael Nagle / For The Times) Efraim Diveroli, the character Jonah Hill plays in the summer film War Dogs, is probably not a guy youd want to meet for lunch. The character from Todd Phillips based-on-a-true-story film about two Yeshiva-educated Miami twentysomethings (Miles Teller plays the other) who rake in millions with a shady business supplying arms to the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan, is loud, duplicitous and greedy in the extreme. Diveroli is a character who, if initially charming, would almost certainly leave you feeling compromised. You could imagine him ordering heaps of the priciest thing on the menu and then  laughing  leaving you holding the check. Hill, apart from the charm, is nothing like that. Over lunch on a rainy Thursday in New York City, at his usual table at the rustic-Italian restaurant Il Buco, the 32-year-old actor, who has memorably appeared in such films as Superbad, 21 Jump Street, The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball, earning Oscar nods with those last two, is polite, thoughtful and engaging. Hes the kind of guy who will hold your chair and offer you the first bite of his risotto. (Want some? he asks, with apparent sincerity.) Burned by the news media for not being as bro-ish as some of his roles might indicate, Hill comes off as careful, perhaps a bit chastened, yet candid and generous as he entertained questions about, among other topics, a performance critics have hailed as a standout in an otherwise dismissable film. For Efraim, part of the sexiness of the scam is burning people, and thats a scary kind of person.  Jonah Hill Read More Facebook

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Bob Dylan wont be going to Stockholm to pick up his Nobel Prize after all By Associated Press (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Bob Dylan wont be coming to Stockholm to pick up his 2016 Nobel Prize for literature at the Dec. 10 prize ceremony, the Swedish Academy said Wednesday. The academy said Dylan informed it that he wishes he could receive the prize personally, but other commitments make it unfortunately impossible. The singer-songwriter previously stated he planned to attend the ceremony if its at all possible. Dave Lewis contributed to this post. Read More Facebook

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The Green Hornet looks to wipe away the camp in another return to the big screen By Jevon Phillips The Green Hornet is taking a Dark Knight path back to the big screen courtesy of Paramount and Chernin Entertainment. Gavin OConnor, who recently directed Ben Affleck in The Accountant, is set to direct the film, which aims to veer away from the 60s camp that established vigilante Britt Reid on screen, according to an interview with Deadline. Sean OKeefe will write the script. Paramount and OConnor follow the road trod by Batman in the 1989 movie that darkened and modernized the comic book heros established on-screen 60s image. This will, though, be the second recent relaunch of the character; Seth Rogen attempted to revive him in 2011 alongside his partner, Kato -- played in the film by Jay Chou. The results werent well-received, to put it mildly by Rogens own standards. But OConnor has a different vision for the world of the Green Hornet. With the rights now in our loving hands, Im beyond excited to bring the Green Hornet into the 21st century in a meaningful and relevant way; modernizing it and making it accessible to a whole new generation. My intention is to bring a gravitas to the Green Hornet that wipes away the camp and kitsch of the previous iteration, said OConnor. Facebook

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Stranger in a Strange Land will journey from classic novel to TV as a Syfy series By Jevon Phillips Stories about Mars are getting some attention these days with The Martian and the upcoming film The Space Between Us, and now television is joining in: A series adaptation of Robert Heinleins 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land " is headed for Syfy. Paramount Television, in partnership with Universal Cable Productions, will develop the series from a seminal story set on the Red Planet about a human born on Mars who comes to Earth and eventually helps transform the whole culture. The book is considered by many to be a science fiction staple in American literature. From my point of view, Stranger in a Strange Land isnt just a science fiction masterpiece. ... It also happens to be one of my favorite books ever! NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chairman Bonnie Hammer said in a statement. The tome is even said to have predicted many of the movements and messages of the 1960s  including free love, hippie communes and organized attempts at world peace. Heres to Mars. Facebook

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Straight up: Paula Abdul announces first tour in years with NKOTB and Boyz II Men By Libby Hill Paula Abdul is ready to step out from behind the judges table and back into the spotlight, as the singer announced Tuesdays on NBCs Today that she will be going on tour for the first time in nearly 25 years. Abdul is heading back on the road in good company, joining fellow 1980s and 90s hitmakers New Kids on the Block (now known as NKOTB) and Boyz II Men for a 2017 North American tour. The Total Package tour will stop in more than 40 cities, including a show at the Hollywood Bowl on June 2. Our fans know we love to bring them a party, and this tour is no exception, NKOTBs Donnie Wahlberg said in a statement released Tuesday. Its not just a show, its an experience. Read More Facebook

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Megyn Kelly thinks Roger Ailes would still be running Fox News if he hadnt been sued for sexual harassment By Stephen Battaglio (Chris Carlson / Associated Press) Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly believes Roger Ailes would still be her boss today if former colleague Gretchen Carlson had not sued him for sexual harassment. Appearing Tuesday on ABCs Good Morning America, the first stop on the tour for her new book Settle for More, Kelly noted that Fox News contracts include arbitration clauses preventing on-air talent from filing lawsuits. Carlson, who claimed that Ailes hurt her career at Fox because she rebuffed his sexual advances, went public with her complaint after her deal with Fox News expired. The suit, which has been settled, led to an internal investigation and the departure of Ailes in July. Gretchen filing publicly was a big deal and an important step in this whole process, Kelly told GMA co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. [Ailes] tried to kiss me three times. So I rejected that, and when I rejected that he asked me when my contract was up.  Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on ABCs Good Morning America When asked if Ailes would still be running the top-rated cable news channel if Carlsons lawsuit had not been filed, the star anchor said, I think so. Kelly acknowledged that Ailes was a loyal and supportive boss during most of her tenure at Fox News. But she added that such situations are not unusual for women subjected to sexual harassment. A woman can be harassed and go on to have a good working relationship with the man harassing her, and that is what happened in my case.  Megyn Kelly Read More Facebook

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Guess who People just named its Sexiest Man Alive By Libby Hill Still up at 4am trainin' hard & takin' care of my babies.. sexily;).

Thank U @people & all the fans. Grateful for the luv! #SexiestManAlive pic.twitter.com/e8O2orOBJR  Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 15, 2016 Dwayne Johnson no longer has to stare into the mirrors at his gym, poring over his reflection, asking himself: Am I sexy? People just confirmed it Tuesday, declaring Johnson 2016s Sexiest Man Alive. With the tagline, Hes sweet, smart & sculpted! the magazine splashed his image on the cover of its annual special issue. With the award, the man formerly known as the Rock joins an elite club of beautiful men including Chris Hemsworth, Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. Read More Facebook

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Westworld, Insecure, The Great Outdoors and more are renewed as HBO, CBS and Amazon announce plans By Chris Barton HBO, CBS and Amazon announced on Monday plans to extend some shows to full-season orders, while others are getting renewed for next season. HBO is renewing its three fall series for second seasons, which includes the hit Westworld, a futuristic drama that explores sin and the complexities of consciousness. The show has proved a ratings hit for HBO, averaging a gross audience of 11.7 million viewers through its first seven episodes. Bring yourself back online. #Westworld is renewed for Season 2. pic.twitter.com/AxU71qRPs2  Westworld (@WestworldHBO) November 14, 2016 The renewal also includes critically acclaimed comedy series Insecure, created by and starring Issa Rae, and Divorce, the series that brought Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker back to the network. CBS announced that it was giving full-season orders to the new sitcoms Man With a Plan and The Great Indoors, and completing the renewal trifecta was Amazon, which announced a second-season renewal for Tig Notaros semi-autobiographical series One Mississippi. Read More Facebook

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John Oliver on Donald Trump: He is not normal By Libby Hill During its first three seasons, Last Week Tonight and host John Oliver have never shied away from going after Donald Trump with both barrels. But how would last weeks election and subsequent victory for Trump change things on the weekly late-night show known for its pointedly liberal intelligentsia? Not much, it turns out. In Sundays episode, which also served as the third-season finale, Oliver dissected Trump and America, examining how the country got to this juncture and where those horrified by the election go from here. Read More Facebook

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Stagecoach 2017 will welcome country stars Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney and ... Kiefer Sutherland? By August Brown (From left: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times; Charles Sykes / Invision; Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) Shania Twain, Dierks Bentley and Kenny Chesney will top the bill at next years Stagecoach country music festival, joining a diverse lineup that will likely attract broader crowds. The bill pairs two pop-friendly male acts with a relative rarity at Stagecoach: a 90s-veteran female artist at the very top of the roster. Farther down the Stagecoach lineup the acts are a mix of contemporary chart staples, rising acts with Nashville-outsider vantage points, and classic acts. Theres also a fair share of veteran, cross-genre acts, including Cyndi Lauper, Los Lobos, Tommy James and the Shondells, and the Zombies, whose appeal to rock and vintage pop crowds may make for a more adventurous bill than usual. An early-day Kiefer Sutherland set on Sunday will likely be a must-see curiosity as well. Read More Facebook

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Seth Meyers cracked jokes about a Trump presidency in 2011. Now hes a critic of the reality By Meredith Blake In May 2011, Seth Meyers, then-head writer on Saturday Night Live and anchor of SNLs Weekend Update, hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner, a frivolous schmoozefest that would go on to take huge historical importance  in more ways than one. At the time, Donald Trumps political profile was on the rise thanks to his status as an outspoken birther, and hed been toying with the idea of a 2012 presidential run. He was a guest  and the butt of many a joke  at the annual celebration, attended by power players from the world of media, showbiz and politics. Several sources, including the New York Times, Frontline and the New Yorker, have cited the dinner as a turning point that inspired Trump, roasted before the Washington elite, to run for the White House. Five and half years later, Meyers remarks now seem uncomfortably prescient, reflecting the bewilderment of the 60 million or so Americans who voted for Clinton on Tuesday, many of whom considered the idea of a Trump presidency too ludicrous to contemplate. While that reality is still sinking in, Meyers has already positioned himself as one of late nights most outspoken Trump adversaries. Read More Facebook

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Beauty and the Beast trailer: See Emma Watson as Belle, living your childhood dreams By Libby Hill After weeks of eager anticipation, fans of the tale as old as time can finally feast their eyes on the first trailer for Disneys live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens fill the eponymous roles and both look the part (even if Stevens makeup resembles that of Beast from the 1980s TV series more than the animated versions). There are talking teacups and swirling dance numbers and the theme underscoring the entire trailer, but does this live-action retelling have the magic of Disneys first go-round?  Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans star in the live-action movie Beauty and the Beast. Read More Facebook

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Jackie Chan, Anne V. Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman are awarded honorary Oscars By Josh Rottenberg Actor Jackie Chan accepts his Oscar during the Governors Awards. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images) Months after weathering the tumultuous #OscarsSoWhite controversy  and just days after an earth-shaking and deeply divisive presidential election  Hollywood insiders largely set aside politics Saturday evening at the motion picture academys eighth Governors Awards to pay tribute to four very different talents: editor Anne V. Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster, documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman and action-comedy star Jackie Chan. A chance to honor filmmaking luminaries for their lifetime contributions to the art form and a key early stop on the awards-season campaign circuit, the ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in the Hollywood & Highland Center brought together many of the industrys biggest power players as well as actors and filmmakers looking to gain traction in this years Oscar race. Despite controversies that have roiled the industry and the country at large over the last year and red-carpet questions about Donald Trumps ascension to the presidency, the mood at the nontelevised ceremony was generally relaxed and upbeat. After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films, breaking so many bones, finally this is mine.  Jackie Chan Read More Facebook

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10 films to see at the AFI Fest By Justin Chang Held in Hollywood each November  well after the Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York film festivals have come and gone  the American Film Institutes annual showcase is invariably well-positioned to showcase a handful of the years late-breaking awards hopefuls for the first time, as it did with 2014s American Sniper and Selma, and last years The Big Short. The 2016 edition got off to a similarly high-profile start on Thursday night with Warren Beattys Rules Dont Apply, a romantic drama torn from a chapter of the life of Howard Hughes (played by Beatty). The festival closes on Nov. 17 with the world premiere of Patriots Day, a dramatization of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings that marks the latest collaboration between director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg after Lone Survivor and this years Deepwater Horizon. The festival has long embraced a programming methodology that prioritizes excellence over exclusivity, and that routinely seeks out some of the finest titles from the international festival circuit. Here are 10 that you shouldnt miss  not the only 10, by any means, but a good 10 to start with. Read More Facebook

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So long, Leonard Cohen. We need you now more than ever By August Brown Leonard Cohen performing in 2009. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Of all days, of all years. What a time for one of musics greatest, wisest and kindest points of light to go dark. At 82, Leonard Cohen became the second epochal songwriter to foresee his own death on an album released this year. You Want It Darker, like David Bowies Blackstar, tried to find some grace and meaning  and even some obsidian humor  in the inevitable. Under different circumstances, that may have been occasion for a bit of Cohen-ish irony, one last wink from one of musics greatest poets in the face of the abyss. But not today. Cohen, the only songwriter whom Bob Dylan would place himself beneath, who could make the Old Testament sexy, could have maybe seen us through this divisive political time. Read More Facebook

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Leonard Cohen dies at 82; a singer-songwriter who was as much a poet as a musician By Richard Cromelin Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen pictured in 1980. (AFP / Getty Images) Leonard Cohen, a singer-songwriter whose literary sensibility and elegant dissections of desire made him one of popular musics most influential and admired figures for four decades, has died. He was 82. Unmatched in his creativity, insight, and crippling candor, Leonard Cohen was a true visionary whose voice will be sorely missed, said his manager Robert Kory, confirming Cohens death in statement. He leaves behind a legacy of work that will bring insight, inspiration, and healing for generations to come. The cause of death was not released. In songs such as Suzanne, Bird on the Wire and Hallelujah, and in his poems and two novels, the Montreal-born artist provided a rarefied alternative to more accessible troubadours, employing meticulous language to plumb the vagaries of the human condition. Read More Facebook

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Late-nights Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee and others offer post-election encouragement By Chris Barton Free from the quick turnaround required by the live comedy shows that aired on election night, the late-night hosts regrouped Wednesday to offer their thoughts on Donald Trumps presidential victory. Seth Meyers, who quickly became one of the best sources for political comedy during the long campaign, came back strong with a thoughtful, emotional tone. With a special Wednesday night episode on TBS, Samantha Bee opened with a hazy dream sequence that featured giddy cameos from CNNs Van Jones as well as her fellow Daily Show alumni Larry Wilmore, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. After the inevitable rude awakening, Bee, in her monologue, quickly refuted an idea that a Trump victory would be good for late-night hosts, that the jokes would basically write themselves. (Warning: The video below uses explicit language.) Read More Facebook

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What did Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna name their new daughter? Take a wild guess. By Libby Hill Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian welcomed their newborn daughter into the world on Thursday. (Prince Williams / WireImage) Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna made their dream a reality on Thursday morning with the birth of their daughter, according to E! News. And speaking of dream, thats what they named their newborn. Yes, Dream. The reality stars have been in a tumultuous relationship since January, announcing their engagement in February and pregnancy in May. E! News sources report that Dream Renee Kardashian was delivered Thursday morning via cesarean section, weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Read More Facebook

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5 documentaries to watch for this Oscar season By Sam Adams Theres no Oscar category tougher to predict than documentary feature, but at this point in the year, its clear the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has an embarrassment of riches to choose from  145 have been submitted this year. There are no sure things, but heres a look at just a handful of the contenders. Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened

I Am Not Your Negro

Weiner

Fire at Sea

Cameraperson Read More Facebook

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Ava DuVernay raises cry against racism with 13th By Sam Adams Wih its focus on mass incarceration and the criminalization of African American men, Ava DuVernays 13th seems tailor-made for the era of Black Lives Matter. But a key part of the movies thesis is that theres never been a moment when its critique of systemic racism wouldnt have been timely: The 13th Amendment may have outlawed slavery, but the loophole allowing those convicted of crimes to be forced into involuntary servitude allowed the system to be rebuilt under another name. Its a film of big, bold ideas, articulated by a slew of subjects including activist Angela Davis and scholar Henry Louis Gates, spanning centuries of American history and cutting through the fog of political rationalizations. DuVernay took a moment away from that production to talk with us about 13th. We need that 100 minutes to take you through the greatest hits of racism, basically, but not leave you there, to be able to say this is important and were not letting you off the hook and we need to all look at it  but also please know that side by side with the struggle has been a survival thats beautiful and should be acknowledged.  Ava DuVernay Read More Facebook

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Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo and other celebrities join anti-Trump protests in person and online By Libby Hill Anti-Trump protesters burn an effigy of the president-elect, Donald Trump, outside City Hall in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2016. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) As thousands of protesters across the country took to the streets for a second night following Donald Trumps election victory, many celebrities turned to Twitter to register their support (and disdain). Stars such as Lady Gaga, Mark Ruffalo, the Roots drummer Questlove, and Saturday Night Live alum Taran Killam took part in protests, while others made their points through social media. View Instagram post It begins. Protest and more protest. My niece in Chicago is already voicing what we all are feeling! #notmypresident pic.twitter.com/6TRCUOTZSU  Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) November 10, 2016 Read More Facebook

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Trumps election means bitter new music from Run the Jewels and a new politically charged video from Rick Ross By Dave Lewis Donald Trump is not even in the White House yet, but already some in the music community are incensed and reacting the best way they can: through songs. Hip-hop stars Rick Ross and Run the Jewels, and rockers the Black Angels and Best Coast, react to the election with a variety of ways, all of them anti-Trump. Read More Facebook

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How election night went sideways for those who were covering it By Robert Lloyd Even in as strange and gaudy a cycle as this one, modern political moments tend to announce themselves well in advance. The expected train arrives in the station, the tracks lead to the next scheduled stop. Tuesday was a different, twistier trip. Like all election days, it was a long haul on television, starting slow, with cable news on the job long before there was anything to know. Though everyone was careful not to predict a winner, discussions took place against a backdrop of polls that indicated Hillary Clinton would be elected president. The stunning lack of support for Donald Trump by the elders and organs of his own party was duly noted, his surrogates treated with a solicitous sympathy. Dont forget to enjoy the moment, whatever it is, MSNBCs Chuck Todd would say to Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway when it still seemed as likely as not that the moment he referred to would constitute a loss. Read More Facebook

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A Trump presidency? The Simpsons did it first By Libby Hill What served as a throwaway gag in 2000 has become eerily prescient, thanks to President-elect Donald Trump. In a Season 11 episode of The Simpsons, Bart has a vision of the future in which his sister Lisa has ascended to the highest office in the land and is serving as the new president. However, Lisas legacy is already in trouble, thanks to the immense debt left by the previous administration. The head of the previous administration? None other than Donald Trump. You can see the gag on the Simpsons World website. Judging from the sites own metrics, the episode in question, Bart to the Future, has been the most popular video of the day. Facebook

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Now that Trump will be president, Martin Shkreli may actually share that secret Wu-Tang Clan album By Dave Lewis Martin Shkreli, left, and the Wu-Tang Clan. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press; Suzi Pratt / FilmMagic) Hillary Clinton supporters dont have much to celebrate today, unless they also happen to be fans of the Wu-Tang Clan. The much-maligned pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli appears to be making good on a promise to publicly release Wu-Tang Clans Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the secret, one-of-a-kind album he purchased for a reported $2 million last year. Earlier this year, Shkreli said he would make the album available to fans if Donald Trump won the presidency, and late last night he posted audio snippets from the album during a live Periscope video posted on Twitter, according to the Associated Press. The video has since been deleted
The law gives existing NGOs one year to adjust their legal status and creates a new regulatory body

Two thirds of Egypt's MPs approved on Tuesday a new 89-article law aimed at regulating the operations of NGOs in the country.

The law, drafted by parliament's social solidarity committee, will give the existing NGOs one year to adjust their legal conditions  instead of six months as it was proposed in an earlier draft last week.

The law, which was reviewed in legal and constitutional terms by the State Council, also stipulates that the president will be exclusively empowered with naming the secretary-general of the National Foreign NGOs Regulation Apparatus (NFNRA) would regulate the operations of foreign NGOs in Egypt and monitoring all their sources of foreign funding.

The parliaments speaker, Ali Abdel-Aal, told MPs that "the State Council recommended that article 75 of the law be amended to indicate in clear terms how the secretary-general of the NFNRA will be named."

"As a result," said Abdel-Aal, "parliament's social solidarity committee proposed that article 75 of the law be amended to safeguard the president's constitutional right to name heads of regulatory bodies, including a head of the NFNRA.

The law, according to article 70, stipulates that foreign NGOs seeking to operate in Egypt must secure prior approval from the NFNRA.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity opposed the creation of the new body, arguing that the ministry itself can perform regulatory activities "since it has a long experience in this field."

Last week, the ministry warned the in a letter sent to parliament that the creation of the NFNRA would be a costly and bureaucratic move especially at a time when the government is struggling to reduce budget deficit and implement administrative reform.

MPs, however, rejected the ministry's request, insisting that the new body primarily aims to prevent suspicious foreign funding of any disruptive political activity which could be conducted under the pretence of promoting democracy.

MPs also argued that the work of the new body would prevent foreign funding from being used to fund terrorist activities.

Article 70 states of the new law stipulates that the NFNRA would carry out its duties under the jurisdiction of Cabinet.

"This regulatory body will take charge of overseeing all the activities of foreign NGOs in Egypt, including all forms of their cooperation with governmental and non-governmental institutions inside the country, as well as supervising all forms of foreign funding given to local Egyptian NGOs and civil society organisations."

After gaining the approval of the overwhelming majority of MPs, Abdel-Aal said Egypts parliament has taken a historic move towards regulating the operations of NGOs on a new basis that would safeguard national security and prevents chaos.

The 89-article NGOs law gained initial approval from MPs in a plenary session on 15 November, after which it was referred to the State Council-affiliated Department of Legislation and Fatwas to be revised in constitutional and legal terms.

Joining forces, Abdel-Hadi Al-Qasabi, chairman of parliament's social solidarity committee which drafted the law, expressed dismay that "some foreign players attempted to exert pressure on parliament to change some of the articles of this law.

"But we rejected all of these attempts and worked day and night to issue a law that will secure Egypt's national security and close the doors of any suspicious funding."

The head of parliament's pro-government coalition Support Egypt, Mohamed El-Sewedi, said that the law would help NGOs operating in Egypt focus on development activities.

"We have done our best to guarantee that this law was issued in a way that will be satisfactory to all those working in the NGO field," said El-Sewedi.

El-Sewedi said the parliament drafted the new law while keeping in mind proposals from the State Council and the General Union of NGOs.

"We also accepted some of the amendments proposed by the social solidarity ministry," said El-Sewedi.

He explained that "one of the key last-minute amendments was that heads and board members of NGOs will be under the supervision of the Central Auditing Agency not to the Ministry of Justice-affiliated Illicit Funds Apparatus.

El-Sewedi said that they responded to the demand of the ministry of social solidarity that NGOs currently operating in Egypt be allowed a one-year grace period  instead of six months  to adjust its legal status.

The ministry said the number of NGOs registered in Egypt stands at 48,500, saying such large number requires time to adjust to new legal provisions.

Another last-minute amendment to the draft came in article 7 raised the minimum capital required to register an NGO to 50.000 EGP up from 10.000 EGP.

"This was a recommendation from the General Union of NGOs which said 50,000 EGP will weed out unserious requests for licensing," said El-Qasabi.

Last week 22 NGOs and 6 political parties issued a statement criticising the law saying it would end civil society by putting it under the control of government and security bodies.

The statement also attacked the law for putting in place penalties of jail sentences of up to 5 years in jail as well as hefty fines for violators.

MP Haitham El-Hariri, a member of 25/30 coalition issued a statement on his official Facebook page Tuesday asking President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi not to ratify the law.

El-Hariri has been vocal against the NGO law.

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The National Board of Review released its annual year-end honors Tuesday, naming Manchester by the Sea as best film. The 107-year-old, New York-based group also recognized the film by naming Casey Affleck as lead actor and giving its original screenplay award to Kenneth Lonergan and naming Lucas Hedges for the male breakthrough performance.

Following the wins for Moonlight on Monday night at the Gotham Awards and the numerous critics groups that will be announcing their prizes in the coming days, this years awards season is finally taking shape via the actual bestowing of awards.

Barry Jenkins won the NBRs directing award for Moonlight, with Naomie Harris recognized from the film for supporting actress. Amy Adams took lead actress honors for Arrival, while supporting actor went to Jeff Bridges for Hell or High Water. Adapted screenplay went to Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese for Silence.

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The female breakthrough performance award went to Royalty Hightower for The Fits. Directorial debut went to Trey Edward Shults for Krisha. Animated film went to Kubo and the Two Strings. The foreign-language award went to Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadis The Salesman. Best documentary went to O.J.: Made in America. Ensemble was awarded to Hidden Figures, with a cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Mahershala Ali, Kevin Costner and Kirsten Dunst.

A Spotlight award was given to the creative collaboration between Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg. The Freedom of Expression award was given to the film Cameraperson.

The NBR also announced a list of 10 top films for the year, with Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, Hail, Caesar!, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Moonlight, Patriots Day, Silence and Sully.

The top five foreign-language films were Frances Elle, South Koreas The Handmaiden, Spains Julieta, Denmarks Land of Mine, and Chiles Neruda.

The top five documentaries were De Palma, The Eagle Huntress, Gleason, Life, Animated, and Miss Sharon Jones!

The top 10 independent films were 20th Century Women, Captain Fantastic, Creative Control, Eye in the Sky, The Fits, Green Room, Hello, My Name Is Doris, Krisha, Morris From America, and Sing Street.

The National Board of Review describe itself as a select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics and students. The awards gala will be Jan. 4, 2017 in New York City.

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Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus

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Sweaty Betty recently opened the doors to its third Los Angeles-area store as the London-based company plots a larger expansion at retail.

The activewear companys store, at 8551 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, follows openings over the past 12 months in Santa Monica and Venice. The company is eying a San Francisco store with a lease signed in a yet-to-be-revealed location in the midst of the permitting process. The company is also in talks for a lease farther south in Newport Beach, with all locations hitting on a retail sweet spot that looks to be in what president and U.S. chief executive officer Erika Serow described as the flow of our customers everyday lives. That means no malls or typical shopping destinations.

The places she is going to work out, to get coffee or lunch or go and have a juice with friends, Serow explained of the companys selection of sites. Were really looking for places that have that vibe for us.

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The particular stretch of Melrose where the companys latest store is located also features Urth Caffe, Cycle House and an incoming Dean & Deluca.

Sweaty Betty has big aspirations for its retail footprint.

Executives arent chaining themselves to a target door count they think the brand can grow to, but they do think it can expand to at least 50 stores in the U.S. over the next five years, with about eight to 10 of those opened over the next 12 months.

But we absolutely do not see that as a cap, Serow said. We see that as a way to get in and lead the first round of influencers.

The Sweaty Betty business today is split almost evenly between digital and physical stores, a mix Serow said the company would like to maintain.

Wed like to keep that and we know that customers that are engaged with us, both digitally and in physical stores, they spend much more than a customer that is just an online customer or just [shopping] a retail store, she said.

Sweaty Betty is also seeing success with its concessions in select Bloomingdales, although company-owned retail remains the dominant focus.

We will be very choosy about locations that take us away from this everyday life and toward [traditional] retail, Serow said. We look for proximity to the best studios. We look for proximity to juice bars and coffee shops, and if we dont feel that we can find that with the density thats appropriate, then I think we would think about concessions. Our primary focus will be opening freestanding stores.

The runway appears to be long for the business, with each door in the U.S. unlocking a new market. With digital transactions alone, 70 percent of those are from customers who are new to Sweaty Betty, while about 80 percent of the transactions at the companys physical stores in the U.S. open for at least a year are from shoppers new to the brand.

As the business grows, Serow said its not about finding ways to differentiate from activewear lines in the market.

When people talk about this [activewear] space getting crowded, I want to be really thoughtful about how we define what this space is because what we believe at Sweaty Betty and what we are seeing is this is not about what we call the ath-leisure market, Serow said. This is how women dress and the shift that were seeing in how women dress is seismic and I think its still underappreciated even though many recognize components of the trend.This is not about exercise clothes. This is about people incorporating active lifestyle or building a life around active lifestyle.If you think about this space as exercise clothes, its really crowded. But thats not where were competing.
LA 90: A middle-aged woman with Alzheimers, no money and no transportation vanished in Los Angeles. Now the search is on Manhattan Beach woman Nancy Paulikas had gone with family to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Oct. 15, went to the bathroom, and vanished.
Tamara Moore thought of herself as a career teacher, but she could see burnout in her future. In her first year, she was putting in 60 hours a week but was troubled by how her school focused more on raising test scores than on working with her to meet the needs of students.

I felt like I  as an individual in the classroom  didnt matter, Moore said.

Her experience encapsulates some of the root causes of a California teacher shortage that is bad and getting worse, according to a new survey released Wednesday.

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The staffing problem is both wide and deep, with 75% of more than 200 districts surveyed reporting difficulties with filling positions and low-income urban and rural areas hit hardest.

Its a national phenomenon, but we are probably on the more severe side, said Linda Darling-Hammond, head of the Palo Alto-based Learning Policy Institute, which oversaw the research. This is partly because we had cuts and cuts for years in our budget for education.

Reduced funding levels have contributed to difficult working conditions, such as larger class sizes.

LaTeira Haynes teaches biology and other science classes at Dymally High School in South Los Angeles. Her district, L.A. Unified, recently reined in some class sizes, but her smallest class still has 35 students; her largest, 47. In all, she is instructing 250 students this semester. The challenge is much greater than conveying scientific concepts en masse.

There are so many things that our students need besides content, and if there are not systems and structures put in place to help teachers, you kind of feel like youre fighting an uphill battle, Haynes said. That sense of loss and failure makes a lot of teachers leave.

In Moores case, the factors nudging her toward the door were the heavy workload combined with concerns about the schools direction.

Between 20% to 40% of teachers, according to the new research, leave the profession in the first five years, a figure that rises to 50% in some school systems, especially those such as Moores school that serve low-income and minority students.

At the same time, fewer prospective teachers have entered the training pipeline, a decrease of 75% over the last 10 years, Darling-Hammond said.

Even though school funding has improved with the economy, the supply of new teachers has not kept pace with those leaving, including many who are retiring.

Darling-Hammond said the reputation of the profession has taken a battering and there is a dearth of necessary financial incentives, such as programs to help teachers pay for higher education.

For us, weve been just fighting against it, said Michael Hanson, superintendent of the Fresno Unified School District in the Central Valley. The valley floor is a tough place to be. This is not everybodys destination for work or teaching of any type.

Nearly halfway into the school year, he still has 24 vacancies to fill and hes also worried about next year. His coping strategies include staging hiring fairs months ahead of other school systems. He also has a solid recruiting pitch: A teachers salary is enough to buy a home in the Fresno area, which is an advantage over higher-profile urban areas.

Nearly 30% of districts with shortages report the high cost of living  relative to teacher salaries  as a factor.

To fill his positions, Hanson said, weve been doing the sub thing and its absolutely brutal. They work their butts off and were thankful for them, but its not the same.

The survey findings are detailed in a brief released by the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research, policy and advocacy group, and the California School Boards Assn. The survey was completed by representatives of 211 school districts in the associations delegate assembly  a sample that generally reflects the demographics of Californias approximately 1,025 districts, according to the groups.

The survey found that 83% of districts serving the largest concentrations of low-income students report having teacher shortages, compared with 55% of districts with the fewest.

Many districts are backfilling with teachers who are not fully trained and those who are teaching outside their fields of specialty.

High-poverty districts report filling their vacancies with teachers who have substandard credentials more than twice as often as low-poverty districts (71% vs. 30%), the research states. They also report filling vacancies more often with substitute teachers (29% vs. 13%).

But such imperfect solutions also increase turnover, the data indicate.

The teacher shortage at L.A. Unified is situational, with a greater effort needed to fill openings in classes for disabled students and in middle-school and high-school math and science.

Moore, who teaches elementary school, spent more than a year looking for work in the Los Angeles area and applied to school districts and independently operated charter schools. She never got a call back from L.A. Unified. Her only prospect two years ago turned out to be the charter school with which she quickly grew disenchanted.

L.A. Unified is doing more hiring now, adding nearly 1,500 new teachers and counselors this year to a workforce of 25,275. The newbies included 300 elementary teachers. The district says it was fully staffed on the first day of school, but since then 139 positions have opened up.

Moore avoided a quick exit from the profession.

Instead of leaving teaching, she found a new job at Citizens of the World Mar Vista, a different charter school. At this campus, we care about who students are as people and what they will bring to the world when they grow up as adults.

I still find myself working between 50 and 60 hours a week, Moore said. But I am willing and able to go the extra mile.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume

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UPDATES:

7:37 p.m: This article was updated to add additional teacher voices, analysis from the study and information about L.A. Unified hiring this year.

This article was originally published at 6 a.m.
A vehicle veered off the side of the 405 Freeway on Tuesday evening and landed in a homeless encampment, killing one person and injuring three others.

The vehicle was traveling along the southbound 405 Freeway near Sherman Way in Van Nuys when it went off the road, according to Margaret Stewart, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The crash was reported about 6:15 p.m.

The driver of the vehicle was taken to a hospital in fair condition with non-life-threatening injuries, Stewart said.

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Of the three people struck by the vehicle, one person was pronounced dead, and two people were taken to a hospital in serious-to-critical condition, Stewart said.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert and said the No. 4 lane on the far right side of the southbound 405 Freeway was closed.

Its unclear what led to the crash.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno
The three young people who died after attending the Hard Summer rave at the Auto Club Speedway near Fontana all died of Ecstasy overdoses, the San Bernardino County coroner said.

The official cause of death for all three was acute MDMA toxicity, referring to the formal name for the illegal drug Ecstasy, said Mike Sutcliffe, supervising coroner investigator.

There have now been at least 28 confirmed drug-related deaths nationwide since 2006 among people who went to raves organized by Los Angeles-area companies. Fifteen have died in Southern California  seven in San Bernardino County and eight in L.A. County  and six in the Las Vegas area.

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The three had attended the rave held during the last weekend of July, produced by a division of concert giant Live Nation, which was moved from the Los Angeles County fairgrounds in Pomona last year after two college students died of drug overdoses. This years Hard Summer saw record attendance.

Drug overdoses have been a recurring problem at electronic dance music festivals, where Ecstasy and similar club drugs are often used for their stimulating and euphoric effects.

The three died in separate incidents. Over the summer, they were identified as as Derek Lee, 22, of San Francisco and San Diego State student Alyssa Dominguez, 21, of San Diego, both of whom died July 31; and UC Riverside student Roxanne Ngo, 22, of Chino Hills, who was declared dead Aug. 1.

Coroners officials released more details on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Dominguez and Ngo.

Dominguez was said to have taken an Ecstasy pill twice on the raves first night, first at around 5 p.m., and again at 9 p.m., and appeared fine until about 1:30 a.m., when she and her friends were in a car leaving the venues parking lot.

But the traffic was at a standstill for more than 30 minutes because of congestion. Suddenly, Dominguez grew agitated and began to ramble incoherently in the back seat. Around 2 a.m., she started making gurgling sounds and became unresponsive. When her friends checked on her, she had no pulse.

Friends removed her from the car and began CPR while summoning paramedics, but it was too late. She arrived at the Kaiser hospital in Fontana at 2:06 a.m., and was pronounced dead four minutes later.

A witness, Angel Ghaemi, previously told The Times that she saw Dominguez on a patch of grass in the parking lot, and tried to give aid by doing CPR. Ghaemi said the congestion in the parking lot seemed to slow first responders and that she was there for 15 minutes until an ambulance arrived.

Ngo attended the rave on the night of July 31, where she was said to have consumed what was believed to be Ecstasy, and then suffered a seizure and became unresponsive.

Paramedics found her in cardiac arrest, took her to a mobile hospital at the rave site, and then transferred her to Loma Linda University Medical Center.

When she arrived at 11:07 p.m., her temperature was 104 degrees  excessively high body temperatures are a common symptom of Ecstasy overdoses. Despite treatment with fluids and other measures to try to cool down her body, she went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead shortly after 3 a.m. She is believed not to have a history of seizures and did not have a history of using alcohol or drugs.

Emergency room physicians have seen overdosing ravegoers with body temperatures as high as 109 degrees  temperatures so high that body organs fail.

Ecstasy can also cause extreme thirst, leading people to drink too much water, which can cause sodium levels to crash. People experiencing hyponatremia go into a lengthy seizure that makes it hard to breathe; fatal comas can result if not enough oxygen reaches the brain.

Ecstasy can also cause the breakdown of muscle into a chemical that damages the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure and death.

It is unclear whether Hard Summer will return to the Auto Club Speedway.

The deaths in August renewed a controversy at the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on whether to end raves at a county-owned facility, the San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore.

Supervisor Janice Rutherford in September repeated her call to end to raves at the amphitheater, saying the financial liability to the county, and the potential for more tragic deaths, are too great. Rutherfords earlier push to end raves at the amphitheater failed in a vote in June.

Hard Summers website published a video urging its patrons to stay safe when you party, which includes lines such as, one thing you dont want to play with is Ecstasy and you can choose to take nothing at all.

ron.lin@latimes.com

Twitter: @ronlin

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Police are continuing their investigation Wednesday morning into the slaying of a man found with a single gunshot to the head in the parking garage of a gated Hollywood Hills apartment complex.

The body was discovered Tuesday afternoon next to a black Mercedes on the second floor of the garage at the Toluca Hills Apartments in the 3600 block of Barham Boulevard, near the Cahuenga Pass, police said.

I heard the bang. I didnt expect it to be a gunshot or anything like that, resident Ricky Cruz told KTLA.

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The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers said he appeared to be between 30 and 35 years old. Detectives have ruled out suicide.

The mans identity will be released after notification of kin, coroners officials said.

The case was turned over to the LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division, an elite unit that often handles high-profile crimes.

Before Tuesdays slaying, two people had been killed in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood during the previous 12 months, according to data compiled by The Times Homicide Report database.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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Sherri Papinis husband may have compromised the investigation into her kidnapping when he released details of her time in captivity to the media without notifying law enforcement, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Wednesday.

I did not know he was going to release this until a short time before I did a media interview, Bosenko said at a news conference. Yes, I think with some of the details he has provided it could affect the integrity of the investigation.

Keith Papini released a statement this week stating that his wife was found on the side of a road beaten, chained, with a bag over her head and weighing only 87 pounds.

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My first sight was my wife in a hospital bed, her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black because of repeated beatings, the bridge of her nose broken, he wrote.

In an interview with Good Morning America that aired Wednesday morning, Bosenko added that Sherri Papinis hair had been cut off and she had been branded.

I would think that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message that the brand contained, Bosenko said. It is not a symbol, but it was a message.

Shasta County Sheriffs major crimes investigators have interviewed Sherri Papini over the last two days, Bosenko said.

She was cooperative and courageous and did her best to provide a description of her captors, he said.

Papini described her captors as two women who spoke Spanish most of the time, Bosenko said. She described one of the captors as having long curly hair, pierced ears, thin eyebrows and a thick accent. The second captor was described as being older, having straight black hair with some gray and thick eyebrows.

Deputies are working with a sketch artist to see if they could create renderings, but only the eyes would likely be shown, Bosenko said. The women had their faces covered much of the time, as did Papini, he said.

The women were driving a dark-colored SUV and had a handgun when they kidnapped Papini, Bosenko said. But when detectives showed her images of SUVs seen on cameras in the area the time of her capture, she told authorities none of them were familiar.

Theres still a lot of unknown about her assailants. However, we commend Sherri for her efforts to sit down with detectives and provide statements, he said.

The 34-year-old woman was found bound by restraints along Interstate 5 in Yolo County. Officials were called about 4:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving after Papini flagged down a motorist. The mother of two was treated for injuries and reunited with her husband.

Officials said they were not aware of a motive for the apparent kidnapping. Bosenko also said it was not clear whether Papini knew her abductors.

Before Papini was found, police had filed about 20 search warrants in court related to the investigation. Many were filed under seal, the Sacramento Bee reported. ABC reported that detectives were also looking through Papinis computer records, investigating past relationships and seeking video surveillance camera footage that might offer clues.

Papini disappeared Nov. 2 while she was out for a jog in the small town of Mountain Gate in Shasta County.

Her husband reported her missing after he came home from work and found that she hadnt picked up their children from daycare. Her cellphone and headphones were found near where she had last been seen, about a mile from her home, investigators said.

Her disappearance made national news, and the community launched an aggressive manhunt to find her. Her story was shared on social media and volunteer searches were launched.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

Staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

2:35 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Sheriff Tom Bosenko.

11:53 a.m.: This story was updated with scheduling of a news conference.

This article was originally published at 8:05 a.m.
An escapee from a Santa Clara County jail was captured by U.S. Marshals on Tuesday evening when his attic-space hiding place collapsed and sent him crashing to the floor as authorities searched his sisters home, according to officials.

Although Laron Campbell, 26, was taken into custody nearly a week after he sawed his way out of jail, a second escapee remains at large.

U.S. Marshals had been observing Campbells sisters house when the fugitive fell through the ceiling and was taken into custody, according to Santa Clara County Undersheriff Carl Neusel.

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Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Neusel told reporters that Campbells sister, Marcaysha Alexander, 24, also was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

A tip led law enforcement to the area where Campbell was hiding, and authorities obtained a warrant to search the home, Neusel said.

Law enforcement officers are continuing to search for another escapee, Rogelio Chavez, 33.

Campbell and Chavez, along with two other inmates, broke out of Santa Clara County Main Jail North on the night of Nov. 23. The group had cut through bars covering a second-story window and rappelled to freedom using bedsheets and clothing. The other two prisoners were captured quickly, while a manhunt was launched for Campbell and Chavez.

A woman was arrested earlier this week in connection with Chavezs escape.

Campbell and Chavez were being held on charges of burglary, extortion, false imprisonment and other crimes, and both face possible life sentences if convicted. Chavez had been in jail since August and Campbell since early 2015.

On Wednesday, Neusel said authorities were narrowing the locations where Chavez might be.

Although the circumstances of the escape are still being investigated, preliminary findings revealed that jail staff committed no significant policy violations, Neusel said.

He noted that the jail is aging, very noisy and occasionally leaky. Neusel said deputies are eagerly awaiting the construction of a new facility approved by the county Board of Supervisors.

Cameras that would have recorded the mens escape are also on the horizon, he said.

The jail has been under intense scrutiny since the death of Michael Tyree, a mentally ill inmate who was found dead in his cell last year. Three deputies were arrested in connection with his death.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
A military court sentenced the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie and leading figure Mohamed El-Beltagy to ten years in prison on charges relating to the storming of an Ismailia court complex in 2013.

Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy and Brotherhood figure Mohamed Wahdan were also handed ten-year prison terms by the court, while sentences ranging from life imprisonment to two years were handed to 299 other defendants.

The defendants can still appeal the sentences.

Badie, Hegazy, and El-Beltagy are all serving life sentences upheld by the Court of Cassation over a different violence-related case from 2013.

The Ismailia case dates back to August 2013 following the forced dispersal of pro-Brotherhood Rabaa El-Adawiya and Nahda protest camps; dozens of protesters stormed into the Islamilia court complex after the deadly dispersal and set it ablaze.

The defendants, who were referred to the Ismailia military court, were charged by the general prosecution with murder, the storming of a public institution, inciting violence and riots, and resisting police and military.

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The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Wednesday to Safe Sidewalks LA, a long-range plan to fix the citys buckling walkways.

The program, initially backed by the council in March, seeks to shift responsibility from the city to property owners for the care of L.A.s sidewalks.

While state law dictates that adjacent property owners are responsible for sidewalk repairs, Los Angeles policy is to fix sidewalks damaged by street trees. The city has not followed through, however, angering residents who must navigate the citys maze of broken walkways.

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To encourage people to fix their sidewalks and speed up the repair process, L.A. is offering property owners a rebate if they repair the sidewalks before the city does, reimbursing them for at least half of the average cost per square foot of repairs if they make fixes during the first three years of the new program.

L.A. also will waive permit fees for such work.

Property owners can get up to $2,000 for a residential lot or $4,000 for a commercial lot, city officials said. Rebates will be available for the first three years of the program, which begins immediately.

A city website will offer information about the rebates.

City leaders agreed to a $1.3-billion lawsuit settlement after disability rights groups sued over the poor condition of the sidewalks. That money will be used to repair the citys walkways over the next three decades.

Separately, the City Council also tentatively approved a law that bars some companies from asking job applicants about their criminal histories until a conditional offer of employment has been made.

City Councilman Mitch Englander dissented, and the ordinance must come back to the council for a second vote, where only a simple majority is needed, before being passed.

The law would apply to companies with 10 or more employees and would exempt several types of businesses, including those that require workers to carry handguns.

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At least 17 people fell ill after eating food from a free Thanksgiving dinner in Northern California  more than double the number of people initially reported in what health officials described Tuesday as a probable outbreak of food-borne illness.

At least eight of those who fell ill were admitted to the hospital in Antioch, just east of Berkeley, and of those, three people died, Contra Costa Health Services officials said. Only one person remained hospitalized on Tuesday, and officials said the persons health was improving.

The 17 people either attended a dinner Thursday at an American Legion Hall in Antioch or consumed food that had been taken home afterward, according to Dr. Louise McNitt, director of infectious diseases for Contra Costa County Health Services.

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Most became sick within 24 hours of eating the food, McNitt said. The patients range in age from teens to 70s, according to Marilyn Underwood, director of environmental health for the county health department. The identities of those who died were not released.

Many were residents at so-called board-and-care facilities, which typically care for the elderly or those with disabilities. Others consumed leftovers taken home by family members, Underwood said.

Health officials are still trying to identify what caused the illnesses.

A total of 835 people attended the holiday meal at the American Legion Hall in Antioch. The Thanksgiving feast, hosted by Golden Hills Community Church, was open to members of the public and welcomed families, homeless people and residents of adult care facilities.

The meal included traditional Thanksgiving fare such as turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans and creamed corn.

They fed anybody that wanted to come, Underwood said. Its all sort of folks that come to the event.

On Friday, the Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch admitted eight people from an unidentified elder care facility. Their symptoms included nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, health officials said Monday.

A spokesman for the medical center confirmed to The Times that of those admitted, three died, four were treated and released, and one remained hospitalized.

McNitt asked members of the public to come forward if they attended the Thanksgiving event and fell ill.

Were interviewing people that we know are ill and also trying to find people that may have had some symptoms but did not seek any healthcare, McNitt said.

Health officials said there was not a threat to the general public.

Were saddened that this incident occurred during what should be a festive time, McNitt said. Our hearts go out to the families affected.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno.

UPDATES:

9:50 p.m. This article was updated with additional details about some of the sick diners who were hospitalized.

This article was originally published at 9:35 p.m.
You probably dont know his name, but youve almost certainly devoured his creation: two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

Michael James Jim Delligatti, the McDonalds franchisee who created the Big Mac nearly 50 years ago and saw it become perhaps the best-known fast-food sandwich in the world, died Monday at home in Pittsburgh.

Delligatti, who according to his son ate at least one 540-calorie Big Mac a week for decades, was 98.

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His franchise was based in Uniontown, not far from Pittsburgh, when he invented the chains signature burger in 1967 after deciding customers wanted a bigger sandwich. Demand exploded as Delligattis sandwich spread to the rest of his 47 stores in Pennsylvania and was added to the chains national menu in 1968.

He was often asked why he named it the Big Mac, and he said because Big Mc sounded too funny, his son Michael Delligatti said.

Jim Delligatti told the Associated Press in 2006 that McDonalds resisted the idea at first because its simple lineup of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries and shakes was selling well.

They figured, why go to something else if [the original menu] was working so well? Delligatti said then. McDonalds has sold billions of Big Macs in more than 100 countries. When the burger turned 40, McDonalds estimated it was selling 550 million Big Macs a year, or roughly 17 every second.

Delligatti received no payment or royalties for coming up with the burger, the company said.

Delligatti was a legendary franchisee within McDonalds system who made a lasting impression on our brand, the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company said Wednesday in a statement. The Big Mac has become an iconic sandwich enjoyed by many around the world.

Ann Dugan, a former assistant dean of the University of Pittsburghs Katz School of Business and an expert on business franchises, said Delligattis genius was simple: He listened to customers who wanted a bigger burger.

In franchising, theres always this set playbook and you have to follow it. Jim saw an opportunity to go outside the playbook because he knew the customer, Dugan said. He persevered and [McDonalds] listened, and the rest is history.

Delligatti opened his first McDonalds in Pittsburghs North Hills suburbs in 1957. In 1979, he co-founded Pittsburghs Ronald McDonald House, then the seventh such facility in the country, where families can stay when children travel to Pittsburgh for life-saving medical care, and he was involved in several other charities. Delligatti also helped introduce breakfast service at McDonalds, developing the hotcakes and sausage meal to feed hungry steelworkers on their way home from overnight shifts in the mills, his family said.

In addition to his two sons, Delligatti is survived by his wife, Ellie, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
House and Senate negotiators announced a compromise Tuesday that would permit the Pentagon to forgive debts owed by thousands of California National Guard soldiers who received improper bonuses during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The agreement, included in a defense bill due to be voted on by the House on Friday and the Senate next week, seeks to strike a balance between the Pentagons concerns about fraud in the bonus system and lawmakers attempts to resolve a scandal that has hurt thousands of military veterans and sparked a public furor.

The compromise calls on the Pentagon to forgive the enlistment bonuses and student loan benefits unless the soldier who received the money knew or reasonably should have known that he or she was ineligible for it.

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The provision stops short of requiring the Pentagon to forgive debts owed by all California Guard soldiers as long as they fulfilled the terms of their enlistment contracts and did not commit fraud  a far more sweeping waiver that members of the California delegation had proposed.

But by placing the burden on the Pentagon to contact the soldiers and prove that each was ineligible, the compromise provision is likely to result in forgiveness of the debts for most of the 9,700 soldiers ordered to repay some or all of their reenlistment incentive payments from 2004 to 2015, according to lawmakers.

This largely meets the needs of the soldiers who accepted their bonuses in good faith, as the vast majority of them did, said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank). It should give these soldiers peace of mind during the holidays that the Pentagon wont claw them back.

Under the compromise, if the Pentagon forgives a soldiers debts, it would have to inform credit agencies to correct any adverse effect on credit scores that could affect applications for car loans, mortgages and other debts.

The Times reported last month that the Pentagon was demanding repayment of enlistment bonuses given to California Guard soldiers to help fill enlistment quotas for the wars. Many of the soldiers served in combat, and some returned with severe injuries.

Many of the soldiers were told to repay bonuses of $15,000 or more years after they had completed their military service. Student loan repayments, which were also given out improperly to soldiers with educational loans, sometimes totaled as much as $50,000.

In response to a public outcry, and at the urging of the White House, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered a suspension of the repayment program on Oct. 26 and set up an internal appeals process to review the debts by July.

The congressional compromise would make it mandatory that the Pentagon completes its review on that timetable.

It would also require the Defense Department to refund any repayments already made by soldiers as long as they were not guilty of fraud.

But Pentagon officials emphasized that they could not fully forgive all the soldiers debts, which totaled tens of millions of dollars, because some of the benefits were accepted fraudulently and because that solution would create a precedent that soldiers in other states could use to escape repaying bonuses they were not entitled to.

Soldiers ordered to repay bonuses began receiving letters last week from the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon agency that oversees the California Guard, telling them the recoupment effort had been suspended because of Carters action.

But the agency warned that the Pentagon had not made a final decision on waiving their debts.

Please note that this suspension is a temporary measure that will allow the collection of the debts to be reviewed by the Defense Department, said Col. Roy J. Macaraeg, comptroller of the Army National Guard. Your debt has not been waived, canceled or remitted by this notice.

By codifying the Pentagon review in law, however, lawmakers would prevent the incoming Trump administration from failing to review all the soldiers cases by July, lawmakers and aides said.

Some of the bonuses were awarded as part of an illegal scheme that saw several recruiters convicted of fraud and other crimes in 2011, they noted. Pentagon officials also warned that forgiving all the debts could hurt future efforts to stem waste, fraud and abuse in the military.

The bill says that recoupment is unwarranted  unless the review determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the soldier knew or should have known that the member was ineligible for the bonus pay.

Congressional aides said that language should serve to provide relief to most of the affected soldiers while not condoning fraud.

The burden of proof is on the department, not on the individual soldier, said a senior House Armed Services Committee aide, who briefed reporters on the defense bill Tuesday on condition he not be identified.

He said that the expedited review of each soldiers case that Carter announced in October was a pretty good process and that lawmakers did not want to mandate an outcome.

Schiff said that if the compromise provision did not result in most soldiers having their debts forgiven, California lawmakers in Congress would revisit the issue next year.

If theres anything we need to do, well be back at it, he said.

The Pentagon began ordering California Guard soldiers to repay enlistment bonuses after the Sacramento Bee reported in 2010 that a federal investigation had found that thousands of recipients were ineligible or were approved despite incomplete paperwork.

Army Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe, the California Guards incentive manager, pleaded guilty in 2011 to filing false claims of $15.2 million and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Three officers also pleaded guilty to fraud and were put on probation after paying restitution.

Recoupment of the bonuses has been under way ever since, with little attention until recently.

Soldiers identified by California Guard audits as having received improper payments were told to repay the money and threatened with wage garnishments, tax liens and interest charges if they did not. An appeals process that allowed them to contest the debts was lengthy and difficult, officials acknowledged.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

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Facing the likelihood of dramatically stepped-up deportations under a President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court justices sounded closely split Wednesday over whether the government can indefinitely jail immigrants with criminal convictions while they fight legal efforts to remove them from the country.

Trump, who made illegal immigration one of the platforms of his presidential campaign, has promised to deport as many as 3 million immigrants once he takes office, and the Supreme Court case involving a Los Angeles immigrant could give his administration greater leverage.

Citing a 1996 law that mandates the detention of criminal aliens, Obama administration lawyers urged the justices to give the government broad discretion in handling such matters.

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The courts conservative justices appeared inclined to reverse a 9th Circuit Court decision requiring immigration judges to give a bond hearing and consider possible release for noncitizens who have been jailed for more than six months as they fight their deportation.

Trumps victory assures a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. 

Liberal justices sounded unsure as to whether a specific time limit can be upheld.

Acting Solicitor Gen. Ian Gershengorn urged the court to rule no hearings are required. He said Congress made a categorical judgement that there is a real flight risk if these criminal aliens are released. Therefore, he said, they can be held indefinitely until their claims are resolved.

Under the law, immigrants who are guilty of an aggravated felony are slated for mandatory deportation. However, those with minor offenses on their records can fight their deportation if they have a family and other ties to this country.

Immigration advocates argued that even non-citizens should benefit from the constitutional guarantees of due process.

We just talking about the need for an inquiry, that is, the need for a hearing that is individualized, Ahilan Arulanantham, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, told the high court.

Arulanantham said immigrants should be deemed eligible for release if they show they present no safety or flight risk. He represents a class of legal immigrants, many of whom have jobs and families in California. Many had prevailed in their deportation challenges, but only after spending a year or more in jail.

The lead plaintiff in the case is Alejandro Rodriguez, who was brought to the U.S. as a baby and eventually obtained lawful status. Because of a drug possession and joyriding conviction as a teenager, he was slated for possible deportation and detained for more than three years as the case proceeded. He eventually won and was released.

For the 4th time, the Electoral College picks the loser of the popular vote. 

Oddly enough, the governments lawyer acknowledged that it is understood that bond hearings are given to immigrants who are detained for being in the country illegally. But the same rule does not extend to immigrants, here legally or illegally, who are taken into custody by immigration agents because of a criminal conviction.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said he agreed on the need to set a clear rule for the future, acknowledging the scope of the problem. Were dealing with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of people possibly, he said.

Justice Elena Kagan spoke up for the need to set some limits on the detentions. The Constitution has been understood to mean you cant just lock people up without any finding of dangerousness, without any finding of flight risk, for an indefinite period of time, and not run into due process, she said.

But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said they saw no need for such a ruling. Roberts said people who think they are being held in violation of the Constitution can hire a lawyer and file a habeas corpus suit before a federal judge.

The ACLU lawyer said that was an unrealistic option for most immigrants who are taken into custody. Such a suit could take years to resolve, he said.

In 2003, when the justices last dealt with this issue, they said immigrants who faced deportation could be detained for a brief period while their claims were resolved.

More recently, the 9th Circuit Court and the 2nd Circuit Court in New York defined that period as no more than six months. After that, the courts said, jailed immigrants are entitled to a bond hearing in which a judge can decide if they can be released, provided they present no danger and are not a flight risk.

In the past, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy has voiced concern about holding people in immigration jails with no hearing. But he said little Wednesday to suggest he would uphold the 9th Circuits ruling.

The case, Jennings vs. Rodriguez, could prove to be the first major Supreme Court decision of the Trump presidency. A decision is expected early next year.

The justices may split 4-4 on the outcome. If so, they are likely to hold the case and await the arrival of a ninth justice appointed by Trump.

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

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UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes and analysis.

This article was originally published at 11:45 a.m.
A Supreme Court dispute over the governments power to indefinitely jail immigrants facing deportation has taken on added significance with the election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to remove millions of foreigners in the country illegally.

The case, to be argued Wednesday, pits civil libertarians and federal judges in California against the Obama administration, which is defending the governments broad power in dealing with immigration.

At issue is whether immigrants fighting deportation have a legal right to a bond hearing and possible release if they are held more than six months while awaiting resolution of their case. The immigrants involved include longtime legal residents as well as some here illegally.

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Civil libertarians say indefinitely holding such immigrants violates the 5th Amendment guarantee that no person shall be  deprived of  liberty  without due process of law. In the past, the court has said the word person includes immigrants as well as citizens.

They also argue that many of these immigrants have lived and worked legally in the United States and are being held for long periods over minor or nonviolent offenses, including simple drug possession.

Government lawyers counter that federal law mandates that noncitizens convicted of crimes shall be detained.

In the past, the Supreme Court has been closely split on rights for immigrants. In 2001, the justices said the Constitution entitles aliens to due process of law in deportation proceedings. By a 5-4 vote, however, they said foreigners facing possible deportation may be detained for the brief period required to decide their immigration case.

More recently, federal appeals court judges in California and New York have set six months as the limit for what that brief period may constitute. The case before the high court involves a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a judges order in Los Angeles that required the government to give a bond hearing to deportable immigrants who are held in jail for more than six months.

Civil liberties advocates say that without a limit of that sort, the government could wield the threat of indefinite detention against immigrants who might be pressured to simply give up and return home rather than spend years behind bars awaiting resolution.

The case has drawn greater attention since Trumps election and may well portend some of the legal battles ahead under his administration. In his first TV interview after the election, Trump spoke of arresting and deporting 2 million to 3 million foreigners who have criminal records.

What were going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records  gang members, drug dealers. We have a lot of these people, probably 2 million. It could be even 3 million. We are getting them out of our country, he told CBS 60 Minutes.

Immigration experts say that number is not limited to people who have committed felonies or violent crimes, but includes many with lesser offenses, including traffic violations. To carry out such deportations, federal agents would probably prefer to have a free hand to arrest and keep these immigrants in jail.

Officials with Trumps transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Legal experts say a Supreme Court ruling upholding the presidents power to detain immigrants indefinitely would give the new administration greater leverage in cracking down against illegal immigration.

I thought this case was important before, but obviously it is more important with an administration that wants to do even more deportations, said Karen Tumlin, legal director for the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles. You would think mandatory detention is for people with very severe crimes, but it is not. It can be for relatively low-level charges.

Each day, more than 40,000 people are held in immigration jails because they have a criminal conviction on their records or because they entered the country seeking asylum, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The court orders do not call for mass release, but only for individualized hearings, said Ahilan Arulanantham, an ACLU attorney from Los Angeles who will argue for the immigrants on Wednesday.

He said a significant number of the detainees are lawful permanent residents who had families and worked in California, yet were jailed more than a year before their immigration cases were heard.

The lead plaintiff, Alejandro Rodriguez, was brought to this country as an infant and obtained lawful status, but was jailed for possible deportation because of a drug possession and a joyriding conviction as a teenager. After more than three years in jail, he won his immigration case and was released.

Arulanantham says immigrants like Rodriguez should be given a hearing before a judge and released on bond if it is decided they are not a danger to the community nor are likely to flee. The court order does not extend to suspected terrorists and national security threats, he noted.

But lawyers for the Obama administration urged the high court to throw out the 9th Circuits decision, which they said calls for a dramatic and wholesale revision of immigration laws. They argued for a hands-off approach by judges. They said the justices should affirm the long-standing rule that the political branches have plenary [complete] control over which aliens may physically enter the United States and under what circumstances.

Its possible the eight justices could divide evenly on the new case. If so, they are likely to put off a ruling until a ninth justice is confirmed.

Kevin Johnson, dean of the UC Davis Law School, said the election has put the case in a new spotlight. I am more concerned with immigration detention in a Trump administration, he said. Detention will become commonplace for noncitizens placed in removal proceedings. And with the backlog in the immigration courts, it can take years for removal proceedings to be completed.

In their legal briefs for Wednesdays case, government lawyers warned that allowing these people to be released on bond could allow many of them to escape. It would be time-consuming and costly if agents were forced to track down people who had absconded after their release, they said.

The ACLU disagreed, saying the California court orders have been in effect for four years and have not led to such problems. It says more than 95% of the people released on bond showed up for their hearing before an immigration judge.

The high court is expected to rule early next year in the case of Jennings vs. Rodriguez.

Trumps victory assures a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. 

For the 4th time, the Electoral College picks the loser of the popular vote. 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

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A Charlotte police officer who shot and killed a black man at an apartment complex, touching off several nights of unrest in the city, will not face charges, a North Carolina prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Dist. Atty. Andrew Murray said Officer Brentley Vinsons actions in killing Keith Lamont Scott were justified.

Scotts family has said he was not armed.

However, at a lengthy news conference Murray displayed a nearby stores surveillance video showing the outline of what appeared to be a holstered gun on Scotts ankle, and he gave extensive details about other evidence that Scott was armed.

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Plainclothes officers had gone to the complex about 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 looking for a suspect with an outstanding warrant when they saw Scott  not the suspect they were looking for  inside a car with a gun and marijuana, department spokesman Keith Trietley has said in a statement.

Officers saw Scott get out of the car with a gun and then get back in, police said. When officers approached, they said, Scott exited the car with the gun again. At that point, officers deemed Scott a threat and Vinson fired his weapon.

Scott, 43, was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center. An autopsy report from Mecklenburg County authorities says Scott died of gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen.

Vinson, who is also black, had been with the department for two years at the time of the shooting. He has been on administrative leave which is standard in police shootings.

Scotts family has said he did not have a gun, but detectives recovered a firearm at the scene, police said.

At a Wednesday news conference, Murray played a nearby stores surveillance video that appeared to show the outline of a gun in a holster on Scotts right ankle.

Body camera and dashcam recordings released earlier by the police department did not conclusively show that and city officials were criticized for the length of time it took to release police video of the shooting.

Scotts final moments also were recorded by his wife, Rakeyia, in a video shared widely on social media. She can be heard shouting to police that her husband doesnt have a gun. She pleads with the officers not to shoot before a burst of gunfire can be heard.

The shooting led to two nights of violent protests, including a fatal shooting in downtown Charlotte the next night. The unrest gave way to several more days of largely peaceful demonstrations, and the city instituted a curfew for multiple nights.

In October, police in North Carolinas largest city invited the Police Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C., to review its policies and procedures following the shooting.

The foundation has done similar reviews elsewhere, assessing police in St. Louis County, Mo., after the unrest in Ferguson, and analyzing the response to the terrorist attack in San Bernardino.

The case was among a series across the country since mid-2014 that has spurred a national debate over race and policing.

A trial is underway in Charleston, S.C., for a since-fired white patrolman, Michael Slager. He faces 30 years to life if convicted of murder in the death last year of Walter Scott, a black man shot while running from a traffic stop in April.

A Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile during a July traffic stop remains free as a manslaughter case against him proceeds.

Deaths of other unarmed black males at the hands of law enforcement officers have inspired protests under the Black Lives Matter moniker.

The Black Lives Matter movement traces its roots to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, and gained national ground after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson in 2014.

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UPDATES:

8:47 a.m.: This story has been updated with details about the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, the ensuing riots in Charlotte, N.C., and the Black Lives Matter movement.

This story was originally published at 11:25 a.m.
Breitbart News wants supporters to #DumpKelloggs after advertiser pulls out By David Ng Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Joel Pollak, left, and Chief Executive Larry Solov at the Breitbart offices in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The Breitbart News Network is seeing some of its advertisers head for the exit doors and is responding in typical Breitbart fashion: by going on the counteroffensive, labeling one of them as un-American and calling it a war on conservatism. Since Donald Trumps victory in the presidential election, Los Angeles-based Breitbart has experienced a backlash from some advertisers who say that the online site conflicts with their corporate values. Breitbart took a pro-Trump stance during the campaign, supporting the Republican candidates views on immigration and national security. The companys executive chairman, Steve Bannon, who is on a leave of absence, was Trumps campaign manager and has been named chief White House strategist. Although Bannon was quoted in Mother Jones as saying Breitbart is a platform for the alt-right  the ultraconservative movement associated with white nationalism  the news site has denied accusations that it engages in racist rhetoric. The company has stated that it isnt affiliated with the alt-right and that the brand of nationalism it espouses is political, not racial. Breitbart is fighting back at one of the advertisers  breakfast cereal maker Kellogg Co.  by launching a Twitter campaign, #DumpKelloggs, that encourages its readers to sign a petition and boycott the maker of such favorites as Froot Loops and Apple Jacks. Read More Facebook

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Supreme Court weighs rules for jailed immigrants in Trump era By David Savage The Supreme Court building in Washington. (Saul Loeb / AFP-Getty Images) Facing the likelihood of dramatically stepped-up deportations under a President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court justices sounded closely split Wednesday over whether the government can indefinitely jail immigrants with criminal convictions while they fight legal efforts to remove them from the country. Trump, who made illegal immigration one of the platforms of his presidential campaign, has promised to deport as many as 3 million immigrants once he takes office, and the Supreme Court case involving a Los Angeles immigrant could give his administration greater leverage. Read More Facebook

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Trump says he saved American jobs, but he hasnt shown how he can turn the victory into policy By Noah Bierman A Carrier Corp. plant in Indianapolis. (Darron Cummings / Associated Press) President-elect Donald Trumps newly announced agreement to save more than 1,000 jobs in Indiana gave him the kind of trophy he covets: a tangible victory that matches his campaign promise to serve as deal maker in chief. But its long-term value will depend on what Trump gave up to keep those factory jobs from going to Mexico and whether he is able to craft a successful fiscal policy that has a broader impact on the economy. Read More Facebook

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Lawmakers reach a compromise to help California soldiers ordered to repay enlistment bonuses By David S. Cloud House and Senate negotiators announced a compromise Tuesday that would permit the Pentagon to forgive debts owed by thousands of California National Guard soldiers who received improper bonuses during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The agreement was included in a defense bill due to be voted on by the House on Friday and the Senate next week. It seeks to strike a balance between the Pentagons concerns about fraud in the bonus system and lawmakers attempts to resolve a scandal that has hurt thousands of military veterans and sparked a public furor. The compromise calls on the Pentagon to forgive the enlistment bonuses and student loans benefits unless the soldier who received the money knew or reasonably should have known that he or she was ineligible for it. The provision stops short of requiring the Pentagon to forgive debts allegedly owed by all California Guard soldiers as long as they fulfilled the terms of their enlistment contracts and did not commit fraud  a far more sweeping waiver that members of the California delegation had proposed. Read More Facebook

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Pentagon says human errors led to mistaken bombing of Syrian-backed forces By W.J. Hennigan Smoke rises near the Syrian village of Hisha, about 25 miles from Islamic States de facto capital of Raqqah, after an airstrike by the American-led coalition on Nov. 9, 2016. (Delil Souleiman /AFP/Getty Images) A U.S. military investigation has found that unintentional human errors led to a coalition airstrike that mistakenly killed dozens of Syrian-backed troops this fall, but it did not recommend disciplining anyone for the deadly attack. The Sept. 17 air raid on a garrison in the eastern Syrian town of Dair Alzour is one of the worst coalition errors to emerge since the Obama administration began an air war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria in mid-2014. The attack, which was in an area also frequented by Russian forces, led to sharp criticism from Moscow after it emerged that Russian attempts to use a communications hotline to stop the attack were not answered for nearly half an hour. Russias Defense Ministry has said the attack killed 62 Syrian troops, wounded 100 more and opened the way for an Islamic State offensive in the area. It also helped destroy an already fragile U.S.-Russian cease-fire. A four-page redacted summary of the investigation that was released Tuesday concluded that the botched bombing did not violate international laws of armed conflict. Read More Facebook

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U.N. slaps new sanctions on North Korea for recent nuclear test By Tracy Wilkinson Participants stand behind a military band in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 13 during a celebration rally after the countrys successful test of a nuclear warhead. (Kim Won-Jin / AFP/Getty Images) The United Nations has slapped additional sanctions on North Korea in an effort to cut its exports of raw materials as punishment for conducting another nuclear test. The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution aimed at cutting North Koreas exports of coal, copper, silver and other raw materials, which are its biggest legitimate sources of foreign revenue. The latest sanctions were issued in response to Pyongyangs fifth and largest nuclear test, which was conducted in September in violation of U.N. resolutions. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power estimated the new sanctions will cost North Korea about $800 million a year in lost export income. North Korea is determined to refine its nuclear and ballistic missile technology to pose an even more potent threat ... to international peace and security, Power said. But this resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the [Kim Jong Un] regime for defying this councils demands, she said. Previous international sanctions have had little apparent effect on decisions in Pyongyang, and its difficult to know whether the latest round will make a difference. In March, a set of sanctions described as the most severe in two decades was imposed. But North Korea has gotten around some of the restrictions thanks to complicity from China, its neighbor and longtime benefactor. Wednesdays measures included a 60% cut on North Koreas export of coal, its biggest income source, and bans on the export of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. The sanctions also banned North Koreas export of statues, a business that caters mostly to Africa, and blacklisted 11 people and 10 entities. Under the resolution, North Korea is also threatened with suspension of some U.N. privileges if it fails to comply. Facebook

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CIA director warns Trump it would be the height of folly to scrap the Iran deal By Brian Bennett In an unusual public warning, the head of the CIA said Wednesday it would be the height of folly and disastrous for President-elect Donald Trump to scrap the Iran nuclear deal. CIA Director John Brennan said in a TV interview that ripping up the historic accord could allow Iran to resume its nuclear program and set off an arms race in the Middle East by encouraging other countries to acquire their own nuclear weapons. I think it would be disastrous for the incoming Trump administration to renege on the deal with Iran, Brennan said in an unusually blunt interview with BBC. It could lead to a weapons program inside Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programs, so I think it would be height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement, Brennan said. It is extremely rare for the CIA director to issue a public warning to an incoming administration, and it suggests deep concern inside the intelligence community about Trumps intentions. During the campaign, Trump variously promised to dismantle or to revise President Obamas signature foreign policy achievement, an international deal that cut off Irans ability to build or acquire nuclear weapons in exchange for easing of sanctions on its finances and oil industry. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Trumps pick to replace Brennan as CIA director, also has been a vocal critic of the deal. I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism, Pompeo wrote Nov. 17 on Twitter. After meeting Trump at the White House after the election, Obama said they had discussed the Iran deal and that he hoped it would survive intact, noting that the United States would be acting alone if it sought to impose new sanctions. The five members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany negotiated the deal in 2015, and the U.N. later voted to enforce it. Implementation began in January, and no evidence has emerged to indicate Iran is violating its side of the agreement. View Twitter post Obama administration officials want to brief Trump and his top advisors on classified details and assessments of the Iran deal, including monitoring systems put in place to verify Iranian compliance. So far, Trumps transition team has delayed receiving more than a handful of in-depth intelligence briefings. There are a lot of people out there who read the papers and listened to news broadcasts where the facts may be a bit  you know  off, Brennan told the BBC. I want to make sure the new team understands what the reality is. It ultimately will be up to them to decide how to carry out their responsibilities, Brennan said. Robert M. Gates, a former CIA chief and secretary of Defense, also called for preserving the nuclear deal. It would be a mistake to tear up the agreement at this point, Gates said in an interview on CBS This Morning. I think we would be the ones isolated, not the Iranians, because none of our partners who helped to negotiate that would walk away from it. But I think what the new president can do is push back against the Iranians. Facebook

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Rep. Nancy Pelosi elected by House Democrats for another term as minority leader By Lisa Mascaro House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Andrew Harnik/Associated Press) House Democrats elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi for another term as minority leader after she fended off a rival who said the November election showed the party needs change at the top. The San Francisco Democrat has beaten back challengers before, but this years campaign from Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan focused attention on President-elect Donald Trumps success in attracting white, working class voters in Rust Belt states that had traditionally been part of the Democratic base. Pelosi responded by expanding her leadership team to include more seats at the table for younger members and those from states Trump won. The only woman to serve as House speaker, Pelosi has faced calls for her ouster ever since Democrats lost the House majority in 2010. First elected to leadership in 2002, the mother of five -- and grandmother -- has also endured questions about how much longer she will stay at the helm. The 76-year-old typically swats back such inquiries by noting the comparable ages of male colleagues in leadership roles elsewhere in the Capitol. Pelosi remains a fundraising powerhouse and despite interest by other Democrats in taking a turn at leadership, few have been able to make the case to their peers that they could match her drive. But this year, Pelosi appeared to take her challenge seriously. She repeatedly worked to shore up support from liberals and minorities who make up the bulk of the Democratic caucus. She also pointed to the gains Democrats have made under her watch -- they picked up six seats in November -- and warned that losses could have been worse. Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, in nominating Pelosi during a closed-door meeting Wednesday, said, We need the very best to lead us.... No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi. Facebook

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Trump pledged to protect Medicare. His choice for health secretary has other ideas By Noah Bierman Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), President-elect Donald Trumps choice for Health and Human Services secretary. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)) President-elect Donald Trump reassured voters during his insurgent political campaign that he would protect Medicare, Social Security and other popular federal assistance programs. But in tapping Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to be his Health and Human Services secretary, he has elevated one of the most aggressive proponents of dramatically overhauling the government safety net for seniors and low-income Americans, a long-held conservative goal. Read More Facebook

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Trump says he will leave his business in total to fully focus on running the country By Jim Puzzanghera (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he would leave his business operations in total to fully focus on running the country. Trumps vast interests in real estate and other ventures have raised unprecedented concerns about the potential for conflict of interest, both at home and internationally. In one of a series of tweets, Trump said he would be leaving my great business in total. Legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task! he said. However, Trump made no mention that would be giving up ownership of the Trump Organization, which includes hotels, golf resorts and other properties and many licensing deals that span the globe. Neither did he specify whether his separation from his businesses would be permanent. To avoid conflicts or the perception that his presidency would benefit his financial empire, government ethics lawyers and watchdog groups have urged him to sell off his businesses and put the assets in a blind trust to be managed by an independent third party. Trump said last week that he has been turning over operations of his businesses to three of his children, who already have senior positions at the Trump Organization. But some critics have said turning over control to his children may not be enough to alleviate such concerns, since several of his adult children remain active in planning his transition. What he does not seem to realize, or does not want to admit, is that the conflicts arise from his ownership of the Trump Organization, said Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, in reacting to Trumps announcement Wednesday. He will continue to know what his business interests are and to benefit from them whether or not he is involved in the day-to-day management, so the conflicts remain unchanged. Federal conflict-of-interest rules for government employees and members of Congress dont apply to the president. Trump said in an interview with the New York Times last week that the president cant have a conflict of interest  In theory, I can be president of the United States and run my business 100%. He said then that it would be very hard to sell off his businesses because they are mostly real estate, but also noted that he would like to try and formalize something in terms of an arrangement that would distance his businesses from his work as president. On Wednesday, he tweeted that While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Trump said he would detail the changes at a New York news conference with his children on Dec. 15. I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016 great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016 do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016 Facebook

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Trump names billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary By Jim Puzzanghera President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence greet investor Wilbur Ross, left, in New Jersey on Sunday. ( (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)) President-elect Donald Trump has chosen billionaire financier Wilbur Ross, known as the king of bankruptcy for his investments in distressed properties, to serve as Commerce secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision. If confirmed, Ross would become the Trump administrations chief liaison with the business community and a leading advocate for U.S. trade abroad. Ross, 80, who was a senior policy advisor to Trumps campaign, is worth $2.9 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Like Trump, Ross has been critical of U.S. trade deals. He sharply criticized trade negotiators and called for the U.S. to withdraw from the yet-to-be-ratified Trans-Pacific Partnership and to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has pledged to do both upon taking office. Read More Facebook

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Trump taps Wall Street executive and Hollywood producer Steven Mnuchin for Treasury secretary By Jim Puzzanghera Steven Mnuchin at Trump Tower in New York this month. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AFP/Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Steven Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive and Hollywood movie producer who served as his campaign finance chairman, to be the next Treasury secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision. Mnuchins deep roots on Wall Street fit the mold of past Treasury secretaries but contrast with the populist stance that Trump took during his campaign. Mnuchins net worth is unclear, but he could be the second billionaire member of Trumps Cabinet, after Betsy DeVos, who is Trumps pick for Education secretary. The third is expected to be financier Wilbur Ross, who has been selected as Commerce secretary. Mnuchins selection  which was first reported Tuesday by the New York Times  drew ire from Democratic and liberal groups, which have accused him of profiting from the financial crisis after buying the failed IndyMac Bank in 2009. Read More Facebook

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Noam Chomsky, Junot Diaz and nearly 400 MIT faculty oppose Trump picks in open letter By Colleen Shalby President-elect Donald Trump. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Nearly 400 MIT faculty members, including professor emeritus Noam Chomsky, writer Junot Diaz and four Nobel Prize winners, signed an open letter criticizing President-elect Donald Trumps Cabinet picks. The President-elect has appointed individuals to positions of power who have endorsed racism, misogyny and religious bigotry, and denied the widespread scientific consensus on climate change. Regardless of our political views, these endorsements violate principles at the core of MITs mission. At this time, it is important to reaffirm the values we hold in common. The letter also denounces the controversial rhetoric often associated with Trumps campaign and impending presidency. For any member of our community who may feel fear or oppression, our doors are open and we are ready to help, it states. MIT boasts a student body represented by 120 foreign countries, all 50 U.S. states and three U.S. territories. While campaigning, Trump lauded his late uncle, John, who was a professor at MIT for nearly 50 years. Shortly after Trump announced his candidacy, he spoke about him to CNN. I had an uncle who went to MIT who is a top professor. Dr. John Trump. A genius. Its in my blood. Im smart. Great marks. Like really smart, Trump said. A handful of faculty members who signed the statement overlapped in time with John Trump. At least one, physics professor Robert Jaffe, said that he did not know the uncle, but hopes that his nephews administration will maintain a dedication to science. Facebook

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With no Cabinet to build, Hillary Clinton appears with Katy Perry By Chris Megerian Pop star Katy Perry was one of Hillary Clintons biggest celebrity boosters on the campaign trail, and on Tuesday night the former Democratic presidential nominee introduced the singer at a charity gala in New York. Perry has served as UNICEFs goodwill ambassador. Hilary Clinton surprise appearance just now to intro @katyperry #SnowflakeBall #UnicefSnowflake pic.twitter.com/3wh2Zc2BwG  David Ushery (@DavidUshery4NY) November 30, 2016 Facebook

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Jill Stein pays fee to green-light Wisconsin recount By Michael A. Memoli The recount is officially on. The Wisconsin Elections Commission said Tuesday that Green Party nominee Jill Stein has paid the nearly $3.5 million estimated cost to set into motion a statewide retabulation of the presidential vote. Stein had asked for the recount after claiming that evidence of foreign interference existed. She is also seeking recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania; together, the three states carry enough electoral votes to flip the election from President-elect Donald Trump to Democrat Hillary Clinton, but such an outcome is all but impossible. The Wisconsin recount, which starts Thursday, is likely to cost Stein slightly more, the commission said, blaming an earlier error in adding up cost estimates from the 72 county clerks who will oversee the ballot review. Stein will be charged whatever additional costs are incurred after the recount is concluded. Officials on Monday said that most counties will complete their recount in a week but that more populous counties will face a challenge in meeting the deadline to certify results. The state aims to finish by Dec. 12, as state law gives the recount petitioner five days after the new tally is finished for further legal challenges. Presidential electors in 50 states and the District of Columbia will meet Dec. 19 to formally cast the votes that will elect Trump as the next president. Facebook

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Repeal and replace Obamacare? It wont happen on Trumps first day, GOP leader says By Lisa Mascaro House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) cast doubt on whether the Republican-led Congress would be ready to repeal Obamacare by inauguration day, as some in President-elect Donald Trumps transition team have suggested could happen in a special session. But McCarthy said Republicans would try to start as soon as possible on what he acknowledged would be a complicated two-step process to repeal and replace Obamacare that will consume much of 2017 and beyond. Their plan involves retroactively passing a fiscal 2017 budget in the early weeks of Trumps term. Such a maneuver would give Republicans the ability to unwind President Obamas signature domestic program with a simple majority vote, without facing a Democratic filibuster. Replacing the Affordable Care Act would come later, and likely extend into fiscal 2018. Once its repealed you will have hopefully fewer people playing politics and everybody coming to the table to find the best policy, McCarthy told reporters. I just want to make sure we get it right. McCarthy on Tuesday welcomed reports that Trump intends to nominate House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.) to lead the Health and Human Services Department as Congress focuses on getting rid of Obamacare. Democrats, though, suggested that Price, a medical doctor who has championed House Speaker Paul D. Ryans plans to overhaul Medicare, will face so much opposition in the Senate that he may not be confirmed. Try it, said Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York, the incoming Democratic minority leader. Privatization of Medicare goes way beyond where most Americans are. For years, Republicans have promised to end Obamacare, and with Trump in the White House they will have their best opportunity to do so. But McCarthy cautioned that repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act will be more complicated than simply sending a bill to the White House for the presidents signature. Instead, Congress will need to insert special repeal instructions as part of the wonky budget reconciliation process. And that will take time, he said. McCarthy said that replacing Obamacare will be even tougher than repealing it. Even though Republicans have promised their own healthcare law, they have never been able to produce an agreed-upon alternative. To gather ideas, McCarthy said he would solicit advice from governors and state insurance commissioners. Hell be sending a letter to the states later this week. Since Congress did not pass a 2017 budget for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, they hope to retroactively approve one in the weeks ahead so they can include the first part of the special instructions needed to repeal the program. But he doubted that would be completed by the time Trump takes office. I dont think you can do it before [Jan.] 20th, he said. Theres only so many legislative days. The finish the job, lawmakers will use the reconciliation process for the fiscal 2018 budget, which is due by spring. McCarthy predicted Congress would still need to pass additional legislation, which cannot be completed through the reconciliation process, in order to ensure a smooth transition. Facebook

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Obama will skip Fidel Castros funeral but is sending an informal delegation By Christi Parsons The Cuban flag hangs at half-staff in front of a picture of Fidel Castro on the facade of the Cuban national library in Havana. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images) President Obama is not going to the memorial service for former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro on Tuesday but instead is sending a pair of key representatives to pay their respects, an informal appearance that reflects the delicate diplomacy between the White House and the leadership in Havana. Obama is sending Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, along with deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, but the two men are not being dispatched as part of a formal delegation, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. DeLaurentis and Rhodes played key roles in reopening U.S. ties to the communist island nation in late 2014, ending five decades of a Cold War-era freeze in relations. The policy has been celebrated for opening the possibility of expanded trade with and travel to Cuba, while critics attacked Obama for engaging with President Raul Castro without extracting concessions on human rights. His brother Fidel held power through firing squads, false imprisonment and harsh treatment of dissidents. President-elect Donald Trump was one of those critics, saying after Fidel Castros death that if Cuba isnt willing to make a better deal for the Cuban people  and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate the deal. After Castro died Friday, the White House released an oblique statement noting that his death filled Cubans with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him. Facebook

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Donald Trump to pick Elaine Chao, a well-connected establishment figure, as Transportation secretary By Noah Bierman President-elect Donald Trump plans to name Elaine Chao  a former Labor secretary married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)  as his Transportation secretary, according to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). Chaos establishment ties conflict with Trumps promise to drain the swamp in Washington and promote outsiders to lead his government. But Chaos connections could be an asset in Trumps plan to promote a major infrastructure proposal that could face resistance from within his party. Trump has decried the state of the nations airports, bridges and roads and promised to make their revitalization a major part of his jobs program aimed at helping working-class Americans whose votes helped propel him to victory. Chao, who served as Labor secretary through the entire George W. Bush administration, could play a central role in negotiating an infrastructure spending bill while her husband leads the Senate. Trumps spokesman Jason Miller did not confirm the pick on a conference call with reporters but said that Trump had taken people whove been successful in all different walks of life  including business, government, and military  to fill a Cabinet that Miller called a true dream team. The Taiwan-born Chao also exemplifies the type of immigrant success story that became the subject of debate during Trumps campaign, which promised to crack down on illegal immigration and labeled many of those entering the country illegally from Mexico as criminals, drug dealers and rapists. Chao is one of four sisters who attended Harvard Business School. Her family donated $40 million to the institution in 2012. Facebook

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U.S. economy grew 3.2% in third quarter, the best in two years By Jim Puzzanghera The U.S. economy grew faster in the third quarter than initially estimated, expanding at its strongest pace in two years in a rebound from a weak first half of 2016. Total economic output, also known as gross domestic product, expanded at a 3.2% annual pace from July through September, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The figure was up from an initial estimate of 2.9% and the best performance since the economy expanded at a 5% annual rate in the third quarter of 2014. Read More Facebook

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Q&A: What you need to know about the Wisconsin recount By Michael A. Memoli This is certainly not Bush vs. Gore, a Wisconsin elections official said Monday. Well, what is it? The state is initiating the first significant candidate-driven recount in a presidential election since the 2000 ordeal in Florida between then-Vice President Al Gore and eventual President George W. Bush. This time, though, Donald Trump is certain to remain president-elect after Wisconsins nearly 3 million ballots are re-tabulated. But the fight here and potentially in other states has given third-party candidates new rationale for seeking public attention for their causes, and it has given Trump fresh ammunition to trash his opponents  as well as, bafflingly, the political process in which he just secured the presidency. Here is a look at the issues involved in the Badger State and elsewhere as the seemingly unending 2016 presidential election seeps into overtime. Read More Facebook

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By tweet and petition, Donald Trump and the left cast doubt on credibility of election By Noah Bierman (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Rather than celebrating his victory, Donald Trump is amplifying far-right conspiracies to undermine the credibility of an election he won. At the same time, he is finding some common cause in the quixotic effort by the fringe left to prevent him from reaching the White House. The chances of changing the election result with selective ballot recounts, as some on the left hope, or finding widespread voter fraud as alleged by Trump are next to nil. Yet a combination of self-interest and a desire for misdirection have propelled factions of both parties to debate the results of an election already decisively settled. Trumps motives are often hard to pinpoint. But by pushing the myth that millions of ballots were cast illegally for his opponent, as he has done on Twitter in recent days, he may be building the case to claim a larger mandate for his victory despite the fact that Hillary Clinton is leading the popular vote by more than 2 million votes. The issue also distracts attention from mounting questions about the financial conflicts of interest he is likely to have in the White House, given that he plans to allow his children to run his international real estate and branding business while he serves as president. Finally, Trumps rhetoric may also sow the seeds of future efforts to propose more restrictive voting rules championed by some of his top advisors. Read More Facebook

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Democrats look to make some deals with Trump  and divide the GOP in the bargain By Lisa Mascaro Republicans became known as the party of no during the Obama years because of their frequent efforts to block the presidents initiatives. As congressional Democrats prepare to deal with a Republican White House, they appear ready to take the opposite approach, effectively challenging President-elect Donald Trump by finding opportunities to say yes. The goal is to strategically engage with the White House on common objectives and at the same time try to drive a political wedge between Trump and those Republicans anxious about his costlier ideas, such as rebuilding infrastructure, aiding blue-collar workers and expanding paid family leave, a pet project of daughter Ivanka Trump. Read More Facebook

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Trump to name a harsh critic of Obamacare as his pick for Health secretary By Noam N. Levey (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump plans to select House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.) to be his Health and Human Services secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision. In picking Price, Trump is tapping an arch-conservative lawmaker and leading critic of the Affordable Care Act to lead his push to roll back President Obamas signature health law. Price, a six-term congressman from suburban Atlanta, has never held an executive position comparable to leading the federal Department of Health and Human Services, a behemoth that includes the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the agency overseeing Medicare and Medicaid. Three of the four previous Health and Human Services secretaries were former governors. Price, an orthopedic surgeon, would be the first physician to serve as the departments secretary since Dr. Louis Sullivan, who held the post from 1989 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. He would also be among the most politically conservative Health and Human Services secretaries in history. And as a member of House leadership, he would bring to the Trump administration a revolutionary governing agenda closely aligned with Republicans on Capitol Hill. Read More Facebook

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Trump says he won the electoral college in a landslide, but he ranked near the all-time bottom By Cathleen Decker In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 President-elect Donald Trumps tweet that he would have won the popular vote this month but for millions of illegal voters was not based on fact. There is no proof backing up his statement, and voting researchers uniformly dismissed it as false. Also problematic was his second claim in the same tweet, that his victory was one of the rare landslides in American political history. A study of electoral vote results by John J. Pitney, an author and professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, shows that Trump resides on the lower end of the electoral vote scale. He won 56.97% of the electoral votes up for grabs by virtue of his state wins. That places him 46th out of the 58 elections since George Washingtons era, Pitney found. In 38 elections, the winner exceeded 60% of the vote, a lopsided verdict by voters. Clear landslides were won most recently by Ronald Reagan in both of his elections: In 1984, he won 97.58% of electoral votes, and in 1980 he won 90.89%. President Obama won nearly 68% of the vote in 2008 and just under 62% in 2012. Faring worse than Trump among modern presidents was George W. Bush, who eked past Al Gore in 2000 with 50.37% of the vote, after a protracted squabble over the Florida results that ended in a U.S. Supreme Court verdict favoring Bush. Facebook

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Trump says Cuba has to act or hell end the diplomatic thaw, but its not that simple By Tracy Wilkinson In his latest comment on Cuba since the death of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he would end Washingtons diplomatic thaw with the island unless Cuba makes a better deal. If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal, Trump tweeted. President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro renewed diplomatic ties in 2014 after a half-century of Cold War hostility. Since then, through a series of executive orders, Obama has eased restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba and U.S. firms doing business there. Castro, at the same time, has made it easier for Cubans to travel and to engage in limited private enterprise. However, Castro has not enacted significant political reforms, and the death Friday of his brother, former president and leader of the revolution Fidel, at age 90, is not likely to usher in quick change. It was not clear what Trump meant by a better deal. An email seeking clarification from his transition team was not answered. Previously, however, Trump has spoken of the release of political prisoners and more open space for free expression of opinions and dissent. These are the same elements the Obama administration has been demanding, while choosing not to delay economic progress while awaiting political change. From a legal standpoint, Trump could easily reverse Obamas executive orders with little more than a signature. Politically, however, renewed estrangement would be more complicated and would isolate the U.S. as the only country in the world that does not recognize the Communist-led government in Havana. Its not as simple as one Tweet might make it seem --@PressSec Josh Earnest, on whether @realdonaldtrump might undo @POTUS Cuba policy  Christi Parsons (@cparsons) November 28, 2016 Trump and his top aides have sent conflicting signals over his likely Cuba policy. On Saturday, his staff put out a statement saying a Trump administration would do all it can to help Cubans achieve prosperity and liberty. But it did not mention reversing Obamas actions expanding ties. While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, Trump said, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve. Kellyanne Conway, a top advisor, told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that nothing is definite when it comes to Cuba. But Trumps soon-to-be White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said that Trump would be looking for some movement in the right direction to keep the Cuba opening on course. Conservative Republicans, like Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, oppose detente with Cuba as long as any Castro continues to rule. But a growing number of Cuban Americans, as well as most Democrats and a substantial segment of the business community, want better ties and opportunities for economic exchange. Facebook

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The era of super-low interest rates might be ending. Whats in it for you? By Jim Puzzanghera Since President-elect Donald Trumps surprising election victory this month, financial markets have sent a forceful message that the era of super-low interest rates is coming to a close. Mortgage rates have shot up. Bond yields have jumped to their highest levels in a year. And the dollar has surged against other major currencies to values unseen in more than a decade. Those developments have been fueled by expectations of stronger economic growth and higher inflation from Trumps promises to cut business taxes, reduce regulations and increase defense and infrastructure spending. His plans triggered a post-election stock market rally and, combined with recent solid economic data, increased expectations that the Federal Reserve would nudge up its benchmark short-term rate again next month  with more hikes to follow next year. Read More Facebook

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Trump seems ready to fight the world on climate change but hes likely to meet resistance By Evan Halper Coal trucks leave a power plant operated by PacifiCorp outside Huntington, Utah. ( (George Frey / Getty Images)) Donald Trump is branded with all manner of unflattering labels, but one that hasnt seemed to much bother him is climate pariah. The president-elect is unabashed in his disdain for Americas global warming policy. He has placed a staunch climate-change doubter and antagonist of mainstream science in charge of reshaping  or as Trump has suggested, dismantling  the Environmental Protection Agency. He has talked frequently about reneging on the historic Paris global climate treaty the U.S. took a lead in drafting. And he has said he wants every federal green-energy program eliminated. Environmentalists take little comfort in Trumps recent comments that he accepts there is some connectivity between human activity and climate change and that he has an open mind about it, as what hes said elsewhere and done so far suggests otherwise. And even those comments gave scientists cause for alarm. You can make a lot of cases for different views, Trump told the New York Times, casting doubt on the finding by more than 90% of climate scientists that emissions are accelerating global warming. Im not sure anybody is ever going to really know. Read More Facebook

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Jared Kushner, the Trump son-in-law whos the next presidents eyes and ears By Chris Megerian The election results were rolling in, and so were the phone calls for Donald Trump. But no matter who was on the other end of the line, the person handing the phone to the next president of the United States was the same. Jared was screening the calls, said Armstrong Williams, a political ally who described the scene in Trumps Manhattan skyscraper on election night. That would be Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, and his election-night role provides a glimpse of the enormous influence he wields as Trump prepares to take office in January. As the husband of Ivanka Trump, the president-elects elder daughter, Kushner holds an unassailable position inside Trumps unruly ecosystem of advisors. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims that millions voted illegally, costing him the popular vote By Matt Pearce Donald and Melania Trump cast their ballots on Nov. 8. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Donald Trump falsely claimed Sunday that he won the popular vote, alleging in a tweet  without evidence  that millions of people had illegally voted for his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, Trump wrote, hours after he tweeted his opposition to a recount in Midwestern states initiated by the Green Party. In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016 Election experts, who say election fraud is rare, immediately denounced Trumps claim. Theres been no evidence produced of millions  or thousands  or even hundreds  of noncitizens voting for president in 2016, tweeted Rick Hasen, a professor of law and politics who writes for the Election Law Blog. The source of Trumps claim appears to be a widely shared Nov. 14 article on the conspiracy site Infowars, which is famous for claiming the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax. Politifact investigated the illegal votes claim and rated it false. Facebook

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Trump is warned that supporters will feel betrayed if he picks Mitt Romney as secretary of State By Don Lee A senior advisor to President-elect Donald Trump stepped up an extraordinary public effort Sunday to discredit Mitt Romney and thwart the chances that he would be picked as secretary of State. Kellyanne Conway warned on Sunday TV talk shows that Trumps supporters would feel betrayed if he picked the former governor of Massachusetts, a sharp critic of Trump during the campaign, for a senior Cabinet position. Conway, who was Trumps campaign manager and now is a top advisor to the incoming president, said she felt compelled to speak out on the matter because of the backlash from the grass roots. People feel betrayed to think that Gov. Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump, now our president-elect, would be given the most significant Cabinet post of all, Conway said on NBCs Meet the Press. They feel a bit betrayed that you can get a Romney back in there after everything he did, she added. We dont even know if he voted for Donald Trump. Conway dodged questions about whether Trump supported the concerns she has been raising publicly about Romney, which began with a tweet she posted on Thanksgiving morning: Receiving deluge of social media & private comms re: Romney. Some Trump loyalists warn against Romney as sec of state. Conway made clear that she did not approve of Romney, who was the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, and didnt see him as especially qualified to act as Americas top diplomat. In the last four years, has he even been around the globe doing something on behalf of the United States of which were unaware? she asked on CNNs State of the Union. Did he go and intervene in Syria where they are having a massive humanitarian crisis? Meaning when I say intervene, like offered help. Has he been helpful to Mr. [Benjamin] Netanyahu? she said of the Israeli prime minister. Im all for party unity, but Im not sure that we have to pay for that with the secretary of State position, Conway said, although she quickly added that she would respect what Trump decides. During the campaign, Romney called Trump a phony and a fraud and said his policies would lead to economic ruin. In response, Trump mocked Romney as a failed candidate who had choked in the 2012 race. But a little more than a week ago, Trump met with Romney for about 90 minutes at a golf course in New Jersey to discuss the State Department post. Afterward, Trump said the meeting went great and Romney described the discussion as very thorough and in-depth. Trump is also considering Rudolph W. Giuliani, who was a fierce Trump loyalist during the campaign, for the job. The former mayor of New York has touted his experience traveling, consulting and speaking overseas since leaving office in 2001. But his extensive business deals abroad have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest if he gets the post instead of Romney. In criticizing Romney, Conway exposed what appears to be deep divisions in the Trump camp as it tries to assemble a team. It is highly unusual for a senior representative of an incoming president to be lobbying publicly against a candidate under consideration. Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman and Trumps choice to be chief of staff, on Sunday sought to downplay reports of internecine struggles in the transition. However, he acknowledged that picking Romney would represent a team of rivals concept. Trump wants to put the best possible people together for all Americans, Priebus told Fox News Sunday. The fact that hes actually even flirting with the idea of choosing a rival should tell the American people where hes at  which is the best place for everyone in this country, he said. Conway also said Trump, who spent the Thanksgiving holiday weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., talked with President Obama by phone on Saturday for about 40 or 45 minutes. She wouldnt say what they talked about. I can tell you from President-elect Trumps side that he very much enjoys speaking with President Obama, talking about the serious issues that face this country and the world, Conway said on NBC. They get along nicely. They disagree on many things. Thats not going to change. Facebook

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Hillary Clinton campaign will participate in ballot recount in Wisconsin By Don Lee Hillary Clintons presidential campaign will participate in a ballot recount led by Green Party candidate Jill Stein in Wisconsin and perhaps two other battleground states that were crucial to Donald Trumps victory, a Clinton campaign lawyer said Saturday. In response, Trump called the recount request ridiculous and a scam designed to raise money for Steins political party. Read More Facebook

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Donald Trump names KT McFarland, Don McGahn to White House posts By Michael A. Memoli Don McGahn is named by President-elect Donald Trump as his White House counsel. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump added to his West Wing roster Friday, naming KT McFarland as deputy national security adviser and Donald McGahn as his White House counsel. McFarland served in three separate Republican administrations, most notably as a spokeswoman for Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger under Ronald Reagan. In 2006, she sought to challenge Hillary Clinton for her U.S. Senate seat from New York but lost in the Republican primary. Most recently, she has been a regular contributor to Fox News on national security issues. She joins retired Gen. Michael Flynn, previously named as Trumps national security adviser. So proud & honored to have KT McFarland as part of our National Security team. She will help us #MAGA  General Flynn (@GenFlynn) November 25, 2016 McGahn, who was general counsel for Trumps campaign and a former chair of the Federal Election Commission, is a partner at the powerhouse Washington law firm Jones Day. President Obama revealed at a recent news conference that he had advised Trump to hire a strong White House counsel to guide him and his team, who could provide clear guideposts and rules to help avoid ethical and conflict of interest concerns. Trump campaign officials said Friday that the president-elect, who is spending the holiday weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, would make no additional high-level announcements until next week when he returns to New York. On Monday, he will meet with several more potential Cabinet and sub-Cabinet choices, including Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Pennsylvania Rep. Lou Barletta and Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt. Facebook

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Ben Carson hints he may join Trump Cabinet as Housing secretary By Christi Parsons Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks in Lakewood, Colo. on Oct. 29. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) Ben Carson said Wednesday that an announcement is imminent about his role in improving the nations inner cities  a broad hint that President-elect Donald Trump will name him secretary of Housing and Urban Development. After serious discussions with the Trump transition team, I feel that I can make a significant contribution, particularly to making our inner cities great for everyone, Carson said on Facebook. An announcement is forthcoming about my role in helping to make America great again. Carson, himself once a candidate for president, would be the first African American named to Trumps Cabinet. He was a mild critic of Trump during the campaign, but after dropping out of the race, he backed Trump and now serves on the president-elects transition team. Though Carsons professional background is as a neurosurgeon, he has spoken often of his experiences growing up in inner-city Detroit, with a mother who sometimes relied on food stamps and other assistance. Carson has said they moved into a tenement at one point but has never said whether he lived in public housing. Days ago, a senior advisor said Carson thought he lacked the background needed to manage a federal agency, and that he didnt think it was the best way for him to serve. Carson didnt want to take a position that could cripple the presidency, advisor Armstrong Williams told the Hill newspaper. HUD is responsible for administering low-income housing assistance, fair housing laws, housing development and aid to neighborhoods in distress. Carson indicated a change of heart Wednesday. We have much work to do in strengthening every aspect of our nation and ensuring that both our physical infrastructure and our spiritual infrastructure is solid, he wrote. In an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday, Trump suggested he isnt applying the usual standard of qualifications to his Cabinet picks. Were trying very hard to get the best people  not necessarily people that will be the most politically correct people, because that hasnt been working, Trump said. So we have, really, experts in the field. Some are known and some are not known, but theyre known within their field as being the best. Thats very important to me. Facebook

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Trump picks Michigan school-choice advocate to be his Education secretary By Christi Parsons President-elect Donald Trump chose a Michigan charter school advocate and prominent Republican donor to serve as his secretary of Education, he said Wednesday, a decision that may hearten supporters of school choice but worry teacher unions  and even some of Trumps core supporters. Trumps pick, Betsy DeVos, is a champion of charter schools and school vouchers that give families tax funds they can spend on private school if theyre not happy with their local public schools. DeVos, 58, served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, a credential that ties her to the party establishment reviled by many Trump supporters. She and her family are among the countrys largest donors to Republican and conservative Christian causes, including opposition to same-sex marriage. She has also backed the Common Core initiative to standardize educational requirements across the nation. Trump repeatedly called for its demise. In a tweet after her selection was announced, DeVos disavowed past support for Common Core, acknowledging that the topic was an issue among conservative activists. Many of you are asking about Common Core. To clarify, I am not a supporterperiod. Read my full stance, here: https://t.co/qB2nAXvX0B  Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 23, 2016 In his statement announcing her as his choice, Trump called DeVos a brilliant and passionate education advocate. Under her leadership, we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families, Trump said in the statement. 1:46 a.m.: This post was updated with DeVos statement about the Common Core. Facebook

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Trump may have one more Cabinet-level pick coming before Thanksgiving By Christi Parsons (John Minchillo / Associated Press) President-elect Donald Trump may decide another Cabinet-level position Wednesday, aides said, after he announced South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as his ambassador to the United Nations. Aides did not say which job Trump was considering making an announcement about. As he and his family settle in for Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Trump is still spending significant time on one prominent position, secretary of State, a sign that a pick for it may not come before the holiday, one staffer on the presidential transition team said. In his search for a secretary of State, Trump has met with close advisor and former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and with Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for president. Aides said Trump chose Haley for the U.N. post because she improved South Carolinas economy and took part in overseas trade and recruitment trips. The two have a natural chemistry, one staffer said, and their views jibe on how the U.S. should be represented on the world stage. Facebook

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Trump taps South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for U.N. ambassador By Tracy Wilkinson South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks at the Federalist Societys National Lawyers Convention in Washington on Nov. 18. (Cliff Owen / Associated Press) President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a rising star in the GOP, as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, an announcement that brings a measure of diversity to a transition that has been dominated by white, male figures. Haley, 44, and the daughter of Indian immigrants, is the first woman and first person of color to be picked for the new administration. Read More Facebook

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Dalai Lama: I have no worries about Trumps election By Associated Press (Ganbat Namjilsangarav / Associated Press) The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, said he has no worries about Donald Trumps election as U.S. president and expects the businessman will align his policies with global realities. Commenting at the conclusion of a four-day visit to Mongolia, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism said he looks forward to meeting Trump at some point after the Jan. 20 inauguration. The 81-year-old monk says he has always regarded the U.S. as the leading nation of the free world and wasnt concerned about remarks made by Trump during the election campaign. Some of those comments have been cited as offensive to Muslims, Latinos and other U.S. minority groups. China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to split Tibet from China and had demanded Mongolia scrap his visit. Facebook

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Trump asks Ben Carson to consider Housing secretary post By Chris Megerian Donald Trump asked Ben Carson to consider serving as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, an advisor to the former Republican presidential candidate said Tuesday. They discussed the potential job at a meeting in the morning and Carson is seriously considering it, said the advisor, Armstrong Williams. Its a role that plays to Dr. Carsons passions, he said. Asked what qualifications the retired neurosurgeon has for overseeing housing policy, Williams said: Dr. Carson has experience with everything. Youd be shocked at the depth of his experience. Williams had previously suggested that Carson didnt feel he had the experience to serve in Trumps Cabinet, but he said Tuesday that those comments were taken out of context. Housing secretary was one of a few options discussed Tuesday, Williams said. Carson always felt that hed be willing to serve in the administration if Trump felt that no one else could fill the position, he added. Facebook

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Texas judge blocks Obama administrations new overtime rule from taking effect By Michael A. Memoli Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) A Texas judge blocked President Obamas bid to expand overtime pay protections to millions of Americans on Tuesday, thwarting a key presidential priority just days before it was set to take effect. The Labor Department rule would have doubled the salary level at which hourly workers must be paid extra for overtime pay, from $23,660 to $47,476. Siding with business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Texas District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III halted it. The rule, finalized in May, represented the first such change in more than a decade and was hailed at the time as the most consequential action the Obama administration could take for middle-class workers without congressional involvement. Plaintiffs had argued the Labor Department acted beyond its authority under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The administration said more than 4 million salaried workers stood to benefit from the change when it took effect Dec. 1. The rule was already in jeopardy after the election of Donald Trump. Just as the Obama administration made the change through its rule-making prerogatives, a Republican administration could undo it. Neither the White House nor the Labor Department had an immediate comment. Republican lawmakers and their allies in the business community, which were behind the legal challenge, celebrated the decision. The decision brings us a step closer to curbing regulations that have resulted in $80 billion in compliance costs and more than 25 million hours of paperwork, said Linda Kelly, senior vice president for the National Assn. of Manufacturers. The fights are not yet over  and our work is just beginning. Facebook

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Heres why the electoral college (probably) wont stop Donald Trump from becoming president By Chris Megerian Some liberals who really, really, really dont want Donald Trump to be president are pinning their hopes on a long-shot effort to prevent him from officially winning the election. Understanding how their plan would work requires some background on the electoral college, which was established in the Constitution at a time when the founding fathers were wary of direct democracy. As widely known, presidents are not chosen based on the national popular vote  if they were, Hillary Clinton would be the next commander in chief, given she is ahead by roughly 1.7 million votes. Each state is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on population. Those votes are awarded to candidates based on the states popular vote. Trump won the presidential race with 290 electoral votes. (That total will reach 306 if Michigan is called for him, as expected.) The process doesnt end on election day. Each electoral vote is represented by an elector, an actual person who has to cast an official ballot for the president on Dec. 19. The electors are chosen through different processes state by state, and usually are selected by state political parties. With unrest over the result, there are efforts to persuade electors to be faithless, meaning they wouldnt back Trump even if he won their states. A Change.org petition calling the president-elect a danger to the Republic has almost 4.6 million supporters. What are the chances of this actually happening? Very slim, says George C. Edwards III, a Texas A&M political science professor who has written a book about the electoral college. From time to time, there are faithless electors, he said. Theyre few and far between. There were some electors who refused to vote for winning candidates in the 1800s, such as six who declined to support James Madison, but never enough to sway the outcome of the race. In the last century there have only been a handful of cases. There were some attempts to persuade electors to back Al Gore over George W. Bush during the disputed 2000 election, but they were unsuccessful. Facebook

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Can Trump put another Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court? By David Savage Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals moderates a panel discussion during the Federalist Societys National Lawyers Convention in Washington last week. ( (Cliff Owen / Associated Press)) President-elect Donald Trump will soon have the chance to make good on one of his most consequential campaign promises: fill the Supreme Court vacancy with a judge in the mold of conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. Any Trump nominee is almost guaranteed to be a conservative jurist who is antiabortion and supports a strict interpretation of the 2nd Amendments right to bear arms. But what kind of conservative he selects will determine whether his nominee will be quickly confirmed or instead trigger a fierce fight in the closely divided Senate, potentially overshadowing the early months of Trumps presidency. If Trump opts for a Scalia-like justice, as he repeatedly said he would during the campaign, conservatives lawyers say the betting favorite is Judge William H. Pryor Jr. from the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta, a former Alabama attorney general who called the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law. The 54-year-old Pryor believes in Scalias approach of interpreting the Constitution by its original meaning  one that has little room for gay rights, even womens rights. His nomination would electrify Trumps conservative base, but it would also set off a confirmation battle for which the outcome is not assured. Read More Facebook

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Michelle Rhee has some thoughts on Donald Trump By Joy Resmovits After meeting with president-elect Donald Trump Saturday, former Washington, D.C., schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee weighed in on people who have told her to avoid him. She also indicated that shes not likely to be named as Trumps secretary of Education. In light of the speculation about the Secretary of Education role, I wanted to clarify my position and what's best for America's students. pic.twitter.com/DXRZxdAZNX  Michelle Rhee (@MichelleRhee) November 22, 2016 Facebook

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Trump veers off script on climate change, his potential conflicts of interest and even whether to prosecute Clinton By Evan Halper President-elect Donald Trump strayed far from the talking points of his campaign during his wide-ranging interview Tuesday with New York Times journalists. Trump suggested he does not necessarily need to sever ties to his businesses while president. He said he has an open mind to acting on climate change. And he even offered some praise for the Clinton Foundation. On the business ties, Trump was vague about when he will wind them down and how. He suggested he intends to transfer ownership to his kids, but then he also noted that the president is immune from federal conflict-of-interest laws. "In theory I could run my business perfectly and then run the country perfectly. There's never been a case like this,"he says of his tangles  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016 Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest."  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016 Trump, who once declared global warming a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese, backed off his skepticism of climate change. He said he believed there is a connection to human activity and warming  but he is still undecided about how much of one. And he said he has an open mind to keeping in place the international climate agreement President Obama took a lead in negotiating, which Trump has been vowing for months to withdraw from. Tom Friedman asks if Trump will withdraw from climate change accords. Trump: Im looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it."  Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016 Trump also addressed the public re-emergence of the white supremacist movement, and how his campaign has energized those groups. He said he disavows and condemns such groups, including the neo-Nazis who gathered in Washington over the weekend. But he defended his pick of chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, the Breitbart News executive who boasted that his outlet is the platform for the alt-right. Trump: Ive known Steve Bannon a long time. If i thought he was a racist, or alt-rightI wouldnt even think about hiring him."  Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016 Trump is asked about concerns from minority groups about Breitbart Newss coverage under Steve Bannon. His reply: pic.twitter.com/FBqCGwQpBr  Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016 When the conversation turned to Hillary Clinton, Trump said he will not press law enforcement agencies to prosecute her. And he even said people could argue the Clinton Foundation has done good work. Trump is pressed if he has definitively ruled out prosecuting Hillary Clinton. Its just not something that I feel very strongly about."  Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016 That last tweet was Trump making clear he doesn't favor prosecution. Added people could argue the Clinton Foundation has done "good work."  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016 Read More Facebook

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Ben Carson made it clear that he was too inexperienced for a Cabinet job. Now Trump says hes considering Carson for one By Evan Halper I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the head of HUD. I've gotten to know him well--he's a greatly talented person who loves people!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 It was only a week ago that Ben Carson had put out word that he wasnt qualified to run a federal agency, and thus had no place in Donald Trumps Cabinet. Now Trump says Carson would be the perfect person to run a federal agency. Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he is seriously considering Carson to run the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carsons qualifications? Hes a greatly talented person who loves people! Perhaps Carson was playing hard to get last week, when one of his top advisors, Armstrong Williams, told multiple news outlets that Carson wasnt a good fit for any of the Cabinet posts. Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience; hes never run a federal agency, Williams told the Hill. Trumps tweet that Carson was at the top of his list for the HUD job was unusual for another reason. Such trial balloons are typically floated anonymously, to gauge public reaction. If its hostile, the president-elect can scrap the plan and deny it was ever something he seriously contemplated. After Trumps advisors put the media on notice Tuesday morning that they would offer no details of what Trump will discuss at his meeting with Carson, Trump went ahead and shared them with millions of people himself. Facebook

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Donald Trump may have won the election, but hes still mad at the media By Evan Halper The President-elect does not care who knows how unforgiving or vain or distracted he is, David Remnick writes. https://t.co/6vOriXjf4E  The New Yorker (@NewYorker) November 22, 2016 So much for burying the hatchet. Even victory has not diminished Donald Trumps resentment of the news media. His relations with the news outlets have gotten no better now that he has transitioned from confrontational candidate to confrontational president-elect. Trumps angry rant about the New York Times on Tuesday morning  in which he briefly canceled a meeting with the outlet  followed what was by several reports a stormy session the day before with major news networks. Television executives and journalists traveled to Trump Tower for the closed-door meeting anticipating a discussion about media access to the White House and perhaps a recalibration of the increasingly hostile relationship. Trump had something else in mind. He delivered an angry scold about the way he has been covered, complaining of unfairness even in the selection of the photos of him used during broadcasts, which, he griped, emphasized his double chin. He called the coverage outrageous and dishonest, according to a report in the New Yorker. Its unclear what Trumps intentions were. But if his goal was to chasten the media, he did not succeed. Some at the meeting described being offended and accused Trump of failing to understand the press 1st Amendment protection from government suppression. Facebook

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Aide says Trump does not want to pursue charges against Hillary Clinton By Del Quentin Wilber A top official of Donald Trumps presidential campaign on Tuesday reaffirmed signals sent by the president-elect that hes not interested in pursuing criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, despite his repeated campaign promises to prosecute the Democratic nominee over her handling of classified materials and involvement in the Clinton Foundation. Kellyanne Conway, Trumps former campaign manager, also told MSNBC that congressional Republicans should follow Trumps lead, suggesting they drop their own probes into Clinton. I think when the president-elect, whos also the head of your party, tells you before hes even inaugurated that he doesnt wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone, and content to the members, Conway said. Trump had promised his supporters that he would re-investigate whether Clinton broke laws while using a private email server as the nations secretary of State, even after the FBI concluded she had not. During a presidential debate, he even pledged to assign a special prosecutor to look into the matter. Despite his supporters strongly favored such an investigation -- they often erupted into chants of Lock her up! at his rallies -- Trump hinted after the election that he had changed his mind, telling 60 Minutes earlier this month that the Clintons were good people and he didnt want to hurt them. Conway said the former Democratic presidential candidate still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans dont find her to be honest or trustworthy, but she added, If Donald Trump can help her heal, then perhaps thats a good thing to do. FBI Director James B. Comey has said that Clinton was extremely careless in how she and her aides handled classified information on her private server while she served as secretary of State. But agents, he said, turned up no evidence they had intended to violate espionage laws. The Justice Department agreed with Comey and closed the inquiry. Its highly unusual for a president to tell an attorney general whether or not to investigate a potential criminal matter, especially one involving his political rival. Trumps apparent desire to drop the matter raises questions about the FBIs inquiry into the Clinton Foundation, which unlike the email probe has not been concluded. The attorney general would have some discretion whether to prosecute, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. Politically, however, its not feasible if the president really doesnt want it to happen. The FBI has not commented on the status of any investigations into the Clinton Foundation. FBI agents in New York were reportedly looking into the nonprofit and wanted permission to use more aggressive law enforcement tools to dig deeper into the organization. But they were blocked by prosecutors and top FBI officials who did not believe the investigators had developed evidence to justify such actions, according to law enforcement officials. Facebook

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One of Donald Trumps meetings might offer a clue for how he wants to replace Obamacare By Noam N. Levey Dr. James Jackson performs a physical on Matthew Shorter, 51, a Medicaid patient enrolled in the Healthy Indiana Plan, at the Heart City Health Center in Elkhart, Ind. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Donald Trump has consistently vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare. But he has yet to explain what he intends to replace it with. His meeting schedule today might offer a clue of what he is pondering. On the agenda is a chat with Seema Verma, an architect of Indianas unusual healthcare program for the poor. Indiana is among a handful of red states that took federal aid through the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid eligibility to poor, childless adults. But unlike most traditional Medicaid expansions, Indiana set up a system that requires many low-income residents on the program to pay small monthly contributions for their health coverage. Conservatives, including the states governor, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, have argued that this makes poor patients take greater responsibility for their health. And healthcare advocates in Indiana generally supported the program, in large part because it was seen as the only way to expand health protections in the deeply conservative state. But cost-sharing requirements for low-income patients remains controversial, and a number of states that have experimented with it in the past stopped after concluding it was too expensive and difficult to administer. Read More Facebook

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Britain says not so fast to Trump tweet about Nigel Farage as ambassador to U.S. By Laura King Donald Trump, right, welcomes pro-Brexit British politician Nigel Farage to speak at a campaign rally in Jackson, Miss., in August. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) Donald Trump and Nigel Farage were always something of a love match. But cold political realities may have intervened. The U.S. president-elect tweeted late Monday that Farage, leader of a far-right British political party, would make a great British ambassador to Washington. Apparently, the British response early Tuesday could be summarized as: Er, no. There is no vacancy, the Guardian newspaper quoted a spokesman at 10 Downing St., the prime ministers official residence in London, as saying. We already have an excellent ambassador to the U.S. Farage was a wholehearted proponent of Brexit, the June referendum in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, with still unknown long-term results. The British politician traveled to the United States during the campaign to offer his support for Trump, making rally appearances to sometimes bemused crowds to promote their purported common cause. In the course of his push for the presidency, Trump declared himself Mr. Brexit, and at one point dubbed his insurgent campaign Brextit-plus-plus  an allusion to his support for a referendum across the Atlantic that was strongly colored by anti-immigrant sentiment. Farage was among the early visitors to Trump Tower following the GOP candidates unexpected victory. The two posed, grinning, in front of a bank of gold-plated elevators in the president-elects Manhattan residence. But hopes of a more formalized relationship appear to have been dashed. The Guardian quoted members of Parliament as saying Farages inflammatory views made him a poor candidate for a diplomatic post. The Reuters news agency said it would be highly unusual for an incoming foreign administration to so publicly air its pick for a diplomatic post. Trumps suggestion, it noted, provoked anger, support and even hilarity in Britain. The news agency quoted a Conservative lawmaker, Simon Burns, as joking that Britain should name its own choice for U.S. envoy to the United Kingdom: Hillary Clinton. Facebook

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Trump the president vs. Trump the businessman: Can he juggle both? By Don Lee Donald and Melania Trump greet a guest at a grand-opening ceremony last month at Trumps new hotel in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The Trump Organization spent months trying to drive off the culinary union from its Las Vegas hotel, losing one legal battle after another before a federal labor board. Soon Donald Trumps company, which has refused to bargain with the union after housekeepers and other employees voted to join last December, could gain some leverage. As president, Trump will be able to appoint two new members to the National Labor Relations Board, giving the agency a 3-2 Republican majority that could be more sympathetic to Trump. We hope that Mr. Trump doesnt use his power to interfere, considering he has a financial interest in the outcome, said Bethany Khan, spokeswoman for Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Khans concern is but one of many examples of potential conflicts of interest that could arise for Trump the president vs. Trump the businessman. His vast holdings include hotels, office buildings and golf courses, and he has licensing deals across the globe. Read More Facebook

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Donald Trump briefly cancels meeting with New York Times and complains about its nasty tone By Amy Fiscus I cancelled today's meeting with the failing @nytimes when the terms and conditions of the meeting were changed at the last moment. Not nice  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016 Donald Trump briefly canceled a meeting Tuesday with New York Times journalists, claiming that its terms were suddenly changed. The charge was made in the obfuscatory style that has come to mark Trumps tweets. He said only that the terms of the meeting were changed, not who changed them; the paper said Trump, not anyone on its side, had requested new terms after the meeting was set. NYT did not try to change ground rules. Trump did, asking for only a private meeting and no on-the-record segment, which NYT refused. https://t.co/EpmZFdDYAh  Jonathan Mahler (@jonathanmahler) November 22, 2016 The meeting was supposed to have included both a private discussion, similar to one Trump had Monday with television news network executives, and a segment where reporters were free to quote Trump by name. The Times said Trump later asked for the meeting to be fully private, a request the newspaper refused. After the cancelation gained widespread attention, spokeswomen for both Trump and the newspaper said it was back on as scheduled. Trump has done a handful of interviews since being elected, none with the Times, and has not held a news conference, as is customary for most presidents within a few days of their election. He also said the papers coverage of him had a nasty tone, without citing specifics. Its front page Wednesday included stories questioning the constitutionality of his foreign business deals and one citing concerns that the military might have too much influence over foreign policy in a Trump administration. 7:25 a.m.: This story was updated with the scheduled meeting being reinstated. Facebook

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Neo-Nazi alt-right crowd cheers the president-elect with Hail Trump By Jessica Roy A newly released video shows a room full of people doing the Hitler salute and yelling Hail Trump! after listening to a speech about white nationalism that invokes Nazi terminology. The video was taken over the weekend by a reporter for The Atlantic while working on a documentary about Richard Spencer. Spencer is the person speaking in the video. He runs the National Policy Institute, a self-described alt-right think tank that openly supports white nationalist and neo-Nazi policies. In the past, he has called for a peaceful ethnic cleansing of the United States. In the video, Spencer calls the media leftists and cucks, invoking popular alt-right insults for people they disagree with. He calls the media the Lugenpresse, which is what the original Nazi Party called the media in Germany  the lying press. We dont exploit other groups, he says, the we referring explicitly to white people. We dont gain anything from their presence. The press has clearly decided to double-down and wage war against the legitimacy of Trump and the continued existence of white America, he continues. But they are really opening up the door for us.... America was, until this past generation, a white country, designed for ourselves and our posterity. It is our creation, it is our inheritance, and it belongs to us. America was, until this past generation, a white country, designed for ourselves and our posterity. It is our creation, it is our inheritance, and it belongs to us.  Richard Spencer Members of the crowd give the Nazi salute throughout the speech. Last week, the Twitter accounts for Spencer and his think tank were suspended, along with a number of other alt-right accounts. Trumps campaign issued a statement in response to the video: President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American. To think otherwise is a complete misrepresentation of the movement that united Americans from all backgrounds. White supremacists have credited Trumps win with sparking a new interest in their movement. Facebook

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Donald Trumps first promises since winning the election leave out the border wall, NAFTA and his Muslim ban By Noah Bierman President-elect Donald Trump spent more than a year campaigning to build a border wall, repeal Obamacare and rescind President Obamas moves to protect from deportation some immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally. But in his first extensive public comments since winning the election this month, Trump mentioned none of those issues. Nor did he talk about withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement, banning Muslims from entering the country, or ending the Syrian refugee program. Trump instead made five more modest promises for his first day in office during a nearly three-minute video released Monday that presented him as a more moderate figure and appeared to be an effort to soften Trumps message while he establishes an inner circle of advisors and Cabinet picks of hard-liners. In the video, Trump promises to withdraw from the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, a potential disaster for our country, and instead pursue bilateral agreements with some of the Pacific countries involved. He promised to lift restrictions on energy production, including shale and coal, implement a rule that any new government regulation must be accompanied by removing two regulations on the books and to instruct his Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a new cybersecurity plan. His only discussion of immigration involved the legal immigration system  a crackdown on visa fraud. Trump also said his previously announced ethics rules  barring employees in his administration from lobbying for five years after they leave the government and from lobbying for foreign governments for life  would take effect as soon as he is inaugurated. Trump vowed in the video to release more plans in the days to come. These are some of our Day 1 executive actions, spokesman Jason Miller said in an email. By no means is it everything hell work on day one or after that  many additional good things to come. Read More Facebook

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World gets glimpse of deportation plan Kris Kobach took to meeting with Trump By Colleen Shalby Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state whos been tapped to join Donald Trumps immigration policy transition team, probably didnt intend for the world to see details of his plan to bar terrorists and Syrian refugees when he brought it to a meeting Monday. But thats what happened when he posed for a photo with President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump International Golf Club in New Jersey. The document was in full unobstructed view, as Kobach apparently wasnt thinking about the power of a zoom lens. The clearest part reads: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY KOBACH STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FIRST 365 DAYS Bar entry of Potential Terrorists Update and reintroduce the NSEERs screening and tracking system (National Entry-Exit Registration System) that was in place from 2002-2005. All aliens from high-risk areas are tracked. Add extreme vetting questions for high-risk aliens; question them regarding support for Sharia law, jihad, equality of men and women, the United States Constitution. Reduce intake of Syrian refugees to zero, using authority under the 1980 Refugee Act. Record Number of Criminal Aliens in the First Year Those details arent exactly new. Trump has made it clear that he intends to deport 2 million to 3 million immigrants in the country illegally who fall under his definition of criminal. And Kobach, who is behind several controversial immigration laws and was the architect behind the NSEERs system, has said previously that he will help Trump reverse President Obamas immigration policies. The Obama administration has set a second-term priority to deport migrants with criminal convictions. Since taking office, Obama has expelled more people than any other president in American history. Less legible on Kobachs document, but still visible, are mentions of its definition of criminal alien (any alien arrested for any crime, and any gang member); the phrase 386 miles of existing actual wall; the Patriot Act; and Draft Amendment to National Voter .... Its possible this line refers to the National Voter Registration Act. Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley criticized Kobach. Thats the height of irony if hes wanting a job in Homeland Security and youre able to see in a photograph what should be confidential information, Hensley said. Facebook

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Rolling out Obamacare was chaotic, but a repeal could be much worse By Noam N. Levey In the summer of 2013, as state and federal officials readied new insurance marketplaces created through the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans started getting disquieting notices from their insurers. Health plans were being canceled because they didnt comply with the law, often called Obamacare. Some 4 million people were ultimately told they would lose their plans. The ensuing outrage sparked a political firestorm, seriously eroded public confidence in Obamacare and forced an embarrassed President Obama to change federal regulations so people could keep their coverage. Yet that tumultuous episode could be dwarfed by what President-elect Donald Trumps administration and its congressional allies unleash beginning next year. They plan to not only repeal the law but are contemplating changes that are significantly more far-reaching and could disrupt insurance coverage for many more Americans than did the original law. Read More Facebook

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The U.S. labor forces guy problem: Why arent more men working? By Jim Puzzanghera Inmates at San Quentin State Prison in August. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As the recovery from the Great Recession continues, job growth is solid and the labor force is growing at close to its fastest pace since 2000 because more unemployed workers are coming off the sidelines. Still, the percentage of working-age Americans in the labor force remains stuck near its lowest level since the late 1970s. Although retiring baby boomers are the main reason, theres another troubling factor that experts predict wont be solved by stronger economic growth. Too many men in their prime dont have a job and arent even looking for one. Experts trying to figure out the reasons are probing the roles of criminal background checks, painkillers and even video games. In all, about 7 million men ages 25 to 54 are neither employed nor available for work, putting them outside the labor force. Their growing numbers worry and puzzle economists. Read More Facebook

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Obama gives strong support to Pelosi as she faces leadership fight By Christi Parsons House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Obama all but endorsed Nancy Pelosi to continue to lead House Democrats on Sunday, defending her as she faces a challenge to her position from restive members of the Democratic caucus. Although he is reticent to meddle in party votes while he is on the way out the door, Obama said at a news conference that he cannot speak highly enough of the first female House speaker, who has been a key ally on some of his most important work as president. She combines strong progressive values with just extraordinary political skill, and she does stuff thats tough, not just stuff thats easy, Obama said when asked whether the California Democrat should be reelected to her position. Obama made his remarks during a news conference in Lima, Peru, where he was wrapping up a summit meeting with Asian and Pacific leaders. Some of Pelosis decisions have been unpopular, even with voters in her San Francisco district, he said, but she has done them anyway because its the right thing to do for the American people. Pelosi faces a challenge from Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, a seven-term member of the House. Perhaps the most notable example of her support for Obamas agenda was Pelosis steadfast support for the Affordable Care Act, which likely cost some Democrats their seats in Congress in the midterm election when Republicans took over the chamber. In offering advice to fellow Democrats, though, 
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to fly to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for a two-day visit, according to a statement from the presidency.

Presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said on Wednesday that El-Sisi's visit comes in the framework of continued discussions and coordination between the two countries.

The Egyptian president is also set to participate in celebrations of the UAEs National Day, which falls on Friday.

Youssef added that El-Sisis discussions with Emirati leaders will focus on ways of boosting special bilateral ties that would strengthen the ongoing strategic cooperation between the two countries to face regional challenges.

Earlier in November, El-Sisi received Abu-Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. In statements Bin Zayed stressed his countrys unshakeable support for Egypt in light of the special relations that bind the two countries.

The UAE, a key ally of Egypt, has propped up Cairo economically since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

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P-45s days may be numbered. The 5-year-old mountain lion has managed to cross busy roads safely, has avoided ingesting a lethal dose of rat poison and has successfully claimed his territory from his fellow cougars  all challenges that have stymied other members of the mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains. His fatal mistake, however, was doing what mountain lions naturally do so well: killing and eating prey.

Over the weekend, P-45 apparently broke into two ranches in the hills above Malibu, killing 10 alpacas at one property and a goat and an alpaca at the other. P-45 was identified as the culprit by a tracking device he wears as part of a National Park Service study of the local mountain lion population.

Its illegal to hunt mountain lions in California thanks to 1990s Proposition 117, but the initiative included an exception for residents whose livestock is killed by a lion. And on Monday, the owner of the 10 dead alpacas requested and received a special depredation permit to hire a hunter to kill P-45. The 10-day permit allows the hunter to cover a 10-mile range around the ranch in search of the lion. Hunters often lure the lion with a deer carcass.

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The law ... essentially gives the aggrieved party  the livestock owner  the right to decide whether the lion should live or die.

The ranch owner is within her legal rights to have the lion killed, and she is understandably frustrated. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said she had attempted to protect the alpacas from predators by keeping them in a locked area with barbed wire and motion-sensing security lights.

But killing P-45 is not the answer, especially when he is one of the few adult male mountain lions in an isolated population that is at risk of extinction.

Biologists who have been tracking the mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains believe P-45 is one of just two breeding-age male lions in the region. If he is killed under a depredation permit and the other dies (getting hit by a car is one of the leading causes of death) there will be a worrisome gap in breeding.

P-45 is of particular significance because biologists think he may have made the treacherous trip across the 101 Freeway to reach the Santa Monica Mountains. If he was indeed born outside the region, then he is bringing valuable genetic diversity to the population. Researchers from UCLA and the National Park Service have predicted lions could disappear from the mountains in 50 years because of inbreeding.

The situation facing the mountain lions in the region is so dire that the state is considering building a $33-million wildlife overpass over the 101 Freeway to allow lions to mingle and mate outside of their families. But it makes no sense to spend millions of dollars building a wildlife overpass for the survival of the mountain lions and yet issue depredation permits to residents so they can kill a lion for behaving like a mountain lion.

Unfortunately for ranchers, biologists say that P-45s attack on the Malibu ranches was entirely normal behavior for a lion who discovers easy prey, such as domestic animals that are not thoroughly protected. Thorough protection requires a secured enclosure like a barn or a pen surrounded by tall fences. Furthermore, researchers have found that killing one mountain lion  in what advocates for the animals consider emotional revenge  doesnt remove the risk to domestic animals. Younger lions will move into the same territory and continue to attack livestock if the animals are not fully protected.

Of course, people should be allowed to protect themselves and their children if a mountain lion attacks. The law allows individuals to kill a lion if they feel directly threatened or if they catch a lion in the act of killing their livestock. Likewise, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife can kill a lion that is considered a public safety threat.

But the law that allows the issuance of depredation permits essentially gives the aggrieved party  the livestock owner  the right to decide whether the lion should live or die. There is no obligation on the part of the livestock owner to demonstrate that he or she took appropriate precautions to protect the animals. There is no evaluation by a wildlife official as to whether the lion poses a further threat to humans or animals.

Los Angeles residents are lucky to live near wild, open spaces large enough to sustain mountain lions. Surely there is a better way to manage the conflicts that arise when humans and their domestic animals move into areas that have long served as habitat for wildlife.

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Self-deportation is back in vogue. President-elect Donald Trumps chief immigration advisor, Kris Kobach, told Fox News: The jobs are going to dry up, the welfare benefits are going to dry up, and a lot of people who may not be criminal aliens may decide, hey, its getting hard to disobey federal law, and may leave on their own.

Mass self-deportation has been a staple of the anti-immigration movement for more than a decade. Mitt Romney adopted it as his main immigration policy prescription in 2012. Sometimes called the attrition through enforcement or immiseration approach to immigration control, the logic is to make life so difficult for immigrants to find work that they give up and go home.

In 2014, the probability that one of the nations 6 million employers would be investigated for violating immigration laws was 0.03%.

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Pushing self-deportation is a tacit acknowledgement that carrying out aggressive sweeps to remove millions of immigrants who entered the country illegally is not politically realistic. According to election day exit polls, 70% of voters believe that such immigrants working in the United States should be offered a path to legal status. Even 34% of Trump voters rejected mass deportations.

But the self-deportation option is not terribly realistic either.

The last time large numbers of Mexicans in the U.S. repatriated themselves was during the Great Depression. Between 1929 and 1936, at least 500,000 Mexican workers  by some estimates as many as 2 million  returned to their homeland. Although some were forced out by federal and local authorities, the majority returned to Mexico of their own accord, paying their own way back. The Depression had wiped out their jobs, and scapegoating of immigrants by the Hoover administration had created a hostile environment.

Short of another depression, what would it take to spur another self-deportation wave? Two-thirds of immigrants in the country illegally have lived here for 10 years or more. Removing their access to welfare, as Kobach suggests, wont do the trick  they are already barred from receiving such benefits. Such workers would have to become truly unemployable, not just in some businesses and communities, but in all of them, everywhere.

To achieve that goal, the federal government would have to systematically and aggressively go after employers who hire workers in the U.S. illegally. But enforcement of immigration law in the workplace has remained at a symbolic level since 1986, when Congress first made it illegal to hire such workers. From 2007 to 2014, the number of employers investigated for violating hiring laws for immigrants averaged fewer than 2,500 per year, nationwide. The vast majority were not prosecuted criminally but simply fined.

The reasons for weak workplace enforcement are widely recognized. For starters, Congress deliberately included a gaping loophole in the Immigration Reform and Control Act, making it extremely difficult to prosecute employers that break the law. The loophole has remained since 1986 because it is politically advantageous.

There has never been much public or congressional appetite for a harsh crackdown on employers, especially the small businesses that depend most heavily on workers in the U.S. illegally. They are pillars of their communities and campaign contributors. Besides, immigration agents have had higher enforcement priorities  tracking down immigrants who committed serious crimes or pose national security threats.

President-elect Trump has called for full implementation of an electronic employment eligibility verification system called E-Verify. Established as a pilot program by immigration authorities in 1996, E-Verify crosschecks basic information provided by job applicants with federal databases. Employer participation is voluntary, and only about 8% of businesses are enrolled. Trump has promised to make participation mandatory.

E-Verify, however, is no panacea. It does not prevent immigrants who are ineligible to work from getting jobs by providing valid information pertaining to other people (borrowed documents). And as long as penalties are weak, requiring employers to use E-Verify will not significantly reduce violations.

Will Congress approve crippling fines or even prison sentences for business owners who ignore E-Verify rules? Will lawmakers direct the Justice Department to make these scofflaws a top priority? Unless and until that happens, many employers will continue to view hiring those in the U.S. illegally as a low-risk, high-reward crime. In 2014, the probability that one of the nations 6 million employers would be investigated for violating immigration laws was 0.03%.

When my research team asked hundreds of immigrants working illegally in California how they obtained their most recent U.S. job, more than three out of five reported that their employer probably knew, or knew for sure, that they were not authorized to work in the United States. Absent a significant increase in worksite investigations and criminal prosecutions, such employers will not change their hiring practices.

Mass self-deportation is destined to remain a fantasy of immigration hawks. Turning the U.S. into a police state to get rid of a large chunk of the labor force that most citizens consider indispensable is not politically sustainable, let alone economically sensible.

Wayne A. Cornelius is director emeritus of the Mexican Migration Field Research Program and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the UC San Diego.

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Its been three weeks since Donald Trump won the presidential election, but he cant stop stewing over the narrow result.

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, he tweeted on Sunday.

Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California  so why isnt the media reporting on this? Serious bias  big problem!

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Both claims are false.

Nobody, including the Trump aides who were supposed to be watching for fraud, has produced any evidence of illegal votes. And Trump didnt win the electoral college in a landslide  not even close. He won 57% of electoral votes, but thats well below average for winning candidates. His 306 electoral votes are comparable to the 303 John F. Kennedy won in 1960. That kind of election is generally called a squeaker, not a landslide.

As a young builder from Queens, Trump felt excluded from Manhattan... Now, as president-elect, he cant shake his anger that anyone is questioning his victory.

Why is Trump raging about the numbers when he ought to be focusing on the job hes going to have in just over seven weeks? Hes worried about two problems: his legitimacy, and his mandate.

Its understandable that hes annoyed by the recount drive launched by Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Its not going to change the outcome, as Clintons campaign has conceded. Rather, its a sadistic bit of political theater that takes one of Trumps favorite themes, rigged elections, and turns it against him. And its hit a nerve.

As a young builder from Queens, Trump felt excluded from Manhattan. As a real estate mogul, he lashed out against anyone who doubted his claims of success. Now, as president-elect, he cant shake his anger that anyone is questioning his victory.

But this isnt just about Trumps ego. To govern the way he wants, a president needs a mandate. And its not clear that Trump has one.

The word mandate doesnt appear in the Constitution, even though presidents have tossed it around for more than a century. So Ill rely on the late William Safires invaluable Political Dictionary:

MANDATE, n: The authority to carry out a program conferred on an elected official; especially strong after a landslide victory.

Leaving aside Trumps hot air on the electoral vote, his claim to broad popular support is still weak.

He won about 46% of the popular vote; Clinton won 48%. You want a mandate? In 1980, Ronald Reagan won 51% of the popular vote in a three-way race. In 2008, Barack Obama won 53%. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt won 57%.

Voters recognize the difference.

A Washington Post poll last week found that only 29% of voters think Trump has a mandate to carry out his program; most said they want him to seek compromises with Democrats instead.

By comparison, in 2008, 50% said Obama had a mandate. In 2000, 41% said George W. Bush, who lost the popular vote, had a mandate.

Trumps favorability has inched upward since the election to 47% in the CNN Poll, but hes still short of a majority. Thats never happened to a president-elect in modern polling before.

As a practical matter, Trump needs a mandate, however defined, to persuade Congress to follow his lead, confirm his nominations and enact his programs  even when Congress is held by his own party.

Republicans hold only 52 seats in the Senate; if only three dissent, the new president will have a problem. And GOP senators are a restive lot; 12 of the 52 did not endorse Trump on election day. On Tuesday, in an early show of autonomy, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he didnt agree with Trump over his charges of voter fraud or his demand (in another tweet) to lock up anyone who burns the American flag.

Trump is immune to chastisement; if we learned anything from the campaign, its that. But he wont get away with his bogus claims unless other politicians and voters accede. So its not bad sportsmanship for Democrats and others to point out what really happened on Nov. 8; its truth-telling, and it matters.

If enough voters remember that Trump didnt win in a landslide, hell have to build a mandate the hard way: by getting things done. If his administration is brilliantly managed and his program succeeds, his percentage of the popular vote wont matter for long. For now, hes on shaky footing  no matter what he tweets.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

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Any speculation about who will be named as secretary of State in a Trump administration is only one tweet away from disconfirmation.

But after Tuesday evenings awkward-looking dinner involving President-elect Trump, Mitt Romney and future White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, it seems increasingly likely that Trump will indeed entrust the management of the State Department to the man who called him a phony and a con man.

On Wednesday, Preibus said a Romney appointment to Foggy Bottom was not a done deal. Other candidates are reportedly in the running, including Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and retired Gen. and former CIA Director David H. Petraeus.

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But unless Trump is serving Romney an extremely cold dish of revenge, the president-elect seems to have recognized that Romney at State would be good for his administration and good for the country.

Thats the right call, but not because Romney possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of foreign affairs or experience as a diplomat.

Rather, his value as secretary of State would lie in his stature in his party, his ties to a Republican foreign policy establishment that was skeptical  in some cases scathingly so  of Trumps fitness for the presidency and, last and most important, the reassurance his presence in the administration would offer to jittery American allies.

Also  though this probably isnt a comparison that would appeal to Trump  installing Romney at State would be reminiscent of President Obamas decision to give that position to Hillary Clinton.

Unlike Obama and Clinton in 2008, Trump and Romney werent literal rivals; but Romney was the spokesman par excellence for that segment of the Republican establishment that refused to make its peace with the blowhard businessman. An administration that included Romney would thus be the ultimate symbol of Republican reconciliation.

When it became clear that Trump was seriously considering Romney for State, there was criticism  from Trump intimates such as Kellyanne Conway who said Trump supporters felt betrayed by the idea but also from commentators who thought Romney would be compromising his principles to accept the position.

Romney was widely ridiculed for dining with Trump and for his statement after the meal in which he said, I had a wonderful evening with President-elect Trump. (The snide headline on a Slate story was: The Going Rate for Mitt Romneys Soul Is Apparently a $215.57 Meal at Jean-Georges.)

This strikes me as way too cynical. If Romney were to accept an offer by Trump to serve as secretary of State, it would be a patriotic act, not an exercise in self-aggrandizement. Lets face it: This would be a high-risk assignment for Romney. As he surely knows, there is no guarantee that Trump will take his advice or that his tenure wont end in a demeaning dismissal or a resignation in protest. That he is apparently willing to say yes anyway reflects well on him.

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To the editor: Can we please stop the fiction that the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro took away the rights of his people when he seized power in 1959? Cubans had no rights under Castros predecessors. You cannot take something away from people that they never had in the first place. (In Miamis Little Havana, Cubans whoop, dance and reflect as they celebrate Castros death, Nov. 26)

What Castro did take away was the economically viable middle class that had been allowed in Cuba. Many Cubans had accepted the tradeoff of moderate prosperity in return for political obedience. Castro replaced that with the allegedly classless communist system, which in fact benefitted only the select few in the highest levels of the government and military and devastated the Cuban economy.

Many of those thousands of Cuban refugees arriving in the U.S. over the last 50 years under the guise of anti-communist political asylum were in fact economic refugees.

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Tom Lockhart, Long Beach

..

To the editor: A Castro, namely Raul Castro, who previously enforced Fidels draconian rule, continues to rule that unfortunate island nation. There is no truth to after Castro until the last brother is in the ground.

Steve Reich, Oxnard

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California Democrats ask Obama to pardon nearly 750,000 Dreamers, but White House says it wouldnt work

The members of Congress who persuaded President Obama to grant temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children are now asking him to use a pardon to prevent those immigrants from being deported by President-elect Donald Trump.

The White House, however, promptly batted down the idea.

Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) sent a letter to Obama on Thursday asking him to use his pardon authority to forgive the past and future civil immigration offenses of the nearly 750,000 people granted deportation deferrals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.

They believe that would keep those people from being deported, and even though it would leave them in legal limbo without work permits or visas, they could more easily apply for legal status from within the U.S. without immigration offenses on their records.

They wouldnt have a piece of paper, they wouldnt have work authorization, but they wouldnt have to be living in fear every moment of their lives about deportation, Lofgren said after a news conference Thursday.

Lofgren, a former immigration attorney, said the pardons would probably be applied to the civil offenses related to entering and remaining in the country without authorization.

But whether a pardon would actually be applicable in the so-called Dreamers situation is unclear. Lawyers disagree over whether the immigrants could be pardoned for civil crimes they havent been formally accused of, and whether such a pardon would actually prevent them from being deported while they seek legal status.

A White House official signaled late Thursday that the administration was not considering a pardon for those registered under DACA because it believes a pardon would not allow them legal status.

We note that the clemency power could not give legal status to any undocumented individual. As we have repeatedly said for years, only Congress can create legal status for undocumented individuals, an administration official said.

After immigration reform efforts stalled in Congress during Obamas first term, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pressured Obama to act independently to protect from deportation certain immigrants brought into the country illegally when they were children. He then used an executive order to create the DACA program in 2012.

The Dreamers, one in three of whom are estimated to live in California, gave the Department of Homeland Security their fingerprints, home addresses and other information to undergo background checks that allowed them to defer deportation under DACA.

At the time, advocates and the administration emphasized that providing the information would protect the Dreamers and was worth the risk. But with Trump vowing to deport millions of people who are in the country illegally and many fearing he may let the DACA program expire, Dreamers are worried the information they provided will be used to deport them.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), whose husband is an immigration attorney, said at the news conference she has been getting a flood of messages from frightened Dreamers. On Tuesday she sent a letter to Obama asking him to keep their information from the Trump administration.

We promised these recipients security, and now they are facing a nightmare, she said.

Roybal-Allard said those who pushed Obama to create the program and persuaded people to come out of the shadows to register with the government have an obligation to protect them.

These are kids. We feel a sense of responsibility. We went out into our districts and we talked to the Dreamers, and they asked us, Is it really OK for us to do this? Roybal-Allard said. And we said, No, dont worry, you need to come forward. Now we are in a situation where all that we said, in fact, could possibly be reversed.

Although the presidents pardon power is normally used for individual cases, there is some precedent for the chief executive to pardon a large group of people.

President Jimmy Carter pardoned half a million Vietnam War draft evaders in 1977, and at least seven other presidents have issued broad pardons.

Congress and the Supreme Court cannot undo a presidential pardon, nor can a new president.

Lofgren said if Obama doesnt pardon the Dreamers, she hopes he responds with his own idea to help them.

These young people are not alone, they are not going to be abandoned by us, she said.

UPDATES

4:59 p.m. This post was updated with additional details throughout.

2:15 p.m. This post was updated with the White Houses response to the proposal.

This post was originally published at 11:30 a.m.
The Syrian army said Israeli jets fired two missiles on an area west of the capital of Damascus on Wednesday morning, causing no casualties in an attack mounted from Lebanese air space.

A Syrian military source said Israeli planes launched the air strike at dawn, and the missiles fell on the Saboura area.

The attack was an attempt to "divert attention away from the successes of the Syrian Arab Army", SANA said, quoting a military source.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

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House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has done it again, fending off a rival to win another term as minority leader and confirming her staying power as the party prepares to confront President-elect Donald Trump.

The San Francisco Democrat has beaten back ouster attempts before. But this years challenge by an Ohio Democrat focused attention on Trumps success in attracting white, working-class voters in Rust Belt states, and whether that was a sign that Democrats needed changes at the top.

Rep. Tim Ryan, whose Youngstown-area district represents the kind of blue-collar voters that fueled Trumps victory, made a strong showing. Though he lost 134-63, it was a closer margin than previous rivals who have aspired to replace Pelosi.

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The competition appears to have only emboldened Pelosi, a tough-as-ever survivor who shows no signs of relinquishing her position as one of the most powerful Democrats in the country.

Scope of Donald Trumps falsehoods unprecedented for presidential candidate 

Were at a time where its well beyond politics, Pelosi said after the vote. Its about the character of America and how we go forward ... to differentiate between us and the administration that will come into Washington in January.

Republicans could not have been more pleased. One Republican walking to his office near the Democrats closed-door meeting said he hoped Pelosi would win because he features her prominently in his TV campaign ads back home.

With President Obama leaving the White House, Republicans are eager to continue focusing on Pelosi as a caricature of liberal Democrats out of touch with the rest of the country. The House Republican campaign team unfurled a poster spoofing its support for her from their headquarters across from the Capitol. Congrats Nancy! it read Wednesday.

However, even Pelosis foes warn against underestimating the first woman to become House speaker, a position she has her sights set on reclaiming.

Responding to the challenge, Pelosi proposed an expansion of her Democratic leadership team with more seats at the table for younger members and those from states Trump won.

The move reflected a similar tack taken after the November election in the Senate by incoming Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, who added moderates from the Rust Belt as well as progressives to his team.

This is Bernie Sanders plan to lead Democrats out of the wilderness 

Ryan, 43, who picked up support from fellow Rust Belt lawmakers as well as those from the intermountain Western states of Arizona and Colorado, said he had succeeded in opening up the leadership ranks.

Were a family, and sometimes families have to have tough conversations, Ryan said after the vote, flanked by supporters. We come out of here stronger than we went in. Were all going to participate in leading the party.

While the changes appeared to soothe some rank-and-file lawmakers, others said Pelosi will need to do more to loosen her grip on power and allow more voices into the decision-making process.

Many lawmakers remain fearful of speaking out against Pelosi, who draws allies close but also keeps tabs on dissenters. The leadership changes will be considered by the caucus in the days ahead.

For her to have two-thirds support shows theres overwhelming trust in her as a leader, but folks want to see new energy behind her and I think shes open-minded to that, said California Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), who is among those younger members taking on new leadership duties.

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said she was deeply disappointed by the vote. This should be a time of critical reflection and clear-eyed change, not a time to rubber-stamp the failed strategy of the past.

First elected to House leadership 15 years ago, Pelosi has faced calls for her ouster since Democrats lost the majority under her watch in 2010, during Obamas first term in office.

The mother of five  and grandmother  also has endured questions about how much longer she will stay at the helm. The 76-year-old typically swats back such inquiries by pointedly noting the comparable ages of male colleagues in leadership roles elsewhere in the Capitol.

Pelosi remains a fundraising powerhouse, and despite interest by a deep bench of Democrats eager to take a turn at leadership, few have been able to make the case to their peers that they could match her drive.

But this year, following Democrat Hillary Clintons loss in the presidential election, Pelosi appeared to take her challenger seriously. She repeatedly worked to shore up support from liberals and minorities who make up the bulk of the Democratic caucus.

She also pointed to the gains Democrats made under her watch, despite Clintons defeat  the House picked up six seats in November. She warned that losses could have been worse.

Pelosi foreshadowed a tough campaign season in 2018, the midterm elections when the party in the White House typically loses seats in Congress.

We know how to win elections, she said Wednesday. Weve done it in the past. We will do it again by making that differentiation.

For some, hers was a message that resonated.

The problem wasnt Nancy Pelosi, said Rep. Rick Nolan of Minnesota, who supported Clintons rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, during the Democratic primary. The problem was the top of the ticket.

Pelosi had postponed the election to allow time for challenges and changes but always predicted she would prevail with two-thirds of the vote. The rest of the leadership team also was reelected.

Two Californians were vying for a down-ballot leadership spot, and Rep. Linda Sanchez of Whittier narrowly defeated Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, 98-96.

Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, in nominating Pelosi during a closed-door meeting Wednesday, said, We need the very best to lead us.  No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @LisaMascaro

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LA 90: Trump pledged to protect Medicare. His choice for health secretary has other ideas Several Senate Democrats announced they would vote against confirming Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as Health and Human Services Secretary.
President-elect Donald Trumps newly announced agreement to save more than 1,000 jobs in Indiana gave him the kind of trophy he covets: a tangible victory that matches his campaign promise to serve as deal maker in chief.

But its long-term value will depend on what Trump gave up to keep those factory jobs from going to Mexico and whether he is able to craft a successful fiscal policy that has a broader impact on the economy.

This is an unquestionably positive development for the workers who otherwise would have lost these good jobs, said Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and former economic advisor to Vice President Joe Biden.

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But to try to pick off jobs firm by firm with tax breaks and regulatory goodies, it wont work, he said. Thats just not sustainable.

Throughout his campaign, Trump railed relentlessly against Carrier Corp.s decision to ship 1,400 manufacturing jobs to Mexico, using it as an example of all that was wrong with the U.S. economy and all that he would set right when he took office. He threatened to impose 35% tariffs and renegotiate trade deals with Mexico to stop Carrier and other companies from outsourcing jobs.

Trump began speaking directly with Carriers parent company, United Technologies Corp., after he won election, securing a brief announcement late Tuesday from both Carrier and Trump that most of the jobs would no longer be shipped abroad.

But details of what Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence may have given up, or the threats they may have lodged, remained elusive. Trumps team and Carrier deferred such explanations until a formal announcement in Indianapolis on Thursday.

Steve Mnuchin, Trumps newly announced pick to be Treasury secretary, called the deal a terrific opportunity for the incoming administration and said it came about because Trump and Pence were willing to listen to businesses.

The president-elect and the vice president[-elect] picked up the phone and called the CEO of the United Technologies and told them we want to keep jobs here, he told reporters at Trump Tower in New York on his way to meet with Trump on Wednesday.

Yet the victory was largely symbolic. On an average day this year, the American workforce added six times as many jobs.

Not only are the jobs saved a trifle for a U.S. economy adding an average of 181,000 jobs a month this year, but they are a tiny percentage of the 197,000 employees of United Technologies.

Carrier said Wednesday that incentives offered by the state were an important consideration in keeping its gas furnace production in Indianapolis, as was the incoming administrations promises of a better business climate. The company added that it still believes in the benefits of free trade and that businesses need broader solutions to keep the country competitive.

The show of strength might send a signal of resolve to other companies considering offshoring, and it buys Trump time to craft a policy to match his top campaign promise. In a similar vein, Trump offered sketchy details Wednesday about his latest efforts to wall off his businesses from the appearance of conflict of interest that have dogged him since he won the election and continued to meet with business partners.

Legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The presidency is a far more important task! he tweeted.

Trump promised to provide new details on his plans during a Dec. 15 news conference, but offered few answers to how he would prevent a conflict, given that his children plan to retain full control. Trump and his aides did not say whether he would relinquish ownership.

The Carrier deals merits will depend heavily on specifics as well. Trumps staff said Wednesday that Pence, who remains governor of Indiana and has a history of offering economic incentives to private industry, was heavily involved in negotiations with Carrier, which makes heating and cooling equipment. Pences office declined to answer questions.

As the incoming president, Trump has some significant leverage with United Technologies, which is a major defense contractor. In 2015, the company had $5.6 billion in sales to the federal government, 10% of its total sales, according to United Technologies annual report.

That federal business might have been a factor in Carriers decision to keep jobs in the U.S., said John Eade, director of portfolio strategy at investment research firm Argus Research.

My guess is that the new administration offered some carrots  potential for lower taxes, a potential change in trade policies, etc.  as well as a stick: less certainty on U.S. government contracts, which are significant for several of United Technologies other businesses, he said.

Plus, I am sure Carrier wants to move out of the national spotlight on this issue, Eade said.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose left-wing populism tapped some of the same issues as Trumps anti-globalist message during the Democratic presidential primary, said over the weekend that Trump needed to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico.

The Carrier deal could prompt other companies to try the same tactic, predicted Dan Ikenson, director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute think tank.

It creates a short-term political victory for the president-elect, but it opens up a Pandoras box in the sense that other companies are going to want the same sort of handout, he said. Its better to have an overall policy that companies can bank on.

Indiana state Sen. Tim Lanane, who leads the Democratic minority in the chamber, said Pence had yet to reveal details of the deal. But most breaks he has offered in the past, including tax incentives and credits, would not need legislative approval. He noted that Pence was unsuccessful in persuading Carrier to stay when it initially announced plans to move, in February. Lanane said the state had a spotty record in ensuring that companies stick to their promises after receiving subsidies.

Does there come a point where you just cant do that every time? Lanane said.

Pence and his Economic Development Corporation approved $24 million in tax breaks for 10 companies that sent work abroad, failing in several cases to recover money from companies that laid off employees in the state, the Indianapolis Star reported during the campaign.

Trump has said his broader plan to stop manufacturing jobs from leaving the U.S. is to lower the corporate tax rate and renegotiate trade deals to reduce the incentives.

Trumps staff also highlighted the president-elects personal involvement, saying it was a sign of things to come as he works to keep jobs from fleeing. The style is unlikely to work on a larger scale, given the volume of companies that could opt to move manufacturing jobs. It may even provide an incentive for other companies to lodge similar threats in hopes of winning government give-backs.

But it could also prove a political asset that may help Trump move some of his economic policies through a GOP-controlled Congress that remains skeptical of his anti-globalist trade policy.

Bernstein said the Carrier deal also highlighted the different backgrounds and approaches of Trump and President Obama, a former university professor who has gathered business leaders and academics at the White House in the past to address such weighty economic issues.

Trump is much more comfortable calling up a CEO and admonishing him than he is sitting around a table with a bunch of policy wonks talking about the best way to change the incentive structure, Bernstein said. But if youre going to solve the economics of this, youve got to get at the incentive structure. You cant simply be handing out goodies to every single company thats planning to relocate.

Twitter: @noahbierman, @JimPuzzanghera

Trump taps Wall Street executive and Hollywood producer Steven Mnuchin for Treasury secretary

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UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from Carrier.

This story was originally published at 2:35 p.m.
History hasnt been kind to dreams of unbridled political dominance under the state Capitol dome, the kind of power that Democrats now hold after winning a supermajority of seats in both houses of the California Legislature.

Even a decisive trouncing of electoral rivals doesnt change the fundamental truth that governing is almost always harder than campaigning. And Democrats, united in many issues but opposed on others, face daunting odds in turning the results of Nov. 8 into sweeping change.

For California Democrats, the celebrations began Monday night with the victory of Josh Newman, an advocate for veterans programs, in a hotly contested state Senate race east of Los Angeles. Newman defeated Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar), giving Democrats 27 seats in the 40-member Senate to complement their 55 seats in the 80-member Assembly.

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The victory marked a return to supermajority power for Democrats, who achieved the same level of dominance in 2012. That feat was the first in almost eight decades for any political party in California.

But it lasted only 81 days, until a Central Valley senator resigned his seat to take a government affairs job in the oil and gas industry and was replaced by a Republican. Even before then, differences had erupted among Democrats on a handful of legislative proposals.

In 2014, Republicans clawed back a handful of legislative seats and left Democrats with strong  but no longer commanding  numbers in both houses.

I think its a cautionary tale, not just for pundits but for the Democrats themselves, said Steve Boilard, executive director of the Center for California Studies at Cal State Sacramento.

The experience in 2012 may be why so many Capitol watchers have downplayed the importance of controlling two-thirds of the seats in both houses. Even so, the potential policy and political benefits are substantial.

With a two-thirds vote in each house, taxes can be increased and laws put into effect immediately. It also takes a supermajority of Senate and Assembly members to place an amendment to Californias Constitution on the ballot.

Democrats have been wary of raising expectations for that kind of power being fully realized by the partys members who will take the oath of office Monday. For starters, any tax increase would have to pass muster with Gov. Jerry Brown, a governor so reluctant to embrace new tax ideas that he refused to endorse the extension of high-earner income taxes, which voters approved this month in Proposition 55.

Although a supermajority of legislators can override a governors veto, no Legislature has been able to do so since a veto by Brown was overridden in 1979.

Political Road Map: Dont expect big changes under a legislative supermajority 

The exuberance of liberal lawmakers and interest groups will probably be tempered by the continued strength of a group of business-aligned Democrats who belong to whats informally known as the moderate caucus. A group of largely centrist politicians that has grown in size and prominence since the 2012 creation of new primary rules and longer term limits, these Democrats have pushed back on a number of prominent proposals. Most notable was their success in scaling back a sweeping 2015 climate change proposal that they saw as harmful to middle-class families.

You have these elitist Democrats that are from rich areas, said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), co-chairman of the group of business-focused Democrats. The middle class is still suffering from the recession.

Members of the so-called mod caucus have often controlled enough votes to slow down or stop bills requiring a simple majority in the Assembly  41 votes  favored by more liberal lawmakers. The newly expanded roster of Democrats may make them easier to sidestep.

The reason Im happy is we now have 55 Democrats in the Assembly, which you need to be able to get 41 [votes] on a piece of pro-worker, progressive legislation, unfortunately, said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) during a Los Angeles Times post-election symposium.

Perhaps most pressing for lawmakers from both major parties may be the demand for a broad overhaul and expansion of Californias transportation funding. The failure of efforts this year often hinged on plans to raise the states gas tax to pay for road and highway repairs  a tax increase that requires a supermajority vote. Republicans in both houses balked, preferring instead to tap revenues collected under the states sale of carbon pollution credits to businesses through its cap-and-trade program.

Im still open to how we tackle that, Cooper said of a gas tax increase while insisting any support would depend on the specific use of those new dollars.

In many ways, the divide among Democrats may be a reflection of the severe atrophy in the states Republican ranks, now trailing in voter registration by more than 18 percentage points.

Political issues always tend to become bifurcated among two big groups, Boilard said. If the Republican brand is weakening, you then end up having a new moderate Democratic brand.

In fact, the real thirst for a supermajority in the Legislature was quenched by voters six years ago with the passage of Proposition 25. That law lowered the threshold for passage of the state budget from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority in both legislative houses.

Had that not changed, the Nov. 8 election results would have been far more significant in shaping the work of government and the future of the state.

No longer is that really big prize just sitting out there, Boilard 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

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President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Steven Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive and Hollywood movie producer who served as his campaign finance chairman, to be the next Treasury secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Mnuchins deep roots on Wall Street fit the mold of past Treasury secretaries but contrast with the populist stance that Trump took during his campaign.

Mnuchin would be the second billionaire member of Trumps Cabinet, after Betsy DeVos, who is Trumps pick for Education secretary, and the third would be financier Wilbur Ross, who has been selected as Commerce secretary.

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Mnuchins selection  which was first reported Tuesday by the New York Times  drew ire from Democratic and liberal groups, which have accused him of profiting from the financial crisis after buying the failed IndyMac Bank in 2009.

So much for draining the swamp, said Adam Hodge, communications director for the Democratic National Committee. He said Mnuchin preyed on homeowners struggling during the recession, calling Trumps pick a slap in the face to voters who hoped he would shake up Washington.

Officials with Trumps transition team declined to confirm Mnuchins selection, which may be announced as early as Wednesday.

Mnuchin, 53, co-chief executive of hedge fund Dune Capital Management, served as chairman of the Pasadena-based bank, which was renamed OneWest Bank after he led a group of investors to purchase it. The bank has been criticized for a large number of foreclosures and hit by allegations of discrimination against minorities. It also helped finance high-profile films such as Suicide Squad, American Sniper and Mad Max: Fury Road.

During the campaign, Trump sharply criticized his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for being too cozy with Wall Street.

Now Trump has tapped Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., to be one of the federal governments most important economic and financial officials.

Mnuchin rose to partner and chief information officer at the legendary Wall Street investment bank, where his father also had been a partner, before leaving in 2002 to work with billionaire investor George Soros.

Two years later, Dune Capital Management was co-founded by Mnuchin as a spinoff from Soros firm.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mnuchin would be the third former Goldman executive to become Treasury secretary in recent years, following Robert Rubin under President Bill Clinton and Henry M. Paulson under President George W. Bush.

As Mnuchins name emerged as a leading candidate for the Treasury post, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee called Mnuchin a second-generation Goldman Sachs banker who made a fortune by foreclosing on working families homes. The group criticized him for opposing tough Wall Street regulation.

Mnuchin would become a key player in world economics, meeting frequently with foreign finance ministers, and in overseeing the U.S. tax and financial system.

He would take the helm of an agency whose regulatory responsibilities swelled under the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The Treasury secretary serves as chairman of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a panel of top regulators created by the law. Republicans have criticized the council as wielding too much power.

The Treasury Department also includes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent agency that supervises national banks; the IRS; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; and the Mint.

Mnuchin is a Yale University graduate who is divorced with three children. He owns a $26.5-million mansion in Los Angeles exclusive Bel-Air neighborhood and has strong connections to Southern California.

In 2009, Mnuchin and other investors put up about $1.6 billion in cash to purchase IndyMac, one of the leading subprime mortgage lenders.

They sold the bank to CIT Group last year for $3.4 billion. Mnuchin now serves on CITs board of directors.

The deal was nearly derailed by complaints about OneWests foreclosure practices.

OneWest had agreed to participate in a federal program to modify the mortgages of borrowers so that they would not lose their homes. But community groups said the bank aggressively pursued foreclosures, particularly in minority areas.

In 2011, dozens of activists protested the practices on the lawn of Mnuchins 22,000-square-foot Bel-Air home. That same year, the federal Office of Thrift Supervision hit the bank with a regulatory order saying it had failed to follow procedures when foreclosing on homeowners.

This month, two California advocacy groups asked federal housing regulators to investigate OneWest over allegations that it discriminated against or failed to serve minority communities.

The groups said OneWest has violated federal fair lending laws by failing to effectively market, offer and originate mortgage loans and other loan products in communities of color.

The groups also said the bank has a below-average level of branch locations in minority communities.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Follow @JimPuzzanghera on Twitter

UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect Ross selection as Commerce secretary.

4:10 p.m.: This article was updated after Mnuchins selection was confirmed by staff sources.

This article was originally published at 3:40 p.m.
An 86-year-old Burbank woman has died from injuries she sustained after being struck by a car earlier this month.

According to authorities Arzelia Pisani was walking in an unmarked crosswalk on Lima Street near Magnolia Boulevard Nov. 17 around 12:30 p.m. when she was struck by a black Dodge Charger. The car had been traveling northbound on Lima and was in the process of making a right turn onto Magnolia.

Pisani sustained a significant head injury from the collision, Burbank police said. The driver of the vehicle, a 32-year-old Sylmar resident, stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities.

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Police have ruled out drugs and alcohol as factors in the collision.

An official cause of death has yet to be declared by the Los Angeles County coroners office and detectives are still investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Det. Sam Anderson at 818-238-3103.

--

Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
A horse that was stabled at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank tested positive for equine herpesvirus after its owner violated a quarantine placed on the facility by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

On Nov. 23, the state agency reported that one horse that was removed from the center showed mild signs of the diseases rare neurological form, but lab tests later determined it to be the non-neuropathogenic herpesvirus, a more common and usually non-lethal form of the disease.

The owner, who was not named, had trailered the horse to their home, which was in violation of the quarantine that the Department of Food and Agriculture had placed on the equestrian center since Nov. 3, when two saddlebreds were diagnosed with the neurological form of the disease, one of which had to be euthanized for humane reasons.

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The home to where the horse was taken has also been placed under quarantine, according to the Department of Food and Agriculture.

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FOR THE RECORD

11/30, 11:02 a.m.: A previous version of this story included a file photo of a horse. The caption for the photo did not specify that the horse was not part of the quarantine. The photo was, in fact, taken Monday, July 27, 2015.

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There are currently nine horses under quarantine at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Kent Fowler, the animal health branch chief for the Department of Food and Agriculture, wrote in an email Tuesday that the state has launched an investigation with potential legal ramifications into the owner who violated the quarantine.

We intend to pursue this violation to the full extent of our quarantine authority laws, he wrote.

The Department of Food and Agriculture expects to lift the quarantine at the Burbank facility by Dec. 6, as long as there are no new cases of equine herpesvirus.

Equine herpesvirus was found at the facility earlier this month after eight horses returned from a horse show held in Las Vegas Oct. 27 through 29.

The disease is a common illness in horses that usually affects the animals respiratory system. However, the state agency becomes involved if the disease is found to be equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, a rare neurological form of the illness.

Humans are not at risk of becoming infected with the equine herpesvirus.

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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
Amazons latest ad for its Prime service is believed to be the first television commercial in the United States to feature a Muslim cleric, writes Elizabeth Weise of USA Today.

The ad, which began airing in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany this month, features an Episcopal priest and a Muslim imam laughing and talking over a cup of tea before they both wince at their weak knees as they stand.

The two then are shown ordering items for each other on Prime  later revealed to be identical knee pads.

Amazon didnt set out to make any kind of political statement and the subject had nothing to do with the recently concluded U.S. presidential election, Weise writes.

Q. What do you think of the advertisement?

The advertisement, to me, is a touching reminder that were all human, with similar basic struggles, joys and the need to be understood and appreciated apart from the stereotypical labels that others might hang on us, or the difficulties created by past ideological battles. And, of course, its an advertisement, so the message is that if you want to show basic human decency to someone different than you, you should buy them something on Amazon.

Unfortunately, the message of common human decency has not in practice been fully embraced even by people of faith. We get so caught up in theological differences and battles that we overlook the fact that people who are unlike us are, well, people just like us. We need to go back to the first book of the Bible, which describes the creation by God of the one man and woman from whom we are all descended. We need also to go back to the gospels that teach us that God sent only one sacrifice, his son Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of all men regardless of ethnicity. One creator, one common origin, one savior. If we embraced those simple truths we might actually live out on a daily basis the touching scenario we see in the Amazon advertisement.

Pastor Jon Barta

Burbank

..

It all depends on what part of what [I] think is what you want me to express. I think the commercial is a cute, uncontroversial piece that will probably serve Amazon well. I have had many Islamic friends, especially Iranian ones, and I could see myself at an advanced age sitting with my own town counterpart and having such a moment as this commercial depicts.

However, if one wants to get political and contentious about this ad, then well have to pull out our theologies and discuss why we differ there, and why we cannot ever have accord regarding religion. We can still love our fellow sinners and hate their sin, but the Islamic sin is a very large one in the minds of Evangelicals, because its an absolute rejection of the Christmas Childs identity, and an assertion that some Arab warlord is the latest, greatest, mandatory prophet of God. Add to that the constant radicalization capacity of world Muslims (based on their common text) and the fact that so many American Muslims wont adamantly denounce their actions, leaves us all in a bit of a quandary. And while native troglodytes might target innocent, arms-length Muslims to release their frustrations, most Americans are not anywhere close to that; were just worried, and most of us merely grasp for ways to approach this subject.

In the Mideast, Muslims force horrible strictures on their people; they make women second-class citizens, and they murder those whose herbal predilection we Californians just legalized. They even prescribe capital punishment for non-Muslims. So here, in ostensibly Christian America (the land of the free, where religious freedom is a right) we expect alien transports to embrace our way of life. When some among their number do not, we suspect a religious ticking bomb in the rest. After all, its the Koran and its Hadith, and their interpreters, that foment so much of the godless horror in our midst. We just had another example this week in Ohio, right?

The true God says, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Rom 12:18 NIV). If and depends are rich words. We must do what God says, but we must not be so naive as to think that the motives of others are all pristine and benevolent. Neither should we suspect the reverse. The very fact that Muslims emigrate to America makes me think that maybe its not all peaches-and-cream in the old country, and perhaps their American compatriots have more in common than should be feared. I hope that is the case, and that is how I determine to live.

Rev. Bryan A. Griem

Tujunga

..

As I viewed the ad I wondered first if the people who viciously denounce multiculturalism recognize that the target of their ire is represented by this sweet little interfaith vignette (if such a skillfully created appeal to human emotions in the service of further enriching one of the worlds largest companies can be regarded as sweet).

I also think about Amazon becoming our largest retail business and the fourth most valuable company across all sectors of our economy amidst a steady stream of reports about its controversial and anti-competitive business practices, its tax avoidance by questionable means and the shabby treatment of its workers.

I guess it is supposed to be inspirational to see elderly clerics coping with physical pain in carrying out their religious duties, but to me it would be more humane and rational to show them instead dropping the archaic ritual of kneeling, or altering it to accommodate their limitations. But then thats not going to sell any knee pads on Amazon.

Roberta Medford

Atheist

Montrose
Traffic congestion and safety conflicts among vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians continue to plague traveling conditions along Orange Countys portion of Pacific Coast Highway, according to a newly published transportation study.

The nearly $400,000 report, released last month and conducted by the Orange County Transportation Authority and the California Department of Transportation, examined the iconic but aging 37-mile highway between Seal Beach and San Clemente.

The studys goal was to provide cities with strategies to make traveling the state highway safer and more efficient. It began in 2013 at the behest of local municipalities.

Improvements to traffic flow and safety were cited as universal needs.

But as OCTA Chairwoman Lori Donchak said in a statement, Each city has its own priorities and its own needs. Our job now is to brief each city on the studys finding so we can figure out what improving PCH will look like for them.

A traffic sign warns drivers to look out for bicyclists on Coast Highway in North Laguna. Conflicts between motorists and bicyclists are among problems cited in a study of Pacific Coast Highway between Seal Beach and San Clemente. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

In Newport Beach, the study pinpoints 11 areas for improvement.

Some of the major issues stem from heavy volumes of pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic through Mariners Mile and in West Newport, especially at Prospect Street, Orange Street and Superior Avenue.

The combination of significant traffic, narrow roadways, pedestrian activity, bicyclists and on-street parking also delays travelers along East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.

Bicyclists on East Coast Highway in the Newport Coast area also face safety hazards because of traffic using the right turn lanes onto Newport Coast Drive, the study shows.

Newport Beach Public Works Director Dave Webb said the city has long been aware of the conflicts along its portions of Coast Highway. However, the study provides an opportunity for cities to move forward in repairing their problems and seeking grant funding to do so, he said.

The city and OCTA have already started moving forward with improvements at 27 traffic signals along a nine-mile stretch of the highway between West Newport and Newport Coast. The City Council this month approved an agreement with OCTA to install signal equipment and fiber optic cable, update signal timing and install closed-circuit television cameras along Coast Highway at Superior Avenue, Riverside Avenue and Dover Drive. The project is expected to enhance traffic signal coordination.

Much of the estimated $2.25-million project will be funded by a county grant. Newport Beach has agreed to chip in $450,000.

In Huntington Beach, the study identifies 11 points for improvement, including peak-hour traffic congestion along PCH at Warner Avenue and traffic backup as a result of signal timing problems citywide.

It also names traffic delays caused by pedestrians who cross at major intersections along PCH, particularly between Main and Huntington streets and between Huntington Street and Beach Boulevard.

Bicycle safety is a problem between Warner Avenue and Goldenwest Street, the study says, as are cyclists traveling between parked cars and vehicles traveling along PCH between Goldenwest and Sixth streets.

Pedestrians cross South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. Conflicts between motorists and pedestrians are among problems cited in a study of Pacific Coast Highway between Seal Beach and San Clemente. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

In Laguna Beach, the combination of traffic, limited street capacity, pedestrians and parking issues delays travelers along Coast Highway between Broadway and Cress streets, the study says. Sections of the highway with narrow or missing sidewalks pose problems for pedestrians in South Laguna, according to the study.

The report highlights various possible solutions, including improving sidewalks, installing illuminated pedestrian crossings and adding bike lanes, street striping and signage to improve traffic flow and safety.

In an email, Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig called the studys suggestions good ideas, but removing lanes or parking along Coast Highway or reducing lanes on Glenneyre Street to fit in some bike lines will require significant consideration to better understand the impacts to traffic flow, parking, bicycles, businesses and neighborhoods, he said.

OCTA officials are expected to present their findings to local city councils over the next several months.

It will be up to the cities to take the next steps on the projects, said OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik. This includes prioritizing and securing funding for projects, developing them, handling environmental review, design and implementation. Competitive funding would potentially be available from local, state and federal sources.

Staff writer Bryce Alderton contributed to this report.
The head of a local council in the east of the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday called for a "safe corridor" to allow desperate civilians to flee.

"Let the civilians leave, protect the civilians, put in place a safe corridor so they can leave," Brita Hagi Hassan said after meeting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Paris.

More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from eastern Aleppo as government forces press on with an assault on rebel-held areas of the divided city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday.

The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting later Wednesday on the situation, receiving a briefing from a UN humanitarian official and the UN's peace envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Syria's opposition National Coalition said it was working with France on a draft UN resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo, although Russia -- a staunch ally of Damascus -- was likely to veto such a proposal.

Government forces now hold at least a third of eastern Aleppo, and are pressing ahead with an assault that could deal rebels their worst blow since the conflict began.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests calling for President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

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Before a standing-room-only crowd at City Hall on Tuesday night, the Newport Beach City Council approved a 25-story luxury condominium development in Newport Center intended to replace the Orange County Museum of Art.

After a roughly three-hour hearing with dozens of public comments for and against the 100-unit Museum House, the council approved the development on a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Tony Petros dissenting.

Proponents of the project, wearing stickers reading Museum House supporter, called it a world class jewel and a picturesque addition to a thriving area of the city.

Representatives of the developer, Related California LLC, distributed the stickers outside the council chamber and staffed a table containing pamphlets and renderings of the project, which is anticipated to generate $21.7 million to the city and schools through various fees paid by Related California.

Critics, who gathered more than 1,500 signatures against the development, expressed worry and fear about the projects possible traffic effects. They argued that the dense development would transform Newport into something akin to Los Angeles and set a precedent for more high-rise residences.

Museum House is planned to contain 54 two-bedroom units and 46 three-bedroom units. The condos, ranging from 1,800 to 6,000 square feet, are proposed to sell for $2 million to $4 million.

The project also would contain a terrace, pool, pet spa, wine cellar and fitness area, among other amenities.

Bill Witte, chairman and chief executive of Related California, said Museum House wouldnt block ocean views or present any significant impacts to existing traffic patterns.

Ruth Kobayashi of Harbor Cove said she supported the project and complimented Related Californias effort to work with the community.

They are people of high standards and integrity who will create a good-neighbor environment, she said.

Kacey Taormina, a real estate agent with Surterre Properties, said Museum House would provide high-rise luxury housing thats greatly needed in Newport Beach.

This product provides a solution for a lot of our clients who live in larger homes  and theyre looking to downsize, she said.

Beacon Bay resident Drew Lawler argued that Museum House takes Newport away from our roots.

No to 10 stories, no to five stories, he said. This project does not belong in Newport Beach.

Big Canyon resident Lynn Swain said to say that theres no traffic problem is absurd.

I didnt move to Newport Beach to have it be Century City, she added. Were a beach community, and we want to stay the way we are.

The Orange County Museum of Art, which has been on the 2-acre site at 850 San Clemente Drive since 1978, plans to move to a new building in Costa Mesa, near the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Tuesdays meeting was preceded by behind-the-scenes tension between area activists and Related California.

OCMA Urban Housing LLC, an Irvine-based division of Related California that is dedicated to the Museum House project, published a full-page ad in Sundays Daily Pilot that professed widespread support for Museum House, including from the Newport Beach Planning Commission  which unanimously approved it in October  firefighters, police officers and nearly 300 residents.

Placed prominently among the residents names was activist Susan Skinner, whom the ad quoted as calling Museum House a beautiful project ... .

In an interview Monday, Skinner said the ad used her words out of context and without her knowledge.

During a Speak Up Newport forum in August, Skinner did call the project beautiful but also said that adding it to Newport Center would make the city more urbanized with high-rises, like Los Angeles.

Skinner is associated with two activist groups  Still Protecting Our Newport and Line in the Sand  that have opposed Museum House.

Its pretty desperate to take one of the high-profile opponents of this project and stick them in the middle of an ad, Skinner said. It is unethical. It is unfair. It impugns my reputation and it confuses people by this whole project.

The Daily Pilots editorial staff does not review or approve ads before their publication.

Related California did not respond to a request for comment about the ad.

The developer did, however, point to a cease-and-desist letter it sent Monday to Citizens Against High Rise Urban Towers, a Santa Ana-based group that has been distributing mailers, online petitions and television ads opposing Museum House.

The letter alleges the group has engaged in a pattern of publicizing inaccurate and deceptive information about Museum House.

The group claims that Museum House would violate Federal Aviation Administration and Newport Beach height restrictions.

According to the developers letter, the FAA in October issued determinations that Museum House poses no hazards. The letter added that Newport Beach has a height limit of 300 feet and that Museum House would be 295 feet.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint
The Newport Beach City Councils approval late Tuesday of a 25-story luxury condominium tower brought a vow from activists to try to challenge the project through a referendum.

The councils 6-1 decision, with member Tony Petros dissenting, affirmed the Planning Commissions recommendation in October to approve the 100-unit Museum House development.

Tuesdays vote came after roughly three hours of public comments and council discussion in the packed council chamber at City Hall.

The projects supporters, who wore matching stickers, called it world class and a worthy addition to Newport Center, where it is planned to replace the Orange County Museum of Art at 850 San Clemente Drive. The museum intends to depart for a new site in Costa Mesa.

The council approved a general plan amendment changing the propertys land use from private institutional to multi-unit residential, with a limit of 100 units.

But opponents said Tuesday that theyre planning a referendum in an attempt to overturn the decision.

You may stand with developers or you may stand with residents, said Susan Skinner, a member of Still Protecting Our Newport, an activist group that opposes Museum House.

SPONs political arm, Line in the Sand, is sponsoring the referendum effort. For the next month, the group will look to collect 8,000 voter signatures, more than the required 10% of the citys registered voters.

If the petition is certified, Museum House could be subject to a public vote.

In casting the dissenting vote, Petros pointed to anti-development sentiment expressed in the vote on 2014s Measure Y, a ballot initiative that aimed to update the citys general plan to allow more multifamily housing in and around Newport Center and limit development along the more residential coast. It was soundly defeated by local voters.

Museum Houses 295-foot-tall tower would consist of 54 two-bedroom units with three bathrooms and 46 three-bedroom units with four bathrooms. Each unit would have a private balcony.

The condos would range from 1,800 to 6,000 square feet and be priced from $2 million to $4 million.

The developer, Related California LLC, plans to include 200 resident and 50 guest parking spaces, with valet parking available onsite.

As part of the councils approval, Related California must pay an additional $4 million in fees, as suggested by Mayor Diane Dixon.

Dixon wanted the money to fund a junior lifeguard headquarters, a lecture hall for the Central Library and landscaping along West Coast Highway.

These projects are not currently funded or likely to be funded, she said.

Councilman Scott Peotter said he didnt like the council holding Related California over the barrel for additional money. But he said he could support the extra fees as long as their use wasnt set in stone.

The council ultimately voted in favor of Dixons suggestion, with the caveat that her three preferred projects are merely recommendations, not mandates for a future council.

In a prepared speech, Councilman Ed Selich said he first heard about the Museum House proposal in 2014 and wasnt immediately enthusiastic about it. But, he said, with OCMAs impending departure, the museums property is too expensive for another arts organization to buy.

OCMA plans to use the money from Related Californias purchase of the 2-acre site to move to its new location near the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Relateds purchase price has not been disclosed.

Selich said Museum House will be Newport Centers seventh high-rise and that it will blend into the skyline.

One more high-rise will not change the look and feel of Newport Center, he said.

Skinner said she was dismayed by Selichs motion, approved by the council, that effectively attached thousands of pages of environmental documents and other materials to SPONs referendum petition.

Councilman Keith Curry objected, saying the additional documents will make the petitions look like phone books.

That is nothing more than an effort to subvert the peoples right to petition the government, Curry said.

Curry said he also was profoundly disappointed by political consultant Dave Ellis backdoor lobbying on behalf of the project before Tuesdays hearing.

Councilman Marshall Duffy Duffield disagreed with Currys remark about Ellis, who organized the campaigns for the four Team Newport City Council candidates, including Duffield, who won election in 2014.

Dave Ellis does not call me and tell me how to vote, OK? Ever. And he never will, Duffield said. So I take a little offense at that, that Im being a puppet of Dave Ellis. Im not. Im not a politician either.

Ellis declined to comment Wednesday.

Duffield expressed dismay about the art museum moving but said Museum House would benefit the city financially and have no adverse effects on Newport Center.

The project is expected to generate $21.7 million to the city and schools through various fees paid by Related California.

But critics, who gathered more than 1,500 signatures against the development, expressed worries about its possible effects on traffic and argued that the tower would set a precedent for more high-rise residences and transform Newport Beach into something resembling Los Angeles.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint
Officials at Glendale Community College said they are optimistic about the future of the school, following voter approval of a $325-million bond earlier this month.

With all precincts reporting, 73% of voters, or 48,541 residents, supported the bond, with 17,356 residents voting against it.

Bond funds will pay for extensive upgrades to facilities on the campus in the next 15 years, officials said during a recent board of trustees meeting.

We have opportunities now, said trustee Tony Tartaglia. We need to continue to make big changes on this campus in the [information-technology] areas, mobility and on and on and on.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

One of the next steps will involve reaching out to members of the community to serve on the bonds oversight committee.

David Viar, the colleges superintendent and president, said the overwhelming support for Measure GC shows that the citizens of our community do recognize the high quality of the work being done by faculty and staff and the work being done on student access and student success.

He said the colleges reputation in Glendale is due to a very thoughtful, insightful board of trustees who focus on policy and mission and vision of our college, and our past and present employees who really have been focused on doing their best job in assuring that students do achieve their educational goals.

Tartaglia said hes also eager to use the bond funds to tap into matching state and federal dollars.

For trustee Vahe Peroomian, the money will give officials the ability to finally bring our infrastructure up where it should be, and maintain it at that level and serve our students even better, he said.

The trustees credited Viar for spending much of his personal time connecting with local residents as he campaigned for the bonds passage for months leading up to the Nov. 8 election.

I think you were the reason we succeeded, trustee Armine Hacopian said.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Germany arrested an informant for the governments intelligence services after he was caught making radical Islamist statements and offering to give away top-secret information on the Internet, German authorities said Wednesday, in an embarrassing setback to their efforts to counter the threat of jihadist terrorism.

The state prosecutors office in Dusseldorf said the 51-year-old suspect, a bank employee of Spanish origin living in Germany, had joined the countrys domestic intelligence service in April to observe the militant Islamist scene as an informant, but was arrested late Tuesday and accused of offering to share classified information under an alias in an Internet chat room.

There was no evidence that he actually passed any state secrets, authorities said.

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He was caught after an online conversation with an intelligence agent posing as a jihadist, according to German media reports. Authorities said the suspect, who was not identified, had made a partial confession to gathering information for an attack on the intelligence agency headquarters in Cologne. The agency is the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, known by its German initials, BfV.

Authorities did not identify the chat room where the man was posting, but said it had a connection to Islamist groups.

The case quickly revived fears of jihadist attacks in Germany, a country already on tenterhooks over the worry that terrorists could be hiding among the more than 1 million refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who have arrived in the last year.

The suspect faces charges of espionage and preparing an act of violence against the state.

Hans-Georg Maassen, head of Germanys domestic intelligence service, in Berlin on Wednesday. (Kay Nietfeld / Associated Press )

Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of the BfV, said the suspect, a naturalized German citizen, had become radicalized  probably in 2014  without even his family being aware of it. Maassen warned that foreign intelligence services as well as foreign extremists are constantly trying to infiltrate the domestic intelligence agency as well as the countrys foreign intelligence agency.

Thats why we always have to be on high alert for attempts to infiltrate our intelligence services, he said, adding that the agencies were trying to determine how much damage might have been caused by the incursion.

Fear of terrorist attacks is running high in Germany following a series of deadly militant attacks in France and Belgium in the last year. Germany has been hit with three relatively minor incidents this year: a knife attack against a police officer, an ax attack against tourists on a train and a bungled suicide bombing in which only the attacker from Syria was killed.

But ahead of an election next September in which Chancellor Angela Merkel will be seeking a fourth term, there are concerns that an attack caused by a refugee could severely damage her chances. Merkel has faced criticism from the right wing of her conservative party for allowing in so many refugees and for refusing demands to impose a ceiling of 200,000 per year.

Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which strongly opposes Merkels refugee policies, has surged to record highs in state elections this year; its growing strength has put it as high as 15% in national polls.

Der Spiegel magazines online edition cited authorities as saying they had discovered a cache of top-secret intelligence information in the suspects possession as well as suggestions for terrorist attacks against the infidels, apparently referring to non-Muslims. He offered to try to pave the way for other militants to get assignments at the agency, Der Spiegel reported.

The agency did not say how the suspect got the classified information, or why an informant would have had access to it.

So far, there have been no reliable indications that the accused had already given security-relevant information to people from the violent Salafist scene, prosecutor Ralf Herrenbrueck, whose office is leading the investigation, told the Associated Press in a written response to questions.

There are an estimated 40,000 Islamists in Germany, according to the government. Maassen had warned in September that the number of adherents to the Salafist sect, an ultra-conservative form of Sunni Islam that advocates a government based on Islamic law, had grown from 5,500 to 9,200 over the last three years.

Germany has outlawed six Islamist groups since 2012. Some had been recruiting young Germans with Muslim roots to join militants in Syria and Iraq. The government has said that about 820 people have left Germany to fight for Islamic State.

The infiltration also reminded Germans of West Germanys reputation as a sieve for spies during the Cold War. Numerous spies from Communist East Germany were arrested in the 1990s, after German reunification, after it was discovered that they had infiltrated the West German intelligence agencies on behalf of East Germany and the Soviet Union.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent

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Senior U.S. intelligence officials are increasingly concerned that President-elect Donald Trumps threats to dismantle the Iran nuclear deal would bolster hard-liners in Tehran and spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Over the last month, U.S. intelligence analysts have written secret reports on the possible effects if the next administration abandoned or in effect sabotaged the arms control accord, as Trump has vowed to do during the campaign.

The concerns broke into the open Wednesday when CIA Director John Brennan issued a blunt public warning, saying it would be the height of folly and disastrous for Trump to scrub a deal that has blocked Irans nuclear development.

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Brennan told BBC TV that revoking the agreement could allow Iran to resume its now-halted nuclear program and spur other countries in the Middle East to develop or acquire nuclear weapons for protection.

I think it would be disastrous for Trump to jettison the deal, Brennan said.

It could lead to a weapons program inside Iran that could lead other states in the region to embark on their own programs, so I think it would be height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement, Brennan said.

He did not name other countries, but Saudi Arabia, Irans staunch rival, is especially fearful of a nuclear-armed Iran given Tehrans aggressive pursuit of regional influence and power.

It is extremely rare for the CIA director to issue a public warning to an incoming administration, and it suggests deep concerns within the intelligence community about Trumps intentions.

Trump has delayed receiving more than a handful of in-depth intelligence briefings since election day, and its unclear if hes been given the classified details of the Iran deal, including monitoring systems put in place to verify Iranian compliance.

Brennan suggested that the president-elect may be drawing his information from unreliable sources.

There are a lot of people out there who read the papers and listened to news broadcasts where the facts may be a bit  you know  off, Brennan told the BBC.

I want to make sure the new team understands what the reality is. It ultimately will be up to them to decide how to carry out their responsibilities, he said.

During the campaign, Trump variously promised to dismantle or revise the 2015 deal, which curbed Irans ability to build or acquire nuclear weapons for at least a decade in exchange for an easing of sanctions on its trade, finances and oil industry.

Trump repeatedly described the accord as a disaster and suggested he would rip it up and double up and triple up sanctions on Iran.

Michael T. Flynn, Trumps pick for national security advisor, and Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), Trumps choice to replace Brennan as CIA chief, have both been vocal critics as well.

I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism, Pompeo tweeted on Nov. 17.

Critics have complained that negotiations focused only on curbing Irans nuclear program and not on Tehrans support for Hezbollah militias in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and other issues of concern.

Proponents argued that stopping Iran from building a nuclear arsenal was the overriding priority and that U.S. sanctions remain on Irans ballistic missile program and its support for terrorist groups.

The Iran deal apparently was a major topic when Trump met privately with President Obama for more than an hour at the White House two days after the election.

Obama told reporters later that imposing new U.S. sanctions on Iran while it remains in compliance would open a rift with the other major signatories to the deal  Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

He urged Trump and other Republican critics to look at the facts because to unravel a deal thats working and preventing Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon would be hard to explain, particularly if the alternative were to have them free from any obligations and go ahead and pursue a weapon.

Obama said over a year of evidence shows Iran has complied with the deal. He said that intelligence and military agencies in Israel, which opposed the deal, have also assessed that Iran has not violated its terms.

U.S. officials say Iran has reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium, placed most of its centrifuges in storage and disabled a reactor capable of producing plutonium as bomb fuel.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, has found that Iran has exceeded a limit of so-called heavy water used in existing reactors. The violations were not major enough to trigger a renewal of sanctions under the deal.

We are keeping a very close eye on what Iran is doing, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a telephone interview. It is one of our top intelligence priorities.

If Trump backs out of the deal, Tehran would be able to restart its nuclear program with very little the U.S. could do about it, Schiff said.

Robert M. Gates, a former CIA chief and secretary of Defense, has called for preserving the deal even though he said last year that the U.S. was out-negotiated by the Iranians.

It would be a mistake to tear up the agreement at this point, Gates said Wednesday on CBS This Morning. I think we would be the ones isolated, not the Iranians, because none of our partners who helped to negotiate that would walk away from it. But I think what the new president can do is push back against the Iranians.

brian.bennett@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

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Canadian indigenous groups claimed victory Tuesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus rejection of the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline project, which would have carried crude oil across the wild salmon rivers and the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia.

The decision concluded one of the Wests most spirited environmental battles, sparked by fears that a leak near the Fraser River or an oil tanker accident in the pristine fiords off the British Columbia coast could devastate an area known for its wildness and beauty.

But Trudeau gave the green light to two other pipeline projects, Kinder Morgans $5-billion Trans Mountain Expansion Project, a twin pipeline running from Edmonton, Alberta, to Vancouver, and a $5.6-billion project by Enbridge Inc. to replace 1,031 miles of pipeline stretching from Alberta to Wisconsin  a project that could double the pipelines volume.

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The Trans Mountain project, like Northern Gateway, opens the possibility of shipping Canadian tar sands oil to Asia  a plan long sought by the oil industry as markets in the U.S. dwindled, but fought by climate change activists who have warned against further reliance on fossil fuels.

Trudeau has backed limits on greenhouse gases, and announced in October that Canada will impose a tax on carbon emissions starting in 2018 as part of its efforts to meet targets set by the Paris climate change accord.

By approving new pipelines, Prime Minister Trudeau has kicked the legs out from under Canadas new climate change strategy, Adam Scott of Oil Change International said in a statement.

Trudeau said his government is not wavering on these commitments with the latest pipeline approvals.

We are able to approve pipeline projects because we have significant measures in place, including a price on carbon pollution, a world class oceans protection plan, because were phasing out coal, because were demonstrating real climate leadership, Trudeau said at a news conference in Ottawa.

The prime minister had earlier voiced concern over running the proposed route of the Northern Gateway project through the Great Bear Rainforest, a land of mist-shrouded valleys and old-growth trees that is part of the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest on Earth.

The decision was not unexpected: Canadas previous Conservative government had approved the project last year, but the project stalled in early 2016 when an indigenous group took the Canadian government to court, and won.

The Trudeau government could have either appealed the court ruling or complied with the decision to more adequately consult First Nations affected along the projects route; it opted to do neither.

This project is not in the best interest of the local affected communities, including indigenous peoples, Trudeau said.

The two pipeline projects signaled for approval, he said, were thoroughly studied and deemed safe. If I thought this project was unsafe for the B.C. coast, I would reject it, Trudeau said.

One big winner from Tuesdays announcement was Alberta, which Premier Rachel Notley said was finally seeing some morning light following a long, dark night in which the oil-rich province has been brutally slammed by the collapse in commodity prices.

Following a meeting with Trudeau in Ottawa, she said the two approved pipeline projects would give Alberta a chance to break its landlock and sell to China and other new markets at better prices. And were getting a chance to reduce our dependence on one market, and therefore to be more economically independent, Notley said.

The aboriginal group that had been one of the leaders of the fight against the Northern Gateway project  the Gitgaat First Nation, whose territory encompasses a major part of the Douglas Channel, where it would terminate  celebrated the governments decision on that pipeline.

All First Nations of British Columbia were opposed to Northern Gateway, said Art Sterritt, a spokesman for and member of Gitgaat.

We paved the way for the new federal government to actually bury the project as opposed to worrying about whether they had to revisit it, said Sterritt. We did all the work for them.

Gitgaat, which spent more than a decade opposing Enbridges plan to build the pipeline, scored another significant victory Tuesday.

The Trudeau government announced that it would introduce legislation to implement a moratorium on crude-oil tankers along British Columbias northern coast, an area that extends from the provinces border with Alaska to a point close to the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

But other battles lie ahead. Pipeline operator Enbridge estimates the Line 3 pipeline expansion will be completed by 2019, pending U.S. regulatory approval. But a coalition of First Nations groups are determined to get that project canceled in Canada before it even gets to that stage, along with Trans Mountain.

Theres been no consent to the projects by indigenous people, said Derek Nepinak, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Guly is a special correspondent.
Fidel Castro was one of the worlds most polarizing figures, lionized by some as a principled defender of the poor and loathed by others as a repressive dictator.

His divisive legacy can be seen in the guest list of foreign dignitaries attending memorial services for Castro in Havana this week.

Many world leaders are notably absent.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande declined to attend Cubas elaborate homage to Castro, who ruled the Caribbean island based on Marxist principles for nearly half a century  in part by jailing dissenters.

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Also missing was President Obama, who earlier this year met with Castros younger brother, Raul, in a historic trip to Cuba aimed at warming relations between the two countries. Obama sent two U.S. officials to the memorial instead.

The list of foreign leaders who decided to attend the memorial in Havanas Revolution Square speaks to the enduring influence of Castros revolution in many post-colonial countries in Latin America and Africa, especially those whose leaders lean toward the ideological left.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Bolivian President Evo Morales paid their respects at the square Tuesday along with hundreds of thousands of Cuban mourners. Cuba is going through a moment of profound shock, Morales told reporters the evening before. Castro, he said, was my brother.

South African President Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto were among the other foreign leaders scheduled to attend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country was a close Cuban ally during decades of Cold War, did not attend the memorial. Aides said he was preparing for a major speech.

Some foreign leaders found themselves walking a thin line after Castros death on Friday. Obama released a delicately worded statement saying Castros passing filled Cubans with powerful emotions, without saying precisely what those emotions might be.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was less careful, provoking ire among Cubans who fled the Castro regime when he released a statement calling Castro a remarkable leader for whom the Cuban people had a deep and lasting affection.

Disgraceful, said Cuban American Sen. Ted Cruz in a Tweet lambasting Trudeau. Why do young socialists idolize totalitarian tyrants?

Trudeau, who apologized for his comments, decided not attend the memorial.

Castros death highlighted the intense passions that have dominated the Cuba issue for decades.

While those living on the Caribbean island have been in the midst of a week-long, state-mandated mourning period, with schools and many government offices closed, many Cuban exiles living elsewhere have been celebrating. In Miami, where Cuban Americans marched in the streets the night Castros death was reported, an ice cream shop recently announced a new flavor called Burn in Hell Fidel.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

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Cuban President Raul Castro joined other world leaders on Tuesday in extolling the legacy of his brother Fidel  but gave little hint about the future direction of the country.

Fidel dedicated his whole life to solidarity  with the poor, said the younger Castro, to whom Fidel Castro ceded power 10 years ago in a seamless transfer of leadership. And for the poor he became a symbol of the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist fight, for the emancipation and dignity of the people.

Castro spoke for 13 minutes, providing a subdued ending to a 4-hour memorial service at Revolution Plaza. In conclusion, Castro repeated one of his siblings trademark closing slogans:

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Hasta la victoria siempre! (Until victory, always!)

The celebratory eulogies from Castro and other world leaders barely hinted at the fact that Fidel Castro, who died Friday at age 90, was among the most divisive leaders of the 20th century. Castro, a central Cold War figure, led the Cuban revolution that seized power in 1959.

His admirers applauded him as a champion of the oppressed and a resolute foe of U.S. imperialism. His enemies have condemned Castro as a Marxist dictator who jailed dissenters and wrecked Cubas economy, forcing many to flee the island.

The plaza where the memorial took place is the same expansive venue where Castro had delivered some of his most famous speeches, addressing the masses in fiery orations that inevitably blasted the empire to the north  the United States, his longtime antagonist.

Castro even voiced reservations about his younger brothers move to fashion a limited rapprochement of sorts with the United States and the Obama administration.

Raul Castro, 85, has said he will step down from power in 2018. What direction the leadership will take after the departure of the Castros remains an open question.

Since assuming power, Raul Castro has taken steps to open up Cubas economy, allowing more private businesses and giving Cubans greater freedom to travel abroad.

But Castro has not embraced political reforms that would threaten the Communist Partys control of the island. Nor has he moved to increase freedom of speech or the press, reforms that critics have long demanded.

The island nation is in the midst of a nine-day mourning period that is scheduled to conclude with the burial of Fidel Castros ashes in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. A caravan left from Havana on Wednesday carrying his ashes across the country.

The speeches by the younger Castro and other dignitaries followed two days of extraordinary public mourning in Havana. Tens of thousands of Cubans from all walks of life trekked to shrines set up to honor Fidel Castro in Revolution Plaza, often waiting hours for a quick glimpse of flower-bedecked memorials.

Thousands attended a rally in Havana, Cuba, honoring Fidel Castro Tuesday.

In Havana, Fidel Castros passing marks the end of an era 

The massive outpouring of appreciation and grief yielded images that were a stark counterpoint to the widely viewed visuals of Cuban Americans in Miami celebrating the death of the revolutionary icon.

Many participants hoisted likenesses of Castro, along with Cuban flags, as they walked up Avenida 20 de Mayo toward the plaza.

While paying homage, some mourners also voiced hope that Raul Castro would accelerate efforts to modernize Cuba and energize the islands long-desultory economy.

The truth is that Raul Castro has made changes that Comandante Fidel never made, but theres still a lot to be done, said Maria Salcedo, 36, who came to offer last respects. But I hope that the situation on the island gets better especially for my children, that they have a better life than mine.

Carlos Trejo said he and others came to express our thanks and admiration now that Castro is gone.

And Im sure that now with Raul Castro things will remain on a positive path, Trejo added. He has made changes that have benefited Cubans and we believe that will continue.

Among the dignitaries who arrived in Havana to pay tribute to Fidel Castro were the presidents of Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

It was a modest turnout for such a renowned figure, in part reflecting Castros controversial legacy and his 10-year formal absence from power. But there was no dearth of accolades on a relatively brisk evening in the Cuban capital.

Fidel put Cuba on the world map fighting against the greed of the empire, said Bolivian President Evo Morales, a clear reference to Castros longtime archenemy, the United States.

Morales is among a number of left-wing Latin American leaders, including the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who regarded Castro as a role model.

During Tuesdays ceremony, South African President Jacob Zuma extolled Cuba under Castros leadership for its aid to independence struggles in Africa, including against the former apartheid government in South Africa.

Notably absent Tuesday was Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Soviet Union was long Castros major benefactor.

The Obama administration, which moved to open up relations with Cuba after half a century of mutual antagonism, opted not to send an official delegation to the Castro commemoration.

Multitudes of the mourners were bused to Havana from the countryside and outlying areas, and others attended as part of their official duties with the military, police and other government sectors.

Their route of mourning in recent days took them past armed forces headquarters displaying a replica of the Granma, the yacht that in 1956 transported Castro and his revolutionary comrades from Mexico to Cuba with the aim of overthrowing the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

Massive lighted images of a pair of revolutionaries, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos, look down on Revolution Plaza. Dominating the plaza is a tower and statue in honor of Jose Marti, the 19th century Cuban independence champion revered by both the Castro brothers and their fiercest foes.

On Tuesdsay, many Cubans were clearly expressing authentic grief for the passing of a towering, if divisive, figure here for more than half a century. Relatively few people today recall a Cuba in which Castro was not a dominant presence.

My grandmother has been crying for two days, said Ariel Vazquez, 8, who accompanied his grandmother, mother and three brothers to a mourning shrine.

The shrine featured an image that was said to be one of Castros favorites: a black-and-white photograph of him when he was young, in fatigues in the Sierra Maestra, the mountain range that was a redoubt for guerrillas during the revolution.

Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez contributed to this report.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

twitter: @mcdneville

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UPDATES:

Nov. 30, 5:55 a.m.: This story updated to say the caravan carrying his ashes has now left.

This story was originally posted at 9:55 p.m. Nov. 29.
After more than a week of vote counting, it appears that a banana exporter with no experience in government has won Haitis presidential election with the support of roughly 10% of eligible voters.

There were reports of tires set on fire and car windows smashed in parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, after the provisional tally was announced late Monday following a laborious process of counting paper ballots by hand. At least three losing candidates rejected the results.

That did not seem to bode well for attempts to bring stability to a nation racked by political upheaval, extreme poverty, natural disasters and a deadly cholera outbreak.

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But the violence was not reported to be serious, and analysts said there was reason to hope that the country will finally get its wobbly democracy onto a firmer footing after nearly a year without an elected leader.

What Haitians need more than anything is a democratically elected, constitutional government that is stable in order to run the country and figure out how to spend reconstruction money that is coming in, said Nicole Phillips, a staff attorney with the Boston-based nonprofit Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti who served as a monitor for the Nov. 20 election.

Haitis Provisional Electoral Council said Jovenel Moise, the successor chosen by the countrys last elected leader, received nearly 56% of the vote, enough to avoid a runoff against any of his 26 rivals.

But turnout was just 21%, and a tenth of the sheets used to tally the vote were thrown out for reasons that were not immediately clear, giving ammunition to Moises top three opponents who plan to contest the results.

Jovenel Moise talks to journalists in his office in Petionville, Haiti. (Dieu Nalio Chery / Associated Press )

We say there has been cheating, Jude Celesti, a former state construction chief who placed second with just under a fifth of the vote, told Agence France-Presse news agency.

Political parties had 72 hours to file complaints with Haitis electoral tribunal, which must investigate any allegations of irregularities before the results are certified Dec. 29.

Gunshots were heard in a number of districts of the capital when the preliminary results were announced  whether in celebration or protest was not clear. Supporters of the Lavalas Family party, founded by ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, had already been demonstrating for days.

The long and the short of it is that in Haiti you have an electoral system that very few people trust, said Eduardo Gamarra, a Haiti expert at Florida International University. That will make it difficult for Moise  or anyone else  to govern the highly polarized country, he said.

Moise reached out to opponents after the preliminary results were announced, saying together we will change Haiti.

We are going to use the people, the sun, the land and water to develop the country, he said.

Moise, who was not widely known until President Michel Martelly picked him to run as the Tet Kale partys presidential candidate, won the most votes during a first round of balloting in October 2015. But those results were annulled after a special commission found evidence of fraud.

The country has been led by a caretaker government since Martellys term expired in February. After several delays, a redo vote was scheduled for early October. But those plans were scrapped after Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of the island, which was still recovering from a 2010 earthquake that killed at least 220,000 people and left more than a million homeless.

That the election took place at all was a major achievement, analysts said. More than 250 schools and other polling places had to be repaired so voting could take place.

This time, the balloting was more orderly and calm, analysts said. But there was considerable voter fatigue, especially in parts of the country that were ravaged by the storm. Turnout was among the lowest ever seen in a presidential election in Haiti.

Four out of five decided it wasnt worth their time, or they werent able logistically to be able to vote, Phillips said. Now the question will be will there be the legitimacy with the Haitian people with this new government.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis
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A top UN envoy on Wednesday pleaded with the Security Council to help break the siege of Aleppo, warning that residents of the Syrian city were at risk of extermination.

"For the sake of humanity we call on -- we plead -- with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

O'Brien, speaking to a special Security Council session by video-link from London, said that the clock was ticking on the city as the winter set in.

Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are not functioning after repeated military strikes and an estimated 25,000 people have taken dangerous escape routes out of eastern Aleppo since Saturday alone, O'Brien said.

O'Brien said that aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo but that they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians.

"These are neither new nor complicated demands -- those common threads of humanity that we all have a responsibility to rally around," he said.

"Those parties that can't or won't live up to their basic obligations should know that they will one day be held accountable for their actions," he said.

The eastern part of Aleppo -- which was home to 250,000 people -- has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have carried out the four-month siege to retake control, enjoying military and diplomatic backing from Russia.

O'Brien said he faced the persistent question as he traveled -- "Why on Earth can the Security Council not come together to unite to put a stop to this suffering?"

Britain's ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said he had a simple answer to O'Brien's question on why the Security Council could not act -- Russia.

He accused Russia, which in October vetoed a resolution to stop the bombing in Aleppo, of supporting "a deliberate act of starvation and a deliberate withholding of medical care."

"The Syrian regime and Russia have been executing a plan that has now laid one million people under siege. And executing is an all too appropriate word," he said.

Russia's envoy, Vitaly Churkin, brushed off criticism and said Syria was seeking to eliminate extremists such as the Al-Nusra Front, which has rebranded itself the Fateh al-Sham Front after severing ties to Al-Qaeda.

"We vehemently condemn any attempts to protect terrorists including any political action on a humanitarian pretext which, sadly alas, UN humanitarian works have been dragged into," Churkin said.

He accused Western powers of hypocrisy, saying there were also great humanitarian needs in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and Yemen where the United States is on the opposite side.

The US ambassador, Samantha Power, urged the Security Council to pass a resolution sponsored by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain that would mandate a 10-day military halt to allow humanitarian supplies to enter Aleppo.

"This is a no-brainer. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not have the survival of Syrian civilians at heart," Power said.

But she feared a new Russian veto and acknowledged a brief halt "is barely even a Band-Aid and it is a sign in some ways of just how low our bar has become."

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Health official in the US stated that the first Zika virus case was reported in Texas on Monday, believed to be from a local mosquito bite. Previously, Florida became the first state that reported Zika case.Up till now, the report said all Zika cases were contracted during traveling.

The Texas Department of State Health Services stated that the patient was a woman in Cameron County, near the Mexican border. Luckily, she is not pregnant and has not traveled to Mexico or any Zika-affected areas recently, as BBC writes. The woman got infected after she had her urine tested. But, her blood test proved negative, meaning virus won't be spread by another mosquito from her.

A virus transmission in pregnant women can cause a birth defect called microcephaly. It is a defect when a baby has a head in smaller size than the normal one. Children born with microcephaly have developmental problems when they grow older. However, other factors can cause microcephaly too, such as Down Syndrome, a drug use, rubella infection during pregnancy, and alcohol use, as explained by WHO.

People infected with Zika virus experience rash, fever, and a mild illness. However, most Zika-infected people have no any symptoms at all.

Dr. John Hellerstedt, the heath department commissioner said he and his colleagues still don't believe about the virus widespread in Texas, but it is a must to anticipate more cases so people know how to protect themselves.

Zika virus infections in the U.S are associated with traveling to affected areas. especially Latin American countries and the Caribbean. In the past week, there were 257 confirmed cases of Zika virus illness. Until now, all of the cases in Texas had been linked with traveling activities, which include two babies born to women who had traveled during their pregnancies and two people who were engaged in sexual activities with infected travelers.
Is climate change a hoax? The Google Earth's team recently released an update of the time-lapse of its satellite imagery app. These adds illustrate clearly the development of public infrastructure is changing rapidly. They can see some well-known landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, San Francisco Bay Bridge and so on. However, the latest update also shows how climate change has been changing our planet Earth for 32 years.

Moreover, the new update also includes data from 1984 to 2016. There are also petabytes of high-resolution imagery from two main satellites: Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2. From there, we can see clearly the impact of carbon emission on our surroundings, from sea to forests, as reported by The Verge. We also can see the impact of the rapid growth of population.One of the most obvious examples of the impact of climate change is Exit Glacier in Alaska's Kenai Peninsula which has been thinning for the past three decades, as reported by Popular Science.

Ethiopia is one of the African countries that suffers most from massive deforestation as forests have been converted to farming areas to feed the rapid growth of the human population. Other environmental significant changes are also seen, such as a rise in sea level.One of the regions in the USA affected by sea level rise is Dorchester County, Maryland, according to UCSUSA. This area has been submerged for the past three decades, posing a greater risk to the seafood industry and community nearby.

Google released Google Earth Timelapse in 2013 which can enable people to explore the rapid change of the Earth, due to climate change and human development. The company collaborated again with TIME to provide the update picture of some well-known locations worldwide.This time-lapse describe the view of our planet with more real colors to get a sharper, a clearer view.
At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

"Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a UN spokeswoman in Bangkok.

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With daily battles between the government forces and Taliban insurgents, the number of people who have fled their homes for safer parts of Afghanistan has hit a record high, the UN said Wednesday.

As of November 30, 2016, more than half a million Afghans -- 515,800 people -- had been internally displaced by fighting, surpassing a previous record of 471,000 set last year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The figure has more than doubled since 2014, pointing to a sharp increase in the number of people leaving their homes due to escalating violence in the war-torn country.

"I am concerned these record figures show not just an alarming number of new IDPs, but a longer term crisis where increasing numbers of families in Afghanistan are facing prolonged displacement," Mark Bowden UN humanitarian coordinator said in a statement, referring to internally displaced people.

Combined with the more than 600,000 Afghan refugees who have been forced to return to the country from neighbouring Pakistan this year, the mass migration to safer urban areas is draining local resources, UNOCHA said.

Massive internal displacement has plagued Afghanistan for years, beginning with the Soviet invasion in 1979.

But with the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Taliban launched a bloody insurgency that has since spread to previously safer parts of the country.

The violence has been driven in particular in the past two years, by Taliban's repeated assaults on Afghan cities, which puts more civilians in the crosshairs.

According to UN data, a record 198 out of 399 districts of Afghanistan are now reporting conflict-induced displacement, and for the first time, all 34 provinces are hosting IDPs.

The UNOCHA said it had received 54 percent of the $152 million in emergency funding it needs to address the immediate needs of internally displaced people in Afghanistan.

They said it was crucial to ensure "vulnerable displaced families not just receive lifesaving, emergency humanitarian assistance, but support that delivers a real opportunity for IDPs to rebuild their lives for the long-term," Bowen said.

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The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to tighten sanctions against North Korea following its most recent nuclear test, placing a cap on Pyongyang's coal exports to China.

The new sanctions resolution, which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China, passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution aims to curb North Korea's coal exports -- the top external revenue source for the impoverished state -- by more than 60 percent, a US official said earlier.

The official voiced hope that the resolution would cut $700 million from North Korea's coal earnings, dramatically reducing the money it can use on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

China is North Korea's primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

China has traditionally protected North Korea diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Un's regime is preferable to its collapse, but has increasingly grown frustrated by the state's defiance.

The UN Security Council resolution condemns "in the strongest terms" North Korea's latest test on September 9.

Pyongyang claimed at the time it had made major strides in its efforts to fit a miniaturized warhead on a rocket that could reach the United States.

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Ahram Online spoke to the Tunisian minister at the country's 2020 investment conference

Tunisia hopes for trade growth with Egypt, Tunisian Minister of Investment, Development, and International Cooperation Mohammed Fadel Abdel Kafi told Ahram Online at Tunisias 2020 investment conference.

Abdel Kafi said in exclusive statements to Ahram Online that the size of economic cooperation was still tenuous, adding that he met Egypts minister of international cooperation, Sahar Nasr, in November to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.

In November, Nasr and her Tunisian counterpart discussed means to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the upcoming period, especially in the international, regional and Arab financial institutions, to obtain optimum benefit from both countries development partners.

Nasr put emphasis on increasing cooperation between the ministries in economic development projects in Egypt and Tunisia.

On Egyptian investors participation in the Tunisian conference, Abdel Kafi said that several Egyptian investors attended the conference, yet considered Egyptian participation overall as weak.

The minister, however, did not rule out reaching agreements of cooperation in the tourism field.

Everything is possible, he said.

On Wednesday, the two-day Tunis investment conference was concluded following promises of billions of dollars, funds for developmental projects, and tens of memorandums signed on Tunisias economic recovery.

Abdel Kafi said that Tunis was able to accomplish more than it expected, adding that the country was on the right path economically.

According to official sources, the conference was able to attract $32 billion in foreign investment, yet the numbers remained contradictory ahead of the closure of the conference.

Tunisian State TV reported Tuesday that foreign investment commitments exceeded $10 billion, whereas Al-Shorouk newspaper, one of the most circulated newspapers in Tunisia, said Wednesday that Tunisia was able to attract $15 billion.

Sources in the ministry had reservations on responding to Ahram Online's questions on the total worth of promised investments, saying that things would be clear after the conference was concluded.

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A Berks County woman faces a felony charge for allegedly keeping a rental car weeks after it was due back.

Stephanie A. Jenkins (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Stephanie A. Jenkins, 45, of Reading, was in possession of the 2016 Jeep Compass about 11 p.m. Nov. 13 at the View Inn & Suites, 3191 Highfield Drive in Bethlehem Township, according to police.

Using a license-plate reader, township police on patrol discovered the car was reported stolen to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police in North Carolina, court records say. The license-plate readers automatically assess violations of passing vehicles, and are increasingly in use in Pennsylvania as the state stops issuing license-plate registration stickers after this year.

Police in North Carolina provided Bethlehem Township police with Jenkins' name as the suspect in the theft, and a hotel employee said she was staying in Room 109, court records say.

Jenkins told police she rented the SUV Oct. 23-25 but claimed to have extended the term, though she was unable to produce any documentation, records say.

Advantage Rent-A-Car in North Carolina told police the Jeep was due back at noon Oct. 25 and that the company wished to press charges.

Jenkins has numerous prior theft convictions in New Jersey and New York and was living out of the hotel room at the time of her arrest, police said.

She was arraigned before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez on a charge of receiving stolen property and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $35,000 bail. She remained in custody Tuesday, records show, and faces a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled Wednesday before District Judge Patricia Broscius.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and on Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Numbers for October this year still short of totals in the same month 2015

The number of tourists visiting Egypt increased by 7 percent in October 2016 compared to September 2016, the state's official statistics body CAPMAS announced on Wednesday

In an email press statement, CAPMAS highlighted that Western Europe sent the highest number of visitors to Egypt at 36 percent of all visitors to the country in October. Germany contributed 38.8 percent of all western European tourists to Egypt in that month.

Middle Eastern countries came in second in sending visitors to Egypt, with 35.1 percent of total vistors.

Eastern Europe ranked third at 18.9 percent.

The number of tourists who visited the country in October registered 506,200 compared to 473,000 in September 2016.

Tourism in Egypt has been struggling since Russia, along with a number of countries including the UK, suspended in late 2015 passenger flights to the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai due to security concerns following the deadly crash of a Russian jet over the peninsula on 31 October of that year.

Prior the plane crash, which killed all 224 people on board, the number of tourists in October 2015 registered 909,400 people, or almost double the number of those who visited the country this October.

In May, Germany eased restrictions on flights to the Red Sea resort.

Poland and Turkey have recently resumed direct flights to Sharm El-Sheikh.

The first passenger direct flights from Germany and Belgium arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh airport in late October ending a one-year hiatus.

Direct flights from the UK and Russia have not resumed yet as talks continue with Cairo on security measures.

The countrys revenues from tourism dropped by 48.9 percent to $3.8 billion in 2015/16 from $7.4 billion in 2014/15, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced in August.

Receipts from the tourism industry are expected to range from between $4 billion to $4.5 billion by end of the current year, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy said in July.

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With their first group trip to the Dail over Portlaoise hospital, cancelled earlier this month, Laois councillors have again agreed to go en masse, but only if Minister for Health Simon Harris will be there to meet them.

A text message sent by Cathaoirleach Fine Gael Tom Mulhall had cancelled the first excursion because the Minister was not available.

At the November meeting, Cllr Noel Tuohy proposed to immediately reconvene a meeting with Minister Harris and Minister Charlie Flanagan.

If they come up with another excuse, then we protest. People in Portlaoise are entitled to know what's planned, he said, seconded by Cllr Caroline Dwane.

One councillor went himself to protest outside the Dail on November 9, with Kathleen O'Brien from Portlaoise hospital action group.

Cllr Willie Aird brought the signs along to the meeting room, but they were removed by council staff.

We walked in extreme cold for two hours, he said.

Minister Harris made clear in the Dail in the week prior to the original planned trip that he would only meet councillors and Laois TDs after the plan for the hospital is complete.

He had proposed the first trip.

I never once mentioned that we were meeting anybody, I'd swear on any bible, I wanted us to show solidarity, he said.
Intesar Abdel-Fattah is a visionary Egyptian artist and musical creator and director who dreams big. From establishing a music school for religious chanting, to opening a uniquely effective culture museum, with many internationally acclaimed performances in between, Abdel-Fattah impact on reviving Egyptian folk culture and emphasizing the individuality of the Egyptian character is quite remarkable.

The secret to his success, he says, is "the art of listening."

Performances

"I perceive historic buildings as living creatures with lots of secrets to tell," Abdel-Fattah said of his passion for ancient buildings. He has an eye for making a place itself part of a performance, something visible in his plays.

In Makhadet El-Khol (the Khol Pillow)  one of his early pieces  he transformed Al-Ghad theatre into a world of women. I began with a two-year workshop, followed by six month rehearsals; we were the first Egyptian performance to be awarded top prize in the experimental theatre festival in cairo, in the late eighties/early nineties," he remembered.

The performance was staged in 16 countries, and in each country Abdel-Fattah would adjust and add to the performance, treating it as a being that could change and constantly develop. "In India, we integrated some Indian musicians, to create a dialogue between the women of Egypt and India," he told Ahram Online. I am interested in cultural dialogues in general," he added. The same performance was awarded the first and best Egyptian Performance at the Garash festival in Tunisia.

Al-Daraboka, or "joyous" is a milestone in Abdel-Fattahs work with music and sound. Its all about the inner voice that shapes the movement in a performance. The performance follows an Egyptian Daraboka (a folk drum commonly used in village celebrations) player caught between the drum beats of East and West, whose story foreshadows the current status of Egyptian culture and threats to dilute it.

The Samaa Inshad music school & other initiatives

Throughout the years Abdel-Fattah has headed several state run artistic venues, including Al-Talia Theatre and the National Center for theatre music and folk arts. In 2006, he was appointed head of Al-Ghory Dome, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture.

I studied the place carefully in the beginning and discovered that the khanqaa hall upstairs is a place where Sufis of the Mamluk and Fatimid eras used to come and chant. Abdel-Fattah said he was inspired to return Sufi chanting to its origins by reviving the enchanting art of Inshad.

Abdel-Fattah created the Samaa Inshad Schoola religious music school named for the Sufi-derived word for listening. He believes the concept of Samaa goes beyond Sufism; it is simply the art of listening to one's inner voice for guidance.

"Many people enrolled in Samaa, but Siham [Abdel-Fattah's wife and manager of Al-Ghoury Dome] and I went to Delta villages in search of more voices, We went to Qalubeia, where the governor Adly Hussien was very helpful in facilitating our search, and I found gems.

Abdel-Fattah doesn't believe that luck led him to such qualified students; he insists that Egyptian villages conceal treasures, such as renowned thinker Taha Hussien or the star of the Orient, Om Kalthoum.

To hold on to such voicesour roots and identityAbdel-Fattah created in 2013 the National Museum for the Egyptian Character, located in Zamalek. The museum aims to recreate different eras in Egyptian history, by allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the music, art, and events of the time.

You see I was raised by a writer, my father Abdel-Fattah Ghabn, who had a huge cultural archive and used to document [Egyptian] icons. Thats why I created the Samaa school for Sufi chanting," the artist said, as phase one of a project to highlight the uniqueness of the Egyptian personality. Phase two involved the addition of Coptic chants to the school's curriculum, for which Abdel-Fattah says he received the approval of Egypt's Coptic Pope Shenouda III.

"With the enrollment of several Indonesian students from Al-Azhar university, we created the Salam International Troupe, which toured in Europe and was applauded at the Vatican. Since then we've created the International Samaa Festival for Sufi and Spiritual Music, which has hosted artists from 40 countries and is now in its 10th year," he concluded.

Abdel-Fattahs dream of promoting peace and cultural dialogue has taken him higher, to one of Egypts most sacred sites: Saint Catherine.

2016 marks the second gathering of the Religious Forum, a spiritual retreat curated by Abdel-Fattah in Wadi El-Raha (valley of tranquility), nestled between several religiously significant mountains in the Sinai mountain range. Overseen by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Tourism, the forumwhich concludes with a Sufi concerthas been well received and enjoyed high attendance.

As for future plans, Abdel-Fattah says he is working on a national cultural project that would help us listen to the history of Al-Moez Streeta gem of medieval architecture located in Islamic Cairo district. The project aims to revive the social history of the street in a variety of folk art forms.

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Lightning fast fibre optic broadband is arriving to Portlaoise within months, with hopes that it will do what motorways failed to do and bring new industry.

Siro, a partnership of Vodafone and ESB, is now running the fibre optic connections through the ESB network in Portlaoise, one of the firstof 50 towns in Ireland to get the 1 gigabit per second service.

We are lighting up Portlaoise on Black Friday, declared Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan, who officially launched the Portlaoise network in county hall on Friday November 25.

He is certain it will attract new business.

Portlaoise has grown in my lifetime from 5,000 people to 23,000. Thousands commute from Portlaoise to Dublin daily. I regret that so many people have little choice but to commute. We should bring jobs to people, not people to jobs. Ive no doubt that this will make Portlaoise more attractive for people to live in and work in, rather than just sleep in, as they will have the flexibility to work from home, he said.

It could do what motorways couldn't, said Deputy Brian Stanley.

15 years ago we were told we needed to committ to motorways and leisure facilities to attract companies. That was all done. The recession stalled things but people will be hoping for big business to arrive, and it will help create smaller businesses, he said.

Starting with Kilminchy in late January, it will spread in from the Dublin road area, and by next November the service will be available to the 9,500 homes and businesses in Portlaoise.

Customers can access the fibre broadband from internet providers, with prices like for like with current costs, said Siro CEO, Sean Atkinson, who compares it to rural electrification.

Historically businesses connected using canals, rail, and electrification, now it's broaband, he said.

Siro is also bidding for the government's Rural Broadband Scheme, that aims to connect a lower speed broadband to every rural home in Ireland in the next five years.

Minister Flanagan said that no area will be left out.

Lke the Carlsberg ad of old, it will reach the parts of Laois that others havent been able to reach, he said.

Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland said it will aid Portlaoise's masterplan.

This is more than just broadband, this is a vote of confidence in regional towns, and how they can contribute to the Irish economy. It comes at the right time for us, as we are looking at how Portlaoise can turn its back on an era or decline, capitalising on areas like the night time economy, the digital economy, and tourism, he said.

Despite publicity, the Siro launch was not attended by any Portlaoise businesses.

We think its because it is on Black Friday, hopefully they are too busy making money, said one official.
One rural dweller at the launch of Siro's service for Portlaoise showed the stark contrast in broadband speed between urban and rural.

Sculptor Michael Burke lives three miles ouside Portlaoise in Ballyfin but said I might as well be 1,000 miles away.

I am on a poor satellite connection, there's no point trtying to download a film. There are 90 businesses in my area, we all need broadband. There's a web design company that can't work in the afternoon, he said.

I am happy that Portlaoise is getting an upgrade again, but very disappointed that people in areas like I live, never got broadband in copper, cable or wireless. I don't see any light at the end of the cable. We have been left behind again, Mr Burke said.

He was assured by Minister Flanagan that Ballyfin and areas like it in Laois were a priority for him.

You make a reasonable point. I am pleased to be part of a government that sets out to define a national broadband plan, he said.

The council's broadband officer Kieran Kehoe said Ballyfin is one of twenty villages in Laois to get a broadband hub, within the first few months of the contract.

Ratheniska businesswoman Gillian Reidy was at the meeting to report how Siro's trial scheme had changed life in the village.

She noted that a hub was also set up there for people living just outside the zone.

We set it up in the school hall, and second and third level students use it, said Ms Reidy, who praised the speed and reliability of the service.

We upload really large files, and 99 percent of our business is online. You just know it's going to be there. I'd jump on board as much of you as you can, she said.

Ratheniska principal Pauline Dunne said it's changed how we operate as a school.

We can have all our pcs online, and it hasn't dropped once, I don't know what we'd do without it, she said.
A Portlaoise man convicted of having drugs and a knife on his person has been taken into custody after breaching the strict conditions of his bail on a number of occasions.

Before last weeks district court was David Condon (26), Mountain View Square, Portlaoise, who is awaiting an appeal in the circuit court against a prison sentence imposed on September 22.

The sentence, six months with the last two suspended, was imposed for having a knife and cannabis, obstructing the gardai, and abusive behaviour, at Knockmay, Portlaoise, on August 5.

After paying recognisance for an appeal, Condon was previously released on bail, with conditions that he was to observe a curfew, and not associate with known drug users.

Last week, Detective Garda Michael ODonovan said that the accused had breached this bail on four occasions.

Det ODonovan gave evidence that he had called to the accuseds house at 11.50pm on the night of September 24 and the accuseds mother informed him that her son was not there. She said he had fallen asleep on the train and missed his stop.

Defence for the accused, Mr Declan Breen said that his client had been visiting his girlfriend in Dublin and had fallen asleep on the train, ending up in Galway.

Det ODonovan replied that he would not accept this claim.

Further States evidence was given by Garda Duffy, who said that on November 14, the accused came into Portlaoise Garda Station with a named individual who is a known drug user.

Mr Breen put it to the garda that the named individual had last been before the courts around four years ago, to which Garda Duffy replied that this was correct, but the gardai were currently investigating an incident against the individual.

Further evidence was given by Detective Garda John Paul OBrien, who said that he called to the accuseds house on November 15 at 10.20pm and the accuseds father said the accused wasnt home and wouldnt be returning that night.

Mr Breen said that Condon missed his train and arrived in Portlaoise around 11pm.

Det OBrien replied that he could not confirm defences claim.

Judge Catherine Staines determined that the accused had not been home on the two dates given, but allowed the accused to give evidence regarding Garda Duffys evidence.

Condon took the stand to say that the named individual was a childhood friend of his. In response to questioning from the State, he said that the individual used to use drugs, but he was not currently using them.

In ruling, Judge Staines said she had granted the accused bail for his appeal with strict conditions and he had breached that bail. The judge revoked the bail on Condon.

Judge Staines asked was he still using drugs and the accused replied he wasnt, but Det ODonovan said he had searched the accused the previous night and discovered needle marks on his legs from using heroin.
The residents of Steeple View in Abbeyleix are being hung out to dry by Laois County Council, according to Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, who is calling for more streetlights to be installed in the area.

At the recent meeting of the municipal district, she proposed a motion calling on the council to complete the works and install the lights at Steeple View, Abbeyleix.

She was informed in a written response from Pat Delaney, administrative officer, planning, that there is no funding available to install these lights.

Attempts have been made to contact the developers but this has proved unsuccessful, said Mr Delaney.

Cllr Dwane Stanley said there were four houses and two developers had built the area and then gone their separate ways. She said that two or three lights needed to go up, with the cables and groundwork already in place.

She said residents had raised the issue with her as there were children in the houses and the area was pitch black at night.

As the area was not taken in charge by the council the councillor could not use her discretionary funding for the works, meaning the four houses are being hung out to dry.

They feel nobody is listening to them in Laois County Council, she said.

As there are already two lights there, Cllr Willie Aird remarked that if the three additional lights were installed there would be five lights for four houses. To this, Cllr Dwane Stanley pointed out that the three unfinished lights were part of the planning application and restated that she had received complaints from people in the area.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly said that the problem with Cllr Dwane Stanleys proposal was that it would put pressure on the council from other areas.

People further up the road are going to be saying put one there, too, he said.
The awarding of the joint-patronage of Portlaoise's new bi-lingual secondary school to the Laois Offaly Education and Training Board (ETB) was welcomed at the recent meeting of the Portlaoise Municipal District.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley proposed a motion calling on the council to welcome the new school, which will be co-patroned by the Irish language group which runs Gaelcholaiste.

The schools are jampacked and the spaces are badly needed, said Cllr Dwane Stanley, who is a member of the ETB. She credited her fellow councillors with also raising the issue before.

She said that she had been out canvassing over the summer for a Gaelcholaiste and the new school would also mark the beginningIrish speaking secondary education.

Saying that the ETB had the facilities and capacity, she remarked that the new school needed to be open by next year.

Regarding suitable premises for the new school, Cllr Dwane Stanley said that the ETB have existing buildings, including the old technical college.

Cllr Mary Sweeney said there was huge demand for the new school and there were great hopes it would be ready to start by next September.

Cllr Jerry Lodge said that each councillor had clambered for assistance for a new Gaelcholaiste.

He said that had they applied for a Gaelcholaiste alone it may not have happened, but as part of the ETB it had been achieved.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald said the new school was badly needed to the town, adding: Theres a frightening need for school spaces.

Cllr Willie Aird said that as some existing school buildings would soon be vacant perhaps these buildings could be used for now.

He said that the population of Portlaoise has grown in recent times, something which could be judged by waiting list for housing.
A Portlaoise man appealing a criminal conviction at the circuit court had to be removed from the courtroom after angrily claiming that people were being given prison sentences just for being heroin addicts.

John Kelly (33), 69 Hillview Drive, Portlaoise, was appealing a two-month prison sentence imposed on him for a disturbance in the Midlands Hospital, Portlaoise.

Defence barrister, Ms Geraldine Fitzpatrick, said that the matter had previously been adjourned for her client to pay compensation to the Friends of Portlaoise Hospital, but he had no money in court.

The court also heard that since the last adjournment Kelly had been convicted of selling drugs to undercover gardai.

Judge Keenan Johnson, referencing a probation report on the accused, noted that Kelly had failed to attend for three appointments with the probation service.

Judge Johnson said that this case had previously been adjourned on strict bail conditions and the accused had then gone out and reoffended.

At this point, Kelly became agitated and produced a page ripped out of a national newspaper, saying to Judge Johnson: Heres a rapist who raped his stepdaughter and he got two years, and you give us prison sentences for being heroin addicts.

Judge Johnson ordered that the accused be removed from the courtroom and Kelly was led out by gardai shouting f**k you at the judge.

Judge Johnson struck out the appeal and affirmed the district court order of two months in prison.
A number of vehicles parked on a section of the ring road connecting the Kilcullen Road and Newbridge Road have moved.

This follows complaints made at a Naas Municipal district meeting.

However a number of vehicles remain parked at Monread Road on the opposite side of the town.

PJ Dooley of Kildare Traveller Action has attributed the parking of caravans to the housing crisis which is affecting travellers badly.

He said that while he cannot comment on specific instances of caravans being parked in Naas, he said Travellers have been left without housing for several years.

He also said he is aware of instances of Travellers being forced to leave private rented accommodation because of rising rents or houses being sold by the landlord.

Naas councillor Darren Scully said the issue of parking caravans and vehicles in public areas like ring roads needs to be examined nationally.

He said the there is considerable cost to the taxpayer when local authorities like Kildare County Council have to take court action and then serve a notice to quit.

This process is also time consuming and is repeated again and again. Kildare County Council is doing its best but its hands are tied in terms of what it can do legally.

"Basically they must be sure they can answer any question that a judge might ask before they proceed to court. Its not right for people to park on private or public land. With rights come responsibilities, said Cllr Scully.
A talented teacher at the Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge has been honoured with a top national award.

The Victor Graham Trophy was awarded to Breda Disney at the Irish Applied Mathematics Association at their national conference last weekend.

The trophy was presented in recognition of her work in the area of Applied Maths. This honour is bestowed annually by the IAMTA for outstanding dedication and work in the subject.

As well as her contribution at school level, Breda organises the Junior and Senior East Midlands quiz competitions each year. She has been secretary and is now the treasurer of the IAMTA for a number of years.

The award was presented by Dr. Maurice O'Reilly of the Institute of Numerical Computation and analysis at the national conference which took place in the Clayton Silver Spring Hotel Cork.

Last March, Patrician Secondary School Junior and Senior Applied maths teams were first and fourth in the national finals of their respective competitions.

It is a great honour for Breda and for the school. Many congratulations Breda from the whole school community, said principal, Pat O'Leary.
Thee have has been huge reaction today to the EPA's report on Fracking and Environmental Minister Denis Naughten's support of the prohibition on the process in Ireland.

Good Energies Alliance Ireland welcomed the report that supports the conclusions reached by the campaign against fracking:

This industry is dangerous, has serious potential impacts on water and air quality; its long-term impacts are largely unknown and current regulations are inadequate to ensure good practice in the development of this industry.

"Such conclusions leave out the enormous gaps in this report  the impact of fracking on the well-being and health of the communities affected by this industry and its contribution to carbon emissions at a time when globally we have to tackle climate change. If these are added to the list, it becomes abundantly clear that fracking is completely undesirable and that we are right in calling for a permanent ban on this industry.

"The controversial EPA Report on Fracking is an extensive study, dealing with possible impacts on surface and ground water, air quality and earthquakes. It also deals with monitoring and regulatory requirements. After two years research and over 1 million spent, it comes up with little more than confirmation of what campaigners against fracking have always said!

"Unfortunately, this report did not consider the impacts of fracking on the health or well-being of communities, leaving a huge gap in the analysis of the process. Amazingly, the report concluded that many of the activities associated with UGEE projects/operations could proceed on the island of Ireland, while protecting the environment and human health, using the best practices identified in Project B and applying the current regulations, together with a small number of additions and modifications complemented by adequate implementation and enforcement.

"Weasel words indeed! Many of the activities does NOT mean all of the activities.

The Environmental Pillar, which is a coalition of 28 Irish environmental NGOs, says the decision is the right thing to do to protect the health and well-being of communities around Ireland.

The decision is also an important marker of Ireland's commitment to stopping climate change and moving to a sustainable low carbon economy.

Aedin McLoughlin spokesperson for the Environmental Pillar told www.leitrimobserver.ie "Fracking is a deeply damaging practice. It damages the climate, the environment, and ultimately communities.

"It has serious potential impacts on water and air quality; its long-term impacts are largely unknown and current regulations are inadequate to ensure good practice in the development of this industry.

"The decision not to pursue fracking in Ireland is needed to protect communities from the damaging impacts of fracking such as the contamination of water and the health impact of gas emissions. It also is needed to meet our climate change commitments.

"We welcome the publication of the report which makes three very important points: 1. Fracking wells can fail and contaminate the water table 2. The cracks generated during fracking can contaminate ground water and we don't know enough about the location of underground aquifers to prevent this. 3. Even wells that have stopped production can (and do) leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

"This makes it very clear that the risks to the environment and public health from this practice are significant.

"In addition to the direct environmental and health impacts the use of fracking would also contribute to climate change."

Friends of the Earth also welcomed the Ministers comments that this research justifies the continued prohibition of fracking in Ireland and his re-iteration of the support for legislation to ban fracking in Ireland.

However Kate Ruddock, Deputy Director of Friends of the Earth pointed out that Although extremely lengthy, this research does not actually address many of the big concerns people have with fracking. There is no analysis on the risks of fracking to public health, nor is there an assessment of the impact fracking would have on Irelands greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change obligations."
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, said he believed today's publication of the findings of a study into the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on the island of Ireland, justified the continuing ban on the licensing of the process.

A series of reports arsing from the Joint Research Programme on Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction (UGEE) were published this afternoon by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The research was undertaken by a consortium of independent organisations comprising CDM Smith Ireland (Ltd), the British Geological Survey, University College Dublin, Ulster University, AMEC Foster Wheeler and Philip Lee Solicitors.

The research programme was made up of five projects which looked in detail at the potential impacts of UGEE on water, seismicity and air quality as well as a comprehensive literature review of operational practices and regulatory regimes.

Part of the extract from the conclusions section of the Integrated Synthesis Report into the UGEE Joint Research Programme, stated that "the programme concluded that many of the activities associated with UGEE projects/operations could proceed on the island of Ireland, while protecting the environment and human health."

The study accepted that the hydraulic fracturing industry was a relatively new one which was 'evolving rapidly'. It stressed that the regulatory regimes of North America, where the process is most prevalent, "are very different from those of the EU and many of the more environmentally damaging practices (used in North America) may not be permissible in the island of Ireland (e.g. open wastewater lagoons, flaring, disposal of wastewater by deep underground re-injection)."

Despite this the study acknowledged there were three main impacts where data and/or experience wasn't sufficient to establish a reliable assessment of the consequences of fracking. These included the possible pollution of groundwater supplies due to the failure of gas well integrity; the potential increase in the migration of gas and pollutants as a result of the hydraulic fracturing process and the possible impact of gas emissions as a result of the fracking.

The study noted "these (three concerns) would require clarification before environmental protection and human health can be ensured."

In as statement issued shortly after the publication of the programme findings, Minister Naughten said: I believe the Report's findings justify the continuing prohibition on the licensing of hydraulic fracturing. I am on record as having raised concerns with regard to the use of hydraulic fracturing  particularly on such matters as long term well integrity; the potential release of toxic chemicals from the ground; and the significant and considerable potential implications that the use of this technology may have on people in rural communities as a consequence of the spatially dispersed pattern of housing in rural areas. I am pleased that these matters of concern have been addressed in the Report.

Minister Naughten noted the issues raised in the Report on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on ground water and air quality, together with the identified gaps in legislative oversight surrounding the use of hydraulic fracturing in Ireland. Minister Naughten added It has always been my view that any decision on the use of hydraulic fracturing should be made on the basis of peer-reviewed science. The report of the EPA led Joint Research Programme provides the robust underpinning for decision making on this issue of public concern. I have decided to refer the report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment for its consideration. I hope this will assist at the Committee Stage debate of the proposed hydraulic fracturing legislation to be progressed by the Oireachtas next year.
With the sixth annual Tunis village festival for pottery and handicrafts due to begin on Thursday, Ahram Online remembers its late founder and his vision

Tunis is a regular Egyptian village tucked inside Fayoum governorate, approximately two hours away from Cairo.

This small village gained its popularity as an artistic and cultural hub for handicrafts, drawing craftspeople who have managed to bring out the authentic cultural roots deeply embedded in the village.

Handmade pottery, crafted with lots of passion and creativity, are the main attraction in Tunis.

The late Ahmed Abu Zeid, the founder of the Tunis Pottery Festival, is yet another Fayoum art icon whose dream stretches to including all potters and preserving their heritage.

Since the festival began in 2011 it has become the winter destination for tourists from other parts of Egypt, who flock to enjoy the perfect melange between culture and nature.

Being a potter for over 30 years, Abu Zeid, who lived in Tunis and had a small pottery workshop there, first thought of the idea of the festival in 2011, after the revolution.

"At that time lots of resident potters were considering leaving the village and taking other jobs for a living," explained Ahmed's son Mohamed Abu Zeid, who is also a potter as well as a pottery professor at the German University in Cairo.

"Local potters started to think differently and to attract Egyptians, instead of foreigners who were scared to come to Egypt at that time, hence came the idea of the festival," he said.

Coming together in September 2011, potters from two workshops and from a local pottery school collaborated to organise the first festival, which was held in December of that year.

The festival, supported by crowd-funding, "was a great success," remembers Mohamed.

The following years Fayoum Governorate pitched in and the small festival was sponsored by lots of potters as well as Bank of Alexandria, and even the Egyptian Mail Organisation, which provided portable ATM machines to promote shopping there.

The annual event then began to include concerts, as well as other handicrafts, and would sometimes attract more people than the village had capacity to host, according to Mohamed.

Despite its great success, the festival's core aims are yet to be fulfilled.

"My father believed that we should pick a village every year and document and research its pottery and potters in order to revive and preserve its authentic handmade techniques, for example Al-Nazla has black mud that is found only in three parts of the world, and the sheikh of potters nowadays ran out of business," says Mohamed.

"Moreover the government no longer accepts 'potter' as a job description on identity cards. They claim it is not a job so long you are not certified, hence they turned it instead into 'street vendor,' " he concluded.

This year, fans of the festival will be hoping that steps are taken towards preserving the potters' livelihoods and ensuring their sustainability.

Programme:

The festival begins on Thursday 1 December and runs for three days.

All photos are courtesy of potter Mohamed abu zeid, featuring his late father potter Ahmed abu zeid, and the first fayoum festival

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In the penultimate episode of the UTV documentary series, 'The Airport up at Knock', the airport reaches another milestone  its about to welcome its 10 millionth passenger, and theres a great surprise in store for this lucky person.

Ten minutes from the airport stands Knock Shrine, which attracts 1.5 million visitors per year from all over the world. Having recently painted Knock Airport, John Crean has been contracted to paint the Basilica in preparation for a rededication ceremony to mark its 40th anniversary  the holy grail of jobs.

In Boston, we meet some of the people travelling to Knock on a special charter flight for the rededication ceremony. Joe and Marie Farragher show us around Clinton, a town with strong Mayo connections and a very special link to the Knock Shrine. Boston-based travel agent Sara Stanton is coordinator for the trip, but also has a more personal reason for her journey home  her grandmother has just passed away in England and her remains are to be returned to Mayo. With the airport steeped in nervous anticipation and a very thick fog - the ground crew prepares for the only transatlantic flight of the year, but will the Boston flight have to be diverted?

Elsewhere, Darren from Customer Services gets the chance to take to the runway with the Connaught Aero Club and we get a glimpse of what Jim Corry, Head of Technical Services, gets up to when hes not working.

Nestled just inland off the Wild Atlantic Way, and with the shadow of Croagh Patrick looming in the background, the legacy of Monsignor James Horan is celebrating 30 years in business this year. In this series, we see inside the unlikely success story of an airport which was initially a strip of tarmacadam atop a peaty mountain.

With exclusive access to every part of the airport itself, The Airport Up in Knock is a unique documentary following the daily lives of the customers and staff of Knock Airport, and demonstrates how tightly woven the airport is into the modern DNA of Mayo and the West of Ireland.

Over the last three decades, the airport has seen its yearly passenger numbers increase from just over 9,000 in its first year, to a forecasted 725,000 passengers in its 30th. Knock Airport boasts an average of 150 flights per week, to 23 destinations across the UK, Europe and the United States.

More than 300,000 visitors from overseas visit the region annually through the airport, contributing to an annual tourism spend of 133m, which supports close to one million bed nights and over 900 jobs in the wider region.

Aside from providing a vital lifeline to the tourism trade and businesses in the West of Ireland, the airport also provides local employment, with 100 full time employees - rising to 150 (including part-time) during the busy summer season.

Speaking about the series, The Airport up in Knock, executive producer Jamie DAlton of Motive Television said:

This series was inspired by the tireless work of those who make Knock Airport an important gateway to the west of Ireland. We wanted to highlight the vast visitor numbers that the airport generates in the wider region, as well as the important role it plays in the daily lives of many local people through employment. Business is booming, and as the airport celebrates its 30thbirthday this year, its showing no signs of slowing down!

The fifth episode of The Airport up in Knock airs on Monday, December 5 at 8pm on UTV Ireland. The series has been part-funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Sound and Vision Fund.
So, Im drifting back to LDV slowly and gradually. My husband is now recovering from his heart surgery at home. Its still quite incredible to think that only 10 weeks ago, he was enjoying his best health in years. All that changed with what we thought was Flu but turned out to be an infection in his heart which damaged one of his heart valves  a pretty complex one, too. My gratitude to the surgical team who sorted this out is unrivalled.

I have been more scared during this time than I have ever been in my life. That late-night phone call from Intensive Care when they said they needed to take him back into theatre was the point that I thought I really was going to crumble. The election of Donald Trump, terrifying as it is, 24 hours later was far from the most stressful thing I had to face that week.

The frenetic running about to and from the hospital and the intrinsic terror of the situation have now been replaced with a much less stressful but still very busy routine of drugging people, feeding people, cleaning, washing and other elements of domesticity which are a bit of a learning curve for me. My slovenly ways have been replaced by scrubbing everything in sight with anti-bacterial potions.

I tell Bob that I am basing my nursing style on Kathy Bates in Misery. He wasnt really meant to agree that I was doing that well, but never mind. Yesterday was a bit of a milestone when he had his first wee walk outside in 9 weeks.

Im clearly going to be pre-occupied with looking after him for a while yet. The likelihood is that Im still going to be a bit slow to get back to people and not really engaged full time in the site until the New Year, so please continue to be patient with me.

My thanks go to the team who have had to do well more than they ever signed up for over the last nine weeks. Without them, there would have been no LDV at all. They have been absolutely brilliant.

Ive observed much about our NHS and the stresses at its frontline. Bob had the most excellent care in hospital, but it was very clear to us how hard everyone was working and how there was so little give in the system. Its a theme I will return to. For today, though, I want to think about the effects of Brexit on the NHS. The Leave Campaigns jolly assertion that leaving the EU would mean 350 million a week extra for the NHS was consigned to history almost before the votes had been counted.

Recently, Liberal Democrats have been highlighting the risks to health care that Brexit poses. Scottish Lib Dem health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton made a very good point, arguing that the NHS could be brought to the point of collapse if doctors and nurses from across the EU had to leave as a result of Brexit. Id take it a bit further, though. At least two of the leaders of the surgical team who performed Bobs lifesaving operation were from other EU countries. They have helped to make Edinburgh one of the best, if not the best, centres for cardiothoracic surgery in the UK. Their skills and those of other specialists, give prestige to our institutions and hospitals, contributing to their international renown.

I worry as much about these highly skilled professionals choosing to leave because of their perception of the prevailing culture as about Mays Brexit government deporting them to satisfy her own right-wingers.

Protecting EU workers rights was always important to me and I was always going to do everything I could to secure them. Now its personal.

This is what Alex had to say:

Our health and social care services could not function without the pool of talent we are currently allowed to recruit from. No one voted in the EU referendum on the basis that their local GP would be deported and the NHS cannot afford to suffer a Brexit-induced staffing crisis. EU citizens are our friends, neighbours and colleagues. They are saving lives in our NHS, delivering world-leading research in universities and making a huge contribution in their local communities. It is utterly shameful that anyone should consider them as cards to be played as part of some grand Brexit strategy. No-one who voted to Leave will have done so on the basis that their local GP would be deported. The UK Government needs to confirm as a matter of urgency that the rights of those EU citizens who have chosen to make their life here will be protected. The approach that Theresa May and her gang of Brexiteers are taking will cripple our NHS and will only alienate us from our friends and partners in Europe.

The Lords debated the effect Brexit will have on NHS and social care workers and the service. Sal Brinton warned that if the Government achieved their immigration targets, there would be a shortfall of 750,000 workers in the social care sector. The best case scenario was that we would be 300,000 short. Think what that means to the people actually needing that care. Who is going to look after them?

Here is her speech in full (with the text below)

My Lords, I add my gratitude to that of other noble Lords to the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, for nominating this debate on a vital matter. For me, it does not matter that we have debated this issue already this month; until the Government start to hear and understand the serious concerns, we shall be repeating it regularly. Although most of my comments will be on social care, I want to start with a conversation I had with two nurses at St Thomas Hospital yesterday as I was leaving. They said to me, You work over the road, dont you?. I said that I did, and they continued by saying, We are just struggling to understand what on earth Brexit is all about. We knew during the campaign that that 350 million a week was not real, but we do not understand why people believed it. Patients still talk to them about the extra money that the NHS is going to get. They said that they see crisis after crisis going on around them in what is an absolutely excellent hospital. I make no more comment than that, but it is clearly something that is troubling the workforce. Others have commented on the size of the social care sectora 1.3 million workforce. As other speakers have already outlined, struggling with the demography alone in Great Britain would put it under pressure, but it is facing a perfect storm. We need to add in the cuts to local government funding, the inability of the Government to commit to delivering Dilnot to really harmonise health and social care, and the Governments relentless focus on reducing immigration. That is before we even start to consider the financial consequences of Brexit, as outlined yesterday by the OBR. Independent Age and ILC UK research has looked specifically at social care workforce issues and their modelling shows that the closing off of migration will have a dramatic effect. There will be a social care workforce shortfall of 750,000 people if the Government achieve their objectives of only tens of thousands of immigrants into this country. Even under the high migration scenario, a shortfall of 350,000 is likely purely because of our ageing population. London and the south-east would be worst hit, because one in nine of the capitals care workers are at risk of losing their right to work here.

There is a further problem in the sector of a very high turnover rate of around 25%, and an estimated vacancy rate of 5.4%, which rises to 7.7% in domiciliary care. The Kings Fund paper, Five Big Issues for Health and Social Care after the Brexit Vote notes that, immediately after the referendum, Bruce Keogh, NHS Englands Medical Director, and Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health, have both publicly sought to reassure European staff working in the health service. They said: We endorse these views but would go further: providers of NHS and social care services should retain the ability to recruit staff from the EU when there are not enough resident workers to fill vacancies. Can the Minister provide encouragement not just to doctors, nurses and other clinical healthcare professionals but to those who absolutely fill the important jobs in the healthcare sector who have either low or no skills, such as healthcare assistants, cleaners and catering staff, so that they will also have the facility to come to work in the UK to provide vital services? I turn to the specific experience of people in the social care system, which at the moment is really struggling with seven older people per care worker. By 2037, the projections show that that figure will almost double to 13.5 older people per care worker. That is very alarming, especially as we are relying on the care sector to relieve the pressure on hospitals. How on earth we expect the service to be able to be delivered with even fewer staff is quite extraordinary. London, as I have already mentioned, is especially reliant on migrant care workers. Nearly three out of five of its social care workforce were born abroad and, in recent years, the percentage of EEA workers has increased. Although the overall average does not look particularly large, EEA migrants now make up more than 80% of new entrants to the profession. With the turnover rates to which I have referred of one in four, the consequence of any restriction on EEA workers will be severe and rapid. On the effect already of the pressures in the social care system, Age UK says that the number of older people in England who do not get the social care that they need now has soared to 1.2 million, up by 48% since 2010. Nearly one in eight older people are struggling with the help that they need to carry out everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed, going to the toilet, washing and getting dressed. Among that 1.2 million, nearly 700,000 do not get any help at all because, as we know, the moment there is pressure on services, the criteria for accessing help keep getting harder and harder. My right honourable friend Norman Lamb has said that the health and social care systems are living on borrowed time, with more providers moving from publicly funded systems to focus entirely on private care. He said: The social care system always loses out in comparison with the NHS, and thats the case even when the money was flowing. Under the later years of a Labour Government, there was a real disparity between the NHS and social care; in one Budget, the NHS was awarded 4% and social care just 1%. That is why the Liberal Democrats continue to call for a cross-party commission to address the problems of health and social care funding. We need to address that, and the impact of Brexit on both sectors. The better care fund, in the coalition, was a small but helpful start, but it remains only a small contribution. Implementing Dilnot is urgent and overdue. Yesterdays Autumn Statement failed completely to mention health and social care funding. The Alzheimers Society in its very helpful briefing made the very important point that, regardless of any changes in migration policies, the Government must make social care an attractive career pathway. Shortfalls in staffing are leading to social care providers failing. Already there is evidence, not just in the health and social care sector but more widely, that EU and EEA workers are leaving the UK because of the uncertainty following the referendum results. With a rapid turnover in the workforce, the consequences will be felt very quickly. Finally, after all the doom and gloom, I wanted to end on one positive note about the diversity of social care staff. My mother, after one of her strokes, suddenly started speaking Frenchshe had spent a lot of time in France in her childhood. The home went out of its way to find a French healthcare assistant to be moved to her ward and, as a result, she understood them and, importantly for her, someone understood her, and she was able to communicate easily. That is the social care system at its best. We need as a nation to understand that we have to resource it effectively to do its job; it cannot do it on thin air.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
We dont often run UKIP press releases on here, but in this case it is justified to prove a point. Apparently Zac Goldsmith doesnt much like being described as UKIP-backed.

Goldsmith very cross last night that we are telling people he is endorsed by UKIP. Here is their official statement backing him . Please R/T pic.twitter.com/PXG6oVWja1  Lib Dem Life (@libdemlife) November 24, 2016

Just a reminder of the UKIP statement just after Goldsmith resigned.

UKIP Chairman Paul Oakden said On Tuesday 25th October Zac Goldsmith MP announced that he was resigning as the Conservative MP for Richmond Park, in light of the Governments announcement on a third runway at Heathrow. Zac Goldsmith has resigned on a matter of principle and UKIP admire him for having the courage to do so. UKIP have always believed that Gatwick was a preferred option to Heathrow. Recognising Zac as a principled man, who was fully committed to helping get Britain out of the European Union, UKIP Leader Nigel Farage, in conjunction with our National Executive Committee have agreed that we will not be fielding a candidate in the upcoming by-election for Richmond Park. The Liberal Democrats are committed to overturning the result of the 2016 Referendum and ignoring the will of the British people. This must not be allowed to happen. UKIP are encouraging all of our supporters and voters to support Zac Goldsmith in his bid to become an independent MP.

That definitely counts as backing in anybodys books.

Goldsmiths unsuccessful London mayoral campaign, full of horribly divisive rhetoric, could easily have come out of UKIPs playbook.

Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney certainly seems to have captured the anti-Brexit public mood in Richmond Park. In a by-election where Brexit is the main issue of concern to Richmond Park voters, who voted heavily to Remain, she could enjoy a remarkable victory. However, that will only happen if Liberal Democrat members and activists do as much as possible for her over the next 36 hours. What will you be doing to help?

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
In the Autumn Statement, Philip Hammond spoke at length about the productivity crisis in the UK, and how he intends to address it.

And doubtless, the creation of higher skilled jobs, of better broadband, of better trains, will all make it easier for UK workers to do more, benefitting the workers and the economy alike.

But what if the productivity statistics are wrong?

Although they hardly belong to the same generation as me, I have three friends or acquaintances who have yet to reach retirement age, but have pension provisions sufficiently large that they are not seeking employment, nor do they claim unemployment benefit.

The government has such folk as a zero in the productivity number, they dont appear in the unemployment data, nor in the wage data.

So we have had years where unemployment was much lower than might have been expected in a recession, wage growth stayed stubbornly muted even as the number of people in employment rose markedly.

Those folk in the blessed position of being retired early not showing up in that basket of government statistics, it arguably makes the fundamentals of the economy look worse than they are, and prompts concerns about productivity.

But there is one part of the government data where they are represented, consumption, because they still spend the pensions they receive.

So we have had years where consumer spending was going up faster than wages, and productivity.

That makes it look like consumption is rising faster than wages, and that wages wont catch up because the labour force isnt productive enough to earn a wage rise.

The implication is that the consumption is being wholly funded by debt, and that the party will be soon be over.

Doubtless that has been true to some extent but if consumer spending has been rising faster than wages because there are quite a number of people who are retired early, and so spending, it implies the economy is not in particularly bad shape.

The key to this is that the baby boom of the post war years mean that there are more people in the cohort of the population aged 50+ proportionally than at any time in history, exaggerating the effect of this group on the wider economy.

The group were largely also fortunate enough to receive excellent pension provisions, reducing their incentive to work right up until mandatory retirement age.

That is not to say that Hammonds Autumn Statement actions are in any way wrong. Stagnant levels of global trade mean that the economies which thrive in the coming years will be those that can generate their own demand, rather than rely on exports. So the more productivity, and the more stimulus to domestic demand the better.

Measures that make the UK economy more efficient, which is what genuine productivity changes should be achieving, can only aid the levels of consumption in the economy over time.

And higher productivity would definitely benefit the young still working, rather than the retired, helping to address the inter-generational inequality that is the biggest stain on the record of policy makers since the financial crisis.

* David Thorpe was the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for East Ham in the 2015 General Election
The award winning film was screened in Egypt at the Luxor Arab and European Film Festival in January, and at Zawya cinema in May

The award winning film 3,000 Nights will be released in UAE cinemas tomorrow, following its release in Tunisia, Iraq and Palestine.

Directed by May Masri, and co-produced by Palestine, France, Jordan, UAE, Qatar and Lebanon, the film 3,000 Nights centers on a young newly-wed Palestinian school teacher who is jailed in a top-security Israeli prison where she eventually gives birth.

3,000 Nights has been selected by Jordan's Royal Film Commission to represent the country at the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The film has won 17 awards to date, most recently with two wins at the Carthage film festival, the Bronze Tanit and the Screenplay Prize.

The film made its world premiere in September 2015 at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It then made its Arab world premiere in December 2015 as part of the Dubai International Film Festivals 12th edition where it participated in the Muhr Arab Feature Films Competition.

The film also toured across Palestine right after the film's US premiere as part of the Palm Springs International Film Festival in early January.

In February, 3,000 Nights was shown at the European Film Market at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film was screened in Egypt earlier this year, when it was chosen to open the Luxor Arab and European Film Festival, an event which took place between 30 January and 5 February.

During the press conference for the Luxor Arab and European Film Festival, the Palestinian director May Masri said her film 3,000 Nights, was shot in a real prison, without any set decor, as a way of preserving the film's authenticity. Masri added that the jail where they filmed was neither in Palestine nor Jordan.

The film was based on an old story from 1980, where there were jails that kept Israeli women arrested on criminal charges together with Palestinian political prisoners, Masri stated.

Masri studied film at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University (USA). She directed many documentaries focusing on the humanity and resilience of ordinary people, garnering over 60 awards from international festivals for her films including Under the Rubble (1983), Wild Flowers: Women of South Lebanon (1986), Children of Shatila (1998), Hanan Ashrawi: A Woman of her Time (1995), Beirut Diaries: Truth, Lies and Videos (2006) and 33 Days (2007).



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Ballet Carmen by the Antonio Gades Company at the Cairo Opera House

The performance was staged to a full house on four consecutive evenings between 25 and 28 October.

While to some, Carmen was the keyword for spending an evening at the opera, others also recognised name of the famed Spanish company, which has visited Egypt before, its last performance in Cairo having taken place in 2010, and whose international reputation is strong enough to fill halls anywhere.

Ballet Carmens plot, choreography and lighting are the work of the late master flamenco dancer and choreographer Antonio Gades, with Carlos Saura. It premiered in 1983, as part of a dance-theatre trilogy that also incorporates Blood Wedding and Flamenco Suite choreographed by Gades.

Gades Carmen is a multilayered structure of realities, a base on which he builds up the nobility and deep emotion of the gypsy girl from Seville. Together with Saura, he manages to extract many captivating colours out of the story, with the music embraced by very simple scenography.

Read more about this performance here

Cairo Now: City Incomplete! at Dubai Design Week

Cairo Now! City Incomplete is the title of the display curated by Mohamed El-Shahed, founder of Cairobserver architecture and urbanism blog, that brought Egyptian designers and creators from different fields for the first time together in one site: the Dubai Design Week (DDW), the largest annual design event in the Middle East running between 24 and 29 October.

A total of 65 Egyptian innovators across the fields of product design, furniture design, graphic design, typography and architecture, were displayed in a 180 meter space, so that visitors get an intense immersion of what Cairos creatives are up to.

The exhibit was an opportunity to look at Cairos budding design initiatives in context, their relationship with the city and their surroundings, and what they make of the resources available to them. Because these designers have no means of connecting, they have previously operated solo, in the vacuum of the city, some only based online or through social media.



As the official closing date approached, it was announced that the exhibition would be extended for an additional month, a definite testimony to the exhibitions success.

Read more about the event here

Dubai Intl Film Festival presents Egypt's Clash for Golden Globe consideration

In early days of November, the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) announced that it would present Mohamed Diab's Clash (Eshtebak) to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for Golden Globe Awards consideration.

The recommendation came within the DIFF's newly launched annual initiative to present two exceptional Arab films to the HFPA for the Golden Globe Awards.

The second film that will see DIFF's support is Halal Love (Bil Halal), directed by Lebanese filmmaker and television director Assad Fouladkar.

Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra tour Egypt

The famed Latvian violinist and his orchestra toured Egypt, performing in Luxor on 1 December, in Cairo on 4 November and in Alexandria on 6 November. Kremer, founder of Kremerata Baltica, is one of the most celebrated violinists in the world.

The concerts were part of the ensemble's Middle East tour (and part of their anniversary world tour) and after their Egypt performances, the orchestra headed to Jordan.



Their journey is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the orchestra's inception and Kremers 70th birthday.

According to the orchestra's website, "Kremerata Baltica, an educational project with a long-term vision, was Kremers 50th birthday present to himself  a way of passing on his wisdom to young colleagues while making no compromises on artistic standards as he nurtured and inspired musical life in the region."





9th Panorama of the European Film

In its 9th edition, the Panorama of the European Film run from 2 November to 12 November. Organised by Misr International Films in partnership with the European Union and Zawya, the festival was presided over by Marianne Khoury, with artistic director Stephanie Sicard.

Drawing cinephiles and mainstream movie goers alike, Panorama has been bringing European films to the Cairo film scene since 2004.

This year's programme brought to Cairo 43 feature films, 11 documentaries, and a selection of short films from 32 countries. A number of directors will join Q&A sessions during which they will discuss their films.

The films were screened in Cairo, Alexandria, Ismailia and Port Said.

New to the Panorama this year was a section titled Urban Lens: Spotlight on Berlin," which included five films revolving around the featured city.

Also new was the Panoranimation section which included a series of long and short animated films that employed a variety of animation techniques and brought back to the big screen some classic stories.

Check our section dedicated to the Panorama here

Ordinary People: One-woman play

Ordinary People, written, performed, and directed by Zainab Magdy, was staged at the Jesuit Centre from 22 to 26 November.

Ordinary People is the outcome of Hilfe das Volk kommt (Help! The People are Coming!), a playwriting residency organized by the Literature Colloquium Berlin in partnership with the Maxim Gorki Theater and supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung (Berlin). Magdy staged the playa one-woman show in Berlin in October, before bringing it home to an Egyptian audience this month.

With a simple set of desk, small lamp, laptop, and a chair, combined with a screen in the back showing video art of scenes, and anonymous facebook posts that harmonize with the performance, Magdy fills almost 50 minutes with many stories and memories, transitioning smoothly between dreams and reality.

In the performance, the audience followed two parallel lines: Magdy's own history and losses, and those of others, which have merged somehow in Magdy's memory.

Read more about the play here

Beethoven's Choral Symphony in Alexandria

On Saturday, 26 November, one of the greatest classical music works, Ludwig van Beethovens Symphony No 9 (The Choral Symphony) was performed by the artistic forces of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to the full house of listeners.

Conducted by Hisham Gabr, the performance of the symphony combined the BA Chamber Orchestra, BA Youth Orchestra, BA Symphonic Choir and soloists soprano Mona Rafla (Egypt), alto Rodica Ocheseanu (Romania), tenor Khalil Saeed (Tunisia) and baritone Haithem Hadhiri (Tunisia).

The great pinnacle of Beethovens greatness, the work is admired by musicians and music lovers alike, mainly due to the final cantata that comes in its last, fourth movement, Ode to Joy sung to the poem by Friedrich von Schiller.

The evening also included Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from the composer's opera Prince Igor.

Check our photo gallery here

BuSSy and Nazra stage 'The Forced'

The performing arts project BuSSy and Nazra for Feminist Studies co-staged on 26 November 'The Forced', a play about victims of sexual violence at the Cairo's Goethe Institute.

Nazra produced the play as part of its contribution to the "It Happens" campaign against rape as part of the international "16 Days of Activism" raising awareness on violence against women.

In this compelling performance, storytellers recounted stories of forms of sexual violence from parents, partners, relatives or strangers to adults or even children.



Using personal testimonies, The Forced distinctively and expressively reflects the multi-faceted accounts of sexual violence survivors, touching on various feelings of fear, worries, and shame experienced by the victim not only towards their abuser but also towards society in large.



Shedding light on a horrifying but taboo subject, The Forced, through intimate and sometimes graphic details, highlights that sexual violence could happen to anyone.



The BuSSy Project, which originally started as a theatre group at the American University in Cairo in 2006, aims to document and give voice to censored and/or untold stories about gender in various communities in Egypt.

Keizer at Mashrabia Gallery

Graffiti artist Keizer's latest exhibition was held at Mashrabia Galley of Contemporary Art between 16 October and 30 November.

In its official press release, the gallery said Keizer is "known for tackling global issues, oppression and social injustice; the anonymous artist brings back his uncompromising, subversive thought and his provoking art to Downtown, where his revolutionary art was born."

"Keizer's versatility is his greatest asset, making us wonder about whats next; today, he finds himself a world-renowned artist, whose works have helped to deliver not only art, but also awareness, cultural appreciation and critical recognition to the masses by not locking them into restricted paradigms of thinking or confided mental landscapes.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture



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LIMERICK is spreading its reach around the world with a new web platform that aims to connect up to 3.5m people with their native place.

The region is aiming to reach out to the Diaspora abroad with the new Global Limerick platform, which was launched by tourism minister Patrick ODonovan.

Led by Limerick City and County Council, the platform aims to connect Limerick with its community no matter where they are living around the world.

This includes those who want to connect with people who were born in Limerick, descendants of previous emigrants or anyone with an affinity to Limerick, through education, work, or other interests.

The web platform features local stories specifically aimed at a global audience and intends to formalise the Limerick Diaspora family and make it real.

A critical step is for story readers to engage with Global Limerick and thereby enable communication and conversation with them and between them.

There are an estimated 3.5m million people of Limerick descent worldwide, and Mr ODonovan said Global Limerick could become a hugely important way for up to 3.5m people of Limerick descent to keep in contact with what is happening in their city and county".

"The Diaspora have played and are playing an important role in shaping the Limerick we see today. Their input into the economic, tourist and culture life of Limerick cannot be underestimated and Im delighted to launch such a platform which will further connect those around the world with their homeland," he added.

John King of Global Limerick said the project was seeking to link with, or establish, actual Diaspora groups in key locations, nationally and internationally and already strong links are being developed with Club Limerick Dublin and with the Capital Limerick initiative, also based in Dublin, to achieve these aims.

"Over time the spread of connections and groups will be visible across a map of the globe indicating the locations and reach of the Limerick diaspora, with services adapting to user demand, he said.

He added: We are indebted to Limerick City and County Council, the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs for their support in getting Global Limerick set up.

"We are connecting with Limerick groups across the country and globally to spread the message and help grow our networks. There is amazing goodwill among the Limerick diaspora for their home place and we want to tap in to that for benefit of everyone.

The project has been overseen by a steering committee chaired by Limerick City and County Council. Mary Immaculate College Limerick also part funded the Scoping Study & Survey which found that, among other things, the Limerick diaspora want a closer engagement by way of communication about and from Limerick.

Welcoming the new platform, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran OHanlon said: I particularly welcome Global Limericks strategy which is helping Limerick reach out to its diaspora in order to build new relationships that will be of mutual benefit.

See www.globallimerick.ie for more.
LIMERICK people will bring a smile to the faces of thousands of deserving children in Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo this Christmas.

After weeks of preparation, and hundreds of hours invested by volunteers, over 9,000 shoeboxes were packed and dispatched from Limerick  and their base at the old Krups factory in the LEDP in Roxboro  at the weekend.

In all the final tally from generous Limerick people came to 9,681, up by more than 250 on last year.

The majority of the shoeboxes  which were filled with special gifts by the public  will be sent to Odessa in Ukraine, while the remainder were dispatched in a second container to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The shoeboxes are filled with small gifts  bearing the four Ws  something to wash with, something to wear, something to write it, and something to Wow the recipient  even a small cuddly toy, which will fit in the box.

Norah Collins, from Doon, one of the Team Hope Limerick organisers, told the Limerick Leader: The response has been brilliant and we are very grateful to everyone who contributed  lots of school children, active retirement groups, businesses, the ICA and many more. These shoeboxes make a huge difference to children whose circumstances are very different.

Norah has been volunteering for the past 15 years, alongside fellow volunteers and co-ordinators of the Limerick appeal  Collette Toomey, from Lisnagry, and Rose Riordan, from Castleconnell.

Often, she said, it is the simplest items which can take for granted that can make the most difference for those who have so little, and especially items which can help build towards a childs education. Shoebox appeal ambassador John McAreavey said that the appeal shows children the importance of giving to other children less fortunate than themselves. Teaching the importance of selflessness and generosity at a young age is such a valuable skill and a way for children to learn the power of sharing and giving back.
LIMERICK brothers Patrick and John Collison have reached a new milestone in their tech company Stripe, which now has a value of $9bn following a recent round of funding.

The online payments firm, established in 2010, received a major financial investment of 142m in the latest funding round, confirming Stripe as the worlds most valuable start-up of its kind. It is also said to be one of Silicon Valleys fastest growing firms.

Following this 142m raised by CapitalG, an investment division of Googles parent company Alphabet, and General Catalyst Partners, the two brothers are now worth around 1bn each.

In July 2015, the company was valued at around 5bn.

According to Forbes magazine, 26-year-old John Collison is the worlds youngest self-made billionaire. He is two months younger than billionaire and Snapchat cofounder and chief executive, Evan Spiegel.

Forbes also writes that the Collison brothers join six other Irish billionaires on its World Billionaire List, and are now Irelands youngest billionaires. The 87-year-old construction tycoon Pallonji Mistry is reportedly Ireland's richest billionaire, with a $13bn net worth.

The former Castletroy College students, who dropped out of college and now reside in San Francisco, have been described by the guide as the youngest and fastest billionaires in Irish history.
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The statue will be erected in Quito's Condado square which Ecuador plans to rename 'Egypt Square'

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities is set to ship on Wednesday a gift of a six-metre-tall replica statue of King Ramsis II to Ecuador, to be erected in the country's capital Quito.

Amr El-Tibi, Executive Director of the Antiquities Replicas Unit at the ministry, told Ahram Online the statue is a gift to Ecuador from the Egyptian ministries of antiquities and foreign Affairs, and the Egyptian Tourism Authority.

The replica statue was carved by artisans in the ministry's replicas unit.

El-Tibi said the Ecuadorian government will rename Quito's Condado Square, Egypt Square, in appreciation of the gift.

He added that the large statue took 60 days to carve, from a mixture of granite and other materials designed to withstand the Ecuadorian climate.

The statue is a replica of the statue of Ramses II that used to stand in Ramses square in downtown Cairo, but will stand in the grand hall at the Grand Egyptian Museum when it opens in 2017.

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The Seized Antiquities Unit impounded 43 boxes of books and manuscripts on Sunday after suspecting illegal shipping; refers to the National Archives manuscripts

The Ministry of Antiquities plans to turn over dozens of rare book seized two days ago at Cairo International Airport to the National Archives, officials said.

On Sunday, the Seized Antiquities Unit at Cairo International Airport impounded a collection of rare Islamic books destined for Qatar, on suspicion that they were illegally acquired.

Customs officers at Cairo airport seized 43 boxes of books and manuscripts, which appeared to be rare books that fall under the protection of Egypt's antiquities laws.

A committee led by Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of the Seized Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, determined that some of the seized books and manuscripts were authentic and not permitted to leave the country.

El-Rawi told Ahram Online on Tuesday that the seized volumes pertain to Islam and the Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Mohammed. Some bear stamps from the Al-Azhar University library, he added.

After conducting a review of the material, El-Rawi said, the committee confirmed the authenticity of 66 rare volumes, finding out that some of the books date back to the early printing age.

The seized material will be sent to the Egyptian National Library and Archives, according to Egyptian law.

A set of 45 volumes bearing the Al-Azhar library stamp will be returned to the university, El-Rawi said, while the rest of the collection is not covered by laws.

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Id imagined that in light of Egypts economic conditions, the state would lift restrictions on civic associations in Egypt that help millions of citizens by offering assistance and services the state cannot provide

Faced with recent electricity price hikes, the new VAT, the floating of the pound, higher energy prices, shortages in sugar, rice, and medicines, and predictions of more price increases in the future, the logical thing for the state to do is to encourage NGOs to play a bigger role in alleviating the daily hardships faced by citizens.

Instead, everyoneincluding the governmentwas stunned when parliamentarians unveiled a draft NGO law out of the blue. The House then passed the bill with lightening speed and adopted it on November 29th.

All this happened while the Ministry of Social Solidarity was busy discussing a different bill with civil society organisations.

So rather than supporting associations and removing barriers to their work, the new law imposes unprecedented restrictions, threatening to freeze the activities of numerous NGOs and bring civic action to a standstill, and raising questions about its future.

Since I expressed my detailed objections to the law last week, I wont repeat them here. I will reiterate, however, that for the first time, this law requires prior state approval for funds and donations raised from Egyptians, the same as foreign funding. It also makes the members of association boards subject to the illicit gains law. Issued in the 1960s to protect state assets from corruption, it has nothing to do with civil society, which is based on volunteerism.

To justify the law, its been said that some associations receive funds from abroad and so constitute a threat to national security, while others adopt legal and social issues that can threaten political stability. The logic is apparently that its best to fence in all associations just in case, even those that receive no funding from abroad and do not work on rights or social issues.

But the only certain outcome of such a move is that all civic activity will be curtailed, which will jeopardize the operation of tens of thousands of associations working in medical and educational services, anti-illiteracy campaigns, support for small enterprises, orphan care, treatment for drug addicts, the distribution of necessary goods, the promotion of investment, and defraying burial expenses for poor families.

And all of this because the state fears a few dozen rights associations, despite the battery of laws, procedures, and penalties at its disposal, which already severely circumscribe civic action.

My question is therefore the following: If the purpose of the law is to preserve national security and stability, is that done by providing a balanced legal framework that allows adequate supervision over foreign funding to preserve the dictates of national security while preserving civic activity? Or is it better to undermine all of civil society heedless of the serious ramifications for millions of poor and needy Egyptians who benefit from its services?

Remember that the state, in the midst of current economic difficulties, seeks to build a social safety net and increase pensions and insurance from the extremely constrained state budget. How, then, can it conceivably sweep away the parallel, more effective safety net offered by civil society and its autonomous resources? Not only do these resources not drain state coffers, they are directed to peripheral and informal areas where the state is absent, meeting a need the government cannot. They offer opportunities to those without alternatives and fill a serious gap that often represents the difference between a dignified life and a slow death.

There is still, however, a chance to fix this grievous error, if the president elects to use his constitutional authority to send the law back to the House for reconsideration and initiate a genuine societal dialogue on it.

There is, in all cases, a need for an unequivocal stance not only from political parties and rights associations, but from everyone who cares about the future of civil society in Egypt and the role it plays and from those who benefit from and work with it.

Remaining silent about the law is what threatens the state and its security and stability.

*The writer holds a PhD in financial law from the London School of Economics. He is former deputy prime minister, former chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority and former chairman of the General Authority for Investment.

A version of this article was published in Arabic in El-Shorouq newspaper on Monday, 28 November.

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Sand boats operate in Poyang Lake in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province on April 28. Excessive sand mining is believed to have caused damage to the eco-system. Photo: Visual China

(Beijing)  Conservation groups and academics said a proposed dam on China's largest freshwater lake would do little to resolve the water crisis in the area caused by illicit sand mining and the building of reservoirs further upstream.

They also warned that the plan for Poyang Lake, in the eastern province of Jiangxi, would affect the largest natural habitat of the endangered Yangtze River dolphin. The groups and academics urged authorities to carry out more studies to assess the affect the dam would have on one of the world's largest sanctuaries for migratory birds in winter.

Last week, the provincial Environmental Protection Department published a preliminary report on the environmental impact of the project, which is open for public comment until Friday.

The provincial government said the 13-billion-yuan ($1.9 billion) project aims to slow the decline in the lake's water levels that has resulted in the shrinking of adjoining wetlands and threatened the livelihood of thousands of local fishermen and farmers. The dam will also create a reservoir that would help minimize water shortages during droughts that become more frequent, officials said.

But excessive sand mining in waterways linking the lake to the Yangtze River was the main cause behind dwindling water levels, and a new dam will do little to solve this problem, said Zhang Yunbo from an environmental NGO, the Let Migratory Bird Fly Fund.

Companies that have permits to mine sand are taking away much more than allowed. That has drained water from the lake into the Yangtze River at a much faster rate than it could naturally replenish itself, according to a study published on a Chinese language journal Acta Geographica Sinica, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhang said

Reservoirs and hydropower plants built further upstream on the Yangtze River have also led to the drop in water levels at Poyang Lake, said Zhou Jianjun, a professor at Tsinghua University's Department of Hydraulic and Hydropower Engineering. And authorities in Jiangxi can't solve the problem on their own, he said.

The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), an international conservation group, warned of a potentially irreversible decline in water quality and drop in diversity among fish species at Poyang Lake if the dam is built.

Local authorities haven't announced when construction would begin. More studies are needed before any work begins, the WWF said.

The group also said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the dam would damage the habitats of the endangered Yangtze River dolphins and migratory birds.

The lake is the largest sanctuary for Yangtze River dolphins. Academics estimate it is home to about 450 dolphins, or up to half of the population of the endemic mammal.

Jiangxi authorities said the dam was designed with pathways for the dolphins to migrate freely, but professor Wang Yamin, at Shandong University's School of Marine Biology, said the proposed design could trap dolphins on both sides of the dam.

He said similar problems were seen in dams built using a similar design in rivers in North America that failed to help fish such as sturgeons migrate through man-made channels, Wang said.

Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdeli@caixin.com); editor Poornima Weerasekara (poornima@caixin.com)
(Beijing)  The top prosecutor's office in the eastern province of Jiangsu said that since 2013, it has sent back to prison at least four senior officials who had been jailed for corruption after they were found to have violated parole rules.

The announcement provided revealing insight into how those with power can abuse the country's sentence commutation and parole system.

Liu Hua, president of the Jiangsu High People's Procuratorate, said in a report to the provincial legislature on Monday that prosecutors took the action based on reviews of parole granted to those who had been jailed for corruption, embezzlement and involvement in organized crime.

Liu specifically named four former senior officials in the province who were granted parole in violation of prison rules, including former Xuzhou Mayor Chen Yaonan.

Chen, who was put under investigation over corruption allegations in May 2001, was sentenced to life in prison in December 2002 for bribery and failure to explain enormous sums of money in his possession, a crime under Chinese law, court papers show.

Prison documents viewed by Caixin show that Chen had his sentenced commuted three times  in 2005, 2007 and 2009  before he was granted medical parole in July 2010.

He was ordered to return to prison for not meeting parole requirements in June 2014 amid a clampdown on parole violations and is not due to be released until February 2019, prison documents show.

However, it is not clear if anyone who helped him flout parole regulations had been punished.

In another case, Hu Jianpeng, a former Zhangjiagang official, was also sent back to prison in September 2014 and will not be released until February 2020.

Hu was sentenced to life in prison in July 2002 for embezzling 4 million yuan ($580,000) and taking another 740,000 yuan in bribes.

Hu had his term commuted three times, in 2004, 2007 and 2009, before being granted a supervised release in October 2010.

Liu told the regional legislature that prosecutor's offices reviewed more than 136,000 cases of sentence commutations, paroles and supervised releases since 2013. Violations were found in 147 of these cases.

Violations by those with power and money have prompted the country's top court to tighten oversight of the system.

A new set of regulations released on Nov. 15 spelled out in greater detail the conditions under which an inmate can qualify for a commutation of a sentence and parole, as well as how much, and how often, they can have their terms commuted.

For instance, officials who are sentenced to life in prison for corruption cannot have their sentences commuted to less than 20 years, according to the new rules, which will take effect at the beginning of next year.

Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdelie@caixin.com); editor Calum Gordon (calum@caixin.com)
Behold! The European Space Agency's new Mars orbiter just sent back its first high-resolution images of the Red Planet, and the view is amazing.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) arrived at Mars on Oct. 19, when its companion spacecraft Schiaparelli crash-landed on the planet's surface. Since then, TGO has been circling Mars, testing out its machinery, and taking spectacularly sharp pictures of the landscape using its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS). ESA stitched together the best of these photos in a cool new flyover video.

"The first images we received are absolutely spectacular  and it was only meant to be a test," Nicolas Thomas, CaSSIS team leader at the University of Bern's Center of Space and Habitability, said in a statement. [Photos: Europe's ExoMars Missions to Mars in Pictures]

Image of a 0.9 mile-size (1.4 kilometers) crater (left-center) on the rim of a larger crater near the Mars equator. It was acquired at 7.2 meters/pixel by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. (Image credit: ESA/Roscosmos/ExoMars/CaSSIS/UniBE)

These first images allowed ESA to test the camera's color- and stereo-imaging capabilities, which would allow CaSSIS to build 3D maps of the Martian surface using measurements with sound waves.

Though the color-imaging equipment was functioning as planned, the first photos appear black and white. That's because the areas photographed are dusty  volcanic without much color to be seen. "We will have to wait a little until something colorful passes under the spacecraft," Thomas said.

The first stereo reconstruction of a small area in Noctis Labyrinthus on Mars, created by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The image gives an altitude map of the region with a resolution of less than 65 feet (20 meters). (Image credit: ESA/Roscosmos/ExoMars/CaSSIS/UniBE)

TGO is currently orbiting Mars once every four days in a highly elliptical path. At its closest, the spacecraft flies within 155 miles (250 kilometers) of the ground. These close approaches are happening quickly before the orbiter raises its altitude to about 62,000 miles (100,000 km).

CaSSIS was up and running for two of these approaches during its testing phase and returned a total of 11 images. ESA then combined some of the new photos in the video above to simulate a flyover of Hebes Chasma, a 190-mile-long (310 km) canyon in the Martian surface.

"We saw Hebes Chasma at 2.8 meters per pixel," said Thomas. "Thats a bit like flying over Bern at 15,000 kilometers [9,300 miles] per hour and simultaneously getting sharp pictures of cars in Zurich."

A structure called Arsia Chasmata on the flanks of one of the large Martian volcanoes, Arsia Mons. This view was created by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The width of the image is around 16 miles (25 kilometers). The formation is volcanic in origin, and pit craters are visible. (Image credit: ESA/Roscosmos/ExoMars/CaSSIS/UniBE)

After the botched landing of the Schiaparelli spacecraft in October, pressures have been high for the ExoMars team. "A lot of public attention has been on the failed landing of Schiaparelli, but TGO has been working really well, so we have been extremely busy in the past month," Thomas said.

"We were quite nervous but it looks as though almost everything functioned as we planned it. The resulting images are really sharp," Antoine Pommerol, a CaSSIS co-investigator at the Center of Space and Habitability in Bern, said in the same statement.

For the next few months, the team will continue to prepare CaSSIS for its prime mission. "The test was very successful but we have identified a couple of things that need to be improved in the onboard software and in the ground post-processing," Thomas said.

TGO will spend nine to 12 months "aerobraking," or slowing down to round out its elliptical orbit. Eventually, the orbiter will circle the planet at a constant altitude of about 250 miles (400 km). Its primary science mission is scheduled to begin by the end of 2017. Then TGO will begin studying gases in the Martian atmosphere.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The rare Ming Dynasty paper banknote was hidden in the wooden sculpture of a Chinese religious figure more than 600 years ago.

Art experts in Australia have found a rare paper banknote from the Ming Dynasty of Imperial China hidden inside an antique wooden sculpture that was being prepared for auction.

The Chinese characters on the crumpled banknote show that it was issued in the third year of the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty  or 1371 in the Western calendar. The inscriptions also warn would-be counterfeiters that they face the penalty of death by beheading.

The 645-year-old banknote was found hidden inside a wooden sculpture of the head of a "luohan," a religious figure from Chinese Buddhism, that may once have stood in a family or public temple, said Paul Sumner, chief executive of Mossgreen's Auctions in Melbourne, Australia, which discovered the note. [See photos of the paper banknote that dates back to China's Ming Dynasty]

Sumner said the firm's specialist in Asian artworks, Ray Tregaskis, spotted the note wedged inside the hollow head of the sculpture as he inspected the artifact in preparation for an auction in Sydney, Australia, next month.

"It wasn't easy to see  it was hidden right up out of eyesight, folded up into a little, 1-inch [2.5 centimeters] fold," Sumner told Live Science. "The note has been in at least two collections that we know of without the knowledge of the owners."

Currency experts at Mossgreen's Auctions immediately identified the note as a rare paper "bank seal" that was issued in China during the Ming Dynasty.

"It wasn't in very good condition, as you'd imagine with all those folds and after hundreds of years with some degree of exposure to the elements," Sumner said.

Very few of these Ming Dynasty banknotes have survived to present day, he added, "bearing in mind that they were constantly being handled  it's not like people kept them in plastic sleeves, like collectors would today."

Ming money

The Ming Dynasty banknote is much larger than modern paper money, roughly equivalent to the size of a standard "U.S. letter" page of paper.

Chinese characters and official seals printed in red and black ink declare that the note is a "Great Ming Treasure Note" with a value of "one guan"  depicted as 10 "strings" of Chinese copper coins, which could be grouped with a string through the hole in each coin.

According to the American historian of Chinese currency John E. Sandrock, one guan was equivalent to 1,000 copper coins, or 1 ounce (28 grams) of pure silver.

The newfound banknote also includes a dire warning to counterfeiters that they will be punished with decapitation, and offers a large reward to anyone who informs on such criminals.

At the time this banknote was issued, paper money was almost unheard of outside China. The first European banknotes date from the mid-17th century, around 300 years later. [The 25 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth]

Based on the date on the banknote and the expert dating of the sculpture it was found in, it's thought the money may have been hidden as a religious offering when the sculpture was already 30 to 50 years old, Sumner said.

Small offerings like inscriptions on paper, rice grains and semiprecious stones are often found sealed inside the bases of antique Chinese figurines, he said. However, a high-value banknote is considered an extraordinary find, he said.

"From our point of view, what makes the banknote important is that the dating is very close to the dating we'd assumed from stylistic details about the [louhan] figure, as well as the intrigue factor of finding it," Sumner said.

Long journey

Sumner said the sculpture that held the hidden banknote was purchased by the Australian art collector Raphy Star from a specialist dealer in the United Kingdom, but nothing is known about the artifact's origins in China.

"These figures were created for veneration and for spiritual use, sometimes in temples and sometimes in homes," Sumner said. "It may have been part of a larger figure, and because of its size, [we can conclude that] it probably stood in a temple."

The long journey of the sculpture and its hidden banknote may not be over yet: Both artifacts are up for auction in Sydney on Dec. 11, along with the rest of the Raphy Star collection, and are likely to return to China, Sumner said.

"The Chinese have been major buyers for a long time now, and have been repatriating important pieces back to China  particularly mainland China," he said.

The entire Raphy Star collection of artworks from China, Japan and Southeast Asia could fetch up to 5 million Australian dollars ($3.7 million U.S.) at auction, Sumner said.

The louhan sculpture and banknote will be sold together, as a single lot, with an estimated value of up to 45,000 Australian dollars ($34,000 U.S.).

"It's not that we were worried about being beheaded ourselves, but we just thought it might have been more auspicious to keep the two together," Sumner said. "It's such a great story that we didn't really want to separate them."

Original article on Live Science.
(Beijing)  Individual philanthropy in China is on the rise thanks to the growing popularity of online donation platforms, the state-backed China Charity Alliance (CCA) said.

A 127% increase in small-scale donations made via China's top four online donation platforms last year was a major driver fueling this trend, the CCA said on Tuesday. Over 966 million yuan ($140 million) was donated through the top four platforms run by internet giants Sina Weibo, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. subsidiaries Ant Financial and Tmall.

Annual donations received by Chinese charitable causes in 2015 rose to a record high of 110.8 billion yuan, according to CCA's Annual China Charity Donation Report. It was a 6.4% year-on-year growth and includes money given by both domestic and foreign donors.

Donations from private and state-owned enterprises still made up the bulk of this sum, but contributions from individuals grew by 32% in 2015, outpacing the rise in corporate donations.

Individual sums less than 10,000 yuan grew by 28% from 5.86 billion yuan in 2014 to 7.5 billion yuan.

Privately run philanthropy platforms make it easier for people to donate, a study conducted by the China Association of Fundraising Professionals and Alibaba Group found last year. These platforms are usually linked to other popular services offered by internet companies, which helps them attract a large number of visitors, the research said.

Young Chinese donors have played a central role in the growth in donations via these sites. The top donors on Ant Love were born between 1970 and 1990, according to Ant Financial, the financial-services arm of Alibaba Group. All four platforms also require donors to have a Chinese bank account.

Users on these platforms can choose to make either regular or one-time donations to causes as diverse as a Great Wall restoration fund and an appeal on behalf of impoverished seniors. Like foreign crowdfunding sites, the platforms also allow users to donate to other users, although these crowdfunded appeals mainly involve supporting sick children or other vulnerable groups, rather than Kickstarter-type innovation projects.

Some platforms have also put in place certain verification procedures to ensure funding appeals for projects are from State Council-approved charities to bridge the trust gap created after several high-profile scandals involving charitable organizations in recent years. Individuals are also encouraged to launch their appeals through a registered charity to minimize fraud.

China still lags behind other major economies when it comes to philanthropy. Charitable giving accounts for only 0.17% of China's gross domestic product in 2014, compared to 12% in the U.S., the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) found last year.

But aside from the annual increase in donations, there are signs that philanthropy is on the rise in China. According to the UNDP, there were more than 4,200 foundations in China in 2015, a 60% increase from 2010. The country's new Charity Law, aimed at improving transparency while reducing obstacles to charitable fundraising, took effect in August.

Contact editor Poornima Weerasekara (poornima@caixin.com)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will sign an agreement with Egypt today (Nov. 30) that will restrict the importation of Egyptian artifacts to the United States.

"Under the agreement, the United States will impose import restrictions on archaeological material representing Egypt's cultural heritage dating from 5200 B.C. through 1517 A.D.," reads a statement from the U.S. Department of State. "Restrictions are intended to reduce the incentive for pillage and trafficking and are one of the many ways the United States is fighting the global market in illegal antiquities."

The agreement will be signed in a televised ceremony between Kerry and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. For years, the Egyptian government has been asking for an agreement to help curtail the widespread looting that has hit the country since the 2011 Egyptian revolution. [In Photos: Looting Across Egypt]

A Live Science investigation published in August revealed that since the 2011 revolution, more than $143 million worth of artifacts have been exported from Egypt to the United States. Interviews done with experts and officials during the investigation revealed that some of the artifacts may have been looted. Among other things, the sources told Live Science that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol does not have the resources to audit every artifact shipment and that it was difficult to prove that a particular shipment was being illegally imported. The claims made by the sources were backed up by documents and photos obtained by Live Science during the investigation.

Moreover, children died in unsafe tunnels while helping looters remove artifacts from an ancient cemetery, according to research done by members of Egypt's Heritage Task Force, which has been tracking looting in Egypt. Photos released by members of the task force showed the children working at the cemetery and in deep narrow tunnels.

How effective will the restrictions be?

It remains to be seen how effective the restrictions will be at keeping stolen Egyptian artifacts from reaching the United States. The U.S. has similar restrictions on imports from Iraq and Syria, but shipments of artifacts from those countries have still arrived.

For instance, despite import restrictions on Iraq, an "antiques" shipment (as it was labeled) with a declared value of $3.5 million passed through customs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August 2013, according to documents released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Neither the Census Bureau nor Customs and Border Patrol has revealed the exact contents of the shipment due to laws restricting the release of trade information.

Additionally, a Live Science investigation published in September revealed that some smugglers may have gotten around the Iraq and Syria restrictions by shipping artifacts to the U.S. through Turkey, which shares a border with both Syria and Iraq. The investigation revealed that since 2003, more than $283 million worth of artifacts have been exported from Turkey to the United States. Experts interviewed by Live Science said those shipments may have included artifacts looted in Syria and Iraq that were smuggled to Turkey before being sent to the United States.

Original article on Live Science.
A Burmese python in the Everglades with a penchant for venison gulped down three whole deer  one doe and two fawns  before wildlife officials captured and euthanized it, a new study reveals.

The gustatory feat sets a record: It's the first invasive Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) caught with three deer in its gut, said study co-lead author Scott Boback, an associate professor of biology at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

The python probably attacked and ate the deer at different times over a 90-day period, Boback said. That time span may seem long, but it's actually quite surprising that a snake would eat three enormous meals in a relatively short window, Boback told Live Science. [Photos: This Invasive Python Ate Three Wild Deer]

"If a python is capable of eating three deer in three months," what else are they eating that we don't know about, he asked. "We don't even know how many of them are out there [in the Everglades]."

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia, but for reasons still shrouded in mystery, they became established in the Everglades during the 1990s. The snakes can grow to be up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) long in the Everglades (and up to 26 feet, or 8 m, long in Southeast Asia). They use their strong muscles to wrap around prey, obstructing their victims' blood flow until circulation stops.

Deer trio

It's unclear how the python attacked the deer, but the snake may have hid in the water, waiting for the deer to stop for a drink. That would have left the deer within striking distance of the snake, Boback said.

The 15.6-foot-long (4.8 m) female snake was almost done digesting its three massive meals when officials caught and euthanized it on June 3, 2013. A necropsy, or animal autopsy, revealed an empty stomach but intestines packed with poop.

The fecal matter was immense: more than 14 lbs. (6.5 kilograms), or 13 percent of the snake's body mass, Boback said. Study co-researchers Teresa Hsu and Suzanne Peurach, scientists at the Smithsonian Institution, sieved through the excrement and found mats of fur and several undigested hooves, bones and teeth, indicating that the python had eaten white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)  and not just one, Boback said.

It's no surprise that the fur, hooves and teeth were undigested, as pythons can't break down keratin or enamel, Boback said. However, they can digest bone, which would explain why the researchers found only fragments of bone in the dung, he said.

After sifting through the snake poop, the researchers found 12 white-tailed deer hooves and 10 dewclaws  the upper part of the deer's toes. The hooves are organized by individual, with the adult on the left side, the large fawn in the middle and the small fawn on the right. (Image credit: Bob Richards/Moon Express)

The size and shape of the hooves  as well as the presence of a deciduous, or baby, tooth  indicated that the adult doe was at least 1 year old and about 99 lbs. (45 kg), one fawn was about 1 month old and 37 lbs. (17 kg) and the other fawn was about 2 weeks old and 29 lbs. (13 kg), the researchers wrote in the study. [In Images: Hungry Python Eats Porcupine Whole]

Python invasion

Pythons are ravenous eaters, and they've been wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem, Boback said. The hungry snakes hunt the region's native animals, including birds, mammals and at least one reptile  the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the researchers wrote in the study.

Although other Everglades studies have shown correlations between the presence of pythons and a drop in mammals  such as raccoons, opossums, bobcats and rabbits  the new report shows concrete evidence that pythons can eat more than one deer within a short period of time, Boback said.

"It just begs the question, 'How often are they eating these things?'" he said.

The study was published in the November issue of the journal BioInvasions Records.

Original article on Live Science.
Capt. James Cook's Arctic expedition vessels, the Resolution (foreground) and the Discovery, depicted on Aug. 18, 1778, off Icy Cape, Alaska, in an etching by John Webber, published in 1792.

The meticulous records of Capt. James Cook, the intrepid British explorer famous for exploring Australia and the Hawaiian islands, have found a new and modern-day value: Helping climate change scientists understand the extent of sea ice loss in the icy Canadian Arctic, according to a new study.

Notes, charts and maps created by Cook and his crew during an Arctic expedition in August 1778 carefully documented the position and thickness of the ice barring the explorers' way. They were searching for a corridor that they thought would link the Pacific and northern Atlantic oceans and offer a new maritime trade route between Great Britain and the Far East.

Cook never found that route, known today as the Northwest Passage. But his observations and those of his crew provide the earliest recorded evidence of then-extensive summer ice cover in the Chukchi Sea. That part of the Arctic Ocean lies between Alaska and Russia. These records, when compared to modern observations of sea ice, indicate how dramatically Arctic ice cover has changed  particularly in recent years, according to study author Harry Stern, a researcher with the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington. [On Ice: Stunning Images of Canadian Arctic]

While Cook wasn't the first explorer to search for the Northwest Passage  nor was he the last  he was the first to chart the ice border that bisected the ocean north of the Bering Strait, Stern said in the study. Cook was also the first to attempt the approach from the Pacific side by traveling up the North American coast, Stern said.

At the time, finding this route  which would have expedited and strengthened trade with the Orient  was an especially urgent goal for Great Britain. In fact, the House of Parliament issued an act in 1745 offering a reward of up to 20,000 pounds (about $24,978 U.S.) for finding and mapping the passage, according to archives of the Royal Greenwich Observatory maintained by the University of Cambridge Digital Library.

Stern, who studies climate and Arctic sea ice, researched Cook's journey for an essay the climate scientist contributed to the book "Arctic Ambitions: Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage" (University of Washington Press, January 2015). As Stern studied the archival documents from the 1778 voyage, he realized he was looking at the very first detailed maps of the ice edge in the Chukchi Sea, he said.

"Ten or twelve feet high"

Prior to Cook's expedition, maps of the area offered little detail or were spectacularly inaccurate; one Russian map that Cook used for reference indicated that Alaska was an island, Stern wrote.

Cook sailed through the Bering Strait on Aug. 11, 1778, but his progress was abruptly halted near Alaska on Aug. 18 by ice that was "as compact as a Wall and seemed to be ten or twelve feet high at least," he wrote in his journal.

In a journal entry the next day, Cook described tracking the edge of sea ice hidden in the fog by listening for the sounds of bellowing walruses, which he called "sea horses." Stern pointed out that this may be the first recorded use of remote sensing  obtaining information about a distant object by calculating energy it emits  to locate the position of sea ice.

An impenetrable wall

Cook scoured the edge of the ice wall for 11 days, but though he traveled as far west as the coast of Siberia, he couldn't find an opening. Forced to retreat south, Cook vowed to resume the search the following summer, but he never returned to the region, and died in Hawaii six months later.

Still, Cook's thwarted efforts collected important data about Arctic ice, the researchers said. His records of the impenetrable ice wall's location and scope were so accurate that the notes could be used in alignment with later maps. This helped scientists to clarify historical sizes and positions of the ice edge, and to determine how it varied over time, Stern said.

And over hundreds of years, the size of the icy wall Cook originally documented fluctuated somewhat from year to year but didn't shift dramatically  until the 1990s, Stern told UW Today. Since then, changes have been significant, he said.

"The summer ice edge in the Chukchi Sea is now hundreds of miles farther north than it used to be," Stern said.

It wasn't until the beginning of the 20th century that the Northwest Passage was navigated in its entirety  albeit in a relatively small ship  in an expedition led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen between 1903 and 1906. And in 2007, with Arctic sea ice at its lowest levels in 30 years, the passage opened enough to accommodate large cargo ships and research vessels.

Might Cook have found that elusive passageway in 1778, if sea ice cover were more like it is today? Probably, Stern told UW Today  but that doesn't mean it would have been easy.

"One thing hasn't changed: It's still dangerous to navigate through ice-covered waters," Stern said.

The findings were published online Nov. 3 in the journal Polar Geography.

Original article on Live Science.
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Longford retailers have given a mixed reaction to last week's staging of the US-themed 'Black Friday' shopping extravaganza.

More than 100 retailers and local businesses took part in the time honoured American shopping tradition as stores looked to set down a marker ahead of the Christmas shopping rush.

For hard-pressed shopowners, the feedback in the days since has been decidedly varied, raising questions about the long term feasibility of the trans-Atlantic shopping phenomenon.

Donal Dobson, of Dublin Street's Dobson's Jewellers, conceded this year's Black Friday promotion struggled to replicate the success of its 2015 equivalent.

Personally, it just wasn't as good as last year, he said.

Demand wasn't nearly what it was last year.

To illustrate his point Mr Dobson said his decision to uphold the 'Black Friday' model on both Friday and Saturday this year paled in comparison to the one day shopping bonanza of 12 months earlier.

He did, nonetheless, hint that his chosen staple of wares may well have coerced bargain hunters to suspend parting with their hard-earned euros at least for the time being.

Jewellery is the sort of thing that is often left to the last minute, he accepted.

It was an almost identically pensive sounding Therese Durkin who spoke to the Leader 72 hours after the curtain was brought down on Black Friday for another year.

I knew it wouldn't be as good, said the Longford town jeweller, who did admit to seeing a rise in footfall around the town.

We lost an agency for a brand and that might have made the difference because I did have people coming in looking for it.

In spite of the somewhat muted response from retailers, the message from local business representatives couldn't have been more divergent.

We have been getting some excellent feedback from retailers right from the start of the day all the way through to closing, said a buoyant-sounding Chamber of Commerce President, Derek Scanlon.

He said the challenges posed by the sterling's post-Brexit slump meant it was imperative towns like Longford pulled out all the stops to entice consumers to shop locally.

What something like this (Black Friday) does is it shows people the value and choice that is available in Longford so that they then don't have to go elsewhere.
It's been just over a year since Brave Giant last played at the Backstage Theatre, and what a year it has been.

In October 2015, the five-piece from north Longford - made up of vocalists and guitarists Mark Prunty and Podge Gill, banjo and mandolin player Ross McNerney, drummer Emmett Collum and bass player David Kilbride - played to a full-to-capacity theatre, with promises to release an EP.

Fast-forward just fourteen months and the change is scarcely believable. The boys have a range of performances, such as Indiependence, Electric Picnic and some UK festivals under their belts, as well as a four-song EP 'Lordy Lordy' which spent almost a week at number two on iTunes, joining heavy-hitters such as Beyonce and the late Prince. Two videos have also been released; one for title track 'Lordy Lordy' and the other for 'Easy'.

As regards some of the gigs that we've done... it's been massive, recalled Podge Gill. When you're in the middle of it, you don't have the time to think about it, but to look back and see what we've done... It's been fairly crazy.

Speaking about the Lordy Lordy EP, he continued; We definitely never expected that kind of reaction, but it just kind of snowballed.

As well as festivals, the band has enjoyed a number of high profile gigs, including two sell-out dates upstairs at Whelan's. They will also play Dublin's Workman's Club on December 17, which is sold out.

Next year, the hope is to take on Whelan's Main Stage, while calls have already come in for Brave Giant to take on the States, a task Podge said the band would 'relish' if the opportunity presented itself.

The main aim, fans will be thrilled to hear, is to get back to the studio in the early part of 2017 to record a second EP.

While their appeal has certainly stretched far beyond the borders of north Longford, the home crowd is continuously supportive of their favourite sons, as Podge was keen to point out.

We knew we were going to be playing Backstage from April or May. We put up, I think, one post online and it was gone in a matter of days.

It's brilliant that the support is so good at home. Backstage last year really kickstarted us on our vision and transformation from a cover band to an original band.

It's brought a nice 360 turn to it in the past year and [Friday's gig] is something we're really, really looking forward to.
The vice president of the new National Party confirmed to the Leader on Monday that he will not be resigning from his position as treasurer on the national executive of ICSA.

James Reynolds who is one of the founder members of the new political party has been with ICSA for the past few years and was also involved in the IFA prior to that.

Following a meeting of the ICSA national executive on Thursday, November 24 last, it was confirmed that it was not permissible to be a spokesman for both ICSA and a political party. ICSA confirms that it remains strictly neutral in relation to all political parties and will continue only to advocate ICSA policies on behalf of its members, added a spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Mr Reynolds says there is no question of him resigning from his position on the farming body.

You only resign if you have done something wrong and I havent done anything wrong, he added.

That meeting of the national executive of ICSA was held and there was a discussion on my position as a senior officer on the national executive and my affiliation to a political party but I can confirm that I am national treasurer of ICSA today and will be national treasurer next week as well.

I will not be resigning.

Last week the Leader spoke to Mr Reynolds about his role as vice president of the new National Party.

The Ballinalee native said the party, led by Justin Barrett, was established to deal with the economic crisis and to regenerate rural Ireland.

The time has come, he added, for the people of Ireland to emerge from the shackles of austerity and poverty, and move forward with an independent and nationalist view of where they want to be.

This party is about radical new ideas to deal with the economic crisis and to introduce a programme that will regenerate rural Ireland and help farm families to come out of the poverty trap they are in, he said.

Most farmers in Ireland are now selling meat and produce below the cost of production leaving them completely dependent on EU subsidies to survive.
IFA will hold a major rally in the Bush Hotel Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday, December 2 next at 8pm.

The aim of the event is to highlight the importance of Areas of Natural Constraint (ANCs); to improve payments and to protect areas in the upcoming 2017 Review of ANCs.

IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Padraic Joyce, said that it was vitally important that farmers attended the meeting because the scheme was up for review as part of an EU wide plan to designate areas based on physical handicaps.

Farmers are being invited from the north-west and border areas, added Mr Joyce who then pointed out that MEPs for the region had also been invited to attend.

The ANC payment is of vital importance to thousands of farmers in the west of Ireland and contributes significantly to farm income.Currently the ANC scheme is worth 205m to around 95,000 farmers throughout the country.

In the marginal areas of the west of Ireland, farmers need to see their payments increase as farm incomes are under severe threat.

We want to restore payment levels to pre-2008 Budget cuts and to ensure the long-term financing of this scheme.
The four month long wait for a new superintendent to be appointed to Granard has come to an end, the Leader can reveal.

The Garda Press Office has this afternoon confirmed Superindentent Brian Mohan will take over from December 13 on foot of a transfer from Dundalk Garda Station.

Details of the impending arrival of Supt Mohan to Granard ends any long-standing fears the north Longford division could be left without a Garda chief in the long term.

Its former Supt , Se McCormack departed back in August to take up a position to take up a position with the Gardais Strategic Transformation Office in Dublin.

Chairperson of Longford Joint Policing Committee (JPC) Cllr Gerry Warnock said the news was particularly welcome in light of concerns a permanent appointment might not be made.

"It's a very positive decision," said Cllr Warnock.

"It's something that has arisen and been talked about over the last number of months but it is very satisfactory that it has been addressed."

Granard Municipal District Cllr PJ Reilly was another to back the announcement, stating the appointment of Supt Mohan was imperative to the policing demands of the greater Granard area.
Justin Nojan Sullivan, a 20-year-old man from Morganton, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to terrorism charges today after admitting that he had conspired online with Junaid Hussain, who was one of the Islamic States key digital operatives.

Hussain was killed in an American airstrike in Raqqa, Syria on Aug. 24, 2015. But his virtual fingerprints continue to be uncovered, as Hussain has been tied to a number of Islamic State supporters in both the US and UK.

Sullivan (seen on the right) was arrested in June 2015, just over two months before Hussain was killed.

Sullivan was in contact and plotted with now-deceased Syria-based terrorist Junaid Hussain to execute acts of mass violence in the United States in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord said in a statement.

Sullivan admitted in court today that he attempted to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries by planning mass casualty shooting attacks on behalf of ISIL against innocent people in North Carolina and Virginia, US Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina added. Sullivan also admitted he had frequent and direct communications with Junaid Hussain, one of ISILs prominent members in Syria, who asked Sullivan to make a video of the deadly attack. Sullivan agreed to make the video.

US Attorney Rose said it was frightening to know that Sullivan was able to use social media to contact and seek advice from ISIL, a murderous organization.

The FBI pieced together the details of Sullivans and Hussains communications, which began no later than June 7, 2015.

Sullivan was also intercepted online by an undercover FBI employee (UCE), to whom he divulged the details of his plotting. Sullivan told the UCE that he planned to attack a concert, bar or club, where he believed as many as 1,000 people would be killed using an assault rifle and silencer. Such a casualty count seems highly improbable, but clearly reflects his murderous intentions.

Sullivan and Hussain conspired to plan mass shooting attacks in North Carolina and Virginia, with Sullivan intending to kill hundreds of innocent people.

The FBI found that Sullivan began to watch and collect Islamic State propaganda, including beheading videos, no later than Sept. 2014. He also destroyed religious items that belonged to his parents. Sullivans mother once opened a package containing a silencer he planned to use in his massacre of innocents. He came to believe that his parents would interfere with his plot, so he offered to compensate the UCE to kill them. Sullivans fear was well-placed, as his own father ultimately helped turn him in.

A grand jury also alleged that Sullivan killed his neighbor, John Bailey Clark. Sullivan did not admit that he committed the murder, but prosecutors have reserved the right to prove this additional conduct at Sullivans sentencing hearing.

The Islamic State has consistently told supporters that they could better serve the so-called caliphate by striking in the West, rather than traveling abroad to wage jihad on the battlefields in Iraq, Syria or elsewhere. Sullivan apparently responded to this directive, as he told the FBIs UCE via social media that it was better to remain in the United States to support ISIL than to travel.

Digital operatives and remote-controlled terror

It is often difficult to assess how much of a threat an aspiring jihadist poses. The FBI is tracking hundreds of potential cases at any given time.

Sullivans contacts with Hussain stand out as especially important, however, given that Islamic State operatives such as Hussain have guided a series of plots in the West.

Earlier this year, Munir Abdulkader pleaded guilty to terrorism charges after he also admitted to communicating with Junaid Hussain. According to the Department of Justice, Hussain directed and encouraged Abdulkader, who lived in Ohio, to plan and execute a violent attack within the United States. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Ohio man conspired with Islamic State recruiter, Justice Department says.]

It is likely that Hussain was also in contact with the two gunmen who opened fire at an event dedicated to drawing images of the Prophet Mohammed in Garland, Texas on May 3, 2015. As The New York Times reported, one of the two gunmen, Elton Simpson, tweeted that people should follow an account linked to Hussain shortly before his failed assault. Hussains tweets before the attempted shooting indicated that he possibly had foreknowledge of Simpsons plans. The tweets suggest that there may have been more to Simpsons relationship with Hussain.

British officials also connected Hussain to plots in the UK. In September 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron disclosed that intelligence officials had tied Hussain and another Islamic State operative, Reyaad Khan, to planned attacks. According to Cameron, Hussain and Khan were British nationals based in Syria who were involved in actively recruiting [Islamic State] sympathizers and seeking to orchestrate specific and barbaric attacks against the West, including directing a number of planned terrorist attacks right here in Britain, such as plots to attack high profile public commemorations, including those taking place this summer. Khan was also killed in an airstrike in Syria. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Prime Minister says 2 British nationals killed in airstrikes were plotting attacks.]

According to the US State Department, Hussains wife, Sally Jones, has also been involved in the Islamic States online plotting. Foggy Bottom added Jones to the US governments designated terrorist list in Sept. 2015.

Jones and Hussain targeted American military personnel through publication of a hit list online to encourage lone offender attacks, the State Department explained. Jones has used social media to recruit women to join the Islamic State and, in August 2015, encouraged individuals aspiring to conduct attacks in Britain by offering guidance on how to construct homemade bombs.

Hussain isnt the only digital planner whose reach has extended into the US.

Another Ohio man, Aaron Travis Daniels, was arrested earlier this month as he was beginning his journey to Libya. Daniels was allegedly in contact with an Islamic State operative known as Abu Isa Al Amriki, who acted as a recruiter and external attack planner. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Daniels said at one point that it was al Amriki who suggested he go to Libya to support jihad. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Ohio man allegedly communicated with an Islamic State external attack planner.]

Al Amriki and his wife, an Australian national known as Umm Isa Amriki, were killed in an airstrike near Al Bab, Syria on Apr. 22. The DOJ does not allege that al Amriki instructed Daniels to commit an attack inside the US. But his ability to communicate with Daniels online is further evidence of the Islamic States long online reach. Al Amriki has been tied to other cases as well.

The Islamic States digital planners were especially effective at guiding a series of plots in France and Germany earlier this year. In at least some cases, terrorists were in contact with their Islamic State handlers right up until the moment of their attacks. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Terror plots in Germany, France were remote-controlled by Islamic State operatives.]

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.
Vietnam, like many other countries in the world, has an open policy on the registration and use of its country code top-level domain name, .vn. Accordingly, any individual or organisation, whether domestic or foreign, whether present in Vietnam or not, has the right to register and subsequently use domain names ending in .vn.

With such an open policy, disputes over domain names will naturally arise, especially when unrelated applicants register names similar to, or containing, the protected marks and brands of IP rights holders. While it seems that Vietnam has done well at creating a convenient mechanism allowing anyone to easily register and use domain names, it has not yet been able to establish an adequate mechanism to resolve the disputes arising therefrom.

An interesting challenge arises in cases where the registrant and user of the .vn domain name is located abroad and has never been present in Vietnam. For example, an enterprising cybersquatter in a foreign country could register the .vn version of an emerging tech company's .com domain name before the legitimate rights holder has turned its attention to securing all possible international permutations of its domain name.

Legal obstacles

In issues relating to cyberspace, Vietnamese law has struggled to keep up with rapid changes in technology, and this hinders the ability of rights holders to seek redress in the case of infringement by persons or entities located outside of Vietnam. The first obstacle is that Vietnam's legal system does not yet contain clear provisions to deal with situations where a defendant is located outside of Vietnam. In this regard, it must be noted that at present all domain name disputes must be handled by civil or administrative actions (there is no mandatory arbitration required, and no cybersquatters would voluntarily agree to arbitration). An administrative action is essentially impossible, as the administrative body is required to meet face-to-face with the cybersquatter to directly serve a decision on inspection.

The current Civil Procedure Code of Vietnam, which was adopted in 2015 and entered into effect on July 1 2016, sets out in Article 189.3(d) that one of the mandatory factors for a lawsuit to be accepted is that the complaint must clearly indicate the name and residential address (for an individual) or the address of the headquarters (for a legal entity) of the defendant, or at least the last residential/headquarters address of the individual or legal entity. The law only affords jurisdiction in cases where the individual or organisation was in Vietnam and thus had a home or business address in Vietnam, or perhaps used to have a home or business address in Vietnam. The law as written did not contemplate a situation where the defendant had never lived or established an office in Vietnam, but undertook actions that had an effect in Vietnam, such as registering an infringing .vn domain name online from overseas.

Creative solutions

The lack of jurisdiction could be overcome if judges and administrative authorities use some creative approaches and flexible readings of the laws on the books.

One such reading may include considering a domain name as a type of "property" located in Vietnam, and, thus, jurisdiction being justified. In this regard, Article. 68.1 of the Law on Information Technology states: "Vietnamese national domain names ending in '.vn' and their lower-level domain names constitute a part of national information resources, which are of the same utility and must be managed, exploited and used for proper purposes and with efficiency." Thus, it is plausible for courts to view the .vn domain name resource as a natural resource similar to coal or oil. Accordingly, there is no reason why the court of Vietnam should not have jurisdiction over these disputes.

One other mechanism that could help the current jurisdictional issues in the context of domain name disputes would be for Vietnam to require registrants of .vn domain names to agree to a mandatory arbitration process when they register their domain name. At present, arbitration must be agreed to by both parties. Of course, if the cybersquatter is seeking to extort funds from the rightful owner of the domain name, they will not submit to arbitration.

In the meantime, all disputes must be solved through civil or administrative actions, or by negotiation with the cybersquatter. Moreover, the domain name registry should be required to collect and provide transparently the names, addresses and contact information of registrants when a dispute arises.

Thomas J Treutler Loc Xuan Le

Tilleke & GibbinsHAREC Building, 4th Floor4A Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: +84 4 3772 6688Fax: +84 4 3772 5568vietnam@tilleke.comwww.tilleke.com
Also on the blog in the past week were:

ITMA becomes CITMA

Expert witnesses in patent litigation around the world

INTA Brussels marks 10th anniversary with Digital World conference

Weve also posted the following articles in the past week (log in via subscription or free trial):

Live from Palo Alto: the 2016 International Women's Leadership Forum

Canada roundup: Blacklocks copyright loss, promise doctrine at the Supreme Court, Quebec signage, CETA, CanCon

UK to ratify UPC Agreement despite Brexit - reaction (UPDATED)

Analysing the Federal Circuits Unwired Planet ruling on CBMs at the PTAB

New opportunities for global brand owners

Brazil commits to joining Madrid System

The growing local v global trend

China drives growth in IP filings - WIPO's latest report in numbers

Defining the IP landscape in IoT

Debating partnering strategies for patent licensing

A Sirius amount of money

SiriusXM has agreed to pay up to $99 million as part of the settlement reached recently with Flo & Eddie and other pre-1972 song rights owners, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Pre-1972 sound recordings are not protected by copyright. Two members of 1960s band The Turtles sued under state laws for compensation for online radio services broadcasting their music.

The payment will be at least $25 million, but could rise to $40 million to resolve claims of past misappropriation. This is in addition to an estimated $45 million to $59 million for a 10-year licensing deal.

Sirius had previously reached a $210 million settlement with record labels.

Jury finds Jersey Boys creators infringed copyright

The Hollywood Reporter brings further copyright news: a jury in the District of Nevada has found the creators of Broadway hit Jersey Boys liable for copyright infringement.

The jury found that the Tony-winning play took part of the show from an unpublished autobiography of founding member Tommy DeVito. The ghost-writer of the book died before it could be published. His widow sued when she learned about the plays connection to the book.

The jury attributed 10% of Jersey Boys success to the infringement. Two of the Four Seasons Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio  were cleared from liability in the lawsuit by Judge Robert Jones earlier this month.

Federal Circuit denies Samsung rehearing

The Federal Circuit has denied Samsungs request for a further rehearing en banc of an Apple v Samsung matter relating to the second California lawsuit between the two companies, reports the FOSSpatents blog.

Florian Mueller on the FOSSpatents blog said this follows a decision by a majority of the circuit judges in early October to overturn a panel decision in Samsung's favour without any opportunity for further briefing.

While the sudden reversal of fortunes in October was unbelievably surprising, it would have been a comparable surprise if the circuit judges had now admitted to not having followed proper procedures, said Mueller. There are petitions, ambitious petitions, long-shot petitions, and there are petitions like this one, which one might call courtesy petitions: they just show to the next higher court that a party really exhausted each and every opportunity to achieve a different result before a (further) appeal. It's like saying we really didn't mean to bother you and look how hard we tried to avoid it but... what can we do?

TiVo and Netflix enter IP agreement

TiVo and Netflix have signed an intellectual property agreement that provides Netflix a licence to TiVos patent portfolios and a licence to the Intellectual Ventures patent portfolio for over-the-top offerings.

This agreement represents one of the first licenses granted under the exclusive partnership with Intellectual Ventures announced earlier this year, said the companies.

The companies also signed a separate product agreement calling for TiVo to continue integrating Netflix into TiVo set-top boxes available to consumers through a select number of pay-TV providers and retail stores.

Results of the post-grant outcomes pilot

The USPTO has announced the results of its post-grant outcomes pilot, focused on pending patent applications that are related to issued patents undergoing an America Invents Act (AIA) trial proceeding before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Wed like to report that the Post Grant Outcomes Pilot has succeeded in making examiners aware of patents related to applications they are examining that are involved in PTAB trials, and in turn has facilitated the timely and effective examination of applications, said PTAB Chief Judge David Ruschke (pictured below) and Commissioner for Patents Drew Hirschfeld in a blog post.

This pilot was intended to help examiners harness the art presented during AIA trials to enhance examination of a related application, so they could reach more expeditious decisions on patentability. During the pilot, the USPTO notified examiners via email when they had an application related to an AIA trial, and streamlined access to the contents of the trial by pinpointing for examiners the most relevant documents.

Examiners were surveyed on the results. They found the PTAB information  especially the initial petition (including the prior art citations), the PTABs institution decision, and any expert declarations  to be highly useful. Some 46% of the examiners referred to at least one reference cited in the AIA trial petition during the examination of their own case, either by citing it in a rejection or as pertinent prior art. If an examiner did not use or cite the prior art from the trial, it was most likely because the claims were different between the parent and the child case, the examiner disagreed with the AIA petitioners analysis of the prior art and/or claims, or the examiner was able to find better art.

In August 2016 the USPTO deployed an upgrade to examiners desktop application viewers which allows automated access to the contents of related AIA trials, including access to the entire file, and any cited prior art.

Our next objective with regards to the post grant outcomes process is to identify examination best practices or deficiencies that we can address through additional examiner training, said Ruschke and Hirschfeld. To accomplish this, we are currently analysing data gathered about the AIA trials with respect to prior art searching and claim interpretation, and are also working to thoroughly analyse how PTAB trials impact related applications.

Does the ITC have authority over trade secrets?

Orricks Trade Secrets Watch has highlighted a trade secrets case that is being petitioned to the Supreme Court: Sino Legend v ITC.

Sino Legend wants the high court to review whether Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 that allows the ITC to adjudicate cases involving allegations of trade secret misappropriation taking place entirely in a foreign country.

Now, we wait to see if the Supreme Court will grant certiorari over Sino Legends petition, said Orrick. One important issue that the Supreme Court may choose to consider is one of comity. Right now, comity is discretionary and the ITC is not obligated to agree with foreign judgments. Because there is a Chinese Court decision ruling that Sino Legend did not misappropriate SIs trade secrets (later affirmed on appeal) that is drastically different from the ITCs finding of misappropriation, the Supreme Court may choose to scrutinise the issue of comity more closely than the Federal Circuit did in TianRui.

In TianRiu, the Federal Circuit made clear that it did not detect any conflict between the Commissions actions and Chinese law that would counsel denying relief based on extraterritorial acts of trade secret misappropriation relating to the importation of goods affecting a domestic industry.

Orrick said the ITC forum has been especially great for companies that wished to combat trade secret theft occurring outside of the US.

Among other things, the ITC is fast (about half the time compared to federal court) and can exercise jurisdiction over foreign companies. This is beneficial for American companies that would otherwise have a difficult time initiating a case abroad due to complicated and unknown foreign laws and complicated Hague Convention requirements. In short, the TianRui decision provided an effective and less complicated means for enforcing trade secrets abroad.

In potential patent cases at the Supreme Court, Patently-O has news:
Managing IP has just published our latest supplements, focusing on Brazil and Mexico.

The Brazil articles discuss life sciences and enforcement.

New Brazilian regulation encourages life sciences innovation A new decree regulates Brazils Biodiversity Law. Kene Gallois and Danielle Altomari of Daniel Advogados explain why this can represent friendly prospects for innovative life sciences companies Enforcement and licensing on the rise in Brazil Jose Carlos Vaz e Dias of Vaz e Dias Advogados & Associados reports on the latest developments to improve the Brazilian IP system

The Mexico articles discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the new opposition system, online marketplaces, patent eligible subject matter and IT as evidence to prove trade mark use.

Mexico and the TPP Jorge Vega, Eduardo Castaneda and Guillermo Gonzalez of Basham Ringe and Correa explain how the Trans-Pacific Partnership would affect Mexicos IP system Madrid System and Mexicos opposition system Laura Collada and Ariadna Galvez of Dumont Bergman Bider & Co discuss Mexicos experience of the Madrid System since 2013 and point out some flaws in its new opposition system Why online marketplaces should implement IP protection programmes Fernanda Diaz and Victor Ramirez of Olivares discuss the role and responsibilities of online intermediaries in connection with IP rights in Mexico Mexican law and practice related to patent eligible subject matter Hector Chagoya and Claudia Campos of Becerril Coca & Becerril discuss the features of the Mexican patent system under a new environment for human creativity recognition, and analyse statutory provisions given the scarcity of administrative or judiciary precedents available for interpreting Mexican law Information technology and proving trade mark use Enrique Romano Barragan of Goodrich discusses the importance of information technology as evidence to prove trade mark use in cancellation actions on grounds of lack of use according to Mexican law

Managing IP has also this year published supplements on Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, India, Americas, China and Turkey. You can view them all here.
In a year where populism has swept the ballot box, is Italy next? On December 4, the country will hold a referendum on whether to reform the size, powers and appointment process for Parliament's upper house, the Senate. If the referendum is approved, the Senate's powers would be greatly curtailed and size reduced. It would shrink from 315 members to 100, the government would no longer have to win a Senate confidence vote, fewer measures would require Senate approval and senators would be appointed by Italy's Regional Councils instead of directly elected. If passed, it would foster government stability and make it easier to pass badly needed reforms. But if it fails, many fear it will destabilize Italy's pro-euro government, potentially propelling anti-euro populists to power and raising the risk of a domino effect across the eurozone. In our view, however, fears of broader market impact are likely overstated.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi proposed the referendum to mitigate the Senate's ability to block legislation and increase the Italian government's stability, through elimination of one confidence vote. However, he also indicated his government will step down if the referendum is defeated. Opposition parties, such as the Five Star Movement (M5S), are against the referendum, as they believe it gives too much control to the Prime Minister. Many believe a Renzi resignation could give M5S an opening to enter the national government.

Italy doesn't allow the publication of polls 15 days prior to an election or referendum, but the last polls indicated the "No" vote was ahead by about three points. PredictIt, a betting website similar to the late, great InTrade, puts the odds of the "No" vote prevailing at ~80%. But as US elections and the Brexit vote showed, polling and prediction have been unreliable lately. The considerable number of undecided voters (~20%) also suggests any poll isn't conclusive.

What would be the likely impact of a "Yes" or "No" outcome?

"Yes" Vote Wins: A "Yes" result would likely provide stability to the Italian political environment and open the door for needed reforms. PM Renzi would probably view this as a mandate to continue pushing electoral and labor market reforms. Concerns surrounding Italian banks would likely ease, as a government would remain in place to act if support is needed.

"No" Vote Wins: A "No" result would likely result in Renzi's resignation and create political uncertainty. It would be up to Italian President Sergio Mattarella to either call snap elections, push for the formation of a new government or appoint a technocrat as PM (as in 2011, when former President Giorgio Napolitano installed Mario Monti as PM after appointing him a lifetime Senator). Mattarella has already expressed disdain for snap elections, so the likely outcome would be some sort of caretaker government. Renzi could even be reappointed as PM, but given a very narrow mandate on which to focus. Italian banking concerns would likely increase, as political uncertainty might limit struggling banks' ability to raise capital or result in a government that's slow to offer support.

Markets are discounters of all widely known information, including polling and predictions on Italian politics. While a "No" vote would raise uncertainty, the markets have been digesting this for most of the year, and concerns over the referendum likely explain why Italy is one of the worst performing countries in the world this year (down over -20%). Markets have dealt with several date-certain political events this year, including Brexit and the US election. Uncertainty has fallen in the wake of each, and we expect markets to overcome this event as well and benefit from the additional clarity.

Italy makes up less than 1% of developed market equities and ~2% of global GDP-not nearly large enough to wallop global markets. Finally, Italy has had eight Prime Ministers since 2000, so an unstable political environment is nothing new. A "No" vote would essentially maintain the status quo and have limited impact on the rest of Europe. Although it would probably be an incremental positive for Italian and eurozone markets if the referendum is approved, especially with sentiment so negative, by the same token non-passage-and Italian gridlock-is likely already priced in.
MARTINSVILLE-The holiday season is in full swing with Christmas shopping, traveling, and events. for many people it is also a time for giving. There are endless opportunities such as giving of time volunteering or giving of money to a charitable organization, and even giving of gifts to loved ones. But what about giving blood?

In the summer time as well as during the holiday season there is often a decline in blood donations, said Bernadette Jay, external communications manager of the Red Cross Appalachian Blood Services Region, but the need for blood doesnt take a break for the holidays.

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. That means nationwide they need to collect roughly 44,000 units of blood. In Henry County they need to collect 500 to 600 units of blood everyday to ensure that blood and blood products are available to patients who need them.

This is an ongoing need, noted Jay, blood expires after 42 days so we arent able to store it in a warehouse and use it for years and years.

Unfortunately, blood is also something that cant be created or collected in any others way apart from individual donations, and according to Jay, only about 38 percent of the population in the United States is eligible to donate. Yet out of that 38 percent, the American Red Cross has noted that only 8 percent of eligible donors actually donate blood.

There are so many patients who will be in the hospital during the holidays, and they are depending on those donations, said Jay, the only way we can meet patients needs is for people need to roll up their sleeves and donate.

The Red Cross supplies roughly 40 percent of the nations blood supply to over 2600 hospitals that they partner with, including Martinsville Memorial. Its commonly believed that the Red Cross always need O negative blood, (because its the universal blood type and will be given to patients in the hospital if there isnt time to figure out what their blood type is) every blood type is needed now.

All blood types are needed at this time, said Jay, we want the blood that we collect to be just as diverse as the patients that will receive it.

If you are interested in becoming a potential donor, keep in mind there are eligibility requirements that must be met before you can donate. Individuals who are 17 (16 with parental consent if allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and donors 18 and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood is essentially like a medicine so it is regulated by the FDA, explained Jay, the requirements are not necessarily the Red Cross rules, but they are guidelines we have to follow.

If you dont meet the requirements you may be deferred from donating, but dont be discouraged there are still ways to help even if you cant give blood.

If you have been deferred you can still spread the word and encourage others to donate blood, explained Jay, you can also volunteer, or host a blood drive.

Giving blood doesnt require much more than rolling up ones sleeve and it can change someones life.

If you meet the requirements to donate blood, you can complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, through RapidPass any day prior to donating, on the day of the donation, or prior to arriving at the blood drive.

Here locally, the next blood drive will be held Dec. 8 at the RSMO Druid Hills Shopping Center. Thats over at 1081 Spruce Street in Martinsville and the drive will take place from 2 to 6 p.m.

Potential donors can also download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or to get information.
The same day that Valley Venture Mentors was commended by the White House for its work to support start-ups, the not-for-profit received a seven-figure investment of its own.

MassMutual announced Wednesday that the corporation's foundation will invest just over a million dollars in VVM.

The investment will be made over a three-year period.

Mo Reed-McNally, MassMutual foundation program officer, announced the donation Wednesday during a press conference at the Valley Venture Mentors offices in Springfield's Tower Square.

The Valley Venture Mentors startup accelerator offers participants four months of intense training, support from experts in their field, collaboration with peers and the chance to win up to $50,000 in equity-free funds to invest in their business.

Investors are typically a homogenous group of people, VVM CEO Liz Roberts said Wednesday, a group who "fund what they know."

This investment method limits funding by industry, region and population demographics, Roberts said.

"Inclusivity is key to putting Springfield and Western Massachusetts on the map," she said.

Participants in the Springfield start-up accelerator range in age from college students in their early 20s to mid-level workers seeking a new career after spending several decades in the work force. Valley Venture Mentors seeks to encourage entrepreneurship among underrepresented populations.

Such investment in individuals leads to economic development and job creation in the community, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said Wednesday.

"We were and still are the city of firsts," Sarno said. In the city's mission to make Springfield a more appealing place to work and live, he said Valley Venture Mentors is "a huge part of the renaissance."
arts.jpg

Tim Jones, head of strategy for Future\City, describes how the arts can foster a better Springfield Wednesday during a meeting of the Springfield Central Cultural District in the MassLive Building downtown.

(Jim Kinney/ The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD -- Beloved children's author Roald Dahl was born in Cardiff, Wales, and that city celebrates him by rolling a building-size "Giant Peach" down its main street on his birthday in celebration of his famous children's novel.

So what is Springfield willing to do for its own author of quirky children's books -- native son Dr. Seuss, who was born Theodor Seuss Geisel here in 1904?

It's one of the questions posed Wednesday by Tim Jones, head of strategy for the London-based consulting firm Futurecity as he laid a case that Springfield, Worcster and Boston need to use the arts to foster economic and real estate development as well as a sense of community and hopefulness to drive their collective futures.

Jones spoke at a morning meeting of the Springfield Central Cultural District at the Ninth Floor Gallery in the MassLive Building, 1350 Main St.

Springfield, Jones said, should focus on Seuss, on opening up connections to the Connecticut River, on having clear and helpful wayfinding signage and information that is also whimsical and fun, of connecting youth to downtown and of integrating the city's various cultures into the downtown arts scene.

Ideas include making use of space under the Interstate 91 viaduct as an arts venue, similar to Toronto's Overpass Park.

Another idea is to host a sort of community potluck meal where all Springfield's cultural groups can mix and learn from one another.

In terms of capitalizing on Seuss, the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum -- a project by the Springfield Museums in cooperation with the late writer's heirs -- is currently under construction at the Quadrangle and set to open in 2017.

Placemaking, Jones said, is the burgeoning art of transforming space -- a sidewalk, a hallway, a concrete pad under a highway overpass -- into a place that is interesting and inviting and a space people want to be.

"We come at that from the point of view of cultural -- broadly defined," Jones said.

That means it doesn't have to be just art galleries and chamber music.

"It is everything from green space, public parks, youth programs, businesses," Jones said.

London-based Futurecity started studying the arts climate and the arts potential to lead a renewal in Springfield, Worcester and in Boston in July as a project paid for by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Boston Foundation. The cultural council -- a state agency -- and the foundation are each paying $75,000, according to a memorandum of understanding provided in response to a public records request by The Republican.

Futurecity founder Mark Davy came to tour all three cities.

Futurecity has worked all over the world in major cities like Sydney, Australia, and the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea in London. Jones said Springfield and Worcester are smaller, yet primed for success.

He cited MGM Springfield and the CRRC Ma rail car plant here and MassDigi, the Massachusetts Digital Games institute, in Worcester.

"Form our outside perspective, there is a real sense that that a renewal is coming," Jones said. "That lends this effort a sense of urgency."

There are challenges, Jones said. Both Springfield and Worcester have too much vacant and unused space in the downtown. College students, be they at Holy Cross or at Springfield College, don't feel connected to their respective cities.

Anita Walker, head of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said the work by Jones and Futurecity has arts organizations talking with real estate developers talking with city officials across the state. From those conversations, collaboration will grow.

"That for me, is the book's last chapter," Walker said.

As for the Giant Peach, Jones said Cardiff officials expected it to draw 50,000 people. They got 100,000.

"To really appreciate it, you have to see this giant peach through the eyes of children," Jones said. "There is a giant peach rolling around, this thing that no sensible grownup would ever stage for them."
The Virgin Mary, Joseph and John the Baptist give their own contemporary messages, including talking about women's rights and Donald Trump, in the Amherst Area Gospel Choir's Christmas performance.

The choir, started by a small church in Amherst, attracts five times as many people to their annual Christmas performance than can fit in their church.

The Christmas performance started about seven years ago, after Jacqui Wallace helped put it together in the Goodwin Memorial A.M.E Zion church, which only fits about 60 people.

But the night of the concert, Wallace said, 80 people showed up.

"People were squished everywhere," Wallace said. "We had to turn away some people."

Since then, the gospel choir has grown. They moved locations and can now hold 300 people -- but even that's not enough.

"We were vibed and psyched about it because really there's nothing in the Valley that is as Christmas-y and is also black gospel," Wallace said.

Performances include Christmas songs, gospel music and, in between songs, include talks about social justice issues by relating the Christmas story text to modern issues.

The audience and choir members are extremely diverse ranging from "black and white, jewish, atheist, agnostic" and, of course, members of the Goodwin Church, Wallace said.

But despite personal backgrounds, honoring the heritage of Horace Clarence Boyer is important for everyone.

Boyer was a UMass professor and scholar in African-American gospel music. He is considered instrumental in introducing gospel music to many communities beyond the African-American church, especially in Western Massachusetts.

This choir hopes to carry that legacy and works to introduce their love of gospel music to people who might've never heard it otherwise.

"Black Gospel music being translated for folks who don't hear it, don't understand it, it's an opportunity to do that," Roger Wallace, 65-year-old choir member and husband to Jacqui Wallace, said.

Amherst Area Gospel Choir is one of the few gospel groups in the area. Wallace said it's more common to find them in urban areas, but they can thrive anywhere.

"So here we are in a rural area, keeping something that is fundamental to people who are black," Wallace said.

The event is free and is on a first come first serve basis, although donations are accepted. The performance is Saturday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. in Johnson Chapel on Amherst College campus.
7158945698_cfde188c07_k.jpg

The sign atop Mass MoCA in North Adams. Photo (http://bit.ly/2gK6RKP) courtesy the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism/Flickr (http://bit.ly/1bfg9eZ). Used under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode).

Christmas has arrived early for contemporary art lovers in the Berkshires.

Residents will have access to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's 110,000 square feet of exhibitions for free for three weeks, starting Thursday. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 21, Mass MoCA will offer free admission to all Berkshire County residents with proof of residence.

Berkshire residents can bring an official ID or utility bill that shows their address for free access to the museum's galleries. Current exhibitions include Nick Cave's "Until," Alex Da Corte's "Free Roses" and more.

The museum, which is located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way in North Adams, is open Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit massmoca.org.
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of monthly columns that address readers' questions on legal topics. Please send your questions to Ask the Experts, The Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01102-1329, or email to news@repub.com with "Ask the Experts" in the subject line.

Q.

Q. I purchased an older home one month ago. After we moved in, I noticed pieces of grout popping out of the flooring tiles and when you walk, and it felt as if the tiles move slightly. This wasn't detected at the time of inspection and I feel the flooring wasn't properly installed. Am I expected to repair this at my own expense or is this something that should have been picked up by the home inspector?

A.

The answer is, it depends. It is important to look at the contract you had with the home inspector to determine what the inspector was responsible for checking, and what may be excluded. If the flooring issues would have been obvious and the inspector failed to identify them, it may be possible to sue the home inspector for negligence.

Michael S. Gove

Generally speaking, a person providing professional services, such as a home inspector, has a duty to exercise the degree of skill, care and diligence that is commonly exercised by other members of the profession under similar circumstances. A breach of this standard of care can lead to liability for negligence. In addition, if in the contract with the home inspector he or she agreed to perform certain services and failed to do so, you may have a claim for a breach of contract.

Suing the seller of the home may be more difficult, as the seller would not have had a duty to disclose these types of problems with the flooring. However, you may have a claim against the seller if he or she outright lied or misrepresented the condition of the flooring to you or your agent.

When buying property, it's important to both retain an experienced home inspector, and inspect the house yourself to identify any problems you can raise with the seller - once the transaction has been finished, it's very difficult to go back to the seller and ask for repairs to be completed.

This response was prepared by Michael S. Gove, a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Business Law Section and Young Lawyers Division. Gove is an attorney with Gove Law Office in Northampton, where his practice focuses on assisting clients in the areas of corporate and business law, estate planning and administration, real estate matters and special education advocacy.



Q.

I work for a gas station as a mechanic where I am paid under the table. While working on a car, I hurt myself requiring surgery but the gas station owner is claiming I am not an employee and he doesn't have to pay my medical bills and I am not able to file workers' compensation. Do I have any rights and is this legal for my boss to not pay me anymore?

A.

Yes, you do have rights. Every employer having persons in its employ is required by law to provide workers' compensation either through an insurance company or by being self-insured. The only exception is if an employee gives the employer "at the time of his contract of hire" written notice claiming the right to pursue claims against the employer at common law, or under the law of any other jurisdiction, for personal injuries. Because such written notice must be given at the time of hiring, this rarely occurs. I assume you did not give any such written notice. Moreover, the fact that you were being paid under the table does not affect this legal obligation.

Robert L. Dambrov

The test used to determine whether you are an employee is one of control. If the employer controls and directs the means by which you perform your job, and not just the end result, you should be deemed to be an employee entitled to workers' compensation. In most cases, a mechanic at a gas station would be an employee.

It is unclear from your question whether the employer is saying that it has workers' compensation insurance but you cannot file for it or that it does not have any workers' compensation insurance. Ask the employer to provide you with the name, address and telephone number of its insurer. If the employer refuses, or says it does not have such insurance, you can contact the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) at (617) 626-5481, which has information on all employers in Massachusetts who either have workers' compensation insurance or who are self-insured. If your employer provides workers' compensation, ask it to provide you with the DIA form for you to report your injury. If the employer refuses, contact a workers' compensation attorney to help you.

Finding a lawyer

If you need a lawyer,

the Massachusetts Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service can help. The Lawyer Referral Service will put you in touch with a professional qualified to handle your case.

If you want to speak with LRS directly:

Call:

(617) 654-0400; or toll free at (866) MASS LRS

When:

Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Online:

www.masslawhelp.com

If the employer does not provide workers' compensation, but is required to do so, you can sue the employer in court for damages for your personal injuries. In this case, because the employer has failed to provide workers' compensation, which it was required by law to do, the employer is deprived of its usual common law defenses and you are not even required to show that the employer was negligent or otherwise at fault.

At the same time, you can also file a claim with the Workers' Compensation Trust Fund, which was established to give employees of uninsured employers the same rights, benefits and duties under the workers' compensation law as employees of insuring employers. Approved claims are paid just as though you were covered for workers' compensation by your employer.

Finally, you can also sue a corporate officer of your employer for negligence for failure to provide workers' compensation coverage.

This response was prepared by Robert L. Dambrov, a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Health, Family and Labor & Employment sections. A shareholder with Cooley, Shrair PC, Dambrov focusing his practice on assisting clients in the areas of labor and employment, discrimination and Social Security disability law.

This column does not constitute legal advice and is written for general information purposes only. Readers should consult with a lawyer for specific legal advice.
Screen Shot 2016-11-30 at 6.07.11 AM.png

A Google Traffic Map image of traffic on Interstate 93.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect that the accident on the road has been cleared.

A crash was blocking the left lane on Interstate 93 at Savin Hill Avenue in Boston is causing traffic delays, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported.

MassDOT tweeted that the incident occurred on the northbound lane.

#MAtraffic Alert: Boston- I-93 Northbound at Savin Hill Ave: Crash blocking left lane, traffic delays.  Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) November 30, 2016

According to a Google traffic map image, the delays seemed to extend from Savin Hill Avenue to South Shore Plaza, near exits 18 and 19.

To keep up with traffic updates and other breaking news, sign up for MassLive text alerts.
Nearly 900 reports of harassment, intimidation, racial slurs, and other hateful incidents were recorded in the 10 days after the U.S. presidential election, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) said Tuesday.

Many of the harassers documented in the incidents invoked President-elect Donald Trump's name, according to the report "Ten Days After: Harassment and Intimidation in the Aftermath of the Election."

The SPLC said that hate crimes and "lower-level incidents of racial or ethnically charged harassment" are far from new in the United States, but many minorities reported incidents they say they have never before experienced, from a Jewish woman in New York hearing the first anti-Semitic comment in all her 25 years, to an Asian-American woman being told to "go home" by a stranger in Oakland, California.

The report cited multiple victims saying they had "never witnessed anything like this." Incidents were documented in workplaces, on the street, on public transportation, grocery stores, houses of worship, places of business, in the victims' cars and even outside their own homes.

But perhaps some of the most alarming cases happened in schools -- with children as young as 12 being told by classmates that they would be deported or killed. "Build a wall" was repeatedly chanted in one cafeteria in Washington state.
Now that the annual college entrance exam is over, many youngsters are looking for part-time jobs before they start university. But they are often taken advantage of because they are young and inexperienced, and keeping a cool head is essential before entering the world of adult work.

To help with the challenge, job portal Albamon on Thursday offered some essential tips for young part-time workers.

First of all, check what the minimum hourly wage is in the company. This year's official minimum wage for both regular and temporary employees is W6,030, rising to W6,470 from next year (US$1=W1,171).

In some cases, trainees are paid only 90 percent of the legal minimum wage, but employers cannot cut their pay if they are employed for less than one year.

Payment should be made in cash directly on a fixed date, and employers are not allowed to change the date or pay in kind or coupons.
Two new developments this past year have made it easier for employers to sue employees in federal court for stealing data from company computers. The most recent is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuits July decision in U.S. v. Nosal interpreting what it means to access a company computer "without authorization" under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the federal computer criminal statute. 18 U.S.C. 1030. The other development is the May amendment to the Economic Espionage Act (EEA), the federal criminal trade secrets act, permitting companies to file a federal civil action against individuals who steal the companys competitively sensitive data. 18 U.S.C. 1831, et. seq.

Read More https://clients.dorsey.com/rs/vm.ashx?ct=24F76F1FDFE645A9CCDD88A5DB2A961BDFF055B2DF8E0BD15EE5636069FFCB1CDB7A3A9C1
frican and global leaders joined the Africa Adaptation Summit at the Global Center on Adaptation (https://GCA.org/), outlining the most critical elements of the global communitys response to the climate crisis that heavily affects Africa as the worlds most exposed region, two months ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (COP27).

rofessor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) said:

Africa is unstoppable. But Africa is ground zero for the global climate breakdown. Nobody benefits if Africa fails to tackle it. Climate fallout in Africa cannot be contained so adaptation action can and must scale at breakneck speed across the continent. The world has to double down on adaptation at the UN climate summit in Egypt just weeks away.

He added that We need an adaptation delivery breakthrough for Africa at COP27. That means adaptation finance visibly flowing in Africa. It means the financial ask on wealthy nations for the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program and its Upstream Financing Facility is delivered by COP27. If we fail, all the progress of Glasgows COP is at risk.

The Summits five-point Communique highlighted that Africa was at a tipping point due to being most exposed to the food crisis triggered by the Ukraine conflict as well as the frontline of the global climate breakdown. It underscored that Success at COP27 will depend on whether the needs of Africa, the worlds most climate-vulnerable continent, are met, with finance flowing into key country-led adaptation programs such as the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).

Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union said:

You have to adapt or die. We do not have the choice. Our time to act is coming to an end. Africa must prioritize adaptation. Africa needs to invest massively in adaptation and resilience. As Chairperson of the African Union, I urge Africas development partners to fully fund the AAAP and make it an exemplary model of what is possible when we collaborate. This impact will be enhanced through your support to the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility and the African Development Banks Climate Action under the ADF Replenishment. The AAAP is what delivers on the vision of the Africa Adaptation Initiative.

COP26 marked a breakthrough thanks to your determination to put adaptation on the global agenda by doubling adaptation finance. Now, with your help, we must keep that promise. With your support, the AAAP can make this vision a reality, concluded President Macky Sall.

The Summit highlighted that Africa is warming faster than other regions. Its underlying socio-economic vulnerabilities also mean that nine out of ten of the worlds most vulnerable countries are in Africa, where food expenses make up 75% of the income of the continents poorest groups when more than a fifth of all Africans are already food insecure. The number of Africas poorest nations at high risk of debt distress has also tripled in the past decade.

President Akufo Addo of Ghana and Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) said:

If we want Africa to thrive, we must adapt to climate change. Africa must close the adaptation financing gap. We cannot wait. I look forward to the swift implementation of the AAAP. The fate of our continent and the planet depends upon it. President Akufo Addo also highlighted adaptation priorities for COP27 including calling for a standalone implementation plan of the COP26-agree doubling of adaptation funding by 2025. Its time to turn words into deeds and ambition into action. Crucially, we expect progress and we expect to see how funds will flow into country-led programs like the AAAP.

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and co-host of the PreCOP27 said:

We are here because we believe the AAAP is needed not just for Africa, but for the world. When Africa wins, the world wins. We cannot let Africa be held back and undermined by the climate crisis. We need partnership to forge a resilient future. With an African COP this year, we cannot miss out on a win for Africa on climate. To secure that win, we need to at minimum see the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility mobilized, positioning the AAAP to drive the full $25 billion in adaptation projects on the ground. He added that our Pre-COP meeting in Kinshasa next month aims to springboard the priorities of Africa and the most vulnerable nations to center-stage at COP27. As a part of the Pre-COP we will also host the CVFs high level Forum of Vulnerable Nations event because this is the voice that matters the most in the climate crisis.

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, said:

The Glasgow decision urges developed countries to collectively double adaptation funding by 2025. This must be delivered in full, as a base line. Developed countries need to provide, by COP27, a clear roadmap of how and when they will deliver on this commitment.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations also underscored that delivery on adaptation finance will be a litmus test for countries honouring their end of the Glasgow Pact, and joined the call for COP27 to deliver a breakthrough on implementation for adaptation.

The Summit at the GCAs floating headquarters in Rotterdam harbour announced US$55 million in new contributions from the United Kingdom ($23m), Norway ($15m), France ($10m), Denmark ($7m), among other supporters to the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility managed by the GCA, whose 1:100 leverage ratio will influence over 5 billion in climate adaptation investments across Africa. The Upstream Financing Facility was described by GCA Chair and 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon as the transmission belt for the best global and regional knowledge and innovation directly to large-scale investment projects in Africa.

Donors announcing new funding commitments to the AAAP Upstream Financing Facility at the Summit further commented, as follows:

President of COP26 Alok Sharma:

COP26 was an important milestone for adaptation, but we have to pick up the pace and turn commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact into urgent action if were to protect those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

As agreed at COP26, developed nations need to at least collectively double climate adaptation finance to developing countries by 2025.

Public finance will not be enough, which is why initiatives such as the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme are key to mobilising private sector engagement and investment for adaptation.

Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister of International Development, Norway:

Norway has committed to double our climate finance and at least triple support to adaptation by 2026. For Norway, GCA is a key partner in advancing the climate adaptation and food security agenda. We welcome GCAs cooperation with the African Development Bank on the AAAP. AAAPs objectives are fully in line with our priorities. How can we  together  minimize the risk of climate disasters? How can we make food systems more resilient  making the most vulnerable better placed to cope with the next drought, flood or plague? How can we  at the same time  create much needed jobs, especially for the youth? AAAP is definitely an important part of the answer. I would therefore encourage more partners to join our efforts.

Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, France:

France remains highly committed to tackling climate change and supporting adaptation in African countries. On behalf of President Macron, I am proud to announce our decision to invest 10 million euros in the AAAPs Upstream Financing Facility. This effort should leverage a total of 1 billion euros of adaptation investments, and support concrete local improvements in environmental quality and resilience.

Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, :

Denmark has set a clear goal: 60% of our climate aid will help developing countries to adapt to climate change. In total, Denmark expects to give at least 1% of the collective target of 100bn I hope this can pave the way for massive investments in adaptation and green energy in Africa. And Denmark will continue to do our part. We are deeply committed to meet climate challenges, and to deliver on our promises.

Over seventy leaders from the international climate and development community attended the Dialogue which concluded with a Communique adopted in the presence of the Dialogues Co-Conveners, Chair of the GCA Board, Ban Ki-moon; CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, Professor Patrick Verkooijen; African Union President Macky Sall of Senegal; Climate Vulnerable Forum Chair President Akufo Addo of Ghana; PreCOP27 host President Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Co-Chair of the GCA Board, Feike Sijbesma.

The following are the five points of the Africa Adaptation Summits Communique:

Africa at a tipping point: The international community needs to reckon with the multiple economic, climate and health crises that are pressuring Africa.

Most vulnerable continent: Africa is the most vulnerable continent to the consequences of the climate crisis.

Adaptation Finance Doubling Implementation: Progress and transparency on the COP26 agreement to doubling international finance for adaptation by 2025 through delivery into the country programs of the most vulnerable will be central to the success of COP27.

Capitalizing Africas Adaptation Program (AAAP): COP27 is the opportunity for the international community to show solidarity with the bold adaptation efforts of the worlds most vulnerable continent by closing in on the outstanding resourcing need for the African Development Fund (ADF) climate action window.

Delivering the AAAP Upstream Facility: Making available the AAAP Upstream Financing Facilitys full resourcing needs by COP27 positions the AAAP itself to drive its full ambition into adaptation projects on the ground across Africa, a headline deliverable for the African COP.

In closing remarks Feike Sijbesma, Co-Chair of the GCA, noted:

Investments in global climate adaptation cooperation are a big opportunity for countries like the Netherlands to share some of our best innovations with those who need them the most. The AAAP will be a crucial vehicle for triggering far greater business investment across Africa into green and resilient solutions. This is a collective effort, we need every sector, every contribution possible to see off the climate crisis in Africa, and the private sector, in particular, has a massive role to play.

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The Honourable Second Member for Port Louis South and Port Louis Central (Mr Uteem)

To ask Dr the Honourable Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development 

Whether, in regard to the proposed setting up of a manufacturing plant for the local production of COVID-19 vaccines and other pharmaceutical products in Mauritius, he will state if any company manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation has been approached therefor?

Mr Speaker, Sir,

From the very outset, I wish to state, that the objective of the Government is to develop pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing into an industry that can potentially emerge into a growth pole for the Mauritius economy.

The emphasis on this industry was outlined during the 2021-2022 Budget whereby a seed funding of Rs 1 billion was earmarked for internationally renowned pharmaceutical and vaccine laboratories to set up manufacturing activities in Mauritius. We also made provision for the setting up of the Mauritius Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), with a view of channelling this funding into projects that meet the conditions set forth by Government.

Accordingly, pending the setting up of the MIB, the Economic Development Board (EDB) launched an Expression of Interest (EoI) on 19th June 2021 for the Development of a pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry in Mauritius in priority areas of vaccines and pharmaceutical products in speciality areas. The EoI, was diffused, through key local and international media, as well as through our embassies in Europe, USA and Asia.

Mr Speaker, Sir,

I wish to inform the House that 40 firms showed interest in the EoI exercise, which comprised not only vaccine manufacturing but also the production of generic pharmaceuticals and medical devices, amongst others.

As far as vaccine manufacturing is concerned, nine interests were received and five submitted their business proposals.

As part of the evaluation exercise, the EDB had enlisted the services of Dr Deoraj Caussy, an independent expert in epidemiology and virology, to assess the five proposals received. The expert report was submitted on 27th October 2021, and this includes recommendations on the proposals that may be considered by the authorities concerned. The experts report will be submitted to the Mauritius Institute of Biotechnology Ltd for its consideration.

Mr Speaker, Sir,

In parallel to this exercise, discussions are also being held with companies producing COVID-19 WHO-approved vaccines, in India and USA.

The MIB Ltd which has recently been set up, will oversee the implementation of this budgetary measure.
Prosecutors on Tuesday sought a 20-year prison term for Shin Hyun-woo, former CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser's Korean branch, over germicide poisoning.

Prosecutors charged Shin with failing to sufficiently supervise the manufacture of household products, leading to the sale of toxic humidifier sterilizers that ultimately cost the lives of more than 100 people. He was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and fraud, and the lengthy jail term sought indicates the gravity of the alleged crime.

Shin is a key figure in the case because he headed the company when its toxic sterilizers hit the market in the early 2000s.

Prosecutors said Shin was the one to be held accountable for the "tragedy," and deserved the grave punishment because he "sacrificed the safety of consumers for corporate profits." "He says he is willing to accept some responsibility but denies the charges against him," they added.

Shin's lawyer claimed he had not been informed that toxic materials were used for the sterilizers in question, and that the fatalities mostly occurred after he quit Oxy Reckitt Benckiser in 2005. In his final appeal, Shin apologized for the pain endured by the victims and their families.
The North Carolina AIDS Action Network, the states only HIV/AIDS advocacy organization, will be celebrating World AIDS Day in a big way with a series of events across the state on December 1st and 2nd. The HIV/AIDS community designates December 1st as World AIDS Day every year to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and to mourn those who have died from the disease.

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to remember and reflect on those weve lost to HIV and AIDS, said Lee Storrow, Executive Director of the NC AIDS Action Network. But it also must be an opportunity to stand up and speak out about what we need to do to end the epidemic. Maintaining a strong AIDS Drug Assistance Program, expanding access to PrEP through our county health departments and investing in prevention so that young people have the tools and information they need to stop the spread of HIV. These are the tools to end AIDS as we know it in North Carolina. The only question is will our local, state, and national political leaders have the courage to act.

The North Carolina AIDS Action Network is available to the media to give more information on World AIDS Day and the five events that the organization will be participating in to commemorate World AIDS Day across the state of North Carolina.

World AIDS Day 2016 Events

December 1st- A World AIDS Day Luncheon at noon at Marriott Charlotte City Center in Charlotte, NC, hosted by RAIN. NC AIDS Action Network Executive Director Lee Storrow will make remarks.

December 1st- East Carolina University Infectious Diseases Red Carpet Affair at 6 PM at ECU Heart Institute Auditorium in Greenville, NC. This annual event is hosted by ECU Physicians and the NCAAN Women's Empowerment Team of the East. NC AIDS Action Network Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator Matt Martin will be in attendance, and State Senator Don Davis will be the event's main guest speaker and will also be presented with an award for his lifelong support of HIV funding.

December 1st- World AIDS Day Service at 7 PM at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC, hosted by North Star LGBTQ Community Center and Interfaith Voice. The theme of this year's service is "Love, Serve, Remember" and will feature remarks by NC AIDS Action Network Board member Adam Linker.

December 1st- World AIDS Day Gathering at 8:30 PM at The Junction Salon and Bar in Raleigh, NC hosted by Crape Myrtle Festival. NC AIDS Action Network Executive Director Lee Storrow will make remarks at this gathering to remember those that have lost that battle and those still fighting.

December 2nd- Where Do We Go From Here?: HIV Treatment and Prevention Advocacy in North Carolina at 8:30 AM at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham, NC, hosted by the NC AIDS Action Network. The main event will consist of a panel conversation to discuss HIV treatment and prevention efforts in North Carolina and the policy changes we need to make in 2017 to keep our state moving forward. Vanessa Duren-Winfield, NC AIDS Action Network board member and Winston-Salem State University professor, will serve as the panel moderator, and national expert, Ronald Johnson, the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at AIDS United, will join a panel of North Carolina HIV advocacy experts.
Waverly Labs, a New York City company, hopes to create a world without language barriers through Pilot, the first smart earpiece language translator. Language barriers in healthcare lead to poor patient satisfaction and reduced health outcomes. Healthcare providers and patients experience frustrations on a daily basis with how to communicate more effectively. Pilot may have the ability to change that forever.

Waverly Labs plans to release a mobile application and earpiece in May 2017. You can pre-order the product for $199 through their Indiegogo campaign, that has already raised over $3.5M, and the technology is expected to launch at $299 (although this could change). At first, they will launch with English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese translations with plans to expand their offering over time.

The idea of a mobile application that facilitates even conversational translation is not novel. Google (Android/iOS) and Microsoft (Android/iOS) have had these offerings for years. In fact, these engines may actually power Pilot, however, the promise of linking these technologies to the convenience of a wearable may be just enough for us to use it everyday.

We had the chance to interview Andrew Ochoa, CEO of Waverly Labs, and here is what he had to say:

William Kethman, Medgadget: What inspired you to create Pilot?

Andrew Ochoa, Waverly Labs: We were inspired by wearable technology and wanted to solve a global challenge. Back then we were a small team, but we came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages, and thats how we realized that language barriers would be the greatest problem we could solve.

Medgadget: Language barriers persist well beyond casual conversation  how do you think this technology may transform healthcare?

Ochoa: There are numerous applications, and we have a lot of interest from companies in the travel, hospitality, and international business sectors. Whats also inspiring is when we hear from primary care providers who tell us about the multiple patients they encounter daily, and how Pilot will help them provide a whole new level of patient care in their relationships.

Medgadget : What limitations may exist in early versions of the technology that may prevent its use in the clinical setting?

Ochoa: Pilot is designed for conversation translation, whereas medical terminology can be very complex. This requires the machine translation engine to be trained specifically for the domain of healthcare  however in general, the more people use it, the better it gets.

Medgadget: What is the future of Waverly Labs  are you planning other products or introducing other technologies that enable communication?

Ochoa: Currently were focused on creating the most robust conversation translation system with Pilot. In the future we plan to explore new technologies which align with our companys vision, to build devices which solve global challenges.

We look forward to watching Andrew and his team deliver on their vision.

More info: Pilot
by Chase Martin , November 30, 2016

Each year, residents in Philadelphias South 13th street routinely decorate their homes with elaborate holiday lighting for the month of December.

This year theyre getting some assistance to make all the special lighting part of the Internet of Things.

Samsung is contributing its SmartThings platform starter kits to the residents to help transform their traditional lights into connected smart home devices.

We know for many people, setting up their smart home can seem like a huge undertaking, Bill Lee, vice president of smart home product marketing at Samsung Electronics America, said.

The residents of Miracle on South 13 Street in Philadelphia show that you can start small by easily integrating smart technology into existing set-ups, and then grow as your needs evolve.

For the outdoor lights, residents use an outdoor smart switch, which can be turned on and off through the smartphone app.

The switch can also be combined with a sensor that detects when the homeowner arrives in the driveway, which then turns the lights on automatically.

Controlling the lights remotely allowed all of the residents to coordinate a moment when the entire street was powered on for the first time.

Best Buy helped residents with installation and setup of the lights and connected systems.

Best Buy also launched a connected home consulting program earlier this year. The program, which was launched as a pilot in Atlanta, San Antonio and Austin, sent in-home advisors to consumers homes for free to educate them about new technologies and ultimately design a custom solution to fit the homeowners needs.

SmartThings devices include a multipurpose sensor, and sensors that track arrival, water and motion and an outdoor smart switch.
by Tanya Gazdik , November 30, 2016

Carnival Corp. has signed on as a sponsor of The New Celebrity Apprentice. The cruise company also will launch a charity challenge in connection to the show.

The deal continues Carnivals efforts to expand the cruise market, building on the recent launch of three original lifestyle programs on national TV networks.

In addition to sponsoring the programs two-part season finale on Feb. 6 and 13, Carnival Corp. will launch a Celebrity Apprentice Charity Challenge offering giveaways for free cruises to raise awareness of and support for the charitable organizations chosen by the celebrity contestants.

We intend to rely heavily on social media to spread the word about our New Celebrity Apprentice sponsorship, says Ken Jones, vice president of corporate marketing for Carnival. We hope to also leverage the followings of our featured brands  Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.

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The four cruise lines will be features in the shows two-part season finale.

The show, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, premieres on Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC and features a component that brings attention to worthwhile charities. The Charity Challenge will give viewers of the hit program opportunities to win cruise giveaways each week while also supporting the charities chosen by the celebrity participants. The initiative will go live in December and run through the duration of the programs eighth season.

Carnivals sponsorship of NBCs popular program is the latest initiative in the companys ongoing strategy to find innovative ways to expand the market and inspire consumers to consider a cruise for their next vacation, Jones says.

Much like our recent marketing initiatives, were looking to reach folks who have never been on a cruise to show them what a great vacation option cruising can be, Jones tells Marketing Daily.

The company recently launched three original television programs that showcase adventures aboard each of the companys 10 cruise line brands, which includes The Voyager with Josh Garcia, airing on NBC nationwide on Saturday mornings. Additionally, Carnival Corporation exposed a broader consumer audience to cruising with its first-ever Super Bowl commercial in 2015, also on NBC, and an initiative this year with AT&T and Samsung to allow consumers to take a fully immersive virtual reality cruise.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 29, 2016

Google has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that the company violates people's privacy by scanning Gmail messages for ad-targeting purposes, according to court papers filed Monday.

If accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh in the Northern District of California, the deal will resolve a class-action complaint brought on behalf of people who don't themselves have Gmail accounts, but communicate with Gmail users. Details of the settlement haven't yet been disclosed.

The settlement stems from a complaint filed in September 2015 by San Francisco resident Daniel Matera. He alleged that Google violates a California privacy law and the federal wiretap law by intercepting messages without people's consent.

Google's terms of service currently disclose that it analyzes the contents of email messages for features including "tailored advertising." But Matera alleged that he didn't have a Gmail account, and therefore never agreed to those terms. He argued in his initial complaint that he was forced to communicate with Gmail users due to the "ubiquity of Gmail, and the fact that tens if not hundreds of millions of Gmail accounts are presently in existence."

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News of the settlement comes several months after Koh rejected Google's bid to dismiss the lawsuit. The company argued that scanning emails for ad purposes isn't covered by the wiretapping law. That statute prohibits companies from "intercepting" electronic communications without people's consent, but has an exception for interceptions in the ordinary course of business.

Google contended that the email scans were made in the ordinary course of business, but Koh disagreed. She ruled in August that the scans would only have been made in the ordinary course of business if Google had to perform them in order to provide email. "Google is able to provide the Gmail service to at least some users without intercepting, scanning, and analyzing the content of email for advertising purposes," she wrote, referencing the company's 2014 move to stop scanning emails sent through its education apps. "This strongly suggests that the alleged interception, scanning, and analysis of email neither facilitates nor is incidental to the provision of Googles electronic communication service."

Earlier this year, Yahoo settled a similar lawsuit by agreeing to add new language to its privacy policy. That settlement also required Yahoo to implement some technical changes to its email scanning procedures, but didn't require the company to stop scanning messages or surrounding them with ads. That agreement also didn't require Yahoo to pay monetary damages to Web users whose privacy allegedly was violated, but provided for payments of up to $4 million to the attorneys who brought the case.

Lawyer for Matera are expected to file papers outlining the settlement terms by December 28.
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, November 29, 2016

Businesses will no longer be able to prevent consumers from posting bad reviews, under a new federal law.

The Senate Monday passed the Consumer Review Fairness Act by unanimous consent. The measure now awaits signature by President Barack Obama.

The bill invalidates standardized contractual provisions that restrict consumers' ability to post critiques. The measure also prevents companies from squelching criticism by asserting a copyright interest in reviews -- a technique pioneered by health care professionals earlier this decade. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general are tasked with enforcing the law.

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Numerous advocacy groups backed the bill, as did review sites like Yelp. The bill comes several years after a highly publicized dispute between online retailer KlearGear and the married couple John Palmer and Jennifer Kulas, who reported that KlearGear attempted to charge them $3,500 for posting a bad review.

KlearGear reportedly said the couple violated a non-disparagement clause in its terms of service by criticizing the company on RipoffReport.com. (That clause apparently was added to the KlearGear's terms of service after the couple tried to place an order.) When Palmer and Kulas refused to pay KlearGear, the company allegedly wrecked their credit. Palmer and Kulas subsequently sued KlearGear for violating federal fair credit laws. A federal judge awarded the couple $306,750 in 2015.

KlearGear, while perhaps the most famous company to try to squelch reviews, is hardly the only one to do so. Earlier this year, the Dallas-based pet-sitting service Prestigious Pets brought a $1 million lawsuit against a couple who gave the company a one-star review. Prestigious Pets alleged that its pet-sitting contract contained language prohibiting consumers from "taking any action that negatively impacts Prestigious Pets, LLC, its reputation, products, services, management, employees or independent contractors."

In August, Dallas County District Court Judge Jim Jordan dismissed Prestigious Pets' lawsuit and ruled that the company may also face sanctions.

The FTC weighed in against non-disparagement clauses last year, when the agency sued alleged in a complaint that the Sarasota, Florida-based Roca Labs engaged in an unfair practice by including a gag clause in its terms of service. A federal judge entered an injunction that bans Roca Labs from continuing to use those types of clauses, but that order isn't final.
by Tobi Elkin @tobielkin, November 29, 2016

SintecMedia, a provider of TV ad management software for media companies, acquired ad-tech firm Operative Media on Tuesday in a transaction that's valued at almost $200 million, according to the companies. The acquisition combines TV and digital ad management for media companies and publishers globally, and aims to address the converging TV and digital markets.

SintecMedia provides TV ad products to maximize yield and streamline operations across direct and programmatic television advertising. Its clients include NBC Universal, CBS, ABC, AT&T, Starz, Star India, Seven Australia, and Sky.

The two companies share some large media clients in the U.S. The combined company will offer media companies the ability to streamline advertising sales, delivery, reporting, and yield management.

Operative has digital clients moving into video and TV, while SintecMedia has international clients that are lacking a digital ad management system. This creates many opportunities for organic growth in the near future.

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Operatives management team, including founder Lorne Brown, are also investors in the combined business. Brown will take the role of president and remain part of the strategic leadership team within SintecMedia. "SintecMedia's acquisition of Operative is a best case scenario for the media market, where a streamlined single technology stack can empower them for business now and in the future. As digital and TV converge, media companies will have the partner they need to profit and scale," Brown told Real-Time Daily via email.

Operatives customer base and digital advertising solutions are the perfect complement to our own global client roster and television advertising products, stated Amotz Yarden, CEO, SintecMedia. With Operative as a key part of our offering, SintecMedia brings TV and digital ad management together, allowing media companies to streamline advertising infrastructure, increase profitability, and drive the long-term strategic control of their business.

The acquisition is significant as TV and digital services converge and marketers begin embracing audience-based media buying.
by Thom Forbes @tforbes, November 30, 2016

Uber told a European court yesterday that it is not a taxi company  an assertion that has major implications and ramifications for other businesses with which the service may align or compete.

Uber's dispute with Barcelona's main taxi operator, which in 2014 accused it of running an illegal taxi service via its UberPOP service, is seen as a landmark case which could lead the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) to label it a transport company rather than a digital service, writes Foo Yun Chee for Reuters.

Such a ruling would subject the company to stricter rules on licensing, insurance and safety, with possible knock-on effects on other startups such as online home rental company Airbnb and food delivery company Deliveroo, other big brands in the sharing economy.

Uber maintains that national transportation regulations in Europe are outdated, writes Sam Schechner for the Wall Street Journal, arguing that those rules dont apply to Uber because it is an online-service provider, rather than a transportation provider  a designation that it says should give it protection under existing EU laws.

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But the case also raises questions about the companys growth plans as it looks to expand beyond ride-hailing to food delivery and other online services, points out Mark Scott in the New York Times. In its defense at the hearing, the company framed itself as a new player in Europes often lackluster digital economy, offering users and drivers new ways to connect and helping to support cities existing transportation networks.

Ubers services cant be reduced to merely a transport service, said Ubers lawyer, Cani Fernandez. The reduction of unnecessary barriers to information society services is critical in the development of the digital single market, she told the 15-judge panel.

The headline on Nicholas Hirsts piece on Politico tells us that Uber befuddles the magistrates, and his lede suggests it was impossible to tell if any [of them]  had ever used the service. Whether they have or not, theres clearly not a consensus among EU member countries.

Spain and France have sided with the Spanish taxi union, the NYTs Scott points out, while on Tuesday Uber received backing from several European countries, including the Netherlands, where the company has its European headquarters.

And the European Commission presented guidance on the sharing economy earlier in June, saying that platforms should not be subject to authorizations or licenses where they only act as intermediaries between consumers and those offering the actual service (e.g., transport of accommodation service), CNBCs Justina Crabtree reports.

The panels ruling, which will be made in about six months, will not necessarily be binary, she writes, as they could decide that the company fits somewhere in between the two categories.

Not that the European Court of Justice is the only courtroom in the global economy. If theres one sector the ride-hailing company has been a boon for, it is the legal profession.

Since moving into Europe five years ago, it has faced numerous issues with local regulators. Countries including Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain have all at one time or other banned or curtailed the use of Uber. Its headquarters in Amsterdam have been raided on numerous occasions. Last month, a tribunal in the U.K. ruled that Uber drivers are entitled to the minimum wage, reports David Gilbert for VICE.

The car-hailing application accessed via smartphones and tablets has faced roadblocks, real and regulatory, across Europe, amid complaints brought by taxi drivers who say the company tries to unfairly avoid regulations that bind established competitors, write Stephanie Bodoni and Marie Mawad for BloombergTechnology.

Clearly, the EU courts decision will have a great impact, Georgios Petropoulos, a research fellow at the Brussels-based policy group Bruegel, tells them. We are talking about one of the most popular platforms of the collaborative economy.

Indeed, in many countries, the company has set up shop before asking local governments for permission to operate, Dara Kerr observes for CNET. That aggressive strategy has been crucial to Uber's expansion, helping it grow from a small San Francisco startup to a multinational service in just six years. The company now operates in more than 400 cities in 72 countries and is valued at $68 billion.

And that presumably doesnt include the tips of drivers who, as the settlement of two class-action lawsuits determined earlier this year, are independent contractors  at least in Massachusetts and California.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, November 30, 2016

Guys, if an attractive woman contacts you online asking for naked pictures, you should probably run screaming in the other direction.

However, British teenagers are no more likely to understand this fact than their American peers, it would seem, fueling a big rise in cases of online sextortion, and prompting the British government to call for social media companies to take action against the trend.

According to British police, there have been more than 900 cases of Web cam blackmail in Britain this year, or more than twice the total reported for the country in 2015, and up from just a handful back in 2012, when they began tracking figures for the offense. Police add that the true numbers are probably much higher, since many victims dont come forward.

The phenomenon has grabbed the countrys attention after the recent suicides of four young men who became caught up in sextortion cases.

In all four cases the victims were persuaded to share explicit images or video of themselves by an attractive woman (or more likely, by foreign organized crime gangs posing as attractive women on social media) and then committed suicide when they were unable to pay the perpetrators blackmail demands.

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Scores of other cases have been reported in which victims, the large majority of them young men, have paid blackmail demands ranging from 50 to 500, or around $62 to $620, after sharing explicit photos with an online contact they believed was interested in them romantically.

Given the large proportion of teenagers in the group of British sextortion victims, the UK government is recommending that social media companies be required to prevent underage users from sending sexually explicit images.

This week UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt gave testimony to the House of Commons Health Committee in which he said the responsibility for policing explicit images uploaded by teens may also fall on mobile service providers: I just ask myself the simple question as to why it is that you can't prevent the texting of sexually explicit images by people under the age of 18, if that's a lock that parents choose to put on a mobile phone contract. Because there is technology that can identify sexually explicit pictures and prevent it being transmitted.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, November 30, 2016

Security researchers at Check Point Software Technologies have uncovered a new variant of Android malware that the company estimates has breached the security of more than one million Google accounts. The malware is used to steal passwords and bloat recommendations, among other things. The company has published a long list of fake apps infected by the malware.

Gooligan -- the name of the malware campaign -- roots itself in Android devices and steals email address and stored authentication tokens, which Google has been using for years to help protect users. Through the code, attackers can access sensitive data of users from Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs, Google Play, Google Drive, and G Suite. "If rooting is successful, the attacker has full control of the device and can execute privileged commands remotely," according to the researchers.



Researchers claim that through the hundreds of email addresses associated with enterprise accounts worldwide, Gooligan has infected more than 13,000 devices each day and is the first to root more than a million devices -- and each day the malware installs at least 30,000 apps on breached devices or more than 2 million apps since the campaign began, per researchers. The malware is used to puff up reviews on apps, so that users will download them to spread the virus.

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After attackers gain control over the device, they generate revenue by fraudulently installing apps from Google Play and rating them on behalf of the victim. Gooligan targets devices on Android 4 -- better known as the operating systems Jelly Bean, KitKat, and Android 5, also known as Lollipop -- which represent nearly 74% of Android devices in use today, according to Check Point researchers.

The malware allows Gooligan to steal a user's Google email account, install an app from Google Play and rate them to raise their reputation. It also lets the module install adware to generate revenue. "Ad servers, which dont know whether an app using its service is malicious or not, send Gooligan the names of the apps to download from Google Play," per researchers. "After an app is installed, the ad service pays the attacker. Then the malware leaves a positive review and a high rating on Google Play using content it receives from the C&C server."

Check Point's research team identified several instances by cross-referencing data from breached devices with Google Play app reviews. The team warns that this should come as a reminder of why users shouldnt rely on ratings alone to decide whether to trust an app.

Jeff Zacuto, a Check Point security expert, believes that the malware is spread by downloading and installing infected apps, either from third-party app stores or by tapping malicious links in emails, SMS or instant messages. The popularity of third-party app stores in Asia could explain the higher rate of infection in that region.

Adrian Ludwig, director of Android security at Google, wrote in a Google+ post that during the last few weeks the company's researchers have worked closely with Check Point to investigate and protect users from this variant nicknamed "Gooligan."

Ludwig writes that Gooligan is part of a family of malware called Ghost Push, which fall into the category of "hostile downloaders."

"These apps are most often downloaded outside of Google Play and after they are installed, Ghost Push apps try to download other apps," Ludwig writes. "For over two years, weve used Verify Apps to notify users before they install one of these PHAs and let them know if theyve been affected by this family of malware."

The malware uses older versions of Android to infiltrate the apps. In 2015, Google found more than 40,000 apps associated with Ghost Push, but the company's systems now detect and prevent installation of more than 150,000 variants of Ghost Push.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, November 30, 2016

Commentators have said that Hillary Clinton was just the wrong candidate at the wrong time facing off against the wrong opponent -- that she was doomed to lose the 2016 presidential election, considering her history in the public eye and the inherent difficulties of a party's winning three consecutive terms in the White House.

Others, particularly those in and around the Clinton campaign, place the blame on a litany of issues that dogged the Democratic nominee throughout the past year and a half.

The FBI investigation, the Russian/Wikileaks hacks, misogyny -- there is no doubt these all had an effect on voters image of Clinton, which is virtually impossible to accurately measure.

From different (subjective) perspectives, the staying power of each of these issues holds varying degrees of importance.

Joel Benenson, Hillary Clintons top campaign pollster, is relatively certain which outside factor did the most damage to Clintons chances: FBI director James Comey.

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We were winning this campaign, Benenson told David Axelrod at an event held at the University of Chicagos Institute of Politics, according to the Chicago Tribune. We came out of the third debate consolidating our lead  and we get to 11 days out, and the director of the FBI takes an unprecedented action and throws a monkey wrench into the campaign that you couldnt have anticipated.

It stalled the momentum of our defectors coming back to us (from third-party candidates) in enough numbers and it helped animate (Trumps) defectors, added Benenson.

The argument is not weak. While most polling numbers might have been off, when it came down to it, the final vote margins in the all-important states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan were extremely small. And, in the end, the Clinton campaign won the popular vote by over two million votes.

Those less favorable to Clinton might think otherwise, and not without good reason. Any time Hillary Clinton runs for office, her poll numbers plummet, pointing to deeply rooted problems connecting with voters.

The slim margins by which Trump won the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, however, lead one to presume that the Electoral College outcome on Nov. 8 might have been different had the FBI director acted differently.
by Jess Nelson , November 30, 2016

SendGrid, a cloud-based communications company, announced the closing of a $33 million Series D funding round on Wednesday to accelerate the companys product roadmap and to expand its geographic footprint.



SendGrid's funding is led by previous investor Bain Capital Ventures, and includes participation from Foundry Group, Bessemer Ventures and SoftTech Ventures.

Yancey Spruill, CFO/COO at SendGrid, says the influx of resources will drive three key areas of growth for the company. He says the company plans to expand its product development and geographic footprint, as well as support future M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activity.

SendGrid also expressed its plan for an IPO some time in the New Year. The company plans to enhance its email marketing product, Marketing Campaigns, and its Expert Service offerings, a consulting service to improve email deliverability, authentication and impact.

SendGrid's API is popular in the developer community and allows marketers to act quickly, says Spruill.

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Spruill says SendGrid plans to use the office it recently opened in London as a launching point for further expansion in Europe. Almost a third of SendGrid's revenue originates outside of the United States, with no real infrastructure on the ground, says Spruill. Additional expansion opportunities include Asia and South America.

Spruill says the capital raise also provides the company with the flexibility to quickly act on any strategic opportunities, including acquisitions. He adds that the company has its eye on any technology that could expand its core marketing product as well as its geographic footprint.

Over the past year, SendGrid has consolidated 80% of its workforce in Denver, which Spruill attributes to improving efficiency and company excitement. The profitable company racked in $20 million last quarter, a 38% growth year-over-year, and counts more than 42,000 paying customers. SendGrids client roster includes Airbnb, HubSpot, Spotify, Uber, Intuit and Costco.

SendGrid currently employs 300, but plans to expand to 900 employees in Denver and Colorado by 2020.
With the number of people living with Alzheimers disease expected to almost triple by 2050, the race is on to find a treatment that can prevent or slow the condition. But last week saw another crack emerge in the already rocky path toward an effective Alzheimers medication; pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced the failure of what had previously been hailed a breakthrough in the treatment of the most common form of dementia. Share on Pinterest Last week, Eli Lilly announced that the drug solanezumab had failed to slow cognitive decline in patients with mild Alzheimers. In a statement released last Wednesday, Eli Lilly revealed that their drug solanezumab failed to slow cognitive decline in a phase III clinical trial of more than 2,000 patients with mild Alzheimers disease. Solanezumab is a monoclonal antibody that aims to slow Alzheimers progression by targeting and breaking down beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, which are clumps of protein thought to play a significant role in the disease. While there are a number of other drugs in development that work in a similar way, none had come as far as solanezumab; it is the first medication of its kind to reach the last stage of testing prior to being eligible for license application, and researchers were optimistic that the drug would yield success. In 2012, early data from the trial suggested solanezumab could slow disease progression by around 34 percent for a subset of patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimers. And last year, Medical News Today reported on further results from the trials that revealed the earlier solanezumab is given to patients with mild Alzheimers, the greater the chance of success.

The failure of solanezumab Though these early results were met with caution, there were high hopes that solanezumab would become the first drug to slow Alzheimers disease. However, it seems these hopes have now been dashed. Eli Lilly report that in the final stage of their trial  called EXPEDITION3  patients with mild Alzheimers who were treated with solanezumab did not experience a statistically significant slowing in cognitive decline compared to patients treated with placebo. Lilly will not pursue regulatory submissions for solanezumab for the treatment of mild dementia due to Alzheimers disease, the drug giant said in their statement. Alzheimers organizations across the globe have spoken of their sadness following the trial results. After positive news last summer we had high hopes for this drug to become the first to slow down Alzheimers disease, says Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimers Society in the United Kingdom. Its extremely disappointing to learn that it hasnt delivered a meaningful change for people living with dementia, when the need is clearly so great. In a statement, the Alzheimers Association in the United States say they are disappointed with the results, but they add that there are other beta-amyloid targeting drugs in development that show promise. However, many researchers claim the failure of solanezumab begs the question: is targeting beta-amyloid really a feasible way to treat Alzheimers disease?

Beta-amyloid and Alzheimers Beta-amyloid is a sticky protein fragment produced by a molecule called amyloid precursor protein (APP). Beta-amyloid can accumulate between nerve cells  or neurons  in the brain, clumping together to form so-called plaques. According to the National Institute on Aging , some individuals will develop these plaques as they age, but they are much more abundant in certain regions of the brain in people with Alzheimers disease, including the hippocampus  the region associated with learning and memory. Share on Pinterest Beta-amyloid plaques are believed by many to play a key role in Alzheimers disease. As such, beta-amyloid is considered a hallmark of Alzheimers disease. However, precisely how it contributes to the condition is a topic of debate. In fact, scientists remain unclear about whether beta-amyloid plays a role in the development of Alzheimers disease, or whether it is a byproduct of Alzheimers pathology. In other words, is beta-amyloid a cause or a symptom of Alzheimers? The former is the more widespread theory. A study published in 2013 in the journal Science, for example, used mouse models to show how beta-amyloid destroys the connections between brain cells  called synapses  before forming plaques to cause nerve cell death. However, other studies have suggested a protein called tau  which forms twisted strands known as tangles inside nerve cells  may be a primary cause of Alzheimers. One such study  published earlier this year in the journal Science Translational Medicine  found that a greater abundance of tau in the brains temporal lobe was linked to poorer memory. While Alzheimers researchers have increasingly looked to tau as a target for new drugs in recent years, the focus is still very much on beta-amyloid. But given the number of beta-amyloid-targeting drugs that have failed in testing, optimism for these types of medication is gradually dwindling.

Is the beta-amyloid theory dead? Alzheimers disease has one of the highest drug failure rates. According to a 2014 study published in the journal Alzheimers Research & Therapy, of 244 compounds tested in Alzheimers clinical trials between 2000-2012, only one was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), representing a 99.6 percent failure rate. Fast facts about Alzheimers Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 5.4 million Americans

In the U.S., someone develops Alzheimers every 66 seconds

This year, Alzheimers will cost the U.S. around $236 billion. Learn more about Alzheimers The vast majority of these clinical trials were for therapies that target beta-amyloid, accounting for 70 of 146 compounds tested. In comparison, only 13 of the compounds tested targeted the tau protein. Looking at the overall statistics, it is hard not to question the feasibility of beta-amyloid-targeting drugs for the treatment of Alzheimers, and it seems the latest report of solanezumabs failure has done nothing to quash this doubt. Talking to BBC News, Prof. Peter Roberts, of the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, said he was not surprised solanezumab failed to yield positive results for Alzheimers patients. The problem, to my mind, is completely fundamental. There is still no convincing evidence that shows a clear relationship between amyloid deposition and deficits in cognition in humans, he said. All we really know is that evidence of amyloid deposition begins up to maybe 20 years before the onset of Alzheimers disease. Some researchers believe solanezumabs failure is further confirmation that beta-amyloid is simply the wrong target for an Alzheimers treatment. The amyloid hypothesis is dead, George Perry, a neuroscientist at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Nature News . Its a very simplistic hypothesis that was reasonable to propose 25 years ago. It is not a reasonable hypothesis any longer. Were flogging a dead horse, added Peter Davies, an Alzheimers researcher at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. Theres no sign of anybody getting better, even for a short period, and that suggests to me that you have the wrong mechanism.

A different approach to beta-amyloid may be needed Many scientists, however, remain optimistic that beta-amyloid is the right target for Alzheimers drug development, but some suggest the way the protein is targeted may need to be reassessed. In the case of solanezumab, the drug binds to beta-amyloid plaques in the brain and breaks them down. However, Prof. Roxana OCarare, a professor of clinical neuroanatomy at the University of Southampton in the U.K., speculates that the protein may need to be removed from the brain completely. The brain is not equipped with lymph vessels as other organs have. Instead fluid and waste are eliminated from the brain along very narrow pathways that are embedded within the walls of blood vessels, she explained to BBC News. These pathways change in composition and fail in their function with increasing age and with the risk factors for Alzheimers disease, resulting in the buildup of amyloid in the walls of blood vessels. When a vaccine such as solanezumab is administered, Prof. OCarare added, the sticky plaques of amyloid from the brain break down, but the excess waste and fluid is unable to drain along the already compromised drainage pathways.

There might still be hope for solanezumab While Eli Lilly say they will no longer seek regulatory approval for solanezumab, the drug continues to be tested in a number of clinical trials. The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimers Disease study, or the A4 study , is one such trial. Initiated in 2014, the phase III trial is testing the safety and efficacy of solanezumab in 1,150 patients at risk of Alzheimers due to beta-amyloid buildup. Although solanezumab fell at the last hurdle in Eli Lillys trial, some Alzheimers researchers and organizations believe it is not necessarily the end of the road for the drug. We sincerely hope that the ongoing Alzheimers prevention trials (A4 study, Alzheimers Prevention Initiative, DIAN-TU) that are testing solanezumab and other anti-amyloid agents will continue, say the Alzheimers Association in a statement. These other programs have different ways of acting on the amyloid pathway and some are also addressing the disease at a much earlier stage when these drugs may still prove to be effective.
The first available dengue vaccine, CYD-TDV (Dengvaxia), is estimated to reduce the burden of dengue and be potentially cost effective in settings where infections with dengue are common, according to a study published by Stefan Flasche from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK and an international consortium of dengue experts, in PLOS Medicine.

The researchers used dynamical models informed by the results of efficacy trials combined with assumptions on vaccine mechanisms, to estimate the impact and cost-effectiveness of CYD-TDV over a 30-y post-vaccination period in a variety of epidemiological settings. In settings with moderate to high dengue transmission intensity, i.e. where at least 50% of children get infected with dengue before they are nine years old, they estimated that a routine vaccination policy involving a three-dose schedule in 9-y-old children at 80% coverage would reduce the burden of dengue disease for the population by 6%-25% and that vaccination would be potentially cost-effective if priced competitively. However, in settings where dengue infections are uncommon, they identified a risk of potential increase in hospitalizations for dengue disease.

These findings were an important contribution to the evidence base that led the WHO to recommend countries to consider the use of CYD-TDV only in settings with a high burden of dengue disease.

The authors say: "Our results can guide countries on the general suitability of Dengvaxia introduction; however, local factors related to treatment costs, intensity of dengue transmission and age groups particularly exposed to dengue will need to be considered."

In a linked Perspective, Jacqueline Deen from the University of the Philippines, Manila, discusses challenges in balancing the individual and population risks and benefits for CYD-TDV.

Article: The Long-Term Safety, Public Health Impact, and Cost-Effectiveness of Routine Vaccination with a Recombinant, Live-Attenuated Dengue Vaccine (Dengvaxia): A Model Comparison Study, Flasche S, Jit M, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Coudeville L, Recker M, Koelle K, et al., PLOS Medicine, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002181, published 29 November 2016.

Perspective Article: The Dengue Vaccine Dilemma: Balancing the Individual and Population Risks and Benefits, Deen J, PLOS Medicine, doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002182, published 29 November 2016.
A new study has shown that toddlers as young as two-and-a-half years old can understand when others have different thoughts from them - much earlier than the age of four as traditionally thought. This suggests that children may know when adults are lying or pretending.

The finding is made by developmental psychologists Assistant Professor Setoh Pei Pei from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Assistant Professor Rose Scott from the University of California Merced, and Professor Renee Baillargeon from the University of Illinois, who studied the behaviour of more than 140 children in the United States aged two-and-a-half years old.

Their study, published in this month's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the official scientific journal of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, used a methodology known by psychologists as "false belief task".

The researchers used the test to find out whether younger children failed to show an understanding of what others think, either because false beliefs - misconceptions due to incorrect reasoning - are too advanced for children to understand, or because there is too much information for them to deal with all at once.

In a traditional false belief task, a child would listen to a story where a character Sally hides a marble in one of two containers and then leaves. The marble is then shifted to the other container without Sally's knowledge.

When asked where Sally will look for her marble, younger children pointed to the marble's new location, suggesting that they do not understand that Sally holds a false belief about the marble's location. Children from around four years old onwards would point to the marble's original location.

The study by the Singapore and US professors however showed that when the false belief task is simplified, younger children can answer the question correctly.

How the study was conducted

The modified story of Emma and her apple follows the same format except that the apple was taken away to an undisclosed location. The children were asked two additional location questions where they were shown two object pictures and asked which picture shows the object in question. This was before they were asked the critical question about where Emma will look for her apple.

The additional questions contributed to reducing the information-processing demands on the children, and made it easier for them to answer the critical question. They also became familiar with the test procedure as they learned to expect a question to be asked when they were shown two pictures.

The results suggest that young children are aware that others may hold different beliefs from them, but were not able to demonstrate this understanding due to information-processing overload.

See the Annex for a graphical representation of the test developed by the research team.

Study shows cognitive abilities of two-and-a-half year olds more advanced than previously thought.

Psychology professor Renee Baillargeon said, "When children around the world are asked what someone with a false belief will do next, it is usually not until age four or five that they answer correctly. Our study shows that when the task is made simpler, even two-and-a-half year olds succeed. So the ability to answer questions about persons with false beliefs is present very early in development, contrary to what was traditionally thought."

Assistant Professor Setoh who heads NTU Singapore's Early Cognition Lab said, "Having the ability to represent false beliefs means recognising that others can have different thoughts from us. This ability enables children to recognise when others are lying, cheating or pretending.

"If parents believe that children do not understand complicated matters, they may tell simpler versions of the truth and 'dumb down' what they view as complicated content for kids. Our findings suggest that children may be able to spot when parents are doing this from as early as two-and-a-half years old. Parents of young children and early childhood educators should be aware that children's early cognitive abilities may be more advanced than previously thought."

The study was supported by the US' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant.

Moving forward, Assistant Professor Setoh will embark on three new studies in the Asian/Singapore context related to false belief.

One is to find out whether parents in Singapore engage in parenting by lying (as opposed to truth-telling). Another will investigate the effect of such a parenting practice on children in the long run.

A third study will focus on toddlers' understanding of social acting, which is social pretense that people engage in so as to maintain a positive relationship with their ingroup.

Article: Two-and-a-half-year-olds succeed at a traditional false-belief task with reduced processing demands, Peipei Setoh et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1609203113, published online 7 November 2016.
New York Blood Center has announced groundbreaking findings toward the development of vaccines for the prevention of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. The findings were revealed in a new study on the effective design for a MERS vaccine, which was published in the most recent issue of the highly regarded, peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. NYBC partnered with researchers from the University of Minnesota, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, the University of Texas, and the University of Iowa to co-author the study.

MERS, a severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, has a mortality rate of approximately 36%. According to The World Health Organization, MERS primarily affects older people and individuals with weakened immune systems in the Middle East and other regions of the world.

Two NYBC researchers and pioneers in the field - Drs. Shibo Jiang and Lanying Du of the Laboratory of Viral Immunology at NYBC's Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute - have made advancements on the development of subunit vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) since 2003, and MERS-CoV since 2013, publishing more than 30 studies on the infections. Drs. Jiang and Du proved that the receptor-binding domain (RBD), a key fragment responsible for virus binding to its receptor in the surface proteins of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, is the most important target for development of vaccines, which laid the groundwork for recent studies.

Drs. Jiang and Du co-authored the Nature Communications study, "Introduction of Neutralizing Immunogenicity Index to the Rational Design of MERS Coronavirus Subunit Vaccines," in collaboration with researchers from four medical research institutions: Co-senior authors Dr. Fang Li at the University of Minnesota, who led the study, and Dr. Yusen Zhou of the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, as well as researchers Dr. Chien-Te K Tseng of the University of Texas Medical Branch and Dr. Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa. NYBC visiting scientist Wanbo Tai, a Ph.D. candidate from China, was the key researcher performing the experiments.

In the study, Dr. Du, Dr. Jiang, and collaborators strategically developed a new effective design for a MERS vaccine. By introducing a new concept, "neutralizing immunogenicity index," the scientists were able to evaluate the neutralizing immunogenicity (the ability to induce neutralizing antibodies) of an epitope (part of an antigen that is recognized by the immune system) in the RBD. Based on this strategy, researchers designed a new vaccine by masking "bad epitopes" (those that cannot induce neutralizing antibodies) and exposing "good epitopes" (those that can induce potent neutralizing antibodies).

"This novel strategy is essential in designing subunit vaccines that safeguard against not only SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, but also against other enveloped viruses, such as influenza virus, HIV, Ebola virus, and Zika virus," Dr. Du said.

"The RBD-based subunit vaccine is effective and safe in humans because RBD generally does not induce harmful immune responses that may promote the pathogenesis or enhance virus infection in the vaccinated people," Dr. Jiang said.

"NYBC is proud of our researchers' dedication to advancing the fields of global health and bringing us one step closer to creating a vaccine to prevent this infectious disease," said Christopher Hillyer, NYBC Chief Executive Officer. "For decades, NYBC's Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute (LFKRI) and National Cord Blood Program (NCBP) have been at the forefront of new blood-related products, research and therapies. The advances we have announced continue that proud tradition."

"Through our recent partnership with Innovative Blood Resources (IBR) of St. Paul, our collaboration on this study with the University of Minnesota, and other partnerships and initiatives, NYBC continues its role as a national leader in research, development and blood distribution," said NYBC Chairman Howard Milstein. "We continue to make significant strides in our efforts to combat infectious diseases worldwide, and look forward to a day when viruses, like MERS-CoV, are completely eradicated."
DENVER

Nov. 30, 2016

Stephan Sonderegger

Denver, Colorado

Las Vegas, Nevada

December 4-8, 2016

Beth Riggio

/PRNewswire/ -- Swisslog, a leading supplier of solutions for medication and supply chain management in healthcare, announces the launch of Delivery Manager, an intelligent tracking application that provides a single point of control, accountability and traceability for patient order delivery in acute care hospitals.Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444331LOGO"Maintaining control of the medication distribution process in hospitals is a critical piece of ensuring chain-of-custody," explains, CEO of Swisslog Healthcare. "With Delivery Manager, pharmacy and nursing can track movement of materials from the time the order is received by the pharmacy to the time it is delivered to its intended destination."This application communicates directly with Swisslog TransLogic Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS) through RFID technology  instantly updating the status of any order being sent through the tube system. Unlike other PTS content tracking solutions, the Delivery Manager service extends outside of the tubes to include other manual and automated transportation methods, such as mobile robots. At ASHP the company will demonstrate integration between Delivery Manager and the Relay autonomous delivery robot by Savioke, Inc. Swisslog and Savioke are working together to develop mobile robotic solutions for hospitals to enable automated delivery of medications, lab samples and other patient-critical items.Delivery Manager is a service that Swisslog clients subscribe to through the company's Enterprise Software Portal. Built on a proven platform with more than 275 installations worldwide, the portal extends beyond managing any single piece of hardware to create connections across the entire hospital supply chain. In addition to Delivery Manager, Swisslog clients also can subscribe to Pharmacy Inventory Manager and Warehouse Manager through the portal."The service economy is transforming buyer expectations, putting a premium on convenience and a seamless user experience," explains Sonderegger. "At Swisslog, we're changing the way we do business by simplifying our delivery model and unifying disparate software programs. That means better connectivity throughout the healthcare supply chain, ultimately leading to better patient care delivery."With automation systems in over 3,000 hospitals worldwide, Swisslog has the ability to positively impact a large number of health systems through these advances. Earlier this year, the company announced the development of a new enterprise software hub at their North American headquarters inSwisslog will demonstrate Delivery Manager for the first time inside its booth at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacy (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in. To learn more about Delivery Manager and the other applications within the Enterprise Software Portal, visit swisslog.com/enterpriseportal.Swisslog designs, develops and delivers best-in-class automation for forward-thinking health systems, warehouses and distribution centers. The company offers integrated solutions from a single source  from consulting to design, implementation and lifetime customer service. Behind its success are 2,500 employees worldwide, supporting customers in more than 50 countries. www.swisslog.comSwisslog is a member of the KUKA group, a leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions. www.kuka.comSenior Manager - MarketingSwisslog Healthcare Phone: 303.373.7952136051@email4pr.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/swisslog-launches-new-delivery-manager-service-through-the-enterprise-software-portal-300370853.html



SOURCE Swisslog Healthcare




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"Despite significant efforts, HIV remains among the main public health concerns in the WHO European Region, in particular in its eastern part. Last year, 2015 recorded the highest number of new cases in one year, contributing to an appalling 2 million cumulative cases", says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe."To address this critical situation, we have made available a new action plan that all European countries endorsed in September 2016. We now call on countries' leaders to use this plan for an urgent, accelerated and innovative response to HIV in the Region, to reverse the AIDS epidemics immediately and end it by 2030".In the EU/EEA, sex between men is still is the main reported HIV transmission mode, accounting for 42% of all notified HIV diagnoses in 2015 and for more than half of new diagnoses in 15 countries. Men who have sex with men are the only group in the EU/EEA that has seen a steady increase in notifications over the years. With 32% of reported HIV diagnoses, sex between women and men is the second most commonly reported mode of transmission in the EU/EEA, followed by injecting drug use (4%).The new surveillance data also show that almost every second (47%) HIV positive person in the EU/EEA is diagnosed at a late stage of infection. The new ECDC estimate revealed that, on average, it takes almost four years (3.8) before an HIV infection is diagnosed and reported. This again suggests persistent problems with access to, and uptake of, HIV testing in many countries.European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, said: "HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious problem in Europe. The Commission is committed to helping Member States reach the SDG target of ending HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis by 2030 and reducing Hepatitis, as underlined a few days ago in our Communication for a sustainable European future.""The facts we know about the HIV epidemic in the EU/EEA, are based on the number of new diagnoses reported each year, which represents the cornerstone of European HIV surveillance", explains ECDC Acting Director Andrea Ammon.If diagnosed and treated early enough, people can live long and healthy lives with HIV. "To reach the estimated 15% who are not aware of their infection, we need to increase efforts to promote and facilitate more testing for HIV. And link those diagnosed to care. A simple and quick blood test allows people to determine their HIV status. It's best to know your HIV status so you can take care of your own health - and also protect others", stresses Ammon."ECDC is currently supporting Member States to standardise and improve their national estimates regarding the number of people living with HIV. This should lead to a more effective HIV response, because it enables better targeting of resources at the populations they identify as being most at risk in that country."Source: Medindia
Introduction

This past week, Egypt-Syria relations warmed further, as evidenced by Egyptian President 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi's public statements in support of the Syrian army's war against the "terrorists," and by several articles in the Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram expressing approval of closer relations in light of the changes in the region, including because of the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, and the shared challenges they are facing. Additional signs of rapprochement include an official visit to Cairo by Syrian National Security Bureau head 'Ali Mamlouk in October, and reports of Egyptian military and humanitarian aid to Syria.

Al-Sisi's statement in support of the Syrian army also sparked criticism in Egypt, expressed in press articles that called on him to clarify his position on Syria and refrain from sending troops there.

The rapprochement between Egypt and Syria comes at a time of mounting Egyptian-Saudi tension due to sharp disagreement on the Syria crisis;[1] according to the London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, efforts to mediate between the two countries by Arab League secretary-general Muhammad Abu Al-Gheit and by the UAE have failed.[2]

The following are excerpts from Al-Sisi's statement and from the articles in the Egyptian press:

Al-Sisi: We Support The Syrian Army

According to reports in the Arab press, in a November 22 Portuguese television interview, Al-Sisi publicly expressed, for the first time, his support for the Syrian army, while at the same time rejecting the possibility of Egyptian troops operating in Syria as part of U.N. forces. He said: "It is better for a country's [own] national military forces to protect its security and stability, so that sensitivities will not arise because of the presence of other forces. The most appropriate thing [for other countries] to do [in such cases] is to support a country's national army, for example in Libya, so that [the Libyan army] will be able to control Libyan territory, deal with the extremist elements [there], and bring about the necessary stability. The same applies to Syria, [where] we support the Syrian army, and to Iraq..." With regard to the international efforts to fight terrorism, Al-Sisi said that it was preferable to "prepare the national armies to deal with the terrorist organizations, instead of having international forces [in the countries]... The world must inevitably join efforts to combat terrorism, [but] it is better to support the national armies in Libya, Syria and Iraq so that they can deal with the terrorism [on their own]."[3]

Al-Sisi made these statements some two days after Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'allem had noted that "the Egyptian discourse has improved" but added that this improvement "does not yet match our expectations. The reason [for our expectations] is simple: When Syria and Egypt are together, the situation of the Arab ummah is good. The mighty Egypt, its people, and its army cannot stand idly by in light of what is happening in Syria, just as Syria cannot but show solidarity with the Egyptian army as it fights terrorism in Sinai. [At this time, Egypt needs to take] one small leap [ahead] so that things return to their natural state."[4]

In Syria, Al-Sisi's November 22 statement of support for the Syrian army was welcomed. Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Riad Haddad said: "We anticipate that Egypt will play a positive role in resolving the Syria crisis. We welcome any Egyptian effort to end terrorism in Syria..."[5] The Syrian government daily Al-Ba'th noted that Al-Sisi's "conspicuous" position in support of the Syrian army "indicates that Egypt will soon return to its role of leadership in helping to resolve the crises across the ummah."[6] The DP News website, which is close to the Syrian regime, also said: "In the last few days there have been positive statements from both the Egyptian and Syrian sides that are paving the way to a renewal of ties between the two regimes."[7]

Reports Of Egyptian Military Aid To Syria

According to reports, these statements by Al-Sisi and Mu'allem are backed up by practical measures by the two countries. During his October 17, 2016 visit to Cairo, Syrian National Security Bureau head 'Ali Mamlouk met, according to DP News reports, with Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate head Khaled Fawzy, and the two agreed that their countries would "coordinate their political positions and increase military coordination in combatting the terrorism that both are dealing with."[8] According to the Saudi Al-Hayat, Mamlouk and Egyptian officials discussed dispatching Egyptian officers to the battlefronts in Syria, increasing security cooperation, and including Egypt in efforts of humanitarian aid to Aleppo.[9]

Two weeks later, on November 3, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that the Egyptian government was "determined to extend military aid to Syria and send troops there to participate in the war against the terrorists... The two governments will soon officially announce [their] coordination in the war on terror."[10]

On November 24, two days after Al-Sisi's statements, Muhammad Ballout, a reporter for the Lebanese Al-Safir daily, which is close to the Syrian regime, wrote: "The Egyptians have stopped idly observing what is happening in Syria and have decided... to intervene there gradually." According to the report, secret Syria-Egypt military contacts have been underway for over a year, and these have intensified in recent weeks. Two very senior Egyptian army officers are currently in Syria touring the battlefronts, including the Quneitra area, and they also participated in a meeting of the Syrian army division that is deployed there. The report added that, in November 12, 2016, a unit of 18 Egyptian helicopter pilots had arrived at the Hama airbase, and, citing a Syrian source, that after January 2017, large Egyptian forces would be arriving in Syria to participate in military activity, and would not just have an auxiliary role at the Hama airbase. Additionally, according to the report, a high-ranking Egyptian diplomat is expected to visit Syria soon, possibly Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri or one of his senior advisors.[11]

Egypt was quick to deny the Al-Safir report. Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid stressed that Cairo had sent no military forces to Syria, and an Egyptian military official called the report "meaningless, silly nonsense" and "completely false." The official stated that "the perception of the general leadership, and of the Egyptian state and its policies, is based on noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries."[12] However, Al-Safir stood by its report.[13]

On November 28, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry again rejected the Al-Safir report, noting: "These reports exist solely in the imagination of those who disseminate them, and their purpose is clear to all." A ministry spokesman added that before Egypt sends soldiers or equipment outside its borders, constitutional and administrative steps must be taken, and such steps "are not carried out in secret or without the knowledge of the Egyptian people."[14]

Another sign of Syria-Egypt rapprochement is that Egypt is the first country that Syria has allowed to participate in efforts to help Aleppo residents. In late October, Egyptian charge d'affaires in Damascus Muhammad Selim, said that in coordination with the Syrian Foreign Ministry and the UN, Egypt would be participating in rescue efforts in Aleppo and would oversee the evacuation of injured and elderly residents via safe routes established by the Syrian regime and Russia in the east of the city. This, he said, is an expression of "the esteem" in which Egypt is held "by all sides."[15]

Al-Ahram Articles Expressing Approval Of Improved Egypt-Syria Relations

Egypt And Syria Have A Golden Opportunity To Redraw The Middle East

Egypt's desire for rapprochement with Syria was also expressed by articles published by the official Egyptian daily Al-Ahram. The articles called on the Egyptian regime to improve its relations with Syria in light of the new situation created by the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, and the joint challenges that they face, and in order to reposition Egypt as leader of the Arab world.

In one article, Egyptian journalist Ilhami Al-Maligi[16] called on both countries to take advantage of the historic opportunity presented to them by Donald Trump's election victory in order to join forces and work to shape the Middle East as they see fit. He wrote: "Egypt-Syria relations have long been characterized by an inexplicable lack of clarity, even though what they have in common goes deeper than any of their natural disagreements.

"The disconnect between the countries was never serious, perhaps because everyone knows that even if relations have deteriorated, the blood ties between them are too strong to be undermined by political alienation. Moreover, the greater the disputes between the countries, the stronger their relations became [after each crisis]. This was clear after the schism in late 1961.[17] Everyone predicted that the collapse of the Unified Arab Republic would be the first step towards a final disconnect between the countries - but it turned out to be one of the first steps towards the October 1973 war, which yielded the Arabs' first military victory over Israel.

"Despite this entire shared historical relationship, and the popular cohesion that is impossible to undo, the overall description of the official relations between the countries was always that they were not as good as they could be, [but] also not so bad that they were totally cut off. This is like a voluntary rift in a family, in which two brothers continue living their lives on the same path, but each does so separately from the other. After all, what first comes to mind when you think of Egypt and Syria? Fraternity and unity...

"[Egypt and Syria] have a long shared history that offers no explanation for this lengthy period of cool [relations]. Although over the past decade Egypt has had four different presidents, nothing has changed on the official level. I say 'official,' because the two peoples' love for and unity with each other has never waned. Even Syrians who have left their country for other places around the world because of this recent crisis have not flourished anywhere as they have in Egypt...

"In my opinion, there will be no better chance in history for the two countries to once again take [a joint step] like in October 1973 - a chance for the countries to lift the fog... and reorganize the region. Egypt is currently the only country that enjoys the kind of popular and official support that enables it to act to stop the events in Syria, with all their regional implications, and turn them into a new October victory...

"Trump's election to the U.S. presidency, and [the U.S.'s] inward focus for at least the foreseeable future, present a golden opportunity for all residents of the region, and especially for the two poles of the Arabs' [power], to get rid of the new Middle East that is planned [for them] and instead to plan the Middle East that they want. Today, not a single obstacle is preventing the two countries from remembering their shared national anthem..."[18]

Raise Egypt's Diplomatic Representation In Syria And Iran

Al-Ahram columnist Dr. Gamal Zahran assessed that the Trump presidency will lead to a substantial change in the region, and called it Egypt's great chance to regain its role as a leader of the Arab world, including by reviving its relations with Syria. He wrote: "The clear engine of initiative in Egypt's foreign policy is to maximize the Egyptian diplomatic activity of the past three years. Egypt's support for the Russian role in Syria, which culminated with the vote in favor of the Russian and French [Security Council] resolution,[19] is a step towards reformulating the Egyptian role in the region. Therefore, we require an urgent initiative to raise [Egypt's] diplomatic representation in Syria to the level of delegation head. [The fact that this has not happened] yet is a mark of shame for Egyptian diplomacy.

"It is also time to end our woefully inadequate [diplomatic] representation in Iran. We must raise that as well, in order to serve the public interest. It is odd that the Gulf states are pressuring Egypt not to raise the level of diplomatic representation with Iran while they all have diplomatic relations with it. Is it not odd that their [obvious] goal is to minimize Egypt's regional role?!

"[There is a need for] a great Egyptian effort that reformulates Egypt's regional role in light of new regional and international developments, and in light of the election of a new U.S. president with views similar to ours, and in light of a Russian president, Putin, who is a true supporter of the Arabs' problems, and of Egypt in particular. This effort is not just necessary, but certain [to come about]..."[20]

Egypt And Syria Need To Collaborate, Because Of The Shared Challenges They Face

Al-Ahram columnist Dr. Riad Sanih called on Egyptians to learn from Syria how to prevail in the face of scheming and pressure, arguing that the two countries should collaborate in light of the shared challenges that they face: "Egypt-Syria [relations] are not like those between other countries. The characteristics of daily life and the enemies that they share make them similar. Therefore, it is important to study well this case [of the Syria crisis] in order to thwart the schemes and stop the conspirators.

"Terrorism in Egypt and Syria is not the only clear danger threatening both... We must collaborate and act together, with a single strategy, so that our countries can emerge [from the current situation] with the upper hand and deliver a defeat to anyone who wants to harm them and bring destruction to them. The economic siege, in all its forms, may be one of the common denominators of Egypt and Syria, as part of the plot to divide both of them and to plunge them into long wars and internal conflict that will harm their decision-making and bring them under the Zionist hegemony so that it can implement its satanic policies regarding our nation and region...

"Egypt and Syria are the two branches of the Arab nation, and neither can develop without the other. This is understood well by all the foreign conspirators, who use the same scenarios, one after the other - from sending groups of armed mercenaries to spread destruction, to implementing an economic siege to tighten the noose around the people so as to create chaos, which will damage society's cohesion and allow foreign countries to infiltrate the centers of pressure and operate in these societies.

"Together, Syria and Egypt are dealing with an aggressive war by armed terrorist gangs, and suffering from economic siege, political pressure, and media smear campaigns. They must collaborate and learn from the experience of the immediate past and of the distant past."[21]

Criticism Of Al-Sisi's Expression Of Support For Syrian Army

Al-Watan Columnist: Egypt Must Not Intervene In Syria

Al-Sisi's statements in support of the Syrian army triggered shock and criticism from several journalists, including some who are considered his supporters. Thus, Dr. Mahmoud Khalil, a columnist for the independent Al-Watan daily, called on Egypt to refrain from any intervention in Syria, in favor of any side, and to be politically prudent so as to avoid creating crises vis-a-vis other countries. He wrote: "The decision maker did well to keep Egypt from stepping into the Syrian quagmire, which is no less dangerous than the Yemeni quagmire. Egypt refused to send troops [to Yemen] despite pressure from Saudi Arabia, because everyone knows that the sending of ground troops to Yemen in the 1960s had a negative effect on [Egypt] and caused us unnecessary problems. Just as we do not want anyone intervening in our affairs, we must not intervene in the affairs of others. The Syrian people has the right to decide its own fate, because no matter how oppressive the Syrian regime is, it will not continue to rule if the Syrian people decides [that it must go].

"The Egyptian decision-maker took a political stance on the events in Syria in [complete] disregard of the anger that could be sparked in the Gulf by this blunt expression of Egypt's position. It is very important for Egypt's decision-making to be independent, but it is even more important for political positions to be based on careful political consideration, especially in matters that are not our concern."[22]

Al-Watan columnist 'Imad Al-Din Adib wrote: "When President Al-Sis says that his country supports every official army of every regime, including Syria's, does he mean that he supports the Bashar Al-Assad regime? It is not our [role] to interpret the president's remarks; only he can provide the full, clear, and ultimate context of his remarks, whether it is today, tomorrow, or the next day." Adib added that Al-Sisi's support of the national army is understandable, since he himself belongs to one, but asked: "Should we consider Bashar Al-Assad's army as a national army, or as the army of a tyrannical regime?!..."[23]

Al-Wafd Columnist: The President Must Clarify Egypt's Position On Syria

Alaa' 'Oraibi, a columnist for the Al-Wafd party newspaper, wrote: "It appears that the Egyptian position regarding the Syria situation is unclear and highly confusing for many countries, Arab and foreign, large and small. No one knows exactly who Egypt opposes and who it supports. Does it support the demands of the Syrian people, or Bashar Al-Assad remaining in power? Does it support the opposition, or the attack on cities and civilians? Does it treat the armed opposition the same as Jabhat Al-Nusra and other terrorists, or does it only oppose Al-Qaeda? Does it support Bashar [Al-Assad] as a way of taunting Saudi Arabia and the American administration, or out of fear of a terrorist threat to its national security?... What kind of support is this and what is its scope? The president should clarify and explain."[24]

Al-Misriyyoun Editor: The President's Decision To Support The Syrian Army Is Unconstitutional

Mahmoud Sultan, an editor at the Islamic daily Al-Misriyyoun, which is considered an opponent of Al-Sisi, expressed harsher criticism of Al-Sisi's support for the Syrian army, directing it at the president himself, on the grounds that this support was a political decision of the president's, not a decision by the military establishment, and therefore Al-Sisi is exclusively responsible for it and for the consequences. He wrote:

"The president's remarks regarding his support for the army of Bashar Al-Assad is the first official Egyptian statement on Egypt's participation in the Syrian crisis, and clearly indicates that there is [Egyptian] support [for Assad]. When we speak of the Syrian army, we speak of militarily supporting it... but we do not yet know the type, scope, and mode of this support: Does it mean arming [the Syrians] or that Egyptian forces are participating?... Whether such support actually exists... or whether it is still in the preparatory stages, we must conduct a legal and constitutional debate on this matter. Can the president officially declare his military support for Bashar's army without asking the National Defense Council for its position on this, and without the approval of two thirds of parliament?

"Some may ask: What parliament do you mean? After all, parliament is kind of rubber stamp for presidential [decisions], and if he presents it with a decision to fight in Syria, it will unanimously pass it. Still, disregarding [parliament] raises the question of how much respect for state institutions the president actually has...

"This decision by Al-Sisi to support Bashar's army in this way is unconstitutional. We expect the president to be more sensitive to the sanctity of Egyptian and Syrian blood. May the criminal Bashar, the murderer of his people and the destroyer of his country, go to hell."[25]

* N. Mozes is a research fellow at MEMRI.

Endnotes:
The barren land and the hot dessert of Saudi Arabia felt very different when many parts of the Northern region were covered in snow! Yep, snow! The temperatures went as low as 3 degrees in some regions, leaving most people baffled. The place was expecting rainfall, and the snow definitely took them by surprise.

                #_# pic.twitter.com/TOf6BKRZPe    (@majed_waheep) November 23, 2016

Many people took to Twitter to share their delight and surprise.
What does it take to be an armymans wife? Sacrifice and extreme mental strength. The wives of two army officers posted in Nagrota area of Jammu prevented terrorists from entering their quarters and averted a hostage situation.

Armed terrorists disguised as policemen entered an army unit that housed the family quarters as well, with an intention to take into hostage the families of the officers. But the wives of two of the officers were quick enough to act and piled up household items behind the entrance from where the terrorists were trying to get in. Along with them were their infants aged 18 months and two months.

"The wives of the two army officers, who were on night duty when the encounter broke out, displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all the household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses," an army officer told PTI.

 BCCL

"The terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by officers, families and men. This led to a hostage-like situation. The situation was very quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two women and two babies," Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

The terrorist attack, that is believed to be the biggest terrorist strike after the Uri attacks, wasnt without casualties and 7 jawans were martyred fighting the terrorists.

(Images for representational purpose only.)

H/t  TOI
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Humans, animals and the environment  our health is all connected

Why the One Health approach is important now more than ever
Huangpu River sculpture to go after copycat row

From:Shanghai Daily | 2016-11-30 02:46

A sculpture by Huangpu River is set to be demolished this morning after it came under fire for being an identical copy of a work by a renowned British artist.

The decision was announced last night by the Pudong New Area Planning and Land Resources Administration.

Wendy Taylor had said earlier the statue was almost an exact copy of Timepiece, her 1973 work that functions as a giant sundial. The sculpture in Shanghai has been in the Dongchang Binjiang greenland for more than 10 years, and there is no sign indicating its designer or when it was created.

The greenland is now managed by Shenjiang Group. The group has covered up the disputed sculpture and will demolish it first thing today, the Pudong administration said.

The Independent on Sunday reported earlier that Taylor was shocked after she was sent a photo of a sculpture. The only difference was how the sculpture was angled, according to the Independent.

The sculptor was informed by an art aficionado who came across the installation on holiday and e-mailed the photo to her, the newspaper reported.

Taylors Timepiece is sited alongside Tower Bridge in London. At first I thought someone had done a clever Photoshop and changed the background, but then I looked more closely and thought oh my god no, this is a complete copy the newspaper quoted Taylor.

I am very angry at what I consider theft of my intellectual property., Taylor told Shanghai Daily yesterday before last nights decision was announced.
The Deputy Foreign Minister for Greek Diaspora Affairs, Terens Quick, had a courtesy meeting today, 30 November, with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Greece, Alexei Volkov, at the latters request.

During the meeting, the Kazakh Ambassador referred to the significant Greek community currently residing in his country; a community that has produced prominent figures in politics, culture and science, while he made special mention of the Greek citizens who, having lived in his country in the past, are returning to their birthplace and constitute a bridge between Kazakhstan and Greece.

Deputy Foreign Minister Quick expressed his pride in all of the Greeks who live abroad and, flourishing, act as ambassadors of their homeland. He added that his planning for trips in 2017 includes a visit to Kazakhstan for a meeting with the Greek community there.
We express our grief at the accident that happened today at a school building near Adana, Turkey, resulting in the tragic deaths of a large number of young pupils.



We address our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and express our undivided support to the friendly people of Turkey.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Stratos Efthymiou stated the following in response to a journalists question on statements from the Turkish leadership regarding the Cyprus issue:



Once again, the Turkish leadership are trying to equate the perpetrator with the victim, making historically groundless and arbitrary correlations aimed at expunging Turkeys responsibilities as an occupation force.
Cable theft suspects arrested

From:Shanghai Daily | 2016-11-30 02:46

FORTY-FIVE suspects have been arrested for stealing underground power cables in Shanghai, estimated to be worth more than 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million), police said yesterday.

Police added this was the largest case of its kind in the city in recent years.

With equipment even better than that of state-owned power companies, according to police, the suspects are alleged to have committed 30 thefts from August in Yangpu, Jiading and Baoshan districts and Pudong New Area.

Working at night, the cable thieves allegedly drove vans painted in the colors of the National Grid and wore fake Shanghai Power uniforms to fool passers-by.

Police said they usually worked in groups of 20 to 30, but in some instances up to 60.

All of the cables stolen were spare cables that had been buried underground for up to 20 years so that the thefts wouldnt cause power failures, police said.

Among the suspects, a man surnamed Li, who had some experience working at power projects, was considered to be the source who revealed locations of the cables, but police said they were still investigating whether power company employees were involved.

They were equipped with gas masks, waterproof suits and water pumps, looking just like professionals, said Zhou Jian, a police officer from Yangpu District who was in charge of the case.

The cables were sold to dealers in Baoshan District, where the gangs also parked their vans, and were then sold in neighboring Jiangsu Province, police said.

Police in Yangpu District said they began an investigation after being tipped off about a theft earlier this year near Handan Road and Guoding Road.
Concern in China over 1,200 arrests in Philippines

From:Agencies | 2016-11-29 09:59

China is concerned over the detention of more than 1,000 Chinese nationals in the Philippines during a crackdown on online gambling, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.



The Philippine immigration bureau last week detained about 1,200 Chinese people working in call center-like facilities who were suspected of running online gambling operations out of a former American air base, Clark Field.

The detentions marked the governments biggest such round-up of Chinese nationals in the Philippines, many thought to be working there illegally.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had requested that Manila appropriately make arrangements for those who had been detained and quickly release individuals who had legal identification.

At the same time, China expresses concern over the large number of Chinese citizens detained by the Philippines, Geng told a regular press briefing.

Geng added that China always reminded its citizens who traveled abroad to abide by local laws.

It is unclear if the Chinese nationals were being held for gambling offences or for visa and immigration violations, but about 900 were brought to the immigration detention center in Manila, according to a Philippine police report.

China has expressed support for other law enforcement efforts in the Philippines, including President Rodrigo Dutertes anti-narcotics campaign, which has sparked criticism from the United States and other Western countries over fears of extrajudicial killings.
China vows firm support for UN

From:Xinhua | 2016-11-29 09:24

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with United Nations Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met United Nations Secretary-General designate Antonio Guterres in Beijing on Monday, vowing stronger cooperation with the UN and firm support for its work.

Calling the UN the "most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental international organization," Xi said it has played an irreplaceable role in addressing global challenges.

Countries around the world expect the UN to play a greater role as the international situation develops, Xi said.

"The UN should uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard international peace and security, promote common development, and, in particular, implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change," Xi said.

He called on the UN to take care of developing countries' interests, and give more voice and do more for such countries.

Guterres, on a China trip from Monday to Tuesday, said he appreciated China's support for his election as UN chief. He was appointed by the UN General Assembly in October to succeed Ban Ki-moon as UN secretary-general.

China has become an important pillar in the UN cause and multilateralism, said the 67-year-old Portuguese.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China's restoration to its seat in the UN.

Hailing China-UN cooperation over the past years, Xi said China will continue to join and back UN cooperation in various areas, support UN work and multilateralism, and uphold international order with the purpose and principles of the UN Charter at the core.

Xi proposed facilitating China-UN cooperation by allowing for the leading role of high-level exchanges, and pushing forward progress in implementing China's measures to support the UN, which he announced when visiting UN headquarters in September 2015.

The measures included offering 2 billion U.S. dollars to set up a fund to support South-South cooperation, and establishing a permanent peacekeeping police squad and a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops.

Guterres said Xi's proposals to back UN work at the UN summit last year were inspiring.

China has made a great contribution to world peace and development by initiating the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), participating in UN peacekeeping operations and mediation, as well as helping other developing countries, said the UN chief designate.

He pledged stronger cooperation with China in boosting world peace, stability and prosperity.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Guterres on Monday.

Guterres will start a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2017. He was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
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 D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton  Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC  Glendale LLC, DHIC  Grove West LLC, DHIC  South Park LLC, DHIC  Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes.

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ResMed Inc. develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medical devices and cloud-based software applications for the healthcare markets. The company operates in two segments, Sleep and Respiratory Care, and Software as a Service. It offers various products and solutions for a range of respiratory disorders, including technologies to be applied in medical and consumer products, ventilation devices, diagnostic products, mask systems for use in the hospital and home, headgear and other accessories, dental devices, and cloud-based software informatics solutions to manage patient outcomes, as well as provides customer and business processes. The company also provides AirView, a cloud-based system that enables remote monitoring and changing of patients' device settings; myAir, a personalized therapy management application for patients with sleep apnea that provides support, education, and troubleshooting tools for increased patient engagement and improved compliance; U-Sleep, a compliance monitoring solution that enables home medical equipment (HME)to streamline their sleep programs; connectivity module and propeller solutions; and Propeller portal. It offers out-of-hospital software solution, such as Brightree business management software and service solutions to providers of HME, pharmacy, home infusion, orthotics, and prosthetics services; MatrixCare care management and related ancillary solutions to senior living, skilled nursing, life plan communities, home health, home care, and hospice organizations, as well as related accountable care organizations; and HEALTHCAREfirst that offers electronic health record, software, billing and coding services, and analytics for home health and hospice agencies. The company markets its products primarily to sleep clinics, home healthcare dealers, and hospitals through a network of distributors and direct sales force in approximately 140 countries. ResMed Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Roper Technologies: AC Analytical Controls B.V., AC Analytical Controls Holding B.V., AC Analytical Controls Services B.V., Abel Pump, Acton Research, Acumen PM LLC, Aderant Canada Company, Aderant Company, Aderant Holdings Inc., Aderant International Holdings LLC, Aderant Legal (UK) Limited, Aderant Legal Holdings (AUS) Pty Ltd, Aderant Legal Holdings (NZ) ULC, Aderant Legal Holdings Inc., Aderant North America Inc., Aderant Parent Holdings Inc., Advanced Sensors Limited, Advanced Sensors Ltd., AiCambridge Ltd., Alpha Holdings of Delaware I LLC, Alpha Holdings of Delaware II LLC, Alpha Technologies B.V., Alpha Technologies GmbH, Alpha Technologies Japan LLC, Alpha Technologies Services LLC, Alpha Technologies U.K., Alpha Technologies s.r.o., Alpha Trust Corporation, Alpha UK Holdings LLC, American LegalNet Inc, Amot Controls Corporation, Amot Controls GmbH, Amot/Metrix Investment Company Inc., Amphire Solutions Inc., Amtech Systems (Hong Kong) Limited, Amtech Systems LLC, Amtech World Corporation, Antek Instruments, Archisnapper BV, Ascension Technology Corporation, Assureweb Limited, Atlantic Health Partners Inc., Atlas Database Software Corp., Avitru, Bellefield Systems, BillBlast, C/S Solutions Inc., CBORD Holdings Corp., CBORD Holdings Corporation, CIVCO Holdings Inc., CIVCO Medical Solutions B.V., Centurion Research Solutions LLC, Chalwyn Limited, Civco Holding Inc., Civco Medical Instruments Co. Inc., Clackamas Pump LLC, CliniSys Group, CliniSys Group Limited, Clinisys Scotland Limited, Clinisys Solutions Limited, Cointec Ingenieros y Consultores S.L., Commerce Pump LLC, Compressor Controls (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Compressor Controls Corporation B.V., Compressor Controls Corporation Middle East, Compressor Controls Corporation S.r.l., Compressor Controls LLC, Compressor Controls Mauritius Ltd., Compressor Controls Pty Ltd., Compressor Controls Saudi Arabia LLC, ComputerEase Software, ConceptShare, ConstructConnect, ConstructConnect Canada Inc., ConstructConnect Inc., Cornell Pump Company, DAT Solutions LLC, DATSolutions Private Limited, DCMH Group Holdings Inc., DCMH Group Holdings LLC, DCMH Holdings Inc., DI Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., DI Dutch Holdings LLC, DI Hong Kong Limited, Data Innovations, Data Innovations Canada Ltd., Data Innovations Cooperatief U.A., Data Innovations Europe S.A., Data Innovations LLC, Data Innovations Latin America Ltda, Dawning Technologies LLC, Deltek, Deltek Ajera Inc., Deltek Asia Pacific (HK) Limited, Deltek Australia Pty Ltd., Deltek Danmark A/S, Deltek France SAS, Deltek GB Limited, Deltek GmbH, Deltek Inc., Deltek Nederland B.V., Deltek Netherlands B.V., Deltek Norge AS, Deltek Sverige AB, Deltek Systems (Canada) Inc., Deltek Systems (Colorado) Inc., Deltek Systems (Philippines) Ltd., Deltek TNSCore Holdings LLC, Deltek WST LLC, Dominion I Inc., Duncan Technologies, Dynamco Inc., Dynamic Instruments Inc., Dynisco Enterprises GmbH, Dynisco Enterprises LLC, Dynisco Europe GmbH, Dynisco Holding GmbH, Dynisco Instruments LLC, Dynisco Instruments S.a.r.l., Dynisco LLC, Dynisco Parent Inc., Dynisco S.r.l., Dynisco Viatran LLC, Dynisco Viatran (M) Sdn Bhd, Dynisco-Viatran Instrument Sdn Bhd, EPSI, FMS Purchasing & Services Inc., FSI Holdings Inc., FTI Flow Technology Inc., Flow Technology, Fluid Metering, Fluid Metering Inc., Foodlink Holdings Inc., Foodlink Holdings Inc., Foodlink IT India Private Limited, Foundry, Foundry Visionmongers (Ireland) Limited, Freight Market Intelligence Consortium, Gatan, GeneInsight Inc., Getloaded Corporation, HRsmart Canada Inc., HRsmart France SAS, HRsmart Germany GmbH, HRsmart Inc., HRsmart International, HRsmart International Holdings LLC, HRsmart Mexico, HRsmart SA (Pty) Ltd., HRsmart Talent Management Solutions Europe Limited, HRsmart Ventures LLC, Handshake Software Inc., Handshake Software Inc., Hansco Automatisering B.V., Hansen Technologies, Hansen Technologies Corporation, Harbour Holding Corp., Hardy Process Solutions, Horizon Lab Systems LLC, Horizon Software International LLC, IDS, INPUT Inc., IPA Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., ISL Finance SAS, ISL Holding SAS, ISL Scientifique de Laboratorie - ISL S.A.S., Impact Financial Systems, Industrial Products Investment Company, Innovative Product Achievements LLC, Innovative Product Achievements LLC, Inovonics Corporation, Instill Corporation, IntelliTrans Limited, Intellitrans LLC, Intellitrans Sweden AB, JLT Mobile Computers Inc., Job Access LTDA, Laser App Inc., Link Logistics Holding LLC, Loadlink Technologies Corporation, Logitech, Logitech Limited, Lumenera Corporation, MASD, MED Professional Services LLC, MEDTEC Inc., MEDTEC LLC, MHA Long Term Care Network Inc., MHA Long Term Care Services Inc., MIPS Austria GesmbH, MIPS Deutschland GmbH, MIPS France Sarl, MIPS Nederland B.V., MIPS Schweiz AG, MIPS Software Iberica SL, MPR Readers Inc., Managed Health Care Associates Inc., Media Cybernetics L.P., Medical Information Professional Systems NV, Medina Acquisition LLC, Metrix Instrument Co. L.P., NDI Europe GmbH, NDI Holding Corp., Navigator Group Purchasing Inc., Neptune Technology Group (Canada) Co., Neptune Technology Group Holdings Inc., Neptune Technology Group Inc., Neptune Technology Group Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Neptune Technology Group Services Inc., Nippon Roper K.K., Northern Digital Inc., Omega Legal Systems Inc., On Center Software LLC, Onvia Inc., PAC (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PAC Denmark ApS, PAC GmbH, PAC Instruments (Thailand) Company Limited, PAC Instruments Asia PTE. Ltd., PB Bidco Limited, PB Holdco Limited, PB Midco Limited, PB Topco Limited, PGP UK Limited, PMC/Beta, Petroleum Analyzer, Petroleum Analyzer Company L.P., Petrotech, Phase Analyzer Company Ltd., Photometrics, PowerPlan, PowerPlan Canada ULC, PowerPlan Holdings Inc., PowerPlan Inc., PowerPlan Intermediate Holdings Inc., PowerPlan Operations ANZ Pty Ltd, PowerPlan Operations Ltd., Princeton Instruments, Project Aloha Merger Sub Inc., Project Diamond Intermediate Holdings Corporation, Project Torque Intermediate Holdings Inc., Project Viking Holdings Inc., Project Viking Intermediate LLC, QSC 1208 Limited, QSC 1209 Limited, Quantitative Imaging Corporation, RF IDeas, RF IDeas Inc., RI Marketing India Private Limited, RIL Holding Limited, RMT Inc., RT Merger Sub Inc., Rebate Tracking Group LLC, Redlake Imaging Corporation, Resonant Software Inc., Roda Deaco Valve Inc., Roper Acquisitions Holdings Inc., Roper Brasil Comercio E Promocao De Productos E Servicos LTDA, Roper Canada Holdings LP, Roper Canada UK Limited, Roper Denmark UK Limited, Roper EUR Pte. Ltd., Roper Engineering s.r.o., Roper Europe GmbH, Roper GM Denmark Holdings ApS, Roper Germany GmbH, Roper Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Roper Holdings Limited, Roper IH LLC, Roper Industrial Products Investment Company, Roper Industries Denmark ApS, Roper Industries Deutschland GmbH, Roper Industries Inc., Roper Industries Limited, Roper Industries Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Roper Industries Mauritius Ltd., Roper Industries UK Limited, Roper International Holding Inc., Roper International Holding Limited, Roper International Holding SCS, Roper LLC, Roper Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.l., Roper Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Roper Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Roper Middle East Ltd. FZCO, Roper NL1 UK Limited, Roper NL2 UK Limited, Roper Operations Company I LLC, Roper Operations Company II LLC, Roper Pte. Ltd., Roper Pump Company, Roper Scientific B.V., Roper Scientific SAS, Roper Scot LP, Roper Singapore Holding LLC, Roper Southeast Asia LLC, Roper Swiss Finance GmbH, Roper T1 LLC, Roper T1000 Corp., Roper T2 LLC, Roper Tech. Middle East Ltd. FZCO, Roper Technologies (Ireland) Limited, Roper Technologies (Scot) LP, Roper UK Investments Limited, Roper UK Ltd., Roper-Mex L.P., Ropintassco Holdings L.P., SHP Group Holdings Inc., SIRA LLC, Shanghai Roper Industries Trading Co. Ltd., Sinmed Holding International B.V., Societe de Distribution de Logiciels Medicaux, SoftWriters Inc., Softwriters Holdings, Softwriters Holdings Inc., Sohnar Pty Ltd, Star Purchasing Services LLC, Strata Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., Strata Decision Technologies LLC, Strata Decision Technology LLC, Strata Parallel II Inc., Strategic Healthcare Programs Blocker 2 Inc., Strategic Healthcare Programs Blocker LLC, Strategic Healthcare Programs Holdings LLC, Strategic Healthcare Programs Holdings LLC, Strategic Healthcare Programs L.L.C., Struers, Struers (Shanghai) International Trading Ltd., Struers A/S, Struers GmbH, Struers Inc., Struers K.K., Struers Limited, Struers SAS, Sunquest Europe Limited, Sunquest Holdings Inc., Sunquest Information Systems (Europe) Limited, Sunquest Information Systems (India) Private Limited, Sunquest Information Systems (International) Limited, Sunquest Information Systems Inc., Sunquest Information Systems Pty Ltd, TLP Holdings LLC, Team TSI Corporation, Technolog Group Limited, Technolog Holdings Limited, Technolog Holdings Ltd., Technolog Limited, Technolog SARL, The CBORD Group Inc., The Foundry Topco No.2 Limited, The Foundry USCo Inc., The Foundry Visionmongers Ltd., The Tidewater Healthcare Shared Services Group Inc., The Washington Management Group Inc., Torque Acquisition Holdco Inc., Transcore Atlantic Inc., Transcore CNUS Inc., Transcore Holdings Inc., Transcore ITS LLC, Transcore LP, Transcore Nova Scotia Corporation, Transcore Partners LLC, Trinity Integrated Systems Limited, Trinity Integrated Systems Ltd., UHF Purchasing Services LLC, Union Square Software (International) Limited, Union Square Software Inc., Union Square Software Limited, Union Square Software Pty, United Controls Group Inc., Uson L.P., Uson Limited, Utilitec Limited, Utilitec Services Limited, Utility Data Services Limited, Verathon Canada Holdings Inc., Verathon Holdings (Delaware) Inc., Verathon Inc., Verathon Inc., Verathon Medical (Australia) Pty Limited, Verathon Medical (Canada) ULC, Verathon Medical (Europe) B.V., Verathon Medical (France) SARL, Verathon Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Verathon Medical (Japan) K.K., Verathon Medical (UK) Ltd., Vertafore, Vertafore Canada Inc., Vertafore Inc., Vertafore India Private Limited, Viastar Services LP, Viatran Corporation, WELIS, Walter Herzog GmbH, WorkBook APAC Ltd., Workbook Software A/S, Zetec (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zetec Canada Ltd., Zetec France, Zetec Inc., Zetec Korea Inc., Zetec Services Inc., iPipeline, iPipeline (TCP) Limited, iPipeline Canada Inc, iPipeline Co. Ltd., iPipeline Holdings Inc, iPipeline Inc, iPipeline Limited, iSqFt Holdings Inc., iSqFt Parent Corporation, iSqFt Sub Inc., iTradeNetwork Inc., and mySBX Corporation.

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Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
Air Force C-130 cargo aircraft designed for firefighting may be used to help battle deadly wildfires scorching thousands of acres in Tennessee, an official said.

Air Force Reserve Command is standing by to deploy C-130s equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or MAFFS, which drop hundreds of pounds of fire retardant, according to Ann Skarban, a spokeswoman for the Air Force's 302nd Airlift Wing.

The U.S. Forest Service, the entity responsible for requesting the MAFFS units, hasn't yet determined whether it will require the aircraft but a plan is in place if necessary, Skarban said.

The 302nd Airlift Wing, which houses the aircraft at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, has not "received a request through the USFS for MAFFS support for the wildfires in Tennessee" nor have any other airlift wings, she said.

One reason MAFFS have not deployed could be bad weather.

Storms and inclement weather in the Tennessee area have halted any regional aviation assets from taking off, U.S. Forest Service's Southern Region spokesman Adam Rondeau told Military.com on Wednesday.

"Our air operations in Tennessee are currently suspended due to the weather," Rondeau said. "Aviation support will continue once the weather clears."

The Forest Service is on standby to use aircraft over the wildfires, which have spread throughout 15,000 acres from the Great Smoky Mountains into residential areas such as Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

At least four people have died, and 45 others have been injured, according to CNN. More than 250 buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

The Forest Service also prefers to use its own assets before requesting Air Force planes.

The Forest Service has a variety of aircraft at its disposal to battle wildfires, including drones, single engine or large airtankers, Cessnas, or tactical aircraft, according to its website.

In 2014, Congress transferred seven U.S. Coast Guard C-130H cargo planes to the Forest Service for aerial firefighting. The plan, spearheaded by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain as part of the defense authorization bill, also included 15 C-23B Sherpa cargo planes.

The Pentagon, working with the Forest Service and the National Interagency Fire Center, supplies C-130 H and J model aircraft, flight crews, maintenance and support personnel from Peterson to fly the missions.

"Prior to requesting support from the U.S. Air Force (for which we have a process in place), we would have to fully commit all of our available aviation resources region-wide, which we have yet to do," Rondeau said in an email.

The 302nd has more than 10 qualified crews, according to the service. In 2015, MAFFS-equipped C-130s flew over 15 different fires in California, dropping 842,979 gallons of retardant released in 372 sorties, the Air Force said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

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A decorated Marine colonel assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, has been removed from his post and charged with the alleged sexual abuse of a child, Military.com has learned.

Col. Daniel Wilson, 55, of Mason, Washington, the G-3 operations officer for II Marine Expeditionary Force, was charged Nov. 15 after a II MEF and Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation, a spokesman for II MEF, Lt. Col. Michael Armistead, told Military.com. The NCIS investigation into the alleged crimes is ongoing, he said.

The charges Wilson faces include three counts of sexual assault and sexual abuse of a child; four counts of assault and battery on a child under age 16; one count of failure to obey an order or regulation; and nine counts of conduct unbecoming an officer.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said the alleged victim was six years old.

Wilson was removed from his post and reassigned to administrative duties after the investigation into his alleged wrongdoing was launched, Armistead said. He has not, however, been jailed or confined ahead of a trial.

A date has yet to be set for an Article 32 investigative hearing into the alleged crimes, a step that occurs in the military justice system before a service member is tried.

Wilson is being represented by two Marine Corps attorneys, Lt. Col. Ben Ackison and Capt. Mark McCormick. Armistead said it's not known whether he has hired civilian counsel as well.

According to information provided to Military.com, Wilson entered the Marine Corps in 1981 and was promoted to colonel in 2010. He was assigned to II MEF on April 30 of this year. He previously served as the chief of staff for 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, in the Pacific, and as commanding officer for Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina.

He completed 11 deployments over the course of his 35-year career, and his awards include the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

"Col. Wilson is presumed innocent of any alleged offenses and will be afforded the opportunity to defend himself against all charges," Armistead said in a statement.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck.
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef.

Founded in 1949, the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization is now 67 years old. Originally, it was a political association. Following the onset of the Korean War, it rapidly transformed itself into an alliance for mutual defense.

Pursuant to Article 5 of the NATO charter, any member country attacked by a foreign entity could request assistance from the other members. The nature of that assistance was left to the discretion of each party. It did not necessarily need to be direct military assistance, although NATO's force structure was organized to facilitate a joint military response.

NATO's strategic objective, in the words of Lord Ismay, its first secretary general, was "to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down." Those goals largely defined NATO's mission over its first 40 years. In 1955, West Germany was incorporated into the Alliance.

That decision was largely prompted by the need to integrate German military forces into NATO to ensure that the Alliance's manpower would be sufficient to blunt a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. In response, the Soviet Union organized the Warsaw Pact as its own collective security organization consisting of itself and the communist countries in Eastern Europe.

For the next 35-odd years, the two organizations defined the two-opposing sides of the Cold War in Europe. NATO's operational doctrines were designed to promote the standardization and interoperability of each nation's armaments as well as operating procedures. Its tactical and strategic doctrines, including a tacit agreement for the first use of theater nuclear weapons, were designed to counter the threat of a Soviet invasion by massed, highly mechanized infantry, spearheaded by rapidly moving armored divisions.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, NATO's primary purpose has become largely obsolete. The Warsaw Pact has disintegrated. Indeed, many of its former members are now part of NATO. The prospect of a Russian invasion of Western Europe has largely vanished. Even if it wanted to, Russia simply lacks the force structure to execute such an invasion, much less successfully occupy Western Europe.

On the other hand, while Western Europe has little to fear from an armed Russian attack, NATO's newest members in Eastern Europe, especially those states that were once part of the Soviet Union, are particularly concerned about the Kremlin's attempts to intimidate and subvert them.

Judging by Russia's actions in Ukraine, and to a lesser extent Georgia, Russian security threats in the future are likely to consist of a combination of cyberwarfare, subversion and insurgency, especially among ethnic Russians living in targeted countries, and ongoing attempts at political and economic manipulation.

By producing domestic chaos and instability, the Kremlin has a pretext to intervene with Russian military forces either in the guise of peacekeepers to protect ethnic Russians or in an unofficial capacity as volunteers of unspecified origins. The latter also gives the Kremlin plausible deniability for its actions.

This type of threat is very real and is completely different from the mission that NATO was originally designed to serve.

Since 1989, NATO has been steadily expanding its membership across Eastern Europe, while at the same time accepting responsibilities well outside of its original mandate. These new responsibilities have ranged from directing the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to "training missions" in Iraq, to operating no-fly zones over Libya to antipiracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden. At the same time, it has also expanded its deployment in Eastern Europe. The immediate consequences have been a significant mismatch between its military capabilities and the external threats, either directly or indirectly, that its members face.

NATO's member expansion has taken two forms. In the Balkans, it has incorporated or put on a membership track many of the nations that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbia, which has longstanding religious, ethnic and political ties to Russia, is the sole exception. Nonetheless, Serbia has been quietly inching toward NATO, expanding its cooperation while still officially maintaining its neutrality. Serbia is a candidate for membership in the EU and relies on the economic bloc for the bulk of its foreign investment, external markets and foreign aid.

Albania has also joined (2009), as have the former Warsaw Pact Balkan members of Bulgaria and Romania (2004). Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro are all candidate members pending their meeting the required preconditions for membership.

The Kremlin does not pose an immediate security threat to the Balkan nations, although Russia has historically claimed that it had longstanding interests there because of ethnic and religious ties. It was Russian support of Serbia in 1914, in its dispute with Austria-Hungary, after all, that triggered the chain of events that ultimately precipitated World War I.

NATO's objectives in the area were, instead, motivated by two other concerns. First, a recognition that the economic well-being of the Balkan nations was contingent on closer integration with the EU and access to the bloc's markets and capital. Secondly, that integration of the region's military forces into NATO, along with EU membership, would make local outbreaks of violence less likely.

NATO's eastern expansion was, in part, also motivated by the corresponding eastern expansion of the EU and the desire to incorporate those countries into a European-wide system of collective defense. There was also an element of atonement for the decision made at Yalta two generations ago to abandon the region to Soviet hegemony.

NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe, and especially into some of the former states of the Soviet Union, was seen by the Kremlin as a provocation and ran counter to what Russia claimed was an unofficial agreement reached with the United States to forego NATO's eastern expansion in return for Soviet acquiescence to German reunification.

Of late, Russia has become increasingly provocative toward the nations that make up what the Kremlin calls the "near abroad." These are countries that were previously under Soviet control or domination and which geographically Russia sees as essential to Russia's defense. Their participation in NATO is deemed by the Kremlin as threatening to Russia.

These provocations have taken the form of frequent overflights of armed Russian fighter-bombers operating with their transponders turned off, numerous instances of cyber warfare, blackmail threats to interrupt Russian supplies of natural gas or electrical power, attempts to stir up organized dissent among ethnic Russian citizens in those countries, military intimidation and heavy-handed attempts at political and economic manipulation.

In the case of Georgia, once a candidate member to join NATO, but since shelved, this also involved an invasion by Russian special forces. In Ukraine's case, similar actions, including Russian seizure of the Crimea and portions of the Donbass Basin, whose population was predominantly ethnic Russians, was organized to forestall any moves by Kiev to pursue NATO membership. Particularly worrisome is the fact that all three of the Baltic Republics, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, have been seeing an intensifying pattern of Russian provocation and attempts at political intimidation.

In June 2016, NATO added cyberwarfare as an "operational domain of war," no different than land, naval or aerial warfare. While cyberwarfare now qualifies as a form of attack that can trigger the Article V mutual defense provision, the nature of cyberattacks makes it difficult to always know who the antagonist is. The other types of Russian tactics, while no less threatening, are a lot more diffuse than an armed attack.

These kinds of provocations do not explicitly come under the provisions of what constitutes an attack under Article V. They are a lot more subjective and open to interpretation or dispute. Ethnic unrest, for example, may result from legitimate domestic grievances as well as foreign manipulation or subversion.

Many NATO members are reluctant to make what appear to be purely domestic issues a pretext for triggering the mutual defense clause. NATO needs to redefine the kinds of threats it is designed to oppose, as well as its possible responses to reflect the tactics in the Kremlin's current playbook.

To date, there is no consensus within NATO on what this new threat definition should be or how the organization should, if at all, respond. For NATO's Eastern European members in general, and for the Baltic Republics in particular, this new redefinition of NATO's security mission can't come soon enough.

-- If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
U.S. warplanes have now "disabled" four of the five bridges over the Tigris River in Mosul to limit suicide car bombings against hard-pressed Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State in the eastern sector of the city, a top coalition commander said Wednesday.

The attacks on the bridges were carried out to support the Iraqi Counter Terror Service units in the eastern half of the city who were struggling against Islamic State mortars, rockets, snipers and especially vehicle borne improvised explosive devices, or VBIEDs, said British Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.

The Iraqis were facing "tough resistance," Jones said in a video briefing from Baghdad to the Pentagon, and "in response, the coalition has disabled four of the five bridges connecting eastern and western Mosul" to limit access for the suicide car bombs.

The coalition aircraft were also cratering roads to cut down the ability of militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, to reinforce and resupply the eastern sector, said Jones, the senior non-U.S. officer on the task force.

The "damage to the bridges is making it harder for Daesh to flow across the river," Jones said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. He said the bridges were "disabled" rather than completely destroyed to allow for reconstruction once the city is liberated.

"We had hoped to leave the bridges intact" if the offensive had moved more swiftly, Jones said, but Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered them to be targeted. "Abadi made the decision. He had little choice but to disable those bridges. That's exactly what we have done on his behalf."

Although the CTS was struggling and taking casualties in the effort to reach the river from the east, Jones said steady progress was being made and the Iraqis and the coalition were "confident of Daesh's defeat." He declined to put a timetable on the city's liberation, saying "this is not a race."

Iraqi officers have said that the dense urban landscape and the presence of civilians -- about one million are said to remain in Iraq's second largest city -- are hampering their ability to attack ISIS with heavier weapons.

However, Jones said there has been no change in the message to civilians sent by Abadi in the form of millions of leaflets dropped over Mosul to stay in place rather than flee. Abadi told the residents of Mosul to "stay in their homes," Jones said. "That remains the advice. We absolutely back the government of Iraq's decision on that."

There were reports Wednesday that water had been cut off to about 40 percent of the people in Mosul. Local official Hussam al-Abar told Reuters that fighting had prevented a repair team from reaching a broken water main. "We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe," he said.

"What we're seeing is terrifying," Lise Grande, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told The New York Times. ISIS is "intentionally targeting civilians, firing directly at them," Grande said. "Scores of people, including young children and women, are arriving daily in hospitals. Their injuries are horrific."

In Syria, a patchwork coalition of forces advised and equipped by the U.S. under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces had advanced to within 20 miles of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed ISIS capital, against "moderate to light resistance," Jones said.

Turkey has warned the SDF against attempting to enter Raqqa. The main force in the SDF is the Syrian Kurdish YPG, or the People's Protection Units, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey.

Jones said the isolation of Raqqa by the SDF will continue, and decisions on which force will attempt to enter the city would be left to diplomatic channels.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Depending on your PT test, the order of swimming may best be determined by where it is in the order of events of that test.
TODAY, 9:13pm: In further comments, Kinzer says that he does not expect a deal to be completed before the Winter Meetings, though he notes that could change if the right offer hits the table. (Via Mark Berman of FOX 26; Twitter links.)

While there has been some internet chatter suggesting that theres a deal in place with the Astros, Kinzer denies the rumors. As Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted, there is nothing in place with Houston. Still, Kinzer does tell Berman that the Astros are a great fit from Encarnacions perspective, and acknowledges that there is interest from the team.

6:16pm: Theres nothing imminent on Encarnacion, Kinzer tells MLB Networks Jon Morosi (links to Twitter). More than one team is still involved on the veteran slugger, per his agent, with multiple offers on the table.

The Astros and Yankees are believed still to be in the hunt, Morosi adds.

YESTERDAY: Edwin Encarnacions free agency may not last much longer, as the sluggers agent, Paul Kinzer, told TSNs Rick Westhead today that his client will probably agree to a contract later this week or early next week. Kinzer told Westhead that the Blue Jays remain in the picture and have been showing Edwin the most love, though the agent didnt handicap any one teams chances of getting a deal done. According to Kinzer, three teams have told him that theyre waiting for the resolution of the collective bargaining negotiations before making a formal offer. He added that two teams have made serious offers to Encarnacion already.

[Related: Edwin Encarnacions Free Agent Profile]

One team that doesnt appear to be in the running for Encarnacion is the Red Sox, though, as WEEI.coms Rob Bradford writes that a source has informed him that Boston probably wont be a finalist for Encarnacions imposing bat. Boston remains focused on adding a shorter-term option to fill its DH vacancy, according to Bradford.

ESPNs Buster Olney reported earlier today that the Astros bid big on Yoenis Cespedes before he agreed to return to the Mets, and his colleague, Jerry Crasnick, added that the Astros are still a possible landing spot for Encarnacion (Twitter links). While a big bid on Cespedes doesnt necessarily indicate that the Stros are willing to make a market-beating offer for Encarnacion, their willingness to make a competitive bid for a player that agreed to a $110MM deal does suggest that they can at least afford to make a legitimate play for Encarnacion.

It remains unclear which teams have made the aforementioned serious offers to Encarnacion. The Blue Jays reportedly offered Encarnacion about $80MM over four years earlier this month, but that offer seems light to constitute the serious adjective utilized by Kinzer, considering the agents previous comments implying that a five-year deal and/or a $25MM annual value both seemed reasonable. Furthermore, Kinzer tells Westhead that he hasnt talked dollars with Blue Jays brass since that initial proposal. The Yankees have also been connected to Encarnacion on multiple occasions, and the Rangers have reportedly reached out to Kinzer as well, though the extent of Texas interest isnt known at this time.

Encarnacion, like most agents, should be reasonably expected to end up with the highest bidder, but Kinzer did imply that there will be other factors at play when speaking to Westhead. We wont put any restrictions on any offer like years or anything, he explained. [Encarnacion is] going to decide where hes comfortable. One of the things we have to look at is the big difference in the tax base between some of the teams that are interested. Plus, theres a comfort level we need to consider.
2:24pm: SB Nations Chris Cotillo tweets that the two sides settled on a $3.175MM salary.

12:35pm: The Rockies announced today that theyve avoided arbitration with right-hander Jordan Lyles on a one-year deal. Terms of the contract werent disclosed. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had pegged Lyles, a Ballengee Group client, for a $3.3MM salary in 2017.

Lyles, 26, missed the majority of the 2015 season with a foot injury and split the 2016 campaign between the Rockies and the teams Triple-A affiliate. Formerly a starter with the Rockies and Astros (and a well-regarded prospect in the Houston farm system), Lyles shifted to a bullpen role for the bulk of this past season but struggled to a 5.83 ERA in 58 2/3 innings. Lyles averaged a career-low 4.9 strikeouts and averaged a career-high 4.3 walks per nine innings in his time at the big league level this past season. Those struggles led us to peg him as a potential non-tender candidate, but hell return despite his troubles. Lyles 51.5 percent ground-ball rate this past season was encouraging, as was the fact that he allowed just four homers in his 58 2/3 frames despite pitching at Coors Field. He also saw his fastball velocity trend upward, settling at a career-best average of 92.9 mph after moving into a short-relief role.

With five years and 21 days of big league service under his belt, Lyles is one year away from reaching the open market, so demonstrating some form of improvement next year will be of extra importance for the former No. 38 overall draft pick. With Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, Chad Bettis, Jeff Hoffman, German Marquez and Eddie Butler all in the rotation mix, it might be difficult for Lyles to get back into a starting role in 2016. However, if hes able to perform capably in a multi-inning relief role, hed still boost his 2017-18 free agent stock nicely.
Four Lansing-area properties with long ties to Michigan's automotive history appear headed toward repurposing by a Midwest developer.

The properties - including sites of three former General Motors Corp. factories - are among the remaining listings in Michigan by RACER Trust, which is selling off GM's excess real estate from its bankruptcy.

NorthPoint Development of Kansas City put the four properties under contract in mid-November, according to a news release from RACER Trust.

The company "plans to build a mix of manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities, primarily for companies in the automotive sector," according to the release.

The properties total 260 acres in three communities: Lansing, Lansing Township and Delta Township.

Lansing Plant 2, 72.47 acres on West Saginaw that is vacant except for a 14,000 automotive service building. Lansing Plant 3, 102.75 vacant acres on West Saginaw. It's zoned heavy industrial, and environmental studies show 1,4 dioxane contamination. RACER set aside $5.3 million for the cleanup plan, which RACER documents show is being finalized by the state. Lansing Plant 5, 26 vacant acres on South Canal Road. Lansing Plant 6, 57.26 acres adjacent to plants 2 and 3.

While Plant 5 has always been vacant land, other parcels touch Michigan's automotive heritage. Plant 6 once housed an early facility for Durant Motor Works, a predecessor of GM, which began its Fisher Body Division there in 1935. Plant 2 once was home to a factory from 1910 that was adapted over the years to produce the EV-1 electric vehicle before it closed in 2006.

Annual property taxes paid on all four parcels total about $210,000 per year.

"There will be an extended period in which NorthPoint undertakes due diligence and planning and seeks approvals for its projects before the sales close and construction begins," according to RACER.

NorthPoint has acquired other former GM sites through RACER, and previously had these properties under contract before that deal fell apart in 2015, according to the Lansing State Journal.

NorthPoint officials have not been available for comment. The company has a growing portfolio of industrial development, focused on manufacturing and logistics, according to its website. Projects are located in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, New Jersey and Ohio.

One division of NorthPoint specializes in senior housing, operated under the Stonecrest brand. Two of its properties are located in Oakland County.

Other NorthPoint divisions include multi-family properties and self storage.

The plans for the Lansing area remain in development. All involved expect the results to generate jobs in the region.

"NorthPoint projects have resulted in hundreds of jobs and created new economic vitality and opportunities for a growing number of communities," Elliott Laws, an administrative trustee of the RACER Trust, said in a release.

RACER Trust was set up in 2011 so that GM could emerge from bankruptcy as RACER took over the sale and environmental clean up of its obsolete and excess properties. Among them: 52 in in Michigan, including the 5 million square foot factory in Ypsilanti Township that now is home to the American Center for Mobility.

As of January, 19 of the properties had been sold. About 23 now remain listed.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Police are accusing a man who reported an armed robbery late Tuesday, Nov. 29, near the University of Michigan campus of faking the story to cover a theft.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, an employee at Hunter House Hamburgers reported to Ann Arbor Police a known suspect robbed him at gunpoint in an alley in the 600 block of East William.

The employee, a 21-year-old Ann Arbor man, gave police a description of a suspect and said the person used a silver handgun to rob him of $95 in cash.

There were no witnesses, and no one was injured. Police found the suspect and took the person into custody a short time later.

Ann Arbor Police detectives investigated and allege the employee fabricated the reported robbery. They arrested him for filing a false police report and he remains in the Washtenaw County Jail pending arraignment.

Police allege the employee made the false report to cover the theft of money from the restaurant, according to Ann Arbor police.

The person police originally arrested was released from custody.
ANN ARBOR, MI - If you've walked down Iroquois Place lately, you might have noticed it's a lot more colorful than usual.

Out of the 40 houses along the one-block street off Stadium and Packard, 17 of them are now flying rainbow-colored flags, and four others have traditional red, white and blue American flags.

It's not a coincidence.

Neighbors have united since the Nov. 8 election to show support for equality, diversity and inclusivity, and it all started with an anonymous note left in the mailbox of Mark and Susan Pearlman.

The Pearlmans actually put up their flag -- a spin on the American flag with stars and rainbow-colored stripes -- following the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in June. They have a daughter who is gay, so the attack at the gay nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured 53 others hit close to home.

Kit Fuller shared this photo collage of the many flags on Iroquois Place.

The rainbow flag was popularized as a symbol of gay pride in the 1970s, and it also is seen as a broader symbol of peace and diversity.

"And then just the day after the election, there it was -- an anonymous letter in my mailbox, basically saying that they were uncomfortable with my flag," Susan Pearlman said of the handwritten note she received a few weeks ago.

"It was just a little disconcerting," she said. "There was something threatening about that. I found myself for two nights, I just kept looking out the window. Like, is someone watching me? There was no address."

The note was written on a card with a floral pattern. The anonymous person who penned it said the rainbow flag "deeply troubled" them.

"I have great pride in being American," the person wrote. "I love our country and am proud of our freedoms. I have great reverence for the men and women who have fought for those freedoms and for our flag itself and all it represents. I was troubled by the rainbow version of the American flag because it overlooks so many things the original American flag represents. The flag is missing the white stripes that represent purity and innocence. The missing red stripes overlook the valor and bravery of our soldiers and the American people.

"Our flag is a sacred representation of our country's history that we are so blessed to be a part of. So, I ask you as your neighbor and fellow American to consider flying two flags, the American flag and the rainbow flag, side by side."

Pearlman said she went and talked with a couple of her neighbors, and their response was, "Where do I get a flag?" And it grew from there as neighbors traded emails about what happened.

Some purchased rainbow flags of their own at the Common Language Bookstore in Kerrytown, and others ordered them online.

Neighbors who've seen the note say it seemed polite, but they're concerned about the anonymous nature of it and apparent unwillingness to openly discuss the issue, as well as the timing with the election, and some question why someone would feel so deeply offended by a symbol of peace and equality.

"It's a bit ironic, because part of that freedom is you can fly whatever flag you want," Pearlman said of the American freedoms mentioned in the note.

Neighbors say they're trying to turn a negative into a positive, and they're feeling good about the abundance of flags on the street now.

"When we saw the note, I went online right away and got this flag," said Michael Sheffield, who has a rainbow flag in his window with a peace symbol and the word peace. "It came four days later, we put it up, and then we walked down the street and it's just speckled with flags, and it makes you feel really good."

The neighbors on Iroquois Place already were a tight-knit bunch, getting together for barbecues at their neighborhood park, communicating as a group via email and offering to help each other rake leaves or de-ice sidewalks. They say the flags just take their solidarity to the next level.

Kit Fuller, who has both a rainbow flag and a maize-and-blue equality flag outside her house, in addition to a peace pole and other signs, said new rainbow flags or other endorsements of diversity are appearing almost daily.

Geraldine Kaylor and her husband, Jeffrey Rausch, who have lived on the block since the late 1970s, are among those flying a rainbow flag now.

"It's always been a really great neighborhood," Kaylor said. "And it's always been a neighborhood that's really inclusive, but not intrusive, and people have always just stuck together. So when this issue came up ... we just thought it was up to all of us to kind of band together, and it was pretty spontaneous."

They still don't know if the person who wrote the note even lives on the block or had any bad intentions, Kaylor said.

"But in any event, we just thought that they really weren't thinking about what the priorities of freedom are about," she said.

Gina Brandolino and Ellen Muehlberger are among the Iroquois Place residents flying a rainbow flag now.

"As far as I know, we're the only gay homeowners on the street," Brandolino said. "So at the point when 10 flags were up, it seemed like the gay couple should probably have a flag."

Brandolino said it's been heartwarming to see so many of their neighbors standing up for equality.

She said she and her partner spent a long time looking for houses in Ann Arbor before buying a place on Iroquois Place a few years ago.

"It's so hard to buy a house in Ann Arbor, and it took us two years of looking, and it made me think it was worth the wait to end up on this street."

Brandolino said there are still signs of discontent. She said people on the block with Hillary Clinton signs have had signs vandalized multiple times.

Pearlman said she has lived in her house on Iroquois Place since 1990, and she grew up in Ann Arbor. If one of her neighbors has a concern with her rainbow flag, she said, she hopes they come to her to talk about it.

She said it's an inclusive and diverse neighborhood, and an anonymous note is an unusual way to handle things.

Pearlman notes she flew an American flag 24/7 with a light on it following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"I have an understanding of the flag and freedom, and part of that freedom is being able to fly whatever flag I feel like flying," she said.

Pearlman said she's unsure if any of the traditional American flags that have popped up along the street this month are in any way meant to counter the rainbow flags or if they're just joining along in putting their flags out. She suspects some went up for Veterans Day and just stayed up.

None of the residents at houses with traditional American flags answered their doors on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

As for the proliferation of rainbow flags along Iroquois Place, Pearlman said, "My husband and I, and my daughter and other children who all grew up in this house, have been overwhelmed with the support."

Residents in other parts of Ann Arbor, including Mayor Christopher Taylor, also have put up rainbow flags since the election.

"I think it's a support across Ann Arbor to say we value diversity and we're OK with it, and it's important," Pearlman said.
510 n congress.PNG

A Google map shows where a fire took place at an Ypsilanti apartment complex on Nov. 29, 2016.

(Courtesy)

YPSILANTI, MI - A cooking accident caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to an Ypsilanti apartment building on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Officials were called shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday for a structure fire at an apartment complex at 510 N. Congress St., said Ypsilanti fire Capt. Richard Barnabo.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find smoke coming out of windows on the third floor of the building, Barnabo said. The residents of the building had already evacuated, and firefighters quickly doused the flames, which had spread from a stove to kitchen cabinets.

Officials later determined a resident was cooking with oil, stepped away and returned to find a fire, Barnaba said. The resident attempted to extinguish the fire without success.

No one was injured in the incident, Barnaba said. The apartment unit where the fire took place suffered fire, smoke and water damage and the unit below suffered water damage.

The American Red Cross was called to help residents with housing, but had the response canceled when the apartment management company, University Management, offered to aid its residents, Barnaba said.
emu

Eastern Michigan University celebrated a successful Giving Tuesday, topping its total donations by $100,000 from the previous year. EMU reported collecting $269,708 from 772 donors on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Last year, the university raised $169,828, from 410 donors. MLive file photo

YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University celebrated a successful Giving Tuesday, topping its total donations by $100,000 from the previous year.

EMU reported collecting $269,708 from 772 donors on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Last year, the university raised $169,828 from 410 donors.

Interim EMU Vice President for Advancement Jill Hunsberger was pleased with the outpouring of support from the university community.

"Our heartfelt thanks go out to all those who made Giving Tuesday a great success this year," she said in a statement. "This exceptional effort makes a significant impact for our students."

This is the fourth year EMU has participated in Giving Tuesday fundraising activities. EMU's public radio station 89.1 WEMU helped the university celebrate the occasion with an open house and live jazz jam session pledge drive, with local jazz and blues musicians performing throughout the day.
UPDATE: Police accuse 21-year-old Ann Arbor man of faking robbery story

ANN ARBOR, MI - One person is in custody after a reported robbery in downtown Ann Arbor, police say.

Police were called about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 to the 600 block of East William Street for a reported robbery, said Ann Arbor police Sgt. Patrick Ouellette. The location is a block west of the University of Michigan campus.

No one was injured in the incident and one person was in custody as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oullette said.

Further information on the incident was not immediately available.
Ypsilanti band.jpg

Ypsilanti Community senior Micah Johnson, center, laughs before Ypsilanti's game against Adrian on Friday, September 23, 2016 at Ypsilanti Community High School. Investing in Ypsilanti's music program is one proposed use of additional funding available in the 2016-17 school year. Katy Kildee | MLive.com

(Katy Kildee | The Ann Arbor News)

YPSILANTI, MI - Unexpected money coming in this school year has given Ypsilanti Community Schools more flexibility to decide how to spend nearly $2.5 million in one-time funding.

Initially, YCS had banked on using the $2.5 million to help balance its $54.5 million 2016-17 budget, and even then the district was looking at $787,000 in deficit spending. But now, Ypsilanti schools has $2.9 million more than expected to spend this school year.

The boost came partially from the sale of Ardis school, which provided $161,000 net profit for the district; and leasing West Middle School to Ann Arbor Public Schools' Allen Elementary School for eight months, which will generate $1.44 million over the course of the lease.

Also, YCS saw its enrollment drop by only 136 students this fall, rather than the 300-student decline Cathy Secor, director of the business services at YCS, had originally factored into the budget. That enrollment change equates to $1.32 million more in revenue for the school district than expected in the first version of the 2016-17 budget that the board passed in June.

Superintendent Ben Edmondson was pleased with the budget update presented to the board of education during a study session on Monday, Nov. 28. He sees it as a sign the district is moving in the right direction.

"It's an outlier, definitely an outlier, but it's a good outlier to have," Edmondson said of the lower-than-expected drop in enrollment. "Something has happened, or something is happening, and maybe there's a little more confidence (in Ypsilanti Community Schools)."

With that extra money available, Secor suggested Monday the board amend the 2016-17 budget to pull out the $2.5 million in one-time funding and leave as much of it untouched as possible. She would like to keep the money set aside as an extra layer of financial security for the coming years, when Secor has predicted the district could fall into deficit spending again.

The $2.5 million is Medicaid reimbursement money currently being held by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Medicaid reimburses schools for some of the special education services they provide, and the WISD funnels that money to local school districts. In recent years, YCS hasn't used all of its Medicaid reimbursement.

"(The Medicaid reimbursement) is kind of our rainy day fund that doesn't have to be on the books," Secor said.

Even with the additional $2.9 million in revenue so far this fall, YCS still is potentially looking at deficit spending when taking into account the initially budgeted $787,000 deficit, reserving all $2.5 million in Medicaid reimbursements and another $123,000 in additional expenses - to hire staff and purchase special education curriculum - Secor reviewed Monday.

But YCS now has more options in determining whether to save or spend the Medicaid funds. The board did not take action Monday on amending the 2016-17 budget or determining how the Medicaid reimbursement money would be allocated.

Edmondson would like to see YCS use some of the available $2.5 million to invest in the music department, physical education, art department, robotics and the Man Up, Kid Down mentoring initiative. He presented the board with a preliminary outline of ways to spend $375,000 on those programs.

"If we had a windfall of money, where would you want to put our investments?" Edmondson said he asked staff. "This is a one time only thing. This money is not going to be generated every year. But if we have money coming into the district, let's make an investment in things."

Board President Sharon Irvine proposed spending some of the available $2.5 million on staff compensation, noting Ypsilanti's high teacher turnover rate.

"I struggle with the message that it sends as we make large-scale purchases on these very Utopian ideas of what they want. ... We are a district that struggles to keep teachers because we cannot afford to keep teachers," Irvine said. "So I will always have the conceptual problem with us deciding with windfalls that we're going to look for ways to spend because we just need to spend that."

Teacher salaries came up in the regular board meeting on Monday too. Human Resources Director Jack Bauman presented the board with a list of new hires for their approval, which included three teachers with salaries of more than $50,000.

Irvine, board treasurer Meredith Schindler and vice president Celeste Hawkins voiced their concerns with hiring new staff at such a high compensation level, when current staff with similar experience may be making less.

Bauman said salary is negotiated based on years of experience and wanting to offer new hires an increase over their current compensation as an incentive to come to YCS. The previous teacher contract included language that said new hires had to be placed on the lowest salary steps, making $36,000 or $38,000 a year. That limited the pool of applicants, Bauman said, noting that he's still struggling to fill vacancies this school year even with more flexibility now in what he can offer for compensation.

"We need teachers in our district who are seasoned, who are committed, who are dedicated to our students," Hawkins said. "I don't know if it's happening or not, but I would imagine (the pay difference) is sending a message to the teachers in our district that they are less important than the people who are coming in. I'm not saying that this is true, I'm just saying that this may be. Just because we're bringing people in at higher rates, we're also then opening the door for people to leave out."

Looking at Secor's budget projections for the next three school years, trustee Maria Sheler-Edwards was cautious about whether YCS should spend much of the available $2.5 million at this point.

Secor presented two different scenarios with YCS losing 100 to 300 students each year for the next three school years. Unless the district finds another way to cut costs or generate more revenue, her projections show YCS spending down its fund balance and going into deficit within three or four years.

"I think that's important to keep in mind when we're talking about this one-time windfall and, you know, how we might spend all this money, when really we're perilously close to the edge," Sheler-Edwards said. "I know this is kind of a thumbnail sketch (of financial projections). ... It would be great to know if there are areas of savings that we could look for that would give us a little bit more margin so that we're not right on the edge every single year."

Going into the 2016-17 school year, Ypsilanti's fund balance sat at $5.01 million, which represents about 8.7 percent of the school district's total annual general fund expenses in 2015-16. The state requires schools to keep their fund balances at 5 percent or higher.

Over the last three years, YCS has spent down its fund balance by $3.6 million, and the district was counting on that reserve to cover deficit spending again this school year. YCS took $2.43 million from its fund balance to cover expenses in 2015-16.

During the regular meeting on Monday, the board also reviewed the school district's 2015-16 financial audit. David Fisher, a CPA with Rehmann who completed the audit, said the audit came back clean, and he agreed with Secor that continued declining enrollment is a concern.

"Continued losses like you've had will tend to erase that fund balance that you have right now," he said.

Fisher also pointed out Ypsilanti's $1.42 million payment in 2015-16 on the district's 2013 revenue bond, which was taken out to cover $18 million in debt that followed YCS through the consolidation of two former school districts.

As of June 30, YCS still owes $16.7 million in principal on that bond, which will be paid off through 2026.

"If we didn't have that debt payment, we would have had a balanced budget completely," Secor said. "It makes me feel like we're at least on the right track. So what we really just need to do is stop the bleed of the kids leaving."
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In this day and age of web culture, posting beautiful pictures and recordings are one of the main attractions at web-based social networking. To encourage that, Vivo has launched its new smartphone, the Vivo V5.



The Vivo V5 is known for its top selfie camera/ However, to compete against it, we have the Google flagship - Google Pixel.



In the display segment, the Vivo V5 display has an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, display size is 5.5 inches, and display resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels. Google Pixel has an AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, display size is 5.0 inches, and display resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels.



Vivo V5 OS is Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow), while its chipset and CPU is MediaTek MT6750 and 1.8 GHz Octa-Core Processer. Google Pixel runs on Android OS, v7.1 (Nougat), the chipset is Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821, and CPU is Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo and 2x1.6 GHz Kryo). Both of these smartphones are giants at handling tasks and no lag is to be seen when you use them.



The Vivo V5 internal memory is 32 GB and it comes with a 4 GB of RAM. On the other hand, the Google Pixel's internal memory is 32/128 GB and it comes with a 4 GB RAM.



Coming to the camera, Vivo V5 back camera is 13 MP, and front camera is 20 MP, and video recording capabilities is 1080p@30fps. Google Pixel's back camera is 12.3 MP, whereas the front camera is 8 MP, and it records 2160p videos@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps.



Vivo V5's battery is a 3000 mAh. For its standby, talk time, and music play, it is obscure. Google Pixel's battery is 2770 mAh. Stand-by, time is up to 456 hours, talk time is up to 26 hours, and music play is up to 110 hours.



Talking about other features, the Vivo V5 has a fingerprint, accelerometer, closeness, and compass. While Google Pixel's elements are a fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, and quick charging facility. Google Pixel can also work with Samsung VR.



While the V5 selfie phone has much to offer, Pixel carries with itself brand value - made by Huawei - and reputation. However, for selfie fans, the V5 is a win!

 Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The 'demonetisation' of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes three weeks ago has set in motion the biggest currency culling exercise in the modern era.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has talked about ushering India to a less-cash society.Amid the din of howls of protest against the sudden drain-out of currency notes, the government is giving final touches to a comprehensive strategy to wean people away from cash transactions.Moneycontrol gives you a heads-up on what could be coming in the weeks and months ahead:# Cash payments by any government department and public sector undertaking (PSU) shall be allowed only under very specific circumstances for clearly stated reasons.# Government departments and public sector undertakings will withdraw convenience fee/service charge/surcharge on customers who prefer to make card/ digital payments for essential commodities, utility service providers (electricity, telephone, water etc), petrol pumps, gas agencies, railway tickets /IRCTC, tax department, museums, monuments etc# Multi-purpose Open loop pre-paid instrument (PPI) system in the works. This will enable a single PPI/card for making multiple payments such as highway tolls, metro rail fares, bus services etc# Each eligible Jan Dhan account holder will be provided access to a basket of digital financial services such as insurance etc in addition to the RuPay debit card# PayGov India will be turned into a single unified electronic gateway for public transactions of central, state government and public sector undertakings through the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) or other agencies.# Existing government payment portals such as Public Finance Management System, BharatKosh and eKuber will eventually be integrated with PayGov.# Currently, 64 departments and agencies are live on the Pay Gov India gateway. Another eight have completed integration and will go live soon. Integration is in progress with 28 agencies and the process has been initiated with another 86 departments.# NPCI, set up in 2008, is an umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India. NPCI's ten promoter banks include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank and HSBC.# PayGov India will be a single-window gateway for collection of government revenue, fee, penalties etc., through card/ digital means beyond a specified threshold.# Government departments have been asked to build acceptance infrastructure such as card swipe devices, point of sale (POS) machines for card/ digital payments at all collection centres.# The Two Factor Authentication (TFA) for both card present and card not present transactions below a certain specified amount will be relaxed to enable wider adoption of digital payments in day-to-day transactions.# Card not present transactions are those where a card holder cannot present his or her card to the merchant for physical examination at the time of the payment.# The revenue department will likely pitch for removing double taxation, if any, on service tax currently paid on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR).# The department of financial services and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working to rationalise MDR on card transactions.# MDR--a fee a merchant or a shop pays a bank to access its payment infrastructure--often acts as a disincentive for smaller shops and merchants to install card swiping machines in their establishments.# A differentiated MDR system is being formulated for some key transaction segments, such as utility payments and railway ticketing.# The government and RBI examining the possibility of an enhanced Cashout option, of a specified amount, at PoS terminals via pre-paid instruments (PPIs) and other digital payment options.# The object of the programme is to facilitate remittance of funds by people not having bank accounts.# It will also establish a system of Aadhar-based biometric authentication of beneficiaries of mobile cash transfers.# Setting up of a financial inclusion/digital infrastructure acceptance fund is being explored to create formulae-linked acceptance infrastructure.# Plans are also on to use the Aadhar data base for authenticating card/digital transactions and set up a centralised Know Your Customer (KYC) registry.# Tax rebates for payments made through plastic money.# Rules being framed for creating a payments history for all card/digital payments and ensure merchants/consumers can leverage their credit history to access instant, low-cost micro-credit through digital means and create necessary linkages between payments transaction history and credit information.# Tax rebates/incentives and mechanisms for cash-back (similar to the ones that mobile wallets operate) transactions through cards and digital means are being currently framed.# A system is being put in place for enabling very high value transactions through cards and digital means beyond the limits presently prescribed.# The RBI and the financial services department (of the finance ministry) is formulating a comprehensive customer protection policy for transactions through cards and digital means.# Plans are afoot to fully ring-fence consumers from potential digital banking frauds.# To reassure customers about the security of digital transactions, banks will be asked to complete investigations and credit funds back to fraud attack victims within 90 days.# A slew of banks recently scurried to protect customer data customers after a cyberattack on millions of card holders of several banks.# Changes in the key laws -- the Payments and Settlement System (PSS) Act, the RBI Act, the Banking Regulation Act, the Information Technology Act, the TRAI Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and the Income Tax Act  will be brought about, if necessary, for pushing digital transactions.
business Demonetisation, post festive slack demand may hit Nov auto sales Retail growth in auto sales for the month of November is likely to be sharply lower for all companies due to currency demonetisation and post festive demand moderation, brokerage houses say.
you are here:
business OPEC deal shows members prioritised market stability: Platts Terming the development, which threatened to be stalemate earlier, as a big step forward, Mriganka Jaipuriyar, Associate Editorial Director of Platts, said the conciliatory tones taken by Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia show that market stability is on their minds. This is a positive for the markets, she added.
business West Bengal FM Amit Mitra slams note ban Joining the crusade against the currency ban, Mitra said the government was not prepared to implement this scheme. Due to the cash clean-up, informal sector in all states is in deep trouble, he said.
Homegrown e-commerce major Flipkart which was devalued by Morgan Stanley, the third time this year may not mean much for the investment bank which holds just about 1 percent in the Bangalore-based company.

It may be a routine exercise for the New York-based bank which may be using its valuation methodologies marked against an Amazon or a Walmart, who knows.

However, for the investors who entered Flipkart when it raised USD 1 billion in 2014, at a valuation of USD 5 billion, the next devaluation may mean a decline in their portfolio investment. The recent exercise by Morgan Stanley values Flipkart at about USD 5.5 billion compared to the USD 15.2 billion it was valued at in May, last year.

Singapores sovereign wealth fund GIC and US-based investment firm T Rowe Price entered Flipkart at a valuation of about USD 5 billion in 2014.

Existing investors Tiger Global, Russian billionaire Yuri Milners DST and its earliest backer Accel Partners also participated in the funding round. Investors such as Baillie Gifford, Greenoaks Capital, Steadview Capital, also entered the company in late 2014.

Here are five key things we can garner from Flipkarts new devaluation round and what it may mean for the company and Indias e-commerce sector:

1) The devaluation will mean more control by investors over Flipkart management, as they will look to control further damage. Flipkart brought back Tiger Global's Kalyan Krishnamurthy to head its category management after the company saw significant churn at the top and a devaluation by T Rowe Price and Morgan Stanley.

While nothing has changed per se in Indian e-commerce potential, the entry of foreign MNCs in a sector means that homegrown companies have to improve their business metrics in order to justify high valuations. Foreign companies which come with truckloads of capital, also come with a template of how to quickly improve business fundamentals. The homegrown companies start getting benchmarked against their fundamentals. Amazon for instance has already committed USD 3 billion additional investment in India in next three years. This will take its capital commitment in India to over USD 5 billion, almost equivalent to Flipkarts entire valuation, at present.







(Data source: Tracxn)2) PM Modis demonetisation drive along with a devaluation may bring a double whammy on Flipkart. Sales of e-commerce companies have already gone down since the November 8 announcement. This could mean that Flipkarts GMV may dip lower in the quarter ending December this year, against last years GMV in the same period.

While the potential of Indias e-commerce is bright in the coming years, not so great business fundamentals will affect the companys future funding round, as well.

Rivals Snapdeal and Paytm do have a payments arm to flaunt to garner more funding; Flipkart which shut down its payments arm PayZippy in 2014, a year after its launch, stands to lose out in the melee.

Like Flipkart, smaller mom and pop e-commerce companies which sell fashion and electronics will also suffer due to demonetisation.





3) Though Morgan Stanleys devaluation exercises may not mean much when it comes to negotiating a valuation on the table, it would be foolhardy to say that it wont come up in talks.

Incoming investors would be happy to grab a piece of Flipkarts pie at a lower valuation, but existing investors may not agree to it on the table. It may lead to a deadlock and a delay in the next funding round.

The devaluation of Flipkart could also trickle on its smaller peers in e-commerce who may be benchmarked against their bigger rival by an incoming investor.

4) Even as the company struggles to stabilise operations after demonetisation, it may be a godsend. Sachin Bansal CEO of Flipkart told a gathering this month that even when it launched cash on delivery as a convenience for customers, it was a thought to be a temporary phenomenon. PM Modis new currency ban, may be a godsend as it offers a chance for Flipkart to improve its fundamentals and reduce burn rate. Morgan Stanleys devaluation may not mean much with a healthier Flipkart balance sheet.

With demonetisation, India is also likely to rapidly adopt smartphones and wallets as a cash mechanism. This may mean reorienting the strategy back to mobile first which Flipkart had adopted two years ago.

5) Morgan Stanleys regular exercise to devalue Indias flagship unicorn startup has also served as a reminder to others who look for further funding. There is a risk of getting a listed company on board as an investor, even if at attractive terms. Their regular filings on exchanges may hurt a startups funding plans. It would also mean that attracting top talent will get tough as the value of ESOPs could go down, unless they are locked at a certain price. If the next funding round gets delayed as a result of devaluation and demonetisation, expect lesser ads by the Bangalore e-commerce major on TV, online and Print. It could also mean lesser discount offers for consumers.

On a positive side, it would mean more focus of e-commerce companies on real business metrics and turning profitable than sustaining a business on external money.

harsimran.julka@network18online.com

(This is an opinion piece. Views are personal.)
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
The Burke County Sheriffs Office will be offering a free national training program entitled "Citizens Response to Active Shooter Events" or (CRASE) on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Patton High School Auditorium, 701 Enola Road in Morganton, to educate citizens on how to respond to active shooter events. All citizens are invited.

In the past two decades, horrific mass shootings, active shooters and other terrorist events have been thrust into public consciousness. Mitigating the effects of these sudden and unpredictable incidents is the responsibility of those who serve in our communities public safety organizations.

The national average response time for law enforcement to arrive at the active shooter event is about three minutes. Research has shown that many of the mass shootings and active shooter events are over before law enforcement arrive at the scene.

Citizens who find themselves involved in an active shooter event can and must be prepared to take immediate action to save their own lives before law enforcement arrives.

"CRASE," is a nationwide program developed by the "Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response" program of Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

This program includes a video presentation, a question-and-answer opportunity, and presents citizens with a plan to help them survive an active shooter event.

The program will be utilizing the principles of:

 Avoid - avoid bad people, bad locations, consider secondary exits, etc.

 Deny - deny access to you, lock the door, lights out, out of sight

 Defend - You have the right to live, positioning, grab the gun, fight and survive.
Listed information, including addresses, has been gathered from arrest and incident reports publicly available at area law-enforcement agencies. The following charges were placed by Burke County Sheriffs Office or Morganton Department of Public Safety.

If your name appears here and your case was dismissed or you were cleared of the crime, let us know by calling Lisa Wall at 828-432-8939, or by emailing editor@morganton.com.

SEE WHOS IN JAIL

Want to see who is in jail? Visit www.morgantonps.org to view arrest reports, incident reports and to see current confined individuals.

The following charges were served on Monday, Sept. 12:

 Valerie Michelle Black, 23, of 3308 Muddy Creek Road, in Nebo, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, larceny all other and communicating threats. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 22.

 Destiny Paige Phillips, 17, of 4158 Old NC 18, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was cited and released. Her trial date was set for Oct. 18.

 Ronda Ann Boone, 39, of 6618 Prysock Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm from a motor vehicle, motor vehicle theft, obtaining property by false pretense and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond.

 William Andrew Dykes III, 24, of 3678 Piney Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond.

 William Buddy Loftis, 53, of 1956 Coopers Loop Ext., in Morganton, was charged with two felony counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance in prison or jail and one misdemeanor count of possession of a schedule II, III, IV controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $5,000 secured bond.

 Sarah Anne Howard, 29, of 101 Constitution Drive, in Morganton, was charged with felony breaking and entering and misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond.

 Matthew Derrick Leger, 33, of 4111 Leger Road, in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and a trial date was set for Sep. 27.

 Shannon Neil Childs, 39, of 106 Murphy Street, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Sep. 27.

 Samuel Leonard Benge, 28, of 3501 Smith Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony second-degree forced burglary. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Sept. 13:

 Autumn Marie Burhans, 22, of 1310 Jacobs Lane, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Sherissa Anne Guthrie, 43, of 2617 Hartland Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $550 secured bond.

 Kyle Daniel Toler, 31, of 6552 Camp Meeting Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 11.

 Erik Francisco, 22, of 206 Morgan Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Sep. 26.

 Thomas Lloyd Ollis Jr., 45, of 103 N Amity St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Autumn Marie Burhans, 22, of 1310 Jacobs Lane, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Christopher Lee Ingle, 35, of 6943 Rhodhiss Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and one misdemeanor count each of simple assault or assault and battery, possession of marijuana and failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond.

 Billy Allan Spurlock, 43, of 5963 Icard Rhodhiss Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Gregory Wayne Farris, 50, of 4220 Deer Run, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Oct. 3.

 John Wesley Cleckner, 37, of 3271 Henderson Mill Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and driving during revocation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 7.

 James Edward B Tate, 33, of 96 Oakdale Estate, in Old Fort, was charged with felony possession of a weapon by a felon and misdemeanor driving during revocation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Evan Saunders Lipford Jr., 39, of 514 Rockyford St., in Morganton, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $7,049 cash bond.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Sept. 14:

 Brittany Noelle Abernathy, 27, of 5509 Dysartsville Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Oct. 3.

 Scott Douglas Furtado, 29, of 5509 Dysartsville Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Oct. 3.

 Kenetha Spencer Pearson, 50, of 208 White St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule VI controlled substance. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 5.

 Danny Ray Castle Jr., 36, of 7901 Houston Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Jeffrey Lee McKinney, 32, of 3830 1st Ave. NW, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. He was issued a $1,500 unsecured bond and released. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Az Thor, 26, of 3880 Berry Road, in Hickory, was charged with one felony count each of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and probation violation and one misdemeanor count each of simple possession of marijuana, driving during revocation and possess or consume an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $26,000 secured bond.

 Brandon Kyle Thompson, 28, of 102 Phillips St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor secret peeping. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Oct. 3.

 Lillian Elizabeth Chisholm, 31, of 225 VFW Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 7.

 Tania Dawn Abee, 37, of 5138 Burkemont Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond.

 Caleb Joseph Van-Arsdale, 19, of 1850 Hilferty Road, in Hickory, was charged with felony murder. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Gerric Delaine Connelly, 49, of 621 Club Circle NE, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and one misdemeanor count each of possession of marijuana and driving while license revoked. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Cody Garrett Chadwell, 29, of 4957 Cane Circle Drive, in Hudson, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and one misdemeanor count each of having an expired registration and driving while license revoked. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,250 secured bond. His trial date was set for Sep .26.

The following charges were served on Thursday, Sept. 15:

 Aenoy Phimmasone, 25, of 152 B & D Ave., in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor violating a domestic violence protection order. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Rory Marshall Clark, 34, of 116 Curtis St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 20, 2017.

 Natasha Rae Stanley, 24, of 4515 Carswell Road, in Valdese, was charged with felony breaking and entering or larceny from an auto. She was released on a written promise to appear.

 Brianne Alise Graybeal, 36, of 189 Old Lumber Yard Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor school attendance violation. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 12.

 Az Thor, 26, of 3880 Berry Road, in Hickory, was charged with felony motor vehicle theft and misdemeanor larceny by trick. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Omar Cristian Regino-Vera, 33, of 101 Gerald Road, B, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of first-degree statutory rape of a person less than 13 and taking indecent liberties with children. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $75,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Dustin Clark Lawhon, 29, of 512 Bravard St., in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Gary Clay Ingram, 28, of 106 Conley St., in Morganton, was charged with felony failure to appear on a felony. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 John Thomas Miller Jr., 37, of 64 Duke Power Road, in Granite Falls, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Joshua Ernest Robinson, 20, of 922 S Center St., in Hickory, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Sidney Jay Hallyburton, 29, of 2665 Mill Race Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Donald Lee Riddle, 49, of 709 Rocky Ford Road, in Burnsville, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Sep .26.

 Jessica Ivy Smith, 29, of 8937 Bridges Ave., in Hildebran, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond.

 Cynthia Joy Bennett, 56, of 1013 2nd St., in Conover, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 30.

 Danial Gary Carswell, 34, of 2250 Enola Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act, second-degree sexual exploitation and extortion. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under an $80,000 secured bond.

 Michael Francis Cali, 35, of 1527 Mountain Shadows Drive, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Michael Lavon Epps, 19, of 121 Willow Run Drive, in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony safecracking and larceny by trick. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $12,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Bryan Keith Kelley, 45, of 1845 Hilferty Road, in Hickory, was charged with one count each of felony forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $24,000 secured bond.

 Jaron Wade Pennell, 38, of 1961 Old NC 105, in Nebo, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 3.

 David Arrex Burleson, 37, of 226 Pete Brittain Road, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $45,000 secured bond.

 Regina Pyatte Barnes, 61, of Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor communicating threats and one misdemeanor count each of simple assault or assault and battery, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Terry Daniel Killian, 33, of 4415 Taylor Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with four misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Feb. 13, 2017.

 Dorothy Michelle Owen, 37, of 5778 Jenkins Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other and failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 17.

The following charges were served on Friday, Sept. 16:

 David Allen Tate, 60, of 300 1/2 Roper St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 14.

 Stephanie Lynell Burgess, 45, of 329 Bost Road, 3c, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple worthless check. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 5.

 Jonathan Johnson, 26, of 479 Bryant Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 5.

 Megan Leigh Dugger, 23, of 479 Bryant Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 5.

 Casey Shane Reed, 30, of 5873 Jenkins Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor communicating threats. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 18.

 Ramona McNeely Deaton, 50, of 212 VFW Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor cyber stalking and second-degree trespassing. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 25.

 William Hoil Happoldt Jr., 66, of 210 1/2 White St., in Morganton, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor driving with a revoked tag, resist, delay or obstruct and assault on a governmental officer. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 4.

 Steven Thomas Vallini, 38, of 2687 Us 64, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of first-degree burglary by force, breaking and entering by force, possession of a schedule I controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $40,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 Alan Michael Morrow, 23, of 7846 Houston Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and damage or injury to real property. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 18.

 Timmy Ray Townsend, 38, of 2845 Rutherford College Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor school attendance law violation. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 14.

 Julie Ann Sisk, 25, of 602 2nd St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Alda Abel Zaragoza, 17, of 7532 Spann Heights, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 4.

 Larry Monroe Melton, 52, of 4277 Milton Road, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $30,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

The following charges were served on Saturday, Sept. 17:

 Thomas Lee Coffey, 24, of 2107 Craig Mountain Road, in Lenoir, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor threatening phone calls and harassing phone calls. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 10.

 Grier Eugene Franklin, 70, of 106 N Council Oaks St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond.

 Miranda Elizabeth Carroll, 32, of 200 Baxter St., in Morganton, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor worthless checks. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 16.

 Tara Lea Cunningham, 28, of 105 E Commons Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was issued a $750 secured bond and released. Her trial date was set for Dec. 14.

 Jozy Alan Storm Philyaw, 25, of 1474 Westfield Court, in Lenoir, was charged with felony possession of crack cocaine and one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear or comply and driving during revocation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under an $11,500 secured bond.

 Phillip Coleman Padgett, 27, of 2442 Henderson Mill Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other and second-degree trespassing. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Donald Owen Whisnant, 56, of 2279 Laura St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor threatening phone calls. His trial date was set for Sep. 27.

 Thomas Allen Kersey, 46, of 3696 Grantman Circle, Trailer 8, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and reckless driving to endanger. He was granted a custody release and his trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Darryl Eugene Kirk, 47, of 6030 Nowlings Chapel Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Sep .27.

 Shawn Mark Heagy, 51, of 4938 Scott Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Sep .27.

 Douglas Lee Edwards, 35, of 202 Amherst Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while license revoked. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 14.

 Joshua Kane Craig, 27, of 804 W Union St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of untaxed paid liquor. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 9, 2017.

The following charges were served on Sunday, Sept. 18:

 Adrian Justo Hernandez, 30, of 2926 Kilborne Drive, Apt. J, in Charlotte, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and driving during revocation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 15.

 Michael Curtis Hallyburton, 54, of 1774 Dearborn Street Ext., Lot 8, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond.

 Charles Henry Williams, 69, of 119 View St., A, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor affray. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 31, 2017.

 Jennifer Leigh Munoz, 34, of 5812 Rich Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and one misdemeanor count each of simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving during revocation and child restraint violation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond.

 Robert Clint Cooper McNeely, 31, of 68 Tanya Drive, in Nebo, was charged with one felony count each of identity theft, trafficking heroin, possession of a schedule I controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and possession of a schedule IV controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Andra Devon Smith, 39, of 125 View St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while license revoked. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 30.

The following charges were served on Monday, Sept. 19:

 Louann Renee McFalls, 45, of 204 Powe St., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny all other and possession of stolen goods and one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, possession of stolen goods, operating a vehicle with no insurance and reckless driving to endanger. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $23,000 secured bond.

 Darryl Curtis Jagmohan, 25, of 221 River Trail, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule IV controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 Brandy Michelle Wilson, 34, of 2755 Sides Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 16.

 Adrian Eric Rodriguez, 34, of 4736 Silver Creek Church Road Ext., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of motor vehicle theft and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $7,500 secured bond.

 Courtney Danielle Trinkle, 19, of 146 37th St. NW, in Hickory, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of larceny by trick, communicating threats and cyber stalking. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 18.

 Shannon Leigh Trinkle, 43, of 146 37th St. NW, in Hickory, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of cyber stalking. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 18.

 Dwight Ervin Street, 57, of 1426 Henderson Mill Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 13, 2017.

 Jesse Joe Potter, 26, of 51 39th St. NW, in Hickory, was charged with four felony counts of failure to appear on a felony and one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny of a credit card and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $25,000 secured bond and his trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Shawn Alexander Chapman, 26, of 2749 Doc Pugh Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 10.

 Michael Corey Epley, 26, of 517 Hopewell Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of non-forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Jorell Daniel Cruz, 22, of 8211 Tom Smith Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery and failure to return rental property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 15.

 Terry Dwayne Mace, 52, of 62 Pleasant Valley Drive, in Marion, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Cherish Hope Trinkle, 17, of 146 37th St. NW, in Hickory, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of larceny all other. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 18.

 James Dean Farr, 35, of 6270 Byrd Farm Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor resist, delay or obstruct. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 12.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Sept. 20:

 Destiny Nicole Miller, 29, of 4143 Johns River Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, motor vehicle theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of stolen goods. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $10,000 secured bond and her trial date was set for Oct. 31.

 Lacey Wayne Teague Jr., 26, of 8231 Tom Smith Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 12.

 Amanda Jane Wilson, 32, of 230 Advent St., in Morganton, was charged with felony forgery-uttering. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 24.

 Marty Baird Peters, 45, of 709 E. Parker Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of child abuse, statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and sex act by a substitute parent or custodian. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $150,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 William Alan Abernathy II, 37, of 1378 Tomlinson Loop, in Connelly Springs, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $14,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Rebecca Goodman Bumgarner, 38, of 3966 Baptist Camp Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of damage to personal property, domestic criminal trespassing and second-degree trespassing. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Oct. 5.

 Bobby Christopher Gaither, 28, of 1012 13th St. NW, in Conover, was charged with one count each of felony possession of a weapon by a felon and possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $35,000 secured bond.

 Patrick Alan Jenkins, 25, of 2013 13th Ave. NE, in Hickory, was charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Christopher Alan Pruett, 33, of 3167 Clark Loop, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond.

 Karen Rudisill Turner, 53, of 312 White St., F, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor cyber stalking. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 1.

 Leslie Jay Ferrell Jr., 44, of 4646 Huffmans View Trail, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond.

 Christopher Jesse Erickson, 33, of 314 Fletcher St., 2, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, obtaining property by false pretense and probation violation, three misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and one misdemeanor count each of larceny from a motor vehicle and resist, delay or obstruct . He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $19,000 secured bond.

 Kenneth Gunn, 54, of 110 Cope St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor filing a false police report. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 15.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Sept. 21

 Anthony Dion Corpening, 44, of 306 Brittain Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and communicating threats. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Sep. 28.

 Michael Wade Brinkley, 40, of 89 Kathy St., in Marion, was charged with felony fugitive from justice. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Johnithyn Thomas James Bristol, 23, of 2255 Jamestown Road, in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony assault by strangulation and forced breaking and entering. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Devon Hunter Abernathy, 17, of 1914 Fowler Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor false fire alarms. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 18.

 Vincente Omar Forney, 27, of 1124 Refour Ave., in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Rhiannon Sarah Conner, 36, of 2286 E. Wade Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,600 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 6.

 Janice Lynn Sabourin, 35, of 208 White St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 3.

 Tara Mae Prestwood, 29, of 107 Gibbs St., in Glen Alpine, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $4,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Michael Raye Shuping, 48, of 4803 Crystal Creek Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense. He was issued a $10,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Marques Maurice Leach, 37, of Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor misuse of 911 system. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Mark Allen Hollifield Jr., 29, of 1076 U.S. Highway 70 E, in Connelly Springs, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and one misdemeanor count of communicating threats. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $500 secured bond and a trial date was set for Sep. 28.

 Mark Allen Hollifield Sr., 51, of 1076 U.S. Highway 70 E, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and interference with emergency communications. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Sep. 28.

 Davie Wade Shuping, 30, of 2532 Woodburn Drive, in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Sep. 28.

 David Arrex Burleson, 37, of 226 Pete Brittain Road, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a weapon by a felon and misdemeanor damage or injury to real property. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $6,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 4.

 Phillip Warren Davidson, 63, of 309 Center St., in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II, III, IV controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was granted a custody release and his trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Christopher Michael Martin, 32, of 4347 Faith Fork, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one felony count each of larceny all other and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Vicki Lynette Walker, 47, of 3390 N.C. 181, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while license revoked. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Oct. 4.

The following charges were served on Thursday, Sept. 22:

 John Wayland Rankin, 27, of 917 E. Union St., C, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor communicating threats and damage to personal property. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 11.

 Billy Allan Spurlock, 43, of 5963 Icard Rhodhiss Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor parole violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Vincente Omar Forney, 27, of 1124 Refour Ave., in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 26.

 Michael Christopher Freeman, 29, of 503 Oakland Ave., in Drexel, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $2,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 7.

 Ricky Dwayne Roberts, 55, of 1509 S Sterling St., A, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor communicating threats. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond.

 Latisha Renee Mack, 27, of 306 Brittain Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury or with a deadly weapon. She was served by a criminal summons.

 Charles Edward Hallyburton Jr., 52, of 2665 Mill Race Road, A, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of possession of a schedule II controlled substance and habitual felon and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Tonya Byrd Williams, 45, of 7409 Rhodhiss Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor harassing phone calls and second-degree trespassing. She was released on a written promise.

 Paul Michael Manchester, 27, of 104 Ervindale Lane, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 31, 2017.

 Brandy Nicole Davis, 32, of 906 Jamestown Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony accessory after the fact. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $250,000 secured bond.

 Icey Chennell Gooden, 26, of 4217 Sundown Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony accessory after the fact. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $250,000 secured bond.

 William David Benfield, 43, of 425 Highridge Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 15.

 Earl Jason Stewart, 52, of Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree trespassing. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $300 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Brian Jerome Robinson, 33, of 1166 Oak Forest Drive, in Morganton, was charged with felony first-degree murder. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Scott Michael Rhoney, 45, of 7192 Old Shelby Road, in Vale, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse and simple assault or assault and battery. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date which was set for Oct. 21.

The following charges were served on Friday, Sept. 23:

 Santos Gregorio Reynose, 33, of 111 Brackett St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor open container after consuming. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 15.

 Richard Michael Sullivan, 40, of 3504 Karen St., in New Bern, NC, was charged with one count each of felony possession of a schedule VI controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and maintaining a dwelling, vehicle or place for drugs or controlled substances and one count each of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while impaired and reckless driving to endanger. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $9,000 secured bond.

 Melissa Faye Dillingham, 30, of 4465 Johnson Bridge Road, in Hickory, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and one felony count of failure to appear on a felony. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $24,000 secured bond.

 Christopher Aaron Poole, 31, of 6624 Cara Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 4.

 Icey Chennell Gooden, 26, of 4217 Sundown Road, in Morganton, was charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder. She was served at the Burke-Catawba jail where she was being held on previous charges.

 Brian Jerome Robinson, 33, of 1166 Oak Forest Drive, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count of first-degree murder. He was served at the Burke-Catawba jail where he was being held on previous charges.

 Bradley Stephen Wright, 16, of 6630 Pine Ridge Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor affray.

 Garrett Donald Brown, 37, of 102 Lake Drive, in Rhodhiss, was charged with one felony count each of possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of a scheduled I controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $5,000 unsecured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Brandon Louis Clark, 32, of 132 Air Park Drive, Lot 3, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 30.

 Jessie Leon Hardin Jr., 27, of 131 Sterling Forest Drive, E, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $750 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 4.

 Steven Scott Lowdermilk, 29, of 905 Salem Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 Jordan Lee Weaver, 26, of 338 39th St. Place SW, 2, in Hickory, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of probation violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $10,000 in secured bonds. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Rhiannon Sarah Conner, 36, of 2286 E Wade Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 Brandite Sechrist Conley, 40, of 1010 Cape Hickory Road, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation and failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 14.

The following charges were served on Saturday, Sept. 24:

 Michael Chase Gwyn, 24, of 5202 Rainhill Church Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $1,500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

The following charges were served on Sunday, Sept. 25:

 Kenneth Colby Poarch, 24, of 2624 Spears Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and stoplight violation. He was granted a custody release and his trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Daniel Nazareth M Hernandez, 26, of 1962 Bancroft Lane, in Lincolnton, was charged with felony probation violation and one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, fictitious, canceled, revoked or altered registration card or tag, failure to register a motor vehicle and driving during revocation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under an $11,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 31.

 Dustin Michael Hendrickson, 21, of 3535 W Homestead Lane, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 David Mohammad Faris Jr., 25, of 4807 Pellyn Farm Court, in Charlotte, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor driving while impaired, simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 4, 2017.

 Rodney Thomas Costner, 45, of 129 Big Hill Road, in Lawndale, was charged with misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun and simple assault or assault and battery. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Mike Jinuna, 35, of 208 S Anderson St., in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond.

 Joseph William Patton, 27, of 300 North St., 216, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Christopher William Ogilvie, 35, of 5570 Pinnacle Church Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 12.

 Joshua Trent Seay, 27, of 925 Cape Hickory Road, in Hickory, was charged with one felony count each of motor vehicle theft and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Monday, Sept. 26:

 Dylan James Rogers, 23, of 1901 Rader Circle, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Cynthia Reep Coley, 47, of 504 Burkemont Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 John Wayland Rankin, 27, of 917 E Union St., C, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was served at the Burke-Catawba jail where he was being held on previous charges.

 Gustavo Pavon Rojas Jr., 20, of 913 State Street Ext., in Marion, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 2.

 Adrian Zaquintias Forney, 22, of 1120 Refour Ave. SE, D23, in Valdese, was charged with two felony counts each of trafficking drugs by possession and possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Tahara Lee Herman, 46, of 100 Whitley Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor filing a false police report. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for her trial date which was set for Nov. 1.

 Cody Allan Vaughn, 31, of 1466 Kennedy Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of stolen goods. He was released on a written promise to appear for his trial date which was set for Feb. 28, 2017.

 Jeffrey Brian Walker, 39, of 397 Plantation Drive, in Morganton, was charged with felony motor vehicle theft. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond.

 John Thao, 25, of 811 Vinearden Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property and first-degree trespassing. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 2.

 Jeffrey Brian Walker, 39, of 397 Plantation Drive, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of larceny all other and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Sept. 27:

 Jaron Wade Pennell, 38, of 1961 Old NC 105, in Nebo, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing and violating a court order. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond.

 Jose Mendoza Mendoza, 27, of 208 Caldwell St., in Morganton, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of failure to appear, no operators license and no liability insurance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 28.

 Jordan Tyler Hice, 26, of 829 Connelly Springs Road, in Lenoir, was charged with felony larceny by employees. He was issued a $5,000 secured bond and released.

 Mark Christopher Pearson, 42, of 743 Summers Road, in Valdese, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of communicating threats and one misdemeanor count each of domestic criminal trespass, simple assault or assault and battery, forced breaking and entering and damage or injury to real property. He was issued a $5,000 unsecured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 1.

 Clifton Eugene Leary, 57, of 200 Jefferson St., in Morganton, was charged with felony sell or deliver a schedule VI controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond.

 Jason Alonzo Poteet, 36, of 4993 Walnut Hill Place, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor no operators license and reckless driving to endanger. He was granted a custody release and his trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Jason Shaun Newton, 38, of 900 Orchard St., in Valdese, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Terrence Michael Blevins, 26, of 4887 County Home Road, in Conover, was charged with one felony count each of possession of stolen goods and possession of a weapon by a felon. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under an $11,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Sept. 28:

 Aaron Michael Roberts, 16, of 629 First St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 7.

 Louann Renee McFalls, 45, of 204 Powe St., in Morganton, was charged with felony failure to appear on a felony. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $40,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 31.

 Mary Massey Roark, 56, of 2447 Delta Court, Apt. 4, in Granite Falls, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $350 cash secured bond.

 Dylan Barry Snedden, 24, of 200 Lenoir St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Joshua Landon Walker, 34, of 2755 Sides Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines, misdemeanor assault on a female and resist, delay or obstruct. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,500 secured bond.

 Gregory Allen Shell, 28, of 109 Lions Hill St., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny all other and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

The following charges were served on Thursday, Sept. 29:

 Kaleb Wesley Beckett, 26, of 103 Catawba Trace, Apt. C, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of suboxone. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 31.

 Juan Manuel Delgado, 29, of 1143 N College Ave., in Newton, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Douglas Scot Angley, 45, of 2501 NC 18 US 64, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor domestic criminal trespass and violating a domestic violence protection order. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Timothy Ray Woody, 31, of 510 Jimison Ave., in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired. He was issued a $1,500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 7.

 Stephanie Danielle Metcalf, 30, of 8093 Morvian Falls, in Wilkesboro, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Roger Wayne Short, 38, of 5457 Rob Carswell St., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering and one misdemeanor count each of resist, delay or obstruct and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under an $11,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 22.

 Tevan Devante Davis, 24, of 1760 Peaceful Lane, Lot 7, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

The following charges were served on Friday, Sept. 30:

 Brittney Crystal Bumgardner, 30, of Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 Shasta Nicole Stroupe, 32, of 404 Park Ave., in Drexel, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation and failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 11.

 Fermin Benavidez, 42, of 114 Airpark Drive, H, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 24.

 Carolyn Elizabeth Corpening, 26, of 103 Vine Arden Road, in Morganton, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear or comply. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 10.

 Dezwan Jamall Dula, 24, of 1538 Miller Hill Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Michael Brenton Leonard, 47, of 1362 Conley Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Cassandra Lynn Johnson, 32, of 1547 Lemon Tree Lane, in Morganton, was charged with two felony counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and one felony count of larceny by trick. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $20,000 in secured bonds.

 Lakishia Brooke Phillips, 29, of 1631 Old North Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. She was issued a $2,000 secured bond and released. Her trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Kyle Lee Isaac, 28, of 1547 Lemon Tree Lane, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of motor vehicle theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and damage to personal property. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Bryan Keith Brown, 46, of 3983 Winston Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Monica Barus Miller, 51, of 4821 Barus Pond Loop, in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Kimberly Breanna-Nicole Moore, 23, of 300 Michaels St., H, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse and failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond.

 Stephen Lance Loftus, 36, of 1547 Slope Terrace, in Lenoir, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, damage or injury to real property, open container after consuming, reckless driving to endanger, no plate or failure to register vehicle and hit and run with property damage. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov.29.

 Audrey Walker Buchanan, 47, of 118 Edgewood Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 2.

 Alize Nicole Caldwell, 18, of 1805 Bristol Creek Ave., in Morganton, was charged with four counts of misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery and one count each of misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana and disorderly conduct. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 24.

The following charges were served on Saturday, Oct. 1:

 Joseph William Bradley, 36, of 1066 Clear Creek Road, in Marion, was charged with felony larceny by defeat of anti-theft device. He was issued a $3,000 secured bond and released.

 Bethany Ann Lambert, 21, of 6142 NC 181, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired. She was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Misty Street Teague, 35, of 2114 Hunterwood Drive, in Hickory, was charged with one count each of felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance, misdemeanor larceny all other and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Oct. 31.

 Jessica Lynn Exline, 23, of 4903 Heavenly Lane, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond.

 Michael Jonathan Cook, 30, of 2114 Hunterwood Drive, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $400 cash bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 17.

 David Michael Lee, 24, of 147 Stonebridge Drive, D, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 9.

 Andrew Ryan Dinsmore, 33, of 46 JS McMann Drive, in Marion, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of larceny all other, possession of stolen goods and failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Oct. 25.

 Diana Duckworth Bare, 55, of 112 Stamey Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. She was served by a criminal summons.

 Ward Lamont Rice, 38, of 194 Deerpark Resort Road, in Nebo, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of larceny all other, possession of stolen goods, resist, delay and obstruct and fugitive from justice. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $153,000 secured bond.

 David Clark Tucker, 33, of 1068 Leigh McKay Trail, in South Boston, VA, was charged with felony failure to appear and misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,600 secured bond.

 Aaron Douglas Lowdermilk, 23, of 2741 Henderson Mill Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Courtney Tiarra Reeves, 21, of 2079 Antioch Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was cited and released. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Jonathan Clay Buchanan, 33, of 3475 US 64, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was issued a $500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Breanna Lynn Norton, 16, of 906 Jamestown Road, Apt. E5, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. She was cited and released.

 Neal Morris Lingafelt, 20, of 1910 Jamestown Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and provisional licensee driving after consuming less than 21. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Nov. 29.

The following charges were served on Sunday, Oct. 2:

 Landry Reece Mull, 16, of 3841 Zero Mull Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 16.

 Andrew Phillip Smith, 17, of 3791 Laurel Heights Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 16.

 Calvin Robinson, 17, of 210 Steakhouse Road, 6, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date which was set for Nov. 16.

 Bradley Stephen Wright, 16, of 6630 Pine Ridge Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of communicating threats, misdemeanor affray and simple assault or assault and battery. He was granted a custody release.

 Randy Lee Poteet, 32, of 2276 Enola Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and assault on a child under 12. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Amber Wilson Poteet, 30, of 202 Branch St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Nov. 16.

 Elizabeth Raye Anderson, 29, of 4891 Old Creek Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Oct. 18.

 Steven Anthony Wine, 28, of 4891 Old Creek Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 16.
Listed information, including addresses, has been gathered from arrest and incident reports publicly available at area law-enforcement agencies. The following charges were placed by Burke County Sheriffs Office or Morganton Department of Public Safety.

The following charges were served on Monday, Oct. 31:

 Brittany Danielle Roberts, 26, of 204 Steakhouse Road, in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony obtaining property by false pretense and misdemeanor larceny all other. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Sabrina Suzanne Starnes, 43, of 4091 Snowhill Church Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $40,000 secured bond.

 Mikall Lee Piercy, 16, of 5140 Foreman St., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond.

 Sharen Elizabeth King, 59, of 206 Willowbrook Drive, A, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple worthless check and driving during revocation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Justin Lee Deal, 17, of 2320 Shade Tree St., Apt. 3, in Connelly Springs, was charged with two felony counts of larceny all other and one felony count of forced breaking and entering. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Carlton Javius Moneo Fuller, 17, of 206 Powe St., in Morganton, was charged with four counts of felony breaking and entering into an auto and four misdemeanor counts of larceny by trick. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Gary Dale Queen, 49, of 212 Tiny Road, in Ellenboro, NC, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $300 secured bond and released.

 Maria Eugenia Gomez, 32, of 508 1/2 E Meeting St., in Morganton, was charged with felony identity theft. She was issued a $5,000 unsecured bond and released.

 Danny Ray Lowman, 47, of 7772 Carolina Tool Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond and released.

 Mark Dewayne Mitchell, 53, of Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 16.

 Trey Alexander Monro Ingram, 26, of 309 Center St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Nov. 1:

 Sheryka Nikole Shelton, 29, of 4526 David Bryant Ave., in Morganton, was charged with felony non-forced breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny all other. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Lee Gray Phipps Jr., 52, of 309 Oak St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 15.

 Jenny Coleen Hendrix, 38, of 4258 Baptist Camp Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 16.

 Dominique Shatalle Max, 16, of 4006 Piney Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and resist, delay or obstruct.

 Philip Matthew Cocke, 29, of 6845 Nuckolls Drive, in Morganton, was charged with two felony counts each of organized retail theft, larceny by defeating an anti-theft device and larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Terry Joseph Brown, 34, of 2302 Crestview St., in Valdese, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny by trick, possession of stolen goods and larceny after breaking and entering. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $10,000 secured bond.

 Tevin Ashaun Ferguson, 20, of 813 Queen St., in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and damage to personal property. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 28.

 Shanna McRae Greer, 37, of 4241 Piney Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond.

 Brandon Eugene Anthony, 33, of 5727 Mount Olive Church Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 30.

 Tevin Ashaun Ferguson, 20, of 813 Queen St., in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Verna Michelle Harrell, 33, of 2133 Tomlinson Loop, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor larceny by trick, simple assault or assault and battery and second-degree trespassing. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Nov.16.

 Sharon Elizabeth Wright/ Branch, 49, of 4672 Duckworth Circle, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Matthew David Frazier, 26, of 719 Ware Road, in Shelby, was charged with misdemeanor cyber stalking. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 30.

 Curtis Paul Whisenant, 31, of 2412 Messer Road, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond.

 Marisila Angelica Santacruz, 17, of 319 Chestnut Oak Forest Drive, in Nebo, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. She was issued a $25,000 secured bond and released. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Cordero Louis Thompson, 27, of 2412 Messer Road, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Nov. 2:

 James Dean Farr, 35, of 6270 Byrd Farm Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 14.

 Dionna Shaneice Tate, 27, of 3535 E Homestead Lane, in Morganton, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and one count each of misdemeanor hit and run with property damage and driving during revocation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $2,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Zachary Keith Ross, 24, of 5734 Hardy Duckworth Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 30.

 Rebecca Craig Hahn, 48, of 2133 Tomlinson Loop, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 16.

 Nora Jane Garrett, 52, of 2517 Tomlinson Loop, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 16.

 Britney Morgan Lingerfelt, 27, of 7405 Houser Farm Road, in Vale, was charged with one count each of felony possession of methamphetamines with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $24,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $20,000 secured bond.

 Drequan Octavia Anderson, 17, of 3021 Conner Circle, in Morganton, was charged with three felony counts of breaking and entering or larceny from an auto and three misdemeanor counts of larceny by trick. He was issued a $15,000 unsecured bond and released. His trial date was set for Nov. 28.

 Mauro Vinicio C Ixcoy, 27, of 109 Rhyne St., in Morganton, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger and driving while revoked for a DWI. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Jan. 25, 2017.

 Nester Ullyses V Nunn, 38, of 109 Herron St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault. He was released on a written promise to appear.

 Jason Jamal Avery, 38, of 809 Union Square Apts., H, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor misuse of 911 system. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 21.

The following charges were served on Thursday, Nov. 3:

 Johnnie Larry Wood, 57, of 207 North St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor misuse of 911 system. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 16.

 Christopher Lynn Ledford, 32, of 6165 George Hildebran Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor failure to return rental property. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 16.

 Leann Saulman, 17, of 601 Linville St., A, in Glen Alpine, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and disorderly conduct. She was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Jan. 3, 2017.

 Adam Joseph Tuck, 31, of 9387 Costner Road, in Hickory, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor failure to appear, no operators license, fictitious tag and no liability insurance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Friday, Nov. 4:

 Christopher Louis Booth, 29, of 107 Henredon Road, in Morganton, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor larceny all other and parole violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Rodney Clinton King, 66, of 206 Willowbrook Drive, A, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $300 bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Priscilla Chapman Ledford, 29, of 2212 22nd Ave. Place SE, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Priscilla Chapman Lambert, 29, of 2212 22nd Ave. Place SE, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Shane Dennis Cole, 48, of Morganton, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of assault inflicting serious injury or with a deadly weapon, larceny by trick and communicating threats. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 14.

 Edwin Sicapastor, 16, of 1726 Suburban Drive, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor underage consumption of alcohol and disorderly conduct. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 3, 2017.

 Ricky Allen Blalock, 28, of 4862 Charlie Crawley Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Donald Richard Brooks III, 35, of 1692 Us 70, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of assault on a female, cyber stalking and harassing phone calls. He was issued a $500 unsecured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 James Joseph Mize, 36, of 1100 Tunnel Road, in Asheville, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Jerry Lee Duckworth III, 24, of 475 Bryant Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule II, III, IV controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 9, 2017.

 Christina Louise Hernandez, 33, of 121 Calvary Place, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor larceny by trick. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 13.

 Christopher Allen Seawell, 22, of 2984 Dalton Drive, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $500 secured bond.

 Chasidy Randayia Lynn, 23, of 411 Leger Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 5.

 Barbara Pierson Sherlock, 61, of 3238 NC 181, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and failure to burn headlamps or rear lamps. She was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Jan. 11, 2017.

The following charges were served on Saturday, Nov. 5:

 Brandon Alan Brown, 25, of 2573 Willowtree Church Ave., in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony possession of cocaine, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Kristen Danielle Pearson, 26, of 104 Charles Drive, in Morganton, was charged misdemeanor possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was cited and released. Her trial date was set for Feb. 20, 2017.

 Ian Jared McDowell, 18, of 2613 Genes Loop, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor underage possession of alcohol and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Aaron Allen Deal, 19, of 860 Oakland Ave. Ext., in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Kenny Lee Bollinger, 23, of 339 Highway 16 South, in Taylorsville, was charged with misdemeanor misuse of the 911 system. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 22.

 Bradley Lynn Mauney, 27, of 387 Isaac Drive, in Nebo, was charged with one felony count each of failure to report as a sex offender and sex offender unlawfully on premises. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Meaghan Anah E Staggs, 19, of 606 Bouchelle St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Hector Soto Nunez, 52, of 122 Timmerill Drive, in Morganton, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor probation violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond.

 Dalvin Lee Horton, 21, of Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 11, 2017.

The following charges were served on Sunday, Nov. 6:

 Christi Lynn Tolliver, 55, of 6 Lakeview Court, in Granite Falls, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Nov. 23.

 Travis Russell Patton, 24, of 1080 Dragstrip Road, in Hudson, was charged with misdemeanor driving while license revoked. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Alize Nicole Caldwell, 18, of 145 Stonebridge Drive, F, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault on a governmental officer and one count of resist, delay or obstruct. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Feb. 7, 2017.

 Gilberto Mendoza Mendoza, 29, of 124 Pine St., in Morganton, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor speeding in excess of 15 over the limit, no operators license and resist, delay or obstruct. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

The following charges were served on Monday, Nov. 7:

 Tami Farris McFall, 44, of 5758 Farris Loop, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, breaking and entering into or larceny from an auto, larceny chose in action and larceny after breaking and entering. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $30,000 secured bond.

 Jackie Ray Cook Jr., 38, of 2301 Shady Grove Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony failure to appear on a felony. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond.

 Clyde Russell Icard, 34, of Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony obtaining property by false pretense and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $3,000 secured bond.

 Katie Ann Hayes, 27, of 55 Cedarbrook Lane, in Nebo, was charged with misdemeanor larceny by trick and possession of stolen goods. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $2,000 secured bond.

 Harvey Jerome Jenkins Jr., 36, of 605 King Arthur Drive, in Gastonia, was charged with one count each of felony sell or deliver, possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and maintaining a dwelling, vehicle or place for drugs or controlled substances. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $30,000 secured bond.

 Jeaneen Williams McCombs, 55, of 750 Buchanan Place, in Newton, was charged with misdemeanor simple worthless check. She was served by criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 28.

 Heather Shae Jonas, 33, of 97 Pine Ridge Drive, in Taylorsville, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond.

 Danny Lynn Pennington Jr., 37, of 3602 Bridle Path Drive, in Vale, was charged with felony possession of a weapon by a felon. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Steven Thomas Vallini, 38, of 2810 Conley Road, L10, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 28.

 Paul Shannon Hildebran, 36, of 8132 Grover Evans SR Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon with a minor present, assault on a female, false imprisonment and violating a domestic violence protection order. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 21.

 Jeffrey Lynn Branch, 45, of 3324 Barus Pond Loop, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and one misdemeanor count each of possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

 Chad Michael Reed, 40, of 2736 New Lane, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor hit and run causing property damage. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 7.

 Terri Latasha Perkins, 32, of 4263 Piney Road, in Lenoir, was charged with felony forced breaking and entering and misdemeanor larceny all other. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Nov. 8:

 Joshua Douglas Hayes, 26, of 3488 Spaniel St., in Connelly Springs, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond.

 Heidi Michelle Kirby, 41, of 7th St. Se, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Melissa May Harris, 32, of 2615 Hartland Trail, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Jan. 23, 2017.

 Marcus Hawkins, 17, of 107 Catawba Trace, C, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Michael Ray Dolinger, 17, of 2555 NC 18 Us 64, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 James Nelson Fields, 33, of 1196 Oak Forest Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec.12.

 Calvin Wayne Sprouse, 54, of 1299 Washboard Lane, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor harassing phone calls and one count of threatening phone calls. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 22.

 Gavin Reynolds Riddle, 17, of 5017 Berkley St., in Morganton, was charged misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 12.

 Annie Annette Powell, 26, of 1859 Chapman Hollar Drive, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 2.

 John Bradley Williams, 42, of 7141 Knob Mountain Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Frankie Dakota Noel Noles, 24, of 128 Franklin St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 John Bradley Williams, 42, of 7141 Knob Mountain Drive, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one count each of felony possession of methamphetamines and possession of a controlled substance in prison or jail. He was served at the Burke-Catawba jail where he was being held for previous charges. He was issued an additional $10,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Nov. 9:

 Sharon Denise Logan, 59, of 520 Prospect Street, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor larceny by trick. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Clyde Russell Icard, 34, of Morganton, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,507 cash bond.

 Jesse Lee-Dawn Sigmon, 24, of 6943 Rhodhiss Road, 1, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor damage to personal property. She was released on a written promise to appear.

 Kimberly Breanna-Nicole Moore, 23, of 300 Michaels St., H, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor communicating threats. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Aaron Bentley Dobbins, 22, of 230 Star Ridge Drive, in Mooresboro, NC, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Brandon Kelly Fox, 31, of 2121 Browning View Road, in Morganton, was charged with three felony counts of possession of stolen goods, two felony counts of larceny by trick and one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of a weapon by a felon. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $40,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $15,000 secured bond.

 Matthew Alexander Gurley, 18, of 1439 Ivy Lane, in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor communicating threats. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 5.

 John Michael Shimpock, 20, of 3207 West Gate Court, in Tallahassee, FL, was charged with felony forced breaking and entering. He was issued a $10,000 unsecured bond and released.

 Tony Lee, 33, of 3833 1st Ave. SW, in Hickory, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 22.

 Chasty Elaine Stallings, 36, of 2276 Martin McCall Way, I, in Hudson, was charged with misdemeanor larceny by trick. She was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Jan. 9, 2017.

The following charges were served on Thursday, Nov. 10:

 Lisa Marie Santana, 36, of 200 Rockyford St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was released on a written promise.

 Cassandra Michelle Burgess, 26, of 1630 Roy Caldwell St., L-1, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Rodney Dean Payne, 28, of 4534 Rudisill St., in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Carter Bryston Nichols, 16, of 9483 Holly Ridge Court, in Hildebran, was charged with misdemeanor damage to real property. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 7.

 Kyle Dean Houser, 27, of 6653 Mountain Grove Road, in Hickory, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of having no operators license and one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, reckless driving wanton disregard, speeding and exceeding a safe speed. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 6.

 Joseph Nickolas Rivero, 26, of 8989 Wilson Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond.

 David Lynn Miller, 38, of 5273 Hayes Waters Road, in Morganton, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor harassing phone calls and one count of misdemeanor cyber stalking. He was released on a written promise to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 8.

 Joshua David Bradshaw, 30, of 213 Steakhouse Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and driving while license revoked for driving while impaired. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 17, 2017.

 Michael Dale Frandberg, 27, of Morganton, was charged with felony failure to appear on a felony. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 James Edward Bartlett, 34, of 34 Plato Drive, in Marion, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of larceny all other, resist, delay or obstruct and failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,500 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Friday, Nov. 11:

 Sheila Dawn Jay, 29, of 607 Valdese Ave., B306, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor misuse of the 911 system. She was cited and released. Her trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Terrel Jamaul Avery, 21, of 103 Branch St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other and possession of stolen goods. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Terrel Jamaul Avery, 21, of 103 Branch St., in Morganton, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of larceny all other, driving while impaired, failure to heed light or siren and no operators license. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Rafael Lafonse Bristol, 45, of 1277 Oak Hill Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Jeffrey Lee Ballard, 42, of 5941 Gold Mine Road, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle, larceny of a firearm, possession of stolen goods, possession of a weapon by a felon and misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was issued a $2,000 unsecured bond and released.

 Curtis Ramon Young, 36, of 4580 McAlpine Ave., in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony speeding to elude arrest and possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and one misdemeanor count each of resist, delay or obstruct, driving during revocation, speeding and reckless driving to endanger. He was issued a $17,000 secured bond and released.

 Joshua Randall Pearson, 32, of 3233 Clark Loop, 3, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Jan. 11, 2017.

 Ryan Seth Dehaven, 27, of 3233 Clark Loop, Lot 1, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule IV controlled substance. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 11, 2017.

 Beverly Denise Freeman, 30, of 1670 Bentbrook Drive, in Valdese, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and misdemeanor larceny. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,500 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Saturday, Nov. 12:

 Catherine Lynn Stocksdale, 57, of 158 14th Street Place NW, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule IV controlled substance. She was cited and released. Her trial date was set for March 13, 2017.

 Timothy Ray Huffman, 44, of 7055 Hildebran Mountain Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Justin Todd Davis, 31, of 700 Salem Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was issued a $400 bond and released.

 Roger Dean Price, 41, of 646 Hillcrest St., in Hudson, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor simple worthless check. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Nov. 29.

 Ruth Smith Tevepaugh, 57, of 2665 Mill Race Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines and one count each of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,500 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Sunday, Nov. 13:

 Brittany Shea Rector, 30, of 2830 16th St. Ne, Apt. 99, in Hickory, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor child abuse, possession of a schedule III controlled substance, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while impaired. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Jan. 11, 2017.

 Irma Lilian Hernandez-Castro, 31, of 611 Valdese Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. Her trial date was set for Jan. 31, 2017.

 Julio Cesar L Cristobal, 36, of 611 Valdese Ave., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail. His trial date was set for Jan. 31, 2017.

 Efrrain Mendoza, 33, of 622 1st St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor driving while impaired and safe movement violation. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Jan. 18, 2017.

 Brandon Shawn Pendley, 38, of 1907 Harmon St., in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of motor vehicle theft and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $35,000 secured bond.

The following charges were served on Monday, Nov. 14:

 Theodore Edward Yaeger, 26, of 520 Walnut Ave. NE, in Valdese, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $500 secured bond and released.

 Tristian Claude Eugene Shoup, 18, of 8215 Payton Lane, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor damage to real property. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 7.

 Joshua Lee Phillips, 33, of 6673 Island Creek Ave., in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 5.

 Reuben James Bowen, 41, of Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 14.

 Ayden Isaac Lail, 16, of 9524 Wilson Road, in Hildebran, was charged with misdemeanor damage to real property. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 7.

 Dennis Alfred Brockland, 74, of 117 Powe St., in Morganton, was charged with one count each of misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun, assault on a female and communicating threats. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 William Ray Strickland, 29, of 419 W Concord St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 13.

 Lonnie Dale Hendrix, 26, of 1793 Oakwood Church Road, in Lenoir, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was granted a custody release and a trial date was set for Dec. 1.

 Danielle Renee Hoosier, 30, of 228 East District St., in Newton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Perri Danielle Teague, 22, of 9520 View Drive, in Hickory, was charged with misdemeanor probation violation. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $4,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 13.

The following charges were served on Tuesday, Nov. 15:

 Jessica Leanne Harris, 26, of 2402 S Sterling St., in Morganton, was charged with two felony counts of credit card fraud, one felony count of possession of methamphetamines, two misdemeanor counts of failure to appear and one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and larceny by trick. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. She was also issued an additional $7,000 secured bonds.

 Nathaniel David Meise, 26, of 4186 Tallent Road in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of larceny by trick and trafficking methamphetamines and one count of misdemeanor larceny by trick. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $100,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $11,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Joey Lee Canterberry, 29, of 3056 Icard School Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with one felony count each of forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond.

 Tabitha Brie Evans, 32, of 3056 Icard School Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of stolen goods. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $10,000 secured bond.

 Victoria Eden Hennessee, 27, of 5124 Powerhouse Road, in Morganton, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Devin Levi Johnson, 33, of 5124 Powerhouse Road, in Morganton, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one misdemeanor count of possession of morphine. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

 Austin Charles Davis, 36, of 406 Pete Brittain Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance and two counts each of misdemeanor possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $20,000 secured bond. He was also issued an additional $1,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec.12.

 Keisha Dawn Reep, 30, of 5334 Hayes Water Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor first-degree trespassing. She was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Jan. 17, 2017.

 Michelle Renate Beck, 21, of 1500 Lemon Lane, in Morganton, was charged with one felony count each of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of a schedule II controlled substance and possession of a schedule I controlled substance. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,500 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Michael Brenton Leonard, 47, of 1362 Conley Road, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $10,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Benjamin Earl Johnson, 43, of 5288 Jenkins Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 6.

 Chelsea Nicholle Martin, 24, of 302 Valdese Ave., in Drexel, was charged with one count each of felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Tiffany Marie Pickard, 24, of 4091 Snowhill Church Road, Lot A, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamines. She was released on a written promise to appear.

 Heidi Lynne Epley, 25, of 4661 Ridgewood Drive, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. She was issued a $1,000 secured bond and released. Her trial date was set for Dec. 14.

 Diane Ethel Feery, 63, of 623 Linville St., in Glen Alpine, was charged with two felony counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance and one felony count of possession of a schedule IV controlled substance. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $3,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Franklin Todd Taylor, 46, of 3122 Vance Denton Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female. He was issued a $2,500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 13.

 Destiny Estelle L Good, 22, of 4696 E Shores Drive, in Morganton, was charged with one count each of felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $50,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Wesley Tyler Moorehead, 19, of 1041 Tomlinson Loop, in Connelly Springs, was charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 12.

 Wesley Sion Hart, 28, of 3081 Windy Hill Ave., in Valdese, was charged with one count each of felony forced breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen goods. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond.

 Charles Lee Reed, 36, of 811 Vine Arden Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $2,500 secured bond and released. His trail date was set for Jan. 8, 2017.

 William Ray Strickland, 29, of 419 W Concord St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree trespassing. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $2,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Nov. 29.

The following charges were served on Wednesday, Nov. 16:

 Tara Diane Aday, 35, of 314 Fletcher St., Lot 9, in Morganton, was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $15,000 secured bond.

 Meagan Adaire Hudson, 25, of 102 N Amity St., in Morganton, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and open container after consuming. She was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $1,000 secured bond. Her trial date was set for Jan. 25, 2017.

 Caleb Brince Yelton, 22, of 4151 River Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear or comply. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $5,000 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.

 Paul Shannon Hildebran, 36, of 8132 Grover Evans SR Road, in Connelly Springs, was charged with misdemeanor driving during revocation and violating a domestic violence protection order. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail.

 Mack Donald Aldridge, 38, of 3947 Smokey Creek Road, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor failure to appear. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Dec. 13.

 Dustin Lynn Lane, 23, of 1754 Zion Road, Lot 9, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was cited and released. His trial date was set for Jan. 31, 2017.

 Zachary Demill Jones, 18, of 101 Catawba Trace, B, in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor simple assault or assault and battery. He was served by a criminal summons to appear for a trial date set for Dec. 12.

 Efrain Mendoza Mendoza, 33, of 622 1st St., in Morganton, was charged with misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was issued a $500 secured bond and released. His trial date was set for Jan.18.

 Winfred Gregory Earls, 45, of 4992 Turner Road, in Granite Falls, was charged with misdemeanor larceny all other. He was transported to Burke-Catawba jail and placed under a $500 secured bond. His trial date was set for Dec. 5.
Roy Coopers narrow lead over Pat McCrory in the North Carolina governors race has doubled in the three weeks since Election Day. Protests, recounts and possible legal challenges arent likely to change the final outcome.

The question is how long McCrory wants to delay it. His action Tuesday barring the State Board of Elections from hiring outside attorneys hints that he may keep fighting a losing battle.

The Democratic challengers margin is nearing 10,000 votes. If he reaches that mark when all provisional and absentee ballots are tallied, McCrory wont be entitled to a statewide recount. Nor does McCrory have a right to a recount in Durham County or any other individual county. Durham election officials are confident in the accuracy of their first count, and theres no basis for anyone to question that.

Protests lodged by the Republican governors campaign or its supporters have largely been dismissed. Theyve challenged votes cast by alleged felons, double voters and the dead. Virtually none of these complaints amounts to fraud, and they dont add up to a significant number.

The dead dont vote in North Carolina, but living people who vote early can have their ballots discarded if they die before Election Day. That law should be changed. Elections essentially begin when early voting opens or when voters mark absentee ballots and return them by mail.

A soldier deployed in a war zone who mails in an absentee ballot should not have his vote thrown out if he should happen to be killed in action before Election Day. Yet that can happen under current law, and the soldier can be cited as an example of the dead voting as if he were trying to cheat the system.

Even the N.C. Republican Party seems to accept McCrorys defeat. It is clear that most aspects of the 2016 election are ready to be concluded, Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse said in a statement Monday night. We thank election officials across the state for their dedication to our system, and for their best efforts to ensure an accurate count of the votes.

Indeed, the State Board of Elections and the 100 county boards  all with Republican majorities  undertook a large task with professionalism, under a microscope of public scrutiny.

Woodhouse went on to claim that serious shortcomings ... must be addressed. These deficiencies encompass out-of-precinct voting, involve vote tallies of known felons and dead people, as well as allowing same-day registrants to vote without address verification.

Actually, these were not serious shortcomings, other than the problem of scrapping votes cast by legal voters who then died. Same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting worked fine. There was no compelling need for voters to show a photo ID. The elections were honest.

Most outcomes favored Republicans, but notably not the governors race. Cooper seems to have won, which McCrory soon should concede.
For European equity fund managers, the UK has been the worst performing country year to date, though that has largely been driven by currency translation. The pound has tumbled against the euro by more than 15% in 2016. But in pound terms, the Morningstar UK Index has returned a hefty 13.5% in 2016.

Most top-rated funds in the Europe large-cap equity categories were somewhat underweight the UK. The average exposure to UK stocks was 25% compared with 27% in the Morningstar Europe Index. Therefore, the allocation effect was muted for many funds. That said, most managers were caught off guard by Britains vote to leave the European Union, and stock selection had a more pronounced impact, especially for those funds that were short commodity-driven names and favoured domestic-oriented UK stocks.

Bronze-rated T. Rowe Price European Equity was negatively affected by poor performance among holdings such as Capita, Howdens Joinery, and William Hill, while Berkeley, Great Portland Estates, and Lloyds Banking Group were among the largest negative detractors from performance for Silver-rated BGF European Special Situations.

Although they have a relatively small weighting in the Morningstar Europe Index, less than 5%, Italian stocks made their presence felt in an unfortunate way, losing around 20% year to date. This made them the third-biggest detractor from the index's returns, behind the UK and Switzerland. Above-average allocations to Italian stocks weighed on the performance of Silver-rated Allianz Euroland Equity Growth and Metropole Selection as well as Bronze-rated funds Argo Pan European Alpha. The Power of the Economic Moat The concept of the economic moat is one of the cornerstones of Morningstars equity research methodology. It is defined as a structural feature that allows a firm to sustain excess profits over a long period of time, that is, earn returns on invested capital over and above the analysts estimate of a firms cost of capital, and it plays a crucial role in the qualitative assessment of a firms long-term investment potential and fair value estimates. Morningstar analysts assign economic moat ratings of either wide, narrow, or none, where companies with wide economic moats possess the strongest possible competitive advantages. When looking at performance across moat buckets within the Morningstar Europe NR EUR Index, narrow-moat stocks held up better than wide-moat stocks in 2016 so far, but no-moat stocks performed best. If we take into account the quantitative moat, which is assigned to a larger universe using a statistical model derived from the Morningstar Economic Moat Ratings that our equity analysts assign to companies, we can reach a similar conclusion. An above-average share of wide- and narrow-moat companies has been a hallmark of funds with a strong quality bent, such as Bronze-rated Threadneedle European Select, and Bronze-rated Allianz Europe Equity Growth Select, all of which have generated excellent risk-adjusted results over the long-term. In view of the rotation toward cyclical sectors, exposure to moaty stocks has provided less of a tailwind in 2016, but it's worth noting that wide-moat stocks have generally held up much better in the first half of the year when market volatility spiked.

SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk To view this article, become a Morningstar Basic member. Register For Free Already a member? Log In.
Israelis voted on Tuesday for an unprecedented fifth time in four years to break the political impasse that has paralysed the country.
Various quarters have called on Ottawa to reject a bid by Chinese insurer Anbang Insurance Group on a majority stake in a major British Columbian retirement housing chain.Estimated to be worth more than $1 billion, the deal to acquire the Vancouver-based Retirement Concepts assisted living firm should be dismissed by the federal government as the company is the highest-billing provider of senior home services in the province, according to New Democratic Party MP Nathan Cullen.You would think any government would reject this proposal. Cullen stated, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.As a critical asset, Retirement Concepts was paid by the provincial government to the tune of $86.5-million in fiscal year 2015-16, a significantly greater sum than was granted to 130 other providers.BC Health Coalition co-chair Rick Turner expressed bafflement at the willingness of provincial and federal authorities to sell these retirement homes to a foreign entity that has a mysterious ownership structure.We dont know about the particulars of this deal or this company, but ownership does matter when it comes to seniors care, Turner told reporters.The provincial and federal governments need to look very carefully at this plan, he added. I wish they were more concerned. Often times when a for-profit takes over a seniors home, the quality of care suffers in the drive to increase profit.Already involved in billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide, Anbang remains an enigmatic quantity. According to a New York Times investigation a few months back, approximately 92 per cent of the group is under firms fully or partially owned by relatives of: Anbang chairman Wu Xiaohui; his spouse, granddaughter of former Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping; or Chen Xiaolu, the youngest son of Peoples Liberation Army leader Marshal Chen Yi.
With a $38-million price tag, the cost of renovating the prime ministers historic residence at 24 Sussex Drive costs more than it would have to tear down the building and erect a new structure in its place, according to Mike Holmes of HGTV Canadas Holmes on Homes.You could take the house down and build a brand new home, Holmes told CTV News. If it was me, that's probably what I would do.The reality TV star and home renovation specialist acknowledged that such a course of action would be unrealistic in the current regulatory regime that prioritizes the preservation of such dwellings.That's a huge amount of money but this is a heritage home, Holmes stated, adding that the actual cost would be higher due to the need to ensure the PMs security. To get it right, the project will require an awful lot of older talent that knows how to do this.If it's done right the first time it'll last a lifetime, he said.Holmes, who offered to renovate the residence last year but was rebuffed, noted that other additions that will lead to the cost of the renovation ballooning include a pool, a sun room, a new annex with private quarters, and next-generation windows and doors, along with the need to refurbish the main building and the electrical systemall without sacrificing the character of the home."There was a lot of red tape around it, and I get it," Holmes said. Do I really want to put myself in that position? [Ottawa] is a world that I really don't want to play in, but if there's anyone good in the country that can do this, thats me.
CFPB Appraisal News; Non-Agency MBS Update

Underwriters hands are tied in using income from something the Federal Government considers illegal. For example, Washington State had nearly $212 million in marijuana sales in the second quarter of 2016, approaching the $249 million sold in alcoholic spirits. Some argue that someone in the weed business with an 800 FICO is a better credit risk than someone in any occupation with a 580 FICO score for a taxpayer-supported mortgage program like FHA.

I love it when the press sneers at making money. One financial reporter wrote, "Steven Mnuchin, the frontrunner for Treasury secretary in the Trump administration, made millions turning around a lender that collapsed after the subprime mortgage frenzy..." What's bad, making millions? Turning around a company? Being involved, even remotely, in the industry after "the subprime frenzy?"

Plenty of people expect the regulatory environment to change under the new Administration. Plenty of experienced lenders, however, know that a certain amount of regulation was, and is, called for - the trick is in creating make-sense rules and appropriately enforcing them. And at the center of this is the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, having garnered plenty of legal attention with the recent PHH vs. CFPB case.

The D.C. Circuit has entered an order directing PHH Corporation to file a response to the CFPB's petition for rehearing en banc in CFPB v. PHH Corporation. The order, filed November 23, requires PHH to file its response within 15 days. It also invites the Solicitor General to file a response to the petition for rehearing en banc, expressing the views of the United States, but does not set a date by which the Solicitor General must file any response. One can expect the Solicitor General to support the CFPB's petition and given the impending change in Administrations, to file a response promptly. The order states that absent further order of the court, the court will not accept a reply to the responses.

Put another way, the full D.C. Circuit ordered PHH to respond to the CFPB's petition for en banc review of the October 2016 three-judge panel decision in PHH Corp. v. CFPB. The CFPB's November 18 petition challenged, among other things, the conclusion by the majority of the panel that the CFPB's structure was unconstitutional and that, to remedy this defect, the Director must be removable at will by the President. PHH's response, which is due by December 8, would not have been permitted without the court's order. Similarly, the CFPB is not permitted to file a reply unless ordered by the court. Importantly, the en banc court also "invited" the U.S. Solicitor General "to file a response to the petition" to "express the views of the United States." The Dodd-Frank Act does not allow the CFPB to petition the Supreme Court for review without the approval of the Attorney General (12 USC  5564(e)).

Obviously the CFPB is not without its fans. Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), and other civil rights and consumer advocacy organizations, as well as 21 members of Congress submitted amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the case of PHH Corporation v. CFPB, in support of the CFPB. The groups and members of Congress urged the full court to grant the CFPB's petition for a rehearing of a 2-1 panel decision last month, which they believe incorrectly ruled that the President may remove the CFPB Director without cause. They also underscored the need to maintain a strong and independent CFPB, as Congress intended, free from political and outside industry influence. "By invalidating the CFPB director's for-cause removal protection, the panel decision topples Congress's design for this critical new agency and imperils its ability to function as intended. Worse still, the panel's one-hundred-page opinion reaches this result without even once addressing why Congress took such care to structure the CFPB as it did or how the CFPB's design is so critical to its proper functioning...This structure allows the Bureau to make decisions that protect consumers-even when those decisions are opposed by intense lobbying,' wrote AFR and CRL. 'Since the CFPB began operating in July 2011, it has proven to be highly effective in identifying violations of consumer protection law and remedying the problems with precision and agility. The CFPB's effectiveness, and its ability to respond to unlawful practices quickly, is attributable in part to its leadership by a single director and its insulation from political influence and industry capture.'"

The CFPB is not sitting on its hands by any stretch of the imagination, and is expected to speed up any changes ahead of the new Administration. It, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) have issued a final rule regarding future adjustments to the threshold for appraisal exceptions for higher-priced mortgage loans. Remember that Dodd-Frank amended the Truth in Lending Act, adding a requirement that lenders get a written appraisal based on an interior inspection of a home's interior. Loans for $25,000 or less were exempted from this requirement with a provision that the exemption level be revisited annually and revised on January 1 to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Ballard Spahr's Barbara S. Mishkin wrote, "The CFPB has adopted changes to its Reg Z commentary to memorialize the calculation methods used each year to adjust the thresholds for exempt consumer credit transactionsand for transactions exempt from the special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans and to its Reg M commentary to memorialize the calculation method used each year to adjust the threshold for exempt consumer leases. The Fed and OCC have adopted corresponding changes to their commentaries. The changes are effective January 1, 2017.

Without miring you down in the technicalities of determining the process or index, lenders tuned in to the fact that using current calculation methods, the agencies have made no changes to the three exemption thresholds. Effective January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, these exemption thresholds remain: smaller loans exempt from the appraisal requirement for "higher priced mortgage loans," $25,500 consumer credit transactions exempt from Truth in Lending Act/Regulation Z, $54,600 (but loans secured by real property or personal property used or expected to be used as a consumer's principal dwelling and private education loans are covered regardless of amount).

Turning to the capital markets, many are thinking that with the run up in rates and less regulation non-QM loans will become fashionable, two non-agency MBS deals totaling $815 million and made up of seasoned nonprime mortgages are anticipated to be issued in the next few weeks. Cerberus Capital's FirstKey Mortgage is planning to issue the $551 million. "The loans have seasoned for an average of nearly 10 years and 71.0 percent of the collateral has a clean payment history for the past two years, per Fitch Ratings." And New Residential Investment is preparing the $264 million New Residential Mortgage Loan Trust 2016-4. Affiliates of the issuers plan to use vertical retention to meet risk-retention requirements for the MBS.

Will those bonds be less valuable with the increase in rates? Or more valuable given the solid payment history of the loans? Stay tuned. But rates dropped a little Tuesday despite a strong Q3 GDP number - the market is seeing the demand outpace supply, and lower volatility. And don't forget that the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index jumped to its best level since August 2007. The Case-Shiller 20-city index of U.S. home prices rose 5.1% year over year in September.

This morning we've already had a bevy of economic news. The MBA's Mortgage Index for last week quantified what lenders already knew. Apps fell over 9%, with refis taking it on the chin being down 16%. November ADP Employment Change was strong: +216k. October Personal Income and Spending was +.6% and +.3%. And October Core PCE Price Index was . Coming up are the November Chicago PMI, October Pending Home Sales, and November Fed's Beige Book (14:00 ET)

Yesterday the 10-year note improved .125 in price (2.30%) and the 5-year Treasury and current coupon agency MBS prices also rallied about .125. It's all been given back this morning: the 10-year is up to 2.36% and agency MBS prices are worse .250-.375 versus last night.



Jobs and Announcements

In job news, Union Home Mortgage, a privately-held nationally recognized leading mortgage banker, is currently seeking a Senior Compliance Specialist who is looking to be a valuable and productive member of an already top performing Compliance team and be integral in advancing the compliance management program. Responsibilities include drafting self-assessment procedures, performing testing and summarizing findings, collaborating with Partners to develop corrective action plans, updating and/or create compliance policies and procedures; enhance compliance training program. This person will also be able to mentor junior compliance personnel. The candidate must have experience with Regulations X and Z, as well as other Federal regulations impacting mortgage lending, and can work from home or any local branch office. For a confidential discussion, send resumes to Lucas Engle.

In third party origination job news, "One of America's leading mortgage lenders has some of this winter's hottest openings. We're currently seeking talented candidates for TPO Account Executive positions in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Washington/Oregon, Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and the New England states with the unique opportunity to sell products in all three TPO channels: broker, non-delegated and correspondent (including bulk mandatory). Experienced leaders in the Los Angeles area can apply for an available Regional Manager position, overseeing all three channels in our Western Region. We're committed to making the dream of homeownership a reality - and providing our associates with the resources they need to succeed. Make '17 your best year yet!" Please submit confidential resumes to me and specify opportunity.

Primary Capital Mortgage recently added two new executives to its leadership team: Liane Taylor, SVP Human Resources, and Spencer Mosness, Chief Legal Counsel. Liane Taylor comes from TriStar Services, where she spent the past six years as VP of Human Resources, and Spencer Mosness formerly served as Premier Home Mortgage Inc.'s first attorney and General Counsel. "Liane and Spencer have guided companies through times of accelerated growth and offer firsthand knowledge of what it takes to grow strategically and successfully," said Primary Capital CEO Anthony Coniglio. "As we set our sights on some very significant and important goals over the next three years, I know they will both be incredible assets to our management team." In addition to these new executives, Primary Capital has hired more than a dozen new employees over the past quarter and plans to continue hiring aggressively heading into 2017. To view current job openings or to learn more about Primary Capital's growth, please visit http://www.primarycapital.com.

Provident Bank is excited to welcome Scott Ritter as the SVP - Head of Mortgage Banking. "Scott has a proven track record helping grow companies on a national scale to nearly $40 billion per year in production with deep knowledge of all aspects of mortgage banking. As we continue to grow under new leadership we are looking to expand both our Wholesale and Retail divisions. In Retail, we have a unique opportunity for a Retail Regional Production Manager. The individual will be responsible for managing retail production for 11 branches in Northern and Southern California. The ideal candidate will 10+ years of management experience and will provide support to branch managers helping them attain goals, recruit and build branches, and be knowledgeable of bank regulatory policies and procedures." If you have any interest and would like to know more about this or other positions, please contact Amy Fishel at 951-782-6184. (Provident Bank is an equal opportunity employer. It is the bank's policy to grant equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all qualified persons without regard to race, sex, religion, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, or veteran's status. The bank provides equal opportunities in employment, promotion, wages, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment. It is our policy to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled, concentrating on the person's abilities and not disabilities. This policy has the support of the highest levels of management. Provident Bank is an "at will" employer.)

Congrats to Quicken Loan's Shawn Krause who President-elect Donald Trump named to the team overseeing the transition at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ms. Krause is the EVP of government advocacy for Quicken and was registered to lobby for Quicken since 2009. She "deregistered" as a lobbyist in the last few weeks.
Real estate website Zillow will pay up to $6 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of violating federal labor laws, according to an SEC filing.The lawsuit accused the company of failing to pay overtime, provide meal and rest breaks, and accurately keep track of hours worked by some employees, according to a HousingWire report.Zillow said in its SEC filing that it had originally agreed to the settlement in May, but that the agreement was only finalized Monday, following a separate review of its labor practices by the Department of Labor, HousingWire reported.The Labor Department reviewed the companys compliance with certain wage and hour laws. Zillow said that it agreed to a separate settlement with the Labor Department, which allowed the finalization of the class-action settlement.The settlement with the DOL will require Zillow to make settlement payments associated with the class-action suit and establish procedures to ensure it remains compliant in the future, according to HousingWire. The DOL settlement doesnt require the company to make any payments beyond those stipulated by the class-action settlement.The company did not admit any liability in either settlement, according to HousingWire.
U.S. natural gas exports via pipeline have doubled since 2009, and almost all of the growth is attributed to exports to Mexico, according to a report released Tuesday by the Energy Information Administration. More than half of all natural gas exports since April 2015 have gone to Mexico.

Daily exports to Mexico through August are at a yearly average of 3.6 billion cubic feet per day, which is 25 percent above the year-ago level and 85 percent above the 2011-2015 average, the EIA said.

Domestic electricity growth has largely driven Mexicos increased natural gas usage. New natural gas-fired plants are being constructed to meet growing demand, the EIA said. Mexicos natural gas imports could be slowed by renewable and nuclear energy, as could a rebound in domestic natural gas production.

Still, Mexicos energy ministry announced a five-year plan to expand the countrys natural gas pipeline network. The largest project awarded is the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan pipeline. It will supply Tamaulipas and Veracruz states with natural gas from South Texas via an underwater route through the Gulf of Mexico, the EIA said. The pipeline will be 500 miles long and have a capacity of 2.6 billion cubic feet per day.

Mexico has approved seven of 12 natural gas pipeline projects so far.
Death toll from Australias thunderstorm asthma reaches 8

MELBOURNE, Australia  More than a week after a rare condition known as thunderstorm asthma struck Australia's second-largest city the death toll has risen to eight with one other person on life support, officials said on Tuesday.

The latest two victims died in hospital intensive care units on Monday night and Tuesday morning from medical complications stemming from a wild thunderstorm that struck Melbourne on Nov. 21, a Health Department statement said.

Another patient remained in intensive care. Another six were in hospitals with less serious respiratory and related conditions.

Last week's storm caused rain-sodden ryegrass pollen grains to explode and disperse over the city, with tiny pollen particles penetrating deep into lungs. Around a third of patients who suffered asthma attacks reported never having asthma before.

The storm overwhelmed emergency services and hospitals in this city of 4.5 million people, with 8,500 receiving hospital treatment.

The world's first recorded thunderstorm asthma event occurred in Melbourne in 1987, when hospitals reported a five-fold increase in asthma cases. Similar events have happened in the United States, Canada, Britain and Italy. The last major event in Melbourne was in November 2010.

Hutchinson man has donate almost 300 pints of blood

HUTCHINSON, Kan.  An 87-year-old Hutchinson, Kansas, man has donated almost 300 pints of blood, saying he considers the donations his "greatest contribution" to other people.

Harold Walters made his first donation in 1955, when he was 26. He planned to donate his 296th pint at the Hutchinson Community Blood Drive on Monday, and said he has no plans of stopping anytime soon, the Hutchinson News (http://bit.ly/2gBTZHC ) reported.

"Of all my volunteer work, I look at my blood donations as the greatest contribution I've made to other people," the World War II and Korean War veteran said. "They tell me at the Red Cross that each donation helps eight people."

Walters also donated platelets for his daughters who had lupus. Platelets are an element of whole blood that a process called apheresis removes before returning the rest of the blood to the donor. He has never received blood himself.

"I've lost three of my five children, and a grandson," Walters said. "The Lord has left me here to do something for someone else and giving blood is the easiest thing to do."

Walters said he started donating blood because his job was across from the donation center. He said that with the exception of when he traveled for work, he made it a habit to donate blood every two months. Two months is as frequent as medical rules allow whole blood donations, due to how long it takes the body to replace blood.

Health departent has flu shot clinic

The citys Health & Senior Services Division is offering a flu vaccination clinic for all ages.

Health & Senior Services at Kingsway mall on Illinois Avenue, is administering the flu shots from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m.-noon on Fridays. The vaccine is available for those 6 months and older, and a high-dose vaccine is available for those 65 and older. The division accepts private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare.

For more information, call 432-681-7613.

Weekly support groups & hotlines

(subject to change)

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Christian Church of Midland, 2609 Neely Ave. 694-8643.

Overeaters Anonymous; 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays and 3-4 p.m. Sundays; B&J Plaza, 206 N. Midkiff Road, Suite 1-D; 553-1031.

Survivors of sexual abuse; interactive Bible study to help deal with the consequences of sexual abuse meets Tuesdays. Child care available; House of Hope, 570-5935.

Peer to Peer support group for veterans, active duty, guard, reserves and their families, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Permian Basin Community Center, 401 E. Illinois Ave., Suite 403; Wil Hoggard, 213-5342, william.hoggard@wtcmhmr.org.

PDAP meetings:

7-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays: Parents group and younger group (12-17), 1208 W. Wall St.; college group (18-26), 2503 W. Ohio Ave.; older group (27 and over), First Presbyterian Church

11:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays: older group, 1208 W. Wall St., includes lunch

Alcoholics Anonymous  hotline 580-7868.

Serenity Group, 8 p.m. daily, 3101 N. A St., Building C; 685-3100.

710 Group, 7 a.m., noon and 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 710 Ohio Ave.; 682-8162.

Alpha Omega, 8 p.m Tuesdays and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 311 S. Pecos St.

12-Step Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Saturdays; 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272.

Narcotics Anonymous  hotline 582-2926.

Laundry Group, 8 p.m. daily and noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 104 N. Marshall St.

Xodus Group, 5:30 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road.

CODA Group, 12-step program for relationships, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272.

La Hacienda Alumni, support group for former patients, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 206 N. Midkiff Road; 697-0272.

MMH payment options

Midland Memorial Hospital recognizes that our community is facing challenging financial times. Resources are tight and families are having to make important decisions about what to spend money on now and what has to wait.

Realizing health care can be expensive and the increasing deductibles make it hard to manage, the hospital has adjusted its payment procedures. We want to make sure you receive the care you need, when you need it. To find out about the new options now offered to better accommodate your payment needs, call 221-4705.

Source: Midland Memorial Hospital

How sick are you?

Midland Memorial Hospital offers a a nurse triage program 68-NURSE.

The program is designed to help people determine whether their health situation warrants a trip to the emergency room. Midland residents can call the line by dialing 686-8773.

The program is free and available 24 hours a day-365 days a year. Local nurses are available to help you determine the best place to receive care for your situation. 68-NURSE can help you save time and money by directing you to the most appropriate healthcare option, whether its a neighborhood clinic, urgent care center, emergency room  or just staying home.

Help line for long-term or disabled care

The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services has a toll-free number residents can call to obtain information on services for the disabled or long-term care.

For more information, call 855-937-2372.

Contact your Hospital District representative

Midland Memorial Hospital

400 Rosalind Redfern Grover Parkway, Midland, Texas, 79701

Phone: 221-1111

Website: www.midland-memorial.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidlandMemorialHospital

Twitter: twitter.com/MidlandMemorial

President Russell Meyers 221-1584

Directors -- District 1: Tracie Greene, District 2: Dwain Tomlin, District 3: Larry Mercer, District 4: Cressinda Hyatt, District 5: Cari Chaplin, District 6: Joe Kiowski, District 7: Jeffrey Beard
Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette ($26) is one of two, limited edition chocolate inspired eyeshadow palettes that launched for Black Friday and Cyber Monday from the brand. According to Too Faceds Instagram account the Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette will make a return on December 14th but outside of this I have no other restock information about the palette.

Rumors are swirling that both the Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette which was exclusively available at toofaced.com as well as the Too Faced White Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette which launched exclusively at Sephora.com will be brought back with the Too Faced Spring 2017 Collection. Im unsure if this is true or not. On December 26th, Too Faced will be bringing out a Peach Collection for Spring 2017 that includes the Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette along with a new Peach Glow Highlighter Palette and Papa Dont Peach Blush as well as new lipglosses or liquid lipsticks in peach shades. Later this Spring, in February, the Better Together Collection with Kat Von D launches. All this has me somehow doubting that youll see the return of the White Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette and Matte Chocolate Chip one. It just doesnt quite fit in with what they have in the works for Spring! But Im just speculating, I could be wrong about these two palettes making a reappearance in the Spring Collections. I do believe both will be back in limited quantities but not for Spring, likely youll see them return around December 14 at their respective retailers and probably not again after they sell out for the second time. Again, mere speculation on my part but thats how I see it going down.

See my review and swatches below.

Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette as well as the White Chocolate Chip Palette is causing absolute mayhem at the moment with makeup addicts ranting the lack of stock, the quick sell out, the fact that they were never alerted to the release, etcetc. So much controversy that surrounds one very TINY palette that contains a repromoted shades.

I got mine yesterday in the mail and was pretty shocked and delighted at the size. Its so tiny! Its a little bigger than a credit card and quite thin with a very generous mirror tucked inside. A sweet friend of mine mentioned in my post about the new Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Palettes are EVEN smaller than this! I cant imagine! the palette states 10 eyeshadows at 0.02 oz each which is a total of 0.20 oz. But, maybe Im crazy, I count 11 shades? And thats 0.22 oz. The value here isnt a great one considering the original palette has 0.62 oz of product for $49. Youre paying $26 for a quarter of the product that comes in the original palettes.

I picked this up because I travel a lot and I loved the idea of having a tiny selection of chocolate-y mattes that I can bring along with me for quickie but elegant eye looks. Im going to London in the Spring and I really want to pack light and this was a palette I was hoping would make the trip with me.

One of the first things we should address would be, Where is this made? Thats one of the more popular topics of conversation when it comes to releases lately isnt it? And that question will be even more popular now that Estee Lauder purchased Too Faced. The box reads: Bulk Made in the USA, assembled in Dominican Republic.

Ok! So, now thats out of the way lets move on to other things like the shades youre getting:

White Chocolate (Repromote from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette)

Matte Gilded Ganache

Triple Fudge (Repromote from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette)

Matte Marzipan

Semi-Sweet (Repromote from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette)

Strawberry Bon Bon (Repromote from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette)

Matte Candied Violet

Matte Hazelnut

Matte Creme Brulee

Matte Cherry Cordial

Matte Champagne Truffle

So, the good news is this doesnt contain a host of repromote shades. Out of the 11 shades there are only four repromote shades that appeared in the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. The idea behind the Matte Chocolate Chip Palette was to take the shimmery shades from the Chocolate Bar Palette and recreate them in a matte finish. For me, the shades are more inspired by the original colors but not exact dupes of the shades in a matte finish. Moral of the story, if you liked shades like Candied Violet and Cherry Cordial and you were all, Wow! Wish these were matte in finish! now your wish has come true! Although, again, they arent exactly spot on dupes for the originals.

I thought the palette was ok but the formula is quite dry and dense. I got patchy results during application and I really had to blend well to get a good finish. I think the mattes in the original Chocolate Bar Palette had a much silkier texture. These were quite dense and difficult to blend. You can get looks from them but a moisturizing primer helps a good deal as itll give the shadows a dewy surface to adhere to and allow blending to go along a little easier without tugging on your lid to smooth the shades out. Many colors were sheer as well and needed to be built up for the best color pay off. I think my swatches speak for themselves as a lot of the dry, patchiness can be seen on my really bad swatch sets. I had to pass over the color several times to build them up for the smoothest finish on my arm.

One thing to take into consideration is the fact its difficult to use several of these colors in one look. I always find it challenging to use several mattes in one look. It becomes even more difficult to contrast using darker and lighter shades due to the density and dryness of the shades.

Is the Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette cute? Absolutely! Is it a good value? Does it have great quality? Absolutely not. The dryness combined with the higher cost makes it a bit of a bust for me.

Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip Eyeshadow Palette is available now at ulta.com.
Pupa is one of Europes cutest makeup treasures. This Italian brand is well known for their delightfully cute makeup palettes that are like Transformers for makeup lovers. Or if youre as old as some people, ahem, me, you might remember Sweet Secrets as thats what Pupa always reminded me of! I had them all because my older sister spoiled me rotten so, yeah, totally had every single Sweet Secret including the jewelry box that turned into a house.

Anyway, I used to be obsessed with Pupa. They actually evolved considerably over the years and the cutesy makeup palettes turned into more of a Kiko-like makeup experience with many of their latest offering easily accessible in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan but sadly, never in the US. I miss the cute palettes but their newer makeup is actually very pretty as well.

I didnt realize how much I missed it until ran across this adorable Teddy Bear Eye Shadow Set at Forever 21. I had to bite a nail not to buy it.

See it below!

The makeup is probably crap but OMG he cute little bear and the teddy bear inspired shades! Love! If you have a younger tween in your life that loves makeup this would make such a delightful gift.

I should buy one right? Its only 8 bucksI mean I need a Teddy Bear Palette in my life right?

Someone stop me.

Get it at forever21.com but dont blame me if its cuteness overload. Oh, by the way, Forever 21 now carries Pony Effect!
New members inducted into Institute of ...
A Land O Lakes student is being recognized after winning a national contest for coding.

Nikhil Dutt, 17, started coding two months ago

Dutt designed an app to help students stay organized



The design won a national contest for his school district

Seventeen-year-old Nikhil Dutt is a senior at Land O Lakes High School. He says he started coding just two months ago.

When he learned about the Congressional App Challenge, a national contest, he decided to give it a try. And he won the contest for Floridas District 12.

Dutt created a desktop app called 'Student Toolbox' that helps students navigate their classes, organizes homework, and has a data base of teacher contact information for students to connect with their instructors.

I want to change the world and the easiest way to do that, or I see the most simple way to do that -- to reach a mass audience -- is through technology," said Dutt. "And especially coding apps."

Dutt received a plaque and met Congressman Gus Bilirakis. His app will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol.



Dutt has already started working on his next project, a medical app that will assist surgeons.



The congressional app challenge was created last year by the U.S. House of Representatives to engage high school students in coding and computer science.
Someone took a Christmas shopping package off a Deltona family's front doorstep.

Deltona homeowner said someone stole Christmas package off front doorstep

Says others are getting packages stolen too

Volusia County Sheriff's Office says no one has reported thefts

Last week, Deltona homeowner Yaritza Denizac ordered Christmas presents online for her two daughters.

"I received at work a confirmation email that my package had been delivered," Denizac said. "So within an hour I had family come over to get the package and it was not there."



Denizac says the package with presents inside is worth well over $200.

The mother of two reached out to Facebook friends and learned more people are dealing with the same thing -- packages snatched right outside their front doors.

However, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office says no one is reporting the thefts.

Denizac said she filed a report to the online company.

"They did send a postman out that night, everything was gone, added Denizac.



Denizac was told because the investigation into her lost package is ongoing, it will be a while before she receives a refund, or a fulfillment package. She only hopes that happens before Christmas.

"When you work hard for your things and you have a package sent for the holidays, because getting ready for Christmas with presents and your stuff is gone, there's not many answers," Denizac said. "You're going in circles.

Protecting your holiday packages

Package theft has grown with online holiday shopping.

Community social networking site NextDoor said a recent survey shows 42 percent of neighbors experienced a package theft. Nearly half of those have had multiple packages stolen.

As we reported Sunday, law enforcement agencies are urging people to protect their packages by getting them delivered to your job or to a friend or neighbor. You should also be sure to file a police report first before contacting the shipping company or the business that mailed the package. Even if police can't find your package, the report serves as another piece of evidence in recouping costs.

NextDoor says 67 percent of those surveyed would ask a neighbor for help with a package if they weren't home. The site suggested neighbors contact each other either in person or through NextDoor for help.

The site also suggests setting up a virtual neighborhood watch through the NextDoor website. Users can alert neighbors of packages stolen, and if they have surveillance video of the suspect they can upload it to the site and put neighbors on alert.

Other ways to protect your holiday packages include:

Take advantage of home delivery services. UPS has the UPS My Choice service. If you sign up for a free membership, you can get delivery alerts, sign for a package online, and even as that you hold a package at a UPS facility instead of having it delivered to your home. For additional money, you can get it delivered to another address. FedEx has a similar program with Delivery Manager.

USPS has the Package Intercept program. For a fee they will hold the package for pickup or you can have it sent to another address.

Have a security camera on your porch. This will help if your package is stolen so that police can catch the thief. Plus, if the package is damaged, you can use it as evidence against insurance.

Use signature confirmation. This way the package is not left out in the open because a signature is needed.
The driver who fled police after going the wrong way on Interstate 4 on Tuesday has been identified as murder suspect Lonnie Tisdale, according to Orlando Police.

Police say anonymous tips from residents in the Parramore area helped being Tisdale to their attention.

Lonnie Tisdale identified as murder suspect

He is accused of killing JP White in September

Tisdale, female passenger taken into custody



Lonnie Tisdale was wanted in connection with the September murder of J.P. White, who was found lying in grass along 813 Jefferson St.

On Tuesday, a fugitive unit recognized 27-year-old Tisdale driving in a Kia Sportage in front of them on Tuesday. Tisdale, with passenger Shamaria Williams, realized they were being followed and a chase ensued on I-4, according to Orlando Police.

At one point, the pair were driving the wrong way on the interstate. Officials said Tisdale crashed the SUV on eastbound I-4 between Universal Studios and Sand Lake Road. He and Williams, 24, ran on foot to the Heart of I-Drive Hotel, near International and Carrier drives, where they were caught.

The scariest part was when the police officer, when he was standing there with his big gun, said, 'The worst part was that you guys couldve been held as hostages,' said Rachel Regnier, who works at the hotel.

No one was taken hostage and no one was injured.

Some of the charges against Tisdale include: first-degree murder with a firearm, robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm and ammo by a convicted felon and resisting an officer without violence.

Williams was charged with resisting an officer without violence.

Tips from Parramore residents led to arrest

Police say anonymous tips led to Tisdale's arrest. And those tips came from inside the Parramore community.

Orlando district 5 Commissioner Regina Hill sees this as progress as she pushes to end violence in the community.

"With their tips, now they're seeing results," said Hill. "They're feeling empowered and we could not have solved this crime if it wasn't for the residents of Parramore."

Another person of interest in the case, 19-year-old Trevon Wallace is also charged with first-degree murder.

Commissioner Hill hopes getting results in this case will help usher in a new era of community policing and cooperation in the Historic Parramore neighborhood.

"I truly believe that this is the catalyst towards change. The community sees that their words matter, that when they do come forward anonymously that we are making strides," Hill explained.



Tisdale, who is facing not one but two separate charges for running from police, is now facing life in prison for first degree murder.

"No one wins but at least there's some healing that can start," Hill said.

Even though it took eight weeks, neighbors are glad police believe all the suspects are now off the streets.
No charges will be filed against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer who shot and killed a black man at an apartment complex in September, touching off several nights of unrest in the city, a North Carolina prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Keith Scott, 43, was fatally shot by police in September

Several nights of unrest in the city erupted after the shooting

DA's office: "All credible evidence" determined Scott was armed

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray said Officer Brentley Vinson's actions in the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott were justified.

Scott's family has said since the shooting that he was not armed.

Vinson shot and killed Scott, 43, in September, which sparked several nights of unrest in the city.

At a conference Wednesday morning, Murray said all credible evidence determined Scott was armed and Vinson acted in self-defense.

The District Attorney's Office showed video of Scott at a convenience store prior to the shooting. Officials said a bulge in Scott's right ankle was consistent with a gun and holster.

A gun was found at the scene, and Scott's DNA was also found on the gun.

Murray said supposed eyewitnesses who claimed Scott was unarmed and reading a book later told FBI they didn't actually see the shooting.

Murray's office also said Scott had a blank stare at the time of the shooting, which are consistent with side effects of medication for brain injuries. Aggression was also a side effect.

Vinson, who is also black, admitted to shooting Scott after the incident, and his agency-issued firearm was the only one missing bullets.

Video reveals that officers told Scott to drop the gun at least 10 times, and Murray said Scott leaned over after being shot, which is why he was shot in the back.

A total of 63 SBI agents were called in to investigate the shooting.

Attorneys for the Scott family met with prosecutors on Wednesday morning to go over the State Bureau of Investigation's findings before the conference.

Scott's wife said her husband did not have a gun and had just taken medicine for a traumatic brain injury, which she said made it difficult for him to communicate.

Because of the conflicting reports, there were numerous protests following the shooting in September, some of them violent.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Those participating and attending Thursday nights annual Christmas Parade of Lights should dress warmly with temperatures dipping into the upper 20s overnight. While conditions should remain dry for the event, which begins 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, theres a strong chance of rain Friday, changing over to snow or light sleet Saturday.

This years parade, which begins at Broadway Park and disbands at the Santa Fe depot, will include more than 70 entries decorated to represent the theme A Texas Christmas. Now in its 24th year, the parade is sponsored by the Plainview Chamber of Commerce.

Among this years entries are West Texas A&M Universitys buffalo mascot, escorted by the WTAMU Herdsmen; the PHS Powerhouse of the Plains Band; Plainview Police Honor Guard and SWAT team; a local veterans float; the Texas Thrills car club, various antique vehicles and bicycle riders. The parade will conclude with an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus (portrayed by Mike and LeAnn McNutt) riding in Covenant Health Plainviews Christmas sleigh.

During the parade Centennial Bank will have free popcorn and Covenant Health Plainview will have free hot chocolate and water at Millennium Park.

Before the parade starts, children have a chance to read-along with the Hale County Literacy Council the popular Christmas story, Olive, The Other Reindeer, and then visit Santa at the Fair Theatre. Doors open at 4 p.m. and each family receives a copy of the popular childrens book. The story will be read by Literacy Council Board member Yolanda Vera with Junior Literacy Council members acting out the story. There is no charge for the event.

The National Weather Service reports that a cold front will be moving through the Texas Panhandle Thursday morning. While Thursday will start out breezy, the westerly winds should subside after sunset Thursday and gradually shift to the east after sunset.

Friday should see clouds filling in from the south along with the onset of precipitation. The deepest moisture will be off the Caprock by late Friday through the weekend.

The southwest Texas Panhandle and northern South Plains, including Plainview, may see a wintry mix of rain, snow and sleet develop overnight Friday into Saturday morning.

The region will receive mostly cold drizzle and light rain Saturday, with an abrupt end early Sunday as moisture moves out of the area to the south.

Highs are expected to gradually cool before bottoming out in the upper 30s to 40s on Saturday amid ample moisture and cloudy skies. The NWS says temperatures will warm slightly on Sunday before returning to seasonal morns on Monday.

For Plainview, theres a 30 percent chance of rain Friday, increasing to 50 percent Friday night. On Saturday, theres a 50 percent chance of rain, snow or light sleet, changing to 20 percent chance of rain or snow Saturday night.
WALLINGFORD A Waterbury man faces charges after police say he mailed written threats to a local health care agency.



Stephen Lorusso, 33, of 106 Platt St., Waterbury, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace.



Police say Lorusso allegedly sent an envelope to Community Health Network of Connecticut at 11 Fairfield Boulevard containing several documents with handwritten messages, including threats to blow up a building and kill people along with anti-Semitic symbols.



The envelope had a return address for Lorusso, police said. As a precaution, Community Health Network employees were sent home and advised to work from home the rest of the week.



Lorusso was held on $50,000 bond and is due in court on Dec. 14 in Meriden.



 Lauren Takores






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A white nationalist whose recent speech in the nations capital drew Nazi salutes will speak at Texas A&M University next month.

Richard Spencer, who spoke for a half-hour at a white nationalist organizations meeting on Saturday, will speak at Texas A&M's Memorial Student Center on December 6 at 7 p.m.

Spencer is the president and director of The National Policy Institute, which describes itself as an "independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world."

At Saturday's event, he shouted Heil Trump, Heil our people, Heil victory, to audience applause.

More than 3,000 people had signed an online petition urging A&M to denounce Spencer and cancel the event on campus. University student leaders, in a statement circulated Wednesday afternoon, stopped short of asking A&M to cancel but called Spencer's stated anti-Semitic and white supremacist positions "wholly unacceptable" with "no place in civil discourse."

Students started to plan campus protests for the day of Spencer's speech, and alumni urged one another to call the university president's office to express their anger.

Lia Epps, a graduate student at Texas A&M's Bush School of Government and Public Service, said there's "unrest and uneasiness" among her peers today.

The university issued a statement Wednesday denouncing Spencer's rhetoric and sought to distance itself from the event. The university had no immediate comment on whether it would try to cancel the speech.

"To be clear, Texas A&M University  including faculty, staff, students and/or student groups - did not invite this speaker to our campus nor do we endorse his rhetoric in any way," Amy Smith, a university spokeswoman, said in the statement.

Private citizens can reserve space on campus for private functions, Smith said. The event organizer will pay all rental expenses, including security costs, she said.

"The majority of people understand that A&M didn't invite Richard Spencer to come and speak," Epps said. "But it's still appalling that he's going to be there."

Former A&M student Preston Wiginton, also a white nationalist who was enrolled at the university in 2006 and 2007, told the Houston Chronicle he arranged for Spencer to speak on campus as a private citizen and political activist.

"The left at these universities has stifled out anything pertaining to white interests," Wiginton said.

Spencer will speak in a room in the student center that will accommodate "adequate police security," Wiginton said.

The building was initially dedicated to honor Texas A&M alumni who died in action during World War I and World War II.

Rabbi Matt Rosenberg, who leads the campus Hillel, urged community members to report Spencer's planned visit to the universitys Stop Hate website, through which individuals can bring forward instances of discrimination.

Rosenberg said he spoke to the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday morning and said he was "pleased" to see alumni, faculty and student responses online.

"I think for the vast majority of students, even though it's a conservative student body, they're definitely against people like (Spencer)," Rosenberg said. "Seeing those responses was really heartening."
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OPEC is near an agreement to cut production for the first time in eight years, sending oil prices surging on optimism a deal with start to drain record global inventories.

Under the terms being discussed by ministers in Vienna, the group would cut production by 1.4 million barrels a day, equivalent to about 1.5 percent of global production, according to a delegate. In addition, oil producers outside OPEC, including Russia, would contribute cuts of about 600,000 barrels a day, they said.

The outlines of the deal emerged as ministers on their way into the meeting struck a markedly more optimistic tone than in recent days, signaling the group's three largest producers -- Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq -- have overcome differences on how to share the burden of cuts. It appears Iran will be able to raise production as it recovers from sanctions on its oil industry.

"I am very optimistic we're going to come up with very fruitful results," Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi said, before sitting down for the final ministerial meeting. "There will be a cut, yes, definitely."

Benchmark Brent oil futures rose as much as 8.8 percent in London trading, the biggest gain since February, to $50.45 a barrel.

Following two years of low prices, the OPEC meeting has become a magnet for global finance, with hedge fund managers, institutional investors and top oil traders mingling with officials and ministers at the upmarket Hyatt, Ritz Carlton and Kempinski hotels in Vienna. Beyond oil, the OPEC gathering is now at the center of global macro trades from the Canadian dollar to Nigerian bonds to U.S. shale equities.

Saudi Arabia has accepted that Iran can raise oil production as high as about 3.9 million barrels a day within the framework of the supply deal currently under discussion in Vienna, according to three people familiar with the matter. Iran previously suggested it freeze production at 3.975 million barrels a day, or about 200,000 barrels a day above current output, two OPEC delegates said Monday.

The OPEC deal would be a six-month accord monitored by a committee, said Iraq's al-Luaibi, adding that he hopes the curbs will boost the oil price to more than $55 a barrel.

OPEC will reach an agreement and Russia will join in cuts following talks between Vladimir Putin and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, according to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh.

"The Russian energy ministry, which met with our friends Algeria and Venezuela in Russia, changed their view and said they will cut their production," he said on Wednesday.

If there is an OPEC agreement to cut output that assigns production quotas to members, then Russia is ready to join the deal with a more flexible position than a freeze, including potentially decreasing its own production, said a person familiar with Russian thinking.

The Kremlin had previously resisted requests that it join the cut, offering instead to freeze production at current levels.

Other senior OPEC officials were optimistic about a deal going into the meeting. Mohammed Barkindo, secretary-general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and United Arab Emirates Oil Minister Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, who said he expects some good news later in the day.

"The sentiment generally is optimistic and positive," Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Wednesday. "Any production-restraint agreement has to be distributed in an equitable way. We are getting close."

"We're optimistic," Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Emmanuel Kachikwu said in a Bloomberg TV interview from Vienna. "There's still a few gray areas we have to patch up, but I like to go in believing that we're going to reach a deal."

Iran, Nigeria and Libya will be exempt from any OPEC agreement to cut supply, while Iraq is expected to make a reduction, Venezuelan Energy Minister Eulogio Del Pino told reporters at OPEC's headquarters before the formal meeting started.

"There will be a production cut, agreed by everyone, with quotas for countries," Algerian Energy Minister Noureddine Boutarfa said on Wednesday. Algeria "put the proposal on the table and it was the one that was agreed," he said.
San Franciscos chief judge says he and his colleagues discarded 66,000 arrest warrants issued over five years for quality-of-life crimes, like sleeping on the sidewalk, because it made no sense to lock people up for fines they couldnt afford.

The crimes, which also include urinating on sidewalks and being drunk in public, are infractions punishable only by fines. But when those who were cited failed to show up in court, judges in the past have issued bench warrants ordering them to appear, with a sentence of five days in jail for failing to show up.

But San Francisco Superior Court judges stopped issuing the warrants a year ago and recently disposed of about 66,000 bench warrants issued since January 2011. The citys police union and some members of the public have protested, but Presiding Judge John Stewart defended the courts action Tuesday in a meeting with The Chronicles editorial board.

Youre putting somebody in jail because theyre poor and cant pay a fine, he said. We got a lot of criticism, but we thought it was the right thing to do.

Stewart noted state lawmakers similar response after learning that 4 million Californians had seen their drivers licenses suspended for failing to pay traffic fines, increased substantially by fees imposed by cash-strapped local courts. Gov. Jerry Brown signed an amnesty law last year for unpaid tickets issued before 2013, cutting penalties by 50 percent, or 80 percent for low-income drivers. The law also allowed drivers to regain their licenses if they signed up for the repayment program.

Tearing up an arrest warrant doesnt eliminate someones underlying criminal charge. But Stewart said those who are cited, most of them homeless, cant afford the fine of $200 or more and seldom show up in court.

Theres no mechanism I know of to force them to pay, he said.

Those who come to court are usually given options, like drug treatment or community service, as an alternative to paying fines, said Teri Jackson, the courts assistant presiding judge and head of its criminal division. Stewart added that judges are encouraging police to refer offenders to treatment programs rather than issuing citations.

Leaders of the San Francisco Police Officers Association werent immediately available for comment on the judges statements. But when Chronicle columnists Matier & Ross first reported the destruction of the warrants on Nov. 14, Martin Halloran, head of the police union, told them that the court was sending a message that there is no accountability for what you have done, and the laws on the books can be violated with no repercussions. I dont think its what the public wants.

Stewart said the judges have chosen the best alternative available and dont plan to resume issuing warrants. Still, he said, people in the neighborhood have a right to be upset.
A 27-year-old San Francisco Public Works employee was fatally shot Wednesday morning in Potrero Hill while painting over graffiti, authorities said.

Jermaine Jackson Jr. was shot near 25th and Vermont streets about 8 a.m., according to police and Public Works officials. He was taken by ambulance to the nearby San Francisco General Hospital, where he died.

There were no immediate arrests, and the motive was unclear.

Jackson, a father of two young children  a boy and girl  was an apprentice in the city department since March 2015. He was set to graduate the program next year.

Before his apprenticeship, he was in a program through Mayor Ed Lees office aimed at preventing violence in high-crime neighborhoods. During his work with Interrupt, Predict and Organize for a Safer San Francisco, Jackson passed his GED exam, said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who called him a motivated, hardworking and well-liked employee.

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Just hours before the shooting, Jackson dropped off his 7-year-old daughter, Jayla, at school and hugged her goodbye.

He said, I love you, let me give you a kiss. Ill see you later, Jayla said, sitting outside their San Francisco home with her family. And thats when he left.

Neighbors knew Jackson as being good with kids  his own and those around the block where he lived. He hosted barbecues, played pickup basketball and got into arguments with a 49ers fan who lived nearby. Jackson made it clear he preferred the Raiders.

Seven or eight years ago, he had run-ins with gangs, but after his daughter was born, he cleaned up, family and friends said.

He showed these kids  he showed everyone  he could turn his life around, said his grandmother, 63-year-old Juanita Befford.

Family and friends couldnt understand who would want to kill Jackson. His brother, who is in jail, fell to the ground and guards had to pick him up after he learned about the slaying, Befford said.

Jackson was known to spoil his children, relatives said, taking them to the beach on weekends and buying Jayla a four-wheeler on a recent birthday, even though money was tight.

Jacksons mother-in-law, Pamela Plousha, 60, said the family was proud of Jackson after he got the city Public Works job. He recently paid off a stack of traffic tickets, she said.

I just hope that they catch whoever did this, Plousha said. No man did this. No gangster did this. A coward did this.

Lee ordered the citys flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday for the death of one of our own.

This was a young man who worked very hard to build a good life for himself and his children, and was committed to his work keeping the City of San Francisco and our neighborhoods clean, the mayor said in a statement. This is a tragic instance of a life cut short.

A homicide investigation and a separate internal public works probe are ongoing.

Michael Bodley and Kimberly Veklerov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com, kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov, @michael_bodley
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Earlier this week, chef/restaurateur Johnny Hernandez announced he was opening two new restaurants at Flats at Big Tex, a 7.5-acre apartment complex that will occupy nearly a half-mile of the riverfront in Southtown.

The announcement was short on details, so here's some more information:

Villa Rica is a project from Hernandez, in cooperation with the Guzman family of Veracruz, which owns a series of restaurants by that same name in that coastal state. But the San Antonio location will not limit its cuisine to Veracruz. Hernandez was particularly inspired by a recent trip to Ensenada in Baja California.

"We want to stand out from the other seafood restaurants," he said. "It's not going to be intimidating, it's going to be very approachable."

RELATED: NRP Group will build first apartment complex at Lone Star

Burgerteca will be his take on a chef-driven burger place, offering the all-American staple with Mexican inspiration.

Among the burgers will be a Hawaiano, a Hawaiian-style burger with ham and pineapple; a norteno burger with cabrito; a burger with al pastor flavors; and an aguachile burger with shrimp. Also on the menu will be a variety of fries, including mole poblano fries, papas fundidas with melted cheese and asada fries with grilled beef.

The restaurant will also feature a neveria, a place that makes its own frozen desserts, such as house-churned ice cream and signature paletas. The bar will emphasize rum drinks. And he just got a barrel of rum from the island of Martinique.

RELATED: 20 new 'must-try' restaurants creating a buzz in S.A.

In addition to these upcoming restaurants, Hernandez announced changes to El Machito.

Taqueria La Gloria is opening Dec. 15 in the bar area inside El Machito, 7300 Jones Maltsberger Road. It will be modeled after the Taqueria La Gloria inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It offers an abbreviated menu from the original location at The Pearl.
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Saddleback Leather Company founder Dave Munson and his wife Suzette recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at their African Safari tent compound, which they moved into after selling off their own eight-bedroom Texas home in the summer of 2015.

The leather goods company is known for its sturdy offerings like bags, wallets, and other modern accessories.

HOME SWEET WTF: Weird houses in Houston and around the world

The Munson familys North Texas compound is made up of four waxed canvas structures, but this isn't your typical tent dwelling. This takes glamping one step further.

The interior of the main tent looks not unlike most middle-class homes except the walls aren't brick and mortar and there is only one bathroom (with a wooden bathtub). Dave even has an office to get work done while on the 84-acre property, just west of Dallas in Azle.

The tents do feature some glass and wood components to add structure. There is even a decked-out kitchen with a stove and a microwave. An air conditioning unit and a heater are also included. Most showers are done outside under the sun, but there is an indoor shower in case its too cold out.

HOW WE DO: 21 things Texans do that might be weird anywhere else

The Munsons live in the tent with their two young children, who don't seem to mind the canvas digs. There is also a guest tent for when friends stop by to visit. The family was inspired to make the move after visiting Africa in 2012 on safari and doing work with charities in the region.

The tents were designed by Rob Flowers from Nairobi, Kenya, who designs tents for high-end safari camps as well as British military members.

The family's tent residence is right next to a large pond, perfect for fishing. The Munsons dont appear to be missing much about city living and the sounds of nature are much friendlier than traffic and sirens for sure. There are no locks on the doors and there is no TV on the property.

If they ever get anxious and feel like moving it shouldnt be too hard to pack up their tent compound and rest it somewhere else.
Albany

After ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's indictment on charges that he had used his office to reap millions in legal payments, the Legislature in 2015 passed a law requiring the many lawyers who are lawmakers to disclose their clients.

But a major loophole is emerging, commissioners of the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics warned at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.

The ethics reform law came with a concession to the many lawyers who are state lawmakers: While they generally must disclose their legal clients, lawmakers can confidentially apply for exemptions if they can demonstrate public disclosure would be damaging to a client.

Politicians are able to apply for the exemptions to either JCOPE  the state's ethics and lobbying watchdog agency  or the Office of Court Administration, the administrative arm of the state court system.

JCOPE's Executive Director Seth Agata said that so far, 50 applications for exemptions have been made  all of them to OCA.

JCOPE Commissioner Gary Lavine, an appointee of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said that unlike the ethics panel, OCA has no mechanism to actually enforce the law and flag faulty filings or conflicts of interest.

"OCA has no enforcement function," Lavine said. "They simply receive the information and hold it."

Lavine suggested that JCOPE should push for a change in the law when the next legislative session begins in January.

It's also possible some people might not want to file with JCOPE because they see the entity as overly political. For instance, a lawyer for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has feuded with Cuomo in recent years, has accused JCOPE of conducting a witch hunt in its investigation a nonprofit tied to de Blasio.

JCOPE officials have denied the allegation.

At a December 2015 meeting, JCOPE's staff expressed concern that under proposed rules, a lawmaker seeking to obscure a conflict of interest involving a legal client would have several reasons to apply to the OCA.

For one, lawmakers seeking an exemption from OCA would not necessarily have to give the name of their client in order to secure it.

JCOPE has not gained a reputation as a particularly aggressive enforcement agency during its five-year lifespan, but it does have such powers. The OCA, by contrast, has no enforcement or investigative powers over the Legislature that allow it to probe potential conflicts of interest.

And OCA might not be required to pass confidential information it collects about lawmakers' clients on to JCOPE, which could be analyzed internally by auditors and investigators for potential conflicts, JCOPE officials have said.

"We are fulfilling the requirements on us as prescribed by the statute," OCA spokesman Lucian Chalfen said.

JCOPE spokesman Walter McClure said it was not yet clear whether the panel would itself pass formal regulations, or merely issue a less formal guidance for following the disclosure law.

Tuesday's JCOPE meeting also revealed that Daniel Horwitz had stepped down from his post as the panel's chairman.

A forceful presence during JCOPE's monthly meetings, Horwitz  who did not attend the meeting  had served on the 14-member body since its inception in 2011 and had been chair since 2013. Commissioner Michael Rozen, another Cuomo appointee, served as the acting chairman at Tuesday's meeting.

JCOPE officials said it was not clear if Rozen would eventually be named the full-time chair.

The panel's Executive Director Seth Agata said he believed Cuomo had tapped another Democratic commissioner to serve on the body, but did not know the person's name.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi clarified that the governor's office had notified JCOPE of a potential candidate.

"We thank Chairman Horwitz for his service to the state and are in the process of vetting applicants for a replacement," Azzopardi said.

cbragg@timesunion.com  518-454-5303  @chrisbragg1
Albany

New York state's three-tiered election system would be very difficult to hack for electoral advantage, state Board of Elections officials told an Assembly hearing Tuesday at the Capitol.

Robert Brehm and Todd Valentine, the co-executive directors of the bipartisan board, laid out what Brehm described as a "very decentralized" system of 16,000 election districts overseen by 62 county boards, plus the New York City board.

They described the safeguards at work in three systems that, while separate, operate in tandem to ensure the validity of voting.

The base layer is a "bottom-up" voter registration system drawing its data from the county boards over secure systems to the statewide NYSVoter database. The second layer is the election day voting itself, where the state's stock of optical scanners are incapable of being plugged into any sort of network and are subject to a strict chain of custody. The final tier is the tabulation of the votes, which is subject to a required audit of 3 percent of the paper ballots to further guarantee the result.

Brehm said that despite those safeguards, the board was always on the lookout for ways to "promote citizen confidence" in the election system.

The hearing, called by the Assembly's Standing Committee on Election Law, was auspiciously timed: It came two days after President-elect Donald Trump, who lags in the popular vote count despite securing a clear electoral victory, said on Twitter that "millions" had voted illegally on Nov. 8, and that "serious voter fraud" had occurred in Virginia, New Hampshire and California  charges that have not been backed up by any credible evidence.

The BOE officials, joined by IT director William Cross, said that they had been alerted in August to a series of addresses that might be used to infiltrate some of its systems. The board's staff is also on guard for "denial of service" attacks such as the October incursion that briefly crippled popular websites on the eastern seaboard.

Valentine said the board was "not hiding behind a curtain," but was careful to discuss these threats in a circumspect fashion in order not to provide "a roadmap to bad actors."

Michael Ryan, executive director of New York City's board, was peppered with questions about the inadvertent purging of roughly 120,000 voters in the run-up to April's presidential primary.

Scott Haverly, the IT director for Schoharie County, appeared at the hearing to describe the problems faced by the individual county boards, especially those from rural regions where resources tend to be stretched.

cseiler@timesunion.com  518-454-5619  @CaseySeiler
A Naugatuck insurance salesman is going to jail for stealing nearly $120,000 from clients.

On Tuesday, Christopher Scull, 37, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven.
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SHERMAN  Patricia-Ann Corsos sixth-graders watched in awe as a whirring 3-D printer slowly built a chess piece out of blue plastic.

The 18 students had crowded into a 44-foot trailer filled with the printer and other machines that burned patterns into wood, counted ball bearings and measured a piece of steel to one-thousandth of an inch.

The trailer, parked on the grounds of the Sherman School, is formally known as the Goodwin College Manufacturing Lab. Since April, it has traveled to schools statewide, trying to get young people interested in manufacturing early in their academic careers. Sherman was its 23rd stop.

Kids often dont realize that somebody needs to make their stuff, design things, said Clifford Thermer, an associate professor at Goodwin College, a small career-oriented nonprofit college in East Hartford.

Founded in 1999, Goodwin opened a manufacturing program in 2012 after administrators decided to help address the states shortage of skilled workers, Thermer said. To get children interested in manufacturing  the science of making stuff  he came to Sherman with three colleagues: a materials scientist, a lab technician and a workforce expert.

After being told about the need for skilled labor and the high average salaries in the field, the students learned they already are manufacturers, because theyre likely making things at home.

One by one, students told him they had made bracelets, earrings, skirts, pillows, forts, catapults, even robots.

Youre all manufacturers, Thermer told the class. You just dont know it yet.

The Goodwin lab stopped in Sherman after science teacher Patricia-Ann Corso saw a story about it on TV. Since her students had already made a insulator while studying thermal energy, she wanted them to know about manufacturing in general.

Making stuff has changed in the past few decades, Thermer and his colleagues said: Its no longer done in dingy factories, but in white-walled labs.

In the trailer, students watched as a 3-D printer made a two-inch rook  the chess piece  with a spiral staircase inside. They saw a laser that could burn a copy of the Mona Lisa into a piece of wood in two minutes and watched as a scale accurately counted a cupful of ball bearings by weight.

Calvin Brown, a workforce developer for the East Hartford-based Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology although the state is home to said building giants Sikorsky, Electric Boat and Pratt and Whitney, Connecticut needs more skilled laborers.

The state has 4,600 manufacturing companies, Brown said, and they need young talent.

Manufacturers are desperate for young people like you to come work, Brown told the 11- and 12-year-olds. There are many academic strategies you can take to get into manufacturing.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
UPPER THUMB  A fourth suspect has been arrested and charged for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery in Sanilac County earlier this month.

On Nov. 11, the Sanilac County Sheriffs Office received a call from a man regarding his Minden Township home being robbed. The homeowner said men in ski masks robbed his home and one suspect held three victims  who were inside the home during the robbery  at gunpoint.

An undisclosed amount of money and medical marijuana was stolen from the home.

The latest break in the case resulted in Lucas Flygare, 26, of Rosebush, being arrested in the Sault Ste. Marie area on Nov. 24, according to the sheriffs office. Flygare was taken back to Sanilac County by deputies and arraigned from the jail via polycom on Saturday. He was charged with two counts of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, home invasion and felony firearms. His bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety and as of Tuesday, he remained lodged in the Sanilac County Jail.

Flygare is scheduled to appear in Sanilac County District Court for a probable cause conference on Dec. 6 and again on Dec. 13 for a preliminary examination. As of Tuesday, Flygare has not been appointed counsel.

The ongoing investigation into the case has led deputies to follow up leads ranging from Illinois to the Upper Peninsula and is not complete. Investigators have indicated they have all four suspects who were part of the armed robbery and must work through all of the evidence, follow up on leads and put the case together.

At this time, investigators are looking into several individuals who either aided the suspects in trying to cover up the crime or are attempting to profit from the robbery.

It is important to realize that helping the suspects in any way, from hiding evidence, purchasing supplies, to lying to investigators, may be considered a felony, Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Biniecki said.

Deputies on the case have been working closely with the Huron County Sheriffs Office as well as the Sanilac County Drug Task Force.

The day of the incident, deputies executed three search warrants  two in Bad Axe and one in Harbor Beach. The searches resulted in authorities arresting Terance M. Dubs, 19, of Owendale, and Devin C. Hacker, 20, of Bad Axe.

Dubs was charged in Huron County with one count of possession with intent to deliver-marijuana. Hacker was charged in Sanilac County with three counts of armed robbery, one count of home invasion-first degree and one count of weapons felony firearms.

On Nov. 15, a third suspect, Devin Cooper, 20, of Harbor Beach was also charged in Sanilac County with three counts of armed robbery, one count of home invasion-first degree and one count of weapons felony firearms.

Tribune reporter Seth Stapleton contributed to this story.
BERLIN - Two weeks ago, German intelligence agents noticed an unusual user in a chat room known as a digital hideout for Islamic militants. The man claimed to be one of them - and said he was a German spy. He was offering to help Islamists infiltrate his agency's defenses to stage a strike.

Agents lured him into a private chat, and he gave away so many details about the spy agency - and his own directives within it to thwart Islamists - that they quickly identified him, arresting the 51-year-old the next day. Only then would the extent of his double life become clear.

The German citizen of Spanish descent confessed to secretly converting to Islam in 2014. From there, his story took a stranger turn. Officials ran a check on the online alias he assumed in radical chat rooms. The married father of four had used it before - as recently as 2011 - as his stage name for acting in gay pornographic films.

Authorities on Tuesday said they had arrested him on suspicion of preparing to commit a violent act and for violating state secrecy laws. His arrest was first reported in Germany's Der Spiegel. But two German officials familiar with the case - a senior intelligence official and a senior law enforcement official - revealed significant details about his double life. They include his role in pornographic films, which could cast a fresh light on the judgment and vetting of the German intelligence agency at a critical time.

News of the case sparked a storm of outrage in Germany, even as critics said it raised serious questions about the country's bureaucratically named domestic spy agency, known as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).

As they scramble to contain a proliferation of new threats from the Islamic State terrorist group and lone wolves in Europe, German security officials have been credited with foiling plots. But they also have stumbled - including in the case of Jaber al-Bakr, a Syrian who was arrested last month on suspicion of planning an attack and who managed to kill himself while on a 24-hour suicide watch in a Leipzig jail cell.

Enter the unfolding case now of a porn-actor-turned-Muslim-convert-turned-spy-turned-Islamist-turncoat.

"It's not only a rather bizarre, but also a quite scary, story that an agency, whose central role it is to engage in counter espionage, hired an Islamist who potentially had access to classified information, who might have even tried to spread Islamist propaganda and to recruit others to let themselves be hired by and possibly launch an attack" against the domestic intelligence agency, said Hans-Christian Strobele, a member of the Parliamentary Control Committee that oversees the work of the German intelligence services.

The agency "needs to tell us immediately what exactly happened and how it could happen that somebody like this was hired," he said.

One senior BfV official, who discussed the matter on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media defended the agency, said it was virtually impossible to protect against a breach like this.

"How should anyone have known this? He had acted under different names and identities online," he said. "Not his real name. One has to say that we were able to find out about all this very quickly and also actions were taken fast."

Officials were withholding the name of the 51-year old, as well as the alias he used as a porn actor and in chat rooms. Before he was hired in April, officials insist, he was thoroughly vetted. They said they had interviewed former employers and others who knew him.

Those who have interviewed the suspect say he may have been mentally ill, and perhaps even had multiple personalities, according to the senior intelligence official.

But in hindsight, even officials in German security circles were asking how such a lapse was possible.

"With all the information coming out about this individual, the question has to be raised: how he was able to end up in the intelligence service and was able to hide all this from his workplace but also his family," said the senior law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

In April 2016, the man began working for the BfV, charged with monitoring potentially violent Islamists in Germany. The ranks of Salafists - an ultraconservative sect of Islam - have been rapidly growing. In September, Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the domestic spy agency, estimated that there are at least 9,200 in Germany, up from 5,500 three years ago.

However, other members of the German intelligence service also charged with watching chat rooms noticed a user who claimed that he was working for the domestic spy service and offering vital information. They began a direct chat with him.

The user offered to facilitate access to the spy agency's headquarters in Cologne so that Islamist militants could commit violent acts "against unbelievers." The man, however, provided so much detail about his directives and role at the agency that the spies chatting with him were able to identify and arrest him by the following day.

In custody, the man, officials say, admitted under interrogation that he was a secret convert to Islam and that he had the aim all along to infiltrate the domestic spy agency so he could warn "his religious brothers" about the agency's investigations.

He told investigators that he had converted in 2014, after telephone conversations with somebody in Austria who went by the name Mohammed. Investigators asked him if this was Mohammed Mahmoud, an Austrian Egyptian who joined the Islamic State and who previously had run a website where he translated speeches of al-Qaeda leaders. The arrested man refused to confirm a surname.

Officials say there is no evidence yet that the suspect provided harmful details to Islamic militants. But German politicians charged with overseeing the domestic spy agency's work were calling for a review of its vetting procedures.

"One can be grateful that this came out," said Andre Hahn, a member of the agency's parliamentary control committee from the Left Party. "But it appears to have been rather a coincidence. It could also have happened that he would have worked there for years."

---

Stephanie Kirchner contributed to this report.
After a little over a year on the job, Auburn City Manager Patricia Rayl has abruptly resigned. Rayl made the surprise announcement at a recent special Auburn City Commission meeting.

The move means the city goes back to the drawing board to find a replacement for Rayl, who had been hired by the city commission from a field of 33 candidates to succeed the retired Jo Ella Krantz. Rayls resignation is effective immediately, officials said.

The meeting started with her resignation and then adjourned, said Commissioner Russell Williams, noting he is stunned by the recent turn of events at Auburn City Hall. Its very sad to see Pattie go.

Auburn Mayor Lee Kilbourn said the move, though sudden, is understandable given the toll commuting was taking on her family life.

She did too much traveling between Auburn and her home and husband in Jackson, he said. She wanted to be with family during the holidays.

Williams relayed a different version of Rayls departure. He said she panicked after receiving complaints from residents after the citys leaf vacuum failed mechanically and purchased a new machine for $11,000 without board approval. Kilbourn expressed his displeasure with this policy violation and several aspects of her job performance in an email to commissioners that was copied to Rayl, Williams said.

Policies limit spending to $2,500 or in an emergency of $5,000 without board approval, Williams said. Pattie panicked following the residents complaints and did what she felt was necessary to provide a service to the residents. She always acted with the best intentions, in my opinion. The violation was a judgment error, obviously.

Before the second leaf machine was delivered, Auburns current one was repaired and returned to service. Williams said the second machine could not be returned.

Williams thinks the situation should have been handled differently, and if it had we may not have been pushed into the current position of no administrator. He said the board should have dealt with the purchasing violation alone and then addressed other job-related concerns in an administrator evaluation.

I personally feel that if the board dealt with the violation alone we may have come up with some type of disciplinary action, Williams said.

He said Kilbourn was a bit heavy-handed.

I felt the mayor piled on several concerns in addition to the purchasing violation, he said. These should have been separate issues but the mayor rolled it all into one. It is his administration and I respect that action although I may not agree.

Given a chance to respond to Williams assertions, Kilbourn acknowledged that he had lost confidence in Rayl.

Yes, I had concerns and I expressed them, he said. I felt we needed a change and now was the time to do it for the betterment of Auburn.

Kilbourn said he prefers to keep certain sensitive matters under wraps whenever possible.

Unless the law requires it, there is a place to know and a place not to know and I pray for the wisdom to know accordingly, he said. Russ and I have had this discussion a number of times.

Kilbourn added that Rayl was new to this type of work and he wishes her much success in her future endeavors.

The Daily News could not immediately reach Rayl for comment.

Rayl accepted the Auburn leadership post after serving as director of the Village of Blissfield Downtown Development Authority and manager of its Main Street Program. During her short stint in Auburn, Rayl fired longtime clerk/treasurer Karen Bellor, a decision that the Auburn City Commission upheld by a 6-1 vote last March.

We wish Pattie the best, Kilbourn said, adding the city will begin a search process for her successor in December.

The tentative timeline, Kilbourn said, is for job applications to be in by the end of January, interviews to begin in February and a top candidate selected following final interviews in late March.

Rayl began working for the city in September of 2015 and brought with her a reputation as an effective communicator, officials said.

I want to keep improving Auburns transparency and responsiveness to our residents, she told the Daily News in November of 2015.

Like Kilbourn, Commissioner Matt Charbonneau said it was an amicable parting of ways but acknowledged there were concerns about Rayl in her new role.

There is no bad blood between the city and her, he said. We all wished her the best and left with things on good terms. I havent sat down with Pattie to discuss why she resigned but Im sure Ill get the opportunity.

Charbonneau said Rayl brought some good qualities to Auburn but questioned whether she was comfortable in a role that reports to a seven-member commission and manages a $2.5 million budget.

From my point of view and based on other concerns that were raised, it seems that over time the fit for both parties wasnt there, he said. In the end I think she started to feel uncomfortable with the position and thats why she offered her resignation. Now we are back to square one on finding another administrator, which I can see us doing in-house since we have the experience working with the Michigan Municipal League on this process.
The entrance to The Woodlands Country Club  Palmer Course was filled with dolls, board games, bikes, remote-controlled cars, building blocks and a variety of other toys Tuesday evening that, on Christmas morning, will be under the trees of underprivileged children around Montgomery County.

The 6th annual Christmas with the Commissioner, hosted by Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack, drew a full house of community members, many of whom came with an unwrapped toy to donate to the Marine Corps League's Toys for Tots program. The hundreds of toys were placed neatly around a couch where Gunny Santa, the Marine's version of Santa Claus, sat and took pictures with little boys and girls.

"When I first ran for office I wanted to use it to serve the public, not only in an official capacity, but also to do good," said Noack, dressed in a festive red jacket and plaid tie. "Children are a passion of my wife and I. We can't imagine a child waking up on Christmas morning without a toy under the tree."

Each year, the party collects hundreds of toys. The local chapter of the Marine Corps League, which serves Montgomery County as well as five other surrounding counties, is responsible for brightening Christmas for over 20,000 children. Thanks to the community's generosity, the League expects to collect more than enough toys for area children in need, according to Russ Shoup, Sr. Vice Commandant.

In addition to enjoying hors d'oeuvres, mingling and the country club's Christmas decorations, guests were entertained by the Ann Snyder Elementary School Choir and Miss Boni's School of Dance. The choir started out the night with rousing renditions of "Frosty the Snowman," "Silver Bells," "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," and an abbreviated "Five Days of Christmas." Later in the evening, the young dancers rallied through technical difficulties with the music to perform several dances from The Nutcracker.

Noack announced that his charitable foundation, which he started as a fund for the education and charitable good of kids in Montgomery County, would be expanding its influence beyond the Toys for Tots program. This year, the Noack Foundation raised $7,500 to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which will go to granting the wish of a sick young girl from Shenandoah to go to Disney World.

"Because of the people in this room, we granted a wish in this community," Noack said.

This year, Make-A-Wish served 18 kids from Montgomery County. Noack has committed to fulfilling the wishes of all the children on the list next year.
NEW CANAAN  Twenty five-year-old Chris Lynch was making progress recovering from his drug addiction. A New Canaan native, Lynch was introduced to heroin by his father years ago. For the past nine months, he had been living in Colorado with his mother and girlfriend of several years, who helped him stay clean. He had their support, along with his stepfathers, and rarely missed a therapy session or meeting. He is described in documents obtained from Norwalk Superior Court as happy and ready for a new life.

On Sept. 25, Chris life was cut short when his father, a known heroin user, allegedly gave Chris the heroin that caused his fatal overdose. Now 57-year-old Mark Lynch of New Canaan is being charged with manslaughter after a police investigation revealed how his own addiction and actions allegedly led to his sons death.

In September, Chris and his girlfriend traveled back to Connecticut for a court appearance on Chris behalf. Chris girlfriend told police she was nervous for the trip, as Chris had run into trouble in New Canaan before. Chris father, Mark Lynch, lived there and was known to still use heroin, court documents explain.

Chris counselor told New Canaan police Chris had a tumultuous relationship with his father. According to a police affidavit, Chris told his counselor he was afraid to see his father, because he had drugs in his house. In spring, Chris canceled a visit to New Canaan for Fathers Day after his father told him the visit would be like old times, referring to the pair using heroin together. Chris said he didnt want to be in that environment.

When Chris and his girlfriend arrived in the area, they stayed with her father in upstate New York. Chris and his father later decided to spend time together, as they had not seen each other in over a year. Mark Lynch drove to upstate New York on Sept. 24 to bring Chris and his girlfriend back to New Canaan. When he arrived, Chris and his father went to his car for 20 minutes while his girlfriend packed. The three then left to return to New Canaan. 20 minutes into the ride, Chris girlfriend noticed Chris head drooping and he seemed out of it. She knew right away Chris relapsed with his father and became very upset with the realization that months and months of progress and hard work were potentially ruined, according to the documents.

When Chris and his girlfriend arrived in New Canaan, they had an argument about his drug use. His girlfriend demanded to know what he took. Chris said he took a Xanax he had from Colorado a week earlier. His girlfriend knew he could not hold onto a pill for that long without taking it and his behavior wouldnt be the result of taking only one pill. She took a walk to calm down. When she returned an hour later, Chris would not speak any further about the issue and went to bed around 8 p.m. Chris girlfriend watched TV and at one point heard Chris snoring heavily. She asked Chris father if he would be all right, to which he said Chris would be fine in the morning.

On Sept. 25 at 7:22 a.m., police and the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corp were dispatched to Lynchs Parade Hill Road residence on a report of an unresponsive man. There, police found the girlfriend crying on the living room floor. Officers then located Chris Lynch, unresponsive in the back bedroom. Lynch was not breathing and there was white, frothy vomit on the pillow under his head near his mouth. Medics unsuccessfully attempted to revive him and pronounced him dead on scene at 7:27 a.m.

According to the arrest warrant application, during the revival attempts, the victims girlfriend yelled Do something! Why arent you doing anything? Give him Narcan! She would not elaborate further as to why Lynch would need Narcan, but made several more references to using the substance to revive him.

Investigators arrived to determine cause of death. Mark Lynch told police his son took Xanax. He said he heard gurgling sounds coming from Chris as he was sleeping and said his breathing sounded irregular, so he checked on him throughout the night. Lynch went to bed around 4 a.m. He said he found his son unresponsive when he woke up the next morning and called police. When asked about his sons medical history, Lynch said he knew his son had been battling a drug addiction for several years and had narcotics-related incidents on his record.

During the investigation, a distraught Lynch voluntarily turned over a green rubber coin purse from the top drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. In the coin purse, police found a black straw and four folds of a white powder which police believed to be heroin. Lynch told police the substance was heroin and it was all his. Lynch said he allowed his son to use some on the night of Sept. 24.

After an initial denial, Lynch consented to a search of his bedroom where Chris was found. Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid dependence, was found in a bureau drawer in the room. Lynch then handed over his sons cell phone, which was taken as evidence. Lynch then tried to tell police the heroin was his sons, despite his previous statement and the fact he knew where the drugs were located.

Around 10:45 a.m., an informant called police, saying he knew the victim and his family and could almost guarantee the elder Lynch supplied his son with the heroin that caused his overdose, according to a court affidavit. The informant said the elder Lynch had been known to do heroin with his son and is a known user.

On Sept. 28, police spoke with Chris mother who said Chris moved in with her in Colorado to begin intensive drug counseling and separate himself from his father. She said Mark Lynch is an addict, still actively using and was out of control, according to a police affidavit. Chris mother told police the elder Lynch knew his son was clean and should have stayed away from Chris, but instead killed his...son by bringing him back into the world of heroin addiction. Chris mother also told police she knew without doubt Chris father would have supplied the drugs since Chris was clean prior to his death.

Police spoke to other family members, including Mark Lynchs sister, who confirmed Chris past drug use, as well as Mark Lynchs drug problems. On Oct. 6, police spoke with Chris supervising counselor who worked with Chris during his recovery. Chris counselor said Chris had been voluntarily coming to her clinic since last December. Not only did he rarely miss a meeting or a session, but he also presented himself for searches for drug use and never displayed any signs of relapse. Chris counselor said she was confident Chris was making progress, a sentiment echoed by others interviewed by police. Chris had also been attending meetings in Colorado up until he left for his court date.

An investigation revealed Chris cause of death was acute heroin intoxication, as confirmed by the medical examiners report. The state forensic lab confirmed the substance Lynch turned over to police was heroin. Based on the investigation and evidence the heroin he gave to his son caused his death, police applied for an arrest warrant for Lynch.

On Nov. 21, the warrant was reviewed by State Attorney Richard Colangelo and signed by Judge John F. Blawie of Stamford Superior Court. On Nov. 21 around 6:45 p.m., Lynch surrendered himself to police. He was charged with second-degree manslaughter, possession of narcotics and illegal distribution of hallucinogenic narcotics. Lynch was processed and posted a $150,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Dec. 2.

This is the first reported overdose death in town this year, based on records from the state medical examiners office.
A Cirque du Soleil technician was killed Tuesday night when he was struck by a lift during a pre-set of the LUZIA show near San Franciscos AT&T Park, authorities said.

The accident was reported at 6:43 p.m., said Officer Carlos Manfredi, in a tent in Lot A south of the ballpark, where the show is being staged until Jan. 29.

It is with immense sadness that we report a fatal accident that occurred on November 29 during the pre-set of the show LUZIA in San Francisco, Cirque du Soleil officials said in a statement. One of our employees, a technician on the show, was struck by a lift and passed away from his injuries.

We cannot confirm our employees identity at this time as his family has yet to be reached. We are currently gathering more information about this tragic accident and will update you with more details as soon as we are in a position to do so.

Though exactly what transpired remains unclear, the Police Departments traffic collision investigation team and investigators with Cal/OSHA, the state's workplace safety regulator, were at the scene, Manfredi said.

The show was canceled Tuesday following the accident, police said.

According to ticket holders, officials with the show were handing out fliers apologizing for the cancellation:

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have unfortunately been forced to cancel the show scheduled for today, the fliers read. We ask that you accept our sincere apologies. We understand the inconvenience that this has caused and we would like to do all we can to allow you to enjoy the complete performance of Luzia on another date.

The fliers state that all ticket purchases will be refunded.

Cal/OSHA representatives could not be reached for comment.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com
A Redding mom who went missing for three weeks after being kidnapped was branded, covered in bruises and scabs, and had her hair chopped off when she was found alive on Thanksgiving, her husband said Tuesday in a statement.

Sherri Papinis husband, Keith, offered new details into the sensational and bizarre episode, which has inspired a wave of amateur cybersleuths, many of whom questioned the details of the case, following the 34-year-old womans safe return.

Rumors, assumptions, lies and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting, Keith Papini wrote in the statement to ABCs Good Morning America. Those people should be ashamed of their malicious, subhuman behavior. We are not going to allow those people to take away our spirit, love or rejoice in our girl found alive and home where she belongs.

Sherri Papini vanished on Nov. 2 while jogging in her neighborhood northeast of Redding, Shasta County sheriffs deputies said. Detectives found her cell phone and headphones after her husband reported her missing when she failed to pick up her two children from day care.

ALSO Missing Redding woman last seen jogging found safe

The disappearance prompted a sweeping manhunt and made national headlines as volunteers repeatedly scoured the area where she vanished, while others initiated social media campaigns to find her.

Then on Thanksgiving morning, Sherri Papini unexpectedly appeared on the side of Interstate 5 in Yolo County, where she flagged down a passing driver around 4:30 a.m. before being taken to a hospital.

Sheriffs investigators said Papini described her abductors as two Latina women who bound her with restraints. She said they had a gun and were driving a dark-colored sport utility vehicle.

Law enforcement officials, though, did not elaborate on the extent of Papinis injuries and had few details about the alleged abductors in the days after her return.

Keith Papini described feelings of happiness mixed with horror as he reunited with his wife, who was severely beaten and left with a broken nose.

Her now emaciated body of 87 pounds was covered in multicolored bruises, severe burns, red rashes and chain markings, he wrote. Her signature long blond hair had been chopped off. She has been branded, and I could feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers.

He said his wife had been thrown from a vehicle with a chain around her waist that was attached to her wrists with a bag covering her head.

She used that bag to flag down a passing motorist, Keith Papini said.

Investigators have interviewed Sherri Papini several times following her release, and on Tuesday morning, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko confirmed many of the details in the letter by her husband in an interview on Good Morning America.

So far we are still investigating this as a kidnapping, abduction, Bosenko said. Everything she has provided us thus far has indicated that.

Keith Papini, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the various law enforcement agencies and friends involved in the 22-day search while asking for privacy as their family heals.

This will be a long road of healing for everyone Keith Papini said. Ultimately, it was Sherris will to survive that brought her home.
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WASHINGTON  San Franciscos Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday fended off the most serious challenge to her 14 years of leadership over House Democrats by promising a bare-knuckled fight against the incoming Trump administrations vow to reverse everything Democrats have achieved through progressive policies in recent years.

But the loud rebellion in her ranks, swelling to nearly a third of her caucus, may force Pelosi, the embodiment of West Coast progressive politics, to recalibrate her approach as House minority leader to win back the heartlands working-class voters.

The election also sent Pelosi, 76, the message that Democrats want her to begin the process of ceding power to a new generation.

Pelosi acknowledged in a news conference after the vote that her party lost its bedrock support from Rust Belt voters, but vowed that never again will we have an election where theres any doubt in anyones mind where the Democrats are when it comes to Americas working families.

More for you David Brooks: America must craft a new center

Rep. Tim Ryan, 43, of Ohio had argued in his longshot bid to replace Pelosi that his party had lost its economic message, while Pelosi offered no abrupt change in her strategy to celebrate diversity and defend liberal social programs. She said the message worked against President George W. Bush, catapulting Democrats to a majority in the House and her to become speaker in 2006, and it will work again by offering a stark contrast to the policies promised by President-elect Donald Trump.

The nation has arrived at a point well beyond politics, she said. Its about the character of America and how we go forward in our caucus to put forth our values ... to differentiate between us and the administration that will come into Washington in January.

We know how to win elections, Pelosi said. Weve done it in the past. We will do it again by making that differentiation.

Wednesdays secret-ballot vote done behind closed doors was 134-63.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, a Pelosi protege, said Pelosi had earned the trust of the caucus as someone who listens and learns and will move all of us forward.

Yet a potent alliance of liberal populists who supported the antitrade message of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and traditional conservative Blue Dog Democrats, sounded unconvinced as they left the vote Wednesday morning.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, predicted deja vu all over again.

I hope the leadership listens to some of us who have been telling them for years now that unless we can address the concerns of rural America, Joe Sixpack, people who every day work for a living, were going to continue to find ourselves unable to win swing seats, Costa said. And unless we can win these swing seats, were not going to be able to be in the majority.

Ohio Democrat and Sanders backer Marcy Kaptur pulled out a cartoon map of the United States where California, New York, Florida and Texas loomed like giant blobs squeezing all the other states to tiny squares of insignificance.

She said that when Trump quipped that at one time cars were made in Michigan and you couldnt drink the water in Mexico, and now cars are made in Mexico and you cant drink the water in Michigan, it shot, like, a cannonball across the Midwest.

She also charged Pelosi with turning the House into a fundraising machine. One of Pelosis chief assets is her ability to raise campaign money, which she spreads to Democratic House members. In the last election, she raised $141.5 million, bringing her total to an astonishing $567.9 million since 2002, blowing away competitors in either party.

Kaptur decried coastal identity politics as well as the dominant hold California and New York representatives have on top committee slots, noting Los Angeles Democrat Xavier Becerras recent elevation to ranking member on the pivotal Ways and Means Committee.

But Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, dismissed such arguments as false choices.

We want to build a big tent, he said. We want to be a party that resonates with working families in every part of this country, and we will continue to draw strength from deep-blue states on the coasts while we do that.

Democrats widely believe the partys diversity is a strength, Huffman said. We can absolutely reaffirm our commitment to diversity while sharpening our message and focus on working-class economics. You dont have to choose.

In a statement after the vote, the Republican National Committee ridiculed Pelosis selection.

This year voters went to the polls and made a bold statement for change in Washington but House Democrats just doubled down on the status quo, the statement said. The American people have been trying to send the Democrat Party a message by selecting historic numbers of Republicans for office at nearly every level of government but Nancy Pelosis re-election shows Democrats arent listening.

But Huffman said Democrats will devise a strategy to reach working-class voters again. The plan will not be something that Pelosi will ordain from above, but it will be developed by members in the coming weeks.

The leadership election reflected two broad messages, he said. One is we think Nancy as our leader puts our best team on the field for the fights we know are going to start up very soon, he said.

The other, he said, is a widespread desire in the caucus to begin moving toward generational change.

Below Pelosi, the next two rungs in the Democratic leadership are filled by members also in their mid-70s: Steny Hoyer, 77, of Maryland and James Clyburn, 76, of South Carolina. For years, this troika has blocked the paths of younger members to House leadership.

Swalwells election Wednesday as co-chairman of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee is part of Pelosis effort to groom younger members. Swalwell, 36, is the youngest ever to hold the job once held by former Bay Area legislative powerhouse George Miller of Martinez.

Another Bay Area Democrat, Oaklands Barbara Lee, 70, narrowly lost in her bid to join the leadership as caucus vice chair, the fifth-ranking slot in the House. The vote was 98-96 for Rep. Linda Sanchez, 47, of Whittier (Los Angeles County).

Sanchez is the sister of Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County, who lost her U.S. Senate race to California Attorney General Kamala Harris. Sanchez becomes the first Latina to join the House leadership.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
Perhaps you recently watched 10-year-old Jack Bonneau, from Broomfield, Colorado, on ABC-TVs Shark Tank, show pitching his lemonade stand and marketplace business and picking up a $50,000 low-interest loan from billionaire venture capitalist Chris Sacca.

Related: 5 Ways to Teach Your Children to be Kidpreneurs (Infographic)

First, kudos all around -- to Jack, his parents, his teachers, his mentors and his principal -- for all the dedication they invested and the direction they gave him to land this deal and attract the publicity that has followed.

But, here's the big question: Should we be surprised by such prodigious business acumen? Afterall, the lesson here seems that students in primary and secondary schools across the United States are much more capable than many of us believe.

In fact, Jack was incredibly poised in front of the show's entrepreneurial giants, who also included Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran, who all declined to invest. I wasnt really nervous at all, Jack told me, in an interview.

The student said he was equally unfazed by the reasons some Sharks gave for turning down the opportunity to make a deal with him: He should be focusing 100 percent on school instead of managing a growing enterprise.

I understand where they were coming from. I respect their opinion and took it to heart and listened to it, Jack said. But it wasnt too hard to hear because I know I have a good balance in my life.

I believe Jack is on to something here. Entrepreneurship might not be a fit for every kid, but why not have schools teach everything from math to civics through the lens of building and running a business? For those of us who are entrepreneurs, looking back at our own schooling, wouldn't middle school have been that much more engaging if we had learned how to build a business that we cared about?

Especially nowadays, when that traditional job, the paper route, and other long-time opportunities for kids seem to be disappearing, why not teach entrepreneurship in school?

Related: 7 Steps to Helping Your Child Become a Successful Kidpreneur

As Jack's example shows, kids are naturally entrepreneurial; a commercial mindset and concepts such as profits, losses and expenses, or risk-taking and problem-solving, are often part of their mindset. If students are given the right experiences and provided by their parents and teachers with the right perspective, the skills that are needed will develop.

All that's needed is to allow students to get comfortable identifying issues and solutions, taking chances and experiencing failure.

Jack, who two years ago, when he was 8, launched Jacks Stands & Marketplaces at a local farmers market, is now a sixth-grade student at STEM Magnet Lab in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, known in Colorado for encouraging students to start their own businesses and use their passions and ideas to solve problems. Adams 12's business mantra fail fast and pivot is an example of the right mentality.
Dec. 1, 1946: Plainview businesses will observe Christmas Dollar Day on Dec. 2. Many local stores have decorated their show windows with yuletide decorations, taking on a holiday motif.

--N.T.A. Byars is in the Plainview Hospital where he underwent an operation to remove an eye. His condition is reported to be improving.

--Delegates from the countys 12 agricultural districts named John C. Eiring of Plainview as chairman of Hale Countys ACA farm committee for the new year.

Dec. 1, 1966: While Runningwater Draw is dry, the city is busy cleaning silt washed-in sand and dirt from the bed and banks in an area near the caliche pits south of Fifth Street between Joliet and Columbia.

--J.B.s Hobby Shop now offers supplies for creating decorative Tiffany grape clusters.

--Sufficient grower interest was expressed at a meeting today of area sugar beet growers for Great Western Sugar Co. to continue supervision of sugar beet allotments in this area for another year.

Dec. 1, 1976: Two former Petersburg residents were arrested for the attempted robbery of First State Bank in Petersburg and the kidnapping of a female teller, Leota Porter, who was later rescued by peace officers.

--Stan Payne provided a photograph of his two pointers, Sport and Sadie, as they were about to flush a covey of bobwhite quail.

--Dr. J. Irvin and Barbara Gaynor are visiting Tokyo and other areas in Japan. Dr. Gaynor will address a group of orthodontists during his visit to Japan.

Dec. 1, 1996: Gay and Gayle Thompson are featured in an article and photo as they build gingerbread houses for their grandchildren.

--Nicki Logan and Pat Thornton are leading a trip to Washington, D.C., for the opening of Whistle Down the Wind, featuring Abbi Hutcherson.
Reproductive rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to strike North Carolinas ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

North Carolina bans all such abortions unless there is a medical emergency. Texas has a similar law, which provides exceptions if the mothers life is in danger or her fetus has a fatal abnormality.

Sixteen states currently enforce laws that ban abortion at or around 20 weeks post-fertilization, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion laws nationwide. Similar laws were struck down in Arizona and Idaho. The Supreme Court declined to hear Arizonas appeal to enforce the law in 2014.

The suit was brought by Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. If the case were to reach the Supreme Court and the justices ruled in their favor, Texas law could be affected.

Texas 20-week ban went into effect in October 2014.

The abortion rights groups also announced litigation in Alaska and Missouri on Wednesday.
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A former enforcer for the Texas Mexican Mafia drew five consecutive life prison terms without parole Wednesday for his role in the killings of five people, including Balcones Heights Police Officer Julian Pesina.

Ruben Menace Reyes, 37, was deemed a threat to society by Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra, who took the unusual step of recommending that he serve his sentence at a Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons Administrative Maximum Facility houses or has housed many of the countrys most infamous criminals and terrorists. Heriberto Huerta, the San Antonio native who founded the Texas Mexican Mafia in prison in the 1980s, is serving life terms at that lockup, where inmates are isolated for most of their stay.

I have looked for the good in this defendant and I have found very little, Ezra said of Reyes. Unfortunately, there is little to no hope in rehabilitation of this defendant. He has no conscience.  He poses a danger because of his propensity to murder.

At a hearing last year, Reyes admitted killing at least 16 people as part of the gangs efforts to control the drug market here through extortion and violence. He was charged only in connection to five killings because some evidence on the others didnt match his admissions.

Without making a deal with prosecutors, Reyes pleaded guilty in July to 10 counts on charges that included violent crime (murder) in aid of racketeering and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Reyes lawyer, Brandon Hudson, asked Ezra to run the life sentences concurrently, but the judge turned him down.

According to court records, Reyes was the go-to guy for the gangs green light hits. Among those he admitted killing was fellow gang member Ulysses Farias, 36, in October 2013 and three high-ranking members of the gang in January 2014 who had fallen out of favor.

Reyes also told investigators he passed down orders targeting Pesina, 29, who was off duty when he was shot outside his tattoo shop on May 4, 2014, while delivering payment for a street tax imposed by the gang. Pesina was under FBI investigation at the time for drug-dealing activity but was killed because he had falsely claimed membership in the gang, court records said.

Shortly after those killings, Reyes learned that his own gang wanted him dead and went to the San Antonio Police Department for protection. Over at least two days, he confessed to the SAPD and the FBI about several killings and helped investigators find the makeshift grave near Pearsall containing three victims he shot in January 2014: Texas Mexican Mafia general Carlos Worm Chapa, captain Mark Anthony Lefty Bernal, and lieutenant of lieutenants Johnny Smiley Solis.

They were killed for mishandling $60,000, court records said. Reyes was briefly given Bernals rank afterward before the gang put out a green light on his own life.

He cooperated from the moment he came in and helped (investigators) solve a number of killings, Hudson said. A big victory for us was getting the death penalty off the table.

Of the victims families, only Bernals widow, mother and father addressed the court Wednesday.

Mark made some mistakes, but he never hurt anybody, Bernals mother told the judge. He did not deserve to die.

She called Reyes a soulless, heartless monster who killed Bernal two weeks before the birth of his daughter.

So many lives (Reyes) has taken, she said. He deserves the death penalty, not life in prison.

Reyes was cooperating with the FBI but changed his mind as the Justice Departments lengthy process in racketeering and potential death-penalty cases lagged on.

His justification for killing some of (the victims) were that those people were in the (gang) life, as if that were some sort of justification, Ezra said. There is no justification for committing cold-blooded murder. The defendant did so without remorse, with cold and precise calculation and absolutely no thought about the families of the victims, the children and the community.
A leader of the Texas Mexican Mafias operations in Seguin has admitted he directed drug and extortion activity there, and one of his crew members was sentenced Wednesday to nearly 11 years in prison.

Joey Mertz Gonzales, 47, known as Wheel Chair because he uses one because of a shooting that left him partly paralyzed, has signed a plea deal admitting to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and distributing and possessing the drugs. His plea hearing is scheduled for Thursday before U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.
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A woman allegedly operating multiple storefronts selling stolen goods was arrested after a 14-month-long investigation, officials said.

Joann Laque, 53, was arrested on a warrant for engaging in organized retail theft. She could face more charges as the Internal Revenue Service is also investigating.

San Antonio police Sgt. Daniel Anders said Laque was running an illegal operation buying and selling stolen goods out of three storage units at Traders Village, 9333 SW Loop 410 at Old Pearsall Road.

Initial estimates were that Laque had between $200,000 to $240,000 in stolen goods being sold out of the venue alone, but a third storage container also was discovered that could increase the total.

Laque denied the allegations that her goods were stolen, saying in Spanish that she had receipts for the goods.

The Fencing Interdiction Team, a police unit assigned to investigate and arrest people buying and selling stolen goods, had been investigating Laque for 14 months, ever since she ran a store previously located on Fredericksburg Road called Fashions and More.

The store was closed some time ago, police said.

The bulk of the stuff is being sold here, but we do have evidence to show that she is taking property across the border, Anders said. Its being resold in markets like this in Mexico.

Anders said some of the clothing sold in bulk may have been taken as they were in transit to their destination.

Others goods were stolen by unknown thieves termed boosters and later purchased by Laque, Anders said.

Rudy Escamilla, general manager at Traders Village, said Laques lease was terminated immediately.
A man is in critical condition after he was shot Tuesday night on the Southwest Side.

San Antonio Police Department investigators said the man, in his 30s, was shot somewhere else before running to a home at about 9:30 p.m. in the 5400 block of Sherry Drive.
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On a warm night last July, state park employees were rushing to evacuate audience members from Palo Duro Canyons amphitheater, which sits between sunset-brushed rocks in Texas panhandle. There had been an explosion.

As black smoke clouds clogged the air above the theater, at least 15 employees used 5-gallon water jugs to put out the flames as they rose out of two containers holding fireworks for a musical about settlers in the Texas Panhandle.

When the flames finally ceased, the body of Peyton Trueblood, a 21-year-old woman from Alabama, remained.

The death that night at Palo Duro Canyon was one of 66 to occur in five years across Texas dozens of state parks, records obtained from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by mySA.com show.

From Jan. 1, 2011 to Aug. 31, 2016, the states 99 parks saw deaths stemming from gunshots, heat, eating, and drownings, among others, records show.

RELATED: How a Texas man was killed by quicksand on the San Antonio River last year

In the first eight months of this year, 13 people died while at a Texas state park. Last year, there were 16, the highest number of deaths recorded during the time surveyed, records show.

At Lake Corpus Christi State Park in July 2011 a man died after suffering a heart attack during sex with his wife in a tent along the parks girl scout camping loop. His death was one of four to happen at Lake Corpus Christi State Park since January 2011, records show.

Another report obtained by mySA.com details the death of a man who was a mainstay at Falcon State Park, having visited for more than 40 years. In January 2013, state park employees found the man slumped over at his trailer kitchen table with a bowl of soup. His cause of death, records show, was eating.

In the report, park employees wrote that the man had suffered from terminal illness and was having difficulty talking and swallowing in the months leading up to his death.

RELATED: Deadly waters: 75 people have died on Texas lakes, rivers so far in 2016, records show

In the state park report, employees wrote about the man, saying he was a loyal friend and visitor who left a legacy of great wildlife photographs from this park.

He will be greatly missed, employees wrote in the report.

Texas is massive and its parks are sprawled out into each corner of the state. Here's how many deaths a few state parks saw in the last five years:

Big Bend Ranch State Park: one death in July 2015

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: two deaths, one in February 2014 and one in August 2015

Guadalupe River State Park: One death in July 2016

McKinney Falls State Park: five deathstwo in 2013, two in 2015 and one in 2016

That night in July, Peyton Trueblood was doing inventory of fireworks used in the musical Texas, when the explosion occurred. Her death was one of five to have occurred at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the last five years, records show.

RELATED: Deadliest rivers in Texas

In the year since her death, Truebloods family filed a lawsuit against employees of the Texas musical the 21-year-old was working for, the Amarillo Globe-news reported in September. Clayton and Lisa Trueblood, Peytons parents, sued Kris Miller, executive direction and production manager of the musical, and pyrotechnic technicians Blaine Bertrand, Rick Bertram, and Dennis Rice for negligence, the newspaper reported.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
Las Nuevas Tamaleras, a bilingual comedy that follows three novice tamal makers as theyre guided by the unseen spirits of two experienced tamaleras, has sold out shows for more than two decades. Written and directed by Alicia Mena, the play is being staged at the Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., every weekend through Dec. 11. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 10, and 3 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 11. Tickets cost $12 to $25.

Mixed Martial Arts 6-8 p.m. Mondays at St. Michaels Catholic Church hall, 418 Indiana St. Classes are taught by Mike Ortiz, a mixed martial arts champion. Contact: 264-5291.

Main Plaza Farmers Market is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays through Dec. 20 at Main Plaza downtown. Shop from local vendors for items including natural bath products and jewelry. Contact: mainplaza.org

Masonic Anchor Lodge 424 meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 700 Hot Wells Blvd.

Free ongoing meditation classes based on Deepak Chopras Getting Unstuck series are open to all seniors at Copeland Senior Activities Center, 5703 S. Flores St. (corner of South Flores and Southcross; parking entrance on Southcross) Classes are from 10:30 to noon Wednesdays. No need to bring anything or wear special clothing. Contact: 927-1112.

Out of Darkness depression support group meets 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Mayfield Park Church, 700 W. Hutchins Place. Sessions are ongoing for those who need short- and long-term support. Child care is available. Contact: 923-2241.

Families Recovering Group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Free 12-step program is similar to Al-Anon and is open to everyone. Contact: 863-1813 or 861-4161.

City Base Cancer Support Group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Contact: Brenda Fox, 415-2830.

Celebrate Recovery is a support group for people struggling with hurts, hang-ups and habits that meets Friday nights at Mayfield Park Church, 700 W. Hutchins Place. Meetings begin with a meal at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Large-group time starts at 7:15 p.m., followed by smaller groups at 8:15 p.m. Child care is available. Contact: 923-2241.

Thursday, Dec. 1

Eastwood Village Neighborhood Association meets at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Young Mens Leadership Academy, 545 South W.W. White Road.

Friday, Dec. 2

Trinity Universitys 23rd annual Christmas Concert is at 7:30 p.m. in Trinitys Laurie Auditorium. Free and open to the public; no reservations or tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-seated. The concert will include traditional carols performed by the combined Trinity student choirs and ensembles. Pre-concert seasonal music will be performed in the foyer by Trinitys a cappella student groups, the Trinitones and the Acabellas, and by the Trinity Flute Ensemble. After the concert, the Trinity Jazz Band will perform in the lobby.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Free Clothes Closet is held from 9 a.m. to noon every first Saturday of the month at Brookhill Baptist Church, 631 Utopia Lane. Free clothing for those in need. Contact: 333-4947.

Tamales! Holiday Festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the Pearl. More than 40 vendors will sell a variety of tamales while visitors can enjoy live music and other activities. The family-friendly event is free and no ticket is necessary. Food and beverage prices range from $1 to $5. ATMs are on site.

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Trinkets and Treasures Resale Shop is set for 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at San Antonio State Hospital (in Logan Hall), 6711 S. New Braunfels Ave. Run by the Volunteer Services Council of the San Antonio State Hospital, the store opens once a month to sell gently used items, including clothing and home decor. All proceeds benefit patients. Contact: 531-8004.

Upcoming

La Gran Tamalada is an annual community workshop that celebrates the tradition of making tamales. The free two-hour event starts at 11 a.m. Dec. 10 at Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St. A combination of storytelling, cooking instruction and history lesson, the event is for all ages. For the second year, the Cortez Family, owners of Mi Tierra restaurant, will lead the tamalada.

Villa Coronado Neighborhood Association will meet at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Villa Coronado gym meeting room, 11030 Ruidosa.

Compiled by Melissa Renteria

All phone numbers are in the 210 area code unless noted. Send event details and a phone number to mrenteria@express-news.net. Deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. the Thursday before publication.
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SAN ANTONIO A San Antonio-area mother is accused of causing a drunken driving crash that killed her 11-year-old daughter on the North Side Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, Julie Marie Siler, a 39-year-old woman now charged with intoxication manslaughter, was driving a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix onto Wurzbach Parkway from the Wetmore Road intersection. Police said the Grand Prix failed to yield to a 2008 Dodge Dakota that had the right of way headed south on Wetmore.

RELATED: 11-year-old girl killed in North Side crash

The Dakota T-boned the Grand Prix and Charity Siler, 11, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the Grand Prix, was hit. The 11-year-old died due to multiple blunt force injuries, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Officer.

Police said Julie Marie Siler was found to be intoxicated at the scene. Julie Marie Siler and the man driving the pickup truck were taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center in serious condition, but are expected to survive, police said.

A booking photo of Julie Marie Siler was not available. Her bond was set to $50,000 for the second-degree felony charge.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover the cost of Charity Siler's funeral. The page was created by Chris Dombrowski, who lists himself as Charity Siler's father in the page's description. Dombrowski is also listed as being in a relationship with Julie Marie Stiler on her Facebook page.

Dombrowski did not immediately respond for comment.

RELATED: Bizarre deaths among 66 fatalities at Texas state parks in last 5 years, records show

So far, $1,145 has been raised for Charity Siler's funeral.

"This accident has destroyed the lives of the immediate family and others whom have had the privilege of meeting this funny, caring, outgoing, fun-loving (and) brilliant child," Dombrowski said on the page.

Staff writer Kolten Parker, Madalyn Mendoza and Jacob Beltran contributed to this report.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
SAN ANTONIO  Three men wearing masks and carrying guns broke into an apartment on the Northwest Side around 1 a.m. Wednesday, leaving one man dead, police said.

The man, estimated to be in his 20s or 30s, was shot in the back, according to an officer at the scene.
Saturn is the farthest planet from Earth that humans can gaze at without a telescope, but from such a distance it's hard to appreciate the size and beauty of the sixth planet.

Luckily, NASA's latest image from the Cassini spacecraft shows the mind-boggling complexity of Saturn's rings, which are made up of mostly water ice.
An adventurous young man who joined the Marine Corps before graduating from high school, Leroy Calvin Alex Jr. never lost the patriotism that propelled him to serve in the military.

Losing a leg and two fingers in combat in Vietnam in the late 1960s, Alex wanted to be allowed to continue serving his country.

They were going to release him from the Marine Corps, but he fought it, his sister Valerie Arreguin said. He loved the Marines, loved everything about it.

Alex, who received two Purple Heart medals and a Bronze Star Medal for Valor, among other awards and citations, died Nov. 21 at 68.

The oldest of seven children raised in the Southeast Side of San Antonio, Alex showed early promise as a salesman.

He worked for Watkins (Products) selling door-to-door, was good at what he did, Arreguin said. He could sell to anybody.

Even so, he was restless.

At 16 he ran away from home, hitchhiked to New York, his sister Sherry Sublousky said. He was gone for a week.

Another time, Alex hitchhiked to California.

He was attending Brackenridge High School when he decided to join the Marine Corps.

More Information Leroy Calvin Alex Jr. Born: May 18, 1948, San Antonio Died: Nov. 21, 2016, San Antonio Preceded by: Mother Eleanor Alex. Survived by: Daughters Jennifer Alex, and Summer Alex; son Aaron Alex; father Leroy Alex Sr.; three brothers; three sisters; 16 grandchildren. Services: Funeral at 9:45 a.m. today at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 16075 N. Evans Road, Selma. See More Collapse

My mother kept telling him he didnt want to do that, Arreguin said. But Junior was always one of those who wanted to do his own thing.

Sublousky, still a young girl at the time, and never forgot the day the family was notified of her brothers injuries.

Two Marines fully dressed in dress blues  rang the doorbell, she recalled. We thought that wed lost him.

Sent to Brooke Army Medical Center to recover, Alex received a visit from Bob Hope and a letter from then-president Richard Nixon, who informed him that he had personally asked the Navy Department be as understanding as circumstances permit in its review of Alexs request to remain on active duty.

No less a patriot after leaving the Marine Corps, Alex traveled to the Texas coast on July 4, 1972, raising a flag on the beach and laying beside it.

The scene caught the attention of a news photographer who took a picture that many newspapers ran the next day.

Alex also wrote to the San Antonio Light in the early 1970s, suggesting that the city establish a memorial for Vietnam Veterans, an idea that gained momentum in the 1980s.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Veterans Memorial Plaza was unveiled in 1986.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
I never thought that Id be defending Kellyanne Conway.

The spokeswoman and senior adviser for President-elect Donald Trump deserves much of the credit  or, from my vantage point, the blame  for saving the floundering Trump campaign and helping elect one of the most dangerous persons to ever serve as president.

Besides, Conway and I are not exactly pals. During the Republican primary, when she was working for a Super PAC supporting Ted Cruz, we had a testy exchange on Fox News when I accused Cruz  who does happen to be a friend  of not being truthful in discussing the Senate immigration bill.

Yet someone has to defend Conway against an onslaught of unfair media criticism working hand-in-hand with a whisper campaign by Trumps boys club of senior advisers.

What put Conway in the crosshairs is that she went public  on Twitter and television  with her opposition to the idea that Trump could name Mitt Romney, one of his harshest critics, as secretary of state. She hinted that Romney would be disloyal and that, if installed at Foggy Bottom, he could create a government within a government. She also said that Trumps most fervent supporters, who were with him from the start, would feel betrayed by the choice.

It was reported on MSNBCs Morning Joe that Trump is furious at Conway for speaking out of school. Top advisers around the president-elect now say that Conway has gone rogue because she didnt get the right job offer from Trump.

Conway blasted the Morning Joe report  and adjoining commentary by a nearly all-male panel  as false and sexist.

Trump owes Romney nothing, but he owes Conway quite a bit. He trusted her counsel and instincts for several months, and it paid off. And now, all of a sudden, when it comes to Romney, she doesnt know what shes talking about?

Also, after living through four years of Hillary Clinton serving as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, can we really dismiss the possibility of a former critic who goes on to pursue interests that are separate and apart from those of the administration?

Clinton disobeyed orders from White House officials not to conduct official business on a private email server. She ignored an admonition from Obama to keep her distance from former Clinton administration aide Sidney Blumenthal, whom Vanity Fair described as a sort of 24-7 mini-mart of ideas for [Hillary] Clinton. And she went public in her 2014 book, Hard Choices about her disagreements with Obama over everything from the rise of the Islamic State and troop levels in Afghanistan to the presidents overly optimistic stance toward the Arab Spring and his failure early on to arm the rebels in Syria.

So Conway isnt out in left field in saying that loyalty matters when a president is choosing Americas top diplomat. And shes right to question whether Romney will follow Trumps agenda and not advance his own.

Even so, all this assumes that things are really how they appear. Trump is so gifted at manipulating the media that we can never tell. It could be that, instead of an internal civil war within Camp Trump, what were really seeing is a carefully orchestrated theatrical performance directed by Trump himself.

Sure, Conways public comments were unorthodox. But what part of the Trump campaign, or the transition, has been orthodox? In the end, the country would be well served if Trump listened carefully to Conways concerns and then  despite them, nominated Mitt Romney to serve as secretary of state.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
Waterboarding is indeed torture.

Simple humanity confirms the veracity of this. Deprived of breath and being made to feel you are drowning  and dying  as water is poured over a cloth on your face; this fits the definition.

This is why President-elect Trump backing off  even ever so slightly  from his pledge to bring back waterboarding (or worse) is welcome news. He did this in a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times last week  after VP-elect Mike Pence recently refused to rule it out.

Our hope is that better angels  his own and those around him  win this argument. If they dont, Congress and others must be firm in opposition.

Plain and simple, torture is illegal under both domestic and international law. A law approved in Congress last year requires all government employees, including those working in intelligence, to follow U.S. Army interrogation guidelines. These do not permit waterboarding.

George W. Bushs administration attempted to craft a loophole when it labeled it an enhanced interrogation technique.

President Obama issued an executive order banning torture. A new president, of course, can make his own executive order but will still have to deal with a Congress that banned torture in bipartisan votes.

Unfortunately, not all of Trumps inner circle, named and rumored, oppose waterboarding. For instance, Trumps CIA nominee, Rep. Mike Pompeo, criticized the current president for ending our interrogation program and said agents who kept us safe after 9/11 are not torturers, they are patriots.

Trumps choice to be his national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, has spoken out on waterboarding, but has refused to rule it out if the nation is threatened with terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction.

Trumps would-be attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, voted against anti-torture provisions in 2005 and 2015.

But Marine Gen. James Mattis, said to be Trumps pick for Defense Secretary, is against waterboarding. Trump told the New York Times that he found Mattis arguments persuasive.

We hope he finds them so persuasive that he unequivocally prohibits torture. Nothing short will allay fears. If he doesnt, Congress, including Texas delegation, must be vigilant in preventing it. We cannot return to barbarity.
Each day, another admission of guilt. Trump University. And now Trump Foundation for personal use. No wonder tax returns were hidden before the election. How can we build trust?

Craig Bell

Change of heart

Now we are finding out who the biggest liar is. The president-elect (I will not mention his name) has already backed off on his campaign promises, or at least said he is flexible regarding those same promises. I hope all who voted for him are happy.

Keith Macfarland

Wallace smiling

Many years ago, when I was young, there was a saying, Save your confederate money cuz the South shall rise again!

Well, as improbable as that seemed to a young boy back in post-war America, it may have finally happened. With President-elect Donald Trump, who was enthusiastically endorsed by the KKK, and his appointments of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and alt-right supporter Steve Bannon, it appears weve regressed to the Jim Crow atmosphere of the 1950s. Now I see what Trump meant with his slogan, Make America great again. George Wallace finally gets the last laugh.

Bill Celaya

Speaking loudly

How can we convince the anti-Trump protestors to channel their energy by contacting their senators and representatives to express their feelings in a constructive way?

Congress might listen and react if enough voters wont vote to re-elect them.

Gay Z. Wright

What monolith?

Re: Latinos follow their conscience, not the voting herd, Ruben Navarrette, Other Views, Oct. 18:

Kudos to the E-N for running this column.

During the election campaign, I never understood why mainstream media referred to us as the Latino vote, as if we all fit into the same package or the same brown bag. Those same media pundits were puzzled about Latinos who voted for Trump or about the low Latino turnout.

Little does the media understand that while first-generation Latino citizens may have reason to be concerned about deportation of families and friends, third- or even seventh-generation Hispanics who have no ties to anyone in the country their forefathers immigrated from long ago could care less about deported immigrants.

Perhaps it is time more journalists get out from behind their desks and discover the real world where we Latinos  Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans or any other label the media give us  are as diverse as any other segment of American society.

Sammy Telles

Trumps attitude

It hasnt taken long to brand the president-elects planned revisions of the Affordable Care Act as Trumpcare.

The only thing that links Trump with care is the word dont.

Francoise Wilson, Kerrville

Majority rules ?

Many letters writers whose candidate lost the election are suggesting we dump the electoral college and elect our president by majority vote because we live in a democracy. Well, guess what? We live in a Republic. Remember, we pledge allegiance to the United States and to the republic for which it stands. You see, in our republic, we elect representatives to go to Congress and represent us. These representatives elect the president based on the electoral votes of the states, which is what our forefathers intended.

Those who want to eliminate this process think a democracy is a rule by the majority. Election by majority vote would not have given Abraham Lincoln the presidency. If majority ruled, slavery would have continued. Bill Clinton would not have been president. And think about this  Portland, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, New York and Detroit probably have enough voters that they would choose the president every time and disenfranchise the whole rest of the country. Would you really want that? I surely dont!

Fred Martin, Fair Oaks Ranch

An apology? Really?

Donald Trump criticized the cast of Hamilton for the statement it read to Mike Pence.

That has to be the height of hypocrisy. Trump himself spent the last 18 months insulting various ethnic and religious groups. He has spent five years trying to delegitimize the presidency of Barack Obama; and he has continuously and personally insulted Hillary Clinton, calling her nasty, disgusting, a crook and totally incompetent.

Mr. Trump, with your history of less than diplomatic speech, which is often vulgar, you are the last person in the world to demand apologies from others.

Arnold G. Chupik

Responsibility

Re: The consequences, Your Turn, Nov. 22:

It does not become our responsibility to adopt these unwanted children. The responsibility lies with those who opted to perform the act that created them. There is a blessing to this scenario, however, and that is in the decision to place these children with adoption agencies. They can then become blessings to couples who want them.

Bette H. Bucalo

Revolutionary

With the loss to the world of Fidel Castro, the last giant among 20th century revolutionaries, I am reminded of an idiom from his beloved Marxist literature, petit bourgeoisie. It is apt in light of our recent election. For the American experience the petit bourgeois are no longer confined to farms, shops, small towns or trailer parks. Their tares are sown among the nations amber waves of grain. They live in a bubble wherein they believe they reside in Gods country. Its a bubble in which guns are supreme; where being anti-intellectual is lauded as a virtue; where bibliolatry supplants intelligent and rational discourse; where family values include hatred, racism and rejection of others; where their god no longer champions the poor.

They were under-polled, misdiagnosed and dismissed as deplorables. Sadly, America, today thine alabaster cities scream, now dimmed by human tears!

Farewell, Fidel! The world still needs the vision of revolution!

Glenn Masters III, Live Oak
According to The New York Daily News, two construction workers are dead after a beam falls from the crane they operated at a Queens construction site on Tuesday afternoon.

Unknown if Windy Conditions Caused Accident

Two men, a 47-year-old and a 43-year-old, operated the crane at around 12:11 p.m. local time on 134th Street in Briarwood. The construction workers attempted to lift a 30-foot steel beam when it started to swing out of control and eventually fall from the crane.

The New York Daily News reports that the two construction workers died instantly when struck by the beam. Mayor Bill de Blasio says it is unknown whether the accident was due to a mechanical or human error.

The construction site is located at an existing six-story apartment complex, reports The New York Daily News. Two cranes were present at the site at the time of accident. Crane Shouldnt Have Been Up

The New York Daily News spoke with a man from the New York District Council of Carpenters who said he was amazed somebody was crazy enough to use a mobile crane on a windy day like today. According to the man, 90 percent of workers in his labor organization did not work on Tuesday due to the strong winds.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Cranes Express, the company that owned the crane involved in the fatal accident, in August 2015 for a previous work site incident.

New Yorks Department of Buildings issued a wind advisory this past weekend, but it expired on Monday night.

On the Job Accident Statistics

The following information is provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

4,821 workers died on the job in 2014.

oOn average, more than 92 a week or more than 13 deaths every day.

oWorker deaths in America are down on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 13 a day in 2014.

Fatal work injuries involving contractors accounted for 17 percent of all fatal work injuries in 2014.

One in five worker deaths in 2014 were in the construction industry.

Contact an Experienced Workplace Accident Attorney

Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys fight to protect the rights of workplace injury victims. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed on the job, contact Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys. The goal of our offices is to not only protect your rights, but to send a message so the same tragedy does not happen again. We represent clients/victims all over the country.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the country might restrict smoking in public places.

TOKYO  Japans Health, Labor and Welfare Ministrys proposal to forbid smoking in restaurants and medical institutions, among other locations, faces an uphill battle, The Japan Times/Chicago Tribune reports. The country will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, which is part of the drive to curtail secondhand smoke in public.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in mind, discussions are underway on measures to regulate smoking in public places in an attempt to prevent secondhand smoke. The smoking ban would include hotel lobbies, restaurants, stations and airport buildings, railways and ships.

Many groups support such a ban but argue penalties should be attached to breaking it. Imposing penalties, rather than just urging efforts, is necessary, according to the news source. However, the restaurant industry opposes such a move, arguing that they have no space to accommodate smokers in separate rooms.

Driving the measure is the requirement from the International Olympic Committee that host cities have smoking bans for indoor public spaces as part of the tobacco-free Olympic Games. The World Health Organization rated Japans secondhand smoke as the worlds worst. Currently, smoking rates in Japan have been falling, but large numbers of nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke.
This is Naked Capitalisms special fundraiser, to fight a McCarthtyite attack against this site and 200 others by funding legal expenses and other site support. For more background on how the Washington Post smeared Naked Capitalism along with other established, well-regarded independent news sites, and why this is such a dangerous development, see this article by Ben Norton and Greenwald and this piece by Matt Taibbi. Our post gives more detail on how we plan to fight back. 19 donors have already supported this campaign. Please join us and participate via our Tip Jar, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal.

..the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear. Antonio Gramsci

During his campaign and after his unexpected election win, Trump managed to turn what should have been fatal liabilities, such as sharp reversals in his policy views, erratic and impulsive behavior, open disrespect for grandees of the party to which hed hitched his star, and surprising displays of ignorance about how the Beltway and the office of the Presidency worked, into elements of performance art that somehow worked for him or at least didnt result in anywhere near the level of damage that it should have. Mind you, had the Democrats gotten out of their echo chamber and recognized that their strategy of kicking the lower orders to the curb was backfiring and they needed to run a candidate who could more credibly fake having their interests at heart (as well as being less openly corrupt) than Hillary Clinton, Trump should have been handily beaten. But the New York billionaire focused on the voters that Clinton and her surrogates repeatedly denounced, and kept his eye on the Electoral College gameboard.

Trumps shape-shifting has allowed him to take advantage of the uncertainty about what his Presidency might amount to. Hes put very few stakes in the ground beyond shifting Americas trade policy to a more pro-jobs, and hence protectionist stance, cracking down on undocumented workers, reforming as in cutting taxes, and investing in infrastructure, which is likely to take the form of putting money where the looting is best, as opposed to where the need is greatest, of public-private partnerships.

But a remarkable amount of what Trump might stand for remained not well defined, and radically so. What could you possibly make of a President elect who in all seriousness has as Secretary of State candidates two foaming-at-the-mouth egomaniacs who lack the good sense to recognize that they dont remotely have the temperament or judgment to take the job, in the form of Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton, versus Mitt Romney, who excoriated Trump for many of the right reasons, but is politically savvy enough to do at least an adequate job?

While Trump hasnt settled on all the members of his team, the picture that is emerging is that Trump prizes personal loyalty highly, and when his thin bench requires him to go outside his circle, he not surprisingly hires in his image. While he has turned to some Republican insiders, he has a large representation of very wealthy men like his Treasury Secretary pick, former Goldman partner Steve Mnuchin and his Commerce Secretary nominee, distressed investor Wilbur Ross, who like Trump have never held a government post before.

The question is what the Democrats will do about Trumps choices. If they want to retain a shred of credibility, they need to make a stink about the ones they regard as the worst, and better yet, bar some nominees or mark them up so badly as to curtail their effectiveness. But that likely means picking their spots. Trump is threatening to break enough rice bowls that the Democrats, particularly in the Senate, could pick up the few Republican votes they need to block Trump initiatives, like his tax plan (which will hurt importers and the residential real estate business by ending the mortgage interest tax deduction [correction, this is in the House plan, not Trumps plan, but some experts think that that and not the Trump version will be the staring point for tax sausage making) and dismantling Obamacare (which insurers may quietly oppose, since they spent a good deal of money adapting to the new law and despite their whinging, can game it well) 1

While some very important Trump picks have yet to be made, such as his Attorney General, so far, two particularly dodgy ones are Steve Mnuchin and his Health and Human Services nominee, Congressman Tom Price a stalwart foe of not just the Affordable Care Act but also Medicare. Mind you, that doesnt mean that the others should get a free pass. For instance, one of his less terrible choices, Wilbur Ross for Commerce Secretary, is widely seen by old fart Wall Streeters (as in old enough to believe in noblesse oblige) as far better than the other financiers in Trumps orbit. As we pointed out, Ross was one of the few distressed debt investor to buy mortgages, do deep principal modifications successfully, and try to get other investors and policy-makers to emulate his approach, since it was a win-win for investors and homeowners. But on the flip side, the press has taken no notice of the fact that a mere three months ago, Ross paid $2.3 million in SEC fines and voluntarily paid back $10.4 million of excessive private equity fees, plus interest. It wasnt all that long ago that merely not paying your nannys Social Security taxes was problematic enough to keep a Presidential nominee from taking office. But after Turbo Timmie was forgiven for a pretty implausible failure to report taxable income, its going to be harder to bar a guy like Ross from office just for what he may be able to depict as an isolated lapse.

And the bigger reason for Ross probably not being a prime target for a fight is that Commerce historically has not been a nexus for major policy fights. And the current Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, is not only also very rich but has been involved in seamy Chicago real estate politics, so its hard to make a case that Ross is all that different from recent incumbents.

By contrast, Mnuchin is unqualified. As Elizabeth Warren successfully argued in a bare-knucke fight over the number three post at Treasury, the undersecretary of domestic finance, that merely having worked at a financial firm was not an adequate background for assuming a regulatory post. Weiss has been a senior mergers and acquisitions banker for Lazard, later head of its Paris office. Weiss knew squat about the banking industry and banking regulation. It had heretofore been unheard of for this sort of position at Treasury to be treated as a patronage post. Weiss withdrew his nomination as Warren was moving more Senators into her camp on Weiss.

While Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Hank Paulson hailed from Goldman, both had been heads of the firm, which gave them considerable exposure to regulatory issues and also regularly put them in contact with senior foreign officials. By contrast, Mnuchin, the son of a former Goldman management committee member, ran mortgage bond trading and was later the firms chief information officer and more recently, a successful movie producer. Impressive, yes. Relevant for heading Treasury, no.

Will the Democrats give Mnuchin a free pass because until recently, he was a large Democratic party donor and fundraiser, and they decide to regard him as acceptable? Warren is sure to put up a stink, but if other Democrats dont follow, expect this to be the reason why.

By contrast, it would be an utter disgrace if they dont put up a pitched battle over Price, since his desire to privatize Medicare should make it possible to rally opposition among moderate Republican voters, as well as call out Trump for reneging on a campaign promise. As Kaiser News points out:

Price, a Georgia Republican who currently chairs the House Budget Committee, was among the first to suggest that not just the ACA but also Medicare are on the near-term agenda for newly empowered Republicans. Privatizing the Medicare program for seniors and disabled people and turning the Medicaid program for the poor back to the states are long-time goals for Republicans in Congress and the White House. They say the moves could help put the brakes on health spending. Opponents argue, however, that both changes are aimed instead at shifting the financial burden of health care from the federal budget to states and individuals.

Note that the case against Medicare rests on CBO long-term projections that are obviously cooked. As we wrote in 2012, two senior budget experts at the Fed issued a paper on the CBO projections that was about as blistering as you ever see for something written for publication in an academic journal. Among other things, they described how the CBO had flagrantly violated its own methodology to come up with results that were wildly implausible on their face. They are nevertheless treated as gospel in the Beltway. From our discussion of the paper:

 conventional wisdom is that Medicare does have a long term cost predicament, but the problem is not demographic, but that of the steep rise of health care costs in general. The fundamental beef of Follette and Sheiner with the CBO model is that it naively assumes past growth in health care spending as the basis for its long-term projections. The result is that it shows that trees will grow to the sky. One of the things anyone who has built forecasting models will tell you is you come up with assumptions that look reasonable and then sanity check the output (for instance, does your model say in year 10 that your revenues will be 3x what you can produce given your forecast level in plant and investment? If so, you need to make some revisions). The Fed economists point out numerous ways that the model output flies in the face of what amounts to common sense in the world of long term budget forecasting.

I strongly urge you to read the post in full, since the badly-informed discussion over Medicare costs looks likely to become a front-burner issue.

Well see soon enough whether the Democrats and their allies in the punditocracy are prepared to go into effective opposition to Trump, particularly where he has clearly sold out on campaign promises, or whether they continue to engage in unproductive hysterics and dissipate energy on at best secondary targets. My expectations are low, but Sanders has stayed focused on the right issues, and his camp may be able to take advantage of the disarray among the corporate Democrats by staying focused on the needs of ordinary Americans.

_____

1 No, we have not gotten all soft in the head and become Obamacare fans. But do not labor under the illusion that as flawed as Obamacare is, that Trump is not capable of making a bad situation worse. For instance, one clear positive feature of Obamacare was Medicaid expansion. The noises from the Trump camp are that they would be rolled back to a large degree.
After our very successful fundraiser, we thought the most wed need to do at this point in the year was send a pleasant, grateful follow-up e-mail to our mailing list. Instead, weve become the target of a full-bore McCarthyite attack.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Washington Post legitimated a thin, amateurish site whose principals have libeled not only Naked Capitalism but also Ron Pauls institute, former Reagan Administration officials David Stockman and Paul Craig Roberts, well-respected progressive stalwarts, such as Counterpunch, Truthout, TruthDig, and Black Agenda Report, as supposed Russian propaganda outlets with foreign coordinators. Moreover, with no supporting evidence whatsoever, this site called for everyone on its list to be investigated by the FBI and DoJ for Espionage Act violations.

The common denominator for all these websites seems to be skepticism about the failed Clinton coronation.

This is intimidation of the most crass sort. Make no mistake: this isnt about media, its about a wholesale attack by the Democratic establishment on anything they dont like, which includes the Naked Capitalism community. This version is a lunatic conspiracy theory, that the election was stolen by Putin, and no different from the ones the ones peddled by the right, like birtherism and climate change denial.

The Twitterverse exploded in criticism of the Posts shoddy story, and Glenn Greenwald rallied to our defense in an Intercept story, citing the attack on Naked Capitalism as particularly egregious. As he stated:

The group commits outright defamation by slandering obviously legitimate news sites as propaganda tools of the KremlinThat is because a big part of the groups definition for Russian propaganda outlet is criticizing U.S. foreign policy.  [T]he website conflates criticism of Western governments and their actions and policies with Russian propaganda Even more disturbing than the Posts shoddy journalism in this instance is the broader trend in which any wild conspiracy theory or McCarthyite attack is now permitted in U.S. discourse as long as it involves Russia and Putin As is so often the case, those who mostly loudly warn of fake news from others are themselves the most aggressive disseminators of it.

Matt Taibbi also weighed in, pointing out that the Post had not bother to contact us, Chris Hedges of TruthDig or presumably anyone else and added:

This is the ultimate in stupidity and self-annihilating behavior. The power of the press comes from its independence from politicians. Jump into bed with them and you not only wont ever be able to get out, but youll win nothing but a loss of real influence and the undying loathing of audiences. Helping Beltway politicos mass-label a huge portion of dissenting media as useful idiots for foreign enemies in this sense is an extraordinarily self-destructive act. Maybe the Post doesnt care and thinks its doing the right thing. In that case, at least do the damn work.

Given the rash of recent stories about fake news, the Posts article looks to be part of a push to get certain sites designated as purveyors of fake news and to have links to them banned on Facebook and Twitter, delegitimating them and cutting their revenues.

One of the most disconcerting developments of the ugly 2016 Presidential campaign has been ongoing criticism by mainstream media sites and pundits of competing sources of news and information. This attempt at information control is reminiscent of the line of thinking argued by Walter Lippmann and Edward Bernays, both members of the Creel Committee. The Creel Committee was the first systematic large-scale government-sponsored propaganda effort, which turned the formerly pacifist US into an eager antagonist of Great War Germany. The Committee was remarkable in the range of channels it used before the days of mass media to reach citizens and pump out stories of German barbarism, including bogus accounts of German soldiers bayonetting babies. Many member of the American public were horrified in the 1920s when they learned of the operation of the Creel Committee and the ease with which it had manipulated mass opinion.

Apologists like Lippmann and Bernays argued that modern life had become too complicated for ordinary people to understand; that citizens needed to have their information screened, interpreted, and presented by experts, such as members of the media. Bernays in his 1928 book Propaganda tried to rehabilitate the term, arguing that the word originally referred to religions presenting their message to potential converts, and that governments and businesses were justified in presenting the most persuasive version possible of their case, including using emotional techniques and validators to bolster their image. To illustrate how routine propaganda was, Bernays took the front page of a New York Times edition and ascertained that half the stories were propaganda.

In other words, the notion that the public should accept elite minders and gatekeepers as their sole source of information comes straight from successful first-generation propagandists.

That makes sites like Naked Capitalism a threat. Weve been contacted privately by seasoned journalists and political insiders after the Washington Posts smear campaign, and most said that Naked Capitalism was on the hit list because it was influential and not on board with official Beltway narratives.

I hate coming to you again for help, but we need to defend Naked Capitalism in two ways that we could not have anticipated. First, we need to mount a counter-attack. Second, we need reinforcements so we can keep the site going at the high standards you have come to expect.

The counter-attack. We believe this type of threat is very serious. The fact that the Washington Post published such a groundless slur against many well respected independent media outlets on its front page says no one is safe. While some have issued responses on their sites, they are insufficient by virtue of speaking only to their audiences.

Falsely depicting well-established sites as fake news providers is deadly in light of widely-anticipated Facebook moves against them, as well as plans to use browser extensions to act as unaccountable judges and juries of what is and isnt acceptable to read. Just as a comfortable majority mistakenly thought the New Deal consensus was settled, so too do independent voices take their right to communicate free from interference on the Web for granted.

Among other efforts not yet matured, we have proposed a joint response with the other sites that were also assaulted. We have also had a highly qualified and seasoned First Amendment litigator volunteer to represent us. But even with pro bono legal advice, we still need to finance expenses. On our CalPERS Public Records Act filing in 2014, we incurred $5,000 in costs just to get to a first hearing. And if you are an attorney and youd be willing to support our litigator if we need to beef up our team, as lawyer Romancing the Loan has already generously offered to do, please contact me at yves-at-nakedcapitalism.com. Please put Legal Defense in the subject line.

Reinforcements. All this means we are spending considerable time and effort on things other than posting, much to our dismay. Even with our very successful fundraiser, the tsunami of news flow has at times overwhelmed us. Thanks to the unexpected Trump win, weve continued with close to our pre-election coverage level of Presidential politics, and have also had the high-class problem of a continuing high number of comments. That means even more wind up in moderation, which is an inconvenience to readers and loads your already over-stretched site admins to the max (some of you may notice that your comments sit in purgatory way longer than normal and for that, sincere apologies).

We would like to bring Outis Philalithopoulos on board to help moderate comments and to do more writing for us; any money not spent on the counter-attack will be used to support him. Outis is vastly nicer and more patient than Lambert or me, so this should lead not only to comments being liberated more quickly but also fewer curt exchanges, which are often the result of Lambert and me being time stressed, tired, and as a result, cranky. Regular readers will recall Outis posted the recent popular series on liberalism.

Our Tip Jar shows how to give by check, credit or debit card. If you are sending a check, please be sure to make it out in the name of Aurora Advisors Incorporated and send it to:

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New York, NY 10075

Please send an e-mail to yves-at-nakedcapitalism.com with Check is in the mail in the headline so we can include your donation in our running tally.

So far sooner than we expected, we need your support. Please give what you can, whether its $5, $50 or $5,000. Every dollar helps keep the site up and running, the curated links to pieces worth reading elsewhere coming, and Naked Capitalisms own groundbreaking research and reporting flowing, today, tomorrow, and in the months and years to come. And this time, you are not just supporting our efforts, but helping us beat back a threat to other important, independent voices. Please help us rise to this challenge.
New tool to clean flow cytometry data

(Nanowerk News) A*STAR researchers have developed a new bioinformatics tool called flowAI, which provides a more objective, efficient and intuitive solution to the quality control of data acquired via a common biological technique called flow cytometry (Bioinformatics, "flowAI: automatic and interactive anomaly discerning tools for flow cytometry data").

The complexity of the immune cells in human whole blood analyzed by flow cytometry. (Image: A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network)

Flow cytometry is the first-choice technology in immunology and other biological fields to characterize physical and functional properties of cells. Beyond separating cells according to their size and granularity, flow cytometry can distinguish specific cells by the proteins present on their membrane, which are recognized by antibodies labeled with different fluorescence colors.

Although this technique allows up to 20 parameters to be analyzed simultaneously, its inefficient data analysis is often performed manually, which is time-consuming and relies on high expertise and subjective interpretation.

Being actively involved in several activities of the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC), we have realized that one growing demand is to improve the automatic analysis of flow cytometry data, explains Anis Larbi, principal investigator at the Singapore Immunology Network. We believe that high-quality data lead to more accurate results and better downstream computational analyses.

FlowAI is a software package, which uses the statistical language known as R, and is available on the open source project Bioconductor. It allows users to discard poor-quality data either automatically via an algorithm or manually using a graphical user interface. FlowAI eliminates anomalies caused by debris, air intrusion in the fluidic system, technical issues, voltage instability and so on, which create abrupt changes in the speed of the fluid, instability of signal acquisition over time and data outliers. The analysis generates a report that indicates the percentage of cells that did not pass the quality checks and graphs showing where the anomalies were detected.

A*STAR scientists tested FlowAI with 4,469 flow cytometry files from 11 different datasets and also compared the FlowAI automatic method with other software packages used for flow cytometry data analysis and quality control, namely flowJo and flowClean. Among these, FlowAI was the fastest, the most stringent toward anomalies and the most intuitive to use.
Peptides as tags in fluorescence microscopy

(Nanowerk News) Fluorescence microscopy visualizes the molecular elements of cells. Proteins of nerve cells, for instance, can be labelled using probes which are subsequently excited with light to fluoresce. In the end, the fluorescence signal is used to generate microscopic images of the real position, arrangement and number of proteins.

"It is very difficult to tag the protein in question effectively and specifically," says Professor Markus Sauer from the Chair of Biotechnology and Biophysics of the Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany. Antibodies are often used for this purpose, because they attach firmly and selectively to proteins. "However, this approach returns relatively blurred images, as the antibodies themselves are large proteins."

Previous methods hardly practicable

The drawbacks of antibodies become apparent in neurobiological research  for example when trying to understand the functioning of the brain and the neurons at the molecular level.

Several attempts have been made to visualize the post-synaptic scaffold protein gephyrin using improved tags. "So far, however, the approaches have shown little practical benefit, because they either required genetic manipulation of the cells or were based on antibodies which impair the image resolution due to their size," Sauer explains.

Synapses of brain cells: Here, the pre-synapses are tagged conventionally with antibodies (red); the post-synapses are labelled with special peptides which clearly enhance resolution. Post-synapses and synapses are shown in a resolution of about 130 nanometres. (Image: Franziska Neubert & Soren Doose) (click on image to enlarge)

Alternative strategy implemented

To make progress in this field of research, Sauer's JMU research group teamed up with the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) to pursue an alternative strategy, namely to develop peptide probes. These probes should be much smaller than antibodies but attach to their target proteins with comparable efficiency. The results have been published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology ("Gephyrin-Binding Peptides Visualize Post-Synaptic Sites and Modulate Neurotransmission").

"We have established a technology platform here in Copenhagen which allows us to simultaneously visualize and test a great variety of modified peptides in the size of a microchip. This made it easy for us to design a specific peptide for gephyrin" says Professor Hans Maric from the Center for Biopharmaceuticals. For the peptide to work efficiently as a probe, it was equipped with two other functions: One makes it more membrane permeable, the other imparts fluorescence.

New possibilities opened up

So far, the research team at the University of Wurzburg has used the new probes mainly to verify the feasibility of the new approach. The team is pleased with the results: "We believe that it is possible now to develop similar probes for other key proteins," Sauer further.
First signs of weird quantum property of empty space?

(Nanowerk News) A team led by Roberto Mignani from INAF Milan (Italy) and from the University of Zielona Gora (Poland), used ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile to observe the neutron star RX J1856.5-3754, about 400 light-years from Earth [1] (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, "Evidence for vacuum birefringence from the first optical polarimetry measurement of the isolated neutron star RX\, J1856.5-3754").

This artist's view shows how the light coming from the surface of a strongly magnetic neutron star (left) becomes linearly polarized as it travels through the vacuum of space close to the star on its way to the observer on Earth (right). The polarization of the observed light in the extremely strong magnetic field suggests that the empty space around the neutron star is subject to a quantum effect known as vacuum birefringence, a prediction of quantum electrodynamics (QED). This effect was predicted in the 1930s but has not been observed before. The magnetic and electric field directions of the light rays are shown by the red and blue lines. Model simulations by Roberto Taverna (University of Padua, Italy) and Denis Gonzalez Caniulef (UCL/MSSL, UK) show how these align along a preferred direction as the light passes through the region around the neutron star. As they become aligned the light becomes polarized, and this polarization can be detected by sensitive instruments on Earth. (Image: ESO/L. Calcada) (click on image to enlarge)

Despite being amongst the closest neutron stars, its extreme dimness meant the astronomers could only observe the star with visible light using the FORS2 instrument on the VLT, at the limits of current telescope technology.

Neutron stars are the very dense remnant cores of massive stars -- at least 10 times more massive than our Sun -- that have exploded as supernovae at the ends of their lives. They also have extreme magnetic fields, billions of times stronger than that of the Sun, that permeate their outer surface and surroundings.

These fields are so strong that they even affect the properties of the empty space around the star. Normally a vacuum is thought of as completely empty, and light can travel through it without being changed. But in quantum electrodynamics (QED), the quantum theory describing the interaction between photons and charged particles such as electrons, space is full of virtual particles that appear and vanish all the time. Very strong magnetic fields can modify this space so that it affects the polarisation of light passing through it.

Mignani explains: "According to QED, a highly magnetised vacuum behaves as a prism for the propagation of light, an effect known as vacuum birefringence."

Among the many predictions of QED, however, vacuum birefringence so far lacked a direct experimental demonstration. Attempts to detect it in the laboratory have not yet succeeded in the 80 years since it was predicted in a paper by Werner Heisenberg (of uncertainty principle fame) and Hans Heinrich Euler.

"This effect can be detected only in the presence of enormously strong magnetic fields, such as those around neutron stars. This shows, once more, that neutron stars are invaluable laboratories in which to study the fundamental laws of nature." says Roberto Turolla (University of Padua, Italy).

After careful analysis of the VLT data, Mignani and his team detected linear polarisation -- at a significant degree of around 16% -- that they say is likely due to the boosting effect of vacuum birefringence occurring in the area of empty space surrounding RX J1856.5-3754 [2].

Vincenzo Testa (INAF, Rome, Italy) comments: "This is the faintest object for which polarisation has ever been measured. It required one of the largest and most efficient telescopes in the world, the VLT, and accurate data analysis techniques to enhance the signal from such a faint star."

"The high linear polarisation that we measured with the VLT can't be easily explained by our models unless the vacuum birefringence effects predicted by QED are included," adds Mignani.

"This VLT study is the very first observational support for predictions of these kinds of QED effects arising in extremely strong magnetic fields," remarks Silvia Zane (UCL/MSSL, UK).

Mignani is excited about further improvements to this area of study that could come about with more advanced telescopes: "Polarisation measurements with the next generation of telescopes, such as ESO's European Extremely Large Telescope, could play a crucial role in testing QED predictions of vacuum birefringence effects around many more neutron stars."

"This measurement, made for the first time now in visible light, also paves the way to similar measurements to be carried out at X-ray wavelengths," adds Kinwah Wu (UCL/MSSL, UK).

Notes

[1] This object is part of the group of neutron stars known as the Magnificent Seven. They are known as isolated neutron stars (INS), which have no stellar companions, do not emit radio waves (like pulsars), and are not surrounded by progenitor supernova material.
NASCAR details changes to Next Gen car in 2023 Listen as NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran discusses the ongoing testing and upgrades being done to the Next Gen car for the 2023 season.
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.
Clonmel-born 'Angel of Mercy' Adi Roche has just returned from a whirlwind trip to Ukraine and Belarus - a trip that she describes as gruelling, both physically and emotionally but also motivating, inspiring, powerful and successful as well.

The Chernobyl Children International founder traveled with a highly skilled Irish delegation with a mix of objectives, which went from high-level, negotiating meetings to visiting an ICU in Ukraine where babies lives were being saved by CCI sponsored cardiac surgeon Dr Bill Novick and team.

"In Belarus, we were lucky enough to meet with a group of highly-skilled, Irish volunteers in Vesnova who showed the vulnerable children living there unconditional care and affection", she says.

Adi adds that she is continually inspired by this commitment and energy the volunteers continue to give to the children who are living in the world's most contaminated zones. "Volunteers keep the memory of the Chernobyl disaster alive in the minds of our nation. During my time in Ukraine, I was also reminded of the ongoing conflict in the region and the resulting impact was all too visible in the hospital where our team were battling to save young babies' lives.

"It is our volunteer's first-hand experiences that keeps the memory of Chernobyl alive and in-turn, enables us to support the victims of Chernobyl. They inspire me on a daily basis!

"Without the hard-work and dedication of the Irish people, none of these life-saving programmes in either Ukraine or Belarus would be happening and for this, I thank supporters from the bottom of my heart".
Steven Mnuchin, chief executive officer of Dune Capital Management LP, speaks to the media in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to leave his business "in total" to focus on the White House and will discuss the matter at a news conference Dec. 15 in New York with his children, some of whom are business associates. Photographer: Albin Lohr-Jones/Pool via Bloomberg Albin Lohr-Jones

WASHINGTON  Treasury Secretary-designate Steven Mnuchin wasted no time Wednesday wading into one of the thorniest debates in the financial services arena, saying the Trump administration would seek to end government control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and return them to the private sector.

"We gotta get Fannie and Freddie out of government ownership," Mnuchin said on Fox Business. "It makes no sense that these are owned by the government and have been controlled by the government for as long as they have."

Mnuchin appeared to disagree with the traditional Republican view that Fannie and Freddie should be wound down and eliminated. His comments indicated he foresaw them being recapitalized and spun out again, much as they were before the crisis that forced them into conservatorship.

When asked if Fannie and Freddie should be privatized, Mnuchin said "Absolutely."

Government control of Fannie and Freddie "displaces private lending in the mortgage markets," said Mnuchin. "And we need these entities that will be safe. So let me be just be clear: We'll make sure that when they're restructured, they're absolutely safe and they don't get taken over again. But we gotta get them out of government control."

His comments came within hours of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team officially confirming that the hedge fund executive and movie financier would be the Treasury pick. His view contrasts sharply with another policymaker who had been on short list  House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, who has advocated for completely privatizing the mortgage market.

The Texas Republican is unlikely to sign off on a plan such as the one Mnuchin is suggesting.

Fannie and Freddie have been in conservatorship for eight years and attempts by Congress to reform the housing finance system have been unsuccessful. As part of the conservatorship agreement, the two mortgage giants are required to sweep their profits and a portion of their capital to the Treasury.

As Treasury secretary, Mnuchin could rework that agreement. The GSEs' stock price soared after Mnuchin's comments, as did the hopes of private investors who have been suing the government in an effort to reclaim control of the enterprises. Their capital is expected to be depleted by 2018.

Mnuchin suggested that efforts to reform the housing finance system have been unsuccessful because it wasn't a priority of the Obama Administration.

"I think in this administration it hasn't been a priority... in our administration, it's right up there on the top 10 list of things that we're going to get done. And we'll get it done reasonably fast," he said.
Florida taking baby steps towards making medicinal marijuana widely available

'War on Drugs' mentality still prevails among some voters

(NaturalNews) As Floridians prepare to vote in November on a referendum to expand medical marijuana operations in the state, some dispensaries are finally getting a "green light" to sell low-THCunder Florida's currently strict laws governing its use and availability.Although Florida passed a "compassionate use" bill in 2014 approving medical marijuana for a narrow range of medical conditions, it has been an uphill battle for potential sellers of the herb. Until this year, no legally-sold marijuana has been available at all, and even now, its availability is strictly limited.Things may finally be beginning to change, however. ...The Florida Department of Health has just granted approval for one Miami-based dispensary  Modern Health Concepts  to begin selling a low-THC cannabis oil called Haleigh's Hope.The oil contains low levels of THC  the psychoactive component ofthat produces a "high"  and high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD , which is effective in treating epileptic seizures.From the"Despite the fact that Florida passed its own 'compassionate use' bill in 2014, it took more than a year of fighting before the state let anyone legally grow marijuana and use the bill. Now, with that process finally in the past, Modern Health Concepts will begin taking appointments to deliver Haleigh's Hope oil to registered patients' homes this Monday. The company says it plans to open more dispensaries soon."It's a small but significant step in the right direction. Currently there are only a handful of legal dispensaries in Florida, and opposition to any legalization of marijuana  medicinal or otherwise  is very strong in the state, despite polls showing 80 percent of Floridians in favor of medicinal marijuana and 56 percent in favor of recreational marijuana.Opponents to the November referendum have spent millions of dollars to defeat it, using scare tactics designed to convince people that children will suddenly be able to easily get their hands on cannabis, and that dispensaries will become a cover for illegal marijuana sales.Those scenarios are hard to imagine, however, considering that the referendum will only slightly expand availability  and only to those with seriously debilitating diseases who have been under a doctor's care for at least 90 days.Currently, the only people authorized to receive medical marijuana in Florida are those with terminal illnesses and those suffering from conditions such as cancer, epilepsy and chronic muscle spasms.The referendum, if passed, would expand availability to include those with "glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or similar conditions," according to theDespite the modest aims of the referendum, the antiquated "War on Drugs" mentality is still prevalent among many sectors of Florida's population, some of whom are wealthy individuals who have poured millions into "Vote No" campaigns.Meanwhile, thousands of Florida residents continue to suffer from illnesses that marijuana could safely and effectively treat.Decades of brainwashing take time to reverse, it seems, but those with family members suffering from debilitating diseases are often the first to discard their outmoded attitudes towards marijuana.For instance, despite the fact that law enforcement agencies are among the main strongholds in the opposition camp, Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre has come out in support of the amendment due to his own mother's experience with cancer and the horrific effects ofDespite the opposition, there seems to be a very good chance that November's referendum will pass, and thousands of ailing Floridians may finally receive the relief they need and deserve.Throughout the country, the old anti-marijuana mentality is slowly giving way to compassion and common sense  but the fight isn't over yet.If you're a Florida voter, or one who lives in any of the several states with similar referendums on the ballot in November, please honor your civic and moral duty and vote "Yes" for medical marijuana.
There are lots of ways to naturally combat colds and flu

(NaturalNews) Like clockwork, the cold and flu season is nearly upon once again. Cooler fall weather, kids heading back to school and other factors all contribute to the spread of influenza.But there are some ways you can fend off the flu bug and best of all, you can do so naturally  without a huge Obamacare out-of-pocket doctor visit and Big Pharma The fact is humans have used natural cold remedies to relieve symptoms of cold and flu since the earliest of times. Think about it: Were that not true, something as simple as the flu bug would have wiped out Mankind thousands of years ago. And while there may not yet be any natural cures for the common cold, there are a number of ways to mitigate it and/or speed up the healing process.For instance, elderberries have been used as medicine since the Stone Age, according to Melanie Grimes, scholar, academic, author and homeopathic expert.In fact, she notes in a recent column, research from the University of Jerusalem has confirmed that ingesting elderberries speeds up healing time. Also, a Zulu cold treatment that is made from the South African geranium Pelargonium sidoide is now a best-selling cold remedy the world over, because it, too, is supported by clinical research.The Jewish physician Maimonides even recommended chicken soup to treat colds a flu, a use that dates back to the ancient Greeks.So what can you do to protect yourself from cold and flu season or, at a minimum, hasten your recovery? Grimes recommends staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest, right off the bat. If you do come down with something, she suggests that you seek professional help, especially if symptoms don't improve or abate after a few days.In the meantime, she says there are several herbs and natural remedies that will provide you with a modicum of comfort and help relieve some of your symptoms:-- Gargle with salt water: Put a few teaspoons of salt in warm water, stir until mixed and gargle with it to disinfect your throat. Grimes recommends a teaspoon in 8 oz of warm water; you can double that if your throat becomes sore. Don't swallow the salt water, though.-- Mustard pack: These reduce fever, eliminate toxins and help your body heal its mucus membranes in the lungs.-- Castor oil pack: Place one on the chest to open your airways and provide more circulation to the lungs. Just massage some Castor oil onto your chest, cover with flannel or with muslin, and place a hot water bottle over the chest for several minutes.Vitamins are also essential to both ward off colds and flu and to run them off more quickly should you catch a cold:-- Vitamin C: Multiple studies have shown that vitamin C found in citrus fruits and drinks taken every day can dramatically cut the duration of a cold or flu. In fact, a recent study even showed that 1,000 mg of vitamin C every six hours can relieve, or even prevent, flu symptoms.-- Zinc: This nutrient has been found to be really good when treating viral sore throats. Grimes says a recent study regarding Zinc's effectiveness shows that a zinc lozenge every two-to-three hours shortened the duration of cold and flu symptoms.-- Vitamin A: This vitamin bolsters your immunity through the increase of white blood cells that battle diseases and infections.-- NAC: An amino acid that has been used to also bolster your immunity, as well as a treatment for chronic respiratory problems.There are also several teas and other drinks that are natural defenders against the flu:-- Ginger tea: Kills germs and serves as a great antiviral; just boil two tablespoons of grated fresh ginger in two cups of water for a 15 minutes.-- Garlic tea: Just using common household garlic can be effective at cold-and-flu prevention. Raw garlic has anti-fungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.-- Cumin and ginger tea, peppermint tea and even fresh lemonade also work as preventatives and treatments.
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New clues

What Natural News intends to do with this information

(NaturalNews) A private citizen working in the public interest to increase news transparency has announced a $10,000 reward, payable in Bitcoin, for the names of the PropOrNot news hoaxers. If successful, the names will be shared with the FBI, Sen. Jeff Sessions and the Trump administration.Last week, the Washington Post was hoaxed by PropOrNot, which tricked the Post into printing an article that falsely claimed 200 independent news websites were being run by the Russian government. Natural News demanded the Washington Post retract the fabricated story , but the Post has so far refused to issue a retraction or apology, proving the news organization has abandoned all pretense of reporting factual news.PropOrNot, a shadowy group at the center of the story, is obviously nothing more than a cabal ofwallowing in paranoid delusions and political conspiracy theories. (This is the new standard of "facts" the Washington Post now embraces, by the way.) While ridiculously accusing hundreds of websites of working for the Kremlin, the PropOrNot group hides behind anonymity, claiming they don't want to go public with their names out of fear of a Russian retaliation (there's that delusional paranoia kicking in again...)The aim of the $10,000 reward is to encourage citizen researchers to uncover the real identities of PropOrNot organizers, then to disclose that information in the public interest.; see below for possible clues as a starting point.Here are the guidelines of the offer, as described to Natural News: The reward is payable in Bitcoin. The reward is open to any person, anywhere on the planet, except where such an offer may be prohibited by law. The reward is not open to persons inside the PropOrNot organization. "Success" for qualifying to receive the reward Bitcoins is defined as follows:- Names and unique identifiers (such as home addresses) must be provided for a minimum of TEN members of the PropOrNot group (which currently claims 30 or so members).- A chain of evidence must be provided that conclusively proves the people named are behind the PropOrNot news hoaxing organization. In other words, a person can't just make up 10 names and claim they are the founders. There must be clear, convincing evidence that conclusively links the people to the organization.- The reward is only payable ONCE and only payable to the FIRST researcher to provide the required details. There is no reward for being second.- If the identities of the PropOrNot group are somehow made public BEFORE this reward is issued, then the reward will no longer be offered, since the information is already public knowledge.- Natural News intends to vet the information provided to us. The researcher must allow us three business days to vet all the information, after which time we will render a decision to the sponsor of the reward, telling them the information is either "conclusive" or "not conclusive." If it is "conclusive" then the person offering the reward will immediately initiate the Bitcoin reward to the wallet address provided by the researchers. Natural News guarantees that we will not in any way unreasonably withhold approval of the reward. (I stake our reputation on dealing honestly with researchers who achieve the goal of accurately identifying the names of those behind PropOrNot.)- The tax consequences of receiving $10,000 worth of Bitcoin are the responsibility of the recipient.The "PropOrNot Propaganda Flagger" Chome add-in shows it is registered to:530-B Harkle RoadSTE 100Santa Fe, NM 87505Another clue that MAY (I emphasize MAY) lead in the direction of the identities of the people behind PropOrNot.From CounterPunch.org If this research project is successful, Natural News intends to, Sen. Jeff Sessions, officials inside the Trump administration and our law firm that's pursuing legal action against the group.Secondly, Natural News intends toso that they can no longer hide their delusional conspiracy theories behind anonymity.Thirdly, Natural News intends towhile naming the Washington Post as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.Unlike PropOrNot and the WashPost,, openly sharing what we find with the world in the interests of journalistic integrity and news transparency.Researchers who wish to take on this task may contact us through our contact page. Put "PropOrNot" in the subject or your email or submitted feedback message. Once a connection is established, we will provide a secure channel for further discussion.For members of the media who are reporting on this, here are some statements you can use, which you may attribute to Mike Adams, editor of NaturalNews.com:"The Washington Post has proven itself to be engaged in journalistic malpractice, knowingly printing a false and defamatory report from a shadowy group of delusional conspiracy theorists who have turned their hatred for Donald Trump into a vendetta against the only remaining free press in America.""The people of America deserve to know who is behind the defamatory accusations that claim hundreds of independent media websites are somehow controlled by the Russian government. In truth, most of the websites named by PropOrNot are pro-Constitution, patriotic sites run by the most dedicated, genuine Americans you'll ever meet. It's the radical leftists like those running PropOrNot who are worshippers of Fidel Castro and Soviet-style communism.""Natural News intends to contribute to honesty in reporting by publicly disclosing the names of the deceptive individuals behind the PropOrNot news hoaxing effort. This disclosure is necessary for a continued public debate on the abandonment of real journalism by the Washington Post and the collapsing credibility of the left-wing news media, which now spreads blatantly fake news as a matter of course."Stay tuned for updates...
Dangerous Years David W. Orr Yale University Press (2016) 9780300222814 | ISBN: 978-0-3002-2281-4

How will we survive the damaging impacts of our high-throughput, extractive economy? Environmental thinker David Orr delivers a finely pointed analysis, ranging over sociopolitical norms and the ethical consciousness needed to transform them. Transitioning to a sustainable democracy will demand that we up the ante in areas such as community engagement, science and governance. The shift must be holistic because we are losing the race with technological advance  and, as he notes, Everything has changed but our manner of thinking, which remains tribal, insular and myopic.

Void: The Strange Physics of Nothing James Owen Weatherall Yale University Press (2016) 9780300209983 | ISBN: 978-0-3002-0998-3

This exploration of empty space  much ado about nothing, as philosopher of science James Owen Weatherall has it  is a model of concision. On his tour of physics's 'greatest hits', Weatherall begins with Isaac Newton's vision of space as nothingness extending in all directions. He then moves through the aetherial substance of James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity (which posits a rich structure in space-time), quantum theory (which suggests that the vacuum is a state of matter) and string theory (which is riddled with vacuums). An ode to the plenty of nothing.

A Most Improbable Journey: A Big History of Our Planet and Ourselves Walter Alvarez W. W. Norton (2016) 9780393292695 | ISBN: 978-0-3932-9269-5

It's likely that a 'big history' tracing the evolution of the Universe and all life sits on a bookshelf near you. Geologist Walter Alvarez joins in with this engaging, yet improbably brief, slalom through the science. Alvarez, who co-originated the impact theory of dinosaur extinction, hinges his primer on contingencies  unpredictable formative cosmic or biological events  and original perspectives. So his discussion of cosmic expansion features Milton Humason rather than co-discoverer Edwin Hubble, whereas his passage on Earth's formation emphasizes how the planet makes resources useful.

Dance to the Tune of Life: Biological Relativity Denis Noble Cambridge University Press (2016) 9781107176249 | ISBN: 978-1-1071-7624-9

In this audacious riposte to neo-Darwinism and the 'selfish gene', systems biologist Denis Noble casts life as emerging from biological processes that operate at various scales and levels. Genes, cells, tissues, organs and organ systems 'dance' to the tune of the organism-orchestra. From this he derives his principle of biological relativity: that organisms are multi-level, open stochastic systems in which behaviour at all levels is causatively complex. Noble's narrative is sweeping, covering everything from cosmology and Einstein's theories of relativity to symbiogenesis and epigenetics.

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion Paul Bloom Ecco (2016) 9780062339331 9781441730053 | ISBN: 978-0-0623-3933-1
Locals living in Ohinemutu Village were shocked and rattled when a geyser erupted, spurting high-temperature water meters into the air. The Lake Rotorua has not been seen to erupt in the past years as it had on early Monday morning.

A spectacular and surprising event, residents said they were woken up by a loud explosion and a gigantic column of water as high as a two-storey house. A report from BBC stated that its height was approximately seven meters from the ground.

Although the region of Rotorua in New Zealand is best known for their gigantic geysers, it is still a surprise for many locals to see eruptions such as this, especially from a lake that has not been seen to erupt for the past years.

Volcanologist Brad Scott told Radio New Zealand that although it may pose a small likelihood of danger, it is highly unlikely to be a hazard to the residents and the general public. When asked whether or not the incident is related to the latest earthquake experienced by the region, the volcanologist said that it is quite unlikely.

Geysers are usually located near an active volcano, and surface water gets in contact with hot rocks heated up by magma. As the water begins to boil, it increases the pressure underneath the ground creating a force that pushes both hot water and steam out a vent, a phenomenon called as a hydrothermal explosion.

The formation of a geyser and the recent strong earthquake can still be related to tectonic activity, but there is no way to point out and no evidence to suggest that both incidents as related. It could be said that the timing is just pure coincidence. Local authorities have warned the residents to stay alert but also emphasized that there is no cause for panic.
Detailed images from Sentinel-1 satellites reveal that one of San Francisco's prominent skyscrapers, Millennium Tower, sinking little by little every year.

A statement by the European Space Agency, or ESA, on its website, said that the 58-storey building has shown notable signs of sinking and tilting. As a matter of fact, locals have now dubbed Millennium Tower as "the leaning tower of San Francisco."

"To probe these subtle shifts, scientists combined multiple radar scans from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 twin satellites of the same area to detect subtle surface changes - down to millimetres. The technique works well with buildings because they better reflect the radar beam. It is also useful for pinpointing displacement hotspots over large areas, thanks to Sentinel-1's broad coverage and frequent visits," ESA said.

Based on Sentinel-1 satellite latest data between February 22, 2015 and September 20, 2016, the Millennium Tower is sinking at least 40 millimeters a year in its line of sight (the direction that the satellite is looking at the building), the Daily Mail reports. The $350 million dollar luxury building has, however, already sunk 16 inches in total since it first opened its doors to the public in 2009.

The exact cause has not yet been determined. City agency, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, faults the The Millenium's "inadequate foundation," which is not anchored to bedrock, supported only by piles driven 18 to 27 meters into landfill, according to an article by ABC.

The same phenomena is seen in a number of European cities, such as Norway, where experts find the the data from the San Francisco study useful. "Experience and knowledge gained within the ESA's Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions programme give us strong confidence that Sentinel-1 will be a highly versatile and reliable platform for operational deformation monitoring in Norway, and worldwide," said John Dehls from the Geological Survey of Norway.

"The Sentinel-1 twins provide 'radar vision' for Europe's Copernicus environment monitoring programme. In addition to watching land movements, they feed numerous other services for monitoring Arctic sea ice, routine sea-ice mapping, surveillance of the marine environment, mapping for forest, water and soil management, and mapping to support humanitarian aid and crisis situations," ESA explained.
Blurred version and other weird eye problems are common complaints among astronauts who have just got back to Earth after a recent trip to outer space. NASA's Scott Kelly is one of them.

A new study sheds light on the issue. Presented last November 28 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the study revealed that visual problem affecting astronauts who serve on lengthy missions in space is related to volume changes in the clear fluid that is found around the brain and spinal cord.

"People initially didn't know what to make of it, and by 2010 there was growing concern as it became apparent that some of the astronauts had severe structural changes that were not fully reversible upon return to earth," said the study lead author Noam Alperin, Ph.D., professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida, the Daily Mail writes.

In an article by Eureka Alert, the syndrome, known as visual impairment intracranial pressure (VIIP), was reported in nearly two-thirds of astronauts after long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

According to the study, scientists initially thought that the reason behind astronauts' vision problem was a shift of vascular fluid toward the upper body that occurs when astronauts spend time in the microgravity of space. However, Dr. Alperin's team probed another possible source for the problem: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the clear fluid that helps cushion the brain and spinal cord while circulating nutrients and removing waste materials.

"On earth, the CSF system is built to accommodate these pressure changes, but in space the system is confused by the lack of the posture-related pressure changes.The research provides, for the first time, quantitative evidence obtained from short- and long-duration astronauts pointing to the primary and direct role of the CSF in the globe deformations seen in astronauts with visual impairment syndrome," Dr. Alperin added.

Emphasizing its importance, he warned that if the ocular structural deformations are not identified early, astronauts could suffer irreversible damage. As the eye globe becomes more flattened, the astronauts become hyperopic, or far-sighted. Dr. Alperin mentioned NASA is already looking into several possible measures to simulate the conditions that lead to VIIP and testing various countermeasures.
A new study from the Arizona State University revealed that parents focusing too much on their child's grades and extracurricular activities could work against helping the kids to become well-adjusted and successful later in life.

The study, published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, showed that children who perceived their parents as someone who were over-obsessed of their academic achievements are more likely to experience negative outcomes.

"When parents emphasize children's achievement much more than their compassion and decency during the formative years, they are sowing the seeds of stress and poorer well-being, seen as early as sixth grade," explained Suniya Luthar, a Foundation professor of psychology at ASU and one of the co-authors of the study, in a press release.

For the study, the researchers recruited 506 sixth grade students from an affluent community. The students were asked to rank the top three of six things their parents valued for them. Out of the six things, three values personal success such as good grades and successful career in the future. On the other hand, the remaining three values were about kindness and decency to others. The researchers then compared these perceived values to the students' school performance as measured by their grade point average and in-class behaviors.

The researchers found that children who perceived their parents to value achievements more highly than kindness towards others are more likely to experience negative outcomes. These outcomes may include more internalizing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, and externalizing or acting out behaviors and lower self-esteem. Furthermore, these students also have lower GPAs and were reported by their teachers to have more learning problems and more disruptive at school.

On the other hand, children who perceived their parents to value kindness toward other highly than their achievements have better outcomes in school. Due to this, the researchers are encouraging parents to focus more on their child's personal adjustments than their personal achievements. The researchers noted that valuing grades and school achievements too much could lead to greater insecurity, anxiety and overall distress in children.


Leaping through time and parallel universes may sound like science fiction, but scientists say it's not out of the realm of possibility.

According to a report from The Sun UK, a group of physicists that includes Professor Howard Wiseman and Dr Michael Hall from the Griffith University Centre for Quantum Dynamics believe that there are a number of different timelines that play out in parallel universes. Moreover, these different universes can actually affect each other.

The theory of the parallel universes means that every possible scenario has or will happen at some point. The group, which also counts fellow scientist Dr. Dirk-Andre Deckert from the University of California, offers a new perspective on the concepts of quantum theory with their "Many-Interacting Worlds Theory."

"The idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanics has been around since 1957," Professor Wiseman explained. "In the well-known 'Many-Worlds Interpretation,' each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realized -- in some universes, the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth. In others, Australia was colonized by the Portuguese."

He added that the problem with this line of thinking is that critics are doubtful of the reality of the other universes because of their inability to affect this universe. On the other hand, the newly introduced "Many-Interacting Worlds" theory still subscribes that there are multiple universes but believes that they are all located on the same timeline and are able to interact and "bump into each other".

"The beauty of our approach is that if there is just one world our theory reduces to Newtonian mechanics, while if there is a gigantic number of worlds it reproduces quantum mechanics," Dr. Hall explained. "In between it predicts something new that is neither Newton's theory nor quantum theory. We also believe that, in providing a new mental picture of quantum effects, it will be useful in planning experiments to test and exploit quantum phenomena."

This new perspective on time travel came just after mental time travel pioneer Professor Michael Corballis of the University of Auckland received the Rutherford medal last week for excellence in science, social science, and technology, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.
A giant karst sinkhole () cluster has just been discovered in northwest China, and geologists think that this could be the biggest yet.

China Daily said that the news was confirmed by the Shaanxi provincial government on Thursday. The report added that it took the experts four months to inspect the 5,000-square-kilometer area of the sinkhole group, which was located between 32 and 33 degrees north latitude.

The team of experts includes those from UNESCO International Research Center on Karst, International Union of Speleology and other research bodies of Czech, France and China.



Reports said there were a total of 49 sinkholes found in the core area: one superbig sinkhole, 17 large sinkholes and 31 average-sized sinkholes. The sinkhole cluster covers over four counties in Hanzhong City: Ningqiang, Nanzheng, Xixiang and Zhenba.

"The largest one was in Zhenba, which had the largest diameter of 520 meters and a maximum depth of 320 meters," Wang Weihua, Chief of Department of Land and Resources of Shaanxi, told China Daily.

Local news agency Xinhua reported that Liu Tongliang, head of the karst geology research institute under the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS) said a total of nine tiankengs and over 50 funnels of between 50 to 100 meters in diameter were found in the over 200-kilometer karst landform belt in Hanzhong City.



Quoting Wang, Xinhua wrote, "The expert panel agreed, the Hanzhong tiankeng cluster is rare, complete and spectacular in landscape. It has met international geological standards and has potential scientific and tourism value."

Science Alert said karst landforms are the result of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum dissipating, giving rise to subterranean drainage systems with sinkholes, caves, and tunnels.



Sinkholes are rare and amazing geological phenomenon which would fill gaps in the research of karst geology. Before this recent discovery, there were only 130 tiankengs in the world, with over 90 in China.
A Swiss pilot and his team are preparing for a trip to the edge of space onboard a solar-powered plane.

Raphel Domjan, 44, will fly his plane SolarStratos to embark on a mission no aircraft has ever been before. If successful, the solar aircraft will demonstrate the potential of renewable energy and prove that it can even surpass fossil fuels.

"Our goal is to be the highest plane ever, not only solar and electric," Domjan, initiator and pilot of SolarStratos, said in an interview with Wired. "With this project we take technology you can find in the supermarket and we push it to the limit."

SolarStratos is the first commercial two-seater solar plane in history with the goal of becoming the first manned solar aircraft to penetrate the stratosphere. Founded in March 2014, the firm has already raised $5 million and the experimental aircraft is already under construction. The plane will weigh 450 kg and will have a wingspan of 24.9 meters. It will measure 8.5 meters long and will run on a 32-kilowatt electric engine and 20-kilowatt lithium-ion battery which could be charged with the plane's 22-square meter solar cells covering each wing.

The mission is slated to begin in 2018, where SolarStratos will ascend to 25,000m in a span of two hours and 30 minutes. Once at the edge of space, Domjan plans to spend 15 minutes in the stratosphere before slowly spiraling back down to Earth, Wired reports. From up in the sky, passengers could glimpse the curvature of the Earth and see the stars during daytime.

The announcement came months after Solar Impulse 2 had become the first solar-powered plane to complete a round-the-world flight. The single-seater aircraft was flown by Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard and co-pilot Andre Borschberg, each taking turns on the controls on different legs of the journey. The trip had set a number of aviation records, including the record-breaking zero-fuel, solo-flight of five days and five nights from Nagoya, Japan to Hawaii, and the first plane to cross the Atlantic without a single drop of fuel.

Prior to the SolarStratos project, Domjan had already led the first trip around the world in a solar-powered boat completed in May 2012, Daily Mail reports. Domjan seeks to build on the achievement of Solar Impulse 2, which already demonstrated the possibility of traveling with only renewable energy, and go "even further and overtake what has been achieved with fossil fuels."
Industry and Trade Minister has opportunity to show his stuff

VietNamNet Bridge  Perhaps this is the time for the Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh to show if he has the qualities of a leader of one of the largest and most important ministries of Vietnam in an extremely difficult period or not.









Ministry Tran Tuan Anh

Minister Tran Tuan Anh is now in a tough situation as his ministry needs reform more than ever.



Several scandals related to the Ministrys former officials and an unstable and ineffective apparatus left by the former Minister Vu Huy Hoang are now the matters that Minister Tuan Anh must solve immediately.



Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at a recent meeting with the Ministrys officials, pointed out the shortcomings of the Ministrys organization and structure. At the recent National Assembly session, many National Assembly deputies also asked Mr. Tuan Anh to promote reforms.



After the National Assembly question and answer session last week, Tuan Anh immediately published on his Ministrys intranet a reform project, which he noted as being of the utmost importance.



The Minister requested all agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to make comments on the project, which aims to carry out strong reform policy within the ministry under the governments common spirit of building a government of action, construction, effectiveness and integrity.



The Ministry of Industry and Trade is dubbed a "super ministry", which was a merger between the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Commerce in 2006.



Earlier, this Ministry merged and split several times. For example, the Ministry of Commerce was formed from three ministries: Ministry of Light Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industry and Ministry of Energy. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce was also formed from two ministries: Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of Internal Trade. Previously, these ministries were merged with other agencies and ministries.



For a long time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (with different names) left positive marks, with the contribution of many ministers such as Phan Anh, Do Muoi, Vu Tuan, Dinh Duc Thien, Dang Vu Chu, Le Van Triet, Hoang Trung Hai, Vu Khoan, and Truong Dinh Tuyen, etc



Although a head of this ministry was jailed but he was visited by and presented with a medal for his special contribution for the construction of the North - South 500KV power transmission line by Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet during his time in prison.



Recently, another leader of this ministry was severely reprimanded for his serious violations in personnel tasks and approval of some economic projects. The mistakes made by the predecessor are now the challenges that require Minister Tuan Anh to show his firm stuff.



According to the project that was recently made public, Tuan Anh called for debate, saying it is critical to find the right answer for the Ministrys reform, under which the number of subsidiaries will be slashed from 35 to 28.



If this project is implemented, dozens of high-ranking officials will lose their positions. Seeing a consensus, thus, will certainly not be easy, because this process will affect the interest of many officials.



It is too early now to know about the results of the reform at the Ministry of Industry and Trade but certainly it is a golden opportunity for Minister Tuan Anh to prove his ability.



The Ministry of Industry and Trade will have huge administrative reform, reducing the number of agencies from 35 to 28. In particular, the General Directorate of Energy will be diverted into three departments while the Department for Mountainous Commercial Markets will be merged into the Department of Domestic Markets.



The Chemical Department, Department of Light Industry, and Heavy Industry Department will be merged into the Department of Industry. The Finance Department will be separated into two parts and each part will be merged into the Planning Department and the Department of Innovation.



In addition, the Department of Human Resources Development will re-merge into the Department for Organization and Personnel. The Emulation and Reward Department and the Department of Affairs in Southern Region will be merged into the Ministrys Office.



The Departments KV1, KV2, KV3, and KV4 will be merged into the Department of Europe-America and the Department of America and Asia-Africa. The International Cooperation Department 2 will be merged into the Department of Asia-Africa and the Department of Europe and America. The two institutes of Trade and Industrial Policy will become one.



The Ministry will also establish the Department for Commerce Defense and upgrade the Market Management Department into the General Department for Market Management.



Other agencies will remain unchanged.

Quoc Phong
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration have officially decommissioned the ocean wind monitoring instrument aboard the International Space Station.

The decision to terminate the mission of the ISS Rapid Scatterometer, or RapidScat, was made after the instrument malfunctioned earlier this year. In August 19, the electrical power distribution in the station's Columbus module malfunctioned, causing RapidScat and several other instruments to lose power.

According to the report from Space.com, controllers tried to reactivate the instruments, but one of the outlets on the power distribution unit overloaded. While space station controllers successfully restored power to other instruments, they were not able to power up the RapidScat again. After failing the last attempt to power up wind monitoring instrument in October 17, NASA decided that it is time for RapidScat to retire.

The RapidScat is a low-cost space instrument assembled using spare parts of its predecessor, QuickScat. With only a shoestring budget of $26 million, the scientists decided to attach the RapidScat in the ISS, instead of building another dedicated spacecraft. The infrastructure aboard the ISS provided power and data to RapidScat. However, many scientists do not consider the orbit of the ISS ideal for Earth science observations.

"As a first-of-its-kind mission, ISS-RapidScat proved successful in providing researchers and forecasters with a low-cost eye on winds over remote areas of Earth's oceans," said Michael Freilich, director of NASA's Earth science division, in a report from Space Flight Now. "The data from ISS-RapidScat will help researchers contribute to an improved understanding of fundamental weather and climate processes, such as how tropical weather systems form and evolve."

Launched into space using unpressurized trunk of a SpaceX Dragon cargo craft in September 2014, the RapidScat has been fully operational since October 2014. NASA plans to remove the RapidScat equipment from the ISS in 2017. So far, NASA has no plans in creating a replacement for RapidScat. Instead, the space agency noted that it will use data from the Indian spacecraft ScatSat-1, which has similar scaterrometer instrument and was launched in September.


Is the clone wars coming? Genetically enhanced cloned police dogs are expected to take to the streets stronger, faster, and better.

According to a report from RT, Dr. Hwang Woo and his team of scientists from the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea cloned the three dogs that arrived in Yakutsk in Yakutia Republic, Siberia earlier this week. Sooam is one of the top dog cloning facilities in the whole world.

These three-year-old dogs -- named Tom, Mark, and Jack -- have been delivered to the Russian Military Historical Society, a group that works hand in hand with the police force. Their breed is the Belgian Malinois, while the canines were cloned from the cells of South Korea's "most revered sniffer dog". Scientists go as far to say that the unique abilities of the adult dog were passed down to his clones.

Val Chugunov assured Interfax that the pups are all doing well after their long trip from one continent to another.

"They feel good after the trip and have already been observed by the veterinarian," he added. "They have good appetite and play all the time."

The dogs need some acclimatizing to the chilly Siberian temperature though. Chugunov said, "When we released them for a walk, they instantly ran back. But I think they will get used to the [Russian] cold."

Soon, the trio will have to be separated for their new jobs. One dog will remain with the foundation as a sniffer for archaeological sites and graves, while the other two will be deployed to the Yakutia police.

While Tom, Mark, and Jack have already gone through basic handling training, a report from Telegraph revealed that there is still need for further training because the dogs need to take orders in Russian as well as Korean.

This isn't the first time Yakutia has worked closely with Dr Hwang and Sooam Biotech. They are already in a project together that's focused on cloning woolly mammoths using genetic material that has survived in Siberia. Sooam has already opened a molecular palaeontology center for this project in Yakutia's North Eastern Federal University.
Laser-based technologies used in observing planets, moons and asteroids, could also be useful for studying ancient fossils and bones beneath Earth.

The laser-based remote-sensing equipment called lidar (light detection and ranging) could give archaeologists hints of the fossils and bones hidden below the Earth. In lidar scanning, lasers send out short pulses, which bounce back when they hit an object.

Scientists used the equipment to find an ancient landscape in western Oklahoma to find evidence of historical remains. About 10,500 years ago, hunters gathered each year in the region - which was once the Beaver River - to look for bison, funneling herds into narrow gullies cut into the hillside by the river. The bison was butchered, taking the meat and leaving piles of skeletons behind. But none of these landscapes and fossils is visible today.

But according to NASA, the ancient landscape could be seen using a lidar, which is being used by the robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) that launched in September 2016. The mission will obtain carbonaceous samples from near-Earth asteroid Bennu and return them to Earth for the purpose of gaining insight into the formation and evolution of the solar system and the source of organic compounds that form the building blocks of Earth.

According to George Shaw, laser systems lead for the OSIRIS-REx mission, the lidar calculates how long it takes for the signal to return and, using the information, calculate the distance. The same technology will be used in mapping an asteroid for the OSIRIS-REx mission and helping the mission team select a site on the asteroid where they could gather samples.

The OSIRIS-REx lidar was designed by Teledyne Optech, which builds a 3-D model of the surface and produces a "bare-earth" version. The technology allows archaeologists to "see structures or features that were so overgrown that they wouldn't be obvious at all to someone on the ground," Teledyne Optech vice president said in the same statement.

Using an airborne lidar, archaeologists were able to scan the landscape and uncover important history. The lidar was also used in other archaeological projects, such as the uncovering of "Ciudad Blanca" in Honduras and studying the historic landscape of New England, Universe Today reports.

The uncovering of the Beaver River is one of the 50 stories on NASA Spinoff publication, which will be released on Dec. 5.
Cats have gotten grooming down pat and now we know it's possible because of the unique texture of their tongues. According to a report from Live Science, their tongues are covered with spines that are shaped like claws and work similarly to Velcro in cleaning the fur and skin.

It was Georgia Institute of Technology mechanical engineer Alexis Noel who figured out the secret when she spotted the family cat lick a blanket and got its tongue stuck in the fabric. After the incident, Noel began studying the spines on feline tongues, interested in its make.

"When I was done laughing at this curious cat, the scientist in me began to question how a soft, wet tissue could stick to something so easily," she said in an interview with Live Science. "After a few seconds of struggle, he figured out that he could detach his tongue by simply pushing his tongue into the blanket rather than pulling, de-hooking the blanket loops."

The researcher gathered her co-workers to use high-speed video cameras in recording a cat able to get cat food entrenched in a 3-D-printed fur mat. Taking it a step further, the team 3-D-printed a model of a cat's tongue four times its size to observe and experiment with it more closely.

Curved and sharp, cats tongues behave a lot like cat claws, Noel explained. The hook-like spines untangle clumps of hair when the feline grooms. These backward-facing spines are made of keratin, the same material of fingernails, according to Washington Post.

"When the cat's tongue hits a snag, it pulls on the hooks, which rotate to penetrate the snag even further," she added. "Like a heat-seeking missile for snags, the hook's mobility allows the cat to better tease tangles apart."

These findings are interesting to feline lovers, but can also benefit scientists and engineers as they design robotics that grip various surfaces, craft hairbrushes, and even concoct methods to clean wounds.

The team is planning to study the tongues of other large cats including tigers and lions.
The government of South Korea has confirmed that a new case of Zika virus infection has hit the country. The Asian country now has already reported a total of 16 cases of the infection since its first confirmed case back in March of this year.

The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the 46-year-old Korean male, who has been living in Vietnam since 2012, recently went to Seoul for a two-week vacation where he was infected by the mosquito-borne virus. The man was given proper treatment and has since returned to Vietnam, local health authorities told the Korean Yonhap news agency.

KCDC said 12 South Koreans carrying the birth-defect causing Zika virus have previously traveled to other neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The other four Zika-infected South Koreans also reportedly got the infection after recent trips to Central and South American countries, such as Brazil and Dominican Republic, an article by Korea Herald reports.

Zika virus is an infection usually transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes, the same type of mosquitoes behind the spread of other mosquito-borne illnesses, such as dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Like HIV, there is a great possibility that Zika virus infection can be passed on to others through sexual intercourse and blood transfusion.

Early symptoms include slight fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, or headache. These symptoms normally last for 2 to 7 days. These symptoms may not be a cause for alarm to some.

However, based on a systematic review of the literature up to 30 May 2016, the World Health Organization has concluded that Zika virus infection in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and other abnormalities in the baby inside the mother's womb.

In September, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a travel advisory regarding Zika virus in Southeast Asian nations.
A gigantic steel cage has been designed and constructed over the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, which is infamous for one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes in history. More than 30 years after the explosion, the dreaded reactor has been finally sealed off.

According to a report from Mirror UK, it took a total of six years to design and manufacture the 108-meter-high arc used to cover the said reactor. Fearing possible dangers to workers who would be constructing the said arch, super bots have been used to carry, move, and assemble the big dome. Still, the construction required over a thousand workers from different parts of the world, and it took intricate planning to ensure none of them suffer from any possible danger.

The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 was one of the most devastating nuclear tragedies the world has seen in the past decades. A catastrophe created by flawed human calculations, it happened when safety systems have been deliberately turned off during a late-night power failure stress test. The worst conditions at the worst of times, a steam explosion caused continuous spewing of plumes of radioactive material lasting for a total of nine days.

According to the archives of the World Nuclear Association, the accident has caused more than thirty immediate deaths and hundreds of thousands of elective abortion. Cases of cancer, deformation and a variation of different diseases have been reported through the years which has been attributed to the disaster. Now, 30 years later, the wounds may have healed, but it has left scars that the world will never forget.

Nuclear plants have become a very potent source of energy for the past decades, and many powerful countries in the world have been harnessing its incredible power. However, statistics in the study of the World Nuclear Association show that hundreds of nuclear plants in Europe alone are being decommissioned with expected completion within the decade. This is after the devastating results of yet another unforgettable nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011.
With only a few weeks left before the Obama administration finally ends and the new president-elect takes his seat, Donald Trump is reportedly already choosing and appointing his cabinet members and advisers. Known to have controversial views regarding many scientific issues, Trump was strongly urged by the scientific community to hire a competent, respected, and trusted science and technology adviser.

According to a report from the New York Times, a lot of experts from different fields are concerned as the president-elect seems to be choosing his cabinet members at a rapid rate. A number of organizations have been reported to take matters into their own hands and wrote letters and requests directly to the president-elect, stating their advice and requests regarding the soon-to-be appointed science and technology adviser.

The Seeker has officially published a list of these organizations, which include the American Astronomical Society, American Chemical Society, and Association of American Universities, to name a few. They all had the same plea, and that was to request the president-elect to take time in making his decision for such a crucial and important role. They have stressed that the leader must have "appropriate engineering, scientific, management and policy skills."

Trump has been known to release quite controversial statements regarding many international issues related to climate change, global warming, and the environment. During his campaign, Trump said that global warming and climate change are both hoaxes, which raised some eyebrows from the scientific community.

In addition, according to Climate Central, Trump said that that funding for climate change, NASA, and other related organizations will be slashed by a huge percentage. Environmentalists, climate change activists, and scientists are worried about what could happen to not only the U.S. but the world in the next four years.
Japanese theme park Space World received public criticism after freezing 5,000 marine creatures into the ice rink, forcing it to hold off all its operations last Sunday.

The amusement park located on the southwestern island of Kyushu which opened early November received flak on Twitter and Facebook where netizens called the gimmick as disrespectful and cruel.

Space World manager Toshimi Takeda told CNN Monday how netizens were upset after seeing the broadcast on television. "We were shocked to hear the reaction as the ice skate rink was very popular since it opened two weeks ago, we had an unprecedented number of visitors," he said.

The concept was part of the Special Winter attraction of the park called "Freezing Port." Different sea creatures were frozen under the sheet of ice and the park's website even advertised the attraction as a "world's first." About 25 different kinds of fish could be seen under the 250-meter-long (820-foot) ice rink. Some of the fishes embedded in the rink were manta rays, crabs, and sharks among others.

In the park's defense, Takeda claims that the fishes used in the rink were already dead and purchased at a local supermarket. In a report from Daily Mail Online, Takeda said the intention was to have "customers to experience the feeling of skating on the sea, but after receiving criticism, we decided that we could not operate it anymore."

Due to the social media uproar, Space World released a public apology on Facebook saying that they will be canceling the event and will hold a memorial service for the dead fishes.

"We apologize to everyone who was offended by the Aquarium of Ice. We will delete related posts." Space World removed all online mentions and pictures of the frozen fishes and ice rink after the Facebook statement.
The Great Barrier Reef is reportedly experiencing its worst damage via coral bleaching by far in history. The culprit is none other than the significant increase in water temperatures, which is record high as well. More than half of the coral population in the northern section has perished, while the central and southern centers have been reported to be in better health.

According to a report from BBC, the sustained increase in temperatures has triggered the corals' expulsion of an algae species known as zooxanthellae. These algae live in the tissues of corals and once they have been released, the coral will turn completely white, thus the name coral bleaching.

So why the big deal out of this? The algae present in the tissues of the coral serve as its primary food source. Once the algae are expelled, the coral will be susceptible to disease and will become ill of health with very limited food source.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this becomes a problem as the vulnerability of the corals could potentially lead them to their death. With the water temperatures higher than it used to be, the estimated recovery for these corals will take a much longer time. In the worst case, they might not be able to recover at all.

If this trend continues, future generations might not be able to witness the beauty of this earth's natural wonder. Enthusiasts and environmentalists from all over the world have exerted efforts in making this problem an international concern, pushing organizations into actions to save the Great Barrier Reef's life.

On the other hand, a report from the Guardian has indicated that even if Australia has been pushing for action for the protection of the natural wonder, funding seems to still be a big problem. If no action is to take place in the near future, the Great Barrier Reef may experience further death or maybe even extinction.
After the controversial Schiaparelli crash on Mars, the European Space Agency has redeemed itself via its Trace Gas Orbited. TGO has sent back its first high-resolution photos of Mars, revealing the astonishing alien Martian landscape.

According to a report from Space.com, the TGO has been orbiting Mars and taking photos since it arrived on the red planet on Oct. 19. TGO was with ESA's Schiaparelli spacecraft, which met its demise when it crash landed on Mars because of a one-second technical glitch.

Using a Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) attached, the TGO managed to capture extremely sharp photos of the Martian surface. In a video released by ESA, the space agency collated all the Martian pictures sent by TGO to give the public a glimpse of what Mars looks like.

BBC notes that the TGO's closest encounter at 250 kilometers with Mars was when it passed by the planet's Hebes Chama region.

"We saw Hebes Chasma at 2.8 metres per pixel. That's a bit like flying over Bern at 15,000km/h and simultaneously getting sharp pictures of cars in Zurich," said Nicolas Thomas, CaSSIS principal investigator, told the outlet.

The first images of Mars sent by the TGO give CaSSIS to build a 3D map of the Martian surface via measuring the surface using soundwaves. The first photos released by ESA looks black and white because the region pictured was a volcanic area where not much colors are present.

"The first images we received are absolutely spectacular  and it was only meant to be a test," said Thomas. "We will have to wait a little until something colorful passes under the spacecraft."

Meanwhile, CaSSIS co-investigator, Antoine Pommerol, said that despite the pressure on ESA after the Schiaparelli's failed landing, the TGO proved that it has been working perfectly.

"We were quite nervous but it looks as though almost everything functioned as we planned it. The resulting images are really sharp," said Pommerol.
Is the U.S. ready for a full-blown war in space? Experts say that the US Military considers the prospect and is gearing up for a potential space warfare by developing weapons that could only exist in science fiction dreams.

According to a CNN documentary to be aired on Tuesday titled War in Space: The Next Battlefield, there's a high possibility that a massive cyber attack could happen. And if it indeed happens, U.S. satellites could be attacked and destroyed, disabling communication throughout the country.

In an interview with CNN Politics, Gen. John Hyten, head of US Strategic Command, said, "As humans go out there, there has always been conflict. Conflict in the Wild West as we move in the West ... conflict twice in Europe for its horrible world wars. So, every time humans actually physically move into that, there's conflict, and in that case, we'll have to be prepared for that."

But during this space wars, who are the potential adversaries of the U.S.? New York Post notes that these could be Russia and China. To note, Russia has successfully created and deployed Kosmos 2499, kamikaze satellites that are designed to be on standby and destroy US satellites if needed.

Meanwhile, for China, Space.com notes that the country has also deployed "Shiyan" satellites. The said satellites have "a prototype manipulator arm to capture other satellites." This special satellite is set to launch in 2020 aboard China's large space station.

Hayden said that the US government is aware of these new technologies and weaponry that could pose as threats to US satellites, such as the International Space Station.

We have very good surveillance and intelligence capabilities, so we can see the threats that are being built. So were developing capabilities to defend ourselves. Its really that simple," he said.

Meanwhile, NASA said in a statement that they are not aware of the reports with regard to the development of space weaponry and is solely focused on a peaceful space exploration.

We are unaware of the report. NASA is dedicated to the peaceful exploration of space, which is a part of the original space act that Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed in 1958," a NASA spokesperson told the New York Post.
San Francisco lawmakers voted on Tuesday to limit how often residents can rent out their homes on short-term rental websites like Airbnb or Home Away, setting the cap at just 60 days per year.

Residents who would like to rent out their home to visitors on a short-term basis  less than 30 days at a time  will only be allowed to do so for a maximum of 60 days per year, according to the new law, which is scheduled to take effect in December.

Currently, individuals can rent out their property for an unlimited amount of time if they remain in the home while they host. If the resident does not stay at the home while it is being rented, hosts may only rent out their homes for a maximum of 90 days per year, according to current law.

Residents wanting to rent out their San Francisco home on a short-term basis must also remain the primary resident of that home and register with the citys Office of Short-Term Rentals, which requires a $250 fee every two years.

Hosts who registered with the city prior to November 16th are not subject to the new restrictions.

Airbnb spokesperson Alex Kotran had previously expressed frustration over the new regulations and what he viewed as the citys flawed registration process for hosts.

We are disappointed on behalf of the thousands of middle class San Franciscans who would be harmed by this arbitrary proposal that does nothing to fix the broken registration system, Kotran said in a statement earlier this month. We remain ready and willing to work with all parties to build a simple registration system that protects housing and enables residents to share their homes without endless red tape.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the new restrictions in a swift 7 to 3 vote Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Ed Lee now has 10 days to veto the law.

Lee would not comment on whether he intends to scrap the legislation, but his press office did provide a brief written statement to the Investigative Unit.

The mayor will review the legislation when it arrives on his desk, the statement said.

Currently, the board is one vote shy of the super-majority needed to override the mayors potential veto.

Supervisors Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, London Breed, Jane Kim, Norman Yee, David Campos, and John Avalos voted in favor of the tighter restrictions. Supervisors Malia Cohen, Katy Tang, and Scott Weiner voted against the measure. Supervisor Mark Farrell abstained.

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Watch the entire series in this NBC Bay Area investigation:
A San Diego-based company is ruffling feathers with a new product: the Modern Nativity, a reimagined, 2016 version of the birth of Jesus, complete with hipster-style Wise Men and all of the bells and whistles of the millennial age.

Touted on the companys Shopify page as the coolest Nativity set youll see all year, the modern-day scene includes Joseph  rocking a man bun and a denim shirt  taking a selfie of his family as he kneels next to baby Jesus in his manger and Mary, who is holding a latte cup and striking a Duck Face pose. The roof of their little stable is equipped with solar panels.

The three Wise Men are all riding Segways  each sporting a trendy style, including suspenders and a bow tie. They come bearing gifts for Jesus, packaged in Amazon Prime boxes. The Nativity also features a teenage shepherd, holding his smartphone and wearing earbuds and skinny jeans. His animals include a sheep clad in a festive holiday sweater and an organic-branded cow chomping on gluten-free feed.

The Modern Nativity is the brainchild of the Wright Brothers, who run their office out of B Street in downtown San Diego. They came up with the Nativity scene back in August and began selling the product, which is priced at $130 per set, about a week ago. In an interview Tuesday, the brothers told NBC 7 they've sold several hundred sets daily since launching their product.

But despite the high volume of sales, not everyone likes the Modern Nativity.

The creators said some people are criticizing the product for being sacrilegious and mocking the story of Christmas.

Weve gotten everything from, Oh, youre going to Hell to You guys are totally reinventing the way we think about Christmas, Modern Nativity co-founder Casey Wright told NBC 7.

The Wrights are also being called out by millennials and hipsters who dont agree with how the Nativity characters were styled.

Wright told NBC 7 he and his brother were raised in a Christian household and the product is all in good fun, and was not designed to offend those who are religious.

In San Diego, some residents told NBC 7 they found the Modern Navity hilarious, while some found the idea of the reimagined scene disrespectful.

"I believe it's offensive and we have to respect each others' beliefs and religion," said one San Diegan.

"I think it's cool. Definitely modern day," said another passerby. "I'm not offended at all."

NBC 7 reached out to the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego for comment on this product. Diocese spokesperson Kevin Eckery said this: "We don't really have anything to say. We're not interested in promoting controversy to help their product."
A new multimillion-dollar data system in Alameda County court was supposed to be a money-saver and a life-saver. Now it's being called a disaster.

The public defender says countless people are suffering as a result of the faulty system.

One 24-year-old Fremont man said he was wrongly arrested by police in front of his parents and his neighbors.

"I did everything I'm supposed to, and this happens; I get blindsided," said the man, who did not wish to be identified.

An Alameda County Superior Court judge dismissed the man's misdemeanor drug offense case after the man completed a drug treatment program. But that ruling didn't get recorded in the county's new data system, so police came to the man's Fremont home and arrested him.

"Who's responsible for this? Why aren't they taking responsibility to fix it? the man asked.

The Fremont man is not alone, according to Public Defender Brendon Woods. He said ever since the court began using its new Odyssey data system in August, countless defendants have been paying the price.

"When you have people arrested illegally, when you have people who are being held in custody longer than they should, it is just absolutely atrocious," Woods said.

In some cases, drug offenses have been recorded as sex offenses and misdemeanors as felonies, Woods said.

"I can't really describe in words how terrible this is and the devastating impacts this is going to have on so many people who come through the system," he said.

The court's Executive Officer Chad Finke acknowledges the $4.5 million Odyssey system is more cumbersome than they expected, resulting in a slew of problems.

"We don't have the staffing we need to keep up in real time," Finke said. "We're creating mountains of backlogs that we're trying to work through."

Finke offered an apology to the people who have been affected, saying, "we're trying to fix it and trying to learn from each one of these incidents."

But for the Fremont man, sorry doesn't cut it. He said he spent a day in jail, spent $1,500 on bail and suffered humiliation.

"All I have is 'I'm sorry' from the judge, that's it," he said.
The Oakland City Council voted to renew its status as a city of refuge on Tuesday night, and called on Gov. Jerry Brown to make California a sanctuary state.

About 100 people held a candlelight rally outside City Hall. Dozens lined up to speak at the meeting in support of the resolution.

Assemblyman Rob Bonta promised to continue fighting in Sacramento for laws that protect immigrants who follow the rules, like the state law that provides licenses for undocumented drivers.

As Oakland and the East Bay goes, so goes California, Bonta said.

School board member Rosie Torres said her heart was aching for the many students in the Oakland Unified School District who recently immigrated to the city to escape intolerable conditions. And this is how we greet them? This is not who we are, she said, referring to President-elect Donald Trump's promise to pull federal funds from sanctuary cities.

Torres said the school board would consider voting on making the districts schools into sanctuary schools.

If the Trump administration follows through on its threat to pull federal funding from cities that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities, Oakland stands to lose $140 million that goes to preschools, homeless shelters, and meals for seniors.

The Sanctuary Movement was born in the 1980s in churches and synagogues that sheltered Central American immigrants who fled unrest and violence but werent given refugee status because of Cold War politics.

Oakland has been a sanctuary city since 1986, when it declared itself to be a refuge for immigrants from conflicts in Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti and South Africa. The city reaffirmed its status in 2007.

Former mayor Jean Quan remembered how law enforcement asked her to renew its sanctuary policy then, so they could conduct outreach and better protect immigrant communities.

"That resolution made the whole city safer. This time, it's a broader issue -- not just safety, but democracy itself that we're defending," she said.

Supporters argue that sanctuary policies allow undocumented immigrants to come forward without fear of deportation and help law enforcement solve crimes and protect their neighborhoods.

San Franciscos sanctuary policies came under scrutiny last year when an undocumented immigrant was charged with murdering Kate Steinle. Francisco Lopez-Sanchez was released roon a marijuana charge despite a request to turn him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

In 2013, California passed the Trust Act, which allows jails to limit compliance with ICE.
A permit to shoot and possibly kill a mountain lion was granted to a ranch owner in the mountains above Malibu Monday, when a state game warden determined the lion was the culprit in the killing of a dozen farm animals over the weekend.

Ten alpaca were killed at one ranch near Mulholland Highway at Decker Canyon Road Saturday. At a second, nearby location, one goat and another alpaca were torn apart Sunday.

The warden determined the animals were killed by a mountain lion, and a male named P-45 was "strongly suspected" to have been the culprit, said California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Houghan.

A depredation order was issued late in the afternoon, under a state law that allows a person to shoot a mountain lion if it has been killing livestock or pets.

"We were notified by the state this afternoon," said Kate Kuykendall, acting superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area told Malibu radio station KBUU. "We can confirm that P-45 was in the area (of the attacks)."

Federal biologists have been studying and tracking the 10-15 mountain lions believed to live in the mountains bounded by the Ventura (101) Freeway to the north, the San Diego (405) Freeway to the east, Ventura County farmland to the west and urban development or the ocean to the south.

Mountain lions are not endangered or protected in California, but the lions living in the Santa Monica Mountains are cut off from the rest of the animals by freeways.

Although federal parks officials have been encouraging efforts to accommodate the mountain lions, it falls to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to handle wayward cats that attack livestock. The state's policy is to not trap and relocate wayward lions, but to allow them to be killed.

"The lion is obviously killing for sport -- not food," said Mary-Dee Rickards, who lies on a nearby ranch, in a statement to KBUU radio.

"I know everyone who lives up here not only respects but enjoys the beautiful wildlife," she said. "But this has gone beyond a peaceful co-existence with the animals."

Rickards is one of several people who live within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area who have lost animals to the cat.

Residents in the scattered homes and rugged territory off Mulholland Highway at Decker Canyon Road blame the one cougar, P-45, for killing sheep and alpaca kept as pets on ranches. One horse was badly injured, allegedly by P-45, several months ago.

P-45 is wearing a functioning radio location transmitter, and the National Park Service biologists who track him believe he is 4 years old. He was tagged with a radio transmitter and blood tested several years ago, and is biologically not related to the other mountain lions who have been trapped and tested in the mountains.

The apparent cougar attacks come as federal park rangers are trying to improve the bloodlines of the mountain lions near Malibu, who are trapped by freeways in a 40-mile long, 15-mile wide wedge of wild mountains between Los Angeles and Camarillo. Other cougars have shown signs of inbreeding and the lack of genetic diversity has lead biologists to conclude the pack of cats in the park are doomed to die out within 50 years.

Two weeks ago, state Wildlife Commission officials approved a $7.1 million land acquisition along the Ventura (101) Freeway west of Calabasas. Mountain lion advocates are hoping to build a landscaped wildlife bridge over the freeway to allow the cats to pass back and forth to mountains near Simi Valley and in central California.

On Wednesday, federal rangers have scheduled a "Living In Mountain Lion Country" seminar for residents of the Santa Monica Mountains to learn how to void conflicts with the mountain lions. That meeting is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the NPS Paramount Ranch movie set, 2903 Cornell Road, in Agoura Hills.

Rickards said mountain residents want to attend the meeting and press the NPS and state game wardens to trap and relocate troublesome cougars, rather than let problem cougars develop a habit of killing livestock, and forcing residents to kill them.

Residents in the sparsely-settled and rugged mountains above Malibu have been complaining for weeks that the adult male cat known as P-45 was getting more and more brazen. Attacks have been rare, as mountain lions generally shun people and their animals, and eat deer.

Many ranchers have shipped their livestock out of the mountains since P-45 was suspected of eating alpaca, sheep and barnyard animals kept as pets.

But other Malibu residents have noted that the lions were in the mountains first, and that people with livestock should build protective enclosures for their animals.
Two San Francisco dog owners accused of forcing their pets to attack wild animals were arrested last week, police said.

Kelvin Johnson, 28, and Jasmine Marshall, 23, face felony animal cruelty charges after various social media posts reveal the tandem's dogs killing racoons, squirrels, rats, rabbits, an egret and a seagull, police said.

Discovered footage also depicts the pair training their canines to commit harm, police said.

Both suspects were booked into San Francisco County Jail, police said. In addition to the felony animal cruelty charge, Johnson and Marshall both face a felony conspiracy charge. Johnson was also apprehended for a probation violation.

The investigation into the animal cruelty case began on Oct. 5, police said.
San Francisco is being asked to anti up millions of dollars to protect undocumented immigrants.

Supervisor David Campos is pushing a proposal to spend $5 million a year on lawyers for people facing deportation.

During a rally Tuesday afternoon in support of the proposal, Campos told the crowd he came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant.

"We want president-elect Donald Trump to know that there is nothing more American than immigration," Campos said.

The $5 million a year would pay for 10 lawyers and support staff administered by the public defender.

"It's a shame that there are 1,600 people in detention proceedings in San Francisco and thousands more around the country who don't have a right to a lawyer," San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi said.

Isolda Matamoros, 31 and of Nicaragua, was one of those detained in 2014.

"I had been deported before when I was 9 years old, so I was getting a really serious charge," Matamoros said.

But after a month behind bars, Matamoros' cousin got her a lawyer and she was freed.

"Without my lawyer I wouldn't be here today," she said.

Matamoros spoke at the rally outside San Francisco City Hall and told the crowd when you are locked up there is nobody looking out for you.

Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer and a member of the Republican National Committee, said the proposal is a bad idea.

"I don't think it's the place of our Board of Supervisors to use public tax money to defend violations of the law and that's really what we're talking about here," Dhillon said.

Sanctuary cities have generally come to mean a city where local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Spending tax dollars to defend undocumented immigrants is a step beyond that traditional meaning, but New York City has already done it.

San Francisco would be the second city in the country if the proposal is approved.
Stash your cash in the Public Bank of Oakland? With the city council exploring a proposal to open a public bank, it could be possible. And it would provide a place for marijuana moguls to do their banking.

Oakland council members Rebecca Kaplan, Dan Kalb and Abel Guillen want the city to cut ties with big banks and start a public bank.

The resolution that passed unanimously Tuesday night is just the first of many steps to see if this could happen in Oakland or the East Bay, Kalb said. But the resolution was endorsed by dozens of local organizations.

This is a beauitiful example of responding to injustice broadly by building solid institutaions locally, Kaplan said, referring to the election of Donald Trump.

A public bank would provide an alternative, allowing Oakland to avoid doing business with big banks like Wells Fargo, which was fined by government regulators for fraudulently opening millions of bank accounts. Oakland doesnt currently do business with the third largest bank in the country. Most of its accounts are with Chase.

"This is just another reason why Oakland should create a public bank  so the City can divest from its relationship with Chase," said Oakland resident Susan Harman during a public comment period.

A public bank could fund affordable housing, invest in small businesses, and take deposits from marijuana businesses.

Matt Hummel, Chair of the Oakland Cannabis Regulatory Commission, reported that the commission fully supports the idea of a public bank for Oakland because of its potential benefits for the cannabis industry.

With the passage of Prop. 64, cannabis is legal in California. But its still classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the federal government, so federally regulated banks cant accept deposits earned from the legal sale of a drug thats illegal under federal law.

Kaplan said her staff is working with Richmond and other cities to consider a regional public bank.

Santa Rosa is also looking into founding a public bank to serve the North Coast. Santa Fe, NM and Philadelphia are also considering public banks. For almost a century, North Dakota has had a public bank.

The resolution directs the city administrator to report back on how much it would cost the city to study public banking, gather input from the public and contractors, and report back on what would be needed to start a public bank. The bank would operate independently, but not as a retail bank so it could avoid some regulations and reduce costs.
Authorities say a Vermont couple who bought drugs Massachusetts overdosed in an idling car with their children inside.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jacob Davis and 32-year-old Tamara Bruce, both of Manchester Center, were arraigned Monday. Davis was charged with operating under the influence of drugs and Bruce was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.

Police in Lawrence told The Eagle-Tribune a person walking by saw them in the idling car and thought they were dead over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The children were placed in the custody of the state's child welfare agency.

Davis and Bruce were ordered to be held on $2,500 bail.

Their next court date is Dec. 29 for a pre-trial hearing. It's unclear if they have attorneys.
For years, residents of the Ida B. Wells housing project on Chicagos South Side complained they were being shaken down, in some cases even framed, by a group of corrupt police officers led by Sgt. Ronald Watts.

One of them, a man named Ben Baker, went to prison for 10 years, insisting he had been set up by Watts and his crew.

The law eventually caught up with Watts. He and a fellow officer, Kallat Mohammed, were convicted of the very behavior Baker said had ensnared him. Baker was set free. And now, a new effort is being made to determine if others are serving time after likewise being set up by the same group of officers.

Theres massive evidence now thats accumulated over years, that this rogue crew of officers had a massive criminal enterprise, says journalist Jamie Kalven, who filed the petition Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. Protecting drug dealers that paid them off, targeting others, providing drugs that they seized to their own drug lines.

Indeed, two Chicago Police officers, Shannon Spalding and Daniel Echeverria said they uncovered the corruption at Ida B. Wells and tried to expose it. The two officers said they faced retaliation within the department, and won a $2 million whistleblower lawsuit against the City of Chicago earlier this year.

Part of their MO was to coerce cooperation by threatening false arrest, threatening to frame people, and they often did that, Kalven said. Some of these officers are still on the force, so there are so many open questions.

To answer some of those questions, Kalvens attorney Joshua Tepfer filed a petition requesting the appointment of a Special Master, to investigate the possibility of other tainted convictions obtained through arrests by Watts and officers working under his command.

Lets find out the cases Watts touched, Tepfer said, and the people who were working for him, cases that we know, for a decade, he was engaging in corrupt practices.

The appointment of so-called Special Masters is rare. The most notable example was two years ago, when Loyola Law School Dean David Yellen was appointed to investigate claims of coerced confessions at the hands of disgraced Chicago Police commander John Burge.

Our sense, suggests that there is a large scandal within the Department, as yet undetonated, Kalven said. If we are going to have meaningful reform in this city, this sort of information has to come out and be made fully public.

In making the request, Tepfer included repeated references from the FBIs own internal files, referencing Watts alleged illegal activity.

Watts gets IBW drug dealers to pay him to work in the housing project, one report quoted an informant in September of 2004. If the payments are made to Watts, he will in turn allow the drug dealers to continue to sell drugs.

Another FBI report, from January of 2007 stated, Watts, along with other members of his team, routinely used their positions as police officers to extort individuals at Ida B. Wells.

Everything we say, practically, in the petition, are quotes from law enforcement documents, Tepfer said.

The Cook County States Attorneys office and City of Chicago declined comment.
Ald. Ameya Pawar told Politico Tuesday that he may challenge Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Illinois' 2018 gubernatorial election.

Im not ready to say Im in, but Im close, Pawar said.

The Democrat, who first ran for 47th Ward alderman in 2011, would face an uphill battle against Rauner, who would likely hold a strong fundraising advantage.

In 2011, I ran for office and people laughed at me, Pawar told Politico. I took on the machine and I beat it.

Nevertheless, Pawar's $58,000 in campaign funds pales in comparison to the governors reported $188 million in gross income from 2015.

During the Politico interview, Pawar said he was partially inspired to run to counter the divisive, partisan tone and tenor of the recent election cycle. In addition, he said the current political climate lacks statesmanship."

"Weve had a set of politics pitting one group against another. I dont think thats productive, Pawar said. I think its time we have a progressive campaign governor.

Pawar claimed he has no real ties to the states Democratic power structure, noting that he has only met House Speaker Michael Madigan once. In the past election cycle, Rauner and his political allies spent millions in an attempt to link Democratic candidates to the powerful speaker.

The alderman will reportedly make his final decision about a potential run in the near future. According to the Politico report, hes weighing the prospect as he and his wife raise their infant daughter.

Pawar joins a growing list of potential Democratic challengers to Rauner that already includes Rep. Robin Kelly and state Sen. Kwame Raoul, who have both expressed interest.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the list of potential candidates also includes Gov. Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, state Treasurer Michael Frerichs, and state Sen. Daniel Biss. Additionally, Rep. Cheri Bustos name has also been floated.

On top of the list of established politicians, a pair of big-pocketed political newcomers, billionaire J.B. Pritzker and businessman Chris Kennedy, have also reportedly expressed interest in challenging the governor in 2018. During Tuesday's interview, Pawar admitted that he couldn't compete with their wealth, but pointed out that he ran a succesful aldermanic campaign on a shoestring budget in 2011.

"There's a tendency to throw a bunch of money at the problem, throw money at the airwaves and crucify one another," Pawar told Politico. "There's isn't a lot of going out and talking to one another."

I dont worship wealth and Im not scared of wealth," he added.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke says there should be a fifth star on the iconic Chicago flagand shes asked Mayor Rahm Emanuel to make it happen.

Burke made the request Tuesday morning, on Emanuels birthday, during a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

"Perhaps a fitting way to emphasize the role of Chicago in the International Special Olympics movement would be to add a fifth star, Mr. Mayor, to our flag for all the world to see and to celebrate the birth of Special Olympics," Burke said to Emanuel.

She also noted the organization, of which she is a co-founder, would turn 50 in 2018.

The request prompted applause from aldermen, including Burkes husband Ald. Edward Burke.

The Chicago Tribune noted that Emanuel wasnt clapping, though a spokesperson later told the paper he laughed and applauded.
Police are searching for a driver whose truck crashed into a Gold Coast neighborhood storefront early Wednesday.

The crash happened at 2:23 a.m. in the 500 block of North Lake Shore Drive, according to Chicago Police.

A pickup could be seen crashed through the front of Cort Furniture Rental in that block.

Witnesses told investigators that the driver ran away and abandoned the truck, police said. Nothing was reported stolen from the store.
After House Speaker Michael Madigan failed to show up to a Tuesday budget meeting with Gov. Bruce Rauner and other state leaders, the Illinois Republican Party launched a blog attacking his web of influence over fellow Democrats.

The Boss Madigan website faults the speaker for 45 years of failure in the Illinois legislature, criticizing him for allegedly wanting to raise taxes without seeking job-creating economic reforms.

Mike Madigan has presided over Illinois demise, the blog reads. Madigan was first elected to the legislature in 1971. Over nearly five decades, Madigan has pushed destructive policies that caused massive job losses, record income tax hikes, the highest property taxes in the country and the worst state pension crisis in America.

The blog also slams three Democratic state representatives, Brandon Phelps, Sam Yingling and Jerry Costello, for their loyalty to Rauner. The GOP-hosted site faults the lawmakers for voting alongside Madigan and accepting campaign contributions from the speakers political machine." Madigan currently serves as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

In response to the attacks, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said Rauner and the Republicans were trying to divert attention from their agenda.

It all looks like theyre in disarray right now because their plan for Rauner to have a lame duck tax increase looks like its getting derailed, Brown told Ward Room. And so I think they decided to roll out this new attack on Madigan as a way to kind of distract people from what looks like is gonna be a big failure by them.

He explained that Speaker Madigan tried to reschedule Tuesday's leaders meeting for the afternoon, to no avail. Nevertheless, Rauner, Madigan and the states other party leaders met Wednesday morning.

"A lot of people fixate on these meetings, Brown said. Im not sure its worth the fixation or that the meetings necessarily are terribly productive.

A lot of people are reporting this is all about the budget and as these meetings go on, nobody even talks about the budget, he added.

Instead, Brown claimed leaders were tackling other issues in the meetings, like term limits. Following Wednesday's meeting, Republican leaders faulted Madigan for focusing only on the budget and not reforms.

"As of today, I see no interest on behalf of the speaker to incorporate reforms into finding a way to break the budget impasse and that's very disappointing," House Republican Leader Jim Durkin told reporters.

The states stopgap funding compromise expires at the end of the year. Rauner has repeatedly pushed for a full, balanced budget, dismissing the prospect of another short-term fix. If a deal isnt reached, important state functions, like higher education and social services, would continue to be affected.

Rauner, Madigan and the state's other party leaders will meet again Thursday and Friday. During Wednesday's press conference, Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno addressed her party's attacks against Speaker Madigan.

"Grow up," Radogno told reporters. "This is a job, it's politics, it's rough and tumble. [Madigan] was a little snarky today that I wasn't around or the governor was in Rome. That doesn't help the people of Illinois."

"Let's grow up and deal with the problems," she added.
The Illinois House failed to override Gov. Bruce Rauners veto of an automatic voter registration bill Tuesday.

The Illinois Senate voted to override Rauners veto earlier this month. However, the House voted 67-47 Tuesday, falling four votes short of the 71 yeas needed for an override.

Under the proposed legislation, Illinoisans could have automatically registered to vote by seeking out state services, like getting a new or updated drivers license. Rauner vetoed the bill in August.

Unfortunately, as currently drafted, the bill would inadvertently open the door to voter fraud and run afoul of federal election law, Rauner said at the time. We will continue working with the legislature and key stakeholders on language that meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.

In his veto message to lawmakers, Rauner claimed the bill's potential negative consequences "could be injurious to our election system."

On Tuesday, several Republicans who originally voted in favor of the bill claimed the measure needed more work, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Democrats and other proponents have argued that the bill would enable a more modern, secure, and cost-efficient voting system in the state.
Authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest after someone started a fire inside a Wal-Mart store in west suburban Naperville.

About 9:15 p.m. Nov. 7, the blaze broke out in the fabric department of the store at 2552 W. 75th St., according to Naperville Crime Stoppers.

Naperville police released surveillance images of four teens seen in the store near the fire who were wanted for questioning. The four, who were not considered suspects, had been identified and were cooperating with the investigation Tuesday night, police said.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at (630) 420-6006. Callers may remain anonymous.
One of the two inmates who broke out of jail in Santa Clara County, California, using bedsheets to rappel down to the ground the day before Thanksgiving was apprehended late Tuesday without incident in Antioch.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 26-year-old Laron Desean Campbell was captured. Sources told NBC News Campbell was arrested by U.S. Marshals.

Authorities continue to search for the other escaped inmate, 33-year-old Rogelio Chavez of San Jose. Earlier on Tuesday, sheriff's deputies swarmed an east San Jose neighborhood looking for one of the inmates, and over the weekend, they had stormed a Gilroy Days Inn, hoping to find Chavez.

Campbell will be booked into Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County and then will be transported back to the Santa Clara County Main Jail, sources said.

Cassidy Ahern said she witnessed Campbell's arrest: "I was on my balcony, I was hanging out with my friends and we saw all the lights out there and we went down to see what was going on.

The sheriff's office has planned a news conference for late Wednesday morning at its headquarters to provide further details of Campbell's arrest.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Campbell and Chavez made a daring escape from Santa Clara County Main Jail on Thanksgiving Eve, using bedsheets to rappel down their second-story jail cell window.

Massive Manhunt For Escaped Santa Clara County Jail Fugitives

Chavez stands about 6 feet tall, weighs 190 pounds and has the letter B tattooed on the left side of his neck. He also has a line tattooed over his left eye.

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Rich Glennon said Chavez was held since Aug. 17 on various charges including burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest and firearms violations.

Ahern, who saw Campbell being taken into custody, said she wishes the whole ordeal would be over.

Its kind of scary," she said, "I mean, when youre just sitting outside and you dont expect that kind of thing to happen with all the officers and cop cars and its kind of nerve wracking.
A Charlotte police officer who shot and killed a black man at an apartment complex will not face charges, a North Carolina prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray said Officer Brentley Vinson's actions in killing Keith Lamont Scott were justified.

Scott's family has said he was not armed.

However, at a lengthy news conference Murray displayed a nearby store's surveillance video showing the outline of what appeared to be a holstered gun on Scott's ankle, and he gave extensive details about other evidence that Scott was armed.

Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg said it's clear Scott had a firearm but "there is no definitive prove that Keith had a firearm in his hand" when he was shot by police.

Plainclothes officers had gone to the complex about 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 looking for a suspect with an outstanding warrant when they saw Scott  not the suspect they were looking for  inside a car with a gun and marijuana, department spokesman Keith Trietley has said in a statement.

Officers saw Scott get out of the car with a gun and then get back in, police said. When officers approached, they said, Scott exited the car with the gun again. At that point, officers deemed Scott a threat and Vinson fired his weapon.

Scott, 43, was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center. An autopsy report from Mecklenburg County authorities says Scott died of gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen.

In a statement, the Scott family thanked the district attorney's office for their explanation of why charges were not brought, but said they were "profoundly disappointed" with the decision.

"We are profoundly disappointed in their decision not to criminally charge Officer Brantley Vinson for his actions in take the life of Keith Lamont Scott," the statement read.

"All our family wanted was justice and for these members of law enforcement to understand that what they did was wrong," the statement continued.

Vinson, who is also black, had been with the department for two years at the time of the shooting. He has been on administrative leave which is standard in police shootings.

At a Wednesday news conference, Murray played a nearby store's surveillance video that appeared to show the outline of a gun in a holster on Scott's right ankle.

Body camera and dashcam recordings released earlier by the police department did not conclusively show that and city officials were criticized for the length of time it took to release police video of the shooting.

Scott's final moments also were recorded by his wife, Rakeyia, in a video shared widely on social media. She can be heard shouting to police that her husband "doesn't have a gun." She pleads with the officers not to shoot before a burst of gunfire can be heard.

The shooting led to two nights of violent protests, including a fatal shooting in downtown Charlotte the next night. The unrest gave way to several more days of largely peaceful demonstrations, and the city instituted a curfew for multiple nights.

In October, police in North Carolina's largest city invited the Police Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C., to review its policies and procedures following the shooting.

The foundation has done similar reviews elsewhere, assessing police in St. Louis County, Missouri, after the unrest in Ferguson, and analyzing the response to the terror attack in San Bernardino, California.

The case was among a series across the country since mid-2014 that has spurred a national debate over race and policing.

A trial is underway in Charleston, South Carolina, for a since-fired white patrolman, Michael Slager, facing 30 years to life if convicted of murder in the death last year of a black man, Walter Scott, shot while running from a traffic stop in April.

A Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile during a July traffic stop remains free as a manslaughter case against him proceeds.

Deaths of other unarmed black males at the hands of law enforcement officers have inspired protests under the "Black Lives Matter" moniker.

The Black Lives Matter movement traces its roots to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, and gained national ground after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014.

Bamberg said the family is asking the community to protest peacefully in response to the prosecutor's announcement and doesn't encourage violence.
Two Connecticut residents are facing felony charges after allegedly stealing more than $1,000 worth of products at Yankee Candle Village over Thanksgiving weekend.

Police in Deerfield, Massachusetts, say the pair, whose names have not yet been released, were first noticed by Yankee Candle staff as they were smuggling the candles out of the store in canvas bags.

Staff members attempted to stop them, but the two fled in a vehicle. The employees were able to get an exact license plate number and vehicle description, and then alerted police.

The pair was ultimately stopped by Whately police as the suspects were turning on I-91 southbound, and Deerfield police say officers were able to recover all of the stolen products.

Deerfield police say they're seeking felony larceny charges against the Connecticut residents.
Two New Haven men suspected in burglaries are in custody after crashing into a police SUV on Interstate 95 in Milford this morning and officers are searching for one more person who ran from the car.

Police said they received a call around 5 a.m. about a suspicious van on Naugatuck Avenue, in an area where burglars have been reported. The caller said the van was idling and it appeared people were loading the vehicle.

Officers went to investigate, but the driver fled abruptly, so the officer alerted other officers about the vehicle and one officer spotted the van at Naugatuck and Bridgeport avenues and followed it at a low speed to Boston Post Road.

Other police, including the K9 unit, were on the lookout on I-95 and the driver in the van lost control, spun out and hit a police SUV on I-95 near exit 39, police said.

Three people who were in the van ran and officers soon caught up with two of them, but the other remains at large.

Police arrested 20-year-old Kelvin Quintero and 20-year-old Noel Figueroa-Flores, both of New Haven.

Both were taken to the hospital because one sustained minor injuries in the crash and police said Qunitero was also bitten by a police dog. Their injuries are minor and neither the officer nor the police dog were hurt.

They have been charged with third-degree larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, third-degree burglary, third-degree conspiracy to commit burglary and interfering with arrest.

Quintero is being held on $225,500 bond and Figueroa-Flores is being held on $210,500 bond .

The arrests come a day after police issued a warning about shed and garage break-ins in town and police said the van was loaded with stolen household items believed to belong to two victims.

Police said burglars have broken into around 12 sheds and garages in two weeks and stolen items, including snowblowers, chainsaws, generators, weed whackers and more.
Milford police are searching for the man who robbed a bank this morning.

A man robbed at Webster Bank, at 314 Merwin Ave., around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to police.

He approached the teller and passed a note saying, This is a robber, give me all the large bills in the draw, according to a news release from police.

He didnt show a weapon and walked out the back door with the cash and went toward Dunbar Road.

Police searched for the man, but lost him when the track ended at Dunbar Road and New Haven Avenue. Police believe he fled in a vehicle from there.

Police are looking for a man in his late 20s or early 30s with a medium build and facial hair. He is around 5-feet-5 to 5-feet-7 and was wearing a gray winter cap and sunglasses, a gray and black hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Gillian Gallagher at (203) 783-4762, email ggallagher@ci.milford.ct.us or submit a tip online.

The Connecticut Bankers Reward Association is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
The United Technologies (UTC) owned air conditioner-maker Carrier will keep up to 1,000 jobs in Indiana could have a lasting impact more than 800 miles away in Connecticut.

President-elect Donald Trump had said via Twitter on Thanksgiving that he was working with Carrier and UTC to keep the companys plant that was slated to be moved to Mexico in Indiana. The move had been announced back in February of this year.

The fear in corporate circles was that the incoming Trump administration could leverage its position of purchasing power against UTC when it came to Carrier and UTCs jet engine producing subsidiary, Pratt and Whitney.

UTC netted nearly $6 billion in profits in 2015, with much of that attributable to the production of engines by Pratt and Whitney for the US Military. There was concern that Trump would hold orders over UTCs head in order to protect jobs in a different division where it made political sense.

Pratt and Whitney is considered a pillar of the aerospace industry, but perhaps more importantly, its part of the bedrock of Connecticuts fragile economy.

Overall, UTC employs more than 14,000 people in Connecticut, and Pratt alone ad announced plans earlier in the Fall to add and about 8,000 new jobs in the state over the next decade. There is already a multi-year backlog on orders for the US and other international clients.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said of the notion, The idea that youre going to stop buying jet engines from Pratt and Whitney in order to punish Carrier for moving jobs, its just ridiculous.

Carrier confirmed in a tweet that it had struck a deal, and CNBC reported that it was struck mainly with the help of Indiana Governor and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence. CNBC also reported that Trump would travel to Indianapolis on Thursday.
United Technologies has reached an agreement with President-elect Donald Trump to keep close to 1,000 factory jobs at Carriers Indianapolis plant in the United States, the company confirmed Tuesday evening in a tweet.

A source tells CNBC's David Faber that Trump will visit Indiana Thursday for an event with Carrier to unveil the deal, which includes new inducements from the state. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the former Indiana governor, who spear-headed the agreement, is also expected attend the event alongside company officials.

Trump confirmed the meeting on Twitter late Tuesday, promising a "Great deal for workers!"

The details of the agreement were unclear.

In Feburary, the air conditioner-maker said it would close its Indianapolis plant and move 1,400 jobs to Mexico on a three-year timetable. United Technologies Electronic Controls also announced earlier this year that it planned to move its Huntington manufacturing operations to a new plant in Mexico, costing the northeastern Indiana city 700 jobs by 2018, The Associated Press reported.

During the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly cited the decision by Carrier and it's parent company, United Technologies, as an example of the types of "bad" trade deals brokered by Democrats that hurt U.S. workers.

Trump vowed to pressure Carrier to stay in the U.S. if elected president, and last week said he was "making progress" on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana.

I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S. (Indiana). MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon! Trump tweeted.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Trump to use United Technologies' defense contracts with the U.S. government as leverage in negotiations, urging his supporters and Trump's Rust Belt base to hold the president-elect accountable "to make sure that he keeps this promise."

"I call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico," Sanders wrote in a statement on Saturday.

The Hartford, Connecticut-based company saw $6.8 billion in federal government contracts in 2015, $6.7 billion of which came through the Department of Defense. Its Pratt & Whitney division supplies the engines for several planes and fighters for the Air Force, the New York Times reported.
After nearing collapse under the Obama administration, the for-profit college industry is celebrating Donald Trump's election as a chance for a rebound.

As stock prices for some of the nation's largest college chains have surged, industry lobbyists say they have received a warm welcome from Trump's transition team and already have launched a campaign to rebrand the embattled industry as a key to the new president's plan for economic growth.

While Trump has yet to detail his education plan, some in the for-profit sector see the president-elect as an ally who has championed the private sector and promised to roll back many of President Barack Obama's regulations.

Industry lobbyists hope those include federal "gainful employment" rules, which can cut funding to academic programs whose graduates struggle to pay off student debt, and new borrower defense rules that can force financially unstable schools to put up large sums of money to cover student loans if the school fails.

"Unfortunately, the focus in the last eight years has been fighting for survival from an ideological administration that was opposed to our very existence, and hopefully that is a fight we will no longer have to wage," said Steve Gunderson, president of the industry lobbying group Career Education Colleges and Universities and a former Republican congressman.

Gunderson said that early conversations with Trump's transition team showed promise for a smoother relationship with the White House.

"They absolutely see a place for postsecondary career education which is not exclusively constructed around just four-year liberal-arts programs," Gunderson said.

Trump's transition team did not respond to requests for comment.

The for-profit college industry has suffered steep enrollment losses since 2010. Many schools blame Obama, whose administration has cracked down on schools accused of fraud and added new regulations that officials say were meant to protect students from abuse.

In September, the ITT Technical Institute chain shut down after the federal government mostly barred it from enrolling new students as a sanction for academic troubles. A month later, the Apollo Education Group, owner of the University of Phoenix, told investors that it might not survive the policies of another Democratic president.

Trump, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, spoke little about for-profit colleges during his campaign. His pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is known for promoting charter schools and school vouchers but has less of a track record when it comes to higher education.

Still, critics expect that Trump will loosen the reins on for-profit colleges, and some see parallels between those schools and the Republican's now-defunct Trump University. This month, Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle three fraud lawsuits filed against his Trump University real-estate seminars, although he didn't admit fault.

Ben Miller, senior director for postsecondary education at the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, said it's revealing that the industry is celebrating someone accused of misconduct "that resembles the worst practices of that industry."

But Miller and other critics doubt the sector will see a major rebound because its image has already been tarnished.

To repair its reputation, Gunderson's group is rebranding the industry as a key to Trump's plan for economic growth. This month, the schools Gunderson represents promised to train 5 million skilled workers over the next decade, echoing Trump's promise to create 25 million jobs in that span.

"Our sector needs to reintroduce ourselves to the policymakers," Gunderson said.

Four-year for-profit colleges enrolled an estimated 1.1 million undergraduates in spring 2016, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, a nonprofit research group.

The DeVry Education Group said in a statement that it will work with the administration and "offer suggestions and reforms." Shares in the parent company of DeVry University jumped 30 percent in the weeks after Trump's election, to their highest value in more than a year.

Other for-profit colleges declined to comment.

Students who attend for-profit colleges are typically older and poorer than their peers at four-year universities, and more often they're minorities, according to federal data. Industry backers say that's because for-profit schools offer accelerated programs with flexible schedules for working adults. Opponents say it's because they lure low-income students with aggressive tactics.

A study released by the Education Department this month found that graduates of public colleges earned an average of $9,000 a year more than their counterparts at for-profit colleges. Gunderson's group countered with another study projecting that the sector could produce 8.5 million professionals over the next decade.

Those offering recent support to the industry include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a close adviser to Trump who is making a case to be the president-elect's strategic planner. At a recent event in Dallas for Gunderson's group, Gingrich urged the next administration to embrace for-profit schools in its education plan.

"They have an opportunity to try to create a movement, to create 8.5 million new jobs, which gets precisely at what Donald Trump has been campaigning on," Gingrich said in an interview.

Gingrich, who is personal friends with Gunderson, added that he believes some of Obama's major regulations targeting the industry will be scaled back.

"I expect them to be dramatically modified," Gingrich said. "They were impossible to administer and they simply set up rules designed to force schools into bankruptcy."
This is how you remind people to not drive drunk, according to a small-town Canadian police department: Nickelback.

This weekend, the Kensington Police Service of Prince Edward Island posted a picture to Facebook of the Canadian rock group's 2001 cassette "Silver Side Up," along with a playful threat to open it in the event of arresting drunk drivers.

Know that the Kensington Police Service will be out for the remainder of [the] year looking for those dumb enough to feel they can drink and drive, the post said. And when we catch you, and we will catch you, on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a years driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the offices copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.

The Kensington police referred to this offering as the drinking and driving gift - Christmas bonus edition. The post, which was later deleted, also warned drivers to drink responsibly and advised them to make transportation plans ahead of holiday parties.

Facebook / Screenshot

Nickelback is known for an aggressive, hard rock sound that's earned six Grammy nominations, but also made the band something of a punch line to many. A 2013 poll of 830 Americans found the band slightly more popular than deeply maligned Congress, and last year police in Australia put out a wanted poster on Facebook, saying the band committed "crimes against music," according to the CBC.

The Kensington police Facebook post received plenty of feedback, much of it positive, and even replied to some of the comments.

"Doesn't the Geneva Convention specifically forbid 'cruel and unusual punishment,'" one user joked.

"Not if we play it softly," cops retorted.

The department did clarify that they do not, in fact, hate Nickelback, but were looking to grab peoples attention to spread the age old message about drinking and driving.
Even before the state's first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus in Cameron County was confirmed Monday, border counties have been preparing for the worst-case scenario: an increase in babies born with birth defects related to the mosquito-borne illness.

The Texas Department of State Health Services issued in October a health alert encouraging health care providers in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties to consider Zika virus infection in their patients and order testing as medically indicated.

In Hidalgo County, home to the largest number of "colonias," residential areas along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, public health officials said they've been in close contact with the DSHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure local providers have the latest information on the spread of the virus.

Forty-five percent of Hidalgo County residents have little or no insurance, according to Eddie Olivarez, chief administrative officer of Health and Human Services in Hidalgo County.

"The worst-case scenario is you're going to have a family that totally distraught about their child being born with a major neurological birth defect. When is anybody really prepared for that? You're not," said Olivarez.

He said they've strengthened communication with federally qualified clinics, community agencies and hospital networks.

"We've actually sent old-school mail, where we've actually mailed the letters to all the obstetricians and family doctors that work with them [pregnant females], because we have more than 800 physicians in our county, so our focus has been with those who work with that population," said Olivarez.

He hopes ongoing education about Zika will prevent a potential health crisis, which is why community advocate and colonia resident Lourdes Salinas has spent months spreading awareness about the dangers of the virus in her neighborhood.

"We passed the fliers. We tell them, 'You know what? Protect yourself, get inside the house early, put repellent. Do whatever you need to do because you're not going to have the assistance that you need if a baby comes with birth defects," said Salinas.

South Texas is considered the front line of the virus because local transmission has been reported in neighboring cities across the border in Mexico.

The Rio Grande Valley is dealing with a surge of illegal border crossings.

Plus, many residents go back and forth from Texas to Mexico weekly, even daily.

DSHS said the Rio Grande Valley is considered to be at higher risk for Zika transmission because of previous outbreaks of dengue, a similar virus spread by the same type of mosquito.

A spokesperson for South Texas Health System, the largest health system in Hidalgo County, said Zika education is now a part of childbirth classes.

"Every pregnant woman has an Infectious Disease Screen performed and questions are asked about travel and any signs or symptoms of infection (acute onset of fever, maculopapular rash, arthralgia or conjunctivitis)," said spokesperson Cari Lambrecht in an email to NBC 5.

"Our neonatology team specializes in care of newborn infants, especially those with acute needs, such as premature or underweight infants, those with congenital birth defects and infants with serious illnesses. Any baby born with microcephaly due to Zika virus, would be provided standard NICU care and would have imaging series performed and would involve a consult with a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist," said Lambrecht.

As of Nov. 29, 2016, two cases of travel-related Zika have been reported in Hidalgo County.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a nurse should be present full time at every school. But faced with budget cuts, many schools are opting to have a nurse onsite only part time or not at all.

"This means relying on teachers and staff to dispense medication, treat injuries and handle emergencies," Consumer Reports' Lisa Gill said.

At the same time children, are going to school with complex medical needs, like food allergies and asthma. So if your child needs medication during school what can you do?

Make sure you give explicit instructions to the person in charge of dispensing your child's medication. And make sure to label it clearly.

"For more serious conditions like asthma, diabetes or epilepsy ask your pediatrician to submit an action plan to the school that outlines the necessary steps," Gill said.

For example, when a student with asthma should use a rescue inhaler  when a student with diabetes should be given insulin  or what to do in case of seizure.

Josephina Liranzo has two daughters with seasonal asthma. Both need to be given medication during school.

"I am very dependent on the nurse because if they don't provide the medication or she doesn't get medication to my daughters, they will get worse," she said.

Liranzo said she is thankful her school has been able to keep a full-time nurse on staff.

"If there was not a nurse here, I would be very stressed," she said.

If your child's school is having issues with their nurse availability, make sure you know your rights. A federal law  known as the 504 plan  states schools must accomodate the specific needs of your child.

Also, make sure your child's teacher is aware of their medical needs so you have another adult at the school who understands what your child needs.
A Crowley teenager has been arrested and charged in the double murder of his adoptive parents, police say.

During a news conference Thursday morning, Crowley Police Chief Luis Soler identified the victims as 60-year-old Troy Brewer and 64-year-old Mary Brewer.[[403769076,R]]

Carl Brewer, the couple's 17-year-old adopted son, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and is being held on a $200,000 bond.

Police said 911 dispatch received a phone call Tuesday afternoon that was made from a pay phone by an anonymous tipster. That caller told dispatchers he was a friend of Carl Brewers, and while the two of them were smoking marijuana together, Brewer revealed hed killed his parents.

Crowley police held a news conference Thursday morning regarding a teenager who they say was arrested, charged with the murder of his two adoptive parents following a standoff Tuesday night.

Officers then tried to contact the Brewers, but were unsuccessful. They also stopped by the Brewers home in the 800 block of Buffalo Court, but at that time saw nothing that seemed suspicious to them. They left the house at around 6:00pm and filed a report.

Later in the evening, officers on the night shift followed up on that report and went back out to the home. Neighbors told them they hadnt seen Troy or Mary Brewer since Monday.

Lieutenant Robert Gray said when he looked through the front door of their house, a plant that had been knocked over caught his attention. And as he and detectives discussed other things about the situation that didnt seem normal, they caught wind of something else.

There was a faint odor of death coming from the front door, said Gray, who oversees the departments Criminal Investigations Unit. Just the totality of the circumstances, we decided to make entry and do a welfare check. And it was at that time that we discovered the first body.

Police said they arrested a person of interest after a standoff at a Tarrant County home where two people were found dead Tuesday night.

They found Troy Brewer dead in a bedroom. According to a search warrant, they discovered several areas of dried blood near his body that appeared as if someone had attempted to clean it up. Mary Brewers body was found inside a bag in the next room over.

As we finished up clearing that room, we heard what we believed to be footsteps coming from the second floor above us, said Gray. I made the determination to back everyone out and contact a SWAT team.

SWAT teams from Burleson and Fort Worth were brought in and the entire neighborhood was evacuated. A standoff then ensued that lasted for nearly ten hours.

Early Wednesday morning, the SWAT team fired gas canisters into the home, causing Carl Brewer to come out and surrender.

Even though we knew we had a bad situation on our hands, everybody showed restraint, said Soler. Everybody showed respect for the suspects safety, for the safety of the neighbors, and for the safety of the officers. And they used the best tactics, which ultimately resulted in what we wanted -- which was to capture the suspect without anyone else getting hurt.

Police say one person is in custody after a standoff at a Crowley home where two people were found dead Tuesday night.

Soler said this isnt the first time his department has encountered the Brewer family. Since 2010, officers have been called out to their home 16 times for various reasons, many of them related to domestic issues. Earlier this year, Carl Brewer was arrested for evading officers after he reportedly led police on a chase.

We dont know the exact motive, said Soler. But from our conversations with the suspect, it appears this is unfortunately a tragic event that started as a family disturbance.

Police declined to discuss how the Brewers were killed, saying theyre still waiting for autopsy reports. According to the search warrant, investigators were interested in locating two handguns, which Mary Brewer had reported stolen in the days before her murder.

This is the first homicide case Crowley police have investigated since December 2014. Soler said its taken a toll on the entire community.

It affects all of us, said Soler. Its a tragedy. And when it happens during the holiday season, it makes it worst for everybody.
About 2.5 million dehumidifiers were recalled following reports of 450 fires and $19 million in property damage, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday.

The recall by manufacturer Gree involves several models of dehumidifiers under 13 different brands, including Frigidaire, GE, and Kenmore.

The recall was first announced in September 2013, updated in October 2013 and expanded in January 2014. The company announced it again Tuesday morning.

This recall involves 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, 65 and 70-pint dehumidifiers with brand names Danby, DeLonghi, Fedders, Fellini, Frigidaire, GE, Gree, Kenmore, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SoleusAir and SuperClima.

A full list of recalled model numbers and date codes are available here.

The dehumidifiers were sold at AAFES, HH Gregg, Home Depot, Kmart, Lowes, Menards, Mills Fleet Farm, Sams Club, Sears, Walmart and other stores nationwide and in Canada, and online at Amazon.com and Ebay.com, from January 2005 through August 2013 for between $110 and $400.

The brand name and the pint capacity are printed on the front of the dehumidifier. The model number and date code are printed on a sticker that could be found on the back, front or side of the unit.

The dehumidifiers are white, beige, gray or black plastic and measure between 19 and 24 inches tall, 13 and 15 inches wide, and 9 and 11 inches deep.

CPSC urged customers who have one of these units to immediately unplug and stop using it, and contact Gree for a full refund at 866-853-2802 or online at www.greeusa.com.
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney offered effusive praise for President-elect Donald Trump's "impressive" transition effort and "message of inclusion" following their dinner together Tuesday night  a striking change of heart by a man who once called Donald Trump "a phony, a fraud."

The dinner was Romney's second meeting with Trump as part of the president-elect's interview process for deciding who to nominate as Secretary of State, NBC News reported. Romney remains a top contender, along with longtime Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Bob Corker and several others. Trump also met with Corker on Tuesday at Trump Tower.

Speaking to reporters gathered at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan, Romney gushed about the "wonderful" evening he had with the president-elect, where they were joined by incoming Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus as they dined on steak, frog legs and scallops.

Romney described the dinner's conversation as "enlightening and interesting and engaging," before going on to praise the president-elect for besting him in the race for the White House.
Two gang members convicted of first-degree murder were sentenced Wednesday for the killing of a 19-year-old mentally disabled man who prosecutors said was gunned down near a South Los Angeles car wash because he was wearing red shoes.

Kanasho Johns, 29, and Kevin Deon Johnson, 26, were sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the May 29, 2015, killing of Tavin Price. Johns, the gunman, was given an additional three year sentence for felony possession of a firearm.

At the onset of the trial, Deputy District Attorney Bobby Zoumberakis told jurors Price "was not allowed to wear red shoes in that gang neighborhood."

"Tavin Price was murdered because of gang pride, because the gang pride was more important than Tavin Price's life," the prosecutor told the eight-man, four-woman jury.

Both the prosecution and defense agreed Smith confronted Price in a smoke shop near the car wash in the 3300 block of West Florence Avenue, while Johnson stood nearby. That conversation and the shooting itself were caught on surveillance video, though there was no audio recording.

Smith identified himself as a gang member and said to Price, "Why are you wearing all that red? Where are you from?" according to Johnson's attorney, Curt Leftwich.

"I don't bang," Price replied, to which Smith retorted, "Come out of those shoes," according to Leftwich.

Both sides also told jurors that Hilary Wade, who is the mother of Price's nephew and was in the store with him, told Smith that the young man wasn't a "gangbanger" and explained that he was "slow."

A short while later, Price was standing by his mother's car when a gunman fired four rounds at "this 19-year-old boy who did nothing wrong and ended him'' with "no hesitation," Zoumberakis said.

He said there an eyewitness who knew Johns identified him as the shooter, and Johns fled to Texas in an effort to avoid prosecution.

For his part, Johnson left the car wash, picked up Johns and drove him to the scene of the shooting, according to Zoumberakis.

"Hes done nothing wrong. He had no criminal record. He had no gang involvement. And I think the jury saw that, and saw how important it was to get justice for him," Zoumberakis said.
Two alleged gang members pleaded not guilty Wednesday in connection with the killing of a 19-year-old Camp Pendleton Marine who was found shot inside his vehicle in South Los Angeles.

Oscar Aguilar, 26, and Esau Rios, 28, are both charged with murder for the Sept. 16 shooting of Lance Cpl. Carlos Segovia-Lopez. Aguilar is jailed in lieu of $4.2 million bail, while Rios if being held on $3 million bail.

The criminal complaint alleges that Aguilar personally and intentionally discharged a handgun, and that the killing was committed in association with or for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Aguilar -- who allegedly has a string of prior convictions -- is additionally charged with one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and dissuading a witness by force or threat.

Segovia-Lopez was on leave from Camp Pendleton in San Diego County when he allegedly exchanged words with the defendants on Sept. 16, according to Los Angeles County prosecutors.

He was found shortly after 11:30 that night, covered in blood and slumped over the steering wheel of a Dodge Charger in the 2100 block of 31st Street. He was taken off life support three days later after doctors informed the family that he could not be saved.

Los Angeles police said after the shooting that Segovia-Lopez was on his cellphone and that he was driving on 31st Street when he was shot, causing him to lose control of his car and crash into a parked vehicle. Police have a recording of the call, and gunshots can be heard before the phone goes dead, according to LAPD Capt. Peter Whittingham.

A week after Segovia-Lopez was shot, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, apprehension and conviction of whoever was responsible for his killing. It is not clear whether the reward played any role in the two being charged.

Aguilar and Rios were arrested Nov. 10 by Los Angeles police, according to jail records. Aguilar could face up to 167 years to life in state prison if convicted, while Rios could face up to 50 years to life behind bars, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

A third man, Ricky Valente, 18, is charged with being an accessory after the fact with knowledge of the crime, and could face up to seven years in state prison if convicted, according to the District Attorney's Office. Valente is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is also set to be arraigned Tuesday.

At an Oct. 5 memorial service for Segovia-Lopez at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti praised him for his work with a local program to assist the homeless.

"For Carlos, that was not some class of other people. That was his brother," Garcetti said.

"At a moment when we want to denigrate each other because of where we come from, what uniforms we serve, or we think we know people before we know them, let us all stop and learn and find who we are -- the connections that unite us, not the ones that divide us," Garcetti said. "Let us make the passing of Carlos something that bring us together in service and love and unity. At the end of our days we're left with two things: who did we know and what did we do. By that measure, Carlos, you left and led the most blessed of lives."
A former Marine was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after the body of a fellow Southern California Marines wife was discovered at the bottom of a mine shaft, the San Bernardino County District Attorneys office announced Tuesday.

Christopher Brandon Lee, 27, was found guilty Nov. 3 of one felony count of murder in the death of 19-year-old Erin Corwin. Tuesday he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole with a sentencing enhancement of "having intentionally killed the victim by means of lying in wait."

Lee confessed to strangling the 19-year-old woman and tossing her body into a desert mine shaft just outside Twentynine Palms.

Lee pleaded not guilty to killing Erin Corwin, the wife of another Marine, in June of 2014.

But a few days ago at trial, Lee said he strangled Corwin in a fit of anger and threw the body down a 140-foot-deep abandoned mine shaft near Joshua Tree National Park.

"I'm no longer scared to tell the truth. People have to know what I did," Lee testified in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

Friends told investigators that Corwin believed she was pregnant and Lee might be the father. Authorities say Lee wanted to hide the affair.

Lee testified that he was angry because he suspected Corwin had molested his daughter.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.
A judge Tuesday approved a settlement between Los Angeles County prosecutors and Southern California Gas Co. to resolve criminal charges stemming from the gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility, rejecting a request by Porter Ranch residents to have the deal tossed so they could seek restitution.

Attorneys representing a group of residents suing the Gas Co. over the leak contended the residents weren't notified of the settlement agreement, which they said does not include provisions giving residents a chance to submit restitution claims against the Gas Co.

Several residents testified at the court hearing in Santa Clarita, contending they were left out of the settlement talks, to no avail. R. Rex Parris, an attorney for the residents, said he plans to appeal the decision.

Melissa Bailey, spokeswoman for SoCalGas, said the company is "glad to have this resolved."

"SoCalGas remains committed to working with our regulators and to complying with laws and regulations applicable to the Aliso Canyon facility," Bailey said.

SoCalGas pleaded no contest Sept. 13 to a misdemeanor count of failing to immediately report the gas leak -- which began Oct. 23, 2015, and wasn't capped until mid-February -- to the state Office of Emergency Services and the local Certified Unified Program Agency.

Three other misdemeanor counts filed against the company in February were dismissed as part of the deal.

The $4 million settlement requires SoCalGas to install and maintain an infrared methane monitoring system at the Aliso Canyon site -- estimated to cost between $1.2 million and $1.5 million -- and to retain an outside company to test and certify that the monitoring system and real-time pressure monitors to be placed at each gas well are working properly.

Under the agreement, a half-dozen full-time employees must be hired to operate and maintain the new leak detection systems 24 hours a day at a cost of about $2.25 million over the next three years.

The agreement also calls for the company to revise and adopt new reporting policies for actual and threatened releases of hazardous materials to the appropriate agencies, and mandates training courses on proper notification procedures for all of the utility's employees who work at natural gas storage facilities within Los Angeles County.

SoCalGas will also pay $307,500 in fines and penalty assessments, along with more than $246,000 for the cost of the investigation and emergency response by the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Health and Hazardous Materials Division.

The utility is on notice that it could face a more serious criminal penalty in the future if the same unlawful conduct occurs, according to the District Attorney's Office, which said the settlement will not interfere with pending civil actions filed by Porter Ranch residents against the company.

The Aliso Canyon gas leak spewed more than 100,000 tons of methane into the air, making it the largest methane leak in U.S. history. Health concerns stemming from the gas leak prompted thousands of residents to move out of the area into temporary housing at the expense of the Gas Co. Following an extensive effort to clean Porter Ranch-area homes, the bulk of displaced residents returned in June.

County health officials received hundreds of complaints from Porter Ranch residents who returned to their homes and reported more health problems, including nausea, stomach aches and respiratory irritation.

SoCalGas executives, saying sweeping safety improvements have already been made at Aliso Canyon, including the replacement of inner tubing in the wells and the installation of more than 40 miles of new steel piping, have petitioned the state to allow it to resume injecting natural gas into the storage facility.

When the plea agreement to resolve the criminal charges was announced in September, SoCalGas said the deal "provides for the implementation of certain approved operational enhancements, including updated notification, monitoring and training procedures," and the settlement "is another important step in our efforts to put the leak behind us and to win back the trust of the community. These are in addition to other enhancements that have already been instituted by the company."

Utility executives said the Aliso Canyon storage facility "is critical to the reliability of natural gas and electricity services in Southern California. We are diligently working with state officials to complete a comprehensive safety review of the facility and are committed to providing safe and reliable energy to the millions of Californians who rely on us each day."

Attorneys for residents suing the company, however, filed court papers in October asking that the agreement be thrown out.

"None of the victims of the defendant's criminal acts were consulted about the plea agreement in advance. The settlement was presented to the court with no notice to, or input from, any of the victims," attorneys Parris, Patricia K. Oliver, Brian Panish and Robert Glassman wrote in the 16-page filing. "Neither the plea agreement, nor the court, so much as mentioned victim restitution as opposed to a restitution fine during the plea."

"... This plea agreement bears every indication of an attempt by defendant to cheat their victims out of their constitutional right to restitution," the attorneys allege in the court filing, saying the issue has "caused the victims great concern and torment."

The filing sought to have what the residents' attorneys call a "silent plea" -- with no mention of restitution to the homeowners -- withdrawn and "their right to full restitution be explicitly expressed by the court."
UPDATE Nov. 30, 1 a.m.: Cuque has been found safe, LAPD said.

The anxious family of a missing 74-year-old Los Angeles man with dementia is asking for the public's help in finding him.

Alejandro Cabrera Cuque went missing early Monday morning, and his worried wife is the last person who saw him, said Elizabeth Cabrera, Cuque's daughter.

Cuque walked out of his home around 4 a.m. Monday wearing a blue pullover sweater, pink beanie, gray sweatpants and gray Crocs.

The family only noticed he was gone when Cabrera was leaving for work around 7:30 a.m. that same morning.

His wife, Gabina, is overcome by sorrow, Cabrera said.

"When I see my mom, it's really difficult," Cabrera said, fighting back tears. "Last night she kept blaming herself."

The morning when he wandered off, he kept saying, "I just have to go," Cabrera said. This is not uncommon for Cuque, whose dementia symptoms have worsened as he recovers from a recent stroke.

Some days Cuque thinks he doesn't live in his home and says he has to go to work, even though he has not worked in the last 10 years.

"He has days when he's 75 percent coherent" and others where he is "very confused" Cabrera said.

Cuque has wandered off in the past, but his wife was always there to go get him.

On Monday, however, Cuque got back in bed with his wife, but left after waiting for her to go back to sleep.

Police told the family Cuque was seen by a Metro operator getting off at a stop near Atlantic Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue in Compton.

This was strange, Cabrera said, because Cuque left the house with no money.

Cuque has a tendency to collect spare change, but on the morning he left, he took the change out of his pocket and put it on the dresser.

The Metro operator told police Cuque was asking for directions to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was treated for his stroke, Cabrera said.

Cuque had not been admitted to the hospital as of 5:41 p.m. Tuesday, said Myriam Mendoza, a clerk at the hospital.

Cuque has not had any contact with family members, who are all searching for him, Cabrera said.

The 5-foot, 6-inch tall Cuque suffers from arthritis in both knees and is on medication for blood pressure, cholesterol and his dementia.

The family is "trying to keep the faith," as they pray for Cuque's safe return home, Cabrera said.

"We're trying to be as strong as possible," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Roman of the Los Angeles Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800.
"Annenberg" is a name seen throughout Southern Californian, from the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills to the Annenberg Space for Photography in Culver City.

And while Sunnylands, the fabled Rancho Mirage estate, doesn't have "Annenberg" in its name, it is an architectural gem belonging to the philanthropic family (a gem that can be visited, thanks to oversight by the Annenberg Foundation).

Next up for the foundation? The Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, "a unique new community center" devoted to animals, the humans who adore them, and a number of programs that lend love and knowledge to how we share our lives, and this world, with our pets.

Is it a pet store? No. Is it an adoption center? Adoptions will be a key feature, but thinking of PetSpace as a course-rich, play-centered meet-place for people and their pets is a solid initial outlook.

Wallis Annenberg reveals that "the new initiative couldn't be closer to my heart," as the destination will help to "save animals' lives through education and adoption..." as well as "...help make our communities more animal-friendly."

Opening in the first part of 2017 near Silicon Beach in Playa Vista, the community center will boast several components, from the already-mentioned adoptions to training classes to talks about policies that focus on animals, nature, and "the science and origins of the human-animal bond."

Human Animal Studies will be one of the main engines of PetSpace, and a number of regional nature and science organizations will work in partnership with the Annenberg Foundation to enhance PetSpace's myriad programs and offerings.

The breadth of the expected programs is impressive, with many spotlighting pets in the workplace, pets as assistants and helpers, and other issues that boast a gravitas not often seen in how we approach thinking about pets, their needs, and how the world views them.

It's a place of play, of course, and study, and hanging out with your hound. Not every community center allows dogs, but the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace is a community center where the canine is both invited and welcomed.

In fact, they're the star guests, and we people are there to learn, serve as trustworthy companions, and know better where our tail-boasting buddies stand.
One of the two inmates who broke out of jail in Santa Clara County, California, using bedsheets to rappel down to the ground the day before Thanksgiving was caught  after he fell out of the attic  at his sister's house in Antioch.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Undersheriff Carl Neusel said that 26-year-old Laron Desean Campbell was hiding out his sister's attic when he "crashed through the ceiling" and was arrested on Tuesday about 10 p.m. by the U.S. Marshals Service and Antioch police. NBC News was the first to break news of Campbell's arrest.

A tip led authorities there, Neusel said, and some of $20,000 reward money will be shared with the person or people who helped the sheriff's office, he said. He said he wasn't sure how the money would be divided at this point.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Campbell's sister, Marcaysha Alexander, 24, was also taken into custody on allegations of harboring her brother. Jail records showed on Wednesday that she was being held in the women's correctional facility of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Neither brother nor sister responded for interview requests through the jail on Wednesday.

One fugitive, Rogelio Chavez, 33, of San Jose, is still outstanding from the Thanksgiving eve main jail escape. And Neusel said "no stone will go unturned" in trying to find him. Chavez has the letter B tattooed on the left side of his neck and a wavy line tattooed over his left eye. Chavez had been in jail since Aug. 17 on various charges including burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest, and firearms violations.

Santa Clara County Sheriff

Neusel said the cutting tools used to saw off the jail window bars have not been found, but preliminary findings revealed that jail staff committed no significant policy violations, Neusel said.



He noted that the jail is old  the part where the escape happened was built in the 1950s  and his administration is eagerly awaiting the construction of a new facility approved by the county board of supervisors.



Cameras, which are currently nonexistent in this part of the jail, would have recorded the mens escape are part of the new renovation plan, he said.

Massive Manhunt For Escaped Santa Clara County Jail Fugitives

The news of at least one fugitive's arrest brought relief to Cassidy Ahern, who said she witnessed Campbell's takedown from where she was standing at the Twin Creek Apartments on James Donlon Boulevard.

"I was on my balcony," she said. "I was hanging out with my friends and we saw all the lights out there and we went down to see what was going on. I mean, we didnt go super close, because after you see all the people out there you want to stay away.

The capture of Campbell on Tuesday night came hours after Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies swarmed an east San Jose neighborhood in the afternoon looking for one of the inmates it wasn't immediately clear if that search was for Campbell or Chavez. On Sunday, deputies swarmed a Gilroy Days Inn, hoping to find Chavez, which they didn't.

Campbell and Chavez made national news on Nov. 23 about 11 p.m., when they made a daring escape from Santa Clara County Main Jail, using bedsheets to rappel down their second-story jail cell window. Campbell had been held since February 2015 on various charges including robbery, false imprisonment, criminal threats and firearms violations. As of Wednesday morning, Campbell had not yet been charged for the jail escape.

Ahern, who saw Campbell being taken into custody, said she wishes the whole ordeal would be over.

I mean its kind of scary," she said, "I mean, when youre just sitting outside and you dont expect that kind of thing to happen with all the officers and cop cars and its kind of nerve wracking.
"Prime Minister trying to shake government apparatus"

The PM is facing unprecedented difficulties





















What do you think about the concept "creative government?

The new term creative government was officially mentioned for the first time in the New Year message 2014 by former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The message was clearly noted for the years 2014 and 2015.



In this message, for the first time Prime Minister Dung said that the Government must be creative and serve government. A lot of content in the message was new and much stronger than the things that our officials usually say. Unfortunately, these beautiful ideas have not yet been brought to life.



After taking office, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc continued to stress the commitment of building a creative government and a Government that serves the people, plus two more aspects  a government of integrity and action.



I strongly support the two latter commitments of the new government. Corruption in Vietnam is now too widespread, sophisticated, and blatant, and corruption is associated with everything, as the top officials of our country have acknowledged. Some cases of corruption have gone to trial but have not been effective in deterring or preventing corruption.



Lets look at the career of Trinh Xuan Thanh or the son of former Minister of Industry and Trade (Vu Huy Hoang). They run the process so they can sway the process!



I hope that the new government will focus more on combating corruption of power. Power is the most important target of corruptors. The corruptors not only cause harm by using their power to take money but also distortstate institutions.



We cannot have a creative, active Government that serves the people if we cannot wipe out corruption of power. And without a government of action, all commitments will remain on paper forever.



In your opinion, which country in the world is the most successful with the model of creative government?



If you are looking for a model of "creative government which is near our country, I think we can look to Singapore. I dont know whether they consider themselves as a creative government or not but obviously, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, the Singaporean government became an outstanding builder of their country.



First of all, they have established a modern, civilized institutional system, which is the foundation for continuous development of the country as well as the majority of people on this island. On the rule of law, the rules and policies of Singapore are designed rationally and transparently, similar to the laws of the most developed countries, which are strictly enforced and adjusted to suit each stage of development and the requirements of the country.



The Singapore government has always ranked first in all international rankings of strong, good and clean governments. The Singaporean society is also highly developed, civilized, disciplined and harmonious.



Secondly, they have a wide and far vision, always set right orientations and priorities, and choose the best ways to implement these orientations and priorities, and always exploit the opportunities and available resources very effectively. At the same time they have created new capacity for the country to constantly go ahead in global development competition.



They are also very good at attracting, connecting and using external resources to turn Singapore into a center of thousands of multinational corporations and the center of creative activities, especially in the era of technological revolution since the end of the last century.

The Singaporean government has always been a pioneer, which paves the way and supports businesses and people to go into new areas, through tools such as Temasek, a government company that invests in exploring new fields and then transfers them to the private sector for further development.



Thirdly, they have always respected, exploited and developed human resources well, considering it the most precious resource.



From the beginning and throughout the process of development, Lee Kuan Yew and his government have always listened to great advisers, always cared for and created conditions for the development of the country's talents. They have regularly learned from and exchanged with scientists and experts of other countries to draw the necessary values for themselves.



They have constantly invested in improving the quality of the education system and conditions for learning and creativity of the people to be ready to meet the higher demand in the country's development process. The high quality of human resources has helped Singapore always have the ability to absorb and take on new areas effectively.



Of course, Vietnam is now at much lower level of development compared to Singapores and our population is dozens of times bigger than Singapores so it is difficult to follow them. But at least Vietnam should learn from them to gradually build for itself a building government. Vietnam needs to conduct strong renovation in institution, strategy and human resources. Also, there are many problems related to building strategies and development orientations in Vietnam.



The government should review all strategies and planning that Vietnam has designed in order to reject the unsuitable ones, adjust others and develop new ones that are suitable to todays trends and contexts. I emphasize this because recently I saw some local governments and agencies still rely on plans that were made a long time ago to ask for investment capital.



The Ministry of Planning and Investment has been assigned to review and submit to the government a plan on renewing the growth model and economic restructuring in the next five years. This is a very necessary task.



The most important thing in the construction and implementation of both plans is to properly assess our situation today, with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges in comparison with other countries in the region, to know where we are and what should we do in the coming years. National interests must be the top priority and it must not be affected by group interests.



The world and the region are moving so fast, with so many new things, especially the trend of integration and the development of technology, which have had a strong impact on all aspects of society and economy, the administration system and development ability of all countries in the world.



Capturing and boldly going along with the general flow of humanity, we will have a huge opportunity to develop powerfully; otherwise we may lag far behind others.



"The creative government" of Vietnam must open the way to turning Vietnam into a prosperous, innovative, fair and democratic country, as the Vietnam Report 2035 pointed out. This report also made very clear recommendations about what to change, what to do in major fields.



What do you think about the fact that in some state agencies, relatives of officials are promoted very quickly? How can we deal with this?



Looking at the recruitment and promotion process in the public sector we will see all kinds of processes which seem to be very strict, but in fact in some state agencies relatives of officials are promoted very quickly to important positions.



Notably, the promotion of relatives of officials is now obvious and they dont need to hide.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently emphasized that state agencies must "find talent, not relatives. It means that he knew the fact and he was upset about it.



However, how can we do it? I think there are several solutions as follows:



The first is the state apparatus and state enterprises must be very transparent, have accountability in recruitment, appointment and promotion of personnel, from the normal position upwards. We should not ignore the low positions, because "relatives" can stay at low positions when they just enter a state organization but then are promoted very quickly. Lets look at the career of Trinh Xuan Thanh or the son of the former Minister of Industry and Trade as examples. Holding power, they can control all process of recruitment and promotion.



The second is the state system should learn from the private system in recruitment. The job description, as well as standards and requirements for each position, must be very specific and transparent.



Also, in many cases, private firms hire professional and independent companies to perform recruitment task. They usually conduct the final interview to assess the suitability of candidates. Doing so, relatives of officials who are incapable will not have a chance to infringe on talents.



The third is we should eliminate the policy of recruiting regular state staff by signing employment contracts. Even high-ranking managers like deputy ministers can sign employment contracts of 3-5 years. If they do their job well, the state can re-recruit them or fire them.



Signing time-limit employment contracts, with strict conditions, will help get rid of peoples expectation of entering state agencies to work for their entire life. Moreover, this mechanism will help curb the sluggishness and bureaucracy in the state apparatus.



After the incident related to the Prime Ministers motorcade running in Hoi An ancient town, which caused social complaint, it was said that Prime Minister Phuc should have a team to handle communications crises. Do you think that this is a good idea to protect the image of the Prime Minister?



The most important thing to build or preserve the image of the Prime Minister is to assist him to regularly listen to the voice of the people to know their thoughts, their problems, their wishes and expectations from the Government, so that the Prime Minister and the Government can take timely action to serve the people.



The Prime Ministers quick response to the Xin Chao cafe case or early meeting with the business community and then soon continually promoting improvements in the business environment have contributed to create positive images for the Prime Minister in the early days.



Dealing with communications crisis is necessary and the incident in Hoi An was handled properly and simply by the Prime Minister: offering an apology to people. I think it is okay but it's best that such incidents do not occur in the future.



We are living in a society that is very open thanks to the Internet. It is now very easy to have access to, share and exchange information so people can very quickly know and judge incidents immediately when they happen. Any activities or response made by officials and civil servants are witnessed by the people.

On the other hand, information transmission channels today are diverse. To listen to the voices of the people, the Prime Minister can read and hear from many channels to choose information to report to the Prime Minister.



The best businessmen are the one who respect complaints, not compliments of customers, to constantly improve and enhance their competitiveness. Similarly, criticism and complaints of the people also need to reach the Prime Minister and the Government, and to be well received as useful ideas in order to assist the Government to improve the apparatus to serve people better.

In short, the best way to build and preserve the image of the Prime Minister is to sincerely listen to the people, handling all the work with high responsibility for the country and for the people.



Can you comment about PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc?



Commenting on a man is never easy, even for those who we meet them very often. It is more difficult to judge a senior politician. I met the Prime Minister only once, at a conference in Hanoi, when he approached and said hello to me. However, observing what the Prime Minister has done since he took office, I can make some comments on him.



Talking to the press recently, Nguyen Su, former Party Secretary of Hoi An ancient town, who knew and worked with Phuc when Phuc was an official of Quang Nam province, said that Phuc is a good listener and open-minded.



I believe that Sus comments are true and it is also my initial perception about him, through what he has done so far: His quick response in the Xin Chao cafe case or offering apology to the people after his motorcade travelled on the pedestrian road of Hoi An, his efforts to improve the business environment, his messages on administrative and institutional reform at cabinet meetings.



Most recently, hearing complaints about the sluggishness of the government apparatus, he established a working group led by the Head of the Government Office to review and promote the implementation of the resolutions of the Government and the Prime Minister.



Some businessmen told me that the Prime Minister had given them new hope about a government that respects enterprises and cares for the development of businesses. However, this hope is quite fragile, because they still see that the apparatus of government is still sluggish and the shadow of interest groups is still large.



I hope that businesses can grow and adopt the new faith. More than ever, we need a firm belief for the business community and the people to work together to overcome challenges ahead and build a better future for ourselves and for later generations.



Thank you for taking your time with VietNamNet!



Huynh Phan
The family of Heather Meadows, a West Virginia woman who died of complications of plastic surgery in May, has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against a Hialeah-based plastic surgery center and its affiliates.

"We want justice for Heather, her babies and her family," said Suzanna Wilson, who has been Heathers friend for 17 years. "We want people to be aware of whats happened and hear our story. We know Heather is not coming back, but we want this to stop."

The suit filed by Tammy Meadows, the victims mother, against Encore Plastic Surgery Inc., Eres South Florida Plastic Surgery, and Eres Cosmetic Surgery Inc., alleges that Encore didnt have "adequate policies and procedures in place" for dealing with the medical emergency that killed her.

Meadows died after a Brazilian Butt Lift  thats a popular procedure where fat is taken from the stomach or back and is injected into the patients backside, leaving the appearance of a larger, firmer behind.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner ruled her death was caused by whats known as a fat embolism. That is a known complication of a Brazilian Butt Lift when the fat is injected, often too deeply, into the body hitting blood vessels. Once the fat gets into the bloodstream, it can cause a person to stop breathing. It sent Heather Meadows into cardiac arrest.

Other claims in the lawsuit include failing to follow acceptable standards of care and fraudulently filling out medical forms as well as employing unskilled nurses, doctors and other health care providers to perform surgery on patients.

The NBC 6 Investigators have found the clinic being sued has changed its name three times in nine years.

Encore, formerly known as IQuest Plastic Surgery Inc., dissolved in September and changed its name to Eres South Florida Plastic Surgery Inc. The suit claims that Encores registered agent and corporate officers shut down the corporation, changed name and transferred assets to the new corporation after Meadows attorneys filed a claim and "this entity was aware that the filing of a lawsuit was imminent."

The transfer of assets from Eres South Florida Plastic Surgery Inc., to Eres Cosmetic Surgery Inc. was done for the purpose with intent to hinder, delay and defraud creditors, the lawsuit reads.

The NBC 6 Investigators have found Meadows is one of seven women who have died of fat embolisms at the hands of different surgeons in South Florida since 2010 after undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift.

A mother of two small children, Meadows, 29, traveled to Miami with her longtime friend, Amanda Rogers, to have the procedure done by Dr. James McAdoo.

McAdoo is not a party to the lawsuit, according to Herb Borroto, a Coral Gables-based attorney who filed the suit on behalf of Meadows family. McAdoo, who since has moved to work at another plastic surgery clinic, did not return our request for comment. Hes previously stressed that Meadows died after the surgery was over.

Alexandra Lopez, an attorney who represents Encore and Eres, wrote in a statement emailed to NBC 6 Investigators the lawsuit is full of "lies and discrepancies" and said "no evidence has been presented." She says Encore will file a motion to dismiss the complaint as a bad faith filing.

"Floridas medical malpractice statute requires that a plaintiff provide a medical experts opinion stating that there was malpractice before a lawsuit is filed," Lopez wrote. "To this day, the plaintiffs' attorney has not provided a single medical experts opinion as required by statute."

The lawsuit also claims that Encore was negligent because it failed to perform an adequate pre-operative evaluation and assessment during Meadows visit on May 11. Instead, "Meadows was given various forms to sign and was not seen or examined by any physician," the suit says.

Rogers gave a similar description.

We assumed the pre-op meeting was going to be with the doctor, but when we got there, the pre-op only consisted of filling out paperwork, paying the rest of our money and being weighed in, said Rogers. That was it. They said Dr. McAdoo was too busy and wed just speak to him in the morning.

Both friends were supposed to have the popular cosmetic surgery done the next day.

Rogers said Meadows went in for surgery first while she waited. But soon she was told there was a change in plans for her.

"A nurse comes in and tells me theyre going to have to re-schedule my appointment for tomorrow because there was an emergency and Dr. McAdoo had to go to the hospital," Rogers said.

That emergency involved her friend Heather but Rogers didnt learn about this until a woman came into the room and talked to her.

Rogers learned her childhood friend had died after she got to the hospital.

"That was one of the worst experiences of my life," Rogers said. "I was left in the city full of pain."

The suit, filed Nov. 3, seeks damages in excess of $15,000.
A 21-year-old Miami man is behind bars after police say he was allegedly the man who opened fire last week, shooting and killing a teenager.

Richard Thompson was arrested Monday and charged with multiple counts, including first degree murder and weapons possession while on probation. He is scheduled to appear in bond court again Wednesday.

Police say that Thompson allegedly shot two people last Tuesday morning near the intersection of NW 17th Avenue and 31st Street. The shooting killed Damien Ramirez and injured another person. Surveillance video put Thompson at the scene of the shooting, but he denies pulling the trigger.

He was arrested at his home with several weapons in clear sight of police  a violation of his probation.
Authorities spent Tuesday evening wrangling with a coiled culprit outside a home in Homestead.

An 8-foot Burmese python was stopped in its tracks as it slithered up a tree on the 1400 block of north Bluebird Lane. Neighbors were stunned to see the snake and crowded around the tree before calling officials.

Cellphone video showed The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom One unit responding to the scene and removing the reptile.

Florida officials work year-round to rid the state of snake. There are no known native predators to the Burmese python, which contributes to an imbalance in the ecosystem in the Florida Everglades. The snakes are known to prey on other native species, including snakes, birds, reptiles and mammals.
A 20-year-old man is behind bars after confessing to recording women inside bathroom stalls at one South Florida college, officials said.

Alexis Garcia was taken into custody after police caught him inside a stall last Wednesday on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. Garcia was found after a female student notified police she thought she was possibly being recorded.

According to NBC affiliate WPTV, Garcia initially refused to come out and the officer had to kick down the stall door. Police confiscated his phone, which allegedly had seven videos of woman taking off their pants on separate occasions over the last three weeks.

Garcia was charged with multiple counts, including video voyeurism and resisting an officer without violence.
A man who suffered a heart attack at Miami International Airport got a chance to say thank you Wednesday to the Miami-Dade Police officers who helped save his life.

"Really saved my life and I owe you my life, I will never forget you," Jozef Alhale said. "It's a very emotional day, I've been waiting to see them, because what they did was above and beyond, it's just unbelievable."

On Oct. 5, Alhale collapsed in the TSA line. Passengers tried to help and within moments, four MDPD officers responded, assessed him, did CPR and used a defibrillator machine to shock Alhale back to life. They kept him stable until paramedics took over.

On Wednesday, the police director awarded the four officers with the Life Saver's Award, and Alhale did the honors of handing out the certificates.

"I'm extremely happy, sir, for you that we were able to be at the right place, right time and give you a second chance at life," Sgt. Bert Perez said.

There's always a heavy police presence at MIA to deter crime and terrorism and sometimes, to step in and save a life.

"These men and women go out everyday, they don't even know if they're going to get back home, because they're trying to save us, keep us safe, and on top of it they're like saving lives, because of their training," Alhale said. "I was basically surrounded by angels that day because I talked to my doctor last week I should have been dead and I'm still here and it's only because of them."
Hundreds of people gathered in Miami Wednesday for a rally to call for liberty and democracy in Cuba following the death of Fidel Castro.

Cuban exiles in South Florida have been anticipating Castro's death for years and have been celebrating since it was announced over the weekend.

Wednesday's gathering began at 5 p.m., with the crowd descending on the Bay of Pigs Memorial on 8th Street and 13th Avenue in Little Havana.

"The message is clear. We want freedom for Cuba. We are not happy about death per se, we are happy that the symbol in Cuba of Fidel Castro, dictator, assassin, totalitarian, is over," rally attendee Odalys Fuentes said.

Attendees waved Cuban flags, danced to Cuban music and listened to speeches.

Those who fought against Castro's regime said they want to show a more serious tone about how they were impacted by his dictatorship.

"We are going to talk specifically about what this means now and what this means for the future," organizer Humberto Arguelles said.

They called for change on the island and don't want any violence, just to get their message across. That message: join the fight for freedom and put pressure on the Cuban government.

"That is why it is so important that the young people are there because we were able to be lucky enough to have that freedom and grow up with it and it's more important especially to me and Ray the same young people in Cuba can't have those freedoms," organizer Claudia De La Vega said.

Some vendors set up shop and were selling items like Cuban flags and bandannas.
Get ready to power up.

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, Yoshi and the gang are heading to Universal Studios.

Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts jointly announced Tuesday that new attractions are coming to Orlando, Hollywood and Osaka, Japan as "expansive, highly themed environments."

"Imagine the fun of stepping into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventure," read the statement. "Gigantic Piranha Plants spring to life. Question blocks, power-ups and more surround you. And Mario and all his friends are there to pull you into a brand-new world."

A partnership between the Japanese game-maker and Universal Studios was announced last year.

The creative planning of the new attractions is already underway, the statement said, but no specifics about the possible rides or other attractions was released.

A timeline for construction and opening dates will come later from each of the individual parks.

Editor's Note: Universal Parks & Resorts is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of this site.
The driver in the 2014 crash that injured actor Tracy Morgan pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Kevin Roper, 37, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated assault for the June 7, 2014 crash.

Under the terms of his plea, Roper will enter a pre-trial intervention program that will allow him to avoid prison for the time being. If Roper completes the 36-month program, which includes community service and other conditions, the charges will be dismissed. If not, he faces possible jail time.

Roper was driving a Wal-Mart truck in June 2014 when he crashed into Morgan's van on the New Jersey Turnpike. The group was returning from Morgan's show in Delaware.

The 37-year-old Jonesboro, Georgia, resident had also faced an aggravated manslaughter count, which is punishable by a 10-to-30-year prison term on conviction. Vehicular homicide carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence.

Comedian James McNair died and Morgan and three other passengers were injured in the crash. Morgan suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and head injuries.

The former "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live" star made his first public appearance after the accident in June 2015 and made a surprise appearance at the Emmys three months later.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. settled separate lawsuits in 2015 brought by Morgan and by McNair's two children.

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded Roper hadn't slept in the 28 hours before the crash, a finding his attorney disputed.

The report concluded Roper failed to slow down immediately before the crash despite posted warning signs on the turnpike where construction work was in progress. It found the truck was going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone until about 200 feet before impact.

The board also faulted Morgan and other passengers in the limo van for not wearing seat belts and for adjusting headrests, which it said contributed to the severity of their injuries when the limo was struck from behind. [[238904721, C]]
Days before an 18-year-old man plowed his car into pedestrians and stabbed people on the Ohio State University campus, he visited Washington, D.C., and bought a knife, sources tell NBC News and NBC 4 New York.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan visited D.C. late last week and bought a knife at a Home Depot store there, law enforcement officials said.

Investigators said they do not know if Artan was planning an attack in D.C.

"It's a mystery at this point. Was he planning to do something here? Was it something else? We simply don't know," one official said.

D.C. has one Home Depot store, located on the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. A man there who said he was a manager said he had not been contacted by law enforcement officials.

Officials have said Artan bought another knife at a Walmart store in Columbus Monday morning, before he began the attack at Ohio State shortly before 10 a.m.

Officials said they do not know which knife he used in the attack that injured 11 people.

The FBI said Wednesday that it "appears" Artan was inspired by radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, but cautioned that that conclusion was based on a Facebook post he wrote.

"We don't yet know if he watched propaganda videos," one official said.

The effort to go through Artan's social media pages and electronic devices is in the early stages.

Stay with News4 for more details this developing story.
Their attempt was ambitious, but when 4,000 rabbis took the so-called "mannequin challenge," the result was something less than statuesque.

The rabbis had gathered at their groups headquarters in Brooklyn for their annual Chabad-Lubavitch conference, also known as kinus.

While taking the time to pose for their annual class portrait on Sunday, the group also filmed the thousands of rabbis attempting to do the #MannequinChallenge by standing completely still and in silence.

"It's hard to get thousands of rabbis to stay still, but we went for it," the organization said in a caption for the video.

While most participants followed instructions, not everyone complied. One man is seen sitting down in the beginning of the video while several others turn their heads or wave.

Stop moving! Hes moving! one man is heard yelling in the video, which can be seen on the Instagram account @chabadorg.

NYPD officers working security at the event also participated.

The gathering of Lubavitch rabbis has tried its hands at social media in years prior. Two years ago, the group took what they claimed to be the worlds biggest selfie using a large camera extender and fish-eye lens.

The rabbis work as emissaries of the Lubavitch organization in over 80 countries around the world, returning to Crown Heights every year for the conference.
A Brooklyn man has been charged with assault and other crimes in the case of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son, who is fighting for his life after suffering a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen and liver.

Salvatore Lucchesse, 24, was questioned after authorities responded to little Jaden Jordan's home on West Fifth Street in Gravesend Monday for a 911 call about a child in cardiac arrest. He was later arrested.

Information on an attorney for Lucchesse wasn't immediately available. He said nothing as he was led from a police precinct Wednesday.

Law enforcement sources said Jordan was found soiled. Lucchesse initially claimed he placed the boy in the bathtub to take a shower and the child slipped and hit his head. He claimed he gave Jordan CPR. But the sources said the injuries weren't consistent with being given CPR.

Jordan is on a ventilator and in critical condition at Coney Island Hospital. Doctors weren't able to determine how long he had had the injuries.

A man living at the boy's home says he met the family a few days ago when he rented a room from the boy's mother and her boyfriend. He spoke to her from Coney Island Hospital Tuesday.

"She's crying. It's her son. She's heartbroken. It's her kid," he said.

The man said he saw nothing out of the ordinary in the short time he's lived in their apartment.

"They seemed like a pretty good family," said the man, who asked not to be identified. "The kid was quiet. They never really argued or anything."

But another neighbor said she recently heard loud arguing coming from the home.

"Just words, violent words," she said, describing yelling between two men.

The neighbor also said she's only ever seen loving treatment from the boy's mother and grandmother, who at one point lived in the house.

Another neighbor named John said the boy "never looked like he was sad, never crying. The grandparents took care of him very well."

Sources said the city's Administration for Child Services received an anonymous tip over the weekend about a child covered in feces being kept in a cage, but it was for a wrong address on the street.

A spokesman for ACS confirmed it responded to the tip on Saturday, saying investigators arrived at the provided address within two hours of the report.

"After two days of diligently and aggressively investigating the complaint, it became clear to our child protective specialists that the caller reported an inaccurate address," spokesman Jose Bayona said.

ACS officials said investigators returned on Sunday and rang several doorbells in the building, but tenants weren't familiar with the people in the report. Finally, on Monday, child protective specialists were able to obtain the correct address, as well as other identifying information, and ultimately located the family.

There was a large pit bull and cage found in Jordan's home, confirming at least part of the anonymous tip, sources said.



In a statement Wednesday, the city's Department of Investigation said it sent a request to the state Office of Children and Family Services for access to ACS records regarding Jordan, which it has done in other child abuse cases.



"DOI has been actively investigating whether some or all of these cases were lawfully handled by ACS, whether there continue to be systemic and preventable problems at ACS that place children in danger, and whether ACS has implemented necessary changes noted in DOIs prior reviews," DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said.
Yoenis Cespedes is staying with the Mets - again.

After testing free agency for the second straight offseason, the slugging outfielder agreed to a $110 million, four-year contract with New York, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to Cespedes successfully completing a physical.

A two-time All-Star, Cespedes gets $22.5 million in 2017, $29 million in each of the following two seasons and $29.5 million in 2020.

The 31-year-old receives a full no-trade provision as part of the agreement, the largest for a free agent thus far this offseason. The deal's $27.5 million average annual value ties former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for the second-highest among position players, trailing only Miguel Cabrera's $29.2 million with Detroit.

Acquired by the Mets from the Tigers at the July 31 trade deadline in 2015, Cespedes had 17 home runs and 44 RBIs in 57 games with the Mets down the stretch, helping them reach the World Series for the first time since 2000.

After finding a slow market in a free-agent class that also included Jason Heyward, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton, Cespedes made a surprise return to the Mets when New York agreed in January to a $75 million, three-year contract that allowed him to opt out after one season and $27.5 million.

Cespedes had 31 homers and 86 RBIs in 132 games this year, slowed after injuring his right quadriceps on July 8. He hit one home run after Sept. 11.

Other outfielders on the free-agent market include major league home run leader Mark Trumbo, Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran, Dexter Fowler, Josh Reddick and Matt Holliday.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he wanted a resolution to Cespedes' negotiations with the team by the end of the winter meetings, which run from Dec. 5-8.
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30 Rock Tree Lighting Tonight

The Rockefeller Center tree is set to be illuminated Wednesday in a festive ceremony. The 83rd annual holiday celebration will feature a 94-foot tall Norway spruce from Oneonta. NBC 4 New York will broadcast Christmas in Rockefeller Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Crowds are expected to form in the early afternoon and police say drivers should expect heavy traffic and avoid the vicinity of Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Spectators should expect some security restrictions and prepare for possible rain. Heres what to know ahead of the tree lighting, whether you plan on heading to the plaza or watching at home.

Romney Meets Trump, Again

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney offered effusive praise for President-elect Donald Trump's "impressive" transition effort and "message of inclusion" following their dinner together Tuesday night  a striking change of heart by a man who once called Donald Trump "a phony, a fraud." The dinner was Romney's second meeting with Trump as part of the president-elect's interview process for deciding who to nominate as Secretary of State. Romney remains a top contender, along with longtime Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Bob Corker and several others. Meanwhile, Trump was moving forward with nominations, including former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the Treasury. American investor Wilbur Ross is expected to be named as Trumps pick for Commerce secretary, an announcement also expected Wednesday.

Kellogg Pulls Breitbart Ads

Kellogg has announced that it will no longer advertise on Breitbart.com, the website formerly run by one of Trump's top aides, Steve Bannon. The food manufacturer decided to discontinue advertising on the site as soon as it was alerted by consumers to the presence of its ads, Kellogg Co. spokeswoman Kris Charles said Tuesday. Meanwhile, an organization that tracks extremist movements in the United States is calling on President-elect Trump to more aggressively condemn what it calls "a national outbreak of hate" in the wake of the election.

Women Wont Have to Register for Draft

House and Senate negotiators reached agreement Tuesday on a sweeping defense policy bill that rejects a plan to force women to register for a military draft, a victory for social conservatives who decried the move as another step toward the blurring of gender lines. The $611 billion bill authorizes spending for military programs.

Thief Steals Bucket of Gold in NYC

A quick-moving crook capitalized on a 20-second window of distraction by armored truck guards in bustling midtown Manhattan to steal a bucket of gold flakes worth nearly $1.6 million, surveillance video obtained exclusively by NBC 4 New York shows. Police believe the man is hiding out in the Orlando or Miami area with the bucket of gold.

Odd Creatures on Trail Cam

Police who placed cameras along a park trail in Kansas to check for a mountain lion ended up spotting some peculiar creatures of the night. The fake animals - people dressed in costumes - included a wolf in high heels, two gorillas and what appeared to be a Rottweiler in a trench coat. Santa Claus, a swamp-like creature and someone in a bathrobe using a walker were spotted too. Check out photos that police shared.

Oldest Living Person Shares Diet

Italy's Emma Morano, the world's oldest living person, marked her 117th birthday Tuesday, blowing out all the candles on her cake. Morano, who is believed to be the last surviving person in the world born in the 1800s, became the oldest living person in May. Bava told Reuters TV that Morano never ate much fruit or vegateables, and that she insists on eating the same things, including this.

Drone Video Captures Apple Spaceship

A new drone video released over the Thanksgiving weekend shows that Apple's new "Spaceship" building in Cupertino, California, is nearly completed. An Apple fan boy shot the video of Apple's 176-acre Campus 2. Watch the flyover.
MTA officials are investigating after someone left behind recruitment fliers for the Ku Klux Klan on a Long Island Rail Road train.

Commuter Carlos Sandoval told NBC 4 New York he found the fliers as he left the Montauk branch train in Amagansset earlier this month. The fliers read "The KKK Wants You!" along with a drawing of a Klansman mimicking the image of Uncle Sam pointing in World War I recruitment posters.

"As a person of color, I really felt personally attacked," he said over Skype.

Sandoval reported the incident, and a LIRR spokesman initially told NBC 4 on Tuesday that there's no general prohibition against the distribution of literature on trains or platforms, unless it violates railroad rules or criminal statutes.

But LIRR later amended the statement, telling NBC 4 that "the passing out of any literature that is non-MTA literature is prohibited on all platforms and trains," and that a person caught doing so can be fined $50 or removed from the train.

It's the latest instance of the white supremacy group distributing materials on Long Island. Self-identified members of the hate group told the I-Team in 2015 that their numbers were "growing by the day."

Similar fliers were seen on the island following the election, including in Patchogue last month. The village's mayor says they are disturbing to a community with a large immigrant population.

"Take your hatred and keep it in your own house," he said. "Don't put it in anyone else's."

But Suffolk police say the simple act of distributing them is not a crime. One commuter told NBC 4, "I just don't think it's a big deal, in my opinion. You don't like it, just throw it away."

It's also not the first time that hateful messages have been displayed in mass transit in the tri-state. In 2015, the MTA moved to ban political advertisement on the subway, buses, the LIRR and Metro-North after a judge ruled a pro-Israel group could display anti-Islamic ads, including one that included the quote "Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah."
A 33-year-old FDNY firefighter has been accused of selling prescription pills in front of his Brooklyn firehouse and at a gas station near a school, according to prosecutors.

Daniel Torres, of Rahway, New Jersey, was arrested on conspiracy and criminal sale of a controlled substance on or near school grounds after authorities said he sold Vicodin and Xanax in front of his Red Hook firehouse and at a gas station.

The 8-year FDNY veteran assigned to the department's recruitment unit is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail after a hearing in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Torres was previously assigned to Engine 279/Ladder 131 in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. He faces multiple state charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance on or near school grounds and conspiracy, prosecutors.

Prosecutors say the gas station from which Torres sold the prescription pain pills is one block from the Al-Noor School, an Islamic private high school.

Prosecutors say the firehouse in front of which Torres sold pills is three blocks from a childcare center, the Choo Choo Train Daycare.

Authorities said that Torres set up the drug sales through calls and text messages.

In at least two of the buys, the firefighter was accused of selling more than 160 tablets of Vicodin, a narcotic painkiller, and 28 Xanax tablets, an addictive anti-anxiety drug. On one of the occasions, Torres allegedly gave a customer a sample of heroin as well.

The investigation was conducted by the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force comprised of DEA, NYPD, and New York State Police investigators, along with the New York City Department of Investigation.

Attorney information on the man wasn't immediately available.
A firefighter suffered minor injuries battling a fire in Manhattan early Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

The fire broke out at 581 Third Ave. in the Murray Hill neighborhood just before midnight.

The first and second floors of the five-story, mixed-occupancy building were in flames when firefighters arrived. A Subway sandwich shop and a sushi restaurant are among the tenants at the address.

Video shows at least five fire trucks and several ambulances at the scene. Two ladder trucks had their ladders extended into the building.

No other injuries were reported and everyone is believed to have gotten out safely.

Fire officials anticipated that the fire would be completely out by 1:30 a.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Misdemeanor drug and menacing charges against rapper Desiigner (dee-ZYN'-ur) have effectively been dropped less than three months after his arrest in New York.

Sidney Selby did not appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday when prosecutors agreed to have his case sealed.

Prosecutors and Selby's lawyers agreed to an arrangement that generally leads to charges being dismissed if the defendant stays out of trouble for six months. But it's unusual for a case to be sealed immediately.

Lawyer Stacey Richman says she's happy her client was exonerated.

Police said in September the "Panda" performer waved a handgun during a road rage dispute while riding with friends in a hired car.

But the 19-year-old wasn't charged with a gun crime, and his lawyer said no gun was ever found.
The daughter of a Cuban dissident says her father was beaten and taken to jail for refusing to mourn the death of Fidel Castro.

Elizabeth Pacheco tells NBC 6 Cuban government security officers warned Eduardo Pacheco, who leads a gathering of the Movimento Recuperacion Democratico, that he could not host his monthly meeting with the opposition organization because he is supposed to be in mourning.

Cuba's government declared nine days of national mourning following Castro's death Nov. 25. The group meets with other Cuban dissidents on the last Monday of every month.

According to Pacheco, government security officers were monitoring her father's home Monday. When one of the group's member's arrived, an officer hurled a rock at her father as he opened the door.

"My dad opened the door of the house and they then hit him with a rock that fractured his nose," Pacheco said. "My mom says someone told her he can barely breathe."

She says several officers tackled her father and took him into custody. Her father's whereabouts are unknown.

Pacheco says her family is often the target of vandalism and Castro sympathizers even throw excrement at their home.

Pacheco also says Cubans are practically forced to board buses to attend Castro's memorial. She says though some have gone willingly, she believes many go out of fear of repercussions. The communist government still employs about 80 percent of the working people in Cuba despite the growth of the private sector under Castro's brother Raul Castro.
The Somali-born student who went on a car-and-knife rampage at Ohio State University railed on Facebook against U.S. interference in Muslim lands and warned, "If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace" with the Islamic State group, a law enforcement official said Tuesday.

The posts from Abdul Razak Ali Artan's account came to light after Monday's violence, which left 11 people injured. Investigators are looking into whether it was a terrorist attack.

"America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," he wrote, using the Arabic term for the world's Muslim community.

Despite Artan's social media posts referencing ISIS, the Islamic State and deceased al Qaeda cleric Anwar Awlaki, there are no known contacts between Artan and ISIS or any other foreign terror organization, two U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News. In one post on Facebook, Artan reportedly exhorted fellow Muslims to "honor Anwar Awlaki, our hero imam," officials said, but so far they are looking at Monday's incident as an attack inspired by a terror organization, not directed by one.

The posts were recounted by a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation but wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

"Every single Muslim who disapproves of my actions is a sleeper cell, waiting for a signal. I am warning you Oh America!" Artan also said.

Dozens of FBI agents began searching Artan's apartment for clues to what set off the rampage.

Artan drove a car up onto a sidewalk and plowed into a group of pedestrians shortly before 10 a.m. He then got out and began stabbing people with a butcher knife before he was shot to death by a campus police officer.

Most of the victims were hurt by the car, and two had been stabbed, officials said. One had a fractured skull. Three remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, and all are expected to make full physical recoveries.

One victim, Ohio State engingeering Professor William Clark, was outside at the time of the attack due to a fire alarm having gone off in the building in which he was teaching. He said that the incident happened very quickly.

"I was walking, and I suddenly heard a shout, then a tremendous crash," he said Tuesday afternoon. The crash was the sound of the attacker's car hitting a large concrete planter, Clark said. The engineering professor said he was flipped up into the air by the car and landed on his back. He also received two lacerations on his leg, he thinks from jagged edges on the vehicle after it had crashed.

Clark said that he heard the crash and within what seemed to him like only 15 to 30 seconds heard the three gunshots, presumably fired by Officer Alan Horujko, who shot and killed the attacker. The professor praised the quick actions taken by the 28-year-old officer, who Clark said is an acquaintance of his daughter's.

"If he were here right now, I'd put my arm around him," Clark said. "I'd tell him he's going to have a lot to cope with. He did what he was supposed to do."

Horujko has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, as is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings.

Clark said he did not hear Artan say anything when he got out of the vehicle and would not speculate as to the motivation for the attack.

Artan was born in Somalia and was a legal permanent U.S. resident, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A law enforcement official said Artan came to the United States in 2014 as the child of a refugee. He had been living in Pakistan from 2007 to 2014. It is not uncommon for refugees to go to a third-party country before being permanently resettled.

Upon arriving in the U.S., Artan was referred for a secondary Customs and Border Protection inspection, but nothing abnormal was found, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to discuss it and spoke on condition of anonymity. A secondary inspection is often routine and based on someone's travel history and length of stay in certain countries.

Artan started college that fall and graduated with honors from Columbus State Community College last May, earning an associate of arts degree. A video of his graduation ceremony shows him jumping and spinning on stage and smiling broadly, drawing laughs, cheers and smiles from graduates and faculty members.

Classes for the 60,000 students at Ohio State, where Artan began taking classes this fall, were canceled after the attack but resumed Tuesday. The school planned a vigil for Tuesday night.

Students said they were nervous about returning and planned to take precautions such as not walking alone.

"It's kind of nerve-wracking going back to class right after it," said Kaitlin Conner, 18, of Cleveland, who said she had a midterm exam to take.

Ohio State's student newspaper, The Lantern, ran an interview in August with an Artan in which he criticized the media's portrayal of Muslims and expressed concern about how he would be received on campus.

"I was kind of scared with everything going on in the media. I'm a Muslim, it's not what media portrays me to be," he told the newspaper. "If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen. But I don't blame them. It's the media that put that picture in their heads."

Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the act bore the hallmarks of an attack carried out by someone who may have been self-radicalized.

In recent months, federal law enforcement officials have raised concerns about online extremist propaganda that encourages car or knife attacks, which are easier to pull off than bombings. The Islamic State group has urged sympathizers online to carry out lone-wolf attacks in their home countries with whatever weapons are available.

Artan reportedly said in another social media post: "If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace with 'Dawla in al sham,'" which officials said is a reference to the Islamic State. Still, U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News that there are no known contacts between Artan and ISIS, the Islamic State or any other foreign terror organization. They are looking at Monday's incident so far as an inspired attack, rather than a directed one.

Artan was not known to the FBI before Monday's attack, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Neighbors said he was always polite and attended daily prayers at a mosque on the city's west side.

Leaders of Muslim organizations and mosques in the Columbus area condemned the attacks while cautioning people against jumping to conclusions or blaming a religion or an ethnic group.

Surveillance photos showed Artan in the car by himself just before the attack, but investigators are looking into whether anyone else was involved, police said.
Police who placed cameras along a park trail in Kansas to check for a mountain lion ended up spotting some peculiar creatures of the night.

The fake animals - people dressed up in costumes - included a wolf in high heels, two gorillas and what appeared to be a Rottweiler in a trench coat. Santa Claus, a swamp-like creature and someone in a bathrobe using a walker were spotted too.

Police in Kansas were surprised to see a wolf in high heels and other fake animals when they placed cameras along a park trail.

The cameras in Celebration Park also captured some actual wildlife, including a wolf, a skunk and a raccoon.

On its Facebook page, the Gardner Police Department thanked residents for noticing the cameras and for their sense of humor.

"It made our day when we pulled up what we expected to be hundreds of pictures of coyotes, foxes and raccoons," the department wrote.
Several of Paul Walker's "Fast & Furious" co-stars took to social media Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of his tragic death.

This week is always really rough for those of us who really knew him, wrote Tyrese Gibson on Instagram. The "Fast & Furious" actor shared a video that featured clips of Walker from movies, and pictures of Walker with friends and family. Paul treated everyone with the [utmost] respect and went out of his way to make everyone feel like they mattered I love and I miss you dearly.

Ludacris, who also worked with Walker on "Fast & Furious" films, posted an Instagram of Walker with the caption gone but never forgotten.

Jordana Brewster shared a picture of her with Walker on Twitter and wrote, I miss you and I love you every single day.

I miss you and I love you every single day #paulwalkerforever pic.twitter.com/ZxD8FekX6O  Jordana Brewster (@JordanaBrewster) November 30, 2016

The actor, along with friend and driver Roger Rodas, died in a fiery crash in Valencia in November 2013 after Rodas lost control of the car and slammed into a tree. Walker was 40 years old.
Police say a Philadelphia assistant city solicitor was involved in anti-Donald Trump graffiti that was spray-painted on a grocery store in the Chestnut Hill section of Philly.

On Nov. 25 at 12:10 a.m. two men were captured on surveillance video vandalizing the Fresh Market at 8200 Germantown Avenue. The video shows one of the men spray-painting the words F*** Trump on the building while the other appears to take pictures or video. One of the men in the surveillance video also holds a glass of wine.

The two men then left the area on foot on Germantown Avenue. Investigators say the estimated damage the vandalism caused is between $3,000 and $10,000.

Police say Duncan Lloyd, an assistant city solicitor in the city of Philadelphia Law Department, is one of the men in the video though they have not yet confirmed whether he was the man who spray-painted the building or the man who recorded the vandalism.

We received a variety of tips, said Northwest Detectives Captain Malachi Jones. Were talking to a variety of people and trying to bring this thing to rest.

Craig Straw, the First Deputy City Solicitor, told NBC10 the Law Department is aware of what their employee is accused of doing.

To my knowledge, Mr. Lloyd has already contacted the Philadelphia police and is cooperating with them, Straw wrote in a statement. We will decide on a course of action once we obtain more information about the investigation. We do not condone this type of behavior from our employees.

Joe DeFelice, the chairman of the Philadelphia Republican Party, said that Lloyd should be fired for his actions.

If the image of an upper-middle class city attorney clad in a blazer and sipping wine while vandalizing an upscale grocery store with an anti-Trump message strikes you as perhaps the most bourgeois sight imaginable, thats because it is, DeFelice wrote. Nothing can better represent the hysterical pearl-clutching of the 'progressive' elite in response to this earth-shattering election, when residents of Chestnut Hill and similar neighborhoods across the country discovered  gasp  that other people have a voice too. The assistant city solicitor in question had ostensibly taken the law into his own hands, since a democratic election didnt yield his preferred outcome.

For somebody with extensive legal training to feel entitled to vandalize a newly opened super-market strikes us at the Philadelphia Republican Party as an astonishing feat of idiocy. Did the extra glass of Shiraz give him some sort of delusional confidence that there are no cameras on Germantown Ave? The taxpayers should be entrusting exactly none of our faith into this man. He should be fired from our citys law department immediately.

Police continue to investigate the incident. If you have any information, please call the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353/3354.




The death of a boy whose body was found in the arms of his mother at a Philadelphia home was ruled a homicide and test results reveal the boy was abused.

The 23-year-old mom and her 21-year-old boyfriend met officers in front of a home along E. Clementine Street near F Street in Philadelphias Kensington neighborhood around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, said Philadelphia Police.

Andrea Worrell held her unresponsive 2-year-old boy, identified by family members as Zy'Air Worrell, in her arms, said police. [[403901706, C]]

Police rushed Zy'Air to St. Christophers Hospital for Children where doctors pronounced him dead a couple hours later.

"He don't deserve that," Worrell's godmother, Tasha Nikajewett, said while in tears. "He was just happy. He was a happy little baby."

An autopsy of Worrell revealed that he had suffered a fractured rib, a bruised ear, an abrasion over his eye and a lacerated liver. The 2-year-old also tested positive for THC, commonly found in marijuana, said police.

Investigators initially said the boy's death was suspicious and his injuries were consistent with child abuse. [[404121786, C]]



Police questioned Andrea Worrell along with her boyfriend, who is not the child's natural father, said investigators.

Police charged the mom with child endangerment Thursday morning. The boyfriend wasn't immediately charged, said homicide investigators, who continued to look into the death.

Worrell remained jailed Friday on 10 percent of $200,000 bail, said court records. Her attorney had no immediate comment on the case.
A man was shot and killed in front of his home in West Philadelphia Tuesday night.

The 56-year-old victim was returning to his house on 41st Street and Westminster Avenue at 7:43 p.m. after shopping when an unidentified gunman opened fire. The man was struck once in the abdomen and once in the left leg. He was taken to Presbyterian Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Police have not yet revealed a motive in the shooting but say the victim was the gunmans intended target.




Philadelphia Police charged a 24-year-old man in a hit-and-run that killed a young girl in the city's Overbrook neighborhood earlier this month after a suspicious suburban auto body shop owner contacted them.

"The individual that runs the body shop saw (news coverage), got suspicious and called us up," said Police Commissioner Richard Ross.

Police told NBC10 they charged Paul Woodlyn in the hit-and-run death of 8-year-old Jayanna Powell Thursday. The 24-year-old from Marlyn Street in Overboork faces homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and related charges.

Philadelphia Police / NBC10

Powell was walking home from school with her siblings on 63rd Street and Lansdowne Avenue around 3:15 p.m. back on Nov. 18.

"We was just crossing the street just to get the bus," Jayanna's 12-year-old brother Hassan Cox said.

Cox said he was holding his sister's hand as they crossed 63rd Street when they were struck by a driver speeding through the intersection trying to catch a yellow light. The force of the impact was so strong that the girl was thrown 20 feet, her family said. A witness said the girl's backpack also tore open, splaying paper and books all over the street.

Cox was knocked into a nearby car, the family said. Jayanna was rushed to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with serious injuries. She died a short time later.

Police said the hit-and-run vehicle was a gray or silver 2009 to 2016 Nissan Altima or Maxima with damage to the headlights and grill. The car was last seen heading southbound on 63rd Street.

Family Photo

On Tuesday, accident investigators updated their investigation while the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police announced a $15,000 reward -- mostly from private donors -- for information leading to an arrest of the driver. Mayor Jim Kenney's office also put up $10,000.

"I just want to talk to the person who hit my daughter," said Jayanna's mother, Ayesha Poole. "It may have been an accident, I don't know, I just ask you to turn yourself in.

"I had to lay my baby to rest yesterday -- the hardest day in my life," Poole said. "I don't get a prom, I don't get a graduation, no marriage, no grandkids, no nothing, so, just turn yourself in. Make it better on everybody -- please turn yourself in."

On Wednesday, police checked a car that was taken to an auto body shop in Frazer, Pennsylvania. The owner told NBC10 a woman had taken the damaged car, an Altima with a busted front end, to his shop on Nov. 19, one day after the deadly hit-and-run.

After police towed the vehicle back to Philadelphia they determined it was the same vehicle that struck Powell.

"We were able to match up some of the auto parts to that particular car, it's absolutely the car," said Ross.

This suspicious car is heading back to Philadelphia. It closely matches the car involved in hit/run death of Jayanna pic.twitter.com/b9p6zsP6Or  Monique Braxton (@MoniqueBraxton) November 30, 2016

Police executed search warrants on the vehicle as well as a Philadelphia home and also questioned several people before arresting Woodlyn, who doesn't own the car, said Ross.

A judge arraigned Woodlyn Thursday morning and set bail at $500,000, said court records.
Three dozen Pennsylvania colleges will get nearly $1 million in grants to combat sex assaults on campus thanks to the "Its on Us PA" campaign.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced the grants  up to $30,000 per school  Tuesday.

"Sexual assault has a corrosive effect on all of us," said Wolf in a news release. "My administration is committed to combating this urgent and serious epidemic, specifically on college campuses. I am proud to announce grants to Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions to increase awareness, education and resources to combat sexual assault."

Community colleges, junior colleges and four-year universities could apply for the grants to implement strategies of combating sexual assaults, said Wolfs office.



"Pennsylvanias 'Its On Us' campaign is fostering discussions across the commonwealth about how we address the very serious issue of campus sexual assault," said Education Secretary Pedro Rivera. "These grant recipients will implement new approaches to tackling this issue, and will develop best practices that can potentially be replicated around the state."

Wolfs Administration chose 36 schools  including Philadelphia-area colleges like Chestnut Hill College, Lincoln University, Drexel University, Temple University, Bucks County Community College, Eastern University and others  from more than 60 applicants.
Parishioners sent up prayers for the three people who died and the 14 others who were sickened following a Thanksgiving dinner put on by a Brentwood church.

Golden Hills Community Church Senior Pastor Larry Adams said the parish in Brentwood, California has been serving holiday meals for decades and was deeply saddened by the tragic turn at a charitable event that turned accidentally deadly.

"No one's ever gotten sick in more than 30 years," he said.

Last week's deaths were "more than heartbreaking," Adams said. But in the aftermath, he said, his concern is "not us or our reputation. It's people."

There were still many unanswered questions than answers on Tuesday, a day after Contra Costa County health officials announced that eight people were taken to Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch on Friday and Saturday after eating the church-hosted turkey- and stuffing-meal at the American Legion Hall in Antioch.

Health officials initially said five people had been sickened, but that number rose to 14 Tuesday evening. The Contra Costa County Coroners office has not yet identified the three who died.

The three people who died came to the event from two assisted living facilities, Minervas Place and Minervas Place IV, according to the Department of Social Services. No one would speak to a reporter at one of the facilities, but health inspectors were seen walking into one of the residences.

Contra Costa County Public Health Dr. Louise McNitt said at a Monday news conference that there was no concrete evidence yet that a food-borne illness sickened the people, but "that's usually what it is." She said norovirus had been ruled out. A total of 835 people ate the meal.

All the patients ate food from the same holiday event, health officials said Tuesday. Investigators said they were busy collecting biological samples for testing at county and state public health labs.

Adams said he is anxiously awaiting the test results to come back: "First of all, we don't even know that our dinner was the source of the problem. But that doesn't matter because precious people died. So we're concerned about that -- no matter what the source -- which is why we're trying so hard ... to help County Health find the source because if it was from us, we want to fix it. And if it wasn't from us, then we still want to help the people who hurt."

Seattle-based food expert attorney William Marler said he suspects, from what hes heard and read, that the most likely culprit is a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens, which is often mistaken for the 24-hour flu. The majority of outbreaks are associated with undercooked meats, often cooked in large quantities and which sit out for long periods of time. Its rarely fatal, but it can be.

Its not unusual for just a few people to get sick out of hundreds, Marler said in an email to NBC Bay Area. They may have been the only ones that ate the tainted portion or perhaps had underlying health issues that made them more vulnerable.

Marler said it reminds him of a case in Iowa years ago where only a few people got sick and one died during a Thanksgiving dinner for the elderly.

On Monday, Dr. Marilyn Underwood, environmental health director for Contra Costa County Health Services, said she did not know who was responsible for preparing the food, but they did say some of the food was brought in from other facilities and some was prepared at the hall. She added that after interviewing the food handlers about food safety techniques, "they all sounded very appropriate."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 6 Americans  or 48 million  gets sick every year from food-borne illnesses, commonly referred to as food poisoning.

NBC Bay Area's Stephen Ellison, Sharon Katsuda, Gonzo Rojas and Terry McSweeney contributed to this report.
Allstate Insurance Co. has agreed to pay $600,000 in a legal settlement involving its Accident Forgiveness television ads.

The settlement was part of a civil complaint claiming the insurance companys advertising violated California law.

The San Diego County District Attorneys Office announced the settlement with Allstate Wednesday.

The Illinois-based insurance company claimed its ad campaign featuring the accident forgiveness benefit reached 90 percent of the households in California.

Under Californias Proposition 103, its illegal for insurance companies to offer that benefit in California.

Allstate included a visual disclaimer on the television ad but the District Attorneys Office said that California law requires that all advertising must clearly and conspicuously disclose any material facts that viewers need to avoid being misled.

San Diego will receive one-third of the settlement amount.
A San Diego couple was sentenced to three years of probation on Tuesday for locking up an Indonesian woman at their home and forcing her to work without pay, the U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed.

Firas Majeed, 45, and Shatha Abbas, 39, were arrested on April 8, 2016 after the victim slipped a note to a health-care worker who visited the home in El Cajon. The note, written in the victim's native language, begged for help.

The woman was rescued by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigation on March 22.

Majeed and Abbas plead guilty on August 18 to holding the woman's passport illegally so that she was forced to work for their household between November 2015 and March 2016, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The victim reported that she had been forced to work for Abbas' relative in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for five years before she was forced to leave to the U.S.

While at the couple's El Cajon home, the victim was required to work up to 18 hours a day, every day of the week without pay. She was also not allowed to leave the home alone.

Forcing someone to work under these horrible conditions is slavery, pure and simple. Victims of domestic servitude live in misery and fear. We stand ready to rescue victims and investigate and prosecute these crimes, but we need the publics help to recognize and report these crimes," said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, in a statement.

The victim's identity was not released.

On Tuesday, the couple were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $18,000 in restitution to the victim.
Could a multi-year, $700 million construction project right in the middle of multiple San Diego lagoons actually be beneficial to those wetland areas?

The Director of the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy says yes.

Our organization looking at this saw a major opportunity, knowing that the end result is a positive for the lagoon, said Doug Gibson.

A big benefit is the improved flow of ocean water in the San Elijo Lagoon. The current railroad tracks and freeway bridges hinder the movement of salt water. Gibson says the old bridges were not designed with the environment in mind.

Redesigning bridges with the environment in mind can help focus flows and increase the in and out capability of water, he said.

Gibson also claims the current railroad bridge has creosote-soaked wood that releases harmful toxins.

Increased water flow will benefit thousands of plant and animal species in the lagoon, and it will also expand their habitat into the eastern, inland areas of the lagoon, Gibson said.

Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said this project will improve the environment and leave it better when were done, rather than worse off when were done.

The North Coast Corridor Project will also contribute $80 million to other environmental improvements and coastal research.

Were going to be able to monitor and track climate change and sea level rise, and how they impact the coastal system, Gibson said.
Two pit bulls who the San Diego Humane Society says are responsible for mauling a family horse to death have still have not been located, days after the attack.

The attack happened Saturday around 9 p.m. off Woodland Parkway when the family heard an unfamiliar bark outside their family's home on Fulton Road in San Marcos.

Bill Barclay said he heard dogs in his backyard and ran out right away, where he saw them attacking his beloved horse, Smokey.

He attempted to beat the dogs off with a shovel, but they continued to attack.

When Barclay went to get a gun, the dogs took off. By then, Smokey was gravely injured.

His daughter, Michelle Barclay, says her father was very close to Smokey.

It was really traumatic for him to see him like that, she said. Smokeys injuries were so grave he had to be put down following the attack.

Flowers, balloons and some of Smokeys favorite treats rest outside the corral that the beloved horse occupied for nearly 15 years. Now, neighbors are coming by on Fulton Road share their grief.

Smokey was a familiar sight around San Marcos. Bill would ride him around the neighborhood and he would often be spotted pulling a buggy through the streets.

People would come to visit Smokey bring him apples and carrots so he was quite popular in the neighborhood, Michelle said.

Additionally, Bill Barclay was an extra in several movies, including Back to the Future 3, where Smokey played a role as well.

As the family grieved the loss of their beloved horse, they learned the two dogs responsible - who initially escaped - were picked up by a woman who lived nearby. The dogs were bloody and appeared injured, the family said.

The family contacted Escondido Humane Society officials, who picked up the dogs and took them to a nearby emergency vet hospital, where the micro-chipped pit bulls were tracked to their owner.

The owner arrived and took them home. The owner was cooperating with officials, but since they went home with the woman, there has been no sighting of the dogs.

The San Diego Human Societys Chief of Humane Law Enforcement, Steve MacKinnon, explained what happened.

After being picked up from the hospital, due to some errors at the home, the dogs were allowed to escape once more, he said, adding that it was the owner's responsibility to make sure the dogs were contained.

Michelle Barclay says she cant believe the dogs could be loose once again.

I've never heard in all my life dogs who attacked a horse and killed it," she said. "And the community is very concerned, there are a lot of people out here, around here, to walk their dogs and obviously there's children with a school right behind us.

San Diego Humane Society's Kelli Schry said officers are searching for the dogs. Once they are found, a medical team will see if the dogs are a match to the ones who attacked the horse.

Anyone with information on the dogs is asked to call San Diego Humane Societys Humane Law Enforcement division at (619) 243-3466.
This week leaders from around the world will hear how they can combat climate change by following Washington's lead.

D.C. that is, not the federal government. The message will come from the mayor of the nations capital.

Mayor Muriel Bowser will address an international climate change conference in Mexico, telling her counterparts how Washington is leading the nation in efforts to reduce the city's carbon footprint.

Bowser will deliver her message as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. The fact that Trump has questioned the science of climate change in the past is not lost on Bowser.

I have the same responsibilities no matter who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Bowser said.

Bowser and her top adviser on environmental issues, Tommy Wells, say the District can set an example for other big cities. The first thing Bowser pointed to was the Districts investment in alternative power sources.

Not only solar, but wind energy as well, Bowser said.

We entered into an unprecedented agreement to energize D.C. government buildings thats not only good for our environment, but its also good for our bottom line, she said.

Were taking a lot of steps to reduce the production of greenhouse gasses, Wells added. Weve reduced greenhouse gasses produced by our city by almost 23 percent since 2006.

Bowser and Wells will travel to Mexico City for the C40 Mayors Summit. This will be the sixth time the international organization of mayors has held the event, which is geared toward sharing solutions to climate change.

Were having to learn from each other as fast as possible, said Wells, who attended the summit last year in Paris. In Washington, weve just released a report on how to prepare the city for major storm events like a derecho, or flooding, the kind of things that happen in climate change.

Bowser said she knows having an incoming president who once tweeted that climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese could mean challenges to local jurisdictions who have a different view.

Ill be among a group of American mayors who are staying the course," Bowser said. Were going forward. Were not fighting science, were embracing it.

Trump has stepped back from his hoax tweet, telling The New York Times there is some connectivity between manmade carbon emissions and climate change, but in the same interview, the president-elect left open the possibility he might withdraw the U.S. from international climate change agreements.

Bowser said Trumps uncertainty on the issue is something she and other mayors are preparing for.

A lot of Mr. Trumps policies havent been well advanced, and so we dont know exactly what a Trump administration will bring, Bowser says.

Bowser and Wells said regardless of who is president, they will continue to push for a greener D.C. As part of that initiative, Bowser said she wants more residents and businesses to start using solar power.

We dont only want the well-to-do, who own big homes, to have solar but we want people who live in apartments, we want their property owners to be able to buy solar and pass those savings along to, to residents of those buildings as well." Bowser said. So that is our real focus, making sure we make solar accessible to more people.

The District has been successful in getting low income families connected with solar power, Wells said.

When we first came into office, the mayor launched an initiative to put 150 solar arrays on homes for free for low-income folks so they could benefit and weve been doing that each year, Wells said.

Well be generating, over the next 16 years, potentially up to a half-billion dollars of investing in solar, just in D.C. Working with the council, the mayor has directed that this is primarily to benefit low-income residents in the District that as their power bills go up and need that support, that the solar investments be deployed on their behalf.

While the world can learn from D.C.s example, there is still more to prepare for, Bowser said.

We are a city that embraces science and needs to be prepared for any changes in climate and its effect on us," she said. "Whether its a heatwave, which we saw in August, 90 degree days for almost three days in a row, which impacts our city; whether its the storm events -- that some are expected, some are unexpected -- and preparation for flooding. People of Washington expect that were going to take care of our city, no matter what.
Anthony Boston is a proud father with a distinction he wouldnt wish on any parent.

I was the last one to see my child alive, he said, describing a cold night in January 2009 when he put his infant daughter Malia to bed.

Malias mother, Wanda Kamara, sat next to Boston and clutched his arm as they recounted some of their most precious memories of their daughter. Kamara loved Malias lips. Boston marveled at the beauty of his daughters eyes. Both talked about how they had been excited to have a second child together.

I had a false sense of security because Ive done this before, Kamara said. We never saw anything coming.

What came was the shocking discovery of Malia, face down, not moving or breathing when Boston went to wake her the next morning.

I was like, Oh my God, Boston remembered. I touched her and she was like ice.

He called 911, while Kamara started CPR.

She went to pick her up, and her head just fell back, Boston said, tears welling in his eyes. I knew then, he said, alluding to what neither wanted to admit to themselves at the time. I was just, I felt helpless. Thats it, just helpless.

Paramedics arrived. The family, including their 5-year-old daughter, rushed to the hospital. Doctors put Malia on life support, but just a short time later, the doctors told Boston and Kamara their daughter was gone.

If they say thats the bottom, Boston said, Thats it.

I immediately felt guilty, Kamara said. I said, Well, this has to be my fault. I couldnt understand what happened. It didnt make any sense.

The Maryland Medical Examiner ruled Malias death Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, the governments classification for when a babys death cannot be explained after a thorough investigation. SIDS falls under a broader category called Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, or SUID.

A News4 I-Team analysis found SUID cases in Anne Arundel County alone have jumped from two deaths in 2015 to eight deaths so far in 2016.

Statewide, the I-Team found the most recent data from 2014 reported 50 SUID cases. Thats 28.1 percent of all the infant deaths that year, making SUID the leading cause of infant deaths in Maryland for the first time on record.

The I-Team also reviewed Child Fatality Review Team records in Virginia, which reported another 24 SUID and SIDS-related deaths in 2014.

The D.C. Office of the Medical Examiner reported an additional 19 SUID and undetermined infant deaths for that same year.

It truly does happen to everybody, said Anne Arundel County Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Rose, who helps lead the countys efforts to educate parents and caregivers in light of the recent spike in SUID deaths.

A portion of these [cases] are sleep-related, Rose said of this years SUID reports. Meaning it occurred during a sleep period and are related to how or where the infant slept.

Most of these are due to accidental causes," he explained, "so things like strangulation, where something is laying across the neck or wrapped around the neck of the of the infant; or a blocked head, where the child's head is trapped between, say, the mattress and a wall and can't breathe.

Boston and Kamara said while they did put Malia to sleep in a full-sized bed next to her older sister, investigators couldnt definitively point to the sleeping environment as the cause of death. They said theyd placed Malia on her back, with no excessive bedding or blankets around her. The parents also said doctors found Malia had a touch of pneumonia before she died.

They put it in [the SIDS] category because they couldn't say what definitely did it, Kamara explained.

Anne Arundel County is now pushing a new educational campaign, promoting the ABCs of Safe Sleep: Putting an infant to sleep alone, on his or her back, in a safe and uncluttered crib.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recently updated its guidelines on safe sleep environments for babies, which includes the additional recommendation that parents and caregivers sleep in the same room in which an infants crib is placed.

Sharing the room with a parent has been found to be important, Dr. Rose said. Particularly within the first six months of life when the risk of SIDS is much higher."

Centers for Disease Control figures show the death rate for black infants compared to white infants has remained persistently high over the past decade, but Rose said his countys educational push also seeks to combat the perception that SUID and SIDS cases only impact young parents of color without access to a crib.

These unfortunate situations can happen across socioeconomic backgrounds, said Rose. So it's very important for all caregivers, regardless of their state, to be aware of safe sleeping practices.

Boston and Kamara are now involved in local educational efforts through support groups like the University of Marylands Center for Infant & Child Loss, which they credit for helping them through their darkest days following Malias death.

Nobody should ever have to lose a child, Kamara said. Everyone deserves a chance to prevent that from happening.

Kamara and Boston said they grappled over whether they should have another child but are now grateful they decided to let their family grow. They now have another son and daughter.

But they said they constantly think about what kind of child Malia, who would be 8 years old today, could have grown into.

I dont hide my emotions about it. Why should I? Boston said while struggling to fight back tears. I do this to represent all people like me, fathers like this that dont get to say these things. I miss my daughter. I would give anything, and I mean anything, for her to be here.

Reported by Tisha Thompson, produced by Ashley Brown, shot and edited by Steve Jones, with additional shooting by Jeff Piper.
Angry students, staffers and county taxpayers expressed frustration and disbelief at what a News 4 I-Team investigation found when it examined how much Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard spent on travel, transportation and other expenses in recent years.

Many said they were unhappy with how much Dr. Pollard charged to the college for her room service, seat upgrades and automobiles not just for herself, but also for her wife, which is allowed in her contract and approved by the schools Board of Trustees.

For weeks, the I-Team repeatedly asked the president and the board for an interview. They both declined and would not allow the schools spokesman to speak on-camera on their behalf.

Dr. Pollard Responds to Investigation

But several hours after the investigation aired, Dr. Pollard posted a lengthy response to the story on Montgomery Colleges website, reinforcing the financial well-being of the school.

There have been $75 million in grants awarded to the College over the last six years that enhance academic programs, she wrote, with another $23 million in students' scholarships that has been raised by donors since she became president in 2010.

The Colleges Board of Trustees has communicated to me that it has the utmost confidence in me, she continued. The Board believes that the news story was based on an antiquated view of community colleges.

Comparing Community Colleges

So the I-Team took a look at how her spending compares to the other community colleges in the area.

Dr. Scott Ralls became the president of Northern Virginia Community College, often called NOVA, in September 2015. His spokeswoman told the I-Team Dr. Ralls makes $308,000 to oversee 75,000 students. Ronald Mason became the president of the University of the District of Columbia in July 2015 and makes $300,000 a year to oversee 5,100 students, according to his spokesman. The I-Team previously reported Dr. Pollard makes $281,000 to oversee 56,000 students. The schools are charge about the same amount for tuition, ranging between $1,500-$2,100 a semester depending on the number of credits a student takes.

UDCs spokesman said the school provides a car pool driver for its president. NOVAs spokesman said it does pay to lease a car for its president, but he does not have a driver. The I-Team found Montgomery College is paying $850 a month for Dr. Pollards Infinity Q70 in addition to an SUV and armed driver used to transport her back and forth to her home.

Neither UDC nor NOVA pay for the presidents spouse to travel, while Montgomery College does pay for Dr. Pollards spouse to accompany her on college business trips. The I-Team previously profiled a $12,000 trip the couple took to Honolulu and Austin in 2015, to attend two conferences. One was hosted by the American Association of Community Colleges. That same organization hosted another conference in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, this summer, for which, travel records obtained by the I-Team show, the couple spent another $9,700. This is also the same organization that hosted the conference connected to the presidents five-night, $1,792 stay at the Marriott Wardman in Washington, D.C., in 2014. The I-Team found Dr. Pollard has spent more than $30,000 for she and her wife to attend events hosted by AACC since 2014.

Many of the couples expenses result from seat upgrades and extra baggage fees. Dr. Pollard spent $9,700 on these perks since 2014, records show.

UDCs former president was ousted after members of the I-Team, including reporter Tisha Thompson, producer Rick Yarborough and photographer Steve Jones, investigated his travel expenses in 2011, which at the time included seat upgrades. The school no longer pays for those types of upgrades, nor does NOVA, according to their spokespeople.

UDC said its current president has only taken about five out-of-state trips but did not have a total amount for that travel as of publication. NOVA said its president spent about $8,500 for 13 out-of-state trips since he started in September 2015. This number does not include parking fees, gas for state vehicle and meals, the spokeswoman explained.

The I-Team analyzed similar expenses made by Dr. Pollard since September 2015, excluding all meals and vehicle expenses, and found she spent at least $37,000 on 18 out-of-state trips.

Previous President Fired Partly Because of Spending

Montgomery Colleges Board of Trustees fired its last president in 2009, in part, for spending too much money on presidential perks, according to media reports at the time. Faculty leaders, these reports said, were upset the former president spent more than $58,000 on his corporate credit card within a 21 month period.

The I-Team analyzed Dr. Pollards last 21 months of spending obtained through the public records request, dating from December 2014 until the end of August 2016, and found shes spent about $79,000 on her corporate card.
Police recruits in Fairfax County, Virginia, received valuable training for communicating with people who are deaf or have partial hearing loss.

Gallaudet University Police Department Chief Ted Baran taught a class at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy Tuesday.

When they come across a police officer, their first thing is fear because they can't communicate with you, said Baran, who was raised by deaf parents.

He presented examples of what can go wrong. In August, police shot and killed a deaf man in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he wouldn't pull over. Three weeks ago a Canadian officer confronted a deaf man who repeatedly gestured to explain he can't hear. He asked for pen and paper but instead was taken to the ground and handcuffed.

To me, this is a sad situation where the officer didn't take the time or the effort to try to communicate with the guy, Baran said.

One of his most important tips: Recognize the common signal a deaf person might provide.

Once that's established, officers can figure out the best way to communicate. Pen and paper is one solution. Using cellphones to text back and forth is another.

The specialized training isart of Fairfax County's renewed effort to improve communication and avoid escalation.

I made a note I'm going to start carrying around a sharpie, maybe a little white board, police recruit Joey Moratto said.

Others credited the class for opening their eyes to those who can't hear.

I never really thought about having to interact with anyone who was unable to communicate verbally with me, recruit Ken Holden said. Those are all great tips I'm going to be able to use.
State Sen. Ulysses Currie has decided to rescind his letter of resignation and plans on staying in the Maryland General Assembly.

Currie, 79, a Prince Georges County Democrat, sent a letter of resignation to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller on Nov. 4. However, he told News4s Tracee Wilkins he was staying on to continue his 30-year career.

Currie rose to become a popular and leading black lawmaker. He was the chairman of the powerful Senate budget committee in 2002. He stepped down from the chairmanship when he was indicted in federal court in 2010 for failing to disclose work for a grocery store chain that paid him about $245,000 over several years.

He was acquitted of all charges, including conspiracy, bribery and extortion. The Senate later voted unanimously to censure him, and he apologized.
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A man was found dead early Wednesday on a residential street in Hyattsville, Maryland, police say.

Prince George's County officers responded about 6:45 a.m. to a call to check on the welfare of a man lying the roadway on the 5300 block of Crittenden Street, near Edmonston Road. A concerned neighbor saw the man and called for help.

The man, 40-year-old Ramiro Moya of Bladensburg, suffered a gunshot wound, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Moya's death is being investigated as a homicide. Authorities are working to establish a suspect and motive.

A neighbor who said he he left home about 4 a.m. said he did not see anyone in the street at that time.

A small blue sports car was towed away from the block later in the morning.

Stay with News4 on-air and online for more on this developing story.
A Metro bus driver and security officer were assaulted by a man, who bit responding police officers, according to Fairfax County police.

Police said officers arrived at the Wiehle-Reston East Station Kiss and Ride after receiving a report of a man assaulting the driver and security officer. Fairfax County police officers attempted to stop the attack, and the man, Sameer Jaspal, 31, of Albany, New York, began to bite the officers.

Jaspal was arrested and taken to the adult detention center. He was charged with two counts of assault and battery, assault on law enforcement and obstruction of justice.

There is no word on the condition of the driver, security officer or the police officers.
Montgomery County, Maryland, residents and officials gathered Tuesday night to speak out on a measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020.

The meeting was part of a national day of action for low-paid workers across the country. About 25 protesters were arrested in lower Manhattan, New York, after linking arms and sitting in the street.

Sharon Del Cid said the cost of living is too much in Montgomery County. She has no college degree and said she makes about $9 per hour at a bakery.

We work so hard, and we don't receive the kind of money that we need for live here, Del Cid said. Im going to live better.

Del Cid, along with other low income workers, labor union and civil rights groups, had a vigil outside the Montgomery County Council Office Building. They want the council to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage by 2020.

Del Cid said she spends most of her paycheck on rent, food and transportation, and a raise to $15 per hour would help. Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Navarro said childcare costs are too high.

We have to do something, Navarro said.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett raised some questions about the $15 per hour minimum wage. He's concerned it could possibly put the county at a disadvantage and questioned if the county can afford the rate.

Some small business owners said they can't afford to pay $15 an hour to their employees.

We will have some possible amendments that will address some of those issues, Navarro said.

The county council is expected to vote next month.
OPEC has agreed to cut its oil production for the first time in eight years, ending a strategy of high supply that had aimed to cripple the U.S. energy industry but also led to decade-low prices and drained the budgets of crude-producing nations.

The cartel will cut 1.2 million barrels a day from its present output after its 14 members put aside differences at a meeting Wednesday to agree on individual production levels.

The move, which will leave OPEC output at 32.5 million barrels a day, is to take effect in January, said OPEC President Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada.

Al-Sada said major non-OPEC producers were ready to act in concert by tentatively planning to reduce their output. He did not list the countries involved beyond saying Russia was prepared to cut 300,000 barrels from its output of more than 10 million barrels a day.

Al-Sada also announced that Indonesia had suspended its membership rather than agree to its share of cuts.

The price of crude, which had soared earlier in the day amid anticipation of a deal, remained firm after the news. The international benchmark was up $3.48, or 7.4 percent, at $49.86 a barrel.

A production cut could have a lasting impact on consumers as oil price increases feed into the cost of car fuel, heating and electricity. It could also restore some authority to OPEC as an arbiter of prices and supplies after years of inaction.

OPEC had for years been undermined by infighting but also stayed away from production cuts in order to not lose market share to the resurgent U.S. oil industry.

The flood of supply from non-OPEC countries like the U.S. and Russia saw crude plunge from over $100 a barrel in June of 2014.

The cartel refused to cut output, however, knowing that U.S. production was profitable at high prices  the drop would put many U.S. producing companies out of business and restore some of OPEC's global market share.

The result was that oil fell to below $30 in January for the first time in over a decade. While it did reduce U.S. production, it also caused recessions in many oil-producing nations, including Russia, Brazil, and OPEC member Venezuela.

While the price of oil rose Wednesday, analysts say they will not restore them to the levels over $100 a barrel.

One of the biggest hurdles to Wednesday's deal had been a rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose struggle for dominance in the Mideast is also playing out in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The Saudis have long been hesitant to shoulder the lion's share of a cut, while Iran has resisted reducing its own production. It argues it has yet to recover its output levels hit by years of sanctions.

Al-Sada said that Saudia Arabia, the biggest OPEC producer, will cut 486,000 barrels from its production of more than 10 million barrels a day. Iran's output level was trimmed only slightly to 3.797 million barrels a day from 3.975 million barrels.
Severe storms killed five people in Alabama and Tennessee overnight, and big parts of the Southeast were set to stay under a tornado watch until noon Wednesday, NBC News reported.

In northeastern Alabama, a tornado killed at least three people early Wednesday, authorities said, all in one home. Two people were later confirmed dead in Tennessee.

Three other people were also critically injured in Alabama after a day care center was "completely destroyed" in Ider in DeKalb County, according to the National Weather Service and local sheriff's office.

Images on social media showed a tornado in Atlanta Wednesday, and the National Weather Service said it was investigating damage associated with a tornado warning.
Police say a daylong standoff at a motel in Newport, Vermont has ended peacefully.

According to NBC5, officers were on scene at Richard's All Season Lodge until the early morning hours Wednesday. Forty-one-year-old Daniel Kelley was wearing camouflage and threatening people with an assault rifle, officers said.

When police arrived, officers found Kelley in his apartment. Shortly after, he slammed his window shut and opened the door to his apartment wearing a military-style helmet, while carrying a shield and an assault rifle, according to police.

Kelley barricaded himself in the room. Police said it was not considered a hostage situation.

Police were able to enter the building at 2 a.m. Wednesday and take Kelley into custody. He was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries, and is being held on $250,000 bail pending arraignment.
The lawyer of a Massachusetts woman accused of murdering two infants hopes to suppress evidence and statements resulting from two search warrants at her Blackstone home that was dubbed a "House of Horror."

Worcester district attorney's office confirms Erika Murray's attorney filed a motion last week, which contends one of the search warrants resulting in the discovery of skeletal remains of three infants didn't establish probable cause.

Murray was arrested after an older child alerted a neighbor about a crying baby in his now-torn down home, which was full of trash and animal feces. Authorities were called to respond to the house, and found two children, a 3 year old and a 5 month old. Police say there were no birth records for these children, who were removed from the home along with their school-aged siblings by the state's child welfare agency.

More to come.
A Massachusetts teen has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his mother to death Wednesday at their Brockton home, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office.

Authorities said Frantz Polynice, 18, is charged with one count each of homicide and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the death of his mother, 44-year-old Mania Meneide.

The district attorney's office said police responded to the family's home on Merritt Avenue at about 1 p.m. for a report of a person stabbed.

Police and emergency responders found Meneide suffering from multiple stab wounds. Meneide was taken to Brockton Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Neighbor Maryanne Montiero said Polynice's grandmother came running for help and had called 911 when she saw the teenager emerge from the home covered in blood.

"When I saw him come towards us at house, I could tell something was instantly wrong. I just pulled her back out of house," Montiero recalled.

Montiero said she made the grandmother leave until first responders arrived.

Investigators said they recovered a knife at the scene and interviewed Polynice before charging him in connection with the stabbing.
The release of a Wareham, Massachusetts man accused of repeatedly drunk driving has the Bristol County District Attorney speaking out against the judge.

According to South Coast Today, Jowaun Gamble, 23, was arrested November 19 after allegedly driving the wrong way on I-195 West in Fairhaven for more than 17 miles.

Police said Gamble led them on a high-speed chase. His vehicle was eventually disabled.

Gamble was out on bail for a recent OUI case at the time.

A motion to have bail revoked was denied and Gamble was released on $1,500, something DA Tom Quinn says was the wrong choice.

Quinn said that Gamble poses a danger to the public safety and said in a statement, Releasing defendants charged with dangerous criminal conduct is why many citizens do not have confidence that the criminal justice system is adequately protecting them.
A former Massachusetts teacher has pleaded guilty in connection with attempting to purchase live video sex shows involving Filipino children and to possessing child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Scott Peeler, 54, previously of Worcester, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, to three counts of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and one count of possession of child pornography.

A federal search warrant and arrest warrant were executed at the former Southbridge Middle School teacher's apartment in June 2015. During that time, Perry allegedly admitted that he was the user of the email and instant messaging account that had been used to solicit streaming videos involving children who ranged in age from four years old to fourteen years old. Peeler claimed that he had never actually purchased any videos.

Authorities said a preliminary forensic review also revealed the presence of child pornography on Peelers computer.

The activity allegedly took place between April 2013 and July 2014.

Peeler is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2017. He could receive a minimum of 10 years and no greater than 15 years in prison.
An advocacy group is calling for Rhode Island law enforcement to step up its protection of local mosques after a Providence mosque says it was sent a hate-filled letter.

Praising President-elect Donald Trump's election victory in the letter to the Masjid Al-Kareem mosque, the sender wrote Trump will "do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews."

The letter also called Muslims "a vile and filthy people" and accused them of worshipping the devil.

It was signed by "Americans for a Better Way."

Leaders at the Masjid Al-Kareem mosque say they've already given the letter to the FBI.

Although the envelope had a Providence return address, it had been postmarked in California. The language of the note appears to be the same as notes sent to three Islamic Centers in California, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Massachusetts chapters says there have been other letters sent around the country.

"This act of hate campaign targeting a New England house of worship must be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities, and our states leaders should speak out against the growing anti-Muslim bigotry that inevitably leads to such incidents," said Dr. John Robbins, executive director of CAIR's Massachusetts chapter.

On Tuesday, the Southern Poverty Law Center released an updated report documenting nearly 900 separate incidents of bias and violence in the 10 days after Trump was elected president.
Maine Governor Paul LePage is asking lawmakers to modify referendums passed by voters, especially Question 4, which he says can hurt the restaurant industry.

According to necn affiliate WCSH, LePage wrote a letter to lawmakers saying that the way the ballot measures are worded can negatively impact the economy.

Question 4 sought to increase the minimum wage in the state to $12 an hour by 2020.

The new law will eventually get rid of the tip credit, something LePage says will hurt restaurant owners.
The fire chief in Dighton, Massachusetts, is under fire and off the job after being accused of using his uniform allowance improperly.

According to the Taunton Gazette, Fire Chief Antone Roderick was arraigned Tuesday in Taunton District Court on two counts of presenting a fraudulent claim to an employer, one count of larceny and one count of making false statements to police.

Roderick was released on his own recognizance.

According to a report by a state police detective unit assigned to the Bristol County District Attorneys Office, Roderick submitted three invoices to the town of Dighton between Sept. 15 - Sept. 21, which totaled nearly $240. The items were for four items of women's clothing including a rain jacket, Capris, a camisole and a tube top.

Dighton Selectman, Brett Zogart, said the town feels betrayed that Roderick would use his clothing allowance for those items, allegedly for his girlfriend.

"Apparently the girlfriend did admit that the pair of Capris was purchased for her," Zogart said.

Investigators also said the items were all bought off a website for public safety professionals.

"Its unacceptable behavior. It's unacceptable conduct," said Dighton Selectwoman, Nancy Goulart.

According to court paperwork, Roderick told police the clothes were for him because hed lost weight and they fit him better. Paperwork also demanded he try the clothing on to prove it.

"Whether it be $235 dollars or $235,000, his trust now has been discredited," said Dighton Selectboard Chair, Dean Cronin

On the invoice for the Capris, Roderick was accused of whiting out the letters "wo," something he denies.

The allegations are why select board voted unanimously to suspend him without pay.

Roderick was not available for comment buy his lawyer told necn he is saddened by the unfounded allegations. His friends are also having a hard time understanding.

"The guy I know is a hardworking man. He's one of the best workers the town has," said friend Robert Woods.

Another meeting will be held at town hall on Wednesday night where public comment on Roderick's suspension will be welcome.
A former Massachusetts police officer has been indicted on rape charges.

Brian Butler, a veteran officer and the husband of the city's police chief, Mary Butler, is accused of raping a young man who was in police custody on Halloween. He resigned after charges were brought against him.

Wednesday, the Essex County District Attorney's Office confirmed the 56-year-old suspect had been indicted by a grand jury.

"Like many in our community, I am surprised and deeply saddened by the allegations made against Officer Brian Butler," Mayor Kimberly Driscoll said in a statement after the accusations came to light. "While the incident is still under review, there is no doubt that this is a serious issue involving his conduct as a police officer while on duty."

Prosecutors say Butler took a drunk man in his 20s into custody after flooding a Salem hotel room with water. That man was not arrested, but kept in a booking area.

The victim told police he was afraid to say no because he was in protective custody.

Mary Butler said she was saddened by the allegations and would be taking some personal time off.

Brian Butler is due to be arraigned on rape and indecent assault and battery charges at Salem Superior Court on Dec. 15.
An officer-involved shooting that left a suspect dead in Lynn, Massachusetts early Tuesday morning is raising new questions.

Lynn Police said Monday's incident stemmed from a robbery call at the Gulf gas station at the corner of the Lynnway and Commercial Street.

necn Investigates is now looking into overall police shootings in the Bay State.

At issue is why so many shootings are taking place in the city of Lynn. When necn Investigates asked how many police shooting deaths there were nationwide, the answer is no one knows because no one is tracking them.

We started writing some of the names on the wall I believe this summer, said Jeremy Thompson, manager of Roxbury's Haley House.

Inside the restaurant, a wall lists over 900 names of deadly police incidents in the United States. The mission of the non-profit, according to their website, is to help those vulnerable by the harshest effects of inequality move toward wholeness and economic independence.

As busy as we are, its hard to update the 10 to 20 names added every single week, Thompson said.

Police departments havent been required to report to the FBI or U.S. Department of Justice.

But necn Investigates has been tracking the number of police-involved shooting deaths. In the last two years, 21 people have been shot and killed by police departments in Massachusetts  12 of those in 2015, nine in 2016.

Looking at the numbers comparing Boston of nearly 670,000 people and the much smaller city of Lynn at 92,000, nearly 29 percent of the deaths happened in Boston with six people killed. But much smaller Lynn, just an eighth the size of Boston, is on the same track, accounting for nearly 19 percent. Three of those four Lynn police shootings happened just this year.

Soon, the latest shooting death from Lynn will be added to the wall at Haley House.

It becomes heartbreaking and an emotional toll on the person who has to write that name, Thompson said.

The lack of reporting will change at the end of this year when police departments will be required to report all deadly police incidents to the Department of Justice.

Starting next year, each department will be required to report quarterly or risk losing federal funding for their police departments.
A Manchester, New Hampshire man is recovering after being shot in the leg Wednesday morning.

At 2:06 a.m., Manchester police responded to 43 Walnut St. for a report of a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound.

The man was transported to Eliot hospital for non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported.

Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

Manchester Police Department are asking anyone with information to call 603-668-8711. You can also contact the Manchester Police Crime Line at 603-624-4040 and provide an anonymous tip.
Police in Medford, Massachusetts, are protesting over what they're calling "deplorable conditions" inside their aging police station.

Officers protested Tuesday night at City Hall over what they say is a matter of health and safety regarding the 50-year-old structure on Main Street.

"We've had numerous rats trapped in the snap traps so officers show up to work before roll call and they're greeted with dead rats right in front of the station," said Medford Police Officer, Rory Lockowitz.

Photos provided to necn show moldy showers, a window propped open with a raid can, and moldy and leaking ceiling tiles.

Officers also say some of the police cruisers are rusty and deficient. It's not just about cosmetic issues, according to officers, it's about their health and safety.

"It's not a very clean place and really a difficult place to do police work today because it's really antiquated," said Harold MacGilvray, Medford Police Union President.

necn also spoke with officer Barbara DeCristofaro, a 29-year veteran of the Medford Police Department. DeCristofaro says she's even filed a discrimination suit against the city for equal facilities for women, including a female locker room with a bathroom and shower.

"After years of complaining, they put us in a public bathroom on the second floor," DeCristofaro said. "After complaining some more, they finally put a lock on the door, and that's where we've been ever since."

Medford Mayor Stephanie Burke has only been mayor for 11 months, and the police officers say that she inherited much of the problem. Still, they say progress has been non-existent or slow-moving.

necn has a call into Burke's office for comment.
A simple visit to the school nurse almost turned into a dangerous situation for a young girl at a Massachusetts elementary school on Tuesday, when the child was accidentally given the wrong medication.

Parents of 7-year-old Madison Young, said the second-grader went to see the nurse at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Blackstone after hurting her elbow at lunch.

The nurse was supposed to give the child Motrin, but allegedly gave her a 5 mg Ritalin pill instead. When the mistake was realized, Madisons parents were notified.

My heart dropped, said Madisons mother, Kelly Russell. Its the worst feeling. They said they thought it was another little girl  that they looked alike. And they said it would never happen again.

Madisons parents said they notified necn because they hope schools, not just in Blackstone, but everywhere will work on their protocols when it comes to handling medication.

Stuff like that cant happen, said Madisons father, Cole Young. They need to be more careful with children's medication. And make sure they're giving the child the right medication. I mean Motrin to Ritalin is a huge difference.

Madison's parents know mistakes can happen and dont want the nurse to face any disciplinary action. They said the nurse appeared to be very upset.

According to her parents, Madison didnt seem quite like herself after taking the medication, but they say, she quickly recovered.

Its my child. Im supposed to protect her and the school is supposed to protect her. And thats not supposed to happen at school, said Russell.

Superintendent Allen Himmelberger told necn he is aware of the situation and will be meeting with all parties Wednesday morning.
A federal judge has temporarily reinstated a teenager at an elite New Hampshire prep school after his mother said he was wrongfully expelled after having sex with another student.

The Portsmouth Herald reports Judge Joseph Laplante said Tuesday that the boy, referred to as "John Doe," would return to Phillips Exeter Academy in early December. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2017, to determine if he would experience unwarranted harm by not being permanently reinstated.

The boy had sex with a female student in January. Both were 15. She reported the encounter to the campus health center. Exeter investigated and decided he had violated their sexual misconduct policy. A lawsuit filed by his mother alleged Exeter first said the boy would be placed on leave, but could return after seeking therapy.

A jury found Exeter liable for breach of contract.
Thieves are targeting cars in packed parking lots while owners are sleeping and swiping tires right off their vehicles.

It happened twice in Quincy, Massachusetts, Monday night, prompting police to take notice of what they say has become a disturbing trend.

At 290 Quarry St., Luis Mata walked out to see all four tires were stolen off of his brand new Chevy Camaro.

"I had my wallet and my computer inside and they didn't do anything with that," Mata said. "But just the wheels are around $4000."

Mata was not the only one who woke up to missing tires Tuesday. The same thing happened to a Toyota Corolla at 150 Quarry St.

Quincy Police say it is a crime they are seeing more often. Roughly 200 tires have been stolen off of 50 vehicles so far this year.

"We believe it is the same group working this whole area doing all of these thefts," Lt. Jack Sullivan said. "They may hit Quincy for a week or so and not come back for a month or two while they are hitting other cities and towns."

Police say the thieves make off the wheels in minutes, making them tough to track down. They have stepped up their patrols in the parking lots that have been hit in the past, mainly large apartment buildings where there is a lot of foot traffic.

Police say Hondas and Toyotas are targeted the most due to how popular those tires are. They are easy to re-sell and nearly impossible to track.
Cleanup work continued through Wednesday evening after a water main break and a series of manhole fires in Boston's Theater District near Chinatown early in the morning.

Traffic on Washington Street and others was impacted all day as crews dealt with the situation. Images from the scene showed some streets completely covered in water.

Normally slammed during the lunch hour, Ziad Odeh of Boston Kitchen Pizza had time to talk on Wednesday.

"Usually a line out the door," Odeh said. "I have a lot of customers and as you can see, we have no one at all."

The restaurant is one of more than a dozen businesses that was forced to close as the streets flooded and several fires that sent thick dark smoke billowing into the air from manholes.

"It is awful, it is like a war zone out there," Odeh said, estimating missing lunch would cost him a couple of thousand dollars.

For a little while, the restaurant was still filling takeout orders. That changed by mid-afternoon after a firefighter came in, tested the air and ordered everyone out. The carbon monoxide levels inside were dangerously high.

"CO levels are very high concern," Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn said. "We have very high CO levels when we arrived in the 7-to-800 parts per million, which is very dangerous."

An area hostel also had to be evacuated.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh blamed the mess on the city's century-old infrastructure.

"Some of these pipes have been in the ground for decades, some a century long, certainly something we are working on, but Boston is an old city, and we have old infrastructure throughout the entire city of Boston, so we will work with them on it," he said.

The city says due to the nature of the damage, affected businesses will have to go through a health inspection before they can open again.

Many business owners said they hoped to open by Thursday.

The water flow was cut off around 8:15 a.m., nearly three hours after a flooded Washington Street closed.

By evening, the water main had been fixed and crews continued fixing the street that had been damaged, hoping to get the area back open to pedestrians and vehicles for the morning commute.




Gifts at Christmas Gifts at Christmas

Regular columnist Alison Hill reflects on what were effectively the very first Christmas gifts.

At this time of year many celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ through the giving of gifts. As Christians, our thankfulness continues throughout the year as we thank God for sacrificing His son for our sake.



As we look at the gifts brought by the wise men - gold, frankincense and myrrh - we see that they symbolise the Kingship of Jesus Christ, the Fragrance of Christ, and the Death of Christ.



Gold

Introduces us to the King of all the earth. It was a most costly gift, one normally given to a King. Jesus was born in humble circumstances; as the gift was given it exalted Him to a higher place, as it revealed to us that we have a king in our midst. As we humbly walk with our God he will exalt us to where he wants us to be.

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:12 NIV



Frankincense

The first part of the name, frank, came from the freeness with which, when burned, the incense gives forth its odour. It burns for a long time, with a steady flame. It is obtained by successive incisions in the bark of a tree called Arbor thuris . The first incision yields the purest and whitest resin...The English word is derived from old French franc encens, i.e. "pure incense") *



Frankincense was symbolic of the nature of Jesus  one who is pure. Frankincense freely gives forth its odour. Everyone who comes into contact with Jesus is impacted by Him in some way or another. During the time Jesus walked the earth it would have been impossible not to be affected by one so perfect. This aroma flows through us today as we yield our lives to Him...



The purest and whitest resin resulting from the first incision of the Arbor thuris tree can be compared to the purity of the blood that flowed from Jesus as He was pierced for our transgressions, once for all.



But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christs triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2 Corinthians 2 v 14-15 NIV



Myrrh

When a tree wound penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree bleeds a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. When people harvest myrrh, they wound the trees repeatedly to bleed them of the gum. Myrrh is used to purify the dead. *



Myrrh was brought to symbolize the death of Jesus, even though there was no purification needed for one so Holy. Let us remember at this time of year the one who is our King.



And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. Ephesians 5:2 KJV





*Frankincense/Myrrh - content http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/frankincense/



The image of the wise men with gifts is courtesy of Benson_09 on www.flickr.com







Alison Hill has been involved in Christian ministry for twenty five years and attends her local church in King's Lynn, Norfolk.



She runs Butterfly Ministries, offering Christian workshops to churches, conferences, small and large gatherings, bringing teaching that encourages growth in all areas of Christian life. She is also an author, now writing her third book.



She believes that Christianity is about walking with God daily and learning about His ways through His Word and hearing His voice.



Visit: www.alisonhill-author.co.uk



The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users.


People queue to get into Suffolk church pop-up shop People queue to get into Suffolk church pop-up shop

People are queuing for up to 45 minutes to get into church after Christians opened a shop in Suffolk selling unsold and perfectly edible food that was destined to be discarded by supermarkets.

Up to 60 bags of food are sold within 20 minutes for just 1 a bag in Felixstowe, as part of a pioneering project in a Church of England parish that could now be introduced across the county.



Unsold and perfectly edible food that was destined to be discarded by supermarkets is being donated to a pop-up shop in St Edmunds Church, Felixstowe.



Every Tuesday morning customers arrive at the church and can buy a carrier bag for 1 and fill up to two bags with donated food.



Supermarkets, independent traders and allotment holders were approached in Felixstowe to ask if they would support the new project.



Now, the BASIC (Business and Service in Christ) Life Community Pop-Up Shop is so successful that the concept could be rolled out in the county  and there has already been interest expressed by a church in east London.



The church wanted to strengthen its links with the community and build upon work with poorer people and clergy were also conscious that the church had been underused by the community.



The Bishop of Dunwich, the Rt Revd Dr Mike Harrison, from Mendlesham near Stowmarket, visited the shop yesterday (November 29).



He said: "This is a fantastic initiative which provides hard-pressed families and individuals in times of austerity with access to good and varied food at a knock-down price of 1 per bag.



"It's great to see suppliers working with the Church to make this food, which would otherwise be needlessly wasted, available. It is another wonderful example of the local church serving the community in concrete, popular and creative ways."



Rev Andrew Dotchin, vicar of Felixstowe for both St John's and St Edmunds, said people queue for 45 minutes before the shop opens and 60 bags of food are sold within 20 minutes.



He said: "This initiative is incredibly important since it helps people on the edge of society who are in need but find it difficult to accept charity. They pay 1 so there is a sense of dignity.



"They come in and shop and then stay and we start to build a sense of community. It's a really wonderful project."



St Edmunds Church has operated a food bank since early 2013, receiving referrals from Social Services, Citizens Advice Bureau and other organisations. However, it was identified that some people needed food but, for whatever reason, they were not using this service.



Graham Denny, a founder of the Christian BASIC Life charity that runs the project, said he was grateful for support from Rev Andrew Dotchin and church volunteers.



He said: "Sometimes customers queue for an hour for the shop and we now have supplies of fresh bread from a local baker, all manner of foods from our local Morrisons and fresh fruit and vegetables from local individuals.



"People are showing a genuine interest in the churches they would not ordinarily visit and are asking questions about faith. We have already had one enquiry regarding a baptism and other serious interest in joining the church.



"The project allows people dignity and choice. The food bank items supplied are generally standard rather bland items designed to sustain a family for a few days in an emergency. The Pop-Up offers the customer the ability to choose items from a wide range which they enjoy and we still run the food bank.



"We want to roll this idea out throughout Suffolk and much further beyond and I have had contact with Baroness Scott, who presented a paper on food waste from the House of Lords to the Government a year or so ago."



Mr Denny said the food scheme is aimed at sharing with the community rather than assisting the needy and this concept is a significant factor in the success.



There is also a spin-off for other community projects, with the 1 donations for a carrier bag of food going to other causes.



Pictured above are helpers at St Edmunds Church pop-up shop with the Bishop of Dunwich, the Rt Rev Dr Mike Harrison Bishop, ready for opening.


A judge in Wisconsin has refused to order a recount by hand of ballots cast in the state for the U.S. presidential elections, shooting down a petition by Green Party candidate Jill Stein that the use of automatic tabulating equipment, identified as potential targets of foreign government agents, risks tainting the recount process.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission decided Friday to recount the votes in the state, after concerns were raised that the voting systems can be hacked. Democratic party candidate Hillary Clinton also backed the recount, including the hand count.

In her petition to the Elections Commission, Stein wrote that Wisconsin uses both the optical scan and direct-recording electronic types of voting machines, which are both susceptible to compromise. In a filing to the Dane County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, asking for a state-wide hand recount, Stein stated that the Elections Commission had acknowledged that a hand recount is not necessarily more time-consuming than an electronic tabulation.

Under existing rules for recounts, the state can choose to use either use automatic tabulating equipment or hand count the ballots, depending on the wards, unless a court orders otherwise.

The only way to determine whether a cyberattack affected the outcome of the 2016 presidential election is to examine the available physical evidence  that is, to count the paper ballots and paper audit trail records, and review the voting equipment, to ensure that the votes cast by actual voters match the results determined by the computers," according to the court filing spotted by Courthouse News Service.

A group of voting security experts and election lawyers said last week that Clinton should ask for a recount in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan as there were outstanding questions about the voting results in the close contests between Clinton and president-elect Donald Trump. Pollsters had called the states safe for Clinton. Steins campaign has clarified that the effort to recount votes in the three states is not intended to help Clinton and is unlikely to change the election outcome.

We are standing up for an election system that we can trust, she said in a statement Friday. Stein is aiming for recounts in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

By the decision of Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn late Tuesday, all 72 Wisconsin counties will now be able to proceed with their preferred method of recount, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel said in a statement.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said Tuesday it had received nearly US$3.5 million from the Stein campaign in payment of the cost of the recount, which will begin Thursday.

In the run-up to the elections, there were significant breaches including that of emails of the Democratic National Committee and voter registration databases in at least two states. The administration of President Barack Obama blamed Russia for the compromise of emails.
Amazon Web Services executives like to talk about customers who are going all-in on the companys cloud platform, ditching their data centers and investing fully in IaaS.

According to media reports, AWS CEO Andy Jassy is encouraging the companys partners to do the same thing. Jassy reportedly told partners at the re:Invent conference to focus their expertise on the AWS cloud if they want the company to direct customers to them.

+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: How to compare costs between Amazon, Azure and Google clouds | +

The crux of his argument, as reported by ZDNet, is that consultants who focus all of their efforts on becoming experts on the AWS platform will be better able to serve customers. Advisors spread themselves thin by attempting to gain expertise across multiple vendors.

Jassy went further: "The reality is, we are going to direct business to our partners who are committed and who really understand the platform because our customers want partners who understand the details of our platform," ZDNet quoted Jassy as saying. It quotes Jassy as saying that vendors who hedge themselves by partnering with other vendors are taking the wrong approach. Read the full context of Jassys remarks from the article.

The comments rubbed some pundits the wrong way. Last time I checked, VAR's were there to serve their customers, not AWS, Tweeted Aaron Delp, co-host of the Cloudcast podcast. Unrealistic stance (again) from Andy (Jassy).

Related video:
Why do you spend the big bucks for security products? For protection, right? But many of the top security vendors utilize open-source or third-party components and libraries that are seemingly packed with vulnerabilities.

While this is something you already know, a new report found that security products are some of the most vulnerable software. Flexera Software, which acquired Secunia in 2015, noted that between August and October of 2016, 46 products made it to the top 20 most vulnerable products. Eleven of those software products overflowing with vulnerabilities were security-related products.

The Flexera report (pdf) referenced a Forrester report about security products that allegedly have your back but really dont, since the products arent secure.

You might like to know what security vendors landed on the naughty list over a three-month period, other than a general name-shame-blame pointed at vendors such as AlienVault, IBM, Juniper, McAfee, Palo Alto and Splunk. Flexera didnt actually call the list of top 20 most vulnerable products the naughty list; instead, the company explained:

The Top 20 are the 20 products with the most vulnerabilities in the specified month, out of the more than 50,000 products verified by Secunia Research, and recorded in the Vulnerability Database.

No one would be shocked to see products such as Adobe Flash, Windows or Oracle on a most-vulnerable list, but OS X made the list, too.

Out of the 46 most vulnerability-riddled products over a three-month period, five were web browsers: Apple Safari, Avant Browser, Cyberfox, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Three were related to PDFs: Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat and Foxit Phantom PDF.

Open source components constitute as much as 50 percent of the global code base, said Flexeras Jeff Luszcz. And, as the Heartbleed open source vulnerability reminds us, vulnerable open source components built into software products can cause global disruption if they are not discovered and patched prior to delivering software products to customers.

Internet of Things (IoT) manufacturers also routinely use open source components within their software code, Luszcz said. Every software and IoT producer must understand these risks and leverage technology to automate open source component scanning, governance and vulnerability management.

New Mirai variant used in global attack

Speaking of IoT vulnerabilities, it would be remiss not to mention the new Mirai variant that whacked Deutsche Telekom routers and caused an outage that affected 900,000 customers since Sunday. Attackers modified the Mirai code so it would also seek out devices that leave port 7547 open to outside connections and then abuse TR-069 and TR-064 protocols.

The attackers were crafty, but perhaps its not rocket science.

Jeremiah Grossman, chief of security strategy at SentinelOne, said via email: The vulnerability itself is extremely commonessentially, it's a remote OS command execution, which has been listed for many years on the OWASP Top 10 and CWE Top 25 lists.

In early November, thousands of modems were regarded as vulnerable to a Metasploit module with proof-of-concept code that would allow an attacker to take control of broadband modems. In the words of BadCyber researchers, It looks like someone decided to weaponize it and create an internet worm based on Mirai code.

Although nearly 1 million German customers were affected, Deutsche Telekom security executive Dirk Backofen told Reuters, It was a global attack against all kinds of devices.

According to a researcher from Xiphos Research, there are 48 devices vulnerable to the main TR-064/TR-069 issue. A little later, he tweeted:

Deutsche Telekom started pushing out fixes almost immediately. Grossman remarked:

A couple of things strike me as odd. The software patch was made available to customers extraordinarily fast. It was almost as if the vendor already knew about the vulnerability, had the patch ready to go, but for some reason was waiting on making it available ahead of the wide-scale exploitation. Perhaps the company was waiting on a few more features to include before distributionand the exploitation incident caught them by surprise. Secondly, it would also seem that the ISP could have added temporary network security controls (port blocking) to prevent compromise for those who havent yet patchedor might never. Getting home users to patch their routers is challenging, and frankly, most of them simply wont.

Wide scale attacks on home routers have become more common in recent years, Grossman added, and we shouldnt expect that this will be an isolated case.

Sadly, as Flexeras report indicated, despite spending thousands of dollars, you also shouldnt necessarily count on your security products to be secure enough at all times to protect you due to flawed third-party and open-source components and libraries.
Tesco provides a lick of paint to charity house

A WEST Berkshire charity has received a helping hand, thanks to Tesco.

Young People and Children First (YPACF) supports people aged between 16 and 25 in the district, who have been in care or are homeless.

The charity purchased a house for the young people in its care in 2010  Cornerstone  and it was in need of a fresh lick of paint.

Community champion of the Tesco Superstore in London Road Sheryl Scott-Clarke and other team members, plus the community champion of Newbury Metro Ann Radbourne and the community champion for Hungerford Laura Edwards, along with Karen Moverly from YPACF, helped fund and paint four rooms.

We managed to join forces to put back into the community, funding and spending a wonderful day with the charity, Mrs Scott-Clarke said.

The charity is looking for help with fundraising and furnishing for its new house, which will help four more young people by teaching life skills, budgeting and finding a job.

The manager from YPACF, Lorraine Allen, thanked the Tesco Community Champion team for their efforts.

She said: Here at Cornerstone we are delighted when we receive a helping hand for our small charity.

The team have done a great job, painting, and it was much appreciated by staff and all our young people.

Store manager at Tesco London Road Newbury, Steve Hall, said: Its fantastic to see we can put our community funds and time to great use.

Working as a team with the Tesco Metro Newbury and Hungerford Superstore, we are always looking for ways to work within the community.

Contact Mrs Scott-Clarke at Newbury@communityattesco.co.uk if you have a project that could do with some help.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: With latest statistics showing no let up in surging imports of Truck and Bus Radial tyres (TBR) in India, domestic industry has asked for urgent announcement of anti dumping duty. TBR import has gone up by 30 per cent in the first half of FY 2016-17 against the year-ago period.



Dumping of TBR tyres at such a large scale is also adversely affecting the interests of rubber growers in Indias TBR tyres are primary consumers of domestic natural rubber. While import duty on natural rubber is 25 per cent in India, import of tyres from China attracts just seven per cent duty.



In its communication to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has asked for facilitating the process of imposition of anti dumping duty on import of Truck and Bus radial tyre imports from China.



Import of TBRs has crossed the level of 1.4 lakh units per month in FY2016-17 from 40 thousand units per month in FY2013-14, an increase of about 400 per cent in three years.

There is no reprieve from indiscriminate import and dumping of radial tyres from China. Such large scale imports are gravely hurting the domestic manufacturing of TBR, said K M Mammen, Chairman, ATMA.



Most of the new investments of Rs 35000 crore by tyre industry in India in the last 3-4 years has been directed towards setting up TBR capacities.



With expansion in capacity, the capacity utilisation levels have come down to 60-65 pr cent in TBR manufacturing from 80-85 per cent a couple of years ago.



China dominates as the source country for import of TBR in India with a share of 94 per cent in 2016-17. Chinas share in total TBR import was 40 per cent in 2013-14, 70 per cent in 2014-15 and 90 per cent in 2015-16.

KOCHI: With latest statistics showing no let up in surging imports of Truck and Bus Radial tyres (TBR) in India, domestic industry has asked for urgent announcement of anti dumping duty. TBR import has gone up by 30 per cent in the first half of FY 2016-17 against the year-ago period. Dumping of TBR tyres at such a large scale is also adversely affecting the interests of rubber growers in Indias TBR tyres are primary consumers of domestic natural rubber. While import duty on natural rubber is 25 per cent in India, import of tyres from China attracts just seven per cent duty. In its communication to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has asked for facilitating the process of imposition of anti dumping duty on import of Truck and Bus radial tyre imports from China. Import of TBRs has crossed the level of 1.4 lakh units per month in FY2016-17 from 40 thousand units per month in FY2013-14, an increase of about 400 per cent in three years. There is no reprieve from indiscriminate import and dumping of radial tyres from China. Such large scale imports are gravely hurting the domestic manufacturing of TBR, said K M Mammen, Chairman, ATMA. Most of the new investments of Rs 35000 crore by tyre industry in India in the last 3-4 years has been directed towards setting up TBR capacities. With expansion in capacity, the capacity utilisation levels have come down to 60-65 pr cent in TBR manufacturing from 80-85 per cent a couple of years ago. China dominates as the source country for import of TBR in India with a share of 94 per cent in 2016-17. Chinas share in total TBR import was 40 per cent in 2013-14, 70 per cent in 2014-15 and 90 per cent in 2015-16.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: While demonetisation and incremental taxes are being slapped on black money holders on the one side, bad loans are rising at an alarming rate on the other.

Public sector banks continue to play with fire by offering waivers to creditors, resulting in an increase of about Rs 80 thousand crore in gross non-performing assets (NPAs) within a period of three months between July and September.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance, Santosh Kumar Gangwar claimed that none of these corporate waivers were done by the government. But in an attempt to bloat the balance sheets and meet targets, banks tend to lend even to high-risk projects, he said.

Gangwar said the government has taken sector specific measures, where incidence of NPAs are high (like in iron & steel, infrastructure) to reduce such incidents. Bankers, however, claimed such measures do not help. The announcement is merely an eye-wash. Sector-specific measures will not help banks in any way, says CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association.



Identifying sectors with large NPAs is not enough, say industry observers. The government should declare exposure of banks in these sectors and highlight the sectors that have more stressed assets on a quarterly basis. This, they say, will help banks to be on vigil. Also, banks are often influenced by politicians to lend in specific sectors. In the past, NPAs accumulated due to large exposure in steel sector. If a guidance was provided, this could have been avoided, says financial analyst Sanjeev G. Kumar.

NEW DELHI: While demonetisation and incremental taxes are being slapped on black money holders on the one side, bad loans are rising at an alarming rate on the other. Public sector banks continue to play with fire by offering waivers to creditors, resulting in an increase of about Rs 80 thousand crore in gross non-performing assets (NPAs) within a period of three months between July and September. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance, Santosh Kumar Gangwar claimed that none of these corporate waivers were done by the government. But in an attempt to bloat the balance sheets and meet targets, banks tend to lend even to high-risk projects, he said. Gangwar said the government has taken sector specific measures, where incidence of NPAs are high (like in iron & steel, infrastructure) to reduce such incidents. Bankers, however, claimed such measures do not help. The announcement is merely an eye-wash. Sector-specific measures will not help banks in any way, says CH Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association. Identifying sectors with large NPAs is not enough, say industry observers. The government should declare exposure of banks in these sectors and highlight the sectors that have more stressed assets on a quarterly basis. This, they say, will help banks to be on vigil. Also, banks are often influenced by politicians to lend in specific sectors. In the past, NPAs accumulated due to large exposure in steel sector. If a guidance was provided, this could have been avoided, says financial analyst Sanjeev G. Kumar.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The central government has blocked the supply of domestically made cooking gas (LPG) to private retailers by instructing LPG producers like Reliance Industries to supply their output only to state-owned oil companies. The government has told private retailers that they will have to source their supply through imports.

In an order issued this month, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stated that the sale of indigenously produced LPG is not permitted to the entities other than government oil companies.



The move comes amidst a backdrop of surplus capacity but deficient production. While India is surplus in refining capacity, it does not produce enough LPG to meet all of its demand. It imported 8.7 million tonnes of LPG in 2015-16 and 4.66 million tonnes in first half of current fiscal. LPG is produced by both public sector firms like Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOC) as well as private firms like Reliance Industries Ltd.



The order emphasises the policy of ensuring that all domestically produced liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) be necessarily be sold to PSUs for subsidised sale to consumers.



In its order, the ministry said instances have been noticed of all locally produced LPG not being sold to state-owned oil marketing companies.



...some domestic LPG is also being sold to parallel marketeers in violation of Ministrys order, it said. All domestic producers of LPG need to ensure compliance with provisions of LPG (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000 and LPG (Regulation of Use of Motor Vehicles) Order, 2001 and sell domestically produced LPG only to government oil companies.

NEW DELHI: The central government has blocked the supply of domestically made cooking gas (LPG) to private retailers by instructing LPG producers like Reliance Industries to supply their output only to state-owned oil companies. The government has told private retailers that they will have to source their supply through imports. In an order issued this month, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stated that the sale of indigenously produced LPG is not permitted to the entities other than government oil companies. The move comes amidst a backdrop of surplus capacity but deficient production. While India is surplus in refining capacity, it does not produce enough LPG to meet all of its demand. It imported 8.7 million tonnes of LPG in 2015-16 and 4.66 million tonnes in first half of current fiscal. LPG is produced by both public sector firms like Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOC) as well as private firms like Reliance Industries Ltd. The order emphasises the policy of ensuring that all domestically produced liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) be necessarily be sold to PSUs for subsidised sale to consumers. In its order, the ministry said instances have been noticed of all locally produced LPG not being sold to state-owned oil marketing companies. ...some domestic LPG is also being sold to parallel marketeers in violation of Ministrys order, it said. All domestic producers of LPG need to ensure compliance with provisions of LPG (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000 and LPG (Regulation of Use of Motor Vehicles) Order, 2001 and sell domestically produced LPG only to government oil companies.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Indian Space Research Organisaion (ISRO) will be off to a rollicking start in the new year with a world-record launch of 83 satellites in one mission on board PSLV C-37. The launch is being planned in the second week of January.



Of the 83, three would be Indian satellites and the remaining 80 foreign satellites with clients from the United States, Switzerland, Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Israel.



Speaking to Express, ISRO chairman S Kiran Kumar said the primary satellite would be Indias 700-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite, which is a remote sensing satellite useful for cartographic applications such as road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, precision study, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. The other two Indian satellites will be small ones.



The foreign clientele is dominated by a single US-based company occupying close to 2/3rd of the payloads on board the rocket. All satellites provided by the US company are low orbiting earth observation nano satellites. They are all being launched as part of a constellation of satellites, Kiran Kumar said without revealing the name of the client due to non-disclosure agreements.



To a query, the ISRO chairman said he was not too keen on projecting the mission as a world-record endeavor. Though the ISRO has mastered the art of launching multiple satellites in one mission like it did in June early this year, where 20 satellites were launched including 19 foreign satellites, it is a challenge to put 83 satellites in the same orbit.



All satellites will be put in the same orbit, which poses a different challenge, he said and added that XL version of PSLV equipped with six strap-ons would used for the mission.

K Sivan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, told Express that the hardware for the rocket was getting ready. The immediate mission for the national space agency would be PSLV C-36, which is scheduled to be launched on December 4.



Interestingly, though the current state of US policy favours the rocket builders position and has restrictions on launch of commercial satellites from India, more US customers seem to be lining up before Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO. Only this year, 12 4.7-kg Dove Earth observation satellites for Planet of San Francisco, formerly named Planet Labs and a 110-kg SkySat Gen2-1 Earth observation satellite, owned by Googles Terra Bella of Mountain View, California were launched by ISRO. Besides, PlanetiQ PlanetiQ of Boulder, Colorado has booked a secondary payload slot in PSLV.



Certainly, the PSLVs credibility and new-found capabilities have made India a preferred destination for launching commercial small satellites and the market is just growing in terms of numbers.

CHENNAI: The Indian Space Research Organisaion (ISRO) will be off to a rollicking start in the new year with a world-record launch of 83 satellites in one mission on board PSLV C-37. The launch is being planned in the second week of January. Of the 83, three would be Indian satellites and the remaining 80 foreign satellites with clients from the United States, Switzerland, Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Israel. Speaking to Express, ISRO chairman S Kiran Kumar said the primary satellite would be Indias 700-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite, which is a remote sensing satellite useful for cartographic applications such as road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, precision study, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. The other two Indian satellites will be small ones. The foreign clientele is dominated by a single US-based company occupying close to 2/3rd of the payloads on board the rocket. All satellites provided by the US company are low orbiting earth observation nano satellites. They are all being launched as part of a constellation of satellites, Kiran Kumar said without revealing the name of the client due to non-disclosure agreements. To a query, the ISRO chairman said he was not too keen on projecting the mission as a world-record endeavor. Though the ISRO has mastered the art of launching multiple satellites in one mission like it did in June early this year, where 20 satellites were launched including 19 foreign satellites, it is a challenge to put 83 satellites in the same orbit. All satellites will be put in the same orbit, which poses a different challenge, he said and added that XL version of PSLV equipped with six strap-ons would used for the mission. K Sivan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, told Express that the hardware for the rocket was getting ready. The immediate mission for the national space agency would be PSLV C-36, which is scheduled to be launched on December 4. Interestingly, though the current state of US policy favours the rocket builders position and has restrictions on launch of commercial satellites from India, more US customers seem to be lining up before Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO. Only this year, 12 4.7-kg Dove Earth observation satellites for Planet of San Francisco, formerly named Planet Labs and a 110-kg SkySat Gen2-1 Earth observation satellite, owned by Googles Terra Bella of Mountain View, California were launched by ISRO. Besides, PlanetiQ PlanetiQ of Boulder, Colorado has booked a secondary payload slot in PSLV. Certainly, the PSLVs credibility and new-found capabilities have made India a preferred destination for launching commercial small satellites and the market is just growing in terms of numbers.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Flight services from Chennai airport to New Delhi airport and vice versa were affected due to the dense fog in Delhi on Wednesday.



The arrivals from Delhi have been delayed by 15 to 30 minutes, said an Airport Authority of India (AAI) official. Similarly, some flights en route to Delhi

in the morning were diverted to Jaipur due to the weather condition.



Air India spokesman said that their flight AI 440 which was scheduled to depart from Chennai at 6.15 AM was diverted to Jaipur. The flight is

likely to reach Delhi around noon. The same flight which will later return to Chennai by around 12.40 PM will now arrive at around 3.40 PM



Almost all airlines have been hit. The delay has also affected the departure of many flights, said AAI official said.

CHENNAI: Flight services from Chennai airport to New Delhi airport and vice versa were affected due to the dense fog in Delhi on Wednesday. The arrivals from Delhi have been delayed by 15 to 30 minutes, said an Airport Authority of India (AAI) official. Similarly, some flights en route to Delhi in the morning were diverted to Jaipur due to the weather condition. Air India spokesman said that their flight AI 440 which was scheduled to depart from Chennai at 6.15 AM was diverted to Jaipur. The flight is likely to reach Delhi around noon. The same flight which will later return to Chennai by around 12.40 PM will now arrive at around 3.40 PM Almost all airlines have been hit. The delay has also affected the departure of many flights, said AAI official said.
Anushree Madhavan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A fter a trip to Spain early this year, 24-year-old Surya Chidambaram was encouraged by his fellow tourists to take more photos on his iPhone. Until then, I always took photos just for fun. The trip changed the way I looked at my hobby, he says. Now, Surya is all set to launch a coffee table photobook iPhonegraphy by Surya Chidambaram along with an exhibition at Lalit Kala Academy on December 2.

 Surya Chidambaram, photographer



Surya says he has severe wanderlust and wants to travel the world. I enrolled myself with Contiki, which organises trips for people between 18 and 35 years of age. Spain was my first trip and then in May, I went on a three-week trip to Europe, he says.



The real search for photos began while he was in Europe. I would click 80-100 photos a day and edit them on my phone at night, he adds. After garnering a lot of appreciation for his work, Surya clicked one picture a day and posted them on his Facebook page and Instagram, where again he became popular.



Unlike other youngsters, Surya doesnt like DSLR cameras, as he finds it too big and heavy. Many who have an iPhone, own it for the sake of it. The camera feature of the phone is something that every photography enthusiast needs. He learnt all about photography by exploring the features of the phone camera and learning from YouTube tutorials.



The passionate photographer loves shooting streets, buildings, dogs and cars. I cannot click candid pictures as I feel I dont have the knack for that. I love to shoot the streets because I feel they have a story to tell. When I click a picture, I want the viewer to experience what I did, he shares.



With a low patience level, Surya did not spend too much time on photos. I click two shots of a scene and move on. I can spot a story everywhere, he quips.

Ask him which was the most exciting place during his trip and he says it was the trip itself. When I go to a new place, I get lost, and then find my way back. Only then can I find some interesting scenes. On that note, I loved roaming on the streets of Venice, he says.



Last week, he went on a road trip to Chettinadu just to click some pictures, and he is gearing up for a trip around India soon. The photos are all from my Europe trip. I clicked around 1,200 photos there and am exhibiting only 200. This exhibition will not be a one-off thing and I plan to do it continuously, he says. Visitors can choose their favourite photo on phone cases, coffee mugs and T-shirts.



Visit Lalit Kala Akademi from December 2-4 for the photo exhibition. You can also have a look at his Facebook page www.facebook.com/suryachidiphonegraphy

CHENNAI: A fter a trip to Spain early this year, 24-year-old Surya Chidambaram was encouraged by his fellow tourists to take more photos on his iPhone. Until then, I always took photos just for fun. The trip changed the way I looked at my hobby, he says. Now, Surya is all set to launch a coffee table photobook iPhonegraphy by Surya Chidambaram along with an exhibition at Lalit Kala Academy on December 2.  Surya Chidambaram, photographer Surya says he has severe wanderlust and wants to travel the world. I enrolled myself with Contiki, which organises trips for people between 18 and 35 years of age. Spain was my first trip and then in May, I went on a three-week trip to Europe, he says. The real search for photos began while he was in Europe. I would click 80-100 photos a day and edit them on my phone at night, he adds. After garnering a lot of appreciation for his work, Surya clicked one picture a day and posted them on his Facebook page and Instagram, where again he became popular. Unlike other youngsters, Surya doesnt like DSLR cameras, as he finds it too big and heavy. Many who have an iPhone, own it for the sake of it. The camera feature of the phone is something that every photography enthusiast needs. He learnt all about photography by exploring the features of the phone camera and learning from YouTube tutorials. The passionate photographer loves shooting streets, buildings, dogs and cars. I cannot click candid pictures as I feel I dont have the knack for that. I love to shoot the streets because I feel they have a story to tell. When I click a picture, I want the viewer to experience what I did, he shares. With a low patience level, Surya did not spend too much time on photos. I click two shots of a scene and move on. I can spot a story everywhere, he quips. Ask him which was the most exciting place during his trip and he says it was the trip itself. When I go to a new place, I get lost, and then find my way back. Only then can I find some interesting scenes. On that note, I loved roaming on the streets of Venice, he says. Last week, he went on a road trip to Chettinadu just to click some pictures, and he is gearing up for a trip around India soon. The photos are all from my Europe trip. I clicked around 1,200 photos there and am exhibiting only 200. This exhibition will not be a one-off thing and I plan to do it continuously, he says. Visitors can choose their favourite photo on phone cases, coffee mugs and T-shirts. Visit Lalit Kala Akademi from December 2-4 for the photo exhibition. You can also have a look at his Facebook page www.facebook.com/suryachidiphonegraphy
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at 40 locations across the country in order to flush out black money parked with hawala operators, currency exchange

agencies and other suspect individuals following reports of illicit exchange of demonetised high-value currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 with new notes.



Without divulging details, agency officials said the searches were conducted by multiple teams of the ED in various cities including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru.



In the eastern region, the agency conducted searches at 16 locations, including six in Kolkata. The sleuths also searched two places each in Bhubaneswar and Paradip (both in Odisha) and at least three

locations in Guwahati. About a dozen locations were also searched in the national capital and Mumbai.



The searches by EDs Kolkata zone yielded Rs 10 lakh cash in new currency from the premises of a doctor. Foreign currency worth Rs 4 lakh was seized by the same zone during the operation in Kolkata.



Besides the ED, the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation keeping a close tab at instances of illegal exchange of old currency and hoarding of new currency notes by entities and

individuals.



Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday registered a case against a cashier working at a State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur branch in Rajasthan for allegedly exchanging the now scrapped Rs 1,000 and Rs 500

denomination notes for new ones worth over Rs 1 crore after demonetisation.



A FIR was registered against Head Cashier Yogendra Singh Meena posted at the Dausa branch of SBBJ. Singh allegedly violated RBI guidelines for exchanging old notes with new ones. He has also been

booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating and certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at 40 locations across the country in order to flush out black money parked with hawala operators, currency exchange agencies and other suspect individuals following reports of illicit exchange of demonetised high-value currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 with new notes. Without divulging details, agency officials said the searches were conducted by multiple teams of the ED in various cities including Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. In the eastern region, the agency conducted searches at 16 locations, including six in Kolkata. The sleuths also searched two places each in Bhubaneswar and Paradip (both in Odisha) and at least three locations in Guwahati. About a dozen locations were also searched in the national capital and Mumbai. The searches by EDs Kolkata zone yielded Rs 10 lakh cash in new currency from the premises of a doctor. Foreign currency worth Rs 4 lakh was seized by the same zone during the operation in Kolkata. Besides the ED, the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation keeping a close tab at instances of illegal exchange of old currency and hoarding of new currency notes by entities and individuals. Meanwhile, the CBI on Wednesday registered a case against a cashier working at a State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur branch in Rajasthan for allegedly exchanging the now scrapped Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination notes for new ones worth over Rs 1 crore after demonetisation. A FIR was registered against Head Cashier Yogendra Singh Meena posted at the Dausa branch of SBBJ. Singh allegedly violated RBI guidelines for exchanging old notes with new ones. He has also been booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating and certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Breaking three-decade long jinx, the Indian army finally signed the contract with a US firm to buy M777 lightweight howitzers, first ever acquisition of artillery guns after Bofors guns. India has not bought any of these artillery guns since the Bofors deal in 1986, which mired in the bribery scandal.

The deal worth $737 million (almost Rs 5,000 crore) was signed with the manufacture of artillery gun BAE Systems under the Foreign Military Sales with US. Union cabinet a fortnight had cleared the deal with US.

We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777, said Dr. Joe Senftle, vice president & general manager for the Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. Interestingly, the M-777 howitzers are manufactured by BAE Systems, which now owns the original Swedish Bofors company.

Our plan to establish a domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility further demonstrates our commitment to Make in India and remains a firm part of our strategy to work with the Indian defense sector across Air, Land, Sea and Security. BAE systems further said.

According to the official source, out of 144 howitzers, 120 will be "assembled, integrated and tested" in India. BAE system has already tied up with Mahindra as its business partner in India. While 25 guns will come to India in a fly-away condition,

The first two howitzers will be delivered within six months of the contract being inked, with the others to follow at the rate of two per month. India will join US, Canadian and Australian forces to use M777 howitzers. According to an army official that M777 is essential for the mountain warfare, especially for the newly created Mountain Strike Corps for the Sino-Indian border. Army's 220 artillery regiments have received no new artillery since the 1980s, when the FH-77B, 155 mm/39 calibre Bofors gun was bought.

Mired with the allegations of kickbacks, only 400 Bofors guns were delivered and rest of the contract could not complete. Significantly, Bofors guns played a key role in Kargil operation in 1999 against Pakistani intruders.

Meanwhile, a two-day meeting of the 15th India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) began here on Wednesday. India-US MCG is a forum established to progress Defence Cooperation between HQ Integrated Defence Staff and US Pacific Command at the strategic and operational levels.

A 26 member delegation from the US Defence Forces and several Officers from the three Services HQs, representing the Indian side are attending the bilateral event.

NEW DELHI: Breaking three-decade long jinx, the Indian army finally signed the contract with a US firm to buy M777 lightweight howitzers, first ever acquisition of artillery guns after Bofors guns. India has not bought any of these artillery guns since the Bofors deal in 1986, which mired in the bribery scandal. The deal worth $737 million (almost Rs 5,000 crore) was signed with the manufacture of artillery gun BAE Systems under the Foreign Military Sales with US. Union cabinet a fortnight had cleared the deal with US. We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777, said Dr. Joe Senftle, vice president & general manager for the Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. Interestingly, the M-777 howitzers are manufactured by BAE Systems, which now owns the original Swedish Bofors company. Our plan to establish a domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility further demonstrates our commitment to Make in India and remains a firm part of our strategy to work with the Indian defense sector across Air, Land, Sea and Security. BAE systems further said. According to the official source, out of 144 howitzers, 120 will be "assembled, integrated and tested" in India. BAE system has already tied up with Mahindra as its business partner in India. While 25 guns will come to India in a fly-away condition, The first two howitzers will be delivered within six months of the contract being inked, with the others to follow at the rate of two per month. India will join US, Canadian and Australian forces to use M777 howitzers. According to an army official that M777 is essential for the mountain warfare, especially for the newly created Mountain Strike Corps for the Sino-Indian border. Army's 220 artillery regiments have received no new artillery since the 1980s, when the FH-77B, 155 mm/39 calibre Bofors gun was bought. Mired with the allegations of kickbacks, only 400 Bofors guns were delivered and rest of the contract could not complete. Significantly, Bofors guns played a key role in Kargil operation in 1999 against Pakistani intruders. Meanwhile, a two-day meeting of the 15th India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) began here on Wednesday. India-US MCG is a forum established to progress Defence Cooperation between HQ Integrated Defence Staff and US Pacific Command at the strategic and operational levels. A 26 member delegation from the US Defence Forces and several Officers from the three Services HQs, representing the Indian side are attending the bilateral event.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The public offers of talks by Pakistan seem to be more of rhetoric than real substance, as India on Wednesday categorically denied receiving any official proposal to hold bilateral

talks on the margins of the Heart of Asia conference to be held in Amritsar beginning December 4.

Advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has been issuing statements to the media stating that Islamabad was ready to hold talks with New Delhi and that he was going to India

with a message of peace. His visit has been significant as this would be the first visit of a senior Pakistan government functionary after the Pathankot terror attack derailed the talks between the two arch

rivals.

We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting from Pakistan on the sidelines of Heart of Asia conference, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Gopal Bagalay said in response to a

question if India has received any talks proposals. The chances of any talks seem extremely bleak as the Conference has been preceded by the attack on Nagrota army base that claimed lives of 7 Indian

soldiers.

Aziz will be arriving in India on December 4th. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be unable to attend the conference for the rebuilding Afghanistan owing to health reasons. Finance Minister

Arun Jaitley will be co-chairing the conference in place of Sushma Swaraj.

The bilateral ties between two countries are all time low with daily exchange of fire at the Line of Control between their forces and sporadic terror attacks on armed forces establishment.

NEW DELHI: The public offers of talks by Pakistan seem to be more of rhetoric than real substance, as India on Wednesday categorically denied receiving any official proposal to hold bilateral talks on the margins of the Heart of Asia conference to be held in Amritsar beginning December 4. Advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has been issuing statements to the media stating that Islamabad was ready to hold talks with New Delhi and that he was going to India with a message of peace. His visit has been significant as this would be the first visit of a senior Pakistan government functionary after the Pathankot terror attack derailed the talks between the two arch rivals. We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting from Pakistan on the sidelines of Heart of Asia conference, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Gopal Bagalay said in response to a question if India has received any talks proposals. The chances of any talks seem extremely bleak as the Conference has been preceded by the attack on Nagrota army base that claimed lives of 7 Indian soldiers. Aziz will be arriving in India on December 4th. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be unable to attend the conference for the rebuilding Afghanistan owing to health reasons. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be co-chairing the conference in place of Sushma Swaraj. The bilateral ties between two countries are all time low with daily exchange of fire at the Line of Control between their forces and sporadic terror attacks on armed forces establishment.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: After his father Farooq Abdullahs controversial statement on Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK), National Conference working president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said Pakistan is no more isolated internationally now and militants are no more deterred from attacking the security forces after the surgical strikes.

Regardless of what BJP spokespersons would have us believe, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago, Omar wrote on Twitter.

After the deadly militant attack on the army camp in Uri in September when 19 soldiers were killed, India had launched a diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan.

Addressing a public rally in Kozhikode on September 24 , Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed that India will mount a global campaign to isolate Pakistan in the world.

Pakistan was on September 30 forced to cancel the SAARC summit conference, which was scheduled for November 9-10 in Islamabad, after at least four member countries refused to attend the summit.

Omar further tweeted that it is also true that militants are no more deterred from attacking the armed forces today than they were prior to the "surgical strikes".

He was apparently referring to yesterdays twin militant attacks on BSF near International Border in Samba and army camp at Nagrota. At least seven soldiers including two officers and six militants were killed in the twin attacks.

So on a day on which seven soldiers lost their lives to militant bullets, the government must explain its Pakistan policy to nation, Omar said.

Referring to criticism faced by his father and former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on his remarks that India does not have power to reclaim Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK) from Pakistan, Omar said, "It's all very well to call people who question the government line 'Friends of Pakistan' but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought out policy".



SRINAGAR: After his father Farooq Abdullahs controversial statement on Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK), National Conference working president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said Pakistan is no more isolated internationally now and militants are no more deterred from attacking the security forces after the surgical strikes. Regardless of what BJP spokespersons would have us believe, Pakistan is no more isolated internationally today than it was six months ago, Omar wrote on Twitter. After the deadly militant attack on the army camp in Uri in September when 19 soldiers were killed, India had launched a diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan. Addressing a public rally in Kozhikode on September 24 , Prime Minister Narendra Modi had vowed that India will mount a global campaign to isolate Pakistan in the world. Pakistan was on September 30 forced to cancel the SAARC summit conference, which was scheduled for November 9-10 in Islamabad, after at least four member countries refused to attend the summit. Omar further tweeted that it is also true that militants are no more deterred from attacking the armed forces today than they were prior to the "surgical strikes". He was apparently referring to yesterdays twin militant attacks on BSF near International Border in Samba and army camp at Nagrota. At least seven soldiers including two officers and six militants were killed in the twin attacks. So on a day on which seven soldiers lost their lives to militant bullets, the government must explain its Pakistan policy to nation, Omar said. Referring to criticism faced by his father and former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on his remarks that India does not have power to reclaim Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK) from Pakistan, Omar said, "It's all very well to call people who question the government line 'Friends of Pakistan' but that's a poor excuse for a cogent, thought out policy".
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRI NAGAR: Seven soldiers and six militants were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in Jammu on Tuesday.

The attacks came on the same day Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Bajwa took over as the new chief of Pakistan Army.

The martyred soldiers included Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Bengaluru and another officer. The Major is survived by his wife Sangeeta Ravindran and a two-year-old daughter Naina.

Major Akshay Girish Kumar

and his wife Sangeeta

The first attack took place in Nagrota where heavily-armed militants stormed into a fortified Army camp wearing police uniform.

The camp is located just three kilometres away from the headquarters.

According to Army officials, the militants lobbed grenades, fired using automatic weapons and gained entry into the camp. Once inside, they started firing indiscriminately at the Officers Mess, in an attempt to inflict maximum damage. One officer and three soldiers were killed in the attack, said Col NN Joshi of the Northern Command.

As the militants prolonged the fight, the Armys elite para-commandos were airdropped to flush them out. However, they managed to enter two more buildings, housing officers and their families, leading to a hostage-like situation. The Army forces managed to successfully rescue all people in the building including 12 soldiers, two women and two children, but lost three of its soldiers, including an officer.

Joshi claimed that all militants have been killed and a search was on to check for other possible threats.

The second attack took place close to International Border in Samba sector. Three militants who managed to infiltrate were neutralised. Apart from the terror attacks, the DIG of BSF, three border guards and a policeman were injured in shelling by Pakistani troops.

SRI NAGAR: Seven soldiers and six militants were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in Jammu on Tuesday. The attacks came on the same day Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Bajwa took over as the new chief of Pakistan Army. The martyred soldiers included Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Bengaluru and another officer. The Major is survived by his wife Sangeeta Ravindran and a two-year-old daughter Naina. Major Akshay Girish Kumar and his wife SangeetaThe first attack took place in Nagrota where heavily-armed militants stormed into a fortified Army camp wearing police uniform. The camp is located just three kilometres away from the headquarters. According to Army officials, the militants lobbed grenades, fired using automatic weapons and gained entry into the camp. Once inside, they started firing indiscriminately at the Officers Mess, in an attempt to inflict maximum damage. One officer and three soldiers were killed in the attack, said Col NN Joshi of the Northern Command. As the militants prolonged the fight, the Armys elite para-commandos were airdropped to flush them out. However, they managed to enter two more buildings, housing officers and their families, leading to a hostage-like situation. The Army forces managed to successfully rescue all people in the building including 12 soldiers, two women and two children, but lost three of its soldiers, including an officer. Joshi claimed that all militants have been killed and a search was on to check for other possible threats. The second attack took place close to International Border in Samba sector. Three militants who managed to infiltrate were neutralised. Apart from the terror attacks, the DIG of BSF, three border guards and a policeman were injured in shelling by Pakistani troops.
By PTI

JAMMU: Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters and was briefed about yesterday's terror attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed, even as combing operation to flush out any remaining militant continued.

Three militants were killed by security forces personnel and combing operation to sanitise the area was nearing end. Gen Suhag arrived in Nagrota in the afternoon and was briefed by the top commanders on the terror attack at an army artillery unit. He was also briefed about the combing operations.

He reviewed the security aspect post terror attack and paid tributes to those killed in the strike. "Combing operation resumed this morning at the camp. The area has to be cleared... Operation is on to see whether there is presence of any other militant in the area. We cannot take chances," a senior army officer said.

'Blinds' (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation. Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued.

Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops.

Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.

JAMMU: Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters and was briefed about yesterday's terror attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed, even as combing operation to flush out any remaining militant continued. Three militants were killed by security forces personnel and combing operation to sanitise the area was nearing end. Gen Suhag arrived in Nagrota in the afternoon and was briefed by the top commanders on the terror attack at an army artillery unit. He was also briefed about the combing operations. He reviewed the security aspect post terror attack and paid tributes to those killed in the strike. "Combing operation resumed this morning at the camp. The area has to be cleared... Operation is on to see whether there is presence of any other militant in the area. We cannot take chances," a senior army officer said. 'Blinds' (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation. Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters. In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city. Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued. Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

Srinagar, Nov 30: Army on Wednesday resumed combing operation inside one of their camps at Nagrota in Jammu which was attacked by heavily armed militants yesterday.

The combing operation was resumed early today morning, armys northern command spokesman Colonel N N Joshi told Express.

He said the combing operation was going on.

Sources said the army is conducting combing operation to ensure that none of the militants involved in yesterday attack on the army camp is hiding inside and all of them have been killed.

There has been no militant firing since 5 pm yesterday. It clearly indicates that only three militants were involved in the attack and all of them have been killed, they said.

Sources, however, said army is not taking any chances and conducting extensive search and combing operation in the camp.

The combing operation is also going on outside the camp, they said.

Another army official said blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the encounter site by bomb disposal team during the combing operations.

He said extensive searches are being carried out inside the camp. The troops are conducting thorough searches at isolated places and near bushes to ensure that militants are not hiding there.

Sources said during the combing operation, security forces recovered some hand-written Urdu posters reading Afzal Guru shaheed ke inteqaam ki ek aur kisht (It is another installation of revenge of

Saheed Afzal Guru.

Guru was convicted for parliament attack and hanged in a Delhis Tihar Jail in February 2013.

Joshi, however, said he does not have any information about the recovery of such an item.

At least three heavily armed militants armed with sophisticated rifles, grenades and explosives and wearing police uniforms stormed the heavily fortified army camp at Nagrota, three kilometers from 16

Corps headquarters, early yesterday morning.

In the day-long gunfight, seven soldiers including two Majors and three militants were killed.

During the operation, armys elite para commandos were air dropped in the camp to assist the soldiers in flushing out the militants.

The slain soldiers were identified as Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir, 33, of Village Pandharpur, Distt Solapur, Maharashtra; Major Akshay Girish Kumar, 31, of Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka; Havaldar Sukhraj Singh, 32, of Village Maan Nagar, District Gurdaspur, Punjab; Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro, 32, of Village Janapuri, Loha, Nanded, Maharashtra; Grenadier Raghvendra Singh, 28, of Village Gadijatar, District Dholpur, Rajasthan; Rifleman Asim Rai, 32, of village Ratanchha, Khotang, Nepal and Naik Chittranjan Debbarma, 37, of village Garingpara, Bada Maidan Bazaar, West Tripura district, Tripura.

Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag visited 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota today and was briefed about yesterday's militant attack by senior army officers, an army official said.

He said the army chief reviewed the security situation after the militant attack and directed men to increase the security and be vigilant to thwart any militant strikes.

Later, General Dalbir Singh laid the wreath on mortal remains of the slain soldiers and paid tributes to them.

J&K Chief Minister, Mufti also laid the wreath and paid homage to the slain soldiers.

She expressed her solidarity with the families of the slain soldiers and prayed for peace to the departed souls.

A large number of military, police, paramilitary and civil officials were present during the wreath-laying ceremony.

In a related development, Governor N N Vohra expressed serious concern about repeated militant attacks on security forces establishment and Pakistans continuing attempts to exacerbate the situation.

He urged all the security forces commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and also asked the Chief Secretary to direct the districts and divisional civil and police administration to immediately

review the security of all important installations and establishments.

Srinagar, Nov 30: Army on Wednesday resumed combing operation inside one of their camps at Nagrota in Jammu which was attacked by heavily armed militants yesterday. The combing operation was resumed early today morning, armys northern command spokesman Colonel N N Joshi told Express. He said the combing operation was going on. Sources said the army is conducting combing operation to ensure that none of the militants involved in yesterday attack on the army camp is hiding inside and all of them have been killed. There has been no militant firing since 5 pm yesterday. It clearly indicates that only three militants were involved in the attack and all of them have been killed, they said. Sources, however, said army is not taking any chances and conducting extensive search and combing operation in the camp. The combing operation is also going on outside the camp, they said. Another army official said blinds (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the encounter site by bomb disposal team during the combing operations. He said extensive searches are being carried out inside the camp. The troops are conducting thorough searches at isolated places and near bushes to ensure that militants are not hiding there. Sources said during the combing operation, security forces recovered some hand-written Urdu posters reading Afzal Guru shaheed ke inteqaam ki ek aur kisht (It is another installation of revenge of Saheed Afzal Guru. Guru was convicted for parliament attack and hanged in a Delhis Tihar Jail in February 2013. Joshi, however, said he does not have any information about the recovery of such an item. At least three heavily armed militants armed with sophisticated rifles, grenades and explosives and wearing police uniforms stormed the heavily fortified army camp at Nagrota, three kilometers from 16 Corps headquarters, early yesterday morning. In the day-long gunfight, seven soldiers including two Majors and three militants were killed. During the operation, armys elite para commandos were air dropped in the camp to assist the soldiers in flushing out the militants. The slain soldiers were identified as Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir, 33, of Village Pandharpur, Distt Solapur, Maharashtra; Major Akshay Girish Kumar, 31, of Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka; Havaldar Sukhraj Singh, 32, of Village Maan Nagar, District Gurdaspur, Punjab; Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro, 32, of Village Janapuri, Loha, Nanded, Maharashtra; Grenadier Raghvendra Singh, 28, of Village Gadijatar, District Dholpur, Rajasthan; Rifleman Asim Rai, 32, of village Ratanchha, Khotang, Nepal and Naik Chittranjan Debbarma, 37, of village Garingpara, Bada Maidan Bazaar, West Tripura district, Tripura. Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag visited 16 Corps headquarters at Nagrota today and was briefed about yesterday's militant attack by senior army officers, an army official said. He said the army chief reviewed the security situation after the militant attack and directed men to increase the security and be vigilant to thwart any militant strikes. Later, General Dalbir Singh laid the wreath on mortal remains of the slain soldiers and paid tributes to them. J&K Chief Minister, Mufti also laid the wreath and paid homage to the slain soldiers. She expressed her solidarity with the families of the slain soldiers and prayed for peace to the departed souls. A large number of military, police, paramilitary and civil officials were present during the wreath-laying ceremony. In a related development, Governor N N Vohra expressed serious concern about repeated militant attacks on security forces establishment and Pakistans continuing attempts to exacerbate the situation. He urged all the security forces commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and also asked the Chief Secretary to direct the districts and divisional civil and police administration to immediately review the security of all important installations and establishments.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Nagrota attack, which claimed the lives of seven soldiers including two Majors, is a signal from the Pakistani establishment that their policy of proxy war against India will continue despite change of person helming their army, eminent security analysts said today.



"It is a signal that even if the chief at the top changes, national policies will remain the same," said Lt Gen (Retd) Vinod Bhatia, former Director General of Military Operations.



The attack came days ahead of the Heart of Asia Summit on Afghanistan in Amritsar on December 2-3 and the day Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as the new chief of Pakistan army replacing explicitly anti-India Raheel Sharif.



"If you see the pattern of all previous major attacks, you will find that it is either preceded or followed by a diplomatic initiative between both the countries," Lt Gen Bhatia said.



He admitted that the Indian army needs to beef up security of its camps and attributed the lack of it to inadequate resources.



Lt Gen (Retd) H S Panag, a former Northern Army Commander, said Pakistan has a very clear target which is India.



"For them, India is a natural enemy which has, according to it, wrongly deprived them their right over Kashmir," Lt Gen Panag told PTI.



He said that despite sporadic voices of peace that one hears from Pakistan, the army, political establishment and the public are on one page when it comes to what actions that are needed to be taken against India.



He said unlike Pakistan, India does not have a clear strategy against its neighbour.



Lt Gen Panag said initially after the surgical cross LoC strike it was felt that there is a new strategy in place but "subsequent chest thumping showed it was a standalone incident



meant more for the domestic audience".



He said India should up his covert strategy and even plan out hits on people like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azar, chiefs of terror groups LeT and JeM respectively, besides others.



"We meander from one strategy or the other. There is no one clear policy," he said.



The talk about the number of casualties in Pakistan is just "exaggerated nonsense," he said, calling for a "harder policy" towards that country.



Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), stressed on the need to enhance perimeter security at military facilities which he felt was "grossly inadequate".



However, he did not see any link between the Nagrota attack and the change of guard in Pakistani army and said assaults of such nature are planned in advance.

NEW DELHI: The Nagrota attack, which claimed the lives of seven soldiers including two Majors, is a signal from the Pakistani establishment that their policy of proxy war against India will continue despite change of person helming their army, eminent security analysts said today. "It is a signal that even if the chief at the top changes, national policies will remain the same," said Lt Gen (Retd) Vinod Bhatia, former Director General of Military Operations. The attack came days ahead of the Heart of Asia Summit on Afghanistan in Amritsar on December 2-3 and the day Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as the new chief of Pakistan army replacing explicitly anti-India Raheel Sharif. "If you see the pattern of all previous major attacks, you will find that it is either preceded or followed by a diplomatic initiative between both the countries," Lt Gen Bhatia said. He admitted that the Indian army needs to beef up security of its camps and attributed the lack of it to inadequate resources. Lt Gen (Retd) H S Panag, a former Northern Army Commander, said Pakistan has a very clear target which is India. "For them, India is a natural enemy which has, according to it, wrongly deprived them their right over Kashmir," Lt Gen Panag told PTI. He said that despite sporadic voices of peace that one hears from Pakistan, the army, political establishment and the public are on one page when it comes to what actions that are needed to be taken against India. He said unlike Pakistan, India does not have a clear strategy against its neighbour. Lt Gen Panag said initially after the surgical cross LoC strike it was felt that there is a new strategy in place but "subsequent chest thumping showed it was a standalone incident meant more for the domestic audience". He said India should up his covert strategy and even plan out hits on people like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azar, chiefs of terror groups LeT and JeM respectively, besides others. "We meander from one strategy or the other. There is no one clear policy," he said. The talk about the number of casualties in Pakistan is just "exaggerated nonsense," he said, calling for a "harder policy" towards that country. Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), stressed on the need to enhance perimeter security at military facilities which he felt was "grossly inadequate". However, he did not see any link between the Nagrota attack and the change of guard in Pakistani army and said assaults of such nature are planned in advance.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: After getting isolated at SAARC and BRICS, Pakistan is set to face the heat from its neighbouring countries- namely India and Afghanistan- in the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference as

the two countries identified cross-border terrorism as the biggest threat to the region and are bracing it to take it head on at the Conference.

In an unprecedented show of strength, Afghanistans Ambassador Dr. Shaida Mohammad Abdali conducted a curtain raiser event with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and started his interaction with the media with a condemnation of the audacious terror attack on Nagrota army base. Dr. Abdali, without naming Pakistan, stated that Terrorism cannot be countered unless the safe sanctuaries provided to

the terrorists are dismantled and that is imperative for reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged country.

MEAs Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iran) Gopal Bagalay hoped that the two-day Conference to be held in Amritsar beginning December 3 would provide the opportunity to take the challenge (of

terrorism) head on. The conference will be attended by representatives of nearly 30 countries along with Advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

Afghanistan and India will also be pushing for adoption of the Counter-Terrorism Framework that will have some binding clauses to clamp down on infrastructure supporting terror network in the region.

"Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope

the conference will adopt it," Dr. Abdali said.

The Afghanistan Envoy also underlined that counter-terrorism requires a multi-faceted approach to dismantle the terror matrix involving safe sanctuaries, drug trafficking and radicalisation. Without

naming Pakistan, the Afghan Envoy said that the solution for menace of terrorism lies in the region from where it emanates. Terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India

and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where terrorism is nurtured," Abdali said.

Strong language can be expected at the declaration to be issued at the end of the two-day conference that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and

will be deliberating on the twin issues of security and connectivity in relation to Afghanistan.

Afghanistans re-development has also been affected by its being land-locked and with Chabahar port and five-nation railway project making progress; the country is looking forward to better connectivity.

Recently Pakistan has blocked Indias wheat supply to Afghanistan and refused transit to fruits from Kabul intended for the Indian market. Afghanistan no longer seeks but offers connectivity to countries in the

region, Dr. Abdali said.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan,

Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates. The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain,

Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guests.

NEW DELHI: After getting isolated at SAARC and BRICS, Pakistan is set to face the heat from its neighbouring countries- namely India and Afghanistan- in the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference as the two countries identified cross-border terrorism as the biggest threat to the region and are bracing it to take it head on at the Conference. In an unprecedented show of strength, Afghanistans Ambassador Dr. Shaida Mohammad Abdali conducted a curtain raiser event with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and started his interaction with the media with a condemnation of the audacious terror attack on Nagrota army base. Dr. Abdali, without naming Pakistan, stated that Terrorism cannot be countered unless the safe sanctuaries provided to the terrorists are dismantled and that is imperative for reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged country. MEAs Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iran) Gopal Bagalay hoped that the two-day Conference to be held in Amritsar beginning December 3 would provide the opportunity to take the challenge (of terrorism) head on. The conference will be attended by representatives of nearly 30 countries along with Advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. Afghanistan and India will also be pushing for adoption of the Counter-Terrorism Framework that will have some binding clauses to clamp down on infrastructure supporting terror network in the region. "Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," Dr. Abdali said. The Afghanistan Envoy also underlined that counter-terrorism requires a multi-faceted approach to dismantle the terror matrix involving safe sanctuaries, drug trafficking and radicalisation. Without naming Pakistan, the Afghan Envoy said that the solution for menace of terrorism lies in the region from where it emanates. Terror must be dealt with effectively not only for sake of countries like India and Afghanistan but also for people in the country where terrorism is nurtured," Abdali said. Strong language can be expected at the declaration to be issued at the end of the two-day conference that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and will be deliberating on the twin issues of security and connectivity in relation to Afghanistan. Afghanistans re-development has also been affected by its being land-locked and with Chabahar port and five-nation railway project making progress; the country is looking forward to better connectivity. Recently Pakistan has blocked Indias wheat supply to Afghanistan and refused transit to fruits from Kabul intended for the Indian market. Afghanistan no longer seeks but offers connectivity to countries in the region, Dr. Abdali said. The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates. The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guests.
By ANI

JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for the Nagrota army cantonment area attack.



No doubt seven of our jawans while fighting with terrorists, attained martyrdom, including two of our officers Major Akshay and Major Kunal, but it was an act of bravery from our jawans, they saved the families of the jawans who were kept hostage by the terrorists, including women and children, said BJP leader Ravinder Raina.



Raina said Pakistans conspiracy is to disturb the nation's harmony and unity.



Praising the Indian Army, he told ANI, Once again the brave jawans of the Indian Army thwarted the evil designs of Pakistan.



Raina said the Centre should act firmly.



BJP leader Ravinder Raina

This was a nefarious design of Pakistan; this was a game plan of Pakistan to attack the cantonment area of the Indian Army in Nagrota. It was a game plan like what happened in Uri and Pathankot, but the alert jawans of army gave a befitting reply to the terrorists and foiled their bigger game plan he added.



He also said, I think Pakistan wont understand the language of diplomacy Pakistan only understands the language of bullets, and what the Government of India, what the army has given them; is a befitting reply in the border area. Our forces are all set; we will not forgive Pakistan, Pakistan has to pay heavily for the Nagrota terrorism.



Seven persons died in the attack, including Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir from Pandharpur (Maharashtra), and Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Koramangala in Karnataka.



Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the corps headquarters.



Defence PRO Manish Mehta told ANI that combing operations have been called off and will be resumed at dawn on Wednesday.

JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said Pakistan will have to pay a heavy price for the Nagrota army cantonment area attack. No doubt seven of our jawans while fighting with terrorists, attained martyrdom, including two of our officers Major Akshay and Major Kunal, but it was an act of bravery from our jawans, they saved the families of the jawans who were kept hostage by the terrorists, including women and children, said BJP leader Ravinder Raina. Raina said Pakistans conspiracy is to disturb the nation's harmony and unity. Praising the Indian Army, he told ANI, Once again the brave jawans of the Indian Army thwarted the evil designs of Pakistan. Raina said the Centre should act firmly. BJP leader Ravinder Raina This was a nefarious design of Pakistan; this was a game plan of Pakistan to attack the cantonment area of the Indian Army in Nagrota. It was a game plan like what happened in Uri and Pathankot, but the alert jawans of army gave a befitting reply to the terrorists and foiled their bigger game plan he added. He also said, I think Pakistan wont understand the language of diplomacy Pakistan only understands the language of bullets, and what the Government of India, what the army has given them; is a befitting reply in the border area. Our forces are all set; we will not forgive Pakistan, Pakistan has to pay heavily for the Nagrota terrorism. Seven persons died in the attack, including Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir from Pandharpur (Maharashtra), and Major Akshay Girish Kumar from Koramangala in Karnataka. Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the attack carried out by police uniformed and heavily armed terrorists on an army unit located three kilometers from the corps headquarters. Defence PRO Manish Mehta told ANI that combing operations have been called off and will be resumed at dawn on Wednesday.
Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday gunned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA over the demonetisation exercise,

calling it a big scam and a measure to promote corruption.

While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) stayed away from Banerjees rally, RJD, which is JD(U)s ally in the state government, lent uneasy support to the agitation against the BJP-led central

government. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his two sons, who are ministers in the Bihar government, stayed off the event. Only RJD state president Ramchandra Purve and RJD national vice-president

Raghuvansh Singh, a former Union rural development minister and known critic of Nitish Kumar, attended the rally.

With demonetisation, he (PM) has projected all the people in the country as possessors of black money and brought them untold crises in their everyday lives. In the name of cleaning up black money from

the economy, he has helped big businesses. He should first flush out all the black money that is with BJP leaders, said Banerjee, without naming Modi.

I respect Lalujee. He has supported my initiative against anti-people measures. I had two options before me  to stay with the Centre on demonetisation or to stay with the people. I chose to stay with the people because they are suffering. Demonetisation is not an attack on black money. It is an attack on the common people, she added.

Banerjee, who reached Patna on Tuesday evening and is getting treatment as a state guest, had visited RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs residence and invited him to attend her rally. Yadav had reportedly

promised to be beside her, but he later deputed two senior leaders of his party. Banerjee, who is putting up in a building close to CM Nitish Kumars residence, had also called him up seeking his

attendance. But Kumar had told her that neither he nor anyone from JD(U) would attend the event.

As Banerjees rally was in progress, the womens wing of the state BJP took out a signature collection march in favour of demonetisation in Patna and burnt her effigies. Why is Mamata Banerjee and the

other leaders against such a big anti-corruption measure? We are warning them. We will not let Banerjee enter Bihar the next times she comes. We will stop her at the airport, said Usha Vidyarthi, a senior

BJP leader and ex-MLA.

Nitish Kumar should have supported the campaign against demonetisation. By not doing so, he is doing a disservice to the people, said Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

PATNA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday gunned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led NDA over the demonetisation exercise, calling it a big scam and a measure to promote corruption. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) stayed away from Banerjees rally, RJD, which is JD(U)s ally in the state government, lent uneasy support to the agitation against the BJP-led central government. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his two sons, who are ministers in the Bihar government, stayed off the event. Only RJD state president Ramchandra Purve and RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Singh, a former Union rural development minister and known critic of Nitish Kumar, attended the rally. With demonetisation, he (PM) has projected all the people in the country as possessors of black money and brought them untold crises in their everyday lives. In the name of cleaning up black money from the economy, he has helped big businesses. He should first flush out all the black money that is with BJP leaders, said Banerjee, without naming Modi. I respect Lalujee. He has supported my initiative against anti-people measures. I had two options before me  to stay with the Centre on demonetisation or to stay with the people. I chose to stay with the people because they are suffering. Demonetisation is not an attack on black money. It is an attack on the common people, she added. Banerjee, who reached Patna on Tuesday evening and is getting treatment as a state guest, had visited RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs residence and invited him to attend her rally. Yadav had reportedly promised to be beside her, but he later deputed two senior leaders of his party. Banerjee, who is putting up in a building close to CM Nitish Kumars residence, had also called him up seeking his attendance. But Kumar had told her that neither he nor anyone from JD(U) would attend the event. As Banerjees rally was in progress, the womens wing of the state BJP took out a signature collection march in favour of demonetisation in Patna and burnt her effigies. Why is Mamata Banerjee and the other leaders against such a big anti-corruption measure? We are warning them. We will not let Banerjee enter Bihar the next times she comes. We will stop her at the airport, said Usha Vidyarthi, a senior BJP leader and ex-MLA. Nitish Kumar should have supported the campaign against demonetisation. By not doing so, he is doing a disservice to the people, said Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.
By PTI

PUNE: The SIT probing the Govind Pansare murder case has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawde at a court in Kolhapur.



The over 400-page supplementary chargesheet was filed in Kolhapur sessions court yesterday.



Tawde, earlier arrested by CBI in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, was in September taken into custody by Kolhapur police in connection with the murder of CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare.



Tawde is the second accused named in Pansare murder case by the state Special Investigation Team.



The SIT had already filed a charge sheet against Sameer Gaikwad, another member of Sanatan Sanstha, in the Pansare murder case.



"We filed the supplementary charge sheet against Tawde here in Kolhapur sessions court," said Additional Superintendent of Police Suheil Sharma, the investigating officer in the murder case.



However, he refused to divulge any information on the charges levelled against Tawde.



"I can only confirm that the charge sheet of over 430 pages has been submitted in the court," he said.



However, police sources said that charges against Tawde are likely to be similar to the ones under which Sameer Gaikwad has been charged.



Tawde was first arrested by the CBI in the Dabholkar case in June this year from Panvel and later the state SIT arrested him on September 2 this year in the Pansare case.



Gaikwad was arrested in September last year in the Pansare murder case.



Tawde had worked as an organiser for the conservative Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha in Kolhapur for some time, and therefore he came under the scanner of state police SIT probing the Pansare murder case, police had earlier said.



Pansare, known for his rationalist views, was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife too was injured in the attack.



Dabholkar, a noted anti-superstition activist and rationalist, was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013.

PUNE: The SIT probing the Govind Pansare murder case has filed a supplementary charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha member Virendra Tawde at a court in Kolhapur. The over 400-page supplementary chargesheet was filed in Kolhapur sessions court yesterday. Tawde, earlier arrested by CBI in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, was in September taken into custody by Kolhapur police in connection with the murder of CPI leader and rationalist Govind Pansare. Tawde is the second accused named in Pansare murder case by the state Special Investigation Team. The SIT had already filed a charge sheet against Sameer Gaikwad, another member of Sanatan Sanstha, in the Pansare murder case. "We filed the supplementary charge sheet against Tawde here in Kolhapur sessions court," said Additional Superintendent of Police Suheil Sharma, the investigating officer in the murder case. However, he refused to divulge any information on the charges levelled against Tawde. "I can only confirm that the charge sheet of over 430 pages has been submitted in the court," he said. However, police sources said that charges against Tawde are likely to be similar to the ones under which Sameer Gaikwad has been charged. Tawde was first arrested by the CBI in the Dabholkar case in June this year from Panvel and later the state SIT arrested him on September 2 this year in the Pansare case. Gaikwad was arrested in September last year in the Pansare murder case. Tawde had worked as an organiser for the conservative Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha in Kolhapur for some time, and therefore he came under the scanner of state police SIT probing the Pansare murder case, police had earlier said. Pansare, known for his rationalist views, was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife too was injured in the attack. Dabholkar, a noted anti-superstition activist and rationalist, was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013.
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: After Manipur and Meghalaya, the demand for the introduction of the inner line permit (ILP) system is gaining momentum in Assam.

A group of organisations of the Northeast, led by Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), staged a dharna in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding its introduction in Assam.

Currently, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected through the system of ILP. A domestic tourist is required to obtain an ILP to visit these states. Foreign tourists, other than from

countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Bangladesh, are issued the Protected Area Permit (PAP).

In the past two years, Manipur has witnessed a series of violent protests by groups and organisations over the demand to introduce ILP in the State. Similar protests were seen in Meghalaya too. In Assam, the demand to introduce the ILP system is spearheaded by the AJYCP.

Time calls for the immediate introduction of ILP which can rescue Assam from the danger of the (illegal Bangladeshi) immigrants, AJYCP president Biraj Kumar Talukdar told Express.

GUWAHATI: After Manipur and Meghalaya, the demand for the introduction of the inner line permit (ILP) system is gaining momentum in Assam. A group of organisations of the Northeast, led by Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP), staged a dharna in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding its introduction in Assam. Currently, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected through the system of ILP. A domestic tourist is required to obtain an ILP to visit these states. Foreign tourists, other than from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Bangladesh, are issued the Protected Area Permit (PAP). In the past two years, Manipur has witnessed a series of violent protests by groups and organisations over the demand to introduce ILP in the State. Similar protests were seen in Meghalaya too. In Assam, the demand to introduce the ILP system is spearheaded by the AJYCP. Time calls for the immediate introduction of ILP which can rescue Assam from the danger of the (illegal Bangladeshi) immigrants, AJYCP president Biraj Kumar Talukdar told Express.
By PTI

PUNE: A history-sheeter, suspected to be involved in the murders of RTI activist Satish Shetty and a local BJP leader, and his associate were killed in an alleged shootout with police on the outskirts of city today.

The deceased, identified as Shyam Dabhade, had a string of cases pending against him in various police stations in Pune district, ranging from murder to robbery.

According to a police official, Dabhade's movements might have got restricted because of the cash crunch following demonetisation of high value currencies.

While Shetty was murdered in 2010, BJP leader Sachin Shelke (38) was hacked to death last month in broad daylight in Talegaon Dabhade, about 35 kms from here.

"Our local crime branch officials received a tip-off that Dabhade and his aide Dhananjay Shinde were hiding in the forest near Chakan," Superintendent of Police Jay Jadhav said.

"After conducting combing operation for the whole night, Dabhade and his aide were located near windmills close to Varsai and they were asked to surrender by our four teams headed by senior police inspector Ram Jadhav," he said.

However, instead of surrendering, the duo fired eight rounds at the police teams and in retaliation, the policemen too fired five rounds.

"In the retaliatory fire, both were injured seriously and taken to Chakan rural hospital where they were declared brought dead," the SP said.

Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur) Vishwas Nangre Patil said Dabhade had created a "terror-like" atmosphere in the industrial belt by terrorising people through extortion.

"After the gruesome murder of Shelke on October 16, there was a panic among the industries and local people. After today's incident, a strong message has gone to goons in area and the incident will have impact on the criminal activities in the area," he said.



Dabhade had 19 cases registered against him in various police stations including of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, Arms Act, and robbery.

On the probe into the shootout, Nangre Patil said in such cases judicial inquiry is mandatory which will be initiated.

PUNE: A history-sheeter, suspected to be involved in the murders of RTI activist Satish Shetty and a local BJP leader, and his associate were killed in an alleged shootout with police on the outskirts of city today. The deceased, identified as Shyam Dabhade, had a string of cases pending against him in various police stations in Pune district, ranging from murder to robbery. According to a police official, Dabhade's movements might have got restricted because of the cash crunch following demonetisation of high value currencies. While Shetty was murdered in 2010, BJP leader Sachin Shelke (38) was hacked to death last month in broad daylight in Talegaon Dabhade, about 35 kms from here. "Our local crime branch officials received a tip-off that Dabhade and his aide Dhananjay Shinde were hiding in the forest near Chakan," Superintendent of Police Jay Jadhav said. "After conducting combing operation for the whole night, Dabhade and his aide were located near windmills close to Varsai and they were asked to surrender by our four teams headed by senior police inspector Ram Jadhav," he said. However, instead of surrendering, the duo fired eight rounds at the police teams and in retaliation, the policemen too fired five rounds. "In the retaliatory fire, both were injured seriously and taken to Chakan rural hospital where they were declared brought dead," the SP said. Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur) Vishwas Nangre Patil said Dabhade had created a "terror-like" atmosphere in the industrial belt by terrorising people through extortion. "After the gruesome murder of Shelke on October 16, there was a panic among the industries and local people. After today's incident, a strong message has gone to goons in area and the incident will have impact on the criminal activities in the area," he said. Dabhade had 19 cases registered against him in various police stations including of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, Arms Act, and robbery. On the probe into the shootout, Nangre Patil said in such cases judicial inquiry is mandatory which will be initiated.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Modi-led governments much-hyped onslaught on black money continued on Tuesday as the Bill to amend tax laws was passed even as pandemonium prevailed in the Lok Sabha. In an apparent show of extraordinary urgency, the Lower House passed the Taxation Law (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, that seeks to impose 50 per cent tax on declaration of previously undisclosed amounts and 83 per cent on those who refuse to do so, provided they get caught.



The onslaught did not stop there. With opposition parties alleging that top BJP leaders knew about demonetisation in advance and protected their ill-gotten gains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all his party MPs and Union Ministers to share their bank transaction details from November 8 to December 31 with party chief Amit Shah.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was quick to retort. Why after November 8? Please take the details six months before November 8, he tweeted. However, workers of the saffron party drowned all voices of dissent by chanting black money of the rich belongs to poor.



The slogans complimented the plans of the government. Money obtained by taxing unaccounted wealth will not go into the Consolidated Fund of India but to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Scheme, reiterated a top source in the government. Garib Kalyan is the flagship anti-poverty programme of this government.

Modi continued his efforts to ensure that the currency ban initiative is considered by the common man as a pro-poor reform of the right-wing party. I will not allow black money to crush the poor, he said at the Parliamentary party meeting of the BJP on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister will gain an image of being a ruthless crusader against black money by making the rich shell out exemplary taxes, a senior minister in the Modi government told Express.

NEW DELHI: The Modi-led governments much-hyped onslaught on black money continued on Tuesday as the Bill to amend tax laws was passed even as pandemonium prevailed in the Lok Sabha. In an apparent show of extraordinary urgency, the Lower House passed the Taxation Law (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, that seeks to impose 50 per cent tax on declaration of previously undisclosed amounts and 83 per cent on those who refuse to do so, provided they get caught. The onslaught did not stop there. With opposition parties alleging that top BJP leaders knew about demonetisation in advance and protected their ill-gotten gains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked all his party MPs and Union Ministers to share their bank transaction details from November 8 to December 31 with party chief Amit Shah. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was quick to retort. Why after November 8? Please take the details six months before November 8, he tweeted. However, workers of the saffron party drowned all voices of dissent by chanting black money of the rich belongs to poor. The slogans complimented the plans of the government. Money obtained by taxing unaccounted wealth will not go into the Consolidated Fund of India but to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Scheme, reiterated a top source in the government. Garib Kalyan is the flagship anti-poverty programme of this government. Modi continued his efforts to ensure that the currency ban initiative is considered by the common man as a pro-poor reform of the right-wing party. I will not allow black money to crush the poor, he said at the Parliamentary party meeting of the BJP on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister will gain an image of being a ruthless crusader against black money by making the rich shell out exemplary taxes, a senior minister in the Modi government told Express.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

Guwahati: Assams Director General of Police (DGP), Mukesh Sahay, admitted on Wednesday that there had been some resurgence of the Paresh Baruah faction of outlawed United Liberation Front of

Assam (ULFA), which was hitherto perceived to be a spent force.

There has been some resurgence of the ULFA in certain pockets along Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh borders. They had recruited some youth in recent times but we are fully determined

to counter their activities, Sahay told the media here.

Last week, three Army personnel were killed and four others were injured in an ambush by a joint team of the ULFA and the SS Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) in eastern

Assams Tinsukia district.

Sahay said the perpetrators of the attack had been identified and efforts were on to zero in on them. He said the militants would often come down from the hills of Arunachal and Nagaland and sneak

back after carrying out a subversive act in Assam.

Thats the reason why we are working in tandem with the two neighbouring states to improve coordination. We discuss the issue at every platform where we meet, Sahay said.

Arunachal and Nagaland share their border with Myanmar where the ULFA and various other insurgent groups of the Northeast have their bases. The elusive Baruah is believed to be holed up there.

Weakened by the arrest of most of its leaders in Bangladesh a few years ago, the Baruah-led ULFA faction is trying to regain the lost ground with the help of particularly NSCN-K following the formation of

United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW). It is the conglomerate of the insurgent outfits of the region.

Additional DGP, Kula Saikia, said the insurgent outfits had been badly affected by demonetisation.

There is no doubt that they are suffering because of demonetisation. We received reports that they had used school children, contractors and educational institutes to stash their money, he said.

Guwahati: Assams Director General of Police (DGP), Mukesh Sahay, admitted on Wednesday that there had been some resurgence of the Paresh Baruah faction of outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), which was hitherto perceived to be a spent force. There has been some resurgence of the ULFA in certain pockets along Assam-Nagaland and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh borders. They had recruited some youth in recent times but we are fully determined to counter their activities, Sahay told the media here. Last week, three Army personnel were killed and four others were injured in an ambush by a joint team of the ULFA and the SS Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) in eastern Assams Tinsukia district. Sahay said the perpetrators of the attack had been identified and efforts were on to zero in on them. He said the militants would often come down from the hills of Arunachal and Nagaland and sneak back after carrying out a subversive act in Assam. Thats the reason why we are working in tandem with the two neighbouring states to improve coordination. We discuss the issue at every platform where we meet, Sahay said. Arunachal and Nagaland share their border with Myanmar where the ULFA and various other insurgent groups of the Northeast have their bases. The elusive Baruah is believed to be holed up there. Weakened by the arrest of most of its leaders in Bangladesh a few years ago, the Baruah-led ULFA faction is trying to regain the lost ground with the help of particularly NSCN-K following the formation of United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW). It is the conglomerate of the insurgent outfits of the region. Additional DGP, Kula Saikia, said the insurgent outfits had been badly affected by demonetisation. There is no doubt that they are suffering because of demonetisation. We received reports that they had used school children, contractors and educational institutes to stash their money, he said.
Hapreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police arrested three persons, including two prison officials, on Tuesday evening in the Nabha jailbreak case. The two arrested officials are Bhim Singh, the assistant jail superintendent who had met the escaped inmates a day before the incident. and Jagmeet Singh, the head warder. The third person arrested is a civilian named Tejinder Sharma alias Happy, owner of Shagun Sweets in Nabha.



Senior Superintendent of Police (Patiala) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said the three were being charged with abetment and criminal conspiracy to facilitate the jailbreak in which six inmates managed to escape.

The police have registered a case against 29 people, including nine prison employees. Apart from the two arrested, the others include head constable Sahib Singh, constables Hans Singh and Jaswinder Singh. The accused had snatched self-loading rifles (SLRs) from the two constables before fleeing.



The alleged mastermind Palwinder Singh, during the initial interrogation, said the plan was hatched a few months ago at Mudki in Punjabs Ferozepur district and said a total of ten people got the six fugitives rescued.

They came in four stolen vehicles. While four of them were in police uniforms, one posed as a decoy prisoner to be handed over. The rest acted as visitors who had come to meet prisoners in the jail.

The main aim was to get gangsters Harjinder Singh Bhullar alias Vicky Gondar and Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh Mintoo and the other militant, Kashmir Singh, became part of the plan just a day earlier.



The fact the planning was being carried out for long can be gauged from the fact all four cars used in the escape were snatched by the accused from different parts of the state in the past few days, a police official said.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police arrested three persons, including two prison officials, on Tuesday evening in the Nabha jailbreak case. The two arrested officials are Bhim Singh, the assistant jail superintendent who had met the escaped inmates a day before the incident. and Jagmeet Singh, the head warder. The third person arrested is a civilian named Tejinder Sharma alias Happy, owner of Shagun Sweets in Nabha. Senior Superintendent of Police (Patiala) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said the three were being charged with abetment and criminal conspiracy to facilitate the jailbreak in which six inmates managed to escape. The police have registered a case against 29 people, including nine prison employees. Apart from the two arrested, the others include head constable Sahib Singh, constables Hans Singh and Jaswinder Singh. The accused had snatched self-loading rifles (SLRs) from the two constables before fleeing. The alleged mastermind Palwinder Singh, during the initial interrogation, said the plan was hatched a few months ago at Mudki in Punjabs Ferozepur district and said a total of ten people got the six fugitives rescued. They came in four stolen vehicles. While four of them were in police uniforms, one posed as a decoy prisoner to be handed over. The rest acted as visitors who had come to meet prisoners in the jail. The main aim was to get gangsters Harjinder Singh Bhullar alias Vicky Gondar and Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. Khalistan Liberation Force chief Harminder Singh Mintoo and the other militant, Kashmir Singh, became part of the plan just a day earlier. The fact the planning was being carried out for long can be gauged from the fact all four cars used in the escape were snatched by the accused from different parts of the state in the past few days, a police official said.
Swarna Rajagopalan By

In March 1989, a debate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly rapidly deteriorated into the kind of scuffle that is now disgracefully associated with Indian legislators. The lowest point of that incident  arguably the Assemblys history  came when a DMK MLA tried to slap J Jayalalithaa, then leader of the Opposition.

He ended up pulling the pallu of her saree instead. In February 2016, Soni Sori, the Chhattisgarh human rights activist who has been arrested and allegedly tortured, faced a chemical attack by unknown assailants. Not only have Soni Soris allegations of torture been dismissed, she is also accused of staging the attacks.

Twenty-seven years separate these two incidents, but what they have in common is the level of outrage they exposed. Women in politics pay for their audacity by suffering violence  a belief that is evoked by the hash-tag #Not- TheCost which is used to protest violence against women in politics.

We celebrate panchayati reservations and advocate Parliamentary quotas for women arguing that democracy and peace without women are incomplete and even impossible. But is it compatible with our tolerance  a tolerance that normalises violence? Now, wait, you might say, politics is violent, isnt it? Yes, but the difference is that political violence in itself is a tug of war between political rivals (even between the state and its opponents).

AMIT BANDRE

Violence against women in politics is intended to show women their place and punish them for their temerity to leave the private sphere  for entering a world monopolised by men and challenging its premises, women must pay. Sexual violence in conflict zones is also political violence directed at gender-related vulnerabilities, both male and female but with the objective of humiliating their communities. Like everyday genderbased violence, it is on the same continuum as violence against women in politics.

Violence against women in politics takes several forms. Women politicians are stigmatised and attacked in ways that men do not face. Their clothes, their relationships and their lifestyles come under scrutiny. Comments about their manner and appearance mask a discomfort with their clout. Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi have faced this. The recent US election campaign took this to another level. Thirty years of political experience served only as a lightning rod for continued criticism, in addition to endless discussion about Hillary Clintons appearance, manner and family.

Verbal abuse, regarded as an act of violence in other contexts, is violence here as well. In some cases, women voters and candidates are both targets of abuse and intimidation. In any case, anticipation of a violent election process is likely to keep women away. When women seek to be a part of the states power apparatus, they face ridicule, stigma and violence, but when they take on the state, the reprisals draw out its full coercive capacity  from financial to security investigations.

Women human rights activists face continuous intimidation and harassment by state and non-state forces. The cases against Teesta Setalvad and Indira Jaising exemplify this. But if it is fair from your political perspective, how is arresting the Idinthakarai village women protesting against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant on sedition charges nothing but an attempt to intimidate?

They were arrested and taken to a prison where they were held for 82 days, just because they asked questions about a nuclear plant in their backyard. The vulnerability of women rights defenders extends to their families also. We should protect the women and their families also. Non-state actors are no more welcoming of womens activism either. The Taliban, whose ideology confines women to the home sphere, has targeted professionals and women activists for defying this dictate. The rise of militancy anywhere in South Asia appears to begin with dress codes for women and restrictions on their mobility.

Even where women are admitted into the combat cadres of the militancy (the Tamil Tiger and Maoist groups, for instance), they rarely occupy decision-making roles. There are also many reports about sexual violence within their ranks. Women are also placed in the vanguard of protests as a way to fend off police action against male leaders. This uses the patriarchal assumption that women will not be hurt as a shield for male leaders  who monopolise decision-making but not risk. The threat of violence generates its own stigma:

A woman who remains politically active in the face of threat to her body and her family must surely be a person of dubious character. There is no more effective barrier to a womans active and effective participation in public life than the contempt of family and community. With the International Women Human Rights Defenders Day falling on November 29, we should take a moment to recognise the contribution that women in politics have made to our lives.

In Chennai, the women who were involved in the freedom movement, were the ones who devoted their lives to build the citys best-regarded institutions  Andhra Mahila Sabha, Madras Seva Sadan, Guild of Service, Cancer Institute and Bala Mandir, for instance. Are we going to reward them by ignoring the violence their successors face? Or will we repay our debt by pledging zero-tolerance for violence against women in politics? They made a tough choice and made it the mission of their lives; it is now our turn.

In March 1989, a debate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly rapidly deteriorated into the kind of scuffle that is now disgracefully associated with Indian legislators. The lowest point of that incident  arguably the Assemblys history  came when a DMK MLA tried to slap J Jayalalithaa, then leader of the Opposition. He ended up pulling the pallu of her saree instead. In February 2016, Soni Sori, the Chhattisgarh human rights activist who has been arrested and allegedly tortured, faced a chemical attack by unknown assailants. Not only have Soni Soris allegations of torture been dismissed, she is also accused of staging the attacks. Twenty-seven years separate these two incidents, but what they have in common is the level of outrage they exposed. Women in politics pay for their audacity by suffering violence  a belief that is evoked by the hash-tag #Not- TheCost which is used to protest violence against women in politics. We celebrate panchayati reservations and advocate Parliamentary quotas for women arguing that democracy and peace without women are incomplete and even impossible. But is it compatible with our tolerance  a tolerance that normalises violence? Now, wait, you might say, politics is violent, isnt it? Yes, but the difference is that political violence in itself is a tug of war between political rivals (even between the state and its opponents). AMIT BANDREViolence against women in politics is intended to show women their place and punish them for their temerity to leave the private sphere  for entering a world monopolised by men and challenging its premises, women must pay. Sexual violence in conflict zones is also political violence directed at gender-related vulnerabilities, both male and female but with the objective of humiliating their communities. Like everyday genderbased violence, it is on the same continuum as violence against women in politics. Violence against women in politics takes several forms. Women politicians are stigmatised and attacked in ways that men do not face. Their clothes, their relationships and their lifestyles come under scrutiny. Comments about their manner and appearance mask a discomfort with their clout. Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa and Sonia Gandhi have faced this. The recent US election campaign took this to another level. Thirty years of political experience served only as a lightning rod for continued criticism, in addition to endless discussion about Hillary Clintons appearance, manner and family. Verbal abuse, regarded as an act of violence in other contexts, is violence here as well. In some cases, women voters and candidates are both targets of abuse and intimidation. In any case, anticipation of a violent election process is likely to keep women away. When women seek to be a part of the states power apparatus, they face ridicule, stigma and violence, but when they take on the state, the reprisals draw out its full coercive capacity  from financial to security investigations. Women human rights activists face continuous intimidation and harassment by state and non-state forces. The cases against Teesta Setalvad and Indira Jaising exemplify this. But if it is fair from your political perspective, how is arresting the Idinthakarai village women protesting against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant on sedition charges nothing but an attempt to intimidate? They were arrested and taken to a prison where they were held for 82 days, just because they asked questions about a nuclear plant in their backyard. The vulnerability of women rights defenders extends to their families also. We should protect the women and their families also. Non-state actors are no more welcoming of womens activism either. The Taliban, whose ideology confines women to the home sphere, has targeted professionals and women activists for defying this dictate. The rise of militancy anywhere in South Asia appears to begin with dress codes for women and restrictions on their mobility. Even where women are admitted into the combat cadres of the militancy (the Tamil Tiger and Maoist groups, for instance), they rarely occupy decision-making roles. There are also many reports about sexual violence within their ranks. Women are also placed in the vanguard of protests as a way to fend off police action against male leaders. This uses the patriarchal assumption that women will not be hurt as a shield for male leaders  who monopolise decision-making but not risk. The threat of violence generates its own stigma: A woman who remains politically active in the face of threat to her body and her family must surely be a person of dubious character. There is no more effective barrier to a womans active and effective participation in public life than the contempt of family and community. With the International Women Human Rights Defenders Day falling on November 29, we should take a moment to recognise the contribution that women in politics have made to our lives. In Chennai, the women who were involved in the freedom movement, were the ones who devoted their lives to build the citys best-regarded institutions  Andhra Mahila Sabha, Madras Seva Sadan, Guild of Service, Cancer Institute and Bala Mandir, for instance. Are we going to reward them by ignoring the violence their successors face? Or will we repay our debt by pledging zero-tolerance for violence against women in politics? They made a tough choice and made it the mission of their lives; it is now our turn.
Should India accept Pakistans rather plaintive plea for talks on the sidelines of the 6th Heart of Asia summit being held in Amritsar December 3-4? Sartraz Aziz, the foreign affairs advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will be among the 40 delegates attending the ministerial summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani will preside over the conference, aimed at bringing peace and development in war-torn Afghanistan, and enhancing regional cooperation. India is one of the 14 participating countries.

The 17 supporting countries include the US, the EU, Canada and Japan. Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Aziz at the last conference in Islamabad, and the two sides agreed to resume the composite dialogue, now called the comprehensive bilateral dialogue.

But the ensuing attacks on the Pathankot airbase and Uri army camp by Pakistan-trained terrorists ensured that the talks never got off the ground. This was followed by Indias surgical strikes along the Line of Control in Kashmir, the beheading of Indian troopers by terrorists and the resumption of crossborder shelling.

While the shelling has eased after Indias massive retaliation last week targeting Pakistani outposts, the mood on both sides is still belligerent. This time, since Swaraj will not attend the summit due to health reasons, India is likely to be represented by Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh.

The Pakistani delegation might get a somewhat frosty reception not just from India, but also Afghanistan, which has long argued that Pakistans support to the Taliban was the root cause of trouble in that country. As for India, a senior offi cial categorically stated that We have told Pakistan several times that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. A bilateral at this point is out of question. The Heart of Asia conference is about Afghanistan and we will focus on that.

Should India accept Pakistans rather plaintive plea for talks on the sidelines of the 6th Heart of Asia summit being held in Amritsar December 3-4? Sartraz Aziz, the foreign affairs advisor to Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will be among the 40 delegates attending the ministerial summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani will preside over the conference, aimed at bringing peace and development in war-torn Afghanistan, and enhancing regional cooperation. India is one of the 14 participating countries. The 17 supporting countries include the US, the EU, Canada and Japan. Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Aziz at the last conference in Islamabad, and the two sides agreed to resume the composite dialogue, now called the comprehensive bilateral dialogue. But the ensuing attacks on the Pathankot airbase and Uri army camp by Pakistan-trained terrorists ensured that the talks never got off the ground. This was followed by Indias surgical strikes along the Line of Control in Kashmir, the beheading of Indian troopers by terrorists and the resumption of crossborder shelling. While the shelling has eased after Indias massive retaliation last week targeting Pakistani outposts, the mood on both sides is still belligerent. This time, since Swaraj will not attend the summit due to health reasons, India is likely to be represented by Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh. The Pakistani delegation might get a somewhat frosty reception not just from India, but also Afghanistan, which has long argued that Pakistans support to the Taliban was the root cause of trouble in that country. As for India, a senior offi cial categorically stated that We have told Pakistan several times that terror and talks cannot go hand in hand. A bilateral at this point is out of question. The Heart of Asia conference is about Afghanistan and we will focus on that.
By Express News Service

WARANGAL: Criticising the Chief Ministers of two Telugu-speaking states for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation of higher currency, CPI Central Committee secretary K Narayana alleged that both of them are praising the anti-people decision to safeguard their interests.

AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu to safeguard his political interest and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao for securing a berth for his daughter in the Union Cabinet, are supporting all the anti-people decisions being taken by Modi, he alleged.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the partys state convention on Tuesday, Narayana said both the CMs criticised the way demonetisation was done, but later they started supporting it. People of the state want to know what understanding both the CMs have with the PM that they suddenly started supporting him on the issue, he said.

Taking exception to KCR targeting Communists on the issue of demonetisation, he said, Communists supported Aakrosh Diwas to highlight the plight and suffering of common man, whereas KCR performed Maha Yagnam for the benefit of corporates and rich.

Coming down heavily on Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for branding the Opposition parties as supporters of black money, he said the minister is making false allegations. He is trying to blackmail the Opposition by branding them supporters of black money. People of the country know who are the supporters of black money. Communists always stood for the people and continue to do so, he said.

WARANGAL: Criticising the Chief Ministers of two Telugu-speaking states for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation of higher currency, CPI Central Committee secretary K Narayana alleged that both of them are praising the anti-people decision to safeguard their interests. AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu to safeguard his political interest and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao for securing a berth for his daughter in the Union Cabinet, are supporting all the anti-people decisions being taken by Modi, he alleged. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the partys state convention on Tuesday, Narayana said both the CMs criticised the way demonetisation was done, but later they started supporting it. People of the state want to know what understanding both the CMs have with the PM that they suddenly started supporting him on the issue, he said. Taking exception to KCR targeting Communists on the issue of demonetisation, he said, Communists supported Aakrosh Diwas to highlight the plight and suffering of common man, whereas KCR performed Maha Yagnam for the benefit of corporates and rich. Coming down heavily on Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for branding the Opposition parties as supporters of black money, he said the minister is making false allegations. He is trying to blackmail the Opposition by branding them supporters of black money. People of the country know who are the supporters of black money. Communists always stood for the people and continue to do so, he said.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: A group of auto rickshaw drivers allegedly attacked a Uber taxi driver and threatened the woman passenger in the car at the Ernakulam South Railway Station on Wednesday. Mohammed, a native of Guruvayoor, was attacked at the entrance of the railway station when he picked up the customer at 7.30 am. The group then threatened the passenger, Vidhya Gopalakrishnan, who lodged a complaint with City Police Commissioner.

I came from Bengaluru and booked a cab to Kakkanad. When I got into the vehicle near the pre-paid auto rickshaw counter, a group of auto rickshaw drivers blocked the vehicle saying that Uber taxi was not allowed in the station premises. They manhandled the driver and attempted to snatch my mobile when I captured the images of the tussle. Then they abused me, said Vidhya, a fashion designer. She said her friends boarded the Uber taxi from the same location without any trouble.

They blocked only the vehicle booked by me. Though police reached the spot, they also asked me to hire a pre-paid taxi to reach my destination. I told police officials that I have no cash and they told me to withdraw money from an ATM counter. I hesitated to get down from the car and the argument lasted for 1 hour 30 minutes. Finally, a policeman took initiative to settle the issue and allowed me to resume the journey in the same car, she said. Vidhya posted the video of the scuffle on Facebook and it has become viral since then.

Car driver Mohammed said he had made three trips to the railway station without facing any trouble. So, I went to the station to pick up the customer. The Uber company has informed us that there is no issue with the traditional taxi and auto rickshaw drivers and we can conduct service, he said.

Nithin Nair, Uber general manager, Kerala, demanded action be taken against the drivers.To avoid such issues, the authorities should set up exclusive picking and dropping points for Uber taxis, he said. There have been several clashes between the taxi drivers and Uber drivers recently.

KOCHI: A group of auto rickshaw drivers allegedly attacked a Uber taxi driver and threatened the woman passenger in the car at the Ernakulam South Railway Station on Wednesday. Mohammed, a native of Guruvayoor, was attacked at the entrance of the railway station when he picked up the customer at 7.30 am. The group then threatened the passenger, Vidhya Gopalakrishnan, who lodged a complaint with City Police Commissioner. I came from Bengaluru and booked a cab to Kakkanad. When I got into the vehicle near the pre-paid auto rickshaw counter, a group of auto rickshaw drivers blocked the vehicle saying that Uber taxi was not allowed in the station premises. They manhandled the driver and attempted to snatch my mobile when I captured the images of the tussle. Then they abused me, said Vidhya, a fashion designer. She said her friends boarded the Uber taxi from the same location without any trouble. They blocked only the vehicle booked by me. Though police reached the spot, they also asked me to hire a pre-paid taxi to reach my destination. I told police officials that I have no cash and they told me to withdraw money from an ATM counter. I hesitated to get down from the car and the argument lasted for 1 hour 30 minutes. Finally, a policeman took initiative to settle the issue and allowed me to resume the journey in the same car, she said. Vidhya posted the video of the scuffle on Facebook and it has become viral since then. Car driver Mohammed said he had made three trips to the railway station without facing any trouble. So, I went to the station to pick up the customer. The Uber company has informed us that there is no issue with the traditional taxi and auto rickshaw drivers and we can conduct service, he said. Nithin Nair, Uber general manager, Kerala, demanded action be taken against the drivers.To avoid such issues, the authorities should set up exclusive picking and dropping points for Uber taxis, he said. There have been several clashes between the taxi drivers and Uber drivers recently.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Relaxing the age-old dress-code, the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple on Tuesday decided to permit women wearing churidars to enter the the temple complex. The temple had strict dress code in place. Only men wearing mundu (dhoti) and women wearing sarees were allowed to enter the premises.

Temple executive officer K N Satheesh issued the order based on a petition filed by Riya Raji, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. However, K Haripal, chairman of the temple administrative committee was against relaxing the dress code and wanted status quo to be maintained.

The decision was taken after obtaining written permission from the temple thantri and also after gathering the opinion of other stakeholders like the trustees, Ettara yogam functionaries, and a cross-section of devotees. The administrative committee was of the view that these kinds of issues which are superfluous were being raked up only to sideline other important matters concerning the temple and its administration, said the executive officer in a letter. The committee was appointed by the Supreme Court for the administration of temple. As the committee rejected her petition, Riya approached the High Court, seeking its intervention.

The court in its order on September 29 observed that the custom of wearing dhoti over churidar was improper.

It directed the executive officer to consider the petition and make an appropriate decision within 30 days. A hearing was conducted two weeks ago seeking opinion from the public in this regard.

Representatives of the Kerala Brahmana Sabha, Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Seva Samithy and Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Sevasabha opposed allowing women to wear churidar inside the temple stating that it was not a suitable dress as per Hindu tradition.

The order, effective from Wednesday, stated that women overwhelmingly supported the move.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Relaxing the age-old dress-code, the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple on Tuesday decided to permit women wearing churidars to enter the the temple complex. The temple had strict dress code in place. Only men wearing mundu (dhoti) and women wearing sarees were allowed to enter the premises. Temple executive officer K N Satheesh issued the order based on a petition filed by Riya Raji, a native of Thiruvananthapuram. However, K Haripal, chairman of the temple administrative committee was against relaxing the dress code and wanted status quo to be maintained. The decision was taken after obtaining written permission from the temple thantri and also after gathering the opinion of other stakeholders like the trustees, Ettara yogam functionaries, and a cross-section of devotees. The administrative committee was of the view that these kinds of issues which are superfluous were being raked up only to sideline other important matters concerning the temple and its administration, said the executive officer in a letter. The committee was appointed by the Supreme Court for the administration of temple. As the committee rejected her petition, Riya approached the High Court, seeking its intervention. The court in its order on September 29 observed that the custom of wearing dhoti over churidar was improper. It directed the executive officer to consider the petition and make an appropriate decision within 30 days. A hearing was conducted two weeks ago seeking opinion from the public in this regard. Representatives of the Kerala Brahmana Sabha, Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Seva Samithy and Sri Padmanabha Swamy Kshethra Bhaktajana Sevasabha opposed allowing women to wear churidar inside the temple stating that it was not a suitable dress as per Hindu tradition. The order, effective from Wednesday, stated that women overwhelmingly supported the move.
By PTI

KOCHI: A Pakistani national, who was set free by an NIA court here, has been languishing in a Kerala prison for several months due to "lack of assistance" from his country's High Commission in India, a senior Congress MLA said today.



Thomas, also a former Lok Sabha MP, said he met Pakistani national Abdul Qadir yesterday when he visited the Ernakulam district jail at Kakkanad here as a local MLA to inspect the basic facilities provided for jail officers and inmates.



He said Qadir (53) was part of 11 crew members of the Iranian vessel 'Barooki', which was intercepted off the Kerala coast in July last year.No offences were found against the crew members, comprising 10 Iranian nationals and Qadir, the lone Pakistani citizen, by the NIA Court in March this year.



Following the court order, the Foreigner Regional Registration Office initiated procedures for deportation.



"I met Qadir who has been lodged in the jail. While his colleagues from Iran left for their country after they received assistance from their embassy in New Delhi, Qadir is still lodged in the jail here due to lack of assistance from the Pakistani High Commission," Thomas told PTI here.



He hoped that the Pakistani High Commission would intervene and coordinate with Indian authorities to facilitate deportation of their national languishing in the jail.



Thomas said Qadir has provided two addresses to the jail authorities. "According to one document, he belongs to Jeevani Village, Bstivan, Baluchistan."



"Another one says Qadir belongs to Jan Mohammed Kaloi Village under Dalel police station limit in Sanghar district of Sindh province," the MLA said.



Thomas said Qadir is the sole bread winner for his family comprising wife Sareena, ailing mother Bechel and sister Sobha. He has no children.



The court had released them after NIA, which conducted a probe into the case, had stated that the crew had no links either with any terror outfit or international drug mafia.



The Iranian dhow "Barooki" was intercepted by the Coast Guard and state police following intelligence inputs in July last year off the coast of Alappuzha and brought to Vizhinjam.



The crew members were detained by the CG and police which recovered a satellite communication set and a Pakistani identity card from the vessel.



The case was later handed over to the NIA and a team of the agency and scientists of Geological Survey of India had conducted a mission onboard a research vessel 'RV Samudra Ratnakar' off Kerala coast to recover objects allegedly dropped in the deep sea from the dhow.

KOCHI: A Pakistani national, who was set free by an NIA court here, has been languishing in a Kerala prison for several months due to "lack of assistance" from his country's High Commission in India, a senior Congress MLA said today. Thomas, also a former Lok Sabha MP, said he met Pakistani national Abdul Qadir yesterday when he visited the Ernakulam district jail at Kakkanad here as a local MLA to inspect the basic facilities provided for jail officers and inmates. He said Qadir (53) was part of 11 crew members of the Iranian vessel 'Barooki', which was intercepted off the Kerala coast in July last year.No offences were found against the crew members, comprising 10 Iranian nationals and Qadir, the lone Pakistani citizen, by the NIA Court in March this year. Following the court order, the Foreigner Regional Registration Office initiated procedures for deportation. "I met Qadir who has been lodged in the jail. While his colleagues from Iran left for their country after they received assistance from their embassy in New Delhi, Qadir is still lodged in the jail here due to lack of assistance from the Pakistani High Commission," Thomas told PTI here. He hoped that the Pakistani High Commission would intervene and coordinate with Indian authorities to facilitate deportation of their national languishing in the jail. Thomas said Qadir has provided two addresses to the jail authorities. "According to one document, he belongs to Jeevani Village, Bstivan, Baluchistan." "Another one says Qadir belongs to Jan Mohammed Kaloi Village under Dalel police station limit in Sanghar district of Sindh province," the MLA said. Thomas said Qadir is the sole bread winner for his family comprising wife Sareena, ailing mother Bechel and sister Sobha. He has no children. The court had released them after NIA, which conducted a probe into the case, had stated that the crew had no links either with any terror outfit or international drug mafia. The Iranian dhow "Barooki" was intercepted by the Coast Guard and state police following intelligence inputs in July last year off the coast of Alappuzha and brought to Vizhinjam. The crew members were detained by the CG and police which recovered a satellite communication set and a Pakistani identity card from the vessel. The case was later handed over to the NIA and a team of the agency and scientists of Geological Survey of India had conducted a mission onboard a research vessel 'RV Samudra Ratnakar' off Kerala coast to recover objects allegedly dropped in the deep sea from the dhow.
By ANI

TRIVANDRUM (Kerala): Terming the entry of members of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) inside the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah as a bogus victory, Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar has said that Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai and any ultra feminists would not be allowed to enter Sabarimala.



Haji Ali and Sabarimala have their own rights under Article 25 (of the Constitution) and let me remind that Haji Ali won the case in the Supreme Court. So, this is bogus victory; let us not delude ourselves with half truths and lies, Easwar told ANI.



I am sorry to sound assertive, but Trupti Desai wont be allowed inside Sabarimala and our women activists group will block Trupti Desai or any ultra feminists who are trying to attack Sabarimala. They will definitely be blocked, he added.



Easwar asked feminist activists to focus on more substantial issues rather than protesting about womens entry into religious places.



I would be requesting our feminist activists to focus on substantial issues like female foeticide or rising atrocities against women or dowry deaths or lack of tolerance on hygiene. Women entering Haji Ali or Sabarimala are not the most important issue in India. Sabarimala stand doesnt change and will strongly hold onto our position, he said.



After a series of legal battles that lasted for five years, women activists on Tuesday entered the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah.



Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. However, in March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on womens entry calling it a grievous sin.



On October 24, the Haji Ali Dargah Trust had told the Supreme Court that it was ready to implement the Bombay High Courts order to allow womens enter to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine located in South Mumbai and had sought four weeks for infrastructural changes to make arrangements for it.



A Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur was hearing a plea by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Courts ruling to provide equal right of entry to both women and men in the dargah's sanctum sanctorum.



On August 26, the Bombay High Court held that the ban imposed by the Trust, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution and said women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum like men.



Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional.



Bhumata brigade Chief Trupti Desai had also said the Supreme Court's decision should act as a guidance for the nation to allow the entry of women in all temples.

TRIVANDRUM (Kerala): Terming the entry of members of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) inside the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah as a bogus victory, Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar has said that Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai and any ultra feminists would not be allowed to enter Sabarimala. Haji Ali and Sabarimala have their own rights under Article 25 (of the Constitution) and let me remind that Haji Ali won the case in the Supreme Court. So, this is bogus victory; let us not delude ourselves with half truths and lies, Easwar told ANI. I am sorry to sound assertive, but Trupti Desai wont be allowed inside Sabarimala and our women activists group will block Trupti Desai or any ultra feminists who are trying to attack Sabarimala. They will definitely be blocked, he added. Easwar asked feminist activists to focus on more substantial issues rather than protesting about womens entry into religious places. I would be requesting our feminist activists to focus on substantial issues like female foeticide or rising atrocities against women or dowry deaths or lack of tolerance on hygiene. Women entering Haji Ali or Sabarimala are not the most important issue in India. Sabarimala stand doesnt change and will strongly hold onto our position, he said. After a series of legal battles that lasted for five years, women activists on Tuesday entered the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali Dargah. Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. However, in March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on womens entry calling it a grievous sin. On October 24, the Haji Ali Dargah Trust had told the Supreme Court that it was ready to implement the Bombay High Courts order to allow womens enter to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine located in South Mumbai and had sought four weeks for infrastructural changes to make arrangements for it. A Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur was hearing a plea by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Courts ruling to provide equal right of entry to both women and men in the dargah's sanctum sanctorum. On August 26, the Bombay High Court held that the ban imposed by the Trust, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution and said women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum like men. Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional. Bhumata brigade Chief Trupti Desai had also said the Supreme Court's decision should act as a guidance for the nation to allow the entry of women in all temples.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: In a major move, the Odisha Government has made it binding on all hospitals, both Government and private, to provide free medical treatment to victims of acid attack and sexual assault.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Gender Based Violence (GBV), released by Health and Family Welfare Department, has made it amply clear that hospitals cannot refuse treatment to the victims.

These health institutions have to provide first aid or medical treatment for free to victims and survivors of GBV who are covered under Sections 326A, 376 (A to E) of the IPC. Such cases have to be informed to the police and non-reporting of cases of sexual offences against minors is punishable under POCSO Act.

If a person comes directly to the hospital without police requisition, the institution is bound to provide treatment and conduct a medical examination but only with consent of the survivor, victim and their parents or guardians. A police requisition is not required for this, the SOP says.

If a victim comes on his/her own without any FIR, he or she may not want to lodge a complaint but doctors are bound to inform the police. However, neither any court nor police can force the victim to undergo medical examination which has to be carried out with their consent.

The SOP says survivors of sexual violence will receive all services completely free of cost which includes OPD, in-patient registration, laboratory and radiology investigation, urine pregnancy tests, medicines and any other procedure. The case papers have to be marked as 'free' by the doctor.

The protocol also says the victims have a right to privacy and confidentiality. ''Media should not be allowed to interact with the survivor or victim inside the hospital premises. Only head of the medical institution can," it adds.

The SOP looks to provide support to victims, mostly women and minor girls, in four stages - immediate healthcare, safety, legal aid and long-term assistance.

To provide safety and protection, the doctors have been mandated with informing the One Stop Centre. Alternately, they can also contact the Protection Officers, Child Welfare Committees or the police. All records have to be kept confidential.

The SOP also seeks the police to immediately attend to the cases by taking victims to health facilities, collect samples or evidence and make deployment of a head constable to assist the cases. Police cannot remain present in the examination room.

Under the protocol, woman and child survivors and victims are entitled to free legal aid which will include payment of various fees. It also lays down 11 categories under which survivor or her dependants are entitled to compensation under the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012.

The SOP gives transgender victims the option to seek medical examination under a doctor - either male or female.

BHUBANESWAR: In a major move, the Odisha Government has made it binding on all hospitals, both Government and private, to provide free medical treatment to victims of acid attack and sexual assault. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Gender Based Violence (GBV), released by Health and Family Welfare Department, has made it amply clear that hospitals cannot refuse treatment to the victims. These health institutions have to provide first aid or medical treatment for free to victims and survivors of GBV who are covered under Sections 326A, 376 (A to E) of the IPC. Such cases have to be informed to the police and non-reporting of cases of sexual offences against minors is punishable under POCSO Act. If a person comes directly to the hospital without police requisition, the institution is bound to provide treatment and conduct a medical examination but only with consent of the survivor, victim and their parents or guardians. A police requisition is not required for this, the SOP says. If a victim comes on his/her own without any FIR, he or she may not want to lodge a complaint but doctors are bound to inform the police. However, neither any court nor police can force the victim to undergo medical examination which has to be carried out with their consent. The SOP says survivors of sexual violence will receive all services completely free of cost which includes OPD, in-patient registration, laboratory and radiology investigation, urine pregnancy tests, medicines and any other procedure. The case papers have to be marked as 'free' by the doctor. The protocol also says the victims have a right to privacy and confidentiality. ''Media should not be allowed to interact with the survivor or victim inside the hospital premises. Only head of the medical institution can," it adds. The SOP looks to provide support to victims, mostly women and minor girls, in four stages - immediate healthcare, safety, legal aid and long-term assistance. To provide safety and protection, the doctors have been mandated with informing the One Stop Centre. Alternately, they can also contact the Protection Officers, Child Welfare Committees or the police. All records have to be kept confidential. The SOP also seeks the police to immediately attend to the cases by taking victims to health facilities, collect samples or evidence and make deployment of a head constable to assist the cases. Police cannot remain present in the examination room. Under the protocol, woman and child survivors and victims are entitled to free legal aid which will include payment of various fees. It also lays down 11 categories under which survivor or her dependants are entitled to compensation under the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012. The SOP gives transgender victims the option to seek medical examination under a doctor - either male or female.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Two key factors which would determine the sustainability of Indian MSMEs and startups in the United Kingdom are value addition, punctuality and quality. When it comes to big multinational companies, UK-based clients are assured of the delivery model and adherence of timelines. However the newbies need to push for building the same level of confidence from the potential clients, British Deputy High Commissioner to India Bruce Bucknell said.

Speaking at an event - India-UK: Partners in Technology and Innovation here on Wednesday, Bucknell said, without developing an ecosystem to support startuaps, it was very difficult for new businesses to get established. British clients are finicky about quality. If a startup is able to setup business in UK and sustain it over a period, the same firm can do business in any part of the world, Bucknell said.

UK is really keen to develop business relations across eastern and north-eastern India in the same way as North and South of India have connected to Britain. The eastern States have lagged in value addition due to which investments from UK for venture capitals has been largely absorbed by the North and Southern States in India.

Prime Minister Theresa Mays meeting with Narendra Modi was extremely significant as it was the first bi-lateral meeting of the PM to a non-European Union State. This is a sign that UK will give importance to countries like India post Brexit, Bucknell added.

At a panel discussion during the event on, India-UK: Driving Entrepreneurship in Technology and Innovation, MHA MacIntyre Hudson Partner, Yogen A Patel advised Indian firms to look beyond IT and invest in sectors like advanced engineering, manufacturing and creative fields like gaming, which have been largely unaffected by Brexit. Though there has been some inconvenience and created a bit of uncertainty, UKs GDP growth and productivity were up post Brexit. MSMEs have carried on with their investments as usual, Patel said.

Sharing his experience about the UK market, Quantum Business Advisory Board (a Kolkata-based consultancy) Director, Sanjoy Chakrobarty said, the British market is very mature. One needs to do the homework very well and be ready for value addition before venturing into UK with a service or product. Data analytics and product development are big areas where Indian firms can score well in the UK, he said.



BHUBANESWAR: Two key factors which would determine the sustainability of Indian MSMEs and startups in the United Kingdom are value addition, punctuality and quality. When it comes to big multinational companies, UK-based clients are assured of the delivery model and adherence of timelines. However the newbies need to push for building the same level of confidence from the potential clients, British Deputy High Commissioner to India Bruce Bucknell said. Speaking at an event - India-UK: Partners in Technology and Innovation here on Wednesday, Bucknell said, without developing an ecosystem to support startuaps, it was very difficult for new businesses to get established. British clients are finicky about quality. If a startup is able to setup business in UK and sustain it over a period, the same firm can do business in any part of the world, Bucknell said. UK is really keen to develop business relations across eastern and north-eastern India in the same way as North and South of India have connected to Britain. The eastern States have lagged in value addition due to which investments from UK for venture capitals has been largely absorbed by the North and Southern States in India. Prime Minister Theresa Mays meeting with Narendra Modi was extremely significant as it was the first bi-lateral meeting of the PM to a non-European Union State. This is a sign that UK will give importance to countries like India post Brexit, Bucknell added. At a panel discussion during the event on, India-UK: Driving Entrepreneurship in Technology and Innovation, MHA MacIntyre Hudson Partner, Yogen A Patel advised Indian firms to look beyond IT and invest in sectors like advanced engineering, manufacturing and creative fields like gaming, which have been largely unaffected by Brexit. Though there has been some inconvenience and created a bit of uncertainty, UKs GDP growth and productivity were up post Brexit. MSMEs have carried on with their investments as usual, Patel said. Sharing his experience about the UK market, Quantum Business Advisory Board (a Kolkata-based consultancy) Director, Sanjoy Chakrobarty said, the British market is very mature. One needs to do the homework very well and be ready for value addition before venturing into UK with a service or product. Data analytics and product development are big areas where Indian firms can score well in the UK, he said.
By PTI

BEIJING: Rescuers are searching for 22 miners trapped underground in northeastern China.

State media reported that yesterday night's accident occurred at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a heavy coal mining region. The cause of the accident was not immediately reported.

China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal. It announced plans earlier this year to shutter more than 1,000 underperforming mines, though hundreds of new coal plants are also under construction and economic planners have lifted limits on production days for some mining operations.

China's work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, though official government figures are often questioned for their accuracy.

BEIJING: Rescuers are searching for 22 miners trapped underground in northeastern China. State media reported that yesterday night's accident occurred at a mine in the city of Qitaihe in northeastern Heilongjiang province, a heavy coal mining region. The cause of the accident was not immediately reported. China is the world's top producer and consumer of coal. It announced plans earlier this year to shutter more than 1,000 underperforming mines, though hundreds of new coal plants are also under construction and economic planners have lifted limits on production days for some mining operations. China's work safety administration reported 931 coal mine accident deaths in 2014, though official government figures are often questioned for their accuracy.
By Associated Press

ISTANBUL: A fire at a middle school dormitory for girls in southern Turkey left 12 people dead and 22 injured Tuesday night, a Turkish governor and state-run media said.

Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtas said one teacher and 11 students were killed in the fire in the town of Aladag and the wounded were taken to a hospital, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, which described the building as a middle school dormitory for girls.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Demirtas said the dormitory had 34 people and the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem. No one was left in the building, he said.

Medics carry a wounded student

to an ambulance Turkey. (AP)

Turkish television showed flames rising from a three-story building and firefighters battling the blaze. Several windows on the building were scorched black and ashen debris littered the dormitory entrance. Footage broadcast by TRT showed a man being evacuated in an ambulance stretcher with an oxygen mask on.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak were heading to the scene, according to Anadolu.



ISTANBUL: A fire at a middle school dormitory for girls in southern Turkey left 12 people dead and 22 injured Tuesday night, a Turkish governor and state-run media said. Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtas said one teacher and 11 students were killed in the fire in the town of Aladag and the wounded were taken to a hospital, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, which described the building as a middle school dormitory for girls. Speaking to reporters at the scene, Demirtas said the dormitory had 34 people and the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem. No one was left in the building, he said. Medics carry a wounded student to an ambulance Turkey. (AP)Turkish television showed flames rising from a three-story building and firefighters battling the blaze. Several windows on the building were scorched black and ashen debris littered the dormitory entrance. Footage broadcast by TRT showed a man being evacuated in an ambulance stretcher with an oxygen mask on. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak were heading to the scene, according to Anadolu.
By IANS

ROME: The word "Homosexual" is now a neutral word and can no longer be considered offensive, Italy's highest appeals court said on Tuesday, quashing a libel conviction against a 60-year-old man.



"Unlike other words with the same meaning that are clearly intended to be derogatory, the term now has a intrinsically neutral meaning," the Court of Cassation said in its ruling.



"The term 'homosexual' has not retained an inherently offensive connotation that it could perhaps have had in a not even too distant past," the ruling stated.



"Merely attributing this quality to an individual to describe their sexual orientation does not in itself harm their reputation," the ruling continued.



The court cancelled a fine that the defendant had been ordered to pay by a lower court in Trieste last year after he was convicted of slander when he called another man "homosexual" during an argument.



Gay rights groups slammed Tuesday's ruling however, saying it could be interpreted as sanctioning slurs against gay people especially youngsters who are vulnerable to victimisation and bullying in schools.



"In Italy there is no law against homophobia that bans discriminatory insults as exist in other countries," said the Gay Centre's spokesman Fabrizio Marrazzo.



"This ruling would be clearer if such legislation was in place," he added

ROME: The word "Homosexual" is now a neutral word and can no longer be considered offensive, Italy's highest appeals court said on Tuesday, quashing a libel conviction against a 60-year-old man. "Unlike other words with the same meaning that are clearly intended to be derogatory, the term now has a intrinsically neutral meaning," the Court of Cassation said in its ruling. "The term 'homosexual' has not retained an inherently offensive connotation that it could perhaps have had in a not even too distant past," the ruling stated. "Merely attributing this quality to an individual to describe their sexual orientation does not in itself harm their reputation," the ruling continued. The court cancelled a fine that the defendant had been ordered to pay by a lower court in Trieste last year after he was convicted of slander when he called another man "homosexual" during an argument. Gay rights groups slammed Tuesday's ruling however, saying it could be interpreted as sanctioning slurs against gay people especially youngsters who are vulnerable to victimisation and bullying in schools. "In Italy there is no law against homophobia that bans discriminatory insults as exist in other countries," said the Gay Centre's spokesman Fabrizio Marrazzo. "This ruling would be clearer if such legislation was in place," he added
By AFP

WASHINGTON: The Somali student who wounded 11 people in a car-ramming and knife attack on an Ohio university campus was a "soldier" of the Islamic State group, a jihadist-linked news agency said Tuesday.

"The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the IslamicState," the Amaq agency quoted an insider source as saying, according to a translation by the SITE monitoring group.

"He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries."

Identified as a student at Ohio State University, Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot dead by police on Monday moments after he drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians and attacked them with a butcher knife.

According to US media, Artan's family arrived in the United States from Somalia via Pakistan in 2014. He was studying at OSU as a third-year transfer student of logistics management.

In an interview a few months ago with student newspaper The Lantern, Artan had complained of the lack of Muslim prayer rooms on campus.

"If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen," he said.

US media reported that a Facebook page thought to belong to him -- since taken offline -- included grievances against the United States.

"I can't take it any more. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," a post quoted by ABC television said, using a term referring to the global community of Muslims.

"If you want us Muslims to stop carrying (out) lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post reads. "We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims."

Artan also referred to Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda cleric killed in a US drone strike in Yemen, as a hero in the posting.

Ohio is home to the second largest Somali community in the United States, numbering around 38,000 in in the Columbus area alone, according to the state's Somali community association.

The country's largest Somali community, in Minnesota, was rocked when one of its members stabbed 10 people at a mall in September. IS later claimed the attacker was a jihadist "soldier," the same claim as for Artan.

WASHINGTON: The Somali student who wounded 11 people in a car-ramming and knife attack on an Ohio university campus was a "soldier" of the Islamic State group, a jihadist-linked news agency said Tuesday. "The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the IslamicState," the Amaq agency quoted an insider source as saying, according to a translation by the SITE monitoring group. "He carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries." Identified as a student at Ohio State University, Abdul Razak Ali Artan was shot dead by police on Monday moments after he drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians and attacked them with a butcher knife. According to US media, Artan's family arrived in the United States from Somalia via Pakistan in 2014. He was studying at OSU as a third-year transfer student of logistics management. In an interview a few months ago with student newspaper The Lantern, Artan had complained of the lack of Muslim prayer rooms on campus. "If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don't know what they're going to think, what's going to happen," he said. US media reported that a Facebook page thought to belong to him -- since taken offline -- included grievances against the United States. "I can't take it any more. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," a post quoted by ABC television said, using a term referring to the global community of Muslims. "If you want us Muslims to stop carrying (out) lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post reads. "We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims." Artan also referred to Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda cleric killed in a US drone strike in Yemen, as a hero in the posting. Ohio is home to the second largest Somali community in the United States, numbering around 38,000 in in the Columbus area alone, according to the state's Somali community association. The country's largest Somali community, in Minnesota, was rocked when one of its members stabbed 10 people at a mall in September. IS later claimed the attacker was a jihadist "soldier," the same claim as for Artan.
By Associated Press

DAMASCUS: Syria says Israeli jets have fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of Damascus.

The official Syrian news agency, SANA, says the missiles struck the Sabboura area, west of Damascus, early Wednesday and did not cause any casualties. Citing an unnamed military source, it did not specify what the missiles struck.

Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud explosions around 2 a.m.

The Israeli military had no comment.

Israel is widely thought to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles, believed to be destined for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group.

DAMASCUS: Syria says Israeli jets have fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of Damascus. The official Syrian news agency, SANA, says the missiles struck the Sabboura area, west of Damascus, early Wednesday and did not cause any casualties. Citing an unnamed military source, it did not specify what the missiles struck. Damascus residents reported on social media hearing loud explosions around 2 a.m. The Israeli military had no comment. Israel is widely thought to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles, believed to be destined for the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militant group.
Food deals, seals and the 'Karate Kid': Can't-miss events this weekend

Get your fill at area restaurants, watch some seals, laugh at a comedy show, take in a concert and maybe even leave Newport County for some fun.
Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Researchers have discovered that mice with Huntington's disease (HD) suffer defects in muscle maturation that may explain some symptoms of the disorder. The study, "Progressive Cl channel defects reveal disrupted skeletal muscle maturation in R6/2 Huntington's mice," which will be published online November 29 in The Journal of General Physiology, suggests that HD is a disease of muscle tissue as well as a neurodegenerative disorder and that therapies targeting skeletal muscle may improve patients' motor function.

HD is a progressive, and ultimately fatal, disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene that results in the production of defective huntingtin RNA and protein molecules that disrupt various cellular processes. The cognitive and psychiatric disturbances associated with HD, including memory loss and mood swings, are thought to result from the death of neurons in the striatum and cerebral cortex. But some of the disease's motor symptoms, such as involuntary movements and muscle rigidity, could arise from the effects of mutant huntingtin in skeletal muscle.

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Andrew Voss and colleagues previously found that mice with an early-onset form of HD showed skeletal muscle defects at late stages of the disease, particularly a decrease in the function of a protein called ClC-1, which conducts chloride ions into the cell. This appeared to be caused by defective processing of the messenger RNA encoding ClC-1 and contributed to muscle hyperexcitability, potentially causing some of the motor symptoms associated with HD. But the loss of ClC-1 function could simply be a late response to the death of neurons innervating skeletal muscle; whether the chloride channel is affected during the onset and progression of HD remained unclear.

In the new study, Voss and colleagues at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, examined their HD model mice throughout the course of the disease. They found that the RNA encoding ClC-1 was misprocessed in both HD and control mice when they were young, but, as they grew older, only healthy animals were able to start correctly processing the RNA to produce functional ClC-1. Thus, even before their motor symptoms began to appear, ClC-1 function was reduced in the skeletal muscle of HD mice compared with healthy, control animals.

This suggested that muscle maturation might be disrupted in HD mice. Voss and colleagues found that HD mice expressed a form of the muscle motor protein myosin that is usually only produced in newborn mouse muscle. Moreover, they identified similar defects in muscle maturation in a different strain of mice with adult-onset HD.

"Our results support the idea that HD is a myopathy as well as a neurodegenerative disease and may provide a new opportunity to improve patient care by targeting skeletal muscle tissue," Voss says. In addition, researchers and clinicians may be able to use the skeletal muscle defects as biomarkers to track the progress of HD, a much easier task than examining patients' brain tissue.
Chitosan, a biomaterial derived from the chitin shells of crustaceans and insects, has already been developed by scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering into an environmentally-friendly and fully biodegradable substitute for plastic. It is only natural that the team, led by Wyss Institute Founding Director Donald Ingber, has also become interested in extending chitosan's usefulness into the clinical realm.

"What's good for the environment is also good for us," said Javier Fernandez, who first developed a chitosan bioplastic called 'Shrilk' with Ingber back in 2014.

Now Ingber and Fernandez have unveiled a new study in the journal Tissue Engineering that demonstrates biodegradable chitosan bioplastics can be used to bond bodily tissues to repair wounds or even to hold implanted medical devices in place. As chitosan is already approved for clinical use and it has antimicrobial properties, the approach could one day be utilized to immediately seal tissue tears or other serious injuries, preventing infection from setting in before a patient can be moved to a hospital for more in-depth care.

"This work really spans the entire mission of the Wyss, as we have developed a biomaterial that could be used in sustainable consumer products and packaging or, as we now show, be adapted for clinical uses," said Fernandez, Ph.D., the first author on the new study, who is a former Wyss Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and is currently an Assistant Professor at Singapore University of Technology and Design. "The material is non-toxic and biodegradable, leaving behind no trace once it has served its purpose."

To adapt chitosan to seal wounds and surgical incisions, Ingber and Fernandez searched for a way to quickly and tightly bond chitosan materials to living tissues. They zeroed in on transglutaminase (TG), a naturally occurring enzyme found in the body - where it keeps skin strong and strengthens blood clots - that has also been adopted to bond proteins together during commercial food processing.

"As we starting thinking about going in vivo, we faced the challenge of how to adhere chitosan to living tissues," said Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is senior author on the new study and in addition to directing the Wyss Institute is Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital as well as Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering an Applied Sciences. "We explored using different formulations of transglutaminase to bond various forms of chitosan materials, including sheets, foams and sprays, to many different types of tissues."

A sheet of chitosan may be applied with a transglutaminase powder to patch wounds, as the team demonstrated using an ex vivo porcine intestine with a large hole in it. A pressure test revealed that the chitosan patch was even stronger than the native intestinal tissue.

For the spray, a stream of liquid chitosan and liquid transglutaminase combine during application to quickly bond chitosan to tissue and close wounds. The team used this approach to seal a porcine lung that had sustained a puncture wound while it was cyclically insufflated with air to mimic inspiration and expiration. The spray application could also be useful for covering large areas of vulnerable tissue, like might be found on someone whose skin had sustained serious burns.

To treat even larger and more traumatic wounds like those that might occur on the battlefield or during a motor vehicle accident, Ingber and Javier formulated a chitosan foam that could potentially be used to fill and seal larger wound cavities until a patient can be transported to a hospital for surgical intervention.

The team's findings also suggest that their approach could be tailored to bond inorganic surfaces - which make up crucial components of many different kinds of biomedical implants and microfluidic devices - to tissue or chitosan.

"Right now our approach is very general, but we could theoretically take this concept and mold it into almost any form imaginable for a broad number of possible uses," said Fernandez.

Looking ahead, the team hopes to develop an array of specific applications through collaboration with clinical partners.
One out of every six American women has experienced a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault or rape in her lifetime, according to the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While more than half of female survivors of rape report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), previous research has found that not all survivors respond to traditional treatments for PTSD, causing their symptoms to resurface over time. Abigail Rolbiecki, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, says that photovoice interventions, where participants express their thoughts and feelings through photos, combined with traditional PTSD treatments, could result in a more complete recovery for survivors of sexual assault.

"Photovoice gives vulnerable populations an alternative way to express themselves, allowing survivors to use photographs to help convey their thoughts and feelings," Rolbiecki said. "Participants took photos that represented their strengths, weaknesses, triggers and their processes of obtaining justice. The intervention allowed participants to gently expose themselves to their triggers and discuss their thoughts and feelings about their experience in a safe and supportive environment."

Rolbiecki said that current PTSD treatments are designed to help survivors manage their anxiety when confronting triggers, but offer little support at addressing the powerlessness survivors may feel as a result of their experience.

"The typical approaches to treating PTSD are not specifically designed to foster post traumatic growth and empowerment for survivors," Rolbiecki said. "These approaches rarely provide an opportunity for survivors to rewrite their story and make meaning of their experiences, which is important and necessary for growth."

In the study, Rolbiecki recruited nine women who had experienced a sexual assault at any time in their lives. Each woman was given a camera and instructed to take photos that captured her experience with sexual assault and recovery. The women met weekly as group to discuss their pictures. After group discussions were complete, the participants worked together to plan an invitation-only photography exhibit to educate others about sexual assault and sexual assault policies. Rolbiecki interviewed each participant after the exhibits to further discuss their experience with photovoice as a therapeutic intervention.

Rolbiecki said that after the intervention was complete, the participants reported decreases in PTSD symptoms and self-blame, and increases in their post traumatic growth, particularly with their personal strength.

"Survivors of sexual assaults are often identified by society as victims," Rolbiecki said. "Photovoice allows participants to redefine themselves despite their victimization. Through this tool, survivors can share their story with complete control of how it is told; allowing them to re-enter the world with a story solely authored by themselves."

Rolbiecki said that results from her study show that photovoice has therapeutic implications, especially in terms of treating trauma through creating and critically discussing photo narratives.
Any parent can tell you about the consequences of their child not getting enough sleep. But there is far less known about the details of how sleep deprivation affects children's brains and what this means for early brain development.

"The process of sleep may be involved in brain 'wiring' in childhood and thus affect brain maturation," explains Salome Kurth, first author of the study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, and a researcher at the University Hospital of Zurich. "This research shows an increase in sleep need in posterior brain regions in children."

This contrasts with what researchers know about the effects of sleep deprivation in adults, where the effect is typically concentrated in the frontal regions of the brain.

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After staying up too late, both children and adults need a period of deep sleep to recover. This recovery phase is characterized by an increase in an electrical pattern called slow-wave activity, which can be measured with a non-invasive technique called an electroencephalogram. With a large number of electrode channels distributed across the scalp, this method also detects which brain regions show more slow-wave activity than others.

Supported by a large student team, Kurth and her colleagues, Monique LeBourgeois professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Sean Deoni , professor at Brown University, studied the effects of 50% sleep deprivation in a group of 13 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. The team first measured the children's deep sleep patterns during a normal night's sleep. They then re-measured on another night after the researchers had kept the children up well past their bedtimes by reading and playing games with them.

After only getting half of a night's worth of sleep, the children showed more slow-wave activity towards the back regions of the brain--the parieto-occipital areas. This suggests that the brain circuitry in these regions may be particularly susceptible to a lack of sleep.

The team also measured how this deep sleep activity correlated with the myelin content of the brain--a cornerstone of brain development. Myelin is a fatty microstructure of the brain's white matter that allows electrical information between brain cells to travel faster. It can be measured with a specific magnetic resonance imaging technique.

"The results show that the sleep loss effect on the brain is specific to certain regions and that this correlates with the myelin content of the directly adjacent regions: the more myelin in a specific area, the more the effect appears similar to adults," says Kurth. "It is possible that this effect is temporary and only occurs during a 'sensitive period' when the brain undergoes developmental changes."

Further exploration is needed before drawing any conclusions about how insufficient sleep affects early brain developmental processes in the longer term. But for now, these results suggest that going to bed too late may have a different impact on kids' brains than on adults'.
Maggie Pitts took great interest in the human papillomavirus vaccine after Virginia became the first state in the country to mandate its use among girls in the sixth grade.

Pitts, who was living and working in Virginia when the mandate went into effect in 2008, investigates how general everyday conversation shapes the way people handle major life decisions.

"When Virginia first mandated this I was appalled, I was shocked," said Pitts, now an assistant professor in the University of Arizona's Department of Communication. "I couldn't believe they were going to mandate a vaccine that was new, without any sort of introduction or warm-up period. And telling parents of sixth grade girls to do this."

Pitts' primary concern was that parents would react, rather than thoughtfully respond and make an informed vaccination decision.

From there, she began studying the public messaging of pharmaceutical companies, specifically related to how such companies targeted their consumers. She found that public messages tended to reinforce perceptions that human papillomavirus, or HPV, was a "woman's issue."

This connects strongly to her current work studying the perceptions college-age males hold about HPV. Pitts and her collaborators presented the study and their findings during the 102nd National Communication Association's annual convention, held recently in Philadelphia.

Pitts has been investigating male perceptions of HPV and the vaccine in collaboration with Sara Kim, a doctoral student in the UA Department of Communication; Samantha Stanley, who earned her master's in communication from the UA and is now pursuing a doctorate at the University of Maryland; and Drew Miller, who recently earned his master's degree in communication. Kim and Stanley were co-presenters during the conference. Pitts, Stanley and Kim also published an article, "College Males' Enduring and Novel Health Beliefs about the HPV Vaccine," earlier this year in Health Communication, a peer-reviewed journal.

The team involved 84 undergraduate or newly graduated males in the study. The team held focus groups in which the men were able to discuss their beliefs, attitudes and values associated with HPV.

"Males are an important and overlooked population in HPV prevention," Pitts said. "The more we see equality with HPV messages targeting both males and females, the better. That will help to prevent the spread of HPV and negative health consequences in the future."

Pitts was awarded a seed grant by the UA Social Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, housed within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, to launch the research project. She also is studying male perceptions about HPV vaccine, and what barriers exist for getting the vaccine.

"For years, professionals have said women are at high risk of getting HPV, but we can now protect them through the vaccine. But no one was thinking about the male role," Pitts said.

"Women aren't getting HPV by themselves, so where is it coming from? And the most likely answer was that it is coming from their male sexual partners," she said.

Asked about increasing HPV vaccination, she said: "People need to be able to make an informed decision -- they need information, knowledge, expertise, opportunities to be able to make that decision. The most important thing that needs to happen is conversations between pre-teens, teenagers, parents, school boards and physicians."

Pitts said it is even more important to investigate perceptions around HPV because some physicians are still more likely to recommend the vaccine for females without giving consideration to males. She also points to vaccination completion rate data for adolescent girls, indicating that the rate is about 40 percent for girls and 22 percent for adolescent boys.

Based on her research, Pitts said most of the men involved in the study had heard of HPV, but most had no knowledge that there exists a vaccine against HPV that could prevent related cancers for males or females.

"They are living in this cultural discourse where they're not expected to take responsibility for their own sexual health or their partner's," Pitts said. "So there's this burden that mostly falls on women. Until we consider males an important role in partnered sexual health and assign them responsibility for their own health and their partner's health then it's never going to be equal."

Source: University of Arizona
Many claims made by UK fertility clinics about the benefits of treatments beyond standard IVF procedures are not backed up by evidence, finds a study published in the online journal BMJ Open.

These can range from 50 for a single screening blood test to as much as 8000 for egg freezing packages.

The researchers, led by Professor Carl Heneghan at Oxford University's Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (CEBM), say "there is a need for more information on interventions to be made available by fertility centres, to support well informed treatment decisions."

The findings will be part of a Panorama undercover investigation broadcast on Monday 28 November at 8.30pm on BBC One.

Infertility is a significant problem, affecting about 1 in 7 UK couples, many of whom seek medical help to have a child.

UK fertility centres are regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). But despite this regulation it has been suggested that some of the treatments offered on top of routine IVF might not be evidence based, are costly, and some clinics might be using techniques that have not been stringently tested.

So the researchers set out to record claims of benefit for treatments offered on top of standard IVF by UK fertility centre websites - and identify the evidence used to support these claims.

A total of 74 fertility centre websites, incorporating 1401 web pages were examined for claims. The team found 276 claims of benefit relating to 41 different fertility interventions made by 60 of the 74 centres.

79 (29%) of the claims included numbers to explain the chances of improved fertility outcomes, but the team identified only 13 websites where any references were included, which referred to just 16 published references. Of these 16 references, only five were high level systematic review evidence.

The authors point to some study limitations, but say it is unlikely that a repeat of their analysis would change the pattern of findings substantially.

"Our findings demonstrate that whilst many claims were made on the benefits of fertility treatments, there was a lack of supporting evidence cited, with the majority of the websites providing no sources for claims made," they conclude.

In a linked analysis published by The BMJ, Professor Heneghan and colleagues searched for evidence to support 38 interventions offered by UK fertility centres on top of standard IVF, focusing on the key outcome of live birth rates.

They found that most treatments are not supported by good evidence. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides clear advice on only 13 (34%) of the 38 interventions investigated, and systematic reviews (the highest level of available evidence) were available for only 27.

They also found that information on harms is often poorly reported.

People seeking fertility treatment need good quality evidence to make informed choices, they write. The current approach by HFEA leaves patients and clinicians to seek evidence for themselves or from staff in private clinics selling fertility services. "We do not believe this approach is realistic."

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They say there is "an urgent need for randomised controlled trials for many interventions that are currently being offered" and call for changes in guidance to help couples make informed decisions.

Panorama: Inside Britain's Fertility Business will be broadcast on Monday 28 November at 8:30pm on BBC One

BBC Panorama will reveal that 26 out of 27 so-called "add-on" treatments being offered by UK fertility clinics have no good scientific evidence from trials that they improve the chance of having a baby. Some may even be harmful.

"Add-on" treatments include things like additional procedures, additional drugs or devices to house an embryo. They can cost anywhere between 100 and 3000 on top of standard fertility care.

Panorama commissioned Oxford University's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine to do the research, which has taken almost a year to complete.

Researchers identified 27 treatments on offer at UK fertility clinics they considered to be "add-ons".

Only one treatment - called endometrial scratch - had even moderate quality evidence that shows an increase in the chances of a baby with standard fertility care like IVF. There are still question marks over the evidence for that treatment. Due to its limitations the researchers noted there is currently a randomised trial ongoing in the UK to determine its effectiveness.

One "add-on" treatment called Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) tests embryos for abnormalities. A trial in 2007 discovered that an earlier version of this process may have lowered birth rates.

Many clinics sell newer, more accurate versions, in some cases for up to 3000. Initial research looks promising and randomised trials are underway, but as yet there is no high quality evidence from robust trials that these new versions improve your chances of having a baby.

Panorama found evidence that, when marketing this add-on treatment, not all clinics are giving patients the full picture to enable them to make a properly informed decision.

A Panorama reporter went to a fertility fair in November last year and was not given the full picture about the evidence for PGS by every one of clinics she spoke to.

She approached staff from 18 British and foreign clinics at random, asking if PGS would improve her chances on top of IVF. She told them she was 38 and had been trying for a baby for a year without success.

Five of the 18 clinics were positive about the treatment. Eight said they would only offer it to women over the age of 40 or those who had experienced repeated IVF failures. There is currently no good scientific evidence from trials that it can increase the birth rate among women in these categories.

Only five clinics gave the full picture, saying that they would not recommend PGS because it lacked evidence.
"Early detection is key to this condition which, if left untreated, can become a ticking time bomb for patients" - Professor Matt Bown, University of Leicester

Thousands of lives could be saved every year after it was discovered a fatal cardiovascular condition could be linked to four genes, research has found.

Professor Matt Bown

A 10-year project, led by a Leicester surgeon, looked at 10,000 people worldwide and found those who had suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) had four genes in common.

It is hoped that the findings could help doctors understand more about the condition, which can lead to fatal internal bleeding if left untreated.

Professor Matt Bown, a vascular surgeon from the University of Leicester and the NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit (BRU) and Honorary Consultant Vascular Surgeon, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm commonly affects the older population and can only be treated by surgery. Early detection is key to this condition which, if left untreated, can become a ticking time bomb for patients. Thousands of people die from burst AAAs each year yet about one in five men do not attend their free screening appointments so we can't detect if there may be a problem. The discovery of the four genes, which is the culmination of more than a decade of a global research effort, could help us determine those at risk much earlier. If we are able to do this, then we could potentially save thousands of lives.

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The research, which has been published in the journal Circulation Research, was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and supported by the NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular BRU.

It also involved institutions from New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Iceland, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Estonia, Germany, Sweden and the USA.

As part of the study, researchers compared the genes of people with AAAs to those without.

A new research programme, funded by the British Heart Foundation, will now investigate whether the four common genes affect the speed at which the AAAs grow.

In order to continue with their work, they are asking for men who have been found to have an AAA by screening to provide blood samples.

In the UK men aged 65 or over are invited to attend a free aneurysm screening appointment.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the genetic study and is funding Professor Bown's current research programme, said:
IONICON Analytik, the Austrian based leading manufacturer of real-time trace VOC analyzers, introduces a new compact high-resolution instrument. For the first time IONICON combines high-sensitivity with a high mass resolving power in a small and lightweight PTR-TOFMS.

The PTR-TOF 4000 has already been successfully deployed aboard NASA flying laboratories for air quality monitoring.

The development

In 2014 the PTR-TOF 1000 was launched. A new platform developed by IONICON with the aim to create a compact and affordable PTR-TOFMS allowing customers from all over the world in various application areas to benefit from the company's advanced time-of-flight technology.

Inspired by this achievement and rewarded with immediate success in the market of more than 30 PTR-TOF 1000 systems sold since its introduction, the IONICON took this concept one step further.

The new instrument

"We decided to develop the 'no-compromise' trace VOC analyzer. A high-resolution PTR-TOFMS but small, lightweight, extremely sensitive and also competitively priced", IONICON CEO Lukas MARK explains the challenges.

These efforts lead to the new PTR-TOF 4000 featuring the new hexapole "ION-GUIDE" technology and a novel high-resolution TOF. The results are an impressing mass resolution of up to 4000 m/m and a sensitivity of 200 cps/ppbv with a low detection limit of below 5 pptv.

The PTR-TOF 4000 complements IONICON's PTR-TOFMS series ideally, being positioned in between the PTR-TOF 1000 system and the company's current flagship instrument, the PTR-QiTOF.

Proven aboard NASA's flying laboratories

Prototypes of the new PTR-TOF 4000 have been extensively tested in the field. A long-standing cooperation between the University of Innsbruck and IONICON made it possible to participate in airborne campaigns aboard NASA's atmospheric research aircrafts for measuring air pollution in the atmosphere (e.g. KORUS-AQ).

Mr. Mark comments on this mutually beneficial collaboration: "We were able to test the PTR-TOF 4000 prototypes under the most demanding conditions and could also benefit from the scientists' experience when optimizing the performance of our novel trace VOC analyzers."
From now on it will be possible to accurately monitor and analyse how stroke patients move during everyday life. This involves the use of a new suit fitted with 41 sensors, plus the infrastructure needed to transmit, store and process all of the data collected. This technology and information will make it possible to improve the rehabilitation process and cut healthcare costs. Bart Klaassen developed the system together with an international team of engineers and healthcare professionals. He will defend his thesis (which is based on this research) on 30 November, at the University of Twente. "The technology is finally ready."

As many as 33 million people throughout the world suffered strokes in 2010. With our aging population, it seems logical to expect a further increase in these numbers in the upcoming years. Stroke survivors often have to cope with physical limitations. They generally take part in rehabilitation programmes, which are intended to help patients function as effectively as possible in their everyday lives. In practice, however, rehabilitation mainly takes place in rehabilitation clinics. Not enough is known about how, after completing such programmes, patients cope with their limitations in a daily life setting. Yet it is known that a better understanding of how these people function in everyday life could lead to more effective rehabilitation, at a lower cost. In the context of a European FP7 research project, Bart Klaassen (a PhD student at the University of Twente) and a large team of researchers developed a system for accurately measuring and modelling these patients' movement quality, and for transmitting the relevant information to the therapist. This project is a world first. Never before have researchers used systems like this to analyse these patients' every movement in a daily life setting. "There has long been a great need for systems like this, but the technology simply was not ready", says Klaassen. "That is now changing rapidly, thanks to rapid developments in the fields of battery technology, wearables, smart e-textiles and big data analysis."

41 sensors

Together with a large consortium of engineers and healthcare professionals, Bart Klaassen developed the INTERACTION System. This consists of a suit that study subjects had to wear under their clothing for three months, as well as the entire technical infrastructure needed to transmit, store and process the data collected. The suit contains no less than 41 sensors, including sensors on a large number of body segments, sensors that measure muscle strength, stretch sensors on the back and the hands, and force sensors in the soles of the shoes. In addition, the suit is equipped with a portable transmitter that can transmit all of the information gathered through the internet to data processing servers at the University of Twente.

In the course of his PhD research, Klaassen showed that the system works well in practice. "We have been able to demonstrate that all the information is transmitted successfully, that this process is very efficient, and much more besides. We have succeeded in modelling all of the relevant movements, and in cleaning up the data that is relevant for the therapist by filtering out the rest.Our project has delivered new techniques and methods that can be used to monitor patients at home for extended periods of time, and to identify any differences with structured clinical measurements. We are currently engaged in further research to obtain final verification that these methods are indeed an ideal way of supervising rehabilitation."

When developing this system, Bart Klaassen and the team adopted a user-centred design approach. This enabled them to continually incorporate feedback from the patients involved into the development of the system. Other relevant parties - such as insurance companies and healthcare professionals - were also involved in the design and research work at an early stage.
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Mercedes-Benz launched the CLA facelift 2017 compact executive sedan on 30 November 2016. The new edition was first showcased at the New York International Auto Show in March 2016. There have been some minor tweaks to the design, and the new CLA comes with several enhanced features.Front bumper and air scoops have been restyled, and have a hint of black around them. The radiator grille too has been redesigned with a diamond pin design. The CLA facelift now has new LED headlights. There are minor changes to the rear bumper, LED taillights and chrome-tipped exhausts.An intelligent new feature has been added to the boot, which has hands free access through a motion censor. A new shade of metallic blue and five-twin-spoke alloys on its wheels, similar to those on the CLA 45 AMG, give the facelift an edgier look.It will be available in five colour options - white, red, silver, grey and dark blue. The 2017 CLA has a new slimmer eight-inch infotainment system, which will have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support too. Also, the seat covers have been updated.The new CLA has been priced at INR 31.40 lakh (ex-showroom) for the diesel variant, INR 34.68 lakh for the diesel sport and INR 33.68 lakh for petrol sport. Mercedes Benz will also offer a road and track package for the 2017 CLA.The Mercedes-Benz CLA will have the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to deliver 181 bhp of power at 5, 500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at 1,200-4,000 rpm. The diesel variant will have a 2.2-litre engine delivering 134 bhp at 3,200-4,000 rpm and 300 Nm of torque at 1,400-3,000 rpm. The seven-speed automatic transmission will also remain the same.The Mercedes-Benz CLA has the lowest drag coefficient (0.25) on a production car in the world. It comes with four drive modes: Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual.In the international market, the CLA was launched with an option of 11 engines earlier this year. Just two diesel and a petrol engine will be available in India, however the three are capable of good performance.Local production of the CLA commenced in India in September 2015 eight months after its launch. Also, India is the only country outside Europe to make the brand's celebrated model.Star Ease Maintenance package for the CLA 200 starts at just Rs. 49,000 and for the CLA 200 d at Rs. 63,000 only. In addition to the 3 year warranty, customers can avail extended warranty for 4th year at a price of Rs. 38,000.
Japanese auto giant Toyota's luxury brand Lexus will now be available for purchase in India in first quarter of 2017, bookings for which have already started coming in. The company is offering a selection of three models of Lexus vehicles in the country.The first Lexus dealership will open in Mumbai before the brand is formally introduced. The dealership at Taj Santacruz Hotel, situated near to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, will be called Lexus Boutique.Lexus RX450h, LX450d SUVs and the ES300h sedan will be available at showrooms in India and all three models will be imported from Japan in CBU line initially.Lexus RX450h SUV has been a premium and a very popular product form the brand. It is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, mated to an e-CVT gearbox, that churns out 308bhp. Also, it is complemented with a hybrid unit. The RX450h stands to compete against Audi Q5 and BMW X3.Another flagship product by Lexus is the X450d SUV, which is based on Toyota Land Cruiser. The diesel powered X450d comes with a twin-turbo 4.5-litre V8 unit that produces 269bhp and an impressive 650Nm of torque.Also read: Lexus Sells Its Millionth Hybrid Premium Car The petrol-powered LX570 is powered by a 5.7-litre V8 engine developing 383bhp and 546Nm of torque. Rivaling the Range Rover, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes GL, the Lexus SUV will be priced at around Rs 1.5 crore.Based on the Camry sedan, the ES300h is powered by a 2.5-litre petrol engine and the electric motor assist mated to the same CVT gearbox, which is the same unit that powers the Camry Hybrid in India.Lexus will also open dealerships in Delhi, Gurgaon and Bengaluru, and eventually spread reach in Chandigarh, Cochin and Chennai by the end of 2017. Toyota will also set up separate service facilities for Lexus vehicles.
: The end of the month is a period when companies pay out salaries and employees queue up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw money. However, the coming few days are likely to be chaotic as cash is still in short supply, and companies are using innovative ways to help ease the pain of their employees.Company heads, economists and analysts expect the first week of December to be chaotic as people line up outside banks and cash dispensing machines to withdraw money for paying the monthly bills, buying provisions, family expenses, personal needs, school fees, utility bills etc. Although there were reports of crowds abating the coming days may see a surge because cash is still in short supply.Companies are trying to find innovative ways to help employees mitigate the pain. The Farida Group is a manufacturer and exporter of footwear and finished leather based in Ambur in Tamil Nadu. Its turnover is Rs. 1,200 Crore per annum and it employs around 20,000 people.To help its employees tide over the cash shortage the company has tied up with four provision stores in Ambur. Tokens worth Rs 1,000, Rs 500 and Rs 200 will be issued to employees to redeem at the stores. The money will be debited from the salary of the employees and paid into the bank accounts of the stores by the company."Even if we transfer money into our employees accounts how will they withdraw cash?" M. Rafeeque Ahmed, Chairman of the Fareeda Group told News18."We decided to help out our employees by tying up with stores with the capacity for online payments," he added.This will at least take care of their monthly provisions like rice, pulses, spices, sugar and tea. Since vegetable vendors are too small the company cannot have a similar arrangement with vendors of fruits and vegetables.Companies like Paytm, Sodexo and other startups that operate in the cashless transactions space have benefitted immensely from demonetization. People have scrambled to find alternatives to cash. Even Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel, advised people to use cash substitutes like debit cards and digital wallets, saying it will make transactions cheaper and easier and help India leapfrog into a less cash-use economy.Upasna Bhardwaj, an economist with Kotak Mahindra Bank, said that the coming days will see significant queues as people try and withdraw cash. But it will also help people move towards digital transactions. Online transfers and cheque payments have started receiving a big boost as people from all sections look for alternatives, Bhardwaj told News18.Sodexos Chief Executive Officer, Denis Machuel, said in an interview to DNA that the company is trying to reach remote corners of India and tying up with merchants and shopkeepers so that they accept its meal and gift vouchers.
Vienna: The OPEC oil cartel reached a deal on Wednesday to reduce its output for the first time in eight years, Qatar's energy minister and president of the OPEC conference said.



The reduction by OPEC will be "1.2 million barrels per day, to bring its ceiling to 32.5 million barrels per day," Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada told a news conference in Vienna.



He said that non-member Russia has committed to reducing its output by 300,000 barrels per day, half of a hoped-for 600,000 barrels per day from outside the cartel.




Bhopal: Five organisations fighting for the rights of victims of the Bhopal gas leak disaster on Wednesday decided to burn the American flag on the 32nd anniversary of the tragedy because of the "irresponsible behaviour of the US government".



Fighting for the victims, the Bhopal Group for Information and Action, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirakshit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha and Children Against Dow Carbide held a discussion with reporters against Dow Carbide company and its behaviour.



Satinath Shadangi of Bhopal Group for Information and Action, said: "The Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals are under protection. The reason that in the last two years, four notices were sent to the officers under Dow Chemical to present before the court which were neglected by the company. To escape from the responsibilities, the company is merging with another American company Dupont."



"There is anger among the victims over the attitude of the US government, for which on the 32nd year of the accident, the American flag will be burned on December 3," Shadangi added.



Bhopal Group for Information and Action's Rachna Dhingra said, "The state government did not work on the recommendations by the probe committee formed by the Supreme Court for victims and their children's treatment and rehabilitation in the last 12 years."



"Though 32 years have passed since the disaster, the reaction is still prominent as the poisonous pesticide is still affecting the babies born after the tragedy," Balkrishna Namdev of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirakshit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha, said.



The organisations said the chemicals seeping out of the company's factory is still killing and rendering people handicapped. They said the toxic waste buried under the ground is polluting the nearby water bodies.



It was on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984, that a toxic gas leak from the Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in the Madhya Pradesh capital killed and maimed thousands of people. Victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy are still fighting for justice.
New Delhi: A Rs 2,000-crore development package for displaced people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in the country was on Wednesday approved by the government.



The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Home Ministry's proposal to provide enhanced financial aid to 36,384 families, who are mostly living in Jammu region after their displacement from PoK post Independence.



Each of these families will get around Rs 5.5 lakh as aid, a senior official said.



The amount is "one time settlement" for the displaced families and will be released to the Jammu and Kashmir government to be disbursed to eligible families through Direct Benefit Transfer.



The refugees from West Pakistan, mostly from PoK, settled in different areas of Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts.



However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.



Some of the families were displaced during Partition in 1947, and others during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.



The displaced people can cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls but not in the elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly.



Jammu and Kashmir Sharanarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), an organisation representing the displaced people of the PoK has been maintaining that the package should not be seen as final settlement as Rs 9,200 crore was required to settle all of them.



The Modi government had in January 2015 approved certain concessions for the refugees from West Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir after considering the problems being faced by them.



The concessions include special recruitment drives for induction into paramilitary forces, equal employment opportunities in the state, admission for the children of refugees in Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for factually misrepresenting changes in the Taxation Law.

Factually incorrect statements have been made by @ArvindKejriwal in relation to changes proposed in the Taxation Law, his tweet reads.

Why should a former IRS officer, @ArvindKejriwal factually misrepresent changes in the Taxation Law?, his another tweet reads.

Meanwhile, terming the demonetisation move as a big scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said, Our fight against note ban will continue till decision is revoked.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all cinema halls across the country to play the National Anthem before the screening of a movie.

Reportedly, the court has also asked the theatre owners to flash the national flag on the screen while the National Anthem is being played.



Here is how some other countries show respect to their national anthem.



United States



In the US, the convention is that whenever the national anthem is being played, all individuals should stand at attention with the right hand over their hearts. If the National Flag is not present at the occasion, they have to face the source of the National Anthem. But the country does not discipline people for not following this.



Mexico



The countrys Law of the Coat of Arms, Flag, and National Anthem mandates all schools and universities to honour the flag on Monday mornings, at the beginning and end of school terms which involves a pledge and the National Anthem. Further, many schools in the country also expect children to wear a different uniform on Monday, generally all white, out of respect for the flag and anthem. Teachers walk around to check whether the children are actually singing.



Italy



Italians are not publically big on their National Anthem as it is not played in any public places except during sporting events, formal state ceremonies and at public rallies attended by the President. No one is required to sing along nor are mandated to behave in any particular way. They are required, however, to stand and show respect to any national anthem.



Thailand



The Thai have taken thing further than the Mexicans. They play the National Anthem every day on television at 8 am and 6 pm. Students are all supposed to assemble in front of the National Flag at 8 am and sing the National Anthem. It is also played in government offices and movie theatres regularly. But Ii is an unofficial convention. The country does not have an official law regarding its National Anthem.



Japan



In Indias neighbourhood, the Japanese passed a law officially established their national flag and anthem in 1999. The Act on National Flag and Anthem made no provisions for usage or treatment. Local area representatives are free to make their own regulations. This is probably a result of the country being uncomfortable with overt displays of nationalism since World War II.




We have made a concerted effort to modernise our border fences: BSF DG KK Sharma pic.twitter.com/Wbb3HKnF2r  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Combing operations at the army camp in Nagrota on wednesday revealed the presence of a tunnel which the terrorists used to enter the Indian side."We spotted a tunnel in Chambliyal - samba area this morning which might have been used for infiltration," said BSF DG KK Sharma.The BSF DG also said that efforts were underway to fill the unfenced gaps using technology.'Blinds' (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation."A part of Bangladesh border is unfenced including water bodies. It is not humanly possible for me to put manpower in such areas," said KK Sharma.The government has provided two pilot programs to mordernise the border fencing technology which will be a force multiplier in border security and will plug gaps and ensure good border protection.Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters and was briefed about Tuesday's terror attackJammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which 7 army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three kms from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city.Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued.Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday asked the UN to play a role for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it is the responsibility of the world body to implement its resolution, despite India deploying over one million troops in the Valley.



Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that "despite Pakistan's concern, the presence of over one million troops in Kashmir which is the highest concentration of troops in the world is a hurdle in implementation of the United Nations resolution".



He said that the UN should "play its role" for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue as it is the "responsibility" of the world body to implement its resolution.



"Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in Kashmir since past four months," he told Radio Pakistan's Current Affairs Channel.



He asked India to immediately stop "bloodshed" in Kashmir, underlining that Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India.



Zakaria said that Pakistan would participate in Heart of Asia Conference being held in India this week because it was related to Afghanistan.



He said that peace in Afghanistan was vital for regional stability.



He said Pakistan firmly believes in peace and stability in Afghanistan.



The spokesperson also condemned India's "ill intentions" to sabotage Indus Water Treaty.
Toa Dobunshoin, founded by Meiji-era politician Konoe Atsumaro in Shanghai in 1901, was called a Japanese "educational institution for Chinese studies" but its real purpose became clear later.

Until its closure at the end of World War II in 1945, it had sent 4,000 students in 700 groups to conduct research around China. The students were expected to hand in detailed reports as part of their graduation process. These reports were then sent to the Japanese military as references for the invasion of China.

More on this espionage history has recently begun to unfold through a project launched by the National Library of China.

A 200-volume book series, titled Collection of Investigation Manuscripts at Toa Dobunshoin, that presents photocopies of the research report, was released in Beijing earlier this month by the national library's in-house publishers.

After setting up a huge information network, Toa Dobunshoin had done a "carpet search" across China ahead of Sept 18, 1931, which marked the start of the Japanese occupation of northeastern China, says Fang Zijin, head of National Library of China Publishing House, the publishing house.

"Japan got extremely detailed information on the Chinese economy, politics, society, culture and folklore," he adds.

The work combines the library's own historical collections and those from Aichi University in Japan, the successor of Toa Dobunshoin after WWII.

The national library's collections are from 1927 to 1943, and the files from Aichi are from 1916 to 1935.

"Most files from Aichi were once publicly released, in which many sensitive contents were deleted," he continues. "However, our collections are mainly firsthand and complete manuscripts, and show that the purpose of such research at Tao Dobunshoin was far beyond 'academic studies'."

"There was no such large-scale study of the former Japanese school's history before although abundant files were left in China," says Ma Zhendu, director of the Second Historical Archives of China, which is located in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province.

The new series is of great significance to historical studies on Sino-Japan relations during WWII, he says.

Nevertheless, the series represents the start of a long-term project to understand Japanese spying activities related to China from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th.

According to Chen Li, deputy director of the national library, the library plans to set up an online database to gather all files on relevant studies of that history.

The database will be part of online resources on the study of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), which is being built by the think tank Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The results of our academic research will be open for overseas students and scholars as well," Chen says.

wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/30/2016 page20)
New Delhi: India will have a patrol-free, multi-layered smart fence along its borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh by the later part of 2017 even as 20 big global firms are undertaking a technical evaluation for the same, Director General of BSF KK Sharma said on Wednesday.



Sharma said the force, after getting sanctions from the Union home ministry, is working to implement a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) where the security of these two sensitive and difficult terrain borders will shift from the regular troops patrolling system to a quick reaction team pattern where guards strike once they notice a blip of infiltration on their surveillance radars.



"We are taking some concerted efforts to modernise our border fence. Twenty big companies are currently undertaking a technical evaluation for the CIBMS. It is expected that it would be on ground by the second half of next year.



"In this regard few pilot projects are already on ... two in Jammu and one each in Punjab and Gujarat where we have marshy areas. One project will be done in Assam's Dhubri," the director general said.



He said the effort of the country's largest border guarding force, with about 2.5 lakh personnel in its ranks, is "to modernise itself" as humans have inherent weaknesses and equipment and gadgets act as force multipliers.



The DG explained once the CIBMS goes functional, aided by laser fence, surveillance radars, satellite imagery and thermal gadgets, the troops on ground will respond when there is an alarm of a infiltration bid in the multi-tier security ring comprising the regular fence and laser walls.



He said in cases where the force detects hidden tunnels running across the IB, like in yesterday's case near the Chamliyal border post in Samba+ , it is looking for gadgets and technical support and it is also in touch with countries like Israel and elite Indian technology institutes like IITs to procure the right technology.



"We are in the process to plug breaches by technical solutions at both Pakistan and Bangladesh borders," Sharma said.



The DG also said all intrusions in Jammu and Kashmir this year have taken place from the Line of Control, which is guarded by the Army.



"We do our best to stop (infiltrators/militants). To a very large extent we are successful. This year whatever intrusions have taken place, I can assure you, have been from the Line of Control. I take guarantee that we will not allow these attempts to succeed from the IB which I (BSF) guard," he said.
There is a massive debate whether India has actually come up with a comprehensive strategy to deal with Pakistan. Whether it is possible to seal the borders by 2019, whether enough has been done to fortify defence establishments. Lt Gen Philip Campose, who recently retired as Vice Chief of Indian Army, talks to CNN-New18's Bhupendra Chaubey on his report which addresses the issue.



Bhupendra Chaubey: The latest info coming is that the recent attacks have a clear cut link with the Uri attacks. When Uri happened, the entire country was united and we were told that by launching surgical strikes, we have told Pakistan our threshold for pain has come down. Now officers have died - what happens to that threshold of pain we were talking about?





Philip Campose: See what we've got to understand is that these attacks have being going on since early 90s. There's a background to it. There is an operation which was launched by the Pakistan army starting from the late 80's, early 90's, and this was called Operation Tupac - essentially meant to divert militants trained in Afghanistan to Kashmir. Since then these attacks have been going on. If you look at the late 1990's, if you look at the early part of this century, there have been so many attacks. These attacks are known by names. There is a Kaluchak attack, Sanjuvan attack, Tanda attack.



BC: You served in that area; you were the main commanding officer in those troubled areas. What is happening today? Has anything changed, or is our response and strategy still the same?



PC: That's exactly the point I'm making. That these attacks, these tactics have not changed at all. Overall strategy from the Pakistan side - as far as what president Zia had called the strategy of applying a 1000 cuts - that strategy hasn't changed. The tactics which are used by the militants, the same tactics which were used in the 1990's, in the 2000's in the last since 2013 when these attacks have re-commenced, the tactics are exactly the same.



BC: Are our responses also the same?



PC: That's where certain loopholes are apparent from what happens. Most of the time our tactics are right, which is why we aren't aware of so many of the attacks that take place. There are so many attacks which are taking place which we don't sort of remember because we only remember Pathankot, Uri and now Nagrota. We remember them either because of the importance of the target or we know them because of the number of casualties. But every time we are able to neutralise a terrorist successfully in a fast time frame with little or no casualties, we forget about the incident. The Army has been successful many a time. But every once in a while, call it the law of averages or..



BC: But one of the world's largest armies cannot function on the law of averages. India also needs to have a mechanism to ensure these incidents never happen. Terrorists do have an element of surprise, be that as it may..



PC: So let me put it this way. There are two ways it has to be handled. One, is a strategic angle. I told you about President Zia and his Operation Tupac which was incidentally thought in the early 80's and was put into place in late 90's by which time he had already died. That Operation Tupac is still on. So when anyone in Pakistan says that he isn't involved, he doesn't know what is happening..



BC: Every day we get a Pakistani general who says Indians are lying...



PC: So when you say Pakistani army or Pakistani government is not aware, if they want to show their credentials as being honourable then they must make surely, that publicly they announce that Operation Tupac which was conceived and started execution in the 90's is no longer there. That strategy on the Pakistan side has to be handled strategically by us



BC: I am now trying to figure out if Pathankot or Nagrota, info is coming in that there is link between Nagrota and Uri as far as handlers are concerned. You were told by the government to help them formulate a mechanism to insulate our defense mechanism across the country. What has happened to that report?



PC: Before I come to that, let me just continue what I was talking about. The strategic means of handling a strategy which has been applied by Pakistan for so many years. When we talk of a strategy, it has to be applying all elements of India's comprehensive national power. So we are talking about political, we are talking about diplomatic, we are talking about economic. There was a lot of discussion on all this when Uri took place. As to what should be the response to Uri, every day on TV you could see a host of ideas coming out. But that's what the government has to do at a strategic level to make sure that as far as the political authority and military authority in Pakistan gets the message and they reverse their strategy of exporting terror.







BC: Isn't that wishful thinking? Are you saying we can create an environment where we can force Pakistan to roll back its terror-sponsoring activity?



PC: It can, definitely. The day Pakistan understands how much it is losing by continuing with the strategy, that is where you have to make sure message goes across



BC: How do we make sure back home our defence units are not being attacked in the manner they are being attacked.



PC: First part like I said is the strategy. The strategy is very important. Because unless at the political and army level in Pakistan they decide to rollback on Operation Tupac, on the strategy of sending terrorists into India, unless they rollback the strategy, the attacks will keep coming



BC: If that doesn't happen, what does India do?



PC: So that is one part of it which we must work at. Like I said, apply all elements of India's comprehensive national power. Use your political power, use your diplomatic power, use your economic leverages but that is something which the government of India should continue to make efforts at. Now to come to the tactics of it. When you come to the tactical level, there is somebody who is sending terrorists, they keep coming in, keep coming up.. we know how these modules work. The tactics of it starting from the border. How do you ensure he doesn't cross the border or the LoC



BC: Is it possible for you to seal the borders? Rajnath Singh says by 2019 the entire border will be sealed. Is that possible?





PC: Definitely it can be done



BC: By 2019 it can be done. You see, as it is if you say see by the time we started the fence. Before the border fence, the LC fence came up terrorists were walking across at will. There were so many incidents taking place in hinterland India and Kashmir. But the moment the fence came up there was a drastic fall.



BC: Is that something the government would seriously be thinking of? Because I do know the Defence Minister has tried to take a whole worldview of opinions from individuals including you but what has come out of those opinions? Is the government really seriously implementing those opinions



PC: Yes because I myself did a study after Pathankot on what could have gone wrong that. And also after that reviewed the security of all defence installations. Simultaneously there was a second committee which was checking out the issues of border management under Mr Madhukar Gupta. Now that committee has submitted its reported. And it is based on that report that the Home Minister has said that by a certain time they will implement whatever recommendations that were made by the Madhukar Gupta Committee.



BC: The criticism sir, the criticism is that we are not taking the business of fortifying our defence establishments our defence installations in our countries seriously. How do you address that criticism?



PC: The fact is that there are a lot of loopholes and let me be very clear about that. When I had done my study, when I had reviewed the security of all defence installations - I definitely put down that a lot needs to be done. Which means that we have to go for technology. Because physical measures can be useful only up to a point and you have to bring in technology. But with technology comes cost. And you know the number of defence installations there are across the length and breadth of the country. So far as the government is concerned they have to make the funds available. Prioritise the ones which are closer to the border, the ones which are more easily accessible to the border are the ones which have to be addressed first. But the action must start. As far as I am concerned the action must have already started because I submitted my report over 6 months back and I'm sure that the government and the 3 services - mind you the services aren't waiting for the government to..



BC: The point that comes to my mind is that we're having this conversation at a point of time when PM Modi each day is going out of his way to say that I am looking for a Digital India. India must move to a digital economy. Are you saying from your study, from your feedback that you have gotten from the government, are you saying that when it comes to providing technology to the Armed forces , is there a lack of funds is there a lack of willpower - is Babudom triumphing over the armed forces?



PC: I don't think there is any lack of willpower. All of us are very conscious that our defence installations particularly those closer to the border are vulnerable. Because there is a certain objective of attacking military and security installations which are closer to the border. And I'm sure all of us whether it is the government ,whether is it is the military commanders whether it is the people on the ground, they are all working towards removing this vulnerability. And the fact is that when you have huge perimeters which are being covered just by walls combined with fences or just fences - there will not be enough manpower to sort of man these entire perimeters.



BC: Is there any international examples that come to mind. For instance I don't see stories like this being reported from America or the UK. Is there an international example that comes to mind that India needs to perhaps emulate or India needs to look at? As far as fortifying defence installations is concerned





PC: See fortifying defence installations or general perimeter security - US, Mainland India doesn't need these. Of course when they are deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan they would make sure the issue of perimeter comes up. But if you were to look at a country where they would have to develop this sort of security system in a permanent manner. I would think of Israel because over the years they have had a threat which they have had to respond to and as we are all aware, over the years they have managed to ensure that these attacks are not successful anymore.



BC: Let's look at the attacks that took place in Nagrota. Look at the sheer audacity which has been shown by the terrorists. The ease with which they manage to enter - lob a few grenades at our soldiers armed with our guns. So let's look at it this way. Has the time come for us to create certain rings, certain layers around our defence installations. Is the problem according to you the entry point itself? Do we take the entry point seriously?



PC: I was telling you earlier that we start at the border. How do you protect a defence installation? First you start with Intelligence. There has to be a flow of Intelligence. Our Intelligence agencies should be able to warn you in advance that there is an attack imminent and these sort of things these days are again technology which you have to..



BC: Do you think we have to invest more in building Intelligence assets along the border, across the border?



PC: I'm sure the government is conscious of this and I'm sure they must be making lots of efforts. And I'm sure the Intelligence is coming in.



BC: What about the first layer then?



PC: The first layer is Intelligence. Unless someone is monitoring the communications networks, the data networks and being able to pick up the signals. Unless that happens it makes it so much more difficult on the ground for the troops. The second like I mentioned to you is the border. And then you've got the space between the border and the military unit. Which could be 5 kms, or 10 or 20 or 30. Now this space you have to make sure it is covered in some manner or the other - by patrols, by ambushes, by checkpoints. And there has to be very close co-ordination between the police and military in these areas.



BC: I want to draw your attention to Nagrota. Look at the distance, look at the line of attack. The timing of the change of guard as the attack is taking place - it's almost as if the local intelligence of the terrorist today is far superior to the local intelligence that we seem to have as far as Pakistani activity is concerned. Would that be a fair criticism?



PC: I wouldn't generalise it at the manner. But if you study these attacks, right from the time they started in the 90s to what has happened in Nagrota the tactics are almost the same. The timing of it, the number of people , the weapons they use, the way they come in. In fact if you look at the pictures of Nagrota, you can mistake them for the pictures of Sambha of August 2013.



BC: That's what I'm trying to figure out. All these examples that you've given us - you've said Pakistan's approach is the same. I agree Pakistan's approach is the same. I'm trying to figure out that when the present day government said that our approach has changed now in terms of dealing with Pakistan, has our approach really changed on the ground? Is something different happening on the ground according to you?



PC: See strategically, we are all aware, I don't have to tell you -we have all followed the events after Uri. We know what happened with the surgical strikes. As to the pursuit of those actions, you would be as aware as I am what the government is doing politically, what our diplomats are doing, what are the sort of economic leverages we are applying.



BC: Chest thumping, you know. The feeling that the government has tried to convert this into a political tamasha of sorts when the surgical strikes happened. Therefore my question is - the feeling was that the government has given a befitting reply to Pakistan. What should the government do now post-Nagrota?



PC: The government must do exactly what it did after Uri



BC: Another surgical strike?



PC: Surgical strike.. I'm now not talking of something tactical. At that time the surgical strike which is a very tactical action was used to sort of address a situation which had built up strategically. And there was a sense you had at least addressed the trauma which the entire country seemed to be going through. Now as far as the strategic part is concerned, what we had started or at least, appeared to have started at the time of Uri must be gone through. You have to have strategic options politically, diplomatically, economically, militarily at the higher level. All this has to be gone through by the government.



BC: Therefore in conclusion if I were to ask you sir, that if you can list out five things. I am asking you this because I know you have been closed associated with having provided some kind of an idea to the government about how to modernise the Indian Army, if you were to suggest 5 steps for the Government to take to ensure that what has happened in Uri and Nagrota does not happen again, what would those five steps be?



PC: Firstly, we must have a strategic plan to deal with this problem which Pakistanis has generated for over 25 years now. There has to be strategy in place for how do you deal with this. Part of the strategy is modernising the Indian Army and the Indian Armed Forces. That part unfortunately, which I am aware of because of the various appointments that I held in the Army, that part is not happening.



BC: Modernisation of the army remains a big stumbling block..



PC: Modernisation of the army, hollowness of the army, deficiencies within the Army - now all these do not take place in a structured manner. Enough of budget is not allocated to the defence forces, Whatever is allocated is taken away, there is no real plan to modernise the army, to make sure the Army is as strong as it is meant to be. If you have a strong Army and deterrents are in place then the other side would be very careful.



BC: When you say modernisation of the army, there's a roadblock on that front - do we not have enough ammunition? Do we not have enough technology with us? Do we not have manpower? Or do we not have finances?



PC: Manpower is not really the problem. Manpower is the means we have been applying to address shortfalls of technology, modernisation. If you are using old equipment and you are trying to buy new and you are not able to buy the new equipment you have to fill up the shortfall somewhere. So you end up building more military units with more manpower. Manpower has to be reduced at some stage but before that the military, the Army has to modernise.



BC: So if Pakistan is this terror-sponsoring factory. Pakistan clearly resembles a factory which will continue sending these Mujhahideen and Fidayeen into our country. Do you believe that the only way to neutralise them, how do you ensure they do not enter our territory. And if they are in our territory that they do not inflict the kind of damage that has been inflicted on our defence installations and senior army officers. How does one ensure that?



PC: The first part of it.. it has to be handled by the country strategically in a co-ordinated manner where you are applying all elements of India's comprehensive national power in a co-ordinated manner to give the message to Pakistan that this must stop. And this sort of strategy of a 1000 cuts which has been going on for over 25 years must be rolled back. So that comes from one part. Next it comes from everything tactical - like I said - an Intelligence part, the border part, sealing the borders, making sure that technology is being used to make sure that somebody doesn't cross the border and if he has crossed it, you get enough of warning. Then it's the area in between. You coordinate between the police and the military. The military must get enough warning. The moment someone crosses the border and is sort of approaching a military unit. And then comes the military unit itself. Technology has to be inducted to make sure that all our military units are properly sealed, that there are no loopholes in the external perimeter security and in the access control. And the moment someone makes an attempt to get into the military unit or gets into the military unit, the warning must go off in the control room.



BC: I just hope that all of the points you have made today on this special program are points which are being heard very, very carefully and closely by the government. Because what's happened in Uri, what's happened now is something which should not be acceptable to anyone. The Indian Army is one of the most glorious institutions in our country, in the whole world and may I say, it's time for the political class to stand up, to forget the political bickering which is taking place in Parliament and unify and ensure that Pakistan doesn't get the upper hand in this battle.


: A day after the Nagrota terror attack, investigating officers have found out the modus operandi of the slain terrorists and exposed their links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.Sources told CNN-News18 that there were possibly four terrorists and one of the three killed was involved in the Uri attacks.Sources also said that three terrorists infiltrated into India three hours before the pre-dawn attack on Nagrota. The terrorist who was involved in the Uri attack supplied the police uniforms and information regarding the Army base to Nagrota attackers.The terrorists travelled 85 km undetected and managed to avoid two Army check points before they reached Nagrota. After arriving there, they headed straight to officers mess and sprayed bullets.Two pictures were recovered from the army base and a note on one of the pictures indicated the operatives were from Jaish-e-Mohammed's Afzal Guru squad. Papers found on slain terrorists claimed Jaish terrorists carried out the attack to avenge hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The note said: "Afzal Guru shaheed ke intiqaam ka Ek aur kist..."BSF DG KK Sharma said on Wednesday that during the probe, officers spotted a tunnel in Chambliyal - Samba area which might have been used for infiltration.Army Chief General Dalbir Singh visited Nagrota Army base on Wednesday and was briefed about the terror attack.
Remember the days when Disney princesses were all about finding the prince charming and happily ever afters? The times when beautiful young maidens would fall for handsome princes and overcome all atrocities only to marry them in the end. It all started with Snow White in the 70s and went on till the recent live-action Cinderella on the big screen.In between came the much loved mermaid princess Ariel, The Sleeping Beauty Aurora, confident and rule defying Bella and Jasmine, warrior princesses Pocahontas and Mulan. All presented diversity in their own manner but ended up being damsel in distress in one way or the other.Then came the new age feminism in cinema and the entire magical world of love and submissiveness was criticised for being regressive and rightly so, Disney took upon itself to bring in the much needed change. Then came The Princess and The Frog. The lead character, Tiana, was anything but princess-sy. She was an aspirational woman with a dream of opening her own restaurant and didn't wake up looking like a dream every morning. Disney also presented Brave and Frozen, films without any prince or a happy ever after but lots of magic and inspiration. It belonged to the princesses and their fears and aspirations.Now comes the much awaited, first Polynesian Disney princess Moana. This 16 year old fearless woman has a restless soul and all the qualities of a leader. Moana wants more than her provincial life and finds herself drawn to the ocean; the ocean reciprocates the feeling, protecting and guiding Moana on her adventure. When the livelihood of her island is threatened by a creeping rot that has blackened the coconuts and driven the fish from the shores, Moana sets off to the high seas on a way finding canoe.The film has no prince but a demi god who guides Moana on her adventure. This is another progressive step by Disney from the rose coloured all in love spectacles to 'let-us-inspire the young woman and acknowledge their identity. Moana looks like a teenager and acts like one too. She is not poised like Snow White, neither suppressed by her elders like Cinderella, shes a rebel in all the right ways and wrong and thats her beauty.Through Moana, Disney does the necessary work of creating a princess and cultural representation suited to present day. Moana is capable of convincing the unwilling demigod to teach her the art of ocean navigation so she can follow in her ancestor's footsteps. Her confidence in herself is nearly unshakeable and incredibly powerful.Moana is not a gesture of appeasement but a sign of princesses to come - princesses unimpressed by demigods, undefined by romance, proportioned like actual people and not Western. Moana proves there is a treasure trove full of fascinating stories that is yet to be explored. These stories are beyond Hollywoods typical lily-white, been-there-done-that offerings. For the biggest studio in the world, this is a step in the right direction, a sign that Disney is ready to go the distance and give the changing world its due and inspire strong women to be true to their identity and seek adventure rather than a happily ever after.
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the government of helping black money hoarders with the amendment to the income tax law, saying half of the unaccounted cash would now be returned to them.



The government has given 50 per cent of the black money back to hoarders again, he said outside Parliament.



The Taxation Laws (2nd Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday, providing a window to legalise black money after paying tax on the amount post-demonetisation. As per the Bill, those who disclose black money to banks will have to pay 50 per cent tax, including surcharge and penalty.



Asked about the walkout by the opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha, Rahul said, "There is a practice in Parliament that whenever someone dies we respect them. This is for the first time that there was no such obituary offered for those soldiers who had died (in Nagrota attack). So the Opposition walked out."



Opposition members walked out of the Lok Sabha as their demand for an obituary reference on the soldiers who died in the terror attack on army camp in Jammu was rejected by the Speaker on the grounds that final details were yet to emerge.



Countering Rahul's charges, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, "It is unfortunate that Congress is doing politics over the issue involving defence of the country."



"The Speaker informed that combing operations are underway in Nagrota. Once operations are over, tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers," he said.



Taking on Congress, Naidu said, "People of the nation hate such small politics. Congress party walked out during question hour and then came back. Congress neither wants any discussion nor wants House to function as they are scared of being exposed. It's an insult to Nagrota martyrs."








New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Wednesday let off AAP MP Bhagwant Mann with a light rap by recommending a day's token suspension from the Lok Sabha after holding him guilty of making a controversial video of the Parliament House complex.



The nine-member committee adopted a fresh draft report this morning after differences had erupted yesterday on the "gradation of suspension" for Mann. While some had suggested that he be suspended for a day, some others said the suspension should be for a week. Others were of the view that he be let off without any penalty.



In a report adopted today and submitted to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the committee recommended a day's suspension and said the period since July he has not attended the House on the directions of the Speaker be also included in the punishment.



If the recommendation is accepted, the Mann can attend the remaining period of the winter session which ends on December 16 without further missing a single day.



There was unanimity on security aspects recommended by the panel.



Mann was found guilty of filming "critical" areas of Parliament House building.



Mann, AAP MP from Sangrur, had triggered a controversy in July by live-streaming the security arrangements at the Parliament House complex on social media.



After facing flak for his act, the AAP MP had defended his move, saying he was only showing people how Parliament functioned.



He had later appeared before the committee and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suspension from the Lok Sabha for "compromising national security" by allowing Pakistan's spy agency ISI inside the Pathankot airbase after the terror attack. He had also sought that Modi too be summoned by the committee.



He had last week withdrawn his remarks against the Prime Minister and tendered an unconditional apology to the committee.










Patiala: Dr Balbir Singh says the plan is set for the biggest poll upset in Punjab. The doctor with 30 years of public service behind him is the AAP candidate in Patiala, the home turf of former CM and Congress CM-candidate Captain Amarinder Singh.



Balbir Singhs confidence comes from the successful campaign he managed for AAPs Dharamvira Gandhi who ended up trouncing Praneet Kaur  former minister in the UPA cabinet and Capt Singhs wife  in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.



Singh says he feels honoured that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal trusted him to take on Amarinder Singh. Now the little hitch is that MP Gandhi is a little cut up with Kejriwal but Singh says its all sorted after he met him with a box of sweets after his candidature was announced.



CNN-News18s Rupashree Nanda caught up with Singh for an interview, Excerpts:



What has been your journey so far?



I am an eye surgeon by profession. I had served in the Government Medical College before I started my own hospital. I started the Model Rural Health Care Delivery System. In addition to giving medicines, the focus was also on a healthy lifestyle, use of smokeless chullas, sanitary napkins, and general cleanliness. Those were the years of terrorism between '84 and '90. I was honoured by the Punjab Government for my work. Dharamvira Gandhi, one Dr Sharma and I worked in Moga, Gurdaspur and Patiala and had huge numbers of patients in the OPD. We were very popular. In my hospital we gave services to majority of people in Malwa. I have got patients from as far as Hissar and Fetehabad in Haryana.



My father was a farmer. I had to walk five kilometers to school in my village Bhaura and cycle 15 kilometers for pre medical college. For my admission into the Dayanand Medical College, my father did not have the Rs 5000/- that was required. Villagers contributed the money for my admission. While studying to be a doctor, I joined the JP movement.



How did you enter politics?



I joined the Anna Hazare movement and then joined the party in 2013 as a volunteer. I became the campaign manager of Gandhi in 2014. Your colleagues compliment me for Dr Gandhi's success saying that I managed the campaign it with ' surgical precision'. After Preneet Kaur lost, Captain Amarinder had called us ' Naxalites'. Today he is asking who is Dr Balbir Singh. Sheila Dikshit had asked Who is Kejriwal, Preneet Kaur had said, Who is Dr Gandhi and now Amarinder says the same about me. My reply is people will answer the Maharaja.



Why did you agree for a tough risky battle?



Dr Balbir Singh: It is very good oppositionto take on a mighty king and defeat him at the hustings. I am very confident. I have got unbelievable support from people of Patiala. We are creating a very strong volunteer force whereas Captain has engaged Prashant Kishor and paid workers with laptops. We have genuine volunteers. Amarinder was MLA twice, Chief Minister of Punjab once and MP from Patiala. How many times did he go to the Parliament? What has he done for the people? He does not even meet them. Congress failed to perform the role of opposition.



But you will not be able to match the financial muscle of Captain Amarinder Singh



They cannot match our passion (junoon se harayenge). We cannot match their money power. I will collect Rs 10/- from 50,000 people, with each donor we will make ten more contacts and gain ten votes. We have already crossed the 2,000 mark. A lot of NRIs are also coming for the campaign.



Is the Congress making a comeback? It is more visible now?



This is perception created by electronic and print media. This is not the perception of the people. Amarinder is isolated in the Congress. Bajwa  Dhillon  all Patiala leaders are against him. Even Rahul Gandhi is against him. He threatened to leave the party and form his own party, called Rahul Gandhi, ' baccha' and arm twisted him to declare him as PPCC president. Even on Navjot Singh Sidhu, he is isolated.



But what about the divisions within the AAP? Will that not play on the mind of the voter?



It wont have much impact. Though there will be some impact because he (Dharamvira Gandhi) is an elected representative and a good doctor and a reasonably good Parliamentarian. He has no problem with me. He has problems with the central leadership. I met him with ladoos after being declared a candidate and he has promised to support me.



Given the fact that Dr Gandhi is still suspended, can you count on his support?



I left my practice and worked 24/7 for his election. I hope he will reciprocate and support me.



Will he come back to the party?



We want him to come back. We and all my doctor friends are trying for that. I hope we will be able to bridge the gap between him and the central leadership.



Political analysts feel Dr Balbir Singh will lose how would you respond to them?



It will be the biggest electoral upset of 2017. The slogan here is, ' abhi toh rani haari hai/ ab toh raja ki baari hai'. Raja's power is not more than people's power. This is going to be the most shocking result of 2017. There will be four epic battles in Punjab - two against Badals, one against Majithia and one against Amarinder.



Any message for Captain Amarinder Singh?



My only message is that he should play a fair game, he should meet people in his constituency and answer their questions. He should make a public commitment that he will not use money or liquor for elections.



There are all kinds of stories about AAP: from tickets being sold for a price in Punjab to drunken behavior of some of its members?



That is all motivated propaganda. There is scope for improvement. Prashant Kishor is a paid worker, people say he got Rs 550 crore. Our workers are honorary workers. Their sacrifice is much bigger. It hurts me when someone says that.



Will the Chief Minister of Punjab be from Punjab, or, could be even from outside Punjab?



The Chief Minister will be from Punjab. Our National Convener, on record, and our national spokespersons, Raghav Chadda and Sanjay Singh, have said on record that CM will be from Punjab and Kejriwal has the mandate of the people of Delhi for five years and will rule Delhi. Speculation about Arvind Kejriwal becoming CM is to sidetrack issues.



Your party has announced that a Dalit will be the Dy CM of Punjab. But do you have a strong Dalit face?



We have a strong support base. We are not building faces. We are going to elections with Arvind Kejriwal as our leader; ' Kejriwal, Kejriwal/ Saara Punjab tere naal'... my voters are saying that.
The head of Ant Financial Services Group, the payment affiliate of Alibaba Holdings Ltd, apologised following backlash from Chinese netizens over a social feature in the company's payment app that critics say enabled a sexually explicit dating service.



In an internal letter reviewed by Reuters, Chairwoman Lucy Peng said the company had removed a group within the Alipay app's new social feature "circles", including a group called "schoolyard diary" which drew intense fire from Chinese users after its launch on Nov. 24.



"These past two days have the most difficult since I had joined Alipay 7 years ago," said Peng, who apologised to users and promised to clamp down on illicit content on the platform.



The social group, which allowed only female users to post images publicly, blocked onlookers from commenting or contacting the women unless they had a high enough credit rating as determined by Ant Financial's data-backed rating system, Sesame Credit.



"It's like a brothel," protested one Alipay user on Chinese Twitter-like social media service Weibo. "It's enough to make me and my friends boycott the [Alipay] payments service."



Ant Financial has recently sought to increase its international footprint, planning to replicate the Alipay model in Thailand through a tie-up with Thai payment firm Ascend announced on Nov. 1st. Alipay is currently China's top online wallet service, with over 400 million local users.



The criticism comes as the Chinese government ramps up its censorship campaign against content deemed harmful to the national psyche, including pornography and violent videogames.



At a summit organised by China's top internet regulator earlier this month, officials called on tech firms and media outlets to clamp down on fake news and immoral content.



Earlier this month the same regulator formalised rules banning content deemed offensive on Chinese social video streaming sites.



Chinese state media broadcaster CCTV condemned the social media feature, which has attracted millions of views on the Alipay app and tens of thousands of comments on Chinese social media outlets.



Earlier on Tuesday an Ant Financial spokeswoman told Reuters the company would remove the controversial credit rating criteria but not group in question.



Peng said in the letter sent late in the afternoon that the company had decided to remove the group and permanently ban the users who posted suggestive photos.



She thanked the thousands of netizens who spoke out in her letter, saying "without going through the experience of seeing our brand at risk of being destroyed in a single day ... we could have presumed we were right and continued down the wrong path."




Leading mobile payment platform, Paytm is working with more state transport corporations to enable cashless transactions in buses. The company had recently announced wallet support at inter-city bus counters of Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Going forward, Paytm wants to increase its reach in the unreserved bus ticketing sector.



For us, the goal has always been where ever cash is accepted, Paytm should be accepted. We are already present for cabs, metros, auto and now we are coming in buses as well. We are looking at the unreserved ticketing sector in a big way, said Paytm Senior Vice President Nitin Misra in an interaction with News18 Tech.



Paytm is also looking at bringing more Add Cash where users can simply deposit cash in accepted denominations to recharge their Paytm wallets.



The company also recently introduced a new feature called Nearby to help users with information about their nearest Paytm merchant. Users can also avail the new Add Cash feature through which they can the nearest points such as ICICI and Axis bank branches where they can get cash loaded in their Paytm wallet.



We are in the process of rolling out independent cash points like at local kirana shops. Instead of making users visit bank branches to add money to Paytm wallet, we are also looking at offline merchants that accept Paytm and help in the KYC process. We are also in the process of converting these merchants into add cash points, added Misra.




Cyberattacks from Russia are now so common that Germany must learn to cope with them as part of daily life, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, after Europe's top economy suffered its biggest hacking assault.



Almost one million Deutsche Telekom clients were knocked offline from Sunday, with Germany's online security chief describing it as "a hacking attack".



Merkel said she did not know who was behind the strike, but added that "such cyber attacks, or hybrid conflicts as they are known in Russian doctrine, are now part of daily life and we must learn to cope with them".



"We have to inform people, and express our political convictions clearly," she said, calling on the population to "not allow themselves to be irritated" by such rogue operations.



"You just have to know that there's such a thing and learn to live with it," she told journalists.

Merkel had said earlier this month that attacks orchestrated by Russia "could also play a role" in Germany's election campaign next year.
The Lenovo K6 Power. (Image: Debashis Sarkar/ Mews18.com)

(Image: Debashis Sarkar/ Mews18.com)

(Image: Debashis Sarkar/ News18.com)

The second biggest smartphone brand in India Lenovo has just launched its K6 Power smartphone to woo consumers with top-notch experience while keeping affordability in mind. At the price of Rs 9,999, the Lenovo K6 Power has got enough to impress smartphone enthusiasts who love to drool over sheets. However, a familiar design might put the Lenovo K6 Power on the back foot. After using the Lenovo K6 Power for a short span here are our initial impressions.The Lenovo K6 Power looks very similar to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 or the Redmi 3S to be precise. Lenovo is offering three colour options-- Dark Grey, Gold and Silverfor the K6 Power smartphone. Despite packing a massive 4,000mAh battery, the device is surprisingly light and compact. The 5-inch display size adds to the comfort while the all-metal body makes its sturdy and attractive. There is a fingerprint scanner at the back along with dual speaker vents. For someone looking at a buying a sub-Rs 10,000 Android smartphone, the Lenovo K6 Power looks good.As the name suggests, the device boasts good battery life. Lenovo claims that 4,000 mAh battery of the K6 Power can last two days on one full charge at ease. If you are looking at a clean software experience, the Lenovo K6 Power offers a nearly stock Android Marshmallow feel.On the hardware front, the device is powered by a 1.4Ghz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with Adreno 505 GPU, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory which can be expanded to up to 128GB via microSD card.The Lenovo K6 Power offers a 5-inch Full HD IPS display. Overall, the display quality is good for the price.The smartphone supports dual nano SIM card slots with support for 4G VoLTE. This means you can use Reliance Jio sim cards for making calls by default.There is a 13MP rear camera along with an 8MP front camera. The camera quality appeared at par with other smartphones in this price range and should definitely keep users happy.On the software front, Lenovo has incorporated Dolby ATMOS support in the budget K6 Power smartphone as well for superior audio experience. The K6 Power also gets TheatreMax compatibility for an immersive content experience. With TheatreMax you can view any type content on the device on VR headsets.Overall, the Lenovo K6 Power offers the right balance of hardware and software to deliver a pleasing experience to buyers who are on a tight budget.The device will be exclusively available on Flipkart (open sales) starting December 6, 12PM.Stay tuned to this space for the full review of the Lenovo K6 Power smartphone. Meanwhile, if you have any queries feel free to ask them in the comment section below.
Istanbul: Twelve people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed when fire ravaged a dormitory for pupils in the southern Turkish region of Adana, local officials said.



The fire, which officials said was likely caused yesterday by an electrical fault, raced through the building's wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.



Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.



Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck and whose roof collapsed.



"We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured," Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.



"According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault," he said.



The Dogan news agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under.



The disaster took place in the town of Aladag north of Adana city, one of the biggest urban centres in the south of Turkey.



Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.



Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.



The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 19:25 (1625 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.



Demirtas declined to comment on claims that fire escape stairs were locked and students were unable to use them.



But Adana city Mayor Huseyin Sozlu said: "It appears that the fire escape stairs door was locked. Children could not open it. Bodies were found there," he said.



He told NTV "of course children would have survived" if they had been able to flee down the fire escape stairs. "From tomorrow the governor's office will start an investigation," he said.



He said the children were aged between 11-14. Students trapped on the second and third storeys of the building who could not flee outside, were killed in the fire, the Dogan news agency said.



The fire spread rapidly because of the building's wooden interior and carpeted floor, officials said.



Aladag district's mayor Mustafa Alpgedik, quoted by the Dogan news agency, said the fire erupted on the ground floor and then the flames spread because the third floor was wooden.



With the burning of the wooden floor, the roof then entirely collapsed, he said.



In an agonising wait, families who could not see their children stood outside in tears, Dogan added.



The dorm had a capacity for 54 students and was open to both secondary and high school students. Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence.



Fires are frequent in Turkey due to antiquated and often wooden buildings and faulty electrics. But a disaster of this magnitude is highly unusual.
A senior Afghan, who commanded an army corps in the western region of the country, died when his helicopter crashed on Tuesday, officials said.



General Muhayuddin Ghori, commander of the 207th Zafar Corps based in the city of Herat, died after the aircraft he was in went down in Baghdis province on the border with Turkmenistan, Farhad Jelani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said.



There were no reports of enemy fire in the area, he added.



President Ashraf Ghani and the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul issued statements expressing their condolences.










New York: US President-elect Donald Trump has spoke on phone with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a spokesperson for the transition team said.



The spokesperson, who mentioned it at a daily briefing, did not provide any further information about the call made on Monday.



Pakistani media reports said Trump had offered to play any role he could to help Islamabad find solutions to its problems.



Trump also told Sharif that he looked forward to visiting Pakistan and meeting him, according to Samaa, a Pakistani media website.



The account could not be confirmed independently with Trump's team.



Last month, in an interview to the Hindustan Times, Trump had called the situation between India and Pakistan "very, very hot tinderbox" and offered to "mediate or arbitrate", if asked to.



India opposes any third party involvement in the bilateral disputes with Pakistan.



Earlier, Trump had been critical of Pakistan for allowing some terrorist groups to operate from its soil and ridiculed President Barack Obama's administration for not being able to help the jailed doctor who helped the US track down and kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was sheltering in Pakistan.



After Trump's election, Islamabad's foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz had said that his country was
Kathmandu: Nepal's government has registered the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament despite opposition from CPN-UML, aimed at carving out a new province to meet the demands of agitating Madhesis and other ethnic groups whose protests last year left more than 50 people dead.



The bill, registered at the Parliament Secretariat after the Council of Ministers passed its draft yesterday, also proposes to address three other key issues -- citizenship, representation in the Upper House and recognition of languages spoken in various parts of the country.



The Cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar in the afternoon yesterday.



The government took the step a day after the 15-day ultimatum served by the Federal Alliance for implementing the three-point deal expired.



Federal Alliance is a grouping of Madhesi parties and ethnic groups that have been launching agitation demanding more rights and representation for the marginalised people.



Re-demarcation of the provincial boundary and citizenship issue are the two major demands put forth by the agitating Madhesi parties.



Madhesis, mostly Indian-origin, launched a six-month-long agitation from September last year to February this year in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.



The government has proposed to include parts of Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke, Dang and Bardiya in another Tarai province that will be known as Province 5.



The Cabinet also decided to form a commission to address concerns about five districts Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur.



Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi said that the government decided to form a commission through an executive order to address all concerns about boundaries.



The bill proposes to list all the mother tongues of Nepal in the schedule of the constitution on the recommendation of the Language Commission.



It also states that all languages recommended to be official languages by the Language Commission will be listed in the constitutions schedule.



On citizenship, the bill proposes that foreign women married to Nepali men can obtain naturalised citizenship after initiating the process to renounce their citizenship.



The bill does not say anything about the rights of the naturalised citizens and citizens by birth.



Opposing the bill, main opposition party CPN-UML Vice Chair Bhim Rawal said the constitution amendment bill was not in the interest of the country and the people.



He said the bill would polarise the society further and create conflict between different political groups.
Washington: The Somali-born student, who injured 11 people in a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University before being shot and killed, had lived in Pakistan along with his family for about seven years.



The 18-year-old attacker, identified as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, was a Somali refugee who left his homeland with his family in 2007, lived in Pakistan and then came to the United States in 2014 as a legal permanent resident, NBC News quoted law enforcement officials as saying.



He temporarily lived in Dallas before settling in Ohio. He rammed his car into a crowd at Ohio State University yesterday and attacked them with a butcher knife, injuring 11 before police fatally shot him.



Investigators are investigating whether the attack was an act of terror by Artan, who had once criticised the media for its portrayal of Muslims.



In a magazine in August, he was quoted as saying that he is scared to pray in the public because of media coverage of the religion.



"Im a Muslim, its not what the media portrays me to be. If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I dont know what theyre going to think, whats going to happen. But, I dont blame them. Its the media that put that picture in their heads," Artan had aid.



He also appears to have made an anti-US posting on Facebook minutes before the attack, on a page that was quickly disabled or taken down by authorities, US media said.



"I can't take it any more. America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that," the post quoted by ABC television said.



"If you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace," the post reads. "We will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims."



Officials said 11 people were being treated at local hospitals for stabbing wounds and injuries from the motor vehicle. None of their injuries were life-threatening.
A mental health conference with the purpose to give support to the Appomattox area, especially those grieving a loss of home or sense of security following the February tornado, will be held Friday to Saturday.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday with speaker Deborah Maxey, a certified clinical traumatologist on natural disasters and post-traumatic stress, at Grace Hills Baptist Church, 4320 Pumping Station Rd., Appomattox.

Appomattox County experienced $11.2 million in damages, based on estimates immediately following the EF 3 tornado that touched down in the Evergreen area around 3:30 p.m. Feb 24 leaving at least 42 families in need of interim housing.

Whenever you have a time of loss, it can be hard at those regular [holiday] gatherings be-cause you are going through [a] time of grief, this loss this past year with home or sense of secu-rity, said Adam Tyler, pastor at Grace Hills and chairman of the Appomattox Long-Term Recovery Committee.

He added the purpose of the conference is to give residents the tools to work through their grief, specifically during the holidays.

Maxey will discuss how these events and trauma affectpeople mentally and physically, according to Nona Puckett, another speaker at the event.

The conference is organized by the Womans Missionary Union of Virginia, which holds conferences like this one upon request.

[We received requests that] we do something in Appomattox for the tornado recovery families, for volunteers, rescue squad, whoever would want to come, said Nona Puckett, who will speak Saturday morning.

Pucketts talk, Surviving the Holidays: Grief and Loss is at 9 a.m. Saturday at Grace Hills.

A panel featuring Maxey, a chaplain working with disaster recovery, and a member of the Appomattox Long-Term Recovery Committee will follow.

It came about as a good time to do that and support and help the families, Puckett said.

The event is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. For more information, contact Carolyn Dolan by calling (434) 352-5806 or email appomattoxassoc@yahoo.com.
With opioid abuse steadily on the rise, a local coalition met at Lynchburg General Hospital on Tuesday night to identify local assets to respond to the epidemic as well as hear from Lt. Jon Wilks of the Bedford County Sheriffs Office.

The office initiated operation Pain Train to tackle the epidemic head-on in 2009. The task force members went undercover buying the drugs and taking down dealers until about 2013.

When usage of opioids increased in 2009 Wilks said the office noticed a rise in larcenies and burglaries linked to those buying and selling the drug.

Opioid medications are frequently prescribed by physicians for pain. Highly addictive, they are increasingly being misued for the feeling of euphoria they can cause.

One of the things I learned very quickly [dealing with the] opioid addiction is they dont care if they get caught, theyre just worried about that high and will do anything to get it, he said.

Wilks said the office was used to seeing cocaine, crack and marijuana but were strangers to opioids when they heard the prescriptionpills had made their way to the county for illegal use.

The increase in pill sales had a direct relation to the rise in overdoses in the county, he said.

He said he would never forget the overdose of a 16-year-old teen in Forest who wasfound dead on his bathroom floor following an overdose.

He was so desperate to get the high he took a fentanyl patch from his grandmother and chewed it, Wilks said. Fentanyl is a narcotic and the patches provide pain relief to users through the skin.

It started hitting all the areas of our county, from Forest, to Blue Ridge, to Goodview to Huddleston, he said. Its so rapid when it comes in.

The problem for law enforcement at that time, he said, was after those using the drugs were arrested and taken to court, most of them had no criminal background so judges could only give them probation.

And sadly they may have had a car accident or an accident at work and they get addicted to them [opioids] unintentionally but once they do, its something they cant help, he said.

He estimates that two or three of those the office came in contact with have been helped with their addictions.

We cant force them to do anything, we can only force them into jail and sometimes in these recovery programs they end up making more networking connections and find new ways to get drugs, he said.

By the time the county finally put a dent in Operation Pain Train Wilks said his department had learned of15 suppliers in the county who were going out of the state to get pills from doctors, whom they paid cash and had the pills sent to them. Many of the doctors have been located and put on trial, he said.

These dealers had 300 to 600 pills a month sent to them in the mail, he said.

Right now,the rate for one pill goes for $30, he said. Pills are preferred but more expensive than powder, he added.

With the end of the operation Wilkes said his department does not buy drugs undercover like it used to.

But heroinis coming back in and were seeing that coming from [New] Jersey and Baltimore.

James Stewart, with the UP Foundation and a member of the coalition, said the community must have law enforcement at the table for the community to successfully address toe epidemic.

Its going to take our entire community coming together working with law enforcement, he said. The pills and drugs are so accessible. Unless youre getting support, when you get out [of jail,] youll go back to that lifestyle.

Suzanne Peniche, a psychology instructor at Liberty University and member of the coalition said the issue is near and dear to her heart.

The problem is so massive and people need to talk about it, she said. The epidemic, its a middle to upper class problem.

The Central Virginia Opioid Epidemic Coalition has been meeting since June and hopes to generate open dialogue and change to make Central Virginia a chemical-free addiction region.
CASA of Central Virginia is hosting a shoe clearance sale Dec. 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heritage United Methodist Church, 582 Leesville Road. All shoes are new and $5 per pair. The sale is free and open to the public. More than 4,000 pairs of shoes will be available. All proceeds benefit CASA of Central Virginia. CASA trains volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children. For more information, visit www.cvcasa.org.
In September, officers with Lynchburg Police Departments traffic division were fitted with six body-worn cameras.

But Lynchburg isnt the only local law enforcement agency working to fit officers and deputies with body cameras.

Appomattox County

Appomattox County Sheriff Barry Letterman said the department has three cameras with seven more on order, equipping all 10 field deputies.

We have used them a couple times, Letterman said. Its a good tool to use.

The cameras, which are priced at $500 each, were all funded through a grant. Letterman said they received them earlier this year.

Its going to take awhile to get it down to a perfect art, Letterman said about the cameras. Its good for use and the public to have [the cameras] on us.

The sheriffs office is working with the countys IT department to store the footage for the time being.

Amherst County

Amherst County Sheriffs Capt. John Grieser said the departments priority is working to make sure every squad car is equipped with better dashboard cameras.

[Dash cams] are able to constantly capture, he said.

The department does have body cameras. Grieser said they made the switch to the WatchGuard cameras in May 2015. But Grieser said there are concerns about body cameras they want to iron out first before equipping deputies.

Battery life is the main issue, he said. These guys work a 12-hour shift.

Grieser said the current cameras in the vehicles are almost seven years old. The goal is the keep the technology current, which can be hard when cameras come with a $7,400 price tag.

The patrol cars see more action, Grieser said. About 90 percent of our fleet has recording capabilities.

Within the town limits, the Amherst Police Department recently equipped all officers with state-of-the-art body cameras this summer.

Chief Robert Kimbrel said they have had minimum quirks to work out with the WatchGuard cameras the department purchased. The biggest one is the battery life.

Our officers work so many hours, Kimbrel said. If they get called out after their shift ends, the camera goes dead.

Kimbrel compared charging the cameras to charging a smartphone. The cameras must be on a dock in order to upload footage and charge properly. According to Kimbrel, the cameras take four to five hours to charge.

Currently, the department has five cameras, one for each officer. Kimbrel said they will purchase a sixth camera for another officer who is currently deployed to Qatar.

As for the departments policy regarding the use of the body-worn cameras, Kimbrel said he will update the policy based on feedback he receives from his officers and command staff.

One of the things Im revising in the policy is if officers are responding from their residence for an emergency situation, they do not need to come to the office to pick up their cameras, he said.

Kimbrel said the reasoning behind this is it would take the responding officer too much time to come to the office to retrieve their cameras. He said the department does not have the resources to allow officers to charge their cameras at home.

Kimbrel said the department hasnt received any complaints about the use of cameras from citizens.

I think the citizens are comforted knowing we have the cameras, he said. Were all interested in knowing the truth. Thats citizens and police.

Bedford County

Bedford Police Chief Todd Foreman said their department was ahead of the curve with body cameras. Between 2010 and 2011, the department was given free body cameras through an insurance agency.

They were cheap, he said. I didnt like the security with them.

Foreman said the department is in the process of purchasing 17 GoPro cameras through a contractor. Each of the 16 patrol officers will have one, along with an extra one for investigations.

Foreman said the contract is $15,000 per year, but includes unlimited data storage through the cloud and will have the cameras replaced every two years.

The biggest issue we had with the old cameras was storage, Foreman said. We were purchasing external hard drives to make sure we had space for the footage.

The department has finished field testing four GoPro cameras, and Foreman said they are meeting next week to finalize when the rest will be purchased. He said the plan is to have all patrol officers fitted with the cameras by early next year.

Bedford County Sheriffs Maj. Ricky Gardner said in an email hsi department has 23 body cameras with 14 of them currently in service.

Each deputy working a shift is equipped with a camera, Gardner said in the email. We rotate the cameras at the beginning of each shift so each deputy working is equipped with a camera.

Gardner said the department went with Kustoms Signals cameras, which range from $700 to $1,100 per camera.

The department has received no complaints concerning the deputies using the cameras, according to Gardner.

Like any other piece of equipment, the body camera is another arrow in our ever expanding equipment quiver, Gardner said. The body camera protects the citizen and the deputy. To date, they have cleared several deputies of complaints brought by citizens.

Currently, the department follows the International Chiefs of Police model when it comes to camera policy, according to Gardner. At the moment, they hold all footage for 180 days, but Gardner said that will be changing to 60 days due to storage constraints.

Campbell County

Altavista Police Chief Mike Milnor said the department recently purchased new body cameras.

Before Milnor became chief, he said the department was already budgeted $40,000 for new body cameras. In September, Milnor went to town council to ask for only $30,000, which would not only include new body cameras, but four new dashboard cameras as well. The request was approved.

All 13 officers will be fitted with cameras and four new dash cameras will be placed in patrol vehicles.

Body cameras are nothing new for the department. Milnor said this is the third round of cameras theyve had since 2010. But with new technology, Milnor said both the body and dash cameras became obsolete.

The car cameras werent being supported anymore with the technology they had, he said. Then these body cameras being used every daythey take a beating. Our body cameras were getting to the point where they were going to start failing.

As far as the cameras go  I think its one of the best things to ever happen to law enforcement, Milnor said.

The cameras already have proved a good investment, according to Milnor.

Over the summer, Milnor said he received a complaint from a citizen who said an officer never gave them back their drivers license. After reviewing the body camera footage, the camera caught the citizen throwing the drivers license onto the dashboard and it slowly slid into a vent.

This citizen would not believe it had we not gone back and checked, Milnor said. Had it not been for the body camera, that [complaint] would have stuck to the officer.

While Milnors department has a clear plan, Campbell County Sheriff Steve Hutcherson has no plans to get body-worn cameras for his department.

Ive gone to other departments who have gotten them, Hutcherson said. For me, theres a lot more questions than answers.

Hutchersons main concern is privacy, noting the amount of time it would take to blur out personal information on the footage along with the cost for storage of the footage.

Im not sold on them yet, he said. My priority right now is making sure the deputies get a pay raise.

The department has 66 full-time deputies. Hutcherson said he wants their rate of pay to be competitive with other agencies in the area.

Hutcherson said the department does not see many complaints about the conduct of deputies. In years past, he said, dashboard cameras in patrol cars have helped clear officers of wrongdoing. Deputies also have body microphones that record audio, but Hutcherson said the department does not require its deputies to constantly record.

Hutcherson said he is not completely opposed to getting body cameras. He said if he felt a push from the community, he would look into ways to ensure his department had them.

Nelson County

While the Nelson County Sheriffs currently does not have body cameras, the department has started the process to get them, according to Capt. Robert New.

New said the department approached the Nelson County Board of Supervisors about funding.

Theyre very supportive, New said of the board.

The department has 24 officers. New said they would probably start small, getting cameras just for the patrol deputies and rotating them.

He said their department is also looking at getting new dashboard cameras for the patrol vehicles.

[Body cameras] are very good tools, New said. Theyre an on-sight eye witness

He said the department is researching possible grants and camera vendors.
Mustaches 4 Kids Lynchburg is in its last stretch of taking donations for charities before the final, much-awaited Stache Bash on Friday.

Chris Boswell, one of the fundraisers founders, said the Lynchburg organization is now a 510(c)(3) nonprofit after the first two years of working under Mustaches 4 Kids Richmond.

Ken Edwards and Ryan Zuidema, both of the Lynchburg Police Departments investigative division, have been growing their mustaches alongside three other coworkers. Besides the month of November, Zuidema said "you will never see the two of us with a mustache on our face.

Between the five Lynchburg Police Department growers, Zuidema said theyve raised around $2,500 toward the organizations $80,000 goal.

This year, the Boys & Girls Club joins Big Brothers Big Sisters and CASA of Central Virginia as fund recipients.

Edwards and Zuidema said its nice to do something to benefit the kids they see regularly as part of their jobs seeing the other end of it, as Edwards said.

 Its one way to positively impact them, Zuidema said.

To donate to any of this years growers, visit http://tiny.cc/1pbchy .
Michael Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan, said he learned many lessons from his father  lessons he shared with Liberty University students at Wednesdays convocation.

I knew him as dad, Reagan said of his famous father, who transformed an acting career into politics, becoming governor of California, then the 40th U.S. President and an enduring conservative icon.

President Reagan died in 2004.

Michael Reagan is an author, conservative speaker, and a former radio talk show host.

Reagan said many lessons were learned on the family ranch, where his father taught him not to quit, to never be deterred by failure, to stand up for his beliefs and to work hard regardless of credit.

His father passed along other lessons and hard-held beliefs, such as fiscal responsibility.

Reagan once asked his father for an increase in allowance; instead he got a lecture about taxes.

He said he also learned about the value of working for what you want, rather than being given it.

When I dropped out of college, my parents locked the doors, front and back, Reagan said.

Reagan, who was adopted as a newborn by Ronald Reagan and his first-wife  Academy Award winning actress Jane Wyman  said his childhood as the son of Hollywood royalty wasnt always easy, particularly his time in boarding school where he longed to be with his family.

Most troubling for Reagan was the time he was allegedly molested, at age 7, by a day camp counselor who took nude photos of him, an incident Reagan brought up at the end of his LU address.

Reagan said he was haunted throughout his life by the incident and worried that the photos, taken in 1950, would emerge and cause harm to his fathers political career and legacy.

The incident cast a dark cloud over his life and faith, and Reagan said it made him angry with God.

Suicide was an option, Reagan said.

But so was God, he added, and that was the option Reagan eventually turned to after many years.

As he shared the emotional part of his journey, Reagan asked Liberty students to stand, hold hands, and recite the Lords Prayer with him at the end of his convocation address.

Afterward, students said reciting the Lords Prayer with their classmates was a unifying experience.

It was really cool to feel the unity of the campus, said Kristen Smith an elementary education major from Lindstrom, Minnesota.

Amy Aday, a criminal justice major from Fayettville, Arkansas, said her takeaway from Reagans speech was that God has a plan for everyones life, despite obstacles and hardships along the way.

God has a plan for everybody, and everybody has a specific purpose, Aday said.

Convocation is held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the LU Vines Center.
Three protesters who earlier this month held a demonstration at the downtown Roanoke office of U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte were convicted this week on trespassing charges.

The Rev. David Denham, Anne Lusby-Denham and Angela Yarbrough were charged Nov. 1 after they conducted a three-hour sit-in. Their goal had been to encourage Goodlatte, who heads the House Judiciary Committee, to schedule hearings on five voting rights and campaign finance bills.

Goodlatte was not in the building at the time and, when the office closed at 5 p.m., police cited the protesters.

On the day of the incident, representatives of a movement called Democracy Spring appeared at all five of Goodlattes district offices, urging hearings on bills that would facilitate voter registration and set limits on campaign spending. Only the Roanoke demonstration resulted in criminal charges.

At a hearing Tuesday in Roanoke General District Court, Denham, Lusby-Denham and Yarbrough pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespassing. Each was fined $100 and ordered to pay $96 in court costs.

Denham, an ordained minister who operates Journey of the Heart Ministries in Roanoke, said the protest came about after four prior attempts to meet with Goodlatte proved unsuccessful.

He still has not responded, Denham said Tuesday afternoon. We have people in this election that werent able to vote because of, frankly, his stubbornness.

Yarbrough read a prepared statement at the hearing.

If we were lobbyists representing a monied special interest, our congressman would have met with us to discuss our concerns, she said in her remarks. But we are not lobbyists. We are citizens who share the conviction  that our country needs sweeping new laws to reduce the influence of money in politics and to protect voting rights.

Representatives for Goodlatte did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

After the November sit-in, Goodlatte spokeswoman Beth Breeding said police had not been summoned by anyone on the office's staff.

Congressman Goodlatte strongly respects the right of Americans to express their opinions, Breeding said.

This most recent protest came just two months after NAACP representatives staged a similar sit-in at Goodlattes Roanoke office, in an attempt to encourage updates to the Voting Rights Act.

Following that incident, national NAACP President Cornell William Brooks and NAACP youth division director Stephen Green were also convicted of trespassing and were charged $196 each in fines and fees.
GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
Girl, 4, was murdered

Police investigators made the confirmation yesterday having obtained the autopsy results which stated that little Jenice, a pupil of the Whiteland Early Childhood Learning Centre, in Gasparillo, died as a result of blunt force trauma to the body. The autopsy states that she sustained multiple blows to head and stomach area. She was badly beaten, confirmed police yesterday.

Pathologist Dr Eslyn Mc Donald- Burris performed the autopsy yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James. Jenice, lived with her father, Robert Figaro, 37, and other relatives at Morocoy Extension Road, Whiteland, on the outskirts of Gasparillo. She was the only child for her father and mother Shana Charles, 30, of Gasparillo.

Her parents have been estranged for sometime.

At about 9 pm last Thursday, a female relative found Jenice unresponsive on a mattress at her home. The child was rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Police investigators were told that earlier that day, the child suddenly fell ill. She had also been complaining of stomach aches.

Jenices paternal grandfather Lucien Fabien, 53, had told Newsday that a cast was recently removed from her hand.

A female relative claimed that Jenice broke her hand during a fall.

Newsday learnt that the grandfather and a paternal uncle witnessed yesterdays autopsy. Relatives yesterday opted not to speak to reporters.

Funeral arrangements are being made and police investigators say an arrest is imminent.
Kamla: PNM position is false and misleading

In a strongly worded statement, which came after PNM Chairman Franklin Khan cited the proportional representation rule to claim ownership of this corporation, Persad-Bissessar said Khans claim demonstrates the arrogance of the Dr Keith Rowley administration.

Mr Khan made these arrogant and incredible claims based on a nonsensical legal interpretation about selection of a chairman, viz, incumbency of the PNMs SG (Sangre Grande) Chairman, the popular vote and spirit of the law, she said.

This is patently false and demonstrates wilful ignorance and arrogance on the part of the Rowley PNM. Persad- Bissessar said the UNC clearly recorded victory in four seats in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and there was no recount for those four. She added that the EBC was still to recount votes in two seats claimed by the PNM within this corporation.

Persad-Bissessar said the law also made clear, provision for the manner in which a Chairman of a Corporation was to be elected, and it is not for Franklin Khan or Stuart Young or any Minister to try to change the law by press conference. Any pre-empting of such demonstrates a shameful attempt by the PNM to mitigate its embarrassing showing in yesterdays (Monday) Local Government polls where the UNC gained at least one and a half corporations and the PNM lost over 70,000 votes from the 2013 Local Government Elections.

The population has expressed dissatisfaction with the Rowley administration and no amount of PNM spin can change that fact, she charged.

The Rowley PNM is, therefore, being deliberately arrogant, ignorant and wilfully deceptive in their declaration of victory in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation demonstrating a continuation of their modus operandi since the beginning of their term in Government. Describing the PNMs claim as reckless and dangerous, Persad-Bissessar suggested that the overall intention of Government was to confuse the population as to the true outcome of Mondays poll.

She also regarded as deliberate an attempt to ignore the proper democratic procedures governing the Local Government process.

The fact is that the PNM has significantly lost votes, support and traction in its year long reign in Trinidad and Tobago due to its elitist, arrogant, incompetent and oppressive attitude and measures and its overall lack of any proper policy to serve the interests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, a fact keenly reflected in yesterdays election process and results. Meanwhile, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) did not immediately respond to the PNMs claim of an outright victory in the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation despite the 4-4 deadlock with the UNC.

EBCs communications manager Dominic Hinds would only say that the commission was still collating data from the election.

Once the information is before the commission, all the relevant data, the commission will make a decision on that, Hinds said, adding that he could not give a time frame for the EBC to complete its work.
CAL plane in landing drama

The incident occurred around 7.40 am on the international apron.

There was no fatality and no one was reported injured, director general of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Col (retired) Egbert Field, told Newsday yesterday.

The tail cone is the exhaust for the auxiliary power unit, which is a small jet engine used to start the larger engines. It is usually at the very rear of the aircraft below the tail. The crew of both aircraft were also on the ground awaiting interviews, Field said. At the time of the incident, Fly Jamaicas Boeing 767- 2000 was being prepared for boarding.

Field said both aircraft would not be able to leave Guyana until preliminary investigations were completed, repairs done and they were certified as being air-worthy.

Asked if the Fly Jamaica aircraft was not where it should be, Field said he did not know and investigations were ongoing. Nevertheless, he said, he has asked that the aircraft remain in position so that investigators could carry out their tasks which will include measurements and to see whether the aircraft was properly parked. All of these will be addressed in the investigations and will come out in the report, he said.

A CAL release said the Boeing 737-800 aircraft (flight BW 527) from JFK International, New York, to Guyana was involved in an incident on the ramp. All passengers and crew were safely disembarked.

The aircraft has since been temporarily withdrawn from service and all appropriate inspections and procedures, along with an investigation, are in progress, CAL said.
Woman injured by falling glass

Reports are that the woman has complained of not having any feeling in her face. The PSA said it has been calling, since 2015, for the building to be condemned and the staff relocated, but the calls have fallen on deaf ears.

This is another clear case of negligence on the part of the Board of Inland Revenue as the PSA has been highlighting the question of the structural integrity of the building due to its age, the release read.
It Took Heidi Klum

2 Years to Look Like This
(Newser)  The stylish grandson of the Italian founder of Fiat Automobiles falsely claimed he was held against his will by an escort with whom he had spent two days consuming drugs and alcohol in New York, a law enforcement official told the AP on Tuesday. Lapo Elkann, 39, was arrested Saturday night outside a Manhattan public housing complex after his family contacted police, telling them Elkann had demanded $10,000 from them "to guarantee his safety," the official said. Investigators determined Elkann concocted the whole story and made up the false imprisonment tale after he ran out of money following his two-day encounter with the escort, said the official, who wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing case and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Elkann was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting an incident. He was given a ticket and is due back in court Jan. 25.

Elkann made headlines in Italy in 2005 after he was hospitalized for a drug overdose in the Italian city of Turin. He told an Italian TV interviewer two years later that his past cocaine use had been a "mistake." Elkann's design company, Italia Independent, dropped to historic lows on reports of his arrest, hitting 2.70 euros per share in Milan trading Tuesday. Elkann, who was born in New York City, is the grandson of Gianni Agnelli, who for decades ran Turin-based Fiat Automobiles SpA and its affiliated companies. He is part of the shareholding family but has no role in the company. In recent years he has focused on design, with his Italia Independent company most famous for carbon fiber sunglasses. He also has designed furniture and collaborated on a Gucci design for the new Fiat 500. (Read more Fiat stories.)
(Newser)  Hackers attempted to hold computers at one Canadian university hostage for $28,500 on Tuesday, the Register reports. According to the CBC, Carleton University was hit with a ransomware attack from an unknown source. "Any system accessible from the main network, that is Windows based, may have been compromised," the university stated on its website. Ransomware is a virus that keeps people from accessing their files unless they pay up. A graduate student at Carleton says the hackers were asking for 39 bitcoin (about $28,500) to stop the attack. The university advised students to turn off their computers, stay off the university's Wi-Fi network, and not send any money to the hackers.

Last June, the University of Calgary paid hackers $15,000 to get out of a ransomware attack, the Ottawa Citizen reports. Ransomware has also been used against hospitals and public transportation in the US and Europe. Despite Carleton students having a hard time registering for things and getting their email, it doesn't appear the university is prepared to pay the ransom, with the Register reporting the school may be turning to its backups to restore things. Public Safety Canada says that's a good thing, as ransom payment doesn't guarantee you'll get your files back and encourages further attacks. A spokesperson for Carleton University tells the Register "it's hard to say at this point when the problem will be sorted out." ("Creepy" search engine taps into private webcams.)
(Newser)  With almost two months to go until Inauguration Day, Donald Trump has managed to fulfill a major campaign promise. In what appears to be a huge victory for the president-elect, Carrier Corp announced Tuesday that Trump had saved almost 1,000 jobs at an Indianapolis air-conditioning plant, NBC News reports. "We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy," the company tweeted. Trumpwho says he spent Thanksgiving working on a dealtargeted Carrier on the campaign trail after it announced that it was shifting production to Mexico and laying off 1,400 US workers. Trump gave supporters a "100% guarantee" that he would save the factory.

No details were released on the deal that persuaded Carrier to stay in Indiana, though sources tell the Indianapolis Star that state incentives were part of the package, and insiders tell NBC that Carrier's parent company, United Technologies, did not want to jeopardize its government contracts. United Steelworkers Local 1999 president Chuck Jones says he hasn't been briefed on the deal, but he is cautiously optimistic. The Star notes Carrier had already reached a severance agreement with workers. Experts and union officials had considered a deal impossible, with Jones saying he would be "shocked if anything was done" after Trump's Thanksgiving announcement. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  More than 30 years after it was outlawed as a widely abused party drug, researchers are once again using ecstasy to treat people with mental health problems. The FDA gave the green light Tuesday to large-scale trials of the drug, which is the last step before it can be approved as a prescription drug, the New York Times reports. A recent smaller-scale clinical trial in Canada found that the drug eased PTSD symptoms in 56% of patients, in part by helping them access repressed memories. "Some people will say 'I don't know why they call this ecstasy' as they're going through the therapy, because there can be a lot of emotions they may not be in touch with," researcher Alison Fudaccia tells the CBC.

The drug, also known as MDMA, releases hormones that reduce fear and increase trust, researchers say. Two recent US trials focused on long-term PTSD sufferers, including emergency workers and combat veterans, whose symptoms had not been eased by other drugs or therapies. A few experts fear that using the drug for PTSD therapy will increase recreational use, as happened with opioids, the Verge notes, but some patients say taking it in therapy was enough. "It gave me my life back, but it wasnt a party drug," a former firefighter who got his life back together after the treatment tells the Times. "It was a lot of work." (A recent study found that male and female brains react differently to trauma.)
(Newser)  Having the president-elect as a neighbor isn't all sunshine and roses, according to Tiffany, which appears to partly blame Donald Trump for its poor US sales over the last three months. Tiffany actually saw a 1% boost in worldwide sales to $949.3 million in Q3the company's first positive in two yearsthanks to a strong performance in Japan and China, per Reuters. But US sales fell 2% compared to the same period last year. In explaining the figures, Tiffany notes its flagship store happens to sit on the same block as Trump Tower, where protesters gathered both before and after the election, per the Guardian.

"With respect to the impact of recent election-related activity near the company's New York flagship store, management has noted some adverse effect on traffic in that store and a continuation of sales softness relative to prior year and to the company's other US stores this year," the company says. In other words, protesters scared away customers from what Tiffany calls "simply the most famous store there is." However, Q3 ended on Oct. 31, more than a week before the largest protests outside Trump Tower followed Trump's election win. With that in mind, Tiffany notes such adverse effects could continue in Q4 and beyond. (Read more Tiffany stories.)
(Newser)  A 2014 UN report accusing Kim Jong Un of crimes against humanity through forced labor camps apparently did nothing to deter him. In fact, North Korea has increased and expanded its camps in the years since, according to satellite images included in a Committee for Human Rights in North Korea report. They show "detention facilities close to the border of China have shut down" but "inland facilities have expanded" and "most importantly, thousands of people have disappeared in the process of being relocated away from the border," the executive director of HRNKwhich also spoke to defectorstells the Guardian. The report also notes that farm fields and industrial factories are still being worked at various camps.

Satellite photos from May and August of this year were also included in an Amnesty International report published last week and show "abuse on an industrial scale," a rep says. They provide evidence of six new guard posts and a new roof on a suspected crematorium at Camp 25, and though many buildings and housing units have been destroyed at Camp 15, people remained working the fields within the prison compound. "This regime still relies on a vast network of unlawful imprisonment facilities in order to exercise coercion and control and punishment of its population," concludes HRNK's director. "The people held there do not have sentences, they are not given sentences. Most of them don't know why they were sent there." These reports come as the United Nations handed North Korea deeper sanctions on Wednesday over its nuclear program, reports the AP. (Read more North Korea stories.)
(Newser)  Mitt Romney paid another visit to Trump Tower Tuesday night, where he says he discussed world affairs with Donald Trump and chief of staff Reince Priebus at an upscale French restaurant. CNN reports that Romney said he had a "wonderful evening" at Jean-Georges, where the men tucked into dishes including garlic soup with sauteed frog legs. "These discussions I have had with him have been enlightening and interesting and engaging. I have enjoyed them very, very much," said Romney, who praised Trump's election victory and his "message of inclusion and bringing people together." He said he has "increasing hope" that Trump is "the very man who can lead us to that better future."

Asked after the dinner whether Romney would become his secretary of state, Trump said: "Well, we're going to see what happens." The Guardian notes that humble pie was also on the menu for Romney, who denounced Trump during the GOP primaries as a "phony" and a "fraud" whose "promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University." Romney, who declined to say who paid for dinner, doesn't have a lock on the secretary of state job yet: USA Today reports that Sen. Bob Corker, believed to be one of several other possibilities including Rudy Giuliani and Gen. David Petraeus, also met with Trump on Tuesday. (Trump's advisers and supporters are deeply split over appointing Romney.)
(Newser)  What's said to have been the biggest child-pornography production case in Minnesota history ended Tuesday in a St. Paul courtroom, and two of the victims faced down their tormenter there. "We all can now be given freedom from this," one of the unnamed victims, now a young man, said after Anton Martynenko, 32, was sentenced to 38 years in prison for what the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls a "massive sextortion scheme." How that scheme worked: Martynenko would set up fake online profiles (often as teen girls) to lure teen boys into sending him nude pics, which he'd then post online. All told, he tricked more than 155 boys, mainly between 14 and 16, in multiple states, KMSP reports. Martynenko, who pleaded guilty in January, "delighted in the humiliation, embarrassment, and potential negative consequences his actions caused his victims," prosecutors said, per court docs.

Once Martynenko had the boys' photos, he'd threaten to post the pics online, and he'd often follow through. He also managed to persuade three boys into committing sexual acts on him, and two of his victims ended up killing themselves. One of the victims who appeared in court, now 21, said "my life has become a living hell" from the experience, while the other, who's around 19, noted Martynenko was "a terrible human being who spent years of his life making hundreds of teen boys miserable." Side note: Martynenko had two years lopped off his sentence for helping investigators on the Jacob Wetterling case. He'd shared a jail cell with Danny Heinrich, Jacob's killer, at one point and had apparently procured information. (The break in the Wetterling case came in September after 27 years.)
(Newser)  Katy Perry gave a "Roar" to Hillary Clinton in a pre-election concert, and Tuesday night Clinton returned the favor. The ex-presidential candidate showed at UNICEF's Snowflake Ball in New York City, serving as a surprise presenter for the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award bestowed upon Perry, per the Hollywood Reporter. "I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be here to help celebrate  a global megastar, a social media queen with the most Twitter followers in the worldalthough she's getting some competitionand someone whose powerful voice and creative lyrics remind us when you get knocked down to get back up," Clinton said in a speech that left Perry asking the crowd for a tissue. The Twitter remark seemed to refer to tweeter-in-chief Donald Trump, whom Perry also slightly riffed on when she noted, "I'm happy I've helped highlight the effects of climate change, which is real."

The Telegraph notes this is only the second public appearance Clinton has made since the election (the first was at a Children's Defense Fund event in mid-November). And Clinton made it a memorable one, noting "I've gotten to spend time with [Perry] and I know how deeply she cares about making our world a better place" and that "we need champions like Katy now more than ever." Perry, a vocal Clinton supporter in the presidential race and a UNICEF ambassador since 2013, returned the compliment as Clinton left the stage, saying, "I've always had a voicea singing voicebut I've never had a voice like I've had before. Hillary has lit that voice inside of me, and that light will never go out." The crowd apparently agreed, as it gave Clinton a long standing round of applause, the New York Post reports. (Fans in China blame Clinton's election loss for a canceled Perry concert.)
(Newser)  Be careful if you get involved with a high-ranking prosecutor; you never know what she might do if the relationship comes to a bad end. Brooklyn prosecutor Tara Lenich, 41, is accused of forging judges' signatures in order to tap the phone belonging to a married NYPD detective in whom she was romantically interested, the New York Daily News reports. Lenich was arrested Monday and has been charged with two counts of eavesdropping and 20 counts of possession of a forged instrument after allegedly wiretapping Det. Jarrett Lemieux's calls for more than a year, between 2015 and 2016. Lenich and Lemieux, 46, had worked together on a 2014 case. Their exact personal relationship is not clear, but sources tell the New York Post they may have been involved at some point and Lenich may have been a "spurned lover."

Lenich told investigators that she was tapping Lemieux's phone as part of an Internal Affairs investigation, but sources say it's not clear whether she had a legitimate reason for the wiretaps (which targeted Lemieux's calls to another Brooklyn prosecutor, a woman the Post's sources say may have been another love interest of Lemieux's) or whether she was just stalking him. A staffer brought the wiretap investigation to a supervisor's attention after getting suspicious about how long it had gone on, and neither he nor the acting district attorney was aware of the investigation Lenich claimed the wiretap was related to. Lemieux is not accused of any misconduct but is on desk duty during the investigation. (Read more weird crimes stories.)
(Newser)  Hell hath no fury like a woman scornedor the woman's kick-ass friends. As Canadian women Brooke and Vanessa write on GoFundMe, after about 20 years of marriage and eight kids, their friend Heather's husband (or "WASband," as the ladies call him, dubbed an "A+ term" by Redbook) was found to have been "sowing his wild oats with a neighborhood tart" who became pregnant. Heather is OK. She moved on, got a tattoo, and has a new job. But she lost more than her marriageshe lost the "one treasured designer item" she managed to own amidst the expenses of raising a brood of that size: a Burberry scarf, which Joe gave to his mistress. Brooke and Vanessa set out to replace it "so she can rock that motherf---in' scarf like the boss that she is."

The $500 goal was intended to ship the $300 scarf to the ladies in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, where they'd add some other goodies. Since the campaign's Monday launch, $1,046 has been contributed, along with a sea of punchy, slightly obscene comments. A sampling:

"You have awesome friends and I love that they're so supportive (and hilarious). I hope your ex gets the clap. And raging diarrhea."

"Oh hell no! Sisterhood of the scarf."

"I don't know you, but this was too fantastic of a listing to not donate. Enjoy the scarf!"

"Supporting a fellow single mom who was scorned by an asshat! Get that scarf and someone who knows your worth! Good luck!"

The women say the extra money will help fund Heather's airfare for a girls' trip in Mexico, but Vanessa also explains "it was never about the scarf. The scarf is just a thing. What this is about is rallying around an incredible woman who has been shit-kicked by life in the past year who didnt deserve it." (This woman wrote a hilarious eBay listing after finding out her own husband was cheating.)
(Newser)  Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson will not face charges over the fatal Sept. 20 shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in North Carolina, the Charlotte Observer reports. Scott, a 43-year-old black man, was carrying a gun when he stepped out of his SUV during a confrontation with police officers outside his apartment, District Attorney Andrew Murray said Wednesday, and he refused to comply with at least 10 police commands to drop the weapon. Thus Vinson, 26 and also black, acted lawfully when he shot Scott, Murray said, per USA Today. He added that he had consulted with 15 veteran prosecutors, and they unanimously recommended no charges be filed due to insufficient evidence.

Murray added that speculation Scott was holding a book, not a gun, proved to be false. "A reading book was not found in the front or back seats of Mr. Scott's SUV," he said, and Scott's DNA was found on the grip and ammunition slide of the gun, which had a bullet in the chamber and the safety off. Charlotte saw rioting, violence, and protests in the days following Scott's death, and police are on alert for community reaction to the announcement that no charges will be filed. Scott, a convicted felon who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2015, was seen allegedly rolling marijuana in his SUV when police officers were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on an unrelated suspect. Officers then spotted the gun in his SUV and ordered him to exit the vehicle; the fatal confrontation ensued. (Read more Keith Scott stories.)
(Newser)  In the past year, the federal government spent $2 million to discover that kids like eating food that hasn't been sneezed on and another $200,000 studying how fish bones influenced social status hundreds of years ago in Tanzania. At least that's how one Republican lawmaker from Oklahoma characterizes it, the Week reports. Sen. James Lankford has released his second annual Federal Fumbles report detailing what he calls "wasteful and inefficient" federal spending. The report includes 100 examples of federal spendingtotaling $247 billionfor studies, research, and more that Lankford doesn't believe the government needed to be involved in.

Take the Tanzanian fish bone thing, for instance, which was funded by the National Science Foundation. Lankford says the NSF needs to focus more on the "national" in its name. "When we deal with foreign aid, we should simply deal with foreign aid that is to the benefit of the United States," he says in a press release. But the NSF argues that's exactly what it was doing. A spokesperson tells the Washington Post that the fish bone study was done with a low-income school in the US to "increase participation in science by underrepresented minorities." And the National Institutes of Health says finding out kids don't like sneezed-on food was only a small part of a study intended to figure out how children relate to food in order to promote lifetime healthy eating. (Bee scientist finds $140,000 grant from NSFin his spam folder.)
iOS users are always on the waiting game every year since Apple has the tradition of releasing new iPhones every year. But 2017, which should mark the company's 10th year anniversary after introducing its consumers to touchscreen phones.

Apple has just released the latest iPhone 7 in September, and now, rumors are already spreading on how Apple will design the iPhone 8 which is expected to be released and available in 2017.

According to Business Insider, Apple is now testing more than 10 prototypes for new iPhones which may be released next year, and one of the prototypes is rumored to be having a curved screen. The news site explained that the phone will have OLED technology and will offer lower power consumption.

The report also added that most of the screens Apple is expected to be using for the iPhone 8 will be supplied by Samsung since Apple will need millions of OLED screens for the new phone.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports that Apple is not the first company that will produce a phone with curved screen display since Samsung has already adopted the feature for their Galaxy Note and S series.

Recent reports have shown that Apple's sales has been declining which should be a challenge for the company to make big changes and surprise its consumers next year in releasing the iPhone 8. Business Insider mentioned on their report that the iPhone to be released next year is expected to have a glass casing, offer wireless charging feature, and an edge-to-edge screen design.

On the other hand, other news sites like Time mentioned that other rumors spread that the iPhone 8 will come in three, instead of two variants: a 4.7 and 5.5 inch iPhones with flat screens, and one with a rounded display.
The United States is the most targeted country of terrorist attacks anywhere in the world and this includes their embassies. In Manila Philippines, the authorities recently discharged the "Improvised Explosive Device" or IED found 25 meters away from the embassy by Manila Street Sweeper.

Oscar Albayalde, the Metropolitan Manila Chief said they responded immediately after the report of IED found. He ordered for the bomb to be discharged as soon as possible over which two explosions were heard, reported on Fox News.

The "attempted act of terrorism" is described by the Chief-Director of Philippine National Police General Ronald Dela Rosa. He said that the main target of the insurgent group and not identified as of writing is the US Embassy.

On CNN News, this improvised explosive device consists of a detonating mobile phone, an 81 mm round mortar, and a blasting cap. Gen. Dela Rosa said this could kill a lot of people within the radius of 110 yards. No reported casualties recorded with the incident.

The insurgent suspected for the bomb scare is believed to be related with the insurgent who was now losing the war in the Southern part of the Philippines. The same bomb signature base on analysis matches those that blasted Davao City on the month on September.

The following are the insurgent groups related to the old groups against the Philippine Government and those connected with the ISIS group. Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), New People's Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Ansarul Khali, and the notorious Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) are the listed groups giving threat to the entire Philippines.

The US Embassy in the Philippines issued a travel advisory to all US Citizens to review security plans and travel destination relating to the recent bomb scare of their office. All Americans are advised to remain vigilant and monitor the news for possible threat to their lives and their security.
After taking a backseat since "NOKIA" was catapulted by its brand name in the telecom business, Nokia is back and stronger as it takes company ventures to a new level and redeem its lost path. "Nokia" had some bad business decisions that ebbed its sales and financial standings. This saw the decline of "Nokia" assets and cash positions. The state of "Nokia" resulted to retrenching of about 12,500 workers last 2014.

It was only last May 16, 2016, that "Nokia" had made a deal with other conglomerates so it could bounce back to the market. It did so by selling a division of its operations to FIH Mobile of Foxconn and HMD, a new company in Finland. The "Nokia" division sold is the branded feature phone. Here "Nokia" will have a seat on the Board and shall provide licensing of patents and brand provisions.

With Nokia's emergence in the market, it shall be accompanied by the 2017 Android Smartphone in 2K Display. HMD Global Company is behind the resurgence of the "Nokia Smartphone" and the upbeat comeback in the mobile phone industry. Something that tech analyst's will have in addition to the lines of smartphones to review and decipher. "Nokia Smartphones" will be made by Foxconn.

The "Nokia Smartphone" will have dimensions of either a 5.2" or a 5.5" inch 2k Quad HD display, installed with a Carl Zeiss Camera and SD 820 chipset. The 2017 Nokia Smartphone will have Qualcomm's Processor called the Snap Dragon 820. It is quite questionable as the 820-processor had already been edged by the 821-chipset. These features on a smartphone indicate that it is no ordinary phone but will be on a high-end definition, as reported by Techworm.

The 2017 Nokia Smartphone will be known as "Nokia Pixel". It will be joining the Mobile World Congress Tech Event on February 2017 in Barcelona, Spain from February 27 to March 2, 2017, according to a statement from Digital Trends.
New Delhi:

Two Indian Army officers and 5 soldiers were martyred after militants in police uniform attacked an artillery unit in Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu on Tuesday.

The terrorists entered two buildings which were occupied by the officers, families and men. This led to a hostage-like situation. The situation was very quickly contained.

In a deliberate operation, all were successfully rescued which included 12 soldiers, two women and two children. However, in this rescue attempt, one more officer and two jawans sacrificed their lives.

Also read: Nagrota attack: 7 army personnel martyred, bodies of 3 militants recovered; Parrikar briefs PM Modi on situation

Army released list of six martyrs. The details of the seventh solider were not given by the army saying his family was yet to be informed.

List of Martyrs-

Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir, aged 33 years hailed from Village Pandharpur, Distt Solapur, Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife, Smt Uma K Gosavi.

Major Akshay Girish Kumar, aged 31 years, hails from Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is survived by his wife Smt Sangeeta Ravinderan.

Havildar Sukhraj Singh, aged 32 years, hailed fromVillage Maan Nagar, PO Batala, District Gurdaspur, Punjab. He is survived by his wife Smt Harmeet Kaur.

Lance Naik Kadam Sambhaji Yeshwantro aged 32 yrs, hailed from Village Janapuri, Post Office Wadepuri, Tehsil Loha, District Nanded, Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife, Smt Sheetal.

Grenadier Raghvendra Singh, aged 28 years, is survived by his wife, Smt Anjana Sikaewal. The martyr hailed from Village Gadijatar, Tehsil Raja Khera, District Dholpur, Rajasthan.

Rifleman Asim Rai, aged 32 years, hailed from Village Ratanchha, PO Khotang, Nepal. He is survived by his wife, Smt Madhu Kala Rai.

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New Delhi:

Google on Wednesday paid homage to scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose on his 159th birth anniversary by creating a doodle that features an invention of his born out of his investigations into plant science.

The inventor of wireless telecommunication was born on November 30, 1858 in present day Bangladesh. Boses crescograph measures plant responses to various stimuli, proving a parallel between animal and plant tissues.

The great Indian scientist was acknowledged by IEEE, USA as one of the pioneers in the discovery of radio. He demonstrated that plants are also sensitive to heat, cold, light, noise and various other external stimuli.

For all this, and much more, a crater on the moon is named in his honor.

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on Friday two fresh petitions along with other pending PILs challenging Centres decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

While 14 cooperative banks of Kerala seek a nod to transact business like banks, a BJP leader, who is also a lawyer, has moved the apex court seeking demonetisation of currency notes higher than Rs 100 denomination.

A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur fixed the two pleas, which were mentioned for urgent listing on Tuesday, for hearing on December 2 when it will also hear a batch of petitions along with the Centres transfer plea on the issue.

The plea filed by the cooperative banks have sought the apex courts nod to handle cash on par with state-run banks, claiming that the move did not allow the district cooperative banks to exchange old notes, which was discriminatory as they operated according to the RBIs guidelines.

The plea also contended that allowing the private banks to exchange old notes while restricting district cooperative banks from doing so, amounted to discriminatory practice.

The plea filed by Delhi BJP spokesperson and Supreme Court advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay sought recalling of the higher denomination currency above Rs 100 claiming it necessary for curbing corruption, plugging blackmoney generation and to control terrorism, naxalism, radicalism, gambling, smuggling, money laundering, bribing and extortion.

Black money holders would be forced to deposit their unaudited money into banks and it will take years to generate that amount of black money again, thus in a long way it will help in putting an end to black economy, it said.

The petition, which made the Centre, Prime Ministers Office and the Reserve Bank of India as parties in the matter, also sought appropriate steps to restrict the cash transaction up to the limit of Rs 5000 and withdraw the online/credit card transaction charges to promote cashless transaction.

Take appropriate steps to withdraw all direct and indirect taxes except custom and import duties; and implement a banking transaction tax on receiving/credit account, the plea said while also seeking a citizens charter in every department to ensure time bound delivery of goods and services and redressal of grievances in spirit of Article 21 of the Constitution.

If Government recalls higher denomination currency above Rs 100 and restricts the cash transaction up to the limit of 5000 rupees, it could lead to an increment of 4 per cent in the annual growth rate.

It could lead to cleaning up of our electoral process, which is dominated by blackmoney of high denomination currency and thrives on a cycle of large black investments, capture of power through foul means, use of political strength to amass private wealth, all with disdain of the citizen, it claimed.

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New York:

Balwinder Singh, a resident of Nevada, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Larry Hicks to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, knowing and intending that such support would be used to carry out terrorist attacks overseas, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary McCord said on Tuesday.

A 42-year-old Indian citizen in the US has pleaded guilty to planning terrorist attacks in India, including assassination of officials, by allegedly providing material support and resources to terrorists involved in the Khalistan movement aimed at creating an independent Sikh state.

Singh attempted to provide material support and resources to terrorists to create violence and disruption abroad, McCord said.

Identifying, thwarting and holding accountable individuals who pursue international terrorism is a top priority of the Department of Justice, she said.

A citizen of India and permanent US resident, Singh went by the aliases of Jhaji, Happy and Baljit Singh and has been detained and charged since his arrest in December 2013.

He faces the statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

According to the court filed documents and admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, between September and December 2013, Singh conspired with others to support terrorist attacks in India as part of a movement to create an independent Sikh state from Punjab.

Singh communicated with co-conspirators by telephone to discuss these plans and agreed to provide material support by facilitating a co-conspirators travel to and within South Asia, providing funding and materials necessary to carry out an overseas attack.

In October 2013, Singh and the co-conspirators agreed that one of them would travel to India in 2013 and carry out likely assassination or maiming of an Indian government official. The final target would be determined after the co-conspirator arrived in South Asia.

Singh purchased two sets of night-vision goggles, gave them to a co-conspirator who was going to carry out the planned attack.

In December 2013, the co-conspirator attempted to board a flight from the San Francisco International Airport to Thailand in order to carry out the attack, but was prohibited by the US law enforcement from boarding the flight.

As a result, the planned terror attack was never executed.

After this, Singh and his co-conspirators continued to discuss and plan terror attack in India until he was arrested.

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New Delhi:

Changing stance on demonetisation, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has come out in support of JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar. Late on Monday evening, Nitish Kumar met Lalu Yadav at his residence. Later, in the presence of RJD MLAs, Lalu announced that he supports demonetisation move.

Lalu said that he supports demonetisation but still oppose the way it has been implemented. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 crurrency notes will be illegal tender. Barring few parties, Opposition has so far protested against demonetisation move.

Congress party is leading the protest in the Parliament. Lalu Yadav was leading the protest in Bihar. BSP supremo Mayawati has also been very vocal against the demonetisation move and is leading the protest in Uttar Pradesh. TMC leader Mamata Banerjee is also protesting the demonetisation. Mamata along with Aam Aadmi Party are protesting in Delhi against demonetisation.

Earlier, despite having alliance with Congress in Bihar, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar had chosen to support the demonetisation move. Nitish Kumar had made it clear that all the three alliance parties may take different stand on the issues of national politics.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Ji attended RJD's Vidhan Mandal meeting. BJP is restless & helpless cuz they hv been very badly washed out in Bihar pic.twitter.com/KctroxQQGj a Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) November 29, 2016

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Thiruvananthapuram:

Amid a controversy over the killing of two Maoists in an alleged encounter in Malappuram district, CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan on Tuesday wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his displeasure over the killings.

Action should be taken against police officers, if the encounter was fake, Achuthanandan, who is the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, said in the letter.

The government should be prepared to hold talks with Maoists rather than annihilate them, he said.

Meanwhile, former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, said he was against demoralising the police force by making allegations of fake encounter and said the force endanger their life during difficult operations.

Opposition leader in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala wanted to know why the chief minister was silent on the matter.

Why is not the CM telling people what actually happened at Nilambur, Chennithala said at a function in Kottayam.

Two MaoistsKuppuswamy Devaraj, a central committee member of the outlawed outfit and Ajithawere killed in an alleged encounter in the Nilambur forests in Malappuram district on November 24 during search operations by a 60-member elite team of the Thunderbolt Force based on a tip-off that some Maoists were camping in the area.

Even as the CPI(M)-led LDF government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, there has been widespread criticism over the matter with CPI, a lead partner of the LDF, strongly criticising the government.

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New Delhi:

Day 11 of Parliamentas Winter Session witnessed ruckus over Nagrota attack and demonetisation issue. Opposition has been sticking to its stand that the PM should apologise for his black money jibe.

On Tuesday, Income Tax Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the Opposition against the governmentas demonetisation move.

Finance Minister participated in the debate on Amendment to Income Tax Bill. Jaitley said, "PM Modi made a huge announcement on November 8 to fight the menace of black money and corruption in the country."

Here are live updates:

# Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 AM tomorrow, as opposition stormed the well of the House regarding #NagrotaAttack



#A Lok Sabha adjourned for the day after unabated Opposition uproar over demonetisation

#A If raising issue of paying tribute to soldiers in House is disrespecting them; they (BJP) must learn nationalism lessons again: Rajeev Shukla

#A Lok Sabha adjourned till 12:45 PM

#A If Opposition agrees for a discussion, Govt ready for a debate on all aspects: Ananth Kumar in LS

#A LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says as the #Nagrota operation is still continuing and detailed report has not come so tribute not paid yet

#A Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge & Jyotiraditya Scindia with TMC's Sudip Bandopadhayay meet LS Speaker over paying tribute to soldiers

# Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM after uproar in the House as Opposition raises Nagrota Attack and demonetisation issue

#A Cong neither wants any discussion nor wants House to function as they are scared of being exposed; it's an insult to Nagrota martyrs: Naidu

#A This is unfortunate; People of the nation hate such small politics; Congress party walked out during question hour and then came back: Naidu

#A Speaker informed that combing operations is underway in #Nagrota,once ops is over tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers: Venkaiah Naidu

#A Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 PM after uproar in the House as Opposition raises Nagrota Attack and demonetisation issue

#A Uproar in Rajya Sabha as Opposition raises Nagrota Attack and demonetisation issue in the House

#A If opposition wants a discussion on the Nagrota attack,A then Govt is ready for that as well: FM Arun Jaitley in RS

#A Opposition raises Nagrota attackA issue in the Rajya Sabha.

If raising issue of paying tribute to soldiers in House is disrespecting them; they (BJP) must learn nationalism lessons again-Rajeev Shukla pic.twitter.com/E9xx4IbzXy a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

...Aaj paheli baar humare jo sainik mare hain unka adar nahi kia, isliye humari party aur Opp ne walkout kia: Rahul Gandhi #NagrotaAttack a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Parliament ka niyam hai ki jab bhi kisiki mrityu hoti hai toh hum unka aadar karte hain..(ctd): Rahul Gandhi #nagrotaattack pic.twitter.com/MMTU6eh94y a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Uproar in Rajya Sabha as Opposition raises #NagrotaAttack and #demonetisation issue in the House pic.twitter.com/8EhNFEi7HU a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

My appeal to political parties in Parl-letas debate, discuss &move forward;Govt has nothing to hide &will definitely share with house: Naidu pic.twitter.com/oMrD277dBG a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

We are open to constructive suggestions; request Opposition that it's high time that debate must commence: Union Minister Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/r9kPZYqHf5 a ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an order that the complete National Anthem should be played in all cinema halls across the country before movie starts.

The apex court further said the National Anthem will be accompanied by national flag on screen.

SC's observations in 8 points

1. SC directs National Anthem be played in cinema halls across the country before film screening.



2. SC also stated that everyone present in the cinema halls must rise and pay respect to the National Anthem.



3. National Flag on Screen should be shown when National Anthem is played



4. National Anthem should not be printed or displayed on undesirable objects.



5. There should not be dramatisation of the National Anthem.



6. No commercial benefits be taken by a person by playing the National Anthem.



7. SC directs Centre that the order should be given effect in a week's time and be circulated to all the states and UTs.



8. The Centre has also agreed to circulate the order to all States Chief Secretaries and also to publish it on electronic and print media.

Many cinema halls are presently having this practice of playing National Anthem before the movie starts.

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New York:

Nearly 20 countries, including two UN Security Council permanent members France and Great Britain have joined hands to celebrate issuing of the Diwali postage stamp by the US.

The event co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of Belarus and India to the UN office along with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine would attend the Diwali stamp dedication ceremony at the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the United Nations in New York on December 5, according to a media release.

The event would also honour Ranju Batra, chairman of the Diwali Stamp project, who worked behind the scene for several years campaigning before the US Postal Service (USPS) to issue a stamp in honor of the festival of lights. It has become the number one best seller in the history of USPS.

So far more than 170,000 Diwali stamps have been sold.

Other countries that have joined the event as co-sponsors are Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Moldova, Morocco, Panama, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ukraine and Vietnam.

On October 6, the stamp was launched here by the USPS, capping seven-year-long efforts by Indian-Americans and influential American lawmakers to commemorate the festival of lights.

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Kashmir:

The BSF on Wednesday said that the terrorists who had infiltrated in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border on Tuesday entered through a small tunnel in the border area.

Infiltration happened through a small tunnel in border area, as of now no technology to detect tunnel, BSF DG KK Sharma was quoted as saying by ANI.

In ensuing ceasefire violations after surgical strikes, over 15 Pak rangers killed, over 10 terrorists neutralised. We have made a concerted effort to modernise our border fences, he added.

Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Samba on Tuesday after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.

ALSO READ | Samba Infiltration bid: BSF DIG among 4 injured in IED blast

Here is what all BSF DG KK Sharma said:

#We will take up the Samba infiltration bid and tunnel issue with our Pakistani counterparts



#We are making efforts to fill the unfenced gaps using technology



#A part of Bangladesh border is unfenced including water bodies so humanly not possible for me to put manpower in such areas



#Introduced 45 min Yoga session for our Jawans, supervised by Baba Ramdev,average weight of Jawans is now coming down

WATCH Video | Nagrota terror attack: Army releases list of martyrs



#Post surgical strikes, we started op called Operation Rustom as we anticipated problems wont be confined to LoC,will affect IB too



#Our jawans are attached with cashless schemes and their families also



#In ensuing ceasefire violations after surgical strikes, over 15 Pak rangers killed, over 10 terrorists neutralised



#Since surgical strikes, more than 15 Pak rangers killed and more than 10 militants neutralised,many Pak border outposts destroyed



#Infiltration happened through a small tunnel in border area,as of now no technology to detect tunnel



#We have made a concerted effort to modernise our border fences







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Kolkata :

Two more doctors alleged to be actively involved in the international child trafficking racket in West Bengal have been arrested by the CID.

Dilip Ghosh, formerly working with state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital linked to Sri Krishna Nursing Home on College Street in the city and Nityananda Biswas were arrested by CID sleuths late last night for their alleged involvement in the racket, a senior CID officer said.

Both Ghosh and Biswas, he said, had played crucial roles in the child trafficking racket and have been involved with it for a long time.

With the two arrests, a total 20 people have been arrested by CID in a span of 10 days since the racket was unearthed at Baduria in North 24 Parganas.

Ghosh, a resident of Salt Lake, was called by CID yesterday afternoon for an over an hour-long grilling at its headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan.

During grilling it surfaced that the doctor, who is in his mid-60s, knew Santosh Kumar Samanta, who was associated with the same nursing home and was also arrested for his alleged involvement in the racket.

The doctor, who was an active member of BJP, was asked to surrender his passport during Tuesdays grilling.

Biswas, a resident of Parnashree area of Behala, was picked up from his residence, the officer said.
New Delhi :

The government is ready for a discussion in Parliament on demonetisation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in it, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said as he appealed to the opposition parties not to disrupt proceedings.

He said the mood of the country was in favour of the move which is why the calls for strike and protests by opposition parties did not succeed.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an awareness session on digital transactions for officials of his ministries, he said demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes is a fact now and there should be discussion on how it can be implemented smoothly.

They (opposition parties) should come back to Parliament to discuss and debate and give valuable suggestions so that the country can move forward, said Naidu, who holds Information and Broadcasting, Urban Development, and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministries.

He said that many opposition leaders were now trying to clarify that they were not against the war on black money and demonetisation.

They are all saying this because the mood of the nation is dominantly in favour of the step taken by the Prime Minister, he said.

The call for a bandh was a total flop and the nationwide protest programmes also failed, he said.

They (opposition parties) tried to come together but there is now division as some people wanted rollback (of the move)...I just saw in newspapers that (RJD supremo) Laluji was saying that in principle he is not opposed to the move but he has issues with implementation, Naidu said.

The issues should be discussed in Parliament for which the government is ready. The Prime Minister will also definitely and the Finance minister will also reply in the end, he said.

Naidu said there are other issues and key legislations that should be discussed in Parliament.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore was also present at the event.

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New Delhi:

The government has decided to construct strategic rail lines along the borders with neighbouring countries including China and Pakistan, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

The proposal for construction of railway lines along China, Nepal and Pakistan borders has been initiated by the defence ministry as a strategic line, minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain said in a written reply.

A total of 14 strategic lines have been identified, out of which four strategic lines -- the 378km Missamari-Tenga-Tawang line, the 498km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line, the 227km Pasighat-Tezu-Rupai line, and the 249km North Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar line -- have been decided to be taken up in the first phase.

However, Gohain said, none of these projects has been sanctioned. Since all these projects pass through very difficult terrains of the Himalayas, stability, geology, constructibility, maintainability and safety issues are to be examined, he said. Accordingly, the Final Location Survey (FLS) has been taken at a cost of Rs 345 crore. For the year 2016-17, the ministry of defence has provided Rs 87.18 crore.

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Islamabad:

Indian writers and poets will miss this year's International Urdu Conference in Karachi due to the ongoing tension on the India-Pakistan border, a media report said on Wednesday.

The ninth edition of the International Urdu Conference hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi will be held from December 1 to December 4, council member Ahmed Shah said.

"Every year Indian writers and poets attend the moot, lending it variety. This time round, owing to the tensions on the Pakistan-India border, they will not be seen reading their papers or taking part in different sessions as panelists," Shah was quoted as saying by 'Dawn' newspaper.

Highlighting Indian writers and poets contribution, Shah said he did not believe in dividing literature on the basis of religion.

Though the Indian writers like Gulzar and Gopichand Narang have contributed substantially to Urdu literature, these days they are afraid of visiting Pakistan as they fear they would be treated badly on their return to India, Shah said.

Shah, however, said he would try and have some of the writers get connected to the conference via video or audio link.

Urdu scholar from countries like the US, Germany, Denmark, the UK, Finland and Egypt would participate in the conference, he said, adding that almost all renowned writers and poets from Pakistan had been invited.

Tension between India and Pakistan has increased after the attack on an Indian Army base in Uri on September 18 and the resultant "surgical strike" on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by the army 10 days later.

Since then, cross-border firings have increased killing soldiers and civilians on both sides. This week, 12 people, including three Pakistani soldiers, were killed in alleged Indian cross-border firings.

The Indian response came after the Indian Army warned of "heavy retribution" following the killing of three of its soldiers, with the body of one of them mutilated in a cross-LoC attack. Pakistan has denied as "false" and "baseless" its troops were responsible for the mutilation and deaths of Indian soldiers.

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New Delhi:

In first of its kind mission in the history of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), no less than 83 satellites are all set to be launched under single mission in January 2017, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Out of 83 satellites, 80 are foreign and 3 are Indian.

The 80 satellites weigh 500 kg and belong to five countries  Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland and the US. While the three Indian satellites are Cartosat-2 series that weighs 730 kg as primary payload, INS-IA and INS-1B, totally weighing 30 kg.

These international customer satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangement between them and Antrix Corporation Ltd., the commercial arm and PSU under the ISRO, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PMO said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The Department of Space comes under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).



ISRO's first multi-orbital launch in September 2016



In September this year, ISRO had launched the PSLV-C 35, which carried eight satellites belonging to Algeria, US, Canada and India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated ISRO for the successful launch.

The rocket carried five foreign and three Indian satellites. Three were from Algeria namely Alsat-1B 103kg, Alsat-2B 117kg, Alsat-1N 7kg, and one each from Canada (NLS-19, 8kg) and the US (Pathfinder-44kg). The two other Indian satellites were: Pratham (10kg) and Pisat (5.25 kg).

It was for the first time in its history of 23 years that the PSLV launched satellites into two different orbits in single mission.

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London:

One of the UK's largest Hindu temples has urged worshippers not to donate any new 5-pound notes after it emerged they contain traces of animal fat.

Sree Sanatan Mandir in Leicester made the announcement a day after Bank of England confirmed that there is a trace of tallow (hard fat) in the "polymer pellets used in the base substrate ofthe polymer 5 pound notes. Vibhooti Acharya, president of the temple, said it has caused "anger" among Hindus, many of whom tend to be vegetarians and do not believe in harming animals.

She said the temple's committee was considering a ban on the notes. "No-one was informed and it's been thrown upon us. We don't have the opportunity to choose. There needs to be a decision made between committee as to whether we accept five pound notes in religious ceremonies in future. We have to give a reasonable amount of time for resolve, [but] we can't really take any drastic steps because it's just not practical," she told BBC.

Donations are taken at the Shree Sanatan Mandir temple for charitable causes in the community. The city of Leicester has one of the largest populations of Hindus in England and is famous for hosting the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India. Meanwhile, over 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for tallow to be removed from bank notes.

The fatty substance used in the notes is traditionally derived from beef or mutton and sometimes pork. The new notes with an image of Britain's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill became legal tender in September this year. The production process was revealed on Twitter this week by Bank of England in response to a question.

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Five times the lying mainstream media was caught publishing fake news

The news war was officially launched after a liberal professor created a list of fake news sites, which spread like wildfire online. Its the beginning of the establishments war on independent media, disguised as a battle on fake news. To get an understanding of just how biased the fake media list actually is, the only mainstream media sites to make that list favored Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton for president. Of course, the real news sites wouldnt lie or do anything crooked like their candidate of choice would. Here are five instances where news outlets published outrageous fake news, with consequences catastrophic to civilian lives.

George W. Bushs weapons of mass destruction is a good place to start. He unleashed the full force of the U.S. military disguised as a war on terrorism following the attacks on 09/11/01. Afghanistan was chosen as a victim because of the supposed identities of the attackers. Iraq suffered the consequences following dubious claims that Saddam Hussein harbored destructive chemical and biological weapons while actively seeking stronger munitions. Judith Miller reported for The New York Times that an Iraqi scientist had seen several extensive caches of such weapons of mass destruction stored somewhere in the country. The Times spent months trying to backtrack on the story after its heavy flaws were revealed. The damage was already done though, since the story caused widespread public support for a war that nobody wanted the military to undertake.

The Gulf of Tonkin incident exemplifies the mainstream media working as an employee of the government, where anything claimed by a U.S. official is reported as fact. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was possibly one of the craziest lies made up to be used as justification for war. The New York Times reported that President Johnson had ordered retaliatory strikes against gunboats and certain supporting facilities in North Vietnam, after renewed attacks against American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. All the other news outlets took the story as real and published their own. This fiction for war story claimed the lives of tens of thousands of U.S. troops and millions of Vietnamese.

CNN sent reporter Amber Lyon and a crew to Bahrain for a documentary about technologys role in the 2011 peoples uprising known as the Arab Spring. What they encountered was a repressive and violent regime, which is what Lyon attempted to report on. However, CNN filtered and censored the truth. Many sources that had agreed to speak with CNN either hid from them or had vanished. Regime opponents who were interviewed suffered recriminations. Bahrains officials contacted CNN International repeatedly to complain about Lyons continued reporting on what shed seen. Intimidation continued until she was laid off.

Fox News repeatedly interviewed a CIA operative, who had in fact never worked for the agency. For over a decade, Wayne Shelby Simmons made guest appearances on Fox News, supposedly to provide expert insight into various situations. The mainstream media offered up fake insight as the real deal.

Almost 40 percent of all drug arrests in 2015 were for possession of cannabis. Millions of lives were ruined by criminal convictions for possessing a healing plant. The mainstream media publishes false propaganda about cannabis to convince people that it is as dangerous as heroin or cocaine. Despite many media claims that pot is a dangerous drug, 69 percent of the population believes it to be less harmful than alcohol.

Sources:

TheDailySheeple

NewsFocus.org

Submit a correction >>
Female student challenges anti-Trump rhetoric at womens college, gets kicked out for her views

Following the election of president-elect Donald Trump, leftists collectively lost their minds. While the mainstream media were likely the worst offenders of overreacting to this victory  especially since they were partly responsible for Trump winning  the liberal college administrators have been a close second.

After years and years of indoctrinating college students, these professors and other staff members are now becoming increasingly violent about whether or not students believe their lies. Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina is no different. A lefty professor at the school recently compared Trumps victory to a legitimate American tragedy, which led to one brave student challenging her views only to be kicked out for her opinion.

In an article published by The College Fix, Grace Curtis, who attends Converse College, writes, The professor told the class I havent felt this way since 9/11 and called Nov. 9 the second worst day in American history, according to the student. That spurred her to disagree and tell her professor it was disrespectful to those who lost their lives on 9/11. The student reportedly stated, I went to her class and got kicked out for expressing my opinion  I have never been so disgusted in my life.

This kind of behavior has become far too common in this day and age. Different opinions are only acceptable on many college campuses as long as they are different in the exact same way. Students are no longer encouraged to express their views if they may upset other people in their classrooms. This completely goes against the values that higher learning establishments should, yet it continues to happen every single day.

Treating Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton as if it were some sort of catastrophic event on the same scale as American tragedies like September 11th is misguided at best and completely delusional at worst. The man hasnt even taken office yet and some people are treating his presidency as if it were a total disaster. It is not fair at all and it just goes to show how badly the leftists want him to fail so that they can say, We told you so.

Unfortunately for them, every logical person remembers that they were fighting to get Hillary Clinton elected and she would have been far worse for our country than Trump is likely to be. So everyone, the mainstream media and college professors especially, need to take a step back and realize how ridiculous they have been acting.

Sources:

TheCollegeFix.com

Forbes.com

Breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
Mississippi teacher caught DRAGGING special needs student by hair, charged with abuse

A former Greenville teacher has been indicted on a misdemeanor charge of abusing a vulnerable person.

Article by Daniel Rubio

District attorney DeWayne Richardson said Monday that Linda winters-johnson would be arraigned Dec. 13.Richardson says he doesnt know whether winters-johnson has a lawyer to speak on her behalf.

A widely circulated video shows winters-johnson dragging a special education student by the hair and then striking the student with a cup on Oct. 6.

The Greenville school district fired her, and state officials seek to revoke her teaching license.

The charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Richardson says grand jurors considered other charges with higher penalties.

The district suspended superintendent lesson tailor and board members could discuss his fate Tuesday.

Read more at: wreg.com

Submit a correction >>
White House warns against blaming religion of Islam after Ohio State attack

The Obama administration is warning Americans not to cast blame on Muslims after a student at Ohio State University launched an attack on innocent civilians that was likely inspired by Islamic State terrorists.

Article by Charlie Spiering

Our response to this situation matters, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained to reporters during the press briefing. If we respond to this situation by casting aspersions on millions of people that adhere to a particular religion or if we increase our suspicion of people who practice a particular religion, we are more likely going to contribute to acts of violence than we are to prevent them.

Earnest said that although there was evidence that the attacker might have been inspired by extremism, his motives were still under investigation.

Law enforcement investigators have pinpointed the attacker as likely inspired by ISIS according to a CNN report release after the White House press briefing.

The attacker posted a message on Facebook that law enforcement officials have released to the public.

By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims. You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday, he wrote before the attack. Btw, every single Muslim who disapproves of my actions is a sleeper cell, waiting for a signal. I am warning you Oh America.

On Tuesday, the ISIS news agency Amaq claimed the attacker was a soldier of God, according to the New Yorker, and might have been inspired by the Islamic States terrorist manual.

Earnest praised law enforcement officials for stopping the attack just one minute after it began, preventing the deaths of unarmed victims.

We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the first responders who reacted so heroically with the situation there, he said, praising their bravery and professional skill.

When Breitbart News asked if the president had contacted heroic Ohio State police Officer Alan Horujko who shot and killed the attacker, Earnest demurred.

I dont know that theyve had a chance to talk at this point, but if a conversation like that occurs I will let you know, Earnest said.

Read more at: breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
S. Korean opposition to press on with Park's impeachment

South Korea,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Seoul, Nov 30 (IANS) South Korea's opposition on Wednesday said it will continue with the impeachment proceedings against President Park Geun-hye even though she has agreed to step down because of her involvement in a scandal.

Park on Tuesday said in a televised address to the nation that she was ready to resign before the end of her term due to her involvement in the "Korean Rasputin" scandal, Efe news reported.

The leaders of the country's three main opposition parties -- the Democratic Party, the People's Party and the Justice Party -- said they will not negotiate the proposal put forward by Park.

The President, who has lost the support of the people and all political parties, including her own Saenuri Party, left the decision of her resignation to Parliament.

She urged Parliament to establish a legal timetable and procedures to enforce her resignation and ensure a stable transfer of power.

The opposition called Park's proposal a political movement seeking to commit illegalities and unconstitutional acts in the National Assembly and accused her to trying to evade impeachment.

The opposition said Park was trying to buy time to push for a change in the Constitution, which will reduce the presidential term from the present five years to four and allow her to make a more dignified exit.

The opposition leaders said the South Korean people did not want to usher in the New Year with Park still at the helm and that the President had lost her credibility by allegedly participating in the illegal actions of her friend Choi Soon-sil.

The Prosecutors' Office considers Park an accomplice of Choi, who was allegedly involved in affairs of the state, though not holding any public office, and extorting substantial sums of money from companies she partially appropriated.

The opposition hold 165 of the 300 seats in Parliament, which means it would need the backing of the lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party to achieve the two-thirds vote required for impeachment.

The impeachment is expected to go ahead despite the fact that most Saenuri lawmakers have declared their support for Park.

The impeachment process will then have to be greenlighted by the Supreme Court.

According to protest organisers, around two million people took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Park, whose popularity ratings have dropped to a record low of four per cent.

--IANS

py/vt
Thai Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn accepts throne

Thailand,Politics, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Bangkok, Nov 30 (IANS) Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has already "informally" accepted to ascend to the Thai throne as King Rama X, said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Wednesday.

"(The Crown Prince) was known to have already accepted the invitation to become king. Everything has been done in accordance with the established procedures," Xinhua news agency quoted Prawit as saying.

Thai parliament, or the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), formally invited the 64-year-old prince to ascend to the throne on Tuesday.

Once the prince formally accepts the invitation from Parliament, he will be proclaimed King Rama X of the 234-year-old Chakri Dynasty, succeeding his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had ruled for 70 years and passed away at the age of 88 last month.

--IANS

py/vt
Suu Kyi leaves for visit to Singapore

Myanmar,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Diplomacy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Nay Pyi Taw, Nov 30 (IANS) Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi left for Singapore on Wednesday to pay an official visit to the southeast Asian nation, officials here said.

She is visiting the country at the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Suu Kyi will hold talks with Lee on promoting bilateral relations and cooperation during her visit, Xinhua news agency reported.

During her three-day stay in Singapore, Suu Kyi will also meet Myanmarese citizens working in the country and attend International Enterprise Singapore's Global Conversation with businesses, among other schedules, sources said.

Bilateral relations and cooperation between Myanmar and Singapore opened a new page as Lee visited Nay Pyi Taw in June.

During Lee's visit, the two countries vowed to enhance cooperation in economy and vocational education, signing an agreement on 30-day mutual exemption of visa for ordinary passport holders of the two countries with effect from December 1.

Singapore stood as Myanmar's second largest investor after China with $15.596 billion in 221 projects as of October this year since late 1988, accounting for 23.28 per cent of the total foreign investment.

A total of 212 Singaporean firms have been permitted to operate in Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC).

Myanmar-Singapore bilateral relations date back to 1966 when the two countries established diplomatic ties.

--IANS

py/dg
Motley Fool

Shares of newly public fintech companies Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ: UPST), SoFi Technology (NASDAQ: SOFI), and Lemonade (NYSE: LMND) were plunging today, down 5.2%, 9.3%, and 3.1%, respectively, as of 1:25 p.m. ET. It wasn't a good first half of the trading day for growth stocks in general, as investors may be worried about the Federal Reserve meeting today, in which the Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates by 75 basis points and give commentary on the rate hike outlook into next year. The decline even took hold of SoFi, which handily beat revenue and earnings estimates just yesterday, as the stock gave back all of its post-earnings gains, and then some.
Amnesty for armed forces deserters in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Defence/Security, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Colombo, Nov 30 (IANS) Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a one-month amnesty to soldiers who have deserted the armed forces.

The Defence Ministry in a statement said the general amnesty period will be in force from December 1 to 31 to enable the deserters receive legal discharge from their service, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to statistics, so far there are 174 officers and 42,506 soldiers in the army, 26 officers and 6,133 sailors in the navy and 37 officers and 2,806 airmen in the air force considered as deserters or Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL).

Deserters who report to their respective service headquarters or regiments during this period will not be subjected to any punishment or detention.

They can obtain their legal discharge after clearing all administrative requirements, the ministry said.

Sri Lanka has in the past announced similar amnesty periods which, according to the Defence Ministry, had drawn "good response".

"Those remaining can use this opportunity and obtain their legal clearance," it said.

The Defence Ministry said those facing disciplinary or legal issues can get their discharge after clearing administrative requirements while others with no such past records will be able to collect their legal discharge within a day.

Further, dues less than Rs 10,000 to be paid to the services by any deserter will be waived off while amounts more than that have to be settled.

The Ministry warned that authorities will take measures to arrest those who fail to obtain their legal discharge during this amnesty period.

--IANS

py/dg
Filipino-Indian beauty queen in Abu Dhabi

Togo,Diaspora,Cinema/Showbiz, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Abu Dhabi, Nov 30 (IANS) Filipino-Indian beauty queen and Miss Universe 2010 fourth runner-up Maria Venus Raj is visiting the UAE to conduct modelling workshops in Abu Dhabi, said a media report.

The 28-year-old model, whose father is an Indian, will be joined by Filipino-Scot actor and model Mark McMahon for the Ramp Modelling Workshop in UAE 2016 at the Intaleq Training Centre and at the Al Jaheli Theatre of the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi. The workshops will be conducted from November 30 to December 3, reported Gulf News.

"Basically, I'll be teaching children who are as young as four, five, seven years old. And then probably 13 and above - so [it will be a mix of] adult and children," said Raj, who was born in Doha, Qatar.

Raj, who stands tall at five feet-nine, will also be joined by Philippines "beauty queen maker" Jonas Gaffud and Miss Universe runners-up Shamcey Supsup and MJ Lastimosa.

"I don't know really what qualifications are needed to be a model, but I can speak for myself and on behalf of beauty queens. We are taught how to (walk the) ramp like a ramp model, but there's a difference when walking like a beauty queen and like a model," Raj told Gulf News, when asked about the skills and qualities required to be model.

"What supermodels do is different from what we are taught to do. But, based on experience, I've learned also a lot from the modelling industry. I think one important thing is that you should like what you do, especially with children. It's hard to walk on heels if you don't want to do what you are doing," added the Filipino-Indian beauty from Camarines Sur.

Raj said the real reason behind her participation in the Miss Universe contest is that "Lord had a purpose for me to be there."

"I am able to influence young ladies, especially children. Especially in (dealing with) insecurities in life as a woman or as a young girl. To become a voice for women who are feeling insecure, that there's actually no real reason for them to be insecure because we are all wonderfully made," said Raj, whose mother moved to the Philippines with her after she was born.

Raj also said that she hasn't experienced anything that is negative as a beauty queen. "I think [that] people expect you to look good everyday is a pressure," she added.

--IANS

soni/rn
Cabinet approves monetary assistance for displaced of PoK

Delhi,National,Human Interest/Society, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved central assistance of Rs 2,000 crore for one time settlement of 36,384 displaced families from Pakistan occupied areas of Kashmir and Chhamb.

The decision follows announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development package for Jammu and Kashmir in November, 2015.

As per the package, Rs 5.5 lakh cash benefit per family will be disbursed to the displaced families to enable them to earn an income and subsist their livelihood, an release said.

The amount will be released to the state government to be disbursed to eligible families through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), it said.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Modi.

In the aftermath of partition of the country in 1947, thousands of families from PoK migrated to Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, during Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971, a large number of families were displaced from Chhamb Niabat area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Series of relief and rehabilitation packages have been extended by the central and the state governments from time to time to mitigate the hardship of displaced persons.

--IANS

sk/pgh/
Trump speaks to Pakistan PM on phone

United States,Politics,Terrorism,Diplomacy, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New York, Nov 30 (IANS) US President-elect Donald Trump has spoke on phone with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a spokesperson for the transition team said.

The spokesperson, who mentioned it at a daily briefing, did not provide any further information about the call made on Monday.

Pakistani media reports said Trump had offered to play any role he could to help Islamabad find solutions to its problems.

Trump also told Sharif that he looked forward to visiting Pakistan and meeting him, according to Samaa, a Pakistani media website.

The account could not be confirmed independently with Trump's team.

Last month, in an interview to the Hindustan Times, Trump had called the situation between India and Pakistan "very, very hot tinderbox" and offered to "mediate or arbitrate", if asked to.

India opposes any third party involvement in the bilateral disputes with Pakistan.

Earlier, Trump had been critical of Pakistan for allowing some terrorist groups to operate from its soil and ridiculed President Barack Obama's administration for not being able to help the jailed doctor who helped the US track down and kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was sheltering in Pakistan.

After Trump's election, Islamabad's foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz had said that his country was willing to work with him in fighting terrorism.

--IANS

al/tsb
Google doodle honours scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose

Delhi,National,Science/Tech, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Google has celebrated the remarkable contributions of scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, pioneer of electro-magnetic waves and inventor of an early version of wireless telecommunication, with a doodle on Wednesday -- on what would be his 158th birthday.

Widely regarded as the first modern Indian scientist, Bose was born in 1858 at Munshiganj of then Bengal Presidency of British India, now in Bangladesh.

"Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a master of scientific achievement with numerous accomplishments in various fields," Google said in a statement.

"Bose was to become known not only for his work in biophysics, but also his innovation in the world of radio and microwave sciences, ultimately inventing an early version of wireless telecommunication," it added.

Some scientists even believe that Bose was the real inventor of wireless, not Guglielmo Marconi.

In 1895 in Calcutta, he publicly demonstrated wireless transmission of electromagnetic waves for the first time anywhere in the world, using the waves to ring a distant bell and thereby to explode some gunpowder, according to a biography at Christ's College, University of Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences.

The Daily Chronicle of England noted in 1896 that "The inventor (J.C. Bose) has transmitted signals to a distance of nearly a mile and herein lies the first and obvious and exceedingly valuable application of this new theoretical marvel", Google added.

Bose's investigations into nature included the invention of the crescograph -- an instrument that measures movement and growth in plant life by magnifying it 10,000 times, Google said.

He went on to demonstrate the similarities between animals and plants, particularly when it came to reactions to different environmental, electrical, and chemical influences.

--IANS

gb/vt
New immigration rules make H1B friendlier until President Trump takes over

United States,Immigration/Law/Rights,Diaspora, Wed, 30 Nov 2016 IANS

Chicago, Nov 30 (IANS) Even as broader uncertainty looms over the fate of the H1B visas under the incoming Donald Trump administration, some recent changes by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) make them friendlier to those already on them.

The USCIS will now allow terminated H1B visa holders a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs. Although the existing rules did not explicitly state that the terminated H1B worker had to leave immediately, there have been cases where such H1B workers had to find a way to leave the country immediately. Decision-making in such cases came down to the individual discretion of the immigration officer.

"The immigration authorities have now clarified that that is not the case ending what many thought was an inhuman provision," Neeraj Bhatia, a Silicon Valley based head of an accounting firm and an expert in immigration issues, told IANS.

Under its Final Rule published on November 18, 2016, which will be effective from January 17, 2017, the USCIS will now allow terminated H1B workers a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs.

Another change will also prevent the revocation of I-140 by employers for those employees who have held it for more 180 days but whose services were terminated. What this does is help such employees not lose their turn in the protracted green card process once they change over to new jobs.

One more significant change that the USCIS has announced relates to employment authorisation for H4 visa holders who come as spouses of H1B visa holders. Under this change, those H4 workers will not have to wait for the approval of their extension for them to continue working.

Coming as it does just before President-elect Donald Trump, who is known to be averse to work visas, is set to take over on January 20, 2017, this is a remarkable change. Of course, the visas' long-term viability could come under serious strain if Trump carries out what he has promised during his rather abrasive presidential campaign.

In its pre-election position paper the Trump campaign had said this: "We graduate two times more Americans with STEM degrees each year than find STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) jobs, yet as much as two-thirds of entry-level hiring for IT jobs is accomplished through the H-1B program. More than half of H-1B visas are issued for the program's lowest allowable wage level, and more than eighty percent for its bottom two. Raising the prevailing wage paid to H-1Bs will force companies to give these coveted entry-level jobs to the existing domestic pool of unemployed native and immigrant workers in the U.S., instead of flying in cheaper workers from overseas. This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program."

"It is ironic that the position paper did not realize that a majority of STEM students consists of foreign students from India and elsewhere who eventually get jobs via the H1B visas. It is well-known that not a lot of American students go for STEM programs," Bhatia pointed out.

The Trump campaign's position paper had also called for requirement to hire American workers first, adding: "Too many visas, like the H-1B, have no such requirement. In the year 2015, with 92 million Americans outside the workforce and incomes collapsing, we need to companies to hire from the domestic pool of unemployed. Petitions for workers should be mailed to the unemployment office, not USCIS."

While the H1B system may yet change significantly under the new president, for now, as pointed out by Bhatia, President of Bhatia& Co. with offices in Silicon Valley, New York and New Delhi, the latest USCIS clarifications do make things smoother.

On the issue of retention of priority dates, Bhatia wrote on his blog: "Workers with approved Form I-140 petitions, will generally be allowed to retain their priority date as long as the approval of the initial Form I-140 petition was not revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation of a material fact, the invalidation or revocation of a labor certification, or material error. The final rule provides that Form I-140 petitions that have been approved for 180 days or more would no longer be subject to automatic revocation based solely on withdrawal by the petitioner or the termination of the petitioner's business."

On the question of Employment Authorization Document (EAD), Bhatia said: "The rule automatically extends the employment authorization and validity of existing EADs issued to certain employment-eligible individuals for up to 180 days from the date of expiration, as long as a renewal application is filed before the expiry of previous EAD based on the same employment authorization category as the previously issued EAD."

(Mayank Chhaya can be contacted at mcsix@outlook.com)

--IANS

mayank/vm
Minister Chagger delivers keynote address at Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame Luncheon

GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Following the best summer for tourism in more than a decade, Lonely Planet's top pick of Canada for Best in Travel 2017 and National Geographic Traveler Magazine's inclusion of Banff in its Best Trips list, the tourism sector has much to celebrate.

As part of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) annual Tourism Congress, industry stakeholders, partners, elected officials and decision makers gathered in the National Capital Region to recognize the successes of the past year and discuss the road forward for Canadian tourism. The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism, delivered a keynote address at the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame Luncheon and talked about support for a new tourism vision for Canada.

In her address, Minister Chagger reiterated her praise of those who have positioned the country as a premier tourism destination. She mentioned the need for Canada to form stronger partnerships to grow our tourism industry, and she congratulated Air Canada and Destination Canada on their new partnership. In 2017, Canada will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. The sesquicentennial celebrations are expected to draw additional visitors and build on the successes and momentum of this past year.

Quotes

"It is no secret that tourism is part of every Canadian community. The tourism sector promotes Canada's brand and creates jobsfor the middle class and those working hard to join itfrom coast to coast to coast. The Government of Canada is committed to working with all of its partners in this industry, including small businesses."

 The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

"A shining light for the Canadian economy, tourism is outpacing global growth rates and creating quality jobs in every region of the country. With tremendous growth opportunities from the United States, China and Mexico, TIAC looks forward to the government's new vision to achieve Canada's tourism potential."

 Charlotte Bell, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Quick facts

TIAC was founded in 1930 and is based in Ottawa . It encourages the development of tourism in Canada and serves as the national private-sector voice for this $90-billion sector. TIAC also advocates on behalf of Canadian tourism businesses and promotes positive measures that help the industry grow and prosper.

. It encourages the development of tourism in and serves as the national private-sector voice for this sector. TIAC also advocates on behalf of Canadian tourism businesses and promotes positive measures that help the industry grow and prosper. TIAC has over 400 members and thousands of affiliate members from coast to coast to coast.

Lonely Planet, the world's most successful travel publisher, recently named Canada as the top destination for travel in 2017.

as the top destination for travel in 2017. National Geographic Traveler Magazine named Banff in its Best Trips list and featured a picture of Banff National Park on the North American cover of the magazine.

Follow Minister Chagger on social media.

Twitter: @MinofSBT

Instagram: minofsbt

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

For further information: James Fitz-Morris, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Small Business and Tourism, 343-291-2700; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]
Banff is the only Canadian must-see destination on the annual list

BANFF, AB, Nov. 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Banff, Alberta has been named to National Geographic Traveler magazine's Best of the World list which highlights 21 must-see places to visit in 2017. Announced Thursday, Nov. 17, Banff is the only Canadian destination named to the list and is on the magazine's cover with a photo of the iconic glacial-fed Moraine Lake situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks within Banff National Park.

The 21 destinations were chosen by Traveler editors. The full list can be found in the December/January 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine, available on newsstands starting November 29, and online now at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/best-trips-2017/.

"It's no secret that 2017 marks Canada's sesquicentennial celebration of cool. But we love Canada for little reasons as much as landmarks and milestones. So our story is about how an outward journey to Banff leads to an inner sense of happiness. The magic comes from person-to-person interactions with big-hearted Canadians, from First Nations community leaders to horse-packing cowboy guides to park rangers to some of the country's newer citizens, who hail from foreign lands but find a happy home in Canada. We aimed to honor the inclusive feeling of Canada, a warm embrace that brings a human-scale equivalent to those majestic landscapes," said George Stone, National Geographic Traveler editor-in-chief.

"I am thrilled Banff, Alberta has been named to National Geographic Traveler's Best of the World list," said Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Alberta Culture and Tourism. "This is a prestigious honour and we could not be more thrilled with the recognition of our province. Alberta is a place of incredible scenery, people and spirit. We wholeheartedly agree that Banff is one of the world's must see destinations. It is one of many locations in the Rocky Mountains and Alberta that offers visitors a great vacation experience. Congratulations and well done, Banff and Alberta!"

"This is amazing recognition for Banff, Alberta and Canada. The Canadian Rockies are an iconic, breathtaking destination that offers travellers truly spectacular moments," says Royce Chwin, CEO of Travel Alberta. "We couldn't be more proud to be part of National Geographic Traveler's prestigious list, especially heading into Canada's 150th anniversary."

"We are excited to share our destination with the world and are proud to be recognized by National Geographic Traveler as a place you need to visit in 2017," said Leslie Bruce, President and CEO of Banff & Lake Louise Tourism. "We hope that visitors will come and enjoy the array of incredible experiences in Banff National Park all year long. Each season brings a unique range of activities and breathtaking scenes."

"Parks Canada is a leader in natural and cultural tourism and we are all very proud of this recognition. Banff National Park is the birthplace of Canada's national park system and an exciting four season destination. In 2017, for Canada's 150th anniversary, admission to all national parks will be free and I encourage all visitors to discover what makes each of Canada's 46 national parks unique and among some of the best destinations to visit in the world," said Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

National Geographic Traveler (six issues per year) is the world's most widely read travel magazine and has 16 international editions. The National Geographic Travel Digital Group shares its inspiring and authoritative digital content, such as trip ideas, photo galleries, blogs and apps with its @NatGeoTravel community of over 20 million. To learn more about each destination visit: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/best-trips-2017/.

About Banff National Park

Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, founded in 1885, and is renowned for its Rocky Mountain beauty, wildlife and recreational activities. To ensure this is a place where nature flourishes and evolves for all time, Parks Canada strives to protect the region's wildlife and environment for the enjoyment of future generations. The mountain town of Banff and hamlet of Lake Louise are revered by skiers, snowboarders, campers, hikers and nature lovers around the world. Authentic Canadian cuisine is met with mountain inspired wellness and accessible adventure, making it an attractive destination all year round. Much like its neighbouring destinations in Canada, Banff and Lake Louise are diverse, accepting, and awe-inspiring in their own right. No matter what season, skill level, or age, Banff National Park is a place that can be enjoyed by all. For more information about Banff and Lake Louise and Banff National Park visit www.banfflakelouise.com and find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

About Alberta Canada

Located in the heart of Western Canada, bordered by the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the west and prairies to the east, the province of Alberta is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth. The picturesque mountain towns of Banff, Lake Louise, Canmore and Jasper are revered by skiers, snowboarders, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts for their awe-inspiring terrain, jaw dropping vistas and abundant wildlife. From exploring Calgary and Edmonton, lively cities brimming with music, culture and nightlife, to discovering dinosaur fossils in the mysterious Canadian Badlands, visiting Alberta promises to be an experience unlike any other. For more information visit www.travelalberta.com and find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox, combines National Geographic television channels with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, catalog, licensing and e-commerce businesses. A portion of the proceeds from National Geographic Partners LLC will be used to fund science, exploration, conservation and education through significant ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/69njeu45qat1kv9/AADBdQ9Q3_jIifBxJU1FJ6KSa?dl=0

Video:

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/JKVsbTWuKA8

Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/trdy1x314l32kh9/AADUu4aOEP-IGnACNQlLrQd7a?dl=0

SOURCE Travel Alberta

Video with caption: "Video: Banff, Alberta has been named to National Geographic Traveler magazines Best of the World in 2017. Founded in 1885, Banff National Park is Canadas first national park and revered by skiers, snowboarders, campers, hikers and nature lovers around the world.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20161121_C1337_VIDEO_EN_822921.mp4&posterurl=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos.newswire.ca%2Fimages%2F20161121_C1337_PHOTO_EN_822921.jpg&order=1&jdd=20161121&cnum=C1337

Image with caption: "Cascade Mountain over Banff Avenue in Banff National Park, Alberta. Credit: Paul Zizka (CNW Group/Travel Alberta)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161121_C1337_PHOTO_EN_822919.jpg

For further information: Media Contact: Travel Alberta - Rose Bolton, Email: [email protected], Phone: 403-648-1041, Travelalberta.com
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Giving Tuesday kicks off the holiday giving season. For those looking to get the best deal, Burnbrae Farms is partnering with the World Vision Gift Catalogue with an offer that will help stretch your dollar.

For every gift of Two Hens and a Rooster , Burnbrae Farms, one of Canada's leading egg producers, will match this gift, up to $10,000. This gift provides children and their families in developing countries with an ongoing source of income, food and health for growing kids. As part of this gift, World Vision provides training on how to care for these animals and create a sustainable income.

Canadians especially love helping others during the holidays. Giving Tuesday is growing in popularity every year and comes as a nice follow up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Visit www.worldvision.ca/gifts for more information.

Quotes:

"At Burnbrae Farms we go to work every day believing in the value that eggs have for families as a source of nutrition. When you give an offer like Two Hens and a Rooster through the World Vision Gift Catalogue, you're also giving an economic opportunity for farmers in developing countries who can sell these eggs at markets to help support their families. We're excited to see Canadians respond this Giving Tuesday to our offer to match their donation. "

- Margaret Hudson, President of Burnbrae Farms.

Quick Facts:

This is the fifth year Burnbrae Farms has partnered with the World Vision Gift Catalogue to help Canadians increase their impact at this time of year

Eggs are one of the best sources of protein available and are a great way for children here and around the world to meet their nutritional needs

Giving Two Hens and a Rooster from the World Vision Gift Catalogue is a great way to help families meet their own nutritional needs and create a sustainable source of income.

Burnbrae Farms is a 5th generation family owned and operated company that has been producing eggs for more than 70 years.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Visit our News Centre at worldvision.ca

SOURCE World Vision Canada

Image with caption: "Gifts of Hens and Roosters can provide a family with an ongoing source of nutrition and income. (CNW Group/World Vision Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161129_C4408_PHOTO_EN_827417.jpg

For further information: For more details, or to schedule an interview contact: Sarah Bartley - 905-565-6200 ext. 4054; [email protected]
OTTAWA, Nov. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) welcomes the announcement of approval of two major pipeline projects by the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau.

Skilled trades people and Canada's economy depend on major resource projects for sustained prosperity. This announcement means increased certainty for employment prospects for our members in the coming years in Alberta and beyond. Pipelines don't mean temporary construction jobs, they mean generational jobs at both ends of the line.

Speaking on behalf of CBTU, Canadian Operating Officer Robert Blakely said in Ottawa today: "Our membership, half a million strong across the country, are looking forward to these projects and getting to work. Canada's economy is founded on major industrial projects like pipelines. Middle class Canada needs foundational support in order to assist in the energy transition process. These two pipelines will create more certainty for apprentices and journey persons alike"

CBTU notes that both projects require certain binding conditions in order to proceed. Our members will engage with the proponents to assist in any way possible. Blakely added "CBTU members live and work in the communities where these pipelines will operate. The workforce shares responsibility for long term environmental progress in Canada - we will do the right thing by our fellow citizens in this regard."

Canada's Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 15 building and construction unions that represent a membership of more than 500,000 skilled tradespeople across Canada.

SOURCE Building & Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO

For further information: Christopher Smillie, Sr. Advisor for Government Relations and Public Affairs, CBTU, at (613) 236-0653, Cell at 613-620-0653 or [email protected]
MONTREAL, Nov. 23, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - A major component of the official program of events for Montreal's 375th anniversary was announced today with the unveiling of La Balade pour la Paix / An Open-Air Museum. This world-class public art exhibition honours the 375th anniversary of Montreal, the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and the 150th anniversary of Canada. It was designed and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) in cooperation with the McCord Museum, with assistance from Concordia and McGill universities. It will be presented along a kilometre-long span of Sherbrooke Street for five months, from May 29th to October 27th, 2017, and feature 67 works bearing messages of peace, in keeping with the universal values of humanism, tolerance and openness that inspired Expo 67.

67 works of art and some 200 flags for peace

La Balade pour la Paix / An Open-Air Museum will stretch from the McCord Museum, which focuses on the history of Montreal, to the MMFA's newly opened Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, a 375th anniversary legacy project. The route will be marked by 29 sculptures and installations from world-renowned Canadian and foreign artists Magdalena Abakanowicz, Cesar Baldaccini (better known as Cesar), Romero Betsabee, Jonathan Borofsky, Fernando Botero, Luben Boykov, Alexander Calder, Claude Cormier, Wim Delvoye, Jim Dine, Sorel Etrog, Ivan Eyre, Joe Fafard, Barry Flanagan, Rose-Marie Goulet, Keith Haring, Zhang Huan, Charles Joseph, Yayoi Kusama, Ju Ming, Robert Murray, Dennis Oppenheim, Niki de Saint Phalle, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangolo Pistoletto, Richard Prince, Ugo Rondinone, Wang Shugang and Catherine Sylvain. Many public institutions and private collections have made remarkable loans to this public urban project as well.

Some 40 large-format photographs by Montreal artists will also be exhibited along the route. Showcasing a generous view of our humanity, they will bear witness to the need to live together more harmoniously. The photographers behind these works include Benoit Aquin, Darren Ell, Aydin Matlabi, Jean-Francois Lemire and Isabelle Hayeur.

All along the walk, the flags of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada and the world's 200-odd countries will fly high over Sherbrooke Street. The spectacular installation, created by world-renowned Montreal designer Claude Cormier, takes its cues from Expo 67's playful, futuristic style. Many visitors will be reminded of the sight of Place des Nations decked out in colourful flags, a highlight of the Montreal Universal Exposition

Visitors strolling down La Balade pour la Paix / An Open-Air Museum will feel like they are taking part in a peace march, carrying on the important message of tolerance and openness conveyed by Expo 67, an event that has left an indelible mark on Montreal history.

The exhibition's ambassador is none other than Louise Arbour, who has spent her entire career fighting for human rights. Ms. Arbour is currently serving as an Ad Hoc Judge at the International Court of Justice and is a member of the Advisory Panel to the Minister of Defence on Canada's Defence Policy Review. She has sat on the Supreme Court of Canada, held a number of important posts at the United Nations, including that of High Commissioner for Human Rights, and is a member of the International Commission against the Death Penalty.

The summer-long open-air museum was conceived by Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the MMFA, in cooperation with Public Art Counsel Sylvie Lacerte, MMFA Curator Diane Charbonneau, and designer Claude Cormier. The exhibition is organized by Benoit Legare and Paul Lavallee for the MMFA, with Michel Dallaire and Claude Bernard in charge of technical aspects.

Quotes

"I immediately accepted Nathalie Bondil's invitation to serve as the ambassador for La Balade pour la Paix," said Ms. Louise Arbour. "The exhibition conveys the basic values of peace and humanism that are so dear to my heart. Expo 67 helped open Montreal and Quebec up to the world, and today, 50 years later, people from all around the globe call the city home, sharing their cultures and hopes for peace. This exhibition is a wonderful gift to Montrealers of every origin and a remarkable testament to the city's 375th anniversary."

"This will be a truly extraordinary event for everyone who loves Montreal!" declared Gilbert Rozon, Commissioner for Celebrations for Montreal's 375th anniversary. "It's a great opportunity for Montrealers and Montrealers at heart to come together and celebrate their city, and an invitation to acknowledge and appreciate Montreal's special openness to the world."

Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, said "As a generous, citizen-centred project that brings people together and is open to the world, the La Balade pour la Paix is an invitation to enjoy the arts in the heart of the city. The exhibition immortalizes our global village and upholds the message of peace sent out by Montreal, which opened its doors to the whole world for Expo 67. Flying the flags of some 200 countries, the installation reminds us that Montreal remains in the 21st century an island of peace for so many immigrants who have fled political, economic and climate-related tragedies. Is it common knowledge that Montreal has one of North America's highest concentrations of consulates, or that it is one of the continent's leading cities for students? It is these strengths that we want to celebrate through this one-of-a-kind partnership between four major institutionstwo museums and two universitiesas we pay tribute to Montreal, a centre of culture and learning."

"For the Ville de Montreal, La Balade pour la Paix is a big part of the events highlighting the 375th anniversary of the city's founding. This unique installation will capture the best of what Montreal has to offer. It will allow viewers to look into the heart of Montreal and see what we're known for all over the world: our harmonious diversity and the way we live together in the midst of a cultural hub and a city of learning," stated Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.

"Just like the 375th anniversary itself, La Balade pour la Paix is a community-building event that the Quebec government is proud to support. I want to salute this initiative, which is directly in keeping with the values of inclusion and openness that characterize our city," stated Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montreal region.

"Next year, we mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. It will be an opportunity to reflect on the path we have taken so far, while also looking toward the future with optimism," said the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. "In 2017, Montreal will also celebrate a major milestone: its 375th anniversary! Our government is proud to be a part of the project La Balade pour la paix / An Open-Air Museum. What a wonderful way to showcase the city and build bridges between Expo 67 and the artists of today. Together, let's celebrate these two major moments in our history!"

About the Society for the Celebration of Montreal's 375th Anniversary

The Society for the Celebration of Montreal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the celebrations and socioeconomic contributions that will mark Montreal's 375th anniversary in 2017.

With a focus on promoting Montreal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for local forces in carrying out its mandate: to mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage public funds, develop quality programming and ensure the visibility of the celebrations.

The Society benefits from the support of the Ville de Montreal, the Quebec government, the Canada government and private funding from 11 Great Montrealers. For more information, see www.375mtl.com.

You can find all our press releases and additional pictures and videos in our virtual press room.

Get all the latest news in real time on ourTwitter feed: @375Mtl.

Follow us on Facebook.

To learn more about the contribution of the Quebec government, a major partner in Montreal's 375th anniversary celebrations, visit the website of the Ministere des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire.

About the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

The MMFA welcomes a million visitors each year. Quebec's most visited museum, it is one of the most popular museums in Canada and ranks twelfth among art museums in North America. Its innovative temporary exhibitions combine artistic disciplines (fine arts, music, film, fashion and design) and are circulated to museums around the world. Its encyclopedic collection, which is on display in five pavilions, includes international art, world cultures, decorative arts and design and Quebec and Canadian art. The Museum complex includes a concert hall. The MMFA is also one of Canada's leading publishers of art books in English and French, which are distributed internationally. The Michel de la Cheneliere International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy, the largest educational complex in a North American art museum, is housed on two floors of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace.

Follow us: mbam.qc.ca @mbamtl #MBAM

SOURCE Societe des celebrations du 375e anniversaire de Montreal

Image with caption: "La Balade pour la Paix / An Open-Air Museum @Claude Cormier et associes (CNW Group/Societe des celebrations du 375e anniversaire de Montreal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161123_C2090_PHOTO_EN_824974.jpg

For further information: Media Relations : Society for the Celebrations of Montreal's 375th Anniversary, Isabelle Pelletier, 514 238-4178, [email protected]; Media Relations: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Patricia Lachance, 514 285-1600, ext. 315, [email protected]
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Nelson, Canada's leading publisher of innovative learning resources for educators and students ranging from pre-kindergarten to university and college, has signed an exclusive partnership with newly launched educational technology company, EssayJack. Launched in Canada in 2015, EssayJack was developed by two award-winning professors, Dr. Lindy Ledohowski, OCT (BA, BEd, MA, PhD) and Dr. R. Rueban Balasubramaniam (LLB, MPhil, SJD), and is ranked as one of the top teaching digital innovations in the world by the British Council and Cambridge English.

Proven in research, student's grades significantly improved when using the new web-based platform, with its easy to follow pre-structured text boxes, tips and prompts that quickly and easily guide a student through the thinking and structure of writing a highly, successful essay. The platform is also interactive, allowing teachers to collaborate, monitor and help students along the way in tackling the writing of an essay  as well as allowing students within the classroom to collaborate and share essays when needed. The entire EssayJack platform can be customized by educators and allows for rubric-based feedback.

"Our partnership with EssayJack exemplifies our commitment to delivering innovative, digital solutions that empower students with the tools they need to excel along their educational journey." stated Steve Brown, Nelson's CEO & President.

"EssayJack has been a significant success to date, launching in Canada and now globally," said Dr. Lindy Ledohowski, Co-founder & CEO of EssayJack. "There was a significant need out there to help educators and students in the teaching and writing process of creating excellent essays. The platform can be absolutely customized by educators and students now feel more empowered with substantially reduced stress and anxiety when it comes to writing an essay. Nelson is a perfect fit for EssayJack, and we are excited about joining this highly established, educational leader in Canada."

* * *

Nelson and EssayJack are launching across classrooms and campuses starting in November 2016, and look forward to building a highly successful Canadian partnership that will improve learning and educational success for both educators and students alike.

About EssayJack

EssayJack makes writing argumentative essays easier for students and makes teaching argumentative essays easier for educators. EssayJack is a web-based platform that users can log into from anywhere there's internet access and use on multiple devices from tablet to desktop. Created by award-winning educators, EssayJack was launched in beta September 2015.

For more information, please visit: www.essayjack.com

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/essayjack

Follow us on Twitter: @EssayJack

About Nelson

Nelson is Canada's leading educational publisher providing innovative products and solutions for learners of all ages. Nelson values and respects the lifelong learning continuum and dedicates its business efforts to the diverse learning needs of students and educators alike.

For more information, please visit: www.nelson.com

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nelsonschoolcentral

Follow us on Twitter: @NelsonSchoolK12

SOURCE EssayJack Inc.

For further information: EssayJack Media Contact: Lindy Ledohowski, CEO, Email: [email protected], Phone: 647-490-4719; Nelson Media Contact: Lesley Broadhurst, Director Marketing, Email: [email protected], Phone: 416-712-8567
GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 25, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Museum of History is pleased to announce that Lester B. Pearson's 1957 Nobel Peace Prize medal will be displayed in the Museum's new Canadian History Hall, set to open in July 2017. The medal will be on long-term loan to the Museum from Global Affairs Canada, with the support of Lester B. Pearson's family,

"The Canadian Museum of History is very grateful to the Pearson family and Global Affairs Canada for the loan of this important piece of history," said Mark O'Neill, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Museum. "The medal is a formidable addition to our new Hall, in the section telling the story of Canada in the world since 1945. His Nobel Prize represents an iconic achievement in world peace by an extraordinary Canadian."

"At Global Affairs Canada we were honoured to be the custodian of this important symbol of peace. It is a significant reminder of Lester B. Pearson's legacy as we work to continue to advance Canadian efforts to make the world a better, more just and safer place," said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ian Shugart. "We are proud to share this symbol with all Canadians as we offer the extended loan of his Nobel Peace Prize Medal to be seen by all visitors to the Canadian Museum of History in 2017."

"The Pearson family is delighted that the Nobel Peace Prize medal will soon be on display at the Canadian Museum of History where so many more young people will be able to see it, to reflect on what 'peace' means and what role they may play in securing it throughout the world," said the Honourable Landon Pearson, OC, the daughter-in-law of Lester B. Pearson.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to individuals for outstanding contributions in peace. The award has been presented 97 times. Past recipients include Martin Luther King Jr. and Malala Yousafzai. Pearson, Canada's 14th prime minister, is the first and only Canadian individual so honoured.

Pearson received the award for his role in helping to resolve the Suez crisis in 1956. Great Britain, France and Israel had attacked Egypt in an effort to regain control of the Suez Canal and remove President Gamal Abdel Nasser, an action that divided the Western alliance, angered the Soviet Union and threatened the outbreak of a major war in the Middle East. Pearson, then Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, successfully argued for the deployment of a United Nations Emergency Force to the region defusing the immediate crisis.

Pearson's medal will be displayed in Gallery 3 of the new Canadian History Hall. The gallery explores the years after 1914 and will include the story of how Canada became a significant international player after 1945. The 40,000 square foot Hall, which traces Canada's history from the dawn of human habitation to the present day, will open on July 1, 2017 for the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum's principal role is to enhance Canadians' knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada's history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians' awareness of world history and culture. Work of the Canadian Museum of History is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

For more information, visit historymuseum.ca and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

If you would like to have your name removed from our distribution list or if this information should be directed to someone else, please send an email to [email protected].

SOURCE Canadian Museum of History

Image with caption: "Mr. Mark ONeill, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum of History with The Honourable Landon Pearson, O.C. Former Senator and childrens rights advocate and Mr. Ian Shugart, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (CNW Group/Canadian Museum of History)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161125_C3995_PHOTO_EN_826008.jpg

Image with caption: "Lester B. Pearsons 1957 Nobel Peace Prize medal (CNW Group/Canadian Museum of History)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161125_C3995_PHOTO_EN_826006.jpg

For further information: Stephanie Verner, Media Relations Officer, Telephone: 819-776-7169, [email protected]; Eliane Laberge, Social Media and Media Relations Officer, Telephone: 819-776-7097, [email protected]
Telefilm highlights recently announced measures to achieve gender parity in production financing by 2020

Focus on emerging talent through the Talent Fund-supported Micro-Budget Production Program: 15 first projects funded in 2015-2016, and 55 funded since the Program's launch

Spotlight on Western Canadian talent: Suzanne Crocker (All the Time in the World), Ann Marie Fleming (Window Horses), Kevan Funk (Hello Destroyer), Connor Gaston (The Devout), Guy Maddin (The Forbidden Room), Nettie Wild (Koneline: Our Land Beautiful)

VANCOUVER, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Telefilm Canada held its Annual Public Assembly this morning at the Vancouver International Film Centre's Vancity Theatre. The Assembly was held under the theme Celebrating 50 years of talenta reference to Telefilm's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2017. The Assembly was attended by members of the general public and Canada's audiovisual industry.

At the Assembly, Telefilm released its similarly titled 2015-2016 annual report, Celebrating 50 years of talent.

"Telefilm's 50th anniversary in 2017and Canada's 150thprovide us with wonderful opportunities to celebrate our country's outstanding audiovisual industry and the many talented creators who have shaped and enriched it over the years," said Michel Roy, Chair of Telefilm's Board. "Telefilm is proud to support and promote this vital cultural industry for nearly five decades, in particular emerging filmmakers, whose diverse voices and stories have enthralled audiences around the world."

Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, added: "Over the next year, and the years ahead, we will continue our efforts, in collaboration with the industry, to foster more diversity and representation. We are committed to ensuring that unique Canadian voices, both new and established, continue to be heard. We will ensure that our programs evolve so they are always better adapted to the industry's reality and needs. We'll work toward all these goals by being creative and by acting boldly."

Corporate highlights

In 2015-2016, Telefilm Canada supported the production of 110 feature films, the marketing of 105 feature films and the development of 258 projects, and helped to promote Canadian talent at 42 festivals and 102 events and initiatives across the country and at 34 festivals, markets and events around the worldfor a total investment of $95.7 million .

. 2015-2016 marked Telefilm's 40 th anniversary in coproduction management. In 2015, total production budgets for 53 film and television treaty coproduction projects amounted to $447 million and involved 15 partner countries. In 2016, Canada and Ireland signed a new coproduction treaty.

anniversary in coproduction management. In 2015, total production budgets for 53 film and television treaty coproduction projects amounted to and involved 15 partner countries. In 2016, and signed a new coproduction treaty. In November 2016 , Telefilm Canada announced that it is aiming to achieve, by 2020, a balanced production portfolio (at all budget levels) that reflects gender parity in each of the key roles of director, writer and producer.

, Telefilm Canada announced that it is aiming to achieve, by 2020, a balanced production portfolio (at all budget levels) that reflects gender parity in each of the key roles of director, writer and producer. The Talent Fund, a private donation fund, has raised more than $15 million to date to ensure, notably, that emerging Canadian talent is increasingly visible around the world. The Fund now finances over 75% of the Micro-Budget Production Program.

to date to ensure, notably, that emerging Canadian talent is increasingly visible around the world. The Fund now finances over 75% of the Micro-Budget Production Program. To date, the Micro-Budget Production Program has funded 55 debut projects by promising emerging filmmakers. A number of recipients have achieved critical success: Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy ( The Editor ), Connor Gaston ( The Devout ), Amy Jo Johnson ( The Space Between ), Julie Lambert ( Un film de chasse de filles ), Ashley McKenzie ( Werewolf ), Christian Sparkes ( Cast No Shadow ), Kyle Thomas ( The Valley Below ), as well as Indigenous filmmakers Sonia Bonspille Boileau ( Le Dep ) and Adam Garnet Jones ( Fire Song ).

and ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), as well as Indigenous filmmakers ( ) and ( ). In 2015-2016, Telefilm allocated a large portion of its production funding to first and second feature films, with 46% of production funding devoted to first- or second-time filmmakers, which corresponds to 67% of titles funded.

Telefilm's parliamentary appropriation will increase by $22 million over the next five years. In consultation with the Department of Canadian Heritage, and in line with Telefilm's strategic priorities, new money will be used for coproduction and national and international promotion.

over the next five years. In consultation with the Department of Canadian Heritage, and in line with Telefilm's strategic priorities, new money will be used for coproduction and national and international promotion. To better promote Canadian films and talent, Telefilm will now support an additional 34 international festivals that serve as major springboards for emerging filmmakers.

Telefilm's public and private partners strongly supported the promotion of Canadian talent. Partners include the Canada Media Fund; Bell Media and Corus Entertainment, for the Talent Fund; the Rogers Group of Funds, for the Theatrical Documentary Program (38 projects over the last 10 years); the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television; festivals; consulates; provincial organizations; and private-sector companies such as Birks, which again paid tribute to Canadian women in film at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

Telefilm launched, with the industry, the Canada First audience-focused strategya national promotional campaign developed to drive consumer awareness for Canada's screen production.

screen production. Telefilm continued to provide the industry with leading-edge market intelligence and strategic research. In November 2016 , Telefilm released a new study, Understanding and engaging with audiences , which identifies two groups of Canadian viewers"Curious" and "Belonging"as primary targets to promote homegrown content and who together represent 50% of content viewers in the country.

, Telefilm released a new study, , which identifies two groups of Canadian viewers"Curious" and "Belonging"as primary targets to promote homegrown content and who together represent 50% of content viewers in the country. Telefilm launched a new export assistance pilot program for fiscal 2016-2017. The program aims to support foreign companies acquiring Canadian films, with the objective of increasing the visibility of Canadian talent and productions internationally.

Telefilm's management-expense ratio stood at 5.2% for a second consecutive year. Over the last five fiscal years, Telefilm has transferred $9.4 million in administrative budgetary savings to program funding.

in administrative budgetary savings to program funding. Client satisfaction levels reached 87%well above the organization's target rate of 80%.

In 2015-2016, Telefilm and the Canada Media Fund marked the 10th anniversary of their partnership.

Industry success stories

For the first time, two Canadian coproductions Brooklyn and Room were nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 2016. The star of Room , Brie Larson, won the Oscar and Golden Globe for best actress. Canadian talent was behind 21 Oscar nominations.

and were nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 2016. The star of , Brie Larson, won the Oscar and Golden Globe for best actress. Canadian talent was behind 21 Oscar nominations. Brooklyn earned a total of $6 million at the Canadian box office, while the animated feature Snowtime! ( La Guerre des tuques 3D ) took in a total of $3 million . Furthermore, five features also took in more than $1 million at the Canadian box office in 2015: Ego Trip , Le mirage , The Passion of Augustine ( La passion d'Augustine ), Paul a Quebec and Room .

earned a total of at the Canadian box office, while the animated feature ( ) took in a total of . Furthermore, five features also took in more than at the Canadian box office in 2015: , , ( ), and . Emerging Canadian talent shone brightly in 2015-2016. Among them: Stephen Dunn , whose Closet Monster won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF as well as Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter at the Atlantic Film Festival (2015); the directors of Turbo Kid Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whisselltook home Best Director at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (2015); Anne Emond, whose second film, Les etres chers , screened at the prestigious festivals of Locarno, Namur and Goteborg (2015); and Stella Meghie , whose debut feature, Jean of the Joneses , was just nominated for an Independent Spirit Award (2016).

, whose won Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF as well as Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter at the Atlantic Film Festival (2015); the directors of Francois Simard, and Yoann-Karl Whisselltook home Best Director at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (2015); Anne Emond, whose second film, , screened at the prestigious festivals of Locarno, and Goteborg (2015); and , whose debut feature, , was just nominated for an Independent Spirit Award (2016). In 2015-2016, Canadian talent excelled around the world, with films selected at 83 international festivals and winning 37 prizes.

Telefilm's Success Index rose by 8% over the previous fiscal year, driven, among other things, by strong international sales of Canadian films, selections and prizes at international festivals, and significant growth (31%) in both foreign and private investment in Canadian production.

About Telefilm Canada's Annual Public Assembly

Telefilm will shortly post online the speeches delivered at its Annual Public Assembly as well as answers to questions received from attendees. Check out the Speeches section on Telefilm's Website.

About Telefilm CanadaInspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.

Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada's audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2013, the Talent Fund accepts private donations to principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

SOURCE Telefilm Canada

For further information: Media enquiries: Douglas Chow, Head, Public Relations, Telefilm Canada, (514) 283-0838 ext. 2048 or 1-800-567-0890, [email protected]
Cup of Good Deeds visited six communities to spread even more warmth and cheer

OAKVILLE, ON, Nov. 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, Tim Hortons released its annual #WarmWishes video, capturing the surprise and delight of more than 150 deserving Canadians from across the country. Unsuspecting Guests from six communities received kind wishes, nominated on their behalf by friends, family and neighbours during one day on November 16. Since the launch of the campaign three years ago, 2016 marks the biggest year yet for #WarmWishes, building upon last year's transformation of a restaurant in Grimsby, Ontario to a House of Warm Wishes.

Requests as small, but meaningful, as delivering hot chocolate and Timbits for nurses, raking leaves for a neighbour and giving flowers to a partner were submitted in the Cup of Good Deeds and fulfilled by Tim Hortons staff. Additional deeds like providing food and supplies to animal shelters, donating baby formula and diapers to a pregnancy centre, and delivering books to a school library, among many others, helped communities come together.

"We know Canadians want to give back during the holiday season, but they may not always have the time or resources to do so," says Sami Siddiqui, President, Tim Hortons Canada. "We feel that's why this campaign continues to grow year after year. This is our small way of celebrating Canadians giving back and making this a season of warm wishes."



The latest #WarmWishes video, filmed simultaneously across the country in Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary and Vancouver, beautifully captures the Canadian spirit. The video showcases the generosity of Tim Hortons Guests by sharing stories and good deeds they requested for deserving individuals in their communities this holiday season. Check out the video by clicking here.

Guests still hoping to participate in this year's #WarmWishes campaign have until December 14, 2016 to submit their good deed request via social media. Using #WarmWishes and @TimHortons on Twitter or Instagram, simply describe the good deed needed for a friend or neighbour for the chance to have it granted. The deed can be up to $5,000 in value, for more entry rules and regulations please visit TimHortons.com/WarmWishes.

To join the conversation online, please visit:

Subscribe to Tim Hortons on YouTube, youtube.com/user/TimHortons

Like Tim Hortons on Facebook, facebook.com/TimHortons

Follow Tim Hortons on Twitter, @TimHortons

Follow Tim Hortons on Instagram, @TimHortons

Add Tim Hortons on Snapchat, timhortons

About TIM HORTONS

TIM HORTONS, part of Restaurant Brands International, is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, TIM HORTONS appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots), specialty teas and fruit smoothies, fresh baked goods, grilled Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, prepared foods and other food products. As of September 30, 2016, TIM HORTONS had more than 4,400 system wide restaurants located in Canada, the United States and the Middle East. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.

About Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with approximately $24 billion in system sales and over 19,000 restaurants in approximately 100 countries and U.S. territories. Restaurant Brands International owns two of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands  TIM HORTONS and BURGER KING. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees, and communities for over 50 years. To learn more about Restaurant Brands International, please visit the Company's website at www.rbi.com.

SOURCE Tim Hortons

Image with caption: "Tim Hortons #WarmWishes campaign surprises Canadians with more than 150 good deeds in one day (CNW Group/Tim Hortons)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161130_C3360_PHOTO_EN_828197.jpg

For further information: please contact [email protected]
Its common for media and academics to cite the statistic that Chinas one-child policy has led to anywhere from 30 million to 60 million missing girls that has created a gender imbalance in the worlds most populous nation.

But a University of Kansas researcher is a co-author of a study that has found those numbers are likely overblown and that a large number of those girls arent missing at all  it was more of an administrative story that had to do with how births are registered at local levels in China.

The 2010 Chinese census found the sex ratio at birth was 118 males for every 100 females. Globally the average is about 105 males to females. In 2015, Chinese state media announced all couples would be allowed to have two children, signaling the end of the controversial 35-year-old policy, but scholars and policymakers are examining how the ban could have lasting social influence in China on everything from elderly care to political stability.

Kennedy and co-author Shi Yaojiang, of Shaanxi Normal University in China, have analyzed statistics and found that a combination of late registration and unreported births explains a larger portion of the missing girls than previously reported in Chinese sex-ratio-at-birth statistics. Their findings are published this month in the journal China Quarterly.

The researchers believe local government officials informally worked with farmers and acknowledged that they couldnt fully enforce the one-child policy. Instead they made tacit agreements in allowing families to have extra children in exchange for social stability in their communities. The cadres, or local governments, would then under-report out of plan births that ultimately influenced the national population statistics.

We noticed that qualitatively when we interviewed villagers and higher- and lower-level officials everybody had a tacit understanding that yes, millions of girls and some boys, too, were allowed to be unregistered, and then these children appear in the population statistics as older cohorts at junior high school age and marriage age, said Kennedy, whose research focuses on social policy and change in China.

To supplement the qualitative data, the researchers then examined Chinese population data by cohort, and they compared the number of children born in 1990 with the number of 20-year-old Chinese men and women in 2010. In that cohort, they discovered 4 million additional people, and of those there were approximately 1 million more women than men.

If we go over a course of 25 years, its possible there are about 25 million women in the statistics that werent there at birth, Kennedy said.

This could mean that instead of men outnumbering women by 33 million, the imbalance would be more like 8 million.

Under-reported births at the local level seem to explain why the marriage squeeze may not be as pronounced as previous scholars suggest.

Otherwise, their study provides more insight into how local villages and cadres operated. Diplomatically people have likely viewed the Chinese negatively, thinking villagers would be willing to kill their daughters to comply with the law, but Kennedy said this explanation about under-reported births would make more sense.

China Quarterly  Delayed Registration and Identifying the Missing Girls in China

China is giving official documents to millions of citizens born outside the countrys one-child policy.


The UNs latest Arab Development Report, published on November 29th, shows that few lessons have been learnt. Five years on from the revolts that toppled four Arab leaders, regimes are ruthlessly tough on dissent, but much less attentive to its causes.

As states fail, youth identify more with their religion, sect or tribe than their country. In 2002, five Arab states were mired in conflict. Today 11 are. By 2020, predicts the report, almost three out of four Arabs could be living in countries vulnerable to conflict.

Horrifyingly, although home to only 5% of the worlds population, in 2014 the Arab world accounted for 45% of the worlds terrorism, 68% of its battle-related deaths, 47% of its internally displaced and 58% of its refugees. War not only kills and maims, but destroys vital infrastructure accelerating the disintegration.

The Arab youth population (aged 15-29) numbers 105 million and is growing fast, but unemployment, poverty and marginalisation are all growing faster. The youth unemployment rate, at 30%, stands at more than twice the worlds average of 14%. Almost half of young Arab women looking for jobs fail to find them (against a global average of 16%).

Yet governance remains firmly the domain of an often hereditary elite. Young people are gripped by an inherent sense of discrimination and exclusion, says the report, highlighting a weakening [of] their commitment to preserving government institutions. Many of those in charge do little more than pay lip-service, lumping youth issues in with toothless ministries for sports. Were in a much worse shape than before the Arab Spring, says Ahmed al-Hendawi, a 32-year-old Jordanian and the UNs envoy for youth.

Social Pressure cooker has no outlet

Arab regimes tend to respond to security threats by further tightening their grip. Governments divert development capital to foreign arms purchases. For want of social and physical mobility at home, young Arabs traditionally travelled abroad. But such safety valves are closing fast. Despite the Arab Leagues pretensions to brotherhood, visa-free travel among its 22 countries is unusual. Many Arabs need exit permits to boot. Where states are embroiled in conflict, many live in restricted zones inside their own countries. But physical and bureaucratic barriers touted as security measures can be counter-productive.

Though less likely to vote than the global average, young Arabs are much more inclined to protest. The UN report notes that Arab protest movements tend to come in five-year cycles. North Africas unrest spiked in 2001, 2006 and 2011, each time more turbulent than the last. Another bout seems due.

Here is a link the Arab human development report

Growing inequality: Further analysis of HDI data shows also that inequality is rising in Arab countries. The region suffers an average loss of 24.9 percent when the HDI is adjusted for inequalities, which is above the world average loss of 22.9 percent. Inequality is widest in the education component of the inequality-adjusted HDI (about 38.0 percent).

Increasing conflict: The report warns that increasing levels of armed conflict are destroying the social fabric of the Arab region, causing massive loss of life not only among combatants, but also among civilians. Conflicts also are also reversing hard-won economic development gains by destroying productive resources, capital and labour, within a larger territory neighbouring countries where they are fought. Between 20002003 and 20102015, the number of armed conflicts and violent crises in the region have risen from 4 to 11, and many of them are becoming protracted in nature.

Exclusion and inequality continue to frustrate youth.

Against this backdrop, the Report documents tremendous obstacles young people across the Arab world are facing in their personal development across the broadest range of institutions, resulting in multiple forms of cultural, social, economic and political exclusion.

High unemployment: Failure to translate gains in education into decent jobs for youth in pace with population growth, not only curtails benefits of a demographic dividend but may fuel greater social and economic tensions in the region as well. In 2014, unemployment among youth in the Arab region (29.73 percent) exceeded twice the global average (13.99 percent), and according to estimates, the situation is expected to worsen in the near future. The report warns that Arab economies may not be able to generate the 60 million new jobs required, by 2020 to absorb the number of workforce entrants in order to stabilize youth unemployment.

Weak political engagement: The report underscores that over the past five years, youth have emerged as a catalysing force for change in the region. More young people have been raising their voices against their economic, social and political exclusion, and youth-led uprisings brought to the fore the urgent need for reform. However, the report notes that political participation among youth remains limited to informal channels of engagement, despite the lack of legal or institutional barriers to formal participation. Participation in public protests in the Arab region, in 2013 exceeded 18 percent, compared to 10.8 percent in middle income countries, whereas youth voting rates in the region were the lowest globally, remaining at 68.3 percent compared to 87.4 percent in middle income countries.

Pervasive discrimination against women: Echoing previous AHDRs, the report underlines how deep-seated discrimination, embedded in cultural beliefs and traditions in childrearing, education, religious structures, the media, and family relations, along with a plethora of legal obstacles, continues to prevent women from acquiring and using their capabilities to the fullest.

A significant minority: Pathways from frustration to radicalization.

The factors above combine to create an overall sense of exclusion and lack of opportunity that pervades much of the region. The lives of many young people across the region are marked by frustration, marginalization and alienation from institutions and the transitions that are necessary to begin adult life in a fulfilling manner.

Citing recent opinion research, the report asserts that the overwhelming majority of young people in the Arab region have no desire to engage in violent extremist groups or activities. They reject violence and regard extremist groups as terrorists.

According to the report, the 2011 dam breaking has revealed the existence of three interrelated crises in the region: of the state, of economic models, and of politics. And, while the focus on the ground is on the last, the report maintains that progress over the next 10 years will depend on moves along all three dimensions. Solutions for each of these crises are well known; the challenge is more with the process and sequence, and the role of youth in affecting change.

SOURCES- Economist, UN
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight techs may soon use lasers to dispose of explosive devices, said Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Schott, superintendent of Eglins 96th Civil Engineer Group.

The next step in our technology  thats actually been proven, and were just maturing it now  is lasers, Schott said during a Nov. 17 interview.

The problem of why it took so long to mature is the amount of wattage needed in a laser to disrupt an ordnance item causes so much heat, it required too much air conditioning, he said. But theyve got it down small enough now where the laser will disrupt an ordnance item and not require so much cooling.

The plan is to position the lasers on top of an MRAP, or Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, he said.

Were finalizing the self-target part of [the lasers] where you dont have to zoom in and target each [IED], but [that] it will do that kind of for you, Schott said. The longest part is burning through the ordnance, and the idea is to burn through the outer case of it, and get the inside to not detonate, but to burn out.

The US Air Force is working with RE2 Robotics, which is developing a robotics system that would inspect an airfield for unexploded IEDs, ordnance and other debris in the aftermath of a hostile airstrike or attack, eliminate any dangers, and repair the damage.

Robots have only just begun to advance, made smaller to fit through doorways and climb stairs  something EOD techs have wanted for quite some time, officials said.

But now that these advancements are here, the technological enhancements, especially for combat robots, have gone through the roof, especially with portability, said Staff Sgt. Ryan Hoagland, 96th EOD Flight craftsman.

RE2 Robotics is working on other advanced robotics

Advanced Manipulators onto a Widely-fielded Less than 20-lb. Robotic System

LIFELINE  Wounded Combat Casualty Extraction and Evacuation

The goal of the LIFELINE project, which is funded by the U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, is to develop automated technologies that can assist combat medics in maneuvering, treating, and evacuating wounded soldiers under extremely hostile conditions. The combat medic is one of the most dangerous responsibilities in modern warfare. In the course of tending to casualties, the medic is often wounded or killed. The U.S. Army has long sought robotics technologies that can make the medics job safer and more efficient. The LIFELINE project aims to develop a robotic payload for an advanced autonomous ground vehicle that can assist the medic with attending to combat casualties.

BESS  Biomechanical Exoskeleton Simulator System

The goal of the Biomechanical Exoskeleton Simulator System (BESS) project, funded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, is to develop a simulation environment that will effectively model both a robotic exoskeleton and a human operator and predict muscle forces and stresses, joint loading, metabolic load, and injury risk. BESS will be an integrated simulator system to model the interaction between a robotic exoskeleton and the human user and the effect of the use of such assistive devices during load-carriage. This system will enable more detailed and better design of new devices that have a significant effect on human performance by directly modeling the interaction between the operator and the device and identifying potential injury mechanisms and issues before large-scale deployment of any new device. BESS will accurately model the interaction between a robotic exoskeleton and the human operator by leveraging and extending existing high-fidelity open-source robotics and biomechanical simulators. In particular, BESS will characterize the injury risk and the forces and torques on the human musculoskeletal system for soldiers carrying loads with exoskeleton assistance.

ARM  Autonomous Robotic Manipulation

The DARPA Autonomous Robotic Manipulation  Software (ARM-S) program seeks to advance the state of the art in autonomous dual-arm manipulation. RE2 is the primary integrator and maintainer of the multiple robot platforms that were provided to various research teams around the country. The highly sophisticated robotic platforms consist of two off-the-shelf 7-DOF arms and 3-fingered hands with wrist-mounted force/torque sensors along with pressure sensors in the palm and finger-tips, a high-resolution color camera, stereo cameras, flash lidar 3D camera, two head-mounted microphones, and an innovative 4-DOF neck to allow the software to position and orient the sensor package as desired. Along with integrating the hardware components, RE2 developed a ROS-compatible software interface, operator control unit, and data logging capabilities. Additionally, RE2 has developed higher-level software to have the robot platform perform various manipulation tasks for trade shows and museum exhibits.

ARM Outreach

The purpose of this project was to develop, integrate and deliver a complete simulator of the DARPA ARM robot, a humanoid two-armed robot, that models not only the robot itself but sensor data generated by the robot while interacting with the world around it. The system provides the user with a fully functional simulated version of the robot that can be used to develop novel manipulation techniques in simulation which can then be tested on a real research-level, state-of-the-art robotics system. The main objective of creating this system was to provide researchers and the general public the opportunity to utilize a state-of-the-art system even when their own resources are not able to provide that capability. The goal is to effectively crowd-source advanced robotic manipulation research. RE2 developed the simulator, including custom interfaces to the underlying physics simulation that exactly matched the behavior of the real robot.

SOURCES- RE2 Robotics, Air Force Times, Defense Technology, DARPA
MBDA Germany has edged closer to fielding a new deployable laser weapon system (LWS) following a series of day/night all-weather trials.



Trials focus on beam guidance and tracking system

High energy laser expected to be demonstrated in 2017

Conducted at the Bundeswehrs military training ground at Putlos on the Baltic Sea from 4-14 October, the trials were specifically designed to test the beam guidance and tracking system of the new LWS demonstrator in a sequence of simulated engagements of airborne targets. Firing of the high-energy laser was not scheduled for these tests, nor was an acquisition sensor deployed.

Quadcopters fitted with GPS transmitters served as airborne targets for the trials, performing a variety of dynamic manoeuvres at different ranges to prove the functionality of the overall system and the performance capability of the LWSs improved tracking system. The targets were preset, scanned with the laser target illuminator, and an aim point was held on the target for an extended period to simulate destruction of the threat.

MBDA has more than 30 years experience working on high energy laser activities, conducting extensive research and development on a variety of programmes and related activities across Europe.

MBDA is examining laser-armament options for naval and air applications as well as ground-based mobile laser effector concepts with capacities in excess of 100kW, 360-degree coverage and open system architecture for close and intermediate-range protection against micro UAVs and RAM (rocket and mortar) targets.

MBDA Germanys new laser weapon demonstrator. The green beam is the illumination laser, not the high-energy laser effector. Source: MBDA

US Combat lasers deploying over the next 5 years

U.S. military officials said directed energy is near the point where they could use it on the battlefield.

The goal is to reduce the size and weight of existing lasers, something the Pentagon has been trying to do for the past decade.

The US Missile Defense Agency plans to conduct a lot of testing with lasers mounted on Reaper drones over the next few years culminating with a low-power laser demonstrator project in 2021, Syring said. Pentagon officials hope to decide what that demonstrator might look like in a few years. The goal of that project is to fly a powerful laser at a high altitude that can track possibly kill a missile soon after it is launched, during its boost phase.

In addition to lasers on drones, the Army is eying lasers on the ground to shoot down missiles.

Within 5 years, the military expects to demonstrate shooting down ballistic missiles in the boost phase.

In 2012, the US Navy initiated the SSL Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) program, in which industry teams led by BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon, among others, competed to develop a shipboard laser with a beam power of 100 kW to 150 kW by 2016.

Boosting beam power furtherto something like 200 kW or 300 kWcould permit a laser to counter at least some ASCMs. Even stronger beam powerson the order of at least several hundred kW, if not one megawatt (MW) or morecould improve a lasers effectiveness against ASCMs (Anti-Ship Cruise Missile) and enable it to counter ASBMs (Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile.

By 2020, it should be possible to demonstrate a 250-500 kW laser weapon system, one appropriate for deployment on current surface combatants and capable of being a game changer in the Navys struggle to address the growing A2/AD challenge.

The Armys Avenger project is a Humvee-mounted system that fires Stinger missiles at cruise missiles, with lasers or other forms of directed energy.

Lockheed acquired Aculight, a Bothell, Washington-based company that builds lasers, in 2008 to better position itself to win Pentagon work. The company has also been self-funding laser development work and Lockheed is working on a 60-kilowatt laser for the Army.

We expect to see the power levels continue to increase, Graham said. The beauty of this is its still remaining pretty nice and compact.

Shooting down a missile requires more than the laser itself, it involves steering mirrors, adaptive optics and software that can track a target.

Both Lockheed and Boeing  which has built a high-power laser for the Army Stryker vehicles  showed off small drones with holes burned through them by low-power lasers. To destroy a missile screaming toward outer space, a much more powerful, couple hundred kilowatts laser is needed

The Navy would want to deploy tactical and point defense lasers on ships in 2020-2025 and then move up to megawatt lasers on aircraft carriers for area defense.

The Navy laser development industry teams are led by BAE Systems Plc (BAESY), Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) and Raytheon Co. (RTN), to field a more powerful weapon, possibly by 2021.

The approximate laser power levels needed to affect certain targets:

 Lasers with a power level of about 10 kW might be able to counter some UAVs at short range, particularly soft UAVs (i.e., those with design features that make them particularly susceptible to laser damage).

 Lasers with power levels in the tens of kilowatts could have more capability for countering UAVs, and could counter at least some small boats as well.

 Lasers with a power level of about 100 kW would have a greater ability for countering UAVs and small boats, as well as some capability for countering rockets, artillery, and mortars.

 Lasers with power levels in the hundreds of kilowatts could have greater ability for countering targets mentioned above, and could also counter manned aircraft and some missiles.

 Lasers with power levels in the megawatts could have greater ability for countering targets mentioned aboveincluding supersonic ASCMs and ballistic missilesat ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles.

The Navy and DOD are developing three principal types of lasers for potential use on Navy surface ships:

 fiber solid state lasers (SSLs),

 slab SSLs, and

 free electron lasers (FELs).

All three types are electrically powered

Fiber Solid State Lasers (Fiber SSLs)

Fiber solid state lasers (SSLs) are widely used in industrytens of thousands are used by auto and truck manufacturing firms for cutting and welding metal. Consequently, they are considered to be a very robust technology.

Laser Weapon System (LaWS)

One fiber SSL prototype demonstrator developed by the Navy, called the Laser Weapon System (LaWS), had a beam power of 33 kW. The Navy at one point envisioned LaWS being used for operations such as disabling or reversibly jamming EO sensors, countering UAVs and EO guided missiles, and augmenting radar tracking. The Navy envisioned installing LaWS on a ship either on its own mount or as an add-on to an existing Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) mount. The Navy funded work to integrate LaWS with CIWS, to support the latter option

Tactical Laser System

Another Navy fiber SSL effort is the Tactical Laser System (TLS)a laser with a beam power of 10 kW that is designed to be added to the Mk 38 25 mm machine guns installed on the decks of many Navy surface ships.25 TLS would augment the Mk 38 machine gun in countering targets such as small boats; it could also assist in providing precise tracking of targets. The Navy in March 2011 awarded a $2.8 million contract to BAE to develop a prototype of the TLS over a 15-month period. Boeing is collaborating with BAE on the project. The TLS effort was initiated following a January 2008 incident involving Iranian small boats.

SOURCES  Janes IHS, MBDA, Defense One, CSBA, FAS, Lexington Institute, Congressional Report
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) has indicated that 10-nanometer is going to be a fairly short node used primarily by mobile applications processor customers: think MediaTek, Apple, HiSilicon, and so on. Ten-nanometer is expected to go into production in early 2017 and last about a year as TSMCs flagship process, before 7-nanometer goes into production in the first half of 2018.

NVIDIA is reportedly building Volta on 16-nanometer. NVIDIA will release a product on a post-16-nanometer manufacturing technology sometime in 2019. At that point, 10-nanometer should be in the rearview mirror and 7-nanometer should be good to go

7 nanometer might be the last traditional process node for processors, as anything smaller than that introduces Quantum Physics phenomena into the mix. However, TSMC is working on 5 nanometer, 3 nanometer and 2 nanometer technology.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the worlds largest foundry, said it will fully implement extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to make 5nm chips by the end of this decade.

We estimate that EUV will be a cost-effective tool for high-volume manufacturing by 2020, in time for our 5nm ramp, TSMC Co-CEO Mark Liu said at an event to announce the companys second-quarter results. We plan to use EUV lithography extensively in 5nm to improve density, simplify process complexity and reduce cost.

TSMC said it has implemented a 125 watt EUV source in its ASML NXE:3350 equipment to improve productivity. In the meantime, the company has also developed in-house EUV mask, material, inspection and repair technology to integrate its EUV lithography.

At the 7nm node, TSMC said its yield improvement on a 256 megabit SRAM test device is ahead of schedule.

We believe our 7nm power, performance and area density (PPA) is ahead of our competitors, Liu said. TSMCs mobile and high-performance computing customers all have aggressive product tape out plans in the first half of 2017 with volume production planned in early 2018, he added.

TSMC said it will raise its capital expenditure target for 2016 from an earlier range of $9 billion-$10 billion to a new range of $9.5 billion to $10.5 billion because expectations for 2017 mobile revenue have improved.

TSMC Co-CEO Mark Liu had some interesting things to say at a recent tech event in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

According to Liu, TSMC will soon be starting risk production of their 7nm process in early 2017 and is already actively in development of 5nm process technology as well. Furthermore, TSMC is also in development of 3nm process technology with 300-400 engineers already assigned to R and D. While 3nm process technology already seems so far away, TSMC is further looking to collaborate with academics to begin developing 2nm process technology.

Liu believes that for TSMC, Moores Law will continue to be relevant.

SOURCES- EEtimes, Fool.com
As many as 11 former Ministers, who served under President Goodluck Jonathans administration, may soon defect to the All Progressives Con...

As many as 11 former Ministers, who served under President Goodluck Jonathans administration, may soon defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).According to reports, their planned defection is all part of the ongoing realigment in the political circle.Some of them are believed to be looking for soft landing, as President Muhammadu Buharis anti-corruption war continues in full force.The defection of Umar Idris, a former Minister of Transport, from PDP to APC last weekend, was seen as a pilot test for the ex-Ministers, who are mostly from the North.He allegedly told Jonathan that it is only politically expedient for him to leave PDP in Gombe State.There are rumours he might run for Governor in 2019.Some of them have opened talks discreetly with some key figures in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.They are bidding time on when to cross over. But ex-Minister Umar Idris braved the odds to defect last weekend, a top source, who spoke in confidence, told the Nation.I think they do not want to lose out in the scheme of things. It is becoming obvious that the crisis in PDP might lead to the emergence of another party, he added.Another source said: Contrary to what you have been fed with, it is the APC that is reaching out to like minds in the former cabinet of ex-President Jonathan.Some of us have been under intense pressure to defect because of the crisis in PDP.Some of the ex-Ministers under investigation are Nurudeen Mohammed; Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro; Bashir Yuguda; former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil; Bala Mohammed; Diezani Alison-Madueke; Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Amb. Aminu Wali; Prof. Viola Onwuliri; ex-Minister Nenadi Usman; ex-Minister Senator Joel Ikenya and Femi Fani-Kayode.
A suspected fraudster, Ekperebuike Akadonye, has been arrested by the police for allegedly parading himself as the Inspector-General of Po...

A suspected fraudster, Ekperebuike Akadonye, has been arrested by the police for allegedly parading himself as the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on the Internet.The 29-year-old suspect, who was apprehended by the Inspector-General Special Intelligence Response Team, also allegedly defrauded a Saudi Arabia-based doctor, identified as Hassan Alkahallaf, to the tune of $10,000.Alkahallaf was said to have earlier been defrauded by Nigerians via the Internet on two occasions, while efforts to recover the funds had proved abortive.It was gathered that Akadonpe got Alkahallaf into his trap when he introduced himself as the IG and promised to help the doctor recover his loses.He reportedly demanded $10,000 from Alkahallaf to facilitate the legal processes of the recovery and the victim was said to have paid the sum into his (Akadonpes) account in instalments.A police source told our correspondent that the doctor contacted the IG through the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Nigeria after realising that he had been duped again.The suspect contacted his victims, including Hassan (Alkahallaf), who is attached to the Department of Urology, Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, via an email address, igofnieria@outlook.com, purportedly belonging to IG Ibrahim Idris.He claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his fight against corruption, had directed the IG to make refunds to victims who had been defrauded by Nigerians in the past.The doctor replied to Akadonyes emails, believing he was the real IG of the Nigeria Police Force, and he eventually paid him $10,000 in instalments to get back his lost funds. He lied to the doctor that he would use the money to hire a lawyer who would represent him since he wasnt based in Nigeria, the source said.Another source told PUNCH Metro that the IG directed the IG team to go after the suspect after the case was reported through the Saudi Embassy.It was learnt that sometime in October, the team trailed Akadonye to Imo State, where he hails from and apprehended him.A mobile phone and a laptop he used in carrying out the fraud were recovered from him. He was also found with ATM cards and an identity card of a Federal Bureau of Investigation officer. He is currently being interrogated by operatives of the IG response team, the source said.The suspect, in his statement, allegedly confessed to the fraud, saying he took to the crime after his shops were demolished by the government.He said, I am a trader and I had shops in Mbano, Imo State. But they were demolished by the government. One of my friends introduced me to Internet fraud. I started by searching for prominent persons on the Internet. When I found Dr Alkahallaf, he told me he had some funds trapped in Nigeria and he wanted to claim them. I presented myself to him as the IG and told him the President had mandated me to assist fraudsters victims to get back their lost funds. I asked him to pay for a lawyer. He believed and paid me.When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Don Awunah, promised to get back to our correspondent with comments.
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - November 30, 2016) - Obesity and excess weight is an expanding health problem for more than 60 percent of Americans, and a new study from the Milken Institute finds that it's a tremendous drain on the U.S. economy as well. The total cost to treat health conditions related to obesity -- ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's -- plus obesity's drag on attendance and productivity at work exceeds $1.4 trillion annually. That's more than twice what the U.S. spends on national defense. The total, from 2014 data, was equivalent to 8.2 percent of U.S. GDP, and it exceeds the economies of all but three U.S. states and all but 10 countries.

The Milken Institute's new report, "Weighing Down America: The Health and Economic Impact of Obesity," is the first to look at America's weight problem across all its dimensions: direct medical treatment for 23 health conditions causally related to obesity and indirect costs including the combination of lost workdays and lower productivity due to disease. In addition, more than 320,000 deaths were attributable to obesity and overweight in 2014, when the report's data were collected.

"As a country, we are too heavy," said Ross DeVol, chief research officer of the Milken Institute, who co-authored the study with Hugh Waters, associate professor in the University of North Carolina Schools of Nursing and Public Health. "An overweight country is a problem for our physical health, certainly, but it's also an enormous problem for the health of our economy. Obesity is weighing down America."

In 2014, 98.7 million U.S. residents had obesity, and another 89.9 million were overweight. In all, 188.6 million people -- or 60.7 percent of the population ages 2 and above -- either had obesity or were overweight.

Among American adults, the prevalence of obesity has climbed from 13.4 percent in 1960-62 to 36.4 percent in 2014. The human suffering, medical costs and economic impacts of diseases caused by obesity now affect all geographic regions of the United States. In all 50 states, at least 20 percent of the population now has obesity. Abroad, obesity has been rising in all the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) over the past two decades.

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"Weighing Down America" calculates the costs of direct medical treatment for heath conditions causally tied to obesity and overweight to be $427.8 billion in the U.S. in 2014, representing 14.3 percent of total health-care spending. Indirect costs including absenteeism, or lost workdays, and presenteeism (productivity loss or underperformance at work) amounted to $988.8 billion, leading to a total of $1.42 trillion.

Fortunately, the Milken Institute study concludes, just as obesity's negative impacts on health can be reversed, so, too, can economic losses associated with excess weight. For example, a recent review of interventions designed to reduce obesity concluded that for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, a weight reduction of just 5 percent would yield $2,137 in medical cost savings annually, or $34.9 billion for all adults with extreme obesity. A 5 percent reduction in weight would amount to 14 lbs. for an American man of average height and a BMI of 40, or 12 lbs. for a woman.

"Today, obesity is the number-one health concern for the people of the United States and the disease is a rapidly growing economic issue for all of us. Unfortunately, we are unable to solve the problem overnight, but we can make improving health and reducing body weight a national priority," said Edward Greissing, Executive Director of the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Public Health at the Milken Institute, who joined the report's authors at a discussion today on Capitol Hill. "If we come together as a country and build on the commitment and work of employers, health providers, insurers, biopharmaceutical firms, the food and beverage industry, governments and other leaders in healthcare, by 2020 we can make significant advances to reduce obesity across the United States. It is important to remember as we tackle this crisis that most improvements in health begin with the individual and their local community."

Specifically, "Weighing Down America" recommends actions that include:

Individuals affected by obesity and being overweight must accept some personal responsibility to modify their behavior;

Employers should recognize that they have a vested interest in providing behavior modification counseling and offering financial and other incentives to employees and their families to lose weight;

Public health groups should be engaged at the community level to raise awareness about the scourge of obesity;

The food and beverage industry should continue transparency efforts around nutrition and continue investment in providing and marketing healthy choices;

The federal government should launch and support an anti-obesity campaign through the media and other means, like the anti-smoking campaign launched in the 1970s;

Greater clarity should be brought to the reimbursement rules for health practitioners who provide weight-loss advice and counseling; and

More research on the most cost-effective obesity interventions is necessary.

"If we fail to alter the trajectory we are on," the study concludes, "then higher medical costs, lost work time and productivity, unnecessary premature death, and slower long-term economic growth await us."

"Weighing Down America" is the latest in a series of publications from the Milken Institute that examine the problem of obesity, its consequences and the effectiveness of interventions. Recent work stemming from the Institute's seminal 2007 report on the economic burden of chronic disease, "An Unhealthy America," includes:

"Weighing Solutions to Obesity" (March 2016), an overview of studies on prevention and intervention;

"Drink Different: Feasible Strategies to Reduce Obesity" (January 2015), the first-ever analysis of the effect lowering consumption of sugary drinks - a leading cause of obesity - would have on public health and finances; and

"Waistlines of the World: The Effect of Information and Communications Technology on Obesity" (August 2012), which charted the effect that the worldwide transition toward an information-based economy has had on work habits and lifestyle.

The latest report, "Weighing Down America: The Health and Economic Impact of Obesity," is on the Milken Institute's website at: http://www.milkeninstitute.org/weighingdownamerica. Follow conversation about the report using the hashtag #weighingUSdown.

ABOUT THE MILKEN INSTITUTE

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank determined to increase global prosperity by advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs, and improve health. We do this through independent, data-driven research, action-oriented meetings and meaningful policy initiatives.

ABOUT THE LYNDA AND STEWART RESNICK CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Public Health at the Milken Institute is dedicated to finding solutions to complex public health challenges as an integral part of the Institute's mission to improve lives and build human capital. We believe that extending life and promoting health and wellness at all ages are among the most effective strategies for spreading prosperity and empowering people in America and across the globe.

The following files are available for download:

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Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, the Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), has been sacked.





Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, the Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), has been sacked.The Director General has been asked to hand over the affairs of NTDC to the next most senior officer.The removal of the Chief Executive was contained in a November 27, 2016 letter which was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal.The letter was titled Notification of de-secondment from the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).I refer to the attached letter, Ref. No. SGF.6/S.23/1/568 of 8th October, 2013 in respect of your secondment from the Keystone Bank Limited to serve as Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) for a period of two years with effect from 6th May 2013. You may note from the foregoing that the period of your secondment at the corporation had since lapsed on 5th May 2016.Consequently, you are to handover the affairs of the corporation to the most senior officer on or before Wednesday, 30th November, 2016.Her removal is trending in the social media as the Cable tweeted JUST IN: Buhari sacks Sally Mbanefo as DG NTDC.Ahmad Ahmad said Federal government removes Sally Mbanefo as NTDC DG
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has lambasted the President Mohammadu Buhari led federal government for over-taxing Nigerians.

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has lambasted the President Mohammadu Buhari led federal government for over-taxing Nigerians.The governor called on Nigerians to "resist any attempt to impose new taxes on them.Fayose described the federal governments plan to increase the cost of data as wicked, adding that Most Nigerians are still alive today because they are kept busy by their access to social media.He hailed the Senate for directing the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the planned increment, saying; The government must be sensitive to the plight of the people. Today, despite all the taxes and increments in services rendered by federal government agencies, minimum wage has remained at N18, 000 while millions of jobs have been lost. Do they want Nigerians to pay with their blood?In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said If the only way the federal government believes it can take Nigeria out of recession is to impose obnoxious taxes that will further impoverish the people, the federal government is not being fair to Nigerians.He said; Under 20 months of Buharis government, petrol price was increased from N87 to N145 per litre, kerosene; diesel and gas price was increased, electricity tariff was increased, N50 stamp duty was introduced on bank customers, 9% tax for the use of communication services like calls, SMS, MMS and data usage from telecommunication service providers; internet service providers and Pay TV Stations.Is this government out to tax Nigerians to death?he queried
The ashes of Fidel Castro begin a four-day journey across Cuba Wednesday to his final resting place, retracing the late communist leade...

The caravan of freedom will leave from Havana, making symbolic stops along the 950-kilometer (590-mile) trek that will end in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba over the weekend.The trip follows two days of tributes in Havana where hundreds of thousands were encouraged by the government to view a picture memorial to Castro at the Revolution Square.The commemorations in the capital ended with a massive rally Tuesday night at the square attended by Latin American, African and Caribbean leaders, along with the Greek prime minister  the only European leader at the event.Raul Castro, 85, thanked the countless gestures of solidarity and affection from around the world and ending with the revolutionary battle cry, Until victory, always! I am Fidel! But the presidents of Western powers, and even friendly nations including Russia, China and Iran, sent deputies in their place.The absences underscored the divisive legacy of a leader who defied the United States, backed guerrilla movements in Latin America and deployed his army to conflicts in Africa during the Cold War.Leftist Latin American leaders vowed to carry the torch of Castros revolution as they addressed the rally on Tuesday night and the crowd chanted I am Fidel!Today it is up to us to raise the flags of independence of the great fatherland, today it is up to us to hold the flag of dignity and freedom of the people, said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose late mentor, Hugo Chavez, had a special bond with Castro.Allies praised Castro in almost religious tones, with Bolivian President Evo Morales saying, Fidel is not dead. Fidel is more alive than ever, more necessary than ever.Castros death, however, comes as Latin Americas left is losing ground.Maduro is facing a deep economic crisis and fighting opposition attempts to hold a recall referendum, while Brazils Dilma Rousseff was impeached in August and a conservative took over in Argentina last year.Castro  who ruled from 1959 until an illness forced him to hand power to his brother Raul in 2006  died Friday at age 90.US President Barack Obama, who along with Raul Castro ended decades of enmity to restore diplomatic relations, did not attend the rally, sending an advisor and a diplomat without the status of a presidential delegation.We continue to have some significant concerns about the way the Cuban government currently operates, particularly with regard to protecting the basic human rights of the Cuban people, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Reunion with Che Castros ashes were placed in a rectangular, dark wood urn that was kept at the armed forces ministry and only shown once on state television.The urn will be laid to rest on Sunday at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, next to the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti.Before that, Castros ashes will travel across the country, taking the reverse route that his band of guerrilla fighters took after defeating dictator Fulgencio Batista.From January 2 to January 8, 1959, the bearded rebels traveled from Santiago to Havana, stopping in Castros home region, Holguin, as well as the cities of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara and Matanzas.One of the most symbol-filled stops of this last trip will be in Santa Clara, where the ashes of his Argentine comrade-in-arms, Ernesto Che Guevara, rest.AFP
Kanye West just snapped a week ago Monday in what we're told was a "nervous breakdown" ... triggered in large part by the anniversary of his mother's death.Sources very close to Kanye tell TMZ ... he was increasingly becoming a powder keg of emotions in the weeks leading up to his hospitalization at the UCLA Medical Center ... fueled by what we're told was a shocking lack of sleep and the pressures of touring, running his businesses, parenting and providing emotional support to his wife who was suffering her own emotional trauma after the Paris robbery.But our sources say the trigger for the breakdown was Donda's death back in November 2007. Her funeral was November 20 -- the same day he cancelled his show at the L.A. Forum. The following day -- November 21 -- Kanye cancelled the remainder of the tour and hours later suffered the breakdown.People close to Kanye tell us he never effectively grieved over his mom's death and has always had a difficult time in November, but this time he reached the breaking point.Kanye, we're told, has had trouble handling stress over the last few months, and in the week or so before the breakdown he started to unravel.As we reported ... Kanye became paranoid when he was taken to UCLA ... refusing for a time to even let doctors touch him. He also ranted that people were trying to ruin his marriage.Kanye was sedated and is being treated by doctors and mental health professionals. Doctors hoped to release him 2 days ago, but that didn't happen and so far ... no new release date.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to charge over 100 electoral officials for allegedly receiving part of the $115m (N23b...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to charge over 100 electoral officials for allegedly receiving part of the $115m (N23bn) disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the countdown to the 2015 presidential election.Sources within the EFCC told our correspondent that the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, would meet tomorrow (Thursday) in Abuja to tidy up the charges that would be filed against the suspects.While some of the officials would only face dismissal for breach of INEC rules, a majority of them would be arraigned by the EFCC.Some of the officials, who have returned a total sum of N400m, may not face prosecution.At the meeting, Magu is expected to present a report on the investigation while the INEC boss would make recommendations.A source at the EFCC said, You will recall that the EFCC started investigating the INEC officials in the South-South in March and we arrested several officials, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State during the 2015 election, Gesila Khan.However, further investigations revealed that the bribery took place across Nigeria and so, all the EFCC zonal offices started conducting investigations simultaneously.We have sent reports to the chairman and he is expected to meet with the INEC chairman on Thursday. Some of the electoral officials were not INEC employees but ad hoc staff. Some of the officials collected money through their bank accounts while some collected cash.The EFCC had, in April, arrested the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the 2015 elections in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other officials of INEC that conducted elections in Delta an Akwa Ibom states.Khan had been quizzed by the Department of State Services in July last year but was never charged.The residences of all the suspects were subsequently searched and incriminating documents were recovered by the commission.According to impeccable sources at the EFCC, Khan, who is now the REC in Cross River State, allegedly received N185.8m ahead of the March 28 and April 11, 2015 elections.A source alleged that Khan received the money through a special bank account and the commission had received overwhelming evidence.The source also revealed that the EFCC had arrested one Fidelia Omoile who was the INEC electoral officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State.Apart from tracing over N112.4m to her, the commission also recovered some sensitive electoral materials during a search of her apartments in Edo and Delta states.The commission also arrested one Oluchi Obi Brown who was the INEC administrative secretary in Delta State. She allegedly received over N111.5m.Further investigations by detectives revealed that Brown had about $75,000 in an account in the United States.The anti-graft agency also arrested one Edem Okon Effanga, who is a retired INEC official. Effanga was arrested alongside his alleged accomplice, Immaculata Asuquo, who is the Head, Voter Education, INEC, Akwa Ibom State.Effanga was alleged to have received over N241.1m which he shared among INEC ad hoc workers during the last election.Also in Gombe State, 11 electoral officers that worked in Gombe State during the 2015 general election, admitted to receiving N120m out of the N23bn.Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent that the 11 officials in Gombe State had been interrogated and had made confessional statements.A detective at the anti-graft agency disclosed to our correspondent that the electoral officers, who were in charge of the 11 local government areas of Gombe State, reported at the Gombe State zonal office of the commission on Thursday.The electoral officer for Akko LGA, Ahmed Biu; and the one in charge of Gombe Local Government Area, Mohammed Zannah, allegedly admitted to have collected the bribe from one Yunusa Biri, also a retired electoral officer who acted as Gombe State coordinator of bribes for electoral officers in the state.The detective gave the names of some other detained officers as: Godwin Maiyaki, Gambo Balanga, Bukar Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril Muhammed, Billiri, Dunguma Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Babagana Malami, Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel.
A former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has resigned his appointment as the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agri...

A former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has resigned his appointment as the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.Ogunlewe, who notified our correspondent of his resignation in an interview on Wednesday, cited personal reasons for his decision.The former minister, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Olusola Oyewole; and the Bursar of the institution, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, were recently arraigned before the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta on 18 counts, bordering on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money by false pretences and abuse of office.They had pleaded not guilty to the charges.Ogunlewe, however, said his resignation was not connected to the EFCC case.He said, I have decided to resign my appointment as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta with immediate effect. This is due to personal reasons.I sincerely thank the Federal Government for giving me the opportunity to serve. The Federal Government should please accept the assurances of my best regards.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders were still tearing at one another yesterday. The two factions of the leading opposition party th...

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders were still tearing at one another yesterday.The two factions of the leading opposition party threatened imprisonment against each other for laying claims to the leadership of the troubled former ruling party.The Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee said it would send Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff to prison for parading himself as the partys National Chairman.The Sheriff faction replied that it had enough evidence to sue the Makarfi factions members for alleged contempt of court.The partys crisis resurged after its loss at last weekends Ondo State governorship election.Caretaker Committee spokesman Dayo Adeyeye yesterday described Sheriff as a discredited individual who would soon be expelled from the party.Adeyeye accused the Sheriff camp of trying to sustain what he called its illegal claim to the partys leadership, thereby misleading unsuspecting members and members of the public as well.According to him, the caretaker committee has been confirmed to be the authentic leadership of the party by various courts, pending the conduct of a national convention.Adeyeye said the committee would have ignored the empty rantings of Sheriff and his camp, but that it would not serve the interest of democracy to ignore them.The statement said: First and foremost, we wish to state categorically that in consonance with judgments of various courts, which Ali Modu-Sheriff and his team of confused travellers have not bothered to appeal, the former Borno State Governor is not the chairman of our party, the PDP.His consistent claim to the office is a continuation of their plans to sustain mayhem in our party, but nature and fair justice have taken care of his desperation.We wish to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the judgment delivered by Justice Valentine Ashi of the FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja on June 29, 2016, which states clearly that Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff was never and is not the PDP National Chairman.This judgment was upheld by the ruling of Justice Nwamaka Ogbonnaya, also of the FCT High Court in Kubwa, Abuja on August 17, 2016.It is instructive to note that Senator Modu-Sheriff and his team of circus performers have not deemed it fit to appeal these court judgments. It is trite in law that a judgment not appealed is binding on the defendant.The courts have spoken, and their pronouncements are binding. However, those who wish to spend the rest of their lives behind prison bars may continue to utter heresy against the court. We hope their children would be proud to bear the family names of convicts.The Makarfi camp accused Sheriff and his group of impunity, lawlessness and greed, adding that honour cannot be expected from impostors.It called on the Sheriff camp to disband, saying that the rain of vengeance would not hang in the clouds forever.But the Sheriff camp said the Makarfi camp should be committed to prison.Its Deputy National Chairman Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, in a statement yesterday, said members of the Makarfi camp have been evading arrest.The statement said: It is the caretaker committee that is actually playing with jail term because there is a form 48 and 49 already issued against them from the Federal High Court that is waiting for them. The effort to serve and arrest them was aborted because they evaded the law.Adeyeye is shining the shoes of Governor Ayo Fayose so he could be awarded the Ekiti State gubernatorial ticket. Let him kiss Fayoses backside till kingdom come, Fayose will not play ball. The party will do what needs to be done about Adeyeye, according to our partys constitution at the appropriate time.In Akure, the Markafi faction suspended the factional state chairman, Mr. Biyi Poroye, and 21 others.Poroye, who is of the Sheriff faction, instituted the suit on whose grounds the court restrained Eyitayo Jegede, following which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) temporarily suspended Jegedes candidacy and endorsed Jimoh Ibrahim.Jegedes name returned to the ballot two days to the election after the Court of Appeal upturned thhe high court ruling.The faction also suspended Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, Ibrahims running mate.The statement by the State Publicity Secretary of the Makarfi faction, Banji Okunomo, after the partys State Working Committee (SWC) meeting, however, did not include Ibrahim on the list of those suspended. The group has always insited that Ibrahim is not a member of the PDP.The embattled party members were suspended for alleged anti-party activity in the governorship election.Others suspended are: Dennis Alonge, Johnson Alabi, Dr. Olu Ogunye, Senator Meroyi, Mrs. Yemi Ajonibode, Musa Megida, Isaac Alase, Sola Ebiseni, Ademola Genty, Prof. Yemisi Akinyemiju and Dare Emiola.Also suspended are: Yemisi Akinmade, Ade Adebawore, Bakkitta Bello, Adegboruwa Taiwo, Omowole Oluwagbehinmi, Gbamila Ogunji, Abiye Ademoyegun, and Dara Akinbo.The party said its decision was in line with Section 57 of its constitution and the inherent task conferred on its State Working Committee.The statement said: By the virtue of the Court of Appeal judgment, Biyi Poroye did not only cease to be an executive as he claimed, but they have also turned out to be ordinary members of the party.Okunomo said the suspended members were expected to appear before the disciplinary committee on December 5.
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Super Falcons, for qualifying for the final of this years African Womens Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.Florence Omagbemis ladies beat South Africa 1-0 in a tight contest on Tuesday in Limbe.Desire Oparanozie scored the winner in the second half of the match, via a heavily deflected free-kick.Buhari says Nigerians will be looking forward to the final against hosts Cameroon.Our Super Falcons have made Nigeria proud again. The entire country looks forward to the #AWCON2016 Final on Saturday, Buhari tweeted Tuesday night.The final will be played this Saturday.
Hundreds of Igbo youths have taken to the streets, protesting the on-going probe of former Nigeria First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Hundreds of Igbo youths have taken to the streets, protesting the on-going probe of former Nigeria First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.The youths see the probe, which had culminated into the freezing of her (Mrs. Jonathan) account, as a calculated plot to humiliate ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.The protesters are currently heading to the Enugu office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.More to come
Erstwhile Special Assistant to then President Goodluck Jonathan on media, Pastor Reno Omokri, has left a soul-searching message for the Sp...

Erstwhile Special Assistant to then President Goodluck Jonathan on media, Pastor Reno Omokri, has left a soul-searching message for the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Revd Fr. Ejike Mbaka, wondering whether the latter was called by God to defend hapless Nigerians or a president who has five aides and a minister to speak for him.Mbaka was widely reported to have stated that President Muhammadu Buhari was not to be blamed for the present economic challenges in the country, claiming that if (former President Goodluck) Jonathan was the president today, the situation would have been worse. The catholic priest also supported the arrest and detention of several judges across the country.But in the message to fiery Catholic priest, Omokri wrote: The wife of an evangelist was beheaded-you kept quiet. Her suspected killers were acquitted-you kept quiet. However, today you have find your voice to defend President Muhammadu Buhari and condemn former President Goodluck Jonathan.As a Reverend Father, were you called by God to speak for a man who has 5 media aides and a minister of information all speaking for him or were you called to speak for the poor and powerless children of God who face injustice with no one speaking for them?
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--(Marketwired - Nov 30, 2016) - The Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) is establishing a process for industry consultations for key decisions related to the development of the numbering agency function of the Derivatives Service Bureau (DSB). The objective of these consultations is to ensure that the DSB principles and processes meet industry requirements and that the information-gathering is as inclusive as possible.

Three industry consultations are currently scheduled. The first consultation will address DSB Product Committee (PC) general principles and processes when defining OTC derivative products for International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINs). Subsequent PC-related consultations will address data requirements for specific product sets.

The second consultation will address the technical and operational requirements of the DSB, including topics such as demand volume, performance, availability and security. The third consultation will address the fee structure for the numbering agency operations including comparative evaluation of subscription versus transaction models, fee tiering and other fee models.

"The DSB is a nine-month project, an extraordinarily rapid development made possible by the guidance of experts in OTC derivatives, top third-party consultants and ISO-standards numbering agencies. Now as we approach finalization of many decisions, we are broadening our group of advisors through industry consultations," said Dan Kuhnel, chairman of the ANNA board of directors. "We welcome input, particularly from users and others who will be directly affected by the operations of the DSB, and look forward to incorporating these responses into our decision making."

The DSB Product Committee consultation on principles will be conducted on the following timeline:

8 Dec: Public distribution of PC consultation paper

29 Dec: End of response period

12 Jan: Publish finalized DSB principles consultation paper

19 Jan: PC consultation on product sets begins with public distribution of consultation paper

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The DSB tech/ops consultation will be conducted on the following timeline:

19 Dec: Public distribution of consultation paper

09 Jan: End of response period

05 Feb: Publish finalized tech/ops requirements

The DSB Fee Model Consultation will be conducted on the following timeline:

09 Jan: Public distribution of consultation paper

23 Jan: End of response period

28 Feb: Publish finalized pricing model

Each consultation will begin with an announcement that a consultation paper is available. For each consultation, industry responses will be made public on the ANNA website, unless anonymity is requested. The finalized consultation paper will be published on the consultation page of the ANNA website.

About the ANNA Derivatives Service Bureau

The DSB is being developed to serve the needs of the OTC derivatives market participants and regulators for unique identification of these financial products through allocation of the International Securities Identification Number (ISIN). The ISIN is a globally recognized and adopted ISO standard for identifying financial instruments. The development timeline is keyed to industry implementation before the in-force date of MiFID 2 in January 2018.

More detailed information on the DSB can be found in recent announcements at the ANNA website.

About the DSB Product Committee

The DSB Product Committee, which reports directly to the board, oversees the continued development and extensibility of the data model for the issuance of ISINs for OTC derivatives to meet MiFID 2 requirements. It is comprised of representatives from buyside and sellside firms, as well as trading venues for OTC derivatives, who will also recommend directives to the board related to data standards, taxonomies and data processes.

About ANNA

Established in 1992 by 22 founding numbering agencies, ANNA is the membership organization of national numbering agencies, which are operated by depositories, exchanges, government agencies, nationally central data vendors and other financial infrastructure organizations. ANNA also serves as the registration authority for the ISIN numbering standard, under appointment by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Under ANNA's stewardship, the role of the ISIN in enabling global financial communications has been established worldwide. ISINs are issued today more than 200 jurisdictions worldwide. The number by national numbering agencies and nations working to establish national numbering agencies continues to grow each year, now surpassing 120 jurisdictions globally. For information about ANNA, its members and activities, please visit anna-web.org.
Nigerian Senate is making efforts to halt the proposed increase in data plan price which has been scheduled to commence from December 1st.





Nigerian Senate is making efforts to halt the proposed increase in data plan price which has been scheduled to commence from December 1st.The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had directed mobile telephone operators in the country to jerk up data tariffs with effect from December 1.But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said working is already on-going on means to stop the new tariff regime. He said this on his social media platform on Wednesday.When asked by EnoughIsEnough Nigeria, the Senate President said: "Already working on this..."Also, Senator Ben Murray Bruce representing Bayelsa east senatorial district said that he is ready ti fight to the proposed data price hike the floor of the Senate.
It was a shameful drama on Sunday as an area Governor and a Member of Parliament in Kenya engaged in a fight in front of the Orange D...

It was a shameful drama on Sunday as an area Governor and a Member of Parliament in Kenya engaged in a fight in front of the Orange Democratic Movement Party leader Raila Odinga and a multitude of people who came for a rally. ODM is one of the biggest political parties in Kenya.Odinga was forced to intervene and restore order during a rally the Homa Bay County before things became calm again.According to standardmedia.co.ke issues became heated up when Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti and Kasipul-Kabondo MP Oyugi Magwangas supporters began to force their way into a reserved space at the local stadium.Awitis supporters shouted that he must be re-elected while those of Magwanga, who has already declared interest in the position, said the Governor must go home.While the supporters were chanting slogans, an argument ensued between Awiti and the legislator and escalated into kicks and blows.Supporters of the fighting leaders hurled stones at them forcing Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga to run for safety.After the altercation Odinga went ahead and took the microphone and pleaded with the crowd to stop the chaos and let the rally continue in peace.Photos: standardmedia.co.ke
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JERSEY CITY - A 20-year-old Jersey City woman has been charged with punching a woman before taking her phone and then attempting to assault a police officer as she tried to get away.

Esther Perez, of Bramhall Avenue, was arrested after the incident yesterday in Jersey City and charged with robbery and resisting arrest, the criminal complaint says.

Her bail was set at $50,000 cash or bond when she made her first court appearance on the charges this afternoon in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.
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Police are looking for a woman who stole a sweater and keys from a Downtown bar. Courtesy photo

JERSEY CITY -- Police are looking for a woman who stole a man's jacket from a Downtown bar and then used his CitiBike key to steal one of the ride share's bicycles.

The 35-year-old man said he placed his jacket on a bar stool inside Pet Shop on Nov. 21 and noticed someone had taken his belongings between 11 p.m. and midnight, according to a police report.

The next morning, the victim realized his CitiBike key and keys to his art studio were inside the jacket pocket, the report states.

When he called CitiBike about his membership the 35-year-old was told someone had taken a bike from the Leonard Gordon Park station and never returned it, resulting in a $1,200 balance on his account, police said.

Employees at the bar told police they had surveillance of the incident and photos would be available Nov. 28. The photos were given to the victim and a friend provided copies of the images to The Jersey Journal.

The suspect in the theft is believed to be a woman pictured sitting at the bar that night, a city spokeswoman confirmed. The woman is later seen leaving the Newark Avenue bar with the gray jacket.

The victim's friend said on top of the outstanding charge from CitiBike, the victim will have to pay $5,000 to have all of the locks changed at the warehouse where his studio is located.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
This Friday, December 2nd, Chabad of Hunterdon County will host a Cuban themed Shabbat dinner. Though it may seem like quite a coincidence that this takes place just days after the death of one of Cuba's most notorious powers, Fidel Castro, the dinner was planned months ago, as part of a "Shabbat around the world" series.

"We had planned this dinner back in May," said Rabbi Eli Kornfeld, Director of Chabad of Hunterdon County. "Though it seems comically suspicious that our dinner is this Friday, I think it will be an amazing opportunity for lively discussion and learning about a Jewish population not many people know about."

Though the Jewish population in Cuba was once 15,000 strong, today there are a mere 1,500 Cuban Jews. Many of the immigrants were part of a huge wave from Europe during turbulent anti-Semitic times in the 1920's and 1930's, but 90 percent of the Jewish population fled Cuba after the revolution and Castro's rise to power.

The dinner at Chabad of Hunterdon will feature authentic Kosher Cuban cuisine, drinks, and other themed fare. Guest speaker, Levi Gansbourg, will join attendees to talk about his travels in Cuba and the Passover miracle he experienced. In addition, there will be lively discussion about Cuba's Jewish population and culture.

This is the second Shabbaton in Chabad of Hunterdon's serious for the year. Upcoming dinners will include "Shabbat in Napal," "Shabbat in Ethiopia," and "Shabbat Under the Stars." All events are open to the public and all are welcome, regardless of background or affiliation.

For more information about this or future events, or to RSVP, visit www.jewishhunterdon.com or call 908-238-9002. Dinner and talk is $18 per person, with discounted early bird tickets. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $100.

This item was submitted by Rabbi Eli Kornfeld.
To the editor:

A New Jersey Board of Public Utilities news release dated Sept. 23, 2016, heralds what should be the definitive end of the proposed PennEast natural gas pipeline and any other future proposed pipeline projects in the "pipe" so to speak.

This release was titled "Christie Administration Announces Residential Natural Gas Customers Will Pay Less to Heat Their Homes this Winter" in big, bold capital letters.

The third paragraph first sentence says it all in a direct quote from Richard S. Mroz, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, "Over the last seven years, natural gas customers have seen their natural gas costs plummet thanks to the abundance of natural gas and New Jersey's infrastructure that allows for ratepayers to take advantage of the lost cost energy."

The release further details that New Jersey was one of the highest cost states explaining, "According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) ranking of the state residential retail natural gas prices, New Jersey's ranking has plummeted in recent years from one of the highest cost states in 2010 to one of the lowest cost states. In 2010, New Jersey was ranked as the 17th highest cost state and in 2016 New Jersey's monthly rankings have fallen to one of the lowest cost states. EIA's June 2016 rankings have New Jersey ranked at the fifth lowest cost."

The board instituted the Basic Gas Supply Service Plan, which serves as a method "to pass along changes in wholesale gas costs directly to customers without affecting the gas companies' income, as the companies do not make a profit on the gas supply price."

This board was enabled to approve the use of a small portion of savings held back for pipeline replacement projects that improve safety and reliability -- a win-win for New Jersey. This means gas users, all of us, can live without the danger of a new pipeline and the future planned pipelines.

There is no legitimate need to destroy the historic, environmental, and social fabric we all have cherished and have worked so diligently to maintain.

The release should be sent by residents, HALT and lobbyists representing opposition to the pipeline to the FERC Docket Number CP15-558-000 prior to the end of the comment period; both New Jersey senators; your congressional representative; your state senators and assembly persons; local elected officials; the Delaware River Basin Commission; Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission; Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission; New Jersey DEP Commissioner Robert Martin; and, District 1 Administrator Judith A. Enlk, Regional Administration, New York.

We shall ever remember Lambertville deadly gas explosion in 1971, fortunately the only one that has occurred here in Hunterdon County -- at that time we lived but a block away.

John P. Hencheck

Barbara J. Hencheck

Lambertville
EWING -- Some students at The College of New Jersey are petitioning the school to change the name of Paul Loser Hall after learning that the former Trenton schools superintendent was a segregationist.

The students, Tim Osborne, Chris Loos and Kevin Montayo, say they were spurred into action after uncovering court testimony of Loser's past during archival research of Trenton's education system in the 1930s to the 1960s.

They began posting flyers on campus Wednesday urging others to support a name change.

The flyer says that Loser, who served as Trenton's schools superintendent from 1932 to 1955, "openly and unabashedly segregated black children in Trenton, sending them to the New Lincoln School in some cases 20 blocks from their home (when an all-white school was merely two blocks away).

The mothers of Janet Hedgepath and Leon Williams sued the district in the 1940s after they were denied admission to a new neighborhood school because they were black.

Loser testified during the trial that the school, Junior No. 2, "had not been built for negroes and that they were better off when separated from whites."

"In the case Loser had to testify why two students were segregated," Osborne said. "He said it was done on race, in accordance with the policy and philosophy of education -- but that was his policy and philosophy."

In January 1944, the court sided with the mothers, ordering the board to immediately enroll Hedgepath and Williams in Junior No. 2 and admit all black students to all Trenton schools by the end of the year. The ruling prohibited any school board in New Jersey from refusing to enroll any student in any school on the basis of their race or skin color.

College spokesman David Muha said that students of the school's history program who were doing archival work "uncovered documents" revealing Paul Loser's past and brought the information to the college's provost.

"We're welcoming a conversation and dialogue to learn more," Muha said. "The next step is to have the conversation about what the students have uncovered."

The flyer says that Loser "punished the majority-black New Lincoln School by reassigning its teachers and closing segments of the school."

In 1945, minutes from a Trenton Committee for Unity meeting show "Loser still argues for segregation because it's best for black students," Osborne said. "He dragged his feet."

On Wednesday, students expressed shock over the flyers, saying they knew little about Loser.

"Wow! This was very informative -- I never knew this... I'm glad I know this now," senior Jala Muhammad said. "I feel like a change would be nice, but I feel like realistically that's something that takes time.

"I really love what they're trying to do though," she said.

Senior Joel Hernandez said he was surprised that a school as diverse as TCNJ would name a building after Loser.

"I don't think we should have a building named after someone who was pro segregation," he said.

Other students said they would like more information or open discussions on the matter, but agreed that a name change would be a good idea in light of the new information.

"Knowing this, I wouldn't be against a name change, but since this wasn't widely known I wouldn't go out there and fight for it, but I also wouldn't fight against it," freshman Emily Sorrentino said.

Senior Alexandra Morales said she would like a panel discussion before any name change is considered.

The Loser family has history of donating large sums of money to the college, the school's newspaper, The Signal, has reported.

In 1987, Tom and Carol Loser donated $1 million to the college, the largest private donation in the school's history at that time, to help build Paul Loser Hall -- named for Tom's father.

Tom and Carol Loser donated another $5 million to the college in 2006.

The college has a process by which the board can consider a name change, the college spokesman said.

"It's too early to speculate on any changes that might be made," Muha said when asked if the monetary donations made by the Loser family could impact the decision making process.

Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- A man who used his Jersey City jewelry store to create more than 7,000 false identities and fraudulently obtain tens of thousands of credit cards was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said Vinod Dadlani's scheme, for which he was indicted in October 2013, was one of the largest ever charged by the Justice Department and caused more than $200 million in losses to businesses and financial institutions.

Dadlani, of Lyndhurst, pleaded guilty in June 2014 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. His crime was part of a larger fraud operation in which a total of 19 people have admitted involvement, Fishman said.

According to case documents and statements made in court, the defendant created false identities by making fraudulent IDs and phony credit profiles with major credit bureaus. They then inflated that credit by submitting bogus information and borrowed or spent as much money as they could without repaying the debt.

Fishman said Dadlani, 53, admitted in court that he let conspirators who came to his jewelry store swipe cards he knew did not actually belong to them. Dadlani then split the proceeds of those transactions with the conspirators.

Dadlani's store was Tanishq Jewels on Newark Avenue, The Jersey Journal previously reported.

In addition to the prison time, U.S. Judge Anne Thompson also sentenced Dadlani to two years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $411,000.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Federal agents on Tuesday arrested two New York men on human trafficking charges after they say the pair forced undocumented migrants to work in a Halal chicken slaughterhouse they ran in Middlesex County.

Federal agents on Tuesday arrested two New York men on human trafficking charges for allegedly forcing undocumented immigrants to work in their slaughterhouse. (Homeland Security Investigations file photo)

Mohammad Abdul Wahid, 54, and Mohammed Iqbal Kabir, 42, are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit human trafficking, conspiracy to harbor undocumented persons for financial gain and violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say that between July 2011 and January 2016, Wahid and Kabir paid the workers approximately $290 a week for 70-100-hour work weeks, deducting $40 a week for allowing them to live in an insect-infested boarding home in front of the Perth Amboy slaughterhouse.

Prosecutors say the workers weren't paid overtime or additional wages for working longer hours.

Two Muslim individuals who were employed to slaughter the chickens also were threatened with arrest and deportation when they complained about their working conditions, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say the arrests were the result of collaboration between the U.S. Attorney's Office, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, IRS, Department of Agriculture and the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Both men face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted of the human trafficking charge, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The charging documents do not name the business.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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A chiropractor in Warren County accused of fondling two female patients must stop treating women until a monitor can be assigned to chaperone him, state Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Tuesday. (Photo by Flickr/Alisha Vargas)

TRENTON -- A chiropractor in Warren County accused of fondling two female patients must stop treating women until a monitor can be assigned to chaperone him, state Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Tuesday.

The New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners imposed the limitations last week on Edward Kramer Jr., who operates Kramer Family Chiropractic in Blairstown.

But Porrino's office wanted the board to impose a harsher penalty and suspend Kramer's license immediately while the investigation into the alleged sexual misconduct offenses continues.

In a rare display of disagreement between the attorney general's office and a licensing body it oversees, Porrino said he was "disappointed" with the chiropractic board's decision.

"Two female patients have alleged that Dr. Kramer inappropriately touched them under the guise of providing chiropractic treatment. We believe the information they provided warrants an immediate and full temporary suspension of his license until these allegations are resolved. We're disappointed that the Board did not agree with us," according to Porrino's statement. "The Board instead has required Dr. Kramer to have a female chaperone in the office overseeing his treatment of female patients until this matter is heard in an administrative court of law."

David Allen, a chiropractor in West Orange who is the board's president, declined to comment on Porrino's statement.

Steve Lee, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, also expressed concern about the board's decision.

"The Division relies on patients to come forward with information to help us identify and protect the public from doctors who abuse their patient's trust for their own personal satisfaction," Lee said. "The allegations against Kramer by two former patients describe an egregious and violative abuse of this trust."

Kramer could not be reached for comment.

The monitor, approved by the board and paid for by Kramer, will oversee his interaction with female patients until an administrative law judge holds a hearing, on the allegations and renders a decision, Porrino said.

The board will have the final say on what happens to Kramer's license.

Patients may file complaints against licensed health care professionals online with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 or 973-504-6200.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
TOMS RIVER -- A former special Seaside Heights police officer was indicted on charges he distributed child pornography from his Toms River home, authorities said Wednesday.

Kevin Meier

Kevin Meier, 23, faces one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and Seaside Heights police Chief Thomas Boyd.

They said Meier was arrested after officials from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children alerted New Jersey State Police that someone from Ocean County was distributing suspected child pornography, they said.

An investigation led authorities to Meier's Sheridan Avenue home, they said.

In a search of his home on June 17, 2015, investigators found evidence of child pornography distribution, they said.

Meier, who was fired after his arrest, initially was held in the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, but has since been released after posting bail, authorities said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
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.
A workers' comp settlement agreement can't be undone. Dont sign one without researching the law or hiring a lawyer.

If a work-related injury or illness left you with some type of lasting impairmenta physical or mental problem that limits your ability to workyou may be eligible to receive permanent disability benefits from your employer's workers' comp insurer. You can simply accept what the insurance company has decided to pay you, in which case you'll receive weekly checks for a certain period of time. But if you disagree with the amount of money you're owed or you want a different payment set-up, you have two options:

negotiate a settlement with the insurance company, or

go to a hearing or trial and have a judge rule on the dispute.

There are advantages to settling, but there are potential pitfalls as well. Before you agree to a settlement, you should understand the consequences.

Types of Workers' Comp Settlements

In most states, you can negotiate a settlement that will provide you with a lump-sum of money rather than continuing weekly permanent disability payments. The settlement may also include an amount for future medical care, as well as money the insurer owes you for overdue temporary disability benefits and unreimbursed medical expenses.

You can also negotiate an agreement for a structured settlement that will provide you with payments over a period of time. In these settlements, you don't need to give up all of your future rights to medical care (in fact, you can't do that in some states; more on this below).

Pros of Accepting a Settlement

There are several advantages to workers' comp settlements, including:

If you go to trial (called a workers' comp hearing in some states), the judge could end up deciding that you'll get less money than what the insurance company offered. It doesn't happen often, but it's a risk.

It can take a long time to get to a hearing, and the process can be difficult. Agreeing to a settlement can save you time, hassle, and anxiety.

In some states, you can't receive a lump-sum payment after you win at trial; you'll be limited to receiving weekly payments for a number of weeks or years.

In a settlement, the insurance company may agree to pay you money in exchange for giving up your right to future benefits that you might never use. For example, if your doctor says that there's a 15% chance you'll need hand surgery in the future, you can ask the insurance company to pay you part of the cost of the surgery now. You probably won't need the surgery, in which case you'll be ahead financially.

Cons of Accepting a Settlement

Agreeing to a settlement also carries some potential hazards, such as:

Some people who've agreed to a lump-sum permanent disability payment will need or be tempted to spend the money right away. Then they'll be left without weekly payments to help make up for lower wages because of the ongoing disability.

If there's a good chance that you'll need surgery or expensive medicines down the road, it could be risky to give up your right to payments for future medical treatment in return for a lump-sum (more on that below). If it turns out that you do need that medical treatment, the amount you received in the settlement may be long gone or simply not enough to cover your bills for copays and deductibles under your regular health insurance.

If you aren't careful, the settlement could reduce other types of benefits in the future (more on that later).

What Your Settlement Should Include

Consider whether each of the following types of benefits should be a part of your settlement.

Permanent Partial Disability

You don't have to be completely disabled or unable to work at all in order to receive any permanent disability benefits through workers' comp. You'll probably be entitled to permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits if you lost a body part (like a finger or hand) or you're limited in what you can do at work. For instance, your doctor may have said you shouldn't lift anything over 25 pounds, walk on uneven surfaces, or sit for longer than two hours at a time. Your limitations could lower the amount you can earn in the future. Even if you aren't restricted in any way from your injuries, you can ask for compensation for permanent scarring and disfigurement.

Before settlement negotiations begin, the insurance company should send you what's known as a permanent disability rating. That rating can then be converted into the amount of benefits you're owed under state law. In California, for example, if you have a 40% permanent disability rating, the insurance company will owe you 280 weeks of PPD payments at two-thirds of your average weekly earnings, with minimum and maximum amounts that change regularly. (Cal. Labor Code  4453, 4658(e) (2021).)

The insurance company may use your rating to come up with a starting settlement amount, but you may want to ask for a moderately higher amount for permanent disability compensation, plus the cost of future medical treatment and any past-due temporary disability benefits.

Permanent Total Disability

Some states have different rules for calculating benefits when employees are totally disabled as a result of their injury, or they have a PPD rating above a certain percentage. Often, the employees may receive life pension awards in addition to permanent disability payments.

If you have total permanent disability, you shouldn't try to handle settlement negotiations on your own. The calculations are complicated, and the consequences are serious when you're facing a lifetime of needs without income. You need to hire a workers' comp lawyer to protect your rights and your future.

Past-Due Temporary Disability

If the insurance company didn't pay you the right amount of temporary disability (wage loss) benefits while you were off work and recoveringor just didn't make some paymentsyour settlement should include the balance that the company owes you.

Many states require a penalty for late payments (calculated as a percentage of the past-due amount). That penalty can add up to a lot of money, so you should consult with a lawyer if the insurance company paid you too little or too late.

Medical Treatment

The settlement should include any unpaid bills for past medical treatment. As for future medical costs, there are two different ways of dealing with them in settlements, depending on the law in your state:

You may be able to settle your right to disability payments but keep your right to have the insurance company pay for your future medical treatment.

You might instead settle on a lump-sum payment now for future medical treatment, in return for giving up your right to have the insurer pay those bills when they come up. In some states, however, employees can't legally waive that right; they can always go back to the insurance company to get reimbursed for any medical treatment for the work-related injury or illness.

If you choose the lump-sum option, you should estimate your future costs for doctors' visits, hospital stays, physical therapy visits for flare-ups, surgery, and medications. Then consider what the worst-case scenario would be if your medical condition deteriorates. The insurance company won't pay 100% of your anticipated costs and may in fact try to pay only around 25%. But you can ask for 75% of your estimated future medical expenses. It helps your negotiating position if you can provide a strong opinion from your doctor that you'll need continued medical care or surgery in the future.

Settlement Structure

The actual wording of the settlement can be important to protect your right to other types of benefits in the future. This is where the fee for a workers' comp attorney can really pay off. For example, say you apply for and receive Social Security disability benefits. Those benefits could be lower because of your workers' comp settlementif it wasn't worded in a certain way. (For more information about this, see our article on minimizing the workers' comp and Social Security disability offset.)

Also, before you sign any settlement agreement, make sure you know the answer to these two questions:

Will your workers' comp claim be completely closed following the settlement, or will it stay open (or can it be reopened) to pay for future medical costs?

Does the settlement amount represent all new money, or does it include permanent disability advances that you've already received?

The details of a workers' comp settlement can be tricky. Unless your permanent disability is rated 10% or less, you should strongly consider speaking to a workers' comp lawyer about your options for settlement and what a fair amount would be for someone with your medical impairments.

Judge's Review of the Settlement

In most states, a workers' comp judge will have to review your settlement before it becomes official. This will take place at an informal conference. If you're not represented by a lawyer, the judge may attempt to make sure the settlement is fair to you. But without knowing your medical history, the judge is limited in helping you.

Contact an Attorney to Evaluate Your Settlement Offer

It's a good idea to consult with an attorney in your area who works with workers' compensation applicants to find out if the settlement offer is fair. Often an attorney can negotiate a higher settlement with the insurance company than you could do on your own. In that case, you'll still come out ahead after the attorney's fee is taken out of your settlement, because workers' comp lawyers generally charge a percentage of what you receive.
By Barbara Lewis

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and Mongolia signed their first memorandum of understanding in the mining sector on Tuesday, pledging an exchange of technology and expertise, and deepening ties based on Rio Tinto's huge copper mine in the South Gobi desert.

The agreement, signed on the sidelines of a mining conference in London, recognised "the spirit of cooperation that exists between the respective countries" and a willingness "to promote closer cooperation in the extractive sector".

In an emailed statement, the Department for International Trade said the cooperation would cover technology transfer, education and training.

Tumentsogt Tsevegmid, CEO of Erdenes Mongol, set up to manage the state's mineral reserves, including copper, gold and coal, said the agreement also covered financing.

Mongolia, a vast country of just three million people, went on a borrowing spree at the height of the commodity cycle, and the $12 billion economy is staggering under total foreign debt - public and private - of more than $20 billion.

It has, however, been helped by this year's commodity price rally that has seen gains of more than 200 percent for coking coal and it is hoping to benefit from Anglo-Australian group Rio Tinto's (RIO.AX) (RIO.L) Oyu Tolgoi copper mine.

In June, Rio gave the go-ahead to a $5.3 billion expansion of the mine, which will keep a steady flow of foreign investment during the next five-to-seven years of construction.

Rio says the massive mine will eventually be responsible for around 30 percent of the economy, but direct benefits for Mongolia will be delayed.

According to a 2009 investment agreement, investors must recoup their original investment costs before Mongolia can collect dividends for its 34 percent shareholding in the mine.

Oyu Tolgoi is jointly owned by the Government of Mongolia (34 percent) and Turquoise Hill Resources (66 percent, of which Rio Tinto owns 51 percent). Rio Tinto has been the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project since 2010.

Story continues

Copper aside, Tumentsogt told Reuters he expected Mongolia would export 20 million tonnes of coking coal this year to China and slightly more next year.

It is also undertaking a feasibility study on construction of a 5.2 gigawatt thermal coal plant that would export power to China.

Since Britain's decision to leave the European Union in June, the British government has emphasised the importance of new trade relations and is also seeking, for instance, to negotiate contracts in Iran.

(Editing by David Evans)
Community

Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place.
By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Despite open signs of nervousness among legislators, Canada's ruling Liberals bet they can survive the political damage caused by allowing a pipeline to be built from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday approved Kinder Morgan Inc's plan to lay a second pipeline along the route of its existing Trans Mountain line, setting up a conflict with environmentalists who helped him win power last year.

The line travels from Alberta's oil sands to British Columbia, which has become a power base for the Liberals. Opponents predict angry provincial voters could kick out many of the Liberal's 17 legislators in a federal election set for October 2019.

This could weaken Trudeau's hold on power. He only has a working majority of 15 in the House of Commons, and unless he won seats elsewhere he could be reduced to a minority and forced to rely on other parties to govern.

Liberals feel time is on their side. While Kinder Morgan plans to start construction in September 2017, party insiders say the company is likely to face a series of protracted court challenges before it can dig.

This means there will be no television shots of protestors confronting construction workers. Video of demonstrations against a pipeline project near a Native American reservation in North Dakota has gone viral, helping spread awareness of the standoff.

"How are the protesters going to keep this issue alive when the next election is almost three years away and nothing is going to happen between now and then?" said one Liberal with direct knowledge of the file.

Two Liberal legislators from British Columbia openly spoke out against the pipeline before Trudeau's announcement and two other members of the caucus on Wednesday told reporters they were unhappy.

Veteran party members say their colleagues need to take a longer view.

"Even if an election were held tomorrow we'd lose perhaps four seats in British Columbia. As for 2019, it looks as though we'll lose two," said a second well-placed Liberal.

Story continues

Approving the pipeline is part of Trudeau's strategy to tackle climate change while showing enough support for energy projects to deflect charges his center-left Liberals oppose the oil and gas industry.

Liberals say that regardless of the potential pitfalls in British Columbia, Trudeau had to approve Trans Mountain to ensure support from the energy-producing province of Alberta, which has long clamored for more pipelines.

The province is key to Trudeau's plans to introduce a national carbon price and the province's left-leaning premier, Rachel Notley, had made clear she would back the carbon plan if Ottawa approved Trans Mountain.

"If she doesn't get a pipeline it's game over for a national carbon strategy," said a third Liberal. If Notley loses the next election, due in 2019, she will undoubtedly be replaced by a party that rejects the idea of carbon pricing.

Alberta could end up with another pipeline if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump fulfils a promise to allow TransCanada Corp to build its Keystone XL line. Barack Obama had vetoed the project in 2015.

That could make it easier for Trudeau to veto another potentially tough project - TransCanada's proposed Energy East pipeline from Alberta to the Atlantic coast.

Opposition to the pipeline is high in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, where the Liberals hold a whopping 40 seats, and can ill afford to suffer losses.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
LONDON (Reuters) - British utility Centrica said on Wednesday it has agreed to sell its gas assets in Trindad and Tobago for $30 million to Royal Dutch Shell.

The assets include a 17.3 percent interest in the producing NCMA-1 block as well as operating interests in two undeveloped blocks, Centrica said.

The divestment is part of Centrica's drive to focus its oil and gas exploration and production activity to Britain, the Netherlands and Norway.

Shell, which became the world's top liquefied natural gas trader following its $54 billion acquisition of BG Group this year, has a stake in Atlantic LNG, one of the world's largest plants, in Trinidad.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by Louise Heavens)
President-elect also selects a veteran Republican to lead the Department of Transportation

WASHINGTON (AP)  Reaching deep into conservative territory, President-elect Donald Trump chose Georgia Rep. Tom Price to oversee the nations health care system on Tuesday, picking a fierce Obamacare critic who also has championed efforts to privatize Medicare. Trump selected another veteran Republican, Elaine Chao, to lead the Department of Transportation.

Both have long ties to Washington.

Price, picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after more than a decade in Congress, helped craft House Speaker Paul Ryans plan to privatize Medicare  a position Trump opposed in the campaign. Chao, who was the first Asian-American woman to serve in a presidents Cabinet, is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The selections came as Trump spent

Tuesday with advisers in his Manhattan skyscraper, racing through meetings with prospective administration hires as high-profile vacancies loom  none bigger than Secretary of State. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, on the shortlist for the nations chief diplomat, was to have a private dinner with the incoming president.

Meanwhile, Prices selection raised questions about the incoming presidents commitment to Medicare, among other popular entitlement programs he repeatedly vowed to preserve before the election. The Georgia congressman led GOP efforts on Capitol Hill to transform Medicare into a voucher-like system, a change that if enacted, would likely dramatically reduce government spending on the health care program that serves an estimated 57 million people.

Trump did not address Prices position on Medicare in a statement released by his transition team. The team did not respond to subsequent questions about it.

Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on health care policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity, Trump said. He is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible health care to every American.

Like Price, Chao is well-known in Washington, having led the Department of Labor for several years under President George W. Bush.

Her record at the Labor Department suggests she would bring a light hand to safety enforcement as transportation secretary. Under Chao at Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration didnt issue a single significant new safety regulation for four years. Mine safety inspectors were cut and inspections reduced.

Whether its integrating drones into the national airspace, deploying self-driving cars or some other new technology, shes not going to be especially inclined to second guess the industry when they say that this will be safe, said Thomas McGarity, a University of Texas law professor and author of Freedom to Harm, a book about the Labor Department that includes Chaos tenure.

Both Price and Chao would require Senate confirmation. Major Cabinet vacancies remain.

The president-elect summoned Romney for dinner Tuesday night to discuss the secretary of state job for a second time. He also met with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, having met with former CIA director David Petraeus the day before.

After his meeting, Corker told reporters, The world needs to know that the secretary of state is someone who speaks fully for the president, a possible jab at Romney, who aggressively opposed Trumps candidacy.

Transition aides said Trump was likely at least a few days away from a decision.

Even as he weighed crucial Cabinet decisions, Trump appeared distracted by outside issues  or eager to create distractions himself. He tweeted that nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag. He warned that those who do should face perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

Trump offered no context for his message. The Supreme Court has ruled that flag burning is protected by the First Amendment, and Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he doesnt support Trumps approach.

I support the First Amendment, he said.

Trumps team also announced that Seema Verma has been chosen to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Nebraska farmers and businesses are at the forefront of the noble pursuit of feeding the world. The ever-growing global population only increases Nebraskas export potential. With that in mind, last week I led a delegation from Nebraska on a trade mission to China, where we saw firsthand the global opportunities for Nebraska products, services and research. The delegation included Nebraska ag, business and community leaders committed to developing or expanding trade and investment opportunities in China. About 95 percent of the worlds consumers lie outside of our borders and we need to be proactive to grow trade that will create jobs at home.

China is Nebraskas fourth-largest trading partner and the fastest growing. Department of Economic Development Director Courtney Dentlinger and Director of Agriculture Greg Ibach took the lead planning the trip to China. Chinas growing economy and middle class means an increasing demand for the high quality food and products for which Nebraska is known.

Our renewed focus on trade missions is critical to our goal of growing Nebraska. On this mission we saw a great partnership in action with Chapman, Nebraskas Preferred Popcorn and Chinese company ZLTR. The two companies extended a deal for Preferred Popcorn to sell millions of pounds of bulk popcorn to ZLTR Trading for distribution in China. The opportunity for this deal was made possible by Preferred Popcorns CEO Norm Krugs work on a previous trade mission to China in 2012.

Other highlights from the trade mission include the signing of nine letters of intent with suppliers to distribute Nebraska beef and pork products in Asia. Nebraska and Shaanxi province signed a sister state agreement that has been in the works for the past four years. The delegation attended the Nebraska BBQ in Macau, where Nebraska beef and pork were on display to over 350 people in the Macau food industry. We also broke ground in China to launch a demonstration farm  the Nebraska-Yangling Center for Agricultural Development. This demonstration farm is a partnership amongst the state of Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Demonstration Zone. Nebraska manufacturers will lend machinery to this farm free of charge as a part of the program. In exchange, these manufacturers will have the opportunity to bring potential customers and clients to the farm to demonstrate the viability of modern agricultural technology and techniques.

This trade mission gave us an opportunity to highlight Nebraskas quality commodities and manufactured goods, and allowed us to capitalize on the recent announcement that China will be reopening its market to our US beef. This market had been closed to US beef exports for 13 years. Opening the Chinese market to Nebraskas high quality beef products gives Nebraska farmers and ranchers more opportunities to market and sell their beef and create jobs here at home.

In addition to promoting agriculture, we also worked to attract foreign investments to Nebraska by building stronger relationships with Chinese businesses. Since 2010, foreign companies have invested more than $4.4 billion in our state through expansion and job creation. A great example of these types of global investments in Nebraska is Kawasaki. I met with Kawasaki on last years trade mission to Japan and the company has continued to expand its U.S. operations in Lincoln. Another great example is Easyway International, a Xian, China-based logistics firm that chose to locate its North American headquarters in Gretna. During this past trade mission, Mr. Xu, president of Easyway International, attended our Invest in Nebraska promotional events. These events created the opportunity for Nebraska representatives and business owners to speak to over 100 Chinese companies about business investment opportunities in Nebraska.

China offers Nebraska farmers, ranchers and businesses tremendous growth potential but we must continue to strengthen our relationship. One way the University of Nebraska is assisting is through the 3+1 program. This program allows students to complete three years of study at Chinas Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University and then finish their fourth year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I am committed to working with the university on other ways like this that we can expand our relationships abroad. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is also working with Tongji University in Shanghai to train medical professionals.

This years trade mission proved to be an invaluable tool in making new connections, building on existing relationships with Chinese businesses and increasing our export potential. As Ive said before, my goal as your governor is to grow Nebraska. This trade mission is just one example of our continued efforts to make that happen here in the Cornhusker state.
For unique presentations and preparations, diners will be happy to visit Little Italy in Dyer.

The restaurant debuted in Dyer in 2013. Chef/owner Andrew Easterday is at the helm of the cozy, casual eatery.

Easterday is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago. At Little Italy, Easterday presents a diner-friendly menu of various favorites including a good selection of appetizers, pizza, pasta, main entrees and desserts.

In a past interview, the chef stressed his cooking philosophy is rooted in the classics and the use of fresh, quality ingredients.

During a recent Monday evening visit to Little Italy, we found the restaurant already decorated festively for the holidays. The holiday lights created an extra warm atmosphere in the restaurant.

After surveying the menu, we decided on the Panko Crusted Calamari appetizer ($8) and the Fireside Gnocchi ($8.95)

Both items received raves as the calamari was well seasoned and was served with a marinara sauce. The gnocchi proved a good choice as well. It was served with crispy Prosciutto, Brussels sprouts and a Brown Butter Sauce.

The pasta dishes on Monday evenings were priced at $8.95 for the Little Italy order, which is the half order. On other days, the Little Italy order is $14 and the Big Italy order, which is family-style is $25.

Meals at Little Italy are conducive to sharing as most entrees come in Little Italy and Big Italy portions.

Other items on Little Italy's menu are rigatoni ($12 and $21); Atlantic Salmon ($18 and $35); Filet Medallions ($24 and $45); Eggplant Parmesan ($14 and $26) and more.

Desserts include Butterscotch Budino ($8) and Tiramisu ($8).
Culinary students at Ivy Tech Community College showcased their talents in creating new recipes recently.

They competed in Ivy Tech's annual Chorizo Contest earlier this month and concocted recipes for everything from desserts and spaghetti to appetizers. The Mexican sausage proved a good ingredient to experiment with for the students.

Community members, teachers and members of the Garza family, who own the chorizo company El Popular, voted for favorites in the contest.

Guests voted on categories such as Savory, Sweet and Best Decorated Table. A new prize this year was the Presidents Pick, an award given by campus President Luis Gonzalez.

Emerging as winners in the contest were Curtis Byrd, who won in the savory dish category for his Spicy Picante Chorizo and Longaniza Spaghetti; Crystal Rogers who won in the sweet dish category for Sweet Potato Chorizo Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing Garnished with Candied Pecan.

Toni Gaeta won most Unique for Pumpkin Chorizo Cupcake with Chorizo Crumble while Benjamin Mata won campus President Louie Gonzalez' choice. Mata made Chorizo Eggs Benedict with Corn Tapas topped with Chorizo Hollandaise Sauce.

The following recipe is from a past Ivy Tech Chorizo Contest winner.

Spaghetti El Popular

1 1/2 links (9 oz.) El Popular Chorizo

3 cloves Garlic, minced

Sugar, to taste

1/2 Green Bell Pepper diced

1 small jar Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound thin Spaghetti noodles

12 ounces grated Mozzarella

Olive Oil

1/2 medium Onion, diced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with Basil, garlic, oregano) drained

1 (7.75 ounce) can tomato sauce (Salsa de Chili Fresco)

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove casing from chorizo. And cook over medium heat in a large skillet for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic half way through cooking.

Add diced onion and peppers stirring occasionally over low heat to medium heat. Next add diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce continues to simmer. Sauce should be thickening.

Add water if too thick and sugar to taste. Simmer. Boil noodles according to instruction of box. Drain and add a splash of olive oil.

Add 1/2 sauce to noodles and serve with a spoon of remaining sauce on top.
VALPARAISO  DNA evidence taken from a 16-year-old girl claiming she was raped by Portage resident Timmy Marshall was found to be consistent with the accused, a forensic DNA analyst told jurors Wednesday morning.

Heather Crystal, who works for the Indiana State Police, testified before Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford and the jury that 39-year-old Marshall cannot be excluded as a contributor of the DNA sample taken from the purported victim.

But neither can his three male children, unless there have been mutations in their DNA, she said.

This lack of certainty was highlighted by defense attorney Clay Patton, who also reiterated for jurors the girl had taken a shower and washed up between the alleged attack and the sexual assault examination done at Porter Regional Hospital.

In response to questioning from Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matt Frost, Crystal said cleaning up could reduce the amount of DNA evidence but not change the actual DNA.

Marshall is on trial this week on counts of rape, criminal deviate conduct and a third related charge based on allegations he attacked the girl Dec. 6, 2013.

The girl claims Marshall sexually assaulted and raped her, and then sat on the ground, cried and apologized, according to court records. He also reportedly asked her not to tell anyone or at least wait until after the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Marshall reportedly denied the allegations when questioned by police and agreed to provide a swabbed DNA sample.

Paula Baisden, the registered nurse who conducted the sexual assault examination, testified Wednesday that the girl was holding herself and crying after arriving at the hospital.

"She was very withdrawn," Baisden said.

Baisden said the girl told her the same story about being attacked that she had told police.

The evidence portion of the trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday, and jurors will likely begin deliberating Thursday.
LANSING  A suspect is in custody and a 77-year-old man is dead after police say a driver struck a pedestrian Tuesday night, according to a village spokesperson and the Lake County coroner's office.

Thomas A. Anderson, 77, of Lansing was pronounced dead at 5:37 p.m. at Munster Community Hospital, according to the coroner's office. The cause and manner of death is blunt force trauma due to a pedestrian-versus-vehicle incident, according to the release.

It was initially reported about 5:30 p.m. that a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Wentworth Avenue and Lake Street and transported by ambulance to an area hospital.

Village spokesman Fabian Newman said a suspect is in custody after an extensive search of the area for the driver alleged to have hit the person. Charges have yet to be filed, Newman said.

Anderson lived just north of where he was fatally struck, according to the coroner's office news release.

As of 8:30 p.m., investigators with the Lansing Police Department were still at the scene reconstructing the accident, Newman said.

Earlier, Lansing police could be seen Tuesday blocking off the intersection, which is just north of Ridge Road, with squad cars, emergency flares and crime scene tape.
CROWN POINT  A new jury trial began Tuesday morning for Anthony T. Williams, the 31-year-old Gary man charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Damian Reedus.

Aja Jester, 36, testified Tuesday Williams shot Reedus, 34, during the early morning hours on Dec. 2, 2013, while she drove the men to Williams' residence in Gary.

She told the jury Williams then shot her once in the neck, and pulled her from her vehicle.

He told me I needed to die, because I had seen his face, Jester said.

With the gun barrel pressed against her head, Jester testified Williams pulled the trigger twice, but the gun did not fire.

Williams then fled the scene in her vehicle, according to Jester, and she called police at a neighbor's residence.

The vehicle was found later that morning in the 1900 block of Pennsylvania Street, two blocks north of the scene of the shooting, according to court records.

Reedus was found inside the van dead of a gunshot to the head, and an arrest warrant was issued for Williams on Dec. 5, 2013, records state.

Williams is charged with murder, attempted murder, carjacking, aggravated battery, battery committed by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury to an endangered adult and criminal recklessness.

Williams was previously tried on the crimes in April, but after several hours of deliberation, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.

Williams had entered a plea agreement before the trial, but it was rejected by Lake County Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez.

Both prosecutor Michelle Jatkiewicz and defense attorney Jamise Perkins told the jury during opening statements Tuesday that Williams and Reedus were like brothers, who often spent time together.

Perkins urged the jury to pay attention to discrepancies in witness testimony, and flaws in the case caused by former Gary police Detective Lorenzo Peanut Davis Jr.

Ask yourself at the end of this trial  where is the evidence? Perkins said.

Davis, 44, investigated the murder, and is expected to testify later this week.

Davis was arrested earlier this month on a warrant after he failed to appear Oct. 31 at the initial start date of Williams' trial.

Davis' attorney, John Cantrell, previously said in an interview Davis did not know he was subpoenaed until the day of the trial, which he could not attend because he was scheduled to work.

Davis is being held at the Lake County Jail without bail pending the end of Williams' trial.
HAMMOND  City officials have decided to provide a financial incentive to retain residents being displaced by some of the large capital improvement projects planned in Hammond.

The City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that will provide $5,000 apiece to such homeowners. The resolution specifically mentions projects such as the large retention basin planned for the Linden Street area, the Chicago Street reconstruction project, and the West Lake Corridor rail extension project.

City Engineer Dean Button believes in addition to these upcoming projects, the new program will cover people displaced by future projects as well.

Under the "Hammond is My Home Project," any homeowner permanently displaced by city redevelopment or improvement projects would be granted $5,000 to be applied to closing on the purchase of another permanent residence in the city. The project will not apply to landlords or tenants of rental properties affected by these projects.

Button estimated nine residents affected by the Linden Street project and nine affected by the Chicago Street project could qualify for the program, which could result in a $90,000 cost to the city. The money would come from casino tax revenue the mayor can use for projects within the city.

Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. told the council he will feel better about himself as a person by providing the additional funding for those being displaced by the project.

The proposed West Lake Corridor project could take another 50 or more homes west of Sheffield Avenue in the future, which could mean a much higher expenditure of funds.

"We're estimating roughly 50 to 60 parcels in the North Hammond area west of Sheffield, between Marble Street and Brunswick (Street). We'll have a better estimate when we've conducted additional engineering," said John Parson, vice president for planning and marketing for the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

As in the case of the other two projects, however, not all the structures are expected to be owner-occupied homes. For example, only about 20 percent of the structures being taken in the Chicago Street project are owner-occupied homes. The retention basin being constructed between Linden and Columbia avenues from 175th Street to 176th Avenue is expected to result in the demolition of 16 residential structures and five apartment buildings.

Button estimated it would probably be three to four years before officials start looking at acquiring properties in connection with the proposed rail extension.

According to the proposed ordinance, "in order to preserve the strength of Hammond neighborhoods, and retain a sense of community, Hammond homeowners who are displaced by these improvement projects should be encouraged to remain Hammond residents."

Button said the initiative is designed to keep people in Hammond who can continue to take advantage of other programs the city has to offer like College Bound.

"If we can do that and make this work that would be ideal," Button said.
Hammond, IN  The holiday season is under way and the Bishop Noll Fine Arts Department will help kick it off with its annual Christmas concert featuring the BNI concert band under the direction of Rocco Carioto and the BNI choir under the direction of David Herr.

The concert begins at 6 p.m. Sunday in the school auditorium at 1519 Hoffman St. Admission is free. Prior to the concert, a spaghetti dinner fundraiser takes place from 3 to 5:30 p.m. to help the band raise money for its upcoming trip to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. Dinner costs $7 and is all-you-can-eat.

The concert will feature holiday favorites including Winter Wonderland, classics from Bach and Handel and a special performance from the musical Hamilton. At the end, there will a special appearance from Santa.
VALPARAISO  Ongoing police officer training and evaluation, diversity education in the schools and restorative justice were answers suggested for hard questions posed at a town hall-style presentation on community policing at Valparaiso University.

Ive lived in Gary all my life and never felt the fear that I do walking down the street in Valparaiso, said Christina Hearne, VUs coordinator for disability support services.

Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds, however, has a different perspective. Substance abuse, not racial issues, is the biggest challenge facing the Porter County community, he said, with 95 percent of the county jail inmates facing substance abuse issues.

Those opinions, along with others, were offered Monday by a six-member panel of police, clergy, law scholars and municipal officials at the second in a series of town hall meetings exploring police-community relations.

The event, broadcast before a live audience on Lakeshore Public Media, was moderated by Garrard McClendon, host of the public affairs show "CounterPoint with Garrard McClendon."

Panelists were Hearne, Reynolds, Pastor David Ashley Sr., of Redeemed Fellowship Church in Michigan City, and co-facilitator of the Urban Leagues Diversity & Inclusion Symposium; VU law Professor Emeritus Ivan Bodensteiner, Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas and Valparaiso University Law School Dean Andrea Lyon.

Reynolds and Costas outlined measures to improve community-police relations in Porter County, including ongoing police officer training, Valparaisos Human Relations Council and outside auditing of the Valparaiso Police Departments statistics and activities.

Reynolds stressed that positive policing comes from the top and must be upheld by the lower level command staff.

Yet Lyon, the mother of two black children, said she has already had the conversation about what to do when, not if they are stopped by the police.

Hearne said current events do not reflect a post-racial society, and African-Americans have the right to feel safe in any community.

Hearne pushed for diversity education in the schools and said parents have a responsibility to teach children to embrace diversity.

Bodensteiner agreed, but warned that even with diversity education in the schools, some parents hand down racist attitudes to their children.

They will go home and learn the opposite, he said.

The best way to ensure harmony between the races is to make sure children of all races interact with each other at a young age, Bodensteiner said.

Bodensteiner and Lyon called for increased empathy and more diversity in police departments and the judicial system.

The police and the policed are from different worlds, Bodensteiner said. We are so segregated.

Lyon said judges, primarily male, white and mostly conservative, tend to be uninterested in the stories of the defendants, and the system is overwhelmed, with public defenders handling an average of 1,400 misdemeanor charges annually.

A hallmark of the teenage years, Lyon said, is poor judgment, so the police and the judicial system should be looking to rehabilitate youthful offenders with community service rather than jail.

Costas said the Valparaiso Police Department is making efforts to recruit minority police officers, but they are in high demand and difficult to recruit and retain.

Yet both Reynolds and Costas expressed optimism that improvements in the community are being made little by little.

Its all about building trust, Reynolds said. Were building relationships. If we dont do that, we will never understand the situation.

The first town hall meeting took place at Indiana University Northwest in Gary in August. Officials hope to host another in LaPorte County, said Vanessa Allen, president and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, one of the groups sponsoring the series.

The show recorded Monday in Porter County will air again at 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Sunday on Lakeshore Public Media.
PORTAGE  Northwest Indiana residents from Union Mills to Highland spoke Tuesday night against allowing alcohol at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Some 150 people attended a public hearing at Woodland Park held by the Natural Resources Commission on language changes to an administrative rule restricting where alcohol can be sold at the dunes. The change is necessary because of legislation approved earlier this year, said Dawn Wilson, hearing officer, to bring the rule in line with the new law.

Not only did the residents speak loud and clear about what a mistake they believed it would be to allow alcohol at the park, the hearing officers also got an earful from residents alleging improprieties between developers Pavilion Partners and state legislators.

"Pavilion Partners went down to Indianapolis and got this omnibus piece of crap," said Paul Mache, of Chesterton, referring to legislation passed this year allowing the Department of Natural Resources to apply for liquor licenses for nine state parks, including Indiana Dunes. The DNR applied for and received alcohol permits in August.

Residents pointed out that twice the local alcohol commission denied the partners, who are remodeling the pavilion and hope to construct a beachside banquet center with a liquor permit. When that decision was upheld at the state level, Julie Rosler, of Union Mills, said "a powerful local Republican" went to Indianapolis and used his influence to get the legislation passed.

"Everything about this project has been done behind the curtain," said Duane Davidson, adding residents have been fighting the proposed changes at the state park for 18 months, but seem not to be heard.

The hearing also became contentious after Wilson told a resident to put down a sign opposing a banquet center being proposed at the park and told the audience to stop clapping for speakers.

After a half dozen people spoke, most reiterating they didn't want alcohol at the park, Wilson stopped the hearing.

"This is not about alcohol in the park. The law trumps what the rule says anyway. This is not about permits, it is about bringing the rule in compliance with the law. Much of what you are saying is not relevant," Wilson told the crowd.

The comments drew a critical reaction.

A second hearing officer Sandra Jensen took to the microphone to again explain the purpose of the hearing.

"The state amended the law allowing the DNR to apply for a permit for all of the state parks. This rule applies only to the Dunes and is now not compliant with the statute," said Jensen, adding while she understood people were not happy with the situation at the park, nothing in the proceedings would change that outcome.

Under the new law, alcohol sales would be permitted at the pavilion and banquet center. They would not be allowed on the beach.

"The pavilion is on the beach. If alcohol is not permitted on the beach, alcohol should not be allowed at the pavilion," shouted one man.

Suzanne Schoenfelt, of Porter Beach, told Jensen and Wilson they had to understand why people were upset, that the "democratic process was upended" throughout the process of allowing alcohol at the park.

Another dozen people spoke after the hearing officers again began to take testimony, suggesting additional restrictions on alcohol usage at the park, including restricting it to winter months only or during certain time periods of the day.

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage, said he supported the residents, but any bill introduced in the Legislature this year to reverse the previous legislation would die. He did pledge to attach an amendment to a bill, if possible, to change the law.

Wilson said the NRC already has preliminarily approved the rule amendment and the issue has been open to public comment since July. Public comment ends Thursday. The NRC will take up the final vote on the issue during its next meeting at 10 a.m. (local time) Jan. 17 at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.
The definition of Northwest Indiana, the drawing of its boundaries, is still fuzzy but growing more distinct.

Tonight Ill be at an event that aims to discuss the future of LaPorte County. One giant leap the county needs to make is to firmly grasp the NWI mantle.

There have been steps in that direction, and theyre promising.

LaPorte County is a torn between two lovers county. Theres the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority to the west, and theres now a South Bend equivalent, the North Central Indiana Regional Development Authority.

The eastern portion of LaPorte County is tied to South Bends economy, despite the time-zone difference, but Michigan City, especially, is closely connected to Porter and Lake counties.

In interviewing candidates for LaPorte County commissioner prior to the election, I heard some acknowledgement that the county is starting to lean to the west.

Michigan City stands to gain tremendously by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District project that will add a second set of tracks between Gary and Michigan City. That expensive, but necessary, project will speed the commute between Chicago and Michigan City to just an hour. That will cement Michigan Citys status as within commuting distance of Chicago.

The big question LaPorte County officials now face is how to pay for that countys share of the project.

The Northwest Indiana RDAs study of the double-tracking project stops at the Porter/LaPorte county line, rather than its logical conclusion, because the RDAs studies are limited to the area from which it derives its funding.

A decade ago, LaPorte County officials decided against joining the Northwest Indiana RDA. Now the county has another opportunity to hitch its wagon to NWI. The barriers to joining must be low. Pay the annual dues everyone else does, of course, but expand the RDA that already helps Lake and Porter counties to LaPorte County.

Thats really a key issue for us to solve, Northwest Indiana RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna said recently. Nows a great time to talk to LaPorte County about a partnership.

The Calumet National Heritage Area being proposed will include LaPorte County. So does Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. So does the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission. So does the newly expanded NWI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

LaPorte County is included in Northwest Indiana for state governance purposes as well.

LaPorte County has been a halfhearted member of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission in the past. The county needs to recognize how closely it is tied to Northwest Indiana and act accordingly.

The county has a lot to gain from claiming its NWI birthright.

Two of the three members of the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners will be new next year, a result of the election earlier this month. Now is the right time for citizens to voice their support for being more actively engaged with the rest of Northwest Indiana.
Three Manhattan residents are facing charges upstate after an alleged "funny money" scheme.

It happened at a Chuck E. Cheese just outside Albany Monday afternoon.

Colonie police say they got the call after a woman tried to pay with a counterfeit hundred-dollar bill.

An officer found three women, ranging in age from 16 to 29, in a car trying to drive off.

That's when investigators say they found more than a dozen other fake bills and a bag of marijuana.

Kenyanna Cummings of Harlem allegedly ran out of the car, but was chased down by an officer.

Fellow Harlem resident Felicity Reid and Felecia Barrett of Washington Heights were arrested without incident.
A Brooklyn man was arraigned Wednesday in connection with the beating of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son.

Salvatore Lucchesse, 24, was remanded and charged with assault and child endangerment.

Prosecutors say he beat Jaydon Jordan, and that the boy suffered a lacerated liver and a brain injury.

Police say he told them the child fell in the shower and hit his head.

Jaydon was found unconscious and covered in feces inside an apartment on West Fifth Street in Gravesend Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the city's child welfare agency is under scrutiny over the case.

The Department of Investigation is asking for records on the boy.

The Administration for Children's Services released a statement saying it received an anonymous report on the case over the weekend, but the tipster gave officials the wrong address.

DOI has been investigating the agency since May for "oversight failures."
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara will remain in his position in the southern district of New York after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower Wednesday afternoon. Josh Robin filed the following report.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara put in a surprise appearance at Trump Tower on Wednesday. He explained why he was there.

"The president-elect asked, presumably because he's a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years, asked to meet with me," he said.

A meeting, or job interview.

"We had a good meeting," Bharara said. "I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on."

Stay on and pursue cases bringing him national attention: financial crime and also government corruption, convictions of former state legislative leaders, although both Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos are out on appeal.

Bharara also leads ongoing probes into Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration and Mayor Bill de Blasio's fundraising.

Bharara is a former top attorney for Sen. Charles Schumer, the incoming Democratic leader.

Typically, the incoming president largely gets rid of his predecessor's U.S. attorneys, particularly if he's from a different political party.

That the Republican president-elect tapped Bharara is a signal Trump's relationship with the fellow New Yorker Schumer could be productive, and intriguing.

"I am glad they met and am glad Preet is staying on," Schumer says in a statement. "Hes been one of the best U.S. Attorneys New York has ever seen."

Bharara still must confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Trump again stayed holed up in meetings Wednesday. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, he did send word that he would be separating from business operations in his empire.

In a series of tweets, he said he wants to focus on running the country and making America great again.

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016

Last week, he said conflict of interest law heavily favors the president.

Trump has offered no specifics, such as whether his adult children would be put in charge.

"I want to assure all of you, we're going to get this right for the American people," said Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the Trump transition team. "At age 70, after having this phenomenal life and building this phenomenal business in this great tower, he's going to be 100 percent focused on working for the American people and for the United States."

Thursday, Trump travels to Indiana to tout a deal keeping factory jobs from relocating to Mexico. He campaigned on preserving jobs on U.S. soil. Less publicized is that Indiana also apparently used government incentives to keep the plant from moving.
City Hall may have thought it could bury the latest news about the mayor's relationship with consultant Jonathan Rosen by dumping 1,500 pages of emails on Thanksgiving Eve but the story about the mayor's ties with this outside adviser is not going away. City Hall released the emails as part of its response to a lawsuit from NY1 and the New York Post. And on Tuesday the mayor faced an onslaught of questions from the City Hall press corps. Our Grace Rauh has the story.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is on the defensive. His relationship with consultant Jonathan Rosen is coming under fire from government watchdogs and others. And he's facing a new round of questions after saying this on Inside City Hall Monday:

"Jonathan Rosen's never talked to me since I've been mayor about a client," the mayor told host Errol Louis.

Emails released by City Hall last week, though, show that on at least two occasions the mayor reached out to Rosen about a client. In one case, de Blasio was trying to decide whether to do anything to honor Jason Collins, who is gay, after he signed with the Nets.

"Cc'ing Rosen since he represents Barclay's Center," de Blasio wrote.

Rosen suggested the mayor and his son buy regular tickets to Collins' first game and tweet about it.

"If he had nothing to do with the Barclays Center he, I think, would have given the exact same advice," the mayor said.

Another time, Rosen wrote top mayoral aides with the cell phone number of his developer client, Jed Walentas of Two Trees. The subject line indicated that the mayor had emailed earlier about wanting to call him.

"Will you let me know if they connect? Thanks," Rosen wrote.

The mayor was asked how many times he spoke or met with Rosen's client.

"I'm not going to try and do it on the spot but I can say very few," de Blasio said,

City Hall released the emails as part of its response to a lawsuit from NY1 and the New York Post.

The mayor is also insisting that his close relationship with Rosen, who represents clients with business before the city, got clearance from city lawyers and the city's Conflicts of Interest Board.

The board has said nothing specific about Rosen and any conflicts his work outside City Hall might pose. The board did state that the mayor's non-profit, which Rosen worked for, was a "partner" with the mayor's office.

A spokesman for the Mayor has argued that by calling the mayor's Campaign for One New York non-profit a partner, City Hall had the right to shield Rosen's emails connected to that work from the public.
In an unusual open letter issued Tuesday, Zaha Hadid Architects distanced the practice from remarks made recently by its principal, Patrik Schumacher.

Mr. Schumacher, speaking at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on Nov. 18, advocated a market-based, gentrifying approach to affordable housing that would effectively displace working-class, lower-income, residents, many of them minorities, from city centers in London and elsewhere. The letter from the London-based company said: Patrik Schumachers urban policy manifesto does not reflect Zaha Hadid Architects past  and will not be our future.

Mr. Schumachers eight-point manifesto caused an online firestorm among architects internationally and provoking comments from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in the British press.

According to the letter, Mr. Schumachers speech, as an independent lecturer, did not represent the ethic established by Zaha Hadid, who died in March, or the direction since maintained by its board of directors. The letter came as a reaction to opposition within the 400-person company itself and in response to hostile pushback from the public. It was issued with the knowledge of the board, which includes Mr. Schumacher.
JINCHENG, China  Americas uncertain stance toward global warming under the coming administration of Donald J. Trump has given China a leading role in the fight against climate change. It has called on the United States to recognize established science and to work with other countries to reduce dependence on dirty fuels like coal and oil.

But there is a problem: Even as it does so, China is scrambling to mine and burn more coal.

A lack of stockpiles and worries about electricity blackouts are spurring Chinese officials to reverse curbs that once helped reduce coal production. Mines are reopening. Miners are being lured back with fatter paychecks.

Chinas response to coal scarcity shows how hard it will be to wean the country off coal. That makes it harder for China and the world to meet emissions targets, as Chinese coal is the worlds largest single source of carbon emissions from human activities.

Among China watchers, the turnabout also has contributed to questions about the fate of Chinas current crop of economic planners.
Since Election Day, President-elect Donald J. Trump has proposed a U-turn in American diplomatic relations with Cuba, boasted about negotiations with a major manufacturer, trumpeted false claims about millions of illegal votes and hinted that he might upend current free speech laws by banning flag burning.

All in 140 characters or less.

As news organizations grapple with covering a commander in chief unlike any other, Mr. Trumps Twitter account  a bully pulpit, propaganda weapon and attention magnet all rolled into one  has quickly emerged as a fresh journalistic challenge and a source of lively debate.

How to cover a presidents pronouncements when they are both provocative and maddeningly vague? Does an early-morning tweet amount to a planned shift in American policy? Should news outlets, as some readers argue, ignore clearly untrue tweets, rather than amplify falsehoods further?

Image

In interviews on Tuesday, political editors and reporters said that, for now, they planned to apply the same news judgment they would apply to any statement by a powerful leader, even as some acknowledged that social media allows Mr. Trump to reduce complicated subjects to snappy, and sometimes misleading, slogans and sound bites.
SEATTLE  The new headquarters of Weyerhaeuser seem an exception to other office buildings in this waterfront city. Instead of a tower on a busy street, this new corporate base is a horizontal structure with a front door that opens onto a public park.

Tucked inside a group of 19th-century buildings, the steel-and-glass home of Weyerhaeuser, a wood products and timberlands company, is almost hidden by a row of trees.

The companys relocation speaks to the changes that Seattle is experiencing in attracting companies, especially in the technology field, as well as the growing interest nationwide by companies in settling in urban environments to recruit talented employees in a competitive market.

Weyerhaeuser, founded in 1900, moved from a forested 400-acre spread in suburban Federal Way, about 22 miles south of Seattles central business district. Since October, the companys 700 employees have worked in the new building, which has a half-acre footprint and is in the historic Pioneer Square district, just south of Seattles downtown area.
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE  When we last saw Molly Young in 2015, she was making her New York Times crossword debut in a collaboration with David J. Kahn, who taught a crossword-making class in New York City that Ms. Young attended.

Today, Ms. Young makes a terrific solo debut with a midweek puzzle that provided a forehead-slapping Aha! moment for me, which got the attention of the entire floor here. Its O.K. Theyre used to me, and any loud expressions of Ohhhh ... now I get it! are usually met with understanding smiles meant to humor me.

Todays Theme

My first response, as I filled in the theme entries, was to think, Thats it? Punny clues meant to evoke Apple-related theme answers like 14As ILIFT?

But thats not the whole theme. The answers themselves are all soundalikes for things having to do with the eye, so 14A is really a novel way to look at the phrase eye lift.
Not quite three months after standing supportively, and silently, behind her husband, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, as he resigned his position after losing the Brexit vote, Samantha Cameron is about to do what, to my knowledge, no spouse of a global leader has ever done before.

Start a fashion brand.

Confirming the news, which was first rumored in October when she registered the company name Samantha Cameron Studio Limited, Mrs. Cameron told British Vogue, which will reveal first looks in its December issue: I felt that there were a lot of American and French brands out there that fit that bracket of designer contemporary with the right price point and the right styling. But there arent that many British brands which fill that space. She is aiming to fill it.

The new line, which consists of 40 styles, will be called Cefinn and will be available at Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and cefinn.com.

As to the clothes and their style, Well obviously youre thinking about yourself, but at the same time it cant be all about yourself because that would be pointless, she said to British Vogue. Ive spent a lot of time trying stuff on my friends.
Al Brodax, a television producer who delivered an enduring psychedelic classic when he turned the Beatles song Yellow Submarine into an animated film in 1968, died on Nov. 24 in Danbury, Conn. He was 90.

The death was confirmed by his daughter, Jessica Harris.

In the 1960s, Mr. Brodax (pronounced BROH-dax) ran the motion picture and television division of King Features Syndicate, where he produced hundreds of Popeye cartoons for television.

Quick to see the cartoon potential of the Beatles, he sold their manager, Brian Epstein, on the idea of an animated series. The Beatles ran on Saturday mornings on ABC from 1965 to 1969 (in reruns for the last two years), attracting huge audiences. When Yellow Submarine climbed the charts in 1966, Mr. Brodax sensed that lightning might strike twice.

He approached Mr. Epstein again, this time with some trepidation; the Beatles did not like The Beatles.
More than two decades after John Dwayne Bunn was found guilty of murdering an off-duty New York City correction officer in Brooklyn, a judge on Tuesday threw out his conviction, citing a history of wrongdoing by a former detective who worked on the case.

In her decision, Justice ShawnDya L. Simpson of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn ordered a new trial for Mr. Bunn, saying that malfeasance by the former detective, Louis Scarcella, had undermined the evidence that led to Mr. Bunns conviction and eventual term in prison.

Mr. Bunn was the latest defendant to have a guilty verdict overturned in a case related to Mr. Scarcella, whose tactics led to the wrongful convictions of more than a dozen people, according to the Brooklyn district attorneys office. A special division in the office, the Conviction Review Unit, is examining scores of cases, many of them involving him.
PANTIN, France  Tourists near the Eiffel Tower were met with an unexpected sight this month: hundreds of people marching to protest the election of Donald Trump and condemn the politics of hate and division. The #ParisAgainstTrump march was organized by a group of Americans in Paris but also drew French citizens who are worried that Mr. Trumps victory will embolden far-right politicians in France.

That may already have begun. Marine Le Pen  the National Front candidate, who is expected to make it to the final round in French presidential election in the spring  congratulated Mr. Trump on Twitter and later said his election was good news for our country.

The French citizens who supported the #ParisAgainstTrump march have many reasons to disagree. Mikael Zenouda, an activist with Act Up-Paris, said he marched because he is worried that homophobic crimes will increase in France. Abdel-Rahmene Azzouzi, who founded the group Je Te Voix, warned, Minorities should not be steppingstones for presidential ambitions. The goal of Je Te Voix, whose name is a pun that means I see you and I call you out, is to bear witness to racist, xenophobic and misogynistic speech by French presidential hopefuls. Mr. Azzouzis message to Mr. Trump was: Dont mess with us. We are watching you.

Adiaratou Diarrassouba, a co-founder of the blog LAfro, told me that in her view: The United States has made real something that could now happen here. We support denouncing the election of someone who makes racist remarks. And Magali Fontaine of Black Lives Matter France observed: When Barack Obama was elected, it was symbolically very important. Trumps election is also symbolically powerful.
Its interesting that so many of the people, like Mr. Trump, who are eager to punish flag-burners are at the same time so untroubled by speech that offends minorities, women and other Americans. They rail against any concern about that kind of speech as political correctness. But in this country, flag-burning is about as politically incorrect as anything you can do. Where is their courageous defense of speech now? Isnt Mr. Trump the man who stood up for the freedom to say brutally unpleasant things? Who said, at the Republican convention: I will present the facts plainly and honestly. We cannot afford to be so politically correct anymore.

The court, by the way, has also declared that citizenship cannot be stripped away, not by Congress or the president, not in this democracy.

Some may choose to read Mr. Trumps social-media rants as relatively meaningless  the ramblings of a sleepless id, unmoored from thought or knowledge but tuned to Fox News, which apparently was airing a piece on college flag-burners at about the time Mr. Trump sent his tweet.

But we dont have the luxury of merely mocking someone who is now as powerful as Mr. Trump. Before you tune him out, remember what the right-wing propaganda site Breitbart was celebrating on Tuesday  that Mr. Trumps social-media presence allows him to get his message to millions, bypassing corporate media. He has more than 16 million Twitter followers. With Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, he can feed lies and ignorance directly to 36 million people.

He tweets, he posts, he incites. He trolls. He commands a global platform and will soon be Americas commander in chief. But it has to be said, and said again: This is not normal. It demeans the presidency.
RALEIGH, N.C.  Three weeks after Election Day, the North Carolina governors race remains an unresolved, hotly contested muddle. The Democratic challenger, Roy Cooper, has declared victory. But the Republican incumbent, Pat McCrory, trailing by thousands of votes in the as-yet-unfinished tally, has refused to concede, as he and his allies charge that the election was marred by numerous irregularities.

Mr. McCrorys foes are furious. Last week, they parked a U-Haul truck in front of the governors mansion and waved moving boxes adorned with the face of Ray Charles as they sang, Hit the Road, Pat. On Monday evening, hundreds gathered at the state Capitol, shouting, No stealing our election!

The North Carolina imbroglio is so complicated, with so many moving pieces, that a spokesman for the State Board of Elections could not say Tuesday when it might be resolved. It comes amid four years of pitched ideological battles in a state sharply split between Democrats and Republicans.

But it also comes amid a broader wave of skepticism about the integrity of the basic mechanics of the American electoral process, including the recount of the presidential results in three states sought by Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate. The move enraged President-elect Donald J. Trump, who this week said on Twitter that millions of people had illegally voted for Hillary Clinton, a widely derided claim for which he offered no evidence.
OTTAWA  In a decision that will almost surely prompt showdowns with environmentalists, indigenous groups and some political allies, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada approved on Tuesday the expansion of a pipeline linking the oil sands in Alberta to a tanker port in British Columbia.

The Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain project will increase the capacity of a 53-year-old pipeline to 890,000 barrels a day from 300,000 and expand the tanker port. In recent weeks, there have been several large protests against the project, particularly in Vancouver, British Columbia. But Rachel Notley, the premier of Alberta, has repeatedly said that the project is critical to the future of her provinces energy industry.

Environmental groups began condemning the decision as Mr. Trudeau was making his announcement late Tuesday afternoon, but the prime minister said that the pipeline expansion did not contradict his pledges to improve environmental protection and mitigate climate change.

Weve heard clearly from Canadians that they dont want to see someone trying to make a choice between whats good for the environment and whats good for the economy, Mr. Trudeau said at a news conference. They need to go together, and the decisions weve made today and leading up to today are entirely consistent with that.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon on Tuesday blamed unintentional human mistakes for the American-led airstrikes in September that killed dozens of Syrian government troops. The attacks were conducted under the good-faith belief that the targets were Islamic State militants, according to the official inquiry.

The investigation, led by an Air Force general, concluded that the strikes did not violate the law of armed conflict or the rules for the American military. Danish, British and Australian forces also participated in the strikes.

In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job, said Brig. Gen. Richard A. Coe, the officer who led the investigation.

At the time, the Russians, who have been working closely with the forces of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to fight the Islamic State and other rebels, said the attack had killed 62 Syrian troops and wounded more than 100.
For the Yoruba, as well as in several African cultures, the head is the wellspring of wisdom and seat of divine power, Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, curator of African art at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, said in an email. With the head also a source for creativity, Dr. Nzewi said Mr. Senbanjos work is pushing the boundaries of indigenous art traditions through recuperation, appropriation and reinvention, and combining them with formal ideas.

I tell a lot of people your melanin is the paint, Mr. Senbanjo said. When you look at the negative space and see what I do with it, what shines through is the darkness of your skin. It gives it the contrast.

Ms. Brooks, who plays Tasha Jefferson (known as Taystee) in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, said in a telephone interview that the experience, which she likened to a ceremony, is an exercise in mutual trust. When he is so intimately close to your body in that way, hes seeing all of your scars, all of the things you deem beautiful or all of the things that you dont like. She continued: Theres a part of him that hes also sharing with me, the things that hes writing on my body are a part of his culture.

Mr. Senbanjo, a former human rights lawyer in Nigeria, found himself yearning for a life beyond the constraints of the corporate world. In 2013, he changed careers to focus full time on his art and relocated to New York.
It has never been easy to put a Muslim character on American screens.

Even in this TV renaissance, most characters are on shows that rely on terrorism  or at least, terrorist-adjacent  story lines. Other kinds of Muslim characters are woefully absent across the dial. Could that change now, after a divisive presidential campaign that included vows by Donald J. Trump to stop Islamic immigration? Or will it be more difficult than ever?

Less than two weeks after Election Day, five showrunners gathered in New York to discuss the representation of Muslims on TV. Howard Gordon, the showrunner and executive producer of 24 and Homeland, has faced these issues the longest; after 24 emerged as a lightning rod for its stereotyped depictions, he engaged with Islamic community groups to broaden his understanding. (Mr. Gordon is an executive producer of the rebooted 24: Legacy, debuting in February.) Joshua Safran is the creator of Quantico, an ABC series about F.B.I. operatives.

Aasif Mandvi, an actor and former correspondent for The Daily Show, is adapting his comedy Halal in the Family for an animated series. Zarqa Nawaz is the creator of the Canadian series Little Mosque on the Prairie (available on Hulu). Cherien Dabis, a filmmaker known for her 2009 indie Amreeka, about a Palestinian single mother who emigrates to the United States, was a writer on Quantico and now works on Empire. She took part via FaceTime from Los Angeles.

The conversation was thoughtful, anxious and determined. All seemed well aware of the stakes. Its really popular culture that impacts how people feel about one other, said Sue Obeidi, the director of the Hollywood bureau of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which works with networks and studios to promote Islamic voices.
INCORPORATED 10 p.m. on Syfy. In 2074, with the world in chaos after cataclysmic climate change and megacorporations taking over for failing governments, the young executive Ben Larson (Sean Teale) conceals his identity to infiltrate the nefarious company Spiga Biotech and save a long-lost love. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are among the executive producers of this new series, which stars Allison Miller as Laura, Bens wife, a plastic surgeon; Julia Ormond as her mother, the head of Spigas United States operations; and Dennis Haysbert as the companys chief of security  and the most feared man in Spigas headquarters. Despite its flashy pedigree, Neil Genzlinger wrote in The New York Times, the series has few original ideas.

JAY LENOS GARAGE 10 p.m. on CNBC. Mr. Leno rides shotgun in Kendall Jenners 1957 Corvette Stingray.

SOUTH PARK 10 p.m. on Comedy Central. Cartman suspects Butters of trying to steal his girlfriend, and Garrison explores his newfound military power. Meanwhile, people cant get off the planet fast enough in this episode, titled Not Funny. (New York viewers in search of holiday levity can also visit the Madison Avenue flagship store of Barneys New York, where Matt Stone and Trey Parker, this shows creators, have collaborated on a window display in homage to the 20th season of South Park, on view through Jan 3.)

YOUNGER 10 p.m. on TV Land. While reaching a deal for Colins novel, Liza and Kelsey inadvertently ignite a bidding war. And Diana talks to her therapist about dating the therapist next door.
We Show What We Have Learned

And Other Stories

By Clare Beams

174 pages. Lookout. $17.95.

Several of the stories in Clare Beamss debut collection are infused with a subtle form of magical realism, in which bent rules are hinted at more than fully established. In Granna, a woman suspects her grandmother is counteracting the effects of old age with middle-of-the-night visits to a mysterious lake. In the aftermath of a school shooting, in All the Keys to All the Doors, a woman discovers she can cause objects (and possibly people) to disappear by locking them into a certain room. And in the title story (where the magic is far less subtle), a teacher starts painlessly shedding body parts in front of her horrified elementary school students, in response to the hammering blows of the humiliation they deliver to her.

Better still are two of the most realistic stories. The Saltwater Cure is about a 16-year-old boy in the 1930s, helping his mother run Pilgrims Inn, a sham institution where people come to bathe in a marsh to be cured of abscesses, limps and other troubles. He falls instantly in love with a redheaded visitor who seems both healthy and skeptical. (Rob felt suddenly sure that Anne-Marie had come here to undo everything. He was surprised by his own eagerness to see what everything would look like, undone.) Its a potent coming-of-age story told in just 21 pages. And in Ailments, a woman narrates the story of her sibling rivalry with her sister, whose husband is a doctor during the spread of the Great Plague. The story ends with a haunting image of mistaken identity. Stories as well executed as these are their own reward, but its also clear from the capaciousness on display here that Ms. Beams has novels worth of worlds inside her.

Image

Schlump

By Hans Herbert Grimm, translated by Jamie Bulloch

279 pages. New York Review Books Classics. $16.95.
Still in need of inspiration for the cooks on your holiday list after reading our seasonal roundup? Here are 20 more candidates:

CLASSIC GERMAN BAKING: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, From Pfeffernuusse to Streuselkuchen. By Luisa Weiss. (Ten Speed, $35.) Even if you dont have the stamina for homemade apple strudel or Black Forest cake, this Berlin-born food blogger will win you over with her sandy almond sugar cookies.

COOKING FOR JEFFREY: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. By Ina Garten. (Clarkson Potter, $35.) If these recipes are good enough for the Food Network stars husband, they might just please your own mate.

DEEP RUN ROOTS: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South. By Vivian Howard. (Little, Brown, $40.) Howard won a Peabody Award for her PBS series A Chefs Life. In her first book, she celebrates the culinary heritage of the Carolina coast.

DORIES COOKIES. By Dorie Greenspan. (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35.) Greenspan has written two previous baking books, Baking Chez Moi and Baking: From My Home to Yours. Here she concentrates on the smallest but perhaps most satisfying creations to come out of her oven.
The supercow is one of many tales Cubans will remember as they say goodbye to their longtime leader this weekend.

Ubre Blanca was part of Mr. Castros effort to solve a milk shortage. Long before Dolly the sheep or goats engineered to produce silk, Mr. Castro used artificial insemination to combine the Asian Zebus hardiness with a Holsteins high yield.

Ubre Blanca was born in 1972 to instant stardom. Daily reports of her progress became news, though in the end, she was more or less the only success from the breeding experiment.

Mr. Castro had a love for all things dairy, which included Cuban Camembert and a quest to build an ice cream parlor, Coppelia, to rival the American restaurant chain Howard Johnsons.

His ice cream obsession was also the closest the United States got to a successful assassination attempt  poison was to be slipped into Mr. Castros milkshake, but froze to the side of the freezer instead.

As for Ubre Blanca, she died in 1985. A government official saluted her, saying, She gave her all for the people.

_____

Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help.

Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings.

What would you like to see here? Contact us at asiabriefing@nytimes.com.
Mr. Mnuchin is described as both an insider and outsider. His deepest relationships are with hedge fund managers, investors and big names in Hollywood, rather than the chief executives of the biggest banks and multinational companies. He does not have much experience with international trade.

It remains to be seen what policies Mr. Mnuchin will seek to enact, beyond those espoused by Mr. Trump. He is likely to be welcomed as one of the adults in the administration, and friends say he is not ideological beyond simple ambition, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes.

Female Lawyers at a Disadvantage

Half of the places at American law schools may go to women, but which half?

Research indicates that female law students are clustered in lower-ranked schools. There are fewer women at the schools that send a high proportion of students into the profession, meaning that women start their careers at a disadvantage.

Women coming from less prestigious schools may have fewer opportunities to get their first full-fledged legal job, which could harm the rest of their careers. And that is before accounting for the fact that women hold less than a fifth of partnerships at law firms and are underrepresented in the higher echelons of law.
Law school rankings are sometimes disputed, so the research team checked the enrollment figures at schools with strong records of postgraduate employment. Law schools that claimed they placed 85 percent of their graduates in gold standard jobs, defined as full-time, long-term positions that require passing the state bar exam, had fewer women enrolled than men, by about 3 percentage points. The divide was even greater in the next rung of schools, where 70 to 84 percent of students found jobs requiring bar passage. The enrollment discrepancy for women was almost 4 percent below men.

In contrast, the lowest-performing schools  the ones that listed fewer than 40 percent of their graduates in jobs that require bar passage  had noticeably higher female enrollment, at 55.9 percent of students. That indicates women who graduate from less prestigious schools have fewer opportunities to be hired for their first full-fledged legal job, which can be decisive in shaping a career, Ms. Merritt said.

One reason for the gender gap, Ms. Merritt and Mr. McEntee said in the report, was that the national rankings have become so important that the 50 highest-ranked schools increasingly stress LSAT (Law School Admission Test) scores over other admissions factors as they fight for better rankings. This disadvantages women, who have lower LSAT scores (on average) than men.

Women score an average of two points lower than men on the LSAT, which is still the key admissions number. Since law school rankings are weighted heavily on this number, that discrepancy gives elite law schools a greater reason  all other things being equal  to accept a man over a woman.

Ms. Merritt also noted that test scores affect financial aid, which can be crucial in choosing a law school. Prestigious schools have high tuition, and generous financial assistance helps to defray those costs, which can easily reach over $100,000. Currently, there is little transparency in how law schools negotiate tuition assistance and whether there are gender differences influencing how such sums are distributed, although most schools admit that they bargain over their overall price tag.

Some law schools that found their rolls seriously lacking women students have taken active steps to recruit them. Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, for example, began taking a more active approach when its 2013 entering class shrank to 38 percent women, a drop from 45 percent the previous year.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has made an illogically logical choice for his Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin.

Mr. Mnuchins Wall Street past will rankle Democrats. But unlike many people whom Mr. Trump has put on his team, he is neither an ideologue nor a populist. He is also well qualified for the job, bipartisan and relatively reserved.

Mr. Mnuchins career as a financier will not make for a smooth ride though confirmation hearings. He spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs, working in mortgage securities before becoming chief information officer. He left in 2002 to set up his own hedge fund, Dune Capital, which helped finance hit movies like Avatar. And he and fellow investors made a 150 percent profit in five years turning around the defunct mortgage lender IndyMac Bank, which they bought in 2009 and renamed OneWest Bank.
VIENNA  After years of trying fruitlessly to prop up energy markets, OPEC on Wednesday finally reached a consensus on production cuts, sending oil prices soaring. The problem is, the euphoria in the markets may not last.

With prices still at less than half the levels of two years ago, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed this fall to lower collective production. But it could not figure out how to spread the cuts among the countries.

The path to consensus has been complicated by Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose longstanding mutual enmity encompasses religious, political and economic competition. When it comes to oil, Saudi Arabia, OPECs top producer, has fought to maintain its market share, while Iran has worked to protect its nascent comeback as a power broker in the cartel, a role it lost in recent years under Western sanctions tied to its nuclear program.

They overcame their differences on Wednesday, with OPEC deciding to cut production next year by about 4.5 percent, or 1.2 million barrels a day. It will be the first cut in eight years.
Steven Mnuchin started his career as a trader.

He now appears to have made the political trade of a lifetime: His early pledge of loyalty to the campaign of President-elect Donald Trump has landed him the job of secretary of the Treasury. The position is expected to be announced on Wednesday, people close to the transition said.

Up until the last several weeks, Mr. Mnuchin  an entrepreneur, a Wall Street investor and a Hollywood producer  would have appeared an unlikely choice for the position made famous by Alexander Hamilton. Over his business career, he was never particularly involved in politics, nor did he publicly express an interest in public policy. He never ran a large organization or showed himself to be an accomplished economist.

With his appointment to the Treasury, Mr. Mnuchin would be sidestepping  or passing over  the more conventional paths to having his signature on United States currency and an office neighboring the White House.

On the surface, all of that may make Mr. Mnuchin an outsider of sorts. But he is very much a part of the firmament of the finance world, even if he never reached the corner office of one of Wall Streets top firms.
Name Casey Fremont

Age 33

Hometown New York

Now Lives A loft in Dumbo, Brooklyn, with her husband, Brandon Crowe, a chef, and their sons, Rex, 4, and Casper, 2.

Claim to Fame Last week made official what art world insiders have suspected for years: The tireless but glamorous Ms. Fremont does much of the heavy lifting at the Art Production Fund, the NoHo-based public art organization. She is the newly appointed executive director and one of the art worlds most popular players. Growing up in the art scene, one of two daughters of the Warhol luminaries Vincent and Shelly Dunn Fremont didnt hurt.

Big Break After graduating from Boston University in 2004, Ms. Fremont ran into one of the art funds founders, Doreen Remen, while gallery hopping in Chelsea. Ms. Remen needed help on a couple of projects, remembered liking Ms. Fremont (she had been an intern five years earlier) and offered her a job on the spot. It was so serendipitous, Ms. Fremont said. I really dont know if Id have gotten this job if I wasnt there that day. She started working right away on the art funds early hit projects, including Rudolf Stingels Plan B (in which Grand Central Terminals Vanderbilt Hall was covered in carpet), and Elmgreen & Dragsets Prada Marfa (a faux Prada store erected along the road to Marfa, Tex.).
Many of us were moved on Memorial Day weekend by the shooting of Precious Land, a young mother with no criminal record who was shot and critically injured while driving on the West Side. A few weeks later, Mitch Smith, a reporter in Chicago, set out to find Ms. Land, not knowing her name or where exactly she lived. After leaving notes on several doorsteps on the block where he thought she resided, he got a call from Ms. Lands mother, Stacey Turner, and an invitation to come meet her. Over several months, he got to know Ms. Lands family and learn her story. He spent time with them at the rehabilitation hospital, on the first day of school and on summer afternoons as Ms. Turner prepared for her daughter to return home. His goal for the resulting article, which was published more than three months after the shooting, was to show the hidden toll on victims who survive their gunshot wounds, and the citys collective numbness to its shooting victims.

We were also drawn to the story of 15-year-old Veronica Lopez. We first heard of her early Saturday morning on Memorial Day weekend, when Julie was on dispatch duty, assigned to listen to police scanners, monitor Twitter and send reporters to locations where shootings had taken place.

Around 1 a.m., scanner traffic came in that reported the shooting of a person we would later learn was Veronica. It was sketchy at first: Initial traffic indicated that there was a shooting on the Far North Side of the city. Soon more calls from the police came over the scanners, saying that a victim had been shot on Lake Shore Drive, possibly around the Lincoln Park area, and had been transported to Presence St. Joseph Hospital, a facility close to Lake Michigan. Either way, the location was puzzling; both neighborhoods are typically sheltered from gun violence.

Our reporters who went to the scene came away with wrenching details: Ms. Lopez was riding with friends in a Jeep that was driving down Lake Shore Drive when someone pulled alongside them and opened fire. The driver of the Jeep was shot but survived, describing the terrifying scene to Frances Robles, a Times reporter, from his hospital bed. Ms. Lopez, a ninth grader at a Chicago public school, died at the hospital. Megan Specia, a video journalist, interviewed Ms. Lopezs sister and mother after finding them on Facebook.
Article: Solving a Mystery Behind the Deadly Tsunami of Molasses of 1919

Before Reading

Did you know that a 1919 accident caused more than two million gallons of sticky molasses to run through the streets of Boston? Here is a description of what happened:

It was January. The place was Boston. And when 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst from a gigantic holding tank in the citys North End, 21 people were killed and about 150 more were left injured. The wave of syrup  some reports said it was up to 40 feet tall  rushed through the waterfront, destroying buildings, overturning vehicles and pushing a firehouse off its foundation.

Look at the photo above. What do you notice? What questions does this article raise for you?

Questions for Comprehension and Analysis

1. What did a team of scientists and students, presenting at the American Physical Society this month, suggest happened that day?

2. Why, according to their study, was the disaster more fatal in the winter than it would have been during a warmer season?

3. What experiments did the team conduct, and how did they apply data, to test their theory?

4. Why were people who could not outrun the wave trapped because the accident happened in winter?
My friend got a service dog solely to circumvent the no pets policy in her building. She does have the disability this dog is trained to help with, but she doesnt use him for this purpose and even jokes about how long it took her to deprogram him. But she takes full advantage of his service-dog status, taking him with her to restaurants and stores that otherwise dont permit dogs.

This seems unethical on many levels: the time and money the nonprofit spent to train the dog and the additional wait time for disabled people who needed a service dog. I think she has wronged her landlord as well. I talked to my friend about this, and she justified her behavior by saying that this was the only way she could get a dog and that the affection she gets is more valuable to her than the duties the dog was trained for.

I feel that I ought to do something, but I have no idea what. I could let the nonprofit know, but that wouldnt allow them to recoup what theyve lost. I could cut off my relationship with my friend, but that wouldnt help the other disabled people. I have to decide whether or not to continue this friendship  she does tend to do things that I find sketchy  but I can figure that out for myself. My question is: Do I have an ethical responsibility in a larger sense? Relatively speaking, misappropriating a service dog is pretty minor. Even so, it really bothers me. Claudia, New York, N.Y.

It might be worth trying to identify the harm here. Your friend is entitled to the dog, even if shes not using him for the intended purpose. And there are worse offenses. But youre right to be bothered.
BERLIN  Shes running again. Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will once again lead her party, the center-right Christian Democrats, in Germanys national election next September. If the party wins, she will capture a fourth term, running a country increasingly rived by populism and xenophobia.

But in starting the battle, she has also, in a way, called it off. Hillary Clinton made her campaign about defending America against the evils of populism and retrograde nationalism; Ms. Merkel will pretend there is no such war. As her campaign, just a week old, has already made clear, she will do everything she can to avoid standing against ideologies, or for them. And this might be a very smart move.

After the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States, commentators and policy makers in Germany have been busy creating oversize word-paintings of the European electoral struggles to come. In those Olschinken (an untranslatable German word for kitschy oil paintings), the German national election is portrayed as part of the Great War of our times, the next battle between liberal cosmopolitanism and nationalism, along with the elections in Austria, France and the Netherlands. While there is truth in this apocalyptic vision, the more dramatic the play of light, the worse things will get for liberal politics.

Its easy to say that voters are angry; in reality, theyre tired. Theyre tired of the orthodoxy that globalization  and with it mass migration, wage flight and deindustrialization  is inevitable. What scared Germans the most during the crazy summer and autumn of 2015, when 10,000 refugees arrived every day and towns were rushing to transform school gyms into temporary housing, was the feeling of loss of control, and the message from their leaders that anything less than mute acceptance was tantamount to racism.
BEREA, Ky.  My parents married in the spring of 1973, in a modest white Baptist church by a creek in a small hollow in southeastern Kentucky. My mother borrowed her sisters wedding dress, and after the cake-and-punch reception in the fellowship hall, she changed into a baby blue minidress and set out with my father to the Smoky Mountains resort town of Gatlinburg, Tenn., for the honeymoon.

Today much of Gatlinburg is gone, destroyed by an enormous wildfire that began Monday, killing five, driving thousands from their homes and dimming one of the regions few economic generators. But for most folks like me, this calamity is less about the lost jobs than about the lost memories of a place of great beauty, in a part of the country that sorely needed it.

For my parents and countless others who had grown up poor in the hills and hollows of Appalachia, a visit to Gatlinburg was a treat  a place to enjoy the natural wonder of the Smoky Mountains, to splurge on a meal at the Howard Johnson, or to visit Goldrush Junction, a small-scale attraction that was renamed Silver Dollar City and ultimately transformed into Dollywood. A trip to Gatlinburg meant that things were looking up, that they themselves were on their way up  that a place at the table of the American middle class was within their grasp.

And indeed it was. My parents became the first and second in their families to graduate from college, and both became educators. By the time I was born, nearly eight years later, their white-collar, middle-class identity was assured.
Why such antagonism over a referendum about membership of a trading bloc? The vote exposed and widened divisions familiar also in America: metropolitan, university-educated people against working-class people; big cities versus small towns; young versus old. The Leave campaign appealed to communities battered by deindustrialization and working-class people whose lives are defined by insecurity.

Take the former industrial town in Northern England where I grew up: Stockport. The people there are seeing the longest squeeze in wages since the 19th century; a housing crisis caused by the lowest level of homebuilding since the 1920s; and public services under strain because of the worst budget cuts in generations. Many of the towns residents view all these problems through the prism of immigration.

This highlights a dilemma for the opposition Labour Party on how to position itself. A chaotic Brexit beckons, which the Conservative chancellor, Philip Hammond, concedes will mean two years of fiscal uncertainty, and which is likely to conclude in an unfavorable deal for Britain. So should Labour use the court judgment to try to block Brexit in Parliament, hoping that enough Leave voters will feel buyers remorse over the referendum result and return to the Labour fold?

Labours own woes amply match the governments problems. Although a fragile internal cease-fire currently holds, the party is chronically divided. Its left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has the enthusiastic support of grass-roots members, hundreds of thousands of whom have joined over the last year and a half. About three-quarters of the partys members of Parliament, however, rebelled but failed to oust him in a leadership election following the referendum debacle.

A greater problem looms over both Corbyn supporters and opponents: Labours virtual annihilation in the next general election. According to one projection, if the votes in the referendum were applied to a hypothetical general election, Leave would win 421 parliamentary seats against 229 for Remain (which the Labour Party backed).

Labours electoral coalition is unwieldy, to say the least, with fractures of class and region exposed by the Brexit referendum. Despite the party line, more than a third of Labours supporters voted Leave, especially in northern heartlands. Party leaders privately believe that the greatest threat to Labour is losing this segment of electoral support.

A further wrinkle is that if Labour attempts to use parliamentary process to disrupt the governments plans, the government could respond by calling a snap election. All the polling suggests that the Conservatives would bury Labour in a landslide.
Since Election Day the great intra-Democratic debate over What Went Wrong has been dominated by two visions of how liberalism should be organized, identity politics versus economic solidarity, with writers variously critiquing or defending each tendency, or arguing that they are complements and that any tension can and ought to be resolved.

This is an interesting and fruitful debate (my own outsiders contribution can be found here), but it has been mostly about a debate about two different ways of being (sometimes very) left-wing. There has been much less conversation about the ways in which the Democratic Party might consider responding to its current straits by moving to the right.

That kind of movement is often part of how political parties recover from debilitation and defeat  not just by finding new ways to be true to their underlying ideology, but by scrambling toward the center to convince skeptical voters that theyve changed. Its what Democrats did, slowly but surely, after the trauma of Ronald Reagans triumphs; its what Bill Clinton did after his 1994 drubbing; its what Rahm Emanuel and Howard Dean did, to a modest degree, on their way to building a congressional majority in 2006. And its also what Donald Trump did on his way to stealing the Midwest from the Democrats this year  he was a hard-right candidate on certain issues but a radical sort of centrist on trade, infrastructure and entitlements, explicitly breaking with Republican orthodoxies that many voters considered out-of-date.

If the idea of moving rightward seems distinctly strange to todays Democrats, its partially because until this months rude awakening, much of liberalism was in thrall to demographic triumphalism: Convinced that the partys leftward drift under President Obama and candidate Hillary Clinton was in line with the drift of the country as a whole, and confident that with every birth and death and naturalization and 18th birthday their structural advantage would only grow.
IOWA CITY  THE wind turbines that rise out of the cornfields here reminded me on a recent drive of one postelection truth, even in the red state of Iowa.

As President-elect Donald J. Trump considers whether to break the United States commitment to the Paris climate accord, the rise of clean energy across the heartland is already too well entrenched to be reversed.

By 2020, thanks to MidAmerican Energys planned $3.6 billion addition to its enormous wind turbine operations, 85 percent of its Iowa customers will be electrified by clean energy. Meanwhile, Moxie Solar, named the fastest-growing local business by The Corridor Business Journal of Iowa, is installing solar panels on my house, and is part of a solar industry that now employs 200,000 nationwide.

Doomsday scenarios about the climate have abounded in the aftermath of the November election. But responsibility for effectively reining in carbon emissions also rests with business, and with the nations cities and states. Those are the battlegrounds. Worldwide, cities produce as much as 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
To the Editor:

Re America Must Recognize Palestine, by Jimmy Carter (Op-Ed, Nov. 29):

It is disheartening to see a man who once played a role in achieving true peace between Israel and Egypt now calling to replace genuine peacemaking with theatrics.

As President Carter learned at the Camp David summit meeting in 1978, a conflict can be brought to an end only when both parties are willing to end it. Until now, the Palestinian leadership has rejected every peace plan placed before it, from the partition plan of 1947, to the Clinton parameters of 2000, to the far-reaching concessions of Ehud Olmert in 2008, to the valiant efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014. This is the one recurring pattern of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We who live the painful realities of this conflict know that formal declarations and hollow multilateral resolutions are a sorry substitute for genuine reconciliation. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, the road to Israeli-Palestinian peace runs between Ramallah and Jerusalem, not through New York. Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly called upon President Mahmoud Abbas to hold direct, unconditional talks, and Mr. Abbas has repeatedly refused.

Peace between Israel and Egypt was achieved because Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar el-Sadat showed the courage to negotiate directly and to take responsibility for the future of their peoples. Mr. Netanyahu is ready and willing to follow in the footsteps of Menachem Begin. When Mr. Abbas is willing to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Sadat, peace between Israelis and Palestinians will be at hand.
To the Editor:

Now that President-elect Donald Trump has abandoned, modified or finessed a goodly number of his campaign promises, its time for him to reconsider his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He now has a golden opportunity to prove just how effective he can be as a negotiator.

Once in office, he should immediately head to the bargaining table and make a new deal that will fix what he doesnt like about TPP.

If he doesnt, hell leave Asia open to ever greater Chinese influence  and Mr. Trump surely doesnt want to be known as the president who lost Asia.

MARK KILLINGSWORTH

New Brunswick, N.J.

The writer is a professor of economics at Rutgers University.
DURBAN, South Africa  Nelson Mandela once wrote that there is no passion to be found playing small  in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. It is almost as if Mandela had Fidel Castro in mind when he wrote those words.

There is no in-between space where Castro can be ignored or dismissed. He was either loved or loathed. To his enemies, he was a dictator. But to South Africans who suffered under apartheid, he was a beacon of freedom.

The bonds between Castro and Mandela, between the Cuban and the South African people, go back to the late 1950s.

In 1956, the apartheid regime indicted 156 rights leaders, including Mandela, from all walks of life and every corner of the country on charges of high treason for mobilizing peacefully against white minority rule. The trial dragged on for four years, and South Africa remained trapped in a cycle of repression and resistance for more than 30 years. (I was not among the accused that time. But in the mid-1960s I found myself serving a 12-year prison stint on Robben Island together with Mandela.)
In picking Representative Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump has chosen as his secretary of health and human services a man intent on systematically weakening, if not demolishing, the nations health care safety net.

Mr. Price, a Republican from Georgia, is a fierce opponent of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health reform law, and beyond that, supports plans to slash Medicare and Medicaid, which cover tens of millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans. He is against a womans right to choose and has backed legislation to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding.

Mr. Trump and many Republicans have talked vaguely about plans to repeal the health reform law but suggest they might keep some popular parts of the law. Mr. Price makes no such noises. The detailed legislation he introduced most recently in 2015 would destroy the reform law and is a good indication of his philosophy in managing the nations largest health programs: cut benefits and leave millions with no health care at all.

His bill would, among other things, roll back the federally financed expansion of Medicaid in 31 states and the District of Columbia, taking coverage away from 14 million poor people. It would severely cut federal subsidies that help individuals and families buy policies on government-run health exchanges. The reduced subsidies would make it hard, if not impossible, for millions to afford the coverage they have gotten since the Affordable Care Act went into effect. And the bill would no longer require insurers to cover addiction treatment, birth control, maternity care, prescription drugs and other essential medical services.
Based on the candidates parading through Trump Tower for job interviews in recent weeks, the president-elect could end up with generals holding the five most powerful national security offices in the country, an unprecedented concentration of military influence that deserves more public debate than it seems to be receiving.

Mr. Trump has already chosen Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, for national security adviser. He is said to be considering at least three other retired generals  James Mattis for defense secretary, John Kelly for homeland security and David Petraeus for secretary of state or director of national intelligence. News reports have also floated the names of Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency and an admiral who is still on active duty; and retired generals Jack Keane and Stanley McChrystal.

Obviously, Mr. Trump, who has no national security experience, needs wise and steady counsel as he becomes commander in chief of a country still at war in Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous other venues. It is a little odd, though, that he has veered so heavily toward the generals given the way he disparaged them in the campaign, saying he knew more about fighting the Islamic State than they did.

Mr. Trump may see something of himself in their self-confidence and drive. And it never hurts to associate with an institution that enjoys broad public support. But Mr. Trumps over-reliance on generals as potential appointees probably has as much to do with the fact that most Republican civilian foreign policy experts repudiated him during the campaign as unqualified.
What neither Lessin nor The Timess opinion editors told readers is that Lessin and her husband, Sam, have close ties to Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. Sam Lessin is a long-time friend of Zuckerberg since their days at Harvard. When young Zuckerberg was shopping for money to start his business, Sam took him around to meet investors. When Sam had a business of his own, Zuckerberg bought it, and then Sam went to work at Facebook. He became the social media giants vice president overseeing product, and one of a handful of top executives who reported directly to Zuckerberg. The Facebook founder was even reported to be in the wedding party when Sam and Jessica got married.

I wouldnt expect Times editors to necessarily put all that information in a piece explaining Jessica Lessins connections to a company shes writing about. But simply saying her husband worked at Facebook for a brief period doesnt cut it.

Clearly, there is the potential for a conflict of interest here and one that readers should be made aware of. After all, the author landed a spot on the coveted New York Times Op-Ed page for a piece that could easily be interpreted as largely defending Facebook.

I asked Jim Dao, editor of the Op-Ed pages, to help me understand why such a minimal description was made of Lessins Facebook ties. Heres what he said:

The piece made a reasonable argument applicable not just to Facebook but also to other social media platforms. We obviously allow writers with conflicts to write for our page, so long as they disclose those conflicts. In this case Id agree that we could have provided a bit more specificity. But I also think that the central question  did she (or in this case, her husband) ever have a financial relationship with the company  was answered. And since it was answered in the affirmative, readers were given some essential information upon which to base their judgments about the piece.

I then went to Jessica Lessin to get her take on the modest disclosure. Lessin said she believes in conflict of interest disclosures and said she would have included whatever language the editors had requested. But she also maintains that her website has written critically of Facebook many times and says she has never been an apologist for the company.

In fairness to Lessin, part of her argument in her Op-Ed piece is that giving Facebook too much editorial power  by urging it to fact-check and censor  would be unprecedented and dangerous.
A FOUR-BEDROOM LOFT NEAR CORSO SEMPIONE

$2.44 MILLION (2.3 MILLION EUROS)

This 3,600-square-foot, three-level loft was built in 2008 within a former industrial building. It is a stand-alone unit, not part of an association, according to Roberto Magaglio, the listing agent with Engel & Volkers and the agencys licensed partner for Milan. The loft is about a 10-minute drive from the old city center, not far from the tree-lined Corso Sempione thoroughfare and the Parco Sempione. The Milan airport is about a 30-minute drive.

The main entrance leads to the open living area, with wall-height windows, marble floors and vaulted, 20-foot ceilings. The gas fireplace, in a shelflike wall recess, is remote-controlled. A glass wall separates the kitchen from the living area. The kitchen has stainless-steel appliances and thick wood counter tops. Amenities include a professional-quality gas stove and a wine cooler, along with a high-end prosciutto slicer.

Two bedrooms, each with an en-suite bath, are also on the main floor, along with a powder room. A stone staircase leads to the basement, which has a heated counter-current pool, a sauna, an exercise room and a full bath.

The same staircase leads from the main living area up to a balcony that overlooks it and provides access to the master suite and a fourth bedroom. The master bedroom has a spacious walk-in closet; the master bath, with resin floors, has a custom bathtub with a whirlpool. The fourth bedroom also has an en-suite bath.
JTT, New York

When speaking about the relative costs of art fairs, JTT owner Jasmin Tsou echoes Moravecs holistic outlook. Sales and collector meetings arent the only goals. Fairs are a great time for younger dealers to communicate with more established dealers, Tsou says. I feel accomplished when I get a young artist under the nose of a really great dealer, either in Europe or California.

Context is paramount to Tsous long-term strategy. A veteran of NADA, the simultaneous satellite, Tsou acknowledges that her decision to apply to ABMB was driven by her artists rather than by finance. As a dealer, I have always received a lot of support at NADA, and Id like to stay, she says. But at the same time, its important to give your artists the opportunity to show in fairs like Basel because that puts them in conversation with huge artists.

This year, Tsou is championing the work of the figurative painter Becky Kolsrud at JTTs Positions booth. Becky is looking at people like Sigmar Polke and Martin Wong, Tsou explains. It felt fair to bring her to a context that would acknowledge those more traditional influences. As a painting-driven show, Tsou wont have to worry about exorbitant shipping costs. In the past, Ive brought really unwieldy sculptures, the young gallerist admits. I still have fairs Im paying for in terms of shipping.
I met Huppert in the lobby of a hotel in Lyon, where she was shooting Madame Hyde, a loose reinterpretation of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and her fifth film production this year. She was casually dressed, in jeans and a T-shirt, and very slight. To get to her room, we walked  or rather raced, at her rapid clip  up four flights of a wide stone staircase. In the room, she positioned herself on a blood-red divan; even sitting still she exuded energy, like loose electrons spinning around a solid core. We started talking about Elle, and she told me her approach to playing Michele. I had no understanding of the character as I was doing it, she said, the movement of her hands releasing a cloud of Chanel No. 5. But I think thats the substance that she is made of. It was by not fully comprehending the character that she was able to avoid making her into a caricature. It worked, she said, because Im not sure Michele decides anything. Its by instinct, intuition. Its almost blind.

Image Huppert walking in the streets of Montmartre, Paris, in 1985. Credit... Robert Doisneau/Rapho

What directors love about Huppert  and she prides herself on being an auteurs actor  is her ability to convey moral complexity in the most unique ways. After being raped, Michele eventually unmasks her attacker. When she sees the man the next day, she looks neither agitated nor surprised; she is alert and on her guard, but also calm. As Michele, and in many other roles, Huppert can transmit self-awareness. She gives the impression of observing herself at the same time that we, the audience, are observing her. Thats the beauty of it. Shes discovering it as she goes, and is not afraid to feel that, Verhoeven said when we spoke. I think there is always a mystery to her acting, he added. I have never seen an actor or actress add so much to the movie that was not in the script.
Erich Bloch, who helped develop the IBM mainframe computer that, more than any other machine, propelled the world into the digital age, and who then shepherded the internet into broader use as director of the National Science Foundation, died on Nov. 25 in Washington. He was 91.

The cause was complications of Alzheimers disease, his daughter, Rebecca Rosen, said.

Mr. Bloch became a computer processing pioneer after arriving in the United States in 1948 as a Jewish refugee who had been orphaned by the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. He went to work for IBM four years later.

In 1964, he made his signal achievement at the company when he transformed computing by introducing the System/360, the foundation for the modern concept of an operating system that would host a variety of computer programs.

The system enabled IBM to dominate the computer market for a quarter-century and provided the technology that now lets consumers bypass bank tellers with A.T.M.s and make travel reservations from home.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  The student who wounded 11 people this week at Ohio State University, plowing his car into a cluster of pedestrians and then slashing some of them with a butcher knife, may have been inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki, a Qaeda recruiter and propagandist, or by the Islamic State terrorist group, investigators said on Wednesday.

The assailant, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, who was shot dead by a police officer during the attack on Monday, bought a knife earlier that morning at a Walmart store, but it was not clear whether it was the weapon he used to wound people, officials said at a news conference in Columbus. They appealed for help from the public in tracing his movements in the hours between leaving the store and arriving on campus.

Investigators are going through the detailed analysis of electronic devices, social media accounts and other materials related to Mr. Artan, a Somali-born Ohio State student, and have conducted dozens of interviews with family members, co-workers, neighbors and others, said Angela L. Byers, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I. office in Cincinnati.

Ms. Byers cautioned that the investigation would take time and that it was too early to say whether the attack was an act of terrorism.
Of course, there were more important things happening on Tuesday:

 Steven Mnuchin, a financier with connections to Wall Street and Hollywood, was reported to have been tapped for Treasury Secretary. Mr. Mnuchin got his start at Goldman Sachs, a frequent target of Mr. Trumps ire on the campaign trail.

 Carrier, a large air-conditioning company based in Indianapolis, said that it would keep about 1,000 jobs in the state after having prepared to move about 2,000 jobs to Mexico. The company is said to be receiving economic incentives from Indiana to stay.

 Also, Mr. Trump set off a barrage of coverage after he said in an early morning tweet that people who burned the United States flag should perhaps be jailed or lose their citizenship.

In this era, a lot can happen in one day.

Well never really know what caused this uncomfortable-looking glimpse, of course. For all we know, it was a bad scallop. Maybe Mr. Romney doesnt enjoy frog legs. And again, the photo, by Drew Angerer, was one of several taken.

But Mr. Romneys statement to reporters after the meeting seemed to reinforce a conclusion that many drew about this frozen instant of time.
So is the incoming administration truly populist?

Anthony Scaramucci, the financier and Trump transition official, had some thoughts Wednesday:

Well, it depends on how you define populist. If youre talking about an administration thats focused on the potential for the United States and the potential for the American people and where Mr. Trump wants to be president for everybody, which includes the working class and the middle class, then I guess by that definition. But I dont know. It depends on what your definition of populist  sometimes theres a misnomer to that definition thats somewhat of a pejorative. I dont see it that way. What I do see is that the people that I grew up with, which are basically the working class people of the United States, they need a break. And we need to switch them from going from the working class into the working poor into what I call the aspirational working class, which my dad was a member of.

Are millionaires and billionaires really draining the swamp?

You want some people that are insiders and understand the system, and some outsiders that are creative thinkers, out of the box thinkers and disrupters. If you can get that blend right, then youll be able to effect change in Washington. I think if you put too many of one or the other, if you have status quo presiders, well nothings going to change. If you have too many status quo disrupters, Washington is a very healthy immunological system, youll see a full blown organ rejection.

A new name in the hopper?

Mary Fallin, Oklahomas conservative Republican governor, is under consideration for interior secretary. Ms. Fallin had been floated as a potential vice-presidential nominee shortly before the Republican National Convention over the summer. Her aide, Steve Mullins, is also being mentioned for a top staff post if she gets the job.

And no, Mr. President-elect, it wasnt a landslide.

With Alabama and New Mexico certifying their votes, an update is in order. Hillary Clintons popular vote lead over Mr. Trump climbed overnight to 2,370,700  or 1.8 percentage points. Eleven states and the District of Columbia now record a higher percentage of votes for Mrs. Clinton than President Obama received in 2012.

Trump says hell move away from business, but how?

Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he would leave his great business in total before moving into the Oval Office, promising further details next month about his efforts to avoid conflicts of interest as he becomes the nations 45th president.
Brothers on a Road Less Traveled, a support group for men who want to stop being attracted to other men, said its method includes developing an internal sense of masculinity and discovering our true needs underlying some of our homosexual longings and triggers.

There are frequently religious overtones to conversion therapy, which is often promoted by groups with ties to conservative Christian organizations like Focus on the Family, which says on its website that homosexual strugglers can leave homosexuality with the help of support groups like Homosexuals Anonymous or by becoming more like Jesus.

Mike Pence and Conversion Therapy

A statement on an archived version of the website for Mr. Pences 2000 congressional campaign has been widely interpreted as signaling his support for conversion therapy. After listing his opposition to same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws that protect gay people, Mr. Pences website takes up the issue of the Ryan White Care Act, which provides federal funding for H.I.V./AIDS patients and was reauthorized by Congress that year:

Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.

Mr. Pence had not addressed speculation about his support for conversion therapy until last weekend, when Mr. Lotter told The Times it was patently false that Mr. Pence supported or advocated the practice.

Mr. Lotter said the vice president-elect had been calling for federal funds to be directed to groups that promoted safe sexual practices during his 2000 congressional campaign, and he said it was a mischaracterization to see the statement as a reference to conversion therapy.

But he declined to explain which organizations Mr. Pence had wanted to lose their federal funding or what Mr. Pence meant when he referred to groups that celebrate and encourage activity that spreads H.I.V. Gay and transgender groups see that language as a reference to their community.

That is very specific language  some might call it a dog whistle  that has been used for decades to very thinly cloak deeply homophobic beliefs, Ms. Carey said. Particularly the phrase seeking to change their sexual behavior, to me, is code for conversion therapy.
WASHINGTON  With the nation on the cusp of a more assertive immigration policy under the administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, the Supreme Court on Wednesday considered the rights of people held in immigration detention. Their numbers are likely to swell if Mr. Trump follows through on his pledge to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants.

The justices were alert to the potential consequences of their decision. Were dealing with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of people, possibly, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said.

The question in the case was whether immigrants fighting deportation are entitled to periodic hearings to decide whether they may be released on bond while their cases move forward. It can take years to resolve immigration cases, and a lawyer for the immigrants said many detainees posed no risk of flight or danger to public safety.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said such people deserved a hearing. If these are people who have been here for decades, lets say, dont you think due process would require some periodic review to ensure that these people are properly being held? she asked Ian H. Gershengorn, the acting solicitor general.
A county spokesman, David Wert, conceded that treatment approval had been balky and slow, but he said the county did not want to deny anyone needed care.

Bullet Train to Nowhere : Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare

A Piece of Black History Destroyed: Lincoln Heights  a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California  endured for decades. Lincoln Heights  a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California  endured for decades. Then came the Mill fire

Warehouse Moratorium: As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, the anger has turned to widespread action

Were very frustrated at the system, and by the fact that our employees are not happy with whats going on, Mr. Wert said. County workers check in regularly with survivors, trying to resolve their problems, he said, and were actually in the process of hiring a dedicated workers comp liaison to work solely with these people.

Both sides say that part of the problem lies with the state workers compensation law and the guidelines for applying it, which anticipate common workplace injuries like those resulting from a slip and fall, not those seen in a war zone. The guidelines say treatment cannot be denied just because a condition is not explicitly mentioned, but in such cases, decisions become less straightforward.

California and several other states have also changed their workers compensation laws in recent years, in ways that curb benefits and save employers money. A 2013 change in California removed the option of appealing a denial of coverage to a state administrative law judge. This makes the process faster but also means that denials are reversed much less often.

The guidelines in the law are one-size-fits-all, which doesnt work for unusual cases, and we used to have the ability to convince a judge of that, said Marc G. Marcus, a workers compensation lawyer in Sacramento who is not connected to the case. Whats happening to these people in San Bernardino is just a very extreme example.

Ms. Baker, the state industrial relations director, said the system had become more stringent because there were huge abuses, with doctors prescribing unnecessary treatments. And some San Bernardino survivors claims were denied because providers had made mistakes with the requests.

As in other mass attacks, charitable groups have raised millions of dollars to help the victims in San Bernardino, and some medical providers have given their services free. But survivors of the other attacks have usually not had to deal with workers compensation.
Aerobic fitness should be considered a vital sign, just as body temperature, blood pressure, pulse and breathing rates are now, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

The statement points out that fitness can be a better indicator of someones risk for heart disease and early death than such standard risk factors as smoking, obesity and high blood pressure. The authors recommend that each of us should have our aerobic fitness assessed as part of medical examinations and, if our fitness is on the low side, we should be advised and helped to start exercising.

The authors also suggest that if your physician does not begin to determine your aerobic fitness in the near future, you should do so yourself, using any of several scientifically validated online tools.

Aerobic, or cardiorespiratory, fitness is a measure of how well your body can deliver oxygen to tissues. Because that process is pervasive and essential within our bodies, it is also a reflection of overall physiological health and function, especially of the cardiovascular system, according to the report.
BANJUL, Gambia  Since he took over the presidency of tiny Gambia more than two decades ago, President Yahya Jammeh has made headlines by threatening to decapitate gay people, carrying out a deadly witch hunt and claiming to cure AIDS with little more than a prayer and a banana.

On Thursday, voters will decide whether to reinstall Mr. Jammeh, who once said he intended to stay in power for a billion years.

Allah elected me, and only Allah can remove me, he declared on state television in November.

But a recent surge of enthusiasm for the opposition coalition candidate, Adama Barrow, has put into question the outcome of the election and prompted fears of instability and violence in a country known for its repressive leadership.

Thousands have turned out for rallies in favor of the president. But unusually large crowds have also spilled into the streets for opposition rallies where people holler chants against Mr. Jammeh. Women, children and imams have joined the gatherings, unlike those in years past. At one rally this week, young people dragged by a rope dolls bearing the face of Mr. Jammeh.
TUNIS  The emir of Qatar came in person with a pledge of $1.25 billion. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, France and other European partners promised substantial amounts, too.

The show of support, as the Tunisian government threw open its doors this week at a two-day investment conference, was a measure of the stake the entire region feels in keeping Tunisias democratic transition on track.

It was also an acknowledgment that the greatest threat to that transition may be Tunisias weak economy, which is sowing discontent, especially among young people in rural areas.

After a year of political drift and growing social tensions, the conference was a prominent attempt by the government to secure support. It was opened in Tunis on Tuesday by President Beji Caid Essebsi, who told international partners that Tunisia faced an exceptional situation, a sentiment that other officials expressed.
Russia is a country that will pursue its national interests, frequently to the detriment of the interests of the peoples of the countries wherein it operates, he said.

Mr. Brennan told the BBC that the United States should continue to support moderate rebels fighting Mr. Assads forces in Syria as a bulwark against the onslaught meted out by the Syrian government and its allies, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

Alluding to the ferocious fighting in recent days in the Syrian city of Aleppo, which has seen thousands of civilians flee for their lives, he said Russia had failed to show that it was a dependable negotiating partner and had prolonged the discussion process with the aim of choking the city.

I do not have confidence that the Russians are going to relent until they are able to achieve as much tactical battlefield successes as possible, he said.

Mr. Brennan also took a strong stand against waterboarding, which he said had undermined the C.I.A. The agency came under fierce international criticism after using interrogation methods like waterboarding in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and Mr. Obama has since banned the practice.

During the campaign, Mr. Trump pledged to bring back waterboarding and said he was open to unspecified methods he characterized as a hell of a lot worse. And even as he indicated in an interview last week with the The New York Times that he had heard persuasive arguments that torture was not effective, he has left the option open.

Mr. Brennan warned that the use of waterboarding would be rejected by most officers at the C.I.A. Without a doubt, the C.I.A. really took some body blows as a result of its experiences, he told the BBC. I think the overwhelming majority of C.I.A. officers would not want to get back into that business.
It is a good privilege for me to have a former president I can talk to about his success, and his problems also, Mr. Moise said. For example, this morning I called him, because I needed some advice about something. But you know, I am 100 percent Jovenel Moise.

Mr. Moise said that among his first priorities, in addition to addressing corruption and climate change, would be to modernize and revive agriculture, with the aim of establishing a viable organic food industry. If that can be accomplished, he argued, more Haitians may be able to find work in their own country, instead of immigrating to the Dominican Republic or the United States.

He added that he would create a master plan under which all aid groups and foreign governments would have to operate their development projects.

We dont just want the help. I want to see results, Mr. Moise said. If they want to spend money, we are open to that, but we will show you exactly where to spend this.

Many aid groups have been criticized for shutting the Haitian government out of decision-making. Haiti, Mr. Moise said, needs to stop just receiving handouts. We want to show the world Haiti can endure, he said.

In an interview this year, Mr. Moise shrugged off the notion that he was a virtual unknown before entering the presidential race, noting that he had been president of the chamber of commerce in the countrys northwestern region for eight years. He grew up on a large sugar plantation, he said, adding that he could relate to a vast majority of Haitians who live off the land.

A father of three, he was raised in a rural area in the north but attended school in the capital, Port-au-Prince. He said he had learned the keys to success by observing his fathers profitable farming business.
I hope the government could at least tell us, his family, where he is and what crimes he has committed, Ms. Jin said. At least we should know his whereabouts.

Image Jiang Tianyong in 2012. Credit... Ng Han Guan/Associated Press

Mr. Huang, who, like Mr. Liu, headed a legal rights group, was taken by the police from his home in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Monday night, according to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an advocacy group that works out of the United States. Pu Fei, a volunteer in Mr. Huangs organization, is also missing, according to reports by several human rights groups.

Their arrests echo the widespread detentions of rights defenders in July 2015, part of a crackdown on civil society under President Xi Jinping, who has spearheaded a drive to stamp out forces outside the Communist Partys control out of fear that they threatened its survival.

Several of those people, mostly lawyers who specialized in defending dissidents as well as ordinary people such as victims of a 2008 tainted baby formula scandal, were given harsh sentences earlier this year. One, Zhou Shifeng, who headed a Beijing law firm that took on such cases, was given a seven-year sentence, also on a charge of subverting state power.

Mr. Jiangs disappearance may be related to those arrests, because several of the rights defenders arrested last year still await trial, and he was active in supporting their families, his lawyer, Chen Jinxue, said by telephone. Mr. Jiang was visiting the wife of Xie Yang, one of the detained lawyers, and was trying to arrange a visit with Mr. Xie when he disappeared, Mr. Chen said.
UNITED NATIONS  In an effort to tighten sanctions that largely failed to throttle North Koreas nuclear program, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday imposed a cap on coal exports, the countrys chief source of hard currency.

The new penalties  adopted unanimously by the Council, including China  came as North Korea advances toward its goal of building a functional nuclear warhead. That presents a stark national security challenge to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who called North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, a maniac during the campaign, but has said nothing about how to contain Mr. Kims nuclear ambitions.

As with the original set of sanctions, which the Security Council adopted in March, the key to enforcing these new penalties remains in the hands of China, North Koreas principal patron and coal customer.

The new restrictions on North Korean coal were relatively easy for Beijing to approve. They serve the purpose of expressing Chinas displeasure with Mr. Kims agenda, yet they fall short of inflicting crippling pain on North Korea.
SEOUL, South Korea  President Park Geun-hye appeared on Wednesday to have stalled a bid to impeach her in South Koreas National Assembly, at least temporarily, as lawmakers debated how to respond to her surprise offer to resign.

South Koreas three opposition parties vowed to continue their push to impeach Ms. Park, whose government has been crippled by a corruption scandal. But her speech on Tuesday appeared to have swayed some lawmakers in her party who had favored impeachment but now say they are willing to let her step down voluntarily as late as April. Complicating the matter further, some lawmakers said rewriting the countrys Constitution would be the best way to end her term in office.

Opposition politicians expressed fury over Ms. Parks five-minute address to the nation, in which she said she was willing to leave office before the end of her term but left the details  including the date  to the National Assembly, which has a reputation for being able to agree on very little. They called it a ploy meant to derail the impeachment bid, which before Tuesday had appeared within reach of gaining enough support in Ms. Parks party for a vote as early as Friday.

Her offer is like that of a student who faces expulsion for breaking school regulations but demands an early graduation, Sim Sang-jung, an opposition leader, said on Wednesday in a widely shared Twitter post.
If Europe does not take care of its own security, nobody else will do it for us, said Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union. A strong, competitive and innovative defense industrial base is what will give us strategic autonomy.

Total military spending by European Union governments was about 200 billion last year, but the union does not currently have a budget for military research or procurement. The plan foresees a pilot phase of 90 million, or $95 million, up to 2020  and 500 million, or $528 million, a year after that  for research into technologies like drones and for cybersecurity tools.

A second plank of the plan foresees spending 10 times that amount to help governments develop and buy hardware. But rather than drawing on the shared European Union budget, member states would make individual contributions, and some of the money might come from project-related bonds.

Obama administration officials welcomed the increased spending. It is no secret that weve been asking them to do this for years, said one senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss alliance relations. But the official also said it was imperative that Mr. Trump reassured allies that his administrations commitment to collective defense of NATO allies would be solid.

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump questioned whether the United States would automatically defend NATO allies if they were attacked, and said American support would depend on the willingness of those countries to pay their fair share for military protection. But since then, a number of Republican lawmakers and foreign policy experts  including those in close contact with Mr. Trump since he won the election  have insisted that the American commitment to NATO will remain strong.
The victory of Francois Fillon in Frances center-right presidential primary is the latest sign that a tectonic shift is coming to the European order: toward accommodating, rather than countering, a resurgent Russia.

Since the end of World War II, European leaders have maintained their ever-growing alliance as a bulwark against Russian power. Through decades of ups and downs in Russian-European relations, in periods of estrangement or reconciliation, their balance of power has kept the continent stable.

But a growing movement within Europe that includes Mr. Fillon, along with others of a more populist bent, is pushing a new policy: instead of standing up to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, stand with him.

Mr. Fillon has called for lifting sanctions on Russia and for partnering with Moscow in an effort to curtail immigration and terrorism. He is friendly with Mr. Putin. If pollsters are right and Mr. Fillon wins the French presidency in the spring, he could join several rising European politicians and newly elected leaders who are like-minded.
It is not be the first time the monastery has had to revive itself. The American monks arrived in 2000, under a plan by their order, the local archbishop, residents and town officials to populate a priory that had been abandoned since 1810, when Napoleon suppressed monastic orders here.

Led by Father Folsom, who is the prior emeritus, the monks now number 15. They learned beer-making from experienced Trappist brewmasters in Belgium, and began to make Nursia in 2012. The beers name was chosen specifically to help the townspeople, rather than naming it after St. Benedict, Father Nivakoff said.

We wanted people to identify the beer with the town, and to help support it, he added.

Brother Augustine Wilmeth, who was born in South Carolina and serves as the brewmaster, said Nursia was the only monastic beer in the world that is made exclusively by the monks.

Other monastic brewing operations, he explained, have grown into million-dollar enterprises with many workers. In Norcia, the monks do everything themselves, producing around 10,000 bottles each month.
BERLIN  Lufthansa was once a proud symbol of Germany Inc., standing for the quality and smooth functionality of Europes No. 1 economy. But that was before the last week, when a strike by the airlines pilots stranded more than half a million passengers.

As of Wednesday, 4,461 flights had been scratched over six days, with no end in sight to a dispute over wages for pilots.

The Lufthansa pilots union, known as Cockpit, counts just a few thousand members, but they have the power to paralyze the airline as it grapples with myriad challenges, in particular the growing pains of its low-cost Eurowings affiliate.

Lufthansas troubles have become Exhibit A in demonstrating how the changes of the 21st century are eating away at decades of cooperation between labor and management that allowed Germany to rebuild and grow after World War II.
I cannot believe I am still alive, Mr. Younis said.

For Iraqis, the pain of not knowing can be the worst of all. The International Commission on Missing Persons, a Netherlands-based organization, has estimated that up to a million Iraqis have gone missing in recent history. That encompasses the war between Iran and Iraq, the mass killings ordered by Mr. Hussein after a Shiite uprising in 1991, the Iraqi governments Anfal chemical-weapon strikes against the Kurds in the late 1980s, and the more recent sectarian civil war of the last decade.

The commission noted on its website that there are millions of relatives of the missing in Iraq who struggle with the uncertainty surrounding the fate of a loved one.

Go anywhere in Iraq, especially in the south where Shiites dominate, and knock on almost any door, and you will hear a story of a lost loved one and, improbably, of a remaining shard of hope.

Nihad Jawad, a teacher from the southern city of Hilla, said that one night in 1991, her brother left home and was never heard from again. She has heard all sorts of rumors  that he was seen being apprehended by the military, that he was shot. We searched everywhere for him, and we have found nothing, she said. We still have hope that he is still held in one of the secret prisons.

The Islamic States brutality has written a new chapter in that dark history. The number of bodies has overwhelmed the capacity of the Iraqi government, and very few of them are ever identified by DNA testing.

In Diyala Province, where the Islamic State was once strong, a father who lost his son about two years ago said he scours jihadist websites for videos that might show his missing child. He rushes to the scene of every mass grave uncovered in the province.
A prominent Saudi prince and business magnate has added his voice to the debate over womens rights in his country, urging it to abandon its driving ban for women.

Stop the debate, the prince, Alwaleed bin Talal, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Its time for women to drive.

In a four-page letter posted on his personal website, he argued that it is high time that Saudi women started driving their cars, and he couched his views in economic terms, noting that foreign drivers are typically paid 3,800 riyals, or about $1,000, a month to shuttle women around. The cost, he argued, contributes to capital outflows and strains household budgets at a time when Saudi Arabia is trying to shift its economy away from reliance on oil.

Prince Alwaleeds statement seemed unlikely to affect policy.

In April, Mohammed bin Salman, the deputy crown prince, who has amassed power in Riyadh, the capital, and is seen as a contender for the throne, said he was not convinced that women should be allowed to drive, adding that his reservations concerned resistance in society rather than religious doctrine.
Iceland, it seems, is full of hidden poets.

When theyre not at their day jobs, a great many of the islands 330,000 inhabitants dabble in verse, including politicians, businessmen, horse breeders and scientists who study the genetic isolation of the island in pursuit of medical breakthroughs. Even David Oddsson, who was prime minister in 2002 (when Icelands banks were privatized) and central bank governor in 2008 (when they collapsed), is a poet by training.

Birgitta Jonsdottir, the leader of the anarchist-leaning Pirate Party, which did well in a recent general election, describes herself rather loftily as a poetician. Her first published poem, Black Roses, written when she was 14, is about a nuclear holocaust.

Kari Stefansson, one of the worlds leading geneticists and the founder of Decode Genetics, recalled a poem he wrote in 1996, a few months after the birth of Dolly, the cloned sheep.

I was a little bit depressed, Mr. Stefansson said in his office, which, with its slit windows and computer screens, looked a bit like the interior of a spaceship. One of my ways to deal with that was to write a small poem, he said, before proceeding to recite it:

Where do I find, lost in the brightness of a sunlit day,

The happiness of an unhappy man

Fortunate only to be just one copy of himself.

Everything else stinks.

Poetry is a national pastime, but not a particularly specialist activity, said Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson, a professor of Icelandic literature at the University of Iceland. Its part of being an Icelander, he said. Yes, its charming, isnt it?
Stud set to make an impact at New Plymouth

A leading Matamata farm will produce two of the more interesting runners at the New Plymouth meeting on Thursday.

The Waikato Stud-owned Fashionably will make her first appearance in the HTL Insurance Maiden 3YO while the nurserys well-related home-bred Lucy Wyldstyle will debut in the Nulook Aluminium Maiden.

Fashionably Photo: Trish Dunell

Fashionably is a daughter of Redoutes Choice and she was a $240,000 Sydney purchase for the stud, who bred and sold her dam, the dual Group One New Zealand Stakes and Queensland Oaks winner Scarlett Lady.

Trained by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, Fashionably was put aside after two trials in the autumn and she has come back to run fourth in her last trial at Cambridge earlier this month.

Shes been working well and we had her in at Pukekohe, but she drew wide so we scratched her, Te Akau racing manager Brad Taylor said.

Shes got a nice barrier in five at New Plymouth and we would expect her to run very well.

Stable jockey Matthew Cameron will be aboard Fashionably and he will also partner Savabeels daughter Lucy Wyldstyle.

She was a $200,000 Karaka purchase for Te Akau from Waikato Studs draft and is a grand-daughter of Legs, winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks and the Hawkes Bay Kelt Capital Stakes.

Lucy Wyldstyle will make her first appearance after a couple of minor setbacks since her last trial at Te Teko in August when she finished runner-up.

Shes had a couple of slight hold-ups with a cold and then the wet tracks, but shes good now and again wed expect her to go well, Taylor said.  NZ Racing Desk.
WASHINGTON  House and Senate negotiators have agreed not to require thousands of California National Guard troops to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after they signed up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Pentagon had demanded the money back after audits revealed overpayments by the Guard under pressure to fill ranks and hit enlistment goals. But a provision in the annual defense policy bill being filed Wednesday requires the Pentagon to waive the recoupment of a bonus unless there is evidence showing service members knew or reasonably should have known that they werent eligible to receive the money.

A vote in the House on the must-pass defense bill is expected by Friday, followed by action in the Senate next week.

The Guard offered enlistment bonuses of as much as $15,000 and student loan aid at the height of the two wars in the 2000s.

Members of the California congressional delegation and veterans leaders had expressed outrage over a decision to force troops who had served overseas to return money when they fault lay with military recruiters.

Its clear that the Pentagon had all the right authorities to prevent this mess in the first place, but the benefit now is that Congress is going to keep the individuals overseeing this honest and the process open all the way through, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said Wednesday. Hunter is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The provision to be included in the bill would apply beyond California troops and cover any member of the U.S. armed forces. The measure shifts the burden to Defense Department officials to prove service member were not eligible for a bonus or another type of special pay.

A review board is to examine all the bonuses and student loan repayment contracts awarded between 2004 and 2015 for which the department has reason to believe a recoupment of pay may be warranted, the measure states.

Any service member determined not to have been eligible for the bonus pay or aid must be contacted by service officials and given the opportunity to submit documentary and other evidence, according to the provision.

The board is directed to determine recoupment of a bonus unwarranted unless the board makes an affirmative determination, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the member knew or reasonably should have known they werent entitled to the money.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., called the compromise an important fix that ultimately does the right thing by moving the burden of proof off the soldiers and onto the Defense Department.

If soldiers who already repaid their bonuses do not have their money returned in an expeditious manner or if we later discover the Pentagon is still pursuing soldiers who accepted bonuses in good faith, we will revisit this with new legislation on Day 1 of the new Congress, Issa added.
LAGUNA BEACH  A group of Laguna Beach residents has sued the city and the California Coastal Commission, challenging the City Councils recent decision to ban short-term rentals in residential areas.

The group, known as BEACH Vacation Coalition (Backing Everyones Access to Coastal Housing), sued in Orange County Superior Court on Nov. 10, alleging the two entities are violating land-use laws.

RELATED: How to use Airbnb if youre a first-timer

The lawsuit states the city failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and its guidelines when the City Council in August banned rentals in houses or apartments in residential neighborhoods for 30 days or less. It also said the citys ban violates California planning and zoning law. The lawsuit asks the court to overturn the ordinance.

Part of the character of the city is being a tourist town, said Carl Kikerpill, a 32-year resident who is among the 20 people in the coalition. Weve got good restaurants, galleries and shops because of that. Its wrong for the city to want to restrict that.

Laguna Beach City Attorney Phil Kohn said Tuesday the city has not been served with the lawsuit.

The city feels confident that the requirements of CEQA were followed and will respond accordingly to the lawsuit, Kohn said.

Because much of Laguna Beach lies in a coastal zone, it is governed by a land-use plan that is overseen by the state Coastal Commission. The ordinance is scheduled to be reviewed by the commission in December. If the Coastal Commission does not approve the ordinance, it will be up to the the city to determine how to proceed.

Noaki Schwatz, spokeswoman for the Coastal Commission, on Monday called the lawsuit premature. The commission has not yet been served with the lawsuit, she said.

The commission has not taken any recent action on the situation in Laguna Beach, she said. We just received the citys application to regulate short-term rentals and have put an item on our December agenda asking for a one-year time extension to consider the matter.

The lawsuit also states that the citys ban violates a state planning and zoning law that prohibits discrimination against low-income renters.

For decades property owners in Laguna Beach have made their residential units available for short-term rental to tourists and vacationers without objection from Laguna, the lawsuit states. By making such short-term rentals available for rent to very low, low and moderate income persons and families, these families who could otherwise not afford the high cost of staying in hotels in Laguna, have for many years been able to visit and vacation in Laguna.

The coalition charges that the City Council listened to a small group of residents known as Village Laguna to drive its decision and not hundreds of homeowners who advocate for the right to share their homes.

Its a violation of property rights, Kikerpill said. Village Laguna folks are anti-everything. Their political clout isnt warranted by their size. They are a minority thats organized with a lot of time on their hands. They want to turn Laguna Beach into a big homeowners association.

Johanna Felder, president of Village Laguna, said her group was not responsible for the City Councils decision.

It was citizens who have had it, Felder said Tuesday. It was citizens negatively impacted by illegal short-term rentals in their neighborhoods.

Kikerpill, who does not own a short-term rental, said he joined the coalition because he felt the council did not use data or facts to support its decision.

He says since the moratorium went into effect on May 19, 2015, local merchants and restaurants have seen a decline of 30 percent in patronage. Before the moratorium, there were 970 vacation rentals in Laguna Beach listed on VRBO.com. In March, there were about 300.

The ordinance allows established permitted rentals in residential neighborhoods to continue. Eight property owners have applied since Oct. 1 when the moratorium on new permits was lifted.

Coalition member Jason Vogel, who operates rentals in Los Angeles and Santa Fe, N.M., said the lawsuit is about constitutional and property rights.

Its basically a ban on all but a few properties that are permitted, he said. I believe in property rights and think that good operators should be allowed to do them. Im also against what the city has done in pitting neighbor against neighbor instead of allowing them and collecting the taxes that could come from them.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@scng.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini
Free the electors

Re: California vote shows Electoral Colleges value [Opinion, Nov. 27]: Your editorial advocating the value of the Electoral College could have been stronger.

Per the latest count, 72 million people, almost 54 percent, voted for someone other than Donald Trump. At the same time, 70 million people, almost 52 percent, voted for someone other than Hillary Clinton. The sense of the majority of the people is that someone other than Trump or Clinton should be president. The nomination process did not produce a candidate that the majority of the voting public could agree on.

So what you should be advocating is that the Electoral College do its duty. Its constitutional duty is to listen to the sense of the people and then ensure the president is a person who is experienced, competent and capable of performing the duties of the distinguished office of the president of the United States. By their vote, the majority of the people believe that person is not Trump.

But the majority of the people do not believe that person is Hillary Clinton, and she is not a viable candidate to win an Electoral College vote. Over 20 Republican electors would have to abandon their party to select her. However, many Republican electors would support another Republican.

Clinton should symbolically release her electors so that they can vote for a qualified person that enough Republican electors can support with their vote. The likely outcome would send the final decision to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. A coalition of realpolitik Republicans and Democrats could then select the qualified candidate.

All this requires is that everyone play by the rules so that the Electoral College proves its value in the best interests of the American people.

 Richard Cervisi, Newport Beach

Electoral College saved us

Thank God for the Electoral College. Picture what the country would look like if California were able to elect the president. More millionaires would become billionaires like the Silicon Valley group, more illegal immigrants would be working in sweat shops, more people would be on welfare, as we have 33 percent of the entire countrys welfare recipients, and there would be more homeless people, as we have the largest population of homeless in the country. This is the path some of our elected politicians are proposing. People should be very careful what they wish for.

 Rosalie Hines, San Clemente
ANAHEIM  It really isnt a one-on-one battle when it comes to hockey goalies but the Ducks John Gibson knew what he was up against with Montreals all-world Carey Price at the opposite end of the ice.

I think you know that youve got to be good, Gibson said. He usually doesnt give up too many so you kind of put it on yourself to make sure that you do the best you can.

Gibson more than met the challenge, tying his career high with 39 saves and getting goals from Rickard Rakell and Cam Fowler to outduel Price and the NHL-leading Canadiens, 2-1, on Tuesday night at Honda Center.

Price made 36 stops in a strong effort but Gibson went save for save with the man whom many consider to be the best goalie in the NHL, if not planet Earth. Gibsons bid for a second shutout this season was broken up by Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw with two minutes left.

But it was what Gibson did in the first period that allowed the slow-starting Ducks (11-8-4) to survive and start turning the tide in their favor. He made 17 saves, most of them in the first 11-plus minutes as Montreal had a big shot advantage.

It was a big performance by Gibson against the best  especially with backup Jonathan Bernier applying a little pressure with strong net-minding of his own.

In the game within the game, if your goaltender out-goaltends the opposition, usually you win, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. Now theres not many goalies that have been able to out-goaltend Carey Price this year.

Gibsons mindset was simple. Keep the puck out.

I think at that point, we knew if we could weather the storm and wed come out of that first period even or better, that wed put ourselves in a pretty good spot, he said. We managed to do that and I think it was a big momentum swing for us.

Rakell gave the Ducks the lead before the first intermission. Working on their first power play, Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen dropped a pass down to Rakell and the winger looked to set up Ryan Kesler.

Kesler couldnt get the puck past Price but it squirted out toward Rakell, who punched it in for his ninth goal. Signed to a new six-year contract in October, Rakell leads the Ducks in goals despite playing in just 14 games. It seems like Im finding the right spot to put the puck in right now, Rakell said. Im just trying to keep it going. Im not thinking about it too much. Its obviously fun to score goals.

Fowler continues to find the kind of shooting holes that werent there in previous seasons. The defenseman, already with more goals than he had in all of 2015-16, got his seventh in the second period with a wrist shot that slipped by Price on the short side.

The play began with Kesler getting the puck to linemate Jakob Silfverberg, who handed Fowler a soft pass that was converted to finish the rush up ice. Fowler tied Chris Kunitz for 10th place on the Ducks all-time scoring list.

It was a weird angle, Fowler said. (Silfverberg) passed to me and my body was kind of facing towards the boards so its not an ideal angle to get everything you want on the shot. Im not complaining. It worked. I do think it changed direction so thats probably why it went in.

The Ducks were so much better in the second period that they could have padded the lead even further if not for the stellar work of Price, the 2015 winner of the Hart Trophy for most valuable player and Vezina for top goalie.

Penalties to Montreals Daniel Carr and Alexei Emelin at the end of the second allowed the Ducks to work with a man advantage and then a two-man edge. Corey Perry had an open net for a moment but Price gloved his try on a rebound in close.

And as the final seconds ticked off, Vatanen held his hands up in astonishment after Price smothered his last-ditch shot. But that was the last of 20 the Ducks put on the goalie, capping a dominant period unlike many other middle stanzas theyve played this season.

Contact the writer: estephens@scng.com
Its true. No matter how frugal youre trying to be when you travel, sometimes youve just got to eat. Whats a body to do? Here are my top 10 ideas:

1. Stay and eat just outside of the tourist areas. Youll pay a premium to chow down in the main tourist district, where rents are higher. For example, in Cusco, Peru, we stayed in a cheap, charming guesthouse walking distance to the main plaza, in a business area populated by locals. As a result, we paid around $2 for a delicious roasted chicken dinner with potatoes  a specialty of Peru. We would have paid at least $10-$15 for that meal a few blocks away. And, in the bohemian Barranco district of Lima, we followed the locals into Tio Mario, an attractive and jammed restaurant. Dinner of roasted potatoes and anticuchos  roasted, marinated meat on a stick  cost a staggering $6. I fear we overate in both places.

2. Arrange to have a kitchen. The Cusco guesthouse I mentioned above was the very cool Hospedaje Turistico Recoleta, full of art and antiques. It had a full kitchen available for guests to use whenever they wanted, and I met several people on a budget who were cooking their own meals. This could also mean renting a condo or apartment instead of a hotel. Even though this might cost more, youll save a ton over being nickel-and-dimed for every meal, snack and coffee at the hotel. And dont turn up your nose at hostels, nowadays most have private rooms, and you can use their kitchen to store groceries and cook your meals.

3. Speaking of coffee, consider bringing your own coffee maker. Even if the room has one, these days theyre often some tiny weird device that gives you only one chintzy cup or two. I need more joe than that to get going in the morning. And, if youre in a fancy hotel, theres a good chance theres no coffee maker at all, because they want you to call room service and pay 10 million dollars per cup. I bought a small 4-cup Mr. Coffee decades ago, and still haul it along with me on trips in the original box, which has a bit of extra room inside for a mug and spoon.

4. Bring oatmeal and soup. While were on the subject, note that you can use your coffee maker to heat up water for all sorts of things you bring yourself, including instant oatmeal, miso or ramen noodle soup and hot chocolate. I keep a plastic bag full of these in my cupboard, and toss it into a suitcase when we go on a trip. Its great for a quick breakfast, or when the kids need energy fast. A cup of hot water on the plane can also become a snack if you dump instant oatmeal into it!

5. Hit Trader Joes. This grocery store sells inexpensive meals in foil packets that can be heated up in hot water. No additional cooking required. Tear them open and eat with no mess at all. This is good for hotel rooms where you cant cook, but you have a coffee maker or cleverly brought your own. Also good for camping. No dishes to wash! I also like their packaged miso soup. Dont forget the inexpensive wine and beer, sometimes Ill even bring a bottle or two inside my luggage, if Im going to check it. The spoilsports at the TSA wont let you bring wine on the plane, even unopened.

6. Bring your slow cooker. Even if youve got a condo with a kitchen, it probably doesnt have a slow cooker, which is perfect for throwing a meal together, turning on and then going sightseeing. By the time you get back, your meal is done and you wont be tempted to eat out because youre too tired to cook.

7. Find the markets where locals shop. Stock up on food, snacks, water and more. Bring an insulated bag with you on the plane and throw some ice in there to keep everything chilled. If your lodging is walking distance from a market, even better, as long as the locals shop there, too. If you dont want to cook, buy food from the service deli, its still going to be cheaper than restaurant meals. You can do this online now, by the way. Put the address of your lodging into Google Maps, then tell it to search for nearby businesses. See if theres a grocery store nearby. In Williams, Arizona, near the Grand Canyon, we stayed at a Motel 6 next to a supermarket, which was super convenient. I could even send the kids over there when they pestered me for a snack.

8. Eat lunch instead of dinner. If you are going to eat out, have your big meal at lunch. Its always cheaper and you are less likely to need reservations. Its also a chance to eat at some swanky places that maybe you cant afford at night.

9. Time your meal for happy hour. If youre in the U.S., consider the possibility that your preferred restaurant might have a bargain happy hour. I just went to one yesterday where all the most scrumptious appetizers were half price and the margaritas were $5, regularly $9. My daughter often drags me to our favorite sushi place, where most rolls are half price from 3 to 6 p.m. Times and days of the week vary. Some restaurants only offer it on weekdays. You can check on Yelp, or call the restaurant in question. Sometimes happy hour prices are only good in the bar, so ask when you arrive, and get the happy hour menu. Claimjumper has a great one, and kids can sit in the bar too, as long as they dont order bourbon with a twist.

10. Go to Costco. There are so many Costco stores these days, they probably have one on Mars. A $4.99 roasted chicken is a simple addition to your room, and there are lots of prepared meals at bargain prices, not to mention the giant $1.99 pizza slices at the snack bar. While youre there, look for discounted cards for local activities and dining, youll generally save around 20 percent and may get extras thrown in. But beware  dont buy in bulk unless you really think youll eat all that stuff. You know about Costco Fever. You can find a map of locations on Costco.com and also on the app.

Got a good travel tip for me? Or a suggestion? Email me at mfisher@ocregister.com. I love to hear from readers.

Contact the writer: mfisher@scng.com or 714-796-7994

Read more Cheapo Travel by Marla Jo:
COSTA MESA  As the city continues to grapple with a proliferation of sober living homes, planning commissioners made their latest decision on the issue  voting unanimously to deny a permit to one of its long-time operators.

At the same time Monday night, a forum on sober living homes drew more than 130 people to the Neighborhood Community Center in Costa Mesa, where area politicians talked about regulations while lawyers discussed the legalities regarding the treatment industry.

The Planning Commission denied Keystone Sober Livings request for a permit over a city requirement that prohibits the homes, which house drug and alcohol addicts, from being located within 650 feet of each other.

Keystone houses six male residents at 2152 Raleigh Ave., but sits 482 feet and 604 feet from two other two group homes at 687 and 670 Governor St.

Keystone owner Greg Ohlhaver said his facility has been open since 2004, prior to the Governor Street homes going into business. He requested the commission reverse an earlier denial of his application.

Since the home is not licensed by the state, it is subject to city ordinances. Under state law, the city cannot apply conditions to state-licensed homes that differ from those applicable to a single-family dwelling.

Ohlhaver said getting state approval would increase the costs to his residents, who pay about $780 per month for rent and food, which commissioners agreed is significantly lower than what most sober-living homes charge.

Were not making money there, Ohlhaver said. A lot of people are going to be disenfranchised.

A handful of Costa Mesa residents spoke in support of the Raleigh Avenue home, saying it has never had police calls for service and that the residents are well behaved.

Commissioner Colin McCarthy said that while Ohlhaver might be running a reputable business, his argument was not based on the criteria for which a permit was denied.

It cant simply be based on hes a good guy, he said. I dont think Ive seen anything that alters the analysis that was performed by (city) staff.

Other permit applications regarding homes at 574 and 578 Joann St. were removed from Mondays agenda and will be heard at a later date, and applications for 351 and 357 Victoria St. were rescheduled for the Dec. 12 meeting.

On Nov. 14, commissioners approved a permit for a group home at 165 Wilson St. The operator, Summit Coastal Living, has two condominium units that house 11 residents and a live-in manager.

Several residents spoke in opposition to the homes during the public comment period, saying the homes contributed to crime, noise, loitering and homelessness.

Other sober-living operators had their permit applications either denied or delayed at that meeting.

Denied permit applications can be appealed to the City Council within seven days.

At the sober living forum on Monday night, several panelists said cities need more enforcement tools to properly oversee the facilities.

We support Congressional action that closes loopholes and allows cities to enforce local laws more effectively, said Heather Stratman, CEO of the Association of California Cities-Orange County.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com
VIENNA  After years of trying fruitlessly to prop up energy markets, OPEC on Wednesday finally reached a consensus on production cuts, sending oil prices soaring. The problem is, the market euphoria may not last.

With prices still at less than half the levels of two years ago, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed this fall to lower collective production. But it could not figure out how to spread the cuts among the countries.

The path to consensus has been complicated by Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose longstanding mutual enmity encompasses religious, political and economic competition. When it comes to oil, Saudi Arabia, OPECs top producer, has fought to maintain its market share, and Iran has worked to protect its nascent comeback as a power broker in the cartel, a role it lost in recent years under nuclear sanctions.

They overcame their differences Wednesday, with OPEC deciding to cut production next year by about 4.5 percent, or 1.2 million barrels a day. It will be the first cut in eight years.

With the prospect of less pumping, oil prices, which began rising earlier in the day in anticipation of the deal, were up more than 8 percent, to nearly $50 a barrel. Rising prices could lift the troubled economies of oil-dependent nations like Nigeria and Venezuela and bolster the fortunes of smaller U.S. energy producers that have been shaken by the weakness.

The deal shows that the weight and resilience of OPEC is still there and will continue to be, Qatars energy minister, Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada, said Wednesday.

The deal, which is to last six months starting in January, is contingent on the cooperation of non-OPEC countries, most notably Russia.

The size of the cut is fairly trivial in a 96-million-barrel-a-day marketplace that remains oversupplied. Should prices rise in the next few weeks, U.S. shale producers are likely to drill and complete more wells, which would add supply to the global market. And, if history is any guide, even a modest agreement can be breached by cheating.

If higher prices bring higher output, prices will not remain up for long, said Jim Krane, a Middle East energy analyst at Rice University. It wont be long before were back where we started.

Two months ago, the cartel surprised world energy markets by agreeing in principle to trim production. The move by OPEC signaled a significant change of course for Saudi Arabia, which had allowed oil prices to collapse to try to undercut Western players.

But the cartels words and actions did not initially dovetail. The production and export frenzy in Iran has been accompanied by increased activity across much of OPEC.

Libya has more than doubled oil production since August, to 600,000 barrels a day. Iraq boosted production by 300,000 barrels a day since the summer. Nigeria has pledged to increase oil production to 2.2 million barrels a day by years end, up from 1.9 million.
SANTA ANA  Kenneth Jackson was asleep in his bed about 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2013, when a Cadillac sedan crashed through his bedroom window, killing him.

With two prior arrests for driving under the influence, the alleged driver, 30-year-old Kourosh Keshmiri, had been warned about the dangers of drunken driving, authorities said.

But on that night, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker said Keshmiri had an estimated blood-alcohol level of .19 and was speeding at 86 mph when he lost control and came crashing Dukes of Hazzard-style through a front bedroom in the 26000 block of Pacato Drive in Mission Viejo.

Mr. Jackson didnt get to see the new year because of (Keshmiri) and his desire to do what he wants regardless of what he was told, Walker said in her opening statements for the trial that began on Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court.

Keshmiri of Mission Viejo has been charged with second-degree murder in the crash that killed 60-year-old Jackson. If convicted, he faces 15 years to life in prison.

Keshmiris attorney, John Barnett, waived his right to give an opening statement Wednesday and declined to comment during a break.

Walker said Keshmiri was test driving his friends 2005 black Cadillac with a 400 horsepower engine and was speeding through a residential area when he descended a hill and lost control at a curve. Keshmiri tried to brake but hit a curb and went airborne, flying over Jackons front yard and through his front window.

The car crashed through the bedroom and went partly through a wall into the side yard. Jackson was knocked off his bed and crushed, Walker said. Emergency crews had to dig through the debris to recover his body.

Friends said Jackson was a well-known member of the Orange County motorcycle community. He owned a shop in San Clemente where he repaired Harley-Davidsons and built custom motorcycles.

Walker said Keshmiri suffered facial injuries when he hit his head on the steering wheel because he wasnt wearing a seatbelt. The airbag didnt deploy because the car was still moving through the window at the time of impact, she said.

Analysts said Keshmiri had a blood-alcohol level of .19  more than twice the legal limit  and had about 14 standard drinks in his system at the time of the crash, Walker said.

Walker told the jury Keshmiri has a history of drunken driving.

In 2010, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was ordered to complete a three-month alcohol diversion program. The program included a presentation by Mothers Against Drunk Driving where Keshmiri heard from a woman who lost a loved one to drunken driving, Walker said.

In June 2013, Keshmiri was in park late at night with friends when a police officer approached him and noted he smelled like alcohol, Walker said. The officer told him not to drive, but Keshmiri got behind the wheel and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, she said.

A judge told him not to drink alcohol and ordered him to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Walker said.

On Dec. 18, 2013, Keshmiri went to court for an update hearing, where a judge again told him not to drink alcohol and ordered him to complete more meetings, she said.

Eleven days later, Keshmiri crashed the car through Jackons home, Walker said.

The trial continues Thursday in the courtroom of Judge Cheri Pham.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
Homebuying in Newport Beach looked cool this summer as citywide sales growth trailed the countywide pace for pricier neighborhoods.

Heres 14 summertime real estate trends from in and around Newport Beach found in CoreLogics third-quarter report:

1. Citywide, 424 residences sold vs. 416 a year ago, according to CoreLogic. Thats a sales gain of 1.9 percent.

2. However, in Orange Countys 27 priciest ZIP codes  median sales price beginning at $705,000 and a group that includes all six Newport Beach ZIPs  3,147 homes sold. Thats up 8.9 percent compared to a year ago.

3. Newport Beach ZIP code 92660 had 163 homes sell in the period vs. 176 a year ago. Thats a sales loss of 7.4 percent. Median selling price of $1.60 million vs. $1.63 million a year ago, a loss of 1.5 percent.

4. Newport Beach ZIP 92661  17 homes sold vs. 23 a year ago. Thats a sales loss of 26.1 percent. Median of $1.87 million vs. $1.95 million a year ago, a loss of 4.4 percent.

5. Newport Beach ZIP 92662  6 homes sold vs. 8 a year ago. Thats a sales loss of 25 percent. Median of $2.4 million vs. $3.5 million a year ago, a loss of 31.4 percent.

6. Newport Beach ZIP 92663  84 homes sold vs. 96 a year ago. Thats a sales loss of 12.5 percent. Median of $1.5 million vs. $1.3 million a year ago, a gain of 15.5 percent.

7. Newport Coast ZIP 92657  80 homes sold vs. 42 a year ago. Thats a sales gain of 90.5 percent. Median of $2.62 million (highest in the county for the third quarter) vs. $2.57 million a year ago, a gain of 2.1 percent.

8. Corona del Mar ZIP 92625  74 homes sold vs. 71 a year ago. Thats a sales gain of 4.2 percent. Median of $2.23 million vs. $1.94 million a year ago, a gain of 14.8 percent.

And other countywide trends of note for the July-to-September period:

9. In Orange Countys 27 least expensive ZIPs  median sales price at $568,750 and below  2,754 homes sold. Thats down 5.6 percent compared to a year ago.

10. The overall Orange County median price for the quarter was $643,000  up 4.9 percent or $30,000 in a year!

11. Countywide sales were 10,077  up 0.2 percent in a year!

12. Local single-family home sales totaled 6,111  down 3.9 percent from a year ago. Median selling price was $705,000  up 3.7 percent from a year ago.

13. Resales of O.C. condos were 2,920  down 0.7 percent from a year ago. Median selling price was $450,000  up 5.4 percent from a year ago.

14. Builder sales in the county were 1,046  up 38 percent from a year ago. Median selling price was $820,000  down 0.6 percent from a year ago.

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After spending millions of dollars modernizing the Village at Orange, property owner Vestar has sold it for $84.5 million, a real estate broker announced Wednesday.

The deal comes after Phoenix-based Vestar purchased the 855,728-square-foot mall in an all-cash deal in September 2013. A few months later, Vestar revealed it had secured an acquisition loan of $45.4 million to finance the purchase and significant upgrades.

The Register reported the recent sale early last month. However, Vestar repeatedly declined to comment on the deal. On Wednesday, Holliday Fenoglio Fowler of Dallas confirmed the sale in a statement but declined to name the buyer.

Property records show Carlsbad-based TRC, formerly known as Terramar Retail Centers, bought the mall, according to Irvine-based CoStar, which tracks commercial real estate transactions. TRC, which owns about 36 shopping centers, did not immediately return requests for comment.

The mall was 92 percent leased at the time of sale, according to HFF. Managing director Bryan Ley, who is based in HFFs Los Angeles office, said the new owner is expected to finish upgrades started by Vestar more than a year ago.

Over the last 18 months, upgrades have included a makeover of the malls two main entrances. New tenants targeting a younger demographic include The Habit Burger Grill, Buffalo Wild Wings, Noodles & Co., Ulta Beauty and Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches.

Last year, HomeGoods, the household division of T.J. Maxx, replaced the shuttered Old Navy. Buffalo Wild Wings moved into the former Oggis full-service space near Wal-Mart. San Clemente-based Oggis used the mall to test a build-your-own, fast-food pizza concept.

Other mall tenants include Trader Joes, Sprouts Farmers Market, Ross Dress for Less, Party City and PetSmart.

The superior location, exceptional tenant lineup and affluent trade area ensure the success and long-term value appreciation of the property, Ley said in a statement. Retail properties of this caliber in Southern California rarely trade hands, and the new owner is excited to continue the positive momentum that the previous owner has generated.

Over the past 14 years, the mall has changed hands a few times. In 2004, Passco Real Estate Enterprises of Irvine led a purchase of the Village at Orange. The group of investors paid Rawson, Blum & Leon $90.1 million for the property. In 2002, RBL bought the mall, then called the Mall of Orange, for $24.2 million. It changed the malls name and spent $57 million making upgrades.

TRCs shopping centers are in Washington, Oregon, California and Colorado. The company, founded in 1996, was previously known as GMS Realty.

Contact the writer: nluna@scng.com
And then there was one  one unreconstructed communist regime in the world.

Its hard to picture a more fitting symbol of capitalisms triumph over communism than the death of Fidel Castro on Black Friday. Though Cuba remains a dictatorship, its attachment to its revolutionary ideology seems very likely to steadily weaken. That leaves just a single nation devoted to the cause. Unfortunately for the world, its North Korea.

Now more than ever, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (as it styles itself) is a sobering and grave reminder of how brutal communism has always been  and how dangerous it remains today and tomorrow.

Part of the danger North Korea poses, of course, is due to its isolation. But its complicity in international crime and nuclear proliferation has shown the North to enjoy all the international companionship it needs to be a powerful force for global evil and harm.

Its also true that the severity of this threat is partly the consequence of the Obama administrations wait-and-see policy of strategic patience, where Washington refused to negotiate in an effort to get Pyongyangs rulers to abandon their nuclear program.

Now, on its way out the door, the White House has belatedly recognized that the North has no intention of denuclearizing  in fact, just the opposite. Officials have warned Donald Trumps transition team that North Koreas all-out ballistic missile program is so advanced that it should be treated as the new administrations No. 1 national security priority.

Trumps team has received a similar message loud and clear from the head of the last Republican administration. In recent public remarks, George W. Bush warned that a far more aggressive policy than strategic patience had to be adopted at once. North Korea represents a grave security threat, he counseled. It shows how the proliferation of a deadly technology can allow small leaders, failed, cruel and criminal leaders, to threaten and disrupt the world on a grand scale.

Naturally, Pyongyang has also taken an interest in President-elect Trumps policy preferences. In a recent memorandum, the regime leveled the predictable criticism against the U.S. and the sitting presidents adversarial efforts, closing with the usual affirmation that nothing will stop the nuclear program because its tests are not the true source of trouble in the region. Boilerplate this may be, but for North Korea watchers, a new and deeper meaning was on clear display. Very unusually, the memorandum was disseminated in English  an evident attempt to telegraph its openness to direct negotiations to the incoming Trump administration.

Trumps own recent words have given the North reason to believe such a message might not be rejected out of hand. Trump has suggested previously, for instance, that he might consider communicating personally with Kim Jong Un.

To mark Fidel Castros death, Pyongyang imposed three days of mourning on its beleaguered people, adding insult to decade upon decade of injury. Although neither carrots nor sticks may work as well on North Korea as on Cuba, Americas new administration will face an undeniable opportunity to help ensure that the number of communist regimes blighting the Earths surface finally drops to zero.
ANAHEIM  Come Thursday, the Anaheim White House hopes to again be stocked with tons of pasta and sauce.

The Italian steakhouse and KFI will host their sixth annual PastaThon to benefit Caterinas Club, a nonprofit founded by the restaurants owner, Bruno Serato, that prepares hot pasta dishes five days a week for 1,800 children in Orange County and Long Beach.

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KFI will broadcast live on site from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.

Visitors can visit the restaurant to listen to the deejays and drop off dried pasta, canned tomato sauce or cash.

Last year, the foundation raised more than $274,000 and collected 57,000 pounds of pasta and sauce.

This year, organizers hope to raise more than $300,000 and collect 70,000 tons of pasta and sauce.

Anything is appreciated, said Sylvano Ibay, general manager at the Anaheim White House and chairman at Caterinas Club. If its 5 cents or a donation of pasta or tomato sauce, anything does help. People can stop by and stay just to listen.

But Ibay has one caveat.

Dont drop off the fancy colored pasta, he said, laughing. We found the kids dont like the colored pastas, especially red and green.

Serato founded Caterinas Club in 2005. He named the foundation after his mother, Caterina, who encouraged her son to give back to the community by feeding hungry children a nutritious meal.

Serato has since fed more than 1 million children pasta dinners. Hes also expanded the program and created Welcome Home, which helps families with lower incomes move into apartments.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2443 or jpimentel@ocregister.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney
Public money is typically reserved for public services. Things like roads, public safety and schools. But a proposal by outgoing Irvine Mayor Steven Choi looked to blur the lines between public and private schools.

The citys Planning Commission last month approved Crean Lutherans plan to add 25,600 square feet of classroom buildings and a weight room at the northeast corner of the schools campus at Portola Parkway and Sand Canyon Avenue. The school has about 800 students with an enrollment cap of 1,200, the Register reported. Choi requested the city match the schools fundraising effort to pay for the expansion up to $25,000.

The City Council tabled the motion, noting that to offer the funding to only one private school seemed unfair, and, as the Register noted, directed staff to return with information on Irvine private schools within the first three months of 2017 so they can make a better decision.

To be sure, Chois proposal is similar to a program the city already employs for its public schools by budgeting $1.5 million for the Challenge Match Grant program, which provides $1 for every dollar raised on behalf of Irvine students attending the Irvine, Tustin and Santa Ana unified school districts, the Register wrote. But the council would have done better to just reject the motion entirely, as public money should not be doled out to private schools.

Crean Lutheran High School is a private school that operates on private money. To inject public money into it, or any other private school, would alter the meaning of public and private schooling.

Further, with government money often comes government strings. While we think it unlikely that the current council would do anything in that area, a future council could use such a relationship as an opening to make demands on private schools receiving the money on issues of curriculum, unionization or any number of other things.

That is hardly far-fetched. Remember that the citys cozy relationship with its own school district has been used to score political points in the past, most recently over the placement of Irvines fifth high school.

Private schools exist as an alternative to public schools, and that comes at a cost.
The pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states, Barack Obama famously observed in 2004, several years before he ran for president. But Ive got news for them: Theres the United States of America.

Twelve years later, Obama is about to depart the White House, and by now he has probably learned there are significant differences between so-called red states that tend to vote Republican in presidential elections and blue ones that usually support Democrats. The colors, of course, come from maps often used as television graphics during election coverage.

What are some of those differences? While campaigning  at least before Donald Trump  Republicans have tended to focus on values, claiming families and traditional marriages are stronger in red states than blue ones, while Democrats contend poor people, minorities and women are better off in blue ones.

California, of course, has been a consistently blue state since 1992, when Bill Clinton carried it with a plurality of the vote against the elder George Bush, not winning an actual majority here until 1996.

Republicans often say California Democrats have wrecked the Golden State over the last 25 years, citing what they insist is a declining quality of life and an expanded role for government.

Its true Democrats have dominated the Legislature almost all that time, passing laws that regulate everything from cellphone use in cars to teaching about gay history in high schools. A nanny state, many Republicans call it, ignoring the fact Republican governors like Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger signed off on most of the new regulations Democrats passed in the last quarter-century.

Ethnically speaking, California became blue when its Latinos began to get politically active. But in many other ways, this is statistically a pretty standard blue state, and there are major differences between those states and their red rivals. Here are some (based on U.S. Census data):

 Blue states tend to have a more educated populace; California is fairly typical with 37.4 percent of adults holding college degrees. Deeply blue Massachusetts (despite its Republican governor) ranks first in this category with 53.4 percent of adults holding at least a bachelors degree. At the bottom in this category is a corps of red states including Alaska at 26.6 percent, Texas at 32.2 percent and Arizona with 33 percent.

 Red states tend to have a far higher percentage of people abusing drugs, led by West Virginia with 25.8 persons out of every 100,000 dying of drug overdoses each year, Utah with 18.4 and Alaska 18.1 in 2008, the last year for which statistics are available. Red states like Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee all topped 14 per 100,000 in this sad category. California, again in drug abuse a fairly normal blue state, saw only 10.4 persons out of every 100,000 take fatal overdoses, both from illegal drugs and prescription ones. (Statistics from the Policy Impact Report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

 A little counterintuitive, the map of states with the highest Census-reported divorce rates is also almost all red, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alaska, Alabama, Kentucky, Nevada (the only blue state here, but also the only state with an active quickie divorce industry), Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and Arizona.

 Unemployment, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. In the latest Department of Labor statistics, three red states (Alaska, Louisiana and West Virginia) are among the top six, with Alaska leading the unfortunate way at 6.7 percent, but they are joined by three usually blue states (Illinois, New Mexico and the District of Columbia).

 Red state citizens tend to be more charitable, with the eight states donating the highest share of their personal income to charity  Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Idaho, Arkansas and Georgia  all pretty reliably Republican (data from the Chronicle of Philanthropy).

All of which raises some questions: Do Republican family values equate to higher divorce rates and lower college education? Does going Democratic make people less charitable? Or are none of these things linked to politics at all?
SANTA ANA  A car crashed into a power pole Wednesday in Santa Ana.

The crash happened about 6:30 a.m. on South Flower Street, Santa Ana police Cmdr. Phil Craft said.

The driver was not seriously injured. The crash left about 1,100 Southern California Edison customers without electricity.

Traffic on South Flower Street between Highland Street and West Bishop Street remained closed while crews repaired the pole, Craft said. Southern California Edison said power was restored by 7 p.m.

Staff writer Josh Sudock contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline
The heads of the UC, Cal State and California community college systems wrote President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging him to continue the program that gives young undocumented immigrants temporary legal status.

We implore you to let them know they are valued members of our communities and that they will be allowed to continue to pursue the American dream, wrote Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, Timothy P. White, chancellor of California State University, and Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor-designate of California Community Colleges.

Trump has pledged to get rid of a program created by President Barack Obama that allows those brought to the country at a young age to apply for a two-year deferment from deportation. The program known as DACA, for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, offers renewals every two years and work permits.

It also offers its recipients some peace of mind, if only for a time.

These sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants are as American as any other child across the nation, in all but in the letter of the law In fact, they represent some of the best our nation has to offer, the education leaders wrote Trump.

They should be able to pursue their dream of higher education without fear of being arrested, deported, or rounded up for just trying to learn, they wrote.

Led by Pomona College President David Oxtoby, as of Tuesday afternoon nearly 400 university and college presidents signed another letter calling on the government to continue DACA. The signers include the presidents of Cal State universities in Fullerton, Long Beach, Bakersfield and Pomona, and all the UC schools.

Meanwhile, the University of California Undocumented Legal Services Center, which serves UC undocumented students and is based at UC Davis, plans to train UC Irvine law students, faculty and staff volunteers to help undocumented students and their families with immigration questions.

Some UCI law students also will begin this week working pro bono to assist DACA recipients with their renewal applications.

Following the election, theres just been a feeling among the students, the staff and the faculty that people wanted to do something to help the immigrant community that is feeling scared right now, said Anna Davis, director of pro bono programs at the UCI School of Law.

We want to use our legal skills to help that community, Davis said.

Many students across California and the nation have reacted to Trumps election with protests and calls to create sanctuary campuses that could harbor students and their families from federal immigration authorities. During his campaign, Trump pledged to deport the 11 million-plus people living in the country illegally. Since then, he has said his priority would be to deport criminals who are not legal residents.

Contact the writer: Twitter@RoxanaKopetman and rkopetman@scng.com
Homeowners in coastal California cities with higher home prices tend to have lower property tax rates than residents of lower-priced inland cities due to Proposition 13, a study by real estate website Trulia shows.

Homeowners in Malibu and Laguna Beach pay some of Californias lowest property tax rates, while Beaumont, Palmdale and Murrieta pay some of the states highest.

Why?

Under Prop. 13, property tax increases are capped, with assessments reset to actual market values only when homes are sold. As a result, the longer people own their homes, the more they benefit from the 1970s-era measure.

Owners closer to the beach tend to stay in their homes longer and their home values rise faster, while homeowners in Riverside and San Bernardino counties move more or are just entering the home market, the study said.

Orange County had the states 12th-lowest tax rate among 58 counties when taking into account the actual home values. Los Angeles County had the 20th lowest.

Riverside County, on the other hand, had the states second-highest property tax rate, and San Bernardino County had the 15th highest.

There is a geographic disparity in who benefits from Prop. 13, the study said. Residents in expensive coastal cities pay noticeably lower tax rates than residents in cheaper inland cities.

Prop. 13 sets the tax rate at 1 percent and limits property tax hikes to 2 percent a year.

Trulia analyzed tax records, U.S. census data and home price data to determine how much residents in each California city and county pay in property taxes relative to the true market values of their homes.

Trulia then calculated the effective property tax rate each California city and county pays.

Beaumont had the states highest effective tax rate: 1.37 percent. The Riverside County citys use of special tax districts drew scrutiny with the revelation that previous city officials set those up to repay hundreds of millions in bonds borrowed to build infrastructure. Several of those officials are facing corruption charges.

But the Bay Area city of Palo Alto  with a 2015 median home price of $2.2 million  had an effective tax rate of 0.42 percent, the lowest in the state. How can the effective tax rate be under 1 percent?

Say someone buys a home for $100,000. The property tax bill would be $1,000  1 percent  the first year. Even if the homes value goes up 10 percent to $110,000, Prop. 13 would limit the new valuation to $102,000  2 percent  and the tax bill to $1,020.

Thats an effective tax rate of 0.9 percent of the propertys new value.

Had Californians paid a 1 percent tax on their homes true value, instead of the Prop. 13 assessed values, local governments would have received $12.5 billion more in revenue, the study found.

In Orange County, the tax gap was just under $1.1 billion, Trulia reported.

OTHER FINDINGS

 Most homeowners benefit from Prop. 13. More than 71 percent of Californians pay less than a 1 percent effective tax rate.

 More than 40 percent pay an effective tax rate of 0.5 percent or less, or half the Prop. 13 rate.

 Half of the 10 California cities with the lowest effective tax rates are in Silicon Valley or nearby cities, with median home prices above $1 million: Palo Alto, Millbrae, Los Altos, Burlingame and Sunnyvale.

 Four of the 10 cities with the lowest rates are in coastal Southern California or nearby: Malibu, Manhattan Beach and Laguna Beach, plus Beverly Hills.

 Five of the 10 cities with the highest effective tax rates are in the Inland Empire: Beaumont, Indio, Murrieta, Palm Desert and Cathedral City.

Read Trulias study: Taxpayer Revolt: Winners and Losers

Contact the writer: 714-796-7734 or jcollins@ocregister.com
SANTA ANA  A 19-year-old Santa Ana gang member accused of opening fire on officers responding to a domestic dispute pleaded guilty Tuesday to grossly negligent discharge of a firearm in a plea deal that dropped attempted murder charges.

Oscar Freddie Torres also admitted sentencing enhancement allegations for the personal use of a firearm and criminal street gang activity, according to court records.

Two counts each of attempted murder on a peace officer and assault with a weapon not a firearm on a peace officer were dismissed.

Torres is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 13.

Police described Torres as a self-admitted/documented gang member.

Police were called to a residence in the 400 block of South Hesperian Street just before 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 13, to handle a family disturbance, according to Santa Ana police.

When officers arrived, Torres opened fire in their direction multiple times, but they did not return fire and escaped injury, police said. Torres ran away, but was later arrested at his nearby residence.
SANTA ANA  A dozen years after getting arrested for a pair of decades-old murders, the man who once bragged to schoolchildren of being a military hero but apparently wasnt sits in jail, waiting.

John Laurence Whitaker is scheduled to make his 118th court appearance on Feb. 28 for his preliminary hearing.

Or, maybe there will be another delay. A typical murder case usually takes less than two years to go from arrest to preliminary hearing. But the 69-year-old Whitaker doesnt seem to be in any hurry.

In September, in the courtroom of Orange County Superior Judge Patrick Donahue, Whitaker appeared at ease.

Tall but slightly stooped, his white beard flecked with gray and his glasses perched on his nose, Whitaker sat with a bulging binder of court papers. He chatted amiably with his new attorney and the judge.

Whitaker was replacing his court-appointed attorney, veteran public defender Denise Gragg, with a private lawyer. Gragg had taken the case from Lewis Clapp, another public defender, after he was tapped by Gov. Jerry Brown for the bench.

Judge Donahue asked Whitaker if he could wait a bit for his next court appearance.

I understand your honor, that is fine, Whitaker answered.

We have done it so many times, said Donahue, himself tied to the case since 2009. So many years, and so many attorneys.

WHO IS JOHN WHITAKER?

In Pasadena, Whitaker, who often wore military regalia and medals, took classes at the city college, volunteered at the public school district and, in 2001, unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the city college board of trustees.

In the 2002-03 school year, he started Dads are Doing Something to mentor fathers. During his run for the board, Whitaker indicated he was a welding division manager and said his top priority was ensuring that the will of the people became the torch that lights the way.

The deep-voiced Whitaker gave motivational tales to students about his heroics in the Vietnam War.

According to the Pasadena Weekly, the superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District at the time trusted him so much that he gave Whitaker an office in the district headquarters with a desk and a computer, as well as a key to the building.

And somehow that all happened without anyone successfully checking his background, which ended up giving the district leadership a black eye when it surfaced that he had been convicted of sexual assaults.

After Whitakers arrest for the strangulation of two women, law enforcement officials would also say there was no evidence of Whitakers claims of being a Green Beret colonel or of his capture in Vietnam.

Authorities have said they believe Whitaker had begun going by the alias Betances by the time he got to Pasadena to escape his past. In the state Megans Law website, Betances is not listed among Whitakers alleged aliases. But during his run for the board of trustees, he went by Whitaker Betances.

BODY IN O.C. PARKING LOT

On Dec. 17, 1983, a partially clothed body of a woman was discovered in the parking lot of a newspaper distribution office on Laguna Canyon Road around 6 a.m.

The body was warm when the first officer arrived, with abrasions on the nose and lips, suggesting she had been dumped. The bottoms of her bare feet were clean.

Her fingerprints and police work revealed 26-year-old Patricia Carpenter had been a prostitute in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles.

Anthony Oliver, Carpenters friend and suspected pimp, told investigators he had dropped her off on Sunset Boulevard around 2 a.m., hours before her body would be found.

Carpenters sister, Cynthia Carpenter, confirmed to police that she and her sister were prostitutes and that Oliver often gave them rides to their work locations.

The case went cold.

Then, 20 or so years later, Paul Litchenberg, a Laguna Beach cold-case detective, had the county crime lab examine particles taken from beneath Carpenters fingernails.

DNA found in those scrapings matched Whitaker, according to prosecutors. Because of two previous sexual-assault convictions, the last in 1985, his DNA was in the system.

Detectives also learned Whitaker had been a suspect in an unsolved 1975 slaying.

THE SANTA MONICA BODY

On June 25, 1975, 36-year-old Bodil Rasmussens body was found in a beach parking lot in Santa Monica. A nylon stocking circled the neck of the Sweden-born school clerk.

Whitaker lived in the same Carson apartment complex as Rasmussen. The last person police knew to have seen her alive, Whitaker soon drew the focus of Santa Monica investigators.

Whitaker told them that he had had consensual sex with Rasmussen and had gone out to buy Bronco Wine, made by a large California winery that now has many labels, including Charles Shaw, for her the day before the body turned up.

Officers had seen, in her apartment, an empty box for a high-end calculator and also a TV antenna but no TV. In his apartment, officers said, they found a calculator matching the box.

He told investigators, according to court records, that he had lent money to Rasmussen and had taken her TV as a security deposit.

Whitaker was arrested but not charged.

But years later, after his 2004 arrest for the Laguna Beach killing, police tested DNA evidence found on Rasmussens body and said that it was left by Whitaker.

A DECADE OF DELAYS

He was arrested in Oregon, where he had moved after leaving Pasadena, initially for failing to register as a sex offender even though police already had approached him about the murders.

Whitaker spent several months fighting extradition to California, but by early 2005 he was facing the murder charges as well and ended up in an Orange County jail.

In June 2006, Whitaker pleaded not guilty to the two murder counts, and Orange County Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy deployed a then-new state law that allows similar crimes to be prosecuted together regardless of whether they occurred in different counties.

Early on, Whitakers then-attorney unsuccessfully tried to get the charges dismissed, arguing that the unduly prolonged delay between the murders and his arrest was a violation of due process and a speedy trial.

Defendants have the right to a preliminary hearing within 10 court days from being formally told in court what charges they face. Those confronting serious felonies usually waive that right so their attorneys have time to properly prepare.

Whitaker, court records show, has waived that right numerous times.

The District Attorneys Office has said it is seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole so, should Whitaker be convicted, the delays are not buying him time as they would in a death penalty case.

Whitaker is being held without the possibility of bail.

Whitakers current attorney, Robert Brown, couldnt be reached for comment, and neither could Whitaker. But in a 2009 interview with the Pasadena Weekly, the defendant criticized what he described as a rush to judgment.

Whitaker said he had left California for New York City the day before Carpenters body was found.

And one of Whitakers previous attorneys has indicated that Whitaker was having drinks with doctors when Rasmussen was killed.

Its not going to be the duck-shoot they thought it would be, Whitaker told the Weekly.

Its not going to be like shooting fish in a bucket.

D.A.s OFFICE WAITS

For a decade, Deputy District Attorney Murphy said last week, he has been prepared to go to trial.

This case is somewhat complex, and Mr. Whitaker has gone through several defense attorneys, each needing time to study and understand the evidence, Murphy said.

In my view, each has been professional and worked hard for their client. In this particular case, I cant criticize the attorneys for the time they have requested or the court for granting the continuances, Murphy said.

We remain ready to proceed when they are.

Much of the case is built on forensic evidence, Murphy said, and testimony has been preserved in case the people arent available when the trial finally gets underway.

Fortunately, DNA doesnt change over time, and the technology we will rely on in this case just keeps getting better, Murphy said.

Our victims will have their day in court.
If your idea of a good restaurant experience includes a nice conversation and interaction with the waiting staff, then Ichiran Ramen is probably not a place you want to visit. The popular Japanese chain is all about solo dining, taking extraordinary measures to ensure that patrons avoid human interaction as much as possible.

Manabu Yoshitomi, the founder of Ichiran Ramen, came up with the concept for his famous restaurants when he was just a high-school student, after seeing his female friends attempting to cover their mouths when eating ramen. After asking them about it, Yoshitomi discovered that their reluctance to being watched by other people as they slurped noodles was actually a huge barrier to them visiting ramen shops. This information inspired the young man to open a tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen restaurant that offered almost total privacy instead of human interaction.

Upon entering a typical Japanese ramen shop, patrons are usually treated to a crowd of hungry eaters crowded together at tables or counters, and the clatter of bowls and noodle slurping. Its a distracting atmosphere, especially if youre not used to it, and Yoshitomi believes it prevents people from focusing on the delicious ramen. So youre not going to see much of that at Ichiran. As you enter one of the chains dozens of restaurants across Japan, Hong Kong and most recently the United States, you are welcomed by a large ticket selling machine, instead of the usual hostess or server. This is where you select what type of ramen you want to eat and reserve your seat at one of the very private booths. After inserting the money into the machine, you are presented with a ticket, and youre ready to head to your seat.

Instead of open space tables, Ichiran Ramen features small booths separated by wooden panels. So even if you feel the need to peek at your neighbor while hes eating, youll have to settle for hearing them slurp their noodles. In case youve made a huge mistake and brought a date to this place, you do have the option to retract the wooden separators so you can see and talk to each other. This definitely not a dinner date restaurant, though.

Once you reach your booth, you are presented with the option of customizing your bowl of ramen by circling various toppings and ingredients on a paper card. When youre done, all you have to do is press a call button and a server will pick up the order. The way theyll do that is also unique to Ichiran Ramen. After pressing the button, a small shutter opens in front of you, and a pair of human hands picks up the customization card. Minutes later, the shutter opens again, and the same hands place the bowl of ramen in front of you. So all the human interaction you have to deal with is seeing a strangers hands and maybe their midsection for a few moments.

When youre done, you can either order seconds by placing your bowl on a rectangle in front of you, or simply leave the restaurant without having to wait for the server or even saying a simple good bye.

Ichiran Ramen claims that its unique concept helps combat the stigma of eating alone at a restaurant, while also allowing people to focus on the taste of the food, without having to put up with any distractions.

The popular restaurant chain numbers 60 eateries in Japan and Hong Kong  all of which are open 24/7  and has recently opened its first U.S. branch, in Bushwick, New York.

Photos: Ichiran Ramen/Facebook

Sources: Gurunavi, Gaijin Pot, Timeline
International law firm White & Case LLP is representing the government of Sudan in connection with ongoing U.S. litigation issues involving al Qaedas 2000 attack on the USS Cole.

According to Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed in November, White & Case will provide legal services to the violence-torn nation in connection with several litigation matters pending before federal courts.

Those litigation matters refer to the terrorist bombing of US Navy guided-missile destroyer the USS Cole in Yemen in October 12, 2000. al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for that attack, which killed 17 US sailors and injured nearly 40 more.

In 2010, injured sailors and victims families filed a federal lawsuit against Sudan, claiming that country provided funding, training and support to terrorists in their execution of the bombing.

The US District Court held Sudan liable for the attack, and issued a judgment awarding $315 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The Sudanese government appealed the decision in 2014, but in September 2015, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York denied the appeal and ordered the Sudanese bank to turn over that countrys assets to cover the judgment.

In September of this year, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals refused requests from the U.S. and Sudanese government to reconsider its 2015 ruling.



Washington, D.C.-based White & Case has also inked a pact with the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, the national oil and natural gas company owned and financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. White & Case has hired public affairs powerhouse Podesta Group in the course of that work to counsel the Saudi Arabian Oil Company on U.S. political policy as well as conduct research and communicate with executive branch officials and members of Congress.

White & Case has received an upfront payment of $250,000 from the Republic of Sudan for the work, according to FARA documents.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

- GBP/USD climbed back above the 1.25 level early Wednesday in Europe, before easing later, despite a Bank of England Financial Stability report that warned of risks to the UK following the Brexit vote.

- The central bank warned the likelihood that some UK-specific risks could materialize remain high.

- One of the major UK banks, RBS, failed the BoEs stress tests.

GBP/USD strengthened moderately in early European trading Wednesday, before easing back later, largely unaffected by a downbeat Bank of England Financial Stability Report. By midday in Europe, it was still close to the 1.2500 level and within the narrow trading range that has been in place for much of November.

In its report, the central bank said the outlook for financial stability in the UK remains challenging in the wake of the Brexit vote. The UK economy has entered a period of adjustment following the EU referendum. The likelihood that some UK-specific risks to financial stability could materialize remains elevated, it added.

Since the UK referendum on membership of the EU, UK financial stability has been maintained through a challenging period of uncertainty around the domestic and global economic outlook, the Bank argued. Moreover, substantial moves in financial market prices have not been amplified by the UK financial system.

However, vulnerabilities stemming from the global environment and financial markets, which were already elevated, have increased further since July. Financial stability depends on the resilience of the system to risks. The UK banking system is capitalized to sustain the provision of financial services, including the supply of credit, to severe stresses such as those that could face the United Kingdom and global economies, said the Bank of England.

As for the fall in GBP following the Brexit vote, recent market developments further highlight the importance of the resilience of markets, and of market-based finance, to sharp market moves. The resilience of market liquidity remains uneven, the Bank warned.

Story continues

Chart 1: GBP/USD 5-minute Chart (November 30, 2016 Intraday)

GBP/USD Shrugs Off Gloomy Bank of England Financial Stability Report

As part of the Report, the Bank also released the results of its so-called stress test to measure the resilience of the UKs seven major lenders to a global economic crash and one, Royal Bank of Scotland, failed. It has therefore been forced to devise a new capital plan in case of a financial crisis. The lender is still 73% owned by the government after its bailout in 2008.

Barclays was also asked to take action when it fell short of one hurdle, but the BoE deemed its existing capital plan was enough. Standard Chartered missed a key metric as well, although it was not asked to take any action. Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, Santander and Nationwide Building Society all passed.

Looking ahead, Prime Minister Theresa Mays determination to begin the Brexit process by March next year could increase the concerns of the BoE, which asks for sufficient time for business to acclimatize to the post-EU period.

Therefore, a hard Brexit is a still a substantial risk, with the BoE warning that if adjustments take place in a short timeframe, there could be a greater risk of disruption to services provided to the European real economy, which could spill back to the UK economy through trade and financial linkages.

Read more: GBP/USD  Awaiting Resolution to Sideways Trade

--- Written by Martin Essex, MSTA, Analyst and Editor

To contact Martin, email him at martin.essex@ig.com



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

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Missouri Valley police have arrested a 46-year-old Missouri Valley man on suspicion of second-degree criminal mischief, a felony, after he was accused of breaking windows at two local businesses and on two vehicles.

Steven Pleas was arrested Thursday. Earlier that day, video surveillance at one of the businesses, Work It Out Fitness, recorded a man identified as Pleas breaking out a window, said Missouri Valley Police Chief Ed Murray. Police went to Pleas home and arrested him the same day. The damages to the businesses and cars is estimated at $1,500, Murray said.

Missouri Valley police also are investigating a rash of tire slashings from last week. About 60 vehicles were vandalized on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23. The damage is estimated at at least $10,000, Murray said.

The investigation could be wrapped up by the end of next week, he said.
COUNCIL BLUFFS  Friends and colleagues of the Rev. Paul Monahan came to his defense Wednesday during a trial stemming from allegations that he looked at several teens genitalia while using the restroom during a track meet in Treynor, Iowa.

Monahan, 83, is a retired Council Bluffs priest and former principal at St. Albert Catholic School. He faces five counts of invasion of privacy.

District Associate Judge Gary Anderson of Pottawattamie County will decide if Monahan is guilty.

The defense brought forth several character witnesses, including Monahans friends, co-workers, alumni from St. Albert and others.

Each said he trusted Monahan, considered him an upstanding man of God and didnt have issues with him, including around children.

Monahans personal physician also was called to the stand, though the public was not allowed to be present during his testimony as it concerned Monahans medical information.

Bill McGinn, Monahans attorney, later reiterated what the physician stated: that Monahan constantly needs to use the restroom because of bladder issues and he has balance problems, which require the use of a cane.

In his closing argument, Assistant Iowa Attorney General Doug Hammerand reviewed the testimony of the five students who alleged that Monahan invaded their privacy while at the urinals that day.

Why would they make this up and lie under oath? Each student said they did not know who Monahan was but they saw him look at their privates, Hammerand said.

Also testifying was an Omaha Police Department sergeant who said he witnessed a confrontation between Monahan and one of the students in the bathroom.

Each alleged victim was from the Logan-Magnolia Community School District.

They are misinterpreting his physical limitations, McGinn said.

Hammerand noted that each time a student would use the urinal, Monahan would use an adjacent urinal instead of one farther away.
Theres a spot beneath the trees and under a railroad trestle on the banks of the Papillion Creek known as Oz. For years, its been a haven for teenagers, and its easy to see the appeal. Its fairly isolated. Colorful graffiti coats much of the trestles supports. The creek there forms a small waterfall.

But in early August, a train struck and killed 19-year-old Nicholas Wilson at Oz. Wilson and two friends had been walking on the railroad bridge more than 30 feet above the creek. His friends scrambled off to safety, but Wilson didnt have time.

Since then, the La Vista Police Department and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District have worked to make Oz  off 118th and Olive Streets near Harrison Street  a less appealing hangout destination.

Their efforts, combined with a few external factors, are paying off, police say.

While some people still go there, theres a decrease in Ozs popularity, said Police Chief Bob Lausten. And hes hopeful that coming development in the area will continue to lessen its draw.

In the nearly four months since the accident, La Vista police have conducted enforcement operations at the spot, Lausten said. Additional no trespassing signs were painted and hung.

The NRD and BNSF Railway gave La Vista police permission to ticket trespassers on their land.

Perhaps most noticeably, the NRD also cleared out a bunch of trees and brush, said John Winkler, general manager of the NRD.

It opened up the entire area so the police could visually inspect it, he said. And it made it less attractive.

Patrick Tulagan, 19, who witnessed the August accident, said he hadnt been back to Oz recently.

Kids went there to drink and smoke because it was hard to get to, Lausten said. But without that isolation, the spot isnt ideal for those activities.

Even without the tree and brush removal, theres a lot of hustle and bustle around Oz these days. A new business is going up near 118th and Olive Streets. The Nebraska Multisport Complex will be built on the other side of the creek.

Maybe the issues weve had the last couple of years are going to naturally go away, Lausten said.

Next year, a new walking and biking trail will be cutting through that area, linking Giles Road to 132nd and Q Streets. That will also clear out some of the area, Lausten said.

Carol Daley, executive director of Operation Lifesaver Nebraska, said she is working on getting into Papillion-La Vista Community Schools classrooms to talk to students about the dangers of being on railroad tracks.

In the spring, the police and the railroad will work together on promoting safety, Lausten said. Winkler said the NRD will also work with the city on putting up fences or any additional steps needed to deter hanging out near the train tracks.

Well sit down with all the adjoining property owners and the La Vista Police Department and try to work out a plan to prevent any other incidents like this, Winkler said.

World-Herald staff writer Emily Nitcher contributed to this report.
A 37-year-old Omaha man is accused of luring two boys, ages 11 and 17, to his downtown apartment and forcing the boys to perform sex acts in exchange for money and alcohol.

Jason Nolan has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child, a felony, and procuring alcohol for a minor, a misdemeanor. He faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted.

Earlier this month, Nolan posted 10 percent of $200,000 bail to get out of jail. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 7.

Nolans attorney did not return a request for comment. Nolan could not be reached.

According to an affidavit citing Omaha police interviews with the boys, Nolan approached the two in Gene Leahy Mall between the early morning of Nov. 2 and the afternoon of Nov. 4.

Nolan talked to them about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, the affidavit said, and asked whether they wanted to celebrate at his home. He asked the 17-year-old if he was into crazy sex, according to the teen, and told them they could invite girls over.

The group went to Nolans apartment near 10th and Douglas Streets, the boys told police. Upon arriving, Nolan took off his clothes and told the boys to take off their clothes while he turned on porn for them to watch, the 11-year-old later told officers. Nolan also brought out beer and wine for the boys, the affidavit stated.

The teen and Nolan began to touch each others genitals, the 11-year-old boy told police. The boy told officers that he tried to leave but that Nolan stopped him, the affidavit stated.

Nolan touched the 11-year-olds genitals and then forced the boy to perform oral sex on him, the boy told police.

Nolan also performed oral sex on the 11-year-old boy, the boy said.

Nolan then told the boys to have sex with each other, but the teen said no, according to the affidavit. When both boys refused Nolans request for them to stay the night, the boys told police, Nolan again asked if only the 11-year-old could stay the night. Both boys said no, they told police.

Nolan said the two could come back the next night for $500, the 11-year-old told police. The teen said they told Nolan yes because the 17-year-old did not think (Nolan) was going to let them leave if they said no, according to the affidavit.

Nolan told the boys he would buy them prepaid phones and to return the next night at 9 p.m., the boys told police. Nolan went to an ATM near the apartment building and gave the boys $120 before they left, the boys said.

The affidavit said the banks surveillance video shows Nolan using the ATM and shows a boy wearing a winter hat that fit the description of what the 11-year-old boy was wearing that night.

The 11-year-old later went with Omaha police officers and pointed out the apartment building where he said Nolan lived. Both boys also identified Nolan in a photo lineup, the affidavit stated.
The baseball, still with its original box, has been certified by Professional Sports Authenticator, the largest third-party trading card and grading company in the world. PSA gave it a score of 8.5 on its 10-point scale. Bidding will start at $50,000.
At long last, Fidel Castro is dead. Now the oppressive system he installed in Cuba can wither and die, too  unless Donald Trump reverts to Cold War policies and gives Cubas failing dictatorship new life.

It is tempting to see Castros death as little more than a formality. After all, his brother Raul has been running the country for a decade, ever since ill health forced Fidel to step aside and kept him from reassuming command.

But the very fact that Fidel still drew breath served as a limiting factor in the program of economic reform Raul has been trying to enact.

Raul Castro gave a speech in April in which he joked that we have two parties here, just like in the United States  Fidels and mine. Fidels is the Communist one, he added, and you can call mine whatever you want.

There is considerable truth in those words. Raul has been trying to move his country toward the Chinese model of authoritarian one-party rule, combined with some degree of free-market economic development. Fidel, a true believer in the brutal communist experiment, consistently tried to slow, derail or reverse any meaningful economic change.

Fidel was reportedly appalled at the way Mao Zedongs China was transformed by Deng Xiaopings reforms. He saw the society dividing into haves and have-nots.

Worse, in his mind, he saw the Chinese Communist Party potentially sowing the seeds of its own demise by allowing the accumulation of private wealth and the development of civil society. He was determined that the Communist Party of Cuba would not make the same mistake.

But the Cuban leadership no longer had a choice. Fidel barely managed to survive the collapse of the Soviet empire and the loss of huge subsidies from the USSR and Eastern Europe.

Cubans were hungry in the mid-1990s, and there were violent anti-government riots. El Comandante loosened strictures on private agriculture and enterprise  and then tightened them again as the crisis abated.

The Castro regime got another lifeline from the late Venezuelan strongman, Hugo Chavez, whom Fidel cultivated as a protege. Chavez gave his mentor billions of dollars worth of oil, so much that the Cubans were able to satisfy their own needs and sell the surplus on the world market for precious hard currency.

But Chavez died, Venezuelas economy melted down and the Castro regime found itself fresh out of saviors.

That explains Rauls willingness to work with President Barack Obama to normalize relations. Those who complained that the United States didnt get more in the deal fail to understand the reality of todays Cuba.

From their point of view, Cubas leaders were surrendering one of their primary instruments of power and control: the threat from Cubas hostile neighbor to the north.

For half a century, the Castros cited the U.S.-imposed trade embargo, the travel ban for U.S. citizens and other such measures as proof that the Cuban revolution was under sustained attack by the United States.

From my experience  Ive made 10 trips to Cuba and written a book about the place  most Cubans are not gullible; they see their government for what it is. But they are nationalistic.

Even most of the brave dissidents who stood up to the Castro regime argued that hard-line U.S. policy was counterproductive, doing more to shore up the system than weaken it.

Raul Castro knows he needs the economic boost that an opening to the United States will produce. But the price he is paying  allowing more free-market economic development, permitting freer access to the Internet, letting more Cubans have smartphones  will make any return to a purer form of communism impossible.

Thats where things stand now, and Fidels death should hasten change on the island. Unless a certain president-elect does something tragically dumb.

If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, Trump tweeted Monday, I will terminate deal.

Im betting that no one, including Trump, knows exactly what that means in concrete policy terms. But we do know that now, for the first time since the Kennedy administration, we have the chance to flood Cuba with American ideas and values. That is how we promote freedom.

If Trump goes back to a posture of implacable U.S. hostility, he will disappoint and discourage millions of Cubans while strengthening the hand of only one: Raul Castro, who will be all too happy to play David to Trumps Goliath.
Either rain or snow is in the Omaha-area forecast for next week, but its not yet clear which one it will be and how much will fall.

Two computer models were offering contrasting forecasts on Wednesday  one was predicting snow and the other wasnt. The model calling for snow has the brunt of the system 150 to 200 miles north of the Omaha area, KMTV meteorologist Ryan McPike said. Tuesday, he said, the model had the main part of the storm over Kansas City.

Somebody, though, in the Midwest is going to get hit, McPike said.

Accurately predicting a snowstorm and snowfall totals a week out is very difficult, he said.

Another meteorologist, Paul Walker of AccuWeather, said one U.S. computer model calls for accumulating snow across Nebraska and Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday. But he said its too early to predict snowfall totals.

Theres no more than a chance right now, he said.

Another forecast model, Walker said, is not predicting a snowstorm  just a chance of flurries.

Walker said a storm system in the northern Pacific Ocean probably has sparked some Internet chatter about an expectation of heavy snow next week in Nebraska and Iowa.

The strength of the storm as it enters Canada and the northwest U.S., plus how it mixes with cold air over the next 72 hours, are keys to any storms power and its track, Walker said.

Its too far out to start counting the number of eggs in your basket, he said.
Italy's referendum explained: What you need to know

Italian citizens will vote on constitutional reform on Sunday in what is seen by many analysts as the most significant European political event of 2016. Yes, even bigger than Brexit .





Constitutional reform. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is campaigning for a "yes" victory in an effort to make it easier to govern the nation moving forwards.



The reforms would remove power from the Senate and mean that proposed laws would only require the approval of the lower house of parliament, as opposed to the current system which requires approval from both houses.



Renzi has even gambled his political future on the referendum having said he would resign if a "yes" vote is rejected.

A "no" vote, as championed by populist party Five Star Movement (5SM), would block the reforms to streamline Italy's public administration and would mean the extensive checks currently required stay in place.



Francesco Oggiano, the author of "Beppo Grillo Parlante", told CNBC on November 14 that he believed 5SM's opposition to the proposed reforms boils down to a new electoral system perceived to be attached to the reforms.



"According to the 5SM, people won't be able to choose their own representatives in the parliament and this is the most important point," Oggiano explained.



"The result (of a 'yes' victory) would be a parliament full of bureaucrats chosen from their parties that, once elected, will just get to satisfy their leader instead of people's needs," he added.

The latest opinion polls, published before a two-week blackout phase of polling in Italy, indicated a 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent in favor of the "no" camp.



Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, said in a note on Tuesday he believed the likelihood is that Italy's citizens would reject the reforms.



"Some whispers suggest that more than half of the up to 20 percent of undecided voters may back Renzi in the end," Schmieding said.



"Also, many of the rebellious young people who oppose Renzi may not bother to vote. Whereas the outcome is thus no foregone conclusion, I put the probability of a 'no' vote at 60 percent," he added.

Story continues

Whatever happens, Adolfo Laurenti, global economist at J. Safra Sarasin, described the post-referendum scenario in a note as "uninspiring".



"While the reform has some intrinsic merits, the domestic debate is centered on the effort to unseat the prime minister. At the same time, financial markets see the vote as a test of the appetite of reform in the country," he concluded.

Analysts from Barclays published a note on Monday to forecast the circumstances in the aftermath of a "yes" or "no" outcome.



If the referendum is approved and the majority of voters opt for "yes" on Sunday, then the U.K. bank expects Renzi to stay on as prime minister, for the voting system to be amended and for an election to take place in the second or third quarter of 2017.



Barclays analysts also anticipated a resilient market reaction on Monday with little movement in Italian spreads.



If the reforms are rejected and the outcome of the referendum is "no" then Barclays analysts anticipate Renzi will resign, the voting system to be modified in order to avoid a hung parliament, early elections to be called in the second or third quarter of 2017 and for Italian spreads to perform poorly in the following day's trading.

Definitely a maybe. Larissa Brunner, analyst for Western Europe at think tank Oxford Analytica, argued that the likelihood of a snap election as a consequence of the referendum is totally reliant on the outcome.



"If the outcome is a win for the 'no' camp, which appears the most likely, then it is dependent on the margin of the victory. Any clear victory for the 'no' camp would mean an election is inevitable," Brunner told CNBC in a phone interview on Tuesday.



Should a national election be called in Italy in 2017 then 5SM appear to stand a strong chance of winning the majority of votes.



Opinion polls suggest they are five percentage points behind Renzi's Democratic Party, however, a referendum loss, party infighting and even a potential split could hand the initiative to 5SM.



"(In the context of Europe), if Renzi wins then he may well become more confrontational and stretch EU deficit laws even further while pursuing a more expansionary monetary policy which could be interesting but if he loses  Well, it's anyone's guess," Brunner concluded.

Very. Officials and senior bankers according to various media reports anticipate that up to eight of Italy's troubled lenders are at risk of failure should Renzi lose the upcoming referendum.



Megan Greene, chief economist at Manulife Asset Management, believed that the referendum in Italy could provoke another banking crisis in Europe.



"In my view the biggest risk is actually for the banking sector, even more so than political risk, and there will be some political instability," Greene told CNBC on Tuesday.



The third-largest euro zone economy had been weakened by a deep recession which left behind 356 billion euros ($377 billion) in gross problem loans and Italian banks need at least 20 billion euros in capital in the coming months to cover losses from fresh loan write-downs and planned bad debt disposals, according to a Reuters report.

A "no" vote could conceivably cause financial instability and possibly even panic among investors which would therefore be significantly detrimental to Italy's banking sector.





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IT raids across Bengaluru, bank manager, CM's aide raided

Bengaluru

oi-Anusha

Sleuths from the Income tax department conducted raids in various places across Bengaluru early Wednesday morning. Those raided include a bank manager and a government officer said to be close to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In the raids carried out in 4 different locations, officials from the Income tax department scrutinised documents at the work place and residences of a bank manager and a Chief Engineer of the Kaveri board Chikkarayappa.

The chief engineer is said to be close to the Chief Minister. His residence in Banaswadi was raided by officials over allegations of possessing ill-gotten wealth.

OneIndia News
BJP's tact to divert attention from Morbi, says a stung Kejriwal after Sukesh's claims

BJP, Congress lock horns over tribute to Nagrota martyrs

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Nov 30: The BJP and Congress on Wednesday engaged in war of words over the tribute to martyred in a terror strike at an Army base in Nagrota, which left seven personnel dead.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that it was the tradition of the Parliament to pay tribute to the martyrs.

...Aaj paheli baar humare jo sainik mare hain unka adar nahi kia, isliye humari party aur Opp ne walkout kia: Rahul Gandhi #NagrotaAttack  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the tribute would be paid once the combing operations in Nagrota were over.

Speaker informed that combing ops is underway in #Nagrota,once ops is over tribute will be paid in the House to the soldiers: Venkaiah Naidu pic.twitter.com/kzeBh17fzR  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Army personnel have, meanwhile, resumed the extensive combing operations on Wednesday following a terror attack on an army unit in Nagrota.

Seven brave hearts lost their lives after heavily armed terrorists disguised as police entered into army camp on Tuesday morning. Three terrorists were also killed in the attack.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 12:27 [IST]
Fake: Indian Army dismisses reports of 'pinpoint strikes' on terror launchpads in PoK

Hope Pak occupied Kashmir will become part of India by 2024: Union minister Kapil Patil

Cabinet approves Rs 2,000 crore settlement for displaced families of PoK

News

oi-Lisa

By Lisa

New Delhi, Nov 30 To bring in relief to the displaced people of PoK the union cabinet today approved a special package of Rs 2,000 crore. The cabinet also approved inclusion of some more castes from the state in the Central OBC list.

The cabinet also cleared Central Assistance of Rs. 2,000 Cr for one time settlement of 36,384 displaced families from Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Chhamb.

In a bid to boost tourism the Cabinet approved easier tourist & business visa norms for overseas investors. Cabinet also approved liberalisation, simplification and rationalisation of existing visa regime.

The Union cabinet also approved notification of inclusion and amendments in Central List of OBCs for Assam, Bihar, HP, Jharkhand, Maha, MP, J&K & Uttarakhand.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 19:42 [IST]
Congress will bring back old pension scheme in Gujarat, if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

Prez, PM Modi express grief over deaths in Gujarat bridge collapse, Cong asks party workers to extend help

Congress doing politics over national security: Naidu

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Nov 30: Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday accused the Congress of doing politics over national security and the armed forces.

The minister was speaking outside Parliament as the lower house stood adjourned till 12 noon. The Opposition had created a ruckus in the house over the Nagrota army base terror attack and demonetisation.

"Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming to the house, the new and old friends of the Congress left the house. Don't know why they left the house," Naidu told reporters here.

"In the house, they raised the question about the Nagrota terror attack and the Speaker informed that combing operations are underway, and once operation is over tribute will be paid in the house to the martyred soldiers," Naidu said.

The opposition leaders were demanding obituary references to the soldiers killed in the attack.

"The Congress is doing politics over the national security and the soldiers of the country which is very unfortunate and condemnable," Naidu added. "People of the country hate such politics."

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon over Tuesday's terrorist attack on the army camp in Nagrota of Jammu and Kashmir in which two army officers and five soldiers were killed.

The opposition leaders also created ruckus over the November 8 demonetisation.

"We also said that the government has no issues over obituaries but the procedure of the house needs to be followed," the Union Urban Development Minister said.

IANS


Delhi HC dismisses plea seeking to increase withdrawal limit for weddings

India

oi-Mukul Kumar Mishra

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition which sought to increase the money limit to be withdrawn for marriages. As per the rules the current limit is at Rs 2.5 lakh.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Birender Sangwan who had termed the existing government guidelines on wedding cap as 'arbitrary'.

The petitioner had demanded that the rules be relaxed in view of customary donations given during the wedding.

Last week Court had reserved its order on the plea. "We cannot have an unmeasured and uncanalised situation. We have given exemptions. For wedding, if we will not put conditions, anybody can get a marriage card printed and go to the bank to withdraw Rs. 2.5 lakh,"Court said.

OneIndia News
Five years of demonetisation: Notes in circulation on rise; so are digital payments

Demonetisation to benefit economy in long run, says Panagariya

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 30: Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya today said the government's demonetisation drive will leave a "very positive" impact on the economy in the long term as more people will move towards digital transactions.

"You see its (demonetisation) impact in the long term. It will be very positive," he told reporters on the sidelines of Global Energy Dialogue organised by CII.

In contrary to the Panagariya's views, many economists and analysts have expressed apprehensions that demonetisation may pull down the economic growth in the second half of this fiscal.

Elaborating further, Panagaria said, "Financial intermediation has increased after deposits in bank accounts. This means the capital which was privately invested will now be invested through financial institutions. This will have good impact (on the economy). It will increase our efficiency of transactions as we move towards digitised transactions.

This will also be a positive thing." Fitch Ratings yesterday lowered India's GDP growth forecast for this fiscal to 6.9 per cent from 7.4 per cent, saying there will be "temporary disruptions" to economic activity post demonetisation.

On concerns being raised by economists and rating agencies on the economic growth front, Panagaria said, "Everybody is expressing their views.

It has to be seen what happens quantitatively. Mr (Aditya) Puri from HDFC Bank has said that it is an overstatement regarding this (impact of demonetisation on GDP growth)."

The demonetisation issue has also rocked Parliament as both the Houses have been witnessing disruptions and adjournments due to the noisy protests by the Opposition parties for past several days. On the Reserve Bank's decision to temporarily increase Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), Panagaria said, "This is an RBI issue.

When liquidity increases so much in the system, that is the kind of measure which RBI takes." He further said, "The repo rate (at which RBI lends) and liquidity in the system have to be consistent with each other. Around Rs 8 lakh crore has come into the banking system.

The other measure was through Monetary Stabilisation Scheme. But it would have taken more time."

PTI
'Ill considered demonetisation decision' to be blamed for unemployment: Manmohan Singh

Five years of demonetisation: Notes in circulation on rise; so are digital payments

Noteban will be marked among worst policy blunders: Jairam Ramesh

PM Modi should admit that demonetistion a failure: Owaisi on cash seizure in UP

Aware of Lakshman Rekha says SC on demonetisation

Demonetisation: Bhartiya Kissan Union distributes free potatoes in Lucknow

India

oi-Jagriti

Lucknow, Nov 30: Agitating people under the aegis of Bhartiya Kissan Union (BKU) distributed free potatoes as a mark of protest against demonetisatio here, media reported on Wednesday.

"We are not against demonetisation but where will farmers go with Rs 1000 note in Nov. How will he function in sowing season?," said BKU district president Harinam Verma.

"Therefore, as a mark of protest farmers are distributing free potatoes & will also stage a protest. Govt must do something,added Verma.

A united opposition had called a nationwide shutdown and protests on November 28 against the demonetisation move announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8.

Queues outside banks and ATMs and chaotic scenes still be seen outside banks and ATMs as people continue to hustle to get valid currency notes for meeting their daily expenses after the move announced to curb black money menace in the country.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Bhartiya Kissan Union distribute free potatoes as a mark of protest against #demonetisation pic.twitter.com/cFORbiCmfS  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 30, 2016

Not against #demonetisation bt where'll farmers go with Rs 1000 note in Nov. How will he function in sowing season?: Distt Pres.,Kisan Union pic.twitter.com/z9JgTcpDqe  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 30, 2016

Therefore, as a mark of protest farmers are distributing free potatoes & will also stage a protest. Govt must do something: Harinam Verma  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 30, 2016

OneIndia News
Sonia tells Lalu, Nitish to meet her again after Cong gets new president

Demonetisation protest- Lalu to give Mamata show a miss

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Patna, Nov 30: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav will not be joining West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's dharna in protest against demonetisation in Patna today, said reports.

The TMC chief arrived in Bihar's capital yesterday to meet Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi. She told reporters that she had come to inquire about Lalu's health. However, it was being widely reported that she was seeking Lalu's support in protest against demonetisation

Mamata has been leading protests against the Centre's decision ever since its announcement and is reaching out to leaders across parties to join her in opposing it.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar earlier came out in support of demonetisation, a move which raised eyebrows in political circles.

Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had welcomed Nitish's remarks on demonetisation.

Before coming to Bihar, the TMC chief was in Lucknoiw, where she addressed a rally and attacked BJP-led Centre over banning of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 11:01 [IST]
Devendra Fadnavis assures more power to council chairpersons

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Nov 29 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today assured that his government would take steps to give more powers to the chairpersons of the municipal councils to reduce the possible friction between the directly-elected chairpersons and the elected representatives.

Ruling BJP has emerged as a major gainer in the first phase of municipal council polls in Maharashtra. Of the 147 municipal councils, where municipal chiefs were elected directly, BJP nominees won at 51 places.

"It is true that BJP has won at 51 councils chairpersons' post, but we do not have majority in all these councils. Anticipating some confrontation between the chairpersons and the elected members of the council, who are from other political parties, the state would like to empower the chairpersons with additional rights so that they can function," Fadnavis told reporters here.

Ahead of the elections, the BJP had changed the rules and decided that chairpersons will be elected directly from all the voters in the council.

Although, this decision has paid significantly for the party, for the day-to-day functioning of the councils, it is likely to create hurdles as the chairperson and other elected members from non-BJP parties would be mostly at loggerheads.

Talking about the issue, spokesperson of state unit of Congress Sachin Sawant alleged, "The BJP is trying to change our parliamentary democracy to presidential democracy."

"I think in 1975 and 2001, similar decisions (of direct election of chairpersons) were taken, but it only created chaotic situation and the councils could not function properly. Those decisions were subsequently withdrawn and assurance was given to people that parliamentary democracy will be followed. Despite that, the current BJP dispensation is playing with democracy," Sawant said.

PTI
By Eveline Danubrata and Bernadette Christina Munthe

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Global consumer companies, including Unilever, Nestle, Kellogg and Procter & Gamble, have sourced palm oil from Indonesian plantations where labour abuses were uncovered, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

Children as young as eight worked in "hazardous" conditions at palm plantations run by Singapore-based Wilmar International Ltd (WLIL.SI) and its suppliers on the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra, Amnesty said in a report.

Amnesty, which said it interviewed 120 workers, alleges that many of them worked long hours for low pay and without adequate safety equipment. The palm oil from these plantations could be traced to nine multinational companies, it said.

"Despite promising customers that there will be no exploitation in their palm oil supply chains, big brands continue to profit from appalling abuses," said Meghna Abraham, senior investigator at Amnesty.

The NGO said it chose Wilmar as the focus of its investigation as the company is the world's largest processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils, controlling more than 43 percent of the global palm oil trade.

Other companies operating palm plantations in Indonesia include Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAGR.SI), Indofood Agri Resources Ltd (IFAR.SI) and PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI.JK).

Even though Indonesia had strong labour laws under which most of the abuses can amount to criminal offences, these laws were poorly enforced by the government, Amnesty said.

Wilmar said it welcomed the NGO's report, which helps to highlight labour issues within the broader palm oil industry, but added that finding a solution requires collaboration between governments, companies and civil society organizations.

(For Wilmar's full statement, click http://bit.ly/2fx0q1t)

"We acknowledge that there are ongoing labour issues in the palm oil industry, and these issues could affect any palm company operating in Indonesia," it said.

Story continues

"The focus on Wilmar ... is often used to draw attention to problems in the wider palm oil industry."

Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of palm oil, used in everything from snacks and soaps to cosmetics and biofuels, with the sector employing millions of workers. But plantation operators say it is difficult to have complete oversight of labour conditions.

No company would "consciously" hire underage labour as that is against the law, but some plantation workers get their children to help out, Sumarjono Saragih, an official at the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, told Reuters by telephone.

"If children want to help their parents, companies cannot forbid that."

Agus Justianto, an official at Indonesia's environment ministry, said that a company found guilty of labour violations could get its permit revoked, but it is "not in the environment ministry's domain."

Indonesia's manpower ministry did not immediately provide comment.

In an emailed statement, U.S. snack and breakfast food company Kellogg Co (K.N) said it is committed to ensuring that its palm oil is obtained from "known and certified sources that are environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable."

If Kellogg finds or is made aware of any supply chain violations, it would discuss corrective actions with its suppliers, it said. "If the concerns are not adequately addressed, we take action to remove them from our chain."

Unilever said while significant progress has been made to tackle environmental issues associated with palm cultivation, more needs to be done to address "these deeply concerning social issues" and promised to work with its partners.

Nestle (NESN.S) and Procter & Gamble (PG.N) did not immediately provide comment.

(Reporting by Eveline Danubrata and Bernadette Christina Munthe in JAKARTA; Additional reporting by Masayuki Kitano in SINGAPORE; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Did Gen Raheel Sharif time the Nagrota attack with his retirement?

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Nagrota attack took place on the day General Raheel Sharif stepped down as the chief of the Pakistan army. On Tuesday terrorists struck at an army camp in Nagrota in which seven Indian army personnel were martyred and three terrorists were killed.

Incidentally it was the same day that General Sharif passed on the baton to General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Officials in India do not rule out the possibility that the two events could be linked. General Sharif is known for his hatred towards India due to personal reasons. He lost his brother and an uncle in two wars that India had fought with Pakistan.

General Sharif has also been accused by India of increasing tensions with India along the border and in doing so he had completely overruled the Pakistan Prime Minister.

A parting shot:

Indian officials feel that the Nagrota attack which was major in scale could have been a parting shot by General Sharif who could have sanctioned the attack.

The Nagrota attack was not something that was planned overnight. The manner in which the attack was carried out with precision shows that several months of planning had gone into it.

New Pakistan Army chief: Will there be a change of narrative?

It is a well known fact that any attack to be carried out by Pakistani terrorists has the blessings of the Pakistan army and the ISI. Officials in India do not rule out the possibility of this attack too being overseen entirely by General Sharif. India also feels that the attack was timed to conicide on the date that General Sharif was retiring.

His amimosity towards India was seen on the last day where he chose to give out a stern warning. In his farewell speech he had cautioned India against adopting an aggressive stance in the region. He said that in recent months "India's increasing terrorism and aggressive stance" in Kashmir have "endangered" the region.

"India should know that mistaking our policy of patience for weakness would be dangerous. This is reality, that in South Asia, lasting peace and progress is impossible without solution of the Kashmir issue. For that, international community's special attention is necessary, he also said.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 12:44 [IST]
Who is Yasin Malik? The Kashmiri separatist sentenced to life in terror funding case

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Illegal funds being sent to Kashmir to incite protests: Govt

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 30: Illegal funds are being sent through 'hawala' and other channels to inimical forces in Kashmir Valley to incite protests, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said today.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said the practice of sending illegal money through 'hawala' and other channels to inimical elements in the Valley to incite protests have been going on.

Rijiju's colleague, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said separatists and militants were receiving funds from foreign countries through 'hawala' and inward remittances.

Referring to the tension along the Indo-Pak border, Rijiju said 24 suspected militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, were killed, while 78 attempts of infiltrations were foiled till October-end this year.

Till October this year, there were 201 incidents of infiltration from across the border into Jammu and Kashmir and 30 cases of infiltration into Punjab. He said five BSF personnel killed were and nine others injured due to cross-border firing between September and October this year.

Replying to another question, Ahir said there was no information about espionage being carried out by Pakistan using pigeons. However, some pigeons with rubber tag with Pakistani telephone no/name of persons have been found in border areas, he said.

PTI
Shouldn't worry about 2024, instead think of 2029 polls: Javadekar's advice to Opposition

Opposition needs to understand that right to religion is not a right to convert

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Is Opposition actually united against demonetisation?

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Nov 30: Almost all political parties outside the Modi government have launched a combined attack on demonetisation but there are clear divisions in the ranks.

The opposition has virtually paralysed both houses of Parliament ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8 that he had scrapped the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to battle black money and more.

The unprecedented cash crunch the decision has caused across the country, forcing millions to stand in long queues at ATMs as well as banks, has angered the opposition.

While the Congress, Trinamool Congress, the Left, BSP, RJD and AAP oppose the note ban per se, some including the DMK, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and BJD are okay with the demonetisation.

But the DMK has taken part in street protests against the misery caused to bank account holders because of the cash crunch.

And the Shiv Sena, a Modi ally, has taken a hard line on the misery due to the note ban.

More than 70 deaths, including suicides, hospital casualties and people dying in queues outside ATMs and banks in the country in the past three weeks have been linked to the cash crunch caused by the demonetisation.

After the note ban, a person can take out only Rs 24,000 a week from his bank account.

While former JD-U President Sharad Yadav spoke against demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha, Bihar Chief Minister and party chief Nitish Kumar said he supported the Centre's move.

Sharad Yadav has since stopped coming to the Rajya Sabha and the opposition meetings. On Tuesday, he was called to Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's chamber and asked to clarify his party's stand.

When IANS sought a comment from Yadav, he declined.

There is also ambiguity in the Samajwadi Party. While its Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agrawal earlier vehemently demanded the scheme's scrapping, he told IANS on Tuesday that a rollback was not possible now as it would result in bigger chaos.

"But the Prime Minister must find a way out of this mess," he said.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh outlined the Congress view when he called the demonetisation an "organised loot and legalised plunder" that had also proved to be a "monumental management failure".

Since then, the Congress has described the demonetisation as the biggest scandal in independent India.

Interestingly, this stand comes close to the charge hurled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose leader and Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is holding a string of public rallies against the currency ban.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee too is holding protests across the country and has denounced Modi in no uncertain terms for ordering demonetisation.

Some opposition figures said they needed to be careful so that they were not viewed as people favouring black money because of their opposition to the government decision.

In the wake of a nationwide cash crunch, the Left wants the government to allow people to use the old money at least until December 31 for minor transactions.

"Hardly anybody is demanding a rollback. We are demanding a relief for the suffering millions," Communist Party of India-Marxist Lok Sabha member Mohammed Salim told IANS.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien, however, told IANS: "Demonetisation is a big scandal. People are suffering. We have offered concrete suggestions.

"One is to allow old and new 500 rupee notes to function parallel to each other," he said.

Salim added: "It is not a two party system here. Every party has its own stand. But broadly in Parliament, we are together and will evolve a future strategy together."

Congress' Jairam Ramesh said the "entire opposition" was united on the issue.

Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav too said his party was with the opposition combine. Asked about his party's strategy in the Rajya Sabha in the coming days, he said: "Let's see what happens."

IANS


Kejriwal misrepresented changes in taxation law: Jaitley

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Nov 30: Reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's statement on the amendments in the taxation law, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday dismissed it as factually incorrect.

Kejriwal, in a reference to the amendments in the taxation laws, said on Wednesday that the scheme suggests 50 per cent tax on the black money.

"Factually incorrect statements have been made by @ArvindKejriwal in relation to changes proposed in the Taxation Law," Jaitley said in a tweet.

He further questioned the intention behind Kejriwal's statements. "Why should a former IRS officer, @ArvindKejriwal factually misrepresent changes in the Taxation Law," Jaitley said.

To this, Kejriwal replied making a reference to Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) stating that this has provision of only 10 per cent penalty.

"Sir, earlier there was 200 per cent penalty on black money. Now you have brought PMGKY which has only 10 per cent penalty. You and I are saying the same thing," Kejriwal replied in a tweet.

According to the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, the declarant will have to pay a tax of 60 per cent and an additional surcharge of 25 per cent of the tax (i.e. 15 per cent of such income), resulting in a total tax amounting to approximately 75 per cent.

"People are telling me they had been cheated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying that take bribe, make black money and we will split it in 50 per cent to make it legal," Kejriwal asserted while talking to the media in Punjab on Wednesday.

IANS
'Ill considered demonetisation decision' to be blamed for unemployment: Manmohan Singh

Five years of demonetisation: Notes in circulation on rise; so are digital payments

Noteban will be marked among worst policy blunders: Jairam Ramesh

PM Modi should admit that demonetistion a failure: Owaisi on cash seizure in UP

Aware of Lakshman Rekha says SC on demonetisation

Manmohan Singh's lacklustre governance paved way for demonetisation: S Gurumurthy

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Chennai, Nov 30: Recently, the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke on the adverse impact of demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha.

Demonetisation, hailed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "masterstroke" by his supporters, was labelled as an "organised loot and legalised plunder" and "monumental mismanagement" by Singh.

Days later, political commentator S Gurumurthy on Tuesday slammed the two UPA regimes from 2004-2014 under Singh for country's economic woes.

Speaking at the 13th Nani Palkhivala Memorial lecture, organised by the School of Law, SASTRA University, Chennai, Gurumurthy accused that Singh's governance was lacklustre.

"The lacklustre governance in the past under Manmohan Singh had set the tone for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monumental decision on November 8," he said.

Gurumurthy added that growth of the economy for six years from 2004 was superficial with the creation of a meagere 27 lakh jobs and the current account deficit at 101 billion dollars.

The political pundit lauded Modi over demonetisation issue.

[Also Read: It's not PM Modi, Manmohan Singh is the 'big daddy' of economics]

The effect that demonetisation has had on counterfeit money and terror funding has largely gone unreported, said Gurumurthy.

"If this decision had not been made now, the cash in circulation would have gone up from 17 lakh crore to 30 lakh crore in the next five years, leading to a meltdown," he added.

Gurumurthy predicted "an inevitable slow down" in growth for the next six months.

However, he added that the country would gain in qualitative terms.

"The law and order situation will improve as demonetisation has hit terror funding and counterfeit currency."

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 13:34 [IST]
Nagrota attack: Huge quantity of arms and ammunition recovered

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Jammu, Nov 30: The Army on Wednesday recovered huge quantities of arms, ammunition and other paraphernalia during the combing operations following the attack on an army camp in Nagrota, near Jammu.

The attack, which took place in early hours of Tuesday morning, targetted an army unit located three kilometres from the Corps Headquarters.

The terrorists, disguised in police uniform, forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries, said an army statement.

They managed to enter two buildings occupied by soldiers and their families, and were planning for a hostage like situation.

"The situation was very quickly contained and thereafter, in a deliberate operation all were successfully rescued, which included 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children," the statement further said.

Seven soldiers, including two Majors, were killed and three terrorists were gunned down during the operation. The attack is third such big strike after Pathankot and Uri attacks this year.

J&K: Huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered by security forces from #NagrotaAttack site. pic.twitter.com/OfRZBmBAwa  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Reports state that the wives of the two army officers blocked the entry of their quarters with "the household items", making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses.

Interestingly, the attack took place on the day General Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as the chief of Pakistan army from General Raheel Sharif.

The incident also brings to light the increase in militant activity along the Indo-Pak border since India's surgical strikes last month.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 17:10 [IST]
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Nagrota terror attack-IB had warned of high value attack by Lashkar-e-Tayiba

India

oi-Vicky

Srinagar, Nov 30: The horrific attack at the army camp in Nagrota which left seven Indian army personnel including two officers dead was the handiwork of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Intelligence Bureau officials confirm.

An alert was shared a week back warning of a possible attack by a Lashkar-e-Tayiba cell on an army camp.

Possible attack on a high value army target by a module of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba the Intelligence Bureau alert read.

The alert was however not specific to Nagrota, but did warn of an ambush on a high value army army target.

This brings us to the next question about the security in such high value military installations.

The preliminary investigations show that the terrorists were familiar with the terrain and also their target.

Lashkar attack confirms IB:

An IB officer tells OneIndia that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had been plotting a high value attack.

There were intercepts to suggest that a major build up was taking place and an attack was in the offing.

It is however not clear if the terrorists had just infiltrated ahead of the attack or were languishing in some local module for a couple of days.

However preliminary investigations would show that the terrorists were well versed with their target.

The terrorists had scaled the perimeter wall from the back of the complex.

The manner in which the attack took place also goes on to show that the terrorists knew precisely on how to go about the attack.

Upon entering the complex, the terrorists killed three soldiers when they first came in contact.

They then proceeded towards the houses of officers and wanted to undertake a hostage crisis.

However they were countered and could not manage to take anyone hostage.

The gun battle then carried on and in the second round the terrorists managed to kill an officer and two more soldiers.

Local mole:

The security at the camp is another question that is being raised by the Intelligence Bureau.

An immediate analysis of the attack would show that the security was lax. However IB officials say that the terrorists had complete information about the target.

The terrorists may have sourced the information from their local moles.

The terrorists appeared to have ample intelligence and this helped them go about the attack in precise fashion the officer also informed.

The modus operandi is similar to the one undertaken at the Pathankot air base. The terrorists during that attack too had scaled the wall and gained entry into the base.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 6:54 [IST]
People of J&K hate corruption, I always felt their pain: PM Modi

40 down and counting: Forces on the verge of wiping out Pakistani terrorists in Valley

Pak violates ceasefire in Uri sector in north Kashmir

India

oi-PTI

Srinagar, Nov 30: Pakistan on Tuesday night violated border ceasefire in Uri sector in north Kashmir's Baramulla district by resorting to unprovoked firing, Army said.

"Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing on our posts in Uri sector," an army official said.

There was no damage in the firing, he added.

Moreover, seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed when suicide bombers armed with guns and grenades stormed a military base, near the headquarters of the Indian Army's 16th Corps in Nagrota on Tuesday.

In another incident, three militants were killed in a shootout with security forces near the International Border with Pakistan in Samba.

PTI
Will the General walk the talk: Pak Army Chief wants peaceful resolution to Kashmir issue

Thaw in tensions? Pak Army chief says time to bury the past

Pakistan's new army chief assumes office

International

pti-PTI

Islamabad, Nov 30 General Qamar Javed Bajwa today formally assumed office after being appointed as Pakistan's new army chief and is likely to review the ongoing counterterrorism operations, according to media reports.

General Bajwa, 57, took over the command of the army yesterday at a ceremony in Rawalpindi from General Raheel Sharif.

Gen Bajwa has taken over the command of the army at a time when security situation on the LoC has deteriorated due to ongoing Indo-Pak tension, which needs his immediate attention and the Pakistani troops are consolidating the gains made during the counterterrorism operations in the restive areas.

Apart from external security situation, he faces a huge challenge of taking military operation against militants to logical conclusion.

"He would, therefore, be defining the direction of the new phase, which may be distinctly different from the previous stage that saw kinetic operations," the Dawn said.

Despite efforts by his predecessor General Raheel, terrorism remains a huge threat for Pakistan.

It is believed that General Bajwa would have to review the operation in order to fine tune them according to his vision.

Similarly, the relations with India would be in sharp focus as tension on the LoC would divert focus from the fight against militancy, according to experts.

In his brief informal interaction with journalists after the passage of command yesterday, General Bajwa expressed the hope that the situation at the LoC would soon improve.

Gen Bajwa's appointment and assumption of charge is historical event as it is for the first time in 20 years that the transition from one army chief to another took place on time.

Earlier, Pervez Musharraf remained army chief from 1998 to 2007 and his successor Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani served for two terms from 2007 to 2013.

The COAS appointment is for three years, which can be extended. But apart from military dictators, it is rare that an extension is given.

PTI
Shah, Nadda meet BJP leaders to discuss roadmap for 144 LS seats it missed by small margins

With many agreements inked, NE is now insurgency-free: JP Nadda

People ready to donate organs, need to improve facilities: J P Nadda

News

oi-Lisa

By Lisa

New Delhi, Nov 30 Union Health Minister J P Nadda today called for strengthening organ retrieval and transplantation facilities to bridge the gap between demand and supply of human organs.

Nadda stressed that even though people are willing to donate organs, there is lack of proper channels to do so.

Sh @JPNadda at 7th National Organ Donation Day at New Delhi today. Also seen is popular actor Sh Randeep Hooda who has pledged his organs. pic.twitter.com/WHhC28JQGx  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

Smt Aupriya Patel,MoS Health: Salute all those who are connected with organ donation, which is the most noble act of humanity #SwasthaBharat pic.twitter.com/sGG241eHIK  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

"People are ready to donate, but we have to improve the facilities. We have to strengthen infrastructure and increase the capacity to see that organ retrieval and transplantation are happening in right direction. There is a huge gap in demand and supply of human organs for transplantation."

Sh @JPNadda : I salute all those who have donated organs of their family members; it reflects their high spiritual self #OrganDonation pic.twitter.com/XqAaEoz9R3  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

Sh @JPNadda : Within a short span of 1yr #OrganDonation has become a national movement.Urge everyone to come forward to pledge their organs. pic.twitter.com/um6yg1nGnk  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

"Today if there is a requirement of two lakh kidneys, we are able to provide only 6000-7000 donations. Again, if the requirement of liver is 30,000 we are able to do only 1500. Similarly, there is close to 50,000 people who need heart transplant but we are able to cater to only 100 people," Nadda said on the occasion of 7th Indian Organ Donation Day.

Sh @JPNadda on #organdonationion: protocols need to be build for linking retrieval and transplantation, on which Govt is presently working  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

Sh @JPNadda briefs media on steps taken by the government in #organdonation pic.twitter.com/iqBNZfNvVI  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

While stressing on creating awareness among people, Nadda said that trauma centre units and ICU facilities are potential retrieval centres and they should be linked with hospitals having transplantation facility.

Sh @JPNadda honoured families of organ donors at the 7th Indian #OrganDonation Day today. Called it a ''supreme act of humanity". pic.twitter.com/59WmewOLKH  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

Decisive steps for harvesting cadaver organs and tissues have been taken to optimally utilise this vast national resource #OrganDonationWeek  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

"Here NGOs, coordinators and counsellors can play a vital role. We need counsellors and coordinators at trauma care units and ICUs at the right time for giving the right suggestion to save a life," he said.

Referring to the Prime Minister's pitch for organ donation in his 'Mann Ki Baat', Nadda said that within a short span of one year, organ donation has turned into a mass movement.

"Even during this organ donation week, several programmes were organised that witnessed participation in large numbers. It shows people are ready to be a part of this movement. The number of registered donors was 10,000 in March, it is now over than one lakh and it is our target to take it over 20 lakhs by 2017," he said.

Our effort is to encourage more and more number of people to #donateorgans and to gift a new life to someone. (1/2)  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) November 30, 2016

Graciously expecting to achieve a target of 20,00,000 pledges by next year. Indeed it wouldn't be possible without your immense support.  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) November 30, 2016

Stating that donors want that their organs go to the right person in the right time, Nadda called for upgrading the standards of transplantation.

Medical practitioners, NGOs, DGHS, NOTTO & our Officers are actively involved in promoting organ donation. #OrganDonationWeek pic.twitter.com/KOvdMjrd0G  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) November 30, 2016

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 15:40 [IST]
J&K: 4 killed, 6 injured in landslides in Kishtwar

People of J&K hate corruption, I always felt their pain: PM Modi

40 down and counting: Forces on the verge of wiping out Pakistani terrorists in Valley

J&K: 4 terrorists killed in separate encounters, 3 others arrested

Post surgical strikes- Over 20 attacks and 24 security personnel have been martyred

India

oi-Vicky

Srinagar, Nov 30: On September 29, India claimed a major victory when it announced that it had successfully carried out a surgical strike across the Line of Control.

This was a message to Pakistan.

However Intelligence Bureau officials continued to warn that there is a major clean up act needed within Jammu and Kashmir failing which the problem of terrorism will continue to persist.

Since the surgical strike there have been over 20 incidents involving terrorist attacks and violations along the border.

Moreover India has lost a little over 24 of its army personnel in such attacks.

Since the surgical strikes were conducted, there has been a terrorist strike almost everyday.

On Tuesday there were two strikes, one at Ramgarh and the other at Nagrota.

November 29: Attack at Nagrota in which seven army personnel lost their lives. Same day infiltration bid at Samba sector foiled and three terrorists killed by BSF.

November 25: Army jawan and two terrorists killed in encounter at Bandipore.

November 22: Two militants killed after they were countered by security forces in Bandipore.

November 16: Policeman in J&K killed in an encounter with militants in Sopore.

November 9: One soldier killed in firing by Pakistani troops in Machhal Sector.

November 8: Army jawan killed and two others injured in Pakistani shelling in Naushera sector.

November 7: Hizbul Mujahideen militant in Sopore. Two army personnel injured as well.

November 6: Army jawan was killed during an encounter with terrorists at Ghati Sector.

November 1: Eight civilians killed in mortar shelling in Arnia and Rajouri. BSF destroys 14 Pakistani posts.

October 30: Militants and army personnel exchange fire at security forces in Kupwara. Military operation was conducted after Intelligence Bureau warning.

October 10: Militants Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Sempora area of Pampore.

October 8: Policeman killed by terrorists in Shopian sector. Firing by Pakistan at Poonch sector.

October 7: Pakistan Army resort to heavy shelling at Poonch.

October 6: Terrorists fire at an army camp in Langate in Kupwara. Three terrorists are killed.

October 5: Four cease fire violations by Pakistan at Poonch, Rajouri and Kupwara.

October 4: Terrorists attacked a police station in Yaripora, Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan forces also resort to firing in Naushera. Militants also attack BSF camps in Baramulla town.

October 3: Four cease fire violations by Pakistan on a single day at Poonch.

October 2: Firing at Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

October 1: Mortar shelling Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Pallanwalla sector of Akhnoor.

September 29: Firing by Pakistani troops at Chapriyal and Samwan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector.

OneIndia News
SC notice to Centre on plea against supply of electoral roll to candidates

Special anti-corruption courts in every district: SC to take up plea next week

SC frowns on two-finger test in rape case: Stop the practice immediately it says

SC likely to hear 14-year-old rape case against Baba Ram Rahim today

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Supreme Court on Wednesday is likely hear a plea filed by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with a 14 year-old rape case.

The case has been dragging on for around 14 years now, as the FIR was registered only in 2002. The incident dates back to 1999 when Ram Rahim had allegedly molested a female follower of the Dera.

The sexual exploitation case against Dera chief was registered in 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

OneIndia News
Sharad Yadav, Jaitley exchange barbs in RS

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Nov 30: Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav today exchanged sharp barbs in the Rajya Sabha over the demonetisation issue as the Opposition stalled the pre-noon proceedings.

The incident happened when members of the Congress, TMC, BSP and SP created a ruckus over their demand that the House mourn the killing of 25 armymen since surgical strikes and deaths of 82 persons in post-demonetisation hardships.

Yadav said it was unprecedented that there was no obituary reference for the seven army personnel including two senior officers killed in terrorist attack at Nagrota armybase near Jammu yesterday.

As he also raised death of "nearly 90 persons" in post-demonetisation hardships, Jaitley retorted that he should first discuss demonetisation within his party and find "if it is agreeable" with the ban on 500 and 1000 rupee notes or not.

His remark was apparent reference to JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supporting demonetisation.

"We are not against demonetisation. We are against the restrictions that have been placed (on withdrawals from own accounts)," Yadav shot back. The JD(U) leader then went on to ask if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was with him or not. "Is your Prime Minister with you? Is he listening to you," he asked.

PTI
How a blend of Military Intelligence and strong policing cracked the Nagrota attack case

Nagrota Army camp attack: How Jaish terrorists were helped indirectly by Geelani

How terrorists obtain valid visas with the help of Kashmiri separatists

As vigil along LoC gets tight, terrorists move towards International Border to sneak in

Father of Major Mannadir martyred in Nagrota attack says he is proud of his son

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Nov 30: The life of the entire family of Major Gosavi K Mannadir, who was killed in a terror attack in Nagrota near Jammu on Tuesday, has changed forever.

Same stands true for the families of other six soldiers, who were martyred protecting the country, in the Nagrota terror attack.

In their time of grief, these army families have put on a brave face.

[Also Read: Nagrota terror attack-IB had warned of high value attack by Lashkar-e-Tayiba]

"Very proud; my son sacrificed his life for the nation. He always wanted to join the Army and we never stopped him," said father of Major Gosavi K Mannadir.

Very proud; my son sacrificed his life for nation. He always wanted to join Army and we never stopped him: Father of Major Gosavi K Mannadir pic.twitter.com/TQry45n9ud  ANI (@ANI_news) November 30, 2016

Major Mannadir, aged 33 years, hailed from Pandharpur village, Solapur district, Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife, Uma K Gosavi.

Pandharpur (Maharashtra): Visuals from the residence of Major Gosavi Kunal Mannadir who lost his life in Nagrota attack pic.twitter.com/FbS0uipFUU  ANI (@ANI_news) November 29, 2016

OneIndia News
All National Highways in India to have helipads for emergency evacuations

WB: Three officers killed as Army helicopter crashes in Sukna

India

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

Lucknow, Nov 30: Three army officers were killed and a junior commissioned officer was critically injured on Wednesday when a Cheetah helicopter crashed at Sukna military camp in West Bengal.

Army officials said the chopper crashed around 10:30 am when it was returning to the camp's helipad at Sukna, near Silgirui, from a routine mission.

While three officers died on the spot, the JCO was evacuated and admitted to a hospital in a critical condition.

The army's 33 Corps is based at Sukna and all aircraft of the Army are run by Army Aviation Corps.

Meanwhile, an enquiry has been ordered to find out the cause of the crash.

OneIndia News
Persecuted Hindu Tamils from Lanka can obtain Indian citizenship under CAA says Madras HC

What message did Madurai based terror group Base Movement has for the judiciary

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Nov 30: The National Investigation Agency arrested five persons in connection with the blasts at the court complexes that took place over the past year and a half.

The arrests of members from the Base Movement from Madurai on Monday and Tuesday is a major breakthrough the court complex blasts case.

During the course of the investigation, the NIA has found that the members of the Base Movement or the erstwhile al-Ummah had actively been involved in planning or plotting strikes.

The five members had distributed work among each other.

Courts, the target:

The target of the Base Movement were the court complexes.

They were trying to send out a message to the judiciary which they felt has been unfair on several Muslim youth and also Abdul Nasar Madani.

It was clear that their modus operandi was to scare and send a message rather than destroy or kill.

They wanted the judiciary to take note that they were capable of creating havoc.

The first round of the blasts were only intended at sending out a message, investigations have shown.

The NIA says that all the five persons arrested hailed from Madurai and were known to each other for long. One of the accused, Abbas ran a library and he was

deeply influenced by ideology of Al Qaeda having read literature about them.

Similarly, Dawood appears to have been radicalized on the internet, the NIA further stated.

Abbas and Shamsudeen had been earlier trained in bomb making few years back, from some members of notorious Imam Ali gang active in Madurai.

Abbas, in January, 2015 gathered the group of five and administered them oral oath of allegiance under the group that he named as the "Base Movement".

In 2015, they limited their activities to sending letters to various jails and other district authorities citing grievances against the jail administration.

The prime movers of the group were Abbas and Dawood.

While Abbas and Shamsudeen made the bombs, Dawood drafted the electronic propaganda, which were left behind at crime scenes.

Further the posters left behind at crime scene were printed in the printing press owned by accused Karim.

The bombs were placed at the 5 court complexes by Karim and Dawood.

Shamsudeen, a local gangster with cases registered at local police, contributed from his forceful collections from local markets, Abbas managed to collect money on pretext of charity donations from visitors to places of worship.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2016, 8:15 [IST]
Why theatres stopped playing the National Anthem in 1975

India

oi-Anusha

The Supreme Court on Wednesday made it mandatory for movie theatres to play the National Anthem and display the National Flag on the screen before the start of a movie. This move however, is not new to Indian Movie halls. Tried and tested, the practice was stopped in 1975.

[Also Read: National Anthem compulsory in movie theatres rules Supreme Court]

Before 1975, it was a custom to play the National Anthem in theatres, albeit after the movie screening. It was, however, banned because of the disrespect by people towards the National Anthem. People would not stand up or pay attention when the Anthem was being played.

With disrespect towards the Anthem defeating the purpose of playing it in the first place, it was decided, for the better, to do away with it. The Madras High court in 2015 had quoted the Union Home Minister communication on the same while dismissing a petition. The Madras HC said that in its January 5, 2015 communication to Chief Secretaries of all states, the Home Ministry stated that 'standing in cinema halls was bound to interrupt the exhibition of the film'. It added that it 'would create disorder and confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem'.

OneIndia News
Punjab militancy would be launched from Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar

Why was KLF chief Mintoo headed to Goa?

India

oi-Vicky

Chandigarh, Nov 30: Harminder Singh Mintoo, the chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force who escaped from the Nabha jail in Punjab only to be arrested a day later was headed to Goa.

He was arrested at the Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi at 2 PM on Monday.

For the police spotting him was not a difficult task. His beard was badly trimmed and this gave away his appearance.

It appears as though Mintoo pushed his luck too far.

After fleeing from jail, headed to Delhi and purchased a ticket to Panvel, Maharashta.

However his train was to leave only after another five hours. He decided to wait at the parking lot, but was tracked down by the police.

While questioning him, the police learnt that Mintoo had planned on going to Goa.

He said that he was familiar with Goa since he had lived there for 18 years.

Moreover his wife hails from Goa.

His plan was to land in Goa, activate his contacts and then obtain a visa and passport and then head to Nepal.

From what Mintoo was trying to explain it becomes clear he wanted to reach Nepal and then head back to Pakistan where he had been trained by the ISI.

OneIndia News
Withdrawals from Jan Dhan accounts capped at Rs 10000 a month: RBI

India

oi-Madhuri

By Madhuri

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday announced that cash withdrawals from Jan Dhan accounts would be capped at Rs 10,000 per month.

The RBI made this decision as a precautionary measure as it was found that several black money hoarders had parked funds in Jan Dhan Yojana accounts.

The KYC compliant account holders will be allowed to withdraw Rs 10,000 from their accounts every month. Such account holders would however be allowed to draw more money provided they are able to ascertain the genuineness of such withdrawals with proper documentation.

The RBI also said that non compliant account holders may be allowed to withdraw Rs 5,000 per month from the amount deposited through SBNs within an overall ceiling of Rs 10,000.

OneIndia News
Canadian envoy says 'support India's sovereignty after earlier 'welcome all' remark on Khalistan

Canada PM approves pipeline from Alberta to Pacific Coast

International

oi-PTI

Toronto, Nov 30: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has approved one controversial pipeline from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast, but rejected another.

He yesterday approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby, British Columbia, but rejected Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat, B.C. These are the first major pipeline decisions for Trudeau, whose Liberal government is trying to balance the oil industry's desire to tap new markets in Asia with environmentalists' concerns.

"The project will triple our capacity to get Canadian energy resources to international markets beyond the United States," Trudeau said at an Ottawa news conference.

"We took this decision today because we believe it is in the best interests of Canada." He added that the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion "meets the strictest of environmental standards."

Alberta, which has the world's third largest oil reserves, needs infrastructure in place to export its growing oil sands production. Approving Trans Mountain helps diversify Canada's oil exports. Ninety-seven percent of Canadian oil exports now go to the US.

"We are getting a chance to sell to China and other new markets at better prices," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said.

"And we're getting a chance to reduce our dependence on one market and therefore be more economically independent," Notley added

Houston-based Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Vancouver Harbour in Burnaby will increase the capacity of an existing pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day. But there remains opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia, the birthplace of the Greenpeace environmental movement.

There is no guarantee it will get built despite Trudeau's approval as it faces strong opposition from environmentalists and indigenous leaders. Vancouver, B.C. Mayor Gregor Robertson said he was profoundly disappointed by Trudeau's decision and said it would bring seven times the number of oil tankers to Vancouver's waters.

Interim federal opposition Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said she supports the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, but doubts it will be built because of the opposition. Trudeau rejected the Northern Gateway project to northwest British Columbia which passes through the Great Bear Rainforest.

Northern Gateway would have transported 525,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific to deliver oil to Asia, mainly energy-hungry China. About 220 large oil tankers a year would have visited the Pacific coast town of Kitimat.

The fear of oil spills is especially acute in the pristine corner of northwest British Columbia, with its snowcapped mountains and deep ocean inlets. Canadians living there still remember the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off an Alaska export hub. 1989.

PTI
Dormitory fire in Turkey leaves 12 dead

International

oi-PTI

Istanbul, Nov 30: Twelve people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed when fire ravaged a dormitory for pupils in the southern Turkish region of Adana, local officials said.

The fire, which officials said was likely caused by an electrical fault, yesterday raced through the building's wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows. Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.

Images showed scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, parts of which were turned into a blazing wreck with roof collapsed.

"We lost 12 of our citizens in the fire. Eleven of them were schoolchildren and one was a tutor. 22 citizens are injured," Adana region governor Mahmut Demirtas told Turkish NTV television.

"According to initial findings, we believe the fire was caused by electrical fault," he said.

The Dogan news agency specified that all 11 of the schoolchildren killed were girls. Their identities have yet to be disclosed but they were also said to be 14 or under. Television footage showed the three-storey building in flames, with fire engine teams trying to put out the blaze.

Demirtas said some terrified schoolgirls were injured after jumping out of the window to escape the flames. He added that none of the injuries were serious condition.

The governor said the fire at the private schoolchildren dorm broke out at around 19:25 (1625 GMT) and it was brought under control some three hours later.

Demirtas said it was a private dormitory with 34 students in residence. Demirtas meanwhile informed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who expressed his sadness over the catastrophe.

PTI
Indian in US pleads guilty to terror conspiracy

International

oi-PTI

New York, Nov 30: A 42-year-old Indian who received asylum in the US has pleaded guilty to planning terror attacks in India by providing material support and resources to terrorists involved in the Khalistan movement.

Balwinder Singh, a resident of Nevada, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Larry Hicks to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, knowing and intending that such support would be used to carry out terrorist attacks overseas, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary McCord said yesterday.

"Singh attempted to provide material support and resources to terrorists to create violence and disruption abroad," McCord said.

"Identifying, thwarting and holding accountable individuals who pursue international terrorism is a top priority of the Department of Justice," she said. A citizen of India and permanent US resident, Singh went by the aliases of "Jhaji", "Happy" and "Baljit Singh" and has been detained and charged since his arrest in December 2013.

He faces the statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and deportation following his release. His sentencing was set for February 27. His indictment says that Singh obtained asylum in San Francisco using a false identity.

According to the court filed documents and admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, between September and December 2013, Singh conspired with others to support terrorist attacks in India as part of a movement to create an independent Sikh state.

Trump nominates Indian woman to top administration post

Singh communicated with co-conspirators by telephone to discuss these plans and agreed to provide material support by facilitating a co-conspirator's travel to and within South Asia, providing funding and materials necessary to carry out an overseas attack.

In October 2013, Singh and the co-conspirators agreed that one of them would travel to India in 2013 and carry out "likely an assassination or maiming of an Indian governmental official."

The final target would be determined after the co-conspirator arrived in South Asia. Singh purchased two sets of night-vision goggles, gave them to a co-conspirator who was going to carry out the planned attack.

In December 2013, the co-conspirator attempted to board a flight from the San Francisco International Airport to Thailand in order to carry out the attack, but was prohibited by the US law enforcement from boarding the flight.

As a result, the planned attack was never executed. After this, Singh and his co-conspirators continued to discuss and plan terror attack in India until he was arrested. The defense attorney noted that a clause in the plea agreement would allow Singh to ask to be sent to a third country, not India, under the US Convention Against Torture.

PTI
Iraq gets a new government after a year of deadlock

Iraq hospital brimming with Mosul civilian, army casualties

International

oi-PTI

Irbil (Iraq), Nov 28: Doctors in the main hospital treating trauma victims from the battle for Mosul say they are overflowing with casualties, both civilians and soldiers.

Speaking late today, Marwan Ghafuri of the West Irbil Hospital said the location, the main triage center for trauma cases from Iraq's second-largest city, is seeing 100 to 150 patients daily.

He said the site "does not have enough beds" in the emergency room, but that authorities were expecting the tide to stay similar for three months.

The offensive to free Mosul of Islamic State militants is now in its second month, and progress has slowed as troops try to avoid mass civilian casualties.

Iraq forces say gaining ground around Mosul

The military officially bans reporting on its numbers of killed and injured, although field medics have noted at least dozens.

AP
Rajnath Singh wanted to join Indian Army, but couldn't; know why

Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Make in India, Make for the World, says Rajnath Singh

Parrikar arrives in Bangladesh on first visit

International

oi-PTI

Dhaka, Nov 30: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today arrived here on a two-day visit to Bangladesh during which he will meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to Bangladesh in the last 45 years, was greeted by Bangladesh Defence Forces' Principal Staff Officer Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and other government officials.

The defence minister is leading an 11-member high-powered delegation. According to an army press release here, Parrikar will meet President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his stay in the country.

He is also scheduled to meet with the prime ministers defence and security advisor Maj Gen Tarique Ahmed Siddique (retd) for bilateral talks.

Parrikar, who is accompanied by the Vice Chiefs of the Army and Air Force, Deputy Chief of Navy besides Coast Guard chief, is scheduled to visit the military academy in Chittagong tomorrow.

Will write about Defence Ministry stint in memoirs: Manohar Parrikar

The Indian military officials will also meet with the heads of Bangladesh's Army, Navy and Air Forces to discuss ways to improve military cooperation.

Top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of the trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Prime Minister Hasina visits India next month.

PTI
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LIVINGSTON, NJ--(Marketwired - November 30, 2016) - Milestone Scientific Inc . (NYSE MKT: MLSS ), a medical R&D and dental products company that designs, patents, incubates and commercializes a growing portfolio of innovative therapeutic injection technologies, today announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with Al-Hayat, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Milestone and Al-Hayat introduced the epidural instrument and disposable kit to approximately 30 anesthesiologists from the UAE, at the Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia, at two product launch meetings in Dubai and Al Ain.

Milestone Scientific also announced it has launched the epidural instrument and disposable kit in Lebanon with its distributor, Sterimed, and is now proceeding with product evaluations at five hospitals in Lebanon.

Milestone has also received the required Authorized Representative (AR) license approval by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, which is required for device registration in order to allow Milestone's distributor to import and commercialize the epidural instrument in Saudi Arabia. Incrementally, Milestone has signed distribution agreements in Egypt and Kuwait, as part of its Middle East product launch strategy. Milestone also announced that it will be replacing its Polish distributor and that its new marketing and sales team is undertaking an evaluation of potential new distributors.

Milestone will be exhibiting its epidural instrument and disposable kit at the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress in Dubai from January 30 to February 2, 2017, the largest healthcare exhibition and medical congress in the Middle East and the second largest healthcare exhibition and congress in the world. The exhibition is an important venue for meeting with Middle Eastern distributors and key opinion leaders.

Leonard Osser, Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Scientific, stated, "We are pleased with the progress we have made developing distribution partnerships in the Middle East and have received positive feedback from key opinion leaders in the region. Placing the epidural instrument and disposable kits with distributors and key opinion leaders is central to our strategy, now that we have completed our clinical trials in the United States. We are awaiting US FDA approval of the epidural instrument and disposable kits, which will provide further validation for medical practitioners around the world."

Story continues

About Milestone Scientific Inc.

Milestone Scientific Inc. (MLSS) is a medical R&D company that designs, patents, incubates and commercializes a growing portfolio of innovative injection technologies. Milestone's computer-controlled systems make injections precise, efficient, and virtually painless. For more information please visit our website: www.milestonescientific.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the timing and financial impact of Milestone's ability to implement its business plan, expected revenues and future success. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond Milestone's control. Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements are general economic conditions, failure to achieve expected revenue growth, changes in our operating expenses, adverse patent rulings, FDA or legal developments, competitive pressures, changes in customer and market requirements and standards, and the risk factors detailed from time to time in Milestone's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, Milestone's Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2015. The forward looking statements in this press release are based upon management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. Milestone undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Is it too early to start your Xmas shopping..?

Anyone whos been perusing the stores recently may feel that Yuletide has already found its way to the West  as shops and stores seem more and more focused upon bringing sales and festive ranges to customers sooner and sooner each year! Certainly, the idea that Christmas shopping, or even thinking about December 25th, starts around the 1st of December, seems to have crumbled to dust  with the rise of Black Friday, are we being encouraged to buy up for family and friends sooner than we need to be?

The Huffington Post discusses this  is Black Friday necessarily the answer? Certainly, its become a popular way for big name brands and stores to capture customer interest by offering absurd prices on popular ranges and gifts, and as videos and eyewitness reports have advised over the years, youll be hard pushed to turn shoppers away from a deal on Thanksgiving weekend. Its a tradition that has found its way over to the UK in recent years, and this may be in part thanks to the influence of online shopping. Amazon and other retailers are encouraging shoppers to buy in from online stock in mid to late November, even ahead of Black Friday  meaning that it could well be a sign that an even earlier shift in the Christmas shopping period is on the horizon.

But when is the perfect time to start your shopping? Are the days of making a mad dash to the local supermarket on Christmas Eve gone with the ravages of time? Perhaps  and again, this is largely thanks to the influence of online shopping and availability of bargains! Theres nothing stopping anyone getting in as much as they can for the family as far ahead of time as they can  some even take advantage of summer sales to find knock-down bargains for later on in the year. It must also be said that Christmas cards and other festive items are, generally, offered at knock-down prices in January  making buying your card stock up eleven months ahead of time well worth the investment!

Christmas shopping should take place whenever you find it most convenient, and whenever you can find the best deals for your budget  theres no dictating! However, with online stores giving us more and more bargains in recent years, dont be surprised if you see the high street shifting to offering Christmas sales in early November in the years to come!
Twenty-first century tech has consistently made its products nearly impossible to define. For the most part its not really an issue, and the only thing at stake for a startup desperately clinging to the label tech company is spin for potential fundraising.

But sometimes it does actually matter, as Netflix is discovering.

Currently the company is fighting attempts in California to classify the streaming service as a traditional utility, which would slap its customers with a 9.4% taxpotentially driving some away. Since the municipal government of Pasadena decided to look into implementing a tax on internet streaming services to raise more money, around 40 municipalities have followed suit, according to the New York Times. So far no California city has actually begun collection, and there has been significant outcry from consumers and tech industry professionals alike that reject the utility label.

Recently, Netflix spokesperson Anne Marie Squeo told the L.A. Times: Its a dangerous precedent to start taxing Internet apps and websites using laws intended for utilities like water and electricity. It is especially concerning when these taxes are applied to consumers without consent and in a manner that likely violates federal and state law.

But there is precedent. The Netflix tax has been implemented in Pennsylvania and Chicago.

Changing the label tech company to public utility would be a big deal, and allow governments to tax it like traditional cable. But it also could further loosen a fairly rigid definition to allow other thingsmusic, video games, or more. A utility, traditionally at least, meant something that was pretty much essential for the public to haveelectricity, water, Internet, phone serviceand was monopoly-prone because of the high costs of infrastructure for a competing business to emerge.

As essential services, they are subject to more laws than a traditional business. (For example, there can be laws preventing a gas utility from shutting off due to a customers delinquency during the winter.)

Story continues

But does this really apply to Netflix or Hulutwo internet-based subscription streaming services? Broadband is currently viewed as an essential public service, similar to the telephone, and is thus subject to net neutrality rules. But Netflix is not a major information or communication hub with significant infrastructure; its a platform for and creator of movies and TV. As such, it doesnt really pass the sniff test as a utility. Still, that may be up to California city governments, which say they have already been given the authority to include Netflix in its utility taxes by the voters.

This isnt the first time a tech company has evolved to a point of blurring lines of classification. Some large tech companies have come to play dominant roles in society and affect global issues on a large scaleyet still manage to avoid much of the responsibilities other, comparable companies bear.

A prime example of this is Facebook. While the company says its a tech company, it increasingly appears to be a media company and publisher yet does not behave like one when it comes to dealing with things like fake news content. Still, that debate doesnt necessarily have a direct impact on the finances of the company, its customers or even its users (remember, they are not the same).

For most of these labels, you could convincingly argue each side foreverthe terms are meaningless anyway without context or discussion. (Google, you may not realize, makes its money in advertising. Is it not an advertising company?) Ditto for most media companies that dont rely on subscriptions.

But when it comes to Netflix, its classification now directly carries weight that will affect it. Its what happens when an underdog companyor industryfinally becomes the king of the hill.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumerism, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.

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Opalesque Industry Update - The Connecticut Hedge Fund Association (CTHFA) and the Zhejiang International Hedge Fund Talents Association (HTA) have announced a strategic partnership. The CTHFA represents the worlds second largest hedge fund center (as measured by number of firms with USD$1bn+ assets under management), while the HTA is the largest independent hedge fund association in China, representing over 300 of Chinas leading hedge funds. The Memorandum of Exchange and Cooperation establishes an ongoing strategic relationship between the two associations who will work together to develop professional relationships and promote productive communication between their respective members. The memorandum was signed in the city of Hangzhou, where representatives of the CTHFA and Greenwich Connecticuts Economic Advisory Committee traveled as guests of the Zhejiang provincial government. As part of the agreement the organizations will create permanent channels to facilitate open dialogue and reciprocal visits between associations, whereby members can share knowledge, expand their commercial networks and build new partnerships. As a culmination of these efforts, the associations will establish a Sino-American Investment Management Summit to institutionalize their cooperation and support these goals on an ongoing basis. Bruce McGuire, President of the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association commented, "China is the second largest economy in the world and the engine of growth for the 21st century. US asset managers, and especially those located in Greenwich, are some of the best and brightest in the field of finance and investment management. China can benefit greatly from the talents of these proven wealth managers, from both the positive impact their investments can have on the real Chinese economy and through the superior returns generated for Chinese institutions and investors. This is the latest in a series of engagements we have had with municipalities in China and we look forward to working with the Zhejiang International HTA to promote the global hedge fund industry and to facilitate cross border growth opportunities for funds in both countries. Tao Guo, Secretary General of the Zhejiang International HTA commented, The partnership between the Zhejiang International Hedge Fund Talents Association and theConnecticut Hedge Fund Association is a significant step towards building Sino-American hedge fund engagement. Given the increasing interest in Chinas investment management industry, we intend to bring our local knowledge of Chinas hedge fund industry to the global stage. *** Founded in 2004, the CTHFA has approximately 3000individual members. Its mission is to promote a favorable business climate for hedge funds operating within Connecticut and to provide networking and educational forums for its members and invited guests. The CTHFA has quickly become the leading forum for hedge fund industry professionals to share ideas and find solutions to improve the industry in Connecticut, as well as globally. The HTA is governed by the Finance Office of the Zhejiang provincial government and is headquartered is in city of Hangzhou. The HTA is China's largest professional body in hedge fund industry excluding the AMAC, the industrys regulator. Its members are mainly comprised of senior hedge fund portfolio managers and partners, and influential figures in the asset management industry. Currently the association counts over 300 of Chinas leading hedge funds as members and has over 3000 individual members. Members total assets under management exceed 300 billion yuan. Bg Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Today's New York Times publishes a front page article http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/world/europe/fillon-french-election-russia.html?ref=todayspaper on growing European opposition to US hegemony that Washington thought was forever. It has apparently taken the daily of record several months to realize that there is more to the growing New Right movement than France's Marine LePen or Germany's Frauke Petry of 'Alternative for Germany (AFD). Not surprisingly, however, in typical US media fashion, it says nothing about the philosophical underpinnings of the European New Right, leaving Americans to assume it is a carbon copy -- or the inspiration for -- the American Alt Right. To appreciate the extent to which the Times' misleads its readers, see my http://www.opednews.com/articles/Post-Modernism-and-the-Al-by-Deena-Stryker-Alternative_America_Anti-semitic_Conformity-160916-717.html then read on.



Frauke Petry

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As someone who lived in both Eastern and Western Europe for half a lifetime, I'd long ago given up hope that Europe would ever grow up. In a book published in the nineteen eighties, I urged France to take the lead in weaning Europe away from the US and its Cold War that, had it turned hot, would have been fought on European soil. Francois Mitterand, President at the time, didn't even want to see Germany reunited, much less welcome the countries of Eastern Europe into the EU (at that time still the European Economic Community). It pains me to say that regarding these countries that had never managed to be part of the 'West', Mitterand was right - although for the wrong reasons. Since becoming part of the EU, Eastern Europe has led the rejection of Muslim immigrants, partly, perhaps, because it had been occupied by the Ottoman Turks for several centuries -- proud to have been a bulwark between Islam and Western Europe.

The situation to which the Times article merely alludes, is the following: Hungary, a country whose origins hark back to vaguely defined areas of Asia, has led the erection of new walls against Muslims, initiating the turn of the entire 'continent' (actually the Eurasian peninsula), toward Russia, which under Vladimir Putin, is inventing a new type of nationalism that is more left than right. (http://www.opednews.com/articles/Post-Modernism-and-the-Al-by-Deena-Stryker- Alternative_America_Anti-semitic_Conformity-160916-717.html.

A few months ago, after the US had twisted the EU's arm to enact sanctions against Russia for 'annexing Crimea' and 'invading Ukraine', its monolithic adherence to Atlanticism began to crack for the first time since World War II. French and Italian parliamentary delegations actually dared to visit Crimea, ascertaining that reattachment to Russia was indeed the will of the overwhelming majority, as expressed in a hastily organized referendum, but at the time Europe's ingrained obedience still dictated official policies, however much the sanctions hurt.

As Russia showed that it was a force to be reckoned with in Syria - and an ally that could be trusted by its legally elected president, Bashar al Assad, some rumblings could be heard off-stage of the European drama: Europe should have its own army, and not be dependent on NATO (even as its military was obediently getting into formation for the drive up to Russia's western borders).

Finally, as the year draws to a close, the President of the European Commission, the highest body in the complicated EU edifice, Jean-Claude Junker (a former head of the tiny country of Luxembourg, where both French and German are spoken but which is outside of the machinations of the big two, France and Germany), has dared to say that Europe cannot survive without a strong relationship with Russia. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been making ever louder objections to Washington's heavy handed policies in Europe, and said loudly that the EU is no longer dependent on American foreign policy and should defend its own interests, moving ahead with its own army. (The Times article neglects to link President-elect Trump's attitude toward NATO to the movement developing in Europe.)

Interestingly, Junker's latest words about Russia, claiming that it is not a 'regional power', as President Obama has called it condescendingly, contradict Vladimir Putin's calls for a 'multi-polar world that would include the US, Russia, China and India, ending US hegemony, but the Times is careful not to mentionthat either. (Most americans have neveer heard of the concept of a multi-polar world...)

Given the danger of the second cold war turning hot, labels are a minor detail. In my book Une autre Europe, un autre Monde , which only a small academic house would publish, in 1989, I pointed out, as the US was installing Pershing missiles in West Germany against the wishes of the European peace movement, that any war with the then Soviet Union would be fought on European -- not American -- soil.

Twenty-five years later, although Europe is whole, that threat could become reality: not because Soviet tanks would come rumbling across the European central plane, but because the US has positioned thousands of soldiers, tanks, and the latest smart weapons, precisely among those Eastern European countries that (once again) became independent. NATO encourages the three tiny Baltic nations -- about whom I will write in an upcoming post - to clamor relentlessly that they are in danger of being taken over again by their immense neighbor, while in reality, Russia is busy strengthening its relations across the 'continent of giants'. At the time, I was making the point that Europe had nothing to fear from the Soviet Union because it too, was among those several giants that constitute Eurasia, rather than the potential victim of one of them.

It has taken three decades for the Europeans to realize that their partnership with a giant across the ocean makes no sense, and start thinking about their role among equals. (A quick look at book titles about Russia and its president on Amazon.fr shows that most of the titles appear to be pro-Russian, while such books are almost non-existent in the US.) Ironically, all this is happening as the President of a small but strategically located country, the Philippines, tells RT that he's no longer taking his orders from Washington, but wants to improve ties with Russia and China.

Fidel Castro was certainly not happy with the steps Raul felt compelled to take with respect to the US, but I'm sure he was gratified, on his deathbed, to see the world moving at last in the right direction.

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From Counterpunch

If Jill Stein and die-hard Democrats get their way, recounts in three key states will take the presidency away from Donald Trump and hand it to Hillary Clinton. While this effort is probably doomed to failure, the attempted do-over prompts a question: what exactly are we losing with this mother of all paths not taken, a Hillary Clinton administration?

What elevates this theoretical exercise above a parlor game is the deep grief felt by tens of millions of Democrats, especially women. They believe not just that Donald Trump is a disaster, but that the United States will miss out on a great, inspiring leader in Hillary Clinton. For these bereft citizens, Hillary's departure from the national political scene ranks alongside those of Adlai Stevenson and Al Gore -- losing candidates who were clearly superior to the winners, whose loss left America much worse off.

I agree with the Clintonites' horrorstruck reaction to Trump. But are they right about the rest? Have we really lost much with Hillary? Let's look at what we know, or can assume with reasonable certainty, would have happened under the first few years of Madam President.

The Cabinet: Hillary's cabinet would have been drawn from the ranks of her campaign aides, allies from her tenure in the Obama administration, and old hands from her husband's 1990s heyday. Judging from the center-right Democrats with whom she has surrounded herself, her choice of center-right Tim Kaine as vice president (as opposed to a liberal counterbalance like Elizabeth Warren) and her campaign's unusual snubbing of staffers who sought to migrate from Bernie Sanders' progressive campaign, it's safe to say that Hillary Clinton's cabinet would have been composed of the neoliberal militarists who've been running things for Obama. Like Obama, she probably wouldn't have appointed any progressives.

Supreme Court Nominees: Not wanting an early fight with Senate Republicans, she'd probably fill arch-conservative constructionist Antonin Scalia's empty seat with another Republican, restoring the 2015 ideological balance of the court. She might have gotten to fill another two or three seats, and here is where she might have made a real difference for the liberal cause. The 5-4 question is, would she have gone to war with the GOP by appointing a Democrat to replace a dead or retiring right-winger? Could she win if she had? I lay 50-50 odds on both questions.

Taxes and the Economy: Clinton proposed a slightly more progressive tax structure during the campaign. She only wanted a $12/hour minimum wage -- less than many states and cities. Even though NAFTA and trade were her Achilles' heels, she didn't propose a job retraining program or welfare plan for workers displaced by globalization. Largely, she pledged to continue the gradual Obama recovery, which has left most workers behind. In the absence of an unforeseen boom or bust, your wallet would have felt pretty much the same as it has over the last few years.

Privacy and the NSA: Even in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations (when she called the whistleblower a traitor), Clinton stridently defended the government's illegal spying against every American. Spooks would have had a friend in Clinton, as under Trump.

Healthcare: Obamacare would have remained in place in its present form. A few vague promises to add a "public option" do not amount to a pledge to spend political capital to get it past Congressional Republicans. But premiums are skyrocketing, so Hillarian inaction might have led to wider calls for ACA repeal, a big step backward. (No one knows what Trump will do. Not even him.)

Gay and Transgender Rights: Clinton opposed marriage equality until 2013 -- after most Americans told pollsters they were for it. She is weak on transgender issues. On issues of individual rights, the Clintons have always followed, not led. She would have had little effect on these struggles, on which Trump has actually been pretty good.

Women's Rights: No doubt, the election of the first woman president would have been incredibly inspiring to women and girls. Would Clinton' impact on the feminist movement have gone beyond the symbolism of identity politics? Probably not. The next logical legislative steps to advance women's rights -- paid family leave for a year, federal child care for freelancers and self-employed workers, a federal pay equality law, reviving the Equal Rights Amendment, a full-scale campaign against rape culture -- received zero support from the defeated nominee.

Abortion: A federal law legalizing abortion would resolve the SCOTUS wars and guarantee that women in the South had the right to choose. But Clinton seems satisfied with the status quo.

Social Programs: Neither Clinton has ever proposed a major new anti-poverty program. There's no reason to think that that would have changed. Ditto for Trump.

War and Peace: Hillary has a long history of hawkishness. She didn't push through any peace deals as Secretary of State. During the campaign, she called for a no-fly zone over Syria, a tactic designed to provoke hostilities. And her hot rhetoric so freaked out the government of Russia that Kremlin military analysts worried about World War III if she won. Trump is a hothead. But Hillary might have been more likely to start a war.

The Middle East: Any breakthrough would have to be brokered by someone who was not as much of an unqualified supporter of Israel as she is. (So is Trump.)

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From The Guardian

The US government sent helpers to protect integration efforts in the 1960s. Why not do more to protect the Dakota Pipeline protesters today?

When John Doar died in 2014, Barack Obama, who'd already awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, called him "one of America's bravest lawyers." Without his courage and perseverance, the president said, "Michelle and I might not be where we are today."

Doar was the federal lawyer sent south by the Kennedy and Johnson justice departments to keep an eye on the explosive centers of the civil rights movement. Those White Houses didn't do enough -- but at least they kept watch on things. Doar escorted James Meredith to classes at the University of Mississippi, and helped calm crowds at the murder of Medgar Evers; he rescued activists from mobs during the Freedom Rides. A figure of history, in other words.

But history is just news from a while ago. Right now, we're seeing a scene as explosive as the Freedom Rides or the bus boycotts play out in real time on the high plains of the Dakotas. And it's a scene that desperately needs some modern-day John Doars to keep it from getting any worse.

Representatives of more 200 Indian nations have gathered at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in an effort to prevent construction of an oil pipeline that threatens the tribe's water supply, not to mention the planet's climate. It's a remarkable encampment, perhaps the greatest show of indigenous unity in the continent's history. If Trump Tower represents all that's dark and greedy in America right now, Standing Rock is by contrast the moral center of the nation.

But the peaceful protests have been met with repression that closely resembles the work of Bull Connor, as the pipeline company's hired guards began by using dogs, and the local sheriff escalated from pepper spray to using water guns in freezing weather, "sonic cannons" and rubber bullets.

Clearly the authorities are attempting, a la Birmingham or Selma, to goad nonviolent protesters into some kind of reaction that will justify more repression. They've used every trick in the book, including arresting reporters and shutting down camera drones to make sure they're operating in the dark.

So far the Native Americans and their allies have held back despite the most intense provocation -- for instance, the pipeline company bulldozed sacred sites and ancient graves the day after the tribe handed a list of their locations to a federal court. Now the Army Corps of Engineers has announced that they're revoking the permit under which everyone is camped at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri rivers as of 5 December.

So far the Obama administration has announced at least a short delay before granting the final pipeline permits. But that delay could expire at any moment, adding to the tension in the camp. Clearly the administration needs to do much more: the entire pipeline, which underwent an "antiquated" approval process, needs a full environmental review -- by a body other than the project's own developer.

Yes, Donald Trump will likely overturn the delay. But Trump's not president yet; this tragedy is playing out in the Obama years.

Along with other actions, the federal government needs to grant the Sioux tribal government request to send justice department observers -- contemporary John Doars -- to the Standing Rock reservation to ensure that the local authorities don't keep escalating the situation. They should do it because it's right, and also because it's a historic moment.
Here is the YouTube Video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcf6qE_b2_w

Don't forget that Senator Reid is still the Minority Leader for five more weeks. This is a transcript of what he said November 28 on the Senate Floor:

"The Standing Rock Sioux are standing up for their land, their right to clean water, their right to clean air, and their history."

"It is past time that this situation be resolved peacefully. It has lingered for months and the debate has descended into violence."

"What is happening at Standing Rock is about respect for people, where they build their homes and raise their families."

Washington, D.C. -- Nevada Senator Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today calling on the relocation of the Dakota Access pipeline and urging for an end to the violence against the Standing Rock Reservation. Below are his remarks:

This month is Native American Heritage Month. During this month, we honor the contributions of American Indians, Native Hawaiians and Alaska Natives.

But we do not have to look far to see how Native Americans continue to have to fight to protect their heritage.

Pick up a newspaper, or turn on the news and you will see what is happening at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is opposing the construction of a portion of the Dakota Access Pipeline that passes near their reservation where it crosses the Missouri River.

They are concerned that construction of the pipeline could not only destroy ancestral burial grounds, but also contaminate the water supply for the tribe, as well as millions of others who depend on water from the Missouri River.

The Standing Rock Sioux are standing up for their land, their right to clean water, their right to clean air, and their history.

And they are not alone. The Standing Rock Sioux have been joined by thousands of others, including members of hundreds of tribes and throughout the United States.

When I was in Nevada last month, members of Nevada's 27 Native American tribes made it clear to me that they stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux.

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From The Guardian

The president-elect keeps news cycles churning with his unhinged tweets, but it's the current administration's expanding military license that should scare us



Trump will have a free hand to use the law meant for the perpetrators of 9/11 to wage war around the world

(Image by Photograph: Microsoft Bing) Details DMCA



In all the outrage about the unhinged things Donald Trump keeps tweeting and saying, there's been almost zero criticism at the fact that Obama will be partly responsible for the extraordinary scope of powers Trump inherits. The Obama administration has not only done nothing to curtail the slew of extreme national security and war powers that Trump is about to acquire since the election -- the White House is actively expanding them.

One of the most under-covered aspects of Obama's legacy has been how he has waged war, unilaterally expanding the original 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks almost beyond recognition. It's currently being used to legally justify the administration's war on Isis in about a half dozen countries (that we know of), despite Isis not being in existence at the time AUMF was passed. It's also being used to authorize action against a host of other groups, though who they are is classified.

Now, the Obama administration has warped the AUMF even further. As the New York Times reported on Monday, the White House is claiming it can use the 2001 law to go after al-Shabaab in Somalia, another group that didn't exist in 2001, which the Times openly states in its lead paragraph "will strengthen President-elect Donald J Trump's authority" to wage war when he enters office.

Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Micah Zenko didn't mince words in the Times when describing what the Obama administration is doing: "It's crazy," he said of the administration's redefining the law out of existence. "This administration leaves the Trump administration with tremendously expanded capabilities and authorities."

Make no mistake: Trump will have a free hand to use the law meant for the perpetrators of 9/11 to wage war around the world, fashioning it to different enemies at his command, and he will be able to point to precedent set by the Obama administration as he does it.

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Theres a political disconnect in the United States. We have two political parties, each now living in its own reality and working with its own set of facts. The common ground between them? Next to none.

How to explain this disconnect? Maybe the answer lies in the theory of cognitive closurea theory first worked out by social psychologist Arie Kruglanski back in 1989.

Peoples politics are driven by their psychological needs, Kruglanski explains in the short documentary above. People who are anxious because of the uncertainty that surrounds them are going to be attracted to messages that offer certainty.

He sips a soda, then continues, The need for closure is the need for certainty, to have clear cut knowledge. You feel that you need to stop processing too much information, to stop listening to a variety of viewpoints, and zero in on what appears to be, to you, the truth. The need for closure tricks your mind to believe you have the truth, even though you havent examined the evidence very carefully. And that, unfortunately, can be very dangerous.









Kruglanskis theory could help explain the rise of Nazism in the economically-depressed Weimar Germany. And its perhaps why, across much of our economically stagnating world, were seeing populations lurch toward extreme ideologies and autocratic personalities. The divisions, the polarization, its all part of the same psychological syndrome, says Kruglanski.

So whats the cure? Listen to other points of view. Look at all available information. And, most of all, be suspicious of your own sense of righteous.

If you would like to sign up for Open Cultures free email newsletter, please find it here.

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Physician Office Diagnostic Testing Market: Global industry analysis and forecast 2016 - 2024

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Physician office diagnostic testing is similar to the point-of- care diagnostic testing which are carried out in physicians office, hospital, home and others. Physician office diagnostic tests are basically carried out for urine analysis, urine pregnancy, blood occult, and glucose blood, pathology consultation during surgery and crystal identification by microscope. Also there are some more test such as sperm identification and analyses, bilirubin total, blood gasses, complete blood count, bone marrow smear, blood bank services, and transfusion medicine. The Physician office diagnostic testing market is driven by increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and increasing awareness of the role of physicians offices in decisions about testing. Factors such as increasing patient population base, rise in prevalence of lifestyle related disease and infectious disease are some key factors fueling the growth of the physician office diagnostic testing market.According to the Centers for Disease and Control of Infection, in U.S., the incidence rate of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis and others are among the most common of all health problems. In 2012, 117 Mn people suffered from one or more chronic health conditions. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths each year. Moreover factors such as cost effective products and growing population of immune compromised individuals and others is expected to drive the physician office diagnostic testing market during the forecast period. Patient education program are conducted by government and companies for creating the awareness among the general population. However physician office diagnostic testing market has some restraints such as low adoption for these products, pricing pressure owing to reimbursement cuts may hinder the growth of the physician office diagnostic testing market.Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:Increasing sedentary lifestyle among population leading to rise in the incidence of chronic conditions is expected to boost the physician office diagnostic testing market over the forecast period. In addition rising awareness among general population and rise in disposable income is expected to boost the physician office diagnostic testing market over the forecast period. More over advantages such as faster results for the test, greater efficiency of the clinical workflow, low-priced testing, is expected to drive the physician office diagnostic testing market during the forecast periodGeographically the physician office diagnostic testing market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region.View Sample Report @North America followed by Europe is dominating the physician office diagnostic testing market as high prevalence of cardiac, infectious and other diseases, and favorable reimbursement options provided by governments which has provided platform for these products. In Asia Pacific region the physician office diagnostic testing market is expected to deliver significant growth due to the high pool of geriatric population in this region and the growing government support to increase the adoption of these products is expected to further fuel market demand. Moreover the physician office diagnostic testing market is expected to become highly competitive due to the potential entrants in the market by the end of forecast period.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market in-telligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexi-ble without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global 3D Concrete Printing Market: Size, Share, Competitive and Companies Involved, Supply and demand, 2015 - 2021

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The report covers forecast and analysis for the 3D Concrete Printing market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with a forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on volume and revenue (USD Million). The study includes drivers and restraints for the market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Additionally, the report includes study of opportunities available in the 3D Concrete Printing market on a global level.Get a copy of free Sample Report @In order to give the users of this report a comprehensive view on the 3D Concrete Printing market, we have included a detailed competitive scenario, and product portfolio of key vendors. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the 3D Concrete Printing market has also been included, strategic development along with patents analysis is included in this report. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, where in type segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Get in-depth TOC (Table of Contents) with Tables and Figures @All the segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021.The regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa with its further bifurcation into major countries including U.S. Germany, France, UK, China, Japan, India and Brazil.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include WinSun Global, Universe Architecture, Skanska, DUS Architects, Sika, Carilliom Plc., Fosters + Partners, and LafargeHolcim.Browse detail report @/market-analysis/3d-concrete-printing-market.html3D Concrete Printing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaAbout US:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suite #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@SyndicateMarketResearch.comWebsite:
Global 3PL Industry Will Grow Steadily At A CAGR Of 5.52% During The Period 2016-2020

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global 3PL Market 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.3PL is a business process through which companies outsource their logistics and distribution functions to a service provider that specializes in handling logistics functions such as transportation, warehousing, and freight and forwarding. A logistics service provider that provides these services is called a 3PL provider. Often, 3PL providers go beyond logistics and provide value-added services like inventory management, cross-docking, door-to-door delivery, and packaging of products. They also provide strategic and operational value to many shippers worldwide. This logistics improves effectiveness by introducing new and innovative SCM.Technavios analysts forecast the global 3PL market to grow at a CAGR of 5.52% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global 3PL market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, this report covers revenue generated by logistics service providers.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:APACEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaROWTechnavio's report, Global 3PL Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsC.H. RobinsonCEVA HoldingsDB SchenkerDeutsche Post DHLDSVKuehne + NagelNippon ExpressOther prominent vendorsXPO LogisticsUPS Supply Chain SolutionsSDV International logisticsDACHSERExpeditors International of WashingtonGEODISToll HoldingsJ.B. Hunt TransportGEFCOAgilityUTi WorldwideYusen LogisticsHellmann Worldwide LogisticsCJ Korea ExpressRyder SystemDamco InternationalMarket driverAdvances of e-commerce in retail sectorFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHigh operational cost and competitive pricingFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendAdvances in technologyFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Wearable Payment Market Will Grow Steadily At A CAGR Of 59.44% During The Period 2016-2020

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Wearable Payment Market 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Wearable payment refers to transactions between wearable devices and contactless payment terminals like NFC. NFC is a standard-based short-range (about 10 cm) connectivity that uses high-frequency wireless communication technology. This technology enables peer-to-peer communication between two devices, by bringing them in close proximity. End-users use this technology to transfer information from their devices to contactless payment terminals such as smartphones and NFC tags. The technology involves a direct transfer of data between wearable devices and POS devices.Technavios analysts forecast the global wearable payment market to grow at a CAGR of 59.44% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global wearable payment market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report provides a detailed forecast of the market transaction revenue and shipment of wearable payment devices.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Technavio's report, Global Wearable Payment Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAppleJawboneGoogleMasterCardSamsung ElectronicsVisaOther prominent vendorsAlibaba GroupAmerican ExpressBarclaysBroadcomFitbitGemaltoInfineon TechnologiesInside SecureMediaTekMicrosoftNXP SemiconductorsQualcommPayPalRenesas ElectronicsSonyXiaomiMarket driverGrowing adoption of contactless payments.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLack of interoperability of NFC technology.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendRising adoption of contactless payments in APAC and Africa.For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Bromelain Market Is Expected To Generate Huge Profits by 2016 - 2024

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Bromelain is a digestive enzyme extracted from pineapple. The enzyme is derived from both stem and fruit of pineapple and hence, it is also called as pineapple enzyme. Bromelain constitutes mixture of enzymes, which contains sulphur and are protein-digestive enzymes. It helps in nutrition absorption from foods, probiotics and supplements. Bromelain enzyme works efficiently in all the acidic and alkaline conditions inside the gastrointestinal tract. They are in used in wide range of applications in food and beverage and pharmaceutical industries. It is useful in treatment of conditions such as inflammation, sinus congestion, arthritis, physical injuries, amyloidosis, infection, asthma, bronchitis etc. In food industry, bromelain is used for meat tenderizing, chill-proofing in breweries, protein hydrolysing of fish, improving the dough extensibility for baked products, preparing cheese from milk etc.View Sample Report @The use of bromelain in wide range of applications in food and pharmaceutical industry is the major driver for the growth of global bromelain market. The increasing use of bromelain in other industry sectors such as detergents, paper and pulp, textiles, chemicals, animal feed etc. is expected to boost the growth of global bromelain market. Bromelain is an important ingredient in anti-aging solutions and the increasing anti-aging cosmetics demand and rising consumer beauty awareness is anticipated to drive the global bromelain market growth. Herbal medicines market is expected to record higher growth rate during the forecast period, which is anticipated to propel the demand for bromelain.Request TOC (desk of content material), Figures and Tables of the report:The global bromelain market can be divided into five regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). APAC is anticipated to account for significant share in global bromelain market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the growth of food and beverage and pharmaceutical sectors in the region. The increasing investment in healthcare sector and stringent government regulations to improve food quality are expected to increase the share of bromelain market in the region. Rise in population density along with increasing meat import in China and ASEAN countries is expected to contribute noteworthy share in bromelain market in the region. Europe and North America accounts for significant share in global bromelain market, owing to increasing demand for herbal raw materials in cosmetic industry. These regions have major share in meat market and the use of bromelain as meat tenderizer is anticipated to increase the share of bromelain market. In North America, U.S. holds significant share due to rise in consumption of ready to drink beverages, processed food and meat. The rising demand for animal feed in France, Germany and Russia is expected to fuel the growth of bromelain market in Europe. Latin America is anticipated to register higher growth rate during the forecast period, due to rapid industrialisation. The production of bio-fuels is increasing in countries such as Argentina and Brazil, which will contribute to the rising share of bromelain market in the region.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market in-telligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexi-ble without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Industry Insight: Isobutanol Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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Isobutanol is expected to perceive significant demand as an alternative to conventional fuel. The high demand of isobutanol is attributed to its increasing demand as an alternative for ethanol in gasoline (mainly due to the high energy density of isobutanol).Isobutanol is widely used in the production of isobutyl acetate. The demand for isobutyl acetate is growing, owing to its acceptance in the various consumer product industries, such as food processing industry and lacquer. In the recent years, the demand of isobutyl acetate has also increased from paint and coating industries, owing to the stringent regulation towards the production of environment friendly paint and coating, mainly in western countries. The rising demand of isobutyl acetate is expected to boost the global isobutanol market during the forecast period.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:Isobutanol is a transparent and chemically inert liquid, which has a characteristic odor. Isobutanol forms a homogeneous solvent in nature and it can be easily used with majority of solvents, such as alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, glycols and aliphatic hydrocarbons. However, its solubility with water is limited in comparison to other common solvents. Some of the important applications of isobutanol are found in textile, solvent (coatings/cleaners), de-icing fluids, Intermediate for ethers and ester, anti-inhibitors in engine oils, floor polishes, additive in gasoline, flotation agents, agricultural chemical intermediate and othersIsobutanol also contains key constituents, which is found in many other chemicals such as, isobutyl ester, p-xylene, and isobutanol. Transportation, cosmetics, oil & gas, and paints & coatings are some of the major application market of isobutanol. The ongoing surge in urbanization and strengthening infrastructural development projects in tier2 and tier3 cities in developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil are expected to boost the demand of paints and coating, which in-turn are expected to increase the demand of isobutanol during the forecast period. The development of bio-based isobutanol is expected to be one of the major drivers for the isobutanol market during the forecast period, as new product development in the isobutanol market is the key competitive advantage among the major players.Browse For Related Research:Based on various applications, the global isobutanol market can be segmented as Oil and Gas, Paint and coating, Cosmetics, Food processing, De-icing fluids, Textile and others. Based on the various end use of isobutanol, the market can be broadly segmented as Isobutyl ester, P-xylene, Isobutanol, Isobutyl and others.Asia Pacific is the largest market of Isobutanol in 2014, attributed to the demand of isobutanol from food processing and paints and coating industry in this region. The surging urbanization and strengthening infrastructural project in tier II and tier III cities of India and China has boosted the demand of isobutanol in this region. Asia-Pacific is still the fastest growing isobutanol market, which has attributed to the high demand for automotive paints and coating from China, India and South-East Asian countries.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekExecutive  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Interior Car Accessories Market Will Reach US$ 267.14 Bn 2024 End

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Global interior car accessories market is categorized by product type into covers, electronic accessories, knobs, consoles & organizers, car cushions & pillows, fragrance, communication, car mats, central locking system, dash kits, and sunshades; by vehicle type into passenger cars and pickup trucks; by distribution channel into OEM and aftermarket; and by region into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. According to analysts at Persistence Market Research, the passenger cars segment is estimated to account for a bulk of the interior car accessories market by the end of 2016 and is expected to hold a market share of 92.0% by the end of the forecast period (2024).Request to view Sample Report @Global interior car accessories market is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 267.14 Bn by the end of 2024, registering a CAGR of 5.6% in terms of value over an eight-year forecast period (20162024). A new report published by Persistence Market Research titled Interior Car Accessories Market: Global industry Analysis and Forecast, 2016-2024 examines the global interior car accessories market from 2016 to 2024 and provides useful insights on key drivers and trends influencing the market.A growing consumer inclination towards an entertaining driving experience, increasing demand for fast moving car accessories, and rising vehicle customization among a young population are the key drivers expected to fuel growth of the global interior car accessories market over the forecast period. Growth of the global automotive industry and a subsequent rise in the sales of passenger cars and pickup trucks is further likely to boost the global market for interior car accessories.The global market for interior car accessories does face some challenges. Availability of counterfeit and inferior quality electronic accessories, which are mostly imported from Asian continents to other regions and cost competitiveness owing to huge market fragmentation is anticipated to hamper the growth of the global interior car accessories market over the forecast period. --- Business Analyst  Automotive, Persistence Market ResearchBy product type, the covers and electronic accessories segments are collectively expected to hold the highest revenue share over the forecast period. The covers segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 36.46 Bn by the end of 2016, up from US$ 34.48 Bn in 2015. The electronic accessories segment is estimated to account for the highest revenue share, valued at US$ 48.84 Bn by the end of 2016.By distribution channel, the aftermarket segment is estimated to account for 74.7% value share in 2016 and is projected to register a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period.Among regions, Europe is expected to account for the highest share of the global interior car accessories market over the forecast period, owing to increased consumer spending on interior car accessories in the region. Europe is estimated to account for a revenue share of 34.0% by the end of 2016, registering a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period. North America is likely to account for 20.1% revenue share by the end of 2024.Request to view Table of content @Pep Boys, Pioneer Corporation, Garmin Ltd., OReilly Auto Parts, U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc., Pecca Group Berhad, CAR MATE MFG, CO., LTD., Covercraft Industries, LLC, Classic Soft Trim, Lloyd Mats, H.I. Motors, Star Automotive Accessories, and Momo Srl are some of the leading players operating in the global interior car accessories market. These companies are focusing on a vertical integration of their supply chain. A common trend observed in the global interior car accessories market is that market leaders are targeting new markets with strategic mergers and acquisitions.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Laminated Labels Market: Competition from Local Players and Fluctuating Raw Material Costs Force Price Wars

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The packaging industry has transformed significantly over time, its plays an important role in product marketing and have noteworthy impact on overall product sales. The need for attractive, highly resistive, customer engaging, and durable packaging has led to the introduction of laminated labels in the industry. Many brand owners and manufacturers of consumer goods have adopted laminated labels due to their high receptivity among customers.Request Sample Pages of Premium Research Report :These factors are expected to translate into a healthy incremental opportunity for the global laminated labels in the next few years. Transparency Market Research estimates that the market, which valued at US$20,022.4 mn in 2015, will exhibit a 5.1% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market, as a result, is expected to surpass US$ 30,979 mn by 2024.Food and Beverages Industry to Account for Bulk of SalesOn the basis of end use industry, the global laminated labels market is segmented into food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, home and personal care, consumer durables, retail labels, apparel and textile, industrial lubricants, paints, and gifts. As per TMR analysts, the food and beverages industry is expected to emerge as the most attractive application in the global laminated labels market, accounting for over 35% of the global market. The sector is likely to maintain its dominance by the end of the forecast period.The segment of home and personal care is also estimated to account for a significant share in the global markets revenue in 2016. The demand for laminated labels in the industry will expand at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2016 to 2024. The pharmaceuticals segment is expected to gain 50 basis points by 2024 as compared to 2016, and account for over 13% of the market by 2024. The segment of retail labels is expected to lose its share in the global market by 2024.Asia Pacific Laminated Labels Market to Continue to Hold Prominent Position in Global MarketAsia Pacific is expected to be the most favorable region in terms of incremental opportunities for high revenue generation in the near future and is estimated to dominate the global laminated labels market with over 36.5% of the market in 2016, followed by Europe and North America. Consumption of laminated labels in Asia Pacific is expected to increase 1.5 times during the period between 2016 and 2024. This translates a healthy CAGR of 5.3% over the said period. The market for laminated labels in Middle East and Africa is expected to emerge as one of the high-growth markets and exhibit a healthy CAGR of 4.7% over the period between 2016 and 2024.Europe and North America, being mature markets for laminated labels, are highly regulated and are likely to create a demand of laminated labels worth more than US$9,672.2 mn in 2016, approximately 4% higher than the previous year. In North America, the U.S. is likely to continue to dominate the market for laminated labels. The country is not only a consumer of laminated labels in large volumes, but also features presence of several large manufacturers. Apart from domestic consumption, the North America market also accounts for a substantial share in global laminated labels market and is expected to remain a key regional market over the forecast period.The global laminated labels market features a highly fragmented competitive landscape and is dominated by local and regional players. Some of the key vendors in the market CCL industries Inc, Avery Dennison Corporation, Coveris Holdings, Langley Labels, Hub Labels, and Cenveo.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dynamometer Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2026

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According to Wikipedia, dynamometer is a device used for measuring the torque and brake power required to operate a driven machine. For instance, the power produced by an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover can be calculated by simultaneously measuring torque and rotational speed. A dynamometer that is designed to be driven is called an absorption or passive dynamometer. A dynamometer that can either drive or absorb is called a universal or active dynamometer.Dynamometer- TypesProny brake dynamometer measure brake power, while rope brake dynamometer measures the brake power of an engine. Eddy current dynamometer are currently the most common absorbers used in modern chassis dynos. Hydraulic dynamometers are machines that measure the power of engine by using a cell filled with liquid to increase its load, while absorption dynamometer is a device for measuring the torque or power of an engine in a process in which the energy supplied to the device by the engine is absorbed.Request for sample report:Dynamometer- UsagePatients with hand trauma has to undergo routine screening of grip and hand strength. In such cases, hand-held dynamometers are used. When doctors suspected with peripheral nerves or compromise of cervical nerve, the autoclaves are used to measure a grip strength. Apart from power and torque measurement, dynamometers can be used as part of a testbed for variety of engine development activities such as the calibration of engine management controllers, detailed investigation in to combustion behaviour and tribology.Dynamometer- BenefitsEddy current dynamometers are widely accepted in automotive industry. They are precise and have low maintenance. They have rapid response and are repeatable alternative to water break technology. Hydraulic dynamometers are renowned for having the quickest load change ability, just slightly surpassing eddy current absorbers. In short, dynamometers have more power and have maximum reliability. Dynamometers increase fuel economy and gives greater torque spread. It also improve throttle response.Dynamometer- TrendsDynamometer industry deals with three industries such as manufacturing, automotive and aerospace. Manufacturing industry is dominant followed by automotive and aerospace. As the use of dynamometer in manufacturing sector is dominated by motors and generators, this segment largely contributes to global dynamometer revenue. The main reason behind increasing demand of electrical motors is the robust development in factory automation market.Demand for electric motor in factory automation will fuel the dynamometer market. The major drivers for dynamometer in automotive applications are enhanced accuracy, increasing demand for vehicle quality standards, and increasing awareness towards quality in developing countries.Request for TOC:Dynamometer- RegionNorth America is the largest market for dynamometers. Growing demand for hydraulic dynamometers, particularly in energy and power industry will drive dynamometers market in North America. The significant investment in the manufacturing sector is also creating lucrative market for dynamometers in North America. Rising demand from the oil and gas extraction, industrial machinery, waste water treatment and pharmaceutical verticals is restoring automation market in Asia Pacific region.Dynamometer- ForecastDynamometer will play key role in accurateness and measurement of the equipment when it comes to speed, force, torque and power. Manufacturing industry attributing to the growth in electric motor demand will drive the revenues for dynamometer market. The growing manufacturing and automotive segments in various regions will also create an attractive market for dynamometers in future.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, types and applications.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact us:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Time-Temperature Indicator Labels Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2026

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Time-temperature indicator label is a part of intelligent packaging that displays accumulated time-temperature history of the product. Interest towards this technology has been growing and it is considered as smart packaging. Time-temperature indicator label is used to monitor the shelf life of packaged perishable products. Depending on the response tool, the time-temperature indicator label indicates partial history or full history of the temperature. Time-temperature indicator is witnessing gradual adoption in the food products market.Time-Temperature Indicator Labels: Market DynamicsThe global time-temperature indicator labels market is driven by increasing adoption in the food industry, especially for sea food packaging, which in turn is expected to fuel growth of the market during the forecast period. Additionally, increasing growth of the food retailing industry is also expected to fuel sales of time-temperature indicator labels. Time-temperature indicator labels market is expected to witness significant increase in revenue growth owing to increasing application to deliver high quality and safety of packaged foods such as fresh food, vegetables, fish and meat. Export of products, changing lifestyles and hectic work schedules are factors expected to positively influence the growth of the global time-temperature indicator labels market during the forecast period. For food suppliers, time-temperature indicator labels play a crucial role, as it indicates the overall temperature abuse over packaged food. Also, sales of time-temperature indicator labels is expected to increase during the forecast period in the medicine and pharmaceutical markets, as these markets can utilize time-temperature indicator labels during transportation. However, varying regulations and norms in different countries can impact sales of time-temperature indicator labels.Request for sample report:Time-Temperature Indicator Labels Market: SegmentationThe global time-temperature indicator labels market is segmented on the basis of label types:Blank LabelsPrinted LabelsThe global time-temperature indicator labels market is segmented on the basis of end use:Lab samplesVaccinesDiagnostic KitsFood & BeveragesRequest for TOC:Time-Temperature Indicator Labels Market: Regional OutlookIn terms of geography, the global time-temperature indicator labelsmarket is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to be dominant in the global time-temperature indicator labels market in terms of revenue contribution during the forecast period. Markets in Europe and Latin America are expected to register healthy revenue growth over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period, particularly developing countries such as China and India. However, markets in the Middle East & Africa is expected to witness relatively slow growth during the forecast period.Time-Temperature Indicator Labels Market: Key PlayersSome key players in the global time-temperature indicator labels market include 3M, BASF SE, Vitsab International AB, Timestrip, Avery Dennison Corporation, Temptime Corporation, Dry Pak Industries, Inc. and DeltaTrak.Browse full report:About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact us:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Andrew Kelly | Reuters. What looked like a reckless tweet by Donald Trump about flag burning turned out to be a well-laid trap for his opponents, says Jake Novak.

It's not often that the payoff comes so quickly for even the best laid political trap. But that happened Tuesday morning after another one of President-elect Donald Trump 's tweets produced just the kind of response he and his team must have hoped for all along. It was so easy and quick, it was kind of like watching a Washington version of the old practical joke show "Punked."

Here's how it went down. At about 7am Eastern Time, the following message appeared on Trump's Twitter feed:

It's likely the tweet was in response to some flag burning incidents that have been reported across the country in protest of Trump's election. The most famous of which occurred at Hampshire College in Massachusetts and resulted in the school's administration taking the drastic step of removing the flag from the campus flagpole.

But right on cue, an army of sanctimonious Trump critics took to social media and even newspaper web sites to attack the President-elect's tweet and use it as proof that he is a reckless and scary fascist. Almost uniformly, the critical comments pointed out that flag burning was a protected form of Free Speech protected by the U.S. Supreme Court in a decision joined even by the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.

The Washington Post's political writer Philip Bump perhaps bit the hardest and fastest on the bait as he quickly attacked Trump for flouting existing law but also for supposedly letting this flag burning comment distract him from the more important work he should be doing assembling his cabinet.

Well, the joke's on you folks. As Trump and his team must have certainly known, the last nationally prominent American politician to propose making flag burning illegal and affixing a hefty fine of as much as $100,000 for doing so was... then-Senator Hillary Clinton in 2005. She and the late Republican Senator Bob Bennett introduced and co-authored the Flag Protection Act of 2005 and it came to the floor in October of that year but was never passed.

Story continues

The New York Times, to its credit, saw through the Clinton ploy at the time, and criticized her for what they called, "Clinton in full pandering mode." But almost no one else did, and unlike her former position against gay marriage, it was not an issue where liberal political pressure forced Clinton to reverse herself. In other words, the Left didn't care all that much about anti-flag burning laws when Hillary Clinton was proposing them.

And the Times and the other Trump bashers today all failed to mention Hillary Clinton's eerily similar position in their attacks on Trump today. And in so doing, they were basically the victims of a sneaky practical joke that Trump is likely to use again to continue to embarrass and delegitimize his opponents. If Trump can make it appear that his opponents don't actually believe in any political philosophy and only attack and defend policies based on who's proposing them, then he makes all that supposed principled opposition quite moot.

But even without the delicious Clinton connection, the tweet served to get Trump's opponents to very loudly defend the right to burn the flag. Legal or not, that's simply not a very politically popular position. Every politician of course holds a few unpopular positions, but the trick is to get him or her to go public with them. This ploy Tuesday morning from Trump did that too.

And social media platforms like Twitter help Trump achieve that delegitimizing goal instantly and publicly. After today's quite gratifying exercise, we can all forget about getting Trump to stop tweeting. As long as so many people are going to be gullible enough to give him exactly what he wants every time he tweets, this will continue. Tune in tomorrow or the next day, when he does it again. For Trump, Twitter isn't a problem. It's a gift that keeps on giving.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.





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Research Report and Overview on Dosing Bottles Market, 2016-2026

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Packaging plays an important role in order to protect and preserve the product during transportation and usage. In some cases, the exact amount of dosage is considered as an important factor for the user which is not possible in every type of packaging solution. Therefore, in order to remove this issue many manufacturers and consumer are shifting their focus towards dosing bottles. Dosing bottles are a user friendly product which works from every position. It automatically levels the liquid in the dosing chamber to correct the measured amount and dispense a specific amount of liquid which is required. These bottles does not consist of different parts that should be mounted or assembled on the bottle, but it is a single integrated system. Moreover, it consists of two chambers, wherein one is used for storing liquid and the other is used as dispensing option, it requires a single squeeze of the bottle in order to fill the dispensing chamber. Furthermore, these bottles are available with tamper evident closure with or without a child resistant cap. Brand owner has the facility to advertise and promote on the product, as it provide a great amount of creativity with regards to color, shape and design. Large flat labelling and printing area is available. These bottles are capable of silk screening and hot stamping.Request for sample report:Dosing bottles market- Market Segmentation:The global dosing bottles market is segmented on the basis of product type, package type, material type and application type. On the basis of product type, global dosing bottles market is segmented into single neck dosing bottle and twin neck dosing bottle, wherein, twin neck dosing bottle is expected to account for more than half of the total market value and volume share. On the basis of package type, global dosing bottles market can be segmented into refillable dosing bottle and one way dosing bottle in which refillable dosing bottle is expected to gain traction due to its reusability feature. On the basis of material type, global dosing bottles market is segmented into, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP), where in polypropylene is used to manufacture the cap of the dosing bottle. On the basis of application, global dosing bottles market is segmented into horticulture, animal health, herbal supplements, fuel additives and chemicals.Dosing bottles market - Market Dynamics:One of the significant factors towards the growth of the global dosing bottles market is the increasing health conscious individuals towards the consumption of health supplements. Moreover, rising concern towards fuel efficiency, in order to avoid problems such as rough idling, weak acceleration, stumbling and stalling is expected to drive the growth of the dosing bottles market. Another substantial reason towards the growth dosing bottles market is the dispensing of the exact amount of liquid as overdosing is impossible in dosing bottles. However, the stringent government regulation towards the use plastic is expected to hinder the growth of dosing bottles market. Due to the use of one way dosing bottle, disposal of waste is an environmental concern, moreover, the toxic waste from the manufacturing plants of dosing bottles and raw material is expected to hinder the growth of the dosing bottles market, as it is affecting the environment as well as the household those are residing around these plants. Moreover, the wide availability and consumer inclination towards a conventional form of dosing solution is expected to obstruct the growth of the dosing bottles market.Request for TOC:Dosing bottles market - Regional Outlook:Geographically, the global dosing bottles market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global dosing bottles market is expected to witness a steady CAGR over the forecast period of 2016-2024. North America is expected to account for largest market share in the global dosing bottles market due to the increasing health concern among sindividuals. Moreover, agriculture sector in India and China is expected to account for more than half in the market share of global agriculture industry, therefore, Asia-Pacific is expected to be a lucrative region towards the growth of the global dosing bottles market.Dosing bottles market - Major Players:Some of the major players identified across the globe in the dosing bottles market are Cambrian Containers, Bettix Ltd, NilocG Aquatics, The Cary Company, Aquarium Plant Food UK, iBottles, United States Plastic Corporation, Industrial Container and Supply Company and Pont Europe.Browse full report:About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact us:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Factory Automation and Machine Vision Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020

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Information and communication technology (ICT) have become crucial to the social infrastructure, therefore systems that allow society to function more efficiently are increasingly needed. Machine vision (MV) is a technology that meets these expectations and controls the movement of machinery by processing visual information. Machine vision plays vital role of factory automation (FA) in industrial manufacturing. Moreover, machine vision has also extended its scope to the fields of medicine, security, and agriculture. The growth is mainly driven by the introduction of innovative image sensing devices and the development of computing technologies, including communication. With technological advancements, machine vision not only serves as a replacement for human vision but also handle multidimensional invisible information.Machine vision (MV) uses automated technology for capturing images and transferring it to a PC. The captured images are then processed for inspection. A camera along with an image sensor is used to capture images, where in vision software analyzes it and information is communicated to the other equipment. Advancements in machine vision (MV) technology including vision-guided robotics and smart cameras have augmented the scope of the MV market with a broader application in the manufacturing sectors. These systems are utilized in applications such as manufacturing of semiconductor, pharmaceuticals, electronics, medical devices, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @Factory automation systems are used in discrete industry and process industry applications. Mexico factory automation and machine vision market is classified by technology into Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and Information Technology System (ITS). Different types of machine vision (MV) systems are PC-based, smart camera based and embedded based systems. Machine vision (MV) systems include various components such as camera, optics frame grabber and lighting, software and hardware.The machine vision (MV) and factory automation (FA) is a promising trend in the manufacturing industry offering smart manufacturing setup. Factory Automation (FA) offers standard production, cost efficiency, quality, reliability and flexibility in the production process. The several devices and mechanical instruments are coupled with the IT systems or smart computing for the improved results in automation. Moreover, the software systems such as Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) are helping the Mexico factory automation market to extend their service offerings.Proximity to the U.S. and Government of Mexicos movement to augment manufacturing activities has fueled the factory automation (FA) and machine vision (MV) market to the new heights. Shifting of manufacturing base of automotive companies from China to Mexico and increased in foreign direct investment is also contributing to the growth of the market. Additionally, emerging applications such as Human Machine Interface (HMI), Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, and electronic power distribution systems is further expected to fuel the demand of automation systems in the near future. Reduction in size of hardware along with decreasing price of sensors and components, embedded systems has seen reasonable growth. Emerging trend such as nanotechnology, nanotech sensors, machine-to-machine communication systems and Internet of things is further expected to escalate growth for the factory automation (FA) and machine vision (MV) market.Market players are focused on offering product that communicate with multiple I/Os and serial and parallel interfaces. For instance, machine vision (MV) system developers are providing PC-based functionality coupled with motion control, data acquisition, and image-processing hardware and software. Moreover, companies such as Keyence Corporation and Panasonic Corporation provide developers a number of ways for their products to communicate with serial and parallel interfaces and multiple I/Os. Industrial-automation companies such as Omron are trying to get an edge in the machine-vision marketplace, whereas other machine-vision companies such as Coreco Imaging, Inc., Matrox Imaging, and National Instruments Corp. are leveraging their hardware and software expertise in a number of low-cost programmable machine-vision systems.Some of the leading players in the market include ABB LTD (Switzerland), Siemens Ag (Germany), Rockwell Automation Inc (U.S.), Emerson Electric Company (U.S), Honeywell International Inc (U.S.), Johnson Controls Inc (U.S), General Electric Company (U.S.), Schneider Electric SA (France), Teledyne Dalsa Inc (Canada), Texas Instruments Inc (U.S), Eastman Kodak (U.S.) and Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan).Market Insight can be Viewed @Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Solid State Transformers (SST) market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth and Forecast, 2014 - 2020

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A major infiltration of renewable energy generation into the existing generation mix within the next few years is likely to trigger the solid state transformers (SST) market. These transformers, composed of mainly power electronics based components can also be referred to as a type of power device. These devices are extremely effective in regulating the magnitude of voltage, current or frequency according to the application wise requirements. New technology proliferation in power electronics has significantly reduced the size of these transformers hence making them more flexible for customer use.A multitude of market drivers, especially major capacity addition and installation of renewable generation capacity is backing the solid state transformers market. Major R&D initiatives are underway to bring the SSTs from prototyping and research phases to commercial deployment and installation phase. These solid state transformers are likely to replace or moderately substitute the erstwhile distribution transformers being used currently.PDF Sample For Full Details with Technological breakthroughs is @These solid state transformers are capable of performing a large number of functions which can bolster the power delivery quality and stability of the electrical grid simultaneously. Not only do these transformers provide higher flexibility and efficiency, but are also capable of providing reactive power support to the grid according to demand.As a result these solid state transformers provide power at a better power factor and quality. As the overall market sentiment gradually moves from centralized power generation systems to distributed systems, duly backed by smart grid infrastructure, these transformers will become increasingly necessary.Once decentralized solar PV generation penetrates the renewables market significantly, the grid stability might be compromised owing to the highly erratic nature of generation. Solid state transformers will go a long way in maintaining voltage regulations and grid stability in this scenario. Silicon carbide semiconductor components which are extensively used for making such transformers are highly dependent on economies of scale for cost reduction.As massive up-scaling of production capacity for these semiconductors commences, volume based cost reduction are inevitable. These will drive down component costs and ultimately the cost of these solid state transformers. Increasing adoption of smart grid infrastructure is likely to bolster demand for such transformers in the future. Two way meters which both draw and feed-back power to the grid would require such transformers to ensure quality of power and grid stability. However without large scale commercial deployment and manufacturing, one cant be sure that on what scale these SSTs will replace the erstwhile distribution transformers being used. The market can be segmented on the basis of four major parameters. Solid state transformers may be segmented on the basis of applications, end-use and technology used. The market is extremely niche in nature with very minimal commercial deployment. However it is likely that prototype testing and deployment will commence within the next few years.SSTs are finding major applications in traction transformers, which have already reached small scale deployment in certain countries. SST testing has been done in some countries in Europe and North America. It is likely that these geographies will come out with the first fully commercial SST designs suitable for commercial use. Smart grid expenditures are the highest in the Asia-Pacific region, especially China which accounts for nearly a quarter of the global investment. As the SST technology reaches its commercial phase, major adoption is likely to be observed in the Asia Pacific region. Some of the key market players include Varentec and Transphorm among others.Market Insight can be Viewed @Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medical Tubing Market Projected to Reach 5.85 Billion USD by 2021

Medical Tubing Market, Medical Tubing Market Report

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The report "Medical Tubing Market by Material (PVC, Polyolefin, TPE & TPU, Silicone, Others), Structure, Application (Bulk Disposable Tubing, Catheters & Cannulas, Drug Delivery Systems) - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021", The medical tubing market is projected to witness a CAGR of 8.0% from 2016 to reach a market size of USD 5.85 Billion by 2021.Browse 115 market data Tables and 37 Figures spread through 165 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Medical Tubing Market - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2021"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.This growth is mainly driven by the rapid growth of minimally invasive surgery and increasing aging population especially in developing countries.Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is projected to dominate the market during forecast periodPVC is projected to remain the dominant medical tubing during the forecast period. The major reason of PVC domination is the comparable functional properties and low cost as compared to other polymers that make the type suitable for all applications without making much technological changes.Drug delivery systems segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR in the market among other applications during the forecast periodThe medical tubing market in the drug delivery systems application is projected to witness the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021. The rising awareness about healthcare and the government initiatives to improve the quality of the healthcare infrastructure are expected to influence the demand for medical tubing during the forecast period. Companies are expanding their production capacities to fulfill the demand for medical tubing in different regions across the globe.Ask for FREE PDF:Asia-Pacific projected to witness the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021The medical tubing market in Asia-Pacific possesses immense growth potential. Improving standards of living and increased government initiatives in the region are driving the growth of the medical tubing market in the region. Increase in demand for minimally invasive surgery is also expected to trigger the market growth in the region between 2016 and 2021. China, Japan, and Australia are some of the key countries in the region contributing towards the growth of the market in Asia-Pacific.Some of the key participants in the market are Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (U.S.), Freudenberg Medical, LLC (U.S.), W.L.Gore & Associates, Inc. (U.S.), and Dow Corning Corporation (U.S.). . Expansions and acquisitions & mergers & joint ventures were the major growth strategies adopted by the market players between 2011 and 2016 to enhance their regional footprint and meet the growing demand of medical tubing in the developing economies.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets 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&Ms 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.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.Contact:Mr. RohanMarketsandMarkets701 Pike StreetSuite 2175, Seattle,WA 98101, United StatesTel: +1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.comVisit MarketsandMarkets Blog @Visit MarketsandMarkets @
New Report Evaluates Global Coffee Machine Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Applications

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Global Coffee Machine Industry 2016 Market Overview, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Technology, Applications, Growth, Market Status, Demands, Insights, Development, Research and Forecast 2016-2020.A thorough overview of the global Coffee Machine market has been presented in this market intelligence study in order to provide a strong understanding of the market. The research report offers a comprehensive analysis of the lucrative opportunities and latest trends within the global Coffee Machine market. In addition, the study comprises strategic business policies that have been adopted by the leading players operating in the global Coffee Machine market, along with the key growth drivers, limitations, challenges, regulatory ecosystem, and future estimates of the global Coffee Machine market throughout the forecast period.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report has addresses several questions related to the growth of the global Coffee Machine market. Some of them are mentioned as below:Which crucial factors are accountable for the robust growth of the global Coffee Machine market?Which are the leading players operating in the Coffee Machine market across the globe?Which product segment of the global market for Coffee Machine is anticipated to grow at a fast pace throughout the forecast period?What is the position of the competitive scenario of the global Coffee Machine market?What are the estimated figures pertaining to the overall market in the coming few years?What is the projected size and share of the global Coffee Machine market throughout the forecast period?Which are the leading geographical segments of the global Coffee Machine market?The research study talks about the competitive landscape of the global Coffee Machine market and offers a detailed analysis for the same. In order to provide a clear picture of the market, the research study has provided a list of all the leading players operating in the market across the globe. Additionally, the product segmentation, SWOT analysis, and financial overview of these players have been mentioned in the research study. The recent developments in the market have also been highlighted in the study.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Coffee Machine Sales Market Report 20211 Coffee Machine Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Coffee Machine1.2 Classification of Coffee Machine1.2.1 Coffee Machine1.2.2 Siphon coffee machine1.2.3 Drip coffee machine1.2.4 Mocha coffee machine1.3 Applications of Coffee Machine1.3.1 Household1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Application 31.4 Coffee Machine Market by Regions1.4.1 North America Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Coffee Machine (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Coffee Machine Sales, Revenue and Price (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Coffee Machine Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.3 Global Coffee Machine Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Global Coffee Machine Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Coffee Machine Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.1.2 Global Coffee Machine Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Coffee Machine (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)2.2.2 Global Coffee Machine Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2021)2.3 Global Coffee Machine (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Regions (2011-2021)2.3.2 Global Coffee Machine Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2011-2021)2.4 Global Coffee Machine (Volume) by Application3 North America Coffee Machine (Volume, Value and Sales Price3.1 North America Coffee Machine Sales and Value (2011-2021)3.1.1 North America Coffee Machine Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)3.1.2 North America Coffee Machine Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)3.1.3 North America Coffee Machine Sales Price Trend (2011-2021)3.2 North America Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 North America Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 North America Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Applications4 China Coffee Machine (Volume, Value and Sales Price4.1 China Coffee Machine Sales and Value (2011-2021)4.1.1 China Coffee Machine Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)4.1.2 China Coffee Machine Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)4.1.3 China Coffee Machine Sales Price Trend (2011-2021)4.2 China Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 China Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 China Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Applications5 Europe Coffee Machine (Volume, Value and Sales Price5.1 Europe Coffee Machine Sales and Value (2011-2021)5.1.1 Europe Coffee Machine Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)5.1.2 Europe Coffee Machine Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)5.1.3 Europe Coffee Machine Sales Price Trend (2011-2021)5.2 Europe Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 Europe Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Applications6 Japan Coffee Machine (Volume, Value and Sales Price6.1 Japan Coffee Machine Sales and Value (2011-2021)6.1.1 Japan Coffee Machine Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)6.1.2 Japan Coffee Machine Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)6.1.3 Japan Coffee Machine Sales Price Trend (2011-2021)6.2 Japan Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers6.3 Japan Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by Type6.4 Japan Coffee Machine Sales and Market Share by ApplicationsFor Market Research Latest Reports Visit @About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Hi-Fly Marketing appoints new General Manager

Christobal Henner H-iFly Marketing General Manager

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South African based aviation services firm Hi-Fly Marketing has announced the appointment of Christobal Henner to the position of General Manager.Hi-Fly Marketing, the South African based aviation services firm has strengthened its corporate team with the appointment of Christobal Henner as General Manager responsible for strategic business development and key account management.This appointment is in response to Hi-Fly Marketings growing presence in Africa. Operating since 2008, Hi-Fly Marketing has been gradually increasing its footprint on the continent, offering a variety of customised products and services to airlines, aircraft and helicopter operators, CAMO, MRO and AMO organisations requiring specialist engineering and technical expertise. Hi-Fly Marketing has enjoyed strong growth during the past 8 years thanks to the business opportunities it brings to its partners in this region. To date, the company has supported over 70 customers from English, French and Portuguese speaking countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to accommodate the growth, the company needed to reinforce its customer relationship and business development strategy.Based at the companys offices in Cape Town, Christobal will spearhead Hi-Fly Marketings business development efforts with a focus on pursuing new business opportunities and reinforcing existing customer relationships. Christobal joins the company from SAFRAN Electronics & Defense in Dallas Texas, where he managed the Analysis Ground Station (AGS) global support for operators worldwide in addition to overseeing the sales of flight data management solutions to aircraft operators in both South and North America. Christobal started his career as the Sales Manager of Alyzair, the French pioneer in Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) service solutions. Under his direction the sales of the company took an international dimension and Alyzair became one of the leading FDM solutions on the market. Alyzair then joined Sagem (recently rebranded SAFRAN Electronics & Defense) and Christobal took the position of Sales Manager for Europe of both the Flight Data solutions (hardware and software) and the MRO services.Announcing Christobals appointment, Hi-Fly Marketings CEO, Alexandra Guillot said, I am very pleased to have a person of Christobals calibre joining our team. Christobal is very experienced, pragmatic, driven and he knows how to think out of the box to succeed with any assignment. His vast experience in sales in the aviation services sector coupled with his multi lingual skills will help us get closer to our customers and better address their unique needs.Commenting on his new role, Christobal Henner, said, I am thrilled to bring the best of my knowledge and determination to the strong and growing business of Hi-Fly Marketing. The combination of a fantastic team and renowned partners enables us to push state-of-the-art solutions in the Sub-Saharan aviation industry.About Hi-Fly MarketingOperating in Africa since 2008, Hi-Fly Marketing is a South African based aviation services firm, with a particular focus on aviation technology systems, engineering expertise and training for improving operational efficiency and safety. Through a range of strong representations of global leaders in aviation services, Hi-Fly Marketing assists clients in the African aviation industry to achieve maximum efficiency in their business operations.Hi-Fly Marketings objective is to provide an interface between clients in Africa and the global aviation industry by offering a variety of customised services to airlines, aircraft and helicopters operators, CAMO, MRO and AMO organisations needing specialist technical expertise at a competitive price.Backed by an extensive network of industry contacts and technical partnerships, Hi-Fly Marketing represents a number of global aviation leaders which include ADSoftware, SAFRAN Electronics & Defense, NORDAM, Vector Aerospace France, and Litson & Associates.Visitfor more information.Press Information: alex@hiflymarketing.comGeneral Information: assistant@hiflymarketing.comHi-Fly Marketing Unit 406, 79 Roeland street Cape Town, 8001, South Africa.
Global Hot Drinks Packaging Market Report 2015-2022 - Analysis, Trends, Growth & Forecasts: DecisionDatabases.com

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DecisionDatabases.com offers Hot Drinks Packaging Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2022.Get Free Sample Copy @The global hot drinks packaging market research report provides detailed information about the industry based on the revenue (USD MN) for the forecast period. This research study is a descriptive analysis of the hot drinks packaging market emphasizing the market drivers and restraints that govern the overall market growth. The trends and future prospects for the market are also included in the report which gives an intellectual understanding of the hot drinks packaging industry. Furthermore, the report quantifies the market share held by the major players of the industry and provides an in-depth view of the competitive landscape. The hot drinks packaging market is classified into different segments with detailed analysis of each with respect to geography for the study period.A glimpse of the major drivers and restraints affecting this market is mentioned below:A. Drivers> Changing life style> Biodegradable in propertyB. Restraints> Strict regulation of government bodiesThe report offers a value chain analysis that gives a comprehensive outlook of the hot drinks packaging market. The attractiveness analysis of hot drinks packaging market has also been included so as to evaluate the segments that are anticipated to be profitable during the forecast period.The hot drinks packaging market has been segmented based on types such as coffee, tea and others (flavored powder drinks). Based on types, coffee has been further segmented into fresh coffee including fresh ground coffee (fresh ground coffee pods and standard fresh ground coffee) and instant coffee. While tea market has been further segmented into black tea, green tea, fruit/herbal tea, instant tea and other tea. The study incorporates periodic market estimates and forecasts. Each type has been analyzed based on the market size at regional and country levels.View More about Hot Drinks Packaging Market Research Report @Geographically, the hot drinks packaging market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. The study details country-level aspects based on each segment and gives estimates in terms of market size.The report also studies the competitive landscape of the global market with company profiles of players such as Cascades Inc., Fpc Flexible Packaging Corp., Hood Packaging Corp., Hankuk Package Co Ltd., Hanil Can Co Ltd., Oji Fibre Solutions Food Service Packaging, Bericap Sarl, Detmold Group, Can-Pack SA, Aero-pack Industries Inc. A detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of headquarters, inception, stock listing, upcoming capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, and recent developments. This analysis gives a thorough idea about the competitive positioning of market players. The report also gives information of hot drinks packaging markets mergers/acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other industry developments.Major Table Of Contents:1. INTRODUCTION2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET ANALYSIS OF HOT DRINKS PACKAGING4. HOT DRINKS PACKAGING MARKET ANALYSIS BY TYPE5. HOT DRINKS PACKAGING MARKET ANALYSIS BY GEOGRAPHY7. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF HOT DRINKS PACKAGING COMPANIES8. COMPANY PROFILES OF HOT DRINKS PACKAGING INDUSTRYOrder a Complete Hot Drinks Packaging Market Research Report @DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Global Advanced Analytics Market  SAP, SAS, IBM Corporation, Knime, Fico, Oracle Corporation, Statsoft, Microsoft and Angoss, amongs

Global Advanced Analytics Market

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Advanced Analytics Market (Statistical Analysis, Big Data Analytics, Customer Analytics, Social Analytics, Visual Analytics, Risk Analytics, Business Analytics and Predictive Modeling) for Banking and Financial Services, Telecom and IT, Healthcare, Government and Defense, Transportation and Logistics and Consumer Goods and Retails Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015  2021The report analyzes and forecast advanced analytics market on a global and regional level. The study offers past data of 2015 along with forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on revenue (USD Billion). Assessment of market dynamics gives a brief thought about the drivers and restraints for the advanced analytics market along with the impact they have on the demand over the forecast period. Furthermore, the report includes the study of opportunities available in the advanced analytics market on a global level.Request Sample Report:The report gives a transparent view of the advanced analytics market. We have included a detailed competitive scenario and portfolio of prominent vendors operative in the advanced analytics market. To understand the competitive landscape of advanced analytics market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the market has also been included. The reported offer market attractiveness analysis, wherein type, application and regional segments are benchmarked based on their general attractiveness, market size, and growth rate.The study provides a crucial view on the advanced analytics by segmenting the market based on type, application, and region. All the type, application, segments of advanced analytics market have been analyzed based on present and future trends and the market is estimated from 2015 to 2021. In term of type, advanced analytics market classified into statistical analysis, risk analytics, social analytics, predictive modeling, visual analytics, customer analytics, business analytics, and big data analytics. Based on application, global advanced analytics market is bifurcated into telecom and IT, banking and financial services, healthcare, government and defense, transportation and logistics and consumer goods and retails. The regional segmentation comprises of present and forecast demand in Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, North America, Europe, and Latin America for advanced analytics market.Browse detail report at:The competitive profiling of key players of advanced analytics market includes company and financial overview, business strategies adopted by them, their recent developments and product presented by them which can help in assessing competition in the market. Major participants in the advanced analytics space include SAP, SAS, IBM Corporation, Knime, Fico, Oracle Corporation, Statsoft, Microsoft and Angoss, amongst others.The report segment of global advanced analytics market is as follows:Global Advanced Analytics Market: Type Segment AnalysisStatistical AnalysisBig Data AnalyticsCustomer AnalyticsSocial AnalyticsVisual AnalyticsRisk AnalyticsBusiness AnalyticsPredictive ModelingGlobal Advanced Analytics Market: Application Segment AnalysisRead Report TOC:Banking and Financial ServicesTelecom and ITHealthcareGovernment and DefenseTransportation and LogisticsConsumer Goods and RetailsGlobal Advanced Analytics Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaThe Middle East and AfricaAbout A to Z ResearchA to Z Research is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. A to Z Research is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.Contact US3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USATel: +1-386-310-3803GMTTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-465Email: martin@atozresearch.comWebsite:
Global Cell Culture Media Industry 2016 Size (Billions), Revenues & Pricing, Growth Elements and Recent Developments

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Cell Culture Media Industry 2016 Market Research Report to its huge collection of research reports.Global Cell Culture Media market is driven by various factors, a detailed assessment of which is included in the report. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the global Cell Culture Media market, highlighting the various growth drivers and restraints influencing the marketas trajectory between 2016 and 2021. It calculates the impact of the Porteras five forces on the market. Using the industry-leading analytical tools the report gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. The analysis also helps evaluating the threat of new entrants and the degree of competition prevailing in the market.Considering the dynamic consumer choices, it is imperative for companies to plan their marketing strategies better. The report provides valuable recommendations intended to help companies create winning strategies. It thus includes exhaustive information aimed at giving a better perspective of the global Cell Culture Media market to its stakeholders. Besides this, the report also studies the marketas vulnerabilities to the latest domestic and international policies. For meticulous insights, the global Cell Culture Media market has been segmented based on various parameters. Factors impacting the marketas growth across the segments are analyzed in detail and opportunities are reviewed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @To study the vendor landscape prevailing in the global Cell Culture Media market, the report has included profiles of some of the leading companies operating therein. The product portfolio, financial reports, and strategies adopted by the companies are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, SWOT analysis is conducted to identify the opportunities and threats that these companies are forecast to witness over the course of the forecast period. The analysis also highlights the weaknesses and strengths of the companies profiled.The report therefore compiles exhaustive information on the global Cell Culture Media market. The data is obtained from various trusted industrial sources. It also includes insights from the industry experts.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Cell Culture Media1.1 Definition and Specifications of Cell Culture Media1.1.1 Definition of Cell Culture Media1.1.2 Specifications of Cell Culture Media1.2 Classification of Cell Culture Media1.2.1 Natural Media1.2.2 Artificial Media1.3 Applications of Cell Culture Media1.3.1 Nutrient media1.3.2 Minimal media1.3.3 Selective media1.3.4 Differential media1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Cell Culture Media1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Cell Culture Media1.5.1 Industry Overview of Cell Culture Media1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Cell Culture Media1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Cell Culture Media1.7 Industry News Analysis of Cell Culture Media2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cell Culture Media2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Cell Culture Media3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Cell Culture Media3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Cell Culture Media Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Cell Culture Media Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Cell Culture Media Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Cell Culture Media Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Cell Culture Media by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Cell Culture Media 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Cell Culture Media by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Cell Culture Media by Manufacturers 2011-20165 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Regions, Types and Manufacturers5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Regions 2011-20165.2 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Types 2011-20165.3 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Manufacturers 2011-20166 Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Regions, Types and Applications6.1 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Cell Culture Media by Regions 2011-20166.2 Global and Major Regions Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Growth Rate of Cell Culture Media 2011-20166.3 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Cell Culture Media by Types 2011-20166.4 Global Consumption Volume and Consumption Value of Cell Culture Media by Applications 2011-20166.5 Sale Price of Cell Culture Media by Regions 2011-20166.6 Sale Price of Cell Culture Media by Types 2011-20166.7 Sale Price of Cell Culture Media by Applications 2011-20166.8 Market Share Analysis of Cell Culture Media by Different Sale Price LevelsFor Latest QYResearchreports Press Release Visit @QYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.QYREsearchreportsContact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States+1-518-621-2074866-997-4948USA-Canada Toll freesales@qyresearchreports.com
By Rania El Gamal, Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar

VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC agreed on Wednesday its first oil output cuts since 2008 after Saudi Arabia accepted "a big hit" on its production and dropped its demand on arch-rival Iran to slash output.

Non-OPEC Russia will also join output reductions for the first time in 15 years to help the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries prop up oil prices.

Brent crude jumped over 9 percent to more than $50 a barrel as Riyadh reached a compromise with Iran and after fast-growing producer Iraq also agreed to curtail its booming output.

"OPEC has proved to the sceptics that it is not dead. The move will speed up market rebalancing and erosion of the global oil glut," said OPEC watcher Amrita Sen from consultancy Energy Aspects.

Iran and Russia are effectively fighting two proxy wars against Saudi Arabia, in Yemen and Syria, and many sceptics had said the countries would struggle to find a compromise amid frosty political relations.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said ahead of the meeting that the kingdom was prepared to accept "a big hit" on production to get a deal done.

"I think it is a good day for the oil markets, it is a good day for the industry and ... it should be a good day for the global economy. I think it will be a boost to global economic growth," he told reporters after the decision.

OPEC produces a third of global oil, or around 33.6 million barrels per day, and under the Wednesday deal it would reduce output by around 1.2 million bpd from January 2017.

Saudi Arabia will take the lion's share of cuts by reducing output by almost 0.5 million bpd to 10.06 million bpd. Its Gulf OPEC allies - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar - would cut by a total 0.3 million bpd.

Iraq, which had insisted on higher output quotas to fund its fight against Islamic State militants, unexpectedly agreed to reduce production - by 0.2 million bpd.

Story continues

For a table on the cuts, click on [L8N1DV5SZ]

Iran was allowed to boost production slightly from its October level - a major victory for Tehran, which has long argued it needs to regain market share lost under Western sanctions.

Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Iran dominated many previous OPEC meetings.

"If you get this deal done, it would be huge. You remove a lot of oil from the market and you get the Russian participation," said veteran OPEC watcher and founder of Pira consultancy Gary Ross.

He said oil could rise to $55 per barrel.

WILL OPEC COMPLY?

Falih had long insisted OPEC would do an output-limiting deal only if non-OPEC producers contributed.

OPEC president Qatar said non-OPEC producers had agreed to reduce output by a further 0.6 million bpd, of which Russia would contribute some 0.3 million.

Russia, which had long resisted cutting output, pushed its production to new record highs in recent months.

"Russia will gradually cut output in the first half of 2017 by up to 300,000 barrels per day, on a tight schedule as technical capabilities allow, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told a briefing in Moscow.

Novak, who spoke an hour after OPEC announced its deal, did not say from which output levels Russia would cut.

A combined output reduction of 1.8 million bpd by OPEC and non-OPEC represents almost 2 percent of global output and would help the market clear a stocks overhang, which had sent prices crashing from levels as high as $115 a barrel seen in mid-2014.

Non-OPEC Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have said they might also cut.

OPEC suspended Indonesia's membership on Wednesday since the country, a net importer, could not cut output, Qatar said.

The move will not affect OPEC's overall reduction as Indonesia's share of cuts will be redistributed among other members.

Bob McNally, president of Washington-based consultancy Rapidan group, said on Twitter that compliance with cuts would be key: "In deals with Russia, OPEC is like (the late U.S.) President (Ronald) Reagan used to say: 'Trust but verify'."

OPEC will hold talks with non-OPEC producers on Dec. 9. The organization will also have its next meeting on May 25 to monitor the deal and could extend it for six months, Qatar said.

(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Shadia Nasralla and Lisa Barrington; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson)
3 Smart Steps to Outsource Mobile App Development

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Texas (USA), Canada (Toronto) & London (Business Network)Nov 24, 2016: The trend to outsource mobile app development is not new but extremely high in demand. From start-ups to established organizations, every business is discussing the risks and opportunities of offshore mobile app development. Outsourcing, as a business model, has been effective across industries in substantially reducing cost of recruitment, expansion, and infrastructure as well as helped in streamlining and speeding up business processes.By involving a third-party, exclusively trained and skilled in a particular work, adds that extra shot in the arm subsequently helping organisations to gain a competitive market edge.Suma Soft, an ISO 9001:2008 certified software development company shares insights on smartest ways to go about outsourcing mobile app development to an offshore company.Before you zero in on an outsourcing partner, take these three steps:1)Create a wireframeThis acts as a blueprint of your mobile app. The more detailed your wireframe is; the better shape your app will finally take. Consider things such as whether your app has to be developed from scratch or it can be an AaaS (App-as-a-Service). Pen down the flow of your app as if you were the end-user; experience the app as you are a novice and see if every follow-on or call-to-action is giving you clear instructions. While there might be many changes during the development of the app, having a thoroughly descriptive wireframe will help your outsourcing team visualize the final product. If a couple of things seem improbable or incomplete, wireframes can take all the rough work. This will also save you the dos and donts that occur in the development process later on.2)Dont follow-suitNot every technology is meant for every business genre. It may be possible that few people around you are discussing chatbots and analytics, but that does not mean that your app will be inefficient without these. Considering your business requirements, create of list of possible technology inputs that you will need for your app. Remember that mobile apps need to be extremely agile and user-friendly. Your customers on mobile would not want to spend hours in installing, opening or using the app. A technology-heavy app can prove to be a disaster if not made to function properly. Know your target audience; create an app that addresses their geographical, demographical as well as utility needs in a hassle-free experience. This step will help you save on any additional technology cost needed to outsource mobile app development.3)Do your homeworkThere is no dearth of mobile apps. Your outsourcing partner might also be developing a hundred-odd apps at the same time. Make sure that your objectives are clear from Day 0 of the outsourcing project. Always try to offer a unique user-experience to your customers. This will happen if you know your target audience extremely well. Get as much insight as possible on the customer that you aim to sell your app to. Knowing your customers pain-points and expectations will help you design a better product. When discussing the project with your offshore mobile app developer, do not just give your opinions about the app but also provide them with deeper, more meaningful insights on your end-consumer. Always remember that software is a technology and should be able to add some advantage to your business. This will happen only if you create a software that meets the needs of your consumers.About Suma Soft:With 16+ years of experience in developing open-source, android and iOS mobile apps for different industries, Suma Soft is one of the most preferred companies for offshore mobile app development services. Suma Soft has worked with over 300+ clients and delivered quality software applications to Automotive, BFSI, Healthcare, Logistics and Retail companies. Read more-About Suma Soft:With 16+ years of experience in developing open-source, android and iOS mobile apps for different industries, Suma Soft is one of the most preferred companies for offshore mobile app development services. Suma Soft has worked with over 300+ clients and delivered quality software applications to Automotive, BFSI, Healthcare, Logistics and Retail companies. Read more-7880 San Felipe Street,Ste 120,Houston TX 77063-1647Telephone:+1 281 764 1825+1 281 468 7338Email:info@sumasoft.com
Digital Pathology Market is Expected to Reach $1,052 Million, Globally, by 2022

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Digital Pathology Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $1,052 million by 2022. North America accounted for major share in 2015 and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period.Access full summary at:The market is majorly driven by growing popularity of virtual slides as compared to physical slides, technological advancements, and cost-effective products in the digital pathology segment. Other factors contributing to the growth of this market include workflow efficiency, analysis efficiency, improved productivity & patient care, and accuracy. However, the factors restraining the market growth are the lack of reimbursement policies, inadequate infrastructure, and pending product approvals.The hospitals & diagnostic centers segment accounted for about two-fifths of the world digital pathology market in 2015, and is projected to maintain this trend throughout the forecast period. The rise is attributed to the demand for accurate and faster diagnosis along with increasing government efforts for the development of digital pathology globally. Moreover, growing trends toward the adoption of digital pathology by hospitals instead of the conventional methods is among the key factors driving the market growth.Key Findings of Digital Pathology Market :1. Whole slide imaging is the major segment, followed by image analysis informatics; and together they occupy approximately three-fourths of the total market.2. Image analysis informatics, is the fastest growing segment, growing at a CAGR of 25.2%.3. Pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies are projected to be the fastest growing end use segment, growing at a CAGR of 19.9%.4. In North America, whole slide imaging is expected to dominate the market followed by image analysis informatics, during the analysis period.Image analysis informatics is expected to be the fastest growing segment in Asia-Pacific, registering a CAGR of 34.9%.In 2015, North America accounted for the major share of the overall digital pathology market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.7% during the forecast period. The growth is mainly attributed to the large number of hospitals and clinics adopting digital pathology procedures for accurate results and improved efficiency. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow rapidly at a CAGR of 26.6%, with a major contribution from China, owing to cost-effective products.The key companies profiled in the report are Definiens AG, Visiopharm, Indica Labs, Digipath Inc., Danaher Corporation (Leica Microsystem), Koninklinje Philips N.V., Hamamatsu Photonics K. K., PerkinElmer, Inc., Nikon Corporation, Pixcelldata Ltd., and Glencoe Software Inc.About UsAllied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Sona Padmanabhan5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 (U.S. &Canada)Fax: +1(855)550-5975E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com
Miniaturization or Portability of Devices Drives the Global Medical Image Processing Market

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Medical imaging refers to the visualization of the body parts, organs, tissues or cells for clinical diagnosis, disease monitoring and treatment. The imaging techniques used in medical devices include variety of modern equipments in the field of optical imaging, nuclear imaging, radiology and other image-guided intervention. The radiological method renders anatomical and physiological of the human body at a very high spatial and temporal resolution. The radiology discipline covers methods such as ultrasound, CT scan, X-ray, MRI and other similar devices. Whereas, the optical imaging techniques include devices such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), which helps in revealing abnormalities at cellular level with the help of optical tracers for specific tumor cells.View Exclusive Global Strategic Business Report:OCT techniques are yet at early stages of development and are likely to uplift the medical imaging market in coming years. Nuclear imaging techniques such as PET and SPECT display remarkable details with respect to metabolism, physiology and molecular function. The major post processing work include activities such as, image reconstruction, image processing, 3D view generation, computer-aided detection, and quality control.With the increasing development in medical research produces a continuous stream of knowledge about disease processes or stages, new therapeutic targets and complex relationship between a persons genome and his and her related risk for diseases. Medical imaging can now play a central and vital role in global healthcare systems as it continues to improve patient outcomes and cost effective healthcare diagnostic for almost all disease and deformity class. Traditionally, medical imaging was considered as a tool for non-invasive mapping for recognition and localization of disease process.Owing to technological advancements, a wide variety of new medical imaging techniques and methods produce important biological information about molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, organ function, metabolism, and functional genomics. Furthermore, the medical imaging which many think are only used in diagnostic procedures are now even used for treatment processes such as coronary angioplasty which is used for treating aortic aneurysm and stoppage of cerebral aneurysm bleedings.Some of the major drivers for the medical imaging processes include miniaturization or portability of devices such as X-Rays, ultrasound devices which come in handheld device forms that enhance the reach and optimization of devices to rural, disaster sites, and even in ambulances which eventually save time for both patients as well as the physicians in case of emergencies. 3D imaging techniques are another opportunity area in the medical image processing market. However, such technically sophisticated devices are confined majorly to the developed economic regions due to lack of proper budget allocation from government and regulatory bodies.The major restraints to the global medical image processing market include intense competition from local, lack of skilled radiologists especially in the emerging market and developing market and lack of proper medical reimbursement scenario. Despite such issue, the emerging economies are likely to be the fastest growing markets in the coming years due to substantial public and private investments in development of healthcare infrastructure and rise in disposable income among the middle class population.Browse Research Report:Some of the prominent players in the global medical image processing market include Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., Toshiba America Medical Systems, Rcadia Medical Imaging Ltd., TomTec Imaging Systems GmbH, Calgary Scientific Inc., Riverain Medical Group LLC among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
The US cPDM Market is Propelled to grow at a CAGR of 8.34% over 2015-2019

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Albany, NY, Nov 30: Collaborative product definition management (cPDM) software solutions is a strategic business approach applying a consistent set of business solutions that collaboratively provide effective and efficient methods for managing the functions of product lifecycle management (PLM). They help in effective product data management, collaborative product visualization, collaborative product commerce, effective integration of cPDM with enterprise applications, and supplier relationship management (SRM). cPDM software solutions assist in streamlining manufacturing and production processes for efficient business operation. cPDM helps enterprises bring innovative and profitable products to market more effectively in the evolving e-business web-enabled environment. These software solutions are adopted by industries such as the automotive, electronics, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense, process packaged goods, petrochemical, and shipbuilding.The cPDM market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 8.34% over the period 2014-2019. The cPDM market in the US can be segmented into two application segments: comprehensive cPDM and cPDM focused applications.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Technavio's report, cPDM Market in the US 2015-2019, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key Vendors- Dassault Systems- Oracle- PTC- SAP- Siemens PLM SoftwareOther Prominent Vendors- Accenture- Altran Technologies- Atos- Capgemini- CENIT- CSC- Deloitte Consulting- Geometric- HCL Technologies- HP- IBM- Infosys- Larsen & Toubro Technology Services- Lectra- TCS- Tech Mahindra- WiproEnquiry at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Organic Food Market Growing due to Consumers Increasingly Aware about the Harmful Effects of Chemicals & other Additives

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Global Organic Food Market: OverviewIn todays world where everything is powered by the latest cutting-edge technology, farmers are heralding back to age-old practices in agriculture for greater good of humankind on this planet. This has been necessitated by a new crop of health-conscious consumers increasingly aware about the harmful effects of chemicals and other additives in food, farmers are now heralding back to age-old farming practices to produce what is known as organic food. From the seed to the soil or water and the final product, everything that goes into bringing organic food to the table is natural and free from pesticides, chemicals, and fertilizers.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:On account of the antiquated methods used, organic food takes longer to produce and requires more care. As a result, they cost more than other foods that are produced in less amount of time with the use of various chemicals and fertilizers. Consumers who consider health to be of paramount importance, however, do not mind shelling out a little more for organic food products. According to the Transparency Market Research report, the global market for organic food will likely expand at a healthy rate in the coming years, especially in developed regions.Global Organic Food Market: Drivers and TrendsBesides discerning consumers, an important factor driving the growth of the market are concerns about the environment. Pesticides used to thwart pests ranging from bacteria, insects, mites, and mollusks to birds and rodents that not just make their way into the human body but also accumulate in the soil and water. This damages the environment and hence, by consuming inorganic food, humans contribute to environmental degradation.Organic food, on the other hand, is produced by farmers through reusable resources, limiting the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals in food. They are usually cultivated in small, family-run farms, wherein preservation of the quality of soil and water is of utmost importance so that future generations inherit fertile lands. Farmers also follow crop rotation methods to retain the fertility of the soil. Such form of farming reduces the toxic load on the environment. As a result, governments in many nations are funding organic farming. This, coupled with many private players foraying into the field as well as growing population pressure, has majorly boosted the market so far.Browse Full Report With ToC:Global Organic Food Market: Geographical OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global organic food market can be divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of World. Among them, Europe has been leading the market with the maximum amount of revenue. Economies in North America are expected to grow at a good clip too due to the substantial purchasing of the large middle class population there. It is the Rest of the World and Asia Pacific, however, that are predicted to outpace the two continents in terms of growth rate. Developed countries such as Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, the U.S., and Germany have so far witnessed maximum demand for organically grown food.Key Players Mentioned in the ReportSome of the key players in the global market for organic food are Spartan Stores Inc, Hain Celestial Group Inc., United Natural Foods Inc., AMCON Distributing Co., Amys Kitchen, Whole Foods Market Inc., Clif Bar & Company, The Kroger Co., Inc, Dole Food Co., Inc., Frito-Lay, Newmans Own, Inc., Dean Foods, and Organic Valley.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Infectious Disease IVD Market is Expected to Driven by Development of Newer Assays for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases

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In vitro diagnostics are the vital tools in health care systems as they provide crucial information for making right medical decisions. The information revealed through these technologies helps physicians in successful management of medical conditions in every stage. Prevalence of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), tuberculosis, measles, dengue, Chagas, cholera, and malaria is increasing across the globe with high prevalence in developing countries. There have been advances in the in vitro diagnostics which have enabled paradigm shift from laboratory testing to point of care testing which is helping in expansion of infectious diseases IVD market.Download Exclusive Sample of this Report:Some of the major segments in this market include immunochemistry testing, microbiology testing and molecular diagnostics testing. Historically, immunoassays constituted the largest segment in the IVD market which are conducted for determining presence of infectious disease in a patient. Present day technology for testing infection disease include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescence immunoassays which require more amount of protein biomarker than molecular diagnostics. However, the market for molecular diagnostics is rapidly growing with the increasing adoption of this technology in place of antigen testing by immunoassays.Molecular diagnostics possess advantages such as high specificity which help detect even minute amount of protein biomarkers. This helps in early detection of infectious diseases and becomes easier to mitigate the result. The global market for infectious disease IVD market is expected to driven by development of newer assays for diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. The changing demographics in the world which majorly include aging population and rising incidences of diseases of affluence are propelling the growth of infectious disease IVD market.On the basis of geography, the global market for infectious disease is segmented into four major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Although industrially developed nations in Europe and North America account for largest share in the global market, high growth is witnessed in the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific regions. The demand for infectious diseases in vitro diagnostics in Asia-Pacific is attributable to high population growth, increasing awareness and investments in healthcare infrastructure. The big players in the market are focusing in this geography to compensate their slowing business in highly competitive western markets.The competitiveness in the industry augmenting each day with more number of players seeking to leverage benefits of this growing market. The leading players in the diagnostic market are acquiring smaller technology companies to produce companion diagnostic tests; while the pharmaceutical companies enticed by the opportunities in the IVD market are either investing or collaborating with diagnostic devices companies to extend their drugs market post patent expiry. Roche Diagnostics and Abbott Laboratories are couple of major companies in the market which have added advantage of synergy between their diagnostic solutions and pharmaceutical solutions.Browse Research Report:Some of the major companies in the global infectious disease IVD market include Roche Diagnostics, Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson (BD) Company, Gen-Probe, Inc. (a part of Hologic, Inc.), Alere, Inc. (formerly Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc.), Luminex Corporation, Orhto-Clinical Diagnostics (Carlyle Group) LifeScan, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson company), Siemens Healthcare, bioMeriux SA, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
2015 European Connector Market Handbook  in depth analysis of the $10.5 billion Industry

https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/2015-european-connector-market-handbook

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title 2015 European Connector Market Handbook to its growing collection of premium market research reports.This comprehensive, five-chapter, 273-page report analyzes all aspects of the $10.5 billion European electronic connector market.In 2015, Europe accounted for 20% of worldwide connector demand. Which European countries/regions drove this demand? What market sectors outperformed the average (European) market and which sectors were underperforming? Which European countries/regions and market sectors will offer the best growth prospects over the next five-years? What are the leading product categories within specific end-use equipment markets? Who are the leading connector manufacturers in the European connector market? Which leading OEMs do we find in the various countries? How does the FX market affect the European connector market?European Connector Market 2015, 2016-2021 provides detailed connector statistics by equipment sector and product category for 19 countries/regions. Included is a chapter on specific end-use equipment markets and a chapter on the market dynamics in Europe. Data is provided for the years 2014, 2015, 2016E, and a forecast for 2021 (including five-year CAGRs). A region steeped in tradition and recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, the European connector market offers something for everyone, be able to identify and find your niche, order you copy of the European Connector Market 2015, 2016-2021.The report provides detailed connector statistics by equipment sector and product category for 19 countries/regions. Included is a chapter on specific end-use equipment markets and a chapter on the market dynamics in Europe. Data is provided for the years 2014, 2015, 2016E, and a forecast for 2021 (including five-year CAGRs).The countries and regions covered within the report include: Austria, Benelux, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Iberian Peninsula, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the group "Other Countries."To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:An introduction to the European connector market is provided in chapter 1, putting it in context with the world connector market and showing its relative importance. This chapter also highlights the impact of currency exchange and provides some insight into the speed at which the connector market in Western Europe is growing as compared to the central and eastern regions.Chapter 2 examines the market structure and dynamics. Where do we find EMS providers in Europe and who are they? Where does PCB production stand in Europe? What sales channels are used? What is the general makeup of the European industry based on the activities of the leading European OEMs? How is the semiconductor market developing in Europe? Who are the leading connector manufacturers active in the European market?The important end-use equipment market sectors within the European connector market are analyzed in chapter 3. Who are the OEMs in this market, where are they located, and what is the market outlook for each of these sectors?In chapter 4, each of the countries/regions is analyzed. Detailed charts and tables provide information on the domestic market in terms of market sectors and product categories for 2014, 2015, and 2016E, with a forecast for 2021. For each country, country-specific data is added, and information on market strength in terms of its industrial output is also provided.An overview of the European connector market is featured in Chapter 5, with numerous tables and graphs that provide the reader with a good understanding of the European market and the countries therein. A set of graphs depicting the top five countries for each end-use equipment sector is included.To Enquire about this Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
India Pharma Outlook 2016: Milestones to Watch  Growth from Exports and Domestic Getting Better, Implementation of Policies under Make-in-India, Overture of A New Ministry

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title India Pharma Outlook 2016: Milestones to Watch  Growth from Exports and Domestic Getting Better, Implementation of Policies under Make-in-India, Overture of A New Ministry to its growing collection of premium market research reports.During Make-in-India' week in Mumbai, Govt. highlighted many amendments or introduction of new policies with an aim to make India as a major hub for end to end drug discovery. To boost drug discovery, to promote manufacturing of certain drugs against life threatening diseases like AIDS, and to reduce our dependence on China, the Govt. has promised to offer many incentives (exemption from excise duty or tax) and also plans to setup venture capital funds, cluster developments to strengthen pharma infrastructure / business.Other developments or initiatives include,i) The voluntary Uniform code of Pharma marketing practice will be replaced with a mandatory code by June. This will stop the promotion of drug prior to receipt of the marketing approval and also the practice of drug makers offering gifts to doctors upon prescribing their products;ii) Concept of the Online pharmacies' is also expected to be implemented during this year;iii) Change in FDI rule where investor now invest thru Automatic route rather taking any prior regulatory approval;iv) Growth in Medical Infrastructure which will increase accessibility to drug market to improve in Tier-II towns and rural areas.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Declined growth in bulk drugs due to regulatory scrutiny and rising competition & market factors from other Asian competing nations will be compensated by geographies expansion (e.g., Lupin, Cipla, Sun pharma) and sustainable growth from Domestic formulation (e.g. Alkem, Cipla, Sun pharma, Dr Reddy), mainly from Chronic diseases' segment, due to growth in urban population, better awareness on healthcare, and greater penetration of services. India pharma has started expanding in other regulated markets (Japan, Germany, France, Canada) and Tier-II countries (Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, etc.). To explore further opportunities of growth, Indian pharma companies have started developing complex generics/ biosimilars.Almost all companies, among Top-20 list, have robust pipeline in this value chain, targeting primarily emerging markets; however, they are also capitalizing on their competitiveness and capabilities to enter into the regulated market.Companies MentionedAurobindo, Cadila Healthcare, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, Lupin, NatcoTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
JP Giants leaning in for becoming a Speciality Global Pharma

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title JP Giants leaning in for becoming a Speciality Global Pharma to its growing collection of premium market research reports.This report analyzes therapy focus, changing Strategies, pipeline and key growth drivers of 12 major Japanese biopharma companies (Pure play innovators/ Innovators+ Generics/Pure play generics) and details the publishers view on their strategic action to withstand in domestic market and expand globally with their interest for inlicensing external innovation from the globe for increasing R&D productivity and priorities on M & A side.Companies MentionedTakeda, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Meiji Seika, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Shionogi, Symbio, Takeda, Towa, Sawai, Nippon Chemiphar, Nippon KayakuTo view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Increasing decline in long listed products sales, and a few success in R & D in the last decade had put JP giants under pressure to refocus on Innovation with specialty therapy area to strengthen their global presence. Eisai Ajinomoto JV, Teva-Takeda partnership for Speciality Generics is the actions in this direction. Fast track approval based on "Sakigake" designation is the step by PMDA/MHLW to encourage JP Pharmas to research in the area of high unmet medical need/orphan disease where US biotech has taken a successful leap in last decade.In innovation space, Nivolumab, Alectinib, Dolutegravir global success again demonstrate ability of JP pharma/university research house to contribute Pharma Innovation, while encouraging regulatory environment for"Regenerative Medicine Drug Development" and "Drug Repurposing" will make Japan front runner in this space. From late stage pipeline/new launch, Mirogabalin approval in Neuropathic Pain, Brintellix Cognition label expansion, Edoxaban uptake in EU, Alectinib uptake in US and ACE-910 approval for hemophilia will decide Japanese Innovator growth in Global market. The biennial price cut scheduled in April-2016 will balance Innovation premium with long listed price cut (Z2 rule) to increase R & D productivity.In next 3 years, 950b drugs will go off patent in Japan- and as happened in 2015, substantial volume growth due to new patent expiry opportunities will help Japanese generic companies to withstand NHI pricing pressure. Consolidation activities like Teva-Takeda JV -will make this growing domestic generic market more competitive and companies with "direct sales model" may fetch upper hand due to less dependence on wholesale distribution channel. Challenging Alimta patent and Evista patent against Lilly in Japan, and Livalo ANDA filing in US by JP Generic companies is indicative of the changing breadth of the JP generic giants from launching generics in Japan to becoming a patent challenger- Intellectual property rights challenging generic company. This is a step towards finding its place against the world generic players in the coming time.Successful launch of Blopress AG, Plavix AG in last few years stamps Authorized Generics as one of the attractive opportunity for Generic players in Japan. Encouraging Uptake of Filgrastim BS and Lantus BS in Japan is indicative of Japan to be the next important market after EU in the next five years for growth of Biosimilar players. In contrast, there is a very slow uptake post launch of Remicade biosimilar (~1% volume share)To Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
Proton Therapy Market Outlook - Global Analysis

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Proton Therapy Market Outlook - Global Analysis to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The report titled Proton Therapy Market Outlook  Global Analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of the fast-evolving, high-growth Proton Therapy Market.The number of proton therapy centers is increasing globally. Still, industry experts believe that players will miss out on a majority of cancer patients who can benefit with proton therapy, overlooking a huge multi-Billion-dollar potential market.Globally, the numbers of patients treated with Proton Therapy is very low whereas; the potential candidates for proton therapy are in Millions. IBA dominates the proton therapy market globally. However other players like Varian, Mitsubishi, Mevion, Hitachi etc. have also started to make their presence felt in the market.The increased demand for proton therapy has motivated many prominent cancer centers in the world to provide proton therapy treatment. The number of proton therapy centers worldwide is anticipated to increase year on year, which in turn, will result in more clinical research, better clinician understanding and greater patient awareness of its benefits-which will help drive the further growth.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:The 163 Page report with 48 Figures and 21 Tables has been analyzed from 6 View Points1. Actual and Potential Proton Therapy Market (2009  2021)2. Actual and Potential Candidate for Proton Therapy Treatment (2009  2021)3. Global Total Number of Patients Treated with Proton Therapy - Country Wise4. United States Proton Therapy - Company Analysis5. Global Proton Therapy Centers Analysis6. Proton Therapy Market - Drivers and ChallengesThe Countries United States and Japan has been analyzed from 4 View Points1. Actual and Potential Proton Therapy Market (2009  2021)2. Actual and Potential Candidate for Proton Therapy Treatment (2009  2021)3. List of Proton Therapy Centers4. Proton Therapy Company AnalysisThe Countries South Korea, Europe, China and India has been analyzed from 3 View Points1. Potential Proton Therapy Market (2009  2021)2. Potential Candidate for Proton Therapy Treatment (2009  2021)3. List of Proton Therapy CentersUnited States Proton Therapy  5 Company Analysis1. IBA2. Optivus3. Hitachi4. Mevion5. VarianGlobal - List of Proton Therapy Centers Operational and Planned, Specification and Start of Treatment (22 Countries Analyzed)1. United States2. Canada3. Argentina4. Russia5. Sweden6. France7. Netherlands8. Italy9. Poland10. Germany11. Czech Republic12. Switzerland13. Austria14. United Kingdom15. Japan16. South Korea17. China18. India19. Taiwan20. Australia21. Saudi Arabia22. South AfricaTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com
A general view of the beginning of a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC is debating an oil output cut of up to 1.4 million barrels per day, bigger than the earlier suggested reduction of 1.2 million bpd, an OPEC source told Reuters.

The source also said the group wanted non-OPEC to contribute 0.6 million bpd to cuts, including some 0.4 million bpd by Russia.

(Reporting by OPEC team; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Omega Healthcare Management Services Pvt Ltd Awarded the STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) Karnataka IT Exports Award, 2016

Bangalore, 30th November 2016: Omega Healthcare Management Services Pvt Ltd has been awarded the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) IT Export award for "Highest New Jobs Creator  lT/lT Enabled Services for FY 2015-2016. At the STPI Awards ceremony, held at BengaluruITE.biz2016 event, the Government of India appreciated the contribution made by the lT/ITeS Companies of Karnataka, while recognizing the top companies that made a ground-breaking impact in the State.According to STPI, the state of Karnataka has contributed 39.5% to the total software exports from the country. Software Exports from STPI Member Units of Karnataka has touched Rs 1,25,626 Cr. during 2015-16. The awards were presented by a myriad of dignitaries including Mr. Priyank Kharge Hon'ble Minister of State for IT & BT and Tourism Government of Karnataka,Mr. Karsten Klein, Deputy Mayor, The Hague, The Netherlands, Ms. V. Manjula, IAS Principal Secretary, Department of IT, BT and ST, Government of Karnataka, Dr. Omkar Rai Director General, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and Shri Shailendra Tyagi, Director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).Since its inception in 2003, Omega Healthcare Management Services Private Ltd. headquartered in Bengaluru  has been one of the pioneers in the IT/ITeS domain, and has specialized in catering to the healthcare payments industry in the USA. A core strategy of Omegas founders  Gopi Natarajan and Anurag Mehta  from day one, has been to instil a unique, performance-driven culture while conforming to the strict governance requirements prevalent in the industry.On receiving the award Mr. Gopi Natarajan, Co-Founder & CEO, Omega Healthcare expressed, The primary driving factor for us at Omega has always been to deliver world-class customer-centric services that result in tangible value-addition for our clients and corresponding growth for the company. A key part of our strategy to make this happen is a relentless focus on empowering the workforce through various skill-enhancement programs. We thank STPI for recognizing the achievements of our company.Under the leadership of Gopi Natarajan and Anurag Mehta, who have more than 50 years of combined experience in the US healthcare industry (payers, providers, and vendors), Omega Healthcare has consistently demonstrated a brilliant management and operational track record built on a foundation of best practices in HR.Anurag Mehta, President and Co-Founder, Omega Healthcare comments, Gopi and I foresaw the enormous potential in the offshored healthcare services space in the early 2000s, when the industry was still in its nascent stage, and persisted to grow the organization into the largest in the country  both in terms of revenues and headcount.A unique initiative from Omega has been OMCA or Omega Medical Coding Academy, a leading name in the medical coding training industry, which was recently launched in Bengaluru after successfully running in Chennai and Trichy for almost 2 years. Set up with an objective of imparting necessary skills to recently-graduated students especially from life sciences, OMCA today creates hundreds of job-ready individuals empowered to handle cutting-edge coding systems which are implemented among the US healthcare providers. While this move has generated employment opportunities for freshers and a new career stream, OMCA in parallel contributes to the growth and success of the broader industry in India outside of Omega Healthcare, by creating a steady pipeline of high-calibre individuals who can immediately go live on critical coding projects.About Omega Healthcare:Omega Healthcare was founded by Gopi Natarajan & Anurag Mehta in 2003 to cater to the needs of healthcare billing companies in the United States. A unique strategy allowed the company to grow into the #1 offshore service provider to Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), billing services as well as healthcare IT organizations. The company has significant experience and deep domain expertise across multiple medical specialties. With a growth rate of 30-35% year-on-year, the company handles high-end, value-driven work pertaining to Medical Coding, Accounts Receivable, Data Entry and other Revenue Cycle Management services, and attracts some of the best talent in the industry.Well-entrenched in Bengaluru, Chennai, Trichy, Bhimavaram and Manila and Cebu (Philippines), Omega is fast expanding its operations and has a current headcount of 10,500+ people.Samson Arcade,No.22,Andree Road,Shanthinagar,Bangalore-560027
Global Zirconium Market  Analysis and Forecast to 2020

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-zirconium-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-zirconium-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-zirconium-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

www.indexbox.co.uk

IndexBox has just published a new report World: Zirconium - Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2020 (This report has been designed to provide a detailed analysis of the global zirconium market. It covers the most recent data sets of quantitative medium-term projections, as well as developments in production, trade, consumption and prices.The global zirconium trade amounted to 52 million USD in 2015, fluctuating strongly over the period under review. A slight drop in 2009 was followed by recovery over the next three years, until exports mildly decreased again. After a peak in 2014, exports fell again in 2015. Overall, there was an annual increase of 11.8% from 2007 to 2015.According to IndexBox estimates, Germany continued to dominate the market in the global supplies of zirconium. In 2015, Germany's zirconium exports totaled 14 million USD, which accounted for a 28% share of global exports. China, France, USA, and Japan were the other key global suppliers of zirconium in 2015, with a 67% combined share of global exports.China (+29.5% per year) and Germany (+9.5% per year) were the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2015. China significantly strengthened its position in terms of the global zirconium export, growing its share from 8% in 2007 to 27% in 2015.Meanwhile, USA (21%, based on value terms), Canada (13%), Germany (12%), the Republic of Korea (11%), and Japan (7%) were the leading destinations of zirconium imports in 2015. Imports to Canada grew at a pace of +3.2% per year from 2007 to 2015. By contrast, Japan contracted its imports of zirconium over the same period. The USA's share of global imports increased by +6 percentage points, while the share of Japan illustrated negative dynamics (-4 percentage points).TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20204. PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION IN 2007-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS3 easy ways to order Follow the link below to review a free sample or to buy the report: Call us +44 20 3239 3063 to discuss your information needs and for special discounts on multi-report orders Email your order to info@indexbox.co.ukPrice: 1490 EUR for Single LicenseSource:IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. We conduct market research and publish reports.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite:
Global Lead Market  Analysis and Forecast to 2020

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http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-lead-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-lead-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/

www.indexbox.co.uk

IndexBox has just published a new report World: Lead - Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2020 (This report has been designed to provide a detailed analysis of the global lead market. It covers the most recent data sets of quantitative medium-term projections, as well as developments in production, trade, consumption and prices.The global lead trade amounted to 5581 million USD in 2015, fluctuating consistently over the period under review. Exports were on a decline in 2008 and 2009, recovering briefly in 2010 and 2011. 2012 saw another dip, until exports reversed the trend in 2013 and 2014, showing very modest growth. Finally, exports ended 2015 with a 9% decline from the value of 2014. Overall, there was an annual decrease of -0.3% from 2007 to 2015.According to IndexBox estimates, Australia continued to dominate in the global supplies of lead. In 2015, Australia's lead exports totaled 777 million USD, which accounted for a 14% share of global exports. Canada, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and Germany were the other key global suppliers of lead in 2015, with a 31% combined share of global exports.The Republic of Korea (+22.7% per year) and the UK (+3.0% per year) were the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2015. The Republic of Korea significantly strengthened its position in terms of global lead exports, growing its share from 2% in 2007 to 9% in 2015.The USA (19%, based on value terms), the UK (9%), India (7%), the Republic of Korea (6%), and Germany (5%) were the leading destinations of lead imports in 2015. Imports to the USA grew at a rapid pace of +7.2% per year from 2007 to 2015. By contrast, Germany contracted its imports of lead over the same period. The USA's share of global imports increased significantly (+9 percentage points), while the balance of major importers each maintained a relatively stable share size.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20204. PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION IN 2007-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS3 easy ways to orderFollow the link below to review a free sample or to buy the report:Call us +44 20 3239 3063 to discuss your information needs and for special discounts on multi-report ordersEmail your order to info@indexbox.co.ukPrice: 1490 EUR for Single LicenseSource:IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. We conduct market research and publish reports.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite:
Staying healthy and fit during the winter

www.mykotroph.com

www.mykotroph.com

As in every year, the first foggy days in autumn are the kickoff for colds and flu. Whether in the bus, tube, plane, office or school: Not later than October, many people start coughing and sneezing. Those symptoms are typical for inflammations of the upper respiratory tract. The complaints appear in different intensities and combinations. If other symptoms like headache, freezing, fatigue and increased body temperature come along, you can call it flu. Fortunately, the vast majority of the cases are just a common cold  instead of the feared flu which is much more severe. Statistically, every adult is bothered by flu-like infections two to five times a year, children are affected even more.Cold or flu: Viruses are always the causeThere are more than 200 different pathogens, usually Corona-, Adeno- or Rhino viruses, which can trigger a cold. It is hard to avoid viruses because there are nearly everywhere around us.Viruses are usually transmitted by droplets e.g. coughing or sneezing. Cold viruses can survive for several hours on the skin and as well on objects that is why smear infections are another transmission path. Here, the pathogens get into the body via the own hands. Pathogens are everywhere  handrails, phones, keyboards - they are literally everywhere. To protect yourself against cold and flu, it is highly important to wash hands frequently.Typical symptoms of a flu-like infection include swollen nasal mucosa, nasal congestion, hoarseness, cough and fatigue. Increased body temperature, headache, aching limbs, toothache can also appear.In contrast to a flu-like infection with its comparably mild course of disease, the real flu is a highly infectious and much more severe disease. The most common pathogen is the Influenza-A-virus. This virus is very mutable, that is the reason why it regularly causes flu epidemics.Like cold viruses, the Influenza-virus is usually transmitted through droplet infection. The symptoms are also similar to those of a cold but heavier and more aggressive. Besides that, the disease is different to a normal flu-like infection. Influenza-A virus appears suddenly including symptoms like high fever, freezing, shivering, heavy sweating, sore throat, headache, aching limbs and cough. The flu can be especially life-threatening for infants, young children and persons over 60 years. Pregnant women and persons with renal, cardiovascular or auto-immune diseases also have a higher risk. According to German Robert-Koch-Institute, five to twenty percent of the population is affected by the real Influenza flu.ComplicationsThe flu can also result in so-called secondary infections because mucosa harmed by viruses is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Sinusitis, middle ear infection, bronchitis and pneumonia can be caused.Our immune system is a highly intelligent and powerful protection. Usually, this protection system is always on duty and can control most pathogens. The stronger our immune system is the better flu-like infections can be prevented.The MykoTroph AG, Institute for Medicinal Mushrooms based in Limeshain was founded in 2003 by Franz Schmaus. The agricultural engineer concerned himself with the effects and use of medicinal mushrooms for more than 30 years and is one of the most renowned experts in this field. MykoTroph Institute aims to spread the knowledge of the mushrooms preventative and healing effects and make it accessible to a wide public.Further information and studies can be found on the institutes website. Additionally, Franz Schmaus and his team, consisting of mycotherapists and naturopaths, are available for extensive advice from Monday to Friday between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. CET via the hotline +0049 (0) 6047-98 85 30. People who are interested can also arrange a personal consultation at the institute via that number. Telephone consultations are free of charge. Comprehensive information on fungal medicine can also be requested for free at MykoTroph Institute.MykoTrophInstitute for Medicinal MushroomsAm Forsterahl 3AD-63694 LimeshainPhone: +49 6047-988530Web:Email: info@mykotroph.comPresscontact:SanTerris GmbHSaalburgstrasse 3D-61138 NiederdorfeldenPhone: +49 / 6101 / 33633EMail: pr@santerris-marketing.com
Instruction to apply Vietnam visa online

www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/vietnam/vietnam-visa.html

http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com

In general, Visa is an authorized letter approved by a country to enter and temporarily stay, or to leave that country. Visas occasionally consist of limitations on the duration of the foreigner's stay within the country they enter, or the number of permitted visits. And Vietnam is no exception.Up to now, Vietnam has given opportunity for citizens of 23 countries to enter Vietnam without a visa for varying time periods. They are: Belarus, Brunei, Cambodia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and United Kingdom.Whats about the types of visas in Vietnam?There are only two main types of visa, including tourist visa and business visas. For tourist visas: valid 30-days single entry and 30-days multiple entry, and one-time extension of 30 days after tourists arrive in Vietnam. For business visas: Visitors should obtain the approval letter through their sponsor in Vietnam. Multiple entry and stay of three or six months is acceptable.What is it Vietnam visa on arrival?Normally, you have to apply visa at Vietnam embassy in your country, but with visa on arrival, you do not need to visit embassy or send your passport off to get visa. Moreover, the visa price in embassy is always higher than visa-on-arrival.You just need to sit at home or your office and apply your visa online through an international travel company which offers visa service without required documents. After 2 working-days, you will receive an approval letter through email or fax and with it, you can get your visa at any arrival airports. But please be advised that the visa-on-arrival is available only for air travel to Vietnam. And visa-on-arrival is legitimate service which guaranteed by Vietnam Immigration DepartmentWhere to apply Visa?For visiting Vietnam, visitors must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions like Vietnam embassies or international travel companies as hotels-in-vietnam.com unless they come from one of the countries that except visas. All specific requirements will make you easy conditions to fulfill the form, as follow: Application form (available in the website); two photos (usually 4cm x 6cm or 3 cm x 4 cm); original and notarized passport valid for 6 months; and visa fee.Fees for visa also varied due to the nature of each type of visa and most diplomatic missions require visitors to contact them directly to check the updated fee. Visitors will also need to pay extra money for visa if they change the time or schedule by themselves.After completing all requirements for Vietnam visa, visitors will receive Vietnam visa approval letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department through email that you declared in your application form around 5 to 7 working days. For urgent situation, the time of getting approval letter will be shorter, around 1  4 hours, but of course the cost must be higher. By presenting visa approval letter to Vietnamese immigration officers at the airports, visitors can get Vietnam visa stamp on their passports.Along with the formal way, visitors can trust several visa service agencies like TUN Travel to get visa (please be advised that the service must be offered by an international travel company). Based on my knowledge and feedbacks, TUN Travel is the reliable address with reasonable price and available service such as on-arrival, single entry, multiple entry or urgent. They also have the staff that always online to answer or check any requests from visitors.For further information about visa process, please visitor contact customer service agents. Wish you have good time and unforgettable memories in Vietnam!TUN Travel offer vietnam visa on arrival application, online hotels booking, transportation and tour packages for tourists and business man who travel to Vietnam.TUN Travel48 Ngo Sy Lien Alley, Dong Da Distict, Hanoi, VietnamTel: +84-4-39230898Email: service@tuntravel.comWebsite:
Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016-2021

http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/qyr0066/global-glass-centrifuge-tube-market-research-report-2016

http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=qyr0066

http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=qyr0066

www.marketintelreports.com

Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Research Report 2016 Production, means the output of Glass Centrifuge Tube Revenue, means the sales value of Glass Centrifuge TubeThis report studies Glass Centrifuge Tube in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Chemglass Corning Globe Hach Kimble Olympia Pyrex Royal SigmaBrowse complete Report on Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market@:Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Glass Centrifuge Tube in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into Type I Type II Type IIISplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Glass Centrifuge Tube in each application, can be divided into Application 1 Application 2 Application 3Avail More Information from the Sample. Get a Copy @Table of Contents:Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Research Report 20161 Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Glass Centrifuge Tube1.2 Glass Centrifuge Tube Segment by Type1.3 Glass Centrifuge Tube Segment by Application1.4 Glass Centrifuge Tube Market by Region1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Glass Centrifuge Tube (2011-2021)2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.3 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.4 Manufacturers Glass Centrifuge Tube Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)3.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production by Region (2011-2016)3.2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.3 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2011-2016)3.4 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.5 North America Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.6 Europe Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.7 China Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.8 Japan Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.9 Southeast Asia Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)3.10 India Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)4 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)4.2 North America Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.3 Europe Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.4 China Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.5 Japan Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.6 Southeast Asia Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.7 India Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)5.3 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Price by Type (2011-2016)5.4 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production Growth by Type (2011-2016)6 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Consumption and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)6.2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities7 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Chemglass7.2 Corning7.3 Globe7.4 Hach7.5 Kimble7.6 Olympia7.7 Pyrex7.8 Royal7.8.3 Royal Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2015 and 2016)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Sigma8 Glass Centrifuge Tube Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Glass Centrifuge Tube Key Raw Materials Analysis8.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure8.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Glass Centrifuge Tube9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9.1 Glass Centrifuge Tube Industrial Chain Analysis9.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing9.3 Raw Materials Sources of Glass Centrifuge Tube Major Manufacturers in 20159.4 Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders10.1 Marketing Channel10.2 Market Positioning10.3 Distributors/Traders List11 Market Effect Factors Analysis11.1 Technology Progress/Risk11.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change11.3 Economic/Political Environmental Change12 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Forecast (2016-2021)12.1 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Revenue Forecast (2016-2021)12.2 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production, Consumption Forecast by Regions (2016-2021)12.3 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Production Forecast by Type (2016-2021)12.4 Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Consumption Forecast by Application (2016-2021)12.5 Glass Centrifuge Tube Price Forecast (2016-2021)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixDisclosure SectionResearch MethodologyData SourceChina DisclaimerOrder Global Glass Centrifuge Tube Market Research Report 2016@:About MarketIntelReports (MIR):MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions. We do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.Contact Details:Sales ManagerMayur S2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statespr@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343
Global Market for Medical X-Ray Devices was Valued at US$ 8,315.5 Mn in 2014

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Medical-X-Ray-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2015-2019/sample14

http://www.sa-brc.com/report/Global-Medical-X-Ray-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2015-2019/14

www.sa-brc.com

This report provides analysis of the global medical x-ray devices market in terms of product types, technology and geography. Provides estimates by value and volume for 6 geographies of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle-East & Africa. X-ray devices have been in use since time immemorial. It was first introduced in medical field in 1900s several years after the discovery of X-rays and has been an integral part of the medical diagnostics in many medical application areas such as dental and orthopedics ever since. Today other emerging applications such as fluoroscopy and minimally invasive surgeries are also considered to have benefited from X-ray technology. The introduction of flat-panel detectors allowed the replacement of the image intensifier in fluoroscope design. Flat panel detectors have increased sensitivity to X-rays, and thus provide a reduced potential patient radiation dose. The global market for medical x-ray devices was valued at US$ 8,315.5 million in 2014.Market Drivers: Advances in x-ray technology. High quality digital images presented by computed and digital radiography X-ray systems offering better diagnosis and reduced radiation exposures. Increasing adoption of teleradiology and remote patient monitoring. Expanding applications and increasing geriatric population. Rapidly aging population directly affects the patient pool serving the global X-ray devices market, as people over the age of 65 undergo X-ray examinations routinelyFree Sample Report@Market Challenges: Decreasing usage of radiation based imaging. Challenges due to intra-segment substitutes.Product Types Covered In This Report: Stationary Portable Mobile Hand-HeldApplications Market Covered In This Report: Analog X-ray Devices Computed Radiography Devices Digital Radiography DevicesClick For Full Report@Key Vendors: Agfa Healthcare Aribex Carestream Dexcowin FujiFilm GE Healthcare KubtecAbout UsSpearhead Acuity Business Research & Consulting Private Limited (SA-BRC) is a premium Life Science business intelligence and data analytics firm. SA-BRC team offers a wide range of business intelligence services to multiple stakeholders such as Medical Device Manufacturers, Service Providers (Hospitals, Payers, etc.), Suppliers, Group Purchase Organizations, Distributors and all other individuals in the entire value chain of healthcare industry. Our research and consulting capabilities extend across several sub-domains within the sphere of Life Sciences such as Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices, Veterinary Sciences, Wellness Products and Pharmaceuticals.Contact UsJohn Whitmore10685-B Hazelhurst Drive,Suite 17411Houston, Texas 77043,United StatesPhone: +1(832)-426-3701Email: sales@sa-brc.comWebsite:
Mopinion assesses how businesses measure their online channels with Digital Customer Experience Benchmark 2016

www.mopinion.com/digital-customer-experience-benchmark-2016/

www.mopinion.com

Customer feedback specialist Mopinion announces the results of its Digital Customer Experience Benchmark 2016 study, which suggests that most major European companies are still at the beginning stages of monitoring their customers digital channels experience. The study, which looks at digital channels such as websites and apps, found nearly half of responders feel they are doing well  but in terms of customer follow-up and task allocation, there is still room for improvement.Broad range of resultsKees Wolters, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Mopinion commented, We wanted to get a broad picture of how marketing professionals collect their feedback, analyse their data and how they move from this insight into action. Therefore, we approached nearly a thousand professionals, across sectors including finance, telecommunications, public utility, online retail and automotive companies and specifically targeted professionals in the fields of Digital Marketing, E-commerce or Marketing Intelligence.Kees continued, Interestingly, many companies are still primarily using customer feedback from their websites and mobile apps to find quick-wins, rather than long-term gains. Unfortunately, at the same time many of the responders felt the feedback they collect all too often surpasses the ability or responsibilities of the team handling it  which means there is a lot of data being unused and wasted.The results suggest that whilst 25% of the companies surveyed believe their efforts to monitor the Digital Customer Experience are successful or very successful, nearly 24% believe its too early to determine any success. It is that sizable element of doubt that is a concern, added Kees. The results show that there is a sizable degree of doubt for many organisations over whether they truly understand the journey their customers take, which is concerning for everyone involved.Measurement criteriaThe Mopinion Digital Customer Experience Benchmark study categorises the customer experience using three different stages: Measure, Manage and Master.In the Measure phase, the study looked at how many companies actually measure the customer experience. The results suggest that many companies continue to collect feedback via digital channels such as websites and mobile apps.For the Manage phase, Mopinion looked at responders that analyze and report customer feedback to their team. For the final Master phase, the study particularly focused on companies that are still having difficulty involving other departments in their feedback program.Conclusions from the studyUndoubtedly, what the results indicate is that one of the main obstacles for many businesses is still overcoming organisational silos, commented Kees. All too often feedback data is limited to the eyes of marketers and any follow up from insights struggle to be allocated beyond this team. Interestingly though, compared to our study last year, the results suggest a growing number of companies are expecting to see an increase in investment in the measuring and managing of digital customer feedback, which is highly encouraging. However, if we look at all three stages, the results have remained more or less the same.For more details on the Mopinion Digital Customer Experience Benchmark 2016 and a free copy, please visit:To learn more about Mopinion and its services please visit:Mopinion is an innovative reporting platform for feedback from websites and apps. The company offers a SaaS (Software-as- a-Service) solution for organisations to improve their websites and apps based on feedback they receive from customers. The software enables organisations to gain real-time insight into how customers experience their digital channels and what actions they need to take to retain customers.Mopinion86-90 Paul StreetShoreditch  London EC2A 4NEUnited KingdomEmail: kees@mopinion.comPhone: +44 (0) 20 786 21 786
Blue Print Data Selected For 2016 Best of Jacksonville Award - Software Companies

Architecting a Safer Internet

www.blueprintdata.com

http://www.BluePrintData.com

http://www.localawardscenter.org

BluePrint Data, the leader in high quality, OEM, integrable Internet Filtering and Parental Control was recently selected for the 2016 Best of Jacksonville Award in the Software Companies by the Jacksonville Award Program.Each year, the Jacksonville Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and their community. These exceptional companies help make the Jacksonville area a great place to live, work and play.Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2016 Jacksonville Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Jacksonville Award Program and data provided by third parties.About Jacksonville Award ProgramThe Jacksonville Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Jacksonville area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.The Most Trusted Website Content Authority in the WorldBluePrint Data specializes in providing high quality Website / URL Filtering, which makes them the most trusted Website content authority in the world. In fact, other Internet Filtering companies contract with BluePrint Data to complete web site / URL content reviews to improve their filter databases or when their automated technology cant determine a website or URLs content.Serving a Healthy Client BaseA leading provider of OEM website / URL Content Filtering technologies and services, over the years BluePrint Data has witnessed a revolution in the cloud market. Serving the market for over 16 years from now, they have observed the growth of the cloud and actually had cloud services embedded into their product offerings since inception. Today, they are a global leader enabling their customers to provide high quality and low cost internet filtering solutions, either standalone or integrated, to their end users.Regarded as a true player in the Internet Filtering business as an OEM supplier of cloud based and other internet filtering and security services since 1998, BluePrint Data will continue to focus on providing products and services to their customers that they can integrate into their services and offerings or white label and sell. Home based in Jacksonville, Florida, BluePrint Data has a presence in North, Central and South America, Asia / pacific and India.About BluePrint DataBluePrint Data OEMs its URL / Web site content filters, technology, and security products and services to Internet Security vendors such as Unified Threat Management (UTM), Managed Service Providers (MSP), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) and Software as a Service (SaaS) providers as well as providing private label / OEM services to Value Added Resellers (VARs), Information Technology Providers, Anti Virus and Anti Spam service providers, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and telecom, carriers, and ISPs and other companies. BluePrint Data has the worlds largest 100% human reviewed URL Filter Database that is combined with tools and services to provide easy integration of the BluePrint Data OEM URL Filter database. For more information, visitor follow the company on Twitter @blueprintdataFOR MORE INFORMATION:For: BluePrint Data+1-904-647-3979press@BluePrintData.comFor: Jacksonville Award ProgramEmail: PublicRelations@localawardscenter.org
Can Ordinary Folks Build a New Online Accredited College

Can anyone build their own private online university? In simplest terms, the answer according to online higher education pioneer, Dr. Fred DiUlus is yes. Admittedly it wont be a Harvard, Yale or even equivalent to State U but it can be done, approved and accredited says DiUlus.As the founder of the nations #1 online and blended university builder, Global Academy Online, DiUlus has 15 years of experience building new schools and has laid out how it can be done by anyone who possesses the passion and dedication to make it so. He offers that any effort to build a new online approved and accredited online school needs to adopt and adapt the basic things that make a school of elementary or higher education possible. The following are the dozen points he says must be included in the development and fulfillment of a new online college:1. A clear convincing motive that centers on delivering knowledge and quality education to a clearly identified target market.2. Organize as a nonprofit tax exempt organization. For-profit schools in the USA are dead if they are designed to be degree granting new online schools.3. Select an appropriate name for the school. Avoid a knock-off of famous names or derivative of another very well-known school. Such a mistake would beg for such a school to be labeled a diploma mill.4. Fill out a state application in the state of your choice for approval to open a school. Avoid the Golden Bear state and all of New England and make sure your state will approve a nonprofit online college.5. Create and/or license copyright curriculum. Very important that your curriculum is original and created by those who have the credentials to do so.6. Keep your initial submission of curriculum simple and what you believe is the demand. If you have no idea. Quit now, you wont make it.7. Provide backup data for your application including flawless documentation as required by regulators that includes a complete Catalog, Enrollment, Admissions, Registration, Student Rights, Student Grievance Procedures, Faculty Handbook, local city or county license, secretary of state approval to operate in the state, liability insurance, internal security for records, retention procedures, library (electronic) and librarian, and a never-give-up commitment to rewrite documentation often to satisfy whims of regulator reviews.8. Demonstrate the schools financial integrity. It is key. Answer the what ifs if all or some students quit and want a refund or in the worst case if your school goes bankrupt? Regulators at every step of the way want to know this.9. Select real and experienced faculty. Make sure they are capable of teaching at an accredited university and can prove it.10. Have financial statements prepared by a professional that demonstrates your resources available to back up the school. No bankruptcy or felony conviction are permitted for sponsors, financial backers or board members.11. Project a three to five year financial and income statement pro-forma demonstrating flow of funds based on tuition and contribution expectations such as endowments and sponsors and benefactor funding in order to build a base for the new school.12. Build your website. Tell the truth. Claim only what is real.DiUlus cautions that success is not predicated on money as much as it is on dedication and ones ongoing passion to educate others. If you truly want to start a school, he says, and you have that passion to fill a unique niche, then creating a tuition driven nonprofit online university will find the world is your stage.XXXXXGlobal Academy (Online) is an AMERICAN international higher education consultancy specializing in building new online and blended colleges and universities. The Firm counts itself among the most innovative pioneer developers of cutting edge online and blended colleges and universities in the world today.Global Academy OnlineEmpire State Building350 Fifth Avenue, 59th FloorNew York NY 10118LaFonda Oliver-BowenExecutive Vice Presidentloliver@globalacademyonline.com917-423-1333
TravelUnion disrupts the market of business travelling

The new startup TravelUnion launched unique platform only for business travel market. Its an exclusive business travel club built purely on recommendation. The club provides peer to peer accommodation that has been personally verified and hand-selected for business travellers. In addition, TravelUnion provides an end to end travel solution, incorporating flights, taxis, car hire, billed back dining and airport travel services.The idea came about when the founder Charles Harris, with his passion for travel, felt it was time to rectify the significant issues facing to the peer to peer travel industry and make it easier for businesses to book travel. Harris stated Businesses need assurances that the properties they are booking exist, are compliant and are of a business standard.We are making it easier for our members to book all things travel; in on place with our end to end solution, supported by our extra mile of customer care. This is only the beginning for TravelUnion, watch this space.Members sign up using LinkedIn thereby creating that safe secure vouched for community and then complete their profile and then are verified before gaining access to the clubs exclusive pricing.The club allows its members to invite others and receive cashback rewards every time they book.TravelUnion understands the importance of being tax compliant and the company recently confirmed an alliance with Estonian Tax and Customs Board, allowing hosts in Estonia to remit their tax information automatically with little effort needed. Rivo Reitmann, Deputy Director General at the authority stated This new alliance allows for more transparency in the peer to peer travel community and ensures an easy and straight approach to taxes.The company has also recently partnered with WeSwap, providing its members with a multi-currency pre-paid debit card for their travels. Nardia Booshand, Head of Partnerships at WeSwap said We are really excited to build a partnership with another peer to peer provider such as TravelUnion, as it allows us to help their discerning business travellers with their currency needs.As part of the partnership, members will enjoy a 10 cash reward when joining WeSwap through the TravelUnion member portal.Among other international partnerships, the company partners with Taxify to provide taxis with predefined destinations, allows easy transfers to and from TravelUnion accommodation.The company founded in 2015 in Estonia and supported by Tehnopol Startup Incubator, is going above and beyond the status quo when it comes to offering that end to end business travel solution businesses require.The new startup TravelUnion launched unique platform only for business travel market. Its an exclusive business travel club built purely on recommendation.Sepapaja tn 6Tallinn15551Estonia00372 6850097
Steven Mnuchin

Steven Mnuchin, a longtime Goldman Sachs banker, hedge fund manager and movie producer, served as Donald Trump's campaign finance chairman.

(Owen Kolasinski/BFA/TNS)

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Steven Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive and Hollywood movie producer who served as his campaign finance chairman, to be the next Treasury secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Mnuchin's deep roots on Wall Street fit the mold of past treasury secretaries but contrast with the populist stance Trump took during his campaign.

Mnuchin would be among three billionaires in Trump's Cabinet, after Betsy DeVos, who is Trump's pick for education secretary, and financier Wilbur Ross, who is poised to take over as commerce secretary.

Mnuchin's selection -- which was first reported Tuesday by The New York Times -- drew ire from Democratic and liberal groups, which have accused him of profiting from the financial crisis after buying the failed IndyMac Bank in 2009.

"So much for draining the swamp," said Adam Hodge, communications director for the Democratic National Committee. He said Mnuchin "preyed on homeowners struggling during the recession" qnd called Trump's pick "a slap in the face to voters who hoped he would shake up Washington."

Officials with Trump's transition team declined to confirm Mnuchin's selection, which may be announced as early as Wednesday.

Mnuchin, 53, co-chief executive of hedge fund Dune Capital Management, served as chairman of the Pasadena, Calif.-based bank, which was renamed OneWest Bank after he led a group of investors to purchase it. The bank has been criticized for a large number of foreclosures and hit by allegations of discrimination against minorities. It also helped finance high-profile films such as "Suicide Squad," "American Sniper" and "Mad Max: Fury Road."

During the campaign, Trump sharply criticized his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for being too cozy with Wall Street.

Now Trump has tapped Mnuchin, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., to be one of the federal government's most important economic and financial officials.

Mnuchin rose to partner and chief information officer at the legendary Wall Street investment bank, where his father also had been a partner, before leaving in 2002 to work with billionaire investor George Soros.

Two years later, Dune Capital Management was co-founded by Mnuchin as a spinoff from Soros' firm.

If confirmed by the Senate, Mnuchin would be the third former Goldman executive to become treasury secretary in recent years, following Robert Rubin under President Bill Clinton and Henry M. Paulson under President George W. Bush.

As Mnuchin's name emerged as a leading candidate for the treasury post, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee called Mnuchin "a second-generation Goldman Sachs banker who made a fortune by foreclosing on working families' homes." The group criticized him for opposing tough Wall Street regulation.

Mnuchin would become a key player in world economics, meeting frequently with foreign finance ministers, and in overseeing the U.S. tax and financial system.

He would take the helm of an agency whose regulatory responsibilities swelled under the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The treasury secretary serves as chairman of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a panel of top regulators created by the law. Republicans have criticized the council as wielding too much power.

The Treasury Department also includes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent agency that supervises national banks; the IRS; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; and the Mint.

Mnuchin is a Yale University graduate who is divorced with three children. He owns a $26.5 million mansion in Los Angeles' exclusive Bel-Air neighborhood and has strong connections to Southern California.

In 2009, Mnuchin and other investors put up about $1.6 billion in cash to purchase IndyMac, one of the leading subprime mortgage lenders.

They sold the bank to CIT Group last year for $3.4 billion. Mnuchin now serves on CIT's board of directors.

The deal was nearly derailed by complaints about OneWest's foreclosure practices.

OneWest had agreed to participate in a federal program to modify the mortgages of borrowers so that they would not lose their homes. But community groups said the bank aggressively pursued foreclosures, particularly in minority areas.

In 2011, dozens of activists protested the practices on the lawn of Mnuchin's 22,000-square-foot Bel-Air home. That same year, the federal Office of Thrift Supervision hit the bank with a regulatory order saying it had failed to follow procedures when foreclosing on homeowners.

--Los Angeles Times
TriMet's contract with the union representing its front-line expires at the end of the day Wednesday, but the two sides won't meet in negotiations until at least January.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, which represents TriMet drivers, mechanics and support staff, has told the agency it's not ready to exchange contract proposals, which would start the clock on a 150-day bargaining period.

TriMet previously offered to extend the expiring contract, but the union declined. The transit agency now says the union has delayed contract negotiations, while the union says the agency has rebuffed offers to talk informally.

In any case, terms of the existing contract will remain in place until the new one is reached. In the meantime, TriMet will freeze negotiated wage increases and pass increases in healthcare costs on to employees.

The stage is set for a particularly contentious round of contract negotiations.

The expiring contract was reached after two years of negotiations, and TriMet won major concessions on health-care benefits, with employees agreeing to shoulder higher costs. For employees hired after the contract was ratified, it put an end to post-retirement TriMet-paid health care benefits for retirees eligible for Medicare.

But the union president who negotiated that contract has since been voted out of office, and the new president, Shirley Block, has vowed take a harder line to win back some of those benefits.

Transit employees are barred from striking in Oregon. In the event of an impasse, the two sides' final offers would be sent to an arbitrator, who would pick one.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus
1mckeanjpgjpeg-e7d5e8e50f2044f6.jpg

Interim Portland Public Schools Superintendent Bob McKean speaks during a public meet and greet session prior to a meeting of the Portland School Board on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. (Bethany Barnes/Staff)

An attorney picked to be Portland Public Schools' top lawyer has said district officials did, in fact, know about his 2009 prosecution for breaking Florida's public records law before making the offer.

Wes Bridges, currently general counsel for the Polk County School District in Florida, withdrew from consideration in Portland on Monday after news spread locally about the court case. The Oregonian/OregonLive began asking senior officials about Bridges' record last week.

And on Wednesday, the Ledger newspaper in Polk County, which first reported that Bridges had resigned his post to move to Portland, reported Bridges had blamed "local politics" for the reversal. The paper cited a letter Bridges sent to the Polk County board, where Bridges now hopes to keep working.

In an interview with The Ledger, Bridges also said he told interview panelists in Portland about his plea deal -- contrary to statements from local officials.

Interim superintendent Bob McKean has told The Oregonian/OregonLive the district didn't know about the court case until reading about it amid the news of Bridges' resignation.

McKean said Bridges' offer was conditional upon a background check and that he was not supposed to resign from his current job. Doing so, McKean said, "jeopardized" Portland's process.

In an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday, Bridges said he told one interview panel at length about his 2009 court case and that he put in his resignation to "provide a professionally decent notice period."

Lawyer responds to backlash over Portland schools job offer



Portland Public Schools officials have declined to make interview panelists available to speak about Bridges' assertions.

"We have nothing more to say on this topic," Portland Public Schools spokeswoman Courtney Westling wrote in an email Wednesday. "The process with Wes is complete."

School board member Pam Knowles -- who was on the hiring panel -- told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday she would be happy to talk about the process once it was complete, but did not return phone calls on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The flap is a potential setback for Portland Public Schools, which has dozens of high-level jobs to fill -- including a permanent superintendent.

McKean came on in August after a lead scandal that ousted the superintendent and revealed years of neglected maintenance and significant hazards in schools. The crisis also spotlighted longstanding accountability problems in management.

Bridges' background troubled some in Portland considering the district is trying to remake its public records process after admitting that it's struggled to release information in a timely fashion. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office has recently urged the district to improve how it handles public records.

Whoever becomes Portland Public Schools' top lawyer will oversee the release of public records.

Bridges' public records problems in Florida stemmed from a request from Joel Chandler, a Polk County public records advocate, who told The Oregonian/OregonLive he'd asked the district in 2008 for all non-exempt health insurance enrollment information.

When Bridges refused, Chandler filed a lawsuit and pushed for the State Attorney's Office to press charges against Bridges.

Bridges pleaded no contest and was fined for the violation. In response to Chandler's request, the Florida Legislature passed a law that shields information about children of state employees on health plans from the public, according to The Ledger.

State Attorney Jerry Hill, head of the office that prosecuted Bridges, said Portland is missing out on Bridges and he's glad Bridges is staying in Polk County.

Hill noted that the judge "withheld adjudication," meaning there was no formal finding of guilt.

"He made a mistake he paid for it," Hill said. "Portland has just passed over a very bright, honorable man to be their school board attorney"

The judge who sentenced Bridges said attempting to protect children was "admirable under the circumstances" but was nonetheless illegal, The Ledger reported. But others noted Bridges wouldn't have had to hold back records if he'd redacted children's names.

It's rare for government officials to face consequences for withholding public records, let alone be prosecuted criminally. A column in The Ledger said the charge was the first time in recent memory that a public-agency lawyer in the area had been charged with violating the public records law.

Hill, who was at one time Bridges boss when he worked as a prosecutor, said the school district attorney faced a difficult situation from a man he characterized as a "gadfly" who doggedly pursued public records.

But regardless Chandler had a right to those records, Hill said. Hill said his office takes public information violations seriously and has pursued them in the past, though noted such matters are often solved with education.

The incident with Bridges was different, he said, because Chandler "absolutely understood the public records law and was documenting everything to a T" and was adamant his office take action in court.

"It's just a very, very low level offense. Obviously didn't jeopardize his job here," Hill said.

"If anything Wes Bridges understands public records better than most lawyers."

In his email Thursday, Bridges said he went on about his case during one of his interviews. And as part as the discussion, he said, he explained why he has "particular reason to be especially sensitive to public records requests."

Bridges declined to comment on Portland's process, but said he assumed Portland Public Schools had done a preliminary investigation before offering him a job.

"I believe it is common practice for employers to perform basic internet searches in connection with applications for employment, especially with respect to key positions," Bridges wrote.



Stephanie Harper, the district's interim general counsel, told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday internet searches done before job candidates receive conditional offers are "legally risky," noting extra information gained before making a conditional job offer increases a likelihood someone could claim the district excluded them unfairly.

"The more extra information you get on the front end, then the riskier your selection process is," she said.

Bridges has remained controversial in Polk County since his public records legal trouble. He drew scrutiny for requiring identification to enter buildings where meetings are held.

And a recently elected school board member made removing Bridges one of his campaign promises, citing to The Ledger a lawsuit the district lost dealing with teacher bonuses.

Bridges' fate in Polk County remains unclear. He told the Polk County School Board he wants to keep his job. The school board chair told The Ledger since the board hadn't voted on the resignation she saw no reason he couldn't remain in his role.

-- Bethany Barnes

Clarification appended: This story has been updated with more information about Bridges court case in Florida.
University of Oregon campus walk

The University of Oregon and other public schools in the state are more diverse than in years past.

(Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)

The number of Latino and multi-racial students at Oregon's public universities is more than double what it was seven years ago, according to an analysis of enrollment records by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Though Oregon's public universities collectively saw enrollment rise roughly 5 percent from 2010 to 2016, the lion's share of that growth was fueled by significant increases in the number of minority students on campus. Those gains, particularly among Latino and multi-racial students, held through this academic year, even as all but two campuses posted slight declines in overall enrollment.

The change at Oregon's public universities is a reflection of the state's shifting demographics; the number of Latinos here has surged 72 percent since 2000 and now account for 12 percent of the state's total population. But it also shows that state schools have a long way to go in bringing more students of color to campus.

According to state records, 21 percent of high school seniors in 2015-16 were Hispanic or Latino while just 9.8 percent of public college students today match that description.

"The trend is very much in the right direction," Ben Cannon, executive director of Oregon's Higher Education Coordinating Commission, said of the increasingly diverse campuses.

"We are closing those gaps, but a gap still exists," Cannon added.

Oregon has tried to sweeten the pot for universities in recent years by distributing an increasing amount of state operating support to schools that enroll students of color or those from low-income households.

Cannon said he'd like to see more analysis of student demographics broken down by in-state and out-of-state students. He said he doesn't believe the doubling of the Latino population came by schools recruiting out of state. "I don't think that's the case," he said, "[but], we'd want to know that."

The state's data are incomplete, as 5 percent of enrolled students this fall declined to identify a race or ethnic group. That number is skewed by the more than 1,755 Southern Oregon University students who declined to identify a race or ethnic group, a figure which accounted for more than 35 percent of the statewide figure.

Other highlights of the analysis:

- The black student population remains stubbornly low, with just Oregon State and Western Oregon University's black student population rate cracking 3 percent. That's slightly higher, though, than the 2015-16 figures for black high school seniors.

- The total number of Oregon college students who come from another country also grew dramatically from 2010 to 2016, with more than 3,700 new international students added. Schools like the University of Oregon, where more than 13 percent of the students are international, increasingly look to foreign learners as a way to bring in more tuition revenue.

- The data show overall white student enrollment dropped some 8 percentage points statewide during the same time period. Today, white students account for 61 percent of public college students.

The demographic trends come as several schools celebrate what they are calling the most diverse incoming freshman class in history.

Portland State University President Wim Wiewel said the increase in the Latino population on campus was by design. "We have worked hard to both recruit and support not only Latino students but other underrepresented populations in Oregon," he said in a news release.

PSU hired more bilingual and multicultural admissions counselors in recent years and has five cultural resource centers on campus.

Oregon State also has a number of cultural centers on campus and has the largest population of students who identify themselves as being two or more races.

The University of Oregon also saw dramatic increases in its Latino population. Roger Thompson, vice president of student services and enrollment management, said the Eugene school has been deliberate and proactive in its recruitment efforts.

For the past five or six years, the school has sponsored community events and bought advertising on Univision, the American Spanish-language television network.

The legwork is paying dividends, Thompson said. "Student recruitment is about community with students and families, it's also about really becoming a fabric of our community."

Thompson said growing the international student population is important to UO because it helps prepare all students for working in a "21st century global economy."

He added that the number of Oregon students graduating from high school is shrinking, and the school needs to continue to make sure the best qualified state students are able to get into UO going forward.

As for growing diversity, Thompson said that won't stop. "There's always more work to do."



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen
On Friday, April 15, 1955, a petite young woman left an envelope addressed to Meier & Frank president Aaron Frank on a counter at the downtown Portland department store. Scrawled across the envelope: "Important! Important! Important!"

The envelope passed through the hands of six saleswomen and secretaries before reaching Frank on the building's 12th floor. At about 2:28 p.m., the company president opened the envelope and pulled out the contents as he walked into his office.

He stopped in his tracks. The typed letter stated that two bombs had been planted in the store, and that the first one would explode "by the time you receive this message."

Sure enough, as Frank continued to read, an explosion shook the block-long building, shattering windows and sending glass shards some 100 feet across Morrison Street. The bomb, placed in the third-floor men's room, injured two people.

By the time firefighters and police arrived at the building, Frank had read the next paragraph. The second bomb, the note said, was well-hidden and would go off the next day -- unless Frank coughed up $50,000.

The Meier & Frank building -- part of which is being sold, Macy's announced this month, and as a result the building soon will be without a department store for the first time in its 107-year existence -- was a logical target for extortionists seeking to sow fear. The Meier & Frank store, now defunct, was a beloved Oregon institution in the 1950s. Shoppers from across the state packed the downtown retail emporium day in and day out. After evacuating the building following the explosion, police conducted an extensive search but didn't find a second bomb. To be safe, the company decided to keep the store closed on Saturday, normally a high-volume day.

News of the bombing and the blackmail effort quickly spread beyond Oregon, reaching readers across the country. Time magazine called it "one of the most extraordinary extortion plots in criminal history."

The reason: The plotters' efforts to get their hands on the $50,000 -- and the police's efforts to capture those responsible for the bombing -- played out over the next 24 hours like a Hollywood thriller. "The story," wrote The Oregonian, "is full of secret meetings, kept by a contact man who was a stand-in for the department-store executive, long rides in taxicabs, mysterious telephone calls and the threat of a further bombing which was not fulfilled."

The letter to Frank laid out the first step for transferring money to the bomber and thus preventing another explosion.

Following the instructions, the contact man -- 36-year-old undercover policeman Per A.J. Leines, wearing a white carnation in his lapel -- took a suitcase full of money to the downtown Imperial Hotel, now the Hotel Lucia. A note was waiting for him.

At 7 p.m. Leines found himself on the sidewalk outside the hotel on his way to step two. "In the early-evening rain his view was blurred," Oregonian writer George Spagna wrote. "Only one other man loomed in sight, a straggler apparently waiting in a sheltered doorway of a neighboring building." Spagna continued:

"This was the time. Move now, slowly, around the corner, a few doors further up the street. Into a doorway there, the Bell Telephone attendants' exchange building -- then to booth number 15."

Leines set the money-stuffed case at his feet and waited. The phone rang, startling him.

"Are you the man with the bag?" he was asked. It was a high-pitched voice, the question half-whispered.

The person on the other end of the line told him what to do next, and Leines hung up and left the Bell Telephone building. Back to the hotel he went, where in a telephone booth in the lobby he found a key and another note. As Leines once again strode out of the hotel, detectives trailing him spotted a man skulking near the telephone booth. As the plain-clothed officers approached, the man bolted, sprinting into the street. The officers went after him, but he disappeared into the rain-fuzzed evening.

Leines, meanwhile, continued to Union Station, where the key opened a locker. There, still another note told him to get into a taxi with "no two-way radio" and drive to Eugene at no more than 25 miles per hour. "He was to expect a car to pull up behind the cab somewhere en route and flash its bright lights three times," The Oregonian reported. "Then he was to stop and put out the money without getting out of the cab."

Leines did as he was told, taking a cab all the way to Junction City, with unmarked police vehicles carefully following. But no car ever pulled up behind the taxi and flashed its lights. The police operation appeared to be a bust.

But as it turned out the plotter or plotters had slipped up. Postal inspectors eventually matched the typed extortion notes to letters from an unrelated mail-fraud case. Eight months after the bombing, law enforcement zeroed in on a suspect: a 38-year-old blind man named Clarence William Peddicord, whose chemical-sales business had gone under.

When police showed up to arrest Peddicord, his wife, Dorothy, didn't appear surprised. "We've got a thousand and one judgments against us and bill collectors hound us all the time," she said.

Peddicord confessed to the bombing and implicated his sister-in-law, 28-year-old Joyce Keller, as "his eyes." The man who ran from police at the Imperial Hotel apparently had nothing to do with the extortion plot -- possibly a small-time pick-pocket, police speculated. After submitting a guilty plea, Peddicord was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Keller, meanwhile, vehemently denied having anything to do with the bomb plot. A Meier & Frank saleswoman identified her as the woman who led Peddicord through the store before the explosion, but defense attorneys at Keller's 1956 trial picked apart her testimony, showing that while the saleswoman could easily describe Keller she couldn't do the same for "a single customer she waited on that day or give details of what was on sale" in her department.

Keller and a man named John Loveless, with whom she was living, both testified they were looking after the Peddicord children on the day of the bombing. They said Clarence and Dorothy Peddicord left their house at about noon.

Keller was acquitted by directed verdict. Peddicord, insisting the police had harassed him into confessing, unsuccessfully contested his guilty plea in 1963. He was paroled three years later and died of a heart attack in 1978.

The bombing led to months of newspaper stories about the investigation, greedily devoured by Oregon readers, but the ongoing press attention to the case didn't keep Meier & Frank shoppers away from the iconic store. A week after the bombing, and with no suspect yet identified, "business was back to normal," Business Week wrote, "with shoppers seemingly undismayed by the whole thing."

-- Douglas Perry
By E.J. Dionne

WASHINGTON -- Democrats are in danger of moving from complacency to panic. Neither is particularly helpful.

The complacency part is obvious: Until about 9 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 8, supporters of Hillary Clinton (myself included) were certain that Donald Trump's weaknesses among women, nonwhite voters, and younger Americans would prevent him from becoming president.

This analysis was half-right: Trump lost the popular vote by more than 2 million. But things went just wrong enough for Clinton in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania to give Trump his Electoral College victory. His combined margin in the three states stands at about 101,000. Roughly 134 million votes have been counted nationwide.

Is pointing to the limits of Trump's victory simply a way of evading the depth of the Democrats' plight? After all, they also failed to take over the U.S. Senate in a year many Republican incumbents looked vulnerable. They picked up a paltry six seats in the House. Add to this the large-scale losses of governorships and state legislatures since the Democrats' recent high point in 2008 and you have the makings of a party-wide nervous breakdown.

Note, however, that the party in the White House often fares badly in midterm elections, Democrats especially so because they lean on votes from the young, who are less inclined to go to the polls in off-years.

But unless Trump's first two years are wildly successful, 2018 offers Democrats opportunities to rebuild hollowed-out local parties. This is especially true in statehouses, as The Washington Post's Greg Sargent pointed out. Ten states with Republican governors could plausibly turn blue (as could New Jersey in 2017).

Clinton's popular vote advantage speaks to other opportunities. It reflected a shift toward the Democrats in Sunbelt states with large minority populations that is likely to continue. In Texas, Clinton got some 560,000 more votes than President Obama did in 2012, while Trump ran 4.6 percentage points behind Mitt Romney's showing. Trump also fell short of Romney's percentages in California, Arizona and Georgia.

The Democrats big Sunbelt problem on Election Night was Florida. Both major party candidates received more votes there than the 2012 nominees, but Trump's gains were significantly larger. If Democrats are looking for a state to fret about in their post-mortems, Florida should be at the top of the list.

Trump's narrow wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania (unless they're miraculously overturned in recounts), plus his larger victories in Ohio and Iowa, have the Democrats focused on the white working class -- and on whether it's time for "the end of identity liberalism," the headline of a recent New York Times article by Mark Lilla, a Columbia University political philosopher.

Lilla's New York Times essay provoked a polemical tempest. Many advocates for African-Americans, gays and lesbians, immigrants and women fear Lilla's suggestion would lead liberals to abandon beleaguered constituencies at the very moment when they most need defending.

In fact, Lilla is right that liberalism needs to root its devotion to inclusion in larger principles and should not allow itself to be cast (or parodied) as simply about the summing up of group claims. He is also dead on when he writes: "If you are going to mention groups in America, you had better mention all of them. If you don't, those left out will notice and feel excluded." Democrats, who gave us the New Deal and empowered the labor movement, should be alarmed by the flight of the white working class.

But Lilla's critics are right about something, too: An effort to reach out to the white working class cannot be seen as a strategy for abandoning people of color, Muslims or immigrants, or for stepping back from commitments to gender equality, or for withdrawing support for long-excluded groups. Liberalism's very inclusiveness offers Democrats long-term advantages both in the Sunbelt and among younger voters who will own the future.

A panicky abandonment of their core commitments is the last thing Democrats need. Far better advice comes from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who urges the party to re-engage with rural and small-town voters. Also promising: the formation of a Blue Collar Caucus in the House announced this week by Reps. Brendan Boyle, an Irish Catholic from Philadelphia, and Marc Veasey, an African-American from Fort Worth.

I mention the backgrounds of this pair of Democrats because their cross-racial partnership sends exactly the right message. Progressivism's embrace of social and economic justice is about lifting up the left-out across all of our dividing lines. Remembering this is the first step toward political recovery.

E.J. Dionne's email address is ejdionnewashpost.com. Twitter: EJDionne.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
By Peter Courtney

Regular physical activity is good for our kids. Too many of our children aren't getting enough exercise. We have to get our kids moving.

In a September legislative hearing, lawmakers heard from experts about the benefits of regular physical activity for children - specifically physical education classes.

The evidence is clear. Physical education helps children maintain a healthy weight and build strong bones. It reduces the risk of obesity and related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. It has even been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, leading to better mental health.

Studies show that regular physical activity at school benefits children's academic performance. Kids who are active have higher test scores and grades. They pay better attention to academic tasks. They have better memory and recall. Active children are even less likely to act out in school.

With all the evidence of the benefits of physical education, why wouldn't we want to make sure our kids all have the opportunity to be physically active as part of their school day?

Nearly a decade ago, the Legislature voted overwhelmingly to require physical education for elementary and middle school students. House Bill 3141 gave Oregon schools 10 years to work PE into their schedules. It called for a minimum of 150 minutes a week for elementary school students and 225 minutes a week for middle school students.

A recent study showed that few Oregon schools are meeting the standards. Those who don't meet the standards beginning in the 2017-18 school year will be in violation of the law.

My office is currently working with school boards, superintendents, teachers and health care advocates to make sure schools can and will comply beginning next year. The law may need some technical fixes, but we can't back down from its ultimate goal: Improving our children's health by insisting that physical education be part of their school day.

Years ago I said: "The only thing wrong with kids is adults." It was true then. It's true now.

We adults must make the health of our children a priority. If we don't do something about our kids being inactive, they will be too tired, too sick and too inattentive to read or write or do math.

Surely we can find a way to provide 30 or 45 minutes a day to make our kids healthier, happier, better students and better citizens.

A healthy body, a healthy mind. A healthy mind, a healthy body.

Peter Courtney, a Democrat, represents Senate District 11, which includes parts of Salem, Gervais and Woodburn. He has served as Senate President since 2003.
1elliott.JPG

In this Oct. 27, 2016 photo, Joe Metzler walks across a fallen log over a creek in the Silver Grove in the Elliott State Forest.

(Amanda Loman /The World via AP)

HOT BUTTON: ELLIOTT STATE FOREST

On Sunday, we asked another Hot Button question: Should the state keep or sell the Elliott State Forest?

Today, we're publishing some of the responses. If you'd like to add to the discussion please see the "How do I submit a letter to the editor" info box on this page and let us know what you think. Look for a new Hot Button question on Sunday.

CHERISH THE ELLIOTT: I assume this is a rhetorical question, similar to "should I keep or sell my children?" Or "should we clear-cut Forest Park?" Of course we should keep and, more specifically, cherish, every bit of forest that we have. Additionally, I propose the state take over federal lands, so that we can make it illegal for gun-slingers to occupy and desecrate it and also prevent any mining and pillaging by new presidents. Perhaps there can be carefully chosen bits of these lands which can be used for Works Progress Administration-style projects, like some of the beautiful stone walls, trails, and bridges in the Columbia Gorge, to be built by unemployed/ currently houseless people who might live in simple structures near-site during the process.

Hannah Zaiv

Milwaukie

OREGON HAS OTHER OPTIONS: Within the vast stands of rare native forest, the Elliott contains crucial coastal habitat for big game, endangered species, and wild salmon. Oregon should absolutely keep its first state forest in public ownership.

Yes, the Elliott lost $3 million in 2012 when a federal court ruled that Oregon Department of Forestry had been in violation of the endangered species act and 28 timber sales were canceled to have the lawsuit dropped. It was found that the forestry department had not only logged endangered species habitat but had also falsified endangered species survey reports. This is a point rarely discussed. All future generations of the public should not have to pay for the unlawful actions of state employees.

The 2014 Evergreen Economics Report found that recreation in the Elliott generates about $1.72 million annually in spending from direct visits to the forest (with a consumer surplus of $1.4 million for that year). As there has been no investment in recreation on the Elliott (trails, interpretive signs, etc), these figures could easily be increased. This spending reliably occurs year after year, and has a real impact on my community.

Payments to schools have not gone down since the controversy began, as the Elliott only accounts for a fraction of the state's total school budget. Oregon has other options. The Elliott could continue to make some money. The state simply needs to have reasonable and sustainable revenue expectations, and to recognize the myriad of other values the Elliott holds for all Oregonians.

Janet Moore

North Bend

KEEP THE ELLIOTT: The State of Oregon should retain the Elliott State Forest and foster partnerships with industry, tribes, and nonprofits to manage the landscape for carbon storage and ecosystem services as well as responsible timber harvest. Given the emergence of a growing market for forest carbon as part of California's cap and trade program to combat climate change, Oregon schoolchildren sure to inherit a world of climate disruption should attend public schools that benefit directly from solutions that the state's forest land can supply best.

Edward Wolf

Northeast Portland

LEAVE THE ELLIOTT ALONE: I came here in 1969. Tom McCall was our governor who saved the coast from private ownership. He'd be turning in his grave about now. Some time past, lacking the science we now know, it was decided the forest could be used to generate enough money for education. Now we know better and the most sustainable benefit would be to leave it alone. But because this state, which is home to great wealth, has decided to honor this seemingly false premise, we find ourselves in this bind.

Oregon has fallen so far behind Washington and California in protecting its watersheds, it's a disgrace.

Bob Bernstein

Southeast Portland

CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES: Before Oregon considers the sale of the Elliott State Forest to Lone Rock Timber Management Company, state officials must give more time to citizens and groups to consider and propose alternatives. Andrew Theen ("Elliott State Forest sale: Timber, threatened species and politics collide") highlights such alternatives as well as the bipartisan support among politicians, environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts. We have not been given enough time to consider the options as Oregonians to preserve our land, enhance our economy, and outline funding mechanisms to the Common School Fund.

Excluding these additional options would be squandering valuable resources, ideas, and common interest. State officials and Governor Kate Brown must remember that Oregonians care deeply about our land. We also must remember that once we sell the land, it is forever out of the public's hands.

Adam M. Russell

Southwest Portland
Photo credit: Skyscraper City via Curbed.comundefined

From Veranda

UPDATE 11/28/16:

The first renderings of Leonardo DiCaprio's luxurious eco-resort, which has been in the works since April 2015, are finally here.

The resort, located on a small island off the coast of Belize, is slated to open in 2018 and will feature fewer structures than previously expected - 36 residential homes and 36 villas, according to the Daily Mail - but will still be as eco-friendly and luxurious as anticipated.

We now know that the buildings will be constructed using local materials, and will be powered by solar panels. Plus, all vehicles on site will be required to use clean energy and only reusable water bottles will be allowed, according to Business Insider. The food will, of course, also be locally sourced and organic.

Decor inspired by the Belize's ancient Mayan architecture is said to be expected, with architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who is responsible for creating some of the most lavish hotels around the world, outfitting the exteriors with dark wood, thatched roofs and marble accents, Travel and Leisure reports.

If that's not enough to sell you, the beachfront infinity pools certainly will.

Take a peek inside:

Leonardo DiCaprio has dedicated his time and resources to environmental causes for years, but he's taking his love for the Earth a step further with the creation of a new eco-friendly resort. According to Curbed, DiCaprio, along with a partner, purchased a private island in Belize, known as Blackadore Caye, for $1.75 million back in 2005, and the actor is now planning to create an eco-resort on that property.

The 104 acres of unpopulated land will soon feature 68 elevated resort villas, "fish shelters" in man-made reefs, marine grass grown to feed manatees, and private houses that will cost between $5 million and $15 million each. DiCaprio hopes the estate will prove to be beneficial for the area and the planet at large, with a team of scientists, engineers, designers and landscape architects monitoring how the resort affects its location. DiCaprio spoke to the New York Times about his intentions, saying: "My goal was always the fact that I wanted to create something not just environmental, but restorative, a showcase for what is possible."

Story continues

Photo credit: Skyscraper City via Curbed.com

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Wednesday 30 November 2016 10:51am



Postgraduate students Bailey Kennedy and Remy Muhsin, who undertook the research with Associate Professor McLellan. Photo credit: Amy Dunn.

Chemotherapy stimulates the release of tiny bubbles from the surface of cancer cells that cause potentially fatal blood clots, new University of Otago research has found.



Most deaths from cancer are caused by uncontrolled growth of the tumour in vital organs. However, the second most common way that cancer kills is by triggering blood clotting resulting in thrombosis, such as pulmonary embolisms.



This causes blockage of major blood vessels  preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching vital organs. Though often life-saving and life-prolonging, chemotherapy is associated with a six to sevenfold increase in the risk of thrombosis in cancer patients.



The link between cancer and thrombosis was noted over 100 years ago, but the reasons for the association have been elusive.



Microbiology and Immunology Associate Professor Alex McLellan says his team discovered cancer cells treated with chemotherapy release lipid-rich bubbles from their membranes that activate coagulation (clotting) processes.



We now have insight into how these bubbles from dying cancer cells may cause thrombosis during chemotherapy, Associate Professor McLellan says.



The work has formed the main topic of a PhD thesis carried out by Remy Muhsin  and was also recently published in the international peer-reviewed journals Biochimica et Biophysica Acta and Oncotarget.



The research has demonstrated that certain solid cancers are more active in promoting blood coagulation, as compared to lymphomas. A general pattern is that cancers such as pancreatic, lung and brain cancers carry the largest risk of thrombotic events, he says.



The group analysed the contribution of individual coagulation factors to the risk. Although their work identified the coagulation factor Factor V on the cancer bubbles, it was not essential for the rapid clotting induced by the bubbles. Instead an over-abundance of clotting lipids and a molecule called Tissue Factor on the cancer bubbles were responsible.



Since cancer-induced coagulation events also encourage tumour progression, our work opens up the possibility of developing inhibitors to the major coagulation pathway identified in cancer cells. The coagulation factors identified may be the Achilles heel of the cancer. Our current work is exploiting these molecules as targets for cellular and drug-based therapies, he says.



Another Otago study  a collaboration between Professor Sally McCormick of the Department of Biochemistry and Dr Lynnette Jones of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences  has shown that some chemotherapy agents produce unfavourable changes to blood lipids in breast cancer patients, which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The work, published in the journal PLOS ONE this year, was contributed to by PhD student Monika Sharma and researchers at Dunedin Hospital.

Both Associate Professor McLellan and Professor McCormick are quick to point out that the benefits of chemotherapy far outweigh possible risks of cardiovascular diseases and thrombosis.



However, while chemotherapy can be lifesaving, it does carry some risks. A new challenge is being able to identify those patients most at risk and providing effective management to mitigate this risk, they say.

For more information, contact:

Associate Professor Alex McLellan

Department of Microbiology & Immunology

University of Otago

Tel 03 479 7728 (Office) / 03 479 7147 (Lab)

Email alex.mclellan@otago.ac.nz
Darrell Crall spends the anniversary of David Lilys death alone, remembering how his friend died on Sept. 8, 1968 in a foxhole in Vietnam.

The sergeant of their unit had ordered Darrell to go up on a hill to call out incoming fire. While he was on the hill, an enemy mortar came over hitting the foxhole where David Lily was. Darrell and others in the unit had to gather up the body parts of David Lily, put them on a litter and evacuate the area. The men with the litter of body parts spent the night hiding from the Vietnamese in a river bottom. When morning came and they were able to escape, David Lilys hand, unattached to anything else, fell off the litter, hitting the ground. This is what Darrell Crall remembers on the anniversary of his friends death in Vietnam as if it were yesterday.

Sharon, Darrells wife, said, On anniversary days, Darrell doesnt want to do anything he is so depressed. He lets me know ahead of time. Hell say, Tomorrow is David Lilys anniversary. I do something else and give him some alone time. I used to try to make everything perfect but everythings not perfect. Thats life.

Darrell, knowing he would be drafted, enlisted in the Army on June 5, 1967 and was honorably discharged on May 27, 1969. At 21, he was called the old man of his unit.

From Oct. 23 to Oct. 26 Darrells unit was part of the Kinh Mon battle. North Vietnamese soldiers were using the DMZ as a sanctuary and a battalion operation was put in place to clear the area. Darrell was in Charlie Company which was part of three infantry units participating.

Support was provided by a Marine artillery unit and light aircraft flying overhead provided an eye in the sky. The men walked from Con Thien (Hill of Angels) to the DMZ area, crossing the Ben Hai River entering the DMZ from the north. The North Vietnamese Army lost 363 soldiers with Darrells unit losing only 16 men.

Darrell remembers being out to survey a certain area on a recon mission when he got lost. He said, I looked up and no one was there. I was out and by myself. What am I going to eat? Its funny what you think about in a situation like that. Tigers. All sorts of wild animals. I was scared to death! He had ammo and his rifle. It was either carry food or carry bullets. And the young men chose to carry bullets.

After his discharge in 1969, Darrell returned to is hometown Midland and worked at The Dow Chemical Co. before getting a job with The Frankenmuth Insurance Company. In 1984 Darrell decided to move to California where he got a job as a computer programmer with a German company, Allianz Insurance Company. It was there that he met Sharon Miller.

Sharon was a native Californian having been born on the Monterey Peninsula and was employed in the claims department of Allianz. He became president of the Employees Club and Sharon was vice-president so they carpooled when they went to meetings. Sharon said they were just good friends and enjoyed being together. When they did begin dating, they didnt tell anyone because they didnt want any gossip. Darrell proposed on St. Patricks Day, March 17, 1986 and they were married on his 40th birthday, Sept. 3, 1986. Married for thirty years now, Sharon says, Hes a wonderful man.

Darrell is 70 and Sharon and he live on Loon Lake located between Mio and Rose City. As a veteran of the Vietnam conflict, he suffers from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), diabetes and exposure to Agent Orange. Sharon said, When the area was sprayed with Agent Orange, the young men drank the water in the area. They breathed the air and they swam in the water that Agent Orange had been sprayed over.

Darrell has a service dog named Cody and it has relieved some of the stress he has lived under for almost 50 years. Cody is a golden doodle, part golden retriever and part standard poodle. If someone comes onto their property, Cody growls and alerts Darrell and Sharon that someone is there. Sharon said, Darrell doesnt always have to be on guard knowing that Cody is there protecting us. Typical of Vietnam veterans, Darrell lives with a heightened awareness of his surroundings. After a year in Vietnam where every day he had to be on guard, it has taken its toll on Darrell even after years in civilian life. When in a restaurant he has to face the door so he can see who is coming. For some time after returning home, alcohol was a problem.

Doctor visits mean that Sharon always accompanies her husband so she can ask questions that Darrell may forget and to remember what the doctor tells them to do until their next visit. Sharon said, Darrell calls me his pit bull. Im always there.

Living with a Vietnam veteran has taught Sharon a lot. She said, Darrell doesnt like to talk about what happened in Vietnam. The veterans dont think its important to shine a light on themselves. He just wants to live his life and be as happy as he can be.

Darrell attends regular VA meetings where vets have someone listen to them and understand because they went through the same thing. There are also groups for caregivers but Sharon hasnt joined one yet.

In 2009 they purchased what had once been a cabin on Loon Lake in the 1930s. The previous owners added more space and a bathroom to the cabin making it more like a home. Darrell and Sharon added two huge bedrooms and another bathroom once they moved in. A mammoth fireplace chimney made of stone which once stood outside the cabin, is now in the center of their home with one side facing the kitchen and the other side facing the family room. Creating a quiet space for Darrell has been uppermost in Sharons mind and she says, Life is all about attitude.

They recently found out that one of their daughters and her family have purchased 53 acres on Loon Lake where they intend to live.

Darrell, in spite of the problems he has suffered from his time in the military, is enormously proud of the medals and badges he received for his service. His most treasured medal is his Combat Infantry Badge. Darrell was a member of Company C First Battalion 61st Infantry Fifth Division which was nicknamed The Red Diamonds. He also is the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign medal, the Marksman M-14 medal and one Overseas Bar.

Darrell said that it didnt matter when they went out on recon  they were all one group. He said, Theres no society like combat society. We were fighting for the flag and under the flag but mainly Im fighting for my brother in arms. When he talks about the men he knew in Vietnam, his voice changes with the deep emotion that he feels. When people see his Vietnam hat, they thank him for his service. He says, It was my privilege.

Ending the interview, Sharon said, Darrell and I try to live by the motto, Dont give up five minutes before the miracle happens. And the miracle happened.
Gabonese opposition leader Jean Ping (C), surrounded by supporters waving Gabonese flags, gestures as he speaks on the Human Rights Esplanade (AFP Photo/FRANCOIS GUILLOT) (AFP/File)

Libreville (AFP) - Gabon's opposition leader Jean Ping once more declared himself "president-elect" as he returned home Saturday, claiming he had the support of multiple foreign countries after a month abroad.

The re-election of President Ali Bongo in August sparked deadly unrest in oil-rich Gabon as Ping's opposition cried foul.

"All the embassies know with certainty that it was I, Jean Ping, who you elected president of the Gabonese Republic on August 27," Ping told supporters who turned out at the airport to meet him, while hundreds of others gathered at his headquarters in Libreville.

"The same embassies know that it was Ali Bongo who was the unlucky candidate in this presidential election," said Ping, who has spent the last month in Paris, Brussels and Washington and flew in from the French capital.

Ping filed a legal challenge after Bongo was declared the winner of the presidential election by a mere 6,000 votes, but in September Gabon's constitutional court confirmed Bongo's victory, dismissing opposition claims of fraud.

International powers have largely recognised the result while calling for political dialogue in Gabon.

At least three people were killed in post-electoral violence according to the government, while the opposition says at least 26 died and several others are missing.

Ping, a former top official at the African Union, said the final report of the EU's observer mission for the elections would "reveal the truth of the deception" when it is released in early December.

An initial report by the EU observers noted "evident anomalies" in the results, notably in Bongo's stronghold of Haut-Ogooue.

Ping's return to Libreville prompted a major security operation, with police controlling access to the airport and then blocking the fast lane of the route leading to the opposition's headquarters.

Bongo's family has exercised a long grip on power.

Ali Bongo took over from his father Omar Bongo, who ruled for 41 years until his death in 2009.
BLOOMINGTON  The Grand Cafe, one of Bloomingtons oldest restaurants, will close next month but is expected to reopen following a remodeling in 2017.

We will close as of Dec. 31, said Shanna Brown, a manager at the 95-year-old Chinese-American restaurant located at 615 N. Main St. in downtown Bloomington. The plan is to reopen.

Brown confirmed there are plans to remodel but declined further comment and referred all questions to owner Ike Chiu. Efforts to reach Chiu were unsuccessful.

As of Tuesday, there were no remodeling permits for the address filed with the city of Bloomington or the McLean County Health Department.

The restaurant was founded in 1921 by Charlie B. Lum, a Hong Kong native who arrived in Chicago in 1918 and created a menu with Asian dishes that were modified to appeal to area residents. The original site was the second floor of a building at 204 N. Center St. In 1948, the restaurant moved to 106 W. Front. Lums son, Peter, and his wife, Jill, took over the business a few years later.

In 1970, Jills brother, Pong Chiu, a native of China, joined the staff. Two years later, the city moved Front Street businesses to make way for the McLean County Law and Justice Center and the Grand Cafe was moved to a temporary location at 422 N. Main St. Pong Chiu then took over ownership from Peter Lum, who retired.

In 1976, the restaurant moved to its current location, adding a bar and lounge area. Currently, it can seat more than 200 people.

Pong Chiu died in 2003 and Ike Chiu took over ownership. The restaurant was recognized for having the best Chinese food in Bloomington-Normal in this year's Pantagraph Readers' Choice contest.
EUREKA  A Bloomington woman accused in the Oct. 16 stabbing death of her husband will remain in Woodford County Jail on $1 million bond after a judge denied a request to lower the amount, saying he had concerns that she could harm herself if freed.

Sarah Mellor, 30, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of her husband, Mark Mellor, 31, who died from a stab wound to the chest at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal. The incident occurred about 11:45 p.m. Oct. 15 at a Woodford County campground near Carlock.

Sarah Mellor would have to post 10 percent, or $100,000, to be released.

Her defense lawyer, Stephanie Wong, argued in court Tuesday that the former Spanish teacher at Bloomington High School would not pose a threat to the community and asked that her bond be lowered to $200,000, meaning she would have to post $20,000 to be released.

Sarah Mellors mother, Carolyn Sutter of Bloomington, testified on her daughters behalf, telling Judge Michael Stroh that the family would be willing to liquidate some assets in an effort to raise the bail.

She would live with us in Bloomington, she said, while the family attempts to fix up a house on Lee Street where Sarah and Mark Mellor lived. We would then sell it or rent it out.

Wong also submitted a letter from the victims mother, Jerri Andrew, who encouraged the judge to lower Sarah Mellors bond.

She writes Sarah all of the time and has visited her on a couple of occasions, too, Wong said.

Wong told the judge that after her arrest, Sarah Mellor emailed her bosses at Bloomington District 87, submitting her resignation because that is in the best interests of the students at this time.

She added that her "state of mind" would also be the subject of testimony at trial, but did not elaborate.

In arguing against the bond reduction, States Attorney Greg Minger said the couple got into an argument because Sarah Mellor wanted to leave the campground.

Minger said evidence would show that she grabbed a hunting knife with a 4.5-inch blade and threatened him with it. The couple struggled and she stuck the knife into her husband, believing it would break off or bend, he said.

We acknowledge there was no criminal history leading up to this, Minger said, but that is what makes her dangerous. It was unpredictable.

Wong said the incident was out of character for Sarah Mellor.

This isnt a whodunit, she said. Sarah drove him to the hospital in their truck. She has cooperated with police and never attempted to evade.

Wong also emphasized Sarah Mellor's long and established ties to the community. She grew up in Bloomington, attended Illinois State University, and except for one year when she taught in Champaign-Urbana, has lived in Bloomington-Normal all of her life.

While Stroh said he took those factors into consideration, he denied the request, saying he had concerns about her personal safety.

It appears she and Mark had a loving relationship prior to this and this incident was very traumatic for her, as well, he said. I am concerned she may harm herself.

Sarah Mellor is due back in court Dec. 27 for a status hearing. The judge previously set a Jan. 17 jury trial date, but that likely will be delayed because lawyers are still exchanging records and working through pretrial matters.
BLOOMINGTON  A plan to install traffic signals and widen a busy stretch of North Hershey Road has hit a red light.

At a special meeting, the City Council voted 4-3 Monday night to stop the installation of a fifth lane for turning onto and off of Hershey Road and traffic lights at the intersections of Arrowhead Drive and Clearwater Avenue.

Aldermen Kevin Lower of Ward 1, Amelia Buragas of Ward 4 and Jim Fruin of Ward 9 voted against killing the plan.

Ward 5 Alderman Joni Painter, who represents the area, asked for the special session because residents living near the intersections wanted the project cancelled.

"Definitely there is a problem," Painter said. "They have had in the last year 43 accidents on that short stretch of road. There have been 79 traffic tickets that have been issued for speeding."

But residents told Painter they wanted a solution other than the project proposed by the Public Works Department.

"People who live there don't really want this, and I think the money would be much better spent elsewhere for people who want their roads repaired," she said.

In nixing the plan, the council asked staff to come up with other options.

"If we look at a redesign, it probably will be a project for another year," said City Manager David Hales.

Currently, traffic on the four-lane street is regulated by all-way stop signs at both intersections. Hershey Road carries about 16,000 vehicles per day.

The proposed project included adding traffic signals at both intersections, a turning lane on Hershey Road from north of Clearwater Avenue to south of Arrowhead Drive, a Constitution Trail extension along the east side of Hershey Road, and banning on-street parking on weekends.

To widen Hershey Road for the additional lane, the parkway  the grass area between the public sidewalk and the back of the curb  would have been reduced from 14.5 feet wide on both sides to 9 feet wide on the west side and 3 feet wide on the east side where the pedestrian-bike trail was planned.

The city offered to pay for driveway turnarounds or extensions to make up for the residents' lack of on-street parking.

"They don't consider it a real benefit to have turnarounds or extra driveways because for most of them, that's all they would have in their front yards  a block of cement," said Painter.

At Painter's request, the Lakewood-Hillcrest Homeowners Association conducted an online poll of nearby residents.

Eight out of nine respondent said they did not want the project to proceed. Two others called Painter and expressed opposition, she said, adding there also was "lukewarm" reception by residents who attended two meetings about the plan.

"What they want to happen is to get the road narrowed back to two lanes," said Painter. "They want the traffic pattern to be slowed down."

In the late 1970s, Hershey Road, north of Empire Street, "was never built as a two-lane road," Public Works Director Jim Karch said Tuesday "It's always been four lanes with a right-of-way wider than a standard street."

Originally, the council approved the proposed upgrades three years ago, with a total cost estimated "upwards of $1.25 million," said Hales.

The city has spent $118,000 on intersection design studies required by Illinois Department of Transportation when motor fuel tax money is used.
The world is watching the shameful way the North Dakota Native Americans, their supporters and news reporters are being treated. Needless to say, the residents of Bismarck, N.D., weren't treated this way when presented with the prospect of the Dakota Access Pipeline in their area.

As a citizen of the U.S., I am ashamed of the disgusting strip searches, the rubber bullets, the attack dogs and the other inhumane treatments to which the Native Americans have been subjected. Recently they were sprayed with water in freezing temperatures. That amounts to torture! The employees of the Morton County Sheriff's Office have behaved deplorably.

On April 13, 1919, in India, British soldiers opened fire on a peaceful gathering of Indians, massacring at least 379, including children, and wounding more than 1,000. (See the Amritsar Massacre.) That was the beginning of the end for Britain's oppressive rule. Each time the water protectors are attacked, DAPL and its hired hand, the Morton County Sheriff's Office, look increasingly more like the British troops that opened fire on that peaceful Indian group that had gathered near a well in Amritsar.

The people in Bismarck did not want DAPL in their neighborhood and it was re-routed. Now the Native Americans don't want it in their neighborhood. So, DAPL, re-route it. Or, better yet, stop it altogether. No one wants it their neighborhood.

Linda Bryant-Smith, Normal
Clearwater Paper to Close Oklahoma City Tissue Converting Facility and Restructure Neenah Mill Nov. 29, 2016 (Press Release) - Clearwater Paper Corporation (CLW) today announced the permanent closure of its Oklahoma City converting facility and permanent shutdown of two tissue machines at the company's Neenah, Wisconsin, tissue facility. "As an integral step in our overall strategy to optimize our operations through better asset utilization, we will be taking these difficult but necessary actions while delivering on our growth objectives, said Pat Burke, group president for Clearwater Paper. Clearwater Paper intends to run its Oklahoma City facility until its permanent closure on March 31, 2017. All of the facility's 131 employees will be impacted. The facility converts large parent rolls of tissue into packaged products. Because of significant productivity gains from our cost and optimization programs across the company, we expect Oklahoma City's production to be effectively absorbed and more efficiently supplied by other Clearwater Paper facilities, said Glenn Taylor, vice president of manufacturing for Clearwater Paper's consumer products division. Also, as part of an overall facility optimization and restructuring plan, Clearwater Paper's Neenah location will permanently shut down two of the company's highest-cost tissue machines, affecting approximately 85 of the facility's approximate 400 employees and removing a total production capacity of 32,000 tons beginning December 31, 2016. Three remaining tissue machines will continue to manufacture an array of private label and away-from-home tissue products. Although a difficult decision when considering the impacted employees at Neenah, we expect the plant's restructuring to lower our overall costs and significantly strengthen the facility, said Taylor. The company will work closely with state employment agencies to assist employees in receiving training, educational benefits and other benefits that enable them to find new employment as quickly as possible. The company will also provide private career assistance services to help employees through this difficult time. The company expects the total impact of non-recurring exit related costs to be approximately $13 to $16 million, $4 to $6 million of which is expected to be incurred this year with the remainder in 2017. The cost savings benefits resulting from the facility consolidation and optimization are expected to be $10 million on an annual basis, with $7 to $9 million in 2017, which will contribute to the company meeting its previously announced operational improvement target. "Clearwater Paper's employees remain our primary consideration and we are working to do as much as we can for those affected by utilizing all resources to help them through this difficult time," said Pat Burke. "We are working with local and state agencies to supply multiple job options to the employees." Clearwater Paper manufactures quality consumer tissue, away-from-home tissue, parent roll tissue, bleached paperboard and pulp at manufacturing facilities across the USA. To learn more, please visit: www.clearwaterpaper.com. SOURCE: Clearwater Paper Corporation
A freak illness has hit Australia and other parts of Victoria as 60 ambulances were utilized to answer the 1,900 phone calls which overwhelmed emergency service, with one call being registered every four to five seconds. With only six casualties reported this Sunday, the death toll has increased to eight after a week and a day of alleviating the damage of such unexpected event.

Among the eight victims are Apollo Papadopoulos, 35, law student Hope Carnevali, 20, and high-school student Omar Moujalled, 18. The family of Carnevali has said she died in her family's arms while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, The Huffington Post reported.

The epidemic, which also occurred in London and Wagga, is caused by pollen allergens in starch granules or fungal spores that peak during harvest time. When a storm hits the atmosphere during high levels of humidity and pollen concentration, a thunderstorm asthma breaks out.

The ASCIA or the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy explains that when it rains or is humid, pollen grains can absorb moisture and burst, releasing hundreds of small allergenic particles that can penetrate deep into the small airways of the lung. Thus, making breathing an arduous task.

Out of the 2,588 respondents surveyed by the University of Melbourne, 74 percent said that they experienced an asthma attack during the night the storm struck, with 32 percent having asthma attacks for the first time. Especially to people with asthma diagnosis, precautions need to be heeded to prevent such predicament from affecting them in the future. Reena Ghildyal, a professional in biomedical sciences at the University of Canberra offers safety tips.

"Keep updated on local pollen counts and weather forecasts, especially in spring; keep your asthma medication up to date; enjoy the spectacle of the thunderstorm from inside your house; and call (emergency services) if your asthma worsens or you feel any breathing difficulty," she told CNN.


Children with behavioral issues are hard to talk to and when these children have no homes, no families and no friend, they are placed under the state care. The state is fully responsible to take care of such children until they reach their adulthood.

It turns out, however, that state parenting is not an ideal thing for some children. According to ABC News, Judge Greg Smith of Northern Territory condemned the Department of Territory Families for not knowing the whereabouts of a 14-year-old girl who was accused of property related offenses and was given under state parenting.

Judge Smith commented that the system of taking children into care and later leaving them on their own is a joke. He also added that the young problematic children are not given proper care and later they ruin their lives by making wrong choices. Later, the State puts the blame on the criminal justice system to deal with such cases.

The judge explained that he doesn't intend to target child protection but events such as the aforementioned in general. Territory Families minister Dale Wakefield said that children protection face a lot of difficulties dealing with children with placement problems. Agora Dialogue also published the news and considered the lack of responsibility of the department horrendous.

It also added that such events show the flaws in the system and that such children are always exposed to dangers. Children as young as 14 are left alone to decide what they want to do and where they want to go.

Meanwhile, it is imperative that the departments who look after children from broken families create a more organized way of keeping record of their whereabouts. Even though the girl was placed in a stable residence, there are hundreds more of such children who need proper care.
Everyone should get at least six to eight hours of sleep every day. Sleep is important not only to recharge the body but also to keep the brain healthy. A recent study claims that staying up late or being deprived of sleep causes more damage to children's brains than those of adults.

A new study by the University Hospital of Zurich claims that the lack of sleep inflicts severe damage to a child's developing brain. Sleep deprivation mainly affects the posterior brain regions responsible for planned movements, spatial reasoning, and attention. The damage in the child's developing brain is immediately noticeable but will have long-lasting effects.

The study was conducted by a large support team of students, Dr. Kurth, Professor Monique LeBourgeois of the University of Colorado, and Professor Sean Deoni of Brown University studied the effects of sleep deprivation on children's brain. Thirteen children ranging from ages five to twelve were tested by going through a fifty percent sleep deprivation.

The research started by measuring the children's deep sleep patterns during their regular sleep hours. The next night, the children were kept playing games and reading way past their bedtimes. The children's brains' activities were measured through a non-invasive procedure called an electroencephalogram.

By measuring the children's brains before and after sleep deprivation, the researchers are looking for how much slow-wave activity affects the different parts of the brain. The slow-wave activity is an electrical pattern found during deep sleep and recovery of the brain.

The results show that there is an increase of slow-wave activity in the back regions of the brain particularly the parietooccipital areas. Meaning these areas of the brain are the ones greatly affected when a person lacks sleep.

The researchers also measured the correlation of low sleep activity to the myelin content in the brain. Myelin content is the cornerstone of the development of the brain. Myelin is a brain substance that enables information between brain cells to travel faster.

The results show that the same regions of the brain affected by the lack of sleep also has a high myelin content. Meaning the areas of the brain affected by sleep deprivation needed a lot of myelin content to function properly. This result is similar to the effects of sleep deprivation on an adult's brain.

Further studies are still needed to know for sure if the damages inflicted on a child's developing brain due to sleep deprivation is permanent or temporary. The researchers conclude that a child's developing brain is more susceptible to damages inflicted by the lack of sleep. So no matter how young or old you are, you must get the prescribed six to eight hours of sleep to help not only the body but also the brain recover from all the activities of the day.


Director of Georgetown University Center for the Study of Learning, Guinevere Eden, carried out a research to examine the difference on the brains of people with dyslexia and find a way to rewire the human brain function. The findings suggested that children who suffer from dyslexia can undergo intensive reading training or tutoring to manage the disorder.

Eden explained that learning to read requires different parts of the human brain to be trained in recognizing letters before it relate them to sounds. The human brain will then blend the sounds into words but this process does not easily happen to people with dyslexia.

Eden, along with a team of researchers, focused on an eight-year-old girl named Tiffany Hilton and studied how the parts of her brain lights up as she performed several short reading exercises. Eden concentrated on the temporoparietal cortex and occipitotemporal cortex of her brain which apparently do not light up the same way a typical reader's brain does.

It was revealed that brains of people with dyslexia have under-activated temporoparietal cortex and occipitotemporal cortex. The temporoparietal cortex plays a role in processing spoken language while the art occipitotemporal cortex is important in the brain's visual processing center.

Both of these human brain parts do not function the same way in dyslexic. So, Eden proposed a six-week intervention that required children with dyslexia to attend a tutoring class. The children underwent reading exercises along with letter and number manipulations.

This was done in the director's attempt to rewire human brains of people with dyslexia to do what it was not "designed" to do, NPR reported. Eden and her team of researchers took brain scans of the children prior the classes to compare the brain activities at the end of the six-week intervention.

The study found that the brain's left hemisphere became more active. Additionally, new areas of the brain in the right hemisphere started to help out in the reading process as well. Eden came up with a conclusion that intensive reading tutoring may change the way the brains of children with dyslexia read.

What can you say about the newly proposed brain retraining to manage dyslexia? Do you believe that medical research and studies can one day find treatment to combat the learning disability?
Nicodemus and Jesus on a Rooftop (1899), by Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (1-2-09) ***

I shall contend that Paul and the early Christians did not consider Judaism and Christianity two separate religions or fundamentally different.

*

I had one of those wonderful aha! moments today when I noticed a few small (but highly important!) details, in defending the broad notion of the openness of the young Church to the existing Judaism (which I have dealt with before). The question under consideration is the following:

Which of the following options best describes how the earliest Christians viewed pharisaic, rabbinic Judaism, after the resurrection and ascension of Christ?: 1) Fundamentally hostile to it, as if Judaism had no good thing in it, and as if Christianity did not develop from Judaism. 2) As separate from it, though not fundamentally hostile to it in any way. 3) As still part of it: as a faction: those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and God.

I shall argue that the correct choice is #3, and that #1 is virtually impossible for anyone to argue, based on the NT data (while #2 is at least arguable). What I discovered today strongly backs this up. I was recounting my usual arguments about early Christian-Jewish relations, in reply to some highly critical statements about Judaism:

I find that extremely interesting, since the early Christians (even after the Resurrection) continued to worship in both the Temple and the synagogues. Even the Judaizers were Christians. St. Paul called himself a Pharisee three times, after the resurrection (Acts 23:6; 26:5; Philippians 3:5). Paul showed respect to the high priest, even when he was on trial (Acts 23:4-5). Jesus told His followers to do what the scribes and Pharisees who sit on the seat of Moses tell them to do (Matthew 23:2; right before he blasts them for their hypocrisy), and that not one jot or tittle of the Mosaic Law was taken away (Matthew 5:17-18), but only fulfilled in Him.

The details I refer to came in how St. Paul spoke during his trial. His chosen words show exactly what he thought about the relationship of Judaism and Christianity:

Acts 23:1-8 [1]And Paul, looking intently at the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience up to this day.

[2] And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

[3] Then Paul said to him, God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?

[4] Those who stood by said, Would you revile Gods high priest?

[5] And Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, `You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'

[6]But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.

[7] And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

[8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Acts 26:4-5 [4]My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews.

[5] They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. Philippians 3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee,

Note the words in blue. Does St. Paul think Christianity is something entirely distinct from Judaism, because many of the Jews rejected Jesus and His claims? He does not:

1) Paul continues to refer to himself as a Pharisee (Acts 23:6; 26:5; Philippians 3:5). Rabbinic Judaism was precisely that of which the Pharisees were in the forefront. Since Paul identified himself with this party, then he was (in his own mind) also part of Rabbinic Judaism after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. He wasnt thinking in terms of a clean break, or two entirely distinct religions, as we do today.

2) When addressing non-Christian Jews (Jews who practice Judaism and do not accept Jesus as Messiah), he calls them brethren. (Acts 13:26,38; 22:1; 23:1,5-6). He and his companion were called brethren too, by the rulers of the synagogue in at least one instance (Acts 13:15). Cf. Acts 18:8: Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with all his household . . . St. Stephen did the same before a council with Jewish elders, scribes, and the high priest (Acts 6:12; 7:1), addressing them as brethren and fathers (7:2). Paul used the exactly same terminology, as recorded in Acts 22:1.

3) He sees himself as somehow still under the authority of the Jewish high priest (Acts 23:4-5), because he repented for objecting to the high priest ordering him to be struck, and by his accompanying statement shows that he still believes that the high priest is a ruler of Christians; indeed, even a Christian apostle like himself.

4) By stating, according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee (Acts 26:5), he clearly proves (especially by the our religion) that he did not think Christianity and Judaism were two separate religions, but one, and that he remained a member of Judaism in good standing.

5) Elsewhere I showed that Paul was still worshiping and even presiding over the services in synagogues (Acts 13:13-44). Acts 18:4 describes Paul as having argued in the synagogue every sabbath, thus implying that he was worshiping there, too. He wouldnt just barge in after the service and start arguing. He would have worshiped with them first.

6) Acts 3:1 tells us that Peter and John were worshiping at the Temple, during the ninth hour. The notes in my RSV explain that the ninth hour was 3 PM when sacrifice was offered with prayer (Ex 29.39; Lev. 6.20; Josephus, Ant. xiv.4.3). Acts 2:46 described the early Christians as day by day, attending the temple together. This would have certainly included St. Paul, too, when he was in Jerusalem, and he himself alludes to his presence in the Temple as well as synagogues (Acts 24:12), and is described as continuing to participate in Temple rituals (Acts 21:26: Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them  cf. 25:8: Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended at all). In Acts 22:7 he refers to his practice of praying in the temple, and in Acts 24:18 as having been purified in the temple (see also 24:17: I came to bring to my nation alms and offerings).

Related Links:

Apostles & Synagogue & Temple Worship [3-25-07]

Passover in Judaism & the Supra-Temporal Mass: Past Events Become Present Today/ Survey of Remember in Scripture [7-7-09]

Biblical Evidence for the Oral Torah (Hence, by Analogy, Oral Apostolic Tradition) [10-18-11]
after a whole bunch of gay Christians told me I should:

The last thing you see in writer-director Stephen Cones 2011 film The Wise Kids is its dedication: to the former members of the youth ministry at a Baptist church in Florence, South Carolina. The Wise Kids has been slowly gaining fans via streaming services (its available on Amazon Prime and Netflix), as adults recognize in it their own experiences as teenage Christians. The film is in large part about the failures and sins of American church culturebut you can also tell that Cone is honoring the place and community that shaped him.
By now you have probably heard that Texas health officials are moving to require that fetal remains be buried or cremated. Texas is following the lead of Indiana, which imposed a similar requirement last year.

According to the Washington Post:

Abortion providers generally use third-party special waste services to dispose of fetal remains. Previous rules [in Texas] allowed fetal remains, along with other medical tissue, to be ground up and discharged into a sewer system, incinerated, or handled by some other approved process before being disposed of in a landfill.

I have questions. Is it sanitary to dispose of medical tissues by grinding them up and piping them into a sewer system, or by disposing of them in a landfill? Im completely uneducated on how medical waste is handled, but that sounds sketch to my lay ears.

Texas health officials appear to share my concern:

The health commission has said the rules will result in enhanced protection of the health and safety of the public.

But wait. If thats the case, why do the new requirements only cover fetal tissue? If this is a public health issue, shouldnt it cover all medical tissue and medical waste products? And that, quite frankly, is the core of the problem here. I am a-okay with state health agencies setting sanitary requirements for the handling of medical tissue and medical waste to promote public health and safety. Thats their job. But thats not what this is. In regulating fetal tissue differently from other medical tissue, Texas health officials are belying their claimed health and safety motivation.

Texas Governor Greg Abbot was not shy about this in his own remarks:

With little notice, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) approved the proposal, saying that he does not believe fetal remains should be treated like medical waste and disposed of in landfills, the Texas Tribune reported.

Comments like this should shut down any claim that this requirement serves public health and safety needs. Abbott totally okay with non-fetal medical tissue and medical waste being dumped in landfills. This isnt about medicine, health, or safety. Its about ideological opposition to abortion. Abbot isnt alone in admitting this.

For far too long, Texas has allowed the most innocent among us to be thrown out with the daily waste, state Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) said in a packed public hearing on the proposed rule in August, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Lets be very clear about what were talking about here. According to the Washington Post, the new requirements apply regardless of the period of gestation. In other words, were talking first trimester too.

In contrast to the Indiana law, Texas requirement is being set by state health officials. I generally prefer to see medical standards set by health officials rather than by the legislature, both because lawmakers are not medical experts and because this makes it easier to change standards to keep up with new research.

However, this is about to change:

Because the rules fall under the rulemaking authority of the state health department, they do not need legislative approval. But Republican lawmakers have already filed legislation to write the rules into statutory law when the legislature reconvenes in January, the Texas Tribune reported.

What about miscarriages? Does this requirement apply to them too?

Following criticism from medical providers, the states Health and Human Services Commission clarified that the requirement does not apply to miscarriages or abortions that take place at home. It also does not require birth or death certificates to be filed, to maintain confidentiality.

Wait wait wait. Birth and death certificates are not required to maintain confidentiality? Remember that were not just talking about stillbirths here. Were also talking about first trimester abortions. Unless I missed something big, fetuses are still not persons.

It is, at least, receiving that this bill does not apply to miscarriages or abortions that occur at home. Indianas law, which was quickly suspended by a federal judge, was not so picky. But this does raise an interesting questionif the concern, as voiced by Abbot and Huffiness, is to ensure that childrens bodies are not thrown out with our medical waste, why make a rule that applies only to abortions or miscarriages that take place in medical facilities?

If the concern is actually about ensuring that fetal remains are disposed of properly, shouldnt these same requirements apply to miscarriages and abortions that take place at home? That the health officials new regulations apply only to miscarriages or abortions that occur in a medical facivility suggests that the requirement is more about burdening abortion clinics than it is about how fetal remains are disposed of.

One last pointif doctors were refusing to allow women who miscarry in a hospital or medical official, or who have a late-term abortion for a wanted pregnancy, to individually bury or cremate the remains (potentially with a small gravesite), I would absolutely have a problem with that. Women should be able to mourn the loss of a child in their own individual need. Not every woman is going to want to go the cremation or burial route, but some will. But thats not what were talking about here. Were talking about the inverseforcing cremation or burial on every woman who miscarries or aborts in a medical facility on every womanand about extending this requirement to a gestational period where there are no visible remains to be seen.

Its ironic, really, that Republicans spend so much time talking smack about government regulations, but are so happy to make medically unnecessary government regulations to advance their own ideological causes. Republicans are against big government only until they hold the reins of power. Then theyre all for it.

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Patna: Police in Patna claimed to have solved the mystery of the double homicide that took place in an apartment on Jamal Road in Patna on the night of November 23 when two brothers, Abhishek and Sagar, were hacked with knives and left for dead after the criminals cut their private parts and poured acid on their bodies.

Based on the findings of their investigation, authorities arrested Amit Kumar, the youngest brother of Abhishek and Sagar, along with five others, from Narayanpur village in Bhojpur district on Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said that the murder plan was hatched by the youngest brother Amit Kumar due to dispute over properties and other personal differences.

Fed up with his two brothers who, he said, had refused to help him buy a truck, Amit hired one Santosh Chaudhary to carry out his murderous plan for a price tag of Rs. 2.5 lakh.

On the night of November 23, Santosh, along with his brother Mantosh, Nitish Kumar, Sachchinand Kumar, Ramesh Singh, and Ritesh Kumar forced their entry into the Jamal Road apartment where Abhishek and Sagar were sleeping. Amit remained outside until he was informed the murders were carried out successfully.

Once inside, the criminals bludgeoned Abhishek's head with a hammer before stabbing him with a knife several times. They then strangled Sagar to death after which they poured acid on their bodies. They also chopped off their private organs before leaving. All this time, Amit remained outside and entered the apartment only after he was told both were dead as planned. He then stole their door key and locked the apartment from outside before leaving quietly in the cover of darkness.

Police have recovered the murder weapons along with eight cell phones.

The SSP said that the vital clue in the case came in a surveillance video recorded in the area at the time the crime was committed. Assisted by phone records, police raided the home of Amit in Narayanpur and charged him of murdering his two brothers.

After trying to lie his way through the police interrogation, Amit confessed of planning and carrying out his plan with the help of Santosh and other thugs.

Search is on to arrest Santosh who is said to have gone in hiding, the SSP said, adding all the men will be tried in a speedy trial court.
Patna: Following a Supreme Court order on Wednesday, cinema halls in Patna once again began playing the national anthem though, unlike at the end of the movie that was the norm until 1975 when the government banned its playing in cinema halls, it would now be played at the beginning of a film with audience required to stand up during the 52 seconds rendition of the song written by noted poet, playwright, and story writer Rabindra Nath Tagore.

Officials at the Regent Cinema in Patna said they never stopped the practice of playing national anthem in the theater even after it was not required by law in 1975.

"We never stopped playing our national anthem in our theater. The only difference is that in the past, we used to play it at the end of a movie but after 1975, we started to play it at the beginning of a film," said the theater manager adding playing at the end of a movie had the disadvantage of audience leaving theater before the national anthem finished playing.

"This was a disrespect to our national flag and those who sacrificed their lives to gain freedom from the British and that is why the practice was ended almost 40 years ago. With the new Supreme Court directive, now all movie theaters will be playing it at the start of the film," said Regent officials.

The manager of the multiplex at the P&M Mall and other theater managers plan to start playing the national anthem from Thursday.

As reported, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered all movie theaters in the country to start playing the national anthem before the screening of a film. It also required all those present in the theater to stand up during the playing of the anthem in respect of the national flag.

The citizens should take pride in national anthem and they should be taught how to sing the anthem, a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said on Wednesday.

"People now-a-days don't know how to sing national anthem and people must be taught. We must respect national anthem," the Supreme Court said adding the time had come when people must respect national anthem which is part of constitutional patriotism.

"People must feel that it is their country. It is because of the country that they are enjoying freedom and liberty," the bench said.
Patna: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing at a dharna in Garadanibagh in Patna on Wednesday took a clear jab at her former ally, fan and her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar without once mentioning his name when she said all those who were supporting Narendra Modi's demonetization policy were 'traitors' and not the well-wishers of poor and downtrodden.

Flanked by leaders from Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party, and even Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), Mamata Banerjee, in her fiery speech in Patna, said that the supporters of demonetization were not only working against the interests of the poor and impoverished, they were also traitors for destroying the nation by obliterating its farmers and poor people.

As reported, while the RJD, an ally of Nitish Kumar and a major player in the so-called grand alliance of the RJD, Janata Dal  U, and Congress government in Bihar, is against demonetization, the JD-U and its leader Nitish Kumar has openly hailed the move by the Narendra Modi government to get rid of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 saying while he did not agree with the way the plan was executed, it was a positive step in the direction of putting a check on corruption and terrorism in the country.

"All non-NDA parties should have been united in their opposition to the demonetization move by the Modi government. Those who are not are traitors to our cause," Banerjee, who like Nitish Kumar, is trying to improve her profile by engaging in political events outside their home states, said in her speech.

Didi, as fondly referred to by her well-wishers, did mention Lalu Prasad Yadav a number of times and thanked him and his wife Rabri Devi for staying by her side in her fight against what she called was a 'worse regime than Hitler's in the pre-war Germany.

Continuing her harangue against Modi, Banerjee said India was going through a 'Super Emergency'  a time she described as worse than the Emergency of the '70s declared by the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

"Modi has taken away the basic amenities like food, clothing, and shelter from the poor people. He is only concerned with protecting the interests of the rich people and has become the "Big Boss of the Big Bazaar," she said.

RJD Vice President Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and party state President Ramchandra Purvey were also present during her 35 minutes speech in Patna.

Interestingly, while staying just meters away from the Chief Minister's residence at the state guest house, neither Banerjee nor Kumar made any attempt to meet with each other.

Earlier, shortly after her arrival in Patna on Tuesday, Banerjee went to the Lalu-Rabri residence where she was given a warm welcome by the two former Chief Ministers of Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav and other party members.

While leaving for Kolkata at the Patna Airport, the Trinamool Congress leader expressed her frustration with Nitish Kumar saying as her counterpart in Bihar, she had expected him to receive her at the Patna Airport just as she was received by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday.
CIA Chief Warns Trump Over Scrapping Iran Nuclear Deal, 'Russian Promises'

11/30/16

Source: RFE/RL

The director of the U.S. intelligence agency has issued warnings over the dangers of scrapping the Iran nuclear deal, as well as trusting what he called "Russian promises."



Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan





CIA Director John Brennan warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that abandoning the nuclear deal with Iran would be "disastrous" and "the height of folly."



"I think it would be disastrous, it really would," the BBC quoted Brennan as saying on November 30 in an interview.



International sanctions against Iran were eased in January following a nuclear deal with world powers that curbed the country's controversial nuclear program.



But Trump, who will take office in January, said during campaigning for the White House that it was a "terrible" deal that only benefited Iran and that he would "tear it up" if he were elected president.



However, he has conceded that it would be hard to destroy a deal enshrined in a United Nations resolution.



Brennan told the BBC that scrapping the agreement would risk strengthening hard-liners in Iran and risk other states pursuing nuclear programs in response to a renewed Iranian effort.



"I think it would be the height of folly if the next administration were to tear up that agreement," he said.



The CIA director also advised Trump and the new administration "to be wary of Russian promises," blaming Moscow for much of the suffering in Syria.



Brennan said that Russia -- a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- continues to hold the key to Syria's future.



But he also expressed skepticism about the Russia's willingness to come to any kind of deal "until they are able to achieve as much tactical battlefield successes as possible."



The CIA director added that he believes Washington needs to continue supporting moderate rebels fighting the Damascus regime to help them withstand what he called an "onslaught" carried out by Syria, Iran, Hizballah, and Russia.



During campaigning for the White House, Trump suggested his administration may try to work more closely with Moscow on a number of issues, such as the fight against the Islamic State extremist group.



Brennan will step down in January after four years leading the U.S. intelligence agency.



Based on reporting by the BBC

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Iranian Judiciary and Parliament Clash Over MP's Questions on Judiciary Chief's Banking Activities

11/30/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

State Funds Deposited into the Bank Account of Sadegh Larijani At Issue



Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi

(source: Arman daily)



After avoiding a summons for days, Member of Parliament Mahmoud Sadeghi appeared in the Culture and Media Court in Tehran on November 29 to respond to questions from assistant prosecutors about several complaints against him, after he publicly questioned the Judiciary Chief about state funds deposited into his bank accounts.

Sadeghi, the reformist representative from Tehran, has come under intense pressure for the questions he raised, even though MPs ostensibly enjoy constitutional immunity in Iran. He was released after naming a guarantor, the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reported.

Judiciary agents had tried to arrest Sadeghi on November 26 after he had raised the questions about Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani's banking accounts. They were turned away only after the Speaker of the Parliament intervened.

"When we found out about [the attempt to arrest Sadeghi], I and Farid Mousavi, another representative from Tehran, went to Dr. Sadeghi's house and after a discussion [over the phone with Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani] the agents fortunately decided not to arrest him for the time being," said MP Mohammad Javad Fathi in an interview with ILNA news agency on November 28.

Speaker Ali Larijani is an uncomfortable position, acting as a mediator between his brother, Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani and a member of Parliament who has suggested the Judiciary Chief may have had unauthorized access to public funds.

In a speech in the open session of Parliament on November 14, MP Sadeghi, a reformist supporter of President Hassan Rouhani, called on the Judiciary Chief to reveal statements from bank accounts under his name where the government has been depositing funds.

"Which law allows state funds to be deposited into personal accounts?" asked Sadeghi.

The existence of "more than 63 personal bank accounts with [millions of dollars] in the name of Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani" was first reported by Dorr TV, an Iranian online news show on October 20, 2016, and on November 4 by Etemad newspaper.

Economics Minister Ali Tayebnia denied any wrong doing regarding the accounts on November 8 and said the deposits were for the exclusive use of the Judiciary.

For his part, the Judiciary Chief accused Sadeghi of slander and rejected any suggestion that the funds in question were used for personal purposes.

"The so-called personal accounts they are spreading lies about have existed since 1998, before my term as Judiciary Chief, with permission from the Supreme Leader, [Ali Khamenei]," Sadegh Larijani said on November 23. "These accounts belong to the Judiciary, not me. So all this talk about [millions of dollars] deposited in my personal account is 100 percent false."

The Judiciary Chief also criticized his brother, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, for "keeping silent" about Sadeghi and slammed President Rouhani for ignoring "rumors" spread by one of his supporters. "The President has refused to contest rumors about me and on the other hand the Speaker of Parliament has kept silent too," he said.

In response, Sadeghi wrote a letter to Judiciary Chief Sadegh Larijani on November 24, pointing out that parliamentarians have a constitutional right to question officials. "Amazingly...it seems that you have not seen my statements. If you refer to my two-minute speech in Parliament, you will see that I only asked a question without judgment, slander or insult," Sadeghi wrote.

Meanwhile, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi warned Sadeghi on November 28 that he must comply with the summons to answer questions regarding "eight private complaints and three public ones." Dolatabadi did not identify the plaintiffs or the nature of the complaints but he said Sadeghi will now also have to answer questions about "resisting arrest and disturbing public order by inciting people to gather in front of his home."

Dolatabadi rejected arguments that the Tehran MP was immune from prosecution under Articles 76, 84 and 86 of Iran's Constitution which give legislators the right to question officials without fear of prosecution.

Article 86 states: "Members of the Assembly are completely free in expressing their views and casting their votes in the course of performing their duties as representatives, and they cannot be prosecuted or arrested for opinions expressed in the Assembly or votes cast in the course of performing their duties as representatives."

"Deliberations over Article 86 during the [1979] Constitutional Convention indicates that immunity is not an Islamic concept. All citizens are equal in the eyes of God and anyone who commits a sin or a crime will be subject of prosecution," Dolatabadi claimed.

In addition to questioning the Judiciary Chief's banking activities, Sadeghi was among more than a dozen MP's who called for a review of the 16-year prison sentence against prominent human rights activist Narges Mohammadi. The reformist MP has also condemned the Judiciary for bringing charges against Yashar Soltani, editor-in-chief of Memari News for publishing an official report on corruption in the Tehran Municipality.
Prosecutor Tells Iran Lawmaker To Turn Himself In After Flubbed Arrest

11/30/16

Source: RFE/RL

Security officers reportedly arrived to arrest Mahmud Sadeghi at his home in Tehran on November 27. Sadeghi is said to have defied the officers while colleagues and activists came to his defense and gathered outside his home.



Iranian lawmaker Mahmud Sadeghi



The chief prosecutor in Tehran says an arrest warrant against a reformist lawmaker who publicly questioned the financial dealings of Iran's chief justice remains legal and valid.



The warning, by Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, came hours after an unsuccessful attempt to detain parliamentarian Mahmud Sadeghi.



"Sadeghi is expected to respect judiciary officials and present himself to authorities," Dolatabadi was quoted by state media as saying on November 28. "Otherwise, officers are required to detain the accused and bring him to court."



Sadeghi this month called on the head of Iran's powerful judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, to provide bank-account details following claims on social media that Larijani had transferred public funds to dozens of personal accounts.



Larijani denied the allegations as "100 percent lies," saying they were leveled by "seditionists" and "exiled antirevolutionaries" who he said are in contact with "a corrupt section of the reformist movement."



Security officers reportedly arrived to arrest Sadeghi at his home in the capital on November 27, but they were said to have backed down after Sadeghi defied the officers and colleagues and activists came to his defense and gathered outside his home.



Dolatabadi said the case against Sadeghi includes eight private complaints, adding that the lawmaker has been officially summoned.



The semiofficial Fars news agency quoted an "informed source" as saying that the warrant against Sadeghi was issued after private complaints by students who accused the lawmaker of "spreading lies" several months ago.



On Twitter, Sadeghi called the abortive arrest "illegal" and challenged Dolatabadi's claim that Sadeghi had been summoned by the court.



"Despite the comments by the honorable Tehran prosecutor, so far I have received no summons," Sadeghi tweeted on November 29.



             .    (@mah_sadeghi) November 29, 2016



A day earlier, Sadeghi vowed via Twitter that "pressure" would not prevent him and other lawmakers from "seeking transparency and fighting corruption in all [Iran's state] institutions."



In a November 29 letter to the Tehran prosecutor, the deputy speaker of parliament, Ali Motahari, criticized the attempt to detain Sadeghi and warned that such moves risked turning parliament into a "useless" body.



Motahari questioned the timing of the effort to arrest Sadeghi, questioning why, if the plaintiffs were serious, authorities responded only "immediately" after the lawmaker's implied criticism of Larijani.



Candidates to Iran's parliament, the Majlis, and many other offices are ruthlessly vetted by the clerically dominated Guardians Council, and ultimate political and religious power lies in the hands of the unelected supreme leader, currently the 77-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.



Iran's hard-line judiciary is one of the country's most powerful bodies and its head is appointed directly by the supreme leader.



Larijani's brother Ali is currently speaker of the parliament.

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Kofax Power PDF review TechRadar Pro

Kofax has a handful of multi-platform apps to help you alter and annotate PDFs. Standard is likely the one best suited for most needs, and is the software well be exploring in this review.
With the passing of Fidel Castro, American policy toward Cuba is back in the spotlight.

The small island nation just 90 miles off of American shores has been ruled with an iron fist for over 50 years by Fidel and his brother Raul, who, in attempting to make real their visions of a communist society, have primarily succeeded in keeping Cubans poor and less free than most in Latin America.

Though the death of Fidel Castro is certainly not the end of tyranny on the island  he effectively handed off power to his brother in 2006  it is imperative that the United States learn from history and engage effectively with Cuba with the aim of encouraging greater freedoms.

Castro, who came to power in 1959 following the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista  an American-backed dictator whose rule later was described by President Kennedy as one of the most bloody and repressive dictatorships in the long history of Latin American repression  regrettably followed in the footsteps of his predecessor.

Mass executions, land seizures and the arrest of political dissidents became commonplace. More than anything, though, it was Castros suspected and eventually confirmed commitment to Marxist-Leninist ideology that ultimately prompted the United States to take actions which not only failed to dislodge the Castro regime, but in many ways reinforced and emboldened it, to the detriment of the Cuban people.

In addition to numerous plots to assassinate Castro, as well as the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, the United States imposed and has maintained ever since a trade embargo on Cuba, which, for decades, has been the regimes chief scapegoat for the ills and failures of communist rule.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Cuban economy, out of necessity, has gradually liberalized some sectors of its economy. But there is still obviously tremendous work to be done to expand freedoms on the island, restore basic freedoms of speech, expression and travel, and continue the process of liberalizing the economy. There are families to be reunited and religious liberties to be protected.

What matters most, perhaps, is how best to achieve the end of tyranny in Cuba, with the aim of actually improving the lives of the Cuban people and facilitating a more acceptable state of affairs.

In a novel approach among American leaders, President Obama, citing the failed approach of the past, has maintained a policy of engagement toward Cuba, capped off by a historic visit to Havana and easing of the embargo.

Its an approach that may be reversed with the incoming Trump administration.

Repression, open markets, freedom of religion, political prisoners  these things need to change in order to have open and free relationships, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told Fox News Sunday.

Trump took to Twitter Monday pledging to undo the current deal unless Cuban leaders make a better deal for the Cuban people.

While theres little disputing the desired outcomes, this is not the time to consider disengaging from Cuba. As the past five decades have proven, embargoes and not talking arent especially productive means of engagement. Freer trade and open discussion are likelier to yield better outcomes for the Cuban people than the opposite.
Only five days after being sentenced for possessing a stolen vehicle, Gabriel Lucas is on the hot seat over hot wheels again.

Lucas, 22, of Jurupa Valley, was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto and other crimes Monday, Nov. 28, the Riverside County Sheriffs Department said.

Superior Court records show that on Nov. 23, Lucas was sentenced to serve 131 days in the sheriffs work-release program after he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of receiving stolen goods, including a vehicle. Judge Helios J. Hernandez ordered Lucas to report for work by Dec. 23.

But now, Lucas is in custody at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Bail was set at $50,000.

Monday, Lucas was also booked on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and a probation violation.

A 1999 Honda Civic was stolen Monday from the 5400 block of Highbury Way in Eastvale, a sheriffs news release said. Five hours later, the sheriffs Jurupa Valley Special Enforcement Team found the Honda parked near a vacant lot at 37th and Wallace streets in Jurupa Valley and arrested Lucas.

In August, Lucas pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of burglary  that had originally been filed as a felony  and was sentenced to 103 days in the work-release program and ordered to stay away from a 42nd Street residence in Jurupa Valley, court records show.

This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information on the crime is asked to call Deputy V. Ramirez at 951-955-2649.
Stater Bros. will ask customers to honor Jack H. Brown with a minute of silence.

Brown, the companys leader more than 35 years, died in mid-November. He was 78.

In a news release, the San Bernardino-based supermarket chain said that at 9 a.m. Saturday, employees at its 169 stores will ask customers and staff to pause for the 60-second tribute.

It will coincide with the start of a celebration of life for Brown to be held in Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The public is invited to attend.

Contact the writer: fbuck@scng.com
As cadet commanding officer for 180 JROTC cadets in grades 9 through 12 at Hemets Tahquitz High School, Ernesto Calumpang takes his job seriously. The senior manages upcoming events, plans meetings and ensures that the program is running smoothly and cohesively. And he aims to keep traditions alive.

The American Legion Breakfast has been an ongoing collaboration between Tahquitzs Marine Corps Junior ROTC program and the Harold W. Hyland American Legion Post 53 in Hemet for several years.

We have proliferated the amount of cadets that show up because it not only motivated cadets but veterans as well, said Calumpang, 16. I feel a great obligation to serve the community.

On the second Saturday of each month, at least three cadets volunteer their time to set up, serve and clean up the post after all guests have finished eating. Sometimes other groups such as local Girl Scouts help with the serving  giving the cadets an opportunity to network and utilize strong teamwork.

Antonio Williams is the senior military instructor at Tahquitz and is a retired Marine Corps major.

The students have run it for two years now  we just provide overall supervision, he said. Its about leadership, responsibility and service in the community.

Vietnam veteran Terry Ireland has been a member of the post for more than 20 years and belongs to the American Legion Riders motorcycle group who host special events throughout the year.

Having the ROTC students here is good. Some have questions about what it used to be like, he said. I think everybody should come out of high school and do two years in the military. It has ways of testing and trying you to go in the direction you are best at.

United States Air Force veteran Steve Sarchett, also a Legion rider, said the breakfast duty is good training for the young people.

I think these guys are great  very mannerly and disciplined, he said.

Ernesto and his family moved to California from the Philippines when he was 9 years old.

It was difficult due to the great number of family members we left at home, said Ernesto, of Hemet. The move was not something I expected; however, it was surprisingly exciting knowing that the future is much brighter and opportunities would arise if I worked hard enough.

He said the most important lesson he can leave Tahquitz with after he graduates is the act of perseverance.

Regardless of how naturally smart someone may be, effort and attitude are the keys to the doors of success, Calumpang said. Im no smarter than anyone else. I just choose to spend more time on the things that are most important in life.

The monthly breakfast service is open to the public as a fundraiser for the post. A menu of many morning favorites is available from 7:30 to 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month for $7 per person at 124 N. Ramona St. in Hemet.

Information: 951-658-2436

Contact the writer: dianerhodes.writer@gmail.com
Need a pick-me-up this Saturday? How about celebrating the opening at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 of Lift Coffee Roasters at a second location in Riverside ?

Its a bit hard to find, at 2060 Chicago Ave. in Suite A 10, hidden in the back of a strip mall, behind Euryale Brewing. Just follow the aroma of the beans wafting from the original production and roasting facility that Lifts founders opened three years ago in a 2,500-square-foot warehouse.

The beans have been supplying the initial Lift Coffee Roasters since July 2013 at 3590 Central Ave., Suite 101.

Related: Origins of Lift Coffee Roasters

Several months ago, Lifts owners, Allen Andra and Steffen Sommers, sold the business to Gio Alonso and Leeba Lessin, whove built out the roastery into a rustic, hip coffee house and tasting bar with murals, comfy couches, tables and chairs and Wi-Fi. Plus, you can watch the staff grind and hand-brew each cup of freshly-roasted coffee.

New owners Alonso and Lessin, as it turns out, had been providing the coffee houses pastries and natural drinks through their Whittier-based Aunties Cafe & Bakery and Baileys Neighborhood Juicery.

Hours: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 7-9 p.m. Sunday.

Training manager Matthew Henderson said the new owners plan to open a Lift in Whittier next month and to keep expanding the coffee house in Southern California.

What elevates Lift from the giant java chains? Our high quality coffee from locally sourced beans, he said.

liftcoffeeroasters.com/pages/about-us, Facebook: facebook.com/liftcoffeeroasters

A VERY, VERY, VERY FINE HOUSE

Alejandra Perez knows how to build a sweet house. Good enough to eat, this home is 9-inches-by-9-inches on a foundation thats a foot in diameter.

You can buy one of her gingerbread cottages through Christmas, $35 a pop, available at Pechanga Resort & Casinos Blends Coffee & Wine Bar at the hotel lobby and at Caffe Cocoa inside the food court, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula.

The 48-year-old grandmother  who is also a dental assistant  said shes at Pechanga more than shes at her Hemet home.

Aside from her time spent on gingerbread, shes been a banquet server at the casino for 11 years. Four years ago, Perez asked if she could apprentice at Pechangas bakery during slow periods.

Since then, shes learned first-hand from some of the best pastry and dessert chefs how to make doughs, chocolate ganache, fruit tarts, tres leches cakes, pineapple upside down cake, carrot cake, tiramisu and pumpkin cheese cakes.

I can see potential in this lady, said Jean-Jacques Granet, executive pastry chef at Pechanga, who came from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Shes very passionate, asks a lot of questions and is able to learn very fast. She is very good at decorating with a piping bag, doing that perfectly.

Perez loves practicing her skills at home and hopes to one day open her own bakery. Information: 1-888-732-4264, pechanga.com

SMALL BITES & SIPS

Packing it in: A dinner with entertainment, locally grown food and local brews will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at the Corona-College Heights Orange & Lemon Association Citrus Packing House, 8000 Lincoln Ave., Riverside. Chef Chef Gavin Brody and the Riverside Unified School Districts Nutrition Services team will return to present this latest meal in the farm-to-fork dinner series. Tickets: $75 per person. Proceeds support the citys sustainable food system through the Grow Riverside initiative.

Information: www.eventbrite.com/o/growriverside-9235301728, Facebook: facebook.com/growriverside

Related: The scoop on Grow Riverside

Free Sno Day: Bahama Bucks in Temecula will give away a free 12 oz. Sno shaved ice dessert to every guest from 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at both stores: 32475 Temecula Parkway G 104 and 41269 Margarita Road, C 105. bahamabucks.com.

To pass on tips about restaurants, breweries and food shops that are opening or closing, contact Laurie Lucas at llucas@scng.com or 951-3689559.

Contact the writer: llucas@scng.com, 951-368-9559
A small group of about 15 protesters holding signs is demonstrating against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in downtown Riverside, near the corner of University Avenue and Market Street.

They object to Wells Fargo banks funding of the pipeline. Numerous drivers have honked their car horns as they passed the protesters.

Demonstrators chanted, Water is a Human Right!, and Wells Fargo, Stop Now!

I feel its important for anybody anywhere to raise awareness about this, said Sharla Sanchez, 30, of Riverside, who helped organize the protest. It affects every single person.

The $3.8 billion pipeline in North Dakota is being built to carry North Dakota oil to a shipping point in Illinois. The project is nearly complete, aside from a stretch beneath a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota.

Pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners says the pipeline will be safe, but the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says the project threatens the drinking water on its nearby reservation as well as some American Indian cultural sites.

People from around the country have taken up the tribes cause, with thousands of them congregating at the protest camp. Police have made nearly 575 arrests since August during clashes at the protesters main camp along the pipeline route in southern North Dakota and at protests in and around the state capital, Bismarck, about 50 miles to the north.

Ricardo Flores, 51, of Riverside helped organize the demonstration in front of the Wells Fargo bank on University Avenue and Market Street to shed light on the banks funding of the project, and to stand against the treatment of protesters at Standing Rock.

He said the protest started off with less than a handful of demonstrators, with others, including a few UC Riverside students, joining in as they walked past the bank.

The demonstration, Flores said, is for the water, which we all consider to be sacred.

After the hour-long protest, Flores and his brother, Carlos Flores, walked into the bank to close their personal checking and business accounts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Donald Trump is perhaps receiving more attention than any United States president-elect in history.

In particular, his vast wealth and empire are raising numerous questions from onlookers and opponents alike. More than any previous president, Trump has business holdings large and widespread enough to pose the potential for numerous conflicts between his personal and official interests.

Are President-elect Trumps possible conflicts a real concern? Thats our Question of the Week for readers.

Anti-conflict-of-interest laws that apply to most government officials generally dont pertain to the president.

But the Constitutions prohibition on all public officials taking payments from foreign leaders could apply to Trump-owned businesses and real estate overseas that receive favorable treatment from host governments.

Looking at Trumps billions of dollars in businesses in the U.S. and abroad, and outstanding loans to his businesses by foreign banks, some critics warn that his presidency could get bogged down in constant conflict-of-interest accusations if he doesnt take action to liquidate his assets and put the money in a blind trust under independent management.

During the campaign, Trump said that if he won, he would transfer control of The Trump Organization to his adult children.

Would that be enough? Should Trump take more drastic steps to avoid conflicts? Should laws be changed to apply to presidents as well as lower-level officials?

Much discussion of potential conflicts of interest during the campaign focused on Hillary Clinton and foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation.

Is Trumps situation different from Clintons?

Would Clinton have received the same criticism and scrutiny as Trump had she been elected?

Voters certainly knew of Trumps vast business interests, and knew some details were missing because he did not release tax records.

Is the media just sensationalizing the story or is there justifiable reason to be concerned?

Email your thoughts to letters@pressenterprise.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number. Or, if you prefer, share your views in the comments section that accompanies this article online.

Well publish as many responses as possible.
The abductors of a California woman who was held captive for three weeks branded her with a message before she was dropped along the side of a freeway on Thanksgiving, a sheriff said Wednesday.

The suspects may have been trying to humiliate and wear down Sherri Papini by cutting off her long hair and branding her, Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko told Good Morning America.

I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message, he said, emphasizing that the brand was a message, not a symbol.

The sheriff did not say where Papini had been branded and he did not provide further information about the investigation. Authorities are looking for two women.

The sheriff did not immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press seeking further details.

Papini, the mother of two small children, disappeared while jogging Nov. 2 near her home in Redding, about 140 miles north of Sacramento. She was released along Interstate 5 near Sacramento.

Her husband Keith Papini has said his 34-year-old wife was covered with bruises and burns and was chained at the waist and wrists when she was found.

In a written statement Tuesday to Good Morning America, he also addressed social media chatter doubting his wifes story of abduction and assault.

Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting, he wrote.

The sheriff has said the case is puzzling for a number of reasons, including motive. He said no ransom demand was made and the Papinis are of modest means.

Bosenko told the AP on Monday that investigators have no reason to doubt the harrowing tale told by Sherri Papini.

Keith Papini said his wife weighed just 87 pounds and the bridge of her nose was broken when she was tossed from a vehicle along the interstate with her hands restrained and a bag over her head.

Bosenko said Sherri Papini was unable to recall any details about her abduction when first questioned soon after being found. He said victims of traumatic experiences sometimes suffer from memory loss regarding the events.

Authorities say the two suspects are possibly armed with a handgun and driving a dark colored SUV.
SECOND UPDATE: Ruiz voted for Pelosi as well, a spokeswoman said.

UPDATE: Aguilars spokeswoman said the congressman voted for Pelosi.

ORIGINAL POST: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis colleagues re-elected herto lead the House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday, Nov. 30, despite a challenge from an Ohio congressman who questions the partys direction following a gradual decline in the number of elected offices held by Democrats.

Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, beat Rep. Tim Ryan 134-63, assuring she would lead Democrats against a new Republican president in Donald Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress. She was favored to prevail over Ryan, who has questioned whether Democrats are doing enough to win blue-collar voters who delivered the White House to Trump.

Among Pelosis supporters were Reps. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, and Norma Torres, D-Pomona, who each tweeted messages of support for Pelosi before the vote.

Now more than ever we need a womans voice in leadership, which is why I proudly #StandWithNancy pic.twitter.com/ajzDvOUssn  Rep. Norma Torres (@NormaJTorres) November 29, 2016

Im proud to support @NancyPelosi. Shes the strong leader we need to stand up for workers, veterans, and our principles. #StandWithNancy  Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) November 29, 2016

Afterward, Takano tweeted congratulations to Pelosi.

Congrats to @NancyPelosi, Minority Leader for the 115th Congress. Now lets get to work building an economy and country that is fair to all.  Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) November 30, 2016

Its not immediately clear how the other Democrats in the Inland congressional delegation  Reps. Pete Aguilar of Redlands and Raul Ruiz of La Quinta  voted.
The three people who died at the Hard Summer festival in Fontana this summer all suffered from drug overdoses, the San Bernardino County Coroners Office announced Wednesday.

Derek Lee, 22, of San Francisco and Alyssa Dominguez, 21, of San Diego died early July 31 and Roxanne Ngo, 22, of Chino Hills died Aug. 1, all due to acute methylenedioxymethamphetamine toxicity, according to coroner officials. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, is also known as Ecstasy.

The coroners officer announcement comes a day after Insomniac, the promoters who organize Hard Summer, released their lineup for Audio on the Bay to be held Jan. 14 and 15 in Richmond.

The three festival-goers attended the summer music festival during the last weekend in July at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

During this years Hard Summer Music Festival, there were a total of nine medical transports from the event and more than 300 people were arrested, sheriffs officials said. Most of those arrests were for public intoxication, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

This year marked the first time the festival was held at the Auto Club Speedway after negative attention following deaths at concerts in Pomona sent organizers looking for a new venue.

On Aug. 1, 2015, two young people  Katie Dix, 19, of Camarillo and Tracy Nguyen, 18, of West Covina  died of what authorities say were drug overdoses during the first day of the Hard Summer festival at Pomona Fairplex. Their families have since sued the promoter, the Los Angeles County Fair Association, the private company that provided security and the city of Pomona.

According to L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center treated nearly 30 people who attended last years festival for alcohol- and drug-related ailments.

Since the death of Joshua Johnson, 18, of El Cajon in 2006, there have been seven drug-related deaths associated with electronic music festivals in San Bernardino County.
The President of Groupe Ideal, Dr.Nii Kotei Dzani has been adjudged the Most Outstanding Finance /SME Entrepreneur in West Africa at the 13th Security Watch Africa Awards which took place in South Africa.



The decision to confer such a prestigious award on Dr. Dzani was from an extensive assessment of his personal and certified commitment to financial security, entrepreneurship and equity in the financial sector in Ghana.



The consideration for the award according to the judgement board concluded that Groupe Ideal as a company is committed to high principle of security and safety of their operations since inception .This we found very exemplary in West Africa, said the secretary to the awards Simon Udie.



The secretary emphasized that this coupled with Dr.Kotei Dzani being the lead for 13 companies which serve millions of customers and employ over thousand staff is a great motivation not only to the people of his country but Africa at large.



He noted the aforementioned are in line with Security Watchs vision to drive an international platform to celebrate Africas best governance, leadership, security and finance. It is also aimed at creating a credible forum for networking and sharing ideas by experts.



Commenting on the award, Dr. Nii Kotei Dzani said financial security in its broader sense embraces the strength and stability of financial institutions, prudential regulation, competitive financial markets, employment opportunities, savings culture and retirement incomes.



I am therefore elated about this award. It always feels great to be recognized and awarded for your contribution within a sector and for your input to the growth of an organization. I dedicate this award to the entire Groupe Ideal team for the massive support over the years .Hard work, passion, team work has made this possible. Its simply a reflection of hard work paying off, nonetheless one that challenges me to do more in my sector Dr Dzani remarked.



It has been a great year for Groupe Ideal in Ghana  a year in which we grew from adding a subsidiary to the other as industry players. A year in which we have won multiple awards for our innovations and hard work as a group he added.



Dr.Dzani is noted for transforming institutions to a prolific ones with his entrepreneurial vision through his tried and tested corporate advisory services.



Groupe Ideal is a registered business group that manages a diverse portfolio of businesses primarily in Ghana with a long-term vision of becoming a world class company. It operates in the areas of investment banking, business finance, Trade, Asset Management, Mining and Offshore Consultancy services, media, and security services.



The finance based institutions within the Groupe support businesses and individuals with tailor made products and services.



The awards, conference and exhibition night was indeed a memorable one as a lot of institutions and personalities swept prestigious awards for their outstanding contributions in their sectors.



Some key persons who won award on the night included the president of the republic of Nigeria, Buhari.



Previous Ghanaian awardees also include President John Mahama, Kofi Amoabeng of UT holdings, UMB, Manet estate, Ghana Airports Company Ltd  The most Security & Safety Conscious Airport  West Africa (2011) held in the Gambia, Lt Gen Joseph Smith, and former Minister of defence. - Golden star Award for Distinguished Leadership in West Africa, Hon. Cletus Avoka, Majority LeaderThe Parliament of Ghana - Golden Star Award for Distinguished Service in West Africa 2012, Ghana Community Network Services Ltd, (GCNET) - Best Security Conscious Company in Ghana. 2012, GLICO Group Ltd - Best Security Conscious Insurance Company. 2012, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, CEO UT BANK/UT GROUP - Golden Star Award in The Financial Sector 2012, Multimedia Group Ltd - The most Vibrant media Institution in Ghana. 2012, Mr Samuel Amo Tobbin, Chairman Tobbinco Group, Golden Star Award for Distinguished community Service. 2012



Vodafone Ghana Ltd - Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2012,Ghana Navy  The most Developmental Conscious navy in West Africa (2013)South Africa, SIC- LIFE - MOST SECURITY CONSCIOUS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY  WEST AFRICA (2014) Held in Dubia, United Arab Emirate,UNIVERSAL MERCHANT BANK - MOST INNOVATIVE & SECURITY CONSCIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION- GHANA (2014) held in Dubia, United Arab Emirate,Brig. General (RTD) Joseph Nunno-Mensah - Golden Star Award for Exemplary National Service in West Africa. (2015) Held in the United States of America among others.



Security Watch Africa Awards was initiated and inaugurated in 2004, with the aim to recognize, appreciate, encourage and celebrate individuals, governments, agencies, brands and companies who have excelled in security administration, practice and governance in Africa.



The mission is to bridge the gap of information that exists between security providers and security users, and between government and the governed. The world acclaimed event is expected to bring together some heads of African Governments, some heads of African Parliaments/National Assemblies, Representative of Foreign Embassies serving in various African countries, captains of industries and banks, the award recipients as well Africa Media Executives.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Judges and magistrates nationwide have suspended the strike they intended to embark on regarding the non-implementation of the 10 percent salary increment.



Sources close to the judges claim that negotiations with the government and key stakeholders are currently at an advanced stage.



He noted that it was necessary the judges called off the strike as negotiations had progressed, adding, Our series of engagements with the government were open and positive.



The source stated that the judges had suspended the strike for the time being, given that the Judicial Council had taken over the matter and as such, would not be prudent to embark on the strike while negotiation was underway.



He further told DAILY GUIDE that the gesture was to allow the processes initiated towards the final resolution of the impasse to continue unimpeded.



Although yesterday was the deadline for the strike, all the judges and the magistrates were at post performing their duties.



Two weeks ago, the aggrieved party issued a final warning to the government to pay their approved salary increment or face their wrath.



According to the judges, the governments feet dragging and indifference through the Finance Minister had created frustration and anxiety among them as several letters to the minister had yielded no results.



The circuit court judges and the magistrates were emphatic that they would abandon the courts on November 21, 2016, if Mahamas National Democratic Congress (NDC) government failed to pay their cash.



Ultimatum



The judges and the magistrates have over the months been battling with the government over the non-implementation of the 10 percent salary increment which they insist was approved by the late President John Atta Mills in 2012.



It may be recalled that the judges in September handed the government a 10-day ultimatum to pay the money or they would embark on strike by September 30, this year.



Again in June, this year, the judges called for the immediate withdrawal of a letter from Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff, that sought to vary the conditions of service for circuit court judges and magistrates.



Earlier in a statement issued in Accra and addressed to the Chief Justice  a copy of which is in the custody of DAILY GUIDE  the judges and the magistrates said, Respectfully, Honorable Chief Justice, we humbly wish to inform you that the letter addressed to the Minister for Finance has not received any attention.



The statement, signed by Aboagye Tandoh, a circuit court judge and representative of the judges of the lower bench, said the attention of the CJ was being drawn to the matter because of the undue delay.



He explained, This is particularly so because the implementation of the conditions of service of the lower bench has been characterized with frequent interruptions and disruptions since 2013.



Mr. Tandoh further argued, We have observed that these disruptions and interferences with our conditions of service have occurred as a result of the erroneous manner in which the concerns of other institutions have been addressed, even though these matters are not related to the judges and the magistrates of the lower bench.



The statement, copied of which were sent to the Chief of Staff, Finance Minister and the Judicial Secretary, stated, We wish to reiterate that our conditions of service as approved by the late President Mills, have never been a mistake but the mistake being alleged is a creation of people whose sole interest is to interfere with the conditions of service of judges and magistrates



No End in Sight



Later in an interaction with journalists, Mr. Tandoh said there seemed to be no end in sight to the controversy.



The judge continued, Our issues have nothing to do with staff, if staffs have problems that they are legitimately entitled they must be given and not to create problems for the judges of the lower bench.



Mr. Tandoh added, We have seen that under the circumstance, that has been created; our members are not in the mood to go with these acts of interference if the issue of the 10 per cent is not addressed.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The New Patriotic Party leadership, has in a press statement issued on Tuesday, outlined some orchestrations by the NDC and President John Dramani Mahama aimed at stealing the votes of electorates.



According to the party, they have discovered that the NDC wants to "cheat by using election officers who have been carefully selected for this exercise. (2) They want to intimidate voters and our agents with violence and the threat of violence. (3) They want to excite hatred amongst northerners against southerners, particularly Akans in order to continue exploiting the north. (4) They want to use cash and other material things to buy the conscience of voters. (5) Above all, the NDC has a big plan to buy the loyalty of party executives and polling agents of the NPP and all the other opposition parties."



The NPP also noted that the President wants to manipulate the system in his pursuit of victory in the December polls.



The party further revealed that President Mahama has no commitments to develop the North but instead "only sees northerners as pawns in his political chess game, who he must manipulate to perpetuate himself in power in order to continue with the rape of the public purse. Many communities across the north do not have drinking water. And when their brother, who is president, purports to give them water in the form of boreholes, he only uses it as an avenue to make money for himself and his family and friends. For every borehole that President Mahama sinks in the north, five villages are denied same. Northerners are still seething with anger over the 60,000 cedis per borehole project. The story of SADA and the rape of the north, has become the butt of many jokes in Ghana."



The NPP has therefore called on the security agencies and the electorates not to allow themselves to be used by the NDC to advance their course.



Addressing journalists at a press conference in Accra, Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson for Mr Akufo-Addo, claimed in October this year, President John Mahama and his brother Ibrahim, attempted bribing the partys Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu, with two SUVs, GHc3.3million, an additional GHc500,000 and other mouthwatering goodies so that he would resign from the party and launch an acerbic tribal campaign against flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo by painting him as a hater of northerners.



According to Sheikh Hamid, the said bribe was intended to entice Mr Naabu to fall out with the NPP and help the NDC prosecute its tribal agenda against Nana Akufo-Addo.





Read full statement below:



YOU CANT BUY US

A PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY



Good afternoon, Ghana. We have invited you here this afternoon on a matter that is of grave concern, not only to us, but to the people of Ghana. The unity and cohesion of our country should not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.



We should all stand up and fight against those who wish to divide this country, merely because they want to perpetuate themselves in power. It is important that we name and shame those who seek political office on the altar of tribalism and ethnocentrism.



I am sure you all witnessed the big and warm welcome that Nana Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia received in the three regions of the North recently. Indeed, in the Greater Accra Region and the Volta Region, we have all witnessed the massive show of support for the Nana-Bawumia ticket.



In the north in particular, the sound and feel of change is in the air. The ground has shifted and it is the people who have tasted bitterness and sweetness and, knowing too well the difference, who have decided to move in their numbers from those who cheat, lie, and disappoint, the NDC, to those who deliver, the NPP.



The President and his party gurus know the ground is not good. Their party foot soldiers in the North feel they have been seduced, used, abused and refused. They struggle to pay fees and their electricity bills.



They dont have jobs. They feel abandoned. They feel disrespected and the youth are convinced that government does not care about their future. Mahama has killed the hope of the young people. We must revive it and more and more farmers, women, and young people in the three northern regions see hope and a brighter future in Nana Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



Ladies and gentlemen of the press, instead of President Mahama concentrating his efforts on fighting poverty, ignorance and disease in the north, he only sees northerners as pawns in his political chess game, who he must manipulate to perpetuate himself in power in order to continue with the rape of the public purse.



Many communities across the north do not have drinking water. And when their brother, who is president, purports to give them water in the form of boreholes, he only uses it as an avenue to make money for himself and his family and friends.



For every borehole that President Mahama sinks in the north, five villages are denied same. Northerners are still seething with anger over the 60,000 cedis per borehole project. The story of SADA and the rape of the north, has become the butt of many jokes in Ghana.



The NDC has targeted the north with five key things. (1) They want to cheat by using election officers who have been carefully selected for this exercise. (2) They want to intimidate voters and our agents with violence and the threat of violence. (3) They want to excite hatred amongst northerners against southerners, particularly Akans in order to continue exploiting the north. (4) They want to use cash and other material things to buy the conscience of voters. (5) Above all, the NDC has a big plan to buy the loyalty of party executives and polling agents of the NPP and all the other opposition parties.



(1) On the plan to cheat using election officers. We know for a fact that it will not work and for three reasons: (a) Not many Election Officers are prepared to cheat for them this time; (b) Our agents are prepared to defend the ballots and know that once they police the process well, no election officer can get away with cheating; (c) The ordinary people in communities across the Northern Region are saying that they themselves will watch over the entire process. They will not go home after voting. They will stay there and watch without interfering. They are determined to have a peaceful and clean elections.



(2) On the issue of intimidating voters and party agents, the NPP wants to call on the security agencies sit up to their responsibility. We do not want to be forced to defend ourselves. We want those who are paid to defend the people and properties to do their jobs without fear or favour. But we want the NDC to know that we shall not be intimidated by them. We are prepared to defend the Constitution and our votes. We will, therefore, appeal to them to help us keep this election violent-free. Our young people need jobs and not weapons.



(3) The President is at it again. He is playing the worst politics the world has known: tribal politics. The danger in what he is doing is that he is in fact turning Gonja against Mamprusi, Konkomba against Gonja, Nanumba against Konkomba etc.



(4) In 2012, the NDC used cash to buy votes. They went from house to house sharing money and sometimes even shared money when people were in the line to vote. We believe the vote buying only worked to some extent in 2012 because the people of the North were somehow persuaded by the assurances from Dramani Mahama that he is our brother, he is our father, he is our son, and can therefore be trusted to make sure we prosper and get our fair share of the national cake.



The people of the North trusted him. I am confident from what I hear and see on the ground that this time, vote buying will not work in the north. I cannot speak for other regions. The people of the north were told by President John Mahama to vote for him because he is one of us and can be trusted to develop the north faster and better.



But, what we saw was that he rather allowed his close friends like Roland Agambiri to use the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to steal most of the GH300 million given to SADA and meant to help the people of the north.



Today, our people are sad, angry, hungry, ashamed and feel very insulted by Dramani Mahama. He exploited us and used our name, through SADA, to enrich his friends and family and to make our people even poorer. Today, under a president who comes from the North, the people of the North are poorer than they were under the late President Mills before 2012 and President Kufuor before 2009.



But, President John Dramani Mahama has not apologized to the people of the three Regions of the north for using our name to take money which have been shared among his friends and family. Not a single person has been sent to court over the SADA rot.



Roland Agambiri, who promised to build Hope City left Ghana for Dubai City and left the north in calamity. The people of the north feel cheated, insulted and embarrassed. We gave our son, our brother, John Dramani Mahama our cola and he chewed it all and spat it back on our faces. Never again!



(5) The biggest concern we have now are efforts from the President and his party to exploit the poverty that they have made worse in their efforts to avoid defeat. They want to buy and steal votes in the north. But, they can only succeed if we allow them. They tried it in 2012 and it worked. They are trying it again in 2016 but it will not work. And, my job here today is to show to the country why we are sure it will not work.



MAHAMAS BRIBE TO BUGRI



Since the New Patriotic elected its regional executives in January 2014, followed by the election of national officers in April 2014, President Mahama and his people have not relented in their evil ways and means to use money to get some of our own people to work against the NPP.



Fortunately for us, with all their cash, cars and lies, they have failed. And, I want to send a message to any party member or executives who is taking money from the NDC to work against the NPP: do not do it! If you do so, you work against yourself, your party and your country. I want to focus on the experience of the Northern Regional Chairman of our party.



On Friday, the 28th of October 2016, our Northern Regional Chairman, Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu, was invited to meet President John Dramani Mahama. The meeting was set up by his brother Ibrahim Mahama and a friend of his, Mohammed Awal. Ibrahim Mahama and Awal drove to the office of Bugri Naabu in Osu near the Osu Police Station, Accra shortly before 9pm.



It was Alhaji Awal who walked to Bugri Naabus office. With Bugri Naabu were Majid Bawa and John Kwaku Alhassan (JK), who contested in the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Yunyoo constituency. Awal said that the President wanted to see Bugri Naabu and insisted it was important that Bugri meets with the President.



Bugri got into the front seat of Ibrahims car, a brown jeep, with a partition, so he could not even see who was in the car. He was told the President was in the back. He did not look. If the President was in the car, he did not say a word and Ibrahim drove from Bugris office in Osu to Airport Residential Area. Awal drove behind them in his saloon car.



When they got to Ibrahims house, they used a back door. Bugri walked with Ibrahim and Awal into an inner living room. According to Bugri Naabu, he was genuinely scared. Yes, big man Bugri was anxious. He was not so sure what was going to happen next. Less than five minutes later, the President entered the room, through the same route that they took.



At this time, Bugri was curious to find out what really they had in mind because Alhaji Awal had been trying for over six months to get him to meet the President. Around the same time, Ibrahim Mahama had tried to convince Bugri with money to leave the NPP to become a chief after the death of Bugris uncle, which Bugri refused.



Even before Awal, there was Hardi Bin Salih, who came with a message to Bugri shortly after he was elected Northern Regional Chairman that the President and his brother, Ibrahim, wanted to meet with him urgently. Bugri did not pay heed.



They did not give up because the central plank of their campaign for 2016, was and still is, the disunity or the perception of disunity in the NPP. At the funeral of our late former National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, held at the forecourt of the State House, the President himself appealed to Bugri. Bugri was with Alhaji Short, NPP Upper West Regional Chairman and Alhaji Murtala, NPP Upper East Regional Chairman.



When the President got to them, as he was greeting people, he gave Bugri a big hug and said into Bugris ears: I want to see you. I want to see you. I must see you. Alhaji Short even heard it, so the two of them laughed over it, wondering what the President was looking for. They even joked that he was probably looking for a new big fish to work with in the NPP.



Nearly three months ago, Bugri was in his office when Ibrahim Mahama came with Alhaji Awal, where he was asked to sit in Ibrahims car. The Presidents brothers first statement to Bugri was this: Why are you with these Ashanti people. You know they dont respect us. He said he and his brother were prepared to give Bugri a very good pension package if he would quit the NPP and destroy any chances that Akufo-Addo may have at winning the presidency.



Ibrahim gave Bugri GH10,000 for his transport back to Tamale through Alhaji Awal. But, Bugri told Alhaji Awal straight that it was impossible for him to leave the NPP or to destroy a good man like Akufo-Addo. But, they would not listen. They were determined to catch this big elephant. They kept putting pressure on Awal to put pressure on Bugri. Eventually, Bugri accepted their invitation to meet the President out of curiosity.



28TH OCTOBER: MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT



Now, let me get back to the meeting with the President now that I have given you enough of a background. The meeting took place in the house of Ibrahim Mahama, close to Gold House, at Airport Residential Area, after 9pm that Friday, October 28.



In the meeting was Bugri Naabu, the President, who sat in a chair to Bugris left, his brother, Ibrahim, who sat in another chair on Bugris right side, and Awal, who sat further away from the President, in another chair. They met for over an hour until 11pm.



Ibrahim started the meeting by saying he had been talking to Bugri for some time now and Bugri was playing hard but now has agreed to meet and he was sure that Bugri was ready to strike a deal with them. His words were that: I have been talking to him for long time but he did not agree but now he is ready to support you for your second term.



The President responded, first by thanking Bugri. He went on to say that he is a Northerner like Bugri and has not been happy with the things that Bugri had been saying about him. He also mentioned Dr. Bawumia as another Northerner who has been very harsh on him, the only Northern President we have and that it was through them that Bawumia got to work at the Central Bank.



The President said nothing pains him more than Hajia Samira, the wife of Bawumia, who has been very harsh on him.



The President then went on to say that Nana Akufo-Addo does not like Northerners. Bugri told him that it cannot be true. The President said, that was why Afoko was suspended. Bugri told him that was not true but Afoko brought it upon himself and it was his behavior that got the party to suspend him and not Akufo-Addo.



They then told Bugri what the deal was. The Presidents brother led that discussion. He said Bugri was supposed to resign and damage Akufo-Addo beyond electability. According to the President, Bugri should paint Akufo-Addo as a rabid anti-northern person, who could never be trusted to advance the cause of the people of the north.



He was supposed to tell the world that it was Nana Akufo-Addo who got him to turn against Afoko and that he has gotten wiser. He was supposed to say that Nana Addo was knocking the head of one Northern against another. That Bugri should say that Akufo-Addo was running a one man show; the NPP was led by a dictator; if he doesnt like you, you are in trouble and that Bugri should say that it was even Nana who got him to suspend the Regional Womens Organizer. Nana hates Northerners so our people should stop saying NPP is a better alternative when Nana is the one in charge.



Bugri asked them how they expected him to survive after spewing these lies against an innocent man. They told him they were prepared to fly him abroad, put him up in a hotel and fly Ghanaian journalists there to interview him and that Bugri should even say he was afraid for his life that is why he had to flee Ghana.



Now, I am sure you want to know what they offered Bugri. As the President was talking, Ibrahim got up to signal and a man walked into the room with a bag behind his back. He dropped it in front of Bugri and left. Ibrahim opened it and it was full of Fifty Ghana Cedis notes. Bugri asked what that was about. Ibrahim said there was GH500,000 in it. The deal was that they were prepared to give him more.



Bugri said to them that, he was surprised. Why now? The government had sat on Bugris money as a contractor for years. Bugri was still owed GH247,000 for a feeder road contract and the certificate had been ready since 2013, when he was not even Regional Chairman but they refused to pay because he is NPP.



This was the full details of the deal they offered Bugri that night:



(1) Brand new V8 Toyota Land Cruiser

(2) Brand new V6 Mitsubishi Pajero

(3) Brand new Nissan Pick-up

(4) GH3.3 million, including the contract sum owed to Bugri and minus the GH500,000.

(5) Plus a new road contract



Ibrahim said they were prepared to give Bugri a road contract worth GH190 million. There and then, they offered Bugri work on a road that he had already worked on years ago under the NPP, the Osenase-Apenamang Road.



The President directed Bugri to see the Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, Mr. Francis Digber. When, Bugri was leaving, Ibrahim asked him to give GH50,000 of the GH500,000 to Alhaji Awal, promising to reimburse him later.



The very next day, Bugri managed to locate the one Prudential Bank that he knew would be open on a Saturday and put the money in.



That is, the Abossey Okai Branch. He deposited it in his account number 0090985590013, which account holding branch is Ring Road Central. Bugri immediately reported the full details of the meeting to the Flag bearer, who was out of town campaigning, but through a trusted aide who is also a senior member of the NPP campaign.



A few days later, to show good faith, Ibrahim Mahama joined a high-powered NDC delegation, led by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Kenneth Wujangi, with Minister of State, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed and Ghanas Ambassador to Angola Moses Bukari Mabengba, to the funeral of Bugri Naabus daughter. Ibrahim Mahama generously donated GH20,000 at the funeral, and the President GH10,000.



True to their word, the first of the three vehicles was ready and Bugri sent one of his boys to pick it up. According to the Customs Classification and Valuation Report, the vehicle was imported into Ghana by Malin Investment Ltd in August this year and the duty paid on it was GH40,274.70.



Ladies and gentlemen of the media, I have given you enough names and enough details to support the case that the President and his brother have approached Bugri and offered him cash, a contract and vehicles and in return, for him to create divisions in the NPP and tell lies about the flagbearer and paint him as an ethnic bigot who hates northerners.



But, I know there are some who may still doubt me. Well, let me give you just one more piece of the evidence. The company that imported the vehicle and transferred it to Bugri, Malin Investment is owned by a Hawah Hayisi Aryee Mahama and Frank Nuhu Alormasor, a Personal Assistant to the President. I leave it to you to find out who Hawah Mahama is.



I want to end with a final message to the President. Yes, Bugri thanks you for the gifts  the car and the cash. I am not so sure, where things have gotten to, I dont think Bugri should expect the other two cars, the contract and the rest of the cash. But, that is ok.



Since the car is registered in Bugris name he intends to donate it to the Northern Region NPP so that it can be used for the 2016 NPP campaign to win power against the NDC. As for the cash, he intends to use it to support our campaign efforts, especially work at the polling station level, so that our agents will be well trained and resourced to protect the ballot.



My message to my party people, especially polling agents is this: the NDC will try to bribe you. Please do not sell your party. The country depends on your loyalty, your integrity and your vigilance to effect the change that is before us.



My message to the rest of Ghanaians is this: the NDC will come to attempt to buy your votes, after they have made you poorer. It is your own money they will bring to you. Please take it and use it but let them know that your vote is too precious to be bought. You are not for sale. Your future is not for sale. Ghana is not for sale. Change is here! Let us go out in our numbers and reject ethnic bigotry, bribery and corruption and division.



You cant buy us! Ghana is not for sale!



Thank you.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, is accusing the governing NDC of frustrating his campaign and abusing incumbency.



Dr. Nduom expressed these sentiments while speaking to some supporters of his party at Tarkwa in the Western Region as part of his campaign tour. Dr Nduom indicated that the bad intention of President Mahama and his administration is evident in the way the country is being governed. I shouldnt be the one to say this but I will.



Why should the NDC come and park its pick-up here whiles there is an ongoing rally? he asked. We had sought police permit and paid for the venue ahead of the rally only to be called to cancel the rally because President Mahama wanted to hold a rally here.



According to Dr. Nduom, he doesnt understand why such a thing should happen because he believes both parties belong to Ghana and should all be treated equally as such.



In any case we agreed and decided to change the time to this afternoon but they have still come here with their vehicles. This is a very bad mentality and evident of the governance style of the NDC.

Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former General Secretary of the largest opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dan Botwe has said President John Mahama will lack the competence to govern any developed country if he were to be given such an opportunity.



According to him, since the president has reduced and restricted govenance to only the provision of infrastructure, hell will be found wanting if hes put in the helm of affairs in countries which have massive infrastructure development better than what he (Mahama) is boasting of providing in Ghana.



President John Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has touted the governments achievement in providing infrastructure all across the country in a record time which they claim is unprecedented in the countrys history.



Mr Mahama whos seeking re-election in the upcoming December 7 poll has said the NDC has engendered massive infrastructural development in the following five sectors: water, power, education, healthcare, and roads.



But speaking on Peace FM Kokrokoo show Tuesday, Dan Botwe whos also the Member of Parliament for Okere stated that governance is not only about doing projects.



President John Mahama can only boast of building schools, hospitals and constructing roads, which was made possible with Ghanas oil money, loans etcetera, that is not enough. In anycase every government including Col. Acheampongs military junta, provides these things . I havent heard the Mahama-led government talk about a new programme or policy theyve introduced that will turn around the lives of Ghanaians.



He added: If Mahama is made the President of UK, USA or Holland now, theres nothing more he can do because these countries already have interchanges, hospitals, schools, etc. No this is not all governance is about. President Kufour provided all these infrastrucres but he added ideas and social intevention programmes which enhanced the living condition of Ghanaians, that is why the NPP must be voted back to power to continue with the good works Kufour started.

Source: kasapafmonline.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.

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The collapse of Prairie Volta Limited (PVL) formerly Aveyime Rice Project situated at Mafi-Aloryi in the Volta Region under the watch of Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration has fuelled fire again in the host communities.



Some aggrieved chiefs and youth in the beneficiary districts, including North, Central and South Tongu, have called on President John Dramani Mahama to expedite action to revive the once vibrant rice producing company before Tuesday, December 2, 2016.



Failure on the part of government of the NDC to honour this obligation, they stressed, would lead to a massive demonstration.



If we do not see any concrete sign that work has resumed on the PVL before Tuesday, the demonstration will go on, some traditional leaders and youth in Aveyime, Battor, Mepe, Adidome, Dokpo, Mafi-Aloryi, Sogakope, Bakpa, Mafi Kumase and Mafi-Dove areas including sacked workers of PVL told Today.



When Today visited the project site at Mafi-Aloryi recently to ascertain the facts on the collapsed project, the traditional leaders and the youth lamented that the collapse of the company under NDC government had adversely affected their fortunes and lives of the people in the three districts of the region.



Fuming with rage, the leaders blamed government for the collapse of the company, stressing that the primary cause of the state of affairs at the company was the years of neglect by the largest stakeholder in the project which is government of Ghana.



They further stressed that the communities needed the government to intervene by reinvesting in the PVL to revive the company before the country goes to the polls to elect its leader on December 7, 2016.



We need governments quick intervention to revive the company. Once it is on our land, we all expect it to grow and generate employment for the teeming youth, particularly the employees from the Takoradi Polytechnic who are ready to use their technical know-how to bring more innovation into the company, they stated.



In their estimation, government did not have to be the sole owner before it will assist the ailing company.



They noted that if the PVL could generate a quarter of the countrys rice imports, the savings on the import bill would be beneficial to the country.



What is even painful, according to them, was the governments inability to pay the ten months salary arrears to the over 500 workers who were sent home after the collapse of the company.



On their part some leaders in Aveyime, Mepe, Battor, Bakpa, Adidome, Sogakope and Dadome who spoke to Today appealed to government to help revive the PVL in order to bring life to the three districts.



As a result of the collapse of the company our children can no longer go to school, because we cant pay their fees, thereby leaving the children to engage in anti-social activities, they asserted.



They pleaded with government to come to the aid of the company, saying it gave a lot of indirect employment to women who sold to the workers while the company was thriving.



Some of the affected workers lamented their inability to repay loans they secured from Battor and Mepe Rural Banks.



We are just loitering, as the factory is not functioning and we do not know what they will do. If it is revived we the workers will go back and find something to do and there will also be food in our houses, the workers stated.







Source: Today









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood has turned down a request by a private citizen who petitioned her office to have an intended court duel between businessman Alfred Woyome and citizen vigilante Martin Amidu telecast live in the interest of the nation.



Mr Richard Asante Yeboah filed the petition after the Supreme Court gave Mr Amidu the go-ahead to examine Mr Woyome on the GHS51.2million judgement debt saga.



The court ruled two years ago that Mr Woyome got the money fraudulently and unconstitutionally and thus must refund it to the state. Mr Woyome is, however, yet to do so. He recently said he had refunded GHS4million so far.



Mr Amidu filed an application to examine Mr Woyome after the Attorney General gave notice that it would no longer examine the businessman orally.



Given the enormity of the case and the controversy surrounding it, Mr Asante thought a live telecast of the encounter would serve the nation well. However, Mrs Wood, in a letter written on her behalf by Judicial Secretary Justice Alex Poku-Acheampong, said what was being requested is not the normal practice by the Judiciary.



It is now not clear when the duel will come off as Mr Woyome has filed a petition to stay proceedings in that regard. The Court has fixed December 1 to rule on that application.

Source: Classfmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Elections Security Task Force has cautioned security personnel who will be deployed on December 7, 2016 not to take part in the administration of the elections.



It is not your duty to check the voter ID cards of voters; it is not your duty to assist any person to vote or tell any person who to vote for. You should not do anything to suggest that you favour any political party or candidate, the task force admonished security personnel.



A member of the task force, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, gave the advice in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Saturday.



He explained that the deployment of the security personnel was to protect the process to be executed by the Electoral Commission (EC).



He said security personnel were also not to accept any gifts and favours from any stakeholder in the elections, as the personnel would be taken care of by the task force.



Mr Yohuno, who is the Director-General of Police Operations, explained that accepting such offers could be interpreted as attempts to influence the personnel.



He said security personnel were not to leave the polling stations during the voting, counting and declaration of results on election day.



He further reminded them not to go to the polling stations drunk.



Deployment



Mr Yohuno said deployment of security personnel would be done at the Black Star Square in Accra on December 5, 2016 to all the regions where the regional security task forces would further deploy them to the divisions and districts.



He explained that there would be a four-tier deployment before, during and after the elections.



According to him, there would be deployment to the polling stations, patrols, rapid response and reserve forces at the national, regional and district levels, in line with the National Operations Order of the Elections Security Task Force.



He said the military would be on standby and would only be involved to assist when the police were overwhelmed.



He said the security agencies involved in the elections security project would be using anti-riot equipment such as truncheons, shields, tear gas and water canons to deal with any electoral violence.



He said the security personnel would focus more on the maintenance of law and order at the polling stations, protection and the conveyance of ballot boxes.



At least one security person will be at a polling station, while at least two others will be at each of the hotspots identified by both the police and the EC, he said.



Patrols



Mr Yohuno said from December 5, 2016, patrols would be intensified throughout the country to reassure Ghanaians that everything was under control.



He explained that the patrols would seek to deal with any attacks emanating from jubilations and ballot box snatchers and deal immediately with trouble at the hotspots.



The hotspots, he explained, had been catalogued based on chieftaincy, land guards and heightened political tension due to the competitiveness of elections in those areas.



After voting



Mr Yohuno advised the electorate to go home or their workplaces after casting their ballots, saying they could return after 5 p.m. to witness the counting of the ballots.



He explained that all the political parties would have their agents at the polling stations to superintendent over the parties interests, hence there would be no need for the electorate to mass up while the voting took place.



He said for those who would want to monitor the process, they must keep the requisite distance as spelt out by the EC.



No bussing



Mr Yohuno appealed to the political parties and the candidates not to bus prospective voters to the polling stations.



He explained that the bussing of voters to polling stations had the tendency to arouse suspicion and tension and, thereby, fuel conflict.



He urged voters not to attempt to form queues by using objects and also not to attempt to jump the voting queues.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Executive Director of Good Governance Africa, a policy think tank, has urged Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be used as a conduit for violence in the December polls next week.



Mrs. Tina Asante-Apeatu advised the electorates not to break any laws regarding the electoral system of the country but rather asked them to go out in their numbers and cast their votes.



According to her, its prudent for the electorates including stakeholders in the electoral system to abide with the rules and regulations set out by the Electoral Commission (EC).



Dont break the law . . . follow the rules and at the same time, the people in power should also treat people equally. Security men should treat us all equally. Were all Ghanaians first before any other thing. Nobody is above anything. If you break the law, expect to be punished for it. But if A is punished, B must be punished too and that Im sure nobody will complain.



You dont know what you have until you have lost it . . . So, lets jealously guard what we have by making sure that were each others keeper, she told Peacemfonline.com in an interview.



She further lambasted the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for failing to educate the citizenry about the elections.



She noted that theres little education being done by the NCCE and so urged the Commission to execute their official duties effectively.



Mrs. Asante-Apeatus further indicated in a statement that murmuring and complaining about the state of the economy among your friends and neigbours does not have any impact on the development of the nation. Voting ensures you are part of the decision on who runs the country and the affairs of your constituency. Voting gives you the moral right to question the activities of government officials and the decisions they make. If you do not vote, it denotes a lack of interest in the affairs of the country and thus a consequent lack in capacity to criticize those who run the country. Voting means you can choose a candidate who suits your views and who will best represent your interests both in the Presidency and in Parliament.



She admonished Ghanaians who have decided not to vote to note that if we are apathetic and decide not to vote, posterity will judge us and so, urged Ghanaians to go out and vote. Its your right.



Good Governance Africa is a policy think tank that has particular interest in educating the public on their rights as well as reviewing the issues regarding the governance system in the country.



As part of the activities of the think tank, it liaised with the EC to conduct objective researches on some flashpoint areas in the country, particularly Oforikrom at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Suhum and Tarkwa in the Eastern and Western Regions respectively.



Read full statement below:



STATEMENT BY GOOD GOVERNANCE AFRICA (GGA, WEST AFRICA)



ON GHANAS 2016 GENERAL ELECTIONS



GO OUT AND VOTE, ITS YOUR RIGHT



I am not voting; the only reason I have a voters ID card is to be able to go to the bank. I do not have time to join long queues just to vote someone into power.



These and other similar comments are heard time and again from people from all walks of life; educated and non-educated alike; mostly during general elections season in Ghana. Interestingly, these are the same individuals who will spend endless hours complaining about whatever government in power is doing right or not; ie. lack of development, corruption and all round hardship in the country.



To those people who behave in this manner, we say you have yourself to blame!



First of all, murmuring and complaining about the state of the economy among your friends and neigbours does not have any impact on the development of the nation. Voting ensures you are part of the decision on who runs the country and the affairs of your constituency. Voting gives you the moral right to question the activities of government officials and the decisions they make.



If you do not vote, it denotes a lack of interest in the affairs of the country and thus a consequent lack in capacity to criticize those who run the country. Voting means you can choose a candidate who suits your views and who will best represent your interests both in the Presidency and in Parliament.



To the people who say, Mine is just one vote, it doesnt matter, we say Your one vote really does matter. One vote can decide who wins an election in Ghana and is put in charge of policies and programs that affect your life. Leaving decisions that affect your life to other people is dangerous.



It means that even decisions that could harm you and benefit other persons can be made on your behalf. Unfortunately, we do not realize that not voting is a surefire way to this path, a path where our views are not represented in government and where our quality of life compromised. Remember, the winning percentage in general elections in Ghana is 50%+1, that 1 is your vote.



Ghana has undergone various stages of government; colonialism, military rule and now multi-party democracy. People have died in the effort to rid the nation of colonialism and military rule. Martyrs have been imprisoned, beaten and tortured so that you can have the right to exercise your franchise to decide on who governs you. To refuse to vote is a spit in the face and on the graves of these brave individuals.



Also, let us as citizens not forget that in voting, the lives of future generations hang in the balance. Decisions of government that we choose not only affect us but also our children and childrens children. Social and economic policies adopted by governments in power have far reaching consequences.



The effect of developmental projects undertaken by any government, go a long way to impact even generations yet to come. For example, the Akosombo dam as well as Tema and Takoradi Ports constructed by the Nkrumah government are still in use more than half-a-century later. Equally, our national debt, which accumulated over time by various governments are still affecting our national economy till date. Therefore, if we are apathetic and decide not to vote, posterity will judge us.



As we go to the polls on Wednesday, December 7, 2017, let us remember the following quote from George Jean Nathan:



Bad officials are elected by good citizens who dont vote.



And let us go out and vote because it is our right to vote.



Mrs. Tina Asante-Apeatus

Executive Director









































Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi /Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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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.
With a whole bunch of fresh docos churning out of the film industry about Scientology, it is no surprise that the punters are completely thirst for any information about the religion / cult / enormous cash register (for the record, Alex Gibneys Going Clear is probably the best of the bunch).

Actress Leah Remini, a second-generation Scientologist and former King of Queens star, has documented her departure from the Church, which she noped the fuck out of back in 2013. She has a book  Troublemaker : Surviving Hollywood and Scientology  and now shes popped up in a Reddit AMA to talk about the insights shes got into the organisation.

I mean, I was there to ask about King of Queens. But there are some juicy tidbits nonetheless.

JMeJumps1: Are you still in contact with any friends that are still part of the church?

Remini: I am an SP (supressive person). You are not allowed to be in contact with an SP. I would love to talk to my former friends and see my goddaughter.

MLP-e34-clopper: Do you remember what your initial reaction was upon first seeing the course materials for OT3?

Remini: Yes my first reaction was Are you all fucking nuts? and then I looked at my mother and said What kind of bullshit did you get me in? My only option was to leave, but at the time my family was not ready to go. The church told me I didnt need to believe it, just do it. And they always pose this question: Are you ready to leave everything youve ever known?

Orr-eo: Is it true they record your meetings and blackmail you with the recordings?

Remini: Yes, every therapy room is equipped with cameras and listening devices, as admitted by the Church. Do they use it for blackmail? No, they use it to discredit you when you speak out.

meatpoi: Do the higher ups know its a scam or do they really believe this crap?

Remini: The higher up is singular. And he definitely knows. however I believe most parishioners and Sea Org members (people who work for the church) are int he dark and believe that they are doing amazing things for the world. And David Miscavige is directly responsible for that fraud.

CDougyFresh: How much did you pay to the church throughout your time there?

Remini: Millions.

Welsh_Dragon_Roar: If all Scientologys secrets were revealed tomorrow, which do you think would be most shocking?

Remini: When you reach the top of The Bridge (OTP 8) you will be told that God is a lie for LRH, and there are more levels ahead, that will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no end to Scientology.

Legeto: When you were a Scientologist did you ever get any weird reactions from other famous people?

Remini: Weird reactions? No. I got appropriate reactions, Why are you in this crazy shit?

Rach_alGhul: How are they able to recruit intelligent people into what appears to be an obvious scam and cult?

Remini: Most Scientologists are 2nd or 3rd generation, they were born and raised into an ideology and have been surrounded and isolated. It is all they know. They are victims. Most of the original Scientologists are all out and have spoken out. Unfortunately, their children were indoctrinated by them . are still loyal, faithful and have cut off communication due to the policy of disconnection.
The spread of legalised weed across the United States brings with it the kind of baffling innovations inevitably occur when these kind of things get subjected to the whims of the free market. The latest wonderful development? Hunter S. Thompsons widow Anita wants to clone his personal weed and hashish stash for the more discerning bonglord.

The gonzo journo was known in part for his frankly inhuman weed intake, and now the American states lucky enough to enjoy legalised recreational devils lettuce  which now includes California, Nevada and Massachusetts  will be able to indulge in Gonzo brand dank.

Anita Thompson explained in a Facebook post: that shes kept some of his personal stash around and is keen to extract the DNA.

I have found a legal method to extract the DNA from Hunters personal marijuana and hashish that I saved for 12-15 years. I am in the process of making the strains available to those who would like to enjoy the authentic Gonzo strains in legal states. Although the the drug lord phrase is silly as it doesnt match my personality, I am looking forward to making the authentic strains available in legal states to support the Farm and the scholarships.

Read the full post:

Now just sort us out with a Hunter S. Thompson brand shotgun and a Hunter S. Thompson brand acid tabs, and youve probably got yourself the makings of a good weekend.

Source: Facebook.

Photo: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.
Well, it appears some are only just discovering the baffling phenomenon where young men often and without hesitation send their dick pics to each other. Just as like, a platonic, friend thing.

Ryan Jon, a breakfast radio host from Canberra, went out on the streets and asked some blokes outside a nightclub if they do this, and was seemingly a bit shocked by the positive response.

He wrote an accompanying piece for for News Corp explaining just how dumbfounded he was by this admission:

Girls dont like [receiving dick pics]. They think its gross. They show their girlfriends and compare horror stories. So considering this, I asked the guys: If girls dont like it, then why bother? Their answer: Well, the boys love it! Surely this isnt a thing?

In an email to PEDESTRIAN.TV about the video, Jon told us,

Turns out young guys send more DPs to their mates than to girls. Is that weird? I was surprised.

Well nah, its not. Its not weird at all. In fact, its common and normal.

A decent chunk of my male mates do it. And if they havent, theyve likely at least considered it. Delving into the dynamics of modern platonic relationships, its simply a matter of people becoming wholly comfortable with their bodies and one other; swapping nudes is a novel exercise in bonding and friendship.

In the video of Jon interviewing fellas outside the clurrrb at 2am, some average Aussie blokes gave these pearls of innate wisdom:

The boys on the worksite have probably seen it more times on Snapchat than my missus has in our bedroom. If you dont send dick pics to your boys, theyre not your boys.

(A solid F- to the bloke who stated that sending dick pics to girls [is] gay, however  devaluing terminologies of the LGBTQIA community by associating them to something negative, even as a joke, is pretty shithouse.)

But heres a potential shock: WOMEN DO IT TOO. I know I sure as hell have. Majority of my close friends have sent genitalia or nude pix to me too.

Most of the time, these nude photos sent within my personal friendship group are the vibe of Im looking dope tonight, please appreciate just how marvellously babin I look. And the resulting conversation is one of admiration, building self-worth, and encouraging your mates to love their bodies and themselves. Its an inherently positive and uplifting experience.

Human bodies are so societally stigmatised  why wouldnt you boost the positive conversation and normalise the conversation?

Jon closes his tale of discovery with the statement, Remember when sending an eggplant emoji was considered risque? That, folks, was the good old days. Was it risque? We just found it kinda funny that the eggplant looked like a giant peen, tbh.

So yeeeep  people send platonic photos of their bits to one another. Its still a consent thing  if you send one to someone whos expressed they dont want it, then thats not okay at all. Consent is the key, here.

But to your closest friends, who know everything about you and are 100% down with it? Its pretty fkn standard.

Its a communal bonding experience that allows your nearest and dearest to know you completely and intimately. It might be a funny joke between mates, even a friendly competition. Its our contemporary version of creating nude oil paintings, to appreciate, celebrate, laugh at, enjoy.

But whatever the result may be, human bodies are cool, nudity is cool, comfortability and trust are cool, consent is cool.

Bless the platonic, consensual nude; may it live forever.

Source: News Corp.

Photo: Facebook / RyanJonOnline.
The Avalanches are no strangers to cryptic internet shit, having heralded their first album in 10 years with a series of extremely tease-y posts on their socmed (or social media, as people who arent assholes call it) hinting at the release  this time, however, who knows what the fuck their doing.

This afternoon, the band posted a v. minimalist picture to their Instagram of a gold, embossed version of the logo from their album Wildflower as well as a set of co-ordinates.

#avalanchesgold -33.869356,151.20484850000003 A photo posted by The Avalanches (@theavalanches) on Nov 29, 2016 at 10:43pm PST

Being the incredible journalistic sleuth I am (read: I used Google Maps), I determined that the coordinates were, in fact, pointing to a location near Sydneys Darling Harbour  next to a rather auspiciously named bar, no less.

Sound familiar? Of course it does: its the name of their first album, Since I Left You (duh). Does this mean they opened a bar? That seems very unlikely, as the bar has been there for a  while but the venue itself (at 338 Kent Street, btw) is hinting that something is hidden there.

Curious and curiouser. If youre nearby, absolutely check it out. If youre not nearby, please instead re-watch the video for Frontier Psychiatrist and think about what might have been:

If you get there and manage to figure out what #AvalanchesGold is, feel free to brag about it in the comments.

Photo: Instagram.
It looks like UK porn is about to get a whole lot more boring, with the House of Commons today passing a law banning a huge list of sex acts for online porn and, additionally, adding a requirement for all UK porn sites to carry an extra age verification process for every Brit looking to get their jollies on the web.

The laws mean that commercial porn providers wont be able to put anything up on the web which couldnt be sold legally on DVD, which should have a big impact on people that are very patriotic about what websites theyre getting their porn from.

While there arent strict guidelines as to what porn providers can and cant show, they will have to comply with the very strict requirements for R18 classification, which rules out things like female ejaculation, menstrual blood, digital penetration with more than four fingers (fisting, they mean no fisting), any spanking which leaves a mark and any sex acts in public.

The Digital Economy Bill has received criticism from the porn industry (because, well, duh), but also from security experts who say that forcing people to sign up for the age verification system leaves a very juicy target for hackers, who would probably be pretty interested in finding out who has been watching nurse urination threesomes or whatever.

This wont have an impact on people using foreign streaming websites like PornHub, but I bet the 0.1% of people that are paying for local, home-grown porn are reeeaaal pissed about it.

This is also a great time to remind you that former prime minister John Howard does not believe squirting is real. Cheers.

Source: The Independent.
For those not fully satisfied with the level of chill brought by adult colouring books and all that, theres something a tad stronger to loosen your mind: Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy, or REST, or Floatation Therapy.

Theres scientific research to suggest that floating around in a Sensory Deprivation Tank for an hour, or three  immersed in lukewarm, Epsom Salt-spiked water  can greatly improve your wellbeing, with reported benefits including stress relief, greater concentration, boosted energy levels and a better nights sleep.

With this in mind, we tried on a tank for size with interesting results.

BUT FIRST, A BIT OF HISTORY:

John C. Lilly (not to be confused with John C. Reilly) invented the tanks in the mid-1950s, for science experiments on self-reflection. As a neuro-psychiatrist, Lilly used himself (and later his wife) as the test subject for many of his floatation studies, submerging himself for long periods in these first-gen tubs, which he called isolation tanks:

Dude was fucking controversial.

HOW FLOATATION THERAPY WORKS:

Eventually the tanks were modified to resemble the pod-like chambers of today. Heres Lilly speaking a bit about his design:

The idea is to separate yourself from society through solitude and confinement of a scientifically-controlled tank. There should only be 10 inches (25cm) of water, heated to 93F (33.8C)  just right for maintaining the proper brain temperature, with enough Epsom salts so your hands, feet and head all float.  via People magazine, 6 September, 1976

Instead of falling asleep when all his senses were deprived of stimulation Lilly reported having all kinds of transcendent and transformative *sensory* experiences in the float tank. Then sometime in the 1960s, he got hooked on LSD and vitamin K, got into the tanks while on said hallucinogens ( ), had an epiphany about how he could make dolphins talk to humans, floated with them, fed them LSD and yeah, that was the end of Lillys credits.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND FLOATATION THERAPY:

Carol Stuart, owner of Bondi Junction Massage & Floatation Centre, one of the first floatation clinics in Sydney, says it has to do with the solution in which youre floating. Epsom Salt is a common name for magnesium sulfate, which relaxes the muscles, relieves stress and improves circulation.

She goes on:

They discovered that this solution, with its high volume of magnesium, could make you float effortlessly. Youre not fighting gravity when youre in there so you can just let go. After a while of floating, a chemical effect happens in your body because youre not using any muscles; all the physical processes slow down, and you start to release endorphins to balance everything out. It affects your neurotransmitters so you stop being anxious and fearful.

Magnesium is a mineral were all lacking in these days, thanks largely to our consumption of processed foods. By lying in these tanks, Carol says your skin absorbs a little bit of it through osmosis.

BUT DOES IT ACTUALLY WORK? A P.TV ROAD TEST:

Expecting to experience some sort of Nirvana, health and fitness editor Wendy Hoang signed up for an hour-long float in a sensory deprivation tank.

Heres what happened:

Firstly, the tank is surprisingly spacious so claustrophobia isnt an issue, which is great because you was freaking out about that. You have a quick shower and scrub off  and then, youre in the tank: naked, floating, wondering what fresh hell this is. Its not difficult to float, in fact, its quite easy, but you struggle anyway and spend the next 10 minutes craning your neck, trying not to drown in the 25 cm-deep pool of water. Solid start. Fifteen minutes in and youve calmed down a little. You lie back. Kind of. The water feels like its bobs up and down quite ferociously (you could just be imagining, tho), and you can hear your heart beat in your ears  its very quick. You wonder if its always like that, youre pretty highly strung. Your right leg tingles and your thoughts take a turn for the morbid. On the upside, your skin is fabulously silky and smooth in the water so you focus on that. Twenty minutes in and youre feeling even more relaxed. You decide to explore your surroundings and feel out the tank. Its huge. Bigger than you remember from 20 minutes ago.

30 minutes in and a lot of crazy starts to happen, both physically and mentally. With your eyes shut, all spatial awareness is gone and youre unable to differentiate between water and air. You start to lose your shit. Youre fully horizontal now; straight as a plank. You feel like your body is a log drifting down a river rapid, when really, you havent moved. Your heart rate has settled, but you start having weird AF sensory experiences of your own. You wonder if this is what old mate Lilly was describing. You get the creeps. Your stomach feels unusually bloated and you regret drinking so much water before this spiritual experience  youre also wondering what time it is. (i.e. Is it time to get out?)

After an hour, you dont feel relaxed exactly, or maybe you do  its hard to tell after an hour of zero stimulation with nothing by your neurosis for company. Also, you stood up too quickly and now you have to sit for 30-minutes because youre still under the float spell and youre shaking. Though, it was nice to have an hour to yourself. But the *real* interesting stuff happens that night. You fall asleep easily and deeply, and have the most vivid dreams. A really insightful glimpse into your psyche, but probably not one you want again any time soon on account of the fact youre pretty rattled for the next 48 hours.

For more information on floatation therapy, visit Bondi Junction Massage & Floa

tation Centre.

Photo: What Lies Beneath.
Food Finds is a new feature taking a look at foods worth ordering at central Pennsylvania restaurants, from off-the-beaten spots to corner bars and ethnic eateries.

Brisket rules at Road Hawg Barbecue in Dillsburg.

"The pulled pork has made us famous but the brisket keeps them coming back," said manager Dustin Gerhold.

Road Hawg Barbecue in Dillsburg smokes its own brisket which is sliced and topped onto sandwiches.

The smoky, sweet scent of barbecue permeates the air outside of the restaurant along South Baltimore Street in the borough. Inside the restaurant, Gerhold and owner Keith Walters trim, marinate and smoke the meat. It's a nearly 48-hour process.

The tender meat is then sliced and piled high on potato rolls for sandwiches. Customers can pour on a choice of house-made sauce from hot to mild or sweet.

The sandwiches sell for $6.85. Diners also purchase the brisket to take home by the pound for $14.95. (For more about the brisket and how it's made, check out the video.)

Road Hawg originally operated in Duncannon where owners Keith and his wife, Alicia Walters, opened the small restaurant in 2011. In 2013, Road Hawg was declared the top winner in the PennLive BBQ Brawl.

This summer, the couple expanded the brand and opened the restaurant in Dillsburg. A few months later they closed the Duncannon outpost but plan to return to the area in the spring of 2017 at the Old Sled Works in Duncannon.

Road Hawg also sells grilled chicken, smoked sausage and chopped beef BBQ as well as smoked wings and ribs. But its brisket remains a top seller. They easily prepare upwards of 800 pounds of the meat every week.

"I think the reason our brisket is singled out is I think you can get decent pulled pork anywhere. It's really rare if you find a good brisket," Keith Walters said.

Road Hawg Barbecue, 43 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, 717-502-7049. It's open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. It's closed Monday-Tuesday.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank needs about 2,500 frozen turkeys from the public to help reach its goal of giving out 5,000 turkeys by Christmas 2016 to Pennsylvanians in need.

"We collect frozen turkeys and all the fixings right through Christmas," Executive Director Joe Arthur said. "And in addition to the turkeys we need (from the public) the wonderful non-perishable foods that go with it. All the things you like, that's what we need for people in need."

While many think of hunger during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays it is a year-round problem in Pennsylvania.

The Harrisburg based food bank served more than 400,000 Pennsylvanians in 27 counties last year, distributing enough food for 36 million meals.

The Central Pa. Food Bank collects food not just from the public but partners with regional and local farmers and food wholesalers and retailers, then distributes that food through partnerships with agencies, smaller food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries.

They have programs that specialize in delivering fresh produce, milk and emphasis nutritious food while serving low-income children, seniors and families with at least one member who has served, or is serving in the armed forces.

The public can help by donating money - just $1 donation provides enough food for six meals, volunteering at the Food Bank's Corey Road warehouse in Harrisburg or organizing a food drive at work, school, church or in their neighborhood.
HOPE rally brings bipartisan support against the opioid epidemic

Saying "government works best when trust and openness exist between citizens and their government," Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 21 vetoed a bill that would have tried to stop the quick release of the names of any police officers involved in a shooting or other use of force incident that resulted in death or serious injury.

(Mark Pynes/File photo)

It has been eight years since Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law was revised, and there's still no armistice in the battle to pry information from government.



News organizations, including PennLive/The Patriot-News, have had to flex their muscles regularly in that seemingly unending tug of war.



For the average citizen, the effort can be costly and fruitless, a scenario where big government can simply wait out the little guy.



In right-to-know cases that trigger court fights, "the complete state legal system is arrayed against the common man," said Donald Gilliland, president of the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition. "There is a huge incentive to back off."



Most people simply don't have the resources, the time or the know-how to fight for information if the government appeals an initial decision from the state Office of Open Records that favors turning over the records, Gilliland said.



Rulings by the open records office often merely mark the onset of a protracted legal battle, he said, starting with a government appeal to Commonwealth Court to overturn the records-release ruling. Given the complexity of the legal system, few private citizens can take on such a fight without hiring a lawyer -- if they can afford one, that is, Gilliland said.



It's not a walk in the park for news agencies, either, said Cate Barron, vice president for content with PA Media Group, which publishes PennLive and The Patriot-News.



"We've had to launch more legal actions than ever this year over freedom of information and open meeting issues," she said.



"The law is being tested in new areas, including how the police and courts handle videos taken at crime scenes and public safety incidents," Barron added. "We've been on the losing end of two recent cases involving the public release of video."



There have been some wins, however.



Barron cited the organization's successful fight for release of court documents regarding Penn State's fight with its insurer over settlements with Jerry Sandusky's victims.

"The records shed new light on how early Joe Paterno knew about (child-sex) accusations against Sandusky," she said.



Another victory came when PennLive/The Patriot-News and 10 other news media organizations triumphed in a three-year legal battle to acquire documents showing how PPL crews responded during a 2011 snowstorm. That dispute went all the way to the state Supreme Court, Barron observed.



"And it was a win for a Pennsylvanians, who now have greater access to records that let us see how our public utilities work," she said.



Barron said PennLive/The Patriot-News is still awaiting an access ruling regarding former Attorney General Kathleen Kane's email investigation. The organization also is pushing for Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit that controls $13 million in public funds, to operate under open meeting rules.



Not every right-to know request triggers a knock-down, drag-out fight. Gilliland said many local governments comply with such requests "without a lot of fuss."



But on bigger issues, he said, the freedom of information issue is becoming more complicated, especially because of the "scattershot" rulings issued by Pennsylvania's courts.

"The court (rulings) have been all over the place" in right-to know cases, Gilliland said.



He cited a recent state Supreme Court ruling where the justices decided a requester isn't allowed to have the home addresses of teachers. The court found that "people have a constitutional right to privacy in their home addresses, which trumps the Right-to-Know Law," Gilliland said.



"Rulings like that embolden people who are interested in withholding information," he said. "There has been no consistency toward transparency from the courts."



Barron stressed that, given such uncertainty, news agencies "need to remain vigilant in guarding the public's right to know how its government works."



There are bright spots in the struggle.



"It was encouraging to hear Gov. Wolf champion freedom of information in his decision to veto a bill that would have delayed the release of names of police involved in shootings," Barron said. "In doing so he said, 'Government works best when trust and openness exist between citizens and their government.' We certainly agree."





Previously:
A 36-year-old former middle school teacher who pleaded guilty to a felony for having sexual contact with an eighth-grade boy is headed back to jail this week for allegedly failing to properly register as a sex offender.

Jessica Streeper, 36, of Bucks County, Pa., a 36-year-old former middle school teacher who plead guilty to a felony for having sexual contact with an eighth-grade boy, is back in jail for allegedly failing to properly register as a sex offender.

As the Pottstown Mercury reports, the former Norristown teacher, Jessica Streeper, 36, of Bucks County, Pa., was sent back to prison to finish the full length of her original prison term in the felony sex conviction.

In August 2015, Streeper was sentenced to nine to 23 months in jail after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a teenage boy while she was a math teacher at Eisenhower Middle School in Norristown, the newspaper writes.

While out on parole, Streeper admitted to failing to properly register as a sex offender and has since pleaded guilty to this parole violation. On Tuesday, a judge ordered her to return to jail for at least six more months, according to the newspaper, which adds:

After completing her jail sentence, Streeper will be on probation for another five years and must complete 100 hours of community service.

As part of her sentence, Streeper, who is no longer teaching, will have to report her address to state police for the rest of her life under the state's Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act.

However, the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Assessment Board determined Streeper did not meet criteria to be classified as a sexually violent predator, which would have required community notification about her address. She was also banned from using social media.

Streeper was accused of having sex with one of her eighth-grade male students several times in her car in Norristown and a few times at her home back in the spring of 2014.

Read more of the latest Pa. buzz:
Tribune Review.jpg

The Sept. 28 edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The newspaper's parent company announced earlier this year that the Pittsburgh edition would go fully digital after Nov. 30.

Months after announcing it would be transitioning to an online-only publication, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper printed its last edition in the city on Wednesday, ushering in a new era for the media outlet as others around the world face, and make, similar decisions.

The paper's owners at Trib Total Media will continue publishing two daily print editions for the Pittsburgh suburbs. They include the Greensburg-based Westmoreland edition of the Tribune-Review and the Tarentum-based Valley News Dispatch edition, according to the Associated Press.

But the print product in Pittsburgh has ended with Wednesday's run. Instead, the company will maintain a digital news presence in the city, joining a growing list of digital-first publications there, including Spirit Media-backed theincline.com, PennLive.com and others.

The Post-Gazette, which also has an online news presence, albeit a more guarded one, is now the only remaining daily Pittsburgh newspaper.

Meanwhile, a growing number of newspapers worldwide are plotting futures in the digital-only realm, as they're faced with falling print sales, falling advertising revenue and a host of other obstacles.

Four years ago now, The Patriot News announced it would go from printing a paper seven days a week to three. The move also included a push toward making the paper's website, PennLive.com, its new 24/7 news vehicle.

And as market forces dictate, more outlets, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, are following suit. In a letter to readers in Wednesday's final edition, the paper cited "low subscription numbers and advertising rates in the Pittsburgh area" in explaining the shift.

"This is part of a trend that is slowly developing around the country," Chris Daly, a journalism professor at Boston University, told the paper. "It is inevitable, and the day will come for every news organization."

The conservative-leaning Pittsburgh Tribune-Review began its run 24 years ago, with the late billionaire publisher Richard Mellon Scaife establishing the paper to compete with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

But in September, parent company Trib Total Media announced it would be discontinuing the Pittsburgh daily to focus on digital content and print production in other markets. The announcement saw 95 full-time and part-time employees take buyouts from the company, and left another 106 facing layoffs as part of the restructuring. This after a separate round of buyouts and layoffs in 2015.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had a daily circulation of just under 33,500 and 40,000 on Sundays, the AP reports.

In lieu of a print edition, the paper's newsroom will continue to operate and cover Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, with content now delivered to readers online instead of on their doorstep.

"Innovation requires leaving certain things behind," Alan Mutter, a professor in the Graduate School of Journalism at University of California, told the paper in an article that ran in Wednesday's final edition.

"It requires breaking some things. It requires teaching old people new tricks, and it requires a serious rethinking of a the business model."
0826 SCHIZO 1 JCW P2

file photo Caption: (PA STUDIO 19990826 CI) Schizophrenia illustration. ( JOHN C. WHITEHEAD) Photographer: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD Credit: PN City: STUDIO State: PA Date: 19990826 Object Name: 0826 SCHIZO 1 JCW P2 Caption Writer: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD Category: CI Keyword: PN CI 19990826 Keyword: STUDIO Keyword: PA Keyword: JOHN C. WHITEHEAD

(JOHN C. WHITEHEAD)

The United Way of Lebanon County said Wednesday it has taken a major step toward replacing support services that will be lost with the closing of the Mental Health Association of Lebanon County at the end of the year.



The United Way said it will contribute $52,030 to Compeer, a non-profit which since 1999 has run programs to help people living with mental illness. Since 2015 it has run a program to provide mental health support for veterans. The new funding will be in addition to the $53,490 United Way contributes toward the supports for veterans, which will continue.



The new funding will go toward replacing services including support groups which had long been provided by mental health association. The need arose this fall, after the United Way announced it would no longer fund the association, and the association subsequently said it would close as of Dec. 31 as a result of the loss of the $50,000 annual allocation, which made up about half of its budgets.





The United Way said Compeer was among three non-profits which submitted proposals to replace the lost mental health association services.



It said the services provided by Compeer "will be a natural extension of their mission to decrease the need for crisis services, improve recovery, increase self-esteem, decrease loneliness and improve community connection among clients."



The United Way said it will provide financial and administrative support to ensure new support groups are in place by the beginning of 2017.



In October, the United Way said it would cease funding the mental health association out of long-running concerns about the association's financial stability and board oversight of the association.



United Way CEO Kenny Montijo said on Wednesday, "We recognize that mental health support groups can serve as an important piece of the complex puzzle of mental health recovery and are pleased that no one currently participating in a mental health association support group will go unserved."
state-police-file-photo-6507c94e3e6b7c05.jpg

(Dan Gleiter, The Patriot-News, 2009)

State police in Lancaster County are looking for a local woman who fled a traffic stop earlier this week.

Serena Ann Schmuck, 31, of Denver, is wanted for fleeing the attempted traffic stop and for subsequent traffic violations documented by police. The incident happened just before 4 a.m. Nov. 27 beginning at Route 222 and Landis Valley Road in Manheim Township.

State police said Schmuck was driving a white 2013 Chevrolet Sonic 111 mph on Route 222 heading north. Schmuck exited Route 222 at the Brownstown Exit and continued to lead police on a high speed chase through multiple roadways in West Earl Township.

West Earl Township police joined in the pursuit, but authorities were unable to apprehend Schmuck after a 12-minute chase that spanned 11.5 miles. LancasterOnline.com reported that Schmuck, who was driving her boyfriend's car, was identified through driver's license and Facebook photos. Her license was suspended because of a DUI conviction in June 2015.

A warrant was issued for Schmuck's arrest. Anyone with information as to her whereabouts is asked to contact state police at 717-299-7650, call Lancaster City-County Crime Stoppers at 800-322-1913 or anonymously text LANCS plus your message to 847411 (TIP411).
Luxembourg (AFP) - Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Britain cannot "have its cake and eat it" and ruled out any transitional Brexit deal with the EU if negotiations are not completed in two years.

As the British government distanced itself from a memo including the aim to have the best of both worlds, Bettel told AFP in an interview that Britain could not pick and choose what it wanted.

"They want to have their cake, eat it, and get a smile from the baker, but not the other things," Bettel said on Monday evening in his office in Luxembourg.

"There are European values which cannot be separated. No cherry-picking."

The comments from the centre-right Bettel come as EU leaders step up warnings that Britain cannot expect to keep access to the single market while limiting immigration by European citizens.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to start the two-year divorce process in March 2017 but has not set out her goals, while EU leaders have refused to negotiate until she triggers Brexit.

- 'No in-between status' -

However in a glimpse of what the British strategy could be, a photographer spotted a memo in the hands of a lawmaker's aide leaving the Department for Exiting the European Union on Monday which included the aim to "have cake and eat it".

It is the latest in a series of culinary Brexit metaphors with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson having said "my policy on cake is pro-having it and pro-eating it" and EU President Donald Tusk saying last month: "There will be no cakes on the table for anyone, there will be only salt and vinegar."

But the British memo also suggested Britain will fail to keep access to the European single market and will seek to keep the negotiations to two years, instead of a lengthier interim deal aimed at reducing the sudden impact of leaving.

Last week, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny raised the prospect of a transitional deal as it would be "impossible" to finish talks within the two years.

Story continues

But Bettel ruled out any "hybrid" arrangement.

"What would interim mean? That we are going make a hybrid status now? Either you're a member or you're not a member of the European Union," the Luxembourg prime minister said.

"We are not going to make a status of 'a little bit member' or 'not completely', 'pending divorced', 'nearly divorced'."

"There is no in-between status, there is no hybrid status between the two."

Bettel echoed European Parliament Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt in saying that the divorce should happen before the assembly's next election in May 2019.

"It would be odd to have British candidates at the European elections who will serve for only six months," he said.

- Le Pen 'trap' -

The wealthy duchy of Luxembourg, squeezed between France, Germany and Belgium, remains influential as one of the union's six founding member states despite having the second smallest population of any EU state.

While Luxembourg has rolled out the red carpet for businesses that might want to relocate from Britain, Bettel insisted neither his country nor the EU would benefit in the long-term.

"Those are grocer's calculations -- it is not good for Europe, it is a loss when you see the latest figures for Britain, and it's a loss for the European Union," he said.

The rising tide of populism reflected by Brexit, Donald Trump's US election victory and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen's riding high in opinion polls are all warning shots for Europe, Bettel said.

Brexit "is the first step in disunity", said Bettel, 43, who last year became the first EU leader and second in the world to enter into a gay marriage, adding that it "must be a sign for us all".

On the possibility of a Le Pen victory, he said French voters "must make their choice with their soul and their conscience, but they should think carefully to make sure they don't fall into a trap".

As for Trump, who has alarmed Europe with threats to scale back the US commitment to NATO, Bettel added: "I hope and I think that president Trump will be less bad than candidate Trump."
More days of rain, snow predicted for this winter

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently predicted that the Great Lakes region will have more frequent precipitation than usual this winter.
Iran and Iraq hard to crack in OPEC's oil deal



Iran, Iraq at loggerheads with Saudis ahead of OPEC meeting

VIENNA

Petroleumworld.com 11 30 2016

Iran and Iraq are resisting pressure from Saudi Arabia to curtail oil production, making it hard for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to reach a deal to limit output and boost the price of crude when it meets on Wednesday.

OPEC sources told Reuters a meeting of experts in Vienna on Monday failed to bridge differences between OPEC's de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, and the group's second- and third-largest producers over the mechanics of output cuts.

On Tuesday, tensions rose further after Iran wrote to OPEC saying it wanted Saudi Arabia to cut production by as much as 1 million barrels per day (bpd), much more than Riyadh is willing to offer, OPEC sources who saw the letter told Reuters.

"It is a response to Saudi telling Iran what to produce," one of the sources said.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told reporters upon arrival in Vienna that he was not prepared to reduce output: "We will leave the level of production (where) we decided in Algeria."

OPEC, which accounts for a third of global oil production, made a preliminary agreement in Algiers in September to cap output at around 32.5-33 million bpd versus the current 33.64 million bpd to prop up oil prices, which have halved since mid-2014.

OPEC said it would exempt Iran, Libya and Nigeria from cuts as their output has been crimped by unrest and sanctions.

The deal was seen as a victory for Iran. Tehran has long argued it wants to raise production to regain market share lost under Western sanctions, when its political arch-rival Saudi Arabia increased output.

In recent weeks, Riyadh changed its stance and offered to cut its output by 0.5 million bpd, according to OPEC sources, while suggesting Iran limit production at around 3.8 million bpd - in line with or slightly above the country's current output.

Tehran has sent mixed signals, saying it wanted to produce as much as 4.2 million bpd. Iran's letter to OPEC suggested Saudi Arabia should cut output to 9.5 million bpd.

Iraq has also been pressing for higher output limits, saying it needs more money to fight the militant group Islamic State. Iran and Iraq together produce over 8 million bpd, only slightly behind long-time leader Saudi with 10.5 million bpd.

The argument between Iraq and Saudi Arabia mainly focuses on whether Baghdad should use its own output estimates to limit production or rely on lower figures from OPEC's experts.

As tensions within OPEC mounted, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said at the weekend that oil markets would rebalance even without an output-limiting pact. He had previously said Riyadh was keen for a deal.

One of Saudi Arabia's main allies, UAE Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui, said on Tuesday the market would indeed rebalance itself within six months although an output deal would help speed the process.

Falih landed in Vienna on Tuesday evening, leaving little time for traditional pre-meeting discussions with other ministers.

"The feeling today is mixed," Indonesian Energy Minister Ignasius Jonan told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the prospects of a deal. "I don't know. Let's see."

Documents prepared for Wednesday's meeting propose the group cut production by 1.2 million bpd from October levels, an OPEC source familiar with the papers said.

The papers also propose Saudi Arabia reduce production to 10.07 million bpd from 10.54 million bpd in October and that Iran freeze output at 3.797 million bpd, according to the source.

OPEC delayed the start of Wednesday's formal talks by one hour to 1000 GMT (5.00 a.m. ET), a schedule posted on its website showed.

Additionally, OPEC ministers will meet informally at 0700 GMT on Wednesday before the formal talks, an OPEC source said.

GOLDMAN SEES DEFICIT

Brent crude LCOc1 was down more than 4 percent, near $46 a barrel, after the Indonesian and Iranian comments. [O/R]

Some analysts including Morgan Stanley and Macquarie have said oil prices will correct sharply if OPEC fails to reach a deal, potentially going as low as $35 per barrel.

Goldman Sachs, one of the most active banks in oil trading, said it saw prices averaging $45 a barrel until mid-2017 even without any OPEC deal and added the market was likely to move into a deficit in the second half of 2017.

A year ago, Goldman was saying a global glut would push oil prices to around $20. Prices fell to multi-year lows of $27 per barrel in January 2016.

Besides disagreements with Iran and Iraq, Saudi Arabia has also signaled it was unhappy with Russia's position.

Oil ministers from OPEC members Algeria and Venezuela traveled to Moscow on Tuesday to try to persuade non-OPEC Russia to take part in cuts instead of merely freezing output, which has reached new highs in the past year.

They made no comment as they emerged from their meeting. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he had no plan to travel to Vienna but could meet OPEC once it reaches a deal.






Exxon - Chevron team up to bid in Mexico's deepwater oil auctions



Winning bidders, Pemex JV partners to be announced Dec. 5

MEXICO

Petroleumworld.com 11 30 2016

Chevron Corp. has joined forces with Petroleos Mexicanos and Japan's Inpex Corp. to bid next week for the right to explore for oil and natural gas, the first time the state-owned operator will partner with private companies to develop crude in the Gulf of Mexico.

Seven groups and eight individual bidders have been qualified to participate in the Dec. 5 auctions that include the Trion field joint-venture with Pemex and other 10 deepwater blocks, Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission announced in Mexico City on Monday. The regulator didn't specify which bids were for the joint venture or for the other areas.

Total SA joined forces with BP Plc and Norway's Statoil in one group, and with Exxon Mobil Corp. in another. Eni SpA and Lukoil also joined up, and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc formed another group.

"We are attracting investment and technoloy in deep waters, where a large part of our national reserves are located," Hector Moreira, Commissioner at the Mexico Oil Regulator and former Pemex board member, said Monday. "We have attracted some of the largest companies in the world that have the technology and investment capacities to develop those resources."

Sweeter Terms

The Mexican government made a series of adjustments to sweeten the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement that Petroleos Mexicanos will sign with potential partners to develop the Trion field. Landing a major producer as a partner will signal the beginning of a new era for Mexico's reeling oil giant. Burdened with nearly $100 billion in financial debt and a 12-year slump in crude output, Pemex has pointed to partnerships as the road to its salvation since the government ended the company's 76-year production monopoly in 2014.

"We think the offer and opportunity are good enough for Trion to be awarded," Pablo Medina, an oil and energy analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a phone interview. "The key to Trion being awarded was the willingness to change the JOA and the conditions of the contract. Becoming Pemex's first partner could create goodwill down the road as the industry continues to open."

Mexican upstart Sierra Oil & Gas, which has backing from private equity firms Riverstone Holdings and BlackRock Inc, and Malaysia's Petroliam Nasional Bhd, or Petronas, have joined forces in one group as well as another that includes Murphy Oil Corp. and Ophir Energy Plc. BHP Billiton Ltd and China's CNOOC Ltd will participate individually.

"Many of the companies that are participating in this bidding have been in Mexico with a permanent office in Mexico for decades waiting for this moment," Juan Carlos Zepeda, National Hydrocarbons Commissioner, said in a Nov. 22 interview in Mexico City. "We have very serious players and there is great expectation."






This piece, titled, The New Plague, depicts life in Philadelphia in the age of COVID. Artist and educator Raphael Tiberino began painting at the age of four and has been in the spotlight as a professional creative for over 25 years.
Diners arent just great places for an affordable bite to eat.

Specifically here in Philadelphia, theyve long been places for community members and politicians of all stripes to gather, talk and debate, with a civil tongue.

But the 2016 presidential election may be changing that, judging by the firestorm that has erupted at the Trolley Car Diner in Mount Airy. A servers comment to a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump has fueled racist and anti-Semitic harassmentan episode that has potentially disturbing implications for free speech in the era of Trump.

It all began the morning after the election, when emotions were running high. A woman, who declined to be named came to the Trolley Car for breakfast wearing the iconic red pro-Trump Make America Great Again hat. A longtime server at the diner, who also declined to be named, made a comment to the customer.

Here, the accounts diverge: Ken Weinstein, a Mount Airy resident who has owned the Trolley Car Diner for 16 years, and others who were present maintain that the server said, Good thing youre not in my section. The customer maintains that the server called her ignorant and disgusting. All agree that the customer then complained to the manager, who apologized on behalf of the server; and just 10 minutes later, left.

[The servers] comment was absolutely inappropriate, Weinstein admits. We addressed it with her on a scale that we felt was appropriate. She knew it was wrong. Shes a strong person, and she feels really bad.

A week later, Weinstein says, staff was surprised to see the customer return to the diner during the servers shift. She [the customer] got up to go to the bathroom, while the server was in a staff area, recalled Weinstein. She came up behind the server and stood uncomfortably close, and when the server turned around she bumped into her. The customers version, told to 6ABC, differs: I get up from the table and shes standing in the hallway, and she backs into me and then, like, checks me.

The customer then raised her voice, shouting that the server had physically assaulted her, and left the diner. She emailed Weinstein later that day, who says he replied that whatever happened, were very sorry.

Still Weinstein said he was skeptical: It just felt like a setup.

What happened next turned a minor altercation into an international campaign of harassment.

The angry customer happened to be a friend of Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec), the special projects director with Citizens for Trump. Posobiec then tweeted to a throng of more than 53k followers that the server had beat up the Trump supporter.

He then went live for 10 minutes on the social network Periscope, claiming that the server had been body-checked, physically assaulted and screamed at the woman. His broadcast included the diners phone number and address and encouraged viewers to call the diner. The tweets went viral with the hashtag #AbortionDiner, which Posobiec used as a charge that Weinstein promotes abortion. Weinstein said he finds baffling that it had any issue on the bearing.

Posobiec did not respond to requests for comment.

Needless to say, Posobiecs followers responded en masse. The diner received thousands of calls and had to disconnect its phone line. Emails, Facebook messages, and negative reviews on Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor and elsewhere poured in. Though Posobiec specifically asked viewers to ask only if using violence is okay to express political beliefs, his followers went further, with several threatening to burn down the diner, bring guns inside, or use violence against staff members.

Weinstein even said people contacted the health department alleging code violations.

Weinstein, who is Jewish, says that he was horrified not only by the scale of the backlash but by the anti-Semitic and anti-African-American content of many of the messages he received. They came from all across the country, with some arriving from as far away as Switzerland.

They used racial slurs against the server (who is African American), religious slurs against me, really unspeakable things, said Weinstein. But not a single person has come in here to confront me face-to-face. They only say these things when they can hide behind phones and computers.

While online the hate and anger has been prevalent, Weinstein says the in-person response has been one of support, with regular customers and Mount Airy residents bringing friends to the diner to eat and show their support.

You dont know how many friends you have until something like this happens, Weinstein added. Customers have left extra-generous tips, sent flowers, purchased gift cards and given them to staff members, and written positive reviews to counteract the negativity on dining and travel sites. Weinstein, who is planning to open a new location in West Philly this spring, says hes grateful for the support.

Its no secret that Internet rage was a factor in propelling Trumps candidacy. Nor is it uncommon for right-wing trolls to doxx, or release personal information about, people with whom they disagreeparticularly women and people of color. The phenomenon, which has arisen in the last decade, is new enough that the laws have not yet evolved to address it adequately, but old enough that feminists, anti-racists, and other left-wing writers know theyre likely to face a huge wave of online hate when they publish their opinions.

In this case, the target isnt someone who published an opinion onlineit is a worker who happened to lose her temper for a moment (and was disciplined for doing so); it is her employer who is responsible for the livelihood of dozens of other employees; and it is a business that is a popular institution in a thoroughly diverse neighborhood.

Even more notably, this particular Twitter mob didnt arise simply from some dark corner of 4chan; it was touched off by, and organized in favor of, a man who has just been elected president of the United States.

Make America Great Again? Hell, its looking like we cant even make America breakfast again.30

Twitter: @GreyEditing
Based on the trailer alone, I thought Arrival was mostly about a band of alien ships arriving on Earth, our resulting attempts to communicate with them, and the threat of a global war. This is certainly the core of the film, but the storyline shares equal time with a second plot: the personal story of Louise Banks, a brilliant linguist played by Amy Adams.

It's risky for a sci-fi movie to pull the viewer into an unexpected commentary on the human experience. If the message feels heavy handed, hastily constructed, or cheesy, it can sink the rest of the film.

For me, Arrival didn't do that.

Banks' backstory surrounds the death of her daughter from a rare disease, and a marriage that fell apart from the resulting strain. The movie later reveals that what we assumed were flashbacks are actually foreshadowing; the aliens give her the ability to see the future. All of those distressing moments in her life haven't happened yet.

At the end of the movie, after Banks saves humanity, she faces a decision: Should she begin the relationship that leads to her daughter's birth, and premature death? Why, knowing the grief that lies ahead, would she choose the same future?

Putting aside the ethical debate of whether to give life to a human being doomed to prematurely suffer and die, the movie affirms a truism that I have only gradually come to realize myself: Life is not a means to an end.

Happiness, instead, is often found in small, unexpected moments, and a major part of being happy is the ability to recognize and embrace those moments when they occur. Through final flash-forward scenes, we see some of the warm moments that await Banks and her family-to-be, which juxtapose the sadness and lead her to choose the same path.

Whether or not director Denis Villeneuve set out to make this point explicitlyor whether it was expressed in the original short story by Ted ChiangI'm not sure. But the sentiment, or something close to it, is surely there.
The recent spate of ambushes and assassinations of law enforcement officers continues the year of deadly violence against law enforcement officers simply because they are wearing a uniform. None of us should act as if it's business as usual and that we cannot become a victim of this violence.

By now we are all familiar with the tragic events of last Sunday, in which four shootings in Texas, Florida, and Missouri resulted in one officer killed and three seriously wounded. It appears that three of the shootings specifically targeted officers and that at least two were ambushes.

These vicious attacks continue a pattern of violence that began in July with the ambush killings of five Dallas police officers and three officers in Baton Rouge. It has continued unabated since then - nowhere more than in California.

In the past two months, five California law enforcement officers have been murdered, including our own Sgt. Steve Owen, who was brutally gunned down execution style on Oct. 5 while responding to a residential burglary call in Lancaster. That same month, Palm Springs Police Officers Jose Vega and Lesley Zerebny were shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call, as was Modoc County Sheriff's Deputy Jack Hopkins. This month, Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputy Dennis Wallace was executed while investigating a suspicious car and person.

These killings are part of a rising tide of violence against law enforcement officers. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 60 officers have been gunned down nationwide this year through Nov. 21 - far more than the 36 killed in 2015. We may not yet know the individual motivations behind last weekend's shooting, but in each, the result was the same. In each, there was a targeted, directed effort to kill police.

There has been a concerted effort, among certain segments of society, to demonize police. Protest groups would have you believe that every officer who shoots a suspect is a murderer. The media often rushes to publish accounts of "witnesses" to shootings, only to see their accounts later disproved by body camera or other video recordings. Of course, by the time the witness is disproved, a narrative has been established and the truth often no longer matters.

This past week, an in-depth study by John Lott, Jr. of the Crime Prevention Research Center examined 2,699 fatal police shootings between 2013-2015, covering a period before the police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. The study found that white police officers are not significantly more likely to kill an African American suspect, there was no statistical difference between killings of black suspects by black or white officers. Killings of white and Hispanic suspects had no differences based on the races of police officers. The study also concluded body cameras had little effect on decreasing law enforcement shootings. Instead, the largest single deterrent to a police shooting was more law enforcement on scene. The study supports ALADS' position that body worn cameras are a useful addendum to the observations and recollections of deputies and other witnesses. Body worn cameras will serve to protect law enforcement from frivolous complaints and help prosecute criminals who gas or attack deputies while they work in the jail or on patrol.

Sadly, it is not possible to prevent every attack on a law enforcement officer. But we must respond to the growing threat we're facing by being more vigilant than ever. That includes remaining extra alert and aware even during the seemingly innocuous, routine encounters we have every day.

We cannot let our guards down; our lives depend on it.

The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) is the collective bargaining agent representing more than 8,200 deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators working in Los Angeles County.
The media arm of the Islamic State claimed Tuesday that the Ohio State student who crashed a car into a campus crowd and then lashed out with a butcher knife was a "soldier'' of the terror group who heeded appeals to strike the U.S., and its allies, reports USA Today.

The claim issued by Amaq news agency makes no suggestion that the assailant, Abdul Razak Artan, had been in direct contact with the group or was formally affiliated with the organization, according to a transcript of the report provided by SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors radical organizations.

"The executor of the attack in the American state of Ohio is a soldier of the Islamic State and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries,'' according to a translation of the Amaq report provided by SITE.

SITE Director Rita Katz immediately cast doubt on any formal affiliation between the suspect, a member of a Somali refugee family, and the terror group also known as ISIS or ISIL.

"This style of reporting by ISIS indicates it wasn't coordinated with the group,'' Katz said Tuesday, adding that the attack, however, was consistent with recent public appeals from the group to lash out using vehicles and knives as weapons.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) will celebrate the appointment of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as its new Board Chairman and present its Distinguished Service Award to Harley-Davidson Inc. on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at 5:30 pm at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington D.C.

Mr. Ashcroft, who is serving in a voluntary capacity as Chairman, has been a longtime supporter of the Memorial Fund, having assisted the organization for the past decade in its campaign to build the National Law Enforcement Museum. Mr. Ashcroft has served on the Museums National Honorary Campaign Committee for many years and helped launch the capital campaign in 2007. The Museum is now under construction in Washington D.C. and is scheduled to open in 2018.

Harley-Davidson Inc. has been a longtime supporter of law enforcement and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The American motorcycle manufacturer was founded in Milwaukee, WI, in 1903 and was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression. For each of the past 10 years, Harley-Davidson Inc. has donated a motorcycle for the National Police Week raffle that benefits the Memorial Fund. To date, the raffle has helped raise more than $626,000.

About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C., which contains the names of 20,789 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now building the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.
Police searched several blocks of a neighborhood near Midway Airport with SWAT teams, a helicopter, and dogs Monday morning after a passenger in a car fired several shots at federal and state law enforcement officers, authorities said.

No one was injured and authorities made four arrests within an hour of the shooting, which occurred around 9:25 a.m. in the 6100 block of South Kolmar Avenue, authorities said. FBI officials were at the scene gathering evidence midday, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The shots were fired while members of an FBI-Chicago police task force were involved in an investigation, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blasted Donald Trump for lying about protecting Social Security after the president-elect nominated a man who is dedicated to killing Social Security and Medicare to run HHS.

Sen. Sanders reacted to Trump nominated Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to run HHS in a statement, Donald Trump asked workers and seniors to vote for him because he was the only Republican candidate who would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid  programs that are of life-and-death importance for millions of Americans. Now, he has nominated a person for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, who has a long history of wanting to do exactly the opposite of what Trump campaigned on. Rep. Price has a long history of wanting to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. What hypocrisy! Mr. Trump needs to tell the American people that what he said during the campaign were just lies, or else appoint an HHS secretary who will protect these programs and do what Trump said he would do.

Sanders is correct. There is no way that Trump would nominate a man who is deeply committed to cutting Social Security and Medicare if he had any intention of keeping the programs fully funded and in place. The nomination of Rep. Price to HHS indicates that the Trump administration is going to be targeting two programs that are beloved by the American people.

Trump has signaled that he is about to make the one move that will turn Bernie Sanders into an immediate and lifelong political enemy of the incoming administration. Sen. Sanders will fight tooth and nail to protect Social Security and Medicare.

Donald Trump is coming for the Social Security and Medicare of those who voted for him. Democrats tried to warn seniors that this would happen if they voted for Trump, and it looks like all of their warnings are about to come true.

Tom Price isnt coming to HHS to save Social Security. Price is coming to destroy it.
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Donald Trump is expected to visit Indiana on Thursday to announce that he has struck a deal with United Technologies to keep almost 1,000 Carrier jobs in Indiana, CNBC reported.

BREAKING: Trump team and United Technologies reach agreement on keeping close to 1,000 factory jobs in Carrier plant in Indiana  sources  CNBC (@CNBC) November 30, 2016

The president-elect is likely to claim that his great dealmaking skills are responsible for making the agreement happen, but what he wont say is that United Technologies  Carriers parent company  was basically bribed with taxpayer dollars to keep a few hundred jobs in Indiana  and it had nothing to do with Trump himself.

Tweet from CNBCs David Faber:

Deal terms to keep Carrier jobs in Indiana include new inducements from state. Deal spear headed by former Indiana Gov Pence.  David Faber (@davidfaber) November 30, 2016

According to CNBC, There were new incentives on offer from the state of Indiana, where Pence is governor, that helped clear a path for the agreement.

In other words, Pence served up a massive, taxpayer-funded handout to the company in order to score a short-term PR win. Trump will claim victory on Thursday when, really, it was a state-funded handout that convinced Carrier to keep some of its employees in the state.

The deal also represents a huge departure from Trumps campaign-season rhetoric, when he repeatedly promised to take a tough stance on companies, specifically Carrier which Trump promised to penalize with a 35 percent tariff if they moved operations to Mexico.

Trump and Pence allowed the company to blackmail the Indiana government in order to have a nice photo-op.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

Over the past nearly eight years, Republicans in Congress have displayed an outsized determination to spend tens-of-millions of dollars in taxpayer money to conduct investigations. Whether it was Daryl Issa fabricating a highly-profitable scandal at the IRS, or Republicans spending the past four years and enormous sums of taxpayer dollars on a presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton, there appears to be no end to their lust to be an investigative body as opposed to legislating for the general welfare of the people.

It is curious then, that there has only been one call from one Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for Congress to launch an full-blown exhaustive investigation into Vladimir Putin and Russias interference in American democracy, and by extension, Americas government on behalf of Trump. As the Washington Post reported a couple of days ago, It was like Russia was running a super PAC for Trumps campaign. . . . It worked.

While Americans are glued to their Twitter feeds with baited breath over dirty Donald Trumps next tweet, they are neglecting what the Washington Post and any true American patriot knows is this elections most alarming story. Of course it isnt the story that Trumps old lady doesnt want to live in the White House, or that he accused any state he didnt win of vote fraud; it is, in fact, the successful effort by a hostile foreign power to manipulate public opinion before the vote.

As much as mainstream media gets a bad rap, a rap it typically deserves, the Washington Post has been hammering the Putin-Russia-Trump success at winning the election. Its not that there has been a dearth of reports about the Russian governments active interference in an American election, there has plenty and they were reported by United States intelligence agencies. But there has been little to no outrage at what should be considered a coup by an adversarial nation to insert itself in the White House with a couple of Nazis (alt-right) to advise the know-nothing big-time wrestling celebrity; a celebrity a bunch of big-time religious freaks, bigots and white supremacists elected.

As the Eric Chenoweth, co-director of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe pointed out, besides a Russian deputy minister admitting the Russian government was in contact and conferred with Trumps people during the campaign; Russian state propaganda gave little doubt that this was done to support Republican nominee Trump. Likely because he repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin and condoned Putins foreign aggression and domestic repression. American intelligence agencies, except maybe the FBI under a Trump surrogate, have already affirmed the official Russian government directed the illegal hacking of private email accounts of the Democratic National Committee.

After handing off the emails to WikiLeaks, an outfit that benefits financially from an arm of Russian state propaganda, the emails were released to harm Hillary Clintons candidacy. WaPo also noted that besides releasing the stolen emails, Wikileaks used Russian operatives for security and made clear an intent to harm the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

It is nearly certain that the Russian campaign proved to be decisive in electing Trump because their collusion is undeniable and included a very well-organized and comprehensive campaign to sow distrust in Americas democracy and its government and Hillary Clinton. The Russian tactics included penetrating the computers of election officials in several states, as well as releasing mountains of stolen emails to put questions in voters minds about Hillary Clintons trustworthiness in the final months and weeks of the campaign.

According to Clint Watts, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who, along with two other researchers, has tracked Russian propaganda since 2014: They want to essentially erode faith in the U.S. government or U.S. government interests. This was their standard mode during the Cold War. The problem is that this was hard to do before social media. In 2016 with a willing accomplice indebted to Russian oligarchs and television celebrity social media status, the Russians had an easy task.

Mr. Watts report was released in the national security magazine War on the Rocks with the headline Trolling for Trump: How Russia Is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy. A different group, PropOrNot, a nonpartisan collection of researchers with foreign policy, military and technology backgrounds also just released its findings on Friday past showing the startling reach and effectiveness of Russian propaganda campaigns; a reach that extended into Donald Trumps campaign and Americas democracy.

The purpose of this screed is not to go over the dirty details of how Donald Trump benefitted from Russia and Putin, or the oligarchs he is indebted to, but to demand that Republicans go into investigative mode for the sake of national security and Americas democracy. Thus far the Washington Post has done its due diligence in raising the alarm that a hostile foreign power was running a spy-ring and actively participating in influencing an election to install their puppet, and one patriotic Republican, Senator Lindsey Graham is calling for an investigation. And it is noteworthy that the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Admiral Michael Rogers, stated publicly that Russians inserted themselves into Trumps campaign for a specific effect; elect their man to the White House.

If Republicans do not put even half as much effort into investigating an adversarial foreign governments active participation in an election on behalf of a businessman indebted to Russian oligarchs, they can no longer call themselves anything remotely close to patriots, or proper Americans for that matter. No patriotic American would sit idly by and allow a hostile foreign government to interfere and influence Americas government; only a traitor to their country would willingly look the other way.

In some circles, looking the other way as a foreign government even attempts to influence democracy or Americas government is considered collusion and cooperating with the enemy. Republicans have no excuse for not investigating the Trump-Putin-Russian connection and if they dont, it is a damning indictment of their claim to be remotely patriotic, unless it is patriotism to Russia.
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After Donald Trump suggested that people be put in jail for burning the flag, top Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and John McCain reminded Trump that flag burning is protected under the First Amendment, as McConnell signaled to reporters than any legislation banning flag burning would be DOA.

Video of McCain:

https://youtu.be/12acpZAOZXc

McCain said, I do not approve of burning the flag. I do believe there should be some punishment, but as of right now, the Supreme Courts decision is that people are free to express themselves that way. But I do not approve of it, and I think theres other ways for people to express their views.

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters:

Sen McConnell on flag burning: "The Supreme Court has held that that activity is a protected First Amendment right"  Erica Werner (@ericawerner) November 29, 2016

Mitch McConnell on flag burning: "People like that pose little harm to our country. But tinkering with our First Amendment might."  Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) November 29, 2016

McConnell has opposed every bill to criminalize flag-burning and has not brought a single flag burning amendment to the floor as leader.

If Mitch McConnell doesnt want it to happen, then Donald Trumps dream of putting people in jail for burning the flag is dead on arrival. Trump isnt even in office yet, and already Senate Republicans are disagreeing with him and refusing to take up some of his ideas.

One can almost count the days until President Trump is angrily attacking Senate Majority Leader McConnell on his Twitter account. The Trump/McConnell marriage looks destined to fail in spectacular fashion.
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Seven Senate Democrats, who all sit on the Senate Intelligence Committee, have sent a request to President Obama asking him to declassify all materials related to Russia interfering in the US presidential election.

The letter:

Seven senators, all of whom sit on Senate Intelligence, ask Obama to declassify more info about Russian interference in the U.S. election pic.twitter.com/GXgAoMhNHd  Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) November 30, 2016

Along with the recount, the American people deserve the details about Russias meddling in the presidential election. Once Trump takes office, those details will never be released, so it is up to President Obama to make the information public so that the American people can decide for themselves if the election was tampered with, and what if any role potential interference from Russia played in the presidential election.

It is easy to understand the Presidents desire for a smooth transition of power, but there are many unanswered questions that have cast a shadow over our the safety and security of our electoral system. As President, Obama owes it to the American people to ease their concerns. The best way to help people understand what happened, and prevent it from happening again, is to make the information available to the public.

The request from the Senate Democrats is also important because it hints that a Democratic investigation is coming into the role that Russia played in helping Trump win the election. Democrats dont have to be in the majority to conduct their own investigations, and the desire for more info from Intelligence Committee Democrats suggests that questions about the Trump/Russia connection arent going away anytime soon.

President Obama has a responsibility to his country to release the classified intelligence. The degree of Russias interference in the election is something that every American deserves to know.
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Carrier played the president-elect by getting tens of millions of dollars in incentives, while still outsourcing 1,100 jobs to Mexico.

The Financial Times reported:

Carriers decision to cancel plans to move 1,000 jobs to Mexico was on Wednesday painted as a trade-off for planned tax cuts, as one of Donald Trumps economic advisers said he hoped other US businesses would see the deal as a beacon signal of a climate where they can keep more jobs at home. Donald Trump secured a victory after successfully pressuring Carrier, a unit of United Technologies, to change its plan to move 2,100 jobs to Mexico to cut costs. Carrier said it would keep about 1,000 jobs in Indiana, after negotiations with Trump representatives including vice-president elect Mike Pence who offered unspecified incentives.

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When asked whether the deal would set a precedent for companies to demand a tax break in exchange for keeping jobs at home, Anthony Scaramucci, a Trump adviser, said: Companies should expect a tax break. We have the highest corp tax rates in the industrialised world, we have to get those corporate tax rates down to a competitive position . . . Im hoping that every CEO in America is getting that beacon signal from the new Trump administration.

What about the other 1,100 jobs that are still going to Mexico? Oh, those are still leaving.

The troubling aspect of the bad deal that Trump cut for taxpayers is that his adviser said that they expect every company in America to go after the same kind of deal. The idea that the US has the highest corporate tax rate of anywhere in the world is not true. While top US corporate tax rate is high, but Republicans have been exaggerating the damage caused by this fact for years.

The goal of the Trump administration appears to be a nation where corporations pay no taxes. If corporations arent paying taxes, and the wealthy are getting tax cuts, the tax burden will fall on the shoulders of those who have the least to pay the most.

If corporations around the country follow Carriers lead, state and local economies around will be damaged, if political leaders give in to extortion threats.

The bottom line is that Trump and Pence got played by Carrier. The company is still outsourcing more jobs than are staying, but for giving Trump some good publicity, they are being rewarded with tens of millions of dollars in incentives that Indiana taxpayers are now on the hook for.

Trump got played, and even worse he set a precedent for even worse deals to come.
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Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) fended off a challenge from Tim Ryan by a vote of 134-63 Wednesday morning, in a closed door caucus meeting.

Kyle Griffin of MSNBCs Last Word tweeted the vote:

Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected House Democratic Leader in a closed-door caucus mtg, fending off challenger Tim Ryan by a vote of 134-63.  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 30, 2016

Pelosi has been blamed by some in the Democratic Party for much of what went wrong for Democrats in the 2016 election.

Jonathan Martin and Emmarie Huetteman The New York Times put it succinctly, Ms. Pelosi, a 76-year-old San Francisco progressive, is expected to easily win re-election when her colleagues vote on Wednesday. But she has become a stand-in for complaints that Democrats have failed to offer a compelling, broad-based economic message to the working-class voters in the Midwest and South who helped them capture the House 10 years ago and made Ms. Pelosi the first woman speaker.

Representative Tim Ryan, who represents a blue-collar district in northeastern Ohio, has mounted an unexpected challenge to Ms. Pelosi and given voice to the message that House Democrats must broaden their appeal beyond the three liberal states  California, Massachusetts and New York  that now account for a third of their members.

This argument has some merit but not used against Nancy Pelosi, and its also simply naive on the part of Rep. Ryan to suggest that white working class voters, who have benefited from Pelosis leadership on working class issues for all families, would vote Democratic if the face were changed from Pelosi to Ryan.

I live among the white working class in Pennsylvania. Largely Trump voters. The people who gave Trump this election. And not one of them cares a whit about actual policies. Its all about Obama and feeling left behind. I know, because I talked to these folks every day and they told me, whether or not I wanted to hear it, all about their Clinton conspiracies and what they read on Facebook about Clinton killing JFK Jr, and no amount of fact-checking mattered. I would ask about policies and they would tell me that unions killed this country, and then tell me they used to be Democrats because their dad was in a union but now they are too smart for that. They would pretend they didnt agree with Trump after he embarrassed the country numerous times, but then tell me we had to give him a chance. Why, I would ask. Well, he deserves it, hes not a politician. But dont you want someone who knows what they are doing? He will surround himself with the best. You mean like Steve Bannon? Well, it will be different when he gets into office.

See where this is going? There isnt an economic reason. This isnt just about jobs. Its about a feeling, its about fantasizing about a time when the white working class ruled the country. Its not real and no Democrat or Republican can make it real. Its resentment against Obama, and that is to say yes, his skin color. Its prejudice and resentment. Anyone who tells you that these folks just care about economic issues doesnt live among them. That is what they tell reporters. But do the reporters live among them, know that they actually often have good jobs? Know that they watch nothing but Fox News and read nothing but Facebook memes? Yeah, sorry but your economic policies arent going to win them over.

Democrats cant fix that by running after white working class voters with policy prescriptions; if that worked they would have won the 2016 election. Unless Democrats get better at simplistic phrases that fit on a bumper sticker, they will need to wait for these folks to age out. They are lost to Democrats unless Democrats want to be the party of racism, misogyny and lies.

Even hearing Democrats suggest that they need to chase after these white voters who are voting against their own interests out of feelings is insulting to those who care about equal rights for everyone.

But its also really ignorant. The problem Democrats need to address is voter suppression. They had the numbers. They had the voters. They had the message.

It was sitting back while Trump told his people to go intimidate Clinton voters that killed the Democrats in this election, along with Trump and the Republican Party using the FBI in an attempt to sway an election, and allowing the Russian hacks of the DNC to be used against an entire political party with Putin seemingly at the wheel. While were at it, how about the media chasing after Trumps every flick of the wrist in his con artist magic show, while too many ignored his refusal to be vetted on even the most basic level. And of course, the press obsession with Clintons emails while Trump refusing to release his tax returns was casually mentioned but not obsessed over didnt help.

Now we are left with a Supreme Court down one justice because Republicans also thwarted the Constitution on that issue and denied President Obama the right to do what the American people elected him to do.

Democrats need to stop being spooked by every peep made by Republicans, and that includes buying into the notion that they lost this election because they didnt connect with white working class voters. Show some spine, get out there and defend the peoples right to vote. Dont let them sink or swim on their own on election day. The people are on the Democrats side, and by people I do not mean just liberals. Im also surrounded by plenty of white working class Democrats here, who actually pay attention to the issues and thus vote Democrat because of the partys policies.

I also personally know of many female voters in Pennsylvania who did not vote out of fear in this election. Women who were intimidated at the polls and thus did not get out of their car, and women who were warned not to show up on election day and were too afraid to exercise their right to vote. While anecdotes are not evidence, people telling me this offhandedly concerns me, because how many more are there and why didnt Democrats let them know they had their backs? Its also worth noting that the numbers show that Democrats didnt turn out, so these anecdotes possibly have a larger story to tell.

Fight harder for those people. Fight harder against Republicans when they steal liberties from the people. Stop apologizing and equivocating and trying to win favor with Republicans. They have done nothing for eight years but spit on President Obama and the American people, thwarting decent efforts to improve the lives of citizens.

Democrats need to stop thinking this is all their fault. They fought the Russians and the Russians won this round. Dont let the Russians spook the entire party off course. Stronger together was a great slogan, it resonated with a majority of people. Make sure those people can, safely and without intimidation, vote.
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Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets this morning to explain that though I am not mandated to (actually, he kinda is) I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country.

Strung together, the tweets said the following:

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!

This move comes after declaring himself above the law and then being told by non-partisan experts that no, he is not above the law.

It is well known that were Trump to remain in charge of his businesses (and as his recent activities since becoming president-elect have shown) he would be in violation of Article 1 Section 9 Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, the Emoluments Clause (or Foreign Emoluments Clause), which states,



And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States] , shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

That was why earlier this month both Mike Pence and Reince Priebus insisted Trump would leave his business life in the past.

America had seen no sign that this was true until this mornings barrage of tweets documenting what he seems to think of as a good will gesture rather than a legal requirement.

Trump is clearly struggling here to make it appear as though he is under no legal obligation to do precisely what the United States Constitution demands he do. He is under every legal obligation, under the law, to separate himself from his businesses.

He claims it is visually important  and it is certainly that since people like to see a president who isnt trying to profit from his office  but it is also a legal necessity, and it would appear that somebody finally got that point through to Trump.

In fact, Trump is bowing to pressure to do exactly what he has now agreed to do while trying to disguise the fact that sometimes, even Trump loses. Visually, at least.

Because, given the role Trump seems to intend his children to play in his administration, this move is unlikely to actually remove all conflicts of interest. He will still be free, for example, to promote his business empire. And just look at his pay-to-play inauguration.

And before you get too excited, it remains to be seen whether he will now see the presidency as an important enough task to bother with pesky little details like intelligence briefings.
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MSNBC has a major conflict of interest as Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough is advising Donald Trump and has not disclosed this fact to viewers. In essence, the MSNBC morning program is giving viewers a dose of pro-Trump propaganda, without providing adequate to disclosure of their relationship with the president-elect.

Angelo Carusone tweeted:

Joe Scarborough is advising Trump, Mika's heading over there for meeting of some type. Reminds me of this passage from Trump's book: pic.twitter.com/9GhR48V5kw  Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) November 29, 2016

CNNs Chris Cuomo followed up with confirmation:

They have always been boosters. Things turned south when trump froze them out but coverage always stilted. They are transition spokesmen now https://t.co/gkW16uMPJ3  Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) November 29, 2016

The problem is that Joe Scarborough, Morning Joe, and MSNBC have yet to disclose on the air that their morning program host is also advising the president-elect. Without this disclosure, some viewers may not know that they are being fed propaganda that is coming straight from a Trump adviser.

What is happening on Morning Joe is a serious conflict of interest. It is fine if Scarborough wants to advise Trump, but it is not okay to leave viewers in the dark about the morning hosts closeness to the president-elect.

Mainstream and corporate media outlets wonder why the American publics trust in them has fallen to an all-time low. If the mainstream press wants to be trusted, they must behave in an above board trustworthy manner. Hiding a relationship with the president-elect while broadcasting a three-hour morning show that is supposed to be news is not behavior that inspires trust in viewers.

Fox News Megyn Kelly warned that there were members of the media who were pretending to be tough on Trump, but who were secretly in the bag for him the whole time.

MSNBC is allowing this conflict of interest to happen, and the network is turning over weekday morning airtime to a program that has a serious conflict of interest.

Viewers be warned. If you watch Morning Joe, you are likely to be fed a dose of pro-Trump messaging. Anyone looking for objective news and information to start their day would be wise to watch with skepticism if they choose to tune into MSNBCs Morning Joe.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

There are obviously about 60-million or so Americans who have no rudimentary concept of what threat to their personal security an authoritarian tyrant poses. It isnt as if a plethora of political, constitutional, international and national security experts failed to raise the alarm at the idea of a Trump in the White House; an alarm they are still sounding weeks after the election. Still, those ignorant imbeciles who voted for Trump are likely going to get a crash course with firsthand experience of living in a nation with an authoritarian tyrant and his extremist henchmen doing his bidding.

Trump has chosen some particularly nasty characters to help his dictatorial reign proceed according to his racist and bigoted bent on how to tyrannize the American people, especially those that dont revere him like a deity. It is horrendous he tapped an avowed racist to be the nations top law enforcement officer, so to speak, but as threatening as giving the Justice Department nod to Jeff Sessions may be, dirty Dons prospect to run the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not only terrifying, it sets the stage for an honest-to-dog Constitutional crisis; not that Trump or David Clarke have any regard for the Constitution or Americans constitutional rights.

Earlier it was rumored that Trump was weighing either Joe Arpaio or David Clarke for the Homeland Security gig, but Arpaio is going to federal criminal court in a few days for doing exactly what constitutional sheriffs, of which Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is, believe is their duty; regard the only law they support law as what they, the constitutional county sheriff, says it is. In Arpaios case, he said the law mandating him to conform to the law of the land did not comport with his interpretation of the Constitution; subsequently, the Constitution says he is going to court and that set up an interview between Trump and Clarke; supposedly about the DHS position.

Clarke has been an ardent supporter of Trump and it is little wonder. The oathkeeper constitutional sheriff impresses the big-time wrestling celebrity probably for the notoriety he gained proposing that a president should exercise Article 1, Section 9 and suspend any and all constitutional and due process rights of about a million people. Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution allows the president to suspend the writ of habeas corpus only when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. Last December Clarke told Glenn Beck about a million people should be scooped up, charged with treason, and under habeas corpus, detain them indefinitely at Gitmo.

It is true that is an extremist vision of using law enforcement to protect Americans, but just slightly less than going around the country inciting rage and ire over the non-existent war against police, or denying anything like police brutality or unwarranted killings ever happens. He has also attacked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement mercilessly including predicting they would merge with the Islamic State (ISIS, IS, Daesh, ISIL) relatively soon in a concerted effort to destroy America. Clarke issued a prophecy last year on Twitter that, before long, Black Lies [sic] Matter will join forces with ISIS to being [sic] down our legal constituted republic. You heard it first here.

The idea of even considering a county sheriff to run the Department of Homeland Security is mind boggling. But the idea that an advocate of the extremist constitutional sheriff dogma will have unchallenged, and the prospect of unlimited, power and authority to adjudicate and enforce the law according to Trump or himself is absolutely terrifying, and contrary to the Constitution. These constitutional sheriff types; the Joe Arpaio, Richard Mack, and especially David Clarke types are in no way, shape, or form constitutional. No constitutional anything advocates rebellion of violence against the federal government.

Constitutional sheriff is a gross misnomer simply because the mindset behind the movement is contrary to the most important and fundamental tenets of the actual U.S. Constitution. Primarily, their problem and the threat to American citizens is a non-negotiable belief that the arbiter, interpreter, and enforcer of the United States Constitution as law of the land is the county sheriff; not the Supreme Court as carefully stated in the Constitution. These confused tyrants certainly dont have a grasp on what is in the U.S. Constitution or they would not swear a keeper oath to defend, uphold and support a document they fully intend to violate if it conflicts with what they personally decide the law of the land is or what it should be.

The idea of suspending habeas corpus is a drastic measure under any circumstance, and the problem with an authoritarian like Trump is he has already exhibited tyrannical tendencies and threatened to act unilaterally against anyone who fails to worship him; the spoiled brat does not take criticism or the truth well. What is frightening is the idea that anything can be framed as supporting Americas enemies, rebellion or invasion; including questioning or criticizing an authoritarian president. The country witnessed that nightmare during the Bush administration when even questioning the wisdom of going to war was tantamount to backing the terrorists and not supporting the troops, even our own sons and daughters. Just the thought of a man like Clarke leading homeland security, determining a threat and then having the ear of an authoritarian occupant of the White House should send a fair number of Americans into horrifying night-sweats.

Trump has already given every indication he has a contrary concept of the law of the land than the actual law of the land, and he is renowned for seeking vengeance on his detractors. His threat to pursue and punish journalists for either expressing an opinion or, dog forbid, publishing the truth cannot be a good sign if he, his Nazi advisers, or a so-called constitutional sheriff and oath keeper are willing to round up and imprison American citizens indefinitely without any due process protections. The outrageous idea that dissent in the form of flag-burning is an imprisonable offense or a reason to strip an Americans citizenship is beyond comprehension unless one lived under Russian authoritarianism; which is what appears to be on the horizon for America.
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The White House responded to Donald Trump keeping 1,000 jobs in the US by dropping a huge fact bomb that showed just how little Trump has accomplished compared to President Obama.

The Hill reported that Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that the White House was pleased that the jobs were staying, then he added:



If [Trump] is successful in doing that 804 more times, then he will meet the record number of manufacturing jobs created during Obamas eight years in office.

Earnest went further, saying that the roughly 800,000 jobs he cited were new jobs created under Obamas watch. He said the president protected more than a million additional manufacturing jobs in the Midwest with his bailout of the auto industry.

The one difference would be the president-elect is talking about protecting jobs, he said. The metric Im using is actually creating jobs.

What the White House didnt mention, but is also true is that Donald Trump and Mike Pence have now set a precedent in their dealings with Carrier that every CEO in the United States is going to use. Trump better be prepared to for a flood of companies demanding tax cuts and concessions or they will take jobs out of the United States. Trump and Pence wont care if their PR ploy sets off a binge of ransoming local and state governments across the country.

The incentives that Trump and Pence offered Carrier have to be paid for by someone. The people who will be forced to pick up the tab will be the taxpayers in Indiana, but when corporations pay less in taxes, the tax burden gets passed along to the residents in the community. If a local companys taxes go down, yours will most likely go up, because as they say, theres no such thing as a free lunch.

The White House was correct. Trump is making a big deal out of accomplishing nothing. The odds are that the Carrier deal was a one-time only publicity stunt. Trump is not going to try to replicate what happened with Carrier.

Donald Trump is a master at creating fantasies, but what President Obama has done is real world dose of reality that bursts Trumps bubble. America doesnt need a few jobs saved. It needs more jobs created, and on that front, Trump remains a man without a plan.
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Watchdog and Public Service reporter

Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576.
Costco was among the retailers with sales that fell short of Wall Street estimates.
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Eating all of the chicken livers just as fast as I can.
Kelvin Cole, 56, died Oct. 28 after being struck by multiple cars on Interstate 26. Investigators later determined he had active arrest warrants from Charleston County's Family Court and the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Read moreJohns Island man provided fake name before jumping from I-26 overpass, report says
Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
I really like history. I guess that might be obvious, considering I decided to write my last column about President James Garfield, but it's true.

History has always been one of my favorite subjects in school, and I think part of the reason why I am fascinated by it is the fact that everything links together. You've got all these people with stories that are interesting enough on their own, and then you realize that there are all these little threads that link them together.

Abraham Lincoln was a U.S. representative at the same time as former president John Quincy Adams, and after his assassination, a young Teddy Roosevelt watched from the window of his house as Lincoln's body was carried across the country.

Nothing in history acts in a vacuum. You can look at anything in history and see all of the events that had repercussions that rippled out and caused it. If you really want to understand why the American Revolution happened, you couldn't just start at 1776. You would have to go back to 1492 and Columbus, or to 1215 and the Magna Carta, or to 509 B.C. and the start of the Roman republic.

It almost feels like a mystery, looking at history. You try to figure out why something happened and you look around events surrounding it and you can have a moment where you just think "Oh, that's what happened."

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I think this same basic idea is one of the reasons why I like things like the Marvel superhero movies and "Star Wars" so much. You've got this unbelievably huge world with enough stories and detail that you could almost never run out of things to discover.

Each story is entertaining or interesting enough on its own, but when you dive deeper you can see all the little threads connecting the characters, events, and ideas. Whenever I go to see a Marvel movie I get excited, not only because they tend to be pretty good movies, but also because I know that there are going to be little clues to discover, hints about new characters or what is coming in the future.

When you have some familiarity with the world involved, everything just makes more sense and feels more tied together. It is the same thing with history.

And while I don't get quite that level of excitement when I am dragging myself out of bed in the morning to go to history class, that's probably just due to the fact that class tends to have fewer explosions.

The thing is, history is better than those movies. First of all, history is true, and as much as it pains me to admit it, the odds of me getting a light saber or an Iron Man suit are pretty slim.

With history you know that this awesome, or amazing, or wonderful, or bizarre story that you are hearing about most likely actually happened. When I think about history that way, I can't help but want to learn everything that I possibly can about it.
DALLAS  Day 105 of Chris Andrews' journey began just like the others: He woke up, ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, rubbed cornstarch on his feet and started walking.

The 22-year-old had never been to Dallas. He arrived a few days ago  by foot  from Washington, D.C., covering 1,473 miles with more than 2 million steps, in search of face-to-face communication.

On this morning, Andrews wanted to visit the Bishop Arts District. He'd heard it was a great place to meet people, so he pushed his traveling cart 17 miles from Addison to Highland Park, to Uptown and Oak Cliff, down sidewalks and shoulders, past gaping bystanders and honking cars.

The walk took six hours  easy compared with some of the 12-hour, 30-mile treks he's made in 100-degree heat or pouring rain.

He arrived before lunch, his blond beard uneven, growing wild ever since this journey began Aug. 8. A tan line divided his face just above the nose. The logo on his shirt matched the one on his cart: "Let's Talk: A journey to get America talking again."

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The Bishop Arts District was busy on this day. Some people walked and talked. Others buried their faces in their phones.

Andrews moved along the sidewalk, looking to start a conversation. Mike Goldfuss neared at a quick pace. The owner of Collective Brewing Project in Fort Worth was on a sales call. He saw Andrews and his cart, but never intended to stop.

"Hi there," Andrews said, his words enthusiastic. Goldfuss paused.

"My name is Chris Andrews. I only want to take your time for 30 seconds. I'm crossing the United States on foot from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles to try to spread a message about the importance of face-to-face conversation in our digital age. Just encouraging people to try and find that balance. And I was wondering if I could ask you a question? Do you have a smartphone?"

Goldfuss looked confused.

"I do," he said.

"Could you try to explain to me how your life would be different if you didn't, or if no one had smartphones?"

The 35-year-old laughed.

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"Well," Goldfuss said. "That's not a 30-second question."

A SIMPLE 'HELLO'

Two years ago, Andrews began almost every morning the same way: He'd reach for his phone, find the Facebook icon and scroll through his news feed.

He was a college student, and like many of his friends, was dependent on the connectivity of social media.

"It was this mind-numbing way to spend time. I didn't really enjoy it, but it was just so endless and so stimulating in a way that it was hard not to do it. It became an instinct. It became routine."

Andrews used his phone for GPS, texting, emails, social media and casual communication. It was convenient. It was quick. It was entertaining. He would reach for his phone during lulls, like sitting on a train or waiting for coffee, and noticed everyone else was doing the same.

But after a while, Andrews grew concerned. The time he spent staring at a screen was time he could've formed personal connections with friends and strangers. He needed balance, so he became more aware of when he was using his phone. The problem? Many of the people he was trying to communicate with were still focused on a screen.

"I felt isolated. I felt like it was hard to connect with people and really build friendships when there was at least one person in the group maybe in that gray space, where they've got their phone out, they're participating in the conversation, but they're not fully there," Andrews said. "They're not experiencing deep listening."

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Communication was changing, so when Andrews graduated, he embarked on a campaign. He would travel across the country and seek face-to-face conversations, breaking barriers to stop people for a simple "Hello."

And he'd walk.

"It's the most basic form of transportation paired with the most basic form of communication," Andrews said. "You're forced to interact with people constantly."

Andrews funded the trip through $4,000 in donations from friends and family. He pushes a cart, equipped with a tent, sleeping pad, food, water, clothing and a solar panel to charge his iPhone and camera.

Because Andrews knows how important mobile connectivity is. He's just promoting balance.

In 3 1/2 months, he's walked through D.C., Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He's walked past roadkill, rattlesnakes and wild dogs. He's slept on church floors, couches and front lawns (when the homeowner approves).

He has four pairs of underwear, seven pairs of socks, and is on his sixth pair of sneakers. He's sponsored by multiple outdoor apparel and survival companies. He rubs cornstarch on his feet to prevent blisters, a trick he learned from a professional runner he met on the way.

He walks 20 to 30 miles a day, showers once a week and tries to do laundry twice a month.

"I've learned to love the simple nature of what I do," Andrews said, who's from Michigan but has lived all over the world. "I'm eating, sleeping, walking and talking."

He also speaks at middle schools. That's the generation Andrews is most concerned about, the one raised with smartphones and social media. This week, he spoke to 700 students at Highland Park Middle School. He begins each talk the same way: Turn to the person next to you and stare in their eyes for 10 seconds.

His travels are recorded on a website, www.LetsTalkUSA.com .

That's where his connections are preserved. After memorable conversations, he'll take out his camera and ask for a picture.

SEEKING AUTHENTIC RESPONSES

The sidewalks in Bishop Arts grew crowded with diners and shoppers, and among the bustle, two strangers connected about the importance of face-to-face communication.

Without smartphones, Goldfuss explained, he'd have a hard time navigating. But he understands the downsides.

"I think we're losing touch with other people," Goldfuss said. The small business owner cited concerns with generations dependent on mobile communication. For example, if they have minimal experience with face-to-face conversations, how will they interview for jobs?

"You won't be able to get straight responses from some of them because they don't have 15 minutes to think about it before they respond," Goldfuss said. "So it scares me about how detached with everything people are. How attached to their phones and technology."

As Goldfuss spoke, Andrews made eye contact. He nodded and smiled, actively listening and focused on the conversation.

"I really like that idea of authentic responses," Andrews said. "Thanks for such a good answer. I appreciate that."

By now, Andrews' 30 seconds were up. But Goldfuss stayed. Now he was asking about Andrews' travels, and the message he was trying to spread.

"It's a good issue," Goldfuss said. "But [technology is] not going to stop."

"But if we can get people to think about it, then maybe we can get a few people to put their phones down at the dinner table," Andrews said. "Or not scroll for an hour when they wake up."

Goldfuss nodded.

"Yeah, because everybody thinks what's on their phone is more important than what's right in front of them," Goldfuss said. "And you lose touch with what you're actually experiencing. You're not experiencing it."

To that, Andrews smiled. This was the purpose of his journey. Maybe Goldfuss would continue this conversation with his friends. Maybe he would share Andrews' story, or his message, and one person at a time, people would slowly detach, finding that balance to live in both worlds, to make more eye contact, to start more random conversations, on the train and in line for coffee, to feel less isolated and more connected with the people and places surrounding them.

He's hoping to make it to Los Angeles by mid-March.

He thanked Goldfuss again for talking. And before he moved on to the next conversation, he reached for something in his cart.

"Do you mind if I take a picture of you?"
In four years the Hruby family has grown by four.

After being foster parents for two years to each of two sibling groups  Julie, then 14, and Cameron, then 8, beginning in 2012, and Jacob, then 17, and Kayden, then 7, beginning in 2014  they decided to adopt the children, because as mom Pati said, "they just belong here. They naturally fit into our family."

Pati and Scott Hruby are foster parents turned adoptive parents, and they said the experience has gone exceptionally well.

"Olmsted County has been amazing," Pati said. "As well as the social workers who have helped us. We've been very fortunate. We have four amazing children that just want love."

The Hrubys recently reflected on their decision to become foster and later, adoptive parents  adopting older children and sibling pairs, at that. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, of the 489 children currently awaiting adoption, 60 percent are siblings who need to be adopted together, and 75 percent are older than age 6.

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'We can do that'

It was after a visit in 2012 to the home of a family friend who did foster care that Pati and Scott began to seriously consider becoming foster parents.

"We came home and thought, 'We can do that,'" Pati said.

So they initiated the process of becoming licensed foster parents, which included a required home inspection, background checks, and interviews with family members. These requirements help to ensure children are placed in stable, loving homes that meet basic health and safety requirements.

In the five years since their decision, Pati and Scott have provided foster care to 15 children and respite care to many families who need just a short break, and have adopted two sibling groups.

Pati said when they considered adopting the first sibling group, they had some doubts.

"We thought maybe we were too old," she said. "But then when we said 'no,' our hearts just broke. We couldn't let them go. We fell in love with them. They were part of our family."

'No family is perfect'

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They said they have had some challenging days, a feeling every parent can relate to.

"No family is perfect," she said. "We have things that come up. We are dealing with a lot of emotions; tons of trauma in their lives."

"When one of the kids has a really bad day," Scott added, "we climb down in the hole with them. Here, it's unconditional love."

November was Minnesota Adoption Month. The Minnesota Department of Human Services recently hosted its annual Celebrate Adoption event in Oakdale. It was a day for parents who are considering adoption to learn about the process, but it was also a celebration of the adoptions of 662 children last year from the foster care system.

Jim Koppel is assistant commissioner for Children and Family Services. He oversees adoptions, providing technical assistance throughout the process. He said he has seen the joy that adoption brings to the children and families involved.

"It's an amazing thing to watch the success and reward of this occurring," he said. "Not just for the children but also for the parents."

'Children out there waiting'

He explained that the adoption process, including the timeframe, varies from case to case and can, at times, become complicated, but the overarching goal is to seek a solution that brings the least trauma to the child.

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"We want it to be smooth and permanent," he said.

He added that there are no fees to parents; rather, it is an investment of time and energy in their life-changing decision.

Koppel suggested that for anyone who is interested in learning more about the adoption process, to call one of the agencies that match children with prospective parents.

"The children are so excited and so happy to be in a stable environment," he said. "It is life-changing for everyone involved. Look into it. There are children out there waiting."

Learn more:

 MN Adopt 612-861-7115 or info@mnadopt.org

 Children's Home Society of Minnesota 1-800-952-9302

 Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota 1-800-952-9302
Your input could help shape the future design of the Destination Medical Center district St. Marys Place, a high-priority corridor of Second Street Southwest in Rochester.

The DMC Economic Development Agency on Thursday will host a community input open house , from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at its offices at 195 South Broadway Avenue in Rochester.

The event is a chance for the people interested in the district to share thoughts on three design concepts that could guide development decisions in the corridor, according to a DMC newsletter.

"We are looking for community reaction to the concepts that have been developed thus far with an eye toward developing a new concept that takes advantage of the best elements and any new ideas that may emerge," said Mary Welder, EDA spokeswoman, in an emailed statement.

At an event next week, the EDA will reveal a final design that is coalesced from the three concepts. That event is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 4:30 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott.

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The EDA assembled three groups of stakeholders from the community to create three design concepts for the area, which generally covers Second Street Southwest from 11th Avenue to 16th Avenue. Each group represented a different perspective: patients, visitors and Mayo Clinic staff; business owners and developers; and community members from nearby neighborhoods.

More information on the events and a community input survey is available on the DMC Facebook page at facebook.com/dmcmn .
Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede intervened Tuesday in the increasingly bitter dispute over a new private skyway over a downtown alley.

Brede vetoed the city council's revocation last week of the permit for the skyway, which links the 318 Commons building and the Big Brad's and former Paine Furniture buildings on South Broadway. All are owned by Rochester developers Hal Henderson and Grant Michaletz, and the University of Minnesota Rochester leases thousands of square feet of space in 318 Commons and the Paine building.

The council has been pressing Henderson and Michaletz to make a deal with the property owner next door for an easement for another skyway. On Nov. 21, it voted 4-3 to revoke the permit and gave Henderson and Michaletz until Jan. 4 to reach a deal or the $375,000 skyway could be closed or demolished.

Council member Nick Campion said at that meeting, "I have no problem tearing it down" if the owners don't reach a deal.

The long-simmering dispute sharply escalated before the meeting last week, with council member Michael Wojcik blasting Henderson and calling him an "awful person" not to be trusted, and UMR Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle firing off a letter to the council that said the skyway is "key to UMR's success" and the threat of removing the skyway was "operationally and financially unacceptable."

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As it turns out, Brede proposes to put UMR at the center of resolving the dispute.

In his veto message Tuesday, Brede said, "I understand the frustration in not being able to resolve the issue of certain easement rights regarding 318 Commons, adjacent property and the city of Rochester. (But) to revoke the skyway permit that provides the University of Minnesota Rochester access to the Paine Building from 318 Commons would be very detrimental to UMR and their future.

"To that end, UMR will commit to develop a plan for a mediated process between all parties in 30 days," he said by email. "An additional 120 days would be needed for UMR to seek a resolution between parties. I am confident that UMR will be engaged throughout the process, being mindful that the lender responsible for the financing of 318 Commons will need to approve the final agreement."

Brede said today that as the council was voting to revoke the pemit Nov. 21, "I was thinking, what are we doing? No, you won't tear down that skyway, come on. I don't think the council was serious. I wrote a note to myself  'veto?'"

But he said the council vote "caught everyone's attention" and his plan for mediation, which may or may not be led by UMR, "will give them time and they'll get it done."

It's unclear if the council will try to override the mayor's veto. It takes a supermajority of five votes to override a mayoral veto, and Council President Randy Staver said today, "I don't know if there are sufficient votes to do that, especially given that the mayor laid out a timeline to achieve a resolution.

"I think the council will likely let that 120-day period play out before deciding any further action," Staver said.

Campion said today that he has "mixed feelings" about the veto. "I feel that the council, as the stewards of the public skyway system, laid out clear economic incentives and achievable deadlines for allowing the private parties to resolve this matter. The mayor, through his use of his veto authority, is taking personal responsibility for both the execution of the process and the results."

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Without the demolition threat pending, "I am concerned about getting the best outcome for the taxpayers of Rochester, but I will monitor the mayor's progress closely," he said. "The future of the public's skyway system cannot be obstructed by insular private interests."

Council member Mark Bilderback, who made the motion to revoke the permit on Nov. 21, said he doesn't think the council will attempt to override the veto. Wojcik said he was "heartened" that UMR will "help address the needless conflict," but he said the veto "ultimately has no meaning because action was deferred until Jan. 4" and the mayor plan calls for meaningful action by that date.

Wojcik also said, "I am kind of relieved...the issue is now 100 percent the domain of the mayor."

Henderson declined comment on the veto Tuesday, other than to say, "The University, the mayor, city staff and I think some of the council members understand the hurdle with the financing."

Perhaps not coincidentally, Henderson and Michaletz's attorney sent a letter to the mayor and City Attorney Terry Adkins Tuesday, outlining "how unreasonable the city of Rochester has been in demanding" actions from his clients and "in threatening punitive actions for their failure to proceed"

The crux of the issue is a skyway easement being sought by the George F. Pougiales Trust and trustee Helen Roland, who own the 7,500-square-foot site just south of 318 Commons, at 324 First Ave. SW. When 318 Commons was built, the developers provided three easements for skyways, but an easement to the south was not included.

Roland wants that easement, preferably through the second floor of 318 Commons, and the city wants the potential for extending the skyway system further across Fourth Street Southwest. Henderson and Michaletz prefer a skyway that goes down the alley, though they say any resolution of the issue has to be approved by their lenders.

When contacted about the veto Tuesday, Roland initially responded fully but later retracted her comments, saying, "I have too much invested not to persevere and see this to its logical conclusion: user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, elevated pedestrian skyway with good flow and reasonable connections."

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The mayor said, "Ultimately, I'm sure (the skyway system) will go across Fourth Street, probably all the way to Sixth Street" and the planned UMR campus area.

If a deal isn't reached by the deadline, "then it will come back as an issue and maybe we're back to revoking the permit," said Brede, who has used his veto authority only about a half-dozen times during his 13 years in office. "I'm not anticipating that's going to happen. I have faith in those folks. This was probably a shot across the bow."

Skyway issue is all about connections
ST. PAUL  If an influential state commission has its way, Civil War art will return to the Governor's Reception Room at the Minnesota Capitol.

Members of the Minnesota Capitol Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to recommend the Civil War art be returned once its restoration is complete. But before members cast their vote, there was plenty of drama. At the start of discussions, Gov. Mark Dayton abruptly walked out of the meeting, accusing Republicans of having "hijacked" it. He also threatened to quit the commission.

"If this happens again, if this commission gets hijacked for political purposes and partisan purposes, I'll resign," Dayton said before storming out.

Meanwhile, a large crowd that included veterans and people clad in Civil War-era uniforms watched as commission members passionately debated the Civil War art's future. Rochester GOP Sen. Dave Senjem, who serves on the commission, argued the art should stay in the ornate reception room. After the meeting, he said he was pleased most of his fellow commission members agreed with him.

"This is foundational art for the state of Minnesota from the standpoint of who we are and where we come from. Our Minnesota regiments saved the union, saved the United States. They need to be recognized in our state Capitol," Senjem said.

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But the final decision on what happens to the art rests with the Minnesota Historical Society's Executive Council, which is slated to meet next week.

The political feud over the Civil War art erupted after the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board voted earlier this month not to return the Civil War art to the Governor's Reception Room. There are six paintings total in the Governor's Reception Room and anteroom that feature Civil War scenes. They include "The Battle at Gettysburg" and "The Second Minnesota Regiment at Missionary Ridge," which features Lt. Col. Judson Bishop, of Chatfield. The paintings are being restored as part of the $310 million renovation of the 111-year-old Minnesota Capitol.

Two other paintings deemed offensive to Native Americans are slated to be removed from the reception room to another location in the Capitol.

Dayton repeatedly has expressed concern that the Governor's Reception Room needs to better represent all of Minnesota's history. He reiterated that while speaking with the media after the commission meeting. He said he agrees the Civil War art needs to remain in the Capitol building. However, he questions whether there need to be six murals in the Governor's Reception Room and anteroom.

"I'm all in favor of displaying prominently that very important part of our state's history, but it's not the only part of our state's history that deserves mention," Dayton said.

Rep. Diane Loeffler, DFL-Minneapolis, told fellow commission members it would make more sense to have the Civil War art in a different room at the Capitol that would be more accessible to visitors. Often, she said, the Governor's Reception Room is closed for meetings or negotiations.

She added, "If we think this is a story that should inspire all of our visitors to take tours, to come to our Capitol, can it best be told in a room that is open to everyone?"

Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, traveled to the meeting to urge commissioners not to move the paintings elsewhere. The paintings in the Governor's Reception Room were commissioned by Capitol architect Cass Gilbert when the building was built in 1905. She said after the meeting she was pleased commission members agreed the paintings should stay put.

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"This is a great decision. It is in line with the Capitol Preservation Commission's original founding documents, which is to restore in those very public places Cass Gilbert's authentic design as much as possible and certainly this art falls into that."
Donald Trump campaigned against endless war and demonization of Vladimir Putin. I believe he will be less dangerous than Hillary Clinton, who called for a no-fly zone over Syria and threatened Russia, a nuclear armed state.

On the other hand, Trump normalized bigotry. He said war is OK if we "take their oil," and he endorsed torture. I could vote for neither.

I'm troubled by the recent grieving. I started grieving last summer, after the nominations. I was in denial for a while, hoping perhaps Jill Stein and Gary Johnson would receive substantial votes, but voters were kept in ignorance and intimidated with fear and shame.

Concern for minorities is good, but violence and manipulating the Electoral College are not. Those are dangerous games. People who demanded change by voting will be outraged if such efforts succeed. We could even descend into civil war.

No. We must follow laws and custom long established, accept the election and welcome the positive. Trump's "60 Minutes" interview confirms he will work with Russia to end the proxy war on Syria. He told the bigots to "Stop it!" Now, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is dead.

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Let's look to the future with hope, vigilance and open minds. Let's not practice the hate and violence we claim to reject. Let's respect the presidency and the long-established procedures upon which its holder is selected.

Bill Rood

Rochester
The governors office has announced that a man who was arrested for felonious drug possession will be moved from the Department of Corrections to the custody of federal immigration.

Leo Cruz Santiago was pulled over by Guam police for driving a vehicle without a license plate in October 2014. During the traffic stop, officers noticed a cylindrical object protruding from the defendants pocket, which appeared to have methamphetamine residue. Officers also discovered plastic baggies of ice, $930 in cash, a digital scale and other paraphernalia. Santiago would plead guilty to two counts for felonious possession of a Schedule II controlled substance as part of a plea agreement. He was sentenced in 2015 to three years for each charge with all but 966 days suspended with credit for time served. He was scheduled to be released in May 2017.

A citizen of the Philippines, Santiago was identified by U.S. immigration officials as having committed a deportable crime and was flagged with a federal detainer.

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Santiago will be the 17th criminal to be removed or deported via the governors initiative to make Guams streets safer for residents. It costs an average of $119 a day, or about $43,435 a year, to house each inmate and detainee at the Department of Corrections, according to the administration. The federal government takes on these costs when custody is transferred.

Information for this article was provided in a press release. (Post News Staff)
Liberal bullies are trying to pressure advertisers into boycotting Breitbart.com, one of the most popular conservative sites on the internet. Unfortunately, they are having considerable success.

As you probably know, Breitbart.com was founded by Andrew Breitbart and has been run by Steve Bannon following Andrews tragically premature death. Breitbart.com was an early and enthusiastic backer of Donald Trumps presidential campaign, and Bannon became a close adviser to Trump. He is now headed for the White House.

I criticized the site for becoming a Trump mouthpiece, and other critiques could be leveled. But Breitbart.com is more reputable than, say, the New York Times, a Hillary Clinton mouthpiece. The sites success has put it in the crosshairs of the left. The Associated Press reports:

Kellogg has announced that it will no longer advertise on Breitbart.com, the website formerly run by one of President-elect Donald Trumps top aides, Steve Bannon. The food manufacturer decided to discontinue advertising on the site as soon as it was alerted by consumers to the presence of its ads, Kellogg Co. spokeswoman Kris Charles said Tuesday.

Most CEOs of large companies are liberals, as are nearly all PR employees of such companies. So this kind of response comes naturally. The AP helpfully explains:

Breitbart has been condemned for featuring racist, sexist and anti-Semitic content.

Really? Condemned by whom? For what? The AP ritually recites these allegations against the site without citing any evidence whatsoever. The claims are false, if not ridiculous. But readers who rely on Americas daily newspapers wont know this.

We regularly work with our media buying partners to ensure our ads do not appear on sites that arent aligned with our values as a company, Charles said. This involves reviewing websites where ads could potentially be placed using filtering technology to assess site content. As you can imagine, there is a very large volume of websites, so occasionally something is inadvertently missed.

Internet ad buys are placed in enormous quantities. An advertiser like Kellogg has no idea where its ads will wind up. They are all over the internet. Very possibly, some have appeared on Power Line, although I cant recall any cereal ads offhand. Kellogg would have to go out of its way to identify a site like Breitbart.com that it wants to block from displaying its ads. This, apparently, Kellogg is willing to pay to have done, lest it have some ostensible association with the candidate who was just elected President of the United States. The company will continue advertising on Democratic Party sites.

I am not generally a fan of boycotts, but this, like so much else in our civic life, has been a one-way street. Executives at companies like Kellogg need to understand that ours is not a one-party state. For decades, surveys have shown that self-identified conservatives outnumber liberals by a ratio of one and a half to two to one. If Kellogg wants to go out of its way to align itself with a vicious, bullying left-wing minority, fine. But the company should understand that such decisions have consequences. No more Frosted Flakes. No more Fruit Loops. No more Rice Krispies. No more Nutri-Grain.

A final observation: most cereal like Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops is consumed by children. Who has more children, liberals or conservatives? Right. Kellogg might want to start looking for a new CEO.
In 1994 or so one of my daughters was in school with one of Mark Daytons sons. Dayton was serving his last year as state auditor. At a silent auction to raise funds for the school, Dayton contributed Power Lunch for 2 with Mark Dayton at the Minneapolis Club. As the auction was winding down, I noticed that not a single person had entered a bid on it. So I did, and I remained the only bidder. I won for the very modest amount of my bid. I should add that I was prepared to go higher!

I thought I had been lucky. In retrospect, however, I think the other parents may have known something I didnt.

I invited my friend Bruce Sanborn to join me for the lunch. Bruce was chairman of the Claremont Institute at the time. I scheduled the lunch with Dayton. He joined us and picked up the tab as promised. But I made a big mistake in opening our conversation with a discussion of Bruces and my support for school choice and vouchers, especially for inner city parents.

All three of us had kids attending private school. I knew that Dayton opposed school choice, but wanted to hear him talk about the issue. I thought it would make for an interesting discussion. Big mistake.

Dayton flew into a rage. He could not disagree agreeably, or so it seemed to me. Having to avoid conversation on subjects we disagreed on, the rest of the lunch was funereal. Dayton did add me to his Christmas card list for several years following the lunch, but his annual Christmas updates were uncomfortably inappropriate as well.

Something is wrong with Governor Dayton (as he now is). Or rather, some things are wrong with Governor Dayton. Many Minnesotans have seen what I saw at lunch with him up close and personal. We think he is medicated for it (or them). Were on a roller coaster ride with him until his second term expires in two years. Every day is an adventure. Yesterday, for example.

Minnesotas beautiful state capitol building in St. Paul is a tribute to Minnesotas Civil War veterans and the battles in which they served. It was designed by Cass Gilbert and built by the generation of men who had served in the war.

The capitol is saturated with their valor and their sacrifice. The rotunda displays their battle flags like sacred relics. The House chamber holds a portrait of Lincoln above the Speakers desk (below). Statuary in the second floor rotunda honors Minnesotas greatest Union Army officers including William Colvill and John Sanborn, Bruces forebear.

Paintings in the governors antechamber and reception room memorialize the battles in which Minnesotas Civil War veterans fought. They depict the Battle of Nashville, the Fourth Minnesota entering Vicksburg, the Second Minnesota Regiment at Missionary Ridge, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Third Minnesota entering Little Rock, the Fifth Minnesota at Corinth. See Minnesota State Capitol: Overview of the Fine Art.

The state capitol has undergone an expensive renovation. Governor Dayton evidently feels ambivalent, shall we say, about the return of the paintings to his office. According to Dayton, the Civil War paintings are insufficiently representative of contemporary Minnesota, and he got a little worked up about it yesterday at a capitol preservation meeting. Pat Kessler reports on the incident for WCCO in the segment below (text here). The KARE 11 segment accessible here provides a glimpse of the paintings. The Star Tribunes Pat Condon covers the story in Gov. Dayton walks out of public meeting over Capitol art controversy.

The controversy created by Governor Dayton yesterday is stamped with his personal issues, but it perfectly reflects the identity politics and political correctness that suffuse the Democratic Party. In its own way it gives us a classic case study of the descent in progress.
I have been saying for a long time that, while our current legal immigration system poses intractable problems, illegal immigration is relatively easy to solve: we only need to enforce our existing laws. Donald Trumps appointment of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General signals that he intends to do just that. Politico belatedly tumbles, apparently, to what is going on: Immigration-hardliner Sessions could execute crackdown as AG.

If confirmed as Trumps attorney general, the Alabama senator would instantly become one of the most powerful people overseeing the nations immigration policy, with wide latitude over the kinds of immigration violations to prosecute and who would be deported. As the nations top cop, Sessions would be able to direct limited department resources to pursuing immigration cases. He could launch federal investigations into what he perceives as discrimination against U.S. citizens caused by immigration. He would be in charge of drafting legal rationales for immigration policies under the Trump administration. And Sessions, as attorney general, could find ways to choke off funding for sanctuary cities, where local officials decline to help federal officials identify undocumented immigrants so they can be deported.

Doesnt that sound great? And its not all, either. But first, this:

Some immigrant advocates are alarmed by the idea of a Justice Department led by someone they see as far outside the mainstream.

It cant be far outside the mainstream to enforce existing federal law. On the contrary, it is the presidents most fundamental constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. Barack Obama violated this duty, to his everlasting shame. It also cant be far outside the mainstream for Trump and Sessions to carry out the policies on which Trump campaigned and was elected.

Politico adds much more about the powers Sessions will wield as Attorney General. Strangely, however, the most important point comes near the end:

Sessions would have similarly expansive powers when it comes to enforcing immigration law. The attorney general sets guidelines for the types of violations federal prosecutors should pursue. Von Spakovksy said a Sessions-led Justice Department could, for example, ramp up enforcement of a current ban on employers hiring those who are here illegally. If the employer provision is enforced and the news gets out that the Justice Department is finally enforcing that provision  that will lead to large numbers of individuals self-deporting, said von Spakovsky, now a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

That is exactly right. The long-promised wall along the Mexican border, already mandated by federal law, may be a good idea but is mostly a distraction. If the executive branch finally carries out its duty to enforce the immigration laws against employers by sending a few farmers, owners of roofing companies, executives of meat packing plants and hotel managers to prison, the job market for illegal aliens will rapidly disappear. The vast majority will then self-deport, to use Mitt Romneys perfectly appropriate phrase.

All of this is devoutly hoped for by most Americans. In the first days of the new administration, it looks as though 1) Congress will pass a bill repealing Obamacare, 2) Sessions will start to move against illegal immigration, and 3) President Trump will appoint a conservative to the still-vacant Supreme Court seat. This is a trifecta the likes of which we conservatives have not seen in a long, long time.
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Legendary Nigerian musician, King Sunny Ade, today made history as the first Nigerian artiste to be inducted into the Hard Rock Cafe Hall of Fame.

He is also the first Nigerian to have his memorabilia hanging from the Hard Rock Cafe. Hard Rocks archive includes over 77,000 items, and is the largest private collection of Rock and Roll memorabilia in the world.

At the star-studded ceremony, which held at the Hard Rock Cafe, Oniru, Lagos, the youthful boyish-looking performer, donated rare items from his collections including his much-treasured Vintage Fender Guitar, shoes and album cover to hang as a memorabilia at the edifice.

A visibly excited KSA told the audience that he composed his hit track, Synchro System, with the Vintage Fender Guitar, which he was donating to Hard Rock Cafe.

Following the epoch-making ceremony, the Juju maestro joins the music greats who are already on the Hard Rock showcase. They include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Brian Wilson and Elton John among others.

The first-of-its-kind donation was brokered by leading talent agency and event management company, Temple Management Company who are also putting together the highly-publicised grand concert for King Sunny Ade tagged Sunny On Sunday. The event is scheduled for December 11 at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

It will feature performances by Awilo Logomba, Onyeka Onwenu, Sir Shina Peters, Darey, Omawumi, Terry Apala, Jeff and Tyson Noir. Others are Jimmy Cliff, Youssou NDour and Awilo Longomba and Salif Keita among others

To commemorate the induction, international whisky brand, Chivas, also presented the 70-year-old musician with a Chivas Regal 25-Year Original Blended Whisky. The brand also created a signature drink for KSA, titled Ondo Regale, which was served as cocktails at the induction.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES shortly after the event, KSA said, Im thrilled to be the first Nigerian musician to donate personal items to Hard Rocks world-famous collection and to be showcased alongside other legendary artistes. For me, this is more than just a ceremony; it is an opportunity to pass on a cultural legacy and inspire new generations of musicians around the globe. I feel extremely honoured and blessed. Never in my career did I see this happening

Celebrating King Sunny Ade is something of a national assignment for us at Temple Management Company that must be carried out. KSA is clearly one of Nigerias music exports and needs to be treated as such. With the induction, King Sunny Ade will now rank among other Hard Rock world greats whose music paraphernalia dots the walls of the franchise business across the world, said Director of Communications, Temple Management, Terfa Tilley-Gyado.

The veteran musician who has been dubbed the king of Juju Music has been nominated twice for the Grammy Awards. His illustrious career has produced a lot of albums featuring international collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Manu Dibango, and Youssou NDour.

Since he first encountered music at the age 12 in 1958 at Osogbo, Osun State, KSA has risen to global recognition with two Grammy-Award nominations and three Hollywood movie features and hundreds of recordings, which includes international collaborations.
The much talked about Dubai Tourism Grand Premiere of The Wedding Party, held recently at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The highly anticipated event had a White and Chic dress code which saw cast and guests alike step out in elegant attires.

Guests at the premiere include The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, Phillip Oduoza, Tony Elumelu, Kennedy Uzoka, Ayodele Subair, Jimi Agbaje, Biodun Shobanjo, Ruth Osime, Nkiru Anumudu, Patrick Doyle, Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs.

Others include The Deputy British High Commissioner, Simon Shercliff, Osagie Okunbor, Nicolas Vervelde, John Obayawuna, Peter Obi and wife Margaret, Debbie Ogene, Omobola Johnson, Mosun Ogunbanjo and Kaine Amacre.

The sold-out evening left guests reeling with excitement starting in the Bridal Court where they were welcomed with signature Baileys cocktails whilst posing for pictures. The train then moved to the Gourmet Board where a 3- course dinner was served.

Hosted by Bovi and Mimi Onalaja, the dinner had lots in store for the VIP guests including live performances by Seyi Shay, Isaac Gerald, Ruby Gyang and Timi Dakolo and raffle draws anchored by Headline Sponsor, Dubai Tourism.

Some of the nights standout prizes include luxury accommodation courtesy Arabian Falcon, theme park passes courtesy IMG Worlds of Adventure; helicopter rides courtesy Alpha Tours Helicopter Rides and other VVIP gifts.

After dinner, guests were moved into a custom built theatre for the movie screening.

Set in Lagos, Nigeria, The Wedding Party, tells the story of Dunni Coker (Adesua Etomi), a 24-year-old art gallery owner and only daughter of her parents about to marry the love of her life, IT entrepreneur Dozie (Banky W).

The couple took a vow of chastity and is looking forward to a groundbreaking first night together as a married couple.

Alibaba and Sola Sobowale- the Cokers who were set to show off their affluence played the role of Dunnis parents while the wealthy Onwukas, Iretiola Doyle and Richard Mofe-Damijo played Dozies parents. Both mother in-laws were at loggerheads with each other as the duo wanted to reveal who was the most influential and wealthiest.

The Cokers who were given second place to the grooms family ended up beating the Onwukas to a grand entry at the wedding while the guests could not help but give a dancing ovation.

The full capacity audience laughed all through the screening. After the showing, the Director, Kemi Adetiba, introduced her cast and crew led by Executive Producers, Mo Abudu (EbonyLife TV); Kene Mkparu (FilmOne); Naz Onuzo (InkBlot) and Laura Jeyibo (Koga Studios).

The screening also broke the record for the largest mannequin challenge in Nigeria with an entire theatre posing in tribute to the social media phenomenon.

The highlight of the evening was the Premiere After-Party held in The Honeymoon Bay with DJ Obi on the decks.

The Wedding Party will be in cinemas across Nigeria from December 16.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has agreed to cut oil production for the first time since 2008.

The decision, which will see 1.2 million barrels cut per day from January 1, 2017, is aimed at shoring up the price of crude, and ending a record glut that has badly affected economies around the world, including Nigerias.

The decision is expected to help countries like Nigeria, although the country was exempted from the reduction due to cases of oil pipeline vandalism that have affected its production for months.

Oil prices rose Wednesday by nearly eight per cent.

The resolution to cut production was taken at the 171st meeting of the group in Vienna, Austria.

Qatari Minister of Energy and President of OPEC, Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, said at a press conference Wednesday that We have made a great success today.

With the co-operation and understanding of all member countries, we have been able to reach an agreement, he said.

This agreement comes from a sense of responsibility for OPEC member companies, and for non-OPEC member countries, and the health and wellbeing of the world economy.

He said the oil market needs to be rebalanced, and that needs courageous decisions from OPEC and with the support of other countries.

The agreement is contingent on non-OPEC members agreeing to cut their own output by 600,000 per day, he added.

He also revealed that Russia has already agreed to reduce output by 300,000 per day.

OPEC also set up a new ministerial monitoring committee to ensure compliance with this deal. The committee is chaired by Kuwait, Venezuela and Algeria.
A lack of political commitment by the federal and state governments is slowing down progress in the national fight against malaria even as Nigeria has made steady progress in reducing incidents of malaria deaths, the implementation partners of the Global Fund for Malaria programme have said.

The partners also warned Nigerians against patronising expensive malaria drugs, thinking they work better.

The partners, the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Society for Family Health, say that foreign donors, instead of the Nigerian government, are leading the national fight against malaria.

The Global Fund intervention is currently operational in 24 of Nigerias 36 states.

Experts say malaria deaths have reduced significantly across the world with Africa still accounting for 80 per cent of global burden and 90 per cent of all deaths due to malaria.

Malaria deaths decreased significantly from 935,000 in 2000 to 438,000 in 2015, according to World Health Organisation figures.

Speaking at an interactive forum for editors of online publications and bloggers, Godwin Ntadom of the National Malaria Elimination Programme said Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo share about 41 per cent of the global malaria burden.

According to Mr. Ntadom, socio-economic improvements such as houses with screened windows and air conditioning combined with vector reduction efforts were measures that led to the elimination of malaria in North America in the early 19 century.

Use of DDT and efficient management of the environment resulted in the eradication of malaria in Europe and South America in the 1950s, he said.

Sub-Saharan Africa demonstrated the least commitment due to ignorance (causes and how to prevent malaria); inadequate resources; weak political commitment and poor communication.

The partners plan increased communication to change attitudes and behaviours as well as to encourage increased environmental measures to eliminate the breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Ernest Nwokolo, Malaria Programme Director at the Society for Family Health, advised citizens to look out for drugs with the green leaf indicator. He said donors had subsidised majority of malaria drugs with the green leaf sign for the benefit of citizens, urging people not to be misled into buying the higher priced drugs in the erroneous assumption that they are of superior quality.

This is the biggest deception we are seeing in our country, Mr. Nwokolo said.

The Private Sector Procurement Mechanism means that the global fund pays money to the manufacturer. If the drug is supposed to cost one dollar, they pay 95 cents, he said.

The manufacturer sells the drug to people we call first-line users, who buy at five cents. When they come into the country we discuss with them so that they sell the drugs at nothing more than N100 and adult dose at N120. The drugs have a sign- a green leaf logo.

Dr. Nwokolo said malaria drugs with the green logo are produced by the same company that produces expensive malaria drugs, and accused pharmacies of maximising the ignorance of the people..

Because you do not know about that, when you go to these pharmacies, they will sell the costly ones because they make a gain.

People prefer the expensive ones because when the pharmacist brings the cheaper one for N200, and the expensive one, the person will ask for the expensive one because he wants to know what he is buying.
Nigerias Federal Ministry of Health has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with UNILEVER to re-introduce and ensure sustainability of the Schools Oral Health Programme.

The programme had been launched in 2013 in Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory.

A press statement by the ministry disclosed that the memorandum was signed at the commemoration of the 6th Edition of the National Oral Health Week in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, said while oral health is paramount to achieving general health, oral diseases and disorders not only affect the victims quality of life, but also the well-being of the community at large.

He disclosed that the ministry was working with development partners to ensure sustainability of the schools oral health programme.

Mr. Adewole, a professor of medicine, said that Colgate-Palmolive Nigeria was planning one of such global oral health initiatives, Bright Smiles, Bright Future, targeted at school children across the country from the ages of 6 to 8 years.

The minister said the project has been successful in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and 25 other countries around the world where it has made an immense difference to the oral hygiene of children.

According to the minister, Unilever Nigeria Limited has accepted to undertake the initiative in collaboration with his Ministry by providing facilities to 10 million school children across the country through the Pepsodent School Oral Health Initiative.

Mr. Adewole said that these school health programmes were aimed at increasing the childs responsibility for oral health, promote positive self-esteem as well as proper habits for oral hygiene, and encourage schools and families to play their roles in childrens oral health.

He pointed out that the ministry had been working on the National Oral Health Programme, towards integrating oral health into primary health care via a rapid oral health intervention programmes with focus on Noma (also known as Cancrum Oris).

In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Dental Association, Olabode Ijarogbe, praised the minister for his passion for oral health.

Mr. Ijarogbe said the minister had put measures in place that have helped to drive the implementation of the national oral health policy to enhance oral health care delivery to average Nigerians.
When Samson Gbadebo, an 18-year-old man was arraigned before a Lagos State magistrate court for allegedly stealing goods worth N26,200 recently, the magistrate granted him bail in the sum of a whopping N200,000. On face value, the bail condition is grossly disproportionate to the crime for which Mr. Gbadebo was standing trial.

That appeared the case too for Ejike Ezekweghi. On October 12, the 39-year-old businessman was arraigned at an Area Court in Karmo, Abuja for allegedly stealing six bottles of assorted wine. Ruling on his application, the presiding judge, Sadiq Abubakar, admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000.

The two cases above appear to indicate that judges apply their prerogative to impose stiff bail conditions on persons accused of minor offences. This appears even more so when you consider the usual bail conditions for politically-exposed persons and more influential Nigerians charged with more serious offences. PREMIUM TIMES found that in recent cases, this class tends to get much more lenient bail conditions, especially when compared against the allegations that took them before judges.

Take the case at an Abuja high court involving Godsday Orubebe, a former Niger Delta Affairs Minister. He was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, alongside two junior staff of the ministry, Oludara Alaba and Ephraim Zeri on a six-count charge involving their alleged diversion of N2.3 billion.

On September 7, when the judge, Olukayode Adeniyi, ruled on the accused persons respective bail applications, he asked Mr. Orubebe to produce a bail bond of N10 million and one surety in like sum.

For the two other defendants however, the judge asked each to produce a bond of N20 million, with a surety in like sum who must be an assistant director in the civil service and also own land within the courts jurisdiction. Note that all three accused faced the same charges.

Or take the case of a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. His office was alleged to have been used for the diversion of $2.1 billion. In one of the many cases against him, Mr. Dasuki was accused of illegal possession of arms. The judge granted him bail on self-recognizance.

In a separate case, Mr. Dasuki was accused, alongside two others and two companies, of diverting N9.6 billion. The court admitted the three accused persons to bail in the sum of N250 million each, representing a fraction of the sum they had been charged with diverting.

More recently on November 22, a Justice of the Supreme Court, Sylvester Nguta, who had been charged for alleged corruption involving tens of millions of local and foreign currencies, was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million.

The trial judge, John Tsoho, attached no condition to Mr. Ngutas bail, ruling that the personal appearance of the accused made the presentation of sureties unnecessary.

So why does justice appear not to be blind to the status of the accused when judges rule on bail applications?

Going by the provisions of Nigerias Constitution and other relevant laws, bails are at the discretion of the trial judge.

According to Section 158 of the ACJA; When a person who is suspected to have committed an offence or is accused of an offence is arrested or detained or appears or is brought before a court he shall, subject to the provisions of this part, be entitled to bail.

Section 162of the same Act states that: The defendant charged with an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term, exceeding three years shall on application to the court, be released on bail except in any of the following circumstances:

Where there is reasonable ground to believe that the defendant will, where released on bail, commit another offence.

Attempt to evade his trial; prejudice the proper investigation of the offence; or undermine or jeopardise the objectives or the functions of the Criminal Justice Administration, including the bail system.

As stated above, section 165 of the ACJA allows courts discretion on bail terms and conditions.

PREMIUM TIMES sought the views of legal analysts on the factors that influence judges in the exercise of that discretion.

Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, explained that the purpose of bail is to ensure that a person accused of a crime is available for trial.

The bail conditions must not be too stringent as to indicate a refusal or punishment pending trial, Mr. Awomolo said.

Every person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. The amount allegedly stolen does not matter, because it is an offence which the law regards as ordinarily bailable.

However if it is murder, treason or terrorism; the law requires special consideration to entitle such a person to be admitted to bail.

Mr. Awomolo agrees that the status of a defendant sometimes weigh on the mind of the court in determining bail application, particularly where the prosecution did not oppose the application on very strong or special grounds.

The senior advocate said For example, a man notorious for stealing or rape will not enjoy favourable exercise of discretion of the court.

Another legal practitioner, Emmanuel Ejeh, tended to agree with Mr. Awomolos submission. He told PREMIUM TIMES that courts consider factors including the accused persons criminal history, the content of the allegation and the prosecutions strength of arguments in determining bail applications.

Bail bonds should not become a disguised punishment for an accused person. It should not be considered punishment ahead of trial, he stressed.

A bail bond is just a statement; it is not a fine. What it means is that if the accused jumps bail, his surety will be punished by having him pay the bail bond.

The court could also ask that the accused persons surety to deposit things like landed property. It all depends on if the court thinks the man is likely to jump bail. If he is, the court will demand something substantial, said Mr. Ejeh.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Jacobs, said the only thing that matters to the court in exercising its discretion on the issue is that the accused will be in attendance at all sittings of the trial.

What is paramount is that there is the likelihood that the person will attend the trial. Because it is discretionary, one case cannot be an example for the other, he said.

The explanation by the lawyers could mean that in the case of the teenager, Mr. Gbadebo, the judge made the bail sum so high because he was less sure the accused would be able to attend trial. It could also explain why former minister Orubebe got less stringent bail conditions than junior civil servants though they were accused of the same crime.

Mr. Jacobs, who is a counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in several high-profile cases, however added that Nigeria should explore other ways of ensuring that suspects attend trial.

He argued that the current practice of demanding sums of money, landed property, and the submission of international passports, among other things, was inadequate.

The discretionary nature of the bail system is opposed by a civil society group, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL.

We cannot be manipulated by the discretion of the judges. The law should apply equally to the poor as to politically exposed persons, Debo Adeniran, the groups leader said, while supporting the ongoing clampdown on judicial corruption by the federal government.

The politically exposed persons have the financial capacity to employ the services good lawyers that can canvass their cases well; than the downtrodden people rely on lawyers to canvass their plight on pro-bono.

The judges sometimes misapply their discretions based on the inducements they get from accused persons.

That is why the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders is very happy with what is going on in the judiciary. The reform in the judiciary should ensure specific pronouncements against certain offences, the activist said.
Two days after they were accused of being monetarily induced to suspend a lawmaker, a faction of the APC in a Kaduna ward has suspended Shehu Sani.

The APC faction in Tudun Wada, Ward 6, Tuesday, announced the suspension of Mr. Sani who represents Kaduna Central in the senate. They said they suspended the lawmaker, who is from the ward, indefinitely.

A similar suspension by the faction in December last year was declared null and void by the national secretariat of the party.

Led by the ward secretary, Awwal Abdulhamid, the faction on Tuesday said Mr. Sani did not show any remorse after his previous suspension.

As you are aware, your suspension from the party for a period of eleven months elapsed today, being Tuesday 29th November, 2016.

The suspension which was in line with the constitution of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was to enable you to defend yourself against illegalities committed by you against the party as well as breach of its constitution.

We expected the period of your suspension to give you the grace of being remorseful, but you rather choose to play otherwise, and this made our party to be vulnerable to disunity, disharmony and further shattering the existing peace mechanism within our ward and the state at large.

Therefore, in consideration of the constitutional provisions as contained in Article 21 (A) i, ii, iii, v, vi, and vii of the constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC), you are hereby suspended indefinitely from active participation of APC activities. This is in conformity with article 21 (D) i-(F) which provides punishment for any erring member of the party, they said.

Seventeen executive members of the party in the ward including Mr. Abdulhamid signed the suspension notice.

BRIBED TO ACT

Earlier on Sunday, the chairman of the APC in the ward 6, Abbas Anni, accused Uba Sani, Governor Nasir El-Rufais political adviser, of offering N3 million bribe to some executive members of the party in the ward to suspend Mr. Sani.

He called on the anti-graft agency, EFCC, to investigate the bribery allegation and said he and other executive members loyal to him were opposed to any planned suspension of the senator.

Mr. El-Rufais political adviser declined comment when asked about the bribery allegation.

Mr. Abdulhamid denied receiving any bribe; instead accusing the ward chairman of receiving gratification from the senator.

The suspension of Mr. Sani is a reflection of the internal wrangling of the APC in Kaduna State that has seen the senator and Governor El-Rufai belong to different camps and vehemently oppose each other.
An executive of the Trade Union Congress stirred up a hornets nest during a Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption meeting in Lagos, Tuesday, when he suggested the workers union be incorporated into the committee.

Simeso Amachree, the Acting Secretary of the TUC, said the Committees task would be more effective if they include one member each from his union, the Nigerian Labour Congress, and the civil society, adding that organised labour has the structures to enable their work reach millions of Nigerians.

Another unionist, Adekola Adetomiwa of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, added that for labour leaders to key into the anti-corruption fight, they need to be carried along.

The suggestions irked members of the anti-corruption committee.

Femi Odekunle rejected the suggestion, describing people parading themselves as labour leaders as corrupt and compromised.

Mr. Odekunle, a professor of criminology, said instead of pushing to be members of the anti-corruption advisory committee, the labour union should use their power to fight corruption.

What PACAC (Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption) cannot do, what EFCC cannot do, what Police cannot do, Labour can do it, Mr. Odekunle said.

Korea for the past one month, from 10,000 to 30,000 to about 2 million now, they are insisting that they will not agree with what the president had done, they are not fighting, they are just.

Now if you dont like any particular policy, whether its forex, whether its subsidy, whether its education, why dont you mobilise your people and be able to persevere for one week, two weeks, one month until you achieve your objectives? Instead of doing two days, then go to the back door, go and meet at the Villa and then you give up because your leaders have agreed.

I want to emphasise this matter, your responsibility, you must attend to it and you have not been doing so.

Etannibi Alemika, another member of the Committee, accused the union members of grandstanding in a national issue that ought to be taken serious.

We are talking about Nigerias problem of corruption, you are posturing yourself as if PACAC has a problem in their advisory role and you have to help them solve it, said Mr. Alemika, a professor of criminology and sociology of law.

I dont think that is the issue. the issue is simply, what can we do in our respective sectors to solve the problem of corruption? That is the main issue here. not that you have the strategy to solve the problem and you are not incorporated.

Mr. Amachree responded by saying he took exception to the claims that labour leaders are corrupt.

I ask you, whenever strikes have been called nationwide, how many times did you come out? Most likely you sat at home, so easy to stay there and say do this do this,' he told the Committee members.

Mr. Amachree said in the 2012 fuel subsidy protests where Labour leaders were accused of collecting money from government, the protests were actually ended because the union put the national interest first.

In 2012, we were fully determined to continue, but at some point in time it appeared that things were being hijacked, he said.

How do you explain, for instance, you have tens of thousands of people gathering at a particular spot in Lagos every day consecutively. And being fed food, drinks, water. It didnt come from us, where did the money come from? Somebody, some persons were sponsoring. We are not stupid.

And then you have this man from the Niger Delta, if you remove him therell be chaos.

Itse Sagay, the committee chairman, said people dont need to belong to PACAC to fight corruption.

PACAC is not made up of representatives of any groups or sectors, said Mr. Sagay, a law professor.

Fight corruption from your own organisation. And if we invite you, participate, you dont have to say unless you are a member of PACAC. How many members will PACAC have if it invites people from every sector? I think thats a very negative attitude.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed the six member Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption in August last year. The Committees work is supported by $5 million fund donated by the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Open Society Foundation.

We have our faults but you have to help us, and one way you can help us is to have us there, said Mr. Amachree, during the committees interaction with the media and civil society organisations on Tuesday.
The United Nations on Tuesday confirmed that at least 16 local governments initially occupied by the Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria have been liberated by Nigerian forces.

The immediate past UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Safieldin, said he made on-the-spot assessment of some of the liberated local governments including Bama, Damboa, Monguno, Konduga, Dikwa, Gwoza, Pulka, and Banki .

Speaking to the New York correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, the official lamented the level of destruction on the communities by Boko Haram, saying there is real humanitarian crisis in the liberated areas.

You cant imagine the level of physical destruction of all the basic facilities such as hospitals, water supply system, the schools and the homes of the individual poor people.

So it is a real humanitarian crisis in terms of the number. It is a real humanitarian crisis in terms of availability of humanitarian aid at the moment, he said.

Mr. Safieldins comment confirms various statements by Nigerian officials that most of the territory initially occupied by the terror group have been reclaimed.

Despite the successes of the soldiers, however, attacks on soldiers and civilians still continue leading to hundreds of deaths.

On Tuesday, Mr. Safieldin also said that no fewer than 30,000 metric tonnes of food is required monthly to feed the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.

He lamented that the monthly requirement was currently not being met.

The available humanitarian aid at the moment is inadequate. Whether it is the aid coming from the government or aid coming from the international community; it is inadequate.

Many people either dont have any food or they have less than what is sufficient for one meal a day; we are talking of at least 1.8 million displaced people.

To feed these people, you need an estimated 30,000 metric tonnes of food every month and this amount of food is not available from the government and it is not available from the international community.

According to him, the liberation of more communities previously under the control of Boko Haram by the Nigerian military has meant more mouths to feed.

According to him, at least 800,000 people currently need urgent humanitarian assistance.

Since March, the Federal Government and Nigerian Army have gained full control of at least 16 LGAs in the north-east; many cities and villages have become accessible.

Many civilians have been relocated by the army from remote villages in which they (were) living under Boko Haram to the capital of the LGAs and 16 satellite camps have been established.

There is a minimum of 300,000 civilians living in these satellite camps in addition to an estimated 500,000 people who are living in these liberated areas outside the satellite camps.

So all together, we are talking of about 800,000 people at least, who are accessible, who need humanitarian assistance urgently because I have visited many of these places.

He said IDPs living in formal camps in Maiduguri represented only 10 per cent of the population adding, 90 per cent of them live in host communities.

The 90 per cent of the IDPs live in the host communities in Maiduguri and other urban and rural areas and they have been suffering, they dont have enough food, medical care and shelter.

The major problem at the moment, the 800,000 people who are in the very remote LGAs recovered by the army from Boko Haram, are the people that are suffering continuously for a long time.

The humanitarian aid that is reaching them is insufficient and yet their voices are not heard and I would love to see the media from Nigeria reaching out to these people to see their suffering.

So the good news of the victory of the army to recover these areas has meant an additional challenge on the humanitarian community to be able to provide more aid.

However, at the moment, the humanitarian aid that is available is insufficient, he said.

(NAN)
Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the Nigerian Senate have staged a walk out from the chamber, following uproar that trailed the defection of Yele Omogunwa to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Mr. Omogunwa, Ondo South, came to the Senate on the platform of the PDP, but announced his defection to the APC on the eve of last Saturdays Ondo governorship election won by his new partys candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

On Wednesday, Senate President Bukola Saraki read Mr. Omogunwas letter through which he formally informed his colleagues of his defection.

In the letter read by Mr. Saraki, Mr. Omogunwa mentioned division in the PDP as ground for cross carpeting.

The Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, then raised a point of order saying there was no division in the PDP, leading to a shouting match between the opposition senators and their APC colleagues who stood to welcome Mr. Omogunwa to their fold.

Consequently, Mr. Akpabio led PDP senators to a walk out.

Then, Ovie Omo-Agege, Labour Party Senator from Delta, was asked to assume the role of minority vacated by the PDP, and proceedings continued.
The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central in the Senate, Shehu Sani, has attacked Governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing him as a dubious progressive.

Mr. Sani, who was controversially suspended by a faction of the party in his home ward, blamed the governor for the act.

My Indefinite suspension by Governor Nasiru elrufai controlled, induced and misinformed self acclaimed APC excos and the paper it was written upon is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence, the lawmaker wrote on his official facebook page.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the controversial suspension amidst allegations that Mr. El-Rufais political adviser bribed the ward officials to execute the act.

Mr. Sani and Mr. El-Rufai, despite being elected on the same APC platform, have had no love lost between them.

Efforts to get the reaction of the governor to Mr. Sanis claim were unsuccessful. Calls to Mr. El-Rufais spokespersons, Samuel Aruwan and Muyiwa Adekeye, were not picked. Mr. Aruwan did not also respond to a text message sent to him.

Read the Senators facebook post below:

My Indefinite suspension by Governor Nasiru elrufai controlled,Induced and misinformed self acclaimed APC excos and the paper it was written upon is as worthless and as useless as the used sanitary pads in the toilets of his family official residence.Its as valueless as the used tissue papers of his gluttonous and bulging poodles and lackeys.

I wish to fully assure the bespectacled pygmy and his running dogs that the new suspension will not give them the public support they couldnt gather with the first suspension.

For a man who has been unable to address the pervasive insecurity and genocide in southern Kaduna for a man who has been unable to stem the tide of rampant kidnapping and abductions in Kaduna, suspending Shehu Sani cannot be counted as an achievement. Mr Governor, My suspension will not increase your physical height nor give you the flesh or muscle of a macho.

Elrufai remains a typical establishment man,who was brought to limelight by the PDP,nurtured by the PDP.He is a dubious progressive and a bogus representation of change. If elrufai represent change, then Mabutu,Batista,Kamuzu Banda represent change.Elrufai is a bug, a lice and a parasite to PMB administration.

His loyalty to PMB is nothing but self serving and self preservation.Elrufai is a foul air to any serious concept of change. Elrufai remains the excrement of the toilets of PDP wadata House and no broom or deodorant of change can give him a new identity.

We will continue to work for the masses and defend their interest.

Editors note: The last sentence of the main story was edited to reflect which of the spokespersons a text message was sent to.
The Court of Appeal in Lagos, has set aside the ruling of a Federal High Court that cleared former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, of money laundering charges.

The court in a unanimous judgment set aside the verdict of the trial judge, Ibrahim Buba, holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had made a prima facie case against the accused.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Biobela Georgewill, the court also ordered that the trial should start anew before another judge other than Justice Buba, in light of the far-reaching findings already made by him.

Other members of the three-man panel include Justices Side Bage and Ugochukwu Ogakwu.

Justice Buba, had on September 26, 2014, discharged Messrs. Ikuforiji and Atoyebi of a 56-count charge of conspiracy and laundering the sum of N500 million belonging to the Assembly.

The trial Judge, who discharged the Speaker and Mr. Atoyebi, while ruling on a no-case submission filed by the accused persons, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima-facie case against them.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the EFCC through its counsel, Godwin Obla, filed the Notice of Appeal dated September 30, 2014.

Mr. Obla asked the Court of Appeal to hold that Justice Buba erred in law when he held that counts two to 48 were incompetent because they were filed pursuant to Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 which was repealed by an Act in 2011.

The EFCC further argued that the lower court erred in law when it held that the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and 2011 only applied to natural persons and corporate bodies other than government.

The commission also submitted that the trial judge erred in law when he held and concluded that the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses supported the innocence of the respondents.

Justice Georgewill, in his lead judgment, held that the offences created by Section 1 of the MLA 2004 and 2011 respectively were strict liability offences.

The judge also said that their proofs do not depend on the purposes the money was used for if the amount was above the threshold stipulated by law.

Regrettably, the court below went on a voyage of its own, discussing cash payment of million made to the Super Eagles in Brazil, even without any scintilla of evidence before it, instead of remaining focused on the issue at hand.

Does the fact that all persons likely to have committed a particular alleged offence have not been prosecuted become a reason for the court to decline jurisdiction of one of them being prosecuted? certainly not.

I consider many of the issues raised so randomly by the court below as irrelevant and inconsequential to the just determination of the question before it, which is, whether the appellant made out a prima facie case.

Very worrisome to me, is the attitude of the court below, considering between the decision of this court and its own decision on which one to follow, even when its attention was called to the decision of this court.

I find this attitude quite bizarre and not in sync with judicial attitude toward the time honoured doctrine of stare decisis. It is pure rascality, impertinence and disregard for judicial hierarchy in this country.

In light of my finding above, I have no difficulty resolving the sole issue for determination in the negative against the respondents in favour of the appellant.

I hold firmly therefore, that the appeal has merit and ought to be allowed; the ruling of the lower court is hereby set aside, Justice Georgewill held.

(NAN)
The lifeless body of a stowaway was on Wednesday found in the main wheel well of one of Arik Airs A330-200 aircraft at the Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg.

The airline confirmed the incident in a statement by its Communications Manager, Ola Adebanji, a copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

According to the airline, the aircraft operated the scheduled Lagos-Johannesburg flight that departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 3:55 p.m. on Tuesday and arrived in Johannesburg shortly before 11 p.m.

It said engineers of South African Airways Technical facility at the Oliver Tambo International Airport, where the aircraft was scheduled for a routine maintenance check, discovered the body of the stowaway during the inspection phase.

The airline said investigations were ongoing to determine how the stowaway found his way into the aircrafts main wheel well.

(NAN)
A 46-year-old teacher, Adenekan Adegboyega, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl [names withheld].

The supervising teacher in one of the popular and privately run schools in Lagos State was alleged to have raped the little girl under the guise of teaching her sex education.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the arrest to journalists on Wednesday, said the suspect was later arrested following a complaint lodged by the victims family at the Ikeja Police Division.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the teacher allegedly raped the girl, stressing that the suspect would be charge to court soon.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the briefing, the suspect said that he got a phone call from the pupils mother accusing him of raping her daughter.

The suspect said he wondered where and when he committed such a crime, denying ever doing such with the baby girl.

The mother of the pupil told me that she wanted what transpired between me and her daughter to end.

She said she did not want any other person to hear about the incident, that even the girls father was not aware.

When the mother of the pupil dropped her call, I was disturbed in my spirit and asked myself where the devil was coming from.

Few minutes later, she sent a text message to me, telling me to remain firm with her daughter, because her daughter respected me like her father, he said.

The teacher, who claimed to be a pastor in a Pentecostal church, denied doing such a thing with the minor.

Before God almighty, I know nothing about the allegation levelled against me by the mother of the minor.

 I want to implore the Nigerian Police to do a thorough investigation.

I am ready to surrender myself, but I know the God almighty that I serve will vindicate me because this is a serious challenge for me.

The allegation that I was teaching the girl sex education is not true, because I had never taught in the school. I only supervise and walk round to make sure everything went well, he said.

The mother of the abused girl, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the daughter told her that someone put his Wiwi (penis) into her `wiwi (private part).

I asked her who the person was; my daughter then mentioned Mr. Adenekans name saying he did it inside his office toilet.

Truly, she is two years old but she could describe things vividly.

After my daughter explained everything to me, I got the teachers phone number from the school and called him.

Initially, I did not want the issue to go out because of the stigma it would bring against my daughter in the school.

Thereafter, I confronted the teacher not to threaten my daughter again and it was then he said I could go to anywhere to report.

He said nobody would believe me, that even if I told the management of the school, they would not believe me, she said.

The girls mother further said that Mr. Adenekan had no reason to be at the nursery section of the school, because he only supervises the primary section.

When I took my daughter to Mirabel Centre in Ikeja, it was revealed that she had been abused.

(NAN)
The Senior Staff of Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, had urged Federal Government to suspend three principal officers of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, over alleged N800 million fraud.

Saheed Oseni, the Chairman of SSANU at the Lagos State University, LASU, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Mr. Oseni said the suspension was necessary as the trio had been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, for alleged corruption.

The EFCC arraigned the FUNAAB Pro-Chancellor/Governing Council Chairman, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Vice Chancellor, Olusola Oyewole, and Bursar, Moses Illesanmi, in Abeokuta on November 25.

They were arraigned before Justice O.O. Majekodunmi at an Ogun High Court, Abeokuta, based on petition by some of the university workers.

They are facing 18-count charge bordering on alleged stealing, abuse of office, and fraudulent conversion of universitys properties to personal use.

Mr. Oseni said the best thing the government could do would be to direct the three officers to step aside until the court case was over.

At the moment, the trio must step aside so that investigation will not be tampered with and the government is in the best position to take the action, he said.

Mr. Oseni also urged the Federal Government to immediately direct the reinstatement of SSANU members in FUNAAB who were unjustly sacked by the governing council for writing petition to the EFCC.

He said that since the officials were being prosecuted based on the petition, the sacked workers should be recalled without further delay.

According to him, it is very clear that sacking of the staff is questionable, faulty and did not follow due process.

The staff were not issued query nor asked to appear before staff disciplinary committee and the governing council did not investigate the allegations against the VC before sacking them.

We are happy that the EFCC charged the pro-chancellor, VC and bursar to court for corruption.

It shows that our members who wrote the petition were right and victimised by the governing council and the VC, he said.

Mr. Oseni said the governing councils claim that it was not aware of the petition against the VC was untrue.

Before the sacked workers wrote the EFCC, they had written to the Ogunlewe-led council about the excesses of the VC, but nothing was done, he said.

The SSANU-LASU chairman said failure of the council to respond to the workers letter prompted them to write to the EFCC.

It was after the first invitation by the EFCC over the allegation, that the council chairman and the VC came back and sacked the staff who wrote the petition, he said.

Mr. Oseni advised the EFCC to always protect whistleblowers so that workers in the establishment would not be reluctant to expose corrupt practices for fear of victimisation.

He commended the SSANU national body for taking up the case and bringing it to the public domain.

Mr. Oseni also appealed to the Federal Government to beam its searchlight on other universities.

The chairman said this was necessary because corruption in the universities was much more than what was happening in other establishments in the public sector.

He stressed the need to prosecute all university administrators found wanting, alleging that some vice chancellors were acting recklessly and outside their jurisdictions.

Government has given the VCs too much power and SSANU is the only union challenging their excesses.

Some VCs see themselves as demigod and this corruption going on in the Nigeria university system is too much, he said.

(NAN)
Speaker Yakubu Dogara said on Wednesday that the joint allocation account of states and local governments is among the major evils hindering Nigerias progress.

During a brief interaction with reporters Wednesday afternoon, the Speaker said the parliament is ready for a showdown with state governments because lawmakers are determined to expunge the provisions from Nigerias statute books.

As a matter of fact, joint account is one of the biggest evils because it gives the authority to local government ministries in the state, Mr. Dogara said. In most states, especially in the north where we dont have oil and co, the ministry of local government in the state is regarded as the ministry of petroleum resources.

The joint allocation account for states and local government areas is one of the controversial policies that advocates of constitutional amendment are seeking to do away with.

The practice allows state governments to receive monthly allocations from the federal government for onward disbursement to local governments.

Local government administrators have long complained that the practice was undemocratic and also prone to abuse by governors.

Mr. Dogara, who apparently shares the position of the critics, decried the manner in which governors abuse the policy.

We all know when funds are allocated to the councils. Instead of getting to the councils, they are hijacked at that level and appropriated according to the whims of the powers that be, the Speaker said.

A bill seeking to abolish the policy is already making progress in the House of Representatives.
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said that troops have commenced advancing into Sambisa Forest, one of the major enclaves of Boko Haram terrorists.

Mr. Buratai said this on Tuesday in Abuja while unveiling packs of bottle water provided through private initiative in appreciation of troops fighting the terrorists in the region.

According to the Army Chief, the advancement is an onslaught to finally flush out remnants of insurgents from the forest and rescue all those abducted in that area.

He added: This year (2016), the whole Army Headquarters will be moving into the North East to celebrate Christmas and New Year with our troops.

Mr. Buratai described the bottle water initiative for free distribution to troops as quite historic and the first of its kind.

He said: The scheme involves branding 50cl bottle water with the image of the Nigerian soldier.

It has the Nigerian army logo and that of stakeholders and partners from the private sector with the words: Thank you for your service.

According to him, the initiative seeks to appreciate the efforts of Nigerian troops actively engaged in the defence of our dear nation.

This will no doubt go a long way in boosting the morale of the troops to show that their labour is being recognized and applauded by Nigerians.

This initiative is quite timely, coming at a critical stage of the operations, when the troops have embarked on `Operation Rescue Finale.

It will surely add vigour, impetus and stimulate the troops in this phase of the operation, Mr. Buratai said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several corporate and public sector organisations, as well as state governments graced the unveiling of the troops bottle water.

NAN also reports that the troops bottle water initiative was supported by Enugu State Government (N10 million), Ebonyi Government (N5 million) and the Nigeria Customs Service (N1.5 million), among others.
The Lagos State University, LASU, on Wednesday said it would admit between 4,800 and 5,200 candidates for the 2016/2017 academic session.

Olanrewaju Fagbohun, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos. 



Mr. Fagbohun said the difference in the figure was to give room for other developments during the exercise.

According to him, some of the students offered provisional admissions may not be able to register, and others may have gained admission elsewhere, among other reasons.



He said the carrying capacity quota for the university from the National Universities Commission (NUC) was actually over 7,000.

But, the universitys authorities do not want to stretch the available faculties because of greed, he said.

As a responsible institution that had conducted an audit of the available facilities, we have decided not to go beyond admitting 5,200 candidates until we expand our facilities.



 We will continue to improve on our facilities to meet up with the NUC quota and give room for more applicants to choose the university as their preferred first choice, he said.



According to him, the current population of students in the university is over 13,000 and the management is adhering to the NUCs guidelines regarding teacher: students ratio.



Mr. Fagbohun also said 32 of its programmes would be undergoing NUCs accreditation from November end and the university was prepared for it.

(NAN)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said that drug cartels are gradually changing their mode of operation by turning to African countries in sourcing narcotic drugs like heroin.

The agency disclosed this in a statement Tuesday announcing the arrest at the Lagos airport of two suspects in connection with unlawful importation of 6.390 kilogrammes of substances that tested positive for heroin.

Cajetan Egwin, a commercial tricycle rider in Owerri, was caught on arrival from Kigali, Rwanda while King Sunday, an Abuja based trader, was nabbed on his way back from Nairobi, Kenya.

The drug with an estimated street value of N575 million was hidden in their luggage, the NDLEA said.

Ahmadu Garba, NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport., said both suspects are currently under investigation.

Both suspects were also recruited for a fee to import the drugs into the country, said Mr. Garba.

Egwin Cajetan Chinedu who is not married said that he needed money to repair his commercial tricycle while King Sunday who left his wife after four days of marriage on the guise of a business trip said that he needed money for his honeymoon and business.

Mr. Egwin, who was allegedly in possession of 3.9kg of heroin, told NDLEA investigators that he needed money to change the engine of his tricycle.

The engine of my tricycle which is my only source of livelihood is bad, said Mr. Egwin, 32.

While I was looking for money to fix it, I was introduced to the man that promised to pay me the sum of N400,000 on the condition that I will bring his drug from Kigali. I accepted the offer because nobody was willing to help me.

I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary class two. Apart from the repairs, my rent is due and my landlord had been asking for his money.

Mr. Sunday, allegedly in possession of 2.49kg of heroin, said he regretted his decision to take part in drug trafficking, according to the NDLEA.

My thinking was that I could smuggle the drug from Nairobi in two days without my wife knowing that I travelled out of the country, said Mr. Sunday, 38.

All my life, I have been upright in my transactions but this is a huge mistake and I regret my action.

Muhammad Abdallah, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, expressed satisfaction with the arrest stressing that drug traffickers are now turning to African countries to smuggle heroin that is produced in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Thailand and other far away countries.

The Agency successfully foiled their plan with the arrest and seizure of the drugs, said Mr. Abdallah, a retired colonel.

Drug cartels thought it would be easy to smuggle the drugs into the country since heroin is not produced in Africa but I am happy that we are thinking far ahead of them. The Agency will continue to maintain this lead until they are completely dislodged.

The NDLEA said the suspects would be arraigned soon.
The rift in the Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, worsened on Wednesday as the party slammed the senator representing the states central district, Shehu Sani, over his diatribe against Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The party described the senator as uncouth, shameless and disgraceful.

The fresh harsh words were in response to Mr. Sanis reaction to his indefinite suspension earlier announced by a faction of the party in his ward.

The APC faction in Mr. Sanis Tudun Wada, Ward 6 led by the ward secretary, Awwal Abdulhamid, had announced the suspension on Tuesday. The move to suspend the senator was opposed by the chairman of the party in the ward, Abbas Ani.

The acting publicity secretary of the party in Kaduna State, Salisu Wusono, in a statement issued in Kaduna on Wednesday lashed Mr. Sani as representing the politics of fraud and deceit.

Mr. Wusono stated: As if determined to prove that he is beyond redemption, Shehu Sani penned a pathetic response to his continued suspension from our party that testifies that he is a denizen of the gutter.

Anyone that harboured any doubt about the morass in his mind and the decadence of his conduct would now have those uncertainties wiped away. Crassness of language is a twin to crass of conduct.

The party said Mr. Sanis outburst is a confirmation, that he has no sense of shame.

He is a man full of tantrums, a busker who simultaneously entertains and distresses people with his shameless antics.

He has since lost focus and why he was elected to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the good people of Kaduna Central under the banner of the APC.

He represents fraud, deceit in the name of Nigerias masses. We suspended him indefinitely following his various anti-party activities and utterances aimed at tearing the party to pieces.

The masses of Kaduna Central have since unravelled his deceit. His heart and mind are in the PDP whose agent he has been in our party. We wonder when he would gather the courage to publicly move to the party he hobnobs with in private. the statement said.

But in a swift reaction at a press briefing by his aide, Suleiman Ahmed, Mr. Sani said the state governor was being deceived by one of his advisers, Uba Sani.

The senator alleged that Mr. Uba Sani was using his office and the governor to pursue his personal ambitions and vendetta.

He said it was painful and disheartening that public funds were being used to sponsor miscreants to cause trouble in the society.

While states like Sokoto and Boko Haram-ravaged states like Borno and Yobe are commissioning mass housing projects, all our governor does is to paint roundabouts in Kaduna State, the senator said.

The aide said despite Mr. Sanis suspension by the party, he has been up and doing in the Senate, proposing and supporting bills that will bring succour to our people.

On the other hand Governor El-Rufai has been busy wasting state funds on a useless fight against an individual, leaving the state in a state of despair and hopelessness.

Our health sector is in decay, education has collapsed there is pervasive insecurity everywhere you go in the state, he added.
Two herdsmen, Usman Muhammed and Manu Saleh, on Wednesday appeared before a Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates Court in Abuja over alleged kidnapping.

They were later remanded in prison custody pending police investigation.

Messrs. Muhammed and Saleh of Gwagwalada Village, Abuja, were arraigned on three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt and kidnapping.

The Senior Magistrate, Mohammed Tahir, gave the order for the defendants to be remanded and adjourned hearing till December 8.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Gambo Musa, told the court that one Saidu Adamu of Gwagwalada village, Abuja, reported the matter at the Nigeria Mobile Police (Mopol) team in Abuja on November 21.

Mr. Musa said that the defendants kidnapped the complainant and his son sometimes in October.

He said that the defendants later released the complainant in order to source for the ransom demanded for his sons release.

The prosecutor added that the complainants son also managed to escape.

He said that on November 18, the defendants came back to the complainants house, hit his hand and head with cutlass and kidnapped his wife.

Mr. Musa, said that the defendants kept the complainants wife in the bush for two days and demanded for N1million ransom until she managed to escape.

He said that the phone used by the duo in demanding for the ransom was recovered from them during police investigations.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 97, 247 and 273 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)
Normalcy has returned to Samaru and Zankwa towns in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State following skirmish that ensued at Tudun Wada village in Jemaa local government area.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the skirmish erupted following the alleged killing of a youth in Tudun Wada village.

NAN gathered that the unrest occurred on Tuesday evening when angry youths mounted barricade and obstructed flow of traffic to protest the killing of the youth.

Yakubu Mohammed, the Vice Chairman, Zangon Kataf Interim Council, confirmed to NAN on Wednesday in Zonkwa that the obstruction caused pandemonium in the nearby Samaru market resulting in the death of a trader.

Mr. Mohammed said the miscreants took advantage of the situation and burnt four vehicles in Samaru and two others in Zankwa.

The miscreants attempted to give the situation a religious undertone but were prevailed upon by opinion and community leaders, he said.

The Vice Chairman said the leaders provided refuge for traders who are none indigenes and succeeded in bringing the situation under control.

He commended the leaders for their detribalised and peaceful disposition and cautioned the youth against taking the law into their hands.

Some eye witnesses, who sought anonymity, told NAN that they were at the Samaru market to buy foodstuff and saw people running helter skelter.

(NAN)
The Kano State House of Assembly has expressed concern over the low number of beneficiaries of the Federal Governments Empowerment Programme, N-power, selected from the state.

The Speaker of the House, Kabiru Rurum, stated this on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the issue in Kano.

Despite the fact that Kano is the most populous state in the country, available data has shown that over 20,000 youths from the state applied for the scheme, yet only 4,966 were selected, Mr. Rurum said.

He cited examples of other states that were not as densely populated as Kano but were allocated more chances than the state.

Such selection process is against the spirit of federal character, and we are not satisfied with the selection method, Mr. Rurum said.

The Speaker said that the House had written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, appealing to them to look into the selection process again.

Mr. Rurum said that the Assembly would not relent in its efforts to ensure that fair play prevailed in the selection process.

(NAN)
The Delta Government has disowned over 700 academic and non-academic staff of some tertiary institutions whose names were not in the states payroll.

The government said the staff were illegally employed.

The states Commissioner for Higher Education, Jude Sinebe, announced this at a news conference in Asaba on Wednesday.

The commissioner said there was no provision for such employment before the staff were engaged.

In tertiary institutions, we dont just employ workers for the sake of employment. We only employ when there is a need for such workers.

This issue can be likened to a case of illegal employment and I can tell you that it is not only in the Delta Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku; we have similar cases at the State Colleges of Education in Agbor and Warri.

The affected staff were employed out of the institutions statutory provisions. The system that we operate does not recognise them as our staff, as such we cannot pay them, Mr. Sinebe said.

The commissioner explained that many of the schools went out of their ways to employ the affected staff without recourse to approval from the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that many of those employed between 2013 and 2015, were lecturers, technicians, information officers, clerical officers and messengers.

(NAN)
A Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday ordered the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, to appear before it on December 7 to explain why he should not be committed for contempt after he refused to obey an order by the court to swear in a member-elect, Toyin Obayemi.

The Judge, Taiwo Taiwo, ruled that the Speaker must comply with his order to inaugurate Mr. Obayemi as member representing Ado Ekiti Constituency 1, which was delivered on July 4.

He said failure to comply with the order would result in appropriate steps by the court to protect its integrity and powers.

Mr. Obayemi is preferring a contempt charge against the House Speaker, for

disobeying the court order that he be sworn in.

Mr. Obayemi is expected to replace Musa Arogundade who was removed by the

court. The court ordered Mr. Arogundade to refund all salaries and allowances collected since June 5 when the Fifth Assembly was inaugurated.

The court, while annulling Mr. Arogundades election, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Mr. Obayemi a Certificate of Return.

The Speaker must obey the order of this court, the proper things should be done, the judge said.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Speaker should consult with his counsel against the next adjourned date most especially as court record shows that he has been served.

I will never be intimidated by anybody, somebody was here before. Even if I die the Bench lives on.

He subsequently adjourned the case till December 7 for further hearing.

Earlier, the counsel to the member-elect, Olayinka Sokoya, told the court that he received a letter from the law chambers of a Senior Advocate, Mike Ozekhome, dated November 18, a day after the last day of sitting.

Mr. Sokoya explained that Mr. Ozekhome, who is seeking to take over the defence

of Mr. Oluwawole, is praying the court for an adjournment of the case.
Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. I am glad to be in the country which takes pride in its scientific and innovative base. Anders Celciuss thermometer, ultrasound, three-point seatbelt, HIV tracker, pacemaker and todays companies like Skype or Spotify  they are all proofs that Sweden has been leading the way in pushing the technological boundaries. We are inspired by the Swedish position in all international innovation rankings. No wonder Alfred Nobel was a Swede.

Innovation is a key to economic growth and is the basis of long term economic prosperity. Innovation is a combination of great minds, ideas and initiative. This is something we find both in Sweden and in Poland. Polish students and researchers were in the past and are today known through their scientific and technological input.

Innovation is also an area, which requires some steps to be taken by us, politicians. It is important that an environment for creativity and innovativeness is well organized. It ultimately depends on the quality of cooperation between state institutions, the private sector and the scientific world. We are inspired by the Swedish model in this regard.

Poland is in the process of designing a new system to boost our innovative capabilities. This is why we established the Council for Innovation. It fulfils the role of the most important inter-ministerial coordinator of the national innovation policy. The Polish government announced the Responsible Development Plan, a set of tools aiming to boost innovation and improving Polish competitiveness internationally. One of our flagship initiatives is Start in Poland, aimed at creating the best start up ecosystem. I am also happy to say that just last week, I signed a new Innovation Bill with an objective to significantly increase Polands R&D expenditure. It is an attempt to bring together private sector and scientific community.

I do believe that we can design a Polish-Swedish cooperation framework in the most promising sectors. Being mutually beneficial, it should be directed atcreating new business opportunities and joint projects. I would like to breathe a new life into the Declaration of Intent on Cooperation in the Area of Innovation between our countries. The development of our bilateral collaboration should be one of the strategic priorities in the years to come.

It is my hope that todays seminar will provide an opportunity for all participants to exchange views, share experiences and in result build an even more solid base for our future cooperation.

Thank you for your attention.
It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving when Guardian Lutheran Church again hosted its Middle Eastern Friends and Neighbors Thanksgiving dinner party.

About 150 children, parents and grandparents from various Middle Eastern countries came for an evening of fun, food, fellowship and friendship.

In addition to the Halal turkey and various holiday food, the evening featured a re-telling of the story of the first Thanksgiving, violin music by a Guardian School sister and brother, childrens activities in the gym and dramatic re-enactments of several Biblical characters who were thankful for Jesus healing touch.

Women from Brightmoor Christian Church in Novi prepared the meal while the program was handled by members of the Springwells Church of East Dearborn.

At a time when many feel tension between people of varied ethnic backgrounds and religions, church members said it was exciting to recognize a oneness of people of varied ages, ethnicities, creeds and history sharing joy and reasons to be thankful in Dearborn.
The Wilmington VA Medical Center is aggressively recruiting private medical providers to offer services closer to home for veterans in South Jersey, officials with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said.

The Veterans Choice Program allows veterans to use approved private providers when VA services are unavailable in a timely manner or are more than 40 miles from the veterans home.

But VA officials said the program has not been as effective as they would like in South Jersey, and they are making an effort to expand it.

We have really ramped up our provider agreements in South Jersey, Christine ODonnell, chief of health administrative services for the Wilmington center, said by phone. In the last several weeks, we have hit South Jersey hard.

Currently, almost 40 providers participate in the program, including Millville Chiropractic, the Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Atlantic Sleep Health Diagnostic Associates, Cape Counseling Services, Shore Medical Center and several dental practices. The VA also is working to sign up more than 230 doctors at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point.

ODonnell said the VA is targeting medical services shown to have the greatest demand among local veterans.

Local veterans advocates said the program has been slow to develop in the area but is needed so that veterans dont have to travel to Wilmington or Philadelphia for treatment.

It is finally starting to work, Atlantic County Veterans Services Director Robert Frolow said. (The VA) is finally getting the message of how hard it is for veterans to travel.

But Vincent DePrinzio from the Wildwood American Legion post said there are still too few providers signed up in Cape May County, and the process to apply for Veterans Choice is lengthy. He still supports a proposal to let veterans go to local providers of their choice.

You can get services, but it takes so long, he said.

Frolow said there were also delays in getting paid by the VA, which discouraged private providers from participating in Veterans Choice.

ODonnell said the VA has been working on those issues since the program took effect in 2014. She said one problem was that veterans initially had to work only through the federal Health Net system, which could not meet the demand. She said the Wilmington VA can now work directly with providers to pay the bills.

Van Drew bill urges action on veterans hospital care TRENTON  Legislation sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew and Senator Jim Beach urging Congre

The VA is expanding its outreach to veterans as well, she said. Earlier this month, VA representatives participated in an outreach session at the Somers Point American Legion post that brought in 46 veterans and 33 new enrollments.

Another information session hosted by U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, R-2nd, is scheduled for Dec. 10 at American Legion Post 184 in Wildwood. Veterans should bring their DD-214 discharge papers to enroll.

I remain committed to our veterans and will continue to host these clinics while working to expand local access to health care services, LoBiondo said in a statement announcing the information session.

Frolow said all veterans should register for services even if they dont need them right away because that lets the VA know where veterans are located when services are being allocated.

ODonnell said many veterans also dont know there are VA clinics in Vineland, Northfield and Cape May, so they may not have to travel to Wilmington or Philadelphia for many services.

Ironically, the locations of those clinics have made it more difficult for veterans to use Veterans Choice. Even if the local clinics dont offer the services they need, veterans have a harder time showing there are no services within 40 miles.

House passes medical benefits package to vets working for FAA A bill that would expand paid sick leave benefits for veterans working for the FAA passed th

ODonnell said the VA may be using an unusual excessive burden criteria to provide flexibility.

Our goal is to make services as veteran-centric and user-friendly as possible, she said.
Keith Bader had been hosting wine classes at the Washington Inn in Cape May for a few years before the program stopped.

This year, the inn asked for him to come back for an encore.

On Saturday, Bader will host Cape May Wine School at the Washington Inn.

Bader will talk specifics about wine and how different types of wine are made. He also will discuss how to pair your wine with food and what type of palate is best with each wine. Students in the class will be able to sample some wine while learning. The cost is $40 per person.

Its a chance to try different types of wine in a casual setting, said Bader, 64, of Cherry Hill.

Baders love of wine began when he met his wife in 1973 at Michigan State University. Bader, who had always enjoyed the more generic wine, would be questioned by his wife if he knew of different tastings and types.

Bader fell in love with wine so much that he switched his major from general business to hotels and restaurants.

What hes learned to love most about wine is the diversity.

Its the styles and grapes and countries, he said. Its always striving to learn as much as you can.

Bader works for the wine distributor Lauber Selections, a subsidiary of Fedway Associates Beverage Media Group. He manages a sales team of nine people. Besides managing his staff, Bader goes around the region making wine lists and seminars and educational tastings.

Besides the class at the Washington Inn, Bader will host a wine dinner at the Mad Batter in Cape May on Dec. 9.

Often, Bader and another wine aficionado will each bring five wines to the venue and the audience will decide which one they like best.

We take shots at one another and have a good time, he said.

Hes been doing dinners and classes like these for nine years, and hes learned the louder the crowd, the better hes doing.

If I cant calm the crowd down three-quarters of the way through the dinner then I know Ive done a good job, Bader said.

Bader treats the classes and dinners just like he would if an audience member was coming to visit his own home  the price of the wine doesnt matter. To him, its more about trying something you havent tasted before.

I dont have a go-to wine. If you enjoy wine, theres nothing I wont open for you. If youre coming over to drink expensive wines, Ill do something different. If you want to explore, to me the most enjoyment is just sharing with people, he said.
ATLANTIC CITY  The family of a city man who went missing more than a month ago is still hoping for him to return home.

Police said in November they were seeking the publics assistance in finding Dashand Stokelin, 36, of Atlantic City, who had not been in contact with his family since Nov. 23.

He was last seen at 1:45 a.m. that Wednesday near the 200 block of N. North Carolina Avenue, and his family has not been in contact with him since, police said.

Police and family members said Stokelin was driving a 2016 blue Subaru Legacy with a New Jersey license plate C79-GVK.

Police said Stokelin frequents Camden, Jersey City and Philadelphia.

Stokelins grandmother, Nancy Stokelin, also an Atlantic City resident, said last month she created fliers with his family members to aid in finding him. She said he previously took her vehicle, and never returned that night.

I know hes grown, but still, hes a human being, she said. He would have come back.

Anyone who knows where Stokelin is or anything about the vehicle he was driving should call the Police Departments Criminal Investigations Section at 609-347-5766. People can also anonymously text information to tip411 (847411), starting the text with ACPD.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  State and federal agencies will seek input on the problem of back bay flooding and how to address it Thursday evening during a meeting at Stockton University.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are conducting the New Jersey Back Bays Flood Risk Management study, which will examine the effects of back bay flooding on residents, critical infrastructure and facilities, property and ecosystems, according to the Army Corps.

Some environmentalists are skeptical that the Christie administrations DEP is capable of making good decisions on the subject.

While the DEP is having this meeting, their administrations rollbacks on the Flood Hazard Rules have increased development in flood-prone areas, said Sierra Club of New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel.

The DEP defines the back bay area as 3,400 miles of shoreline and 950 square miles of interconnected tidal water bodies landward of the ocean coastline in Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic and Cape May counties.
MILLVILLE  Everything the U.S. Navys Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron does involves extensive planning and precision.

Thats because theres a lot at stake for those in the air and on the ground. The pilots fly F-18 Hornets hundreds of miles per hour mere feet from each other. On the ground, the show has potential to boost Cumberland Countys economy, fill hotel rooms and keep the nonprofit Millville Army Air Field Museum in the black.

The Blue Angels will be the featured attraction at the Millville Army Air Field Museums annual Wheels and Wings Airshow Memorial Day weekend. Like the Atlantic City Airshow on Aug. 23, it brings big-name military acts with power to draw large crowds.

The Blue Angels flew into Millville last week, a promotional event that includes checking out area accommodations such as hotels and gyms for the 60-member Blue Angels entourage.

Organizers said the Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, which also is expected to participate in the airshow, could attract 40,000 people to the weekends events.

Thats about 30,000 more people than attend the airshow when it does not have a featured act, such as the Blue Angels, Golden Knights or the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. The Knights, the Thunderbirds and the Geico Skytypers are confirmed for the Atlantic City show, said Joe Kelly, president of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber.

That could make the airshow one of the biggest economic boons for Cumberland County.

Millville museum President Chuck Wyble said event visitors likely will fill every hotel room in Cumberland County for Memorial Day weekend and eat an estimated 1,000 meals in restaurants. The event will require about 100 rental cars for participants. Gasoline sales to visitors will  as they did when the Thunderbirds performed at the 2015 show  skyrocket, he said.

About 400 vehicles coming for the car show will attract more visitors, Wyble said.

Its just a great attraction, Mayor Michael Santiago said. It will benefit Millville and all of Cumberland County.

Organizers said they will have more economic numbers as the planning proceeds.

A successful show will pay the museums operating expenses for at least two years, Wyble said.

A lot of the planning involves the Blue Angels, who have requirements for where the crews will stay, the kind of workout facilities available, the event schedule, security for the F18s and even the escort vehicles that will shuttle them between the hotel and airshow site.

Those requirements have nothing to do with the Blue Angels being fussy, said Warren Schultz, who handles ground operations and is the jet team coordinator for David Schultz Airshows LLC. The Blue Angels want consistency in all their shows, he said.

The Blue Angels have 35 shows planned next year. About 400 shows requested their appearance, Schultz said.

The first Blue Angels jet will arrive the Wednesday before Memorial Day, Schultz said. The rest of the team will arrive Thursday and will do practices and flyovers to find ground-based landmarks, he said.

Museum Executive Director Lisa Jester said the organization is familiar with the Blue Angels requirements, because the squadron has performed at its airshows twice before. The museum is lining up volunteers, including some from the Civil Air Patrol, to help with duties, including directing on-site traffic, she said.

The Blue Angels were last scheduled to appear at an airshow here in 2011. The squadron was a last-minute cancellation after a lower-than-normal maneuver made at another airshow caused the squadron to remain in Pensacola, Florida, for additional training and practice.

The Blue Angels will do some public relations while at the airshow, Schultz said.

Pilots will meet with community members, visit schools and hospitals, and select people who can fly in the squadrons two-seater jet or the accompanying C-130 transport aircraft called Fat Albert, he said.

Those selected to fly in the F-18s face a rather strenuous flight.

Schultz said the guest flyers will go through the Blue Angels show routine, which is a hard action routine based on actual combat maneuvers. The jets will reach speeds of up to 450 mph, and pilot and guests will at times face g-forces ranging from 6 to 8, he said.

Passengers first deemed healthy enough to make the flight will be taught how to breathe and scrunch their bodies so they dont pass out during some of the maneuvers, he said.

It usually doesnt work, Schultz said.
After a three-week State Police investigation and the arrest of one man in an arson, four Cumberland County men were arrested in connection with 31 area car burglaries.

New Jersey State Police posted to its Facebook page Wednesday that thanks to tips from Facebook followers, police were able to track down the suspects and make the subsequent arrests of Todd Lloyd, 26, and Robert English III, 25, both of Fairfield Township; and Blair Crabtree, 20, and Phillip Davis, 30, both of Bridgeton.

On Nov. 8, State Police posted to its Facebook page looking for help in finding suspects in a suspicious vacant building fire that erupted at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at 847 E. Commerce St. in Fairfield Township.

Investigators later determined the inside of the building, which used to be a bowling alley, was intentionally set on fire.

With the help of a witness account, detectives identified Lloyd as a suspect in the arson and identified the other three men as his associates. After the three-week investigation, Lloyd was determined responsible for setting the fire and the group of four responsible for 31 unsolved car burglaries in Hopewell and Fairfield Townships, the post said.

All four men were charged with theft and burglary. Lloyd was additionally charged with aggravated arson and is lodged at the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

Crabtree and English were lodged at the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail. Davis was found at Cape May County Jail from unrelated charges and has bail set at $25,000 cash.
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With a healthy ocean so important to both the environment and economy of the state, The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute wants to raise the national profile of coastal issues with the incoming Trump administration.

Its 12th Annual Future of the Ocean Symposium on Dec. 7 will focus on influencing the new administration and Congress to make ocean issues a priority, said UCI Director Tony MacDonald.

The event is free and open to the public.

Environmental issues didnt play much of a role in the recent presidential election, and coastal and ocean issues were particularly absent from the debate, MacDonald said.

There is a lot of interest in what Trump is going to be doing. He didnt lay out a lot about where he stands on environmental issues. That creates nervousness, said MacDonald.

But it also creates an opportunity to help influence Trumps priorities, he said.

Hed like to see Trump support the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body's Ocean Plan for coordinating ocean activities and protecting ocean resources from New York to Virginia.

The meeting will be held 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 7 at the Wilson Hall Auditorium at the Long Branch, on the Monmouth County campus.

MacDonald will moderate a panel, including former New Jersey Gov. and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Donald Boesch, a member of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

They will discuss critical actions that the administration and Congress should take to protect the health, productivity and economic sustainability of New Jerseys ocean and coastal communities, according to the UCI.

Whitman and Boesch serve on the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council, a national organization dedicated to marine policy reform, which has released a nine-point action plan for the Trump administration and the new Congress.

Whitman said in a written statement that a bipartisan approach is needed from policymakers at all levels of government to deal with sea-level rise, changing currents and weather patterns, ocean acidification and ecosystem destruction.

Boesch said federal investments in science and research can spur innovation, address important national and global challenges, create new economic sectors, and ultimately save lives.

Immediately after the symposium, the UCI will hold its Champion of the Ocean Awards Luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m., with awards going to Whitman, Boesch and two DEP officials.

Tickets are required for the luncheon. The cost is $150, with proceeds to benefit student research and UCI programs.

For more information or to purchase luncheon tickets, visit monmouth.edu/uci/symposium/ or contact Danica Simmons at 732-263-5662 or dsimmons@monmouth.edu.
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.




ZHUHAI, China, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2nd Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians ("the Competition") kicked off with an opening ceremony that was held in the Huafa CAPP Grand Theater in Zhuhai, China on November 29, 2016.

Honorable leaders and distinguished guests attended the opening ceremony, including Long Guangyan, Vice Mayor of Zhuhai city; Ms. Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Vice-principal of University Mozarteum Salzburg; Professor Paul Roczek, Violin Artistic Director of the competition; Zhong Ming, Vice General Manager of Huafa Group, and Li Xumin, Vice President of Guangdong Musicians Association, among others.

Since its first running in 2015, the Competition has become one of the major international music events in Zhuhai. The Competition takes place every two years and aims to discover new, talented, young musicians from all over the world and promote their further creative development.

Hosted by Mozarteum University Salzburg, and undertaken by Zhuhai Huafa Group, the Competition will take place from September 12 - 24, 2017 in Zhuhai. The competition venue, the Huafa CAPP Grand Theater, is a world-class, comprehensive showplace that is famous for its unique architecture, perfect performing function and advanced stage design.

The competition comprises two categories -- piano and violin, with each category separated into three different age groups: 12 years old or under (Group A), 13 to 16 years old (Group B), and 17 to 23 years old (Group C). In addition to the top four contestants in each group, special awards will be granted to the competitors who receive the most votes from the online audience.

Online applications are now available on the Competition's official website (www.zhmozart.org), and submissions will be accepted until April 30, 2017. Applicants can submit completed application forms online and send their repertoire recordings on CD to the organizing committees' offices in Zhuhai or Austria by April 30, 2017. Notifications of acceptance to the competition will be sent to successful applicants no later than May 30, 2017.

Forums, educational seminars and special events associated with the Competition will be open to the public during the event. The audience will enjoy the opportunity to encounter many outstanding young musicians from all over the world and share in the excitement and enjoyment of this renowned Competition.

Related Links

http://www.zhmozart.org



SOURCE Zhuhai Huafa Culture Education Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
GREENWICH, Connecticut, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Part of 5m$ Investment in Integrated Drug Discovery Capabilities

Aptuit, LLC today announced that it had successfully completed the expansion of their lead-like screening library. An additional 150,000 novel compounds have increased the Screening Collection to over 400,000. The new compounds were carefully selected to broaden the hit discovery capabilities of the company. This expansion, complemented by new robotics and compound management infrastructure, is part of an additional $5m investment in integrated discovery services.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150709/234432LOGO )



The expanded collection provides enhanced chemical diversity and coverage of chemical space, compliance with lead-likeness criteria, improved physico-chemical properties, and optimal medicinal chemistry tractability. Expected benefits extend across a wide range of target classes and anticipated modes of action.

Dr Stephan Fasler, CEO of Aptuit (Switzerland) AG stated: "I am delighted by the additional investment. This further increases our ability to identify novel leads, and constitutes an industry leading solution for our BioPharma customers".

Aptuit CEO Dr. Jonathan Goldman stated, "We continue to see strong demand for integrated discovery programs that result in high quality druggable candidates. Our additional investment in compounds and automation will ensure we create the best drug candidates whilst controlling costs. As the leading Partner Research Organization we continue to innovate in best in class integrated discovery and development".

About Aptuit

Aptuit provides the most complete set of integrated early discovery to mid-phase drug development services in the pharmaceutical industry including Drug Design & Discovery, API Development and Manufacture, Solid State Chemistry, CMC, Preclinical and IND enabling GLP/GMP programs. Fully integrated drug discovery & development services are available from our facilities in the UK, Italy, and Switzerland.

Aptuit Holdings, LLC is partnered with Welsh, Carson, and Anderson & Stowe, one of the world's leading private equity investors.

For more information, please visit http://www.aptuit.com

SOURCE Aptuit Holdings, LLC
-- Atento Argentina was recognized by Great Place to Work in the category of "More than 1,000 employees"

-- The only CRM/BPO sector company repeatedly included in this prestigious ranking

-- Atento was also recognized in 2016 as one of the World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces, and one of the Best Companies to Work for in Latin America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO), the leading provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services (CRM/BPO) in Latin America, and one of the three top providers worldwide, was recognized last night by Great Place to Work as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Argentina within the "More than 1,000 employees" category.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150506/214260LOGO

Atento Argentina is the only CRM/BPO sector company to have made it into this prestigious ranking for each of the last 10 years, reflecting a business culture marked by the company's strong commitment to continuously improving the work climate and the satisfaction of its employees.

Upon receiving the prize, Pablo Estevez, Atento Argentina and Uruguay Managing Director, commented, "It is truly an honor for Atento to be included in the Great Place to Work ranking of the Best Companies to Work for in Argentina for the 10th year in a row. I would like to thank our more than 7,000 employees whose commitment, talent and motivation has once more been reflected in this important recognition." He continued: "The proximity of our leaders and the team spirit of everybody who works at Atento is our hallmark and has led us to build an efficient management model that provides quality services to our customers while motivating and developing our employees, who are the greatest asset any company can have."

The Great Place to Work ranking is prepared by surveying employees and auditing the culture of the organization, both processes are managed by Great Place to Work. Atento Argentina has consistently been included in this important ranking since 2007. In 2016, Atento was also recognized by Great Place to Work as one of the 25 World's Best Multinational Workplaces for the fourth consecutive year, and as one of the Best Companies to Work For in Latin America for the sixth year running.

About Atento

Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing (CRM BPO) services in Latin America, and among the top three providers globally, based on revenues. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM/BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs 150,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atentos shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2016, Atento was named one of the Worlds 25 Best Multinational Workplaces by Great Place to Work for a fourth consecutive year. For more information visit www.atento.com

Related Links

http://www.atento.com



SOURCE Atento S.A.
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

BDB Ltd. announces today it's achievements in leading the Binary Options industry in website and client safety. Banc De Binary was first established in 2013 as the first fully regulated binary options brokerage firm. In no time at all, this trading powerhouse became an industry leader. Among others, BDB prides itself on its strict compliance with all regulatory aspects of CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission). Competing brokerages routinely defer to BDB with its wide range of tradable assets, top of the line trading platform, and its highly-advanced security features.

The issue of security is a top priority for BDB. The online trading industry is riddled with unregulated brokerages with sloppy security. For BDB, a zero-compromise policy on security is cemented in place. To this end, all financial transactions are undertaken with a firm adherence to SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocols and strict legal requirements. BDB uses advanced encryption technology for maximum privacy controls, and any suspicious activities are immediately reported to the compliance team for investigation and speedy resolution.

While other brokerages may pay lip service to high-end encryption protocols, BDB makes it a bedrock feature. The company also uses advanced technology in MaxMind to guarantee the legitimacy of all transactions. Once traders open an account at BDB, transactions are processed with an additional secure socket layer for enhanced safety and privacy. For example, credit card processing can be conducted via 3D Secure technology, which provides an extra layer of impervious firewall to hacking and interception of data.

EV SSL verification is guaranteed to all traders at BDB. Transparency and credibility merge perfectly with security on site. The company is committed to the KYC (Know Your Customer) process, which ensures that clients are prepared for online trading and fully understand the risks it entails. All potential acts of fraud are rooted out at their source, including money laundering, identity theft, hacking and phishing scams. Thanks to a strict identification process for protecting client funds, any blip on the radar is instantly forwarded to the security team.

With watertight security on site, this online brokerage conducts itself with the highest levels of integrity in all financial transactions. The security framework ensures that client data is safe while clients are online, or offline. Regulatory protocol states that BDB only offers its trading services to clients in fully regulated jurisdictions. Non-regulated territories are barred from participating in online trading activity at BDB.

In terms of payments processing, all deposits and withdrawals are guaranteed secure. Transactions are processed quickly and efficiently. Available funding options include bank wires, a variety of credit cards and other online payment systems. With multiple payment options available, and a minimum deposit of just $250, it is no wonder that BDB has gained universal popularity.

Despite there being a minimum deposit requiremnet, traders of BDB can trade with just $1, and potentially receive payouts on successful trades up to 90%. As soon as a client submits a Withdrawal Request, the Back Office Department will process it within 24 hours. Once done, the amount requested will reach the client directly through the same method used to deposit the funds.

Clients remain the top priority at BDB, giving explanation as to why the company has invested so much of its resources into protecting its traders. When it comes to secure financial transactions, BDB has taken every measure possible to ensure a safe binary options trading experience. It is no wonder BDB has earned the title as one of the "World's Largest Binary Option Operators."

About BDB

Since its inception, BDB has undergone exponential growth. As a pioneer in its field and one of the industry leaders, BDB is committed to providing traders with an all-inclusive trading experience. This includes offering an intuitive trading platform, effective trading tools, a wealth of educational material, a wide range of global underlying assets, trade options and a responsive support team. In their quest to provide a safe and transparent trading environment, BDB offers top quality binary options services and is constantly striving to improve their products and offerings.

SOURCE Banc De Binary Ltd
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Calypso Technology Inc., a leading provider of cross-asset front-to-back technology solutions for financial markets, announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Financial Services Competency status. This designation recognizes Calypso's ability to deliver reliable, efficient solutions for capital markets, investment management, clearing, collateral, risk management, and treasury & liquidity.

Achieving the AWS Financial Services Competency differentiates Calypso as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that has demonstrated relevant technical proficiency and proven customer success, delivering solutions seamlessly in the AWS Cloud environment. To receive the designation, APN Partners must possess deep expertise in the AWS platform and undergo an assessment of the security, performance, and reliability of their solutions.

"We are delighted to be one of the first APN partners to achieve AWS Financial Services Competency status," said Tej Sidhu, Chief Technology Officer at Calypso. "Running our platform on the AWS Cloud is a major benefit for our customers. They can quickly stand up new environments, greatly accelerating both the deployment and upgrade process."

The AWS Cloud is enabling scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for banking and payments, capital markets, and insurance organizations of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises. To support the seamless integration and deployment of these solutions, AWS established the Financial Services Partner Competency Program to help customers identify Consulting and Technology APN Partners with deep industry experience and expertise.

Calypso recently was recently awarded the 2016 Technology Provider of the Year by Asia Risk Magazine. They were named a Leader in the 2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Trading Platforms, and were positioned furthest along the "Completeness of Vision" axis. Calypso is the #1 selling Treasury and Capital Markets Solution for the seventh year running in the 2016 IBS Sales League Table.

About Calypso Technology, Inc.

Calypso Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of cross-asset front-to-back technology solutions for financial markets. It provides customers with a single platform for consolidation, innovation and growth. With 19 years of experience delivering software and services for trading, risk management, processing and accounting, the Calypso solution helps bring simplicity to complex business and technology challenges. Calypso solutions address needs for the capital markets, investment management, clearing, collateral, treasury and liquidity. Clients can benefit from greater efficiency, improved risk management, better allocation of capital, faster regulatory compliance, quicker time to market and reduced Total Cost of Ownership. Calypso Technology offers solutions that improve reliability, adaptability and scalability.

Calypso is used by over 34,000 market professionals in over 60 countries representing more than 200 financial institutions across Asia, Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Calypso Technology has over 700 staff in 21 global offices, with headquarters in San Francisco, California. "Calypso" is a registered trademark of Calypso Technology, Inc. in the United States, the European Union and other jurisdictions. Other parties' trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners and should be treated as such. www.calypso.com

Media Contacts:

Calypso Technology

Chris Shayne

chris_shayne@calypso.com

+1 415 530 4147

SOURCE Calypso Technology
LONDON, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Commenting on the nomination of the Bank of Cyprus Group's Vice-Chairman Wilbur Ross to the position of United States Secretary of Commerce in President-elect Trump's cabinet, Dr. Josef Ackermann, Chairman of the Bank of Cyprus Group, said:

"We congratulate Wilbur Ross on his nomination to the post of United States Secretary of Commerce. Having worked closely with Wilbur on the Board of the Bank of Cyprus Group over the past couple of years and seen, first hand, his tremendous contribution to the successful turnaround of the Group, I am confident that President-elect Trump has made an excellent choice."

Contact: Karen Le Cannu, karen.lecannu@powerscourt-group.com , +44-0207-250-1452

SOURCE Bank of Cyprus Group
STOCKHOLM, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Stockholm based Plantagon Agritechture AB and Dubai based Enspire Ltd. have decided to partner up. Plantagon, a world-leading pioneer within urban agriculture, spearheads infrastructural food systems integrating energy, water and waste management.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444057 )



Plantagon Agritechture AB is combining urban agriculture, innovative technical solutions and architecture - to meet global food security. Main owner of Plantagon Agritechture AB is the Stockholm based innovation company Plantagon International AB. Now Enspire Ltd. joins as a new strategic owner of Plantagon Agritechture AB.

"We know of more than 45 cities around the world that are concretely planning for how to integrate urban food production into their infrastructure. We came on the market early, and when we now have reached the phase of global commercialization, we are happy to have an experienced financial partner as Enspire on board," says Owe Pettersson, CEO of Plantagon Agritechture AB.

Soud Ba'alawy, the Founder and Chairman of Enspire Ltd. has long experience in financial and infrastructural projects, for corporations as well as cities and nations and sees global food security and sustainable food production as a critical challenge for the future.

"We call it the 'imperative FEW'; every city requires Food, Energy and Water to provide a sustainable living for its citizens. In our work to provide governments with the economic architecture that enables long-term, sustainable growth, Plantagon will play the important role of providing solutions for food security and sustainable food production, and creating symbiotic systems within the cities," says Soud Ba'alawy.

"Plantagon will continue to develop new innovations within food, energy and water. All infrastructural development demands massive investments, and to be able to motivate the financial sector to participate in a really serious way we are expanding our knowledge and international network on this arena," says Hans Hassle, co-founder of Plantagon and Chairman of Plantagon Agritechture.

Plantagon's landmark project The World Food Building in Linkoping, Sweden, is attracting global attention and is seen by many as leading the development of large scale and sustainable food production in cities. The building was recently awarded The International Architecture Awards 2016 by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Plantagon has also been recognized by Red Herring Top 100 Global as being one the 100 most innovative companies in the world.

The Board of Plantagon Agritechture AB consists of Sten Lundqvist, Michele di Dato, Soud Ba'alawy and Lamia Boukhris. Hans Hassle is Chairman of the Board.

Enspire (DIFC) Ltd.

Enspire work with governments to preserve and develop their assets. We collaborate with world leaders and bring together public and private enterprise to create the economic architecture that enables long-term, sustainable growth. Revelation, Collaboration and Transformation. http://www.enspiregroup.com

Plantagon International AB

Plantagon International is a world-leading pioneer within the field agritechture - combining urban agriculture, innovative technical solutions and architecture - to meet the demand for efficient food production within cities. We see global food security and sustainable food production as the most critical areas for the future of our planet. Plantagon's objective is to meet the rising demand for locally grown food in cities around the world, and minimize the use of transportation, land, energy and water. Our solutions add value to real estate properties, and enhance the quality of life in cities. http://www.plantagon.com

SOURCE Plantagon International
The ECC aims to build a cooperative platform for the edge computing industry that will give impetus to openness and collaboration in the Operational Technology (OT) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industries, nurtures industrial best practices, and stimulates the healthy and sustainable development of edge computing.

Today's global digital revolution is driving a new round of industrial restructuring. Through the digital transformation of industries, products are incorporated into intelligent interconnection. In-depth coordination and convergence of OT and ICT help improve industrial automation, meet the customized requirements of products and services, promote full-lifecycle transformation from products to service operations, and trigger the innovation of products, services, and business models. This will have a lasting impact on the value chain, supply chain, and ecosystem.

Yu Haibin, Chairman of the ECC and Director of Shenyang Institute of Automation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, "In the 13th Five Year Plan, China launched two national strategies, integration of digitization and industrialization, as well as 'Made in China 2025'. This requires much on ICT and OT convergence. Edge Computing is key to supporting and enabling this convergence. Meanwhile, industrial development is also facing a turning point.

"Industrial automation technology systems will evolve from layered architecture and information silos to IoT, cloud computing, and Big Data analytics architecture. Amidst the evolution, edge computing will bolster distributed industrial automatic self-control architecture. Therefore, the ECC will keep an eye on the design of the architecture and the choice of technical roadmap, as well as promoting industrial development through standardization. In addition, building an ecosystem will also be focused," continued Yu Haibin.

The ECC is in pursuit of the OICT concept that OT, information technology (IT), and communications technology (CT) resources should integrate and coordinate with each other, and stick to the spirit of consensus, unity, and win-win cooperation, to drive forward the ECC's healthy development. The ECC strives to advance cooperation among industry resources from government, vendors, academics, research, and customer sectors.

The Edge Computing Consortium's White Paper was also released at the 2016 Edge Computing Industrial Summit, during the ECC's launch ceremony. It puts emphasis on the edge computing industry's trends and major challenges, elaborates on the definition and content of edge computing, displays the ECC's top-level design and operational model, and formulates the reference architecture and technological framework of edge computing, guiding the ECC's future development.

SOURCE Edge Computing Consortium (ECC)
BRIGHTON, England, November 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

A Rapid Response Fund to support HIV services at risk as a result of human rights violations has been launched by the International HIV AIDS Alliance.

In its first few weeks the $4 million LGBT Rapid Response Fund received more than 235 applications from organisations providing HIV services.

The fund supports organisations working with LGBT in 29 countries in response to situations where HIV services are threatened because of stigma, discrimination or violence.

Grants from $500 to $20,000 are available from the fund which is supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and UNAIDS.

For World Aids Day the Alliance has issued a report 'Rapid Response: Breaking down the barriers preventing LGBT people and men who have sex with men from accessing HIV services' detailing the fund's work.

Sir Elton John said: "This work is badly needed. In a short space of time, the fund received more than 235 applications. Each request makes horribly clear just how much LGBT human rights abuses serve as a barrier to ending AIDS. Now more than ever it's time for government leaders and philanthropists to join efforts to overcome the anti-LGBT stigma, discrimination and violence that is making the HIV epidemic worse."

Shaun Mellors, Director Knowledge and Influence at the International HIV AIDS Alliance, said:

"Stigma, discrimination and violence mean HIV services for LGBT people and men who have sex with men are regularly prevented from operating.

"Today's report highlights what's been achieved in the fund's first few weeks alone. It has helped re-house people living with HIV targeted after police raids in Uganda; supported homeless people from the LGBT community left without HIV medication after a natural disaster in Jamaica; and supported LGBT groups that have come under threat as a result of state-sponsored crackdowns in East Africa."

The report, images and infographics are available on request.

About the Elton John AIDS Foundation:

Since 1992, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised more than 260 million and supported over 1,500 projects across 23 countries: combatting stigma, preventing infections, providing treatment and services and motivating governments to end AIDS. We believe AIDS can be beaten. Visit http://www.ejaf.org and join us! For further information please contact Murray Chalmers PR http://www.murraychalmers.com

SOURCE International HIV AIDS Alliance
EASTAMPTON, New Jersey, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Epicore BioNetworks Inc. (TSXV EBN) reported first quarter revenue of $2.5 million and net income of $0.2 million or $0.009 per share for the period ended September 30, 2016.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444112LOGO )



First quarter revenue was 20% higher than last year's Q1. Net income was the same as last year. Shrimp diseases such as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) and a new microsporidian disease called enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) affected several Southeast Asian (SEA) producing regions. In SEA, low prices combined with the risk of disease have resulted in a curtailment in shrimp stocking. Despite this situation, sales resumed to Vietnam and increased in Indonesia and India. Sales were especially strong to newer sales areas like Australia and Singapore and to Africa.

Results versus prior fiscal year quarter one were as follows:

Revenue increased by 20% to $2.5 million

Gross profit increased by 12% to $1.4 million

Operating expenses increased by 5% to $0.9 million

Income before taxes increased 23% to $0.4 million

Net income remained at $0.2 million

EBITDA [ 1 ] increased 15% to $0.5 million

increased 15% to Achieved basic earnings per share of $0.009

Increased shareholders' equity to $9.7 million

Year-over-year cash increased 35% to $3.7 million

Year-to-date cash flow from operations of $0.3 million

Gross profit increased 12% in Q1 due to the increase in revenues.

Operating expense increased by 5%.

Higher revenues with relatively higher COGS expenses and a modest increase in operational expense combined to produce earnings on par with Q1 earnings prior year. Taxes were $0.2 compared to prior year's $0.1 because of the lack of equipment tax credits. The following table summarizes the Q1 results (rounded to thousands of US dollars):

For the Quarter ended September 30 2016 2015 Increase (Decrease) Revenue $2,488 $2,079 $409 20% Gross profit $1,389 $1,235 $154 12% Operating expenses $941 $893 $48 5% Net income $230 $231 $(1) - Earnings per share $0.009 $0.009 - - Shareholders' equity $9,653 $8,407 $1,246 15% Cash balance $3,720 $2,753 $967 35%

Epicore continues to generate positive net income from operating activities. In fiscal 2016, working capital increases and investments in plant and equipment decreased cash balances but by Q1 the majority of planned capital spending is completed. Cash at the end of the quarter was $3.7million versus $3.4 million at the end of fiscal 2016.With these funds, expected sales revenue growth and continued relatively low operating costs, management expects there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements, to fund expansion of aquaculture and environmental remediation marketing efforts and to pursue new strategies for enhancing shareholder value.

Over the last two years, Epicore has invested materially in a second building and automated packaging equipment. This added space is critical to our ability to increase production levels. All automated packaging equipment was in place and operational in Q1. The board has approved an ongoing capital program to enhance efficiencies and ensure redundancies in critical applications of our operations.

The financial statements of the company have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Epicore BioNetworks Inc. is a public corporation with a registered office in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (symbol EBN). [Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.]

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. The actual results, performance or achievements of the company might differ materially from the results, performance or achievements of the company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those regarding the future growth of the Company, that investments now in place and planned for new plant and equipment will result in production efficiencies and increased capacities and the expectation by management that there will be sufficient cash to meet the fiscal year's financial requirements. We can provide no assurance that the expected timing or results of such development will be realized or that the company will be able to generate sufficient cash to meet its obligations. We are subject to various risks, including the uncertainties of product development, markets for our products and regulatory review, our need for additional capital to fund our operations, our reliance on collaborative partners, our history of losses, and other risks inherent in the biotechnology industry.

[1]EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. For the Company, It is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Management believes that EBITDA is a better indicator of operational performance than net income because it ignores interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Mr. William P. Long (Chief Executive Officer) USA. Tel: +1-609-267-9118, Email: Investors@EpicoreBioNetworks.com

SOURCE Epicore BioNetworks Inc.
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U.S. Editions of LATAM Airlines' Websites Will Utilize EveryMundo's airTRFX Solution to Drive Traveler Acquisition and Customer Conversions

MIAMI, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EveryMundo, a leading provider of performance marketing solutions for the global airline industry, today announced a new partnership with LATAM Airlines Group S.A. Through the partnership, LATAM Airlines Group has deployed EveryMundo's industry-leading airTRFX performance marketing technology on the U.S.-facing editions of it branded website, with the goal of driving strong results in online marketing and customer acquisition.

The airTRFX deployment  which will cover LATAM's online channels in English, Spanish, and Portuguese  is a key piece of LATAM Airlines Group's online marketing and website-launch strategy in North America. The launch of new U.S. websites followed the recent debut of the LATAM Airlines brand, which resulted from the merger of two South American carriers: LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines.

airTRFX is a performance website infrastructure solution that enables airlines to achieve greater parity with online travel agencies (OTAs) and metasearch engines (MSEs) in online marketing and drive stronger customer acquisition and conversion through the "direct channel." The airTRFX software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution enables airlines to "productize" their flight inventory for online search, and to quickly create and disseminate many thousands of dynamic, high-performance landing pages  adhering to SEO best practices  in response to consumers' travel searches.

"airTRFX will be a high-value solution for LATAM as it aims to acquire new U.S.-based customers, because the online search environment in the North American market is highly aggressive and competitive," said Anton Diego, Founder & CEO of EveryMundo. "airTRFX delivers powerful infrastructure that will help LATAM win more customers away from the OTAs and MSEs and leverage data to extract stronger lifetime value from each individual traveler.

"We look forward to helping LATAM achieve impactful results through the power of performance marketing," Diego continued.

"LATAM Airlines is very excited to be working with EveryMundo, and we are confident that airTRFX will be a highly effective solution for our needs," said Denise Ruiz, Digital Marketing Manager, LATAM Airlines. "As LATAM continues to expand our customer acquisition efforts under the new brand, we look forward to having EveryMundo's industry-leading technology and online marketing expertise helping us achieve growth and success with U.S. consumers."

About EveryMundo

Founded in 2006, EveryMundo provides the travel industry's most advanced solutions for optimizing the direct online booking channel. The Company's flagship technology airTRFX provides airlines with the sophisticated online infrastructure needed to effectively compete with online travel agencies (OTAs): a page for every destination, route or travel product, in every language and every country, on any device. Leveraging these tools and strategies, numerous global clients speaking more than 25 different languages to customers in over 60 countries have achieved improved direct channel conversions, revenue and customer acquisition. Visit everymundo.com.

About LATAM Airlines Group S.A.

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is the new name given to LAN Airlines S.A. as a result of its association with TAM S.A. LATAM Airlines Group S.A. now includes LATAM Airlines Group (before LAN Airlines) and its affiliates in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador, and LATAM Cargo and its affiliates, as well as TAM S.A. and its subsidiaries TAM Linhas Aereas S.A. (LATAM Airlines Brasil), including its business units TAM Transportes Aereos del Mercosur S.A., (LATAM Airlines Paraguay) and Multiplus S.A. This association creates one of the largest airline groups in the world in terms of network connections, providing passenger transport services to about 138 destinations in 25 countries and cargo services to about 140 destinations in 29 countries, with a fleet of 321 aircraft. In total, LATAM Airlines Group S.A. has approximately 49.000 employees and its shares are traded in Santiago, as well as on the New York Stock Exchange, in the form of ADRs.

LATAM is the new brand that has been adopted by the airline members of LATAM Airlines Group. The group has started to implement the LATAM and LATAM Airlines brand to its customer contact points and aircraft, and will continue implementing LATAM in its products and services as part of a gradual roll-out that will last approximately three years.

Each airline will continue to operate under their current brands and identities. For any inquiry of LAN or TAM, please visit www.latam.com. Further information at www.latamairlinesgroup.net.

Related Links

http://everymundo.com



SOURCE EveryMundo
AMSTERDAM, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Approximately 250 leading scientists and medical specialists from all over the world are meeting at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in Amsterdam on December 1st and 2nd to discuss the influence of intestinal bacteria on the brain. The enormous enthusiasm for the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference shows that gut-brain communication is a hot topic.

A human body contains more bacterial than human cells. Thanks to modern technology, we are increasingly able to determine what kinds of bacteria reside in the intestine and what effect they have on the body and brain. During the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference, neuropharmacologist Prof. Dr. John F. Cryan of University College Cork in Ireland will give a lecture on the influence of these intestinal bacteria (also called gut microbiota) on our brain. According to the professor, the composition of the gut microbiota and how they influence the brain via different substances/hormones is determined by different factors, such as; mode of delivery (cesarean section or vaginally), stress, use of antibiotics, and other environmental factors also play an important role.

In the last ten years, there has been an enormous increase in fundamental research in this field. According to Cryan, your brain can't function normally without your gut microbiota.[1] Research with mice, for example, shows that sterile mice (without intestinal bacteria) exhibit abnormal behavior; they are anxious, less social and even show autistic-like behaviour. In addition, they have various structural changes in their brain that indicate the importance of bacteria in the intestines. It teaches us that microorganisms are necessary for the normal development of the brain. A disturbance in the gut microbiota may be connected with certain brain disorders. A lot of research is being conducted on the mechanisms how intestinal bacteria affect brain health and -function. Communication seems to take place via, among other things, neurons and messenger substances.

Recent research shows that the composition of intestinal bacteria in patients with various brain disorders is different than the composition in healthy people.[2],[3] Professor Cryan sees potential in the use of beneficial bacteria (in other words, probiotics) for brain health. Now, clinical research is upcoming, in this way we can further unravel which microbial interventions have the desired effect in which type of patients.

By bridging the gap between fundamental research and clinical practice during the Mind, Mood & Microbes conference, this will potentially lead to new, targeted therapies in the future. So-called 'psychobiotics' could play a role in the treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as; depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, aggression, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer's disorders. The first results in humans have been published in anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.[4]-[6] Some of these specific probiotics are already on the market.

The international Mind, Mood & Microbes conference lasts two days and will start on Thursday at 8:30 with lectures by Prof. Dr. Cryan and professor of psychiatry Iris Sommer. There are also other renowed speakers, such as Prof. Dr. Jane Foster (McMaster University, Canada), Prof. Dr. Ted Dinan (Cork, Ireland), Dr. Francisco Quintana (Harvard, America) and many others.

More information about the conference can be found at: http://www.mindmoodmicrobes.org

Reference List:

1. Cryan and T. G. Dinan (2016). "Transferring the blues: Depression-associated gut microbiota induces neurobehavioural changes in the rat." J Psychiatr Res 82: 109-118.

2. Scheperjans, F., V. Aho, P. A. Pereira, K. Koskinen, L. Paulin, E. Pekkonen, E. Haapaniemi, S. Kaakkola, J. Eerola-Rautio, M. Pohja, E. Kinnunen, K. Murros and P. Auvinen (2014). "Gut microbiota are related to Parkinson's disease and clinical phenotype." Mov Disord.

3. Giloteaux, L., J. K. Goodrich, W. A. Walters, S. M. Levine, R. E. Ley and M. R. Hanson (2016). "Reduced diversity and altered composition of the gut microbiome in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome." Microbiome 4(1): 30.

4. Steenbergen, L., Sellaro, R., van Hemert, S., Bosch, J. A. & Colzato, L. S. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain, behavior, and immunity 48, 258-264, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.003 (2015).

5. Messaoudi M1, Violle N, Bisson JF, Desor D, Javelot H & Rougeot C. (2011) Beneficial psychological effects of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in healthy human volunteers. Gut Microbes. jul-Aug;2(4):256-61. doi: 10.4161/gmic.2.4.16108. Epub 2011 Jul 1.

6. Severance EG1, Gressitt KL2, Stallings CR3, Katsafanas E3, Schweinfurth LA3, L G Savage C3, Adamos MB3, Sweeney KM3, Origoni AE3, Khushalani S3, Dickerson FB3, & Yolken RH2. (2016) Probiotic normalization of Candida albicans in schizophrenia: a randomized, placebo-controlled, longitudinal pilot study. Brain Behav Immun. 2016 Nov 18. pii: S0889-1591(16)30521-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.019.

[Epub ahead of print]

SOURCE Mind, Mood & Microbes
LONDON and ZURICH, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Heptares Therapeutics ("Heptares"), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation (TSE Mothers Index: 4565), announces it has signed a share purchase agreement that will allow the acquisition of 100% in G7 Therapeutics, a privately held drug discovery and development company based in Switzerland, for CHF 12 million cash. The strategic acquisition broadens and strengthens Heptares' intellectual property and platform for structure-based drug design and development focused on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of receptors linked to a wide range of human diseases. The combination of Heptares' and G7 Therapeutics' platforms is anticipated to increase Heptares' R&D productivity in terms of generating stabilised GPCRs and high quality GPCR structures that underpin discovery efforts for its proprietary pipeline and for partners.

G7 Therapeutics has developed proprietary approaches for stabilising GPCRs (called SaBRE and CHESS), which are different and highly complementary to the StaR platform developed by Heptares. SaBRE and CHESS are of particular use where the target GPCR is present in very low numbers on cells and the methods are particularly powerful in the numbers of stabilizing mutations that can be identified in a short time for rapidly generating high quality GPCRs.

Upon completion of the acquisition, G7 Therapeutics will become a wholly owned Zurich-based subsidiary of Heptares and will be renamed Heptares Zurich. The subsidiary will be led by Fiona Marshall, Chief Scientific Officer at Heptares and at Sosei.

Dr Marshall commented: "We are delighted to complete the acquisition G7 Therapeutics. We believe that the platform G7 has developed is truly complementary to our StaR platform and will expand our capacity to explore more of the 'GPCRome' to deliver novel candidates against targeted GPCRs for both our proprietary pipeline and for partnered programmes. We look forward to welcoming its highly talented team into Heptares and further extending our leadership advantage in GPCR-focused SBDD."

Carlo Bertozzi, CEO of G7 Therapeutics, added: "Heptares has an impressive track record of technology development resulting in a world-leading platform that has generated multiple product opportunities targeting many GPCR targets across diverse disease areas. We are excited to combine our platforms and capabilities through this transaction and to further advance GPCR-targeted drug discovery, an area of significant untapped potential."

Peter Bains, CEO of Sosei, said: "Approximately 30 percent of approved medicines in pharmaceutical company portfolios today act by modulating GPCR activity, making GPCRs one of, if not the most important target families for drug discovery and a major pillar upon which the global industry has been built. Heptares has already established a world-leading position in this area, building a diverse pipeline of proprietary candidates as well as attracting major pharma company partners. This acquisition is a further step towards delivering Sosei's strategy by consolidating and extending this leadership position, and expanding our capacity to generate a sustainable pipeline of new drug candidates for development ourselves in select disease areas, and for our partners."

Notes to Editors

About Heptares Therapeutics

Heptares is a clinical-stage company creating transformative medicines targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of 375 receptors linked to a wide range of human diseases. Heptares' proprietary StaR technology and structure-based drug design (SBDD) capabilities enable us to engineer and develop drugs for highly validated, yet historically undruggable or challenging GPCRs. Using this approach, we are building an exciting pipeline of new medicines (small molecules and biologics) with the potential to transform the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, cancer immune-oncology, migraine, addiction, metabolic disease and other indications. We have partnerships for our novel candidates and technologies with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Allergan, AstraZeneca, Kymab, MedImmune, MorphoSys, Pfizer and Teva.

Heptares is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation. For more information, please visit http://www.heptares.com and http://www.sosei.com .

HEPTARES is a registered trademark in the EU, Switzerland, US and Japan;

StaR is a registered trademark in the EU and Japan.

About Sosei

Sosei is a biopharmaceutical company originating from Japan but with global presence. Sosei's primary business model is based on identifying novel and/or differentiated product assets or technology platforms and, through supporting these in preclinical and clinical development and establishing commercial partnerships, advancing new medicines to patients worldwide. For more information about Sosei, please visit http://www.sosei.com.

SOURCE Heptares Therapeutics
"With virtual reality topping holiday gift lists this season, growing demand has created new opportunities to share our universal, easy-to-use Merge VR Goggles," said Merge EVP Dan Worden. "We get inquiries every day from people all over the world who want to buy the goggles, so it's really exciting to announce that they're now available in more countries, with more coming soon."

Merge is focused on aligning with top-tier retailers and global partners, such as Spain's El Corte Ingles that will carry the goggles in more than 200 of its retail stores.

More U.S. consumers than ever  roughly 170 million people  plan to buy technology gifts this holiday season, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The CTA reports virtual reality, drones and wearables will top holiday wish lists with spending on tech reaching $36.05 billion during this 2016 holiday season.

Merge VR Goggles are the only VR goggles approved for ages 10 and up, and they have recently been recognized by Consumer Reports as an Expert Pick and by CNN as a great headset for "Big Kids and Tweens". The marshmallow-soft body, easy-to-clean material and high-quality adjustable lenses make them perfect for sharing with the whole family.

Merge provides its users access to hundreds of apps and experiences with www.VRSTART.com -- a curated library of high-quality games and experiences, including travel, meditation, 360 videos, music, education, and more. All content is tested for quality and age appropriateness, and given ratings for intensity level and user feedback. The goggles are also compatible with all VR apps currently available on iOS or Android.

For more information on Merge VR please contact:

Taryn Saavedra / taryn.saavedra@mergevr.com / 210.919.8800

Caroline Andoscia / caroline@andoscia.com/ 212.475.2122 x.701

Kelly Rada / kelly@andoscia.com/ 212.475.2122 x.702

About Merge VR

Founded in 2013, Merge Labs, Inc. is focused on making virtual reality fun and easy for everyone. The privately funded company and its team are led by Founder Franklin Lyons and Co-founder Andrew Trickett, who have backgrounds in gaming, technology, design, content development and hardware creation. Merge's flagship product, the Merge VR Goggles, are compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and built to be accessible, affordable, portable, durable and easy to use. Merge also created www.VRSTART.com, a curated online discovery portal that features the best virtual reality and 360 experiences available.

Related Links

http://www.mergevr.com



SOURCE Merge VR
HELSINKI, Finland, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Harbert European Growth Capital touches the future with advanced visualisation solutions

MultiTaction, the leading provider of advanced visualisation solutions, today announced that it has secured an additional round of growth capital funding of 7million from Harbert European Growth Capital Fund (HEGCF).

In the last financial year, MultiTaction has significantly grown its business at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 50%. Building on this momentum, MultiTaction will use the funding to further accelerate growth of its MT Canvus software platform for real-time collaboration and big data analytics.

The MultiTaction platform offers a completely unique solution for all large organisations that are struggling today to leverage the vast sums invested in taming big data challenges. The investment will play a key role in fuelling an accelerated growth strategy for MultiTaction with particular emphasis on markets in Asia, Germany and the UK. Current investments in research and development will be expanded in order to speed time to market on new software developments along with market entry into key verticals such as medical technology and security.

MT Canvus can sit on top of both the award winning ultra-responsive MultiTaction interactive video wall technology as well as other touch devices. The solution is used by organisations globally in more than 50 countries and leveraged by some of the world's leading corporate brands to gain operational insights from their big data investments through collaborative analytics; to engage clients by showcasing their solutions through an interactive platform and to increase productivity through socialising and educating staff on new operations, processes and products.

"We are impressed by the unique proposition that MultiTaction represents for its customers. The company has primarily driven growth through clients adopting the solution on a global basis. We are excited to provide growth capital to MultiTaction at a turning point in the industry, where large organisations are increasingly looking to give their businesses a competitive advantage from big data investments," said Johan Kampe Senior Managing Director of Harbert European Growth Capital Fund (HEGCF).

"According to leading industry analysts over 80% of big data projects will fail next year and we believe that we have the solution to help organisations gain real-time insights from their big data. Harbert's investment will help us reach into new market segments and accelerate delivery of new software solutions. We are delighted to be working with Harbert," said Pete Malcolm, CEO of MultiTaction.

About MultiTaction

MultiTaction is a technology company providing a software led visualisation solution that offers organisations a unique capability for deriving real-time insight to big data. The software is platform independent but is best experienced on the award winning MultiTaction touch system. The most scalable and responsive touch system available in the market today. From a 14.4m (48 Feet) long curved wall for tracking one of the world's largest global supply chains to educating doctors in a state of the art University the MultiTaction proposition delivers significant value in a unique package. http://www.multitaction.com



SOURCE MultiTaction
The Study involved 131 patients at nine medical centers in the United States and one in Israel. The Study evaluated the safety and efficacy of the neuroAD Therapy System in comparison to placebo, following six weeks of treatment and six weeks of follow-up, using the cognitive and behavioral standard scales for the evaluation of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The Study's positive outcomes confirm and extend the results of former studies conducted across the world with the neuroAD Therapy System. The detailed results of the Study will be presented at The International Conference on Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD), by Dr. Marwan N. Sabbagh, M.D., FAAN, (Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ) on Friday, December 9th at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, in the late breaking news section.

Based on the pivotal Study findings, together with the positive results of earlier studies, Neuronix filed an FDA de-novo application seeking regulatory clearance to market its neuroAD Therapy System for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This submission follows earlier communications with the FDA, as a result of which the neuroAD Therapy System was accepted for review under the Expedited Access Pathway (EAP) program, which is reserved exclusively for medical devices that present novel and breakthrough technologies, and target an unmet medical need which is life threatening or irreversibly debilitating.

Alzheimer's disease is considered one of the greatest unmet medical needs in the world today, with only a few available drugs offering partial clinical benefit, frequently limited by side effects. The neuroAD Therapy System is a patent-protected, non-invasive medical device, uniquely combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with cognitive training, to concurrently target brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. The neuroAD Therapy System can be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as drug therapies.

"After years of research and development, and completing several prior successful clinical trials, this recent pivotal multicenter study, which was carried out in some of the most prestigious Alzheimer's research centers in the world, provides additional evidence that the neuroAD Therapy System offers an important additional potential benefit to patients with Alzheimer's disease," said Eyal Baror, CEO of Neuronix. "With these positive findings, we have applied to the FDA for marketing clearance under the EAP program, and expect to have the neuroAD Therapy System cleared in 2017. This will bring new hope for the millions of Alzheimer's patients and their families who find themselves in a race against time searching for an effective treatment to manage the effects of this debilitating and incurable disease."

"After seeing the results for myself in patients who have undergone the treatment, I believe that neuroAD is the most exciting breakthrough in the field of Alzheimer's disease research in more than a decade," said Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "While there is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease, neuroAD is a non-invasive option, with minimal side effects, which has the potential to help patients maintain their cognitive abilities and the independence that so many of us take for granted."

About Neuronix Ltd. and the neuroAD Therapy System:

Neuronix Ltd. Is a privately-held company, with headquarters in Yoqneam, Israel, and with subsidiaries in USA and UK. Neuronix develops, manufactures and markets novel breakthrough medical-device technologies for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The neuroAD Therapy System is a patent-protected, non-invasive medical device, uniquely combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with cognitive training, to concurrently target brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. This dual-stimulation is designed to improve cognitive performance of patients, following an intervention protocol, which lasts for six weeks, five days per week, with one hour-long session per day.

In multiple clinical studies, performed both in the USA and in other centers around the globe, the neuroAD Therapy System was repeatedly shown to be safe and effective in improving the cognitive performance and day-to-day activities of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease patients, as compared with placebo.

The neuroAD Therapy System is approved for use in Europe (CE Marked 0482), as well as in other territories. It is commercially available in leading Alzheimer's centers in Europe and Asia.

In the United States, the neuroAD Therapy System is an experimental device and is not available for sale.

Related Links

http://www.neuronixmedical.com



SOURCE Neuronix Ltd.
NUO represents the golden promise that the brand is committed to, stepping from the mainland onto the world stage when it announced its global expansion strategy at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. In pioneering Chinese luxury hospitality as one of the country's first homegrown five-star hotel brands, NUO is drawing inspiration from the country's 5,000 years of history and cultural heritage and its commitment to serving as a custodian of traditional Chinese culture.

Developed in conjunction with Kempinski Hotels and Beijing Tourism Group (BTG), NUO aims to disseminate the novel lifestyle and attitudes of modern China while honouring its cultural heritage and supporting contemporary art and culture. NUO is based on four pillars: Chinese, luxury, contemporary and green. These four pillars represent NUO's core philosophy ensuring that guests enjoy an unprecedented hotel experience.

Beijing Hotel NUO

Key International Hotels Management Co., Ltd has been appointed to manage one of the oldest buildings in the capital. The former Raffles Beijing Hotel in the heart of city is rebranded as Beijing Hotel NUO, which is located at the southern end of Wangfujing Street, at the corner of East Chang'an Avenue with views of the Forbidden City and part of Tiananmen Square. The hotel will feature 171 rooms and suites with various function room spaces that are ideal for weddings, social events and meetings. The hotel has a rich history and was considered one of the finest hotels in the Orient in 1917 which featured a tea hall and had its own orchestra "dancing every night" and classic music during a fine French dinner.

Now and beyond

In addition to Beijing, NUO Hotels has development plans in China and the rest of the world. Each NUO hotel has a varying cultural style and design inspirations, being a showcase of a unique aspect of traditional Chinese culture or the history of the property's location.

SOURCE Beijing Hotel NUO
PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Resin Market by Type of Crystalline Phase (Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta) and End-user Industry (Chemical Processing, Electrical & Electronics, Construction, New Energies, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals & Biomedical) is expected to reach $1,490 million by 2022 from $901 million in 2015, registering a CAGR of 7.5% from 2016 to 2022, according to a new report by published by Allied Market Research. Alpha-phase is the leading market segment and projected to generate the highest revenue throughout the forecast period. In the year 2015, North America led the global market and is expected to maintain its position throughout the study period. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness highest growth over the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 )



According to Eswara Prasad, Team Lead Chemical Research at AMR, "the global PVDF resin market is consolidated; few companies command major market share. In terms of market activities, expansion was the most preferred development strategies adopted by key players to improve their product portfolio, market share and geographic presence."

Summary of the PVDF Resin Market Market Report can be accessed on the website at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/polyvinylidene-fluoride-market

The industry players made significant investments on new commercial avenues for their product segments via strategic partnerships & collaborations. Governmental funding towards extensive research and development activities coupled with an increasing support for application of PVDF resin. There is a rise in demand for PVDF resin from various end-user industries and an increase in application scope owing to its superior properties. Also, the shift towards manufacturing and application of beta-phase is expected to drive the demand for PVDF resin over the forecast period. However, a growing threat of substitution and growing concerns over environmental and health impact of PVDF resin could hamper the market growth during the forecast period.

In the year 2015, chemical processing segment was the largest end-user industry, with around one-third value share of PVDF resin market, followed by construction, oil & gas, new energies, electrical & electronics and pharmaceuticals segment. The extraordinary physio-chemical properties of PVDF resin, such as piezoelectric, mechanical, and chemical & U.V resistance properties have increased its penetration in a wide array of application, as it results in improved performance of the end product.

Key Findings of the PVDF Resin Market

Beta-phase segment is expected to witness highest CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period.

Chemical processing and construction segment together accounted for more than half of the market share in 2015.

New energies segment is expected to register highest growth over the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to lead the market throughout 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.3%, in value terms.

is anticipated to lead the market throughout 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.3%, in value terms. In 2015, U.S. and China led the world demand in the PVDF resin market.

In 2015, North America and Asia-Pacific collectively accounted for nearly two-thirds of the worldwide demand for PVDF resin and are expected to maintain their lead position throughout the forecast period. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region, followed by Europe, LAMEA and North America.

The report provides comprehensive analysis of the key players that operate in the global PVDF resin market such as Arkema S.A., Daikin Industries, Ltd., Dyneon GmbH & Co. KG, Kureha Corporation, Solvay S.A., Shanghai 3F New Material Co., Ltd., Shanghai Ofluorine Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Fotech International Co., Ltd., Zhuzhou Hongda Polymer Materials Co., Ltd., and RTP Company, Inc. These players occupy a major share in the global PVDF resin market followed by other tier 2 and tier 3 players worldwide.

Read similar market research reports on Materials & Chemicals at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/materials-&-chemicals-market-report

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

Pankaj Kumar

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975

E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com



Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
LONDON, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research by Spamhaus has driven the development of the new Zero Reputation Domain (ZRD) service designed to thwart cyber criminals who use newly registered domains to send spam and drive traffic to harmful websites hoping that users will fall victim before a domain has been analysed for its reputation.

Legitimate organisations will rarely activate a domain and start using it immediately after registration so the ZRD automatically adds newly-registered and previously dormant domains to a blocklist for 24 hours. This protects users from clicking on links and visiting domains until it can be firmly established that they are not associated with zero day attacks, phishing, bot-herding, spyware and ransomware campaigns.

The ZRD blocklist is already proving its worth in a pilot with a UK-based email security service provider.

"After enabling the Spamhaus ZRD, I immediately saw a reduction in the amount of spam that needed expensive content scanning by around 33% as we could reject it outright.

"Normally I would get quite excited at something that reduced this by approximately 10% and the ZRD varies by day between to around 20-30% and those are unique hits which are not caught by other lists, so it's pretty incredible.

"It's also hitting exactly what I hoped it would - domains that are registered and used in spam immediately that have been difficult to catch."

Existing Spamhaus users can enable ZRD as a Data Query Service by contacting their usual local re-seller.

Users who are new to Spamhaus can sign up for a free 30-day trial (Link to https://www.spamhaustech.com/free-trial/)

ZRD complements existing Domain Name blocklists generated by Spamhaus' global team of security researchers who maintain constantly updated domain-based blocklists using data compiled from a range of live sources.

About Spamhaus Technology Ltd.

Founded in London in 2004, Spamhaus Technology provides commercial data distribution and synchronization services for the real-time datastreams, raw datasets and security technologies developed by the non-profit organization Spamhaus Project.

From the proceeds of these services, Spamhaus Technology supports a pool of worldwide public servers that providing data to the public, funds research into anti-spam technologies and contributes research and equipment to the global fight against cybercrime.

SOURCE Spamhaus Technology Ltd
NORTH READING, Massachusetts, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace, today announced that it has raised $51.5M in Series C financing led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity (GS Growth), with participation from Series A and Series B investors, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital, and F-Prime Capital. TraceLink is also announcing that Jason Kreuziger from Goldman Sachs and Amish Jani of FirstMark Capital have joined its Board of Directors.

This investment will enable TraceLink to improve its position in the global pharmaceutical track and trace industry, providing manufacturers, distributors and dispensers with a cost-effective solution to secure the drug supply chain and protect patients from counterfeit medicines, a problem that causes hundreds of thousands of deaths and leads to an estimated $75 billion in lost industry revenue each year. The TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud enables any company in the pharmaceutical supply chain to implement an interoperable system for tracking and tracing authentic prescription medicines, which will be required by law in 50 countries by the year 2020, to combat the rise of counterfeit drugs. Today, more than 450 life sciences companies rely on TraceLink to meet track and trace regulations worldwide.

"As part of a global marketplace, the pharmaceutical industry is facing an increasingly complex set of laws and regulations designed to secure the supply chain from manufacturer to consumer," said Jason Kreuziger, a vice president on the GS Growth team in the Merchant Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. "TraceLink's solution uniquely addresses the challenges of capturing, storing and transmitting product identifying data at scale and across a large number of supply chain partners. We look forward to supporting Shabbir and the entire team at TraceLink as they look to extend their leadership position in this market and increase customer adoption of the Life Sciences Cloud platform globally."

Founded in 2009, TraceLink's Life Sciences Cloud, a family of SaaS applications that are natively integrated with Amazon Web Services, enables businesses across the pharmaceutical supply chain to comply with country-specific track and trace requirements. The TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud is the only purpose-built track and trace platform on the market that has evolved beyond traditional on premise software and single-tenant architectures, both of which are limited in their ability to address massive data transaction volumes, complex trade partner data exchange, and continuously evolving regulatory landscape resulting from new global track and trace regulations.

"Thousands of businesses in the pharmaceutical supply chain need to make decisions on how to comply with time-bound regulations. With limited choices available, TraceLink wants to give these companies the opportunity to meet the regulations and achieve benefits beyond compliance with an established track and trace solution that can help them safely deliver drugs to patients," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO, TraceLink. "As a result of this growing industry need, we have continued to surpass our growth goals and are delighted to have this support from world-class, visionary investors to pursue our dedicated strategy in this space and further accelerate the adoption of our proven platform and leadership across the global market."

About Goldman Sachs

Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (MBD) is the primary center for Goldman Sachs' long term principal investing activity. With nine offices across seven countries, MBD is one of the leading private equity investors in the world. Since 1986, the group has invested approximately $180 billion of levered capital across a number of geographies, industries and transaction types. Within MBD, Goldman Sachs Growth Equity (GS Growth) is a dedicated platform for venture capital and growth equity investments in leading companies that have built innovative technology or processes to transform their industries. Since 1994, GS Growth has partnered with more than 200 companies and invested more than $5 billion of capital across sectors including technology, software, media, healthcare IT, and business and information services. GS Growth seeks to partner with strong management teams to help companies achieve product, customer and geographic expansion. For more information about GS Growth, please visit: www.gs.com/gsgrowth.

About TraceLink

TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses, including 16 of the top-20 global pharmaceutical companies, trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 149 in 2016), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

TraceLink is funded by Goldman Sachs, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital.

Related Links

http://www.tracelink.com



SOURCE TraceLink
HORSHAM, Pa., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AAMCO Transmissions, Inc. ("AAMCO"), franchisor of the world's largest branded chain of transmission specialists and an industry leader in total car care services, announced today the opening of its latest center in Chula Vista, California located at 1415 Broadway, Suite 103 in the South County Autoplex. To celebrate, the center will host a special event on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include a classic car show featuring exotic and race cars  and the center's own AAMCO-branded truck  as well as food and door prizes. In addition, the community is invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon along with local dignitaries and members of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce.

AAMCO of Chula Vista specializes in transmission repair and total car care services and features five full service bays, in addition to a diagnostic bay. The new owner, Dan Lingel, brings more than 20 years of experience in retail sales management and customer service to AAMCO. Lingel also leads an off-road racing team and plans to hold additional community events at his center in the future.

"I am incredibly proud to be part of the AAMCO family and excited to share my passion for cars with the community," said Lingel. "My goal is to provide each and every customer with the very best in service, so that AAMCO of Chula Vista becomes a trusted source for their automotive needs, and an integral part of the community. We invite local residents to take part in the celebration and meet our team at our grand opening event."

"We're thrilled to welcome Dan into the AAMCO family with the opening his AAMCO shop in Chula Vista," said Director of Operations for the AAMCO West Division, Brian Joo. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the new center, and his enthusiasm for cars and passion for customer service are the perfect combination for success. We look forward to helping Dan grow and watching his business thrive."

For more than 50 years, AAMCO's network of locally owned and independently operated automotive service centers has employed the latest technology. Expert technicians diagnose a repair, fix it right the first time and back it with a nationwide warranty. Known as the world's leading transmission expert, the company has evolved into a total car care brand that provides a variety of services including brake repair, tune-ups, shocks and struts, routine maintenance and more. AAMCO was named to Entrepreneur's 2016 Franchise 500, ranking at the top of the transmission repair category. Based on network size, growth rate and financial strength, the brand also earned a spot on Entrepreneur's "Best of the Best" list. Additionally, AAMCO has been consecutively ranked on Franchise Times' Top 200+ for the last two years.

AAMCO of Chula Vista will serve customers on Monday  Friday from 8 a.m.  5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.  noon. For more information, please visit www.aamcochulavistaca.com or call 619-323-2070.

About AAMCO

AAMCO is the world's largest branded chain of transmission specialists and a leader in total car care services. AAMCO has nearly 650 franchised automotive centers throughout the United States and Canada. Established in 1962, AAMCO-branded centers are proud to have served more than 45 million drivers. For more information, visit: aamcofranchises.com, aamco.com or aamcoblog.com.

Contact:

Claibourne Rogers

Fish Consulting

407-808-2426

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150521/217798LOGO

SOURCE AAMCO Transmissions, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aamco.com


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ACI Clinical, the leading independent specialty provider of Endpoint Adjudication and Data Monitoring Committees to the clinical trial industry, is proud to announce the addition of two new executives, Andrew MacKnight and Amit Bhattacharyya. Both are seasoned industry professionals with successful track records managing organizational growth.

"Timing is perfect to welcome Andrew and Amit into the company as we are continuing to build more and more pharma, biotech and device client partnerships to support global expert committee operations," says Amy Ghelardi, Director of Client Services. "Andrew and Amit have a great deal of management experience and I am confident that their operational expertise and leadership will benefit our clients looking to outsource the setup and management of their committees to ACI for a fully integrated, standardized approach that can easily be applied study to study."

Andrew MacKnight joined ACI Clinical as Vice President of Operations with a background in strategic product development and business management in the Life Sciences industry. His experience in the CRO sector includes leadership of commercial operations at Covance, and responsibility for acquisitions and integration at inVentiv Health Clinical. He also spent over 12 years at GlaxoSmithKline in strategic product development roles with an emphasis on global vaccines and public health.

Amit Bhattacharyya joined ACI Clinical as Vice President of Biometrics to lead the Statistics and Programming functions, bringing 23 years of his GSK experience in the applied statistics and programming fields. At GSK, he served in technical, leadership and global management roles while supporting R&D studies in Preclinical Discovery, Clinical Development and Health Outcomes disciplines. He brings rich experiences from working globally in the UK, India and US, and from his involvement in various statistical societies over the years.

ACI Clinical president, Dr. Jonathan Seltzer, commented: "We're thrilled to add Andrew and Amit to our team. Their decades of leadership experience at major companies enhances our scalability and expertise."

About ACI Clinical

ACI Clinical is a niche provider of clinical trial committees and clinical trial advisory services. The company offers the largest committee dedicated staff in the industry, its own global network of more than 500 experienced clinicians, and proprietary technologies designed specifically to enable streamlined committee processes. Company executives maintain involvement in public-private thought leadership efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of clinical trials, and currently participate in projects with the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium (CSRC), the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI), the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), and the American Statistical Association (ASA).

Contact Information

Phone: +1 484-429-7200

Email: [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131120/PH19940LOGO

SOURCE ACI Clinical
DETROIT, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Adient (NYSE: ADNT), the world's largest global automotive seating supplier, today announced the company has acquired the 10-story, 164,000-square-foot Marquette Building located at 243 West Congress in Detroit's historic financial district, across from Cobo Center.

The company will invest approximately $50 million into renovating the building to establish its global headquarters and bring roughly 500 jobs to the city of Detroit, of which approximately 100 will be newly created. Adient will work with the city to fill as many of those jobs as possible with Detroit residents.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) CEO Steve Arwood and Adient Chairman and CEO R. Bruce McDonald announced the plan at a joint press conference. They were joined by MEDC leadership, Detroit City Council members, Adient employees, local elected representatives and business leaders.

Adient debuted as an independent, publicly traded company after its separation from Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls on Oct. 31.

"Adient's decision to choose Detroit from among a large field of competitors to base its global headquarters is another major vote of confidence in where we are headed as a city," said Mayor Mike Duggan.

Adient is the first Fortune 500 Company to establish headquarters in Michigan since Borg Warner moved from Chicago to Auburn Hills in 2003.

"We are excited to be a part of the growth occurring in the City of Detroit," said McDonald. "It's only fitting that we locate Adient's global headquarters in the Motor City, and we have to thank the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan for the opportunity. Not only will we be bringing 500 jobs to downtown, we will also bring our history and commitment to supporting and partnering with communities where we operate. We are committed to being a good neighbor, a good corporate citizen and a vital part of the community."

Adient's Detroit presence is expected to generate approximately $17.2 million in income and property tax revenue for the city over the next 12 years.

For selecting Michigan as the site of its global headquarters, Adient will receive approximately $2 million from the Michigan Business Development Program for new job creation. The company looked at 40 potential sites within and outside of Michigan for its headquarters and ultimately selected the Marquette Building. In the coming weeks, a proposal will be sent to the City Council on a package of city incentives expected to include property tax abatements and brownfield tax credits.

"Adient's decision to locate its global headquarters in Detroit is both strategic and symbolic. We welcome Adient and appreciate their long-term commitment to the economic viability of Detroit and to being a key player in the automotive industry in Michigan, where they become part of a manufacturing and R&D community that is transforming the future of the auto industry and transportation around the world," said Steve Arwood, MEDC CEO.

"We are going to undertake a complete renovation of the Marquette Building while preserving and honoring its place in the history of Detroit," said Adient Chief Human Resources Officer Neil Marchuk. "Our employees, customers and suppliers will have a world-class facility to work in and visit, complete with collaborative work spaces, a product showroom, fitness center, food services, rooftop terrace and technologically efficient work spaces."

Adient will be consolidating corporate functions from various Michigan locations to the downtown Detroit building once renovations are completed in approximately 24 months. In addition to the Detroit investment, Adient intends to refurbish its technology and engineering center in Plymouth, Mich.

"We are launching a 3- to 4-year project to completely restructure our Plymouth Technology Center," said Marchuk. "Plans include creating agile team spaces that promote collaboration among internal teams, customers and suppliers."

The company is still determining the required level of investment for its Plymouth facility.

About Adient:

Adient is a global leader in automotive seating. With 75,000 employees operating 230 manufacturing/assembly plants in 33 countries worldwide, we produce and deliver automotive seating for all vehicle classes and all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual components, our expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. Our integrated, in-house skills allow us to take our products from research and design all the way to engineering and manufacturing  and into more than 25 million vehicles every year. To learn more, please visit adient.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Adient plc has made statements in this document that are, or could be, deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and therefore subject to risk and uncertainties, including statements regarding Adient's future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, capital expenditures or debt levels and plans, objectives, outlook, targets, guidance or goals. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" or terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Adient cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Adient's control, that could cause Adient's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: the impact of the spin-off on Adient's businesses, competitive responses to the spin-off, general economic and business conditions, the strength of the U.S. or other economies, automotive vehicle production levels, mix and schedules, energy and commodity prices, Adient's relationships with its customers and suppliers, the availability of raw materials and component products, currency exchange rates and other factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Adient's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 filed with the SEC on November 29, 2016 and available at www.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this document and, except as required by law, Adient assumes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161027/433497LOGO

SOURCE Adient

Related Links

http://www.adient.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today 10 librarians from across the country were honored with this year's I Love My Librarian Award. The winning librarians were recognized for their exceptional contributions to transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning. The librarians were selected from nearly 1,100 nominations submitted by the public detailing how their favorite librarians working in public, school, college, community college or university libraries connected them to information, opportunities and critical technology to help improve the quality of their lives.

"The I Love My Librarian Award is an incredible opportunity to acknowledge librarians as experts and valuable resources, essential to the success of their libraries and communities," said Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association (ALA). "As highly educated professionals, librarians are providing library constituents with the tools and knowledge they need to grow and thrive in today's changing information landscape. The fact that these nominations come from the people they serve gives us heartfelt testimony to the powerful impact librarians make every day through their work and commitment to their profession."

The 2016 award recipients include a librarian who provides a safe haven and emergency relief services during natural disasters, a librarian who works with students with learning or behavioral challenges and youths in foster care, a librarian who uses her skills as a former chef to teach the community about cooking healthy meals and a librarian who instructs incoming college freshmen on plagiarism and academic integrity.

This year's librarians join a distinguished group of award recipients who have been commended for their efforts to advance individual and community progress. Ninety librarians have received the national award since its inception in 2008. In the United States, there are 166,000 librarians who are continually working to meet the changing needs of library users and the communities they serve.

Each winning librarian will receive a $5,000 prize at an award ceremony and reception to be held tonight in New York City. The ceremony is hosted by the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York, which co-sponsors the award along with The New York Public Library and The New York Times. The American Library Association administers the award through its Public Awareness Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

The 2016 I Love My Librarian Award recipients include three academic librarians, four public librarians and three school librarians. This year's winners are:

Danielle S. Apfelbaum

New York Institute of Technology

Old Westbury, New York

Andrea Bernard

Tyler Memorial Library

Charlemont, Massachusetts

Olga Valencia Cardenas

Stanislaus County Library

Modesto, California

Elissa Checov

Gwinnett Technical College / Gwinnett County Public Library

Lawrenceville, Georgia

Kathryn Cole

Northside Elementary School

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Tabatha "Tabby" Farney

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sherri Ginsberg

Hillsides Library

Pasadena, California

Lia Kharis Hillman

San Francisco Public Library

Jamille Rogers

Marguerite Vann Elementary School

Conway, Arkansas

Roosevelt Weeks, Sr.

Houston Public Library

For more information regarding the 2016 I Love My Librarian Award recipients, please visit www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locationsincluding research and branch librariesthroughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

SOURCE American Library Association

Related Links

http://www.ala.org


The Steven J. Diner Ethical Leadership Award is a prestigious tribute established in honor of a dear friend and champion of the Institute for Ethical Leadership, Steven J. Diner, former Rutgers-Newark Chancellor. The Steven J. Diner Ethical Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates a long-term commitment to strengthening civil society through ethical leadership in the City of Newark and beyond.

"As an ethical leader, Alex continues to inspire all of us to be our higher selves," shares IEL Executive Director, Judith Young, "It is our great fortune to work with Alex as he focuses on achieving results through ethical behavior. We are inspired by his daily example."

Alex Plinio's lifelong passion for leadership development, community and civic action, as well as his commitment to the revitalization of Newark, inspired him to join with like-minded colleague, James Abruzzo, to establish the Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leadership (CNPL) over 12 years ago. Four years later, with support from the Prudential Foundation and Prudential Financial, CNPL expanded to become the Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) at Rutgers Business School (RBS) in Newark, NJ. The Institute continues the work of developing leaders in the nonprofit sector locally and across the east coast, while also delivering programs for corporations, government agencies, and within Rutgers, to promote and help create a stronger ethical culture. The Institute for Ethical Leadership's programs are distinguished by the practical knowledge, experience, entrepreneurial spirit and social conscience of its founders.

Prior to his time at Rutgers, Mr. Plinio was the President and CEO of American Field Services (AFS-USA), the largest nonprofit international and intercultural student exchange program in the United States, where he engineered the successful turnaround of the organization. Mr. Plinio previously played an integral role in the founding of the Prudential Foundation, then served as its President, performing an instrumental role in the redevelopment of the City of Newark during its renaissance. Mr. Plinio has founded and served on the boards of many organizations devoted to community and economic development, youth, education and the arts. He is a recipient of the Private Sector Initiatives Award from the President of the United States and the Rutgers Outstanding Alumnus Award.

Keeping with tradition, the Diner Award honoree names a nonprofit organization of his/her choice in Newark that receives a monetary prize on behalf of the IEL on the evening of the reception. This year, Mr. Plinio has chosen the Ironbound Community Corporation to receive the monetary prize in his honor. Founded in 1969, ICC's mission is to engage and empower individuals, families and groups in realizing their aspirations and, together, work to create a just, vibrant and sustainable community. ICC impacts the lives of nearly 1,000 people daily and thousands annually. The majority of ICC's 3,000 annual clients are from very low to low income households with low literacy and English proficiency and multiple family stressors.

Previous Steven J. Diner Ethical Leadership Award winners are Rev. Dr. M. William Howard, Jr., retired Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church; Michelle Lee, Eastern Region President of Community Banking at Wells Fargo; Alfred Koeppe, former CEO of the Newark Alliance; Mary Sue Sweeney Price, former Director and CEO of the Newark Museum; and the award's namesake, Steven J. Diner.

For Information on how to RSVP for the Award Reception or to Support the Award, visit:

http://bit.ly/diner16

About the Institute for Ethical Leadership:The Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School works with business and government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and within Rutgers University to provide leaders and future leaders with the education, training and critical-thinking tools needed to become more effective leaders and managers and make ethical decisions for real-world challenges. For more information, visit www.business.rutgers.edu/iel.

For more information, contact:

Jessica Johnson

Senior Program Coordinator

Institute for Ethical Leadership

Rutgers Business School - Newark and New Brunswick

1 Washington Park - Newark, New Jersey 07102

T: 973.353.1135

F: 973.353.1136

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444251

SOURCE Rutgers Business School

Related Links

http://www.business.rutgers.edu


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- American Farmer Popcorn is proud to announce that it has created a distribution alliance with Bickel's Snack Foodsthe Hanover Foods subsidiary that also owns York Snacks, Bon Ton Potato Chips, WEGE Pretzel Co. of Hanover, PA, and Troyer Farms (including Dan Dee Pretzel & Potato Chip Co., and Seyfert Foods, an Indiana-based snack food producer). As a result of the alliance, Bickel's will distribute American Farmer Popcorn to over 5,000 grocery, drug chains and big box retailers across the states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. This alliance represents an incredible opportunity for American Farmer, introducing the brand to new territories, and galvanizing its popularity in states like New York, where American Farmer is already well-known.

Meanwhile, American Farmer Popcorn has grown nationally over the three (3) short years since its inception, becoming a major player in the snack category. As a result, it has attracted some of the largest distributors like Snyders, Bickel's, and many others, and has also been selected by one of the South's largest retailers, Harris Teeter, which will be hitting the shelves in December 2016 -- a reflection of American Farmer's unique value offering. Overall, the brand has been seeing tremendous growth in all channels, and expects to see double-digit growth in 2017.

The huge growth that American Farmer has been seeing is no coincidence: Consumers are increasingly moving away from salty and sugary snacks and opting for healthier products such as baked snacks and trail mixeswhich is precisely the type of product that American Farmer makes.

An ultra-premium popcorn, American Farmer Popcorn uses only the highest-quality corn harvested from America's heartland. They pop the corn in small batches to create a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors that harkens back to a simpler time. The brand offers a wide array of flavors, including Sweet & Salty, and Slim & Light Kettle Corn; Old School Movie Theater, Slim Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, Whitehouse Cheddar, Crunchy Caramel & Salted Caramel Popcorn; as well as classic holiday tins, and gourmet butterfly popcorn kernelsfor gourmands who'd rather pop their popcorn themselves.

Bickel's Potato Chip Company was started in 1954 by Mr. Luther Bickel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was a regional family run business offering a unique "seared" potato chip in an array of interesting flavors. Then, in 1998, Bickel's was purchased by Hanover Foods Corporationthe US's largest privately-owned manufacturer of frozen, canned, fresh, and freeze-dried food products.

Meyer Futersak, Founder & CEO of American Farmer Popcorn, is excited about this announcement. "We have long been admirers of Bickel's products and culture, and are thrilled to have been selected as part of their distribution assortment. I believe this will open a myriad of new opportunities for American Farmer, while we provide Bickel's with a delicious, healthy new snack alternative to their millions of lifelong customers."

Brynt Little, Bickel's Director of Sales is similarly enthusiastic about the deal, proclaiming, "We are incredibly excited to select American Farmer Popcorn for distribution across all our channels. They have a dynamic brand that is both bold, and promises to diversity our product mix."

For more information, please contact Meyer Futersak at [email protected] or call 718 781 0549.

SOURCE American Farmer Popcorn
BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals, announced the creation of a new board, the Executive Advisory Board (EAB), during its Annual Meeting in Maryland today.

"The EAB represents a public-private partnership among federal health care professionals and corporate service providers. The EAB will function as a voice for innovation and progress in federal health care policy and service for our military service members, their families and all Americans. We are bringing together the leaders who will help shape the future of federal health," said AMSUS Executive Director, Michael Cowan, MD, VADM, USN (Ret).

AMSUS is the nation's oldest and largest organization for professional military and federal health care providers. About 60 percent of its members work for the Department of Defense, Public Health Service and Department of Veterans Affairs.

AMSUS actively addresses the most relevant issues in federal medicine and patient care. In addition to publishing Military Medicine, the only peer-reviewed scientific medical journal focused on military issues, AMSUS sponsors the largest international meeting of military health care providers in the world.

The following partners comprise the AMSUS EAB:

LMI

United Health Care

HealthNet Federal Services

ByLight Professional IT Services

Cognosante

TLI Foundation

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

Northrop Grumman

"We've assembled a distinguished council of health care leaders and research professionals to participate on the EAB. Through this collaboration we hope to help advance the highest quality standards for federal health care," said Cowan.

The AMSUS EAB will hold its first meeting in February 2017. For additional information on AMSUS visit www.amsus.org.

About AMSUS

AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals, is dedicated to all aspects of federal medicine  professional, scientific, educational and administrative. Members represent all healthcare disciplines and serve in the Active and Reserve Components of all of the uniformed services, as well as the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information, visit www.amsus.org.

SOURCE AMSUS
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RxWiki Inc., a rapidly growing digital health company, today announced that it has hired two new directors to accelerate the company's product development strategy.

Steve Spry joins as Director of Mobile Development. Prior to joining RxWiki, Mr. Spry was Director of Mobile Platform SDK Engineering at Austin-based Phunware Inc. Prior to this, Mr. Spry held various engineering roles in Austin and Silicon Valley at companies such as Adobe Systems and Apple Computer. Mr. Spry completed post graduate studies in Computer Science at Stanford University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from California State University.

Robert Terrell joins as Director of Product Development. Mr. Terrell has eight years of experience in healthcare technology and is widely recognized as the product manager responsible for creating the PocketRx mobile application at Praeses, a Shreveport, Louisiana software development company. Mr. Terrell graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Louisiana at Lafayette and was awarded Outstanding Graduate in Business Administration.

"We are delighted to welcome Steve and Robert to our rapidly growing company. We look forward to developing exciting new products as our network of Pharmacies continues to expand across North America," said Chris Loughlin, CEO.

Mr. Spry and Mr. Terrell's appointments come on the back of a string of new hires at RxWiki. Alan Stickler joined the company in August as CTO. Previously Mr. Stickler served as Vice President Data & Knowledge at McKesson Specialty Health. Katie Smith joined the company in October as HR Manager, moving from SpareFoot where she served as HR Generalist.

RxWiki is hiring digital marketing experts and outstanding inside sales representatives in Austin, TX, for more information visit http://www.rxwiki.com/company/#careers

About RxWiki Inc.

RxWiki Inc. (www.rxwiki.com) is a rapidly growing Digital Health company connecting pharmacies and patients through its Digital Pharmacist SaaS platform and original Pharmacist written and verified content. RxWiki's Digital Pharmacist platform powers the websites and mobile applications of 1,400 pharmacy brands. Patients can manage their medications, complete digital refills and engage with medication adherence programs. RxWiki's original Pharmacist written and verified content includes 20,000 original health articles, 7,500 health-related videos, 100 disease condition channels. More than 3,700 community pharmacies and national health brands such as Health Mart and Health Media Network license this content to engage and educate their patients. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

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SOURCE RxWiki Inc.

Related Links

http://www.rxwiki.com


RALEIGH, N.C., Nov 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Equality North Carolina hailed Governor-Elect Roy Cooper's victory -- which crossed the crucial 10,000 vote mark today -- and called on Pat McCrory to concede in the North Carolina gubernatorial race immediately. With a stunning 66 percent of North Carolina voters reporting opposition to HB2 in exit polling, it's clear that HB2 cost McCrory his re-election bid. According to polling commissioned by HRC and ENC and performed by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 57 percent of voters put HB2 as the top reason "not to vote for Pat McCrory" -- exceeding any other issue by 17 points. The latest tally shows McCrory 10,329 votes behind. Because Cooper has a 10,000 vote margin of victory, McCrory is no longer entitled to a recount paid for by taxpayers, but he may request one at his own expense.

"North Carolina just sent a powerful message to the entire country: the days of preying on LGBTQ people for political gain is over," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "McCrory failed to listen to the majority of fair-minded North Carolinians who know that anti-LGBTQ hatred has no place in their state -- and he lost big because of it. Roy Cooper is a powerful voice for equality and has vowed to work to overturn the hateful and discriminatory HB2. It's long past time for McCrory to accept reality, concede and let Roy Cooper get on with the important job of actually working on behalf of every North Carolinian."

"Today, we have hit another milestone in the Governor's race, that Roy Cooper has clearly won. The margin is now above 10,000 votes. This marks a decisive victory for Roy Cooper and does not allow for an automatic recount given the size of the margin," said Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro. "It's time for Pat McCrory to concede this race immediately to make sure that the state of North Carolina can go along it's business with Governor Cooper at its helm."

Between August and Election Day, TurnOUT NC -- a project of the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina -- held more than 260 get-out-the-vote events in Charlotte and Raleigh on behalf of HRC and ENC endorsed candidates. TurnOUT NC communicated to members and supporters through targeted social media, door-knocking, phone calls, direct mail, text message alerts and email alerts. The TurnOUT NC program generated more than 24 million impressions online to members and supporters encouraging them to vote for pro-equality candidates. HRC and ENC also released a series of ads targeting pro-equality voters, including "Lennie & Pearl for Roy Cooper" and "Pat McCrory: Bad for Business."

In 2012, Pat McCrory was elected with an 11 percent margin of victory. Not only did HB2 cost McCrory his re-election, it dragged down several state candidates. HRC and ENC endorsed Roy Cooper for Governor and Josh Stein for Attorney General, who both won, as well as four challenger races that also declared victory: Rep. Cynthia Ball (D), Chaz Beasley (D), Joe John (D) and Mary Belk (D).

Instead of accepting the fact that voters rejected his bid for re-election, McCrory launched an all-out effort to throw the integrity of the election into question by lodging baseless voter protests in more than half of the state's 100 counties. Earlier this week the Republican-controlled State Board of Elections issued an order requiring dismissal of all 52 of those protests. In a powerful editorial today headlined, "McCrory will be remembered for this lack of grace," The Charlotte Observer wrote yesterday that McCrory "and his fellow scaremongers have disrespected democracy..."

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Equality NC is a statewide organization working to secure equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender North Carolinians. For more information, please visit www.equalitync.org.

SOURCE Human Rights Campaign

Related Links

http://www.hrc.org


HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CARBO Ceramics Inc. (NYSE: CRR) announced today that its management will present at the Capital One Securities, Inc. 11th Annual Energy Conference being held at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 6-9, 2016. Gary Kolstad, Chief Executive Officer and President of CARBO Ceramics, is scheduled to present on December 7, 2016, at 11:40 a.m. Central Time.

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A live audio webcast of the presentation will be posted on CARBO's website at www.carboceramics.com. A copy of the investor presentation will also be available on the company's website. A replay of the presentation can be accessed on CARBO's website and will be available following the live webcast.

About CARBO

CARBO (NYSE: CRR) is a global technology company that provides products and services to the oil and gas and industrial markets to enhance value for its clients.

CARBO Oilfield Technologies - is a global leader that provides engineered solutions in its Design, Build, and Optimize the Frac technology businesses, delivering important value to E&P operators by increasing well production and EUR. Oilfield Technologies is the world's largest producer of high quality ceramic proppant, provides one of the industry's most widely used fracture simulation software, has proprietary technology that provides fracture diagnostics and production assurance, and offers consulting services for fracture design and completion optimization. The Company also provides a range of technology solutions for spill prevention and containment.

Its products and services are sold to operators of oil and natural gas wells and to oilfield service companies for use in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil wells.

CARBO Industrial Technologies - is a leading provider of high-performance industrial ceramic media products that are engineered to increase process efficiency, improve end-product quality and reduce operating costs.

Its products and services are primarily sold to industrial companies that work in manufacturing and mineral processing.

For more information, please visit www.carboceramics.com .

Investor Contact:

Mark Thomas, Director, Investor Relations

(281) 921-6400

SOURCE CARBO Ceramics Inc.

Related Links

http://www.carboceramics.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CastleOak Securities, L.P., a leading New York-based boutique investment banking firm, today announced it was selected by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to join its discount note dealer group. CastleOak is the only boutique dealer in this group of ten investment banks. IFC is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries.

"Joining IFC's discount note dealer group is a significant milestone in CastleOak's continued expansion into the supranational debt market," said David R. Jones, President and Chief Executive Officer of CastleOak Securities. "We are proud to be a part of IFC's program and are pleased to expand our strategic partnership with IFC in order to offer our clients direct access to their discount window." CastleOak is the #1 ranked minority-owned underwriter of supranational debt.

CastleOak has been an underwriter of IFC term debt securities since 2014 and assisted IFC with outreach to U.S. institutional investors. Amit Jain, Head of Cash Management at IFC, said, "CastleOak's strength in reaching out to unique investors will help us further expand our investor base. The U.S. public institution market, with an estimated value of $5.1 trillion in assets, remains an important focus for IFC's funding program."

Itai Benosh, Managing Director, Agency & Supranational Capital Markets at CastleOak, said, "We have been working closely with IFC's Capital Markets team on broadening the distribution of their securities in the U.S. institutional market and we are excited to extend our underwriting and distribution platform to IFC's discount note program."

About CastleOak Securities

CastleOak Securities L.P. is a boutique investment bank focused on the capital markets and serving a broad array of corporate, governmental and institutional investor clients. Headquartered in New York City, and with five regional offices, CastleOak specializes in financial advisory, equities, fixed income sales and trading, and capital markets. For more information, visit www.castleoaklp.com

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SOURCE CastleOak Securities, L.P.

Related Links

http://www.castleoaklp.com


MINNETONKA, Minnesota, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Center Point Clinical Services, creator of the Clinical Trial Research Pharmacist (CTRP) solution, announced today its launch of the world's first site-less, technology CRO. The Site-less CRO model is designed to support the evolving world of clinical trials by empowering study sponsors to de-risk the clinical trial process, increase quality, reduce costs and ensure robust data for regulatory submissions.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160317/345390LOGO )

Mr. Martinez said, "Current clinical trial models are built around geographical clinical sites, and up to 70% of trial patients may not have convenient access to them. Moreover, clinical trial sites vary greatly in speed of communication, cost to manage patients, and quality of outcomes delivered. The numbers speak for themselves. Clinical trials currently cost approximately $50 billion annually, take six to nine years on average to complete, and may account for almost 40% of total therapy costs."

Mr. Martinez continued, "The Site-less CRO model enables clinical research to be conducted at an unprecedented scale and scope. Study sponsors are able to reach and maintain excellent communication with trial participants, wherever they are, as well as secure and retain reliable data that can be instantly accessed and shared. Our model provides an insurance policy to 'de-risk' the clinical trial process and empower study sponsors to successfully manage in the new world of patient-centric and direct-to-patient activity. We believe it's the surest way for study sponsors to reduce risk and achieve regulatory and commercialization goals."

Center Point Clinical Services also announced today that Company CEO Mr. Joe Martinez will speak at MassBio's forum titled Innovation in Clinical Supplies: The Cornerstone to the Next Generation of Patient Centric Clinical Research. The forum will take place on December 12, 2016 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the MassBio office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Clinical Supplies Management (CSM) CEO Mr. Gerald Finken and Trialogics CEO Mr. Chris Gropp will also address the forum.

Mr. Martinez will brief participants on the new 'Site-less CRO' concept and its increasing role in the evolving world of clinical trials. CSM will detail the various new and innovative clinical supply management and Direct-to-Patient strategies currently being deployed to assure clinical trial success in light of the growing acceptance of precision medicine and its impact on health economics.

Chris Gropp, CEO of Trialogics said, "We have developed an easy to integrate software program that enables old and new business models to compress the time and cost of executing clinical trials. The team at Center Point Clinical Services is combining our proven technology with their virtual clinical trial business model to disrupt, innovate and improve the efficiency of drug testing. Their goal is simple - test drugs better and at less cost, receive regulatory approval sooner, and increase access for the benefit of the patient."

About Center Point Clinical Services

Center Point Clinical Services LLC. is a specialty, site-less, technology contract research organization (CRO) that helps pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies successfully reach their regulatory and commercialization goals in less time and at a lower cost than competitors. The company's evolutionary Site-less CRO model helps to recruit patients faster, identify and address patient issues in real-time and complete trials within time and cost projections. The company offers two premier signature services. The first is the Clinical Trial Research Pharmacist (CTRP) program, which uses only licensed, specially trained pharmacists to communicate with patients. Center Point is the only CRO to offer such a unique and effective service. CTRP has repeatedly demonstrated improved patient retention, medication compliance and overall outcomes in clinical trials. The second service includes a series of practical signature study solutions intended to support regulatory and commercialization goals. These include: real world evidence (RWE) analysis and publications, health economic outcomes and research (HEOR), market access and reimbursement support, industry standard quality metrics data, and scientific publications. For more information please visit http://www.centerpointclinicalservices.com

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Press Contact:

Marjie Hadad

MH Communications

+1-844-287-2877 Ext 9

[email protected]

SOURCE Center Point Clinical Services
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cireson, world leaders in Microsoft Cloud and System Center, today announced the acquisition of software solutions from Skylon Software, a Danish software company with industry-leading web experiences for Microsoft Configuration Manager. The acquisition marks Cireson's continued commitment and investment to Microsoft System Center, expanding their solutions portfolio into the world's leading Systems Management platform, Configuration Manager.

"Skylon Software and Cireson share the same passionate focus of helping the IT community become more productive," says Cireson Co-Founder, Shaun Ericson. "We are excited to bring the Skylon Software products into the Cireson Portfolio to help our customers further leverage their System Center investments. In addition, Skylon Software Founder, Flemming Appelon Christiansen, will be joining the Cireson family. We're looking forward to working together to deliver bleeding-edge solutions to over 125,000+ Configuration Manager customers worldwide. Cireson's track record of Service Manager solutions that enhance the user experience, coupled with the recent release of Microsoft System Center 2016, make expanding our breadth of services into Configuration Manager the logical next step. This acquisition is the perfect catalyst to help us deliver immediate value to the IT community."

Ericson continues, "In today's mobile climate, our customers are increasingly facing the need to become more flexible in their daily jobs. Listening to community feedback, it became clear that our customers felt constrained by the lack of mobility and customization of the native Configuration Manager console. Skylon Software has a fantastic, industry-leading web console to help solve every-day mobility restrictions of Configuration Manager. Leveraging each other's deep expertise and industry knowledge, we are finalizing development on the Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager, which will be available later this year."

The Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager is a web-based experience that enables IT teams to easily perform daily tasks, deliver software packages, perform image deployments, and increase productivity by freeing them from the native Configuration Manager console and allowing them to work from anywhere, anytime. This new solution complements the existing Cireson Portal for Service Manager, which includes the Cireson Analyst Portal and Cireson Self-Service Portal.

Paul Sutton, Cireson Co-Founder, adds, "At Cireson, we're always looking to the future for how we can enhance the user experience for our customers and meet the demands of the ever-changing technology landscape. With 2017 around the corner, a core focus at Cireson will be further expanding our Service Manager and Configuration Manager solutions. We are aggressively planning future Configuration Manager Portal development initiatives, including an updated UI experience and more exciting mobility enhancements, for early 2017."

Skylon Software Founder, Flemming Appelon Christiansen, adds, "We are thrilled to join forces with Cireson to help Configuration Manager customers across the globe."

The Cireson Portal for Configuration Manager will be widely available at the end of 2016. Sign-up for first priority access here and learn more in the Cireson Community.

About Cireson

Born in 2012, Cireson was founded on a simple, powerful idea: to be the forward thinkers on all things Microsoft Cloud and System Center. Today, our values from the beginning remain the same; keep it genuine, do the right thing, and listen to customers.

As a world leader in Microsoft Cloud and System Center, our mission is to make your working life ridiculously more productive by bringing service and asset management together - that's the Cireson Platform.

Taking pride in our expertise, we proudly boast some of the brightest and most fanatical IT professionals in the industry. From the Cireson Platform to Consulting Services and community engagements  everything we do is designed to push technical brilliance forward.

Our headquarters are located in sunny San Diego with offices throughout North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

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SOURCE Cireson

Related Links

http://www.cireson.com


DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- College Savings Bank, a Division of NexBank SSB ("CSB"), has completed a successful core banking system and online banking system conversion. CSB serves as a program manager for FDIC-insured 529 college savings plans nationwide.

CSB migrated 115,000 accounts and 100% of their customers' account information. The purpose of the conversion was to transfer all of CSB's accounts to an industry-leading core banking system and online banking system.

With the conversion completed, CSB customers now have access to new online banking tools that will help them manage their 529 college savings plan accounts. CSB will implement more customer service enhancements in the months ahead that will contribute to CSB's commitment to customer satisfaction.

"We look forward to offering enhanced accessibility to accounts, an improved account management and online banking experience, and new, simplified products with competitive rates to make it easier for our customers to save for higher education expenses," said John Holt, President and Chief Executive Officer of NexBank Capital, Inc.

CSB's customers will continue to receive the same protection of deposits through the FDIC. For specific information on the conversion and migration of accounts, customers can call 1-800-888-2723 or email [email protected] to contact a client service representative.

College Savings Bank was acquired by NexBank SSB in November of 2015. As part of the acquisition, College Savings Bank became a Division of NexBank SSB.

About College Savings Bank, a Division of NexBank SSB

College Savings Bank, a Division of NexBank SSB, is a program manager for FDIC-insured 529 college savings plans nationwide. Focused on college savings since 1987, College Savings Bank, a Division of NexBank SSB, provides multiple FDIC-insured CD investment options and a high-yield savings account without charging any fees. Learn more at www.collegesavings.com

NexBank SSB is a member of the FDIC.

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SOURCE NexBank
NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Businesses in the communications hardware industry manufacture telephone apparatus and broadcasting and wireless communications hardware. It includes wired and wireless communication hardware equipment.

Communications hardware is the hardware used for telecommunications. Since the 1990s the boundary between telecoms hardware and IT hardware has become blurred as a result of the growth of the internet and its increasing role in the transfer of telecoms data.



The Americas was the largest geographic market in the communications hardware market in 2015, accounting for $xx billion or xx% of the global market.

Asia was the second largest geographic market, accounting for $xx billion or xx% of the global market.

Europe was the third largest geographic market, accounting for $xx billion or xx% of the global market.

The Middle East and Africa accounted for xx% and $xx billion, while Oceania accounted for xx% of the global communications hardware market.



Global per capita communications hardware consumption grew from $xx in 2011 to $xx in 2015 at a CAGR of xx% and is expected to grow to $xx in 2019 at a CAGR of xx%. This was due to increase in mobile phone users and technology advances in wireless broadband services, and the internet of things (IoT).



Rapid increase in energy consumption has been recognized as a major threat to environmental protection and sustainable development. Communications hardware accounts for about 2%-4% of the total global carbon emissions. Due to access to the high-speed internet provided by next-generation wireless networks and increased smartphone usage, data traffic has increased the requirement for global access, triggered a dramatic expansion of network infrastructures and escalated energy demand. Environment friendly batteries, renewable energy sources, and intelligent management of the power systems are some of the proposed solutions to reduce carbon emissions.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04081178-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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SOURCE Reportlinker

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NORTH HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) has officially partnered with the Connecticut Drug Card in order to provide a FREE prescription assistance program to its patients, employees, and others. The Connecticut Drug Card was launched in an effort to make prescription medications more affordable for the uninsured, as well as the underinsured. The Connecticut Drug Card can be used for savings of up to 75% on prescription medications at more than 68,000 pharmacies nationwide.

"I believe this is an easy and innovative solution that may help Connecticut citizens get the prescription drugs they need at a cost they can afford," said Jeffrey Gordon, M.D., President of Connecticut State Medical Society.

The card discounts both brand and generic prescription medications for those individuals without prescription coverage. Additionally, individuals who have prescription drug coverage may still qualify and receive discounts on medications not covered by their insurance plan. In order to obtain a card, simply print one at www.CSMS.org or www.ctdrugcard.com.

You can also have a supply of custom cards mailed directly to your office at no cost by contacting the program's development director, Chez Ciccone, at [email protected] or 1-877-202-2214.

About the Connecticut State Medical Society

The Connecticut State Medical Society has begun its third century as the voice and focus in our state for the men and women who inhabit the ever-changing world of medicine. Since its founding, the Connecticut State Medical Society has worked to serve these physicians and their patients.

About the Connecticut Drug Card

Connecticut Drug Card is a free statewide prescription assistance program available to all Connecticut residents who are searching for affordable prescription medications.

SOURCE Connecticut State Medical Society

Related Links

http://www.CSMS.org


Canadians Now Empowered to Take the First Step toward Financial Freedom with Free Credit Scores and Reports

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to continue its mission of making financial progress possible for everyone, the personal finance company Credit Karma today announced it has launched in Canada.

For the first time ever, Canadians will have free online access to their credit score and full credit report, updated as often as once a week. They will also receive personalized recommendations from Credit Karma on how to best manage their everyday finances. The launch aims to arm Canadians with the knowledge of where they stand financially, as Credit Karma firmly believes everyone deserves to understand their finances.

"Since our founding nine years ago, many Canadians have asked for Credit Karma, which made selecting Canada as our first market outside of the U.S. a natural decision," said Credit Karma Founder and CEO Kenneth Lin. "We're thrilled to assist Canadians in making smart financial choices by empowering them with the knowledge of their financial standing. We're putting people first when it comes to information and services that promote financial progress."

Credit Karma also has plans to expand the rollout to include many of the company's features and tools that enable consumers to take informed, proactive steps toward understanding and improving their financial situation. This will allow Credit Karma to provide Canadians similar types of financial offers and insights that more than 60 million members of Credit Karma in the United States already enjoy.

At launch Credit Karma will be available to Canadians in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.

For more information about Credit Karma and access to tools to monitor credit, find better credit and loan offers and make data-based financial decisions, visit www.CreditKarma.ca or www.CreditKarma.com.

About Credit Karma

Founded in 2007, Credit Karma is a personal finance company that's helping people find the fastest path to financial progress. Whether they're interested in getting a better deal on a loan, looking for ways to save, or simply monitoring their credit, we offer a range of tools and personalized recommendations designed to help them make the most of their money. Our business model is unique in that no matter what new products or services we introduce, we're committed to providing a service that's always free. Over 60 million members use Credit Karma to gain insight into their finances and credit information  and ultimately, improve their financial standing.

Learn more about how Credit Karma members are making financial progress on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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SOURCE Credit Karma

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepRadiology, a deep learning artificial intelligence medical startup is proud to announce the world's first fully autonomous system for medical image interpretation. The system is able to produce final interpretations and reporting on medical imaging studies without the need for a radiologist.

The unique software system was created using the latest artificial intelligence techniques, the knowledge contained in every major radiology textbook on the subject, and the cumulative experience of reviewing many millions of medical images. This turns out to numerically represent several human radiologists' lifetimes of experience. The device is not yet available for marketing in the United States and is currently being evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In addition to experts in radiology and artificial intelligence we are fortunate to have Yann LeCun, widely regarded as the 'father of deep learning' as a key part of our team. "DeepRadiology has an amazing technical team of world leaders in AI and medical imaging. It is uniquely poised to transform healthcare," says Professor Fei Fei Li, Director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

DeepRadiology will be exhibiting at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) which is the largest radiology meeting in the world with over 50,000 attendees. The RSNA will be meeting in Chicago from November 27 through December 1, 2016. Please visit us at McCormick Place, 2301 S King Dr, North Hall, Booth 8503.

About DeepRadiology

DeepRadiology is a medical deep learning artificial intelligence company bringing together the brightest minds in the field to create revolutionary products that transform healthcare. DeepRadiology is headquartered in Southern California. For more information, visit http://www.deepradiology.com.

SOURCE DeepRadiology
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery and its Global Vitality Network is collaborating with Thrive Global, a wellbeing and productivity company that aims to revolutionize the way we work and live by offering companies and individuals science-based solutions to lower stress and burnout, and enhance quality of life. A South African-founded financial services organization, Discovery operates in the healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, savings and investment products and wellness markets.

Thrive Global announced earlier today a multi-tiered approach that includes corporate training with leading partners; a media content platform designed to be the global hub for the conversation about wellbeing and productivity; and an e-commerce platform that offers a curated selection of the best technology and products to equip consumers with the most effective tools for wellbeing. Thrive's corporate launch partners include Accenture, Airbnb, JPMorgan Chase, SAP and Uber.

"This partnership is another advancement in our global mission to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives," said Discovery Founder and Chief Executive, Adrian Gore. "With Thrive Global, we'll offer the latest research and tools for overcoming stress and burnout  key factors that impact overall health and wellbeing  to our network of over 4 million members in 14 countries worldwide. By affecting behavior and making people healthier, we generate actual savings. And those savings are passed on to our members as incentives for doing the things that make them healthier, continuing the shared-value cycle that is the core of the Discovery business model."

Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global founder, co-founder of The Huffington Post and author of the best-selling book, The Sleep Revolution, was a keynote speaker at the recent Discovery Leadership Summit in South Africa where she explained the 'collective delusion' much of the world lives under, that to succeed  we must burn out. "Multi-tasking is a scientifically disproved myth and human beings need time to recharge," Huffington said. "Recent science has shown that the pervasive belief that burnout is the price we must pay for success is a misconception. We know, instead, that when we prioritize our wellbeing, our decision-making, creativity and productivity improve dramatically."

Thrive Global's three interconnected core components  corporate, content, commerce  create an integrated behavior change platform that empowers people to make sustainable changes to their daily lives, going from knowing what to do, to actually doing it.

Discovery  a pioneer in Shared-Value Insurance  will make Thrive Global offerings available through its worldwide network of insurance partners in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.

About Thrive Global

Founded and led by Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global is a corporate and consumer wellbeing and productivity platform aimed at changing the way we work and live. It provides science based trainings, content, commerce, and ongoing support to help reduce stress and burnout and improve health and productivity for individuals and companies around the world. Thrive Global is headquartered in New York and launched in the fall of 2016. For more information, visit www.thriveglobal.com.

About Discovery Limited

Discovery Limited is a South African-founded financial services organization that operates in the healthcare, life assurance, short-term insurance, savings and investment products and wellness markets. Founded in 1992, Discovery was guided by a clear core purpose  to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. Underpinning this core purpose is the belief that through innovation, Discovery can be a powerful market disruptor.

The company, with headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, has expanded its operations globally and currently serves clients across South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, Asia, Europe and Australia through its shared-value business model.

Vitality, Discovery's wellness program, is the world's largest scientific, incentive-based wellness solution for individuals and corporates.

Discovery is an authorized financial services provider and trades under the code "DSY" on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. For more information visit www.discovery.co.za and follow us on Twitter @Discovery_SA.

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SOURCE Discovery Limited

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SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Doximity, the online network for U.S. healthcare professionals, today announced its Hospital Solutions service -- a new way for hospitals to efficiently and organically build meaningful connections with clinicians across the country. More than 30 hospitals have already partnered with Doximity to build brand awareness and grow their referral networks among Doximity's more than half million physician members.

As healthcare becomes more complex and sub-specialized, physicians need trusted, timely access to experts across the country. Doximity is where over 60 percent of U.S. physicians already connect to securely discuss patient care and the latest in medical literature. Hospitals can now do their referral network development and content marketing precisely where clinicians are already congregating -- their newsfeed.

Doximity's diverse clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System, Northwestern Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Ochsner Health System.

Ochsner Health System, located in Louisiana, is one of the largest independent health systems in the United States. In their first year using the Doximity platform, Ochsner saw referrals from over fifty new physicians for complex cases in transplant, cardiology and surgery, among others.

"Our partnership with Doximity allows us to engage in an ongoing conversation with referring physicians in a way we haven't before," said Dr. Richard Milani, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Ochsner Health System. "The right message at the right time may mean a patient gets the care they need when they need it most."

"Our goal is to help clinicians to find the right sub-specialist for the right cases, and to do so, they need to be aware of the physicians and institutions performing certain procedures," said Dr. Peter Alperin, VP of Hospital Solutions at Doximity. "By giving hospitals a way to help their physicians market themselves, they'll be able to build their networks and subsequently their referral base -- a win for all involved."

For a white paper detailing Ochsner's referral results or for more information about Doximity's Hospital Solutions, visit hospitals.doximity.com or email [email protected].

About Doximity

Launched in 2011, Doximity (www.doximity.com) connects clinicians to make them more successful and productive. With over 60% of all US physicians as members, collaborating across every specialty, Doximity is the largest secure medical network in the country. Doximity is headquartered in San Francisco and was created by the founders of Epocrates.

Media Contact: Natasha Singh, [email protected]

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SOURCE Doximity

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy Foundation today announced a donation of $100,000 toward response efforts to battle the devastating wildfires in western North Carolina and South Carolina.

"Firefighters have been working around the clock for weeks to save lives, protect homes and defend Duke Energy infrastructure from the flames," said Shawn Heath, president, Duke Energy Foundation. "These men and women are on the front lines protecting our communities. We are glad to make this contribution to aid their ongoing efforts."

In North Carolina, Duke Energy is donating $75,000 to the Western North Carolina Firefighters Association to help fire departments replace equipment and supplies depleted through wildfire response. A review committee will be created to determine the allocation of funds to fire departments in the region.

"On behalf of the Western North Carolina Association of Firefighters, we are honored and humbled by the donation provided to the association by Duke Energy," said Curt Deaton, president, Western North Carolina Firefighters Association. "The firefighters that serve the western part of our great state have had some long and sleepless days and nights due to the wildfires that have affected several counties in our district. Working side by side with emergency management and Duke Energy, our association is committed to assisting our membership with this donation."

In South Carolina, the company is donating $25,000 to the South Carolina State Firefighters' Foundation  a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association  to help those fire agencies that have been responding to fires in South Carolina. They will also establish a committee to determine allocation of funds to help fire agencies replace equipment and supplies.

"The Duke Energy team reached out early to the agencies involved in fighting the fire on Pinnacle Mountain to ask, 'What can we do?'" said Phil Leventis, director of development of the South Carolina State Firefighters Foundation. "This kind of support from our community partners is always instrumental in helping the men and women dedicated to protecting our communities do their critically important jobs."

About Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of the communities where its customers live and work. In 2015, the foundation provided more than $30 million in charitable gifts. The foundation's education focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce development. It also supports the environment and community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.

Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on its legacy of community service. For more information, visit http://www.duke-energy.com/foundation.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable energy portfolio.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Line (24-hour): 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy

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BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynatrace is one of the first digital performance management companies to achieve Amazon Web Services (AWS) DevOps Competency Partner status. The achievement underscores the company's ability to support AWS customers in their pursuit to deliver high quality software, faster, via a scalable and robust continuous delivery pipeline.

AWS DevOps Competency Partners must have deep experience, technical proficiency and proven success in helping businesses implement CI and continuous delivery practices, and automated infrastructure provisioning in the AWS Cloud environment. Partners must also undergo rigorous assessment of the security, performance, and reliability of their solutions.

Steve Tack, Senior VP of Product Management at Dynatrace, said the company was committed to supporting and enhancing AWS's leadership in the cloud, which aligns with his own company's mandate:

"At its core, DevOps today is about agility and effectiveness, no matter how complex the cloud environment. Our newfound AWS DevOps Competency status points to our innovation around AI-driven problem detection, robust predictive analysis and unique user experience-centric dashboards that unite everyone involved in the entire lifecycle. We are incredibly driven to innovate and redefine the DevOps process  it's our job to make continuous delivery fool-proof and nimble for businesses."



This announcement comes on the heels of Dynatrace securing AWS Migration Competency and availability on AWS Marketplace. This availability now allows customers to easily purchase and deploy Dynatrace's cloud application performance management service directly through AWS Marketplace.

AWS provides a set of flexible services that span the development process to provisioning, deployment, and management. These AWS services are designed to simplify provisioning and management of infrastructure and applications, deploying code, and automating software release process. With these services customers can quickly build out cloud infrastructure, deploy applications to any instance, or develop complex applications on AWS.



As an Application Performance Monitoring market leader, Dynatrace continues to generate strong market demand and customer success by consistently investing in innovation. Its success in the DevOps space is thanks to the unparalleled insights and control it gives customers in a rapidly changing and highly complex cloud environment. It allows the entire DevOps team to quickly troubleshoot, optimize and measure performance from the end user perspective in an instant. To learn more about the company's supported technologies visit: https://www.dynatrace.com/technologies/

Dynatrace will be demonstrating its newly developed, AI driven human interface D.A.V.I.S at the upcoming AWS user conference re:Invent, Nov. 28 - Dec. 2, 2016, in Las Vegas at Booth #1837. Come and meet our own DevOps team visiting from Linz, Austria. They're among some of the most forward thinking experts in digital performance monitoring today.

About Dynatrace

Dynatrace is the innovator behind the industry's premier digital performance platform, making real-time information about digital performance visible and actionable for everyone across business and IT. We help customers of all sizes see their applications and digital channels through the lens of their end users. More than 8,000 organizations use these insights to master complexity, gain operational agility and grow revenue by delivering amazing customer experiences.

Read more about Dynatrace's leadership in the digital performance and APM market, here.

Follow Dynatrace on:

For Sales and Marketing Information

Dynatrace, 404 Wyman St., Suite 500, Waltham, MA 02451, 781-530-1000,http://www.dynatrace.com

Press Contacts

Laura Paine, InkHouse for Dynatrace, 781966-4124, [email protected]

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SOURCE Dynatrace

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DUNWOODY, Ga., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia State Senator John Albers (R-56) and members of the Atlanta community gathered today to celebrate the grand opening of Early Autism Project's new state-of-the-art Atlanta clinic located in the Shops of Dunwoody at 5500 Chamblee Dunwoody Road.

The clinic provides children between the ages of 20 months and 21 years with the highest quality intensive, research-based behavioral treatment for autism spectrum and related disorders. For more than a decade, Early Autism Project has been a leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, which is widely recognized as an effective, evidence-based treatment for autism. Early Autism Project provides ABA services to families across the country. ABA is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and American Academy of Pediatrics as the treatment of choice for autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. ABA therapy is covered by many private and government insurance providers.

In 2015, Senator Albers played a key role in the passing of Ava's Law, which made Georgia the 41st state to mandate insurance for children six years and younger with autism. "We worked hard to pass Ava's Law to ensure children with autism throughout Georgia have access to life-changing therapy in the home and in clinics like the one we are opening today," said Senator Albers. "Providing ABA therapy to children with autism is an important investment in their futures and the future of our community because early intervention helps children become more independent and dramatically reduces the cost of lifelong care."

"The opening of the Early Autism Project Clinic demonstrates how Ava's Law is positively impacting children with autism throughout Georgia," said Anna Bullard, vice president of government, community and business relations for Early Autism Project and mother of Ava Bullard, for whom Ava's Law is named. "The additional insurance coverage provides children with autism access to critical early intervention therapy that is typically paid out of pocket by most families. Early intervention helped Ava progress from a two-year-old who we were told would never speak or be in a regular classroom to a successful seventh-grader who is thriving in a general education classroom and no longer requires intensive treatment. The new clinic will allow Early Autism Project to provide more children in the Atlanta area with customized ABA therapy programs to help ensure children like Ava reach their full potential."

Guests at the grand opening toured the clinic, which includes a large therapeutic play area with a trampoline, slide and other items used in therapy, and individual therapy rooms with skill-building games, books and computers.

Early Autism Project also operates clinics in Augusta, Byron, Macon and Pooler, and serves more than 200 children throughout Georgia. To learn more, visit www.EarlyAutismProject.com.

Early Autism Project is part of ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy and Education, a company that also includes Ombudsman Educational Services, which provides 32 alternative education programs throughout Georgia for middle and high school students who have dropped out or who are at risk of dropping out of school. ChanceLight, Early Autism Project and Ombudsman share a social mission to offer hope and ensure children reach their full potential.

About Early Autism Project

Early Autism Project (EAP) provides Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, which is widely recognized as an effective, evidence-based treatment for autism and is covered by many private and government insurance providers, including TRICARE, for children and young adults between the ages of 20 months and 21 years with autism spectrum and related disorders. EAP, a ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Education and Therapy company, provides comprehensive services to children and their families in their homes, in EAP clinics, in schools and at or near military bases throughout the country. For more information, visit www.EarlyAutismProject.com.

Media Contact: Robin Embry, Lovell Communications Inc.

[email protected], 615-974-4664

SOURCE Early Autism Project

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BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Management (International) Limited (EVMI), a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Management, today announced that Clifton Bowie (Bo) Hunt has joined the firm as Vice President, Global High Yield Analyst, reporting to Jeffrey D. Mueller, Vice President, High Yield Portfolio Manager. Effective immediately, Mr. Hunt will be based in London and will have responsibility for analysing and evaluating the creditworthiness of high yield bond issuers and making timely investment recommendations.

The appointment marks the latest in a series of strategic steps to enhance Eaton Vance's high yield and broader fixed income offerings to the European market. Earlier this year, Eaton Vance lowered the management fees and agreed to cap the total expense ratio of Eaton Vance International (Ireland) U.S. High Yield Bond Fund (Fund).1

"Bo's appointment comes at a very exciting time for our strategy, and he will be a great addition to our team," said Mr. Mueller. "His in-depth experience and understanding of fixed income markets bolsters our global investment research capabilities, while the reduction in fund expenses strengthens the competitiveness of our offering to European and UK investors."

Mr. Hunt joins from Fidelity International in London, where he served most recently as a credit analyst in the firm's fixed income division. Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Hunt was a stressed/distressed credit analyst within the Global Credit & Special Situations Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York. He previously held credit analyst roles at Petsky Prunier LLC and Rothschild Inc. Mr. Hunt graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science in economics.

Eaton Vance is also announcing its membership with The Investment Association, a trade organisation that represents the interests of UK investment managers and investors. This development further signifies the company's commitment to the UK market and in particular, to the wholesale investment community.

Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV) is a leading global asset manager whose history dates to 1924. With offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed $336.4 billion in assets as of October 31, 2016, offering individuals and institutions a broad array of investment strategies and wealth management solutions. For more information, visit eatonvance.com.

1 See Addendum dated 23 May 2016 to the Fund's Prospectus Supplement dated 18 February 2014, available at https://offshore.eatonvance.com/.

SOURCE Eaton Vance Management

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DUBLIN, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- edgescan, the only managed service (SaaS) provider of combined continuous application and host security that leverages the best of technology combined with human intelligence, today announced the release of the annual Vulnerability Statistics Report 2016.

It is based on vulnerabilities discovered over the past 12 months across over 60,000 systems globally.

The report is unique as it covers a "fullstack" view of cyber security across not only web applications but also supporting cloud and hosting environments.

Key Takeaways:

15% of systems have a high or critical vulnerability.

of systems have a or vulnerability. 95% of critical vulnerabilities are found in the web application layer .

of vulnerabilities are found in the . Encryption technology is a major root cause of weakness and erosion of privacy.

technology is a of weakness and erosion of privacy. Old vulnerabilities, up to 9 years old (from 2007), are still being discovered on production systems.

The report can be downloaded here:

https://edgescan.com/resources.html

About edgescan ;

edgescan provides full-stack vulnerability management globally to some of the worlds largest organisations. Combining advanced technology with consultant expertise, edgescan delivers application and hosting environment security solutions that reduce risk, reduce cost and help ensure the deployment of secure applications, cloud platforms and hosting environments.

edgescan, is a software-as-a-service platform providing dynamic application security testing (DAST) and host layer vulnerability management. The company is headquartered in Dublin Ireland, with partners across the U.S. and Europe.

For more information on edgescan, please visit https://www.edgescan.com

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.



SOURCE edgescan

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Miguel Lavin, editor, said today: "The fusion of print and digital has been excellent for us and 2017 is expected to be another outstanding year." He added that "combining digital to printed distribution has allowed us to increase our weekly circulation to more than 180,000 issues per month. Our customer base increased substantially by initiating a program of native advertising, campaigns that combine print and digital advertisements and promotions by email directly to our readers. We have also expanded and extended our strategic alliance with Hispanic Media Works to segment distribution on our website with bilingual access www.ellatinodigital.com ." In addition, Lavin said: "We are now able to distribute inserts digitally as well as in the print edition." Lavin concluded, "We will continue to develop new markets, new forms of distribution and generating more accurate digital data on distribution and readership that will provide our advertisers the best as possible information to recoup their investment."

El Latino Semanal/Digital's iconic format reflects current market realities in print media and strikes a balance between informing readers and providing our advertisers maximum exposure while controlling our operating expenses.

El Latino Semanal/Digital is the largest and oldest Hispanic weekly DMA 38 / H28 with independent statistics on the distribution and number of readers. It began in 1976 serving 30K Hispanics. Today, El Latino Semanal/Digital serves a Hispanic population of about 500,000, per the latest census adjustment. The market for El Latino Semanal/Digital ranges from non-Hispanic whites who want to reach Hispanics to the Hispanics communities from Boca Raton to Fort Pierce. El Latino Semanal/Digital is a minority newspaper duly registered. Publishes legal notices for the State, County and Municipalities

Contact: Joseph R. Uzal, National Sales Manager 561-310-5333 E-mail: [email protected]

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SOURCE El Latino Semanal/Digital
AMSTERDAM, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced that it has implemented the FORCE11 Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles for over 1800 journals. This means that authors publishing with Elsevier are now able to cite the research data underlying their article, contributing to attribution and encouraging research data sharing with research articles.

The FORCE11 data citation principles were launched in 2014 with the aim to make research data an integral part of the scholarly record. The principles recognized that a critical driver for increasing the availability of research data was to ensure authors receive credit for sharing through proper citation of research data. Elsevier was involved in drafting these principles and, along with many other publishers, data repositories and research institutions, endorsed them as an industry standard. Now, after working closely with other publishers within the Data Citation Implementation Pilot, Elsevier has incorporated them in its production and publication workflow in order to recognize and process data citations. Combined with new author guidance and education, this will encourage and reward researchers for sharing their research data.

Data citation provides a persistent and consistent way to link an article to a dataset. Authors can cite the data they generated for their research to ensure easy access to their data, or they can cite existing datasets they used in their research, thereby providing an indication of reuse. For readers, articles with data citations provide a more complete picture of the research that was carried out.

"To make archived and cited data really actionable, both for validation and verification of results, and for reuse in meta-analysis and discovery, we need a common approach by publishers and data archives" said Dr. Tim Clark, co-Leader of the NIH-funded Data Citation Implementation Pilot within FORCE11. "Developing and promoting these common approaches have been the driving rationale of the Data Citation Implementation Project and Elsevier and other early adopters of data citation are playing a crucial role in ensuring data citation is implemented uniformly across the ecosystem."

"Research Data is of the utmost importance for researchers in their advancement of knowledge," said Philippe Terheggen, Managing Director, Elsevier Journals. "Therefore, Elsevier fully supports the proper citation of such data. The implementation of data citation in our journals is an important step towards encouraging and rewarding authors for sharing research data. This is part of our wider efforts around research data which include the data repository Mendeley Data and data journals such as Data in Brief."

As with article references, the dataset will be cited at the relevant place within the text of the article and will appear in the reference list. The data citations will look the same as other citations but will also contain new elements, such as the repository where the dataset is stored. In most cases, there will be a direct link to the stored dataset, making it even easier for authors to find relevant datasets.

Read more on Elsevier Connect or join our Publishing Campus webinar "Data Citation: How can you as a researcher benefit from citing data?" on December 6 at 3-4pm CET.



About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 35,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Elisa Nelissen

Press Officer, Elsevier

+31 622 73 50 02

[email protected]





SOURCE Elsevier
The 75 th Commemoration events will take place Dec. 1-11, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The annual commemoration, themed "Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future," honors the sacrifices made by military personnel and civilians, while fostering reflection, remembrance and understanding. The 11-day program includes a variety of ceremonies, including memorials dedicated to the USS Utah and the USS Oklahoma.

"On behalf of the 75th Commemoration Committee, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation for this very generous donation," said Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, Retired U.S. Navy and 75th Commemoration Committee Chair. "This donation will help us provide an opportunity for the remaining Pearl Harbor survivors and World War II veterans to come together and experience firsthand the appreciation of the American people for their sacrifices."

Other 75th Commemoration events feature the "Blackened Canteen" reconciliation ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial; a luncheon honoring the units of Americans of Japanese ancestry; a Pearl Harbor documentary film premiere; a Pearl Harbor Survivor Gala Tribute; and a live concert featuring Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

"My grandfather and our founder, Jack Taylor, named our company Enterprise as a salute to one of the World War II aircraft carriers on which he served  the USS Enterprise," said Foundation Vice President and Executive Director Carolyn Kindle Betz. "So our support for this Pearl Harbor anniversary has special meaning for the entire Enterprise family, particularly since Jack died earlier this year. We are always proud to honor those who have served."

Military Heritage and Support

Enterprise has been widely recognized for its ongoing support of veterans and reservists, including designations as a Military Friendly Employer from the publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine for the past four years, Top Veteran-Friendly Company by U.S. Veterans Magazine, Best for Vets: Employers by the Military Times publishing organization and Most Valuable Employer for Military by CivilianJobs.com.

Today, military veterans and members of the guard and reserves comprise nearly 13 percent of the company's total U.S. workforce. In fact, Enterprise is one of more than 230 companies associated with the Veterans Jobs Mission, which brings together companies committed to hiring U.S. military veterans and military spouses. Since joining the coalition in 2012, Enterprise has added nearly 8,000 military veterans to its staff.

In addition, just last month Enterprise was inducted into the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). This Department of Defense program connects military spouses with partner employers committed to recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining military spouses. Earlier this year, Enterprise also was recognized as the No. 7 Military Friendly Spouse Employer from the publishers of G.I. Jobs magazine. Enterprise employs more than 1,100 military spouses.

In 2005, Enterprise received Five-Star recognition in the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support Program, and was recognized with the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award  the highest honor given by the U.S. government to employers that support their employees' service in the National Guard and Reserve.

In 2012, Enterprise was honored for the second time as a Freedom Award Nominee by the ESGR, and was one of only two Missouri companies to receive the first Extraordinary Employer Support Award from the ESGR for sustained support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. In fact, Enterprise pays the salary differential for employees on active duty, so they continue to receive full pay during their service.

Last year, the Enterprise Foundation committed $3 million to the Fisher House Foundation. Fisher House is a nonprofit organization that operates more than 60 locations across the country to provide free lodging and airfare for family members of wounded service members while they receive medical care.

For more information about careers at Enterprise, visit go.enterpriseholdings.com. The website also provides more information about the company's military heritage and ongoing support of veterans.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444222

SOURCE Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
Each of these recipes features a different variety of cheese as the essential ingredient for success. These decadent, elegant apps, which can be prepared in minutes, are sure to be party favorites. Find more ideas for serving up an elegant, yet simple menu your guests will love at MilkMeansMore.org .

Holiday Baked Brie Recipe created by Foxes Love Lemons on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 14 minutes Servings: 8







2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced



kosher salt



ground black pepper

1 Brie round (8 ounces)

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

1/4 cup shelled pistachios



crackers or toasted bread

Heat oven to 350 F.

In large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 8-10 minutes, or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

Place Brie on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking pan; drizzle with honey. Transfer to oven and bake 5-7 minutes, or until inside of cheese is softened, but outside remains intact.

Transfer Brie to serving platter; top with pomegranate arils, pistachios and mushrooms.

Serve immediately with crackers or bread.

Butternut Squash Queso Dip Recipe created by Rachel Cooks on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 10







12 ounces butternut squash puree, frozen

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 finely diced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (10 ounces) petite diced tomatoes and green chiles

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Place unwrapped squash in microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave 5 minutes at 50 percent power, or until thawed.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.

Add squash, tomatoes, cumin and chili powder, and bring to boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low and add cheese. Stir until melted and serve immediately.

Parmesan Crisps with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Recipe created by Art From My Table on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 8







6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

8 basil leaves

8 sun-dried tomatoes, jarred

Heat oven to 375 F.

On baking sheet, make eight flat circles out of 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese each. Bake cheese 5 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden.

Using metal spatula, remove crisps from pan immediately, placing on rack or plate to cool.

Place vinegar and sugar in small saucepan and boil until mixture is reduced to about 1/4 cup and is thickened.

Top each crisp with 1 fresh basil leaf and 1 sun-dried tomato. Drizzle balsamic reduction over top.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushroom Caps Recipe created by The Lemon Bowl on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Servings: 24







24 large mushrooms, stemmed and reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup minced onion

1 pinch chili flakes

1 pinch minced scallions

Heat oven to 350 F and place mushroom caps in single layer on baking sheet lined with foil.

Mince reserved mushroom stems and heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and mushroom stems to pan along with salt and pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to pan and cook until heated through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in large mixing bowl. Stir in feta cheese and onion. Adjust seasoning, to taste.

Using small cookie scoop, add 2 tablespoons filling to each mushroom cap. Bake mushrooms 20-25 minutes, or until mushroom caps are softened. Sprinkle with chili flakes and minced scallions to serve.

Michael French

[email protected]

1-888-824-3337

editors.familyfeatures.com

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate

Established in 1974, Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle content for print and online publications. Our articles, photos, videos and web content solutions save you time, money and help create advertising opportunities. Registration is fast and free  with absolutely no obligation. Visit editors.familyfeatures.com for more information.

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SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate

Related Links

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), the global trade association representing the payments technology world, has partnered with ControlScan, a trusted security and compliance partner to the payments industry and ETA member, to release new payments research data from a joint survey examining point-of-sale (POS) technology adoption among small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).

Nearly 250 SMBs completed the ControlScan-ETA POS Technology Adoption survey, providing insight into how they navigate the decision-making process when purchasing or upgrading technology for consumer payment acceptance.

"We're excited about our latest partnership with ETA member ControlScan and the ability to provide this important information to our members," said Del Baker Robertson, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at ETA. "Providing this kind of front line data from merchants to our members can be a strategic benefit, and it's one of the many benefits of ETA membership."

ControlScan and ETA first debuted their POS Technology Adoption survey at ETA's TRANSACT Tech event in San Francisco, November 10. You can find more information at 3:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 7, when ControlScan and the ETA host a live webinar to provide a deeper look into the survey's findings and associated learning outcomes. The webinar is complimentary for both ETA members and ControlScan customers, as well as $99 for non-members. For more information -- and to register -- visit http://www.electran.org/webinar-december-7-2016-more-than-cost-new-concerns-driving-pos-technology-adoption/.

About ETA

The Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) is the global trade association representing more than 500 payments and technology companies. ETA members make commerce possible by processing more than $5 trillion in purchases in the U.S. and deploying payments innovations to merchants and consumers. For more information, visit www.electran.org.

About ControlScan

ControlScan is the Managed Security Service Provider with a difference: We take a proactive approach to protecting businesses from cyber threats while helping ensure their compliance with security and privacy standards like PCI DSS and HIPAA/HITECH. Our unified security and compliance solutions deliver confidence to millions of businesses as well as the IT professionals who serve them. Merchant service providers and web hosting companies also partner with us to reduce cybercrime-related business risk. Based in Atlanta, ControlScan is venture backed and supported by a worldwide base of customers, partners and strategic alliances. For more information about our company and solutions, please visit ControlScan.com or call 800-825-3301, ext. 2.

CONTACT: Emma Stoneall, 202-677-7415, [email protected]

SOURCE ETA

Related Links

http://www.electran.org


ROANOKE, Va., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood Cinema in Martinsville, Virginia played host to the premiere of "EVARB," (http://www.evarbmovie.com/) an ambitious feature film written and directed by 13-year-old Audrey Hope. The response was enthusiastic, to say the least. Now, Audrey and her team at TBE Studios are looking for an individual or company willing to help distribute the film globally and to fund the production of a sequel. A trailer for this imaginative and original fantasy adventure is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEt50d2So4.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443608

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443607



Although the target audience for "EVARB" is tweens and teens, adults have been equally enthralled. "This is the best quality local film I've seen," remarked Star News anchor Charles Roark. "I appreciated that Hope handled gore in a tasteful manner and that she represented the community well," added Jennifer Doss, Martinsville Director of Tourism.

TBE Studios, the production company behind "EVARB," calls the film a "true recipe for success" in the way it connects with viewers in every age group. The company was founded in February 2016, when Hope was only 12. Since then, the TBE Studios team has worked tirelessly to bring the young writer and director's vision to the big screen. The company believes this debut film will be the first of many.

"I've always had a passion for storytelling," explained Hope. "I love technology, reading and acting, and I've been writing and directing plays for my family and friends for as long as I can remember."

"EVARB" takes the audience on an adventure with three children who discover a secret passage while cleaning an attic. The passage transports them to a faraway realm called EVARB, where they encounter a group of native children. The leaders of this native group explain that the arrival of three children from another land was foretold in a prophecy. According to the prophecy, these visitors have the power to pull mysterious diamonds from the ground. What none of them know is that scientists have been sending three gifted children to EVARB every 100 years to study their brains, with the motive of creating the perfect world leader. How these threads intertwine and resolve themselves is the story of "EVARB."

TBE Studios is already in the process of drafting the script for the sequel to "EVARB," along with a second feature film entitled "Lincoln and Me." The release date for "Lincoln and Me" will be in summer 2017.

About TBE Studios

TBE Studios is the producing studio of the films "EVARB" and "Clue." The studio creates feature films, short films and shows.

Contact:

Tonya Bredamus, Producer

(323) 247-7365

[email protected]

SOURCE TBE Studios
BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While AT&T's recently announced plans to acquire media giant Time Warner is drawing the attention of federal antitrust authorities, the company's political connections greatly enhance its chances of completing the deal, says a Florida Atlantic University professor who has studied decades of mergers and acquisitions.

"I would say that the probability that the merger will get past regulators is relatively high," said David Javakhadze, assistant professor of finance in FAU's College of Business. "We found that having these political connections greatly improves the firm's chances of closing the deal."

Javakhadze co-authored a new study with colleagues Stephen P. Ferris, Ph.D., director of the Financial Research Institute at the University of Missouri, and Reza Houston, Ph.D., assistant professor at Indiana State University, that found appointing former politicians and regulators to boards of directors or management teams influences corporate mergers and acquisitions and improves the financial performance of the acquiring companies.

AT&T is certainly politically connected, counting among its executives and board of directors a former deputy U.S. Trade representative with the rank of ambassador; a former special advisor in the White House; a former chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission; and a former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

The study found that corporations with political connections are more likely to acquire the companies they bid on and avoid regulatory delay or denial. Returns during the announcement period show that investors recognize that bids by politically connected acquirers are more likely to create firm value.

Examining the effect that the addition of a politically connected individual to a firm's management team/board of directors has on the merger behavior of a sample of publicly traded companies, they manually went over proxy statements from every firm, going back decades. They also found there is an increase in bid and acquisition activity after former politicians or regulators are appointed to a firm's board or management team.

"This might be due to the unique insights regarding issues such as regulatory process and delay, government contracting needs and procedures, or pending legislation that these political connections can provide to the acquiring firm," they wrote in their paper, "Friends in the Right Places: The Effect of Political Connections on Corporate Merger Activity," published in the Journal of Corporate Finance.

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SOURCE Florida Atlantic University College of Business

Related Links

http://fau.edu


HELSINKI and ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Finnair and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a first-of-its-kind agreement to utilize iOS enterprise apps from IBM to support the airline's overall digital transformation.

Finnair is adopting multiple enterprise iOS apps to digitally transform the airline's operations in a first-of-its-kind agreement with IBM. Finnair is the first organization to take advantage of IBM's new app design and development model called Mobile at Scale for iOS, allowing clients to deploy multiple iOS apps over a multi-year period. The airline will roll out IBM MobileFirst for iOS Assign Tech in early 2017, shown here on an iPad.

Finnair is focused on Asia-Europe traffic, carrying over 10 million customers annually and connecting 70 European destinations with 17 Asian mega-cities and three North-American cities via its Helsinki hub. In preparation for growth, Finnair has recruited more than 500 employees, rolled out new aircraft and launched new routes this year. Now, Finnair seeks to improve its processes and enhance the customer experience through digital transformation.

"Our collaboration with Apple and IBM is an important building block in our digital transformation," says Katri Harra-Salonen, Chief Digital Officer, Finnair. "We want to link our employees with the insights they need to make better decisions. This collaboration enables a user focused, high quality, yet cost effective way of developing digital solutions, helping us to improve the way we operate as an airline."

First applications from the collaboration will be deployed in Finnair Technical Operations in aircraft line maintenance in the beginning of 2017.

"We see a wealth of opportunities for improving productivity as well as adding value to the work flow of our employees, by improving real-time visibility and transparency across the entire maintenance process," says Jari Huhtinen, Head of Finnair Technical Operations. "Our mechanics team participated in the application creation work with Apple and IBM to ensure the best possible design, user experience and fit into our organizational processes."

Finnair is the first organization to take advantage of IBM's new app design and development model for clients that plan to adopt multiple iOS apps, called Mobile at Scale for iOS. This integrated approach, unique to IBM MobileFirst for iOS, increases the speed, efficiency and quality of how iOS apps are designed, developed, deployed, enhanced and maintained over their lifecycle.

The airline has a team in the IBM MobileFirst for iOS Garage dedicated to rapidly executing Finnair projects. The MobileFirst for iOS Garage operates as a global hub for the development of iOS, enabling Finnair to tap into the world's largest concentration of Swift developers, design, integration and iOS device expertise along with consulting services. The Garage team can deliver initial apps in weeks that are tailored to meet Finnair's enterprise needs and the user requirements of its employees This integrated approach brings consistency to the project, saving 25 percent of development effort, cost and time.

The apps will be managed and hosted on IBM Cloud allowing Finnair to implement multiple apps at speed and at scale, transforming everyday tasks for employees across the organization. The apps combine simplicity with the power of analytics to generate insight for more informed decision-making and better management.

"Finnair is innovating and setting an example -- not just for its industry, but for all enterprises. Rather than using mobile in silos, the airline is looking to IBM's industry expertise and solutions to digitize the entire airline," said Raimon Christiani, global industry leader IBM Travel & Transportation. "Finnair has access to IBM's full portfolio of MobileFirst for iOS apps and if there's something else it needs to empower employees and provide Finnair passengers a more seamless travel experience, we can build it."

The first apps to be rolled out within the agreement are:

Inspect & Turn provides aircraft mechanics with digital task cards and documentation with analytics-driven recommendations to complete work assignments to ensure the safe upkeep of aircraft and achievement of on-time arrival and departure targets.

provides aircraft mechanics with digital task cards and documentation with analytics-driven recommendations to complete work assignments to ensure the safe upkeep of aircraft and achievement of on-time arrival and departure targets. Assign Tech provides aircraft mechanic supervisors a clear overview of ight schedules, maintenance process and mechanic availability. Using advanced analytics, the app recommends optimal shift assignments and incorporates the skills and certications of each mechanic. Push notications also alert supervisors to ight delays process issues, so they can easily make changes on the y.

About Finnair

Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually and connecting 17 cities in Asia with more than 70 destinations in Europe. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years running. Finnair is a member of one world, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travelers. www.finnair.com

About IBM

For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com/services/gbs.

For more information regarding IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps and services please visit www.ibm.com/mobilefirst/us/en/mobilefirst-for-ios.html or www.apple.com/business/mobile-enterprise-apps/.

CONTACTS:

Jeannine Kilbride

IBM Media Relations

1 (860) 997-6277

[email protected]

Juha-Pekka Lehto

IBM Finland

+358 (09) 459 5900

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443763

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

http://www.ibm.com


RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Mortgage Insurance1, an operating segment of Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW), today released results from a survey of industry executives conducted at the 2016 Mortgage Bankers Association ("MBA") Annual Convention and Expo in Boston, MA. Key findings showed that 50 percent of industry executives believe underwriting standards are overly restrictive, compared with 61 percent of respondents at the 2014 MBA Annual Convention and Expo in Las Vegas. The findings, detailed below, also measure sentiment on affordability challenges, regulatory requirements, industry headwinds and technology.

"This year's survey data is consistent with the industry's emphasis on improving credit access for more home-ready homebuyers," said Rohit Gupta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Genworth Mortgage Insurance. "While there is certainly more to be done on this front, we are pleased by the gradual progress we have seen over the past two years."

Underwriting: Industry begins acknowledging easing of credit standards

Fifty percent of respondents believe overly tight underwriting standards are hurting homeownership opportunities for U.S. homebuyers, while 12 percent feel that tighter underwriting restrictions are still needed. The remaining 38 percent believe the current standards are appropriate.

When presented with the same question in Genworth Mortgage Insurance's survey during the MBA's Annual Convention and Expo in 2014, 61 percent believed overly strict underwriting was harming the dream of homeownership, while 25 percent supported tighter underwriting restrictions and 14 percent viewed the standards at the time as appropriate. The 24 percentage point increase in executives who believe the current standards are appropriate reflects a higher comfort level with today's credit environment.

Affordability: High down-payment requirements, stringent credit requirements, viewed as pricing out the first-time homebuyer

Despite improving credit access, many potential homebuyers are still being priced out of the purchase market and the industry is divided on the root cause. Thirty-seven percent of respondents cited high down-payment requirements as the biggest driver. Thirty-three percent cited stringent credit requirements, and an additional 30 percent believe a shortage of single family homes for sale was the greatest obstacle.

Regulatory: Respondents believe that GSE Borrower Requirements on 97% LTV Loans could be eased

Seventy-one percent of respondents view the impact of borrower requirements placed by the GSEs, or government-sponsored enterprises, on 97% LTV loans either negatively because they restrict mortgage credit (which in turn shrinks the purchase market) or neutrally because they haven't had a major impact on originations. The remaining 29 percent view the impact as positive because they help mitigate risk for originations. These results suggest that respondents still think that more can be done to prudently expand the credit box.

Industry Headwinds: Increased compliance burdens and access to credit viewed as the biggest threats to the housing industry

Forty-five percent of respondents identified increased compliance burdens as the biggest threat to the housing industry over the next 12 months. An additional 32 percent cited borrower access to credit as the biggest threat, 20 percent believe the biggest threat is the current rising rate environment, and three percent cited lack of progress on GSE reform as the most severe industry threat.

Notably, Genworth asked this same question at the 2015 MBA Annual Convention and Expo in San Diego, with almost identical results (about one percent variation on all four responses). This shows that, one year after the October 2015 implementation of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) regulation and approximately one year ahead of the new Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) amendments to Regulation C set to take effect in January 2018, we are still in a period of regulatory evolution that is top of mind for our industry.

Technology: Overwhelming support for automation in mortgage origination

Ninety-one percent of respondents believe increased automation in the mortgage origination process will have a positive impact that facilitates and accelerates originations while improving accuracy on application forms. An additional eight percent have not seen a major resulting change in either direction, and one percent viewed automation as a negative that will hurt originations and overlook red flags in borrower profiles. As industry demand increases for faster turn times and more streamlined originations, so too will the demand for firms with top technological infrastructure.

"As an industry," Gupta continued, "we have implemented significant improvements in our technological infrastructure and we are poised to see positive steps on housing policy. It is important that our industry maintain a strong ongoing dialogue that maximizes these improvements and supports the strengthening purchase market."

Methodology: The survey of 226 mortgage professionals was administered in person at the Mortgage Bankers Annual Convention and Expo in Boston, MA, from October 24-25, 2016.

About Genworth Financial, Inc.

Genworth Financial, Inc. is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004. For more information, visit genworth.com.

From time to time, Genworth Financial, Inc. releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information is found under the "Investors" section of genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth's publicly traded subsidiaries, Genworth MI Canada Inc. and Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited, separately release financial and other information about their operations. This information can be found at http://genworth.ca and http://www.genworth.com.au.

1 All mortgage guaranty insurance is underwritten by Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corporation.

SOURCE Genworth Mortgage Insurance

Related Links

https://www.genworth.com


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GetInsured, a market leader in individual health insurance ecommerce, announced today that it has acquired Array Health, a leading provider of group health insurance ecommerce technology. Together, the companies will make it possible for insurers, employers, state governments and benefits brokers to deliver a superior consumer experience through a single, scalable ecommerce solution that supports group, individual and Medicare health enrollment.

This transaction unites two best-of-breed technologies to deliver one of the most complete solutions on the market. The two companies first partnered in 2015 to bring GetInsured's individual exchange capabilities to the insurer market through the Array Health product suite.

"Our vision has always been to help consumers purchase a health insurance plan that fits their personal needs, no matter which type of health insurance they may need," said Chini Krishnan, GetInsured's CEO and co-founder. "This acquisition strengthens our mission and answers the need of employers for an all-in-one solution that addresses group, individual and Medicare options. As a combined entity, we are a formidable force in the evolving digital health and insurance technology markets, leveraging the strengths of our technological innovations, delivery infrastructure and services to more effectively serve both consumers and businesses."

Krishnan will remain CEO of the combined company. Array Health co-founder and CEO Jonathan Rickert will serve as senior vice president and general manager of the Insurer Business Unit.

"Gartner, in its April 2016 Market Guide for U.S. Healthcare Payer Private Exchange Technology, noted that consolidation in the private exchange market would occur as vendors sought to achieve scale and proficiency in a highly competitive market," said Rickert. "This acquisition was the next logical step for GetInsured and Array Health, enabling us to maximize our respective strengths and innovative technologies to deliver flexible solutions for our customers."

With this acquisition, GetInsured is well positioned to address the fundamental changes taking place in the health insurance market, as the traditional role of providers and insurers evolve with the advent of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and provider-sponsored plans. The company will be able to offer a single platform that is capable of supporting members as they transition through individual, group and Medicare plans as their lives change.

The company's headquarters will be in Mountain View, Calif., while engineering, product management, sales and services in support of the insurer line of business will be based in Seattle. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

About GetInsured

GetInsured is a cloud-based health insurance exchange platform that combines modern technology and customer service capabilities to make health insurance shopping easy and efficient. Since its founding in 2005, GetInsured has helped millions of consumers find the right health plan for their needs and budgets. GetInsured is approved by the federal government to enroll Americans in subsidized health insurance plans, and also provides state governments and employers with SaaS-based technology solutions for public and private health insurance exchanges. For more information, please visit www.GetInsured.com.

About Array Health

Array Health brings consumers and insurers closer together by powering a personalized health insurance experience. Its cloud-based ecommerce software platform enables health insurers to deliver their own branded online exchange  including ecommerce support throughout the value chain of brokers, employers and consumers, across all lines of business. The company's technology gives employers a new way to control costs and personalizes the health insurance experience for consumers, enabling them to make more informed decisions and to more deeply engage in their health. Array Health is a privately held company based in Seattle. To learn more, visit arrayhealth.com.

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SOURCE GetInsured

Related Links

https://www.getinsured.com


HYDERABAD, India, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the report "Global Antivenoms Market", published by Market Data Forecast, the global market is projected to reach USD 1,493.2 million by 2021, at a CAGR of 6.12% from 2016 to 2021.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160913/406914LOGO )

Antivenom is described as the biological product that detoxifies poisoning of venomous bites. Theses venomous bites result in clinical conditions such as secretion of excessive saliva, muscle weakness, breathing problems, and other difficulties that may lead to death also. It has been estimated that, approximately 100,000 people die worldwide with snake bites annually. And there is growing demand by public organizations in the most effected regions like Sub-African and Asia-Pacific regions to consider the snake bites as one of the neglected disease by WHO.

Review report description @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-antivenom-market-1580/

Increasing government initiations to promote the development of high quality antivenom products, presence of highest number of snake bite victims (especially from Asia & Africa regions), and estimated pipeline products launch are driving the growth of global Antivenom Market. In addition, growing of deaths from venomous animal's bites and increasing research to develop advanced antivenom products are further stimulating the growth of global Antivenom Market.

Download free sample report @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-antivenom-market-1580/request-sample

However, withdrawal of antivenom products from the market by players like Sanofi, insufficient funding to develop the antivenom products to meet demand, high cost of the products, regulatory complexities, and high costs of maintaining livestock for antivenom production are hampering the growth of global Antivenom Market.

The Antivenoms Market is segmented as following:

Based on Application:

Homologous Hyperimmune Sera

Heterologous Hyperimmune Sera

Monovalent

Polyvalent

Based on Product Type:

Snakes

Scorpions

Spiders

Others

Geographical Segmentation:

Some of the key market players operating in the Antivenoms market include Instituto Bioclon, S.A. de C.V. (Mexico), CSL Limited (Australia), Pfizer AG (Switzerland), Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Rare Disease Therapeutics, Inc. (U.S.), Vins Bioproducts Limited (India), Incepta Vaccine Ltd. (Bangladesh), BTG Plc (U.K.), and Bharat Serum and Vaccines Limited (BSV) (India).



Enquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-antivenom-market-1580/inquire

The Antivenoms market study offers the following deliverables:

Global, regional and country-level analysis and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped

and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Segment-level analysis in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail

in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail Identification of key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges (DROC) in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics

in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors that affect the global market; which includes broadly demographic, economics, and political, among other macro-environmental factors presented in an extensive PESTLE Analysis

Study the micro environment factors that determine the overall profitability of an Industry, using Porter ' s five forces analysis for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development

for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development A comprehensive list of key market players along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment

along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment Competitive landscape analysis listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies

listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies An executive summary , abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis and main conclusions

, abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis and main conclusions Expertly devised analyst overview along with Investment opportunities to provide both individuals and organizations a strong financial foothold in the market

Checkout other related studies in the Therapeutics Segment:

Biopharmaceuticals Market: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-bio-pharmaceuticals-market-633/

Biosimilars Market: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-biosimilars-market-1142/

Monoclonal Antibodies Market: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-monoclonal-antibodies-market-1184/

Antibodies Market: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-antibodies-market-1177/

Immunotherapy Drugs Market: http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/global-immunotherapy-drugs-market-1156/

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SOURCE Market Data Forecast
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunter Roberts Construction Group (Hunter Roberts) is pleased to announce the firm has transformed the landmark Childs Restaurant building, located on the historic Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk, into the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center. Ford Amphitheater, the new home of the Coney Island Summer Concert Series and New York City's first outdoor concert venue, opened on July 1. Restoration of the restaurant building was completed September 2016. The project will be seeking LEED Silver certification.

The Modernization of a Boardwalk Landmark

Hunter Roberts was contracted by iStar Financial to complete the rehabilitation of the Childs Restaurant building, along with a 5,000 SF bi-level roof patio. The Landmarked facades required fenestration, significant masonry and stucco restoration, parapet and roof bulkhead repairs, and replacement of the roofing system. New construction includes bathrooms, common corridors, storage rooms, and back-of-house areas common to performance venues. A large cut was made into the unfinished brick side of the building to accommodate a 60-foot by 40-foot stage, requiring structural steel and metal decking installation. Built in 1923, the Childs Restaurant building is known for its Spanish Revival style architecture and elaborate terra cotta ornamentation.

Creating an Innovative Amphitheater

The 5,000-seat venue, the cornerstone of the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center, will host concerts, comedy shows, sports, and multicultural events. The amphitheater's seating area is covered by a tensile fabric roof membrane, anchored by several structural steel arches. Before soil was imported and graded to create the outdoor seating and park, existing underground utilities were relocated and a retaining wall, new water piping, electrical utilities, telecom, and sanitary and storm water piping were installed. New improvements include site landscaping, event and house lighting, an outdoor audio/visual system, temporary point-of-sale booths, benches, signage, and park play areas.

SOURCE Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Through personal stories, the documentary details what having a BRCA gene mutation means. Experts explain the science behind how a BRCA gene mutation puts both women and men at increased risk for developing certain cancers.

The film also highlights the message that men can also carry a BRCA gene mutation. We see what Producer and Director Alan M. Blassberg must face as a BRCA 2 positive man. Blassberg says, "Most men don't realize that hereditary breast cancer is not only a woman's disease. In fact, men are more likely to die from it because they are unaware of their risk and they don't have genetic counseling or genetic testing. Throughout the film we capture what men with breast cancer and a BRCA gene mutation deal with in such a pink world."

Dr. Kristi Funk, Angelina Jolie's breast surgeon and co-founder of Pink Lotus Breast Center, speaks passionately about the need for awareness, and thus prevention. The film also includes world-renowned specialists on hereditary cancer: Dr. Armando Giuliano, Surgical oncologist Cedars-Sinai Medical Center/Los Angeles, Dr. Susan Domchek, Executive Director Basser Research Center for BRCA/Penn Medicine, and Dr. Alan Ashworth, Director of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center/San Francisco.

"Cancer risk decision-making is deeply personal and what is right for one person may not be right for another. Pink & Blue provides education and knowledge which empowers both men and women, alongside their doctors, to make informed healthcare decisions that feel right for them," said Amy Byer Shainman, Executive Producer of Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer.

Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer

Produced and Directed By Alan M. Blassberg

Executive Producer Amy Byer Shainman

Producer Marc Romeo

Producer Daniel Lawrence Abrams

Editor Becca Berry

Initial funding for the film was raised through a Kickstarter campaign.

Connect with the Pink and Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer

Website: pinkandbluemovie.com

Facebook: facebook.com/pinkandbluemovie

Twitter: @pinkandbluedoc

Instagram: @pinkandbluemovie

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161128/443276

SOURCE Pink & Blue, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.pinkandbluemovie.com


AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as every relationship is unique, so is the diamond that celebrates that binding love. In recognition of this, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry has launched Chosen by Jared a collection of beautiful loose diamonds that are procured, cut and polished by the diamond experts exclusively at Jared.

Each of the hand-selected diamonds in the Chosen by Jared collection has a story to be told. A passionate and dedicated team at Jared manages the meticulous process of revealing the perfection of each diamond from its selection to the moment it is placed on her finger.

Jared has access to the largest suppliers of rough diamonds in the world, and its talented team begins the process by evaluating the potential of each stone. Expert diamontoloigists then use innovative technology to peer inside, unlocking the beauty of the diamond. Finally, master craftsmen intricately cut and polish the stone by hand to present its finest attributes.

The journey each diamond goes through, from cutting through polishing, is captured in a series of four photographs that are presented in a keepsake book which accompanies each purchase. The book can be personalized to link the couple's journey to that of their diamond, making this a ring and an experience uniquely their own. Digital images of the cutting and polishing process are also available online for the couple to share with friends and family.

"We are very excited to introduce the Chosen by Jared collection to our guests as the latest example of how Jared is truly able to turn feelings into beautiful and meaningful jewelry," said Stuart Lee, executive vice president, merchandising, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry. "In addition to the unique and innovative personal element that Chosen by Jared offers, we are also proud to present a collection that is reflective of truly high quality craftsmanship. We handle each diamond in the collection through the cutting and polishing process, which is managed in our own facility, to ensure that it receives the dedication befitting a gift that celebrates our guest's most important relationships."

To learn more about Chosen by JaredTM, or to find a Jared store in your area, visit www.ChosenByJared.com.

About Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry

Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry, the leading off-mall destination specialty retail jewelry chain in the US, is operated by Signet Jewelers Limited, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Signet Jewelers operates approximately 3,600 stores. For additional information on Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry visit www.Jared.com, like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JaredTheGalleriaOfJewelry ) or follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ThatsJared ) .

SOURCE Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry

Related Links

http://www.Jared.com


GOSHEN, Ind., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to strong demand for its products, Keystone RV Company, a subsidiary of Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE: THO) announced that it has broken ground for the construction of two new manufacturing plants. The two plants, which will total 200,000 square feet, will be located on the south side of Keystone's Goshen campus. Working in conjunction with local contractors to enhance the speed of the construction process, Keystone expects the new facilities to be completed during the early first half of calendar 2017  months ahead of the usual construction time. Once fully staffed, the new plants will employ 250-300 additional workers.

According to Keystone RV CEO Matt Zimmerman, the addition of these new manufacturing plants will help the Company stay ahead of growing demand for its products while maintaining rigorous quality standards. Says Zimmerman, "We have seen tremendous growth in demand for our travel trailers and fifth wheels over the past year, driven by our relentless pursuit of innovation in each of our product lines. Our dealers have been doing a tremendous job of attracting new buyers and generating repeat sales for Keystone. To meet emerging demand, we have decided to approach our capacity needs in a way that ensures we can produce the high volumes the market demands while maintaining the high level of quality that Keystone is known for. This sizeable investment in manufacturing capacity and in our people will help ensure that we are prepared to deliver the products our dealers need, when they need them, at the quality our customers expect."

With the addition of these two new plants, total Keystone RV Company Northern Indiana employment will be approximately 4,800, a record high for the company. Add to this approximately 700 employees at the Company's facilities in Pendleton, Oregon, and total Keystone RV Company employment is about 5,500. Keystone will now have 40 total production and support facilities with 32 of those facilities located in Indiana.

SOURCE Keystone RV Company
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE: LCI) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the company a 90-day extension to submit documentation concerning its Methylphenidate Hydrochloride (HCl) Extended-Release (ER) Tablets. The new deadline for submitting the supporting documentation is March 20, 2017.

It is hoped that the extension will allow the Agency sufficient time to provide the underlying documents on which its decision was based. Lannett filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for those supporting documents. Based on the additional information Lannett will provide, FDA will decide whether to grant a hearing to evaluate the issue further. As announced on October 19, 2016, the Company received a notice from the FDA that it will seek to withdraw approval of the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Methylphenidate HCl ER Tablets. That decision is reportedly based on a revised Agency methodology for evaluating bioequivalence of extended release formulations of the drug.

"We submitted our request for the hearing and began preparing our supporting documentation," said Arthur Bedrosian, chief executive officer of Lannett. "We remain confident that our Methylphenidate ER products are safe and effective. They should continue to be marketed to preserve patient and prescriber choice, and to maintain an affordable alternative drug on the market."

About Lannett Company, Inc.

Lannett Company, founded in 1942, develops, manufactures, packages, markets and distributes generic pharmaceutical products for a wide range of medical indications. For more information, visit the company's website at www.lannett.com.

This news release contains certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or future business performance. Any such statements, including, but not limited to, the FDA granting a hearing, a successful outcome of the hearing and future sales of the company's Methylphenidate ER products, whether expressed or implied, are subject to risks and uncertainties which can cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors which include, but are not limited to, the difficulty in predicting the timing or outcome of FDA or other regulatory approvals or actions, the ability to successfully commercialize products upon approval, including acquired products, and Lannett's estimated or anticipated future financial results, future inventory levels, future competition or pricing, future levels of operating expenses, product development efforts or performance, and other risk factors discussed in the company's Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this news release. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact: Robert Jaffe

Robert Jaffe Co., LLC

(424) 288-4098

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150417/199461LOGO

SOURCE Lannett Company, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lannett.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Levine Cancer Institute (LCI) is pleased to announce that Declan Walsh, MD, has joined the Institute as the new Chair of Medical Support Services. Dr. Walsh will lead the Department of Supportive Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute. Upon completion of the Institute's ongoing $150 million expansion, his department will have new and updated facilities within The Center for Supportive Care and Survivorship. Under his direction, LCI will build upon its strong foundation of exceptional clinical care, continuing to lead the way in the fields of survivorship, medical oncology, palliative medicine, cancer rehabilitation, and nutrition. As a pioneer in palliative medicine, Dr. Walsh developed the first palliative care program in the United States in 1987.

Prior to joining Levine Cancer Institute, Dr. Walsh held a joint Chair as the Fottrell Professor of Palliative Medicine in the medical schools at both Trinity and University Colleges in Dublin, Ireland. Previously, he served at the Cleveland Clinic in senior leadership positions. He has received the John Mendelsohn Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center and was a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, UK. He has served on the boards of professional organizations in the U.S. and Europe and was given a lifetime achievement award by the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer and a Visionary Award by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

"We are very pleased to be welcoming Declan Walsh to our team at Levine Cancer Institute," said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, president of Levine Cancer Institute. "We feel confident that he will provide the Institute with the means to build existing survivorship and supportive care programs to new heights, and are excited that someone of Declan's caliber is leading this critical initiative of our System."

Dr. Walsh obtained his medical degree from University College Dublin, an MSc from the University of Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K., and a Medical Oncology/Pharmacology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. Dr. Walsh is an elected Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Royal Colleges of Physicians in both Edinburgh and London. He is the senior editor of a major textbook entitled Palliative Medicine published by Elsevier. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. He is a trustee of Marie Curie Cancer Care, a major UK cancer charity. In 2017, he will assume the position of Editor-in-Chief for the BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care journal.

"I am honored to be joining Levine Cancer Institute," said Dr. Walsh. "Levine Cancer Institute is one of the most comprehensive and integrated programs in the nation, combining extraordinary care with an unwavering commitment to patients and their families. The Institute's commitment and accomplishments in delivering survivorship and supportive care positions is at the forefront of cancer care and treatment in the U.S."

About Carolinas HealthCare System

Carolinas HealthCare System (www.carolinashealthcare.org), one of the nation's leading healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness services and programs throughout North and South Carolina. Its diverse network includes academic medical centers, hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and behavioral health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services. With more than 60,000 employees, 900 care locations and 11.5 million patient encounters annually, the System drives quality and value by integrating primary care  delivered in a variety of easily accessible settings  with world-class specialty services. In 2015, Carolinas HealthCare System provided more than $1.6 billion in community benefit, which includes the combined value of patient financial assistance, medical education, research, preventive health initiatives, and community outreach to address common public health issues such as diabetes and childhood obesity.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444165LOGO

SOURCE Carolinas HealthCare System

Related Links

http://www.carolinashealthcare.org


Created by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Keep the Promise campaign brings together local and national advocates along with spiritual and political leaders to remind elected officials that the fight against HIV/AIDS and for other social justice issues is not yet won. Through midnight on December 1, 2016 LifeStyles Condoms will ask social media fans, followers, and their circles to unite in the worldwide fight against HIV by having users donate their statuses to AIDS awareness. For each status shared on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #KTP2016, the Company will donate a condom, up to 50,000 condoms, to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

"Education and prevention are crucial aspects for sexual health, and we are proud to once again join forces with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to raise awareness for World AIDS Day," said Carol Carrozza, VP of Sales & Marketing, North America for Ansell. "Now in our third year, we are proud to have donated over 75,000 condoms to AHF, and this year, we hope to further our awareness campaign by increasing engagement with our fans and followers as we continue the fight against HIV/AIDS."

The condom maker will ask participants to craft their own messages using the #KTP2016 hashtag on Facebook and Twitter, and/or share / re-post a graphic from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation or LifeStylesUSA social platforms. Examples include:

Worldwide over 35 million people are living with HIV, but an estimated 19 million of them don't even know it #KTP2016

About 1 in 4 new HIV infections in the U.S. is a young adult aged 13-24 #KTP2016

In the U.S., 1 in 5 gay men living with HIV don't even know it #KTP2016 #WorldAIDSDay

AHF provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 639,000 people in 36 countries around the world  help LifeStyles donate up to 50,000 condoms to the cause by sharing #KTP2016 today

"The AIDS Healthcare Foundation will be celebrating World AIDS Day with a free concert and march in Hollywood, CA featuring Patti LaBelle, Common, Jojo, Espinoza Paz and Harry Belafonte. The event will center around our vow to #KeepThePromise on HIV/AIDS funding as the disease continues to claim the lives of thousands around the globe every year," said AHF Digital Media Manager Rachel Mills. "AHF is grateful to receive this condom donation from LifeStyles in support of our quest to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS through education, advocacy and treatment."

For more information about the campaign, visit: www.AIDSHealth.org or follow:

LifeStyles Condoms on Facebook: Facebook.com/LifeStylesUSA

LifeStyles Condoms on Twitter: @LifeStylesUSA

AIDS Healthcare Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AIDShealth

AIDS Healthcare Foundation on Twitter: @AIDSHealthcare

AIDS Healthcare Foundation on Instagram: http://instagram.com/aidshealthcare

About Ansell

Ansell is a world leader in providing superior health and safety protection solutions that enhance human well-being. With operations in North America, Latin America/Caribbean, EMEA and Asia, Ansell employs nearly 15,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the personal protective equipment and medical gloves market, as well as in the sexual health and well-being category worldwide. Ansell operates in four main business segments: Medical, Industrial, Single Use and Sexual Wellness. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at www.ansell.com.

Ansell,  and  are trademarks owned by Ansell Limited or one of its affiliates. US Patented and US and non-US Patents Pending: www.ansell.com/patentmarking  2016 Ansell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

About the LifeStyles Brand

Based out of Iselin, NJ, the LifeStyles brand was launched in 1985 as a U.S.-based consumer products division of Ansell Limited, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. With over 20 styles of condoms and an assortment of other pleasure products on the market, the brand and its affiliates are some of the leading distributors of sexual health goods in the U.S. and Canada. More information on the LifeStyles brand can be found at www.lifestyles.com.

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 362,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443665

SOURCE Ansell

Related Links

http://www.ansell.com


INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) will deepen its partnership with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Howard University with the inaugural Sybil C. Mobley Scholars Program and the inaugural H. Naylor Fitzhugh Scholars Program. The programs, in part, aim to increase the representation of diverse talent in Lilly's marketing organization.

For many years, Lilly has partnered with Howard University as a corporate sponsor of Howard University's 21 Century Advantage Program (CAP), a program in which Fortune 500 companies adopt teams of freshmen and sophomore students to enhance their business skills and professional development. Participating in 21CAP has allowed Lilly to cultivate top talent and a strong relationship with the university. Lilly has also been a staple partner in the FAMU School of Business and Industry's (SBI) Internship Program for decades as well as a corporate participant in its annual career expos, which has led to the recruitment of talented sales and marketing employees throughout the years.

"Lilly has been supportive of Dean Mobley and SBI since its inception," said Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., at FAMU's School of Business and Industry. "Lilly's innovative Scholars Program is a true example of a great company putting its money where its mouth is."

As a result of its past recruitment success at both schools, Lilly has expanded its strategy to target qualified business and/or marketing students for internships and full-time opportunities.

"We strive to hire the best talent from all backgrounds, so that we can leverage their unique ideas and perspectives to create better solutions for the people we serve," said John Bamforth Ph.D., vice president and chief marketing officer at Lilly USA. "It's critical that our workforce continue to reflect the diverse people whose health and lives we're working to improve."

The Scholars Programs will provide a 10-week internship for up to eight eligible students the summer after their junior year in the Lilly Marketing organization. Upon completion of their internship, students who are offered and accept a full-time job offer at Lilly will receive a $12,500 scholarship to be applied to their senior year tuition, fees, room & board, books, and any other expenses incurred by recipients due to their attendance & enrollment.

"The H. Naylor Fitzhugh Scholars Program is a very special internship program because it provides students with an internship at an exceptional corporation and a scholarship reward," said Dean Barron H. Harvey, Ph.D., at Howard University School of Business.

The internship will be located in Indianapolis, Ind., where Lilly is headquartered.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. C-LLY

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University has produced three Rhodes Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, over 60 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the U.S. To learn more about Howard University, please visit the University's Web site at www.howard.edu.

About FAMU

Founded in 1887, Florida A&M University is among the nation's top producers of African Americans receiving bachelor's degrees. The University has received national recognition for its world-class learning environment offered within its 100 degree programs. The National Science Foundation ranks FAMU as the No. 1 HBCU for research and development expenditures, and U.S. News & World Report lists FAMU as the No.1 public HBCU in the nation. Forbes magazine lists the University as one of America's "Top Colleges" and "Best Research Universities." For more information about FAMU, visit www.famu.edu.

Refer to: Mark Taylor, [email protected], (317) 276-5795 (Lilly)

Kanya S. Stewart, [email protected], (850) 561-2499 (FAMU)

Laura Jack, [email protected], (202) 238-2331 (Howard University)

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

Related Links

http://www.lilly.com


LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of a divisive 2016 presidential campaign, OLIVIA CARE INC., a natural skincare brand based out of Los Angeles, is leading a nationwide effort to bring communities together through charity. The company is seeking to leverage the power of social media to inspire change and, in turn, bring a divided country together.

Local businesses are helping to reunite America - #AmericaCaresChallenge

Olivia Care has launched a social campaign by posing a challenge to all American-owned businesses to do random acts of kindness around their communities, document the experiences, and share them using the hashtag #AmericaCaresChallenge.

The company kicked off the campaign by donating thousands of bars of Savon by Olivia Care soap to charitable organizations across the country, including to over 80 Salvation Army locations.

"America is the greatest country in the world, mainly because of the people and shared American spirit," said Olivia Care's VP Jonathan Abesera. "Yes, it was a vicious election, but it's time to keep moving forward by getting back to what this country is really about and coming together by paying it forward. What better time to start a campaign like this than the holiday season?"

A study conducted by social network Alignable found that charity efforts by small businesses help to foster a strong sense of community, particularly when focused on local needs.

Key findings from the study show that of the small businesses surveyed who plan on giving, 81% plan to give donations in the form of cash, 75% will give goods or services and 67% plan to donate personal time. Human services, such as food banks and shelters, was the top charity of choice for 77% of respondents; 46% will give to youth groups, and 41% will give to community development organizations.

There are many businesses nationwide that already schedule annual donations, but their efforts are rarely known or promoted. The America Cares Challenge provides businesses a platform to share their charitable experiences and inspire others to do the same.

About Olivia Care:

Olivia Care has been providing natural bath and beauty products for over 20 years now, and the company plans on doing so for many years to come. The story of Olivia Care's soap is as simple and pure as the soap itself. The company's name is a play on words for the main ingredient in their famous triple milled French bar soaps  olive oil, which is known to cleanse, heal, and hydrate the skin. Founder Henri Abesera's children, Jonathan and Sarah, have also joined the growing brand, which offers a variety of natural, paraben-free, and cruelty free products.

Source for statistics: Small Business Philanthropy on the Rise conducted by Alignable

https://www.alignable.com/insights/small-business-philanthropy-on-the-rise

Media Contact:

Rob Costello

FYM Agency

609.304.5628

[email protected]

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_RuKgYweBU&t=3s

SOURCE Olivia Care Inc.
"Giving back to our communities is a big part of our culture," said Glenn Spencer, US President and Chief Operating Officer for Lockton, Inc. "So, it is important for us to celebrate Lockton's 50 th anniversary by investing in our future  specifically, children in the communities where we work and live."

Each of Lockton's 80 offices will participate in the initiative, planning volunteer events for Associates that will make a positive and lasting impact on children in their communities. Associates will volunteer with organizations that aim to end child hunger, provide education and career-readiness, improve living conditions, and model healthy relationships.

"Can you imagine the impact we will have when more than 6,000 individuals decide to lend hand to the world's children?" said Mark Henderson, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Lockton Kansas City. "I think it'll be pretty remarkable."

Associates have already begun helping children in their communities. In Kansas City, Associates rehabilitated Gordon Parks Elementary School and performed mock job interviews through Goodwill's Quest Academy. In London, Associates volunteered with Spitalfields City Farm, located in one of the most deprived and densely populated wards, teaching children about growing vegetables and interacting with farm animals.

In Denver, Associates volunteered with Project Homeless Connect, a free resource fair for homeless and at-risk families. In DC, Associates sorted and packaged bags for Capital Area Food Bank's Weekend Bag Program, which provides weekly, kid-friendly bags of groceries for children to ensure they have enough to eat when not at school.

Fifty for 50 will run from November 2016 to November 2017. See the great work our Associates are doing in communities around the globe by searching for the #FiftyFor50 hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. If your organization could benefit from the support of Lockton volunteers, please contact Sara Prochaska or Kristi Scott.

About Lockton

More than 6,000 professionals at Lockton provide 50,000 clients around the world with risk management, insurance, employee benefits consulting, and retirement services that improve their businesses. From its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has attracted entrepreneurial professionals who have driven its growth to become the largest privately held, independent insurance broker in the world and 9th largest overall. For eight consecutive years, Business Insurance magazine has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." To see the latest insights from Lockton's experts, check Lockton Market Update.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444265-INFO

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444264

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444266

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090415/CG99351LOGO

SOURCE Lockton

Related Links

http://www.lockton.com


DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Magic Logix is pleased to announce and welcome Farid Kiblawi as Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Farid will be responsible for the leadership of the Magic Logix sales team, developing new business opportunities, and creating customized solutions to customer needs. Regarding his thoughts on Magic Logix, Farid comments, "At a time when technology is changing ever so rapidly, Magic Logix is positioned as an ideal partner for enterprise companies aiming to optimize their digital marketing strategy and capitalize on new opportunities that technologies present."

Farid, who holds an MBA in Finance from UNT, is a well-known figure in the industry, with 10+ years of experience developing and executing operational strategies that consistently increase brand recognition, sales revenue and profitability. He has a strong passion for both helping people realize their full potential and developing long lasting relationships with the goal of client success. Before taking his position with Magic Logix, Farid held Vice President of Financial Services and Senior Vice President of International Sales positions with a leading online FX and CFD's trading broker.

About Magic Logix

Magic Logix is a transformative marketing technology company that was established to provide services that enable digital personalization of human behavior resulting in consumer action. Since its inception, the company has built a client base that includes a range of high profile brands. With its innovative ideas and responsive technology, Magic Logix prepares clients to meet current and future demands of a new marketing frontier.

Media contact:

Annie Meyer

Magic Logix

2146942162

http://www.magiclogix.com

SOURCE Magic Logix

Related Links

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OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Managed.com is giving back to the developer community by supporting the DNN Summit technology event at the "Title Sponsor" level alongside DNN Software. To help promote and encourage participation in the event, Managed.com has launched a new Free Development Server Program. When a company sponsors DNN Summit at the $299 or more level, Managed.com will give them a free development server.

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Managed.com will provide a free development server to companies that sponsor DNN Summit at the $299 or more level. The free server may be used by developers to create apps and websites for their customers on technology secured in hardened datacenters. This allows developers the ability to show their customers how their development projects will work in a real-world environment.

DNN Summit is an annual event focused around the DotNetNuke / DNN Evoq content management system. With workshops and presentations on development, coding, UX design, technology integrations and marketing strategies, DNN Summit is the premier event for users of the DNN platform.

This will be the second year in a row Managed.com has sponsored the North American DNN event at the highest level.

"It's important to us to give back to the community," said Managed.com President JR Brooks. "These events take an immense amount of work to make successful, and we're happy to help bring them to the community."

This year, Managed.com has taken its top-tier sponsorship duties to the next level. Promising a renewed dedication to the DNN Community, Brooks and his team will give any company that sponsors DNN Summit a free development server.

"We wanted to give back to the developer community that has been so good to us," Brooks said. "We have worked hand-in-hand with developers all 14 years we've been in business. We know the challenges they face. By offering them a free development server, they can develop websites and apps for their customers and roll them out live to the world with ease."

Brooks said all sponsorship money will go directly to DNN Summit and stay with the organization.

"Sponsor a great community event and get a free server. This is a win-win for everyone involved," Brooks said.

The annual DNN event is organized by a dedicated community of developers, designers, marketers, and business owners who work together to help their fellow community members by sharing their knowledge and expertise.

This year's DNN Summit will feature a keynote from Scott Hanselman, Microsoft Evangelist and Web Platform Team Member. Hanselman will discuss "the latest trends impacting the greater web development community and what that means for the future," according to the DNN Summit website.

Formerly known as "Day of DotNetNuke" or "DNNCon," this year's DNN event is the first one going by the new "DNN Summit" moniker. The event will be Jan. 18-23, 2017, in Denver, Colo., at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in downtown Denver.

About Managed.com

Managed.com is one of the largest hosting providers of DotNetNuke / DNN Evoq websites in the world. Through Managed.com, the company provides enterprise-class, fully managed website platforms and infrastructure-as-a-service (IAAS) cloud hosting plans. Famous for its 24/7/365 expert support, Managed.com specializes in business-ready Content Management Systems (CMS), including: DNN, WordPress, Drupal, nopCommerce, elcomCMS and Kentico. Headquartered in Omaha, Neb., the infrastructure and IT support company has multiple datacenters around the world, including: Amsterdam, Brisbane, London and Omaha. Offering both Microsoft Windows and Linux server solutions, the company's multiple, hardened datacenters ensure their customers' sites are always up and running at peak performance. PowerDNN is a part of the Managed.com family of brands. Terms and conditions may apply to the free server offer. You can learn more about Managed.com at: https://managed.com.

About DNN Summit

DNN Summit is the premier event in North America for users of DNN Platform / Evoq CMS. The event includes sessions from industry leaders on a wide-range of topics, including: development, marketing, UI/UX, software integration, and the latest techniques and strategies for developing in and leveraging the DNN platform for business.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).

DotNetNuke, Evoq and DNN are trademarks of DNN Software (DNN), the .NET CMS.

Managed.com and the "Circle M" logo are trademarks of Managed.com.

DNN Summit and the DNN Summit logo are the properties of the DNN Summit Organization.

Contacts

Managed.com

John Ludwig, 877-743-8366, ex 113

Marketing and Communications Team Lead, Senior Writer

[email protected]

SOURCE Managed.com

Related Links

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DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year market leaders across many industries, along with leading HR-centric service providers whose focus is workplace performance, gather in Dallas to celebrate excellence, and innovation in Human Resources.

"Excellence in HR goes beyond a company's policies, attracting skilled and educated candidates, or increasing employee retention," stated Marie Diaz founder & CEO of HR strategic partner, Pursuit Of Excellence.

Mrs. Diaz continued, "HR is the driving force behind the DNA and culture of any company. We recognize, reward, and celebrate those that are nominated by industry peers and partners for their innovative approaches."

Event sponsors include industry leaders such as; Cielo, Cigna, Aon Hewitt, P4S Consulting, HPWP Consulting, Dallas Business Journal, DFW Airport, & Pinnacle Group.

About the Event: The Strategic HR Excellence Awards & Symposium supports the success of the Human Resources industry. This is accomplished by awarding those who have demonstrated "Excellence in Strategy, Innovation, Leadership and Culture" in the North Texas Regional marketplace and sharing their best practices for success. The event is held December 7, 2016, at DFW Hyatt Regency.

About the Host: The Strategic HR Excellence Awards & Symposium is hosted by the Dallas-based Inc. 500 HR outsourcing firm Pursuit of Excellence and founded by their CEO, Marie Diaz in 1994.

Contact:

Della Sumner

[email protected]

10440 N. Central Expressway, Ste 1250

Dallas, Texas 75231

Phone: 214-452-7881

SOURCE Pursuit Of Excellence Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MeasureOne, a higher education data and analytics firm focused on the $1.4 trillion-dollar student loan market, today announced the expansion of its Academic Data Business segment and the addition of Robert Park as Vice President, School Channel and Student Success. In his role at MeasureOne, Park will be responsible for the growth and development of the company's school channel business line strategy, leveraging MeasureOne's unique student performance data and analytics to create value-adding solutions for colleges. As leader of the school channel, Park will assist colleges with data-driven planning, analysis and strategy implementation in order to improve schools' ability to positively impact student performance, educational outcomes and job success.

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Park brings more than 15 years of experience in finance and higher education services with specific expertise in career management and broad exposure across various industries. Prior to joining MeasureOne, he served as the Head of Career Strategy and Professional Development for Social Finance (SoFi) and built the first-of-its-kind career services practice for the lending industry, assisting thousands of SoFi borrowers in securing new job opportunities. Before SoFi, Park was Executive Director and Assistant Dean for the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester where he led the Career Management Center and Corporate Relations department. During his time at the university, the school improved placement metrics more than any other institution among the top 70 in the country. In addition to his experience in career management, Park has also been an entrepreneur, co-founding and leading a talent acquisition firm, a consultant for Arthur Andersen Consulting and an Infantry Officer for the United States Army.

"Bob brings true visionary leadership to MeasureOne, spearheading our growth into student academic performance data and analytics," said Chris Keaveney, president and chief credit officer for MeasureOne. "Our goal is to help colleges improve student outcomes with respect to on-time graduation and employment by turning raw data into actionable information that allows for proactive intervention. Bob will lead these efforts and bridge the communication among colleges and lenders to ensure student success from beginning to end."

Park has a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from SUNY Oswego as well as a Juris Doctorate from Temple University.

About MeasureOne

MeasureOne, founded in San Francisco with offices in Dallas, TX, specializes in data and analytics serving the $1.4 trillion-dollar student loan market, the second largest form of consumer credit in the U.S. The company developed the first and only Private Student Loan Consortium, a data cooperative of the nation's largest lenders and holders of private student loans. MeasureOne is applying data science and industry expertise in order to increase understanding of student loans and empower student loan lending, risk assessment, repayment, capital market investments and public policy development. For more information about MeasureOne, visit www.measureone.com.

News Media Contact:

Lori Guyton

901-277-6066

[email protected]

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SOURCE MeasureOne

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"Drug discovery starts with the identification of new targets, a process that can be time- and labor-intensive," said Theresa Creasey, Head of Applied Solutions Strategic Marketing & Innovation, MilliporeSigma. "Our collaboration with Evotec accelerates the discovery workflow, enabling customers to more rapidly and efficiently explore disease pathways and find new targets."

The collaboration allows customers to select a customized set of CRISPR and shRNA libraries, and then leverage Evotec's extensive capabilities in phenotypic screening within primary and induced pluripotent stem cells and in vivo disease models. The target identification workflow is further accelerated through the use of custom-engineered cell lines developed by MilliporeSigma's Cell Design Studio. These cell lines are used by Evotec to customize screening assays and deliver answers more efficiently.

"This agreement with MilliporeSigma further strengthens our offering in the area of target identification and validation," said Dr. Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec. "Deploying MilliporeSigma's assay-ready reagents on our cellular screening platforms and in vivo models creates powerful drug discovery capabilities and more value to our customers through such a comprehensive solution."

MilliporeSigma partners with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for its arrayed CRISPR library covering the entire human genome. The company is also the manufacturer and distributor of the world's largest RNAi clone library, created in collaboration with The RNAi Consortium.

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has 19,000 employees and 65 manufacturing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products enabling scientific discovery. Udit Batra is the global chief executive officer of MilliporeSigma.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany completed its $17 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125 billion global life science industry.

Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has six businesses  Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Biosimilars, Life Science and Performance Materials  and generated sales of 12.85 billion in 2015. Around 50,000 employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to foster the success of customers and to help meet global challenges.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company  since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70 percent interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. The company holds the global rights to the name and the trademark "Merck" internationally except for the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

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SOURCE MilliporeSigma
The agency will be part of Publicis Communications, will add a new market, social/digital and creative strength in Canada

PARIS and TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MSLGROUP announced today that it has acquired 100% of North Strategic, one of the fastest growing independent public relations firms in Canada. The agency, based in Toronto will be aligned with the strategic communications and engagement company of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40], which is a part of Publicis Communications in Canada. Publicis Communications is one of Publicis Groupe's four Solution hubs bringing together its global creative networks.

Mia Pearson and Justin Creally are the co-founders of North Strategic, acquired by MSLGROUP.

The acquisition includes Notch Video, North Strategic's online video marketplace and content hub. North Strategic and Notch video will retain their names and will work separately but seamlessly alongside the existing MSLGROUP and Publicis Communications operations. With offices in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, North Strategic essentially triples MSLGROUP's presence in the country. MSLGROUP has existing offices in Toronto and Montreal. Calgary will be a new market for MSLGROUP.

Founded in 2011 by Mia Pearson and Justin Creally, North Strategic has been recognized with numerous awards as one of Canada's most distinctive and creative agencies. Holmes Report named North Strategic Canadian PR Agency of the Year in 2015 and 2016 and a finalist for Global Digital Agency of the Year in 2016. Marketing Magazine honored the company as one of the Top 10 Marketing Agencies in Canada for three consecutive years from 2013  2015.

With significant strength in consumer marketing, brand strategy as well as corporate communications, the agency brings earned media, influencer relations and social media content together for top brands such as Samsung, Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Cadillac Fairview, Twitter and Airbnb.

Mia Pearson will be CEO, Canada for the MSLGROUP companies in the market, reporting to Guillaume Herbette, Global MSLGROUP CEO. Gayla Brock-Woodland will continue to lead MSL Canada as President and will report to Pearson.

"The time is right to maximize our growth in Canada, particularly in the advanced areas of social and digital communications and content creation," said Herbette. "Together with the existing MSLGROUP team in Canada that was the Strategy PR Agency of the Year in Canada in 2015, we will be a powerful force in this important marketplace. The acquisition also supports Publicis Communications' ability to compete as a 'Power of One' in the Canadian marketplace and around the world, allowing us to offer our clients a strong collaborative approach matched with best-in-class competencies."

Mia Pearson added, "The unique North and Notch combination has helped us achieve unparalleled growth in the Canadian market. Joining forces with the Publicis network in Canada is an exciting next step in the evolution of North and Notch."

Creally added. "Our teams are constantly learning and gaining new insights on behalf of our clients. We are excited about the power of the Publicis network to add expertise and skills to our teams while also opening the doors to international careers."

About North Strategic

North Strategic is Canada's fastest growing PR and social media agency. Our passionate and entrepreneurial team brings mass media coverage, word-of-mouth buzz, and social media savvy together with brand strategy and storytelling to create the perfect marketing formula to propel our clients' businesses forward. North was recognized as the 2015 and 2016 Canadian Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report SABRE Awards, Marketing Magazine's List of Top 10 agencies for each of the last three years and most recently shortlisted as Digital Agency of the Year globally by The Holmes Report. With offices in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, North works with some of Canada largest and most beloved consumer brands to create lasting campaigns that get noticed and generate tangible business results. Facebook Twitter Instagram

About Notch Video

Notch Video provides a fresh take on creative content production, built from the ground up to deliver engaging, cost-effective solutions for brands. We believe today's marketers need the kind of on-demand videos, stories, and digital content that people are excited to consume wherever and whenever they're watching. Our unique Notch Video production model  based on a curated network of more than 800 talented video creators  has allowed us to disrupt the traditional content marketing industry. We provide full-service video strategy, creative production, post production, and distribution, with a team that delivers award-winning videos, photos, GIFs, cinemagraphs, and every other manner of digital content. Facebook Twitter Instagram

About Publicis Communications

Publicis Communications is one of the four solutions hubs of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40], alongside Publicis Media, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Healthcare. Led by Arthur Sadoun, CEO, Publicis Communications unites the Groupe's creative offering: Publicis Worldwide, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Fallon, Marcel, Prodigious, a global production leader, and MSLGROUP, specialized in strategic communications. Present in 20 markets, Publicis Communications aims to be the indispensable creative partner in their clients' transformation. Publicis Communications draws upon the expertise of over 30,000 employees.

About MSLGROUP

MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupe's strategic communications and engagement group, advisors in all aspects of communication strategy: from consumer PR to financial communications, from public affairs to reputation management and from crisis communications to experiential marketing and events. With more than 3,000 people across 110 offices worldwide, MSLGROUP is also the largest PR network in Europe, fast-growing China and India. It offers strategic planning and counsel, insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas  followed by thorough execution. mslgroup.com| Twitter| Facebook| LinkedIn| YouTube| Slideshare| Pinterest

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SOURCE MSLGROUP

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NPWT market growth is driven by various factors such as increase in incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and obesity, and development of cost-effective and portable NPWT devices. Rise in geriatric population and awareness among individuals regarding the NPWT devices have further propelled market growth. However, lack of trained physicians and healthcare services in developing countries hamper the market growth.

Summary of the Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices Market Report can be accessed on the website at:

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/negative-pressure-wound-therapy-market

For instance, in May 2010, KCI obtained reimbursement approval for the product V.A.C ATS therapy by Japan's Health Insurance Bureau. Moreover, in Europe, countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Austria offer reimbursement policies for in- and outpatient sectors in NPWT devices.

Conventional NPWT devices generated the highest revenue in the global market, owing to the ability of these devices to heal a wide variety of wounds. Single-use NPWT devices is projected to be the fastest growing segment, with CAGR of 5.6%, due to advantages associated with it such as lightweight nature, better reimbursement insurance, and advanced dressing options.

NPWT devices market for chronic wounds is projected to grow with the highest CAGR of 4.0%, due to the increase in incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Diabetic foot ulcer is the fastest growing segment in chronic wounds, owing to rise in prevalence of diabetes mellitus. In acute wounds, surgical wounds segment is expected to be the grow at the fastest rate on account of their increasing incidence. In end-user segment, hospitals & clinics occupied the major share of the NPWT devices market, as they provide better healing of transplanted skin and fewer chances of infection in case of patients with open wounds. Home care settings was the other dominant application segment, expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1%.

Key findings of the Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Devices Market:

In the year 2015, conventional NPWT devices was the highest revenue-generating segment and was worth $1,644 million .

. In the application segment, chronic wound is projected to be the fastest growing segment, registering a CAGR of 4.0%.

Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in NPWT market by 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7%.

is expected to be the fastest growing region in NPWT market by 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7%. Germany and France accounted for over two-fifths share of the Europe NPWT devices market in 2015.

and accounted for over two-fifths share of the Europe NPWT devices market in 2015. In 2015, North America was the highest revenue-generating region, accounting for about two-fifths share of the overall market.

was the highest revenue-generating region, accounting for about two-fifths share of the overall market. Japan was the highest revenue-generating country in Asia-Pacific in 2015.

In 2015, Germany was the leading country market in Europe and projected to maintain this trend throughout analysis period.

North America accounted for a major share in the world NPWT devices in 2015, and is expected to maintain this trend throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the rise in the prevalence of chronic wounds, increase in awareness among patients regarding cost-effective NPWT devices, and presence of advanced healthcare facilities. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to be grow at the fastest rate, owing to presence of ample growth opportunities in terms of unmet medical needs for the treatment of burns and surgical wounds, and high rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus.

The key players profiled in this report include Acelity, Smith & Nephew, ConvaTec Inc., Mlnlycke Health Care, Coloplast, Cardinal Health, Medela AG, Paul Hartmann AG, Devon Medical, and Talley Group Limited.

Read similar market research reports on Medical Devices & Supplies at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/life-sciences/medical-devices-market-report

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

Rahul Thakur

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Direct: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)

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Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market Research
The sheer volume of financial information and documents received and the vast number of investing options and choices encountered can be overwhelming. Many women also face life transitions that have a financial impact  parenthood, homeownership, career changes, divorce, retirement, widowhood  and don't feel confident or prepared.

Manage Your Financial Life provides a comprehensive, objective, and easy-to-understand approach for women to take control of their financial lives. Doyle shares a four-step process based on her 30 years in the finance and investing world, as well as her own personal experiences:

Get Organized

Analyze Your Financial Profile

Educate Yourself About Investing

Invest Your Money

"Advice on running your financial life can be hard to find," said Doyle. "It's true that much has been written about how to prepare a budget or how to handle debt. But managing your financial life is more than monitoring expenses, sticking to a budget, making a savings plan, and using debt wisely. Managing your financial life is also about being organized, being informed, and learning how to invest and put your money to work," Doyle added.

There are very few independent and objective resources like Manage Your Financial Life; Doyle, an independent consultant, is neither selling financial products, nor is she affiliated with any financial services firms. While written for women, this book is useful to anyone who feels overwhelmed or disorganized and wants to be more engaged in managing their financial affairs.

Doyle's book received a five-star review from Foreword Clarion Reviews:

Doyle has done a masterful job of incorporating basic financial concepts into a step-by-step plan for personal financial management. Clearly recognizing that the topic can be intimidating, the author simplifies and streamlines the content, but without talking down to her audience. The result is a book that is both instructional and uplifting.

Doyle's insights will prove to be a valuable service. This is a finely organized, extremely well-written guide that any consumer should be able to put to great use.

About Nancy Doyle

Nancy Doyle brings an objective and straightforward perspective on managing finances. Founder of The Doyle Group, she has 30 years of experience in wealth management, finance, investments, and consulting.

When it comes to money, Doyle believes independence and objectivity are essential. She neither works for nor has partnered with any financial services firms. Doyle's insights have been featured in Reader's Digest Online, U.S. News & World Report and other publications. A graduate of Georgetown University, Doyle received her MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Doyle, her husband, and their children live near Chicago. For more information, please visit http://www.ManageYourFinancialLife.com.

About the Book

Manage Your Financial Life: A Thoughtful, Organized Approach for Women, is published by The Doyle Group, distributed by Ingram and available for sale at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, as well as by order at most book stores. The paperback (ISBN: 978-0-9976097-0-7), 196 pages, retails for US $16.95

Book Website: http://www.ManageYourFinancialLife.com

About the Author: http://manageyourfinanciallife.com/about/

Media Contact: Michelle Damico, [email protected]

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SOURCE Nancy Doyle

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ROCKFORD, Ill., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bar and restaurant owners struggling to find and retain paying customers that can help their business thrive can now get valuable advice and insight via a new book from the industry's leading marketing guru Nick Fosberg. The book, titled "Bar & Restaurant Success - How To Attract New Customers, Turn Them Into Raving Fans, and Become Unbeatable In Any Market! " is currently available in printed format at no charge for a limited time, and a 26-page excerpt of the book is also available as a free digital download.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161130/444083

Fosberg's latest publication appeals to both restaurant industry veterans and young professionals new to the industry. The book teaches operators how to offer an undeniable advantage over the competition and serves as a step by step guide for industry business owners to systematize and manage their business more effectively.

"My goal isn't about making money on this book, it's to provide value to the industry and provide them with the exact step-by-step marketing and promotional system I've used to create some of the highest grossing promotions in the industry, using zero marketing dollars. This is why I'm giving away the book for free, all I ask is you cover shipping and handling," Fosberg explained.

The book is offered with a 100% money back guarantee, meaning that any reader who is not convinced of its value can get a full refund of their shipping expenses, no questions asked, and will not be required to return the book.

Drawing from his own experience as a bar and restaurant owner in the Chicagoland region, as well as his unique industry marketing vision, Fosberg offers his readers access to highly effective marketing strategies and promotions, as well as proven case studies of successful marketing campaigns that any owner in the industry could run, with impressive results. The book touches on topics such as the effectiveness of social media marketing, the development of targeted campaigns focused on a very specific audience, the secret to knowing exactly the right type of marketing media for each promotion, the key ingredients needed in every ad, no matter what media, to get the the highest ROI, and much more.

Among the case studies presented are that of a high-end steakhouse in Texas that had more than 2,000 new customers and made almost $60,000 with only one promotion using email and Facebook, or that of a restaurant owner in Minnesota who made $30,000 in sales with only his email list in a town of 13,000 people.

The free book also includes Fosberg's three business blueprints designed to help any business owner in the industry to make $50,000 in sales in just 12 months, along with an $85 marketing campaign that can bring more than $1,000 in sales.

Several bar and restaurant owners and industry experts who have already tried Fosberg's recommended strategies have endorsed the new title, describing it as a must-read and the ultimate resource for any business trying to get more customers and sales.

"This should be a book that every owner or operator owns and devours. In my 20 plus years in the hospitality industry, I have yet to read anything like this. I got value on just about every page and couldn't stop reading!" said James Henderson, former Director Of Operations TGI Fridays and former Vice President of Human Resources for Rafferty's Restaurants.

James Morland, a New York-based industry expert said, "Bar & Restaurant Success" was essential to any bar or restaurant operator trying to achieve long-term success."

"From Nick's personal experience, his insight into the industry, not only provides today's operators with an informative analysis on the ever-changing consumer loyalty relationship, but has also developed a proven solution in navigating and fusing the old-world traditions of the hospitality industry with today's ever changing technology driven consumer," Morland added.

To find out more about the book and to get a free copy, visit https://brsbook.net/.

About Nick Fosberg

Nick Fosberg has been working in the bar and restaurant industry from an early age and is now one of its leading marketing and promotional authorities, having helped hundreds of U.S. and Canadian business owners thrive by applying his unique marketing and promotional formula. Fosberg is also an accomplished author, speaker and business owner, as well as founder of marketing and consulting business Bar & Restaurant Success. He recently launched the Bar & Restaurant Success Magazine in digital format, available for free in the Apple and Android app stores. Over the last years, he has shared his insight and marketing secrets at some of the industry's major shows, such as the Nightclub and Bar Show in Las Vegas or the National Restaurant Association's annual event. To find out more or to get useful industry marketing tips and advice, go to www.BarRestaurantSuccess.com.

Press Contact

Nick Fosberg

[email protected]

815.509.8670

Related Links

Bar Manager Increases Sales By 86% Using This Strategy

Restaurant Owner In Town Of 13,000 Does Over $30,000 In Sales From 3 E-mails

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SOURCE Bar & Restaurant Success

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ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is capturing the essence of a Roman-style trattoria with its newest Delta One Winter menu. Beginning Dec. 1, customers flying in the Delta One cabin on select trans-Atlantic routes to Europe and Transcon flights between New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport will enjoy meals created by Maialino's Executive Chef Jason Pfeifer.

New York's Maialino brings a taste of a Roman trattoria on board New York's Maialino brings a taste of a Roman trattoria on board New York's Maialino brings a taste of a Roman trattoria on board New York's Maialino brings a taste of a Roman trattoria on board New York's Maialino brings a taste of a Roman trattoria on board

The Delta One menu is evocative of the critically acclaimed restaurant's rustic Italian cuisine that channels the cultures of New York City and Rome by reimagining traditional dishes, seasonal flavors and techniques to reflect the restaurant's contemporary setting.

"For me, Italian cuisine is about ingredients and I think we have really captured that cooking philosophy for Delta fliers," said Pfeifer. "The simplicity of the dishes allow for the ingredients to become the star of the show, so we have been very thoughtful how each ingredient is sourced, using many of the local New York farmers and purveyors Maialino has collaborated with since the restaurants opening."

Pfeifer returned to the roots of Roman cooking, drawing inspiration from classic dishes such as Insalata di Carciofi Romani and Abbachio alla Cacciatora when curating a menu for the in-flight experience. Highlights from the menu include Prosciutto e Mozzarella, Braciole di Manzo and Cavatelli con Salsiccia di Maiale. The restaurant's signature warmth shines through the menu, incorporating ingredients from Maialino's close knit family of regional farmers and purveyors including Elysian Fields Lamb, Four Story Hill Farm Chicken and spices handpicked and sundried by a family in Calabria.

"We are excited to partner with Maialino and Chef Pfeifer to provide our customers with another menu rotation packed with fresh, seasonal flavors and locally sourced ingredients," said Allison Ausband, Delta's Senior Vice President  In-Flight Service. "Whether our customers are seasoned business travelers or a family traveling to Europe for the first time, we want to make their experience the best it can be, which is why we're continually improving our food, beverages and amenity offerings on board."

Menus created by Chef Pfeifer will be offered in Delta One for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and select items will refresh on the first of each month from December until Feb. 28, to provide a variety of options to customers. The dishes will also be prepared daily in the Union Square Events kitchen, located in Chelsea, N.Y., home to the catering and venue hospitality arm of Union Square Hospitality Group and delivered to New York-JFK to be boarded on the Delta flights.

Delta's partnership with Maialino deepens its ongoing collaboration with Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group to feature seasonally rotating menus designed by its chefs. The Maialino menu will be on board from Dec. 1 through Feb. 28. Past rotations with USHG include the fall menu from North End Grill, summer menu from Union Square Events, the spring menu from Union Square Cafe and last year's winter menu from Marta.

The latest menus pair with Delta's 2016 wine program curated by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, which follows a similarly seasonal approach. Robinson has sourced a number of wines from, small, artisanal wineries that bring a flavor and body uniquely their own.

To ensure customers experience an elevated in-flight experience on routes that do not feature the Maialino menu, Delta is featuring the flavors of winter on board in its First Class and Delta One cabins throughout its network. Menu items include include Fresh Black Truffle and Potato ravioli, Olive Oil Poached Halibut, and Duo of Chicken with fennel puree and haricots vert.

About Maialino

Maialino is a Roman-style trattoria inspired by the rustic cuisine of the Eternal City. Overlooking Gramercy Park, Maialino captures the warmth and comfort of a true neighborhood trattoria, reimagined for its contemporary setting. Executive Chef Jason Pfeifer's thoughtful Italian cuisine blends the rich cultures of both New York City and Rome, much like its sister restaurant, Marta. Sourced from its local family of farmers and suppliers, Maialino integrates quality, seasonal ingredients throughout the menu, including Executive Pastry Chef Jessica Weiss' beautiful, rustic desserts. The restaurant is open continuously throughout the day, serving breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, dinner, and late night, as well as to-go coffee and pastries.

About Union Square Hospitality Group

Union Square Hospitality Group has created some of New York's most beloved restaurants, cafes, and bars. Founded by Danny Meyer with the opening of Union Square Cafe in 1985, the company now extends beyond the walls of its eateries. In addition to creating Shake Shack, USHG offers operational and strategic consulting and runs a multifaceted catering and events business. With operations in Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C. in addition to New York, USHG has long supported its communities by supporting hunger relief and civic organizations. USHG holds 28 James Beard Awards and numerous accolades for its distinctive style of hospitality. www.ushgnyc.com

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 312 destinations in 54 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443871

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443872

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443873

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443874

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443875

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

Related Links

http://www.delta.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NextCoal International, Inc. ("NCI"), an emerging producer of high-value, woody biomass-based renewable fuels, urged the incoming Trump administration to suspend the unregulated trade in electronic credits called Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) that threatens America's crucial oil refineries with financial ruin and the nation with a ruinous rise in gasoline prices.

NCI also called for a $2-per-gallon Bio-Oil Co-Processing Tax Credit that would incentivize oil refineries to co-process woody biomass-based bio-oil (pyrolysis oil) in their Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units in order to send renewable products downstream and support job-creating manufacturing of renewable fuels made from woody biomass derived from responsible forestry operations and trees destroyed by storms, wildfires, drought and invasive insects. The credit, which would be revenue-neutral due to tax revenues from added wage income, contractor and manufacturing profits, would substantially increase the refinery crack spread (crude oil purchase price-finished products selling price differential), somewhat compensating refineries for staggering losses caused by the opaque RINs trade.

"Tax-advantaged bio-oil co-processing could be the answer to an unprecedented environmental disaster and fire threatover 100 million dead trees in California caused by drought and beetle infestation," said NCI Chairman Jonathan Braun. "The tax credit would provide oil refineries with an incentive to support renewable liquid fuels in a way that would benefit the environment and create and preserve jobs in rural and other areas in a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, forestry, energy, engineering, construction and transportation."

NCI plans to build job-creating Rural Economic Development Renewable Fuels Centers in California, New York, Florida, Oklahoma and other states to manufacture bio-coal for export to Japanese and other overseas power plants and bio-oil for oil refineries and other industrial customers. Bio-coal is a drop-in fossil coal substitute for co-firing in coal power plants. Bio-oil is a petroleum substitute that can be co-processed in oil refineries or combusted to heat buildings or generate electricity.

Bio-oil is produced by a process called pyrolysis; bio-coal, by torrefaction, which is a mild form of pyrolysis. NCI's selected bio-coal and bio-oil technologies are commercially proven and guaranteed by large engineering, procurement and construction companies. Woody biomass, the feedstock for manufacturing both bio-oil and bio-coal, is an abundantly available, rural American resource.

Contact: Jonathan Braun, 802-375-7504

Website email: http://www.nextcoal.com/contact

SOURCE NextCoal International, Inc.
SAN DIEGO and BEIJING, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Novogene Technology Co., Ltd., a leading commercial provider of genomic services and solutions with cutting edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics expertise, announced today that it has completed a USD $75 Million [515 Million RMB] B round financing with China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd.'s CMB International Capital Management (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. ("CMB International"), SDIC Innovation Investment Management Co., Ltd. ("SDIC Innovation") and Shanghai Sigma Square Investment Center LP ("Sigma Square Capital").

Novogene, headquartered in Beijing with the largest genomic sequencing center in the Asia-Pacific region, has labs in Tianjin and the U.S., and subsidiaries or joint ventures in Hong Kong, the U.S. (Novogene Corporation headquartered in San Diego), U.K. and Singapore. In addition to its industry-leading NGS service capabilities, Novogene has established a clinical lab in China that meets US CLIA and CAP standards, where it provides tumor gene detection and genetic testing services to patients, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies in China.

The Series B financing will support strategic growth in Novogene's global NGS service market and in clinical sequencing R&D and services. Additionally, funds from the financing will be used to enhance operating efficiency to further strengthen the company's leadership position in the NGS industry.

"We welcome the participation of our valued investors and are honored by their support and confidence in the future of our company," stated Novogene CEO Dr. Ruiqiang Li. "Since being founded in 2011, Novogene has rapidly emerged as a global leader in genomics and bioinformatics, pioneering the application of biology, computer science and information technology in animal and plant research as well as human health. This financing will enable us to continue to build on that momentum."

About CMB International

CMB International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Bank ("CMB"), provides comprehensive high-quality financial services to institutional and corporate clients as well as individual investors. CMB International acts as the only direct investment platform of CMB, responsible for leveraging the domestic large emerging financial market with domestic and overseas capital. CMB International specializes in private equity investment, investment fund management, mezzanine fund management, cross-border capital operations and other financial services.

About SDIC Innovation

SDIC Innovation is an independent professional private equity management institution managing 50 billion RMB in assets. SDIC Innovation, which manages financial institution funds, social security funds and state-owned and private capital, is one of the largest professional private equity management institutions [in China]. SDIC innovation, focuses on discovering and creating enterprise value, striving to unify the interests of invested enterprises, existing shareholders and investors.

About Sigma Square Capital

Founded in 2016, Sigma Square Capital is an investment institution focused on high-growth emerging industries. Sigma Square Capital is an early stage investor in the emerging fields of healthcare, technology, finance and consumer products. The two founding partners, Kun Ouyang and Dai Zhang, have led media, medical and health field investments for many years for IDG Capital.

About Novogene Corporation

Novogene is a leading provider of genomic services and solutions with cutting edge NGS and bioinformatics expertise and one of the largest sequencing capacities in the world. Novogene utilizes scientific excellence, a commitment to customer service and unsurpassed data quality to help our clients realize their research goals in the rapidly evolving world of genomics. With 1,300 employees, multiple locations around the world, 43 NGS related patents, and over 200 publications in top tier journal such as Nature and Science, the company has rapidly become a world-leader in NGS services. For more information, visit http://en.novogene.com/.

Contact:

Joyce Peng, Ph.D.

Global Marketing Director and General Manager

Novogene Corporation

San Diego, California

+1-626-222-5584

[email protected]

SOURCE Novogene Corporation

Related Links

http://en.novogene.com/


LONDON, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This research service discusses the automation and services revenue generated by various automation and safety system suppliers. The companies involved in this study are all major vendors. The objective is to identify the major end users, the distribution channel for each product, and the major projects that use automation and safety systems in Thailand. The report also discusses the revenue contribution by product type and regions of interest for automation vendors. Historical data from 2012 to 2014 are examined and included. Considering the prevailing political, legal, and economic situation and other trends, the study also forecasts revenue and growth rates till 2020 and discusses major factors affecting the industry. Drivers, restraints, and initiatives and support from public and private organizations are also provided.



Revenue split among major vendors has been discussed for the total market and also for each product segment, while analyzing their strengths across major end-user industries, product segments, and key competitive factors. The study also showcases hotspots of growth in Thailand and analyzes trends across key industries. The major end-user industries covered in this study are Oil and Gas (O&G), Chemicals and Petrochemicals (C&P), Power Generation (PG), Food and Beverage (F&B), Automotive, Water and Wastewater Treatment (WWT), Electronics and Semiconductors (E&S), Pulp and Paper (P&P), Metals and Mining (M&M), Packaging, and Textiles.

The product segment includes automation and control technologies such as Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Distributed Control System (DCS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA), Human Machine Interface (HMI), and Safety Systems. Process and factory automation have been covered as the two major types of automation and the main automation components mentioned in the study comprise of hardware, software, and services.



The study answers the following key questions:

- What are the prevailing trends in the automation and control market in Thailand and what will it look like in the years to come?

- Who are the major market participants and what is the competitive scenario currently?

- Will the current suppliers be able to meet customer needs? Does the market offer opportunities for new entrants?

- What is the total market for automation and control market in Thailand and what factors will impede/help with adoption?

- What factors do end users look at while choosing a supplier and why?

- Who are the major end users of automation systems in Thailand and what are the key areas vendors should focus on so as to retain and increase market share?

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4368421/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

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For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Wolf announced today that a national study shows Pennsylvania has improved its standing among states under his administration in workers' compensation insurance costs. The study ranks Pennsylvania 26th highest among all states, down from 17th highest in the last such study, done in 2014.

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services conducts the study comparing workers' comp insurance rates for 50 selected employment classes based on methods that put states' workers' comp rates on a comparable basis with a constant set of state-specific risk classifications.

"This is good news for businesses in Pennsylvania and those considering coming to our state," Gov. Wolf said. "As we become more competitive in the cost of doing business, we are encouraging companies to create jobs that pay."

Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller noted the department under Gov. Wolf's leadership is working to maintain a vibrant and competitive workers' compensation insurance market.

"More than 325 companies offer workers' compensation insurance coverage in Pennsylvania," Commissioner Miller said. "This means employers are able to find attractive, cost-efficient options for this vital insurance."

In addition to lower workers' comp insurance costs noted in the study, the Department of Labor & Industry, which oversees workers' compensation in the state, offers discounts through certified workplace safety committees.

"Certified workplace safety committees help employers and workers keep safety top-of-mind at all times," Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino said. "And those companies with a committee receive a five percent discount on their workers' comp insurance premiums."

Commissioner Miller and Secretary Manderino noted these costs savings for businesses were achieved while maintaining benefit levels for injured workers.

More information on Pennsylvania insurance products is available at www.insurance.pa.gov.

For more information on making Pennsylvania's workplaces safer, visit www.dli.state.pa.us, "Workplace and Community Safety."

MEDIA CONTACT: Ron Ruman, Insurance- 717-787-3289

Sara Goulet, Labor & Industry- 717-787-7530

SOURCE Pennsylvania Insurance Department

Related Links

http://www.insurance.pa.gov


HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today announced it has been named Overall Winner in the 2016 StateWays Control States Best Practices Awards, an honor that recognizes Pennsylvania as a leader in the beverage alcohol industry for its innovations in retail, wholesale operations, alcohol education, technology, and regulatory affairs.

"What a fantastic way to bring this year of change and progress to a close, to be acknowledged as a model among among our peers in the beverage alcohol industry for our commitment to innovation and improvement," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "This award belongs to our dedicated employees. I'm very proud of and grateful to this team, and this award is proof of their hard work and commitment to serving the citizens of the commonwealth."

In naming the PLCB top among all 17 control states, StateWays recognized advancements over the last year in the following categories:

Technology: PLCB+ -- a 24/7 online regulatory platform through which licensing and permitting is now conducted securely, quickly and simply over the internet  was introduced in fiscal year 2015-16 to replace multiple, archaic legacy systems and convert nearly 70 paper processes into electronic submissions.

-- a 24/7 online regulatory platform through which licensing and permitting is now conducted securely, quickly and simply over the internet  was introduced in fiscal year 2015-16 to replace multiple, archaic legacy systems and convert nearly 70 paper processes into electronic submissions. Warehouse/Wholesale Operations: The Licensee Online Order Portal (LOOP) and Licensee Delivery Program (LDP) were developed last year to better serve licensees with an internet-based system for ordering wine and spirits and a delivery option for high-volume licensees. LOOP and LDP brought a new level of functionality and convenience to bars, hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other retail licensees that has been very well received among users.

The were developed last year to better serve licensees with an internet-based system for ordering wine and spirits and a delivery option for high-volume licensees. LOOP and LDP brought a new level of functionality and convenience to bars, hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other retail licensees that has been very well received among users. Retail: In fiscal year 2015-16, 35 Fine Wine & Good Spirits store rebranding projects were completed, and now about 140 stores feature the modern, welcoming, consumer-friendly atmosphere that encourages consumers to enjoy exploring all that a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store has to offer. In addition to the StateWays retail accolades, Fine Wine & Good Spirits was also featured in the November/December issue of Beverage Dynamics magazine, a publication for beverage alcohol retailers. The "On Top" feature recognizes the success of the rebranding effort in improving the in-store shopping experience for consumers.

In fiscal year 2015-16, 35 Fine Wine & Good Spirits were completed, and now about 140 stores feature the modern, welcoming, consumer-friendly atmosphere that encourages consumers to enjoy exploring all that a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store has to offer. In addition to the retail accolades, Fine Wine & Good Spirits was also featured in the November/December issue of magazine, a publication for beverage alcohol retailers. The "On Top" feature recognizes the success of the rebranding effort in improving the in-store shopping experience for consumers. Consumer Education: Last year the PLCB introduced Limited-Release Lotteries in an effort to more equitably distribute highly sought-after, limited-quantity spirits to Pennsylvania consumers and licensees. Four lotteries in 2015 drew more than 95,000 entries for bottles of Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and Pappy Van Winkle whiskies, and whiskey forums and blogs recognized the lotteries for their fairness and for awarding the products to Pennsylvanians, rather than out-of-state residents.

Last year the PLCB introduced in an effort to more equitably distribute highly sought-after, limited-quantity spirits to consumers and licensees. Four lotteries in 2015 drew more than 95,000 entries for bottles of Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and Pappy Van Winkle whiskies, and whiskey forums and blogs recognized the lotteries for their fairness and for awarding the products to Pennsylvanians, rather than out-of-state residents. Alcohol Education: Last holiday season, the PLCB led a partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Transportation to promote the SaferRide app, a free Android and Apple download that can facilitate a safe ride home. In addition to increasing awareness of the SaferRide app and inspiring significant increases in app downloads during the campaign, the SaferRide campaign also drew the most activity to the Alcohol Education Facebook page it has ever experienced.

"Long before Act 39 provided us new opportunities for improving customer service and convenience, we were working hard to implement new systems, processes, and educational programs that would benefit our customers, licensees, and fellow Pennsylvanians," said Holden. "This award recognizes those efforts and is an accomplishment all our employees can share in and celebrate."

"I congratulate the PLCB on earning this great honor, which acknowledges Pennsylvania's dedication to improving customer service and convenience," said Governor Tom Wolf. "In fact, many of the accomplishments the StateWays award celebrates set the stage for the PLCB's success in implementing the historic liquor reforms passed into law in the last few months. As a result, shopping for beer, wine, and spirits has never been easier this holiday season."

StateWays, the only national magazine devoted to the issues and subjects affecting control state systems, established its Control State Best Practices Awards in 2015 to recognize control state agencies that are leading the industry in innovation, education and enforcement. Winners, including the PLCB as Overall Winner, are featured in the November/December issue of StateWays.

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits  totaling $15.1 billion since the agency's inception  are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACTS: PLCB - Elizabeth Brassell, 717.783.8864

StateWays  Jeremy Nedelka, 203.855.8499 extension 2213

Governor's Office  Jeff Sheridan, 717.783.1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Related Links

http://www.lcb.pa.gov


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC) , an innovation and entrepreneurship center for technology businesses, will partner with Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg to conceive and operate a major new business incubator.

"We have enjoyed a close and productive relationship with Tampa Bay Innovation Center, and this collaboration with the TBIC team and the City of St. Petersburg is an opportunity to bring a new energy and significant resources to the Pinellas startup community," said Mike Meidel, director of Pinellas County Economic Development. "Entrepreneurs are a crucial part of our economy. We're ready to begin working with our business community to design this space, recruit tenants and to discuss sponsorship and fund raising."

"From the time we commissioned a feasibility study about a downtown incubator in October 2013, it has been our goal to pursue this project to allow us to serve the growing needs of the region's thriving entrepreneurial community," said Tonya Elmore, president and CEO of STAR-TEC Enterprises, Inc., (d/b/a Tampa Bay Innovation Center). "As the community's oldest incubator and accelerator, we believe we have demonstrated the track record that allows us to perform successfully. We are so grateful to our Board of Directors and our many partners who have supported our growth and success throughout the years, and look forward to their continued partnership and support."

The Tampa Bay Innovation Center was selected after responding to Pinellas County's recent request for Letters of Interest from potential operators of the proposed incubator. A recent Memorandum of Understanding between Pinellas County and TBIC will facilitate the next phase of the project, including tenant recruitment and fund raising.

As outlined in the request for Letter of Interest, the project includes a 40,000-50,000 square-foot mixed-use business incubator facility in the City of St. Petersburg that could potentially support research, innovation and entrepreneurial activity in the technology, life sciences, marine sciences and/or advanced manufacturing sectors. The location is the southwest corner of 11th Ave. South and 4th St. South.

About Pinellas County Economic Development

Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to our community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the ideal business climate of Pinellas County, Florida. Learn more at www.PCED.org.

About Tampa Bay Innovation Center

Tampa Bay Innovation Center supports entrepreneurial success, fosters the creation of high-tech jobs and develops new sources of technology and manufacturing capabilities by nurturing early stage ventures as they grow and launch their products into the marketplace. Through its TEC Garage, the Innovation Center offers programs that are tailored to the innovator/entrepreneur and address business intelligence, planning and business formation, strategy execution and technology transition.

Media Contact:

Suzie Boland

RFB Communications Group

813-259-0345

Mobile 813-786-1019

[email protected]

SOURCE Tampa Bay Innovation Center

Related Links

http://www.tbinnovates.com


KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Polsinelli was designated today among 30 elite law firms that deliver the best client service, earning recognition in every dimension of the 2017 Client Service A-Team Report by BTI Consulting Group.

Now in its 16th year of publication, the report assesses how law firms stack up in client service delivery, measuring 17 different client service activities  all of which corporate counsel agree drive the strongest relationships with law firms.

Corporate counsel praised the growing Am Law 100 firm pushing it to earn the No. 17 spot out of 295 law firms that were ranked and a pool of 650 total firms serving Fortune 500 clients. The comparison of these firms is the result of more than 330 in-depth interviews with legal decision makers at the world's leading organizations.

"We consistently focus on solving the issues our clients face by not only understanding their businesses, but also by bringing creative solutions to their challenges," said Polsinelli Chairman Russ Welsh. "Our collective business-minded approach rests on a deep commitment to our clients' success, while delivering value that exceeds our clients' expectations. Ultimately, we care most about the strength of our client relationships, and this ranking in BTI's top 30 A-Team firms is one we find gratifying in this vein."

Polsinelli was awarded "Leaders of the Best" status in 11 client service activities, including:

Commitment to Help: Displaying a level of urgency and dedication to solving clients' problems and helping them achieve success as individuals in their organizations.

Client Focus: Ability to deliver on clients' targeted outcomes based on business goals, budgets, and risk tolerance.

Provides Value for the Dollar: Delivering more than clients expect and offering value in ways that matter most to clients.

Anticipates the Client's Needs: Based on a complete understanding of the clients' businesses, using experience to meet the undefined and unmet needs clients face.

Innovative Approach: Bringing new, creative thinking to solve clients' issues in a way that brings them competitive advantage.

Polsinelli's year-over-year expansion was highlighted in the report; the firm now has more than 800 attorneys across 20 offices coast to coast.

"History shows the firm continues to engage in dialogue with clients on a continuing basis, which translates into strong Client Focus and Commitment to Help. Top legal decision makers note Polsinelli is becoming more collaborative, helping to add value across the board. The firm has improved in 10 of the 17 activities driving superior client service, including Anticipating Client Needs  the client service activity proven to attract new business," according to the report.

Other comments cited by general counsel to describe Polsinelli include:

"Committed team who works well with my organization."

"The firm's lawyers are leaders who have a great commitment towards their clients."

"Very responsive to client needs."

The BTI Client Service A-Team 2017 report draws on data collected in BTI's ongoing Annual Survey. This year, legal decision makers interviewed between February and August included general counsel, chief legal officers, direct reports to general counsel, and other legal decision makers from organizations averaging $13.8 billion in annual revenue.

In June, Polsinelli secured placement on BTI Consulting's 2016 Most Recommended Law Firms, Brand Elite and Client Service A-Team lists. The firm's breadth of services was also acknowledged with recognition as a "Core Firm" in BTI's Power Rankings in Health Care, Chemicals, High Tech and Telecommunications Industries.

About Polsinelli

Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with more than 800 attorneys in 20 offices, serving corporations, institutions, and entrepreneurs nationally. Polsinelli attorneys provide practical legal counsel infused with business insight, and focus on health care, financial services, real estate, intellectual property, mid-market corporate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Polsinelli attorneys have depth of experience in 100 service areas and 70 industries. The firm can be found online at www.polsinelli.com. Polsinelli PC. In California, Polsinelli LLP.

For more information, contact:

Carrie Trent

314-552-6864, [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161129/443945LOGO

SOURCE Polsinelli

Related Links

http://www.polsinelli.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Prefilled Syringes Market: Scope and Segmentation



This report provides a forecast and analysis of the prefilled syringes market on the global and regional levels. It provides historical data of 2015 along with forecast from 2016 to 2024 in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (Bn Units). The report also includes macroeconomic indicators along with an outlook on prefilled syringes consumption globally. It includes drivers and restraints of the prefilled syringes market and their impact on each region during the forecast period. The report also comprises the study of current issues with distribution channels and opportunities for prefilled syringes manufacturers. It also includes pricing analysis by material and value chain analysis with a list of industry stakeholders at each node in the value chain.



In order to provide users of this report with a comprehensive view of the market, we have included detailed competitiveness analysis and company players. The dashboard provides a comprehensive comparison of prefilled syringe manufacturers on parameters such as operating margin, unique selling propositions, collective market share, and geographic concentration. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, by material type, product type, application type, and region.



The report includes consumption of prefilled syringes and the revenue generated from sales of prefilled syringes in all regions and important countries in these regions. By material, the global prefilled syringes market has been segmented into glass based and polymer based prefilled syringes. By application, the market is segmented into vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and others. On the basis of the distribution channel, the market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and mail order pharmacies.



Prefilled Syringes Market: Research Methodology



Market numbers have been estimated based on average consumption and weighted average pricing of prefilled syringes by material and the revenue is derived from regional pricing trends. Market size and forecast for each segment has been provided in the context of global and regional markets. The prefilled syringes market has been analyzed based on expected demand. Prices considered for the calculation of revenue are regional average prices obtained through primary quotes from numerous regional prefilled syringes manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. All key distribution channels have been considered and potential applications have been estimated on the basis of secondary sources and feedback from primary respondents. Regional demand patterns have been taken into account while assessing the market for various end users of prefilled syringes in different regions. Bottom-up approach has been used to estimate the prefilled syringes market by regions. Market numbers for global material, application and distribution channel segments have been derived using the bottom-up approach, which is cumulative of each region's demand. The company-level market share has been derived on the basis of revenues reported by key manufacturers. The market has been forecast based on constant currency rates.



Several primary and secondary sources were consulted during the course of the study. Secondary sources include FACTIVA, NCBI, Google Books, company websites, journals, press releases, Hoover's, and company annual reports and publications.



The report provides detailed competitive and company profiles of key participants operating in the global market. Major players in the global prefilled syringes market are Becton Dickinson & Co., Gerresheimer, Medtronic, Baxter International, SCHOTT AG, West Pharmaceuticals, Vetter International, Unilife Corporation, Stevanato Group, and Terumo Corporation.



The market has been segmented as below:



Global Prefilled Syringes Market  By Material



Glass based prefilled syringes

Polymer based prefilled syringes



Global Prefilled Syringes Market  By Application



Monoclonal Antibodies

Vaccines

Others



Global Prefilled Syringes Market  By Distribution Channel



Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Mail order pharmacies



Global Prefilled Syringes Market  By Region



North America

U.S.

Canada

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Europe

Germany

U.K

France

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

China

India

Japan

Australia

New Zealand

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Saudi Arabia

UAE

RSA

Rest of MEA

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04402629-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Premier Oilfield Laboratories (POL) has acquired MUD Geochemical, Inc., a geochemical laboratory and consulting company that provides X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analysis, and other geophysical services. MUD Geochemical brings a progressive big data approach to geochemical consulting and subsurface analysis, utilizing state of the art instrumentation to characterize resource plays at a significantly higher resolution than conventional techniques.

MUD Geochemical, based in Austin, TX, was founded by Nathan Ganser and other alumni from the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas, Austin graduates along with Harry Rowe, a research professor at the Jackson School and Bureau of Economic Geology (or "BEG"). "This acquisition enables us to better serve our customer base with expanded capabilities, products and services. POL is working to introduce innovative solutions to the market and expand operations to best meet our customer needs," said Steve Cobb CEO of Premier Oilfield Laboratories.

While industry standard techniques are to sample reservoir rock at the foot scale, MUD Geochemical has developed the means to quantitatively analyze on the inch to mm scale that is both faster, better calibrated/accurate, and cheaper than industry equipment. MUD serves some of the largest and most successful operators in North America unconventional shale and has focused primarily, to date, on the Permian/W Texas and EagleFord shales. "Premier empowers us with the tools and resources to significantly scale-up what we have built tirelessly over the past two and a half years, and will push industry science to the limit," says Nathan Ganser, the CEO of MUD Geochemical, Inc., who has joined POL's team as the Director of Geochemical Services.

POL's Senior VP Technical Sales, Allen D Howard said, "Premier is utilizing this ability to quickly generate thousands of quantitative data points on individual cores and in the analysis of cuttings to improve subsurface basin scale models, and better understanding variations in organic and inorganic components on a scale never analyzed. The geological complexities and heterogenous nature of unconventional plays makes this type of high-resolution formation evaluation technique quite practical, which is a focus at Premier Oilfield Laboratories."

About Premier Oilfield Laboratories: Premier Oilfield Laboratories brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts who utilize breakthrough technologies and progressive approaches to help our clients understand how to better design exploration and exploitation strategies, optimize production and mitigate risk. Please visit Premier Oilfield Laboratories at www.premieroilfieldlabs.com.

SOURCE Premier Oilfield Laboratories

Related Links

http://www.premieroilfieldlabs.com


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past two days, Puerto Rico was the hub for life sciences activity at Biolatam 2016, in which more than 250 leaders from the biotech, pharmaceutical and technology industry came together to network and discuss the latest innovations. The event, hosted by EBD Group in collaboration with ASEBIO, enabled Puerto Rico to showcase the island's vibrant life science community along with opportunities for partnerships and investment to Latin American and global biopharma leaders.

This year, Biolatam was attended by 142 companies from 24 countries. Participants ranged from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, to government officials, academic leaders, industry associations, venture capital, private equity and institutional financial firms. This diverse group created the ideal environment for key discussions regarding manufacturing in Latin America, clinical trials and the drug development cycle, and tropical diseases prevention and diagnostics, among other topics.

The event included a full program of panels with prestigious speakers, presentations from innovative Latin American companies, a lively exhibition, and participants could schedule 30-minute meetings using partneringONE software. These afforded participants the opportunity to network and create connections for collaboration in the different fields they represent.

"Biolatam gives us the opportunity to open our doors to the Latin American community. Science in Puerto Rico is key for its development and economic growth. The island has rich biodiversity and its geographical position together with the available incentives is a great place for companies to expand. When companies see Puerto Rico as a possibility for expansion, it spurs growth and continues our science sector on a promising path," said Lucy Crespo, CEO of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust.

"This year's event was successful in bringing together biopharma leaders from around the world to Puerto Rico in search of opportunities to expand their businesses in Latin America. The ability to network with so many industry leaders is definitely the key to future business development. Our participants created valuable connections that will continue expanding the success stories we have every year with Biolatam," said Anna Chrisman, Group Managing Director, EBD Group.

Notable speakers at the event included Rolando Castro, CEO, Cognitiva IBM Watson Strategic Partner; Eugenio Torres, Managing Partner, Ferraiuoli LLC; Sebastian Vidal, Executive Director, Parallel18; Carola Schropp, Managing Director, Hayim Group; Maroun Khoury, Chief Scientific Officer, Cells for Cells; and Morrie Ruffin, Managing Partner, Adjuvant Partners and Managing Director, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.

Additional information:

Follow Biolatam on Twitter: @EBDGroup (hashtag #Biolatam) or on Facebook.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group's partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success. EBD Group's conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include:

BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring, Europe's largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) BioPharm America, the fastest growing partnering event in North America

Biotech Showcase, a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors

for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO

ChinaBio Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China , co-produced with ChinaBio Group

, co-produced with ChinaBio Group Biolatam, facilitating partnering among global life sciences executives in Latin America's vibrant life science hubs

vibrant life science hubs Cell & Gene Exchange, a partnering forum focused on the patient community in cell and gene therapy sectors, co-produced with Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM).

EBD Group's sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world, and partnering360 is the open online community of life science dealmakers that enhances partnering experiences throughout the year. Tune into EBD Group's Insight for timely coverage of news that influences the business strategies of the life science industry.

EBD Group is an Informa company. Informa is the largest publicly-owned organizer of exhibitions, conferences and training in the world.

EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com.

SOURCE EBD Group

Related Links

http://www.ebdgroup.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A busbar is a bar or metallic strip of copper, aluminum, cast iron or brass that conducts electricity within switchgear, substation and distribution board. In Qatar, the per capita electricity consumption stands at around 15,471 kWh, which is about 3 times more than the global average, and thus indicating extensive consumption of electricity in the country. Major factors behind high per capita consumption of electricity include growing demand for electric appliances, especially air conditioners, due to hot climatic conditions; and increasing water desalination projects owing to lack of potable water in Qatar. Backed by high and continuously growing per capita electricity consumption, demand for busbars is anticipated to grow at a robust pace over the next five years. Moreover, Qatar is developing its refinery and petrochemical processing infrastructure in order to promulgate industrial diversification, which calls for the development of electrical infrastructure, including building new power plants and transmission and distribution network, consequently boosting demand for busbars in the country.



According to "Qatar Busbar Market By Type, By End User, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011  2021", the market for busbar in Qatar is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 12% during 2016-2021. On the basis of type, the market has been segmented into three categories, namely, low (up to 125 A), medium (126 A to 800 A) & high (above 801 A). Among these categories, low power busbar segment dominated the Qatar busbar market share in 2015. In comparison to medium and high power busbars, low power busbars are cheaper, and majority of their consumers are residential and commercial users. As a result, the segment is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the next five years as well. However, in terms of growth, medium power busbar segment is anticipated to outpace the low power busbar segment during forecast period. "Qatar Busbar Market By Type, By End User, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2011  2021" discusses the following aspects of Qatar busbar market:



- Qatar Busbar Market Size, Share & Forecast

- Segmental Analysis  By Type (Low (up to 125 A), Medium (126 A to 800 A) & High (above 801 A)), By End User (Utilities, Industrial, Residential & Other)

- Policy & Regulatory Landscape

- Changing Market Trends and Emerging Opportunities

- Competitive Landscape and Strategic Recommendations



Why You Should Buy This Report?



- To gain an in-depth understanding of Qatar busbar market

- To identify the on-going trends and segment wise anticipated growth in the coming years

- To help busbar manufacturers, assemblers and distributors and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies

- To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material

- To gain competitive knowledge of leading players

- To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get the research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs



Report Methodology



The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary research. Primary research included interaction with busbar manufacturers, assemblers and distributors in the country. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases.



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04049464-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quaker Chemical Corporation (NYSE: KWR) announced today that it has acquired Lubricor Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of metalworking fluids based in Waterloo, Ontario, for approximately 16 million Canadian dollars, or $11.8 million. Lubricor annually sells approximately $10 million of branded products directly to its North American customers, primarily automotive suppliers, and into Southeast Asia through a distributor relationship in Thailand. Also, Lubricor has an annual estimated EBITDA of approximately $1.6 million.

Michael F. Barry, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented, "Lubricor's proprietary technology and strong customer relationships provide an opportunity to expand our metalworking business in attractive end markets and leverage Quaker's global footprint to pursue cross-selling opportunities. We believe there is a strong organizational and cultural fit between the two companies and the transaction is consistent with Quaker's strategy to increase shareholder value through acquisitions."

Lubricor Inc. was established in 1998 in Waterloo, Ontario, where the company's headquarters, R&D and production are based. The company currently employs approximately 30 individuals.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such statements. A major risk is that demand for the Company's products and services is largely derived from the demand for its customers' products, which subjects the Company to uncertainties related to downturns in a customer's business and unanticipated customer production shutdowns. Other major risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, significant increases in raw material costs, customer financial stability, worldwide economic and political conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, future terrorist attacks and other acts of violence. Other factors could also adversely affect us. Therefore, we caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. This discussion is provided as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

About Quaker

Quaker Chemical is a leading global provider of process fluids, chemical specialties, and technical expertise to a wide range of industries, including steel, aluminum, automotive, mining, aerospace, tube and pipe, cans, and others. For nearly 100 years, Quaker has helped customers around the world achieve production efficiency, improve product quality, and lower costs through a combination of innovative technology, process knowledge, and customized services. Headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania USA, Quaker serves businesses worldwide with a network of dedicated and experienced professionals whose mission is to make a difference.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120910/PH70044LOGO

SOURCE Quaker Chemical Corporation

Related Links

http://www.quakerchem.com


TEL AVIV, Israel, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

RADWIN (http://www.radwin.com ), the global broadband wireless provider, today announced that the Tonawanda Municipality in New York, U.S. deployed RADWIN's JET ultra-capacity wireless broadband to replace its legacy network. The JET point-to-multipoint Beamforming systems connect municipality buildings and remote sites such as highway facilities and water treatment plants across town. Transwave Communications Systems, a leading system integrator, was responsible for the network design and implementation.



Michael Kaiser, Director of Technical Support, Tonawanda Municipality: "We sought to replace our aged network because it didn't support our bandwidth requirements. RADWIN JET radios were the best solution for our needs, providing high throughput needed to support critical applications including high-speed data, voice and video connectivity between remote sites and SCADA network operations. Bottom line, with RADWIN's JET-powered network we've improved the municipality's overall operational efficiency, reduced leased lines costs and slashed OPEX."



David Bassanello, Sales Manager, Transwave: "We recommended JET for this project based on our previous experience with RADWIN's equipment both as an integrator and WISP service provider. This project posed major challenges since the remote sites are spread out and there's a high RF noise floor given the large suburban environment. That's where the Interference avoidance of JET's Beamforming made this product extremely attractive. We upgraded the entire aged radio infrastructure with the new JET platform, enabling the municipality to leverage their investment for many years to come."



Dennis Stipati, GM RADWIN North America: "JET Beamforming PtMP is the product of choice of municipalities worldwide, enabling them to rapidly extend connectivity to areas where fiber installation costs are prohibitive or where no rights-of-way exist. JET wireless systems enable governments to run crucial high-speed voice, video and data services and realize dramatic cost savings."



About RADWIN

RADWIN is a leading provider of Point-to-Multipoint and Point-to-Point broadband wireless solutions deployed in over 170 countries. http://www.radwin.com



About Transwave Communications Systems Inc.

Transwave Communications Systems is a legacy provider of private microwave systems thoroughout the Northeast US and a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) in the Greater Western NY area. http://www.transwave.net

RADWIN Sales

US: +1-201-252-4224

HQ: +972-3-769-2820

Email: [email protected]



Media Contact

Tammy Levy

RADWIN

Tel: +972-3-766-2916

Email: [email protected]



Contact: +1-(716)-626-9020 or (800)-836-6668

SOURCE RADWIN
MIAMI, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- REV Commercial Bus Group and its leading industry brands of Champion, ElDorado, Federal, Goshen, Krystal, and World Trans are pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Phillips as the Vice President of Sales for Commercial Bus.

Phillips will be responsible for the leadership of the REV Commercial Bus Team, Brand Managers and Product Services Group in developing new business and product solutions for the REV Bus Dealer Network and Customers.

"Brent's winning attitude and personality are assets that will complement and enhance REV Bus Group's ability to meet our dealer and customer needs for quality, innovative products and services in the marketplace," said John Walsh, President of the REV Bus Group.

"I am extremely pleased to join such a great team at the REV Group. I look forward to pursuing new opportunities that will enhance our partners' results by engaging with REV Group products," said Phillips. "Our legacy brands are the backbone of the bus industry and REV's management team is focused on the future."

Phillips has 25 years of experience in the Commercial Bus Industry at both the OEM and dealership levels. He previously held positions with Spartan Motors and the Blue Bird Corporation and most recently with two California-based dealerships, Bus West and Creative Bus Sales.

Phillips will be based in the REV offices in Miami, FL.



About REV Group, Inc.

REV Group, Inc., is a +2 billion manufacturer of industry-leading motor vehicle brands. Products include ambulances, fire trucks, shuttle buses, transit buses, yard trucks, street sweepers, luxury motorhomes and wheelchair accessible vehicles. REV owns 26 brands, employs more than 6,000 people in 16 different manufacturing facilities in the U.S., and produces more than 20,000 specialty vehicles annually. REV Group recently moved its corporate headquarters from Orlando, Fla., to Milwaukee, Wisc. For more information, about REV, visit www.REVgroup.com



FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Mikal Krummel, REV Bus Group

E [email protected] T (810) 724-1753 Ext. 265

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160603/375403LOGO

SOURCE REV Group, Inc.

Related Links

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MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO) and Laureate Machine and Automation (Leipsic, OH) are both celebrating the installation of their new WARDJet waterjet cutting machines, grand prizes they received as winners of the Build It! challenge at the Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS 2016  The International Manufacturing Technology Show, held Sept. 12  17, 2016, in Chicago, IL.

The installation dates:

Laureate Machine and Automation: November 28 - December 2, 2016

Missouri University of Science and Technology: October 24 - November 1, 2016

WARDJet, a member of AMT  The Association For Manufacturing Technology, sponsored the Build It! challenge and donated the machines, which have a combined value of $200,000. Build It! attracted more than 200 mechatronics students and industry professionals. Teams worked with waterjet experts as part of an hour-long session of planning, wiring, wrenching, and assembling a complete, high-end waterjet system. As the waterjet machines were completed, WARDJet's experts scored the teams on assembly precision, mechanical and electrical skills, overall build quality, and machine motion.

Motivated to share his passion for manufacturing and invigorate the industry, WARDJet founder and owner, Rich Ward said, "We are excited about the impact this challenge had on educating students and professionals alike. It was deeply rewarding to see so many young people enthusiastically working together to create a complex, high-tech waterjet. Our team is confident we will continue to have an active role in supporting the revitalization of manufacturing in the coming years."

Missouri University of Science and Technology machining lab won a WARDKit 5x5 as well as a HyPrecision 30 pump donated by its maker Hypertherm. "We are ecstatic! This new machine will replace outdated equipment and bring us to the forefront of waterjet technology," said Engineering Technician Jeff Heniff. "Having worked with waterjet technology since 1968 and advancing its many uses, we understand and appreciate the value of this gift. Our students are looking forward to incorporating it into national design competitions."

John Mullett of Laureate Machine and Automation won the E-1515. Laureate Machine and Automation offers fabrication for a variety of industries and is looking forward to adding an abrasive waterjet to their list of capabilities.

The Smartforce Student Summit is committed to inspiring young people for dynamic careers in advanced manufacturing as well as promoting the industry's state-of-the-art work places, excellent compensation, and opportunities to enhance one's quality of life and the economy. This year 17,000 students, teachers, and parents visited the summit. The next Smartforce Student Summit will be held during IMTS 2018, one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, Sept. 10-15, 2018, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

WARDJet

WARDJet is a world-renown waterjet cutting company, founded in 1993 by Rich Ward, who was born and raised in Zimbabwe, attended the University of Cape Town and began his career as a civil engineer. In 1991, he moved his family, to the United States to work on a two-year contract. Once completed, Rich started WARDJet in his Ohio garage and has expanded it to a 220,000-square-foot facility.

Hypertherm

Also formed in a garage and now located in a large facility, Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting products. The New Hampshire-based company's reputation for cutting innovation dates back nearly 50 years, with Hypertherm's invention of water injection plasma cutting.

IMTS  International Manufacturing Technology Show

The largest and longest running manufacturing technology trade show in the United States is held every other year at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. IMTS 2018 will run Sept. 10-15. IMTS is ranked among the largest trade shows in the world. Recognized as one of the world's preeminent stages for introducing and selling manufacturing equipment and technology, IMTS attracts more than 115,000 visitors from every level of industry and more than 120 countries. IMTS is owned and managed by AMT  The Association For Manufacturing Technology. www.IMTS.com

AMT  The Association For Manufacturing Technology

Representing U.S.-based builders and distributors of manufacturing technology, AMT is the voice of an industry that is critical to providing what U.S. manufacturing needs to be productive and innovative. Located near the nation's capital, AMT is the industry's voice for policies and initiatives that increase global competitiveness, speed the pace of innovation, and support the development of an advanced manufacturing Smartforce. AMT is a leading expert in industry data and intelligence as well as international business development, and is the owner and producer of IMTS  The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the premier manufacturing technology event in North America. www.AMTonline.org

MEDIA CONTACTS:

AMT  The Association For Manufacturing Technology

Penelope Brown

Director  AMT Marketing and Communications

703.827.5275 | [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160808/396415LOGO

SOURCE AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology

Related Links

http://www.AMTonline.org


VANCOUVER, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE & TSX: RBA, "Ritchie Bros."), today announced that it intends to offer US$500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior notes (the "Notes") subject to market conditions.

Ritchie Bros. intends to use the net proceeds, together with proceeds from its delayed-draw term loan and cash on hand or available under its revolving facilities, to fund the consideration payable in the previously announced acquisition of IronPlanet Holdings, Inc. ("IronPlanet") and related fees and expenses. The gross proceeds from the offering, together with additional amounts from cash on hand or borrowings from our existing credit facilities to prefund accrued interest, will be held in an escrow account pending the consummation of the IronPlanet acquisition.

The Notes will be offered and sold only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and outside the U.S. to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S of the Securities Act. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and, unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Notes have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public by prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws and accordingly, any offer and sale of the securities in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, and one of the world's largest sellers of used equipment for the construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, forestry and other industries. Ritchie Bros.TM asset management and disposition solutions include live unreserved public auctions with on-site and online bidding; EquipmentOneTM, an online auction marketplace; Mascus, a global online equipment listing service; private negotiated sales through Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty; and a range of ancillary services, including financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. Ritchie Bros. has operations in 18 countries, including 45 auction sites worldwide.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable U.S. and Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including, in particular, statements regarding Ritchie Bros' ability to consummate the proposed notes offering and, if consummated, the terms and conditions of the proposed IronPlanet acquisition, the expected timetable for completing the IronPlanet transaction, Ritchie Bros.' and Iron Planet's future financial and operational results, benefits and synergies of the IronPlanet transaction, future opportunities for the combined businesses of Ritchie Bros. and IronPlanet, the terms and potential benefits of the previously announced proposed transaction between Ritchie Bros. and Caterpillar Inc. ("Caterpillar") and any other statements regarding events or developments that Ritchie Bros. believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "project," "target," "potential," "schedule," "forecast," "budget," "estimate," "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or statements that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could," "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Ritchie Bros.' control, including risks and uncertainties related to: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet and Caterpillar. operate; obtaining regulatory approvals in connection with the IronPlanet transaction; each of Ritchie Bros.' and IronPlanet's ability to satisfy the merger agreement conditions and consummate the transaction on the anticipated timetable, or at all; Ritchie Bros.' ability to successfully integrate IronPlanet's operations and employees with Ritchie Bros.' existing business; the ability to realize anticipated growth, synergies and cost savings in the IronPlanet transaction; the maintenance of important business relationships; the effects of the IronPlanet transaction on relationships with employees, customers, other business partners or governmental entities; transaction costs; Ritchie Bros.' ability to manage its indebtedness; risks associated with Ritchie Bros.' incurrence of additional indebtedness; Ritchie Bros.' ability to maintain compliance with covenants under the agreements governing its indebtedness; downgrades of Ritchie Bros.' credit ratings; deterioration of or instability of the economy, the markets Ritchie Bros. serves or the financial markets generally; as well as the risks and uncertainties set forth in Ritchie Bros.' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and Ritchie Bros.' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, which are available on the SEC, SEDAR, and Ritchie Bros.' website. The foregoing list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Ritchie Bros.' forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Ritchie Bros. does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein unless required by applicable securities legislation. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

Related Links

http://www.rbauction.com


WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Roadside Development, a privately held commercial real estate firm and its joint venture partner NORTH AMERICA SEKISUI HOUSE, LLC (NASH), are pleased to announce the purchase of the iconic Fannie Mae Headquarters located at 3900 Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, DC. The acquisition includes a 228,000 square foot building and approximately 10 acres of land.

Roadside Development is known for its adaptive reuse of commercial properties and cultivating lasting relationships with communities including its most recent venture City Market at O, a 1M square foot development located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. NORTH AMERICA SEKISUI HOUSE, LLC (NASH) is the U.S. business unit and full subsidiary of SEKISUI HOUSE, Ltd, Japan's largest homebuilder and leading diversified developer. Together, these companies share a common vision for creating a new development that blends mindful planning with design excellence for a dynamic mix of innovation, sustainability and superior quality to create long-term value for the community.

"We are honored to partner with NASH in the acquisition of this iconic property. We look forward to working with the community as we consider redevelopment of the property following Fannie Mae's departure," said Richard Lake, Founding Principal of Roadside Development.

Fannie Mae Headquarters will relocate to 1100 15th Street, NW in Washington, DC. The company will remain at 3900 Wisconsin Avenue until its new headquarters are complete. During this time, Roadside Development will work with local officials and community leaders to further define the collective vision for the redevelopment including both design and usage.

Originally built in 1958, the Fannie Mae Headquarters is part of the architectural composition and fabric of the neighborhood. The property is ideally situated along Wisconsin Avenue surrounded by high-density neighborhoods and acres of public parks. As a locally based real estate developer, Roadside Development is committed to improving the communities of which they also live and work and will bring this same level of commitment to the redevelopment of 3900 Wisconsin Avenue.

About Roadside Development:

Roadside Development is a Washington DC-based real estate firm that values and invests in people and communities. Roadside Development utilizes its successful team-oriented strategy with regard to the acquisition of assets, land-use planning, site development, construction management, retail leasing, and asset management. Roadside Development's vast experience and in-depth market knowledge, creativity and flexibility is the driving force behind its ability to secure prime opportunities and craft them into unique, vibrant places to learn, live, work, and shop. Roadside Development is best known for the successful adaptive reuse of City Market at O and Cityline at Tenley. Learn more at www.roadsidedevelopment.com

About NORTH AMERICA SEKISUI HOUSE, LLC (NASH):

NASH is the U.S. business operations unit and a full subsidiary of SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD., Japan's largest homebuilder and a leading diversified developer since 1960. NASH establishes joint ventures to build innovative and sustainability-conscious mixed-use and master planned communities. NASH is based in Arlington, Virginia, and SEKISUI HOUSE is headquartered in Osaka, Japan, with affiliates and subsidiaries around the globe. www.nashcommunities.com

Media Contact:

Stephanie Lynch

202.248.5855

[email protected]

SOURCE Roadside Development

Related Links

http://www.roadsidedevelopment.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Restaurant Business magazine has released its annual ranking of the Top 100 Independent Restaurants, an important benchmark for industry operators that highlights the highest-grossing non-chain restaurant concepts in the U.S. In all, 11 California restaurants are included on the list.

All of the restaurants in the Top 100 serve as a reminder that being nimble, resilient and thoughtful about both customers and employees is a formula fit for today's restaurant climate. "In many ways, by going back to the basicsempowering and nurturing employee ambassadors, finding new ways to operate lean and connecting with their communitiesthese restaurants are standing strong amid challenging times for the industry," says Sara Rush Wirth, managing editor of Restaurant Business.

Revenues for independents in the Top 100 ranking ranged from Timberline Steaks and Grille with $12,150,000 to Tao Asian Bistro in Las Vegas with nearly $48 million. Restaurants in this year's Top 100 Independents list had total food and beverage revenues of roughly $1.8 billion in 2015. It's an important number to focus on, especially with chain restaurants' current state of decreasing sales.

California Independents

The Golden State is home to 11 of the Top 100 Independents, most of those are split evenly between San Francisco and the Southland. One newcomer to the list was Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in Malibu. To view the complete rank of California's Top Independents, visit 2016 Top Independent Restaurants in California.

The Top 5 Independents in California and their 2015 revenues are as follows:

Restaurant Top 100 Rank 2015 Sales Bottega Louie, Los Angeles 13 $21,732,696 The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Beverly Hills 57 $15,800,000* Scoma's, San Francisco 64 $15,092,497 Boa Steakhouse, West Hollywood 65 $14,870,355 Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant, Coalinga 74 $14,625,584



*RB estimate

The full Top 100 Independents feature is published in the October 2016 issue of Restaurant Business magazine. To view more restaurants on the ranking, visit: http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/special-reports/top-100-independents.

About Restaurant Business

Restaurant Business is the leading media brand in the commercial foodservice industry, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and growth. Through its monthly print magazine and website RestaurantBusinessOnline.com, Restaurant Business concisely shows growth-minded restaurateurs how to capitalize on trends, new concepts, changes in consumer tastes, new purchasing strategies and peers' best practices. The editors track ideas and trends as they develop within key channel segments including high volume independents, multiunit operators, emerging chains, the top 100 chains plus their leading franchisees.

Visit RestaurantBusinessOnline.com for more information.

About Winsight

Winsight, LLC is a market-leading, business-to-business media and information company specializing in the convenience retailing, restaurant and noncommercial foodservice industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio with leading publications and digital products, including CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director and Convenience Store Products. Winsight Events produces large-scale executive-level conferences, including Restaurant Leadership Conference, Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, FARE, Outlook Leadership, FSTEC, and MenuDirectionsin addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings. Winsight recently acquired Technomic, Inc., the leading provider of market information and advisory services to the food industry. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to http://www.winsightmedia.com/.

CONTACT

Sheila Charapata

Director of Marketing

Winsight, LLC

312.940.1970

[email protected]

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SOURCE Winsight, LLC

Related Links

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LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Publishing will host nearly 150 attendees from at least 12 U.S. states at a regional dealer forum event scheduled for December 5th and 6th in Ontario, California. The Nebraska-based technology company will host equipment and parts dealers, manufacturers, rental and leasing companies, auctioneers, and other professionals from the construction, agriculture, heavy machinery, transportation, and aviation industries as part of a series of regional forums set to take place in 2017.

Sandhills forums present attendees with opportunities to gain industry insights, grow professional relationships, and leverage their partnerships with Sandhills to improve internal efficiencies through results-oriented, cost-effective business tools. The upcoming forum combines open workshops, roundtable discussions, forum-style seminars, and one-on-one sessions to address a range of topics.

"In addition to seminars and roundtable discussions, our forum events provide a venue for one-on-one collaboration with our industry experts," explains Sandhills' Department Manager Michelle Ober. For example, the Ontario forum will include a focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing). "Consultations with our web marketing team provide dealers with the information they need to make strategic decisions that lead to higher returns from their online marketing," adds Ober.

Sandhills will also present a number of recently launched products, including NeedWorkToday.com and NeedADriverNow.com, which connect employers and individuals seeking industry-specific employment opportunities; Pre-AuctionTime, a new timed wholesale avenue available to sellers; and more. Sandhills will also make exclusive announcements about product updates and upcoming rollouts.

Dates and locations for 2017 regional forums are set: Sandhills will host forums February 27th and 28th in Dallas, Texas; April 25th and 26th in Roanoke, Virginia; June 12th and 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah; October 16th and 17th in Orlando, Florida; and December 4th and 5th in Phoenix, Arizona. Sandhills will also host its annual three-day Global Forum at the company's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska August 8th, 9th, and 10th. "These regional forums allow us to reach customers all over the country more conveniently, and more frequently," adds Ober, "So they can reap the benefits that our annual Global Forum has delivered for over two decades."

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services are aimed at gathering, processing, and distributing information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud.

Contact: Sandhills Publishing, 402-479-2181

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SOURCE Sandhills Publishing
ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SCARCI Italian Resort Wear is introducing to the market the first Italian clothing line to feature a modern U.S. Fit.

"Most distinguished American men want to wear designer European clothing but can't because of the unique fit. When I talk to Americans about our Italian clothing, the first response is usually 'I can't wear that.' With SCARCI's clothing, that is no longer true," said Kevin Swan, Vice President, SCARCI.

SCARCI Italian Resort Wear Launches Exclusive U.S. Tailored Line

SCARCI, which also carries the traditional Italian Fit, designed their U.S. Fit clothing line with the vision of being able to provide Americans with high quality Italian craftsmanship in sizes built for Americans. The phrase "Made in Italy" is synonymous with slim fitting, luxury quality and impeccable craftsmanship. All of SCARCI's clothing is Made in Italy and instinctively puts quality craftsmanship at the forefront of their business to follow in the footsteps of what the Italian fashion industry has built for generations.

SCARCI Italian Resort Wear was conceptualized in 2013. After years of research, testing fabrics, designing, traveling Italy in search for the most talented factories and luxury fabrics, the brand launched in July 2016 during New York Men's Fashion Week. Swan said, "We didn't want to rush any part of the process in designing a luxury clothing line. We made every decision very carefully and spent those years making our vision come to life." SCARCI's fashion designer, creative team, CEO and executives work out of an office in Atlanta and also operate a secondary office in Italy.

SCARCI focuses on exclusive textures and fabrics with creative yet classic designs. Each of SCARCI's designed, ready-to-wear, resort collection garments have been constructed and developed specifically to showcase fashion forward Italian style but with a classic feel. This makes SCARCI's collection one of longevity, ensuring it is relevant in a consumer's wardrobe for decades to come. SCARCI's clothing is available to purchase on www.scarci.com.

CONTACT:

Laura Squibbs

[email protected]

800 987-6114

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SOURCE SCARCI Italian Resort Wear

Related Links

http://www.scarci.com


"We have been looking forward to this day for over two years. Seabourn Encore has become a stunning ship that will set a new standard in ultra-luxury cruising," said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. "I am very proud of our partnership with Fincantieri, and it has been a great pleasure to work together to transform raw materials into this incredible vessel that will make a great addition to the Seabourn fleet."

"The jewel we deliver today is the first built for Seabourn, and dry dock works for the second vessel of this new and prestigious client will start in the next few days in our shipyard in Sestri Ponente. I say this with a certain pride and a lot of satisfaction, because Seabourn represents the top range offer of the Carnival Group and Fincantieri is now identified as an absolute reference point from the market, able to offer tailor-made products to an ever wider range of customers," said Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri. "This gratifying result became possible thanks to the strategy stubbornly followed in the last years that has allowed us to be in the best conditions to seize the opportunities offered by the market."

Guests of Seabourn Encore will be treated to the line's extraordinary levels of personalized service, with a high staff to guest ratio. The ship carries 600 guests, based on double occupancy, who reside in 300 elegantly appointed suites each with a private verandah.

Designed by hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany who intended Seabourn Encore "to feel more like a luxury yacht," the 40,350-GRT vessel features modern design elements and innovations in keeping with Seabourn's reputation for understated elegance, as well as one additional deck and new expanded public areas. The ship expands and builds on the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionized ultra-luxury cruising with enhanced accommodations and innovative amenities when they were introduced between 2009 and 2011. New features include The Retreat, a sanctuary designed for guests to relax in private cabanas, with a Spa Treatment Cabana for personalized spa services.

In addition, guests will enjoy superb cuisine, including The Grill by Thomas Keller, the new signature restaurant from three-star Michelin chef Thomas Keller that was introduced on Seabourn Quest earlier this year and will be expanded to the entire Seabourn fleet. A new restaurant for Seabourn, Sushi, makes its debut as a destination for foodies, with a unique look and feel and high-quality dishes served throughout the day.

A new production show, 'An Evening with Tim Rice,' created exclusively for Seabourn in association with Belinda King Creative Productions, will open onboard Seabourn Encore in January 2017, when she sails from Singapore on her inaugural voyage. The new Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil mindful living program also debuts on Seabourn Encore in January. Both Tim Rice and Dr. Weil will sail on the inaugural voyage.

Encore will be officially christened at a ceremony in Singapore on January 7, 2017. International recording artist and world's best-selling Soprano, Sarah Brightman, will be godmother of Seabourn Encore and officially name the ship during the celebration. The vessel will then depart on its Inaugural Voyage, the 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise, bound for Indonesia.

Following her inaugural sailing, Seabourn Encore will move onto a 16-day Great Barrier Reef & Gold Coast and back-to-back 16-day Australia & New Zealand voyages. The ship will then reverse the earlier 10-day Gems of the Java Sea cruise to Singapore, proceed on 16-day Jewels of India & Arabia cruise to Dubai, and finish her first season with a 19-day Arabian Gems & Holy Land voyage before ending her winter season at Athens on May 5.

Seabourn Encore will spend summer 2017 along the Mediterranean, with numerous itineraries including a 7-14-or 21-day Mediterranean cruise departing from Piraeus (Athens), Greece on May 6, the 22-day Adriatic & Mediterranean Isles cruise departing June 24, and the 20-Day Mediterranean Encore cruise departing from Barcelona on Aug. 5. The ship will finish summer with the 20-Day UNESCO Gems of the Western Mediterranean cruise on Sept.13 for the start of its autumn season.

For more details about the award-winning Seabourn fleet, or to explore the worldwide selection of Seabourn cruising options, contact a professional travel advisor, call Seabourn at 1-800-929-9391 or visit www.seabourn.com.

Click to Tweet: [email protected] took delivery of its newest all suite vessel, #SeabournEncore, today during an official handover ceremony #SeabournCruise

Find Seabourn on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

Notes to Editors:

Seabourn is consistently ranked among the world's top travel choices by professional critics and the discerning readers of prestigious travel publications such as Departures, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. Its stylish, distinctive cruising vacations are renowned for:

Intimate ships with no more than 300 suites

Unique itineraries visiting must-see cities and hidden gems where larger ships cannot follow

Intuitive, gracious service provided by a staff passionate about pleasing our guests

Spacious all-suite accommodations with sweeping ocean views - many with verandas

Gourmet dining experiences as fine as the best restaurants anywhere

Open bars throughout the ship and fine wines poured with lunch and dinner

Seabourn is a proud member of World's Leading Cruise Lines. The exclusive alliance also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, AIDA, P&O Cruises UK, P&O Cruises Australia and fathom. Seabourn is a brand of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL andNYSE: CUK). It has formed a partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help protect World Heritage.

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SOURCE Seabourn

Related Links

http://www.seabourn.com


The Company to Also Lay Out Its Aggressive Growth Strategy for 2017

BEND, OR, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Signal Bay (OTCQB:SGBY) will be presenting at the widely-attended LD Microchip Conference, which is to be held in Luxe Sunset Bel Air in Los Angeles from December 6 through December 8. Marcum and SEG will be the main sponsors of this significant industry event, and event which will host thousands of investors and 240 small and micro-cap companies.

Signal Bay operates state-of-the-art testing facilities and offers accredited testing methodologies that ensure the safety and potency of the nation's cannabis supply through its' EVIO Labs division. As the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana sweeps across the country, demand for reliable, independent cannabis quality control testing facilities is increasing dramatically.

The self-described "Woodstock" of Microcap, LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually.

Signal Bay to Focus Presentation on Rapid Industry Changes and Its Rapid Sales Growth

The election results in California and other states was nothing short of a game-changer for the legal cannabis market, which is now the fastest growing industry in the nation.

A subset of the overall marijuana market is the cannabis testing market, a space that is expected to grow exponentially as cannabis transitions from a formerly illegal substance to a legal and regulated consumer product. The testing market in the United States is expected to balloon to $850 million in size by 2020. In California alone, the market is expected to reach $300 million in 2017. Cannabis testing is critical to ensuring that cannabis, whether for medical or recreational use, is safe from pesticides, E. coli, molds, solvents and other toxins and impurities.

"We are looking forward to presenting at the LD Microchip Conference during such an exciting time in our industry," commented CEO of Signal Bay, William Waldrop. "The year 2016 will go on record as the year in which the cannabis industry began on an explosive growth trajectory of historic proportions. We are truly entering in to a "Green Rush." In addition, we also strongly believe that the cannabis testing subset is the most attractive, risk averse subset of the cannabis industry, generally. As leading player in this space, we are very pleased and excited to share significant progress we have achieved in 2016 as well as our aggressive growth strategy going forward into 2017. We look forward to sharing our past successes and future plans with current and potential investors at next week's widely attended and publicized conference."

While many cannabis testing companies are currently vying for market share in the wide open markets resulting the recent election, strict regulations and mandatory cannabis testing accreditation have made it difficult for many inexperienced cannabis testing companies to survive. Signal Bay, however, is the dominant player in Oregon where its EVIO Labs are the currently accredited and setting the standard in the industry. Signal Bay currently has five EVIO Labs in operation including one in California. The Company plans to add 18 more accredited EVIO Labs in the Golden State by the end of 2018. Signal Bay has seen explosive growth over the last few months, and just recently reported record sales figures for the month of October. The presentation could not come at a more exciting time for the Company, or for the industry. The Company projects to generate over $45 million in annual revenues and operate over 30 EVIO Labs by 2020.

Signal Bay to Also Highlight Its Scientific Edge Over Competitors

Many Cannabis testing labs struggle to survive simply because they lack proper technical expertise. This is not the case for Signal Bay, whose strength comes from its deep bullpen of experienced team members. Some of the 31 Signal Bay team members helping the growing company execute on its aggressive growth strategy include Chief Science Officer and natural products researcher, Dr. Anthony Smith. A well-respected biochemist and researcher with a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Oregon State University. Dr. Smith held a position on the Oregon governor's Task Force for Researching the Medical and Public Health Effects of Cannabis and serves on the scientific advisory board of the Health Research Institute, a non-profit horticultural and medical research group. Dr. Smith is just player in what the Company believes is the strongest and most experienced management team in the industry.

"Lacking the scientific expertise and experience, many labs take up to a year to reach some level of accreditation, but fail to become fully accredited and remain unable to provide the full suite of services required for regulatory compliance," Waldrop commented.

"Many get stuck in the research and development stage after accreditation. At Signal Bay, however, our advanced technical experience as well as our experience and understanding of the regulatory system, enables us to get our EVIO Labs accredited and fully operational in a matter of months, rather than years. This efficiency enables us to grow quickly and to meet our ambitious milestones we have set for the coming year, milestones I look forward to laying out next week at the LD Microcap Conference in Los Angeles."

Legal Disclaimer: Financial Press Media Group, Inc. is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide, nor claims to provide, investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release to buy, sell or hold any securities. Investing intrinsically involves substantial risk and readers are reminded to consult an investment professional and complete their own due diligence, including SEC filings, when researching any companies mentioned in this release. This release is based upon publicly available information and, while vetted, is not considered to be all-inclusive or guaranteed to be free from errors. With respect to Section 17(B) of the Securities Act of 1933 and in the interest of full disclosure, we call the reader's attention to the fact that Financial Press Media Group, Inc. may have received compensation from the companies mentioned in this release.

SOURCE Signal Bay, Inc.
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- November is Military Family Appreciation Month, and the Sodexo Employee Business Resource Group , HONOR, celebrated by leveraging the Support Our Troops Troopons program, which collects and sends coupons to military members stationed overseas and their families. To date, Sodexo teams have provided more than $3 million worth of coupons through the program.

Troopons works to enhance the well-being of overseas and domestic military families by sending them food, non-food items, baby, and pet manufacturer coupons to make their hard-earned dollars go farther. According to Feeding America there are 620,000 households in the U.S. that include at least one soldier, reservist or guardsman, or 25 percent of the nation's total active duty and reserve personnel, that are seeking aid from food pantries and other charitable programs across the country. Managing household budgets often becomes more challenging when families are deployed abroad.

"Sodexo is committed to supporting our troops and their families overseas, not just during Military Family Appreciation Month, but year round," said Mike Genco, Sodexo HONOR group chair. "The Troopon program helps to improve the quality of life for the brave men and women who serve our country by allowing them to buy their desired items at lower prices."

HONOR is one of several Sodexo employee business resource groups. Members provide support, guidance and resources to Sodexo employees who are current or former members of the military and their families. Led by the New York chapter, HONOR members from all over the country have organized and tallied coupons to send overseas to troops and their families who need them. Stores at military bases accept the coupons for up to six months past their expiration date, allowing troops and their families to get as much use out of the coupons as possible.

With more than 40 years of experience working municipal, state, federal and military clients, Sodexo's Government segment and its nearly 3,000 employees improve the quality of life for the people it serves at 150 military and U.S. federal government locations in 26 states. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Sodexo provides a variety of integrated food and facilities management solutions and is the nation's largest federal foodservice contractor  serving 45.6 million meals annually with a focus on wellness and nutrition.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 company is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

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SOURCE Sodexo

Related Links

http://www.sodexoUSA.com


"We're excited to celebrate completion of this expansion project and delivery of the first thrust reverser with a composite inner wall," said Tom Gentile, Spirit AeroSystems president and chief executive officer. "Spirit has delivered assemblies and components for more than 9,000 737s since the model entered service, and we look forward to supporting the 737's continued success and competitiveness through this newest expansion."

Spirit is using a proven composite inner wall material, providing Boeing with a maintainable, producible and reliable solution for the 737 MAX. The new design includes a thermal protection system, which provides reliable protection from the heat generated by the new fuel efficient Leap-1B engines made by CFM International. The 737 MAX is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the original Next-Generation 737.

The 737 MAX will extend the Next-Generation 737 range advantage with the capability to fly more than 3,500 nautical miles (6,510 kilometers), an increase of 340 to 570 nautical miles (629 to 1,055 kilometers). Delivery of the first 737 MAX is scheduled for the first half of 2017.

Boeing, which currently produces 42 737s per month, will increase the rate to 47 airplanes per month in 2017. To support rate increases, Spirit also opened a new expansion to support 737 MAX thrust reverser production. The new expansion is 45,000 sqft. and will deliver 94 thrust reversers per month to support the next rate increase.

"Delivering this very important capability to our customer is our top priority," said Duane Hawkins, Spirit's senior vice president of Boeing Programs. "Spirit helped design and develop a technical solution for our customer and now we have the capacity to deliver the product on time and with the highest quality possible."

Spirit employs about 15,000 people worldwide designing and building complex aerostructures for the world's most recognizable airplanes. Spirit builds the forward fuselage section of every Boeing Commercial Airplane in production today, as well as wing and propulsion components.

On the web: www.spiritaero.com

On Twitter: @SpiritAero

About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest independent producers of large aerostructures. Its core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components. Spirit has long-term agreements in place with its largest customers, Boeing and Airbus. Other customers include Northrop Grumman, Bombardier, Rolls Royce, Mitsubishi, Sikorsky and Bell Helicopter. Based in Wichita, Kan., Spirit operates facilities in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. Spirit also provides aftermarket customer support, including MRO, spare parts, and engineering services in North America, Europe and Asia.

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SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Related Links

http://www.spiritaero.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally-acclaimed family law attorney Jeffery M. Leving issued the following statement on the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Leving helped reunite Elian Gonzalez with his father in Cuba, who saw Castro as a father figure. "He is a father who, like my father, I wanted to show him everything I achieved, that he would be proud of me," Gonzalez stated.

"I vividly remember Elian's great uncle Manuel Gonzalez speaking with Elian's father in Cuba while I was in Manuel's Florida home," Leving reminisced. "That emotionally-charged phone conversation is something I will never forget, as well as later representing Elian's great uncle Manuel while he emotionally testified in the United States Senate."

"The strong emotions and complex family dynamics in this case resulted from Elian's family having strong differences of opinion as to whether or not he should be reunited with his father in Cuba after his mother drowned attempting to bring him to the US from Cuba."

Leving's focus was to protect the rights of Elian's father and reunite father and son. Although Leving's main focus was not the reported international tug-of-war between the US and Cuba, he was in contact with then current President Clinton's counsel concerning the case and received support from former President Jimmy Carter for his position in the reunification. Leving's meeting with Elian's paternal and maternal grandmothers in the Cuban Interest Section in Washington, D.C., was also a strong motivator for him, as his grandparents also supported reunification.

Elian's reunification with his father in Cuba was never political, but always a paternal and children's rights issue to Leving.

Jennifer Whiteside, Asst. to Jeffery M. Leving

The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, LTD.

19 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1500

Chicago, IL 60603

[email protected]

312.296.3666

SOURCE Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.
PHOENIX, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America kicks off its ninth annual "Share the Love" event lasting from Nov. 17, 2016, through Jan. 3, 2017. Through these dates, Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased to participating national or local charities selected by the purchaser. For the sixth consecutive year, Make-A-Wish America is one of the four national charities on the 2016 roster. Local Make-A-Wish chapters can also be chosen to receive the donation.

The event gives Subaru lovers the chance to bring the life-changing benefits of a wish come true to more seriously-ill children. Over the last five years, Subaru of America, Inc. has donated more than $9.4 million to Make-A-Wish to grant nearly 1,200 wishes across the country. Since the inception of She the Love, the annual holiday event has generated nearly $70 million for various charities.

New for this year, Subaru has introduced a video challenge to the "Share the Love" event. Participating charities will create their own, homemade music videos to this year's theme song: "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." Make-A-Wish will share its video with supporters and social media followers and encourage them to create and share a video of their own.

"For the past five consecutive years, through the success of the "Share the Love" event, Subaru and its customers have enabled chapters to grant more wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions," said David Williams, Make-A-Wish America president and CEO. "We are honored to be one of the charities chosen this year and hope Subaru and their customers realize their contribution takes us one step closer to our goal of granting a life-changing wish for every eligible child.

To learn more about Make-A-Wish and to find out how to help grant life-changing wishes, visit www.wish.org for more information.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 35 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com.

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SOURCE Make-A-Wish(R)

Related Links

http://www.wish.org


TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Symbility Solutions Inc. ("Symbility" or the "Company") (TSX.V: SY), a global software company focused on modernizing the insurance industry, today announced financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2016.

"We are very pleased with our Q3 results, reporting another record revenue quarter, resulting in an increase to our 2016 guidance from $33 million to meet or exceed $34 million," said James Swayze, Chief Executive Officer of Symbility Solutions. "Our year to date revenue has increased 37% as compared to the same period last year as a consequence of expanding into new geographies, acquiring new customers in our current territories, upselling new products into our existing customer base and gaining market share from competitors in mature markets. We are also happy to report that although we continue to invest meaningfully in new products and new markets, we were Adjusted EBITDA positive for the second consecutive quarter coming in at $264,000 which gives us confidence that we will have an overall positive Adjusted EBITDA for the year in 2016."

THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS

Consolidated revenue for the third quarter of 2016 was $8.7 million compared to $7.8 million in the same period in 2015, an increase of 11.6 percent. Consolidated revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 totaled $25.3 million compared to $18.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 , an increase of 36.9 percent.

compared to in the same period in 2015, an increase of 11.6 percent. Consolidated revenue for the nine months ended totaled compared to for the nine months ended , an increase of 36.9 percent. The Company reported an Adjusted EBITDA of $264,000 in Q3 2016 compared to $512,000 in Q3 2015. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016 the Company had an Adjusted EBITDA of ($3,000) compared to an Adjusted EBITDA of ($1,162,000) for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 .

in Q3 2016 compared to in Q3 2015. For the nine months ended the Company had an Adjusted EBITDA of compared to an Adjusted EBITDA of for the nine months ended . The Company had a loss per share 2 of ($0.00) in the third quarter of 2016 compared to a loss per share of ($0.00) in the third quarter of 2015. The Company had a loss per share of ($0.01) for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 compared to a loss per share of ($0.02) for the same period in 2015.

of in the third quarter of 2016 compared to a loss per share of in the third quarter of 2015. The Company had a loss per share of for the nine months ended compared to a loss per share of for the same period in 2015. The Company had a cash balance of $6.5 million at September 30, 2016 compared to a cash balance of $6.6 million at December 31, 2015 .

at compared to a cash balance of at . Net loss for the third quarter of 2016 was ($530,000) compared to ($864,000) in the same period of 2015, a decrease in loss of 38.7 percent. Net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was ($2,769,000) compared to ($5,187,000) on for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 , a decrease in loss of 46.6 percent.

SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

in thousands of dollars

three months ended September 30,

nine months ended September 30,

2016 2015

2016 2015 Revenue $8,693 $7,787

$25,269 $18,462 Cost of Sales $3,051 $2,262

$7,928 $5,008 Expenses $6,168 $6,365

$20,089 $18,637 Net Loss ($530) ($864)

($2,769) ($5,187) Adjusted EBITDA1 $264 $512

($3) ($1,162) Loss per share2 ($0.00) ($0.00)

($0.01) ($0.02)











As at September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, in thousands of dollars 2016 2015 Cash and cash equivalents $6,503 $6,553 Total Assets $38,842 $39,155 Total long term liabilities $397 $354

















three months ended September 30,

nine months ended September 30,

2016 2015

2016 2015 IFRS Net Loss ($530) ($864)

($2,769) ($5,187) Finance income, net ($7) ($6)

($16) ($59) Depreciation and amortization $672 $824

$2,050 $2,083 Stock-based compensation $118 $326

$695 $711 Restructuring Cost $0 $0

$0 $332 Transaction Related Expense $0 $202

$0 $895 Income tax expense $11 $30

$37 $63 Adjusted EBITDA1 $264 $512

($3) ($1,162)











1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and is calculated as earnings before interest income, taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment losses, stock-based compensation, and other non-recurring gains or losses including transaction costs related to acquisition and restructuring cost. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure that facilitates period-to-period operating comparisons. Adjusted EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings (loss) prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by IASB. All other financial measures referenced herein have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards unless stated otherwise.





2 In Canadian dollars, rounded to the nearest cent.

INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL

Symbility will host a live webcast and conference call tomorrow Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at 10 a.m. ET to discuss these results. All interested parties are welcome to join the live webcast, which can be accessed at http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1296160&s=1&k=3F6B1C1FA14AFFF80721A0514C5CF231. Participants may also join the conference call by dialing toll free (888) 231-8191 or (647) 427-7450 for international participants. A replay of the webcast will be available on Symbility's website.

ABOUT SYMBILITY

Symbility (TSX.V: SY) believes in creating world-class experiences that simplify business and improve lives. With a history in modernizing insurance claims solutions for the property and health industries, Symbility has established itself as a partner that puts security, efficiency and customer experience first. Symbility PROPERTY brings smarter thinking to property insurance. Symbility HEALTH helps benefits professionals build their brands and businesses. Our strategic services team, Symbility INTERSECT empowers a variety of businesses with smarter mobile and IoT product development strategy, design thinking and engineering excellence. With our three segments pushing industries forward, Symbility proves that change for the better is entirely possible. symbilitysolutions.com

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to the Corporation, its products and operations and the contemplated financing. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The actual results and performance of the Corporation discussed herein could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, changes in government regulations, and the factors described under "Risk Factors" in the Management's Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form of the Corporation which are available at www.sedar.com. The cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to the Corporation and persons acting on their behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Corporation has no obligation to update such statements.

This press release should be read in conjunction with Corporation's consolidated financial statements and related notes, and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ending September 30, 2016, copies of which can be found at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All trade names are the property of their respective owners.

Symbility Solutions Inc.

Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

(Unaudited - In thousands of Canadian dollars)



September 30,

2016 December 31,

2015 Assets





Current assets







Cash and cash equivalents

6,503 6,553

Accounts receivable

8,433 7,127

Prepaid expenses

1,139 1,101

Tax credits receivables

626 849



16,701 15,630 Long-term assets







Prepaid expenses and Security deposits

160 142

Property and equipment

666 691

Intangible assets

10,552 11,929

Goodwill

10,763 10,763



38,842 39,155 Liabilities





Current Liabilities







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

6,383 4,949

Deferred revenue

2,951 2,702



9,334 7,651 Long-term liabilities







Accrued liabilities and others

15 8

Customer deposits

382 346



9,731 8,005







Shareholders' equity

29,111 31,150



38,842 39,155

Symbility Solutions Inc. Interim Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss Unaudited - In thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share data

three-month period ended

September 30,

nine-month period ended

September 30,

2016 2015

2016 2015











Revenue











Software and other 6,988 6,325

21,066 16,957

Professional services 1,705 1,462

4,203 1,505

Total Revenue 8,693 7,787

25,269 18,462 Cost of sales











Software and other 2,009 1,397

5,268 4,118

Professional services 1,042 865

2,660 890

Total cost of sales 3,051 2,262

7,928 5,008 Gross Profit 5,642 5,525

17,341 13,454











Expenses











Sales and Marketing 3,163 3,343

10,306 8,719

General and administration 2,361 1,843

6,385 5,267

Research and development 883 943

2,676 3,208

Depreciation, amortization, and foreign exchange foreign exchange (239) 34

722 216

Transaction and restructuring - 202

- 1,227

6,168 6,365

20,089 18,637











Loss before finance costs (income), net and income tax expense (526) (840)

(2,748) (5,183)

Finance income, net (7) (6)

(16) (59)

Income tax expense 11 30

37 63











Net loss and comprehensive loss for the period (530) (864)

(2,769) (5,187)











Basic and diluted loss and comprehensive loss per common share (0.00) (0.00)

(0.01) (0.02)

SOURCE Symbility Solutions Inc.

Related Links

www.symbilitysolutions.com


ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Upstate New Yorkers will embrace telemedicine as an alternative to getting care for minor conditions next year and are expected to use that option more than 50,000 times by the year 2018, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield officials predicted today.

Relying on national studies, local projections and preliminary results from a pilot program of its own employees' use of telemedicine, the health plan said a surge in the use of telemedicine is likely to begin in 2017 and grow rapidly every year through the remainder of this decade and beyond.

"Ideal medical care is when a patient sees his or her physician face-to-face, and both know and trust each other, but in our rapidly changing and fast-paced world, some of those face-to-face visits can't always take place," said Martin Lustick, senior vice president and corporate medical officer for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

"Telemedicine is an alternative that is in place and will gain popularity across the country," Lustick said. "It allows people in rural areas to see specialists in urban settings. It serves the needs of patients who find it difficult to get out of work to see their doctor when they need to address a problem for themselves or their children. And, it's a speedy alternative to going to an urgent care center or even the hospital emergency room for minor medical conditions."

Historical advances in clinical decision-making; the evolution of customer-friendly technology applications for smartphones, tablets and computers; and more people having high-deductible health policies are the most frequently cited reasons driving the trend. Remote medical care, known as telemedicine, is when the patient and the provider are in two different locations but linked by telephone or a secure two-way video connection.

While telemedicine services are available to anyone with or without health insurance, easy-to- use platforms are being built into most health insurance offerings throughout upstate New York. Starting Jan. 1, 2017, MDLIVE will be the platform offered by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to all privately-insured and Medicare Advantage members as their new enrollment or re-enrollment begins.

"There's an old adage that you should be skeptical of a chef who doesn't taste his own cooking," Lustick said. "With that in mind, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield ran a pilot program that encouraged our employees to register themselves and family members with MDLIVE. The responses we received for getting this benefit and using it were overwhelmingly positive." A summary of the pilot experience is available at http://tinyurl.com/zt9lxl5 .

Among registered employee users, about 8 percent made use of the telemedicine option. More than half said they would have gone to an urgent care center or the emergency room for a minor condition if the telemedicine option hadn't been available.

Relying on New York State Department of Health data labeled "potentially preventable" emergency room visits, Excellus BCBS reported earlier this year that 10 common conditions represent more than 2 million annual visits to hospital emergency rooms statewide, and nine out of 10 of those could have been avoided or treated elsewhere. Of 6.4 million emergency room visits in 2013, more than 2 million were for common conditions, such as ear or sinus infections and sore throats.

"We said back then and we'll repeat today: The ideal method for having minor medical conditions addressed is to see your doctor," Lustick said. "But if your doctor can't see you immediately for an office visit, ask whether he or she can address the issue with telemedicine. And if that isn't available, other telemedicine providers, such as MD Live, can address most of those common conditions and prescribe medicine when medically indicated."

The health plan also announced today that it will invest in a public education campaign that presents telemedicine as an alternative to potentially preventable emergency room visits.

"We are at a crossroads in upstate New York," Lustick concluded. "Consumers have more choices available to them than they ever have before when it comes to getting their medical needs addressed. We believe the primary care physician should be central to our health care, but recognize that new technologies, clinical decision-making advances and health insurance offerings are about to have an important impact on our upstate New York health care delivery system."

About Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to about 1.5 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools. To learn more, visit excellusbcbs.com.

Related Files

ER_handout_Press_conf EX.pdf

ER infographic-EX FINAL 4-6-16.pdf

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SOURCE Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Related Links

http://excellusbcbs.com


As part of a research collaboration, Tempus will provide sequencing and analysis of de-identified pancreatic and melanoma cancer patient data to Penn. Utilizing next-generation sequencing, machine learning and bioinformatics, Tempus will help physicians analyze these data sets for relevant patterns that can help inform which immunotherapies are most likely to be effective in a given cohort of patients.

"Tempus is committed to bringing relevant information and technology to healthcare providers battling cancer," said Eric Lefkofsky, Co-founder and CEO of Tempus. "We are proud to partner with the Abramson Cancer Center and provide our expertise to the researchers and physicians who are doing innovative and groundbreaking work on the front lines of immunotherapy."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Tempus, a company that shares our commitment to research and innovation toward the advancement of patient care," said Dr. Chi Van Dang, Professor & Director, Abramson Cancer Center. "Putting cutting-edge technology into the hands of our physicians enhances the resources they need to best serve their patients."

"At The University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, we believe that the cure for cancer is not only within reach, it's also within each of us," said Dr. Robert H. Vonderheide, Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Director for Translational Research at the Abramson Cancer Center. "We are excited to partner with Tempus, who will bring their sequencing and analytic capabilities to our renowned team of researchers working tirelessly to advance our understanding of tumor immunology."

About Tempus:

Tempus is a technology company that has built an operating system to battle cancer. Tempus enables physicians to deliver personalized cancer care through its interactive analytical and machine learning platform. The company provides genomic sequencing services and analyzes molecular and therapeutic data to empower physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions. Our goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as we gather more data.

Tempus has recruited a world-class team of accomplished geneticists, computational biologists, data scientists and software engineers who have developed the software and analytic tools that form the foundation of an operating system to battle cancer. The company provides sequencing and analysis for top academic centers, hospital systems, associations, and health care providers.

For more information, visit tempus.com and follow us on Facebook (Tempus Labs) and Twitter (@TempusLabs). For more information on Eric Lefkofsky, visit lefkofsky.com.

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Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161003/414721

SOURCE Tempus

Related Links

http://www.tempus.com


WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF), a national scholarship fund for American girls in high school and college, announced today their Board of Directors. The mission of the Board of Directors is to establish a strong leadership foundation for the young women 1DF serves through fundraising, mentoring programs, internship opportunities and more.

The Directors were recruited based on their impressive career achievements, community activism, unique perspectives and devotion to helping young women reach their full potential. The Board of Directors will be tasked with guiding the vision and mission of the 1,000 Dreams Fund and shaping key campaigns in 2017 and beyond. The 1DF most recently announced that the Board of Directors will take part in the first year-end fundraising campaign -- "#Fund1000Dreams" -- with a goal of raising $30,000 - 100% of which will go towards funding scholarships in 2017.

"We're overwhelmed by the level of experience we now have access to with our new Board of Directors," said Christie Garton, founder of the 1,000 Dreams Fund. "We have an exemplary leadership team and we couldn't be more excited about each of these appointments. We are very much looking forward to working with our Directors to expand the reach of the 1,000 Dreams Fund in the coming years."

The 1,000 Dreams Fund Board of Directors are:

Diane Biegel , Owner, Biegel Fine Properties

, Owner, Biegel Fine Properties Yijing Bretano, VP, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, HARMAN International

Stephanie Connolly , Executive Director, Time Inc. Corporate Marketing

, Executive Director, Time Inc. Corporate Marketing Mindy Fetterman , Senior Director, Palisades Media Ventures; Former Managing Editor/Content Strategy, USA TODAY

, Senior Director, Palisades Media Ventures; Former Managing Editor/Content Strategy, TODAY Susan Miller , Principal, JSM Strategy Advisors

, Principal, JSM Strategy Advisors Margaret Nathan , Partner and Co-Founder, Strategic Communication, Inc.

, Partner and Co-Founder, Strategic Communication, Inc. Janai Nelson , Associate Director-Counsel of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

, Associate Director-Counsel of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. Hilary Pecheone , Director of Brand Development, New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.

, Director of Brand Development, New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. James K. Wicklund , Managing Director  Energy Research, CREDIT SUISSE LLC

, Managing Director  Energy Research, CREDIT SUISSE LLC Maureen Desmond , Executive Sales Leader; Former VP Integrated Sales, USA TODAY

About the 1,000 Dreams Fund:

The 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) is a national scholarship fund for American girls in high school and college. The 1DF believes that big expenses should never stand in the way of big dreams. Since its launch in 2015, over $40,000 in funding has been granted to talented young women in need, helping them pay for the "extras" in school like study abroad, tech devices for the classroom and travel to conferences and seminars. 1DF has been featured in NBCNews.com, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, TODAY, etc. To learn more about their work, visit http://1000dreamsfund.org/.

Media Contact: Michelle McQueen, 1-917-370-6016, [email protected]

SOURCE 1,000 Dreams Fund

Related Links

http://1000dreamsfund.org


LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective December 1, 2016, the new United States Department of Labor (DOL) regulations, with respect to overtime pay, commonly referred to as the "Final Rule," and its applicability to "exempt" employees goes into effect. By the Final Rule, 4.2 million workers nationwide currently not eligible for overtime pay will automatically qualify as "non-exempt" employees entitled to overtime pay. The DOL now requires all California employers to align their policies with the "Final Rule." Approximately 400,000 employees in California may be immediately effected.

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What Happens

Previously, California employees who worked at a managerial or other executive level and were paid a base annual salary higher than $23,660 were exempt from overtime. The Final Rule establishes a bright-line divide between exempt and non-exempt employees by placing all employees making less than $47,476 annually or $913 per week into the non-exempt category  which means they are entitled to overtime. This is over a 200% jump from the standard salary set in 2004. Literally, any employee making under $22.85 per hour is now entitled to overtime regardless of his or her position.

Essentially, the Final Rule forces employers to either increase the gross salaries of all exempt employees making less than the new threshold, or in the alternative to ensure all employees under the threshold are paid overtime. However, it gets trickier. In California, if an employee works 9 hours in one day and 7 the next day, that employee is still likely entitled to an hour of overtime even if the work week balances at 40 hours  this depends on the "regularly scheduled" work week, and whether it is a 3 or 4 day work week rather than a 5 day work week.

What To Expect

The Obama Administration through the DOL enacted this policy 6 months ago to give employers a chance to change their overtime policies. The grace period is over. As of December 1, 2016, employees who are not properly compensated will have the right to sue for failure to pay overtime. Certainly, several attorneys are already searching for employers not currently in compliance with the Final Rule. Employers should anticipate widespread litigation  potentially class actions depending on the size of your company or quasi-class actions, such as Private Attorney General Act of 2004 (PAGA) complaints regardless of the company's size. Employers not already adjusted for the upcoming overtime policy should expect a tidal wave of lawsuits in the days to come.

What To Do

Employers used the "exempt" classification as an excuse to work its employees late-nights and on weekends, without keeping track of their hours. That luxury no longer exists. If an employee makes less than the threshold, an employer needs to have records to challenge an employee's overtime claim. Employers should immediately implement a system to monitor the hours each employee works, whether it be enacting a policy prohibiting employees from working more than 8 hours in a day and 40 hours in a week, or requiring timesheets or clocking in-and-out.

Don't subject your company to attorneys' fees, statutory penalties, possible class actions and not to mention your own litigation costs. It's simply not worth it. Keep track of your employees' hours, and if your pay period begins before December 1, 2016, pro-rate the increase in salary or make sure you pay overtime.

Also, the recently enacted Labor Code Section 558.1 holds individuals liable for a company's failure to pay overtime. These individuals include managing agents, owners, directors or officers. For more information on Section 558.1, stand-by for further analysis from Ryan C. C. Duckett and Jeffrey F. Gersh.

Please note that nothing herein constitutes legal advice. For more information about the Final Rule, contact Ryan Duckett ([email protected]) or Jeffrey Gersh ([email protected]) at (818) 444-4500.

Press Contact:

Heidi Hubbeling

Director of Marketing

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

[email protected]

Related Links

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

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SOURCE Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

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http://stubbsalderton.com


SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Procopio congratulates Partner Patrick W. Martin on his appointment by the State Bar of California as Chair Elect for the 2017-2018 Taxation Section Executive Committee. The Taxation Section is comprised of tax lawyers working in private law firms, accounting firms, government, and corporations throughout California and its principle purpose is to provide continuing legal education and professional development opportunities in the field of tax for both California licensed attorneys and other tax professionals. Patrick was elected by the Executive Committee that represents more than 3,200 members.

"Patrick's reputation as an influencer and authority on international and domestic tax law precedes him," said Tom Turner, Managing Partner. "This appointment is a reflection of his continued commitment to the tax professional community and we commend him on his extraordinary efforts and accomplishments. We look forward to seeing great things under his leadership."

As the leader of the firm's tax team, Patrick W. Martin advises clients on a variety of tax related matters including international tax planning and related international tax law matters. Patrick's practice focuses on representing foreign clients, multi-national families, international talent, closely held global companies, groups in worldwide investments and financing structures, international tax treaty planning strategies and planning worldwide income, estate and inheritance taxes. He is also experienced in resolving and planning for international tax controversies and developing international wealth preservation structures. He has successfully negotiated with the IRS and/or Department of Justice and/or litigated over US$13M in U.S. federal tax refunds for non-resident individuals in the year 2015.

Patrick is frequently asked to speak at international tax and law conferences and has written extensively on matters of international tax law. He also manages the blog, TaxExpatriation.com.

About Procopio

Procopio is a full-service business and litigation law firm committed to thoughtful problem solving and improving your bottom line. With more than 150 attorneys based in San Diego, Silicon Valley, Phoenix and Austinwe're passionate about knowing your business and helping you grow and protect it for the long term. Procopio has the flexible infrastructure to support both small to mid-sized companies and large multinationals at every stage of the business life cycle. Our global reach across Asia and Latin America further expands our international partnerships and cross border capabilities. At Procopio, we are focused on what is important to youproviding smart, innovative and practical solutions in a cost-effective manner to help your business thrive. Learn more at Procopio.com.

Media Contact: Angela Giombetti

Communications and Public Relations Manager

Phone: 619.906.5740

Email: [email protected]

Related Links

Procopio Website

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP

Related Links

http://Procopio.com


SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Toco Warranty Corp., a seller of vehicle service contracts (VSC) and mechanical breakdown insurance, launched a new website for consumers who demand affordable monthly payments. Toco Warranty offers an easy online experience so customers can clearly understand their VSC coverage and have the ability to purchase online.

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Pay-as-you-go plans have changed the way consumers choose services. This trend is not exclusive to TV services and is being adopted as a standard for mobile phone plans, music streaming and computer programs. A major factor driving consumers to "cut the cord" and opt for subscription-based services is cost.

To simplify the vehicle service contracts purchasing process, Toco Warranty's user-friendly website lets consumers view Toco Warranty's plans to see what's covered and what isn't, and to purchase directly online.

A 2015 study found that as many as 46 percent of U.S. households surveyed would find an unexpected $400 financial emergency challenging to handle.* Toco Warranty provides simple vehicle service contracts with a payment plan and no down payment. While it's not a pay-as-you-go service, Toco customers may cancel their contract and payment plan at any time, although cancellation fees may apply.

"Our new website reflects our business model of simple, transparent and financially smart," says Paul McGee, national Customer Care manager, Toco Warranty. "We put the customer first by addressing their primary concerns around a VSC and the ability to research through our robust Knowledge Center to help inform their decisions  all with a few clicks."

Explore the new Toco Warranty website to discover how it's helping customers keep their cars, and their lives, driving forward.

*Report on the Economic Well Being of U.S. Households in 2015, May 2016, Boards of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

About Toco Warranty

Toco Warranty's mission is to offer used-car drivers with simple-to-use and financially smart vehicle repair coverage that can be purchased using a monthly payment plan. Cancellation fee may apply. Toco Warranty offers vehicle service contracts, and mechanical breakdown insurance (for California customers). Toco is an AmTrust Financial Services company. AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., is a multinational financial services company with primary insurance subsidiaries rated "A" (Excellent) by A. M. Best Company. To learn more, visit us at www.tocowarranty.com and follow us at www.facebook.com/tocowarranty, @TocoWarrantyUS, www.youtube.com/tocowarranty and google.com/+Tocowarranty

Not currently available in AK, MO, and WA. Information provided is for summary purposes only. See Registration Page and Terms and Conditions for complete details. Not all vehicles are eligible for coverage.

All plans require a mandatory Waiting Period before coverage takes effect, which starts from the contract purchase date and vehicle's odometer mileage at contract purchase date. Covered services are subject to a $100 deductible, per visit. Plans referenced are not insurance; they are Vehicle Service Contracts [except in CA, where coverage is sold as mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI), which is not the same as bodily injury/property damage liability automobile insurance that may be required]. Coverage under MBI differs from Vehicle Service Contracts. Contact Toco for information on coverage available in CA.

Vehicle Service Contract coverage is provided and administered by Warrantech Automotive, Inc., 2200 Highway 121, Bedford, TX, 76021; (800) 616-1215. In the following states, coverage is provided by: in FL  Wesco Insurance Company (as obligor and administrator), 59 Maiden Lane, 43rd Floor, New York, NY 10038, 866-327-5818, License #01913 and Toco Warranty Corp. (as seller), 15301 Ventura Blvd., Bldg B, Suite 310, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, License #W139014; in OK  Warrantech Automotive of Florida, Inc. (as obligor and administrator), P.O. Box 959, Bedford, TX 76095, 800-577-6624. Not affiliated with any manufacturer or dealership. Roadside Assistance Services are provided by Nation Safe Drivers, 800 Yamato Rd. Suite 100, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (except as otherwise noted in the terms and conditions). ME State Dept. of Professional and Financial Regulation Transient Seller's Lic.#: CO8852.

Media contact:

Kristen Bergevin

[email protected]

310-752-4400

SOURCE Toco Warranty Corp.

Related Links

https://www.tocowarranty.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 2016 holiday season getting underway, Giving Tuesday is a chance for all of us to give back to those in need. From nuns in New York, to a police officer in Alaska, to a jazz musician donating his kidney to his wife, YouCaring has put together a list of ten of the most inspiring crowdfunding campaigns of 2016. YouCaring (www.youcaring.com) is a Certified B Corp committed to using business as a force for good.

The Top 10 Inspiring Crowdfunding Campaigns of 2016

Heat for the Sisters ( Peekskill, NY ) - A group of nuns crowdfund to repair their convent. Yuan's Dying Wishes ( New York, NY ) - Newly engaged, a woman receives a terminal cancer diagnoses, and makes the most of it. #LiveLikeSusie ( San Francisco, CA ) - Adam Klein , Survivor Season 33 star, honors his mother who died of lung cancer. Puppy Arlo ( Houston, TX ) - A puppy that was tied to a truck and dragged, fights through a long recovery. Support Officer Arn Salao and His Family ( Anchorage, AK ) - After being shot four times, the Anchorage Police Department rallies to help a fellow officer. Bring Nora Grace & Gabriella Home ( Spartanburg, SC ) - A couple adopted two kids from Ethiopia and now two more China , in addition to caring for eight children of their own. Finley's Miracle Surgery to Get Her Dancing Legs ( Los Angeles, CA ) - A mother raises the money that will allow her daughter to walk. Let's Help Lauren Beat Breast Cancer ( Danville, CA ) - Lauren gave birth to twins, then found out she had breast cancer. Born As One Soon to be Two! ( Palo Alto, CA ) - Conjoined twins will undergo a major operation in the hopes of saving both of their lives. Husband & Wife Kidney Transplant Fund ( Nashville, TN ) - A jazz musician in Nashville donates his kidney to his wife, a special-ed teacher.

To celebrate this Giving Tuesday, YouCaring launched another #YouCaringGives campaign (http://go.youcaring.com/youcaringgives/). YouCaring is donating to selected fundraisers to help them get a step closer to success.

ABOUT YOUCARING

Launched in 2011, YouCaring is a free crowdfunding platform that empowers people to help others through hardships and enjoy happier, healthier lives. The YouCaring community has raised more than $500 million in donations from 6 million supporters  all without charging fees.

Contact:

Heather Atherton, Actual

916-316-4568

[email protected]

SOURCE YOUCARING

Related Links

http://www.youcaring.com


ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Compensation for general counsel positions increased 6.9 percent this year, topping $1 million, according to the Equilar & BarkerGilmore General Counsel Pay Trends 2016 report, which evaluated more than 1,400 GCs for companies ranging from less than $1 million to nearly $500 billion in annual revenue. The full report can be accessed here: http://www.barkergilmore.com/general-counsel-pay-trends-2016

This increase reflects the growing importance of general counsel (GC) within the senior management team, says executive search firm, BarkerGilmore, which provided expert analysis and commentary on the report.

"Over the past 15 years, the number of companies that consider their GC a member of the executive management team has grown from 55 percent to 93 percent today," says Bob Barker, Managing Partner for BarkerGilmore. "Today's GC typically serves as primary legal counselor to the CEO and board, while back in the 1990s, outside counsel assumed this critical responsibility. GCs are increasingly considered on par with the CFO, charged with navigating highly complex and evolving laws, regulations and public policies."

GC compensation at S&P 500 companies on the rise

Pay increased 2.4 percent for GCs in the S&P 500 from 2014 to 2015, reaching $2.1 million, according to the report, which examined GC compensation at a total of 269 S&P 500 companies in 2015.

The report showed significant variability across industry sectors, ranging from $1.6 million for utilities to $3.0 million in healthcare. Median total direct compensation (TDC) in healthcare rose 32.4 percent year over year, representing the greatest sector increase, while TDC in technology tumbled from $2.5 million in 2014 to $2.2 million in 2015, representing the largest decline across sectors.

In terms of performance incentives, the financial sector was the most generous, awarding 36.4 percent of total compensation, followed by utility companies at 35.7 percent and technology companies at 35.6 percent.

"GC candidates must possess a clear understanding of how complex regulations impact long-term business strategy and day-to-day operations, especially in highly regulated industries like financial services, insurance and healthcare," says Barker. "This narrows the field of available candidates, driving up demand and compensation. It's important to recognize that today's GC serves as a guardian of the company and its brand reputation, which demands paramount judgment and integrity."

When it comes to compensation, size matters

Companies that generate higher revenues pay their GC more. In fact, businesses with revenue exceeding $15 billion paid their GCs more than three times as much as those with revenues below $1 billion. In addition:

GCs at companies with over $15 billion in revenue earned a median $2.5 million in 2015, up from $2.4 million in 2014 -- 48.2% higher than those at companies with revenue between $5 billion and $15 billion .

in revenue earned a median in 2015, up from in 2014 -- 48.2% higher than those at companies with revenue between . Companies with revenue over $15 billion offered 628.1% more equity and long-term incentives at the median than companies with revenues below $1 billion .

offered 628.1% more equity and long-term incentives at the median than companies with revenues below . Long-term performance incentives accounted for the largest component of pay for GCs at companies with revenues over $15 billion at a median of $682,290 .

"In general, the bigger the company, the more complex the issues the GC must tackle  especially in highly regulated industries, like financial services," says Barker. "Today, the GC's worth extends far beyond financial metrics to the intellectual contributions they make to the executive team and board. And their growing compensation reflects the heightened value they bring to the business."

Webinar on general counsel pay trends

BarkerGilmore, Equilar and Willis Towers Watson will host a free webinar on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 1 pm (EST), which will explore how the GC role has shifted over the past decade and how that impacts recruitment and pay for top legal talent, based on findings from the recent report. Register at this link: http://marketing.equilar.com/36-2016-the-rise-of-the-gc-webinar-registration

About BarkerGilmore

BarkerGilmore is a boutique executive search firm dedicated exclusively to the placement of General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers and their strategic hires. Its niche concentration affords access to a specialized network of talent, allowing them to identify the best legal professionals for any assignment. BarkerGilmore prides itself on being attentive to each client's business culture. By understanding their brand, strategy and leadership needs, they provide the highest standard of service based on long-lasting client relationships. Their industry-leading, audited metrics over the past three years include: a 96% retention rate of placements made, 44% of which are women, 24% ethnically diverse, a 96-day average timeframe to execute a search, and guaranteed results. For more information visit www.barkergilmore.com.

About Equilar

Equilar is the leading provider of board intelligence solutions. Companies of all sizes rely on Equilar for their most important boardroom decisions, including 70% of the Fortune 500 and institutional investors representing over $13 trillion in assets. Equilar offers data-driven solutions for board recruiting, executive compensation and shareholder engagement that bring together business leaders, institutional investors and advisors to drive exceptional results while ensuring sound corporate governance. The Equilar suite of solutions includes industry-leading board education symposiums, comprehensive custom research services and award-winning thought leadership. Founded in 2000, Equilar is cited regularly by Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other leading media outlets. Learn more at www.equilar.com.

For more information, contact:

Denise Whitney, Senior Director

(585) 598-6546

[email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE BarkerGilmore
WAYNE, N.J., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Details for the Toys"R"Us, Inc. third quarter 2016 earnings conference call are provided below. On the call, the company's leadership team will discuss the financial results of Toys"R"Us, Inc. and Toys"R"Us  Delaware, Inc. at 2:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 20, 2016.

Participation in this call is open to the public. Participants should dial-in 15 minutes in advance, using the following:

U.S. Dial-In Number: (855) 687-5546

International Dial-In Number: (786) 800-3917

Conference ID: 28421761

More information is available at www.toysrusinc.com/investors/events-list.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 880 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 780 international stores and over 245 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys"R"Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has an annual workforce of approximately 62,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter.

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SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.toysrus.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TransPerfect, the world's largest privately held provider of language and technology solutions for global business, was announced as a triple winner at the Internet Marketing Association's (IMA) IMPACT16 Conference.

TransPerfect was named the winner of the following categories:

- Best Translation Provider

- Website Navigation Winner

- Analytics and Measurement Social Media

This is the second consecutive year that TransPerfect has been named "Best Translation Provider".

The IMA's IMPACT16 Conference, held at the Aria Convention Center at CityCenter in Las Vegas, brings together leaders and innovators across the online ecosystem. Awards are given to individuals, groups, and organizations across multiple business segments who have demonstrated creativity, expertise, and overall excellence in the field of internet marketing.

The Internet Marketing Association is one of the fastest-growing professional organizations in the world and encompasses a wide range of educated professionals in sales, marketing, business ownership, programming, creative development, and related fields. IMPACT awards are given based on review of real-world work that marketing agencies and partners have completed for their end clients.

"The IMPACT Awards have grown tremendously in their importance, and now reflect the most leading edge work in the world of internet marketing," said Phil Shawe, Co-CEO of TransPerfect. "To not only be named as Best Translation Provider, but to also be recognized in two other areas is the result of hard work from many people in the TransPerfect family. We're very grateful for these honors."

TransPerfect Co-CEO Liz Elting also commented, "With the growth in digital and internet marketing, exhibiting excellence in these areas is important. Clients are increasingly demanding solutions that are optimized for the digital age, and our goal is to offer solutions that our clients can trust to be on the cutting edge in this rapidly progressing field."

"The IMPACT Awards exemplify best-in-class creativity, expertise, and results achieved by the top practitioners of internet marketing across every business segment as well as non-profits, government, and education," said IMA Chairman Sinan Kanatsiz. "IMA is a unique resource for top professionals. Our fundamental goal is to build the leadership that will continue to drive this dynamic industry."

About the Internet Marketing Association

IMA is one of the fastest-growing internet marketing groups in the world, with more than 1,000,000 professional members in fields including sales, marketing, business ownership, programming, and creative development. It provides a platform where proven internet marketing strategies are demonstrated and shared to increase members' value to their organizations. IMA is underwritten by corporate partners to provide an opportunity to learn, engage, and define best practices without making a financial commitment.

About TransPerfect

With annual revenues of more than $500 million, TransPerfect is the world's largest privately held provider of language services and technology solutions. From offices in 90 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 3,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and EN 15038 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

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SOURCE TransPerfect

Related Links

http://www.transperfect.com


SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BP Logix, provider of BPM solutions for rapid workflow app development, today announced that the University of Central Florida (UCF), the second largest university in the nation and Florida's largest university, selected Process Director to initially address its academic and immigration admissions processes for the UCF Global division. Subsequently, UCF expanded to address international student services. Those processes, all of which are in production, enable the university to further successfully engage with its international population. Key to the selection of Process Director was its ability to integrate with the university's current infrastructure, be mobile and responsive, and provide the flexibility to connect with multiple data sources.

Founded in 1963, the University of Central Florida is an emerging preeminent research institution and America's Partnership University. Located in Orlando, Florida UCF and its 13 colleges offer 212 degree programs to more than 63,000 students from all 50 states and more than 150 countries. UCF is ranked as one of the "Most Innovative" universities by U.S. News & World Report, a best-value university by The Princeton Review and Kiplinger's, and classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an R1 Doctoral University with the highest research activity and community engagement. The University of Central Florida is also a leader in optics, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, the sciences including biomedical sciences, hospitality management and digital media.

Of UCF's five key goals, three are internationally-oriented. Mikel Etxeberria Alustiza is the Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives, Technology and Infrastructure for the UCF Global division, which is responsible for facilitating and monitoring the experiences of the University's international community. UCF Global strives to achieve this by providing access to high impact, international experiences across the UCF and global community. Its commitment to excellence in partnership, innovation, and services ranges from enhancing study abroad initiatives, promoting global competence, to bringing highly qualified international students to the campus. The Initiative also embraces the English Language Institute, a marquis initiative of UCF, which provides high-quality English language programs for international students and professionals.

As a result of having a platform that was neither flexible or user friendly, UCF Global turned to business process management to improve the English Language Institute's application and admissions process. Recognizing the confidentiality of the information that the University needed to handle, the goal was to find a solution that was friendly enough for students to use in the admissions process  and that was scalable and robust enough to process applications in a timely manner. Seeking to create new workflow driven applications, without writing code, was a major requirement.

As a result of issuing an RFP, several companies were short-listed and evaluated. The desired solution would, among other requirements, be: 1) A .Net-based application, 2) Provide on-premise hosting, 3) Integrate with LDAP and provide federated identity, and 4) Be 100% web-based. With a strategy driven by the business with the support of IT, UCF chose Process Director.

"We wanted to use the infrastructure we had while acknowledging that we needed a new system. With Process Director we were able to design, implement, train staff and create our applications in less than one month on average," observed Etxeberria Alustiza. "And while it's important to release the first workflows in a timely manner, when they are up and running, the ability to make changes in a timely manner is equally important."

"It is always a pleasure to work with innovators who are committed to transformation and customer engagement," stated Jay O'Brien, CEO of BP Logix. "UCF has established aggressive goals for growth and achievement  and we are pleased to be a partner in their growth and expansion."

About BP Logix

BP Logix unites IT and business users enabling them to deploy sophisticated, form-based, workflow-driven enterprise apps in a fraction of the time and a fraction of the cost of traditional development. Our award-winning business process management (BPM) software powers workflow-driven solutions that cross organizational boundaries, embracing the C-suite, operations, sales, customers and prospects.

Customers including Abbott Labs, the City of West Allis, DuPont, IDEX, Leo Burnett USA, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, MultiPlan, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Vulcan Materials Company rely on Process Director's full mobile support; SharePoint, MS Dynamics and MS Office integration, and social media support to build award-winning applications that deliver clear and measurable improvements in productivity, compliance and customer engagement.

The BP Logix name and logo are the registered service and trademarks of BP Logix, Inc.

Media Contact:

Ingrid Andrews

Andrews Marketing

760-613-2039

[email protected]

or

Marti Colwell

BP Logix

760-643-4121 ext. 3250

[email protected]

SOURCE BP Logix

Related Links

http://www.bplogix.com


PITTSBURGH, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today said it is pleased that Carrier Corp. has decided to retain nearly 1,000 of the 1,400 manufacturing jobs that it planned to move from Indianapolis to Mexico beginning in 2017. The union looks forward to learning the details of the proposed deal, whose jobs will be saved and how much production will remain in Indiana.

"The dedicated USW members in Indianapolis who build quality heating equipment for Carrier deserve credit for bringing the union's fight to save their jobs to the attention of the nation during the 2016 presidential campaign," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.

"The details are yet to be known, but America needs good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. We thank President-elect Trump for listening to our members and following through on his campaign pledge to persuade Carrier to keep production of quality heating equipment in Indianapolis."

"We also appreciate Sen. Bernie Sanders' efforts in keeping this issue on the front burner," said USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap.

During the campaign, the president-elect spoke out vigorously for the need to bring jobs back home, to invest in domestic manufacturing, take a hard line with trading partners and reform our nation's failed trade practices. The USW shares those goals.

The USW has long fought, and will keep fighting in both Republican and Democratic administrations, for government policies to promote and support domestic manufacturing and the interests of working people.

"America's manufacturing sector was once the path to middle class prosperity and has been the envy of the world. But, for too long, it has had to compete against unfair trade practices and flawed trade policies that have promoted outsourcing and offshoring," said USW International Vice President Tom Conway.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries, including metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, mining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/.

CONTACT: Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444

[email protected]

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SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Related Links

http://www.usw.org


PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) today announced it was named America's Most JUST Company in the Healthcare Equipment and Services industry, according to JUST Capital and Forbes magazine's inaugural "JUST 100 List." The rankings are based on criteria established from one of the largest surveys ever conducted on attitudes towards corporate behavior, involving 50,000 Americans over the last 18 months. This inaugural list ranks U.S companies against their peers within 32 major industries. The ranking rates companies based on fair pay, equal opportunity employment, job creation, safety, compliance, and respect for employees.

"We are honored to be named one of the 100 Most Just companies in the US and the top ranked company in our industry," said Dow Wilson, CEO of Varian Medical Systems. "At Varian our mission is to help save millions of lives every year around the world. That is why we all work at the company. One of our shared values is Doing Well by Doing the Right Thing. By focusing on the mission and being guided by our values, everybody wins, whether they are a patient helped by our technology, a customer who can collaborate with us on the next clinical advance, an employee whose contributions are valued, or an investor who garners a good return based on our profitable growth."

For the complete list, visit: www.forbes.com/just100. The inaugural JUST 100 list will appear in Forbes magazine's December 20th "Impact and Philanthropy" issue. JUST Capital will also make the rankings accessible and sortable on its website, justcapital.com. Its interactive "Explorer" tool goes inside the rankings to show how companies were scored.

JUST Capital conducted its survey in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution that delivers data and rigorous analysis to guide programmatic, business, and policy decisions. JUST then evaluated the performance of over 890 publicly traded companies against the priorities that emerged in the survey and created a ranking model to develop the JUST 100. This selection of companies draws from the Russell 1000 Index, which represents over 90 percent of the U.S. stock market value.

The top six issues ranked highly by the public, in order, were: providing a fair pay for industry and job level; non-discrimination in hiring, firing, and promotion practices; providing a safe workplace; following laws and regulations; respecting workers; and creating jobs in the U.S. JUST's scoring system is weighted to reflect the relative importance of the public's stated priorities. JUST Capital's full methodology is available online at justcapital.com/methodology as both an interactive guide and a comprehensive report.

About JUST Capital

The JUST Capital Foundation (justcapital.com) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in 2013, that is establishing the definitive source of information and rankings on how large publicly traded corporations measure up against the American people's definition of JUST business behavior. The organization's mission is to leverage the power of the markets to drive positive change on the issues Americans care most about. Chaired and co-founded by Paul Tudor Jones II, and led by a staff with a breadth of finance, social sector, and technology experience, the Foundation's board includes Ray Chambers, Jeff Walker, Marc Morial, Ann Veneman, Dan Hesse, Deepak Chopra, and Arianna Huffington, amongst others.

About Forbes Media

Forbes Media is a global media, branding and technology company, with a focus on news and information about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and affluent lifestyles. The company publishes Forbes, Forbes Asia, and Forbes Europe magazines as well as Forbes.com. The Forbes brand today reaches 98 million people worldwide with its business message each month through its magazines and 37 licensed local editions around the globe, Forbes.com, TV, conferences, research and social and mobile platforms. Forbes Media's brand extensions include conferences, real estate, education, financial services and technology license agreements.

About Varian Medical Systems

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, focuses energy on saving lives by equipping the world with advanced technology for fighting cancer and for X-ray imaging. The company is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiation. The company provides comprehensive solutions for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is also a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, including tubes, digital detectors, cables and connectors as well as image processing software and workstations for use in medical and industrial settings, as well as for security and non-destructive testing. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 7,800 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.

Press Contact

Mark Plungy

Varian Medical Systems

+1 (650) 424-5630

[email protected]

Stu Loeser

JUST Capital

+1 (646) 650-5501

[email protected]

Christina Vega

Forbes

+1 (212) 206-5155

[email protected]

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems

Related Links

http://www.varian.com


BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VoltDB, the only database purpose-built for fast data applications, today announced it has partnered with Confluent and completed development and certification of its Sink Connector for Confluent Open Source, based on Apache Kafka, utilizing Kafka's Connect API.

VoltDB's Sink Connector ingests data from Apache Kafka topics and streams it into VoltDB for real-time analytics and action on the data, enabling organizations to derive value from both real-time data and long-term big data architectures. By ingesting real-time data streams from Apache Kafka and providing a means for analysis and action on incoming data, VoltDB enables applications to make smart decisions with millisecond response times and full consistency to increase high-value interactions with customers.

As a Confluent Partner Program member, VoltDB provides its customers who use Apache Kafka and Confluent to develop robust data connectivity based on Kafka's Connect API, easily build stream processing applications with the streams API in Kafka, and promote solutions to customers worldwide.

"By becoming a Confluent partner, VoltDB is enabling customers to capitalize on streaming data with Apache Kafka to power real-time decision making," said Jabari Norton, vice president of business development at Confluent. "As we work to put streaming platforms at the heart of every company, we welcome partners who share this vision and help customers become successful in this real-time world."

"The ability to perform deep analytics on historical data and reduce the time to insights has transformed how businesses make decisions, interact with their customers and compete. However, as more analytics are performed in real time, they must be integrated with applications to create value and action - the ability to execute. If you are not acting at the rate you are gaining insights, you are missing opportunities," said Mike Pogany, VP of strategic business development, VoltDB. "Confluent's streaming platform, along with VoltDB, creates a data architecture that empowers enterprises to act in real time to improve business outcomes."

For more information about how VoltDB and Confluent can provide actionable insight on your organization's real-time data, contact VoltDB today.

About Confluent

Confluent, founded by the creators of open source Apache Kafka, provides the streaming platform that enables enterprises to maximize the value of data. Confluent Platform lets leaders in industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, financial services, technology and media, move data from isolated systems into a real-time data pipeline where they can act on it immediately. Backed by Benchmark, Data Collective, Index Ventures and LinkedIn, Confluent is based in Palo Alto, California. To learn more, please visit www.confluent.io. Download Apache Kafka and Confluent Platform at www.confluent.io/download.

About VoltDB

VoltDB's SQL operational database is purpose-built to run 100% in-memory. Customers use VoltDB to build applications that process streaming data as fast as it arrives to make immediate, per-event, context-aware decisions. By delivering real-time in-transaction analytics that always produce correct results, VoltDB enables businesses to capture economic value and develop new revenue opportunities in the mobile, financial services, IoT, energy, advertising, and security industries. VoltDB is privately held with offices in Bedford, Massachusetts, and San Jose, California.

Media Inquiries:

Laura Paine

InkHouse for VoltDB

781-966-4124

[email protected]

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SOURCE VoltDB

Related Links

http://www.voltdb.com


HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) today announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Alan Masarek, is scheduled to present at the UBS 44th Annual Global Media & Communications Conference on Tuesday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. EST in New York, New York.

A live webcast of this event will be available on Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for business. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of cloud-based communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device.

Vonage's Nexmo API Platform provides tools for voice, messaging and phone verification services, allowing developers to embed contextual, programmable communications into mobile apps, websites and business systems, enabling enterprises to easily communicate relevant information to their customers in real time, anywhere in the world, through text messaging, chat, social media and voice.

The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. In 2015 and 2016, Vonage was named a Visionary in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications as-a-Service, Worldwide. Vonage has also earned the Frost & Sullivan Growth Excellence Leadership Award for Hosted IP and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Services. For more information, visit www.vonage.com.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

(vg-f)

SOURCE Vonage

Related Links

http://www.vonage.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Restaurant Business magazine has released its annual ranking of the Top 100 Independent Restaurants, an important benchmark for industry operators that highlights the highest-grossing non-chain restaurant concepts in the U.S. In all, six Washington, D.C. restaurants are included on the list.

All of the restaurants in the Top 100 serve as a reminder that being nimble, resilient and thoughtful about both customers and employees is a formula fit for today's restaurant climate. "In many ways, by going back to the basicsempowering and nurturing employee ambassadors, finding new ways to operate lean and connecting with their communitiesthese restaurants are standing strong amid challenging times for the industry," says Sara Rush Wirth, managing editor of Restaurant Business.

Revenues for independents in the Top 100 ranking ranged from Timberline Steaks and Grille with $12,150,000 to Tao Asian Bistro in Las Vegas with nearly $48 million. Restaurants in this year's Top 100 Independents list had total food and beverage revenues of roughly $1.8 billion in 2015. It's an important number to focus on, especially with chain restaurants' current state of decreasing sales.

Washington, D.C. Independents

From a 160-year-old classic, just steps away from the White House to a live music venue in a contemporary dining setting, the District of Columbia has six restaurants making the rank. To view the complete rank of D.C. Independents, visit 2016 Top Independent Restaurants in Washington, D.C.

The Top 3 Independents in Washington, D.C and their 2015 revenues are as follows:

Restaurant Top 100 Rank 2015 Sales

Old Ebbitt Grill 5 $30,568,157

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab 10 $23,600,000*

The Hamilton 22 $19,314,488



*RB estimate

The full Top 100 Independents feature is published in the October 2016 issue of Restaurant Business magazine. To view more restaurants on the ranking, visit: http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/special-reports/top-100-independents.

About Restaurant Business

Restaurant Business is the leading media brand in the commercial foodservice industry, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and growth. Through its monthly print magazine and website RestaurantBusinessOnline.com, Restaurant Business concisely shows growth-minded restaurateurs how to capitalize on trends, new concepts, changes in consumer tastes, new purchasing strategies and peers' best practices. The editors track ideas and trends as they develop within key channel segments including high volume independents, multiunit operators, emerging chains, the top 100 chains plus their leading franchisees.

Visit RestaurantBusinessOnline.com for more information.

About Winsight

Winsight, LLC is a market-leading, business-to-business media and information company specializing in the convenience retailing, restaurant and noncommercial foodservice industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio with leading publications and digital products, including CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director and Convenience Store Products. Winsight Events produces large-scale executive-level conferences, including Restaurant Leadership Conference, Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, FARE, Outlook Leadership, FSTEC, and MenuDirectionsin addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings. Winsight recently acquired Technomic, Inc., the leading provider of market information and advisory services to the food industry. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to http://www.winsightmedia.com/.

CONTACT

Sheila Charapata

Director of Marketing

Winsight, LLC

312.940.1970

[email protected]

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SOURCE Winsight, LLC

Related Links

www.WinsightMedia.com


"The next few years will be the busiest in the history of White Lodging. We will open at least 17 new hotels in the next 18 months. Our rigorous plans require extraordinary discipline and flawless execution," said Bruce White, chairman and founder. "In accordance with our core value of leadership excellence, we have reorganized based on the skills and experience of our senior leadership team. This is an alignment of strengths," White said.

Sibley, has spent most of his 33 year career in operations. His expertise will be leveraged for all of White Lodging's operations and scheduled openings. Barrett has spent over 25 years in the hotel industry and has strong experience in finance, operations, asset management and business development. "White Lodging will benefit from Ken's strategic leadership as well as his perspective on ownership engagement. I am confident in his ability to lead us forward," White said.

White Lodging currently operates 165 hotels in 19 states and will open new properties in Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado and Indiana in 2017.

White Lodging Services Corporation, established in 1985 and headquartered in Merrillville, IN is the fastest growing hotel ownership, development, and management company in the United States. A recognized hospitality leader that achieves consistent, sustainable, and profitable growth, White Lodging has invested $2.5 billion in developing more than 125 premium branded hotels during the past 30 years. The company's current managed portfolio of 165 hotels in 19 states includes leading brands such as Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Preferred Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotel Group. White Lodging offers guests excellent service and genuine care  and ambitious associates and owners exceptional opportunities to succeed.

For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com, Linkedin.com/company/white-lodging-services, Facebook.com/whitelodgingservices, Twitter.com/whitelodging and Instagram.com/whitelodging.

Contact:

Felicia Joy

[email protected]

Phone: 219.472.2834

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SOURCE White Lodging Services Corporation

Related Links

http://www.whitelodging.com


HAIFA, Israel, November 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (IL0065100443, IL0065100856) (the "Company") hereby notifies, in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.03 of an Indenture entered into between ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (the "Company") and Hermetic Trust (1975) Ltd. on July 16, 2014 (the "Indenture"), as follows:

1. The Company's reviewed consolidated financial statements for the period ended on September 30, 2016, the operating and financial review for such quarterly financial statements and a report on certain financial data as of September 30, 2016 (collectively, the "Third Quarter Reports") are availbale on both the Company's website (http://www.zim.com/aboutus/pages/reports.aspx) and on the official website of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (http://maya.tase.co.il).

2. The Company will host on December 14, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Israel time (2:00 p.m. CET), a confrence call for the holders of its Series 1A, 2A, 1B and 2B Notes to discuss the Third Quarter Reports. In order to participate, please use the following numbers (at least ten minutes before the scheduled start time):

Israel: 972-3-9180609

USA: 1-888-668-9141

UK: 0-800-917-5108

Germany: 0-800-182-6846

France: 0-800-903-025

Contact:

Omer Refael

[email protected]

+972-3-511-5208



SOURCE Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Havana, Nov 28 : Cubans will pay tribute to the ashes of their late iconic leader, Fidel Castro, for two days, starting Monday morning, at the Jose Marti Memorial, located in the Plaza de la Revolucion.

This would mark the beginning of the funeral ceremonies which would last until Sunday, December 4, Efe news agency reported.

From Monday 9.00 a.m. local time through Tuesday at noon, people would be able to visit the memorial to pay tribute and bid their last "goodbye" to the leader of the Cuban Revolution, who died on November 25.

In the same square where Castro used to deliver countless speeches as the President of Cuba, a massive farewell ceremony would also be held on Tuesday.

World leaders and dignitaries would be part of the ceremony.

Among the few names confirmed so far is the King Emeritus of Spain, Juan Carlos I.

The presidents of Cuba's allied countries are expected to attend the ceremony as well -- Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Bolivia's Evo Morales, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, and Ecuador's Rafael Correa.

Former presidents, who had maintained a close relation with the late leader were also expected to be present at the funeral -- the Brazilian Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva, the Argentine Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and the Uruguayan Pepe Mujica.

On Wednesday, the ashes of Castro would make a trip around the island so that all Cubans could bid him their last "goodbyes".

The trip would take the reverse route of the "Caravan of Freedom", in which the rebels of the Sierra Maestra crossed the country from Santiago de Cuba when the Cuban Revolution triumphed in 1959.

The remains of the former Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces would arrive in Santiago, the cradle of the Revolution, on Saturday, when another massive tribute ceremony would take place in Antonio Maceo Square.

The burial ceremony of his ashes, which was expected to be attended by his family, would take place in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery of Havana.
Bangkok, Nov 29 : The Thai parliament at a special session on Tuesday said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will become the king of Thailand, and hailed "long live the new king".

Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, President of the National Legislative Assembly, said the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej had designated Vajiralongkorn, 64, as his heir apparent in 1972, Xinhua news agency reported.

Parliament at its special session invited the Crown Prince to be proclaimed as the new king.

At the end of the session, all members of parliament stood up and hailed together "long live the new king".

Deeply-revered Adulyadej died on October 13 at the age of 88 after years of illness.

The Crown Prince still needs to accept the invitation in order for him to be formally proclaimed as the king, according to established procedure.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said, "We expect an audience (with the Prince) within the next one to two days."

Once proclaimed king, the Crown Prince would become King Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782, though his formal coronation will not happen before his father's royal cremation later next year.

For the royal cremation, a funeral pyre is to be built soon, said the government.
New Delhi, Nov 29 : Russia on Tuesday denied holding any "secret talks" with Pakistan on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"The possibility of Russia joining this initiative is not being discussed with Islamabad," Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an statement.

Rubbishing the Pakistani media reports, the statement said: "Secret talks between Russia and Pakistan on the CPEC do not correspond to the realities."

Pakistani media on Saturday reported that Islamabad has decided to accord approval to a request by Moscow for using the Gwadar Port for its exports.

It said that Russia had shown its willingness to be part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Speaking on the trade and economic cooperation between the two nations, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said: "Our trade and economic cooperation with Pakistan has its own value. We aim for its further strengthening."

Russian companies are implementing business projects in Pakistan, including the construction of North-South gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore, on bilateral basis, the statement said.

Russia will invest $2 billion in the project signed last year and the first phase of the pipeline is expected to be completed by December next year.
New Delhi, Nov 29 : Reacting to an RTI revelation that the Centre has spent over Rs 1,100 crore in advertisements featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition parties on Tuesday said the government machinery is busy hiding its failures.

According to an RTI reply, the central government spent over Rs 1,100 crore between June 1, 2014 and August 31, 2016 on digital advertisements through community radio, digital cinema, internet, Doordarshan, SMS and others.

The amount spent does not include print advertisements, including newspapers, hoardings and posters.

Of the Rs 1,100 crore, the government spent over Rs 120 crore on advertisements in Doordarshan.

The information was provided by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in reply to an RTI application filed by activist Ramveer Singh.

"The entire government is sustaining on PR exercise. It's because the Modi government has failed its mandate half way through its tenure. So, it is exploiting the exchequer's money to hide their failures," CPM leader Mohammed Salim told IANS.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which was criticised after an RTI revelation in 2015 for spending Rs 526 crore on advertisements that year, also reacted to the BJP-led central government spending.

"This RTI is incomplete because it does not includes money spent on print advertisements. The actual amount must be much more than Rs 1,100 crore," Delhi Health Minister and Aam Aadmi Party MLA Satyendar Jain told IANS.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the Modi government has been squandering public exchequer's money on publicity and perception management.

"As far as achievement goes, the condition of the country in terms of economics has sunk, especially by the current move of the government to curb black money and create a cashless society. These have turned out to be self-serving goals," Vadakkan told IANS.

He added that it is unfortunate that the people of India are out on the streets waiting in queues for their own money, while it is the same government and its Prime Minister, who had promised Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts.

Earlier, an IANS story showed how BJP-led central government spent over Rs 36 crore on publicity and advertisements in connection with the one-day "Ek Nayi Subah" show in Delhi to mark two years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

This information was based on an RTI query filed by IANS.

The RTI reply received from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, revealed that the amount spent by the Centre on publicity was about Rs 36.65 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government had organised a grand event at India Gate on May 29 to mark its two years in office.

The expenditure incurred on the advertisements in print media was Rs 35.59 crore while for the electronic media it was Rs 1.06 crore.
Jammu, Nov 29 : Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in a terror attack on a military base near Jammu on Tuesday, the army said.

At one stage, the gunmen also took 12 soldiers, two women and two children hostage. But the army said they were safely rescued.

"Two officers and five soldiers were martyred. Three terrorists have been killed," army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta told reporters.

The prolonged gunfight began early on Tuesday after heavily armed suicide attackers stormed the camp at Nagrota town.

Some militants occupied the Officers' Mess where they took hostage 12 soldiers, two women and two children.

"They (the attackers) were hold up in two different buildings. A hostage like situation was averted and we successfully brought hostages out safely," Lt Col Mehta said.

He said the combing operation against the militants was halted after it became dark and would resume on Wednesday morning. "The area is under cordon.

"In these operations, there is no time limit and these have to be done professionally. There is no civilian injury."

The militants carrying automatic weapons and explosives forced their way into the field regiment camp of 166 Medium Regiment Artillery at Nagrota, some 15 km from here, around 5.30 a.m.
New Delhi, Nov 29 : The logjam in both houses of Parliament continued for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday over demonetisation, as the Lok Sabha passed amid opposition protest an income tax amendment bill to facilitate levy of 60 per cent tax on undisclosed income.

While opposition members in the Rajya Sabha insisted on Prime Minister Narendra Mod's presence, the opposition in the Lok Sabha stuck to its demand for a discussion under the rule governing an adjournment motion which entails voting.

In the Lok Sabha, the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed as the opposition protested and raised slogans against the government.

According to the Bill, the declarant will have to pay a tax of 60 per cent and an additional surcharge of 25 per cent of the tax (i.e. 15 per cent of income), resulting in a total tax component of 75 per cent.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while moving the bill for consideration and passing, called it one of the steps by the Centre to curb black money.

However, the opposition members insisted that the lower house first take up a debate on demonetisation under the rule pertaining to an adjournment motion, and the bill be taken up thereafter.

Earlier in the day, the Lok Sabha was disrupted repeatedly as opposition members created ruckus over the fiscal chaos following the November 8 demonetisation.

The first adjournment came soon after the house met at 11 a.m. when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's attempts to run the Question Hour failed. The house was first adjourned till 11.30 a.m, then till noon followed by another adjournment till 2 p.m.

The scene was no different post lunch and the house was adjourned till 2.30 p.m.

At 2.30 p.m., as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved the Income Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016 for consideration and passing, opposition members objected.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the debate on demonetisation should be taken up first.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay suggested clubbing debate on the bill and demonetisation together, which the Speaker denied.

Members also complained that they were not able to move amendments as certain amendments needed President Pranab Mukherjee's assent.

Amendments to a bill that may relate to drawing money from the Consolidated Fund of India need President's approval.

As opposition members protested, Mahajan said the bill should have been debated but since the house was not in order it could not be.

Amid the ruckus, the bill was passed by a voice vote, and the house was adjourned for the day.

The Rajya Sabha too saw quick adjournments as the opposition insisted on the presence of Modi, alleging the upper house was sought to be bypassed.

As the upper house met at 11 a.m., Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati demanded Modi's presence. Amid the ruckus and loud protests, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon.

When the house met at noon, Chairman Hamid Ansari called for the Question Hour but one of the opposition members tried to raise a point of order which the Chair disallowed.

Thereafter, the opposition started raising slogans such as 'Pradhan Mantri sadan mein aao (Prime Minister come to the house)". The treasury benches countered it with slogans in Modi's favour.

The opposition members trooped near the Chairman's podium, raising slogans against Modi. Amid the ruckus, the Chairman adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

When the House reassembled at 2 p.m., Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal said the Rajya Sabha's importance was being undermined by the government as it was changing the nature of bills to avoid the need for the upper house's nod.

"An MP has commented on the social media, asking people if there is need for the Rajya Sabha," he said, adding it was a major disregard to the upper house.

"The government has turned many bills into money bills, which is not a good practice," Agrawal said.

Agrawal demanded the formation of a committee to explore the possibility of amending the Constitution's Article 110 "to ensure honour of the house".

His party colleague Ram Gopal Yadav and some Congress members supported him as Yadav said that "rights of the Rajya Sabha cannot be given to the Lok Sabha".

"Importance of the Rajya Sabha must not be undermined," he said.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said the Constitution is very clear on what the money bill is and what is not.

But this did not satisfy the opposition members and they commenced shouting slogans against Modi. Amid the ruckus, the house was adjourned for the day.
Geneva, Nov 30 : Nearly 4,700 migrants and refugees have drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe in 2016, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.

"This death toll is significantly higher than the number of fatalities documented over the same period last year, when 3,565 men, women and children were reported dead through November 30," the IOM said on Tuesday.

It also means that 2016 has been a particularly deadly year for migrants seeking to reach European shores. While deaths this year are considerably higher, the number of arrivals is much lower, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to latest IOM figures, 348,664 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe by sea this year compared to 883,393 arrivals recorded at this point in 2015.

By far the most dangerous sea route for migrants, the central Mediterranean passage linking North Africa with Italy has claimed the lives of 4,199 people since the beginning of the year.

A further 429 individuals have perished on the eastern Mediterranean route separating Turkey and Greece, while 62 have died on western Mediterranean passages.
New York, Nov 30 : President-elect Donald Trump's transition team confirmed on Tuesday that he has selected Elaine Chao to head the Transportation Department under his administration, media reports said.

Chao, whose nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, served as labour secretary under President George W. Bush and also worked as assistant transportation secretary during his administration.

In an official announcement of the nomination, Trump said that Chao has "an amazing life story" as well as an "extensive record of strong leadership and expertise", Efe news agency reported.

"These will be invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner," Trump said.

In his statement, Trump noted that Chao immigrated to this country from Taiwan at age 8 not knowing a single word of English, and became a US citizen at age 19.

In being selected for the labour portfolio under Bush Chao -- wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell -- became the first Asian-American woman to be nominated to serve in the US cabinet.

According to the New York Times, the appointment came amid word that Trump has selected Steven Mnuchin, who was Trump's election campaign finance chief, as his future treasury secretary.

Meanwhile NBC reported that the president-elect has selected multi-millionaire Wilbur Ross to serve as Commerce secretary, and his appointment will be announced on Wednesday.
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New Delhi, Nov 30 : Google has celebrated the remarkable contributions of scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, pioneer of electro-magnetic waves and inventor of an early version of wireless telecommunication, with a doodle on Wednesday -- on what would be his 158th birthday.

Widely regarded as the first modern Indian scientist, Bose was born in 1858 at Munshiganj of then Bengal Presidency of British India, now in Bangladesh.

"Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a master of scientific achievement with numerous accomplishments in various fields," Google said in a statement.

"Bose was to become known not only for his work in biophysics, but also his innovation in the world of radio and microwave sciences, ultimately inventing an early version of wireless telecommunication," it added.

Some scientists even believe that Bose was the real inventor of wireless, not Guglielmo Marconi.

In 1895 in Calcutta, he publicly demonstrated wireless transmission of electromagnetic waves for the first time anywhere in the world, using the waves to ring a distant bell and thereby to explode some gunpowder, according to a biography at Christ's College, University of Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences.

The Daily Chronicle of England noted in 1896 that "The inventor (J.C. Bose) has transmitted signals to a distance of nearly a mile and herein lies the first and obvious and exceedingly valuable application of this new theoretical marvel", Google added.

Bose's investigations into nature included the invention of the crescograph -- an instrument that measures movement and growth in plant life by magnifying it 10,000 times, Google said.

He went on to demonstrate the similarities between animals and plants, particularly when it came to reactions to different environmental, electrical, and chemical influences.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 : Demonetisation of high-denomination currency notes has badly hit agricultural activity across Odisha as cash is the primary mode of transaction in the sector, which provides employment and sustenance to more than 60 per cent of the state's workforce.

"We are facing numerous difficulties while buying fertiliser and seeds from the market. The shopkeepers are refusing to accept the old notes. The farm labourers are also refusing to accept the old notes," Raghu Pradhan of Akushingi village in Rayagada district, told IANS.

And there is very little sign of the new notes in the state outside of the urban centres.

This is the time of the kharif harvest and the start of rabi sowing -- a busy season for farmers in a state where the agricultural sector is the mainstay of the economy, contributing about 15 per cent to the gross state domestic product (GSDP).

The state government apprehends that over four million agricultural families have been hit by the demonetisation drive, especially as the Centre has not allowed cooperative banks to exchange the scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Reserve Bank of India to review its decision of not allowing District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) to exchange demonetised notes.

"We have requested the central government to ease the sufferings of farmers. We hope the government will take steps to provide relief to them," Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy told IANS.

The Centre's move has made the farmers a worried lot at a time when they are yet to be paid last year's crop insurance dues and the government's financial aid for the severe drought that the state experienced.

What could compound their woes is that there are no banking facilities in over 4,400 panchayats in the state. The farmers in the non-banked villages are having trouble exchanging the old notes.

Even though the central government has announced that NABARD would provide Rs 21,000 crore ($3 billion) to the DCCBs for rabi operations, the fund is yet to reach the cooperative banks.

The fund will enable the DCCBs to sanction and disburse crop loans to the farmers through the network of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).

"We have about 355 branches in the state. But we are unable to disperse loans to the farmers since we do not have the cash. Once we receive funds, we will disburse them. However, the delay will badly affect farmers and, subsequently, crop production," Ajay Kumar Mohanty, President of the All Odisha Central Cooperative Bank Employees Federation, told IANS.

Even though farmers have been allowed to purchase seeds with the demonetised Rs 500 notes from outlets belonging to the central or state governments, the fact is that most farmers depend on private outlets as government-run centres are few and far between -- and also because of the poor quality seeds that they stock.

The state government apprehends that production in 2016-17 could drop if the sowed rabi acreage reduces for want of enough seeds on time to exploit the adequate soil moisture.

The state has a cultivated area of 6.18 million hectares and the pattern of operational holdings is highly skewed with more than 91 per cent of these belonging to the small and marginal category and the average size of land holding being a mere 1.04 hectares.

(Chinmaya Dehury can be contacted at chinmaya.d@ians.in )
Chennai, Nov 30 : Low fuel prices coupled with an accommodative monetary policy from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is what credit rating agency Fitch Ratings expects to support demand for passenger vehicles in 2017.

According to Fitch, the demonetisation of 500/1,000-rupee notes would impact sales of luxury cars and not sales of other automobiles -- two wheelers, small cars and commercial vehicles.

"Undeclared income is less often used to buy small cars, and two-wheeled and commercial vehicles, so sales of these are likely to stabilise quickly once the liquidity situation in the economy is restored in the near future," Fitch said on Wednesday.

"We expect PV (passenger vehicles) sales to increase by seven per cent - nine per cent, after rising 12.3 per cent YoY (Year-on-Year) in April-September 2016, due to improving consumer confidence, new model launches and the lifting of a ban on the sale of diesel cars in Delhi," Fitch said about 2017 sales outlook for automobiles.

According to Fitch, the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in its current form would be largely price neutral because the proposed rates are in line with the existing level of taxes.

Fitch expects auto sales to benefit from India's strong gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which the agency forecasts at 6.9 per cent in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017, (FY17) and 7.7 per cent in FY18.

The credit rating agency said sales of medium and heavy commercial vehicles (MHCV) rose about 30 per cent YoY in FY16, although they decreased slightly by 1.2 per cent YoY during April-September 2016.

Fitch expects MHCV sales to improve with progress on stalled infrastructure projects and gradual recovery in mining activity after metal prices bottomed out in 2016.

The agency said MHCV sales to benefit from buying ahead of an expected increase in prices when new emission standards (BS IV) are implemented from April 1, 2017.

Fitch expects light commercial vehicles (LCV) sales to continue to rise, and a significant demand boost if the GST -- which will create an unified national market that would allow more efficient movement of goods -- is rolled out in April 2017 as planned.

Similarly, sales of two-wheelers would continue to rise due to rise in public sector wages and healthy rural spending.

Two-wheeler exports are likely to remain subdued due to macroeconomic weakness in Latin America and Africa, following a 12.4 per cent YoY decline in April-September 2016.

Many companies, including Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Royal Enfield, have announced plans to expand capacity, which will increase capex.
Chicago, Nov 30 : Even as broader uncertainty looms over the fate of the H1B visas under the incoming Donald Trump administration, some recent changes by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) make them friendlier to those already on them.

The USCIS will now allow terminated H1B visa holders a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs. Although the existing rules did not explicitly state that the terminated H1B worker had to leave immediately, there have been cases where such H1B workers had to find a way to leave the country immediately. Decision-making in such cases came down to the individual discretion of the immigration officer.

"The immigration authorities have now clarified that that is not the case ending what many thought was an inhuman provision," Neeraj Bhatia, a Silicon Valley based head of an accounting firm and an expert in immigration issues, told IANS.

Under its Final Rule published on November 18, 2016, which will be effective from January 17, 2017, the USCIS will now allow terminated H1B workers a grace period of 60 days to either leave or sort out their paperwork for new jobs.

Another change will also prevent the revocation of I-140 by employers for those employees who have held it for more 180 days but whose services were terminated. What this does is help such employees not lose their turn in the protracted green card process once they change over to new jobs.

One more significant change that the USCIS has announced relates to employment authorisation for H4 visa holders who come as spouses of H1B visa holders. Under this change, those H4 workers will not have to wait for the approval of their extension for them to continue working.

Coming as it does just before President-elect Donald Trump, who is known to be averse to work visas, is set to take over on January 20, 2017, this is a remarkable change. Of course, the visas' long-term viability could come under serious strain if Trump carries out what he has promised during his rather abrasive presidential campaign.

In its pre-election position paper the Trump campaign had said this: "We graduate two times more Americans with STEM degrees each year than find STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) jobs, yet as much as two-thirds of entry-level hiring for IT jobs is accomplished through the H-1B program. More than half of H-1B visas are issued for the program's lowest allowable wage level, and more than eighty percent for its bottom two. Raising the prevailing wage paid to H-1Bs will force companies to give these coveted entry-level jobs to the existing domestic pool of unemployed native and immigrant workers in the U.S., instead of flying in cheaper workers from overseas. This will improve the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program."

"It is ironic that the position paper did not realize that a majority of STEM students consists of foreign students from India and elsewhere who eventually get jobs via the H1B visas. It is well-known that not a lot of American students go for STEM programs," Bhatia pointed out.

The Trump campaign's position paper had also called for requirement to hire American workers first, adding: "Too many visas, like the H-1B, have no such requirement. In the year 2015, with 92 million Americans outside the workforce and incomes collapsing, we need to companies to hire from the domestic pool of unemployed. Petitions for workers should be mailed to the unemployment office, not USCIS."

While the H1B system may yet change significantly under the new president, for now, as pointed out by Bhatia, President of Bhatia& Co. with offices in Silicon Valley, New York and New Delhi, the latest USCIS clarifications do make things smoother.

On the issue of retention of priority dates, Bhatia wrote on his blog: "Workers with approved Form I-140 petitions, will generally be allowed to retain their priority date as long as the approval of the initial Form I-140 petition was not revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation of a material fact, the invalidation or revocation of a labor certification, or material error. The final rule provides that Form I-140 petitions that have been approved for 180 days or more would no longer be subject to automatic revocation based solely on withdrawal by the petitioner or the termination of the petitioner's business."

On the question of Employment Authorization Document (EAD), Bhatia said: "The rule automatically extends the employment authorization and validity of existing EADs issued to certain employment-eligible individuals for up to 180 days from the date of expiration, as long as a renewal application is filed before the expiry of previous EAD based on the same employment authorization category as the previously issued EAD."

(Mayank Chhaya can be contacted at mcsix@outlook.com)
Mumbai, Nov 30 : Actress Alia Bhatt says for her, Priyanka Chopra is an entrepreneur and she finds her very inspiring.

Alia was asked if she would like to produce regional cinema like Priyanka Chopra did with Marathi film "Ventilator", and she says that she would love to do that.

"Priyanka has come a very long way and it's great what she has done. She is an entrepreneur and I have that same drive as she is an inspiration for us. I would love to do such work but right now i want to focus on acting," she told IANS.

The actress says that she would like to try her luck in every medium.

"I want to try my luck all over whether its Chinese cinema or whatever, I want to do it all. Right now I want to find my feet here," she said.

Currently Alia's work in Gauri Shinde's directorial "Dear Zindagi" is being highly appreciated.

The actress says that if she is not doing film, then she prefers to travel.

"As an actor, I am happy with the kind of films I am doing but its like sometimes I am getting damn good films, sometimes I don't get anything interesting like I have not signed anything now so it all depends.

"I love to travel when I am no working I love travelling and it's a huge learning experience for me," she said.
Los Angeles, Nov 30 : American TV series "Hawaii Five-0" actor Keo Woolford, who also wrote, directed and produced the 2013 independent film "The Haumana", died at the age of 49.

Woolford died on Monday at a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, after suffering a stroke three days earlier, his publicist Tracy Larrua said, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The actor, a native of Honolulu, also had small roles in films as "Happy, Texas" (1999), "Falling for Grace" (2006) and "Godzilla" (2014).

Woolford toured as a member of the Hawaiian band Brownskin and starred in more than 300 performances as the King of Siam in a stage production of "The King & I" that made its way to the London Palladium.

"The Haumana" closed the 2013 Hawaii International Film Festival, and the writer-director received a special jury prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival for best first feature.

He had just completed the script for a sequel, and acting auditions were set to begin in January, Larrua said.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : When Satyaprakash Pande of Dheersons Jewellers sees an individual approaching his shop located in the bustling Karol Bagh market in central Delhi, he becomes hopeful of getting a customer -- an entity that has become rare in the last few weeks.

Many jewellers estimate an 85-90 per cent dip in business post-demonetisation -- but exports have been unaffected.

With hardly three-four customers a day, Pande terms the situation "unprecedented" as he has never witnessed such a slowdown in his business. He recalls how busy he was attending to the rush of customers in November last year, which marks the beginning of the wedding season.

"I have never seen the streets in the market wearing a deserted and forlorn look even during the off-season. Despite being the wedding season, just three to four customers are visiting my shop. My business has gone down by almost 90 per cent after the demonetisation announcement," Pande told IANS.

The situation is almost the same for jewellers across the country, whose businesses have come to a standstill since November 8 when the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes -- accounting for 86 per cent of the currency in circulation by value -- ceased to be legal tender.

The All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF), a self-regulatory body established by the jewellers, put the losses at 85 percent.

The federation said that the annual business had touched Rs 480,000 crore ($70 billion) before the demonetisation move. Post-demonetisation, the federation says it has recorded a loss of Rs 30,000 crore in just the last 20 days.

"We welcome the demonetisation move as it aims at wiping out corruption from our country. Since there is lack of cash in the system, the business is witnessing a slowdown. Despite being the wedding season, jewellers have recorded about 85 percent dip in footfalls," GJF chairman G.V. Sreedhar told IANS.

There are about 450,000 jewellers across the country and around 60 million people are connected to the business as artisans, polishers, die makers, transporters and the like.

Going by the information shared by jewellers and their associations, the daily business has failed to touch an average of Rs 200 crore against about Rs 1,400 crore before demonetisation.

On the other hand, jewellery exports have not recorded any cognisable losses in business post-demonetisation.

Last year, the annual exports of gems and jewellery from India hit $40 billion, and trade bodies expect that exports this year would remain unaffected. Diamonds form the largest chunk of the exports.

"There is negligible impact on the export business, chiefly because we receive payment from overseas. There are chances that the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) might have been affected due to the liquidity crunch. However, there should not be a problem if payments (to artisans, workers) are made online or directly to bank accounts," Praveen Shankar Pandya Chairman, Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, told IANS.

Gold imports for domestic consumption, on the other hand, may slip. In 2015, India imported gold worth $35 billion or Rs 2.38 lakh crore.

Sreedhar hoped that the demonetisation and digitisation plans would bring transparency in business transactions but said that jewellers would continue to incur losses till such time enough cash is brought into circulation.

"The most affected elements in the jewellery trade are artisans and labourers, who have moved to their hometowns since jewellers cannot pay them their daily wages due to the cash crunch. They do not accept payment online. In addition, customers are not ready to spend the cash they have on jewellery at this moment. So we are anticipating the slowdown to continue until there is adequate cash in the system," Sreedhar told IANS.

According to information shared by the jewellers' organisations, Mumbai is the largest hub in the country and its business volume is about 30 times that of Delhi.

Immediately after the demonetisation announcement, prices of gold had shot up to Rs 52,000 per 10 grams, compared to the usual market rate of Rs 30,000 as many rushed to jewellers to convert their high denomination notes into a safe haven asset, according to reports.

However, subsequent inquiries and raids by Income Tax officials instilled fear among jewellers, who chose to keep their shops shut for several days.

According to a jeweller in the Chandni Chowk market, some jewellers had not opened their shops so far, fearing action by IT officials.

"There should not be any objection to strict action against those who indulged in grey-marketing. However, random raids have sent chills down the jewellers' spines. Many have kept their shops shut for the last many days due to fear," the jeweller told IANS, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Many jewellers expressed concern over the adoption of digital transaction systems, fearing an increase in prices. However, the move found many takers who thought it would be helpful in the long term.

"No doubt, it will bring much-needed transparency. Initially, jewellers and customers, who do not want bills, may have problems. However, they will have to accept it in course of time. It is good for the country in the long term," said another jeweller, with a mischievous smile on his face.

(Saurabh Katkurwar can be contacted at saurabh.k@ians.in )
Kolkata, Nov 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday condoled the death of three army officers in a Cheetah helicopter crash.

"Saddened by the death of three army officers in Sukna due to tragic chopper crash. Words are never enough. My condolences to bereaved families," the Trinamool Congress supremo said on Twitter.

Major Sanjeev Lathar, Major Arvind Bazala and Lt. Colonel Rajneesh Kumar were killed and a junior commissioned officer was critically injured when the helicopter crashed inside Sukna military base in the state's Darjeeling district around 10.30 a.m.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 30 : Despite the hype, the 'Make in Odisha' initiative of the state government to woo both domestic and foreign investors has failed to show tangible results so far.

The Odisha government has attracted proposals for investment of about Rs 1.61 lakh crore in the last two years. However, except for the Gitanjali Gems Ltd. proposal, no other company has come forward to invest, said a state official.

The government has given in-principle nod to Gitanjali Gems Ltd. to set up a private industrial park spread over 100 acres and investment of Rs 685 crore over seven years at Ramadaspur in Cuttack.

As many as 43 companies have shown interest to set up industries with investment of Rs 1,61,629 crore in Odisha.

While 14 companies evinced interest to invest Rs 70,956 crore at 'Make in India' week in Mumbai in February, the state government received assurances on investment of Rs 90,670 crore at 'Invest Odisha' meet in Bengaluru in August.

Meanwhile, Odisha has slipped to 11th position among all states in terms of ease of doing business.

It has slipped four places compared with its ranking released in September 2015, according to the study conducted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the World Bank.

"The state government should focus more on small and medium industries instead of large industries. The large industries are promising to invest in the state. But they do not come eventually. These are only publicity stunts," said Ramesh Mahapatra, President of Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI).

With the state government organising a three-day Make in Odisha conclave at Bhubaneswar from Wednesday, Mohapatra said he does not think much will come out of it.

"I do not think much will come out of the conclave. It would be better if the government concentrates on small and medium industries," Mahapatra said.

Large industries are also facing several bottlenecks in the state. While some are facing raw material shortage, some industries are confronting land acquisition and other legal hurdles.

While Arcelor Mittal has already withdrawn its project in Odisha, South Korean steel behemoth Posco, touted to be the largest foreign direct investment in India, is non-committal over its $12 billion steel project at Jagatsinghpur.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already admitted that the Posco project is a failure for the state government.

"There have been several failures like Posco, which is the biggest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country. This is because the central government changed its policies of giving mines," the Chief Minister had said.

The state government has signed memorandums of understanding with 92 companies to set up industries with an investment of Rs 5.68 lakh crore.

Of the 92 projects, 46 have commenced partial or full-scale production with an investment of Rs 2.53 lakh crore, Industry Minister Debi Prasad Mishra had informed the state assembly.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : The upcoming Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan to be held in India will discuss the problem of terrorism in the South Asian region in detail, Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammad Abdali said on Wednesday.

"As we all know and as Afghanistan has always stated, terrorism is a continuous threat especially to India and Afghanistan and of course many others in the region," Abdali said at a media briefing here ahead of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia Istanbul Process to be held in Amritsar on Dcemeber 3-4.

Without naming Pakistan, he said that during the Heart of Asia process, "unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground of terrorism, the safe sacntuaries, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region or India".

"At the same time, as we all know, terrorism is a creation of this region and the solution lies within this region," the Ambassador said.

"Therefore, the upcoming Heart of Asia is very well timed and very well placed to discuss how we should find solutions to the theme that we have already put forward: addressing challenges and prosperity."

He said he expected the Heart of Asia conference to approve a counter-terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan.

"Terrorism is a multi-faceted phenomena and that requires a multi-faceted approach with measures against recruitment, safe sanctuaries, terrorist networks, drug traffickers and of course with measures on how to deradicalise," Abdali said.

As for the second part of the theme - achieving prosperity - he said that the geography of the Heart of Asia countries was such that it has huge economic potential. "but unfortunately it is yet to be realised".

Stating that connectivity was important for this, the Ambassador said that Afghanistan has made remarkable progress in this area in the last two years.

Stating that Afghanistan was strategically located, he said: "We hope that we agree on the early implementation of the CASA 1000 (Centra Asia and South Asia electricity project), TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India gas pipeline), Chabahar (port in Iran) transit agreement that we signed between India, Afghanistan and Iran, the five-nation railway network and a number of other initiatives and projects that we have agreed upon, including North-South, East-West corridor within the region."

Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that during the upcoming conference, a basket of six confidence building measures (CBMs) would be discussed.

According to Abdali, India has done a "remarkable job" in heading the trade and transit CBM.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will arrive in Amritsar on December 3 afternoon and will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening.

With External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj being indisposed, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will represent India in the ministerial conference on December 4 which will be attended by around 40 countries.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : KLF chief Harminder Singh Mintoo -- one of the six prisoners to escape the Nabha jail in Punjab -- was the kingpin of the jailbreak plan and was supported by the ISI which wanted to revive militancy in the border state through him, a senior Delhi Police officer said on Wednesday.

The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant had admitted to being the mastermind of the jailbreak, which he planned after meeting Punjab gangster Gurdeep Singh Sekhon six months ago in Nabha jail, the police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

Shekhon later contacted his aide Vicky to arrange local criminals for the jail attack on any suitable day, he added.

"Mintoo planned to revive the militant organisation and sleeper cells in Punjab with the ISI help. The ISI was aware of the impending jailbreak and wanted to revive militancy in Punjab. They (ISI and KLF) were helping each other in completing the mission," the senior police officer said.

The ISI wanted to take revenge for the Indian army's surgical strikes against Pakistan on September 28.

Parminder Singh, a gangster since arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police, was assigned the task of arranging firearms which he did with the help of Satnam Kaur, a daughter of another KLF militant, the police officer said.

Mintoo was arrested from the parking area of Nizamuddin railway station by Delhi Police's Special Cell on November 28 morning, a day after he escaped from a high security prison in Punjab.

Six criminals, including Mintoo and Kashmir Singh (both terrorists) and gangsters Gurpreet Sekhon, Vicky Gounder, Amandeep Dhotian and Neeta Deol had escaped from the Punjab prison on November 27.

Police said Mintoo told his interrogators that he chatted with his Pakistani handler Harmeet on Skype from the Nabha jail days before the jailbreak.

Harmeet is also a KLF militant, living in the safe house under the protection of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan, police said.

Mintoo conveyed his jailbreak plan to Harmeet and the ISI agents across the border. Mintoo continued to be in touch with ISI agents in Pakistan ahead of the jailbreak, police said.

The ISI also arranged funds for Mintoo through a KLF sympathiser from England through hawala channels and another from Germany who sent money through legal money transfer channel, he said.

"The money was deposited in a bank account of a Punjab-based sweetshop owner and a hawala trader was assigned to hand over the cash to Mintoo on Monday, the day he was arrested. Since Mintoo escaped in the jailbreak, the sweetshop owner could not hand him the cash," the officer said.

Punjab Police has since arrested the sweetshop owner Tejinder Sharma.

Delhi Police are since conducting raids to arrest Santnam Kaur, apart from raiding a Goa hideout to arrest Mintoo's aide, the officer said.

(Sanjeev Pal can be contacted at sanjeev.p@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Leaders of Congress and other opposition parties will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday over demonetisation issue and the manner in which income tax amendment bill was passed in Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed amid opposition protest an income tax amendment bill to facilitate levy of 60 per cent tax on undisclosed income.

"Congress and other opposition parties will meet the President (Pranab Mukherjee) at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) over the demonetisation issue and manner in which income tax amendment bill was passed in the Lok Sabha without any debate and discussion," said an informed source.

Among the parties which are likely to meet the President apart from Congress are CPI(M), CPI, Trinamool Congress, BSP, Samajwadi party and others.

The opposition parties had been staging protests in the Parliament over the issue of demonetisation.

In the Lok Sabha, the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed as the opposition protested and raised slogans against the government.

According to the Bill, the declarant will have to pay a tax of 60 per cent and an additional surcharge of 25 per cent of the tax (i.e. 15 per cent of income), resulting in a total tax component of 75 per cent.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while moving the bill for consideration and passing, called it one of the steps by the Centre to curb black money.

Opposition members raised slogans against the Centre's decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, which led to cash crunch across the country.

Members complained that they were not able to move for changes as certain amendments needed President Pranab Mukherjee's assent.

As the opposition protested, Mahajan's said the bill should have been debated but could not be since the house was not maintaining order.

Amid the ruckus, the bill was passed by voice vote, and the house was adjourned for the day.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account was hacked on Wednesday and expletives and abuses posted on the handle. The abusive tweets were later deleted.

The Congress said it smacked of "sinister conspiracy and reflected disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture".

One of the illegal posts had abusive language like "my family is a bunch of corrupt....(expletives) retarded... (expletives)".

The hackers also removed Rahul's profile picture and changed the account title from @OfficeOfRG to Retarded gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi's Twitter handle has been hacked. We will file a complaint with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police," Congress Media Coordinator Pranav Jha told IANS.

Congress Communication Department incharge Randeep Singh Surjewla tweeted: "Such unscrupulous, unethical and roguish conduct of venal trolls to hack @OfficeOfRG reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture."

"Pre-meditated hacking of @OfficeOfRG smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse and intimidate. It stregthens our resolve to fight for the nation," he tweeted.

Surjewala tweeted: "Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed and modified."
New Delhi, Nov 30 : India on Wednesday signed the Letter of Agreement and Acceptance (LOA) with the US to purchase 145 M777 ultra-light artillery guns, through the foreign military sale (FMS) route.

The Cabinet on November 17 approved the much-awaited deal, which would add tremendous firepower to the Indian Army, especially against China in eastern front.

The air portable 155mm/39 calibre gun, with maximum range of 30 km, is manufactured by BAE Systems.

Welcoming the signing of the agreement, BAE system in a statement said: "The company anticipates signing a contract in the coming weeks with the US Department of Defense to supply these M777 Howitzers to the Indian Army."

"We look forward to providing the Indian Army with the combat-proven M777," said Joe Senftle, Vice President and General Manager for Weapon Systems at BAE Systems.

"Our plan to establish a domestic Assembly, Integration and Test facility further demonstrates our commitment to 'Make in India' and remains a firm part of our strategy to work with the Indian defense sector across Air, Land, Sea and Security."

The $737 million contract has a 30 per cent offset clause worth around $200 million.

Out of 145 guns, BAE will deliver 25 guns and rest 120 will be assembled in India by Mahindra.
Vijayawada, Nov 30 : French companies have evinced interest in collaborating with the Andhra Pradesh government and making investments in smart cities, urban infrastructure, urban development, solar, renewable energy and sports.

A delegation of 53 companies and organisations led by French ambassador to India, Alexandre Zieglar visited the state on Wednesday and met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and senior officials.

They also showed interest in investments in sectors like transportation, water, energy, waste, information technology and communications.

Many firms showed interest in collaborating with the state government in the development of state capital Amaravati and metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Nicolas Forage, Director- South Asia, French Agency for Development conveyed interest in contributing financially to the development of Amaravati, according to a statement from the office of the chief minister.

The French ambassador was impressed by the ambitious Amaravati development project and lauded Chandrababu Naidu's vision to develop a greenfield modern capital city.

The French companies made presentation on their potential areas of collaboration.

Naidu was impressed with the innovative ideas and technologies showcased by the French companies and welcomed their request to partner with the government of Andhra Pradesh.

He requested the French companies to sign MoUs with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and seek assistance on streamlining their entry and investments in the sunrise state.

Naidu said Andhra Pradesh an ideal place for investments with long coast line and abundant mineral resources. He welcomed the French business delegation to invest in various sectors in the state by assuring necessary support and clearances within 14 days.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Actor turned politician Manoj Towari was on Wednesday appointed Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit chief in place of Satish Upadhyay. BJP MP Nityanand Rai was appointed the party's Bihar unit chief.

"BJP President Amit Shah has appointed Manoj Tiwari as Delhi BJP chief with immediate effect," an official statement said.

Tiwari represents Northeast Delhi constituency while Rai represents Ujiarpur constituency of Bihar in the Lok Sabha.

Earlier, the BJP Bihar unit was headed by Mangal Pandey.

Hours after Tiwari's appointment, he reached the state BJP office where BJP leaders and workers accorded him a grand welcome.

Upadhyay handed over the charge to Tiwari in presence of Union Ministers Dr Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel, Pradesh incharge and BJP National Vice-President Shyam Jaju, National Secretary Maheish Girri, Organisation General Secretary Siddharthan, MPs Ramesh Bidhuri, Pravesh Verma, Udit Raj and Meenakshi Lekhi.

Addressing the workers, Tiwari said the new responsibility is an opportunity to serve the people of Delhi and to give a new look to the party.

"I hope the honest and hardworking workers of Delhi BJP will be a great help in fighting against the ruling party (Aam Aadmi Party) which has come to power in Delhi by making false promises to the people," Tiwari said.

"We have to connect with the people. We have to co-operate with illustrious Prime Minister Narender Modi in his campaign to end corruption and bring total development," he said.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : A man was arrested on charge of cheating a Gurgaon businessman of Rs 2 crore in demonetised currency on the pretext of depositing them in a bank account, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

Police said accused Pushpender Khatri, 50, of Trinagar was arrested following a tip-off near Pearl Height Tower in Netaji Subhash Place. His co-accused are still at large, police said.

Police seized Rs 3,51,70,000 in demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 from his possession which he conned from three businessman.

Complainant Kapil Mehta met Khatri through his associates Krishan Prakash, Neeraj Garg, Manzar Alam, Hemant Mishra and Subhash Singha on November 11 and was told that they had good contacts in banks and could easily deposit his demonetised currency in the Punjab National Bank in Delhi, police said.

"Mehta gave Rs 2 crore to Khatri but later found his phone switched off. He filed a police complaint," Deputy Commissioner of Police Milind Mahadeo Dumbere told IANS.

Khatri kept the cash taken from three businessmen in various locations in Gurgaon, Dwarka and Lodhi Colony. "We are interrogating him to ascertain his crimes," Dumbere said.
Kolkata, Dec 1 : An aircraft with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on board hovered in the night sky for about 40 minutes on Wednesday due to a technical issue, sources said.

The Trinamool Congress smelt in the incident a conspiracy to "kill" Banerjee for protesting strongly against the Central government's demonetisation initiative.

The plane operated by a private airline took off from Patna an hour late at 7.35 p.m.

Due to technical reasons, before landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here, it hovered over the Kolkata sky and then finally landed around 9 p.m.

Airport officials said such developments were normal and an every day affair in aviation.

But State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim alleged that the Air Traffic Control delayed in giving the green signal to the plane to land despite the "pilot pointing out that it was running out of fuel".

"This seriously inconvenienced our Chief Minister and other passengers. It is nothing but a conspiracy to kill her as she is going round the entire country to build up a mass movement against demonetisation and is one of the foremost protesters against the central move," said Hakim, who accompanied Banerjee in the flight.
SkillNet | Delivering Digital Transformations SkillNets experience as a leader in international Xstore implementations and omni-channel transformations made them a winning choice as the implementation partner for the national expansion of our enterprise.

SkillNet Solutions, a leading global retail systems integrator specialized in providing complete end-to-end omni-channel commerce solutions, has been chosen by Nazan Comercializadora de Calzado (also known as Grupo Nazan) to deliver their new omni-channel implementation of Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service, Customer Engagement, Order Broker, and Oracle Commerce. Grupo Nazan owns and operates well-recognized footwear brands, Impuls, Destroyer, and Plaza Mayoreo, sold in retail stores and wholesale channels in Northern Mexico. In partnership with SkillNet, Grupo Nazan is launching a digital transformation of their brands into an end-to-end empowered commerce experience with Oracle Retail.

With over forty years of experience, Impuls traditionally focused on catalog sales with a smaller footprint in the e-commerce and traditional store channels. Experiencing great success and growth in the market, Grupo Nazan is now on an aggressive path to expand both its e-commerce and brick and mortar presence throughout Mexico. Launching an internal campaign Impacto, Grupo Nazan committed to making a huge business impact powered by technology in a move to elevate the company to the next level and effectively compete with key retail players as they expand.

Investing heavily in technology to differentiate themselves in the market through better customer engagement, Grupo Nazan aims to empower their customers with a seamless, connected shopping experience across all channels. With incredibly ambitious expansion plans to reach the Impuls customer online, in store, and everywhere in between, we needed an experienced global partner with proven international technical expertise to implement and integrate our new store and e-commerce technologies, states Nazri Andonie, CEO at Grupo Nazan. SkillNets experience as a leader in international Xstore implementations and omni-channel transformations made them a winning choice as the implementation partner for the national expansion of our enterprise.

As a customer centric company, Grupo Nazan is incredibly devoted to delivering the best possible experience for its customers throughout Mexico, and we are thrilled to help them on their journey of digital transformation into a retailer that not only delivers the best shoe brands at the best price but also best-in-class customer experience, states Antonio Alvaro, Vice President of Global Solutions for SkillNet Solutions.

About SkillNet Solutions

SkillNet Solutions, Inc. is a leading global consulting services and retail systems integrator specialized in providing complete end-to-end, omni-channel commerce solutions in stores, merchandising, e-commerce, supply chain, customer management, and data analytics. SkillNet offers retailers consulting, solution delivery, cloud, and support services. Having successfully implemented award-winning solutions for the retail industrys top performers for over twenty years, SkillNet delivers digital transformations that provide retailers with a seamless and connected customer experience across all channels.

Founded in 1996 in the heart of Silicon Valley, SkillNet has expanded into a global enterprise spanning three continents with offices in Cleveland, Austin, Sunnyvale, Toronto, London, New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, and Pune. For more information, visit http://www.skillnetinc.com

About Grupo Nazan

Nazan Comercializadora de Calzado is a privately own company with over forty years of experience in the shoe industry with corporate offices in Monterrey, Mexico. For more information, visit http://www.impuls.com.mx

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Trademarks

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The LeverEdge announced today that John Alger, a professional engineer, has joined the company to further develop the growing need for engineering and design services. The company manufactures and distributes solar pool, solar water and solar electric systems through a network of dealers across the United States.

John Alger comes with an extensive background and experience in solar thermal and PV systems for both residential and commercial projects. His previous experience involved working within the electric utility sector, sales and applications engineer for Yamaha Motor Company, and engineering/sales manager for a major thermal collector manufacturer.

Troy Millar, Director of Renewable Products said Johns experience and knowledge within our industry over all the various solar technologies has already made him a valued addition to the LeverEdge family. This new hire is a sign of our companys commitment to provide our customers with the value added services for design, engineering and technical support for all of their solar projects.

About our company

The LeverEdge has been committed to a single-minded focus; to provide the world with alternative technologies that conserve our valuable resources while enhancing the quality of our lives.
Tutors International The Chinese style of teaching and learning is so different that when they come to start their university placement in the West, they just cant get the most out of the experience.

According to a 2016 article in The Economist magazine [1], the number of Chinese students applying for coveted places at Western Universities quintupled in 2015, with students becoming increasingly frustrated by the militant and monotonous teaching and examination styles enforced by the Chinese government, and inspired by more liberal study programs overseas.

However, concerns remain that many of these students are arriving at top universities such as Harvard in the USA, unprepared and overwhelmed, resulting in underperformance and isolation.

Mr Caller commented: The Chinese style of teaching and learning is so different that when they come to start their university placement in the West, they just cant get the most out of the experience. We see Chinese students sticking together and not integrating socially because theyve had no experience or prior preparation for the exploration and interaction that comes as standard with Western teaching. There is a great need for more Western tutors to provide a crossover for Chinese students who want to study in the UK or US.

For Chinese students to cross-over entirely from the Chinese curriculum to a UK or US high school curriculum in advance, there is an element of risk. Once a student has made the transition, there is no way back. However, the flexibility of private tutoring means that families can opt to commit entirely with full-time one-to-one tutoring in their childs desired curriculum, or take a lighter approach and supplement the Chinese curriculum with part-time or online sessions.

Mr Caller added: It doesnt have to be daunting for families. Part-time online tutoring is a good option here, as the time difference means that tutors can spend their mornings in the UK with Chinese students after school, reinforce and develop on the topics they have learned at school that day, ensure that they understood, and help with the language and social aspects of Western learning styles. Many students flourish after a complete change in curriculum, however, when the one to one attention from a full-time British or American tutor, living with the family in China opens the door to a liberal arts education and excellence in subjects that arent offered or explored to the level required in the traditional Chinese school setting. We would be happy to hear from Chinese families to explore all the options available and from schools who want to explore a cross-over East/West teaching style in the classroom.

Tutors International has extensive experience in placing tutors with families all over the world, according to their individual needs and challenges. To find out more about the services offered by Tutors International, visit tutors-international.com.

Reference

[1] The Long March from China to The Ivies https://www.1843magazine.com/features/the-long-march-from-china-to-the-ivies Brook Larmer. The Economist 1843 Magazine. May 2016

About Tutors International

Tutors International is a worldwide organization providing experienced private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities. Tutors are available for full-time tutoring positions, for major support and tutoring outside school hours, or for home-schooling. Tutors International provide provide a bespoke service to find the right tutor that suits the child's needs and aspirations, and if a live-in tutor is required, it is essential that the assigned tutor is the right match for the family and fits in the environment.

Tutors International was founded by Adam Caller who has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. He has now turned this expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors to help families.
The new Linkus mobile client easily connects remote offices and workers, road warriors, and mobile employees all under one phone system.

Yeastar (http://www.Yeastar.com), a leading manufacturer of VoIP PBX systems and VoIP Gateways, is announcing the release of Linkus, a mobile VoIP client.

Linkus is a VoIP softphone designed to give mobile functionality to Yeastar S-Series PBX telephone systems. The S-Series PBX is a new telephone system for small and medium enterprises (SME) with up to 500 users.

When Linkus is registered to an S-Series PBX, users can use Android and Apple mobile phones just like a regular office deskphone extension.

The demands of todays mobile workforce require constant connectivity. Linkus delivers efficiency, cost savings, and integrated access to corporate phone features.



Work Anywhere and Reduce Mobile Phone Costs: Make and receive VoIP phone calls through the company PBX with mobile data or Wi-Fi and reduce the need for costly mobile voice plans.

Remote Access to Deskphone: Integration with corporate directory, call transfer, call availability, and other IP PBX capabilities provides a virtual company deskphone for remote workers or, any time employees are away from their desk.

One Phone Number Thats Always Available: Employees simply provide one phone number to customers and clients for whichever device theyre using, mobile or deskphone, and they can be reached at the office or on the road.

Privacy and Security: Using only one phone number for multiple devices allows employees to keep their mobile numbers private while providing eavesdropping communication protection with SRTP.

Syncing mobile devices with Linkus and S-Series PBXs requires iOS 8.0 or higher for Apple users or, Android 4.4 or higher for Android users. Linkus can be used on 2G/3G/4G or Wi-Fi networks and is compatible with standard network protocols including SIP FRC3261, TCP/IP/UDP, RTP/SRTP/RTCP, HTTP/HTTPS. With CallKit integrated, Linkus also presents iOS 10 users with standard call UI of iPhone and enhanced call quality.

Were excited to add a new mobility feature for businesses that are deploying our Yeastar S-Series PBX, said Alan Shen, CEO of Yeastar. The new Linkus mobile client easily connects remote offices and workers, road warriors, and mobile employees all under one phone system and using only phone number for both deskphones and Apple or Android mobile phones.

For more information about Yeastar Linkus Mobile VoIP Client, please visit http://www.yeastar.com/linkus-mobile-client-for-s-series-voip-pbx

About Yeastar

Yeastar specializes in the design and development of innovative telecommunications equipment, including VoIP PBX systems and VoIP gateways for the SMB. Founded in 2006, Yeastar has established itself as a global leader in the telecommunications industry with 1,100 channel partners and over 100,000 customers worldwide. Yeastar products have been consistently recognized in the industry for their high-performance and innovation. For more information about Yeastar or to become a Yeastar partner, please visit http://www.Yeastar.com.
SeniorsGuideOnline.com gives you the tools to make the most informed decision possible

http://www.SeniorsGuideOnline.com, one of the most trusted resources for seniors and their families, has a new and improved look. However, the invaluable online tool has gone through more than just a facelift. The revamped site offers many new features to help seniors find the senior housing option thats right for them and an even wider array of care.

When a user opens the home page, the website immediately recognizes their current location through Smart Targeting, aka geo-targeting, saving them the step of entering a city name or zip code when they are searching for communities or care. All they need to do is select the typefrom independent living to memory careand theyll receive a variety of nearby choices along with photos, detailed descriptions and contact information.

SeniorsGuideOnline.com has integrated information from its sister site, HomeCareChoice.com, to also make home care options easily available from its new site. This integration further simplifies the search process and reduces stress for seniors and their families.

Making the transition from a home youve lived in for years to a senior living community is often a difficult one. Choosing the right community is imperative, explains Katharine Ross, vice president of Seniors Guide magazine. SeniorsGuideOnline.com gives you the tools to make the most informed decision possible.

If the prospective resident or family member isnt sure of the type of community or level of care they need (for example, independent versus assisted living), the site also offers in-depth, yet easy-to-understand descriptions of each option, including what they can expect when they move in. With each housing or care type, theres even a checklist to help seniors and their loved ones quickly determine if its a good fit.

Seniors Guide, a Richmond, Va. -based company, publishes Seniors Guide magazines throughout Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Roanoke-Lynchburg, Virginia and features a correlating website of SeniorsGuideOnline.com. Seniors Guides mission is to help seniors and their families find the information they need on options available in senior housing, senior care, assisted living, independent senior living, retirement communities and other retirement living needs. Seniors Guide also has resources at http://www.HomeCareChoice.com for Cincinnati, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Richmond, VA. Ross Publishing, Seniors Guides parent company, began in 1991 and has been publishing helpful, free publications and websites ever since. In addition to the many Seniors Guide titles, the team at Ross Publishing is behind lifestyle magazine BOOMER and real estate publication Apartment Navigator.
Achievement of this ISO 13485 certification demonstrates this commitment to quality to our customers in the emergency trauma product market.

H&H Medical Corporation (H&H Medical, http://www.gohandh.com/), a leading provider of emergency trauma products and point-of-injury convenience kits headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia, today announced it has been successfully registered according to ISO 13485:2003, the international standard for quality management systems for medical device manufacturing.

H&H Medical was awarded certification by Eagle Certification Group, one of the world's leading certification bodies offering the latest in management systems certification services.

"H&H Medical has continued to improve our product quality and our customer service. Achievement of this ISO 13485 certification demonstrates this commitment to quality to our customers in the emergency trauma product market," said Paul Harder, President of H&H Medical. "This certification reflects our continuing investment in the quality systems required to manufacture our unique trauma response products."

About ISO 13485: ISO 13485:2003 is an international, globally recognized standard for establishing quality management systems that consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements for safe and effective medical device manufacturing. ISO 13485 is based on quality management principles that have been proven to enhance organization performance.

About H&H Medical Corporation: H&H Medical Corporation is a world-class provider of point-of-injury trauma solutions for military and civilian customers. H&H Medicals products have been proven to be life-saving in harsh conditions such as active combat and emergency response situations. H&H Medicals products are found in kits and assemblies used by such customers as the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secret Service, and other military and law enforcement entities. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.gohandh.com.
U.S. Security Associates (USA) announced the acquisition of ODS Security Solutions (ODS), a leading provider of security services based in Richmond, Virginia. The acquisition further strengthens USAs capabilities within the expanding healthcare marketplace.

ODS is greatly admired for providing outstanding quality security services and prides itself on 100% client-retention to the healthcare industry. In addition, ODS has placed a top priority focus on the training of their employees. These values are highly consistent with USA's client-centric culture and commitment to their Associates talent development.

Richard L. Wyckoff, President and CEO of USA commented, "We are extremely excited to have the ODS team join with USA as we further enhance our competencies within the healthcare market. In support of our overarching value proposition to provide our clients with better outcomes, ODS brings to us an excellent leadership team with substantial experience. Together, we now have tremendous capacity to develop and provide unique solutions to meet our clients' needs. With fresh insights, and deep expertise, USA now offers a level of service which is unparalleled in the marketplace."

Rafe Wilkinson, former CEO of ODS, will be joining USA and will continue to lead the healthcare market segments strategic development. He stated, "We are thrilled to join forces with USA. We share the same passion for customer satisfaction and employee development. Combined, we will now be able to provide an even greater level of fulfillment and expansion of services.

This combination provides further confirmation of USA's continuing commitment to invest in providing market-leading solutions to meet the ever changing safety and security needs of its clients.

About U.S. Security Associates

U.S. Security Associates (USA) is North Americas security solutions leader, with locally-responsive offices providing premier national security services and global consulting and investigations. The company provides career paths for over 53,000 security professionals serving several thousand clients and a range of industries. Innovative applications of leading-edge, proprietary technology enable USA to rank annually among the worlds best training companies, sustain the highest standards of quality, and underscore world-class customer service with unparalleled accountability. USAs rise as one of todays largest security companies is a natural byproduct of these differentiators together with a commitment to investing in employee reward and development, giving back to local communities and relentlessly striving to be a security company that is Safe.Secure.Friendly.. For more information, visit http://www.ussecurityassociates.com.

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We are data-driven and by using PowerSchools Unified Classroom platform, well have immediate access to vital information in order to drive student success.

PowerSchool was selected by Pennsylvanias Philadelphia Performing Arts to streamline processes by providing a unified classroom experience for the school community. An Apple Distinguished School, Philadelphia Performing Arts uses its 1:1 iPad program to create custom learning materials, enabling teachers to design their own curriculum and students to create multimedia projects that reflect their individual creativity and knowledge. Partnering with PowerSchool supports the schools mission to foster a new way of teaching and learning.

Teachers, parents, and staff of Philadelphia Performing Arts will use one online portal to access PowerSchools solutions for student application and registration, school lottery, assessment and analytics, as well as the student information system. Were improving efficiency by providing one account for our school community to access and manage student data, said Jason Corosanite, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder, Philadelphia Performing Arts.

The Philadelphia public charter school has over 5,000 students on its waiting list. Accountability is of utmost importance in managing the process of a student applying, running the schools lottery, and enrollment. With so many families applying, its vital to have a system in place that provides transparency, oversight, and accountability, said Corosanite. With PowerSchool, we have an innovative way to manage everything from a student applying through enrollment and graduation.

At Philadelphia Performing Arts, students and teachers employ technology to enhance access to information. Its Mobile First principle sets the expectation that a solution should be accessible on any device. With the PowerSchool student information system, we like the user interface, parent portal, and the fact that its cloud-based. The user experience resonates with families who use mobile, providing instant visibility to assignments, grades, comments, and progress toward each standard, said Corosanite.

When looking at standardized test scores, PSSAs, and keystones, Philadelphia Performing Arts didnt have a way to integrate all of that data and look at student performance in one place. We were using multiple, disparate systems, said Corosanite. PowerSchool Assessment and Analytics provides us with a solution to pinpoint students who are struggling, assess them, and then test those students based on their specific needs.

Corosanite adds, People dont want to wait for data. For us to be able to respond immediately when there are opportunities and a responsibility to do so helps us become responsive to student needs. We are data-driven and by using PowerSchools Unified Classroom platform, well have immediate access to vital information in order to drive student success.

About PowerSchool Group LLC

PowerSchool is the #1 leading education technology platform for K-12, serving more than 24.5 million students, 43 million parents, and 68 million users in over 70 countries around the world. We provide the industrys first Unified Classroom experience with best-in-class, secure, and compliant online solutions, including registration and school choice, student information systems, learning management and classroom collaboration, assessment, analytics, and special education management. We empower teachers and drive student growth through innovative digital classroom capabilities, and we engage families through real-time communications across any device. Visit http://www.powerschool.com to learn more.

About Philadelphia Performing Arts

Philadelphia Performing Arts, A String Theory Charter School, offers a comprehensive educational program that emphasizes equally academic and artistic excellence. Utilizing the arts as a catalyst, Philadelphia Performing Arts harnesses the most innovative teaching and learning techniques, to serve as a model for education and to prepare students for success. We believe every student is gifted and has specific intelligences that must be nurtured. Providing students with equal opportunity for learning and discovery and development of their innate potentials, through String Theory Schools unique and rigorous curriculum blending academic and artistic excellence, we enable our students to become the next generation of creative leaders. Visit http://www.stringtheoryschools.org to learn more.
Sean Khurana, President and COO, Cavern Technologies Sean Khurana comes to Cavern with a strong background in leading major business initiatives for large startups and Fortune 500 firms.

Cavern Technologies introduces Sean Khurana as their new President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Khurana joins the Cavern C-team effective immediately. He, along with CEO and Chief Strategist, John Clune, and Chairman of the Board, Pete Clune will lead the growing data center solutions provider.

Sean Khurana comes with a strong background in leading major business initiatives for large startups and Fortune 500 firms. Khurana plans to leverage his expertise in building businesses around new products, technologies, and customer segments to take Cavern Technologies to the next level. Most recently, Khurana was Senior VP for Avatron Park, a mega startup theme park based in Atlanta, GA. Prior positions included VP, Product Marketing for Cablevision in New York, NY, and VP, Strategic Programs and Business Operations for Sprint-Nextel, in Overland Park, KS. Sean also served as Chief of Staff, reporting directly to the Sprint CEO.

2016 has been a year of phenomenal growth for Cavern, states CEO, John Clune. We are thrilled to have Seans high-level expertise to help guide us into our next generation of providing premier data center solutions and mission-critical real estate services. The addition of Sean Khurana rounds out several C-team additions Cavern has made over the past year. This includes the introduction of new roles for VP, Facilities Engineering and VP, Finance and Administration, filled by executives Mike McDaniel and Annie Noland respectively. Cavern Technologies has leveraged their unique underground property and comprehensive data center service offering to secure long-term contracts with top firms across financial, insurance, healthcare, legal and tech segments.

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About Cavern Technologies, Inc.

Cavern Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider in the development, leasing and operation of build-to-suit wholesale data centers outside of Kansas City. Located 125-feet underground in a 3 million square foot facility, Caverns environmentally regulated, secure infrastructure is Energy Star, SAS-70, SSAE 16 Type II certified. Cavern is designed to meet the specialized power, cooling and security requirements companies need to house IT systems that support their mission-critical business processes. Cavern provides tenants with unique business solutions and a value proposition focused on minimizing the total cost of ownership of data center and colocation infrastructure. For more information: CavernTechnologies.com

Contact:

Annie Noland

Office 913.553.5977

anoland(at)caverntech(dot)com
iResponze is proud to announce that Chesapeake Hospitality has signed on to use its signature review management system in 24 of its hotels. The remaining hotels in their portfolio will implement the iResponze system beginning in January 2017.

We are thrilled for the opportunity Chesapeake Hospitality has given us to grow the online reputation of their hotel portfolio, said Rose Mentrie, Chief Innovation Officer for iResponze. We first established our relationship at their Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tampa, Florida, and as they witnessed the effectiveness of our system, we began discussing implementation for their entire portfolio. We are thrilled to be part of Chesapeakes continued growth and success.

This agreement comes at a time when responding to reviews is paramount to a hotels success. A recent independent study completed by PhocusWright for TripAdvisor revealed that 84% of users consider reviews extremely or highly important when booking a hotel. Reviews, and how management responds to them, tell a story for a hotel, and future guests are listening.



Chesapeake Hospitality is a third-party hotel management company with a track record of successful operations and outstanding financial performance. For nearly 60 years, Chesapeake has provided private equity, institutional and individual hotel investors and owners a unique opportunity to experience what is possible with a results-driven hotel management partner.

Created by hotel professionals, iResponze was established to fill a need within the hospitality community. Owners and General Managers of hotels and restaurants found managing review responses a challenge in their hectic schedules. iResponze is a solution to provide a 360 degree approach to reputation management combining industry knowledge with SEO expertise. Learn more at http://www.iresponze.com.
Golden Girl Granola, one of Americas fastest growing and best tasting granola brands, is excited to announce today that Mary Tee of Windham, ME, is the Grand Prize Winner of their 2nd annual blogger recipe challenge. Chris Coyle from New Hartford, NY, took second place and Darlene Buerger from Peoria, AZ, was the third-place winner.

Unbelievable, Im still in shock! I really cant believe I won. With so many talented bloggers participating, I really feel honored to be named the Grand Prize Winner of the Golden Girl Granola Blogger Recipe Challenge, stated Mary Tee from Sense of Taste.

Bloggers from across the nation were challenged to show off their creativity by submitting original recipes using one flavor of Golden Girl Granola. After weeks of judging, Mary Tees Forest Maple Granola Shortbread & Homemade Banana Pudding was the winning recipe. The recipe was created using Golden Girl Granolas Forest Maple granola. The recipe impressed the judges based upon its creativity, originality, healthiness and use of ingredients. You can find Marys recipe at her blog at http://www.sensetaste.com.

It was so inspiring to see the creativity and originality from these bloggers across the country. We were truly impressed by the quality of each recipe that was submitted, said Deborah OKelly, founder of Golden Girl Granola. Each blogger showed how easy it is to invent granola dishes that are creative, simple and delicious when creating a homemade recipe with our granola.

2nd Annual Golden Girl Granola Blogger Recipe Challenge Winning Recipe: Forest Maple Granola Shortbread & Homemade Banana Pudding

Ingredients: Cookies



2 sticks butter, room temperature

 c. sugar

1 egg

 c. maple syrup

 c. granola flour*

2 c. AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

 c. Golden Girl Forest Maple granola

Pinch of salt

*To make granola flour, grind desired amount of granola in a coffee grinder/food processor until it is the texture of almond or corn meal.

Ingredients: Pudding



4 c. whole milk

 c. sugar

Pinch of salt

2 extra ripe bananas cut into -inch pieces

3 heaping tbsp. cornstarch

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4-6 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

Ingredients: Meringue



4 egg whites

 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla

 c. ultra-fine sugar

Directions  Cookies:

1. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat 2 sticks butter and  c. sugar until creamed together.

2. Add 1 egg,  c. maple syrup and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine granola flour, AP flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.

4. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well on medium speed. Add remaining dry ingredients, mixing until dough just starts to form.

5. Add granola and mix until just incorporated.

6. With floured hands, remove dough from bowl and shape into fat log. Wrap tightly and completely in plastic and, using your hands, roll against the counter to form a long log, about 2 inches in diameter.



If dough is too soft to shape, place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

7. Once long log is formed, place wrapped dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

8. When ready to bake cookies, heat oven to 400F.

9. Slice cookie log into -inch slices. Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are brown and center is set. Place on cooling rack to cool.

Directions - Banana Pudding:

1. Mix  c. sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Gradually add in milk, stirring constantly until well combined.

2. Place milk mixture on burner and cook over medium heat until dissolved and liquid is smooth.

3. Add over-ripened banana and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil and thicken.

4. Meanwhile, lightly beat egg yolks in a spouted bowl or large measuring cup.

5. Once mixture has thickened, remove banana pieces with slotted spoon and discard.

6. Slowly add 2 cups of the hot banana-milk mixture to egg yolks, stirring constantly to make sure the eggs dont cook.

7. Once eggs and milk are combined, return mixture to saucepan and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.

8. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 tbsp. butter.

Directions - Meringue:

1. In a large bowl add 4 room-temperature egg whites,  tsp. cream of tartar and 1 tsp. vanilla.

2. Using an electric mixer beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.

3. While beating, add ultra-fine sugar 1 tbsp. at a time until stiff peaks form.

Directions  Assembly:

1. Line the bottom (and sides, if you prefer) of a round, 2-quart casserole dish with shortbread cookies.

2. Over cookies, place thinly-sliced banana pieces.

3. Pour hot pudding mixture over bananas and spread evenly with spatula.

4. Top pudding with meringue, covering pudding layer completely.

5. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

6. Serve warm or cold.

Golden Girl Granola comes in seven all-natural delicious head-over-heels flavors that include Bluesberry, Chocolate Decadence, Creative Cranberry, Forest Maple, Home Sweet Honey, Original and Truly Tropical. And the best part, Golden Girl Granolas are made with whole-grains and are dairy free, cholesterol free, casein free, trans-fat free, wheat free and have no preservatives, artificial color or flavors.

About Us:

Golden Girl Granola is a family owned and operated business located in Shirley, Massachusetts and produces a branded line of gourmet granola products superior in taste and made from the highest-quality ingredients. Golden Girl Granola is a Healthy Snack alternative for health conscious consumers who appreciate good taste. Flavors include Forest Maple, Creative Cranberry, Bluesberry, Chocolate Decadence, Original, Home Sweet Honey, and Truly Tropical. Golden Girl Granola offers the complete line nationwide for Chain Supermarkets, Independent Supermarkets, Gourmet Food Stores, Club Stores and Convenience Stores. For more information contact Deborah OKelly at 978-425-5058 or e-mail her at deborah@goldengirlgranola.com.
Helping Kids Build Brighter Futures Through Lego Everyone knows a child or family affected by mental illness. Our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors deserve access to all the information and help they might need.

On November 30, 2016, Metro Detroit based nonprofit Building Futures Fund (BFF) is launching a festive crowdfunding campaign to sell 1,000 Lego-themed ornaments by the end of 2016. BFF is capitalizing on the popularity of Lego bricks to benefit children of all ages with mental illnesses and their families. One in five children ages 13-18 has or will have a mental illness. BFF is devoted to assisting families navigating the joys and heartaches of having a child with a disability. The organization's goal is to provide Lego brick kits to 1,000 children and families affected by the Flint Water Crisis as an early intervention resource.

Everyone knows a child or family affected by mental illness. Our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors deserve access to all the information and help they might need, says Andy Nelson, Founder and President of BFF. Our organization is designed to support those affected by mental illness in our community in three ways: first, by providing Lego kits that can be used as an early intervention tool by families and children in their own homes; second, by providing older children with vocational training as they learn essential employment skills by working with our foundation; and third, by providing information, resources, and support to families. We will also work tirelessly to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness through these areas of focus.

Through the campaign, BFF is working to raise funds to make a significant impact in the lives of children and families affected by the Flint Water Crisis. Nelson explains, It was immediately obvious to us that the Flint community must be the first focus of BFF. The crisis is still ongoing and anything our foundation can do to serve this community is our main priority. From my own experience as a father of a child with a disability, knowing there is someone out there who cares about the daily successes and challenges your child experiences is essential. We want to develop a solid support system for Flint families and then expand to other communities throughout the United States.

The Lego Ornament Crowdfunding Campaign is ongoing through Christmas with 11 different styles of ornaments to choose from. Upon donation, you may select a pre-built ornament or an ornament kit you can build yourself. Please help BFF build brighter futures and put smiles on the faces of special needs children in Flint, MI this holiday season. Lego ornaments can be purchased at https://www.crowdrise.com/1000-lego-christmas-ornaments-for-1000-special-needs-kids-in-flint-mi.

About Building Futures Fund

Building Futures Fund (BFF) provides children of all ages with mental challenges and their families the resources to build an independent future. Founded in 2016 by Andy and Liz Nelson, BFF works to meet the needs of children with mental disabilities and to increase mental health awareness, knowledge, and create inclusive communities through the use of Lego bricks. To learn more and donate, visit http://www.BuildingFuturesFund.org or call (800) 691-4581.

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Atlantic Imaging Group aignetwork.com Steve Ellerman brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our management team, said William DeGasperis, CEO.

Atlantic Imaging Group IPA, LLC (AIG) is pleased to announce that Stephen P. Ellerman has joined the company as Vice President of Network Operations. Atlantic Imaging Group is nationwide, registered radiology Diagnostic Testing Network (DTN).

With more than two decades of healthcare management experience, Ellerman has successfully built and managed provider networks as well as monitored compliance and fiscal performance. Additionally, Ellerman is a member of the Radiology Business Management Association and the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators Association and a frequent speaker at their national conferences. I look forward to bringing my expertise and extensive knowledge of Workers Comp and provider networks to AIG, said Ellerman.

In his role with Atlantic Imaging Group, Ellerman will use his health care management and workers comp experience to manage and grow the companys national Radiology provider network. With Steves business development skills, our provider network will continue to grow providing patients, payers and providers with the highest level of service and care, said William DeGasperis, CEO.

Atlantic Imaging Group is nationwide, registered radiology Diagnostic Testing Network (DTN). For more information about Atlantic Imaging Group, contact Bill DeGasperis at 973-451-8232 or visit http://www.aignetwork.com.
Bernie Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald TrumpToday, about 1,000 Carrier workers and their families should be rejoicing. But the rest of our nations workers should be very nervous.President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly announce a deal with United Technologies, the corporation that owns Carrier, that keeps less than 1,000 of the 2,100 jobs in America that were previously scheduled to be transferred to Mexico. Lets be clear: It is not good enough to save some of these jobs. Trump made a promise that he would save all of these jobs, and we cannot rest until an ironclad contract is signed to ensure that all of these workers are able to continue working in Indiana without having their pay or benefits slashed.In exchange for allowing United Technologies to continue to offshore more than 1,000 jobs, Trump will reportedly give the company tax and regulatory favors that the corporation has sought. Just a short few months ago, Trump was pledging to force United Technologies to pay a damn tax. He was insisting on very steep tariffs for companies like Carrier that left the United States and wanted to sell their foreign-made products back in the United States. Instead of a damn tax, the company will be rewarded with a damn tax cut. Wow! Hows that for standing up to corporate greed? Hows that for punishing corporations that shut down in the United States and move abroad?In essence, United Technologies took Trump hostage and won. And that should send a shock wave of fear through all workers across the country.
[Financial executives] carry an immense responsibility that deserves recognition, and what better way to deliver that than through a program driven by peers who witness first-hand their day-to-day impact.

Marking its first annual nationwide Financial Executive of the Year award initiative, Financial Executives International (FEI) today announced a call for nominees. The award is presented to peer-nominated individuals who demonstrably make major impacts within their companies, ranging from increasing profitability to exhibiting exemplary leadership. Five recipients in total will be announced, one for each of the defined market segment categories. Both PWC's Private Company Services and Robert Half have committed to supporting the inaugural awards, with Robert Half sponsoring the small/mid-size public company category and PWCs Private Company Services sponsoring the large private company category.

To be eligible, individuals must have served as Chief Financial Officer or led a finance department for a publicly or privately listed, U.S.-headquartered entity for a minimum of two years. Candidates do not have to be members of FEI to be considered. Completed nomination forms, available here, must be submitted by December 31, 2016.

The economic climate includes a vast, shifting landscape that requires financial executives to carefully exercise judgment, to responsibly apply foresight and to intelligently cultivate an organizations fiscal health, said Andrej Suskavcevic, CAE, President and CEO, FEI. As the industry association developed by and for these professionals, FEI appreciates the opportunity to pause for a moment to honor the significant contributions financial leaders make to organizations. These men and women carry an immense responsibility that deserves recognition, and what better way to deliver that than through a program driven by peers who witness first-hand their day-to-day impact.

Award Criteria

The FEI Selection Committee will judge nominees by the same eight criteria:

 Professional Experience: outline of nominees core responsibilities.

 Leadership: examples of judgment and insight successfully applied to issues shaping strategic direction.

 Team Development: examples of professional development contributions positively affecting team members.

 Entity Profile: summary of organizational impact; i.e., securing investment or financing, strategy implementation, product line impact, etc.

 Planning and Budgeting: outline of forecasting and circumstantial navigation plans.

 Control and Reporting: demonstration of financial reporting improvements and use of best practices within ethical standards.

 Social Responsibility: examples of personal and professional community influence.

 Innovation: explanation of how the nominee has successfully transformed the entitys financial performance, contributing to the companys overall strategic direction.

Award Categories

Five individuals will be honored, one in each of the following categories:

 Public Company: Small/Mid-Size

 Public Company: Large

 Private Company: Small/Mid-Size

 Private Company: Large

 Non-Profit Organization

Recipients will be celebrated at the Financial Executive of the Year Award Reception on April 23, 2017 at the Anaheim Marriott in California. The event will be held in conjunction with FEIs Annual Financial Leadership Summit conference, April 23-25.

About FEI

Financial Executives International (FEI) is the leading advocate for the views of corporate financial management. Its more than 10,000 members hold policy-making positions as chief financial officers, treasurers and controllers at companies from every major industry. FEI enhances member professional development through peer networking, career management services, conferences, research and publications. Members participate in the activities of 74 chapters in the U.S. and a chapter in Japan. FEI is located in Morristown, NJ, and Washington, D.C. Visit http://www.financialexecutives.org for more information.

Media Contacts:

Heather Ailara

Crimson Communicates

(917) 715-3273

heather(at)crimsoncom(dot)com

Lili DeVita

Financial Executives International

(973) 765-1021

ldevita(at)financialexecutives(dot)org
Pond Lehocky is excited to welcome Mr. Nicholas G. Liermann as our newest workers compensation attorney. Mr. Liermann earned his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was Executive Editor for the Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review and an intern for Judge Norma L. Shapiro of the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania. He also holds a B.A. in Administration of Justice from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Liermann also teaches as an Adjunct Professor in Trial Advocacy at Rutgers School of Law - Camden. He has been admitted to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Before joining the firm, Mr. Liermann was a prosecutor for the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office for eight years, serving the Northwest Bureau and Homicide Unit. He fought on behalf of victims and their loved ones in over 300 trials.

I was ready to take on a new challenge and serve our community in a different way, Liermann explained about switching from criminal to civil law. [Plus], working at Pond Lehocky gives me an opportunity to work for individuals and victims directly, versus as a prosecutor representing the state.

In addition to being an accomplished lawyer, Mr. Liermann also serves in the U.S. Army. He obtained the rank of Captain while stationed in Germany serving as a Patriot Missile Battalion Tactical Director in the early 2000s. Mr. Liermann also deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After becoming a lawyer, Mr. Liermann entered the Reserves as part of the Army JAG Corps, helping soldiers with legal concerns ranging from estate planning to disciplinary actions while serving in Europe, South Korea and stateside.

Mr. Liermanns military service has had a strong impact on his legal career. It gave me a sense of camaraderie and teamwork that proved how much a person can achieve when working with like-minded people, he said. And it showed me how important giving back is.
Children wonder how Santa makes snow in places like New Zealand where its summer at Christmas time. Santas Mysterious Boot tells of Santa Claus trying out a new boot with buttons along the side. One button makes snow in warmer climates. Santa encounters two boys, trying to stay up and catch Santa Claus in the act. He fumbles with the buttons. Rather than pressing the turbo charged button to exit up the chimney, he makes snow in the living room and then announces his presence with the tune, Here comes Santa Claus. He unintentionally leaves his boot behind. When the boys attempt to catch the real Santa Claus, he teaches them a lesson that helping others is the true spirit of Christmas.

Santas Mysterious Boot is the winner of the Dove Foundation, http://www.dove.org/?s=Santa%27s+Myterious+Boot Family Friendly for all Ages Seal of Approval and the Gold Quill Award from the League of Utah Writers.

New this year, The Year Santa Lost His List. Before Santa had GPS Navigation, he relied on his elves to type his list, and the reindeer to lead the way on Christmas Eve. His list was fine when he headed out that night. When he reached the last town in Maine, before heading for Canada, the wind blew the list out of his hand. He still had gifts to deliver, with no idea which gift to give to which child. He made his best guess, but still delivered the gifts wrong. Things turned out much better than Santa expected. That is the year that all the kids discovered new talents.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood is the author of nine books. She is an honorary member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas. Along with her Santa Claus husband, she sees hundreds of children during the Christmas season.

Jill Vanderwood will be presenting a reading and signing at the Kings English Book Store, 1511 1500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 on Saturday, December 3, at 11:00 AM. She will also do a reading and signing at Parklane Independent Senior Living, 680 E 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102 on Monday, December 12, at 10:30 AM.

Santas Mysterious Boot; Finding the True Spirit of Christmas

https://www.amazon.com/Santas-Mysterious-Boot-Finding-Chirstmas/dp/1517167434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480439664&sr=1-1&keywords=Santa%27s+Mysterious+Boot

Author: Jill Ammon Vanderwood, AKA Mrs. Claus

Brightons Mountain Books



Paperback: 42 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Lrg edition (September 13, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1517167434

ISBN-13: 978-1517167431

Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.1 x 10 inches

The Year Santa Lost His List

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Santa-Lost-His-List-ebook/dp/B01MEF1582/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480439864&sr=1-1&keywords=THe+year+Santa+Lost+his+list

Author: Jill Ammon Vanderwood, AKA Mrs. Claus

Brightons Mountain Books


We are excited to join AGRO Merchants Group and provide customers with market-to-market opportunities and trade flows, including Australia to Asia.

AGRO Merchants Group, a global leader in cold storage and logistics solutions, today announced the acquisition of Brisbane-based Doboy Cold Stores. Founded in 1979 as a family-owned business, Doboy has grown into one of the most successful cold storage operators in Australia. Doboy operates out of two sites located near the Port of Brisbane and maintains a diverse product mix that includes meats, seafood, fruit, nuts and bakery items. Its extensive experience and relationships will enhance AGROs global service offering for its customers. David OBrien, Managing Director of Doboy and a recognized leader in the cold storage industry will continue in his current role with AGRO Merchants.

The Doboy acquisition is a continuation of AGROs global growth strategy and represents an important entry into the Asia Pacific region. Brisbane is Australias largest export port of processed meat products, capturing approximately 60% of all processed beef shipments. It also represents an important geographic point in the region, as the largest competing ports in Sydney and Townsville are more than 500 miles away. The Port of Brisbane is well served by all major shipping lines offering services to ports in Japan, Korea, USA, China, and other key beef markets. There is significant investment currently underway to further improve port infrastructure.

Doboy is a natural match for AGROs business, said Neal Rider, CEO of AGRO Merchants Group. Their focus on the Australian beef industry will contribute to our global network and point-to-point trade strategy. Philadelphia, PA, which is an important location for us, is the largest destination port for Australian frozen and chilled meat imports into the U.S. We also receive large volumes of Australian meat through four other port locations in the U.S. The opportunity to expand Doboys operations on adjacent owned land is attractive. We look forward to integrating Doboys customers, employees and partners into our network.

David OBrien, Managing Director of Doboy said, We are excited to join AGRO Merchants Group and provide customers with market-to-market opportunities and trade flows, including Australia to Asia. AGRO is considered a leading service provider by many of the top exporters from Australia. Their global strategy will allow us to expand services, volume and capacity. AGRO a great cultural fit for Doboy.

About AGRO Merchants Group

AGRO Merchants Group owns and operates 55 facilities in 9 countries across North America, Latin America and Europe, with more than 750,000 square meters of cold storage space. The company is focused on providing innovative cold chain solutions on a global basis by partnering with the highest quality family businesses and creating new, reliable, and integrated trade networks to help its customers grow. AGRO invests in modern assets, industry-leading technologies, and value-added service offerings to ensure the highest quality supply chain management standards in the industry.

For additional information, please visit AGROs website at http://www.agromerchants.com.
Sir Eric Pickles visit to RN Electronics to discuss the impact of Brexit on EMC Testing I took the opportunity to ask for our MP's support in getting the Government to speed up the introduction of the EMC Directive in to UK law.

The revised EU Directive on Electromagnetic Compatibility (2014/30/EU), came into force on 20 April 2016. This Directive requires all electronic products to have a successful conformity assessment before being placed on the European market. RN Electronics has sought support from the EMC Test Labs Association and our local MP in seeing this Directive being brought into UK law. It has now been confirmed that this will be the case from 8 December 2016.

When our local Member of Parliament took up our offer to visit our EMC test laboratory to discuss the implications of Brexit on the UK electronics industry back in July, RN Electronics were unsure just how Sir Eric Pickles MP would be able to help.

Immediately following his letter, Statutory Instrument number 1091 was laid before Parliament and only three weeks later, on 8 December 2016, becomes UK law as the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016. These regulations transpose Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and repeals and replaces Directive 2004/108/EC relating to Electromagnetic Compatibility. RN Electronics can offer EMC testing in accordance with the new Regulations to support CE Marking of customer products.

About RN Electronics Ltd

RN Electronics is a UKAS accredited EMC testing laboratory (no.2360), based in Brentwood, Essex, offering traceable testing of electronic equipment to EU and international standards.
Redgrave LLP, the premier law firm focused on Information Law announced that former United States Magistrate Judge Nan R. Nolan (ret.) of the Northern District of Illinois has joined the firm as Of Counsel. Managing Partner Victoria Redgrave noted: We are honored to be associated with Judge Nolan. In addition to her impeccable reputation and extensive experience regarding criminal and civil litigation, Judge Nolan has been a true leader of the bench and bar in the eDiscovery world. Judge Nolan added: I am excited to have the opportunity to work with the Redgrave Firm and its diverse team of lawyers and other professionals who are committed to excellence in their representation of clients as well as moving the law forward.

A nationally recognized trailblazer in eDiscovery and co-founder of the Seventh Circuits E-Discovery Pilot Program, Judge Nolan spent 14 years as a U.S. Magistrate Judge. While on the federal bench, Judge Nolan presided over numerous complex and federal cases at every phase of civil litigation. Her work ranged from supervision of pretrial discovery and mediation in settlement conferences to presiding over bench and jury trials where parties had consented to her jurisdiction. She remains a frequent speaker on eDiscovery and information governance topics. Prior to joining the bench, she had more than two decades of experience handling a wide variety of civil and criminal matters in private practice as well as with the Federal Public Defender program. After retiring from the court in 2012, Judge Nolan served as an arbitrator, mediator and special master with JAMS.

Among other awards and recognitions, Judge Nolan received the 1996 American Bar Association Award for "Pro Bono Publico Award," the 1996 Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) Award, and the 1996 Public Interest Law Initiative, "Distinguished Public Service Award" (Rolando Cruz Defense Team). In 2014 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She also received a 2016 Leadership Award from the Electronic Discovery Institute at the Sixth Annual EDI Leadership Summit. Judge Nolan received a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago.

About Redgrave LLP

Redgrave LLP is one of the only law firms in the world focused exclusively in the area of Information Law, providing Fortune 500 companies and Am Law 100 law firms with the legal and technical advice, business strategy, and legal representation needed to support their immediate and future legal, regulatory, and operational requirements. The Firms dedicated teams of legal and technical professionals are at the forefront of helping global organizations address the everevolving challenges associated with the creation, receipt, storage, retrieval, production, and destruction of documents and electronic information. Redgrave LLP has offices in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. To learn more, visit http://www.redgravellp.com.
Helmut Steudel Helmuts extensive business development background will help us leverage our core services into megatrend opportunities such as smart cities and urbanization. Gayle Roberts, Stanley Consultants' President and CEO

Helmut Steudel, P.E., has joined Stanley Consultants as Director of Business Development. As a key member of the management team, he will guide and direct the firms business development staff who serve clients around the world. Stanley Consultants is a global consulting engineering firm that provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services. Steudels base of operations will be the firms Denver office.

I first read about Stanley Consultants in 1985, said Steudel. It was featured in ENR  a Midwest firm doing great things around the world. Back then I thought, I want to be a part of that. Thirty years later Stanley Consultants is still doing great things around the world while retaining its values of dignity, respect for clients, and quality of work. I am very happy to finally be a part of it.

Business development has been Steudels forte for 25 years. His extensive background in sales, client relationship management, and project management includes senior-level positions with several of the worlds largest consulting engineering firms including Jacobs, M+W Americas, and Fluor.

His diverse industry and geographic background give him an insightful client perspective. Its important to bring something of value to every client interaction, said Steudel. Take the time and do the homework necessary to figure out what your client needs to be profitable. Devise solutions that can help your clients better serve their own customers.

As Director of Business Development, Steudel reports to the firms president and CEO Gayle Roberts. Stanley Consultants is ideally positioned to serve emerging markets with our core services in transportation, water, power, federal, and the environment, said Roberts. Helmuts extensive business development background will help us leverage these core services into megatrend opportunities such as smart cities and urbanization.

Steudel is a licensed professional engineer with an engineering degree from the Pennsylvania State University.

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About Stanley Consultants: Founded in 1913, Stanley Consultants is a global consulting engineering firm that provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide. Recognized for its commitment to client service and a passion to make a difference, Stanley Consultants brings global knowledge, experience and capabilities to serve clients in the energy, water, transportation and Federal markets. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 25,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 110 countries. For more information on Stanley Consultants, please visit http://www.stanleyconsultants.com.
Koniag Government Services CEO Ed OHare commented The appointment of an experienced and successful Koniag manager to the helm of our newest company ensures the success of Eagle Harbor Solutions and rapid integration into the family of Koniag companies.

As President of Eagle Harbor, Todd will run all facets of the business, including strategic leadership for the company by working with the Board and the Executive Management team to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies, driving the advancement of the Eagle Harbor mission and objectives. He will lead the delivery of information technology services for client success, revenue, profitability and growth of Eagle Harbor.

Todd is an accomplished senior executive with demonstrated success in program, business and operations management with a strong commitment to providing essential Information Technology (IT) Support Services for mission-critical Strategic and National Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (SNC3I) programs across the DoD and Intelligence Community. He has broad technical expertise in solutions engineering, cyber-security/information assurance, agile software development, systems engineering, enterprise mobility, infrastructure optimization and policy development in high performance, multi-level secure computing environments.

Todd most recently served as Director of Strategic Development for sister company Koniag Information Security Services, LLC where he was responsible for defining and driving operational, organizational, and strategic improvements across the company.

Koniag Government Services CEO Ed OHare commented The appointment of an experienced and successful Koniag manager to the helm of our newest company ensures the success of Eagle Harbor Solutions and rapid integration into the family of Koniag companies.

About Eagle Harbor Solutions and the Koniag Government Services

Eagle Harbor Solutions LLC, an SBA 8(a) certified company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, Inc., an Alaska Native Regional Corporation and part of the Koniag Government Services Sector. EHS provides a range of professional services for cyber intelligence and information technologies capabilities to the Federal Government, Civilian, and commercial markets to further the nation's national security and civilian service missions. Eagle Harbor addresses some of our countrys most pressing challenges in the areas of Cyber Intelligence, Business Analysis, Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Planning. For more information see http://www.EagleHarborSolutions.com .

Koniag Government Services provides oversight, management and shared services to the companies that comprise the Koniag Government Services sector, including Eagle Harbor Solutions. Koniag Government Services (KGS) companies have supported Federal, State and Local customers for more than 15 years. Professional services include Application Development, Healthcare IT, Telecommunications, Network Management, Enterprise Infrastructure Support, Cyber Security, Physical Security, Cultural Resource Services, Program Management and Management Consulting. KGS supports clients in more than a dozen locations across the United State as well as in more than 30 worldwide sites. We have built a reputation for consistent performance and forging long term partnerships with our clients. For more information, please visit http://www.koniaggss.com
Eight leading pediatric healthcare institutions hosting the annual Impact Pediatric Health pitch competition today announced that applications are now open for interested companies. Startups focused on pediatric digital health or medical device innovations are invited to submit their information to http://impactpediatrichealth.com/ by Jan. 20, 2017. From the applications, 10 finalists will be selected to pitch their business at SXSW, Monday, March 13, 2017. Impact Pediatric Health also announced its co-emcee for the 2017 event, Daniel Kraft, MD, Singularity University and Exponential Medicine. For more information about this Interactive pediatric health care innovation pitch competition, visit http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

Eight leading U.S. Childrens Hospitals  Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Seattle Children's Hospital, Stanford Childrens Health and Texas Children's Hospital  came together to create Impact Pediatric Health, a one-of-a-kind pitch competition to help showcase, and support, the best pediatric health care innovations. These childrens hospitals lead the U.S. News & World Report Best Childrens Hospitals rankings.

SXSW is working with these leading pediatric hospitals on the event which is part of Startup Village, http://www.sxsw.com/interactive/startup-village, at the Hilton Downtown Austin. In its first year, 2015, Mark Cuban emceed and was one of the judges who selected CareAline as the best of 10 finalists. Last year featured Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and Chairman and CEO of Revolution, as co-emcee, along with Dr. Jordan Shlain. The emcees, and other judges, selected Cohero Health as the winner. Cohero Health is focused on improving respiratory care for kids, especially those with asthma.

In its first two years as part of the March activities in Austin, Impact Pediatric Health has earned a reputation for bringing together the leaders of pediatric medical technology innovations of today and those shaping the future, said Hugh Forrest, SXSW Chief Programming Officer. In a rare alignment, eight hospitals are collaborating to support, encourage and foster innovation for pediatric solutions. It is great to see the best pediatric health care and research institutions helping next generation companies accelerate their businesses. Initiatives like this will help ensure our youngest patients always get the very best care possible.

Impact Pediatric Health is proud today to announce Daniel Kraft, MD, is on board as co-emcee of the 2017 event. Kraft is a well-regarded physician scientist who is Chair for Medicine at Singularity University, as well as Founder and Chair, Exponential Medicine. Kraft will be one of the event judges, along with others including:

 Andrey Ostrovsky, MD, Chief Medical Officer - Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services

 Molly K. McCarthy RN, MBA, Chief Nursing Strategist at Microsoft

Other judges and experts involved in the event will be announced shortly.

Companies interested in being selected as one of the ten 2017 finalists may submit an application on http://impactpediatrichealth.com/anytime from now through Jan. 20, 2017. Startups  both in digital health and medical device  focused on the pediatric market are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates for the Impact Pediatric Health pitch competition are companies focused in the areas of:

 Health and wellness, specifically patient safety, population health and management, prematurity, remote care, or hospital-to-home transitions

 Precision medicine, specifically genomics

 Med tech, specifically robotics or minimally invasive surgery, 3-D printing or artificial intelligence

Impact Pediatric Health showcases technologies that will deliver solutions specifically created for young patients. Startup CEOs have three minutes to pitch how their company is solving unique health care needs of children, from babies to teens. The stage presentation on Monday, March 13, 2017, will be followed by questions from the emcees and judges. A winner among the 10 finalists will be announced at the end of the event. All participating companies will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the presenting pediatric hospitals. You must have a SXSW Interactive or Platinum badge to attend this March 13 event.

For more information or to apply to pitch, go to http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

About Impact Pediatric Health:

Now in its third year, Impact Pediatric Health hosts a one-of-a-kind pitch competition held annually at SXSW dedicated to showcasing and supporting the best pediatric healthcare innovations. Eight of the largest and top-ranked (according to US News and World Report) childrens hospitals in the U.S. came together to create Impact Pediatric Health. These leading hospitals collaborate to help next generation pediatric healthcare companies, especially those focused on digital health and medical devices, accelerate their businesses. For more information see http://impactpediatrichealth.com/

About SXSW

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. The Health Track at SXSW focuses on innovations that build and support the ecosystem of patients, providers, payers, policy makers, designers, entrepreneurs, and investors to improve outcomes in health and healthcare. SXSW 2017 will take place March 10-19, 2017.

SXSW 2017 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy, Bud Light, Capital One, McDonalds, The Austin Chronicle, and Sonicbids.
Pareena Lawrence, named Hollins' 12th president Pareena embodies all that is a Hollins woman: smart, articulate, warm, caring, and engaged, and aligned with our mission, said Hollins alumna Alexandra Trower, a member of the universitys Board of Trustees and the presidential search committee.

Hollins University has announced that Pareena Lawrence, provost and chief academic officer of Augustana College, will become the schools 12th president. She will take office in July 2017.

Lawrence will succeed Nancy Oliver Gray, who will be retiring next June after serving as president of Hollins since 2005.

We were intent on recruiting a president who is devoted to womens education and the liberal arts, and is a proven leader and strategic thinker, said Judy Lambeth, chair of the Hollins University Board of Trustees. We wanted to find an individual who embodies the values we hold dear at Hollins and can also inspire us to advance the institution even further. Pareena has all these characteristics, together with boundless energy and optimism.

Lawrence has been at Augustana, a 156-year-old, nationally ranked liberal arts college in Illinois, since 2011, and her responsibilities have gone beyond the traditional role of provost. In addition to serving as a primary architect of Augustanas strategic plan, she has overseen an innovative set of student services, pioneered new career development initiatives, and has been a successful fundraiser and external ambassador for the college.

Lambeth described Lawrence as a passionate believer in the power of a womans college. She movingly conveyed to our presidential search committee how attending a girls school in India changed her life. It is precisely our mission as a womens college that has drawn Pareena to Hollins.

Lawrence, 49, graduated from the University of Delhi in 1987 with honors in economics, and two years later moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in economics at Purdue University. In 1994, she joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota at Morris, where she became a full professor of economics and management in 2008.

It is a plus that Pareena is an award-winning instructor and an accomplished scholar, with research focusing on international development and womens issues, Lambeth explained. She added that Lawrences training as an economist gives her an extensive understanding of the finances of higher education, and her various administrative roles have equipped her to deal with the array of challenges and opportunities that arise on a college campus.

Pareena embodies all that is a Hollins woman: smart, articulate, warm, caring, and engaged, and aligned with our mission, said Hollins alumna Alexandra Trower, a member of the universitys Board of Trustees and the presidential search committee. She has the ability to execute with excellence while always looking ahead toward a great vision and strategy.

Founded in 1842 as Virginias first chartered womens college, Hollins is an independent liberal arts university providing undergraduate education to women, selected graduate programs for men and women, and community outreach initiatives. In addition to 27 undergraduate majors and eight graduate disciplines, including a nationally recognized creative writing program, the university offers career preparation and study abroad opportunities and the innovative Batten Leadership Institute, which challenges both students and professionals to be better leaders.
NEWSCYCLE Solutions announces the general release of the ONSET 2016-4 digital content management platform. The latest software introduces ONSET Engage, NEWSCYCLEs content personalization and targeting module. ONSET 2016-4 also provides enhanced ad serving with integration to Googles DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP).

A new email notification capability in ONSET 2016-4 lets users receive alerts based on content categories. The software also automates the production of multi-site environments, where a single landing page can be shared across several publications or domains.

ONSET 2016-4 is our fourth rapid release since we introduced ONSET in June, said Kelli Chmielorz, Director of Product Strategy for NEWSCYCLEs media systems. We promised we would aggressively deliver tools that meet industry demands. The latest release does that. Added features simplify content management processes, and the ONSET Engage module allows publishers to understand their readers better. It provides a complete profile of each website visitor so publishers can deliver targeted, fresh content to help retain audiences and attract readers.

ONSET 2016-4 includes the following:



ONSET Engage

ONSET Engage is a new audience targeting and personalization module. Engage tracks all website visitors and works with every type of reader engagement across a publishers digital channels to present personalized content in real time.

With ONSET Engage, publishers can target an audiences unique interests and use predictive analytics to understand customer behavior. Engage uses a built-in multimedia content curation tool enabling readers to choose and share topics. Advertisers can place ads adjacent to editorial content relevant to potential customers. Ads can also be placed on sites that generate the highest numbers of impressions.

Engage traces a site visitors online activity by progressively collecting audience information from a variety of sources: web analytics, registration databases, demographic data repositories, paywall subscriptions, as well as social media user data, allowing for continually refined targeting.

Ad Serving Support

The Ad Spots module allows for simple block creation and ad serving anywhere on an ONSET site. It supports Google DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) as well as any other tag manager.

Email Notifications

The same workflow notifications ONSET offers with Slack integration is now available through email. Users create email groups based on content categories, and receive automatic messages when articles are assigned, written, edited, published, unpublished or deleted within the category.

Publication Taxonomy

A new taxonomy level allows a publisher to use one home page for multiple publications. The benefit is that a site can run a multi-site environment without having to worry about multiple domains or homepages to administer. One landing page can now be used for several publications, and an authorized user can set the publication as a category of the home page. Category trees are copied under each publication, and page aliases have the form of a natural URL.

Parse.ly Integration

Parse.ly provides real-time and historical analytics for all content on a publishers website. Instead of placing tags on every page for an analytics platform to ingest, users can quickly configure Parse.ly tags within ONSET to harvest the data. Parse.ly is a NEWSCYCLE Connect partner.

Click to download the ONSET 2016-4 datasheet.

About NEWSCYCLE Solutions

NEWSCYCLE develops and delivers software technology that empowers the global news media industry. Our solutions enable publishers to thrive in a rapidly transforming market. We help our clients in their mission to create stronger, better-informed communities while protecting the integrity of news, advertising and customer information. NEWSCYCLE is a trusted partner serving 1,200 media companies with 3,000 properties producing more than 8,000 titles in over 30 countries. The company is headquartered in Bloomington, MN and has U.S. offices in Florida, Michigan and Utah; with international offices in Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and satellite offices in Australia, Canada and Norway. For more information about NEWSCYCLEs technology innovations for 2016, go to newscycle.com/innovations2016.

Media Contact:

Lisa Speth

NEWSCYCLE Solutions

Marketing Communications Manager

lisa(dot)speth(at)newscycle(dot)com
Eco Branding has spent that past five years working as a trusted agency and advisory partner to the visionary entrepreneurs who are helping solve the most complex energy, sustainability and resiliency challenges of our time.

Eco Branding, an integrated public relations, marketing and creative agency that specializes in clean technology, today announced the addition of four highly-innovative companies to its roster of prominent clean technology clients. Eco Brandings client portfolio now spans a range of clean technology verticals, including solar energy, energy storage, smart grid, energy management, electric and autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) and smart home technology.

Eco Branding has spent that past five years working as a trusted agency and advisory partner to the visionary entrepreneurs who are helping solve the most complex energy, sustainability and resiliency challenges of our time. We've been honored to amplify their stories and play a role in the acceleration of these game-changing technologies, says Jake Rozmaryn, CEO and Founder of Eco Branding. Our continued growth and client successes can be attributed to the hard-work, creativity, responsiveness, passion and dedication of our outstanding team.

Eco Brandings flexible, full-service agency model and clean technology domain expertise has attracted clients from across the world, ranging from early and growth-stage start-ups to global Fortune 500 companies.

Eco Brandings New Portfolio Companies Include



Eos Energy Storage, a New York and New Jersey-based company that created Znyth battery technologythe worlds first ultra-low-cost, safe, reliable and robust grid-scale energy storage solution that cost-effectively maximizes energy availability at the most congested points on the grid, alleviates the need for underutilized and expensive utility infrastructure and optimizes the use of renewables and distributed energy assets.

Totem Power, a New York-based start-up with a revolutionary smart city utility product that packages solar energy, energy storage, advanced communications, electric vehicle charging and smart lighting infrastructure into a visually-stunning platform that is built into the fabric of communitiesincreasing the sustainability, connectivity, mobility, resiliency and security of smart cities.

Go Electric, an Indiana-based start-up with the first uninterruptible power system (UPS) that combines battery energy storage and microgrid controls to optimize distributed energy resources, automate demand response and energy savings, and improve energy security, efficiency and resiliency.

Embue, a Massachusetts-based start-up that has developed a cloud and IoT-based smart home technology suite for multi-family buildings which increases energy and operational efficiency for property managers, while providing enhanced comfort, connectivity and safety for tenants.

The Year Ahead: Exponential Growth + A Commitment to New York

Since its inception, Eco Branding has experienced nearly 100 percent year-over-year growth and has aggressive growth plans for 2017. The company will be announcing the creation of two new business units and service offerings, regional expansion plans and key additions to the leadership team over the next several months. To support these efforts, Eco Branding plans to expand its staff by as much as 300 percent over the next 12 months, and is hiring at all levels.

In the last year, Eco Branding relocated its headquarters from Washington D.C. to Downtown Brooklyn, New York. The relocation came at a time when New York was making massive investments in, and commitments to, clean energy, sustainability and resiliency technologies.

Were incredibly thankful for the work of key government and non-profit organizations that have been critically important to driving these markets forward. New York has demonstrated not only leadership, but action, and is setting an example on a global scale, Rozmaryn said. Our hats are off to organizations like NYSERDA, NYC ACRE/Urban Future Labs, PowerBridge NY, Urban-X and the many other groups that are creating a brighter, more optimistic future for us all.

Were proud to call New York City home and were excited about contributing to this ecosystem and bringing more jobs and awareness to this market, Rozmaryn added.

About Eco Branding

Eco Branding is a passion-driven integrated public relations, marketing and creative agency that works with innovative clean technology companies advancing industries such as solar energy, energy storage, smart grid, Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, energy efficiency, and other established and emerging clean technologies. We partner with clients to develop, implement, manage and analyze impactful marketing programs that are designed to accelerate growth and commercialization. Eco Branding is based in Downtown Brooklyn, NY. Learn more at http://www.ecobrandit.com or follow Eco Branding on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

Were hiring at all levels! Visit our careers page to learn more at http://www.ecobrandit.com/careers/

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FreshGrade Its imperative to recognize Companies-to-Watch winners for their early stage growth, bold entrepreneurship and forward thinking.

FreshGrade was recognized with a Companies-to-Watch Award, as part of the Deloittes Technology Fast 50 Awards for its innovative technology, leadership and early stage growth.

Now in its 19th year, the Companies-to-Watch Award honors early-stage Canadian technology companies in business for less than four years. The winners are selected based on the potential they show for future growth. They exemplify many characteristics of Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranked companies.

FreshGrade's COO and President, Chris Besse, credits a real shift away from what we would call the diagnostic or summative assessment to more focus on formative assessment, which is understanding how children are learning, with the company's early stage success. Besse said, Where is their learning, what does that learning journey look like, and how do we capture evidence of that learning?

Besse continued, With FreshGrade, what you can now do is provide the tools for teachers and students to document and capture their learning. For example, we can capture video or audio of a learners reading. We can look at reading and hear a students reading in September. We can understand where the deficiencies might be and what we might need to work on. At the same time, for that child to hear his reading in an audio recording and for the parent to hear that, thats powerful. They can all understand where theyre at, where theyre trying to get to. In November, when they document the reading again, they can see where the improvements were made. The child is engaged because he sees improvement. Report cards can be very disengaging for students. By documenting the process, they can see their progress. For parents as well to be part of that learning process and understand where their child is, it demystifies learning for parents. And I think thats the real key.

Its imperative to recognize Companies-to-Watch winners for their early stage growth, bold entrepreneurship and forward thinking, said Anders McKenzie, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Managing Partner for Deloitte in Canada. By demonstrating high growth potential, these outstanding companies have the potential to be future Deloitte Technology Fast 50 candidates. They represent the next generation of technology leaders in Canada.

To qualify for the Companies-to-Watch Awards, candidates must have been operating less than four years. They must also be headquartered in Canada and devote a significant portion of their operating revenues to creating proprietary technology and/or intellectual property.

About the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 - The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program is Canadas pre-eminent technology awards program. Celebrating business growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, the program features three distinct categories including the Technology Fast 50 Ranking, Companies-to-Watch Awards (early-stage Canadian tech companies in business less than four years, with the potential to be a future Deloitte Technology Fast 50 candidate) and the Leadership Awards (companies that demonstrate technological leadership and innovation within the industry). Program sponsors include Deloitte, Aequitas NEO Exchange, Bank of Montreal, Bennett Jones, OMERS Ventures and Vistara Capital Partners. For further information, visit http://www.fast50.ca.

About FreshGrade - FreshGrade develops solutions that enable educators, empower students, and engage parents in the evolution of education by allowing real-time demonstration of student learning to increase student engagement and success. FreshGrade is now available to school districts in the US nationwide. For information, visit http://www.freshgrade.com, email info(at)freshgrade.com, or phone +1 -877-957-7757.
Students Interact With Former New York Governor David Paterson and Greene School co-founder Jeff Greene. Experiential learning enables personalized learning.

Former Governor of New York David Paterson made a guest appearance at The Greene School. Paterson was the first African American Governor of New York and the second legally blind governor of any U.S. State.

Paterson shared his experiences while he was governor, as well as the experience of living with a disability and obstacles he faced during his lifetime. He also shared personal stories of people who inspired him to overcome adversity. Greene School students asked him questions regarding politics as well as his about blindness.

Patersons dynamic personality and fascinating stories captivated the students in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade.

Former Governor Paterson is one of many prestigious guest speakers that The Greene School will host. Experts in their respective field and guest speakers enhance the students educational experience. An additional benefit of this personalized experience is that The Greene School students are able to draw real life connections to what they learn in class.
Why Do Claimants Hire Attorneys?

In a recent online poll about experiences with auto injury insurance claims, almost half of respondents with auto injury claims hired attorneys to help settle those claims. However, the most common reasons for talking to attorneys did not involve dissatisfaction with the claim process. Only 15 percent of auto injury claimants who talked to an attorney said that they did so because of delays in getting the claim settled, and 10 percent said it was because they were unhappy with the settlement amount offered. Instead, it was more common for respondents to say that they talked with an attorney because it was suggested to them, either by someone they know (33 percent) or by their doctor (16 percent). Another common reason was that they wanted to get the highest settlement possible, cited by 22 percent of respondents.

The survey found additional evidence that claim settlement problems are not the primary motivation for attorney involvement. Nearly two-thirds of claimants who contacted an attorney in relation to an auto injury claim did so at the very beginning of the claim, within one week of the accident. In addition, even among respondents who reported satisfaction with the insurance companys handling of the claim, one in three claimants hired attorneys.

It is a myth that most attorney involvement in auto injury claims arises because a claimant has difficulties settling a claim. Many consumers start the process believing that they cannot navigate the claim without legal representation, a perception perpetuated by many ads for attorney services, said Elizabeth Sprinkel, senior vice president of the IRC. This widespread perception has important implications, given the fact that attorney involvement can add significant costs and delays both for the system and for claimants.

The report, Motivation for Attorney Involvement in Auto Injury Claims, is based on an online survey conducted by GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications on behalf of the IRC. A total of 27,126 online interviews were conducted in June and July 2016, with follow-up questions asked of 505 respondents identified as auto injury claimants who hired attorneys. Survey data were weighted to the U.S. population of adults aged 18 and above. For more detailed information on the studys methodology and findings, contact David Corum at 484-831-9046 or by email at IRC(at)TheInstitutes(dot)org. Visit IRCs website, http://www.insurance-research.org, for information about purchasing a copy of the report.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: The Insurance Research Council is a division of the American Institute For Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (The Institutes). The Institutes are the leader in delivering proven knowledge solutions that drive powerful business results for the risk management and property-casualty insurance industry. Institute knowledge solutions include the CPCU designation program; associate designation programs in areas such as claims, risk management, underwriting, and reinsurance; introductory and foundation programs; online courses; research; custom solutions; assessment tools; and continuing education (CE) courses for licensed insurance professionals and adjusters through its CEU business unit. The IRC provides timely and reliable research to all parties involved in public policy issues affecting insurance companies and their customers. The IRC does not lobby or advocate legislative positions. It is supported by leading property-casualty insurance organizations.
Adara Power, a privately-held Silicon Valley company committed to providing safe, reliable, intelligent, and connected energy storage, announces its partnership with Solar Negotiators to offer Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Solutions to customers in Californias Central Valley. Solar Negotiators operates by selling for a network of trusted local contractors, discounted labor rates, and special financing options to help its customers install high-quality solar + storage solutions quickly and cost effectively.

With more than 1,000 satisfied solar customers in the Central Valley, Solar Negotiators was the ideal partner for Adara Power as we expand our energy storage offerings, stated Neil Maguire, Chief Executive Officer, Adara Power. Solar plus energy storage offers a compelling value proposition in California where residential and commercial customers can dramatically reduce their electricity bill and gain an intelligent energy management system that matches their usage profile.

Adaras Residential and Commercial Energy Storage Systems are powered by the companys iC3 Platform, which intelligently integrates battery and inverter controls with cloud-based software and a robust IoT connectivity solution. The company also recently announced their new high-efficiency scalable 125kW commercial energy storage system with energy up to 1MWh. Adaras solutions are designed to support both homeowners and facility operators looking for energy storage solutions that deliver years of dedicated peak shifting, back-up power, demand charge reduction, and energy efficiency while also enabling participation in emerging transactive energy exchanges.

Our mission is to help customers find the right solar solution for their unique requirements. We spend significant upfront time learning about our customers needs and designing a system that meets their requirements at a price that matches their budget, stated Chris Moran, Chief Executive Offer, Solar Negotiators. The addition of intelligent energy storage from Adara Power enables us to show our customers how they can benefit from self-consumption both economically and environmentally.

Solar Negotiators is an Adara Power partner through the Adara Partner Program, which helps established solar installers and sales organizations like Solar Negotiators to make an easy transition into the energy storage industry. The Adara Partner Program provides Solar Negotiators, and other interested organizations, with training, customized marketing material and lead generation support to sell and deliver a field-proven product that adds value to homeowners solar installations.

Central Valley customers interested in the Adara Power system should contact Solar Negotiators at info(at)solarnegotiators(dot)com.

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About Adara Power

Founded in 2013, Adara Power is committed to providing safe, reliable, intelligent, and connected solar energy storage for renewable energy. Adara Powers Energy Storage Solutions store excess solar energy to reduce grid dependence, increase renewable energy system capabilities, power a resilient, renewable energy grid and support a cleaner, sustainable planet. For more information, visit http://www.adarapower.com and follow us on Twitter: @adarapower.

About Solar Negotiators

Solar Negotiators was founded on the principle of giving homeowners information on how to buy and own their own solar system. As the leading solar negotiating company in the Central Valley, with coverage in Fresno, Bakersfield, Tulare, Visalia, and the greater surrounding areas, Solar Negotiators is committed to its clients and to providing the best service around. For more information, visit. http://www.solarnegotiators.com or follow us on Twitter: @gosolarfresno.
Pronunciation is not a simple concept, and to limit its teaching to a simple repeat after me model often results in frustrated teachers and students.

Beyond Repeat After Me: Teaching Pronunciation to English Learners, the newest release from TESOL Press, provides English language educators with the essential concepts necessary to guide students toward clearly intelligible pronunciation and more effective communication skills.

Based on a sound theoretical background, this book and the accompanying online resources present practical, imaginative ways to teach and practice pronunciation that go beyond simple, "Repeat after me."

Pronunciation is not a simple concept, and to limit its teaching to a simple repeat after me model often results in frustrated teachers and students, notes author Marla Tritch Yoshida. In addition to providing readers with a foundation in basic concepts of phonology, this comprehensive, easy-to-read text also gives many suggestions for ways to introduce and practice pronunciation actively and communicatively, using sight, sound, and movement.

Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all answer for teaching pronunciation, the book offers insights for adapting teaching techniques to support a wide range of students, abilities, and classroom situations. It also includes a host of online resources to enhance the reader experience. Each chapter contains video tutorials, sound recordings, and downloadable sample classroom activities.

The rich array of online resources helps provide a more complete picture on pronunciation, says Myrna Jacobs, TESOLs Director of Publishing and Product Development. Readers are able to hear different sounds and intonations, instead of simply reading about them, and can then use these tools in their classroom.

The book is available in both print and ebook (PDF) formats.

More information on this title and sample chapters are available through the TESOL Press Bookstore.

Review copies are available on request from TESOL Press.

About TESOL Press

TESOL Press, the publishing division of TESOL International Association, supports excellence in the field of English language teaching through a full range of publications. TESOL authors are leading experts in the field and include experienced researchers, classroom teachers, and students.

TESOL Press has a long history of providing quality publications, including a book catalog of more than 100 titles. These books, as well as TESOLs high-impact, peer-reviewed journal, TESOL Quarterly, find their way to classrooms and libraries all over the globe. Other TESOL Press resources include TESOL Journal, a refereed, practitioner-oriented online-only journal for TESOL members, TESOL Connections, a monthly e-newsletter offering practical articles and resources for classroom teachers and English language educators, and the TESOL Blog, which provides readers with news, information, and updates on the latest research, effective classroom practices, and peer-to-peer advice on a variety of topics.
Joel Edgerton (left) stars as Richard and Ruth Negga (right) stars as Mildred in Jeff Nichols LOVING, a Focus Features release. Credit : Ben Rothstein / Focus Features Timely and compelling, 'Loving' is a testament to the power of love and the triumph of the human spirit against seemingly insurmountable odds.

The newly released feature film "Loving," written and directed by Jeff Nichols, has been honored with the Truly Moving Picture Award from nonprofit arts organization Heartland Film. Select theatrically-released titles  entertaining films that do more than just entertain  receive the designation throughout the year. Submissions are received directly from studios and producers for consideration.

Timely and compelling, 'Loving' is a testament to the power of love and the triumph of the human spirit against seemingly insurmountable odds, said Heartland Film Director of Film Programming & Marketing Greg Sorvig. Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton deliver stirringly intimate performances in Jeff Nichols nuanced portrait of interracial couple Mildred and Richard Loving.

"Loving" celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (portrayed in the film by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who fell in love and were married in 1958. The couple had grown up in Central Point, a small town in Virginia that was more integrated than surrounding areas in the American South. Yet it was the state of Virginia, where they were making their home and starting a family, that first jailed and then banished them. Richard and Mildred relocated with their children to the inner city of Washington, D.C. While relatives made them feel welcome there, the more urban environment did not feel like home to them. Ultimately, the pull of their roots in Virginia would spur Mildred to try to find a way back. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry. Richard and Mildred returned home and their love story has become an inspiration to couples ever since.

The latest film from acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Special), "Loving" stars Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll, Terri Abney, Alano Miller, Jon Bass, and Michael Shannon.

The Truly Moving Picture Award winner "Loving," MPAA-rated PG-13 and released by Focus Features, is now playing across the country.

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About Heartland Film, Inc.

Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1991 with the mission to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Heartland Film is a curator and supporter of purposeful filmmaking, honoring a wide variety of cinema and awarding storytellers from all over the world. The films Heartland Film selects and exhibits  whether they inspire and uplift, educate and inform, or have the ability to shift audiences perspectives on the world  all have one thing in common: they are entertaining films that do more than just entertain. Every October, the Heartland Film Festival gives its moviegoers access to more than 100 visiting independent filmmakers from all over the world, right in the heart of the Midwest. Heartland Film Festival (Oct. 12-22, 2017) showcases more than 130 independent films over 11 days of red carpet premieres and events, parties and hundreds of film screenings across Indianapolis. The Heartland Film Festival has earned the special designation of being a qualifying festival for the Annual Academy Awards within the Short Films category. Each year, the Heartland Film Festival awards more than $125,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to top-judged submissions. Heartland Film has awarded more than $3 million to support indie filmmakers over the last 25 years. Beyond the Heartland Film Festival, Heartland Film honors theatrically-released films that align with its mission via the Truly Moving Picture Award, inspires the next generation of filmmakers via the Heartland Film Institute, and exhibits films across Indiana all year long via the Heartland Film Roadshow. To learn more, visit heartlandfilm.org.
Playing a role in making others successful in their career journeys, one person at a time, is my definition of making a positive difference in the world - Steve Carley

TDn2K announced today that Steve Carley, immediate past CEO of Red Robin, is the recipient of the 2017 Workplace Legacy Award. This prestigious honor will be awarded at the 2017 Global Best Practices Conference to be held in late January in Dallas, Texas.

The Workplace Legacy Award, presented for the first time in 2005 to Joe Lee, then Chairman of Darden Restaurants, recognizes a leader in the restaurant industry who has demonstrated success in balancing superior people practices and best in class operational results. In addition, their employees, organizations and communities have benefited from their leadership.

"I am honored and humbled to receive the Workplace Legacy Award. What has always driven my enthusiasm for this business is the people. Playing a role in making others successful in their career journeys, one person at a time, is my definition of making a positive difference in the world," said Carley.

Steve Carley is an exceptional leader who always made it about his people and never sought the limelight. His vision and discipline as an operator was remarkable, and his team was always the cornerstone. It is a privilege to be able to honor him with the Workplace Legacy Award. said Joni Thomas Doolin, CEO and Founder of TDn2K.

Carley joined Red Robin as Chief Executive Officer in September 2010. Prior to his leadership role at Red Robin, He served as Chief Executive Officer and President of El Pollo Loco, Inc. Previously, while at PepsiCo, Inc., he served in various senior management positions for Taco Bell. Earlier in his career, he was President of Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park and Citywalk, a division of Universal Studios, Inc., and spent several years in brand management and operations with General Mills, Inc., and The Pillsbury Company. Carley announced plans to retire from Red Robin at the end of 2016 and currently serves as an advisor to the company. Denny Marie Post was named as his successor and appointed Red Robin CEO in August 2016.

Previous winners of the Workplace Legacy Award include: Sally Smith of Buffalo Wild Wings, John Miller of Dennys, Greg Creed of Taco Bell and Jerry Deitchle of BJs Restaurants. These leaders clearly demonstrate commitment to leading people first cultures that also win in the marketplace.

About the Global Best Practices Conference: This exclusive event, now in its 22nd year, is home to hundreds of restaurant industry senior leadership and c-suite executives who gather to share best practices, network, learn, celebrate and honor the winners of the Best Practices Awards, Diamond Catalyst Award, Workplace Legacy Award and the Heart of the Workplace Award. The 2017 event will be hosted January 29 -31st in Dallas, Texas at the Hilton Granite Park. http://www.globalbpc.net

TDn2K (Transforming Data into Knowledge) is the parent company of People Report, Black Box Intelligence and White Box Social Intelligence. People Report provides service-sector human capital and workforce analytics for its members on a monthly basis. Black Box Intelligence provides weekly financial and market level data for the restaurant industry. White Box Social Intelligence delivers consumer insights and reveals online brand health. TDn2K membership represents 37,000 restaurant units, over 2.1 million employees and $65 billion in sales. They are also the producers of leading restaurant industry events including the Global Best Practices Conference held annually each January in Dallas, Texas.
Bullen Ultrasonics logo "Our commitment to adhere to AS9100, the strictest of quality standards for the aerospace industry, will further propel the growth of our machining services for ceramic matrix composites." - Tim Beatty, president of Bullen Ultrasonics

Bullen Ultrasonics, a globally recognized pioneer and leader in ultrasonic machining, announced today its achievement of certification to the aerospace industrys AS9100 quality management standard. The certification recognizes Bullens excellence in machining ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components for the aerospace industry.

AS9100 is the single common quality management standard for the aviation, space and defense industries, commonly referred to as the aerospace industry. The standard is based on organizational aerospace manufacturing processes and emphasizes the need to satisfy internal, governmental and regulatory requirements. It is endorsed by all major aerospace regulators, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

"Bullens achievement of the AS9100 certification puts us in elite company," said Tim Beatty, president of Bullen. "Our commitment to adhere to AS9100, the strictest of quality standards for the aerospace industry, will open many more doors for us and further propel the growth of our machining services for ceramic matrix composites.

Bullen Ultrasonics provides precision machining services for glass, ceramics and advanced materials to high technology industries. With the largest concentration of ultrasonic machining equipment in the world, Bullen machines components for aircraft engine parts; fiber optic networking; smart, implantable medical devices; DNA analysis and sequencing; pressure sensors for air bags in automobiles and trucks; environmental monitoring; and computer chips.

CMCs are super ceramics that are as strong as metals but are two-thirds lighter in weight and can operate at much higher temperatures than the most advanced alloys. This combination allows aerospace engineers to design smaller engines with lighter components that generate more power, burn less fuel and dont need as much air for cooling.

Bullen recently experienced a period of significant capital investment in automation technology, established itself at the forefront of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) machining for the aerospace/defense industry, and solidified its leadership in the semiconductor, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), transportation/automotive, and medical and life sciences industries.

Bullen was recently honored by the Dayton Business Journals 2016 Manufacturing Awards program,winning first place in its Innovation category. Bullen was recognized for the combination of its unique, cutting-edge ultrasonic machining methods, the companys transition to automation in its equipment design, a company culture that promotes a continuous improvement process for employees, and its partnerships with local universities and research institutes, including University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Miami (Ohio) University, Miami Valley Career Technology Center and Sinclair Community College, among others.

About Bullen Ultrasonics, Inc.:

A globally recognized pioneer and leader in ultrasonic machining, Bullen Ultrasonics provides precision machining services for glass, ceramics and advanced materials to high technology markets. A leading manufacturer of high quality components to the semiconductor, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), transportation/automotive, defense, aerospace, and medical and life sciences industries, Bullen has the largest concentration of ultrasonic machining equipment in the world. Its services also include computer numeric control (CNC) machining, abrasive jet machining and micro electrical discharge machining (EDM) processing. Founded in 1971, Bullen is a privately-held, family-owned business based in Eaton, Ohio. For more information, visit http://www.bullentech.com or follow on Twitter @bullentech.
AMES, Iowa  Practical Farmers of Iowa is now accepting registrations for its 2017 annual conference, Pass It On, which will take place Jan. 20-21 at the Iowa State Center Scheman Building, on the Iowa State University campus in Ames. All are welcome to attend. Register online at http://practicalfarmers.org.

This years theme celebrates the impact of farmer-to-farmer learning on farmers confidence to explore new or different farming practices, and their ability improve farm profitability and land stewardship. Attendees will learn from their farming peers about different approaches to conserving money and soil; growing and marketing a range of crops; keeping good-quality financial and production records, accessing land and capital  and more.

The conference  which attracted over 900 farmers, researchers and supporters last year  features more sessions than in the past to give attendees more learning opportunities. Conference highlights include:

 A keynote address by three renowned Iowa farmers: Susan Jutz, of Solon; Vic Madsen, of Audubon; and Dan Wilson, of Paullina. These long-time Practical Farmers members  and guiding stars  are all past presidents of Practical Farmers board of directors and recipients of PFIs Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award. During the keynote, Susan, Vic and Dan  who together represent the diverse range of farm enterprises Iowa is capable of sustaining  will each share words of wisdom from their decades of farming experience, including three insights they feel are most important to pass on.

 Forty-two sessions on topics that span the agricultural spectrum, from production to marketing, farm transfer to business planning. Attendees can learn how to vertically integrate livestock production, roller-crimp cover crops, start farming in a high tunnel, grow small grains profitably, pay for end-of-life care without losing the family farm, be profitable in a no-till system, farm with a deep-winter greenhouse, conserve traditional-breed pigs  and more. Some sessions are geared to non-farmers looking to have an active role in their food and farming system, and beginners looking to establish successful farm businesses.

 Eight networking and interactive sessions, set up as either Q&As or roundtables, where attendees will have a chance to engage more deeply on topics of interest, ask detailed questions of experts or meet with others who share similar interests.

 Three pre-conference short courses: Scaling Up Pastured Poultry; Conserving $$ and Soil; and Production, Processing and Marketing of Alternative Berry Crops. All three courses run Thursday, Jan. 19 from 1  7 p.m. and continue Jan. 20 from 8  11:30 a.m., at the Scheman Building.

 Presentation of PFIs 2016 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award

 Many opportunities to network and build relationships with other farmers, researchers, consumers and sponsors  including at several regional breakfast meetings on Saturday morning, where guests can meet others from their part of Iowa (or out of state).

Registration: Those who pre-register by Jan. 12 will save $10 per day. Special rates are also available for students and PFI members. Register online at http://practicalfarmers.org, or contact Erica Andorf: erica@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661.
These market areas require the sales and masonry product knowledge that both Cheryl and Paulette possess; we are please to have them join the O&G sales team. Past News Releases RSS

O&Gs luxury Earth Products Showcase recently brought Cheryl Bouvier and Paulette Brassinga in as the new Sales Representatives in the Hartford and Stamford locations respectively. Cheryl and Paulette are responsible for showroom sales, developing customer relationships, and working closely with the outside sales team. "These market areas require the sales and masonry product knowledge that both Cheryl and Paulette possess; we are pleased to have them join the O&G sales team," remarked Kara Oneglia, Assistant Vice-President.

Cheryl joined the O&G team in 2002 as the International Coordinator in the Fabrication and Distribution Center. Her knowledge of natural stone products and fabrication methods makes her the perfect choice in her new role. She brings her expertise in natural stone materials, office and retail management, and superior customer service to the company. "My experience and knowledge of the material have helped me transition into this new, exciting position," Cheryl notes. She lives in Bristol, Connecticut and is the proud parent of her daughter, a West Point student cadet at the United States Military Academy.

Paulette brings over twenty years of experience in the masonry products and stone fabrication industry. Her expertise and skill set in this industry add immediate value to the consumers with whom she meets. "I am excited for the opportunity to work with such a supportive team in Stamford to ensure our goal of superior customer service," Paulette remarked. She is also a licensed Realtor in CT and a member of the National Association of Realtors and member of Ridgefield Board of Realtors Public Relations Committee. Paulette earned her B.S. in Business Administration and minored in psychology from Pace University. She is a volunteer with the Girl Scouts of America program, Habitat for Humanity, and hosting international students. Paulette lives in Ridgefield with her husband, four daughters, and two dogs.

ABOUT O&G INDUSTRIES MASONRY DIVISION

Since its inception in 1923, O&G Industries, Inc. has grown to become one of the most diversified construction companies in the Northeast and one of the largest suppliers of masonry products and services in New England. Headquartered in Connecticut, the masonry divisions facilities include:



Seven mason stores and stone yards,

Six Earth Products Showcase retail showrooms,

Fabrication and Distribution Center for custom stonework.

Meeting design specifications and budgets, O&G sales representatives work with architects, design professionals, contractors, and homeowners to guide them through the widest selection of earth-based materials available. O&G's Earth Products Showcases feature elegantly appointed vignettes from classic to contemporary design styles in a comfortable, natural setting. For more information about O&G Industries Masonry Division navigate to O&G's website at http://www.ogind.com/mason.
Banks are increasingly adopting digital practices and recognizing the need for secure, compliant e-signature capabilities.  Jay Jumper, CEO of SIGNiX

SIGNiX, the leading provider of cloud-based Independent E-Signature solutions, announced today that it is co-hosting a free webinar with its partners at the Tennessee Bankers Association (TBA) on how e-signatures can benefit banks. The webinar will take place Dec. 6, 2016 at 11 a.m. EST/10 a.m. CST.

The Tennessee Bankers Association is a trade organization that serves the needs of the states banks, thrift institutions and trust companies.

During the webinar, the presenters  Stacey Langford, senior vice president of membership at TBA, and Brian Felker, vice president of sales at SIGNiX  will cover:



The benefits of e-signatures

The differences between Independent E-Signatures and dependent e-signatures

How e-signatures can improve workflow efficiency

How using e-signatures in your bank increases security

How e-signatures can save your bank time, effort and money

We have seen an increase in industry regulations and paper requirements emphasizing the need for banks to improve process efficiency and move workflows online, said Colin Barrett, President at the TBA. Were looking forward to hosting this webinar with SIGNiX to show attendees how they can improve efficiencies and reduce risk while easing the burden of compliance.

SIGNiXs Independent E-Signatures are based on international published standards for digital signaturesfar exceeding requirements set by state and federal legislation. In addition to independent access to permanent legal evidence, the technology utilizes identity authentication, tamper-evident technology and comprehensive audit trails to ensure long-lasting security after a signature has been provided.

Banks are increasingly adopting digital practices and recognizing the need for secure, compliant e-signature capabilities, said Jay Jumper, SIGNiXs CEO. In this webinar, we will explain how digital signatures can eliminate the need for wet ink signatures and how they can dramatically alter how banks do business with their customers.

To learn more about the webinar and to register, visit https://www.signix.com/webinar-esignatures-for-banking.

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About SIGNiX:

SIGNiX, the most trusted name in Independent E-Signatures, makes signing documents online safe and secure with comprehensive legal evidence permanently embedded in each document to eliminate any dependence upon SIGNiX. The companys cloud-based service uses patented technology to give businesses and organizations the most secure and legally defensible e-signatures available at a fraction of the cost of wet ink signatures. SIGNiXs products help the worlds leading companies become more efficient, decrease risk and boost profits. For more information, visit https://www.signix.com/. You can also follow SIGNiX on Twitter @signixsolutions, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About Tennessee Bankers Association:

The Tennessee Bankers Association (TBA) is a trade association established to serve the needs of the states banks, thrift institutions, and trust companies. Among other activities, the association provides continuing education, develops and monitors state and federal legislative agendas, disseminates information on all facets of the financial services industry, and promotes the public image of financial institutions. Learn more about the TBA at http://www.tnbankers.org or call 615-244-4871.
I have tried to foster a collaborative work environment, with strong leadership, where all members of the team can act as a soundboard for ideas. Its fantastic to see that be awarded.

LabRoots has been named a gold winner in Sales Department of the Year category in Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

The LabRoots sales team has seen considerable progress as it drives revenue and growth, while maintaining partner relations. In 2015 LabRoots saw a 35 percent revenue growth over 2014, and another 25 percent in 2016. This growth is largely in part to the teams successful launch of new products, like customized events, while increasing the number of virtual events and webinars LabRoots produces each year.

Two additional teams at LabRoots took home Best in Biz honors; the talented team of designers in the LabRoots creative department was awarded the silver award for Creative Department of the Year for their exceptional work as they saw an increase of 100 percent in custom events in 2016. As a team, they have been able to successfully fulfill nearly 100 percent of the requests a client has and provided positive results on all levels. The LabRoots marketing team took home the bronze for Marketing Department of the Year. The team was honored for their efforts in increasing its online presence, as they did a complete overhaul on branding for all social media platforms in 2015. Which, in turn, doubled the traffic to the LabRoots site trending news pages.

The sixth annual program in North America garnered more than 600 entries, from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2016 honors were presented in 60 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, App of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

It is exciting to have so many LabRoots teams honored by the Best in Biz Awards program. It is vital that we hire the right people by creating an environment, product, story that people can get behind, said Greg Cruikshank, CEO and founder of LabRoots. I have tried to foster a collaborative work environment, with strong leadership, where all members of the team can act as a soundboard for ideas. Its fantastic to see that be awarded.

Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2016 were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of 50 judges from widely known newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, TV outlets, and analyst firms. In addition to numerous judges returning from the 2011-2015 judging panels, this years panel included several worthy additions to the high-profile group. The panel included Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, CNET, Computerworld, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek Channel Insider, Forbes, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Information Week, InfoWorld, Investment Advisor Magazine, MediaPost, Multifamily Executive, Network World, Portland Business Journal, Security Products Magazine, South Florida Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, Wired, WLRN and ZDNet.

If companies are going to stand out from the crowd and remain competitive in future years, innovation is key. The market is tough and there is no guarantee that todays dominant players will remain so  unless time and effort are concentrated on research and development, said Charlie Osborne, ZDNet, one of Best in Biz Awards judges this year. This years entries in Best in Biz Awards highlighted not only innovative business practices but the emergence of next-generation technologies which will keep companies current and relevant.

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2016, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2016-winners.

About LabRoots

LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website and producer of educational virtual events and webinars. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning, and is a primary source for current scientific news, webinars, virtual conferences, and more. LabRoots has grown into the worlds largest series of virtual events within the Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics community.

About Best in Biz Awards

Now in its sixth year, Best in Biz Awards recognizes companies for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are currently conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 60 categories, including company, team, executive, product and PR and media. Entries for Best in Biz Awards 2017 International are currently being accepted until the final deadline on April 28, 2017. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com.
Picture taken from Oceti Sakowin Camp Tuesday morning 11/29/16 This is treaty territory, and no one has jurisdiction here except for our people, said Phyllis Young, spokeswoman for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a press conference yesterday evening.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe responded to North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymples executive order issued Monday, which called for an emergency evacuation of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, declaring that they will not be moved.

This is treaty territory, and no one has jurisdiction here except for our people, said Phyllis Young, spokeswoman for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during a press conference yesterday evening.

The camps location is on unceded territory affirmed by the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty as sovereign land under the control of the Oceti Sakowin, the seven bands of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nations, Young explains.

Governor Dalrymple ordered the camp to "vacate due to public safety concerns related to the inability to provide emergency services, and declared that "any action or inaction taken by any party which encourages persons to enter, reenter or remain in the evacuation area will be subject to penalties as defined in law."

The Governor further directs state agencies, emergency service officials, and nongovernmental organizations to reduce threats to public safety by not guaranteeing the provision of emergency and other governmental and nongovernmental services in the evacuation area.

With a winter storm raging outside the press conference at the Prairie Knights Casino on the Standing Rock Reservation, Young says she is not concerned about the threat, adding we have lived for generations in this kind of setting and we have survived. She says they have a team of people in the medical field who will be on site to address any health concerns.

The executive order comes three days after the Army Corps of Engineers issued an eviction notice demanding the evacuation of the camp effective December 5th. Organizers say they have no plans to leave and will remain until the Dakota Access Pipeline is defeated.

The Standing Rock Medic Healer's Council released a letter Monday calling for the revocation of the December 5th eviction notice as well as the removal of the barbed wire wrapped cement blockade on Highway 1806 in order to "prevent unnecessary further morbidity and mortality."

North Dakota officials announced today they will begin blocking supplies from reaching Water Protectors at camp in an effort to force them to vacate the area.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) has been decried by more than seven hundred tribes and organizations worldwide as a dangerous project that has already destroyed sacred places and could toxify the large Ogallala aquifer serving eight states, Lake Oahe, as well as contaminate the waterways used by the people of Standing Rock and millions of people downstream on the Missouri River.

Sunoco Logistics Partners, the future operators of the DAPL has spilled crude oil more than any of its competitors, with more than 200 leaks since 2010.

Tara Houska, former Native American advisor for the Bernie Sanders campaign and one of the speakers at Mondays press conference, says she is appalled by President Obamas lackadaisical response to the human rights situation happening within the U.S borders to Indigenous peoples.

On the night of the 20th, the Water Protectors were fired upon with rubber bullets and sandbags, while facing tear gas, concussion grenades, and water cannons. The assault resulted in more than three hundred people being injured, with 26 people taken to an emergency room, as well as a young woman having her arm blown apart. One police officer was injured during the action.

The Morton County Sheriff's department has denied using water cannons and concussion grenades, but eyewitness accounts, as well as video footage, reveal they are not being truthful about their tactics. President Obama hasnt responded since he said were going to let it play out for several more weeks on November 2nd.

People are getting hurt, says Houska, I hope that President Obama has a change of heart before he leaves office, because his legacy for Indian Country is looking pretty grim.

Thomas Lopez Junior, a member of the Indigenous Youth Council, is disappointed in the response from the White House in the face of brutality from the Morton County Police Department and the National Guard.

When you came here in 2014 you promised to protect tribal sovereignty and spiritual belief, you promised to protect our sacred way of life and here we are today standing up for our sacred way of life. Where are you? he said. Youre in silence.

Co-counsel for the Native American Rights Committee for the American Civil Liberties Union National office during the infamous 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation, Daniel Sheehan, says he hopes the response to this occupation will not be as unreasonable. The 71 day occupation resulted in dozens of injuries and two deaths.

There have been some dangerous signs that Governor Dalrymple and the North Dakota law enforcement community have been tempted to respond in the same manner that the Nixon Administration and the South Dakota Governor had 34 years ago, he said.

The leaders of the major camps at the site have spoken stating they are not leaving. They are convinced the Governor has no legal authority to tell anyone in that area to leave, said Sheehan, Chief Counsel for the Lakota Peoples Law Project. The tribal council will be discussing whether to issue a formal invitation to the Water Protectors to stay and pray for the stopping of the pipeline on these traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin Oyate.

Sheehan says the tribal council meeting today has been postponed due to the present blizzard. He hopes such an invitation will be announced prior to Donald Trump taking office.

President elect Donald Trump's victory has worried Water Protectors. In his one-hundred day plan Trump declares that he will "lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward." Trump has personally invested more than $500,000 in Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline's developer.

Emerson Little Elk, a young man from Rosebud, South Dakota, was shot with a sandbag during the November 20th assault, and like many others at the Oceti Sakowin Camp he considers this to be his home. He's been living at camp since September 2nd and has no plans to leave until the pipeline is halted.

"I want kids one day and I want them to have clean water," he says. "I can't imagine our children smiling or laughing if there's no clean water."
Axiomatics Logo Axiomatics is dedicated to continuously evolving our authorization suite to help our customers implement Attribute Based Access Control to manage the complexity, cost and risk associated with the changing digital landscape.

Axiomatics, the leader in fine-grained dynamic authorization, will launch its Policy Server 6.1.4, the industrys most comprehensive dynamic authorization solution for applications, at booth 702 at Gartners annual Identity and Access Management (IAM) Summit, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Las Vegas.

The new release of the Axiomatics Policy Server will address some of the most pressing access control challenges and opportunities facing IT professionals, such as API security and cloud service adoption, and help drive digital transformation initiatives throughout their organization. Axiomatics Policy Server also adds support for Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, a leading Java application server platform. Experts will demonstrate the Axiomatics Policy Server throughout the show.

Axiomatics is dedicated to continuously evolving our authorization suite to help our customers implement Attribute Based Access Control to manage the complexity, cost and risk associated with the changing digital landscape," said Niklas Jakobsson, CEO of Axiomatics. Our flagship Policy Server solution enables digital transformation using dynamic authorization so our customers can protect critical assets while also enabling information sharing.

The Axiomatics Policy Server is an industry-leading solution to control access to critical applications by using externalized dynamic authorization. Customers benefit from using the Axiomatics Policy Server, as it provides a complete solution and the fastest decision point on the market for enterprise-wide roll out of policy-based access control by leveraging an Attribute Based Access Control approach. The Axiomatics Policy Server is a part of Axiomatics extensive portfolio of fine-grained dynamic authorization solutions.

We are excited to debut our Policy Server 6.1.4 at Gartners annual IAM Summit. Our policy server supports three of the world's leading Java application server platforms and helps our customers implement enterprise level access management systems, said Jakobsson. Our solutions allow our customers to focus on maximizing value and business outcomes rather than just securing their information.

Attendees of the Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit 2016 will learn about the latest tactics and best practices across IAM fundamentals, and share ideas on how to reimagine IAM to accelerate digital business.

To learn about how Attribute Based Access Control can help companies achieve security around access control as part of digital transformation initiatives, visit booth 702 at Gartners IAM Summit or https://www.axiomatics.com.

About Axiomatics

Axiomatics is the leading provider of fine-grained access control. Axiomatics' solutions are utilized by Global Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies around the world to enable digital transformation: share and safeguard sensitive information, meet compliance and minimize data fraud. Axiomatics provides Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) for applications, databases, Big Data, APIs and microservices. To learn more please visit: http://www.axiomatics.com or @axiomatics.
Indecomm Global Services, a leader in business process outsourcing, learning, and technology solutions, and LendingQB, a provider of 100% web-based, end-to-end loan origination software (LOS), today announce a technology and integration partnership. The partnership provides mutual clients seamless access to Indecomms IncomeGenius, a groundbreaking tax return analysis platform, along with LendingQBs credit underwriting, pricing, compliance, and other services.

IncomeGeniuss Optical Character Reader (OCR) driven platform adds certainty and simplicity to the challenge of self-employed borrower calculations. The web based integration of documents and data from LendingQB to IncomeGenius is an effective way for clients to improve their underwriting process. It simplifies the task of calculating income for self-employed borrowers and highlights problem areas requiring the underwriters attention. This replaces traditional Excel calculations and macros, resulting in significant time-savings for underwriters, and boosts their throughput with more loans processed in a day.

IncomeGeniuss logic enables those not necessarily trained as an underwriter to have the same thought process and approach as one. This allows a lender to move the income calculation upstream to loan officers and processors, facilitating smoother validation by underwriting.

Client needs rise to the top of our priority, said Rajan Nair, CEO, Financial Services, Indecomm Global Services. Integrating the intelligence of Indecomms IncomeGenius with the reach of LendingQB will give our clients precision, accuracy, and lower costs in loan origination.

The integration with LendingQB merges IncomeGenius seamlessly into the lending workflow, said Tim Nguyen, President of LendingQB. Partnering with Indecomm is an extension of our best-of-breed technology strategy because they share our goal of reducing the cost of originating mortgage loans. The integration of IncomeGenius accomplishes this by increasing the efficiency of the underwriting process.

The regulatory pressure on lenders to underwrite consistently and error free continues to grow. Lenders using IncomeGenius within LendingQB will find the income calculation process quick and accurate, minimizing buyback risk.

Our workflow enables an assembly line approach to income analysis, said Nair. It provides multiple versions of the income analysis worksheet, to meet all agency requirements.

LendingQB provides lenders with a powerful loan origination solution that improves operational efficiency by focusing on advanced technology development and effective technology adoption services. The integration of Indecomms IncomeGenius reflects LendingQBs practice of Lean Lending, a comprehensive solution for lenders that promotes lowered costs through best-of-breed integrations and optimal utilization of technology.

About Indecomm Global Services

Indecomm offers consulting, outsourcing, learning, and technology solutions to its clients in the financial services, hi-tech, life sciences, education, and publishing verticals. Indecomm combines technology platform-driven outsourcing solutions with a flexible delivery model. Indecomm helps its clients improve profitability, gain time-to-market advantage, and achieve immediate return-on-investment. Indecomm was founded in 2003 and has been consistently ranked amongst the Global Top 100 IT and ITeS providers for over a decade. With over 3,500 associates worldwide, Indecomm services its clients from global delivery centers and offices in the United States, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mauritius, and the Cayman Islands. For more information, visit http://www.indecomm.net. Contact Indecomm by email at marketing@indecomm.net or call (732) 404-0081. Read more Indecomm news at the Indecomm Newsroom.

About Indecomm Mortgage Services

Indecomm Mortgage Services is a trusted partner of top lenders and servicers, providing them with quality assurance, risk management, and loan fulfillment services. Indecomms title and settlement services platform-based solutions include title search and typing through iTitleHub, post-closing through Dynamic Doc Hub, eRecording through InteleDoc Direct and mail-away recording supported by Indecomms recording website. Indecomm-Mortgage U is a close collaboration between Indecomm Mortgage Services and Indecomm Learning. The Indecomm-Mortgage U Health Check enables companies to ensure compliance with current regulations and anticipate the impact of new ones.

Follow us on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/indecomm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Indecomm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Indecomm/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+IndecommNet/posts

Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/indecomm/pins/

Press Contact:

Linda Purpura

Indecomm Global Services

linda.purpura(at)indecomm.net

(646) 470-1690

About LendingQB

LendingQB is a provider of Lean Lending solutions. The Lean Lending solution consists of a 100 percent web browser-based, end-to-end loan residential mortgage origination system, best of breed integrations with key industry partners and adoptimization services that result in faster cycle times and lower costs per loan. For more information, please call 888.285.3912 or visit http://www.lendingqb.com.

Press Contact:

LendingQB

Angelo D. Jones II

Phone: (678) 781-7209

Email: angelo(at)williammills.com
Along with the rest of the MAC leadership team, I am committed to this region and passionate about supporting efforts that enable Atlanta to remain a top-tier global competitor.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber today unveiled its new brand identity and honored both the outgoing and incoming executive committee at its 2016 Annual Meeting. Over 1,300 regional business leaders attended the event, which included guest speakers such as Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Glenn Lurie, president and CEO at AT&T Mobility and Consumer Operations; Russell Stokes, president and CEO at GE Energy Connections; and Carol Tome, chief financial officer and executive vice president of corporate services at The Home Depot.

Throughout 2016, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, in collaboration with our partners at the state and local levels, has assisted multiple companies, like Anthem, General Electric, Honeywell, and NCR with their location or expansion needs, further advancing Atlantas position as a digital hub, said Hala Moddelmog, MACs president and CEO. These companies and many others are creating 10,489 jobs and generating over $5 billion in investment in our region. To continue propelling metro Atlantas growth, weve developed both a fresh brand identity and key strategic pillars that align with our globally competitive focus areas.

The three pillars are as follows:

Grow: Georgia continues to be the #1 state for doing business. Therefore, recruiting new companies, retaining the current roster of businesses, and helping existing businesses expand are a part of MACs strategy to continue to grow the region into a global competitor, particularly in key focus areas, including FinTech, cybersecurity, IoT, Smart Cities, and global health.

Advocate: MAC will continue our efforts to ensure metro Atlanta can attract a 21st century workforce, foster a high quality of life, lift those in need, and ultimately move our region forward. MAC will also continue to support organizations like Georgia Prospers and oppose legislation that does not cultivate a business-friendly climate.

Promote: Metro Atlanta has many unique stories to tell. Through initiatives like ChooseATL, social enterprises, sporting events, and lifestyle branding (including the regions rich diversity of neighborhoods), MAC is marketing those distinct stories to attract and retain talent to define Atlanta as a global market and top tier competitor.

In addition to the three pillars, MAC also unveiled a new logo, which continues to feature the image of the mythical phoenix, and includes 29 distinct feathers that represent the unique personality and identity of metro Atlantas 29-country region.

In less than two weeks, MAC will be relocating its offices to 191 Peachtree Tower, opening the way for the Centennial Olympic Park expansion and shifting MAC into a new phase as we continue our work to move metro Atlanta forward, said Jenner Wood, 2016 MAC chair and corporate executive vice president at SunTrust Banks, Inc. I have been honored to serve as MAC chair during this year of growth and strategic planning, and I am amazed at what this community and our business leaders are accomplishing together.

As chairman I look forward to contributing to the momentum that is propelling our regions economy forward, as well as advocating for new business opportunities that will help continue to grow and succeed, said Jeffrey Sprecher, 2017 MAC chair-elect, chairman and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., and chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. Along with the rest of the MAC leadership team, I am committed to this region and passionate about supporting efforts that enable Atlanta to remain a top-tier global competitor.

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About The Metro Atlanta Chamber

The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) serves as a catalyst for a more prosperous and vibrant region. To advance economic growth and improve metro Atlanta's quality of place, MAC is focused on starting, growing and recruiting companies to the 29-county metro Atlanta region. The Chamber is also focused on expanding the region's innovation economy by promoting and strengthening connections to drive Atlanta's innovation and entrepreneurial culture. MAC is committed to being an active voice for the business community, serving as an advocate for a competitive business climate and telling Atlanta's story. For more information, visit http://www.MetroAtlantaChamber.com.
There were tons of great entries this year  it was especially difficult to pick the most worthy candidates out of the many submissions, said Christopher Null, Wired.

Best in Biz Awards, the only business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts, today announced the winners in its 2016 competition. As in previous years, the sixth annual program in North America featured a distinguished judging panel comprised of members of the media who reviewed and scored the hundreds of award nominations. More than 600 award nominations were received this year from public and private companies of all sizes, from virtually every major industry and region in the U.S. and Canada, showcasing the very best of North American business.

Best in Biz Awards 2016 honors were presented in 60 company, executive, team, product, PR and media focused categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, Technology Department of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product of the Year, Best New Product of the Year, App of the Year, PR Campaign of the Year and Website of the Year.

Gold and multiple award winners in this years program include: Actiontec, Aflac, AFN Logistics, Agilis Systems, American Craft Council, AppFolio, Benefitfocus, Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Broadview Networks, Bruce Power, Califia Farms, CallidusCloud, CareerBuilder, Cedar Electronics, Chacka Marketing, Citrix, ClearSlide, Collabera, The Company of Others, Creative Lodging Solutions, CSE Insurance, Curriculum Associates, CyraCom International, DataCore, Deloitte, EMKAY, Epicor, Fattmerchant, Financial Finesse, Fleetmatics, Four Kitchens, Gensuite, Globoforce, Grasshopper, H2O+ Beauty, HZO, Incisive, Intacct, Invoice2go, IonTuition, Jazz, Jive, Kuna, LabRoots, LeadMD, LifeLock, Lucid Software, Makers Nutrition, Mohu, Novus Global Solutions, O.C. Tanner, OnProcess Technology, Optymyze, Other World Computing, P.F. Changs, Prosight Specialty Insurance, Proven Business Systems, PURE Insurance, Quest Diagnostics, Relationship One, Revana, Rimini Street, Scrub Daddy, Securonix, Signifyd, Sonus Networks, StrategyBlocks, SYSPRO, T-Mobile, Tata Consultancy Services, Toast, TransUnion, Untangle, USANA, Veritas Technologies, Visit California, Waste Management, WebPT, Webroot, Wells Fargo, WhatBox and Zoro. For a full list of gold, silver and bronze award winners in Best in Biz Awards 2016, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2016-winners.

For the second time, Best in Biz Awards is recognizing the most awarded companies participating in this years program using a weighted-medal point system. The top spot this year was taken by Financial Finesse, having been recognized for honors in 6 categories (12 points). Citrix and its subsidiaries was the second most awarded company, with 9 points. New American Funding and Creative Lodging Solutions tied for the third most awarded spot with 8 points each. Tied for the fifth spot were three companies: CyraCom International, Optymyze and Veritas Technologies, each with 7 points. For the complete list of BiBAs Most Awarded companies, see: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2016-most-awarded/.

Winners of Best in Biz Awards 2016 were determined based on scoring from an independent panel of 50 judges from widely known newspapers, business, consumer and technology publications, TV outlets, and analyst firms. In addition to numerous judges returning from the 2011-2015 judging panels, this years panel included several worthy additions to the high-profile group. Among others, the panel included: Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, CNET, Computerworld, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek Channel Insider, Forbes, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Information Week, InfoWorld, Investment Advisor Magazine, MediaPost, Multifamily Executive, Network World, Portland Business Journal, Security Products Magazine, South Florida Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, Wired, WLRN and ZDNet.

Select quotes from Best in Biz Awards 2016 judges:

There were tons of great entries this year  it was especially difficult to pick the most worthy candidates out of the many submissions, said Christopher Null, Wired, returning to the Best in Biz Awards judging panel for the fourth year.

The nominees for Most Innovative Service of the Year were extremely impressive this year and nicely represent America's entrepreneurial spirit, said Mark Huffman, Consumer Affairs, returning to judge his third Best in Biz Awards competition.

If companies are going to stand out from the crowd and remain competitive in future years, innovation is key. The market is tough and there is no guarantee that todays dominant players will remain so  unless time and effort are concentrated on research and development, said Charlie Osborne, ZDNet. This years entries in Best in Biz Awards highlighted not only innovative business practices but the emergence of next-generation technologies which will keep companies current and relevant.

It was an honor judging the Executive of the Year category. I love entrepreneurship, and these business leaders are job creators and innovators, said Gina Jordan, WLRN. Growing a company, exponentially increasing its workforce, and expanding into loftier ventures  its all in a days work for these folks. What I see in these executives is a fearless drive to succeed, persevere and transform. They are an inspiration!

About Best in Biz Awards

Now in its sixth year, Best in Biz Awards recognizes companies for their business success as judged by established members of the press and industry analysts. Best in Biz Awards honors are currently conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in more than 60 categories, including company, team, executive, product and PR and media. Entries for Best in Biz Awards 2017 International are currently being accepted until the final deadline on April 28, 2017. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com.
Leaders from MC Assembly, a leading mid-tier Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider, recently participated in the Association for Manufacturing Excellences (AME) Annual Conference in Dallas It's important to never settle for 'satisfactory' in our industry. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity to witness new industry concepts and tools.

Leaders from MC Assembly, a leading mid-tier Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider, recently participated in the Association for Manufacturing Excellences (AME) Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas.

This is the third year MC Assembly has attended the AME conference. The week-long conference featured many guest speakers, workshops and panels. The attendees said this is a valuable overall investment for the company to consider the ideas discussed at the conference.

Its a great opportunity to meet with manufacturing companies from all over, said Luis Ramirez, MC Assemblys Chief Operating Officer. We talk about best practices and how to improve operations.

The conference took place from October 24-28. The members who attended were Vice President of Quality and Engineering Jose Sierra, Senior Industrial Engineer Mike Watts, Continuous Improvement Manager Dan Prina, Operations Director of MC Assemblys Mexico facility Jose Santos, and Operations Director of MC Assemblys Boston facility Thom Hansen.

It's important to never settle for satisfactory in our industry, Watts said. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity to witness new industry concepts and tools.



At the conference, one of the major topics of discussion was lean manufacturing. Earlier this year MC Assembly adopted lean manufacturing efficiency methods with Incito Consulting Group lean manufacturing workshops at their Mexico, Massachusetts and Melbourne facilities. Prina, who serves as MC Assemblys Project Manager of Lean Enterprise and Continuous Improvement, said he was inspired by seeing how so many other companies implemented and talked about Lean manufacturing practices.

I couldnt wait to get back in the shop and review our True-North direction and share my experiences in Dallas, Prina said.

An important part of the conference is sharing current trends to spark new insights for attendees to consider for their own companies to solve problems, improve efficiency or just better handle an ever changing world and business climate. The MC Assembly attendees said there were some good takeaways they learned at the AME Conference that may help MC Assembly in the near future.

These all affect in one way or another company growth and revenue, Sierra said. These concepts will be integrated into our Continuous Improvement Program.

About MC Assembly

MC Assembly (http://www.mcati.com), based in Melbourne, Fla., with additional operations in Billerica, Mass., and Zacatecas, Mexico, is a national leader in the contract manufacturing arena with annual revenues of approximately $200 million. It provides turnkey solutions to original equipment manufacturers and focuses on assembly of medium volume, medium mix printed circuit boards assemblies (PCBAs) and box builds. MC Assembly's capabilities include surface mount and pin-through-hole interconnection technologies, PCB and box build, DFM, DFT, DFA engineering, in-circuit, functional and environmental testing, and full box-build direct order fulfillment.
The American College of Bankruptcy (the College) and the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation (the Foundation) announced today that they have awarded 51 pro bono grants totaling nearly $468,000 to legal services organizations located in 20 different states, including the District of Columbia. The unrestricted grants are funded jointly by the College and its Foundation to grantees whose activities are consistent with the objectives of the Colleges mission of funding organizations that provide assistance to groups and individuals in need of bankruptcy-related legal representation, training and/or education.

The grants issued in 2016 include the following:

Alameda County Bar Association Volunteer Legal Services Corporation

Oakland, CA

Bankruptcy Bar Foundation

Tamarac, FL

Birmingham Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program

Birmingham, AL

Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A

Brooklyn, NY

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services

Chicago, IL

Community Law Project

San Diego, CA

Connecticut Bar Association

New Britain, CT

Consumer Education and Training Services ("CENTS")

Seattle, WA

Dade Legal Aid-Put Something Back

Miami, FL

DC Bar Pro Bono Center

Washington, DC

Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project

Dayton, OH

Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, Inc.

Houston, TX

Illinois Legal Aid Online

Chicago, IL

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara, CA

Legal Aid of Northwest Texas

Ft. Worth, TX

Legal Aid of the Bluegrass

Covington, KY

Legal Aid of Western Missouri

Kansas City, MO

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.

Oklahoma City, OK

Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

Legal Aid Society of San Diego

San Diego, CA

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.

Geneva, NY

Legal Services NYC

New York, NY

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley

White Plains, NY

Lone Star Legal Aid

Houston, TX

Louisiana Civil Justice Center

New Orleans, LA

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Baltimore, MD

Metroplex Military Charitable Trust

Dallas, TX

MFY Legal Services

New York, NY

Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc.

Easton, MD

Military Assistance Project

Philadelphia, PA

Montana Legal Services Association

Helena, MT

Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A. County

Glendale, CA

North Penn Legal Services

Bethlehem, PA

Ohio State Legal Services Association

Columbus, OH

Prairie State Legal Services, Inc.

Rockford, IL

Public Counsel

Los Angeles, CA

Public Law Center

Santa Ana, CA

Public Service Law Corporation

Riverside, CA

Queens Volunteer Lawyers Project

Jamaica, NY

Rutgers University School of Law  Camden & Newark

Camden, NJ and Newark, NJ

Southern University Law Center

Baton Rouge, LA

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc.

Weslaco, TX

Utah State Bar

Salt Lake City, UT

Veterans Legal Services

Boston, MA

Voluntary Legal Services Program of N. California, Inc.

Sacramento, CA

Volunteer Attorney Program

Duluth, MN

Volunteer Lawyer Project of Boston Bar Association

Boston, MA

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Inc.

Newark, NJ

Volunteer Lawyers Network

Minneapolis, MN

In addition, the College has selected its inaugural Michael L. Cook Extraordinary Grant recipient. The Michael L. Cook Extraordinary Grant was created in Mr. Cooks honor in 2016 and is awarded to a legal services organization that offers an innovative and exemplary approach to a previously under-served area of need. A Fellow since 1997, Michael Cook served as Chair and President of the College and Chair of its Board of Regents during the period from 2010-2016, and as Chair of the Pro Bono Committee from 2008-2010. During both his many years of exemplary service to the College and his long and distinguished career, Mike has been a tireless advocate, visionary leader and relentless fund-raiser on behalf of programs that provide pro bono legal services throughout the United States, said G. Christopher Meyer, current College Chair. We proudly announce Veterans Legal Services as the 2016 Michael L. Cook Extraordinary Grant recipient.

Veterans Legal Services (VLS) promotes self-sufficiency, stability, and financial security for veterans through comprehensive and accessible legal services. VLSs unique model of delivering services on-site at homeless shelters and service centers allows it to reach veterans who would otherwise go without the legal help they need. VLS services over 500 veterans cases per year.

The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals. The Fellows of the College are selected for membership based on a proven record of the highest standards of professionalism and service to the profession, and include commercial and consumer bankruptcy attorneys, bankruptcy and other federal judges, bankruptcy trustees, United States Trustees and other federal officials, law school professors, and others involved in the bankruptcy and insolvency profession. The College offers unique and challenging educational programs and publications, maintains the National Bankruptcy Archives at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and is believed to be the single largest financial supporter of pro bono bankruptcy services in the United States. There are approximately 900 Fellows of the College. The American College of Bankruptcy Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, supported by the College and by tax-deductible contributions from Fellows of the College and others. Additional information about the College and the Foundation is available at http://www.amercol.org.
Doug Rung still remembers the elderly woman who approached him after one of his historical talks.

She recalled how tight supplies were for Nebraskans during World War II.

Cloth was in such short supply that her husband bought a suit that neither had lapels on the jacket nor pants cuffs. She noted something else:

There wasnt any elastic, she said. It all went to the war effort.

So people used safety pins or string ties to hold clothes together.

This weekend, the Geneva man will provide area residents with a unique look at the past when he speaks during the 27th Annual Christmas on the Prairie celebration. The holiday event is scheduled from 2-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Saunders County Historical Society Museum, 240 N. Walnut St., in Wahoo.

As in past years, activities include a variety of musical programs, demonstrations of old-time chores such as rope making and hand corn shelling, festively decorated buildings, historical talks by Humanities Nebraska speakers and refreshments. The public is invited and admission is free.

There seems to be something for everybody. Its a nice way to kick off the Christmas season and do something fun, said Erin Hauser, museum curator.

Buildings on the museum grounds  including the Weston Presbyterian Church and Burlington Depot building  will be decorated for Christmas.

More than 30 Christmas trees and other items, such as a ladder or a door, will be decorated, too. Area residents were invited to decorate a space.

Its been so fun to see the variety of ideas people have come up with to decorate, Hauser said.

Programs include country and polka music. The Bishop Neumann Madrigal Choir will perform 6-7 p.m. Saturday in the church building.

Comedy is on the program as well when former Fremonter Cheryl Anderson portrays the fussy Aunt Edna starting at 4 p.m. Saturday in the church.

More music is planned on Sunday in the main museum and church.

Humanities Nebraska speakers include Karen Wyatt Drevo, who talks about what life was like for prairie pioneers and the hardships they faced. Her hour-long talk starts at 2 p.m. Saturday. The program is suitable for children from grade four through adults, the humanities website states.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, Rung will present Nebraska Remembers World War II in the main museum.

Nebraska became a very important part of the war effort, said Rung, a retired schoolteacher. The people of Nebraska really rolled up their sleeves and did their part to help win the war.

Eleven airbases were built in Nebraska to help train crews for the war, Rung said, who will talk a little about those.

He also will talk about men and women who worked in factories, including the munitions plant at Hastings, and others around the state.

Rungs presentation will include information about prisoner of war camps in Nebraska.

A lot of people dont realize we had prisoner of war camps in Nebraska, he said.

One was near Atlanta in Phelps County. Nebraska State Historical Society records indicate it housed nearly 3,000 prisoners during the war.

Rung said other camps were situated around the state, mainly along the Platte River because farmers needed help to bring in crops. Many POWs were assigned to help farmers.

Ive interviewed several farmers who got prisoners of war to help in the fields, because their hired hands were gone to the war, he said.

Rung will talk about the North Platte Canteen, a railroad stop where citizens of this community provided sandwiches, coffee, cookies and cake to servicemen and women who came through during the war.

Other topics will include rationing of supplies. During the war, items such as gasoline, tires and sugar were rationed in the United States.

Women had to forego wearing silk hosiery, because the material was needed for parachute production. There was a shortage of cloth, which was needed for soldiers uniforms. There were some days when people couldnt buy meat, because it, too, was needed for the war.

Rung will have stories of what items people said they had to do without in those days.

A lot of people had to do without a lot of new things, he said. One pair of shoes had to last them for a long time, because leather was needed for the war effort. It was tough times for people.

Rung will touch on other aspects of stateside living during those times, including those of schoolchildren, who rolled bandages and helped by saving pennies to buy war bonds.

It was a whole, 110 percent effort by everybody, he said.

Besides historical talks, other activities are open to those who attend the holiday event.

Again this year, people can bring cards to be stamped with a special Christmas on the Prairie postal cancellation from 2-7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Memphis Post Office on the museum grounds. Postcards and seasonal stamps will be available for purchase. At the same time both days, a model train display will be running in the Burlington Depot.

Childrens activities are planned from 2-6 p.m. both days in the District 42 schoolhouse, also on the museum campus.

On the upper level of Union Bank, across the street, a quilt display is planned from 2-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fiber artists from Fremont, Lincoln and Omaha will demonstrate their crafts, including lace-making, tatting and spinning.

The historic Hanson House will be open from 3-7 p.m., both days at 12th and Linden streets in Wahoo. Piano performances are planned each hour.

Those who miss this years celebration are invited to attend in 2017 for the 28th Annual Christmas on the Prairie, set for Dec. 2-3. The theme will be Christmas in Nebraska to celebrate the states sesquicentennial.
Star Refrigeration's Group Sales & Marketing Director, Dr Rob Lamb By sharing our knowledge and experience of future proof refrigerants for small industrial refrigeration applications, I hope to highlight the important role they play in providing efficient cooling in a range of environments

The Institute of Refrigeration has a national reputation as the knowledge hub for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. Founded in 1899, it is now an independent charity and an educational and scientific body with a membership of 3,000. The institute regularly organises events, conferences, and webinars for its members to discuss elements of the refrigeration industry in detail.

Presenting his paper entitled Refrigeration Choices for the Future  Small Industrial Refrigeration Applications, Dr Lamb will shed light on the best refrigerant choices and replacement alternatives to HFCs for small industrial refrigeration systems.

Dr Lambs paper aims to aid end users and contractors to select the optimum refrigerant for their application. Small refrigeration systems with capacities of up to 300kW for medium temperature (MT) and high temperature (HT) and up to 150kW for low temperature (LT) applications are often overlooked when discussing the future of refrigerants.

By sharing our knowledge and experience of future proof refrigerants for small industrial refrigeration applications, I hope to highlight the important role they play in providing efficient cooling in a range of environments. This seminar is the perfect opportunity to discuss relevant industry topics and help businesses understand the various refrigerant options available.

At the seminar, Dr Lamb will be joined by David Everington, who will be delivering a paper titled History of Food Freezing Engineering in the UK. Both topics are set to be greatly received by a large number of attendees and other members who will join the conversation via live webinar.

In a separate speech Dr Lamb will talk about his experience of getting to Engineering Council Charter Status through the IoR in the hope it provides guidance to any future undertakers. He will highlight the benefits of becoming a Chartered engineer and will be on hand to offer advice.

The industry event will take place on 1st December at 5pm. The location is the Arden Hotel, Coventry Road, Solihull, B92 0EH.

To find more information about the seminar or to register free for the event or the webinar, go to:

http://www.ior.org.uk/food-and-industrial-refrigeration-overview .
Our students are building greater confidence when dealing with complexity, are better able to deal with open ended problems and can communicate and work more effectively with their peers to achieve a common goal.

At Stratford Schools Melrose campus, preschool students in Mr. Silvermans class are discovering that teamwork, creativity and classroom fun are important components of early childhood learning. Meanwhile, at Stratfords San Jose Middle School, 8th graders in Mrs. Dasturs computer science class are preparing to help the preschoolers create an original story they can watch on their iPads.

These two classes will come together December 9 from 1:30 to 2:30 PT in a virtual classroom collaboration, to write and animate a story using the computer coding skills theyre learning as part of Stratfords unique and balanced STEAM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

This combination of creativity and tech education is all part of Stratford Schools 2016 participation in Code.orgs global Hour of Code event December 5-11. This is just one of many activities across Stratfords 22 campuses where nearly 6,000 students are participating in a variety of creative and fun learning activities designed to build student confidence, persistence, collaboration and creative problem solving skills. Stratford School was among the first private schools to champion Code.orgs Hour of Code initiative launched four years ago.

At Stratford, we believe its important that our students go beyond just being consumers of technology to becoming creators of the technology tools they use every day, said Monisha Gupta, Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Stratford School. As part of our balanced curriculum infused with fine arts and foreign language, were teaching our students programming skills starting at age three with tools like Bee-Bots and Dash and Dot robots, and eventually moving them to advanced coding languages. Early on, theyre actually learning how computer code is created. Whether or not they pursue careers in technology, engineering or coding, they learn to logically organize and analyze real life problems to create better solutions, Gupta adds, Our students are building greater confidence when dealing with complexity, are better able to deal with open ended problems and can communicate and work more effectively with their peers to achieve a common goal.

Research shows that learning to code is an essential skill for all students in the 21st century. "Stratford teaches their youngest students how to use technology, so they can begin to understand the possibilities of computers and tablets, going beyond drag-and-drop and swipe-and-scroll, said Carrie Lynne Draper, Executive Director and STEM Expert at Readiness Learning Associates, which provides consulting services, professional development and educator training around science, technology, engineering and math for schools across the nation. At Stratford, Hour of Code is more than teaching students how to code. It is a time for all students to experience the tremendous power of technology. Beginning in preschool, its approach enhances children's cognitive and social abilities. Students have multiple opportunities to share their discoveries while acquiring knowledge and may occasionally mentor a particularly curious preschooler. Not every child is going to grow up to be a computer scientist. However, for a student desiring the opportunity to someday create technologies not yet imagined, this is the school that will feed their imagination," concludes Draper.

Educators at Stratford School, across the country, and around the globe, agree that digital literacy is paramount. Like learning a language, teaching the foundation of coding in early childhood education fosters the computational and algorithmic thinking skills children will need for jobs in the 21st century. At Stratford School, this begins in preschool.

ABOUT STRATFORD SCHOOL: Established in 1999, Stratford School is a leading independent private school founded on the belief that education is a significant influence in the life of a child. Stratford offers an accelerated curriculum from preschool through eighth grade with an emphasis in the areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) that incorporates music, physical education, foreign language, and social skills development. Stratfords goal is to prepare and mentor students for admission to competitive high schools and colleges. All students are provided the necessary tools to excel, and are encouraged to participate actively in leadership, community service, and extracurricular activities. Visit http://www.stratfordschools.com for more information.

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Steven Drexel, President and CEO of Cornerstone Staffing Solutions I expect Fridays Report covering Novembers activity to indicate that the labor market expanded by 195,000 jobs and the unemployment rate will hold steady at 4.9 percent. Labor markets are still healthy and growing - but at a slower rate.

With the release of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics November 2016 employment data on Friday December 2, Steve Drexel, Cornerstone Staffing Solutions president and chief executive officer, is ready and available for interviews or commentary on the economic and employment impact as well as some post-election macroeconomic perspectives.

I expect Fridays Employment Situation Report covering Novembers activity to indicate that the labor market expanded by 195,000 jobs and the unemployment rate will hold steady at 4.9 percent, comments Drexel. The labor markets are still healthy and growing -- but at a slower rate than we saw during 2015 and below the expectations held two or three quarters ago.

Drexel presents these positive employment-related economic indicators during November that support his conclusions:



Initial Jobless Claims as well as Continuing Jobless Claims decreased during November, particularly during the reference weeks from which the Bureau of Labor Statistics draws its survey. These trends are very current and reassuring.

The Conference Boards November differential of jobs plentiful versus jobs hard to get expanded to a net 5.2 during November, up from 3.6 during October.

The Philadelphia, Richmond, Kansas City and Texas Federal Reserve Survey sub-indexes for Employment and the Average Workweek all were stronger during November as compared to October. Only the New York Empire State Manufacturing Employment Index deteriorated during November.

The American Staffing Associations Monthly Index was 1.0 percent improved during November compared to October suggesting that job growth is a bit better than recent trends.

The private employment surveys that I participate in continued to suggest growth during November at an accelerated pace.

On the flip side, Drexel shares these less than positive employment indicators:



The Wall Street Journals November Economic Survey of 72 leading economists forecast of employment for 2016 was 2.8 percent lower than the October forecast reflecting lower expectations.

Political uncertainty was higher during November given that it was an election month during a cycle in which the sitting second-term President was prevented from seeking re-election.

Drexel also offers expectations for 2017 and beyond. Uncertainty is the key word with respect to the general economy going forward given the surprising election outcome and the shifting power structure in Washington all which come on top of a long running but slow growth expansion. Regardless, employment growth remains a critical foundation supporting the continuing expansion. Wage growth is gradually accelerating which along with increasing employment is central to lift retail sales - another necessary driver of continued growth. The average workweek has room to improve as does the labor force participation rate suggesting that there is still capacity for growth. And yet, there is a somewhat less momentum going forward as the expansion is aging. Expect jobs growth during 2017 to average about 180,000 positions per month while the unemployment rate trends down slightly to 4.7 percent by year end.

From an optimistic macroeconomic perspective, President-elect Trumps policy agenda suggests a pro-business preference featuring fewer regulations, reduced taxes and robust infrastructure spending. Particularly during 2017 and 2018, these initiatives could spur faster growth, Drexel believes. Conversely, from a risk management perspective, reduced taxes and robust infrastructure spending carries the threat of fiscal deficit increases which could suppress growth during 2019 and beyond. Objectively, it is early, but ultimately, we will need more details and timeframes in order to better forecast the economy during coming years.

Employment growth slowed during recent months, but remains positive and is expected to continue to grow albeit at slightly slower rates, Drexel explains. The risk of recession remains low and the expansion should continue through 2018. The cumulative impact of over six years of employment growth results in more severe labor shortages and accelerating wage pressure.

More About Steven R. Drexel

Steven R. Drexel is an economist, a member of the Business Research Advisory Council of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and past chairman of the American Staffing Associations Industry Information Committee. He has been interviewed for The Washington Post, Bloomberg Business News, CNN Radio, the Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle and The Houston Business Journal -- among many other national, regional and local media organizations.

Drexels biographical profile is available at http://www.cornerstone-staffing.com/. Please contact Brian Hatfield for any information or insights related to a wide range of employment and economic topics Drexel is prepared to comment on.

More About Cornerstone Staffing

Cornerstone Staffing Solutions is among the top 134 largest staffing firms in America, as ranked by Staffing Industry Analysts and received Inaveros 2016 Best of Staffing Client Award. Since 2003, Cornerstone has grown from a neighborhood staffing provider to a $100 million national firm that employs thousands of people at hundreds of companies from coast to coast. Providing candidate searching and job placement for administrative, industrial, technical, sales and transportation positions, Cornerstone truly is where talent and jobs meet.

Visit Cornerstone at: http://www.cornerstone-staffing.com.

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Its simple: when you see better, you live better.

The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce today hosted a ribbon cutting at The LASIK Vision Institutes (LVI) new laser vision correction center. The center is LVIs first in Lubbock and eighth location in Texas.

The event took place on November 30 at 9:30 a.m. After a brief introduction about the center, attendees observed a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Those in attendance included The LASIK Vision Institute staff and Chamber Ambassadors from the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.

Following the ceremony, guests were invited to treat themselves to complimentary light refreshments.

We are thrilled to be opening this facility, which will provide safe and affordable vision correction to the people of Lubbock and its surrounding areas, said LVI CEO Ben Cook. Its simple: when you see better, you live better.

The LASIK Vision Institute is an industry leader, having successfully completed more than 1.1 million laser vision correction procedures. With more than 80 centers across the United States and payment options for nearly every budget, LVI is committed to convenience and affordability.

Like all LVI facilities, the new center in Lubbock is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and staffed by highly trained, experienced independent surgeons and medical staff.

The new Lubbock center is located at 5307 West Loop 289 Suite 105, Lubbock, TX 79414.

To learn more about LVIs vision correction options, schedule a free evaluation today.

About The LASIK Vision Institute

The top national provider of laser eye surgery, The LASIK Vision Institute (LVI) operates a growing nationwide network. The company utilizes safe, FDA-approved, advanced LASIK technology. LVIs highly skilled independent LASIK surgeons have performed more than 1.1 million procedures. For more information, visit The LASIK Vision Institute.
Washing Machine Vibrations and Anti-Vibration Pads In an attempt to get into the spirit of the holidays, our comedic blog post gives a humorous take on the subject of an anti-vibration pad for washers.

Vibration Solution, a leading online retailer of top-rated anti-vibration pads at http://www.vibrationsolution.com/, is pleased to announce a humorous post on anti-vibration pads for washers, to help people "laugh" about their trouble with their washers.

In an attempt to get into the spirit of the holidays, our comedic blog post gives a humorous take on the subject of an anti-vibration pad for washers, explained Rj Yozwiak, Manager of Vibration Solution. This seems like a good time for something 'light'; the levity of our blog posts touches on the subject of washing machine walking, 'as if' it is walking all over our customers.

The blog post has a little levity is mixed in with the usual high-quality information that the site provides on the travails of American homeowners and renters of apartments. But the serious part is that an anti-vibration pad for washers can stop washing machine walking.

To learn more about the lighter side of anti-vibration pad for washer, please visit and read the blog post at

http://www.vibrationsolution.com/blog/washing-machine-walking-into-a-bar-it-stops-vibrating/. To browse the company's anti-vibration pads, online, visit their Amazon store at http://amzn.to/1TZGKvX.

Anti-vibration Pad for Washer Is Solution To Washing Machine Walking

Despite the humorous tone of the blog post, the reality is that washing machine vibrations are a very annoying problem, causing consternation for homeowners and apartment dwellers alike. The solution is to use a top quality anti-vibration pad for washers.

Vibration Solutions Silent Feet product is made of Sorbothane is a one-of-a-kind visco elastic polymer. 100% unique - Sorbothane is a solid that naturally flows like a liquid - Sorbothane absorbs vibrations better than any other natural or synthetic material available today.

Vibration Solutions Silent Feet product is made of Sorbothane is a one-of-a-kind visco elastic polymer. 100% unique - Sorbothane is a solid that naturally flows like a liquid - Sorbothane absorbs vibrations better than any other natural or synthetic material available today.

About Vibration Solution

Vibration Solution is the source for Sorbothane Silent Feet anti-vibration pads. Sorbothane uniquely absorbs up to 94.7% of vibrations, and is ideal for use in a variety of home and workplace settings.

Vibration Solution

http://www.vibrationsolution.com/
Cascio Interstate Music - 70th Anniversary We follow in the tradition of our founder, Frank Cascio, of continuing to promote, inspire and encourage all generations in their musical endeavors throughout their lives.

Cascio Interstate Music of New Berlin, Wisconsin, celebrates 70 years in the music industry as 2016 comes to a close. Cascio is celebrating with artist-signed musical instrument giveaways and special retail store events on December 10th and 17th at its Milwaukee music store.

We are so very proud to be celebrating our 70th Anniversary in the music industry, said Michael Houser, Cascio Musics CEO. We have seen enormous changes in the global market place and are delighted to continue to take care of our customers through our evolutionary process as we advance, succeed and change, in this omni-channel world. We follow in the tradition of our founder, Frank Cascio, of continuing to promote, inspire and encourage all generations in their musical endeavors throughout their lives.

Cascio Interstate is offering musical instrument giveaways nationwide and in-store, including a Shure Microphone signed by Alice Cooper, a Dean Guitar signed by Dave Mustaine, an Archer Guitar signed by Al Di Meola, a Mapex Snare Drum signed by Chris Adler, a Gretsch Snare Drum signed by Stanton Moore, a Casio Keyboard signed by Larry Dunn, a Pearl Snare Drum signed by Omar Hakim, and a $1000 Cascio Gift Card.

On Saturday and Sunday, December 10-11 at its New Berlin, Wisconsin retail store, customers will receive 16% off everything in the store with a purchase of $149 or more (restrictions apply). On Saturday the 10th only, a free $10 Cascio Gift Card will be given to the first 25 shoppers; Santa Claus will be on-hand between 10am and noon, and free cake, coffee and cocoa will be available as well as live music.

On Saturday, December 17 at the New Berlin store, customers will receive 20% off everything with a purchase of $249 or more (restrictions apply). Free gift wrapping will be available all day (10am  5pm), a free $10 Cascio Gift Card will be given to the first 25 shoppers, and Santa Claus will be on-hand between 10am and noon and live music will again fill the store.

Frank Salvatore Cascio was the son of Italian immigrants and learned his business skills by running the familys grocery store after his father died in 1937. He soon developed a mastery of the accordion and played live on local radio stations. After a stint in the US Army, Frank and his wife Marcie founded the company in 1946, opening a small teaching and accordion studio, the West Milwaukee Accordion School in West Milwaukee.

Cascio Music expanded in 1951 with a larger store on Lincoln Avenue in West Allis. As many as 600 music lessons per week were given by a staff of 40 instructors, and accordion was the most popular. Cascio Music then grew and adapted to meet the changing musical landscape in the 1960s.

In 1970 the mail order division Interstate Music Supply began, to service school band directors of Wisconsin, but which grew into nationwide catalogs that today continue to serve band directors and the military. In 1973, a second location, Cascio Music-West was added in the rural New Berlin suburb, to house Interstate Music Supply and a small warehouse. The New Berlin store eventually replaced the Lincoln Avenue store, which closed in 1976.

A major remodeling in 1997-1998 almost doubled the retail floor space to 30,000 square feet, while the warehouse moved to a much larger facility in Waukesha. In 1997, Frank S. Cascio died at age 76, leaving the company in the hands of his son Mike, who was named President. Cascios website http://www.interstatemusic.com was also born and grew into a full featured e-commerce website. Cascios retail store is one of the largest in the Midwest.

Preparing and guiding the company for the future, Mike Cascio formed an advisory board in 2003 where he met Michael R. Houser, a retired Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Fresh Brands, Inc. Houser also served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Milwaukee's World Festivals, Inc. who operates and manages Summerfest, the World's Largest Music Festival. Michael Houser was then named Chief Executive Officer/Chief Marketing Officer of Cascio Interstate Music in 2004. Elwood Winn, former President and CEO at Fresh Brands, joined the Cascio team in 2005 as its Chief Financial Officer. These three Executive Committee Officers now comprise the Company's complete operational leadership.

ARU Music is Cascios division encompassing proprietary brands of musical instruments. ARU's original and primary instrument lines are Archer Guitars and Amps, Union Drums and Ravel Band Instruments. Additional brands developed in recent years include M. Ravel String Instruments, le'Var Band Instruments, Melokia and Omalha Ukuleles, Union One Earth Percussion and Gravity Pedals. CEO Michael Houser provides brand oversight for these brands and introduces them to new markets via non-traditional, large retailers, along with obtaining and expanding artist endorsements. Artist endorsers for Archer Guitars and Union Drums include Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Shonn Hinton (Mary J. Blige), Sean Carey, Bon Iver and Josh Rouse.

As the Company moves into its 70th year in the Music Industry, Cascio continues to evolve as an omni-channel musical retailer, in an effort to satisfy all of its customers. Cascio Interstate Music consistently ranks in the top 15 nationally among musical instrument retailers, and is also one of the nation's top drum retailers.
Enter to Win the Drum and Percussion Sweepstakes - Sabian Complete Eric Hernandez Cymbal Set! The Grand Prize in this sweepstakes is a complete Sabian Eric Hernandez Cymbal Set, which matches the actual setup that he uses.

Cascio Interstate Music's newest Drum Sweepstakes is now underway, in conjunction with the release of Cascio's 116 page Winter 2016 Drums & Percussion Catalog, featuring Sabian Cymbals artist Eric E-Panda Hernandez on the cover. Eric is the touring drummer and brother of recording artist Bruno Mars. Cascios first catalog specifically for drummers nationwide came out in 1993.

We are honored to have Mr. Eric Hernandez on the cover of our annual Cascio Interstate Music publication. His drumming style is multi-dimensional, crossing into all musical genres, said Michael Houser, Cascio Interstate Music CEO. While his primary gig is with Bruno Mars, he has shared the stage and studio with artists like Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Ziggy and Damian Marley and Mayer Hawthorne, plus many more. We thank Sabian for their significant participation with this major drum artist.

The Grand Prize in this sweepstakes is a complete Sabian Eric Hernandez Cymbal Set, which matches the actual setup that he uses. Sabian is one of the worlds most popular cymbal brands. The Grand Prize set includes cymbals from Sabians HHX Modern Dark line which feature Tone Projection, as well as AAX Modern Bright which feature Dynamic Focus to increase clarity.

The full Grand Prize Package is valued at $5000 and consists of one each of the following cymbals:



14" HHX Legacy Hats

17" HHX Legacy Crash

17" HHX X-Treme Crash Brilliant

18" HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash

22 HHX Legacy Heavy Ride

12 AAX O-Zone Splash

8" AAX Splash

16 AAX Aero Crash

17 AA Holy China Brilliant

18" AA Sick Hats

In addition to the Grand Prize, Cascio offers three additional prizes. First prize is a $100 Cascio Gift Card, second prize is a $50 Cascio Gift Card, and third prize is a $25 Cascio Gift Card. Enter the sweepstakes before 11:59pm on Sunday October 15th, 2017 at http://www.interstatemusic.com/Contest/235-Enter-to-Win-the-Drum-and-Percussion-Sweepstakes-Sabian-Complete-Eric-Hernandez-Cymbal-Set.aspx, or with the entry form in the front of the catalog.

Cascio Interstate's Winter 2016 Drums & Percussion Catalog includes the very latest products for drummers from major manufacturers, as well as best sellers in all categories. The catalog features cymbals, drumheads, drumsticks and mallets, accessories from practice pads to muffling devices, percussion from hand-held to ethnic drums, drum sets and hardware including parts, cases and bags, electronic drums and triggers, microphones and headphones.

The catalog also includes instructional DVDs and books, making great gifts for any drummer. Request a copy of the free 116 page catalog at http://www.interstatemusic.com/drumcatalog, by phone at (800) 462-2263, or view the entire catalog online at http://www.interstatemusic.com/zmags/Drum-Catalog.html.

As the Company moves into its 70th year in the Music Industry, Cascio continues to evolve as an omni-channel musical retailer, in an effort to satisfy all its customers expanding and changing needs both now and in the future. Cascio Interstate Music ranks in the top 15 nationally among musical instrument retailers, and is also one of the nation's top drum retailers.

The Company markets over 75,000 musical instruments and accessories to musicians of all ages in a number of ways including via their website, http://www.interstatemusic.com, and through their SuperStore, located in the Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin, Wisconsin, as well as their musician-staffed information center at (800) 462-2263. Cascio also provides products to music educators at over 100,000 schools and universities worldwide. The Company started in 1946 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and proudly remains independently owned, operated and run by musicians.
ALOHA's First National Math Challenge Registration Opens The top 3 math winners in each category (Junior and Senior) will receive $10,000 for first place, $3000 for second place, and $1000 for third place.

Registration is now open and with two first prizes of $10,000, children enrolled in ALOHA Mind Math programs across the U.S. are gearing up to participate in their 1st National Math Challenge. This math test-based competition, designed for children in Kindergarten through 6th grade, will have three rounds, with the finals held in Edison NJ in the spring of 2017. Participants must be active, registered ALOHA students [any program] to be eligible. Click to inquire about ALOHA's National Math Challenge, click to request info. Registration will be open through January 31, 2017.

How will This National Math Challenge Work?

Children will compete in two categories  Junior: K through 2nd grade (max age 8) and Senior: 3rd through 6th grade (max age 12). There will be three rounds of competition (preliminary - March 2017, semi-finals April 2017, and finals in May 2017) with age-appropriate math problems and general analytic based questions in multiple choice, paper and pencil, format. Sample questions will be provided for those who register. Students will not be allowed to use calculators. Scratch note paper and pencils will be allowed. Registration fee for contest: $30 for the first child, $20 for each sibling.

The live finals will be held in New Jersey in the Spring of 2017 (a travel voucher & discounted hotel rates will be provided to the finalists). The top 3 winners in each category (Junior and Senior) will receive $10,000 for first place, $3000 for second place, and $1000 for third place.

How Can a Child Get Involved in ALOHA Programs?

ALOHA is currently training children K through 6th grades in Math, Reading and Writing at over 120 locations in 19 states across the U.S., including: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MI, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA*. For more details on these programs, go to http://www.ALOHAMindMath.com, search for a nearby center using ALOHA's online center locator, check the ALOHA Facebook page (http://www.Facebook.com/aloha.usa), or call 877-256-4203 to find a local center near you.

*Each ALOHA learning center is independently owned and operated. For more information on the ALOHA Challenge: click here.

ALOHA

Founded in 1993 in the U.S., ALOHA Mind Math, a leading provider of mental arithmetic and English Reading | Writing after school programs, has been guiding children between the ages of 5 through 12 to achieve academic excellence in grades 1 through 5. ALOHA is currently training children at 121 locations in 19 states across the US. New programs this year include a STEM program for 10-14 year olds, and Tiny Thinkers pre-school program for ages 3-5. The interactive learning process enhances a childs math, reading and writing capabilities. The teachers also assist children in developing skills and abilities such as observation and listening that result in the overall growth of the child. The ALOHA program is also in use in 20 countries worldwide.
Sibername - Perfect solutions for your web presence SiberName joins the tradition of holiday giving.

SiberName clients who register Internet domain names but who currently don't have the "know how" to start building a website will be given one if it is requested in the first week of December. Since this is a totally new Holiday tradition at Sibername, these gifts will be offered to the first 100 customers who request one. From this experience, SiberName will then assess the possibility of offering this gift to many more customers.

Those interested can just email their SiberName-registered domain name along with the original content they wish to see on their new homepage to support(at)sibername(dot)com before December 8th. Participating domain registrants will hopefully use this basic, yet practical, homepage as a "Web Presence" starter. Sibername marketing manager Sylvain says, "Using SiberName How-To videos and the Weebly website builder, participating domain registrants will hopefully use this basic, yet practical, SiberName Starter homepage as an incentive to develop their first 'Web Presence'."

SiberName's Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/sibername

About SiberName:

SiberName is a Canadian registrar and web-hosting company located in Ottawa, Canada. Since 2000 SiberName has been providing Internet consulting services to a wide range of companies and individuals requiring the implementation and hosting of new technologies for their online presence. SiberNames mission is to be the best host of Internet solutions that help increase the online sustainability and mobility of small businesses, individuals and re-sellers.